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Council introduces four ordinances including voluntary leave donation, property‑maintenance and vehicle‑parking changes
Summary
Council members introduced four ordinances for consideration: a voluntary leave donation policy for city employees, adoption of the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, vehicle and recreational vehicle parking rules, and the PENNVEST loan guarantee (covered separately).
Altoona City Council on Monday introduced four ordinances for future consideration: a voluntary leave donation program to allow employees to donate leave to colleagues in medical or family disasters; adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code (2021 edition) into the city code; amendments to vehicle and parking rules to address front‑yard parking and recreational vehicles; and a municipal guarantee related to the PENNVEST sewer financing (covered in a separate report).
The voluntary leave donation ordinance would add section 11.9 to chapter 98 of the city code to permit eligible employees to donate sick, vacation or personal time to a co‑worker who has exhausted leave due to a documented medical event. City staff said donors must have been employed more than one year; donations must be made for a specific, documented individual need; and the policy will require an application and documentation process. Staff further said memoranda of agreement were secured from collective bargaining units in advance of the ordinance introduction.
Council also introduced an ordinance to adopt the International Property Maintenance Code, 2021 edition, into chapter 550 of the city code. Staff said the change will align local code with the national property maintenance standard and replace inconsistent local provisions.
A separate ordinance would amend chapter 711 (vehicles, storage and parking) to add standards for recreational vehicles, boats and travel trailers, and to prohibit front‑yard parking on unstabilized surfaces. Staff said the change responds to resident complaints and code‑officer observations that vehicles parked on lawns are creating mud tracking and safety issues; the update also conforms local prohibitions on inoperable, unregistered vehicles to the property maintenance code.
Council members introduced the ordinances by motion; the items were placed on the agenda for future readings and possible adoption. City staff answered media questions on the voluntary leave program: it is case‑specific, requires documentation and an application by the affected employee, donors must meet a one‑year employment threshold and bargaining unit agreements were obtained. The city manager said the ordinance will be read again at the July council meeting, after which council may vote on final adoption.
