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, June 21, 2016 9:00 AM Room 330 City Hall & Court House 9:00 a.m. Hearings Special Tax Assessments 1 RLH TA 16-148 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 544 MINNEHAHA AVENUE WEST. (File No. VB1607, Assessment No. 168806; amended to File No. VB1607B, Assessment No. 168817) Sponsors: Thao No one appeared. Ms. Mai Vang: Ms. Nhia Vang lhad aid this over to today regarding the code compliance inspection report. Asked for an update. Inspector Joe Yannarelly: -the building permit has been Withdrawn Ms. Moermond: -will recommend approval Approve the assessment. There was a building permit pulled but it was withdrawn. It's still in vacant building status. Referred to the City Council due back on 7/6/2016 2 RLH TA 16-306 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1325 ARKWRIGHT STREET. (File No. J1609B, Assessment No. 168109) Sponsors: Brendmoen Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 3 RLH TA 16-351 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1400 CHARLES AVENUE. (File No. J1610E, Assessment No.168318) Sponsors: Stark No show; approve the assessment. City of Saint Paul Page 1 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 4 RLH TA 16-275 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 457 CLINTON AVENUE. (File No. J1610A, Assessment No. 168526; amended to File No. J1610A3, Assessment No. 168541 and to delete the assessment) (Public hearing continued from July 20) Sponsors: Noecker Kadiro A. Elemo, owner, appeared. Inspector Lisa Martin: -Summary Abatement Order issued Mar 1, 2016; compliance Mar 7; re-checked Mar 7 -work done Mar 8 for a cost of $158 + $160 service charge = $318 -sent to Kadiro Elemo and Occupant at this address -no returned mail -photos - large box left open in yard VIDEO - scattered cardboard in yard Mr. Elemo: -one of his brothers from Africa died; he was in Africa from Feb 28 - Mar 10, 2016 -he lives here by himself -he did not receive a Notice and did not know anything about this -the house next door was broken into Ms. Moermond: -looks like a package was opened (photo) Mr. Elemo: -I did not buy anything -there is no history on the property Ms. Martin: -that's right; there's no history Ms. Moermond: -should have gotten someone to take care of your property in your absence Mr. Elemo: -he did have a friend check it for him Ms. Moermond: Layover to October 19, 2016 Public Hearing and if no further violation(s), will delete assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 7/20/2016 5 RLH TA 16-299 Deleting the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 250 GERANIUM AVENUE WEST (File No. J1610E, Assessment No. 168318). Sponsors: Brendmoen Nicole Voss, owner, appeared together with a supporting friend City of Saint Paul Page 2 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 Inspector Lisa Martin: -Excessive Consumption charge of $120 + $35 service charge = $155 -Summary Abatement Order issued Jan 20, 2016; compliance Jan 24; re-checked Jan 29 (failure to remove ice from the public sidewalk) -work was done by owner -sent to Nicole Voss, 250 Geranium Ave W and Occupant -no returned mail -charge is for not having the work completed by the deadline; crew was dispatched Ms. Voss: -has photos -in the morning she puts salt down before she goes to work; it melts the ice but then, it freezes again -the water builds right in front of and on her sidewalk; she doesn't know what to do about it; actually, her sidewalk looks better than the street; the blvd is 5 ft wide -lot is on the corner Ms. Moermond: -viewed the photos; there's a space where 4 panels of the sidewalk are tilted and there's a pretty significant water accumulation that appears to be 2 inches deep, maybe (where the trees on the blvd are) Ms. Martin: -provided photos, as well Ms. Voss: -when it melts during the day, everything flows down to her property; it doesn't drain into the frozen ground -she salts, shovels, and picks; she doesn't like to use sand because it gets all over the grass and it wrecks the blvd's grass -when the days get warmer, everything drains to her land -it's a real issue with these blvd trees Ms. Moermond: -how about sand; need to use sand; she is concerned only about the hazard as is your home insurance -there has to be some plan to deal with this -the ice can't be allowed to continue; it's not safe for pedestrians Ms. Martin: -there's no history on this property Ms. Moermond: -wants a commitment form you to use sand; later, sweep the sidewalk Ms. Voss: -can we get the blvd fixed with those trees? Ms. Moermond: -you can talk with Al Czaia, 651/266-6108, Public Works about that; I don't know that it will help; suggests she meet with Al in person and show him the photos; tell him what the deal was with the ice accumulation - show him the Orders; tell him you think that the trees are the problem; ask what can be done with these sidewalk panels so that they drain away so that it doesn't create a skating rink for pedestrians on your corner City of Saint Paul Page 3 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 -also, send me an email with a proposal of how you're going to work to prevent this ice accumulation in the future and list your commitment to take care of this in the future; she will respond to your email with her recommendation Recommendation is forthcoming. Owner is to provide a proposal for future commitment on how to handle the pooling of water on the sidewalk to prevent ice and snow build-up during the winter. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 6 RLH TA 16-304 Deleting the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 365 GRAND AVENUE (File No. J1610E, Assessment No. 168318). Sponsors: Noecker Delete the assessment as the order and EC letters were never mailed to the correct property owner. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 7 RLH TA 16-298 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 308 HAZELWOOD STREET. (File No. J1610E, Assessment No. 368318) Sponsors: Prince Tammy Butler, owner, appeared. Inspector Lisa Martin: -Excessive Consumption fee of $240 + $35 service charge = $275 -Order issued Feb 11, 2016; compliance Feb 19; re-checked Feb 19; Feb 24 again asking for garage numbers -failure to install garage numbers -sent to Tammy Butler at this address -no returned mail -photos showing no garage numbers Ms. Butler: -when the first Notice came, it gave her only a week; they were short staffed at work, so she was coming home late and not opening her mail; at the end of the week, she opened her mail and found that it was already too late; when she read the Notice, she was confused and thought it was for the front of the house -her issue with it is that she's lived in this house for 12 years; it has been inspected a number of times and she has never been informed about numbers for the garage Ms. Moermond: -you just got a lot of letters informing you about it Ms. Butler: -with only a week's Notice in each letter Ms. Moermond: -but --- you didn't open your mail for a week; then on the weekend, you opened it; it's past the deadline but still plenty of time to run down to a store and buy the numbers and put them up; that would have prevented, if not all of these assessments, certainly, the lion's share Ms. Butler: City of Saint Paul Page 4 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 -it would have prevented the 2nd one; not the 1st one Ms. Moermond: -doesn't know if DSI would have charged you if you would have been late on the first one -you got 3 letters on this Ms. Butler: -there are garage numbers now Ms. Moermond: -it does seem fast for a turn around and there wasn't an emergency situation that Inspector Martin was aware of Ms. Martin: -typically, we would probably do a 30 day turn around on garage numbers; but, then, we didn't receive a phone call or anything -she will talk with the inspector on this Ms. Moermond: -I'm surprised to see this with a 1-week turn around on it -will get you down to $50 because of the tight deadline Reduce assessment from $275.00 to $50.00 due to tight compliance deadline. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 8 RLH TA 16-287 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 478-480 LEXINGTON PARKWAY SOUTH. (File No.J1610A, Assessment No. 168526) Sponsors: Tolbert Ira Kipp, owner, appeared. Inspector Lisa Martin: -Summary Abatement Order issued Mar 17, 2016; compliance Mar 23; re-checked Mar 24 -work done Mar 30 for a cost of $298 + $160 service charge = $458 -sent to Ira Kipp, Trustee, 2273 Wagonwheel Ct, St. Paul and Occupant MN -no returned mail -failure to maintain exterior property -there are Orders on garbage again -photos Mr. Kipp: -asked what address these Notices are sent to because they have been trying to get their mailing address changed for 2 years -appealing because in this area they have a problem with dumping; he owns a couple small building in this area; we've become the trash dumping place for people who don't want to pay for trash service; he's talked with SPPD numerous times and also talked with the City Council to encourage city-wide trash disposal -every 2-3 days, we drive by and the dumping is bad; had one tenant who was really bad, so he was evicted; now, they are having the same problem; now, they are going by every day; they are the "Free Dumping Site" -they will continue to try to keep it clean City of Saint Paul Page 5 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 Ms. Martin: -a Work Order was sent out the other day for the back of the property VIDEO - removed scattered garbage, old door, mattress, etc. Mr. Kipp: -I paid my men to clean that up VIDEO again -my guys said that they took it a and they charged me -he intends to move the dumpster -we need to get a city trash service for the city by the city, like Minneapolis has, so there's no incentive for the populace to dump their crap on someone else's property because they don't want to pay for it Ms. Moermond: -the ladder was in the photo and video but the crew did not say that they took the ladder -the Orders went out on the 17th; the crew didn't come until the 30th; that's a lot of misses that your guys would have made during that time period for taking care of your property -will recommend approval of this assessment Ms. Martin: -another SA clean-up done by Parks crew on Jun 9, 2016, so they will be getting a bill Ms. Moermond: Approve the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 7/20/2016 9 RLH TA 16-302 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1608 MARGARET STREET. (File No. CRT1610, Assessment No. 168211) Sponsors: Prince Fong Lor, owner, appeared. Fire Inspector Leanna Shaff: -cost: $595 + $155 service charge - $750 -gold card returned by Fong Lor for unpaid Fire C of O inspections for a single family dwelling -appointment letter sent: 1/31/14 -Correction letters sent 2/28 & 3/31/14 -Revocation letter sent 5/6/14 -the Vacant Building Program neglected to open a VB file -the inspector, driving by, found that the premises was re-occupied and sent an inspection Notice on 11-13-15 -Correction letters follow on 12/7/15 and 1/5/16 -the C of O was approved with deficiencies on Jan 29, 2016 Ms. Moermond: -so, we have a change in ownership in the middle of all this, too Ms. Shaff: -mailing dates were 2/2 and 3/3/16 -no mail was returned City of Saint Paul Page 6 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 -Orders and deficiencies go with the building; so when Mr. Lor bought the building from Christopher Barnes, it should have been disclosed that the C of O was Revoked -after that we found that it had been re-occupied, we sent out letters for inspections Mr. Lor: -all those assessments were in 2014; we had no knowledge of them when my brother purchased the property; then, I moved in there in 2015 -after all these issues, I decided in Apr to purchase the property from my brother; it is registered with Ramsey County Ms. Moermond: -did any one call Christopher Barnes about this? Mr. Lor: -we could not get a hold of the old owner; it was a short sale -the day I moved in, there was still someone living in the house and my brother's realtor didn't know about the fees Ms. Moermond: -at that point, the bill hadn't been issued; they issue the bill when you get your C of O and the C of O had been Revoked because of the building conditions; so, the fact that there wasn't a C of O on the property is something that should have come up when your realtors/sellers, etc., were researching this property and giving information to you or to your brother in the closing; the seller should have said, under state law... to disclose that the Certificate of Occupancy had been Revoked for this building -your brother got a cheap price and assumed some risk in that, as well -she needs to worry about re-couping city costs that were incurred and she wants to be sympathetic to your situation -the $170 is a flat fee for getting a C of O -the other fees that show up in the bill are all for re-inspections (half of $170) -she will include the flat fee of $170 plus 2 re-inspection fees of $85 each or $170 and she will delete the other fees, giving you a total of $340 + $85 service charge = $425 -coming to appeal was your venue for having a conversation about your bill besides call DSI directly, which is always an option Mr. Lor: -I did call Joe Brown when I received the bill; he said that he didn't know what was going on; he said that he'd call me back but he never did -since there were too many issues, he decided to appeal Ms. Moermond: -feels as though she did right by you but you can still go to the City Council Public Hearing and talk to them about your assessment Reduce assessment from $750.00 to $425.00 (delete 3 re-inspection fees of $85.00 each and delete some service charges). Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 10 RLH TA 16-305 Deleting the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1759 SAINT ANTHONY AVENUE WEST (File No. J1609B, Assessment No. 168109). Sponsors: Stark Benton Free appeared. City of Saint Paul Page 7 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 Inspector Joe Yannarelly, Vacant Buildings: -Emergency Boarding requested by St. Paul Fire Dept on Feb 11, 2016 at 9:45 pm -has not gotten the fire report back -securing cost with clips: $265 + $155 service charge = $425 -there have been no problems at the property Mr. Free: -there was a reported gas leak, believes it was where the old meter had been -no one was home at the time; the renter came home soon after this happened; she gave me a call and he was there very quickly; on the phone, he told them not to board it up; that he would be there in 10 minutes; they had to break the basement door open to make sure that there wasn't a gas leak inside -his appeal is because when he was on the phone with the tenant and the firemen, he told them not to board it up; he would be there in 10 min but when he got there, it had been done and he got a bill for it -and $465 for 6 screws for something that I asked them not to do Ms. Moermond: -without better information from Fire, she will recommend deleting this assessment Delete the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 11 RLH TA 16-297 Deleting the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1161 SAINT CLAIR AVENUE (File No. J1609P, Assessment No. 168409). Sponsors: Noecker Delete; waiver on file sine 2007. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 12 RLH TA 16-309 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1618 SELBY AVENUE. (File No. J1610E, Assessment No. 168318) Sponsors: Stark Nick Krings and Nora Krings, tax owner & C of O responsible Party, appeared. Inspector Joe Yannarelly: -snow walk letter issued Feb 11, 2016; compliance Feb 15; re-checked Feb 17 -crew went out Feb 19 and it had been abated -Excessive Consumption fee of $120 + $35 service charge = $155 -photos taken Feb 17 -Notice was sent to Erin E Bosch, 337 Orchard Dr, Madison WI; and Occupant Mr. Krings: -they weren't living there at the time; had rented it to someone -owner is Erin E. Bosch, co-signer on their loan - Nora's parents Inspector Lisa Martin: -there's a history with vehicles, garbage, shut-offs, etc. -the house has been Condemned or Revoked C of O Nora Krings: -they left that property for the safety of their children; they had an extremely high lead City of Saint Paul Page 8 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 level; it was vacant and the pipes burst, so they rented it out after we left in Feb 2016; that's where all the complaints/history comes from; they caused a lot of damage and were evicted Mr. Krings: -he had gotten his C of O back after contacting the inspector -now, he has a small list of deficiencies -I don't know what to appeal -it's a very high pedestrian place to live and a lot of slush gets pushed up from potholes, etc; and obviously, the people they had rented to were just not able to keep up with the snow Ms. Krings: -their neighbor was snowblowing the sidewalk for them -the buildings are very tight there; they've had issues with the apartment building right next door that was built right up to the property line; you can't even open up the car door in the driveway Mr. Krings: -the tenants could have worked harder to keep up -they paid many of the tenants' bills -they have are going to sell to their next door neighbor; they want to be out of it all -we ended up cleaning it up -when he had the sheriff come to evict the tenants, there was a Condemnation Notice on the door 2 days later -no more problems; the tenants are gone Ms. Moermond: -the crew had been deployed although they did not need to do the job; however, the costs were still incurred because the work hadn't been done by the deadline -it's a high traffic area and there's an impact on pedestrian safety -will recommend approval; glad that you're taking the right steps Approve the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 13 SR 16-58 Review Request of Elizabeth Caturia for Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property adopted by Council File No. RLH AR 16-26 on June 2, 2016 at 830 GRAND AVENUE (File No. CRT1608, Assessment No. 168208). Sponsors: Noecker Will prepare a resolution to delete this assessment and re-bill to the correct owner. Received and Filed Special Tax Assessments-Rolls 14 RLH AR 16-44 Ratifying the assessments for Collection of Fire Certificate of Occupancy fees billed during January 13 to February 11, 2016. (File No. CRT1610, Assessment No. 168211) Sponsors: Stark City of Saint Paul Page 9 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 15 RLH AR 16-45 Ratifying the assessments for Excessive Inspection/Abatement services billed during January 25 to February 24, 2016. (File No. J1610E, Assessment No. 168318) Sponsors: Stark Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 16 RLH AR 16-46 Ratifying the assessments for Graffiti Removal services during March 10 to April 6, 2016. (File No. J1609P, Assessment No. 168409) Sponsors: Stark Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 17 RLH AR 16-47 Ratifying special assessments for Boarding and/or Securing services during February 2016. (File No. J1609B, Assessment No. 168109) Sponsors: Stark Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 18 RLH AR 16-56 Ratifying the assessments for Property Clean Up service on February 10, 2016 at 1 SEVENTH PLACE WEST. (File No. J1609A1, Assessment No. 168532) Sponsors: Stark Approve; no one appeared. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/3/2016 11:00 a.m. Hearings Summary Abatement Orders (NONE) Correction Orders and Condemnation (Code Enf) 19 RLH CO 16-3 Appeal of Robert Arnold, Ashland Property, LLC to a Correction Order at 443 ASHLAND AVENUE. Sponsors: Thao Owner to provide a work plan by July 1, 2016; grant until December 1, 2016 for compliance. Referred to the City Council due back on 7/6/2016 20 RLH CO 16-14 Appeal of Quintin L. & Robyn Koger Kidd to a Correction Notice at 1064 PACIFIC STREET. City of Saint Paul Page 10 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 Sponsors: Prince Quintin L. Koger Kidd, owner, appeared. Inspector Lisa Martin: -this has been continued from Jun 7 and kept getting laid over -Apr 5, 2016, a Correction Notice was issued regarding cracks around the garage; deteriorated roof on garage; grading & drainage issue on the retaining wall -repair retaining wall; damage to fencing; remove camper from back yard; an electrical cord was running to the east side of the house; compliance date May 31, 2016; Orders issued by Inspector Westenhofer -photos Ms. Moermond: -we have extensive plans from an engineering company (Mr. Kidd just received those on Thu; hasn't yet figured out what to do; thinks he needs to get estimates on repair vs replacement) Mr. Kidd: -the camper isn't gone; he was told that he needed to get a survey; all is interconnected; he didn't know if he was going to replace the garage, because that's where he would ultimately put the camper -the damage fencing can't be replaced until the retaining wall is fixed Ms. Moermond: -you need to disconnect the camper today; if you put a surface there that it can be parked on, then OK -she will be patient with the other things Mr. Kidd: -asked if he could put down a gravel pad 8 x 20; he doesn't plan on retiring here; it won't be permanent; if he has to build a new garage, he may move it; then, he'd like to dismantle the pad -he'd like to minimize the amount of concrete in the yard (it has no oil; no auto fluid; it's not risky) -the cord keeps the battery charged for our refrigerator between our camping trips Ms. Moermond: -you'll need to have Zoning look at that - a site plan (will get a timeline); draw up a diagram, take to DSI; information is also available on line -come back in 3 weeks with bids (Jul 12, 2016) on repair vs replacement; I'd like to resolve this then-put that extension date in the resolution and be done with it Mr. Kidd: -his contention is that he is not responsible for the retaining; has photos from around 1973 -the damage does not exist on his side of the wall -entered photos with explanations Ms. Moermond: -asked for a copy of the survey, which shows that the wall is on the property line -she wants to study this more Continued to July 12 for further discussion; Owner to provide bid(s) for the garage; submit site plan for the parking pad to Zoning. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 7/12/2016 City of Saint Paul Page 11 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 21 RLH VO 16-19 Appeal of Nancy Barnes to a Notice of Condemnation as Unfit for Human Habitation and Order to Vacate at 1159 PASCAL STREET NORTH. Sponsors: Stark Owner to come current with delinquent taxes before the July 5th hearing so that the MHFA can move forward with the loan to make the repairs. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 7/5/2016 22 RLH CO 16-16 Appeal of Shoua T. Khang to a Correction Notice at 861 HUDSON ROAD. Sponsors: Prince Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 6/28/2016 23 RLH CO 16-13 Appeal of Cynthia M. Perron to a Correction Notice at 726 PLUM STREET. Sponsors: Prince Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 6/28/2016 24 RLH VO 16-25 Appeal of Christy Perrine to a Notice of Condemnation as Unfit for Human Habitation and Order to Vacate at 346 MARYLAND AVENUE EAST. Sponsors: Brendmoen Christy Perrine, owner, appeared. Inspector Lisa Martin: -we have a Summary Abatement Order on the exterior: trash, etc. -also have a Condemnation/Order to Vacate dated Jun 8 with a Vacate Date of Jun 13, 2016 due to excessive storage, debris and sanitation issues inside the house (photos) -she also took before (Jun 8) & after (Jun 20) photos to note progress and dumpster on site -there is material in the dumpster provided by House Calls -there are 2 minor kids living there; a lot of excessive clutter; one of the children has autism; she gave Ms. Perrine some resources -husband Bob is working full time Ms. Moermond: -can't see much progress except that the kitchen and bathroom areas look better Ms. Perrine: -she hasn't been able to work for the last 11 years and she has trouble getting child care and rides; people are afraid to watch the child with autism and to find transportation; things got bad after she had her last child and they could not afford to get a dumpster on their own; it's been a very hard struggle; she wants things to get better but they need time to do it; she doesn't have help from her family -her son with autism likes to be by himself: sit on the bed or on the living room City of Saint Paul Page 12 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 couch; watch TV; her daughter likes to play outside with her friends -her husband works full time; he is the only financial provider and he's exhausted when he comes home from work; since this started, he's taken several days off; he also does all the cooking right now because I can't do anything; I fell about a week ago and twisted my ankle very badly; go to the Dr. Thu night; can't walk on it a lot -we can get it all cleaned-up; we just need more time to do it Ms. Martin: -became aware of this through Child Protection; there are 4 children in all but only 2 now reside at the house; a son 15 and a daughter 11 Ms. Moermond: -I'm not sure that you understand how serious this is Ms. Perrine: -I do understand; my son has to be watched very carefully; he would go outside and then he to the store without my realizing he's gone; I hate this situation; it's hard for me - child's autism plus house issues; I need to take a lot of breaks -working with Paula and Erica from House Calls; got dumpster from House Calls; a week later someone from Child Protection came to walk through the house Ms. Moermond: -House Calls works with professional organizers, although there is a charge for that; it's worth calling to find out about it -I have so little patience with this situation Ms. Perrine: -there is still room in the dumpster; my daughters will be coming to help and we will do as much as we can Ms. Moermond: -half of what is remaining in the house needs to be gone by next week; Ms. Martin will stop by next Mon at 10 am -you made good progress in the kitchen and bathroom; Ms. Martin will make a determination -talk with House Calls about assistance -will Lay this Over for 1 week to Jun 28 LH -if the Condemnation can be lifted, we will talk more Reduce the volume of accumulated refuse by half by Monday, June 27, 2016. Supervisor Lisa Martin will do an inspection that same day. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 6/28/2016 25 RLH VO 16-22 Appeal of Janice L. Van Allen Wilson to a Notice of Condemnation as Unfit for Human Habitation and Order to Vacate at 680 OTSEGO STREET. Sponsors: Brendmoen Janice L. Van Allen Wilson owner, appeared. Ms. Wilson: -physically, there's not much different except for the smoke detectors and CO detector -has made a lot of calls to handymen but no one is available -has applied for 3 different loans but was denied on all 3 City of Saint Paul Page 13 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 -in about 2 days, she will be able to take out a loan against her retirement account -the carpeting needs to be replaced; she knows someone who does flooring; he knows several handymen; once he gives her an estimate on the flooring, she can take out a loan on the rest -has used 3 different carpet cleaners and the stains are clean -she can't replace the water heater until she has funding Inspector Lisa Martin: -on May 27, a Condemnation Order was issued; since that time, progress has been made, so, the Condemnation was lifted; now, it's a Correction Notice -Community Action Program and Xcel Energy both have funding for a water heater -also, call United Way 211 and ask for resources for handymen/medical -new deadline is Jun 28, 2016 Ms. Wilson: -won't be done by Jun 28; she can't apply for an amount until she knows how much to ask for Ms. Moermond: -the furnace is not running now; she wants the water heater shut-off -she is satisfied that the carpet is clean; doesn't matter if it's ugly Ms. Martin: -"clean and ugly" is acceptable; it doesn't show tears for trip hazards -can go out and show her how to shut-off the water heater Ms. Moermond: -is comfortable giving more time -follow up with Community Action Program -get the gas turned off -let's go 3 weeks; will give you time to talk with Community Action Program, 224-4365 Layover to July 12, 2016 so owner can find funding resources for the water heater. In the meantime, Supervisor Martin will go and show owner how to turn off the water heater; grant on the carpet; grant on the condemnation and order to vacate. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 7/12/2016 11:30 a.m. Hearings Orders To Vacate, Condemnations and Revocations 26 RLH CO 16-27 Appeal of Ann Polachek to a Correction Notice plus Notice to Cut Tall Grass and/or Weeds at 911 ROSE AVENUE EAST. Sponsors: Bostrom Ann Polachek, owner, appeared. Ms. Polachek: -did have a gas shut-off last year Inspector Lisa Martin: -gas shut-off dated Jun 13, 2016 -Correction Notice sent by Inspector Seeley; also, Tall Grass & Weeds; compliance City of Saint Paul Page 14 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 Jun 20 Ms. Polachek: -there's $800+ on the bill; she has to pay $611 in order to have it turned back on -the grass has been mowed -prior to coming here, she was working with Community Action Program, which were able to come up with everything except $600 -she is looking into different resources through the community -she is also a Navy Reservist and called the Navy to help -called Human Resources and they denied her claim -called Salvation Army; is waiting and hoping to get this taken care of -she lost one of her jobs in Jan; also has a small coffee shop -has been in the military but not now -she needs money; doing odd job -her mom is going through memory loss; lives in Winona; helping her and getting money from that -she has lost a lot during this past year; had to go to live with friends -gas appliances: stove, furnace, water heater, dryer -her electricity is off too; the Navy help her with some stuff -water is on; there's $60 left on that bill Ms. Moermond: -can't do much for you -will recommend denying your appeal because of utilities shut-off (both gas & electricity) -this is a Condemned house and Ordered Vacated effective Jul 8, 2016 -City Council Public Hearing Jul 6; if you can get your utilities turned back on again, you won't need to Vacate; that gives you a little time to respond Deny the appeal and order vacated on July 8, 2016 due to no gas and electric unless the utilities are back on. Referred to the City Council due back on 7/6/2016 27 RLH VO 16-23 Appeal of Daniel Furlong to a Fire Certificate of Occupancy Revocation and Order to Vacate at 880 CLARK STREET. Sponsors: Brendmoen Daniel Furlong, owner, appeared along with Mary Kaye. Fire Inspector Leanna Shaff: -Revocation and Order to Vacate issued by Fire Inspector James Thomas May 31, 2016; going on for a long time -appointment letters sent: 11/15, 12/4 and 12/31 of 2015; also 2/3/16; did not gain access; rescheduled because owner/contractor had a heart attack; couldn't meet -photos are alarming; currently there are 22 items on the list that need to be addressed -Revocation is due to noncompliance over an extended period of time -letters sent to Daniel & Jane Furlong, 16788 Ides Circl, Lakeville, MN -both units are occupied; downstairs has a sanitation issue -deficiencies include: holes between occupancies; combustible issues-excessive storage; should have been Condemned immediately; bolt locks; extension cords in lieu of permanent wiring; appears that there has been a lot of deferred maintenance; exterior photos of tall grass & weeds -need access to all areas of the building; inspector is having a hard time getting in City of Saint Paul Page 15 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 Mr. Furlong: -reason for the appeal is that both units are occupied; Mary Kaye has been living there; she has health issues; in his situation, he has a number of reasons that limit his schedule - he is starting a new job and her and my schedules are not compatible -understands that it's taking a long time, he apologized for that, but all of the issues: holes, unsanitary conditions; combustibles, etc, are fixed; he just needs time for the rest of the items; in the past, he's always taken care of things; he wants this resolved and is willing to do everything in his power to do so; in the past, he has always been able to get his certification; right now, he is scared; he's never been before the hearing officer Ms. Kaye: -I got sick 3 years ago and haven't been well; I'm not a property manager any more; I"m a tenant Ms. Shaff: -reminded Mr. Furlong that someone who represents him, who handles his money for him needs to be a real estate agent and/or a broker Mr. Furlong: -Ms. Kaye has not been handling this; she meets with the inspector when I can't -have owned this since 2005 Ms. Shaff: -no permits have been pulled Ms. Moermond: -wants a Work Plan next week to reflect the work that needs to be done; necessary permits need to be pulled & finaled Mr. Furlong: -he can provide a plan next week; item #5 is done Ms. Shaff: will accept item #5 without a permit; the slide bolt needs to be gone Ms. Kaye: -she has supplies for working on the building -she removed four 14' trailers full of stuff -the back porch is cleaned out Ms. Moermond: -the list needs to be completed of the place should be empty Deny the appeal and grant until July 22, 2016 for compliance. Owner to to provide a work plan by next week. If the repairs are not addressed, it will be referred to VB Program. Referred to the City Council due back on 7/6/2016 1:30 p.m. Hearings Fire Certificates of Occupancy 28 RLH FCO 16-62 Appeal of Milton Investment to a Fire Inspection Correction Notice at 2228 CARTER AVENUE. City of Saint Paul Page 16 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 Sponsors: Stark 1) grant to November 15, 2016 for the retaining wall associated with the area well and exterior stair area; 2) grant to July 1, 2017 for repair of the rest of the retaining walls noted in the orders; and 3) the extensions are conditioned upon the use of a certified survey and the repair and/or replacement work being done under permit with plans and specifications sealed by an engineer registered in the State of Minnesota. Referred to the City Council due back on 7/6/2016 29 RLH FCO 16-87 Appeal of Jope Spychalla to a Fire Deficiencies at 1103 JESSAMINE AVENUE EAST. Sponsors: Bostrom Deny the appeal; no one appeared. Referred to the City Council due back on 7/6/2016 2:30 p.m. Hearings Vacant Building Registrations 30 RLH VBR 16-33 Appeal of Inho Chang to 3 orders for Vacant Building Registration Notice, Corrected Notice of Condemnation-Unfit for Human Habitation-Order to Vacate, and Summary Abatement Order at 606 LAFOND AVENUE. Sponsors: Thao Inho Chang, Chang Properties LLC, owner, appeared. Erica Lewis, 2nd floor tenant, appeared. Fire Inspector A.J. Neis: -we were here a couple of weeks ago for the Vacant Building Registration fee; at that time, the Revocation Order was issued in error so I agreed to go inspect to see whether or not the life safety issues had been corrected -owner has made great strides; private sidewalks have been replaced; the fire rated door was done under permit; the house is cleaned out; downstairs is in the process of being painted; it's looking very good -the yard is looking very bad; he is working on it; materials have been put under a 10 x10 tarp -the disturbing thing is that the owner had replaced the hard wired smoke detector but today, I found it setting on a dresser (it's been rendered inoperable in the 2nd floor unit); did not issue a Criminal Citation -he spoke with Jerome & Erica; Erica stated that she let some friends in to cook bacon; they had disabled the smoke detector -there were 4 young children in the home; he had a long conversation with Ms. Lewis, in which she became combative and stormed out of the house; he was very stern with her and told her that she was responsible and she had to be held accountable when things happened -he also spoke with Jerome, who was very reasonable and indicated that Ms. Lewis has had people in who were undesirable; that she needs to make better choices -he has no problem keeping the building uncondemned but will condemn if he finds that the smoke detectors are disabled City of Saint Paul Page 17 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 -work is in progress; let Ms. Lewis stay and make better use of the unit Ms. Moermond: -let's convert the Condemnation to a Correction Order with conditions Mr. Neis: -the door knobs have been put back on; there's new carpeting -there is still the mess in the yard; most of the deficiencies are completed Mr. Chang: -he has worked very hard; even missed his anniversary party -he would like to comply; he is trying to finish everything -may be done in a week; already took some stuff away Mr. Neis: -we are down to 5 violations -seed the yard once the material is cleaned up -attend the multi crime free housing class Ms. Lewis: -was upset because no one had asked her about the smoke detector -what happened was that Jerome fried bacon while cooking breakfast for the children; he took off the smoke detector and forgot to put it back on Ms. Moermond: -I thought it was someone else who did that Ms. Lewis: -any time a man towers over me and raises his voice, it's natural for me to raise my voice too, and remove myself from the area; pointing his finger and treating me like a child; I was upset and crying; I had been through a nervous breakdown; I don't need that again; I had been asleep; it's my fault for letting people into my home -I was not privy to when the inspector was coming; I had to pay for my own doors and construction; landlord waited until the last day to do these things; I went to Menards for the door; landlord replaced that door yesterday; he waited until the last second because he has an issue with me that is personal Mr. Neis: -has a concern about with hearing less than truthful things; I asked Jerome, who said that a friend came in and cooked bacon, removed the smoke detector and left - less than truthful; how do we know that these things are not going to be undone again? Jerome: -I said that a friend had disabled the fire detector but I did it; I made bacon and eggs for the kids; I could have turned on a fan, opened a window, etc; Ms. Lewis had been on top of her stuff; I'd feel horrible if she lost her place because of my carelessness; my 2 children are there, too; he apologized for not being truthful with Mr. Neis; if there's going to be a Criminal Citation, I ask that it be put on me Ms. Moermond: -the money issues between Mr. Chang and Ms. Lewis can be settled in Housing Court -the yard needs to be spotless -City Council Public Hearing is Jul 6, 2016 Grant the appeal on the Condemnation and the Order to Vacate conditioned upon the City of Saint Paul Page 18 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 upper tenants not disabling the smoke detectors; grant the appeal on the vacant building; grant until next Wednesday to have the stuff under the tarp cleaned out. Supervisor Neis will be driving by; grant the appeal for Item 19 (attend landlord 101 class) - it has been abated. The remaining items will be sent as a Correction Order with a compliance date of July 8th. Referred to the City Council due back on 7/6/2016 31 RLH VBR 16-34 Appeal of Erica Lewis to a Vacant Building Registration Requirement at 606 LAFOND AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR. Sponsors: Thao Inho Chang, Chang Properties LLC, owner, appeared. Erica Lewis, 2nd floor tenant, appeared. Fire Inspector A.J. Neis: -we were here a couple of weeks ago for the Vacant Building Registration fee; at that time, the Revocation Order was issued in error so I agreed to go inspect to see whether or not the life safety issues had been corrected -owner has made great strides; private sidewalks have been replaced; the fire rated door was done under permit; the house is cleaned out; downstairs is in the process of being painted; it's looking very good -the yard is looking very bad; he is working on it; materials have been put under a 10 x10 tarp -the disturbing thing is that the owner had replaced the hard wired smoke detector but today, I found it setting on a dresser (it's been rendered inoperable in the 2nd floor unit); did not issue a Criminal Citation -he spoke with Jerome & Erica; Erica stated that she let some friends in to cook bacon; they had disabled the smoke detector -there were 4 young children in the home; he had a long conversation with Ms. Lewis, in which she became combative and stormed out of the house; he was very stern with her and told her that she was responsible and she had to be held accountable when things happened -he also spoke with Jerome, who was very reasonable and indicated that Ms. Lewis has had people in who were undesirable; that she needs to make better choices -he has no problem keeping the building uncondemned but will condemn if he finds that the smoke detectors are disabled -work is in progress; let Ms. Lewis stay and make better use of the unit Ms. Moermond: -let's convert the Condemnation to a Correction Order with conditions Mr. Neis: -the door knobs have been put back on; there's new carpeting -there is still the mess in the yard; most of the deficiencies are completed Mr. Chang: -he has worked very hard; even missed his anniversary party -he would like to comply; he is trying to finish everything -may be done in a week; already took some stuff away Mr. Neis: -we are down to 5 violations City of Saint Paul Page 19 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 -seed the yard once the material is cleaned up -attend the multi crime free housing class Ms. Lewis: -was upset because no one had asked her about the smoke detector -what happened was that Jerome fried bacon while cooking breakfast for the children; he took off the smoke detector and forgot to put it back on Ms. Moermond: -I thought it was someone else who did that Ms. Lewis: -any time a man towers over me and raises his voice, it's natural for me to raise my voice too, and remove myself from the area; pointing his finger and treating me like a child; I was upset and crying; I had been through a nervous breakdown; I don't need that again; I had been asleep; it's my fault for letting people into my home -I was not privy to when the inspector was coming; I had to pay for my own doors and construction; landlord waited until the last day to do these things; I went to Menards for the door; landlord replaced that door yesterday; he waited until the last second because he has an issue with me that is personal Mr. Neis: -has a concern about with hearing less than truthful things; I asked Jerome, who said that a friend came in and cooked bacon, removed the smoke detector and left - less than truthful; how do we know that these things are not going to be undone again? Jerome: -I said that a friend had disabled the fire detector but I did it; I made bacon and eggs for the kids; I could have turned on a fan, opened a window, etc; Ms. Lewis had been on top of her stuff; I'd feel horrible if she lost her place because of my carelessness; my 2 children are there, too; he apologized for not being truthful with Mr. Neis; if there's going to be a Criminal Citation, I ask that it be put on me Ms. Moermond: -the money issues between Mr. Chang and Ms. Lewis can be settled in Housing Court -the yard needs to be spotless -City Council Public Hearing is Jul 6, 2016 Grant the appeal on the Condemnation and the Order to Vacate conditioned upon the upper tenants not disabling the smoke detectors; grant the appeal on the vacant building; grant until next Wednesday to have the stuff under the tarp cleaned out. Supervisor Neis will be driving by; grant the appeal for Item 19 (attend landlord 101 class) - it has been abated. The remaining items will be sent as a Correction Order with a compliance date of July 8th. Referred to the City Council due back on 7/6/2016 32 RLH VBR 16-38 Appeal of Robert D. Slings to a Vacant Building Registration Renewal Notice at 1551 RUTH STREET NORTH. Sponsors: Bostrom Robert D Slings, owner, appeared. City of Saint Paul Page 20 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 Inspector Matt Dornfeld, Vacant Buildings: -Category 2 Vacant Building was opened on Jul 6, 2015 by Inspector Dave Nelmark; he found the dwelling vacant and unsecured: side door was open; roof shingles were curled; basement window frames rotted; peeling paint; see the Revocation of F of O for other violations -it's not been a nuisance property since it's been in the VB Program -Inspector Singerhouse is monitoring this -the annual VB fee was assessed for 2014-15 in Sep 2015 -believes that we are here today to discuss the 2016-17 VB fee due Jul 6 -the Code Compliance Inspection Report has been on file since Sep 2015 -no permits have been pulled; however Mr. Slings: -he plans to rehab the entire property; inside and out; he began when he took possession but things have not moved at the pace he had expected due to a vehicle accident that took place when they were in Florida; both he and his wife sustained head injuries and his wife ended up having a stroke -he has done a lot of demolition but is not ready yet to pull permits -there is nothing on the list that he didn't already know -the kind of work he does is very good; when he got the letter to register is as a VB, he was shocked and even more shocked at the amount of the fee -has photos; nothing looks good now; but when I'm finished, his houses are like new; he doesn't move as fast as a lot of people; he does as much of the work that he can; he would like to have this fee waived -it will be over a year to get this rehab finished; it's his first time rehabbing in St. Paul -he mows the lawn and keeps the place looking good; it's not a pretty place inside yet Ms. Moermond: -right now, this is a bill and she can't do much with that; if this bill goes unpaid, DSI will ask that it be turned into an assessment to go onto your taxes; when that happens, you'll get a letter in the mail with a Gold Post Card and you can send that in to appeal that assessment; return the Gold Card to appeal and she can prorate it if you are done by Dec 31, 2016; she will cut it in half at that time as an assessment -DSI will allow permits to be pulled and you can do the work Deny the appeal and let the VB fee go through to assessment; allow owner to pull permits. Referred to the City Council due back on 7/6/2016 33 RLH VBR 16-36 Appeal of Nachman Goldberg to a Vacant Building Registration Renewal Notice at 1809 YORKSHIRE AVENUE. Sponsors: Tolbert Rachel Goldberg, owner, appeared. Inspector Matt Dornfeld, Vacant Buildings: -we are here to discuss the 201600-17 VB fee that is due right now -they are very closing to finishing Ms. Goldberg: -we are at the very end of the project - sometime in Jul 2016 Ms. Moermond: -will ask DSI to waiver the VB fee for 3 months; if you move in during that time, this City of Saint Paul Page 21 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final June 21, 2016 VB fee is gone; if it takes longer than 90 days, it will go to assessments Waive the VB fee for 90 days. Referred to the City Council due back on 7/6/2016 City of Saint Paul Page 22