Politics & Government

Candidate Q&A: Important Issues Facing South Pas

A conversation with the City Council candidates. This week: The fundamentals of South Pas.

[This article was updated Sept. 22 to include Ernie Arnold's answers.]

In months leading up to the , Patch will be asking our nine City Council candidates a series of questions significant to the  community.

We decided to start with the basics to get the conversation going.

Find out what's happening in South Pasadenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This week's question:

What do you feel are the most important issues facing South Pas residents?

Find out what's happening in South Pasadenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Neighbors band together to form an incorporated City to have greater control over the communities in which we raise our children, live and retire. Because we are a City, we have our own unified school district and set our zoning codes and determine what type of business district we have. All of these are possible because we are a City. We might fight among ourselves, but that is our right. No outsider should have a voice in determining what it good for South Pasadena. 

The main risk to an incorporated city losing its independence is financial mismanagement. If we lose control of our finances the city might lose financial viability, and with that we lose everything. As a city, we cannot continue to pay 80 percent of our revenue to salaries and benefits. We cannot survive while paying our public sector employees more than the city's average household income. The right to tell the State of California where a freeway can be built is fundamental to South Pasadena's ability to function as an independent city. We said no to the Meridian Route (that is the name of the route through the center of town), because that route is not in our best interest. We changed to no freeway through South Pasadena twenty five years later after compromise failed. All the issues of trees, historic houses and clean air, came ten to fifteen years after we said no the route through the center of our city, but the basic issue is still are we an independent incorporated city or not. 

My main interests are continuing opposition to the 710, improving the infrastructure, promoting the arts, library and aesthetics of the City, keeping the City strong financially, and maintaining a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

South Pasadena residents are angry and frustrated about the questionable oversight and management of development projects by the current City Council. 

Furthermore, the lack of transparency in how key decisions are being made by council is alienating and polarizing South Pasadena residents by failing to engage us in decisions affecting our future. 

Another big issue is the revived interest in a proposed 710-corridor tunnel project, which has the potential to introduce economic and health risks to our city and that I strongly oppose.

We are facing the threat of losing local control of our public services (police, fire, library, utilities) to outsourcing or privatizing, which leaves us vulnerable to contractors.

Preserving our businesses and promoting new businesses, in order to reduce the need to increase taxes, fees, and property sales. This will allow us to keep our open spaces open, and the burden on the people light while working to repair the aging infrastructure and depleted city coffers. This is especially important now, as our businesses are suffering from the construction on Fair Oaks, and many storefronts are empty and our roads, sewers and water systems are in major need of overhaul.  

Continuing to stop the 710 freeway and tunnel, which would destroy our city. Promoting alternate options that might actually address the real issues while establishing that 'no means no', and going through South Pasadena is not an option, nor is it a real solution to the issues. 

We need to keep our schools performing at a high level, as this is one of the aspects that helps our city to remain a desirable location to live. Additionally it is important to continue to provide quality independent police and fire departments and support keeping them at the highest level needed for our safety and protection. Furthermore we need to promote a transparent, open, government.

Preparing the city for the next generation. Sustainability and stability is the Key. Providing effective municipal services for the community while preserving our small town character.

Too often the residents of South Pasadena are told, 'No!' instead of 'Yes!' Let’s work together to find a solution to our issues. Too often the quality of life for residents is not considered when decisions are made. Too often the 'barking dog' gets satisfied at the expense of the residents of South Pasadena. This practice of not caring for our neighbors must end.

We must fight the 710 expansions above and below ground with a proactive strategy. We must strengthen our quality of life through such things as stopping the commercialization of our City parks with the elimination of food trucks. We must make sound decisions based on a thoughtful, proactive strategy that ensures a bright future for our City rather than working as a reactionary City Council with short-term vision.

I want to always be open to listening to the citizens and business community of South Pasadena. I will work hard to assure that the needs and concerns of all residents are addressed.

Integrity is important to me. I want our city to have a good reputation now and in the future. I think that in the past some top-level city personnel decisions haven't been made with the most integrity or fairness. If elected to the city council, I will want to work with my colleagues and city management to make sure that we act in a way that our city can be proud of.

We need to do more to develop the and other vacant areas at the west end of Pasadena Ave. These areas are tremendous assets for our city that can bring in revenue for city improvements and more shopping and jobs opportunities for our residents.

Ensure that our business districts grow successfully, but in a balanced way that fits with the unique, small-town character of South Pasadena.

In terms of the 710, I am opposed to a and tunnel proposal that would slice through South Pasadena and destroy the character of our town.  And in terms of the tunnel proposal, I am very concerned with the potential health impacts from the emission ventilation towers.

One concern of mine and of many residents who have spoken to me, is the rapid growth of massages places in our city.  If I'm elected I want to work with my council members on regulating these massage places.

South Pasadena needs to do more to anticipate potential problems and issues facing the city, rather than react to problems when they are more expensive, inconvenient and urgent. I have spent much of my career working on water issues and I'd like to help our city explore a voluntary program to encourage residents to upgrade their irrigation systems and use California-friendly landscaping so that we start on the path for reduced water use.  

Better roads and infrastructure. I will use my expertise in public works planning and working with federal and regional governments to seek increased funding for our local streets, water systems and sewage lines.

I will insist on a balanced budget, transparency, and sound fiscal planning that safeguard on city's reputation and its future.

Public safety, keeping our city safe for our residents will be my top priority.

Improve our city's customer service and communication with the public.

The freeway extension: I want to leave a legacy that the freeway issue was put to rest finally during my time on the Council. It has been a difficult, well fought, yet costly battle for the City, and it must come to an end. I will demand that our State legislators give back to our City the right to have a say on the resolution of the freeway issue by overturning the. There cannot be a second surface freeway in the City, but we must come to grips with the fact that we have a traffic problem. It is a problem that it is adversely affecting that nature and character of the City.    

Economics: You had better believe that I do not intend to be on the first City council not to have a balanced budget. A balanced budget must continue to be achieved, and where possible we must maintain, and grow our reserves. There will be difficult decisions to be made in the future based on economics. I will make those decisions based on as much information as I can get my hands on. I will ask the residents of South Pasadena to have faith in me to make the best decisions I can make. I do not intend to make these decision alone in a vacuum. I will regularly invite public comment, or comments directly to me, by email, telephone call, or even visits.       

Infrastructure: The City must address the condition of its sidewalks and streets. In my practice I have been asked to represent persons injured on our sidewalks against the City. I have refused to take those cases! Nonetheless, this tells me we have a problem. If we are going to ask the residents to dig into their pockets again to extend the UUT, then I want to show them that they are getting something for their money. We must show improvement in our infrastructure. No way around that. Otherwise, I too will question the need to continue to extend taxes. Ten years on the seems a bit long. I personally would like to be able to review the need for it in my term.  But, be that as it may, if the residents vote for it, I want to show return on that investment.   

                      

Downtown Revitalization: I love that small town quality of South Pasadena. Our Fourth of July is truly out of a Norman Rockwell.  Nonetheless, we must improve our tax base.  We will not become Alhambra or Monrovia, but, we can encourage development in a thoughtful, well planned, manner that is consistent with our environment. Based on a recent survey, the downtown revitalization project is supported by 70% of our residents. We must go forward with it. But, let us keep in mind the project will bring even more traffic. As I mentioned above, we must address our traffic problem.           

Safety: We have to continue to invest in our Police and Fire Departments. We have something so rare and special in having our own forces. We live in the middle of a huge megatropolis, the biggest in the world, which brings with it problems like crime and traffic. We must have the personal relationsip with the persons entrusted to protect us. I know it is expensive to have our own department, but I am not convinced that bringing in the County to do this will save us enough money, if any, to merit making the change. We must have our Firefighters' and Police Officers' backs, like they have ours.              

Public employees, retirements, benefit packages and wages, which far exceed anything in the private sector. We must cut back on those. We must work to become a contract City where we can go with the sheriff department and county fire department—where we can cut our costs in half.

Instead of paying $6 and $10 and $14 million on a police and fire until they die, we can eliminate most of that and go with a higher quality police and a higher quality fire department—improve upon what we have. We have a very good police and a very good fire department—don't get me wrong. I would be happy to tell the police and fire that they are excellent now.

But we can do better. And by doing better, I mean we can provide a better service. Like La Canada does. Like San Dimas does. These are contract cities that provide a tremendous safety net. We can do that. The most important thing for the community of South Pasadena—as all residents in the state of California and United States—is to pull back on the grossly overpaid wages, benefit packages, retirement packages, medical packages, dental packages that employees don't pay a penny towards. We need to stop that—or we're going to go broke.

Another important issue is to require all public employees to become members of the social security system and pay towards the system, which they do not. They do not help in any way to provide what is our nation's most important safety net: social security and Medicare. Public employees have been given this free skate on all of that, and it's time we make that adjustment.

One of most important things, which I've been doing for 40 years, is  fighting the 710 Freeway. Everyone says that. Mike Ten says that. He pushes for the freeway in a tunnel form. He and I were in Council together. He wanted one thing, and I wanted another. He was successful. I didn't fight hard enough. I'll fight harder this time. No freeway. No tunnel. No way. Period. If we had a freeway going through town, traffic would be drastic in South Pas.

Ernest Arnold did not return answers in time for this article.

Patch Asks: What questions do you have for City Council candidates? Email the editor at Kristen.Lepore@Patch.com.


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