Warsaw Reviews Neighborhood Preservation, Rental Registration Draft Ordinance
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
The council reviewed the ordinance draft seeking to create a minimum housing standard ordinance that is fair to tenants, landlords and owner-occupied property owners. It was presented by Jeremy Skinner, city planner.
The program goals are to provide a service to the community’s residential tenants, maintain fairness and consistency among owners, perform inspections of units based on minimum housing standards, and determine frequency of inspections and fee schedules as permitted by Indiana.
Other goals are to create and address a database for use by the building, police and fire departments and write an ordinance for adoption into city municipal code.
It also will give the city a better idea of available housing, such as how many houses have been divided into apartments and a means to ensure safe and affordable housing for residents.
Property managers Bruce Woodward, Willard Brandt and Chad Zartman have been working with the city on the ordinance.
During Monday’s meeting Woodward said he supported the ordinance draft.
“By improving substandard housing and having an inspection process, the citizens of the community will become better educated and show more pride in their surrounding environments,” Woodward said.
Woodward said in the 1990 census more than 66 percent of the housing in Warsaw was rental dwellings.
“We look at the population growth of the community and the majority of the population in the city are rental dwellings and the majority of the population are tenants,” Woodward said.
Brandt, who also is a landlord, said there needs to be a list of people who operate properties in town.
Mike Brubaker, Warsaw fire chief, said the biggest concern is the safety of the occupants and that it is important to know the occupancy of structures.
“I’m concerned about at 3 o’ clock in the morning, when a farm house is divided into seven units and we get there and don’t know how many families are in there, we don’t know how many families to rescue,” Brubaker said.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said he has received calls from people who are not happy with their neighborhood’s rental properties, but they don’t know who owns the properties.
“My intent is this ordinance will define what we are looking for. It’s not our intention to add layers to what the state code says, but give more definition so the responsibility of the tenant and landlord are defined,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer said the city will continue to work toward a finalized ordinance.
Jeff Grose, councilman, said the community’s input will be important in developing it. He reminded the council when the city worked to update its sign ordinance, there was language that was not clear at first.
“We came up with a proposal that was less restrictive and easier to understand,” Grose said.
He said for landlords, tenants and the city the ordinance for the rental registration could be a progressive step in the right direction.
In other business, the council also approved a resolution designating Wildman Business Group, 800 S. Buffalo St., as an economic revitalization area. This will allow the business to apply for tax abatements on real and personal property.
The council at its July 7 meeting approved a declaratory resolution allowing for the advertisement of the public hearing Monday night.
The council Monday approved the confirming resolution for the ERA and the statement of benefits for real and personal property for a 10-year tax abatement on real and personal property.
The property was zoned commercial and was not included in the 1997 ERA resolution, requiring the city to declare the area as an ERA.
The council approved a resolution authorizing the clerk-treasurer to deposit, invest and reinvest funds in financial institutions designated as depositories.
Thallemer gave his condolences to Lynne Christiansen, clerk-treasurer, whose father passed away.[[In-content Ad]]
The council reviewed the ordinance draft seeking to create a minimum housing standard ordinance that is fair to tenants, landlords and owner-occupied property owners. It was presented by Jeremy Skinner, city planner.
The program goals are to provide a service to the community’s residential tenants, maintain fairness and consistency among owners, perform inspections of units based on minimum housing standards, and determine frequency of inspections and fee schedules as permitted by Indiana.
Other goals are to create and address a database for use by the building, police and fire departments and write an ordinance for adoption into city municipal code.
It also will give the city a better idea of available housing, such as how many houses have been divided into apartments and a means to ensure safe and affordable housing for residents.
Property managers Bruce Woodward, Willard Brandt and Chad Zartman have been working with the city on the ordinance.
During Monday’s meeting Woodward said he supported the ordinance draft.
“By improving substandard housing and having an inspection process, the citizens of the community will become better educated and show more pride in their surrounding environments,” Woodward said.
Woodward said in the 1990 census more than 66 percent of the housing in Warsaw was rental dwellings.
“We look at the population growth of the community and the majority of the population in the city are rental dwellings and the majority of the population are tenants,” Woodward said.
Brandt, who also is a landlord, said there needs to be a list of people who operate properties in town.
Mike Brubaker, Warsaw fire chief, said the biggest concern is the safety of the occupants and that it is important to know the occupancy of structures.
“I’m concerned about at 3 o’ clock in the morning, when a farm house is divided into seven units and we get there and don’t know how many families are in there, we don’t know how many families to rescue,” Brubaker said.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said he has received calls from people who are not happy with their neighborhood’s rental properties, but they don’t know who owns the properties.
“My intent is this ordinance will define what we are looking for. It’s not our intention to add layers to what the state code says, but give more definition so the responsibility of the tenant and landlord are defined,” Thallemer said.
Thallemer said the city will continue to work toward a finalized ordinance.
Jeff Grose, councilman, said the community’s input will be important in developing it. He reminded the council when the city worked to update its sign ordinance, there was language that was not clear at first.
“We came up with a proposal that was less restrictive and easier to understand,” Grose said.
He said for landlords, tenants and the city the ordinance for the rental registration could be a progressive step in the right direction.
In other business, the council also approved a resolution designating Wildman Business Group, 800 S. Buffalo St., as an economic revitalization area. This will allow the business to apply for tax abatements on real and personal property.
The council at its July 7 meeting approved a declaratory resolution allowing for the advertisement of the public hearing Monday night.
The council Monday approved the confirming resolution for the ERA and the statement of benefits for real and personal property for a 10-year tax abatement on real and personal property.
The property was zoned commercial and was not included in the 1997 ERA resolution, requiring the city to declare the area as an ERA.
The council approved a resolution authorizing the clerk-treasurer to deposit, invest and reinvest funds in financial institutions designated as depositories.
Thallemer gave his condolences to Lynne Christiansen, clerk-treasurer, whose father passed away.[[In-content Ad]]
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