Lemon Grove council members walk out over disagreements on tenants’ rights ordinance

What started as a procedural discussion on a new tenants’ rights ordinance in Lemon Grove led to two council members walking out in protest during a meeting Tuesday. At the same time, the city successfully intervened in a local conflict that sparked the situation after local tenants said they were being evicted unfairly.

Councilmembers Seth Smith and Yadira Altamirano declined to participate in deliberations intended to direct staff on the process for a permanent ordinance to strengthen tenant protections, citing concerns that Mayor Alysson Snow had a potential conflict of interest.

The remaining officials decided not to create a stakeholder group and instead told staff to hold public meetings to collect input and educate residents on tenants’ rights.

The discussion came a month after the council approved a controversial urgency ordinance that gave tenants 120 days to vacate their apartments for all “no-fault” evictions and increased relocation assistance requirements.

Snow has pushed for a permanent policy to ban what she described as a loophole for landlords to evict tenants by falsely claiming substantial renovation is being completed on an apartment unit.

City leaders were asked to give staff further direction on a plan to hold public outreach to gather input on a permanent ordinance and to decide who wo...