Attention Davis Residents:
Retribution is coming! On 6/12/24 Town Council met just 4 days after residents voted down the zoning ordinance by 80 for and 115 against. The Mayor announced that the he and the council intend on passing the zoning ordinance against the wishes of the residents. This decision was not discussed at the council meeting so I am assuming it was discussed and agreed to among the council outside of the public which is ILLEGAL. The plan is for council to approve the zoning ordinance and then the residents will have to again submit a proper (read legal) petition containing 10% of registered voters filled out by their own hand. At that point the zoning ordinance would be put on hold and another vote would be scheduled. How many times are we going to go through this?
WV State Code 8A-8-7 states: “ (f) The zoning ordinance is adopted if it is approved by a majority of the voters and is effective on the date the results of an election are declared. If a zoning ordinance is rejected, the zoning ordinance does not take effect. The governing body may submit the zoning ordinance to the voters again at the next primary or general election.” Now I read that to mean we can vote on it again at the next primary or general election which is in November. It does not say the council can go ahead and pass it then the residents have to submit another petition.
Then to set fire to the situation, Council Member Jennie Helmick wants to pass the 2018 INTERNATIONAL Property Maintenance Code (IPMC). Can you imagine little old Davis needs an International Property Maintenance Code? The town clerk advised her that this document was sort of included in the Comprehensive Plan that passed last year but there has to be some language changes to said plan. Everybody needs to read this IPMC – it is scary. It is available on line as a free download. As 1 example: most homes in Davis are 100 years old. Section 108.1.5 #10 states “Any building or structure, because of a lack of sufficient or proper fire-resistance-rated construction, fire protection systems, electrical system, fuel connections, mechanical system, plumbing system or other cause, is determined by the code official to be a threat to life or health” shall be considered to be dangerous. How many homes have a fire protection system or proper fire resistance rated construction (100 years ago)?
If the Town Council cannot be receptive to the residents of this town, then perhaps there needs to be a clean sweep.
Lori Quattro
Davis
