Council,

I demand that this process be halted, cured and corrected.

Non-Natives

Removing protections from non-natives is Councilmember Omari Ferguson's brainchild. It isn't sophisticated or nuanced. The novelty lies entirely in doublespeak. This is a coup that could only be perpetrated on a broken city with strong tree protections. Let me repeat myself—this is internationally newsworthy.

Arpy Kasparian, our Environmental Services & Sustainability Manager, was aware of Councilmember Omari Ferguson's idea before he took office. She has led the process of pushing it through the commissions deceptively and manipulatively. Current acting Co-Director of Public Works Michael Vartanians and Danielle Garcia, Water Conservation Management Analyst, stepped through convoluted presentations that obscured the facts of the matter, providing false and nonsensical justifications for changes along the way. Our commissions were not prepared for the deception. NREC Vice Chair Michael Siegel at one point proudly asserted "What's good for staff is good for me."

Here's the language used to introduce a full deregulation of protections of ~90% of the trees in the City of Trees:

The First NREC Meeting (May 2025)

Staff recommends revising code language to streamline the tree removal process by limiting the species list to protected tree species only.

Staff recommends streamlining the permitting process to ensure native trees are protected and minimize the overhead time and costs associated with reviewing and processing a tree removal permit.

The Uncalendered Special Meeting (July 2025)

Create a category of “protected” trees that align to the species of trees the City has opted by resolution 7360 to be considered native. Revise tree trimming & removal rmits to only be required for this category of “protected” trees.

This Agenda's Description

Refining tree classifications to a centralized protected tree category, focusing only on tive species, currently listed in Resolution 7360. Trees subject to the ordinance are w only those trees that are defined as a “Mature Protected Tree.” A Heritage Tree is cluded in the definition of Protected Tree.

Replacements

What even is a "replacement tree"?

Staff long ago completely stopped requiring on-site replacements. The only replacements going in the ground are when a resident wants their deposit back. Arpy, Michael and Danielle have each confidently instructed me to "take it to council."

The new ordinance maintains the same ambiguous language and provides a new, non-binding ambiguous and faulty process of ensuring replacements are on-site through Administraive Guidance. Protections and replacement requirements need to be clearly designated in the ordinance or they will be gutted the moment I turn my back.

Our last Director of Public Works, Ted Gerber, told me that there are practically no more tree wells on public land to populate and it requires the approval and participation of the closest homeowner so trees can't just be placed anywhere in response to an applicant's request for "off-site planting".

The Indiana appeal I brought to council earlier in the year involved unjustifiable intentional removals of healthy, significant trees. One member of council said out loud that they didn't believe that on-site replacements should be required. This is a complete and utter joke.

The Orange Grove appeal had a poor palette of species selections. Commissioner Jones asked for natives. The applicant did not oblige. In speaking with them afterwards they were dismayed to find out that others are just completely ignoring replacement requirements and that our city was moving away from protections and replacements entirely.

Commissioner Jones asked the applicants of the Diamond appeal to ensure that replacement natives were on-site. When I followed up with the applicant they said "Our arborist is taking care of it. I'd appreciate it if you'd mind your own business." I called their arborist who asked "Has the replacement period expired yet?" There is still no front yard replacement.

All of our surrounding cities have replacement matrices to compare and contrast against. Staff compared us to Claremont, a city with zero private property, and provided no comparisons of others' matrices. The numbers provided in this draft ordinance are a complete and utter joke.

Trimming

ANSI standards.

Untopped trees are being topped regularly in the Southwestern Monterey Hills area. It would be considered to be damaging of a tree in any jurisdiction with strong protections. It is tantamount to destroying the tree. Our current code does indeed protect against it. Our city has not enforced these protections once. Our councilmember's solution? "Let them do as they please."

This is what trimming requires: extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-506-W.pdf

It requires tree science.

Emergency Removals

"Take a photo and send it to us within five days" is a joke. What is the consequence of the photo not detailing a hazard?

Development

I have lived up on Hanscom/Illinois for almost twenty of my forty years. My family added humbly on to a hundred year old structure next to a hundred year old tree.

1. Charles Imbus showed up and expected maximum entitlements. He refused to produce a single quality replacement for what could be the oldest Oak in the entire South Pasadena city limits.

We only need to provide developers a baseline minimum of entitlements. It should not be framed in any other way.

Neighbor Appeal

I hereby release the following web application to the public domain:

ragt.ag/south-pasadena/trees/radius-map

Copy/paste it to the city website.

This functional demonstration pulls data directly from Los Angeles County databases in real time.

With the addition of a $200/mo ATTOM API subscription those addresses can have registered names for tenents and property owners living in abstentia.

With this tool the cumbersome appeal process can be streamlined significantly—the /original/ purpose of this legislation.

Replacement Plan

Use the above tool to facilitate a replacement plan that actually serves a purpose. Replacement trees need to be on-site when viable and positioned properly. This requires knowing where the structures are and where the existing and removal trees are.

Home Insurance and Defensible Space

There's zero language in the code and thus way too many ambiguities for homeowners looking to solve problems.

Public Works

Our Public Works department signed off on a completely broken waterworks project that involved the removal of 200 (140 documented, ~60 undocumented) protected trees and shrubs in our tiny strip of the Arroyo Seco.

Private E-Mails

Public comments exclusively involved Mexican Fan Palms, Tree of Heaven and Italian Cypress.

Release all private emails related to this item – to and from residents, commissioners and council.

Statistics

From our Climate Action Plan (2020), p. 205:

It was conservatively assumed that the City of South Pasadena has the capacity to increase the City’s tree inventory by 5% in 2030 and 10% in 2045, or by 550 trees in 2030 and 1,100 trees in 2045.

It's 2025 and we're half way to our deadline. How many removals and how many plantings have there been in the last 5 years on private and public property? What were the species and where were they placed?

Objectivity

Objectivity requires knowing what trees are in the area and what trees need to be planted.

An urban forestry rule is do not comprise your urban forest of any more than 10% of any particular species, 20% of any one genus or 30% of any single family. This requires intentionality.

WE NEED TO FIX OUR URBAN FORESTRY SYSTEM NOW.

Proccess Abuse

The only actionable public hearing of the NREC was held July 8 as an uncalendared Special Meeting. The commission needed my testimony. Two of the members at the most recent NREC meeting are already asking about putting non-natives back on the protected list.

Bias

Councilmember Omari Ferguson's neighbor provided comment that he attempted to remove his non-native trees without a permit. Councilmember Omari Ferguson should recuse himself from this item.

Fire

You should reopen an investigation of the Teresa Fire. The public deserves as much information about the event as possible. It is inextricably tied to all of this safety talk.

Mislabeling

Jennifer Colby, Public Affairs Manager, wrote in a press release September 29, 2025:

The City is amending its Tree Ordinance to prioritize public safety and prevent damage to property. The revised ordinance will give homeowners clearer guidelines and the ability to responsibly manage trees on their property, particularly when a tree is hazardous, diseased, poses a fire risk, or impacts homeowners' insurance.

Is it streamling or for safety? Why isn't the public being told about the changes to the development track or basic urban forestry?

Public Hearings

Substantive changes were stuffed into Additional Documents just before the last council meeting where City Attorney Roxanne Diaz boasted having already had "4-5 public hearings".

Brown Act violations everywhere. A terribly corrupt piece of legislation covering up a failed tree authority.

I demand this process be halted, cured and corrected.

Thank you,
Angelo Gladding (ragt.ag)
1856 Hanscom Drive
Vice President, South Pasadena Beautiful