City Council approves final reading of nuisance ordinance
Oskaloosa City Council Chambers
Oskaloosa, Iowa- The Oskaloosa City Council voted 5-2 Monday evening to approve the final reading of an ordinance to establish prohibitions against nuisance parties. Council members Tom Jimenez and Doug Yates were the two dissenting votes. Discussion on the ordinance began with Council Member Lori Smith. Smith brought up concerns from residents who had talked to her. “A couple of them [citizens] were concerned with their rights being taken away. [They were] feeling that they were going to be unduly harassed,” Smith said.
Smith continued, “I’ve tried telling them that this has to be initiated with a phone call of a complaint. Right? This can not be just police officers driving by and seeing a party and stopping it?” City Attorney Dave Dixon responded. “To answer that question, No I don’t believe that they would necessarily have received call. If they are driving by, and hear something they believe has crossed the line, that would be sufficient.”
“With the existing code you can call the police right now right?” Council Member Aaron VerSteeg asked. VerSteeg continued, “What this [ordinance] addresses is if you have to keep going back to that party. Isn’t that right?” Dixon responded to both of his questions. “I think that’s more the focus of the thing. I don’t know, looking at it, I don’t believe it’s geared specifically to say police have to be called repeatedly,” Dixon said, In other action, the City Council:
- Voted Unanimously to set a public hearing on the levying of assessment against home owners for lawn mowing violations
- Voted Unanimously to set a public hearing on August 5th relating to the modification of the new Oskaloosa City Ward maps
- Voted Unanimously to approve three pay orders for the Northwest Sanitary Sewer Project
The next meeting of the Oskaloosa City Council will be on August 15th at 6:30 PM in the City Council Chambers
