Mount Vernon resident Robert Caldwell voiced concerns at a city council meeting earlier this month about the mission of the Mount Vernon Housing Commission. Caldwell is calling for changes to how the city addresses housing issues, specifically regarding property management oversight and maintaining safe environments for renters in the city. This comes after Caldwell and his neighbors claim to have experienced several incidents that risks the safety of tenants.
Caldwell, who lives at an apartment complex at 711 Meadow Lane Court SE, in Mount Vernon, raised concerns about winter maintenance, infrastructure issues, and a lack of response from property management. The complex is owned by Apartments in Coralville LLC, according to the Linn County Assessor. The Sun reached out to the registered agent for Apartments in Coralville, who said he forwarded the request for comment to the property owner. The owner did not respond before press time.
Mount Vernon city administrator Chris Nosbisch said the city has met with residents regarding concerns about the property but has limited authority to intervene.
“Without a rental code in place, the city does not have a means to enforce some of the issues raised,” Nosbisch said.
A rental code would establish minimum standards for rental properties regarding safety, maintenance and sanitation, would require inspections of rental units, and would allow the city to force landlords to make improvements if they fail to adhere to the requirements. Surrounding cities, such as Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, have rental codes to require maintenance. However, without such a code in Mount Vernon, the city cannot legally enforce the landlord to adequately maintain properties, Nosbisch said.
The Housing Commission was created in 2016 to make recommendations on affordable housing options in Mount Vernon.
According to Nosbisch, the commission’s work has primarily focused on long-term development projects rather than property-level concerns. In 2018, the commission also worked with developers on an agreement that developers would create new housing subdivisions within the city in exchange for annual tax increment financing (TIF) to cover the cost of services needed to serve new residents, including infrastructure improvements. The commission also partnered with Community Housing Initiatives, or CHI, to develop a senior apartment complex for low to moderate income residents.
Nosbisch said the commission hasn’t recently been active.
“The housing commission has been idle for the past year and a half as it awaits new directives from the city,” Nosbisch said.
Caldwell said the Commission, appointed by City Council, only represents landowners and does not adequately represent tenants. Before these policy issues are addressed, Caldwell is asking the city to review who is on the commission in order to correctly represent residents’ needs.
“During the time they’re looking at real policy, it would be good to have adequate representation,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell’s frustration stems from ongoing safety concerns at his property, particularly during the winter months.
In the winter, Caldwell’s property management does not regularly or adequately shovel or salt for inclement weather, posing risks to safety, he said. Caldwell described an incident in which his 82-year-old neighbor was unable to access her car in the properties garage for three weeks due to uncleared snow.
Additionally, Caldwell himself suffered an injury. Three years ago, he slipped and fell on black ice in the parking lot, hitting his head on the cement.
“I couldn’t get up,” Caldwell said.
Another resident of the property slipped on the ice as well, resulting in her use of crutches for a year, he said. Despite requests for the use of salt or sand, the property management hasn’t made much effort to fix these issues, according to Caldwell.
In addition to winter-related hazards, Caldwell pointed to infrastructure issues, including a damaged railing at the south entrance of the building that has been pulled out of the cement underneath. This, too, has not been fixed, despite safety concerns for residents who rely on the railing.
While Caldwell directed his concerns to the Housing Commission, Nosbisch says those types of issues typically fall outside its responsibilities. The city contracts with Linn County for enforcement related to dangerous and dilapidated building concerns, but the issues raised by Caldwell do not meet that threshold, according to Nosbisch.
Without a rental code, city officials have limited ability to require property owners to maintain and address concerns like snow removal or maintenance. Despite discussions about implementing a rental code in Mount Vernon, the council has not approved such measures.
“At the conclusion of each discussion, it has been determined by the city to not pursue a rental code,” Nosbisch said.