Rental housing ordinance passes first reading
Imagine a city where more than 70 chickens, ranging from chicks to full-grown hens, were kept in a single apartment. This, in a building where families lived in adjacent units. Or, where rental units lacked heat or running water for weeks at a time. Or, several people sleeping in cubicles, partitioned by plywood dividers, in a normal-sized apartment bedroom. We’re not talking here about apartments in New York City or Chicago; this happened in Webster City. According to Ariel Bertran, the city’s Development Director, “the concern isn’t simply that properties need routine maintenance; we’re seeing…
