Agenda - Council - 03/25/2025 - Laserfiche WebLink

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have a different standing in the same neighborhood whether they own or rent in the neighborhood. He stated this policy advocates for both renters and landlords. Mayor Heineman shared that they removed this section because there was a lot of bias in the section on retaliation. He noted that this can be subjective. Councilmember Buscher noted that this discussion came as a result of tenant discomfort and she thinks it is fair to keep the retaliation section in the policy. Councilmember Specht stated that this policy was presented as a way to help both the landlord and the tenant. Planning Manager Larson explained that the basis for coming up with the policy was due to concerns with how the City's ordinance was written and how the inspections were being conducted. Councilmember Riley added that this policy was also created from the City's perspective and that it is in the best interest of the City that all rental properties are well maintained by both the landlord and the tenant. He said he likes the draft put together by Staff as the policy is still doing what it needs to do without being more restrictive than it needs to be. Councilmember Specht said he is still not comfortable with requiring background checks for property owners as only property managers are required to have a background check per State statute. Planning Manager Larson explained that most property owners are also technically the manager which grants them the same access as a property manager. He stated this is included in the policy as it gives all renters equal protection from whoever would be able to access the home or unit. He added that this policy is modeled after Coon Rapids, and they also require background checks. He noted there has only been one background check conducted so far that someone did not pass. Councilmember Specht stated he thinks a background check on a property owner is an undue burden. Mayor Heineman agreed and noted that if someone hires a property manager to manage the rental property then they would be required to have a background check. Councilmember Stewart added that this would put undue liability on the City. Councilmember Buscher asked if the City does not conduct a background check how they would know if the property owner had a background check conducted on their property manager. Councilmember Specht noted that if it is a requirement then he is fine with the City being the one to run the background check since it falls under State law. Councilmember Olson agreed. City Council Work Session / March 11, 2025 Page 6 of 10