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Agenda Report
December 8, 2025
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TO: City Council
FROM: Mayor Victor M. Gordo
SUBJECT: APPROVE THE AD HOC COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION TO
CREATE A NEW CITY COUNCIL STANDING COMMITTEE ON
PLANNING, HOUSING, AND HOMELESSNESS
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Find that the proposed action is not a "project" subject to the California Public Resources Code ("PRC") Section 21065 and within the meaning of California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") Guidelines Section 15378(b);
2. Approve the Ad Hoc Committee's recommendation to create a new City Council Standing Committee to be named the Planning, Housing, and Homelessness Committee; and
3. Conduct first reading of "An Ordinance of the City of Pasadena amending Title 2 (Organization and Administration), Chapter 2.05 (City Council), Section 2.05.170 of the Pasadena Municipal Code regarding the Council Economic Development and Technology Committee, and adding Section 2.05.205 to Chapter 2.05 of the Pasadena Municipal Code to create the Council Planning, Housing and Homelessness Committee."
BACKGROUND:
An ad hoc committee consisting of Mayor Gordo and Councilmembers Cole, Hampton, and Lyon met in recent months to determine if a new City Council standing committee should be formed to discuss matters relating to planning, housing, and homelessness in the City.
The ad hoc committee recommends moving forward with the creation of a new City Council standing committee on Planning, Housing, and Homelessness, to be named the Planning, Housing, and Homelessness Committee.
It is requested that the City Manager or his designee determine the appropriate Department to provide staffing support for the new Planning, Housing, and Homelessness Committee, as topics heard by the Committee will touch primarily on City Departments: Planning & Community Development and Housing. f
MEETING OF
12/08/2025
AGENDA ITEM NO..
9 Creation of a New City Council Standing Committee on Planning, hlousing, and hlomelessness December 8, 2025
The workload impact on staff is unknown, and the Committee will be mindful of that impact when formulating its work program. As of present, no new staff is being added for the Committee and existing staff is being asked to integrate work for this Committee into its workload.
The suggested scope of responsibility for this new Council Committee is as follows: the Committee shall review land use and transportation planning, housing and homelessness issues as well as other related matters which the Committee Chair, City Council, or City Council appointees determine are within the scope of the Committee's review, and shall be responsible to liaison with citizen advisory bodies which deal with these matters, including the Planning, Human Services, and Transportation Advisory Commissions.
The Committee shall be comprised of up to four (4) members of the City Council appointed by the Mayor. If four (4) members are appointed, three (3) members shall constitute a quorum. If three (3) members are appointed, two (2) members shall constitute a quorum. No action of the Committee shall be valid without the affirmative vote of at least two (2) members present.
The Committee shall, at its first meeting and from time to time thereafter, establish a regular meeting schedule, including time and place, and may hold such other meetings as it deems necessary or advisable. All of its meetings shall be held in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act or applicable successor statutes. The Committee shall have minutes maintained of its meetings. The minutes shall be distributed to the City Council.
It is envisioned that the Committee will meet two (2) times per month, alternating times with the City Council Finance Committee.
Existing language in the Pasadena Municipal Code referencing the Economic Development and Technology Committee's review of community development projects and affordable housing issues should be removed, as the issues of community development projects and affordable housing will now be under the purview of this new Council Standing Committee.
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION:
This action supports the City Council's strategic planning goal to support and promote quality of life, and ensure public safety.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") which excludes from environmental review actions that are not "projects" as defined by California Public Resources Code ("PRO") Section 21065 and within the meaning of CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b).
Creation of a New City Council Standing Committee on Planning, Housing, and hlomelessness December 8, 2025
PRC Section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b) define a project as an action which may cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. CEQA Guidelines Section 15378 excludes from the definition of "project" administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
The actions proposed herein, amending the PMC to modify the subject matter of one committee and the creation of another committee, are administrative activities, and therefore such actions are not "projects as defined by CEQA. Since the actions are not projects subject to CEQA, no environmental document is required.
FISCAL IMPACT
There will be costs to adding a new City Council Committee depending on the work program, but those costs have not yet been determined.
Respectfully submitted,
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VICTOR M. GO
Mayor
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