City of South Pasadena Page 1
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CITY OF SOUTH PASADENA
CITY COUNCIL
A G E N D A
SPECIAL MEETING
CLOSED SESSION
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2022
5:00 P.M.
CITY MANAGER’S CONFERENCE ROOM, SECOND FLOOR, CITY HALL 1414 MISSION STREET, SOUTH PASADENA, CA 91030
VIA ZOOM TELECONFERENCE
NOTICE ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION & ACCESSIBILITY
The South Pasadena Special City Council Meeting Closed Session for February 23, 2022 will be conducted virtually in the City Manager’s Conference Room, Second Floor, City Hall, 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena. Pursuant to, Government Code section 54953, subdivision (e)(3), the City Council may also allow public participation to continue via live public comment conducted over ZOOM.
Please be advised that to ensure the health and safety of the public, staff, and City Council, the meeting will be held virtually.
Public comment regarding items on the Closed Session agenda will be taken at the beginning of the meeting. The public will be released from the meeting so that the Council can convene closed session discussion of items allowed under the Government Code. Any reportable action taken in closed session will be reported by the City Attorney during the next open session meeting.
The Meeting will be available
• Via Zoom:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2264427248?pwd=aEFuSGszQ2I5WjJkemloTms0RTlVUT09 ID: 226 442 7248
Public Comments participation may be made as follows:
• Written Comment submitted by no later than meeting day, 12:00 PM, deadline via the website. • Via Zoom by raising hand function.
To maximize public safety while still maintaining transparency and public access, members of the public can observe the public portion of the meeting via Zoom in one of the three methods below.
1. Go to the Zoom website, https://zoom.us/join and enter the Zoom Meeting information; or
2. Click on the following unique Zoom meeting link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2264427248?pwd=aEFuSGszQ2I5WjJkemloTms0RTlVUT09 or
3. You may listen to the meeting by calling: +1-669-900-6833 and entering the Zoom Meeting ID and Passcode when prompted.
For additional Zoom assistance with telephone audio, you may find your local number at:
https://zoom.us/u/aiXV0TAW2
Closed Session Agenda
5:00 PM South Pasadena City Council February 23, 2022
City of South Pasadena Page 2:2
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CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Michael Cacciotti
ROLL CALL: Mayor Michael Cacciotti
Mayor Pro Tem Jon Primuth
Councilmember Jack Donovan
Councilmember Diana Mahmud
Councilmember Evelyn G. Zneimer
Participants will be able to “raise their hand” using the Zoom icon during the meeting, and they will have their microphone un-muted during comment portions of the agenda to speak for up to 3 minutes per item.
CLOSED SESSION AGENDA ITEMS
A. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL: REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATIONS (Government Code Section 54956.8)
Property Address: 815 Mission Street, South Pasadena (portion thereof) APN: 5315-020-900
Agency Negotiator: Arminé Chaparyan, City Manager
Negotiating Party: Zach Brown
Under Negotiations: Price and Terms
B. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL: REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATIONS (Government Code Section 54956.8)
Property Address: 1505-1507 El Centro Street,
Agency Negotiator: Arminé Chaparyan, City Manager
Negotiating Party: Stephen Godwin and Sally Smythe
Under Negotiations: Price and Terms
C. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL: POTENTIAL LITIGATION
(Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2))
Number of Cases: One
D. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL: EXISTING LITIGATION
(Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1))
1. Maria Marroquin de Navarro, et al. v. City of South Pasadena, et al. (LASC Case No. 20STCV07509)
PUBLIC COMMENT
CERTIFICATION OF POSTING
This Special City Council Closed Session Meeting agenda was duly posted for the meeting to be held on February 23, 2022, on the bulletin board in the courtyard of City Hall at 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030, and on the City’s, website as required by law, on the date listed below.
I declare under penalty of perjury that I posted this notice of agenda for aforementioned said meeting on the date signed and written below, and that same also appears on the City’s website as required by California law.
02/17/22 Christina A. Muñoz
Date Christina A. Muñoz, Deputy City Clerk
City of South Pasadena Page 1
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Michael Cacciotti
ROLL CALL: Mayor Michael Cacciotti
Mayor Pro Tem Jon Primuth
Councilmember Jack Donovan
Councilmember Diana Mahmud
Councilmember Evelyn G. Zneimer
CITY OF SOUTH PASADENA
CITY COUNCIL
A G E N D A
SPECIAL OPEN SESSION MEETING
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2022 AT 6:00 P.M.
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
1424 MISSION STREET, SOUTH PASADENA, CA 91030
VIA ZOOM TELECONFERENCE
South Pasadena City Council Statement of Civility
As your elected governing board, we will treat each other, members of the public, and city employees with patience, civility and courtesy as a model of the same behavior we wish to reflect in South Pasadena for the conduct of all city business and community participation. The decisions made tonight will be for the benefit of the South Pasadena community and not for personal gain.
NOTICE ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION & ACCESSIBILITY
Pursuant to AB 361 Government Code section 54953, subdivision (e)(3), the City Council may conduct its meetings remotely and may be held via video conference. Pursuant to such Executive Order, the City Council may participate remotely and not be physically present in the City Council Chambers. Until further notice and as such Executive Orders remain in effect, the City Council may also allow public participation to continue via live public comment conducted over ZOOM.
The South Pasadena City Council Meeting for February 23, 2022 will be conducted virtually from the Council Chambers, Amedee O. “Dick” Richards, Jr., located at 1424 Mission Street, South Pasadena.
Please be advised that pursuant to government code, and to ensure the health and safety of the public, staff, and City Council, as the Council Chambers will not be open to the public for the meeting and members of the public may attend and/or participate by the following means:
The Meeting will be available
• Live Broadcast via the website – http://www.spectrumstream.com/streaming/south_pasadena/live.cfm • Via Zoom – Webinar ID: 825 9999 2830
To maximize public safety while still maintaining transparency and public access, members of the public can observe the meeting via Zoom in one of the methods below.
1. Go to the Zoom website, https://zoom.us/join and enter the Zoom Meeting information; or
2. Click on the following unique Zoom meeting link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82599992830or
3. You may listen to the meeting by calling: +1-669-900-6833 and entering the Zoom Meeting ID and Passcode when prompted.
For additional Zoom assistance with telephone audio, you may find your local number at:
https://zoom.us/u/aiXV0TAW2
Special Meeting Agenda South Pasadena City Council February 23, 2022 City of South Pasadena Page 2:3
CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENTS
PUBLIC COMMENT GUIDELINES
The City Council welcomes public input. Members of the public can comment on a non-agenda subject under the jurisdiction of the City Council or on an agenda item, you may participate by one of the following options:
Option 1:
Public Comment speakers have three minutes to address the Council, however, the Mayor and City Council can adjust time allotted as needed. Participants will be able to “raise their hand” using the Zoom icon during the meeting, and they will have their microphone un-muted during comment portions of the agenda to speak. for up to three minutes per item.
Option 2:
Email public comment(s) to [email protected].
Public Comments received in writing will not be read aloud at the meeting, but will be part of the meeting record.
Written public comments will be uploaded online for public viewing under Additional Documents. There is no word limit on emailed Public Comment(s). Please make sure to indicate:
1) Name (optional), and
2) Agenda item you are submitting public comment on.
3) Submit by no later than 12:00 p.m., on the day of the Council meeting.
PLEASE NOTE: The Mayor may exercise the Chair's discretion, subject to the approval of the majority of the City Council, to adjust public comment(s) to less than three minutes.
Pursuant to State law, the City Council may not discuss or take action on issues not on the meeting agenda, except that members of the City Council or staff may briefly respond to statements made or questions posed by persons exercising public testimony rights (Government Code Section 54954.2). Staff may be asked to follow up on such items.
1. COMMISSION ANALYSIS STUDY SESSION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Consolidate the Public Works and the Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commissions to a seven-member Mobility, Transportation and Infrastructure Commission;
2. Dissolve the Animal Commission;
3. Dissolve the Youth Commission;
4. Consolidate the Animal, Youth, Senior Citizen and Park and Recreation Commission scopes of work to create a seven-member Community Services Commission, and reserve at least one seat each for members of youth and senior citizen populations;
5. Create an annual Animal Events Steering Committee within the Community Services Commission to focus on “Doggy Days” and “Be Kind to Animals Day” and other programming;
6. Absorb the Public Art Commission into the existing Planning Commission;
7. Dissolve the Finance Ad Hoc Committee; and
8. Dissolve the Economic Development Ad Hoc Committee.
ACTION / DISCUSSION
Special Meeting Agenda South Pasadena City Council February 23, 2022 City of South Pasadena Page 3:3
ADJOURNMENT
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
FUTURE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
March 02, 2022 Regular City Council Meeting Council Chamber 7:00 p.m.
March 16, 2022 Regular City Council Meeting Council Chamber 7:00 p.m.
PUBLIC ACCESS TO AGENDA DOCUMENTS AND BROADCASTING OF MEETINGS City Council meeting agenda packets, any agenda related documents, and additional documents are available online for public inspection on the City’s website:
www.southpasadenaca.gov/CityCouncilMeetings2022
Regular meetings are live streamed via the internet at:
http://www.spectrumstream.com/streaming/south_pasadena/live.cfm
AGENDA NOTIFICATION SUBSCRIPTION
If you wish to receive an agenda email notification please contact the City Clerk’s Division via email at [email protected] or call (626) 403-7230.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The City of South Pasadena wishes to make all of its public meetings accessible to the public. If special assistance is needed to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk's Division at (626) 403-7230 or [email protected]. Upon request, this agenda will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with disabilities. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will assist staff in assuring that reasonable arrangements can be made to provide accessibility to the meeting (28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title II).
CERTIFICATION OF POSTING
I declare under penalty of perjury that I posted this notice of agenda for the meeting to be held on February 23, 2022, on the bulletin board in the courtyard of City Hall at 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030, and on the City’s, website as required by law, on the date listed below. 2/17/2022 /S/
Date Christina A. Muñoz, Deputy City Clerk
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staff, Commissions, and City Council in serving the community.
Community Outreach
As a part of this analysis, the City Manager’s office strategically conducted outreach to ensure that feedback was solicited from all stakeholders, including staff, Commissioners, and residents.
Outreach efforts included announcing this effort at City Council meetings, hosting an online survey that became accessible on January 20, 2022 and closed on January 28, 2022 with twentyfive (25) responses, and a Community Input Discussion that was held virtually via Zoom on January 26, 2022 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm that had twenty-seven (27) attendees. Outreach for all of these feedback opportunities were posted across the City’s social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, the City Hall Scoop. In addition, a designated page was created on our City’s website titled “Community Input on Commissions,” displaying the various ways to solicit feedback. Staff also received phone calls and correspondence from any community members unable to participate virtually, so that we could capture and include their input and suggestions on this matter.
Background
The City Council has established various Commissions, Boards, Ad Hoc Committees, and other advisory bodies to provide input and recommendations on issues that they are either subject matter experts on or passionate about. Advisory bodies are formed to address the evolving needs of a City, and to provide opportunities to vet issues and provide recommendations for City Council’s consideration. The City of South Pasadena is unique in many ways, one of which is the level of involvement from residents in local government, and the pride in serving the various advisory bodies that support the City Council and community.
These various advisory bodies are defined by the following terms:
• Commission: Commissions and Boards are interchangeable terms. They serve as an advisory role to help direct policy by making suggestions and recommendations to their local elected policymakers and government management.
• Ad Hoc Committee: A committee appointed as the need arises, to carry out a specific task, at the completion of which-that is, on presentation of its final report to the assembly-it automatically ceases to exist. A special committee may not be appointed to perform a task that falls within the assigned function of an existing standing committee. • Standing Committee: A legislative body which has either (1) a continuing subject matter jurisdiction, or (2) a meeting schedule fixed by the charter, ordinance, resolution, or formal action of the City Council. Even if comprised of less than a quorum of the governing body, a standing subcommittee is subject to the Brown Act. • Steering Committee: A committee with the role to provide advice, ensure delivery of the project outputs and the achievement of project outcomes. The steering committee provides support, guidance, and oversight of progress.
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The current advisory bodies in South Pasadena include the following:
City Council Commissions | Boards | Committees Liaison Assignments January 2021 to December 2021
Commissions, Boards, & Committees Appointed Liaisons
Animal Commission N/A Pending Review
Cultural Heritage Commission Zneimer
Design Review Board Mahmud
Finance Commission Donovan
Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commission Primuth Library Board of Trustees Mahmud
Natural Resources and Environmental Commission Cacciotti Parks and Recreation Commission Donovan
Planning Commission Mahmud
Public Arts Commission Cacciotti
Public Safety Commission Primuth
Public Works Commission Zneimer
Senior Citizen Commission Cacciotti
Youth Commission Donovan
Fourth of July – Festival of Balloons Committee Primuth South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee Zneimer
City Council Ad Hoc Committees Liaison Assignments
January 2021 to December 2021
City Ad Hoc Committees Appointed Liaison(s) Staff Liaison Ad Hoc Committee: City Council and South
Pasadena Unified School District
Primuth and Zneimer Arminè Chaparyan, City
Manager
Ad Hoc Committee: Finance Primuth and Donovan Ken Louie, Interim Finance Director
Ad Hoc Committee: Mission-Meridian Village
Subcommittee (08/14/2013)
Donovan and Zneimer Margaret Lin, Deputy Director of
Community Development
Ad Hoc Committee: Implementation, Caltrans
Surplus Properties Disposition
Replaced “Leg” & “non-leg” committees by
council action on Dec, 1, 2021
Donovan and Primuth Angelica Frausto-Lupo, Director
of Community Development
Margaret Lin, Deputy Director of
Community Development
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Ad Hoc Committee: Recreation leased facilitiesDonovan and Cacciotti Sheila Pautsch, Community Service Director
Ad Hoc Committee: South Pasadena Chamber
of Commerce – Legislative
Mahmud Tamara Binns, Assistant to the
City Manager
Ad Hoc Committee: South Pasadena Chamber
of Commerce –
Economic Development
Primuth and Donovan Domenica Megerdichian, Deputy
City Manager
Ad Hoc Committee: South Pasadena Chamber
of Commerce –
Chamber Board
City Manager/Deputy City
Manager
Ad Hoc Committee: Economic Development N/A Pending Review N/A Pending Review Furthermore, the table below shows a breakdown of which Departments have purview over each of the Commissions and advisory bodies.
Department Commissions Committees # of Commissions/Boards Police
Department
Animal Commission,
Public Safety Commission
None. 2 Commissions
Fire
Department
Public Safety Commission None. 1 Commission
Community
Development
Department
Cultural Heritage
Commission, Design and
Review Board, Planning
Commission, Public Arts
Commission
Ad Hoc Committee:
Mission-Meridian Village
Subcommittee, Ad Hoc
Committee:
Implementation, Caltrans
Surplus Properties
4 Commissions, 2 Ad Hoc
Committees
Public Works
Department
Mobility and
Transportation
Infrastructure Commission,
Natural Resources and
Environmental
Commission, Public
Works Commission
None. 3 Commissions
Community
Services
Department
Parks and Recreation
Commission, Youth
Commission, Senior
Citizen Commission
Ad Hoc Committee:
Recreation leased facilities
3 Commissions, 1 Ad Hoc
Committee
Library Library Board of Trustees None. 1 Commission
Finance
Department
Finance Commission Ad Hoc Committee:
Finance
1 Commission, 1 Ad Hoc
Committee
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Commission Summaries
• Animal Commission:
o The Animal Commission was founded in the 1980’s, and has served as an advisory body regarding all animal related issues in the City. In the late 90’s to early 2000’s, the City developed a contract with the Pasadena Humane Society to oversee all animal related issues. The most recent staff liaison to the Animal Commission was Lieutenant Thomas Jacobs while Michael Cacciotti served as the Council Liaison. In 2014, the Commission began focusing on creating ordinances, including issues related to birds, although these efforts did not continue in prior years. The Animal Commission has also led annual events including “Doggy Days,” and “Be Kind to Animal Day.” These events were received positively both by staff and the community. In March of 2021, the City Council considered abolishing the Animal Commission; although the Commission remains active, a meeting has not been held for over two years. • Cultural Heritage Commission:
o The Cultural Heritage Commission began in 1971, and is under the purview of the Community Development Department and is responsible for all issues relating to identification, retention, and preservation of landmarks and historic districts. The Commission’s responsibilities include reviewing various projects and recommending to the City Council whether those projects be designated as historical landmarks. Planning Manager Matt Chang is the current staff liaison to this Commission, and Councilmember Zneimer serves as the Council liaison.
• Design and Review Board:
o The Design and Review Board is under the purview of the Community Development Department. This board serves as an advisory to the Planning Commission and represents the professions of architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, graphics, or related fields. The current staff liaison for the Design and Review board is Planning Manager, Matt Chang, and Councilmember Mahmud serves at the Council liaison.
• Finance Commission:
o The Finance Commission serves as an advisory to the City Council and Finance Department in all matters related to the financial, budgetary, banking, accounting, and licensing within the City. Interim Finance Director Ken Louie is the current staff liaison to the Commission, and Councilmember Donovan serves as the Council liaison.
• Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commission:
o The Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commission was created on February 19, 2020 to separate mobility and transportation policy matters from the Public Works Commission. The Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure 1 - 5
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Commission provides input to Council on traffic management plans, transit, multi-modal transportation and active transportation, evolving transportation, parking management, and mobility technologies. In addition, they provide input on transportation related Capital Improvement Project items, Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan, and the Active Transportation Plan. Public Works Director Ted Gerber is the current staff liaison to this Commission, and Councilmember Primuth serves as the Council liaison.
• Library Board of Trustees:
o The Library Board of Trustees is an advisory body to the City Council that provides input on the Library’s needs and traditions, assists with promoting library interests, supports funding levels, and assists members in developing and writing policies that govern the operations of the Library. The Library Board of Trustees core responsibilities also include establishing rules and regulations for the administration of the Library, reviewing and submitting annual operating budgets and making recommendations with respect to appointments, suspension or removal of the City Librarian. Library Director Cathy Billings acts as the current staff liaison to the Board, and Councilmember Mahmud serves at the Council liaison.
• Natural Resources and Environmental Commission:
o The Commission began in 2007, and is advisory to the City Council in all matters pertaining to energy, science and technology, natural resources, and the environment. The Natural Resources and Environmental Commission assists the City in planning, programming, use, and conservation of energy and natural resources. The Natural Resources and Environmental Commission is one of two commissions in South Pasadena that have seven members. Environmental Services and Sustainability Manager Arpy Kasparian is the current staff liaison to this Commission, and Mayor Cacciotti serves as the Council liaison. • Parks and Recreation Commission:
o The Parks and Recreation Commission is a five member body that is advisory to the City Council on all matters pertaining to parks and public recreation; formulates and proposes policies on recreation services for approval by the City Council; recommends the adoption of standards on organizations, facilities and parks, programs, and financial support; informs the public of the policies and functions of the recreation and parks program as directed by the City Council; and takes periodic inventories of recreation services that exist or may be needed and interprets the need of the public to the City Council and Community Services Director. Community Services Director Sheila Pautsch is the current staff liaison to this Commission, and Councilmember Donovan serves as the Council liaison. • Planning Commission:
o The Planning Commission is advisory to the City Council on matters pertaining to 1 - 6
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subdivisions, zoning, parks and boulevards, beautification of the city and in general all matters regarding the orderly and physical development of South Pasadena. The current staff liaison to the Planning Commission is Planning Manager, Matt Chang while Diana Mahmud serves as the council liaison. • Public Arts Commission:
o The Public Arts Commission was established a couple of years ago with the purpose to integrate art into public spaces within the City. The Public Art Commission is a five member body that is responsible for the review and approval of public art projects associated with the Public Art Program. These projects include, but are not limited to, proposed site-specific public art, art donations, and public art developed with the funds from the Public Art Development Fee. The current staff liaison to the Public Arts Commission is Deputy Director of Community Development, Margaret Lin while Diana Mahmud serves as the council liaison.
• Public Safety Commission:
o The Public Safety Commission is one of the two commissions that has seven commissioners on board. The commission serves in primary support capacity to the City’s public safety personnel in an endeavor to improve the City’s existing emergency response capability and provide recommendations to Council on issues related to public safety. These issues include crime trends, incidents in the City, fire prevention, and traffic. The current staff liaisons are Police Chief, Brian Solinsky and Fire Chief, Paul Riddle while Jon Primuth serves as the council liaison.
• Public Works Commission:
o The Public Works Commission has been established since 2012, and focuses on public works inquiries related to water, sewer, storm water, and buildings including City facilities. The commission focuses on issues non-transportation and infrastructure related since the development of the Mobility Transportation and Infrastructure Commission was formed. The current staff liaison to the Public Works Commission is Director of Public Works, Ted Gerber while Evelyn Zneimer serves as the council liaison.
• Senior Citizen Commission:
o The Senior Citizen Commission is a five member body that is advisory to Council on all matters pertaining to senior citizens in the City. Such matters include the advancement of senior citizen planning and programming and to formulate policies for senior citizen services. The current staff liaison to the Senior Citizen Commission is Community Services Supervisor, Melissa Synder while Michael Cacciotti serves as the council liaison.
• Youth Commission:
o The Youth Commission is represented by students of the South Pasadena Middle 1 - 7
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School and South Pasadena High School. The students on the commission are involved in coordinating activities, events, and volunteering for charitable fundraisers and food drives. There are ten youth members on the commission, an adult Community-at-Large member, and a South Pasadena Unified School District representative.
The City Council has created a number of Ad Hoc Committees to focus on specific topics. Ad Hoc Committees serve for a specific period of time, or until the work before them is completed, and should be dissolved or disbanded at that point. While many of the Ad Hoc Committees listed above are relevant and active, two committees—Finance and Economic Development—have completed the work under their purview, and are ready to officially be dissolved. At any point, City Council can create Ad Hoc committees to focus on a specific topic, and staff will work on aligning Ad Hoc committee status review on an annual basis to align with committee appointments.
Staff Liaison Feedback
The City Manager’s Office met with staff liaisons of each Commission to discuss workload, staff time spent on Commission related work, strengths, shortcomings, and recommendations in managing Commission workflow and output. (Attachment 1) shows the time and resources (staffing and staff time) typically spent on Commission related preparations and workflows. Our interviews revealed noteworthy input, including:
Specific Commissions:
• The Animal Commission was responsible for well-received annual events, and could be incorporated into a Community Services Commission.
• On average, the Parks and Recreation Commission runs for 35-45 minutes. Meetings as needed would be helpful to reduce staff time.
• The Senior Commission is able to go months without meetings due to lack of discussion items.
• The Youth Commission often does not have topics to discuss, and Commissioners have not attended volunteer opportunity events. The City has experienced difficulty in recruiting for Commissioners.
• The Public Works Commission provides Public Works updates to Commissioners when meetings do not have lengthy agendas.
• The Public Safety Commission discusses police related issues for about 90% of items. • Public Art Commission has significant overlap with the Planning Commission.
Common themes:
• The majority of staff liaisons believe that more detailed training and onboarding processes would be beneficial in standardizing processes. Ideas for this training include creating an onboarding manual for Commissioners.
• The majority of staff would also like to sit through training sessions for preparing minutes and preparing for Commission meetings.
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Community Input
The City Manager’s Office conducted an online survey to solicit input on Commissions, which was hosted on the City’s website between January 20, 2022 to January 28, 2022. The survey received 25 responses on strengths, shortcomings and suggestions of our current Commission structure and management (Attachment 2). Some noteworthy responses include:
• 84% of respondents are or have served on a South Pasadena Commission or Board. • Responses were received from individuals from or previously from all Commissions, except for the Senior Citizen Commission and the Youth Commission. • Five (5) respondents who wanted to see additional topics covered by Commissions, including diversity, equity, inclusion, homelessness, and mental health. • Many strengths and accomplishments were highlighted across various Commissions, and comments were generally appreciative and supportive of efforts. • Common themes for improvement opportunities for Commissions include better communication with staff, defining roles, increased utilization of feedback from Commissions, increased outreach on meetings to increase participation, and additional resources for success.
• Multiple responses stated the need for increased training for basics of Commission meeting procedures and Brown Act training.
• Many respondents suggested a need for improvements for the City’s public meeting process included reducing the amount of Commissions, giving Commission more of a voice, encouraging in-person meetings, aligning Commissions with the City’s Strategic Plan, and increased facilitated discussions on sensitive topics.
The City Manager’s Office also hosted a virtual Community Input Discussion hosted via Zoom by the City Manager’s Office. There were 27 participants, as well as staff liaisons and departments heads at the listening session, and commentary was similar to the input collected via the online survey. Main takeaways from the virtual community input session include:
• Virtual meetings are difficult and not inclusive; residents struggle to communicate digitally. However, virtual meetings are helpful and allow working professionals to be involved with City Council and appointed positions.
• A number of new topics important to the community are not a focus of any existing advisory body: housing rights, energy, mental health, homelessness, social services • We need a strategic approach to managing Commissions—connect efforts to the strategic plan and to the City budget to be able to fund efforts. Can we include joint meetings for topics that overlap?
• Abolish the Design Review Board and focus efforts on the Planning Commission.
Consider establishing informal reviews of planning projects with applicants; fully staffed Planning division should focus on backlog and objective planning processes. • Define all of the types of advisory bodies—is one more important than another? • Meetings are too formal, with Commissioners sitting at the dais and limiting comment times. Can we make public meetings more informal and less burdensome in managing? • Suggest a Good Governance Commission to be created to advise the Mayor on how the City is being run, and suggestion to reorganize the Finance Commission. 1 - 9
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• Considering the staff turnover of the last few years, there is a need for institutional knowledge. How do we bring that to advisory boards?
• The amount of advisory board and work generated is concerning—is it sustainable? There are opportunities for joint meetings or combining efforts for overlapping topics. • Need more public outreach and information, public engagement in City projects and programs. Need to improve upon and focus on communications, customer service to close the loop on resident correspondence and inquiries. • Consider term limits on “higher level” commissions (Planning, MTIC) to allow other impressive candidates an opportunity to serve.
• Commissioner onboarding and training is needed- focus on Brown Act and Ethics, but include City functions, budget, strategic plan, General Plan. What do we have local control over, how do we work with other agencies and government levels? Government 101 to benefit the appointee’s education and perspective.
Practices in Local and Comparable Cities
Staff has researched the practices in nearby and comparable cities, considering to population and size, number of commissions/advisory boards, the focus of those bodies, and any notable similarities or differences to the City of South Pasadena (Attachment 3). Cities of similar size typically have 6-7 commissions, while larger cities such as Glendale and Torrance have 13.
Larger cities (by geography and population) have fewer number of commissions, but in some cases, the commissions are consolidated with wider scopes of topics to focus on. Examples include the City of Glendale's Parks, Recreation & Community Services Commission that covers all recreational programs and the City’s parks, and the City of Sierra Madre Community Services Commission that oversees the City’s recreation services and programs, all special events, parks, and facilities. The Cities of Sierra Madre, Alhambra, San Gabriel, Rosemead, San Fernando, Duarte, and Ontario have consolidated commissions that oversee planning, building, historical properties, and zoning regulations.
Many cities create and utilize training guides and manuals for onboarding Commissioners that include the City Charter, background on government, the role of commissions, conduct standards, public meeting procedures, and Ralph M. Brown Act requirements. This is a resource we can create and utilize in our efforts.
Discussion/Analysis
The City Manager’s Office is conducting assessments agency wide to identify effectiveness of current practices and efficiencies in furthering the service provided to the community. As a part of this exercise, staff has focused on collecting all relevant information for a fruitful discussion on the City’s Commissions and Committees, including input from current staff liaisons, input from the community, researching the practices of local and comparable cities, and considering some recommendations on how to improve upon public meetings as well as create some efficiencies considering limited staff time and resources. The goal of this exercise is to provide the City Council with current information and possible solutions to creating more effective advisory board processes in our City.
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February 23, 2022
Staff liaison input provided that that each staff member involved in Commissions is spending about 8-10 hours a month on average per Commission. Of the fourteen current Commissions, eight of them have one staff liaison assigned to completing tasks related to writing and reviewing staff reports, recording and uploading minutes, agenda preparation and posting, preparing presentations, and following up with Commissioners as needed. A study of the existing commissions has revealed some overlap in function and focus, which can translate to the consolidation of existing advisory bodies with similar purviews. While the City’s departments are almost fully staffed, staff has significant backlog to address in addition to the day to day operations, and as such, an opportunity to create efficiencies in Commission related workload will be effective and have significant impact on workflows and work output.
For a more specific example of how this workload may impact staff duties, the Community Development Department has four Commissioners within their purview, totaling thirty-eight hours a month spent on Commission related work, or 50% of a full-time staff member’s schedule. The Community Development Department currently has about 70 planning development cases in their backlog that they are addressing, and about 40-50 ADU applications to process. In addition to the Planning Case Log, the Community Development Department has several priority projects underway that are either a state mandate such as the Housing Element or General Plan Update or local initiative such as the Downtown Specific Plan. Additionally, staff is managing projects that are of significant interest to the community including residents, Commissioners, and community organizations such as updating the SB 9 Urgency Ordinance, Caltrans SB 381, Mills Act Audit, new permit tracking software, comprehensive parking policy study, potential occupancy inspection program, local seismic regulations, and more. Further, there are several mixed-use development projects going through the entitlement phase that require much staff time and attention.
The Public Works Department has three Commissions under the Department’s purview, which contributes to a significant workload where there might be efficiencies. The Public Works Department Assessment that was received and filed by this City Council in December 2021 specifically stated that Commission related work load is significant, and that staff is constantly in “fire drill” mode. Recommendation number seven of the assessment reads, “Re-visit the need for all three (3) of the Commissions supported by the Public Works Department… consider consolidating the Public Works Commission and Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commission into one Commission.”
As a part of this information gathering, and in reviewing staff time and resources as it relates to Commission work flows and work product, staff has identified a need to produce and provide ongoing trainings for staff commission liaison related to agenda and minute preparation, running and managing public meetings, managing workflows and in acting in their role as liaison to appointed commissioners. Efforts to align work plans with the Strategic Plan and the City’s budget will translate to effective and efficient work output. Protocols and trainings will help support the staff, and lead to improved communications, customer service, efficient meeting and workflow management.
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Commission Study Session
February 23, 2022
Moving forward, in an effort to increase and approve staff and commissioner training and support, staff will be:
• Aligning Commission work plans with the adopted Strategic Plan and the City’s Annual budget so that resources can be appropriately adjusted as needed, and the Strategic Plan and Budget are communicated as a factor in guiding work plan goals. • Re-establishing an annual Commissioner’s Congress at a Special City Council meeting in the form of a reception, where a holistic review and update of advisory groups and efforts to Council and community will be presented. This will provide an opportunity to provide updates to the City Council, and to recognize the City’s Commissioners for their time and efforts.
• Staff will provide an annual update to City Council on Ad Hoc Committees in an effort to keep track of which committees are needed to continue their work, and which have completed their work plans and should be considered for dissolution. • Council liaison and commissioner appointments will be scheduled as needed and following City Council direction.
• City Clerk’s staff will be creating staff liaison support policies, protocols, trainings as well as establishing a point of contact for appointed individuals to receive information, resources and onboarding.
The recommendations herein suggest an approach that focuses on furthering the City’s priorities and goals while creating efficiencies in work flows and output. The recommendations, if approved, would translate to the City collapsing 14 Commissioner to 9 agency-wide, as well as dissolution of two ad hoc committees that have already unofficially dissolved. The Economic Development Ad Hoc Committee has been dormant, and was previously identified as an advisory body ready to be considered for abolishment. The Finance Ad Hoc Committee has completed its work and a subset of the Committee is preparing a final report to staff, expected Spring 2022, and should be considered for dissolution as well.
With Council’s approval, the work flows and output will be significantly reduced, and will further allow staff to improve processes, training, service to the community, including communications and a collaborative and comprehensive approach to public meetings and advisory bodies.
Recommendations
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Consolidate the Public Works and the Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commissions to a seven-member Mobility, Transportation and Infrastructure Commission;
2. Dissolve the Animal Commission;
3. Dissolve the Youth Commission;
4. Consolidate the Animal, Youth, Senior Citizen and Park and Recreation Commission scopes of work to create a seven-member Community Services Commission, and reserve at least one seat each for members of youth and senior citizen populations;
5. Create an annual Animal Events Steering Committee within the Community Services 1 - 12
Commission Study Session
February 23, 2022
Commission to focus on “Doggy Days” and “Be Kind to Animals Day” and other programming;
6. Absorb the Public Art Commission into the existing Planning Commission;
7. Dissolve the Finance Ad Hoc Committee; and
8. Dissolve the Economic Development Ad Hoc Committee.
Alternatives Considered
Should City Council wish to retain existing Commissions, staff suggests making changes to the consideration of the frequency of Commission meetings. This translates to Commissions with lighter workloads meeting on a quarterly or as-needed basis to lighten the administrative load of preparing for and holding public meetings for lighter workloads.
Should there be interest in furthering a discussion such as the creation of an all-encompassing Social Services Commission focused on mental health, homelessness, equity and/or other topics relevant to the Community that are not part of any existing body’s scope of work, City Council may consider staff’s recommendations and improvements provided herein, and direct staff to return in the next 12 months for further discussion.
Next Steps
1. City Council to discuss and provide direction to staff on staff recommendations; or
2. City Council to discuss and request further information or provide different direction to staff on this topic; and
3. Based on City Council’s direction, staff will return with an item on Commissioner appointments and implementation.
Fiscal Impact
Any Council direction that affect the number of public meetings has a fiscal impact as it related to staff time and resources. This is an effort to usher efficiencies and effectiveness in furthering the priorities of the City Council and community, and has the potential to adjust limited staff time and resources to providing direct service to the community.
Public Notification of Agenda Item
The public was made aware that this item was to be considered this evening by virtue of posting of the agenda and reports on the City’s website and bulletin board, notifications on the City’s social media pages, reference on the City’s community input online survey as well as at the virtual community listening session held on January 21, 2022.
Attachments:
1. Staff Liaison Input: Staffing and Resources
2. Community Survey Results
3. Commissions Comparison Chart of Nearby and Comparable Cities 1 - 13
ATTACHMENT 1
Staff Liaison Input: Staffing and Resources
1 - 14
Staff Liaison Input – Staffing and Resources
Department Commission Number of
staff
Staff Time Spent
Police Department Animal Commission 1 12-16 hours per month Police Department/
Fire Department
Public Safety Commission 3 30-40 hours per month
Community Development Department Design and Review Board 1 9 hours per month Community Development Department Cultural Heritage Commission 1 12 hours per month Community Development Department Planning Commission 1 12 hours per month Community Development Department Public Arts Commission 1 5 hours per month Public Works Department Natural Resources and Environmental Commission
1 15-30 hours per month
Public Works Department Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commission
3 10 hours per month
Public Works Department Public Works Commission 2 10 hours per month Community Services Department Parks and Recreation Commission 2 10 hours per month Community Services Department Senior Citizen Commission 1 8 hours per month Community Services Department Youth Commission 1 8 hours per month Library Library Board of Trustees 2 20 hours per month
Finance Department Finance Commission 3 10 hours per month 1 - 15
ATTACHMENT 2
Community Survey Results
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Community Input on Commissions: Survey Results
1 - 17
1 - 18
Are there topics not covered by existing Commissions/Board that you would like the City Council to consider?
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity
• Energy, Affordable Housing, Tenants Rights & Issues, Mental Health, Local Economic Development & Jobs
• For a city our size, the number of commissions is plenty, if not actually a bit many • Homelessness
• Homelessness, Mental Health, Substance Use Disorders, Affordable Housing, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion in City Programs
• (9 responses) stated “No”
• Support services for homeless, more incentives for developing more low income housing • Trees inventory and maintenance including protected trees • The current boards and commissions cover the breadth of topics important for citizen input
What are some strengths or accomplishments of the Commission/Board that you have been a part of or attended meetings for?
• Both the commission and committee I sit on have been well-organized with clear direction for outcomes. The Parks and Rec Commission has offered great recommendations for movies and concerts in the parks, in addition to sending the designs for the two pocket parks to Council. The ad hoc committee just recommended a restaurant consultant for the golf course. These are very clear accomplishments that note well-utilized boards.
• Good ideas came out and were later adopted by the City. • None.
• Preserving the physical character and quality of South Pasadena. • Finance Commission: provided significant advice to the City Council regarding the CIty's finances. Public Works Commission: provided feedback to staff regarding various programs and activities of the department.
• Public Safety review of police reform policy proposals • Current Public Works department appears to be doing a good job • Supporting public art in our city. Margaret Lin is amazing and to have support from a staff member like her is a blessing.
• Very important to have and maintain design review of both small and large developments to help keep our rich architectural heritage and to help shape future development to be appropriate for our city.
• pocket park and lease meetings
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• Planning: General Plan updates, Housing Element updates, ADU updates Natural Resources: Climate Action Plan Parks and Rec: leasing agreements in the Arroyo, bike and walk path in the Arroyo Library: Fine Free Library
• None really
• Upcoming Water Shed in the Arroyo
• NREC recommended and council adopted the Climate Action Plan, which is already being used in decision making.
• CHC has recently completed on ADUs on historic properties adopted by Council • Diverse group of people with varied backgrounds coming up with solutions to resolve an issue without going to Council or plan to submit solutions for Council to consider. • Planning passed Inclusionary Housing Ordinance; Public Safety Commission studied unarmed traffic enforcement
• oversight of, and input into the way the various departments of the City are run and which projects get attention
• Commissioners are the voices of the community
• Ban on Styrofoam, water efficiency fee, tiered water rates, Climate Action Plan, city renewable energy council plan. In general, commissions ideally bring expertise from the community and community viewpoints and concerns to the city staff. • Developing programs and projects to improve traffic management and safety throughout the city
• We have great working relationships with our City staff/liaisons. The NREC supported the City in developing and passing our City's first Climate Action Plan and many action items within the plan have been implemented over the last 2 years. The CAP and Green Action Plan are helpful tools for guiding our commission on new initiatives. We can look back and see what we have accomplished and what is on the horizon. We also oversee tree removal hearings and the updates made to the ordinance have simplified and clarified that process for us as well as for City staff.
• Great input at Commissions, but can’t get to them with City staff backlog.
What are some weaknesses or improvement opportunities of the Commission you have been a part of or attended meetings for?
• For the two I’m a part of, I don’t have any recommendations. Having not attended other meetings, I can only note that it seems like we have a lot of commissions for a city our size, but if resident recruitment to participate is high and work is getting done, then they are effective.
• When a commission is controlled so as to only do what the City Manager or City Council wants
• Too many commissions. DRB and CHC should be merged. NREC abuses its power in tree removal matters. Should be more clear cut guidelines and appeals. 1 - 20
• Often too much oversight and subjectivity by the Commissioners. Valuable and necessary projects and community advancements are killed by a select few. This is creating an unequal and exclusionary community that benefits those in power only. • Public Works Commission: The department head should attend these commission meetings, at least occasionally.
• Commissions need independent authority to pursue questions and suggest policy to the council, and they need a better relationship with staff. MTIC has repeatedly complained about being ignored.
• Better communication and avoidance/cancelation of meetings • The commission works hard to move forward on public art project, policy, and advocacy, especially in terms of becoming an artist friendly city. The culture of bureaucracy and an overly risk adverse approach (especially to potential litigation) are placing obstacles for South Pasadena to become an inclusive, diverse, and equitable artist friendly city. We are really behind other surrounding cities and counties in the southern California area.
• Boards/commissions that have purview over design/development in the city must have members that have design education/experience (architects/design professionals) that can read plans, understand complex concepts and make informed decisions that will have a lasting effect. DRB has/had members that have no knowledge in this field and merely become a "rubber stamp" and contribute little to none in the evaluation of the application at hand - not good...
• We need more explanation of the matters not just a pass and stamp recommendations • Since the commission members are residents of the city, those voices need to be more relevant when decisions, plans, some actions taken. The commissions could be setting agendas instead of staff.
• There needs to be total term limits. 10 years maximum on all commissions. • Need to be more involved
• Our commission agendas are defined without commissioner input. It can be difficult to understand context for action items, since most information is discovered during commission meetings.
• Sometimes Commissions rely on technical analysis of consultants without regard to the voices and actual needs of residents concerned wasting financial resources of City • More communication between the commissions and working together when possible. • I would like to see cross-commission collaboration. All city issues are interconnected.
Speaking personally for my commission, most city decisions are related to the environment. Transportation is a climate issue. Housing is a climate issue. Energy is a climate issue. Most other commissions' decisions impact our directive and more specifically, the Climate Action Plan. As a volunteer, it is very difficult to stay up to date on every agenda item for every commission and council meeting, and often, by the time a decision has been made is when our commission is made aware. It would be beneficial to all commissions if they could be notified of other commission’s agenda items that impact them.
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• No commission is focused on social services and housing for low-income residents • unwillingness of the City Council to listen to the input provided • less staff control and influence
• Meetings could be better publicized to facilitate more community input. Also, some issues cut across existing commissions and it might be good to have joint meetings on a periodic, as needed basis.
• Not having enough staff resources and support to implement our proposals • I believe our commissions should rotate our Chair and Vice Chair positions annually, reflecting the same protocol that Council follows. This keeps the commissioners more engaged with staff and what is going on within the City. • Need Chair reviews available for commissions to both preview or have i or items approved, also need concept level meetings available, without waiting 6 months or staff processing.
Is additional training or support for Commissioners or staff liaisons needed to improve our public meeting process?
• Compared to other cities, it seems like a very well-engaged citizenry that understand government functions well.
• I don’t know
• I think for many commissioners, it would be helpful in addition to ethics and Brown Act training, to have a session on the mechanisms
• I think the training provided has been effective. I am not sure we’ve had it over the last year, but there is typically a training on the Brown Act for incoming commissioners provided by the City Attorney. I think another helpful tool would be to provide a commission meeting “procedure and process” class. For new commissioners, who have not engaged with the City politics or attended many public meetings, it could be very confusing.
• Implicit and unconscious bias and anti-racism trainings are necessary • No
• No
• No – the staff liaison does a good job
• No, our staff liaison is very familiar with the process • Perhaps training in how to run a meeting for upcoming “chairs” would be helpful Quality level of Commissioners is high, it’s City staff that needs help and Commissioners could help and with the submitted projects
• The Brown Act review does help, but it could be more review and summary training for new commissioners, Staff liaisons are hit and miss. Some staff are very good and some staff are not.
• We need more information on what the committee can accomplish • Yes. We need more specific training on important topics (i.e. general housing, affordable housing, parking, economics/budget)
• Yes, Commissions are often asking staff for help with basics of the procedure. 1 - 22
• Yes. I think a review of how council wants a meeting held, rules of order, etc. would be helpful
• Yes, NREC needs to take a more holistic approach to tree removals. Not just save a tree at an cost.
• If by support, you mean that the City Council actually takes action suggested or at least gives credence to the suggestions, then yes.
• Less format meeting would be helpful for a better dialogue Do you have any other suggestions/input on improving the public meeting process in the City of South Pasadena?
• Reduce number of commissions and align them to city departments. Public Works to absorb MTIC and NREC. Community Services to absorb Parks and Rec and Senior Commission. CHC and DRB into one streamlined design review board. PSC to absorb animal commission. Planning commission to remain as is. No new commissions. • Yes. (1) Statistically valid sampling; (2) Weighting of sampling that takes into account demographics with the most at stake in whatever decision is being made; (3) More education, facts, and context provided to those giving input. • There are too many commissions for a City the size of South Pasadena, which places a burden on city staff. Commissions should be combined along department lines. • Commissions should matter more. They've faded into the background, in part because they've been deliberately sidelined. The council should be far more deliberate in its efforts to secure commission input. In general, South Pasadena needs a deeper deliberative process, and engagement with commissions should be part of it. • Bring back live, in person meetings so the public can be invited to participate, also, need to have an annual "in person commissioners get together" at any of the public parks or at city hall to have a time for commissioners to meet each other along with all of the city staff members, council members, etc. This will provide a benefit to the new city manager and her team. This event will provide collaboration amongst all departments. • Hopefully, sooner than later in-person meetings will be the standard again. No matter how smooth we try to make the Zoom approach work, conversation/debate back and forth between commissioners and public is stifled. On another note, having been thru several complete turnovers of the planning/building departments, my hopes are high that the new team will really get rolling. One suggestion, we on DRB probably don’t need to see soils reports, past permits documentation, and all department plan check comments in order to do our job. I think if the staff reports were slimmed down, that should reduce staff time and help more applications to be processed and reviewed. Another thought: Offer "preliminary reviews" by DRB as in the past. The DRB in particular has been light for many months we could have used our time to give comments/consultation to applicants prior to a formal submittal. This could cut down on the number of times the applicant may have to return to gain approval, and also give the applicant/designer a direction that may be more fitting than the path they were going to take. 1 - 23
• Rules, city politics have a ton of processes and we need to know more of these rules in order to be more effective.
• If Commissions were to change to Advisory then Brown Act would not be needed. But Advisory has to hold same weight as Commission. There are too many meetings and maybe some of the commissions could be combined or hold fewer meetings. • There needs to be lifetime term limits. 10 years maximum that someone can serve on all commissions. This could be specific to important ones. Like allow people after the 10 year as to serve on less popular commissions.
• Again more involvement by commissioners given the time. • Facilitated discussions are an amazing way to reach consensus in sensitive topics. The housing element (and strategic plan?) used a consulting company to facilitate meetings to collect input. Those meetings were great! Civil discussions that were well informed and made me feel heard.
• Improve our technical support
• Commission and council meeting input from residents only favors those who have the time to attend. We are a city of families and yet I never really see that type of representation for public input - the majority of those residents impacted are not the ones helping guide commissions and council with input. How can we allow for better accessibility for those who don't have the time to sit thru hours-long meetings? • Better options for public participation
• better notification of meetings agendas
• Retain the Zoom format even when in-person meetings resume. In other words, use the hybrid format.
• Better citywide publicity and notification of commission meetings, especially when there are important topics and projects to be discussed.
• Trust your Commissions and get submittals to them faster and more simply for their help and input instead of so much lost time with staff first. 1 - 24
ATTACHMENT 3
Commissions Comparison Chart of Nearby and
Comparable Cities
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Commissions Comparison Chart of Nearby and Comparable Cities Comparison
Cities
# of
Commissions Types of Commissions
City
Population
(2019)
City of
Alhambra 12
Arts & Cultural Events Commission, Board of Library Trustees, Civil Service Commission & Board of Appeals, Design Review Board, Environmental Sustainability Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, HCDA Citizen Advisory Committee, Human Relations Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Commission, Transportation, Youth Commission
84,647
City of San
Gabriel 6 Civil Service Commission, Community Services Commission, Design Review Commission, Planning Commission, HEAR Commission, Historic Preservation & Cultural Resource Commission. 40,143 City of
Rosemead 4 Beautification Commission, Parks Commission, Planning Commission, Traffic Commission 54,282 City of
Pasadena 20
Accessibility and Disability Commission, Arts & Culture Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, Code Enforcement, Community Police Oversight, Commission on the Status of Women, Design Commission, Environmental Advisory, Hearing Officer, Historic Preservations, Human Relations, Human Services, Library, Northwest, Old Pasadena Parking Meter Zoning Advisory, Planning, Recreation and Parks, Senior, South Lake Parking Place, Transportation Advisory
141,258
City of Burbank About 20
Art in Public Places Committee, Board of Building and Fire Code Appeals, Board of Library Trustees, Burbank Cultural Arts Commission, Burbank Housing Corporation Board of Directors, Burbank Water and Power Board, Charter Review Committee, Civil Service Board, Community Development Goals Committee, Heritage Commission, Infrastructure Oversight Board, Landlord-Tenant Commission, Park, Recreation, and Community Services Board, Planning Board, Police Commission, Senior Citizen Board, Sustainable Burbank Commission, Transportation Commission, Youth Board
103,703
City of
Glendale 13
Arts and Culture Commission, Audit Committee, Building and Fire Board of Appeal, Civil Service Commission, CDBG Advisory Committee, Design Review Board, Glendale Water and Power, Historic Preservation Commission, Park Recreations and Community Services, Planning Commission, CSW Commission, Transportation and Parking Commission, Sustainability Commission 200,232
City of San
Fernando 6 Disaster Council, Education Committee, Parks Wellness & Recreation, Planning and Preservation, Senior Citizens, & Transportation and Safety. 23,946 City of Duarte 7 Economic Development Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Commission, Public Safety Commission, Public Services Commission, and Traffic Safety Commission 21,559 City of Sierra
Madre 6 Community Services Commission, Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Commission, Library Board of Trustees, Planning Commission, Senior Community Commission 10,932 City of Ontario 7 Development Advisory Board, Historic Preservation Subcommittee, Library Board of Trustees, Museum Board of Trustees, Planning Commission, Recreation and Parks Commission, Zoning Administrator 176,760 1 - 26
City Council
Commission Study
Session
Prepared By: The Office of the City Manager
February 23, 2022 / 6PM
1 - 27
Background
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City Council Commissions / Boards
January 2021 to December 2021
1. Animal Commission *Pending Review*
2. Cultural Heritage Commission
3. Design and Review Board
4. Finance Commission
5. Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commission
6. Library Board of Trustees
7. Natural Resources and Environmental Commission
8. Parks and Recreation Commission
9. Planning Commission
10. Public Arts Commission
11. Public Safety Commission
12. Public Works Commission
13. Senior Citizen Commission
14. Youth Commission
15. Fourth of July – Festival of Balloons Committee
16. South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee
1 - 29
City Council Ad Hoc Committees
January 2021 to December 2021
1. Ad Hoc Committee: City Council and South Pasadena Unified School District
2. Ad Hoc Committee: Finance *Pending Review*
3. Ad Hoc Committee: Mission-Meridian Village Subcommittee (08/14/2013)
4. Ad Hoc Committee: Implementation, Caltrans Surplus Properties Disposition Replaced “Leg” and “non-leg” committees by council action on 12/1/2021
5. Ad Hoc Committee: Recreation leased facilities
6. Ad Hoc Committee: South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce – Legislative
7. Ad Hoc Committee: South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce - Economic Development
8. Ad Hoc Committee: South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce – Chamber Board
9. Ad Hoc Committee: Economic Development *Pending Review* 1 - 30
Staff Liaison Feedback
• The Animal Commission was responsible for well-received annual events, and could be incorporated into a Community Services Commission.
• On average, the Parks and Recreation Commission runs for 35-45 minutes. Meetings as needed would be helpful to reduce staff time.
• The Senior Commission is able to go months without meetings due to lack of discussion items. • The Youth Commission often does not have many topics to discuss, and Commissioners have not attended many City events. The City has experienced difficulty in recruiting for Commissioners. • The Public Works Commission provides Public Works updates to Commissioners when meetings do not have lengthy agendas.
• The Public Safety Commission discusses Police related-issues for about 90% of items. • Public Art Commission has significant overlap with the Planning Commission. 1 - 31
Staff Liaison Feedback: Data
Total: About 170 hours per month
The bar graph displays how
many hours are spent per staff
liaison each month to produce
work for each Commission.
• On average, each staff
member is spending 8 hours
on Commission related work.
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Staff Liaison Feedback: Data
The pie chart displays how many
staff members produce work for each
Commission.
• 8 Commissions have 1 staff
member (57.1%)
• 3 Commissions have 2 staff
members (21.4%)
• 3 Commissions have 3 staff
members (21.4%)
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Specific Departments
Community Development Public Works Department Community Services Department • With 4 Commissions under their
purview, the Department is totaling 38
hours per month on Commission
related work, or 50% of a full-time staff
member’s schedule.
• Other workload:
• 70 Planning Development cases
(above average)
• 40-50 ADU
• With 3 Commissions under their
purview, the Department is spending
about 30 hours per month on
Commission related work.
• The Public Works Assessment that was
received a filed by City Council in
December 2021 revealed
recommendations for Public Works to
consolidate their current 4 Commissions
to reduce workload issues.
• With 3 Commissions under their
purview, the Department is totaling
about 30 hours per month on
Commissions related work.
• The Youth Commission has had
recruitment difficulties and the Senior
Citizen Commission is able to meet
for 30-45 minutes to go through their
agenda for the month. This causes
increased workload for staff that is
preparing agendas and minutes for
these meetings.
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Community Feedback
Survey Input Discussion
Increased outreach,
training,
communication,
acknowledgement,
less Commissions.
Improving technical
support.
Better notification of
meeting agendas.
Improved recruitment
processes to diversify
advisory bodies.
Aligning Commissions
with Strategic Plan.
Roundtables at
meetings.
Increased connection
to City Hall happenings.
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City Comparative Analysis
Comparison Cities # of Commissions City Population (2019) City of Alhambra 12 84,647
City of San Gabriel 6 40,143
City of Rosemead 4 54,282
City of Pasadena 20 141,258
City of Burbank About 20 103,703
City of Glendale 13 200,232
City of San Fernando 6 23,946
City of Duarte 7 21,559
City of Sierra Madre 6 10,932
City of Ontario 7 176,760
Observations:
• Larger cities (by geography
and population) have fewer
numbers of commissions, or
consolidated commissions
with wider scopes of topics.
• Cities of similar size to South
Pasadena typically have 6-7
Commissions, while larger
cities have about 13.
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City Comparative Analysis: Best Practices
Training Guides:
Training Guides in other cities include
information on the structure of Commissions,
their role and authority, information on City
functions, City facts and figures, Ethics
training, Brown Act training, and other
onboarding information.
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Analysis/Discussion
A study of the existing commissions has revealed some overlap in function and focus, which can translate to the consolidation of existing advisory bodies with similar purviews.
While the City’s departments are almost fully staffed, staff has significant backlog to address in addition to the day to day operations, and as such, an opportunity to create efficiencies in Commission related workload will be effective and have significant impact on workflows and work output.
In addition, common themes throughout this analysis have shown a need for additional resources both for staff and Commissioners to create more effective processes. 1 - 38
Recommendations
• Consolidate the Public Works and the Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commissions to a sevenmember Mobility, Transportation and Infrastructure Commission; • Dissolve the Animal Commission;
• Dissolve the Youth Commission;
• Consolidate the Animal, Youth, Senior Citizen and Park and Recreation Commission scopes of work to create a seven-member Community Services Commission, and reserve at least one seat each for members of youth and senior citizen populations;
• Create an annual Animal Events Steering Committee within the Community Services Commission to focus on “Doggy Days” and “Be Kind to Animals Day” and other programming; • Absorb the Public Art Commission into the existing Planning Commission; • Dissolve the Finance Ad Hoc Committee; and
• Dissolve the Economic Development Ad Hoc Committee.
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Alternatives
• Consideration of the frequency of Commission meetings for Commissions with lighter workloads to meet on a quarterly or as-needed basis. • Should there be interest in furthering a discussion such as the creation of an allencompassing Social Services Commission focused on mental health, homelessness, equity and/or other topics relevant to the Community that are not part of any existing body’s scope of work, City Council may consider staff’s recommendations and improvements provided herein, and direct staff to return in the next 12 months for further discussion.
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Next Steps
1. City Council to discuss and provide direction to staff on staff recommendations; or
2. City Council to discuss and request further information or provide different direction to staff on this topic;
3. Based on City Council direction, staff will bring back an item on implementation and Commissioner appointments.
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Q & A
Thank you!
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