Human Relations commissioners prepare for pivotal meeting on housing
By Jennifer Roblez
Originally published 01:49 p.m., October 9, 2007
Updated 01:49 p.m., October 9, 2007
Forgive Emporia’s human relations commissioners for giving themselves a pep talk at their meeting Monday night.
“Don’t try to sell it. There’s a sound basis for why we’ve put everything in there,” said Steve Ihde.
“We’ve worked really hard on this. It’s a labor ... It’s a labor of love and sweat,” said Pru Schmidt.
“As long as we stay focused on what we’re doing and no other issues come into the hopper...,” said Tom Myers.
Ihde, Schmidt, Myers and the rest of the commission — William Cogswell, Mary Sutton, Sophie Thayer, Marilyn Hall, Patti Lipson and Jennell Tebbetts — will present a proposal to Emporia city commissioners from 11 a.m. to noon Wednesday that they hope will flip the city’s rental housing ordinance like an aging piece of property on a cable TV show.
City commissioners had asked human relations commissioners months ago to draft a rental housing policy to regulate the city’s some 2,900 rental properties. The result is what will be unveiled at the study session.
In summation, the proposal would require any property used as a rental residence in Emporia to qualify for an initial license, then annual renewals, showing housing officials the property meets minimum housing standards. That applies whether the property is occupied or vacant.
Inspections are expected to enforce the rental licensing standards and can be initiated through public complaints or routine inspections. An investigative fee would be charged if a violation is found, and a reinspection fee would be required to make sure ordered repairs are completed.
Proponents and foes of the proposal already have been voicing their opinions to both sets of commissioners, but there’s not likely to be much, if any, public input at Wednesday’s meeting.
“This is more of a dialogue,” city manager Matt Zimmerman told human relations commissioners. “You can say what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and (city) commissioners can ask questions. They’ve had a copy (of the proposal) since Thursday.”
After Wednesday’s meeting, the 22-page proposal becomes the city commission’s legislation to redraft, approve, disapprove or send back to the human relations commission or another committee for more work.
Zimmerman expects city commissioners to hold one or more public hearings on the proposed rental housing program so property owners, landlords, tenants — anyone — can speak their mind.
Both human relations and city commissioners say they already have heard from Emporia residents in the form of phone calls, e-mails and other communications.
Meanwhile, human relations commissioners split up sections of the proposal to present to the city commission: Thayer will provide the rationale for the changes, Myers will discuss fee schedules, Ihde will deal with housing standards, Lipson will detail the license application and renewal process and Schmidt will talk about fines and appeals for those owners whose properties don’t measure up.
“Remember,” Ihde said. “The whole key is not to be a burden to good properties.”
If you go
The city’s study session begins at 10 a.m. in the city conference room. The rental housing proposal will be presented from 11 a.m. to noon, and the location may be moved to the W.L. White Auditorium’s Little Theater.
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