Pasadena Council Meeting Time Shifted to 5 p.m.; Further Changes Discussed

The Pasadena City Council voted on Monday to amend the regular meeting start time from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. The proposed ordinance would revise the Pasadena Municipal Code, which currently mandates a 5:30 p.m. start time for council meetings.

But other changes could be on the horizon. The City Council briefly discussed moving meetings from Monday nights.

“I’ve raised the issue before, and I do think it’s worth looking at. It is tough for residents and for all involved to start the week off on a Monday,” said Mayor Victor Gordo. “And sometimes we go late into the night, and it has an impact on your work Tuesday and sometimes even into Wednesday, depending on how long we go here. So I do think it’s worth consideration for all involved, including residents who want to participate.”

A change would also mean many of the full-time councilmembers would have to read staff reports during the week after long days at work and during hours they spend with their families.

Currently, the agenda comes out on Thursdays, affording elected officials the chance to review the agenda and staff reports during the weekend.

“We have talked about this over the years, but it’s like a Rubik’s Cube, and a big part of it is staff preparation of the agenda reports,” said Vice Mayor Steve Madison. “So right now, they’re generally, they come to us on Thursday before the Monday meeting. If you move the meeting to Thursday, they would come Monday. Monday or Tuesday. So the staff’s working all weekend to prepare those. That’s not really workable.”

The agenda must be released at least 72 hours in advance, and City staff is off every other Friday.

At the request of Tyron Hampton, the City Council will poll local residents.

The change to 5 p.m. is an effort to accommodate the schedules of both Councilmembers and the public.

During the pandemic, the City Council adjusted the meeting time to 4:30 p.m.

The City Council voted to change the time to allow more people to participate in virtual meetings, which were held during the pandemic.

The move was made after Mayor Gordo received requests from the public.

Prior to that, the City Council held meetings at 2 p.m. after then-City Manager Steve Mermell declared a local emergency.