Golf Cart, Wildlife Feeding Laws on Tonight's Agenda

A law that would allow golf carts on town roads. A proposal to move the Town Council's meeting time up 45 minutes. A law that prohibits the feeding of wildlife in any public place.

Those are three of the items up for discussion Monday night when the ordinance committee holds a special meeting and preceding public forum in at 7 p.m.

The ordinance committee is made up exclusively of Town Council membership.

Golf Carts

There is a proposal on the table that would allow golf carts on town roads that have posted speed limits of 25 mph or less.

Councilman Chris Barnaby (R-1) sponsored the proposed law after his constituents in Lordship told him it would "add another dimension" to their community.

However, according to Councilwoman Stephanie Philips (D-2), the law must be applicable to the entire town, not just a section of it.

A group of residents from the shoreline community spoke in favor of the proposal during a recent public forum. But one resident said narrow streets outside of the first district would be dangerous for golf carts to travel on.

And according to a Patch poll, .

Other issues yet to be resolved include potential liability problems for the town and how the law would be enforced.

Meeting Time Change

The Town Council is exploring the idea of moving its meeting time up 45 minutes, from 8 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

because if the meeting time is moved up, the preceding public forum also has to be changed to an earlier time.

According to the current Stratford Town Council Rules of Procedure, if the Council meeting were to start at 7:15 p.m., the public forum would have to begin at 6 p.m. Several residents said that would hinder commuters from participating in thier local government.

However, Town Council members can amend those rules.

Wildlife Feeding

A new law passed by Council members in November . It also put restrictions on feeding wildlife on private property, which included slapping a minimum height requirement on bird feeders.

At a recent public forum, a resident asked the Council why, under the law, every park had to be prohibited. She asked if the law could be changed to allow the feeding of ducks at one town park.

Stratford resident John O'Leary, who contacted Patch via email in December, said the ordinance is unfair to birds.

"It may be a bad winter for birds in Stratford this year if this ordinance as written is allowed to stand," O'Leary wrote.

The ordinance committee will address these concerns tonight. The meeting is open to the public. 

What are your thoughts on the proposals which the ordinance committee will look to flesh out tonight? Tell us in the comments.