HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003 02-18 HCA AGENDA
Brooklyn Center Housing Commission
February 18, 2003
7 p.m.
Council/Commission Room
Brooklyn Center City Hall
1. Call to Order: 7 p.m.
2. Roll Call
3. Approval of Agenda
4. Approval of Minutes January 21, 2003
5. Chairperson's Report
6. Review Revised Draft of Rental Licensing Ordinance
7. Discussion: Joint Meeting with City Council
Note: Agenda Item Requested by Councilmember Carmody
8. Other Business
9. Adjournment: 8:30 p.m.
MEMOR.ANDUM
TO: Chairperson Mark Yelich and Housing Commission Members
FROM: Tom Bublitz, Community Development Specialist �I�
1�
DATE: February 13, 2003
SLTBJECT: Revised Draft of Rental Licensing Ordinance
A revised draft of an ordinance pertaining to the licensing of rental units in the City of Brooklyn
Center is included in your agenda packets. The revisions include:
Establishes over one call for service per unit per year as provisional license activation
point.
Calls for service are counted for a one year period prior to license renewal.
Specific statute and ordinance references are included in the draft ordinance which wil�
be used to establish calls for service counts.
Tenant background check language has been added.
The language relative to the license period remains at two years in the draft ordinance.
Staff is still reviewing the feasibility of reducing this to a one year license renewal as
recommended by the Housing Commission. Staff will report verbally on this item at the
meeting.
Chairperson Yelich requested information relative to ownership of apartments in the city.
Enclosed is a copy of the city's current Apartment Directory, which shows ownership of
apariment complexes with four or more units.
DR CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER ��T
Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on the day of I
,'2003, at 7:U0 p.m. at City Hall, 6301 Shingle Creek Parkway, to
consider
Auxiliary aids for handicapped persons are available upon request at least 96 hours in
advance. Ple�se notify the personnel coordinator at 612-569-3303 to make arrangements.
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO THE LICENSING OF
RENTAL ITNITS IN THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER DOES ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 12 is hereby amended to add new section 12-900 as follows:
Section 12-900. PURPQSE. It is the nurpose of this section to assure that rental housin�
in the citv is decent, safe and sanitarv and is so onerated and maintained as not to become
a nuisance to the nei�hborhood or to become an influence that fosters bliQht and
deterioration or creates a disincentive to reinvestment in the communitv. The oneration
of rental residential nronerties is a business enternrise that entails certain resnonsibilities.
Onerators are resnonsible to take such reasonable steros as are necessarv to assure that the
citizens of the citv who occunv such units mav nursue the auiet eniovment of the normal
activities of life in surroundin�s that are: safe. secure and sanitarv: free from noise.
nuisances or annovances: free from unreasonable fears about safetv of nersons and
securitv of nrobertv; and suitable for raising children.
Section 2. Section 12-901 of Chapter 12 is hereby amended as follows:
Section 12-901. LICENSING OF RENTAL iJNITS.
1. License Reauired. No person shall operate a rental dwelling without first
having obtained a license to do so from the City of Brooklyn Center as
hereinafter provided. There shall be two twes of licenses: re�ular and
nrovisional. [Each such operating license shall be issued biennially and shall
expire on the anniversary date of issuance.] Provisional licenses are defined
in Section 12-912.
2. License Term. Re�ular licenses will be issued for a neriod of two vears.
Provisional licenses will be issued for a veriod of six months.
3. License Renewal. License renewals shall be filed at least 90 days prior to
license expiration date. Within two weeks of receipt of a complete application
and of the license fee required by Section 12-902, the Compliance Official
shall schedule an inspection. No application for an initial or renewal license
shall be submitted to the city council until the Compliance Official has
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determined that all life, health safety violations or discrepancies have been
corrected.
Section 3. Section 12-914 of Cha ter 12 is hereb amended as follows:
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Section 12-910. LICENSE SUSPENSION'[OR], REVOCATION. DENIAL AND NON-
RENEWAL.
l. Every operating license issued under the provisions of this Chapter is subject
to suspension or revocation by the City Council.
2. In the event tkat an operating license is suspended or revoked by the City
Council, it shall be unlawful for the owner or the owner's duly authorized
agent to thereafter permit any new occupancies of vacant or thereafter vacated
rental units until such time as a valid operating license may be restored by the
City Council.
3. Any person violating this section sh�ll be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon
conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand
dollars ($1,000) or by iznprisonment not to exceed ninety (90) days or both,
together with costs of prosecution. Each day of each violation shall constitute
a separate punishable offense.
4. The Council may revoke, suspend or decline to renew any .license issued
under this Chapter upon any of the following grounds:
a. false statements on any application or other information or
report required by this Chapter to be given by the applicant
or licensee.
b. failwe to pay any application, penalty, reinspection or
reinstatement fee required by this Chapter and City Council
resolution.
c. failure to correct deficiencies noted in notices of violation
in the time specified in the notice.
d. [any other violation of this Chapter.] failure to comnlv with
the nrovisions of an annroved mitieation nlan in the case of
provisional licenses.
e. failure to operate or maintain the licensed premises in
conformity with `all applicable state laws and codes and this
Code of Ordinances.
f. anv other violation of this Chanter.
[2.] 5: Revocation, suspension and non-renewal may be brought under
either this Section or Section 12-911, or both.
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[3.] 6. A decision to revoke, suspend, deny or not renew a license shall be
preceded by written notice to the applicant or licensee of the
alleged grounds therefor and the applicant or licensee will be given
an opportunity for a hearing before the City Council before fiiial
action to revoke, suspend, deny or not renew a license. The
Council shall give due regard to the frequency and seriousness of
violations, the ease with which such violations could have been
cured or avoided and good faith efforts to comply and shall issue a
decision to deny, not renew, suspend or revoke a license only upon
written findings.
[4.] 7. The Council may suspend or revoke a license or not rene�v a
license for part or all of a facility.
[5 8. Licenses may be suspended for up to ninety (90) days and may,
after the period of suspension, be reinstated subject to compliance
with this Chapter and any conditions imposed by the City Council
at the time of suspension. Licenses that aze revoked will not be
reinstated until the owner has applied for and secured a new
license and complied with all conditions imposed at the time of
revoeation. Upon a decision to revoke. denv or not renew a license,
no new application for the same facility will be accepted for the
period of time specified in the Council's written decision, which
shall not exceed one year. All new applications must be
accompanied by a reinstatement fee, as specified by Council
resolution, in addition to all other fees required by this Chapter.
[6.] 9. A written decision to revoke, suspend; deny or not renew a license
or application shall specify the part or parts of the facility to which
it applies. Thereafter, and until a license is reissued or reinstated,
no rental units becoming vacant in such part or parts of the facility
may be relet or occupied. Revocation, suspension or non-renewal
of a license shall not excuse the owner from compliance with all
terms of state laws and codes and this Chapter for as long as any
units in the facility are occupied. Failure to comply with all terms
of this Chapter during the term of revocation, suspension or non-
renewal is a misdemeanor and grounds for extension of the term of
such revocation or suspension or continuation of non-renewal, or
for a decision not to reinstate the license, notwithstanding any
limitations on the period of suspension, revocation _or non-renewal
specified in the City Council's written decision or in paragraph 8.
of this Section.
Section 4. Chapter 12 is hereby amended to add new section 12-912 as follows:
Section 12-912. PROVISIONAL LICENSES.
1. Licensed multinle dwellin�s, with four or more units, that have
�enerated an avera�e of over one nolice or fire calls uer dwelline
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unit in a precedin� one vear neriod as snecified below are eli�ible
onlv for vrovisional licenses. Pronerties with nrovisional licenses
mav aualifv for a re�ular license onlv after a one vear neriod with
one ar fewer nolice or fire calis ner dwellin� unit.
a. Police and fire calls that are counted in determining
whether a nrovisional license is reauired include the
followin� tvnes of calls or events:
�i,� calls or events listed in Section 12-911:
ii calls or events categorized as nart one crimes in the
Uniform Crime Renortin� Svstem, includin� homicide.
rape, robberv, a��ravated assault, bur�larv, theft, auto theft
and arson;
(iii) calls or events cate�orized bv the nolice denartment
as one of the following:
a) Fireanns (1Vlinn Stat. 609.66 609.671
b) Weanons/dan�erous weanons (Minn Stat.
609.02 subd.6 609.661 Citv Ordinance 19-
402
c) Dru� naranhernalia (Minn Stat. 152.0921
d) Loud nersons Citv Ordinance 19-1201
e) Gamblin� (Minn Stat. 609.755 609.761
fl Loud narties Citv Ordinance 19-1201
g) Prostitution (Minn Stat. 609.3211
h) Noise cars/does Citv Ordinance 1-110-
horns/radios Citv Ordinance 19-
1201,02.03
i) Fi�hts Citv Ordinance 19-203
j) Drueslnarcotics andlor narcotic nrecursors
(Minn Stat. 152.01 subd. 4??l
k) Allowine curfew/status offenses/undera�e
drinkin� Citv Ordinance 19-301.19-304
1) Disorderlv conduct (Minn Stat. 609.721
m) Pronertv damage Citv Ordinance 19-211
n) Assaults Sth de�ree non-domestic Citv
Ordinance 19-204
o) Public disturbance Citv Ordinance 19-202
p) Fire alarms Citv Ordinance 5-112
c� Interference with a neace officer (Minn Stat.
609.501
r) Unlawful assemblv (Minn Stat. 609.7051
Citv Ordinance 19-1105
s) Presence at unlawful assemblv (Minn Stat.
609:1751
t) Terrorist threats (Minn Stat: b09.7131
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u) Loitering Citv Ordinance 19-201
(iv) The Citv Manaeer mav determine that multinle
incidents shall be counted as a sinele call in annronriate
cases.
b. Calls will not be counted for nurooses of determinin�,
whether a provisional license is reauired where the victim
and sust�ect are "Familv or household members" as defined
in the Domestic Abuse Act, Minnesota Statutes. Section
518B.01'. Subd. 2(bl and where there is a renort of
"Domestic Abuse" as defined in the Domestic Abuse Act,
Minnesota Statutes. Section 518B.01, Subd. 2(a).
c. The neriod of time used to determine whether a urovisional
license is reauired is the twelve month neriod endine two
months before the commencement of the license term.
d. The Citv will provide bv mail to each licensee a monthlv
rebort of calls described in nara�ranh (11(al above.
2. The annlicant far a nrovisional license must submit for Council
review a mitigation nlan for the license neriod. The miti�ation
nlan shall describe stens roronosed bv the annlicant to reduce the
number of t�olice and fire ealls described in oaxasranh (11 (al to a
level that aualifies for a reQUlar license. The miti�ation nlan mav
include such stens as: chan�es in tenant screenin� urocedures,
chanses in lease terms. securitv measures, rules and reQUlations for
tenant conduct. and securitv nersonnel.
3. The application with a nronosed mitieation nlan will be nresented
to the Citv Council to�ether with a recommendation bv the �itv
Mana�er or the Manaeer's desisnee as to the disnosition thereof.
After �ivin� the annlicant an onnortunitv to be heard and nresent
evidence, the Council shall annrove. disannrove. or annrove with
conditions the annlication and the mitisation nlan. If the Council
disanuro�es an annlication and miti�ation nlan or annroves it with
conditions, it shall state its reasons for so doin� in writin�. In
evaluating a miti�ation nlan. the Council will consider, amon�
other thin�s, the facilitv, its manaeement nractices, the nature and
seriousness of causes for nolice and fire calls and the exnected
effectiveness of ineasures identified in the vlan to reduce the
number of nolice and fire calls. In evaluatin� a mitieation nlan
submitted bv an annlicant alreadv under a nrovisional license, the
Council wili also consider the effectiveness of ineasures identified
in the anplicant's nrevious miti�ation nlan and the need for
different or additional measures to reduce uolice and fire calis.
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4. The licensee shall comvlv with the miti�ation nlan as annroved or
modified bv the Council. No later than the tenth dav after each
calendar month, the licensee shall mail or deliver to the City
Manaser a written renort describin� all stens taken in furtherance
of the mitieation ulan durin� the nrecedine month.
Section 5. Chanter 12 is herebv amended to add new section 12-913 as follows:
Section 12-913. TENANT BACKGROLTND CHECKS.
1. All licensees will conduct criminal background checks on all orospective
tenants. The criminal back�round check must include the followin�:
(a) A statewide (Minnesotal criminal historv check of all prosnective
tenants coverin� at least the lasf three vears: the check must be
done "in nerson" or bv utilizin� the most recent undate of the state
criminal historv files;
(b) A statewide criminal historv check from the nrosnective tenant's
nrevious state of residence if the tenant is movine directiv from the
nrevious state;
(c) A criminal historv check of anv nrosnective tenant in their nrevious
states of residence coverin� the last three vears if thev have not
resided in Minnesota for three vears or lon�er;
(d) A criminal historv check of anv nrosnective tenant must be
conducted in all seven counties in the metro Twin Citu area
coverin� at least the last three vears includin� all misdemeanor,.
sross misdemeanor. and felonv convictions.
2. This ordinance shall beeome effective after adoption and upon thirty (30)
days following its legal publication.
Adopted this day of 200_.
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
Date. of Publicationc i
Effectiee Date:
(Underline indicates new matter; brackets indicate matter to be deleted.)
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