Guest Opinion l Vice Mayor Jess Rivas: State of the City Remarks

I’d like to start by saying that after all we’ve been through since January 7th and all that is yet to come, I am truly grateful to be here tonight with each and every one of you.

TO OUR RESIDENTS – You have responded to adversity with grace, compassion, and generosity for all.  Thank you for working with us to help all of our neighbors, Pasadenans and Altadenans alike. I want to give special recognition to the volunteers who organized out of the Pasadena Job Center in District 5 for clearing green waste across the City. Because of you, we were able to complete that task weeks ahead of schedule.

TO OUR CITY STAFF, INCLUDING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS  – You have gone above and beyond the call of duty – working around the clock, under immense stress, and away from your families. Too many of you have lost homes or have been displaced. Yet you have shown up and given your all to serve our residents and support your colleagues. You epitomize selfless service and true teamwork. And I am so proud to be on this team with you.

TO MY COLLEAGUES – It is truly one the most sacred duties of our lives to lead this team and our City through these times. And as policy makers, we must be clear eyed about the challenges we face ahead. Not only must we help each and every resident whose home was damaged or destroyed, but we must grapple with the fire’s wider impacts, which now are starting to become apparent.

Our pre-existing housing affordability crisis has become even more acute locally, as thousands of our displaced neighbors seek housing that allows them to stay near their schools and jobs. We are no doubt at risk of seeing rising homelessness as rents rise due to decreased housing supply and increased demand.

Renters make up a majority of our residents, and many of them are reporting smoke and ash damage to their homes with little or no help from their landlords. I am grateful for the strong protections in Article 18 of our Charter, passed by the voters as Measure H in 2022. Now is the time to ensure strong enforcement to protect our residents’ health, safety, and housing security.

Additionally, our local businesses are reporting slowdowns as so many of their customers have been displaced. Just this month, Bar Chelou, Le Grand Orange, and the Luggage Room announced they are closing, citing this downturn. The end result is lost jobs and lost revenue for our city. We must reassure the public that Pasadena is safe and open for business, and that we need their help dining and shopping locally.

Finally, on a longer-term horizon, we must continue doing our part to address the climate emergency that we find ourselves in, and which makes disasters like these more probable. We must not back away from our goal to achieve carbon free energy by 2030, but recommit ourselves. Despite the misguided priorities of the current federal administration, we will set an example for cities across the country of what is possible.

So there is much to be done. But I am grateful to be doing this work with each and every one of you. I look forward to hearing from Mayor Gordo on the proposed budget and working with our colleagues to adopt a final budget that meets the moment.