By STEPHANIE BRUMFIELD / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – After a heated debate regarding proposed property maintenance codes, Montevallo Mayor Hollie Cost says the International Property Maintenance Code is now “a dead issue,” and she will not support the code or put it forward for a vote.

Cost’s response comes after a public forum held Aug. 26 at the Parnell Memorial Library, where citizens voiced concerns about the proposed codes. All seats of the theater were filled with several residents standing against the walls of the theater.

“As the Mayor of Montevallo I feel a huge responsibility to respond to citizen concerns, comments, complaints and to the needs of the city as a whole,” Cost said in an emailed statement. “This was the rationale for considering the International Property Maintenance Code, and this is the reason I will not support the code and will not put it forward for a vote.

“The IPMC is now a dead issue. I thank the citizens who have participated in this process and encourage them to continue supporting Montevallo in a positive manner. I invite citizens to visit City Hall and meet with me to share their ideas or concerns. I also thank our city council and city employees for all that they have done and continue to do to maintain the daily operations of the city. I am honored to serve with such fine people and honored to serve as the mayor of such a fine city.”

The International Property Maintenance Code is a code used in cities across the country that specifies how buildings should be constructed and maintained and how code violations should be addressed. Cost said the code was initially being considered because of citizens’ complaints about the current code, which has been difficult for the city to enforce.