Traffic, Safe Neighborhood Grant Funds Contract Amended on Council’s Consent Calendar

The City Council voted to authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with the San Diego Association of Governments for the Project Safe Neighborhoods grant funds. 

On October 2 the City Council authorized the City Manager to enter into a contract with the State of California Office of Traffic Safety for accepting the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) and the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Funds. 

However there was a mistake in the original report which said the City entered into an agreement with the state and not the San Diego Association of Governments. 

“Upon staff’s further review, the funds for the grant are not obtained through an agreement with the State, but rather, with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). The original agenda report did not make mention of SANDAG,” according to the staff report. 

The Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant fund will be utilized to conduct a series of extra community engagement and enforcement programs in high crime areas throughout the City of Pasadena. Such community engagement and enforcement programs are an effective way of reducing crime and building a positive relationship between law enforcement and the community.

Here are the other items approved on Monday’s consent calendar:

• A Resolution declaring that Real Property owned by the City of Pasadena located in the City of Pasadena at 434-470 North Lake Avenue as surplus land. On April 23, 2023, the City Council authorized the purchase of the Property. The Property is improved with three existing buildings that were previously utilized by Kaiser for outpatient and administrative services but have been vacant for the past 11 years. The City’s General Plan Land Use Designation for the property is Medium Density Mixed-Use, zoning code allows a base density of 87-units per acre and a 2.25 Floor Area Ratio. Municipal rules permit the site to be developed with housing, community serving retail uses as well as outpatient health services. Staff has evaluated the Property for its potential for City use and determined that the Property is not necessary for the City’s use.

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MOD) between the City of Pasadena (City) and the Pasadena Police Lieutenants Association (PPLA), for the term of  July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2028. The Pasadena Police Lieutenants Association (PPLA) represents fourteen full-time sworn management employees in the Police Department. The PPLA is a newly formed employee association whose terms and conditions of employment were formerly provided for in the Non-represented Management salary resolution. Therefore, the provisions of the Non-represented Management salary resolution served as the starting point for the negotiation of the PPLA’s first MOU. Negotiations for the PPLA MOU began on January 9, 2024, and the parties reached a tentative agreement on a new multi-year contract on June 1 1, 2024. The proposed  4year agreement will have a term of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.

•  A resolution to authorize the pre-tax treatment of cost-sharing contributions paid by members of the Pasadena Police Lieutenants Association to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. The City provides pension benefits to eligible members of the Pasadena Police Lieutenants Association (PPLA) through the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS). To fund those benefits, both the employer and the employees make contributions pursuant to California Government Code and the City’s terms and conditions of employment for the Police Lieutenants.

• A contract with Layne Christensen Company to provide labor and materials; for drilling, construction, and testing of the explorer well for an amount not-to-exceed $2,921,442 for the Water and Power Department. he Explorer Well will be drilled approximately 1,000 feet north of the existing ArroyoWell and will be equipped with new mechanical and electrical equipment secured in a new concrete masonry building. The well will be capable of producing up to 1,600 gallons of groundwater per minute. The Explorer Well will be drilled about 700 feet deep. Continuous 24-hour drilling is necessary for the entire depth to avoid the collapse of the borehole or loss of drilling fluids. The continuous drilling operation will take approximately 40 working days that are likely to occur in two phases, each three weeks in duration. This drilling schedule is authorized under PMC § 9.36.170 (Exemptions), as the construction serves the best interests of the public and protects the public health, safety and welfare. After the well drilling is completed, subsequent site activities will be performed during normal hours allowed by PMC § 9.36.070 (Construction Projects). The contractor will be required to mitigate for construction related noise, including installing 24-foot tall temporary sound barriers around the work site. On-site work activity is anticipated to begin in Fall 2024 with completion by Spring 2025.

• The City Treasurer’s recommended Investment Policy and Investment Strategy for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 (FY 2024-2025). The Investment Policy is intended to outline the policies for maximizing the efficiency of the City’s cash management system, the prudent investment of the City’s funds, and to provide guidelines for suitable investments. The primary goals of the investment policy are to ensure compliance with the law; provide protection of principal; maintain liquidity; and maximize investment income to enhance the economic status of the City.

• Direct the City Attorney to prepare and return with an ordinance within 60 days to amend Pasadena Municipal Code to align with the amendments to City Charter Article X – Contracts, Purchases, and Claims. Article X, Section 1002 of the City Charter states, “Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, no contract for supplies, material, labor, or other valuable consideration, to be furnished to the City shall be authorized by the City Council except with lowest and best bidder after competitive bidding.” The March 5, 2024, voter-approved Charter amendment (Measure T) adds Subsection (I) under Section 1002, providing that competitive bidding shall not be required under this Charter for: “(I) Contracts utilizing alternative project delivery methods, as approved by the City Council, including, but not limited to, design-build and construction manager at-risk.” This Charter amendment allows for the use of alternative project delivery methodologies, processes and approaches for designing, constructing, and completing a public works project when in the best interest of the City.