A ballot question that could change East Lansing’s housing code is likely heading for the November ballot.
Petitioners gathered more than 1,600 signatures for the proposed charter amendment that would change how the city enforces its code on houseguests.
“Most people do not know how much the city of East Lansing limits their ability to have non-rent paying guests live in an extra bedroom,” said Patrick Rose, one of the organizers of the ballot drive.
“You face $500-a-day fines when you don't even realize you're renting, because you’re not. It doesn’t make any sense.”
The proposal would remove limitations on non-rental housing arrangements by barring the city from restricting relationships and living arrangements for households. The proposal would also ensure advance notice of code violations and require East Lansing to follow state definitions for various rental terms.
“We leave all the rental regulations in place,” Rose said. “We simply let you choose who you want to live with in your home as long as you’re not charging rent. And that opens up a whole bunch of life, relationships and opportunities that people expect to live in their home with that are being denied under the law.”
Election officials say supporters of the proposed charter amendment gathered enough signatures ahead of Tuesday’s filing deadline.
State law requires at least 5% of qualified voters to sign a ballot petition before the proposal is put forward. East Lansing Clerk Marie Wicks says the group is positioned to surpass East Lansing’s threshold of 824 signatures as she continues to canvass the petition results.
“I sent the language to the Attorney General and the governor's General Counsel because they want to look at that language very quickly,” said Wicks.
The City Council scheduled a special meeting tonight to discuss adding an explanatory caption to the ballot question.
The caption would add text to the back of the ballot saying that the “City Council believes that the proposed Charter amendment contravenes existing laws.”
In a letter addressed to city officials, members of the charter amendment committee argue the explanatory caption is a form of advocacy and legal argument in violation of state law.
“An allowable explanatory caption does not include one-side declaration about state law,” the letter notes. “Council is restricted to writing neutral captions or none at all.”
Signatories of the letter include former Ingham County Circuit Court Judge James Giddings and former Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon.
As the Nov. 5 election nears, the East Lansing charter amendment committee plans to continue its outreach.
“We're going to try to talk to as many people one-on-one. And that's how we think we're going to win it,” Rose said. “People support what we've asked them to sign on to and we think they're going to support it when they vote in the fall.”
