HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-16-2014 SS1 O'KellyCOUNCIL MEETING: k7--16-2.0k4
ITEM N®,:_
Christian, Kevin
From: Mejia, Anthony
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 2:17 PM
i
To: Christian, Kevin
Subject: FW: Rental Inspection Program DEC 16 2014
From: Brian O'Kelly [mailto:b.okelly @ yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 1:44 PM
To: Ashbaugh, John; Carpenter, Dan; Christianson, Carlyn; Codron, Michael; Dietrick, Christine; Lichtig, Katie; Marx, Jan;
Mejia, Anthony; Rivoire, Dan
Subject: Rental Inspection Program
Dear Council Members,
We are against the Rental Inspection Program.
My name is Brian O'Kelly and I live on Pismo St. My wife and I are both opposed to creating a stand alone rental inspection
program for several reasons. We are against it in spite of the fact we live next door to one of the worst rental units in SLO. It could
be said I have more problems with homeowners in our neighborhood that could use some policing, but I'll come back to this later.
Here are the main points we have against the program. I'll be brief.
1, We already have a code enforcement unit. If we want to cleanup the maybe 5% of rentals that are a problem, ramp up the existing
program and clean up the problem. Use fines to fund the extra code enforcement personnel. If we have a rental inspection program
in 5 years when things are back in order, the program will look for things to justify it's existence causing problems and expense for the
95% of landlords who are doing a good job. We are not that big of a city that this can't be handled with existing programs.
2. Two of the main complaints brought up in the Tribune Editorial are neighborhood blight and illegal garage conversions. From
what I've seen this program can't address the garage conversions because many are in R1 owner occupied residences which are not
subject to inspections. Blight can be addressed without interior inspections by our current code enforcement program.
3. The list of other cities who have rental inspection programs is not that impressive and certainly doesn't in itself justify creating one
here.
4. It is going to be very difficult to enforce fairly. Just when does a house need painting?
5, We should not have government agents entering homes (rentals are peoples homes) on a regular basis without cause. Would you
vote for this if it applied to your home? If not, why not? Do those same reasons apply to good landlords? I think they do. Don't
punish the 95% of responsible landlords because of a few.
6. Lastly, as I said before, owner occupied homes create many of the same problems as rentals such as illegal parking,un - permitted
construction and conversions, poorly maintained exteriors etc.
Why limit the inspections and fees to Rentals, throw in the other 35% of residences and make the whole city better. Of course, I
don't support this either but I think the argument is valid.
I would encourage you not to vote for creating this program..
Thank you for your consideration,
Brian O'Kelly