Village of Wellington Code Compliance Rental License Program

This grant program is authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5) (the 'Recovery Act') and by 42 U.S.C. 3751(a). The stated purposes of the Recovery Act are: to preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery; to assist those most impacted by the recession; to provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and health; to invest in transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits; and to stabilize state and local government budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases. The Recovery Act places great emphasis on accountability and transparency in the use of taxpayer dollars.

Among other things, it creates a new Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board and a new website ' Recovery.gov ' to provide information to the public, including access to detailed information on grants and contracts made with Recovery Act funds.

The Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program funded under the Recovery Act is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. Recovery JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system, from multi-jurisdictional drug and gang task forces to crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, and justice information sharing initiatives. Recovery JAG funded projects may address crime through the provision of services directly to individuals and/or communities and by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of criminal justice systems, processes, and procedures.

The village of Wellington will use the Recovery Act JAG funds to retain a code compliance officer position as part of the Rental Property Licensing Program. Due to a decrease in the local tax base, Wellington requires outside sources of revenues to maintain the current level of staffing for the program. The program supports Wellington's objective to maintain a high quality safe rental housing stock by annually inspecting each existing rental dwelling available for lease within the village and inspecting newly constructed rental units prior to habitation. Other duties include responding to complaints, providing notices to property owners, and participation in Special Magistrate proceedings. The program further identifies the local representative or agent of the property owner and the right of entry onto property as a means to allow more detailed inspection of the condition and appearance of the exterior of structures and grounds, including conditions of overcrowding and other similar housing violations.

NCA/NCF