Here are some of the items the...

Here are some of the items the council discussed Monday night:

MOBILE HOME CONVERSION ORDINANCE

Councilwoman Connie Boardman recommended the council delay a vote

on a mobile home park law in order to give direction to City Atty.

Jennifer McGrath on how to draft the ordinance dealing with the

conversion of parks.

Current law allows park owners to pay mobile home residents as

little as $5,000 a piece if the park owner decides to sell the park

or convert it to a different use. Boardman wants to introduce

legislation that would require mobile home owners to be paid fair

market value for their homes. It would also put other safeguards on

place to protect mobile home residents.

WHAT IT MEANS

Boardman asked for the delay because Councilwoman Jill Hardy could

not attend the meeting, and she wanted a full council present for the

vote, she said. Although the move irritated some of the dozens of

mobile home residents who attended the meeting, the delay may work in

their favor.

Councilman Dave Sullivan has said in the past that he supported

the mobile home ordinance, as has Councilwoman Debbie Cook. The

ordinance needs four votes to pass.

CELL PHONE BAN

It is now a crime to be caught talking on a cell phone in most

areas of the city’s public libraries. The City Council approved the

final reading of this ordinance, which also makes it illegal for a

cell phone to ring at the library. The ban was needed to combat an

increase in rude behavior, Library Director Ron Hayden said.

WHAT IT MEANS

Get caught talking on the phone in the library and you could face

a $100 fine. The City Council also elected to give Hayden enforcement

powers and the ability to appoint library staff members to hand out

tickets. Fines would only be issued in the most extreme cases, Hayden

said.

DOWNTOWN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

Retail and restaurant owners now have a self-governing apparatus

to make improvements to Main Street.

On Monday, the council approved the formation of the Downtown

Business Improvement District, a self-taxing entity designed to bring

more tourists dollars to the Pier Plaza and Main Street area. The

council approved the formation after a majority of business owners

approved the new district. The city’s auto dealers and hotels use a

similar system.

WHAT IT MEANS

Based on their size, business owners must pay a special fee toward

improving the Downtown area. Businesses in the most highly trafficked

area of Downtown must pay $250 annually if their operation is less

that a 1,000 square feet, $500 for those between 1,001 and 5,000

square feet, and $1,000 for anything larger than 5,000 square feet.

The money will go toward cleaning up the Downtown sidewalks,

marketing, events and general maintenance and repair.