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City council places 300-foot rental ordinance on the backburner
BY SARA JOCHEMS
STATESMAN STAFF WRITER
Duluth city Councilor-At-Large Tim Little introduced a repeal on the 300-foot rental ordinance rule to city council members Monday, Dec. 3. Instead of a repeal, the ordinance was sent back to the Duluth Planning
Commission (DPC). Councilor-At-Large Jim Stauber said that current Councilor-At-Large and Mayor-elect Don Ness made the notion that the 300-foot rental ordinance rule was getting sent to the Duluth Planning Commission.
“Because the 300-foot rule has to do with zoning, the ordinance needs to be looked at,” Stauber said. Ness himself said that the notion was made because the city attorney stepped in on the matter. “If changes are to be made on the zoning requirements, the DPC needs to review it,” Ness said. “After they review the current ordinance, recommendations may be made. It’s basically a new proposal.” Chuck Campbell, of the Duluth City Planning Department, said the next DPC meeting will be held on Dec. 11.
“It is unlikely that the DPC will get around to it at that meeting because of the heavy workload,” he said.
Campbell continued saying that if this were the case, the earliest the ordinance would be on the agenda is January of next year. Since August 14, the 300-foot rental ordinance has been in effect, and according to Ness, it will continue to be while the current ruling is being re-evaluated.
“I think that it has just created more problems,” Little said. An article recently published in the Duluth News Tribune recorded Stauber saying, “Some students have been evicted because their landlords didn’t have or didn’t use their permits properly.” When asked if he was aware of students being evicted, Ness said that he was, but denied further comment.
