Pasadena City Council Rushes to Enact Emergency Eviction Moratorium, Schedules Special Midnight Meeting to Speed Adoption

In response to what a City statement described as a “recent surge of eviction notices and threats of eviction” in Pasadena ahead of State law protections, the City Council, at its regular Monday, Nov. 4 meeting will consider a Tenant Protection Act Temporary Adoption Ordinance and has already scheduled a highly unusual second meeting at a minute past midnight Tuesday to rush through its adoption.

The Council has bundled the “proposed ordinance” first reading for the same Monday night session during which it will consider it. Then to facilitate the swiftest possible legal adoption, special meeting of the City Council has been called for 12:01 am on Tuesday for the purpose of conducting a second reading of the ordinance.

The actions were designed to  comply with the City Charter, Section 505, which states, “No ordinance shall be adopted by the City Council on the day of its introduction.”

Publication of the ordinance would follow on November 7, 2019, which would become the ordinance’s effective date.

The reported increase in evictions has occurred in advance of the implementation of California Assembly Bill 1482, also known as the Tenant Protections Act (“AB 1482?), which was passed to prevent rent gouging and arbitrary evictions. AB 1482 becomes effective on January 1, 2020.

Pasadena City Council’s proposed new eviction moratorium ordinance, if adopted, would be effective through December 31, 2019.

“The purpose of this unique approach is to complete the City Council’s action to implement protections for residents being evicted as quickly as possible,” explained Pasadena City spokesperson Lisa Derderian.

“Had the City taken the normal approach, given that the November 11, 2019 meeting will be canceled due to the Veteran’s Day Holiday, the ordinance would not be adopted until November 18, 2019 and will not be published and effective until November 21, 2019.”