After four revisions and an ongoing debate since July, the city unanimously approved an ordinance to help reduce the number of out-of-control house parties Monday.
Under the ordinance, a party is classified as a nuisance if it violates one of 17 criteria including noise complaints, underage drinking or fire-code regulations. Only Madison Police Department captains can decide whether or not an event is a nuisance party.
If classified as a nuisance party, tenants may be fined in addition to attending mandatory meetings with their landlord and police. After the third violation, residents may receive citations or fines.
Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said the combination of alcohol, breaking one of the criteria and essentially any event that goes “above and beyond your standard house party” would lead to a nuisance party classification.
City Alcohol Policy Coordinator Mark Woulf said the ordinance gives the police department another tool in keeping house parties under control.
“If the party-goers in that situation do not disperse when a nuisance party is determined, then they can start citing people,” Woulf said.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said significant improvements made to the ordinance since its first draft include taking away eviction as a possible punishment and removing any additional fines a tenant would owe after violating the ordinance.
“My comfort level has increased substantially from the original proposal,” Verveer said. “This ordinance mandates communication and education and face-to-face meetings.”
Included in the ordinance are regular surveys of how well police are implementing the ordinance and will include information about house parties broken up by police, the number of nuisance party citations and the amount of fines issued.
If, in two years, the council decides the ordinance is not fulfilling its objective to reduce the amount of nuisance house parties, council members “have the power not to bring it back” and can vote to discontinue it, according to Resnick.
The nuisance party ordinance will go into effect in March, meaning it will be active during the Mifflin Street Block Party.
“I’m sure [the ordinance] will be used by the cops not only to try to convince residents to scale down parties, but to encourage landlords to take an active role,” Verveer said.
