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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 3/15/2016 City of Glendale 5850 West Glendale Avenue Glendale, AZ 85301 r%71t GLENOMeeting Minutes - Final Tuesday, March 15, 2016 1:30 PM Regular Workshop Council Chambers City Council Workshop Mayor Jerry Weiers Vice Mayor Ian Hugh Councilmember Jamie Aldama Councilmember Samuel Chavira Councilmember Ray Malnar Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff Councilmember Bart Turner City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes-Final March 15,2016 CALL TO ORDER Rollcall Present 7- Mayor Jerry Weiers, Vice Mayor Ian Hugh, Councilmember Jamie Aldama, Councilmember Samuel Chavira, Councilmember Ray Malnar, Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff, and Councilmember Bart Turner Also present were Kevin Phelps, City Manager; Michael Bailey, City Attorney; and Pamela Hanna, City Clerk. WORKSHOP SESSION 1. 16-085 COUNCIL ITEM OF SPECIAL INTEREST: ADDRESSING CODE VIOLATIONS ON VACANT PROPERTIES Staff Contact and Presenter: Sam McAllen, Director, Development Services Staff Presenter: Tim Boling, Code Compliance Administrator Mr. McAllen said this item is in response to Councilmember Aldama's Item of Special Interest asking to develop a broader plan to address violations on vacant properties. This plan stays within staffing and budgetary parameters of the Code Compliance Division. The properties discussed at today's meeting will include vacant properties and properties that have structures on them. The Code Compliance Division will respond to a complaint from a resident. Enforcement action is taken when a violation is observed. Mr. McAllen said vacant properties have special rules enacted by the State, which allows staff to observe a property, make note of corrections that need to be made, and notify the owner. If corrections are not made within 30 days, the Clean and Lien Program process is started so the city can hire a contractor to abate the violations on the property. This is only enacted if there is not voluntary compliance. Mr. McAllen said most of the time there is voluntary compliance. Mr. Boling said about 7,000 cases were resolved in 2014 and about $23,000 was spent cleaning up properties. He said 68% of the cases are complaint based. Residents are encouraged to report cases as soon as possible. Mr. McAllen said the vacant property plan includes recruiting volunteers to create a vacant property inventory, improve information sharing and technology, add a part-time contract employee and modify board-up requirements. Mr. Boling provided further information on the new board-up material being recommended which is a polycarbonate. Photographs were provided showing the difference between using regular plywood and the polycarbonate to cover windows. Homes look much nicer when boarded up with the polycarbonate material. This material is a little more expensive than plywood, but attaches to the structure in the same manner as plywood does. He explained the ordinance would need to be changed to allow a temporary board up with plywood, but after 90 days requiring property owners to use the polycarbonate material. Mayor Weiers asked polycarbonate was Plexiglas. City of Glendale Page 1 Printed on 3/30/2016 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes-Final March 15,2016 Mr. Boling said that was correct, but it is a little sturdier than Plexiglas. Mayor Weiers asked how thick this material was. Mr. Boling said it is about 1/2 inch thick, and plywood is 3/4 inch thick. Mayor Weiers said it was probably about$100 a sheet. Mr. Boling said the cost is $108 per sheet for a 4 x 8 sheet of polycarbonate. He said plywood is $30 to $35. He said the material is a little more expensive, but the labor costs are the same. Mr. McAllen said they are looking to maximize resources and they will be adding the CDBG element to add emphasis in those neighborhoods were CDBG funds are available. Volunteers are currently being recruited for Code Compliance, and staff is working with the Water Department to help identify properties that are having water shut off and may be vacated. Staff is also working to utilize available CDBG funds to hire a part time individual to focus on the list of properties from the Water Department, or properties in the Centerline area. Code Compliance is also looking to change the board up specifications which should have a dramatic impact where properties are boarded up. Mayor Weiers asked if these were both residential and commercial properties. Mr. McAllen said it covers vacant residential and commercial properties. Councilmember Chavira said taking attention off a vacant home reduces blight and keeps bad people away from the property. Vacant homes are a catalyst for arson and asked what tool can be used to cut through this polycarbonate material in case of a fire. Mr. Boling said the polycarbonate material cuts with the same tools as plywood. Councilmember Chavira said he wanted to make the point that the material will keep everybody out of the property, but if there is a fire, it is accessible by fire personnel. Mayor Weiers asked if a home has been fire damaged, would the polycarbonate be required. He said if the roof is off, is it necessary to secure the windows. Mr. McAllen said even if the roof is off, the windows would still need to be secured with the polycarbonate after 90 days. Many times, seriously damaged homes are fenced off. He said they are trying to minimize the visual impact a vacant property has on a neighborhood. Mayor Weiers asked if a home is being remodeled or reconstructed, does it make sense to force the homeowner to pay a higher cost for polycarbonate if it is under construction. Councilmember Tolmachoff said abandoned properties sometimes don't have doors and asked if the polycarbonate would work for a missing door. Mr. McAllen said currently plywood is appropriate to cover a missing door. Councilmember Tolmachoff said you would know that a home is vacant if the doorway has plywood over it. Mr. Boling said polycarbonate could be used for the door as well. He said it depended on City of Glendale Page 2 Printed on 3/30/2016 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes-Final March 15,2016 the situation and what is the best way to secure the home. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if it would be accessible to the city to use plywood to board up the front door. Mr. McAllen said the whole goal is to have the property secured and to lessen the blight impact of the plywood. He said the material could be used for a doorway. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if a property is being repaired or renovated if the polycarbonate can be removed and reinstalled. Mr. McAllen said the polycarbonate can be removed and reinstalled easily. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked about existing boarded up properties, and if they were going to be required to remove the plywood. Mr. McAllen said staff will work with the legal department on that issue. He said any board ups immediately taking place would use the polycarbonate material for windows. A temporary board up allowance of 90 days with plywood may benefit an owner with a property that had an emergency. Anything longer than 90 days begins to have a negative visual impact on a neighborhood and that is what they are trying to alleviate. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if it would improve the aesthetics of the neighborhood by having plywood on the front door and polycarbonate on the windows. Mr. Boling said in most cases, there is usually a door there, but it is not securable. The door would be there with the polycarbonate material in front of it. There would still be the visual impact of the door. He said they would review this on a case by case basis. Councilmember Aldama said the polycarbonate material can have the effect of reduction in crime. He said there are several commercial buildings in his district that can use the polycarbonate material. He was concerned about the cost, but liked the 90 day initial period to use plywood. He thanked staff for coming up with a plan. He asked if the city has a program where an owner can ask the city to voluntarily tear down a building or vacant home. Mr. McAllen said that service is available through the Community Revitalization Department. Councilmember Aldama provided an example of who this program helps. It will help all the districts, not just Ocotillo District. Councilmember Chavira said they are talking about the broken window theory. Mr. McAllen said that was correct. Councilmember Chavira said they are remedying the aesthetics, but also providing more security for the property. Councilmember Turner asked if owners would have to use the polycarbonate material on all windows in the house or only those visible from the street. Mr. McAllen said it should be used on any of the damaged windows that were broken and leave the property accessible, regardless of where it was on the property. City of Glendale Page 3 Printed on 3/30/2016 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes-Final March 15,2016 Councilmember Turner suggested giving some thought to that since the cost is significantly higher for the polycarbonate material. Mr. Boling said those changes could be made in the Ordinance which would have to come back before Council for approval. He said the Phoenix Ordinance states any opening that is visible from the street. Councilmember Turner said he interested in the program working with the Water Department regarding water turn off. He asked if the Water team that goes out to turn off the water would be doing a visual inspection to determine if the property was determined to be a higher priority for boarding up. Mr. Boling said they worked with Water staff to create a monthly report which can be run every two weeks. Councilmember Turner asked if this could be taken a step further to have the Water team make a determination if the property is a priority. That would prevent Code staff from having to look at every turn off property. He was in favor of using volunteers, but asked that they also use city employees who are already out in the neighborhoods to look for code violations. Mr. McAllen said referrals are received from multiple city departments on a regular basis from employees in the field and employees who are contacted by residents while doing their jobs. He said he would talk with Water Services about the Water employee recommendation. Councilmember Turner said using a part time employee working with CDBG to focus on Centerline is a great idea. Councilmember Tolmachoff asked if the Water employee would verify that the property has been vacated. Mr. Boling said they will be working through that process with the Water Services Department. The process can be refined as it moves forward. Councilmember Tolmachoff said consideration should be given not to impede renovations. Renovations often come with theft and staff should consider this when using the polycarbonate. Mr. Boling said building permits will be pulled for renovations and Code Compliance would not enforce a property that is being renovated. Also plywood can be used to cover windows during renovation. Mayor Weiers said if polycarbonate is painted to prevent anyone from seeing in the residence, it won't make the property look any better. Mr. Boling said it would be part of their specifications. Councilmember Aldama said he thought he read that the police departments prefer to be able to see in the windows when properties are vacant. He also said he would not want a contractor's tools stolen. He asked if owners of commercial properties can be required to use herbicide to keep the weeds under control on their vacant properties. City of Glendale Page 4 Printed on 3/30/2016 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes-Final March 15,2016 Mr. McAllen said staff is able to enforce the Code, but don't tell owners how to accomplish that. A commercial property still must follow the Codes. Councilmember Aldama said a lot of residents do not know that. Councilmember Turner said weeds are a big problem in his district, as well. He suggested having more eyes open and new ways for residents to get that information to Code Compliance. Mayor Weiers said occasionally the property is not vacant, but may have a homeowner who is having trouble keeping up with his yard. In one case, he found a church that was looking for a project and within 5 hours had cleaned up the owner's yard. He said Code Compliance was excellent with the homeowner too. Mr. McAllen said the city has a great program with the Neighborhood Partnership Office, including a tool lending program; tools can be borrowed when needed. He explained their department is Code Compliance, not Code Enforcement. They are trying to get residents and owners in compliance. He said about 95% of individuals voluntarily comply. They also work with neighborhood groups to assist those homeowners in need. Councilmember Aldama said the city is a little lax in bringing violators into compliance. He said this plan is important because once residents realize the city will enforce its codes,the blight will be reduced. Mr. Phelps said the Code Compliance team did a great job with few resources. He spoke about partnering with the IT Department for a free phone app where citizens and employees could report any issue as they see them, including fire, homeland security or code issues. He said working with the IT Department, these issues could be addressed sooner. He explained that almost 2/3 of Code's issues are brought to the city's attention by citizens. The goal is to get ahead of that curve. He also talked about identifying the worst properties in the city which will require more resources to address. Mr. McAllen said that was the end of the presentation. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT Mr. Phelps said last week construction began on a third hotel property at Westgate, which is a Hilton property with 127 rooms. That brings the total rooms at Westgate to 596 rooms. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT City Attorney Bailey had nothing to report; however, he reminded City Council that they did have items to discuss during Executive Session. COUNCIL ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST Councilmember Aldama thanked staff for bringing the plan to Council today. He asked staff to research closing some alleys due to the dumping problems some neighborhoods are having. He asked for heavy citizen participation in this issue. Mayor Weiers thanked Mr. Phelps for going with him to tour the city. City of Glendale Page 5 Printed on 3/30/2016 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes-Final March 15,2016 EXECUTIVE SESSION The City Council entered into Executive Session at 2:20 p.m. ADJOURNMENT The City Council meeting adjourned at 3:19 p.m. City of Glendale Page 6 Printed on 3/30/2016