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Ordinance Committee defers Lakechester measure and two fire ordinances for more outreach and talks with chiefs
Summary
The Ordinance Committee approved minutes, then deferred Ordinance 2025-13 (Lakechester) so a member can do neighborhood outreach and deferred two fire ordinances (2025-17 and 2025-18) after members raised concerns that recent amendments left permit decisions to fire chiefs. No public comments were recorded.
The Chair called the Ordinance Committee to order and began by approving the previous meeting’s minutes after a motion and unanimous voice vote.
The committee then took up Ordinance 2025-13, identified by the Chair as a Lakechester ordinance. The Chair asked for a motion to discuss the item; the committee moved, seconded and indicated support to take up the matter. A Committee member said they had not yet been able to visit the affected area because of weather and proposed additional outreach: “I would roughly say because of the weather, I still haven't been out there yet. ... What I've been thinking of doing is just putting a letter together with my name and number on it, drop it in all the mailbox and get feedback that way,” the Committee member said, adding that only “maybe 6 or 7 houses” would be directly affected. Following that request the Chair put and the committee approved a motion to defer Ordinance 2025-13 to allow that outreach to take place.
The Chair then introduced two fire-related ordinances, referenced as 2025-17 and 2025-18, and said the fire chiefs were expected to present but had not yet met with the committee. The committee voted to defer those ordinances as well.
During discussion, the Chair said council members had raised concerns that earlier proposed amendments had made the fire ordinances less specific and more subjective. “I had proposed several amendments, and the amendments really ... made it much more subjective as far as like these permits would be put in place. ... It kinda shifted the burden from being specific more over to the fire chiefs to say, whether it was a good day or not to burn,” the Chair said, urging the committee to meet with the chiefs to find common ground.
No public comments were recorded during the meeting. The Chair moved to adjourn, the motion was seconded and the committee voted to adjourn.
The committee’s next steps are to conduct the requested neighborhood outreach on Ordinance 2025-13 and to meet with the fire chiefs to discuss the amended fire-ordinance language. Specific dates for follow-up meetings were not specified in the transcript.
