Selectboard hears rental ordinance concerns

At least 50 people turned out last night for a public hearing with the Town Selectboard to discuss the rental registry ordinance being voted on today.

Most seemed okay with landlords having to register information about their rental properties with the town but many were opposed to mandatory fire and health inspections once every five years. Selectman David Yesman led the opposition calling the ordinance "poorly written", He said there are about 1,300 apartments in town and would usurp a lot of time and manpower to inspect them all.

Selectboard Chairman Kristi Morris spoke in favor of keeping the ordinance. He said it wouldn't cost the town anything, funding for the inspections would come from state agencies that deal with health and fire safety. The inspection requirement will actually help out landlords, he said, providing certification to prospective new tenets that the apartments meet health and safety codes.

Several attending stepped up to the microphone to comment or ask questions. Tom Bishop, who has owned rental properties in town since the 1970s, expressed concern about financial burdens which would be placed on landlords whose properties weren't quite up to par. They would be given a deadline of only a few months to fix things and these days building improvement costs could easily add up to $10,000 or more.

Springfield Fire Chief Russell Thompson gave an impassioned speech emphasizing how the rental registry will improve fire safety by providing a database of properties with blueprints making it easier to locate people inside a burning building.

One man present was so in agreement that he asked why this couldn't this be extended to registry of private homes too. One explaining he would feel more secure if arriving firemen knew right where to make a bee-line to for rescue of his kids.

Bill Morlock, who has been with the Springfield Housing Authority for 25 years, said he never received one call for his opinion on the ordinance. He had thought his buildings would be exempt from the ordinance because that state already does inspections on the Housing Authority properties but recently realized the ordinance is not very clear on exemptions.

Yesman, a rental property owner himself, pointed out that the Selectboard had a meeting with about 24 landlords before voting on the ordinance last May, seemingly taking in their concerns. But as soon as they left, the Chairman called for a vote, passing it as is by the close margin of 3 to 2.

Audio clip:
Woody Bickford gives the Selectboard a scolding.