The Barren County Fiscal Court approved the first reading allowing special-purpose vehicles on county roads at the Oct. 3 special-called meeting. Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1
By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
Hopes of driving ATVs, minitrucks and utility terrain vehicles on county roads is closer on the horizon with the unanimous approval from the Barren County Fiscal Court Magistrates of the first reading of an ordinance making them street legal.
The Kentucky General Assembly passed Kentucky Senate Bill 63 in March, thereby making “special-purpose vehicles” street legal and able to be registered with local county clerk’s offices, which, along with sheriff’s offices, handles vehicle inspections in accordance with the now-law. However, though they are allowed on the state level, local municipalities need to pass an ordinance allowing them on its roadways.
“This is already approved through the state for people to go ahead [and register special-purpose vehicles] through Helena [Chase Birdwell’s] office,” Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd said. “This [ordinance] makes it to where if they were to register special-purpose vehicles then they could actually drive them on county roads.”
“Currently, now, they can get the tags but cannot drive them on our roads,” she added.
Barren County Clerk Helena Chase Birdwell said there have only been two special-purpose vehicles registered with her office so far.
“Most people back out when they look at how much it’s going to cost,” Birdwell said.
At a previous Barren County Fiscal Court Administration and Budget Committee meeting it was mentioned that the county needed to weigh in on special-purpose vehicles soon due to a business in Cave City that wanted to rent UTVs for tourists to use while visiting Mammoth Cave National Park. That was again brought up before the roll-call vote.
Barren County Attorney Mike Richardson encouraged people to familiarize themselves with the specific requirements of special-purpose vehicles before registration.
Currently, Park City is the only municipality in Barren County that has addressed special-purpose vehicles.
The second reading of the ordinance will take place at its Oct. 21 meeting.
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