Councillors Meet With Citizens To Discuss Rent Control Law

About 100 Cambridge residents and six out of nine city councillors attended a special meeting of the council last night to hear testimony on two amendments to the rent control law.

Meeting at Rindge Tech, the councillors heard two and a half hours of testimony on the present law and on two motions sponsored by Councillor David A. Wylie now under consideration by the council.

Wylie has proposed amendments which would open rent control board files to the public and restrict rent increases due to rising fuel costs.

Crowd Was Quieter

The crowd last night was smaller and quieter than the one that gathered in the council's chambers at City Hall Monday night. At that meeting, the council rejected a motion to abolish controls entirely made by Councillor Thomas W. Danehy. Danehy, as well as Councillors Daniel J. Clinton and Saundra Graham, did not attend last night.

As soon as last night's meeting began, Councillor Barbara Ackermann called into question the council's authority to regulate the rent control board. Ackermann asked the city clerk to rule on a state law which gives the board the power to recommend changes in rent control laws.

The clerk ruled that all amendments to the law must originate with the board and that council actions could only express the council's wishes to the board and city manager.

The board is appointed by the city manager, who is in turn chosen by the council. The ruling means that the council can only influence the board indirectly, by putting pressure on the city manager.

Most of the testimony was given by tenants, many representatives of tenants' unions and organizations. Tenants called hearing procedures inconvenient for working people, and charged that the board had granted rent increases to landlords in spite of existing housing code violations.

Tenants also claimed that wealthier residents receive better treatment from the board's inspectors.