Alec Schaffer
aschaff3@uwyo.edu
The Laramie City council passed ordinance amending the regulations for mobile home parks, manufactured home communities and recreational vehicle parks within Laramie.
These alterations to the existing ordinance could increase difficulties for local trailer park residences and owners.
“I think this is one of the stupidest ordinances I have ever seen,” Robert Blake, Laramie resident and owner of Bob Blake Builders, said during Tuesday night’s city council meeting.
Blake added that the ordinance is useless and that the council should write an ordinance to regulate “fly sex,” because ordinances 1922, 1923 and 1924 were as useful as such.
Original Ordinance No. 1922, amending Title 8 of the LMC for the purposes of creating health and safety standards for mobile homes, manufactured homes, recreational vehicles and tents was passed with five in favor and three against, with one councilor absent.
Original Ordinance No. 1923, amending Title 15 of LMC for the purposes of amending Section 15.22.050, Nonconforming Mobile Homes, passed with six in favor and two against with one member absent for the vote
Original Ordinance No. 1924, amending Title 15 of the LMC for the purposes of amending LMC Chapters 15.14 and 15.28, regarding mobile home parks, manufactured home communities and recreational vehicle parks passed with six in favor and two against, with one absent.
The main motion carried with six councilors in favor, two opposed and one accent, the main focus of the ordinances is to better regulate manufactured homes.
The ordinance require the installation and relocation of manufactured homes that require certification, but the ordinance makes exemption for pre-existing manufactured homes built before 1976 that do not comply with the National Manufactures Home Construction and Safety Standards act.
Some Laramie residents believed the ordinance is a useful measure in helping the town.
“I have to disagree with Blake, and I think the city staff did well at evaluating all the big picture issues,” Jennifer Hanft, Laramie community member, said.
One possible issue that could come as a result of change in regulation is it could become harder for some homeless students to find a place to stay.
In a previous interview Laramie City Councilor Joe Shumway estimated the amount of displaced residents of Laramie between 200 and 300 people.
“I have heard of some of them,” Shumway said, “living in camper trailers. Living by moving from campgrounds.”
