Council Member Morton presented a council draft ordinance on Oct. 14 that would implement local licensing and an enforcement framework for recovery residences (sober living homes), supplementing state certification requirements and establishing a 60‑day rehousing notice and a six‑month forbearance period for operators who show they have begun the state certification process.

Morton said the draft follows a multi-month working-group process that included council members and community stakeholders. "This process is a true example of how policy creation should take place intentionally, methodically, and with community input at the center," Morton said, and he moved to transmit the council draft to the full council.

City attorney Michael Cravens summarized substantive changes from the administration’s initial draft: the draft cross-references existing zoning, building code and public‑nuisance rules; adopts the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NAR) levels for consistency; clarifies a definition of recovery support services to mirror state law; removes a requirement to post house rules as part of the city application; aligns license expiration with the fiscal year (June 30); and adds a rehousing requirement that licensees provide a contingency plan and at least 60 days’ notice before closure or license revocation. Cravens said the ordinance treats recovery residences as residential uses under local land‑use rules and cautioned that imposing spacing or density limits aimed only at recovery residences would raise fair‑housing and Americans with Disabilities Act concerns.

The ordinance creates a local licensing process administered by Revenue for operators and includes an enforcement structure including revocation for noncompliance. It also includes an immediate‑action provision designating the substance use disorder intervention program coordinator as the central coordination point for urgent health-or-safety incidents at residences. Cravens described the six‑month forbearance as allowing existing operators six months from the ordinance effective date to continue operating if they show they initiated state certification before the effective date; new operators would have six months from startup to seek certification.

Council members asked about complaint handling, enforcement triggers, how certification inspections interact with city processes and whether occupancy limits remain enforceable. Cravens and Morton said the existing occupancy limits from LFUCG zoning would still apply and that many enforcement tools (code, nuisance, criminal activity ordinances) remain available. Council Member Shann noted certified residences are subject to annual inspection under the certifying agency’s grievance and compliance processes.

Morton moved to send the council draft to full council; the committee recorded the motion and a second and the motion carried. Morton then moved, and the committee seconded, to report the draft to the Oct. 21 work session so it could be considered before year end; that motion also carried. Morton said the city will continue reviewing a separate group-housing or spacing policy as a longer-term item.

Council discussion emphasized balancing community concerns and protections for persons in recovery; Cravens said the ordinance aims to address neighborhood anxieties while preserving the recovery residence model and aligning local rules with state certification standards.