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The Lemon Grove City Council on March 3, following the exit of Councilmembers Seth Smith and Yadira AltamiranoStory and photos By Armando Rasing II
March 11, 2026 (Lemon Grove) - Councilmembers Seth Smith and Yadira Altamirano exited the latest Lemon Grove City Council meeting early on Tuesday, March 3, in protest over conflicting views on a tenant protection ordinance enacted in February.
Both council members left during a discussion on the selection of members for a potential stakeholder group for the new emergency ordinance. The council was also given the option to choose between a stakeholder committee or an ad hoc committee for public outreach.
In February, an initial urgency tenant protection ordinance was rejected 3 to 2, with Mayor Alysson Snow and Councilmember Jennifer Mendoza voting yes and Mayor Pro-Tem Jessyka Heredia, Altamirano and Smith voting no. Snow motioned for an emergency tenant protection ordinance, with the same conditions that are upheld at Imperial Beach. The emergency ordinance, motioned by Snow, was approved unanimously.
The temporary emergency ordinance, which began on Feb. 3, will last for 180 days. The ordinance states that tenants that are given no-fault evictions will be given 120 days to move out regardless of income, provided relocation assistance in the amount of one month of actual rent at fair market value, and if the tenant is over the age of 60, disabled or low-income, they will receive two months of fair market value rent for relocation assistance.
When Altamirano was asked to give her opinion on the matter, she stated that she was specifically against the idea of an ad hoc committee. She also expressed that she never wanted the tenant protection ordinance to be approved in the first place and left the meeting.
“I believe this tenant protection ordinance was not crafted properly,” Altamirano said. “It was rushed. It was written out of bias by one person. Procedure was not followed. Discussions were limited. [The] staff was put in a hard position.”
Both Smith and Altamirano cited a concern that Snow had a potential “conflict of interest” in the decision to enact the tenant protection ordinance and the stakeholder committee process. Snow, who is also a housing rights attorney who leads a Housing Rights Project at the University of San Diego, vehemently denied any conflict of interest.
'Optics are big'
“I believe there are some conflicts of interest. Even if there are none, let’s admit it, optics are big,” Altamirano said. “And there’s a public perception that Mayor Snow does have some bias and favor of additional tenant protection ordinance.”
She added that the tenant protection ordinance was “not necessary” and that she would reverse the ordinance if she could.
Below right: Councilmember Yadira Altamirano leaving Tuesday night’s Lemon Grove City Council meeting early
Following Altamirano’s exit from the meeting, Smith stated that he heard from staff that there was an agenda item back in February that would have allowed the initial ordinance that was rejected by Smith, along with Altamirano and Heredia, to be worked on before Snow motioned for the emergency ordinance that is currently in place.
“I wasn’t aware of that,” Snow said. “What I was given was an ordinance that was a cut-and-paste copy of Imperial Beach’s ordinance. Mayor Pro-Tem Heredia and I were the proponents. This was actually a council-initiated item.”
Snow emphasized that there was no agenda item that would have allowed further alterations to the initial ordinance and that the agenda is a public record that could still be seen by any member of the public. City attorney Kristen Steinke confirmed Snow’s remarks.
During the Feb. 3 meeting, several Serra Grove apartment residents complained that their landlords bent the rules when it came to evicting tenants for “substantial renovations.” Snow, in support of the community members in attendance, pushed for the emergency ordinance and stated that there were no substantial renovations happening.
Smith stated that staff told him that the work being done at the Serra Grove apartment complex were considered substantial renovations by state law. He expressed concern that the city council didn’t perform its “due diligence” during the meeting in February.
Tenant Protection Act
Snow cited the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which states that a substantial renovation would require that a tenant would have to move out for more than 30 days. She used the example that it would not be necessary for a tenant to move out for 30 days to remove a washer and dryer unit.
Snow added that she had Steinke write a letter to the landlord of Serra Grove to inform them that the renovations being done within the apartment complex were not considered substantial by state law and that the landlord withdrew the eviction notices as a result.
“To stand up here before you have adequate facts and try to make a decision. You’re sitting in a quasi-judicial capacity here and you need facts and input,” Snow said to Smith. “And right now, you are going off of what you feel is a substantial renovation and that does not meet the requirements of the tenant protection act.”
Smith reiterated a concern for a lack of transparency and hearing different information from different sources.
“I think that because we had this ordinance given to us in a rushed fashion, as you said this was copy and pasted from someone else’s ordinance, I am deeply disappointed in the lack of that objective process,” Smith said. “I think there’s some undue influence there.”
Smith added that he has “recused himself for less obvious things” and requested for Mayor Snow to do the same.
“I have no conflict of interest,” Snow said in response to Smith’s request for her recusal. “I’m not recusing myself. And also that was an emergency ordinance. We have bought ourselves some time to have the methodical discussions that we’re having now.”
Similar to Altamirano, Smith rejected the idea of an ad hoc committee, stating that city council should not be involved in the selection process. He said that Lemon Grove tenants and landowners should have an organization to represent both sides to help each group “organize their thoughts” on a potential permanent ordinance.
Following that statement, Smith also removed himself from the meeting.
Left: Councilmember Seth Smith leaving Tuesday night’s Lemon Grove City Council meeting earlyCommunity reaction
There was a group of people that attended the meeting that began cheering once Smith exited the meeting. Altamirano and Smith both remained outside of the building where the meeting took place where they spoke to members of the community while the meeting concluded.
While Heredia stayed throughout the duration of the meeting, she stated that she stood in solidarity with Altamirano and Smith.
“I totally respect our council colleagues for their protest right now,” Heredia said. “I do support what they’ve done. I totally get it. I also felt uncomfortable. I also felt that this was rushed even though I was included on it.”
Snow, Mendoza and Heredia unanimously agreed to forgo creating a stakeholder group and have two public meetings conducted by staff. Local residents will have the opportunity to be educated on the matter and share opinions at these meetings within the next few months.
The next city council meeting will be held at 6 p.m., March 17 at the Lemon Grove Community Center.
A video of the March 3 meeting can be found here.
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