North Logan decides snow law would be unenforceable

NORTH LOGAN—City Council members Wednesday turned down a proposed ordinance that would have prohibited people from moving snow onto the streets, and finalized an ordinance that defines who can live in a single-family dwelling and puts restrictions on RV parks.

The council debated awhile about whether or not they should make a new ordinance to prohibit persons from shoveling their snow into the streets.

“It is a danger to the snowplowers because that pile of snow will harden and can cause damage to the plows,” said Chief Kim Hawkes of North Park Police Department.

The council proceeded to discuss how they would measure what would be too much snow on the streets, how they would cite people and what kind of a citation it would be. After a lengthy discussion, the council didn’t come up with an answer to any of those questions.

“I just don’t know how you would enforce it,” Councilwoman Nancy Potter said.

Councilman John Bailey agreed, saying the council shouldn’t make an ordinance out of things that weren’t enforceable.

Finally the council voted on the ordinance, which failed on a 4-1 vote.

Next there was a public hearing on the ordinance that defines who can live in a single-family dwelling and says there can be no RV parks in North Logan. The ordinance has already passed but there were some revisiions, so the council was re-hearing the ordinance to pass the changes made.

Mayor Lloyd Berentzen clarified that there can be one family plus one unrelated member living in a single-family dwelling or up to four unrelated persons living in a dwelling.

The reason the council has revised the ordinance is so theirs will comply with the state’s. Previously North Logan’s policy was that only up to three unrelated persons could live in a single family dwelling.

“I don’t understand why the state or even a city council can define what a family is,” Jenae Shemway, a community member, said.

Berentzen clarified that they were not defining what a family was, but how many people can live in a single-family dwelling.

Another member of the community, Lydia Emery, asked, “Why are we prohibiting RV parks in North Logan? Is it to give the one by Bridgerland a monopoly?” The council didn’t have an answer to Emery’s question, but decided to put it on the minutes for the next meeting.

At the end of the discussion Potter made the suggestion to split the ordinance into two separate ones so that the issues can be dealt with more sufficiently.

The council put the proposal and further discussion on the minutes for their next meeting.


Published in cooperation with the Hard News Cafe. Original story is here.