Discussion about a potential rental inspector training program continued during the Sedalia Rental Inspection Committee’s meeting Wednesday afternoon.
The committee began its talks with Daniel Shaw, of the Sedalia Fire Department, about the details of a rental inspector training program during its June 8 meeting. The idea is to have a city-sponsored class offered to citizens wanting to become a rental inspector. Those who complete the course would be included on an approved list given to landlords. Landlords would choose their own inspector from the list to complete the proposed rental inspections.
During Wednesday’s meeting, discussions got even more detailed as Shaw went through each of the inspection checklist items to find out the committee’s interpretation of each point to help him better educate the students.
Most of the discussion centered around how to explain or elaborate on phrases like “properly installed” or “adequate,” which could be open to a rental inspector’s interpretation if not provided with detailed expectations from the committee or from Shaw during the class.
The committee discussed:
• Exposed electrical wires — Romex wire is OK, such as when used in an unfinished basement, but no bare wires will be allowed.
• Cover plates — They should cover the entire electrical box, rather than the entire wall opening. Breaker and fuse boxes must be covered.
• Extension cords — They may not be used for permanent wiring.
• Smoke detectors — There should be one on every level of the residence including the basement, and one outside every sleeping area. Having one detector in a hallway area where several bedrooms’ doors converge within a few feet is acceptable.
• Heating facilities — They must be present and operational and capable of maintaining 65 degrees in all living/sleeping areas. They cannot be cooking appliances, unvented fuel-burning space heaters or portable space heaters. The committee decided to add the word “primary” to the item to indicate something like a furnace is required as a primary heat source, but appropriate space heaters can be used by tenants as a supplementary heat source.
• Food storage/prep — After a long discussion on what “adequate ventilation” should mean, the committee decided to come back to this item at the next meeting.
• Flue — The committee decided “properly installed” was sufficient as long as Shaw explained to the students what that means, using photos and video.
• Egress — Doors and windows shall be free of obstructions, and designed to be operable for ease of egress. The committee and city staff had another long discussion on how many ways of egress are needed.
“Code says every bedroom needs two means of egress, either a window or a door,” said Jamie Volk, of SFD. “If a bedroom only has one door and nothing else, you can’t advertise it as a bedroom. If you have a finished basement with no secondary egress, you can advertise it as an office but not a bedroom.”
In the end, the committee did not dictate how many egress options are needed, just that they must be operational.
• Stairs and handrails — Three or more steps requires a handrail.
• Property address — It must be visible and readable from the street, such as on the residence, on a mailbox or on the curb.
Shaw again used the tentative PowerPoint presentation he plans to use for the actual rental inspector course, which he noted during the last meeting will change as the rental inspection draft ordinance changes. He said his plan is to list the building code for each checklist item, then list the committee’s interpretation of that item. He will further explain each point with photos and/or video of what rental inspectors should be looking for.
The committee made it through 10 of the 22 checklist items, and they will continue their detailed discussions on the remaining 12 points with Shaw during the next meeting.
All members were present. The next meeting will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 19.
