JPL To Install Solar Canopies Under Revised City Lease At Oak Grove Lot

The Pasadena City Council on Monday voted to amend a lease with the California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) that will allow the installation of solar parking canopies at the West Arroyo lot, located at 4800 Oak Grove Drive in Pasadena.

Under the proposed amendment, the existing five-year lease signed in 2024 will be replaced with a new 10-year initial term and a 10-year renewal option.

The revision clarifies permitted uses at the site to include construction of 31,635 square feet of solar photovoltaic canopies capable of generating about 616 kilowatts of clean energy to help power JPL’s operations.

The rent for the first five years will remain $10,667 per month, increasing to $11,200 for the following five years. The total lease amount over the initial 10-year term is $1.3 million. If JPL exercises the renewal option, rent would adjust to market rate, estimated at an average of three percent growth, bringing the total potential value to more than $2.7 million.

Officials said the project will not expand existing uses and presents no unusual circumstances.

The lease revenue will be directed to Pasadena’s Water Fund and will not affect the General Fund, according to staff.

Here are the remaining items on Monday’s consent calendar.

Amendments to a contract with Los Angeles County to add $469,063 in unspent Measure H funding for homeless services, bringing the total agreement to nearly $1.8 million. The funds are a carryover from a previous 2022 agreement that expired last year with a remaining balance. Staff recommend transferring that balance into the city’s current contract with the County, known as Contract No. 24,131, which was approved in April 2024 with a three-year term and an allocation of $1.3 million. If approved, the amendment would raise the not-to-exceed contract amount to $1,793,503.06. The money supports programs operated by Friends In Deed and Union Station Homeless Services, including homelessness prevention, rapid rehousing, housing navigation and emergency shelter services. It also funds a full-time Community Services Representative in the city’s Housing Department. City staff said the amendment is consistent with Pasadena’s Housing Element, its Five-Year Consolidated Plan and its Public Housing Authority Plan. According to the staff report, the action will have no fiscal effect on the city’s General Fund because the money is already included in the Housing Department’s adopted Fiscal Year 2026 operating budget.

Extension of a lease with AltaMed Health Services Corporation for medical and office space at 1855 North Fair Oaks Avenue, adding a five-year renewal option that would keep the health provider in Northwest Pasadena through June 2035. AltaMed, formerly known as ChapCare, has leased space in the Pasadena Public Health Department building since 2006 and currently operates under a lease set to expire in 2030. The amendment would allow the nonprofit healthcare provider to extend for another five years at the discretion of the city manager, with estimated rental income of $3.39 million over the added term. Under the agreement, rent would continue to increase annually by $0.10 per square foot per month. Monthly rent is set to rise from $44,569 in 2025–26 to $51,426 in 2029–30, totaling $2.87 million over that five-year span. If AltaMed exercises the renewal option, rent would escalate from $53,140 in 2030–31 to nearly $60,000 per month by 2034–35. City staff said the amendment is consistent with the council’s fiscal responsibility goals and supports local access to healthcare. Lease revenue will be directed to the city’s Building and Maintenance Fund and the General Fund, according to the report.

$1.5 million in contracts with three firms to provide plan review, permitting, inspection and administrative services related to rebuilding after the Eaton Fire. The contracts, each not to exceed $500,000 over three years, would go to True North Compliance Services, Inc., Jason Addison Smith Consulting, Inc. (JAS Pacific), and J Lee Engineering, Inc. City staff said the agreements are needed to keep up with a sharp increase in construction activity following the fire and severe windstorm that struck Pasadena on Jan. 7. The fire and windstorm damaged 185 structures, caused widespread power outages and left significant debris across the city. In the aftermath, Pasadena established expedited permitting and plan review, next-day inspections for residential projects, and automatic extensions for existing permits to help fire survivors rebuild more quickly. Officials said supplementing city staff with contracted services will help maintain fast turnaround times and customer service while meeting compliance standards for potential Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding. The total $1.5 million expense will be covered through the city’s Building Fund, with costs offset by plan check service fees. If FEMA funding is awarded, it could reimburse 75 percent of the costs. Officials said there will be no impact on the General Fund.

Authorizing the Water and Power Department to use a Progressive Design-Build delivery method for the planned modernization of the city’s Primary Power Dispatch Center. The 24/7 facility manages Pasadena’s electric distribution system, serving more than 65,000 customers. City officials said the upgrade will create a modern, resilient operations hub capable of advanced real-time monitoring, load forecasting, outage coordination and secure field operations management. Planned improvements include new operator workstations, a video wall, upgraded IT infrastructure, HVAC and electrical upgrades, replacement of backup power systems, and removal of obsolete equipment. The Progressive Design-Build approach allows for early contractor involvement, with design and construction teams working together to align scope, budget and schedule before a guaranteed maximum price is set. Officials said this method will help minimize operational disruptions and streamline project delivery compared to traditional methods. The Pasadena Municipal Code permits alternative delivery methods for complex projects valued over $1 million. Staff said the dispatch center qualifies due to its technical complexity, need for uninterrupted operations and specialized infrastructure. There is no impact to the city’s General Fund as a result of Monday’s action, which only authorizes the use of the project delivery method.

Extending a contract with Vox Network Solutions, Inc. to continue maintaining the city’s legacy telecommunications systems through June 2026, giving staff more time to complete the transition to newer platforms. The contract, originally approved in 2020, provides around-the-clock maintenance and support for the city’s phone and voicemail systems, which serve 42 locations including City Hall, police and fire stations, libraries, and community centers. The agreement was previously extended in 2023 and is set to expire at the end of September. City staff said the extension is needed because the Department of Information Technology is still completing the rollout of Microsoft Teams Phone System and Five9 Contact Center, approved under a separate 2023 contract with NWN Corporation. While most departments have already switched over, several remain on the older network. The proposed nine-month extension will carry the Vox contract through June 30, 2026. Officials point out that no new funding will be required, as the change does not increase the contract’s not-to-exceed amount. According to the staff report, maintaining the legacy system until the transition is finalized ensures uninterrupted phone and contact center service across city departments.