The Canton City Council zeroed in on problems with multiple families living in single-family homes and excessive numbers of cars parked at residential properties late last week, agreeing to delve into it further at an upcoming planning retreat.
Mayor Gene Hobgood and multiple council members said they have gotten a slew of complaints, prompting City Manager Billy Peppers to spell out the definition of single family residents as well as how many roommates could live together (three) and the limit on cars per residence (four).
Pepper said the biggest area of non-compliance involves tenant-based properties, and that city officials would seek direction from the council on how to deal with landlords deliberately violating the codes. Peppers said the bulk checking compliance falls to sworn code enforcement officers, but that only one is on duty now, with the city working to fill a second position.
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