Rental inspection, zoning mix mulled

The move must be approved by council and the board of health.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- Some city officials are hoping to combine the city's rental inspection department with the zoning department, but how to fund a combined department has yet to be determined.
Members of city council's health and safety committee, headed by Councilman Michael Costarella, have been looking at regulations for rental property in the city after landlords complained that they are unfair.
Costarella said one goal of the committee is to create legislation and a system that treats rentals and owner-occupied property virtually the same.
Issues with rental properties are handled by the rental inspection department under the umbrella of the city health department, while issues with owner-occupied dwellings are handled by the zoning department. Both departments operate under many of the same codes and regulations.
James Dobson, city health commissioner, has said the rental inspection department was initially intended to fall under the umbrella of the zoning department but was moved to the health department because the zoning department did not get the program off the ground.
What's involved
Costarella said a combined inspection program will need between $50,000 and $60,000 annually to operate. Both departments are currently self-funded and receive no money from the city's general fund.
"Today I have two groups of people inspecting things. If I could reduce that to one group of people, I think it would be better -- at least it would give us consistency," he said.
Before any changes are made, the move must be approved by both council and the city board of health. Costarella said he would like to have some idea of how the program would be funded before presenting it to the health board.
He is hoping to propose something to the board at its May 16 meeting.
Costarella said he will suggest to council that up to $20,000 for the inspection program be set aside in the general fund to run the combined program.
More permit fees could be collected in several areas, Costarella said, including: zoning, building, occupancy, roofs and fences. He said fees often are not collected because no one checks to see who has made home improvements or upgrades without buying the proper permit.
Here's the situation
Currently the zoning and the rental inspection departments have two employees each. A combined program, if approved, would fall under the health department's rental inspection program, but Costarella said it is unclear at this point if any jobs would be lost or job descriptions changed.
During discussion Monday about combining the two programs, officials identified what they determined to be problems in the current system.
Councilman Joe Shelby said the zoning department does not have anyone qualified to do state-certified inspections of businesses, meaning additional funds are being spent to bring in qualified inspectors for such inspections.
"We hire less-than-qualified individuals to perform the jobs they were hired to do, that is the truth," he said. "I believe this to be an exorbitant cost on taxpayers."
Costarella said any combined department must do more to police work done on homes in the city without a proper permit.
Councilman Larry Williams said some people cannot get permits to do work because no one is in the office on a regular basis to issue the permits. He said that must change.
jgoodwin@vindy.com