Minutes - Council Work Session - 11/12/2024

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Councilmember Musgrove suggested looking at a way to create a reserve for vehicles. Councilmember Woestehoff noted that in 2026, Water Tower 2 is scheduled for refurbishment. He asked if they have the capacity to completely shut this water tower down. City Engineer/Public Works Director Westby said yes. Councilmember Riley noted the budget surplus is the one way that they can save and save this money for vehicles Councilmember Musgrove explained this would be proactive rather than having to issue a bond. The consensus of the Council was to move forward with the proposed 2025-2034 CIP. 2.05: Rental Housing Inspection Program Discussion Community Development Director Hanson reviewed the Staff report in regard to the rental housing inspection program. Councilmember Olson noted that they had a resident come forward to the Council who expressed frustration with this process. He said when they originally approved this,they did not look at what this would feel like from the perspective of renters who would be having their living quarters inspected. He stated that the intent is not for the inspector to be rummaging through the renter's home and belongings; however, this was the perception this renter had. He added that he would like to see the renters get a say in whether or not their home is inspected. He noted that residents are paying for this and he does not like the idea of them paying for something that feels invasive. Mayor Kuzma asked if it is typically in rental agreements that the landlord has the ability to enter the property to do an inspection. Councilmember Olson noted that the landlord having the ability to inspect the property is different from the City having the ability to inspect the property. Councilmember Howell stated she was not happy with what she heard about the inspection in a conversation she had with the resident. She noted that some of what the inspector would be looking at, such as if someone is living out of a garage or space is being rented as a storage unit, should be things that require search warrants. She added that while they are inspecting garages to look for fire hazards, people can also have electric vehicles which are fire hazards, so this does not make sense. She suggested dropping this program as a whole and letting the landlords have the agreement with their tenants as this program seems like the City is stepping into something private that they do not need to be a part of. Councilmember Woestehoff shared that he invited these concerned residents to his home and they discussed this at length. He said he left this conversation recognizing that it was not the fact that the City was there doing the inspection that this resident did not like, it was around the lack of City Council Work Session/November 12, 2024 Page 4 of 9