2005-08-16_Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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Staff cautions the HRA and Council with relying solely upon fees to support the program for several reasons. A fee of $220 would need to be charged to cover a budget of $80,000 which is far above that of other communities surveyed. Also, there is a possibility, especially in the first year, that the collection of the fee will be slow. The first year of a new program will require a learning curve – whether it is implemented by new staff or through a contract. Addressing issues of high license fees above what other communities charge will likely hinder the implementation and inspection process. If after the first year, the charge can be justified, a fee increase could be evaluated and/or a larger penalty for non-compliance and reinspection could be evaluated. The goal of the program should ultimately be to improve the housing condition no matter who lives in the home. Working toward compliance without contention should be the goal. It is very likely that the license charge would be passed along to the renters who in many cases are lower-income families. 2006 Suggested Budget Amount: $80,000* * This amount could be reduced if contracting for the service is more economically feasible. Therefore, the suggested levy amount to support this program can be reduced prior to December 31, 2005 or the final levy date. Staff is suggesting that the HRA and Council take the next several months to evaluate the best program structure, cost to implement and level of fees. Demographic Studies/Marketing: 5. The HRA has conducted several studies such as the multi-family study and the neighborhood study over the past 2 years which has been instrumental in evaluating the effectiveness of existing programs and the need for new targeted programs. Annual or bi-annual updates to the data is the most cost effective method to keeping the studies current and useful. In addition, one of the most repeated requests of residents through the neighborhood meeting process is the need to provide more communication with new and current residents about code compliance and programs. The HRA has increased their marketing efforts in 2005 with the implementation of the Housing Link which has proven very successful. However, more is needed in a very consistent, deliberate and targeted method. Staff is suggesting that a marketing plan be developed and funded in 2006. To help pay for the cost of implementation, staff is suggesting that partnerships be evaluated and developed with local area realtors, banks and schools. 2006 Suggested Budget Amount: $15,000 Administration: 6. Currently the HRA funds 1/2 of City Professional Staff for the HRA Executive Director and ¼ of an Administrative staff for administrative support. The HRA Executive Director spends an estimated 670 hours (less Home & Garden) each year on the management of the programs, activities and services of the HRA. The administrative support staff spends an estimated 386 hours on HRA activities (less Home & Garden). This time allocation increased in 2005 over 2004 to reflect actual time spent. A slight inflationary