City Council Re-Elects Vice-Mayor Masuda

Councilmember Gene Masuda was appointed for a second one-year term as vice-mayor. – Photo by Terry Miller

Council Approves Non-Potable Water Ordinance and Additional Funding for SGV Youth Work Programs

By Gus Herrera

The Pasadena City Council held its annual organizational meeting on Monday, May 2. The proceedings moved forward rather quickly, when Mayor Terry Tornek asked council to nominate candidates for the position of vice-mayor, Councilmember Margaret McAustin was fast to step up to the plate.

McAustin proudly nominated Councilmember Gene Masuda, the current vice-mayor, for a second one-year term. According to McAustin, it is tradition to have the vice-mayor serve two terms. Thus, there were no other nominations and Masuda was elected unanimously. Councilmember and Vice-Mayor Masuda represents District 4.

The meeting’s consent calendar was approved via a motion sweep, without any objections. Among the items authorized was an approval to modify an existing contract between Pasadena and the County of Los Angeles, increasing funding for the Foothill Employment and Training Consortium Workforce Investment Board (Foothill WIB), which helps provide the cities of Arcadia, Duarte, Monrovia, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, and South Pasadena with youth work experience programs and work readiness training.

The approval increases funding by $60,000 and authorizes a contract for Fiscal Year 2017 of $114,000 to fund a work experience program for 60 local youth from the aforementioned cities.

According to city staff’s report, the youth eligible to participate under the contract are: CalWORKS youth (ages 16 to 19), Foster youth (ages 14 to 21), and “low-income barriered youth” (ages 14 to 21). Youth will be recruited to the programs by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, according to the report. Ultimately those selected will work approximately 120 hours each.

According to the report, about half of the 60 will be from Pasadena. Furthermore, those working in Pasadena under these programs, will benefit from the new minimum wage ordinance, earning $10.50 an hour, effective July 1.

The city council also approved the second reading of a non-potable water ordinance to the city’s municipal code. This ordinance, which was approved 7-1 (Councilmember Tyron Hampton opposed), will “require the use of non-potable water for landscape irrigation and other non-potable uses whenever it is economically justified, financially, and technically feasible … ” according to the ordinance’s fact sheet.

Council’s approval of a non-potable water ordinance will align the city’s water conservation efforts with state policies recently established to combat California’s drought situation. – Photo by Terry Miller

Council originally directed staff to prepare this ordinance at its regular meeting on Feb. 22, 2016.

The ordinance will “allow the city to qualify for certain grants and to comply with state policy initiatives,” which were recently established in California’s new Recycled Water Policy, “which mandated increased use of recycled water in California by year 2030,” according to the city attorney’s report. The ordinance will therefore help align Pasadena’s conservation efforts with those of the state in combating the drought crisis, in addition to qualifying the city for certain fiscal benefits down the road.

There were two important ceremonial matters during the night’s meeting.

First, Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez introduced a new Sergeant at Arms for the city council, Sergeant Sean Dawkins. Dawkins was a decorated hospital corpsman in the US Navy, honorably discharged in 2004 after serving in Iraq. He received his bachelor’s in military history from the American Military University and a master’s in criminal justice and corrections from Arizona State University.

Second, there was an oath of office – Warren Sata was appointed human relations commissioner.

For more details on the night’s agenda, visit: http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/councilagendas/council_agenda.asp.

Council will meet again Monday, May 9.

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