11-07-1994 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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inspections of Multi-family dwelling units within the City. Currently there are 1389 multi-family units in 43 separate buildings throughout the City. Each year, the Building Inspector is able to inspect approximately 10% of the total units within the City. Based on the occupancy and condition of the unit, each inspection can take anywhere from 20 - 45 minutes. This time does not include the inspection of common areas in each building (i.e. laundry rooms, hallways, stairways, etc. ) . Each common area inspection can take anywhere from 20 minutes for the smaller buildings (duplexes, fourplexes) to 1 hour for the larger complexes. According to the Building Inspector, 65-70% of the inspections require a second inspection to verify required repairs and, 30-35% require a third inspection. The aforementioned duties of the Building Inspector are in addition to his main responsibility which is reviewing and inspecting construction projects within the City. It is estimated that the Building Inspector reviews and issues approximately 500 - 650 building, mechanical and plumbing permits each year. Although some project plans can be reviewed in a relatively short period of time, some projects (Business Park, Senior Housing) can take up to 40 hours to review. The devotion of a full-time Staff position to this activity will allow for more units to be inspected on a yearly basis and, consequently, they will remain in a better state of overall repair. Other Cities in the metro area (notably, Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center) have already begun a full-time inspection program for the Multi-family units and have noted a significant improvement in the overall conditions of the buildings. Both of those communities charge a fee for the yearly inspection of the property and all subsequent reinspections. Following the initial emphasis on rental properties and the implementation of the rehabilitation programs, it is anticipated that the Housing Inspector would be involved in a point-of-sale program in the future (1996 and beyond) . The point of sale program will allow the City a measure of control in the rehabilitation of housing stock by addressing building inadequacies at the time the property changes hands. Attached for your information is a memorandum from Housing Intern Jennifer Bergman outlining the programs which are available for housing rehabilitation. As stated earlier, the availability of these program funds and their specific uses will be elaborated upon further in the forthcoming Housing Stock Analysis Report.