RECEIVED
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Local Hiring Coordinator CtTY CLERK
Pasadena, CA d-TY QF PASADENA
Date: July 18,2025
To:
City Clerk
City of Pasadena
100 N. Garfield Ave, Room S228
Pasadena, CA 91101
Email: [email protected]
Subject: Agenda Item 24 - Local Hiring Requirements: Central Library Seismic Retrofit Project Dear City Clerk,
Please include the following correspondence in the public record for City Council review regarding the Central Library Seismic Retrofit and Renovation Project (Agenda Item 24).
I respectfully submit observations regarding three key project documents:
February 3, 2025, Agenda Report authorizing the Construction Manager At-Risk (CMAR) delivery method.
August 1, 2024, Request for Proposals (RFP) for Building and Fire Plan Review Services; and
July 21, 2025, Agenda Report awarding the CMAR preconstruction contract to PCL Construction Services, Inc.
While all three documents reference Pasadena's local hiring goals or broader community benefits, none establish mandatory or enforceable local hiring requirements tied to project employment outcomes. The February 3 report references Pasadena business preferences under PMC §4.08.048, which pertain to contractors and vendors—not to the actual workforce or residents employed on the project. Similarly, the August 1 RFP includes only a permissive hiring preference, and the July 21 award highlights PCL Construction's voluntary workforce initiatives without making local hiring a condition of contract performance.
This approach risks excluding the very people who should benefit most: Pasadena residents, particularly those displaced by the Baton Fire and still living within the city, as well as existing local tradespeople, First Source placements, and graduates of City-supported pre-apprenticeship programs who remain unsponsored in union pathways.
Additionally, the First Source Local Hiring Ordinance under Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 14.80 applies to public works projects where the City determines applicability based on the project's nature, duration, and anticipated workforce needs (PMC §14.80.030). Despite the 7/21/2025
Item 24
Central Library Retrofit qualifying as a City-funded public works project, there is no clear evidence that First Source compliance has been formally applied to this project.
I respectfully recommend that City Council:
Direct staff to confirm and enforce First Source Local Hiring Ordinance compliance for this project.
Require submission of a formal Local Workforce Utilization Plan from all contractors, including:
o Designation of a local hiring coordinator.
o Partnerships with Flintridge Center, Pasadena City College, and the Pasadena Job Center.
o Collaboration with local union dispatch halls and apprenticeship sponsorship programs.
o Prioritization of displaced Eaton Fire residents living in Pasadena, First Source workers, pre-apprenticeship graduates, and local tradespeople. o Clear reporting on local hiring outcomes.
Given the historic importance of the Central Library and the significant Measure PL investment, Pasadena residents—the very community funding this project—should be prioritized as workers, not just seen through the lens of vendor or contractor business preferences.
Thank you for including this correspondence in the public record.
Respectfully submitted,
Ronald K. Matthews
CEO, RKM Construction
Local Hiring Coordinator
Good evening, Mayor, Councilmembers, and City staff. My name is Ronald Matthews, CEO of RKM Construction and Local Hiring Coordinator.
Before you approve this historic contract for the Central Library Seismic Retrofit project, I urge you to address a critical gap: there are no enforceable local hiring requirements tied to this project. According to the February 3rd project authorization, the August 1st RFP, and the July 21st contract award to PCL Construction, local hiring is treated as a voluntary preference—not a binding obligation. This is inadequate for a $195 million public project funded by Pasadena residents through Measure PL.
Pasadena's workforce needs a more surgical and targeted strategy. General outreach is not enough. We have displaced residents from the Eaton Fire still living in Pasadena, along with local tradespeople, First Source workers, and pre-apprenticeship graduates waiting for union sponsorship. These workers—many supported through past City-funded initiatives—risk being bypassed unless clear hiring requirements are enforced.
In fact, under Pasadena IVIunicipal Code Chapter 14.80, the First Source Local Hiring Ordinance should apply to public works projects like this one, funded with City-controlled bond revenues and involving City-owned infrastructure. Yet, in reviewing the project documents, nowhere has the City formally activated First Source compliance for this project.
Additionally, local hiring references in these documents are limited to Pasadena business preferences under PMC §4.08.048, which focus solely on contractors and vendors—not the actual workers being hired. This approach risks equating local hiring outcomes with contractor selection, ignoring the need for direct workforce inclusion.
I respectfully ask that Council:
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•
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Direct staff to confirm and apply Pasadena's own First Source Local Hiring Ordinance to the Central Library project before approving this contract.
Require a formal Local Workforce Utilization Plan (LWUP) from PCL Construction.
Asure that The LWUP has a dedicated local hiring coordinator.
Ensure direct engagement with local unions, job centers, and apprenticeship programs.
Prioritize displaced Pasadena residents, First Source placements, pre-apprenticeship graduates, and local tradesmen.
Establish enforceable, reportable hiring targets.
This plan should not only address immediate hiring needs but also serve as a pipeline to sponsor Pasadena workers into union careers, positioning them for employment in future phases of this project and beyond.
This project is more than seismic safety. It's about honoring public investment and ensuring that Pasadena residents, including those displaced and still living here, are participants, not spectators, in rebuilding their own community.
Thank you.