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Fortville reviews draft rental registration and inspection ordinance in first reading
Summary
Council members and staff discussed a staff‑draft rental registration and inspection ordinance proposed to require registration of rental properties, yearly inspections for health and safety, a $20 registration fee and a possible $100 reinspection charge; the measure was set for review and staff asked to return with clarifications and a count of existing rentals.
At its Jan. 20 meeting the Fortville Town Council held a first reading of a proposed residential rental registration and inspection ordinance aimed at improving public health, safety and contactability of rental property owners.
Planning staff said the draft was modeled on an ordinance the town reviewed as a template and would create a registration system that provides ‘‘good solid contact info for owners, especially those that are out of state.’’ The draft calls for annual inspections to address code and safety issues and includes a proposed $20 registration fee; a $100 fee would apply if an inspection fails and a reinspection is required.
Council members raised several issues that staff said need clarification before a formal vote: how many rental units currently exist in town (staff agreed to provide an estimate), how to define ‘‘subdivision’’ for any proposed cap on the percentage of rentals in a neighborhood, how to handle notices and interior inspections (staff said inspection procedures and notice provisions are in the draft but would be clarified), and whether town staff have capacity to perform enforcement and follow‑up inspections across apartments and complexes.
Staff recommended circulating the full draft for council markups, inviting building inspector Jerry Santon to a future meeting to explain operational details, and returning with answers to definitional and enforcement questions. No vote was taken; council members asked for time to review the ordinance and suggested it may take multiple meetings to finalize and adopt amendments.
The proposal remains at first reading and will return for further council review after staff and the building inspector address members’ questions.
