Bloomington landlords will pay higher registration fees to help close the gap in the rental inspection program. The Bloomington City Council voted in favor of the increase during the first regular meeting of the year.
Alderwoman Amelia Buragas says the increase helps to minimally fund the program, while still keeping the fees higher for those who don't comply with city codes. "This program benefits everyone at the basic inspection level. I feel very strongly that people who get into that re-inspection process, or who are in violation, should bear a higher burden. And I think the system has continued to be set up that way."
Alderman Kevin Lower says the fees should not be increased across the board. "There's a fairly large number of folks that are going to see a slight increase in their rent, more than likely, or the landlord is going to have to bear the expense when we have a very small percentage of folks that actually are not in compliance."
Landlords in Bloomington will pay an additional $30 per building and an additional $5 per unit for buildings with three or more residences, which will fully fund two more inspectors, a support staff member, and legal expenses. The move also puts the city in compliance with its inspection ordinance.
Also during the meeting, Mayor Tari Renner gave a "State of the City" address to talk about how Bloomington performed last year, including the addition of Hyvee and Green Top Grocery as well as the closure of Mitsubishi in Normal.
Mayor Tari Renner says the city is making progress on serious challenges with finances and infrastructure, but it's not easy. "There aren't any obvious pots of gold out there, and I think the Budget Task Force found that this summer."
To help with the city's budgetary issues, the council is looking at multiple proposals to change how the city's three golf courses are managed or owned. However, at least two Aldermen expressed interest in getting rid of one of the courses rather than changing all three.
Alderman Scott Black says, at this time, he's in favor of selling Prairie Vista Golf Course. "In my best case scenario, I think we should keep Highland and The Den in Bloomington, and then try to divest ourselves of Prairie Vista, because, to me, that has the best outside sales opportunity for a developer or something like that."
A discussion of the courses was held during a work session, where council members looked at reducing control of the properties by outsourcing management of them. A second option would give up more control by leasing the 3 courses to a management company.