Tenants and landlords will no longer be able to conduct interviews for the Rent Stabilization Commission. (Beverly Press/Park Labrea News file photo)

The Beverly Hills City Council approved changes to a variety of city commissions during a July 18 study session. The councilmembers discussed three proposals put forward by the Commission Standardization Ad-Hoc Comm-ittee, which is composed of Vice Mayor Lester Friedman and Councilwoman Sharona Nazarian.

The council approved proposals to expand the background check process for incoming commissioners and to consolidate the Design Review Commission and Architectural Commission into one body that handles design-related matters. Finding consensus on how to restructure the interview process for the Rent Stabilization Commission, was more difficult, Mayor Julian Gold said.

The ad-hoc committee presented four options for restructuring the interview process.

“We probably need a matrix to figure out [the council members’ top two choices],” Gold said.

The commission is composed of two landlords, two tenants and two “at-large” members who are neither tenants or landlords, Gold said.

The composition is intended to include various viewpoints, but the commission has often had to postpone meetings because of absent members, Assistant City Manager Ryan Gohlich said.

“That you always have to have at least six people present has really, really been a challenge, and I think that’s part of the reason for the speed with which we’re getting things done,” Friedman said.

While the council discussed changing the number of commissioners, they ultimately decided not to. They decided instead to restrict tenants and landlords from conducting interviews of potential commissioners, and decided that only at-large members and council liaisons would conduct interviews.

“The question is how do we … ensure objectivity, and the council decided the best way was to take the two at-large members … to do interviews,” Gold said.

With the expanded background checks, the city will now consider bankruptcies, lawsuits and suspended or revoked licenses, according to a staff report.

Gold said that the consolidated architectural and design commission will have seven members for the time being, but that number will eventually fall to five.