Evanston officials said Thursday that they will not back down from a July 1 deadline for some landlords and tenants to comply with the city’s controversial over-occupancy rule known as the “brothel law.” Steve Griffin, director of community and economic development, echoed in a statement sent to The Daily the message city officials first issued in October: Properties under investigation for code violations will be penalized this summer. Griffin’s statement specified that the July 1, 2012, deadline applies to “some non-life-threatening/zoning violations” that the city has been aware of but not taken action against. “These properties are currently being scheduled for re-inspection, and we are hopeful that those landlords (and) homeowners who have received these notices of violations have made the required repairs and/or corrected any zoning violations in the time they have been provided,” Griffin wrote. “The city’s goal is compliance, not punishment,” he concluded. It remains unclear how Evanston will handle properties in violation of the so-called “brothel law” that are not currently under investigation by the city. City spokesman Eric Palmer declined to comment beyond Griffin’s statement. Steven Monacelli, Associated Student Government’s vice president of community affairs, said the upcoming compliance date would not have a widespread impact on most off-campus residents. “It seems like there are some problem properties … and these problem properties are the only ones that will be affected on July 1,” Monacelli said. “Nothing is really changing on July 1.” That decades-old ordinance prohibits three unrelated people from living together in the same housing unit. Both University and Evanston officials have maintained that it, and all city housing codes, are in place to prevent unsafe living conditions. Jeff Murphy, the city’s top official for building inspections, said last year that Evanston planned to increase enforcement of the law on July 1, 2011, in order to drive down the density of off-campus residential neighborhoods and reduce complaints of “parties, noise and garbage.” Student tempers flared over the issue when The Daily reported in January 2011 that University administrators would not fight the over-occupancy rule in response to the city’s plans to ramp up enforcement of the law that summer. After widespread outcry – including a contentious town hall meeting that attracted 500 students – city officials said they did not plan to increase enforcement of the ordinance. This time around, the city is following through on its July deadline. University officials were mostly unfazed by the city’s plan, saying it did not conflict with what they already knew. “The situation hasn’t changed,” Dean of Students Burgwell Howard said. “It has always been about safety and observing the law.” After reading Griffin’s statement, University spokesman Al Cubbage said it “seems like the city’s message continues to be consistent.” Property owner Josh Braun commended the city for “sending out a consistent message” on the July 1, 2012, date but cast doubt on Evanston’s true intention behind enforcing the ordinance in the first place. Braun, a member of the Evanston Property Owners Association, has been doing business in Evanston for more than 15 years. “Even if every single property around the community complies with the (over-occupancy rule), it’s not going to solve what happens on Dillo Day, the tenants who have parties at 3 in the morning,” he said. “The residents don’t want to expect it. The city doesn’t want to expect it.” Braun added all his properties have been “brought up to compliance” in advance of the July 1, 2012, deadline. “The majority of landlords I know are taking it seriously,” he said. Parliament Enterprises, which manages more than 120 properties west of campus, informed tenants earlier this year that the city “will begin actively enforcing” the over-occupancy ordinance this summer, according to a letter obtained by The Daily. “As leases expire in buildings with an Evanston address, Parliament cannot renew a lease for any apartment that has more than three (3) unrelated tenants either on the lease or currently occupying an apartment,” the Feb. 6 letter said. The confusion surrounding the over-occupancy rule is nothing new, Braun said. He cautioned that one of the “side effects” of the city continuing to enforce the so-called “brothel law” will be a gradual exodus of landlords from Evanston. “This has been an issue that’s been going on for years,” Braun said. “No matter who’s working at the city, no matter who’s involved, the problem never, ever, ever gets any, any better.” Alds. Judy Fiske (1st) and Jane Grover (7th) did not immediately return calls seeking comment Thursday. Ald. Delores Holmes (5th) declined to comment on the July 1 deadline. However, Holmes said city officials should revisit the decades-old over-occupancy law once the city’s Rental Unit Licensing Committee finishes its work and presents a report to city council. Monacelli and Fiske both serve on the committee. Howard said the University is interested in modifying the ordinance, but NU-Evanston discussions on the topic remain a “work in progress.” “I think (the ordinance) should be discussed and we need to look at it, and I believe we will do that,” Holmes said. “I think that would be the next step.” [email protected] [email protected]