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Ordinance Fact Sheet
March 17,2025
TO: CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CITY ATTORNEY
SUBJECT: AN UNCODIFIED ORDINANCE PROTECTING QUALIFYING TENANTS
AFFECTED BY THE EATON FIRE
TITLE OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE
AN UNCODIFIED ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PASADENA PROTECTING
QUALIFYING INCOME ELIGIBLE TENANTS DIRECTLY FINANCIALLY IMPACTED
BY THE EATON FIRE
PURPOSE OF ORDINANCE
As directed by the City Council on March 3, 2025, this ordinance establishes an affirmative defense to eviction for tenants unable to pay rent due to the Eaton Fire, and is modeled after the protections recently adopted by the County of Los Angeles.
REASON WHY LEGISLATION IS NEEDED
This legislation is needed to protect the City's most vulnerable tenants from displacement related to the Eaton Fire, which will preserve public health, order, and safety citywide. Currently, there is no such protection.
PROGRAMS, DEPARTMENTS OR GROUPS AFFECTED
Qualifying tenants with a direct financial impact from the Eaton Fire, and the landlords of those tenants, will be affected by the proposed ordinance.
MEETING OF 03/17/2025
AGENDA ITEM NO. 19-
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the adoption of this uncodified ordinance.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
Council is being asked to find that the uncodified ordinance is statutorily exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CEQA excludes from environmental review actions that are not "projects", as defined by Section 21065 of the Public Resources Code and Sections 15378 and 15060 of the California Code of Regulations.
Sections 21065 and 15378(b) define a project as an action which may cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Section 15378 excludes from the definition of "project" organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. If City Council undertakes organizational or administrative activities, such as creating ordinances that further safeguard and assist those affected by the Eaton Fire, these actions would be administrative activities, and therefore would not be a "project" as defined by CEQA. Section 15060 (C)(2) states that projects which will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment are not subject to CEQA. Since the actions would not a project subject to CEQA, no environmental document is required.
Respectfully submitted,
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Prepared by:
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Michele BealBagnen^"^
City Attorney
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Deputy City Attorney
Concurred by:
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Migu&l-M^rquezfrquez
City Manager