Council Blow-by-Blow for 2-23-09

Back in full force. Teed up and ready to go at, uh, wireless telephones again.

Oh cool, another long meeting with no outcome.

They're off:

Mayor sounds like he's got a cold. Robinson's there, Madison's not but comes in later. McAustin's gone.

Police Chief Melekian tells everyone the FBI is going to investigate the shooting on Mentone. He says he's glad none of his officers got shot. Me too. I'm waitin' to hear what the report says, but it bothers me a lot that the PD story seems to be changing day to day.

Public Comment:

Paul Little from the Chamber comes to present some report about development in Pasadena. He wants it to go to commissions but Gordo wants the report to go to Ed. Tech committee instead.

Armina Durachy complains about the trees getting cut down by Vroman's and wants people to stop shopping there. She's hoppin' mad. Playhouse District dude Paul Jackoy says stick with the plan. Playhouse District woman yields her time to a guy named McCormick who confuses everybody when he says look at the plan again then says don't. Holden gets caught in the confusion and asks about redoing the tree decision AGAIN! Then Tyler says they should do the entire city but not the Playhouse trees and Bogaard agrees. Haderlein says why go back to it if they decided already. The McCormick guy says he didn't want the decision coming back but they should stay with the one they already made.

Brother of the Guy Who Got Shot says the City hasn't sent anybody to talk to his parents about the shooting and he wants somebody to respect the family and remember they're people too even if they live in Northwest. Woman isn't happy the police shot the guy and another guy says the whole city's gotta remember District 1 people are people too and they're coming back. These folks're trying to get people stirred up but there ain't many people there. Looks like more for the trees then the guy who got killed.

I think the police do a pretty good job most of the time and I like that my NWP neighborhood is safer now and I don't gotta be so worried about gang bangers harassing my wife and kids.

CONSENT CALENDAR: They're spending about 375K on water and power stuff. Not too bad. And they want the Gold Line done to Azusa.

FINANCE COMMITTEE: Quarterly investment report. City's mostly ok but the economy's not helping much. Capital improvements: they're doing a lot of work in parks, some at the Rose Bowl and on some streets and other things and they're fixin' the median on New York Drive.

CELL PHONE TOWERS: Staff babe talks about what Pasadena plans to do and what San Diego did and says Pasadena's as good or better than the SD laws. Madison wants Council to have more control to say no. Tyler asks about some spot in his area. Gordo's wanting to know how they would make the decisions and wants the lawyer to help him out but it's no help. There's some talk about what happens if the company woin't keep the boxes up and they are told they can make them obey the rules. Haderlein asks about parks and gets told no parks.
Public commenters: Bob Holmes from WPRA wants to know about notifications and if residents or owners get notified. Dale Trader counted 1856 opportunities for antennas to go up. Donnelly woman lives near Altadena and a neighborhood alliance and complains about a cell tower outside Pasadena. Joan Dooley from Southwest and Save the Hill and thanks the City Council for listening. Raymond Kwon is frustrated he only gets 2 minutes. Tess Kalfaian from Glendale wants to speak for Pasadena residents. Miriam Nakamura Kwon bitches about what's a public utility. Says cell companies ask for more towers than they need. Nadine Rondenella talks about how they couldn't talk about health, esthetics, and how the law violates her 1st amendment rights. She likes there being a performance bond and justification study and wants emissions checked more than every ten years. Gene Masuda reads two paragraphs about keeping control and protecting his neighborhood. Nina Chomsky says it should be strong and appeals going to the council and more cell antenna at the Rose Bowl.
Jabba the Hutt staff guy with a beard says they gotta live with the rules from the state and feds. Planning Director says the ycan do what the people were asking for if the Council wants. Robinson wants to send notices to everybody nearby. After an hour they pass the same deal hey were going to anyway.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: They're gonna keep paying lobbyists $4000 a month in Sacramento.

MUNICIPAL SERVICES: They're gonna have a hearing to raise residential refuse fees and charging 79 cents for street sweeping and changing it to days from nights. The costs are going up 2.9% and have a hearing on April 9. They gotta put in 5000 street signs that are gonna cost $500K that's gonna be paid by the refuse fund. Madison wants to know why they're moving to daytime sweeping. Dale Trader is worried about signs in landmark districts. Michelle White wants to know if affordable housing complexes would get a different schedule and wants to be sure residents get notice. She likes clean streets. They're having a hearing! Great. How much more is this gonna cost me? What's left to raise? Electric and water?

ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS FOR DONATION COLLECTION FACILITIES: They're gonna regulate the yellow boxes for clothes drop offs. Michelle White wants non-profits to get a break.

GENERAL PLAN REVIEW COMMITTEE REVIEW COMMITTEE: Haderlein, Madison and Robinson are gonna pick the two people who wanna serve on the review committee. Robinson's gonna get suckered on this one by the two Steve's. Watch who gets on the committee People from WPRA and the bitching biddies.

ORDINANCE ON SIGNS, BOARDING HOUSES AND OTHER SHIT: Tyler wonders why it's a hundred pages of clean up and wants a summary so they can know what's in it. Michelle White complains it's not fair housing.
ORDINANCE IN SPEED LIMITS: Some are getting changed.
REDEVELOPMENT CHANGES: Something's getting done to Michelle White's gotta bitch about this one too. Man, she's packin' her complainin' all into one appearance. Does that mean we don't gotta see her again for six months?

SON OF PUBLIC COMMENT: Henry Sideroplis wants to bless the city and have a time of fasting and prayer in the city. Guy deserves the patience award waiting four hours to give his speech. Holden likes it. Nice note to end on. Too bad they don't end it here.
Bronislav Keckman wants to save the trees and presented a petition.
Weston DeWalt talks about the artwork at the auditorium. Man these people won't give up. Tree nuts and art nuts are persistent. But there still nuts, man.
Nancy Webster wants to stop the reign of fear of her landlord and police 'cause Obama's the new prez. She's nutso folks and has the police on her doorstep ans tell them only God can save them now.
Allen Spring wants to save the trees. He doesn't want a prayer day.
Richard McDonald talks about electric charging stations and land use.
Tina Vaughn who videotaped the whole meeting complains about the city cutting down the trees and wants to know what children think about cutting down the trees. How do you explain to kids about tree slaughter. Betty Cooper from Pasadena Beautiful wants a committee with Pasadena Beautiful, City Council, Youfac, the business districts and recommend new trees for Pasadena. Les Hammer complains about S-Nooze endorsing Gordo and talks about Mexican separatists returning California to Mexico. Nina Chomsky wants to save the trees and she's SHOCKED! Good enough reason to tear up some more trees. I'll start makin' a list. Emily Stork goofy nymphet doesn't like the trees were cut down in the middle of the night. No shows were Larry Wilson and his wife Phoebe. Guess the trees aren't important enough to stay up late. Oh, Larry, own up to startin' the Vroman's boycott, dude. Show a little cartilege in that limp wrist of yours, dude and own up. Erlinda Romo says businesses have been threatened and called. Caroline Cotton wants trees out. Carla Willetca says finish the plan. Council wants to look at street trees everywhere. They seem to think Youfac kinda sucks.

I think you all kinda suck!

POST FIGHT WRAP UP: Five hours and they didn't do much. People who complain about cell towers get all the time they want but people who come out to ask about how a guy got shot in their neighborhood get five minutes. Something's outta wack folks.

Man, Robinson looks wasted. What's up with that, babe?

It's 11:33 and I'm toasted.

and done.

D.