10D
Date: May 5, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Ted Stevens, Community Services Director
By: Gia Boysen, Administrative Assistant | [email protected] Subject: Community Services – Approve Proposed Float Design and Discuss and Provide Direction on Funding Request for 2027 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade.
Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the Community Services Director that City Council:
1. Approve the proposed float design for the City’s float entry in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1, 2027; and
2.Discuss and provide direction on the funding request of $175,000 from Torrance Rose Float Association for the 2027 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade float entry.
FUNDING
Funding is anticipated to be available in the General Fund’s fiscal year 2026-27 Operating Budget.
DISCUSSION
Last fall, the Torrance Rose Float Association (TRFA) opened their Conceptual Float Design competition with the four Torrance Public High Schools, Ambassador High School, and Sherry Continuation School. The 2027 Pasadena Tournament of Roses theme for the designs is “Welcome,” celebrating the joy of belonging, the warmth of community, and the feeling of being accepted. The objectives of the "Conceptual Float Design Contest" are:
•To broaden awareness and interest in the City of Torrance Rose Parade Float. •To engage youth in the parade and our city’s float.
The TRFA annual design contest is for Torrance High School students to present a conceptual design for the float; it has been a very successful process to date. TRFA received 10 float design submissions relating to the 2027 Parade theme. The TRFA Board and Mr. Mike Abboud, President of Fiesta Productions Inc, reviewed the submissions and unanimously selected a concept design from Torri Jutabha from West High School. The conceptual design is titled “Rooted in the Same Tide,” and the drawing depicts sea animals with symbiotic relationships illustrating everyone’s place and purpose in a community. (Attachment 1).
Also attached is the rendering from Fiesta Productions, inspired by the underwater scene of the original drawing for a cohesive float design titled “Welcome to Tranquility.” (Attachment 2). 1 City Council
May 5, 2026
As part of the fiscal year 2025-26 City Budget, City Council approved and allocated $175,000 for the float construction cost. On December 2, 2025, City Council approved an additional appropriation in the amount of $60,000 from the General Fund’s fund balance to provide TRFA with money to pay the 2027 Tournament of Roses entrance fees due in January of 2026 as well as other expenses associated with launching the 2027 Torrance Rose Float campaign. TRFA is now requesting the additional $175,000 for the 2027 Torrance Rose Float for a grand total of $235,000. As such, a payment of $235,000 is scheduled to be made in May 2026 to TRFA for the 2027 Torrance Rose Float. The agreement between the City and TRFA is currently under review and will be executed under the City Manager’s authority based on City Council’s direction.
On March 30, 2026, the Citizen Development and Enrichment Committee of the City Council voted to approve the proposed float design and additional payment of $175,000 to support the cost of the Torrance Rose Float construction.
Staff requests that Your Honorable Body approve the proposed float design and discuss and provide direction on the additional funding request from the Torrance Rose Float Association of $175,000 for the 2027 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade float entry.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2027 Torrance Rose Parade Float Student Conceptual Design by Torri Jutabha of West High School
2. 2027 Rose Float Parade Proposed Float Design by Mike Abboud, Fiesta Productions Inc.
2 ATTACHMENT 1
3 ATTACHMENT 2
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