By Brian CHERNICK Glendale Mayor Vartan Gharpetian and fellow councilmembers will soon be presenting nominations for 12 separate board and commission appointments and have requested applications from any citizen interested in participating in city decisions. The boards and commissions with positions potentially available include Arts and Culture, Community Development Block Grant and Historic Preservation among […]
By Brian CHERNICK Glendale celebrated the long-awaited grand reopening of downtown’s Central Library on May 1 with a day of festivities after nearly two years of construction. Attendees were treated to tours of the library and programs showcasing the new and improved facilities and spaces built for community members to learn, create and reflect. […]
By Brian CHERNICK Tuesday’s Glendale City Council meeting began with a proclamation designating May as Historic Preservation Month. Mayor Vartan Gharpetian delivered the proclamation stressing the importance of honoring and maintaining the tangible heritage of Glendale. The Glendale Historic Society executive director Sean Bersell thanked the mayor and council members for their continued commitment to […]
By Brian CHERNICK After a two-week hiatus, Glendale City Council members reconvened on Tuesday with newly elected council member Vrej Agajanian filling Laura Friedman’s seat. Vartan Gharpetian was chosen as mayor, replacing Paula Devine after she served a single term. Devine continues to serve as a council member. The council moved swiftly to approve a […]
By Brian CHERNICK With ongoing development and rising rental costs throughout the city, affordable housing continues to be the go-to issue for Glendale City Council. According to a city staff report, last year more than 60% of local residents were renters with 57% of them being considered cost-burdened where at least a third of their […]
By Brian CHERNICK The City of Glendale has undertaken preliminary steps to increase the cost of wastewater as council voted to allow staff to begin notifying residents of the impending hearing processes to adopt new rates. The city currently has a “pay-for-what-you-use” rate structure that includes an initial flat-fee and a rate based on the […]
By Brian CHERNICK Tuesday night the Glendale City Council voted to increase the contract amount with the legal firm of Gibbs Giden Locher Tuner Senet & Wittbrodt LLP (Gibbs Giden) to $160,000, an increase of $35,000. Gibbs Giden’s legal services for the city date back to 2004 and the current Professional Services Agreement between the […]
By Brian CHERNICK On Tuesday evening, Glendale City Council approved establishing a Joint Powers Authority – or JPA – agreement among the Arroyo Verdugo Subregion that would provide the (until now) informal group with the ability to coordinate spending public transportation funds. The Arroyo Verdugo Subregion is a group of elected representatives from the cities […]
By Brian CHERNICK Glendale City Council initiated the first steps toward the development of a new and expansive soccer field and multipurpose park at Wilson Middle School by rewarding PlaceWork, Inc. with an environmental impact report (EIR) contract. The Professional Service Agreement (PSA) with PlaceWorks includes a budget of $127,784, plus a 10% contingency of […]
By Brian CHERNICK Glendale City Council members voted to extend the interim ordinance on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) three weeks after initiating it. City Manager Scott Ochoa likened the extension as to making a play decision early in the game rather than in the last quarter. The vote will now extend the ordinance for an […]