West Sacramento Municipal Code Art. II Housing Stock Conservation Fee

A. It is imperative to establish enforceable minimum standards for residential buildings and to provide a program for enforcing these standards that is self-supporting.

B. Service request initiated enforcement actions are insufficient to provide the essential level of abatement of substandard housing conditions needed by this community.

C. Violators of the state housing law must bear the largest feasible share of the cost of housing code enforcement.

D. Rental property owners derive a substantial benefit from a housing code enforcement program and should therefore contribute to a portion of program costs.

E. Residents of rental property also benefit from a housing code enforcement program and should therefore contribute to program costs indirectly through the cost of renting such holdings.

F. It is necessary to establish an operating fund, which is separate from the city's general fund, for the purpose of implementing a housing code enforcement program and operating it on an ongoing basis. It is necessary that this source of funds be predictable and reliable for the efficient and continued operation of such a program. The imposition of a housing stock conversation fee is an appropriate means to accomplish this purpose.

G. It is recognized that the majority of rental housing property owners comply with the state housing law and applicable city ordinances, and that only a relatively small percentage violates these laws. And while it is the intent of this code that this group of violators should pay for as much of the cost of a housing code enforcement program as is practical and feasible, it is also recognized that the collection of enforcement fees and penalties from violators can be a protracted and costly process, and that reliance thereupon as the sole source to fund such a program is inherently speculative and unrealistic. Therefore, while the primary source of revenue for this housing code enforcement program is intended to come from the collection of enforcement fees and penalties from violators, the housing stock conservation fee is intended to make up program costs deficiencies. The reliance of such a program on the city's general fund for its costs of operation shall be minimized to the greatest extent possible.

(Ord. 03-1 § 2)

City council may by resolution establish a housing conservation fee to be imposed on all owners of residential rental property and hotel rooms in an amount not to exceed the cost of providing the services described in Section 19.15.001. The owner of residential housing shall not allow or cause a tenant to occupy any rental dwelling unit unless the property owner has first paid the required housing stock conservation fee.

(Ord. 03-1 § 2)