Motel Vouchers lead Monday’s Consent Calendar for City Council

As part of Monday’s consent calendar the City Council will consider an amendment to a contract with Friends in Deed for additional funding for the provision of motel-based shelter services including weather activated motel vouchers during the upcoming winter season to increase the total contract value by $108,000 for a not to-exceed amount of $158,000.

The additional funds will support the provision of weather-activated motel-based shelter services during the upcoming winter season.

As in the 2020-2021 winter season, nonprofit Friends In Deed will not operate the Bad Weather Shelter this year due to challenges with securing a site, in addition to concerns about safe operations during the pandemic.

Friends In Deed will provide short-term motel stays when overnight temperatures are projected to drop below 40 degrees or there is a greater than 40% chance of rain. The housing department is working with the Public Health Department and other contracted homeless service provider agencies to also provide weather-activated motel services this season.

In 2020, the housing department created the Scattered Site Emergency Motel Program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic which served people experiencing homelessness identified as high risk for serious illness or death if they were to contract COVID-19.

The program provided protective non-congregate shelter at motel sites in and near Pasadena and was administered by four local homeless services providers, including Friends In Deed.

Over the course of 15 months, the program served 79 people, 20 of whom obtained permanent housing.

An additional 19 were matched to a permanent housing resource but were still going through the process of finding permanent housing.

The extra funds will allow for the continued provision of motel vouchers for these individuals until they obtain permanent housing.

An item for the authorization to add funds to a Union Station Homeless Services’ contract for motel services will be brought to Council at a later date, according to a city staff report.

Here are the other items on Monday’s consent calendar:

• A six year contract with FS Services not to exceed $1,679,040 for citywide tree planting services for up to six years. As part of the city’s tree replacement/planting program, the city purchases, plants, and waters street trees in the city’s urban forest. In an effort to replenish the City’s street tree vacancies, trees are planted annually from October through May. Over the last two years, the Department of Public Works has planted more than 500 trees annually. Typically, trees are replaced with 15 gallon trees. But, in order to more fully promote tree health and survivability, staff is proposing to replace larger trees with 24 inch box trees as part of this proposed contract. Due to the additional expense, staff expects to plant approximately 300 trees annually within the available budget.

• A purchase order with Rexel USA, Inc. to furnish lamps, fixtures, ballasts and other lighting accessories for the city for an amount not to exceed $222,000, over a three-year period, with the option for two additional one-year extensions, in the annual amount of $74,000, at the discretion of the City Manager, for a maximum total contract length of five years and a grand total contract amount of $370,000. The Department of Public Works, Building Systems and Fleet Management Division (BSFMD) purchases supplies for ongoing and as needed maintenance, installations, replacement, and repair services of all lighting systems at various City facilities.

• A resolution to approve filing of an application and acceptance of Proposition A Excess Funds with the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District. This funding has been earmarked by Supervisor Kathryn Barger to be used for the Robinson Park Pool and Pool Building  project in the amount of $500,000. These Proposition A Excess Funds will be used to expand the current project scope to include necessary improvements to the parking lot pavement and lighting, as well as pedestrian pathways outside to the pool and pool building. More specifically, the parking lot will be repaved, restriped, and will also include drainage improvements. The project will include new parking lot poles and electrical infrastructure for enhanced safety and visibility. The concrete pathways around the building will be enhanced and will also include landscaping along Hammond frontage. These improvements will bring the facility up to the high standards that Pasadena expects. Currently, Robinson Park pool is one of the most heavily used facilities in the City, serving approximately 400 users per day in the summer. In 1992, Proposition A was approved by the Los Angeles County voters to establish the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District.

• Interim City Manager Cynthia Kurtz could also enter into a three-year contract with Golden Star Technology Inc. for the purchase and installation of video conferencing technology in multiple city locations for an amount not to exceed $361,167, which includes a ten percent contingency. Prior to 2019, video conferencing technology was used sparingly in the City. The situation changed dramatically as social distancing guidelines were established and many city staff were required to work remotely from home during the pandemic. The city was compelled to find an alternative to face-to-face meetings and video conferencing was the obvious solution. To that end, Pasadena’s Dept. of Information Technology experienced an immediate, urgent demand for this technology and it was addressed on an incremental, as-needed basis. However, long-term, the city needs a suite of video conferencing technology solutions that will address requirements for a number of different facilities.

• A contract with Brink’s Incorporated for three years not to exceed $180,000, which includes the base contract amount of $165,000 and a contingency of $15,000 to provide for any necessary change orders at the discretion of the City Manager. The option for two additional one-year terms in an amount not-to-exceed $120,000, which includes the base contract amount of $110,000 and a contingency of $10,000 to provide for any necessary change orders, for a total of $300,000 for five years.