Tenants, sub-tenants, owners, renters – who gets to vote for a condo conversion? Under what conditions? And how many votes? What about tenants’ rights? Who makes the park owner keep his promises? And why was this meeting called anyway?
These were some of the questions the Mobile Home Park Rental Review Board brought to City Planner David Goodison and City Attorney Tom Curry at a meeting in the City Council chambers last Thursday.
Goodison told the board he’d called the meeting because he wanted all groups to have an opportunity to comment on the most recent revised rent control draft ordinance, which is scheduled to return to the City Council for consideration and possible presentation Aug. 20. He said it had been an oversight that the board had not been asked for their opinions before now, and assured boardmembers that their comments and suggestions would be forwarded to the City Council for their consideration.
Curry explained that many of the comments and issues the board would bring up would be completely reasonable, but that he would remain concerned with the legality aspect of the issues. “Our job was to come up with an ordinance that we could defend in court,” he said. Tenants’ rights and owner’s promises were discussed at length, but who gets to vote was easily resolved. Voters are those who own coaches, and get one vote per coach they own.
Mark Bramfitt, who chaired the meeting, boiled the hour-long recitation of questions and issues down to six general areas of concern. First, preserving of the existing rent control ordinance; second recognizing that the conversion addresses circumstances not particular to rent control; third, clarifying the issue of voting rights; fourth, clarifying the issue of the management and administration of the survey; fifth, making sure of the enforcement of the park owner’s rent control offer; and sixth, making technical distinctions between converting a park to resident ownership or to another use entirely.
Bramfitt concluded the meeting saying he would gather the comments from the community and synthesize them into a recommendation they’ll make to the City Council. He said it will be a recommendation only. “There will be additional opportunity for all of you to come back and comment again.”
