City Council Renews Law Enforcement Contract With El Monte for Special Events, Including Rose Parade

The Pasadena City Council on Monday approved a new five-year $650,000 contract with the City of El Monte to provide supplemental law enforcement services for New Year’s events and other major public gatherings through 2030.

The proposed agreement ensures additional public safety personnel are available for large-scale events such as the Rose Parade, the Rose Bowl Game, Americafest, international soccer matches, and UCLA football games, city officials.

Under the contract, El Monte Police officers will assist Pasadena police with traffic control, crowd management, and other enforcement duties. Services may also include the use of police vehicles and operational support. The agreement is intended to bolster public safety during periods when city resources are stretched due to high attendance or complex logistics.

City staff emphasized that the cost covers estimated personnel overtime and accounts for future rate increases over the five-year span. Pasadena will not be obligated to pay for any canceled or postponed events under the contract terms.

The new contract will replace previous agreements with the El Monte Police Department, one of which expired earlier this month and another set to expire in December.

Here are the other items that passed on Monday’s consent calendar.

• A $1.4 million contract with Braun Northwest for the purchase of three new ambulances. The three 2026 North Star 171-1 rescue ambulances would replace aging units currently stationed at Fire Stations 32, 33 and 34. The vehicles would be delivered in approximately 530 to 580 days, aligning with the retirement schedule of the existing ambulances. The Pasadena Fire Department responded to more than 20,800 calls in 2024, of which roughly 81% were medical emergencies. City staff noted that the high volume of calls requires a reliable and modern ambulance fleet to avoid costly repairs and ensure effective emergency response. A committee of Pasadena Fire Department staff—including firefighter paramedics, fire captains, and fleet mechanics—developed the specifications for the vehicles based on departmental needs and input from front-line personnel. The committee determined that no electric options are currently viable for this ambulance class due to weight limitations.
• A $2.91 million contract with South Coast Fire Equipment, Inc. for the purchase of two new fire engines. The contract will provide the Pasadena Fire Department with two Pierce Enforcer Triple Combination Pumpers to be stationed at Fire Stations 33 and 36. The engines are expected to support high-volume emergency responses—over 6,000 calls annually at Station 33 and nearly 5,000 at Station 36. Due to industry-wide manufacturing delays, the fire engines are projected to be delivered between 2029 and 2030.
• A $727K Contract with Select Electric to Improve Transit Signal Priority System for the installation of a transit signal priority (TSP) system aimed at improving public transportation efficiency along several key corridors throughout the city. The TSP project will equip traffic signals with hardware and software to help prioritize Pasadena Transit buses at intersections, allowing for smoother and faster travel. The upgrades include fiber optic cable installation, conduit, pull boxes, CCTV cameras, video detection systems, and new traffic signal controllers and cabinets. Improvements will be made Lake Avenue (between California Boulevard and Rio Grande Street), California Boulevard (between Arroyo Parkway and Lake Avenue), Arroyo Parkway (between California Boulevard and Glenarm Street), Raymond Avenue (between Walnut Street and Glenarm Street) and Foothill Boulevard (between Altadena Drive and Halstead Street).
• A $12.6 Million Grant for Washington Park Stormwater Project. Approval would create an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025 Capital Improvement Program budget to add the new project and authorize City Manager Miguel Márquez to execute a fund transfer agreement for the grant, awarded through the County’s Measure W Safe, Clean Water Program. The project would intercept and treat stormwater runoff from the east side storm drain—Pasadena’s oldest and largest storm drain system—which currently discharges untreated water into the Rio Hondo River, a tributary of the Los Angeles River. The initiative seeks to reduce pollutants such as bacteria and heavy metals from reaching local waterways and the Pacific Ocean. Under the proposed concept, stormwater will be diverted to an underground system beneath Washington Park for filtration, storage, and infiltration into the groundwater. The project will also include surface enhancements such as new park amenities, native landscaping, and the creation of riparian habitats.
• A budget amendment to re-appropriate $1.4 Million for Transitional Housing Project at Door of Hope. The funding will be used to support the development of the 20-bed facility located at 724 N. Marengo Avenue. The David and Katherine Lee Home is being developed by Door of Hope, a nonprofit organization that has long served unhoused families in the region. The project was originally approved on February 26, 2024, when the Council authorized the key terms of a loan agreement with Door of Hope. Construction is expected to begin shortly after the anticipated issuance of a building permit in early April.