Rochester City Council Notes: Hearing for Rental Property Ordinance Delayed Again

Rochester City Council members voted to move, again, a .

The hearing, which was originally planned for Monday night but then was moved to May 9, will now move to May 23.

The ordinance would regulate inspections of rental property and establish a fee schedule for registering rental properties within the city.

The hearing's first rescheduling was in response to the anticipated absence of a council member. This time, the rescheduling was in response to the anticipated absence of a community member who has been active in the ongoing discussion of the ordinance.

Robert Bloomingdale said he would not be able to attend the May 9 meeting; he has been voicing his concerns about the ordinance since it was first proposed Oct. 11 — in fact, he said he dragged his wife to that first meeting on her birthday.

Council members voted to accept his request.

"One thing I've always appreciated about city government is that it is small and intimate," council member David Becker said. "I think it is entirely appropriate to postpone the hearing to give him a chance to have his voice heard."

Relay for Life presentation

Bob Grace, an organizer of the Rochester Relay for Life, told council members that relay organizers were looking for people to sign up for a long-term cancer study during the June 25-26 event. The study, which is designed to help give insight into cancer causes and prevention, needs people ages 30-65 with no previous history of cancer; they would be asked to complete a survey during the relay event, provide a blood sample and then complete follow-up surveys every couple of years. For more information, visit the Rochester Relay for Life website.

In other action, council members also:

• Approved outdoor dining licenses for the following downtown restaurants: , , , , and .

• Approved a request by Kensington Church to hold a on Saturday in .
• Approved the renewal of a valet parking agreement from .
• Approved a request by to hold several events during the summer months, including Tuesday Night Bike Nights, charity pig roasts and a Red Cross Ride for Red on Aug. 7.
• Discussed allowing five city firefighters who are members of a regional urban search-and-rescue task force to be allowed to operate Oakland County vehicles.
• Adopted an ordinance that outlines licensing requirements for bowling alleys, athletic facilities and recreation halls to allow charitable gaming tables.
• Scheduled a public hearing for May 9 for a liquor license transfer request for from Andiamo, which previously held the license for the restaurant. The license also would allow for a dance and entertainment permit, though owner Daniel Linnen said the restaurant has no ambitious plans to turn Rojo into a club, but to allow instead for acoustic musicians or duos — "although there could be impromptu dancing," Linnen said. 

Coming up

City Council members are to meet for a special budget workshop Monday to review the proposed city budget. A public hearing is to be held April 25. The budget is available for download here on the city's website.