Active Home Business Ordinance In Portage Shelved For Now

PORTAGE (WKZO) -- Your home may be your castle but in Portage, it’s not supposed to be your business too unless you have registered with the city. For now a proposal to expand those regulations has been shelved by the city council. The ordinance would have created a new class of “active” home businesses, that would have been limited and regulated, and was designed to protect residents from the disruptions that business activity can bring.

But during an extended debate last night Council members cited a host of problems in defining what constitutes a business, what constitutes a disruption and what the current economy demands. There was also no public support for the ordinance, which would have allowed some activities at some homes, and denied it at others.

It was kicked back to a council subcommittee to decide if it should be reworked or just dropped. The city already has an ordinance restricting business activities in homes that prohibits signs and other overt activities. It remains in effect.