Sherman R. Frederick
Ross Valley Reporter
The Fairfax Town Council, in a special meeting on Feb. 29, unanimously approved implementing “extra” rent stabilization before the public votes on the issue in November.
Citizens against the idea packed the meeting room and tried to convince the Council to wait until people voted on the issue in November. They called it “extra” rent control because the state already has laws on the books. But the Council, led by Mayor Barbara Coler, justified the move because there’s still months before the election and both tenants and landlords need resolution now.
The move establishes a hearing examiner who will adjudicate issues for landlords who feel they are justified in raising rent beyond the state and local ordinances. Landlords would be required to pay a $1,000 fee to have the hearing examiner adjudicate. Town Council members said that was fair because the $1,000 fee is far cheaper than hiring a private attorney to press the matter.
Mayor Coler said she favored the idea because it’s a “low cost way to get things off the ground but not so far into it that if we need to pull back after November we haven’t expended that much.”
The audience largely disagreed with the mayor’s assessment and made their voices heard by applauding when speakers argued against the rent control idea before the public vote.
In the first 10 speakers, seven spoke against moving forward. After each speaker, the audience applauded. And each time, the mayor yelled “please stop applauding.”
“You know what,” Coler shouted into her microphone, “I am tired of this yelling. Let’s keep it civil. We are all neighbors here.” She explained that applause was inappropriate because “people who don’t get applause will feel bad.”
Longtime former Mayor Frank Egger was one of the first to tell the council that starting rent control before the November election made no sense.
“Why hire two employees to begin a law that will likely be struck down by the vote in November,” he said. “Continue this item until after the vote.”
The city’s implementation plan is explained in a power point presentation on the city’s website. You can find it here.
You can reach the writer at shermfrederick@gmail.com.
Perhaps the author of this article may consider reporting on more than the first ten minutes.
Hi, thank you for writing, I was there. I did not support the “yes” vote and while I thought Mayor Coler’s comments about hurting other people’s feelings was a little over protective, there were times when the audience (maybe including me….) was very loud. And, to be honest, I think it was very loud up on the dais. I DO think we made it hard to hear sometimes. So……my apologies to the TC, but not because it might hurt someone’s feelings. I so wish we could move the clock back in time. The TC stepped in quicksand with this extra rent control and just cause evictions (it’s really the increased just cause eviction ordinance that has people so upset, I think) and I don’t think the present council is inclined to change course. Too bad…..We shall see what November brings PS – I tried to subscribe just now but it pointed me to the Novato Advance, which I’m not interested in getting…..