By Julie BUTCHER

Citing more than 14 hours spent over the course of seven study sessions, City of Glendale finance director Michele Flynn presented the proposed FY 2021-22 budget to the city council for final adoption at its Tuesday night meeting.

Totaling $972.6 million, the budget includes $247 million in general fund expenditures; $121.2 million in special revenue funds; $8.3 million of Measure S funds; $16.5 million in capital improvements; $434.8 million in enterprise funds (city operations such as refuse collection, sewer maintenance, Glendale Water & Power); and $121.3 million in internal service funds (to pay for services that support the rest of the city – fleet, building maintenance, technology, employee benefits).

According to Flynn’s report, revenues are estimated at $231 million, up an estimated 4.9% from last fiscal year. The budget the council adopted included no use of existing fund balances or dips into the city’s reserves, which is estimated at $79.4 million – 32.1% – above the level set by council policy.

The budget includes $11.9 for housing; $6.5 million for infrastructure; $4.4 million for parks and recreation; and $6 million for other “quality-of-life” improvements.

The new budget includes a cost-of-living adjustment on 659 of the city’s 2,342 fees and adds three new fees.

“Great presentation, great budget,” Councilmember Ara Najarian said after the presentation. “It covers so many of the things we think are important for this community – everything from housing to sustainability, recreation, libraries, tenant and landlord services, bicycle plans, the streets, historic surveys. I can go on and on. And we’re not digging into reserves, banking a little from Measure S for next year.”

Before the adoption of next year’s budget, the council reviewed agenda items for next week, including a joint meeting of the council with the city’s housing authority to discuss the establishment of a tenant-landlord commission and a review of a proposed citywide Wi-Fi masterplan.

Next the council issued a proclamation supporting Pride month. Mayor Paula Devine read from the declaration, “[we’re] excited to have Pride in Glendale,” emphasizing the importance of a place in which each individual is “valued, safe, and empowered by their community,” and presented it to Demi Sedrakyan, Hoover High Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) co-president and youth representative to the local advocacy organization, glendaleOUT.

Councilmember Dan Brotman added that he “hoped that we’d have the first gay pride parade in Glendale last year but then COVID. Does it have to be in June? The city will be 100% behind you and we’ll all be marching with you.”

Brotman also acknowledged the online resources Glendale Library Arts & Culture produced for Pride Month: https://eglendalelac.squarespace.com/pride-month.

Then he asked for an update on the city’s progress in helping to get everyone vaccinated.

“I’m concerned about repeated misinformation about the efficacy and safety of the vaccines,” he said. “The vaccines we have available today are probably among the safest and most effective that have ever been offered, for any disease. These are extremely safe and extremely effective.”

Glendale Memorial chief medical officer Dr. William Wang responded. First, he recounted the overall numbers: 33,207,488 cases and 595,301 deaths in the U.S.; 3,770,802 cases and 62,745 deaths in California; 1,245,267 cases and 24,392 deaths in Los Angeles County; and 20,208 cases and 628 deaths in Glendale.

“Are they working?” Dr. Wang answered the councilmember’s questions about vaccines with a chart showing the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths being at the lowest point since the beginning of the pandemic. “We commend the council for acting early, for starting mandatory masking before it was popular – even before the County – for being brave and showing leadership. The dip is due to everything that’s been done – all the hand-washing and mask-wearing and social distancing – all of it together with the vaccine now.”

So far 37,979,972 vaccinations have been administered in California. Forty-five percent of California adults are now fully vaccinated. In LA County, 9,826,212 doses have been administered; 45.5% are fully vaccinated. In Glendale, 97,672 doses have been administered; 55.2% have received at least one dose) and 69.6% of those 65 or older have been inoculated.

“This is wonderful news because Glendale is taking care of its older population. Patients who are over 65 represent 80% of COVID-related deaths,” Dr. Wang explained. He encouraged folks to get the most updated information directly from the CDC website: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view.

During their comments section of the meeting, councilmembers questioned staff about changes being reported on local bus routes. City staff responded that the changes are being made by Metro as they roll out the “Next Gen” transit plan.

The council approved routine public works’ building maintenance contracts, allowing several time extensions for competitive bids; adopted this year’s appropriation limits called the Gann limit based on a 1979 voter-approved statewide measure aimed at limiting the growth of government; and approved an annual transfer from GWP, $17.4 million this year.

The council debated and then approved funding for improvements to the playgrounds in Pelanconi and Glenoaks parks, including this city’s first zip track in Glenoaks Park (replacing the sand volleyball area in the middle of the park).

The city is contracting for the parks’ work with GameTime, a member of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit organization dedicated to explaining sustainable building practices, addressing environmental concerns, increasing energy efficiency and reducing waste. The playground equipment is made from recycled materials.

GWP’s chief assistant general manager, Michael De Ghetto, detailed the utility’s updated water management and water shortage contingency plans. The agency supports tunnels around the Bay Delta, he said, for environmental and resiliency improvements, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD)’s regional recycled water projects, and continuing turf removal rebates (still available from MWD).

De Ghetto detailed the success of past efforts at replacing lawns. In 2015-16, 2.2 million square feet of turf was removed, representing a savings of 226-acre feet of water per year.

“That 325,900 gallons of water – think of it as one acre, one foot deep with water. Because people in Glendale did that, those are savings we still get.”

Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian reported his participation in deliberations representing Glendale at the MWD in the selection of a new executive director.

“Ultimately I think the board has made the right decision and the MWD will be in good hands with Adel Hagekhalil,” he said.

Mayor Paula Devine urged the council to adjourn in the memory of two recently passed beloved local leaders: Eugene Pepper and Ron Farina.