An ordinance that would ban the use of indoor furniture out of doors has resurfaced — this time in a form that would affect all Ames residents.

At its Tuesday meeting, the Ames City Council approved the first passage of a property maintenance ordinance that prohibits outdoor placement of indoor furniture for all Ames residences.

The ordinance, known as the “couch ordinance,” was originally proposed last June and only affected rental property owners. The city council unanimously passed the original couch ordinance last spring, which would have prohibited the placement of indoor furniture outdoors or on nonenclosed porches. It was vetoed by Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco.

However, Tedesco vetoed the ordinance because of its difficulty to enforce and the possibility that it was discriminatory. Some argued the ordinance unfairly targeted students, who compose the majority of property renters in Ames. The problem isn’t isolated to renters, but could happen anywhere, said Councilwoman Sharon Wirth.

Tedesco supports the new ordinance, since all residents would be equally affected. If nothing additional is added to the ordinance, Tedesco said he would probably pass it. Originally, the new ordinance would have impacted additional property, regulating issues such as the height of grass. The council decided to limit the scope of the ordinance only to furniture.

“It’s like a bar of soap,” said City Attorney John Klaus. “The more we worked with it, the smaller it got.”

Fern Kupfer, 2320 Knapp St., said the original ordinance wasn’t well thought out, since it only affected property renters. But she called the new ordinance fair, as it affects everyone.

“The neighborhoods are trying to have Campustown neighborhoods look good,” said Kupfer, associate professor of English and supporter of the original ordinance. “However, rotten upholstered furniture in front of a house looks disgusting. It’s a fire hazard and probably vermin-infested.”

Jerone Jones, junior in mechanical engineering, said the ordinance infringes on the rights of homeowners and takes away from the college-town atmosphere of Ames.

“Unless the couches affect property value, the choice should belong to the homeowners,” he said.

Under the new ordinance, both rental properties and private properties are affected. Both tenants and landlords can be cited if rental property is involved.

Rob Weise, 2318 Ferndale Ave., said placing landlords under jurisdiction of the new couch ordinance was unfair.

“A landlord doesn’t have the right to remove the property of a tenant unless they go through the proper legal procedures,” Weise said.