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Struthers residents distressed about rentals
STRUTHERS
Struthers residents aired their concerns about rental properties in the city during Tuesday night’s city council meeting.
Several residents expressed distress over the growing number of rentals and encouraged council to crack down on them.
According to city records, nearly half of the residential properties in the city are being used as rentals.
Council is in the process of developing a landlord registration ordinance that would tighten the leash on landlords, forcing them to identify every individual living in a property, completing background checks on their tenants and, if they are out-of-town owners, maintaining a local agent whom the city can work with to address property issues.
Councilman Michael Patrick, D-at large, said the lawmakers are seeking input on their legislation to ensure its legality.
“Right now, we’re consulting with Boardman, since we’re basing the ordinance off of theirs, as well as Youngstown, and our law director,” Patrick said. “Eventually we’re going to have a public meeting and bring all the landlords in to discuss the legislation.”
Elaine Ginnetti, a resident who spoke at the meeting, asked if the new legislation would exempt tenants who are already living in the city.
Councilman Dallas Bigley, D-at large, told her that all tenants, including those currently renting in the city, would have to be accounted for under the planned legislation.
Council largely agreed with the sentiments of the concerned residents. Councilman Joseph Rudzik, D-at large, said rental properties are not properly scrutinized by the city.
“We’ve got people trying to invest in the city who we’re giving the run-around to, and we’re giving people just passing through the benefit of the doubt,” Rudzik said. “We need to start taking better care of our own; these renters get away with too much.”
The ordinance is still under development.
In other business, council approved an ordinance repealing and replacing another ordinance setting water rates in the city.
Aqua Ohio announced Oct. 25 it would be decreasing the rate of future increases, thanks to savings the company wrought from recent tax cuts.
Aqua, which is in the second year of a five-year contract with Mahoning County communities had originally planned to raise rates by 4.5 percent each year, but will now increase them by 3.5 percent annually instead.