West Penn Township’s revised property maintenance ordinance is one step closer to fruition.

On a 2-1 vote, the township’s board of supervisors on Monday agreed to advertise to enact the revised West Penn Township Property Maintenance Ordinance. Supervisor Ted Bogosh was opposed.

“I still don’t like the idea of arresting people,” Bogosh said.

Earlier this year, Bogosh stated that the International Property Maintenance Code read that it “makes it possible to arrest citizens.”

However, township engineer Bill Anders said that isn’t the case.

Anders said that in the International Property Maintenance Code — which supervisors considered but ultimately decided not to adopt because they thought it was too restrictive — if a person is found guilty of a violation, they would be guilty of a misdemeanor, which is a criminal offense that could go on their record.

However, Anders said the West Penn Township Property Maintenance Ordinance is a blend of the township’s existing ordinance, as well as some things they felt should be taken from the International Property Maintenance Code.

Anders said the board will not be adopting the International Property Maintenance Code, but rather, a revision to their existing West Penn Township Property Maintenance Ordinance.

If a person is found guilty under the West Penn Township Property Maintenance Ordinance, that would be considered a summary offense, he said.

Anders said in that event, the township would cite them under a summary offense, and if they would have to go before the magistrate and the magistrate finds a person guilty over an issue they didn’t address, it would be up to the magistrate to file an arrest warrant.

Board Chairman Jim Dean previously said the township’s current ordinance was put into play in 1997, and that while it has its good points, it needs to be improved.