Attachment B
CITY OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
2026 State Legislative Platform
Part I - Guiding Principles
1) Preserve Local Funding
The City of Pasadena supports the protection of existing state and local funding sources and the authorities that provide revenues to the City. Such areas include the protection of state-shared revenues, assets of the former redevelopment agency, development impact fees, and the ability to collect compensation for the use of the public right-of-way or City-owned facilities. The City opposes any new mandates that are unfunded and/or inadequately funded.
2) Preserve Local Authority
The City supports local decision-making authority and opposes preemption of local control. Cities are voluntarily created by the residents of a community to provide local self-government and to make decisions at a local level to best meet the needs of the community. Each community has unique needs and characteristics that are best met by policies set by its local governing body. Every year, several pieces of high-profile legislation are introduced which serve the purpose of superseding local discretion and land use controls generally established to maintain the immediate community's quality of life standards. Statewide efforts to remove the ability to set policy at the local level should be opposed. The City promotes legislation that allows flexibility in the City's efforts to cost-effectively meet goals and mandates.
The City supports efforts that help municipalities maintain local control for reasonable development standards of land use regulation for housing, including accessory dwelling units and single family-zoned properties. The City opposes efforts that would threaten local decision-making authority to oversee local revenue-raising measures and resources for critical services and infrastmcture.
Part II -legislative Priorities
Disaster and Pandemic Responses
Direct and timely fiscal aid is the only way communities like Pasadena are able to respond to natural disasters and pandemics, such as the January 2025 Baton Fire disaster and the COVID-19 pandemic. Direct and timely aid is necessary to maintain continuity of vital services in areas like public health, public safety, utility services, and outreach to the City's most vulnerable residents. The City supports legislation and state actions that would provide:
Direct fiscal assistance to local governments of all population sizes to address the catastrophic loss of revenue resulting from a natural disaster, global pandemic, or other similar disasters.
Funding towards building capabilities by local governments to respond to bioterrorism events.
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Direct fiscal assistance to local health jurisdictions to support expanded epidemiological functions such as case investigation, contact tracing, testing, medical countermeasures (such as vaccine distribution), environmental threat assessment, workforce development, and services that support family and child physical, mental health and wellness harmed by a pandemic, including access to food and housing, access to primary and preventive care services, and safety.
Direct fiscal assistance to publicly owned utilities to credit delinquent utility bills for their affected customers.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact:
Finance Department: (626) 744-4355
Housing Department: (626) 744-8300
• Public Health Department: (626) 744-6000
Water and Power Department: (626) 744-4409
Early Childhood
A comprehensive approach to early childhood must include whole child/whole family approaches that address the systemic needs of families. The City acknowledges that parents and caregivers must have adequate financial resources, stable quality housing, access to quality and culturally congruent healthcare, and proper nutrition to enable their children to flourish during the critically-developing period of 0 to 5 years of age and beyond. Improved access to high-quality early childhood education, including preschool, will help develop meaningful early learning solutions that support young children and their families. It is vital for early childhood education programs to have consistent, well- funded and diverse resources at the federal, state and local level. The City is supportive of legislation and funding to improve access to whole child/whole family approaches and early learning and care so that young children, especially those from low- and middle- income families, and their families can flourish during this critical developmental period of their lives.
A collaborative effort by the City that centralizes both children and their families is necessary for building a sustainable early-leaming system for all.
For more information about City positions on this topic please contact:
City Manager's Office: (626) 744-4333
o Office of the Young Child: (626) 744-4060
Housing Department: (626) 744-8300
Library and Information Services Department: (626) 744-4066 Parks, Recreation and Community Services: (626) 744-4386 Public Health Department: Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Program: (800) 304-0015 •
Density Bonus Law
The City supports changes to the current State Density Bonus law that will restore local control. These changes should allow cities to maximize their ability to protect local quality of life and retain the unique character of their communities. The City supports special consideration in meeting the State Density Bonus law for cities like Pasadena that have consistently invested in affordable housing projects and programs. Cities that have 2026 State Legislative Platform2
achieved appropriate housing goals, demonstrated commitment to affordable housing, complied with zoning requirements, and incentivized transit-oriented development, etc. should not be penalized by the imposition of state law which diminishes local authority.
The City supports compliant cities being granted relief and/or flexibility in response to the State Density Bonus law with greater regulatory attention focused on noa-compliant jurisdictions to address their affordable housing needs.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact:
Housing Department: (626) 744-8300
Planning and Community Development Department: (626) 744-6833 Zone Zero Legislation
The City supports policies to mitigate and prevent future wildfires from destroying homes and businesses. However, potential Zone Zero regulations could pit homeowners' insurance companies against the Pasadena Municipal Code and place a significant cost and labor burden on the City's staff to inspect properties and remove or cut back City trees, which would reduce shade in communities, increase cooling costs in the summer, and increase extreme heat risks for residents and visitors as a result. The City supports careful consideration of the spacing between stmctures and landscaping in a manner that does not have an overly impactful effect on live green trees and plants. The City also supports legislative initiatives and funding to administer Zone Zero regulations and support tree planting programs to offset canopy loss resulting from Zone Zero compliance.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Public Works Department at (626) 744-7311.
Technology
The City supports legislative initiatives and funding to promote the use of data and technology to create efficiencies, promote economic development, enhance public safety, improve transportation and mobility, improve sustainability, enhance municipal quality of life factors, and help solve other civic challenges.
The City supports:
• Legislation regarding cybersecurity and information sharing reform, as well as state resources to assist local government in meeting the challenges of cybersecurity. • State efforts to encourage investment in expanding fiber optic technology to homes and local government input in the distribution of financial incentives to meet community-specific needs.
Legislation to ensure funding for communities to offer accessible public, educational, and governmental (PEG) programming; cities' rights to collect and audit franchise fee payments; and, for the use of PEG funds for non-capital expenditures such as operations and online support.
Legislative initiatives and funding to advance economic and digital inclusion and equity for all constituents, including access to computers, high-speed internet, and 2026 State Legislative Platform3
similar technology; and to provide training in computer, cybersecurity, and technology skills.
Policies, legislation, and funding to increase the number of households and businesses which have access to low-cost or free high-speed and reliable Internet as well as low- cost or free quality, Internet-enabled technology devices and technical support.
Policies, legislation, and grants that treat internet access as an eligible utility for State housing vouchers and other subsidies.
Policies, legislation, and funding that ensure transparency, accountability and nondiscrimination of data, content, and algorithms.
Policies, legislation, and funding that promotes responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) use in government services, ensuring AI is developed and deployed transparently, with clear accountability, and without bias.
Policies, legislation, and funding to ensure public communication are accessible, multilingual, and inclusive, including funding for translation services, culturally competent outreach, and digital tools that support engagement with historically underrepresented communities.
The City opposes:
• Legislative and regulatory efforts to curb the ability of local governments to charge telecommunication providers fair and to seek reasonable compensation for the use and maintenance of public rights-of-way.
Any state intmsion into local permitting and zoning laws with respect to siting of telecommunications facilities.
Any legislation that would further diminish the City's ability to make future decisions to offer telecommunication services directly.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Information Technology Department at (626) 744-4220.
Tort Reform
The City supports legislation that reduces excessive tort liabilities and restores balanced legal protections for public agencies. Such legislation is critical to preserving public resources for their intended purpose of providing essential services to the community.
Legislation that the City supports include:
Limiting non-economic damages in public agency cases to the lesser of three times actual damages or $1 million, which aligns with recent proposals to ensure predictability and fairness.
• Expanding Proposition 51 principles to economic damages to ensure public agencies are only liable for their proportionate share of fault.
Reforming AB 218 to equitably balance justice for survivors of sexual abuse with the need to ensure the fiscal stability of public agencies. 2026 State Legislative Platform4
• Balancing deterrence, accountability, and service delivery for public agencies by restoring immunities for public agencies against liabilities that undermine core public functions.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact:
City Manager's Office at (626) 744-4333
• City Attorney's Office at (626) 744-4141
Workers' Compensation
The City of Pasadena supports legislation that preserves the intent of the workers' compensation system: to deliver prompt and fair benefits to workers who are injured on the job. The City believes that the system should promote employee health, function, and return to work.
The City supports:
•Continued enforcement of workers' compensation as the exclusive remedy for injuries arising out of employment (AOE) and in the course of employment (COE).
Consistent application of the AOE/COE standard for determining what injuries are covered for all employees.
Statewide fee schedules that control the cost of required medical and expense services allocated to claims.
Objective standards for determining permanent disability and apportionment to the actual causes of disability.
Medical treatment that is accessible; consistent with evidence-based, peer- reviewed, and nationally recognized standards of care; and enforced by medical professionals through utilization review and independent medical review.
Streamlining the system to minimize expensive and unnecessary litigation, including infonnation to injured workers that is relevant and easy to understand. • Vigorous efforts to reduce or eliminate fraud, waste, or abuse within the workers' compensation system, perpetrated by any party to the system.
Continued ability to pursue subrogation recovery from third parties responsible for injuries or illnesses to City employees, ensuring that liable parties are held accountable and that the City is reimbursed for associated claim costs, thereby preserving the integrity and sustainability of the Workers' Compensation system.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact:
City Manager's Office: (626) 744-4333
City Attorney's Office: (626) 744-4141
Employee Compensation and Terms of Employment
The City supports local control over employment decisions not already preempted by state or federal law. Each year the state legislature introduces numerous bills which have the effect of eroding local control over employment, including such things as 2026 State Legislative Platfonn5
compensation and benefits, collective bargaining agreements, and employee rights and privileges. Inasmuch as each city is unique, it is important to maintain local control over the discretionary nuances of employment that are not already regulated by state or federal law or regulation.
The City opposes legislation that would preempt local control over employment, compensation and benefits, collective bargaining, and employee rights and privileges.
More specifically, the City opposes any bill to establish citizen compensation commissions or committees, or compensation commissions or committees of combined membership with private citizens and any other persons or entities, when said commission or committee is charged with regulating local decision making with regard to compensation of local officials or employees. The City also opposes any bill that would limit local control over determining its own pension plans, pension financing, or the right to contract with the State Public Employment Retirement System for appropriate pension formulae and benefits available under state law.
IVIinimum Wase
The City finds that income inequality is a substantial economic and social issue facing Pasadena. When employees do not receive a sufficient wage for their labor, the community and taxpayers bear associated costs in the form of increased demand for taxpayer-funded services, including emergency medical services, homeless shelters, and other social and community-based services. Therefore, the City has an interest in promoting an employment environment in Pasadena that protects government resources while promoting the health, safety, and welfare of workers by ensuring that they receive a reasonable wage for the work they perform. The City has established a minimum wage that is more aggressive than the state.
The City supports legislation that would provide funding and support towards enforcement and wage theft for cities that established a minimum wage different from the state-mandated minimum wage.
Additionally, an unintended consequence of having a minimum wage different from the state-mandated wage relates to reimbursements from state funds. For example, non-profits who received state funds will only be reimbursed for hours worked at the state-mandated minimum rate and not at the higher minimum wage set by the City.
The City supports legislation that allows for the state to reimburse labor at the minimum wage required by the city in which the work is performed.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Human Resources Department at (626) 744-4366.
Support for Affordable Housing
The City has implemented an aggressive and creative program to maximize the use of resources for the creation of housing for very low-, low-, and moderate-income individuals and families, including the implementation of an effective Citywide inclusionary housing ordinance.
The City supports legislation that would provide additional resources for the development of affordable housing programs and/or expand code enforcement programs to protect 2026 State Legislative Platform6
existing housing stock. The City supports legislation that would require municipalities to provide assistance to people experiencing homelessness that reside within their jurisdictions either directly or through the financial support of homeless service agencies that provide services within or directly adjacent to their jurisdictions. The City supports legislation reforming the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to make development of affordable housing projects less costly and faster while minimizing legal exposure. The City opposes new regulations that would create cumbersome processes or other obstacles to the provision of homeless services, as well as any new legislation that would abridge or limit local regulatory mechanisms designed to increase affordable housing production (e.g., inclusionary housing programs). The City supports the creation of funding opportunities to assist municipalities in providing creative and permanent supportive housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Housing Department at (626) 744-8300.
Regional Housing Needs Assessment
The City also supports measures that give municipalities more opportunities to provide input in the development of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) process and changes to state law that recognizes the production and protection of all housing types in the City for the State's RHNA purposes. This includes counting the production of all types of residential and group care uses (where there is long-term residence), as well as converting covenanting market-rate housing to covenanted affordable housing.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact:
Housing Department: (626) 744-8300
Planning and Community Development Department: (626) 744-6833 Roadway Safety
The City supports the "Safe System Approach" to reduce collisions resulting in serious injuries and fatalities. This approach provides a holistic view of the road system that helps anticipate human mistakes and minimizes the harm caused to those involved when crashes occur.
The City believes speed limits should be established at the local level based on knowledge of roadway segments, local context, goals, engineering judgment, and the Safe System Approach principles. This includes supporting technologies, strategies and policies that advance local road safety.
The City supports:
Complete Street policies that support pedestrian and bicycle facilities to reduce the potential of crashes resulting in death and serious injuries.
Policies that allow for automated speed enforcement as a tool to enhance safety.
Policies to reduce distracted driving and enforce reckless driving and speed displays. 2026 State Legislative Platform7
Disabled parking policy reform to ensure future local efforts comply with ADA, allow access for people with disabilities, and preserve local control on how parking revenues are allocated toward accessibility improvements in public parking facilities and in the public right of way.
Parking enforcement officer safety via penalties against individuals who physically assault officers engaged in parking enforcement activities, and by allowing City employees responsible for parking enforcement to have confidentiality protection for their home addresses with the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Policies to reduce conflict points from the parking citation process to enhance officer safety, including the ability to mail citations in lieu of placing them on vehicles.
Policies that regulate the use ofe-bikes and/or further classify e-bikes and electric motorcycles to enhance safety.
Legislative efforts that preserve local citation autonomy and enforcement of state law.
The City opposes:
Any state efforts to mandate citation fine forgiveness, as this would threaten local funding and would remove local authority. The City is appropriately positioned to determine the need and details of such a program for its community.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Transportation Department at (626) 744-7664.
Copper Wire Theft
Copper wire thefts and related activities can harm those stealing it and endanger the public. A surge in these activities over recent years have caused numerous public safety issues, including broken streetlights that leave communities in the dark, utility and telecommunication outages, and broken electric vehicle chargers that strand drivers.
Because thieves can damage the equipment housing copper wire in the course of stealing the wire, the cost to replace the copper wire can often far exceed the value of the stolen wire. The City supports continued legislation to deter, prevent and stop copper wire theft.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact:
City Manager's Office: (626) 744-4333
Police Department: (626) 744-4501
City Attorney's Office: (626) 744-4141Public Works Department: (626) 744- 7311
Water and Power Department: (626) 744-4409
Expanded Health Coverage
In Pasadena, approximately 6% of residents did not have health insurance at the end of 2025. This number is expected to increase significantly - state-level projections estimate 69,000 more Califomians becoming potentially uninsured in 2026 - due to the expiration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies on December 31, 2025. People who are 2026 State Legislative Platform8
uninsured and underinsured face significant barriers to obtaining needed health services, oflten leading to needless death, disability, and increased cost of care. Social, economic, racial, and ethnic factors also contribute to significant health disparities. To address these issues, the City supports legislation to improve health coverage in a comprehensive manner provided adequate funding and cost controls are in place.
The City supports enhancement to state sponsored health care mechanisms consistent with the set of principles approved in October 2009 by the City Council to guide comprehensive health care reform:
Reduce long-term growth of health care costs for families, individuals, businesses, and government.
Retain coverage for behavioral health services (mental health and substance abuse treatment).
Protect families from bankruptcy or debt because of health care costs.
Guarantee choice of doctors, hospitals and health plans and the choice of a private or public health care plan.
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Invest in prevention and wellness.
Improve patient safety and quality of care.
Maintain coverage when someone changes or loses a job.
Assure affordable, quality health insurance coverage.
End barriers to coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions.
Eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in government health programs. • Hold insurance and dmg companies accountable by ensuring that people are not overcharged for prescription drugs or discriminated against for pre-existing conditions.
Support public hospitals and other providers in the health care safety net so that those who fall through the cracks of expanded health coverage may still receive care, and so that surge capacity is available in case of public health emergencies; and so that the cultural competencies achieved by providers serving diverse populations are preserved and enhanced in a refonned health care system.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Public Health Department at (626) 744-6000.
Mental Health and Behavioral Health
Although the City is not a provider of comprehensive direct mental health and behavioral health services, the City supports legislation that enhances and improves mental and behavioral health services. The World Health Organization defines mental health as "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fi-uitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community." Several barriers to mental health care, including 2026 State Legislative Platform9
stigma, cost or access to appropriate care make it difficult for many individuals to achieve their best mental health. To address these issues, the City supports legislation to improve access to programs and services for mental and behavioral health. Additionally, the City supports legislative efforts that put mental health on par with physical health services, and that help people with mental health and substance use disorders get care and support.
The City supports efforts for reforming state policies and enhancing programs that improve mental health and behavioral health services, including substance use disorders, by:
Reducing the time needed to get an appointment or otherwise access desired services.
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Improving crisis care support systems.
Ensuring mental health benefit parity with physical health services.
Creating new frameworks, support structures, and other innovative programs, including court ordered services, to help people with mental health and substance use disorders get the support and care they need.
Modernizing and updating mental health definitions.
Supporting and expanding the mental health and behavioral health workforce.
Training first responders to engage safely with people living with mental illness.
Encouraging age-appropriate mental health education.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Public Health Department at (626) 744-6000.
Skilled Nursing Facilities
Although the City does not license, regulate, or operate primary care, long-term care, or acute care hospital facilities, healthcare access and quality are key factors in improving quality of life for Pasadena residents. As such, the City is committed to exploring ways to hold federal and state regulatory agencies accountable for fulfilling their roles, as well as identifying local mechanisms to support healthcare quality. The City offers limited emergency and safety net healthcare services that interact with the larger private and public health care system: pre-hospital emergency medical services in the Fire Department and immunization, HIV testing, and tuberculosis treatment services in the Public Health Department.
The City supports legislation to enhance protections and care for skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents by strengthening state regulations that enhance SNF oversight and increased financial transparency and accountability. The City opposes legislation that would lead to a decline in SNF resident health outcomes and quality of experiences.
Additionally, the City believes state policy reform should better protect SNF residents and improve the working enviromnent for individuals who care for them.
There are more than 1,000 licensed beds in the 12 skilled nursing facilities located in the City that are licensed and regulated by the California Department of Public Health 2026 State Legislative Platfonn10
(CDPH). The health and safety of this medically frail population is entirely dependent on the quality of health care provided by privately-owned SNF operators and their staff, and the ability of CDPH to inspect, cite, and regulate them. The City supports legislation that assures the quality of health care provided at these facilities meets or exceeds state and federal (U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid) regulatory standards and is delivered ethically, responsibly, and equitably. The City supports enhancement of state mechanisms to promote SNF accountability, increase state capacity to investigate complaints, and improve state capability to respond to crises through:
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Enhanced resident and family education to promote understanding of their legal rights.
Provision of adequate medical oversight by a licensed physician in each SNF.
Expanded requirements for professional qualifications to ensure facilities are operated by skilled individuals with a commitment to serving our aging population.
Strengthened state regulatory authority over management and contracting practices to ensure residents receive the services and resources they pay for at a fair price.
Improved accountability by increasing fines and penalties for violations of state requirements.
Increased liability for poor quality of care that causes harm or death to residents.
Improved state capacity to investigate complaints and capability to respond to crises.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Public Health Department at (626) 744-6000.
Protection of Children Against Sexual Predators
Although the Police Department continues to monitor registered sex offenders, not all released offenders comply with registration requirements. The failure of offenders to register places an additional strain on Police Department resources due to the resultant need for investigations and the issuance of warrants. The City supports legislation to increase periods of incarceration for people who commit sex crimes against children, as well as additional law enforcement tools to track sex registrants after they are released from prison.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the City Attorney's Office at (626) 744-4141.
Incorporate the Region's Needs in Emerging Climate Change and Sustainability Programs
As state climate change legislation is being developed and implemented, the City supports legislation that:
Provides funding for infrastmcture needed to support Transit Oriented Communities (TOCs) and multi-modal transportation solutions.
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Supports efforts to encourage smart, sustainable, and equitable growth and TOCs that preserve the authority of local agencies.
Supports initiatives that promote demand management and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction strategies.
Advocates for the connection between sustainable comniunity strategies and funding for the projects and programs needed to support increased non-auto travel.
Reduces GHG emissions from buildings and preserves the authority of local agencies to reduce GHG emissions from buildings.
Creates funding mechanisms for climate mitigation and adaptation work assessed against generators of climate pollution.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact:
City Manager's Office: (626) 744-4333
• Transportation Department: (626) 744-7664
Water and Power Department: (626 744-4409
Group Homes
The City supports legislation that would provide increased oversight by the state and/or reduce the potential for over-concentration of group homes within a defined geographic area. The City has concerns regarding residential care facilities that serve as sober living homes. Since federal law classifies recovering drug and substance abusers as handicapped and allows unrestricted location of group homes for the handicapped, local governments have little control over the placement of these sober living facilities in their communities. While the City does not oppose the presence of residential group homes within Pasadena, the City believes that, like any other home or business, it should have local control over the placement of residential group homes within the community.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Housing Department at (626) 744-8300.
Inverse Condemnation Law Clarification
The City supports an implementation law to give public entities guidance on the types of "public improvements" that are considered subject to inverse condemnation laws, rather than just traditional rights of action under the Government Claims Act. More specifically, trees should not be considered a public improvement as to do so would have the potential of eliminating the urban forest. Regarding the City's electric and water infi-astmcture, the City believes that inverse condemnation law and strict liability should not be applied if its locally owned utility adheres to current safety and operational standards.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the City Attorney's Office at (626) 744-4141.
Public Safety
The City's Police and Fire Departments and the City Attorney's Office are dedicated to excellence as critical and effective public safety agencies. The City supports legislation 2026 State Legislative Platform12
and funding to improve the safety, security, and quality of life for all Pasadena residents, businesses, and visitors.
Specifically, the City supports legislation that aims to:
Ensure public safety through the assistance and rehabilitation of individuals challenged with mental illness and/or substance abuse, and resources for these efforts to increase awareness, public education, and training opportunities.
Etihance state and regional initiatives to address homelessness and mental health crisis care, as well as grant programs that provide direct funding to cities to implement local strategies.
Prevent and reduce crime by assisting and providing supportive services for individuals in need and holding those accountable for crimes committed. • Provide funding to reduce and prevent gun violence, crimes, dmg use, gang violence, and to promote public outreach and intervention programs that specifically divert juveniles from the criminal justice system.
• Provide resources to reduce recidivism, rehabilitate recidivist offenders, develop additional diversion programs and expand funding for these efforts.
Encourage disaster preparedness and emergency planning, including funding opportunities for emergency operations centers, emergency management training and facilities, backup generators, fire safety equipment and maintenance inspections, vegetation management, and increased staffing needs.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact:
City Attorney's Office: (626) 744-4141
• Finance Department: (626) 744-4355
Fire Department: (626) 744-4655
Police Department: (626) 744-4501
Sales and Use Tax
The City strongly supports legislation to allow local government to collect sales taxes on remote sales, such as online and catalog purchases based on the delivery address.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Finance Department at (626) 744-4355.
Economic Development
The City supports legislation, funding, and administrative actions that strengthen local economic development tools and partnerships to promote job creation, small business growth, and equitable neighborhood revitalization. Economic development helps the City sustain a balanced tax base, foster entrepreneurship, and create opportunities for residents across all skill levels. However, California cities continue to face barriers to assembling resources and financing community-ser/ing projects.
The City supports efforts to expand, modernize, and increase access to state programs that enable local investment and job growth, including:
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The California Competes Tax Credit and California Competes Grant Program administered by GO-Biz, to attract businesses into the state and incentivize expansion.
Loan guarantee and other similar programs supported by I-Bank's Small Business Finance Center, to provide low-interest loans and guarantees for local businesses and infrastructure projects.
The Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) and Workforce Development Boards, to build inclusive regional economies and strengthen local hiring pipelines.
Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts (EFIDs) and Community Revitalization Investment Authorities (CRIAs) as redevelopment-style tools, to improve infrastmcture, affordable housing, and commercial con-idors.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact City Manager's officeat(626)744-4333.
California Public Employees' Retirement System
The City supports a state pension system that is well funded, stable, and transparent.
Recent efforts by the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) Board of Directors and its staff have indicated that they are willing to undertake additional risk to achieve unrealistic investment targets while at the same time seeking legislation to enable conducting such transactions in closed session without public reporting or disclosure.
The City opposes any efforts to take on additional risk in an effort to preserve or increase an unsustainable discount or investment return rate. This includes efforts to take on additional leverage/debt to achieve such rates. Additionally, the City opposes legislation that would increase or expand CalPERS' ability to make investment decisions in closed session without complete transparency.
For more infonnation about City positions on this topic, please contact the Finance Department at (626) 744-4355.
Solid Waste Resource Management
The City is committed to waste reduction and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which is an important strategy for redesigning problematic waste products and packaging.
This approach would also reduce the financial and environmental burdens placed on local jurisdictions for managing these products at their end-of-life by shifting these responsibilities to the product manufacturers.
As such, the City adopted an EPR Resolution in 2010, which included expanding product stewardship efforts, and updated key initiatives in the City's Zero Waste Strategic Plan to extend producer responsibility in the City's path to achieving zero waste by the year 2040 through 19 waste reduction strategies. California has set a statewide goal of a 75% reduction in organics disposed by 2025, which continues to drive the City's solid waste management plan.
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Additionally, in November 2018, China implemented a Green Sword Policy that drastically lowered the contamination level of accepted items and eliminated the import of mixed plastics and unsorted paper. These changes have affected the entire recycling market and have forced recycling programs to change to meet market demands.
Additional programs the City supports include:
Public Education: The City supports educational programs for the public about packaging materials currently accepted in municipal curbside recycling programs, verification of resin codes on plastic materials before recycling, and minimization of recycling contamination levels.
Standardization of Recycling Labeling: The City supports legislation at the state and federal levels aimed at standardizing the resin code labeling on plastic packaging to make it easier to locate on the item and easier for the consumer to read. It is necessary for the labeling to be easily read by using a sufficient text size and locating the resin code in a standard location on the item. This will facilitate the proper sorting of plastics by consumers and processors and minimize contamination levels of recycled material.
Product and disposal bans: The City supports legislation aimed at reducing disposable products and packaging, including product and disposal bans for environmentally problematic materials. Legislation should not overly burden municipalities with data capture, reporting, and enforcement, but should include reasonable phase-out periods. • EPR Initiatives: The City supports EPR initiatives to place a shared responsibility for end-of-life product management on the producers, and all entities involved in the production chain, instead of passing costs along to the general public or municipalities. Initiatives should encourage product design changes that minimize a negative impact on human health and the environment at every stage of the product's lifecycle.
Organics processing: Effective January 1, 2022, SB 1383 (Lara, 2016) required California cities to recycle their organic waste, including food waste. The City supports funding and pennitting assistance to help facilitate local and regional organics processing capacity and fund additional related program costs.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Public Works Department at (626) 744-7311.
Public Libraries
The City supports:
Including libraries in state emergency preparedness and climate adaptation plans, with funding to provide visitors with backup power, act as cooling centers for the public, and serve as emergency communications centers.
• Requirements for transparency in third-party educational and library software used in public institutions.
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For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Library and Infonnation Services Department at (626) 744-4066.
Part III - Funding Priorities
State Route 710 Northern Stub Area - Reconnecting Communities Through the City's collaborative multi-year effort with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the California Transportation Commission approved the relinquishment of the State Route 710 Northern Stub transportation network in June 2022 and transferred ownership of the 50-acre area to the City in August 2022. The City is working with community stakeholders to identify future land uses and to define the local street network. The City is supportive state and federal funding for this project, which will include restoration efforts in line with the City's Complete Streets Policy, provisions for local mobility, neighborhood connectivity, and opportunities for development in line with the City's General Plan Guiding Principles. The City supports infrastructure funding for the transition of freeway facilities to local street networks in order to provide for the safe movement of people and financing mechanism to support infrastructure in this area that were removed to build the freeway.
For more information about City positions on this topic please contact the City Manager's Office at (626) 744-4333.
Metro A Line Foothill Extension: Pomona to Montclair
The City supports funding and/or legislation that would expedite completion of the third phase of the A Line extending the line from the City of Pomona to the City ofMontclair.
This will relieve congestion in the area and provide a sustainable modal choice for residents in the San Gabriel Valley.
For more information about City positions on this topic please contact the Transportation Department at (626) 744-7664.
Pasadena Transit
Pasadena Transit is one of the largest locally funded fixed route transit systems in Los Angeles County. This bus system connects 1.6 million annual trips (pre-COVID-19) to the regional transit network and is an essential transportation option allowing Pasadena to achieve its mobility goal of being a city where people can circulate .without a car. As a locally funded transit agency in Los Angeles County, the City of Pasadena is precluded by state statute from directly receiving most state and federal transit funds. The options for access to state and federal funding, either formula or grant based, are extremely limited and the few that are available are met with significant competition.
To advance the City's commitment to providing safe and accessible transit, the City supports opening up state funding opportunities to operators that are not included in any state (or federal) formula funding for both capital and operating needs. The City supports:
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State funding opportunities and other resources, including tax credits, for transitioning to, expanding, operating, and sustaining a zero-emissions public transit fleet, which includes buses, charging/fueling infrastmcture, an operations maintenance facility, and operating funds to secure and expand services.
Resources for the construction and operations of a network of hydrogen production sites in the region, especially green hydrogen production infrastmcture.
For more information about City positions on these topics, please contact the Transportation Department at (626) 744-7664.
UtUity
Pasadena operates its own municipal water and power utility, Pasadena Water and Power (PWP). The City is supportive of state funding for investments in water and energy infrastructure that have immediate and long-lasting impacts on both the environment and the economy. This includes investments and other funding opportunities to address aging water infrastmcture (such as pipeline and reservoir replacement and upgrades), water reuse and supply projects, new wells, seismic retrofits, water quality treatment, storm water management, utility modernization (e.g. advanced metering infrastructure), power plant emissions retrofits, replacement of old inefficient generators with new clean energy technologies to reduce carbon emissions, construction of transmission lines to access renewable resources, smart grid implementation, energy storage, electric vehicle charging infrastmcture, and building electrification. The City's funding priorities include:
Sunset Complex Improvements
Sunset Reservoirs 1 and 2 were constmcted in 1888 and 1900, respectively, and need major repairs and seismic upgrades. Collectively, they store 15.4 million gallons of water and are critical to the City's water system. This project includes a new groundwater treatment facility. Project design and planning is currently underway.
Groundwater Contamination in Pasadena Sub-Area
The Raymond Basin groundwater in the Pasadena sub-area has been impacted by perchlorate contamination. Efforts are underway to understand the source of the problem and determine legal responsibility. Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) has constmcted and is operating a treatment plant to address the known contaminants in the plume. Design and constmction for additional treatment plants are underway. The treatment requirements and cost recovery will continue to evolve.
Arroyo Seco Pump-Back Project
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (LACPW) initiated a sediment removal project that will restore reservoir capacity behind Devil's Gate Dam.
LACPW is also proposing a related stormwater capture project that would include a new pipeline and pumping system to pump storm water held behind the dam up to the PWP owned-and-operated Arroyo Seco infiltration basins for local recharge.
Percolation of stormwater would improve groundwater conditions for the benefit of several communities in the San Gabriel Valley.
Water Reuse
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PWP plans to enhance the City's local water supply reliability by developing water reuse projects, which could provide approximately 10 to 25% of the City's water demand by delivering additional water supplies for groundwater recharge, new development, landscape irrigation, and other uses in the future.
Arroyo Seco Canyon Project
The 2009 Station Fire in the Angeles National Forest caused significant damage to PWP's water diversion facilities in the Arroyo Seco Canyon area. PWP is working with state and federal agencies to gather funding for repairs and upgrades to the stream intake structure and spreading basins needed to capture stonnwater run-off from nearby mountains that will filter into the aquifer and to recharge the groundwater basin. These improvements will restore the City's ability to utilize its long-standing surface water rights. Replenishing local groundwater allows for increased local supply resilience and helps optimize the utilization of regional and local water resources. The project will also revitalize a portion of the Arroyo Seco stream, improve ecosystem health, and enhance the experience for recreational users.
For more information about City positions on these topics, please contact the Water and Power Department at (626) 744-4409.
Public Health Services
As one of three cities in the state with its own public health department, the City provides core public health functions including infectious disease surveillance and control, community health assessment and planning, health promotion and policy development, specialty clinical services, and environmental health protection and enforcement activities. The nationally accredited Pasadena Public Health Department (PPHD) also serves as a health strategy catalyst, a backbone organization for supporting collective impact at the local and regional level. PPHD plays a critical role in identifying and responding to outbreaks of disease and other threats to the public's health, including threats from a bioterrorist incident or other emergency. The City supports:
Continued health promotion and community education about the value of immunizations as a method of communicable disease prevention, including state authorization for individual access to vaccines that are based on science. •Expanded opportunities for funding to address chronic disease prevention and treatment for conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and other preventable health conditions, including funding for Community Health Workers (CHWs), or Promoters, to reach the most vulnerable individuals in the community.
Funding that strengthens core public health capacities in all relevant areas and opposes any cuts to funding.
Designating awards of specific funds directly to local health jurisdictions, rather than through county distribution processes.
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Continued state funding to local health department jurisdictions in support of preparedness, response, and recovery activities in the event of an infectious disease outbreak, epidemic or pandemic, and natural or mamnade disasters.
Funding to provide consumers, parents, and youth with health and safety information related to cannabis use.
Funding opportunities for tobacco use prevention (including tobacco retail enforcement), mental health resources, substance abuse prevention and treatment, and nutrition assistance to reduce food insecurity.
Funding for city-based collective impact initiatives to improve outcomes for child health (including oral health), wellness, and educational achievement.
Specifically, these efforts include preventing or mitigating the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), reducing racial disparities in infant mortality and maternal perinatal outcomes, or improving the rates of kindergarten readiness among preschool age children.
Policies, legislation, and funding that preserves local access to services that advance women's reproductive health, including access to abortions.
Policies, legislation, and funding for public health education and access to local services that support LGBTQ+ healthcare, sexual health, and reproductive services.
• Direct funding opportunities that provide local public health jurisdictions resources to participate in partnerships with Managed Care Plans, in accordance with state mandates and initiatives, including the Population Health Management Initiative in the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) Program and the Community Planning Process required by the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA).
The City also encourages the state to provide resources to strengthen the existing public health infrastructure by:
Developing effective and coordinated community mitigation, preparedness, and response systems for bioterrorism, emergence of new infectious disease threats (such as pandemic influenza and novel coronavirus), and other public health emergencies.
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Supporting the achievement of health equity.
Examining and addressing environmental influences on health and wellness including climate change.
Expanding behavioral health and substance use prevention and recovery programs.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Public Health Department at (626) 744-6000.
Soundwalls
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The process for prioritizing soundwall projects needs to be changed to allow the flexibility to address areas of greatest community concern and highest decibel reading.
In 1998, the responsibility for soundwall projects was transferred from Caltrans to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Metro changed the prioritization criteria to focus on high occupancy vehicle (HO V) related projects first, which exhausted all available funding. Projects of community concern, frequently with higher decibel readings, will not qualify for funding for an unknown number of years. The City supports legislation to amend the priority criteria for soundwalls to address areas of community concern.
For more information about City positions on these topics, please contact the Transportation Department at (626) 744-7664.
Street and Sidewalk Infrastructure
Maintaining and improving the condition of the City's local streets and sidewalks is fundamental to safe mobility, economic activity, and neighborhood quality of life.
Deferred roadway maintenance has increased long-term costs and reduced overall ride quality. The city supports legislation and programs, independent from transit and other transportation investments, that provide stable, dedicated funding for the preservation and rehabilitation of local streets and sidewalks.
The City supports:
Establishment of a long-term state funding source dedicated to local pavement preservation, rehabilitation, and sidewalk repair programs with ADA-compliant enhancements. Funding towards streets and transit projects are commonly lumped together, and transit projects often claim these funds to the detriment of pavement restoration work.
Protection and enhancement of SB 1 and related local street and road allocations for pavement maintenance and reconstruction specifically of roadway infrastructure.
• Adjustments to state funding formulas to address the declining purchasing power of gas tax revenues and ensure local streets receive adequate reinvestment. • Development of sustainable revenue mechanisms - such as mileage-based user fees or equitable electric vehicle surcharges - to offset the ongoing erosion of fuel-tax funding.
Incentives for local agencies that implement data-driven pavement management systems and demonstrate measurable progress in improving pavement condition indices.
For more infonnation about City position on this topic, please contact the Public Works Department at (626) 744-7311.
Public Libraries
The City encourages the state to provide libraries with multi-year funding models in order to ensure continuity of library services for the public beyond capital improvements, 2026 State Legislative Platform20
including dedicated operational funding to support staffing, extended hours, and essential services - especially in underserved neighborhoods.
The City supports continued funding for California's public libraries towards programs to support adult literacy, early childhood development, and career growth. In particular, the City supports state resources for:
Library partnerships with justice system agencies to support re-entry services, legal aid, and restorative justice programming
Library-housed youth diversion and literacy programs to reduce recidivism and promote educational equity
Library-housed career pathway programs for youth interested in careers in education, technology, and community service
The City also supports continued California Library Services Act (CLSA) funds that directly support library cooperatives located throughout the state in order to provide low- cost regional continuing education material, materials delivery to borrowing libraries, negotiated vendor rates, and general support. Maintaining funding at this very basic level ensures no further reduction in federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funding but does not provide adequate support levels for either the California State Libraries or public libraries. Municipal and other local funding entities are called upon to make up the losses incurred by this budget reduction.
In addition, the City supports the California Library Association Legislative Priorities that include:
Support for other efforts to lower the voter approval threshold for local library bond measures and special taxes to 55% (which could especially benefit Pasadena Library's historic buildings).
Funding from the state budget for capital improvements, towards historic buildings and to address critical life/safety infrastructure needs (which could especially benefit Pasadena's Central Library).
Repeat public library infrastmcture funding in following years (which will be essential to meet the demand/need for that type of capital improvement).
Funding from the state budget for additional high-speed, high-capacity, broadband access for all public libraries in California.
Funding and resources for compassionate and practical solutions for individuals using libraries that are experiencing homelessness and /or mental illness.
Funding for early learning programs and services and library after-school programs.
Funding for libraries to provide programs and resources to those impacted by public health crises, such as those who have lost their jobs or are underemployed, those experiencing mental health issues, needing help with schoolwork, and those experiencing social isolation.
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For more infomiation about City positions on this topic, please contact the Library and Information Services Department at (626) 744-4066.
Affordable Housing
The City supports the creation of a permanent source of state funding for affordable housing to replace the housing funds lost through the dissolution of redevelopment. The City will maintain due diligence by tracking and analyzing potential impacts from any proposed redevelopment legislation.
The City helps residents transition out ofhomelessness, provides wraparound services, and restores public spaces through funding from the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program. In the state's 2025-26 budget, the Governor only guaranteed $500M for Round 7 funding from HHAP and eliminated new funding for the program moving forward. To continue to help the City's residents who are experiencing homelessness, the City supports:
Restoring continued funding for HHAP, including an additional $500M in the state's 2026-27 budget for a total of $1B in Round 7.
• Disbursement ofHHAP Round 7 by September 2026 to avoid funding gaps.
Distribution of entire grants in one tranche of funding for Round 7.
Allowing applicants to revise their HHAP Round 6 application to reduce the lengthy application process, which currently takes six months.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Housing Department at (626) 744-8300.
Parks, Recreation, and Coinmunity Services
The City's Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department sponsors a variety of programs for some of the City's most disadvantaged neighborhoods and families. It also serves as the primary liaison to the Pasadena Unified School District. Working in tandem with other City departments, some important state actions to support include increased resources for:
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After-school and childcare programs.
Programs that improve recreational opportunities in the community, including those that recognize the impacts of strict water conservation measures on recreational facilities.
Parks, recreation, health, and fitness programs.
Gang diversion and anti-bullying programs.
• Capital improvements to aging parks and recreation facilities, as well as state funding opportunities for facility operations and maintenance costs.
Measures that maintain and strengthen funding for workforce development initiatives that provide innovative work and school-based programs. j
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Regarding City parks, the City adopted a city-wide Park Master Plan that identified a need for parkland across the City as well as acquiring open space. There are 26 parks in the City. There are multiple unfunded park projects in the City's Capital Improvement Budget. These projects include implementing park master plans for our regional, community, neighborhood parks, and maintenance of sports fields and courts. In addition, the City is also home to the Arroyo Seco. The Arroyo Seco is on the western edge of the City and extends eight miles through the City. This segment is a part of a longer 22-mile corridor that makes up the entire Arroyo Seco, a major tributary of the Los Angeles River. It is the City's largest natural open space and physically described as a deeply cut canyon linking the San Gabriel Mountains to the Los Angeles River. The City supports legislation that directs state bond funds to assist with the completion of park projects and the acquisition of additional parkland and open space.
To alleviate the impact of extreme heat conditions within City parks, Pasadena supports funding for shade structures to cover play equipment, bleachers and other park amenities.
The City seeks funds to accommodate park patrons who are precluded from using parks during bouts of extreme heat.
For more information about City positions on this topic, please contact the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department at (626) 744-4386.
Part IV - Sustainability, Energy, and Water Legislative Priorities Electricity Markets
The City supports energy and regional transmission market design that results in the use of lowest cost resources on a real-time basis and effectively integrates renewable resources while maintaining system reliability. The City opposes a regionalized electric grid that does not provide real benefits to ratepayers, unduly burdens California consumers, or has a governance structure that marginalizes or underrepresents California's interests. The western regional transmission market should fairly allocate transmission costs to avoid exposing California consumers to billions of dollars in costs for new transmission built outside of California and have a fair carbon policy and tracking to avoid increasing carbon emissions.
Environmental Stewardship
The City seeks to increase its role in promoting environmental stewardship and urban sustainability through activities such as the endorsement of the United Nations Green Cities Declaration, the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, and the adoption of the Urban Environmental Accords Action Plan. In addition, the City Council declared a climate emergency on January 30, 2023, and set a goal to source 100% of Pasadena's electricity from carbon free sources by 2030.
The City supports legislation that:
• Improves the availability of renewable energy.
Increases energy efficiency.
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Reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Reduces waste to landfills.
Reduces the use ofnon-renewable resources in the manufacture of products.
Supports green buildings and advances urban planning while protecting wildlife habitats.
Improves opportunities for environmentally beneficial jobs.
Enhances parks and recreational opportunities.
Increases the urban forest canopy.
Increases affordable public transit.
Supports cleaner emissions from vehicles.
Improves air quality.
Ensures and conserves safe drinking water.
Supports sustainable urban watershed and wastewater planning and implementation.
The City also supports renewable energy derived from sustainable resources such as wind, geothermal (steam), landfill gas (methane produced from decomposing waste), solar, and hydroelectric facilities that can be cost-effectively procured for residents and businesses.
The City supports air quality legislation that may include strategies to mitigate emissions as well as port operation legislation to reduce air pollution and also relieve traffic congestion. This is best demonstrated through the City's use of alternative fuel vehicles for City transit service and the recognition that more state attention should be focused on the ports and the movement of goods.
Greenhouse Gas Reduction
The City fully embraces GHG reduction through state compliance programs such as Cap and Invest, Renewables Portfolio Standard, and Low Carbon Fuel Standard. In addition, the City Council declared a climate emergency on January 30, 2023, setting a goal to source 100% of Pasadena's electricity from carbon free sources by the end of 2030.
Through PWP, the City meets accelerating targets through a combination of aggressive energy efficiency measures, the elimination and replacement of existing coal commitments with carbon-free resources, and ongoing infrastructure upgrades and modernizations.
The City believes that state policy should take a holistic and integrated approach to achieving GHG reduction and focus on collective efforts to achieve overall goals.
Priorities in the energy sector should include:
Investment in energy efficiency to reduce energy use and consequently reduce GHG emissions.
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Adoption of electric vehicles and supporting infrastructure to reduce vehicle emissions, which continue to be the largest contributor to GHG emissions.
Workable, affordable, and available solutions for zero-emission medium- and heavy- duty fleet vehicles while continuing to protect public health and safety.
Initiatives to reduce GHG emissions from commercial and residential buildings through incentives and policies that support building electrification.
Modernization of the existing generation fleet to reduce fuel use and emissions while improving reliability.
This integrated approach will result in a more cost-effective path to a low-carbon electric energy sector that maintains reliability, integrates renewable resources, and provides economic and air quality benefits in communities across California.
The City opposes GHG emissions reduction legislation that would add financial risk, create regulatory uncertainty, impact participation in market-based emissions reduction activities, or penalize early voluntary reduction actions.
Cap and Invest (formerly Cap and Trade)
The City supports the policy of administratively providing free emission allowances to retail electric utilities in proportion to their expected future emissions and to recognize potential impacts to the utility sector from transportation electrification initiatives. The City advocates for legislation that decreases the burden of Cap and Invest regulations through meaningful cost containment strategies, or that minimizes the duplicative burden of state and federal regulations on California consumers. The City further advocates for efforts to consolidate, coordinate, and streamline associated data reporting.
The City supports emissions reduction market designs that:
Acknowledge renewable resources that qualify under the RPS as zero-carbon resources that should not bear any GHG compliance burden.
Allocate allowances that help mitigate impacts to PWP customers while providing incentives for utilities to move to lower GHG emission portfolios. • Provide flexible compliance mechanisms such as banking and borrowing of allowances.
Allocate market-generated funds generated to GHG reduction-related activities and not as a revenue source for California's General Fund.
Support increasing participation under the Cap and Invest program to include multiple sectors of the economy and multiple jurisdictions, foreign and domestic.
Distributed Generation
The City believes that Distributed Generation (DG) resources should be included in its renewable portfolio. When classified as a RPS Portfolio Content Category (PCC) 3 resource, DG is undervalued. Additionally, in order to continue fostering the growth ofDG, particularly solar, it is important that DG customers share in the costs of maintaining safe and reliable grid operation. Net Energy Metering policies and "Feed- 2026 State Legislative Platform25
In" tariffs should be designed to reflect operating costs to ensure that those that benefit from the grid contribute to its buildout and maintenance.
The City supports legislation and regulation providing local control and support for:
Equitable rate design and tariffs.
Balance of state and local policy implementation and ratepayer equity.
Cost-effective storage integration.
Cost-effective zero-carbon distributed generation and cogeneration projects, standards, permitting, and local regulatory requirements for connecting resources to the local distribution system.
Ratepayer protections from deceptive or misleading sales practices by third-party leasing companies.
Energy Efficiency and Demand Reduction
The City believes that energy efficiency and demand reduction programs provide significant energy savings and peak demand reduction. The City supports funding opportunities and incentives for the evaluation and initiation of new cost-effective demand reduction programs to offset residential and commercial energy use and costs.
Renewable Portfolio Standard
The City supports California's goal of achieving 100% renewable and zero-carbon energy by 2045 but cautions against continued increases in program requirements at the expense of electric reliability. Resource procurement mandates should not limit choices and must also consider the unique circumstances, existing commitments, and customer needs of each utility. Since the implementation of SB 100 (de Lean, 2018), legislative proposals have been introduced calling for increasingly aggressive targets and earlier compliance timelines. The City strongly supports legislation that improves procurement flexibility, minimizes over-procurement of energy, and limits stranded investments that could adversely impact reliability, including the City's local power plant and existing energy procurement contracts.
The City supports:
Broader strategies for compliance and considerations for market and operational challenges so that RPS legislation can meet intended environmental goals, protect ratepayers from unnecessary economic impacts, and provide fully resourced utilities an alternative to opting out of RP S compliance.
Qualifying all renewable DG resources as PCC 1 under the RPS program, considering California's increasingly aggressive RPS climate. •Including large hydropower as an eligible resource under the RPS program.
Accessing a broader renewable market that is the most cost-effective and feasible way for utilities to meet California's ambitious mandates while protecting ratepayers.
The City opposes:
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Legislation that further expands California Energy Commission (CEC) jurisdiction over publicly owned utilities (POUs) Local elected governing bodies, such as the City Council, are best positioned to determine the appropriate means for local utilities to achieve carbon reduction goals.
Clean energy targets that would adversely impact electnc reliability. Targets must be practical so that utilities are able to protect both public safety and ratepayer affordability while encouraging environmental protection.
Technology-specific investment mandates. Maintaining flexibility for meeting resource procurement goals will better allow for electric utilities to maximize available resources and efficiencies and safeguard affordability for ratepayers.
Utility Operations
Cyber and Physical Security
The City supports a risk-based approach to prioritizing assets that need to be protected and opposes mandatory compliance with "one size fits all" security regulations that circumvent local control of City assets. The City supports the development of standard guidelines and best business practices to reduce vulnerabilities in cyber and physical security, and utility industrial control systems.
Regulatory Reportins
The City has a history of conservation efforts through the use of electronic correspondence and regulatory reporting in compliance with federal, state, and local policies and mandates. The City supports efforts to eliminate unnecessary and duplicative reporting requirements and streamline regulatory reporting and data submittals to multiple state regulatory agencies while still ensuring meaningful public transparency.
Green Job Training
The City is committed to energy efficiency and environmental quality and constantly explores opportunities to integrate green skills and certifications into existing traditional utility jobs. In collaboration with PWP, the City enthusiastically promotes career pathway programs and job training for green industries, including smart grid and solar industries.
Water Financing
The City supports the use of statewide bonds that support regional and local priorities as a sustainable option to manage California water resources.
Low-Income Water RateAssistance
Water service is a critical "lifeline" service and affordability is a central element to water access. When costs make water unaffordable, it can pose serious health and safety issues. The City supports locally administered low-income water rate assistance programs, and legislation that would enable public agencies, at their discretion, to develop and implement lifeline water rates for low-income households.
Proposition 218 Reform
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The City supports efforts to reform Proposition 218 in order to enhance the ability of public water agencies to finance stormwater and recycled water infrastructure, provide flexibility for the establishment of conservation-based tiered rate structures, prevent cost shifts from one customer group to another, and allow public agencies, at their discretion, to implement lifeline water rates for low-income households.
In 1996, California voters approved Proposition 218, which added Article XIII D to the California Constitution. Section 6 of the Article requires that water rates for any class of water users be proportionate to the cost of providing that service. The City believes public water agencies should be accountable for the revenues they generate through rate-setting, and that revenues should be commensurate with the costs of providing service. The strict proportionality and other provisions of Proposition 218, however, constrain the ability of local water agencies to finance recycled water and stormwater infrastructure through typical, ratepayer-funded infrastructure financing methods. This issue is compounded both by environmental regulations under the Clean Water Act that make it increasingly necessary to capture and manage stormwater and California's historic drought requiring utilization of all available water sources.
Public Goods Charse/Water Tax
The City opposes efforts to mandate a state water public goods charge unless funds remain within the local community. The City supports the creation of an appropriate source of state funding (e.g., the General Fund) for sensible and long-term solutions to address statewide water needs.
The City also supports beneficiary pays methodologies to prevent taxes or fees, particularly those imposed on PWP customers to fund infrastructure improvements or the cost of other water-related policies.
Water Infrastructure
Delta Conveyance
The City supports Delta Conveyance enhancement, as part of a comprehensive approach for making California's water supply reliable and sustainable. This includes updating the State's aging infrastmcture to transport at least 6,000 cubic-feet-per- second of water for the State Water Project (SWP), promoting the effective management of water supply, and respecting the protective measures of the Delta ecosystem. The City supports state and federal funding for water ecosystem projects that are cost-effective. Direct beneficiaries and "cost causers" should share in the funding ofinfrastmcture projects that provide long-term benefits to California and its inhabitants.
Protection of the State Water Project and Colorado River Supplies The SWP and Colorado River supplies are the primary drinking water source for more than 19 million Southern Califomians. Currently, the majority of the City's water supply is imported from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), which is primarily SWP and Colorado River supplies. The City supports funding opportunities and legislation that will improve reliability, access and affordability of both sources.
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Reservoir Rehabilitation
The City identified its reservoir facilities as being vulnerable to seismic damage in the event of an earthquake occurring in the Sierra Madre fault system. The City seeks funding for the rehabilitation of these reservoir facilities, which will increase the water system's reliability and water quality.
Water Resources
The City supports local control and determination of water resource selection priorities consistent with reliability, water quality, and sustainability objectives. The City opposes legislation and regulations that mandate specific selection criteria or priorities for water resource selection. PWP has developed a Water System and Resources Plan, which will establish strategies for managing Pasadena's local and imported water resources.
Conservation and Water Use Efficiency
The City supports statewide policies and funding that maximize efficient water use and reduce water waste in California while reflecting local conditions, demand hardening, and historic conservation efforts. The City supports a long-term conservation framework that recognizes California's climate diversity, past investments by water suppliers, and is based on an integrated water management approach including projects that both improve water supply reliability and reduce water demands.
The City opposes legislation and regulations that mandate specific water conservation targets or mechanisms that do not take these factors into account, including overall cost impacts. The City also supports water-use efficiency requirements being applied proportionally across all water-use sectors.
Drought
The City believes state and federal tax incentives should encourage customer participation in drought relief efforts. Through PWP, the City promotes the use of drought-tolerant landscaping and supports state funding for turf replacement programs. Short-term emergency conservation regulation should be based on current regional hydrologic conditions and the actual needs of the local water management system.
Environmental Planning
The City supports administrative or legislative action to streamline permitting processes and improve the clarity and workability ofCEQA. Specifically, the City supports efforts to streamline provisions that would result in meaningful reform.
Greywater
The City supports expanding the utilization ofgreywater as an alternative to potable water for irrigation and landscaping purposes. Fundamental to this expansion are standards for commercial and residential greywater systems developed with the concurrent goals of protecting public health and water quality.
Groundwater and Surface Water
The City supports legislation and regulation that promote responsible groundwater and surface water management while recognizing existing water rights, including:
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Land use policies that preserve and protect groundwater recharge basins.
Increased use ofstonnwater and recycled water for the recharge of groundwater basins in a manner that does not degrade groundwater quality.
Science-based policies that protect people from the impacts of groundwater contamination.
Integrated Regional Water Management Plan
The City supports the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP), which is a regional planning effort that will address water supply and water quality needs and objectives by integrating strategies and projects that may include water conservation and recycling, desalination, conjunctive use, flood management, stonnwater and urban mnoff quality, wastewater quality, habitat restoration and protection, wetland enhancement and creation, recreation, open space, sustainable urban watershed, and other water resource management initiatives.
Water Reuse
The City supports legislation, regulation, and funding to encourage and support California's use of water reuse as an alternative water supply. The City promotes water reuse as a resource rather than waste and supports funding opportunities for access to water reuse supplies, and for the implementation and construction of a water reuse distribution system. The City opposes legislation and regulations that mandate targets or use of specific water reuse sources.
Safe Drinkins Water
Regulations on safe drinking water are becoming increasingly stringent on local jurisdictions associated with water departments and on local and regional water districts. The City supports funding opportunities for contaminated groundwater treatment facilities in order to comply with water quality regulations. The City also supports legislation that revises water quality testing standards based on scientific data as well as legislative and regulatory activities that will help ensure a fair and balanced compliance and enforcement structure for potable and related water discharges. Additionally, the City supports legislation to address constituents of concern for drinking water through reasonable protocols and sound, science-based standards.
Water-Energy Nexus
The City recognizes the interdependence of water and power. Water deliveries depend on sustainable electric power, while power assets rely on sustainable water deliveries. The City supports water-energy nexus initiatives that promote sustainability, support the local economy, and improve quality of life:
Policies that recognize and support the significant impact that water conservation, water use efficiency, and water recycling can have in reducing GHG emissions. • Federal and state funding for water-energy conseryation projects and programs, including GHG reductions.
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Policies that recognize hydropower as a domestic source of climate-friendly renewable energy that also benefits flood control, water supply, air quality, and the economy.
Energy intensity policies and programs that recognize the need for water utilities to have flexibility in defining supply portfolios that both address local and regional needs and rely on diverse water sources to help ensure long-term sustainability.
For more information about City positions on these topics, please contact the Water and Power Department at (626) 744-4409.
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