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MINUTES <br />CITY COUNCIL <br />APRIL 13, 2011 <br />The foregoing resolution was duly seconded by McGraw. <br />Ayes (5). <br />Nays (0). Resolution adopted. <br />RENTAL The City Administrator reported that the Council revisited the City's <br />HOUSING rental housing licensing program last January, and directed some <br />LICENSING amendments be made to the ordinance. Those changes include the <br />ORDINANCE following: <br />o Increasing license term for four or less units from one to <br />four years. The initial term will end June 30, 2013 <br />regardless of when someone obtained a license. This <br />serves to moderate the license fee costs for owners of these <br />units. <br />o Providing an incentive to obtain 100% of inspections of <br />complexes with more than four units whereby if they <br />inspect 100% of all units, their license term will extend to <br />June 30, 2013. Assuming that occurs this year, that would <br />save them $100 per building /$12 per unit charge for one <br />year. <br />o Implementing penalty provisions for apartments that fail to <br />comply with licensing requirements. <br />The City Administrator reported that Lisa Peilen of the MN Multi - <br />Housing Association has reviewed the proposed changes and felt it was a <br />good approach and lessened the impact on the owners of rental housing. <br />The Administrator reported that City staff recommends approval of the <br />ordinance amendment as prepared by the City Attorney. <br />Keis asked how the program was going, if inspections are being made, and <br />the sort of findings that are resulting form the inspections. The <br />Administrator reported that initially there were four licensed inspectors, <br />but there are now three. Those three inspectors have inspected the <br />majority of the units in the City. There have been items identified that <br />needed to be corrected, and the program is going smoothly. The <br />Administrator also reported that a letter will be sent out to the larger rental <br />complexes updating them on the ordinance changes. He also reported that <br />the inspection guidelines will be modified to rate the lack of an egress <br />window from "below standard" to "hazardous ". <br />Blesener asked about the impact of this program on City staff. The <br />Administrator reported that the changes proposed will simplify the <br />2 <br />