Glendale City Council candidates talk Measure H, traffic at forum
Eight of the ten candidates vying for one of three open seats on the Glendale City Council participated in a forum Thursday to share their ideas and solutions for the city’s most contentious issues ahead of the April election.
Incumbents Ara Najarian and Zareh Sinanyan joined candidates Susan Wolfson, Grant Michals, Mark MacCarley, Rick Dinger, Mike Van Gorder and Mike Mohill for a public forum hosted by the Women’s Civic League of Glendale at the Elks Lodge.
Candidates Vrej Agajanian and Onnik Mehrabian were not in attendance.
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The candidates started by introducing themselves and their platforms, followed by a question and answer session, then a segment where the candidates could answer only “yes” or “no” by holding up a card.
At the forefront of discussion were how to spend Measure H funds should it pass, whether to appeal a recent ruling that the city repay millions for an illegal energy rate hike in 2013, how to quell traffic congestion in the city, and how to deal with the Grayson power plant’s aging infrastructure.
Wolfson and Dinger were asked how Glendale should spend its portion of Measure H funds — a proposed quarter-cent raise in sales tax for Los Angeles County to go toward homeless services and prevention.
Both said money should bolster existing community organizations, such as Ascencia and the Salvation Army already providing services to Glendale. Wolfson mentioned the possibility of involving mental health professionals that could aid the homeless population.
Michals and Najarian disagreed on appealing an L.A. Superior Court judge’s ruling concerning Glendale Water & Power rates and funds, with the former against an appeal, the latter, in favor.
“If the rates do need to be repaid, I would negotiate a longer term strategy to repay those rates and change the rate structure over time so that there isn’t a disastrous impact on the current budget,” Michals said.
When asked about traffic problems in Glendale, Sinanyan talked about confronting the lack of public transit when he first joined the council and recently pushed for a street car project connecting south Glendale to the Hollywood Burbank Airport, among other plans.
Mohill countered by saying that members of the City Council who approved major development in the past failed to consider traffic concerns, saying the city needs to “think twice” before making changes.
The portion of the forum where candidates could answer by raising either a “yes” or “no” sign focused primarily on how to deal with the recent California law that makes it easier for homeowners to add and rent out accessory dwelling units.
The candidates agreed unanimously when it came to barring ADUs in certain areas, limiting the size of units to 500 square feet, and requiring units be reviewed similar to residential construction.
The next candidates forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Glendale/Burbank, is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, in Glendale City Council chambers.
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Jeff Landa, jeff.landa@latimes.com
Twitter: @JeffLanda
