Palmerton hopes to have a rental ordinance on the books by the end of summer.

Resident and former borough Mayor Don Herrmann asked borough council on Thursday about the status of the rental ordinance.

Councilman Andrew Hollywood said, “We are working on that diligently.”

Councilwoman Holly Hausman-Sell said they purposely put a halt on the matter as they awaited court judgments.

“We have a draft,” Hausman-Sell said. “I think it’s close.”

Hausman-Sell added that the borough is trying to make sure that it’s rental ordinance is solidified, and that it “holds up.”

She added her goal is to have it done by the end of summer.

In March, Kim Clark, who resides on Avenue A, told borough council she has neighbors who are disrespectful.

Hausman-Sell informed Clark at that time that the borough was continuing to look into a rental ordinance.

After that meeting, borough Manager Autumn Canfield said the borough had no way to identify a rental property versus owner occupied property.

Canfield added that the borough was working on a registration program to help identify the rental properties so it is more effectively able to address concerns.

The discussion started in July 2023 when resident Bruce Morrison asked if there was a way to enforce keeping sidewalks clean in the borough.

Canfield said at that time that anytime the borough gets a complaint, officials send it to the code enforcement officer or building code officer, depending on the nature of the complaint.

Canfield noted at that time the borough didn’t have a rental ordinance.

Hausman-Sell asked Morrison at that time if he had a specific concern on a rental property.

Morrison said at that time that there’s been a lot of trouble in other municipalities, and that he didn’t want to see that happen in the borough.

In October 2021, council discussed joining other local municipalities in an attempt to regulate rental units.

At that time, the borough had 700 units.

The goal is to promote safe and sanitary conditions of rental housing, and that the borough believed this would increase property values, as well as encourage landlord and tenant responsibility for the condition of properties.

The borough had been made aware that an increasing number of calls to the police from rental units, and the revenue from the registrations may be used to help fund additional police staffing and training to meet the demand.