AGENDA
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING NOTICE
AUGUST 20, 2024
PUBLIC MEETING 5:00 P.M.
MEMBERS
Tyron Hampton, Chair District 1
Jessica Rivas, District 5
Steve Madison, District 6
Jason Lyon, District 7
STAFF
David Klug, Economic Development Director
Dion O’Connell, Assistant City Attorney
Jerice Kenebrew, Recording Secretary
MISSION STATEMENT
The City of Pasadena is dedicated to delivering exemplary municipal services, responsive to our entire community and consistent
with our history, culture and unique character.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Assistive Listening Devices are available from the City Clerk’s Office with a 24-hour advance notice.
Please call (626) 744-4124 to request use of a listening device.
Language translation services are available for this meeting by calling (626) 744-4124 at least 24 hours in advance.
Habrá servicio de interpretación disponible para éstas juntas llamando al (626) 744-4124 por lo menos con 24 horas de anticipación.
Items on the agenda may not be called in order listed.
Agendas and supporting documents are available on the Internet at https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/city-council-economic-development-technology/
Materials related to an item on this Agenda submitted to the Economic Development and Technology Committee after distribution of the agenda packet will be posted online and listed as: “Supplemental Agenda Material Received after the Posting of the agenda”
PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
COMMITTEE MEETING FOR
AUGUST 20, 2024 AT 5:00 P.M. WILL BE ACCEPTED IN-PERSON AND BY VIDEOCONFERENCE/TELECONFERENCE.
Link to City Meeting Policy:
cityofpasadena.net/CityCouncilMeetingPolicy
TO VIEW A LIVE STREAM OF THE MEETING:
http://pasadena.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=9 AND
WWW.PASADENAMEDIA.ORG
In order to facilitate public participation at meetings the City will accept public comment in the following manner:
1. Whether participating in-person or virtually at the meeting, members of the public may provide public comment by submitting a speaker card prior to the start of public comment on that item, at the following webpage:
www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/public-comment/
If a public comment speaker wishes to speak on more than one agenda item, please indicate which items on the online form (multiple item speakers will be handled according to the process posted on the agenda and as specified in the City meeting policy). Public comments are limited to 3 minutes each, and the Chair and Committee may limit this time if reasonable under the circumstances.
2. In-person Meeting Participation: Complete an online speaker card at the following website: www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/public-comment/ After submitting a public speaker card, members of the public may attend the meeting in-person by coming to the Pasadena City Council Chamber, Room S249 at City Hall at the date and start-time of the posted meeting.
Virtual Meeting Participation: For virtual participants, you may attend by connecting to the meeting using a computer, other electronic device, or by telephone. Please review the agenda to identify the published start time for the meeting and connect to the meeting just prior to, or at the start of the meeting.
To participate in public comment for an item and to be recognized to speak, it is required that the speaker login to the meeting using the same name or telephone number used on the Speaker Card form. This will allow City staff to locate and promote the speaker into the meeting when it is time for their public comment.
Participants’ phone calls to the Committee meeting will be recorded as part of the Committee meeting. By staying on the line and making public comment during the Committee meeting by phone, you are agreeing to have your phone call recorded. Following is the connectivity information for virtual participation:
Computer or electronic devices, join the meeting at: cityofpasadena.net/cczoom Telephone only dial-in: 1-669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 161 482 446
3. Speaker Card Help Line: If a public comment speaker needs assistance in completing a speaker card, please call the City Clerk’s Office at: (626) 744-4124.
Help line will open 30 minutes prior to the posted start time of the meeting.
4. Members of the public may submit correspondence of any length prior to the start of the meeting, at the following email address:
Written correspondence will be forwarded to the Economic Development and Technology Committee prior to the start of the meeting, posted online, and made part of the legislative record for the item.
LIVESTREAM WITH CAPTIONING IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.PASADENAMEDIA.ORG, AND ALSO AT WWW.CITYOFPASADENA.NET/COMMISSIONS/AGENDAS
IF YOU NEED A REASONABLE MODIFICATION OR ACCOMMODATION PURSUANT
TO THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
BECAUSE YOU ARE UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE ELECTRONICALLY AS SET FORTH ABOVE, CONTACT THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AT (626) 744-4124 OR
[email protected].
CI
TY OF PASADENA
NOTICE OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
AUG
UST 20, 2024
PUBLIC MEETING 5:00 P.M.
PASADENA CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBER
100 NORTH GARFIELD AVENUE, ROOM S249
NO
TICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the regular meeting of the Economic Development and Technology Committee, will be held on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at 5:00 p.m., in the Council Chamber to discuss matters on the attached agenda. ____
_________________
Tyron Hampton, Chair
Economic Development and
Technology Committee
I HEREBY CERTIFY that this agenda in its entirety, was posted on the Internet at https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/city-council-economic-development-technology/ and on the Council Chamber Bulletin Board, Room S249, and the Bulletin Board in the rotunda area; City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue, this 15
th day of August 2024 by 5:30 p.m. and that copies hereof were emailed or delivered to each member of the City Council and to each local newspaper of general circulation, radio or television station requesting notice in writing, all of which recipients are identified on the distribution herein below.
Liseth Gonzalez
Cit y Manager’s Office
DISTRIBUTION:
City Council Los Angeles Times
City Manager Pasadena Journal
City Attorney Pasadena Now
Public Information Officer Pasadena Star News
Pasadena Weekly La Opinion
Pasadena Independent
REGULAR MEETING
AGENDA
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
AUGUST 20, 2024
Public Meeting: 5:00 P.M.
Council Chamber, Pasadena City Hall
100 North Garfield Avenue, Room S249
PUBLIC MEETING – 5:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Public comment will be limited to a total of 20 minutes at the beginning of the meeting and will continue at the conclusion of the meeting, if necessary.
Please limit comments to 3 minutes each.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
• JUNE 18, 2024 – REGULAR MEETING*
NEW BUSINESS
INFORMATION ONLY
1. APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
2. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE BY DAVID A. KLUG, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR*
ADJOURN
*Attachment
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
• JUNE 18, 2024 – REGULAR MEETING*
01 06/18/2024
CITY OF PASADENA
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE MINUTES
JUNE 18, 2024 – 5:00 P.M.
CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBER
MEETING
OPENING Chair Hampton called the meeting of the Economic Development and Technology Committee to order at 5:08 p.m.
ROLL CALL:
Staff:
Councilmember Tyron Hampton, Chair
Vice Mayor Steve Madison
Councilmember Jason Lyon
Councilmember Jessica Rivas
David Klug, Director of Economic Development
William Huang, Director of Housing
Jennifer Paige, Director of Planning Department
Jason Mikaelian, Deputy Director of Planning and Community Development
Teresa Garcia, Senior Project Manager of Economic Development Guille Nunez, Senior Planner of Planning and Community Development Jennifer O’Reilly-Jones, Housing Program Coordinator III Dion O’Donnell, Assistant City Attorney
Jerice Kenebrew, Recording Secretary
APPROVAL OF MINUTES It was moved by Councilmember Rivas, seconded by Councilmember Lyon, to approve the minutes of May 9, 2024 , and May 21 , 202 4, as submitted. (Motion unanimously carried)
NEW BUSINESS PCC COMUNIDAD INTERNSHIP BIOTECH SOLUTIONS PRESENTATION*
Hannah Haddad, Sophia Garcia, and Jose Juarez all students with Pasadena City College (PCC) Biotech Program, introduced themselves, and jointly presented a PowerPoint presentation on the item, including information on similar training programs, partners of the various educational programs, and responded to questions.
Councilmember Lyon and Vice Mayor Madison advocated for staff to determine the ability to formalize a partnership with the Comunidad Internship Program representatives where the City can provide training and technical assistance.
Manuel Santa, Renee Johansen, and Valerie Foster, Instructors at PCC, provided additional information on the program and responded to questions.
The Committee commended the students for an excellent presentation and suggested additional avenues to assist in stainability and advancement of the program.
Following discussion, on the order of the Chair, and by consensus of the Committee, the information was received and filed.
02 06/18/2024
STANDARD PLANS PROGRAM FOR ACCESORY DWELLING UNITS
(ADUs)*
Jennifer Paige, Director of Planning Department provided introductory comments, and Guille Nunez, Senior Planner of Planning and Community Development, summarized the staff report as part of her PowerPoint presentation on the ADU Standard Plans Program , and responded to questions.
The Committee expressed appreciation to Planning staff for their work on the ADU Standard Plans Program.
Councilmember Rivas asked staff to provide information on the time and costs savings associated with residents using the City’s ADU standard plans.
Councilmember Lyon asked staff to provide information on the cost’s local architects charge for their licensing and planning fees related to ADU’s.
Vice Mayor Madison asked staff to provide a map showing the ADU locations throughout the city; and to ensure language related to the City’s commitment to provide housing is available on the City’s ADU website.
Chair Hampton advocated for lower fees associated with the ADU application approval process for homeowners and not developers.
Following discussion, on the order of the Chair, and by consensus of the Committee, the information was received and filed.
ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES FOR PREDEVELOPMENT PLAN
REVIEW (PPR)*
Jennifer Paige, Director of Planning Department , provided introductory comments, and Jason Mikaelian, Deputy Director of Planning and Community Development, summarized the staff report as part of his PowerPoint presentation on the item, and responded to questions.
Following a brief discussion, on the order of the Chair, and by consensus of the Committee, the information was received and filed.
ECHO FACTORY MARKETING, BRANDING, PUBLIC RELATIONS
CONSULTANT PRESENTATION*
David Klug, Director of Economic Development , provided introductory comments and Michael Schafer , Founder of Echo -Factory Inc. (City consultants) presented a PowerPoint presentation providing information on the new Economic Development Strategic Plan, Echo -Factory Inc.’s services and timeline, and responded to questions.
Following discussion, staff was asked to return to the committee in six months with an update; and on the order of the Chair, and by consensus of the Committee, the information was received and filed.
03 06/18/2024
INFORMATION ONLY 2024 HOMELESS COUNT RESULTS
REPORT ON PROGRESS TOWARD 2023 -2028 PASADENA
CONTINUUM OF CARE HOMELESSNESS PLAN GOALS
The Chair noted that the two agenda items listed above will be heard concurrently.
Councilmember Lyon was
excused and left the dais at
6:43 p.m.
William Huang, Director of Housing provided introductory remarks , and Jennifer O’Reilly-Jones, Housing Program Coordinator III, summarized the staff reports as part of her PowerPoint presentation, with both responding to questions.
Following discussion, on the order of the Chair, and by consensus of the Committee, the information was received and filed.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE BY DAVID A. KLUG,
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR*
David Klug, Director of Economic Development provided a brief summary of the staff report as part of his oral update and responded to questions.
Following a brief discussion, on the order of the Chair, and by consensus of the Committee, the information was received and filed.
ADJOURNMENT: On the order of the Chair, the meeting of the Economic Development and Technology Committee was adjourned at 6:54 p.m.
_________________________________
TYRON HAMPTON, Chair
Economic Development and Technology Committee
ATTEST:
____________________
Jerice Kenebrew
Recording Secretary
INFORMATION ONLY
1. APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
2. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE BY DAVID A. KLUG, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR*
1. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE BY DAVID A. KLUG, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR*
MEMORANDUM
Date: August 20, 2024
To: Economic Development and Technology Committee
From: David A. Klug, Economic Development Director
Subject: Economic Development Update
The Economic Development Division is committed to supporting a thriving local economy. This memo provides an update on market conditions and the Division’s efforts.
1. Business Development
a. Notable Openings & Successes
i. bbad (Breakfast Burritos All Day), located
at 928 E Colorado #10, began as a pop-up
at the West Hollywood Farmers Market.
Thanks to the support of its customers,
founder and chef Jason Hobbs was able to
transform bbad into a brick-and-mortar
fast-casual restaurant located within the
Pasadena Hotel & Pool.
ii. Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr., located in
Playhouse Village at 694 E Colorado Blvd.,
opened in July. Chef Carlos Pinto’s
tempura recipe is influenced by the time he
spent cooking and living in Japan.
iii. Nha Trang Vietnamese Cuisine, located at
28 N Raymond Ave., expanded to Old
Pasadena in July. The family-owned
restaurant specializing in noodle and soup
dishes, along with Vietnamese iced coffee
has been serving San Gabriel for over a decade.
iv. C.W. Driver, a Pasadena- based construction company located at 468 N Rosemead Blvd., is modernizing educational campuses across Southern California. Their focus is on safety and adaptive learning environments including multiple California State University campuses. C.W. Driver integrates advanced safety features like forced-entry resistant glazing and
2 privacy walls into school designs. The company is also enhancing learning spaces by incorporating outdoor areas and flexible environments that promote student engagement. The firm has worked on over $3.88 billion in education facilities, with key projects in Los Angeles County including the redevelopment of campuses within the CSU system.
b. Business Retention & Outreach
i. First Source Hiring Program
Economic Development staff recently updated its marketing materials to increase awareness of Pasadena’s First Source Hiring Program. Updates included website updates with information now available in Spanish and English, and new flyers targeting interested contractors and job seekers.
The Public Information Office supported by sharing the updated materials on the City’s Instagram. The posts received over 180 likes and generated the completion of 27 new job seeker forms, a 245% increase. The updated local worker list was shared with current contractors and developers who are seeking new workers and are participating in the program. Pasadena’s First Source Hiring Program creates jobs for Pasadena residents, incentivizes new development, and recirculates dollars in the local economy. The program
encourages, and in some
cases requires, developers of
construction projects to hire
locally.
The City has five active
agreements with four
contractors: Keck Medicine of
USC, Huntington Hospital,
Heritage Housing Partners,
and Hope Inc. Keck Medicine
is actively under construction,
the others contractors either
haven’t started or recently
completed. Staff continues to
promote the program and
encourages using our local
workforce.
ii. Dine Out Pasadena
On August 14th, Congressmember Judy Chu presented the City of Pasadena with a $1.5M check in recognition of the Dine Out Pasadena grant award. Mayor Gordo expressed his gratitude for the grant which celebrates local businesses like Soh Grill House, one of 15 businesses selected to move forward to Phase 1 of the Dine Out Pasadena pilot program. Selected businesses are expected to receive new or upgraded
3 on-street dining structures before the end of the calendar year. The new structures have been designed and will be fabricated to support the dining vibrancy of Pasadena restaurants. A second round of applications focused on businesses with alley and parking lot dining will be available after the completion of the pilot round.
3. Conferences & Special Events
a. Innovate Pasadena Friday Coffee Meetup
On Friday August 2, Economic Development staff attended Innovate Pasadena’s Friday Coffee Meetup. Clincy Cheung, the CEO of DropletPharma, shared insights on the company’s mission to support pharmaceutical companies in scaling their radiopharmaceutical pipelines.
Cheung highlighted the growing importance of radiopharmaceuticals as both a last and first line of defense against cancer, especially as new diagnoses are expected to rise significantly by 2050.
4. Tech, Startups & Science
a. Freeflow Ventures, a Pasadena-based venture capital firm, has raised $50 million in its latest funding round, boosting its total assets under management to $90 million. Despite the challenging market for venture capital, Freeflow's ties to Caltech and its focus on deep tech have positioned it well for growth.
The firm, founded in 2018, has recently expanded its investments to the Berkeley ecosystem, starting with biotechnology company Catena Biosciences. Catena Biosciences specializes in protein conjugation, building biologic structures, and medical research. Freeflow’s investment strategy focuses on human and planetary health.
4 b. Valdi, a graphics processing unit (GPU) provider located at 130 W Union St., has been acquired by Storj as part of its strategy to become a full-stack distributed cloud company. The acquisition positions both companies to compete in the AI training data space, challenging established Silicon Valley giants. Valdi, founded in 2022, addresses the GPU shortage by offering a marketplace where organizations can rent cloud GPUs at lower costs. Its clients include Caltech and USC's Information Sciences Institute. Storj, known for its decentralized cloud storage system, plans to integrate Valdi’s capabilities to enhance its offerings, allowing it to provide affordable, secure cloud solutions by fragmenting and distributing data across global servers.
5. CBRE Office Market Overview
The Pasadena market has seen modest rent gains, slightly above Greater Los Angeles market trends. The area's concentration of office buildings, the intellectual capital of Caltech and JPL, and ample amenities for tenants make it an attractive marketplace for healthcare, life science, technology, and artificial intelligence users.
Although significant transactions in these sectors have not materialized yet, tenant activity appears to be more robust in Pasadena compared to the rest of the Tri - Cities. The concentration of Financial Services, Engineering, Insurance, Government & service industry providers make for a well-rounded market.