Northampton Mayor Thomas Reenock indicated he will, for the second time, veto the rental property ordinance at the Sept. 20 borough council meeting.

Reenock initially expressed that he would simply not sign the ordinance that was adopted by Northampton Borough Council Sept. 6.

Reenock mentioned his concerns with the new ordinance have still not been addressed to his satisfaction and that a new ordinance should be drafted to include the corrections he believes need to be made.

To overturn the veto, council needs the majority vote plus one. The mayor first vetoed the legislation at the June 7 meeting.

After months of discussion, the rental property ordinance was adopted at the Sept. 6 meeting. Six members voted for passage of the legislation, and two members opposed.

Reenock pointed out he believes there are problems with enforcement of the rental property ordinance.

“I can’t agree with enforcement and penalties or fines that increase for violations instead of working together with the community to solve and correct problems as a concerned group,” he said.

As it currently stands, the borough’s code enforcement officer will make the inspections of the properties. There will be a sliding-scale fee based on the number of rental units.

Reenock said council listened to suggestions and opinions expressed at the August meeting and offered no comments.

“Sadly, the public’s input fell on deaf ears and wasn’t implemented into the revised version of the ordinance,” he said.

There have been some revisions made to the rental property paperwork since it was first drafted, now exempting new housing developments and initial inspections of the Tama and Central School buildings, which are undergoing extensive upgrades to convert them into apartments.

Reenock provided a written document during an interview with The Press, stating some reasons for opposing the ordinance. For example, he said, many private homes have been turned into residential units that are often rented to people who may not have any ownership interest in the property. The mayor contends this could lead to property deterioration.

He also reported that some rental unit owners may live far from their property, which can result in abandoned or blighted structures. This could cause problems for homeowners living near the rental property.

Reenock said, in gathering information on the matter of rental units, he attended an earlier annual conference of the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs. He attended sessions and courses relating to the property management regulatory toolbox, which involves property inspection ordinances, international property, fire and building codes and police power. It also addressed federal matters involving disability requirements, access to units and the code enforcement officer’s powers.

Reenock reported that he “hoped the toolbox could have been used for efficient use for our rental properties in the borough, but unfortunately, it still was not implemented from my first veto.”

The mayor contends he is not against a rental unit ordinance but feels that some issues such as fines and other concerns should be addressed.

Borough council meets 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20.