More Lisbon residents offer input regarding rental regulations
LISBON — Lisbon Council heard from more rental property owners regarding the proposed rental regulations during Tuesday’s regular council meeting at Village Hall.
Most of the landlords spoke out against the possible legislation that would require every income property in the village to undergo a housing inspection and be added to a registry with a fee charged to property owners of $60 to do so, citing government overstep and an unfair burden placed on landlords who already maintain their properties. Landlord said the good ones — which are the majority — are being punished for a few who have allowed rental residences to fall into despair and earn money from dwellings that are dilapidated.
There are approximately 400 rental properties in the village. Mayor Pete Wilson, who is pushing for the regulations, said the funds generated from the mandated registration and inspection fees would pay for the village to employ a part-time inspector that would also be able to enforce existing housing ordinances in the village.
One landlord, Stevie Halverstadt, agreed with Wilson.
“We own several rental properties in Lisbon, and we strongly support having someone that goes out and inspects,” she said. “We know that Garrison House where there were inspections going on discovered there was no gas on the second floor and recently in East Liverpool a man was found dead in a house without heat. He was frozen to death. Those are the kind of things that happen when you don’t have inspections.”
While others pointed out that East Liverpool has rental regulations and yet the death of the man still occurred, Halverstadt said the proposed $60 a year per property is a small price to pay.
“For the cost of the inspection, I don’t think it’s that expensive,” She said. “What is $5 a month, maybe $7 if you divide it into 12. I don’t think it’s that much for the health and safety and welfare for all the residents of the properties that are being expected.”
Pastor Brian Brown also agreed that the rundown rental properties in town “need to be addressed and updated” but said that middle ground exists. He submitted a list of compromisable solutions including the creation of a hotline in the village that could receive complaints regarding conditions of rental properties.
“If a landlord has a property and a call has been made about water, sewage or furnace, make that landlord undergo inspection and pay for it.” Brown said.
Brown said rental properties bring a lot to the village.
“As landlords, we are business owners too. You say you want business in town, help us with ours,” he said. “If there are 400 units in this town, that means we pay a good bit of tax revenue. Not only that, but the people living in these homes shop in this town and pay taxes.”
Wilson recognized landlords as business owners, and as such, should be subjected to a reasonable amount of oversight, as most other businesses are.
It’s not clear if council will pass the regulation. Wilson said he would send out a draft of the ordinance to all members on council and the discussion can be continued and expanded at a council-of-the-whole meeting set for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Wilson said he would provide residents a copy of the ordinance draft as well at that meeting. Typically, public comments are not given at council-of-the-whole meetings, but Council President Melissa Hiner said council could allow comment and should consider doing so as the rental regulations have already generated debate.
Council received an update on the crosswalks at the intersection of E. Lincoln Way and Pritchard Avenue crosswalks. Wilson said the equipment has been delivered much sooner than expected and will be installed when the weather breaks.
Wilson reported that the second beam was installed on the new Grant Street Bridge and that the village is waiting on FEMA to rule on using land to the east of the existing Pritchard Avenue bridge replacement. Plans are in the works to replace that bridge as well. Also, Wilson said the final draft of the zoning code has been received; it will soon go to the Board of Zoning Appeals, Planning Commission and council for review.
Council heard that the village Fire Department made 305 runs last year — 129 in Lisbon, 97 in Center Township and 79 in Elk Run Township.
In other matters at last week’s meeting, council:
— Regrettably accepted the resignation of longtime Cemetery Board member Gene Krotky.
— Agreed to transfer $50,000 from the General Fund to the Street Fund.
— Tabled a proposal for student council members to give more time to research the concept of allowing David Anderson students to play a more involved role in village government.
— Learned that the student intern began working last week. Mya Emmerling, a student at Ohio State University studying criminology/sociology, is interning at Village Hall, working with Wilson and the police department.
— Approved a program for the Street, Water and Cemetery workers to receive a $150 stipend for boots.
— Approved Ordinance 2219-2025, which would approve the codification of ordinances, as an emergency
— Agreed to send the fiscal officer Tracey Wonner to the Local Government Officials Conference.
— Set the next regular meeting for Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. at Village Hall.