Meeting Monday To Discuss Neighborhood, Rental Ordinance
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
The meeting was called to provide information after a recent groundswell of public opposition to the ordinance.
A Facebook page called “KC Gov’t Watch” expresses concern about the ordinance. According to the Facebook page, “Kosciusko County Gov't Watch is dedicated to educating citizens on local issues. Issues such as tax increases, bigger gov't and over regulation.”
Monica Boyer, Kosciusko Silent No More co-founder, said approximatley 15 community members from all walks of life started the Facebook page.
Boyer said the government watch group is asking the city to remove all homeowner-occupied portions of the neighborhood preservation and landlord registration ordinance.
The meeting is at 4 p.m. in city hall. Jeremy Skinner, city planner, said he will give a presentation on the document and what the city currently has and proposed changes and will take comments from the community.
Joe Thallemer, Warsaw mayor, said the ordinance is a revision of a city ordinance that goes back to 1974.
“It’s not a new ordinance and the state statute establishes procedures that every city in Indiana has to enforce,” Thallemer said.
He said 30 to 40 years later the city is trying to update the ordinance to improve its neighborhoods.
“When I ran for mayor the number one issue was that our neighborhoods were deteriorating, and when we looked at our ordinance there was a lot of ambiguities, and we are trying to make the ordinance so that it is more useful in the community,” Thallemer said.
He said the ordinance also is looking at rental properties.
“We are looking to benefit the entire community, the property values, the neighborhood preservation and revitalization,” Thallemer said.
He said these ordinances involve liberties and public safety issues.
“We have to find balance in the ordinance that is defined by state statue,” Thallemer said.
Boyer claims the ordinance is unconstitutional because the city would be allowed to enter residents’ homes for inspections and fine residents.
“We have been watching the ordinance since its inception and Silent No More reviewed it when it first came out,” she said, also noting that as a result of the ordinance, “There are going to be neighborhood police.”
Thallemer said state code sets up procedures, allows for entrance into homes and allows securing warrants for inspections. He said the mediation portion of the state code has been on the books for more than 30 years.
Thallemer said the city took a draft of a similar ordinance from Goshen and is in the process of going through it line by line to tailor it to Warsaw’s needs.
He said the city has invited landlords and tenants to sit down and look at the rental portion of the ordinance.
“A house is a house and what applies to a rental house -- there are minimum standards the state has set that the city is charged with trying to enforce,” Thallemer said. “Communities can make local ordinances to meet the needs of the community.”
Thallemer said the city is trying to update its ordinance so it meets the needs of the entire community.
“Landlords, tenants and community citizens are invited to sit down and go through this line by line,” Thallemer said.
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The meeting was called to provide information after a recent groundswell of public opposition to the ordinance.
A Facebook page called “KC Gov’t Watch” expresses concern about the ordinance. According to the Facebook page, “Kosciusko County Gov't Watch is dedicated to educating citizens on local issues. Issues such as tax increases, bigger gov't and over regulation.”
Monica Boyer, Kosciusko Silent No More co-founder, said approximatley 15 community members from all walks of life started the Facebook page.
Boyer said the government watch group is asking the city to remove all homeowner-occupied portions of the neighborhood preservation and landlord registration ordinance.
The meeting is at 4 p.m. in city hall. Jeremy Skinner, city planner, said he will give a presentation on the document and what the city currently has and proposed changes and will take comments from the community.
Joe Thallemer, Warsaw mayor, said the ordinance is a revision of a city ordinance that goes back to 1974.
“It’s not a new ordinance and the state statute establishes procedures that every city in Indiana has to enforce,” Thallemer said.
He said 30 to 40 years later the city is trying to update the ordinance to improve its neighborhoods.
“When I ran for mayor the number one issue was that our neighborhoods were deteriorating, and when we looked at our ordinance there was a lot of ambiguities, and we are trying to make the ordinance so that it is more useful in the community,” Thallemer said.
He said the ordinance also is looking at rental properties.
“We are looking to benefit the entire community, the property values, the neighborhood preservation and revitalization,” Thallemer said.
He said these ordinances involve liberties and public safety issues.
“We have to find balance in the ordinance that is defined by state statue,” Thallemer said.
Boyer claims the ordinance is unconstitutional because the city would be allowed to enter residents’ homes for inspections and fine residents.
“We have been watching the ordinance since its inception and Silent No More reviewed it when it first came out,” she said, also noting that as a result of the ordinance, “There are going to be neighborhood police.”
Thallemer said state code sets up procedures, allows for entrance into homes and allows securing warrants for inspections. He said the mediation portion of the state code has been on the books for more than 30 years.
Thallemer said the city took a draft of a similar ordinance from Goshen and is in the process of going through it line by line to tailor it to Warsaw’s needs.
He said the city has invited landlords and tenants to sit down and look at the rental portion of the ordinance.
“A house is a house and what applies to a rental house -- there are minimum standards the state has set that the city is charged with trying to enforce,” Thallemer said. “Communities can make local ordinances to meet the needs of the community.”
Thallemer said the city is trying to update its ordinance so it meets the needs of the entire community.
“Landlords, tenants and community citizens are invited to sit down and go through this line by line,” Thallemer said.
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