Terre Haute council tables property maintenance ordinance after debate on enforcement, hardship and language

The Terre Haute City Council on Aug. 7 debated a proposed property maintenance ordinance that would add broad new enforcement tools to Chapter 7 of the city code but voted to table the measure for further edits. City Engineer Marcus Myers said the draft responds to repeated complaints about unsafe or blighted properties and would allow staff to require repairs short of condemnation. “The key is, you know, the one thing we—re not willing to modify is overall safety,” Myers said, adding a hardship section would allow the building inspection official to adjust timelines after storms or other events. The proposal would create standards for hazardous trees, add a $25 permit fee…