The Evanston Rental Unit Licensing Committee met for the second time Thursday evening, and although its schedule called for a discussion of a different law, talk turned again to the infamous three-unrelated ordinance, or the “brothel law.”
This was the first meeting of the committee attended by both of the student representatives, Steven Monacelli and Niabi Schmaltz. The 14-member committee met once before, during Northwestern’s spring break.
At that March 22 meeting, the committee heard a proposal for a new ordinance, called the “rental unit license ordinance,” which was intended to be the subject of Thursday’s meeting.
The proposed ordinance would require Evanston landlords to apply for a license for each individual rental unit before renting it out, and require city inspectors to survey all of Evanston’s estimated 10,000 rooms, apartments or houses available for rent. Also under the proposed law, the city could deny a property its licensing due to any outstanding health, safety or zoning code violations.
Citizens who spoke Thursday expressed serious concern about the proposed ordinance. This was the first meeting with a scheduled time for public comment.
Judy Roettig, the Executive Vice President of the Chicagoland Apartment Association, said she was “strongly opposed” to the licensing ordinance and believed it might represent a violation of the Illinois Real Estate License Act.
After discussing bed bug infestations, the committee moved on to its primary topic: whether violations of a pre-existing ordinance – the “nuisance ordinance” – could result in the revocation of a rental license.
Evanston homeowner Jane Evans, who sits on the commitee, supported enforcing the nuisance ordinance with the proposed rental licensing ordinance. If a unit’s residents violate the nuisance ordinance more than once, she said, that unit’s landlord should be liable to lose his or her license. The Evanston Police and Fire Department agreed, according to Evanston staff member Steve Griffin.
Which is when the “brothel law” got involved.
Monacelli, a Communication junior, noted to the committee that a violation of the three-unrelated rule constituted a violation of the nuisance ordinance – which could mean a landlord’s rental license could be revoked. Monacelli worried aloud that if a landlord lost his or her rental license, students living in the apartment could be suddenly evicted and left without housing.
Pressed as to whether this could occur, Griffin said that an initial violation of the pre-existing nuisance ordinance would result in the setup of a “schedule for compliance.” Tenants would have plenty of warning before a license revocation, he said.
He told the committee members that it was important to think of the students in the situation as victims, then – after some discussion – reminded them that the Mayor planned to bring the three-unrelated rule before city council after the license ordinance was considered.
Mayor Tishdal also reiterated her stance that the brothel law was being blown out of proportion.
“There’s a lot of ‘the sky is falling’ on behalf of the Northwestern Daily, but nothing really happens,” Tisdahl said.
Other committee members were less willing to turn away from the “brothel law.”
Evans reiterated that it was “important to [her] that it remain a violation” and that the nuisance ordinance’s connection to the license ordinance was critical, as it gave it the three-unrelated rule “teeth.”
Under current city law, Evanston must take students to court to enforce the three-unrelated ordinance.
Committee member and Northwestern professor Paul Arntson took the three-unrelated issue in another direction, saying it was “a Northwestern problem,” as the University failed to provide adequate on-campus housing.
Pressed as to whether students would be forced to live in Chicago, Arntson replied, “They’re big boys and girls and they can live where they want to.”
The committee concluded by voting to schedule another meeting to continue discussing the proposed renter licensing law. Both student representatives supported that decision.
Recently elected ASG Vice President Brad Stewart attended the meeting. He was supportive of Monacelli and Schmaltz’s efforts, he said, but stressed that getting a larger contingent of students involved was “the only way to really make changes.”
Weinberg junior Schmaltz echoed his sentiments and added that she felt that the effect of nuisance ordinance’s application was still unclear. She stressed that further discussion would be necessary to figure out how it would affect students and landlords.
“I think we really have some work to do,” Schmaltz said.