12-22-08 Council Workshop II Minutes

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL DECEMBER 22, 2008 Zinner reported that the City of North St. Paul has an officer in charge of providing crime free training. Zinner also reported that it may be difficult to comply with ordinance requirements relative to credit checks and background checks as owners may be precluded from passing this information on to the City. Zinner asked about the licensing fee the City will impose. The City Administrator indicated that the level of licensing fee is not yet determined given the City has not determined the amount of staff time that this program will require. Other issues that need to be resolve include alternative inspection options as well as frequency of inspections. Zinner indicated that the owners need to know license fees in order to budget for these expenses. Blesener suggested that the Council hold another workshop relative to the open issues, and then bring the owners back for additional input. Zinner felt that was a good plan. The City Administrator also noted that as the rental licensing program progresses, there may be the need for future modifications as the City gains experience with it. Zinner asked how many rental units the City had. The City Administrator replied that there are 1,488 multiple family units. That number increases to 1,579 when three and four-plexes are added in. He estimated a total of about 1,700 rental units when single-family rentals were included. The Administrator again indicated that the City is not sure at this point what the cost will be to run this program. He referred to the handout which indicates the fees being charged by other cities. The Administrator noted estimated that Little Canada's fees will be somewhere between what West St. Paul is charging and what South St. Paul is charging. The City Administrator reviewed the history of the provisional rental concept that the City of New Brighton originally has in place. He felt that system was easier and more effective to administer, however, it was deemed to be unenforceable. The Administrator indicated that there may be some legislative action to put that option back on the table. The Administrator again revisited the issue of license fees, noting that initially fees would likely be a best guesstimate. There was also discussion about a two year license as an option. The Administrator indicated that the cost of administering this program should be paid by the owners of rental property and not the taxpayers in general.