OPENING
ROLL CALL:
Staff:
PUBLIC COMMENT
CITY OF PASADENA
LEGISLATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE MINUTES
PASADENA CITY HALL
100 NORTH GARFIELD AVENUE
COUNCIL CHAMBER - ROOM S249
FEBRUARY 3, 2026
The Chair called the meeting of the Legislative Policy Committee to order at 5:04 p.m.
Councilmember Steve Madison, Chair (via teleconference) Vice Mayor Jess Rivas
Councilmember Gene Masuda
Matt hlawkesworth, Assistant City Manager
Brenda Harvey-Williams, Assistant City Manager
Karin Schnaider, Director of Finance
Chad Augustin, Fire Chief
Vie Erganian, Deputy Director of Finance/City Treasurer Alex Souto, Deputy City Manager
Alex Hernandez, Assistant to the City Manager
Kathleen Chen, Management Analyst IV
Arnold Lee, Chief Assistant City Attorney
Tamer Sabha, Recording Secretary
Chair Madison reported that he will be participating via teleconference, per the "Just Cause" provision pursuant to Government Code Section 54953.8.3; and stated that no one over 18 years of age is in the room with him.
Arnold Lee, Chief Assistant City Attorney, provided clarification on California Government Code 54953.8.3, and responded to
questions.
Yadi, Pasadena resident, encouraged the City to support Assembly Bill (AB) 1337, reforming the Information Practices Act to strengthen personal information privacy protections from government utilization.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES It was moved by Vice Mayor Rivas, seconded by Councilmember Masuda to approve the minutes of December 18, 2025, as
submitted:
AYES: Councilmember Masuda, Vice Mayor Rivas, Chair
Madison
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
OLD BUSINESS CONSIDERATION OF REVISED PROTOCOLS AND
PROCEDURES GOVERNING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR
RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL
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Chair Madison provided introductory comments and opened the discussion on City Council protocols and standards for more efficient meetings.
Chair Madison spoke in support of utilizing the lighting sequence used for public comment as an effective visual cue for tracking Councilmembers discussion on the dais, and proposed exploring a process to notify the City Council when the Mayor is unavailable due to travel or other exigent circumstances.
Vice Mayor Rivas and Councilmember Masuda echoed similar sentiments, noting the benefits of receiving advance notice when the Mayor will be unavailable.
The following individuals provided comments on the length of City Council Closed Session delaying the Public Meeting start time of 6:00 p.m.:
Humaira Afzal, Pasadena resident
Rachel Darling, Pasadena resident
Tamer Sabha, Recording Secretary, reported that the City Clerk's Office received one correspondence, which was distributed to the Committee, posted online, and made part of the record for this item.
Chair Madison spoke in support of allocating sufficient time for Closed Session, beginning Public Meetings on time, and stated that public comments from today's meeting will be conveyed to the full City Council.
Vice Mayor Rivas suggested exploring adopting a policy for setting a hard stop in Closed Session in order to start Public Meetings on time.
Following a brief discussion, on the order of the Chair and by consensus of the Committee, the information was received and filed
NEW BUSINESS APPROVAL OF THE FEDERAL & STATE
PLATFORMS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2026
LEGISLATIVE
02 Brenda Harvey-Williams, Assistant City Manager, provided introductory comments, and Kathleen Chen, Management Analyst IV, summarized the agenda report as part of a Powerpoint presentation on the item, with both responding to questions.
Chair Madison provided comments on the following sections of the Federal and State Legislative platforms:
Immigration: Federal immigration enforcement operations in the City, instances where Pasadena Police work
collaboratively with Federal government agencies, and stated the following for the record, "I would like the record to reflect 02/03/2026
03 that this is yet another casualty of the overreaching and unlawful conduct of our federal government presently."
Local Zoning Authority: Concerned with language that may suggest opposition to the State's interest in housing
development.
Campaign Finance: Asked staff for clarity on the citation of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.
Early Childhood: Recommended recognizing the efforts of Dianne Philibosian, an advocate of early childhood education in Pasadena, with a legislative bill or federal or state-funded program in her name, and exploring funding opportunities for after school and early childhood education programs.
Tort Reform and Workers' Compensation: Shared concerns
with permitting members of the City Council to make broad statements or take positions to support matters that would not be supported by the full City Council.
In addition, Chair Madison recommended including a section in the legislative platforms with verbiage of the City's commitment to fair and democratic elections constitutionally conducted at the State and local level, and adding language to support funding for the City's Fire Department headquarters and training center.
Arnold Lee, Chief Assistant City Attorney, provided background information on the "Campaign Finance" section of the 2026 Federal Legislation Platform, and responded to questions.
Alex Hernandez, Assistant to the City Manager, provided information on the Office of the Young Child, and responded to questions.
Alex Souto, Deputy City Manager, clarified the intent of the language in the "Tort Reform" section of the 2026 State Legislative Platform, and responded to questions.
Vice Mayor Rivas spoke in support of including language on the City's desire to work collaboratively with the State to preserve historic districts.
Tamer Sabha, Recording Secretary, reported that the City Clerk's Office received one correspondence, which was distributed to the Committee, posted online, and made part of the public record.
Yadi, Pasadena resident, advocated for the Committee to include the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (At) and regulation of drones in the legislative platforms. She also spoke in support of Zone Zero initiatives, exploring funding sources for Fire Department infrastructure projects, and requested the City Council hold a discussion on automated speed cameras.
Following discussion, the Committee requested staff make the following revisions to the legislative platforms:
02/03/2026
INFORMATION ONLY
Add a new section in the Federal Platform to include the City's support for election integrity;
Add verbiage to support collaborative opportunities with the State in the development of policy; and
• Revise the "Tort Reform" section in the State Platform to be more generalized.
Following further discussion, it was moved by Vice Mayor Rivas, seconded by Councilmember Masuda, to approve the staff
recommendation, including the amendments as detailed above, and forward the item to the City Council for consideration:
AYES: Councilmember Masuda, Vice Mayor Rivas, Chair
Madison
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
BRIEFING BY KYRA EMANUELS ROSS ON STATE
LEGISLATIVE MATTERS
Kyra Emanuels Ross, State Legislative advocate for the City, provided an update on state and local legislative matters listed below and responded to questions:
State legislature House of Origin bill deadline was January 30,2026;
Senate Bill (SB) 677 and SB 908, SB 79 cleanup bills;
AB 1421, requires California Transportation Commission to conduct a study and provide recommendations related to a road usage charge or mileage-based fee system;
• Budget subcommittee hearings examining Governor's
budget and preparing Budget Bill with a deadline of June 15, 2026;
Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) estimates budget deficit of $18 billion;
Bill introduction deadline for new bills on February 20, 2026, with 250 bills introduced this year and an expected 2,500 to be introduced by the deadline;
State Legislative advocates for the City scheduled to meet with Senator Wiener to discuss protections for historic districts and resources; and
Policy issues emerging this year include wildfire and disaster recovery, housing affordability, social media and teens, and immigration.
Following discussion, on the order of the Chair and by consensus of the Committee, the information was received and filed.
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CITY INVESTMENTS
Karin Schnaider, Director of Finance, summarized the agenda report as part of a Powerpoint presentation on the item, and responded to questions.
Vie Erganian, Deputy Director of Finance/City Treasurer, provided information on the City's Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policy, Fire and Police Retirement System (FPRS) Board pension fund investment policies, and responded to questions.
The following individuals spoke in support of adopting a stronger ethical investment policy, rejecting the proposed ethical investment resolution, and provided other comments on the matter:
Avraham Stern Coutin, Pomona resident
Dr. Lena Al Sarraf, Pasadena resident
Rick Chertoff, Sherman Oaks resident
Jesse Duker, representing The Jewish Federation
Rachel Darling, Pasadena resident
Brooklyn Kleckley, Pasadena resident
Zayna Altoubal, residence not stated
Michael Flynn, residence not stated
Eric Pettit, residence not stated
Humaira Afzal, Pasadena resident
Lucinda Wills, Pasadena resident
Teri Stein, residence not stated
Bailey Payne, Pasadena resident
Estee Chandler, residence not stated
Edmond Mandin, Highland Park resident
Rob Muthial, Pasadena resident
Bert Newton, representing Pasadena for Palestine
Erin Scott-Walsh, Pasadena resident
Sandy Annala, residence not stated
Sharon Washington, representing Harvest Rock Salt & Light Reformers
Vice Mayor Rivas spoke in support of the Committee recommending to the City Council that the ESG policy clearly articulates the City's values by prohibiting investments in fossil fuel producers, weapons manufacturers, and private prison companies, and recommend and encourage the FPRS to adopt a similar ESG model.
Following discussion, it was moved by Vice Mayor Rivas, seconded by Councilmember Masuda, to recommend updating the City's Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policy framework to prohibit investments in fossil fuel producers, weapons
manufacturers, and private prison companies; recommend to the Fire and Police Retirement System (FPRS) Board to review and consider adopting a similar ESQ model; and forward the item to the City Council for consideration:
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06 AYES: Councilmember Masuda, Vice Mayor Rivas, Chair
Madison
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
ZONE ZERO UPDATE
Chad Augustin, Fire Chief, provided introductory comments, presented a Powerpoint presentation on the item, and responded to questions.
Councilmember Masuda expressed cost and enforcement concerns related to the State-mandated Zone Zero requirements and its effect on the Upper hlastings Ranch community after the Eaton Fire.
Chair Madison spoke on the importance of local control and the effectiveness of the Fire Department inspections and compliance of residents.
The following individuals provided comments on Zone Zero, wildfire resilience and management, and protecting the City's urban canopy:
Yadi, Pasadena resident
Jessica Richards, Pasadena resident
Rebecca Rea, Pasadena resident
Nick Giovanazzi, representing Pasadena Heritage
Tamer Sabha, Recording Secretary, reported that the City Clerk's Office received five letters, which were distributed to the Committee, posted online, and made part of the public record.
Following discussion, the Committee directed staff to monitor updates to Zone Zero and return to the next Committee meeting in March 2026 to present a recommendation for alternative methods that provide similar fire safety results as outlined in the Zone Zero regulation.
BRIEFING BY CHRIS GIGLIO ON FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE
MATTERS
Chris Giglio, Federal Legislative advocate for the City, provided an update on the following legislative matters listed below and answered questions on the following topics:
Budget spending package will fund the Federal
government until September 30, 2026;
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget guardrails for actions of Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE);
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ADJOURNMENT
p
ATTEST:
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Budget package includes $1 million earmarked for Jackie Robinson Community Center renovations; and
Presidential Executive Order related to local permitting processes and rebuilding from the Palisades and Eaton
fires
Following discussion, on the order of the Chair and by consensus of the Committee, the information was received and filed.
PAST AGENDAS FOR CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
a. Accessibility and Disability Commission - January 27,2026 b. Arts & Culture Commission -January 14,2026
c. Code Enforcement Commission - January 22,2026
d. Commission on the Status of Women - January 7, 2026
e. Community Police Oversight Commission - January 8,2026 f. Design Commission - December 27,2026
g. Environmental Advisory Commission - January 13,2026
h. Hahamongna Watershed Park Advisory Commission -
January 27, 2026
Human Relations Commission - January 6,2026
j. Human Services Commission - January 14,2026
k. Library Commission - January 21,2026
1. Northwest Commission - January 13,2026
m. Old Pasadena Parking Meter Zone Advisory -January 15, 2026
n. Pasadena Rental Housing Board - January 15,2026
o. Planning Commission - January 14,2026
p. Recreation and Parks Commission - January 6,2026
q. Senior Commission - January 13,2026
r. Transportation Advisory Commission - January 22,2026 Following a brief discussion, on the order of the Chair and by consensus of the Committee, the information was received and filed. io^derqf the Ch^ir, the regular meeting of the Legislative tfcy CG^nmitt^e was ac(journed at 8:18 p.m.
Co/uncilmember Steve Madison, Chair
Legislative Policy Committee
Tamelr Sabha
Recording Secretary
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