Council debates adopting International Property Maintenance Code; staff to return with targeted changes

The Perry City Council discussed whether to adopt the International Property Maintenance Code at the July 22 meeting and instructed staff to review existing local code and return with a more tailored proposal. Council members said the model code is comprehensive but “too detailed” for local application and, without careful tailoring, could allow enforcement actions on many otherwise ordinary properties. One council member observed that in the wrong hands “every property period can still be a violation of something.” Council direction: staff were asked to review the city’s current code, identify gaps (especially for commercial downtown properties and dilapidated structures), and draft targeted changes rather than a wholesale adoption of the international code. The council asked staff to prioritize clarity on what the city can enforce and suggested starting with revisions addressing downtown blight, signage and façade improvements. Why it matters: property-maintenance codes govern housing and commercial conditions, affect code-enforcement workloads and can have equity implications if applied unevenly. Council members emphasized that any code changes should be narrowly tailored to address public hazards and downtown rehabilitation rather than extend broad enforcement reach over private properties. Next steps: staff will review existing ordinances, compile specific suggestions for targeted amendments, and return to council with proposed language for consideration.