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New Richland adopts ordinance to license bunkhouse housing for H‑2A workers, sets $250 annual permit
Summary
Council approved Ordinance 26‑01 to require licensing and inspections for bunkhouse housing used to accommodate migrant agricultural (H‑2A) workers, set the annual permit fee at $250, and kept enforcement provisions for warnings, administrative citations and potential suspension or revocation of licenses.
The New Richland City Council on May 11 adopted Ordinance 26‑01 to establish licensing and inspection requirements for bunkhouse housing used to house migrant agricultural (H‑2A) workers and to allow such housing as a conditional use in specified districts.
Council discussion and public comment focused on how H‑2A workers are vetted, routine onsite inspection, neighborhood impacts (parking and noise), and enforcement timelines. A property representative who spoke during the hearing said H‑2A workers are vetted through state and federal processes and that the housing under consideration had been inspected by a state inspector, who reported back positively on living conditions. The council and staff explained that typical ordinance enforcement starts with warnings and can escalate to administrative citations; the ordinance includes provisions that allow for license suspension or revocation if violations are not corrected, though the transcript shows staff cautioned that formal revocation could take weeks or months if the property owner disputes the findings.
On fees, staff recommended an annual permit fee of $250; council members debated how that compares with existing rental licensing (a multi‑year schedule for some licenses) and then voted to approve an annual $250 fee for the bunkhouse permit. The motion to adopt the ordinance as written and to set the fee at $250 was made and seconded and carried by voice vote (individual roll‑call names and a numeric tally are not specified in the transcript).
The ordinance as adopted requires inspections and a licensing process; it also provides for administrative remedies and possible suspension or revocation of the permit for repeated or serious violations. Staff said the city has communicated with the state inspector and that the local building inspector would use state inspection findings when applicable; the council asked that staff provide a point of contact and timely follow‑up if neighbors report problems.
The council did not change the substantive inspection standards discussed in the staff report. Council directed staff to proceed under the new licensing schedule and to return with any implementation questions or necessary clarifications.
