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Regular City Council Meeting Monday, March 30, 2009 Page 2 a. Quarterly Housing & Redevelopment Authority (HRA) Report Community Development Director and HRA Executive Director Patrick Trudg- eon and HRA Chair Dean Maschka were present to provide the quarterly update from HRA, based on the HRA Strategic Plan, emphasizing a "Hand up, not a hand out." Written copies were provided as a bench handout. Discussion included the success of the recent Home and Garden Fair and rebrand- ing it into a "living smarter" theme emphasizing green practices and solutions; multi-family loan program; and role of the HRA in multi-family housing. Chair Maschka addressed a new HRA program for 2009 in assisting multi-family buildings that are older than 25 years, and criteria for such assistance; ongoing discussions of the HRA Board in an appropriate role for the HRA in assuring safe and affordable multi-family units within the community. Chair Maschka reported on a recent round table discussion he'd held with local multi-family managers, the School District, Northwest Youth and Family Services, and the Roseville Police Department to glean a better understanding of what was happening in the com- munity and impacts to multi-family housing in the community. Chair Maschka advised that further study would continue, but indications were that a significant problem was developing and required action. Chair Maschka opined that code enforcement to-date appeared to be working well. Chair Maschka further opined that further evaluation of housing in Roseville needed to be completed to deter- mine anappropriate mix based on current inventory and indicated trends for the future, with preliminary but serious consideration being given to recommending multi-family housing inspections, which may prove to be a controversial issue for the City Council to address cooperatively with the HRA. Executive Director Trudgeon advised that the HRA would continue to dialogue with the City Council on a monthly basis, in addition to their more formal quar- terly report. Discussion among Councilmembers, Executive Director Trudgeon and Chair Maschka included consideration of conduit bonding policies and standard criteria for any future Housing Improvement Area (HIA) bonding; other potential funding mechanisms that may make sense based on development of such a City Council policy; support of and recognition of the needs and benefit by the Multi-Family Housing Association of MN as an industry group for inspections of multi-family units as expressed during discussions with the Rental Housing Study Group; rami- fications and unintended consequences of such an inspection for the immigrant populaces; recent experience with the Centennial Gardens project and bond; and accuracy of the residential foreclosure trends from 2008 and 2009. Chair Maschka noted that the City's housing has held up surprisingly well through this economic situation; with Mayor Klausing noting that this may be due to the City not experiencing a dramatic upsurge in housing prices; outright and