Council reviews request to allow 16 children in licensed in‑home day care; staff recommends text amendment

The Murray City Council on Sept. 2 heard a presentation and a policy discussion about an ordinance that would amend multiple Murray Municipal Code sections to allow a licensed in‑home day care to care for up to 16 children. City staff members Zachary Smallwood and David Hodges presented the request and explained how the proposed text amendment would align local code with recent state licensing changes.

Why it matters: the proposed text change would allow licensed in‑home day cares to operate at the state‑allowed capacity without a conditional‑use different standard in city code. Presenters said the change is intended to increase childcare options and reduce friction where state licensing already permits higher capacity. Smallwood said the applicant, identified in the discussion as Miss Blackwell, currently holds a state license and is operating at or near the 16‑child level but sought the local amendment to formalize the capacity in Murray’s zoning code.

Council members asked about safety, staffing and neighborhood impacts. Staff noted state licensing requires specific caregiver‑to‑child ratios (state code requires that ten of 16 children be over age 2 in one cited example) and that the city’s code would rely on the state‑mandated caregiver requirements for staff counts. Council members asked whether the city had received resident complaints about traffic or parking; staff said they were not aware of complaints and that the applicant had neighborhood support letters included in the packet.

Planning and zoning review: staff reported the planning commission had forwarded the request with a unanimous recommendation. The council’s discussion centered on whether to mirror state license rules or retain local limits; staff recommended a middle path that updates permitted and conditional use listings but avoids copying every state technical requirement to reduce the need for continual city code updates when state regulations change.

No council vote on the ordinance was recorded at the meeting. Staff said enforcement would follow code if council did not adopt the amendment; staff also noted other Murray providers have expressed interest in similar capacity increases. Council members asked staff to factor parking and caregiver staffing into any final text and to return with a formal ordinance for public hearing and council action.