Keweenaw Report Your Source for Local News and Sports
The Houghton City Council will discuss proposed changes to its Animal, Nuisances, and Property Maintenance ordinances at tonight’s meeting.
Among the points being considered:
• For the Animal ordinance, forbidding beekeeping within the city limits, and requiring that dogs be “under the control” of their owners in public places. The latter point comes after several complaints were received about unleashed dogs downtown, on the new pier, and in public parks.
• For the Nuisance ordinance, more specific definitions of gardens and pollinator gardens, to differentiate them from lawns people just don’t want to mow; and a provision prohibiting shipping containers from being placed on residential property within the city.
• For the Property Maintenance ordinance, language that would help the city deal more effectively with abandoned properties.
Ordinances addressing those changes could be introduced at this evening’s meeting.
The council will also have a chance to vote on a resolution calling for more civil behavior during meetings.
The document submitted by Mayor Brian Irizarry acknowledges that councilors “demonstrated embarrassing behavior at the regular meeting on January 25,” calls on councilors to “act with grace, dignity, and honor,” and suggests they apologize to those whom they have offended.
It also addresses some specific behavior from the meeting, calling for councilors to “refrain from speaking rudely to the city attorney or the city staff,” or introducing “stories that serve only to disparage the Chairman of the Planning Commission.”
It pointedly refers to comments councilor Mike Needham made comparing councilor Craig Waddell’s behavior to that taught by the CIA to undercover agents who are assigned to derail meetings and sow discord.
And, it calls for councilors not to abuse the announcements opportunity at the end of their meetings.
Tonight’s session will begin at 5:30 at the City Center. The full language of the proposed ordinance changes and the civil behavior resolution can be accessed in the City Council Agenda Packets folder here.
