LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
PASADENA AREA
Alhambra Altadena Arcadia Bradbury Duarte La Canada Flintridge Monrovia Monterey Park Pasadena San Gabriel San Marino Sierra Madre South Pasadena February 24, 2025
Pasadena City Council
100 North GarfieldAve.
Pasadena, CAP 1101
Dear Mayor Gordo, Vice-Mayor Rivas and members of the City Council:
SUSTAINABLY REBUILDING FROM THE EATON FIRE
We know it is likely we will see more severe weather events that cause widespread damage with many people left homeless and displaced by natural disasters. Therefore, we believe it's time to rethink our approach to rebuilding. Speeding up "business as usual" is not the answer. We now must view these horrifying events as opportunities to build sustainable communities - not just replacing individual housing units as quickly as possible. We have an abbreviated time to mitigate and adapt to the effects of global warming and it is incumbent upon us to rebuild the areas destroyed or damaged by the Eaton fire in a sustainable manner.
We think the City of Pasadena together with the County of Los Angeles and the State of California should consider rebuilding the Pasadena/Altadena neighborhood as a model sustainable community of the future. Sustainable communities include rebuilding:
without reliance on fossil fuels. This is cheaper, reduces fire risk and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. with solar only and investigating bulk purchasing.
with battery storage to back up the solar power so there is no reliance on transmission lines. Create local microgrids with storage.
To support the sustainable rebuild, we need regulations that prevent the reliance on fossil fuels. The city can quickly determine where funds are available to buy battery storage for every rebuild and for local microgrids. We can make this area a model for safer communities and for community solar. We know you have given this some thought and that there are other measures that need to be taken but it starts with the energy grid. It is our hope that the City Council will not focus on the obstacles but will encourage Pasadena, the County and the State to take this bold action.
In closing we encourage the City Council to formally request that Pasadena act aggressively to reduce its GHG emissions.
With my best regards,
-^^^^^ ^^f^^^^—
Karen Roberson
President, League of Women Voters Pasadena Area
Cc: Municipal Services Committee
Environmental Advisory Commission
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0 A nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization
65 S. Grand Avenue • Pasadena, CA 91105-1602
T 626-798-0965 • E-mail: [email protected] • Website: lwv-pa.org 2/24/2025
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