Housing petition complaints, city cameras, and a split Rose Bowl vote

The city's federal legislative advocate gave an update on Congress before the election recess: a stopgap funding measure, data center electricity legislation, a permitting reform deal, and the expired federal transportation bill, which funds highway, transit and rail programs. Information only; no action was taken. 00:06:57

• A speaker reported that Congress did not pass a new fiscal 2027 budget and instead passed a stopgap continuing resolution running through December 11 00:07:26
• A speaker said the House passed a bill to make data centers pay for added electricity transmission and generation costs, but the Senate left before acting on it 00:08:33
• A speaker described a bipartisan Senate permitting reform deal focused on energy infrastructure, and predicted it would be hard to pass in the lame-duck session 00:09:33
• A speaker noted that the federal surface transportation law expired September 30 and was extended to December 11, and said finding money for a new bill will be difficult 00:10:33
• A councilmember said he looks forward to hearing more about data centers 00:12:02
• A councilmember reported attending the ribbon cutting for the new Hollywood Burbank Airport terminal, which Pasadena co-owns with Burbank and Glendale, and noted Tyron Hampton (Councilmember, District 1) presided as president of the airport board 00:12:56
• A councilmember said the new terminal came in on time and under budget 00:12:56
• A councilmember relayed the Southwest Airlines CEO's remark that larger gate areas allow bigger planes, which are quieter and more energy efficient 00:14:57

The city's state legislative advocate reported how the governor acted on bills, including a bill on the State Route 710 surplus homes the city has been pushing for and a bill extending the law enforcement mask ban to state police officers. Information only; no action was taken. 00:15:57

• A speaker reported that the governor signed 1,040 of the 1,160 bills that reached his desk and vetoed 120, a veto rate of about 10.3 percent, below his roughly 13.5 percent average 00:15:57
• A speaker said the governor signed AB 2329 on the State Route 710 surplus homes, a bill the city worked on with South Pasadena 00:15:57
• A speaker noted that AB 2329 took effect on signing because of its urgency clause, and said the city hopes to work with Caltrans to speed up its rulemaking 00:15:57
• A speaker said the governor also signed SB 1004, which extends the law enforcement mask ban to state police officers 00:17:03
• A speaker said the governor signed a seven-bill data center package and that more data center and AI legislation is expected next year 00:17:03
• A speaker reported that five of the six bills the city took positions on this year became law, and four of those five were bills the city supported 00:17:03
• A councilmember asked about a bill that would extend the deadline to use certain funds, possibly connected to the Caltrans housing or an affordable housing grant 00:18:20
• A speaker said language had been pulled from AB 2329 late in the process, promised to check, and said the deadline to obligate the funds may not be the problem the city had feared 00:18:45

Petitions for a citizen initiative to amend the city charter on rental housing have been submitted. Written comments in the packet say it was gathered by a committee called Pasadena Housing Providers and would weaken and eventually repeal tenant protections. Residents complained that paid signature gatherers misrepresented the petition as pro-rent control. The committee discussed whether the city has any role in enforcement or in regulating signature gatherers. The county is checking the signatures, and if the petition qualifies the measure would go on the March 2028 city ballot. Discussion only; no action was taken. 00:19:05

• A councilmember said he asked for the item, and asked whether the city has a role if fraud is being committed in collecting petition signatures 00:20:06
• A councilmember argued that paying gatherers per signature gives them an incentive to say whatever gets a signature 00:20:06
• A speaker said the clerk's office has no enforcement role, and that misrepresentation by circulators is a crime, which he believed is a misdemeanor 00:21:18
• A councilmember said a misdemeanor committed in Pasadena would go to the city prosecutor's office, not the district attorney 00:21:52
• A speaker said the initiative was submitted within the required 180 days, that he raised the complaints with the proponents and reviewed their training materials, and that about 50 people asked to have their names removed 00:22:06
• A speaker said the county's deadline to report on the petition's sufficiency is October 22, after which the clerk will report to the council 00:23:11
• A speaker said a qualifying measure would go on the next regular city election ballot, in March 2028 00:23:11
• City staff said complaints of illegal activity should go first to the Pasadena Police Department, which would investigate and then refer cases to the city attorney's office to decide whether to prosecute 00:23:59
• City staff cautioned that because it is a criminal statute, intent has to be proven, and said the office is unsure whether the Secretary of State would get involved 00:23:59
• Jess Rivas (Councilmember, District 5; Vice Mayor) said she was approached in several places in her district and told things she believes were inaccurate or outright lies 00:25:07
• Jess Rivas (Councilmember, District 5; Vice Mayor) asked whether the city could tell residents who had complained where to report 00:25:07
• A councilmember said the issue comes down to fairness and that the city should support fair elections 00:26:39
• A councilmember urged caution because the issue involves political speech, though paid political speech 00:27:04
• A speaker said each petition section carries a declaration of circulator, and that some circulators were from out of state and some from outside the city 00:27:56
• A speaker corrected the chair's figure of 43,000, saying about 28,000 to 29,000 signatures were submitted 00:29:19
• A speaker said the signatures equal roughly a third of the city's registered voters 00:30:20
• A councilmember floated requiring signature gatherers to register with the city and take a city training, so the city knows who they are if complaints come in 00:48:09
• A speaker said the clerk follows the California Elections Code, which requires no training for circulators 00:49:01
• A speaker said the Legislature removed the requirement that circulators live in the jurisdiction, so they now only need to be 18 00:50:47
• A speaker said he is willing to offer initiative proponents training like the clerk's candidate workshops 00:53:01
• City staff said the city attorney's office would research the idea, citing preemption and First Amendment issues 00:54:31
• A speaker doubted that a local requirement layered on top of the Elections Code would survive a legal challenge 00:56:18
• A councilmember said the committee would look to bring the topic back on a future agenda after consulting offline 00:58:19
• Jess Rivas (Councilmember, District 5; Vice Mayor) said she doubted a fully satisfying fix would be found but called public attention an important first step 00:58:26

AT&T is moving to retire traditional copper landlines. A member of the public, writing in after the Eaton Fire, asked the committee to recommend that the council formally oppose withdrawing copper service in high wildfire-risk and poor-coverage areas until a replacement is independently shown to work through multi-hour power outages and mass evacuations. The request also asked the council to urge the FCC and CPUC to require that testing, and to have staff return within 45 days with a draft resolution. The packet letters say copper lines carry their own power and still support alarms and medical-alert devices, and that the FCC has given AT&T a path to discontinue copper service on or after June 1, 2027. The committee asked staff to look into it further; no vote was taken. 00:58:40

• City staff said copper theft is connected and that AT&T can take weeks to repair it 01:02:15
• City staff said the larger driver is a change in technology, as carriers invest in wireless and fiber 01:02:15
• A councilmember said a city ordinance would likely be preempted because this is a national and statewide network 01:03:25
• City staff said the CPUC has stopped disconnections in California until an alternative performs as well as copper 01:03:57
• City staff said AT&T is still contacting Pasadena customers to move them to other products 01:03:57
• City staff said the city has no regulatory role, that in 2024 it pointed residents to the CPUC comment period, and that AT&T has asked the FCC to override state rules, which the FCC has not done 01:05:10
• City staff said Pasadena is not among the first areas where AT&T is trying to move faster 01:06:12
• A councilmember asked staff to look into what the city did in 2024 and whether it took a position, and to check with police, fire and others who rely on communications 01:06:26
• City staff suggested the council could reaffirm its agreement with the CPUC's position that service stay on until there is an adequate replacement 01:08:27
• A councilmember asked how many copper landlines remain 01:09:23
• City staff said about 184,000 residential copper lines remain statewide 01:09:44
• City staff said aging copper infrastructure is no longer necessarily the most reliable service 01:10:01
• A councilmember said that when she called 911 from a cell phone in the city, the call went straight to Pasadena police 01:11:24

The agenda recommends supporting local Measures PFD and UP and state Proposition 1, and opposing Propositions 39 and 43. Staff described PFD as the city's 911, fire and paramedic emergency response measure, and the Pasadena City College measure as an extension of existing bonds without raising the current tax rate. Proposition 1 would authorize state bonds for affordable housing. Staff said Proposition 43 would raise the vote needed for local special taxes to two-thirds and restrict property transfer taxes, and that Proposition 39 would require government-issued ID to vote. The committee had voted on this at its prior meeting and voted again to confirm. The recommendations were headed to the full council the next day. 01:13:03

• Jess Rivas (Councilmember, District 5; Vice Mayor) moved to confirm the recommendations to support Measure PFD, the Pasadena City College measure and Proposition 1, and oppose Propositions 39 and 43; Gene Masuda (Councilmember, District 4) seconded. Result: passed, 3-0. 01:16:46

• A councilmember said he thought the written recommendation differed from what the committee had voted on 01:13:51
• City staff presented a support recommendation on Measure PFD, the local 911, fire and paramedic emergency response measure 01:14:15
• City staff presented a support recommendation on the Pasadena City College measure, which extends existing bonds without raising the current tax rate 01:14:28
• City staff presented a support recommendation on Proposition 1, state bonds for affordable housing 01:14:28
• City staff described Proposition 43, recommended for opposition, as raising the vote needed for local special taxes to two-thirds 01:14:56
• City staff described Proposition 39, recommended for opposition, as requiring government-issued ID to vote 01:15:30
• A councilmember said that on one other proposition she had wanted to support it, the chair had not, and the committee left it without a position 01:15:51
• City staff said the recommendations were on the next day's council agenda 01:16:10
• A speaker noted letters received objecting to the city's opposition to the voter ID measure and to the city's support of Measure PFD 01:17:02

The council picks a vice mayor each year at its organizational meeting. By practice, it has chosen the longest-serving councilmember who has not yet held the post, usually for two one-year terms. The city clerk presented a draft policy that would write that practice down. Under the draft, the council keeps the freedom to elect someone else, since the charter requires five votes for any council action, and the same person can serve a second one-year term. The committee leaned toward holding the policy so it goes to the council together with the broader meeting-policy package. 01:17:52

• A speaker said that under a 2024 charter change, an acting mayor is now chosen from among the councilmembers if the mayor's office becomes vacant 01:17:52
• A speaker said the historic practice has mostly been two one-year terms for the longest-serving member who hasn't yet been vice mayor 01:18:52
• A speaker said staff was directed at the last reorganization meeting to return with a succession order 01:20:17
• A speaker read the draft policy, under which the council may elect someone else if the nominee lacks five votes 01:20:17
• Jess Rivas (Councilmember, District 5; Vice Mayor) said that because the charter makes this an election, any policy should only describe the longstanding practice, and she would also be fine taking no action 01:22:52
• A councilmember summarized the policy as one the council would follow but would not be bound by 01:23:27
• A councilmember asked how seniority would be decided between two members sworn in the same day 01:24:06
• A speaker said the policy could become a section of the council's meeting resolution 01:25:51
• A councilmember proposed holding the item until the committee has recommendations on the meeting policy, so the council has one discussion 01:26:12
• A speaker said he had already placed the item on the next day's council agenda 01:26:28
• A councilmember said there is no urgency because Justin Jones (Councilmember, District 3) is next in line 01:26:58

Items 1 and 2, taken together, cover proposed changes to how council and council committee meetings are run and to councilmember conduct, for an eventual recommendation to the full council. The presiding member laid out five areas: Brown Act training, Robert's Rules training and the chair's role, meeting practices (asking staff questions in advance, a 10 p.m. cutoff, speaker order, time limits), the mayor's role in running meetings and notice when the mayor leaves the state, and rules for city-sponsored events and use of city resources. No vote was taken. The clerk will bring back a redline of the meeting policy. 01:27:53

• A councilmember proposed refresher training on the Brown Act, the state open-meetings law 01:28:30
• A councilmember proposed training on Robert's Rules of Order, saying he recalled none on the rules that govern council meetings 01:30:28
• A councilmember argued that the presiding officer should run the meeting and that other members should not try to 01:33:18
• A speaker said Robert's Rules is rule five of the council's meeting rules, and that the municipal code applies it only to advisory bodies 01:34:10
• A councilmember argued that most questions to staff should be asked before meetings, not during them 01:35:48
• A councilmember said, as an aside, that it had been clear at the Public Safety Committee that the city would never use test or loaner drones, and that this was miscommunicated at a council meeting 01:36:51
• A councilmember said the drone matter was not for this meeting, while thanking the chair for clarifying it 01:38:00
• A councilmember proposed formalizing a practice of not starting substantial items after 10 p.m. 01:38:16
• A councilmember criticized the council's practice of setting speaking order by who presses the button first 01:39:17
• A councilmember floated randomizing speaker order, deferring to the member whose district is affected, or rotating the order 01:40:21
• A councilmember supported moving forward on all the proposals but said the speaking order is tricky 01:44:38
• A councilmember said meetings moved faster when agendas listed estimated times for each item 01:45:01
• A councilmember questioned publishing time estimates with the agenda, noting they are already a public record available on request 01:46:07
• A speaker described the time estimates as an informal guide based on speaker cards 01:46:25
• A councilmember argued that the mayor, when presiding, should avoid back-and-forth exchanges and speak after hearing the other members 01:47:50
• A councilmember proposed requiring notice when the mayor is away, similar to the notice required when the city manager is out of the city 01:50:00
• A councilmember proposed another council retreat focused on how the council does its work 01:52:03
• A councilmember argued that the whole council should be informed of, invited to and named on all city-sponsored events, press conferences and giveaways, citing the state ban on using public resources for political activity 01:55:09
• A councilmember proposed city attorney review of statements issued on city letterhead 01:58:31
• A councilmember agreed that the whole council should be invited to city press conferences 02:01:08
• A councilmember said giveaways are harder because the FPPC allows behested payments with disclosure, and questioned whether the city would be preempted 02:01:08
• A councilmember said it is troubling when city resources are used and colleagues are left out 02:03:08
• A councilmember floated barring such city events for a period before municipal elections 02:03:35
• A speaker said proposals not related to meetings should not go in the meeting policy and should instead be drafted as a resolution by the city attorney or city manager 02:05:05
• A speaker offered to bring the meeting-related changes back to the committee as a redline of the meeting policy 02:06:19

A discussion of whether the committee should do more on regulatory agencies and on how the city takes part in regional associations of governments, such as SCAG and Metro. The presiding member tabled it for further study. 02:07:54

• A councilmember asked to table the item so he could study it further 02:07:54
• A councilmember relayed a suggestion that the committee propose rules for how the city takes part in associations of governments 02:08:55

• Opening public comment, items not on the agenda: two speakers. One thanked the city for divesting from weapons and asked the committee to agendize a resolution supporting the eventual abolition of nuclear weapons. The other described a personal harassment complaint and asked how to reach the mayor; the presiding member suggested filing a police report, consulting a civil attorney, and seeking medical help.
• Item 8 (signature gathering for the housing charter amendment): four speakers, two in person and two online. The clerk also reported 24 written letters; the packet includes two from tenants making the same complaint. Three speakers said paid signature gatherers told them the petition was for rent control or would lower rents, when its text would repeal or replace Measure H. Accounts included a petition folded to hide its text, aggressive crowding, and a gatherer asking unregistered people to sign anyway because he was paid per signature. One of the three said she reported an incident to the clerk's office and a state elections body and heard nothing back. One speaker, working with the Pasadena Housing Providers group, defended the effort: he said it submitted 29,000 signatures, expected about 19,000 to be valid, trained gatherers twice a week, and is seeking a balanced rent board, not removing tenant protections.
• Item 5 (AT&T copper landlines): one online speaker, who also wrote in, said state carrier-of-last-resort rules still require AT&T to offer basic phone service. He asked the city to call for independent proof that replacements work during power outages and evacuations before copper is removed from neighborhoods like his.

• October 22: the county's deadline to report whether the housing charter amendment petition has enough valid signatures. The clerk will then report to the council. If it qualifies, the measure goes on the March 2028 city ballot.
• The city attorney's office will research whether the city could require signature gatherers to register or be trained, given preemption and First Amendment issues. The presiding member said the topic would come back on a future agenda after offline consultation.
• The clerk said he would offer future initiative proponents training like his candidate workshops.
• AT&T copper landlines: staff will look into what the city did in 2024, whether it took a position, and the views of police and fire, then bring the item back.
• The ballot measure positions (support PFD, the Pasadena City College measure and Proposition 1; oppose Propositions 39 and 43) were on the next day's (October 6) council agenda.
• The vice mayor selection policy is to be held and combined with the meeting-policy package. It had been placed on the October 6 council agenda, and the presiding member said it could be pulled.
• The clerk will bring a redline of the council meeting policy back to the committee. Proposals not about meetings, such as city-sponsored events and use of city resources, would be drafted as a resolution with the city attorney or city manager.
• Item 9, the committee's scope and work plan, was tabled to a future meeting.
• Next committee meeting: a special meeting on Monday, November 16, covering both November and December, with another special meeting possible if needed.
• The state advocate will follow up on whether the funding-deadline language survived in AB 2329, and plans to visit November 2. The state Legislature reconvenes December 7. The federal stopgap funding and transportation extensions run through December 11.

Ceremonial proclamation declaring October 2026 National Disability Employment Awareness Month in Pasadena. The Accessibility and Disability Commission recognized the organization Ability First for creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and the Pasadena Civitan club announced an employer-recognition celebration. 00:01:29

• The meeting chair proclaimed October 2026 as National Disability Employment Awareness Month in Pasadena on behalf of the council 00:02:35
• A guest presenter said the Accessibility and Disability Commission recognized Ability First for creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities 00:04:28
• A speaker announced a celebration on October 15 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Villa Esperanza 00:07:03
• A guest presenter said the group will recognize outstanding employers of the year the following Thursday 00:12:51
• A councilmember asked for the list of honored employers so it could be shared in a newsletter and on city social media 00:13:17

Ceremonial proclamation declaring October 2026 Bullying Prevention Awareness Month and October 18–24, 2026 United Against Hate Week in Pasadena. Teens from city youth programs and the Teen Advisory Board spoke about bullying and youth programs. 00:07:26

• The meeting chair proclaimed October 2026 Bullying Prevention Awareness Month and October 18 through 24 United Against Hate Week 00:08:27
• A speaker said one in five students report having been bullied and that cyberbullying has risen 00:11:29
• A councilmember asked the youth groups to come back with ideas, beyond advertising, for what the city could do to help prevent bullying 00:14:32

The council paid tribute to a longtime Pasadena resident and former Los Angeles Dodgers general manager who had died the previous evening, and who served on the Rose Bowl Operating Company board. The meeting was adjourned in his memory. 00:15:46

• A councilmember reported that he died the previous evening on his 90th birthday 00:16:16
• A councilmember recalled recruiting him, after his Dodgers career, to help run the Rose Bowl 00:17:26
• A councilmember noted he was a founding board member of the First Tee of Pasadena 00:18:26
• The meeting chair said he had served with him on the Rose Bowl Operating Company board for over twelve years and called him a mentor 00:19:11
• The meeting chair asked that the meeting adjourn in his memory 00:21:15

Open public comment. In response to a speaker asking to save 17 trees in the Lower Arroyo, city staff said a review determined only one tree, next to the bridge, will be removed and the other 16 will remain. 00:22:23

• A councilmember asked the city manager to address the Arroyo trees, saying an administrative decision had been made 00:25:08
• City staff said staff reviewed the trees and only one will be removed while 16 remain 00:25:20
• City staff said the tree to be removed is the one next to the bridge that has caused problems, and there is no plan to remove the other 16 00:25:20

Routine items approved together: a one-year extension of the Inter-Con Security Systems citywide parking enforcement contract, increasing it by $779,388 to $8,074,606 (agenda); a District 1 appointment to the Recreation and Parks Commission; and receiving and filing four claims against the city. Item 1 was pulled for separate discussion. 00:38:17

• Approve consent calendar items 2, 3 and 4 (mover not identified). Result: passed. 01:05:56

• A councilmember announced recusal from item 2 out of caution because their law firm may have done work for Inter-Con in the past year 00:38:25
• The meeting chair said a councilmember had left the meeting and was not expected to return before calling for the consent vote 01:04:42

A contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates to develop a multimodal connectivity plan for the Rose Bowl area and Brookside Park, funded by a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant plus a local match, not to exceed $500,000: a $442,620 base contract and $57,380 contingency (agenda). Pulled from consent after public comment; the debate centered on spending on consultants and plans versus building safety improvements now, including the 35 mph speed limit around the Rose Bowl loop. 00:38:36

• Approve the staff recommendation for the Kimley-Horn contract (mover and seconder not identified). Result: passed, 5-2. No: Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2), Tyron Hampton (Councilmember, District 1). 01:06:42

• A councilmember questioned paying another $500,000 for a plan when the area already has multiple multimodal plans 00:45:42
• A councilmember argued lowering speed limits, including the 35 mph limit around the Rose Bowl, is an easy step 00:46:42
• A councilmember said one positive was that the contract goes to what was described as a local firm 00:46:42
• A councilmember asked for an item on speeding at the Municipal Services Committee or the full council 00:47:43
• A speaker said an item on speeding citywide is planned for the Municipal Services Committee 00:48:14
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) noted the city already has safe-streets capital projects on the books 00:48:33
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) objected to hiring outside consultants for community outreach, arguing the city should build that capacity internally or with a nonprofit partner 00:48:33
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) said the outreach subconsultant also worked on the Union Street cycle track, which did not turn out as hoped 00:49:33
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) said they would vote no because of continued spending on consultants, not because they oppose Olympics safety preparations 00:49:33
• A speaker asked staff to explain that the city does not control speed limits everywhere and much is set by the state 00:50:58
• City staff said speed limits follow state rules but staff is bringing a plan to reduce limits on safety corridors to the Municipal Services Committee 00:51:23
• City staff said the department has over 20 outreach meetings this month alone and would need far more staff to do it all in-house 00:51:23
• City staff said the Rose Bowl area is unique because stakeholders include the Rose Bowl Operating Company, the Aquatic Center and Kidspace, so consensus-building is required 00:52:31
• City staff said a completed plan is needed to pursue grants for capital projects, citing $186 million in the capital improvement program 00:53:34
• City staff said he would need to follow up on how many contracts the city has with the outreach firm 00:54:29
• A speaker asked for an analysis of whether bringing outreach and communications in-house would be more efficient than outside contracts 00:54:48
• The meeting chair suggested the in-house outreach question be taken up in budget discussions at the Finance Committee 00:55:58
• A councilmember urged removable speed humps or tables on Rosemont, where there are no homes 00:56:18
• City staff said the city can post any speed sign but cannot enforce it without meeting state requirements 00:58:03
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) warned against waiting until someone is hurt, citing money spent on safety after a golf-ball injury 00:58:50
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) argued the city keeps relitigating safety project by project instead of carrying out the 1992 general plan goal of getting around without cars 00:59:51
• The meeting chair said speed bumps in the Rose Bowl recreation area could endanger walkers and cyclists, and state warrants limit city action 01:01:39
• The meeting chair said past reviews found a blend of in-house and consultant outreach most cost-effective, but agreed to revisit it at Finance 01:03:41

First reading of an uncodified ordinance exempting qualifying Eaton Fire repairs from the city's construction tax (agenda title). It was taken up out of order with no discussion. 01:06:56

• Tyron Hampton (Councilmember, District 1) offered the ordinance for first reading. Result: passed, unanimous. 01:07:07

Legislative Policy Committee recommendation for the city's positions on the November 3, 2026 ballot: support Measure PFD (annual parcel tax for Pasadena 911 emergency response and wildfire preparedness), support Measure UP (Pasadena City College bonds), support Proposition 1 (housing affordability bonds), oppose Proposition 39 (photo ID to vote), and oppose Proposition 43 (two-thirds threshold for local special taxes) (agenda). 01:07:36

• Tyron Hampton (Councilmember, District 1) moved to adopt the recommended ballot positions; second attributed to Gene Masuda (Councilmember, District 4). Result: passed. 01:10:44

• The meeting chair noted the item came with a Legislative Policy Committee recommendation and asked whether a full report was needed 01:07:43
• The city clerk reported two letters: one with history of Measures I and J on fire station funding, and one objecting to the council taking a position on Proposition 39 01:10:12

Staff returned with a proposed policy putting in writing the council's practice that the longest-serving councilmember who has not yet been vice mayor is next in line. The charter requires an annual election by five votes, so the policy cannot bind the council. Members referred to a departure from the practice four years ago that they called messy. 01:10:44

• A speaker moved to adopt the suggested policy with the last sentence allowing election of the same person for consecutive one-year terms. Result: no action. 01:25:56
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) moved to adopt the suggested policy with the last sentence replaced by language that consideration will be given to honoring the tradition of two one-year terms; seconded by Tyron Hampton (Councilmember, District 1). Result: passed, unanimous. 01:28:01

• The city clerk presented the suggested policy making the longest-serving member who has not been vice mayor next in line 01:11:34
• The city clerk noted the charter requires five affirmative votes, and if a nominee lacks them the council may elect someone else 01:11:34
• A councilmember said the Legislative Policy Committee did not reach a recommendation because the charter requires an election, so the policy can acknowledge but not bind the practice 01:13:13
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) said the practice since 1965 has been that the next member who has not served becomes vice mayor for two one-year terms 01:14:28
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) said the council departed from the practice four years ago and it was messy 01:14:28
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) argued the selection should not be a popularity contest or decided by political alliances 01:16:28
• The meeting chair added political opportunism to the list of things that should not decide the selection 01:17:08
• A speaker moved the suggested policy with the last sentence changed to allow electing the same person for consecutive one-year terms 01:17:16
• A speaker argued the vice mayor role should not be treated as ceremonial 01:17:16
• A councilmember declined to second, preferring to put the two-year expectation in writing 01:18:53
• The meeting chair said the two-year practice is important and the past departure from it was a mess 01:20:22
• A speaker said the committee's work arrived at a two-year policy that can be changed 01:21:05
• The meeting chair said the current council values stability, certainty and civility in the practice 01:21:36
• The meeting chair said most vice mayors cannot attend the daytime agenda review, but the vice mayor is consulted on issues 01:22:38
• A councilmember proposed replacement language saying consideration will be given to the tradition of two one-year terms 01:24:49
• The city clerk said the language will be added to the council meeting policy, which the Legislative Policy Committee is revising 01:26:43

A construction manager at-risk contract with PCL Construction Services for the new transit operations and maintenance facility: $999,362 for Phase 1 preconstruction and guaranteed-maximum-price development, $9,134,581 for Phase 1A demolition and site preparation, and a $1,013,395 contingency, for a total not to exceed $11,147,338 (agenda). Staff said the transit system's leased site at 303 North Allen Avenue must be vacated by June 30, 2028. Staff put the project forecast at $91 million, and an additional $18.4 million appropriation would be needed. The council added a 20% aspirational local-participation goal. 01:28:07

• A councilmember moved to approve the contract with a 20% aspirational goal each for local hire hours, local vendors and local materials, with tier one defined as Pasadena only; seconded by a speaker. Result: passed. 02:03:00

• City staff said the owner of the leased transit site set a June 30, 2028 deadline to relocate 01:30:05
• City staff said the new facility will be zero-emission ready with about 36,000 square feet of solar panels generating 600 kilowatts 01:30:05
• City staff said Phase 1A demolishes the former Shakey's Pizza site and the recently acquired Bob's Automotive, with a western parcel in escrow to close in November 01:31:06
• City staff said staff would return next year with the guaranteed maximum price for Phase 2 for the council to decide whether to continue with PCL 01:31:06
• City staff said five proposals were received and PCL was the unanimous top choice, scoring 127 of 150 points 01:32:12
• City staff said the contract requires 10% of direct construction cost locally, and PCL's aspirational goal is 15% of labor hours 01:34:15
• City staff reported that Pasadena residents on the Central Library project are nearly 6% of the workforce and over 8.3% of hours 01:35:15
• City staff said the project is budgeted at $100 million in the CIP but only $72.6 million has been appropriated 01:36:17
• City staff said an additional $18.4 million would be needed, expected from Metro Measure R funds 01:36:17
• City staff said staff will return separately for the additional appropriation 01:37:18
• City staff gave a May 2028 completion target, with training the next month and full operation July 1 01:38:19
• City staff said the local-hire tiers were likely based on PUSD ZIP codes and could be reported any way the council wants 01:40:46
• A councilmember asked that tier one be Pasadena only, with neighboring cities and the workforce board in tier two 01:40:55
• City staff confirmed the city's LCPtracker platform will be used for this project under the contract 01:41:39
• City staff said the goals are voluntary because the project has no project labor agreement 01:42:11
• A speaker said the city advertised 10% as a voluntary goal because it cannot mandate local hiring on a public contract 01:43:08
• A councilmember pressed for a 20% goal, citing Los Angeles practice 01:43:38
• A speaker cautioned that a higher goal could lead contractors to overpay to meet it 01:45:05
• A speaker noted local vendors get a 5% advantage when bids are compared 01:46:07
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) noted PCL also holds the library retrofit contract and is now on the transit project, and asked for assurance the firm has no inside track 01:50:07
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) asked staff to confirm the evaluation was objective and gave taxpayers the best value 01:50:07
• A speaker said PCL's Rose Bowl selection was a separate process that city staff was not involved in 01:51:24
• A speaker acknowledged that repeatedly awarding large contracts to one vendor can discourage future competition 01:51:24
• A speaker said PCL had lower markups than three of the four other proposers 01:52:25
• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) said staff's answers reassured them and they would support the contract despite discomfort 01:54:25
• A speaker supported the 20% aspirational goal 01:54:42
• The meeting chair asked staff to explore planning and permitting incentives that would help contractors reach a 20% local goal 01:57:00
• City staff said staff will discuss incentives when returning with the Phase 2 guaranteed maximum price 01:58:10
• A speaker clarified the three local-participation categories: local hire, local vendor and local supplier 01:59:44
• City staff said the city's LCPtracker system already separates the geographic groups, so Pasadena-only figures can be reported 02:01:46

• Non-agenda public comment: about eight speakers.
• Three speakers addressed trees in the Lower Arroyo. One urged preserving 17 mature trees, citing heat, coming rains and erosion on hillsides cleared by goat grazing. Two later speakers welcomed the news that 16 would be spared, citing eucalyptus surviving the fire, owl nesting and tree canopy losses from the Eaton Fire.
• One speaker objected to vendors at a small business expo requiring cashless payment and an email address to buy food, and said the city's Civic Center contract allows this.
• One speaker alleged ongoing laser attacks at their home and asked how to get a police investigation.
• One speaker criticized Pasadena's sanctuary-city policy and immigrant-rights groups.
• One speaker urged the council to turn off Flock license-plate cameras, citing a recent federal court ruling on warrantless surveillance searches.
• One speaker asked for a private meeting with the mayor about efforts to file a missing-person report regarding their children.
• Item 1: three speakers supported better multimodal access to the Rose Bowl area but criticized spending $500,000 on consultants. They cited the 35 mph speed limit on the Rose Bowl loop, close calls and a collision while biking, and an existing community Arroyo Link plan.
• Item 5: one speaker said they were undecided on Measure PFD, citing the tax burden on recent homebuyers, and suggested police spending should go to voters instead. Two written letters were received: one with history on Measures I and J for fire station funding, and one objecting to the council taking a position on Proposition 39.

• Staff plans to bring an item on speeding and lowering speed limits on safety corridors to the Municipal Services Committee (no date given).
• The Finance Committee will take up whether outreach work should be done in-house or by consultants, with staff to report on need, cost and alternatives.
• The vice mayor selection language will be added to the council meeting policy, which the Legislative Policy Committee is revising.
• Transit facility: staff will return with the Phase 2 guaranteed maximum price, described as early next year, and will discuss incentives for meeting the 20% local goal at that time.
• Transit facility: a detailed cost estimate is due in late November and will go to Metro to request about $18.4 million in Measure R funds. Staff will then return to council for an additional appropriation.
• Transit facility: a western parcel is in escrow and expected to close in November. The completion target is May 2028, with full operation by July 1, 2028.
• The Eaton Fire repair construction-tax exemption ordinance had its first reading. No date for further action was stated.
• Pasadena Civitan's employer celebration is October 15, 4:30–6 p.m., at Villa Esperanza. A councilmember asked for the list of honored employers.
• United Against Hate Week runs October 18–24, 2026.
• Agenda: the next council meeting is October 13, 2026, with a TEFRA hearing for 2K Colorado, LP.

The committee approved the minutes of its September 22, 2026 meeting. The agenda calls it a regular meeting; the minutes call it a special meeting. 00:00:19

• Approve the minutes of the September 22, 2026 meeting; the transcript names Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) as mover and seconder, so it is unclear who moved and who seconded. Result: passed. 00:00:19

Moves the Municipal Services Committee's regular meetings to the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 5:00 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, Room S249, starting October 21, 2026, under Pasadena Municipal Code section 2.05.200 (C). This sets when residents can attend and comment on the committee's business. 00:00:19

• Rick Cole (Councilmember, District 2) moved, seconded by Jason Lyon (Councilmember, District 7), to move the committee's regular meetings to the first and third Wednesdays at 5 p.m., effective October 21. Result: passed. 00:00:19

During the June 2026 budget process, residents and councilmembers raised concerns about money set aside for body-worn cameras for the city's Parking Enforcement Representatives. Staff promised to bring a policy to this committee before buying any equipment. The draft policy (dated August 27, 2026) requires the cameras to be turned on at the start of any contact with the public, and before an officer leaves the city vehicle to impound a car. Staff don't have to tell people they are being recorded. Recordings would be kept for one year in a password-protected system that logs who views them. The policy bars using footage for routine performance reviews unless there is a specific complaint or incident, and bars disclosure outside the city unless the law or a court order requires it. The staff report says the laborers' union, LiUNA, and parking enforcement staff support the policy. Next steps are finalizing the policy, choosing a vendor, training, and rollout. The chair called the item informational, though the agenda lists it under new business/action items. 00:01:22

• No motion. The chair treated the item as informational and noted the committee agreed with Jason Lyon (Councilmember, District 7)'s direction to limit vendor access to the footage. Result: no action. 00:15:47

• City staff said staff told the council during the FY27 budget discussion that it would bring a draft body-worn camera policy for the parking division to this committee 00:01:24
• City staff said parking enforcement already gets de-escalation training, and cameras would further reduce escalation and give an objective record of encounters 00:02:20
• City staff estimated, without exact numbers, that two to three complaints a month reach the council, the city manager, or the transportation director 00:03:55
• City staff explained that cameras must be turned on at the start of any contact with the public and before leaving the vehicle to impound a car 00:03:55
• City staff said recordings would be kept for one year under state Government Code section 34090.6 00:04:59
• City staff said the policy bars using footage for routine performance evaluations unless there is a specific complaint or incident 00:06:01
• City staff said representatives of the union LiUNA and parking enforcement staff gave feedback on the policy and support it 00:06:01
• A councilmember called the policy sensible, with significant guardrails, and cited budget figures of $600,000 in ramp-up costs and $90,000 in ongoing camera costs, asking what the startup cost would be 00:07:22
• City staff said the $600,000 was the whole startup cost for the expanded parking operation, and estimated first-year camera costs would come in under $90,000 00:07:57
• City staff said vendors he has talked to charge a subscription that includes the equipment, so there would be no upfront equipment cost 00:07:57
• A councilmember asked whether the vendor would also have access to the footage, and said limits on vendor access should be written into the policy so the data stays with the city 00:08:37
• A councilmember questioned why recordings must be kept a full year, saying people with complaints don't wait nine months to make them 00:14:58
• City staff said staff had also hoped for a shorter retention period, but the city attorney's office reads state law as requiring captured video to be kept at least one year; staff will follow up 00:15:13
• A councilmember called for a citywide AI framework, saying a fixed AI policy would not last six months and a framework could keep being updated 00:16:03
• A councilmember agreed the city needs an AI policy and suggested an ad hoc committee or task force drawing on expertise in the city and on the council 00:16:41
• A councilmember said the committee couldn't take a motion on a matter not on the agenda but could give direction to the city manager to explore an AI policy 00:17:12

Public Works gave an information-only presentation on plans to put camera systems on the trucks of the Resource Recovery and Recycling Division. The slides describe eight cameras and a bird's-eye view; the presenter said up to eight, and a councilmember later referred to seven. The stated uses are: flagging unsafe driving and blind spots; automatically logging each container pickup, missed stop, or blocked container; detecting contamination in bins for the state's SB 1383 organic-waste compliance; and providing video evidence for accident claims against the city. According to the slides, continuous video stays on an onboard recorder for up to 14 days, only event clips go to the vendor's cloud, saved clips are kept one year under Government Code section 34090.6, and faces and license plates are blurred in footage released as public records. Councilmembers asked about vendor access to the data, and public commenters raised concerns about what the cameras record on city streets. No vote was taken. 00:17:35

• City staff described a multi-camera system with up to eight cameras meant to improve safety, service efficiency, compliance, and risk management 00:19:09
• City staff said contamination detection for SB 1383 is one of the main things the department wants from the system, with reports generated for CalRecycle 00:21:19
• City staff said the division is in many vehicle accidents, about 80 percent of them not its fault, and other drivers often claim the truck hit them 00:23:06
• City staff said the division's trucks drive more than 400,000 miles a year 00:24:06
• City staff said live streaming is available but he considers it unnecessary and would not pay for it 00:25:11
• City staff said footage stays on the truck about 10 to 14 days, probably closer to 10, and saved triggered clips go to the cloud with at least six months' retention, while one-year retention is under discussion 00:26:12
• City staff stated that the cameras are not automatic license plate readers and do not use facial recognition 00:27:22
• City staff said the data belongs to the city, is not publicly shared, and is protected by access-management safeguards 00:28:23
• A councilmember asked how the cameras would capture a car swerving into a truck if recording is triggered only by pickups or dumping 00:30:15
• City staff said a swerving vehicle would itself be a trigger event, and that such systems are on roughly 95 percent of refuse vehicles in the U.S. 00:30:40
• A councilmember confirmed that all the cameras record all the time and only triggered events are uploaded from the truck 00:31:28
• A councilmember asked how quickly footage is deleted from the truck's local storage 00:32:04
• City staff said onboard storage will last about ten days because the trucks pick up 1,200 cans a day, and the cloud is hosted and protected by the vendor with no data sold 00:32:12
• City staff said the department is working with the city's IT department, already has a good idea which vendor it wants, and is working out pricing 00:32:38
• A councilmember raised the same concern as with the body cameras, that the data stay limited to the city when it sits on vendor servers, and suggested addressing it in the contract 00:32:57
• A councilmember asked whether having a likely vendor meant a sole-source contract 00:33:19
• City staff said it would not be sole source; the city could buy through a cooperative purchasing contract the transcript renders as Source Well, used by many other cities 00:33:34
• City staff agreed this amounts to piggybacking and said it would bring a lower rate, faster purchase, and no full RFP process 00:34:09
• A councilmember asked staff to explain again how ten-day raw footage, six-month retention, and one-year retention fit together 00:34:28
• City staff said he wants accident footage kept at least six months because claims against the city can be filed within a six-month window 00:34:52
• City staff said contamination checks are now done by hand, with staff sent out to look through cans, an added cost the trucks could take over 00:35:52
• City staff said the city attorney is asking for one-year retention, but he would rather keep only triggered events to avoid paying to store routine driving footage in the cloud 00:36:43
• A councilmember said the city should look at how all its departments use AI and come together to discuss it 00:43:04
• A councilmember said an AI policy is being developed but needs to move faster, and that he will ask the Economic Development & Technology Committee for an update 00:43:38

• Parking body-worn cameras (item 2): two residents spoke in person, and the recording secretary reported two letters received. Both thanked staff for the policy work; one specifically appreciated that the policy came before buying any equipment. One speaker supported staff safety and praised the consultation with workers. That speaker raised concerns about public-records requests, redaction, and footage ending up on YouTube, asked that vendors be barred from training AI on the footage, and called one-year retention too long, citing shorter retention for license-plate-reader data. The other wanted privacy and security addressed more explicitly, a written plan to measure whether the cameras work, a pilot with measurable outcomes instead of full adoption, a citywide AI policy, and limits on new uses without committee and council approval. That speaker also called one-year retention excessive.
• Refuse truck cameras (item 3): the same two residents spoke, and the recording secretary reported 14 letters received. One thanked Public Works but warned the trucks would become roving surveillance falling hardest on lower-income communities and communities of color. That speaker said other cities had dropped similar programs, raised the risk of AI-issued contamination fines, and urged keeping human inspectors to protect jobs. The other praised refuse drivers as safe around pedestrians and cyclists. That speaker said the system would record everything along 400,000 miles of streets a year and that blurring faces is not enough. They objected that a vendor seemed to be picked before approval, and asked for a written privacy and security policy plus peer-reviewed evidence before any fleet-camera purchase.

• The committee's regular meetings move to the first and third Wednesdays at 5 p.m., starting October 21, 2026.
• Body-worn cameras: staff's next steps are finalizing the policy, choosing a vendor, building and delivering training, then rollout and monitoring. Staff will follow up with the city attorney's office on whether retention can be shorter than one year.
• Body-worn cameras: the committee backed Jason Lyon (Councilmember, District 7)'s direction that the policy limit vendor access to the footage.
• AI: the committee discussed directing the city manager to explore a citywide AI policy or framework. A councilmember suggested an ad hoc committee or task force, and a councilmember said he will ask the Economic Development & Technology Committee for an update on the AI policy in development.
• Refuse truck cameras: Public Works is working with the city's IT department on vendor selection and pricing and may buy through a cooperative contract. Councilmembers want contract language limiting vendor access to city data.
• The chair said a stormwater item was pulled from the original agenda because he must recuse himself and Tyron Hampton (Councilmember, District 1), who was absent, wants to take part.
• Members will get an email asking for proposed committee agenda items for the coming year.