Student behavior addressed at City Commission meeting
More code enforcement will be established in the M-2 district when students return in the fall.
At the June 22 City Commission meeting, commissioners voted on hiring an additional code enforcement officer who will work specifically in the mostly student-populated neighborhood.
Mayor Jim Holton said the additional code enforcement is about education.
"(The officer) will be working differently in that area because of the behavior and attitudes in that area," he said.
The commissioners also discussed a Zoning Ordinance amendment to provide greater flexibility in consideration of first-floor residential uses as a transitional use. In the current ordinance, this opportunity is provided only when a property is next to a single family resident. The text change would allow properties next to the M, R or U zoning districts to consider first-floor residents as transitional use.
Commissioner Kathy Ling expressed her concerns for the amendment regarding student behavior.
"These are issues we've dealt with for four years from Bellows to High streets," she said.
The commissioners set a public hearing on the issue for their next meeting.
A change in the ordinance for overnight parking was approved, changing the restriction of overnight parking to be enforced Dec. 1-April 1 instead of Sept. 1-May 1. The change is because restrictions had only been enforced during months when it is more preferable to have cars on the street to snow plow.
Several other items were approved at the City Commission meeting, including:
- Sidewalk licenses for Lisa & Libby's and Norm's Flower Petal
- A public hearing on the regulation of going out of business sales set for July 13
- A resolution to support the final approval of the Temporary Traffic Control Order, installing a "No parking here to corner" sign at Fancher and Samson streets
