City of West Haven Fair Rent Commission Chairman Steven R. Mullins has appointed a three member sub-committee to explore language for a proposed fair rent ordinance to be passed by the City Council.
The panel is led by Commission Vice Chairman Cristian Sanchez. It also includes Commissioner Colleen O’Connor, a former Republican Councilor-at-Large and alternate Commissioner Richard Deso.
Council Chairman Nicolas Pascale (D-at-large) has appointed City Councilor Christopher Vargo (D-8) as the council’s liaison to the commission. Vargo, who was instrumental in the creation of the city’s ethics ordinance and is a paralegal by trade, will assist the sub-committee in the ordinance verbiage.
“The sub-committee will present the language to the full commission. After the commission agrees to the wording, we look forward to presenting it to the City Council for approval in the near future,” Mullins said.
In 2022, the Connecticut General Assembly passed legislation requiring each municipality with a population of 25,000 or more to enact a Fair Rent Commission. The Commission’s purpose is to receive complaints from City tenants regarding what they believe to be unfair or unreasonable rent increases or unacceptable accommodation.
West Haven’s Commission was formally reinstated by Mayor Dorinda A. Borer in April of last year, after a 32-year hiatus.
Applications for tenants filing complaints can be obtained in third floor office of Mayor Borer, or the Office of Corporation Counsel Paul Dorsi on the second floor.
“The Commission is neither pro-tenant, nor pro-landlord. We support doing what is right. Our goal is to promote good landlord and tenant relations,” said Mullins, who has over twenty years experience as a residential property manager.
The commission meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 6 p.m. at West Haven City Hall, 355 Main St. Meetings are open to the public.