Unified Development Ordinance is now Law in the City of Frankfort

Pictured is the new UDO map that the City Council approved by a 4-2 vote Monday night.

Last month, the Frankfort City Council ended seven  years of frustration when passed the UDO or Unified Development Ordinance by a 5-2 vote.

At Monday night’s meeting, the Council finished the process with a 4-2 vote at a mandatory second reading. This means the somewhat controversial ordinance is now law.

“There’s been a lot of folks that spent a lot of time putting this together,” said a very happy Building Permit Services Director Don Stock. “When you look at seven years, that’s a long time to try and get an ordinance put together. It’s going to make building and it’s going to make zoning easier for a lot of people.”

Stock added this is a good thing for the city.

“Are there things that is not going to be agreeable with, oh yeah,” said Stock. “There’s some stuff in there that never got discussed. “There’s going to be some challenges for individuals maybe when they get ready to add on things at their homes or in their property. For the most part, this has been needed for a long, long time.”

Fines can not be handed out until the ordinance has been valid for 14 days. Stock added they still have to advertise the fines and the new zoning map for the City for Frankfort.

Mayor Judy Sheets said she’s all right with the ordinance.

“That’s been in the making for quite some time like years,” said Sheets. “They’ve worked on that for years. We’re there and we have something to work with.”

The two city councilmen, Joe Palmer and Brandt Fuller, who voted against the ordinance before did so again. After it was passed, the two brought up an amendment to scratch the part dealing with chickens being allowed in the city. That motion was defeated 4-2