09-26-2012 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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building up to current code with help and guidance from the county and city. I worked with Mr. James Lee; Fire Marshall; and brought the building up to code specs with new release locks on all the doors, several new doors including the large overhead door, proper exit (emergency) lighting, redoing electrical and lighting fixtures, redoing plumbing, etc., etc. Extensive repairs to the roof as well as the steel siding and trim and interior sheet rocking were done and the large interior space was cleaned and painted. The needed work to comply with current codes was finished and inspected and approved by both Ramsey County and the City of Little Canada. The issues of having the building address numbers above the main entrance and the fire extinguishers re-certified were the only things noted to be done. I bought the building numbers and new fire extinguishers and was about to install them when there was a severe roof truss failure due to the extremely heavy snow /ice conditions of December 2010. Extensive damage to the building occurred and made Mr. Winner's spaces not possible to work in. The complicated project of demolition of the damaged areas; much of which had just been redone; including new heating, electrical /lighting, sheet rock, insulation, doors and trim was then done again with all the proper permits, etc. This all took significant time and obviously was a great expense to complete, and Mr. Winner was not really able to work as he had in the building during any of the construction. With some minor painting and bathroom remodeling, the work is now again complete. M. Winner has made a serious error in not renewing his license within the correct timing. I had given him the money to do so. Since I purchased the building I have essentially born all of the expenses and have received no rent or income from the building to date. I have also spent considerable efforts and funds to improve the building in appearance by clearing up the landscaping, repairing the parking lot, having new metal trim installed around the windows and doors as well as replacing most of the doors themselves and some of the siding, Anyone familiar with the efforts knows that there is a night and day difference in the building, both inside and out, and the grounds from the time I took over the responsibilities as owner. Mr. Winner and his family are still suffering economic problems and his only real hope for them is for him to be able to work again as he has, as there are few if any jobs available in our strained economic times. Without a business license he has no place to go and a compromised future for his family. I request that you review the above extenuating circumstances and waiver the license deadline for him or otherwise allow him to re- instate his business license and or make it possible for him to continue to work there. I will continue to try to help him get on his feet but he obviously needs the license to ever be able to get into a favorable economic situation again. As the building owner, I thought you may wish to know of my background, etc. In brief, I, am a Board Certified Prosthodontist; which is a specialty of dentistry. I am in private practice in Roseville. I am a Naval Officer; retired as a CAPTAIN; with thirty years of Naval Reserve service. I am also a former Clinic Director and Chairman of the Admissions Committee for the School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota, This brief background hopefully will help in understanding that I believe I have been and am a rospiinsible person who only has tried to act as a Samaritan to an individual and his family in their time of great need. Mr. Winner is a highly skilled and qualified mechanic with a national rating of Master and has other special training certificates related to his business. He has provided many 4