Title
An ordinance amending Chapter 7 of the City Code thereby adopting the 2015 Edition of the International Property Maintenance Code, effective June 1, 2017.
Body
The IPMC is the City’s comprehensive set of regulations governing the maintenance and condition of structures and premises. It is the primary source of authority used by both Building Inspections and Neighborhood Services.
The proposed ordinance includes numerous amendments to the 2015 edition. They cover the full breadth of remedies available to cities under Chapter 214 of the Texas Local Government Code, which includes repairs and immediate securements in addition to demolition. Procedures for handling even the most difficult of cases have been streamlined and reduced to the essentials of due process. These procedures have already proven useful in processing some T-25 cases. The key definitions for “unsafe,” “unlawful,” and “unfit for human occupancy” have been expanded to encompass more circumstances and create greater opportunities for enforcement and abatement. New requirements are included to address special issues that inspectors have wrestled with in the field for many years. These changes and other significant amendments are outlined in the attached Table of Amendments.
Recommended/Desired Action
Staff recommends adoption of the proposed ordinance.
Attachment(s)
Proposed ordinance
Table of Amendments
Drafter
Richard G. Gertson
Head of Department