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Waverly commission weighs moving to annual rental inspections, clarifies fees and enforcement
Summary
Commissioners debated whether 'biannual' inspections mean twice a year or every two years, discussed shifting to annual inspections for better enforcement, confirmed inspection coordination with contractor MetroWest and noted staff efforts identifying unlicensed rentals; no public hearing is required for the ordinance.
The Waverly Planning and Zoning Commission on April 16 reviewed staff recommendations to clarify the city’s rental‑dwelling inspection schedule and fee structure.
Planner Robin Caufman said reviewer Christie Trisco found the draft ordinance generally acceptable but flagged the term "biannual" as ambiguous. Commissioners debated whether "biannual" meant every two years or twice each year and discussed changing the requirement to annual inspections for clearer enforcement and to improve property maintenance oversight.
Staff described logistics for scheduling inspections: MetroWest will conduct inspections and property owners will coordinate directly with that contractor; renewal notices would be sent in early October to give owners time to schedule inspections before a Dec. 31 expiration date. Accountant Cierra Nagovskl presented the ordinance's fee structure as an application fee plus a per‑unit inspection fee (the draft references an application fee and a per‑unit inspection charge; staff will provide exact figures in the revised text).
Caufman also reported that Tonia Kieser has identified unlicensed rental properties when renters attempted to place utility bills in their own names, highlighting ongoing enforcement needs. The commission agreed that the rental‑dwelling ordinance does not require a public hearing because it is not a zoning code amendment; instead, the item will be published after approval.
No change to code was adopted at the meeting; staff will refine the language on inspection cadence and confirm fee amounts before the next meeting.
