Legislative Hearings

15 West Kellogg Blvd. City of Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN 55102 Minutes - Final Legislative Hearings Marcia Moermond, Legislative Hearing Officer Mai Vang, Hearing Coordinator Jean Birkholz, Hearing Secretary legislativehearings@ci.stpaul.mn.us 651-266-8585 Tuesday, November 17, 2015 9:00 AM Room 330 City Hall & Court House 9:00 a.m. Hearings Special Tax Assessments 1 RLH TA 15-559 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 989 BEECH STREET (File No. CRT1603, Assessment No. 168202). Sponsors: Finney Le Moua appeared representing Naocha Investments LLC, owner. Ms. Moermond: -this is a Fire Certificate of Occupancy bill; invoices were sent a couple of times -there are a few appointments and 4 inspections listed -looks like it started in Jan and finished in Jun Ms. Moua: -doesn't know the whole story but the owner bought this property and was trying to get this property ready for inspections -she does not know the closing date of purchase -going forward, the accountant made a payment in Sep; the check was sent but they don't know why the city didn't cash the check (scanned) -when we received this Notice that they didn't get the payment, we sent another check Ms. Moermond: -we have a change in ownership and we have some payments having been made; we will take careful, explicit notes of this hearing today and get this sorted out -we definitely need that closing date of purchase; that tells her more about accountability and will give you information to approach the previous owner if this is the previous owner's responsibility; we could put together some documentation that would help you talk with them about paying up -looks as though the inspector was out there Jan 26, Feb 12, Mar 27 and Jun 8, 2015 Ms. Moua: -we made a payment; check was cleared Nov 13, 2015 Ms. Moermond: Forthcoming. City of Saint Paul Page 1 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 2 RLH TA 15-562 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1034 BEECH STREET (File No. J1603E, Assessment No. 168302). Sponsors: Finney Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 3 RLH TA 15-563 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 235 CHARLES AVENUE (File No. J1603E, Assessment No. 168302). Sponsors: Thao Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 4 RLH TA 15-519 Deleting the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 963 CONWAY STREET (File No. J1601B, Assessment No. 168100). Sponsors: Finney Acey Dodd, owner, and his brother, Clifford Dodd appeared. Inspector Joe Yannarelly, Vacant Buildings: -boarding -Police Report: SPPD broke in a little after 5:30 to check on the status of someone; no one was in the house; they called Respro to do an emergency boarding at 6:30 pm for a cost of $273.90 + $160 service charge = $433.90 Mr. Clifford Dodd: -his brother, Acey, was in the hospital (has records) -someone came out of concern and broke into his home; we appreciate that; but, maybe a phone call to the hospital would have been all that was needed -he has been in and out of the hospital and nursing home, staying with him -Acey shouldn't be charged -Acey owns the house and lives there; he pays all his bills -now, things have changed and right now, he lives with me -Acey had a stroke 15 years ago -the cops came in earnest; the neighbors were concerned; they called the cops to check on him Ms. Moermond: -this is an exceptional circumstance -will recommend deletion Delete the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 1/6/2016 5 RLH TA 15-564 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 430 EDMUND AVENUE (File No. J1603E, Assessment No. 168302). City of Saint Paul Page 2 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 Sponsors: Thao Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 6 RLH TA 15-570 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 790-794 FRANK STREET (File No. J1603E, Assessment No. 168302). Sponsors: Bostrom Moshe Vorotinov, owner, appeared. Inspector Paula Seeley: -Summary Abatement Order issued Jul 9 for tall grass & weeds; compliance Jul 13; re-checked Jul 17 -work crew went out Jul 20; work had been done by owner, which generated a PAEC -cost: $120 + $35 service charge = $155 Mr. Vorotinov: -he is new to this situation; bought house on auction; has no experience -has 4 kids; he missed the paperwork; when he received it, he cut the grass; he noticed the rental property next to me was in an unkempt condition; seems that people from that side of the property were throwing things onto my side or there's a tire shop down the block and we found new tires laying near the garage -is asking for consideration of the situation -he has been out of town; had surgery 1 1/2 weeks ago; cannot lift things -don't have much money Ms. Moermond: -what are you going to do with the property? Mr. Vorotinov: -for now, just maintaining it; maybe his son with help him with construction work - build things -he has construction license -he tries to keep up with things Ms. Seeley: -she knows this property very well -we've gotten a lot of snow complaints but he's always taken care of it -there are 2 lots and there is illegal dumping; 794 Frank is close to the alley and people do dump on it Ms. Moermond: -would like to see the VIDEO because there's such a long time period... -original Order went out Jul 9; crew didn't go out until Jul 20 - so, is this the same situation or was there mowing in the middle... was there a lot of rain (?) too many question Ms. Seeley: -it's a PAEC and we don't do VIDEOs for that -we have a photo for only "before" Ms. Moermond: -such a long time period; 11 days - summertime with lots of rain (?) City of Saint Paul Page 3 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 Mr. Vorotinov: -he was surprised by the intensity of the paperwork; he took pictures, too - before and after -dealing with the City of Mpls - they are more "chilled" - he never had this Ms. Moermond: -it sounds like you are getting Orders on things before you do them; let's switch that around - take care of business before we have to send you a letter; we shouldn't have to send you a letter to take care of the snow or the grass -she will do a 4-month Layover at CCPH -if you don't get any Orders to take care of business between now and May, 2016, she will recommend deleting this assessment No violations through May 2016, will delete the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 7 RLH TA 15-561 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 908 MARGARET STREET (File No. J1603E, Assessment No. 168302). Sponsors: Finney Charles Stringer, owner, appeared. Inspector Paula Seeley: -Excessive Consumption fee for failure to maintain exterior property -cost: $120 + $35 = $155 (trip charge) -Summary Abatement Order issued Jul 8, 2015; compliance Jul 12; re-checked Jul 13 -bold letters: remove all garbage bags from the alley area -when the Parks crew arrived, the work had been done by owner -sent to Charles Stringer, 908 Margaret St; and Occupant at 910 Margaret St -has had no history this year; had one in 2013 and 2014 Mr. Stringer: -he was there -he had rotator cuff surgery and couldn't get the work done on time -there was just 1 bag of leaves -it's a duplex, he owns it and has lived there nearly 30 years -tenants are moving in and out Ms. Moermond: -City Council Public Hearing Jan 20, 2016 -if there are no Orders between now and then, she will recommend deleting this assessment If owner has no violation(s) between now and public hearing date, January 20, 2016, the fee will be deleted. Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 8 RLH TA 15-557 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1627 MINNEHAHA AVENUE EAST (File No. J1603E, Assessment No. 168302). Sponsors: Finney City of Saint Paul Page 4 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 Alan Gear, owner, appeared. Inspector Paula Seeley: -Excessive Consumption fee for failure to remove debris by compliance date -cost: $120 + $35 service charge = $155 (PAEC) -Summary Abatement Order mailed Jun 25, 2015; compliance Jun 30; re-checked Jun 30 -bold letters: remove debris from alley including a bike and paint cans -sent to Alan Gear, 901 1st St E, Hastings MN; and Occupant -no returned mail -work was done by owner -history: 4-10-15 SA on debris in yard; also done by owner Mr. Gear: -he received 1 Notice; the other one that she says I received, I did not receive -he received a bill from DSI for $196 on a different property; obviously, they have my address; I was here 2 months ago for something else -I'm an epileptic, so my brain is a little slower; you'll have to excuse me for that -it was his understanding, either thru you or Ms. Seeley, it was in reference to a meeting either Jul 7, 2015 or Sep 1, 2015 but he needs audible tapes from you for that last meeting that we will have to talk about because it has to do with the final outcome Ms. Moermond: -explained Excessive Consumption fees: it's a follow-up for the SA because when the inspector went to check to see if the work had been done on Jun 30, it wasn't done, so, the inspector sent a Work Order - sending out a crew to take care of it; however, when the crew got there, the work had been done; they charge you a trip charge for having to send out the crew because the work hadn't been done on deadline -all we are talking about today are the Orders sent Jun 25, 2015 Mr. Gear: -as far as he knows, the stuff was done prior Ms. Moermond: -you did do it but it was after the deadline; that's the problem; when the deadline is blow, the crew goes out to do the work but it was done when they got there; so, you're being charged for the trucks being deployed to handle this (trip charge) -will recommend approval of this assessment Mr. Gear: -I'm trying to figure out why you are charging me for something that I already did; I don't understand how you people are operating; I'm really struggling; I know that it was done and I know that my immediate neighbors of this specific property continue to throw stuff on my side, which is a continuing problem in St. Paul all over -out of the 30 years of being a landlord, I've never had a problem until this year; it seems like DSI is retaliating against me -he thinks that this kind of fee is excessive and the city is doing it to quite a few other people, too -I really don't understand it; I'm lost; I'm here because I know I have to be... Ms. Moermond: -you don't have to be here; but you are here because you are appealing the assessment -the code says that the trip was made to take care of business after the deadline; the City of Saint Paul Page 5 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 cost of running the crews shouldn't fall on all the taxpayers in the city; if the crew was making a trip and the work wasn't done on time, the person, who owns the property should be paying Mr. Gear: -he was told that over 3 is excessive, not just one -he also has extensive doctor records from back then (entered paperwork) -the Dr. has told him not to do the things that you made me do and now, I have this on top of that -I have different medical issues; was in the emergency room on Jun 6, 2015 Ms. Moermond: -you have an option because you have a disability; you can apply for a deferment on the assessments that you have, which put the assessments out to the point of sale for you; -the other piece of this is that she has had foot surgeries and still needed to make sure that her yard was taken care of but she has been physically unable to do it, so, she's needed to hire help because the responsibility is still with her to make sure that it gets taken care of; so, it doesn't disappear when you are physically unable to do it; you still own that responsibility as does she Mr. Gear: -he understands that Ms. Moermond: -goes to City Council Public Hearing Jan 20, 2016 Mr. Gear: -he needs the audio tape from Sep 1, 2015; he asked someone at the front desk but she was unable to find it Ms. Moermond: -talk to the front desk Approve the assessment. (NOTE: owner requested minutes and audio. Audio was sent on 11/18/15.) Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2015 9 RLH TA 15-569 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1960 MINNEHAHA AVENUE EAST (File No. J1603E, Assessment No. 168302). Sponsors: Finney John Paulson appeared representing Daniel and Stephanie Wille, owners, who also appeared. Inspector Paula Seeley: -Excessive Consumption fee of $240 + $35 service charge = $275 -Correction Notice sent Apr 27, 2015; compliance May 27 to make repairs to garage -re-check it Jun 16; repairs were not done; Inspector Smith sent EC -inspected again Jul 2; repairs still not done; sent another EC -all sent to Daniel & Stephanie WIlle, 1960 Minnehaha Ave E -on-going file Mr. Paulson: City of Saint Paul Page 6 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 -we were here Oct 20, 2015 when we talked about putting together a plan, which the Willes have done -the panel glass was installed; the rear wall was re-paneled; the siding was replaced on the side; painted it all; the majority was completed the weekend after the Oct 20 LH; everything was fully completed Nov 8, 2015 -Willes are requesting that the EC inspection fees be waived Mr. Wille: -have been at the property almost 10 years Ms. Seeley: -history: Inspector Smith has this one; Oct 19 was the last time he was out there - owner was not finished scraping and painting garage as requested by the City Attorney's Office Mr. Paulson: -the Willes never got the citation on that; we will be contesting that, obviously Ms. Seeley: -history: previous Orders on property clean-up Jul 2, 2015 for mattresses; sent a Work Order; was cleaned up by owner but generated a $120 PAEC Jul 15 -burning complaint this year; 2013: one Order; Correction Notice on garage Nov 27, 2013 and for some reason Mr. Meshuga closed the file Ms. Moermond: -we have 1 clean-up and the garage, which has manifested -why has the garage taken so long Mr. Paulson: -part of the reason is that Ms. Wille used to work for the city and has a disability from lifting things above her chest level; Dan is an electrical contractor and works in Eagan, so they are busy all of the time; another part is that the house needs a lot of work keeping it up -probably every property on Minnehaha Ave from Ruth St to White Bear Ave probably could use a citation for something -now, the WIlles have got this done; it makes sense that these EC fees are waived Ms. Wille: -there was a dumpster next door in the driveway plus equipment constantly block the driveway, which made getting in and out of the driveway for them very difficult to do the work they needed to do -this dumpster was dropped there the day after the citation for the fire; the fire pit was taken out before they received the paper copy because she was keeping up on it in the system; it was removed..... it was there from Apr to Jul 2015, 2 days before the deadline for their garage Ms. Moermond: -the dumpster being there doesn't do a thing for her because you work for the city and you know that you can call 266-8989 if something is blocking you from being able to enjoy your property Ms. Wille: -she did that; Inspector Seeley was out there with an officer, they several times told us that we weren't even to go to that side of the property while the neighbor was working on her stuff City of Saint Paul Page 7 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 Ms. Moermond: -there's some complicated stuff going on with your neighbor and you, then Ms. Seeley: -she could have worked on the back or the other side then Inspector Martin: -she has been out there too, with Officer Keenan on complaints at this property; they had set up a pool in the backyard; they had mattresses out there; there's a history; she's gotten a lot of calls on this property Ms. Moermond: -first Order written in Apr; the work was not done until the end of Oct Ms. Seeley: -we don't know if it's done yet; no one has been out there to see if it's been done Ms. Martin: -also, when we do go out there, we bring an officer with us because of the hostility of the occupant, she likes to video tape and yell, etc. Ms. Moermond: -the more we talk; the more the complexion of this changes Mr. Paulson: -the building is done; what was asked has been done; to keep getting inspections and other services that they don't need and the city doesn't need to come out for doesn't make sense for them to get charge for either Ms. Moermond: -these deadlines were established and not met; you are paying for the inspector to make a trip out there only to find that it's not done yet, etc.... -the first Order to get this rolling was in 2013; this year the first Order on the same thing was Apr 27; Inspector went out May 27 to follow up on that - went out monthly for a while; then, the Criminal Citation was issued -will recommend approval of this assessment Mr. Paulson: -then, I guess we'll go to the CCPH Jan 20, 2016 Approve the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 10 RLH TA 15-565 Deleting the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1522 PORTLAND AVENUE (File No. J1603P, Assessment No. 168402). Sponsors: Thao It appears original complaint of graffiti on 8/3/15 was concerning a tag on a sign on the side of the building. Another complaint was received on 8/13/15 there was a tag on Xcel Energy pole. Complaint was transferred to Xcel. Parks removed the tag on the Xcel Energy pole; cannot find results of Parks doing a clean up on the side of the building. The department, therefore, recommends deleting the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 City of Saint Paul Page 8 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 11 RLH TA 15-558 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1634 REANEY AVENUE (File No. J1603E, Assessment No. 168302). Sponsors: Finney Julia Kurterbis, owner, appeared. Inspector Lisa Martin: -Excessive Consumption fee -not in compliance on due date -Summary Abatement issued Jun 25, 2015; compliance Jun 30; re-checked Jun 30 -sent to Julia Porras,1634 Reaney Ave; Occupant; and Virginia Mahler, 6048 Upper 51st St N, Apt 207, St Paul -failure to maintain exterior Ms. Kurterbis: -doesn't know what's going on; she just bought the house less than a year ago -she paid the fees on the fines that were on the website -received only 1 letter in the mail telling her to move the debris from around the shed -we moved the debris; she had people come to cut the stuff down but she doesn't have a vehicle to take it to the dump -she bought the house from Virginia Mahler Ms. Moermond: -City Council Public Hearing Jan 20, 2016 -you haven't been there very long and things seem to be moving along for you; you've taken care of the past -she will send this to Council and ask them to continue the matter for 4 months (from Jan 20 - May 18, 2016); if everything is fine during that period, she will recommend deleting this assessment Ms. Kurterbis: -she already paid this on-line; there were more than 1 fee on there Ms. Moermond: -asked Ms. Martin and Ms. Seeley to look into this; think we need to talk with the Real Estate Office, who accepts payments to see what's going on there -we will communicate via email or cell phone -if the Council approves this, you will get an invoice in the mail within a week or two of the Council's hearing, probably around Feb 1, 2016 -we will get it, sort it out and email you (probably by Mai Vang) -if it wasn't paid for, she will still go out 4 months; if things are fine, she will delete it To be laid over from January 20, 2016 Public Hearing for 4 months to May 18, 2016. If everything is fine, will delete the fee. If not, will approve. Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 12 RLH TA 15-568 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1511 THOMAS AVENUE (File No. J1603E, Assessment No. 168302). Sponsors: Stark Melissa Hanrahan, owner, appeared. Ms. Moermond: -tall grass & weeds on the blvd City of Saint Paul Page 9 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 Ms. Hanrahan: -she didn't know what the Notice was about when she got it; she called the number to get information on this because she didn't know why she got this; she asked if she needed to send in the gold card; the lady said to send it in 5 business days after this hearing (?) I was confused Ms. Moermond: -that doesn't make sense Inspector Paula Seeley: -tall grass & weeds letter sent Jul 14, 2015; compliance Jul 18; re-checked Jul 17 (the day before compliance date) Ms. Moermond: -will recommend this assessment be deleted -the inspector checked it a day before your deadline; error on the city's part Delete the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 13 RLH TA 15-567 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1745 UNIVERSITY AVENUE WEST (File No. CRT1603, Assessment No. 168202). Sponsors: Stark Scott Coggins, 1745 University LLC, owner, appeared. Ms. Moermond: -this is a C of O fee Mr. Coggins: -he had the original bill that he paid for -met with Inspector Jim Perucca -they've had Charter Schools in this building for a number of years as tenants; currently, we have 2 Charter Schools -this time, when Inspector Perucca went thru it, he suggested that we split it into 2 C of Os so each school had their own unique C of O; he assured me that it wouldn't cost him any more money -the schools needed to have their C of O inspection before they could submit all their paperwork to the state; so, he had to pay for it before they could get their funds; he paid $448 original bill -then, he got a 2nd bill, which was larger because of other charges; he called DSI; they said that he should talk with the inspector, so, he spoke with Mr. Perucca, specifically about this saying he was doubled-billed for the C of O; he looked it up and said that everything looked fine (he has emails to back this up) -if this is creating confusing (Jim changing it to 2 separate C of Os), he rather go back to what was done for the past 16 years and just have 1 -he is frustrated because he's been calling to deal with this before this matter came to hearing and was told that everything was fine; basically, he calls, leaves messages and doesn't hear back; then, he emails him and doesn't hear back; he is chasing trying to get this resolved; very frustrating! Ms. Moermond: -understands his story; asked Inspector Martin to check to see if there are any notes in Mr. Perucca's file on this in the system that explain what's going on; today, we City of Saint Paul Page 10 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 don't have an inspector here from Fire; may have to Lay this Over to get a staff report on it and more information form Inspector Perucca -make sure you write down your email address Ms. Martin: -this is an educational building, which is a commercial property -looks like an inspection was scheduled back in Apr 2015; it was approved in Jun -looks as though the commercial initial fee was $448; re-inspections were $224 -any time we have a new occupancy in the building or a change of occupancy, it generates another C of O inspection, which does have fees attached -there really are no notes in here -suggests we Lay this Over Ms. Moermond: -she will look into this between now and Dec 1 LH and she would like an inspector's report to go with that Mr. Coggins: -has an email to the schools - when they talked to Jim on the phone - the story of what I just told you; has email proof of everything Ms. Moermond: -asked Mr. Coggins to forward that email to her office and all the other emails back and forth with Inspector Perucca -she will go thru this file very carefully so that she can talk with Mr. Coggins about it Layover to get staff report. FOLLOW-UP: Inspector Perucca sent in a staff report explaining why 2 certificates are required for this building, and it has to do with state requirements for schools, rather than a change in Fire C of O procedures. Therefore, recommend approval of the assessment. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 12/1/2015 14 RLH TA 15-566 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 936 WESTMINSTER STREET (File No. J1603E, Assessment No. 168302). Mark Ortner, Illuminated Investment, owner, appeared. Inspector Paula Seeley: -$155 Excessive Consumption fee for multiple violations Mr. Ortner: -mostly, he is here for the one before this when he was out of town -it was $450+ for tall grass & weeds -is trying to find out what they didn't do; had hoped that the inspector would be here Ms. Moermond: -we don't have that tax roll in front of us today -she can get a staff report on it if they can look it up; there won't be a Video, etc.. Mr. Ortner: -his story: thinks that he had 3 calls for service there: 1) trash near the container; he drove over and there wasn't anything there; he assumed that whatever was there disappeared without him doing it; however, he didn't get a bill from the city on that; 2) City of Saint Paul Page 11 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 this was for tall grass and weeds; as soon as he got it, he called his lawn maintenance / snow removal company, who said that they get there every 7-10 days and it had been cut; he called the inspector and got his voice mail; he left a message; the next day, Mr. Ortner drove over with his lawn mower ,,,,...... Ms. Moermond: -sounds to her that we really need the VIDEO tapes to discuss that -will Lay this Over for 2 weeks to Dec 1, 2015 Mr. Ortner: -he won't be here 2 weeks from today; he will be back in town May 22, 2016 -is it possible to find out and send me the information Ms. Moermond: -she can look at it in 2 weeks as a Staff Report and make a decision about what they did -we'll talk with you by phone; leave your number Layover to see video (STAFF REPORT). Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 12/1/2015 15 RLH TA 15-553 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 418 WHEELOCK PARKWAY WEST (File No. VB1603, Assessment No. 168802). Sponsors: Brendmoen Appellant decided not to appeal. Approve the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 Special Tax Assessments - Rolls 16 RLH AR 15-87 Ratifying Collection of Fire Certificate of Occupancy fees billed during June 17 to July 10, 2015. (File No. CRT1603, Assessment No. 168202) Sponsors: Stark Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 17 RLH AR 15-88 Ratifying Excessive Inspection/Abatement services billed during June 22 to July 22, 2015. (File No. J1603E, Assessment No. 168302) Sponsors: Stark Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 18 RLH AR 15-89 Ratifying Graffiti Removal services during August 3 to 30, 2015. (File No. J1603P, Assessment No. 168302) Sponsors: Stark Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 City of Saint Paul Page 12 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 11:00 a.m. Hearings Summary Abatement Orders 19 RLH SAO 15-73 Appeal of Richard M. Gruber to a Summary Abatement Order at 671 HAWTHORNE AVENUE EAST. Sponsors: Bostrom Richard M. Gruber, owner, appeared. Inspector Paula Seeley: -she went out there yesterday and Mr. Gruber has made some progress but there's still a long way to go; they are taking a lot of their belongings to their Griggs address -he'd rather do the clean out himself -he says it should take him about 3 weeks, although, he doesn't have a lot of help -photos Mr. Gruber: -2 men are going to help him -the paper in the garage went to Waldorf and he'll be taking more over -we will be soon living at the Griggs address Ms. Moermond: -is seeing a lot going on here that would normally require her to do a Vacate Order on this property but we have a Summary Abatement Order to clean out the interior of the property Mr. Gruber: -his wife always stays at the Griggs address but helps him clean the Hawthorne address on weekends -he stays at both places; tonight, both will be staying at Griggs -is not sure when he'll be done; he just needs enough time to do it Ms. Seeley: -we could do night checks, too -she wrote the Summary Abatement for the interior per Steve Magner -the Vacate Order was weeks ago but the appeal has been going on Ms. Moermond: -as long as you have some place else to stay, you can have a while to clean it out -we need to enforce the Vacate Order so, you can't sleep at Hawthorne any more; you can be at Hawthorne from 8 am to 8 pm doing the clean-out, repairs only; no cooking -we don't know the state of affairs of things underneath the clutter; we assume that things are fine but we often find some code violations in the house, itself; and there are a couple ways that could be handled: 1) Orders from Inspector Seeley listing repairs that need to be done; or 2) send it to the Vacant Building Program and if it goes there, an expensive code compliance inspection will need to be done ($500+) and it will give you a long list of things that need to be done developed by the trades inspectors (electrical, plumbing, heating, building); she would like to avoid that -is recommending a Vacate Order plus have Inspector Seeley put together a list of things that need to be done after the house is cleaned out -wants to put a deadline on the clean out City of Saint Paul Page 13 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 -the city will enforce the Vacate Order -she will Grant the appeal on the Summary Abatement Order for the interior; we won't send in a crew -she will put a deadline of Jan 1, 2016 to get the place cleaned out; if it's not done at that time, the house will go into the VB Program -will make this a Preliminary Vacant Building, so you cannot sleep there; you are allowed in the house from 8 am to 8 pm to clean out and do repairs -Night Check Program: a VB inspector and police officer check properties after 8 pm - concerned about squatters and people being in unsafe conditions; if you get caught between 8 pm and 8 am, you will get a Criminal Citation and be put into the VB Program immediately, which means you will need to do the more expensive inspection and have an annual VB fee of $2,000 -the house will not be placarded -wood only furniture can stay; all fabric furniture must be gone Mr. Gruber: -two men are living upstairs Ms. Moermond: -the upstairs unit will need to be inspected by Inspector Seeley (condition) Ms. Seeley: -need to give those tenants 24 hrs notice that they allow Ms. Seeley and himself into the unit; make sure that the unit is clean and has a smoke detector and a CO detector -she will call Mr. Gruber to set up a time for the upstairs unit inspection Ms. Moermond: -grant appeal on SA for the interior -enforce the Vacate Order -Ms. Seeley will put together a repair list after the house is cleaned out -Ms. Seeley will inspect the upstairs unit -the house will be a Preliminary VB and include Night Checks; appellant can be there only between 8 am and 8 pm either cleaning or repairing; no cooking Referred to the City Council due back on 11/18/2015 20 RLH SAO 15-78 Appeal of Kanongyang Vue to a Summary and Vehicle Abatement Order at 948 BRADLEY STREET. Sponsors: Brendmoen Kanongyang Vue, tax owner, appeared along with her son, Gee Vang and Pao Lo, who interpreted. Summary Abatement and Vehicle Abatement Orders Ms. Vue: -they met with Tong, who gave them some advice; -they told me that I do not have the right to park my truck on the driveway Inspector Paula Seeley: -complaint came into the office Nov 2 re a Chevy commercial vehicle parked in a residential district -sent Vehicle Abatement Order to: Fai Yia Thao, owner; Ms. Vue and Occupant -a Summary Abatement Order was also sent to the same people re boxes, garbage misc rubbish and improperly stored items throughout the house City of Saint Paul Page 14 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 -history: been out numerous times: 8/20/15; 9/3/14; a few times 2014; to clean up the yard or issue Orders on vehicle violations; commercial vehicle was written up last year, too; understands that Ms. Vue does the Farmers Market; someone from the Farmers Market is trying to get things changed; but DSI is sticking with the Order that it's a zoning violation to have commercial vehicles in a residential district Ms. Moermond: -first we'll talk about the vehicle; then, the clean-up Ms. Vue: -she uses her truck to carry all the vegetable to her house to wash them, first, before she takes them to the Farmers Market Ms. Moermond: -the city's Zoning Code doesn't allow you to park a commercial vehicle on a residential property Ms. Vue: -I'm a poor single mother; how can I survive? She does not park on the street all day or all night long; she parks the truck only a couple hours while she washes the vegetables -the truck is stored at the farm except when she brings the vegetables to her house to wash them -specifically, the truck is there Tue morning to noon; then, Fri night and Sat night at 7 pm before the Mpls Farmers Mkt; she leaves the next mornings at 7 am Mr. Vue: -the truck is not there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; they only use the truck to transport the vegetable -we grow the vegetables themselves at the farm and bring them home to wash -they don't park on the street unless very temporarily; they live in a dead end -here today if it's possible for them to park the truck temporarily during the summer time; they have no other place to park except their rented land in Afton and he doesn't know if it would be allowed to park their truck there over winter Ms. Moermond: -it's not pressing that we solve this issue today because the vehicle is stored right now; you would not be washing vegetables until spring -you have talked to Councilmember Stark about the possibility of changing the Ordinance to allow you to park there when you are preparing for the Farmers Market Ms. Seeley: -I don't think that they have talked with Council President Stark but someone else has; DSI is discussing this with them and an attorney; she talked with their Deputy Director and he said that as it stands, they are not changing the Ordinance Ms. Moermond: -will Lay this Over for 1 month to talk with staff to see where they are at with maybe doing an Ordinance change; you don' t really need an answer until spring; she will talk with you after she has discussed this with staff and Council President Stark Ms. Vue: -thank you for understanding -she asks that Ms. Moermond talk to the City Council to change the Ordinance for her to be able to just wash the vegetables in the truck at her house to help them survive City of Saint Paul Page 15 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 Ms. Moermond: -we will talk about the vehicle again in 4 weeks on Dec 15, 2015 LH -you will get a letter -you cannot park your truck on the driveway in the winter Summary Abatement for clean-up ------------------------------------------- Ms. Seeley: -been out there several times -several boxes full of vegetables, buckets, tubs and various items left in the yard -garbage containers can't be stored on the side of the house; the covers needs to be tight; maybe you need another trash container -recycling containers should only be out only when the recycling truck comes -photos Ms. Vue: -she needs to dry the lemon grass -the clean up is all finished -another trash container is too expensive for me Ms. Moermond: -all of this (photo) has to go; if it's drying, it needs to dry some place else -buckets need to stored in the garage, out of view -may want to look into organic recycling for the plant materials, etc. Need to talk with City staff about a possible ordinance change on the Vehicle Abatement. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 12/15/2015 21 RLH SAO 15-77 Appeal of Cleo and Collen Pollock to a Summary Abatement Order at 1058 JESSIE STREET. Sponsors: Brendmoen Deny the appeal; no one appeared. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 12/1/2015 11:30 a.m. Hearings Orders To Vacate, Condemnations and Revocations 22 RLH VO 15-61 Appeal of John Schultz to a Notice of Condemnation as Unfit for Human Habitation and Order to Vacate at 1623 YORK AVENUE. Sponsors: Bostrom John Schultz, owner, and Attorney, Marshall Lichty, EntrePartner Law Firm, appeared. Ms. Moermond: -Vacate Order and a Vacant Building Registration -she needs to make an interim decision on the Vacate Order -re: VB registration, she can make a decision that that City Council Public Hearing will City of Saint Paul Page 16 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 fall after the affective time Inspector Ed Smith: -he wrote the Vacate Orders on this property -Aug 27, 2015, he was called by SPPD to meet officers at the property re: overcrowding, illegal bedrooms, clean-up -he found more than 4 unrelated adults living at the property and found 2 illegal basement bedrooms; also found that it needed a yard and driveway clean up -issued Correction Notice for the interior house issues and a Summary Abatement Order for the clean-up -Sep 2, he met officers at the property again and did a follow-up re-inspection; the yard and driveway had been cleaned up; a recreational vehicle had been removed; the basement bedrooms had not been dismantled and there was still an over occupancy issue in the house; at that time, he recommended Condemnation for material endangerment, illegal bedrooms and overcrowding; he posted the Notice to Vacate placards with an immediate Vacate Date of Sep 2, 2015 -Sep 4, 2015, he re-checked property and found that there were also additional issues: furnace/water heater venting issues; exposed electrical wiring; dryer vent did not meet code; they held the Condemnation and added the additional issues -Sep 14, 2015, he re-inspected and found: dismantled bedroom furniture still in basement; owner was told to have no more than 4 unrelated adults living in the house and to install working smoke/CO detectors -Sep 18, 2015, noticed there were smoke detectors upstairs that was nonoperable (batteries); bedroom furniture and a refrigerator had not been removed from the basement; at that time, he issued a $120 Excessive Consumption fee -Sep 24, 2015, bedroom furniture and small refrigerator had been removed from basement; working smoke/CO detectors had been installed throughout the house; Condemnation was lifted but we agreed to monitor the property to ensure that the owner didn't backslide -Nov 3, 2015, he met SPPD officers again at the property and found that the owner had allowed the house to be over occupied again and that there was an illegal basement bedroom set up again; he immediately put the Condemnation back into effect and placarded the house with Vacate date of Nov 4, 2015; he then transferred the property to the Vacant Building Program due to the repeat offense with the recommendation that the house be opened as a Category 2 Vacant Building and boarded immediately; he closed the file and referred it to VB Program Inspector Matt Dornfeld, Vacant Buildings: -Nov 5, 2015, Inspector Tom Friel opened a Category 2 Vacant Building per code inspector Smith's recommendation and Condemnation -Inspector Friel documented: he spoke with the tenants at the property and advised them of the city's VB Cat 2 rules and regulations; and offered them the option to appeal the enforcement; he also stated that he was opening the Cat 2 VB due to the Condemnation, multiple code violations and multiple calls to the property by the SPPD and multiple correction notices issued for garbage, refuse, junk, tall grass & weeds, etc. --Inspector Friel issued a Summary Abatement for the aforementioned materials in the yard and to board and secure all first floor entry doors and windows with a compliance date of Nov 11, 2015; he doesn't see that a Work Order was issued (stayed pending result of this hearing, perhaps); having computer issues this morning Mr. Schultz: -he owns/lives at this property, too Mr. Lichty: -Mr. Schultz is a 74-year old man, who's kind to a fault and so, some of these things City of Saint Paul Page 17 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 are a result of occupants in his home who may not have received his full blessing but, in any event, he opened his home to them; Mr. Schultz has owned the house since 1990 and lives there with his girlfriend of 7 years -this issues started to arise roughly 3 years ago: more activity there; more calls from SPPD; general nuisance-type behavior -occupant list: Mr. Schultz, his girlfriend and her 2 adult children; a couple that has been there around 2 years (also problem occupants); a homeless woman -one of her sons has moved in with his father in WI; the other has moved into an apartment with his girlfriend; under no circumstances will they be allowed back into the building; as of now this is a voluntary abandonment of any legal relationship that they would have with the building; multiple violations of a verbal lease agreement; Mr. Schultz has agreed to file eviction action, etc. if any problems arose and if necessary, file a temporary restraining order; they are no longer welcome at the property; locks have been changed -to the extent that there was a lease relationship with the couple, Grace & Dan, they were not abiding by it (no payment or low payment or late payment of little rent); because of the Vacate Order, they have been told that they are not welcome back on the premises and need to find alternative housing; also prepared to take proper legal action if they attempt to press any right to re-enter the premises -the homeless woman, who is currently staying with Mr. Schultz' sister while this gets cleared up; he welcomed her into his home 5 years ago and there's been no expectation that she pay rent; if she did not live here, she would most likely live at the Mission; she doesn't have a job; she does some yard work, cleaning around the house and some general upkeep inside the home in exchange for a place to live -of those, 4 are gone or will be gone -they hope that the 3 other people will be able to occupy the house: owner John Schultz, his girlfriend, Linda Nordgren, and the homeless woman, Linda Marx -no longer welcome on the premises: Ms. Nordgren's 2 adult sons and Grace & Dan -they believe that Ms. Nordgren's 2 adult sons were driving the police problems at the house Ms. Moermond: -sees that the Orders to Vacate on Sep 2, 2015 didn't happen; the situation that led to the Order to Vacate re-created itself under your stewardship of your own home; so, your ability to keep the problem people out of the house is questionable in her view; their behaviors have been out of your control; additionally, the use of the basement for sleeping kept coming back -why should she trust you now? what's different? Mr. Schultz: -those people don't have any money and can't afford to go anywhere -Linda's sons came from a broken family; they never had a father all of their life; they're hard to maintain; they don't like to listen; he was trying to give them a break and hoped to teach them something; he took them to work with him but that didn't work out because they couldn't get up in the morning to go to work; now, one son is with his father and other has a job and is with his girlfriend -Linda Marks has no money; will be down at the Mission if she doesn't have a place to lay her head because her family doesn't want anything to do with her because she was alcoholic up until she was 50 years old; she was referred to him by a another friend of his; she has no issues with the law or disturbances of any kind -Grace & Dan are beyond hope; he's glad they're gone; he asked them everyday to move out; they always had an excuse -he now has authorized Mr. Lichty to issue an Eviction Order and a Temporary Retainer Order to keep them from coming back Mr. Smith: City of Saint Paul Page 18 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 -he would like to see the house go thru a Code Compliance Inspection to make sure that everything is brought up to code; there are issues with the venting of water heater, furnace, dryer; there's exposed wiring; smoke/CO detector issues Mr. Schultz: -explained that this used to be a basement house; the man went to war; his wife and 3 kids lived in the basement house; and after he came back, he built a house on top of it; there is an egress window in the basement Mr. Lichty: -their firm's efforts and the appeal is all an effort to make sure Mr. Schultz doesn't lose his home Ms. Moermond: -it is legitimate to issue an Order to Vacate in these circumstances: overcrowding & illegal use of the basement will require a Vacate Order; complicating that, there were so many behavioral issues; in addition, and the city is trying to bring an improved property to the neighborhood -if you are a Condemned property, it is part of the definition of why a building would go into the VB Program -wants to give you credit for having the place emptied out but she is struggling with doing it because it's failed before and because you've demonstrated that you can't control behaviors at the property -you have an attorney now to help you keep these things under control but she is not confident that it's sufficient Mr. Schultz: -he plans on retiring soon and is going to sell this property and move up north to his lake lot near Brainerd -he is trying to finish up the business he has and be out of here in a year or year and a half Mr. Lichty: -is there something they can do to satisfy the Council that these things are being complied with? -Mr. Schultz owns a construction company, has contacts and works with the code compliance inspection process; he has done all the repairs under permits -the venting has been replaced; furnace has been inspected; smoke/CO detectors' batteries have been replaced and are operational; etc... the entire list has been taken care of; they think they are compliant Ms. Moermond: -will LAY this Over for 1 week to have Inspector Jim Seeger go thru the house to see if he thinks it would benefit from having a code compliance process; he will report back and that will help her decide Mr. Schultz: -he wants to move back into the house Ms. Moermond: -explore options about these people having no access anymore, legally; if they are back there at all, she will send this back to the VB Program, immediately; there've been too many problems -we'll meet next Tue, Nov 24 at 2:30 pm -you should contact Mr. Seeger for the inspection; she will let him know that you'll be calling; mention to Jim that you are in the LH process City of Saint Paul Page 19 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 11/24/2015 1:30 p.m. Hearings Fire Certificates of Occupancy 23 RLH FCO Appeal of Jeff Swanson of Havenbrook Homes to a Fire Certificate of 15-292 Occupancy Correction Notice at 1012 BEECH STREET. Sponsors: Finney Grant an extension until June 15, 2016 to replace/repair the retaining wall. Referred to the City Council due back on 12/16/2015 24 RLH FCO Appeal of Mark Meader to a Fire Inspection Correction Notice at 716 15-303 JESSAMINE AVENUE EAST. Sponsors: Bostrom Mark Meader, owner, appeared. Fire Inspector A.J. Neis: -follow-up: this was a Fire Inspection Correction Notice Oct 26; re-inspection Dec 4 -appealed is the durable, dustless surface for parking spaces -he was to provide a plan to replace the spaces with concrete or asphalt by Jun 2016 -photos in file; one taken 4 days ago Ms. Moermond: -asked if Mr. Neis' staff made a determination as to whether or not this surface is actually Class 5 or some other kind of surfacing? Mr. Neis: -not certain what it is; it almost looks like a combination or Class 5 and pea gravel Mr. Meader: -it looks like Class 5 to him -his contractor has gone south for the winter Mr. Neis: -this material may be better - looking at the terrain, the space looks as though it's in a dip where water might pool; this material could drain more easily -he is curious as to how much pooling is going on with the rain that we've had Ms. Moermond: -beside pooling, given the pitch of the alley, she has run-off concerns -doesn't know if having the Class 5 right up to the garage is going to work to undermine your wall -we don't have enough information to make a determination today Mr. Meader: -walkway - it goes from the front of the house to the back of the house (no photos); doesn't know what the inspector considers a crack in the walkway; there are no cracks in the front and the cracks are level in the back; his preference would be to just remove the walkway; no one uses it; it's too close to the house anyway; is City of Saint Paul Page 20 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 removing is an OK plan? Ms. Moermond: -you don't need to fix the walkway right now -will grant the appeal on the walkway -asked that an inspector go out now that it's raining to check on what type of erosion there may be -if we have a run-off problem, the current surface will need to be amended to Class 5 -we can handle this by phone Mr. Neis: -later that day, new photos came in from an inspector who went to check out the parking space -not seeing any run-off; looks more like Class 5 surfacing now Ms. Moermond: -will allow for that surfacing -grant the appeal on both the walkway and Class 5 surfacing Grant the appeal to allow the Class 5 already put in place and the walkway. Referred to the City Council due back on 12/16/2016 25 RLH FCO Appeal of Fritz Eckman, Church of St. Louis, King of France to a Fire 15-315 Inspection Correction Notice at 506 CEDAR STREET. Sponsors: Thune Fritz Eckman and Mark McQui, Church of St. Louis King of France, appeared. Fire Inspector A.J. Neis: -Fire Certificate of Certificate Correction Notice issued by Fire Inspector Wayne Spiering; re-inspection Dec 14, 2015 -4 violations identified; 2 have been corrected -#3 and #4 are under appeal: 1)provide code compliant exit signs in the church sanctuary and chapel; and 2)post occupancy signs in the church sanctuary and chapel -looking further at the file and previous inspections, this is an existing historic building, which has never had these violations listed before, and if installed, would take away from the historic nature of the church -he is willing to Withdraw their Order for items #3 and #4 Mr. Eckman: -that was our understanding from the phone call Ms. Moermond: -will recommend the appeal is granting noting that the Orders have been Withdrawn by DSI staff -this resolution will go thru City Council and if there's ever any question in the future, you can refer them to the City Council record Grant the appeal noting that the Order is withdrawn by DSI staff. Referred to the City Council due back on 12/16/2015 26 RLH FCO Appeal of Kathy Klingen to a Re-Inspection Fire Certificate of 15-309 Occupancy With Deficiencies at 2244 MINNEHAHA AVENUE EAST. City of Saint Paul Page 21 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 Sponsors: Finney Rescheduled per owner's request. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 12/1/2015 27 RLH FCO Appeal of Kathy Klingen to a Re-Inspection Fire Certificate of 15-310 Occupancy With Deficiencies at 2248 MINNEHAHA AVENUE EAST. Sponsors: Finney Rescheduled per owner's request. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 12/1/2015 28 RLH FCO Appeal of Susan F. Willis to a Fire Inspection Correction Notice at 601 15-288 PARK STREET. Sponsors: Thao Susan WIllis, owner, appeared. Fire Inspector A.J. Neis: -Fire Inspection Correction Notice issued by Fire Inspector Justin Elvestad -this is a 5-unit building -2 items are being appealed: #2 and #4 -#2 -re basement ceiling throughout, which at one point, was finished and sealed off; looks as though it has deteriorated over time where the lathe and plaster have now been removed; he spoke with Inspector Elvestad and this are does not have sprinklers nor an alarm system; the issue is the fire separation between the basement and main floor, which now has been compromised -#4 -front entry light; Inspector Elvestad advised to remove the wiring and re-install the light in accordance with the electrical code; looks as if someone did a hap hazard wiring job Ms. WIllis: -very concerned about the basement ceiling; it's a 1920s building -knows that an amateur did the lighting on the front; there was no lighting when she purchased; so, she had him do it - she didn't know what the code was -all of the other items are easily taken care of -the ceiling was already down when she bought the building in 2003; they had been doing renovations like putting in new wiring, new plumbing, etc. -this ceiling has been passed twice before by the Fire Inspectors -the ceiling replacement is a huge job and would be very expensive; there's so many wires and pipes -her mother died recently and she hadn't dealt with this, she doesn't know how much it would cost; had one estimate from her handyman that was just under $1000; if it were professionally done by someone besides him, she's unsure; her handyman didn't even want the job; doesn't know if she even could get someone else to do it (too many layers of pipes and wires); doesn't know where one would even put the ceiling -she wants to comply, but please don't make her do that ceiling; she will do whatever else she needs to do Ms. Moermond: -asked Mr. Nies about some things that would be equivalent of putting in a full ceiling City of Saint Paul Page 22 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 or at least mitigate the fire concern Mr. Neis: -this is something that affects numerous older buildings, especially, as renovations had been done -some code equivalencies but doesn't know if the cost will be any lower -it's a fire separation issue; if there's a fire in the basement, it could be going for a long time before anyone knows that it's down there; that is why the ceiling needs to be sealed -alternative method of compliance that have been accepted in the past: keep basement "broom clean" (no storage and no items down there) in those areas; and since they have a gas washer and dryer down there, they could provide sprinkler system over the boiler and over the laundry area; another option is to provide a fire alarm system in the building (fire alarm with smoke detection in the basement area and on all floors that are occupied; so, if there was a fire in the basement, it would provide early notification to the occupants so they could get out faster) Ms. Willis: -they have a smoke detector in the basement Mr. Neis: -no one will hear that smoke detector in the basement if it goes off but a fire alarm system would do the job; it's a more comprehensive smoke detector that alerts the whole building Ms. Moermond: -might want to make some calls to scope out the cost of installing a very simple fire alarm system so each level would have an alarm that would go off in the event of a fire -also, might check with a sprinkler company to see what it would cost to sprinkler the 2 areas in the basement: boiler room and laundry -based what you learn, she can made a better recommendation about what can work in this situation -it will be expensive and it will be a big job; she wants to help out -if those options are not financially feasible, we'll keep talking about what could work to mitigate the concern Mr. Neis: -if you want to have storage down there, you'd have to sprinkler the whole basement Ms. Willis: -she put in private storage lockers for everyone and they are built in the large area of the basement Ms. Moermond: -it's a possibility that the storage lockers area could be separated off from the larger basement, thru a door.... so you could keep the storage down there -get some estimates -take pictures of your storage area and ceiling and all around -we will try to figure something out so you won't have to take away the storage area, if possible -will Lay this Over to Dec 1, 2015 at 1:30 pm Layover to further discuss this fire separation issue. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 12/1/2015 City of Saint Paul Page 23 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 2:30 p.m. Hearings Vacant Building Registrations 29 RLH VBR 15-91 Appeal of Nancy Barnes to a Vacant Building Registration Requirement at 1159 PASCAL STREET NORTH. Sponsors: Stark Nancy Barnes, owner, appeared. Ms. Moermond: -Mai Vang has talked with NeighborWorks; things are looking a lot rosier than they were Fire Inspector A.J. Neis: -Layover from the last hearing about the registered VB status -Ms. Moermond had requested that he and the city's structural engineer, Brian Karpen, go out and make another assessment on the building; they went out earlier this afternoon; Mr. Karpen identified that he did not see any additional deflection, etc; the condition has not worsened during the past several months since he saw it last; he is still concerned with the structure and how it's designed -Ms. Barnes added a temporary floor jack and joist at the point where the joist was deflecting a little (temporary shoring) - an approved product for temporary shoring; Mr. Karpen identified that it was probably helping carry the load; Mr. Karpen doesn't think that there's a fear of immediate collapse; however, it must be attended to in the near future to avoid major structural failure -he checked the Ramsey County tax records to see if things are moving forward; he found that the ownership is now changed to Ms. Barnes; therefore, any repairs that are ordered will no longer be done by their office; he is closing out the Fire C of O and transferring the file/Orders to Code Enforcement for follow-up; Inspector Paula Seeley Ms. Moermond: -we will get Mr. Neis to switch the file since the house is owner-occupied now -NeighborWorks said you had an incomplete application Ms. Barnes: -she just sent out everything -the woman at NeighborWorks sounded very optimistic about being able to help Ms. Barnes; it is an emergency situation and she would go right to the front of their list for lending Ms. Moermond: -will give Ms. Barnes 2 months to complete a plan with NeighborWorks and 4 months to execute that plan -would like to have an inspector come in at the 2-month marks to check the structure -you are out of the Vacant Building Program Ms. Barnes: -is very thankful Ms. Moermond: City of Saint Paul Page 24 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final November 17, 2015 Grant the appeal for owner to be out of the VB Program; Owner will need to have a plan in 2 months with available funding and 4 months to execute the plan. Inspector will conduct an inspection in 2 months to see how the progress is going. Referred to the City Council due back on 12/16/2015 30 RLH VBR Appeal of Ryan Piechowski to a Vacant Building Registration Fee 15-100 Warning Letter at 918 JORDAN AVENUE. Sponsors: Bostrom No one appeared. Ms. Moermond: -Mr. Piechowski said that he was a new owner and he was working on things Inspector Matt Dornfeld, Vacant Buildings: -this was made a Category 2 VB Jun 18, 2015 -it was heard here under the ownership of Sam Baker; Ms. Moermond changed it to a Cat 1 VB, waived the VB fee for 90 days and told him to get a Certificate of Occupancy inspection done; that didn't happen -house was sold Oct 19, 2015 as a Cat 1 VB to Ryan Piechowski; Mr. Dornfeld doesn't know whether or not he knew that he bought a Cat 1 VB or not but got a notice in the mail saying he owes $2000 VB fee Dec 16, 2015; so, he scheduled the appeal but is not here today -Mr. Dornfeld will look into this deeper, thinking that he would have been here -the VB fee is not due until Dec 16, so, we still have some time to get it occupied Ms. Moermond: -let's do a 1-week Layover to Nov 24 LH -Mr. Dornfeld can give a staff report on the record at that time and we can close it then Give a staff report on where owner is at with repairs. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 11/24/2015 City of Saint Paul Page 25