By Joyce Lobeck | Yuma Sun
What likely was expected to be a routine adoption Wednesday by the Yuma City Council of updated building codes turned into a discussion about how the codes are developed and in the end failed due to an insufficient number of affirmative votes.
The measure actually passed 3-1 with Councilman Edward Thomas casting the no vote without comment. Council members Cody Beeson, Jerry Stuart and Lesle McClendon were absent.
However, the Yuma City Charter requires affirmative votes by a majority of the entire council – meaning four “yes” votes – for adoption of new ordinances, City Administrator Greg Wilkinson explained after the meeting. That means the ordinances will be brought before the council again when it next meets on March 20.
The discussion began with concerns expressed by Vince Coppola that the city’s proposed new codes are called the “international” codes and might open the door to usurpation of private property rights here by the international community.
