Lester Friedman – Renters Alliance

City Council Installation 2023 invitation

To My Rent-Stabilized Neighbors: No Need to Save this Date

March 13, 2023March 13, 2023 Mark Elliot Julian Gold, Lester Friedman

The installation of the incoming Beverly Hills mayor and vice-mayor will take place on April 4th, says the city’s official announcement. “Save the date!” But it is difficult for me to suggest my neighbors should save the date for a ceremony where Vice-Mayor Julian Gold and Councilmember Lester Friedman will be nominated and elected by fellow councilmembers to the offices of mayor and vice-mayor respectively. Not that I begrudge the honor. All councilmembers give generously of their time to conduct the people’s business. And every year councilmembers rotate into those two ceremonial offices. It just happens that I’m not feeling any love for tenants from Gold and Friedman and that puts me into something less than a celebratory mood.

Commentary

Term Limits for Beverly Hills: Why the Hurry?

February 19, 2021February 21, 2021 Mark Elliot John Mirisch, Julian Gold, Lester Friedman, Lili Bosse, Nancy Krasne, Robert Tanenbaum, Robert Wunderlich, term limits

Beverly Hills city councilmember John Mirisch has stood out as a champion of new ideas. He wants the city to provide land so that nonprofits can build senior housing. He wants developers to set aside one in every five new dwelling units as permanently affordable. He favors city hall transparency and disfavors city hall inefficiency. He will always hold Metro’s feet to the fire. So why do his fellow councilmembers want to kick him off the island?

Process

RSO Study Session #1: Council Gets to Work!

October 16, 2018June 22, 2019 Mark Elliot duplex exemption, John Mirisch, Julian Gold, Lester Friedman, Lili Bosse, max increase, recap, rent banking, Rent Stabilization Program, Robert Wunderlich, RSO study session

City Council held its first rent stabilization ‘study session’ last Thursday. This is the latest step in a 18-month policy process to amend the rent stabilization ordinance. The session suggested what a final rent stabilization ordinance might look like: relocation fee schedule, exempted properties and more. However key issues — and the process itself — is still up for negotiation!

News

Beverly Hills City Council Endorses Prop 10

September 20, 2018June 9, 2019 Mark Elliot AAGLA, Affordable Housing Act, John Mirisch, Lester Friedman, Proposition 10

Beverly Hills City Council has endorsed Proposition 10 for the November ballot. If passed by voters, Proposition 10 would enact the Affordable Housing Act and thereby repeal the state’s Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. That legislation was Sacramento’s “gift to landlords” as one said because it ties the hands of any city that has enacted rent control. Our city’s endorsement is a statement of support for local control and self-determination. Indeed City Council voted unanimously to endorse Prop 10!

News

City Council: Let’s Get on With the Program

September 6, 2017June 22, 2019 Mark Elliot John Mirisch, Julian Gold, Lester Friedman, Lili Bosse, recap, Robert Wunderlich, Sukhsimranjit Singh

Mayor Bosse tonight focused councilmembers on several key issues that are necessary to move the rent stabilization program forward: proceeding with a rental registry, funding the program, and hiring a deputy director. Other areas of council agreement included forming a tenant-landlord board and a new habitability standard. While the RSO program moves forward the next steps are yet unclear.

News

City Council Hands Tenant-Protections a Major Setback

August 9, 2017June 22, 2019 Mark Elliot John Mirisch, Lester Friedman, Lili Bosse, Management Partners, recap, rental unit registration

City Council handed residents who rent a major setback tonight when the Council majority appeared to second-guess its earlier commitment to create a rental unit registry. In semi-retreat our councilmembers signaled that Beverly Hills may not yet be ready, and that has significant implications for both tenants and landlords.

News

Election Results Recap

March 20, 2017June 22, 2019 Mark Elliot Election 2017, John Mirisch, Lester Friedman, Nancy Krasne, Robert Wunderlich

We’ve been checking every day for the final Beverly Hills City Council election results to be posted and finally the election results are in! After a month of prolonged suspense from Los Angeles County we now know our new City Council. The big news is that Nancy Krasne is out and newcomers Les Friedman and Bob Wunderlich are in. What a nail-biter!