City vs County
Here’s a new one. It’s not often you see the city and the county on opposite ends of an issue, but that’s where we are.
You’re familiar with the new veterans’ facility being built in Marquette Township, right? Well, as a consequence of that, a chunk of property owned by the state, will soon be vacated on Fisher Street where the current Jacobetti Home for Veterans now stands.
With available property within the city limits at a premium, both the city and county are licking their chops at the prospect of becoming the new caretakers of the Jacobetti site, once the new facility is open.
Coincidentally, they’re both looking at it for housing. The city envisions the site ultimately transformed into more residential inventory. The county wants it for their new jail.
Okay, calling it “housing” might be a stretch, but not entirely untrue.
Two Good Ideas
The reason for the city’s interest is obvious. Our shortage of housing, both affordable and otherwise, is always near the top of the list of what the city needs to be addressing. Though they can’t build the houses themselves, city leaders can take measures to address the problem… like acquiring the property from the state and turning it over to developers.
On the other hand, the county jail is bursting at the seams. They’re operating over capacity, to the point where they’re sending our prisoners to other county jails that have the room to accept them.
Though that seems like a reasonable solution, it really isn’t. You see, it costs big bucks to have other people handle our problems. A new jail, costly in its own right, would eliminate the need to farm out incarceration services, resulting in more efficient use of our tax dollars.
Having a No Vacancy sign burning brightly 24/7 on the corner of West Baraga and South 4th isn’t the only issue. The Marquette County Jail is outdated and logistically inefficient. New jails now follow best practices with only one floor and a blueprint that provides for both better supervision, as well as a safer environment for jail staff.
Advocacy for the Jail
A committee has been established to determine what the county can do to acquire the Jacobetti property and build a new facility, housing the jail and other offices of the Sheriff’s Department.
It’s hard to tell if either the city or the county will eventually gain the rights to the property. You never know what the state will end up doing. Regardless, it’ll be interesting to watch the two entities bid against each other to pave the way for their own needs.
There’s also the possibility it could lead to a vote of some sort that would put the decision in the hands of the people.
If it came down to it, which side would you take?
Tenants vs Landlords
Rent, the real kind and not the musical, is the four-letter word currently capturing the attention of around half of all Marquette residents… the renters.
The typically tenuous and often contentious relationship between tenants and landlords has been brought to the attention of the Marquette City Commission recently by tenant advocate and self-appointed spokesperson, Bailey Quinn.
Quinn, for those of you who don’t closely follow city commission meetings, has been a regular at the Public Comment podium, voicing her concerns about how landlords are held, or not held responsible for providing safe, inspected, and approved domiciles for their renters.
“What I want the City of Marquette to do for its renters,” Quinn tells me, “is create methods of enforcement that compel landlords to follow the ordinances regarding renting a home to tenants. Right now, if the home you rent is out of compliance with local building codes there is not a single person in the city or county who can do anything about it even if it’s unsafe; I want the city to step in and draw the line where people’s safety comes before business profits.”
City Limits
Seems like a reasonable request. However, the city is limited as to their jurisdiction over renter/landlord disputes. If ordinances in the city code are being violated, by all means, the city can and does get involved. But many of the issues that crop up in the rental scene are beyond the scope of the city and are often relegated to the courts.
That makes you wonder how a renter, likely already strapped for cash, is expected to take on a landlord with more financial resources, and probably more experience in such disputes.
Not to mention… why does everything always have to go to the courts?
Tenant Options
Well, according to City Manager Karen Kovacs, who’s been on the listening end of the renters’ concerns, there are other options when looking to resolve complaints against landlords.
In fact, here’s what she told Quinn… “I wanted to make you aware of the Marquette Alger Resolution Service (MARS). They offer very affordable mediation services and have experience with landlord/tenant issues. Their services are cheaper than the court process and you would most likely be able to get into mediation faster than getting a court date.”
To be sure, many issues confronting renters fall short of the need for judicial rulings or mediation intervention. A lot of tenant concerns boil down to what they pay, for what they get. Unfortunately, especially in a college town and one already stressed for affordable housing, rental properties are what they are. Some great… some barely inhabitable.
Two Sides to the Story
Before we endorse the renters’ requests, we have to acknowledge the other side of the ledger. As there are bad landlords, there are bad tenants. Owning a rental property can be rewarding and profitable, but it can also be a soul-sucking, savings-draining nightmare So there’s that.
Quinn, not ready to give up her fight, explains… “My motivation in pursuing this is rooted in my belief that housing is a human right and when you truly love something you fight to make it better. I want to make sure I am the last renter in Marquette that is threatened and harassed by their landlord for asking that they follow the local rental requirements. We all deserve good, safe, clean, habitable housing, and the health and safety of my community will always be worth fighting for.”
Given that the city can only do so much, maybe an ad hoc committee, like the one which helped determine our new eBike rules, could identify whatever options might be available to the renting community. That would at least give Quinn and her allies a vehicle to help keep their issue moving forward.
The city, as evidenced by their interest in the Jacobetti property, appears committed to doing what they can to improve the housing scene in Marquette. An objective examination of current conditions by a city-appointed board, and a plan of action based on those findings, could make life easier for both tenants and landlords. I can’t imagine being opposed to that.