05-25-2005 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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REJournals.com - Rental ordinances put landlords in a tough position Page 2 of 7 6- every six months, and the fee changes depending on the classification. Level I landlords pay $2.75 per unit; Level II, $6.88; and Level III, $16.50. Not all police calls count toward the classifications. Many of the uncounted calls include medical emergencies or other 911 distress calls; domestic abuse calls are not counted. "What the city has enacted requires us to pay a higher fee for the uncontrollable conduct of our residents," says Sue Schnarr, executive vice president of Mid Continent, a St. Paul property management firm that manages two complexes in Brooklyn Park with a total of 724 units. "We believe that is wrong." The intent of the ordinance is to provide owners and managers with an incentive to reduce criminal activity at rental complexes, says John Baker, a partner at Greene Espel in Minneapolis and the attorney representing Brooklyn Park in this case. The city referred all questions to Baker. "We recognize there are some circumstances that are more easily controlled by landlords than others," Baker says. "Thefts and burglaries may be influenced by replacing light bulbs in parking lots or damaged security doors. Other crimes are directly affected by tenant screening procedures. Rather than directly regulate things like that, our approach provides an incentive to improve quality of life in complexes." Mid Continent has managed the two complexes since they were built: Willow Park in 1968 and Willowbrook in two phases in 1980 and 1987. Schnarr says the population in those complexes has grown more diverse and more transient in the last decade. "We are dealing with cultures that do not get along with one another, and people who do not respect each other," she says. "We had a two - roommate household where the roommates fought over who was going to use the computer and they called the police. How am I supposed to control this behavior ?" Schnarr says landlords should not be penalized because they provide housing in lower- income areas. Mid Continent runs credit, employment and criminal background checks on all tenants, she adds. The complexes offer an afterschool program for children from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Schnarr says she is spending $100,000 on new playgrounds and picnic shelters. http: / /www.mrej.com /story.cfin ?Market= MN &StoryID =12080 10/15/2003