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HRA Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, January 17, 2012 Page 4 1 socio-economic situations of any of the four complexes, and attributed the two (2) more time- 2 consuming complexes for the Police Department to the lack of aggressive eviction of problem 3 tenants. 4 5 Roseville Fire Chief Tim O’Neill prefaced his comments from his frame of reference based on 6 twenty-three (23) years of experience with the Roseville Fire Department. Chief O’Neill 7 advised that the Fire Department had been inside all four (4) apartment complexes numerous 8 times, and noted the deterioration in the buildings that he and his fellow firefighters had 9 observed over that timeframe. Chief O’Neill noted that the Fire Department didn’t evaluate 10 the buildings on fire call volumes, but on the perspective of life safety and effects observed, 11 alluding to the need for implementation of a fire inspection program for multi-family buildings 12 that Fire Marshal Loftus would address during his portion of tonight’s discussion. 13 14 From a life safety perspective, Chief O’Neill advised that his department evaluated the 15 condition of a building, obvious deterioration in the structure itself, if the structure met fire and 16 building codes, quick fire suppression and responses available on-site, and occupancy loads; 17 and noted how those items had changed over the years, specifically in two (2) of the 18 complexes referenced by Chief Mathwig. Chief O’Neill also noted that the same number of 19 units was occupied more densely in population per unit, creating more risk to firefighters and 20 resident so those units and complexes. Chief O’Neill noted that, over the last five (5) years, 21 there had been an explosion of populations in multi-family units, opining that the economy had 22 something to do with it, as well as cultural aspects of some of the community’s diverse 23 population groups. 24 25 Discussion among HRA members and members of the panel included cultural and socio- 26 economic reasons for more people per unit; occupancy limits per square footage for bedroom 27 space, as well as limitations on unrelated persons per unit addressed in City Code, and some 28 lease agreements; occupancy per unit correlations with those complexes having effective 29 management on site to monitor occupancy levels per unit; and current lack of ability for staff 30 to verify and enforce occupancy compliance and reporting requirements without access to the 31 units and limited to exterior and common area inspections only. 32 33 Mr. Trudgeon advised that the City’s current ordinances were inadequate from an enforcement 34 perspective for staff and needed to be amended across the board, but how to do so the most 35 effectively remained in flux. 36 37 Roseville Fire Marshal John Loftus prefaced his comments from his frame of reference based 38 on twenty-two (22) years as a Fire Marshal, and concurred with previous comments. Marshal 39 Loftus noted that the multi-family complexes were new construction when he first came on 40 board, but now many of the units, if not the structures themselves,, should no longer be 41 considered fit for occupancy. Marshal Loftus concurred that it was professional management 42 on-site that kept the buildings on track; and while able to inspect common areas in those 43 buildings on an annual basis with the vast majority in good shape, there were some troubling 44 areas. However, Marshal Loftus noted that staff’s hands were tied, since they were not 45 authorized to inspect the units, nor were there financial and/or personnel resources available to 46 do so at this time, other than in those common areas; or could staff address occupant loads in 47 those units. At the request of Chair Maschka, Marshal Loftus defined common areas as the 48 hallways and gathering areas, mechanical and boiler rooms, heating plant, and alarm systems. 49 50 Building Code Enforcement Officer Don Munson noted the number of apartment buildings 51 located in Roseville, with the vast majority in good shape, and only a few in poor shape. Mr. 52 Munson advised that exterior inspection violations were similar across the city, typically 53 unlicensed vehicles, junk or debris on-site; and were typical of those buildings not well- 54 managed, creating building maintenance issues being observed at those same buildings, 55 varying in their severity depending on the upkeep of each specific building or complex. Mr.