Board Of Aldermen - Minutes - 3/22/2016 - P21
Board of Aldermen — 3/22/16 Page 21
of that committee is that the city needs to be taking a larger role from the perspective of the constituents in
code enforcement. As was discussed in committee, as | was following the discussion and watching the reports
of the departments, the issue isn’t whether or not the code, itself, is solid. It’s whether it can be acted on ina
way that is meaningful to the needs of the tenants. | understand the arguments that were raised by the
landlords that came today. Some of them did email me and repeat those concerns. | also have been following
the Substandard Housing Committee since last fall. | also have reached out to several landlords in my ward
and invited them to observe what was going on in the committee, provide positive feedback because it was my
opinion early in the formation of that committee that having landlord be a positive voice in that committee to
discuss best practices to do what was actually described in the public committee of the landlords of Nashua
have this consistent policy. This is something you should be doing. | don’t think the city necessarily needs to
be in a position where it has to police problem landlords if the landlords will talk among themselves and
coordinate and reach an agreement as to what should be done and what shouldn’t be done. | do think we
need to step in when we have landlords who are not complying and have a pattern of that which is born out
both by the number of code violations they receive regularly and the interactions that they have had with the
police, the fire, etc. That does impact the city, and that does impact the people that are living in the buildings
who may not actually be the violators but victims of it. | was disappointed as well that this was sent back to the
Substandard Housing Committee because | think it is something that is very real to a lot of people who are
going home tonight without any resolution for immediate hope for it. Again | would like to commend Alderman
Siegel for taking up that cause the way that he has. | am happy that it is being forwarded to the Substandard
Housing Committee because | would like to see moving forward more landlords stepping up to say this is what
should be done and this is what shouldn't’ be done. While the city is responsible for the code and the
ordinances the landlords can speak to the actual application of them. | would like to see both sides working
together more to the benefits of our tenants and our constituents. | also wanted to as a side make a follow up
to a couple of weeks ago. Makelt Labs is still doing a campaign to receive CDFA money. That campaign
needs to receive pledges from anybody intending to support them by March 31“. As they are a tenant
effectively of city property and they are working to rehabilitate that property and put it in good order, | hope
everybody in the public is looking at that opportunity because it can benefit them professionally in terms of a
business and also help strengthen a very deserving program in our community.
President McCarthy
| would comment on the legislation that we just sent back to committee. Over the years | have had a lot of very
complex pieces of legislation that | authored, debated ad nauseam in committees and sent back to
committees. While | always find it frustrating that we move backwards instead of forward on those, | don’t think
| can say that I’ve ever seen a case where the end product was worse for having done that. Unfortunately
most of them have left, but | would like to encourage the landlords who are here to come and talk to the
committee. Let’s facilitate some dialogue. If there are things that need to happen, let’s do them. | think the bill
is good and workable the way it is. | think it will be better if the good landlords stand up here and say do it
rather than don’t. | would like to see us work with them in committee and come back with a bill. | don’t even
know if we need to change it. It may just be education of how the process is going to work. | did hear some
things about when we do the application that we may need to adjust, but | think with some more discussions
with the landlords we will have something that all of the good ones will endorse. | would encourage Alderman
Siegel and his committee to take that up and do a good job on that as you’ve done getting this far with the bill.
Committee announcements:
Alderman Clemons
There will be a Personnel/Administrative Affairs Committee meeting on April 4.
Alderman Dowd
Construction and Joint Special this Thursday at NHS North.
