Parking structure in Pasadena (Photo – Staff).
On Monday night, November 1, Pasadena City Council voted unanimously in favor to restructure the rate of parking for city owned garages.
By Nicole Bernard
Under this change, council eliminated 90-minute free parking in all applicable parking structures. The hourly rate would increase to $1 for the first two hours and $2 for each subsequent hour with the daily maximum of $12 beginning July 1, 2022. An increase to the rates will allow parking garages to generate the money needed to keep facilities properly maintained including frequent cleaning, required maintenance, and help stabilize the parking garage fund.
Council also reviewed the Historic Preservation Commission’s decision to deny an application to make the Van de Kamp house a historical landmark. This item did not receive enough votes from council members.
Also on the agenda for a second reading was the amendment of Pasadena’s Tobacco Retailer License Ordinance, to restrict the sale and distribution within the City of Pasadena of mentholated cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products, including flavored products for electronic smoking device liquids, flavored little cigars, flavored hookah, and tobacco look-alike products.
“Nicotine poisons our brain; specifically that of our children, it is highly addictive and we just applaud your bold leadership. We encourage you to keep hookah in this bill; do not give it an exemption” stated Carol McGruder Co-chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council.
“This is the right thing to do. We don’t figure out something is deadly and just keep selling it. We support our retailers. We want to work with them to be successful and thrive in Pasadena but let’s do that by selling healthy products and not ones that are hurting our community,” said Christy Zamani.
“We are in support of this ordinance. We only ask for an exemption for the hookah business” states Hrant Vartzbedian, who represents the National Hookah Community Association.
Council voted unanimous in favor of the item and did not include any exemptions.
Mayor Gordo directed staff to reach out to one of the speakers to help assist in support to transition their business.
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