A Higher Glyphic

Rental housing was a hot topic at this month's Carbondale City Council meeting. The meeting was held Tuesday at the Carbondale Civic Center. Two new ordinances focusing on rental housing were among the topics discussed.

One of the ordinances is to implement a rental licensing fee. This ordinance would impose a fee of $35 per rental unit each year and a higher fee for those landlords whose units do not pass inspection and need a follow-up. This added cost would go toward new housing inspectors to help keep up on the current inspections.

Councilman Chris Wissmann pointed out that many other cities have similar fees. He also made clear that the amount of the fees is still up for discussion.

Citizens had a lot to say when it came to the proposal. Radine Paper, a landlord with seventy units in Carbondale, was in favor of increasing the number of inspectors so the inspections happen more frequently, but was against the fee.

"It's a service of the city," Paper said.

The second ordinance focused on a proposal to convert rental units back into their original state as single-family housing. The purpose behind the proposal, as stated in the Proposed Single Family Housing Conversion Program ordinance itself, is "to strengthen and promote neighborhood living."

As it states now, the ordinance would provide a $5,000 grant to the homebuyer if the property has been a rental for two years or more. The house would have to remain in single-family ownership for the next ten years. All applicable permit fees would be waived, and any single family home in a residential zone in Carbondale city limits is eligible for the program.

Other topics on the council agenda for the evening included added grants to the Carbondale Police Department's budget and placement of new crosswalks at South Lewis Lane and North Wall Street.

If there are any suggestions, questions or concerns about the new ordinances, please submit them in writing to the city clerk or manager at Carbondale Civic Center City Clerk, 200 S. Illinois Ave. Carbondale, Il.

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