Pasadena Chamber of Commerce

Pasadena City Council

At its meeting on January 25th, the Pasadena City Council heard a report on the possible uses of federal stimulus funds to support projects that could create employment and economic growth in Pasadena.  Projects now eligible for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act bonds include the Rose Bowl renovation, parking garage renovations, and a streetcar system linking downtown business districts. Private funding was potentially identified to support the renovation and creation of a luxury hotel at 880 East Colorado, solar installations on private buildings, and renovations to the for-profit amenities at the Rose Bowl. There are potential opportunities for private property owners and businesses to access Recovery Act funds through subsidized loans for development and construction. The Chamber has volunteered to work with the City to create an aggressive outreach program to inform commercial interests and Chamber members of the opportunity and how you can apply for funding for their projects.

The Council also identified legislative priorities for the city for 2010. Those include funding for reclaimed water, bridge repair, park renovations, smart transportation systems and emergency operations.

The Council also voted to support an initiative that keeps California from unilaterally taking money from cities to balance the budget.

California Adopts Green Building Standards

The California Building Standards Commission recently unanimously adopted the first-in-the-nation mandatory Green Building Standards Code (CALGREEN) requiring all new buildings in the state to be more energy efficient and environmentally responsible. The standard takes effect January 1, 2011.

The standards will require:

• Every new building constructed in California to reduce water consumption by 20 percent, divert 50 percent of construction waste from landfills and install low pollutant-emitting materials.
• Separate water meters for non-residential buildings’ indoor and outdoor water use, with a requirement for moisture-sensing irrigation systems for larger landscape projects and mandatory inspections of energy systems (for example, heat furnace, air conditioner and mechanical equipment) for non-residential buildings over 10,000 square feet to ensure that all are working at their maximum capacity and according to their design efficiencies.

The California Air Resources Board estimates that the mandatory provisions will reduce greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalent) by 3 million metric tons equivalent in 2020.

Upon passing state building inspection, California’s property owners will have the ability to label their facilities as CALGREEN compliant without using additional costly third-party certification programs. For more information visit http://www.bsc.ca.gov/.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors authorized an expenditure of $430,000 to support census count activities in the county.  The supervisors also approved an expenditure of $294,000 to support information sharing among law enforcement agencies regarding gang activity.