It was a meeting of the minds Monday afternoon, as city officials from Clemson, South Carolina sat down to talk with their Manhattan equals.
The meeting room at the Hilton Garden Inn was packed as various tid-bits about the way each city operates, were shared.
As Manhattan grapples with the issue of rental inspection, staff from Clemson shared how they’ve resolved a similar struggle.
“It’s not a money maker, but its a problem solver,” said one staff member of the program.
Clemson officials put a rental inspection program into place 16 years ago.
The program generates roughly $80,000.00 per year – most of the money going toward the salary of a staff member who oversees the entire program.
Staff members described the program as a “service to students,” attending Clemson University.
The general make-up involves a series of conditions renters must meet in order to license their property for rent.
From there guidelines are put in place and those who break them go through court like procedures with the city council, with the possibility of having their rental license revoked for up to one year.
With the issue currently holding much prevalence in Manhattan, the topic proved to be a conversation starter.
The city also shared its use of technology with Manhattan officials, including a look at a mobile system that allows trash companies to record large items that need picked up at a later date, or report things like pot holes.
Transportation was another point of discussion, with Clemson staff discussing their electric bus system – the only one in the world currently operating.
The discussion lasted several hours and seemed to foster future forward thinking for both cities.
