Mayor Tornek: Pasadena Plays Big

Mayor Terry Tornek (Photo – W.K.).

“Pasadena plays big,” Terry Tornek declared, early on in his appearance at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center on the evening of October 10.

By Garrett Rowlan

The remark, part of Tornek’s opening address, spoke to Pasadena’s outsized reputation that belies its relatively small population. With institutions, sporting events, and parades—all with world-wide recognition—Pasadena has a strong external recognition.

It also boasts an internal diversity of ethnicities and income levels that create both energy and discord. Tornek, while acknowledging this issue, also stated that many issues simply do not fall within Pasadena’s jurisdiction. Budgetary issues and land-use issues, Tornek said, those are the city’s two main concerns. Other things the city can’t deal with. While other organizations and causes would like Tornek’s name used on behalf of big issues like climate change, as Mayor he can’t afford to sign petitions. It would be putting the city imprimatur on issues that really aren’t its job.

Besides, other things clamor for attention. Public school improvement is an issue Tornek is passionate about; he also recognizes the need to upgrade the Arroyo Seco section of Pasadena; and the need to remove the silt at Devil’s Gate Dam; and, finally, how to regulate the sale of marijuana in the city—should there be pot shops along Colorado Boulevard? These are matters, Tornek said, that are diverse, complicated, and need attention.

Concluding his remarks, Tornek said that Pasadena’s relative small size does give it one advantage in that it is not overwhelmingly big to just ignore issues like homelessness. They cannot solve some problems, but they can at least “chip away” at them.

Q&A

Later, in a Q and A session with Ellen Pais, the President and CEO of the Los Angeles Educational Partnership, Tornek’s remarks again stressed the relative modesty of city government. In Pasadena, there is no quick fix to balancing the growing number of the market-rate units being built with the need for affordable housing, especially when there is resistance to density. Rent control, Tornek added in an aside, was not the answer. Also, there is the issue of the rising costs of pensions, and how that will affect the city’s budget.

Still, Tornek pointed to some areas of progress, such as a reduction in water consumption, a reduction not only in per capita use but in overall volume to 1942 levels.

Tornek’s final question was what most surprised him about the job. “The volume of events,” Tornek said. With some 1100 nonprofit organizations the life blood of Pasadena, Tornek is obliged to make many, many public appearances.

The evening ended around 9, after 90 minutes of engaging talk.