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HRA Meeting
<br />Minutes –Tuesday, November 20, 2012
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<br />e one more step of ‘big daddy’ taking care of all the issues that private citizens can and should take care
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<br />of for themselves.”
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<br />Mr. Houck suggested that multi-tenant buildings should have their building standards clearly posted;
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<br />and if discrepancies are found in those buildings, it should be the responsibility of those tenants in their
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<br />own way to report it and take care of it. Mr. Houck opined that the government certainly didn’t need to
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<br />step into private homes and keep a watchful eye on everything going on around them. Mr. Houck
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<br />opined that some multi-unit buildings may need that kind of attention; however, he didn’t see a need for
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<br />government to be involved in people’s private lives and taking care of everything for them. Mr. Houck
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<br />further opined that society was already sodependent on government that they didn’t’ do anything for
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<br />themselves. Mr. Houck stated that the only rationale for considering this appeared to be because other
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<br />cities are doing it; and from his perspective, opined that this should be the last reason to do so. Mr.
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<br />Houck noted that Roseville was a leader and stood alone, and didn’t need to become a follower.
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<br />Mr. Houck, as a duplex owner (and occupying one of the units), advised that he didn’t need to be
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<br />inspected by the City. Mr. Houck stated that whilethere were different types of multi-living properties,
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<br />there needed to be different categories of licenses if this program was implemented. Mr. Houck opined
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<br />that this looked like a tax to him, and “guess who” paid for the inspections. Mr. Houck stated that
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<br />businesses don’t pay taxes, people do, and any inspection fee would increase their rents. Mr. Houck
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<br />noted that managing/owning rental properties was a competitive business, just like others, and they
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<br />didn’t’ need government adding more costs for renters to pay. Mr. Houck opined that it was frustrating
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<br />to see people in government decide to take action to protect people in their own environment whey they
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<br />should do so themselves. Mr. Houck further opined that, in this country, people had the freedom to take
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<br />care of their own doings.
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<br />While mentioned in his introductory statement, Mr. Trudgeon clarified that this program would
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<br />implemented, if that was the recommendation, for those rental properties of five (5) units or more; but
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<br />that duplexes, triplexes, quads, or single family rentals would be exempt. Mr. Trudgeon noted that
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<br />those smaller rentals would still need to register with the City, but no inspections were intended to be
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<br />associated with those smaller units.
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<br />Mr. Houck advised that he lived adjacent to several multi-family buildings, and when he observed an
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<br />issue, he called their management office to take care of it, which they typically did and took care of
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<br />their properties as necessary.
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<br />Don Brohman, Non-Roseville Resident owning/managing Roseville Multi-Tenant Properties
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<br />Mr. Brohman offered his credentials as a Certified property manager with the Association of Property
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<br />Management; member of the Multi-Family Housing Association for almost three (3) decades; former
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<br />(now retired) manager of housing for Washington County HRA for eight (8) years leaving those
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<br />properties better than he found them; and after his retirement in 2007 manager of other rental units,
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<br />including 150 units throughout the seven (7) metropolitan county area owned by the Metropolitan
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<br />Council. Mr. Brohman advised that, during that time, he had seen many changes, with something new
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<br />happening every day in the rental industry.
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<br />Mr. Brohman opined that, if a rental and housing license program was managed correctly, it could be a
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<br />good thing. However, Mr. Brohman advised that, as a rental property owner, he wanted to be treated
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<br />the same as any single-family home owner. Mr. Brohman noted that, as a multi-family rental property
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<br />owner, he paid significantly higher taxes due to those multipleunits, and if the City planned to inspect
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<br />those properties, they should also inspect single-family homes.
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<br />Mr. Brohman noted that, based on his experience, most landlords start out with good intentions, and
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<br />makesa sizable investment in their properties. Having done a lot of work, as a commercially property
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<br />receiver for the court system, Mr. Brohman noted the experiences faced by a number of multi-tenant
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<br />properties, as well as single-family homeowners, who had gotten under water on their properties in the
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<br />previous lending market. Mr. Brohman noted this had impacted mortgages across the board for housing
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