By Julie BUTCHER

Taking a significant step forward on a course decided by the Glendale City Council in 2013, the council voted this week to move ahead with a trash franchising plan that will contract out trash collection of the city’s multi-family and commercial properties to four haulers in four specified zones.

The 4-1 vote came at the end of another long council meeting that also included a lengthy debate on proposed changes to the city’s parkway landscaping guidelines.

First the council heard an update on its “slow streets” program, which promotes bicycling and walking. Brad Calvert, assistant director of the Community Development Department, reported that approximately 12 streets are currently involved and that another 25 to 30 applications are pending. The signs the city put up to slow these streets includes an email address to provide feedback; according to Calvert, of the 70 or so comments received, nearly all are positive. The city temporarily ran out of the signs and barricades it needs to implement the program.

“We’re using a passive approach,” he said. “We’re not closing streets to through traffic.”

Applications to add a “slow street” are on the city’s website https://tinyurl.com/y8hv5ayo.

“Slow Streets are not closed streets. Automobile traffic can still use the street, but motorists are reminded to slow down and be observant for pedestrians and cyclists as they practice social distancing,” states the website. Residents are asked to identify the exact stretch of residential street to be considered and to submit signatures from their neighbors showing general support. The applications can be sent to akamali@glendale.gov.

Councilmember Ara Najarian told the council that a representative from Metro would be briefing them at their Aug. 4 meeting, primarily to provide an update on the BRT (rapid bus) but additionally on transit-friendly programs.

Najarian then highlighted the news that Los Angeles councilmember Jose Huizar had been “allegedly doing special favors for developers.” He reminded the council that one of the developers mentioned in criminal filings facing Huizar is Carmel Partners.

“If that rings a bell, it’s because it’s the same developer that tried to sell us the GUSD project,” Najarian said. “They were all over city hall trying to reach members of the council. Let it be known that we did not take advantage of any of these ‘extra benefits.’ Glendale stood firm; in hindsight, we did exactly the right thing.”

Next, the council reviewed and debated the city’s current policies concerning landscaping on parkways (the area between sidewalks and streets) and heard from callers on the topic, in particular a few animated calls from residents living in areas of the city with no sidewalks.

City officials admitted that the city received only 64 permit applications for parkway landscaping since the adoption of the current policy in 2015 and recommend relaxing most of the restrictions previously imposed. Councilmember Paula Devine enthusiastically supported transferring responsibility and liability for these areas to property owners and away from the city.

Ultimately the council voted to review an updated ordinance that eases most restrictions, increases the height of non-living materials allowed from six to 18 inches, decreased the requirement of live material from 50% to 30%. Poisonous plants will still be prohibited, and loose gravel will continue to be allowed, contrary to recommendations from staff concerned with potential harm to the city’s wastewater catch basins.

Homeowners in areas without sidewalks will be allowed to extend their landscaping to the curb, attempting to ensure pedestrian safety as much as possible.

“Less restriction is better,” Mayor Vrej Agajanian commented. He also objected to large boulders in the parkway, a topic of much discussion.

Finally, the council heard staff’s report on the proposed trash franchising plan originally adopted in 2013.

Currently 33 private trash haulers have permits to serve any business within the city. According to city reports, approximately 90% of the commercial accounts are serviced by six haulers. Owners of multiple-family apartment complexes with five or more units are now free to choose service from either a private hauler or from the city.

On July 11, 2013 the city council voted to replace the current system and to contract out the work currently done by city workers and issued a formal notification to all of the private haulers operating in Glendale of the city’s intent to implement a franchise system for the collection and removal of solid waste from commercial establishments and multi-family residential properties. At the time it wrote that an “open permit systems gives the city the best opportunity to comply with state regulations, reporting requirements and waste diversion goals.”

On March 1, 2016, the city engaged a consultant and reportedly reached out to its stakeholders. At a special council meeting on September 26, 2017, the council directed staff to issue an RFP (request for proposal) for commercial solid waste collection services under an “Exclusive Franchise Zone System” – for four zones.

On August 12, 2019, the city released the RFP documents. Following a mandatory pre-proposal meeting in late August, the RFP was re-issued on September 25, 2109 and included responses to 185 questions and requests for clarification. One of the nine bids the city received was deemed non-responsive and the city moved forward to analyze and review the other eight bids. The council reviewed a preliminary technical overview on January 28, 2020 and directed staff to follow up with eight proposers. The committee used a detailed evaluative point system that rated the bidders on their transition plans, compliance with state regulations, customer service, willingness to negotiate and a review of the references they offered. At this week’s meeting, staff recommended starting negotiations with the top four.

Glendale City Employee Association (GCEA) president Orlando Urquidez called in to the meeting.

“GCEA is concerned about any aspect of this that could displace our hard-working, dedicated employees. We’ve worked closely with public works and HR (human relations) and truly believe them when they say this venture will not cause the displacement of our integrated waste management staff,” Urquidez said. “However, it remains our preference that we continue to provide our residents the same dedicated services we have always done well and keep our multi-family accounts in-house with the business and commercial accounts moving forward in this plan. Currently 90% of all the complexes with five or more units choose city services, complexes whose property owners and management companies have the option for outside services but have always chosen us because of what we provide them above and beyond the retrieval of their trash.”

The union asked council to evaluate a comprehensive comparison of the costs of doing the work in-house versus by contract. The assistant city manager responded to questions about the existing services and workers explaining that trash trucks are expensive and that the city has held off replacing equipment. City Manager Yasmin Beers added that there are 10 vacancies (in trash) and plans for the purchase of route-optimizing software.

Councilmember Najarian challenged his colleagues to move forward with the previous decisions.

“Who else is there to ask?” he asked then highlighted the expertise of the three-member committee that had reviewed the proposals. “We’re not Los Angeles. Our residents deserve more.”

He urged the teamsters not to get involved in “this local issue,” responding to a caller representing the Teamsters Local 396.

“I’m against having only one hauler (in each zone) but I’ll go along because we can cancel the contract if we need to,” Mayor Agajanian explained his vote.

The negotiations with haulers are expected to conclude in time to implement the changes in the spring of 2021, staff estimated.

In parking enforcement news, the city updated its announcement that it would begin enforcing street sweeping regulations. The city will issue warnings for parking meter violations until July 14 and begin citing those violators on July 15. Regulations for street sweeping will not be enforced until further notice.

The city also shared news of two programs aimed at providing help to Glendalians: The GWP Cares Bill Relief program is a temporary program that provides a one-time bill credit to eligible residential and commercial electric customers who have been financially impacted by COVID-19. Details can be found at https://tinyurl.com/y9sa9u46.

The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP-C-19) provides rent payments to property owners on behalf of an income-eligible household, up to $750 per month, for two months. Eligibility and other information on this program can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ybf34u4t.

  Julie BUTCHER