After the term, property manager and changes to that term were made, amendments to the moving permit ordinance and adoption of a rental property inspections program have been approved by the Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners.

Commissioners voted unanimously 5-0, on a motion by Commissioner Joanne Ackerman and seconded by Commissioner James Seagreaves, to approve amending the moving permit ordinance and adopting the rental inspections program at the Nov. 8 township meeting.

In Chapter 11 of the township Code of Ordinances, Housing, under Part 2, Rental Property Inspections, in Section C, the term “property manager” was changed to “individual-agent to manage property” and, in the same sentence, “a property manager” was changed to “an individual to act as an agent on behalf of the owner.”

Also, in Section C, Paragraph 1, “property manager” was changed to “an individual-agent to manage such rental property” and, in the same sentence, “a property manager” was changed to “an individual-agent who manages such rental property.”

And, in Section C, Paragraph 2, “a property manager” was changed to “an individual-agent to manage such rental property” and, in the same sentence, “a property manager” was changed to “an individual-agent who manages such rental property.”

Also, in Section C, Paragraph 3, “The property manager” was changed to “the individual-agent desginated to manage such rental property.”

And, in Section C, Paragraph 4, “as a property manager” was changed to “to manage such rental property” and, in the same sentence, “property manager” was changed to “individual-agent managing such rental property.”

“That was a very nominal change, so we didn’t have to advertise it,” Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said of the changes to the rental inspection program prior to the commissioners’ vote.

“Did you hear anything from the Realtors?” township board of commissioners President Robert Martucci Jr. asked.

“No,” Bonaskiewich replied.

At the Oct. 25 township meeting when the amendments to the moving permit ordinance and adoption of the rental property inspections were on the agenda for a vote, Sean LaSalle, president of the board of directors of the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors, said he objected to a passage in the ordinance pertaining to the designation of a property manager.

By consensus, commissioners agreed to table the amendments to moving permits and the rental property inspections before a motion was made and seconded to bring these for a vote.

Saying he backed the rental inspections program, LaSalle explained, “A property manager is a professional who’s licensed to do that.”

LaSalle also objected to a rule in Part 2 that requires a property owner who doesn’t live within 20 miles of township boundaries to desiginate “a property manager,” now changed to “an individual-agent to manage such rental property.”

However, the “20 miles of the boundaries of the township” designition was not changed in the rental inspection program adopted by the township.

Section C now states: “Every rental property owner who is not a full-time resident of the township, and-or who does not live within 20 miles of the boundaries of the township, shall designate an individual-agent to manage on behalf of the owner who shall reside within the township borders or in an area that is no more than 20 miles from the township boundary line.”

The first reading of the amendments to the ordinance and of the rental properties inspection was at the Oct. 11 township meeting.

A draft of the two-page moving permits amendment and the seven-page rental property inspections program was distributed and discussed during the Sept. 27 commissioners’ meeting workshop.

The proposed changes were presented at the July 26 township meeting workshop by Salisbury Township Lead Fire Inspector Dustin Grow, Salisbury Township Police Department Sgt. Donald Sabo Jr., who heads investigation and is fire services commander, Salisbury Township Chief of Police Allen W. Stiles and Salisbury Township MS4 Coordinator, Building Code Enforcement Officer, Assistant Zoning Officer and Building Inspector Sandy Nicolo.

The goal of the amendments, according to township officials, is for landlords to keep their properties up to code.

A change in a tenant would trigger a property inspection. The tenant would be responsible for obtaining a moving permit.

Salisbury Township solicitor Atty. John W. Ashley made the revisions prior to the Nov. 8 vote.