By Julie BUTCHER

Mayor Paula Devine opened Tuesday’s meeting of the Glendale City Council by recognizing and celebrating the work that went into Saturday’s grand opening of the Stone Barn Nature Center at Deukmejian Park.

“It’s been a long time coming,” she said, “30 years since the city started working on Deukmejian Park. Now this – connecting visitors with nature and with history and [offering] interactive opportunities for the kids. I couldn’t imagine a better nature center. If you’ve never been, please go.”

Devine acknowledged some of the funding for the project came from the state and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

Next, city Manager Roubik Golanian announced the retirement of Community Development director Phil Lanzafame, who has worked for the city for more than 26 years. Council members commended Lanzafame for his “impressive list of accomplishments.”

After approving the routine items on the consent calendar, the council gave initial approval of plans to extend the time that amplified music is allowed in the downtown area and the part of town designated as an Arts and Entertainment district, from an ending time of 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

“This is what we envisioned all along – a vibrant, dynamic downtown area. It is actually quite pleasant from the Alex Theatre to Colorado; last night there was a jazz ensemble at the Chess Park restaurant/bar. It was audible from across the street, but not obnoxious,” Councilmember Ara Najarian observed, supporting the changes to the noise code that have been proposed. “And there are soloists on corners, the guy I call ‘Grandpa Cowboy.’ I’ve learned that he is permitted, so if you like his music, feel free to drop a dollar in his guitar case.”

Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian agreed.

“This is a long time coming that we revise our code to provide for the continued vibrancy [for] downtown. We are a city that used to ban dancing, if anyone needs a ‘Footloose’ reference. You used to need separate permits for live music and dancing.

“In furtherance of becoming an 18-hour city – which I personally question as it leaves only six hours for sleeping – sure! – for whoever wants to party late into the night in the zones that have been outlined. I’m not talking about pumping up music all over the city.”

The council voted unanimously to take the next steps on this change, which will not be finalized until the council approves the language. The city’s noise code has not been updated since 1991.

Similarly, the council voted to review language to add more prohibitions to the city’s single-use plastics ordinance. As the city’s sustainability officer David Jones explained, this would be the third step the city is taking: the first passed in April 2021 and covered city facilities and events, requiring that all disposable food service ware must be “marine degradable.” Then, in September 2021, the council adopted a “Stop the Stuff” ordinance that required restaurants to offer disposable plasticware to eat-in and to-go customers only upon request.

This measure would prohibit the sale or distribution of single-use plastic utensils, stirrers and straws. Alternatives exist: wood stirrers, wood utensil sets, paper or edible straws, Jones detailed. It would also ban meat, fish or poultry trays made of polystyrene as well as polystyrene packing materials such as packing peanuts.

Finally, the council authorized city staff to hire a consultant to help draft a

“reach code” requiring the electrification of new buildings. The city’s report shares some background: “To date, 50-plus cities and counties have adopted reach codes covering building electrification and or building energy efficiency measures to further their sustainability goals.

“To adopt a reach code, a jurisdiction must demonstrate that the requirements of the proposed ordinance are cost-effective and result in buildings consuming less energy than is permitted by Title 24 and obtaining regulatory approval. Studies completed for the City of Glendale in 2021 show that adopting a reach code pursuing an all-electrification strategy for all new construction of low rise residential, high rise residential (including mid-rise), hotels and non-residential motels, offices and retail would meet the cost-effectiveness threshold.”

The city hopes to coordinate the implementation of its changes with those anticipated to the state’s building codes.