Almost six months after a new rental housing licensing ordinance was first introduced to the Albert Lea City Council, the ordinance will again come before the council Monday in a revised format.

The most updated format of the ordinance is the culmination of six Rental Housing Task Force meetings during the past several months. It establishes a method of registering landlords and enforcing the already-in-place minimum housing standards to the living conditions of people who rent dwelling units.

If approved, all property owners who choose to rent a dwelling unit will be required to obtain a license before doing so and have an inspection of the premises prior to renting.

Then, subsequent inspections will be conducted, depending on the results of the previous inspection.

The purpose of the ordinance is to “protect the public health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of Albert Lea” who rent housing, it states.

It intends “to establish a permanent mode of protecting and regulating the living conditions of the residents of the city who rent dwelling units,” according to the ordinance.

The most current version was approved by 11 out of 12 task force members, on the condition of having a tenant registry in place.

The ordinance was first introduced March 24, and on April 14 after much opposition the council voted to table the ordinance indefinitely and rework it with a task force of landlords, tenants, city staff, property managers, Realtors and housing representatives.

In the months that followed, the task force identified 24 areas of concern, talked over the ordinance and then ended the last meeting with four remaining issues.

The largest of those issues — the tenant registry — is going to be done through an e-mail system.

Councilors Larry Baker and Minnow Brooks were closely involved with the process and worked to ensure that issues brought up by the task force members were addressed.

During the Monday meeting, the council will also:

– Vote on whether to accept bids and award the contract for the street, sewer and water contract for the improvement project on William Street, from St. Mary Avenue to Washington Avenue, and on St. Mary Avenue, from West Main Street to William Street.

The city received five bids for the project, ranging from about $363,000 to $592,000. The low bid was submitted by Heselton Construction LLC out of Faribault.

The engineer’s estimate was about $413,000.

Have a public hearing and vote on whether to amend the city’s sewer rate structure.

The city adopted its current water and sewer rate structure in February.

Brooks has since proposed amending it.

– Vote on whether to approve the final plat of Pro Trucking Addition.

– Vote on whether to accept a proposal to form a tax increment finance district for Safe Air Repair Inc. expansion on Airport Road. The expansion would be 9,600 square feet.

Safe Air Repair Inc. is a custom machining and metal fabrication operation.

If the resolution is passed, a public hearing would be called for Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. to hear input on the issue.

– Vote on a request from East Fork Biodiesel LLC in Algona, Iowa, to extend its wastewater disposal agreement with the city for another year.

East Fork Biodiesel is transporting processed wastewater from their facility until their on-site treatment facility becomes operational.

– Vote on a request to install a “Children at Play” sign near the park in the Park Avenue neighborhood.

Though the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices discourages the use of such signs — giving six reasons why they should not be installed — the city has placed several “Children at Play” signs in the past.

Hear a request from Jon Ford, executive director of the Albert Lea Housing Redevelopment Authority, for funds to go toward updating the current housing study and plan.

Simonsen said almost every developer who comes into the area asks for that study. It has been a helpful tool.

The Freeborn County Board of Commissioners last week approved $5,000 in funds to go toward the housing study.

– Vote on a request to extend the sewer line to 1426 South Shore Drive.

When services were installed along South Shore Drive, the property there was considered a cabin and was not required to hook up.

Now someone is living at the house full time and would like to install a grinder pump and force main to service his sanitary sewer. The cost is estimated at $25,200, and the owner is asking that the cost be assessed to his property and paid back over 15-year period.

– Vote on approving election judges for the general election.

– Vote to call a public hearing for several proposed assessments on neighborhood projects completed this summer.

– Vote on approving an on-sale intoxicating liquor license for The Cubby Hole.