Agenda - 04-01-2004-4e - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Oq-3 0 - 03 M ~ n wi-es -~ G ~ c e_~ p~ - . /~ o ~ c~- FHWA that their unified planning work program and their long-range transportation plan are conforming, Commissioner Jacobs asked if Hil Isborough is involved at all, pave Stancii said that he has talked with the Town Planning Director. Hillsborough is not involved i n ICLEI, but has a great interest in the ozone issues. Frances Dancy said that she is a member of the GTRC. Alex Zaffron said that in order to keep the Federal dollars flowing, the MPO must execute the plans as submitted, Commissioner Jacobs said that the County Commissioners had asked the legislators to help in getting a monitoring device in this County but to no avail. He suggested getting the Ghair to write a letter and have the Mayors sign on and again request a monitor so that we have a better gauge of what is going on in the County. A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Carrboro Alderman Diana McDuffee to write a letter to the Legislator s and have all Chairs and Mayors to sign, asking for a device to monitor air quality in Orange County, VOTE: UNANIMOUS Jacqueline Gist suggested seeing if UNC had any type of device that would measure air quality. Jim Ward said that he would ask the University about using such a device. Chair Brown asked to change the agenda and bring up item 6 now, 6. Substandard Rental Housing Task Force Jacqueline Gist said that .lohn Herrera brought up concern with substandard rental housing and its i mplications and how people are helpless in dealing w ith it because they are outside the system, She would like to develop a countywide task force with representatives from all three municipalities to find a way of examining the iss ue, to see how bad it really is, and to come up with some regulations and mechanisms that all municipalities would use to take care of these people. John Herrara said that this started concerning Carrboro, but it is something that he has seen countywide.. He s aid that there are a lot of working class people in rental housing in Carrboro, Right now the current housing codes and the landlord code are very pro-landlord. He said that it i s easier to get evicted than it is to get repairs done, People are taken~advantage of and some do not have contracts, He sees human rights abuses. if you start complaining, the system is too overwhelming for the working class folks. The housing code needs to be updated. He would like to see housing as a human rights issue. He woul d like to crack down on the landlords -the people who are charging per head and stealing from poor pe ople, He thinks that this is a crisis issue, He knows that tenants and landlords have responsibilities, but the tenants also have rights. He would also like to find a way to reward the good landlords. Jacqueline Gist said that a lot of these people that they are concerned ab out are not living in the big blocked apartments, but are living in s Ingle dwellings (small houses and trailers), They are asking staff to help put together a fairly high level task force to examine this problem as a distinct issue from affordable housing, Mayor Foy said that last year the Town of Chapel H ill instittated a rental-I icensing program that requires all landlords to r egister with the Town and pay a fee so that the Town can track them and so that the y can supply information to the tenant s through the landlord so that the tena nts know what the rules are. They also address non- responsive landlords, He is offering this as information that might be useful in tracking these kinds of issues.