Santa Cruz council member controversy over illegal rental unit

A Santa Cruz city council member is at the center of a controversy over an illegal rental unit.

Tuesday night city leaders voted to censure Micha Posner for failing to follow city laws by renting an illegal unit.

The city says Posner “breached public trust” by renting out a room his backyard without the right permits.

“These building codes are imperative to protecting the safety and health of our residents,” said Santa Cruz Assistant City Manager Scott Collins.

According to Collins, Posner built the room in 2007 and did not apply for zoning or building permits. He the rented the room, but it was not up to code.

Posner is also accused of not filing the proper paperwork to report his earnings.

“He didn’t disclose his rental income,” said Collins.

The resolution filed with the city council also claims that Posner knew the room was not up to code.

“He was aware of it when he built it and he was aware of it when he took office. It is a very serious issue from the perspective of staff and that is why the city council took the action they did.”

Collins said the Fair Political Practices Commission is now looking into the issue.

On Tuesday night, Posner said he didn’t want to say anything to justify having the unit and simply said that he wanted to apologize for it.

Posner also voted in favor of his own censure.