The Beverly Hills City Council voted to eliminate the Rent Stabilization Committee (RSC) at its Nov. 19 Regular Meeting, upon recommendation by the Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee earlier this year. The council will implement the change via an ordinance amending the Beverly Hills Municipal Code.
The City Council formed the RSC in 2019 to make recommendations on amendments to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance that the council had not resolved. For nearly four years, the council regularly met with the RSC to discuss and hear recommendations. Some initiatives have passed while a few are still pending review.
On May 14 of this year, Councilmember Craig Corman and Vice Mayor Sharona Nazarian, who serve on the Commission Standardization Ad Hoc Committee, recommended sunsetting the RSC because it had fulfilled its purpose. They deemed the RSC had completed its duties as outlined by the City Council and noted that its unique member structure posed challenges in recruiting for vacancies and achieving quorums. At the June 18 Study Session, council directed city staff to prepare an ordinance to eliminate the RSC.
In addition to eliminating the RSC, the ordinance states that current members of the RSC will not be required to wait one year before applying to another city commission.
“We did the right thing at the right time, but I think its usefulness has definitely seen its time,” said Mayor Lester Friedman, who was serving on City Council when the RSC was first established.
In other matters, the City Council also agreed to waive the holiday moratorium for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) to continue work on the Metro Purple (D) Line from Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Day. During this time, Metro will deliver material and concrete Monday through Friday from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. At least one lane in each direction on Wilshire Boulevard will remain open while Metro is working. No work will be done on the holidays themselves (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day).
Shana Epstein, Director of Public Works, stated in her presentation to the council that the approval of the waiver would potentially accelerate project milestones for Metro. Epstein reported that Metro believes the move can save it $1.5 million in change orders with their contractor, TPOG. Additionally, Metro stated that restricting work during the moratorium would delay crucial activities, including rail system testing, street restoration and deck removal.
Nearly 2,000 notices were mailed to residents and businesses of nearby areas regarding the holiday moratorium waiver request.
The council also authorized City Manager Nancy Hunt-Coffey to execute a new license agreement that outlines the construction of a public safety center kiosk at the La Cienega Metro station. The kiosk will be equipped with Beverly Hills Police Department officers and security personnel to provide Metro riders with security and information. On Nov. 1, the Metro Ad Hoc Committee, consisting of Friedman and Councilmember Mary Wells, recommended that the holiday moratorium only be waived if the public safety center kiosk was built in accordance with the city’s design.
