City enforces rules on RV living

Two citizens received variances from the Sundance City Council last week that will allow them to keep living in RVs for now. Others who have been occupying campers for more than two weeks will meanwhile be receiving letters reminding them that they are not in compliance with the city’s ordinances.

Continuing a conversation that has been ongoing for the last couple of months regarding people who appear to be living in RVs on the city streets and on private property around town, the council began by considering two variance requests at its regular meeting.

Both were from Sundance citizens who are currently living in RVs on private property due to what the council felt to be extenuating circumstances. Mayor Paul Brooks commented that he has no problem with granting the variances but would like there to be a sunset date included.

The council included in its motion that the variance is valid until December 1. If they need to stay longer, he said, “They can come back”.

Brooks then turned the council’s attention to RV living in general, stating that the plan is to have an updated ordinance ready for the beginning of next year. The mayor said that he would prefer to have campers off the streets before public works crews begin plowing snow this winter to avoid damaging the vehicles and potentially opening the city to claims.

Brooks also reiterated that the city wants to avoid the issue escalating, pointing to the situation in other towns around the nation. He said that people in places such as Montana are, for example, turning RVs into Air BnBs, then moving them a block and starting over to get around the time limit and dumping gray water all over the streets.

This is about getting ahead of the problem, he said. He stated that RVs in driveways are not fair to the neighbors, who did not purchase their property with the expectation of seeing campers out of their windows.

“Your landowner rights only extend to the point you are infringing on others,” he said.

Council Member Joe Wilson meanwhile commented that Sundance is a nice town and its people take care of it, and he does not want it to end up “looking like California”.

Last month, the city began the process of accumulating the names of people believed to be living in RVs or hosting people in RVs in order to send out letters explaining the regulations.

The city’s rules for RVs state that they may be occupied for no more than two continuous weeks, An RV may be occupied for no more than two continuous weeks “while visiting family or friends or while attending or participating in a locally sponsored meeting, event or activity”.

RVs not in use can be kept on the owner’s premises indefinitely, but cannot be kept on a public street, public land or someone else’s property without express permission. Occupied RVs must be self-contained and sanitary facilities as required by law must be provided on the lot or land.

On Tuesday, the council approved sending out letters to the names that have been gathered.