Organizational
Strategic Plan
2025 - 2027
02 Overview of Glendale
01 Executive Summary
06 Organizational Strategic
Plan Overview
06 Mission and Values
17 Moving Forward
05 Accomplishments
and Challenges
09 Major Projects
and Strategic Initiatives
08 Multi-Year Goals
Executive Summary
This Organizational Strategic Plan
has been created to provide the City
Council and staff with a comprehensive
list of major projects and strategic
initiatives over the next three years.
Our organization delivers significant services on
a day-to-day basis. These are the backbone of
what we do for our community. Supplementing
these are important projects that move our
community forward, meet critical needs, and
help us plan for the future.
Council priorities are represented within this
Organizational Strategic Plan, as are major
internal projects of importance to the effective
functioning of the organization. Day-to-day
operations are not included. The Organizational
Strategic Plan indicates which department has
lead responsibility and has timelines associated
with each project or strategic initiative.
It is the intent of this document that the items
included be those that are realistic in terms
of funding and capacity. Several projects are
noted for which funding and/or staffing capacity
are not currently known to be available. As
resources become available, we will assess the
timing of those items.
Content for the Organizational Strategic
Plan, was provided through a review of City
Council priorities and input from the Executive
Management Team. The City Manager’s Office
is coordinating this effort and will be reporting
progress on this plan.
Organizational Strategic Plan | 01
Overview of Glendale
The City of Glendale is nestled near the Verdugo Mountains and is home to a population of just over 190,000. The City is known for its diverse community, with a significant Armenian population.
It has a median household income of $81,219 and a median age of 42.5. Glendale is home to major employers in the healthcare and retail sectors, and its location provides easy access to both downtown Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. The City is home to several museums and galleries, reflecting its diverse arts and cultural scene. The Americana at Brand, a popular outdoor shopping and entertainment center, is a key attraction.
Since its incorporation, Glendale has been a charter city governed by a City Council/City Manager form of government. Five Councilmembers are elected at-large and serve 4-year staggered terms. Each year, the Mayor’s position is rotated among the five Councilmembers. The Mayor serves a largely ceremonial role, presiding over meetings and representing the City at official events.
The day-to-day administration of the City is handled by a professional City Manager, who is appointed by the City Council. The City Manager acts as the Chief Executive Officer responsible for implementing the Council’s policies, managing city operations, and overseeing the various city departments. This form of government allows for a balance between elected leadership and professional management, aiming to ensure that the City’s operations are conducted efficiently while remaining responsive to the needs of the community. 02 | City of Glendale
The numbers above are according to the U.S. Census
Bureau, Department of Finance, and/or city documents
1906
Year of Incorporation
over 190k
Population
1,644
Total Full Time Employees
64%
Speak a Language Other
Than English at Home
22 Boards and Commissions
30.6 Square Miles
$1.2B
FY 2024-25 Budget
42.5 Median Age
$81,219
Median Household Income
78,332
Total Housing Units
Organizational Strategic Plan | 03
Organizational Chart
City Attorney
City Manager
City Council
Boards and
Commissions
Police
Public Works
Library, Arts
& Culture
Human Resources
Glendale
Water and Power
Information
Technology
Finance
Fire
Community
Development
Community
Services & Parks
City Treasurer
City Clerk
Electorate
04 | City of Glendale
Accomplishments and Challenges
Among the City’s many recent accomplishments are the following:
Adoption of the City’s updated Housing Element to meet future housing needs from 2021 through 2029, while celebrating the completion and approval of new affordable housing projects with 500+ units: 900 E. Broadway (127 units), 920 E. Broadway (66 units), and 515 Pioneer Drive (340 units).
Development of the Grayson Energy Center, with multiple units demolished and site demolition concluded to grade. Three Wartsila engines have been purchased and construction is under way.
Adopted Phase I of the Glendale Safe initiative to add 23 new sworn police positions. The 23 new police officer positions will include more patrol officers, traffic motorcycle officers, and additional school resource officers.
Achievement of technological advancement in the launch of the Real Time Intelligence Center, a platform that centralizes both real-time and historical data sources to aid in proactive police work. This initiative is complemented by the deployment of 73 traffic cameras, body-worn cameras, Flock cameras, and automatic license plate readers, with plans for further expansion.
The City is grappling with several challenges as it navigates an increasingly complex financial and operational environment.
These challenges include:
Workforce recruitment and retention remain difficult in a competitive labor market, while succession planning becomes increasingly important as the pace of retirements increases.
Training and professional development will continue to be critical to keep up with evolving technology, staff turnover, and new mandates.
Financial resources are under strain as rising costs outpace declining revenue growth, with unfunded mandates from the state adding pressure, along with impacts of January 2025 windstorms. This growing gap between revenues and expenditures complicates efforts to maintain essential services and launch new initiatives.
Aging infrastructure, including parks, fire stations, sewer and water systems, and electric systems, requires significant investment to bring it up to modern standards and ensure it meets the needs of the community.
Community engagement efforts are evolving to reach residents in new ways, especially as many are busy and hard to engage. The City also is working on plans to enhance our efforts in reaching our diverse, multi-lingual and multi-cultural population by offering a variety of communication methods.
Organizational Strategic Plan | 05
Mission and Values
MISSION
VALUES
There are many possible terms available in a document like this Organizational Strategic Plan. The terms used here are defined below. The goals shown below are intended to reflect the interests expressed by members of the City Council in their interviews with Raftelis’ facilitator early in the process of identifying priorities. Goals also encompass the core work carried out by the City of Glendale.
• Goals: Long-term aspirations in four essential categories. Council policies, projects, initiatives, and core city services are aligned to help the City reach these goals over a period of years. • Major Projects and Strategic Initiatives: Significant items that are not ongoing work that are funded or likely to be funded in the three years of this Organizational Strategic Plan. They reflect Council priorities and/or important initiatives that support the work of the organization and have a start and end-point. • Lead Department: Department that will be leading the effort, in collaboration with other city departments. • Timeline: During the three years of this Organizational Strategic Plan, major progress will be made during the year(s) shown or the work will be completed. In some cases, the project will extend beyond the three years of the Organizational Strategic Plan.
This Organizational Strategic Plan contains a new mission statement and set of values. These were created by the Executive Management Team during a work session held on October 2, 2024.
Organizational Strategic Plan Overview
A mission statement is to tell the purpose of the organization.
The City’s new mission is:
Dedicated to creating and sustaining a safe, well-maintained, and thriving community for all.
Values reflect the expected behaviors of the people within the organization.
The top values identified by the Executive Management Team are:
• Integrity: We are trustworthy, do what we say we will do, and are honest in all aspects of our work.
• Communication: We keep each other and our community informed, practice effective teamwork, and provide information with transparency, clarity and promptness.
• Professionalism: We provide leadership in our areas of expertise, continually improve our skills and competence, do our work with fiscal responsibility, and plan for the future well-being of the community.
06 | City of Glendale
“Teamwork
gives you
the best
opportunity
to turn vision
into reality.
--John C. MaxwellJohn C. Maxwell
Organizational Strategic Plan | 07
Multi-Year Goals
Four multi-year goals have been defined as part of
this process. They are intended to encompass the City
Council’s priorities and what we are aiming for over
a period of years. Our annual budgets and capital
improvement plans, along with our core city services,
are all in support of these goals.
Goal C - Quality Infrastructure and Environmental
Stewardship: Provide for energy reliability, environmental stewardship, and well planned and maintained utilities, parks, streets, libraries, community centers, and other infrastructure.
Goal A - Financial Sustainability and Organizational
Health: Provide prudent financial planning, foster
employee well-being, support an engaged and equitable
organization, and continuously improve in all we do.
Goal B - Community Well-being and Economic
Development: Provide quality services for a safe and clean community, encourage our vibrant business and arts sector, engage with our residents, and offer recreational and library services that meet community needs and interests.
Goal D - Diverse Housing and Livable Neighborhoods:
Provide for a diversity of high-quality housing types to meet a variety of affordability needs and sustain livable neighborhoods with appropriate amenities such as parks
and libraries.
08 | City of Glendale
Major Projects and Strategic Initiatives
The following pages contain the major projects and initiatives associated with each goal. Each goal contains two sections.
The first section is funded projects and initiatives that the Executive Management Team believes are realistic to achieve, either to completion or important milestones if the project will extend beyond the three-year duration of the Organizational Strategic Plan.
The second section is a list of major projects or strategic initiatives that are anticipated but are not currently funded or for which staff capacity may not be available during the three years of this Organizational Strategic Plan. Staff will seek funding for these projects and initiatives, and if new resources become available, projects can proceed.
As a note, many of the projects listed were underway prior to the 2025 start of this Organizational Strategic Plan. The timeline noted indicates when the project will be either fully completed or significant milestones will be achieved.
Organizational Strategic Plan | 09
GOAL A - FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
AND ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH
Provide prudent financial planning, foster employee well-being, support an engaged and equitable organization, and continuously improve in all we do.
Major Projects and Strategic Initiatives
Cost Recovery | 2025-2026
Develop a cost recovery policy consideration
to align user fees with the cost of providing
applicable services.
FINANCE
Cybersecurity | 2025
Strengthen cybersecurity capacity through
upgrades, new systems, additional job
classifications, and annual testing.
311 System | 2025-2026
Conduct needs assessment, issue RFP , and
conduct vendor selection to implement a
new 311 system to intake and manage citizen
requests and relations management system.
AI Chatbot | 2025
Implement a plan for a city website to
improve customer experience.
Dashboard Visualization for Enhanced
City Decisions* | 2026
Develop ESRI dashboards and applications
to improve asset management and data-
driven decision-making.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Employee Development | 2025-2027
Implement a structured leadership and employee
development training program aimed at increasing
leadership and management competency,
employee engagement and development,
recruitment and retention, and equity and
inclusiveness awareness.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Communications and Outreach | 2025
Conduct a thorough assessment of existing
communication and outreach efforts, develop
a set of recommendations, and implement
recommendations.
Lobbying/Advocacy | 2025
Enhance and heighten Glendale’s interests at the
state and federal level, including advocating for
legislation and actively seeking grant funding.
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
NeoGov | 2025
Implement NeoGov software across all departments,
reducing manual administrative tasks and decreasing
the overall time-to-hire.
HUMAN RESOURCES/
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Projects noted with an * indicate partial funding
City Records | 2025-2027
Launch city records digitization, records
maintenance, and destruction policy/
process/program.
CITY CLERK
Transportation Impact Fee | 2025-2026
Develop a Transportation Impact Fee program.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
FUNDEDFUNDED
10 | City of Glendale
Centralized Procurement
Implement centralized procurement including
Glendale Municipal Code (GMC) revisions and
process improvements to increase efficiencies.
FINANCE
Employee Recognition
Conduct an employee survey to establish
programs for celebrating department wins and
awards to recognize staff.
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE; HR
Permit and Entitlement Process Improvements
Improve and reduce overall permit timelines by
creating simplified processes for permits and
entitlements.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Funding Strategy
Develop an overall funding strategy to plan for needed
infrastructure, including fire stations, library relocation/ reconstruction, open spaces for parks, and other city
infrastructure needs.
ALL DEPARTMENTS; FINANCE AND
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE TO LEAD
11 FUNDEDFUNDED
NOT CURRENTLY FUNDEDNOT CURRENTLY FUNDED
GOAL B - COMMUNITY WELL-BEING
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Provide quality services for a safe, clean community, encouraging our vibrant business and arts sector, engaging with our residents, and offering recreational and library services that meet community needs and interests.
Arts, Culture and Entertainment
Destination | 2026-2027
Expand the Creative Crosswalks program, explore
opportunities for sister city collaborations, and
prepare a cultural arts strategic plan in advance of
the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games.
LIBRARY, ARTS AND CULTURE;
PUBLIC WORKS
Public Art | 2026-2027
Install public artwork at the Glenoaks Boulevard
median, the Montrose Circular Benches, the
Fremont Park Columns, and the Palmer Park
Basketball Court.
Electric Bookmobile | 2026
Complete the new plan of service for the Electric
Bookmobile.
LIBRARY, ARTS AND CULTURE
Vision Zero | 2026
Complete development of the Vision Zero policy.
Bicycle Transportation Plan | 2025
Complete the Citywide Bicycle Transportation
Plan.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Pedestrian Safety* | 2027
Implement Phase 2 project of the Citywide
Pedestrian Safety Plan throughout various
CIP projects as the corridors are due for
street rehabilitation.
Beeline* | 2026
Complete a comprehensive operational
analysis of Beeline.
PUBLIC WORKS
Glendale Safe Initiative | 2025-2027
Implement Phase 1 by adding 23 new sworn
police positions.
Expand Real Time Intelligence Data
Canter | 2025
Fully implement and staff this new center.
POLICE
Economic Development | 2025-2027
Update and implement the Economic
Development Strategic Plan.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Projects noted with an * indicate partial funding
FUNDEDFUNDED
Major Projects and Strategic Initiatives
12 | City of Glendale
Homelessness
Implement Homeless Action Plan to reduce
homelessness.
COMMUNITY SERVICES AND PARKS
Traffic Safety Enforcement and Education
Increase services such as directed traffic enforcement at school zones, educational meetings, special operations (DUI, distracted/impaired driving, and pedestrian/bike safety); and secure annual grant funding.
POLICE
Cultural and Entertainment Programming
Develop new cultural and entertainment
programming in consultation with the Arts
and Culture Commission to support the
business community regarding fiber
connectivity.
Community Cleanliness
Enhance code enforcement
to be more focused with
faster response times to
maintain community
cleanliness.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
NOT CURRENTLY FUNDEDNOT CURRENTLY FUNDED
FUNDEDFUNDED
Organizational Strategic Plan | 13
Projects noted with an * indicate partial funding
GOAL C - QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE
AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
Provide for energy reliability, environmental stewardship, and well-planned and maintained utilities, parks, streets, libraries, community centers, and other infrastructure.
Climate Action and Adaptation Plan | 2026
Present the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan to City Council to consider adoption.
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
South Glendale Greenspace | 2025-2027
Identify sites for acquisition of property to add greenspace and/or athletic fields in South Glendale.
COMMUNITY SERVICES AND PARKS
Fire Stations | 2026
Complete Phase 1 programming and preliminary design guidelines for the reconstructions of three fire stations (F26, F28, F29), to include library integration or relocations at stations 26 and 29.
Transportation Networks* | 2025-2027
• Update the Emergency Vehicle Fire Response Route map and upgrade signal preemption to GPS for Fire and Police vehicle detection.
• Implement four Highway Safety Improvement Program grants to upgrade signs and enhance pedestrian safety.
• Install Accessible Pedestrian Systems in Downtown Glendale for safe crossings for pedestrians with limited vision.
• Integrate complete streets strategies into Capital Improvement Program projects to improve safety and connectivity for all users (pedestrians, bicyclists, vehicle and transit users).
Fleet Electrification | 2025-2027
Implement funded phases of city fleet electrification.
Central Park | 2027
Complete the Central Park project.
PUBLIC WORKS
FUNDEDFUNDED
Major Projects and Strategic Initiatives
14 | City of Glendale
Solar Energy | 2025
Develop a plan to increase solar penetration and
develop additional distributed energy resources.
WATER AND POWER
Electric Vehicle Chargers | 2025-2027
Increase electric vehicle chargers per capita in Glendale.
Water System Master Plan | 2026
Develop a capital improvements plan phasing and
prioritize improvements to meet operational goals and
provide a reliable system to meet current, future, and
emergency demands.
Recycled Water Master Plan | 2026
Prepare a master plan with the objective of diversifying water supply, reducing reliance on imported water and
pursuing investments in water reuse.
WATER AND POWER
Scholl Canyon
Perform strategic planning for the future of Scholl
Canyon landfill to identify feasible development
alternatives of each portion of the site.
Facilities
Implement the annual facilities condition assessment
recommendations for maintenance of facilities.
PUBLIC WORKS, COMMUNITY
SERVICES AND PARKS
NOT CURRENTLY FUNDEDNOT CURRENTLY FUNDED
FUNDEDFUNDED
Rockhaven | 2026
Implement Phase 1 and identify funding for additional
phases and operations (public park and museum) on
the former Rockhaven Sanitarium property.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
AND PUBLIC WORKS
Organizational Strategic Plan | 15
Projects noted with an * indicate partial funding
GOAL D - DIVERSE HOUSING
AND LIVABLE NEIGHBORHOODS
Provide for a diversity of high-quality housing types to meet a variety of affordability needs and sustain livable neighborhoods with appropriate amenities such as parks and libraries.
City-Led Housing Developments* | 2025-2027
Identify new sites for future housing developments.
Zoning and Development Standards | 2025
Complete zoning and development standards
changes for mixed use and multi-family objective
design standards.
Long-Term Growth and Planning Initiatives*
| 2025-2027
Develop a community plan for the East and West
portions of the City, including historic survey, and a
plan for city-owned properties.
Land Use Element | 2025
Complete the update of the Land Use Element as well
as associated zoning.
City-Owned Parking Lots | 2025
Identify highest and best use for city-owned
parking lots
Housing
Identify opportunities for increasing home ownership..
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Tree Canopy Plan | 2027
Continue with annual tree plantings in accordance
with the 25% citywide tree canopy goal.
PUBLIC WORKS
FUNDEDFUNDED
Major Projects and Strategic Initiatives
16 | City of Glendale
This Organizational Strategic Plan
is intended to guide our work in
support of key City Council priorities.
A new mission statement and set of
values have been articulated as part
of the process of creating this plan.
Those are fundamental to our overall
approach to how we carry out our
services on a day-to-day basis.
Thank you to each person
who helped create this
Organizational Strategic
Plan. We look forward to
utilizing it as a tracking and
communication vehicle to
convey progress on many of
the critical projects underway
in our organization.
Moving Forward
Teamwork across our organization and
partnership with the City Council is always
fundamental to our success. It matters
whether we are delivering our core services
or implementing a critical project. This
Organizational Strategic Plan relies on teamwork
in its implementation. The major projects and
strategic initiatives included will involve multiple
departments, with staff working collaboratively.
The items in this plan will be tracked and
reported on periodically. We will communicate
progress to the organization and City Council.
Lead responsibility for tracking and reporting
will be with the City Manager’s Office, with
input from all city departments.
Implementing, Tracking,
and Communicating
Organizational Strategic Plan | 17
613 E. Broadway, Glendale, CA 91206
(818) 548-4844 | glendaleca.gov
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