CITY CHANGES

The city is off to a slightly slower start, largely due to three new members assuming seats on the Common Council.

“We are reviewing and are close to having public hearings on two new law changes,” Kasprzak said.

The existing city noise ordinance has been in place since 1988, and some people feel it is confusing. The new ordinance would be clearer when assigning violations and accountability.

The second change being considered would alter the definition of what constitutes a family by limiting the number of non-blood-related people living together in a house from four to three.

As a result, if someone wanted to rent a single-family residence, no more than three non-blood-related people could live there.

Occupants must share the entire house, live and cook together, divide household expenses and be permanent and stable.

The restrictions would not be the same for a traditional or functionally equivalent family.

“The first two took quite a while to openly discuss, and then we had some changes in the language, and then a new council was elected,” Kasprzak said.

Once changes to those two laws have been voted on, city officials will begin discussing more of the commission’s recommendations.

“We will review the other ones in the near future, and we will keep moving ahead with all the recommendations until the council feels we have reviewed everything,” Kasprzak said.

E-mail Steve Bartlett:

sbartlett@pressrepublican.com