The Bemidji City Council met to discuss the formation of a committee to review the city’s rental code.
City Attorney Al Felix was on hand during the work session, and as he has been with the city for a number of decades, advised, between puns, that the process involves many moving parts.
Since the rental code includes a Crime Free Housing initiative, the Bemidji Police Department has some level of involvement, as does the Bemidji Fire Department, for burning rules around rentals, the JPB, for zoning regulations and parking, as well as more obvious stakeholders such as landlords and tenants.
Three council members will likely be voted onto the “Ad Hoc Rental Committee II” during the next regular council meeting.
Consensus was reached to add Ward 4’s Emelie Rivera, Ward 5’s Nancy Erickson and At-Large member Dan Jourdain to the new committee.
The city’s rental code was last significantly amended in 2011, and can be found on the city’s website or in the city work session packet.
