The ordinance will take effect in 45 days and will expire in March 2001, at which time the council may take it up again. In a rare move, Mayor Sue Bauman stepped down from her chair to argue for the proposal's passage. Bauman said to council members grumbling about the late hour. The legislation will become part of the city's tenant-landlord law and will be enforceable by the courts. A previous version of the legislation would have had it enforced by the Equal Opportunities Commission.
Passage comes after years of consideration in city committees.
The council balked at a slightly different version last year, sending it to the new Housing Committee. That's because the ordinance now includes a provision requiring landlords to give rejected applicants a written reason for denial. The ordinance also states that tenants initially must be notified in writing that the landlord uses an income-standard screening process. Mike Verveer, the legislation's sponsor. The legislation also calls on the Housing Committee to form a study to determine the effectiveness of the ordinance.