Council agrees to workshop, pauses inspections after landlords and tenants raise concerns about rental-licensing ordinance

Council members on Feb. 9 agreed to convene a workshop and pause immediate enforcement of the recently adopted rental-licensing ordinance after an extended public-comment period in which landlords and residents raised implementation and fairness concerns.

Jonathan Danielson, a landlord who said he owns JRD Real Estate, told the council he and many others “were blindsided” and asked why the city hadn’t workshopped the ordinance with local owners before setting fees and inspection deadlines. He said the $125-per-door fee and inspection requirements would force landlords to raise rents and that notice and outreach to owners had been inadequate. Another speaker, Sue Fallon Donnick, identified herself as president of the Country View Estates association and said owners in multi-building complexes did not expect to be individually required to provide tenant lists and that the cost burdens would be passed to low-income tenants.

City staff confirmed the city hired MetroWest to perform inspections; MetroWest staff and city representatives said manufactured homes and trailer parks are included in the inspection program. Council acknowledged problems with mail and owner contact lists but said the city had prepared and sent materials beginning in October. To give staff and stakeholders time to clarify the ordinance’s scope and fee structure, the mayor proposed, and council agreed, to schedule a workshop for landlords and residents. The mayor also said the city would pause the March inspection deadline until the workshop outcome is decided. "Let's set up a workshop and kind of go through this, and let's hammer it out and make sure it's kind of fair for everybody," the mayor said.