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Police chief reports motel calls decline; council declines ordinance for safe‑zone now
Summary
Police Chief Hundley reported January motel calls-for-service counts and told the council increased patrols have reduced problems; councilors declined to pursue an immediate ordinance and asked for an updated report in June covering spring months.
Police Chief Hundley presented January calls-for-service data for local motels and said that increased patrols had reduced incidents, urging the council not to enact an ordinance at this time.
Chief Hundley reported that one extended-stay motel had 10 calls, American Inn Suites had seven calls and most other motels had five or fewer in January. He said the department had increased patrol presence at motel parking lots and that, to date, the motels were not exhibiting the kinds of criminal activity that required a regulatory ordinance.
The presiding officer agreed, telling the chief, "I don't think we need an ordinance at this point in time." Councilors noted many calls were welfare or EMS-related rather than criminal arrests, and Chief Hundley said the department would provide further data if a pattern emerges. He recommended returning with an updated report after spring months and suggested coming back in June with April and May figures.
Councilors asked staff to be careful in how calls are counted so that legitimate welfare and family contacts are not unfairly attributed to motel operators. No ordinance or formal regulatory action was taken at the meeting; councilors instead directed continued patrols and monitoring of trends.
