By Julie BUTCHER

Tuesday evening’s meeting of the Glendale City Council started with a celebration of the city’s linemen who work hard for Glendale Water and Power (GWP) to “keep the lights on,” part of an overall recognition of National Lineman Appreciation Day.

Kiwanis volunteers invited everyone to the 19th annual Rubber Duck Race on Saturday, May 4 at Verdugo Park starting at 11:30 a.m. Racing ducks can be adopted for $5 each; the organization contributes $1.5 million each year for local services and community support. More info can be found online at https://www.duckrace.com/glendale and here  https://youtu.be/o45gug-nsH4.

The council approved a grant application to the California Air Resources Control Board (CARB) for a pilot green zone construction crew. According to the city’s public works vehicle acquisition manager, the demonstration project would serve as a model for other cities, “They can come out and watch a demonstration of these vehicles.”

The crew will include a compact excavator, a compact wheel loader, a light-duty pick-up, and an electric dump truck and will serve as a complete construction crew emitting zero emissions.

Dr. Jackie Gish called in from the Scholl Canyon neighborhood to question city plans for extending its fiber optics network into the canyon.

GWP representatives responded that the project was expanding the “backbone” of fiber optics to the eastern part of the city, through Scholl Canyon, to all of the facilities there, the ball field and the landfill, and will allow connections into Pasadena. The network currently extends into Burbank and is planned to traverse the entire city, including all of its parks and public facilities, including to the biogas power plant at Scholl Canyon. City staff indicated that traffic disruptions would be minimal, if there were disruptions at all. The item passed with a unanimous vote of the council.

The council also approved a contract with a new vendor to operate the city’s four parking garages and approved a contract extension with the Allan Company to operate the city’s recycling center for an additional two years while the city develops a long-term master plan for addressing  its recycling and overall trash disposal needs for the next 20 years, particularly in light of the expected closure of the Scholl Canyon landfill in 2027. When it started in 2006, the recycling center received $26 per ton for recyclables. Since 2021, the city has been paying $54 per ton to dispose of the material. The new contract increases this amount to $90 per ton.

Mayor Elen Asatryan shared a resolution urging congressional and presidential action for Armenian Genocide recognition, relief for Artsakh and holding Azerbaijan and Turkey responsible for acts of genocide.

Delaying action until next week, the council discussed the best methods of seating a nine-member committee to review aspects of the city charter. The city called for applications and received 31 before the deadline was set, three additional applications after the deadline.

The committee will review the charter and make recommendations to the council regarding potential council districts, expanding the size of the council, directly electing a mayor, council compensation, and a review of the civil service system. It was anticipated that immediate measures would be put on the November ballot and that the committee could then explore longer-term studies of the charter for future action.

Councilmember Ara Najarian suggested each councilmember pick two and draw one name randomly to eliminate to make up the nine members.

Asatryan suggested each councilmember bring a list of nine to the next meeting.

“I would’ve liked to be able to reach out,” she said.

The council approved the proposed 2024 weed abatement for the city’s 122 affected vacant properties.

Finally, the council heard extensive testimony regarding the unpermitted demolition of a potentially historic home at 1239 N. Everett Street in the city’s Rossmoyne neighborhood, and ultimately voted to require the owner to rebuild the home to its original height, style and footprint.

  Julie BUTCHER