City council unanimously adopts ordinance on reasonable housing accommodations

Deputy Mayor convened a special meeting on Sept. 30 and the council unanimously approved Ordinance 24-031, a final-reading ordinance establishing reasonable accommodations procedures under the federal Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988. City Attorney Steve Britzman said the ordinance is unchanged from the prior reading and "recommend[ed] approval of this."

The ordinance creates a formal process for handling requests for reasonable accommodations in housing, the council was told. After the vote, the Deputy Mayor said staff will reach out to property owners who may already be providing accommodations and will proceed with applications and any required hearings under the new rules. "Staff will keep us updated on those proceedings," the Deputy Mayor said.

Council members voted by roll call. The clerk recorded affirmative votes from Doreen I. Rasmussen, Specker, Tiltonburn, Wendell and Doran, and the Deputy Mayor announced the motion passed. There were no public comments during the hearing.

The new ordinance was presented by City Attorney Steve Britzman, who told the council it was "in the same form and has the same provisions as the last reading." The council did not debate revisions at the meeting and accepted Britzman's recommendation.

Council members set next steps for implementation: staff outreach to affected property owners, initiation of the application process provided in the ordinance, and follow-up reporting to the council. The Deputy Mayor also noted that the council will meet next on Tuesday, Oct. 8, when among other items the council will consider a board appointment to the Brookings Health System Board of Trustees and several second-reading public hearings.

The council adjourned at the close of the special-session agenda.