March 21, 2019
Thursday night, March 21, the organization formerly known as the Mountain View Tenants Coalition changed its name to the Mountain View Housing Justice Coalition and promised to challenge the proposed BAN on oversized vehicles that the City Council majority supported in principle Tuesday night.
The Coalition will work for the passage of a Safe Parking Ordinance that allows and encourages continuing (not temporary) Safe Parking Areas for vehicle residences, and it will oppose the BAN ordinance when it comes back to City Council.
If the Council enacts the BAN, the Coalition plans a referendum campaign. That means that Coalition members and allies will collect over 3,700 signature within 30 days. That will suspend implementation of the BAN and require an election after 88 days unless the Council repeals the BAN. While many Mountain View voters want the City to do something about the large number of vehicular households on our streets, I am confident that voters will vote down any outright BAN.
While it’s possible that city staff will bring the proposal back to Council before its summer recess, I predict that it won’t be considered until the fall because its legality is questionable, based upon court precedents summarized the City Attorney in the March 19 staff report. It will take a lot of careful wording to move forward with a law that leaves hundreds of vehicle residents with no place live in Mountain View.
Contrary to news headlines, there is currently no BAN.