Council approves 10.b — Public comment procedures and camera angles, 3–1

Election of Audit Committee Chair (Item 5.a., taken out of order)

4 yes, 0 no

Jack Mavyan (yes), Denise Miller (yes), Zareh Davidian (yes), Christopher Satoorian (yes)

FY 2026 Work Plan Review and Proposed FY 2027 Audit Work Plan (Item 5.b.)

4 yes, 0 no

Jack Mavyan (yes), Zareh Davidian (yes), Christopher Satoorian (yes), Denise Miller (yes)

Annual Report to City Council (Item 5.c.)

4 yes, 0 no

Jack Mavyan (yes), Zareh Davidian (yes), Christopher Satoorian (yes), Denise Miller (yes)

Approval of Minutes of the July 30, 2026 Meeting

4 yes, 0 no

Zareh Davidian (yes), Jack Mavyan (yes), Christopher Satoorian (yes), Denise Miller (yes)

Appropriation of Emergency Housing Voucher and EHV-TPV Program funds

4 yes, 0 no

Elen Asatryan (yes), Vartan Gharpetian (yes), Ara Najarian (yes), Dan Brotman (yes)

10.b — Public comment procedures and camera angles

3 yes, 1 no

Ara Najarian (yes), Dan Brotman (yes), Vartan Gharpetian (no), Elen Asatryan (yes)

Consent items 5.a, 5.c, 5.f (library grant, Yunex contract, Watermaster services)

4 yes, 0 no

5.b — Pacific Park/Edison Field Improvements Phase II plans and specs

4 yes, 0 no

5.d — Salary supplement for employees called to active military duty

4 yes, 0 no

5.e — South Glendale Pavement Management Program contract award

4 yes, 0 no

11.a — Stage II Design Review, 340 North Central Avenue (PDR 33-3020-2024)

4 yes, 0 no

Motion authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into and execute a Professional Services Agreement for Watermaster Services with Richard C. Slade & Associates, LLC to provide professional services to serve as the…

4 yes, 0 no

Motion authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into and execute a Cost Sharing Agreement with the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Crescenta Valley Water District and the cities of Burbank and San Fernando for the…

4 yes, 0 no

Selection of Ex Officio Non-Voting Student Members

1 yes, 0 no

Alex Fay (yes)

Election of Chairperson Pro Tem

1 yes, 0 no

Alex Fay (yes)

Approval of Minutes

0 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain

Alex Fay (abstain)

Chevy Chase Traffic Calming Study

1 yes, 0 no

Alex Fay (yes)

Approval of Minutes

0 yes, 0 no

Preliminary Proposed FY 2027-2028 CDBG Funding Allocation Plan

0 yes, 0 no

Proposed FY 2027-2028 Annual Action Plan Program Priorities

0 yes, 0 no

FY 2027-2028 CDBG Public Social Services RFP Packet

0 yes, 0 no

FY 2027-2028 CDBG Capital Improvement Project RFP Packet

0 yes, 0 no

ADJOURNMENT

0 yes, 0 no

ADJOURNMENT

0 yes, 0 no

340 North Central Avenue Mixed-Use Building

340 North Central Avenue, Glendale, CA

A six-story, 20-unit mixed-use building with ground-floor retail (a coffee shop), 21 parking spaces, and a rooftop deck on a ~9,000 sq ft lot in the Downtown Specific Plan.

approved (4-0) · still approved

South Glendale Pavement Management Program

Glendale is moving forward with a major road improvement project, awarding a $7.2 million construction contract and approving over $8.3 million in total funding for street repairs in south Glendale.

What it means: Total project appropriation of $8,331,643, including a $7,244,907 construction contract and a 10% reserve of $724,491.

Raised 2 times this week

CDBG Public Social Services and Capital Improvement RFP Packets

The committee will review and approve Request for Proposal (RFP) packets for public social services and capital improvement projects for FY 2027-2028. These packets set the application guidelines and rules for organizations seeking financial assistance from the city.

What it means: Community organizations and city departments preparing grant applications for local projects.

Student Commissioner Appointments and Recruitment

The commission reappointed an existing student member to ensure youth input continues while pausing recruitment for a second open seat to streamline the process.

What it means: Youth in Glendale benefit from direct representation on the commission, bringing student perspectives to transportation policy.

Chevy Chase Drive Traffic Calming

The city studied traffic speeds, safety, and geometry along Chevy Chase Drive to address resident concerns about speeding and cut-through traffic. Proposed fixes range from quick striping and signs to long-term physical changes like speed tables and raised crosswalks.

What it means: Short-term improvements are estimated between $300,000 and $500,000, while long-term physical changes could cost $600,000 to $1,000,000.

FY 2026-27 CDBG, ESG, and HOME Annual Action Plan

Staff presented community survey results and demographic data, highlighting community priorities such as homeless services, youth programs, and affordable housing.

What it means: Vulnerable populations, seniors, youth, and homeless individuals in Glendale.

FY 2027-2028 CDBG Funding Allocation and Program Priorities

The committee reviewed the estimated $1.7 million in CDBG funding for the upcoming fiscal year, covering administration, public social services, and capital improvements.

What it means: Distributes approximately $1.7 million in federal CDBG funds to local programs and administration.

Fiscal Year 2026-27 Capital Improvement Program

A new pre-construction readiness checklist and scoring rubric were introduced to ensure capital project applicants are shovel-ready before receiving funds.

What it means: The city and taxpayers, ensuring grant funds are spent efficiently.

Adult Library Literacy Services Grant

The city is looking to accept nearly $36,000 in state library grants and appropriate matching funds to support free adult literacy programs, helping residents overcome language and reading barriers.

What it means: Acceptance of $35,985 in state grant funds and an appropriation of $13,870 from state grant revenue.

Water Rate Projections and Community Concerns

Residents are organizing a Proposition 218 protest against proposed water rate increases of 50-145%, with a public hearing set for election night, November 3. Speakers argued decades of deferred pipe maintenance and fund transfers caused the crisis, and urged a water impact fee on developers instead.

What it means: Ratepayers could see water bills rise 50-145%; a $40 million bond proposal could cost roughly $80 million with interest.

FY 2026-27 General Fund Budget and Five-Year Forecast

The general fund faces a structural imbalance; FY 25-26 revenues beat projections by $7.2 million. The council is weighing options from parking fees to cannabis retail to a tourism district, with a full deliberation set for December 8.

What it means: A $7.2 million revenue surprise may soften cuts, but the structural deficit remains.

Emergency Housing Voucher Program Funding and Transition

Federal funding for emergency housing vouchers was set to run out November 30, putting about 170 Glendale families at risk of losing rental help. The council approved $3.8 million to cover the gap and move eligible households to Tenant Protection Vouchers without interruption.

What it means: $3,836,971 in federal Housing Assistance Fund money, none of it from the city's general fund.

Military Pay Supplement and Benefit Continuation

City employees called to active duty will keep the difference between military and city pay, with benefits continued — now sunsetting June 30, 2027 so it can be negotiated into future labor contracts.

What it means: Reservist city employees and their families.

Pacific Community Pool Operating Hours

The city's only public pool is set to close Fridays through Sundays starting in November to save roughly $30,000-$40,000. Therapists, swim families, and a sixth-grader urged the council to reconsider; the council directed the city manager to keep it open on weekends through December while a permanent solution is studied.

What it means: Closing saves roughly $30,000-$40,000; keeping it open costs about $183 per hour.

West Glendale Infrastructure and Pavement Repairs

The city awarded a $7.24 million contract to repave South Glendale corridors, with possible crosswalk safety upgrades at four high-injury intersections if they fit within the contingency.

What it means: $8.3 million total, funded by gas tax, sales tax, sewer, and water funds.

Public comment procedure overhaul

The council is moving toward one front-loaded public comment period with a sliding scale on speaking time, replacing the current first/second period structure. Supporters say it makes meetings more efficient and accessible; critics, including longtime speakers, called it an attempt to limit public input.

What it means: Residents who can't stay for a full meeting get to comment up front; the council gets through business faster.

Broken speed feedback signs near schools

A resident documented multiple non-functioning and obstructed electronic speed feedback signs near schools and demanded a citywide inspection and immediate repairs.

What it means: Schoolchildren, pedestrians, and drivers if signs are repaired and maintained.

GUSD cost-sharing dispute

The school district declined to pay its usual 15% share of a $291,000 park improvement, prompting the council to hold the item and demand a full accounting of who pays for what in the city-GUSD relationship.

What it means: $43,650 — the district's customary 15% share of the $291,000 project.

FY 2026 Audit Work Plan Review and FY 2027 Proposed Work Plan

The committee is reviewing what internal audits were completed in fiscal year 2026 and considering staff's recommendation to roll over the existing work plan for fiscal year 2027. This ensures continuous oversight of city departments and financial controls.

What it means: Glendale taxpayers and city management benefit from rigorous oversight and transparent financial controls.

Office of the City Auditor and Independent Audit Commission Charter Amendment

The Charter Review Committee is finalizing language to create a formal Office of the City Auditor and an independent audit commission — which would reshape this very committee. Public commenter Herbert Molano argues the draft language is watered down: no subpoena power, no staffing floor, auditor still appointed by the city manager.

What it means: Residents gain if the charter creates a truly independent auditor with real oversight power.

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence in Auditing

Members said they couldn't responsibly vote on carrying over the audit work plan without seeing the full audit universe and open-issues dashboard. Staff agreed to bring those materials to the December 7 special meeting and explore secure dashboard access, with IT reviewing sensitive-data concerns (the overtime dashboard includes undercover officers' names).

What it means: Committee members — and ultimately residents — get better-informed oversight decisions.

LACAHSA Measure A Budget and Renter Assistance Programs

Herbert Molano repeatedly argued Measure A lets the city bypass competitive bidding on large contracts and bond issuances, costing millions, and said the audit committee should police that. Committee and staff did not take a position on the merits.

What it means: Molano claims sending bond issues to market rather than direct negotiation saves $3–5 million on a $200 million issue about 80% of the time.

Fire Prevention Bureau revenue recovery problems

The new audit found the fire prevention bureau's billing is fragmented across multiple systems, with about $272,000 in unpaid customer bills never recorded in the city's books, delayed invoices, billing errors, and missing fees. Management agreed to all 12 fixes, most due by March 2027.

What it means: The audit surfaced roughly $272,000 in unrecorded receivables, $7,000 in historical variances, and thousands more in unbilled inspections and lost revenue.

Internal Audit Division Staffing and Quarterly Activity

Glendale's internal audit division is running with one full-time auditor for a city with a $1.3 billion budget — a 33% staffing level — for roughly 18 months. Fewer auditors means fewer audits, a growing backlog (20 of 25 audit recommendations still open), and risk that old contract problems pass the statute of limitations before anyone catches them.

What it means: With only one auditor overseeing roughly $1.3 billion in spending, uncollected revenues and uncaught contract problems could cost the city real money — the fire audit alone surfaced about $272,000 in unpaid bills.