Concerned students spoke out last night at the Ohio University Student Senate meeting about a new nuisance ordinance proposed by Athens City Council.
Two students who live off campus said their landlord forwarded a complaint to them from the Athens Near Northside Neighborhood Association. The landlord said if action were taken against her because of noise complaints in the students' neighborhood, she would evict the students.
There had been several complaints about noise and cars blocking the street in the vicinity of the students' house. The students wanted to know what their rights were and feared a copy of the complaint would be sent to University Judiciaries.
State and Federal Affairs Senator Brian Footer said the new ordinance is a lot like the current noise ordinance already in effect, under which a first offense is categorized as a minor misdemeanor and could impose a $100 fine. Second offenses are fourth-degree misdemeanors with the possibility of a $250 fine and three weeks in prison.
Currently, police must be able to hear the noise from 50 feet away to have jurisdiction to come onto private property, Footer said. Under the new nuisance ordinance, the 50-feet rule will no longer be needed.
Footer said the proposed ordinance is horrible and must be re-evaluated. He raised concerns about how House Bill 95 could be tied to the new ordinance. The law allows universities to take away state funding from students convicted of rioting, disorderly conduct or failure to disperse.
So they could kick you out of your house so you're homeless
they'll put it on your criminal record and take away your funding. There's no way in God's name we're going to let that happen Footer said
Vice President Katie Simpson said that students can all afford to be a little respectful but proposed that senators attend city council meetings to prevent the ordinance from being passed.
In other senate news:
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distributing information to students in residence halls about the House Bill 95 riot control law.
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Jenny Bonnar
