By Julie BUTCHER

With the noise from the anti-Grayson demonstration outside echoing into the chambers, the Glendale City Council met on Tuesday night, welcoming back former mayor and councilmember Frank Quintero. Quintero was appointed by the rest of the council to fill the seat of Councilmember Zareh Sinanyan who resigned to serve as the High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs for the Republic of Armenia.

Quintero thanked the council, affirmed his intent to not run for the office in the March election and added that he would not be making any endorsements of any of the candidates running for the seat.

“We’re fortunate to live in a great city,” Quintero said. “I’m comfortable sitting on the dais. It’d be a stretch to say that I’m happy, but I’m comfortable.”

The Greater Downtown Glendale Association was recognized for its sponsorships of the upcoming 26th Annual Cruise Night on Saturday, July 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and the Glendale International Film Festival set for Oct. 10-17 “to integrate film makers and screenwriters into the economic growth and vitality” of Glendale. The council then heard presentations on wildfire and disaster preparedness from Glendale Fire Chief Silvio Lanzas highlighting the importance of building an emergency supply list; creating an evacuation plan; and developing a family communications plan and staying informed. He directed the public to resources available on the department’s website such as https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PAyMjZMPdI.

Standing in front of a representative group of members of Teamsters Local 396, Los Angeles for a New Economy (LAANE) Waste & Recycling director Robert Nothoff called the council’s attention to potential concerns about one of the trash hauling companies reportedly competing for a chance at an exclusive franchise agreement offered by the City.

“Our vision for the waste industry is to make sure it operates in an environmentally responsible way, minimizes pollution, prioritizes food rescue so that we’re feeding families not landfills, and protects the workers who make it all function,” Nothoff explained. “I’m proud to stand here with these workers from Athens Environmental who’ve been up since 2 a.m. We support the transition to an exclusive franchise, but it depends on the quality of the hauler you select. As we’ve talked to local businesses, they tell us that it doesn’t make sense to award a waste contract to a company that has a tenuous relationship with its work force.”

Teamsters Local 396 Communications director Adan Alvarez told the council that the Athens workers have been without a contract for two years and that an unfair labor practice claim charging the company with anti-union intimidation, harassment, and an illegal firing was filed; a hearing is set for Aug. 6.

  Julie BUTCHER