Council debates draft vacant‑property ordinance; some members warn of overreach

Council spent substantial time reviewing a working draft of a vacant‑property ordinance intended to register vacant properties and create a permitting process to address public‑nuisance conditions.

"I don't know that it's really gonna have a lot of the intended results... I don't think it's a magic silver bullet," the mayor (speaker S1) said, arguing the borough's pragmatic approach and existing codes enforcement should be the focus. Several council members said they worried the ordinance could be intrusive or penalize owners with legitimate reasons for temporary vacancy; one suggested fees be waived for owners with documented repair plans.

Staff and the ordinance's sponsor said the draft is meant as an additional tool rather than a replacement for codes enforcement and that the draft was modeled on the City of Altoona's ordinance, with only minor changes. One council member (speaker S12) said the circulated draft appeared to mix foreclosure‑specific provisions with general vacancy registration language and asked staff to distribute the correct version for the July meeting. Council agreed to review written comments and to expect a refined draft in July, with a possible public hearing in August if the committee recommends moving forward.

No ordinance vote was taken; councilors asked staff for clarifications on definitions, fee waivers for owners with repair plans and the relationship between a registration requirement and existing property‑maintenance enforcement.