Despite overwhelming support from Pasadena voters for Measure PL, which would secure vital funding for the seismic retrofitting of the Central Library, city officials maintained a cautious tone Wednesday, even as the latest election results continue to show strong and persistent community backing for the $195 million bond measure.

“We are encouraged by the early numbers but are waiting for more votes to be counted before we make an official public statement,” Pasadena’s spokesperson Lisa Derderian said Wednesday. “We look forward to hopefully defining next steps with city leadership, staff and our community partners.”

Measure PL, the $195 million Pasadena Central Library earthquake retrofit, repair and upgrade measure, has continued to soar well above the two-thirds threshold needed for passage, with 71.65% of votes in favor and 28.35% opposed, according to the first post-election night results released by the Los Angeles County registrar’s office at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

If the measure is approved, property owners would be paying up to $28.90 per $100,000 of a parcel’s assessed value for more than 30 years to cover the bond’s costs. It would generate around $12 million each year. The funds would be directed towards essentially seismic retrofitting and safety upgrades for the 97-year-old building, which has been closed since May 2021 after an assessment revealed significant earthquake vulnerabilities.

The bond is essential to reopening the library, as it will fund the construction phase of the earthquake retrofit, repair and upgrade project, Pasadena Library Director Tim McDonald said in a previous interview.

The project is in the design phrase. This phase involves developing the technical methods needed to protect the building against earthquakes, planning for building repairs from previous damage, and upgrading critical systems in the building, including the mechanical, HVAC and the fire safety systems, McDonald said.

“The construction phase is unfunded, and that is the bond measure that you may have been hearing about lately. That’ll be on the November ballot,” he said at the time. “City Council has agreed to place a measure on the November ballot where Pasadena voters will make a decision on the funding for the repairs of the library to fund the construction phase so we can reopen the library, which is such an important community institution.”

While the building remains closed, the city staff has continued to perform essential maintenance, though certain structural issues, such as cracks from the 4.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Highland Park on Aug. 12, will remain unaddressed until the retrofit project is funded and starts, when it “would be the time to address those issues,” McDonald said.

The city has already secured $9 million in state grants and applied for two additional grants, each offering $10 million. It will continue pursuing public and private funding to support the Central Library’s retrofit, repairs and upgrades, city officials said. The $9 million already received has gone toward the project’s design phase, McDonald said.

“If we stay on track, we’ll have a shovel-ready project for us to begin in 2025, pending funding and that is the ballot measure that’s coming up in November,” he said. If the timeline holds, McDonald anticipates the Central Library will reopen in 2028.

Ed Washatka, a community activist and one of the authors of the argument against Measure PL, congratulated the Yes on Measure PL campaign team on Wednesday. Despite the outcome, his group is happy that they had the opportunity to share their perspective, he said.

“I and others feel differently about how best to accomplish the library’s earthquake, retrofit, repair and upgrade,” he said. “What we said needed to be said. Because of the position we took, we believe the Pasadena residents were better informed.”

Looking forward, Washatka said he hopes the City Council will engage in a more rigorous community dialogue as it refines its plan, noting that there are professional architects who believe the project could be done while saving tens of millions of dollars.

“Let’s hear from them,” he said.

In addition to Measure PL, the results for the other five city measures — PA, PB, PC, PF and PR — have also shown consistent stability as results solidified throughout election night and Wednesday.

All five measure need a simple majority, or 50%+1, for approval.

On Measure PA, 85.6% voted yes and 14.4% voted no. This measure would amend the City Charter on filling City Council vacancies.

Under Measure PA, for vacancies with less than two years left, the council must appoint a replacement who has been a Pasadena resident for at least 30 days. If no appointment is made within 75 days, a special election is triggered. For vacancies with two or more years remaining, a special election is required.

This measure also updates campaign contribution limits, locking in any council-set limits for two election cycles if they differ from the state default.

On Measure PB, 85.10% voted yes while 14.90% voted no. If approved, this measure would amend the charter to require that the City Council elect a vice mayor at its annual organizational meeting. In case of a mayoral vacancy, an “acting mayor” would be selected from the council to serve until the next primary election. If no mayoral candidate receives over 50% of the vote in that election, the acting mayor continues serving until the next general election.

On Measure PC, 81.55% voted yes while 18.45% voted no. This measure would amend the charter to set term limits for the mayor and councilmembers, allowing a maximum of three consecutive terms. After three terms, officials would need a four-year break before they could serve two additional terms in the same office, capping their lifetime service at five terms total. The measure applies to terms starting after Jan. 1.

On Measure PR, 62.93% voted yes while 37.07% voted no. This measure would amend Pasadena Fair and Equitable Housing Charter Amendment (Measure H). It aligns the definitions and eviction guidelines for rental unit removal with state law, exempts certain government-subsidized housing from rent control, adjusts relocation assistance payments timelines, adds procedures for removing Rental Housing Board members, clarifies penalties, and updates dates and deadlines.

On Measure PF, 85.24% voted yes while 14.76% voted no. This measure would allow greater flexibility in selecting Fire and Police Retirement System board members. If passed, member selection would follow a trustee election policy approved by a board resolution. This process will include a 30-day comment period for input from FPRS members.