By Mary O’KEEFE

The Glendale City Council meeting on Tuesday night covered several issues facing the city, and celebrated those that make the city special.

Mayor Zareh Sinanyan read a proclamation recognizing Korean American Day, Jan. 13. This is the 116th year since the first Korean immigrants came to the United States. Jan. 13 is a day to recognize the contributions, both past and present, of Korean immigrants.

The Council unanimously approved a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a boutique hotel development in the parking lots of 233 and 303 North Maryland Avenue that are city-owned property. Councilmember Vartan Gharpetian, prior to the vote, asked for a few changes including the submission deadline to be set three months from Tuesday, instead of the proposed Feb. 28 date. He also asked to remove the provisions allowing the developers to include a request for reduced parking requirements. That part of the RFP was later amended by removing the section and requiring all to comply with the city codes. 

During the public comment period, representatives from the Glendale Tenants Union questioned the wisdom of looking at city-owned property for a boutique hotel as opposed to much-needed housing.

The hotel’s appeal for the Council is the funds it could bring in. Gharpetian estimated $1 – $2 million will be raised annually, which could help the city build affordable housing in other areas.

Councilmember Vrej Agajanian asked City Manager Yasmin Beers about the City’s practices concerning embezzlement in light of recent issues in Pasadena. A former Pasadena employee and a contractor were recently convicted embezzling about $3.5 million from that city. When this occurred in the City of Pasadena in 2015, Beers said Glendale did a side-by-side audit. They found the issues that occurred in Pasadena were not found in Glendale.

Katherine Williams, the City’s arborist/urban forestry technician, shared information about a grant that was received in partnership with West Coast Arborists and Glendale Youth Alliance. The grant is titled the California Initiative to Reduce Carbon and Limit Emissions (CIRCLE) and is offered by Cal Fire. The funds will be used for events with a goal of reducing carbon greenhouse gasses by planting trees.  The events planned thus far include a CA Tree Team Workshop on Feb. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Brand Library Recital Hall, an Arbor Day ceremony at Casa Adobe de San Rafael on March 5 from 10 a.m. to noon and, on March 9 from 9 a.m. to noon, another Arbor Day event at Verdugo Park. There will be about 200 trees planted on Brand and Central avenues. There will also be tree giveaways. For information, visit https://energysavingstrees.arborday.org.

During public comments, resident Tony Passarella shared his concern about electric scooters being brought to Glendale. He spoke of several injuries, some very serious, apparently caused by electric scooters including when brakes failed on the scooters. He mentioned this because of the possible implementation of an electric scooter program in Glendale. According to Councilmember Paula Devine, city staff is preparing a report/ordinance for a pilot program concerning electric scooters. The pilot program will last six months as the City gathers data on the new form of urban transportation. Note: In Los Angeles County, which covers the unincorporated areas like La Crescenta, an e-scooter pilot program has been approved by the LA County Board of Supervisors. The motion was made by Supervisor Kathryn Barger, directing county agencies to develop a regulatory framework for the safe commercial operation of e-scooters in the communities of unincorporated Los Angeles County.

According to a statement from Barger’s office, “in November 2018, the arrival of e-scooters in unincorporated Altadena and East Pasadena created a serious concern about the potential public safety and nuisance issues that e-scooters have caused in other jurisdictions.”

Supervisor Barger’s motion directs the County CEO, in collaboration with county departments and agencies, to develop a pilot program in 45 days with regulations allowing for the safe operation and storage of shared e-scooters and bikes on County roadways.

“We want a collaborative plan that allows operators to provide a viable transit option for our residents while minimizing the potential for public nuisances, safety issues, and lawsuits ultimately paid by taxpayers,” Barger said. 

The program will also include a consumer-focused website regarding safety and other information to set the stage for a safe, sustainable and innovative approach to incorporating e-scooters and bicycles as a service to residents looking to bridge gaps in transit access.

The city council meeting on Tuesday was adjourned in memory of Serob Ayvavi and Jim Patrick Dyrness.

  Mary Okeefe