City Hall Scoop

  All Californians need to be prepared for potential outages, especially those who rely on electricity for medical devices and equipment and live in a high fire risk area. Southern California Edison’s Medical Baseline customers can now have greater peace of mind with a clean, portable backup battery, with renewable charging from an accompanying solar panel, through the utility’s Critical Care Backup Battery Program. “SCE wants to help empower our customers and communities to be as prepared as possible for potential outages caused by unexpected weather and other emergencies,” said Jessica Lim, SCE principal manager of Customer Programs and Services.“Programs and services, such as Critical Care Backup Battery, can help provide additional resiliency and support during these critical times.”  

Customers who may be eligible for the Critical Care Backup Battery Program must:

• Live in a high fire risk area;
• Be enrolled in the Medical Baseline program; and
• Be enrolled in an income-qualified program, such as California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA).

Eligible customers will receive a letter informing them about the program and providing details on how to work with an SCE-approved contractor to determine the appropriate battery size for their medical devices. Once confirmed, the contractor will then deliver and set up the backup battery and solar panel for customers free of charge. “We understand the burden the pandemic, which has been compounded by extreme weather events, can have on our customers and we have made it simpler for them to qualify for important programs like Medical Baseline until June 30,” said Lim.

Customers who may be eligible for the Medical Baseline Program:

• Rely on medical devices and equipment vital for life or to restore crucial physical function, including mobility.
• Are temperature sensitive and require air conditioning.
• Have a life-threatening illness, compromised immune system or other conditions requiring heating and/or cooling.

Customers who are not enrolled in an income-qualified program and do not meet the qualifications for the Critical Care Backup Battery Program can still check their eligibility for Medical Baseline online at sce.com/medicalbaseline, which is now available in 19 languages, including Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and Tagalog. To learn more about rebates and incentives for portable power solutions, including the Critical Care Backup Battery Program, customers should visit sce.com/customerresources. Customers who are not enrolled in an income-qualified program can learn more on how they can apply by visiting sce.com/careandfera.

5/11/21

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.

5/11/21

It’s never been easier to get your COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccines are available for anyone aged 16 years and older who lives or works in LA County—regardless of immigration status. Please bring a photo ID with you and teens 16 and 17 should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Help protect your loved ones and your community and walk up to any LA County-run vaccination site and get vaccinated today, no appointment needed!

• The Forum – Inglewood
• The Balboa Sports Complex – Encino
• College of the Canyons – Santa Clarita
• Cal State Northridge – Northridge
• Eugene A. Obregon Park – Los Angeles
• Pomona Fairplex – La Verne
• LA County Office of Education – Downey
• Palmdale Oasis Park Recreation Center – Palmdale

Visit VaccinateLACounty.com to find a vaccination site near you. 

5/11/21

Learn more about when and where you don’t have to wear a mask if you are fully vaccinated. For more information go to http://VaccinateLACounty.com

5/11/21

The South Pasadena Community Services Department and Parks and Recreation
Commission would like to hear feedback from South Pasadena residents regarding the
two potential pocket parks to be built at 2006 Berkshire Avenue and 1107 Grevelia
Street.

The Community Services Department will hold a virtual community meeting on Zoom on
Monday, May 10, 2021, at 6:30 pm. The purpose of this meeting is to obtain input from
South Pasadena residents regarding the conceptual designs of the pocket park that will be
presented by David Volz, of David Volz Design.

To join the Virtual Community Meeting via Zoom, use Meeting ID: 910 9555 8784 with
Passcode: 741060 or dial in at: +1 (669) 900-6833.

Zoom link:https://zoom.us/j/91095558784?pwd=a2FHNnZJY0QrOUsxb3NKUzFRc0g0dz09#success

Comments can be contributed during the meeting or can be submitted by emailing Sheila
Pautsch at spautsch@southpasadenaca.gov by Monday, May 10, 2021 by 12:30pm. If
you are unable to attend the meeting, you can view the presentation and provide feedback
by visiting www.southpasadenaca.gov/pocketparks.

Your valued input will be part of your neighborhood. If you have any questions, please
contact me at 626-403-7362, or via email at spautsch@southpasadenaca.gov.

5/10/21

You are fully vaccinated if it’s has been at least two weeks since you got the Johnson and Johnson (J&J)/Janssen vaccine, or at least two weeks since you got the second dose of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

Outdoors:

• At crowded events, such as live performances, parades, or sports events.
• In crowded spaces where you can’t stay 6 feet apart and you do not know if everyone around you is fully vaccinated.
• In public or private settings where wearing a mask is required by Public Health, the facility operator, or the business.

Indoors:

• In public settings and when visiting businesses, except in instances when not wearing a mask is allowed by Public Health, such as dining indoors in a restaurant.
• At a workplace, whether you are a customer, visitor, or employee.
• Gathering with people who are not fully vaccinated (including children) from more than one other household
• Visiting an unvaccinated person who is at higher risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 or who lives with a person who is at a higher risk.

Learn more about when and where you don’t have to wear a mask if you are fully vaccinated or visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov.

5/7/21

With benefit of the insights of four community focus groups of 31 South Pasadena community leaders, each describing the ideal qualities they wish to see in the next city manager, the City Council retained executive recruiter Mr. Gary Phillips, of Bob Murray & Associates to undertake a national recruitment to gather qualified candidates to fill the city’s vacant city manager position. Following candidate screening, and two rounds of City Council interviews, and a well-received April 28 virtual community forum with the final candidate, the City Council has unanimously appointed Armine Chaparyan to the City’s top administrative post. Ms. Chaparyan has 20 years of local government experience, most recently serving as assistant city manager of San Gabriel.

“The City Council has an ambitious agenda for making South Pasadena even more special than it already is. We look forward to working with Armine to advance infrastructure projects and services that improve the quality of life of every South Pasadenan. We know that Armine is very familiar with our city and looks forward to putting her energy and talent to good use in South Pasadena.  We are excited to welcome Armine as our new City Manager,” said Mayor Diana Mahmud.

Ms. Chaparyan, a graduate of John Muir High School in Pasadena, holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from U.C.L.A and a Masters of Public Administration from U.S.C. She will start her new position with South Pasadena on Monday, May 31, 2021. Her starting annual salary is $215,000.

5/6/21

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.

5/6/21

Yesterday, Los Angeles County officially met the threshold for the least restrictive Yellow Tier in the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

A revised Los Angeles County Health Officer Order will go into effect on Thursday, May 6, to reflect newly permitted activities. Moving into the yellow tier allows for increases in capacity in many sectors and allows bars to begin providing indoor service at 25% capacity. All of these changes will still require safety modifications, including masking, distancing and infection control to reduce the risk of transmission. 

Visit publichealth.lacounty.gov/Coronavirus/ to learn more. 

5/6/21

The South Pasadena Youth Commission, in partnership with American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, will host two online webinars for residents of South Pasadena on Friday, May 21, 2021.

The first informative webinar will run from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. It will address risk factors, warning signs for suicide, and strategies that can help save lives. This webinar will be geared towards youth to help provide information and skills to help their communities.

To register for the Talk Saves Lives webinar please visit https://tslyc52121.attendease.com/

The second webinar will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This webinar is designed for parents to learn how to recognize signs of depression and other mental health problems, initiate a conversation with their child, and help them get help.

To registers for More Than Sad: Suicide Prevention for Parents webinar please visit https://mtsparents52121.attendease.com/

The webinars will be led by Louisa Rocque, director of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for the Greater Los Angeles and Central Coast area. For more information, please call the Community Services Department at (626) 403-7380.

5/6/21