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Pasadena council tables Economic Development Corporation appointment after heated procedural debate
Summary
The City Council deferred and then tabled indefinitely the appointment of two candidates to the Pasadena Economic Development Corporation board after extended debate over whether to 'defer' or 'table' the item and calls for more review of applicant materials.
The Pasadena City Council on May 19 moved to defer and ultimately table indefinitely an item to appoint two members to the Pasadena Economic Development Corporation board after an extended procedural dispute among council members.
Councilman Dowell made the initial motion to defer the item (item d on the resolutions list), which brought immediate procedural questions about whether the motion meant to defer or to table. Several council members asked for clarification about Robert's Rules of Order and whether deferral would allow the item to return to the agenda automatically or require a member to move to bring it back. The council called a roll‑call vote on the motion to defer; after a contentious exchange the motion was recorded as carried. Councilman Dowell then moved to table the same item; Councilman Estrada seconded that motion. On the subsequent vote the council voted to table the appointment indefinitely.
The debate included requests from some members to see the full resumes of the applicants and criticism that political appointments are inherently political. Council members who opposed deferral said the agenda had been available since Monday and that there had been sufficient time for review. Council members who supported deferral or tabling said the application/process needed additional work and wanted time for individual follow‑up with the economic development director. The city secretary said previously tabled items typically must be placed on 'other business' to come back from the table.
Outcome and process notes: the council recorded a motion to defer item d and, after procedural clarifications and a roll call, recorded that motion as carried; a subsequent motion to table item d (mover: Councilman Dowell; second: Councilman Estrada) was also carried and the item was declared tabled indefinitely.
What happens next: Because the council tabled the item indefinitely, the appointment will not return to the agenda unless a council member brings it back under the rules described in the discussion. Several members asked the city secretary to provide a citation to Robert's Rules of Order regarding the practical differences between deferral and tabling to guide future handling of similar items.
Ending The council moved on to vote on the remaining resolutions after the procedural rulings; the meeting concluded later in the evening.
