16 - INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CODEItem No. 16
memorandum
TO: Mayor & City Council
FROM: John Godwin, City Manager
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CODE
DATE: July 15, 2016
BACKGROUND: Cities like Paris have been inspecting new construction and repairs /remodels
for very many years in an effort to ensure structures are built in a reasonably safe manner.
Unfortunately, in Paris, once that construction project is completed, there is very little the city
can do to ensure it stays safe. This is often a special problem with older rental properties that can
contain dangerous wiring, inadequate plumbing and ventilation, disease vectors, etc. The IPMC
is a model code that creates minimum maintenance requirements for existing buildings,
establishing standards for pest control, pool safety, lighting, ventilation, occupancy, heating,
sanitation, and fire safety. In place and enforced, the code can maintain the overall quality of
Paris's housing stock, and also enhance the safety and health of persons living here.
STATUS OF ISSUE: In the case of Paris, adoption of the IPMC would put structural concerns
on a par with other code enforcement issues like weeds and rubbish, junk, vacant structures, etc.
Now, if a building is occupied, no matter how bad or dangerous it might be, we are limited as to
what we can do, and how fast we can act. We never want to be a city that puts anyone out of
their home, but we should not be a city that allows people to live in substandard conditions
because we do not have the teeth to compel a landlord to make needed repairs. As it stands now,
if there is a problem with sewage, for example, we can cut off the water, but if the landlord does
not repair the problem, the tenant just ends up with no running water. The code puts the
responsibility on the owner and allows code enforcement to act almost immediately. The
Building Standards Commission would still be involved, doing all those things it does now, plus
serving as an appeal board for property owners who believe themselves to be aggrieved by an
action of city staff.
BUDGET: NA.
RECOMMENDATION: Discussion only, prior to placement for adoption at an August council
meeting.