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Freeland may consider making changes in landlords’ ordinance
Monday, 02 October 2006
By L.A. TARONE
Standard-Speaker
Freeland Borough Council is not yet ready to act on a version of Hazleton’s Illegal Immigration Relief Act, but it will discuss companion legislation. Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta has said the city’s landlords and tenant registration act is an important vehicle through which IIRA’s provisions are enforced.

Freeland enacted a landlords’ ordinance a couple of years ago. During Thursday night’s work session, Mayor Tim Martin said he thought it was worth taking another look at it – and making changes if deemed necessary.

“In light of the changes Hazleton made, I think we should check to see if there are changes we should make,” Martin said.

This summer, Hazleton changed its landlords’ ordinance so prospective tenants must register at City Hall and apply for an occupancy permit there. Landlords cannot rent to anyone who doesn’t have a permit.
Councilman Gerry Brogan said he liked that aspect of Hazleton’s law and was willing to consider something like it for Freeland.

While council isn’t expected to take any formal action during tonight’s regular monthly meeting, any changes in the landlords’ ordinance might be related to an action council is expected to take.

Council is expected to hire an assistant code enforcement officer. Last month, it advertised for resumés. As of Thursday, it had received eight.
Martin said he thought enforcement of any landlords’ ordinance revisions “might fall under the second code enforcement officer.”

The second officer will be limited to just a few hours a week and, at least from the discussion at last month’s meeting, isn’t expected to have enforcement power. Rather, the position will look for violations and report them to Code Enforcement Officer Tino Nocchi, who will then cite the owner.

And there might be an owner to cite.

Thursday night, a woman who lives on Birkbeck Street told council there’s been activity inside the old Krause’s Livery Stable. She said she’s seen people carrying equipment inside and has been told it will be converted to 10 apartments. She added the story floating around the neighborhood was that its tenants “won’t have to worry about vehicles.”

Council President Paul Thomas said there’d been no permit applications filed for anything at that building. He said he’d have Nocchi check out what’s happening and report to council tonight.

The building was sold recently but no one at Thursday night’s work session was sure who the new owner is.

The center of traffic through Freeland a century ago, the old livery stable has been vacant for many years. A companion building next door had been a hotel. It was converted into apartments decades ago but deteriorated and was left abandoned for about a decade. It was damaged by two suspicious fires in 2002.

The borough tore the building’s remnants down after the second one.