West Hollywood

A series of public hearings on developing a permanent rent control law in West Hollywood will be conducted this month by the City Council’s Committee on Housing and Human Services.

The three hearings will convene in Plummer Park’s Hall A at 7377 Santa Monica Blvd.

The Feb. 10 meeting, on vacancy decontrol and maintenance and capital improvements, is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Feb. 18 meeting, which will cover a rent control board and rate of return, is set for 7 to 10 p.m. And the Feb. 24 meeting, on demolitions and conversions, is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Public testimony will be limited to three minutes a speaker. Council members Helen Albert and John Heilman will present a first draft of a permanent rent control ordinance to the full council on Feb. 28.

At the first hearing on the rent ordinance Monday night, 72 renters and landlords spoke for more than four hours on the questions of which units to cover with a rent ordinance and how to permit rent increases and evictions.

Speakers from both sides were heckled by the audience of 250.

Tenants told the council committee that all apartments in the city should be covered by rent control and that rents should be rolled back to 1981 levels. Landlords said only units for low-income tenants should be covered by the ordinance.