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South Pasadena PD is nation's 1st police agency to fully switch to EVs
T
he South Pasadena Police Department on Monday became the nation's first law enforcement agency to fully transition from gasoline-powered vehicles to emission-free electric vehicles. The city's 20 new Teslas will get power from a new bank of EV chargers at South Pasadena City Hall, according to officials who also noted that the city's final electrification project component will result in City Hall and the police and fire stations solar-powered backup system with battery storage to add "critical power resilience in the event of an outage." South Pasadena Mayor Evelyn Zneimer said in a statement, "This transition reflects the city's vision of a sustainable future based on both sound fiscal management and environmental stewardship. The City Council is fully behind this transition. We will have a 21st Century police force that is safe, clean and saves taxpayer dollars. We're very excited to be working with our regional and corporate partners to make this happen." Regional air quality regulators applauded the new carbon-free fleet. "Finishing the job of cleaning up the region's unhealthy smog and protecting our atmosphere will require wholesale adoption of vehicles that produce no emissions while driving," South Coast Air Quality Management District Vice Chair and South Pasadena Councilman Michael Cacciotti said in a
statement. "We have been working on this for over a decade. We finally got it right and the future for municipalities across the country is clear. Partnering is the way to get big ideas done. Our city is helping to make that a reality today." Larry McCallon, chair of the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee and Highland Mayor Pro Tem, said in a statement that the MSRC "is proud to have partnered with the City of South Pasadena on the first-of-its-kind effort to transition an entire fleet of Police cars to zero emission electric vehicles. The MSRC provided nearly $500,000 in Clean Transportation Funding to this clean air project, which furthers the MSRC's mission to improve air quality and reduce harmful emissions from motor vehicles in the South Coast Air District." Officials said the move indicates a new paradigm for law enforcement agencies, which traditionally have been hesitant to replace gasoline vehicles with EVs, citing concerns about range, possible inability to charge during power outages and the technology's "new and unproven" status. "Switching to these vehicles offers the Police Department the opportunity to acquire a cutting-edge vehicle fleet," South Pasadena Police Chief Brian Solinsky said in a statement. "This initiative not only ensures the safest vehicles for officers and staff but also leads to substantial reductions in
South Pasadena's new fleet of electric police cars. | Photo courtesy of the city of South Pasadena
both fuel and maintenance costs. "Simultaneously, this transition enhances service levels for the residents of South Pasadena by minimizing maintenance downtime commonly seen with traditional gas combustion engines," the chief said. The EV fleet is expected to save the city about $4,000 per vehicle in annual energy costs while providing additional savings on maintenance now that traditional brakes, oil changes, air filters and other aspects of gas-powered vehicles won't be necessary. The cost to operate the new electric vehicles will be at least half the per-mile cost
of gasoline vehicles, Solinsky said. Working with partners to find the right cars for an acceptable price was key to the EV transition effort, according to the city. "An organization's fleet can be a clear indication of its values and priorities, and South Pasadena's strategy emphasizes its dedication to sustainability and innovation," John Mills, Enterprise Fleet Management vice president for Southern California, said in a statement. "We are proud to help South Pasadena adopt an all-electric police fleet that better reflects its objectives and saves costs along the way. This program
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LA County board adds charter amendments to November ballot By Anusha Shankar, City News Service
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By Staff
VOL. 12,
fter weeks of back and forth, the county Board of Supervisors in a final vote Tuesday added a series of proposed County Charter amendments to the November ballot, including an expansion of the board from five to nine members. If approved by voters on Nov. 5, the board would expand to nine members in 2030 and the county CEO would become an elected position by 2028. The measure would also create the positions of County Legislative Analyst and Director of Budget and Management. The proposal also includes the establishment of an Ethics Commission and a Compliance Officer by 2026. The board last week already began the process of creating an Ethics Commission, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger noting that the move doesn't require voter approval. But if it is also approved on the ballot, the Office of Ethics Compliance will be codified in the charter, protecting it from being disbanded in the future absent another public vote. The charter changes have been championed by Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn, and supported by Supervisor Hilda Solis. Barger and Supervisor Holly Mitchell again voted in opposition Tuesday, calling it a rushed move and expressing concern about some of the proposed changes. They suggested removing the proposal to make the CEO an elected position, saying that job should remain fully nonpartisan and be given to someone with the proper
qualifications. But the other board members declined to remove that item from the package of proposed changes. Mitchell also questioned contentions that the changes included in the package will be done without any fiscal impact to the budget. Some questions were also raised during past discussions about whether nine members would be the appropriate size of an expanded Board of Supervisors. But Horvath insisted, "Nine is measured, nine is not new," and said there is excitement from the public on the expansion proposal, especially from communities who would like a more representative seat at the table. The split board also disagreed on the process that led to the formulation of the proposed amendments, with Barger noting that Mitchell was the initial champion of county government reform discussions but seemed to have been cut out of the conversation when the proposed ballot measure was crafted. Horvath and Hahn have argued on the need to bring about the changes — saying the current County Charter was adopted in 1912, when the population was about 500,000. But the county now has 10 million residents and encompasses 88 incorporated cities within its border. The proposal also calls for a commission that would review the charter every 10 years, annual open departmental budget hearings and creation of a task force to oversee the implementations of the changes.