Support the Jonesboro, Arkansas Property Maintenance Code

The City of Jonesboro is in dire need of a property maintenance code to assist our Code Enforcement Division. The Code Enforcement Division currently receives numerous complaints regarding dilapidated and unkempt properties.

There is currently no method for the code officials to enforce repair and maintenance of these properties. Because of the lack of a code many parts of the city are noticing pockets of encroaching blight. In order for our city to remain a viable candidate for new business, industry, and retail establishments, our City Council needs to adopt a property maintenance code.

The city conducted a study whose results were published in 2012 that emphasized the need for a maintenance code. The study actually suggested even more drastic measures to mitigate the issues involved with declining neighborhoods. A property maintenance code is a compromise between the more drastic measures proposed by the study and doing nothing.

Some basic facts about the code that is being suggested for the council to consider are as follows:
- The code being suggested is the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC).
- The IPMC was written and produced by the International Code Council (ICC).
- The ICC has no enforcement authority and the code is strictly administered by the municipality that adopts the code. This fact is stated in very clear language in the introduction to the code.
- The code is used by many cities across the United States. As a result, the code has been proven in court. This will protect our city from expensive legal action.
- The requirements of the IPMC are less stringent than those for Section 8 housing.
- The right of entry clause that has caused some dissension is actually a clause that is included in every other code that the city has adopted, such as the fire code.
- The J-QUAD study that emphasized the need for Jonesboro to deal with creeping blight can be found on the city's website.
- The IPMC will cover all property in the city of Jonesboro.
- The Property Maintenance Committee suggested minor changes to the code in order to make the code consistent in language and intent of the other codes such as fire and building.