Heat Ordinance Change – Temps. to Dates
Here is an Email I received from Councilmember Remington’s Office regarding a change to the current heat ordinance referencing when heat gets turned on:
From: Malrick, Kim R.
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 1:34 PM
Subject: Proposed Ordinance ChangeAt this Friday’s council meeting CM Remington will give notice of intent to introduce an ordinance change regarding the heating requirements for residential rental buildings. Current Regulations: As it currently stands, landlords are required to provide heat in rental units (to the level of 68 degrees) when the outside temperature falls below 60 degrees. It is regulatory services’s policy to start a 3 day clock once an insufficient heat situation is reported. If the heat is not turned on within the 3 days the condemnation process begins. If, at any time during the 3 day window, the outside temperature reaches 60 degrees or higher the clock starts over.Challenges with Current Regulations: The current regulations prove frustrating for tenants and city staff when they are faced with a neglectful landlord. Our daily temperature varies wildly during the spring and fall when it is quite common for temperatures to fall to the 30s at night and rise into the 60s during the day. Therefore, it is difficult to successfully impose a 3 day clock and many tenants are left for extended periods of time without heat.Proposed Change: CM Remington’s proposed change eliminates the 60 degree threshold entirely and, instead, works with the calendar year. He is proposing that from October 1st to May 1st rental units have access to heat to 68 degrees.Timeline: It is CM Remington’s goal to have this change in place before spring weather warms to the point where the 60 degree marker is in play once again. Therefore, he will give notice of intent to introduce this cycle and actually introduce the proposal next cycle. From there it will be referred to the Public Safety and Regulatory Services (PS&RS) committee for a public hearing. There is not a requirement for notice to be sent to specific groups or individuals for housing code amendments, so once the date is set it will be noticed in Finance and Commerce and be available on the PS&RS agenda. Additionally, our office will work to keep neighborhood associations informed of the public hearing date.Please let our office know if you have any questions about this proposal or would like to submit a comment for the public record.Thanks,
Kim Malrick
Ward 10 Policy Aide350 S. 5th Street, Rm 307Minneapolis, MN 55415Phone (612) 673-3314Fax (612) 673-3940
