CC Minutes - 05/19/08 Public Hearning

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use of the surplus fees was to fast track solutions to code violations to provide landlords with definitive directions and any needed permits within three weeks of an inspection. Bill Slattery , Jackson Street, Eugene, stated he was a general contractor and forensic investigator for construction defects. He had been involved in many high profile mold and spore cases in Oregon and suggested that $78,000 would not be adequate to hire an industrial hygienist, which was what would be required to certify a “mold infested” area. He said mold was an ill-defined event; some people were allergic to it and others were not. He said most problems with mold in houses and buildings related to moisture penetration and entrapment and dealing with it was an active, not passive event; an annual inspection would not prevent mold. He pointed out that the Center for Disease Control found no toxic mold; that was a term developed by the tort industry. He urged the council not to expand the ordinance to include mold. nd Sam Dotters-Katz , West 22 Avenue, Eugene, president-elect of the Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO), endorsed adoption of the ordinance changes that would augment Eugene’s rental housing standards. He understood there were state statutes in place related to some of those standards, but recourse through court proceedings was too time-consuming and expensive for the two large groups—low income renters and students living off campus. He said it was an access issue and not related to changing the rights of renters; only making their options for recourse more accessible and usable. th Tom Bode , East 18 Avenue, Eugene, said he was a University of Oregon students and renter who had mold in his unit. He followed the guidelines for using a fan and keeping the apartment warm, but his landlord ignored the mold problem. He supported adding mold to the rental housing standards as it represented a threat to the health of renters and renters alone should not bear the responsibility for prevention and remediation of mold. He said researched demonstrated that mold in the home could be a serious health threat, causing allergic reactions and irritating lungs; some mold created microtoxins, which caused illness and death. He said moisture caused mold and cleaning it up without addressing the underlying problem was only a temporary solution. Proper preventative measures could require significant structural changes to housing units for which renters lacked the expertise, resources and permission to perform; they were best undertaken by landlords. He asserted that there were federal guidelines asserting that mold cleanup could be dangerous. He urged the council to include mold in the housing standards as a necessity, not a luxury for rentals. Hilary Jones , University Street, Eugene, a University of Oregon student and renter, related her personal experience with mold in her housing unit to illustrate the need to include mold in the ordinance. She asked the council to adopt the ordinance to improve Eugene’s rental housing standards. Kari Herinckx, Kinsrow Avenue, Eugene, a University of Oregon student, thanked the council for giving students the opportunity to address the need to continue the work started four years ago when students fought for Eugene rental housing standards. She said students represented the needs of all renters. She said the three items being added to the ordinance—mold, security and lack of smoke detectors—reflected the top three complaints from renters. She said those issues represented tangible threats to the health and security of renters, who composed almost half of the City’s population, and passing the ordinance would assure a better standard of living. Paul Cauthorn , Baker Boulevard, Eugene, remarked that landlords provided a service to the community by making quality housing available at a reasonable fee. Tenants were also provided appliances and an on-call handyman when needed. He said tenants had full protection of their rights under State law that included many things the ineffective, redundant City housing program did not. He said staff was advocating for MINUTES—Eugene City Council May 19, 2008 Page 6 Public Hearing