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eCITY OF SOUTH BEND ! OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> what it is like for everybody else. Tenants, unfortunately, don't have lobbyists to go to <br /> Indianapolis. There are three (3) bills right now before the Indiana Legislature and it is only the <br /> lobbyists for the landlord associations that are ever there, and they continually defeat. One (1) of <br /> the very basic principles we were asking for is that people could not rent properties under a vacate <br /> and seal order. I have two (2) clients who were rented properties this year under a vacate and seal <br /> order. The landlord's association has gone down and opposed that measure. So, that is a problem. <br /> I would also like to clarify the issue of the fees. I've looked at the statute and we've had this <br /> conversation before. The statute does not allow the landlords to pass on the fines. They can pass <br /> on the fee for the program, but they can't legally pass on the fines. Even the fee, it depends on <br /> what your lease is. I've had clients who have called into Code Enforcement and I had my student <br /> call in this week with the same issue,many of my clients are on month-to-month oral leases. They <br /> don't have a written lease. When they call in to make a complaint, they are asked if they have a <br /> lease,they say no and then Code Enforcement says they can't come out. That is a problem in how <br /> the system is working and that is a problem with our complaint-based system. They do have a <br /> lease,really,but it's not a written lease so they say they don't have one(1) and Code says they can <br /> come into the property. The final thing I would like to say, I do think the restaurant analogy is true. <br /> Yes, you can walk through an apartment, but you can't look into the plumbing, heating and <br /> electrical systems. <br /> Committee Chair Broden stated, Process from here, you can still contact your Council Members <br /> with phone calls, conversations, emails and by way of the Clerk's Office. She then turned the floor <br /> back to the Committee for further comment or main motion. <br /> Committeemember White asked, Based on the meeting we just had and hearing the comments and <br /> questions, when will this meeting's contents be available for review? <br /> Committee Chair Broden replied, The audio is available tomorrow. The PowerPoint is available <br /> already. Earlier in the meeting, we will know tomorrow by 4:00 p.m. by either the Clerk or <br /> Council's website what time this will be set for Monday's Committee.Keep your eyes on both and <br /> we'll make a commitment to reach out to partners and people you've been talking to as an <br /> Administration. If you don't think you've been included in the conversations, please submit your <br /> name and we can do a group list and announce that. Easiest and best going forward, we'll know <br /> what time this is set for the Health and Public Safety Committee on Monday. My inclination is to <br /> hear this in Committee, I know there are three(3)here tonight but we should catch Councilmember <br /> Davis up to speed. I will do my duty to share the letter we received with everybody as soon as I <br /> get back to my office. <br /> Councilmember Tim Scott stated, I was late, and I just want to make two (2) comments. One (1), <br /> we've looked at different ways on how to respond to people who aren't doing a good job in terms <br /> of landlords. We did have an ordinance on the books that deals with chronic nuisances. That deals <br /> with bad landlords dealing with code violations and police calls. That was stricken downstate by <br /> everybody that had any type of problem with that. There are different politics up here than down <br /> there but the one(1)thing with this is basically a seal of approval once this is done. I propose that <br /> those who are on this seal of approval, that list should be made public. The thing about chronic <br /> nuisance is, there were more landlords wanting not to go on the list and work through solutions <br /> than those who ignored it. Same thing here. I think it would be great for tenants to see that there <br /> are people who have a seal of approval from the City and if I want to rent a property, these are the <br /> people I'll rent a property from. I think the good landlords,just like us getting a driver's license, <br /> EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 227W Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov <br /> 20 <br />