The Ames City Council is planning to review an ordinance vetoed by Mayor Ted Tedesco Wednesday.

In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the city council passed the “couch ordinance,” which would have prohibited the placement of indoor furniture outdoors or on unenclosed porches in rental housing.

Tedesco vetoed the ordinance because of its vagueness and the possibility that it is discriminatory.

The ordinance reads: “Occupants shall not place or permit to remain on yards, any upholstered furniture, or other furniture, manufactured for use indoors, or permit to remain overnight on open porch areas any upholstered furniture, or other furniture, manufactured for use indoors.”

This is the first time the second-term mayor has utilized his veto power, and Tedesco said public response has been positive.

“I have received a lot of reaction in favor; only one e-mail against it,” he said.

The city council is looking over the ordinance with the possibility of resubmitting it in the future.

“I think it was fine of him to veto the ordinance,” said Councilwoman Judie Hoffman, at-large. “I think he mentioned in his message that we need an ordinance that would be more enforceable.”

Tedesco recommended the council adopt a general nuisance ordinance pertaining to the issue and several others regarding property maintenance – for both rental- and owner-occupied properties.

One argument against the ordinance is that it discriminates against students, who make up a large portion of the renters in Ames.

Hoffman does not believe the way the ordinance was written would affect many students.

“I think there are just a few places where people leave couches out in the yard for an indefinite period of time,” she said.

Ames is not the first university community to consider or pass an ordinance such as this.

“Boulder, Colo., Normal, Ill. and Blacksburg, Va. are the ones I know off the top of my head,” Hoffman said. “It is not unique to Ames.”

Hoffman didn’t think many people would be faced with fines because of this ordinance.

“If someone complains, a letter would be written,” Hoffman said. “They would have two weeks to remove the furniture.”

Hoffman said one reasons for the ordinance is a number of couch burnings in the city of Ames in the past year.

“It is definitely a hazard,” she said. “Many times the city and the fire department has to come out and pick up the remnants of the couch.”

“Mayor Tedesco has not exercised his veto power before,” said Councilman Herman Quirmbach, 4th Ward. “You have to infer from this that he’s serious about this. I will consider his objections carefully. I have not conferred with other council colleagues to hear what they have to say. We’re thinking about a veto, but have not made any decisions.”

The city council has 30 days to override the veto, which requires a two-thirds vote.

“We’ll wait to see what the council has to say or not say,” Tedesco said. “They have 30 days in which to override my veto.”