City of Sunnyvale
Excerpt Meeting Minutes - Final
Housing and Human Services
Commission
7:00 PM Teleconference Meeting: City Web
Stream
Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Special Meeting
CALL TO ORDER
Vice Chair Riviere called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Vice Chair Leesa Riviere
Commissioner Jim Davis
Commissioner Scott Duncan
Commissioner Sue Harrison
Commissioner Ken Hiremath
Present: 5 -
Chair Elinor StetsonAbsent: 1 -
Commissioner Ken Hiremath arrived at 7:12 p.m.
Council Liaison Russ Melton (present)
PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS
2 22-0952 Consider Requirements for a Tenant Protections and Right to Lease Ordinance (Study Issue)
Affordable Housing Manager Ernie Defrenchi gave the staff presentation.
After clarifying questions of staff, Vice Chair Riviere opened the public at 7:44 p.m.
Emily Ann Ramos, Preservation and Protection Associate at SV@Home spoke in support of staff's recommendation for tenant relocation assistance and one-year leases as overall concepts. She note that 55% of Sunnyvale's residents are renters, approximately 30,000 rental units. Lastly she shared that the cities of Mountain View and Palo Alto provide extra protections.
Janet Murdock, owner of a 50-year-old fourplex in Sunnyvale, opposed staff's recommendation. She shared that she lives in one of the units and rents the other three. She expressed concern about the impact of staff proposal to "small" landlords
Attachment 2
September 21, 2022Housing and Human Services
Commission
Excerpt Meeting Minutes - Final
such as herself which are only aggravated by the age of her property and the impending repairs and upgrades that it will need.
Vice Chair Riviere closed the public hearing at 7:53 p.m.
During questions and discussion, multiple commissioners expressed concern with two-month relocation benefit and did not support it citing potential unintended consequences for some landlords.
Vice Chair Riviere asked for any further discussion or a motion.
MOTION: Commissioner Harrison moved and Commissioner Davis seconded the motion to Alternative 2. Approve the requirements listed in Attachment 5 to the report and return to the Commission with an ordinance to add Chapter 19.71 (Residential Tenant Protections Ordinance) to Title 19 (“Zoning”) of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code to create enhanced tenant protections, with the modification to reduce the relocation amount to one month's rent.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Yes: Vice Chair Riviere
Commissioner Davis
Commissioner Duncan
Commissioner Harrison
Commissioner Hiremath
5 -
No: 0
Absent: Chair Stetson1 -
Attachment 2