(Posted April 4, 2018)
By Sandi Latimer, Staff Writer
West Jefferson’s zoning inspector wants rental properties to register with the village.
At the April 2 village council meeting, Arnie Booth said a registration requirement would make his job easier when it comes to citing absentee property owners for violations.
Booth gave the example of a local residence owned by someone in California who was difficult to track down.
“We need addresses and phone numbers to get to the owners,” he said.
If registration becomes mandatory, he wants the regulations to have teeth. “We need something to enforce it with,” he said.
Rental property registration was one of six issues presented to council for discussion before they move on to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Mayor Ray Martin pulled aside two of the issues for further study by council: a chapter on general zoning definitions and a section on mobile vending and mobile food vending regulations.
Council member Doug Eakins wanted to know where the village got information for the mobile food vending.
“Last time we took it up, we had information from Maricopa County, Arizona,” he said. “Where are the current guidelines coming from?”
The other issues sent on to planning and zoning involved litter, nonconforming property uses, and sign removal.
In other business, council approved the village’s participation in the State of Ohio Cooperative Purchasing Program.
“We’re required by the Department of Administrative Services to have a piece of legislation on file,” said Public Service Director John Mitchell.
Council is scheduled for a special meeting on April 9 at 7 p.m. to consider a site development proposal. The next regularly scheduled meeting is April 16 at 7 p.m.
