Souderton council adopts 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, tightens local property rules

Souderton Borough Council on Sept. 3 voted to adopt the 2021 edition of the International Property Maintenance Code, replacing the borough's prior local adoption of the 2015 version.

The council opened a public hearing and heard a legal summary from Kaye Weider, the solicitor filling in for the borough's regular counsel, who highlighted the most substantive changes in the 2021 code. "Section 3.0210 addresses porch and deck furniture" and "vehicles cannot be parked or stored on lawn surfaces," Weider said while reviewing the draft ordinance. She also cited new provisions limiting weed height to six inches and tightening rules for trash and recyclable receptacles, including maximum time receptacles may remain at the curb and requirements for commercial dumpsters to be leakproof with close-fitting covers.

Councilors discussed how the revised provisions would interact with existing zoning rules for commercial uses and were told the property-maintenance code language is written to avoid conflict with the borough's zoning ordinance; the solicitor said the code officer cannot approve locations that would conflict with zoning. The solicitor also summarized occupant-focused sections requiring insect screens between April 1 and Oct. 1 and minimum heating requirements from Oct. 1 to April 1.

After closing the hearing, council members moved, seconded and approved Ordinance 24-808 as advertised. The council instructed staff to proceed with final publication and enforcement steps. No immediate amendments were adopted at the meeting.

The ordinance takes effect according to the timeline set in the adopted ordinance (the meeting record shows the vote to adopt; any effective-date language will be published with the final ordinance).