Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning & Development Services

TO:	David L. Corliss,  City Manager
FROM:	Planning & Development Services Staff
Date:	July 11, 2014
RE:	Rental Expansion Progress Report

This memo tracks the progress of implementing the new rental licensing and expansion program adopted via Ordinance 8840 on March 25, 2014 by the City Commission.

The program is to be implemented per the following general schedule.  Updates on implementing this schedule are noted in bold italics.

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.  The new program began as planned on July 1, 2014. On or about June 18^th owners, representing 234 RS zoned licenses scheduled to expire in July, were mailed the new application packet to begin transitioning current RS properties to the new program.  As of July 10, 2014, 43 licenses have been issued under the new program (11 to RM zoned properties and 32 to RS zoned properties) generating $782.00 in program revenue.

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.

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.  Both Administrative Assistant positions and two of the four inspector positions have been filled.  The remaining two inspector positions are planned to be filled near the end of 2014 to prepare for the 2015 non-RS inspection phase of the program.
• 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.  The software program has been built, tested and is in use for licensing and inspecting purposes.
• 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.  The policies and procedures have been developed and have been posted to http://www.lawrenceks.org/pds/rental-licensing.
• 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.  Three training seminars were completed with 60-80 people in attendance at each.  Several questions and comments during those meetings triggered the inclusion of several more questions on the FAQ document, which will be posted to the rental website when the revisions are completed.
• 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.  This memo constitutes the third progress report.
• 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 website has been populated with all current documents and training aids for landlords and tenants.  The website can be found at http://www.lawrenceks.org/pds/rental-licensing.
• The current RS program remains active during this time and will be helpful in training inspection staff.  Except for inspecting those units required to be inspected in June, the former program is no longer being implemented.

July 1 through end of 2014

• As 2015 nears/begins, the remaining two Code Enforcement Officers will be hired and trained to support the implementation of the non-RS inspections scheduled to begin in July 2015.
• Performance Reports – Monthly reports will be generated and submitted beginning in August 2014 to measure the performance of the program.  A complete report reflecting July will be submitted to the Commission in August.  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.