By Julie BUTCHER

Late Tuesday night, the Glendale City Council reaffirmed its recent decision to delay a public vote on creating districts, opting instead to allow the newly formed Charter Review Committee time to evaluate the possibilities in advance of a possible vote in 2026.

“I’m not happy about not doing November,” Councilmember Dan Brotman said. “I’ve been clear. The benefits of districting are not related to the threat of a lawsuit. There are pros and cons and – on balance – I think having districts would have more benefit than cost.”

Mayor Elen Asatryan reluctantly agreed to the delay.

“I have grave concerns about the outreach and about the price tag for putting this on the November ballot,” she said.

Also on the packed agenda, the Council approved the issuance of $166 million in electric revenue bonds, the second of three such issuances, to fund extensive GWP capital projects. According to city staff, the first rate increases went into effect in January with additional increases set for this July and for July 2025 to cover the costs of repowering Grayson, setting up the Scholl Canyon biogas plant, and developing the city’s solar power program.

By unanimous vote, the Council authorized spending $764,393 from the city’s asset forfeiture fund to purchase and build out a mobile command post for the police department. The specialized vehicle is expected to cost a total of $1,885,620 and will be used for crime scene management; pre-planned events (such as the World Cup in 2025 and the Summer Olympics in 2028); natural disasters; terrorism; and continuity of emergency services.

Residents lined up to share their opinions on a road rehabilitation project to slow speeds and add protected bike lanes to a 1.6-mile stretch of La Crescenta Avenue from Montrose south to Verdugo Road. Staff recommended rebidding the project in order to take advantage of a potential $3 million grant from Metro.

The plan is to eliminate one traffic lane in each direction and add a center median for turning. Parking would be limited in certain spots; an additional traffic signal would be added at Oakmont View; a pedestrian hybrid beacon would be added at Piedmont; and a signalized bicycle crossing would be added mid-block between Las Palmas and Arlington.

“I live on La Crescenta and it’s already difficult getting in and out of my driveway. This will make it more difficult. And it will reduce our property value and the curb appeal of my home,” one speaker expressed his adamant opposition to the street project.

Melissa Church, president of the PTA at Fremont Elementary School, offered a different opinion.

“I’m asking that you stop delaying this project,” she said. “I’m not a cyclist so framing this issue as cyclist versus not is disingenuous. Cars travel too fast through our residential area and past our elementary school. They race, they make dangerous turns – all day, every day. When it’s two lanes, we’re going to get stuck behind a slow driver and we’re going to be annoyed. Then we’re going to move on. The entire neighborhood will be safer for pedestrians and cyclists and dogs on walks and kids on skateboards and the inconvenience to us adults will be worth the trade off.”

“This is a great opportunity to do some traffic calming and reduce speeds,” another speaker said. “Let’s not forget what this project is about: it’s not about bike lanes; it’s about reducing speeds and increasing safety for all road users.”

Paul Rabinov from La Crescenta spoke in favor of the plan, noting that it is expected to reduce future accidents by 30%: “Well worth it; let’s do this in a way that creates safety for everybody.”

Earlier in the meeting, the Council recognized and commended the winners of the 2024 Children’s Bookmark Contest. The winning bookmark designs can be seen at https://www.eglendalelac.org/kids-bookmark-contest and will also be available starting June 1 at all Glendale branch libraries to celebrate the start of the Summer Reading Challenge.

The Council acknowledged the work of the city’s Public Works Dept. and recognized the workers who filled the Council chambers.

“I’m always comparing Glendale to some of our neighboring cities where their sidewalks double as their skate parks and we certainly don’t have that in Glendale,” Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian commended. “When something happens, you guys are always on top of it.”

Speakers from local LGBTQ+ organizations, including glendaleOUT, spoke at the beginning of the meeting, reading from their proclamation: “Whereas the City of Glendale continues to view LGBTQIA+ hate as a permissible allowance of differing opinions, and [w]hereas queer and questioning students in our school district are watching, [t]he undersigned are saying ENOUGH; enough complacency, enough empty proclamations, enough complicit non-action, enough compromising the public safety of queer and ally residents, ENOUGH; Show up: Say something. Do something. Enact something. End the normalization of queer hate in Glendale.”

Crescenta Valley High School teacher and advisor to the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, Alicia Harris, spoke “in solidarity with the community members advancing Project Protect.”

“Last year you pledged to support organizations such as GALAS and glendaleOUT and to work in support of educators and professionals in the community who work to ensure children and families in the community feel accepted and safe,” she said. “You read this while bigots rioted in the parking lot of the school board just down the street. Yet despite the weighty goals laid out in the proclamation and the magnitude of the moment illustrated blocks away, you failed. You failed to take any action to support the LGBTQIA+ community at all.”

The next regular meeting of the Glendale City Council is set for Tuesday, June 4 at 6 p.m.