Girard officials discuss rental-inspection changes

Health board members said the program doesn't need to be changed.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- Discussions concerning changes to the city's rental inspection policy continue, but what changes will be made and what department will oversee the program remain up in the air.
Council members discussed proposed changes with the board of health and Mayor James Melfi on Thursday.
Under the current ordinance, landlords are charged an annual registration fee of $12 per unit, and an annual inspection fee of $50 for the first rental unit with an additional $10 for each additional unit. Those landlords needing to address violations and in need of additional inspections will be charged $50 per re-inspection.
The city law says each unit must be inspected inside and out at least once a year.
Landlords have complained about the intrusion of an annual inside inspection and the cost associated with the program.
Lawmakers, headed by Councilman Michael Costarella, have been working to revise the system. Council also has been looking into combining zoning with the rental inspection program.
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.
Suggests consolidation
Councilman Larry Williams said combining the two departments would be more efficient. He said the city is losing money because the zoning department is not regularly staffed to issue permits.
Melfi said the zoning department only cost the city about $19,000 annually to operate with two part-time employees. The city, however, does not get the coverage it needs in that department with the limited staff, making combining the departments and available staff an attractive idea, he said.
Costarella gave health board members a synopsis of changes thus far planned for the rental inspection policy and the goals to be accomplished by those changes.
Some health board members, however, do not see any need for a policy change.
Board member Charles Ague said the current system is fine as is, and he cannot see why council would want to remove the annual inspection provision. He also said the fees are not excessive.
Melfi suggested that both programs be combined and placed under the city engineer. The engineer answers to the safety/service director, who in turn answers to the mayor.
Costarella said Melfi's suggestion will be taken into consideration. He said suggestions from the health board are still needed regardless of who runs the program or what changes are made.
Goals of legislation
The goals of the new legislation, Costarella told the board, will be to prevent blight in the city, reduce costs to landlords, eliminate mandatory annual inside inspection, and eliminate the difference in treatment between rental and owner-occupied homes.
The potential new legislation suggested by Costarella would require landlords to pay one flat registration fee per unit per year, which would include two external inspections. If no violations are found on the first external inspection, officials would check the exterior of the building again in six months with no inside inspection.
If a violation is found during either of the two yearly inspections, the owner is given time to make repairs and schedule an inside/outside inspection. The landlord could eventually be cited into court if the violations are not corrected.
Under the potential legislation, the interior of a rental unit would be inspected only if there is an outside violation or after one tenant leaves and another moves in.
jgoodwin@vindy.com