City Council Meeting: March 9, 2026

Let me go grab ok. We'll start with calling a roll. MR. Clark COUNCILMAN Recall is not yet in the room. COUNCILMAN Hampton is not yet in the room. COUNCILMAN Jones here in line here customer messenger COUNCILMAN Massouda here, vice mayor reavis here. Mayor bordo here. There's a quorum the council present ok, MR. Lyon, will you meet in the pledge of allegiance please? Yes. Oh please rise as your able raise the flag ready again. I allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under GOD indivisible with liberty and justice for you. Thank you everyone. We do have a couple of ceremonial matters. The first is I would say good news but we have a group of probably very exhausted high school students with us today in attendance with us together with principal amy mcginnis and coaches veronica yepez, eric glenn in lilianna tang are a group of blair high school students who participated in run the run L.A. Program. I read all of their names but I would like them to join me up here together with their coaches so we can properly congratulate them for participating in the schools run L.A. Program which trains seventh and 12th graders to complete the twenty six point two mile los angeles marathon as the only san gabriel valley school program L.A. Fosters endurance resilience and mentorship with with many runners also participate cross-country. These students train for roughly eight months starting in the fall. Prepare for the MARCH marathon and their training includes long distance runners specialized workouts and it's more than physical fitness. It's about building mental strength, discipline, goal setting in overcoming personal obstacles. So congratulations to blair as sterilely coaches MISS Yepez is glenn and MRS. Tengu whose guidance, encouragement and commitment make this program possible. An incredible so let's give them a round of applause and I would ask the team to come up here and accept together with their coaches this certificate for your discipline, preparation and commitment to pleat the twenty twenty six los angeles marathon and for inspiring us all to set big goals and achieve them best wishes for continued success . Yeah I am all right. Thank you. Thank you so and good and somebody mentioned the parents congratulations to all of the parents and family members and and friends who supported our students and thank you all. Next I'm going to turn it over to tiffany jacobs quinn, our superstar H.R. Director to announce the city signing on the onto the california equal pay pledge. Thank you, mayor. Good afternoon council. I'm tiffany jacobs quinn, H.R. Director at the city of pasadena in honor of women's history month. I'm here with other city staff and the commission on the status of women to make a few announcements. First, as an employer we're proud to announce that the city has signed on to the california equal pay pledge this action yes this action was spearhead by the commission on the status of women and supported by vice mayor riva's. The california equal pay pledge is an initiative to help close the pay gap in california by signing the pledge we commit to conduct an annual internal company wide gender pay analysis review hiring and promotion processes and procedures to reduce unconscious bias and structural barriers to equality and yes equal pay promote equal promote equal pay best practices such as increased pay transparency training on retaliation procedures and training for supervisors and managers on pay equity laws. The public sector has a long history of pay transparency that we're very proud of and there is not a wage gap between I'm happy to report there's not a wage gap between men and women doing the same jobs at the city as an employer. However, by signing on to this pledge we are enhancing our practices and promoting equality and opportunity for all employees and so with that I'd like to welcome up jennifer thibault. Hello. Thank you. Mayor and council members. I'm jennifer thibeault and I'm pleased to be speaking on behalf of the commission on the status of women. I'm joined by two of my fellow commissioners. I'd like to thank tiffany and vice mayor rivas for their leadership on the issue of pay equity and to congratulate the city of pasadena for signing on to the equal pay pledge. The commission will now turn our focus to the private sector and other large public sector employers here in pasadena and ask them to join the city in this effort. I also want to take this opportunity to invite members of the public to the commission's annual herstory twenty twenty six event this saturday MARCH 14th from 11:00 A.M. To 1:00 P.M. At robinson park recreation center. There's a flier on the screen. It's from 11:00 A.M. To 1:00 P.M. At robison's park recreation center and doors open at ten thirty A.M. The event is free. It's open to the public and refreshments will be provided. Our theme this year is the path forward for pay equity so right in line with the city's pledge and the event will feature a panel discussion of clips from the feature film liley which honors lily ledbetter's landmark fight for pay equity. And I'm very excited to announce that our panel includes tiffany, our H.R. Experts local employment law attorney jeanette laba and the director of lilly rachel feldman. So it's going to be a very exciting panel and there's more information and registration info at bitly augustina herstory twenty twenty six. I hope to see you all there. Thank you very much. I am sasha grimes. I'm here to announce how the city is celebrating women's history month. The pasadena public library is hosting four programs throughout MARCH that both highlight women who have made history and empower women of today to become history makers. Our first event was glozier role model craft that was this past saturday, MARCH seven. We have three upcoming programs I'm radiating promote mosaic craft on thursday, MARCH 12 amelia earhart's paper plane race on saturday MARCH 14th and celebrate women's her story book mark making on friday MARCH 20th. All programs are free and offer opportunities for children's teens and adults to celebrate the pasadena fire department in partnership with glendale and burbank fire department invite women to participate in the women's fire academy. This hands-on program offers participants the opportunity to experience real firefighting activities led by professional firefighters. The academy will take place saturday and sunday, APRIL 11th and 12th. Participants must register by MARCH 20th at bitly backslash women's academy twenty six and lastly the city communications and marketing division will spotlight women's contributions to the city's success and women owned businesses in pasadena throughout MARCH. These social media features will showcase the women shaping a thriving community where we live, work, play and flourish. Follow the story on facebook and instagram at the city of pasadena and on xcap and above. Please refer to your handouts or the city news release on women's history month for more details on all of our events and we would like to extend our gratitude thanks to the council for their support. Thank you all. Mayor, if I could just briefly share a few words about this. I wanted to thank the commission for bringing this equal pay initiative to the city's attention. You all did the legwork, did the research, found it's one thing for this city to say we're committed to this but to actually put measurable objectives and standards and a real commitment to it. So thank you so much and thank you to tiffany and your team for working very closely with the commission and making this possible as well. So thank you to everyone and I look forward to seeing everyone her story. Jessica, thank you and the public should know that MISS Rivas gets equal pay to the rest of us and unfortunately for her it's very low pay. Ok with that she said unfortunately for everyone will move on to public comment for matters not on the agenda and will allocate two minutes to speaker we have for speaker cards. So I'm going to call out those four if there's someone who is meaning to speak on matters not on the agenda if you haven't turned in your speaker card just yet, please do so now. Ok, angelo. Yes. Just like I'm sorry MR. Michael ,how do we get out? I think it's the press is that is is that the microphone is that the press? Ok, great. So let me just call the quick name the names quickly angela gladding katie jeffrey blam or bluhm and then shannon thomas go ahead I'll ring a bell when you have thirty seconds left. Go ahead. Thank you. Good evening counsel south pasadena resident here I have three minutes but I'll try to squeeze in JANUARY 5th I made a public records request for records related to the arroyo seco water reuse project. I kept the request narrow by providing a relatively short list of keywords prioritized scale diagrams and operational descriptions. There is apparently twenty three hundred responsive records yet following up this afternoon I'm done understand that all plans will be exempt. it is working drafts plans are put on display at an early and mostly unattended community outreach event. The project was brought internally to 100 percent and e and was cruising forward before it was stopped by a community member in opposition and sent through an E.R. At the meeting in the south pasadena community room I was able to speak to those involved and raise a number of basic concerns and questions. One hour after everyone else had cleared I finally got the answers I was looking for a forested river of hundreds of old growth trees and shrubs would be demolished for two gravel pits that their own documents stated would not function as intended. The pit infiltration has since been abandoned yet the cartoon drawings on your website website still show the destructive pits the bio filtration component the entire impetus of the project remains completely unspecified. How is the community supposed to respond to the draft either later this month without being provided plans to assess the environment? The environmental impacts thereof? There are glaring fundamental problems with this stormwater project. There's so much to lose and this is only one such project out of a hundred million dollars worth that I've already been given awards. We need concrete plans and descriptions and community involvement where your staff actually listen please produce the historical plans. Is there consequential working drafts already paid for by the taxpayer? Thank you. Can't e fall by jeff replumbed and shannon thomas than denise rob I'm here to talk about ethical divestment. Hopefully you've heard of hindraf job the five year old girl murdered by israel in a hail of three hundred and thirty five bullets with her family and two paramedics. It's worth noting second in command of the company that knowingly murdered hinde and her family is in america is an american ex navy seal named sean glass. Julia al-khadra was also five graduated kindergarten this week a week ago her whole life in front of her but she was born on land israel wants so she and her father were murdered by an israeli bomb this weekend during the cease fire in the spirit of international women's month, you should know israel's killed twelve thousand four hundred women in this genocide, thousands killed along alongside their children trying to protect them from israeli bombs, drones and snipers more than twenty one women a day not including women who die from starvation, untreated illness, untreatable illness and israel's embargo on medications. Field data reveals israel's systematic pattern of killing pregnant women and young mothers with their children an in-your-face violation of international law. Put that in your happy international women's month meme jeffrey bilum followed by shannon thomas then dennis from ladies and gentlemen of the city council. I was here last week to voice my discontent with the massive development proposed by the corner of my narrow residential street the innovation center on palestinian green is a nearly 80 foot glass leviathan that would tower over all the nearby buildings by dozens of feet including a kindergarten from which it would stand less than one hundred feet away. This gargantuan structure is unlike anything in the surrounding area and would have an undeniable environmental impact on me and my neighbors during its construction. The building will produce noise, vibration fumes and dust which will severely limit the livability of this neighborhood. And as one council member pointed out last week, this dust will include asbestos after its construction due to its purpose as a wet lab it will vent noxious chemicals into the atmosphere and present a potential containment risk for infectious diseases. For anyone baffled by how this could possibly happen, here's a timeline in twenty nineteen this property and an identical plot across the street went up for sale. The adjoining church offered to purchase the lot and was told it's not for sale to you. Shortly thereafter keltec purchased both plots and in twenty twenty two the city of pasadena updated its east colorado specific plan in this update the midcity area was expanded by one block to the east and one block to the south to include precisely these two blocks giving it much more flexible zoning about a year later this council then approved zoning changes for the entire city which loosened regulations laboratories and provided them with several special exemptions when these changes were implemented, keltec sold the northern lot and proposed this project the one next to the kindergarten for the southern lot although the northern light would not have been an appropriate location, this one is much less appropriate due to its proximity to the school church and many low rise apartments. This timeline indicates a clear disregard on the part of caltech for the well-being of its neighbors and demonstrates a premeditated and coordinated attack on the pasadena zoning rules which would have prevented this specific development. In short, keltec changed the rulebook to get exactly what it wanted and this council rolled over to let it happen please. There's still an opportunity to prevent this tragedy from occurring on my street by your time I'm down to my neighborhood and see whose lives would actually be affected. Thank thank you shannon thomas followed by denise robb. Hello council. my name is shannon thomas I my family and I attend pasadena covenant church. I work in humanitarian aid and disaster relief and for the last year I've been feeding people displaced by the unifiers. I want to thank firstly vice mayor riva's council member hampton council member calls for your recognition and the ethical investment and ethical divestment is of utmost importance in this current political moment. Council member riva's, when you made this motion on DECEMBER 18th I was living in the home of a man named sheikh said in the occupied west bank palestine I was there doing solidarity accompaniment work where we go out with farmers in their fields as they tend to their olive groves as they attend to their sheep and we walk their children to school to prevent them from being attacked by violence. I extremists some of whom attacked me while I was there. The situation in palestine and the situation in the middle east as a whole right now is one that should make all of question what democracy is, what our conscience is and if we look back on this when our grandchildren are making decisions, they're going to talk about this situation like we talk about apartheid south africa and I would like to encourage you to take action now while it is politically poignant so that we can at least at the city level say that this doesn't need to be happening. children shouldn't live like that. I shouldn't have to bring us passport to prevent isra and omar from being shot on the way to school. Those are real people and especially the young kenyan fires have displaced my neighbors. Those people are my neighbors too. They're my family. So I ask you, ma'am, your time is expired. Thank you. Thank you, denise rob. Hi, I'm denise from I live in jason lyons district three quick things one thank you for honoring our children and blair. They really worked hard. The second thing is I want to support just reeves's ethical divestment policy. I think it's the right thing to do and I want to add to it to exclude investments in fossil fuels, weapons manufacturers, private prisons and also create general categories for master to prevent us from investing in mass surveillance which is already your position from the council and also if you could add a palestinian israel section to it to the divest divestment policy as well. I would appreciate that. The second quick thing I want to say I have a friend, betty who lives in or lived in her car. She's been homeless for about two decades. She got so many tickets from parking where she wasn't allowed to park that she lost her car. so now she sleeps under the bank of america. Um, the safe parking thing is the right thing to do. I can't believe you didn't support not all of you but some of you didn't support it originally. You really need I mean it's such a small thing to ask to allow homeless people to have a little dignity. So that's what I want to say. Thank you. That completes public comment on matters not on the agenda. Ok, so we'll turn to consent the consent calendar and I'll entertain a sweet motion on the consent calendar for MR. Suda makes the sweet motions or second seconded by MR. Line. Are there any objections to the motion scene on the consent calendar is approved and that will next spring is to MR. Clerk item seven which is the quad's quasi judicial public hearing. This is the time and place for the quasi judicial hearing on an appeal of the board of zoning appeals quasi judicial decision to approve minor conditional use permit number seven three one eight to establish a safe parking land use at an existing religious facility. All saints church to go to north euclid avenue on FEBRUARY twenty third twenty twenty six thirty two postcards were mailed and seventy one copies of the public hearing notice were posted the city clerk's office received from one individual twenty four items via email containing attachments, correspondence and videos. Thirty in opposition are in support of the appeal. Thirty six letters in support of the safe parking program proposed at the all saints church. One letter in the city council reopening the public hearing on the item and five letters in opposition to the safe parking program proposed at all saints church. The correspondence was posted online, distributed the council and is part of the record for this public hearing. Ok, before we start I know this is going to probably be a pretty long hearing if anyone who's standing has trouble standing there are three seats here in the front row and any anyone who's willing to give up a seat to someone that has trouble standing please do because it's going belonging to accounts and there's also overflow is there is a vote ok if we think members of the council have statements to make, I'll start with my statement. I believe this matters come before us previously I did disclose at the time that I've had conversations with people with parishioners from all saints for the most part people in support of safe parking. I also had conversations with residents of the of the maryland including MR. Pruitt whose a I think an appellant yes. Thank you and you know oh he's done the polling so he's a resident. He's a resident of neighboring property. I don't have a business relationship nor have I ever hired him for any political consulting. But he is someone who I speak with on a regular basis mostly about the goings on in the world and at the federal and government, state government and local level in general. Most of the time we have to agree to disagree on many of the issues but we we do enjoy the badger back and forth and I will make my decision based on the record at the close of the public hearing. Ok, thanks jones. Thanks mayor and I too will disclose that I did meet with the residents of the central district from the montana the maryland euclid apartments and the surrounding area. During a community meeting you joined in and I've also met with folks from all saints as well and then I do have a prior relationship with MR. Truitt as he is a resident of the maryland. So I do represent him on the city council. I've hired him in the past for political campaign consulting but I intend to make all of my decisions based on the record that's here before me. Thank you. Please we're going to keep order in the chambers and one other you're right. I forgot to mention the meeting that I attended with you including residents not just of the maryland but throughout the central district. And I've also spoken to numerous business operators and property owners about the same issue who have reached out to me in the central district. Ok, MR. Lane, I have not spoken with anyone from either side about the merits of this matter since we reopened the matter. But I understand from the city attorney that there are a couple of questions for me that the appellants have and so we've answered those for them. But in the interest of transparency, I'm going to answer them here on the record as well. One was about a contribution made to my reelection campaign for a gentleman who was previously in volunteer leadership position at all saints. That gentleman is not a party. He's not a participant. He's not an agent for all saints. He's a volunteer there. He has a financial interest in the matter and in fact at the time he made the contribution there was no application pending from all saints. However, when we reopen the matter and I discovered his leadership position I made the decision voluntarily to return his contribution for the avoidance of doubt. There was no legal requirement to return that contribution. But for the appellants comfort and for the avoidance of doubt we return that contribution. I gather there's also been a question raised about my husband who is an episcopal priest. There is no secret network of episcopal priests. My husband is not I mean they all know each other but my husband does not work at all saints he does not intend to work at all saints has not applied to work at all saints. He is employed at church. Our savior in san gabriel is the associate rector and that is where he means to remain a all of that said as in the previous hearing I come to tonight's hearing without bias for or against either party I will make the decision tonight without favor or fear based solely on the law as I understand it and the information before us in the record tonight which is different than the information that was in the record previously. Thank you MISS Mischievous thank merit also like to disclose that I received numerous communications from residents on this matter outside the public hearing. I don't believe from any of the applicants or appellants mainly back in NOVEMBER mainly via email few and text some person vast majority all were supportive of the application and I did speak to planning commissioner juleanna delgado and but regardless of how I voted on the project in NOVEMBER, I will listen to all testoni review all the evidence objectively and without judgment and apply the facts to the law and follow the law and I will it will not deliberate until the close of public hearing. Thank you. Thank you mr busuttil followed by mr colden. Mr hampton. thank you mayor. I too whether or not I voted for or against this proposed project in NOVEMBER I will keep an open mind. I would listen to both sides of this issue and vote my conscious and conscience and that's all I have to say. Ok, thank you school like my colleagues I want to reassure folks that I take um the role of quasi judicial hearing of facts quite seriously and um I based my earlier judgment on the facts in the record and I will base my judgment tonight on the facts in the record. Um, I have not had any meetings with the parties like vice mayor riva's. I've had unsolicited opinions expressed to me. I've had no substantive discussions with anyone about this issue. I did turned out I guess I was the only one to take up the invitation from the manager or the pastor at the church where there is a safe parking program going on now at trinity lutheran church. So the following day I went and we didn't discuss this issue but we discussed the experience of safe parking at trinity lutheran. I didn't we didn't talk about anything other than I got a sense of how that program works at trinity. Mr hampton followed MR. Madison. I have had conversations with residents as well as my own residents as well as residents that live in this area that have emailed me or commune or reached out to me via phone call or even at the market about this issue. Some of my colleagues thought it was important enough to, you know, post on their social media or send out an email that council members voted against. And so that brought a lot of correspondence my way and I responded to those that had reservations to me voting again. So I I will not be biased. As I said when we reopen this and I'm going to look at all of the information is this a new hearing or is this this this is the same hearing it's a continued to reopen public hearing. Same hearing. So do we. From my understanding it was just said that there was going to be new information that's presented today. Ok, so this is a canteen. So do we start from the beginning? Are you consider what you heard in NOVEMBER as well as whatever you hear today and all the communication and it's in the record. Ok, thank you. That's all I have to say. Mr madison. Thank you mayor. I did not vote in NOVEMBER. I wasn't able to attend the hearing because I was on a business trip and then there were problems with the flight and I couldn't get back to pasadena as scheduled unfortunately. So I did view and listen to the tape of the meeting and I did move to reopen the hearing tonight so that the council could have a full council when it decided the matter. I too will make my decision based on the evidence that was before the council in NOVEMBER and is presented and I have not spoken to any of the stakeholders or parties here and MAY have received correspondence from those in support or opposition but that would be part of the record in the general correspondence that we all received. I did I don't this person's here but there's somebody named jordanna thig pen that authored a letter with some false accusations against me about communications with planning commissioners. Not true that I have prejudged the matter based on my request that the council reopen the matter to have a full council consider this important issue not true. That's not prejudging or biased has showed demonstrable bias and enmity against martin true it for many years not true. That's probably projecting mr true feelings toward me. I will decide this case as I would for any resident in the in the city of pasadena. There are some allegations that I've made statements about mr truworths ethics and of various conduct. Well we can talk about that conduct tonight if we want but it's not something that I'm going to consider in terms of my of here tonight and I think that's all I have to say. Mayor, thank you. Thank you. We have forty plus cards so we're going to ask everyone to stick to a minute and a half given this has been here before as previously mr hampton. Now this is a continued hearing so anyone who's already spoken how does that work from my understanding that if you spoke before on this item you don't speak again because this is a continuation. You can't you can. You can. Ok, I just want to make sure but could we lessen the times since we've I mean unless there's something new I mean please not afraid at all. I just think that we need to deliberate so that we can open this up. Please. It's the will of the council. I think a minute and a half seems reasonable. You're trying to try and if you can stick we'll see this try and keep your comments to a minute, particularly if you had the opportunity to speak previously. But will will a lot a minute and a half if you need it. And that's also in addition to the applicant receiving ten minutes to make your presentation, the appellant given ten minutes to make a presentation. Then there will be public comment whether it be a minute and a half for each commenter and then the appellant will have a three minute up to a three minute rebuttal if necessary and the applicant will have it up to a three minute rebuttal if necessary. So staff will make its presentation then we'll go into the applicant appellant public comment rebuttals and then move to council deliberation. That's the course of the public hearing. So so we're in agreement now with regard to a procedural questions that I raise that the the last time this was here, MADAM City attorney, I continue to have concerns with regard to the basis for this being here. I don't see mechanism in our code that allows for reconsideration recision any any of the ah words that I've heard used to to to define this specific proceeding. I just want to ensure that the comments that I raised regarding what I consider to be serious procedural potentially serious procedural deficiencies are a part of the record and continue to be part of the record or do I need to raise them again? They are part of the record based on what you said before and I would note that this is not a motion to reconsider based on the motion to reconsider. It is based on a motion to rescind. There was no final decision by the council at the NOVEMBER 17th twenty twenty five hearing and the council was authorized to rescind closure of the public hearing on a minor cupie and to reopen the hearing pursuant to the city charter in the municipal code under the city charter section five or six no action of the council is valid unless it gets the affirmative vote of five members and at the NOVEMBER 17th hearing the council did not make a final decision regarding the appeal of the boza determination because it was unable to adopt the secret findings in connection with that meiners cupie due to the lack of those five affirmative votes, the motion failed four to three on FEBRUARY 2nd the council voted to rescind the closure of the NOVEMBER 17th public hearing and to reopen and set a continued public hearing. This was authorized by robert's rules of order, which permits a motion to be rescinded in the same way it was adopted at least in this case there has been no detrimental reliance or other action that created vested right or that can't be undone. The city does have a resolution which provides that matters in proceedings for the city council shall be governed under robert's rules of order which is what this was based on. So hopefully that addresses some those concerns and questions to some extent my statements stand in there. I think if you disagree with the city attorney's advice about the propriety of the proceed ins, can you really judge the evidence fairly? I can. I'm going to go ahead and here I'll hear the evidence. I'll hear the merits and make a determination. But the procedural question in my view is is a different one and the city attorney has opined, you know, obviously the hearings going forward but the merits in my view different. I would ask my staff if after the hearing the when the counts when there were not five votes did we communicate the lack of five votes to the applicant. So mayor excuse me, I'm just going to raise a point of order here that if you're trying to undo the hearing that again would be contrary to the advice the city attorney has given us both publicly and in closed session and as a fiduciary of the city, I think you'd be well advised to not try to do that. I think just as a matter on the matter for the act this is not before us. Yeah, no, no, no, no. The procedural matters I've spoke to the the city attorney in advance and I am well within my rights to raise procedural questions my correct about that and yes, you can raise procedural questions as you're doing and you are still required as you've said to base your decision based on the information that's in the record. And I understood it as seeking clarification of the basis for proceeding I provided that you MAY or MAY not agree just as other council members MAY or MAY not agree with other legal advice that's given right. But we do feel that it's appropriate to proceed and I understand that a letter of the informing of the NOVEMBER twenty twenty five NOVEMBER 17th meeting was sent to the applicants and is that letter in the record? Yes, referring to the decision letter for me. Yes. Ok, thank ok. The record that that letter said that the application was denied without prejudice correct. And what is without prejudice meaning without prejudice means that it can be there can be a recent middle of an application within the twelve months that otherwise would have applied to those that were decided with prejudice. Thank you. Well since mr lyness in the middle of the application no so since mr lyness did the letter also say that as it related to that application that the decision was deemed a denial therefore final? I don't ok well we will go through the record and I believe it will be addressed. Great. Thank you. If someone can address that as part of the presentation that'll be great. Thank you. Ok, let's turn to the staff presentation speech. Thank you. Berlin you are zoning administrator is going to give a brief presentation, updates the chronology of where we're at and address of some of the new information that's been submitted since the last hearings. I will hand it over to berlin. Do we have the powerpoint? Oh, thank you. Good evening, mayor and members of the city council this agenda item before you this evening is to continue public hearing of an appeal of minor conditional use permit to allow safe parking at all saints church located at two oh two north euclid avenue. i'm sorry this is the proposed property is located in the central district specific plan public semipublic zoning district in which a safe parking use is allowed with the approval of a minor conditional use permit. The proposed program would allow a maximum of twenty five participants within a maximum of twenty five participant vehicles at any one time the hours of operation would be limited to seven P.M. To save seven A.M. An on site locked portable restroom and handwashing station would be provided for the participants only once they sort of a security guard would be present on site during the program hours each night a aliber present live for both all things church as well as shower of hope which is the program responsible for the activities occurring on site will be available during our hours of operation and be able to take and respond to calls the mine. I'm just going to go over some of the background. The minor conditioner use primer was heard by the hearing officer at this JUNE 18th twenty twenty five meeting at which time the hearing officer approved the request with conditions following the hearing officer's decision. Three requests were filed to appeal the hearing officer's decision to the board of appeals. The board was on the appeals heard this case at is SEPTEMBER twenty fifth twenty twenty five meeting staff recommended that the busia uphold a hearing officer's decision to approve the mcp at the conclusion of the public hearing the resulting appeals approved the msp by a five zero vote which we've added a modified with area a modified three conditions of approval summarizing a two slides here. These conditions have been added in the staff's recommendation with some modifications following the bbc's decision, two appeals were filed appealing the decision to city council. The city council held the appeal. It's NOVEMBER 17th twenty twenty five meeting at the conclusion of a public comment, a motion was made to close public hearing which resulted in a seven zero vote after the public hearings close emotion was made to find that the project was exempt from environmental review pursuant to state school guidelines. Section one phase three zero one which is class one existing facilities which resulted in a fourth revolt of the seven council members present since five affirmative votes is necessary for a motion to pass the motion failed. A second motion was made to continue the public hearing to the JANUARY twelve twenty twenty six meeting which also resulted in a fourth revolt as a result this motion also failed. A motion was not made on the mcp on FEBRUARY 2nd. Twenty twenty six the city also consider a motion to rescind the closure of the public hearing and denial of the court action to direct staff to evaluate whether additional security sanctions applied and should be the public hearing and continue the item to tonight's meeting. Their motion resulted in a five to vote with one abstention on the actions in regards to the secure city staff have concluded that the safe parking activity is exempt from environmental review pursuant to ceco guidelines section one five three zero one class one existing facilities. The section exempts the operation permitting licensing or minor alteration of existing facilities where there is negligible or no expansion of the use the safe parking activity for no more than twenty five vehicles would occur on an existing service parking lot with nine parking spaces. There will be no negligible expansion of the existing use. There will be a negligible expansion of the existing use as the vehicles will be parked in an existing parking. Furthermore, operation of a safe parking activity on a religious facility site is considered a necessary structure. Tunisia's use and will now require any physical constructions to occur to permit the safe parking use secret in section one five three zero zero point you have stated a categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which MAY cause a substantial adverse change in the significant in the significant of a historical resource. the site is located within the boundaries of the pasadena civic center historic district listed on the national register of historic places and contains the all things church religious facility a contributing historic resource to the district is substantial adverse change in the significance of a historic resource means an alteration that materially impairs the physical characteristics that convey the resources significance and justify its eligibility. The safe parking activity proposals on the existing parking lot and were no physical construction worker to facilitate the use were not materially impaired. The significance of the historic resource therefore the safe parking activities were not physically altered destroy or demolish the historical resource or its surrounding in a way that diminishes its historical value. The applicant requested that the city council consider whether the following two exemptions also apply equal guidelines section one five three zero three which is class three small structures in section one five three one one class eleven necessary structures as well as public resource called section a zero point ten for contracts for homeless homelessness services schoolgoing section one five three four three specifically exempts the construction and location of limited numbers of new small facilities or structures installation of new equipment and facilities in small structures and the conversion of existing small structures from one use to another were only minor modifications are made in the exterior of the structure. Examples of this exemption includes but not limited to a structures such as appurtenances structures including garages, carports, patios, swimming pools and fences. The second categorical exemption that the applicant asked the city to consider is section one five three 11 class 11 necessary structures this section exempts constructions or placement of minor structures accessory to accessory to existing commercial industrial or institutional facilities. The proposed safe parking activity would be a necessary activity to an existing institution or facility icings church with the proposed portable restroom and hand washing facility being necessary structures. Therefore the scale of the proposal of the project falls under the scope of projects exempt under class three as well as class 11. The above explanation regarding the lack of any exceptions under sequoyah guideline one five three zero zero point two applies here as well the additional sepoy exemption consider was public resources called section two one zero zero point ten sentebale one three six one took effect on JANUARY 1st twenty twenty five any amended public section to public resources called section two one zero eight zero point one zero to exempt from sequoyah actions from sequoyah any actions taken by local agencies to approve a contract for providing services for people experiencing homelessness services included but are not they are not not limited to case management, resource navigation, security services, residential services and counseling services. The action under consideration tonight concerns the conditional use permit which is the land use authorization and not traditionally considered a contract. This exemption does not apply to the safe parking use. Next there were some additional points that have been raised that staff would like to respond to. The first point raise is that the city staff explicitly excluded the proposed site from the eligible site map during the safe parking code amendment a map was presented to the city council that identified the locations where safe parking was proposed to be permitted by identifying the location of metro stations, colleges and religious facilities in the city. The purpose of the map was not to provide a snapshot of locations that were eligible. The purpose of the map was to provide a snapshot of locations that were eligible at the time by use. It was not to create a static map of the only locations that would be eligible. The map was never called codified the blue parcels on this map identify were church buildings were located. The map did not identify all persons associated with religious facilities which in several circumstances includes parking lots. The laugh map is a detailed map of the central district and the black square shows the parcel where all saints church is located. The two parcels were the parking lots are not highlighted in blue. It is not uncommon for a religious facility site to contain multiple parcels a parcel where the sanctuary is located in different parcels where parking lots are. Here are three examples of such a situation. The first one is the first baptist church of pasadena located at seventy five north marengo, the church is located on the left parcel while the parking lot is located on the adjacent to the west. The next is the friendship pasadena church eighty west alton it has a similar situation where the center is located one pozole and the three adjacent parcels are the parking lots. The third example is saying phillips the apostle a one five one south hill avenue for the three religious facilities. The map before here shows where the church pozzo is or where the sanctuary is located but it does not reflect the parking lot. The second point that was raised which staff relate to respond to is that the parking lot is a commercial parking lot and not part of the religious facility. The parking lot is part of the religious facility use site. They are all contiguous and owned by the same entity. The parking lot is integrated with the other parking areas for the church including internal vehicular separation, light and light and landscaping. In addition, as zone insurance trailer made an interpretation in 2008 that determined that the use of a parking lot for commercial purposes for commercial off street parking during the uses of peak hours does not make the parking lot a commercial off street parking use. It does not change the use this slide here is a screenshot of the zoning administrators interpretation from 2008. In conclusion, staff continues to determine that the finance necessary for approving msp seven three one eight four the establishment of a safe parking use at an existing religious facility site can be made. Therefore staff does recommend that the city council find that the safe parking activity is exempt from environmental review pursuant to ceco guidelines section one five three zero one one five three zero three and one five three one one and approved the copy subject to a findings in attachment a and recommended conditions of approval attachment b and staff can answer any questions at this time. Thank you mr hampton. Thank you. i just have one real quick question based on the last slide so the parking lot is considered what is it zoned? I mean is the church zoned commercial as well for all three properties are zoned central district specific plan public say made public so they all have the same zoning district zoning that's what is what churches have is in the church religious site or religious when you look up a lot will say it's religious or it's a public space they're not. Are you asking about the zoo? I'm sorry you saw this. I'm sorry. Ok, yes. No thank you. What is the use of the of the church site that's in blue religious institution I believe is what it is. The religious I think are really just religious hostility is a term that we're searching for here and I guess the question is the parking lot of a religious facility as well. It is part of the question is his own religious facility or is it is it is that how you look you identified as religious facility? Yes. It's also the same council member and the parking lot is part of the site and we do define site as contiguous parcels. It's all under the master plan for the for the religious facilities. Religious facilities are exempt from taxes, correct? I don't know. I'm not an expert in that. but we could we we doesn't I'm taxes off of all properties. So is anybody from economic development here that could tell us if so is this is this not been exempted from taxes because all church facilities are exempt from tax? That's not part of our findings. What we're looking at for the landy's entitlement. Ok then long story short is we had a policy that said that church facilities could utilize their parking for site parking great. It's part of the zoning code that allows accessory to the use as accessories. So as a part of the zoning code it's about right. Is that correct? Requires the minor conditional use permit and that's why we're here tonight. Yes. Thank you. I do have a just a follow question. I just I was going to ask it later but I'll ask it now the the determination that this use is allowed on a religious facility campus and so the argument is is or the argument on the part of staff is because the courts are contiguous and part of the all saints campus that qualifies does that also act as an encumbrance on the property going forward? In other words, because this use needs to be on a religious facility going forward, all saints would have to keep the property in order to keep the use. But what happens if they go to sell the property to I don't know to the western for example? That's correct. It's the safe parking program is only allowed an accessory to specific uses which are colleges and universities, religious facilities in the metro parking stations. So if it's not one of those sites it's accessory to those primary uses. Ok, so if there's no longer a church there, a religious facility then it has to be in combination with a use that allows it right there is the parking lot operating as a commercial parking lot. No one's they lease parking to the church outside the church to the courthouse. But that's not considered commercial free parking per the interpretation fallon had pulled up that we allow that we allow parking to be shared when it's their off peak times and there's a primary use it's not considered commercial street parking. It's only considered commercial street parking if there's no primary use that accompanies the parking. So if you just had a parking lot by itself with no primary use associated with it, that would be commercial district parking. So they're not paying any taxes on the revenue generated from that I don't parking lot. I don't know that that's again not associated with our findings. So what if it's so if it's not commercial I mean I help me understand that because if it's parking that is used for other than the religious use and is paid for housing not commercial ,what is what is it classified? It's considered accessory to another primary use so you have to have another use that's associated with it. It has to be parking there off peak time when they're not using it and they can lease the parking out without it being a separate use for commercial street parking. So for commercial off street parking to be a use by itself there can't be any other use it. It's associated with ok. What's the will of the store? There are other questions or should we turn to public comment? We do have over close to 60 cards now so I'm going to ask people to limit their time to a minute given that this has been here before us. A couple of items we do have the applicant the appellant have a chance to speak ok, so let's start with the applicant. Ten minutes for the applicant who's speaking on behalf of the applicant. Please just introduce yourself as you're coming. Good evening. I think you all know by now that I'm erika tamblyn, the applicant for all saints church. Thank you for your time this evening. I'm a parishioner at all saints. I'm also the chair of the safe haven bridge to housing program. We work very closely with union station, with the city housing department, with hope team, the port team and we various other support organizations to provide all sorts of services to the in-house community. Most recently we've been able to arrange for medical services, debt free dental services, free vision services and we try to continue to expand the offerings that we provide to the in-house community. When the head of the housing department at the time bill wong approached us and asked us if we'd be willing to use part of our parking lot for a safe parking program, we said yes because not only because we think it's a good idea but because we think we have a moral obligation to be good citizens and moral obligation to help and housed people. We want to be good citizens and contribute positively to the community in the city of pasadena we believe that safe parking program has the capacity to provide both the resting place for a few and also make the streets of pasadena safer for all. We held a couple of community meetings open houses with different city to the housing department. The showers of hope will be the operator of this and all saints network. I'll sent invitations out and met with the individuals who attended those meetings and answered any questions that they had tonight. It's not the time for us to talk about our feelings about uncaused people. rather it's the time to let the city council members ask questions of all saints and of the operator we seek safe we those who seek safe parking programs are typically employed people who just can't afford housing and what we're trying to do is they're hanging by their fingernails to almost being homeless. We want to provide them with a safe place to sleep without a missing parking ticket to getting their cars impounded and we want to provide a safe place by having security and by having case management there who will help these individuals get into housing in a faster way. So we hope that you will agree with us the safe parking program will be offered available from seven P.M. To six thirty A.M. Daily. The number of participants is limited to twenty five individuals. If there are two individuals in a car that's one fewer car. They'll be spaces open spaces in between the cars so they'll have plenty of time. The participants must have a license registration and insurance of their vehicles and pass a megan's law background check. They will have to register in advance to any time they want to come be there and display a parking pass in there from their rearview mirror. We think that this makes the neighborhood safer for all the rest of the parking lot will also be made safer for the other users of that parking lot at night. quite a practice as an example youth facilities as an example. This will be operated not by all saints but by the showers of hope which operates other facilities which we in the housing department visited when we were considering whether or not to move forward with this. So I'd like to invite the operator mel chilcott away from the showers of hope to come up and talk with you about the operations and then I'll be available to answer any questions that you might have. Thank you, mel. So six minutes and twenty seconds mayor and council members just clear up from the continuation from last time how this program will be implemented is as erika tamblyn clearly stated, these would be individuals who would be better ahead of time. Each individual vehicle would have to have a parking permit to enter the program without a permit they will not be allowed to enter the program. One of the conditions that was brought in recently just for clarification that we have updated our guidelines for our participants is no idling will be allowed on the property while the safe parking program is in practice. We we mentioned before that was something we were enforcing but we have put in wording now that there will be no idling while on the lot and a security officer will be on the lot throughout the whole duration from seven pm till 6:00 A.M. Nobody will be allowed to come in before 7:00 P.M. Nobody will be allowed to stay after six thirty am that will be a separate ada part of john located within the parking lot premises just solely for the use of the safe parking participants and we will have a number listed on next to the security dispatch which would give access for anyone if they have a complaint to propose just as some adjusts to ended. Just want you know we have been doing this since twenty nineteen the average age of our participants is fifty four years old compared to other homeless populations demographics we have a higher representation of women. We have a higher representation of seniors for the sole reason people come to save talking to feel safe because they don't feel safe outside. We just had a person in trouble a lot this week in L.A. When because they went through chemotherapy for cancer treatment and they lost their home so those are the people that we will be inviting into our safe parking. Those are the people we will get into housing. Those are the people in pasadena who will be given this opportunity to be safe if they are forced to live in that cause. If you have any questions, I'm open. Thank you. That concludes your presentation. We have a questions in the queue. I think the application for the applicant said the two of you if you MR. Lyon and call are in the queue. thank you, mayor. I have two quick questions. Thank you for the presentation. Will there be security on site at all times during the during the safe parking program hours of 7:00 P.M. To 6:00 A.M.? Yes, securer just for the safe parking program. Ok, not for any of the rest of the allstate's there's different security differences for the safe haven program. Ok, and then I have a question I'm not sure it's exactly germane to your application but it but it MAY go into the findings that we need to make so in the record now is a video of an individual who I take it is no longer employed at all saints. Yes, I can speak to that. Who says something to the effect of people aren't allowed to do drugs on campus so we send them off campus to do drugs. That is not all saints policy. All saints policy is that we abide by the covenant that safe haven members need to sign many different things no drinking, no drugs, no fighting, no sexual harassment, no cooking on premises things of that nature. But in addition one of them is a good neighbor policy number sixteen a good neighbor policy which people must sign to be part of the safe haven program requires the safe haven participants to follow the rules within a half a mile radius of the church because we want to be considerate of our neighbors so that the individual who who's on the video saying that is that individual is not a member of all saints anymore unemployed by all saints anymore and does not speak for all saints anymore. In addition, we review now quarterly the twenty one point covenant with the participants of safe haven and we posted the last one on youtube. You can look it up look up safe haven rules I think it's called all saints safe haven rules and we remind them of what the things are, what they've signed ,what they've agreed to so that they know that they must be good neighbors and follow all the other rules as well. Ok, thank mr let me ask a follow up question. I too saw that video admittedly it was a snippet of what appears to be a longer discussion. Hamlin who also were in the video. What I didn't see is a correction of the then rechter statement that you know while drugs were not allowed or alcohol were not allowed on the all seats campus individuals were sent off to go use and there was even an assertion made you know, they go use and some of the drugs that they use actually come that that's not part of the policy and that's why we review. So my question is did you correct the director in that video we reviewed the twenty one points of the covenant which say among other things that you must follow the good neighbor policy at the next one . We can certainly however the question is since it was in violation you did not correct the I didn't see the full video. That's why I'm asking ok what's not correct? Ok, because he did not speak what is all saints policy in that video? Ok, ok and if you if you watch the whole video what's posted on youtube is the entire video and I another member of the safe haven management team or volunteer manager and one of our priests marc chase conducted that meeting and we have a meeting every thursday with the safe haven community and we can certainly bring that matter up if you'd like us to do that to correct that publicly we can video that if you'd like us to. Well, no, I was just asking if in real time I mean, you know, somebody says something that's in violation or that's a very old video from years ago. Yeah, well but the policy was the same years ago when the statement was made if I could follow up on that matter, MR. Jones, I council member goes in oh I'm sorry MR. Coevolved when jones thank you. I just have two questions. Um, one is you're using a portable restroom at trinity lutheran the safe parkers have access to the church's restroom facilities. Is that just simply geographically impractical for all saints? Yes, from what I understand, trinity lutheran has a facility that allows part of their facility to be cordoned off electronically and give people like a code that would allow them to access only restrooms and I think perhaps there are showers. We don't have that ability and for us to allow people to use a bathroom within the church facilities we would have to hire an additional employee to escort first of all, safe haven people can't use the interior bathrooms but we if we were to do it for safe parking we would have to escort someone in and then ma