By Jesse Sweigart, The Columbia Chronicle
Columbia Borough Council on Tuesday put off a vote to advertise long-planned changes to its rental and property rules, after members said they got the meeting packet that afternoon and hadn’t had time to read it.
The changes amend Chapters 112 and 166 of the borough code. Council tabled the authorization to advertise until its Nov. 10 meeting. If it is advertised then, a vote to adopt could come as soon as Nov. 24.
Property manager Paul Snyder asked council whether it was trying to eliminate rentals in Columbia. He said an investor had told him he would “buy anywhere, just not Columbia” after hearing that rumor at a local investors’ meetup. Council members answered no.
Snyder said he supports much of the ordinance. “We don’t want slumlords in this town,” he said. But he said the draft does not grandfather existing rentals that lack off-street parking, a requirement he said has been on the books but never enforced. He said three properties he is buying were rentals a few months ago and have no off-street parking.
“I don’t think the ordinance is ready to go to vote yet,” Snyder said, asking for a workshop with landlords and property managers first.
A council member who has led work on the ordinance said the changes have been in progress for more than two years and included sessions with landlords at the Market House early on.
Snyder also asked who would handle rental license inspections now that codes manager Paula Diffenderfer has resigned. The borough has been using Commonwealth Code Inspection Service since codes inspector Matt left. A council member said a new codes employee hired at a prior meeting is expected to start Nov. 2.
Noise complaints and the ‘three strikes’ rule
Resident said he has called police more than 20 times about noisy neighbors who rent, and others have called 10 to 12 times, without a resolution.
A council member explained the process. When police respond to a disruptive conduct complaint and confirm it, they file a report. Three such reports in a calendar year should be sent to the codes department, which writes to the landlord. The rewritten ordinance updates that process after a change in state law meant to keep people who call 911, such as domestic violence victims, from being penalized for it.
Asked why that hadn’t happened someone said, “We haven’t gotten anything from the police department.”
A resident in the audience said the department has only 18 written policies, compared with about 140 for what he called a robust department, and urged council to let the chief write more.
A resident said police and borough staff told him the two sides don’t communicate well, even though the buildings are connected. “That’s where we’re at,” a council member said. “We’re working on that communication.”
