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Council adopts updated property‑maintenance code, delays building‑code rewrite for more review
Summary
The Common Council of the City of Superior voted to adopt the rewritten Chapter 104, the city’s property maintenance and housing code, and to refer revisions to Chapter 34, the building code, back to the Public Works Committee for additional review and public input.
The Common Council of the City of Superior voted to adopt the rewritten Chapter 104, the city’s property maintenance and housing code, and to refer revisions to Chapter 34, the building code, back to the Public Works Committee for additional review and public input.
Councilors and contractors urged more stakeholder engagement and clarity because parts of the proposed code cross‑reference Chapter 54 and state regulations that have been recodified. Councilor Rosen raised concerns about potential conflicting guidance between fire inspections and building inspections; staff said Chapter 104 refers back to Chapter 54 and that Chapter 54 is currently being revised to resolve those conflicts.
“Numerous changes that are within 01/2004 are for clarification… tied back to various state statutes that have been redrafted and rewritten since 01/2004 was first created,” Dan Curran, the city’s chief building inspector, said. “When references are given to 104 they either refer to a document that doesn't exist anymore or to a document that has been recodified to a different chapter in the state rules and regs.”
Curran told the council the proposed 104 update largely consolidates and clarifies existing rules and would eliminate references to obsolete state code sections, making enforcement clearer. Several councilors and members of the public asked that contractors be included in committee review; Vice President McKenzie invited contractors to attend the Public Works Committee meeting scheduled for April 17 at 2:00 p.m.
Council members expressed differing views about whether to adopt 104 immediately or send both chapters back to committee so they could be harmonized at once. After discussion, the council approved passage of Chapter 104 and referred Chapter 34 to committee; later in the meeting the council formally approved the ordinance repealing and recreating Chapter 104 on a voice vote.
Staff and councilors noted that Chapter 54 remains enforceable as written until revisions are brought forward and approved by council, so any reference in Chapter 104 to Chapter 54 will point to the current Chapter 54 until such amendments are enacted.
