Um, so everyone else should just pay for it? Do they think this stuff just happens for free? Who do they think paid for the software? George Hank from building inspection has said that they cannot charge a fee if they are not using it for this program and he feels the fee is necessary for follow up for those who do not comply with the on-line registration.
Check out their opposition to the fee. Perhaps they just want to keep the no fee, so there is no enforcement – so far, its been working. (By the way, they did used to enforce this in the 80s and I used to see the information posted in some buildings – before they were locked and I can’t really get into them as much any more.) The building inspection department is currently so far behind that annual inspections happen every 6 years, if that. So it makes sense they want to keep the status quo and have no enforcement. But I think tenants deserve better.
Madison City Council to Consider Landlord Recording Amendment
A proposed landlord recording ordinance is coming before the new Madison City Council and Mayor tomorrow night, April 19th.
This proposal amends current MGO 32.12(9)– which requires rental properties with 3 units or more to post owner contact information in or on the building–to now include an annual recording with the city of two owner contacts, contact information and establishes an annual housing fee, and penalty in the bail schedule.
While AASCW supports having up-to-date emergency contact information available for police, fire, building inspection, public health and city attorney for public safety reasons, we do not support creating an annual fee.
The existing ordinance has been in place since the 1970’s…and never enforced. Building Inspection states it has been too difficult to enforce checking to see if there is current owner contact information at a property every time an inspector visits a site… that while inspecting the property, calling the phone number to determine if it’s correct hasn’t happened. It’s amazing to hear this process as part of an on-site inspection to check for compliance and public safety has not been happening.
If current contact information isn’t posted at the property site, it violated city code and should have been written up over the past 35+ yrs. like any other building inspection issue with a warning to correct, and citation if compliance doesn’t happen. A significant penalty for non-compliance is warranted at this point.
So, decades after the ordinance could have significantly affected awareness and maintenance of current contact info at Madison’s apartment sites…an amendment has been proposed to increase the requirement to all private and non-profit rental housing, which AASCW supports; provide contact information to two rather than one contact, which AASCW supports; retain the existing requirement of onsite posting of contact information, which AASCW supports; and now add an annual per parcel ‘landlord recording’ fee on every private and non-profit rental housing property, which AASCW opposes; and lastly adds a requirement that landlords annually provide or update their contact information in a city database, which AASCW supports as a self-entry database (landlords could enter to update contact information or mark current information as remaining correct). The city has acquired the database software but has not implemented the self entry window for the landlords as of yet, after nearly two years of discussion.
While we support providing this information for public safety, we do not support creating annual fees that will increase the cost of housing. We question any fee to housing providers to have someone self report online or mail information that could be sent out with tax statements, mailed back with tax payments annually, when enforcement of the existing ordinance hasn’t been important enough to even attempt to carry out for approximately 35+ yrs? Is it important information? YES. Does it require an annual fee that will creep up, increasing the cost of housing in the city of Madison? NO. We have not seen evidence that an annual fee is necessary once a self-entry system is in place.
A proposed 5 yr. cap on the fee can be removed at any time, fee amended at any time, and current council really doesn’t have the ability to bind future council’s decisions as to fees…so the 5 yr. cap on this proposed fee should be of no comfort to tenants or landlords.
The link below opens a version attached to the council agenda, it’s not the most recent version. Hopefully the most recent version will be available at the council meeting tomorrow night for alders to see before discussing or voting.
Item # 73 on tomorrow night’s council agenda is an issue of concern in that AASCW recognizes and supports public safety agencies having up to date contact information for rental housing properties, but we have no choice but to oppose this amendment because we take issue with establishing housing fees that will creep up over time, particularly while enforcement has been absent on the original ordinance for decades and the IT capabilities of the process remain unclear yet?
If you wish to register your opposition or support for this ordinance, you may register at the city county building tomorrow evening, before 6:30 p.m. It is item # 73.
http://legistar.cityofmadison.com/detailreport/Reports/Temp/418201112254.pdf
I don’t know if they are pulling out the stops, or if there will just be the same three landlords showing up that show up for everything to oppose, but it will be interesting to see where the new council comes down on this. They vote on it tonight . . . unless they refer.
