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HomeMy WebLinkAboutORDINANCES-1974-045-O-74As Amcnded and Adopted September 9, 1974 • 45-0-74 AN ORDINANCE Establishing a Housing Rehabilitation Board BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EVANSTON, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS : SECTION 1: That the Code of the City of Evanston, 1957, as amended, be further amended by adding to Chapter T�xo thereof Article XV, Sections 197 through 206, to read as fol- LOWS : "Section 2-197. Rationale. It is hereby found and de- clared by the City Council of the City of Evanston that in order • t a protect and promote the public health, safety, and welfare of thaacitizens of the City of Evanston, it is necessary to provide fog the maintenance.,, conservation, and rehabilitation of dwelling units to the end of maintaining a desirable residential environ- ment for Evanston residents to conserve property values, and to provide safe, sanitary, standard housing for all citizens within the corporate limits of the City of Evanston within their economic means. _ "Section 2-198. Establishment. There is hereby cre- ated an Evanston Housing Rehabilitation Board ("Board"). "Section 2-199. Appointment of Members. The Board shall consist of seven members appointed by the Mayor after prior • consultation with and advisory recommendation by the Human Ser- vices Committee of the Evanston City Council and with the advice L. _ 0 ,� 0 45-0-74' -2- and consent of the City Council, one of whom shall be an Alderman of the City of Evanston who shall be appointed for one year. The six non-aldermanic members shall be appointed for three-year terms, provided, however, that two of these appointments shall be for an. initial term:. oaf one year; two appointments for an initial term:o.f two years; and two appointments for an initial term of three: years. In making such appointments, the Mayor shall con- sidex- knowledge and fami.liiarity with local neighborhood housing need?s!. and problems, particularly those needs and problems of lower income famii'i.es and tenants in properties needing rehabili- tation; practical experience in Evanston and elsewhere in the • conse-rvation and rehabilitation of housing and the financing of such conservation and rehabilitation; and practical experience in dealing with sources of assistance, public and private, for the conservation and rehabilitation of housing in circumstances where such assistance is uneconomic or only marginally economic through conventional sources. Members of the Board may serve for not more than two full terms and vacancies shall be filled for the remaining portion of a vacant term by appointment by the Mayor after prior consultation with and advisory recommendation by the Human Services Committee of the Evanston City Council and with the advice and consent of the City Council. "Section 2-200. Internal Organization. Immediately • upon its organization, the Board shall elect from its membership a charman, vice-chairman, and secretary. Persons so elected shall serve for terms of one year and may be re-elected to said I • • 45-0-74 -3- positions. The Board shall adopt rules for the conduct of its meetings and keep written minutes. All meetings, minutes, and other procedures shall be open to the public as required by the State of Illinois. The Board shall meet at the call of the chairman and at such other times as may be provided by its rules. Four members shall constitute a quorum. No meeting shall be con- ducted and no action shall be taken without a quorum present. The Board shall have the right'to establish sub -committees and provide for their operation. The members of the Board shall serve without compensation, except that their reasonable and nec- essary expenses in the performance of their duties as Board mem- bers may be reimbursed to them. "Section 2-201. Executive Director and Staff. The Board shall advise the City Manager of its staff needs; and shall, together with the City Manager, appoint an Executive Di- rector and such other staff as may be necessary, which staff, ex- cept the Executive Director at the time of the appointment, may be composed in whole or in part of employees of the City of Evanston who perform functions for the Board in addition to per- forming other duties for the City. "Section 2-202. Jurisdiction and Authority. The Board is hereby vested with the following duties, responsibili- ties, and powers under this ordinance: a. Each quarter to report to the City Council con- cerning rehabilitation needs within the City and, on an annual basis, to recommend to the City Council rules, reg- ulations, procedures, and supplementary standards which n LJ ? &�' 'o 45-0-74 -4- shall govern operations under this ordinance; b. To submit annually a summary of each project, and, for each rehabilitated rental property the rent before and after rehabilitation by unit size. This information on each project shall be submitted annually for a period of five years; (1) detailed information concerning the reloca- tion of any person displaced by a rehabili- tation program, including the rent previous- ly paid, the rental after relocation, and where the person is relocated; and (2) such recommendations and requests as the Board may wish to transmit to the City Council; c. To give preference to those rehabilitation pro- jects from properties that are referred by the code enforce- ment agencies of the City; d. To adopt standards to be used for identifying de- teriorating and dilapidated housing which should be rehab- ilitated, and to adopt standards and priorities for the level of rehabilitation to be supported, which standards and priorities shall be reported to the City Council quar- terly; e. To assist homeowners in need of assistance to ob- tain the means to maintain and,improve their residences, including the provision of technical assistance in financ- ing, and for those with extreme financial difficulties, as- sistance in securing direct financial assistance through L. 45-0-74 5 3 -5- . interest subsidies, deferral of payments, and otherwise;. f. To assist owners and managers of multi -family dwellings in need of assistance to obtain the means to con- serve and maintain those dwellings without significantly affecting the rent structures of those dwellings, including the provision of technical assistance in financing, refi- nancing, management, and maintenance. In the event that s, such an owner shall receive direct or indirect financial assistance from or through the aid of the Board, the Board t shall have the power to require: (1) that rehabilitation contractors guarantee their work for a reasonable period; and • (2) that there be reasonable conditions regard- ing recovery of such assistance upon alien- ation; r -I L -A g. To seek funds and other program and financial as- sistance from whatever source available, whether private or governmental, to carry out the foregoing and to maintain the supply of housing for low and moderate income families and individuals; h. To relocate to the extent possible within the City of Evanston any person or family displaced as a result of any aspect of the operation of the Board under this ordi- nance in a choice, if possible, of suitable, standard hous- ing within their means. Such relocation with Evanston shall be a significant policy objective of the City. Dis- placed persons shall have preference in leasing rehabili- 0 �A 45-0-74 • tated units; i. To identify program and financial assistance, whether private or governmental, to carry out the purpose of this ordinance; j. To consider applications and submit written recom- mendations to the City Council upon applications received by the Board for rehabilitation assistance which require the expenditure of funds of the City of Evanston; k. To make recommendations to the City Council for the implementation of this ordinance; 1. To negotiate, on behalf of the City of Evanston, with all assistance sources, private and public, for the • establishment and implementation of assistance programs consistent with the foregoing; .m. To adopt all lawful and appropriate rules and reg- ulations for the Board, including regulations concerning occupancy and eligible suppliers, vendors, and contractors, and standards for rehabilitation; n. To manage any rental dwelling units; o. To make recommendations to the City Council on all other matters according to the terms referred to it by the City Council; and p. To enter into agreements for conserving and rehab- ilitating the dwellings, provided however, that any agree- ment which requires the expenditure of funds by or creates a present or contingent financial obligation of the City of Evanston must be approved by the City Council. L • • 0 45-0-74 -7- "Section 2-203. Recommendations to the City Council. Upon receipt of written recommendations from the Board, the City Council may, to carry out the purposes of this ordinance: I. a. Guarantee up to 25% of a loan made to a property owner upon such terms and conditions as the City Council may require; b. Receive money, credits, and other valuable con- siderations from whatever source, private or governmental; C. Enter into pooling, financial and technical re- source arrangements, deposit and interest subsidy agree- ments, and other cooperative arrangements with financial institutions; d. Purchase dwellings for rehabilitation; e. Enter into contract purchases; f. Sell such acquired properties upon rehabilitation; g. Borrow money secured by mortgages; h. Participate in public and private rent supplement programs designed to assist low and moderate -income fami- lies to meet housing costs and needs; i. Initiate eminent domain proceedings upon the ter- mination of good faith negotiations to acquire by purchase; j. Issue junior debt obligations for the purpose of conserving and rehabilitating properties; k. Seek tax assessment classifications for housing rehabilitation consistent with the purposes of this ordinance; t ..6 45-0-74 me • 1. Exercise such other power and take such other action as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this ordinance. II. All recommendations to the City Council made pursuant to a, c, d, e, f, g, i, and j of this section shall be referred back to the Board or.finally disposed of by the City Council within 22 days after receipt of the recommendation by the City Clerk. 'Section 2-204. Standards. For the purposes of con- sideration of recommendations to the City Council, the Board shall. make findings: a. That the property is in need of maintenance, con- servation,' or rehabilitation, or is dilapidated as defined in the United States Census of Housing, 1960, or is in danger of demolition or abandonment; b. That the applicant is in need of financial or technical assistance to conserve the property; c. That the project substantially conforms to City and neighborhood planning goals and helps stimulate further property improvements. "Section 2-205. Financial Limitations. At no time shall the aggregate amount of rehabilitation project funds, di- rectly or contingently encumbered pursuant to the provisions of this ordinance, be greater than one-half of one percent of the Equalized Assessed Valuation of all taxable real and personal property within the corporate limits of the City of Evanston as disclosed in the last year for which the appropriate taxing • • 45-0-74 -9- authorities have made a final determination. "Section 2-206. Annual Budget and Reports. The Board shall submit to the City Council not later than November 1 of each calendar year for the second and each succeeding calendar year of its operations, its estimated budget and requested appro- priation, if any, for the following year. It shall submit to the City Council. a quarterly report for each of the first three cal- endar quarters not later than March 1 of each calendar year, to- gether with such recommendations and requests as the Board may wish to transmit to the City Council." SECTION2: All ordinances or parts of ordinances in con- flict herewith are hereby repealed. SECTION 3: This ordinance shall be in full force and ef- fect from and after its passage and approval in the manner provided by law. Introduced Avbrvsx-r 9 31974. Adopted 51 V MM R f6Z 9 ,1974 . t� Atest: City Clerk Approved as to form: C�l �'%` Corpora£ion Counsel Approved *pro SIT � ,1974 Mayor