Agend a ep rt
August 8, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Manager's Office
SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF A CITY COUNCIL POSITION REGARDING THE
CHARTER AMENDMENT INITIATIVE PETITION TO ESTABLISH RENT
CONTROL, CREATE A RENTAL HOUSING BOARD AND SET
CRITERIA FOR JUST CAUSE EVICTIONS ("CHARTER AMENDMENT
RENT CONTROL MEASURE"}
RECOMMENDATION:
Provide direction to staff as to,whether the City Council will take a position in support or opposition or remain neutral as to the Charter Amendment Rent Control Measure, which has qualified for the November 2022 General Election ballot.
BACKGROUND:
Over the years, the City Council and residents of Pasadena have been presented with local ballot measures. Such measures are often initiated by the City Council, usually to address a level of service and/or ensure continued or more efficient operations of City government. For example, the Council very recently placed a measure on the November 2022 General Election ballot that will ask voters whether they wish to continue a parcel tax that supports continued operational needs of the Pasadena Public Library. In 2020, the Council placed a measure on the ballot that allowed for the City to continue the longstanding utility transfer to the general fund. Other recent City Council initiated ballot measures include: commercial cannabis and commercial cannabis tax; election procedures; and sales tax and spending priorities for the tax.
Similar to the above measures, a review of recent local ballot measures indicates that the vast majority of them have been initiated by the City Council as opposed to residents. The proposed Charter Amendment Rent Control Measure, however, has been initiated by voters of the City.
MEETING OF ___ 0_B_/_0_S /_2_2 12 AGENDA ITEM NO. ____ _ City Council Position For Charter Amendment Initiative Petition August 8, 2022
CITY COUNCIL POSITION:
For measures placed on the ballot by initiative petition, California Elections Code Section 9282 affords the proponents of the initiative the right to file written arguments in favor of the measure. It also allows, but does not require, the City Council ( or member or members of the Council authorized by the Council) to file written arguments against the measure. In the event the City Council does not take action to submit a ballot argument against the measure, in accordance with the Elections Code, the next priority for filing arguments against the measure would fall to a bona fide association of citizens, followed by an individual voter who can vote on the measure.
The most recent example of a measure placed on the ballot by initiative petition was in 2006, asking whether the Rose Bowl Stadium should be renovated for use and lease by the National Football League. In that case, the City Council authorized several of its members to file an argument against the measure. In 2001, in response to an initiative petition measure related to the completion of the 710 Freeway, the City Council did not authorize the filing of arguments against the measure. While the occurrence of petition based ballot measures are infrequent, there have been other voter initiated measures, and the Council has remained neutral in some cases and has designated members to prepare arguments against in other cases.
With respect to the subject Charter Amendment Rent Control Measure, in addition to voting to file arguments against the measure, the City Council may as a body choose to remain neutral and not file any arguments. In that case, it is likely that an organized opposition group would prepare and file arguments against the measure. Further, members of the City Council could file arguments for or against the measure as individual voters eligible to vote on the measure, if any member(s) chose to do so.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
Respectfully prepared and submitted,
DAVID M. REYES
Acting Assistant City Man_ager