By Julie BUTCHER

Glendale Police Chief Carl Povilaitis read a statement to the Glendale City Council at the beginning of its Tuesday night meeting, responding to “an incident the public may have seen.”

As Mayor Paula Devine summoned the chief to report, she observed that it is “very important that our residents know where we are in the resolution” of this.

Povilaitis told the council, “I know that many people have seen the coverage of an incident that occurred in the Glendale Galleria and the associated video. It is certainly not the type of news coverage that we’re used to nor the type of coverage that we would expect. I also watched the video. And what I saw was concerning, enough so that I immediately initiated an investigation and removed the officers involved from their policing duties. That investigation is currently underway.

“What we do know at this point – it may change as the investigation continues – is that our officers responded to the report of a theft at one of the stores in the mall. The officers located an individual involved in that theft. When the two officers attempted to take that individual into custody, the person did not cooperate. A longer struggle ensued between the officers and that male, which resulted in that use of force.

“The video shown by the media appears to capture a small portion of that incident,” the chief concluded his statement. “What I would like to do is to assure everyone that I take this matter very seriously. It will be thoroughly investigated, and we are asking anyone who witnessed the incident – including the use of force – to please contact the Glendale Police Dept. And, in addition to our internal investigation, I’ve also asked the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. to conduct an independent investigation into this matter. When that investigation is complete, we will make sure that our standards of ethical conduct are upheld and the appropriate action is taken. We are committed to continuously evaluating ourselves, our expectations, and ensuring that the interactions we have are carried out in a way that fulfills our oath and in a manner that is consistent with our values and that will maintain the trust of the community.”

Mayor Devine then dismissed the police chief and moved on to reminding the public that the city has set up a “cooling station” at the Pacific Community Center, 501 S. Pacific Ave., throughout the duration of the current heatwave. Pets are allowed provided they are on a leash.

The city also offers a free fan to Glendalians 60 plus years of age (who meet eligibility requirements); call (818) 548-2187 or email cspcares@glendaleca.gov for a fan.

Glendale Water and Power (GWP) is urging energy conservation, especially during peak energy-using hours from 2 p.m. to 8 pm.

Devine announced an upcoming regional meeting of the redistricting commission. Focused on Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena, the meeting is set for Wednesday, June 23 at 7 p.m. (overall information on LA county’s redistricting organization at https://redistricting.lacounty.gov/).

City Public Information Officer Eliza Papazian announced the launch of a new, streamlined city website (https://www.glendaleca.gov/home) set to go live early Thursday morning, June 17.

Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian reminded city staff that he remains concerned about unshaded bus stops. He shared a photo of an example along San Fernando Road.

City Manager Roubik Golanian announced the selection of Mark Young as the new general manager of GWP, following a months-long search and formal interview process.

“My appointment is a testament to the possibilities of dedication and hard work; it sends a signal to all Glendale employees that perseverance and investing in the job are valued and rewarded here,” Young said to applause in the council chambers.

The prospect of scooters or shared manual or electric bicycles in Glendale was delayed again, for months, as the city attorney determined the changes the council asked for on March 9 when it reviewed responses to a “shared mobility pilot program” are substantive enough to require a new RFP. The council voted to request that bids responsive to the new requirements be resubmitted.

Glendale City Attorney Mike Garcia provided the council with a detailed report on a proposed “code of conduct” for city commissioners, board members and members of the city council, including samples of similar policies from other jurisdictions.

Existing policy explicitly prohibits the use of city resources and equipment for personal gain; receipt of gifts, money for favors; solicitation of employment; use or disclosure of confidential information; and retaliation against anyone for reporting waste, fraud or abuse, Garcia explained. Enforcement is via discipline, up to and including removal, or, for council, censure or other legally permitted mechanisms.

“Council asked for something broader, more rule-specific, related to the conduct of councilmembers and commissioners; in essence what is and what is not acceptable, based on some recent events,” the city attorney explained.

The expansive proposed policy proscriptions include new explicit prohibitions against drinking at commission meetings, or before commission meetings. Councilmembers added bans on the use of illicit and legal drugs and on smoking during the public meetings.

“I believe I asked for this to come forward,” said Councilmember Ara Najarian. “At the time councilmembers – and members of the public – felt that without a specific prohibition against certain behavior, it would be unfair to hold someone accountable or to give some sort of punishment.” (Najarian is referring to a controversy regarding a member of the city’s Design Review Board allegedly drinking wine at its Jan. 14 meeting [reported here on Feb. 18 https://www.crescentavalleyweekly.com/news/02/18/2021/commissioners-actions-debated-council/]).

“This is overdue and I’m glad we’re doing it because if we’re going to hold our board members and commissioners accountable, surely we need to look at ourselves and not ask anyone to follow rules we wouldn’t impose upon ourselves,” Kassakhian opined before the unanimous vote adopting the new rules.