By Roman INGUANZO

On Tuesday at the Glendale City Council Councilmember Ara Najarian was absent due to the passing of his father, Dr. Najarian, on April 15. Council members expressed their condolences to Najarian and his family for their loss.

On Tuesday, April 25, there will be a special city council meeting at 9 a.m. when a presentation will be made on the first budget study session for next year’s budget. The regularly scheduled city council meeting will be canceled, and the next regular meeting will be held on May 2.

The council designated April 2023 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The proclamation emphasized the importance of education in preventing sexual assault.

Concluding the proclamation, Mayor Brotman said, “With proper education, there is compelling evidence that we can successfully reduce the incidents of this physically and psychologically damaging crime … There is no excuse, and never an invitation, to rape.”

April 16 – 24 was designated as National Library Week and April 19 was designated as Library Giving Day. The council encouraged residents to support their local libraries by providing financial contributions to the Glendale Library Arts and Trust. The proclamation emphasized the importance of libraries in preserving democracy.

April 26 was designated as Denim Day.

The council designated April 16 – April 25 as the Week of Remembrance in observance of the Armenian Genocide and urged the community to participate in commemorative and remembrance events.

During the consent items segment of the meeting, the council approved the acceptance of targeted state grant funds for Central Library improvements. The council also voted in favor of purchasing library materials and electronic resources. 

During action items several motions were presented that related to professional services agreements for building and safety contract plan check and inspection services, the purchase of library materials and electronic resources, and the designation of a voting delegate and alternate for the Southern California Association of Governments Regional Conference and General Assembly. The council voted in favor of these motions; Elen Asatryan was nominated by the council as the delegate. 

Lastly, the city attorney led a discussion on council districts and a directly elected mayor. The council approved a resolution to initiate procedures for a transition from at-large to district-based council member elections and approved a tentative timeline for conducting public hearings and presenting a draft ordinance to the council for decision.

The meeting included discussions on various issues and the council made several decisions regarding the city’s future before adjourning.