[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6369947,"mediaKeyId","2153282-39619b7abf4a44f68c8f498c9a4f4c74","parentId",2153282,"title","Council explores a human-relations forum to address social division and community cohesion","audioSeconds",3562,"startMs",10622000,"endMs",14184000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2153282-39619b7abf4a44f68c8f498c9a4f4c74&start=10622&end=14184","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2153282-39619b7abf4a44f68c8f498c9a4f4c74/thumbnail_10622000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6369947/Glendale/Los-Angeles-County/California/Council-explores-a-human-relations-forum-to-address-social-division-and-community-cohesion","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369947-7ba88289a20622f01ba0f7c242906d5e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203849&Signature=dmXI1QjQV46j9i6vB-88iq15E2eyrfcKLigOvKkc8XSedutcys5UmVxU8JvBSuEuXCBMtvY-v3jXSrvsm6p~8OIj0pb7QEneri66yPSfNiYXeynu8jWOFGhl-zILqlMucFO-KZsbw-HGDSyLZtF7tIJ~WSuGP0WR3VvHTh4Piw9r9NLvMt9Hv9~CJv5QmqZuxb0CAvtsWjAfYnnAdxLU2uXP4mzQUTju2PyANS2S0jWCvWSgRGLEK~CngtNsmnqhopokQPe-ODtjT4YqZ27kRWQ1cpFmLG1oTrm5vPIpXUKy9vnEe4-8Xl5D2hQKRhqUZfeBn-SL-dzfGpAYTyjI4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","MyGlendale","date","2025-01-21T00:00:00Z","article","The council received a staff update about an ad hoc Human Relations group convened in 2024 to identify social divisions and potential community-building steps and offered preliminary direction to follow up with stakeholders.

Staff told the council that 19 community members and city staff met in 2024 to consider themes including social division and polarization, lack of community cohesion, discrimination and exclusion, mental-health and education. Staff recommended outreach to a broad set of community organizations — faith groups, student representatives, disability advocates, immigrant-community organizations and others — and suggested working with the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission on best practices and potential mentorship.

Why it matters: Council members expressed different views about structure and scope. Some urged a city-convened, ongoing forum that could coordinate outreach, education and targeted campaigns (for example, anti-hate or disinformation responses). Others cautioned against creating an additional formal commission or bureaucracy and proposed inviting the County Human Relations director to brief the council on models and deliverables.

Council direction: The council asked staff to consult with the County Human Relations Commission for suggestions, to broaden outreach invitations and to return with a plan that clarifies purpose, membership selection, meeting cadence and expected deliverables (public education, youth programs, hate-crime resources). Several council members emphasized the need to include Glendale Unified School District and Glendale Community College representatives and to ensure the group’s membership and outreach are broadly inclusive.

Ending: Staff will bring back the recommended engagement plan, including a proposal for how a forum would be staffed, resourced and evaluated.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council - 1/21/25","oneSentenceSummary","The council received a staff update about an ad hoc Human Relations group convened in 2024 to identify social divisions and potential community-building steps and offered preliminary direction to follow up with stakeholders.","taxTitle","Glendale, Los Angeles County, California","taxId",4651,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6369952,"Council weighs modest staff support and internship options to help members respond to constituents",1709,12376000,14085000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2153282-39619b7abf4a44f68c8f498c9a4f4c74&start=12376&end=14085","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2153282-39619b7abf4a44f68c8f498c9a4f4c74/thumbnail_12376000.jpg","/articles/6369952/Glendale/Los-Angeles-County/California/Council-weighs-modest-staff-support-and-internship-options-to-help-members-respond-to-constituents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369952-07bb970c63934a08e74b14251f283eff/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203849&Signature=hTDUsuR77a03c6WZrFou9J79dDVp4exi29Jap423AJ~PbmiNgOOjxIu-HOieUI2I0MEbUYc~z4mnd03as3stWuFBEoqDwjS5bmSxlnBcnTnWat5Qg-0fEsU9ErJq1dSaGtS5E9JgY3jv42WSBhYbMZoOcI3MUM0WHwD51LlbZeSjMmHOmUN8-3bqJq5uqLwdFy~0CCFEFtbjXzkX8Q9Ah74eM3jACuov~hdosdNPJ03KlKogq9ASDNBn2i4TEfXrY4-Nj07LVgGYljF-mLJSt56f7F1Z3wUG17rprV-iqFDFPkG0wQld4S~gsIroa4w1Q7fmSnDkZtoDd7xcAO9FbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Glendale City Council on Tuesday reviewed options for providing administrative and constituent support to council members and weighed creating an internship or paid aide program.

Management Services presented a benchmarking review of 12 California cities and described four recurring job responsibilities for council aides: administrative tasks (scheduling, reports), constituent and community relations, public education/media support and policy/research analysis. Staff recommended either an administrative intern (entry level, $17–$19/hour) or an assistant-to-council classification (experienced hourly, $26–$34/hour) and noted space, confidentiality and overtime rules as implementation considerations.

Why it matters: Several council members said they face heavy constituent workloads — including multilingual and time-sensitive requests — and that more staff support would help responsiveness. Others said existing shared resources (management services, city manager’s office) are sufficient and raised cost and confidentiality concerns about adding dedicated aides.

Council reaction and options: Comments split. Some members urged a one-to-one aide model (one aide per council member) to ensure timely outreach and support; others preferred not to expand the payroll now and suggested waiting until a charter or districting review is finished. Several members asked staff to explore an internship or job-shadowing program as an intermediate step to broaden civic engagement without creating a full salary commitment.

Staff tasks and next steps: Council gave preliminary direction to study options further; staff agreed to work with the City Attorney’s Office on confidentiality safeguards and to research internship and job-shadow rules and other cities’ practices, and to return with a firmer recommendation and cost estimates.","Glendale City Council on Tuesday reviewed options for providing administrative and constituent support to council members and weighed creating an internship or paid aide program.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6369957,"Verdugo Wash master plan study delayed after conflict-of-interest advice and council requests further review",4663,4675000,9338000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2153282-39619b7abf4a44f68c8f498c9a4f4c74&start=4675&end=9338","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2153282-39619b7abf4a44f68c8f498c9a4f4c74/thumbnail_4675000.jpg","/articles/6369957/Glendale/Los-Angeles-County/California/Verdugo-Wash-master-plan-study-delayed-after-conflict-of-interest-advice-and-council-requests-further-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369957-d051c13a68f1a96cc9877ac576abdb81/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203849&Signature=T3CAq6XOtUgEV8qXFWAmptABFRXalJGXX8rLBq2QceIenjuPLswO-babYLO36uzTgJDcD-QjuCSU5pre2~N8tCKyRtLfhMNo9ARltggIGIqOHciQ3wHqo-WRHffzmT6Au2NXd4ytOvHQOC9cMkKGDWS28GamMApZkwubUhqc9pAksrw3NGPCNMASmv6K0KlXxzUCdEAxuvFbR4pTKjskioUGfpm-qgkeXjb28ZBt9SbRyANiNtWmc0IunpsLESSPtYA252y87EUmiALwUtYgliHTIwSzqisAge9Si4TEsFDyj4ijOksgfp083VfNGzrGwo2mC~awjt6~il07j6-~~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Glendale City Council on Tuesday paused final approval of a $5,762,370 consultant contract for the Verdugo Wash master plan after a dispute over whether three council members should participate in the vote.

The item before the council was a recommendation to authorize the city manager to execute a professional services agreement with Michael Van Valkenbrae Associates Inc. to prepare a master plan funded by state grants. City Attorney Garcia told the council that the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) issued an advice letter in December concluding that Council Members Ara Najarian and (name variant) Garpetian have disqualifying conflicts of interest because they own real property within 500 feet of parts of the project; Council Member Brotman was advised he did not have a disqualifying interest under the FPPC’s public-general-rule analysis.

Why it matters: The Verdugo Wash project covers extensive stretches of the city and carries long-term land-use, design and funding implications; the FPPC guidance raised whether individual council members’ property interests require recusal and prompted questions about the scope and fairness of the FPPC’s analysis.

Council debate and motion: Council members Najarian and Garpetian asked staff and the city attorney to seek further review and to submit additional evidence to the FPPC that they said would show “clear and convincing evidence” that their properties would not be specially and disproportionately affected. City Attorney Garcia said the FPPC will reconsider advice letters only upon new facts or unique legal issues and that the commission has limited administrative review options.

Rather than award the contract at the meeting, the council directed staff to submit any additional factual material the two council members wish to provide to the FPPC within 15 days and to request that the FPPC respond as promptly as possible (staff said the FPPC’s standard window is 21 business days but that prior advice letters have taken longer). Council also instructed staff to report back on the FPPC response timeline and to continue the item as needed. Council members who have been advised to recuse may remain in the audience and speak as members of the public but were not to participate in a final vote while the FPPC matter is unresolved.

Public comment: More than a dozen speakers called or attended in person, with neighborhood groups, bicycling advocates and civic organizations divided; supporters urged moving forward with the study to evaluate feasibility, safety and design; opponents raised concerns about wildfire risk, cost and the wash’s intended role as a flood-control channel.

Contract and procedural details: The RFP called for a multi-year master planning effort; staff said the grant money is in hand and there is no immediate deadline and that the consultant proposals and fee estimates may need confirmation if the award is delayed. Management Services and Community Development staff said the award, if executed, would fund a study phase and would not itself authorize construction. Council asked staff to monitor the grant timeline and the consultants’ price validity if the award is delayed.

Ending: The council recessed the decision and asked staff to pursue FPPC follow-up, to sit down with the council members and GIS staff to review the FPPC’s geographic analysis, and to return to the council with the FPPC response and any recommended next steps.","Council paused awarding a $5.76 million consultant contract for the Verdugo Wash master plan after the Fair Political Practices Commission advised two council members to recuse; council directed staff to submit additional factual material to the FPPC and return with any response before final contract execution.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6369961,"Glendale officials praise emergency response as crews continue cleanup after windstorm and red-flag evacuations",3167,246000,3413000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2153282-39619b7abf4a44f68c8f498c9a4f4c74&start=246&end=3413","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2153282-39619b7abf4a44f68c8f498c9a4f4c74/thumbnail_246000.jpg","/articles/6369961/Glendale/Los-Angeles-County/California/Glendale-officials-praise-emergency-response-as-crews-continue-cleanup-after-windstorm-and-red-flag-evacuations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369961-8d5d60634ac8a4c59a79a1a3176e0f30/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203849&Signature=dKmzRqPQEoufLsCPaN-VTqa4scUTSttWOKP6v5Y0wnHihzvypvOPDbKVQMm5M8Yt~U5OugOrMHf6dSIxRyGPn1q55UmtHV7QD~3Oy~0bZp-OIy5u8G7imx3EXxiKhZhmWPt8VUHgYC61fZJBc8KNWnzD4bNuNAVEzMckKJFntQOoohDKm22KUM9ekF8dhkfKMh4Z8ADWbK~vO~aHuLmw5lTXUXeR-o2Fyzx72clNXcLGMovWDODo15mpoMB4wFnSudp~ae34~bzd4kmdpj9ylkvrpmS~Ifpbf27b27GBUNJxu03zYRJqnXbKt1-FEcO0iHLFUZseC7Uc6BH5C~3wFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Glendale city leaders on Tuesday credited city staff and regional partners for actions that protected residents during a severe windstorm and related fire threats in early January, while outlining a multi-week cleanup and recovery effort.

The emergency operations center activated Jan. 7 and the city opened an evacuation center as winds and red-flag conditions prompted evacuation orders for Glen Oaks Canyon and Chevy Chase Canyon, City Manager (Mr.) Galanian said. Glendale Water & Power crews restored service to more than 33,000 customers, public safety personnel handled thousands of calls and city crews logged hundreds of responses as teams cleared debris and made repairs.

The city manager said crews restored service to “nearly all” customers and that the Emergency Information Center logged about 3,461 calls during the evacuation period. Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Brooks told the council that Glendale kept all fire stations fully staffed while also sending engines and personnel to support fires in neighboring jurisdictions. “Evacuation warnings and orders are issued out of an abundance of caution,” Brooks said, adding that decisions consider wind patterns, fire behavior and the potential for ember cast impacts.

Why it matters: Council members said the event exposed both strengths and operational gaps — especially multilingual outreach, outage communications and debris-removal timelines — and asked staff for follow-up on lessons learned and potential resource needs as cleanup proceeds.

What the council heard and directed: Mayor Asad thanked staff and volunteers and urged the council to review after-action reports. The city reported 554 downed trees and limbs citywide; public works said crews had cleared 309 and estimated a citywide sweep would require roughly six weeks (staff said 6–8 weeks is the schedule). Public Works Director Hernandez told the council crews have completed six of 12 maintenance districts and are moving systematically through remaining areas.

Council members pressed for clearer timelines, faster brush and debris removal in some neighborhoods, and better two-way outage communications from GWP after several residents reported incorrect or repeated restoration notices. Several council members also asked staff to identify whether extra contractor support or matching funds could shorten the cleanup from the six- to eight-week estimate.

The city also reported other operational tallies from the event: fire responded to roughly 3,431 emergency incidents during the period; the EIC saw more than 3,461 calls; staff counted more than 700 distinct incidents citywide; and the city’s website had an exceptional surge in traffic (staff reported more than 144,000 visits during the event window). Communications staff said the emergency splash page and Everbridge notifications were translated into Armenian, Spanish and Korean during the response.

Public guidance and next steps: Staff reiterated public guidance — report fallen trees, limbs or hazardous wires using the MyGlendale app or the city numbers for tree/limb (548-3950) and power outages (855-550-4497). The council asked staff to provide a memo within weeks summarizing costs, resource requests and recommended changes to outage notification practices and multilingual outreach. The council also agreed to consider any FEMA-eligible and other state/federal funding as staff completes damage inventories and grant applications.

Ending: Council members closed the item praising first responders and volunteers and asked staff to return with a short memo on lessons learned and options to accelerate cleanup where feasible.","City officials credited firefighters, police, Glendale Water & Power and public works for emergency response after Jan. 7–9 windstorm that triggered evacuations, power outages and hundreds of downed trees; city says most power restored, cleanup scheduled for 6–8 weeks and asks residents to use MyGlendale app to report hazards.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council explores a human-relations forum to address social division and community cohesion

Council weighs modest staff support and internship options to help members respond to constituents

Verdugo Wash master plan study delayed after conflict-of-interest advice and council requests further review

Glendale officials praise emergency response as crews continue cleanup after windstorm and red-flag evacuations