Rental Housing Board to Vote on Resolution Initiating Discussions With City About Becoming a City Department

The City’s Rental Housing Board will vote on a resolution authorizing its Chair and Vice Chair to engage in discussions with City staff to resolve issues related to integrating the Board as a City department and to submit a formal request to the City Council to integrate the Board as a City department.

The Board meets at 6 p.m. at the Robinson Community Center.

This week’s vote only clears the way for discussion. 

The Board would serve as oversight if the discussions are successful. 

The Board Chair and Program Manager would also have the authority to enter into contracts on behalf of the City, up to $75,000 along with the authority to approve bids and procure materials or services without competitive bidding, at the lowest obtainable price, regardless of the amount of the expenditure.

The Pasadena Rental Housing Board Chair and the Vice Chair would also be authorized to propose the staffing of the Pasadena Rental Housing Board by City employees in accordance with the City’s existing hiring and employment policies, with several modifications.

“In the hiring of all positions required to staff the Pasadena Rental Housing Board, the Board would provide input at the beginning of the process as to the attributes and key skills desired,” according to the Board’s agenda. “The Chair and Vice Chair would also participate in interviews of the program manager/executive director position and the Chair and the Vice Chair would meet semiannually with the City Manager to provide input on staff performance; and seek input from the entire Pasadena Rental Housing Board or an ad hoc committee thereof in resolving with City staff any outstanding issues related to the integration of the Pasadena Rental Housing Board as a City department.”

A formal request would be submitted to the City for the purposes of personnel and retirement systems, contracts and procurement, and infrastructure and information technology support.