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Council adopts ordinance to speed code enforcement and bring first citation to court
Summary
Council adopted Ordinance 10-26 to amend penalties in the codified ordinances so that a property owner may be required to appear in court on the first citation rather than after multiple citations; the building official said the change aims to improve enforcement, and the ordinance passed on a roll-call vote with one 'No' vote (Councilwoman Wilson).
Parma City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 10-26, a change to the city’s codified penalties meant to accelerate code enforcement by bringing a property owner to court earlier in the citation process.
City building department official Mr. Wilbenthal told council the current process requires multiple separate citations before a matter reaches a court appearance, and inspectors often must return repeatedly without progress. "The new ordinance would, would bring this to a court appearance on the first citation rather than the fourth citation," he said, arguing the change will reduce repeated field visits and encourage timely compliance.
Councilwoman Lyne described her own observations from housing court and said the amendment will give the process "some teeth," including the opportunity for a judge or magistrate to impose penalties that were not previously available under the existing citation sequence.
Council discussed the prior committee conversations on the measure and then conducted a roll-call vote. Councilwoman Wilson recorded a "No" vote; other members present voted "Yes," and the ordinance was adopted. The council president announced the ordinance has been adopted by council.
City officials said the ordinance is intended to provide inspectors and the courts with more immediate authority to address chronic property code violations and to reduce repeated administrative citations that yielded little corrective action.
Votes at a glance (items acted on this evening): - Resolution 8-26 (internet auction for surplus items, 2026) — adopted by roll call. - Ordinance 10-26 (amend penalty section to require court appearance earlier) — adopted by roll call (Councilwoman Wilson recorded as "No"). - Multiple ceremonial resolutions (see council packet) recognizing awareness months and administrative measures — adopted under suspension of rules. - Ordinance 25-26 (2026 temporary appropriations amendment, including reissuance to Parma Animal Shelter Fund) — adopted under suspension of rules.
The building department and the law director will follow up on implementation and court procedures to reflect the ordinance change.
