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DRAFT Regular City Council Meeting Monday, March 30, 2009 Page 2 1 a. Quarterly Housing & Redevelopment Authority (HRA) Report 2 Community Development Director and HRA Executive Director Patrick Trudg- 3 eon and HRA Chair Dean Maschka were present to provide the quarterly update 4 from HRA, based on the HRA Strategic Plan, emphasizing a "Hand up, not a 5 hand out." Written copies were provided as a bench handout. 6 7 Discussion included the success of the recent Home and Garden Fair and rebrand- 8 ing it into a "living smarter" theme emphasizing green practices and solutions; 9 multi-family loan program; and role of the HRA in multi-family housing. 10 11 Chair Maschka addressed a new HRA program for 2009 in assisting multi-family 12 buildings that are older than 25 .years, and criteria for such assistance; ongoing 13 discussions of the HRA Board in an appropriate role for the HRA in assuring safe 14 and affordable multi-family units within the community. Chair Maschka reported 15 on a recent round table discussion he'd held with local multi-family managers, the 16 School District, Northwest Youth and Family Services, and the Roseville Police 17 Department to glean a better understanding of what was happening in the com- 18 munity and impacts to multi-family housing in the community. Chair Maschka 19 advised that further study would continue, but indications were that a significant 20 problem was developing and required action. Chair Maschka opined that code 21 enforcement to-date appeared to be working well. Chair Maschka further opined 22 that further evaluation of housing in Roseville needed to be completed to deter- 23 mine an appropriate mix based on current inventory and indicated trends for the 24 ~ future, with preliminary but serious consideration being given to recommending 25 multi-family housing inspections, which may prove to be a controversial issue for 26 the City Council to address cooperatively with the HRA. 27 28 Executive Director Trudgeon advised that the HRA would continue to dialogue 29 with the City Council on a monthly basis, in addition to their more formal quar- 30 terly report. 31 32 Discussion among Councilmembers, Executive Director Trudgeon and Chair 33 Maschka included consideration of conduit reusing- bonding policies and stan- 34 dard criteria for any future be~i~g~Housing Improvement Area (HIA) ee~r- 35 bonding; other potential funding mechanisms that may make sense based on 36 development of such a City Council policy; support of and recognition of the 37 needs and benefit by the Multi-Family Housing Association of MN as an industry 38 group for inspections of multi-family units as expressed during discussions with 39 the Rental Housing Study Group; ramifications and unintended consequences of 40 such an inspection for the immigrant populaces; recent experience with the Cen- 41 tennial Gardens project and bond; and accuracy of the residential foreclosure 42 trends from 2008 and 2009. 43 44 Chair Maschka noted that the City's housing has held up surprisingly well 45 through this economic situation; with Mayor Klausing noting that this may be due