By Julie BUTCHER

After consecutive weeks of council meetings dealing with controversial topics that often ran late into the night, the Glendale City Council took care of business in short order at its meeting on Tuesday.

The Council accepted $300K in workforce development funding from the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB). Verdugo Workforce Development Board director Judith Velasco explained the significance of the grant to the City Council, saying that the funds will be used to help other local workforce development boards help people with disabilities, expanding a successful model training program for workers with autism.

Councilmember Paula Devine used the section of the agenda for council comments to commend an event billed as the City’s first summit for non-profits.

“Hopefully, it will continue as an annual event,” she said.

Additionally, she highlighted an event honoring International Women’s Day sponsored by the Downtown Glendale Association as “a great way to celebrate the women in our community,” and further recognized the 35th annual gala of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS): “These women are the epitome of strength, inspiration, and motivation.”

Finally, she reported on the Arbor Day 2019 tree planting at Verdugo Park, noting that Glendale’s public works department had been awarded the Circle 3.0 program grant for the “first time ever.” Two hundred free trees were distributed, 40 of them planted in Verdugo Park, the rest available free to members of the community.

Mayor Pro Tem Ara Najarian announced that in honor of Earth Day on April 22 the entire Metrolink system will be free to ride all day. He also asked that the city clerk report to the council about new laws potentially affecting early voting and an update about the election irregularities leading to a redo of the congressional election in North Carolina, emphasizing the goal of making the administration each election better than the last. City Clerk Ardashes “Ardy” Kassakhian noted that the next election will be in March 2020, California’s statewide primary, and that absentee ballots will go out as early as February. Kassakhian indicated that he would prepare a report responsive to the councilmember’s request.

The Council unanimously approved a lease of up to four years with local non-profit All for Health to continue to lease City-owned Cedar House to provide mental health and substance abuse programs to “low-income, uninsured and indigent populations” through the organization’s Glendale Individual and Family Treatment (GIFT) program. The organization also operates youth programs out of the facility.

Providing extensive oral and written public comment, 26-year Glendale resident Glenn Webb posited an alternate to current plans.

“I’ve been quite critical of the GWP plan to repower the City of Glendale with a fossil-fueled power plant,” he said. Webb submitted a detailed plan “Zero Carbon Glendale,” calling on the City to reach zero carbon emissions employing alternative energy sources and strategies.

“This plan would only require approximately 10 acres at Grayson; the rest of the land could be used for affordable housing and a city park. I hope you’ll review our detailed plan and choose to reach zero carbon by the year 2030,” Webb said. The plan, he added, is available for public comment and input at ZeroCarbonGlendale.com. City Manager Yasmeen Beers indicated that following a similar presentation for the utility’s commission staff had been working to schedule a meeting with Webb to further review his research and recommendations.

  Julie BUTCHER