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Highland Park council extends moratorium on rental-ordinance enforcement for 120 days
Summary
The Highland Park City Council voted to extend a moratorium on enforcement of the city's proposed non-owner-occupied rental ordinance for at least 120 days and required four workshops with the McKenna Group present before further action.
The Highland Park City Council on Oct. 6 approved a resolution extending the moratorium on enforcement of a proposed non-owner-occupied rental ordinance for at least 120 days, ordering no fewer than four dedicated workshops on the text with the McKenna Group present.
Councilwoman Martin moved to add the moratorium resolution to the agenda and later moved to adopt it. "I wanna make a motion to add the moratorium resolution," Martin said when introducing the item. After discussion and a roll-call vote, the resolution passed. The recorded vote on the final adoption was: Councilman Eschafi: yes; Councilwoman Martin: yes; Councilwoman Manuka: no; Council Pro Tem Robinson: yes; Council President Jamal Thomas: no. The chair announced, "Motion carries."
The resolution, submitted by Councilwoman Martin, restates that the council previously voted on May 19, 2025 to impose a moratorium on enforcement while the council reviews and amends the ordinance, cites several workshops held in June and July without agreement, and says members' questions to the McKenna Group had not received adequate or timely responses. It says the ordinance as drafted is "aggressive" and could impose sudden burdens on residents and property owners, and it asks that review take place before enforcement resumes.
The adopted text directs a further extension of the moratorium for at least 120 days and requires no fewer than four workshop agenda items dedicated to review, each with a McKenna Group representative present. The resolution also references the earlier 90-day moratorium that council adopted May 19, 2025.
During the meeting council members and staff discussed the process steps the council expects during the review. Council members pressed for clearer redlined drafts and for specific timelines and checklists governing inspections and enforcement'areas raised repeatedly in public comment and in council debate. Council members also noted the ordinance officer had told the council previously that enforcement activity had been limited; the ordinance officer was named in discussion as the person who could clarify enforcement practice.
The resolution does not change the ordinance text; it pauses enforcement and sets procedural requirements for review. Implementation tasks (scheduling of the four workshops, distribution of updated redlines, and coordination with McKenna Group) were left to city administration and the council to schedule.
The council took the action after extended debate over the scope and wording of the proposed rental ordinance and following public comments that raised concerns about breadth of definitions, timelines for inspections, and consequences for residents in arrears or on payment plans. Several speakers during citizen participation asked for clearer definitions and safeguards before enforcement begins.
The council's action is procedural: it halts enforcement while directing a structured review process and workshops that must include the consulting McKenna Group. The resolution will be placed under "Council Affairs" for further processing and scheduling of workshop dates.
Looking ahead, the council must schedule the four required workshops and receive the McKenna Group's attendance for each session before enforcement may resume under the terms of the adopted resolution.
