HATFIELD — An increasing number of people driving golf carts on Hatfield streets, to get to restaurants, stores and even summer concerts in town center, is prompting officials to consider action that would bring them into compliance with state law.

“It is illegal to drive a golf cart on a road,” Police Chief Michael Dekoschak told the Select Board Tuesday. “There is no mechanism in the law to do so.”

Allowing those riding golf carts on public ways, and not taking enforcement, could open the department up to liability, he said.

“We as a police department can’t ignore that,” Dekoschak said.

While Dekoschak said he doesn’t disapprove of having golf carts on the roads, the best course of action may be to make it legal for them to operate. Dekoschak has contacted Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampton, about such legislation.

The Select Board, though, may have to write letter to the Legislature asking them to take the issue up, or to possibly file for a home-rule petition.

Unlike gated communities, particularly in Florida, where golf carts are a normal means of traveling around streets, that is less common in the Northeast.

“We’re inventing the wheel here, so to speak, in Massachusetts,” Dekoschak said.

Select Board Chairwoman Diana Szynal said pursuing legislation makes sense. “We want to make sure people can use them, but that it’s done safely, and legally,” Szynal said.

Regulations would include being registered with the town and insured, and that operators have driver’s licenses.

While some of the golf carts driving around town have an orange triangle on the back, what Dekocschak said is a slow-moving emblem, they are still not allowed to be used as regular transportation.

“We have to do something. We can’t just allow this to continue,” Dekoschak said.

Historical Commission wants permanent site

In other business, Micki Sanderson and Cathy Belden Olson, who co-chair the Historical Commission, renewed an appeal for a permanent site for housing, protecting, displaying and accessing historic artifacts. A similar request was made in spring 2021, when there was suggestion that the town could buy a home or another building for the collection.

Sanderson said 2½ years later, with no progress on remedying the situation, the commission is at a crossroads, especially since its duty under state law is to protect things. “Right now, we don’t have adequate space for all of our artifacts,” Sanderson said.

Having a permanent site would be better than paying thousands of dollars a month for scattered locations.

“The biggest thing people have to know is that right now all these artifacts, all the storage, are in four or five different places, and we still don’t have a solution to this,” Sanderson said.

There could be some urgency with potential sources of funding, like Community Preservation Act money.

“We’ll be looking for ideas, sooner rather than later,” Sanderson said.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.