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HomeMy WebLinkAboutKeeping Partying FunKnow Your Neighbors  Let your neighbors know when the party will be and when it will end.  Give them your phone number so they can make a request di- rectly to you instead of calling the police.  Be open and responsive to your neighbors to avoid a more seri- ous situation. Keep it Clean and Quiet  Make sure your guests stay inside and that litter is kept off your yard or the yards of your neighbors.  Check outside periodically to make sure the noise level is appro- priate and that no guests are outside. Parties that spill outside are more likely to be charged with a disorderly house and open container violations Monitor Your Guests  It’s easiest to control parties when you know the people there. If you have unwanted guests, don’t hesitate to call the police at 356-6800. Please reserve #911 for emergencies only. Keeping your party in control will help keep your guests safe.  If the police do become involved, be polite to them and follow their directions, as interfering with the police is against the law. Be a Good Host  If you are the host, keep in mind that its easy to loose control of the party if you don’t have control of yourself. The best way to keep your party fun and safe is to stay sober.  Keep cab numbers handy and encourage your guests not to drive drunk or walk home alone. The residents of Iowa City are excited to welcome you as a neighbor and want you to have fun. But it’s important to remem- ber that you are part of a neighborhood, and being respectful of your neighbors will help everyone feel safe and comfortable. The following are some guidelines to help you host a party that is fun and safe for you, your guests and for your entire neigh- borhood. Possession of Alcohol Under Legal Age can make for a pretty expensive drink: 1st offense: $200, 2nd offense: $500 + completion of a substance abuse class or sus- pension of your drivers license for a year, 3rd offense: $500 + suspension of your license for a year., plus a surcharge of 35% of the fine and court cost of $60. Conduct that can contribute to a disorderly house includes: fighting or conduct that threatens injury to people or property, and loud, raucous, or disagreeable noises disturb- ing the neighborhood or general public. A good rule of thumb is to keep your party under control and be considerate of your neighbors. The fine for this violation is a minimum of $65 and a maximum of $625 plus additional surcharge and court costs. When purchasing a keg, the retailer will record your name, address and drivers’ license number in a log book. A sticker containing an identification number will than be placed on the keg. This allows law enforcement officers to track where kegs were sold and whom they were sold to. When deciding how you want to throw a party you might want to keep this responsibility in mind Simply put, a “nuisance property” is a house that frequently causes problems for its sur- rounding neighbors, problems like disrupting the neighborhood through noise; neglecting to pick up garbage; maintaining a disorderly house; violating the open containers and couch ordi- nances, or any combination of these violations, If cited as a nuisance property, a compliance meeting involving you, the city, your landlord, and other tenants involved is mandatory. This could lead to your landlord losing his/her rental permit and/or you getting evicted. Open containers in public places (streets, public sidewalks, hallways to apart- ment complexes and front stoops of multi-unit rental properties are included) PAULA Disorderly House Violation Nuisance Property Open Container Violation Keg Registration ...AND NOT SO MUCH FUN Selling Alcohol In Iowa City a permit is required to sell alcohol, and no permits are issued to individual houses. Selling alcohol without a permit carries a fine of $1,000. Selling to an intoxicated person is also a misdemean- or which can cost $65 to $625 plus surcharge and court costs and/or 30 days in jail. Under Iowa State law, whenever liquor, wine or beer are sold or the cost is recovered in any manner, a license is required. Selling liquor, wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages without a license is boot- legging, a serious misdemeanor. Welcome to the neighborhood! Iowa City is a diverse city made up of people from all lifestyles and backgrounds, Advice to near-campus neighbors regarding House Parties With the 21 Ordinance in place, neighborhoods that include student rental housing may see an increase in house parties. For the long term well being of the neighborhoods, it’s important to address any noise issues and house party situations as quickly as possible at the beginning of the school year. First and foremost, introduce yourself to your neighbors when they move in. Many students have not lived off campus and do not realize that they now have neighbors who have families, have jobs that re- quire getting up early in the morning or are elderly. Offer them your contact information, and encourage them to do the same, so that they can let you know if they intend to have a party. A phone call is much easier for everyone if any issues come up. If you do experience issues with noise/house parties, the following are suggestions on how to most ef- fectively address them:  Consider talking to the party host directly. Hosts may not realize that their party is too loud or that their guests are being inappropriate. This contact can help dissipate the noise issue quickly without police involvement.  If you do not get results in speaking with your neighbors, CONTACT THE POLICE. Whether or not you think your neighbors have called, please do it regardless. You can contact the police at their routine number - 356-6800. Please reserve #911 for emergencies only. It is helpful to have the address of the subject property available. The police department is taking an aggressive stance to- wards house parties and attempting to address them early in the school year. Please help them with this process.  Consider establishing a Neighborhood Watch area where you live. Jorey Bailey, Iowa City’s Crime Prevention Officer is very interested in working with you to set up this program in your neighbor- hood and will also do a lot of the footwork! Creating a watch area can help all neighbors get to know each other and provides a direct link to the Crime Prevention office for questions, concerns or other issues. Jorey can be reached at Jorey-Bailey@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5273.