The Sedalia Rental Inspection Committee focused its discussion during Wednesday night’s meeting on who would conduct the inspections, and the members seem to have come to an agreement.
Multiple proposals have been offered over the last few months as to who would conduct the inspections — a city-employed inspector, landlords inspecting their own properties, or a private inspector. The members decided to recommend the city offer certification classes to anyone who is interested, then once those participants have met the city’s standards they are included on a list given to landlords.
It is then up to the landlord to choose a city-approved inspector to conduct their rental inspection. The cost would be decided by each inspector.
Dave Wiedeman offered up the idea of allowing landlords to choose their own inspector, to save the city from landlord complaints because a city inspector wasn’t available, which would impact when a tenant could move in.
“I speak in favor of that because I think it would … eliminate some of the problems of getting that inspection done possibly,” Wiedeman said. “If you were hiring a private inspector you may be able to get inspections done on weekends, the city probably isn’t going to have an employee on weekends.”
Terri Hunter then offered the more detailed idea of having a pool of city-certified inspectors for landlords to choose from. That would give landlords more flexibility and choice in the matter, while the city would still be able to monitor the program.
“What if the city did some sort of training where contractors or whomever, because it (the proposed inspection checklist) is a smaller list than what a whole house inspection is, they would be certified by the city to be allowed to do the inspections but we (landlords) would still be able to go into the pool and draw from those to be able to do it,” Hunter said. “But that way there’s a bigger pool …”
JoAnn Martin commented that is how the Pettis County Health Center, where she serves as administrator, handles wastewater inspections, by offering residents a pool of approved inspectors to choose from.
All committee members, along with city staff, agreed with the idea. City Administrator Gary Edwards said city staff will work on a more detailed plan for the certification process to bring back to the committee at a later meeting.
Jeff Leeman brought up the idea of the city conducting a spot check, on the inspector rather than the property, to make sure the program guidelines were being followed by inspectors. Hunter and other members agreed, as long as those spot checks happen within a day or two of the initial inspection so landlords aren’t delayed in getting a tenant.
Wiedeman asked if the inspector’s signature on a completed city-issued inspection form would be enough for a landlord to be allowed to rent property to a tenant instead of the form being sent to the city first, forcing the landlord to wait on the city to issue a certificate of passed inspection.
The members, along with City Attorney Anne Gardner, agreed it would be enough. Their recommendation was to allow the inspector to grant a landlord permission to rent once the inspection is passed, but the inspector is still required to turn in that inspection form to the city to keep as a record. Gardner said city staff will work on the details of that, including whether it will be a paper or electronic form.
The next meeting will be at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 10.
