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Perryville's rental unit law might be changed to include inspections

Perryville Town Planner Mary Ann Skilling hopes to streamline the town's landlord/tenant ordinance and make a few changes to its rules and regulations, including a change that's likely to provoke some opposition from property owners.

Skilling, along with code inspector Amanda Hickman, presented suggestions for these changes before the Perryville Board of Town Commissioners during Tuesday's work session. The biggest change: The town would be allowed to inspect rental units to ensure they meet the town's livability code.

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Another change, Hickman noted, would be to require landlords to give copies of their rental licenses to tenants and/or post a copy somewhere in the dwelling to provide a resource for the tenants, as well as landlords, during any issue which might involve the town.

Hickman also gave each member of the board a packet of recent tenant complaints the town had received, about 15 in all.

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"It's no secret I oppose this legislation," said Commissioner Michael Dawson, repeating the opinion he has expressed in past town meetings.

Dawson said that issues between landlords and their tenants are already dealt with on a state level. Because of this, he said, the town would be duplicating laws that are already in place.

Dawson also said that less than 15 complaints from the town's 678 rental units is a very small percentage of people the ordinance serves.

Skilling said the state doesn't normally inspect rental dwellings and there hasn't been "a whole lot of opposition to this ordinance," especially from tenants. She added the inspections would most likely be at the request of the landlord or the tenant.

Mayor Jim Eberhardt said other nearby communities mentioned just knowing these rules are in place has made a difference in the upkeep of rental units and the overall feeling of the community.

Commissioner Michelle Linkey agreed, saying the law makes "a heck of a difference" for the few tenants who did complain.

Commissioner Barbara Brown added that she, too, has heard many comments on the matter and they have all been in favor of the legislation.

Harford County is reviewing its livability code, which a member of the county council says isn't up-to-date and doesn't have enough protections for tenants from delinquent landlords. But some property owners in the county are objecting to licensing and inspection proposals under consideration by a task force studying potential changes to the code.

StormReady

Al Ryan, a member of the Community Fire Company of Perryville, requested to work with the town in order for Perryville to be designated a "StormReady" municipality by the National Weather Service.

"I think this is a good starting point to get ready," Ryan said about the town's lack of preparedness during the earthquake and the tropical storms at the end of last summer.

The process of getting the designation could take a few years, Ryan explained.

First, the town has to turn in an application to the weather service. Then, representatives would come to visit the town and meet, ask questions and review a program set in place that would be the town's plan during an emergency situation.

Eberhardt agreed there were "hiccups and things we need to improve on" in regard to the town being ready for a major storm.

Uncollected taxes

The town will need to authorize a write-off for uncollectable property taxes and penalties from now-defunct businesses, the commissioners were told during the work session.

After a review of the Perryville personal property tax accounts receivable, it was determined that around $9,000 is uncollectable and needs to be taken off of the town's books.

Town Finance Director Rachel Deaner said the majority of these taxes come from companies and corporations that have since shut down and dissolved. Deaner added that many of these cases are "old," stemming from 2007 and 2008, and it wouldn't be worth town resources to take these businesses to court, especially for the smaller businesses that only owe a couple hundred dollars.

To write-off these property taxes, Town Administrator Denise Breder said, would not prevent the town from continuing its attempt to collect the money. It would just present a more accurate portrayal of the town's financial statements.

Boat ramp snack bar

Local business owner Nelson Malbone told the board he would like to lease property owned by the town at its boat ramp facility to run a snack bar and, with the town's approval, sell daily passes to the marina.

The business, Malbone said, would strictly be seasonal and open only on weekends at a concession stand facility already built by the town, in hopes of a town employee running it as a snack bar or similar stand. The facility has never been used.

Dawson said the deal wouldn't be fair to the town's other businesses since Malbone would lease the property and, therefore, not have to pay property taxes. He said this would give Malbone's business an unfair advantage.

Breder, however, said Malbone would have to pay the taxes that would be assessed on the property if the town didn't own it, just like other entities that lease town-owned facilities.

Eberhardt said the commissioners should look at the business as a service to the public, pointing out Malbone could also sell the daily marina passes that aren't available on weekends when town government offices are closed.

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