Property owners in Marion will need to make sure their buildings are up to snuff after the Marion Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday to adopt the International Property Maintenance Codes.

IPMC is a collection of minimum requirements for property maintenance and improvements. The code book contains model regulations for plumbing, mechanical, fire protection, site conditions and more to make sure homes and businesses stay strong and secure.

Mayor Larry Gill said the board adopted the IPMC book to put the town on the right footing heading into the future. As the town grows, and more homes and businesses are built, he said it was important to make sure new and existing structures were safe and maintained.

“We adopted the IPMC codebook that most municipalities go by to regulate different things in the community and to keep our community clean and safe for people, not only visitors but people who live here as well,” he said.

Gill said adopting the codebook was the first step. At future meetings, he said, the board of aldermen will be discussing what the town’s code enforcement should look like.

“The next step is to get somebody that enforces these codes,” he said. “And so we can make sure that somebody is diligently working and not showing any favoritism.”

Adopting the codebook was not intended to be a punitive action by the town, Gill said, so much as it was part of the town administration’s efforts to lay a strong foundation to support Marion’s further growth. With the codebook in place, he said the town will be better equipped to make sure the town remains safe and beautiful for years to come.

“We want to be able to facilitate the growth in Marion,” he said, “and we can only do that by adopting codes.”