By Jonathan Friedman
Associate Editor

January 19, 2016 -- Last Thursday’s Santa Monica Rent Control Board meeting took an unusual turn when local Realtor Elaine Golden-Gealer made a PowerPoint presentation featuring scenes from “The Godfather” and a nuclear test explosion.

Golden-Gealer’s presentation came during a discussion of appointing a new commissioner to the board to the fill the vacancy created by Isle Rosenstein’s resignation late last month.

“I call this Mission Inevitable,” said Golden-Gealer as she showed slides featuring images from "The Godfather" of people kissing the fictional mafia leader Michael Corleone’s hand.

She continued, “Your job if you choose to accept it, and you will choose to accept it or else, is to rubber stamp the next rent board commissioner, a commissioner already selected for you by the SMRR steering committee.”

Golden-Gealer said, “You will create the illusion of a fair and open election process,” and showed an image with a list of qualifications for the new commissioner.

The qualifications that she claimed exist include that the person “hate apartment owners” and own no income property or manage it.

Golden-Gealer's final slide featured an image of a nuclear explosion, and she said the presentation would “self-destruct in 30 seconds.”

No commissioner responded to Golden-Gealer’s presentation, although when Todd Flora asked that the deadline for applications be changed, he joked that he had not run his suggestion by the SMRR steering committee.

It is true that the powerful political group Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR) has a major influence over who becomes a rent board commissioner.

Property owner Robert Kronovet’s election to the board in 2008 marked the only time in its nearly 40-year history that somebody was elected without SMRR’s backing.

No reason was given for Rosenstein’s resignation. She is the third rent board commissioner to resign since 2009.

Joel Koury stepped down in 2009 because his new day job left him little free time. He was replaced by Chris Braun, who resigned two years later to help his parents in Wisconsin. Rosenstein was appointed to Braun’s seat.

Seats on the rent board are not as sought-after as those on the City Council and other local panels of elected officials.

Rent board elections usually feature as many people running as seats available. Braun was the only person to apply for the seat in 2009, although six people competed to be his replacement in 2011.

The rent board is taking applications for the appointment until February 8. The only qualifications for applying are to be a registered voter and Santa Monica resident.

The board is expected to make an appointment at the February 11 meeting.

After her appointment in 2011, Rosenstein was elected to a full term in 2012. The term expires this November, so the person who fills the seat would have to win the election in the fall to keep it.

Commissioners are not allowed to serve more than two full terms, therefore the appointee would only be able to serve one full term following the partial one, rent board officials said at the meeting.

Several commissioners praised Rosenstein’s service. Executive Director Tracy Condon said she was dedicated to the position and had an amazing attention to detail.

“She would call me every week with a question on something related to the board meeting or some other issue that had arisen,” Condon said.

She added, “I certainly respected how she calmly and with grace respected all the people who appeared before the board and did everything she could to be as fair as possible.”