East Palo Alto officials said Thursday they were on track to submit a new rent control law to San Mateo County in time for it to appear on November ballots.
Last week the council delayed discussing the proposed rent stabilization ordinance after attorneys for Page Mill Properties, the city's biggest landlord, got a temporary restraining order against the city based on alleged Ralph M. Brown Act violations. However, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman said two days later that the order was only intended to halt discussion of the item at a single council meeting because of questions about improper noticing.
The council held a special meeting Monday to discuss the ordinance, intended to strengthen and close loopholes in the city's existing, decades-old rent control law. Council members gave final direction to city staff on the ordinance Tuesday night, Mayor Ruben Abrica said Thursday.
He added that the city plans to submit it to the San Mateo County elections office by today.
"Right now there's nothing keeping it from going to the voters," Abrica said.
Page Mill and its subsidiaries are engaged in a bitter legal dispute with the city over rent hikes and other issues, with about 10 lawsuits pending.
E-mail Jessica Bernstein-Wax at jbernstein@dailynewsgroup.com.
FAIR USE NOTICE. This document may contain copyrighted material the use of which may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Tenants Together is making this article available on our website in an effort to advance the understanding of tenant rights issues in California. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.