Agenda - Council Work Session - 08/31/2010

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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION Topic Report: Rental License Discussion By: Amber G. Miller, Planning Manager Background: In 2003, the city initiated a rental licensing program which required every residential rental unit to be licensed by the city. Part of the rental process included a building inspection to ensure the condition of the rental space met city standards as defined in the city code. The license fee is $75 for two years. Analysis: City Council discussed the value of having a rental licensing program at the City Council Work Session on December 1, 2009. The Council directed Staff to bring forward an ordinance to repeal the rental licensing section of City Code at a future Council meeting. The ordinance to repeal was introduced at the January 12, 2010 City Council meeting. When Staff brought back the ordinance for adoption, Council directed Staff to draft alternatives to the repeal for Council to review at a City Council Work Session. Planning Staff worked with the PD and Fire Department to develop alternatives and they were presented to the City Council at the February 23, 2010 Work Session. City Council requested more information regarding one of the options presented regarding an incentive program and asked that Staff develop a sample program and bring it back for their review. A proposed incentive based program was presented to the City Council at the May 4, 2010 City Council Work Session. After a lengthy discussion, City Council reached a consensus that they did not wish to proceed with an incentive based program, but rather wished to exclude single family homes from the existing program and make inspections not mandatory. Therefore, the enclosed ordinance excludes single family homes, has a rental license for all attached units and multi - family housing. Additionally, inspections can be requested, but are not required. At the City Council meeting on August 24, 2010 there was discussion regarding definitions. Here are the existing definitions in City Code: Attached townhouse means structures housing three or more dwelling units contiguous to each other only by the sharing of one or more common walls; such structures are of the back -to -back or row -house type as contrasted to multiple dwelling apartment structures. Detached townhouse means a townhouse that does not share any common walls with the neighboring unit. Detached townhouses are also referred to as villas, cottage homes, or bungalows and are defined by their association - maintained status and commonly -held yards. Duplex, triplex, and quad means a dwelling structure on a single lot, having two, three, and four units, respectively, being attached by common walls and each unit equipped with separate sleeping, cooking, eating, living, and sanitation facilities. Dwelling unit means: