Council adopts ordinance amendment to treat sober houses as residential facilities

The City Council adopted an ordinance amending Section 86-1 of the city code to add a definition addressing sober houses and to treat them as residential facilities for zoning purposes. Planner Ilya Gutmann told the council state attention and recent state law discussion prompted the change. He said sober houses in Marshall are not licensed facilities; under the amendment they will be treated as residential facilities—similar to state-licensed facilities—even though they lack formal licensing. That treatment allows the city to apply the same location and occupancy rules as it applies to licensed residential facilities. Members of the legislative ordinance committee and the planning commission recommended approval after meeting with the owner/operator of existing sober houses and learning they work in partnership with Southwest Health and Human Services, the presenter said. Concerns raised included how to limit the number of residents at a location; the amendment incorporates that approach. A council motion to adopt the ordinance passed following a motion by Craig and a second by Amanda. The ordinance change will be enforced through the city’s zoning and permitting processes; staff and the planning commission will apply the city’s residential facility rules to sober houses going forward.