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REGULAR MEETING February 25, 2019
<br /> of Code Enforcement Marlaina Johns, Chief Inspector Jim Wood, City Attorney Tom Panowicz,
<br /> and a number of both inspectors and office staff for the Department of Code Enforcement. As I
<br /> shared with you earlier this afternoon,three(3) core points from this presentation serve a reminder
<br /> of why we are doing this: A lead poisoning crisis and a desire to inspect for vulnerable residents,
<br /> a refresh of our implementation plan and a reminder of the changes we've made now in our second
<br /> (2nd) substitute bill. I will not go through those in an itemized fashion but that should have all been
<br /> checked in accordance with our current version we have as part of our unity meeting.
<br /> Ms. Fritzberg went on, We know rentals are about forty percent(40%)of housing in the City. Our
<br /> proposal, here, is to improve the safety of rental housing in South Bend, particularly for families
<br /> with children, by verifying compliance with existing safety standards through a proactive
<br /> inspection protocol. As a reminder of the housing and health data that underpins a lot of this effort,
<br /> there has been a great deal of research, particularly in recent decades, around the links between
<br /> housing safety and resident health. We know there are health impacts, not only from things like
<br /> lead or mold that we see as drivers of chronic public health problems, but even acute dangers like
<br /> fire safety. In South Bend, we know there is particular issues with lead. Eighty-two point-one
<br /> percent (82.1%) of all of our housing units are structures built prior to the ban on lead paint in
<br /> 1978. You can see this heat map (referencing a presentation which is available in the City Clerk's
<br /> Office). Particular Census tracts have exhibited very high levels of child lead poisoning. I want to
<br /> note the endorsement of this proposal from the Board of Health, the Lead Affinity Group which
<br /> includes public health faculty and workers, and the support of the Fire Department. I know you
<br /> were able to hear earlier from Heidi Beidinger, Kathy Schuth and, obviously, Chief Cox this
<br /> afternoon.
<br /> Tracy Skibins, Director of Code Enforcement with offices located on the 13`h floor of the County-
<br /> City Building, South Bend, IN, served as a presenter for this bill. Ms. Skibins stated,Very briefly,
<br /> I just wanted to highlight a few obvious violations we will be looking for. None of which would
<br /> be brought to our attention if a caller did not reach out to us. So, obviously, if an inspector is
<br /> passing by a property, they won't know what's going on inside. The first (15`) example is a
<br /> collapsed ceiling. That is what the phone call was about and once inspectors go inside,they found
<br /> out that the roof was leaking and there was mold growth, pealing paint, etcetera, etcetera. The
<br /> second (2nd) example was the original call was for no heat. When the inspector goes inside, they
<br /> found out the temperature was at forty-five point-three (45.3) degrees. There was water damage
<br /> including falling tiles from the ceiling. We are not focusing on cosmetic violations. We are
<br /> focusing on health and safety standards.
<br /> Ms. Fritzberg stated, Thank you, Tracy. Again, as a reminder, the proposal we have for you today
<br /> is, essentially, a process change. Rental housing inspection is handled either through a complaint-
<br /> based process or proactive inspection. Rather than addressing housing safety on a case by case
<br /> basis and relying on tenants to report those issues, proactively conducting inspections ensures a
<br /> higher degree of compliance with basic safety standards. Again, there are no new standards here.
<br /> We are looking at regulations that exist in the law as it stands now. I would also just remind you
<br /> that proactive rental safety inspection is a tool utilized in cities across the United States including
<br /> West Lafayette and Bloomington, Indiana. The analogy here, again, is restaurant safety
<br /> inspections. We don't eat in restaurants that wouldn't have received a health inspection. Certainly,
<br /> if there was a proposal to take restaurant safety inspections back from their current proactive
<br /> inspection basis to a complaint-based system, I don't think any of us would be eating out as much
<br /> in downtown South Bend as we currently do. I'm sure it would be a crime. I'll remind you, again,
<br /> of the foundational principles. HUD outlines eight(8)things that are outlined to maintain a healthy
<br /> home. Our goal is to ensure that these standards, already required by law, are uniformly followed
<br /> and that tenants, across South Bend, can access safe and healthy housing.
<br /> Ms. Skibins stated, I would like to highlight what will take place during the rental inspection. The
<br /> Code Enforcement Inspector will look at the conditions of the property inside and out. The
<br /> occupant and the owner of the property will know, in advance, what it is the inspector is looking
<br /> for, so they can make any changes prior to the meeting. Upon successful completion of the
<br /> inspection of the rental, a Certificate of Rental Safety would be issue for up to five (5) years. I
<br /> would also like to highlight some of the training and background of the inspectors who will be
<br /> conducting the inspections. Some examples of training experience include heating,weatherization,
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