New Rose Bowl Board Member Rodriguez Pledges Greater Transparency

As the newest Rose Bowl Operating Company board member, Nicholas Rodriguez is pledging greater transparency in the stadium’s operations and ensures that “the Rose Bowl never becomes the Coliseum in terms of ethical lapses and mismanagement.”

“I am a ‘known quantity’ in that I have a long history of community involvement and in helping make the Rose bowl work and in fostering understanding with the many stakeholders,” Rodriguez told the Pasadena Star-News. “There are no unknown or hidden agendas nor are the any question marks about my ability to add value to the process.”

Rodriguez served in the city attorney’s office for 23 years, during which time he was special counsel to the RBOC, while his son-in-law serves as the chief operating officer for the RBOC.

New Pasadena City Councilmember John Kennedy chose Rodriguez to replace six-year board member and Chamber of Commerce President Paul Little last month.

Rodriguez, city attorney for Vernon, has the needed experience to contribute to the board, which has had to grapple with a funding gap and more than $200 million in city debt, in addition to lawsuits over the stadium renovation project, Kennedy told the Star-News.

“Paul’s term was up and I wanted someone who had in-depth knowledge about the structure of the organization and also would be open to new solution for the age old problem of moving the asset to pay for itself,” Kennedy told the newspaper. “The community needs to kind of rejoice that we have such a highly competent board member.”

However, Kennedy’s appointment of Rodriguez to the RBOC as well as former Planning Department deputy director Stephanie DeWolfe to the Planning Commission show a trend of using former staffers on city boards and commissions rather than average residents, Nina Chomsky, a resident who has served on various city commissions, told the Star-News.

The appointments of Rodriguez and DeWolfe would lead to conflicts of interest on commission votes, she added.

“It is clear to me and to others that the city legislative committee for the council needs to adopt a special ordinance requiring a cooling off period between the time people leave any staff position and then are appointed back on commissions,” Chomsky told the Star-News. “Other cities have it, I’m not sure why we don’t.”

On the other hand, the appointment of Rodriguez earned the support of Rose Bowl General Manager Darryl Dunn who told the newspaper that the RBOC board has a strong influence on the stadium operations.

“Paul was a great board member and we appreciated his service but I know Nick very well,” Dunn told the newspaper. “They don’t come any finer than Nick.”

Little told the newspaper he would have wanted to retain his post, but he understands Kennedy’s decision.

“It’s not a choice I would make but not something I’m at all really concerned about,” Little told the Star News.