Rental Housing Committee adopts fixed hourly rates for hearing officers and staff

The Mountain View Rental Housing Committee on Dec. 18 adopted fixed hourly remuneration for hearing program contractors, citing recruitment and retention needs.

Staff recommended a standard hourly rate of $300 for hearing officers, $175 for paralegals and $125 for settlement conference facilitators, effective Jan. 1, 2026, and proposed an annual cost‑of‑living adjustment at the start of each fiscal year. Staff said the recommendation reflects comparability to other jurisdictions and that the current petition hearing budget (reported as $170,000) should cover the change under current volume assumptions.

Committee members asked about the qualifications and duties of hearing officers and whether the rates are comparable to other arbitration programs. Staff said hearing officers are required by regulation to be attorneys with mediation and adjudication experience and that the recommended rates are comparable to other jurisdictions’ arbitrator/hearing officer rates.

Member Brown moved to adopt the rates and the annual COLA; Vice Chair Cox seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Staff said it will continue to track expenditures and return if additional appropriations are necessary.

The committee did not change hour caps or other contract terms in the motion; implementation details will be managed by the city’s contracting and the housing program.