ZONING CODE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

200 E. Wells Street City of Milwaukee Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 Meeting Minutes ZONING CODE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE TEODROS MEDHIN, CHAIR Stuart Mukamal, Ed Richardson, Ronald Roberts Staff Assistant, Chris Lee, 286-2232 Fax: 286-3456, clee@milwaukee.gov Thursday, July 17, 2014 3:00 PM Room 301-B, Third Floor, City Hall Meeting convened at 3:07 p.m. Present - Richardson, Mukamal, Medhin Excused - Roberts Individuals also present: Jeff Osterman, Legislative Reference Bureau Ald. James Bohl, 5th Aldermanic District 1. 140486 An ordinance relating to required board of zoning appeals findings for the granting of special use permits for installment loan agencies. Sponsors: Ald. Bohl Ald. Bohl appeared before the committee and said that the purpose of the proposed ordinance is to bring parity to the zoning code regarding the type of uses engaged with short-term loan services. The proposal is to add an installment loan agency to the list of businesses subjected to the additional distancing special use standards presently contained in the zoning code. An installment loan agency is similar to the other subjected business categories, such as pay day loan and title loan agencies, with respect to the type of use, users involved, and short-term loan services. In addition, installment loan agencies produce the same issues of loitering and crime consistent with the other subjected businesses. He has sponsored and was involved with legislation in the past regarding special use and prohibited use provisions to these types of places. Numerous other Metro-Milwaukee area communities have created the same barriers and taken the City’s legislative model on the matter. Due to the added zoning requirements that have made it more difficult for these types of businesses, these very same businesses have creatively thought of alternative ways of offering short-term loans to customers. In his aldermanic experience, the same entity that was a payday loan agency opened its business offering short-term installment loans. There was research in the previous legislative findings that also spoke to short-term installment loan agencies. Atty. Mukamal said that this proposed legislation is an extension of the special use criteria of distancing that was adopted for payday loan and other short-term lending agencies to an installment loan agency. There is no other provision in the zoning code that governs an installment loan agency. The proposal makes sense as opposed to a prohibited use since special use standards do not apply in the context of a prohibited use. He has no issues with the current legislation as it stands since he was involved with a task force and the previous legislation process back in 2006 City of Milwaukee Page 1 ZONING CODE TECHNICAL Meeting Minutes July 17, 2014 COMMITTEE that resulted in the current restrictions for the other types of short-term lending institutions. Due to the vulnerability of this proposed legislation to be challenged by those who claim that an installment loan agency is different from the other categories already covered by these standards, there should be a good, preemptive record made to demonstrate that the purpose of the distancing requirements apply equally to an installment loan agency. A legislative record can be done without too much effort to show that an installment loan agency is similar to and causes the same type of adverse secondary impacts produced by the other subjected short term lending institutions. Atty. Mukamal moved that the proposed ordinance meets the standards of legality and enforceability, administrative efficiency, and consistency with the format of the zoning code subject to a good legislative record being made. Mr. Richardson seconded. Mr. Roberts excused. There were no objections. Ald. Bohl inquired as to the legislative record that should be made and licensing testimonies. Atty. Mukamal replied that research or articles showing the similarities of these businesses or that these business have no differences are one part of the record. Additionally, the second part of the record should show that an installment loan agency causes the same type of problems. Police testimony and licensing proceeding testimonies, as described by the alderman, detailing the problems associated with an installment loan agency should suffice. Meeting adjourned at 3:25 p.m. Chris Lee, Staff Assistant City of Milwaukee Page 2