City Council Meeting: February 2, 2026

really recording in progress mayor and council we are live thank. Good evening everyone. Welcome to the FEBRUARY 2nd 2026 meeting the passing city council. Uh, sorry we're a little bit behind. We did take up matters in closed session and I'll let the attorney report on that. Uh, there is no reportable action at this time. Ok, but we went up one of the items we did not take up the oh oh right. City council considered closed session. You're right. Yes. Ok, um, on the special meeting agenda for closed session items a b actually special b one b two. So go ahead. Oh ok. So special meeting one to sorry special meeting two to items letters yeah. So ok so we did not discuss the region's case we did not discuss consideration of initiating litigation and d that would have been four and five four and five all other items were discussed with no reportable action at this time . Thank you. You can see why had you reported yes ok MR. Hampton will you lead us in the pledge of allegiance please? Everyone around winstanley right hand over your heart ready to begin I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for stands one nation under GOD indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Ok and the clergy reminds me that we are responsible for taking the role. So MR. Clark counselor I recall PRESIDENT Kazmir hampton blessed and honored to be here. COUNCILMAN Jones here, COUNCILMAN Lyon here. COUNCILMAN Madison, your participation participating remotely? I am MR. Clark. I'm participating to the government code. I'm under the weather and an employee a colleague of mine is also ill with an infectious disease. So I thought it best to participate remotely under the government code as I'm committed to do and just because yes, it just cost provision under section five four nine five three point eight point three and MR. Madison can state if anyone over the eighteen or over is in the room with you, no one is with me under or over to me. Okay. Thank you. Thank you COUNCILMAN Asuda, you're vice mayor riva's here and mayor gordo there's a quorum of the council present even next will go to we have a special presentation a short presentation from southern california gas company. I think it's information that's maybe important. Well, will be important for some residents to understand involving infrastructure costs . Yes. I believe it's late. Thank you. Thank you very much. Good afternoon. Honorable mayor and members of the city council. Thank you for the opportunity to be here this evening. My name is lenio shields public affairs manager for socal gas here for the city of pasadena. We recognize a significant emotional and financial impact of the twenty twenty five los angeles wildfires have had on residents, businesses and the community. Many in our communities are still facing real challenges and we want to acknowledge the resilience and strength shown through the recovery process. Socal gas is committed to supporting residents and businesses as we rebuild to making the natural gas process a safe, seamless and stress free as possible at this time I'm particularly proud to announce that we are not charging customers for installing their previously their previously existing natural gas service to their properties to date. So gas has restored service to more than fifteen thousand customers in the palisades areas and today we want to share some available resources and incentives to help our customers through that planning process. I have here with me this afternoon our senior planning manager over our distributor distribution planning and management team to talk a little bit more about the planning process. Curtis, good evening. Council mayor curtis frazier. I'm senior manager overseeing planning activities for socal gas, part of the restoration effort. You want to advance that for me the restoration effort is ensuring that customers understand the process. So to start our process and I can't believe we're over a year with this but we're excited about getting our customers back on line. One of the efforts that we've done is we've streamline the process. We made it easy for the customers to request their gas reinstatement. One of the methods in which they can do that they can go on our socal gas dotcom forward slash rebuild and also they have the opportunity or the means to call our toll free number or kostner at one 800 four to seven two thousand a representative at the call center. We'll take their request from that point the request will be assigned to a planning representative that planning representative the expectation is to prioritize that request and make contact with the customer within five days is very important that we receive information from that customer understand the timeline for the rebuilding so we can execute their project. All the planning coordination that goes with that is there will be site visits with the customer also to understand safe meter location, understand excavation, understand the equipment that they're going to have inside their home. We want to properly size that gasline and also that meter for the reinstatement. Another key factor is the customer needs to ensure that they follow and meet all city requirements to rebuild and part of that process will be when it comes to setting the meter the meter we need a house line release from the city and to send that house line at least there's a couple of means to do that. The house line release that we receive that allows the meter the gas meter to be set it could be sent to our set this which is part of the customer contact center and the contact for that is said as gas dot also there's a toll free number that the customer or the contractor can call and request the the meter to be set setting up the account and providing that line release connects. MR. Mayor, we have one hundred and twenty property owners who were directly affected and who are in the process of rebuilding. I'm not sure why we're not giving this information to those hundred and twenty property owners rather than taking the time here at the council meeting they should all directly personally have this information. We should do everything we can to help the gas company to make that connection. But I'm not sure why why we need to know all of this for the thirty six thousand people who are existing customers. Well, it's you know, people were affected in MR. Hampton's district in eaton canyon. I made a determination that this is important this is an important public service given the number of properties that were affected by the fire period. I think it's very valuable information. I'm just wondering why we're not giving it direction. We are we are effective. We are. And so I I believe it will affected what what's the public service beyond that? Yeah ok when we but so I think we're wrapping up but the main go go ahead and finish up just some quick energy efficiency and sensitive information and then we can wrap up ok thank you. So cafcass has an energy efficiency fire rebuild or etf and our program and every single family and multi-family home can qualify up to ten thousand in incentives and this is for energy efficient equipment and construction measures. Our residential account managers can work directly with your customers, with your constituents or with your builders to try to help identify some of these incentives during the application process. We also have energy efficiency financing. This is financing that's available to homeowners and businesses affected by the wildfires. This is through our go green financing. Eligible participants can finance a different range of energy upgrades including h back windows coolin roofs, et cetera. As curtis was mentioning, we have a dedicated wildfire rebuild support page w-w socal gas dot com slash rebuild. I have my contact information on this screen as well as my phone number as well as MR. Curtis freighter's contact number. So if any of those 120 residents or anybody outside of those hundred and twenty residents have any questions or concerns, they're able to reach out to us directly. Once again, thank you for your time. We're dedicated to supporting your communities during this wildfire rebuild process. Thank you very much for just one quick question. I was under the impression in terms of cost that that previously southern california gas would bring the new piped news service connection to the meter but not beyond the meter and that will be different for this time around. Thank you, mayor. The main line that's in the street that's our main and the service that supplies gas to the meter, that's the service. So the gas companies responsibility is that main line up to the service line beyond the gas emitters, the customer's property. So we will install all the infrastructure, maintain service and typically in this situation is service and the gas meter, all that piping and fitting that goes up to the house line which is the customer's property. Ok, ok. And any other questions or just a comment I hope that we add msi can can look at what this our approaches on the electric side to to figure out whether we are being equally responsible and responsive especially because actually while people MAY prefer gas no one actually needs natural gas . They don't have to reconnect. They can go all electric and if and if and if they choose to do that then I think we should be equally responsible and responsive as the gas company is to their customers want to make sure that we're making it easy for people who if they choose who to go all electric in. And I think that that presentation can be made as well and we've had lots of discussions and and try to provide as much information as we can because it's not just the gas connection that I'm interested here. It's some of the some of the efforts on efficiency windows and ac backs because a lot of people were impacted and I'm one of them. You know, we had to replace windows. we had to replace because of smoke damage. We replace insulation. Hvac was affected. So I think it's important for people to hear all of the resources. So we'll do that as well. MR. Cool. Ok, with that mayor we have for speaker cardstock on this item . Thank you. Two minutes. Thank you. Uh, we have, uh, cynthia kennedy sandy krasner wrecks my earrings and then robert, if you heard me call your name and come to the center queue up in the center aisle that would be helpful. MISS Kennedy, welcome. I'm going to give everybody two minutes and then ring a bell. We have thirty seconds left. Go ahead. Thank you. Good evening. Our own public health department issued a bulletin last year about the health risks of gas appliances in normal operation especially risk to children and it said that the best remedy is to switch to electric appliance. This is our own public health department. This was after both stanford and harvard university conducted and published extensive and authoritative studies on health risks asthma and cancer from home use of gas appliances. This is not disputed except by socal gas and sempre its parent company which in the last twenty years has contributed almost a billion dollars in political campaign contributions in order to influence public policy on this issue. It is an affront to the victims of the eden fire to have people from socal gas here suggesting that they actually should install more gas lines in their homes. We need more information so that people understand what this really is. These are the merchants of doubt. They are the purveyor of pain from victims. These are the people who profit from harm to our citizens. We need to be very clear about fossil fuels. This is the cause of the climate crisis that we face on the one hand, we as a city have declared a climate emergency. On the other hand, we're talking about doing business with the gas company to help the people. Let us please consider reject these kinds of appeals propaganda if you will. We need to do everything we can to make sure that people don't subject our children to these kinds of harms as I speak right now there are children in apartments that are inhaling nitrogen oxides and other pollutants and they are suffering from this. Thank you for your comments. Thank you. Sandy craster. Bye bye. Regnerus then robert hall, sir, welcome. Hello. i think rob will talk about this more the funds that they're for doing the programs they're talking about I think come from rate from rate payers, both the gas company and the electric company. We should not be using ratepayer money or I don't know if there's any pasadena money involved in this as incentives to build new new gas infrastructure especially not in the fire area for space and water heating cooking clothes drying. There are clean electrical appliances that are cheaper and less dangerous than gas and these will go cleaner as the grid gets cleaner. There's three reasons for opposing reinstalling gas health is is an important when gas is burned in the home, he admits nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, parquet particulates that invade the lungs. It also emits unburned methane. These have been associated with increased risk of asthma, other reparatory diseases as well as possible not certain possible associations with cancer and even autism spectrum disorder. In addition, as homes become better better sealed for improved heating and air conditioning efficiency, the venting required to get rid of the gas products is going to become a problem. And as cynthia mentioned, even the pasadena public health department has done a study on the health impacts of burning gas in the house and the next one is cost building a new or rebuilt home you're starting from scratch costs about six thousand dollars less with a full electric home than the mixed gas and electric home the homeowner is going to have to pay for gas lines, meters, plumbing all that other stuff. There's a whole bunch of cost the impacts that essentially I think if people are building back with gas somebody should be telling them they're they're taking money out of their out of their pockets. And then finally they mentioned climate where natural gas is burned. It emits carbon dioxide which is primary greenhouse gas. About three percent of natural gas leaks between the well and the consumer. That's that's a very potent procrastinator. Time's expired. Ok, thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, chris rex marus rex marusya and then robert hall I'm glad sandy came before maybe to explain all those things I'm more from the emotional side. I lost the house in altadena so it's not pasadena but we had managed to get solar panels and we're doing things right and I can't imagine really rebuilding a house that's going to use gas this really other time to encourage people to to get with the future. It's going to save the money we got used to an induction stove. It's actually was a good thing and in any way that the city can encourage the switch, this is the time to do it. Why invest in something that's a dying technology? Thank you. thank you, MR. Hall. Robert you're welcome. Go ahead. Good evening, mayor council. We heard from the very generous offer from so-called ask that they will pay for the infrastructure up to the meter of the house sandy just mentioned that there's an additional cost to rebuild with natural gas. He said six thousand dollars in addition to rebuild with gas. Actually when you take into account all the labor for plumbers and all the other infrastructure within the house itself, it's much higher. It's on the order between 20 and 30 thousand dollars. So that's not an insubstantial cost to bring gas into the house. So as his council well those resolution nine nine seven seven declares a climate emergency. Moreover, pasadena has recognized with past ordinances that long term citywide greenhouse gas reductions must include electrification of new buildings. Therefore it seems hypocritical to allow rebuilding with gas in the fire zone. Therefore in the fire zone kosilek electrification should be the default. So here's a post berkely suggestion for a way to make that happen. Adopt an ordinance to apply cost testing to each rebuild project determine which approach is less expensive for the homeowner to build all electric or dual energy if the homeowner selects all electric then in lieu of installing a gas line into a house the gas company can subsequently pass on, it's avoided cost to the homeowner as a further incentive to build back all electric. Don't walk in another generation of polluting climate vulnerable homes. Thank you strength. Thank you. And just to be clear this matter is on for information purposes. This is not the city contract with anyone you know the state public utilities commission does governs all utilities including gas and electric. Ok, with that we'll move on to public comment for matters not only just where you have a ceremonial oh we do have one and there were two letters actually there were four letters associated that a and those were posted online distributed to the council are made part of the record for this item. But thanks er I'd like to adjourn tonight's meeting in honor of marguerite bulgar who was born on JULY 3rd. Nineteen fifty four she passed away peacefully on JANUARY sixteenth in arcadia, california. She was born and raised in pasadena. She attended washington elementary and junior high school and proudly graduated from pasadena high school. She will be remembered for her strength, generosity and unwavering love for her family and faith. And she is the sister of a friend of the council in beverly bogarde who was a long time city of pasadena employee. So thank you and I know beverly knew marguerite and absolutely find it appropriate and I'll reach out to in writing and make sure the family knows that you made such motion. So I would join your request. Ok, thank you. Now we can turn to public comment. Um, MR. Mayor, I just have a very brief announcement if we could make at the end but then I want to be listening. Um, I went today we will be I went today to the convention center um for the it's called ashes and ekos exhibit about survivors of the fire and some very, very moving exhibits about their resilience and their determination to rebuild the last day of that. The exhibit is tomorrow from two to six to eight P.M. At our convention center is that sponsored by the city? But I was very moved by the quality and impressiveness of of the exhibit and I think that it is worth a visit if people can work that in tomorrow. Thank you, MR. Cole. Ok, now public comment matters on the agenda and we are setting it at a minute to have uh, katie followed by marguerita holleman followed by less hammer followed by professor michelsen then rob matha. So if you katie if you heard your name please start to make your way to home. If you've heard your name please form a line in the middle while it's um sorry israel killed at least thirty six more people in gaza this weekend mohammed abed wrote saturday we woke up to another massacre. Twelve people burned alive in their sleep three generations including grandfather rubia hamad had aged his children muhammad hazem and haja and three small grandchildren leah shome and gibril. They survived in torn tents after israel bombed their home, survived starvation and escapable rain and winter cold. Then israel then israel burned them alive anyway in front of eight billion people. Israel performs these massacres like a dare to the world watch us kill children in their sleep . We've bought your politicians the money and the weapons will keep flowing and they do. DR. Yahya mazid wrote in gaza death comes not only from bombs winter cold is a weapon. Twelve day old haitham abuk has died inside a tent, his body unable to survive the freezing temperatures and a siege that's been allowed to exist longer than he was with his death. The number of infant hypothermia casualties this winter has written to risen to 11 newborns who should be wrapped in warmth and safety are instead wrapped in shrouds. Fuel and blankets are scarce and unaffordable. Desperately needed supplies are not allowed in by israel and babies die quietly, painfully, invisibly because delivery exposes endless relentless sea . I hear you well. we want to be fair to everyone and thank you, ma'am. Friends marguerita, thank you for demonstrating this as margarita is margarita holleyman here she online and then ok we'll move on to less whammer all by professor michelsen then rob athea then lucinda wil's then randall hine lam tramer welcome. Let's have our pasadena contrary to media reports, illegal immigration is not a civil offense. In nineteen eighty two the supreme court ruled in the case of inez vs. Lopez mendoza that illegal immigration is a crime remaining in the country illegally is a continuing crime. Second, we wouldn't have all of this chaos in american cities if we didn't have sanctuary city policies in places like pasadena, los angeles and in particular minneapolis. Ice agents armed with a detainer or removal order cannot take an illegal immigrant from a city or county jail. They can take an illegal immigrant from a state prison. As a result, ice agents are forced to go out in the community to conduct operation ins only to be confronted by well-organized, well-funded nonprofit groups. For example, the coalition for humane immigrant rights receives thirty four dollars million in state money and uses a chunk of that money to fund the rapid response network. Let's let's let's let's let's be respectful please. 30 seconds. go ahead. Within minutes of an ice operation hundreds of people lineup's screaming and yelling and blowing whistles my advice to american citizens who do not want to be arrested during an ice operation is simple stay on the sidewalk or stay home. Hey, it's not appropriate but please let me speak. According to a recent kfi radio report, the department of homeland security, the new york times MR. Hammer, your time has expired. MR. Hammer. Thank you. Thank you, professor. And followed by robin thicke then linda wills and randall hind lam than aaron scott walsh . Professor, good evening. I'm here to talk about divestment and ethical investment. I'm a tenured professor at pasadena city college and teach civics to foreign students striving to become new american citizens. I would love to be able to tell them that the lovely city of pasadena hosted the rose parade home to amazing residents of historic neighborhoods and business districts is spending spending tax dollars wisely but in fact pasadena is financially supporting bad actors investing in a genocide across the world that has killed hundreds and thousands. Usa pays israel bombs just like we can't support ice occupying our streets and you cannot allow your police department to be complicit in supporting the ice gestapo as they violently attack residents and community advocates that are exposing them. We cannot allow you to invest in harmful surveillance and the military industrial complex that are occupying and killing innocent people in palestine and terrorizing the people of pasadena. Please stop being complicit and take a take proactive moves to cahical investment and divestment in your city. Thank you the egg and listen lucinda willesden randall hein lammed and aaron scott wallsten covais and me and then michael banora. Sure. Welcome again if you heard your name please. No thank you. I'm reverend dr rob matthai, a resident of district one represented I by council member tyronne hampton and I'm here to urge the city council to act on the processes we have brought before you related to the injustices faced by palestinians. You've heard over the weeks and months a number of things related to genocide and the facts have been set forth. But I want to talk a little bit tonight about the apartheid system when I first this issue first came on my radar I started engaging personally in the early 2000s and in 2007 jimmy carter wrote his book palestine peace not apartheid. And so this incredible world leader 20 some years ago I'm doing my math closely was was already naming this reality. I've been able to travel in israel and palestine and see this up close and as I've learned more about it, we see how what's going on parallels apartheid in south africa which they learned from the jim crow south. My dad was a student in the south. He was a dark skinned man from malaysia in the nineteen fifties and he experienced jim crow south. He experienced what it's like for people not to be served because of the color of their skin and the same thing is going on for palestinians today I saw palestinians who refused the protection that was provided for israeli settlers who chopped down their olive trees. We helped the farmers removed the olive branches. We cannot continue to support that. MR. Matthieu, your time is expired not to ask for national policy. Thank you. But we're asking you to think your local lucinda wills, schools welcome. There are so many global authorities that have analyzed the situation in palestine and agree that israel is committing a genocide against the palestinian people. These include the un human rights council amnesty international, human rights watch but caelum of israel, the international association of genocide scholars not to mention a wikipedia page listing more than a hundred humanitarian human rights groups accusing israel of committing genocide in gaza. these are not passing opinions like we've been hearing in these chambers that ignore proven facts on the ground. These are deeply researched, unbiased looks at the genocide that is taking place before our very eyes. It is genocide, ecocide, scholasticism, herbicide bombsite genocide, ethnos and even livestock aside, it is the wholesale attempt to wipe out an indigenous population with professed intent to do so. And it has been going on for decades since well before they establishment of israel in 1948 to add insult to injury, the latest example was just yesterday israel has banned the presence of doctors without borders in gaza ordering them to leave by the end of FEBRUARY. This will mean many more lives lost in a place pushed beyond collapse. Stop investing genocide and blood money. Randall and lamb followed by aaron scott wallsten covais hammie and then michael banora. You're welcome. Thank you. Randall heine lamb represented by vice mayor riva's. Let me introduce you as my friend has already spoken about in the macro. Let me home down to the micro and introduce to ahmed al badon. Ahmed is a friend of mine and the 10 year old son of amr and jamila. The family lives about 10 kilometers from bethlehem. Ahmed has not attended school since the israeli military closed it in OCTOBER of 2003. Last SEPTEMBER octa ahmed was playing soccer with friends when he was shot in the leg by an israeli sniper for no apparent reason. He recovered in hospital but lived in fear of the israeli soldiers return. Those fears came true in OCTOBER and again in DECEMBER when the army visited their home at four A.M. On both occasions to interrogate him. On the second of those occasions they took away his father for three days in the desert and where they abused him both physically and psychologically. This week I learned that the army arrived again this time at two A.M. And this time taking 10 year old ahmed with them. His parents do not know where he is being held or how to provide him with legal representation. Our investments here in pasadena in companies that profit from the occupation a part tide and yes the genocide of palestinians must be redirected as soon as possible. Thank you very much. Thank you. Aaron scott was followed by covid nami then michael bandura then rene gonzales online and then maybe marguerita holleman also online. Good evening. When I when I say they have killed more people, they've killed more people you know who I'm referring to is the ice or is it israel at this point they're linked dhs has an office in israel where american law enforcement are trained. city council member lyons you're my city council member. You're also my neighbor. I see your family almost every day when we walk to school. I've even met doug I when I see him I wonder what do you tell him to justify your position and to the rest of the elected officials up there how do you feel about preschool's being gassed in america because that's happening here and in gaza, same forces, same tactics . Safety is an illusion if injustice goes answered, what is going on in america is not separate from what is going on in gaza. It is the biggest part in justice knows no borders when justice grows weak and oppressors grow fearless and untethered as we see mayor gordo city council members please reflect on what part of history you want to be remembered. This is a punishment on repeat and we are the humans responsible for stopping this at what point do you say enough here or in gaza? Thank you. Salvation army by michael banora then veronica de la sur. Welcome. Thank you. My name is covid-19 speaking on behalf of myself I'm here to tell you I think it's about time to move this cloud of shame from the city we all love with disaffiliating from the from the regime genocidal racist regime who has already killed double of the number of students from pasadena unified school districts. It's time for you guys to take your job seriously and stop using our tax money to send it to kill children. Mayor melgarejo, it's also time for you to take your responsibility on your job and tell your department to stop stop providing cover for ice and trying to help out their brothers when they're terrorizing our brothers and sisters in this city we don't see a difference between you and them when you're standing by them with your guns we don't see a difference between you and them because you don't want to you see them as your brother if you'll see the other people are getting arrested as if you can direct your comments to the council, please. Thank you. It's time to take your job seriously. I don't know how you would think that you will be remembered at anything other than these issues we're waiting for to vote. We see your silence speaking brother your silence is speaking. It tells you to tell everyone where you stand, do your job. Thank you, sir michael michael banora no. And then rene gonzalez is online. MR. Gonzalez, welcome. Thank you, mayor. Good evening everyone. And one of the first first of all that my heart goes to all the advocates and those chambers and all around the world an advocate for human rights and these are very difficult times. And so I just wanted to say that before so in regard to the solar panel installation that we explore at libraries, I applaud the city council but I will once again ask that the language of mesure I engage, we explore because we have delivered over one point five billion dollars of taxpayer money to the school district and they have failed to install not one penny of green energy solar arrays at our public schools and I think that this is this is something that must be evaluated, something that can be of great benefit for our teachers and our communities since we are actually paying the school bond money. I'm sure that these communities can also benefit from the charger installations, the public schools but specifically the teachers who have been underpaid for decades. So this should be a great way to retain teachers and that is my public comment. Thank you, MR. Also marguerita holeman last call that completes public comment is not on the agenda. Just want to make two points clear. One, the personal police department does not does not enforce immigration laws with ice or anyone else as it relates as it relates to the race to to you know, I'm worried the person police department has turkey's sole role is to keep the peace in our community, keep the peace whether it's a resident or someone who's not a resident or even a law enforcement officer if they're violating the law, the person police department is to keep the peace step in and stop violations of law on the part of anybody now imagine if you will, a situation where our police department isn't out there to protect the peace you I I have denounced ice and the federal government's activity. But the last thing I want is for ice or anyone else to call in more federal agents and I've said it before we are being baited. Let's not let's not allow ourselves to be baited. We're all on the same side on this as it relates to as it relates to the situation in the middle east. This council I think with the exception of MR. Cole who wasn't elected but I know well voted consistent with this this council voted to denounce violence in the middle east or frankly anywhere else and to call for peace and that's the official position of the city of pasadena and we had a large meeting with hundreds of people at the convention center and that's our official position. So I just want to remind us of those three things. Thank you, MR. Cole. Thank you, MR. Mayor. And I would just ask I think it's important for us to show respect to our speakers and I I hope that people will show respect to the members of the council and each of our turn to speak. It has been our general practice not to respond to public comment on items not on our agenda. That's both because of our general practice and it's also because by the brown act we are limited in what and and how much we can say. But last week one of my colleagues interjected during public comment a concern he raised specifically regarding hamas and so I would ask just for a moment to to share my thoughts because I have remained silent through the vast the many, many weeks that people have come here. We are working with. What can you do in two minutes? Yes, I can. Thank you again. We are working toward the fire on police pension board considering ethical investment policies and as your appointee to that board that is my goal and I've had support from other members of the council to pursue that and I hope we will be successful. But that is the regular and orderly process which we are embarked upon. What happened on OCTOBER 7th two years ago as a result of hamas's attack on both military and civilian residents of israel is unspeakable and what has happened in reaction to that for well over two years from the israeli government is unspeak well and just since the cease fire more than five hundred palestinians have died. The vast majority of them civilians. Our silence in this forum is not indifference. Our silence in this forum is directing an orderly process to consider the very difficult and challenging issues that we as citizens of the world must face. And I'll conclude with this, MR. Mayor, on friday I represented our city in montebello at a place you have been often which is the monument to the victims of the armenian genocide. And I was asked to speak on behalf of you and our council on what you have said many, many years which is the goal of never again what's happening in gaza and frankly the west bank and what's happening in other parts of the world is genocide and and we need to address it. How we address it. Reasonable people can and will disagree but we cannot allow jewish people in germany, armenian people in the ottoman empire or palestine eun's in their homeland to be uprooted and have their their right to a free and independent realm that we are entitled to that we adopted in JULY 4th of 1776. Human rights are universal and what happens here what happens there is indivisible. Thank you. Thank you for and and thank you. Thank you for the reminder that there is a process and that process is underway. Ok with that just very briefly to be well under to I'll be under ten seconds we did request a ethical investment policy to come back to the council. I know that that was supposed to be talked about an alleged policy in DECEMBER. The discussion probably already happened. Any report back on that and have that coming to the council will be extremely helpful from what we can do from our from our vantage point. Does my comments MR. Minister madisen can remind us I can jump in since ok, so he's stepped away. It's on the agenda tomorrow so the discussion will continue. Ok, he hasn't been there the whole so it'll be on the agenda tomorrow. Ok with that and consent we'll turn to the consent calendar, entertain a sweep motion. There are speakers upon item four and then we received letter of correspondence for item three and four one letter for item three expressing concerns with the current ev charging infrastructure and advocating for city staff include tesla in the rfp process and then for for three letters in support of the staff recommendation and providing comments on the matter. Those letters were distributed the council posted online part of the record for those two items. Thank you. If we hold the matter item four that has public speakers all week most for the remainder of the consent calendar I'll move in there. Ok, second and I'd also like to make mention that our city is doing all we possibly can to better build out our ev infrastructure and so item two which is a two million dollar service actually almost three dollars million service contract to do just that is a path forward to getting our even charging system in a better shape than it is now which we are in a really good shape. But I think that we can do a lot better and so I appreciate staff looking into this and doing what we can to make sure that are ev chargers are being used and utilized for our residents that depend on them and also businesses that depend on them. So thank you. I appreciate councilor hampton's advocacy on this. I think you've played an important role in making sure that we are moving forward. There was a letter from a resident that I hope will get attention to some of the specific ideas that resident has for making sure that the process is a positive result. So I just want to commend that to staff to address those issues. Thank you mr cool. Ok so holding item for I'm sorry roll call on the remainder the consent calendar concerning recall. Yes councilor hampton. Yes councilor jones yes. Councilor lyon. Yes yes customer madison is swept away because of masuda yes. Vice reavis yes mayor gordo yes that motion is approved without opposition. Thank you. Go now we'll go turn to item for do we need a presentation or should we just turn to public comment? Ok, let's turn to public comment. Cynthia kennedy followed by russell babette's followed by rene gonzalez actually followed by bert newton then rene gonzalez. So if you've heard your name, please form a line in the middle to me again. We'll come back miscounting. Thank you. We impersonated one hundred support this proposal. The staff memo is a very fine memo full of relevant information and it's really well done. It shows how these five sites will really be good pilot projects. We would just like to emphasize that there are three compelling reasons to make sure that other projects are urgently initiated and budgeted this year one, we can save money up to thirty percent of the total cost with federal itc credits that are still available if we begin construction before JULY 4th of this year or alternatively if the projects can be placed in service by DECEMBER 31st of next year, that's a lot of money so we need to hurry up and get this done. No to the optimized strategic plan in table nineteen plans for installations of four megawatts of solar on municipal properties by twenty twenty eight another four megawatts by twenty twenty nine and another twelve megawatts on municipal properties by DECEMBER of twenty thirty. This project is great but it is less than one megawatt so we love it. It's great but we have to quickly move ahead and realistically plan the other projects. Three as much of our country suffers from extreme and unprecedented cold. We know that a long fire season MAY well come and hit us. I hope not. I pray not. But we face the fierce urgency of now. Thank you. Miscounting MR. Newton, welcome . I thought there was somebody before me there was but go ahead. Go ahead. Ok so yeah this is great rooftop solar on five buildings. I hope we see a lot more of this. We live we live in extraordinary times the things that been mentioned tonight but the climate emergency is one of those so we need to see more of these. I'm also wondering if the city could have an outreach to especially condo owners. I live in a 92 unit condo complex. I would love to be able to convince my way to put solar on our roofs and and I'm thinking maybe if the city reached out and get in and there are you know, on the benefits of this financially and otherwise it would help our units are 100 percent electric so it would be a really good fit. Thanks. Thank you. MR. I think that's a great suggestion to to contact owners of not just condos but apartments and as well as the business community. And I heard earlier one of the speakers say that there MAY be a savings to solar versus other fuels for the owner for the installation and so I'd like staff to run that to ground and that should be made known as well. Russell babis, are you here? No, online and oh yes. Great. Go ahead. I'll ring a bell when you have thirty seconds left. Go ahead. Thank you. Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to address the council as an executive committee member of the sierra club pasadena, I'm very heartened to see item four on the agenda tonight after approval of the osp in DECEMBER of last year. Pwp is indeed a step forward on the first important goal to add solar power to city facilities . The positive impact of placing panels on libraries with public visibility cannot be overstated . I understand this relatively small step will allow pwp to better plan for the larger systems that are still necessary to meet the goals of resolution ninety nine seventy seven the past and a group of the sierra club looks forward to continued progress by pwp to reach the very admirable goal of a carbon free future by the end of twenty thirty. Thank you. Last speaker is rene gonzales virtually MR. Gonzales. Welcome back your muted mr. gonzales. There you go. All right. I don't know. So what I want to add to my comment is that with this green energy technologies are going to cost many career and as mayor golden stated on the state of the city speech with the upcoming career technology department pcc, there's many opportunities to implement aebi electric vehicle charging programs, solar installation programs and also energy storage programs for new porter or graduates at pcc and also usc and we have many sites that are currently bakin up as the so I once again I would like to see the two governances working together and also in the best interest of the community as this is where the future is leading to green energy. And so I hope that to see some public hearings between the three governments and you guys should consider working together to make the best that we can with this with this investments. Thank you. Thank. I'd like to make a motion as it was that the us just like to make a motion to move approval of an item or on the agenda and also would like to give a shout out and thanks to pwp and our chair of emceeing the masc committee because this is where the work is happening. I always like to tell the residents that it's great to come to council meetings with a lot of our work and a lot of the major decisions come out of our committee meeting. so I would really encourage you all to make your voice heard in our committee meetings as well. Thank you. I'll second thank you so moved motion the second roll call to approve this recommendation MS. Merkel yes. COUNCILMAN Hampton. COUNCILMAN Jones yes. COUNCILMAN Lyon yes. COUNCILMAN Madison yes. COUNCILMAN Massouda yes. Vice mayor reavis yes. Ergative yes. Motion is approved without opposition ok next we'll move on to item seven item seven the old business item related to the there's no staff report here. This is a request from MR. Madison. MR. Madison, did you want to make some comments? Thank you, mayor. I think I'd prefer to just make a motion at this point. This is here on the safe parking initiative by all saints church and we move to agenda is the matter for this evening's for the purpose of my motion to rescind the closure of public hearing. Twenty five and the denial of the sea court action at the council took with less than a full council on NOVEMBER 17 to reopen the public hearing and set a continued public hearing through MARCH 2nd. Twenty twenty six on all saints application for a minor conditional use permit number seven three one eight to establish a safe parking program at two zero two north euclid avenue from the NOVEMBER seventeen twenty twenty five city council meeting and direct staff to return with an evaluation and recommendation on any additional relevant seek exemptions set forth in the cpa guidelines and public resources code section two one zero zero point one zero and the intent would be that we have a full council sitting in a quasi judicial capacity at that time to hear the matter. Thank you mayor. Thank you MR. Madison of a couple of questions for MR. Cole where you know of a couple of questions for the city attorney. Is there any mandy adams city attorney that because you know, we often have council members absent is there any mandate that any vote of the council needs to be a vote of the full city council? No, we're not aware of a requirement that it has to be a full council present and in terms of was was the seek a decision under our administrative code a final decision to seek a decision under the administer and under other municipal thank you. So there was with respect to the sequoyah exemption there was a deemed denial determination based on our code. What is the deemed and our determination mean? Well, I'll turn to our assistant city attorney caroline monroe and she MAY be able to further respond to what the deemed denial aspect means in our code for for the six weeks and let me ask it directly so a deemed denial is decision is the result of a four to four I'm sorry four to three vote. In other words, there was not no no majority my correct about that no no action. No action no. Five we need five votes for any so it was four to three and so a there weren't five votes and so so what's the legal effect of that. It's a deemed denial and if you can explain what that is certainly under the municipal code our provisions apply for actions on appeals if there is a failure to act particularly with respect to a failure to act on a squat action, a failure to affirmatively approve or certify any secret action shall be deemed a denial thereof. A failure to act in any action taken pursuant to squash shall be considered a decision that MAY be called for review or appealed to answer your question in the event that there is not five votes the council has not taken action and this provision would apply and so because it's deemed it all is deemed at all determined to be a for purposes of our administrative process deemed to be a final decision. It's deemed to be a decision that MAY be reviewed I believe by the superior court. Correct. But for administrative purposes in other words for purposes of this council because we we hear things for administrative and quasi judicial purposes through our administrative procedures. So for purposes of a quasi judicial proceeding was that deemed a final decision that is now appealable? I agree with you to superior court. That's the appropriate appeal process, correct? Well, the decision is the failure to take act is considered under our code a decision there is no further appeal body within the city so any review would be by the court and only by the court if it were to be appealed. Ok, so so and that applies to the closure of the public hearing as well. This is specifically with respect to the nonaction and so are there any procedures that in our code that that speak to the word of reconsideration or review or decision of a council's final act? Mayor, I just want to raise a point of order is that you're soliciting legal advice to the city in the face of a threatened legal action by the opponents of this project. And I'm concerned that the city hasn't and ought not to waive privileges. We had a closed session discussion that was privileged and confidential about these matters. I think it's highly inappropriate if one opposes a project to try to solicit legal advice that undermines the city's position. I don't think it does before we vote. I think we should be clear on what we're voting for. So let me let on all of these in closed session. Let me ask you, MR. Madsen, under what provision of the musical municipal code are you suggesting that we reopen the public hearing and reconsider a final decision you count? Well, I don't believe it was a final decision because the council was not a complete council as you well know, stuck on a flight and literally in the air and couldn't be there. You were asked to continue the matter until we had a full council vote. This is an opportunity to provide some security and shelter for the un house and I understand that you have your reasons to oppose this project but it should have been decided by a full council. So I'm simply asking we reopen the public hearing and have a full council here the matter on the merits and then it won't be deemed anything. It will be by a vote of the council in MAY succeed. It MAY fail. It MAY result in some other outcome but it'll be a process that we can all be proud of. There was a vote, there was a vote. But again my my my question is under what provision of a one what provision of the municipal code are you asking us to act is my question. And mayor, if I might the municipal code provides that the city council follows robert's rules of order. Robert's rules of order does allow for rescission or rescinding actions taken by the council. So it's our opinion that that that can take place. So one of the things when this comes back that we ought to be clear on is whether robert's rules of order trump school or state law and our own policies on how we handle it. But when I'm not saying that if it gets the votes it trumps that. Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm not saying that robert's rules supersede state law. I just think, you know, we have a responsibility to ensure everything we do is transparent and adheres to our own policies. That's a legal affirmative duty and I'm just trying to make sure that we're doing that. And so if if this gets five votes, I think all of those questions are are fair game at a proceeding before. So with that there was a motion mayor I don't think there was a second let's not all jump up at one time. So, uh, there's a motion and a second oh public comment. Thank you. I there are twenty five speaker cards submitted. Uh, are we doing one minute is that this is an initial step and if we'll say because we do have other business this is a procedural matter and so we'll say a minute try and keep your comments to a minute if you go over a little bit we'll give you some flexibility but we really do need to try and move the agenda forward. And mayor, if I might add as a reminder as you mentioned, this is a procedural matter. It is not the substantive discussion. So this is not to get into the merits of the underlying application is to decide whether it would be agenda wise for a public hearing which will be fully noticed on MARCH 2nd for the purposes mentioned. Thank you. And if this passes and I the the date that the actual hearing will be on MARCH 2nd is MARCH 2nd at six P.M.. Ok, I just want to make sure that was one will notice. Oh uh angela strong followed by reverend marc chase followed by sonia bernt followed by eric tamblyn and then huse you know I just I just realized I MAY be out of town on MARCH 2nd and so well we got to have a whole council. We don't have a whole council according to MR. Madison and others. So what we need our five to take an action. But of course we said you can you MAY want to ask the applicant maybe if they could speak first if they're here they were unavailable FEBRUARY twenty third and they were available MARCH 2nd and I think the appellant's one or more of their representatives was available MARCH 2nd. So maybe if we could get a signal if MARCH you know, nine well we have a full full council MARCH nine perhaps I I'll be in uh on an international trip. So now the ninth as well. No, I think I'll be back with him ok. The other thing is, um under the original teleconference rules it's possible that a member could participate remotely depending on the circumstances and as you have mentioned and MR. Madsen recently mentioned, you don't have to have a full council but we do need five votes for any action. I think we I mean that's the the position of the maker of the motion and so I want to be respectful of that. So I clarified that we can't take an action without five votes but yeah, but you said when we have a full council so well we didn't have a full council and as a result of that apparently we couldn't get five votes in either direction. No, we can get five votes because five votes by people didn't vote. There were more than five people here. So I guess you MAY want to hear from at least. Yeah. So applique and then maybe an appellate representative if they're here. Sure. So let's let's let's hear from the applicant first and just state your name so I can remove it from the q good evening. My name's erika tamblyn. I want to thank you for your time today. Um we appreciate it and we also appreciate the work that's been put in by the housing department the planning department. I'm a member of the vestry which is the board of directors of all saints church and we're trying to do a good thing care for people and provide a safe place for them to sleep in their cars so that they don't a mass parking tickets and get their cars towed and impounded which will end up with them truly being homeless and sleeping in a park. So all continues that support of this project. We very much want to do it and we look forward to the opportunity for a rehearing. Thank you for your time. Thank you. The applicant representative one oh one question are you ok now? Are you ok with MARCH 9th as the hearing date? Yes all saints is fine with MARCH. I thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you streiff and barbel as well. The maryland's also fine with MARCH nine. Did you want to do your public comment now? Oh sure. Ok so regarding robert's rules of order no it does not take precedent of your own code in your own code says that this decision on NOVEMBER 17th was final and effective the last time this was here on NOVEMBER 17th many people presented a list of all the problems we've been experiencing break ins, people being beaten by chains, people being pepper sprayed, needles all over and some of you suggested that wasn't really a problem. Well, later that day because your meeting ended after midnight later that day about eight hours later I got the following message from a apartment manager three doors up from where the safe parking here was a message you can add to the list homeless hitting guy in face with beer bottle assault one hour ago 279 north euclid four cop cars and an ambulance that was the same day so other people here suggested well maybe vehicular homeless are not as bad as those are made. Your time is up sorry. Your comments could we remind everybody that this is not about the substance of the issues of everybody? You know, I speakers have spoken to the substance and we really need to figure out what we're going to do tonight which is not decide this issue we're going to decide in a quasi judicial public hearing or not . And and I just realized I should probably put this on the record and I want others to do the same. But I did meet with the tenants at the of the maryland at the request of MR. Jones and have had conversations with congregants and people at all saints or both sides have reached out to me and I've had conversations but I wouldn't make my decision based on what I believe to be the merits. And mayor, we met with the residents of the central district included the montana and you're right, it wasn't just the euclid apartments but yes, we did meet with them and I have met with representatives from all saints as well. But I base my decision on the merits of the judicial hearing. So so you're right there were it was people from the civic center not just from one building including business owners and many of the business and property owners commercial around here have reached out to me as well. So you would state that during the right. But I just think out of an abundance of caution I'll stay here as well. So you know, if for the reminder that was just recommended I did remind a few minutes ago but I'll try it again this way the question before the council is whether to approve a motion that's before you or not to have a reopened and continued public hearing and the other actions that are taken. So that's really the the crux of what the council has to decide today. We're not deciding the matter on on the merits. We're simply deciding on procedural question. Ok, so I'm going to go back to the order that the cards were submitted and start to call names if you hear your name you can line up down the center aisle. Angela's strong reverend marc chase sonia burnt out huse and sharon richter. So if you could form a line of angela strong and if you can limit your comments to whether or not we should you support so hello my name is angela strong and I think as we can see from the c amount of speaker cards that were put in for this issue ,there is definitely interest from the public on this matter and being able to speak on this matter before the council both sides should have the ability to be able to purchase their comments. The safe parking. so this should definitely go before the council to be have more public comment. Thank you, reverend mark cheeseboard based on your birth and values than sharon richter. Well, good. The council will have to change my comments because I prepared for the substance but now it's a procedural question. I'm not a student of the law but I did go to seminary right here at fuller theological seminary and as a reverend and as someone who preaches quite often there is a clear parallel between the law and scripture. I never advise people to think about what a text says. I always advise people to think about what they're looking for when they get to a text because just like the law, the scripture has to be interpreted . So counsel as you consider whether to take this matter further as a procedural question, it's not a matter of simply looking at the law and saying what does it say? It's a matter of interpreting the law and saying what is our mission and what is our task and so as the counsel your task is to serve the people of pasadena which safe parking will do so you can interpret robert's rules of order. You can interpret interpret all of these procedural measures towards that outcome. That's not what I was prepared to say. There's a clear parallel so it's up to you. You burn for by you fall by sharon richter by cliff wampler and then susan lee was welcome last NOVEMBER three of you blocked the proposed safe parking program on the all saints property by failing to approve the squad to termination adjudicated below. You wouldn't even allow the matter to be continued to a date when all council members could be present. This was an example of the worst kind of politics the failure to approve the minor cup last NOVEMBER cannex chose the city to costly litigation by the applicants and they've all won has already said they're going to do it. This is because there was no substantial evidence, no relevant evidence whatsoever agai