City Council to Consider $282,744 Contract for Electric Vehicle Fast-Charging Equipment at City Maintenance Yards

The City Council will consider awarding a $282,744 contract Monday to an Oregon-based company to supply fast-charging equipment for the city’s expanding electric vehicle infrastructure at Pasadena Water and Power maintenance yards.

The proposed one-year contract with OpConnect Inc. includes a base amount of $257,040 and a 10% contingency of $25,704 for potential change orders. The contract covers the purchase and delivery of direct current fast charging equipment but does not include installation or construction work, which will be handled under separate contracts.

According to a staff report, the project is designed to support Pasadena Water and Power’s transition to electric municipal vehicles, including medium- and heavy-duty utility trucks that will replace aging fleet equipment. The expansion is intended to help meet the city’s growing charging needs while supporting environmental sustainability and clean transportation goals.

The equipment package includes one 600-kilowatt direct current fast-charging power cabinet and two dual-port satellite dispensers for the utility’s maintenance yards.

The project is part of a larger effort funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles grant program. The city has been awarded $4.615 million through the program, including $2.275 million designated for Pasadena Water and Power’s zero-emission vehicle and charging infrastructure projects. Grant funding is expected to offset eligible costs, with the remaining share covered through existing capital improvement funds.

The project is already included in the city’s capital improvement program, and officials said approving the contract would not affect the General Fund. Staff also determined the purchase qualifies for a categorical exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act because it involves improvements to existing facilities rather than an expansion of their use.

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

$400,000 contract for firefighter background investigations

A five-year, $400,000 contract Monday for pre-employment background investigation services used to screen firefighter recruits and paramedic interns.

The proposed agreement with Ventura-based Sintra Group Inc. would provide comprehensive background investigations for Fire Department applicants through 2031. City staff selected the company through a competitive selection process. Competitive bidding is not required because the work is classified as professional services.

According to a staff report, background investigations are a key part of the department’s hiring process and include reviews of criminal history, employment records, personal history, credit history and drug use. Officials said the screenings help reduce potential personnel issues and ensure candidates meet the department’s standards.

The Fire Department typically conducts one firefighter academy each year, hiring about 15 to 20 recruits. Approximately 50 candidates undergo background investigations annually for those positions. The department’s paramedic internship program requires an additional 25 to 30 background investigations each year.

Staff said Sintra earned top marks for its understanding of the project’s scope, experience with municipal agencies, competitive pricing, industry references and flexible turnaround times. The company also has an established history with Pasadena, having provided similar services under a contract awarded in 2019 that was later extended in 2023 based on its performance.

The proposed contract would be funded through existing and future Fire Department operating budgets. City staff said the agreement would not affect other departmental programs or capital projects and is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act because it would not result in physical changes to the environment.

City to shift solar program to traditional design-build delivery method

The City Council will consider changing the delivery method for the city’s municipally owned solar and energy storage program, a move Pasadena Water and Power officials say will increase competition and improve pricing as the clean energy initiative expands.

Under the proposal before the council Monday, the city would transition from a progressive design-build approach approved earlier this year to a traditional design-build model for all current and future program sites.

The change would not alter the city’s use of an alternative project delivery method but would modify how contractors compete for and deliver projects.

The solar program is part of Pasadena Water and Power’s effort to support the city’s goal of providing carbon-free electricity by 2030, improve energy resilience and make greater use of city-owned properties for renewable energy generation.

In February, the City Council authorized the use of progressive design-build for solar installations at five locations: the Lamanda Park, San Rafael, Allendale and Linda Vista branch libraries, along with the City Maintenance Yards visitor and utility vehicle parking lots.

Since then, utility officials said they have refined the project’s scope, identified additional potential sites and gathered feedback from the industry through a request for information process that generated 12 responses.

According to a staff report, the expanded project portfolio and more detailed technical requirements now make a traditional design-build process more suitable. Officials said the revised approach will allow contractors to submit site-specific technical proposals, conceptual designs, implementation schedules and pricing as part of a competitive solicitation.

Pasadena Water and Power plans to issue separate solicitations for the projects in July and August using a best-value evaluation process that will consider qualifications, technical approach, pricing and project schedules.

The proposed action carries no fiscal impact and would not affect the city’s General Fund. City staff will return to the council for approval of individual design-build contracts after qualified contractors are selected.

Contract for electric vehicle charging infrastructure equipment

A $407,226 contract Monday for electrical switchgear and communications equipment needed to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure at Pasadena Water and Power’s maintenance yards.

The proposed one-year contract with Royal Industrial Solutions of Santa Fe Springs includes a base amount of $370,205 and a 10% contingency of $37,021 for potential change orders.

According to a staff report, the equipment will support Pasadena Water and Power’s Electric Vehicle Charger Expansion Project, which is designed to prepare the city’s maintenance yards for an increasing number of medium- and heavy-duty electric utility vehicles replacing aging fleet equipment.

The procurement covers equipment only and includes a 4,000-amp integrated power system service switchboard, three secondary switchboards, three 500-kilovolt-amp dry-type transformers and a communications controller cabinet. Installation and construction work will be awarded under separate contracts.

The project is part of a broader zero-emission vehicle initiative supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles grant program. Pasadena has received $4.615 million in grant funding, including $2.275 million dedicated to Pasadena Water and Power’s electric vehicle and charging infrastructure projects. Existing capital improvement funds will cover the required local match.

City staff recommended Royal Industrial after the company submitted the lowest responsive bid among eight proposals received through a competitive bidding process. The next-lowest bid, from Turtle ALA LLC of Los Angeles, totaled about $435,074.

The project is funded through the city’s existing EV Charging Infrastructure Capital Improvement Program budget, with all costs expected to be incurred during fiscal year 2027. Officials said the contract will have no impact on the General Fund.

Contract for electric vehicle charger expansion at utility yards

A nearly $950,000 construction contract Monday to expand electric vehicle charging capacity at Pasadena Water and Power’s maintenance yards.

The proposed one-year contract with Tustin-based Motive Energy Storage Systems LLC would total no more than $949,474. The amount includes an $863,158 base contract and a 10% contingency of $86,316 for potential change orders.

The project is intended to prepare the maintenance yards for additional electric vehicles, including medium- and heavy-duty utility trucks expected to replace aging equipment in the city fleet.

Motive Energy would provide the labor, equipment and materials needed to complete the charging installation. The work includes site preparation, foundations, trenching, conduit installation, electrical wiring, equipment installation, testing and restoration of the work area.

Separately purchased charging equipment, electrical infrastructure and communications equipment would be installed and commissioned under the construction contract.

The project is connected to a broader group of zero-emission vehicle initiatives supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles grant program. Pasadena has received $4.615 million through the program, including $2.275 million for utility-supported vehicles and charging infrastructure.

Although the Motive Energy contract would not be paid directly with the federal grant, the project would count toward the city’s required local contribution.

Funding would come from the existing EV Charging Infrastructure Capital Improvement Program budget. City officials said the contract would not affect the General Fund.

New water safety jobs, salary increases for five positions

The City Council will consider creating two water safety positions and increasing salaries for five existing city classifications as part of an effort to remain competitive in the labor market.

The proposal calls for establishing Cross Connection Specialist and Senior Cross Connection Specialist positions within Pasadena Water and Power. The employees would help prevent hazardous substances from entering the city’s drinking water system by enforcing cross-connection control laws and regulations.

The Cross Connection Specialist would have an hourly control rate of $53.4831, while the senior position would pay $61.5054 per hour. Both would be nonrepresented, nonmanagement positions.

The council will also consider salary increases for an IT project manager, three City Clerk positions and a business tax inspector.

The IT project manager’s annual control rate would rise from $144,333 to $150,107. The deputy city clerk salary would increase from $87,107 to $101,722, while the assistant city clerk rate would rise from $114,472 to $122,063.

The senior assistant city clerk’s annual rate would increase from $145,382 to $146,474. The business tax inspector’s hourly rate would rise from $35.0757 to $41.6208.

City officials said the proposed rates were developed after reviewing comparable positions in the regional labor market and evaluating internal salary relationships. The adjustments are intended to help recruit and retain qualified employees and create consistent pay differences between levels within job series.

No additional positions would be authorized beyond the two new classifications.

The changes would cost up to $68,211 in fiscal year 2027 and $70,939 in fiscal year 2028. About 95% of the expense would be paid from the General Fund, with the remainder coming from the Computing and Communication Fund.

$1.1 million contract for employee benefits brokerage services

A contract worth up to $1.1 million over five years to Keenan & Associates to provide employee benefits insurance brokerage services for the city’s workforce.

The proposed agreement would designate the Torrance-based firm as the city’s broker of record for employee benefit plans, including dental, vision, life, disability, accident and critical illness insurance. Medical coverage through the California Public Employees’ Retirement System would remain separate.

The contract includes an initial three-year term valued at up to $604,270, along with two optional one-year extensions worth a combined $433,663. Including a contingency, the total contract value would not exceed $1.1 million.

A city evaluation committee representing the Human Resources Department, Pasadena Police Department and the Fire and Police Retirement System reviewed the proposals based on experience, scope of work, cost and business qualifications.

Unlike traditional service contracts, the broker will be compensated primarily through commissions paid on insurance premiums. The city’s current broker, Heffernan Insurance Brokers, earned about $250,000 in commissions and fees during calendar year 2025.

Approximately $195,500 is expected to be spent during fiscal year 2027 from the city’s Benefits Fund. Future expenditures would be budgeted annually, with no impact on the General Fund.

$2 million contract to expand digital library collection

A contract worth up to $2 million over five years with OverDrive Inc. to continue providing eBooks and eAudiobooks through the Pasadena Public Library.

The proposed agreement would authorize an initial three-year contract with two optional one-year extensions. City officials are recommending the contract be awarded without competitive bidding, arguing that OverDrive is the only vendor capable of providing uninterrupted access to the library’s existing licensed digital collection.

According to a staff report, demand for digital materials has continued to climb, particularly while the Central Library remains closed for seismic retrofit work. Digital circulation increased from 52,511 eBook and eAudiobook checkouts in fiscal year 2022 to 72,106 in fiscal year 2026, a 37% increase. During the same period, the number of unique users grew from 5,160 to 8,683, an increase of 68%. Holds nearly doubled, rising 80% over five years, reflecting longer waitlists for popular titles.

The library’s OverDrive collection includes more than 17,000 digital titles and more than 28,000 licensed copies. Staff said switching vendors would require repurchasing thousands of titles because OverDrive licenses cannot be transferred to another platform. The change also would eliminate compatibility with Amazon Kindle devices, which accounted for nearly 39% of eBook checkouts during fiscal year 2026.

OverDrive also supports Pasadena Unified School District students through the Sora app, allowing students to borrow library materials using their school identification numbers. The platform also provides access to 6,749 digital magazine titles with unlimited simultaneous use.

If approved, the contract would be funded through the Library Services Fund, with future appropriations subject to the city’s annual budget process.

$1.76 million transit technology contract after weeklong delay

The City Council is set to reconsider a package of transit technology and capital improvement measures Monday after postponing action last week to allow for additional discussion of the city’s long-term transit strategy.

The proposal would authorize a $1.76 million amendment to the city’s contract with Connexionz Ltd., increasing the agreement’s total value to nearly $3.16 million for onboard technology for the city’s public transit fleet. The council also will consider amendments to the fiscal year 2027 Capital Improvement Program budget.

The items were originally part of a broader package approved in part on July 13. At that meeting, council members accepted a $2.4 million Metro Zero-Emission Vehicle grant to help offset the cost of purchasing 17 hydrogen fuel cell buses but deferred action on the technology contract until after reviewing Pasadena Transit’s five-year Short Range Transit Plan.

According to the staff report, the contract amendment would fund onboard communications, fare collection, dispatch and vehicle monitoring technology for 25 new zero-emission vehicles, including 17 Pasadena Transit buses and eight Dial-A-Ride vehicles. The proposal also would install public Wi-Fi and digital route displays across the entire transit fleet, upgrade onboard security cameras to provide first responders with real-time interior access during emergencies, add seven solar-powered real-time bus arrival displays at major stops and fund ongoing maintenance of the passenger information system.

City officials said the Metro grant reduces Pasadena’s local contribution for the 17-bus purchase to about $595,000, freeing Proposition A/C transportation funds to pay for the fleetwide technology upgrades. Staff said the proposal would have no impact on the General Fund.

Approval of $10.1 million Measure M transportation project list

Approval of a proposed list of transportation projects that could secure more than $10 million in Measure M funding for fiscal years 2029 and 2030.

The proposal would authorize the city’s project list for submission to the Arroyo Verdugo Communities Joint Powers Authority, which will review the recommendations before forwarding them to Metro for final approval. Pasadena is expected to receive about $10.1 million of the subregion’s estimated $36.3 million allocation, based on its population.

The Department of Transportation identified seven priority projects after evaluating safety, congestion, accessibility, transit needs and project readiness.

The recommended transit projects include purchasing replacement and expansion buses for Pasadena Dial-A-Ride, estimated at $1.79 million, replacing and expanding the Pasadena Transit bus fleet at $2.88 million, and continuing the city’s bus stop improvement program with nearly $986,000 in funding.

The remaining proposals focus on pedestrian and traffic safety. They include a new traffic signal at Avenue 64 and Nithsdale Road, installation of pedestrian hybrid beacons at multiple locations, pedestrian crossing enhancements featuring rectangular rapid flashing beacons, and citywide installation of continental crosswalks.

The Transportation Advisory Commission voted June 25 to recommend approval of the project list while urging the city to continue studying whether the proposed traffic signal at Avenue 64 and Nithsdale is the best solution for traffic calming and safety along the corridor.

City officials said the project list positions Pasadena to compete for Measure M funding as it becomes available. Individual projects would return to the City Council for funding appropriations and environmental review before construction could begin.

Transit plan calls for longer service hours, new routes and bus stop upgrades

A five-year Short Range Transit Plan that would reshape local bus service through expanded operating hours, route changes, improved bus stops and future transit investments designed to increase ridership and maintain eligibility for state and federal funding.

The plan, developed over three years of public outreach and technical analysis, serves as the city’s roadmap for Pasadena Transit and Pasadena Dial-A-Ride through 2031. City officials said the recommendations are intended to improve reliability, reflect changing travel patterns and support regional mobility goals while remaining cost-neutral through phased implementation.

Among the most significant recommendations are expanded weekday and weekend service hours, the addition of holiday bus service and frequency improvements on several routes. The plan also proposes eliminating low-ridership routes, reorganizing others and eventually creating a new, currently unfunded Route 710 connecting Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Huntington Hospital.

Following public feedback, transportation staff revised a proposed Route 10 redesign to preserve connections between Old Pasadena, Caltech and Sierra Madre Villa Station while improving east-west service along Colorado Boulevard. A proposed rerouting of Route 40 along Orange Grove Boulevard will undergo additional public outreach before any final decision is made.

The plan also recommends a pilot program to expand same-day Dial-A-Ride service, a new framework for prioritizing bus stop amenities such as lighting, seating and passenger information, and studies on transit fares and travel-time improvements.

The Transportation Advisory Commission and the Municipal Services Committee both endorsed the plan. Staff said implementation will occur in phases, with additional public outreach before service changes take effect. Adoption of the plan carries no immediate fiscal impact or General Fund cost.

$6.3 million Sierra Madre Boulevard median makeover

A $6.34 million construction contract to Superb Engineering to transform the landscaped medians along Sierra Madre Boulevard with hundreds of new trees, stormwater capture features and drought-tolerant landscaping.

The project will revitalize approximately 1.25 miles of medians between Michillinda Avenue and East Washington Boulevard, replacing aging turf and irrigation systems with green infrastructure designed to improve water quality, reduce runoff and increase climate resilience. Construction is expected to begin in late summer and conclude in spring 2027.

Under the proposal, Banning-based Superb Engineering would receive a contract not to exceed $6,337,927, including a 10% contingency for unforeseen conditions. The company’s bid of $5.76 million was the lowest of three submitted and came in about 25% below the engineer’s estimate of $7.27 million.

The improvements include installation of bioswales, bioretention areas, dry wells and rock swales to capture and filter stormwater, along with upgraded irrigation and street lighting. The city also plans to plant more than 700 new trees and shrubs featuring native and climate-adaptive species.

To accommodate the improvements, the project calls for removing 44 existing public trees, primarily non-native ornamental species. City officials said none are designated heritage trees and that the removals were reviewed by the city arborist and endorsed by the Urban Forestry Advisory Committee. Staff said the new plantings will substantially expand the corridor’s tree canopy and biodiversity.

The $6.79 million project, including construction administration and inspection, will be funded through Measure W Local Return funds and a Caltrans stormwater mitigation grant, with no impact on the city’s General Fund.

The Pasadena City Council meets Monday, July 20, at 6 p.m. in the Council Chamber, Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., Pasadena. For more call (626) 744-4124 or visit www.cityofpasadena.net.