Vernon Municipal Code Ch. 2.40 Vernon Housing Commission

The City Council of the City of Vernon hereby establishes the Vernon Housing Commission. For the purposes of this chapter the Vernon Housing Commission shall be referred to as the Commission.

(Prior code § 2.121)

The Commission shall be comprised of seven members appointed by the City Council. The Commission shall include:

A. Three residents of the City, one of whom shall be a member of the City Council. To be eligible for appointment, each resident shall not have, at any time within the five years preceding appointment: (1) been an employee or a consultant of the City, except for the member of the City Council; or (2) a financial interest in any contract, other than the lease of his or her residence or the provision of municipal services available to the public generally, to which the City is a party.

B. Three persons, each of whom represents either a person or entity owning or operating a business located in the City or a person or entity owning nonresidential property within the City. To be eligible for appointment, each representative shall not have, at any time within the five years preceding appointment: (1) been an employee or consultant of the City; or (2) a financial interest in any contract to which the City is a party or represented any business or property owner with a financial interest in any contract, other than the lease of his or her residence or the provision of municipal services available to the public generally, to which the City is a party.

C. One person who is an employee of a business located in the City. To be eligible for appointment, the person shall not have, at any time within the five years preceding appointment: (1) been an employee or consultant of the City; or (2) a financial interest in any contract to which the City is a party or been an employee of a business that has a financial interest in any contract, other than the lease of his or her residence or the provision of municipal services available to the public generally, to which the City is a party.

D. Only one of the seven members of the Commission may at any time be a member of the City Council. No more than three members of the Commission may at any time be tenants in City-owned housing.

(Prior code § 2.122)

A. Commission members shall serve for a term of four years and may be reappointed. Terms of office for each seat shall begin on July 1 at 12:00 a.m. and end on June 30 at 11:59 p.m. four years thereafter. No person shall serve more than two consecutive full four-year terms.

B. Unscheduled vacancies due to resignation, no longer meeting criteria, removal or inability to serve for any reason, the position shall be considered vacant and the unscheduled vacancy shall be posted and filled pursuant to Government Code Section 54974.

C. A Commission member shall be considered to have vacated his or her position on the commission if he or she misses four or more consecutive meetings without a valid excuse as determined by the Commission.

(Prior code § 2.123)

A. A Commission member may be removed by a majority vote of the City Council for cause.

B. "Cause," within the meaning of this section, shall be limited to inefficiency, neglect of duty, or misconduct in office.

C. Prior to the removal of a Commission member, the Commission member shall be given a copy of the charges against him or her at least 10 days prior to any hearing on the charges by the City Council, which shall be conducted in open session at a noticed meeting of the City Council. At the hearing on the charges, the Commission member shall have an opportunity to be heard in person or by counsel.

D. If a Commission member is removed, a record of the proceedings and the charges and findings on them shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk.

(Prior code § 2.123.1)

A. The Commission shall have a chairperson and vice chairperson, who shall be from different appointing categories pursuant to Section 2.40.020.

B. The Commission members shall elect the chairperson and vice chairperson annually. No Commission member may serve as chairperson for more than two consecutive terms. The chairperson shall preside over all Commission meetings and shall have the power to appoint subcommittees and the presiding chairs of those subcommittees. The vice chairperson shall, in the absence of the chairperson, perform the duties of the chairperson.

C. The officers of the Commission shall be the Secretary, Treasurer, Commission Counsel and Commission Director.

1. The Secretary shall keep and maintain the records of the Commission and the minutes of the Commission meetings and also shall perform all other duties incident to the office of Secretary of the Commission. The City Clerk, or designee, shall hold the position of Secretary of the Commission.

2. The Treasurer shall supervise the fiscal affairs of the Commission, shall supervise the care and custody of all rent and other monies collected by the Commission and shall make such payments as authorized by the Commission. The Treasurer shall cause adequate, correct and regular accounts of the properties, monies and transactions managed by the Commission to be kept and maintained. The Treasurer shall render to the Commission, whenever requested, a Treasurer's report of the Commission's transactions and the financial condition of the City's investment in the City-owned dwelling units. The City Treasurer, or designee, shall hold the position of the Treasurer of the Commission.

3. The Commission Director is charged with the administration, management and general supervision of the business and affairs of the Commission. The City Administrator, or designee, shall hold the position of the Commission Director.

4. The Commission Counsel shall be in charge of the legal affairs of the Commission and shall advise the Commission on matters within its jurisdiction, as well as with respect to compliance with the California Political Reform Act (Government Code Section 81000, et seq.) and California Government Code Section 1090 et seq. The City Attorney, or designee, shall hold the position of Commission Counsel.

5. Any officer may designate someone other than him or herself to act on his or her behalf.

(Prior code § 2.124)

The Commission is hereby authorized, on behalf of the City, to do the following:

A. Except as otherwise set forth in this chapter, to take any and all action with respect to each and every City-owned dwelling unit that any owner of property in the State of California would have the authority to take; provided, however, that the Commission shall have no authority to sell or encumber any City-owned dwelling unit, acquire ownership in any new dwelling units on behalf of the City, or non-renew any lease (whether month-to-month or term) entered into prior to and in effect as of the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter unless such non-renewal is based on grounds that otherwise would qualify for removal of the tenant for cause. The Commission is, among other things authorized: (1) to enter into leases or rental agreements with tenants or prospective tenants; (2) to take action to remove tenants for cause when such action is permitted by the laws of the State of California; (3) to set, adjust and collect rents and transmit the funds to the City Treasurer; and (4) to repair or reconstruct any dwelling unit that, in the sole discretion of the Commission is in need of repair or reconstruction, subject to the expenditure requirements of Section 2.40.070.

B. Enforce the Vernon Rental Housing Policy and any amendments thereto recommended by the Housing Commission and approved by the City Council.

C. Make recommendations to the City Council regarding the extent to which City ownership of housing stock continues to provide public benefits that are sufficiently adequate to merit ownership and whether the public interest would be served by the City divesting its ownership in any of the City-owned dwelling units.

D. Make recommendations to the City Council with respect to opportunities for the development of housing opportunities in the City and in other cities and communities in close proximity to the City.

E. Advise the City Council with respect to all matters relevant to the housing element of the City or any City-owned dwelling unit in the City.

F. Perform such other duties as may be delegated by the City Council.

(Prior code § 2.125)

A. The City Administrator as Commission Director shall be the primary staff liaison to the Commission and shall provide the Commission with reasonable staff and support services. In the event the City Administrator is unable to provide such services for any reason, the Commission may enter into written contracts for staff and support services, and the fair and reasonable expenses shall be considered the obligation of the City and paid accordingly. For contracts that do not exceed an aggregate of $25,000.00 over the term of the contract and do not exceed a term of three years, the Commission may enter into the contract without prior approval by the City Council, subject to subsection D. Contracts in excess of these thresholds shall require prior approval by the City Council.

B. The City Attorney as Commission Counsel shall provide the Commission with reasonable legal services. In the event the City Attorney is unable to provide those services for any reason, the Commission may enter into written contracts to retain counsel, and the fair and reasonable legal expenses shall be considered the obligation of the City and paid accordingly. For contracts that do not exceed an aggregate of $25,000.00 over the term of the contract and do not exceed a term of three years, the Commission may enter into the contract without prior approval by the City Council, subject to subsection D. Contracts in excess of these thresholds shall require prior approval by the City Council.

C. The Commission shall have the authority to retain the services of any professional by written contract when necessary or appropriate to the performance of its duties set forth in Section 2.40.060, and the expenses incurred shall be considered the obligation of the City and paid accordingly. For contracts that do not exceed an aggregate of $25,000.00 over the term of the contract and do not exceed a term of three years, the Commission may enter into the contract without prior approval by the City Council, subject to subsection D. Contracts in excess of these thresholds shall require prior approval by the City Council.

D. Prior approval from the City Council shall be required before the Commission may enter into any contract that would result in the total value of contracts entered into by the Commission without Council approval for that calendar year exceeding $100,000.00.

(Prior code § 2.126)

The Commission shall have the authority to enter into, and bind the City with respect to, leases, professional services and other contracts within the scope of the Commission's duties, as set forth in Section 2.40.060. When the Commission enters into contracts, it shall do so in the name of the City. The Commission Director shall execute all contracts entered into by the Commission on behalf of the City.

(Prior code § 2.127)

A. The Commission shall meet at least twice per year, on dates and at times established by a resolution of the Commission. The Commission may schedule additional meetings as necessary or appropriate.

B. Commission meetings shall be noticed and conducted in compliance with the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code Section 54950 et seq.). All meetings shall be open to the public and regular minutes of each meeting shall be maintained by the Secretary to the Commission. A majority of Commission members shall constitute a quorum. Once a quorum is established, action may be taken by the Commission only upon a favorable vote of a majority of the Commission members present and voting.

(Prior code § 2.128)

The member of the Commission who also serves on the City Council shall not receive compensation for their attendance at Commission meetings. All other Commission members shall receive $100.00 per meeting, up to a maximum of $200.00 in any calendar month, as well as their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties. Travel expenses of Commission members for travel outside the County of Los Angeles shall not be reimbursed without prior approval of the City Council. The Secretary, Treasurer, Commission Counsel and Commission Director shall receive no compensation as Commission officers, other than compensation received from their primary employment with the City.

(Prior code § 2.129)

As a commission of a public entity, the Commission shall comply with all applicable open meeting and ethics laws, including, but not limited to, the Ralph M. Brown Act, the Political Reform Act, the Public Records Act, and Government Code Section 1090.

(Prior code § 2.130)