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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08.09.17 Minutes f Oshkosh RENTAL HOUSING ADVISORY BOARD MINTUES AUGUST 9, 2017 PRESENT: Matt Mugerauer, Lori Palmeri (via phone), Margy Davey, Matthew Stenerson, Linda Jevaltas, Timothy Ernst, Cheryl Hentz EXCUSED: Brooke Berrens STAFF: Allen Davis, Community Development Director, Andrew Prickett, Building Systems Inspector, Casey Koelbl, Housing Inspector, Kathy Fredrick, Weights and Measures/Code Enforcement Clerk OTHER: Emily Springstroh, Communications Coordinator CALL TO ORDER Allen Davis called the meeting to order at 3:31 p.m. and introductions of staff and board members were made. The minutes of July 11, 2017 were approved as presented, with the noted correction of the spelling of Ms. Hentz's name. (Mugerauer/Jevaltas) SOCIAL MEDIA Mr. Davis stated since social media was a key topic at the previous meeting, he invited Communications Coordinator, Emily Springstroh, to discuss with the Board ways in which social media could help reach tenants, landlords, and the general public regarding the rental registry program. Ms. Springstroh stated Oshkosh Community Media Services (OCMS) had created a promotional video and a mock inspection video earlier in the year to help educate the public about the rental registry program. She noted it was important to keep the rental registry program at the forefront of the news, particularly with UWO students as they were tenants in the area the City was currently focused on according to the Five Year Rental Registry Inspection Area Map. She stated she did not feel the UWO student email system was a good way to reach students as most emails did not get read. She specified student to student sharing on Facebook social media as the best way to educate university students about the rental registry program. She stated she felt it would be beneficial for OCMS to create short video clips to post on Facebook of students willing to share on camera both good and bad landlord experiences or, for those who had already participated in a rental registry inspection, what their experience was like. She stated the use of social media could also help educate the general public (non students) about the rental f Oshkosh RHAB Minutes Page Two registry but recommended the City only post to its own social media sites. She recommended the City use a "boosting" option which for a small fee would route Facebook posts to demographical areas of choice. Ms. Jevaltas asked if a survey of college students had been completed regarding the types of issues they had with their landlords. Ms. Springstroh stated she was not aware of a UWO student survey regarding landlord issues. Ms. Davey asked if it was possible to partner with UWO to have a survey completed. Ms. Springstroh stated she would research the possibility of partnering with UWO to survey students regarding landlord issues. Mr. Ernst stated if a survey were to be completed, faculty and employees of UWO should be included as they could also be tenants. Mr. Davis stated a survey might be useful as the City could tailor future social media outreach to address high priority problems. Mr. Ernst stated the City could also gauge students' social media preferences through the survey. He suggested the survey also include dormitory residents as they could become future renters. Mr. Davis stated the City would contact UWO regarding drafting a survey to be implemented in the fall. INSPECTIONS UPDATE Mr. Koelbl stated the inspectors had completed approximately three hundred inspections most of which were exterior only inspections. He estimated twenty interior inspections had been completed. Ms. Hentz inquired if the landlord could inform the tenant when the property would be inspected under the rental registry program. Mr. Davis stated according to State statute, the City could only contact the tenant regarding the rental registry voluntary inspection. He noted the City had originally wanted to incorporate landlords into the rental registry inspection process. Ms. Davey asked if the low response to interior inspections could be due to the rental properties being vacant. Mr. Mugerauer recommended any correspondence to university students be sent after September 1St f Oshkosh RHAB Minutes Page Three Mr. Ernst asked how properties that were bought and sold affected the rental registry. Ms. Fredrick stated it was the property owner's responsibility to notify the City when a property was purchased or sold. Ms. Hentz asked if it would be advantageous to send second notices to tenants who did not respond to the first notice requesting them to schedule an inspection. Mr.Davis replied if there was enough manpower he might consider mailing second notices to tenants who did not respond,however it was a priority to mail initial notices to the entire list of properties sited in year one of the five year plan. He noted tenants could request properties be inspected at any time through the complaint based process. Ms. Hentz acknowledged it was disappointing that only a small amount of tenants were cooperating with regard to inspections. Mr. Davis stated the number of interior inspections could increase once the focus was outside of the university area. Ms.Fredrick stated the number of interior inspections might increase in the university area by sending the tenant notices in the fall semester instead of the spring semester. Mr. Mugerauer indicated the hours of inspection were not accommodating to most tenants, stating most citizens generally were away from their homes during first shift hours. Ms. Palmeri asked for confirmation if the SeeClickFix app could be used by a tenant for interior issues. Mr. Davis replied he would research if the SeeClickFix app could be used by a tenant for interior issues and follow up with the Board. NOTE: Lori Palmeri left the meeting at 4:00 p.m. (via phone). RHAB RECOMMENDATION FOR COMPLIANCE TIMELINE Mr. Davis asked the Board for recommendations regarding the compliance timeline for code violations. He stated currently, the typical compliance timeline was thirty days. Mr. Prickett clarified the thirty day compliance timeline was typical of most code violations,however life safety code violations had a compliance timeline of seven days. f Oshkosh RHAB Minutes Page Four Ms. Davey stated she felt the thirty day compliance timeline was appropriate in case the property owner had difficulty scheduling a contractor or service technician;if more time was needed the property owner could ask for an extension. She asked what happened if the violation was not fixed within the thirty day compliance timeline and no contact was made with the City requesting an extension. Mr. Prickett replied if the violation was not fixed within the thirty day compliance timeline and an extension was not requested, a second notice was mailed to the property owner informing them to either contact the City or appear in court in seven days. Ms. Davey asked if property owners who received a second notice threatening a citation typically called the City. Mr. Koelbl stated most property owners who received a second notice threatening a citation called the City,however some chose to appear in front of a judge. Ms.Jevaltas asked who paid the court costs in instances where the court option was taken. Mr. Prickett stated per the municipal housing code, the court costs were incorporated into the dollar amount of the citation,noting that fines for not having smoke detectors were higher. Ms. Hentz asked if carbon monoxide detectors were coupled with smoke detectors in the municipal housing code. Mr. Prickett stated carbon monoxide detectors were not included with smoke detectors in the municipal housing code, however the City enforced them as they were part of a State statute. Ms. Hentz stated she felt that carbon monoxide detectors should be included in the smoke detector ordinance as they were life safety devices. Mr. Prickett stated the City could research possibly amending the current smoke detector ordinance to include carbon monoxide detectors. Ms. Hentz recommended that the City amend the current smoke detector ordinance to include carbon monoxide detectors. Mr. Davis stated he would confer with the City attorney regarding amending the current smoke detector ordinance to include carbon monoxide detectors. f Oshkosh RHAB Minutes Page Five Ms. Davey, referring back to the previous Inspections Update discussion regarding inspection hours, asked if the City could allow flexible hours for the inspectors to complete voluntary inspections after normal business hours. Mr. Davis stated as new staff was added the City would research scheduling rental inspections after normal business hours. Mr. Mugerauer asked in a case where there were violations that required a permit (no charge for reinspection) and violations that did not require a permit(charge for reinspection fee) would the property owner be charged the reinspection fee. Mr. Prickett stated in the case Mr. Mugerauer described, a reinspection fee would not be charged as long as the final inspection was requested for the issued permit. Mr.Mugerauer asked if verbiage could be added to the violations notice stating no reinspection fee would be charged if a final inspection was requested. Mr. Prickett stated he would research adding the aforementioned verbiage to the rental registry violation notices. EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Ms. Fredrick asked the Board for additional references regarding tenant/landlord information stating she would update the master list and email it to the Board. The Board discussed ways in which the Rent Smart class offered by the UW Extension could benefit renters. Mr. Prickett requested the topic of the Inspection Services Division web page be added to the agenda for the September 13, 2017 meeting. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:46 p.m. (Ernst/Davey) Respectfully submitted, Allen Davis Community Development Director