City staff outlines 2026 work plan, explores bond measure

A city staff member presented an overview of South Pasadena’s progress and priorities for 2026 to the City Council, saying the city’s finances have stabilized and that officials are exploring a potential bond measure to reflect residents’ priorities.

The presentation framed the update around five council goals — finance, infrastructure, housing, governance and operational efficiency — and summarized achievements the city reported over the past year. Staff said the finance department is fully staffed, the city adopted the 2026 fiscal-year budget and completed annual comprehensive financial reports for 2023 and 2024.

The finance update said the city is now exploring whether a bond measure would help advance priorities residents have identified, but staff did not present a specific measure or ask the council to vote on one during the session. Any formal proposal and voter timeline were described as topics for future outreach and analysis.

On infrastructure, staff recounted street and sidewalk repairs, updates to the city’s tree ordinance, and completion of two pocket parks at 2006 Berkshire Avenue and 1107 Veil Street. Staff also said the city awarded a contract for sanitary sewer cleaning and closed-circuit television inspections and is coordinating a transition to a three-stream waste collection system with Athens Services. New doors at the fire station were also noted as recently installed improvements.

Housing-related work included the purchase and sale of vacant Caltrans properties, advancement of a senior affordable housing project in design, adoption of an inclusionary housing ordinance, zoning-code amendments to streamline design reviews through a chair-review process, and establishment of a Mills Act contract-tracking system for historic homes.

On governance, staff announced the arrival of a new city manager and assistant city manager, the creation of a city council scorecard to track progress, and the consolidation of the former Public Works Commission and the Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commission into a single Public Works Infrastructure Commission.

Public-safety outreach and community programs were highlighted: Coffee with a Cop, the Citizen Police Academy, a Police Awards Ceremony, a Public Safety Open House at the fire department, and the Community Emergency Response Team program. Staff also recognized new and promoted firefighters and said the first edition of the city’s quarterly newsletter is preparing for print.

Staff presented several operational improvements: finalizing five memoranda of understanding with three-year terms, completing a classification and compensation study intended to improve recruitment and retention, and reporting an approximate 50% decrease in employee attrition and vacancy rates in 2025 compared with 2024. Staff also stated the city filled 54 positions in 2025 across the City Manager’s Office, Finance, Community Development, Public Works and Human Resources.

The presentation concluded with a request that residents review the city’s work plan for 2026. No formal council votes or motions were recorded during the update; staff described the bond concept and other items as subjects for future council consideration and public engagement.