Dozens of residents urged the Santa Barbara City Council on Friday to hire a city attorney with strong expertise in state and local tenant law and an emphasis on enforcing rent protections.

"This hire should be an expert in state and city tenant laws and should prioritize a rent stabilization ordinance," said Emily Pellstring, a tenant in Santa Barbara since 2021, during the public-comment period. Several other speakers echoed that call, asking that the city attorney be prepared to pursue enforcement and litigation against landlords who violate housing laws.

The appeals came during public comment on Item 1, described by the clerk as "public employment — city attorney," which the council cited for closed-session discussion under Government Code sections 54957(b)(1) and 54957.6. The council then adjourned to closed session; the presiding officer said the body did not anticipate a report out and would not reconvene for regular session that day.

Speakers urged the council to prioritize candidates with demonstrated knowledge of the Tenant Protection Act and the Ellis Act and with experience defending municipalities in litigation over local rent-stabilization measures. Andrea McCormick told the council that local gaps in tracking and enforcement have allowed landlords to exploit loopholes, saying officials should "make sure tenants are protected from unlawful evictions" and that local ordinances be aligned with state law.

Multiple commenters recounted local housing problems and landlord misconduct. Clay Hawkins, who identified himself as a UCSB physics Ph.D. candidate and five-year resident, said the attorney should "be prepared to defend the rights of tenants against domineering landlords." Max Golding, an online speaker, referenced a past city enforcement effort he said involved the mass displacement of households and criticized the resulting settlement as too lenient; he described the figure as "about 52 households." The number was stated by the commenter and is not an official city figure.

The presiding officer reminded speakers of the legal limits of the city attorney's role, saying, "the city attorney does not make policy." Public-comment rules in the meeting limited remarks to one minute per speaker and to the agenda item.

No public vote or hiring decision was taken in open session; the council moved into closed session to discuss the appointment. The item was conducted under the cited Government Code sections that permit closed deliberation on public-employee appointments and labor negotiations. The council indicated it did not expect to report action publicly that day.

Meeting logistics: the clerk reported a substantial number of speaker slips for the single-item discussion and noted one online speaker hand. Speakers raised topics including rent stabilization, enforcement of existing code and habitability standards, and defenses to anticipated legal challenges to local housing regulations.

ACTIONS AND AUTHORITIES: The council adjourned to closed session under Government Code sections 54957(b)(1) and 54957.6 to discuss public employment (city attorney). No motion text, vote tally or appointment was recorded in the public transcript, and the council stated it did not expect a report back or to reconvene for regular session that day.