A month into the school year at the University of Arizona, the City Council is warning many students who live in off-campus housing to be mindful of their neighbors, or they'll pay a hefty price that comes with a bright red sticker everyone can see from the street.
A month into the school year at the University of Arizona, the City Council is warning many students who live in off-campus housing to be mindful of their neighbors, or they'll pay a hefty price that comes with a bright red sticker everyone can see from the street.
"The goal is not to bust kids, the goal is not to have them write a $500 check," Ward 6 Council Member Steve Kozachik said. "The goal is to integrate them into the community while they're here."
Kozachik explained many of the people who live in his ward complain about Arizona students having "unruly gatherings," that need to be broken up by Tucson Police because they are disturbing to the neighborhoods.
"Plop down on the map a little pin that shows where the university is, and draw a concentric circle around where that is," he said. "Those are all of the neighborhoods we hear from."
It's a pattern that happens twice a year, he said. Once at the beginning of the fall semester, and again at the beginning of the spring semester, as students continuously move from their on-campus housing into off-campus alternatives. And unfortunately, there isn't a good fix to the problem, he said.
"This takes up a whole lot more of my time than I'd like it to," Kozachik said.
Nevertheless, he plans on continuing to try and bridge the gap between students and permanent residents, explaining to the students that they need to understand the common courtesies of living in family-oriented neighborhoods.
"You're living in a residential area, understand that and act that way," he said. "The residents have a right to the quiet enjoyment of their property, and the students have a right to party. It's a question of getting them together and collaborating and saying, 'hey, we're going to have a party at such and such a time, here's my phone number, if it gets out of hand give me a call.'"
Kozachik doesn't want to stop students from having a college experience, but he also doesn't want their experience to get in the way of others living a peaceful life.
"Absolutely do your tailgating, appropriately, absolutely hold your parties, appropriately," he said. "But let your neighbors know who you are so they're calling you and not the police first."
The fines go as follows:
- First Offense: $500
- Second Offense: $750
- Third Offense: $1,000
- Fourth & Subsequent Offenses: $1,500
