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Willard planning commission continues revision of RV and RV-park rules, debates definitions, enforcement and sewer billing
Summary
Planning commissioners discussed updates to the recreational vehicle and RV-park provisions in Willard City zoning code (24.9203), including definitions that distinguish RVs from manufactured homes, requirements for licensing/registration, roster formats, insurance and options for sewer billing tied to water use.
Willard City planning commissioners on May 15 continued a detailed review of proposed revisions to the recreational vehicle and RV-park sections of the municipal zoning code (24.9203), focusing on legal definitions, enforcement capacity and utility billing for parks.
Commission members discussed technical distinctions between recreational vehicles and manufactured or mobile homes and whether the code should require roster reporting, liability insurance and enforceable management standards for park owners. "Federal law defines a mobile home," a staff member said while summarizing the code, reading from the city's definition: "A vehicular unit other than a mobile home, primarily designed as a temporary dwelling for travel, recreational, or vacation use ... designed or used for human habitation." The staff member noted that HUD regulates manufactured homes and that mobile homes typically have a fixed foundation, while RVs do not.
Commissioners agreed the ordinance revisions should be written for the class of facilities, not for a single existing park. "We're doing regulations for recreational parks, not for this individual," the chair said, adding the code should include provisions that remain effective if ownership or management changes. Several commissioners suggested extracting enforceable conditions from the existing park contract and adding them to city code so future operators would be held to the same standards.
On recordkeeping, one commissioner proposed requiring a digitally searchable electronic roster to make inspections and enforcement easier. Staff said monthly Excel or similar files would be acceptable and would improve manageability.
Commissioners also discussed utility and public-health concerns. Staff reported average water use for the park under discussion was roughly 60,000–66,000 gallons per month over the past 12 months; dividing that figure by an estimated 35–42 occupied units produced an approximate monthly per-unit water use of about 1,800–1,900 gallons. Commissioners asked whether sewer billing could be proportionate to metered water use; staff noted national standards (AWWA and similar guidance) commonly assume 75–80% of water use becomes billed sewer flow and that those standards are defensible when setting a sewer charge tied to water consumption.
The commission discussed whether local code should require proof of liability insurance for units. Staff said the code requires RVs in parks be properly licensed and registered; one commissioner noted an insurance gap if a unit is disconnected from its tow vehicle and becomes a permanent, unregistered dwelling.
No final amendments were adopted during the May 15 meeting; staff said they will continue drafting ordinance language, will consider pulling contract verbiage into the code, and will work on enforcement language and data formats for rosters.
The item was continued from May 1, 2025, and commissioners asked staff to return with draft ordinance text that includes enforceable management responsibilities for owners and a practical roster format.
