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Mountain View council adopts rent-control clarifications, approves clean-energy grant applications
Summary
At its March 25 meeting the Mountain View City Council approved a package of consent items including amendments to local rent-control rules and authority to apply for Silicon Valley Clean Energy grants for battery storage and a water-heater campaign. Council discussion touched on staff capacity and trade-offs for grant-driven projects.
The Mountain View City Council on March 25 adopted multiple consent-calendar items, including code amendments clarifying rent-increase rules and authorization for staff to apply for Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) grants to add battery storage at the senior center and to expand the city—s water-heater rebate campaign.
The council approved an ordinance amending sections of the Mountain View City Code related to rent increases and below-market-rate units. At the meeting Councilmember Chris McAllister said he intended to register a no vote on one item earlier in the process, though the consent motion was ultimately recorded as approved. That same motion included appointments to the Affordable Housing/Bridal Housing Committee and an extension of an exclusive-negotiating agreement for the 87 East Evelyn Avenue affordable housing site.
Why it matters: The rent-code amendments are intended to clarify how rent increases are calculated for certain rental categories; the SVCE grants would provide equipment and rebates intended to lower community greenhouse-gas emissions while improving local resilience.
Details: The council—s consent motion bundled several items. The ordinance on rent-related code changes (item 4.2 on the agenda) was read in title only and moved as part of the consolidated consent package. Related items adopted included appointments to an advisory committee and authorization to extend a negotiating period for an exclusive negotiating agreement tied to an affordable housing site at 87 East Evelyn Avenue.
On a separate consent item (4.7), the council directed staff to apply for three Silicon Valley Clean Energy grants: a competitive decarbonization grant of $1,000,000 for battery storage at the Mountain View Senior Center; a noncompetitive grant of $341,460 for the same site; and a competitive engagement grant of $100,000 for the city—s water-heater campaign. The motion said that, if awarded, the city would accept and appropriate up to $1,444,460 for sustainability projects (Project 2099). Councilmember McAllister and others noted the city—s history and relationship with SVCE during the debate.
Council debate: Several council members used the consent discussion to press staff about trade-offs when pursuing grant-funded projects. Councilmember Michelle Showalter warned that securing many grant-funded projects can de facto set staff priorities and risk stretching limited in-house capacity; she said staff should be candid about impacts on deliverability. Councilmember Karen Hicks and others expressed support for the clean-energy projects themselves, noting that SVCE was established in part to return profits as local grants and that battery storage would support community resilience during outages.
Votes: The consent calendar motion was moved and seconded and the items were adopted as described. The SVCE grant authorization (item 4.7) passed on a recorded vote of 6-1 (Councilmember Michelle Walter cast the lone recorded no). The broader consent calendar was approved as moved by the council; the official record shows the consent motion carried and the attached ordinances and resolutions were read in title only.
