By Charles COOPER

The Glendale City Council approved the hiring of a retired Burbank official to direct the city’s efforts to complete the 2010 census.

Barbara Lazar will be paid $52,500 for 15 hours a week through May. She will work with the city’s complete count committee, which will meet every other Tuesday.

Councilman John Drayman passed on questions he received on whether the census work could be done in house instead of through hiring a consultant.

Jeff Hamilton, the city’s census liaison, said the staffers who worked on the census 10 years ago are no longer with the city and outside expertise was needed. Lazar directed the Burbank efforts in 2000 and was widely credited with a sharp increase in the response rate.

The decennial census is used to calculate federal funding for cities, and to control apportionment of electoral districts. California could lose one congressional district if a severe undercount occurs.

Census documents will go out in the mail in March, with a return date of April 1. Workers will follow up on forms not returned.

Councilman Ara Najarian said outreach was important to the immigrant community. He estimated the population in Glendale is as much as 20,000 people more than the estimated 207,000 figure.

Community groups and volunteers will be encouraged to participate with the census committee,and a number of outreach events and efforts are planned.