Committee advances rental inspection pilot for Uptown/Uptown–15th District under Wis. Stat. 66.0104

Sponsor and Department of Neighborhood Services staff presented Substitute B to establish a targeted rental property inspection (RI) program using the authority in Wisconsin Statute 66.0104. DNS Commissioner Jesamilla Royo Vega said the pilot focuses on one- and two‑family rental properties in a defined Uptown boundary, noting "around 200 rental properties… around 399 units" eligible and that the pilot is intended to be manageable and to allow data collection for possible expansion.

Deputy Commissioner Mike Mesmanian described the inspection flow: owners are notified, inspectors perform proactive inspections with tenant outreach, and where habitability violations are found staff issue 30‑day orders to correct; if violations are corrected a property receives a five‑year exemption, while repeated failures can trigger reinspection fees (staff cited a $90 initial inspection, $150 reinspection and a $300 statutory maximum that the department interprets across multiple reinspections). Community representatives including Mabel Lam of the Sherman Park Community Association and resident Anna Branderhorst testified in support, describing exterior decline and turnover. The committee recommended the ordinance and companion resolution to designate the district and establish the pilot.