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City manager says code audit found about 80 conflicting rules; city will seek bids to “cleanse” code while starting comprehensive plan
Summary
City officials discussed a completed internal code audit that identified roughly 80 code sections needing amendment, removal or new chapters and said the city will seek outside bids to update the municipal code; council agreed the comprehensive plan work can proceed in parallel as housing development continues.
The City Manager told the Nicolai City Council that an internal codification audit found roughly 80 specific code sections that require amendment, removal or entirely new chapters and recommended soliciting outside proposals to modernize the municipal code. "I completed the internal codification audit. It's a lot. We're talking at least 80 specific codes," the City Manager said during the June meeting.
The City Manager said many of the current ordinances conflict, which complicates enforcement and forces staff to apply discretion when similar provisions contradict one another. He told council the likely cost of a comprehensive outside review will exceed his administrative spending limit of $35,000 and that a private consultant could probably complete the work within about a year to 18 months, versus three to five years if done in-house. "It is probably going to exceed my spending limit of $35,000," he said.
Council members said they want copies of the audit and asked whether the comprehensive plan should wait for the updated code. Councilwoman Wright asked for a copy of the audit; the City Manager agreed to distribute it and to begin the comprehensive plan in parallel. "I don't think we need to wait for the code to get back from an outside source before we start the comprehensive plan," he said, and later counsel agreed to begin work on the comprehensive plan immediately.
The City Manager linked the timing to nearby residential development. He described recent grand openings and model-home activity at the Reserve at Honey Creek and a planned grand opening at Monroe Meadows and said the city needs clear, enforceable rules for new residents. The council also introduced a separate ordinance related to a tax-increment financing agreement for the Reserve at Honey Creek project later in the meeting.
Council discussion also flagged specific subtopics included in the audit: animal and signage rules, historic downtown zoning distinctions, and recurring review cycles. The City Manager recommended periodic audits—about every 10 years or sooner with rapid growth—and said the consultant review would use model code frameworks and municipal comparables to speed the process. He proposed soliciting bids within the coming month and returning to council with estimates.
Ending: The council did not take a formal vote on code changes at the meeting. The City Manager said staff will solicit proposals for an outside code audit, provide council copies of the internal audit, and proceed with planning work on the city’s comprehensive plan concurrently.
