The Cambridge City Council resumed two long-standing battles last night, fielding issues of rent control and economic development after a week dominated by fierce reaction to the new domestic partners ordinance.

The council voted 5-4 to send a private report criticizing rent control laws to the city solicitor instead of to a public hearing.

Claiming that the Council is withholding public information, Councillor William H. Walsh proposed that the council hold a hearing on the report issued by the Small Property Owners Association (SPOA).

The report, written by Rolf Goetze, a private data analyst hired by SPOA, says that rent control contributes to the low number of vacant units in the city, places an unfair burden on landlords and ultimately hurts the city's economy.

SPOA is currently suing Cambridge for what it says are unfair rent control policies. The group wants all rent control laws revoked, and has vowed to take the case to the Supreme Court.

At question was the city's responsibility to consider the report, and whether it should be heard in a public hearing.

Walsh said the city should hear all information regarding rent control. Others, most notably those councillors endorsed by the Cambridge Civic Association (CCA), indicated that it may have been more of a political move for Walsh, who has traditionally opposed rent control.

The city's lawyers have advised the council not to hold the hearing, said Reeves, who opposed the hearing. Anything said in the hearings could be used against the city in court, he said.

If SPOA wants the Goetze report to be heard, Reeves told Walsh, "they could go on your TV show." Walsh hosts a program on local access cable TV.

Councillor Jonathan Myers said that his rent control subcommittee has already agreed to look at the report and is making sufficient progress on the rent control litigation.

Myers also said that SPOA has refused to attend the committee's meetings.

Loan Guarantees

A proposal to offer loan guarantees to Cambridge biotechnology businesses also encountered lengthy ideological debate.

The council debated a proposal which would have required biotech firms to hire a set number of Cambridge residents to be eligible for loan guarantees from the city.

Councillor Alice K. Wolf proposed that 10 percent of each individual firm's work force must live in Cambridge in order to be eligible for the loans.