Morrisville council tables proposed rental-license changes after packed public comment

MORRISVILLE, Pa. — Morrisville Borough Council on March 18 voted to table an ordinance amendment that would change parts of Chapter 400 governing rental licenses and inspections, after a lengthy public-comment period in which landlords and tenants urged delays and clarifications.

The ordinance change, introduced during the meeting, would have affected the borough's rental-license process and fee structure. A motion to table the change was made by a council member who said she had wording and inspection-scope concerns; the roll call resulted in a 4-4 tie and the mayor cast the deciding vote to table the matter for broader discussion and more public outreach.

Why it mattered: Residents and landlords said the notification and timeline were unclear and that the proposed fees would create undue hardship. Several speakers told council the borough had sent letters with insufficient explanation and that inspection logistics — who conducts inspections, whether existing county inspections would be accepted, and whether fees were per unit — were not explained. Councilmembers who requested the table motion said they wanted more transparency and an opportunity to gather input before changing policy.

What supporters and opponents said: Landlord Gary Taylor, who identified himself at the meeting, said landlords are important housing providers but warned the new schedule and fees could push costs onto tenants and threaten affordability. "This is bad timing to put this in — there's been big increases to water, PEC O and insurance," Taylor said during public comment. Resident Don Rice accused council of leaving public questions unanswered and urged more transparency about developer and contract names; his remarks included a call for the borough to respond to constituent questions rather than rely on formal right-to-know requests.

Several small landlords and tenants described practical concerns: whether annual inspections would duplicate existing county or Section 8 checks, whether fees apply per unit (residents said the letter they received suggested a per-unit charge), and how reinspection or failure fees would work. One speaker, John McCool, said he had emailed code enforcement and received no reply, and asked whether payment deadlines would be extended after tabling; the solicitor responded that the underlying 2017 ordinance remains in effect and that the change being discussed was the process; the payment schedule tied to the preexisting ordinance still stood pending further council action.

Council response and next steps: Council members who supported tabling said they were not opposed to safety-based inspections but wanted more stakeholder input, clearer fee schedules, and summary information tied to the draft ordinance. Council President noted the 2017 ordinance was in place but that a recent procedural change prompted questions about implementation, software costs and administration. Council asked staff to gather details, to provide a checklist of inspection items and to return with information that addresses landlord and tenant concerns; the matter will return to a future agenda after the requested information is prepared.

Procedural detail: The motion to table was made during the action items portion of the meeting and carried on the mayor's tie-breaking vote after a 4-4 roll call split. The council did not adopt the proposed procedural change to the rental-license process at the meeting.

What remains unresolved: Key operational questions raised by commenters remain open: whether the borough will accept recent county or federal inspections in lieu of a separate borough inspection, the precise fee structure (several speakers cited a proposed $100 annual fee per unit and a $50 reinspection fee), and the schedule for implementing any future change. Council instructed staff to provide those clarifications before further action.

The meeting moved on to other agenda items after the tabling vote; the council is expected to revisit the rental-licensing change after additional public outreach and staff follow-up.