New City Council Definitions Will Limit the Household

By: Kristie Graybill, Pamela Marotta & Xiafan Li
New city council definitions will limit the household

At Kent’s City Council meeting Wednesday Night, a new law was enacted that will limit the amount of non-relatives allowed to live in certain sectors of Kent. The zoning committee’s motion was led by Bridget Susel and it proposed that no more than one non-relative be permitted to live in a residents home.

 

Additions

Another addition to this law is that cousins will no longer will be counted as relatives. Susal explained that this law was proposed to address the amount of boarding house that have been appearing in Kent.

A new definition of what a “guest” is has been added as well. The motion limits the amount of nights a guest is legally allowed to stay at someone’s home. With the passing of this law guests are no longer allowed to stay for more than fourteen consecutive days or thirty days within a twelve month period.

If a violation occurs with this new law, the residents will be punished by the law and the guest will be forced to leave. Susel explained that it will be difficult to find who is breaking the law unless a complaint is filed by a neighbor.

 

The Vote

All members of the councils voted for the passing of this law except John Kuhar who argued against the motion. He suggested a situation where elderly people would want to live together who are not relatives.

“Those situations…we have not had one so that’s why we added the caregiver,” Said Susel.

To have more than one non-relative living in a citizens home they must be disables and prove that that non-relative is a caregiver. Even these cases are not definitive and will need special approval from the zoning committee.

“You’re violating someone’s rights,” said Kuhar.

Kuhar argued that this motion would violate people’s rights to determine who is allowed to live in their home. Kuhar stated that he helped to raise children that were not his, allowing them to live with him during their adolescence and throughout their college career.

“This goes against what this country is about,” argued Kuhar.

Despite his strong resistance the other members passed the motion.

Other Motions That the Council Voted On

Twenty- four motions were brought to the committee on Wednesday and only the zoning motion held a disagreement. Others passed were addressing the parks and recreations, a new business coming to Kent, and more listed below.

-A resolution appointing Ann Gilmore to the sustainability commission and declaring an emergency.

-A resolution appointing Richard Dunkin to the board of building appeals and declaring an emergency.

-The Authorization of CRA #2 application for royal cleaners and the valet program.

-To authorize the amendments to the appropriation ordinance.

-To authorize the recommended relocation of City Hall as presented.

-To accept a donation to the City of Kent’s parks and recreation.

-To authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into an agreement between Bauer Hibbard Partners and the City of Kent to purchase 5.926 acres of land for $368,000.

-To authorize the Mou with the City of Munroe Falls for the use of the jail with emergency clause included. *

*These are just some of the many motions passed.