City to Host Three Important Public Events on Thursday

City Departments will  hold three significant public events on Thursday, Sept.  21 starting with a dedication for new public artworks at the Convention Center in the morning, followed at 6 p.m. by  a town hall on the seismic retrofitting of the Central Library and a separate virtual community meeting at the same time about the City’s long-term electricity plan.

The Public Art dedication event at 10 a.m. will recognize six newly installed public artworks in Pasadena as part of Phase 4 of the Rotating Public Art Program, which was launched in 2011 to create more venues for artwork in the City and increase exposure and opportunities for artists who live and work in Pasadena. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to view the artwork and meet the artist in person. City Councilmember Steve Madison and project stakeholders are expected to speak at the event. 

The new Phase 4 artworks will be publicly exhibited for a three-year period, the City’s Cultural Affairs Division said. 

This event opens at 10 a.m. outside the Pasadena Convention Center at 300 E Green Street, the site of Cynthia Minet’s sculpture “Unsustainable Creatures: Elephant.” Light snacks and refreshments will be served. 

For more information, visit www.Cityofpasadena.net/planning/arts-and-cultural-affairs. 

Later in the day, the Pasadena City Council will lead a Community Town Hall at 6 p.m. at Robinson Park Recreation Center at 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave., to provide an update to residents about the recommended seismic retrofit approach for renovating the Pasadena Central Library.

The Central Library has been closed since May last year after a seismic evaluation of the building’s structural system showed the building is an unreinforced masonry structure and is not in compliance with the Pasadena Municipal Code; it also does not meet the minimum structural performance should an earthquake occur.  

A team composed of experienced engineers, architects, and historic preservation specialists has been working on designs for the seismic retrofit and renovation. Last month, the City presented three earthquake retrofit approaches that were identified by design team. 

Pending funding, construction could  begin only in Fall 2025. The City does not anticipate reopening the Central Library before Fall 2028.

For more information, call (626) 744-4772. 

Also on Thursday, Pasadena Water & Power General Manager Sidney Jackson and his department are hosting a community meeting, starting at 6 p.m., to seek input that would help shape PWP’s Power Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). 

This is the third community meeting for the IRP and will be virtual. It aims to continue discussion about the City’s long-range blueprint for supplying reliable and environmentally responsible electricity at competitive rates over a 25-year period.

To attend the PWP community meeting, go to this link, or call (669) 444-9171 and use the webinar ID 864 1534 9561 when prompted.