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EDA Item 7A <br />August 25, 2008 <br /> Page 2 of 4 <br /> <br />as Blaine, Minneapolis and St. Louis Park. These direct mail examples are <br />attached for your review. <br /> <br />Since the Spring of 2007, the number of vacant and foreclosed properties in the <br />City has been steadily increasing. Currently, there are 72 vacant and/or foreclosed <br />properties in Mounds View. Jeremiah and Justin Solberg have been continually <br />monitoring these properties. Their time, in addition to other costs associated with <br />foreclosures in Mounds View, are outlined in the following table: <br /> <br /> <br />City Service Cost to City <br />Foreclosure prevention training Two staff people = $150 <br />Staff’s monitoring of vacant and/or <br />foreclosed properties <br />Up to 12 hrs. staff time per week = $300 <br />(every week since Spring <br />2007=$18,000) <br />Initial long grass inspection & follow up ½ hour staff time per property x 12 <br />properties = $180 <br />Development & maintenance of <br />“Foreclosure Prevention” Webpage <br />8 hours staff time = $224 <br />Development of City newsletter articles & <br />cable billboard <br />3 hours staff time = $84 <br />Total to Date $18,638 <br /> <br /> <br />On a related note, Hanson’s General Lawn Care’s invoice to the City for services <br />on July 1, 2008, in the amount of $636.87, included 12 vacant and/or foreclosed <br />single family properties. Although Hanson’s costs are reimbursed to the City <br />through assessments, the initial long grass inspection & follow up are not <br />reimbursed. <br /> <br />City Benefit <br /> <br />It would cost the City $1,500 to complete a direct mail postcard outreach project. A <br />breakdown of those costs are listed below under “Staff Request”. The $1,500 <br />investment is minimal vs. the $18,000 worth of staff time devoted to the crisis since <br />Spring 2007. The benefit of additional outreach ensures that the City has used <br />each communication avenue currently available (Website & downloadable <br />brochure, newsletter, cable channel and direct mail postcard). It is the hope of <br />Jeremiah and myself to prevent one or more foreclosures through this mailing. <br /> <br />If the number of foreclosures and/or vacant properties decreases, Jeremiah will be <br />able to focus his efforts elsewhere, such as licensing rental dwellings and other <br />complaint-driven code enforcement matters. <br /> <br />