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2025 SEP-8 AMI! =28
.CITYOERKCITY OF PASADENA
PASADENA CITY COUNCIL
September 8, 2025
Correspondence - Agenda Item 5
From:
Ronald K. Matthews
CEO - RKM Construction
Local Hiring Coordinator / Consultant
Subject: Support for First Source Local Hiring Commitment - Ramona Senior Housing Project (280 Ramona Street)
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council,
I respectfully submit this correspondence in strong support of Agenda Item 5, concerning the approval of the key business terms of the First Amendment to the Development and Lease Agreement with National Community Renaissance of California for the Ramona Senior Housing Project at 280 Ramona Street.
This project reflects Pasadena's best values: providing safe and affordable housing for our senior residents while also ensuring that the benefits of public investment extend directly to our community. With over $19 million in City contributions and an additional $5 million from the State's Local Housing Trust Fund, it is only fitting that Pasadena residents be given priority access to the jobs, apprenticeships, and contracting opportunities created during construction.
The inclusion of Pasadena's First Source Local Hiring requirements is a vital component of this project. These provisions are not just policy—they are a promise to our residents that growth and opportunity will be shared equitably. By linking affordable housing development with local workforce participation, the city is creating a model that builds homes and strengthens neighborhoods at the same time.
I commend the Council, City staff, and development partners for advancing such a thoughtful, community-centered project. I urge the Council to continue prioritizing and enforcing the First Source commitment as a condition of this approval, ensuring that Pasadena residents fully benefit from the opportunities this project generates.
Thank you for your continued leadership and for investing in Pasadena's people as we invest in its future.
Respectfully submitted,
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Ronald K. Matthews
CEO - RKM Construction
Local Hiring Coordinator / Consultant
Item 5