Mediator David Coher Appointed to Rental Housing Board; Three Vacancies Remain

The Pasadena City Council appointed mediator and former planning commissioner David Coher to the City’s Rental Housing Board late Monday night, selecting him from a pool of 10 candidates to fill one of four current vacancies on the embattled panel that oversees the City’s rent stabilization program.

The 5-0 vote came shortly before 11 p.m. after a lengthy consensus-building process in which all five participating Council members included Coher on their ranked lists — the only applicant to appear on every ballot.

Mayor Victor Gordo and Councilmember Tyron Hampton recused themselves from the vote, Gordo because he owns rental property in the City and Hampton due to a contractual agreement involving a property he has under contract. Councilmember Steve Madison was absent.

Coher, who described himself as a full-time mediator, told the Council his professional experience centers on bringing opposing parties together to reach workable compromises. He pointed to prior service on the Pasadena Planning Commission and the City’s redistricting commission as evidence of his commitment to public service and his familiarity with the Brown Act, financial disclosure requirements and what he called “the Pasadena way.”

“We’re working with what can sometimes be a rather complex set of regulations and working with folks who are not necessarily used to dealing with those complex regulations every day,” Coher said, adding that he believed his legal background and mediation skills would help ease tensions that arise on both the tenant and landlord sides.

The appointment fills a seat left open when Arnold Siegel resigned effective Jan. 1. Coher will serve the remainder of the unexpired term, which ends May 24, 2027.

The Board, which consists of 11 primary members and two alternates, now carries three remaining vacancies: a second at-large seat created by the resignation of Lourdes Gonzalez, accepted by the Council earlier Monday evening, and two tenant-member seats in Council Districts 2 and 4.

Applicant Simon Ybarra, a six-year Pasadena tenant and volunteer with the Pacific [sic] Tenants Union, framed the vacancies in stark terms during his presentation, citing “a stunning rate of attrition of members of the board” over the preceding six months. He said the Board faces mounting challenges, including issues with the rental registry portal, questions about tenant data privacy and a growing quasi-judicial caseload of hearing petitions.

Emily Wernberg, the Board’s sole remaining landlord member, urged the Council to prioritize legal and procedural expertise in its selection, saying Siegel’s departure had left a significant gap.

“What we’re really lacking is legal expertise and procedural expertise,” Wernberg said. “Arnold really brought that to the board, and so that’s missing a lot right now.”

Board Chair Allison Henry, participating virtually, echoed that sentiment without endorsing a specific candidate. “We just need people to wade through the packets and be really diligent readers,” Henry said, adding that she wanted to be able to rely on board members “to show up, to show up prepared, and to show up with good questions.”

Councilmember Rick Cole, who moved to appoint Coher after the ranked-choice tally, said he was influenced by the comments from the two sitting Board members as well as his own experience serving alongside Coher on the Planning Commission. “I have the highest regard for what he would bring to the board,” Cole said.

The field of 10 qualified applicants included candidates with backgrounds ranging from commercial real estate brokerage and affordable housing lending to property management and federal tax work. The city clerk’s office had issued 24 applications for the vacancy; 11 were submitted and verified as eligible before one applicant withdrew.

Vice Mayor Jess Rivas, who presided over the appointment process, thanked all applicants and noted that the remaining vacancies offer continued opportunities to serve. The city clerk said the second at-large vacancy will remain open for applications through April 29 so the Council can make an appointment at its May 4 meeting. District 2 has two qualified applicants awaiting consideration by the District’s Councilmember, while District 4 is still awaiting a qualified applicant.

The Pasadena Rental Housing Board was established under Measure H, the Fair and Equitable Housing Charter Amendment, and is responsible for administering the City’s rent stabilization program. Members may not serve more than eight consecutive years.