Item 8 Staff Report Authorize Community Services Director to Distibute Request for Proposals for Management of the Town's Rental Dispute Resolution ProgramMEETING DATE: 12/1/97
ITEM NO.
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: November 25, 1997
TO: MAYOR AND TO COUNCIL
FROM: TOWN MANAGER.
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR TO DISTRIBUTE REQUEST FOR
PROPOSALS FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE TOWN'S RENTAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION
PROGRAM
RECOMMENDATION:
Authorize the Community Services Director to distribute the attached request for proposals for management of the
Town's Rental Dispute Resolution Program.
BACKGROUND:
The Rental Dispute Resolution Program was established to administer Town Code Sections 14.80 and 14.85 Rental and
Other Landlord/Tenant Disputes; its purpose is to resolve disagreements between tenants and property owners and to
prevent excessive and unreasonable rent increases while assuring property owners a fair and reasonable return on
investment. The Town has contracted with Information and Referral Services, Inc. (I&R) to implement the program
since its inception in 1979.
DISCUSSION:
The City of Campbell and the Town contract with I&R for services. Staff have jointly prepared the attached request
for proposals (RFP) to be mailed by the end of the month. Our objective in issuing the RFP is to assure the highest
quality of services at the best possible rates.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS:
Distributing the request for proposals is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None at this time. This is a special revenue fund, generating revenue to cover expenditures. Prior to an award of bid,
revenues will be analyzed to insure costs are covered.
PREPARED BY: Regina A. Falkner
Community Service: a erector
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Reviewed by: W Attorne
nce Revised: 11/26/97 9:57 am
Reformatted: 10/23/95
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MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR TO DISTRIBUTE REQUEST FOR
PROPOSALS FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE TOWN'S RENTAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION
PROGRAM
November 25, 1997
Attachments:
Request for Proposals
Distribution:
Sharon Teeter, City of Campbell, 70 N. First Street, Campbell, CA 95008
Patricia Draper, Information and Referral Services, Inc.,1245 Winchester Boulevard, #200, San Jose, CA 95128
Attachment 1
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO PROVIDE LANDLORD/TENANT CONFLICT
RESOLUTION SERVICES
The Town of Los Gatos and the City of Campbell are interested in reviewing proposals from qualified
organizations and individuals for the provision of landlord/tenant mediation services for residents during
the period from July 1, 1998 through June 30, 2000. Contracts will be one year contracts with possible
annual extensions.
Los Gatos
The program generally handles approximately 2,000 calls, fewer than 10 mediation and two arbitration
cases a year. Fiscal Year 1996-97 showed a sharp increase in Services; lower figures are anticipated for
this year. The Rent Mediation Program as it currently operates has a budget of $31,000 from the Town.
The program operates with professionally trained mediators provided by the contractor. Program
policies and procedures are established by the Town of Los Gatos, and Town provides a staff liaison to
the program to provide guidance and to ensure that the program is being operated as intended by the
Town Council. The program operates during normal business hours when Town offices are open.
The services being requested are the following:
• Implement the portions of the Code of the Town of Los Gatos which cover Rental and Other
Landlord/Tenant Disputes and Mobile Horne Rental and Other Tenant/Land Disputes.
• Maintain and staff a minimum of one telephone line during normal business hours on weekdays
for the program.
• Provide information to persons with questions regarding landlord and tenant relations concerning
property situated within the Town; refer such persons to appropriate agencies, persons, or
groups; and/or advise them of program services.
• Upon receiving a petition describing a conflict situation deemed to be appropriate for the dispute
resolution process, provide conciliation services via telephone or mail, assign a mediator when
conciliation is not sufficient, and insure that appropriate arbitration services are available when
the dispute is not resolved at the mediation level.
• Keep complete and accurate records regarding each request for landlord/tenant services; compile
monthly statistics, including, but not limited to, the number, resolution, and outcome of petitions
filed; and send these statistics to the Community Services Department quarterly.
• Advise the Town from time to time and at its request as to the status of the program and the
progress made in easing tension in the Los Gatos rental housing community; the Town shall at
all times have access to program records and be allowed to observe employees taking Los Gatos
calls.
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• Provide an adequate number of trained mediators and maintain an accurate list of them including
their telephone numbers, addresses, and other relevant data.
• Provide all forms, documents, and other materials required for the proper keeping of program
records.
• Publicize the services of and information provided by the program to the general public.
• Attend Rent Advisory Committee meetings and training sessions necessary for professional
development.
• Prepare and submit to the Town an Annual Report including, but not limited to, all data and
statistics required by the Town.
Campbell
Last fiscal year, Campbell's Rent Mediation Program handled approximately 3,000 calls, which included
requests for assistance with evictions, rent increases, repairs, and deposits. The program received
approximately 50 petitions for rent increases, and it conciliated or mediated approximately 50 cases.
The Rent Mediation Program, as it currently operates, has a budget of approximately $36,000 from the
City's business license fees. The program operates in a similar manner with the Town of Los Gatos, but
it does not involve rent control nor arbitration. The City's program requires mandatory attendance at
scheduled mediation sessions or Fact Finding Committee hearings. The Committee consists of two
landlords, two tenants, and one neutral member. Written agreements of rent increase dispute cases are
voluntary.
The services being requested for Campbell's program are similar to those being requested for Los
Gatos's program. The City of Campbell desires that, upon receiving a petition describing a conflict
situation deemed to be appropriate for the dispute resolution process, the contractor provide conciliation
services via telephone or mail, assign a mediator when conciliation is not sufficient, and insure that the
Rental Dispute Fact Finding Committee be available for a public hearing when the dispute is not
resolved at the mediation level.
PROPOSALS
If you are an experienced organization or individual in the mediation and landlord/tenant field and are
interested in operating landlord/tenant conflict resolution services for Los Gatos and Campbell, please
submit a proposal including the following information:
• Cost of providing landlord/tenant information and referral and mediation services for each of the
three 12 month periods starting 7/1/98, and the frequency and method for receiving payments for
services rendered.
• Description of how the program would be operated (i.e. carry out program from your existing
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office location or set up a new satellite office, number of phone lines to be provided, hours
during which service will be provided).
• Experience and knowledge of conciliation, mediation, and arbitration, of providing
landlord/tenant information and referral services, and of municipal government operations.
• Description of the staff positions that would be used to operate the program, the responsibilities
of each of these positions, and the number of hours that these positions would work.
• Description of the organization's financial, organizational, and staffing capacity, and ability to
incorporate the operation of the programs into the existing workload.
• A listing of references we may call, resumes of all the staff persons who would be working on
the program, and a listing of other relevant experience.
• For nonprofit organizations: an independent audit report or financial statements if an audit report
is not available, By Laws and Articles of Incorporation, and proof of non-profit status.
Proposals should be submitted to the City of Campbell at 70 North First Street, Campbell, CA 95008,
no later than Friday, January 30, 1998 at 5:00 p.m.. The selection process may include follow-up
questions, as well as an interview process. Applicants will be informed of the next steps in the review
process. It is expected that the municipalities will make a decision on the proposals in March. If you
have any questions, please contact Sharon Teeter, Housing & Community Development Coordinator for
the City of Campbell, at 408-866-2137 or Regina Falkner, Community Services Director, in the Town of
Los Gatos at 408-354-6820.
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TOWN COUNCIL/REDEVI. JPMENT AGENCY .inutes of December 1, 1997
Los Gatos, California
MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 17, 1997 (06.V)
Motion by Mr. Blanton, seconded by Mrs. Benjamin, that Council approve the Minutes of
November 17, 1997 as submitted. Carried unanimously.
TREASURER'S REPORT (07.V)
Informational report submitted by the Treasurer to the Council as of October 31, 1997, was
received and filed.
RENTAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROGRAM/REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (08.19)
Motion by Mr. Blanton, seconded by Mrs. Benjamin, that Council authorize the Community
Services Director to distribute the attached request for proposals for management of the Town's
Rental Dispute Resolution Program. Carried unanimously.
DOWNTOWN STREET LIGHTING/ELM STREET (09.40)
Motion by Mr. Blanton, seconded by Mrs. Benjamin, that Council accept report regarding street
lights on Elm Street and other Downtown streets to install four sets of two street lights and
install pedestrian style street lights at Elm Street, Grays Lane, Royce Street, and Bachman
Avenue with the upcoming Phase III Streetscape Project. Carried unanimously.
OKA ROAD 14700/SWIM & RACQUET CLUB/RESOLUTION 1997-133 (10.09)
Motion by Mr. Blanton, seconded by Mrs. Benjamin, that Council adopt Resolution 1997-133
entitled, RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS ACCEPTING WORK OF
DEVCON CONSTRUCTION, INC., 14700 OKA ROAD. AND AUTHORIZING THE TOWN
MANAGER TO EXECUTE CERTIFICATE OF ACCEPTANCE AND NOTICE OF
COMPLETION FOR RECORDING BY TOWN CLERK. Carried unanimously.
9721 PROJECT/TREE PRUNING AND REMOVAL/RESOLUTION 1997-134 (11.35)
Motion by Mr. Blanton, seconded by Mrs. Benjamin, that Council adopt Resolution 1997-134
entitled, RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS APPROVING SPECIFICATIONS,
AND AUTHORIZE THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROJECT 9721 - TREE PRUNING AND
REMOVAL. Carried unanimously.
LOS GATOS BLVD 16190/OFFICE RESIDENTIAL USE/RESOLUTION 1997-135 (12.09)
Motion by Mr. Blanton, seconded by Mrs. Benjamin, that Council adopt Resolution 1997-135
entitled, RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS DENYING APPEAL OF A
PLANNING COMMISSION DECISION APPROVING ARCHITECTURE AND SITE AND
CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPLICATIONS TO CONSTRUCT A NEW MIXED USE
BUILDING CONTAINING OFFICE AND RESIDENTIAL USES ON PROPERTY ZONED "0"
OFFICE. Carried by a vote of three ayes. Mr. Attaway and Mrs. Benjamin voted no for
reasons listed in prior record.
CURFEW ORDINANCE/AMENDING TOWN CODE SECTION 18/ORDINANCE 2038 (13.09)
Motion by Mr. Blanton, seconded by Mrs. Benjamin, that Council adopt Ordinance 2038
entitled, ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS AMENDING CHAPTER 18,
DIVISION 2 - CURFEW, which was introduced at the Council meeting of November 17, 1997.
Carried unanimously.
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