Robert Wunderlich – Renters Alliance

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?

Commentary

Measure RP: Thoughts on the City’s ‘Tax Payer Protection Act’

October 21, 2020January 16, 2022 Mark Elliot Julian Gold, Measure RP, Robert Wunderlich, West Hollywood

Beverly Hills city council has placed on the November ballot a measure to conditionally add three-quarters of one percent to the sales tax IF Los Angeles County voters at some point in the future approve any increase. Dubbed by city council as the ‘Beverly Hills Tax Payer Protection Act,’ Measure RP would put our city a step ahead of the county by grabbing the resulting revenue. But the measure raises some questions about equity. In this time of unprecedented stress on county health and homelessness services, is it fair to put Beverly Hills first?

Explainer

Qualified Tenant Subsidy: Help When the Rent Is Too Damned High

December 28, 2018June 22, 2019 Mark Elliot Julian Gold, qualified tenant subsidy, Rent Stabilization Program, Robert Wunderlich

One of the ideas to emerge from the City Council’s rent stabilization discussion concerns a ‘qualified tenant’ benefit. Those who pay too much in household income for rent could find relief from the city. An estimated 400 households could qualify under the program. The objective: to cushion rent increases with a cash subsidy. Councilmember Bob Wunderlich proposed to target rent stabilization protections to tenants “who really need it.” What’s it all about?

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

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

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!