n
OPENING:
ROLL CALL:
Councilmembers:
Staff:
CIT^ OF PASADENA
City Council Minutes
December 1, 2025 - 5:30 P.M.
Pasadena Convention Center
300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101
SPECIAL WORKSHOP MEETING
Mayor Gordo called the special meeting to order at 5:59 p.m. (Absent: None)
Mayor Victor M. Gordo
Vice Mayor Jessica Rivas
Councilmember Rick Cole
Councilmember Tyron Hampton
Councilmember Justin Jones
Councilmember Jason Lyon
Councilmember Steve Madison
Councilmember Gene Masuda
City Manager Miguel Marquez
City Attorney/City Prosecutor Michele Beal Bagneris
City Clerk Mark Jomsky
CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOP ON ISSUES INCLUDING,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DISCUSSION OF CITY BUDGET, CITY
COUNCIL BUDGET PRIORITIES, CRITERIA FOR
PRIORITIZATION, MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT PROTOCOLS, AND
OTHER MATTERS IDENTIFIED BY MEMBERS OF THE CITY
COUNCIL
City Manager Marquez provided introductory comments on the item.
He also introduced Karin Schnaider as the new Director of Finance and welcomed her to the City.
Phillip Leclair, Chief Information Officer, provided introductory remarks on the item, provided details on his role as the workshop facilitator, and outlined the process for the City Council budget priorities discussion.
Matt hlawkesworth provided a Powerpoint presentation and reported on budgetary changes to CalPERS, pension increases, debt refinancing, processing fees, and developing goals and outcomes for fee-for-service programs. He also reported that City staff is analyzing upcoming funding cuts from the federal government, more specifically noting that housing, public health, and work force development programs are slated for federal funding reductions.
The following individuals advocated for the City to allocate funds for housing services for unhoused residents and/or provided comments related to the need for interim housing:
Council Minutes 1 12/01/2025
n
Councilmember Madison
excused himself and left
the meeting at 7:09 p.m.
Sonja Berndt, Pasadena resident
Joanne Long, Pasadena resident
Rex Mayreis, Pasadena 100, advocated for the City Council to prioritize funding for projects to achieve the City's adopted goal of Carbon Free by 2030.
City Clerk Jomsky reported that one letter advocating for the City Council to include Complete Streets & Street Safety Improvement Projects as part of the City's budget priorities, and one letter advocating for the City Council to improve its budget hearing process to provide greater transparency to the public, were received by the City Clerk's Office, posted online, and made part of the public record.
The City Council participated in a discussion regarding the criteria presented by City staff for setting goals and budget priorities, as well as the need for adding equity as one of the criteria to consider in the City's budgeting process. City staff and members of the City Council noted the importance of creating and maintaining a flexible budget that aligns with the City Council's priorities, while being able to shift and make real-time decisions to address critical needs (i.e., Eaton Canyon Fire response) when necessary.
Following staff's review of the 21 identified budget priorities, as well as a consensus building exercise by members of the City Council to narrow priorities to specific programs and services (which were later consolidated under programmatic themes), the City Council identified the following as top budget priorities:
Theme: Making City Roads Safer
• Roadways/Pavement Condition Index Improvements
• Traffic Enforcement
• Pedestrian, Bicyclist and Motorist Safety
Theme: Invest in Housing People, Homelessness Prevention • Year-Round Homelessness Shelter
• Homeless Transitional/Temporary Housing
Theme: Fire Preparedness
• Fire Department Facilities Upgrades & Training Center Theme: Community-Centered Economic Development
• Economic Development Strategic Plan Implementation,
Business Retention
• Implement Neighborhood Specific Plans
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ADJOURNMENT
ATTEST:
Theme: Climate Change
• Carbon-Free Electricity Transition - Resolution No. 9977 Other priorities receiving medium support included:
• Sustain Essential Programs When Grant Funding is Reduced or Terminated
• Debris Removal (Public Right-of-Way Clean Up)
The City Council continued its discussion on the priorities identified in the consensus building exercise, and provided suggestions on the various ways that staff can act on the City Council's programmatic themes and projects, including pursuit of alternative funding sources, and for staff to do the research and provide recommendations to City Council on how to best achieve outcomes in line with Council's agreed upon priorities. The City Council and staff further discussed improving business practices without having to allocate additional funding for certain services provided by the City, focusing on business retention in the City, and creating and focusing on meaningful performance measures that illustrate community benefits of City services and programs.
City staff noted that the budget discussion will continue as part of Phase 2 of this effort, with staff to come back to the City Council and provide more input on moving the process forward, as well as responding to questions raised.
The City Council expressed its appreciation to City staff for the opportunity to provide input on budget priorities at the outset of the City's budget process, and for the well-executed budget planning workshop.
Following discussion, on order of the Mayor, by the consensus of the City Council, the special meeting of the City Council adjourned at 8:09 p.r
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Victor M. Gordo, Mayor
City of Pasadena
CitfCfe^k/
Council Minutes 3 12/01/2025