[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6670003,"mediaKeyId","2173226-283945e64fb52d19329626c3df4857a9","parentId",2173226,"title","Glendale council pauses Verdugo Wash master-plan contract after state ethics advice prompts recusal dispute","audioSeconds",6560,"startMs",4675000,"endMs",11235000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2173226-283945e64fb52d19329626c3df4857a9&start=4675&end=11235","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2173226-283945e64fb52d19329626c3df4857a9/thumbnail_4675000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6670003/Glendale/Los-Angeles-County/California/Glendale-council-pauses-Verdugo-Wash-master-plan-contract-after-state-ethics-advice-prompts-recusal-dispute","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670003-077e83ef71796a7c6e0d7d11cf95d3f3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165163&Signature=LGgB-WP5SBCuurVnXwg5QEr33vug5giU4f-W2nNXy08wh7-STel6W0Ip4Gm2ApUDaYlP6mWF2QI0Jh~7Z-2IVpR2h7hcFkXOU0QxGBF5X9qNd-~4GBUtg4Kc8kCOllKjiZwaRALwdHEAnRRpKDzIwz2B6spksm9dED-tZNZmrxHMAcbWJ6EusmBIFdMba7-Z8Eae3G0mJjoODfaCKoanpWunSQhirOtBVrdBKKP1f~5ii53EN3bOz3gsWinsRBzaxi5VaU2B~0SQB~jmy69ymeL8D4Rxor4suimxfC~mPwlTNKgibk6b-7B0GDSS8b75OGEpCM2PfoTIUzZMjHvniQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Glendale","date","2025-01-23T06:07:50.003Z","article","The Glendale City Council put a planned $5.76 million master‑planning contract for the Verdugo Wash on hold after an ethics advisory letter and heated public comment produced disagreements over recusals and the scope of the project.

At issue: whether councilmembers with property near the wash must step aside. The city attorney told the council the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) issued an advice letter concluding that two councilmembers have disqualifying conflicts of interest and should recuse themselves from decisions on the project; a third councilmember was advised he did not have a disqualifying interest under the FPPC's geographic analysis.

Council direction: staff to submit additional information to the FPPC within 15 days and request a timely response, and the council agreed to bring the matter back for further consideration once the FPPC responds.

Why it matters: The Verdugo Wash master plan is a multi-year, multi-million-dollar study funded in part by state grant money that would analyze a long north–south greenway and multiuse trail through the city\bs wash corridor. The item drew an unusually large public turnout and dozens of callers and speakers — many supporting the study and many opposing it on fire‑safety, cost and neighborhood‑impact grounds — and produced a extended legal debate about whether council participation is permitted.

FPPC advice, recusal dispute, and councilroom exchange

City staff read the item into the record: a proposed professional services agreement with Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc., using grant funds to prepare the Verdugo Wash Master Plan in the amount of $5,762,370. The council previously approved issuing the RFP and the selection recommendation had been returned to the council for contract authorization.

The city attorney summarized the FPPC advice letter issued in December: the FPPC staff found that two councilmembers (Najarian and Garpetian) have disqualifying real‑property interests within the 500‑foot buffer of parts of the proposed project and recommended they not participate; staff advised the council that the members may remain in the audience but must recuse from deliberation and voting. The city attorney also explained the options for seeking reconsideration: new facts submitted to FPPC staff or a formal commission opinion in narrow circumstances. He said the formal opinion route was unlikely to be successful because the matter tracks established FPPC guidance.

Council debate and public comment

Several councilmembers pressed for additional review: Councilmember Najarian argued the FPPC's analysis relied on GIS calculations and said he could provide “clear and convincing evidence” — such as noise, light and property‑value studies and documentation of buffering features (he cited a 15‑foot block wall adjacent to his property) — to rebut the FPPC finding. \"I think the FPPC is wrong here. They just did their knee‑jerk response,\" Najarian said on the record, urging staff and outside counsel to help compile additional evidence.

Councilmember Brotman, who had been identified by FPPC analysis as not disqualified under the \"public general\" exception, urged the council to move forward because the contract awards and study deadlines risk losing grant funds. Other councilmembers called for caution: some said they were willing to proceed but asked staff to submit additional documentation and seek a prompt FPPC reconsideration.

Public speakers filled the council chamber and dozens phoned in during the extended public comment period. Speakers who supported awarding the study said it was a state‑funded planning opportunity that could improve green space, habitat and active transportation citywide; speakers opposing the plan cited fire risk, cost, insurance impacts, and the potential for increased intrusion into neighborhoods adjacent to the wash. Several speakers urged the council to delay a decision until the FPPC provided a definitive reply.

Council action and next steps

Rather than award the contract that night, the council directed staff to gather any additional facts or materials that councilmembers Najarian and Garpetian wished the FPPC to consider and to submit those materials to the FPPC within 15 days. Council members also asked staff to request an FPPC response and to return to the council with any reply and recommended next steps; the city manager said staff would also ask the consultant to extend any price or scheduling assumptions as needed.

Staff said there is no immediate deadline in the grant that requires an immediate contract signature; staff will seek written confirmation from the grantor if needed and will ask the consultant to extend the proposal timeframe if the council elects to wait.

Ending

The council left the selection unresolved and will reconsider the item after FPPC staff review or when sufficient additional facts have been compiled. City staff and the city attorney offered to assist councilmembers who want to submit more detailed evidence to the FPPC; the council also left open the option of engaging outside counsel to support a submission if the council so directs later.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council - 1/21/25","oneSentenceSummary","Council paused awarding a $5.76 million design contract while members seek to supply additional facts to the California Fair Political Practices Commission about recusals. FPPC staff advised two councilmembers to disqualify themselves; the council directed staff to submit any new evidence within 15 days and return with an update.","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},6670008,"Glendale credits staff, volunteers as city restores power and clears storm damage after regional wildfires and windstorms",2731,629000,3360000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2173226-283945e64fb52d19329626c3df4857a9&start=629&end=3360","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2173226-283945e64fb52d19329626c3df4857a9/thumbnail_629000.jpg","/articles/6670008/Glendale/Los-Angeles-County/California/Glendale-credits-staff-volunteers-as-city-restores-power-and-clears-storm-damage-after-regional-wildfires-and-windstorms","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670008-d8388f9b4f3c348ad04992d97d46393a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165163&Signature=j6SuwolZmDPZRP~jTWZXF8qw9XcYpIpb2rPzt0s0uEe-v5LhwMJQ5b8N~kooZV3gsGTRjOyogvXi8qbLhyoBZuV5rtrfwkSSaHBYXbWAIoXTPD42tElkd9OTL6kCGyPm2JrUKrFvvgI1IoEmwdKXGruVIZyiHLuS1t6m08oeqrR8p86yUk3Fo07TZk7lRO8VibQMvBk9Ejfti4onFoHVQgdqUVMBY1x9H3obg-e9YGRXHeE6S6jV1wMsMN2KFYZZaMg-ndfWt1XHZUPjJ1E8BcZHotdzjU1va~EUv2sfP8r7EwFEL07GhbUl9MoyyKOS6wlj4dEucJN2vB7vPz1DJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Glendale officials applauded city staff, first responders and volunteers for their emergency response after severe winds and region-wide wildfires prompted evacuations and widespread power outages in early January.

City leaders said the emergency operations center was activated Jan. 7 as high winds and red-flag conditions threatened neighborhoods. The city opened an evacuation center at Pacific Park Community Center and launched a multilingual emergency “splash page” on glendaleca.gov, city staff said.

The city manager and department directors told the council the coordinated response focused on evacuation safety, restoring electricity and clearing roadways. “GWP crews served over 33,000 customers affected by power outages or downed power lines, restoring service as quickly as possible,” the manager said in a staff briefing. Glendale Fire Department personnel and support teams handled thousands of emergency calls and assisted neighboring jurisdictions while keeping all Glendale fire stations fully staffed, Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Brooks told the council.

Why it matters: City officials said fast, multilingual communication and mutual-aid support reduced immediate risk to residents and allowed the city to reopen neighborhoods quickly. Council members and staff described the response as unusually intense and said lessons learned will shape future emergency planning and outreach.

City briefing and timeline

City staff said the emergency operations center was activated on Jan. 7 and evacuation orders for Glen Oaks Canyon and Chevy Chase Canyon followed hours later. An evacuation center opened within the hour; the city lifted evacuation orders two days later and implemented a repopulation plan once conditions were judged safe.

Staff provided these metrics to the council: Glendale Fire Department handled 3,431 emergency calls during the response period; the Emergency Information Center received 3,461 inbound calls from residents seeking updates and help; city crews responded to more than 700 incidents across Glendale. Public Works and Glendale Water & Power (GWP) crews worked block-by-block to clear debris and restore service.

Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Brooks said evacuation decisions were made \"out of an abundance of caution\" and explained warnings are based on specific risk factors including wind patterns, fire behavior and ember-cast impacts. “Evacuation warnings and orders are issued out of an abundance of caution based on specific risk factors,” Brooks said.

Cleanup, outages and next steps

Public Works reported 554 downed trees and limbs citywide; crews had cleared 309 as of the council meeting and estimated about 245 remained to be removed. The department estimated the full cleanup would take six to eight weeks if work continues at the current pace. Public Works Director (staff member) told the council the crews were \"pacing slightly ahead of the 6-to-8-week schedule\" but said he would return with options if the council wanted to accelerate removal — including the possibility of contracting additional crews.

GWP officials said nearly all power had been restored but work continued in some residential and commercial areas. The city prompted more than 6,400 new enrollments in its emergency alert system during the event and reported a surge in website traffic and social-media engagement while notifications were sent in multiple languages (Armenian, Spanish and Korean, staff said).

Council concerns and follow-up requests

Council members thanked staff and volunteers but asked for follow-up on several items: a memo quantifying the event’s greenhouse-gas emissions (CO2) for comparative analysis with the city’s electrification goals; a schedule and cost estimate for expediting brush and debris cleanup; and a review of the city’s emergency notification performance after reported false or duplicate evacuation alerts from outside agencies.

Deputy Fire Chief Brooks described how regional deployments were handled and said the department had personnel assigned to nearby fires while keeping Glendale stations fully staffed. He urged continued vigilance because relative humidity remained low even as winds subsided.

Public response and resources

Council members and staff thanked community donors and volunteer groups who helped supply food and support to evacuees at the Pacific Park shelter. City staff said four city employees also lost homes in the regional fires and the Glendale Fire Foundation had opened a relief fund for affected employees.

The city provided phone numbers for reporting hazards: public-works requests at (818) 548‑3950, power outages at (855) 550‑4497, and fire information at (818) 956‑4800. Residents were also urged to use the MyGlendale app to report downed limbs, power poles and other hazards.

Ending

Council members asked staff to compile a post‑event “lessons learned” memo and to return with budget or contract options if the council decides to accelerate recovery work. Several council members also urged a broader review of multilingual outreach, resident data gaps for heavily affected communities, and coordination with state and federal grant programs that could help with debris removal and resident recovery costs.","Glendale officials said emergency operations and multilingual outreach helped protect residents during Jan. 7–9 wind-driven wildfires and red-flag conditions. Utilities crews restored service to about 33,000 customers; public works reported 554 downed trees/limbs and a 6–8 week cleanup schedule.","actionData","errors"]

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Glendale council pauses Verdugo Wash master-plan contract after state ethics advice prompts recusal dispute

Glendale credits staff, volunteers as city restores power and clears storm damage after regional wildfires and windstorms