Proposed ordinances in Jeannette for a landlord licensing program and commercial property inspections are on hold after a majority of the group decided to table the matters.
“I feel like we need public input on these ordinances, and I think we need more discussion,” Councilwoman Michelle Langdon said. “Since we didn’t have a work session before these were presented, there was no question-and-answer situation going on.”
Both proposals got initial OKs from council during November’s meeting and need second affirmative votes before they would go into effect. That vote was expected Thursday, but the three members who will continue serving on council in 2026 expressed reservations Tuesday during a work session.
The suggested ordinance related to rental units would switch from a registration for landlords to a license format. That would allow city officials to deny licenses to landlords who are behind on property taxes or garbage bills under Act 90, the Neighborhood Blight Reclamation and Revitalization Act of 2010.
An ordinance requiring inspections of residential rental units has been on the books in Jeannette since 2015. Currently, inspections are done every 10 years if the occupant stays the same, or whenever a new tenant moves in. The proposed ordinance would reduce the inspection period from 10 years without a change in tenant to three years.
An estimated half of Jeannette’s housing stock is rentals.
The second proposed ordinance would enact annual inspections at commercial properties, which are not currently checked by city officials.
Langdon proposed tabling the two matters.
That will effectively move any official decision on the proposed ordinances into 2026, when two new members will join council. Langdon will take over as mayor, leaving an open council spot; Denise Ward will join the group as Councilman Chuck Highlands did not seek reelection.
Highlands was in favor of keeping the motions on Thursday’s agenda and pointed to November’s affirmative votes in questioning why fellow council members felt they needed more time.
“I don’t know what more discussion needs to be made,” he said.
Councilmen James Miller and Chad Krawtz agreed with tabling the matters. Krawtz said he hasn’t gotten enough information over the past month to feel comfortable casting a vote.
“I can tell you my vote at that time was to vote yes in order to get more information, put it out to the public to review and get input and reserve the right to vote no the second time, or table it.” he said. “The 5-0 vote the initial time doesn’t mean anything. That’s just the first reading.”
