Village to crack down on late-night parties

By Rose Hooper

Last month, board members agreed to send a message throughout the village that loud, late-night/early-morning noise and parties would not be tolerated. They discussed hiring a part-time deputy but were advised by their financial officer, Jim Weir, that the budget contained no line item for such an expense.

Board members voted Monday night to employ a part-time deputy and to allocate a special line item for that funding.

At $20 an hour, they will employ a deputy from 11 p.m. until 2 a.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Board members agreed to try this on an eight-week trial basis starting after spring break, March 10.

"We're going to put some teeth into the county's noise ordinance," said Mayor Jim Davis. "As a village, we plan to send the message that we're cracking down."

The board's action followed an e-mail poll of village residents asking if they thought the village should hire a part-time deputy and if they would be willing to file a noise complaint and go to court and testify.

"Two to one, the response was positive," Davis said.

Also Monday, Mike Winstead of Greensboro, representing the new management company for Summitt Apartments, showed the board plans for building two additional apartment complexes. The building permit for one of them, referred to as building No. 3, was transferred from the previous contractor, but the permit for building No. 4 was filed after the village's moratorium on ETJ development.

That moratorium will not be lifted until July, which Winstead said would hurt his development plans. Davis suggested that Winstead apply for voluntary annexation, which would speed up his development plans. If annexed, the property could be zoned site specific.

Winstead told the board his company had an on-site manager at the apartments and that students had to sign a joint lease with their parents. "If the students don't pay their rent or if they party too loud, we call their parents," said Winstead, who assured the board his tenants would be "good neighbors" with the village.

Each apartment complex has 12 units, with four single bedrooms in each unit, totaling 48 students.

Doing the math ­ 48 students in each of the four buildings ­ village resident Lee Budahl asked if the 192 students would have voting rights. Village attorney Jay Coward said the students could apply to vote in Jackson County if they meet all the requirements, including age and residency.

If the apartments were annexed, the village would reap the tax benefits. However, if the students decided to vote as a block, they could be a formidable voice in the village, board member Jim Wallace said.

Back to Archive: 03/07/02.