Changes proposed to two city ordinances

The Weiser City Council has proposed changes to two city ordinances that regulate the placement of temporary storage containers and recreational vehicles.
 The draft revisions were discussed at a city council meeting on Oct. 12. No action was taken because some officials didn’t have a chance to review the changes before the meeting.     
 Mayor Diana Thomas said the ordinance amendments will be approved at a future city council meeting. A city committee made up of council members drafted the changes to the RV ordinance and the temporary storage units ordinance.
 “I don’t feel that it’s appropriate to take action on them until you’ve had a chance to really look at them...because they do have some impact that we’re going to have to live with,” she said.
 City council member Larry Hogg served on the committee that drafted the ordinance changes and highlighted the proposed revisions. The committee met three or four times and also sought input from staff on the revisions.
 Hogg said the proposed revisions to the temporary storage unit ordinance allow some exceptions to the setback requirements on a property when placing a storage unit. City officials will be able to consider unique situations where the property does not lend itself to the setback requirements.
 When the city council approved the ordinance in 2017, there were no exceptions allowed in the ordinance on the placement of temporary storage units or any permit extensions in the event of an emergency.
 Since then, there have been situations come up that were not considered when the ordinance was first approved. The proposed changes would give the city building inspector some discretion to work with property owners on compliance with the ordinance.
 “This would give us a way to make sure that we could have some latitude to fit the needs of our citizens while still maintaining our ordinance,” Hogg said.
 City attorney Steve Stuchlik said the proposed revisions did not change the basic structure of the ordinance. The permit to place a temporary storage unit is still valid for 90 days. A property owner can place up to two temporary storage units as long as they are not stacked.
 “The rest of what we basically built in were the exceptions to that standard permit,” he said.
 The city’s RV ordinance was amended to also include temporary shelters, including tents. The impetus for the changes was at the request of law enforcement to address people living outdoors in temporary shelters.
 The ordinance states that it is unlawful for anyone to live in an RV, motorhome, travel trailer camper, or other temporary shelter, including a tent, outside of a designated trailer park or RV park for more than 30 days in a 365-day period. Violating the ordinance can result in a $100 fine for each violation.
 Mayor Thomas said it’s been a concern of hers for a while that people could start living outdoors in unsafe conditions in Weiser similar to what is happening elsewhere in the Treasure Valley. One person living in a temporary dwelling in Weiser has died this year, she said.
 In other proposed changes to the RV ordinance, a section was added that allows a residential property owner in the city to obtain a temporary use permit to park a RV, motorhome or travel trailer to be used for temporary living quarters for 180 days if there is an active building permit on the property for remodel or construction of a permanent dwelling.
 Hogg said adding the section on temporary use permits was intended to allow property owners who are building a house on a city lot to live on site. All temporary living quarters must have water, sewer and electrical service.
 “We felt like six months was enough time for any construction period to be completed,” Hogg said.