Mar 12, 2013 2 min read

Canonsburg Council on Monday passed an ordinance that will allow the borough keep better track of its residents.

A $75 occupancy permit must now be obtained prior to the sale of or when a new tenant moves into a building. To obtain a permit, building owners must provide the names of all adults and children residing in the structure.

“It’s our way of keeping track of who’s living in the borough,” said Terry Hazlett, borough manager.

In addition, the ordinance gives the borough the authority to inspect the building prior to occupancy. The building inspector/code official can deny occupancy if there are outstanding building code violations or outstanding building permits issued where no required inspection has been obtained or where work was completed with no permit.

Violation of the ordinance could result in fines of $300 to $1,000 per violation.

John Elzer, code enforcement officer, said the ordinance will hopefully help the borough in enforcing parking regulations that call for 1 1/2 parking spaces per unit and help emergency crews when responding to a call.

In other business, council approved a $650,000 line of credit for its building renovation, which began March 4. The borough has already committed $650,000 to the project, which is being matched by a state grant. However, grant funding may not be received before the project concludes at the end of the year, prompting a need to secure a line of credit.

Council also voted to sell borough property at 119-123 Adams Avenue to Zoom Corp. The property will be used as a parking lot to facilitate an expansion of the adjacent Zoom building

Construction of a Comtech building addition at the Fort Pitt Business Park was approved, as was the subdivision of property at park, as long as owner David Stoehr meets two conditions: providing a 30-foot right of way through the property and resolving a stormwater issue.