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New Buffalo officials ponder remedies for ‘problem’ rentals
By Ray Gudas
News Associate Editor
NEW BUFFALO — City officials are still trying to work out a realistic plan for dealing with “problem” rentals.
At its Jan. 19 regular meeting, the New Buffalo City Council discussed several recommendations made by its Planning Commission, chief among them being instituting a requirement that all residential dwellings in the city that are, or will be, rented, be it for a short-term or long-term duration, be registered.
“A lot of communities are doing it now,” Planning Commission chairman Marge Kowalec told the council. “It’s good for the police, and it’s good for the Fire Department.”
Registering rentals would allow the city to maintain a record of each rental property’s owners, along with phone numbers and addresses where they might be contacted in case of an emergency or any other problem.
The Planning Commission also recommended that the council “encourage enforcement and application of penalties” under current city ordinances.
Kowalec told council members that she and her colleagues would soon begin reviewing the township’s zoning ordinance to identify areas where there may be a “lack of clarity.” If any are found, recommendations will be made to improve them.
Mayor Rusty Geisler wondered what the penalty should be for people who don’t register.
“Enforcement is the issue,” he said, adding that, “Mostly we have good rentals.”
Council member Migs Murray agreed. “This is a big thing for the city to take on right now,” she said, “and it’s not like we’ve had a lot of complaints.”
Murray suggested that, for the time being, the city adopt a policy of “strong enforcement,” at the same time keeping a detailed record of complaints.
Councilman Ray Lawson saw the situation a little differently.
“I don’t want to spend every second weekend inside my house with the windows and doors closed because of noisy parties,” he told the council.
Asked to weigh in on the subject, Police Chief Larry Pitchford said that complaints last summer were “isolated” and “not a huge problem.”
The chief had several questions of his own: “How do you make (property owners) register? If they don’t do it, how would you know? And what about family members staying at someone’s property?”
Pitchford suggested it would be easier to deal with complaints on a case-by-case basis, especially if the city had “an ordinance we could use — something less broad than the noise ordinance.”
Even under current ordinances, Mayor Geisler emphasized the importance of making a complaint if there’s a problem.
“Call the police,” he said. “Most of the time, if it’s a noise issue, one visit takes care of it. If there’s a second time, chances are someone will be cited.”
The chief concurred: “The big thing is getting someone to call while it’s happening,” he said.
Pitchford also made the observation that “some residents just don’t like rentals” and may be inclined to complain at the slightest provocation.
That prompted the mayor to note that “Some renters complain about residents’ parties.”
Speaking from the audience, real estate agent and former council member Gary Ramberg insisted that most rental agencies are managed responsibly, and that making the situation much more bearable may simply be a matter of “heading off one or two problem properties.”
With that thought in mind, Geisler asked the chief to contact one specific “problem agent” that has been a continuous source of complaints by neighbors.
In other business on Jan. 19, the New Buffalo City Council:
• Accepted a check for $5,500 from Nick Alleruzzo, Patrick and Gertrude Dunlap, and the New Buffalo Community Partnership to help pay for a water line to Sari Asher Memorial Dog Park.
• Approved a new policy for the Lions Pavilion that limits reservations by any individual or group (with the exception of the New Buffalo Lions Club) to three weekend days per year. Further limited to city and New Buffalo Township residents, each reservation will now require a rental fee of $125 and a $100 security deposit.
• Approved a recommendation by its Harbor Commission to include the renovation, expansion and redesign of the city’s marina in both its Waterfront Plan and Master Plan.
• Approved a motion to direct the city attorney to take the legal steps necessary to vacate Detroit Street between Kenzie St. and Farmer Street (alongside Oselka Park).
• Discussed, but took no action on, a request by Chikaming Open Lands to conduct an open burn of some 150 acres of marsh land along the Galien River — some 75 percent of which is located within the city limits — in February. The stated purpose of the burn is to eradicate non-native species of plants that have established themselves in that area.
At its Jan. 19 regular meeting, the New Buffalo City Council discussed several recommendations made by its Planning Commission, chief among them being instituting a requirement that all residential dwellings in the city that are, or will be, rented, be it for a short-term or long-term duration, be registered.
“A lot of communities are doing it now,” Planning Commission chairman Marge Kowalec told the council. “It’s good for the police, and it’s good for the Fire Department.”
Registering rentals would allow the city to maintain a record of each rental property’s owners, along with phone numbers and addresses where they might be contacted in case of an emergency or any other problem.
The Planning Commission also recommended that the council “encourage enforcement and application of penalties” under current city ordinances.
Kowalec told council members that she and her colleagues would soon begin reviewing the township’s zoning ordinance to identify areas where there may be a “lack of clarity.” If any are found, recommendations will be made to improve them.
Mayor Rusty Geisler wondered what the penalty should be for people who don’t register.
“Enforcement is the issue,” he said, adding that, “Mostly we have good rentals.”
Council member Migs Murray agreed. “This is a big thing for the city to take on right now,” she said, “and it’s not like we’ve had a lot of complaints.”
Murray suggested that, for the time being, the city adopt a policy of “strong enforcement,” at the same time keeping a detailed record of complaints.
Councilman Ray Lawson saw the situation a little differently.
“I don’t want to spend every second weekend inside my house with the windows and doors closed because of noisy parties,” he told the council.
Asked to weigh in on the subject, Police Chief Larry Pitchford said that complaints last summer were “isolated” and “not a huge problem.”
The chief had several questions of his own: “How do you make (property owners) register? If they don’t do it, how would you know? And what about family members staying at someone’s property?”
Pitchford suggested it would be easier to deal with complaints on a case-by-case basis, especially if the city had “an ordinance we could use — something less broad than the noise ordinance.”
Even under current ordinances, Mayor Geisler emphasized the importance of making a complaint if there’s a problem.
“Call the police,” he said. “Most of the time, if it’s a noise issue, one visit takes care of it. If there’s a second time, chances are someone will be cited.”
The chief concurred: “The big thing is getting someone to call while it’s happening,” he said.
Pitchford also made the observation that “some residents just don’t like rentals” and may be inclined to complain at the slightest provocation.
That prompted the mayor to note that “Some renters complain about residents’ parties.”
Speaking from the audience, real estate agent and former council member Gary Ramberg insisted that most rental agencies are managed responsibly, and that making the situation much more bearable may simply be a matter of “heading off one or two problem properties.”
With that thought in mind, Geisler asked the chief to contact one specific “problem agent” that has been a continuous source of complaints by neighbors.
In other business on Jan. 19, the New Buffalo City Council:
• Accepted a check for $5,500 from Nick Alleruzzo, Patrick and Gertrude Dunlap, and the New Buffalo Community Partnership to help pay for a water line to Sari Asher Memorial Dog Park.
• Approved a new policy for the Lions Pavilion that limits reservations by any individual or group (with the exception of the New Buffalo Lions Club) to three weekend days per year. Further limited to city and New Buffalo Township residents, each reservation will now require a rental fee of $125 and a $100 security deposit.
• Approved a recommendation by its Harbor Commission to include the renovation, expansion and redesign of the city’s marina in both its Waterfront Plan and Master Plan.
• Approved a motion to direct the city attorney to take the legal steps necessary to vacate Detroit Street between Kenzie St. and Farmer Street (alongside Oselka Park).
• Discussed, but took no action on, a request by Chikaming Open Lands to conduct an open burn of some 150 acres of marsh land along the Galien River — some 75 percent of which is located within the city limits — in February. The stated purpose of the burn is to eradicate non-native species of plants that have established themselves in that area.
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