Council to advertise rental-license ordinance amendment amid objections from renters and landlords

Morrisville Borough Council voted unanimously on Feb. 18 to advertise an amendment to chapter 400, article 1, governing the residential rental license permit. Dennis moved to advertise the ordinance amendment and Andrew seconded; council recorded the motion as passing 7–0.

Why it matters: advertising the ordinance begins the formal process that will allow the borough to hold public hearings and bring the amendment back for adoption. Several residents used the public-comment period to urge caution or oppose mandatory inspections; tenants, renters and landlords questioned how inspections would be implemented and whether fees would be burdensome.

Public testimony highlighted concerns about equity and cost. Gary Taylor said the program appears to single out non–homeowner residents and urged that inspections be applied evenly; he argued inspectors should also visit owner-occupied homes. "If our real reason is to try to have our people be safe, we ought to be inspecting every property and not just the non owner occupied," he said. Kevin Pearson, who identified himself as a tenant, called the proposed mandatory annual inspections "invasive" and "discriminatory." Landlord Eric Erickson said he has used occupancy permits and asked for the exact ordinance language before assessing financial impact, noting concern about a possible $100 inspection fee and a $50 reinspection charge.

What comes next: staff will publish the ordinance amendment for public notice and bring the finalized language back to council for further discussion and potential adoption at a future meeting. Council did not adopt the ordinance at this meeting; it authorized advertisement to begin the public process.

Sources: Public comments and motions recorded at the Feb. 18 Morrisville Borough Council meeting (speakers: Gary Taylor; Kevin Pearson; Eric Erickson; council members).