Councilmember Cole Ceremoniously Sworn in Before Community

More than 300 people attended Rick Cole’s community swearing-in on Sunday. Cole, who will officially return to the City Council tonight, Dec. 9, when he is sworn in by City Clerk Mark Jomsky, called the event a celebration of the “democratic transition of power.”

Cole previously served on the City Council from 1983-1995, which included stints as the Mayor and Vice Mayor. He won 60% of the vote in March and became the first person in the city’s history to twice defeat incumbents for a City Council seat.

After his time on the City Council came to an end, he served as City Manager in Azusa, Ventura, and Santa Monica. He currently serves as the Chief Deputy Controller for the City of Los Angeles and previously served that city as Deputy Mayor for Budget and Innovation.

“In a democracy, the people not only choose their leaders, the people determine the direction of their government. Those of us who are chosen to lead have a responsibility to produce results.”

Cole was sworn in by Mayor Victor Gordo. District 5 Councilmember Jess Rivas served as the master of ceremonies at the event, which included music and a range of refreshments from local businesses. The event was attended by City Manager Miguel Márquez, Assistant City Manager Nick Rodriguez, Councilmember Gene Masuda, and Assemblymember Chris Holden.

Cole said previously that the event was a chance for locals to be part of it.

“The installation at City Hall is traditionally a very formal event,” Cole said. “Because ours was a grass-roots campaign, we’re continuing that spirit with a more accessible opportunity for everyone to participate — District 2 residents, campaign volunteers and the larger Pasadena community. Since the March election, I’ve continued to knock on doors to talk to residents and held a series of Issue Forums with the goal of encouraging greater citizen participation. I look forward to joining the Mayor and my colleagues on the Council to draw on the incredible energy and talent among our citizens to make Pasadena safer, greener and more affordable.”

Although the event was ceremonial, Cole still took the opportunity to discuss issues and called on the city to function as leaders during the climate crisis, revitalize Lake Avenue, and tackle the homeless crisis.

“So for me, Job One on Day One will be tackling homelessness in our community,” Cole said. “Three hundred of our neighbors sleep outdoors on our streets every night! That’s not just a human tragedy, it’s a community disaster.”

Cole said the city should join the County in declaring homelessness an emergency. “Unlike them, we should treat it as an emergency. We should mobilize all of Pasadena’s extraordinary resources. Our public agencies, our nonprofits, our businesses, our faith communities, our schools and our neighborhoods.”

“Our goal should be Functional Zero: where street homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring. That means prevention, that means getting people into housing quickly, that means providing the mental health services, the recovery support and the jobs people need to stay housed.”

In the end, Cole called on local residents to believe. “On my refrigerator at home is a quote from President Obama,” Cole said. “It reads, ‘I’m asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours.’ That’s the spirit I will carry to City Hall.”