Purchase of Cell Site Simulator for Police on City Council’s Consent Calendar Monday

As part of Monday’s consent calendar, the City Council will deliberate on a $1,281,614 contract with Tactical Support Equipment for the purchase of a cell site simulator, a tool police can use to locate cell phones in real time.

A consent calendar allows government bodies to simplify their meetings by condensing several items into a single sweep vote.

A cell site simulator, also known as a Stingray or IMSI catcher, is a device that mimics a cell tower, forcing all cell phones in the vicinity that use the impersonated network to share information with it. Law enforcement agencies use these devices to locate and track cell phones with greater accuracy than phone companies.

This move comes amid growing concerns about the privacy implications of these devices, as they operate by conducting a general search of all cell phones within the device’s radius, potentially violating basic constitutional protections.

The device uses cellular technology to provide the geo-location of a cellular device. 

Police must get the necessary court order before the technology can be used to stay compliant with the Fourth Amendment.

The system does not allow investigators to access, read, and/or listen to any communication, data, text messages, emails, etc. from the target’s cellular communication device.  

According to the Pasadena Police Department, the device would only be used when legally authorized and allowed, and search warrants are required, which a judge has to approve and sign.

Once connected, a CSS can intercept and collect data from the phone, including location data and potentially identifying information. 

Police use the devices to locate suspects when they already know their phone’s identifying information or to scoop up data on anyone in a specific area. 

The device is typically installed in a vehicle. Once the cell phone is tracked to a general location, a handheld device is used to track the cell phone to a specific room or person. 

The funding for the cellular site simulator has reportedly been identified through asset forfeiture and not from the City’s General Fund. 

Asset forfeiture is a legal process by which law enforcement agencies take assets from people involved with crime or illegal activity while ensuring that due process rights of all property owners are protected.

Although activists have expressed concerns about the technology, it only pinpoints the target’s handset and not any other device.

Over the past several years, local activists have railed against technology that tracks gunshots and automatic license plate readers.

Here are the other items on Monday’s agenda:

• Authorization to enter into a $192,832 contract with Advance Solutions Corporation to implement the ServiceNow IT asset management module. In 2019, the Department of Information Technology (DolT) implemented ServiceNow (SN), a cloud-based service management platform to track, manage, and automate over 36,000 annual requests for technology services and incidents from City departments. Beyond its core service request and incident tracking functionality, SN offers additional modules that are included in the software license subscription, such as Asset Management. DolT currently uses a separate, internally developed asset tracking application to manage the fleet of desktops, laptops, telephones, and radios in the city. improve asset assignment, retention, and reporting through a centralized system. Enhance cost management by accurately tracking current and past costs, equipment value, and status. Optimize asset utilization by providing real-time location and user information.

• Adoption of a resolution for the California Department of Parks and Recreation Outdoor Equipment grants program application. The Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department will apply for grant funding from the California Department of Parks and Recreation (CDPR) OEP 20232024 funding cycle for the Pasadena Outdoor Discovery Program. The CDPR has been delegated the authority to distribute funds that will support the health of Californians through the creation of outdoor programs by funding program operations and transportation costs in underserved communities. The City is partnering with Outward Bound Adventures (OBA) and the Public Health Department to complete the application and administer the proposed program. The grant was submitted on December 14, 2023. Outward Bound Adventures is a nonprofit organization based in Pasadena that is dedicated to empowering youth with environmental and outdoor education.

• A $800,000 or five years, whichever comes first, contract with Dudek to provide environmental services. Pasadena Water and Power (“PWP”) completes projects in its Capital Improvement Program (“CIP”) that support the goals and recommendations as defined by master and resource plans such as the Water System and Resources Plan, which the City Council adopted in October 2021. These projects often require specialty expertise to complete environmental assessments, preparation of compliance documents, regulatory permitting support, development of restoration and habitat enhancement programs, and general environmental services to support engineering solutions for water supply and delivery.

• A $1,811,250 contract with BBS Construction for locker room renovations for the City’s water and power department. This project provides for the renovation of the locker room building, which also includes restrooms and a transformer test lab, located at 311 W. Mountain Street, adjacent to PWP’s Warehouse at the City Yards. The condition of the locker room and restroom has degraded throughout the years due to age and deterioration and is needed by PWP field personnel for the purposes of showering, changing uniforms, restroom breaks, and temporary storage of personal items. The work to be done includes a remodel and renovation of approximately 1,800 square feet of the first floor and a subsection of the currently inaccessible second floor within the same building. This project will result in an upgrade of the locker room and restroom facility with modem environmentally friendly fixtures, improved lighting, energy efficiency, security, better ventilation, and climate control. The design meets provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and includes provisions for a women’s restroom, shower, and locker facilities which currently are only built for men.

• Authorization for the City Manager to execute a $2.12 million transfer agreement for the vacant parcel of land located at 2825 E. Walnut Street from the General Fund to the Pasadena Water and Power Department. The subject is a parcel of vacant land with APN 6102-006-017 containing a gross area of 1.017 acres or 44,287 square feet and a net usable area of 0.98 acres or 42,477 square feet. The City of Pasadena (“City”) owns the subject located at 2825 E. Walnut Street adjacent to the Home Depot shopping center. The land is zoned East Pasadena Specific Plan-dl-IG – General Industrial and is currently held in the General Fund and not being used for any long-term purpose.

• A $332,750 Atlas Performance Industries, Inc. purchase order. The City of Pasadena (“City”) owns and operates its electric generation facility, the Glenarm Power Plant (“Plant”) located east of Fair Oaks Avenue, west of the State Route 110 Freeway and south of Glenarm Street in Pasadena. In 2002, an office trailer was situated at the Broadway Plant to provide necessary office space for the engineering section at the generation facility. During the GIenarm Repowering Project, construction of a building for office and shop space was considered but ultimately scuttled due to the associated costs. Subsequently, in 2019 the instrument shop was vacated when it was determined that the shop needed refurbishment to meet acceptable work standards. The office trailer now serves as office/workshop space for the three displaced members of the Instrument and Controls Team and two Plant engineers. 

• A $1 million contract with John L. Hunter and Associates, Inc. for NPDES consultant services. The Departments of Public Works and Planning and Community Development are seeking a qualified consultant to provide services related to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) compliance activities, reports, plan checks, permits, inspections, and programs. The scope of work primarily includes: Providing training sessions for City staff; Attending Enhanced Watershed Management Program (EWMP) and other meetings; Assisting with Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) compliance; Preparing technical studies and NPDES Annual Reports; • Verifying submittal of annual reports for Green Infrastructure Practices; Reviewing the results of the ongoing monitoring program of the TMDLs and Coordinated Integrated Monitoring Program (CIMP) once approved by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board; Assisting with Public Outreach Activities; Providing Low Impact Development (LID) and Standard Urban Stormwater Mitigation Plan (SUSMP) plan checking services on an as-requested basis; Performing site inspections of LID and SUSMP Best Management Practices (BMPs); and Preparing handouts and checklists for developers and/or their consultants explaining the new design requirements under the NPDES permit.

• Amendments to the Fiscal Year 2024 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Throughout the Fiscal Year (FY), the Department of Public Works in conjunction with other impacted departments review active CIP projects to determine if budgetary changes are needed. Staff has completed this report detailing needed budget adjustments. 

• Fiscal year June 30, 2023, annual financial reports. This action is to receive and file the City’s eight (8) annual financial statements and four (4) compliance-related reports for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023. All financial statements received an unmodified (or clean) opinion. A presentation will be made by the City’s Finance Department and external auditors, Lance, Soil, & Lunghard LLP, at the January 22, 2024, Finance/Audit Committee and City Council meetings. The Single Audit is still in progress, but will be completed by the federal deadline of March 31, 2024. The Single Audit Report will report on federal grant related findings,

• A $2,820,744 with Perkins Eastman for the SR 710 Northern Stub Project. As part of the SR 710 Northern Stub planning work, the City Manager’s Office sought qualified proposals to assist in creating a SR 710 Northern Stub Master Plan document. The SR 710 Northern Stub (710 Stub) area was relinquished to the City in August of In February of 2023, the City Council appointed a 16-member Reconnecting Communities 710 Advisory Group to assist in the effort to determine the future use of the approximately 50 acres of under-utilized land. The creation of a comprehensive master plan will ensure that all future development in the 710 Stub area meets the City’s expectations as well as its General Plan goals and policies. Currently, the relinquished area has no land use or zoning designations. The master plan will serve as the guiding planning document for the future development of the area and the foundation for the creation of a new SR 710 Northern Stub Area Specific Plan.