2000 AGN FEB 08 I01 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting February 8, 2000 Page 2 In response to your question regarding the status of the Rental Housing Inspection Program, please be informed that in December of 1998, staff was prepared to present to Council a proposed "Rental Housing Registration and Inspection Program". The proposed Rental Housing Registration and Inspection Program was in response to Council and, as you may recall, public concerns of deteriorating rental housing conditions throughout the City. Staff had prepared a draft Ordinance as a result of a workshop session with Council. I had determined at that time that approximately 75% of all complaints responded to by the Code Enforcement Division were due to substandard housing throughout the City. The proposed program would have required that all residential rental properties within the City be inspected on an annual basis to determine compliance with minimum housing and property maintenance standards. The inspections were proposed to be limited to the exterior on the rental unit only. Inspectors would only make an interior inspection at the request of the tenant, or if they had reason to believe an interior violation existed. The significant component of the proposed program was the incorporation of Revenue and Tax Code Sections that allowed the Franchise Tax Board to deny state income tax deductions to property owners who failed to bring substandard residential properties into compliance with applicable Housing Codes. After not being considered by the Council, the proposed program was reviewed by an ad-hoc committee comprised of three Council members and myself. After two meetings, the committee decided not to consider the proposed program as proposed. After the Code Enforcement Division was transferred to the Police Department, at a meeting held in the Council Chambers on September 9, 1999, to discuss the Berkeley Court area, after a brief discussion of the proposed inspection program Mr. Marco Martinez of Best Best & Krieger informed staff that he would review the program. Since then, staff has not heard back from Best Best & Krieger regarding this matter. Mr. Martinez has been provided with and is currently reviewing both the revised Sign Ordinance and the Rental Housing Inspection Program. Staff has stressed to Best Best & Krieger the Council's interest in the proposed sign ordinance amendments so that it may be considered either on the March 21, 2000 meeting or shortly thereafter.