Sebastopol council to consider rent increase cap

The Sebastopol City Council will welcome two newly elected members at its regular meeting Tuesday, just in time to revisit the particularly thorny issue of residential rental rates and municipal intervention.

At issue is a proposed six-month extension of an urgency ordinance approved Nov. 1 that temporarily caps rent increases at 3 percent a year for qualifying, multi-unit buildings occupied since 1995 or before.

Extension of an emergency ordinance requires approval by four-fifths of those seated for the vote; in this case, Slayter, Sarah Glade-Gurney, Una Glass and newly elected Councilwoman Neysa Hinton. Councilman-elect Michael Carnacchi cannot vote since he rents in a building that could be covered by the rate cap.

The City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. today at the Sebastopol Youth Annex/Teen Center, 425 Morris St., Sebastopol.

- Mary Callahan