HUNTINGTON -- After 40 minutes of discussion Monday night, Huntington City Council members couldn't agree on how they can improve policies for notifying citizens of proposed zoning changes in their neighborhood.

The city currently notifies residents within 200 feet of the property that is proposed to be rezoned. An ordinance before the council Monday would have extended that distance to 400 feet.

The sticking point, however, was whether renters should be notified in addition to property owners and who should be responsible for notifying those renters.

The Huntington Planning Commission recently gave the distance change a favorable recommendation, but did not give a favorable recommendation to notifying renters.

Council Chairman Jim Insco, who also serves as the Planning Commission's chairman, said the commission cited increased costs related to postage and labor if the city were required to notify renters.

Don Kleppe of the city's Department of Development and Planning said he already has changed the wording on notifications to property owners so that they are now "urged" to notify their tenants.

Councilman Russ Houck, however, said renters have a right to be notified in the same manner as property owners.

The issue was referred to the council's Planning Committee for further review.

Also Monday, a budget resolution moving $1,800 from the city's contingency line into the council's budget was withdrawn. The money would have been used to reimburse council members for using their personal cell phones for council business. The resolution's sponsor, Scott Caserta, said he made the motion to withdraw the item because the issue should be discussed during preparations for next year's budget.

Caserta said he would prefer that the city issue cell phones to council members.

Here's a look at other items addressed by the council Monday:

COUNCIL CHAIRMAN: Councilman Jim Insco was unanimously re-elected by his peers to serve as chairman for 2010. Councilman Mark Bates also was unanimously re-elected to serve as vice chairman.

BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS: The council unanimously approved the appointments of Rory L. Perry and Patricia Proctor to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

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