Agenda - Council - 10/27/2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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performance -based fee reductions to reward good landlords. In Minneapolis, stellar properties not only get less frequent inspections but they also get fee reductions. Blaine gives out fee discounts to property owners who pass inspection without any code violations. The City of Saint Paul does not have rental licensure program, per se, and instead requires that landlords get their property a certificate of occupancy from the fire inspector. Landlords do not have to pay any yearly registration fees but are required to pay $100 every time the fire inspector visits which ranges from every 6 years for stellar properties to every year for ones with lots of major violations. Some cities have implemented additional steps beyond inspections in order to achieve their local goals, largely focused on crime prevention. Several cities including Coon Rapids, Brooklyn Park, and Shakopee require landlords to take Crime Free Housing crime prevention training. These cities report that while landlords often complain initially about this requirement, most end up giving high marks to the training after completing it and say it was well worth their time. Cities such as Columbia Heights, Maple Grove, Bloomington, and Shakopee require that landlords build crime -free language into their leases that mandates the eviction of tenants who break certain laws. These same cities also require background checks on tenants to ensure that landlords know who they are renting to. Other Cities' Reflections on the Effectiveness of their Programs Ramsey city staff interviewed representatives from fourteen metro area cities to gain insight into the effectiveness of their programs and public reaction. The sentiment was overwhelmingly positive in favor of rental licensing programs. The only people who dislike the programs, according to most cities, were the landlords that encounter multiple infractions. No cities were able to provide empirical data in support of their programs but most of those surveyed indicated that the city was seeing the results that they wanted, either improved home maintenance or a reduction in police calls. The only city surveyed that has repealed an established rental licensing program, Chanhassen. This community did so because they felt that all of the problem properties had been brought up to code and the City Council decided that the program was no longer a good use of staff time. It is also worth noting that Chanhassen's program was unusually burdensome and had very frequent mandatory inspections that made it unpopular in the community. Existing Tools for Property Maintenance and Tenant Rights In the event that the City Council chooses not to move forward with further analysis, it is important to note that other tools exist for the City and its residents. These programs include, but are not limited to: • Ramsey Public Nuisance Code • Ramsey Property Maintenance Code (condition of buildings) • Ramsey Off -Street Parking Ordinance • Ramsey Zoning Code • Ramsey Building Code • Anoka County Community Development/Housing and Redevelopment Authority • Attorney General Notification: Notification is not required at this time. Observations/Alternatives: Observations: As step 1, Staff is seeking authorization to begin a work plan to first answer the question as to whether or not changes need to occur to the City's current Residential Rental Licensing Program. The plan would be to follow the City's standard citizen engagement platform for land use policy. Each step in the process would center around a citizen -focused engagement process. Alternatives