The Ames City Council passed revisions to the rental housing code Tuesday.

The City Council started the revision process in 2008 when it directed staff to form an ad-hoc committee to study revising the code. A group of tenants, small to medium landlords, large landlords and neighborhood representatives spent nine months developing recommendations.

The recommendations were discussed by the council six times in 2008, then in 2009 the council held four public discussions regarding rental housing.

The current revised ordinance became effective July 1, 2009.

The City Council held a fact-finding workshop with members of the business community April 20, 2010.

During the workshop, several landlords expressed concern about the city’s rental housing development. The Ames Rental Association was then formed, and additional public discussions began in 2010.

Gloria Betcher, member of the Campustown Area Neighborhood Association and program coordinator for technical communication at Iowa State, said she completely supports the code.

Lad Grove, from Grove Properties, said he is all right with the revisions, except he sent a letter from an attorney to the council, saying that “to go on record and say we do not agree that S Traps are a dangerous item and that they need to be replaced.”

Grove said the council’s attorney and his attorney will have a five-year period to try and resolve issues in a peaceful fashion without litigation.

Matthew Goodman, City Council member said the letter was making the collaboration effort for the revisions seem disingenuous.

“I feel pretty good about the resolution … we are on good legal grounds. I feel comfortable supporting this,” said Jami Larson, City Council member.

The City Council discussed a staff report on sidewalk snow removal.

The report found that, “It is difficult to drive the area and find deficient sidewalks if there is accumulated snow in the parking. Therefore, this pilot project required more staff time than expected in order to get out of the City vehicle and walk the area.”

The staff was to summarize how well owners were maintaining sidewalks within a pilot area that ranged from Ash Avenue to Chamberlain Street to Storm Street to Knapp Avenue, from Ash Avenue to South Sheldon Avenue.

A total of 235 notices were issued to 214 properties city-wide for failure to remove snow or ice from sidewalks in a timely manner in 2010.

Riad Mahayni, City Council member, said the council received several complaints about sidewalks in front of West Hy-Vee.

Tor Finseth, Government of the Student Body liaison and senior in aerospace engineering, suggested the pilot program be continued for another year; the council passed his amendment.