Bath Borough Councilman Mark Saginario believes the borough should conduct rental property inspections.

"This is something that is still in the preliminary stages," he said at the July 7 council meeting.

"We put together a list of the pros and cons of inspections," said Councilman Kathryn Roberts. "There are a lot of cons."

Saginario proposed that council review the idea at next month's meeting.

"After we review it, we should have a meeting in September where people can come in to discuss the proposal," he said.

Landlords are generally opposed to municipal inspections, contending they are inherently unfair for the individual investing in the rental property, which will increase operating costs.

Tenants encourage property inspections because there is another person looking at the property and gauging its safety and structural condition.

The borough would levy a fee for inspections, resulting in increased rent costs.

"We can see what we hear in September," Saginario said. "If we need to debate it more than we can debate it for the next year."

Council President Robert Fields asked council to authorize funds to advertise the meeting.

"I expect that only landlords are going to show up, but we need to get their input," he said.

In other business, Fields confirmed the Dunkin' Donuts franchise slated for 107 East Main St. has cleared the last hurdles.

"We signed a long-term lease," he said of the building owner.

The only remaining obstacle is getting Wells Fargo corporate offices to approve moving an ATM.

Borough Solicitor Blake Marles suggested to council they modify the borough's zoning ordinance to allow for multiple uses in commercial buildings.

Recently, zoning denied an application for an additional use because no provision existed in the ordinance. Changes to the ordinance might also limit an existing cap on office space in a building. A proposal is in the offing to allow micro-offices in certain buildings. The smaller offices are often used by salesmen or independent agents as home offices. The offices are typically occupied sporadically.

Under the present rules, the number of independent offices in a building is capped at nine. Council authorized the manager to prepare revisions of the ordinance for review by the borough's planning committee and the Lehigh Valley Planning Committee.

The five members in attendance at the council meeting looked favorably on the idea of creating more flexibility in the zoning ordinance.