Board Approves Ordinance Amendments
During the November 3, 2020 Board Meeting, three ordinance amendments were approved to protect the integrity and beauty of the City.
First, the board adopted an amendment to the Rental Ordinance. The amendment is aimed at ensuring that absentee landlords living out of the Jackson area are responsible for the timely and proper upkeep of their properties.
The amendment states: Annual Registration Application to read:
(a) Annual Registration. Application for an annual rental housing registration shall be filed with and issued by the Community Development Department. The application shall be in writing, signed by the property owner, agent and shall include the following:
(1) The name and address of the applicant; in the case of an owner who does not reside in the City of Clinton, the owner must provide information for a local agent who resides in the City of Clinton.
Each rental property owner who does not reside in Clinton is now required to hire a local agent to serve as their representative and monitor of properties. This amendment will provide an additional layer of protection for neighborhoods and home owners adjacent to rental properties.
In May 2013, the City of Clinton adopted a Rental Property Ordinance for the purpose of insuring the health, safety and welfare of the community. The Ordinance includes manufactured homes, single-family houses, multi-family units and any residential property that is leased to an individual other than the property owner.
Additional information on the Rental Ordinance as well as the Rental Property application can be found on the City’s website at www.clintonms.org/departments/community-development/rental/ or by contacting Community Development Department at 601-924-0837.
“Each of these ordinance amendments are meant to protect the integrity of our City ROW’s and neighborhoods. These new requirements provide an added line of communication and planning as utilities work in our City,” stated Mayor Phil Fisher.
Board members approved an ordinance amendment proposed by Mayor Fisher to protect City of Clinton’s Rights of Way from damage due to boring of utility company contractors. May residents may recall the damage by utility boring contractors to Broadway Street several years back that caused the failure of the roadway and expensive repairs.
The ordinance amendments require that 1) permit and engineering plans be submitted to the City at least five days in advance of work commencing; 2) In lieu of the required deposit the contractor may execute a bond payable to the City of Clinton either per job or per year. The bond should be payable in the amount equal to or greater than the required deposit; 3) Sanitary sewer service lines shall be inspected by camera before and after any boring/trenching that would cross service lines.
Thirdly, City officials approved an ordinance to prevent the scaring of trees by utility companies removing trees from the Right of Way. Amendment requires recommendations from an ISA certified arborist shall be submitted with request for tree trimming/removal during utility easement clearing. The amendment also requires prompt removal of tree trimmings stating “individual tree trimming/removal all debris shall be removed within 24 hours of completion. For utility easement clearing a cleanup crew shall be on site at time of clearing.”
Mayor Fisher in presenting the amendments stated that these amendments were necessary to preent “utility companies from damaging the aesthetic and function of our Rights of Way. We want to prevent trees from looking like a “V” or other damage has been caused in them.”