[00:00:01]
FOR YOU, BUT I WILL LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, THE CALL END USERS HAVE NOT MADE IT YET.UM, WELL MAYBE WE CAN GO AHEAD AND IF THEY ARE NOT ON THE POINT THAT WE START THE AUDIT, WE CAN DO THEM AFTER WE HEAR FROM THE AUDITOR AND THE DEPARTMENT THAT WORKED FOR YOU.
UM, JUST, UH, YEAH, JUST CALL FOR THEM AT THAT TIME.
AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW IF THEY'RE HERE OR NOT.
CAN HELP ME REMEMBER THAT? THAT'D BE GREAT.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, GOOD MORNING.
I CHAIR THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
[CALL TO ORDER]
ON OCTOBER 21ST.I'M GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER TOGETHER WITH ME ON THE VIRTUAL DAYAS, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, TOVO POOL AND FLANAGAN.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Audit and Finance Committee Meeting of September 23, 2020.]
UM, OUR FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FLAN AGAIN? UM, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THOSE MINUTES WILL BE APPROVED.
[2. Code Repeat Offender Program Audit (City Auditor’s Office)]
NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS IS THE CODE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM AUDIT.I UNDERSTAND THEY ARE STILL NOT ON THE LINE.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO, UM, I THINK WE'LL GO AHEAD, MS. STOKES WITH THE CODE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM AUDIT, AND WE CAN ROPE THOSE SPEAKERS IN AS SOON AS THEY COME ON.
AND IF, IF THEY'RE STILL PLANNING TO COME ON AND WE NEED TO VOTE, WE CAN WAIT TO VOTE TILL AFTER THE NEXT ITEMS. SO THANK YOU, MS. STOKES.
SO THIS IS THE CODE REPEAT OFFENDER AUDIT.
UM, IT WAS LED AND MANAGED BY KATIE HOUSTON.
AT THIS POINT, ANDREW KEEGAN WAS INVOLVED AND AS, I DON'T KNOW IF HE'D LEFT US FOR VERMONT LAST MONTH, UM, AND, UM, ANNA MORRIS WAS A TEAM MEMBER ON THE PROJECT.
UM, KATIE IS GOING TO PRESENT TODAY IF SHE CAN UNMUTE, WHICH I THINK I'M UN-MUTED, BUT I THINK WE IT'S ALSO, OH YES, WE DO HAVE SLIDES.
AND I SEE, I SEE THAT OUR REPRESENTATIVES FROM MANAGEMENT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO JOIN US ON, WHICH IS GREAT, RIGHT? THERE'S OUR SLIDES.
UH, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE HERE.
AUSTIN'S REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM AIMS TO ENSURE AUSTIN RENTERS ARE LIVING IN HEALTHY AND SAFE PROPERTIES.
IT WAS CREATED IN 2013, PARTIALLY IN RESPONSE TO SOME STRUCTURAL FAILURES AND MULTIFAMILY HOUSING PROPERTIES ARE REQUIRED TO REGISTER WITH THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM.
I THINK WE'RE ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WHEN THEY MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CODE VIOLATIONS HAVE BEEN NOTED.
UM, IF THE PROPERTY OWNER FAILS TO FIX VIOLATIONS IN THE TIME ALLOTTED, THE CODE DEPARTMENT CAN ESCALATE ENFORCEMENT USING ONE OR MORE OF THE ESCALATION TOOLS THAT ARE LISTED HERE ON THE SLIDE.
SO THAT'S INITIATING A SUSPENSION AND ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING TAKING IN CASE THE DISTRICT COURT OR SUBMITTING IT TO THE BUILDINGS AND STANDARDS COMMISSION.
OVERALL, WE FOUND THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM HAS NOT CONSISTENTLY ACHIEVED THE DESIRED GOAL OF ENSURING AUSTIN RENTERS ARE LIVING IN PROPERTIES THAT MEET MINIMUM HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS.
AND THAT'S PARTLY DUE TO AUSTIN CODE, NOT ESCALATING THEIR ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS.
WE LOOKED AT THE MOST FREQUENT REPEAT OFFENDER PROPERTIES BASED ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS AND FOUND THAT 10 PROPERTIES REPRESENT 5% OF THE PROGRAM REGISTRANT'S, BUT OVER 30% OF THE NOTED VIOLATIONS AND DETAILS RELATING TO THE ENFORCEMENT AT THESE 10 PROPERTIES IS HERE ON THE SLIDE IN THIS COLORFUL DEPICTION.
HERE YOU CAN SEE OF THESE 10 PROPERTIES.
THREE HAD NO ESCALATED ENFORCEMENT AND FOUR HAD JUST ONE ESCALATED ENFORCEMENT ACTION.
REMEMBER THAT'S A SUSPENSION ADMIN HEARING.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY CONCERNING.
AS MANY OF THESE PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN IN THE PROGRAM FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
FOUR OF THESE HAVE BEEN IN THE PROGRAM SINCE ITS INCEPTION.
ESCALATING ENFORCEMENT FOR FREQUENT REPEAT OFFENDER PROPERTIES IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT MAY NOT BE THE ONLY SOLUTION INCENTIVIZING PROPERTY OWNER ACTION MAY ALSO LEAD TO IMPROVED AND SAFER RENTAL HOUSING IN AUSTIN.
UM, HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF INCENTIVES THAT CITIES CAN OFFER LANDLORDS TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO ADDRESS CODE VIOLATIONS AND APPROVE PROPERTY CONDITIONS.
UM, IT ESSENTIALLY BOILS DOWN TO, UH, IMPROVING ACCESS TO CITY RESOURCES AND TENANTS PROVIDING TRAINING OR PROVIDING DIRECT AND INDIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
WE THINK THESE ARE A GOOD IDEA
[00:05:01]
BECAUSE AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM COULD BE A WAY TO GET LANDLORDS TO VOLUNTARILY OFFER TENANT PROTECTIONS, MAKING RENTERS THIRD-PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF GOOD LANDLORD AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE PROPERTY OWNERS.LASTLY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, AS WE DISCUSS THIS BY ME, THAT ENFORCING THE CITY'S REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM ORDINANCE IS A BALANCING ACT GIVEN AUSTIN'S COMPETITIVE HOUSING MARKET PROPERTIES THAT DETERIORATE AND DEVELOP CODE VIOLATIONS ARE OFTEN LESS EXPENSIVE TO RENT.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, MANY OF THE TENANTS OF THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM PROPERTIES ARE LOW INCOME AND ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO DISPLACEMENT.
SECONDLY, WE FOUND THAT THE PROCESS USED TO IDENTIFY PROGRAM ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES IS INEFFICIENT AND DOES NOT ALWAYS RESULT IN ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES BECOMING PART OF THE PROGRAM WHEN THEY SHOULD.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE GRAPHIC HERE ON THE RIGHT, THAT THIS IS THE CRITERIA PROPERTY NEEDS TO MEET TO GET INTO THE PROGRAM.
BUT IN ORDER FOR CODE TO CONFIRM, THE PROPERTY MEETS THIS CRITERIA, THE DEPARTMENT HAS TO CHECK A NUMBER OF SOURCES AND SYSTEMS AND PERFORM A SERIES OF MANUAL REVIEWS FOR EACH POTENTIAL REGISTERING INDIVIDUALLY.
THERE ISN'T AN AUTOMATED WAY TO CONDUCT ALL THESE VERIFICATIONS AND TO CONFIRM ALL THE RELATED DATA SOURCES ARE ACCURATE.
AND UP TO DATE, THOSE STAFF INDICATED THAT THEY'VE IMPROVED THIS PROCESS AND AUTOMATED SOME OF THESE CHECKS.
SO IT SHOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT GOING FORWARD.
IN ADDITION TO THE PROCESS LIMITATIONS, THE REPEAT OFFENDER NAME MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO PROPERTIES, NOT ENTERING THE PROGRAM WHEN THEY SHOULD.
WE HEARD FROM SOME EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS THAT THE TERM REPEAT OFFENDER OFTEN USED TO DESCRIBE PEOPLE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM MAY MAKE RENTERS AND TENANT ADVOCATES, LESS LIKELY TO REPORT COMPLAINTS ABOUT RENTAL PROPERTIES.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE STARTING POINT FOR A PROPERTY GETTING INTO THE PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S AN ISSUE IF EVEN THE NAME IS FUNCTIONING AS AN IMPEDIMENT, BUT CHEATING OBJECTIVES.
FOR OUR LAST FINDING, WE FOUND THAT LARGE PROPERTIES TAKE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TIME AND RESOURCES TO INSPECT ISSUE VIOLATIONS AND ESCALATE THROUGH THE VARIOUS ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS WHEN THEY'RE ADMINISTERED COMPARED TO SMALLER PROPERTIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, A 500 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX IS TYPICALLY INSPECTED ONCE PER YEAR.
AND IT TAKES ONE TO TWO WEEKS TO DO THE, DO THE WHOLE REVIEW LOG.
THE ISSUE SEND THE NOTICES OF VIOLATIONS SO ON AND THE INSPECTION FOR SMALLER PROPERTIES AS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME IN TERMS OF THE PROPERTY ELEMENTS THAT THE CODE STAFF REVIEW.
BUT THESE INSPECTIONS DON'T TAKE NEARLY AS MUCH TIME DUE TO THEIR REDUCED SIZE.
THESE REVIEWS TAKE ABOUT A DAY OR TWO TO COMPLETE, ACCORDING TO CODE STAFF, DESPITE THIS ALL PROPERTIES PAY THE SAME $372 ANNUAL FEE FOR THE PROGRAM REGISTRATION.
AS WE CONDUCTED OUR AUDIT, WE NOTED TWO ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS.
FIRST, WE ATTEMPTED TO IDENTIFY PEER PROGRAMS THAT REGULATE RENTAL PROPERTIES, UH, BASED ON COMPLAINTS LIKE AUSTIN DOES AND FOUND THE AUSTIN MODEL TO BE AN OUTLIER.
ONE NOTABLE EXCEPTION IS THAT MOST LANDLORD REGULATORY PROGRAMS THAT WE IDENTIFIED REQUIRE ALL PROPERTY OWNERS THAT RENT PROPERTIES TO REGISTER WITH THE CITY AND PAY A NOMINAL FEE BECAUSE WE COULDN'T IDENTIFY A COMPARABLE COMPLAINT DRIVEN MODEL LIKE AUSTIN'S, WE COULDN'T CONDUCT A RELIABLE, PURE CITY ANALYSIS.
AND SECONDLY, WHILE COMPLETING THE AUDIT, WE RECEIVED A COPY OF AN INTERNAL EVALUATION OF AUSTIN CODE, WHICH IDENTIFIED MANY OF THE SAME ISSUES THAT WE DETAILED IN OUR REPORT.
THE RESULTS OF THIS EVALUATION WERE COMMUNICATED TO CODE MANAGEMENT IN AUGUST, 2019, AND IT WAS FINALIZED IN APRIL AND THIS YEAR AUSTIN CODE APPEARS TO HAVE TAKEN SOME ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS REPORT THAT MANY ISSUES REMAIN ON ADDRESSED.
I THINK, UH, SO IN RESPONSE TO THESE FINDINGS, WE MADE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE CODE DEPARTMENT FIRST TO DEVELOP A VOLUNTARY LANDLORD INCENTIVE PROGRAM, INCREASED ENFORCEMENT AND ESCALATE CASES AND WORK WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND CITY COUNCIL TO REVISE THE ORDINANCE.
UM, AND IF INDEED THE ORDINANCE IS REVISED, YOU MORE SPECIFICALLY RECOMMENDED THE CITY CONSIDER REQUIRING FULL RENTAL REGISTRATION ACROSS THE CITY RENAMING AUSTIN'S REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM AND PROPOSING AN ALTERNATE FEE SCHEDULE THAT ACCURATELY REFLECTS THE GREATER ENFORCEMENT COSTS THAT WE INCUR FROM LARGER PROPERTIES.
AND THEN WE ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT AUSTIN CODE WORK WITH CTM TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESSES USED TO IDENTIFY PROPERTIES THAT MAY BE PROGRAM ELIGIBLE, UH, AND AUSTIN CODE AGREED WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUBMITTED AN ACTION PLAN.
THAT INCLUDES ACTIONS THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE TO ADDRESS THESE, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, I WANT TO WELCOME MAYOR ADLER TO THE
[00:10:01]
VIRTUAL DYESS, UM, THIS MORNING.UM, KATIE, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I THINK CATHY, DID YOU WANT TO COME TO MY WORKSHOP? DID YOU WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW, OR DO YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM THE CODE DEPARTMENT FIRST? THAT'S FINE HEARING FROM THE COACH, WHATEVER YOU'RE HEARING FROM THE CODE DEPARTMENT.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS HAVE US HEAR FROM THE DEPARTMENT AND IF OUR SPEAKERS ONLINE, THEN OUR SPEAKERS AND THEN HAVE OUR QUESTIONS.
IF THE SPEAKERS ARE ON THE LINES.
SO IF WE CAN HEAR FROM THE CODE DEPARTMENT, PLEASE, THE DIRECTOR, RAMON AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THIS IS OUR WHOLESALE ROY INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR THE CALL DEPARTMENT.
AND I ALSO HAVE WITH ME HERE, DANIEL WARD, WHERE HE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, WITH THE ARTICLE'S OFFICE IN THIS, UH, UH, REPORT.
UH, UH, KATHY AND, AND COREY, THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB IN THIS REPORT AND WE DO AGREE WITH THE FINDINGS.
UM, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, UH, RECENTLY WE ARE ESCALATING, UH, PROPERTIES, PARTIES TO ALLOW THE SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF THE REGISTRATION.
AND IT'S BEEN WORKING FAIRLY WELL WITH THOSE PROPERTIES, HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION TO ACTUALLY DEAL WITH THIS, UH, SITUATIONS, UH, THE INTERNAL EVALUATION, UH, THAT WE HAD IN THE DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY, UM, KIND OF MATCHES THE FINDINGS, UH, ON THE AUDIT REPORT.
AND IT CAME OUT WITH ABOUT 48 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENHANCEMENTS ON EFFICIENCIES.
SO WE ARE PRIORITIZING THOSE THAT ARE WHAT WE CALL THE LOW HANGING FRUITS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT PRETTY QUICKLY, UH, WORKING WITH CDM TO ACTUALLY AUTOMATE THE SYSTEM.
EVEN IF WE DO THAT, THAT'S A LOT OF MANUAL, UH, CHECKS THAT WE HAVE TO DO, BUT I THINK THAT ONCE WE GET THAT REPORTING IN PLACE IS GOING TO HELP US OUT.
UH, WE ALSO WITH, UH, UM, UH, STAKEHOLDERS, AND I KNOW THAT THAT RECOMMENDATION NUMBER THREE WILL BE THE ONE THAT WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
IT GOES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SAVE DOWN WAY BELOW DEPARTMENT ON THE STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, TAKE A LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE AND SEE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE COLLECTIVELY MAKE THIS PROGRAM, UH, AN EFFICIENT PROGRAM FOR THE POLITICAL COMMUNITY.
SO WE ARE IN AGREEMENT AND WE, UH, PROPOSED AN ACTION PLAN TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES.
UM, FLESHLY MADE THIS PROGRAM WORK.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF DANIEL IS IN THE LINE.
MAYBE HE WANTS TO EXPAND ON THAT.
UM, THANK YOU, MAYOR AND, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UM, UH, JUST WANT TO THANK THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, UM, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THEM AND IDENTIFY ISSUES THAT WE CAN WORK ON TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR TENANTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
OUR GOAL GOING FORWARD WILL CERTAINLY BE TO ANALYZE EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IN TERMS OF PROCEDURES AND POLICIES INTERNALLY, AND THEN ALSO ENGAGE OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, UH, WE CAN BRING FORWARD SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AS FAR AS THE ORDINANCE IS CONCERNED TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCIES AND ULTIMATELY IMPROVE THE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR TENANTS AT SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES, WE HAVE OUR SPEAKERS ON THE LINE, SO IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE TO CALL AND USERS.
CAN I GO TO, UH, VERIFYING WHO THE USER WITH ONE, TWO, THREE, TWO, THREE IS GOOD MORNING, PAUL CADERA WITH AUSTIN APARTMENT ASSOCIATION.
AND THEN I HAVE A FIVE ONE, TWO NINE, EIGHT, SIX.
SO WE HAVE BOTH CITIZENS ON THE LINE IF YOU'D LIKE TO CALL THEM UP.
UM, THIS IS PAUL KUDURO WITH THE AUSTIN APARTMENT ASSOCIATION TO BEGIN, JUST LET, LET YOU KNOW THAT WE DO AGREE WITH THE SPIRIT AND INTENT OF THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM AND ITS FOCUS ON CHRONIC PROPERTY CODE VIOLATORS.
BUT THE PROGRAM HAS FLAWED HAS FLAWS OUT AS OUTLINED IN THE AUDIT EVALUATION AND EVEN THE BETTER ONE DONE, UH, BY THE AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENT ITSELF EARLIER THIS YEAR, OR REALLY STARTED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
YOU KNOW, WE DO SUPPORT THE PROFESSIONALS AT AUSTIN CODE.
WE KNOW THAT INTERIM DIRECTOR, ROY IS WORKING HARD AND HIS TEAM IS, IS, UH, IS WORKING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE PROPERTIES AND WITH, UH, ALL PROPERTIES, NOT JUST THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM PROPERTIES, BUT ALL PROPERTIES TO HELP IMPROVE THE PROGRAM.
UM, THE REPORT ITSELF, THOUGH IT DOES AGAIN, HAS SOME FLAWS, UH, AND IT STOPS WOEFULLY SHORT OF, OF ANY MEANINGFUL PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT.
IT SAYS THAT LARGE PROPERTIES DO NOT PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE OF THE COSTUME, ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM.
YET IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE LOW THRESHOLD OF FIVE VIOLATIONS TO BE PUT INTO THE
[00:15:01]
PROGRAM, WHETHER IT'S A DUPLEX OR A 400 UNIT APARTMENT, BUT FOR THAT LOW THRESHOLD, THE LARGE PROPERTIES WOULDN'T EVEN BE IN THE PROGRAM.IT SAYS THE AUSTIN CODE TEAM DOES NOT HAVE THE SYSTEMS TOOLS AND PROCESSES NEEDED TO EFFECTIVELY ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM.
IT CALLS FOR A LARGER CITYWIDE PROGRAM IN ITS PLACE.
THIS IS A HUGE DISCONNECT AND NOT MUCH OF A SOLUTION TO ACHIEVING THE GOAL OF ENSURING PROPERTIES ARE MEETING CODE STANDARD.
IT SAYS THAT MANY PROPERTIES REMAIN UNSAFE YET.
NO PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO CLOSE DUE TO UNSAFE CONDITIONS.
AND VERY FEW LIFE SAFETY VIOLATIONS ARE EVER CITED.
UNSAFE STRUCTURAL VIOLATIONS CITED IN CITED BY AUSTIN CODE AND USE TO PLACE PROPERTIES IN THE PROGRAM INCLUDE FADED NUMBERS ON OVEN RANGE, DIALS, CHIP COUNTERTOP FOR MICAH AND FADED EXTERIOR PAINT.
AND THE REPORT ALSO ASSERTS THAT PROPERTIES USE AUSTIN CODE TO IDENTIFY MAINTENANCE ISSUES AS OPPOSED TO PROACTIVELY MAINTAINING THE PROPERTY.
WE KNOW OF NO PROPERTY THAT KNOWINGLY WANTS TO REMAIN IN THE PROGRAM JUST TO HAVE MAINTENANCE ISSUES IDENTIFIED.
THE INCENTIVES THAT THEY IDENTIFY IN THE PROGRAM ARE NOT REALLY WELL-REASONED.
UM, AND, AND OF COURSE THE NAME OF THE PROGRAM WE DON'T BELIEVE HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE, UH, UH, THE DEFICIENCIES OF THE PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL, UM, CHANGES, UH, LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CURE.
WE DON'T BELIEVE A VIOLATION SHOULD BE A VIOLATION UNLESS IT'S NOT CURED IN TIME.
UM, WE THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RESPONSIBILITY TO REPORT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE USED THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM AS A WEAPON.
UH, THEY CALL THE CITY RATHER THAN IDENTIFYING MAINTENANCE NEEDS TO MANAGEMENT.
UM, IT PUTS THEM IN THE PROGRAM.
UM, WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT, UH, THERE SHOULD BE TIME ALLOTTED FOR SOME OF THE REPAIRS TO ACCOUNT FOR PERMITTING TIME.
UM, AND WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE PROGRAMS SHOULD BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE AUSTIN ENERGY REBATES.
UM, SO I HAVE BEEN A PROPERTY MANAGER IN AUSTIN FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS AND I'VE MANAGED MULTIPLE PROPERTIES ON THE REPEAT OFFENDER LIST AND BEEN INVOLVED WITH THAT PROGRAM SINCE IT STARTED IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
UM, MY FIRST PROPERTY THAT WAS ON THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM, UM, WAS A SIGNIFICANTLY AGED, UH, PROPERTY BUILT IN 1960.
IT NEEDED, UM, QUITE A BIT OF LIFE SAFETY REPAIRS.
UM, WE UNDERSTOOD WHY WE WERE ON THAT PROGRAM, BUT TO, UH, CATCH YOU UP A LITTLE BIT, UH, EIGHT YEARS LATER, WE ARE THAT PROPERTY IS STILL ON THE PROGRAM AFTER OVER $6 MILLION OF RENOVATION, THE ANNUAL INSPECTION, UH, GENERALLY GARNERS ABOUT 50 CODE VIOLATIONS.
I KNOW THAT SOUNDS REALLY HIGH, BUT THIS IS AGAIN A SIGNIFICANTLY AGED PROPERTY THAT A LOT OF MONEY HAS BEEN PUT INTO.
MY, MY POINT IS THERE'S NO PATHWAY TO COMPLIANCE OR INCENTIVE REALLY, UM, THAT ANY ONE WHO'S ON THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM, UM, CAN SEE THAT.
I THINK THAT WHENEVER YOU ARE INVESTING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO A MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY AND COMPLETING, UH, MAINTENANCE AS QUICKLY AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN, THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, BUT BY CURRENT STANDARDS, IT'S NOT.
UM, WHEN WE USED TO RECEIVE, UH, WARNINGS INSTEAD OF VIOLATIONS, WE QUICKLY REMEDIED THEM IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER.
UM, AND SINCE THAT SYSTEM HAS GONE DIRECTLY TO VIOLATIONS EVEN MINOR THINGS LIKE A BAG OF TRASH THAT WAS STIRRED ABOUT IN THE PARKING LOT BY, UM, SOMEONE OVERNIGHT COMES, BECOMES A CODE VIOLATION.
SO BY THOSE STANDARDS, IT'S, IT'S VERY EASY AND I COULD GO TO ANY PROPERTY IN AUSTIN AND FIND FIVE CODE VIOLATIONS.
UM, SO IT'S NOT PROPERTIES, LARGE PROPERTIES ALL HELD TO THE SAME TWO, FIVE, TWO, UM, RULE, UM, PURCHASING A PROPERTY AND GETTING, UH, ONE CODE VIOLATION BEING THE FIFTH.
UH, PUT ME ON THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM TWO YEARS AGO, IT WAS THE VERY FIRST VIOLATION AS A NEW OWNERSHIP, BUT IT WAS THE FIFTH AND HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND THEREFORE THAT PUT US ON THE PROGRAM.
UM, AGAIN, THERE'S, THERE'S JUST NO LOGIC AND REASON TO, UM, BEING PUNITIVE WITH SMALL CODE VIOLATIONS THAT AREN'T LIFE SAFETY.
WE'D RATHER FOCUS ON THE LIFE SAFETY ISSUES AND A PATHWAY TO COMPLIANCE, TO BE RESPONSIBLE OWNERS INSTEAD OF CHASING MINOR VIOLATIONS.
UM, AND THAT, THAT SEEMS TRULY PUNITIVE.
I'M GOING TO NOW OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.
I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO HAD QUESTIONS.
[00:20:01]
I WANT TO WELCOME, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COSAR TO THE VIRTUAL DIOCESE.WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER TOPO, DID YOU WELL, YOU AND I HAVE, I LIKED THAT.
WE'LL HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT I WANTED TO THANK THE AUDITOR FOR THE REPORT.
UM, JUST TO KIND OF STEP BACK A LITTLE BIT.
THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CONVERSATION FOR NOW FOR, FOR SOME YEARS.
AND, UH, THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM WAS ACTUALLY KIND OF A COMPROMISED POSITION.
UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY A, A RESOLUTION THAT I HAD BROUGHT TO THE COUNCIL THAT PASSED ON FIRST READING TO CREATE A RENTAL REGISTRATION PROGRAM BECAUSE WE WERE, WE WERE SEEING LIFE, LIFE, UM, SAFETY ISSUES AT MULTIPLE COMPLEXES THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT TOWN, SEVERAL WITH SOME REALLY SEVERE CONSEQUENCES.
AND SO WITH THE HELP OF A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS, WE CRAFTED A RENTAL REGISTRATION PILOT PROGRAM.
AGAIN, IT PASSED ON FIRST READING AND THEN WAS INDEFINITELY AS WELL.
SO COULD YOU KNOW, IS THIS A WELL THOUGHT OUT AND READY TO GO RESOLUTION IF THERE'S A POLITICAL WILL ON THE DIOCESE TO RECONSIDER THAT THERE WAS NOT A COUPLE TIME, ONE THING THAT REALLY JUST CONCERNS ME ABOUT THIS, AND I KNOW CONCERNS A LOT OF THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH FOR MULTIPLE YEARS IS THAT SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE JUST NOT MEAN, UM, IN TERMS OF THE NEED TO ESCALATE PENALTIES, UM, THE NEED TO HAVE STRONGER, STRONGER ENFORCEMENT TOOLS.
UM, REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM DOES PROVIDE THOSE STRONGER ENFORCEMENT TOOLS.
AND SO IT'S NOT REALLY CLEAR TO ME WHY THOSE AREN'T BEING, WHY THOSE AREN'T BEING UTILIZED AS EFFECTIVELY AS THEY NEED TO BE.
AND THEN ON THE OTHER HAND, UM, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY THIS SUMMER TO MEET WITH
AND I'D AGREE WITH SOME OF THE EXAMPLES THEY'VE CITED AS BEING, YOU KNOW, EXAMPLES WHERE WE HAVE ENFORCEMENT OF ISSUES THAT ARE, IN SOME CASES, NOT UNDER THE PROPERTY OWNERS CONTROL, THEY ARE REALLY, UM, THINGS THAT RELATE TO A TENANT CHOICE, LIKE LEAVING GARBAGE OUT OUT OTHER THAN PUTTING IT INTO A DUMPSTER.
AND SO WE ABSOLUTELY NEED SOME CHANGES HERE WITH REGARD TO THE ORDINANCE THAT'S IN FRONT OF US.
AND I THINK THOSE CAN BE DONE WELL, I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT THE RENTAL REGISTRATION PIECE OF THIS, UM, BECAUSE THAT IS ALSO A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE AUDITS.
I THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AND PROVIDING THAT CONTEXT FOR US.
I WANT TO CIRCLE AROUND BACK TO CODE NOW, UM, HAVING AND SORRY FOR THE LIKE HISTORY CONTEXT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT TO THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM AND THAT IT WAS, UM, A COMPROMISE POSITION TO ADDRESS WHAT IS A SERIOUS, SINCE IT WAS A SERIOUS SITUATION THEN, AND IS A SERIOUS SITUATION.
NOW FOR MANY, FOR MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LIVING IN RENTAL PROPERTIES, SOME OF OUR AGING MULTIPLYING AND STRUCTURES OF THERE IS ALSO NOW MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS TO COUNCIL TO CREATE, I MEAN, FROM COUNCIL TO CREATE, TO CREATE A LOAN PROGRAM OR OTHER KINDS OF INCENTIVES TO HELP THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS AND LANDLORDS WHO WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING AVAILABLE TO THEM TO, TO MAKE THOSE REPAIRS.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE OTHER PART OF THE QUESTION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANSWERED.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE'VE SEEN THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE RESOLUTIONS NOW DIRECTING THAT KIND OF WORK.
UM, WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OUTCOMES FROM THAT DIRECT OUTCOMES, UM, WITH REGARD TO ASSISTING REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAMS. SO FROM CODE, I WONDER IF YOU COULD, THERE'S A POINT I WANT YOU TO HIGHLIGHT FOR US, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD A LITTLE BIT OF TESTIMONY FROM SOME STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION TODAY ABOUT THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT BECOME VIOLATIONS.
ONCE THEY'RE ON THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM YET IN THE AUDIT, IT TALKS THE MAJORITY OF THE, THE INCIDENTS BEING STRUCTURAL, BEING ABOUT STRUCTURAL CONDITION VIOLATION.
SO CAN YOU, CAN YOU WEIGH IN ON WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN TERMS OF VIOLATIONS? AND ALSO IF YOU COULD CIRCLE US AROUND BACK, I KNOW THE DEPARTMENT NOW FOR ALMOST A YEAR HAS HAD SOME, UM, HAS HAD A REPORT, AN INTERNAL REPORT WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AND HAS BEEN WAITING TO ROLL THOSE OUT FOR THIS AUDIT.
AND SO CAN YOU HELP US, CAN YOU, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME SENSE OF THE TIMING FOR YOU TO BRING FORWARD CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE THAT THE CODE DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS THAT HELPS? UM, THAT HELPS ME GAUGE, UH, THE WORK THAT, THAT WORK THAT MY OFFICE IS DOING, UH, TO KNOW, TO HAVE A LITTLE BETTER SENSE OF, OF WHAT CODE PLANTS TO BRING FORWARD AND RENT.
I'M GOING TO, I'M GOING TO TRY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ON, I LOOK AT MY, UH, EXPAND ON IT A BIT ON THE, UH, ON THE VIOLATION.
SO EARLY ON THE ORDINARINESS ONLY ADDRESS THE, WHAT THEY CALL THE HABITABILITY, UH, VIOLATIONS, ANYTHING THAT AFFECTED LIFE ON SAFETY.
UM, THOSE, THOSE WERE CHANGES MADE TO THE ORDINANCE.
SO NOW EVERYTHING THAT IS A VIOLATION TO THE, UH, FOR THE PROPER DOMAIN AS CODE, UM, BECOMES
[00:25:01]
A VIOLATION.AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE DEPARTMENT, UH, TOOK THAT DIRECTION SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO, UM, TO ADDRESS EVERY VIOLATION THAT IS ACTUALLY, UH, IN THE PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES, UM, SOMETIMES MISSING SMALL DETECTORS, UM, MISSING LIFE FIXTURES, UH, MAINTENANCE ON THE OUTSIDE.
UH, THE MORE SERIOUS VIOLATIONS THAT WE FIND ARE MOSTLY RELATED TO, UH, INSTRUCTIONAL ISSUES LIKE STAIRS, HAND RAILS, UH, SOMETIMES, UH, MAJOR WATER LAKES.
UH, SO EVERYTHING, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY INSPECT US, DO THEY, UH, THE PERIODIC INSPECTION ON THE PROPERTY, THEY ACTUALLY IDENTIFY EVERYTHING AND THEY ACTUALLY DOCUMENT EVERYTHING IN THERE.
UH, I SAY VIOLATION, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAY NEED TO BE WORKED OUT IN THE ORDINANCE.
IT'S NOT AS SPECIFIED IN NORTHERN END.
SO EVERYTHING THAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE A VIOLATION IS THERE, UH, THEY INTEND ON EVALUATION FOR THE REPEAT OFFENDER.
THE PROGRAM WAS PRESENTED TO THE MANAGEMENT BACK IN, UH, 2019, BUT IT WASN'T FINALIZED UNTIL APRIL THIS YEAR.
WE ACTUALLY SIGNED OFF ON IT, UH, ON APRIL AND, UH, OFFICIALLY RECEIVED THE REPORT.
IT HAS ABOUT 48 RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEY ARE, SOME OF THEM ARE LOW HANGING FRUIT THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT WITHOUT ANY CHANGES IN THE BUDGET, UH, WITHOUT ANY CHANGES IN THE ORDINANCE.
SO THERE IS A TEAM WORKING ON THAT AND THEY ARE PRIORITIZING THOSE AND, UH, ALREADY IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE FOUND IN THE, IN THE REPORT.
UM, SOME OF THEM MAY REQUIRE SOME CHANGES TO THE BUDGET.
UH, I'M THE ORGANIZED, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CHANGES IN THE, UM, IN THE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM THAT WE USE, UM, SYSTEM, SOMETHING THAT WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE COSTLY, SO WE NEED TO EVALUATE THOSE IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, BUT WE ARE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING, UH, MANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON WORKING VERY CLOSE WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS, MOSTLY ON THE COMMUNICATION SIDE OF IT.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, UM, I HAVE SUBMITTED A PLAN TO, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND, UH, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, IT ALL DEPENDS ON, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE, WHEN THE REPORT CAME UP, UH, WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE CALL DEPARTMENT HAD SHIFTED ALL THE PRIORITIES TO RESPOND, UH, TO THE PANDEMIC AND ENFORCE THE, UH, THE ORDERS THAT WE HAD IN THE CITY.
SO IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE TO ACTUALLY KIND OF BALANCE IT OUT WITH ALL THE, UH, ALL THE PRIORITIES CHANGE INTO THE CODE 19 PANDEMIC.
BUT EVEN THEN WE ARE WORKING ON A PLAN TO ADDRESS IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS AN APP WHEN IT'S ON THERE.
I ASK YOU A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, DIRECTOR, ROY, AND I APPRECIATE THAT THIS SPRING IS FOR THE REASONS YOU IDENTIFIED, UM, A CHALLENGE IN TIME TO GET IT DONE.
I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT HERE A YEAR LATER ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT INVITATION.
SO I KNOW MY STAFF HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH YOUR STAFF AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP TO SEE WHICH OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED, WHICH ARE ON ROUTE, WHICH COULD, UM, USE SOME COUNCIL SUPPORT AND INITIATIVE ON IF ANY, THE MAJORITY, BUT AGAIN, JUST TO CIRCLE AROUND BACK AND THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, THAT SOME OF WHAT SOME OF THE VIOLATIONS THAT ARE, ARE BEING COUNTED AS VIOLATIONS AND THOSE CURRENT INSPECTIONS ARE A RESULT OF THE MORE EXPANSIVE REVISION THAT WAS DONE THAT TOOK IT AWAY FROM JUST LIFE AND SAFETY HABITABILITY TO SORT OF A BROADER RANGE.
AND I THINK THAT CONNECTS WITH MY PAUL AND, UM, AND OUR OTHER SPEAKER TODAY WAS SAYING, HOWEVER, IT STILL SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT'S PROBABLY A MINORITY OF THE VIOLATIONS THAT I'VE HEARD IT, BECAUSE IT DOES SAY 93%.
SO JUST AGAIN, TO LEVEL CHECK, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE MAJORITY OF THE VIOLATIONS DO NOT FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY.
THEY FALL INTO THE, THEY FALL INTO THE STRUCTURAL CONDITION VIOLATIONS, WHICH ARE THE MORE SERIOUS VIOLATIONS.
AND, UH, ONE THING THAT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT WE HAVE TO GIVE A DUE PROCESS FOR THEM TO REPAIR.
UH, SOMETIMES, UH, YOU MAY NOT SEE THAT THERE, THE CASES ACTUALLY ESCALATE BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY FIX THE SITUATION IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT THEY HAVE.
AND WHEN THAT HAPPENED AND THE VIOLATION, IT'S NO LONGER THERE, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, FINALLY WE ARE USING THE, UH, THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE IN THE ORDINANCE OR SUSPENSION AND REVOCATION OF THE, OF THE, UH, OF THE REGISTRATION.
AND, UH, IT'S BEEN AN EFFECTIVE TOOL.
UH, IT TOOK MANY, MANY YEARS TO BE IMPLEMENTED, BUT, UH, WORKING WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS ON THE FLOW CHARTS THAT WE ACTUALLY CREATED A, IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS PROCESS THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY USING, AND MAYBE WE COULD GET SOME FOLLOWUP INFORMATION.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THAT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT I'M VERY, THAT I'M VERY INTERESTED IN BECAUSE IT, IT HAS TAKEN A VERY LONG TIME TO GET THE DEPARTMENT TO SHIFT FROM ONE OF, UM, WORKING TOWARD COMPLIANCE.
SOMETIMES LONG AFTER IT WAS VERY CLEAR, A PROPERTY OWNER WAS NOT GOING TO COMPLY.
AND I DO THINK WE NEED TO USE THE TOOLS AND USE THEM EFFECTIVELY.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT CITIES LIKE FORT
[00:30:01]
WORTH AND OTHERS THAT HAVE REALLY SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED, UM, IMPROVED THEIR ENFORCEMENT OF SUBSTANDARD HOUSING, IT'S, IT'S USING THOSE KINDS OF TOOLS UNTIL, UNTIL I CREATED A CLIMATE WHERE PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY NEEDED TO, THEY NEEDED TO KEEP THEIR PROPERTIES IN GOOD SHAPE, WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE ENFORCED AGAINST.AND I WAS A, I WAS HERE FROM THE BEGINNING, BUT I WAS IN THE STAFF BULLPEN.
IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE FOR THEM TO CALL ME ON TO DIAS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A REALLY IMPORTANT PROGRAM AND, UH, PRETTY REGULARLY HAVE CONSTITUENTS REACHING OUT WHO ARE IN PROPERTIES THAT ARE REGISTERED WITH THE PROGRAM.
AND ULTIMATELY I'M TRYING, THE PERSPECTIVE I BRING TO THIS IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE CITY SYSTEMS WORK BEST FOR, FOR THEM.
SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS JUST FROM, I FEEL LIKE SEVERAL OF THE PROPERTIES THAT I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S CONSTANT COMMUNICATION ABOUT IT.
MY DISTRICT HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM, AT LEAST SINCE I CAME ONTO THE DIOCESE, IF NOT LONGER, SINCE THE PROGRAM GOT SET UP, DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY OF THE PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN ON THE REPEAT OFFENDER LIST FROM THE BEGINNING OR FROM NEAR THE BEGINNING AND JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN OFF? AND WHY IS THAT? AND AGAIN, I KNOW IT'S NOT A SIMPLE QUESTION.
I DON'T MEAN THAT TO BE, I JUST MEAN THAT IT'S, IT SEEMS SERIOUS THAT SOME PROPERTIES SEEM TO HAVE BEEN THERE A LONG TIME.
SO REALLY WHAT'S THE CORE ISSUE THERE.
HE WAS A DIVISION MANAGER FOR THE PROGRAM, SO MAYBE HE HAS SOME INFORMATION.
SURE ENOUGH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER CASARA, I'LL HAVE TO GET YOU SPECIFIC DATA IN TERMS OF ACTUAL NUMBERS.
UM, BUT THERE ARE A GOOD NUMBER OF PROPERTIES WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE PROGRAM FOR MANY YEARS NOW.
UM, SOME HAVE BEEN IN THE PROGRAM SINCE ITS BEGINNING.
UM, UH, SOME OF THAT I THINK HOLDS UP TO THE TWO 52 CRITERIA WHERE THE 24 MONTH LOOK BACK PERIOD, UM, IN THE ANNUAL INSPECTIONS THAT WE DO ON THESE PROPERTIES, IT'S AS OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM A AUSTIN APARTMENT ASSOCIATION MENTIONED, IT, IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO HAVE FIVE VIOLATIONS, UM, RESULT FOR A MANUAL INSPECTION.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND TOO, THAT WITH THE BROADENING OF THE VIOLATIONS THAT COUNT TOWARDS THAT TWO, FIVE, TWO CRITERIA AND REQUIRE A PROPERTY TO REGISTER IT, THAT BRINGS IN ANY VIOLATION, THE INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE, SO THAT EVEN A MISSING LIGHT COVER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT IS LESS SIGNIFICANT THAN A MISSING HAND RAIL OR COLLAPSING STAIRS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT STILL COUNTS AS A VIOLATION.
UM, AND SO WE'RE ENFORCING THE ORDINANCE AS IT'S WRITTEN.
AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHY YOU SEE SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES REMAIN AND ESPECIALLY ON THE LARGER PROPERTIES, BECAUSE THE TWO, FIVE, TWO CRITERIA IS NOT SCALED TO THE SIZE OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, SO IT IS DIFFICULT FOR SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES TO GET OUT, BUT IN FAIRNESS, TOO, THERE'S SOME PROPERTIES THAT JUST DON'T TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH TOWARDS MAINTAINING THEIR PROPERTY.
WE SEE SOME PROPERTIES THAT WE DON'T TYPICALLY SEE ACTION UNTIL THEY START HEARING FROM US.
AND SO FOR EITHER CODE OR THE AUDITOR, AND I'VE SCANNED THE AUDIT, BUT LET ME KNOW IF Y'ALL ALREADY HAVE SOME OF THIS.
IT SEEMS LIKE SOME OF THE INFORMATION IS A LITTLE OPAQUE.
I I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN HOW MANY PROPERTIES OVER THE COURSE OF TIME BEING AN PRO IN THE PROGRAM HAVE NOT GOTTEN SAFE, UM, AS OPPOSED TO ARE IN THE PROGRAM OR ORANGE OR GET BASELINE.
IF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS PRIORITIZE THE SAFETY OF TENANTS.
UM, UH, AND I, AND I MEAN THAT IN ALL FORMS OF SAFETY, BE IT I'M MISSING HANDRAIL OR FRANKLY HAVING AN INFESTATION.
I MEAN, THESE THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, THESE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, UH, CHALLENGES.
I'M JUST INTERESTED IN HOW MANY PLACES AFTER A FEW MONTHS OF BEING IN THE PROGRAM IN THE CITY, FOCUSING ON THEM ARE STAYING IN THAT CONDITION.
BECAUSE MY SENSE IS THAT THERE'S A DECENT NUMBER OF THEM.
MAYBE THERE ARE SOME ALSO THAT ARE IN THAT CATEGORY WHERE THEY WERE UNSAFE, THEY GOT SAFE.
AND THEN THERE WAS A LIGHT COVER ISSUE.
MAYBE THAT'S ONE CATEGORY THAT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER IS, BUT, BUT I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN HOW MANY FALL IN THIS CATEGORY OF JUST FOR YEARS CONTINUE TO NOT ADDRESS THOSE CODE ISSUES.
AND THEN AMONGST THAT GROUP, DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY OF THEM THE LANDLORD IS REALLY TRYING TO FIX IT? AND THERE'S JUST SOME DEEPER ISSUE THAT I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL THAT THEY CAN'T FIX SO THAT MAYBE THE CITY NEEDS TO GET INVOLVED TO HELP FIX AND HOW MANY CASES THE LANDLORD IS SIMPLY NOT ACTING WITH THE LEVEL OF URGENCY NECESSARY.
TO ME, THOSE ARE THE CATEGORIES THAT ARE POTENTIALLY OF
[00:35:01]
MOST INTEREST THAT NEED TO BE DUG INTO BEFORE WE GET TOO DEEP INTO RENAMING THE PROGRAM OR DOING OTHER THINGS, WHICH I'M FINE WITH DOING, BUT HOW MANY PROPERTIES AREN'T BECOMING SAFE.AND THEN OF THOSE THAT AREN'T HOW MANY OF IT IS, IT'S OUR SENSE THAT LANDLORD JUST ISN'T DOING WHAT THEY SHOULD DO AND HOW MANY IT IS THAT THERE POTENTIALLY MIGHT NEED TO BE COMMUNITY AND CITY AND PHILANTHROPIC HELP YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF THAT KIND OF BREAKDOWN.
UH, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE, UM, A, A DATA MEANS THAT I'M AWARE OF TO SPECIFICALLY, THAT'S GOING TO SPECIFICALLY SAY WHICH TYPES OF VIOLATIONS ARE THE MORE CONCERNING TYPES VERSUS ONES THAT ARE MORE JUST COMMON, YOU KNOW, LIGHT, FIXTURE, COVER, MISSING TYPE ISSUES.
UM, I W WE CAN CERTAINLY DO SOME ANECDOTAL WORK IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, SERVING OUR PROPERTIES AND SERVING OUR INSPECTORS, UM, TO GET A SENSE FOR WHICH PROPERTIES WE TYPICALLY SEE ACTION FROM THE LANDLORD AND WHICH ONES ARE ALMOST NON-COMMUNICATIVE, UM, BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY HAVE SOME OF THOSE LIKE THAT.
UM, AND SO THAT THAT'S SOME WORK WE CAN DO AS PART OF THIS PROCESS IS TO ANALYZE THE PROPERTIES.
WE HAVE LOOK AT HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN IN THE PROGRAM AND TRY TO DETERMINE WHY THEY STILL ARE IN THE PROGRAM AND WHAT CONDITION THOSE PROPERTIES ARE IN.
THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK, LOOK TOWARDS TRYING TO GET.
WHAT ABOUT FROM THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE SIDE? IS THAT SOME INFORMATION THAT Y'ALL LOOKED AT, OR AM I ASKING THE QUESTION WRONG? IS THERE SOMEWHERE WHERE I'M MISSING SOMETHING WITH THAT KIND OF SET OF QUESTIONS? UH, I'D SAY THERE'S DEFINITELY CERTAIN VIOLATIONS THAT, UM, I THINK WE CAN HOPEFULLY UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZE AS TRUE SAFETY ISSUES.
SO THE TOPIC THAT CAME UP EARLIER, THE CHIPPED FOR FORMICA, THE COSMETIC STUFF, THAT IS, THAT'S REALLY NOT WHAT WE SAW IN OUR WORK AND OUR REVIEW OF THE DATA AND OUR RIDE, ALONG TO THE SITES, WE WERE SEEING TRUE SAFETY PROBLEMS, LIKE MISSING SMOKE DETECTORS, UM, DOORS AND WINDOWS THAT JUST WON'T LOCK, OR CAN'T BE SECURED, UH, LACK OF HOT WATER INFESTATION.
MAYBE THOSE LATTER TWO ARE NOT A DIRECT, YOU KNOW, LIFE RISK, BUT CERTAINLY A SAFETY PROBLEM.
SO MAYBE THERE WOULD BE A WAY TO LOOK AT THE DATA THROUGH THAT LENS AND KIND OF PULL OUT JUST THOSE, I GUESS, SPECIFIC VIOLATIONS THAT WE KNOW TO TRULY BE A SAFETY ISSUE KIND OF, REGARDLESS OF THE OTHER ISSUES.
AND THEN LOOK AT THE DATA THROUGH THAT LENS.
AND, AND I HEAR ABOUT THOSE THAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED ALL THE TIME.
THOSE ARE THE PHONE CALLS THAT WE GET.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS HOW, WHEN THAT HAPPENS, RIGHT, BECAUSE IN OUR OFFICE, RIGHT, WE GET THE COMPLAINT, WE ISSUE IT BACK TO CODE.
AND THEN MAYBE WE HEAR BACK FROM THE FIRST, A FEW MONTHS LATER, OR WE DON'T HEAR ANYTHING.
AND THAT DOESN'T, THAT CAN MEAN A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS IN THE CASES THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED, THAT WE'VE GOT THOSE SERIOUS ISSUES, AND THEN THEY GET PUT IN THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM, HOW OFTEN DO THEY GET FIXED QUICKLY VERSUS NEVER GET FIXED? AND THEY'RE STILL ON FOR YEARS.
AND THEN IF THEY DON'T GET FIXED, HOW OFTEN THAT'S JUST BECAUSE THE LANDLORD ISN'T DOING WHAT THEY SHOULD DO, WHICH SEEMS TO INDICATE THEM THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE ZEALOUS ENFORCEMENT VERSUS IN WHAT CASES IS IT THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT THE LANDLORD CAN'T JUST DO ON THEIR OWN.
SO NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE RAMPED UP ENFORCEMENT, THERE MIGHT NEED TO BE SOME, THE OTHER CITY PROGRAMS THAT WERE DESCRIBED IN THE AUDIT.
AND THAT'S, OF COURSE, I KNOW THAT BOTH OF THOSE CASES EXIST, BUT MY HOPE WOULD BE THAT BETWEEN THE CODE DEPARTMENT OF THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, WE COULD GET A BETTER SENSE OF WHICH ONE'S THE MORE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS. SO WE KNOW WHAT, HOW TO FIX IT.
I THINK FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, I WOULD SAY, I THINK YOU'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE, AND YOU WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO GO THROUGH THE ONES THAT ARE STILL IN THE PROGRAM.
I THINK THERE'S 73 RIGHT NOW GIVE OR TAKE, AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THEM CASE BY CASE AND LOOK AT EACH INDIVIDUAL KIND OF CITATION AND WHAT WAS DONE AND WHEN THINGS WERE DONE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT COULD BE DONE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE A, UH, A VERY MANUAL CASE BY CASE TYPE REVIEW.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WOULD MENTION IS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE ARE SOME LIMITED CASES WHERE PROPERTIES HAVE EXITED THE PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY'RE THEN LIKE SOME EXTENSIVE INVESTMENTS IN THE PROPERTY THAT MIGHT RAISE RENT, LIKE KIND OF LIKE UPGRADING THE THING, WHICH ACTUALLY COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF SOME OF THE HOUSING UNITS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO NEEDED THE SAFETY REPAIRS.
IS THAT, DOES THAT HAPPEN AGAIN? THAT'S ANECDOTAL, I'VE HEARD ABOUT IT.
IN SOME CASES, WE KNOW HOW OFTEN THAT IS A CHALLENGE THAT WE SHOULD ALSO BE AVOIDING, NOT BECAUSE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PEOPLE BEING DISPLACED AND PEOPLE LIVING IN UNSAFE CONDITIONS.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HANDLE
[00:40:01]
THOSE.BUT HOW OFTEN IS THAT A CONCERN WHERE IF WE JUST ZEALOUSLY ENFORCE DON'T HAVE THAT TENANT VOICE AT THE TABLE, AND THAT WE LOSE THE THOUSANDS THAT WE DON'T, WE DON'T ACTUALLY COLLECT THE DATA ON THE, ON THE RENTAL PRICES, BUT THE ORGANISM ALLOWS FOR ANY OWNER TO, UM, INVEST IN THE PROPERTY AND ACTUALLY FIX ALL THE VIOLATIONS AND GET OUT OF THE PROGRAM IN 90 DAYS.
UH, SO WHEN THERE'S ACTUALLY A CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP, THE ORGANISM ALLOWS FOR THAT.
AND THEY MAY, UH, THAT MAY, UH, UH, ENDED UP, YOU KNOW, WE, IN A SITUATION LIKE YOU DESCRIBED WHERE ONCE THEY ACTUALLY INVEST, UH, A LOT OF MONEY IN THE PROPERTY, THEY MAY RAISE THE RENT.
UH, WE DON'T ACTUALLY COLLECT THAT DATA.
SO, UM, WE DON'T, WE DON'T REALLY GET INTO THE, THE DEMOGRAPHICS ON, UH, IN TERMS OF, UM, UM, THE CAUSE OF THE RENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY A POSSIBILITY, AND WE HAVE MANY CASES WHERE, UM, PROPERTIES HAS CHANGED OWNERSHIP AND THEY HAVE INVESTED HEAVILY ON THE PROPERTY AND, UH, BEING ABLE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE PROGRAM.
IT HAPPENED HAVING THAT LIST AVAILABLE THAT ALSO BE HELPFUL.
CAUSE I THINK IN THOSE CASES YOU WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THE TENANTS HAVE GOOD REPRESENTATION IN THAT PROCESS.
SO I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN JUST THE NUMBER THAT HAVE USED THAT.
THANK YOU FOR A CHAIR AND COMMITTEE FOR GIVING YOU THE TIME TO ASK THAT SAME QUESTION.
I JUST HAVE A QUICK KIND OF TO SET THE, SOME CONTEXT HERE, THE HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM, IT USED TO BE, IT WAS NOT A COMPLAINT DRIVEN PROGRAM UNTIL ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO.
IS THAT RIGHT? CAN YOU, DOES ANYBODY HERE HAVE ANY, UM, INSTITUTIONAL RECALL ON HOW IT OPERATED PREVIOUSLY? WHAT SURROUNDED THE SHIFT TO THE COMPLAINT DRIVEN AND THEN HOW YOU WOULD ASSESS THE COMPLAINT BURDEN VERSUS HAVING A BROADER BLANKET EXPECTATION OF INSPECTIONS FOR ALL, ALL APARTMENTS? IS IT ALMOST SEEMS TO ME LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE LEAVING, UM, SORT OF A SMALL REPAIRS THAT COULD BE DONE ON SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE.
THOSE SORT OF DROP-OFF DROP OFF THE CALENDAR.
AND THEN BY THE TIME WE GET A COMPLAINT, IT'S BECAUSE THINGS ARE REALLY BAD, BUT WHAT IF WE HAD A, HAD A DIFFERENT APPROACH WHERE THE REVIEWS WERE MORE SYSTEMATIC, MORE SCHEDULED AND THE SMALLER CONCERNS DIDN'T GET TO BE BIG AND MORE EXPENSIVE? SURE.
SO KIND OF WANT TO SEE WHY IT WAS, WE SHIFTED TO A COMPLAINT PROCESS AND THEN HOW THAT CHANGED OUR WHOLE APPROACH AND THE INTERACTIONS WITH THE APARTMENT FOLKS, BECAUSE I THINK THEY ALSO WANT TO HAVE SAFE AND HEALTHY PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US HAVE ANY DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THAT AT ALL.
AND IT MAY BE THAT WE HAVE JUST KIND OF LEFT SOME THINGS ON THE TABLE BY NOT IDENTIFYING THEM EARLIER ON PROCESS BECAUSE IT IS A COMPLAINT DRIVEN NOTIFICATION NOW.
SO I CAN TRY TO DISCUSS THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, THE, SO THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM, UH, CAME OUT OF AN ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED IN 2013.
AND ONE OF THE ENHANCEMENTS THAT THIS PROGRAM ON FRIDAY IS ACTUALLY TO CREATE THAT ANNUAL INSPECTION PROCESS.
UM, THAT IS A PROACTIVE APPROACH.
LOOKING AT THESE PROPERTIES PRIOR TO THAT, EVERYTHING WAS, EVERYTHING WAS, IS, IS COMPLAINT DRIVEN.
AND BY AND LARGE, OUR OPERATIONS THAT AUSTIN CODE DEPARTMENT STILL ARE COMPLAINT DRIVEN.
UM, THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE FEW, UH, PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE THAT HAS A PROACTIVE COMPONENT TO IT, WITH WHAT WE CALL THE PERIODIC INSPECTION, WHERE WE'RE ON EACH PROPERTY AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.
UM, LOOKING PROACTIVELY LOOKING FOR CODE VIOLATIONS ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING AND THE VACANT UNITS AND IN OCCUPIED UNITS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE ENHANCEMENTS THAT PROGRAM PROVIDED PRIOR TO THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A TOOL THAT, THAT DICTATED THAT WE DO A PROACTIVE APPROACH.
UM, AND WE DO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH PROACTIVE APPROACHES THOUGH, JUST CAUSE WE HAVE TO BE, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO BE EQUITABLE AND FAIR AND OUR PROCESSES.
SO WE HAVE TO BE CONSCIOUS OF HOW WE TAKE PROACTIVE APPROACHES SO THAT WE AREN'T VIEWED AS TARGETING ANY PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
TO TRY TO FIND A WAY TO IN THE PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN, UM, ENSURE THAT NO MATTER WHAT COST A UNIT IS THAT EVERYBODY GETS.
UM, BEFORE I ASK MY QUESTIONS, MAYOR OR
[00:45:01]
COUNCIL NUMBER FIVE AGAIN, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SO, UM, LET ME START BY FIRST ASKING, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THIS INTERNAL REPORT, UM, AND I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE AUDIT DEPARTMENT REVIEWED THAT.UM, WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY HEARING FROM THAT TEAM.
I'M NOT SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO IS IT THAT DID THAT AUDIT INTERNALLY.
UM, SO LET ME ASK YOU THAT FIRST, THE REPORT THEN, THEN REPORT WHAT WAS ACTUALLY TASKED TO THE BUSINESS PROCESS CONSULTANTS THAT WE HAD ACTUALLY HIRE FOR, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT PROCESS.
UH, BEFORE THAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET SOMEBODY FROM THE OUTSIDE TO ACTUALLY DO THE, UH, THE REPORT.
WE ENDED UP HIRING A BUSINESS PROCESS CONSULTANT.
HIS NAME WAS JOHN HAND, UH, AND, UH, ALEX ARE HERE.
DON'T HAVE, IT'S NO LONGER WITH THE DEPARTMENT, BUT THEY SENT A REPORT TO US, UM, UH, IN APRIL.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS A FOLLOWUP AND WE CAN DETERMINE WHETHER IT NEEDS TO COME BACK TO THE COMMITTEE AS A WHOLE, BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE, I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT REPORT MYSELF PERSONALLY.
MY STAFF MAY HAVE, I HAVE NOT.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT REPORT AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW SOME DETAILS ON THE FOLLOWUP OF WHAT'S BEING DONE BECAUSE I THINK IT GETS INTO MUCH MORE DEPTH THAN WHAT THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE DID.
UM, AND LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S BEING FOLLOWED UP WITH AND WHAT'S, WHAT'S NOT BEING FOLLOWED UP WITH.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT ARE KIND OF BROADER THAN THIS PROGRAM, BUT, UM, SO I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM THEY'RE REPEAT OFFENDERS SOLVING A VERY REAL PROBLEM.
UH, BUT IT'S ALSO VERY CLEAR FROM THIS AUDIT AND FROM THE INTERNAL REPORT, FROM WHAT WE KNOW, UM, AND WHAT WE JUST HEAR FROM FOLKS AND THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS THAT OUR SYSTEM ISN'T WORKING WELL.
UM, THIS INFORMATION IS VERY HELPFUL FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROGRAM.
AND I WANT US TO ADDRESS THOSE SPECIFIC CONCERNS FOR THE REPEAT OFFENDER.
UH, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT MORE THAN JUST A SPECIFIC PROGRAM.
AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO RAISE WITH MY COLLEAGUES IS THAT I HAVE AN INTENTION TO WORK ON REALLY UNDERSTANDING HOW THIS DEPARTMENT OPERATES AS A SYSTEM AND WHERE IT CAN IMPROVE SOME OF THE LANGUAGE THAT STANDS OUT TO ME FROM THIS AUDIT INCLUDES IN THE SUMMARY.
THESE SYSTEMS ARE CUMBERSOME SOMETIMES UNRELIABLE AND DO NOT ALWAYS CONTAIN ALL THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.
THAT'S MY PERCEPTION BASED ON OTHER REPORTS AND ANECDOTAL EXPERIENCES THAT THIS DIAGNOSIS OF THE INTERNAL SYSTEM IS LIKELY NOT LIMITED TO THIS ONE PARTICULAR PROGRAM, BUT IS OPERATING ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND IN RAISING THIS, I'M NOT TRYING TO DISPARAGE THE WORK OF ANY SPECIFIC STAFF.
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A INTERIM, UM, DIRECTOR AND YOU ARE JUST STEPPING UP AND TRYING TO MAKE ALL THE CHANGES, BUT IT DOES STRIKE ME THAT WE NEED TO DO A DEEPER DIVE INTO HOW OUR SYSTEMS WORK IN THIS DEPARTMENT AND WHETHER THEY ALLOW FOR EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE OPERATIONS.
UM, THE EXAMPLE THAT I HEAR ABOUT IN MY DISTRICT IS I CONSTANTLY HEAR ABOUT FROM CONSTITUENTS, NOT JUST IN MY DISTRICT, BUT ACROSS THE CITY, UM, ABOUT THE CUMBERSOME AND UNNECESSARY DIFFICULT PROCESS TO OBTAIN STR ENFORCEMENT FROM THE DEPARTMENT.
AND A LOT OF THE ISSUES RAISED IN THIS AUDIT ARE MIMICKED IN THAT TYPE OF EXPERIENCE.
AND IT JUST SORT OF TRACKS WITH OTHER TYPES OF ISSUES THAT GET HANDLED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
SO DOES IT NOT REALLY A QUESTION FOR, FOR CODE BY, UM, WHAT I JUST WANT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, LAYOUT THAT I'VE BEEN SPEAKING PRIMARILY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS ABOUT OUR SHARED INTEREST IN COLLABORATING TO WORK ON THIS DEEPER DIVE INTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CODE, UM, FROM A BROADER PERSPECTIVE IN TERMS OF HOW WE USE TECHNOLOGY, HOW WE TRAIN STAFF AND HOW THEY SPEND THEIR TIME AND OTHER MATTERS.
THIS CAME UP TO SOME DEGREE IN THE SPECIAL REQUESTS THAT I JOINED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER OF FLANAGAN POOL, ALICE AND OTHERS IN SUPPORTING.
UM, BUT I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO FLAG AN INTEREST IN LOOKING AT THE INTERNAL SYSTEM BROADLY AND DEEPLY AND DETERMINED IF ANYONE ELSE IS INTERESTED IN THAT TOPIC.
UM, AND TO BE CLEAR, I DON'T WANT TO DO IT STRICTLY IN THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, WHICH IS WHAT OUR RESOLUTION LAST WEEK WAS ABOUT.
UM, ORDINARILY IN THE CONTEXT OF REPEAT OFFENDER, BUT REALLY FROM AN EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS PERSPECTIVE AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF WE ARE GETTING THE MOST OUT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, OF OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT AND THE PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND REALLY LOOKING AT IN A NEW, IN A NEW WAY, UM, BECAUSE IT, IT DOES IMPACT SO MANY THINGS, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK WE'VE MADE SOME STARTS IN THAT EFFORT WITH THE SPECIAL REQUESTS WITH MY COLLEAGUES, WITH, UM, THE RESOLUTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER FLANNIGAN SPONSORED LAST WEEK.
[00:50:01]
BUT I THINK THERE'S A BROADER KIND OF PERSPECTIVE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO GET AT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FLANIGAN.YEAH, I SEE THE RESOLUTION THAT WE PASSED LAST WEEK AS, AS ENABLING AND INITIATING THAT BROADER PROCESS, THE RESULTS HAD THE TWO PARTS, ONE WAS RESPONDING TO THE AUDIT, WHICH I THINK IS A BROAD IT'S BROAD WORK.
AND THEN THERE'S THE RE-IMAGINING PIECE THAT WAS THE SECOND TO BE RESOLVED.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WORK COULD VERY EASILY BE PARTNERSHIP WORK BETWEEN THE AUDIT AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEES.
AND IF WE WANTED TO KIND OF APPROACH IT THAT WAY, UM, UH, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IS THE ONE THE COUNCIL DESIGNATED AS THE OVERSIGHT BODY FOR CODE.
AND SO, UH, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE IN THAT COMMITTEE.
SO I'M DEFINITELY WELCOMING THE ASSISTANCE IF THE SUGGESTION COUNCIL MEMBER AND CHAIR IS THAT FINANCE WANTS TO TAKE A DEEPER LOOK.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE.
I MEAN, I WANTED TO JUST GAUGE KIND OF WHERE THE BROADER INTEREST FOR COUNCIL THEN OF ENGAGEMENT, UM, IN, IN PUSHING THINGS FORWARD AND, AND ASKING DIFFERENT QUESTIONS AND BRINGING IN DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO THE, TO THE TABLE WOULD BE MAYOR ADLER AND THEN PHOTO.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING MAKES, MAKES REALLY GOOD SENSE, UH, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS BEING ON THE COUNCIL, THIS IS A KIND OF RECURRENT, UH, THEME THAT COMES BACK TO US, UH, WITH RESPECT TO CODE.
UM, UH, THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME IN THE, IN THE CODE DEPARTMENT.
UH, BUT SOME QUESTIONS SEEM TO BE RECURRENT AND I THINK THEY ARE BROADER, UH, THAN, THAN, THAN JUST, UH, THIS, UH, LOOK AT THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM.
ALTHOUGH THE QUESTIONS ARE THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM ALSO SEE IT KIND OF REFER IT KINDS OF QUESTIONS AS, AS, AS WELL.
AND IT COULD BE THAT, UH, THE, THE, THE SUPPORT THAT WE COULD GIVE TO CODE GOES MORE TO SYSTEMIC KINDS OF ISSUES THAT WOULD HELP, UH, EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY ACROSS THE PROGRAMS. I LIKE THE REPORT THAT WE GOT TODAY, I HAD THE SAME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EARLIER REPORT, JUST CAUSE IT, IT SEEMED TO BE DEALING WITH THE SAME KIND OF QUESTIONS.
AND I KNOW THAT THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION BELIEVED THAT THERE WERE ASPECTS OF THAT, THAT, UH, WERE NOT PART OF THIS, UH, AUDIT REPORT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S BECAUSE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WEREN'T DEEMED TO BE VALID, OR IF THAT WAS A MORE IN DEPTH LOOK OR IF THAT LOOKED AT DIFFERENT AREAS, DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
BUT THE SUGGESTION WAS IS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY RIGHT ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.
UH, THE, THE REPORT THAT CAME OUT AND AUDITED THE AIR, UH, ALMOST ASKS MORE QUESTIONS THAN IT ANSWERS, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT THE KIND OF THE NEXT STEPS SHOULD BE AND HOW WE, HOW WE MAKE IT WORK.
I THINK THIS PROGRAM IS A REALLY IMPORTANT FOR A PROGRAM FOR US TO COME BACK TO CAUSE SO MUCH OF WHAT WE HEAR IN OUR OFFICES ABOUT CODE COME FROM THESE KINDS OF THINGS IN TERMS OF CONSTITUENT, UH, INQUIRIES.
UH, BUT THEN I ALSO KNOW JUST HOW IMPORTANT CODE HAS BEEN TO OUR COVID RESPONSE, UH, AND THE SUPPORT, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, KEEPING THE NUMBERS AS LOW AS THEY APP, UH, HAPPENS BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY IS JUST IT ON THEIR OWN RECOGNIZING YOU CAN'T ENFORCE YOUR WAY AT THE SAME TIME.
IT IS THE CODE DEPARTMENT THAT, UM, THAT IN MANY INSTANCES AS HAS HELPED SET THAT CULTURE.
UH, SO I THINK CODE FOR WHAT IT'S DOING, BUT YES, THE SHORT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION CHAIR IS THAT, UH, I THINK THAT A MORE GLOBAL LOOK AT SYSTEMICALLY AT CODE WOULD MAKE SENSE, UH, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE'S PROBABLY MORE SUPPORT THAT WE COULD BRING TO THAT OPERATION, BUT I THINK IT WOULD IMPACT INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR RAISING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER I, AND THIS, YOU KNOW, I AM VERY INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING YOU IN THAT WORK AND THIS MAY BE A GOOD VENUE FOR DOING SO WITHIN THE AUDIT AND FINANCE.
UM, WHEN WE HAD AN ISSUE ON OUR AGENDA LAST TIME I THREW OUT A FEW OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE FOR CODE AND I'LL, I'LL JUST REITERATE THEM HERE.
UM, REDUCING, WE HAVE BEEN INVESTING MORE AND MORE HEAVILY EACH YEAR IN, IN OUR CODE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO I THINK WE DO, I THINK IT IS PAST TIME TO REALLY EVALUATE HOW EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT THAT IT'S OPERATING.
UM, SOME OF, SOME OF THE JUST INITIAL KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD ASK ARE, ARE MICRO LEVEL BASED ON THE PROGRAMS WITH WHICH I'M MOST FAMILIAR, BUT THE EXTENT TO WHICH THAT'S REALLY EXPANDED ACCESS AND THE AFTER HOURS, WHICH IS PART OF THE PROBLEM WE WERE TRYING TO SOLVE AND INCREASING THE RESOURCES, UM, HOW INCREASING THE NUMBER OF INSPECTORS, BOTH IN THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM
[00:55:01]
AND, AND SUBSTANDARD HOUSING MORE GENERALLY HAS EQUATED TO AN INCREASING NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS.YOU KNOW, SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT, THAT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN ANSWERING ON A MICRO LEVEL THAT I THINK WOULD HELP US UNDERSTAND THAT BROADER QUESTION ABOUT SYSTEMS. YOU KNOW, HOW EFFECTIVELY ARE OUR NEW EMPLOYEES WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE ADDED, UM, RESPONDENT IN SITUATIONS ON THE GROUND.
ARE THEY WORKING MORE EFFECTIVELY? AND THEN AGAIN, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS YOU BROUGHT UP, SO WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE NEXT STEP IN THAT? IS THAT A CONVERSATION THAT WE SORT OF THINK ABOUT BETWEEN NOW AND OUR NEXT MEETING AND MAYBE COME PREPARED WITH SOME QUESTIONS WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDRESSED AND THEN BUG THEM, OR SETTING UP A SPECIAL WORK GROUP.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE THOUGHT THROUGH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT I'M GOING TO BE INTERESTED IN AND SEEING THAT I THINK MS. STOKES WANTED TO SPEAK, BUT I THINK A FIRST STEP WOULD BE THE SPECIAL REPORT THAT WE REQUESTED, WHICH SHOULD BE BACK SHORTLY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WILL BE IN TIME FOR US TO ACT AT THE NEXT MEETING OR NOT, BUT MS. STOKES, I WANT IT TO RECOGNIZE IT BEFORE SHE COMMENTS.
I JUST WANT TO SAY I SUPPORT THAT MORE SYSTEMATIC LOOK AND LOOK AT THE STRUCTURES IN PLACE AND THE EFFICIENCIES.
I DO THINK, I MEAN, I FEEL VERY COMPELLED.
WE'VE BEEN WAITING A WHILE FOR THIS, UM, BEFORE TAKING ACTION ON SOME OF, SOME OF THE MORE IMMEDIATE CHANGES THAT I THINK NEED TO BE MADE WITH REGARD TO THE REPEAT OFFENDER PROGRAM.
UM, I NOTICED THAT AT THAT WORK, I THINK NEEDS TO BE ON A DIFFERENT TIMETABLE AND I INTEND TO, TO KIND OF MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, UM, IN A PARALLEL, PARALLEL FASHION WITH THE STRUCTURAL WORK, WHICH I AGREE ALSO NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.
SO, UH, I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP A FEW THINGS.
OUR NEXT ITEM I THINK IS RELATED TO THE AUDIT PLAN.
AND SO THIS TIES INTO THAT DISCUSSION SOMEWHAT.
UM, WE DO HAVE A SPECIAL REQUEST UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S REALLY LOOKING AT TRENDS IN, UM, THE NUMBER OF INSPECTORS NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS BY TYPE.
I THINK THAT WILL GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE ASKING.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE HAVE AN AUDIT ON THE PLAN.
IT ACTUALLY CAME OUT OF SOME WORK AT CODE, BUT IT'S COME OUT OF WORK AT MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, UM, SPECIFIC TO THE AMANDA SYSTEM.
UM, WHICH IS, I THINK WHEN WE TALK IN THIS REPORT ABOUT SOME OF THE SYSTEMS BEING CLUNKY, AMANDA IS ONE OF THOSE CLUNKY SYSTEMS. UM, AND SO WE, WE PROPOSE AN AUDIT.
THAT'S A BROADER LOOK AT AMANDA ACROSS THE BOARD, NOT, NOT JUST WITHIN CODE, BUT I THINK IT WILL IMPACT, UM, AND WE'LL LOOK AT THE USES AND CODE AND, AND WHERE IT IS CLUNKY.
UM, THAT'S A TECHNICAL TERM APPARENTLY NOW.
UM, THEN THE, UM, THE OTHER THING, AND SO WE, HAVEN'T DONE A KIND OF