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Maplewood council presses on housing-inspector vacancy, weighing inspection frequency
Summary
City staff said one housing inspector recently resigned; council members debated keeping annual rental-unit inspections tied to the city—s tenant bill of rights versus moving to less frequent inspections to save staff time.
A vacancy in Maplewood—s housing-inspection staff and whether the city should change the frequency of rental-unit inspections were central to a May 7 City Council work session discussion.
City staff told the council a housing inspector resigned about a week to 10 days earlier and the city plans to advertise the open position. The presenter said the city currently operates with two housing inspectors who handle annual rental inspections and complaint-driven follow-ups.
The issue matters because the council previously considered reducing inspection frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic and opted to keep annual inspections. "At the time, the council said they wanted to keep it annual," the staff member said. Council members asked whether moving to inspections every other year would permit the city to eliminate one position; staff replied that doing inspections every other year would mean the city would need only one housing inspector.
Councilmembers tied the inspection schedule to Maplewood—s Tenant Bill of Rights and tenant protections. "I don't like the idea of switching to every other year for the housing inspection just because of how much that reinforces our tenant bill of rights," one councilmember said. Several councilmembers and staff noted that inspectors currently respond not only to scheduled annual inspections but to complaints, with staff estimating "3 or 4, nearly 1 a day" follow-up contacts from tenants.
Staff described how the city fills inspection duties: the building official handles commercial plan reviews and complex inspections, while housing inspectors focus on property maintenance and health-and-safety checks. The building official, identified in the discussion as Bridal Herr, can back up housing-inspection duties if needed.
Council members also discussed alternative approaches such as an incentivized or tiered inspection schedule that would keep annual inspections for higher-risk properties while reducing frequency for new, consistently compliant buildings. "If you have buildings that have just gotten built in, you know, first 10 years, maybe every other year," one councilmember said, adding that inspectors could reallocate time to older rental units that require more follow-up.
Staff noted cross-training and hybrid assignments have been used historically: one housing inspector often supported public-works tasks (snow removal, garage duties) to maintain capacity during high demand. The city manager and staff said they will proceed with advertising the open position while the council considers whether to alter inspection policy.
Council members asked for prompt discussion if they wished to change inspection frequency before hiring, since recruitment would begin imminently.
