Some City Commissions Could Start Meeting Again Soon

Mayor Terry Tornek told Pasadena Now that some City Council commission meetings could restart soon.

The committees and commission have not met since the City Manager declared a local emergency in March. The City Council has met, telephonically.

“They’re making an effort to schedule some of the vital commission meetings that would hold things up, like the planning commission,” Tornek said. “I think they’ve got a meeting scheduled before the end of the month,”

According to Tornek there are time-sensitive issues that could require meetings.

“I think they’ll be trying to organize other commission meetings as required.”

None of the bodies would gather in person per the city’s Safer at Home order which calls for social distancing.

The Planning Commission advises the City Council on the preparation and review of the General Plan, as well as the adoption or implementation of programs under the plan, including the creation of districts and zones, modification to and administration of zoning regulations, review of the capital improvements program, and review of other programs and projects which affect city development.

Planning Commission Chair Felicia Williams told Pasadena Now that the next meeting is “tentatively scheduled for 3 p.m. on April 29.

One of the commission’s first order of business may be the approval of the city’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget.

The Planning Commission reviews all new recommended CIP projects for General Plan consistency. Given this, as a one-time provision, the City Council may adopt the new recommended projects and appropriations prior to Planning Commission

consideration. However, the projects will not become active until they have been presented to the Planning Commission and the Commission has deemed them consistent with the General Plan.

According to a city staff report, the date of the next Planning Commission has not yet been determined, but the budget must be submitted to the City Council before the third Monday in May.