SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — To better deal with rowdy parties and other issues, the township supervisors decided Tuesday to revise the nuisance properties ordinance.

Chairman Paul Dickey said he talked to township solicitor Wil White after an out-of-control party at The Heights apartments on the night of April 25.

The party, the annual pig roast organized by Slippery Rock University students, was broken up by state police who made multiple arrests for drunken driving and public drunkenness.

There were an estimated 3,000 guests at the party, which raised safety concerns with borough and township officials.

White said that after the party, he had conversations with state police, a representative of the state Liquor Control Board, the owners of the property and the company that manages the property.

Though management officials at The Heights told township officials that they would not issue a permit for a pig roast next year, they made a similar claim after the party in 2014, White said he was told by state police.

Though the township could cite The Heights under the disorderly house section of its ordinances, White told the supervisors Tuesday that he would prefer to revise and “modernize” the ordinance, which was passed in 1984.

“If we’ve got an unruly property, a nuisance property, we, as a township, need to have a way to stop it,” White said.

The current ordinance has a disorderly house section which gives the township authority to issue a fine of up to $1,000 for noise, trash or conduct.

The revised ordinance will include more specific definitions of what types of conduct is prohibited and will list penalties of increasing severity for repeat offenders. As a final penalty, the township could revoke occupancy permits for residential properties.

The fines would be issued through the district judge, White said.

Supervisor John Hines said that sometimes just the threat of a fine or legal action is all that is needed.

“It will be more effective if you put some wording that will scare them a little bit,” he said.

White said the revised ordinance would be ready for approval within a month.

Dickey plans to spread the word about the changes so that property owners and renters will see that parties are “toned down” and safe in the future.

“Going into next fall’s term, let’s make everyone aware of it,” he said.

The township does not get many complaints about noisy parties or unkempt properties, but it has worked with apartment complex managements in the past to deal with any problems, Dickey said.