2.9 20-0606 Subject: Rent Adjustment Ordinance Amendment To Alleviate Rent Program Backlog
From: Housing And Community Development
Recommendation: Adopt An Ordinance Amending The Rent Adjustment Ordinance (O.M.C. 8.22.010 Et Seq.) To Create Efficiency And Reduce Appeal Times By (1) Authorizing A Single Appeal Officer To Hear Select Appeals; (2) Establishing More Stringent Attendance Requirements For Board Members; (3) Limiting Oral Argument Time On Appeals; And (4) Requiring Parties To Serve Petitions
Please consider these points on the changes proposed for the Rental Board:
Allow Simple Appeals to be Heard by a Single Appeal Hearing Officer and Limit the Types of Appeals to be Heard by the Full Board [from report]
The Appeal Officer may be a Staff person not involved in the decision appealed, a contract person hired for this purpose, or a Board member who is neither a tenant nor a residential rental property owner. [proposed language]
Is the decision by an Appeals Officer appealable to an Appeals Panel or the entire Board, either at the option of RAP or otherwise? Or is a suit against the City the only option for denied single Officer appeals?
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed amendment to the Rent Adjustment Ordinance has no fiscal impact.
Actually there is impact. Cost of providing and certifying receipt of reports by opposing parties reports is moved from the RAP to the landlord or tenant appealing. The city benefits by eliminating copy and certification physical costs, and by reclaiming RAP employee time for other tasks.
If the Appeal Officer can be “contract person hired for this purpose” that could also have a fiscal impact.
Please consider these points on the changes proposed for the Rental Board:
Allow Simple Appeals to be Heard by a Single Appeal Hearing Officer and Limit the Types of Appeals to be Heard by the Full Board [from report]
The Appeal Officer may be a Staff person not involved in the decision appealed, a contract person hired for this purpose, or a Board member who is neither a tenant nor a residential rental property owner. [proposed language]
Is the decision by an Appeals Officer appealable to an Appeals Panel or the entire Board, either at the option of RAP or otherwise? Or is a suit against the City the only option for denied single Officer appeals?
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed amendment to the Rent Adjustment Ordinance has no fiscal impact.
Actually there is impact. Cost of providing and certifying receipt of reports by opposing parties reports is moved from the RAP to the landlord or tenant appealing. The city benefits by eliminating copy and certification physical costs, and by reclaiming RAP employee time for other tasks.
If the Appeal Officer can be “contract person hired for this purpose” that could also have a fiscal impact.