OPENING
ROLL CALL:
Staff:
CITY OF PASADENA
MUNICIPAL SERVICES COMMITTEE MINUTES
PASADENA CITY HALL
100 NORTH GARFIELD AVENUE
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBER - S249
MARCH 11, 2025
MEETING
The Chair called the meeting of the Municipal Services Committee to order at 4:01 p.m.
Councilmember Justin Jones, Chair
CouncilmemberTyron Hampton
Councilmember Rick Cole
Councilmember Jason Lyon
David Reyes, Interim General Manager of Water and Power Joaquin Siques, Director of Transportation
Lynne Chaimowitz, Assistant General Manager, Water and Power Varoojan Avedian, Assistant General Manager, Water and Power Caroline Monroy, Deputy City Attorney
Betty Gao, Recording Secretary
PUBLIC COMMENT
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
INFORMATION ONLY
No one appeared for public comment on matters not on the agenda.
It was moved by Councilmember Cole, seconded by Councilmember Lyon, to approve the minutes of January 28, 2025 (Cancelled meeting), February 11, 2025, and February 25, 2025 (Cancelled meeting), as submitted. (Motion unanimously approved) (Absent: None) PARKING CONCEPTS, INC. CONTRACT 32174 EXTENSION -
PERFORMANCE UPDATE
David Reyes, Interim General Manager of Water and Power, provided introductory comments, and Joaquin Siques, Director of Transportation, summarized the staff report as part of his oral presentation, 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.
OPTIMIZED STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
David Reyes, Interim General Manager of Water and Power, provided introductory comments, and Mike Sontag, Director of Energy Environmental Economics (E3), presented the Powerpoint presentation on the item, including providing information on the general study update, a reliable electricity system for Pasadena, and next steps; with both responding to questions.
Councilmember Cole expressed his preference that representatives from E3 shift from using the term "meaningful progress" to the specific steps required to achieve the goals related to the Optimized Strategic Plan.
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Nick Schlag, Partner of E3, responded to questions regarding the three metrics related to the 2031 clean energy metrics based on resources currently owned or contracted to Pasadena Water and Power, and responded to questions.
Councilmember Lyon expressed the need for additional open dialogues with the committee regarding project updates and decision-making, urging that conclusions not to be drawn too quickly without committee's involvement and requested staff to provide the draft reports related to distributed solar and storage.
In response to Councilmember Cole's inquiry on the Goodrich Receiving Station, Varoojan Avedian, Assistant General Manager of Water and Power, stated that transformers at the station are only occasionally taken out of service for maintenance, and that no transformers have been lost in the last 10 years.
Betty Gao, Recording Secretary, reported that six letters of correspondence was received by the City Clerk's Office, which were distributed to the Committee, posted online, and made part of the record for this item.
The following individuals provided comments on the matter:
Mark Rutkowski, representing Pasadena 100
Sean Devey, representing Pasadena 100
Carl Selkin, representing Social Justice Committee of PJTC Christopher Yeh, Pasadena resident
Cynthia Cannady, representing Pasadena 100
Sandy Krasner, representing Pasadena 100
Peter Eisenhardt, representing 7th Principle Committee
Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
Joe Feinblatt, Pasadena resident
Rex Mayreis, Pasadena resident
Councilmember Cole emphasized the purpose of the Pasadena Water and Power Department is to meet the resident's needs, and not only sell energy. He urged a shift in focus towards supporting reliable and affordable energy through conservation and self-sufficiency; and advocated for greater access to solar power and proposed using the Glenarm Power Plant as a backup energy source.
Councilmember Lyon emphasized the need for further discussions on solar power, net energy metering, household generation limits, and the future role of the Glenarm Power Plant.
Councilmember Hampton echoed Councilmembers Cole's and Lyon's remarks, calling for further discussions on expanding access to solar energy, reevaluating the utility's business mode, and keeping Glenarm Power Plant as a backup energy source.
Following discussion, on the order of the Chair, and by consensus of the Committee, the information was received and filed.
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ADJOURNMENT
ATTEST:
I-',),^Betty-ISao
Recording Secretary
ELECTRIC RATE STUDY UPDATE - CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
PLAN
David Reyes, Interim General Manager of Water and Power, provided introductory comments, and Lynne Chaimowitz, Assistant General Manager of Water and Power, summarized the staff report as part of the Powerpoint presentation on the item, and responded to questions.
Councilmember Cole expressed appreciation to staff's for their level of sophistication and commitment to public engagement, however expressed concerns with staff's method of public engagement as a City and encouraged staff to continue bridging their efforts through a more unified and efficient strategy of building consistent outreach efforts; and suggested implanting reliable surveys to ensure better and more accurate community feedback.
Councilmembers Hampton and Lyon praised and thanked Water and Power staff for their good work on the proposed Customer Engagement Plan.
Genette Foster, Pasadena resident, expressed concerns with the proposed changes to the Pasadena Municipal Code, specifically the new reserve structure.
Following discussion, on the order of the Chair, and by consensus of the Committee, the information was received and filed.
On the order of the Chair, the meeting of the Municipal Services Committee was adjourned at^53 p.m.
CouncilrrDgfrf^T'^ustin Jones, Chair
Munici^il Services Committee
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