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MINUTES <br />CITY COUNCIL <br />NOVEMBER 24, 2008 <br />Keis pointed out that rental property owners will have inspection fees, <br />license fees, and background check fees. He noted this will be the cost of <br />doing business, but questioned how much is too much. Montour pointed <br />out that in meeting with Montreal Courts, their ownership is aware of <br />these costs and are currently subject to them in other cities. The City <br />Administrator pointed out the cost to the rental property owners under this <br />ordinance versus the costs the City is incurring from a policing standpoint <br />without the ordinance. The Administrator indicated that the difficulty is <br />placing these costs on rental properties that have been well run. <br />The Council discussed the level of license fee, and felt that the City <br />Administrator should try to determine a per unit cost to the City. That cost <br />would serve as the basis for the license fee. <br />Peilen reviewed her emailed report dated November 24, 2008. With <br />regard to unit inspections, she agreed that the inspection fees and the <br />license costs will be big expenses to the property owners. Peilen <br />suggested that an option would be to decrease the frequency of unit <br />inspections once a property has a clean inspection. This would reward <br />people for well-managed properties. <br />Peilen commented on background checks for employees as well as <br />screening requirements for tenants. She indicated that neither are perfect <br />tools. She noted the Koskinen Act already requires background checks for <br />employees with key access. Peilen stated that the City will also have to <br />develop screening standards for tenants. Peilen noted that many <br />communities are exempting domestic assaults from these standards as they <br />do not want to discourage tenants from calling the police for domestic <br />assault. Peilen stated that with regard to background checks and <br />screening, the City will have to determine what it is checking for, how far <br />back to go, and who should be doing the checking. <br />The City Administrator indicated that the City Attorney will put the <br />ordinance in final form. He recommended that a workshop meeting be <br />held with the rental housing ownership to review the proposed ordinance. <br />Once that workshop is held, a public hearing would be called at this <br />adoption of the ordinance would be considered. <br />There being no further business, the workshop meeting was adjourned at <br />7:23 p.m. <br />