Due to the ongoing efforts of
the HAPCO Board of Directors and
other interested parties, and
due in no small measure to the
motivated scores of owners who
made a powerful showing at the
committee hearing last week, the
Councilwoman has provided formal
notice to HAPCO that the Bill
will be amended to incorporate
the precise language we have
insisted upon, exempting from
lead certification all units
occupied by students; Section 8
(Housing Choice Vouchers);
and dwelling units
in which children aged six (6)
and under do not reside.
The bill further contains the
amendment already achieved
allowing inspections by either a
comprehensive inspector-risk
assessor or an
individual who has taken an
approved course to be trained as
a lead dust sampling technician.
The bill further contains our
insistence that the dust
wipe test be performed only
every two years, or upon a new (not
renewal) lease, whichever
time period is longer.
Our efforts to remove the
excessive potential
fines of up to $2,000 were not
successful; however,
the fines are up to
that amount, and are imposed
only by Judge. A lesser fine is
of course within the sound
discretion of a Court if a
matter were ever to reach that
stage.
In summary, the bill is frankly
problematic on a number of
levels. We know that. However,
in real world politics, such is
how it goes. We have, with
HAPCO's powerful unified effort,
accomplished an enormous
improvement in the Bill, which
will go into effect one year
from tomorrow.
Those who still wish to appear
at the Council meeting tomorrow
are of course free to do so;
however, it is no longer
necessary, as we will not be
presenting opposition, but
rather a recognition of the
efforts at compromise, and then
move on to the next series of
battles to protect the interests
of property owners, of which
there will of course be many.
