City Committee Hosts Workshop on Pasadena Center, Pasadena Community Access and Housing Budgets Thursday

The City Council’s Economic Development and Technology Committee will host fiscal year 2024 budget workshops for the Pasadena Center Operating Company, the Pasadena Community Access Corporation and the Housing Department. 

The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Budget workshops are considered an important phase of Pasadena’s budgeting process and are an avenue for community members to provide comments and input that would help the various City departments and offices refine their budget proposals for the upcoming fiscal year.

The City is proposing $40.6 million for the Housing Department’s budget Fiscal Year 2024 budget. Last year, the City Council adopted a $39.3 million budget for the department, but that number was later revised up to $43.2 million.

The department has permanently housed 98 households through City-funded programs as of March 13, and 389 formerly homeless households have been provided supportive housing. The department has also been awarded a Family Homelessness Challenge grant from the state, creating a homelessness prevention program for families (operated by Door of Hope). The department has also launched a new rapid rehousing program for homeless households who have experienced domestic violence (operated by Volunteers of America Los Angeles)

“Housing is key for any community and Pasadena needs to recognize this by allocating more in its budget for it. Please consider not approving this budget until the appropriate increase to the housing line of this budget,” said Ada Ramirez in correspondence to the City Council.

The department’s priorities include funding the Ramona senior housing project 

Full operation of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Regional Housing Trust Fund, completion of the Foothill TAY project -homeless PCC student interim housing, pursuing acquisition/rehab opportunities with Caltrans Rental Assistance, opening the Section 8 waiting list, apply for additional housing vouchers as available, lobbying for increase to project based vouchers cap, maximizing utilization of emergency HSG & mainstream vouchers, reconfiguring/reimagining Centennial Place, implementing lease up of permanent supportive housing projects.

The Pasadena Community Access Corporation provides community access to local cable TV, operates the local studio for producing & cablecasting PEG programming.

Staff also creates government info programming, including live City Council meetings, press conferences, public service announcements, special events and emergency info. The department provides training, resources and facilities for the public to successfully produce their own TV programs.

The PCAC serves as the City’s official administrator and disbursing entity for 1 percent PEG fee collected from cable providers and oversees & administers all policies, regulations, rules and procedures for use and scheduling of local access channels.

The City is proposing a $1.144 million budget up from a $1.101 million budget last year.

Significant changes to the budget include increased personnel costs ($42,830), raised minimum to $19/hour and a 6% wage realignment in Jan. 2024. A staff increase from 11 to 12, was partially offset by benefits cost decrease

Priorities include increasing committee and commission coverage, continuing to expand partnerships with departments. Pasadena Center Operating Company (PCOC) promotes the City as a meeting and travel destination in an effort to maximize economic impact through the development of meetings, conventions, entertainment events and tourism by providing professionally managed facilities and first-class service.

The City is recommending a $26.3 million budget for Fiscal Year 2024. 

The PCOC will continue to solicit high end convention and public show business in 2024, 2025 and 2026. The sales team has resumed an active tradeshow and client facing event schedule targeting corporate accounts and California and national associations.

The PCOC will increase its marketing efforts to include:

Distinct digital and print advertising campaigns for leisure and professional business events, brand activations at Rose Bowl events, new videos, and continue to support local hotels, restaurants, museums, and districts. 

It will also continued work with Americas Got Talent to host 12 weeks at the Civic Auditorium and ramp up a program of repair to ensure long-term success of the Convention Center, Civic Auditorium and Ice Skating Center.

The Committee will meet in Council Chambers in Pasadena City Hall. Livestream with captioning is available at www.pasadenamedia.org, and also at www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/agendas.