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Meeting date: June 5, 2006 p. 2 of 3 <br />Maintenance Code, but to send the Rental Housing Licensing Ordinance back to the <br />HRA for a second hearing. The outcome of the second hearing resulted in the <br />creation of the Citizen Advisory Group to l ook into the issues asso ciated with rental <br />housing in Roseville and to make reasona ble recommendations to address areas of <br />concern. <br /> <br />General Discussion <br />The group then engaged in a general discussi on about the proposed ordinance and other <br />cities’ ordinances/programs that were used as models or reference when the Roseville <br />draft ordinance was written. They also di scussed issues about the proposed ordinance <br />that emerged during the public hearings. Key themes or topics that emerged during this <br />discussion follow. Themes or topi cs are not in priority order. <br />1. The number of complaints, especially a bout overcrowding, needs to be taken in <br />relation to the staff-estimated number of re ntal properties. A new licensing program <br />may be more than what is need ed to address the problems. <br />2. A licensing program should not be punitiv e to those property owners who are <br />abiding by the laws and maintaining their properties. <br />3. Any code enforcement program should appl y to both owner-occupied and rental <br />programs. <br />4. Any licensing program should also apply to all types of rental properties. <br />5. There are ways to structure a program so it has incentives or is a reward-based <br />program. Burnsville’s program was used an example. Incentives might include: <br />reduce the annual licensing f ee if there are no problems; promote “Gold Star <br />Properties” on the city web site; waiv ing the annual inspection or conducting <br />inspections on a 2 or 3 year basis; if th ere are no complaints about the property. <br />6. The City could help create and support a Rental Property Owners Coalition that <br />would be educational and provide good access to city staff. <br />7. Large apartment complexes are not the focus of this program because there are <br />mechanisms or other state or federal pr ograms in place that provide for regular <br />inspections. In addition the police and othe r enforcement entities know the individual <br />property managers and can work with them directly on complaints they receive. <br />8. The character of Roseville and its demogr aphics are changing. There is a trend <br />toward larger families, and there are more senior citizens who rely on their property <br />as part of their financial plan for retirement. <br />9. The license fee structure would be set a nnually and this allows the landlord few <br />protections against rising costs. The pr oposed program is also partially public <br />supported and a political decision to cha nge the public commitment to the program <br />could result in a greater burde n of the program costs to be passed on to the property <br />owner. <br /> <br />Individual Study Interests and Issues of Concern <br /> Members were asked to identify their i ndividual concerns or issues that they <br />would like to explore or that they bring to th e process. They are summarized below in no <br />particular order.