City Hall Scoop

South Pasadena News and Updates

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To receive important public safety messages from the City, we urge you to sign up for ConnectSouthPas: https://connectsouthpasadena.bbcportal.com/? 

The notification system allows you to create a profile and select how you would like officials to contact you in an emergency – options include email, voice or text message. You can register multiple phone numbers, email addresses, and can even register locations in South Pasadena of interest to you, such as your home, a relative’s home or your child’s school.

5/17/21

For the past year, the library has asked donors to patiently hang on to their donations until a later date. That date is finally here! The Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library will accept donations of gently used books, CDs, and DVDs from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 22 at the South Pasadena Public Library Community Room (1115 El Centro).

Acceptance of regular donations will resume as of Monday, May 24. Small donations can be brought to the reference desk and larger donations can be dropped off at the loading area at the end of the driveway off of Fairview. Those with very large donations are advised to contact the Library in advance by calling 626-403-7340.

The first floor Last Chance Book Sale will be available starting May 17, when the Library begins its modified in-person services. The Friends Bookstore on the second floor of the Library is expected to begin offering hours sometime in June. Sign-up to receive email announcements from the library for updates.

Cathy Billings
Library Director

5/14/21

LetsFeedLACounty report

You can’t fight a pandemic on an empty stomach. Nearly 1 in 3 residents has suffered an instance of food insecurity since the pandemic started. 

That’s why LA County is mobilizing public agencies, nonprofits and volunteers to provide free meals to anyone in need during the COVID-19 crisis. Together we can support our most vulnerable communities.

To help out or find food resources near you, please visit covid19.lacounty.gov/food

5/13/21



City Council will now be accepting live public comment via Zoom beginning Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Participants will be able to “raise their hand” using the Zoom icon during the meeting, and they will have their mic un-muted during comment portions of the agenda to speak for up to 3 minutes per item. Written public comments may be submitted via email to ccpubliccomment@southpasadenaca.gov. There will no longer be a voicemail call-in option for public comment.

For closed session, public comment will be taken at the beginning of the meeting. The public will be released from the meeting so that the Council can convene closed session discussion of items allowed under Government Code. Any action taken in closed session will be reported by the City Attorney during the open session meeting immediately following. A separate Zoom webinar link will be provided for open session for the public to attend.

Speakers are invited to provide name (optional) and the agenda item about which you are commenting or, alternatively, to specify you are making a general public comment about an item NOT appearing on the agenda. Please visit the City Council agenda meeting page here for additional guidelines.

5/11/21

Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an FCC program to help households struggling to pay for internet service during the pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, and virtual classrooms.

As of Wednesday, May 12, 2021, eligible households will be able to enroll in the program to receive a monthly discount off the cost of broadband service from an approved provider. Eligible households can enroll through an approved provider or by visiting GetEmergencyBroadband.org.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute $10 to $50 toward the purchase price.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

Check out the Broadband Benefit Consumer FAQ for more information about the benefit and please continue to check this page for program updates.

5/12/21

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month, and the South Pasadena Public Library has curated lists of ebook and eaudiobook titles by AAPI authors for teens and adults on OverDrive. Whenever possible, titles featuring AAPI characters as main protagonists were selected, such as Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko and Sandhya Menon’s When Dimple Met Rishi, and the collection represents various genres from fantasy to historical fiction.

Want to dive further? Use your South Pasadena Public Library card to access online databases! For those seeking to learn more about Asia, the Pacific Islands, and more, head to World Book Encyclopedia. For timely full text articles and research on AAPI and more, search on ProQuest eLibrary.

Cathy Billings
Library Director

5/12/21