Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning & Development Services

TO:	David L. Corliss,  City Manager
FROM:	Planning & Development Services Staff
Date:	March 27, 2014
RE:	Rental Expansion

On March 25, 2014 the City Commission adopted Ordinance 8840 on first reading, creating a new rental licensing and inspection program that would be applied to all rental units in the city with certain exceptions.  The ordinance was adopted with revisions to the effective date of the ordinance for the RS and non-RS zoned properties.  The revision applies the program as follows:

1. July 1, 2014 - RS zoned properties will be required to be licensed and inspected according to the schedules contained in the ordinance and the Administrative Regulations.

2. January 1, 2015 - all other rental units, regardless of zoning district, will be required to be licensed according to the schedules contained in the ordinance and the Administrative Regulations.

3. July 1, 2015 – non-RS units will be required to be inspected according to the schedules contained in the ordinance and the Administrative Regulations.

Section 4 of the revised Ordinance No. 8840 (last page of ordinance) includes language as follows to implement the motion to adopt the ordinance:

SECTION 4. After passage, approval, and publication, as provided by law, this ordinance shall be in full force and effect in all RS zoned districts commencing July 1, 2014, and in all other zoning districts commencing January 1, 2015.

The direction to begin inspections for non-RS zoned properties is set forth in the revised  Administrative Regulations, which are approved by the City Commission as an associated document to the ordinance.

The following timeline will be used to implement the Commission’s direction to establish the new program.

April through June 2014

• Staffing – One Administrative Assistant and one Code Enforcement Officer (inspector) will be hired to transition to the new program for RS properties and receive their training.
• Data tracking software - Build and test the functionality of the Innoprise software system.  The software will need to be modified to track the elements of the new program.  Performance reports will be generated from data populated into this program after the program is implemented.
• Policy and Procedure Manual – As previously reported, the Administrative Regulations set forth the primary policies and procedures for the program; however, staff will generate a manual that addresses more specific items that staff is responsible to complete and submit that for the City Commission’s review prior to July 1, 2014.
• Landlord training education meetings – After the Policies and Procedures Manual is finalized, Staff will conduct several meetings with the landlord community to review the detailed practices of the program and respond to questions.  This is a vital component of the program as July 1 nears.
• Progress reports – during this time, Staff will submit reports to the Commission advising of the transitioning effort to the new program – status of website development, dates of landlord education meetings, etc.
• Website development and community outreach – Forms, regulations, policies, Q&As and other materials will be developed and published for the community to use as a resource for the program.
• The current RS program remains active during this time and will be helpful in training inspection staff.

July 1 through end of 2014

• As 2015 nears, a second Administrative Assistant and the remaining three Code Enforcement Officers will be hired and trained.
• Performance Reports – Monthly reports will be generated and submitted beginning in August 2014 to measure the performance of the program.  Data to be tracked for each month and year-to-date includes:

1. Number of units licensed.
2. Number of initial unit inspections.
3. Number of follow-up inspections.
4. Number of violations found in total and average number of violations per unit.
5. Total number of rental program violations found.
6. Total number of non-rental program violations found.
7. Number of violations corrected.
8. Number of violations not corrected and therefore needed to be further pursued.
9. Number of tenant and/or neighbor complaints received outside of required program inspections.
10. Number (or percentage) of required program dwelling unit inspections for which inspection consent was not voluntarily obtained.

• Educational mailer mailed on or about September 1 to all licensed properties advising of a website to obtain resources about the rental program.

January 1, 2015

• Implement the licensing of all other rental units in the city per the schedule outlined in the ordinance and Administrative Regulations.

January 2015

• Provide an annual report on the performance and costs of the new program.

July 1, 2015

• Begin inspecting all units per the schedule outlined in the Administrative Regulations.

Action Requested

Adopt revised Ordinance No. 8840 and the Administrative Regulations on second reading, if appropriate.