City of Pomona 505 S. Garey Ave
Pomona, CA 91766
Special Meeting Minutes
City Council / Housing Authority / Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency
Mayor Tim Sandova
Vice Mayor John Nolte
Councilmember Victor Preciado
Councilmember Nora Garcia
Councilmember Elizabeth Ontiveros-Cole
Councilmember Steve Lustro
Councilmember Robert S. Torres
VISION STATEMENT
Monday, August 14, 2023 6:30 PM Palomares Park Community Center
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Sandoval called the City Council Meeting to order at 6:36 p.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Sandoval led the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Tim Sandoval
Vice Mayor John Nolte
Councilmember Victor Preciado - arrived late at 6:42 p.m.
Councilmember Nora Garcia
Councilmember Elizabeth Ontiveros-Cole
Councilmember Steve Lustro
Absent: Councilmember Robert Torres
STAFF PRESENT
Kirk Pelser, Deputy City Manager
Benita DeFrank, Neighborhood Services Director
Beverly Johnson, Assistant Neighborhood Services Director Donyielle Holley, Rent Stabilization Manager
George Montano, Housing Authority Manager
Tracy Byl, Management Analyst
City Council / Housing Authority / Special Meeting Minutes August 14, 2023 Successor Agency to the
Redevelopment Agency
RSG Consultants, Inc.
Tara Matthews, Principal
Cindy Blott, Senior Associate
Deana Fuentes
Ethan Azad
Eddy Flores
Maricela Miotto, contracted by the City, to provide translation services.
DISCUSSION CALENDAR
City Council Study Session Regarding Options Available in Consideration of the Implementation of a Long-Term Rent Stabilization Ordinance It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
1) Review and discuss the Rent Stabilization PowerPoint presentation prepared by the City's consultant, RSG, Inc. ("RSG");
2) Provide for community input; and
3) Provide feedback to City staff and RSG for the implementation of a long-term rent stabilization ordinance.
Deputy City Manager Kirk Pelser introduced staff and the RSG Consultants. He gave a brief overview of the item.
Cindy Blott, RSG Senior Associate, and Tara Matthews, RSG Principal, gave the presentation.
City Councilmembers asked various questions regarding the different topics presented by the RSG Presentation. RSG Staff answered their questions. City Councilmembers also made comments and requests for additional data for future meetings.
The public was then asked to break out into small groups to develop responses to the following questions. The responses from the public are listed below each question in no particular order:
1. What do you hope that the permanent rent stabilization ordinance will achieve? Residents can remained housed in Pomona
Provisions to ensure that tenants are not evicted
Ordinance gets voted down
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City Council / Housing Authority / Special Meeting Minutes August 14, 2023 Successor Agency to the
Redevelopment Agency
2. What main concern do you wish to be addressed by RSO? Have their rights respected
Ensuring that fair rent charges and not excessive increases
3. Are there portions of the existing Urgency RSO that you believe need additional consideration?
More clarity regarding distinguishing what protections are included for rent increases and evictions of tenants
All of it needs to be reconsidered
Satety and fairness for evervone involved
Adjustments to rent cap
4. Are there any additional topics related to petitions that should be considered? Owner sale of property
Efficacy of rent control as it relates to the maintenance of units and being more time sensitive
Streamlining the process
5. Are there any hesitations of inclusion of any of the topics? If so, please list and explain.
Some concerns of City Council sitting on the board
Comments on the ordinance in its totality of having that here in Pomona Stronger regulator provisions
Vacancy Control/Decontrol issues
RSG Staff collected these responses and then Tara Matthews, RSG Principal, gave closing comments about future steps.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Rosario discussed challenges faced by tenants who live in Pomona and asked how they can protect themselves from high rental increases.
Maria Ayon spoke in support of tenant protections.
Marshall J. Baker discussed concerns with the increased in various fees that property owners face as business owners.
Kelvin J. Woods spoke in opposition to adopting rent control rates.
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City Council / Housing Authority / Special Meeting Minutes August 14, 2023 Successor Agency to the
Redevelopment Agency
Cathy B. Tessier discussed negative long term effects caused by rent control and spoke in support of a rental assistance program to replace rent control, and the need for the City to create new, affordable housing.
Erika Lorraine Sanderson requested assistance from the City for relocation costs of people with disabilities, and for people experiencing no-fault evictions.
Stacey Caponigo expressed disappointment with the process for creating a Rent Stabilization Urgency Ordinance, asked if the City Council intends to revise that Ordinance and requested that more research be done to create an equitable ordinance.
Mike Warren spoke in opposition of rent control, requested the City abide by AB1482 and questioned the City's purpose in creating a rental registry.
Anita Espinoza expressed concern that all landlords are being punished with the rent stabilization ordinance, when only a few landlords are not good. She stated the petition process in the ordinance for capital improvements creates a barrier to property owners.
Benjamin Wood, with Pomona Economic Opportunity Center, has been surveying residents within City limits, and other housing justice organizations to get a real sense of rent increases, evictions, and from that create policy recommendations. The policy recommendations are all on a letter that he will provide to City Council and has provided to the Consultants.
Ivette Diaz discussed the challenges faced by tenants that are not native English speakers and requested more protections for tenants.
Ellie O'Bosky described the community support she experienced from Yesenia's PUSH organization and from the eviction defense network. She requested that the City Council consider including AB682 into the Rent Stabilization Ordinance to protect tenants renting a room within a single-family residence being used as a multi-family residence.
Elinor Crescenzi discussed the benefits of creating something similar to the Tenants Opportunity to Purchase Act as a way to address historical inequity.
Yesenia Miranda Meza discussed the need for anti-harassment protections for tenants.
She also discussed various advantages landlords have over tenants, and requested that the Rent Stabilization Ordinance include a right for tenants to come back to the same rental rate after remodels have been made to the buildings they rent.
Greg Estel spoke in opposition to a Rent Stabilization Ordinance.
Matt Buck, from California Apartment Association, mentioned there already exists a State law for rent control and there is no data driven report that shows its deficiencies', nor is there any report that proves it works.
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City Council / Housing Authority / Special Meeting Minutes August 14, 2023 Successor Agency to the
Redevelopment Agency
Matt Sherman, from Apartment Association of Los Angeles, suggested the City look into AB1482 outreach and education.
Maria Machuca expressed dissatisfaction with the rental ordinance and requested City Council reconsider the relocation fee as an expense.
Guillermo Gonzalez spoke in opposition to rent control because it decreases affordable housing and discussed Santa Monica and San Francisco as examples of that.
Beth Brooks discussed that many property owners are still unaware of the new obligations under the Urgency Ordinance and stated there is still not enough evidence that demonstrates rent control is a positive move for Pomona. She suggested the cost of establishing a Rent Stabilization Ordinance should be used instead to fund a rental assistance program.
Frank Gallo discussed how a rent stabilization would give protections to a group of people and create a tremendous disparity for a different group of people. He also spoke of the various fees landlords must pay that are increasing.
The following public speakers submitted a speaker card but did not speak:
Kenneth Gary Vargas - opposed a rent stabilization ordinance.
Gloria Molina - supports a rent stabilization ordinance.
ADJOURNMENT
The City Council Meeting adjourned at 9:33 p.m. on August 14, 2023. •
Respectfully submitted, ATTEST:
ROSALIA A. BUTLER, MMC TIM SANDOVAL
City Clerk/Secretary of the Pomona Mayor/Chair of the Pomona Housing Authority/Successor Agency to the Housing Authority/Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency Redevelopment Agency
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