While You Were Watching City Council…

I took the ARTS bus to City Hall.

A sign of hope: Somebody used a USPS sticker to tag the ARTS bus stop sign. Easier to remove!

It’s the Pasadena Way to have a meeting outside the meeting:

As I walked toward city council chambers, a pan flute was playing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” A couple was enjoying the courtyard.

Note to City Council: There is never enough CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) money for everyone who wants some. That is true EVERY year. Apparently, Door of Hope got a letter awarding them $0.00. No, it wasn’t a typo. Clearly, it was ridiculous to send a letter like that. Clearly, Door of Hope’s executive director should have been informed about the appeal process in a timely manner. (Update: I’ve been told that the CDBG appeals process information is in the application packet distributed by the city.)

Yes, El Centro needs money for their program for seniors at Villa Parke. Should programs that operate in city facilities get special treatment? Sid Tyler busted up that idea. (Disclaimer: Sid Mr. Tyler is on CHAP’s board. I sometimes work as a consultant for CHAP.)

Just as Pasadena City Council was wordsmithing its way to a clunky motion to address perceived potholes in CDBG administration, Margaret McAustin laid the smackdown on micro-managing/undermining the work of Pasadena’s Human Services Commission. “Our job is to set policy,” she said. Huevos around the table were frozen and cracked as though by liquid nitrogen. It was a beautiful moment.

No Virginia, city staff aren’t going to help local nonprofits raise money.

Michael plays his pan flute in City Hall stairwells because the acoustics are splendid. I told him that Pasadena’s City Council was meeting upstairs.

“Can they hear me in there?” he asked.