District 3 Meeting Puts Spotlight on Aging Reservoir, Post-Eaton Fire Overhaul and Tight City Budget

The reservoirs that supply roughly a quarter of Pasadena’s drinking water were built in the late 1800s and have exceeded their useful life. The Fire Department that proved short-staffed during the January 2025 Eaton Fire wants $227 million over the next decade to close the gap. And the city is navigating what officials have called the most challenging budget in recent memory.

All three issues will converge at a single community meeting on Wednesday, February 25, when Councilmember Justin Jones hosts a District 3 session covering the city’s budget priorities, the Sunset Complex water project and the Fire Department’s 10-Year Plan. The meeting was announced by Jones’ office. It runs from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Pacific Oaks College, 45 West Eureka Street.

The Sunset Complex, bordered by Sunset Avenue, East Mountain Street and Glen Avenue in Northwest Pasadena, sits in District 3. It is one of 14 reservoirs in the city’s drinking water system and serves approximately 25 percent of Pasadena’s water demand, according to Pasadena Water & Power. The project will replace the aging reservoirs with two prestressed concrete tanks — one holding 4.9 million gallons, the other 6.1 million gallons — designed to current seismic standards. A new groundwater treatment plant will treat for perchlorate and volatile organic compounds. Construction is expected to begin this fiscal year and be completed by fiscal year 2028, according to city budget documents.

The Fire Department plan carries a $227 million price tag, according to a September 2025 presentation to the City Council by Fire Chief Chad Augustin. The proposal calls for adding a battalion chief, a ninth fire engine and a seventh rescue ambulance in the near term, and for rebuilding two fire stations and constructing a ninth over the next decade. The plan was shaped by the Eaton Fire, which exposed gaps in chief officer coverage and overall capacity.

“I wouldn’t be honest with you if I didn’t say the risks weren’t there and ever increasing,” Augustin told the City Council in September, citing a 33 percent increase in call volumes since 2012 and the likelihood of another major weather event within the next decade.

The department currently staffs 53 firefighters per day across eight stations and responds to nearly 21,000 emergency calls a year, according to Augustin’s presentation.

“The goal is to ensure we are a more prepared Pasadena for many years to come,” Augustin said in his September presentation to the council.

The budget backdrop adds weight to both proposals. The City Council adopted a $1 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2026, part of a $1.5 billion total financial plan. Enhanced fire prevention and department modernization top the city’s stated priorities, according to Mayor Victor Gordo’s January 2026 State of the City address.

The meeting announcement was presented in English and Spanish. Residents with questions can contact Jones’ district liaison, Lisa Barrios, at LisaBarrios@CityOfPasadena.net or (626) 744-4738.