Council Blow by Blow for 2-25-08

Pre fight weigh-in: McAustin's missing. Haderlein does the pledge and gets it right. City commemorates Black History Month. Mayor pats city on the back for the parade. Jacque Robinson talks about Henry Wilfong who was the first Black person elected to the City Council. Wilfong lives in Texas now, but a guy from IDream comes to thank the Council in his place. Madison has the meeting adjourned for Dr. William Wright who died a couple weeks ago. Holden has the meeting ended in honor of Deos Marrero who died, too. He was airport director in Burbank.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

Armina Durachy: Wants banners to honor dead soldiers. Other places do it. Why don't we? Good question. Why don't we?

Sadie Harris and John McCall: Black woman and her pastor from Northwest Pasadena doesn't like that Pasadena cops stopped some of his teenaged members and stopped him near the Rose Bowl. He especially doesn't like that some cops from someplace else stopped some teenagers. Dude. It's public safety not profiling. Kids're getting shot in northwest and you don't like you got stopped? I gotta care more that there's less shootings in my neighborhood. I get stopped for DWB and get no ticket. I'm ok with that if the gangsters in the neighborhood are getting stopped and busted.

CONSENT CALENDAR: Council bought $1 million in fire engines and an ambulance, contracted for another $500K in stuff. Didn't talk about any of it.

TRIP REDUCTION ORDINANCE:

Staff and transportation commission tells Council to make changes so there aren't penalties. Business folks go along. Chamber dude Paul Little give Gordo some cookies and says fix what he messed up. Others from businesses and office buildings ask Council to go along. They do. People want incentives not penalties. What do we need to make Pasadena commute friendly? Holden thinks free art bus for people who live and work in Pasadena. Finish the train to Claremont and beyond.

TAC COMMISSIONER QUITS: Guy who talked about Trip Ordinance quits commission right after. Two other council pals get appointed.

SEWER TAX: We're paying more so they can hire four new people in the department and fix some of the old pipes. What are they gonna make us pay for next? We've done trash and sewer, water and electricity. The phone tax is still there, maybe they can do 911 like Ventura.

BONDS FOR FULLER: I'm not getting this one. Fuller's a religious school so how come they can get bond money cheap? Is this costing me something someplace? I gotta think so. City Manager's asked to hold off because there are some questions.

HUNTINGTON HOSPITAL MASTER PLAN: Hospital's got plans for the next 20 years and they got changes they have to make to do a better job. They did traffic studies and other things to get approved. Planning Commission wants them to keep the same square footage when they add stuff. Really, what kinda expansion keeps the square foot count the same? People, it's our only hospital. Are we really gonna piss 'em off? Especially about some silly stuff like where cars go on Huntington property. I got an idea: If Huntington can't do what they want because some of the fools on Planning Commission don't like some little aspect of it then they can get sent to Arcadia if they need a hospital. Mayor says move forward and get the plan in the works and trust the hospital to do a good job. Tyler's on about landscaping. Landscaping? Good thinking, let's screw 'em over because they ain't got the right kinda grass. It's our only hospital folks! Council passes the motion so Huntington can expand the ER.

CALL FOR REVIEW OF SOUTH MARENGO PROJECT REDUX: They're still trying to find a way to deny this. Man they reach for it even when the staff lawyer says they can't consider things and the planner people say there's no issues there. Gotta find a way to stop them. Enough is enough. What about an escalator or some stairs. We gotta stop the elevator menace! Tyler wants his opinion about the project to make the legal case against it. City attorney-ette Bonnerise says he's gotta make findings of fact not his opinion. Holden and Robinson can't buy it. Robinson looks like she's stepped in shit and can't get it off her shoe.
PUBLIC COMMENT: Ann Hickanbottom: Lawyer for the owners says it meets the guidelines and they gotta approve it.
Asian owner says you can't stop the project because you don't like the people who want to live there. "Respect my property rights. Help our family achieve our dreams and uphold our rights.)
Burke Ferer: To infinity and beyond Buzz Lightyear lookin' dude says Design Commission got it right and the project's a good one.
David Byrne looking guy: Owns an old house nearby. He thinks the project's a good one.
Toni Salvaty: This one doesn't like it. Anti-elevator woman. It's gonna have two elevators. Two!
Mark Jackson: Gotta laptop. Shows some pictures. Says nobody cares. Takes on Madison. Dude, don't attack the dude who's on your side. Bet he left the meeting and kicked Tyler's dog.
Guy with shades on his head: Doesn't like city consultants and says neighbors are gettin' f*cked.
Mona Sandoval: Wants to protect sunlight. Don't make her live in a shadow box with construction noise for two years. Thinks they're getting building closer than the people who talked in favor of it.
Inez Puma: Council cares too late. Gets no respect. Somebody being paid off to make ugly buildings? Who's responsible for what our neighborhood looks like? Don't pass it off. Neighbors get Motel 6 next door. She's pissed man!
Jackson dude shows some pictures. What's there now is butt ugly. What's going in is bigger. He's pissed. Mayor gets a little testy back. Tyler really hates this project. You can see if on his face when he talks about it.
Robinson looks and sounds a little wasted! She does. Maybe she's just tired or thining "What did I do to myself?"
Council takes no action because two members are gone. The elevators get approved by default. Then Council starts yakking.
Centinel's affordable housing bunny's back on the table. Some other o-zoning stuff's talked about. How about a YA-YAC - yet another yet another committee.
Madison gets testy with Robinson. He says affordable is a "term of art." Centinel's gonna love that one. He keeps flogging away getting noplace.
Holden talks all around everything and finally says e doesn't like the non-decision but that's the way it is and there's no basis to deny the project. Damn these people can really drag these things out.
Council sends staff off to study the same shit again and then come back with more of the same shit.
Madison asks how come all the housing's in the Central District. Can anybody say General Plan? Yikes he's missing it. Where's Rick Cole when you need him? Oh yeah, Ventura. We stay safe.
FINANCE COMMITTEE: Let's pay the Green Building consultants some more $$$. Contract with redevelopment consultant to put the redevelopment areas together. Got a go ahead.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: State platform gets okayed. Council wants money for stuff like the Gold Line extension, 710 Freeway, public education, trucks on freeways and other stuff.
CORPS OF ENGINEERS WANTS TO LOOK AT THE ARROYO WATERWAY: Gonna get studied. See if it's feasible to do something, but who knows what?
Public Comment from Meredith McKenzie: Arroyo Seco Foundation's good on this too. Sounds kinda like the Arroyo Seco Foundation's making decisions and deciding on projects, not any of the cities.

POST-FIGHT WRAP-UP: Airheaderlein yaks about Open Space deadlines. Bogaard talks about community meeting on housing next to Von's at F.O. and O.G. Attention all you affordable housing bunnies: be there or be George Braque, man.

Not a bad meeting. The Asian family that got crucified last time over the elevators on Marengo got scorned some more but can do their project. Melekian did ok. Not as strong as before but solid performance. I gotta wonder if everybody with a police complaint's gonna come to the Council now that the Chief's the CM? Strange how Council forgets so much about what's gone on before. Do they do that on purpose, do ya think?

D.