By Mary O’KEEFE

The Glendale City Council began on Tuesday with a member of the Pasadena Humane Wildlife Dept. making a presentation concerning the coyote issue in the City of Glendale and the wildlife plan the City was looking at developing and approving.

The presentation was made by Lauren Hamlett, Pasadena Humane’s director of Wildlife Education and Services.

She started by explaining what her organization offers including: taking care of thousands of injured, sick and orphaned wild animals every year, helping to get wildlife healthy for release or transferring them to specialized facilities and providing public education. The wildlife helpline is (626) 344-1129.

“What is the Wildlife Management Plan?” she explained during the presentation. “It is a document for humanely and effectively preventing and solving conflicts among wildlife, people and companion animals. It provides guidance for the city staff when dealing with wildlife in the city including tried responses. City staff can utilize this plan to provide public education to the community for topics related to human-wildlife interactions.”

Hamlett added the Plan gets all those who respond to wildlife issues on the same page. She shared with the Council the plans used in several areas of California and Colorado. She outlined the possible information and goals that could go into the Wildlife Management Plan to focus on coyotes. She shared three templates: from the National Humane Society organization, Project Coyote, which is a coyote–friendly community program, and California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.

Mayor Dan Brotman requested the plan’s possible versions be brought back to the Council next week for  further discussion.

Glendale City Clerk Dr. Suzie Abajian shared a public service announcement explaining that ballots for the March 5 primary election would be mailed out to registered voters by Feb. 5. There are two seats open for City Council, two seats for Glendale Community College (for board seats in areas 1 and 5) and two seats for Glendale Unified School District (in areas A and E), along with a ballot measure that would amend the City charter regarding the City Council’s authority relating to City contracts. Those with contracts can contact (818) 548-4000.

Then the Council turned to the amendments to the Rental Rights Program. The Council discussed these amendments in past meetings. On Tuesday staff brought back issues they were asked to research that included the definition of a qualified tenant.

“This category aimed to establish a comprehensive definition encompassing various criteria essential for identifying such tenants,” according to staff.

Those categories included defining seniors, identifying disabled individuals, addressing families with school-aged children and clarifying low-income households. They also discussed just cause evictions and what would define a small business or “mom and pop” owner.

This was an interesting issue because it appears the number is arbitrary. Every City, and even the state, has its own definition of small business owner with regard to rental property owners. During the public speaker portion of Tuesday’s meeting, the proposed number to define a small business landlord ranged from someone who owned fewer than 20 units to the City’s four or fewer units, which is under the City’s original proposal.

The number of four and under units was determined by the City using loaning practices. A speaker from a realty group clarified that a person could take out a residential loan for a complex of four or fewer units, while a commercial loan was needed for five and more units.

In the end, Councilmember Ara Najarian stated his preference for 20 and fewer units, but was willing to compromise. Mayor Dan Brotman and Councilmember Paula Devine suggested nine units and fewer would be considered a small business.

During the public speaking period both real estate representatives and renters presented their opinions.

One speaker, Victor Hairapetian, asked the Council why the Landlord/Tenant Ad-Hoc Committee had not been consulted or even informed of these new proposals presented by City staff. He is a member of the committee.

According to the City’s website, the formation of this committee was approved on Aug. 24, 2021 by Council. The committee was composed of landlords and tenants who would serve as a conduit for citizen input. They would analyze and recommend options on Glendale landlord/tenant rental housing issues.

One of the “work plan” issues that the City stated was the responsibility of the committee was to review the Rental Rights Programs and recommend any possible changes to the ordinance if needed. However according to Hairapetian, who described himself as the neutral member of the committee – neither landlord nor renter – the possible changes to the ordinance proposed on Tuesday night were not shared with the committee.

He was surprised and upset that the committee was kept out of this most recent process and questioned why staff “constantly referred to” the committee when it was not consulted.

“The committee should have been asked to comment,” he said.

This was a question that Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian, who participated virtually in the meeting, brought to the Council and staff.

Kassakhian pointed out the Ad-Hoc Committee had been formed for this very purpose, stating he felt the Council was trying to rush through these issues to find answers without using the committee that was formed to “flesh out” proposals. The Ad-Hoc Committee was set as a temporary body and Kassakhian added he would like to see it as a permanent committee.

Kassakhian stated he would abstain from the vote with regard to the new proposals because the issues were not vetted by the committee of experts that was created in the first place to vet these types of issues.

Brotman said he wanted a solution and wanted a vote because tenants were being evicted and he wanted to move forward.

“I understand the concern,” Kassakhian said. He added that having a perceived solution without having the proper information could create more issues and stated again that was what why the committee was formed – to help prevent problems.

However, the Council went forward with making the decisions based on staff information. The ordinance amendments will come back for final approval with recommendations including that a small business landlord is identified as having nine units and fewer, and seniors are defined as being 70 years old and older.

During the meeting several renters, and renter representatives, spoke of the City’s lack of assistance to those who had questions or needs regarding landlord practices. The staff said that many times those who came to them had paperwork that indicated the landlord had legally evicted them. Staff then told those with complaints there was nothing staff could do. However, representatives from the Glendale Tenants Union said staff often refers renters to them instead of helping.