Tyrone Borough has decided to establish a fee for its appeals process regarding property maintenance violations.
Council was presented with an ordinance regarding the issue at its Monday meeting and council approved it.
Solicitor Larry Clapper explained the way the appeals process works when code enforcement officer Tom Lang gives notice of a violation of the borough’s property maintenance code.
“(The) property owner has the right to appeal that decision to the borough manager,” said Clapper.
The borough manager then reviews the decision of the code officer and might even contact experts to gather additional information. The manager then decides either to uphold the decision or finds in favor of the property owner.
If the borough manager decides to uphold the original decision, a property owner has the right to further appeal the manager’s decision to Borough Council.
At this point, a hearing must be scheduled to hear the appeal. Clapper explained to council that it had come to the borough’s attention that no fees were place for this part of the process.
Clapper explained the borough incurs costs associated with holding such a hearing. The costs include having to advertise it through a legal notice in the newspaper. He also noted the borough would incur attorney’s fees.
It was noted, that no one had taken the appeals process to the hearing level in recent memory. However, it was explained to council that someone who had been found in violation of the borough’s property maintenance code had recently contemplated it.
So, borough officials decided it would be in their best interests to establish a fee for the hearing portion of the appeals process. Ordinance No. 1230 set the fee at $500. The ordinance amended a previous ordinance that established rates for various taxes, fines, fees, permits, licenses and/or other charges imposed by the borough in 2005.
In other business, council approved changes to several years’ worth of Community Development Block Grant funding. The approval allows for CDBG funding to be used to make improvements and renovations at the community pool.
Council approved a recommendation by Borough Manager Sharon Dannaway to have Tyrone Borough participate in a local map being created by the Tyrone Area Chamber of Commerce.
Also at Monday’s meeting, council and borough officials continued to discuss possible ordinances for excessive noise and yard sales. The issues had been brought to council’s attention at the Aug. 1 meeting and revisited at the latest meeting. A decision was made to table both issues again until the next council meeting.
Tyrone Borough Council’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 6. The first meeting in September is scheduled on a Tuesday, rather than the normal Monday meeting day due to the Labor Day holiday.
