RE: [Mpls] Fire Department taking over housing inspections
Dennis I will not question your numbers, but do want to remind everyone that the moneys collected for the inspections department go into the cities general fund and then the city council dolls it back out to the inspections department to do its job. Inspections makes a lot more money for this city than it gets to run its departments. Ron Leurquin Nokomis East Dennis Writes: With a total city-wide population of under 400,000, I question your observation that there's well over 100,000 rental units in the city of Minneapolis. However, if your numbers are accurate, and each rental unit paid a platry $25/year licensing fee that means you generate $2,500,000 annually with which to operate the rental inspection prgram. That being said, stating that there's only about 25 licensing inspectors to handle that workload somehow doesn't make me feel any better, or less justified in feeling that we're both not looking after the best interests of our communities housing stock, or the renters on the lower-end of the rental market. As a matter of fact, I'd kind of liken it to telling everyone during their monday morning commute after a winter snowstorm that we only have enough plow trucks for half the roads. It doesn't make sense either. Dennis Plante Jordan _ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Fire Department taking over housing inspections
As a matter of fairness, I think all properties should be inspected, including owner occupied houses. Back when I did Mpls Truth in Housing and home buyer inspections in the 80's and 90's, I found many of the owner occupied housing in unlivable condition also, though not to the extent as a percentage as the rental properties. Steve Meldahl Jordan (work) - Original Message - From: Dennis Plante [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, August 01, 2003 11:11 AM Subject: Re: [Mpls] Fire Department taking over housing inspections A more relevant question to be asked - what neighborhood does city inspections even stay current with? There are numerous rental properties in the Jordan community alone that have been operating with provisional rental licenses (meaning they've never had an inspection to see if they were fit for habitation). Dennis Plante Jordan _ Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Fire Department taking over housing inspections
A more relevant question to be asked - what neighborhood does city inspections even stay current with? There are numerous rental properties in the Jordan community alone that have been operating with provisional rental licenses (meaning they've never had an inspection to see if they were fit for habitation). Dennis Plante Jordan _ Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Fire Department taking over housing inspections
In a message dated 8/1/2003 12:02:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: What part of Jordan do you live in where the inspectors, housing or fire, hit every house once a month? Front door, back door, makes no difference if nothing is done about the infractions. I can't speak for Anne's experience, but as for me, the inspectors have responded effectively every time I've called them. And, I've had orders written on my property; each time it was either justified or if not, corrections were made promptly when I asked. Dennis Plante wrote: A more relevant question to be asked - what neighborhood does city inspections even stay current with? There are numerous rental properties in the Jordan community alone that have been operating with provisional rental licenses (meaning they've never had an inspection to see if they were fit for habitation). Well, there's well over 100,000 rental units in the city, and there are about 25 licensing inspectors. There's more involved than just the inspection, especially if problems are found. And rental licensing is only one piece of the housing inspections program. So, it's going to take a while to get to every building, duplex, single home, etc. Plus, as I recall, the rental licensing program was on hold for a while due to a challenge to the program. In the meantime, the department responds daily to complaints about unsafe conditions, so it's not like Hell House is ignored. --M. G. Stinnett Jordan TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Fire Department taking over housing inspections
MG Writes: Well, there's well over 100,000 rental units in the city, and there are about 25 licensing inspectors. There's more involved than just the inspection, especially if problems are found. And rental licensing is only one piece of the housing inspections program. So, it's going to take a while to get to every building, duplex, single home, etc. Plus, as I recall, the rental licensing program was on hold for a while due to a challenge to the program. In the meantime, the department responds daily to complaints about unsafe conditions, so it's not like Hell House is ignored. Dennis Responds: With a total city-wide population of under 400,000, I question your observation that there's well over 100,000 rental units in the city of Minneapolis. However, if your numbers are accurate, and each rental unit paid a platry $25/year licensing fee that means you generate $2,500,000 annually with which to operate the rental inspection prgram. That being said, stating that there's only about 25 licensing inspectors to handle that workload somehow doesn't make me feel any better, or less justified in feeling that we're both not looking after the best interests of our communities housing stock, or the renters on the lower-end of the rental market. As a matter of fact, I'd kind of liken it to telling everyone during their monday morning commute after a winter snowstorm that we only have enough plow trucks for half the roads. It doesn't make sense either. Dennis Plante Jordan _ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Fire Department taking over housing inspections
In a message dated 7/30/2003 9:05:03 AM Eastern Standard Time, Mark Snyder [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Also mentioned is the idea of adding revenue to MFD by having firefighters conduct housing inspections on their downtime. Does anyone know more about how that might work? The idea is portrayed in the Rake feature as essentially a done deal. Does anyone know if that's the case? The way the mayor described it in the two public meetings on the upcoming budget, it is indeed a done deal. However, there is a lot going on that might undo it. What's happening is that the fire chief wants to rehire laid-off firefighters. The mayor said fine, as long as you find the money to do it. So Chief Forte has been looking at many different ways to put more money in the FD budget, as detailed in the Rake article. One way he (Forte) has lit upon is to have the FD do the environmental part of housing inspections. This work is mainly outside the home; it has to do with junk cars, tall grass and weeds, garbage/junk in the yard. The idea is that since the firefighters are already going about knocking on the doors with safety information, they can do the inspection at the same time. Of course, the firefighters get to each house in this manner about once every four years. The housing inspectors do it once a month. And how the firefighters can see the back of the property from the front door is not explained. What the mayor isn't saying is that in fact, the FD wants ALL of the housing inspections program. The idea is that they will be a great success with the environmental inspections, so they will be justified in taking over the whole program. That's over 50 FTE jobs, and the program is paid for by inspection fees, so it would be a nice chunk of revenue and manpower for the FD. Of course, the firefighters do not have the training, equipment or software to do the job. And, if an owner fails to complete the required items, the inspector can order the work done and assess the owner for the cost. However, by state law, only the inspections department, and inspectors with specified education and training, can assess. The mayor has pointed out that other FD's in the US do housing inspections. What the chief may not have told him was that those other departments do it with non-uniformed, full-time inspectors, not firefighters between calls. Chief Forte has also claimed that their own inspections program is much more efficient, since the rental licensing program is only about 60 percent complete right now, while the fire inspections are fully done. This is true; however, the firefighers only inspect the hallways and fire doors. The housing inspectors have to go into the units and inspect electrical, plumbing and mechanical areas as well as general structural areas. One is a walk-through and the other is thorough and complete. What of the wear and tear on (expensive!) fire trucks? I can't wait to see them try to get a hook and ladder truck down my alley. Then there are the court appearances housing inspectors have to do. Since the person who did the inspection has to appear in court if the owner challenges it, that means that a firefighter, plus the rest of his truck crew, have to go downtown. The trucks won't fit in the ramp under Government Center, so they have to park on the street, blocking traffic. And if a call comes in, off the firefighter goes--and I suspect the average overbooked judge is going to simply dismiss the case rather than try to reschedule. The mayor, understandably, is trying to rehire some of the laid-off people. And the fire chief is doing whatever he can to make it happen. But this is a bad idea, and it needs to be squashed. --M. G. Stinnett Jordan TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Fire Department taking over housing inspections
Of course, the firefighters get to each house in this manner about once every four years. The housing inspectors do it once a month. And how the firefighters can see the back of the property from the front door is not explained What part of Jordan do you live in where the inspectors, housing or fire, hit every house once a month? Front door, back door, makes no difference if nothing is done about the infractions. Anne McCandless Jordan TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
