Pasadena City Council: Reserve Funds and 2028 Olympics

City Council Meeting,October 28, 2024 (Photo – Screenshot)

The Pasadena City Council meeting, on October 28th, addressed many issues affecting Pasadena residents. The city council approved reserve funds for the year and discussed the upcoming Olympics in 2028.

By Nicolas Perez

State Assemblyman and former Pasadena City Councilmember Chris Holden addressed the city council for the last time, as his tenure on the State Assembly is coming to an end. He reflected on the many programs that were passed under his watch, as well as his working under Governors Brown and Newsom, with over 100 of the bills that he brought before them being signed into law. During his service to California, he also served as Majority Leader to the state assembly.

Senator Anthony Portantino bid farewell to the council as his final year representing the 25th District comes to an end. The former La Cañada Flintridge councilman and mayor highlighted key legislation enacted during his tenure, including a bill delaying school start times to benefit children. His Senate bill establishing a regional housing trust marked a significant achievement, aimed at securing affordable housing for low- and very low-income individuals, and on open carry introduced more stringent guidelines on firearm locations to enhance public safety. Portantino also allocated millions of dollars for community-benefiting programs and forged enduring connections with the community.

Mayor Gordo addressed the issue of solar businesses starting up and failing due to the sheer number of startups, noting that companies are contracted then fold under leaving the city in limbo. There were 32 solar businesses in California that went under in 2023 and 2024, among them well-known top solar companies like ADT Solar. A guest speaker from Energy Environmental Economics, Nick Schlag, noted that market trends are leaning towards scale and innovation in current times, and the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act has brought more private capital to industry.

The City Council authorized the city manager to enter into a contract with Minsait Advanced Control Systems Inc, an energy solution provider, without any competitive bidding for the contract beforehand.
ASC has provided support and upgrades for the SCADA system since the original implementation in 1999.

> Watch the full meeting of Pasadena City Council on Oct. 28, 2024 at this link.