Legislative Hearings

15 West Kellogg Blvd. City of Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN 55102 Minutes - Final - Final-revised Legislative Hearings Marcia Moermond, Legislative Hearing Officer Mai Vang, Hearing Coordinator Jean Birkholz, Hearing Secretary legislativehearings@ci.stpaul.mn.us 651-266-8585 Tuesday, August 1, 2017 9:00 AM Room 330 City Hall & Court House 9:00 a.m. Hearings Special Tax Assessments 1 RLH TA 17-312 Deleting the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1358 FARRINGTON STREET. (File No. J1713A, Assessment No. 178523) Sponsors: Brendmoen Dannielle M. Fladten-White, owner, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: -Summary Abatement Order issued Apr 11, 2017; compliance Apr 18; re-checked Apr 18 -work done: Apr 19 for a cost of $372 + $162 service charge = $534 -no returned mail -sent to Occupant & Dannielle Fladten, 1358 Farrington St -remove excessive litter & trash on the blvd around the circle on the south side of the property Ms. Fladten-White: -I'm not debating that the clean-up was done -I live in Vadnais Heights; I don't live at 1358 Farrington; I've lived there for 3 years so my mail does not forward any more from that address -I called Jun 29 when I got the letter; the biller said, "I see why you didn't get the letter; in my system your address was changed May 13, 2017;" so, I'm guessing that they got a letter back; otherwise, I don't know how they would have had a change of address in their system; they were able to send the bill to my actual mailing address but not the SA because I never got that -I lived there up until 3 years ago Ms. Moermond: -I'm thinking that you never changed your address with Ramsey County Taxation Ms. Fladten-White: -I always get the letters about my taxes, the city sewer stuff, etc. Ms. Moermond: -the date base that they pull these addresses is the same as the one from which they City of Saint Paul Page 1 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 pull the tax address Ms. Seeley: -Ramsey County must have updated because right now, it has 486 Carol Dr, Vadnais Heights MN Ms. Fladten-White: -yes, I got the assessment bill -there's another tricky part to this situation: this is an 8 home Town Home Association, Farrington Townhome Association, and that property is the property of the association; I don't know why it's attached to my address but if I had to guess--- it's because I'm the closest to the railroad tracks Ms. Moermond: -yes; yours is the first number in the line-up; that is why it would be attached to yours Ms. Fladten-White: -we used to get letters way back because we didn't know that was our land; it's kind of a random parcel; it goes up to the railroad tracks & I think it extends even past the railroad tracks; there's tons of foot traffic thru there - people crossing; so, when I talked to Nate Edwards, Park & Rec, he thought that perhaps because it's a cul-de-sac, that the trash was from the street - snow plows pushing the snow -we have a verbal contract with people in the neighborhood that they get to use that land for gardens in exchange for picking up all the trash in the area; so, we have a history of keeping that area clean Ms. Moermond: -the responsibility still lies with the owner no matter what -I think this is a problem related to how Ramsey Co does pin numbers; we have a project working on this now - when there's townhomes or condos, they have been eliminating the central pin numbers; the general pin used to go to a designated person; now, because there isn't a piece of land associated with it, it's going away but that's screwing up billing processes like this -I think that may be what happened in this case but I don't know for sure Ms. Fladten-White: -we don't have extra money to let the city do the clean-ups -if we'd have gotten a Notice, we would have cleaned it up Ms. Moermond: -I'm not sure what's going on with this one; I'm going to ask them Ms. Fladten-White: -I called the number on the card; she said, "I'm just the biller, why don't you call Dan Pessie" Ms. Moermond: -I'm leaning toward deletion of this but I want to sort thru it a little bit more Delete the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/6/2017 2 RLH TA 17-311 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 824 City of Saint Paul Page 2 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 AURORA AVENUE. (File No. J1713A, Assessment No. 178523) Sponsors: Thao Approve & spread over 5 years. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/6/2017 3 RLH TA 17-289 Deleting the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1633 BEECH STREET. (File No. VB1713, Assessment No. 178819) Sponsors: Prince Delete; rehab completed within 6 weeks of anniversary date. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 4 RLH TA 17-323 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 411 CHARLES AVENUE. (File No. J1710E, Assessment No. 178313) (Public Hearing continued to October 18, 2017) Sponsors: Thao Norma Roberts, owner, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: -Vehicle Abatement Order issued Feb 17, 2017; compliance Feb 27; re-checked Feb 28 -these are EC's -owner called the Inspector & stated that she received the mail late & one of the vehicles belonged to her tenant; he agreed to delete the first EC as long as the vehicles were in compliance upon reinspection; he issued an EC on Mar 8, 2017 for noncompliance -cost: $122 + $35 service charge = $157 -sent to: Norma Roberts & Occupant at 411 Charles Ave -vehicles: Toyota (4 violations) & Hyundai (3 violations) Ms. Roberts: -I was in communication with the inspector the whole time -I did get the letter late - 10 days late; I called the office; they said come down real quick; we close at 4:30; I said that I can't do that; I work night shift -I had gotten started on it; a tenant left a vehicle; we got that taken care of -the Toyota was operable; I have the tabs for the Toyota but I never put them on because I didn't want the car vandalized; having trouble with neighbors; I donated the vehicle & got another car Ms. Moermond: -I'm looking at a photo taken on Feb 28; the Toyota has a blue tarp, removed mostly; there's plastic duct taped where a rear window would be Ms. Roberts: -that's from when the car was vandalized; they broke out 4 or 5 windows -my plan was to cover it; with spring coming, my son was going to try to work on getting the windows taken care of & this came up so, I told him to just forget about it; so, I donated the vehicle City of Saint Paul Page 3 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 -showed that she had the plates (brought them in); I got them last year but didn't put them on the car because of my fear that they'd be stolen by the neighbors Ms. Moermond: -but there was no way for the inspector to know because the plates weren't on the car itself -and there's a lot more wrong with the car than just the plates; it was open to entry, missing parts, appeared undrivable & it was parked on an unapproved surface Ms. Roberts: -the backyard is paved now -the letter came in the mail on Feb 27; then, I called the inspector & told him I was working on it because one of the vehicles was the tenants & they had moved out; kept trying to contact them to sign the paperwork & get back to me Ms. Moermond: -you were given extra time (to Mar 8) but didn't make the deadline -if no same or similar violations thru Oct 18, 2017, I will cut it in half; I want to give you credit for what you did do; at the same time, it wasn't done on time Continue public hearing to October 18, 2017; if no same or similar violation(s), will reduce from $157 to $78. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 5 RLH TA 17-342 Deleting the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 879 CONWAY STREET. (File No. VB1713, Assessment No. 178819) Sponsors: Prince Delete; rehab completed and certificate of code compliance issued 2 months after anniversary date. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 6 RLH TA 17-326 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 2409 EDGCUMBE ROAD (File No. J1701V, Assessment No. 178000). Sponsors: Tolbert Lisa Carol Lizut, owner, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: -Vehicle Abatement Order issued May 27, 2016; compliance Jun 7; re-checked Jun 14 -SPPD towed both vehicles Jun 27 for a cost of $750 + $280 = $1020 -2 vehicles had expired tabs & appear inoperable (Saab-no tabs; inoperable; & a Pontiac-no tabs; inoperable) -sent to Lisa Carol Lizut & Occupant at 2409 Edgcumbe Rd Ms. Lizut: -the correspondence that you referred to I have not been privy to, which puts me at a disadvantage in answering any of your questions -if the Dept of Inspection is being used to implement ill will with neighbors to harass; to further personal neighbor grudges; to cover someone, perhaps, more influential, who has property obligations to create the perception of a trouble maker, to perpetuate St. Paul's paternalism........... City of Saint Paul Page 4 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 -the issue started prior to the dates that you have listed & I responded to the initial..... Ms. Moermond: -I'm looking at a Vehicle Abatement Order & you have a copy of that Ms. Lizut: -I have a copy of that but I'm asking you, do you have a copy of the original complaint from Nov 2015 from Inspector Martin? Ms. Moermond: -we're just talking about the VA Order -I don't have copies of any original complaints -it's my job, here, to determine whether of not that VA Order is valid based on conditions; and whether or not the work that was conducted was consistent with what the City Charter expectation is for special assessments; so, if I did know anything about the complaint, I am forbidden by state law to disclose to you anything about it; I don't happen to know who the complainant is and that isn't my job -no matter who called, it doesn't matter to me Ms. Lizut: -2 towing estimates were $82; I was not allowed to direct the individual in moving the vehicles to where I might have wanted them delivered; I was not given an address..... Ms. Moermond: -are you referring to the individual who came to tow on behalf of the police dept? Ms. Lizut: -I never had my door knocked on to say, "This is a problem;" & I've had people running around on private property (my own; my neighbor's); my private vehicles were parked on private property that was posted; a good 18 feet back from the sidewalk on private property; no tags had been removed to try & say this vehicle hasn't been here; there was no previous "push" until after a situation occurred with a neighbor -in early Nov 2015, I had an interaction with Inspector Martin & I met Mr. Bistibu, DSI, at that time; & I thought the situation was at least reasonably set up & we worked thru how to comply with the Orders Ms. Moermond: -was there an Order on Vehicles at that time? Ms. Lizut: -it was written up as being abandoned, which is why I'm asking you if you have the particular complaint; I'm not very good with "catch 22's" where I'm set up to fail Ms. Moermond: -if you objected to this VA Order, there's a provision in it that you could appeal that VA Order; I handle those at 11:30 am every Tue; so, if you had objected to the issuance of this & whether or not these vehicles constituted ...... Ms. Lizut: -I never received one Ms. Moermond: -it says that there is no returned mail on this and it sounds like you knew these vehicles were a problem for a very long time; I see trees growing up & thru or what City of Saint Paul Page 5 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 would become a tree growing up & thru the tire well; it looks like one has a fair number of flat tires -this is on private property but the city Nuisance Code says that you can't have vehicles in this condition lacking tabs & appearing undrivable..... it's just a hunk of metal Ms. Lizut: -it's still my hunk of metal & they would not take it to where I would have..... Ms. Moermond: -you were given due process to be able to take care of this on your own -if you would have hired your own people to tow it, they would have but if SPPD is paying the bill for somebody to tow it..................... Ms. Lizut: -I'm going to be paying the bill Ms. Moermond: -you don't trump the police on this one; no way; no how -if you would have taken care of it in the time allotted, we wouldn't be sitting here Ms. Lizut: -what was the time allotted? Ms. Moermond: -the time allotted as it was just read into the record on the Orders issued May 27 gave you until Jun 7 but the towing didn't actually occur until Jun 27 -the city did the work in this case -city code says that you can't leave abandoned vehicles on your property & the city can come onto your property and abate the nuisance, under the code (Chap 45 & 163) Ms. Lizut: -if you don't receive a letter, how can you respond? I responded to the items that I have received; I would have gladly responded to something had I received it Ms. Moermond: -history says that you don't because we still have this circumstance Ms. Lizut: -we're still back to the fact that I did not receive the paperwork necessary to provide you with what you're asking me for -I didn't get the Vehicle Abatement Order Ms. Moermond: -I believe the city sent it first class mail & did not receive returned mail and that you did receive it Ms. Lizut: -you're calling me a liar Ms. Moermond: -I'm saying that the city sent it first class mail - the legal requirement; and it did not come back -will recommend approval of this assessment; you are welcome to talk with the City City of Saint Paul Page 6 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 Council & look for a different outcome on this -you can file a claim with the city if you feel that items were taken that shouldn't have been taken (Room 310) Approve the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 7 RLH TA 17-346 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 726 EDMUND AVENUE. (File No. J1710E, Assessment No. 178313) Sponsors: Thao Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 8 RLH TA 17-330 Deleting the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1044 GERANIUM AVENUE EAST. (File No. J1710E, Assessment No. 178313) Sponsors: Bostrom Delete. EC letters were sent out regarding rubbish and SA did not generate so owner only received correction notice on junk vehicle in back yard. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 9 RLH TA 17-337 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 787 HOWELL STREET NORTH. (File No. J1701V, Assessment No. 178000) Sponsors: Stark Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 10 RLH TA 17-338 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 428 JESSAMINE AVENUE EAST. (File No. J1701V, Assessment No. 178000) Sponsors: Brendmoen Rescheduled to August 15 per owner's request. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 8/15/2017 11 RLH TA 17-334 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 674 JESSAMINE AVENUE EAST. (File No. J1701V, Assessment No. 178000) Sponsors: Bostrom Approve; no show. City of Saint Paul Page 7 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 12 RLH TA 17-328 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 719 JESSAMINE AVENUE EAST. (File No. J1710E, Assessment No. 178313) Sponsors: Bostrom Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 13 RLH TA 17-343 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 632 LEXINGTON AVENUE. (File No. VB1713, Assessment No. 178819) Sponsors: Thao Approve; no show. NOTE: Paul Belmonte, owner, missed the hearing but he only wants to attend the City Council Public Hearing. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 14 RLH TA 17-345 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 722 MAGNOLIA AVENUE EAST. (File No. J1701V, Assessment No. 178000) Sponsors: Bostrom Annette Z. Togar, owner, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: -Vehicle Abatement Order issued Nov 16, 2016; compliance Nov 23; re-checked Nov 23 -car towed by SPPD Nov 27, 2016 for a cost of $310 + $162 = $470 -towing: $435; they sold it at auction for $125; admin fee of $162; $470 is left -another VA was issued Dec 15, 2016 (Mazda -no plates); this was taken care of a month later -no returned mail Ms. Togar: -the car belonged to my brother Ms. Moermond: -letters were sent to Edmond D. Togar/Annette Z. Togar & Occupant Ms. Togar: -I didn't get any letter; just this one; did not get letter for Mazda Ms. Seeley: -this is mine & I'm very good at entering returned mail; in this case, there was none -in 2015, there were several vehicle violations/tows -commercial truck off the alley or in the alley; no one called; brought into driveway off alley; then, finally gone City of Saint Paul Page 8 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 Ms. Togar: -I live at this address; I didn't know that the vehicle was towed; I didn't know that you could tow a vehicle in your yard Ms. Moermond: -the city did send a letter that was not returned to them -Order says that the vehicle lacks current license/tabs; it's missing vital parts; and appears undrivable -photo shows the plates & that it's been sitting around for a while based on snow accumulation on the vehicle -there's a history of problem vehicles at the property; not sure what's going on -you brother's mini van was towed & he never want to get it; he just let it go Ms. Togar: -I didn't even know; I thought he took it; he had an accident with it Ms. Moermond: -city mailed 2 letters out: to you & the Occupant; & you say that you didn't get either one; plus there's a history of problems with vehicles Ms. Seeley: -no one ever called me about the truck in 2016; we don't have an assessment on the tow for the truck Ms. Moermond: -this would be considered an abandoned vehicle because of the condition that it was in & because of the plates; the history doesn't help Approve and spread over 3 years. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 15 RLH TA 17-340 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1092 MAGNOLIA AVENUE EAST. (File No. J1701V, Assessment No. 178000) Sponsors: Bostrom Robert Leslie, owner, & Andy Paul Leslie, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: -Vehicle Abatement Order issued Nov 2, 2016; compliance Nov 8; re-checked Nov 28 -towed by SPPD Dec 2 for a total of $555 + $162 service charge = $715 -(tow: $705; sold at auction for $150; plus $162 code enf fee = $715) -White Oldsmobile with no plates; open to entry; missing vital parts; inoperable; parked on unapproved surface -sent to: Robert Leslie & Occupant at 1092 Magnolia Ave E -photos Mr. Leslie: -we lost the title card; we tried to junk it out ourselves but we couldn't -at the time I called Ed Smith & told him that I forgot about that car being towed -the reason I'm here is because I'm on a fixed income & my son is unemployed on disability City of Saint Paul Page 9 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 -the cost is too much; if I had known it was going to cost this much, I could have had a tow truck take it away -my son could not find the title card for it; he had an accident in Nov and it cost $555 for one vehicle to get towed away; I'm having are hard time paying that kind of money Ms. Moermond: -there's a note here about something on May 11 & some on-going SA issues (?) Ms. Seeley: -May 11, 2017, we had a Saturn - inoperable; severe front end damage; on-going vehicle/stuff in the yard Mr. Leslie: -that is the next door neighbor's vehicle; we thought that we were going to try to fix it; now, we're going to get rid of it - it's listed for sale; it's still in the driveway Ms. Seeley: -Insp Smith was out there May 24; he says the inoperable Saturn has been removed Andy Paul: -it was on an unapproved surface & I put it on the driveway Ms. Moermond: -the city did the work -will recommend approval -I can divide the assessment over 5 years Approve and spread over 5 years. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 16 RLH TA 17-336 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 759 MARYLAND AVENUE EAST. (File No. J1701V, Assessment No. 178000) Sponsors: Bostrom Jason Kerr, Minnesota Apartments LLC, property mgr, appeared. Supervisor Paula Seeley: -Vehicle Abatement Order issued Aug 5, 2016; compliance Aug 16; re-checked Aug 18 -SPPD towed it Aug 18 for a cost of $685 + $160 service charge = $845 -sent to: Covenant Capital LLC, 2300 Gervais Hills Dr, Little Canada, MN; 370 Linda Ln, Lino Lakes, MN and Occupant -Chevy-expired tabs; inoperable; parked on unapproved surface -SPPD cost: $860; sold at auction for $175; $162 code enf = $845 Mr. Kerr: -the owner purchased the property Jul 27, 2016; we took over management right away -neither the owner or MN Apartments received any of those notices Ms. Moermond: -have the owner send the HUD statement on this property with the closing date -it appears that during the new guy's period of ownership, the Notice went to the City of Saint Paul Page 10 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 previous owner; so, you were not legally notified -will delete this assessment Mr. Kerr: -we had no idea what this was about but had a suspicion Ms. Moermond: Delete the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 17 RLH TA 17-324 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1021 MINNEHAHA AVENUE EAST. (File No. J1712A2, Assessment No. 178532) Sponsors: Prince Initial legislative hearing was back on June 6; owner missed this hearing date. It went to July 19 Public Hearing and got referred back to August 1 Legislative Hearing per owner's request. Owner was a no show. After the hearing, owner called and stated he missed the legislative hearing. Since there have been several missed hearings, the Legislative Hearing Officer denied his request to reschedule and advised owner to attend the City Council Public Hearing. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/16/2017 18 RLH TA 17-335 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 976 REANEY AVENUE. (File No. J1701V, Assessment No. 178000) Sponsors: Prince Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 19 RLH TA 17-329 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1636 REANEY AVENUE. (File No. J1701V, Assessment No. 178000) Sponsors: Prince Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 20 RLH TA 17-341 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 346 SHERBURNE AVENUE. (File No. VB1713, Assessment No. 178819) Sponsors: Thao Russ Waletski appeared. Supervisor Joe Yannarelly: -annual Vacant Building fee: $2127 + $157 service charge = $2284 -Category 2 VB; file opened Apr 25, 2016 -no code compliance report or permit activity City of Saint Paul Page 11 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 Mr. Waletski: -the plan is to rehab the property -purchased in Nov 2016; plan to put it back on the market this autumn -the bldg has been vacant for a long time; an elderly gentleman lived in it; on of his relatives was going to fix it up; he gutted it completely; there's no insides left in it - just a shell; then, he bailed and it sat for a long time -we picked it up because we have a bldg at 1047 -this is a tiny house, about 800 sq.ft; we want to fix it up so we have a place to stay overnight, in case of bad weather, etc -we didn't know that there was some type of VB assessment that the city can assess Ms. Moermond: -it's really unusual for me to see a VB sold where the person who's buying it hasn't gone thru a Sale Review Process with DSI, where that person might get backgrounded on what the requirements are & also demonstrate what they're going to do with the property Mr. Yannarelly: -if you had a TISH, it would have indicated that this was a Registered VB; all realtors should know this Ms. Moermond: -if you're selling a Cat 2 VB, local code says that you have to have the Code Compliance Inspection Report to sell it (in this case, there wasn't that report) -everyone who sells any kind of residential in St. Paul has to have a TISH (private insp report to disclose conditions) Mr. Waleski: -I didn't see any TISH; it was an extremely quick sale for a very low price Ms. Moermond: -I'll make a copy of the TISH; it does say that this is a Cat 2 VB; that report should have been made available for you to review -the VB fee is an annual fee that's billed prospectively; this one is for the period from Apr 25, 2017 - Apr 24, 2018 -if you can get your rehab done in 6 months from Apr 25, I will cut the VB fee in half; that's a carrot Mr. Waleski: -the start date is Sep or Oct; there's no fire moving us Ms. Moermond: -I will recommend approval of this assessment -I'm not hearing that there's a financial concern but this all should have been disclosed to you -you will need to apply for a Code Compliance Inspection Report & to bring it up to current minimum codes -I'm glad that you're doing this project Approve the assessment. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 21 RLH TA 17-265 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 389 City of Saint Paul Page 12 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 SHERBURNE AVENUE. (File No. J1712A, Assessment No. 178517; amended to File No. J1712A1, Assessment No. 178530) Sponsors: Thao Approve; no show. NOTE: Owner called to reschedule on a third request and was denied. Refer to Ward 1 and advised to go to City Council on 7/19. Owner stated he work and can't make it. He contacted Ward 1 and they has indicated they will refer back to Legislative Hearing on August 1. Owner did not appear. No further continuance will be given. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/16/2017 22 RLH TA 17-344 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 662 THIRD STREET EAST. (File No. J1701V, Assessment No. 178000) Sponsors: Prince 8-1-17: Approve; no show. 8-15-17: owner called and rescheduled per owner's request. Laid Over to the Legislative Hearings due back on 9/5/2017 23 RLH TA 17-300 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 1228 VIRGINIA STREET. (File No. J1710G, Assessment No. 178711) (Public hearing continued from August 16) Sponsors: Brendmoen Approve; no show. NOTE: Owner, Rosemarie Labrasseur did not appear at the July 18 Legislative Hearing. She came to hearing on July 25 which assessment hearing was not heard, rescheduled to August 1. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/1/2017 24 RLH TA 17-339 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 515 YORK AVENUE. (File No. J1701V, Assessment No. 178000) Sponsors: Brendmoen Approve; no show. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 25 RLH TA 17-347 Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for Property at 851 YORK AVENUE. (File No. J1701V, Assessment No. 178000) Sponsors: Bostrom Chor Lee, owner, appeared. (Mai Vang interpreted.) Supervisor Paula Seeley: -Vehicle Abatement issued Jun 15, 2016; compliance Jun 22; re-checked Jun 23 City of Saint Paul Page 13 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 -white Chevy with expired tabs parked on an unapproved surface -SPPD towed it for a cost of $705; was sold for $250; service charge $160 = $615 -sent to Chor Lee & Occupant at 851 York Ave -no returned mail -photo -history: VA Mar 15, 2016; clean-up Mar 21, 2016; they were abated Ms. Lee: -car was not mine; it's my daughter & son-in-law's; daughter left -I don't have anyone who can read the Notice; no one lives at home who can read it Ms. Moermond: -will Lay this Over to Oct 18, 2017; if no same/similar violation, she will recommend dividing it in half & spreading it over 5 years To be continued to Public Hearing on October 18 and if no same or similar violation(s), will reduce from $615 to $307. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 Special Tax Assessments - ROLLS 26 RLH AR 17-63 Ratifying the assessments for Excessive Use of Inspection/Abatement services billed during February 21 to March 21, 2017. (File No. J1710E, Assessment No. 178313) Sponsors: Stark Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 27 RLH AR 17-64 Ratifying the assessments for Boarding and/or Securing services during April 2017. (File No. J1711B, Assessment No. 178113) Sponsors: Stark Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 28 RLH AR 17-65 Ratifying the assessments for Collection of Vacant Building Registration fees billed during February 8 to March 28, 2017. (File No. VB1713, Assessment No. 178819) Sponsors: Stark Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 29 RLH AR 17-66 Ratifying the assessments for Towing of Abandoned Vehicle services during January to December 2016. (File No. J1701V, Assessment No. 178000) Sponsors: Stark Referred to the City Council due back on 9/20/2017 City of Saint Paul Page 14 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 11:00 a.m. Hearings Summary Abatement Orders 30 RLH SAO 17-68 Appeal of David Knudsen to a Summary Abatement Order at 395 CHARLES AVENUE. Sponsors: Thao Withdrawn. DSI to proceed with Summary Abatement Order. Withdrawn Correction Orders 31 RLH CO 17-21 Appeal of Christopher D. Carter to a Correction Notice at 1183 BRADLEY STREET. (Legislative Hearing to be held August 1) Sponsors: Brendmoen Christopher D. Carter, owner, appeared. Ms. Moermond: -this is a Correction Notice Supervisor Paula Seeley: -we received a complaint about a car parked in the front yard; went out Jul 12 and issued this Correction Notice; it's a damaged vehicle; you can't park on the front yard; there's no driveway; the only other place you can park is in the street; it's been in the front yard for a while -photos Mr. Carter: -I own the property and the vehicle (scanned photo) -I originally parked on the street & on Apr 17 of this year, the car got hit in a drive-by; they pushed it 50 ft into my neighbor's car; it has a lot of damage; so, I went to my bank because I paid my credit card in full on Apr 9, 2016 but I had credit cards with them & they refused to remove the lien on my vehicle; and now, I am declaring bankruptcy but I can't fully go thru that until I get that all paid off with my attorney; I tried to work with my bank & they said that if I could find a tow service that will hand us the money, we'll release the lien but no tow service is actually going to take the car without the lien being removed -then, I went to the Consumer's Assistant with the Attorney General's Office & started a complaint with them to help me resolve this; unfortunately, I put down the wrong address & we didn't catch on to that until lately, so, then we had to start the whole process again -in the meantime, the car was parked on the street & I would occasionally move it to avoid getting any tickets but then the street had to be cleaned; the car cannot go for too long a distance - 1 tire is punctured & completely gone; so, I moved it up onto the front lawn Ms. Moermond: City of Saint Paul Page 15 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 -is there a garage on the property or an alley Mr. Carter: -there is no alley; no garage or a driveway; I live on a hillside -since I can't get the lien removed, I can't get rid of the vehicle; I need assistance is getting rid of the vehicle; I don't care if I get scrap money or not; I know it's unsightly & I know my neighbors really hate it, as well -I would really appreciate assistance in getting rid of this vehicle Ms. Seeley: -the only thing I can think of is to issue a Vehicle Abatement Order & have the police tow it but then the property gets assessed -there's also a manager's tow; usually, that's for property managers; they can call the enforcement officer to remove it at no cost to the owner but I don't know if a property owner can call & use that to remove his own car -you could tow it to a friend's garage or......a family member's -or call around; I can't image that there's not a tow service that would take it; look thru the yellow pages for some smaller businesses Ms. Moermond: -the car can't be where it is -is the bank aware of this Correction Notice? Mr. Carter: -they have been told that the vehicle has been damaged; I have offered the vehicle to them on numerous occasions; they do not want the vehicle & they have abandoned the vehicle to my care Ms. Moermond: -now you have a Correction Notice, which is asking you to please take care of this, in this case, by Jul 17, 2017; it's one of the city's tools to tell you that this is a problem that needs to be addressed -another tool is a Vehicle Abatement Order, which asks you to take care of it by a certain date; if you don't, the city will take care of it & charge you an exuberant price for towing & storage at the impound lot; if you don't pay that bill, it will go onto your property taxes & will probably be about $700 -another tool is a Criminal Citation or they could charge you Excessive Consumption fees for not doing it by the deadline & keep giving you new deadlines & charging you $100+ each time -you must be considering what's the best choice given these circumstances -keeping it where it is will be an expensive choice with a city Order hanging on it -does your attorney have an opinion on what to do? Mr. Carter: -he can't really do anything until I pay him in full Ms. Seeley: -don't know if an owner can do a manager's tow; could explain you situation to them or to a small towing company Ms. Moermond: -this will go in front of the City Council Public Hearing tomorrow, Aug 2, 2017 & I will recommend that they give you 2 more weeks to figure it out but the car has to be gone by Aug 16, 2017 City of Saint Paul Page 16 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 -I wish you well; this is a tough situation Grant until August 16, 2017 to come into compliance. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/2/2017 11:30 a.m. Hearings Orders To Vacate, Condemnations and Revocations 32 RLH VO 17-26 Appeal of Bill Davis to a Revocation of Fire Certificate of Occupancy and Order to Vacate at 988 ARGYLE STREET. Sponsors: Brendmoen Bill Davis, the rehabber who is working on the property, appeared. Fire Supervisor Leanna Shaff: -Re-inspection of Fire C of O conducted by Inspector Laura Huseby Jul 28, 2017 -5 deficiencies: backyard area ground cover; exterior basement walls & crack in base of fireplace chimney; tile on boiler room floor; high humidity in basement; and smoke detector affidavit Ms. Moermond: -I see that the general bldg & the plumbing permits have been pulled Mr. Davis: -correct -entered 2 letters from neighbors, Sue Garvey & Jesse Silkowski; another neighbor called in; and the smoke detector affidavit -entered a temporary plumbing sign-off by Jon Hegner, filing in for Virgil; until the plumbing inspector can get back out (we met at 9:45 am today); -entered a Manifest Form from DemKon to remove the tile & a receipt (scanned) from 7-31-17 -Ricardo Cervantes & another man with red hair came out & said that I mop it; I not only mopped it, I painted it too -entered a receipt from the drains being cleaned -entered pictures of the dehumidifier; it's 65% humidity in the basement; (wet oil base paint) -Ms. Huseby suggested putting different elbows & longer shoots on the drain spouts (photos); new gutters & Mr. Adolph also paid for gutters for the neighbor's house (they don't have a basement, just a slab) -the crack at the base of fireplace chimney is also done (photo) -I have 77 pictures on the SD cared -I have receipts from Landscape Resource (backyard ground cover: combination of cow manure, mulch & top soil & grass seed); it's being watered now; the neighbors have agreed to sign on to watch it & to help me move it Ms. Moermond: -the letter has a re-inspection date of Aug 18; I want to pull that back -this matter was supposed to go in front of Council tomorrow but there was a mix-up in my office, so it won't go in front of Council until Aug 16, 2017 -at this point, you are extremely close to the finish line; just need the final sign-off by City of Saint Paul Page 17 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 the inspector Mr. Davis: -the plumbing items were not on any of the lists; they were things I saw that needed to get done Ms. Moermond: -City Council Public Hearing is Aug 16, 2017 -as soon as the building permit is signed-off, we are looking at re-instatement of your C of O -we will email Jon Hegner, Jim Coffer & Steve Ubl to say that we're looking for the permits to be signed-off by Fri Aug 11, 2017 Mr. Davis: -the owner wants to sell; they are not looking for any kind of rental license; they want to get it on the market immediately Ms. Shaff: -you can use your Fire C of O in lieu of paying for a TISH Mr. Davis: -thank you for giving me this chance; it's one of the most difficult one's I've done (hours & hours) Ms. Moermond: Grant to close of business on August 15, 2017 to have permits signed-off and get Fire C of O reinstated. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/16/2017 33 RLH VO 17-28 Appeal of Israel Bravo, on behalf of Ramiro Hernandez, to a Revocation of Fire Certificate of Occupancy and Order to Vacate at 197-199 CESAR CHAVEZ STREET. Sponsors: Noecker Israel Bravo, contractor with Capital City Construction, appeared o/b/o Ramiro Hernandez, owner. Mr. Bravo: -I've known Mr. Hernandez for 15 years; I've been involved since the first C of O inspection; there's been code changes along the way; when Mr. Hernandez started this last project, he had financial problems but he has overcome that situation; he is able to finish the project with the financing that he has -I appreciate the city; they've worked with us very well Fire Supervisor Leanna Shaff: -this is left over from the Fire C of O inspection that was approved with deficiencies in Dec 2014; it went to a referral; the inspector worked on that since May 2015 to no avail; in Jul 2015, the inspector transferred it to the Fire C of O Program & Revoked it for long-term noncompliance -the issues are with the north exterior of the parking spaces; exterior wall where bricks have been removed; electrical service on the back of the bldg has been removed; the conduit is run loosely under the stairs; the foundation; rear stairwell & the roof is City of Saint Paul Page 18 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 missing the cap for the parapet wall Mr. Bravo: -the electrical was done just recently Ms. Shaff: -I don't see a permit for that work; there are 2 addresses on this bldg: 197 & 199; the C of O is under 197; I see no permits under either address for electrical work Mr. Bravo: -there should be a permit & completion; Nova Electric out of Tonka Bay did the work -I will make sure that they get the permit; I've known that electrician for over 20 years; he's always pulled his permits -I have photos Ms. Moermond: -my guess is that DSI will charge a double fee for that permit now Mr. Bravo: -we have put the north wall in place; we insulated it; we sheeted it; what's left is the siding (being done now) -that wall had brick veneer that was falling off; we took it all off & it's being replaced with siding Ms. Shaff: -there is a general permit on it; looks like it's a year old- Sep 21, 2016; the last time it was inspected was Jul 17, 2017 by Isaac Stensland; still needs to be completed Mr. Bravo: -we called him out for an inspection; he came out & OK'd it so that we could proceed Ms. Moermond: -#1-parking spaces; don't have an old photo of what the parking lot surface was Ms. Shaff: -it was gravel Mr. Bravo: -extensive work has been done on the parking lot; we took out all the muck, etc, & replaced it with class 5; it's graded & ready for pour; the only reason that it hasn't been completed is because it rained for several consecutive days - they were called out for other jobs for which they had commitments & they haven't been able to come back; now, they're saying that they'll be back the 2nd week in Aug to finish - pour the concrete -the siding should be done next week -electric is done but needs the permit -we corrected the foundation for the Jul 17 inspection; Isaac looked at that -rear stairwell wall coverings - all covered now; Isaac hadn't seen that; we'll be calling him when the siding is done -there had to be a junction box there -the parapet wall at that time was done; I don't recall a permit; don't know who did it -this bldg had veneer brick on all sides; on the south side, part of the wall fell; we took that whole wall down & corrected it; we covered the parapet wall with metal at that time City of Saint Paul Page 19 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 Ms. Shaff: -if there's been recent corrections, they will require a permit Mr. Bravo: -the part that we did, we got a permit Ms. Moermond: -does Mr. Hernandez know who he hired to do that work? Mr. Bravo: -I will have to ask Ms. Moermond: -that contractor will need to pull a sheet metal permit for that work so it gets a sign-off -the last thing is the smoke detector affidavit signed & returned (provided a copy of that form) -sounds like you'll be done in a month or sooner -City Council Public Hearing Aug 16, 2017; at that time, I will recommend that Council grant an extension to Sep 8, 2017 in case something happens Grant to September 8, 2017 for compliance. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/16/2017 1:30 p.m. Hearings Fire Certificates of Occupancy 34 RLH FCO Appeal of Gabriel A. Al-Ghalith to a Fire Inspection Correction Notice at 17-112 1422 SHERBURNE AVENUE. Sponsors: Stark Gabriel A. Al Ghalith, homesteader, appeared. Ms. Moermond: -this was carried over from Jul 11; your father was here before with you -this is a case where there's a fair bit of work that needs to get done on the house; he owns the house; it's in his name; we were hoping that you'd be able to find some funding resources Mr. Al Ghalith: -we contacted Neighbor Works & we're on the wait list; they have a set budget & others got in before us; we're hoping for the best -they are not taking our application yet but once they take our application, it will be a pretty quick process; I'm gathering that it will be about a year -as the owner of the property, my father can take out a permit to do some of these things himself; in this case, since I'm the occupant & I have the Power of Attorney, maybe I can just pull some of these permits to see if I can do some of the work -the electric work is the priority from what you've said -he provided his copy of his Power of Attorney Ms. Moermond: -reviewed the Power of Attorney document; basically, this is telling me that your father City of Saint Paul Page 20 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 has empowered you to do a fair bit of decision making around this property on his behalf; no property interest has been given to you & it expires in 2020 -your dad could pull a bldg permit but he can't pull the electrical permit; an owner-occupant can pull an electrical permit Fire Supervisor A.J. Neis: -we can make this really simple when it comes to permits -there's a solution for work being done without pulling any permits -the only 2 things that I see requiring permits are items #1 and #2 -#1-pertains to washer/dryer that are on a power strip -#2-dryer vent not properly vented -solution: if the washer/dryer were removed, no permits/extra money would be necessary; however, you'd have to go to the laundromat -a homeowner cannot pull a mechanical permit for a dryer vent -you got rid of the bed in the basement -and you don't need a permit to repair door framing or patching/painting concrete block or replacing; nor for repairing a guardrail; you could hire a handyman without needing a permit Ms. Moermond: -at his previous hearing, Mr. Al-Ghalith said that he's not a handyman & he's very pressed for time Mr. Al-Ghalith: -we do live next to a laundromat; need to talk it over with my dad Ms. Moermond: -if you go with removing washer/dryer; hire a handyman for some repairs; I will grant 90 days to come into compliance Mr. Al-Ghalith: -let's say my dad wants to keep the washer/dryer & go through the process of connecting them; what is necessary? Ms. Moermond: -the Orders talk about them being able to be plugged directly into the wall; the venting requires a licensed sheet metal contractor under permit; if it's gas, you may need to relocate the gas hook-up or cap the gas line & get an electric dryer Grant to January 1, 2018 for compliance. LHO will release appellant out of Fire C of O Program for the duration of the power of attorney agreement once the repairs are done. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/6/2017 35 RLH FCO Appeal of Robert Tyler to a Fire Certificate of Occupancy Correction 17-132 Notice at 1217 CHARLES AVENUE. Sponsors: Stark Robert H. Tyler, owner, appeared. Mr. Tyler: -I have no problems with the list -the questions I have are about the attic City of Saint Paul Page 21 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 Ms. Moermond: -had problems attaching the letters / Orders -I put a note in Legistar that says I attached the Apr Orders to the file Fire Supervisor A.J. Neis: -Fire Certificate of Occupancy Correction Notice -there's a letter from Apr & I believe that it kept getting postponed -the Apr 10 letter is being appealed; the inspection was originally scheduled for May 10 at 10:45; all the appointment letters were from re-scheduling -the attic space is being appealed Ms. Moermond: -if it was just the attic --- I think that I had Racquel Naylor talk to you -- that is really a bldg code appeal but you said that you have other questions in addition to the attic Mr. Tyler: -my inspector told me that no one could live/use that attic as living space -first question: they can store stuff there, right? Ms. Moermond: -yes Mr. Tyler: -second question: what process would I go through to make the attic livable space? -when we bought the house, the attic was already finished; from what I'm hearing, they didn't pull permits, etc. Mr. Neis: -this is the old 1 1/2 story bungalow type home and the attics were never intended to be used as finished living space; they were designed for storage purposes; however, as families grew, to make do, they might finish off these spaces; they never pulled bldg permits; (never been legal) -the code has always required that habitable spaces, especially for sleeping purposes, have to have a minimum of a 7 foot ceiling ht (required because of smoke hitting the ceiling & descending during a fire) -don't know if it'd be feasible to raise the roof; or some people have proposed to retrofit with sprinklers Ms. Moermond: -you would need to convince the building official to have a variance granted (Steve Ubl, DSI) Mr. Tyler: -at the top, the ceiling ht is probably 6 ft Ms. Moermond: -and the requirement is for it to be 7 ft high for at least half the floor area and the floor area that counts is only the floor area beginning at the 5 ft level Mr. Tyler: -I will tell the tenants that they can use the space for only storage -I work 10 hours a day & my contractor has been so busy; so, I'd like some extra time Ms. Moermond: City of Saint Paul Page 22 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 -this set of Orders goes back to Apr, so, you already have had a lot of time beyond the original set of Orders -Inspector Huseby really should be taking more photographs -I'll put a short deadline on the exterior front steps: Sep 1, 2017 -the other Orders: Oct 1, 2017 -the attic cannot be used for living purposes Grant to September 1, 2017 on the steps; grant to October 1, 2017 for the remaining items; deny the attic space to be used as a sleeping room, noting all bedding must be removed. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/6/2017 36 RLH FCO Appeal of Eric Eddy, representing E & K Real Estate Investments, to a 17-123 Fire Certificate of Occupancy Approval with Corrections at 886 EDMUND AVENUE. Sponsors: Thao Eric Eddy, E & K Real Estate Investments LLC, owner, appeared. Fire Supervisor A.J. Neis: -this was previously appealed by the previous owner Ms. Moermond: -and, there was a deadline on the driveway, which should have been disclosed to you at closing; the issues were exactly the same as in these Orders Mr. Eddy: -the roof has been replaced; I think it's been inspected; waiting for the final inspection -the driveway is the other issue; can I put in the paths rather than the full slab/asphalt Ms. Moermond: -I've a very short leash on this issue because I heard it twice; you bought a property with an Order on it with an imminent deadline; the fact that it wasn't disclosed is not really my problem; the City Council gave a deadline; the deadline was blown; DSI wrote a fresh Order Mr. Neis: -reviewing the notes- 4 parking spaces are needed; would be laid over for 1 month; an extension was granted to Jul 1,2017; they had a site plan but they must have sold it during the interim Ms. Moermond: -you need to provide a site plan for your proposed parking plan; take it to the Zoning office, DSI -this whole thing needs to be scraped & re-done because of the mixed surfaces -if Zoning accepts the tire tracks/paths, I will accept it -deadline: Sep 15, 2017 -this has been going on for a long period -I don't know whether or not Zoning accepted the site plan provided by the previous owner Mr. Neis: -looking to see if a site plan had submitted to Zoning City of Saint Paul Page 23 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 -looks like they submitted a site plan for the LH Office to review but they never actually submitted it to Zoning Ms. Moermond: -go to the City Council website; search; go into calendar for meetings & agendas; file # RLH FCO 16-128; you could also search using the address; CC adopted it's resolution on Oct 19, 2016; there's quite a few attachments Grant to September 15, 2017 to resolve the parking surface issue. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/6/2017 37 RLH FCO Appeal of Eric Eddy to a Fire Inspection Correction Notice at 658-660 17-126 THOMAS AVENUE. Sponsors: Thao Eric Eddy, E & K Real Estate Investments LLC, owner, appeared. Fire Supervisor A.J. Neis: -this is a driveway issue: it's class 5 but largely overgrown with weeds; photos Ms. Moermond: -looks like a mix of class 5 & blacktop Mr. Neis: -other issue is the plumbing identified by Inspector Huseby; photos; looks like some repairs may have been done with unapproved appliances; there's an open sewer line in the basement; water heater didn't look properly vented Mr. Eddy: -there was a hole in the sewer Y joint at 658; there are 2 separate houses; in the smaller one, the y-joint had a hole in it, which is being replaced; we just switched out the water heater for 658, which was not on this list -question: water heater at 660 Thomas - that was inherited; we never touched it; I wasn't sure why that one was a particular issue Mr. Neis: -looks like the vent was too long; the water heater vent was in excess of 10 ft through the crawl space to the exterior; so, it needs a boost fan so that the bldg doesn't stagnate -I don't see any permits on file for 660; there's a permit for a water heater pulled Jul 31 (for 658) -the other things you could do is when the water heater permit is finaled for 658, ask the inspector to just take a look at 660 & see what he says (Plumbing Inspector is Jim Kaufer) Ms. Moermond: -I will put in a phone call for a second opinion on the Fire C of O Orders so that he knows to look at both -if you're going to provide access, Mr. Eddy, I will share your contact info; normally, the contractor calls the inspector; in this case, I think it might work better if you're the one but your contractor might want to be present Mr. Eddy: City of Saint Paul Page 24 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 -I'll call the plumber -the driveway abuts an alley; there's more asphalt where it goes into the garage but more dirt toward the fence; so I thought I might be able to put in tracks Ms. Moermond: -you'd have to rake out what's there -let's put the driveway on a Nov 1, 2017 deadline, too, as Fuller -you'll have to bring in a site plan to Zoning; the side of the garage piece is the part that's bothering me; the Orders say that the asphalt in front of the garage is serviceable but the additional parking on the south side of the garage is a combination of dirt & asphalt; talking about putting in some tracks (pulling up old asphalt) -these photos here aren't really telling me very much; I can tell much about the site from these photos -Mai pulling up aerial photo for Ms. Moermond & Mr. Eddy to view Mr. Neis: -that square of no asphalt (dirt) looks as though there may have been an accessory structure at one time & asphalt had been poured around it Ms. Moermond: -if you want to rip out that old asphalt, that works for me; and put in tracks -the other items have a Nov 1 deadline, too -#9 is the most troublesome for me - the plumbing Mr. Neis: -I have no doubt that some of this plumbing work was done prior to you owning the bldg... that cap definitely needs to be put on Ms. Moermond: -let's say that the plumbing items must be done by Sep 1 (sewer gas issue is serious); but see what Inspector Kaufer has to say -Nov 1 for everything else Grant to September 1, 2017 for all the plumbing items; grant to November 1, 2017 for the remaining items. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/6/2017 38 RLH FCO Appeal of Cheryl Golden-Black to a Correction Notice-Reinspection 17-134 Complaint at 905 MARYLAND AVENUE EAST. Sponsors: Bostrom Cheryl Golden-Black, owner, appeared. Fire Supervisor A.J. Neis: -spoke with Appellant just before today's hearing because things looked a little odd in this -Correction Notice; Orders were written just on a complaint that came in -I drove by the property today just to get a feel for it -photos on my phone; not downloaded yet Ms. Golden-Black: -I also have photos City of Saint Paul Page 25 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 Mr. Neis: -Cheryl's been through a lot in the last few months; this building had recently been struck by a vehicle on the side, which has since been repaired; permit was pulled -the roof leaks & she's been trying to chase down that leak; it has the old cedar shake shingles (difficult to trace leaks) -the complaint came in because there was a tarp on the roof; she was trying to mitigate any additional water damage inside the bldg, which had recently been certified by our office -based on the complaint, Inspector Spiering wrote a Correction Notice to repair & maintain the roof; she has been in constant contact with them & the bldg itself looks really good where the vehicle hit it; the repair is nearing completion -she is looking for additional time to complete the roof repair -there's some concern about the verbiage in the letter (seemed rather harsh & abrupt); he explained that they are canned letters that are sent out for any violation Ms. Golden-Black: -entered her photos for Ms. Moermond's review; they were also sent to Inspector Spiering (he failed to acknowledge that she had sent them) -I have to special order the shakes; they are 24 inch -I put plastic on the entire side of the roof in Apr because I was concerned (I did not know where the leak was); the inside of the bldg has an open ceiling - you can see all the supports of the main part of the bldg; she pointed to where she believes the leak originates -when I took the shakes off of 5 rows (taking pictures as I went), I found the water damage; I lifted up the tar paper to see (this roof was put on in the 1950s); my intention is to make this repair ..... -I called 3 roofing companies & not one responded Mr. Neis: -realistically, you will probably not get a roofer this year; there's been a lot of roof damage because of the storms in the north suburbs Ms. Golden-Black: -that's good to know -I want to do this roof; I have the materials & a construction person who will assist me Ms. Moermond: -how long do you thing you'll need to finish the roof? -looks like the side of the bldg is under control; I'm not worried about that Ms. Golden-Black: -I want to get the roof totally done by the end of Sep; the repair will be done by the end of Aug Ms. Moermond: Grant to January 1, 2018 for the roof to come into compliance. Referred to the City Council due back on 9/6/2017 39 RLH FCO Appeal of Chong Soua Vang to a Fire Certificate of Occupancy Approval 17-130 With Corrections at 308 SHERBURNE AVENUE. Sponsors: Thao City of Saint Paul Page 26 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 Chong Soua Vang, owner, appeared. Fire Supervisor A.J. Neis: -Fire Certificate of Occupancy Inspection Approval with Corrections -the driveway needs to be maintained; the asphalt is deteriorated; people are parking on the grass -the rest of the bldg is code compliant -they are looking to get a variance (trying to rezone & so forth with the adjoining property at 315 University) Ms. Moermond: -tell me a little about what's going on at 315 University Mr. Vang: -I own 315 & the driveways back up to each other -I need to demolish the 4-plex & the little house on the back; I tried to demolish the little house on the back of 315 & put it all into a parking lot Ms. Moermond: -asked Mai Vang to bring up an aerial photo -we've got people parking on the grass; they can't park on the grass legally -Mr. Vang came up to view the photos with Ms. Moermond Mr. Vang: -I told the tenants to park on the designated area only; sometimes they have visitors who park on the grass Ms. Moermond: -parking on the grass is a code violation; Orders can be written on those vehicles; you would get those Orders because it's your property -you might want to erect signage or you could tow the cars or you might want to pave the area; it's up to you on how you want to manage it Mr. Vang: -I'm in the process of drawing a parking plan for my business Ms. Moermond: -where are the people who live at the residence going to park? Mr. Vang: -I'm going to demo these (pointing to the structures in the photo) -the city gave me about 3 months to get my plans in Ms. Moermond: -if I said Jun 1, 2018 to come into compliance, will all your new plans be in place? Mr. Vang: -yes Ms. Moermond: -if things go the way you want, no worries about this but if your plans fall through, the driveway needs to be repaired by Jun 1, 2018; in the meantime, no one should be parking on the grass Grant to June 1, 2018 for the parking issue. City of Saint Paul Page 27 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 Referred to the City Council due back on 9/6/2017 2:30 p.m. Hearings Vacant Building Registrations - OTHER 40 RLH SAO 17-65 Making finding on the appealed nuisance abatement ordered for 25 ELIZABETH STREET EAST in Council File RLH SAO 17-56. (To be referred back September 26 Legislative Hearing and to continue Public Hearing to October 4) Sponsors: Noecker Jonathan Gutierrez, owner, appeared. Mai Vang: -I think Inspector Dornfeld was going to give you a longer deadline Mr. Gutierrez: -correct -we're working on the retaining wall but the city hasn't decided what they want us to do so, they haven't given us our permit yet -we submitted all our paperwork already but the city hasn't approved it -but we can't do anything until the city gives us the permit; they are taking their time with that Ms. Moermond: -sounds like Inspector Matt Dornfeld says that you do have an approved permit Mai Vang: -the building permit is Pending; was applied for Jul 18; waiting for Engineering Report for Retaining Wall Mr. Gutierrez: -I don't have a permit; I cannot take action; it's in the process -Kevin, the city engineer came last week; he reviewed some stuff & he said that they were pretty busy in the office - have a lot of work; it's taking time but eventually, they'll get it done -the Engineering Report has been submitted Ms. Moermond: -we had our hearing in Jun -the City Council voted on a Resolution that gave you a deadline to have things done by Aug 1, 2017 & you completed your bldg permit application submission on Jul 18; so, ............ Mr. Gutierrez: -we submitted it way before that; then, the city said they needed more information; so, officially, the date will be when they actually accepted all of it but we started the process way before that Ms. Moermond: City of Saint Paul Page 28 Legislative Hearings Minutes - Final - Final-revised August 1, 2017 -is your contractor ready to go once the permit is approved? Mr. Gutierrez: -yes Ms. Moermond: -my job today is to make a decision about whether or not the wall is fixed; and obviously, it's not fixed yet; so, I will suggest to the City Council that they look at this matter again & to send this back into Legislative Hearings on Sep 5, 2017 - another month, to make a finding To be referred back to Legislative Hearing on September 5, 2017. Referred to the City Council due back on 8/2/2017 City of Saint Paul Page 29