Santa Clarita City Council members held off on changes that could make it easier to raise rents on mobile home parks, after another lengthy discussion.

Santa Clarita is still moving forward with the intent of eliminating a panel that would decide on appeals for non-standard rent increases, in favor of a hearing officer, while making several changes at the request of mobile home park residents.

Doug Fraser, a park resident and advocate for mobile home parks who’s been a frequent voice in the discussion, expressed mixed reviews for the meeting: He was happy about a City Council directive for compromise on the representation issue, but he still felt the city was reducing everyone’s voice — park owners and residents — by eliminating the panel.

Overall, the discussion was a “step in the right direction,” he said.

Mobile home park residents are concerned a hearing officer versus a panel reduces their voice in the process of challenging rent hikes they want to challenge. The current process gives mobile home park residents two of five votes on a panel that reviews such decisions. Two of the other votes go to park owners, and a fifth panel member is decided on by both parties.

“I was happy with the way they instructed city staff to go back and include a couple items,” Fraser said, “such as the requirement to talk to the residents prior to the construction of capital improvement. I was also happy with the reduction in the resident requirement.” (The new language would only require one-third of residents’ approval to proceed with a challenge, versus the old way of 50 percent plus one.)

However, the hearing officer system would “reduce the voice of the residents, and also reduce the voice of park owners at the hearing,” he said. “I have mixed feelings on that.”

No action was taken Tuesday, but City Council directed staff to clear up the language that residents and council members took issue with, so City Council can take up the item in two weeks for a first reading.

Mayor Cameron Smyth noted the situation made it practically impossible to satisfy everyone’s requests completely; however, the city is looking for a workable compromise. The current system provides delays and challenges that both sides have said are untenable, according to city officials, park owners and residents.

“We’re trying to find something that’s workable,” Smyth said. “I think this is, as you can imagine, a very passionate issue for the residents and it’s something that we’re trying to find a balance something certainly that provides a degree of understanding for the residents, with the understanding that there is a business and that there are laws in place for the park owners, as well. We’ll never make everyone happy 100 percent but we’re working toward the most equitable solution we can.”