The Sioux City City Council on an amended ordinance approved language requiring all elements of new fences, including barbed wire, to remain within a property's boundary, reversing a more restrictive setback that had drawn complaints from property owners.

The change amends provisions in the municipal code related to property offenses and development standards and implements the Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendation that new barbed-wire features be allowed as long as they do not extend into the public right of way.

Council members and staff said the revised language responds to concerns from property owners and the Transportation Advisory Committee. "I believe the transportation advisory committee suggested, you know, a pretty decent setback for barbed wire," said staff member Andrew during the discussion. Planning staff summarized the final condition as: "All elements of the fence and barbed wire have to be within the property line."

During the public hearing, residents raising safety and property-protection concerns pressed the council to loosen the restriction. Resident Paul Koskovich told the council, "If we didn't have a problem in this city with crime and theft, we wouldn't need barbed wire, but it's critical." Koskovich and others also questioned why utilities and equipment are allowed in rights of way while property owners face limits on defensive measures.

Council discussion noted that the new rules apply only to new fencing; existing fences remain grandfathered. Staff and council members repeatedly framed the change as a compromise: it keeps fence elements off the right of way while allowing property owners to locate protective features along their own boundaries. The ordinance language that was amended was described as replacing the previously discussed 2.5-foot face-out and a 5-foot sidewalk-adjacent setback with the property-line rule.

Councilors voted unanimously on the measure as amended and agreed to proceed with the readings necessary to enact the change without returning it to Planning and Zoning for additional review. The vote and subsequent direction mean the revised ordinance will take effect following the standard municipal procedure for code amendments.

The council and staff said the Transportation Advisory Committee's safety concerns and a 2015 code revision recommended by an outside consultant informed the earlier language; proponents of the change said the new wording better balances public-safety considerations with property-owner rights.

The council recorded the matter during a contested public hearing where residents gave detailed accounts of how access, security and adjacent infrastructure factored into their objections and where staff confirmed the change would not alter existing fences already in place.

Council action: the council amended the ordinance to adopt Planning and Zoning's recommendation (barbed wire and fence elements must be within the property line), then voted to advance the revised ordinance and waive additional readings, carrying the measure by unanimous vote.