THOUSAND OAKS : Zeanah Criticizes Fellow Officials

Thousand Oaks Councilwoman Elois Zeanah has accused city leaders, including her fellow council members, of sabotaging a proposed ordinance that she has championed.

Zeanah said she was surprised Tuesday night by a report from two other council members criticizing her proposal to regulate the rental of single-family houses.

“I am being sabotaged and have been from the very beginning,” Zeanah said.

Zeanah heads a citizens committee that drafted the ordinance. The group argues that houses overcrowded with renters create parking, traffic and noise problems for neighbors.

The ordinance would require landlords to obtain a license from the city before renting a home and would limit the number of people who could live in each unit.

But a report from the council’s housing subcommittee said the ordinance could hurt poor people who cannot afford housing. U.S. Census data indicates that limited rental housing is available for low-income residents of the city, the report says.

Councilwoman Judy Lazar and Mayor Frank Schillo, who wrote the report, denied attempts to undermine Zeanah. The report was provided, they said, to give Zeanah’s committee time to review the information before sending a final version of the ordinance to the council.

“If I was going to undermine somebody, the best way to do it is not to give her any information at all,” Schillo said.

Zeanah, who has often been on the opposing side of City Council decisions, said she plans to write a rebuttal next week.

Wednesday, the citizens committee is expected to present the ordinance to a group of landlords.