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Millersville Council approves participation in Lancaster County UCC board of appeals
Summary
The borough council voted to adopt an ordinance restating and amending the intermunicipal agreement to continue participating in the Lancaster Central County Uniform Construction Code (UCC) Board of Appeals; officials said regional participation saves legal and administrative costs and avoids the burden of creating a local appeals board.
Millersville Borough Council voted unanimously to approve an ordinance restating and amending the intermunicipal agreement that governs the Lancaster Central County Uniform Construction Code (UCC) Board of Appeals.
The measure, presented by Borough Manager Rebecca, formalizes changes to the appointments process, clarifies term limits and legal representation, and preserves Millersville’s seat on the appointments committee that selects appeals-board members. Rebecca said the regional board handles appeals for construction-code variances and that continuing participation avoids the cost and staffing burden of establishing a separate local appeals board.
"It's really very much procedural, but it is quite a mouthful," Rebecca said, describing the intermunicipal agreement and the committee structure. She told council the regional arrangement spreads legal fees, advertising fees and court-reporter costs among participating municipalities and often passes applicant-related costs to the person seeking an appeal.
Council member moved the ordinance and it was seconded; the council approved the motion by voice vote with no recorded opposition.
Why it matters: The UCC board of appeals hears requests for variances from local construction codes — for example, variances associated with short-term rental standards such as sprinkler requirements — and a regional board lets small municipalities share technical expertise and legal costs.
Authorities cited in the discussion included chapter 5 of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act and the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, which the motion references as the statutory basis for intermunicipal agreements. The manager said changes will permit future tweaks by resolution, simplifying amendments compared with reopening the full ordinance in each municipality.
The council did not identify specific appointees in the meeting. The ordinance approval completes Millersville’s part of a multi-municipality process to update the agreement.
