The last 12 years in areas of the City of Lake Geneva, homes have been converted to vacation rentals and split up into multifamily residences, while the elected officials have ignored pleas from the neighborhoods. It is the power of the local realtors, who have a lucrative side line renting homes weekly to vacationers, and the cowardice of elected officials, who scuttled all efforts stop the practice. In the summer of 2012 a home in the uppity, stick up their ass, area of Lake Geneva known as the “Manor” became a tourist rental with all the noise, traffic, and bad shit that has gone on at the rest of Lake Geneva for the past ten years hitting their neighborhood and they started to squeal.
Different economic strata in our society have different solutions to civic problems. The lower caste will personally work around the problem; in this case they would close their windows, built a fence, in general put up with the shit. The middle class will protest, start a neighborhood watch, a Facebook page to publicly express their displeasure and hope their elected officials will notice. The Top Dogs will call City Officials and say, “What The Fuck?”(WTF) And that is what happened and that is why the City Council in Lake Geneva now is addressing the issue – sort of.
On 4.08.13 the Lake Geneva City Council on an eight to zip vote passed a noise nuisance ordinance on the first reading which says you can’t make noise “in a manner as to be heard outside a 75 foot radius of the source…” “Except for those activities allowed by permit issued by the City.” The loophole.
On 4.22.13 the City had the first reading of another ordinance requiring registration of multifamily dwelling units and rental property for $50 per landlord.
Sec. 14-123 Registration Requirement.
No person shall hereafter allow to be occupied or let to another person for occupancy any residential property within the City unless a registration statement has been properly made, filed,and accepted by the Building Inspector.
The new ordinance does not say you can’t rent out a home as a party house, only that it must be registered. The enforcement logic is that no residence will be allowed to register a single family home as a multifamily and if they don’t register they are in violation of the ordinance. Ya right. As the City Attorney pointed out this is a complaint driven procedure. All the neighborhoods in Lake Geneva better learn how to say WTF or nothing is going to change. And even if they complain the registration statement “may be revoked for cause by the City Council.”….the Council may, in its discretion, suspend or revoke said license(s) or registration(s).” That’s right, if you are a landlord or real estate vacation home rental outfit and have enough political pull, it business as usual. In fact it might be even better for the vacation rental outfits because owners who want to rent out their homes as hotels will gravitate to the boys with the political pull. Now you see why the realtors did not come out in opposition, like they did a few years ago, when the City really tried to put an end to this neighborhood destroying practice.
What air head came up with this solution? WTF.
“in a manner as to be heard outside a 75 foot radius of the source…” “Except for those activities allowed by permit issued by the City.”
Sure wish that would be the case for that BIKER BAR> SHIFTERS on the South Side of the Lake
As soon as it gets Wrm it’s NOISY MOTORCYCLES Hot Rodding Leaving with their Loud Motorcycles when they Leave all evening and it Echos all up and down South Lake Shore Drive
WHy is it Cars can’t Operate Without Moufflers but Motorcycles Can?
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