OF PASADEN
Agenda Report
JUN August 8, 2022
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CITY CLERK
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS RELATED TO THE CALLING OF A
GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION OF THE CITY OF PASADENA
CONSOLIDATED WITH THE STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION HELD
ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2022, FOR THE PURPOSE OF
SUBMITTING A CHARTER AMENDMENT INITIATIVE PETITION
MEASURE TO THE VOTERS OF THE CITY OF PASADENA TO
IMPOSE RENT CONTROL, CREATE A RENTAL HOUSING BOARD,
AND SET CRITERIA FOR JUST CAUSE EVICTIONS ("CHARTER
AMENDMENT RENT CONTROL MEASURE"); AND OTHER RELATED
ACTIONS
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
(1) Find that the proposed action is not a project subject to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as defined in Section 21065 and Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines, and as such, no environmental document pursuant to CEQA is required for the project;
(2) Adopt a resolution of the City Council of the City of Pasadena calling and giving notice of a General Municipal Election of the City of Pasadena on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, for the purpose of submitting a Charter Amendment Initiative Petition Measure to the voters of the City of Pasadena to Impose Rent Control, Create a Rental Housing Board, and Set Criteria for Just Cause Evictions (Exhibit A to resolution); requesting the Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles authorize and order the consolidation of the City of Pasadena General Municipal Election with the Statewide General Election to be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022; and directing the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk administer said election on behalf of the City;
(3) Adopt a resolution of the City Council of the City of Pasadena setting priorities for filing written arguments pertaining to the Charter Amendment Rent Control Measure; and directing the City Attorney to prepare an impartial analysis; (4) Adopt a resolution of the City Council of the City of Pasadena providing for the filing of rebuttal arguments for the Charter Amendment Rent Control Measure; and 13 MEETING OF - 08/08/22 AGENDA ITEM NO.
Resolutions Calling Election - 2022 General Municipal Election August 8, 2022
(5) Approve the printing of a City of Pasadena supplemental voter guide dedicated to two local measures (as detailed in the agenda report); and authorize the City Clerk to send a letter to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's Office confirming that the City will produce its own guide, requesting access to Pasadena voter addresses for mailing purposes, and stating the City will forego printing ballot measure information (aside from ballot questions) in the County's guide.
BACKGROUND
On May 9, 2022, following signature verification work performed by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's Office on behalf of the City, the City Clerk's Office certified that the Charter Amendment Initiative Petition Measure to Impose Rent Control, Create a Rental Housing Board, and Set Criteria for Just Cause Evictions had secured more than the requisite number of valid signatures of voters in Pasadena needed to qualify, and was determined to be sufficient. Based on this finding of sufficiency, the Charter Amendment Rent Control Measure will be submitted to the voters of Pasadena at the November 8, 2022 General Election, in accordance with California Elections Code Section 9255(c)(1), requiring a 50%+ 1 majority of "YES" votes cast to be adopted.
Proposed Ballot Measure Language
Following, is the proposed text of the Charter Amendment Rent Control Measure question:
Pasadena Charter Amendment Initiative Petition Measure
Imposing Rent Control
Shall an amendment to the Pasadena City Charter limiting rent YES increases in the City of Pasadena annually to 75% of the Consumer Price Index for most rental units built before February 1, 1995, creating an independent Rental Housing Board appointed by the City Council, as well as setting its members' initial compensation, and prohibiting evictions from NO most rental units, except for just cause based on 11 specified criteria, be adopted?
Adoption of Resolutions
Adoption of the three resolutions will accomplish the following: (1) formally call the City of Pasadena General Municipal Election for the purpose of submitting the Charter Amendment Rent Control Measure to the voters of the City of Pasadena, requesting the Board of Supervisors order the consolidation of the Pasadena General Municipal Election with the Statewide General Election on Tuesday, November 8, 2022; and directing the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters to conduct the election on behalf of the City; (2) set priority order for the filing of written arguments for the Measure, and directing the City Attorney to prepare an impartial analysis; and (3) authorize the filing of rebuttal arguments for the Measure.
Resolutions Calling Election - 2022 General Municipal Election August 8, 2022
Supplemental Voter Guide
In addition, City staff is recommending that the City produce and distribute its own supplemental voter guide (in English and Spanish) for the two City ballot measures that will include the following for each measure:
• Ballot question
• City Attorney's impartial analysis
• Primary arguments
• Rebuttal arguments
• Measure text
It is anticipated that a City voter guide will be approximately 100 pages (the text for the Charter Amendment Rent Control Measure is more than 40 pages itself). If approved, the guide will be sent to every registered voter in the City, with the current count of registered voters in Pasadena at 88,872. Alternatively, the City Council could consider a more targeted approach to distributing the voter guide, by either sending one copy to every household in the City (regardless of voter registration status), or one copy to every registered voter household in the City, as a way to avoid duplicative costs for printing and mailing. The expected cost for an English/Spanish guide as presented is approximately $150,000 to print, address, and mail to all registered voters.
One reason to produce a separate City guide is to highlight to Pasadena voters the two important local measures. Secondly, the City will have more control over the timing of the voter guide arriving in City mailboxes. Staff is currently targeting the end of September/beginning of October for the mailing of the guide, which aligns better with the timing of when vote by mail ballots will be sent out by the County Registrar's Office. In speaking with the County, a letter indicating the City's preference to proceed with its own supplemental voter guide is all that is needed from the City to proceed as recommended by staff. The County books will still print the actual ballot question for each measure in their voter guide to meet Election Code requirements.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Assuming the City prints its own supplemental voter information pamphlet, and based on estimates generated from the Los Angeles County's election cost calculator, the City's anticipated costs for the November General Election to place on the ballot the two City ballot measures (Library Parcel Tax Measure and Rent Control Charter Amendment Initiative Petition Measure) is expected to be approximately $300,000 (see chart on the next page for a breakdown of election expenses). As stated above, the estimate for printing a supplemental voter guide focused on the two City measures is an additional $150,000. Sufficient funds are currently available in the City Clerk's Fiscal Year 2023 Election Budget, Account No. 10113002-811400, to cover these expenses.
However, in the event that actual costs exceed available funds, staff will return to the City Council with a detailed accounting and corresponding increased funding request.
Resolutions Calling Election - 2022 General Municipal Election August 8, 2022
CITY OF PASADENA - 2022 - General Election
CITY OF PASADENA - At Large
Voter Count Rate Breakdown Estimated Cost
Registered Voters (RV) 88,872
Election Operations (rate " RV) $2.4502 * 88872 $217,754.17 Vote By Mail Processing (rate " RV) $0.5422 * 88872 $48,186.40 Sample Ballot Processing and Printing
$0.0146 * 0*
Office(s)/Seats) (rate " No. of Offices " RV) 88872 $0.00 $0.0146 * 2*
Measures(s) (rate * No. of Measures * RV) $2,595.06
88872
$0.0440 * 0*
Measure Text (rate " No. of Text Pages for all measures * RV) $0.00 88872
Voting Information (rate " RV) $0.3268 * 88872 $29,043.37 Candidate Filing and Campaign Finance (rate * No. of Candidates) $1440.7155 * 0 $0.00 Election Preparation Cost (Flat rate per jurisdiction) $1,841.42 CITY OF PASADENA TOTAL ESTIMATE $299,420.42
Respectfully submitted,
City Clerk
Resolutions:
• Calling and Consolidating Election, Requesting Election Services from County of Los Angeles (Exhibit A: Charter Amendment Rent Control Measure Text) • Setting Priorities for Filing of Primary Arguments; Directing City Attorney to Prepare Impartial Analysis
• Authorizing the Filing of Rebuttal Arguments