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, January 12, 2016 9:00 AM Room 330 City Hall & Court House 9:00 a.m. Hearings Remove/Repair Orders 1 SR 15-113 Reviewing request for Council to reconsider its Order to Remove or Repair the Structures at 929 SEVENTH STREET WEST. Sponsors: Thune Owner to provide a flow chart of plans for the rehabilitation and financial information dedicating the funds for the project by February 2, 2016. Ryan & Tina North, owners, appeared. Ms. North: -the closing happened; they now own the property -we sent you an email updating -the $5,000 Performance Deposit has been paid -we are working on funding: Sunrise Bank has all our paperwork; they were able to walk through the property; they gave us some early funding for the roof, the 2 side walls and the windows Mr. North: -have the general contractors narrowed down to 2; both are bringing architects with them at the design build operation; both have an engineer on staff -the Vacant Building fee has been paid -they've met with Martin Schieckel, Ellen Wheeler, Mark ______, Joe Spencer to discuss funding -meeting with Larry Zangs on Thu to discuss zoning, parking, etc. -our Phase I Environmental Assessment was done; got a clean bill -they are continuing to develop their business plan -cleaned out 2 huge dumpsters worth Ms. North: -they are waiting for final numbers from one of the contractors before they make the final decision; the first contractor's was $580,000; Sunrise will be basing funding off those numbers -the 2nd set of numbers should be coming in early this week -loan process should be a 90-day turn around -the initial work will be done ASAP; then concluding the loan process -will make a decision on general contractor by the end of this week City of Saint Paul Page 1 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final January 12, 2016 Ms. Moermond: -asked for a time line for each step -how long did you thing this was going to take? Ms. North: -one contractor said 6 months; the other contractor said 3 months -they attended the West 7th/Fort Road Federation board meeting last night Ms. Moermond: -wants a map/flow chart of what will be happening, a timeline; something she can attach to an update memo -as soon as we can nail down some of these things, like the financing and the plan, she will feel more comfortable putting it in front of City Council -will LAY this OVER for 1 month to Feb 9, 2016 LH; would like the plan and timeline a week earlier; can email or ... Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 2/9/2016 2 RLH RR 15-44 Ordering the rehabilitation or razing and removal of the structures at 689 CONWAY STREET within fifteen (15) days after the December 16, 2015, City Council Public Hearing. (To refer back to Legislative Hearing on March 8, 2016) Sponsors: Prince John Dockry, Attorney, Shapiro & Zielke LLP, representing Wells Fargo Bank, current servicer of a loan that has gone through foreclosure; they will eventually be the owner of the property following the redemption period, which expires Feb 25, 2016, appeared. They are seeking approval from their client to seek a shortened redemption period. Deutsche Bank, Trustee. Sheriff's sale took place around Aug 25, 2015. Inspector Steve Magner, Vacant Buildings: -read letter from Mai Vang dated Nov 30, 2015 (attached) -they have submitted the $5,000 Performance Deposit Dec 14, 2015 Mr. Dockry: -their client decided not to seek a reduced redemption period -they have no legal authority to do a clean out of the property -they have obtained bids; he entered them to staff -rehab bid: $100,000 -demo bid: $40,000 (he thinks this property should not be demolished because of historic significance) -currently, there is a proposal with Wells Fargo management to get it into the hands of someone who wants to restore it; he needs to work with city staff to figure out that can work -he doesn't think that Wells Fargo will rehab it on it's own -regular redemption period expires the middle of next month (later, he corrected that to Feb 25, 2016) -now, it's getting approval to getting it to some group who really wants to restore it and has the means to do so; still seeking that approval from management Amy Spong, Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC): -knows that Historic St. Paul is already working on RFPs for 6 properties -suggests that he look at other organizations City of Saint Paul Page 2 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final January 12, 2016 Ms. Moermond: -suggested that he look to the community development corporations and other community organizations Mr. Dockry: -has a contact in Wells Fargo, who will be involved by talking to those types of nonprofit resources -will need time to reach out to multiple places Mr. Magner: -there have been no complaints; no snow issues; etc. Ms. Moermond: -asked them to seek another bid; best to have more than 1 -their demo bid seems high; Mr. Magner agreed Mr. Magner: -noted that this building is a Category 3 Vacant Building, so they cannot sell it but they cold transfer the title to HRA or one of it's partners: Dayton's Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services, Jim Erchul; Rondo Land Trust; etc.... -also noted that the rehab estimate numbers will be different for a nonprofit -Rondo Community Land Trust has a lot of interaction with Wells Fargo, maybe....contact Greg Finzell Mr. Dockry: -original mortgage: 2006 - $184,000; after 9 years, it's probably down to $130,000 Ms. Moermond: To be referred back to Legislative Hearing on March 8, 2016. The house needs to be cleaned out by March 8, 2016. Whomever is going to be involved in the funding/rehabbing should attend the hearing as well. Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 3 RLH RR 15-40 Ordering the rehabilitation or razing and removal of the structures at 719 PAYNE AVENUE within fifteen (15) days after the November 4, 2015, City Council Public Hearing. (To be referred back to Legislative Hearing on March 8, 2016) Sponsors: Prince Abdiwoli Ali and Abdirahman Ali, Alka Inc, owner, appeared; also, Rich Thomasgard, African Development Center. Mr. Thomasgard: -entered documents -at the last LH, Ms. Moermond asked them to come back to further define the Scope of Work, apply for neighborhood funding and create a timeline; they've worked on all three of those -with the architect and contractor, they looked at a scenario where they would do a small addition to the building; the building is odd-shaped; the looked at knocking off about 300 sq.ft. in the back side of the building (in really bad shape) and adding a 600 sq.ft. addition in order to have more space for a kitchen; they want to have a deli/cafe as well as a small convenience store -general contractor priced that at $500,000+, which includes the fully equipped kitchen/deli; think that's too much for them to put together, so, they want to look at the City of Saint Paul Page 3 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final January 12, 2016 option of demolition of the old building and construction of a new building on the site; they are ready to do that with their architect and contractor -want to do a general floor plan including a kitchen, store, service area, etc and get pricing on it; they think it may be more cost effective because of the odd configuaration of the current building and the fact that the current building is in pretty bad shape -they think they can get more square footage at a lower price Ms. Moermond: -thinks that's a good idea Steve Magner, Vacant Buildings: -also thinks it's a good idea; you have a change of use so, the existing building is not a good fit and there's years of deterioration to the old building Mr. Thomasgard: -they've applied for funding from the ESNDC for $50,000 -have been talking with the STAR Program; will put in an application by their Mar 1, 2016 deadline -they also took a very preliminary loan proposal to African Development Center's Loan Committee; are waiting to get their feedback on it; the general response was positive; need to work on their business plan; they usually do larger deals like this with lending partners; they will continue to work on these -will also apply to HRA for whatever assistance they can provide -have met with business plan consultants last week; need to reach an agreement with the working relationship -by Mar 1, 2016 - want to apply for STAR funding and continue to work with possible funders -Apr and May -continue -Jun-STAR application review -Jul - STAR final approval -Aug - construction or renovation begins -Nov - construction or renovation finishes -contractors estimate of time is 3 months -a decision on demo/remodel will be made in approximately 6 weeks Mr. Magner: -if you decide to demo: city will need $2,000+ Vacant Building fee after Apr 2016; you will avoid that fee if the demo is done before then, or at least, a permit is pulled and the demolition is on-going -if you decide new construction: there will be no VB fee and the city will refund your Performance Deposit of $5,000 -once the building is removed, you won't have this timeline issue; you are simply given more time to move forward with your process Ms. Moermond: -will recommend LAYING this over for 6 weeks to make that decision -added one more funding option: your Council Ward Office may also have STAR dollars available that are accessible any time of the year; check with Ward 7 Office: 266-8670 for that application; may be an option for some of the early stages of work prior to the conclusion of the competitive STAR process Mr. Magner: -if you choose to use the city for demolition, the city would more forward to get bids and they would use the low bidder (city gets better bids) to do the demo and ultimately assess those costs to the property; but you would get "free" financing for at City of Saint Paul Page 4 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final January 12, 2016 least 6 months because by the time they did the demo, process the payment and go through the process of assessment onto the taxes, there is no payment required; when you get that bill, you can either make full payment or let it go to taxes; once it goes onto the taxes, then it starts to being charged interest at about 4.25% -site is zoned B-2 Ms. Moermond: -noted that at the time the letter goes out saying there's this proposed assessment to cover the cost of the demolition, you have the opportunity to appeal that assessment and you could appeal and ask for the payment to be divided over a number of years rather than all at once Amy Spong, Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC): -encouraged them that when they are getting their new construction numbers, remember to include the zoning or site plan review requirement costs, etc. (may need to re-site the building closer to the sidewalk or you may not be able to keep all the pavement; you may have to add landscaping, etc; all of those things will play into the cost; make sure the architect is aware) Mr. Ali: -met with City Councilmember Jane Prince yesterday on site; she told them of more neighborhood funding resources Ms. Moermond: -will Lay Over to Mar 8, 2016 LH To be referred back to Legislative Hearing on March 8, 2016. Referred to the City Council due back on 1/20/2016 4 RLH RR 15-48 Ordering the razing and removal of the structures at 1295 KENT STREET within fifteen (15) days after the February 3, 2016, City Council Public Hearing. Sponsors: Brendmoen Steve Magner, Code Enforcement Manager The building is a one-story, wood frame, single-family dwelling on a lot of 7,841 square feet. According to our files, it has been a vacant building since December 18, 2013. The current property owner is Frank I. Smith per AMANDA and Ramsey County Property records. On October 8, 2015 an inspection of the building was conducted, a list of deficiencies which constitute a nuisance condition was developed and photographs were taken. An ORDER TO ABATE A NUISANCE BUILDING was posted on October 28, 2015 with a compliance date of November 27, 2015. As of this date, the property remains in a condition which comprises a nuisance as defined by the legislative code. Taxation has placed an estimated market value of $41,400 on the land and $63,400 on the building. Real estate taxes are current. The Vacant Building registration fee was due on December 18, 2015. All previous Vacant Building registration fees have been paid by assessment. A Code Compliance Inspection was done on October 16, 2015. As of January 11, 2016, the $5,000 performance deposit has not been posted. There have been seven (7) SUMMARY ABATEMENT NOTICES since 2013. There have been eight (8) WORK ORDERS issued for: - Garbage/rubbish City of Saint Paul Page 5 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final January 12, 2016 - Boarding/securing - Grass/weeds - Tree Code Enforcement Officers estimate the cost to repair this structure exceeds $50,000. The estimated cost to demolish exceeds $15,000. Amy Spong, Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC): -1-story bungalow built 1919; square building 18 x 18; has been added onto -permit index cards show that some additions might have been in 1921, 1929 (permits were not pulled to verify what was done) -identifiedidentified in our 1983 survey; was outside the boundaries -in 2011 survey work, it was also outside the boundaries -no Sanborn Insurance maps -fascia/soffit have been covered with aluminum -all windows appear to have been replaced -in the North End; there are no upcoming surveys planned for this area -demolition would not have an adverse affect -SHPO letter - not eligible for national register with 1983 information Ms. Moermond: -code compliance inspection was done in Oct 2015, which indicates that there was interest in doing an evaluation about whether they want to rehab it but no one is here today -property owner, Frank I. Smith, lives in Texas, doesn't seem to have a local representative; although the property does seem to be maintained, which is also a good sign -with no one being here, she will recommend that the Council order the property removed within 15 days with no option for its rehabilitation Remove the building within 15 days with no option for repair. (No one appeared.) Referred to the City Council due back on 2/3/2016 11:00 a.m. Hearings Summary Abatement Orders Correction Orders 5 RLH CO 16-1 Appeal of John & Lee Mannillo to a Correction Order at 1335 BEECHWOOD PLACE. Sponsors: Tolbert Layover to January 26, 2016 Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 1/26/2016 11:30 a.m. Hearings Orders To Vacate, Condemnations and Revocations 6 RLH VO 16-4 Appeal of Tim Hanson to a Revocation of Fire Certificate of City of Saint Paul Page 6 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final January 12, 2016 Occupancy and Order to Vacate at 740 STEWART AVENUE. Sponsors: Thune Tim Hanson, owner, appeared. Ms. Moermond: -we took a staff report last week and you were re-scheduled for today -you indicated that you were looking for more time Fire Inspector Leanna Shaff: -Revocation of Fire Certificate of Occupancy and Order to Vacate dated Dec 15 for Dec 10, 2016 inspection conducted by Inspector Justin Elvestad -there has been continued noncompliance -13 items on the deficiency list -#13 on that list is to provide access to the inspector for all areas of the building; there was access at some point -first inspection was attempted Jun 24, 2015 (Mr. Hanson: he missed the inspector by 5 minutes; he works part time and has a full time job) Mr. Hanson: -he wants to be compliant; just needs more time; he has a full time job and pays child support; there are a few items he can't get done on time: fire extinguishers updated; site plan for the back yard and he doesn't have the money for that -most of the items have been taken care of; his dad has been helping him; just a few items he can complete in a short time period Ms. Moermond: -let's put the pavement aside; we'll deal with that later Mr. Hanson: -he has a couple commercial vehicles in the backyard - his work trucks; he doesn't have anywhere to put them at this particular time; he's looking; so far, he's been unsuccessful -has had a hard time with some things, like the door, because the structure is very old -inspector was there yesterday, too; he was knocking on his tenants' doors and now, they're not paying rent; aside from that, he's struggling and wants to be compliant, which he can be if given more time to do it Ms. Shaff: -notes in file - 8-31-15: 9:30 am; person said he had just left to go to the scrap yard; after 20 minutes, I left for my next appointment Mr. Hanson: -that was the first one and I just missed him -on the 6th, he had sent the letter to the previous owner of the building; I had no knowledge of it; so, the only time I was not there to meet him was on the ___; just missed him by 5 minutes; I was trying to clean up a bit before he got there Ms. Shaff: -Chap 40 of the Legislative Code requires the owner to update contact information; we do have the updated information now Ms. Moermond: -doesn't look like these deficiencies are going to cost a lot of money, except for the parking space issue City of Saint Paul Page 7 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final January 12, 2016 Mr. Hanson: -I work 65-70 hours a week -it's all very doable; I just need more time -he doesn't have rental income because of the VACATE NOTICE on the door for the 17th; the tenants are all scared that a sheriff will come and kick everyone out -asking for more time to get this done; there's no emergency here; no one is in dire need -one of the doors is completely done - Unit #3; is calling to get fire extinguishers updated; the smoke detectors are in; the dumpster has been put aside; has an appointment next month for the fuel burning report with a licensed contractor; moving things blocking the door -does not yet have the vehicles moved; is working on it Ms. Moermond: -would like to see an inspector in the place -create a Work Plan on how you're going to finish the Orders, including the commercial vehicles, parking area and the fuel burning equipment test (sooner than Feb 1); this is a Revocation/Vacate; show me that you can make progress -is willing to discuss this again in a few months when we have a better idea -we'll get the inspector in there within the next week Inspector will be conducting an inspection next week and we'll discuss where things are at; get heating report done sooner than February 1; and submit a work plan with deadlines for how to get the repairs done. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 1/26/2016 1:30 p.m. Hearings Fire Certificates of Occupancy 7 RLH FCO 16-15 Appeal of John Nordeen to a Fire Certificate of Occupancy Correction Notice at 668 HAGUE AVENUE. Sponsors: Thao Waveney Bishop, tenant, appeared. Fire Inspector A. J. Neis: -Fire Inspection Correction Notice issued by Fire Inspector Justin Elvestad on Nov 23, 2015; re-inspection Dec 30 -9 code violations were identified -all violations have been corrected except one: the accumulation of exterior storage (has been partially complied with) -the tenants run a local painting business; they've removed the painting supplies; however, there are aluminum ladders stacked about 6 feet tall abutting the neighboring fence -Ms. Bishop is asking for those ladders to be able to remain there in storage -the Appellant has written a letter to that effect Ms. Bishop: -they have been living there for almost 17 years and this has never been an issue before; neither have there been rodents harboring there -was wondering if that was a violation just for rental properties City of Saint Paul Page 8 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final January 12, 2016 -they have nowhere else to store them during the winter; they are always in use in summer -they are in the corner; can't see them unless you are in the backyard Ms. Moermond: -she sees a large pile of ladders stacked very neatly off to one side; also a couple of small trusses -during your tenancy, you can have just the ladders there; she wants the wood removed -will recommend granting the appeal during this tenancy Grant the appeal for tenant to store the ladders in the backyard as is for the duration of her tenancy; however, she must remove the down spout and wooden materials. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/17/2016 8 RLH FCO 16-12 Appeal of Gary E. Singleman to a Fire Inspection Correction Notice at 112 LYTON PLACE. Sponsors: Thao Gary E. Singleman, owner, appeared. Fire Inspector A.J. Neis: -Fire Certificate of Occupancy Correction Notice issued by Inspector James Thomas -inspection done Dec 18; 7 code violations identified -one item is being appealed: attic, which has a maximum ceiling height of 6'2"; ceiling width is 4';118 sq.ft. area Ms. Moermond: -I had asked staff to take photos; they were not taken Inspector Neis: -has emails from Supervisor Leanna Shaff; she had asked Inspector Thomas for the photos ASAP; then, there was a 2nd request for photos made in Amanda -Inspector Thomas replied back on Fri; he had called the owner and left messages Jan 5 and Jan 7; he received no return calls; he went to the property Jan 6 to gain access; no one was available Ms. Moermond: -asked Mr. Singleman if he had gotten those messages Mr. Singleman: -he got a message from Mr. Thomas that he wanted to enter; he told him that he was busy with Dr. appointments and the next time he could come would be late this afternoon; he should have done whatever he wanted to do the day he was here -he told Mr. Thomas that, in his opinion, it should be grandfathered-in; the people who built the house built it like this; and I bought it like this; I've been living in here for 17 years with no problems; if there's no problems, why should a few inches matter that much? It doesn't make any sense to him Mr. Neis: -this is a very tiny house -there is no bedroom on the main floor; there was no indication that the house had ever been remodeled or the layout changed -the downstairs consists of a large kitchen and a living room area -looking at the photo, it has a larger window on the upstairs City of Saint Paul Page 9 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final January 12, 2016 -he told Mr. Singleman, that when these houses were built, the upper space was used for storage purposes; downstairs was used for living -Mr. Singleman said that if need be, his brother could sleep downstairs and use the upstairs for storage -his office would not have an issue with that Mr. Singleman: -he bought this house for his son, who lives in TX, originally, so that when he comes to MN, he'd have somewhere to stay instead of with family; he paid for it in 3 years; -my brother and his wife got divorced; he has no problems living there; keeps house tidy -his brother works during the day; he is afraid to buy the house but he pays all the bills and takes care of the property Ms. Moermond: -she is concerned about the ceiling height in the attic; it's 10 inches too short Mr. Singleman: -his brother is about 6'2" and he's been sleeping upstairs for 17 years with no problems; he and his cats Ms. Moermond: -it's time for him to move downstairs -will recommend deny this appeal; deadline: Fri, Feb 12, 2016 -will push the re-inspection out Deny a variance for the ceiling height issue and grant an extension until February 12 to discontinue the attic space as a bedroom. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/17/2016 9 RLH FCO 16-8 Appeal of Steve Bell, Executive Director the Friends of Animal Adoptions, dba Animal Ark, to a Re-Inspection Fire Certificate of Occupancy With Deficiencies at 809 SEVENTH STREET EAST. Sponsors: Prince Steve Bell, Executive Director, Friends of Animal Adoptions, dba Animal Ark; and Kendra Ogdon, Animal Ark Thrift Store, appeared. Fire Inspector A.J. Neis: -Fire Certificate of Occupancy Correction Notice issued by Fire Inspector Wayne Spiering; re-inspection Jan 15 -appealed: Orders; there's a possible pending sale on the property and a substantial amount of electrical work needs to be completed (electricians have been out there trying to fix some of the problems) Thrift Store -for the adoption center, the code would require code compliant ventilation, submitted under plan & permit -has been going on for quite some time Mr. Bell: -we are a small nonprofit organization; we are an animal shelter and have a retail store on East 7th St, the proceeds of which are used to support the animal shelter; they are changing their business model; they are selling the store to Dayton's Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services, affiliated with the City of Saint Paul; they are going to gut and remodel the building, then, turn it into office space -there were originally 19 items cited; they got it down to 10 items City of Saint Paul Page 10 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final January 12, 2016 -at this time, the economic logic to invest thousands of dollars to address these things when we're going to vacate the property within the next 75-90 days, is not something a struggling nonprofit wants to throw its limited resources into -they do understand the gravity of the repairs but it makes no sense to invest in a building that's going to be gutted and remodeled in the near future -entered a copy of the Purchase Agreement -they are in the process of winding down their affairs and liquidating their merchandise -asking that we can do this in an orderly fashion in the next 90 days -will be out later Mar or early Apr Mr. Neis: -talking with Inspector Spiering, they have agreed, voluntarily, to discontinue using the outlets that are having problems Ms. Ogdon: -added that there are sprinkling systems in both the warehouse and the adoption center Ms. Moermond: -asked Mr. Neis about #9 - exiting doors must have code compliant hardware Mr. Neis: -the door doesn't swing in the direction of exiting and some of the hardware is incorrect Ms. Ogdon: -there are actually 3 properties: 807, 809 and 811; the door is between 807 and 809; we can take one of the odors off; the other door we keep closed (warehouse door); we don't use that as retail space Mr. Bell: -they will be moving to a small administrative headquarters somewhere in Saint Paul -the buyer has completed their Phase 1 Ms. Moermond: -will grant an extension to the property thru May 1, 2016; it can be revisited that time with Mr. Erchul Deny and grant an extension until May 1, 2016, anticipating that the building is vacated and the Certificate of Occupancy could be revoked. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/17/2016 10 RLH FCO 16-14 Appeal of Charles Mccarty to a Fire Certificate of Occupancy Correction Notice at 1734 SEVENTH STREET EAST. Sponsors: Prince Rescheduled per owner's request. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 1/19/2016 2:30 p.m. Hearings City of Saint Paul Page 11 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final January 12, 2016 Vacant Building Registrations 11 RLH VBR 16-2 Appeal of Justin Rodriguez to a Vacant Building Registration Notice at 995 BEECH STREET. Sponsors: Stark Deny the appeal; no one appeared. 1/11/16: Appellant faxed in a written statement for his appeal via Healtheast/St Joseph. Ms. Moermond reviewed the medical report and his statement and checked City records for cause of being in the Vacant Building Program. She found that the property was condemned for nuisance conditions and overcrowding; therefore, she is recommending denial of the appeal. She advised appellant to attend the public hearing if he wishes to contest further. Email was sent to appellant of same. -MXV Referred to the City Council due back on 2/17/2016 12 RLH VBR 16-1 Appeal of Gene Christianson to a Vacant Building Registration Renewal Notice at 719 GLENDALE STREET. Sponsors: Stark Inspector Matt Dornfeld, Vacant Buildings: -this has been a Category 2 Vacant Building since Jan 15, 2014 due to extensive fire damage to that unit -Inspector Kalis says this is a Row House Mr. Christianson: -there are 5 entrances on the front; this is the end unit and it's still vacant -it's very close to being done Mr. Dornfeld: -we were here last year right around this time; you granted a 90-day VB fee waiver to wrap this up -we also, graciously, granted 2 more 90-day fee waivers after that per Inspector Kalis -from looking at the computer, the 2015-16 VB fee has been waived for 270 days -anniversary date is Jan 15; he thinks that we're here to discuss 2 VB fees (2015-16; and 2016-17) -plumbing, mechanical, building permits open -property has not been a nuisance and it's been maintained Mr. Christianson: -he doesn't see what the fee is for; he's the one losing rent and he has had trouble with contractors -initial plumbing and electrical inspections are done -both contractors and inspectors are booked way out, so it's hard to get finished -he's been waiting for the sheet rock contractor to get done; he promised to be done in 4 weeks and it's only half done -he doesn't see where it's costing the city any money at all; he's the one who's losing -everything is in place; he has all the fixtures ready to be installed; the painter is waiting; he's had many fire inspections -for the last 30 years, each inspection was completed on the first re-inspection unless it's weather related -what are the 2 separate fees for? City of Saint Paul Page 12 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final January 12, 2016 Mr. Dornfeld: -the VB fee is meant to cover the city's expenses to deal with properties that are vacant and are not maintained or are nuisances and have code violations, etc. and includes all administrative work -you may not be using some of these services but unfortunately, due to a fire, your house is uninhabitable and vacant; but because so many of the VB in the city require a lot of city services, this is the fee that we charge Ms. Moermond: -the collected fees cover the cost of the entire program Mr. Christianson: -it's not like this was a burnt out hulk sitting there where people can come and go; like drug dealers; it's 2 units; a tenant is waiting for one of them -the building is not vacant; it's 3/4 inhabited -all the exterior work is done; he's done everything he's been told to do and then some -he has settled with his insurance company Mr. Dornfeld: -suggested that possibly, we could monitor it as a preliminary VB for 30 days or 60 days to see that these permits are finaled and C of O issued; if not, we could reopen a Cat 2 VB Ms. Moermond: -how long do you thing it will take you to get these guys in line and get it done Mr. Christianson: -end of Feb, if not sooner Ms. Moermond: -she's in a bit of a pickle; the VB fee has been waived for an entire year -will ask that the 2014-15 be reduced to 1/4 of what it would; and waive the 2015-16 fee for 90 days if done by the end of Mar 1 Waive the current VB fee for 90 days. VB fee for 2015, reduce to $500 when it goes to assessment on February 16, 2016. Referred to the City Council due back on 2/17/2016 City of Saint Paul Page 13