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Roseville Finance Commission Agenda Item Page 5 of 8 Home Improvement Workshops In 2015 the HRA, with the support of the City Council, decided to move away from the Home and Garden Fair but continue the workshops that had been part of the fair. To that end, staff developed a workshop series in collaboration with the Ramsey County Library. In the Spring of 2016 and Fall of 2016 staff hosted 5 Ask the Expert resource topics and 2 workshop series. No other levy funds are set aside for this program but using staff time. Attachment E is a brief description and summary of each event. There are no funds budgeted for 2017 levy. Inspection and Abatement Initiatives Neighborhood Enhancement Program The Neighborhood Enhancement Program (NEP), first implemented in 2008, has been funded annually through the RHRA levy. The NEP is used to raise awareness of the importance of keeping homes in good repair in order to maintain the quality of neighborhoods and to protect property values. The program works like this: Each year City Code Compliance officers define the areas to be inspected then send out a letter telling property owners when someone from the City will be walking by their home making a visual inspection from the street to see if there are any apparent code violations. If violations are found (such as long grass or peeling paint), staff send a letter about the violation and work with the property owner to remedy the situation. The NEP has performed over 22,642 residential and commercial property inspections since 2008 and eliminated 90% of the noted violations. The program has received many supportive comments about its effectiveness and has been endorsed by the League of Women Voters. Attachment F provides the program outcomes since inception as well as the areas to be inspected in 2016. Levy funds of $54,585 are budgeted for 2017 for staffing, and overhead costs. Roseville Abatement Program* The Roseville Abatement Program was first funded by the RHRA levy in 2008 with $105,000, which is used on a revolving basis to pay the upfront cost to execute an abatement. The cost of the abatement is then put on the property owner’s tax bill and eventually paid back to the City by the property owner. Abatement is typically the final step in the code enforcement process. The process is begun when a suspected code violation is reported to a Code Enforcement Officer or is observed by staff. Staff then reviews the City’s records for the property and visits the site to determine whether the complaint is, in fact, a code violation. If a violation is documented, the property owner is notified in writing and given between 10 to 30 days (depending on type of violation) to correct the violation. The property is re-inspected after the appropriate time period and if the violation remains, the property owner is sent a second letter indicating that they have between 5 and 15 days to address the violation. If after the second re-inspection the code violation still exists, the property owner is given notice that the violation will be presented to the City Council to determine if abatement of the property is warranted. Attachment G provides a list of the abatements performed in 2016.