Candidates Tackle Pasadena’s Priorities at Boston Court Forum; Construction and Zoning Codes Dominate Discussion

Incumbent Victor Gordo and candidate Kristal Lopez-Padley are vying for the District 5 council seat. – Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News

Forum featured candidates for Council District 5 and Council District 7

By Terry Miller

The candidate forum was sponsored by the Old Pasadena Management District, Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, Playhouse District Association and South Lake Avenue Business Association.

Ishmael Trone, chair of the Board of Directors of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, moderated the forum discussion. Victor Gordo (incumbent) and Krystal Lopez-Padley, who are running for the District 5 council seat, and Andy Wilson (incumbent), Phil Hosp, Alejandro (Alex) Menchaca and Bryan Witt, who are vying for the District 7 council seat, were all present at the event.

The forum focused on issues related to the local economy, jobs and employment, workforce development, economic vitality and downtown development. Questions were posed by the members of the sponsoring organizations.

One of the more interesting ideas was put forth by Brian Witt who supposed that Pasadena City develops its own co-op bank, pointing out the success of a similar project in North Dakota.

Andy Wilson said that while he’s “guilty as anyone by using Amazon…” he wants to encourage community and jobs…” through “invention to innovation…”

Incumbent Victor Gordo said “focus on small business is important…vacancy rate is lower than all surrounding cities.” Gordo said he likes to see more branding as a city rather than individual districts.

City Council Candidate Krystal Lopez-Padley took exception to Mayor Tornek’s 2017 State of City remarks recently regarding the importance of construction projects within the city as the main source of revenue. “The biggest impediment to growth is old ways of thinking … instead of cutting services…”

Candidates for the fifth and seventh Districts council seats debated and showcased their ideas at the Forum . – Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News

Phil Hosp stated that small businesses need the city’s attention immediately and the large developments make actually cost jobs rather than create.

Alex Menchaca wants to create walkable communities and also stated that a lot of small businesses have died and pointed out a lot of vacancies.

Soft spoken candidate Aida Morales, District 5 candidate, said she wants to be the “champion for small businesses” and wants to develop the talent that is already here in Pasadena.

As a side bar, immigration issues have been the focus of previous forums and none more telling than the Latino Coalition Forum where the national debate continued on a local level.

In an email sent to Beacon Media News, candidate Lopez Padley is also calling for the immediate termination of “all ongoing contracts between the Pasadena Police Department (PPD) and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.”

Supporting the efforts of Pablo Alvarado of the National Day Laborers Organizing Network and other community advocates Lopez Padley hopes to “end all current contracts and prevent future contact with the agency,”

“The City’s ongoing contractual relationship with ICE serves to undermine the important relationship between our residents and the members of our law enforcement community,” Lopez Padley stated. “This is especially true in District 5 which is home to a large immigrant community. Our residents must feel secure in the knowledge that contacting law enforcement in a time of need will not lead to future interactions with federal immigration officials. The current contract with ICE simply does not work for the residents of District 5 or the City of Pasadena.”

Furthermore, Lopez Padley called upon current District 5 Councilmember Victor Gordo to support the termination of these contracts.

The forum is available on YouTube and through Pasadena Media’s website at www.pasadenamedia.tv.

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