Does the City of Belle Plaine need a rental housing inspection program? Monday night, the Belle Plaine City Council considered that question and in the end, passed the first reading of an ordinance creating such a program, in the hope of creating some community discussion before any final passage.
The matter came before the council when a resident came to a meeting several months ago to complain about the condition of the house she was renting and the alleged conduct of her landlord. She brought photos of the interior of her home and said her landlord would not fix numerous problems. She subsequently moved out of the house and the landlord has since died. But Police Chief Kris Hudson told the council that his officers respond to calls to rental housing units for such things as domestic disputes, drug activity and other criminal complaints at a far greater rate than owner-occupied residences.
“We’ve needed a program like this for many years,” he said.
The council was presented with a 13-page ordinance and supporting material outlining inspection requirements, the cost of inspections to the landlord and penalties for not bringing any deficiencies up to at least a state-minimum building safety code.
While council members generally agreed with the chief’s assessment and that some rental properties are substandard, several wondered if the city was ready to deal with the possible consequences of the new ordinance.
“We need this, but we’re taking on a heck of a load here,” Councilman Harold Ealy said.
“If we pass this, we will need enforcement,” Mayor Jim Daily said.
City Administrator Bill Daily pointed out that many cities have adopted a similar ordinance or are discussing it.
Some councilmen said that Belle Plaine has many rental housing units at a lower rate than other area cities. They wondered if landlords were forced to make improvements to their units, how many would raise the rents and how many might simply abandon the homes.
In the end, the council voted to pass the first reading of the proposed ordinance, in the hope of getting some public input. The ordinance still must pass two more readings before becoming law. Meanwhile, a copy of the proposed ordinance is available for public review at City Hall. The resolution and ordinance are also posted on the city’s web site, on the left-hand side, under “Pages.”
The other item that drew considerable discussion was in regard to an outstanding water bill for property owned by Steve Carl at 903 Fourth Avenue. Carl was billed in excess of $1,100 for water and sewer, but he contends that the meter was faulty, no one was living in the house at the time and there was no way that much water could be used.
City officials tested the meter and determined that the reading was accurate. Carl appeared at Monday’s meeting to again ask that the city remove the assessment from his taxes. Councilman Marv DeRycke told him that the city had attempted to work with him and he had failed to respond to several inquiries.
“We made our decision and we’re done with this,” he said.
Carl, who presented an opinion from a meter designer that it was indeed faulty, told the council that his next recourse might be court action.
The council also decided to make a change in the closed alley situation to the west of Longfellow Elementary School. In an attempt to accommodate residents whose driveways join the alley, the council decided to move the “closed” sign to the north end, just south of the first home on the alley. This move will be reviewed once construction ends in the area.
In another matter regarding traffic in the Longfellow area, at the request of school officials, the council passed a resolution creating a loading and unloading zone in front of the school building. It will create a no parking zone on the south side of Seventh Street where four parking spaces now exist when school is in session. The resolution is temporary, until the building additions are complete.
During a work session prior to the regular meeting, Hudson reported that several parents in the Longfellow area had asked if the speed limit on Seventh Avenue could be reduced as a safety measure. Since the street is a state highway, any changes to the speed limit would be up to the Iowa Department of Transportation. Hudson said he had met with DOT representatives, who will conduct a speed survey in the area before making any changes. He estimated that the results of the survey and any changes could take six months or more.
The council passed several resolutions and approved payments regarding current and proposed building projects. It approved a resolution applying for a $250,000 grant from the Iowa Brownfield Redevelopment Program. If approved, the funds would go toward downtown redevelopment.
Payments were approved on the construction of the aquatics center. Mechanical, Inc. will receive $100,826.82. Garling Construction will receive $51,186 and Ricchio Inc. will receive $200,911. These are partial payments on the project and come from funds already allocated.
On a related aquatics center matter, the council approved an agreement with the Iowa Department of Economic Development accepting a $96,000 Community Attraction and Tourism Grant for the project.
Bill Daily reported that a lot of progress has been made on the aquatic center construction and he added that if the work continues at this rate, it is hoped the citizens will have a new attraction to try by the end of May, 2010.
The council heard a presentation from Jenn Ritch, Benton County Above the Influence Coalition of the Area Substance Abuse Council. She invited city officials to join a coalition with other community leaders, school officials, parents and students to combat drug and alcohol abuse through prevention and education. The group meets the third Thursday of each month, she said.
In other action, the council approved the renewal of the liquor, beer, wine and Sunday sales permits for Grieder Depot. Monica Eichhorn was appointed to the library board, replacing Bette Bevins. The next work session of the council was set for Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. at City Hall.
The council also discussed a request from the historical society for financial assistance in lighting the recently completed mural on the west wall of the museum. A decision was postponed until the group can make a request with definite cost estimates.