Traffic Outreach Campaign Approved by City Council

As part of Monday’s consent calendar, the City Council authorized the City Manager to enter into a $182,700 contract for a Citywide Traffic Safety Media and Outreach Campaign.

The City has seen a rise in traffic collisions and pedestrian fatalities over the last several years, mirroring national trends. 

In 2019, the last pre-COVID traffic year, 946 people were injured in 674 crashes locally. 

In 2020 there was a drop in traffic, resulting in 658 injured people in 468 crashes. 

As traffic volumes returned to pre-pandemic levels, so have crashes and injuries, with 789 people injured in 558 crashes in 2021 and 861 people injured in 608 crashes in 2022. 

This trend is consistent with published crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showing that approximately 6,000 to 6,500 pedestrians are killed annually from 2016 to 2022 nationally. 

At the start of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, Pasadenans briefly experienced a car-light environment. This experience brought new attention to street safety as pre-pandemic street congestion gave way to neighborhood walks and faster, free-flowing vehicle speeds. 

The Department of Transportation attempted to accommodate these changing needs through a citywide Slow Streets program that installed physical impediments at the entrances of every residential neighborhood in the City to slow traffic down. 

With fewer cars on the roads, the DoT reigned in excessive speeding on ten major corridors by introducing breaks through more frequent red lights. 

As 2020 continued and residents went back to school and work, the effectiveness of the programs waned. Average speeds were at least 1 to 2 miles per hour faster in post ‘Safer at Home’ order months compared to the same months in 2019. 

In response, a twelve-month-long Traffic Safety Media and Outreach campaign was conceived to remind Pasadenans of the need to use diligence when moving through the City and to be mindful of other road users, particularly more vulnerable users such as persons walking and biking. 

This safety campaign will include both multimedia and physical in-person components with season-specific messaging for holidays, school breaks, and large events such as the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl game. This campaign will be designed by BC Design Haus in a way designed to be both appealing and can be meaningfully received by all Pasadenans. The campaign will reach drivers through posters, bus stop ads, and print and online news sources.

In-person outreach and distribution of safety information and materials such as bike lights, flashlights, and reflective accessories will occur at community events such as local farmer’s markets, resource fairs, high foot traffic commercial areas, and parks. 

Here are the other items approved as part of Monday’s consent calendar:

• A five-year contract with CentralSquare Technologies LLC DBA Superion LLC for management services of intrusion alarm permitting and false alarm penalties, with a service fee of 15 percent of net collections. CentralSquare offers an online permitting and payment processing software platform and a toll-free customer service support line with staff available to accept payments and answer questions from citizens and businesses regarding billing and permit policies. The call center is located at their facility in Florida. Notices can.·also·be mailed to customers who prefer written correspondence. Customer support and correspondence is available in several languages and is compliant with Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security. Standards to meet any payment processing regulatory requirements. The software also enables the City to easily access various dashboards and detailed reports to track customer data and associated financial and alarm permit status information for each account. 

• A $95,080 contract with ABCO Development Corporation for a four unit shower trailer. The City of Pasadena is eligible to receive grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Homeland Security Grant Program every year to help prepare for threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk to the security of the United States. On August 9, 2021, City Council recognized and appropriated $197,000 from 2020 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant funds awarded to the Pasadena Fire Department to be used for an incident trailer primary mover towing vehicle, and various urban search and rescue (US&R) equipment. Due to manufacturing delays and ongoing vehicle parts shortages from global supply chain issues, the towing vehicle will not be available by the 2020 UASI grant performance period deadline. The prior order for the primary mover towing vehicle has been canceled, and staff has modified the $97,000 originally awarded for the vehicle to be used for the purchase of a decontamination shower trailer. 

• A $360,175 contract with American Power Systems LLC for the removal and replacement of DC power equipment at three public safety radio communications sites. On December 8, 2008, City Council authorized the purchase of a radio system to replace the City’s aging radio communications infrastructure to enable reliable mission critical radio services for both public safety and public services, including the Police, Fire, Water and Power, Public Works, Transportation, and Public Health Departments. The infrastructure portion of the systems was designed to be powered by DC battery power so that the sites would continue to operate seamlessly during a power outage. The expected life of the batteries purchased in 2008 is ten to twelve years. With the system now in place for fourteen years, the batteries have reached end-of-life and need to be replaced.

• A $452,986 contract with Elecnor Belco Electric fiber optic splicing, testing, and emergency troubleshooting for the city’s fiber optic network. The City’s fiber optic infrastructure serves as the network backbone supporting City voice and data networks, communications for utility operations, and fiber services to external customers. The City has competitively bid and contracted for fiber optic splicing, testing, emergency troubleshooting services, and related materials on an as needed basis since the late 1990s. The contract supports the City’s ongoing use of the fiber infrastructure, fiber expansion initiatives, and its repair, should there be a fiber break. The City also has contractual obligations to its fiber lease customers to respond to, and remedy any service interruptions, and having a contract in place ensures the City can meet these obligations. The current vendor providing these services will soon expire. 

•  Purchase order contracts with 72 Hour LLC for an additional $57,476 to amend the model year purchase of four Ford F-150 Lightning electric trucks and eight Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Hybrid Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), thereby increasing the combined purchase order total amount to $1,292,759. The Department of Public Works Building System and Fleet Management Division (BSFMD) was informed by 72 Hour that orders placed by the City for some of these certain model year 2022 vehicles have been disrupted and cannot be fulfilled. Specifically, this impacts twelve vehicles that were previously approved by Council (eight Ford Explorer Police Interceptors Hybrid SUVs approved on January 10, 2022 and four Ford F-150 Lightning electric trucks approved on May 9, 2022). Ford has released an official statement to its government and commercial sales partners of the continued global microchip shortage, major supply chain disruptions, lingering impact of COVID and record inflation that are all contributing to their challenges with logistics, plant downtime, and inventory demands. The production of the current model Lightnings and Explorers stalled, and no guarantees could be provided on the production, availability, or pricing. Ford, however, is currently prioritizing its production of the new 2023 model. 

• Reject all bids received on August 4 in response to the Notice Inviting Bids for Citywide Tree and Stump Removal Services. On June 29, a Notice Inviting Bids to Furnish and Deliver Citywide Tree and Stump Removal was posted on Planet Bid and was published in the Pasadena Journal and Pasadena Press on July 7. The City’s posting generated notices to all vendors who have previously registered with the City for this commodity class. A total of 23 vendors downloaded the specifications of which one was local, and six bids were received by the bid opening date of August 4, 2022. One vendor submitted a partial bid and was deemed non”‘.responsive per the specifications. The City has a rich tradition of maintaining mature city trees, having been awarded a Tree City USA designation for 32 years and Tree City Growth Award for 22 years. With approximately 64,000 city trees to maintain, the Department of Public Works is also responsible for removing dead, dying, diseased, and hazardous trees. The goal of the Street Tree Administration section is to complete tree and stump removals within 120 days after a public tree notice is posted on the subject tree, with priority removal given to trees and stumps that warrant an emergency or hazardous condition. 

• A $495,000 with South Coast Emergency Vehicle Services for Pierce fire truck parks. The Department of Public Works, Building Systems and Fleet Management Division (BSFMD) repairs and maintains the City’s fleet of over 1,100 vehicles and equipment, including seven fire trucks manufactured by Pierce. As such, it is necessary for BSFMD to purchase and stock replacement automotive parts and supplies and related items for use in repair and maintenance for these specific fire trucks. 

• A $195,756 Consolidated Electrical Distributors to furnish and deliver concrete street light poles. The Department of Public Works, Street Maintenance Division uses concrete street light poles at various locations throughout the City of Pasadena. The poles are replaced on an as-needed basis and due to production lead times, spare poles are typically purchased ahead of time and stored on-site. This action allows for timely pole replacement as unforeseen circumstances occur. On average, approximately 10 to 15 poles of various types are stored as spares. 

• A $339,492 contract with Orange Coast Petroleum to furnish and deliver above-ground storage tank and replacement and construction or concrete foundation. The replacement tank will be made with double wall construction, providing an additional layer of containment in the rare event of an oil spill. It will also consolidate the existing products currently stored in three separate tanks and multiple barrels into one multi-compartment tank. This will create a more organized space for servicing of City fleet. In addition, new high-volume pumps will be installed providing dispensing and monitoring of 11 lubrication oils to all areas of the fleet shop. Lastly, this award also includes the removal of the existing concrete foundation and construction of a new seismically stable foundation to secure the new tank and meet regulatory requirements. 

• Contracts for professional or unique services, with First Transit, Inc. to increase the five-year contract amount by $4,901,437, increasing the total not to exceed amount from $41,068,924 to $45,970,361. Subsequent to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented changes in the labor market within the transit industry, First Transit, Inc., along with transit companies across the nation, has struggled to retain and recruit personnel. The severe shift in the labor market, coming on the heels of managing in continuity of service during the pandemic, has been extraordinary and beyond the control of both First Transit, Inc. and the City. After over a year of aggressively implementing a variety of hiring tools, a critical number of positions still need to be filled as well as the need to retain the current employees. In order to fill these positions and for Pasadena’s transit services to be more competitive within the market, First Transit’s employee wages need to be increased, as has been done by other transit agencies throughout the state as a means of retaining and attracting qualified personnel. After several months of coordination with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), City staff received Metro’s concurrence that an amended contract to support an increase in First Transit’s direct labor costs would be federally compliant, per the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) recent guidance that recognizes the need to adjust contracting rates due to the radical shift in the transit labor market.  

• A $2 million contract for nursing support services with Healthcare Staffing Professionals and Maxim Healthcare Staffing. Since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, the Pasadena Public Health Department has been steadfast in leading the community through the COVID-19 public health emergency. High workloads and a competitive marketplace demand for qualified nurses has made hiring and retaining nurses a challenge. During this time, the Department contracted for additional nursing services to support staff efforts in a variety of pandemic response activities including vaccination clinics, case investigation, and contact tracing. Contracted nursing services has provided the Department flexibility to expand and contract operations to align with the demands of the pandemic response. 

• Approve an Amended Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Pasadena (City) and the Pasadena Firefighters Association (PFFA), for the term of January 1 through December 31, 2026. The Pasadena Firefighters Association represents 155 full-time employees in the classifications of Firefighter, Fire Engineer, and Fire Captain engaged in fire suppression, search and rescue, and emergency service delivery. On October 17, 2022, the City Council approved the existing 4-year MOU between the City and PFFA which took effect on January 1 and will expire on December 31, 2026. As part of that agreement, the City and PFFA agreed to terms on base wage increases and contract duration only, with t_he mutual understanding that negotiations on supplemental contractual modifications and enhancements would continue until such time as the parties reached agreement on those matters. Throughout the negotiations process, the shared interest of the City and PFFA has been to negotiate a fair, reasonable, and fiscally sustainable contract that recognizes the dedicated efforts of the  Pasadena Fire Department’s highly skilled personnel, encourages retention in an increasingly competitive labor market, and makes the City of Pasadena an employer of choice for individuals seeking to enter or continue a career in the fire service. On November 28, the City and PFFA reached a tentative agreement on supplemental contractual modifications and enhancements that staff believes will meet those objectives. 

• Approve an Amended Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Pasadena (City) and the Pasadena Firefighters Management Association (PFMA), for the term of January 1 through December 31, 2026. The Pasadena Firefighters Management Association represents seven full-time employees in the classification of Fire Battalion Chief. Battalion Chiefs operate at the division head level and are responsible for the administration of a variety of departmental programs and operations, including fire suppression, training, fire and environmental safety, and emergency medical services. The current Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the PFMA was set to expire on January 31. Negotiations for a successor MOU began on September 8, 2022 and the parties reached a tentative agreement on a new multi-year contract on November 29, 2022. The proposed 48-month agreement will have a term of January 1, 2023, thereby ending the term of the current contract one month early, and continue through December 31, 2026. Salary increases in the proposed contract will be driven by a contractually guaranteed salary differential of 19% between the maximum pay rate for Fire Captain EMT and the minimum pay rate for Fire Battalion Chief which will provide for cumulative base pay increases of 15.0% over the term of the contract. These increases will establish equity with similarly situated sworn bargaining groups in the City and enhance the Pasadena Fire Department’s ability to incentivize promotion and retain its skilled personnel.