Pasadena City Council meeting on Jan. 28, 2019 (Photo – Garrett Rowlan).
The opening of the City Council meeting featured a full house, placards, and even constant camera monitoring of the proceeding, almost as if a documentary were being created at the same time as the real event. It felt like the first real council meeting of the year.
By Garrett Rowlan
The crowd gathered and speakers in open forum brought forth a menu of current issues facing Pasadena: affordable housing, marijuana dispensaries, and raising the minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour.
To applause and even the cricket-like sound of snapping fingers, many speakers spoke during the open twenty minutes, which turned out to be a sort of countdown to about half the room, who left after the opening 20-minute slot ended.
The other half stayed around to see the go-ahead on a development agreement with Bridge Housing to develop Heritage Square South without competitive selection, mainly to avoid a protracted process of weighing other bids. The firm had already done the North Heritage site, apparently to the council’s approval. Fast tracking was on everyone’s mind. Even so, the estimated wait time before the 70-unit, senior housing complex is completed is likely to be four years and change.
Council members stated that the dire nature of the housing and homeless crisis in Pasadena obliged them to sidestep the usual process. The vote was unanimous.
Public hearing on another project, a 5-story medical office and retail building on Los Robles and Colorado was delayed to March 25.
> Watch the entire Pasadena City Council meeting on Monday, Jan. 28, 2019.
I listened to about 50% of the council meeting. The initial comment portion appeared to just be a way of allowing the various advocates to vent on particular issues ($15/hour minimum wage, Marijuana licensing, and affordable housing). I must commend the mayor and the city staff for their competent work. I was a little uncomfortable by what appeared to be grandstanding by the Vice Mayor on the affordable housing plans. Vice Mayor should have gotten the answers to his questions before the meeting from the city staff, instead of wasting council time on his questions. While I had been planning to attend future council meetings, I think I’ll pass and relay on the newspaper to keep me informed.