Plattsburgh takes on college students

Local News

Discussion

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.

Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.

Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.

We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:

There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.

Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.

Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)

Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”

Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.

Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.

Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.

In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.

Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.

We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.

comments powered by Disqus

January 16, 2008

By STEPHEN BARTLETT The Press Republican Wed Jan 16, 2008, 04:53 PM EST

PLATTSBURGH — City of Plattsburgh officials hope changes in law will ease problems with drunken college students.

The Common Council will hold public hearings soon to give residents an opportunity to offer their two cents on proposed changes to city ordinances. The Common Council is considering altering noise ordinances and the definition of what constitutes a family.

Once the hearings are held, city officials will vote on whether to adopt the law changes that were recommended by a commission formed to curb problems often caused by college students, especially in the Center City area.

“There is a game plan,” said Plattsburgh City Mayor Donald Kasprzak.

REPORT SETS COURSE

For years, Plattsburgh residents, largely in the Center City area, have complained about problems caused by drunken college students who urinate on public property, shout during the middle of the night while stumbling home from downtown, destroy property and sometimes enter residences.

Kasprzak and Plattsburgh State President Dr. John Ettling formed a commission last April, headed by Dr. Edward Miller of Plattsburgh State, to examine the situation and present recommendations to help with Center City issues.

The July report contained 39 recommendations, including changes to the city noise ordinance and the definition of family housing, nuisance ordinances to ensure landlords maintain properties, civil penalties resulting from hosting parties and stings, increased enforcement and stricter guidelines for renting college housing.

The commission also suggested the city require registration, inspection and permitting of properties rented to college students.

COLLEGE CHANGES

So far, Plattsburgh State has lowered the level for violations committed by off-campus students that the college will become involved with, from felony to misdemeanor; is searching for a coordinator of alcohol and other drugs; and began changes to make athletic teams responsible for their behavior, in a fashion similar to other college groups.

The university has also established a committee of students and faculty to discuss college-community relations and is looking to create the position of college-community liaison.

CITY CHANGES

The city is off to a slightly slower start, largely due to three new members assuming seats on the Common Council.

“We are reviewing and are close to having public hearings on two new law changes,” Kasprzak said.

The existing city noise ordinance has been in place since 1988, and some people feel it is confusing. The new ordinance would be clearer when assigning violations and accountability.

The second change being considered would alter the definition of what constitutes a family by limiting the number of non-blood-related people living together in a house from four to three.

As a result, if someone wanted to rent a single-family residence, no more than three non-blood-related people could live there.

Occupants must share the entire house, live and cook together, divide household expenses and be permanent and stable.

The restrictions would not be the same for a traditional or functionally equivalent family.

“The first two took quite a while to openly discuss, and then we had some changes in the language, and then a new council was elected,” Kasprzak said.

Once changes to those two laws have been voted on, city officials will begin discussing more of the commission’s recommendations.

“We will review the other ones in the near future, and we will keep moving ahead with all the recommendations until the council feels we have reviewed everything,” Kasprzak said.

E-mail Steve Bartlett:

sbartlett@pressrepublican.com