1 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject: FW: Agenda Item 6 - Pasadena Rental Housing Board From: Paul Little < >
Sent: Monday, November 6, 2023 10:52 AM
To: City_Council <[email protected]>
Cc: Márquez, Miguel <[email protected]>; Bagneris, Michele <[email protected]>; Paul Little < >
Subject: Agenda Item 6 - Pasadena Rental Housing Board
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Good morning Mayor Gordo and Pasadena City Council members,
As you consider adding the Pasadena Rental Housing Board as a department of the City of Pasadena please consider the following:
1. Voters in Pasadena approved an independent and self-sustaining Pasadena Rental Housing Board under Measure H. (Where other cities with rent control boards may have those integrated into their city government, those were not approved as amendments to their city charter, as Pasadena’s has been.)
2. Please be aware and consider all the costs that may be associated with creating another City department (or sub-department). There are personnel costs, benefit and burden costs and other potential liabilities. Will the Pasadena Rental Housing Bord indemnify the city against any and all claims arising as a result of those employees’ performance or by those employees themselves?
3. Incorporating the Pasadena Rental Housing Board as a City department (or sub-department) may open the City up to potential litigation and significant costs that would otherwise be the responsibility of the Board. Will the housing board indemnify the City against any litigation that results from the implementation of Measure H? Will the housing board bear all legal costs and the cost of any potential costs resulting from litigation?
4. I can envision many potential avenues of litigation that will seek to have Measure H invalidated once property owners start receiving bills based on the costs imposed by the Pasadena Rental Housing Board. If the measure is invalidated, or parts of it are thrown out and some (or all) of the employees are no longer required or allowed, what will happen to them? Who will bear any costs associated with severing them from City employment?
5. Will the members of the Pasadena Rental Housing Board also be employees of the City of Pasadena? Will they be subject to the same benefits as regular City employees such as health coverage and enrollment in the Public Employee Retirement System? Measure H did not envision paying housing board members more than the very significant stipend called out in the charter amendment.
As you are aware, the Pasadena Chamber Board, and myself personally, did not support passage of Measure H.
However, since it has passed and is being implemented, I think it is important that the City of Pasadena follow the will of the voters and maintain an independent and self-sustaining Pasadena Rental Housing Board. That is what was approved by the voters.
Any proposed changes to the Pasadena Rental Housing Board should be brought back to the voters for approval as an amendment to the City Charter.
Thank you for your consideration,
Paul
Paul Little
11/06/2023
Item: 6
2 Paul Little
President and Chief Executive Officer
Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association
Pasadena, CA 91106
www.pasadena-chamber.org
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