By Manny B. Sandoval | Source |
On Monday, Nov. 6, Yucaipa City Council held a special meeting pertaining to the biennial review of mobile home rent stabilization ordinances and resolutions.
This means that the council was either accepting or not accepting the Mobile Home Rent Review Commission recommendations on the biennial review report of the Mobilehome Rent Stabilization Ordinance and Resolution.
Dozens of Mobile Home residents came out to share their thoughts on the biennial review.
Tony Slaick, YMRA Chairman spoke on behalf of the residents.
Peter Herzog and Julie Paule, of Western Manufactured Housing, also spoke out at the contentious meeting.
The three hour meeting began with Mayor Dick Riddell saying, “All comments should just be on the item discussed today.” Residents were able to make comments on items number one to 11, on the mobile home rent stabilization ordinance.”
First public comment came from mobile home park resident, Ron Rush, “Our seniors have built this country, gone to war for this country to remain free, we deserve some dignity in our sunset years. Mobile homes have been around for a long time and were always meant to be a sanctuary for seniors who are retired and no longer have the luxury of a paycheck. Park owners deserve a profit, but this is a new breed of owners, we must reject their practices.”
“I am a long time resident of a 55 and over mobile home park for seniors in the city of Yucaipa, and an active member of YMRA. I am concerned over the weakness of the current Rent Control Ordinance which can be so easily skirted against the ‘Spirit of the Law’ and the will and wishes of the long time residents of the 41 mobile home parks in Yucaipa, as demonstrated in the recent Carriage Trade Manor Park episode, which has drawn considerable attention in the press, as you are well aware,” said mobile home resident Dale Ramsdell.
Stakeholder, Slaick, provided a ten minute comment on his frustrations regarding the biennial review.
“I’d hope that in receiving this report, city council would recognize and acknowledge that the report you’re being asked to receive is tainted with biases. Influenced and directed and downright manipulated by city staff and the city attorney, with misrepresentations and with all do respect, some downright lies,” Slaick said.
The YMRA was disappointed with the mobile home rent stabilization ordinance recommendations city council received. Stakeholder Herzog, spoke next, and gave a brief insight into how the rent increase spikes could be resolved.
“As opposed to having large increases, lets keep them gradual. With 100 percent CPI and vacancy decontrol, that implements gradual increases; the staffs chart shows that. This would resolve some of the problems park owners and residents are having,” said Herzog.
Here is a breakdown, of subject’s one to 11, of recommendations for policy changes and improvements in the administration of the ordinance.
Subject one was temporary rent adjustment for application and hearing costs. There was no changes on item number one.
Item number two was annual adjustments. There was support to maintain the 80 percent, but reduce the cap to four percent.
Item number three is special rent adjustments based on voluntary meet and confer. There was a 5-0 vote in support of the recommendation.
Item number four is the rent adjustment upon vacancy; there was no change, in a 3-2 vote.
Number five was definition of fair return on investment; no change, unanimous vote.
Item number six, special rent adjustment timing, no change, with a 3-2 vote.
Item number seven, simplify MNOI and CPI baseline year calculations, no change, in a 3-2 vote.
Number eight included a special rent adjustment application requirements, no change, 4-1.
Costs of capital improvements, item number nine, no change, in a 4-1 vote.
Department of application fees, item number ten, was also 5-0.
Item number eleven, disclose the difference between month to month rentals and long term leasing, was also a 5-0 vote.
At the end of the discussion, Mayor Riddell asked, “What changes are we proposing to what the commission recommended?” To which Councilwomen Denise Allen said, “None. None, were consistent to what the commission recommended. All of our votes were in line with what the commission suggested.”
The city’s going to continue with the mobile home rent stabilizations current ordinances, their goal is to prevent large rent increases in the future.
Although council members disagreed on varying items, in the end, after much intellectual discussion and ordinance clarifications all were in favor of the Mobile Home Rent Review Commission’s rent stabilization ordinance recommendations.
