Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Maintenance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mayor breaks tie to pass 'plant life' nuisance ordinance
Summary
Ordinance 1690, which adds nuisance provisions including a broadly worded reference to 'plant life' in property maintenance rules, passed July 15 after public comment and a tie vote that the mayor broke in favor of adoption.
The Borough Council passed Ordinance No. 1690 on July 15, an amendment to Chapter 174 (Property Maintenance) that adds nuisance provisions under Article I. During the public comment period resident Geoff Woolery urged the council to clarify the term "plant life," saying the draft language was overly broad and recommended tabling the ordinance to refine the wording.
After debate the recorded council vote produced a tie. The vote was: Frank Dallahan No; Victor Foschini Yes; Bunny Parzych Yes; Robin Casper No; Jennifer Gensemer Yes; Ken Biddick No. Mayor Timothy J. Carney cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of adoption.
Councilmembers did not record an amendment to the ordinance during the meeting; the final record shows the mayor's tie-break resolved the deadlock and the ordinance was approved. The transcript includes the resident's request to consider demographic impacts and specificity in the language but does not record a commitment to further redrafting.
What happens next: The ordinance was adopted on final passage at the July 15 meeting. The transcript does not show subsequent implementation steps or a schedule for enforcement; further administrative or enforcement details would need to be obtained from borough code enforcement or the clerk's office.
