By Julie BUTCHER

“I want to thank the residents, businesses and staff of the city for their unwavering cooperation and unity during the emergency,” Mayor Elen Asatryan said at the beginning of Tuesday night’s meeting of the Glendale City Council. “Every single staff member, from leadership to our first responders, the collaboration among departments and the around-the-clock communications were unprecedented. Last year when I was talking about the need for multi-lingual communications I heard the pushback and saw the smirks, the ridicule; I hope this would be a lesson for all as to how much it is needed in a diverse city like Glendale, particularly during emergency situations.”

Councilmember Dan Brotman shared his support for the city’s emergency response and raised concerns about the mistaken emergency warnings residents received.

Councilmember Vartan Gharpetian questioned the 2014 water infrastructure bond. 

“It was $7.6 billion. I’m hoping we can come together to get answers to our questions about budget cuts to fire departments, staffing cuts because they were unvaccinated, no water in the hydrants [and] dry reservoirs. We need to make sure our neighbors are doing the right job [in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles] in La Crescenta and Sunland-Tujunga so it won’t trickle down to Glendale – or if it does that we are ready to face it.”

Councilmember Ara Najarian suggested the council adjourn with the Altadena and Pacific Palisades fire victims in mind. 

Councilmembers then congratulated the country’s new President. 

Councilmember Najarian raised questions about changing assumptions about city plans and initiatives.

“Are we still assuming that we’re going to get federal funds?” he asked for projects such as electrifying the Bee Line buses, for example.

Najarian additionally suggested reconsidering plans for bike lanes on La Crescenta Avenue.

Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian noted that crises bring out the worst and the best in humanity. He commended local businesses for their support and generosity and urged residents to continue to report downed trees and limbs through the city’s “MyGlendale” app. 

City Manager Roubik Golanian further commended the city’s response to the recent unprecedented wind and fire emergency, recognizing staff at the emergency operations center, first responders, frontline public works and utility workers, and community services and parks employees at the evacuation center set up in Pacific Park. During the fires, www.GlendaleCA.gov saw 144,500 visits; 6,405 new enrollments in the city’s emergency alert system [bit.ly/EmergencyEnroll] (bringing the total number of enrollees to 14,202); a social media reach increase to 317,000 accounts per post; and an increase of 4,500 followers on the city’s social media platforms in three days.

Golanian detailed the ongoing work: City crews are systematically working block-by-block to clear fallen limbs, brush and debris. Residents and businesses can call (818) 548-3950 for these kinds of services. Power has been restored to all parts of the city and repairs are being made. Those with utility-related concerns can call (855) 550-4497. All Glendale fire stations are fully staffed. Call (818) 956-4800 with fire-related questions.

The Glendale Fire Foundation is fundraising to support Glendale city staff members who have lost their homes: https://glendalefirefoundation.org/.

Councilmember Kassakhian said he hopes to continue the conversation started last April regarding the need to upgrade fire facilities, starting with the station on Honolulu Avenue in Montrose. 

“What happened in Altadena could just as easily have happened in our city,” he said.

Glendale Fire Department’s Deputy Chief of Operations Jeff Brooks responded to questions about the city’s efforts at brush clearance and fire mitigation. 

“We have a very aggressive vegetation management program. More than 60% of Glendale is in a very high fire severity zone according to CAL FIRE’s mapping of fire threats.” 

The city issues approximately 9,000 notices each year reminding residents of their responsibilities for clearing brush within 100 feet of their homes; has applied for a $700,000 grant to help with these efforts; works with the California Conservation Corps for annual projects; and has been utilizing goats for brush clearance across the city. Chief Brooks noted the concerns of smoke management in response to questions about “controlled burns,” but noted that the department is confident in the procedures and programs currently in place.

The council again delayed acting on plans for the Verdugo Wash pending further consideration of councilmembers’ conflicts of interest. In September of 2024, the council requested an opinion from the state Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). In December the FPPC opined that Councilmembers Gharpetian and Najarian have disqualifying conflicts while Councilmember Brotman does not. Councilmember Najarian deemed the opinion a “disenfranchisement of the people of Glendale.”

Councilmember Gharpetian wants an in-person meeting with the FPPC to clarify issues they might not have understood reflecting on the Verdugo Wash project, which has projected costs in the billions of dollars. 

Community Development director Bradley Calvert clarified that the Verdugo Wash project “is not a bicycle path.” 

“This is a multi-use recreational trail with open space components, and it falls under recreation as allowed with the existing zoning,” Calvert said.

The action before the council on Tuesday was a professional services agreement for $5.76 million with Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MMVA), responsive to the RFP issued in 2024.

Councilmember Brotman hoped to move the project forward. 

“It’s time for us to award the contract and start moving forward with the master plan,” he said adding, “but this is for sure not the last word.”

“It’s not any word,” Mayor Asatryan interjected. “This is just the study to determine if it’s feasible.”

Councilmember Kassakhian expressed concerns about “the fairness and equity of the individuals on this council who have been elected to serve.” 

“I kind of want to see the study,” one of numerous speakers told the council.

“Are we going to build a bike path that no one wants?” another asked.

A professor from Glendale Community College told the council that he is “kind of embarrassed for my city tonight.”

“The question is whether to accept free money to study a problem and a potentially visionary park for this city,” the professor said. “To my mind, why wouldn’t we accept the money to get more information, more data, when that is exactly what we need?”

Another speaker noted that the “Verdugo Wash runs through the heart of Glendale and yet the space is blocked off entirely. Selecting a consultant to conduct a technical feasibility study that is already funded by the state is the least you can do for your constituents like me who have been disappointed by your inability to consider us.”

Patrick Murphy spoke “on behalf of the Verdugo Wash Neighborhoods Coalition.” 

He explained that the conflict rules provide that if 25% of the public is affected by a project no one is “conflicted out” and that recognizing the presumptive conflicts is a suppression of speech. He noted that his organization is against the project as proposed. The group’s website is: https://savethewash.com/.

Alan Durham indicated that his concerns are “based on climate change, which is bringing unprecedented weather extremes.” 

“Glendale could easily experience a 100-year rain event at any time – we just experienced an unprecedented fire event,” Durham said. “The Verdugo Wash should remain exclusively a flood control channel to protect our community and prevent a future disaster. It seems unlikely that this project would ever get the approval of the Army Corps of Engineers and the flood control district.”

Mayor Asatryan echoed Calvert’s reminder that this “is not a bike lane project – it’s a recreational project.” She urged residents to see the visioning on the project website https://www.verdugowash.com/.

As described in the staff report, “[t]he Verdugo Wash is being evaluated as a potential linear park that would serve as a multi-dimensional connection that links the region physically, hydrologically and ecologically, while ensuring that the channel continues to serve its primary function as flood control infrastructure. The Verdugo Wash Visioning Study was completed in 2022, and preparation of the Verdugo Wash Master Plan document is the next phase in assessing the Verdugo Wash corridor project. The purpose of the Verdugo Wash Master Plan is to establish a guiding framework that provides technical direction, design details and phasing flexibility for the Verdugo Wash linear park. Development of the master plan document does not include any physical build-out of the Wash.”

During the time allowed for public comments and announcements of community events, Paul Rabinoff, representing the Glendale Environmental Coalition, extended an invitation for a “vigil for our community and our planet” on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in front of Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave. The event is sponsored by Pasadena 100 and commemorates the second anniversary of the city’s “climate emergency resolution.”

Community member Maria Skinner addressed the council, urging the city limit parking on four streets in the Chevy Chase Canyon neighborhood to one side of the street. She detailed the dimensions of the streets in question, which are 20 feet wide on average. Fire trucks require 10 feet; average cars measure seven feet. If cars are parked on both sides of the street, a typical fire rig could not fit. 

“Seconds matter if someone’s having a heart attack. Minutes matter if there’s a fire.” Skinner said suggesting posting No Parking signs on one side of the street as a “simple fix.” 

“I don’t want a tragedy like Eaton Canyon in Glendale,” she said.