The Vandalia City Council will hold their first meeting of August tonight. And, there could be some further discussion on an ordinance change that passed at the last meeting but instead will be returned to the City Council with written objections by Mayor Doug Knebel.
At their meeting on July 21st, the Vandalia City Council approved the change by a 7 to 0 vote in the language on collecting past due water bills. The change was in language that would allow the city to more easily go after property owners for past due water bills. Before, the ordinance used the phrase “Owner occupied,” which would make it difficult for the City to collect the past due water bill of a renter from the landlord. But, the change passed at the July 21st meeting would have removed that phrase, meaning the City of Vandalia could go to the landlord to collect on a past due bill by a renter of their property.
But, Mayor Doug Knebel says the ordinance will not be going into effect immediately because it is being returned to the City Council with written objections at the next city council meeting—which is tonight—and the ordinance will be sent to the Water and Sewer Committee for consideration and comment, along with input from the public, prior to the next time the Vandalia City Council considers it.
Mayor Knebel says he has the authority to do this under Code Section 2.04.160. That section, in part, states that if the Mayor disapproves of an ordinance “he or she shall return to the Council, with his or her written objections, at the next regular council meeting of the Council occurring not less than five days after their passage.”
The Vandalia City Council meets tonight at 6:30 pm at Vandalia City Hall.
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