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M I N U T E S
GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL
(STAFF ACCESS ONLY) COUNCIL CHAMBERS
613 E. Broadway, 2nd Floor Glendale, CA 91206
APRIL 5, 2022 AT 6:00 PM
ROLL CALL – All Present
1. CLOSED SESSION – 3:24 p.m.
a. Conference with real property negotiators: Property location – Real property generally located at the terminus of New York Avenue near Park Vista Drive, commonly referred to as “Mountain Oaks.” Negotiating parties: F.E. & M. Inc.
Employee’s Defined Contribution Plan Trust dated July 10, 1984. Agency negotiators attending the closed session are: Roubik Golanian, Michael J. Garcia, Gillian van Muyden, John Takhtalian, Silvio Lanzas, Jason Bradford, Christine Powers and Onnig Bulanikian. Instructions to the negotiator(s) will concern the price and terms for the acquisition of property
b. Conference with Legal Counsel - Pending Litigation: F.E. & M. Inc. Employee’s Defined Contribution Plan Trust dated July 10, 1984 v. City of Glendale et al., L.A.S.C. Case No. BS16989
c. Conference with Legal Counsel - Pending Litigation: Sierra Club v. City of Glendale et al., L.A.S.C. Case No. 22STCP00983
d. Conference with Legal Counsel – Pending Litigation: Glendale Residents Against Environmental Destruction v. City of Glendale et al., L.A.S.C. Case No. 22STCP01021 e. Public Employment – Attorneys
f. Conference with Legal Counsel – Pending Litigation: Chavira v. City of Glendale, L.A.S.C. Case No. 21STCV44569
g. Conference with real property negotiators: Property location – 216 N. Brand Blvd. (Alex Theatre). Negotiating parties: SAS Entertainment. Agency negotiators attending the closed session are: Roubik Golanian, Michael J. Garcia, Gillian van Muyden, John Takhtalian, Jason Bradford, Bradley Calvert, and Tamar Sadd.
Instructions to the negotiator(s) will concern the price and terms for the lease of property
City Attorney Mike Garcia indicated that action is anticipated on items 1e and 1f. Council recessed to Closed Session at 3:26 p.m.
2. REGULAR BUSINESS AGENDA – 6:08 PM
Roll Call – All Present
a. Flag Salute: Mayor Devine
b. Invocation: Aram Adjemian, City Clerk
c. Report of City Clerk, re: Posting of Agenda. The Agenda for the April 5, 2022 Regular Meeting of the Glendale City Council was Posted on March 30, 2022 on the Bulletin Board Outside City Hall.
3. PRESENTATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS
a. Agenda Preview for the Meetings of Tuesday, April 12, 2022 Deputy City Manager John Takhtalian provided the preview. 4A
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b. Outgoing Mayor’s Comments
Mayor Devine stated it has been another difficult year on many levels: COVID-19 and issues of residences and businesses have had to endure. With collaboration with staff and Council, they have worked hard to make the rebound from the pandemic easier and smoother. She thanked her colleagues for trusting her to lead. Things that were done: collaborative effort during the pandemic with different departments and agencies – hosting vaccine clinics, providing supplies such as masks and sanitizers, homework assistance during lockdown, delivery of food services, ensuring safety and well-being of residents. Accomplishments of Council: approval of three affordable housing project, approving the Sundown Town Resolution, establishing outdoor dining in Montrose, banning the sale of flavored tobacco and vaping products, banning the sale of Mylar balloon, banning the use of single-use plastic, approval of the Scholl Biogas project, signing to support the Net Zero Carbon Footprints, and approval of clean energy programs. Council has encouraged staff to convert to electric power equipment such as leaf blowers for our parks. Eight parks have now been designated as certified “green zones.” She announced that Glendale is the first city to conduct research and development on automated electric mower equipment. GWP is on track to install 27 new charging stations by next month. The future of transportation is bright for the city: bus rapid transit to provide connectivity between Pasadena, Burbank, and North Hollywood, street car trolley in the Downtown Glendale area, designated bike lanes, and brightly colored crosswalks. The city is working on having Wi-Fi in parks. Council approved the Blue Ribbon Panel Pension Reform, Landlord/Tenant Committee, and Sustainability Committee. The Stone Barn Nature Center was recently completed. Council also gathered for the groundbreaking of the Armenian-American Museum and looked forward to the Central Park that will surround that area. The design for the Artsakh paseo has also been approved. The Verdugo Wash Project is also in the early stages of planning providing connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists from North to South Glendale. Art installation around the city is also being planned. Even though most of the year the city was either in lockdown or zoom calls, Council and staff worked together to accomplish many things. Council approved the increase of supply of affordable housing, passed ordinances that would protect the neighborhoods and the residents’ quality of life. Council supported environmental projects, working on a pathway to 100% renewable energy. They worked on street-safety for pedestrians and cyclists, cultural and entertainment objectives, and encouragement of the art throughout the city.
Council developed connectivity improvements through transportation, walkways, and pathways, and trails. A significant movement was made in the direction of electrification of the city. As a last act of being Mayor, Council approved and attended the unveiling of the Filipino-American Friendship Monument, a first in California. She thanked staff and colleagues for working so hard and thanked the residents as well and it has been an honor and a privilege for her to serve.
Public Comments:
David Eisenberg
Senator Anthony Portantino
c. Selection of a New Mayor
Staff Comment:
Mike Garcia, City Attorney
Council Member Brotman nominated Council Member Kassakhian for Mayor. Hearing no further nominations, City Clerk Aram Adjemian proceeded with the Roll Call. 04 05 22
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Vote as Follows
City Clerk Aram Adjemian declared Council Member Kassakhian the duly elected Mayor of the City of Glendale.
d. New Mayor’s Comments
Newly Appointed Mayor Ardy Kassakhian thanked former Mayor Paula Devine, for her above and beyond service, even during facing a personal loss. The city has witnessed Council Members and former Mayors Agajanian and Devine’s leadership during unprecedented times as they led us through this pandemic. He also thanked former and elected officials that are in attendance or watching the meeting. He spoke about the struggles we faced during the pandemic and the wars that happened globally. The city hall welcomes everyone back with enthusiasm and commitment to excellent service which has always been the hallmark of the city and staff. Council will not seek any measures to make inconvenience or injury on anyone and only on the best interest for the city and pray that the worst is behind us. It is not an easy task but what Council does, and in collaboration with other agencies, is to make the citizens’ lives as safe, as prosperous, and as happy as possible. Council’s job is to make the city the best that it can be, that we all must strive towards a more perfect union that shall not perish from this earth. He is committed to doing this job to the best of his abilities. Because Council all want what is best for Glendale, it does not mean they will all agree on how to get there.
Sometimes there are disagreements on the dais and the public. There is clash among the residents, landlords, tenants, homeowners, business owners, etc. but that chaos and the back and forth is democracy. As much as we hate “noise,” that argument is what sits at the heart of our system. This is how we make things better and it can be annoying but in that you get a voice. If the city wants a better Glendale, we cannot run away from the argument but must run towards it and participate. As Mayor, he will have definite opinions on issues of the day and vote on how his conscience and constituents dictate. Although he will not win on every fight nor have secrets to have everyone get along and come to an agreement, what he brings to this job is his willingness to try, fight on, and push forward. In this job, a person needs to have an open ear, and an even more open heart. He promises to come to this dais every week with both and only ask to do the same from the public. He will outline his plan for the next year in the upcoming weeks. He will also continue to listen to the public by holding regular office hours as he does every Friday in Montrose and hoped to extend them to other parts of the city soon. He will also ask staff to bring back the “City Council in Your Neighborhood Program” to ensure that we are hearing from every part of the city in the residents’ terms and neighborhoods about their issues. As the city emerges from the pandemic, Council will focus on recovery and growth and supporting the local businesses and ensuring that the process of doing business in Glendale is smooth, simple, and efficient. He wants to assure the public that the city has one of the best people working for this organization. Staff has worked tirelessly through staffing cutbacks, budget reduction, and a pandemic. He thanked staff for making Council look good. He pledges to continue the city’s pursuit of sustainable and conservation focus policy. The city has done so much already from placing restrictions on Mylar balloons and single-use plastics, to rethinking energy priorities and how Council meet the growing needs of the city. Mr. Kassakhian will continue to be a strong advocate for the libraries and arts and culture in the city. The city faced a lot of hard truth about racism, discrimination, Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
Agajanian, Brotman, Kassakhian, Najarian, Devine
None
None
None
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gender and equality and we’ll continue to work on these issues but by learning, we will make progress. Sometimes there is setback but the goal is always moving forward including acknowledging and admitting when we have been wrong. America is at its best when we celebrate our uniqueness and the people of all races and ethnicities who have contributed to this country’s success. He will continue to be an advocate for all under-represented voices to have a voice and to have an opportunity to serve on our city boards, commissions, committees, and wherever we need to have our residents’ voices heard. Additionally, he will ask staff to organize the city’s first book fair and will ask Council to support this initiative. The city loves libraries and we have amazing writers, musicians, artists, and authors that call Glendale home. This will highlight their work and bring the community closer together. He will continue to pursue government reform, promoting transparency and accountability. He will also ask staff to begin the process of a Charter Review Committee to be in line with where we are today and where we want to be as a city in the future. He will also ask staff to initiate a Civic Academy designed for individuals who want to be more engaged in civic life to learn about each department, how the city functions, and intricacies of the budget, and finance processes. The city has a Citizens Police Academy and the Chamber of Commerce has its own leadership program, but the city does not have a program that serves as a training ground for our boards and commissions and ultimately future council members. Most importantly he promises to pursue every cooperation and collaboration with the school district and the community college to improve the city. He had a dream to double the amount of open and usable parks spaces in the densest parts of the city and must and should open school yards for neighborhood access and he will not rest until we do. Children’s mental health is at stake coming out of this pandemic and should not delay these efforts. He will ask staff and Council to help push forward to work with the schools to make this happen. There is more that he wants to do but doing just these things and carrying out other responsibilities and important issues in the horizon will take up a lot of time. Council is inundating staff so much to a level that the city ends up municipal paralysis or even low morale. He thanked Dveen Babaian and Sevana Zadorian for being the backbones of his campaign. He thanked his wife, Courtney and son, Armen, the reason why he gets up every morning and put his heart and everything into this work. He thanked his family members for their support and sometimes believes in him more than he believes in himself. He thanked his parents who have taught him the most important thing in the world, the importance of service, sacrifice, unconditional love, and to always be proud of his culture and heritage. In closing, he thanked Glendale, colleagues, for entrusting him this tremendous responsibility. Their work is cut-out for them but will rise to the challenge.
Public Comments:
Senator Anthony Portantino
Elise Kalfayan
Rob Montgomery
Kate Unger
Edwin
Mike Mohill
4. CONSENT ITEMS (Including Minutes)
The following are Routine and May be Acted Upon by One Motion. Any Member of Council or the Audience Requesting Separate Consideration May do so by Making Such Request Before Motion is Proposed.
a. Police Department, re: Public/Private Partnership for Installation of Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) Technology
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1. Motion authorizing the Glendale Police Department to establish public/private partnerships with organizations, associations, businesses, and residents to install ALPR technology
Moved: Agajanian Seconded: Devine
Vote as Follows
b. Fire Department, re: Regarding Renewal of a Weed Abatement Services Agreement with the County of Los Angeles Agricultural Commissioner
1. Resolution 22-43 for a Weed Abatement Services Agreement with the County of Los Angeles Agricultural Commissioner
Moved: Agajanian Seconded: Devine
Vote as Follows
c. City Attorney, re: Consideration of a Resolution to allow the City Council and all City legislative bodies to continue to meet remotely pursuant to the Brown Act as amended by A.B. 361
1. Resolution 22-44 authorizing the continuance of remote teleconference meetings of the City’s legislative bodies for a period of an additional 30 days in accordance with A.B. 361
Moved: Agajanian Seconded: Devine
Vote as Follows
5. CITY COUNCIL/STAFF COMMENTS
Council Member Devine asked staff to bring back the ADU Ordinance to look for additional options for eliminating ADUs in the horse overlay zone. Brotman seconded.
Council Member Brotman asked staff to reconsider the code to disallow dog kennels in the equestrian area. Najarian seconded. He asked staff to provide a presentation in the upcoming meetings on how to dispose organic wastes in the green bins.
City Manager Roubik Golanian congratulated Mayor Kassakhian for his appointment as Mayor.
He looked forward to his leadership, has his support, and will do everything to accomplish goals.
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
Agajanian, Devine, Brotman, Najarian, Kassakhian
None
None
None
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
Agajanian, Devine, Brotman, Najarian, Kassakhian
None
None
None
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
Agajanian, Devine, Brotman, Najarian, Kassakhian
None
None
None
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6. COMMUNITY EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS (3-Minutes)
7. ADOPTION OF ORDINANCES
8. ACTION ITEMS
a. Community Services and Parks, re: Selection of Dog Park site and Direction on design consultant
Staff Comment:
Roubik Golanian, City Manager
Presenting:
Onnig Bulanikian, Director of Community Services and Parks
1. Motion approving City Parking Lot 11 as the location for a Dog Park in Glendale and directing staff to engage the services of a design consultant to prepare design alternatives and cost estimates
Moved: Devine Seconded: Brotman
Vote as Follows
2. Resolution 22-45 of Appropriation to appropriate $350,000 from the Parks Mitigation Fee fund balance to the Dog Park Project to begin designing the park Moved: Devine Seconded: Brotman
Vote as Follows
9. HEARINGS
10. REPORTS - INFORMATION
11. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
12. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Discussion is Limited to Items NOT a Part of this Agenda. Council May Question or Respond to The Speaker But There Will be no Debate or Decision. The City Manager May Refer the Matter to the Appropriate Department for Investigation and Report.
Kate Unger
Liz Radly
Herbert Molano
Edwin
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
Agajanian, Brotman, Devine, Najarian, Kassakhian
None
None
None
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
Agajanian, Brotman, Devine, Najarian, Kassakhian
None
None
None
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13. NEW BUSINESS
a. Motion to Initiate an Indemnity Legal Action in Los Angeles Superior Court. The Name(s) of the Defendant(s) and Other Particulars shall be disclosable upon the filing and service of said action upon the Cross-Defendant. The City Attorney is further authorized to incur any and all expenses necessary in connection with said matter.
Moved: Brotman Seconded: Devine
Vote as Follows
b. Motion to Execute a Professional Services Agreement for Legal Services with Cox, Castle, & Nicholson (Mike Zischke) to defend the City of Glendale in the following litigation in Los Angeles Superior Court: Sierra Club v. City of Glendale et al., L.A.S.C.
Case No. 22STCP00983, and Glendale Residents Against Environmental Destruction v. City of Glendale et al., L.A.S.C. Case No. 22STCP01021.
Moved: Devine Seconded: Agajanian
Vote as Follows
14. ADJOURNMENT – 7:55 p.m.
Moved: Agajanian Seconded: Devine
Mayor of the City of Glendale
City Clerk of the City of Glendale
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
Agajanian, Brotman, Devine, Kassakhian
None
None
Najarian
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
Agajanian, Brotman, Devine, Kassakhian
None
None
Najarian