The City’s three electric distribution facilities designated for additional security review remain at low risk of physical attack, theft and vandalism, according to a Pasadena Water and Power report scheduled for City Council consideration Tuesday.
The department is asking the council to adopt its 2026 Physical Security Plan update, completing a review required at least every five years under California Public Utilities Commission rules. The council adopted the original plan in 2021. No changes to its security measures are proposed in the update.
Since 2021, Pasadena Water and Power has improved lighting and electronic surveillance, reinforced fences and gates, added perimeter security measures and controlled vegetation at substations and related facilities, the report says. Work planned for fiscal years 2027 and 2028 includes repairing perimeter features, cleaning cameras, securing ladders and sealing gates that are no longer needed.
An independent reviewer, Radian Generation, found the department’s assessment method sufficient and its results consistent with industry practices, according to the report. Pasadena police also inspected distribution facilities and validated the updated plan, while recommending minor repairs and maintenance that the department says it is implementing.
The report does not identify the three facilities or their locations, citing public safety and security concerns.
Adopting the plan would have no immediate fiscal impact, the department says. Costs of future security work would be handled through operating or capital budgets.
Here are the remaining items on Monday’s consent calendar.
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$2.5 million ladder truck purchase
The proposed $2,523,364 purchase from South Coast Fire Equipment Inc. would provide a 2026 Pierce Enforcer tractor-drawn ladder truck for Fire Station 31, which receives more than 6,605 service calls annually, according to a report from the department.
The new truck would replace a 2017 Seagrave ladder truck in frontline service. That vehicle, which has more than 57,731 miles and 8,400 engine hours, would move into reserve status. The department would retire a 1995 Seagrave reserve truck with more than 167,232 miles.
The department says the proposed truck’s ladder can reach 102 feet vertically and 100 feet horizontally. Its capacity at full extension would allow firefighters to carry out elevated rescues involving multiple crew members, a victim and equipment, the report says.
Delivery remains years away. The department estimates that industrywide demand and supply constraints have pushed fire truck build times to about four years, followed by roughly six months to equip the vehicle for service. Its standard is to replace ladder trucks after 15 years of frontline use.
The city would buy the truck through HGACBuy, a cooperative purchasing program that previously awarded a competitively bid contract to Pierce and its dealers. City officials say the arrangement allows Pasadena to use existing contract prices. Approval before a scheduled Nov. 1 price increase would avoid an estimated $25,000 in additional costs, according to the report.
The purchase would be funded through future appropriations from the city’s Fleet Replacement Fund. The department estimates another $350,000 in maintenance and repair costs over the truck’s 20-year life.
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Council to consider office supply contract with local company
Supplymates LLC submitted the lowest of two responsive bids, at $52,805.52 for the list of supplies used to compare bidders, according to a city staff report. The other responsive bidder, Irvine-based ADA Company LLC, bid $75,386.91.
The proposed contract would pay Supplymates up to $264,028 over five years. Two optional one-year extensions would raise the total ceiling to $369,639 if exercised.
The department received eight bids after notifying 4,259 prospective bidders. Six bids were rejected because they did not meet the solicitation’s requirements, the report says. City staff found Supplymates’ pricing fair and reasonable compared with an annual cost estimate of $50,000.
The city has budgeted about $52,806 for office supplies in the current fiscal year. Funding for subsequent years would be considered in future Public Health Department budgets.
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$758,000 generator maintenance contract
The City Council is scheduled to consider the contract with Santa Fe Springs-based Affordable Generator Services Inc. on Tuesday. The city maintains 27 generators — 17 stationary and 10 portable — at facilities that also include treatment plants and Water and Power sites, according to a Public Works Department report.
The contract would cover routine inspections, testing and preventive maintenance, along with repairs and emergency service as needed. It also includes maintenance of a fire sprinkler pump engine at City Hall.
Affordable Generator Services submitted the lowest bid among five companies. Its bid of $214,820 was less than half the next-lowest bid of $498,332, according to the report. City staff recommend a five-year spending limit of $757,845, including a $68,895 contingency for unforeseen needs. The contractor would be paid for services the city requests and receives.
The report says the city has paid Affordable Generator Services more than $1.26 million since fiscal year 2019.
Public Works officials say regular maintenance is needed to keep backup power available during planned and unplanned outages. The first year’s costs would come from existing fleet and building maintenance budgets, with future costs proposed through annual budgets. The contract would have no impact on the city’s General Fund, according to the report.
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Pasadena council to consider three-year contract with union representing 350 workers
The agreement with the Laborers’ International Union of North America covers employees in clerical and technical jobs across city departments. Union members ratified the tentative deal during the week of Aug. 31, according to a Human Resources Department report. Their previous contract expired June 30.
Under the proposed agreement, employees would receive a 3.5% raise in the first pay period after council approval, followed by a 3% raise in July 2027 and a 1.5% raise in July 2028. The difference between steps on the salary schedule would also increase from 3.5% to 4.5% in July 2028.
Current employees in the bargaining unit would receive a one-time $700 payment and an additional floating holiday in 2027. The agreement would set bilingual pay at $150 a month and raise the annual tuition reimbursement limit to $5,000.
Other provisions address specific jobs. Police dispatchers assigned to train colleagues would receive an additional $2.50 an hour while training. Eligible forensic employees would receive standby pay. Helicopter maintenance technicians could qualify for certification pay, a $500 annual tool allowance and hiring bonuses totaling up to $10,000.
The city estimates the agreement would cost about $1.5 million in fiscal 2027, with 48% of that cost falling on the General Fund. After the contract expires in June 2029, ongoing costs would be about $3.9 million annually, the report says.
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