The former president said the group neversucceeded in reaching a consensus on rent controland chose to follow a policy of, "Let's stick withwhat we got. Maybe everything else is worse."

"That is no way to run a public program," hesaid.

Other CCA members disagreed. "At times, Ithought the CCA was too weak in defense of rentcontrol," said Lester P. Lee Jr., a tenantactivist and CCA board member.

But Malenfant does not believe he death of rentcontrol marks the end of the CCA's reason forexistence.

While conceding that the group might lose thesupport of tenants dissatisfied with the outcomeof Question 9, she said the end of rent controlmight bring back voters who had previously beenrepelled by the CCA's position.

"There are very few people, in my opinion, forwhom rent control is the only issue," she said.

Political Influence

Another issue the new CCA leaders want toaddress is the group's relations with the fourcity councillors it has endorsed.

The group's hold on the council had been solidsince 1989, when it captured a majority form theIndependent councillors for the first time indecades. But Mayor Reeves defected from the groupin 1993 when he decided to run for a second termas mayor.

The CCA had tried to rotate the office amongits endorsed councillors every two years. When itrefused to support Reeves, he sought and receivedthe support of the Independents, effectivelyrealigning the council's majority.

Left with only four councillors, the CCA hasbeen accused of being too partisan by thefledgling Alliance for Change, a new group withwhich four Independent councillors haveaffiliated.

Malenfant hopes the CCA can recoup politicalcapital by being less partisan and by consultingwith its candidates more.

"When there is a disagreement within ourcandidates, the CCA will probably not take aposition," she said. "All of our city councillorsact in what is the best interest of theirconstituents. It is not the job of the civicassociation to second-guess that."

CCA-endorsed councillors appear to approve thechanges.

"The CCA as an organization sometimes, in thepast several years, arrived at decisions withoutenough research and certainly without consultingtheir endorsed officials," said Councillor FrancisH. Duehay '55. "A more consultative process is avery good idea."