(Okoboji)– The city of Okoboji vows to get tough on overly-crowded establishments in the community, siting safety and liability issues.
The city council Tuesday met with Arnolds Park/Okoboji Fire Chief Chris Youngbluth to discuss occupancy laws and how they’re enforced. Until now, there was little the city could do since officials were unsure how to enforce the law. However, Youngbluth says he’s learned there’s a section in Iowa Code that specifically addresses that, leaving enforcement up to local authorities having jurisdiction…meaning the Fire Chief could enforce it.
Steve Dulin, a former Mayor of Arnolds Park, said that city utilized the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Iowa State Patrol and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office in the past to enforce occupancy laws in that city. By using those sources, Dulin says it takes local politics out of the picture.
The city council took no official action regarding the matter Tuesday, saying they just wanted to know how the enforcement process would work if they need to use it in the future.
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