Should inspections be triggered by complaints, or should every unit be inspected systematically?
If we inspect all, should we inspect every year or every second or third year?
Should we charge a fee to cover the inspection cost?
How much will that be?Would that fee be passed through and added to the burden of the monthly rent payment to the residents?
Is there to be a grace period for locations flunking an inspection? How long?
What if the renters are determined to be at risk but want to stay because they have nowhere else to go?
What minimum conditions for structure, cleanliness, security and safety must be met?
If there are as many violations as some believe and inspections force 100, 200 or more residents or families out, where would they go? Would the city have some responsibility to help them and if not, who would? Working with Northern State University and Presentation College would be necessary, as it could have real effects - positive and negative - on their overall housing situation. And there is an argument that people should be left to look out for themselves, be responsible for their own well-being and not go to the government. Can we trust the marketplace to police itself? Tough questions, and many "good" landlords say they are operating responsibly and have made their feeling known that they don't want to be punished for the "bad" ones. Some landlords tell us they could be victimized by disgruntled tenants who might trash their place to get the owners in trouble. As of now, there is no pending action scheduled, but when and if the city and/or the council decide to go forward, there will be some very tough choices to make. No one disputes the argument that without inspections, some renters in Aberdeen are being victimized with substandard conditions. Without inspections we don't know how many. Mike Levsen is mayor of Aberdeen. In July, the mayor's position became a part-time position with the hiring of full-time City Manager Lynn Lander.