Work Begins On City Hall Overhaul

asadena's city hall will be encircled in chain-link fence this spring as its long-awaited, multimillion dollar overhaul begins. Crews worked quietly inside this winter, doing asbestos removal and other prep work. The City Council recently awarded a $79.8 million contract to Clark Construction Group, the firm that will carefully restore our most beloved city landmark from top to bottom.

Over the next 2 ½ years, Clark Construction will complete a seismic retrofit that includes a "base isolation" system that will buffer the building during quakes. Crews will also restore the building's historic features, repair and replace infrastructure, add new safety systems and make accessibility improvements. Work is scheduled to be completed in time for a grand reopening celebration in summer 2007.

The total budget is $117 million, mainly due to huge increases in the cost of steel,
cement and lumber. After careful studies and recommendations from experts, the City Council decided to go ahead with the plan -- not only to preserve a priceless, irreplaceable building but to avoid added costs in the future and to ensure safe, efficient and workable city headquarters. The budget will be covered by a combination
of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding, state grants, local tax revenue, donations from individuals and foundations, bond sales and a boost in the percentage of electricity revenue that is transferred from Pasadena Water and Power to the city's general fund each year.

For more news on the project, watch for the latest developments in every issue of
Pasadena In Focus, visit www.cityofpasadena.net (click on City Hall Project) or call
744-7073.

City Wins Top Honors

Pasadena has won the fourth annual Accessible America Award from the National Organization on Disability, presented annually to one U.S. city that has demonstrated exceptional commitment to offering its citizens with disabilities full and equal access to all areas of the community, from jobs and education to transportation and housing. According to the U.S. Census, more than 18% of Pasadena's 133,936 residents have disabilities.

Pasadena is a model for the nation with the Mayor's Committee for Employment of Persons with Disabilities and the Accessibility and Disability Commission, which ensures equal access to programs including the Rose Parade, historic sites and cultural centers. Pasadena also created a local tram system designed specifically for people with disabilities and pushed for accessible features as part of the new Metro Gold Line system.

Along with the award, Pasadena will receive a cash prize of $25,000 to fund even
more efforts.

For more information or to help plan the community celebration marking the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), call 744-4782.

Change Your Clock - Change Your Battery

AFTER YOU SWITCH your clocks forward an hour on April 3, follow the Pasadena
Fire Department's advice and change your smoke alarm batteries, too. You might
save a life.

Deaths have been reported across the country because people took their smoke alarm
batteries out to use in a toy or TV remote -- or to stop the "chirp" signaling a low battery
-- then neglected to replace them.

Once you make sure the batteries are fresh and plugged in, test your alarms every
month to make sure they're working. A typical smoke detector will work for 10 years; after that, replace it.

You should also be sure to have a family emergency plan in case your smoke alarms go off. Locate all exits and other ways to get out of your home, plan for family members who have special needs (seniors, people with disabilities, children, pets, etc.) and find out where your utility shut-offs for water, gas and electricity are located.

For more tips visit www.cityofpasadena.net/fire/homefire.asp or call 744-4668.

Ease Up on the Pedal

YOU'RE STARING DOWN AT A SPEEDING TICKET wondering, "who makes these rules, anyway?"

Speed limits are based on a state law that calls for a reasonable and prudent speed
that won't endanger the safety of people or property. This means different things in
different areas, from 55 miles per hour on major arterial streets to 25 mph in residential
neighborhoods, depending on conditions.

The city's Transportation Department can set various speed limits based on
engineering and traffic surveys, roadway conditions, accident records and the speed
at which most drivers travel in a particular zone. These limits make it easier for police officers to spot speed demons and provides them crystal clear justification for
writing tickets.

Speed limits that are set unreasonably low, however, are called "speed traps" and
they're illegal. Citations issued in these zones are usually thrown out of court. For this
reason, every city must clearly document the sound rationale behind their limits. So keep the faith and slow down!

If you have question about traffic laws and speed limits in Pasadena, call the
Police Department's Traffic Section at 744-7159.

Back to Nature in the Arroyo Seco

PASADENA'S BEAUTIFUL ARROYO SECO is coming back to life thanks to a forward-thinking master plan and lots of help from the Parks and Natural Resources Division of the city’s Public Works Department. Plans are underway to plant hundreds of trees and native plants, welcome back native birds and animals, rebuild trails and create beautiful new amenities for visitors.

arroyo_worker The Arroyo Seco is a sometimes-stream that starts
high in the mountains and runs to the Los Angeles River. During a five-year community effort, the city created a master plan for Pasadena’s six-mile portion. The document calls for preserving the area’s natural
and historical wonders.

At the top of the Arroyo Seco in Hahamongna Watershed Park, asphalt has been removed. And in keeping with a more natural environment, park designers are preparing plans for improvements to Oak Grove. The 18-hole disc golf course will get new amenities and upgrades will be made to the outdoor amphitheater. An engineering team is currently preparing plans to restore the Flint Wash Bridge trail crossing.

In the Central Arroyo, from the Colorado Street Bridge to Devil’s Gate Dam,
crews will restore habitat, improve the stream banks and take out all invasive,
non-native plants. More than 300 non-native trees have been removed. New plants chosen by a restoration ecologist will encourage native birds and animals to feed, make homes and reproduce. To complete this extensive project, the city is working closely with the California Department of Fish and Game, Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Board and Caltrans, using a $1 million grant from the California Safe Drinking Water, Clean Watershed Protection and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2000.

In the Lower Arroyo, from the Colorado Street Bridge to the south city limit, teens
and young adults from Outward Bound Adventures have removed broken sprinklers
and installed irrigation and will finish planting native trees this spring, including coast live oaks.

For more information or to lend a hand, call 744-4321.

IF YOU'RE ALREADY A PASADENA ARTS BUS LOVER, you've surely noticed a few improvements on the system. As of Feb. 20 the citywide, clean-running shuttle system has expanded hours, better routes, even a new route that connects commuters to the Metro Gold Line.

As always, rides are just 50¢, or 25¢ for children, seniors and riders with disabilities. You can pick up the new route maps and schedules on the buses, at Pasadena Central Library and all branches, in the lobby at 117 E. Colorado Blvd. and at www.cityofpasadena.net/trans (click on Transit Operations).

Here's a quick summary of the changes:

All ARTS routes now start at 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, and more buses are running along our busiest routes on weekday mornings and afternoons (weekend start times have not changed).
Routes 10, 31, 32 and 60 have been changed to serve more areas and more commuters who need to get to and from the Metro Gold Line.
A new Route 70 now connects commuters in southwest Pasadena to the Fillmore Metro Gold Line station on weekdays during peak morning and afternoon hours.
Route 10 now ends service at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Route 60 now operates from 6 to 10 a.m. and from 3 to 8 p.m.

For more information call 744-4055.

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