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Neighborhood Livability Working Group <br />SECTION IV: REVIEW PAST EFFORTS TO ADDRESS LIVABILITY <br />2003 West University Task Force - Progress Report on Proposed Strategies <br />This is not the first time the City and community have grappled with these problems within a formal process. In <br />response to the riot that occurred in September 2002, Mayor Torrey and President Frohnmayer formed the West <br />University Task Force to develop solutions to the safety and livability issues of the area. Similar to the NLWG, the <br />task force comprised a mix of relevant stakeholders and produced a series of short- and long- term strategies. <br />However, the work of the task force was limited to the West University neighborhood. An update on progress <br />implementing the recommendations was provided in 2003 and staff conducted a more recent update for this <br />report. Understanding the results of previous work on this issue was important to informing this work and helping <br />craft new, effective strategies. It is worth noting that several of the task force strategies are similar to current <br />strategies being considered (identified by italics). The following table provides information on the task force <br />strategies and progress in implementing them: <br />Strategy 2003 Update 2011 Update <br />(Memo to City Council) <br />Long-Term Strategies <br />Housing Standards - Consider The Rental Housing Code was <br />implementing basic habitability and adopted in 2005 and addresses six <br />safety standards that would also basic minimum standards: structural <br />address exterior maintenance as a integrity; plumbing and heating; <br />mechanism for residents or property weatherproofing; security; and <br />management companies to compel smoke detectors. More recently the <br />negligent property owners to language expanded to address <br />improve/maintain properties. visible mold caused from faulty <br />plumbing or insufficient <br />weatherproofing. The code is specific <br />to address interior habitability <br />standards. While the City does have <br />language in Chapter 8 that speaks to <br />, <br />not aesthetics. <br />Alley improvements - Explore All 23 unimproved alleys in the West <br />options for alley paving and other University Neighborhood were <br />improvements. upgraded to 14-foot wide concrete <br />alleys with storm water catch basins <br />in 2005. Improvements were funded <br />with $2 million generated from one <br />large local improvement district. <br /> <br /> <br />9 <br />Page <br />