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November 25, 1971
<br />
<br /> .At a regular City Council meeting held on November 23, 1971, ~n the City Council
<br />Chambers, there were present:
<br />
<br />Jack P. Barnes, James W. Holley, Burrell R. Johnson, Isaac W. King, R. Irvine Smith,
<br />Raymond B. Smith, Raymond Turner, A. P. Johnson, Jr., City Manager, M. A. Kerb, Jr.,
<br />City Attorney, and W. J. O'Brien, Jr., Assistant City Attorney.
<br />
<br />Prayer was offered by Councilman Isaac W. King.
<br />
<br />Mayor Barnes extended a welcome to all visitors in attendance.
<br />
<br /> 71-475 - On motion of Mr. Irvine Smith and seconded by Mr, Turner, Item 71-475 (Rental
<br />Inspection Ordinance) was placed as the first order of business by the following vote:
<br />
<br />Ayes: Holley, Johnson, King, Irvine Smith, Raymond Smith, Turner
<br />Nays: None
<br />
<br />The following individuals spoke:
<br />
<br />Mr. Titus O. Sills, 401 Summerset Drive, President of Portsmouth Jaycees ~Pro)
<br />The following letter frp$ Portsmouth Jaycees was read:
<br />
<br /> "The Portsmouth Jaycees encourage City Council to take action to eliminate slum housing
<br />and neglected vacant buildings in Portsmouth by adopting the antiblight ordinance to amend
<br />the city code as presently proposed. Although this ordinance will be a nuisance for some,
<br />the overall affect .will be to make our city a better place in which to live. The systematic
<br />code inspection program now in effect needs no discussion - it's not doing the job - get rid
<br />of it.
<br />
<br /> The Jaycees last year attempted to aid the residents of Southside by assisting in the
<br />preparation of letters to have dwellings inspected and the city housing code enforced there-
<br />by upgrading the dwellings. This led eventually to the condemnation of the dwellings and
<br />created a new problem, where to house the families displaced by landlards who refused to up-
<br />grade their rental property.
<br />
<br /> The "old system" cannot continue lest the growth of slums eventually overpower this
<br />entire city.
<br />
<br /> The Jayeees see nothing but benefit for Portsmouth Citizens by the passage of this
<br />ordinance. We urge you to pass it immediately."
<br />
<br /> Mr. Charles Cooper, owner Norport Apartments, presented the following Proposed Amend-
<br />ment to Section 4-61.5: (Con)
<br />
<br />"To be inserted at the end of the first paragraph of Section 4-61.5.
<br />
<br />Provided, further, that with respect to any dwelling unit which is part
<br />of a dwelling complex of 100 or more dwelling units under common ownership,
<br />no such inspection shall be required for a dwelling unit within one (1)
<br />year of the date of the last Certificate of Compliance issued for all of
<br />the units within said dwelling complex issued upon an initial inspection,
<br />but not a reinspection."
<br />
<br />The following Ie~ter received from Drucker & Falk, Newport News, Virginia:
<br />
<br /> "In
<br />regardin
<br />we would
<br />
<br />reference to the meeting of the Portsmouth City Council of November 9, 1971,
<br />g the abo~ecordinance and the subsequent decision to reconvene on November 25,
<br />like to make the following observations:
<br />
<br />1971,
<br />
<br /> Drucker g Falk are agents for Victory Garden Apartments, 2501 Bird Lane, Portsmouth,
<br />Virginia, a 2~ year old modern garden apartment development now comprising 104 units of two
<br />and three bedroom apartments in Section I. Section II is an additional 100 units yet to be
<br />constructed.
<br />
<br /> We certainly are in favor
<br />prove living conditions for all
<br />continue to cooperate with the
<br />
<br />of any measure to clear blighted areas forever and to im-
<br /> families regardless of race, creed, or color, and shall
<br />City in that endeavor.
<br />
<br /> The Tidewater area of Virginia is faced with the,:economic fact of a transient population
<br />which i~ turn is evidenced by the constant high turnover factor in apartment occupancy. Base
<br />on our experience it would be perfectly feasible for as many as 500 apartments becoming avail
<br />able on any month's end in the Portsmouth area alone. This situation in itself would make
<br />it physically impossible for an immediate inspection of vacated apartments. It has been our
<br />continued effort to assure incoming tenants with apartment readiness within 24 to 48 hours
<br />after the unit has been vacated, thereby saving the new occupant from excessive expenses
<br />while waiting for the unit to be readied, and the owners additional vacancy loss.
<br />
<br /> -Drucker & Falk is an accredited management organization with national recognition who
<br />places special emphasis on the highest ethical standards. This fact is easily recogniz'ed
<br />by the high calibre of the Victory Gardens personnel. The concerned rental manager and
<br />the efficient maintenance staff are constantly striving for complete tenant satisfaction.
<br />
<br /> In order for the City to verify these high standarg~ we certainly would not object to
<br />an annual ins~ecti:on;~ however, any p~ential wait for inspections of ~apartments and issuance
<br />of Compliance Certificates prior to occupancy by the new tenants, particularly under our
<br />high turnover experience, would be dfs~lptive and unworkable. As an example in point, an
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