THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE
THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020 | 3
LOCAL ORGANIZATION WILL HELP LOW-INCOME RENTERS WITH BACK PAY ONCE LOCAL EVICTION MORATORIUM EXPIRES Short Term Emergency Aid Committee extends its renter-assistance services to help
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BY EDEN WINNIFORD city@theaggie.org As the COVID-19 crisis continues, the Short Term Emergency Aid Committee (STEAC) in Davis is preparing to financially help renters when the local eviction moratorium expires. The Davis City Council’s briefing of the moratorium outlines that tenants still have an obligation to pay what they can and that full rental payments will eventually be due. “The tenant shall pay the portion of the rent
the tenant is able to pay,” the website reads. “The tenant is not relieved of liability for unpaid rent, which the landlord may seek after the expiration of the local emergency. The tenant must pay back rent within six months of the expiration of the local emergency.” As of May 14, Davis is still in a state of emergency and has extended its stay-at-home order to May 31. STEAC Executive Director Liane Moody said that although the moratoriums are helpful, the backed-up rent payments will be due at some
point and affected individuals will still have difficulties paying them. “While it’s been wonderful that the governor and the city have passed moratoriums, as soon as those moratoriums are up, we expect there to be a huge amount of eviction notices,” Moody said. “So we’re getting ready so that we can provide as much support as possible and keep as many people from becoming homeless as possible.” Councilmember Lucas Frerichs echoed a similar sentiment in a statement included in the briefing. He explains that assisting renters is im-
portant because they could otherwise be evicted from their properties, which would leave the city empty. “During this unprecedented time, it is imperative for us to attempt to help those — both commercial and residential tenants — that will most need assistance so that we don’t end up with additional vacant storefronts, empty houses and apartments throughout Davis,” Frerichs said. Although there is uncertainty around when Davis will lift its state of emergency declaration, Moody said she expects to receive more appeals for aid in rental payments in a few months. “Our current thinking is that it’s going to be near the end of the summer, but things seem to change every day — we’re just trying to make sure that we have the resources available to keep as many people housed as possible,” Moody said. The STEAC website states that one of the organization’s goals is to “help Yolo County’s low-income residents through an emergency in order to keep them from joining the rank of the homeless.” Moody explained that the STEAC has helped renters facing eviction to pay back late rent even before the crisis. “We do a lot in terms of preventing evictions,” Moody said. “We help low-income families and individuals who have an eviction notice pay off that rent so that they can stay housed and not become homeless.” After requesting donations from the Davis community, the STEAC posted on Facebook that the money will be put towards its resources for helping renters. “During this COVID-19 crisis, STEAC is continuing to […] provide food and support for rent, utilities, and other needs to help struggling families make ends meet,” the post reads. “We are now preparing for a large increase in need for help with rent and utilities, and donations received today will be an important resource for meeting those needs.” The STEAC was able to raise nearly $60,000 from this fundraiser. Moody explained that although this crisis has been filled with hardships, she’s grateful for the support of the Davis community. “It’s been difficult, but we’re lucky in that we’re an organization that’s very well supported by the community,” Moody said. “And when work like this ramps up — that’s what we’re here for, so we’re happy to do that.”
PABLO REGUERÍN APPOINTED AS NEW VICE CHANCELLOR OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
Reguerín plans to focus on listening to students while highlighting social, educational inequities
Pablo Guillermo Reguerín will be the next vice chancellor of Student Affairs at UC Davis. (Photo Courtesy of UC Davis News and Media Relations)
BY JANELLE MARIE SALANGA campus@theaggie.org Pablo Guillermo Reguerín was selected as the new vice chancellor of Student Affairs, effective on July 20. Reguerín is currently the associate vice chancellor of Student Achievement & Equity Innovation at UC Santa Cruz. His appointment was announced in a press release from UC Davis News on Wednesday. He will take over from Emily Galindo, who has been interim vice chancellor since March of 2018. Chancellor Gary May said the UC Davis community was eager to welcome Reguerín given his long-standing commitment to supporting student success and his history working with Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). UC Davis was projected to receive HSI designation by the end of 2019, 11 years after it set its goal to become an HSI. “As we begin a new decade of challenges and opportunities, Pablo’s commitment to equity and inclusion will have a very positive impact on our students and their needs,” Chancellor Gary May said in the release.
Reguerín is also a principal investigator on three U.S. Department of Education HSI Title III and Title V grants, managing a wide breadth of funds within the UC system. He graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a bachelor’s degree in Latino and Latin American studies and from Columbia University with a master’s degree in educational leadership. He earned his doctorate of education from UC Davis School of Education in 2017, with his dissertation titled “Graduating Students of Color: An Analysis of Public Four-Year HSI and Non-HSI in California.” Reguerín said he is excited to join the UC Davis team and that he plans to partner with, listen to and learn from students through campus. “More than ever, we need to work together to overcome the pandemic and the impacts which are felt across all communities and highlighting social and educational inequities,” he said via email. “We need internal and external resources/ ideas to improve outcomes across communities and I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and serving the student and campus community.”
SENATE FAILS TO FILL JUDICIAL COUNCIL VACANCY FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE WEEK Controversial closed session called over appointment
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BY ALLY RUSSELL campus@theaggie.org The May 7 ASUCD Senate meeting was called to order at 6:11 p.m. on May 7 by Vice President Akhila Kandaswamy. The Senate had not met for the previous two weeks due to a vacancy on the Judicial Council (JC). Senate President Pro Tempore Samantha Boudaie began the meeting by introducing the recommended candidate, Jenna DiCarlo, a second-year international relations major, to fill the vacancy. After her introduction, controller Kevin Rotenkolber, who arrived late, motioned to move the Senate into a closed session that included DiCarlo. The motion was seconded by Kandaswamy. The closed session lasted more than an hour.
DiCarlo was not appointed during the closed session, so the meeting was forced to end early. Under the ASUCD Bylaws, the Senate cannot meet if a vacancy exists on the JC for more than four weeks. The closed session concerned DiCarlo’s appointment to the JC. According to Senator JB Martinez, the closed session focused on DiCarlo’s alleged partisanship, as she previously ran for Senate on the UNITE slate, and whether or not the Senate should be able to meet with all applicants directly to choose a candidate for the vacancy. Interview committees usually meet with potential applicants before selecting the candidate that best fits the position requirements. This candidate is then introduced to the Senate where a public hearing takes place, and the Senate votes on whether or not to confirm the
candidate. “I personally believe the incident was politicized,” DiCarlo said. “I was discriminated against because of my personal political leanings that have nothing to do with my ability to be fair and impartial on [the] Judicial Council.” Kandaswamy said the closed session was called in accordance with section 2105.(C)(2) of the Bylaws. According to this section, however, “the ASUCD senate must motion for a closed session regarding personal matters, investment matters, or litigation matters. That motion must be seconded and approved by a majority of voting members of the ASUCD Senate. At this time, a closed session will be placed on the agenda of the next regularly scheduled meeting of the ASUCD Senate, unless otherwise specified in the motion.”
While the closed session was moved and seconded, there was no approval by the majority of voting members of the Senate. The session was also not planned in advance and, therefore, not scheduled in the agenda. Kandaswamy said there were no objections raised to the closed session. According to Boudaie and DiCarlo, however, neither Rotenkolber nor Kandaswamy asked if there were any objections before moving into a closed session. They also said the reason for motioning for a closed session was unclear at the time. As a result, the senators did not vote on whether to move into a closed session, nor was there an opportunity to raise objections. “The closed session was not a ‘planned closed session’ and was therefore not a part of the agenda,” Kandaswamy said via email. “That being said, the agenda did include ‘closed session’ as one of its items and was released over 48 hours in advance, so that was satisfied.” The closed session that was on the agenda was meant to handle a different subject matter according to Kandaswamy, so it is unclear whether that section of the bylaws was satisfied as Kandaswamy claimed it was. According to Boudaie, Kandaswamy’s claims that the closed session was released beforehand are also incorrect. “The closed session was not announced 48 hours ahead of time, and without the general reasoning for holding the closed session also made public,” Boudaie said. DiCarlo was also not informed that she had the right to a public hearing, according to Boudaie, Kandaswamy and DiCarlo. Bylaw section 2105(C)(3) states that “the appointee or employee shall be given written notice of their right to have a public hearing. This notice shall be delivered either in-person or via email at least forty-eight hours before the closed session to the appointee.” “I definitely was not notified 48 hours in advance,” DiCarlo said. According to Bylaw section 2105(C)(4), “if notice is not given, any disciplinary or other action taken against any appointee or employee at the closed session shall be null and void.” As of the time of writing, the issue has been sent to the Judicial Council for review, and as of the time this article went to press, the ruling was not available on ASUCD’s website.
