Williston may outlaw living in RV's (Minot, Hunter: how much, unemployment rate, college)

[kychlo]

Originally Posted by Naelbis

Why should it be the county's problem when we have even less resources to deal with it than the city does? The city annexes every tax source it can get its grubby paws on which makes it dang hard for the county to find the funds to continue growing departments and keep up with demands for services. The SO is already smaller than the PD with much more area to cover and you want to force hundreds if not thousands of people back out into the county for them to police?

Yes. That is exactly what I want them to do. Live in a camper in the county where a camper belongs or move to another state that allows free loading. I don't need my kids seeing a guy pissing in the alley by my house that I pay taxes on to live in. Does that guy pay property taxes? No.

I'm not arguing that the city/county need more help. That's obvoius. I'm saying that campers should be in a RV park, farmers yard, construction stie, or employers premises. NOT in my backyard!

[kychlo]

Originally Posted by JanND

Funny enough, I was discussing w/ my son the RV issues etc., now he has every opportunity to be making the "big" oil field money, since I have a home there and his dad runs a major co. He doesn't even want to go near Williston. He says he thinks the State is the one that has dropped the ball, letting all the various oil companies come here, knowing there are these major problems being caused in the Western part of the state. I am thinking he has a valid point.

What do you mean "letting them" come in? Allowing them drilling permits? How do you not allow a company come in to work in an area?

[fourwinds]

The people as reponsible for the oil boom as anyone are themineral rights owners. They signed leases for thousands of dollars per acre as well as a cut of the oil. Find me one mineral right owner in the area that didn't sign a contract because of growth issues or wants the drilling and royalties to stop now. There is not one.

People can blame anyone oil companies for growth, but the bottom line is that local owners allowed the boom.

The RV issue is really a catch22 - if you don't allow it the construction of new buildings will practically stop and employment in the retail will plummet - so the condition of Williston will get even worse before it gets better.

The city and county need to work on solutions with private enterpisee - not banning. Banning RVs will just makee everyones life more unbearable for a longer time. Without those RV workers, most restaurants and many stores would simply close.

[JanND]

Originally Posted by kychlo

What do you mean "letting them" come in? Allowing them drilling permits? How do you not allow a company come in to work in an area?

There are permits for any type company. You limit the companies....you put limits of how many, or resident status. There are numbers of ways a State allows and/or prohibits companies....especially out of state companies from operating in our state. Might be good to start charging per "out of state" resident hired, a fee to the company. Maybe them companies would make some real living arrangements for their employees.
RE: The RV problem. There is no way it is ok to park an RV behind someone's back fence, or in the street and sit up your bump out living room halfway into the street, and drain you bodily fluids onto the ground, without a by your leave. This is pathetic.
The city has already allowed that the construction companies will have RV's on their construction sites. I also feel if smaller businesses want to allow RV's on their property, go for it....police them yourselves. But this continued disregard for the whole city, parking helter skelter, where ever you darn well please.... should be halted.
You know if these folks had been smart, and parked in someones driveway....quietly, without disturbance, and disgusting disregard of basic cleanliness they might have skated by for a good while. But exposing yourself on the street, outside normal residences is not gonna be tolerated. I look for the City to have to call in the Guard....eventually that is what will happen. This is a disaster happening.....it isn't going to be pretty.

[Lokahi117]

This sounds like suggesting that a place that has some examples of dogs running loose and pooping, and people are supporting banning dogs in the city. Instead the law doesn't allow the problems that the roaming dogs cause. The ordinance to handle the egregious and disgustingly disrespectful behavior by some of these (trying to think of words to describe the feelings of absolute loathe for these type of people in society.....hmmm entitled, thinks they should be able to do whatever they like...liberals? j/k back to my point) The law already prohibits public urination and the dumping of sewage. They should make it easier for citizens to get video using their phones of the alleged lawbreakers and do citizens complaints as to enforce the laws that already exist. If they cant enforce those laws, what good is limiting anyone from using an rv on their property or in the public right of way (which a lot of have benefited from federal funding to rebuild streets and highways which every tax paying citizen of the US has paid for).
As to people extending their slide out living room JAN, this is also unacceptable and is covered by law of the road, that no vehicle can be in or on the road or public right of way (this includes alleys) can be wider than 8 feet so that would also be an offense already covered by another law....why not enforce it.
Also there are laws on the books about parking any vehicle in the street in the same spot for more than 48 hours so also a question about why this isnt enforceable but a new law banning rvs all together would somehow magically be enforceable. The police chief of willistion himself is quoted with saying that he doesnt think such a ban would be enforceable.
And, being a conservative, I'm always opposed to the government wanting to limit my use of my own property, providing that im following the laws. If I am longtime resident of a town like williston who lives there because I love the town but am struggling to afford the my housing or other new expenses then renting out a space on the side of my home that I don't use to someone whom is respectful and responsible would help me offset the cost increases that go along with being in a boom area.
I am staunchly opposed to the type of people whom most are complaining about, but it hardly seems fair to ban all people when there are those who are following the laws and being respectful. there are laws in place to take out the trash without passing an ordinance saying, we dont want to sort out the trash so throw everything away.
I am however making most of this point based on the believed fact that there is no rv spaces available in these rv parks, so if there was plenty of space for whoever wanted a space then people should go there.
I am saddened that the caliber of some people coming there have led to this kind of general feeling. The people are responsible for keeping their facts straight and not hastily generalizing or stereotyping all people coming into one category.
I say all of this with the utmost respect for all of those local as I have lots of family there, was born there and am planning on coming back there myself in the first week of june.
To keep the forum as short as possible, I look forward to your replies but you don't have to quote it. so guys what are your thoughts?

[JanND]

Well, truly I think designated RV/Camper parks is the only thing that should be allowed. The sewage issue alone is enough for me to think that. Forget the need for addresses for emergency responders, police, ambulances, add census taking needs for federal funding and school funds to be appropriated. The bigger picture is totally affected by this lack of accountability by some and the burden of all on the ones that do live in proper housing or designated RV parks.

Allowing the folks that are living in RV's and campers and cars helter skelter all over town, to even participate in deciding a City ordinance, rather than just the city property tax payers is like the Tail wagging the Dog imo

[Norsk/Deutsch/Polska]

It would be interesting to me, to be able to find out how many people at the meeting when the city council decided on this delay, were actual residents of Williston, who had a hand in electing those city council people and how many at the meeting were living in the RV's. According to the news out of Minot, the meeting was pretty 'heated'.

[Lokahi117]

A lot of those claiming oil workers are not paying taxes are forgetting that most oil workers **** through the great money they make in local bars, restaurants, Walmart, gas stations, car lots, etc, and the owners of these establishments do pay a great amount of taxes and therefore the oil money does contribute to the local tax economy in a big way.
---I however would definitely be in support of a local city tag program that required anyone with an RV to pay a license to park it any where other than private property. So you could charge 350 a quarter to keep your tag up to date and that would allow you to park your Rv within the bounds of the law as discussed in my previous post. This would be on par or more than the "local" residents property taxes on a home. Plus it could give the city a financial boost, that they could use to increase enforcement on the already existing laws.

----and creating laws is like channeling a river, the flow must go somewhere; you can't just say, this is a problem on a large scale so I'm going to pass a law to stop it.....you have to a plan in place to channel the problem whet you want it to be, instead of where it is. So the question again, is the city somehow aware of a huge number of RV spaces available that these people living in the street are not aware of or where is the city channeling them to if there ordinance passes?

[JanND]

Good post Lokahi...some real good suggestions.
RE: the property taxes, the property owners pay those, PLUS.... the same taxes you mentioned, sales taxes etc.
So on that point we are at an impasse

What I read is that there are RV parks that the city is wanting these folks to move too. I also read that some of the folks against it are saying they can not, or do not want to pay the rent required at the RV parks. That is for me the reason this ordinance is important....We can't allow folks to decide they don't want to do something, at the expense of others being able to enjoy their own homes, or apartments. Just because.
There are folks describing RV residents standing beside their RV's peeing in the street for anyone and their kids who happen to be driving by to see. That and dumping their sewage...it is all in the article. Right is right. That's just my opinion.

[Norsk/Deutsch/Polska]

A link with a little insight into the public meeting held on the proposed ban of RV's:

By Amy Dalrymple

Williston officials delay action on RV ban |