Minutes - Council - 10/13/2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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nd Allen Berg, 7470 152 Lane NW, stated that he is present to clear his name. He stated that he started this business with 70 customers and now has 4,700 through just word of mouth. He stated that staff is accusing him of disassembling cars and using them for repairs. He stated that they use carparts.com and his employees are paid $30 per hour. He stated that the likelihood of a part from one car fitting on another one that comes in is highly unlikely. He stated that with the level of vehicles that he services, there could be 50 to 60 vehicles onsite per day. He stated that he tries to have customers provide new tabs, but often vehicles are towed in without up to date tabs for different reasons and provided an example of a vehicle with expired tabs that is currently in probate but requires a cost estimate of repairs. He stated that he also repairs vehicles for dealers that purchase vehicles at auction and often do not have tabs when they come in. He also provided details on the tire pickup and that schedule, which required outdoor storage until they could be picked up because of delays out of his hands. He stated that he is not looking to renew the lease but just wants to get through the lease which ends in March. He stated that he runs a repair shop and vehicles come in not working. He stated that most of the lots within the corridor do not have up to date tabs because they are waiting to be sold or waiting for repair. He asked for one-hour notice before the abatement so that he could have the Sheriff’s Office present. Councilmember Specht thanked Mr. Berg for sharing his side. He asked if Mr. Berg was okay with the lease expiration. Mr. Berg confirmed that he does not want to renew the lease. He commented that the building is in poor shape and does not meet requirements. He stated that he would not have renewed the lease two years ago but wanted to help his employees. Councilmember Musgrove thanked Mr. Berg for providing his side. She asked if the business is licensed in the State or City and whether it is in good standing. Mr. Berg confirmed that he has been licensed for 14 years and is in good standing. Councilmember Musgrove acknowledged that there has been a problem with tabs and licensing this year because of COVID. She asked for additional details on the tire pickup. Mr. Berg stated that there is a company that picks up the tires for scrap and typically they arrived within seven to ten days of the request but this time it took months. He explained that the reasoning he was given was because the truck typically runs four employees but could only run two because of COVID restrictions. He noted that there are only two companies that provide this service within the state. He stated that he did explain these things when he met with staff on the property. Councilmember Riley referenced the comment that 23 vehicles have been hauled away or fixed. Mr. Berg replied that he hauled those vehicles back to the customers at a cost of $1,100. He stated that he did the same the previous year when he received a similar notice from the City, at a cost of $1,200 in towing. He explained that he did not feel that his customers should be penalized because the vehicles cannot be fixed within the timeline identified by the City process. City Council / October 13, 2020 Page 5 of 13