LISBON — The topic of legislation to regulate the village’s rental properties continued to dominate talks at Tuesday’s Lisbon Village Council meeting.

Council again heard from landlords opposing the proposed ordinance and property owners in support of regulations, ultimately deciding to revisit an already existing village ordinance with a committee of the whole meeting on Feb. 21 at 5:15 p.m. The existing legislation Chapter 719 of the village code lays out landlord-tenant relationships.

“There are things that we could’ve been doing and should’ve been doing that we have not been doing for the community according to this ordinance,” councilwoman Melissa Hiner said. “I would like to look into what we currently have prior to spending more money.”

Hiner added that the village needs to review what is in place and questioned why the village is reinventing something that it already has.

Mayor Pete Wilson said what is in place isn’t working. He is advocating for legislation that would require all village rental residences to hold “certificate to rent” obtained by passing an annual inspection. That inspection would ensure that properties that generate income in the village would meet a basic check-list of amenities such as working furnaces, toilets, electrical, plumbing and smoke detectors as well be free of vermin and the accumulation of trash. Landlords would be required to pay a $60 annual registration fee per rental unit, funding the salary to create a position of housing inspector in the village. The inspector would also have the authority to enforce code violations for private residences.

The existing ordinance that covers rental properties in the village (or. 2047-19) was passed with a third reading in August of 2019 with a purpose “to improve the conditions of rental properties and maintain appropriate fire safety measures within the Village of Lisbon.” The ordinance requires that a “landlord shall maintain the rental unit in substantial compliance with the Codified Ordinances of the Village of Lisbon and any other applicable laws and refers to Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 5321.04. The ORC cover most of what Wilson is asking for in the new regulations — requiring that rental dwellings have safe and working electrical and plumbing, running water, reasonable amounts of hot water, and reasonable heat at all times — while the existing village code already allows for inspections of rental properties.

However, it only allows for the fire chief or a licensed fire inspector to conduct an inspection for the “purposes of correcting any conditions liable to cause a fire or endanger life due to fire.”

“The reason we are reinventing the wheel is because it doesn’t work,” Wilson said of the existing ordinance. “Since it was passed, we have had not one request for an inspection.”

The existing ordinance affords the owner, operator or occupant of any rental property the ability to request an inspection, but again only for fire hazards. It does not lay out procedures or protocols to inspect for any other safety or sanitary issues or address other concerns like vermin or lack of heat or hot water. ORC 4321.04 does but the matter of enforcement or repercussions for violations is left lacking.

In other matters, council approved an addendum for the gas and electric aggregation programs, authorizing the village’s aggregator to seek prices to extend the program. Wilson reports that village residents have saved more than $174,000 since the program was implemented.

Council also signed off on the purchase of a big ticket item for the police department. Council approved a new police cruiser at a cost of $59,464. The cruiser will eventually replace the No. 4 car in the village’s fleet.

Purchase requests by the fire department was also approved – eight sets of turnout gear at a cost $28,756 and 26 helmet flashlights at a cost of up to $3,600. Those will be paid for from the fire levy funds.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting:

— A motion to re-post the sale of the village’s durapatcher with a starting bid of $15,000 failed. Council has previously passed a motion to sell the equipment but changed their position. The previous bids did not come close to the village’s asking price.

— Wilson gave an update on the paving of East Washington Street, reporting that bid packages may be ready by the end of March.

— Council heard that a bench donated by the Class of 1959 will be placed at the park.

— Council set a street committee meeting for Feb. 26 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss possible roller options.

— Council approved the purchase of two lawn mowers for the street and park committees ($899 each) and welding repairs for the village’s dump truck ($2,000).

— Received the 2024 police report.

— Tabled action on whether to participate in the 2025 Chip and Seal program.