City Council Holds First Meeting of Year on Monday, Considers Salary Increase, Bonus for City Manager

Pasadena’s City Council is expected Monday to approve amendments to its contract with City Manager Steve Mermell, including increasing his annual salary to $286,000 and awarding a one-time lump sum bonus of $7,500.

In the Agenda Report for the City Council’s meeting Monday, the first meeting for 2018, Mayor Terry Tornek is recommending the increase be made retroactive to August 7, 2017, which marked Mermell’s completing one year of his contract. Tornek said the recommendation is a result of a recently completed performance evaluation.

The salary increase will also be reflected in Mermell’s employee paid pension contribution to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS). Mayor Tornek’s report said Mermell has been making an additional 2 percent employee contribution to CalPERS since November, for a total 10 percent employee contribution toward his pension.

Tornek said the approval of the amendment for the City Manager is estimated to have an overall fiscal impact of $17,100 in the fiscal year 2018 and will be absorbed by the City Manager Department operating budget.

Last August, the Pasadena City Council unanimously approved a five-year contract for Mermell as full-time City Manager, with a $275,000 salary per year and an additional $129,099 in benefits, including a housing and car allowance.

Mermell has been serving Pasadena since 1989 when he joined Pasadena Water and Power as an analyst. He then served in a variety of positions for several City departments before being appointed as one of two assistant City Managers in 2008. Last February, he began serving as Interim City Manager.

Also on Monday, the City Council will continue discussing proposals on how future elections in the city could be rescheduled to conform with statewide election dates, as required by law.

Also on the agenda for Monday’s meeting, City Clerk Mark Jomsky indicated the City Council must now determine details of the changes associated with the California Voter Participation Rights Act (CVPRA).

Earlier City Council discussions have resulted in two possible options: maintain the current election format of primary and runoff elections to ensure a 50 percent plus 1 majority winner in each race, or transition to plurality elections where the highest number of votes cast for one candidate in each race is needed to be elected.

Whichever option is chosen will be submitted for voter approval in a referendum that the City Clerk recommends will be conducted during the June 5, 2018 statewide primary.

Other important matters for discussion include two ordinances that are expected to pass on second reading — one amending Title 2, Chapter 2.355 Section 2.355.050(B) of the Pasadena Municipal Code relating to administrative fines, and another amending the Zoning Code to add Section 17.50.296 to Chapter 17.50 of the Pasadena Municipal Code pertaining to short-term rentals.

The City Council will also deliberate on a recommendation from the Rose Bowl Operating Company to approve a license agreement with Soccer United Marketing for an international soccer match to be held at the Rose Bowl on Memorial Day, May 28, 2018 and to authorize the City Manager to negotiate and enter into the license agreements for the event.

Some of the items in the consent calendar include a contract award to Access Pacific Inc. for Area H Perimeter Improvements for an amount not exceeding $1 million; a resolution approving an Administering Agency-State Master Agreement between the city and the state of California Department of Transportation for use of federal aid funds on local transportation projects; a resolution for exception to the 180-day waiting period related to hiring in the Pasadena Police Department; an amendment to the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association Master License Agreement; extending the agreement with Tyler Technologies Inc. for furnishing and delivering an Enterprise Resource Planning System; and amendments to a contract with Michael Baker International for contract planning services to increase the not-to-exceed amount from $850,000 to $1 million.

The City Council’s Finance Committee has also recommended awarding a contract to YAKAR for the Desiderio Neighborhood Park Development Project for an amount not to exceed $2.02 million.

The City Council meeting begins with a closed session at 5:30 p.m. and opens to the public at 6:30 p.m.