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Carter Lake council agrees to finish current codification process, then correct errors in a follow-up ordinance
Summary
Council members endorsed completing the current three-reading codification of the municipal code, noting a cheaper, faster benefit to finishing now and returning with a cleanup ordinance; they flagged a disputed wording change about budget transfers and reviewed Iowa Code limits on short-term rental regulation.
Carter Lake City Council members moved to complete the current codification and adoption process for the city’s updated municipal code and then return with a cleanup ordinance to fix drafting errors, rather than repealing and reissuing public notice.
Staff briefed the council on two procedural routes: (1) finish the ordinance readings already under way and then file an amendment or cleanup ordinance, or (2) repeal and restart the entire codification and republish — a process staff said would add an estimated $300 in publishing fees and reset the public-reading schedule. Council members generally supported finishing the current process to avoid longer delay and extra cost, and to allow small corrections to be made afterward.
Council discussion highlighted several specific items in the codification packet, including newly drafted rules for recreational vehicles and golf carts, an employment-related police ordinance (Ordinance No. 661, enacted Nov. 19, 2018), and an item tied to Iowa Law Enforcement Academy requirements. Members also reviewed a proposed change to administrative-transfer language in the draft code: one version would permit certain transfers "without Council approval," while the city’s longstanding practice requires council approval. Council members questioned the change and asked staff to clarify whether the codified text accurately reflected Iowa administrative code or an unintended edit introduced during codification.
The council also reviewed an updated excerpt of Iowa Code (noted in the packet as updated Nov. 22, 2024) describing limits on local short-term-rental regulation. Staff told members that cities may regulate public-safety and health standards but cannot broadly reclassify short-term rentals or impose unrelated restrictions; several members reiterated that prior local proposals for mandatory rental inspections had not succeeded.
Procedural outcome: councilors said they would proceed with the currently started readings (second reading scheduled at the next meeting and third reading in April) and then bring a cleanup ordinance to correct wording or typographical errors. Staff recommended posting a website notice cautioning users about relying on the newly codified text until cleanup is complete.
The council asked staff to provide a marked-up draft that highlights where the codifier changed language (particularly the transfer language) so members could confirm intent before final adoption.
