TOWN OF MANSFIELD
COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY QUALITY OF LIFE
Thursday, December 11, 2008
7:00 PM
Mansfield Public Library
Buchanan Auditorium
Present: M. Beal, J. Briody, B. Clouette, D. Keane, D. Morse,
E. Paterson, S. Rhodes, D. White
Regrets: J. Fried, H. Koehn (Chair), C. Paulhus
Staff: M. Hart, G. Padick
At 7:02 PM, Mayor Paterson called the meeting to order and asked the members to introduce themselves.
Correction to spelling of M. Beal.
Motion to approve by B. Clouette; Second by S. Rhodes. Approved unanimously.
None.
Wiki page is being created for the committee by IT staff to assist in the posting and sharing of information. The site is intended for use by the committee, however all items posted are considered public information.
An article concerning Central Connecticut State University was shared. It explores recent effective strategies employed at CCSU regarding student-rental housing.
Staff is revising the special police services ordinance, which allows the town to bill landlords and/or tenants for a public safety response to a problem address. It is expected that this committee will review this proposal in the future.
· Mansfield Housing Code - Mr. Michael Ninteau, Director of Building and Housing Inspection, provided an overview of the housing code and building and inspection program, particularly the enforcement of the housing code and the landlord registration ordinance. Three primary areas were reviewed: 1) existing housing code, 2) landlord registration program, and 3) litter/blight enforcement.
o Housing Inspection Code
§ Designed to ensure the safe and sanitary housing
§ Effective July 2006
§ Guiding document: Property Maintenance Code (2003)
§ ‘Chapter Nine’ added to establish/address rental code inspection issues
§ Over 2000 inspections to-date
§ Chapter Nine Exemptions
· Owner Occupied
· 4 unrelated tenants
· Residents over 55 years of age
· Properties owned by MHA
§ Typical Inspection Violations
· Electrical; Egress; Fire; Plumbing: HVAC
§ First 2-year inspection cycle concluded Sept. 2008
§ Cost to landlord - $150/2-year certificate
o Landlord Registration Program –
§ Enabled by state statute
§ Applies to all residential rental dwelling units
§ Effective/Adopted Sept. 2006
§ Tracked by sales and sighting of rental signs
§ Database maintained by town
§ Tenant registry being considered
o Blight and Litter
§ Ordinances adopted April 2007
§ Patrol various zones on a pre-determined schedule
§ Enforcement protocol
· 1) Friendly notification (door hanger)
· 2) Written warning
· 3) Physical ticket (typically $90)
§ Work with UConn Off-Campus Student Services
o Possible Future Programs and Research (related to committee)
§ Review uniform definition of family and number of unrelated family
§ Parking registration program and ordinances
§ Permits for large assemblies
§ Issues related to transferring ownership to children
o Water/Sanitation Issues
§ Discussion of water test periods, septic pumping requirement and related impact
Review of Mansfield Posting and Retention of Agendas and Minutes (May 1, 2007)
Review of:
§ Excerpts from Mansfield 2020: A Unified Vision
§ Connecticut General Statutes §§47a-6a, 47a-6b and 7-148
§ H. Krisch letter et al re: Student Rental properties on Lynwood and Farmstead Roads
§ Ethics Ordinance
Individuals, Officials, Departments the Committee would like to have present:
Future Topics to be Discussed:
‘Larger Picture’:
Desired Outcomes
Scope and level of review
Next Meeting: January 22, 2008 7:00 PM Buchanan Auditorium, Mansfield Public Library
Mayor Paterson adjourned the meeting at 9:23 PM.
Submitted: J. Briody