Butler City Council is organizing another meeting for landlords and tenants regarding a potential ordinance that would affect rental properties in the city.

Councilman Don Shearer originally brought up an ordinance that would implement rental unit inspections last year.

In 12 sections, the ordinance lays out a procedure that would require landlords to report when a tenant moves out of their property, triggering an inspection by a city employee. Shearer said the ordinance includes language that would help the city collect overdue taxes from landlords and residents.

Shearer said the high number of renters in the city combined with slower growth in property value compared to the rest of Butler County are two points such an ordinance could address.

Protection for tenants also could be addressed through such an ordinance.

After a meeting in November with a number of landlords, who largely spoke against the ordinance, Shearer said he would not bring a proposal to council for a vote until 2024.

Shearer said at a meeting Thursday, Jan. 11, that the city will announce the meeting date soon, and he hopes to have a vote for an ordinance by the end of February. He said he has not yet made changes to the ordinance since the meeting with landlords last year.

“We’re picking up right where we left off,” Shearer said. “I have an idea for a counterproposal to make … but we also want to hear what they come up with. We had a group that said they were going to meet among themselves and bring something forward.”