Council Blow by Blow for 6-9-08

They're teed up and ready to go at us again.

Closed session to talk about City Manager job but they've got nothing to tell us. What about interviewing people?

Here's the line up: Gordo, Holden, McAustin, Robinson, Tyler, Haderlein and Bogaard are there. Guess who's missing.

Ann Erdman leads the pledge. Gets it correct.

PUBLIC COMMENT: Grace Teason who's hard of hearing and wants to talk about disabilities act and people who don't hear too well anymore. Wants something to be done like captioning city council meetings. Hey, it's fair, why should only the hearing get to bash our heads against the wall and howl in pain at the two Steves' Stupid Sayings, Bill's Bogus B*llsh*t, etc. She gets irate when Mayor cuts her off.
Michelle Sylvan: Eco-woman loves Pasadena eco-summit and bike riding.
Emmanuel Vargas wants dog park park finished. Melekian tells him it's because of the ice rink being not finished. Airheaderlein's gotta say something 'cause he loves parks and open space, ya know! Talks a bunch of bull about some path.
Betty Riggleman: From disability Commission is there because she doesn't understand somethig but loves politics and watches the city council and she wants the meetings closed captioned too 'cause she can't hear much either.

CONSENT CALENDAR: Lots of money up to give away for who really knows. McAustin asks about the 400K contract but not the 4 mil one. The contract is to do a 20 year plan for the power company and how it gets our power and they're gonna have meetings but don't plan to tell the council when they're having meetings. So they're gonna tell us how much more we're gonna pay but not give us any chance to yak back. If this is such a long term thing, why isn't council wanting to hold real hearings? Dude giving the report's styling in a red turban. Cool. Contract for design guidelines for neighborhood commercial districts. Comes out of the Marengo anti-Asian development fiasco. Moule and Polyzoides from Pasadena are doing it. Whose pal are they? What have they done that gives them sway over what's built near my house? Oh. it's 'cause they're getting paid 85K to do it. Gordo wants to know about North Lake. I want to know if I'm gonna get more convenience stores that sell tall boys or something decent. We'd like Peet's Coffee at Washington and Garfield, too. Haderlein wonders why urbanists are doing designs for the not-so-urban part of Pasadena. Score one for the Airhead. That's a good question. Planning Director talks about process and neighborhood compatability. What happens when a grocery store is going in near a house? Who wins, the one house or the hundreds of others who want the grocery store?
Council wants to know what's expected before they ok the contract. Make sense. McAustin sticks up for the deal, so no more need to wonder whose pals these people are. They have lots of problems with this but all pass it anyway.

CENSUS 2010 STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN: City proclaims itself to be committed to counting everybody in Pasadena that goes to James Christy from the census bureau. Census dude talks about how it's important to count everybody because that decides how much $$ we get. They're gonna create a strategy to grab as much cash as we can by counting everybody. They say we missed 5000 people last time. Now htey wanna get it right. Pasadena oughta get as much as we deserve 'cause Arcadia, San Marino and La Canada are gonna take everything they can. Makes sense to me. City census guy talks about chads and says we don't want that happening again. Camera shows Haderlein texting during the q&a.

OPERATING BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THIS YEAR: Spending money and changing it around. Tyler says it's because of things they didn't know about in advance. Tyler also wants to know why the city's using more fuel, not just paying more for it.

OPERATING BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR: Lotsa money. Not much to talk about. Power company is next week. Anybody gonna ask about our rate increases?

LANDMARK BUILDING AT 1000 E. CORDOVA: Tyler bows out because he said something previously about this. There's some talk about a water feature. Gordo kills the staff report so nobody will know what they're talking about. I guess it's a condo with lots of owners.
Public comment: Joel Sweat owns 1000 Cordova and they like the designation. He says there's no downside to doing it.
Melba White represents homeowners against it and she's the bookkeeper. Says there's a letter that would make them restore a pool and charge the owners $360K.
Jean Barkoskuss is prez of homeowner association. She can't talk so the bookkeeper talks for her. Says nobody ever got a chance to vote about it. Some guy named Dilhofer forced it on them and is making them pay more money. Holden asks if they have to restore the pool and Bruckner says nothing will force them to do it.
Mariana Blank: She's a board member who doesn't like it. Says the building was denied before and reads from a letter that says the building doesn't rate.
Bald building maintenance guy: Says the water feature doesn't work and they'd be stuck with what they can do with the pools.
Carol Dodd: Owns 205 since her mom bought it in '78. Adamently opposed. Wants consensus from owners first.
Mariam White: Applicant says they did more outreach but president refused to hold a meeting. Says she had a meeting with Pasadena Heritage, Marcia Rood and other bitching biddies and staff had a meeting. BUT it really looks like people in the building don't go for it. She wants it pushed through even if other people don't like it.
Ken Perry: Doesn't live there but wants the building made a landmark.
John Walsh: Another Pasadena resident who doesn't live there but wants it to be a landmark. Says even if Tyler can't vote it's unfair. He says Tyler already said he supports the landmark designation.
Lambert Geesinger from Pasadena Heritage: Says it warrants designation.
Kay Murhpy: Supports the designation. She's from another Pasadena condo.
Christine Fitikowski: Recent Pasadena resident wants it approved. Says there's a great benefit. She doesn't even know about Pasadena's landmark districts. She says they can find help for the people who have to pay.
Free Wilson: Lived there for 17 years and wants to designation and says it might cost more not to do it. Says they tried outreach but others undercut them.
Matt Dilhoefer: Owns 202. Says more people oppose it than live there.
Gordo says they have real issues here. Five testified for and more against. wants to treat it like a district nad have 51% in favor before they go ahead.
Robinson asks about the other denial and Bruckner tries to explain it but doesn't really do much to help.
Holden says the compelling record is that there's nothing to change the 2005 decision to say no. Staff woman says they hired an expert to tell them. So you get somebody who loves these buildings to say it's best to call it a landmark. Sorta like asking American Idol contestants if they're real singers. Geez guys!
McAustin says if majority don't want it then they shouldn't do it. But she wants them to keep trying.
Bogaard says they should cut through the concerns and that would get everybody ok with it. Sounds like w=he really wants to get some tonight, I mean really wants to support the designation but can read the tea leaves and sees most council won't go on with it without most of the owners approving it.
Airheaderlein wants them to talk to all the residents and then bring it all back in 45 days. Gordo says why bother 'cause that's what they were supposed to do before. Robinson says if people wanted to state an opinion they would have done it by now. That makes sense and talks about there being other issues with the owners there and the city shouldn't get in the middle of it. They don't approve or deny it. City Attorney says they can come back in a year with another application if they want. Smallest surprise of the day: Airheaderlein doesn't know what day it is.

ANNUAL REPORT FROM TOURISM IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT: Huh? You say. The hotels all pay into a fund. They do it without talking about it much but hte ocnvention center guy says the hotels are happy.

COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS TO SON OF YOUTH YAC: Madison and Robinson are on it. They're looking for one more but don't have a volunteer for that.

RESIGNATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS: Out with the old pals and in with the new ones on a bunch of commissions. Robinson has one deferred.

FUNDING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR HOMEBUYER ASSISTANCE: City's applying for money to help people buy houses. Everybody loves this one.

ORDINANCES: Extended wireless moratorium, towing contracts and trash pick up.

REPORTS ON FAIR HIRING BY THE CITY: City pats itself on the back for being diverse by hiring people. City hires bore Blacks than in the city at large. Workers ate 43% women and 57% male.

REPORT ON FAIR CONTRACTING: More back pats for contracting with minority companies.

APPEAL FOR VIVE BAR THAT WANTS TO STAY OPEN LATER AND HAVE DANCING: They want to stay open to 1:30 a.m. on weekends and move the dance floor. Planning nerd says the cops don't want another nightclub in Old Town. Police say this place has increased crime. Public comment: Owner says they have dancing because they were allowed to close up a patio. Wants to know about other police calls at other places and says his place has the least calls.
Randall Freed: Restaurant manager says there's no reason to deny the restaurant. They did what they were allowed to do and the hearing judgement was wrong.
Mr. Huberman: Vive made a mistake along with the staff people. He says a bunch of stuff the cops are blaming on the club weren't really theirs. When they moved stuff inside, they got rid of the noise problems and complaints. Says Police needs to be more accountable for their staff reports. Their reports are wrong and way overstated so the decision goes the way they want. Planning Director doesn't know the history he says. So who's gonna decide what's the correct info?
James Potkin: Says glass keeps the sound in. Says he's got property in the area and doesn't want more booze sales.
Will Sera: Homeowners prez from nearby says it's a nighclub and doesn't want Vive to get what they want. Says where it is now is better but they have other problems.
Guy who lives in Studio City and works in Pasadena and says give Vive the okay.
Dan Melinkof: Doesn't like more alcohol there.
Carol Clark: Let businesses thrive but make sure coexists with residents.
Medical Management COO from Chapman Woods: Says Vive is a good addition.
Bar patrons like the idea, say the place is safe and run well. Some other people don't like it. They're blaming lots of nastiness on a club moving a dance floor.
Council denies it for being a nightclub and says they gotta put the dance floor back.
Folks, this one's dumb. They stick to the sorts rules the way they want so Vive can't get what they want and so the neighbors get more noise. Stooopid people. Nobody wins anything and everybody loses.
AND we're giving people more reasons to go to other places to spend hteir $$$$. Smart move from the City and the council geezers.
Crank up the DJ and wake the neighbors. What's Old Town gonna do if all the bars and clubs close up and move someplace else? Is everybody else going too and we'll be left with a bunch of Scientologist buildings.

POST FIGHT WRAP UP: Lots of time spent talking about stuff that's not really gonna matter to anybody except Old Town club owners. Wasted, wasted, wasted time and trouble.

All for now this one's gon on to 11:30.

D.