Northwest Commission to Weigh Updated Strategic Plan Built Around Safety, Business and the Olympics

The Northwest Commission is scheduled to consider approving an updated Fiscal Year 2026-2027 strategic plan on Aug. 11, a document that organizes the advisory body’s work for the year around health and safety, economic development and preparation for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For Northwest Pasadena residents, the plan operates as a public work list, naming which commissioners are responsible for which neighborhood issues and how often they are expected to report.

The Northwest Commission is strictly advisory. It cannot direct city departments or commit funding, and the Pasadena City Council retains final authority over any policy, program or spending decision that grows out of the plan.

The plan’s mission statement lists nine functions. They include serving as a monitoring body for the Northwest community; working with the city manager and staff on updating and revising the Northwest Strategic Plan; providing ongoing oversight on implementation; providing periodic advice to the City Council on Northwest issues and on economic development activities in Northwest Pasadena; presenting an annual review of the plan’s projects and programs to the City Council and the community; recommending policies, procedures, programs and legislation to promote communication, civic involvement, and social and cultural environments for Northwest residents; and consulting and cooperating with other public agencies and commissions.

The first ad hoc committee, on health and safety, is assigned to Commissioners Gloria Andrade, Leon Doell and Jer-Adrianne “Juju” Lelliott and to Chair Christian Jones. Its stated purpose is to improve the overall quality of life in Northwest Pasadena by ensuring effective collaboration and communication with health and safety departments and organizations that serve Pasadena. Its action items call for identifying key stakeholders, working with local nonprofits and community groups serving vulnerable populations, establishing measures of evaluation and key performance indicators, and engaging with city departments and commissions to recommend improvements to public safety initiatives.

Under the plan’s July entries, Lelliott reported that the health and safety committee would meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month beginning July 28, and that the Pasadena Public Health Department and Day One distributed hygiene kits to students at Octavia Magnet on July 14. The plan also records that the commission received Community Service Area 2 violation statistics and staffing information from Sergeant de la Cruz and discussed graffiti, assault trends and patrol coverage in Northwest Pasadena. Lelliott reported contacting Esprit Jones of the Community Police Oversight Commission and planned to attend that commission’s Aug. 13 meeting, inviting interested ad hoc committee members to join provided they remain below quorum.

The economic development committee is assigned to Jones, Commissioners Suzanne Madison and Sheryl Scott, and Vice Chair Randy McKenzie, with a stated purpose of advancing equitable economic investment and opportunity within Northwest Pasadena. Its action items include monitoring the Commercial District Needs Assessment report and advocating for timely implementation and funding identified by City Council, monitoring and recommending on specific plans for North Lake Avenue, Lincoln Avenue and Fair Oaks/Orange Grove, supporting formation of the Lincoln Avenue Business Association, recommending Community Development Block Grant and Capital Improvement Plan projects, and receiving the Northwest Area Development Projects Report.

Scott set out assignments for that committee, with Jones primarily monitoring the North Lake Avenue Specific Plan, Madison the Lincoln Avenue Specific Plan and Scott the Fair Oaks and Orange Grove Specific Plan. The plan also records that LEEAF invited commissioners to take part in Commercial District Needs Assessment canvassing but that they were unable to participate because it occurred during weekday work hours, and that Jones was still awaiting a reply on an estimated completion date after following up July 14. On grant and capital spending, staff identified in the plan as Arroyo explained that safety projects receive priority and welcomed commission input on the criteria used to evaluate other projects, while McKenzie said the commission wants a clearer understanding of how those projects are prioritized and an opportunity to influence which receive funding.

The third committee, focused on LA28, is assigned to Doell, Lelliott, Madison and Jones, with the stated purpose of ensuring the Northwest district is prepared to participate in and benefit from the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Its single action item calls for drafting a list of requests and questions to the City Council seeking to have the city committee representative for LA28 report to the commission. Doell reported the committee scheduled its first meeting for Aug. 4 and plans to meet on the first Tuesday of each month before the regular commission meeting, and that he is identifying city points of contact and has discussed coordinating with other commissions to consolidate shared LA28 questions.

The Northwest Commission is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, in the Jackie Robinson Community Center, 1020 North Fair Oaks Avenue, in Pasadena. For more information call (626) 744-4124 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/agendas/.