I want to thank Paula Devine, Edith Fuentes, Vartan Gharpetian, Erik Yesayan and Dave Weaver for participating in the Crescenta Valley Community Association’s Glendale City Council candidate forum on Feb. 26. Unfortunately, candidates Evelyne Poghosyan and Chahe Keuroghelian were not able to make it. Also thanks to those who came to hear the candidates’ positions on various topics of concern to our area, and especially those who submitted questions.

Those who missed our forum have a few more chances to hear from the candidates. Tonight, March 5, the League of Women Voters of Glendale-Burbank hosts candidate forums for Glendale City Council starting at 7 p.m. and GUSD Board of Education around 8:15 p.m. These are being held in the Glendale City Council chambers, 613 E. Broadway. The event will be streamed live on the city’s website and on GTV 6. The Crescenta Valley Town Council will be hosting the GUSD Board of  Education candidates at their March 19 meeting which starts at 7 p.m. at the La Crescenta Library, 2809 Foothill Blvd.

Other candidate forums are listed on the City Clerk’s website, glendalevotes.org. This website also has information on the four ballot measures on the April 7 ballot including the full wording, the city attorney’s impartial analysis and arguments for and against. In brief, Measure C is to amend the city charter to require the city council to set their compensation by ordinance rather than following the state law for general law cities which sets the council pay based on the size of the city. Measure E amends the city charter to require the board of education to establish the method of electing the members of the board and, if trustee areas are established, that they be pursuant to the California Education Code. Measure D asks if the city should institute by-district elections for councilmembers by amending the charter and adopting an ordinance requiring a district plan that will be subject to voter approval. Measure O increases the Transient Occupancy Tax by 2% to increase revenue to fund essential public services and maintain public areas and support quality of life activities. The city has also provided a fact sheet and FAQ page for Measure O to explain it further.

The last day to register to vote for this election is March 23. You can register online at the Secretary of State website: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/. If someone has recently moved into your neighborhood, please share this information with them.

Glendale is fortunate to have seven candidates looking to win one of the two council positions open this year. In neighboring La Cañada Flintridge only three people filed to run for the three city council slots open, despite two incumbents deciding not to run. There is no need of an election, which saves some money, but I worry about an erosion of democracy when so few participate.

The revised proposal from the Gangi Development Co. for a 30-unit townhouse complex at 4201 Pennsylvania Ave. was approved by the DRB with a number of conditions, including reducing the number of units to 27 or 28. The new plans call for only two-story buildings at the east and west sides of the project, sustainable living features such as wiring for solar panels and outlets to charge electric vehicles in garages, gray water plumbing for landscape irrigation and a community garden for the project. A key concern of the residents of the western neighborhood to the west, a locked gate so that residents or visitors of the project cannot park vehicles on their narrow streets and walk in, is also a condition.

The details of how the developers will modify the plans to meet the conditions will be worked out with the Glendale planning staff. Mark Gangi has agreed to keep the interested parties who signed up on his email list at the community meeting on the project held on Feb. 5 informed of progress as this project works its way through the final design and building process.

The next Crescenta Valley Community Association meeting will be March 26, starting at 7 p.m. at the La Crescenta Library, 2809 Foothill Blvd. The agenda has not been set yet, but we expect there will be developments to discuss in the 710 extension project, the efforts to save the VHGC, the California High Speed Rail Burbank to Palmdale segment eastern routes, and other rapidly changing land use issues.

  SHARON WEISMAN