West Penn Township remains engaged on the potential implementation of an International Property Maintenance Code.

Township solicitor Paul J. Datte said he’s working on an ordinance that would be advertised and possibly advertised by the township.

Board Chairman Tony Prudenti said his concern is that individuals don’t try to use the IPMC as a means to rebel against neighbors.

“I don’t want this to be something where people can use this as a weapon,” Prudenti said.

Supervisor Tim Houser said he would like to see something that has “some teeth in it.”

“I don’t want this to tun into ‘I’m going to get you (through the IPMC),” Houser said.

Supervisor Glenn Hummel said he agreed, but doesn’t believe the township should be forcing people.

Datte said it’s a relatively short ordinance that he already prepared, but that the board should let him know if there’s anything they would like to see changed.

Prudenti then asked the board to have their comments ready for next month’s supervisors meeting.

Houser said last month that the township was still receiving a lot of complaints about people cleaning up.

He specifically alluded to a property situation in Snyders which he said has been going on for 10 years, while other properties are sitting idle and continue to deteriorate.

As a result, Houser said at that time the township continues to look into the possibility of adopting the IPMC. The township has a property maintenance ordinance in place, but it’s difficult to enforce.

Much like Prudenti alluded to on Monday, Houser said at that time his biggest fear is that (it would be used) to weaponize against a neighbor who someone doesn’t like.

Houser previously said that he believes it will be hard to balance between developments because the township has such a mix of developments and farming.