City Council approves home-occupation license for 3D-printing operation, staff flags code gaps

The City Council approved a home-occupation business license for a home-based 3D-printing business operated by Nicole Christiansen at 85 North 330 East, and staff outlined recommended clarifications to the city's home-occupation rules that could affect future approvals.

Staff member (S3) told the council that current city code allows renters to apply for a home-occupation license without demonstrating owner consent, and that the code lacks a clear definition of "home," categories for permitted versus conditional home occupations, and specific nuisance standards. "Right now, it's just they apply and that's where they live," the staff member said of the application process, noting gaps that make enforcement and consistent review difficult.

Council discussion focused on operational and nuisance concerns for 3D printing. Councilmember (S5) asked about power draw and the difference between a one- or two-machine hobby and a larger, multi-machine operation. The council discussed whether a sufficiently large setup would create utility, noise or other impacts that should trigger additional review or a conditional-use hearing. Staff said enforcement is primarily complaint-driven and that the council or mayor would be involved if a license needed to be revoked.

The council also debated display and signage limits for home occupations. Staff noted an existing provision allowing a single nameplate sign up to two square feet, and warned that the code currently contains overlapping language that could be clarified to better distinguish allowable in-home displays from front-yard advertising.

The motion to approve Christiansen's license was made during the discussion and approved by the council; the transcript records the motion and second but does not include a full roll-call tally in the recorded segments. The meeting record also shows the council corrected a roll-call attendance item and approved the June 25 and July 9 minutes.

Staff recommended the city consider tiered categories for home occupations (permitted/administrative/conditional), clearer definitions of what counts as a home and explicit requirements for renter-owner consent when relevant. The staff member suggested drafting code language that would: require owner consent where a renter seeks to operate a business that could affect the property; define employee limits and family-only exceptions; and list occupations that would not be permitted as home occupations (for example, large-scale auto repair). "If I can't see it, I can't smell it, I can't hear it, it doesn't exist," the staff member said, urging the council to think about objective factors that would trigger review.

Next steps: staff will prepare proposed code amendments and examples of tiered home-occupation language for the planning commission and council to consider in future meetings. The council did not set a specific public-hearing date for amendments during the recorded segments.

Ending: The council moved on to other business after approving the license and directing staff to return with draft code language for review.