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City clerk disputes characterization of time-off totals after public-records complaint; council requests staff review
Summary
A public commenter cited a Public Records Act response showing multiple full-day absences attributed to the elected city clerk across several years; the clerk denied the allegations and the council asked the city attorney and manager to prepare additional context before considering formal action.
A member of the public told the Glendale City Council on May 5 that a Public Records Act response appeared to show dozens of full‑day absences by the elected city clerk across recent years, prompting a contested exchange during public comment and a request by council members for a staff review.
Susan Wolfson said a requester was provided a list of dates with numbers but without explanatory source documents and alleged the records showed “17 full days from September to December 2022, 28 full days in 2023, 33 full days in 2024, and a whopping 47 full days in 2025.” Wolfson said requesters deserved assistance when formulating public-records requests and that the response appeared incomplete.
The city clerk responded from the dais, calling the claims “categorically false,” saying she follows the same protocols and time‑off allotments as other executives and that the public record had been misunderstood. Mayor Mary Kasakian and council members emphasized that personnel and records matters deserve an orderly review and should not be adjudicated in the public comment period.
Council member Najarian said he found the putative totals to be “excessive and inappropriate” if accurate and asked the manager and attorney to review. City attorney Garcia asked for time to prepare context, including whether the totals covered a single 12‑month period and how the reporting arrangement had changed; he said his office and the city manager would prepare a report for council.
No formal action or findings were made at the meeting; the mayor directed that the city manager and city attorney include the named employee in any review and report back with facts before council considers agendizing a policy or personnel matter.
