The lack of communication amongst the City of Glendale, Wells Fargo Bank and the community continues. A few days prior to the Sept. 28 CVCA meeting we received word from Wells Fargo that a decision had been reached on the variance so their representatives wouldn’t be attending our meeting to discuss remedies for the non-code-compliant fence at the southern edge of their parking lot at 3200 Foothill. No decision letter has been posted on the city’s website as of Oct. 1. CVCA Steering Committee member and Glendale Homeowners Coordinating Council President Grant Michals has requested more information from Glendale Planning. As we have since June 28, at the Planning Hearing Officer meeting, we continue to await the Planning Hearing Officer decision. A few years ago there was an accident at the 76 station just a couple of blocks west and a car ended up in a backyard below Foothill Boulevard. The unsafe conditions that would allow a similar accident at that Wells Fargo bank also continue.

Although our representatives Assemblymember Laura Friedman and State Senator Anthony Portantino both voted against SB649, which allows telecommunications companies to install facilities on public properties, it did barely pass. Again, as of Oct. 1, the governor hasn’t signed it. If you agree that telecommunications companies should have to adhere to local community policy, please contact Governor Brown and ask him to veto this bill. His contact information is available on his website: https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov39mail/.

By the time this is published we should know if the rumors are true that Glendale City Manager Scott Ochoa will be leaving soon for another city. CVCA has been disappointed in his performance, especially his resistance every step of the way toward Rockhaven becoming an historic park, and the planning approval streamlining that seems to have resulted in the Wells Fargo fence debacle among other poor decisions. Even if the current opportunity falls though, it’s likely he will not stay long. His public announcement makes it clear he wants to go, so his priorities are obviously not what’s best for Glendale.

So often over the years I’ve watched while the city puts announcements in the local papers, holds public outreach meetings, conducts surveys, discusses upcoming projects at board, commission and council meetings that are live streamed on cable and the Internet and available from the city’s website for subsequent viewing. And yet, when the project breaks ground or the new policy is implemented there’s a great outcry: “Why didn’t anybody tell me?” Don’t wait until it’s too late for anything but complaining on social media. Get involved when you can influence the decisions! Democracy works best when there’s lots of public participation. Glendale is currently soliciting input from the public on two major issues.

First, how to implement Proposition 64 – the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. It’s not just if you want dispensaries or cafés in town. Also to be considered are commercial growing establishments and labs that do research and test purity and THC levels. If any of these are allowed, what should the tax structure be? If marijuana taxes are collected, how should the city use the money? If you haven’t already done so, please take the survey. More information and a link to the survey: http://www.glendaleca.gov/government/prop-64.

Also, the city wants your help spending some money on public art. Glendale’s Urban Art fund has grown due to all the downtown development in the past few years. The city requires commercial and mixed-use projects over $500,000 to either provide on-site art valued at 2% of the project value, or make an in-lieu payment equal to 1% of the project value. There’s a public meeting planned for Oct. 18 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Adult Recreation Center, 201 E. Colorado. You can get more information and input your ideas and comment on ideas already submitted: http://www.glendaleca.gov/government/departments/library-arts-culture/glendale-public-art-master-plan.

The next Crescenta Valley Community Association meeting will be Oct. 26 starting at 7 p.m. in the community room at the La Crescenta Library, 2809 Foothill Blvd. Park in the upper lot accessed from La Crescenta Avenue. We will have updates on local issues. Our meetings are free and open to the public.

  SHARON WEISMAN