Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Meeting Agenda: 06/15/2023

AGENDA

*Times allotted for each item are approximate and may be changed at the Board’s discretion during the course of this meeting.

1. Roll call – 1 min.*
    
2. CLOSED SESSION: The Board will convene in closed session pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.8:
   
   Update and possible action on lease negotiations for potential office rental space

3. Land Acknowledgment Statement:  The Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board recognizes that the rental housing units we regulate are built on the territory of xučyun (Huchiun-(Hooch-yoon)), the ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo (Cho-chen-yo)-speaking Ohlone (Oh-low-nee) people, the ancestors and descendants of the sovereign Verona Band of Alameda County. This land was and continues to be of great importance to all of the Ohlone Tribes and descendants of the Verona Band. As we begin our meeting tonight, we acknowledge and honor the original inhabitants of Berkeley, the documented 5,000-year history of a vibrant community at the West Berkeley Shellmound, and the Ohlone people who continue to reside in the East Bay. We recognize that Berkeley’s landlords and tenants have and continue to benefit from the use and occupation of this unceded stolen land since the City of Berkeley’s incorporation in 1878 and since the Rent Stabilization Board’s creation in 1980. As stewards of the laws regulating rental housing, it is not only vital that we recognize the history of this land, but also recognize that the Ohlone people are present members of Berkeley and other East Bay communities today. – 2 min.*
    
4. Approval of Agenda – 1 min.*
    
5. Public Comment – 2 min. per speaker for non-agendized items*
    
6. Public Comment – 2 min. per speaker for items on the agenda*
    
7. CONSENT ITEMS – 1 min.*
   
   a. Approval of the May 18th regular meeting minutes
   
   b. Proposal to approve staff recommendations on the following requests for waivers of late registration penalties (Executive Director/Registration Unit Manager) 
   
   Ministerial Waivers
   Property Address
   
   2407-2409 HILLSIDE
   1232 ASHBY
   3335 CALIFORNIA
   2907 DERBY
   1325 ADDISON
   1842 63RD
   2210 CURTIS
   1419 MILVIA
   2720-2722 RUSSELL
   2501 DANA
   2825 DOHR
   94 ROCK LANE
   1440 WALNUT
   
   Discretionary Waivers
   Waiver No.     Property Address
   
   W5082             1811 DELAWARE
   W5083             2915 BENVENUE
   W5084             1625 8TH ST
   W5085             3001 TELEGRAPH
   W5086             2756 ACTON and 2385 OAK
    
8. ACTION ITEMS
   from Board Members, Committees, Executive Director or Staff
   
   Public comment will also be heard prior to the Board’s vote on each action item listed below – 1 min. per speaker
   
   a. Chair Update (Chair Simon-Weisberg) – 5 min.*
   
   b. Special presentation on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2024 Budget, Staffing Model and Expenditure Level (Senior Planner Lief Bursell & Executive Director) – 20 min.*
   
        1. Recommendation to adopt Resolution 23-13 approving the FY 2023-2024 Line-item Budget, Staffing Model and Expenditure Level (Budget & Personnel Committee and Executive Director) – 10 min.*
   
   c. Recommendation to adopt Resolution 23-14 authorizing the Executive Director to execute a new contract with the Eviction Defense Center in an amount not to exceed $435,500 annually for FY 2023-2024 and FY 2024-2025 (Executive Director) – 10 min.*
   
   d. Recommendation to adopt Resolution 23-15 authorizing the Executive Director to execute a new contract with the East Bay Community Law Center in an amount not to exceed $423,605 annually for FY 2023-2024 and FY 2024-2025 (Executive Director) – 10 min.*
   
   e. Recommendation to adopt Resolution 23-16 authorizing the Executive Director to modify the contract with Brian Augusta & Associates for legislative advocacy services by extending the term through July 31, 2023, and increasing the contract by an amount not to exceed $7,000 (Executive Director) – 5 min.*
   
   f. Recommendation to adopt Resolution 23-17 authorizing the Executive Director to modify the contract with Berkeley Community Media to capture and telecast all Board meetings by extending the term through June 30, 2024, and increasing the contract by an amount not to exceed $22,000 for FY 2023-2024 (Executive Director) – 5 min.*
   
   g. Discussion and possible action to adopt Resolution 23-18 in support of Virtual Net Energy Metering and transmit copies of the Resolution to Governor Gavin Newsom, State Senator Nancy Skinner, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, and members of the California Public Utilities Commission Board (Chair Simon-Weisberg & Commissioner Martinac) – 10 min.*
   
   h. Recommendation to adopt Resolution 23-19 adjusting Executive Director DéSeana Williams’ salary according to the terms of her existing employment agreement (Chair Simon-Weisberg & Vice Chair Alpert) – 5 min.*
   
   i. Recommendation to adopt Resolution 23-20 adjusting General Counsel Matt Brown’s salary according to the terms of his existing employment agreement (Chair Simon-Weisberg & Vice Chair Alpert) – 5 min.*
   
   j. Discussion and possible action to adopt Resolution 23-21 to authorize the Executive Director to sign a new lease agreement for Rent Board office space at 2000 Center Street (Chair Simon-Weisberg & Executive Director) – 10 min.* TO BE DELIVERED 
   
   k. Discussion and possible action to authorize staff to restore Commissioner Kelley’s stipend deduction for committee meeting absences in May 2023 (Commissioner Kelley) – 3 min.*
    
9. INFORMATION, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ARTICLES/MEDIA
   from Board Members, Committees, Executive Director or Staff
   
   NOTE:  The Board may vote to move Information Items to the Action calendar.
   
   a. Eviction Moratorium outreach update – Verbal (Public Information Unit Manager) – 5 min.*
   
   b. “Registration 365” presentation by Amanda Eberhart (Registration Unit Manager) – 20 min.*
   
   c. May 31, 2023 Berkeleyside article by Kori Suzuki titled, “After decades of homelessness, he had finally secured an apartment in Berkeley. Now, he’s being evicted” (Chair Simon-Weisberg) – 1 min.*
   https://www.berkeleyside.org/2023/05/31/berkeley-man-faces-eviction-40-years-homelessness 
   
   d. Date to submit agenda topics/items for July’s regular Rent Board meeting: Monday, July 10th by 5:00 p.m. (Board Secretary) – 1 min.*
    
10. COMMITTEE/BOARD MEETING UPDATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
    
    a.  Budget & Personnel Committee (Commissioner Walker, Chair) – 5 min.*
    Next regularly-scheduled meeting:  Thursday, July 6th at 5:30 p.m.
    
    June 1st agenda 
    
    b. Eviction/Section 8/Foreclosure Committee (Commissioner Elgstrand, Chair) – 5 min.*
    Next regularly-scheduled meeting:  To Be Announced (TBA)
    
    c. Legislation, IRA/AGA & Registration Committee (LIRA Committee) (Commissioner Kelley, Chair) – 5 min.*
    Next regularly-scheduled meeting: (TBA)
    
    d. Outreach Committee (Vice-Chair Alpert, Chair) – 5 min.*
    Next regularly-scheduled meeting:  Monday, June 12th at 5:30 p.m.
    
    June 12th agenda
    
    e. 4 x 4 Joint Task Force Committee on Housing: City Council/Rent Board – 5 min.*
    (Mayor Arreguín and Chair Simon-Weisberg, Co-Chairs)
    Next regularly-scheduled meeting:  Thursday, June 29th at 3:00 p.m.
    
    f. 2 x 2 Committee on Housing: Rent Board/Berkeley Unified School District  (Chair TBA)  – 5 min.*
    Next meeting date:  Monday, June 26th at 5:30 p.m.
    
    g. Ad Hoc Committee on Environmental Sustainability (Commissioner Martinac, Chair) – 5 min.*
    Next meeting date:  TBA
    
    h. Updates and Announcements – 5 min.*
    
    i. Discussion of items for possible placement on future agenda – 5 min.*
     
11. Adjournment