January General Membership Meeting Recap

The first AAOC General Membership Meeting of the new year always generates significant interest and healthy attendance numbers, as members look forward to an informative evening learning about the newest laws and regulations affecting California’s rental-housing industry. This year’s meeting was no exception, except that it was presented online, with members viewing from their homes rather than gathering and filling a hotel banquet room to capacity.

The evening began with President Frank Alvarez honoring the recipient of AAOC’s Legislator of the Year Award for 2020, Senator Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore). Melendez has been an ardent supporter of private property rights, small business, and the rentalhousing industry. As a member of the State Assembly and more recently as a member of the State Senate, Melendez has consistently spoken up for our industry despite the legislative environment becoming increasingly hostile toward us and what we do. She reiterated her support for AAOC and the rental-housing industry when stating, “I am your voice.”

At the conclusion of her remarks, Melendez transitioned and administered the ceremonial oath of office to the 2021 AAOC Board of Directors, as well as to President Alvarez, who was reelected last fall and began his second term in January. Again, like the meeting itself, the ceremony was a little different this year, with the board members having to take their oath “virtually,” on camera, rather than standing, in person, before their peers.

Once the virtual pomp and circumstance wrapped up, Executive Director David Cordero introduced the evening’s headliner, Stephen Duringer, Esq., who presented his 11th Annual Legal Corner…Live! to the online audience. Duringer began his remarks with the acknowledgement that members will continue to face challenging times in 2021 and stressing the importance of remaining, “…mindful and involved in recognizing what is coming down the political pipeline.”

Duringer provided a recap of the 2020 General Election and the outcomes of two key ballot measures, Proposition 21, the rent control initiative that voters rejected by a nearly two-to-one margin and Proposition 15, which would have created a split-roll property tax and eliminated Proposition 13 (1978) protections for commercial properties in California had voters also not rejected the measure. Duringer expressed his belief that while both measures were defeated, neither will go away for long and they could both appear on future ballots.

Duringer also addressed the effort to

President Frank Alvarez, Senator Melissa Melendez, Vice President of Government Affairs Bill Christiansen, Director Stephen Duringer, and Executive Director David Cordero pose following Sen. Melendez’s acceptance of the AAOC 2020 Legislator of the Year Award. Meeting Recap — continued on page 36

Senator Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) addresses the online audience and expresses her thanks for being named AAOC’s 2020 Legislator of the Year.