By Julie BUTCHER

Next week the Glendale City Council will hold a joint meeting with the board of the Glendale Community College District to discuss issues of mutual concern including plans for low-income housing assistance.

This week, Councilmember Paula Devine announced a virtual exhibit by the Museum of Neon Art called “Glendale, Illuminated: A Zoom Presentation with Arlene Vidor and Corrie Siegel” set for Friday, Jan. 29 at 6:30 p.m. Information and tickets are available at https://www.facebook.com/events/454674772200452/.

Devine also asked that city staff provide an update to the council on the work of the city’s senior task force.

Councilmember Dan Brotman proposed to include language in the ordinance banning single-use plastics that the council introduced last week to add a “skip the stuff” option requiring food delivery services to include utensils and other such items only upon request.

Brotman further opined that the city is still falling short in enforcing its mask mandate.

“We’re not doing enough,” he said. “I know I suggested using volunteers and Pasadena tried that and apparently failed; I also understand there are ideas about digital ambassadors and the ability to use a cellphone citation app that can take identification information to make a record.”

“We are deadly serious about this.”

Councilmember Ardashes “Ardy” Kassakhian requested a report on the status of the city parkway trees. He also requested an update on plans for the city’s “slow streets” program, particularly on streets typically more traveled.

“I’m guilty, too, and I should go around rather than overtax our residential streets,” he said.

Councilmember Ara Najarian announced that he has been re-elected for a four-year term on the Metro board, one of four seats tagged for cities in the region, and that he would continue his focus on advancing funding for transit and alternate transportation projects.

Additionally, he raised concerns about a commissioner’s behavior at a recent Design Review Board meeting.

“I have received a report that a member of the Design Review Board was drinking during the meeting and I’m asking that we agendize this and evaluate what other actions we should take,” he said. “Can I get a second?”

Councilmember Brotman asked first to be recognized.

“You know what happened; the person was given a glass of diluted wine by her husband after a long session at home during COVID and has already written an apology and said it would never happen again,” he said. “Unless you think there’s an endemic issue here, I think it’s a waste of the public’s time to be scoring political points like this – I know she makes some people uncomfortable because she works to hold to the highest design standards.”

“We all make mistakes,” Brotman added. “I know you were on social media immediately after the George Floyd incident and used words like ‘locked and loaded.”

Councilmember Najarian jumped in. “No, Mr. Brotman, that’s not what I said.”

Mayor Vrej Agajanian sought assistance from the city attorney. Kassakhian suggested an overall code of conduct might be required.

Mayor Agajanian then addressed Glendale Police Chief Carl Povilaitis.

“Are we doing enough?” he asked about the department’s response to the pandemic.

Povilaitis updated the council, indicating that Glendale is one of the only police agencies in Los Angeles County to mount such an aggressive response, including the designation of a departmental task force back in August. He explained the move to electronic citations and the challenge of integrating the new technology into a 20-year-old information management system.

Councilmember Devine proposed help for seniors needing to make vaccine appointments. The county website for vaccination appointments is https://tinyurl.com/y24m4zku.

Fire Chief Silvio Lanzas told the council that the problem is that vaccines are simply not available; the county has 130,000 doses with 85,000 designated for second shots. Right now vaccines are going to Tier 1, healthcare and emergency workers; staff and residents of skilled nursing facilities; people 65 and older (approximately 1.4 million in LA County are 65 or older).

“We need the vaccine and we need it to be plentiful,” Chief Lanzas explained the challenge, noting this also affects the push to include the Rose Bowl as a mass vaccination site (Pasadena is getting vaccines directly from the state).

Encouragingly, he added, “Keep checking back. Efforts are underway to partner with 75 pharmacies.”

Next, police Captain Robert William overviewed a prospective new ordinance prohibiting various tools and potential weapons from public demonstrations and protests.

“In the past several months, we’ve seen an increase in violence in cities across the country,” he said. “Safety is our priority and so we’ve examined events and our responses and other steps and measures we can take to lessen the likelihood of a violent act, to enhance the promise of public safety.”

“Among other items, the proposed ordinance prohibits a person from carrying or possessing any length of wood unless that object is one-fourth (¼) inch or less in thickness and two (2) inches or less in width or, if not generally rectangular in shape, such object shall not exceed three-fourth (¾) inch in its thickest dimension and is blunted at the ends. The possession of bats, bricks, clubs, sling shots, projectile launchers, knives, swords, hammers, nunchucks, metal or plastic shields, aerosol sprays, open flame torches, laser pointers and glass bottles, among other items, are also prohibited in the proposed ordinance,” the report detailed the action.

Captain William noted that several cities (Burbank, El Monte, Santa Monica, Covina, Los Angeles) have similar ordinances.

“Glendale has had many demonstrations and the police department is committed to constitutional, respectful policing,” he said. “At demonstrations over the past several years, the police department has been professional, respectful and supportive of the public’s right to exercise its First Amendment rights. Our aim is not to interfere or interject ourselves into a crowd but rather to offer a tool to be used preventatively and in advanced planning.”

“There are some sporting events that you just can’t bring some things into,” Chief Povilaitis noted. “This is like that. Our goal is maximum safety for everyone involved.”

The council debated the length of time for the council agenda and meeting materials to be published and settled on no fewer than six days, with a goal of eight, including the promulgation of commission agendas, and the publication of an agenda forecaster.

An agreement between Glendale Water and Power and the union that represents most of the workers at the utility was approved, which will allow the contracting out of work to reconstruct the city’s electrical distribution systems converting from 4kV to 12kV distribution lines in exchange for extra pay for certain workers and the ability to perform some of the work, particularly to train electrical helpers and truck operators, human resources staff detailed.

The council approved the purchase, installation and maintenance of a new land management system for nearly $3 million.

“We’ve been planning for this. It is funded through the first five years of maintenance,” explained staff adding the benefits of a centralized modern enterprise software system to track plans, permits, licenses, etc., for every piece of property in the city.

“Kudos and congratulations on this,” Councilmember Brotman said. “I’ve been part of a large organization implementing enterprise software.”

Finally, the council heard an extensive update on the city’s work in facilitating historic districts and urged fair but quick action moving forward to organize the districts that are pending.

The council adjourned in memory of Armond Gorgorian, former executive director of the Homenetmen athletic and scouting non-profit and beloved Glendalian.