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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday,March 6, 2023 <br /> Page 12 <br /> regulations have to be narrowly tailored to accommodate the church's reli- <br /> gious exercise. That is a serious obligation that he has not heard much of <br /> from the Board tonight. They want it to be very clear that they understand <br /> those are the church's rights and in sixty days if the City tells the church that <br /> they have to move these, that is not something that the church is nearly pre- <br /> pared to concede tonight. He doubted the church will be able to concede that <br /> in sixty days. <br /> Chair Roe thanked the church and representative for their comments. He <br /> noted that the Federal Law was not brought up other than in the written <br /> materials provided as a part of the case,but he wanted to check with the City <br /> Attorney, in a broad sense, where the City stands in regard to that Federal <br /> Statute. He believed the City was applying the Code evenly and fairly and <br /> not in a discriminatory manner towards religious institutions. <br /> City Attorney Tierney explained the Religious Land Use and Institutional- <br /> ized Persons Act also known as RLUIPA, always applies when a Govern- <br /> ment is taking action involving land use against a church. It has to be in their <br /> minds when they are looking at any regulation of land use that applies to a <br /> church certainly applies here. What is not before the City Council is some <br /> sort of a land use application that the Council has been able to interpret and <br /> apply different facts to. The church put this on the property without making <br /> any land use applications. The church did not give the City the tool that is <br /> needed in order to look at this factually and determine whether this could be <br /> allowed under certain conditions. The homes were just put there without the <br /> City's knowledge. There is always a risk of the church choosing to file a <br /> lawsuit over religious land use. That could happen and the City will deal <br /> with that if it happens. Based on the facts and what is in front of the City <br /> Council, she was comfortable with what the Board is considering. <br /> Chair Roe asked where the Board was at in terms of proceeding with this <br /> because ultimately based on their decisions this evening, with respect to the <br /> particular appeal,the enforcement is that once again the non-compliant units <br /> can no longer be used as housing either at some point in the near future or at <br /> some point further from there depending on what the Board ultimately di- <br /> rects staff this evening in terms of enforcement. <br /> Board member Strahan indicated if indeed this group has no interest and has <br /> no plans to work with the City and remove the homes,if the City gives them <br /> a sixty day grace period where the City stays enforcement, she was not cer- <br /> tain why the City would not move toward a ten day removal if the church <br /> does not plan to work with the City. She also wondered why the church <br /> continues to be able to rebut because this is generally not an ongoing con- <br /> versation. <br />