MINUTES

Neighborhood Revitalization Board

St. Etienne Conference Room – Armory Building

October 15, 2003

Present: Mike Gibson, Nadine Hogate, Kimberly Hansen, Mike Kinter, Jean Minahan, Dolph Pulliam, Joann Muldoon, Martha Walden, Pam Carmichael

Absent: Willa Mae Allen, Betty Volm, Paul Sadler, Carol Bower, Bob King,

Staff: Kathy Kahoun (CD), Ben Bishop (CD), Mindy Miller (CD)

Guests: None

The meeting convened at 5:10. In the absence of the chair, vice chair Hansen conducted the meeting. Hogate moved to approve the agenda; seconded by Carmichael, carried by unanimous vote. Pulliam moved to approve the minutes of the October 1 meeting, seconded by Walden, carried by unanimous vote.

OFFICER'S REPORT/CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION. Kahoun reported on recent Council actions, including receipt of the NRB's recommendations for the 2004 Consolidated Plan and the first reading for the Highland Park SSMID.

NEIGHBORHOOD INSPECTION ADMINISTRATION REPORT. Ben Bishop gave the Board a report on how the revised inspection code and fee schedule were working out. He said the inspection division was employing more stringent enforcement practices than they had done in the past and it was resulting in fewer repeat offenders on yard junk. Bishop said he planned to do the same thing for rentals and hoped to cut down the number of reinspections.

Bishop said the inspectors now send out a checklist of items they will be checking before they do an inspection, and the rate of units passing on the first inspection has gone from 50% to 68%. They hope to reach 90%. Kinter asked if the rental inspection fees charged covered the cost of operations; Bishop said they didn't.

Carmichael, speaking as director of HOME Inc., asked if the neighborhood inspectors could be informed when a housing nonprofit was doing a revitalization-based project on a lot. She said she didn't want special treatment, but it was a different situation when the property was in mid-rehab. She also felt that they were getting cited too quickly when people used one of their lots for a dumping ground. Kinter said his business had been cited for having building materials on the lot during a rehab and felt that it was unfair when the previous owners had trash in the yard much more frequently. Carmichael asked if they could have the inspectors get a list of properties HOME Inc. was actively working on. Bishop said when they got cited, they had 21 days to remove the materials before any penalties accrued, so it shouldn't be a problem. Carmichael said she was talking about the 24 hour notices; Bishop said those were issued by Right of Way. He said the inspectors had no way to give leniency – a violation was a violation. Carmichael said maybe they could ask the City Manager for different rules for active sites.

Carmichael asked how many rental units there were in Des Moines; Bishop said it was about 25,000. The Board and Bishop discussed recouping costs on cleanups and demolition and when personal judgments were used and when liens were placed against the property. Muldoon said she wanted someone to come and explain it to the Board. Kahoun said it was a different situation when a cleanup occurred, because there was an owner active on the property and that wasn't the case for abandoned properties. Kahoun said when a public nuisance was taken down, the City rarely recouped its costs. After the demolition, the property usually proceeded to tax sale, and the ownership reverts to the County. Hansen asked if there were any other sources to pay for demolition. Kahoun said it used to be paid for out of the CIP budget, but was transferred to CDBG. She said demolitions were very helpful to neighborhoods wanting to get rid of eyesores, but when it was done, the result was a vacant lot that the City had no say in redeveloping. Carmichael said when her nonprofit bought the lots for redevelopment, they requested release of the liens or had to ask for CDBG funds to pay them off. The Board discussed the difficulty in getting regular developers to put infill housing on scattered vacant lots.

Hogate said she understood the difficulties developers faced in getting cited for violations during rehabs, but she supported the strongest possible enforcement, since in older neighborhoods it is a constant struggle to keep properties junk-free. Carmichael said maybe a TIF for demolition could be considered. Kahoun said that while it cost the City to do demolitions, it was worth it for public protection and to remove eyesores that affected the whole neighborhood.

POLK COUNTY LAND DISPOSITION POLICY. Kahoun said she had contacted Jim Elza of Polk County and he was unable to come and meet with the Board to discuss the County's land disposition practices. She distributed copies of the County's land disposition policy. Kahoun said there is no longer any landbanking of County lots for future City purposes, although the City gets first right of refusal. The City also does not buy the lots against a future redevelopment unless CDBG funds have been allocated, because there is no funding source for lots.

Kahoun said she told Elza that neighborhood associations wanted to know when tax sales were occurring in their areas. He said they might be able to notify them. Carmichael asked if Kahoun's staff could sort them out; Kahoun said it came in a huge list of all the delinquents, and they didn't have the manpower. Hansen asked if an intern or volunteer could be found to do this. Kahoun said the County staff was willing to work with the Board, but they too were short-staffed. Hogate said it could be discussed in their strategy meeting.

Hogate moved to send a letter to Jim Elza conveying the Board's concerns regarding the County's disposition policy; seconded by Gibson, carried by unanimous vote. Kahoun said after the first of the year she would ask the County Treasurer to come and give an education session on tax certificates for the neighborhood associations and nonprofits.

NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT. Kahoun said the City Manager would come to present his recommendations for the Consolidated Plan at the November 7 meeting. She distributed copies of the attendance report, and asked if the Board wanted to take any action on those members who are not meeting the attendance requirements. The Nominating Committee will examine the report and bring a report to the Board. The Waveland Park Neighborhood Action Plan has been presented to the Polk County Board of Superivsors..

Kahoun said on October 16 at the 5:30 session, CD staff will present an overview of the proposed zoning ordinance to the Plan and Zoning Commission. The ordinance has not been substantially updated for fifty years. Kahoun said approval of the new ordinance will be a process with many steps and opportunities for public input, and asked if the Board thought it would be a good idea to hold a session on it for the neighborhood leaders when it gets a little further along the process. Muldoon said staff should go through the new ordinance and bring to the Board's attention any items that they thought the Board should look into.

COMMITTEE/REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS. None

OTHER BUSINESS. Carmichael thanked the Board members for coming to the HOME Inc. groundbreaking. She asked that Bob Schulte or Lyle Schwery come and give the Board an update on Hawthorn Hill.

The meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m.

Carol Bower, Secretary