Pasadena Rental Housing Board Requests the Administration of the Charter Amendment be Integrated into a City Department

Pasadena City Manager Miguel Márquez met with representatives of the Pasadena Rental Housing Board (PRHB) to discuss their proposal to integrate the administration of the Charter Amendment into the City as a department or division staffed by City employees.

PRHB Vice Chair Brandon Lamar, who is head of the PRHB’s Foundations Ad Hoc Committee, made this disclosure during the meeting of the Board on Wednesday.

Lamar together with PRHB Chair Ryan Bell met with Márquez, City Attorney Michele Bagneris and City Clerk Mark Jomsky on August 9 to discuss in general the relationship of PRHB and its staff to the City of Pasadena. 

The City Council tabled discussion on the matter at its July 31 meeting. 

“The City Council has jurisdiction over establishing a new department. The PRHB would work with the City manager and others when ready and we will take a proposal to the  City Council.”  

The proposal will have details of proposed staffing and an organizational chart, subject to City Council approval.  The City Charter requires that all City employees be appointed and promoted according to a merit system.  City staffing for any rent control division or department will be posted and filled according to those principles.

While the Measure H charter amendment provides that the Board is an “integral part” of the City, it also provides that the Board’s exercise of its powers and duties and set forth in the charter amendment is independent from the City Council, City Manager and City Attorney.

The Charter Amendment does not require the Board to hire its own staff. The same also does not address contracting and procurement by the Board.

During the previous meeting, Lamar said PRHB and City Council staff also talked about budgeting and contracting and the hiring of PRHB staff.

At the meeting, they agreed that the proposed contracts approved by PRHB should also be approved by the City Council. 

“The City Council has the final responsibility to approve the whole City budget, which will include our budget as well but their jurisdiction over PRHB would be ministerial, meaning their legal duty is to approve the budget but they would not have the authority to direct details of the budget,” Lamar said. 

The meeting of the PRHB and the City officials was held at the direction of the Board resolution passed at the PRHB’s July 26 meeting.