Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Meeting Agenda: 12/15/2022

*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. 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.
    
3. Approval of Agenda – 1 min.*
    
4. Public Comment – 2 min. per speaker for non-agendized items*
    
5. Public Comment – 2 min. per speaker for items on the agenda*
    
6. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS
   1. Oath of Office of Commissioners-elect:
      City Clerk Mark Numainville will administer the Oath of Office to Commissioners-elect.
       
   2. Comments from new Commissioners
       
7. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS
   1. Election of Rent Board Chair: 
      The Executive Director conducts the election for the Board's Chair.  
       
   2. Election of Rent Board Vice-Chair: 
      The newly-elected Chair conducts the election for the Board's Vice-Chair. 
       
   3. Comments from the newly-elected Chair, Vice-Chair and Commissioners
       
8. CONSENT ITEMS – 1 min.*
   1. Approval of the November 17, 2022 regular meeting minutes
      
      The following resolutions were read aloud and discussed at the November 17, 2022 Rent Board meeting but no vote occurred. The Board will vote to approve all four resolutions respectively.
       
   2. Resolution 22-28 acknowledging James Chang’s years of service as a Rent Board Commissioner
       
   3. Resolution 22-29 acknowledging Paola Laverde’s years of service as a Rent Board Commissioner
       
   4. Resolution 22-30 acknowledging Mari Mendonca’s years of service as a Rent Board Commissioner
       
   5. Resolution 22-31 acknowledging John Selawsky’s years of service as a Rent Board Commissioner
       
   6. Proposal to approve staff recommendations on the following requests for waivers of late registration penalties (Executive Director/Registration Unit staff)
      
      Ministerial Waivers
      Property Address
      
      1531 FAIRVIEW
      2615 PARKER 
      2631 REGENT
      1937 DELAWARE ST
      1949 MILVIA 
      1717 LA LOMA #3
      2414 BYRON
      1517 WALNUT 
      1519 WALNUT
      1110 UNIVERSITY
      2836 REGENT
      1716 DELAWARE #2
      809 FOLGER AVE
      811 FOLGER AVE
      815 FOLGER AVE
      814 DELAWARE
      1520 LINCOLN
      813 FOLGER
      1104/1106 EUCLID 
      1035 EUCLID
      1515 DWIGHT WAY
      
      
      Discretionary Waivers
      Waiver No.            Property Address
      
      W5064                  1850 ARCH
      W5065                  1536 CARLETON ST
      W5066                  1802 CEDAR
      W5067                  1222 SHATTUCK
      W5068                  1910 FRANCISCO
      
       
9. 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.
   1. Chair Update (Chair Simon-Weisberg) – 5 min.*
       
   2. Discussion and possible action regarding the possible return to in-person meetings of the Rent Board and its committees – Verbal (General Counsel) – 10 min.*
       
   3. Discussion and possible action to adopt the 2023 Regular Rent Board Meeting Schedule (Executive Director) – 10 min.*
       
   4. Discussion and recommendation that the Board convey its support for Assembly Bill 12, Haney [Tenancy: security deposits] (Commissioner Kelley & Chair Simon-Weisberg) – 10 min.* TO BE DELIVERED 
       
10. 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.
    1. Rent Board Workplace Culture Retreat – Verbal (Executive Director) – 3 min.*
        
    2. Announcement of date to submit agenda topics/items for January 2023's regular Rent Board meeting (Board Secretary) –1 min.* 
        
11. COMMITTEE/BOARD MEETING UPDATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
    1. Budget and Personnel Committee (Chair TBA) – 5 min.*
       Next regularly-scheduled meeting:  TBA
        
    2. Eviction/Section 8/Foreclosure Committee (Chair TBA) – 5 min.*
       Next regularly-scheduled meeting: TBA
        
    3. Legislation, IRA/AGA & Registration Committee (LIRA Committee) (Commissioner Kelley, Chair) – 5 min.*
       Next regularly-scheduled meeting:  TBA
        
    4. Outreach Committee (Chair TBA) – 5 min.*
       Next regularly-scheduled meeting:  TBA
        
    5. 2 x 2 Committee on Housing: Rent Board/Berkeley Unified School District (Chair TBA) – 3 min.*
       Regularly-scheduled meeting date:  TBA
        
    6. 4 x 4 Joint Task Force Committee on Housing: City Council/Rent Board – 5 min.*
       (Mayor Arreguín and Chair Simon-Weisberg, Committee Co-Chairs)
       Next regularly-scheduled meeting:  Wed., December 14th at 2:30 p.m.
       
       November 30th agenda packet
       
       December 14th agenda packet 
        
    7. Ad Hoc Committee on Rent Board Technology Issues (Chair TBA) – 3 min.*
       Next meeting date:  TBA
        
    8. Updates and Announcements – 3 min.*
        
    9. Discussion of items for possible placement on future agenda – 5 min.*
        
12. ADJOURNMENT