30 Aug Antioch Expands Renter Protections, Chooses New City Manager

The Antioch City Council unanimously passed a just cause eviction ordinance Tuesday that will expand upon renter protections in the city. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

The Antioch City Council unanimously passed a just cause eviction ordinance Tuesday that will expand upon renter protections in the city. 

The vote comes after years of advocacy from community groups and residents — which has also resulted in rent stabilization and tenant anti-harassment ordinances — and only months after advocates criticized a draft ordinance for not providing enough protections for tenants. 

“The fact that we’ve made it this far speaks to the good work of our staff and the tenacity of our City Council,” said Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe. “But more importantly, more importantly, I want you to know that the increase in capacity to do this work has come because of people like you who decided to stay involved.”

The ordinance, which will also undergo a second reading Sept. 10, furthers protections already offered under state law by expanding the number of tenants eligible for protections and includes requirements for tenant buyout agreements. The ordinance also incorporates feedback from advocates asking for protections against the Ellis Act, which allows an eviction if an owner wants to go out of the rental business, and owner move-ins. 

If found to be in violation of the ordinance, landlords can be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 for each violation, imprisonment in county jail for up to six months or both. 

Ethan Silverstein, an attorney for the California Center for Movement Legal Services has been advocating for the ordinance and was critical of the previous draft ordinance, but said Tuesday a robust public process with stakeholders on both sides changed that. 

“This is an example of what’s possible in this city and other cities when there’s collaboration with tenants,” said Silverstein. “What we have now is a pretty good ordinance.”

Silverstein said the ordinance wasn’t exactly what he would have drafted as a tenant advocate but noted that it incorporated previous feedback of advocate groups and that an agreement had been met on “pretty much all of the major policy concerns.” 

What’s especially impressive about what’s included in the ordinance, according to Silverstein, is the protections regarding tenant buyout agreements. 

Under the ordinance, tenants receive protections against buyout agreements to ensure landlords are not coercing tenants into the agreements. 

“There are some protections for that abuse,” said Silverstein, “while still allowing people to engage in these contracts if they feel it’s right for the family.” 

New City Manager

The Antioch City Council appointed Bessie M. Scott, previously the city of Seattle’s deputy inspector general for public safety, as the new city manager. Scott will replace Acting City Manager Kwame Reed, who has been in the role for over a year. 

The appointment of Scott, a Black woman, sparked controversy ahead of the meeting after several of her old social media posts were shared. Some in the community took issue with Scott’s comments, saying she was racist towards white people. Some online made anti-Black comments. 

Community members were also critical of Scott’s experience, saying she was not qualified to serve as a city manager. 

According to the Mercury News, some of those posts “referenced systematic racism and social constructs that benefit only one race,” and Scott has degrees in public administration and law, society and philosophy along with “a wide range of experience, having worked in public safety, housing programs and municipal policy administration.”

Her LinkedIn profile shows leadership positions at the Seattle Community Police Commission and Public Defenders Association, among other roles.

Scott, not present at the meeting, was appointed to a two-year term and will receive a salary of over $263,000 annually. 

The council voted 3-2 on the appointment, with council members Michael Barbanica and Lori Ogorchock voting against.