Council Committee to Review Power Strategy and Parking Contract

The Pasadena Municipal Services Committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss two significant city initiatives: the Optimized Strategic Plan Update and the parking management contract with Parking Concepts, Inc.

A key focus will be an update on the city’s Optimized Strategic Plan (OSP), which aims to meet the clean energy goals established by Resolution 9977. Based on resources currently owned or contracted to Pasadena Water and Power, including projects under development, by 2031 the utility is projected to generate 104% of retail sales from carbon-free resources, exceeding state requirements.

The city, however, faces significant challenges in maintaining reliable power delivery while pursuing its clean energy goals. Pasadena’s single connection point to the California power grid at the TM Goodrich receiving station has limited import capacity of 280 megawatts during normal operations, below the city’s 2024 peak demand of 330 megawatts.

The committee will review options for the Glenarm Power Plant, including potential conversion to hydrogen fuel or replacement with renewable energy sources.

According to a PWP memorandum, converting the plant to hydrogen would require significant infrastructure development across three areas: upstream electrolytic production, midstream transportation and storage, and downstream power generation facilities, with many components requiring third-party partnerships.

In a separate informational item, the committee will review the performance of Parking Concepts, Inc. (PCI), which has managed the city’s eight parking garages since February 2022 under a three-year contract with two additional option years.

A memorandum from Joaquin T. Siques, Director of Transportation, said while the performance review was delayed due to the Eaton Fire and the City Manager has extended the contract, the consolidation of garage management under a single vendor has generated annual cost savings of $2.4 million, or 54% compared to previous contracts.

PCI has implemented several improvements, including a unified parking control system, consolidated operations center, and online Rose Parade parking reservations that increased ticket sales by 25%, the memorandum said. The DeLacey Parking Garage was recently awarded “Best of 2024” for parking garages by Business Rate based on Google customer reviews.

The public meeting of the Municipal Services Committee begins at 4 p.m. in the City Council Chamber at City Hall, with options for both in-person and virtual attendance.

For virtual participation, go to cityofpasadena.net/cczoom. The meeting ID is 161 482 446. To join by phone, dial 1-669-900-6833.

Public comments and written correspondence can be submitted via email to cityclerk@cityofpasadena.net prior to the meeting.

The Municipal Services Committee consists of four Councilmembers: Justin Jones (Chair), Rick Cole, Tyron Hampton, and Jason Lyon. The meeting will be livestreamed on the city’s website and local public access television.