Unwrapping Glendale's Spirit of the Season 🎁✨

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This publication is brought to you by Mayor Dan Brotman and City Councilmembers Paula Devine, Ara Najarian, Ardy Kassakhian, and Elen Asatryan.

A Message from the City Manager, Roubik Golanian As the end of the year approaches, I find myself reflecting on 2023. December marks the conclusion to another successful year for our Jewel City. It has been a privilege to serve as your City Manager this year, and I am filled with gratitude for the sense of community and support that defines our city. Your commitment to the well being of our community is the driving force behind our collective achievements. Whether it was coming together to support local businesses,  participating in community events, or attending City Council meetings, your dedication to Glendale is what fuels our city's workforce to continue to provide such high quality service. Thank you for your support, your active involvement, and the genuine sense of community that makes Glendale a truly special place. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year filled with health, prosperity, and kindness. Until next year!

Glendale Year-End Highlights

With 2023 coming to an end, I want to share a few highlights from our City departments:

• The Community Services & Parks Department, along with the Public Works Department, began major renovations as part of the Fremont Park construction project, which includes adding a community building, an artificial turf soccer field, picnic tables, BBQs, the addition of 26 parking spaces, pickleball courts, and so much more. Parks truly make life better!
  
  The Glendale Youth Alliance (GYA) section of the Community Services & Parks Department turned 30 years old! Since 1993, GYA has served more than 12,000 youth in the community, and 276 this year find employment. In addition to providing training and employment, GYA helped homeless youth find housing.
  
  
• Glendale Water & Power (GWP) has begun several solar projects throughout the city, including Sports Complex, Glendale Community College Lot 34, Utility Operations Center parking lot, Central Library, and the City's Perkins building. Additionally, GWP has been making upgrades to system reliability by converting 4kV feeders to 12kV throughout the city, strengthening the grid in preparation for building and vehicle electrification programs.
  
  Currently, the Grayson Power Plant demolition project is roughly 75% complete, making room for upgrades and new construction, beginning in September 2024.
  
  
• The Public Works Department undertook construction projects worth roughly $17M, including sewer and storm drain repairs, motorway improvements, ADA curb ramp installations, park repairs, and more! They also launched their PayByPhone app, creating a new and convenient way for customers to pay for parking directly from their phones.
  
  
• The Glendale Police Department (GPD) launched their e-bike patrol program! Did you know the first e-bike patrol took place 117 years ago? Additionally, the Verdugo Regional Crime Lab & GPD received the “Excellence in Technical Support” award for helping solve cases not only in Glendale, but in over 30 other local, regional, and federal law enforcement agencies!
  
  GPD's Community Academy also took place this year, allowing 30 community members to get a behind the scenes experience of all the different functions within the Police Department. The 11-week program went into detail about our SWAT team, k9 unit, and so much more!
  
  
• The Glendale Fire Department (GFD) welcomed Cooper, the Peer Support and Wellness dog. Cooper’s duty is to not only help reduce stress and anxiety, but to act as a catalyst in the peer support and critical incident stress management process by reducing the stigma of discussing mental health. The dispatch team has expressed an improvement in their overall moods, resulting in increased productivity due to the addition of Cooper.
  
  Additionally, our GFD has improved emergency response times, with fire response times averaging 5 minutes and 19 seconds, and emergency response times averaging 5 minutes and 1 second.
  
  
• Glendale's Sustainability Office kicked off the Climate Action Adaptation Plan (CAAP), serving as the roadmap for the city to equitably achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 or earlier. They also passed several ordinances, including Ordinance No. 6008 which bans the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in Glendale.
  
  Two more ordinances were passed regulating plastic waste. The first focused on reducing single-use plastic foodware use in City operations (Ordinance No 6964), and the second focused on reducing disposable foodware accessories in Glendale businesses and organizations (Ordinance No 5973).
  
  
• The Community Development Planning Division just completed their first Transit Oriented Development (TOD) for the Tropico area, setting objective development standards that promote pedestrian-oriented development.
  
  After completing the migration to a new Land Management System to submit plans and permits online last year, the Building & Safety section released instant permits for solar applications with other instant permits planned for in the near future. 
  
  
• The Economic Development Division of the Community Development Department hosted its first ever Small Business Summit, Let's Grow Glendale! The three-day summit aimed to connect businesses to resources and establish networking opportunities for Glendale's small businesses.
  
  The Economic Development team was recognized by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) as one of five "Most Business-Friendly City" recipients! Congratulations! They also assisted 276 businesses this year, with 110 of those being Small/Female/Minority owned businesses, and were able to retain and attract a total of 461 jobs in Glendale!
  
  
• The Library, Arts & Culture Department kicked off the year with their inaugural Be The Change Book Festival, which had over 1,000 people in attendance! Speaking of books, their Summer Reading Challenge yielded over 400,000 minutes read by families throughout Glendale. In partnership with the Community Development Department, both teams came together and collaborated to install two pianos, one being received in Downtown Glendale, allowing residents and visitors to express their artistic skills for others to enjoy! Within minutes of the pianos being delivered, community members were already testing them out with big smiles and gleaming eyes!
  
  Additionally, Library staff worked tirelessly for the launch of Brand 51, the Annual national Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper, which included over 100 artworks that were on display.

As you can tell, we've not only accomplished a lot in 2023, but also have our work cut out for us in 2024. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be the City Manager of our Jewel City, and look forward to our collective accomplishments next year!

Sincerely,
Roubik Golanian

Glendale Outdoors (GO!) Community Program

December 9, 2023
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Deukmejian Wilderness Park
3429 Markridge Road
La Crescenta, CA 91214

Spend some quality family time enjoying the great outdoors once a month with our naturalists! We invite you to join us in exploring the Stone Barn Nature Center, go on an interpretive hike, and create a nature-themed craft. Use scientific equipment, explore your local habitat in a new way, and make wild discoveries alongside your family for lasting memories in this unique program!

A FREE bus leaves from Pacific Community Center, 501 S. Pacific Avenue at 8:30 AM and returns at 12:30 PM. Everyone is encouraged to ride the bus, but you may choose to meet us at the park. 

Join us in Honoring Sadao S. Munemori

December 9, 2023
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Corner of Broadway and Isabel by City Hall

We hope you will join us this Saturday, December 9^th for the Memorial Dedication and Reception for Sadao S. Munemori.

The dedication and press conference will take place at 10:00AM with a reception to follow at approximately 11:00AM.

RSVP is required to attend the reception.

Attend the Repair Café! 🛠️

December 9, 2023
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Library Connection @ Adams Square
1100 E. Chevy Chase Drive
Glendale, CA 91205

The Glendale Repair Café will be ready and open for you this weekend! We'll have a team of skilled volunteer tinkers and stitchers to help you fix a broken lamp, torn jeans, faulty toaster, and more! We do not guarantee items can or will be repaired, and we do not provide replacement parts. We look forward to seeing you!

Holiday at the Stone Barn!

December 9, 2023
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Deukmejian Wilderness Park
3429 Markridge Rd.
La Crescenta, CA 91214

Join us for a family-oriented evening of holiday entertainment in the Stone Barn Nature Center in Deukmejian Wilderness Park. Featured entertainment includes: The Magic of Mark Brifman, music by The Street Symphony and the Towne Singers. We will serve hot chocolate and cookies.

Space is limited. Please RSVP at GlendaleCA.gov/Trails.

Fiesta de las Luminarias

December 9, 2023
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Casa Adobe de San Rafael
1330 Dorothy Dr.
Glendale, CA 91202

Glendale Beautiful invites you to see the historic Casa Adobe de San Rafael surrounded in candlelight for the Fiesta de Las Luminarias. This is a free event for Glendale residents and community members to enjoy! There will be traditional refreshments served and entertainment that includes performances by the Incarnation Children’s Choir and Tonantzin Dance Group. 

Parent's Night Out

December 22, 2023
6:00 PM - Midnight
Pacific Community Center
501 S. Pacific Ave.
Glendale, CA 91204

Drop off the kids for a night of fun activities, friends, food, and a movie. The fee is $15.00 per child, ages 6 to 12 years old. Participants are encouraged to bring pajamas, a blanket, and a pillow.

City Offices will be closed on Monday, December 25th!

Our City offices will be closed on Monday, December 25th in observance of Christmas Day. We hope you have a safe and happy holiday season with your families and loved ones!

GWP Electric Rate Adjustments

On November 28th, the Glendale City Council approved electric rate adjustments designed to maintain the reliability of our city's utility and support key sustainability initiatives. Beginning on January 1, 2024, and continuing on July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, there will be electric rate increases of 14.8%, 11.3%, and 11.3%, respectively. Importantly, there are no proposed rate increases for fiscal years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028.

The rate adjustments are essential to fund critical projects, including the Grayson Repowering Project, the Scholl Canyon Biogas Renewable Generation Project, City Solar initiatives, and our commitment to building and fleet electrification. To help alleviate some of the costs, the City Council approved an adjustment to the Care Program benefit, from the current rate of $17.50 to $20.50 effective January 1, 2024, $23.50 effective July 1, 2024, and $26.50 effective July 1, 2025.

For more information on the Glendale Care program or other financial assistance programs, click below:

Cypress Senior Living Apartments Waitlist Now Open!

Cypress Senior Living is an 18-unit historic Senior 62+ property with studio and one-bedroom units. Cypress Senior Living is located at 311 E. Cypress Street in Glendale, CA, with off street parking available to the residents and monthly activity classes offered.

The waitlist is open now through 12/18/23. Qualified applicants will be selected through a random lottery drawing after the application filing period closes and all applications have been reviewed.

Winter Break Camps

December 26 - 29, 2023 (Tuesday - Friday)
January 2 - 5, 2024 (Tuesday - Friday)
Registration Now Open!

We are proud to offer our annual Winter Break Day Camps to campers ages 6 - 12. The camps will provide an opportunity for campers to play games, discover, learn, and socialize with their peers. Please visit GlendaleCA.gov/DayCamps for more information.

Christmas Tree Recycling!

Single-Family and Multi-Family (2-4 units):

Recycle your Christmas tree with Public Works from January 2, 2024, through April 1, 2024.

Commercial and Multi-Family (5+ units):

Christmas trees are collected by your franchised hauler on refuse collection day. To determine your hauler, visit GlendaleCA.gov/Hauler.

To Recycle your Christmas tree:

• Remove all ornaments, decorations, bags, stands, bars, nails, and most tinsel (Flocked trees and trees coated with fire retardant are acceptable)
• Trees taller than 8 ft. must be cut in half
• Place tree at the curb or in the alley for pick-up on your refuse collection day
• Tree will be picked up within two weeks

For more information, call Public Works at (818) 548-3916.

Holiday Trash Collection

Since Christmas and New Years Day fall on Mondays, all properties serviced by Public Works (single family homes and multi-family properties with up to four units) will be delayed by one service day (i.e., Friday collection will take place on Saturday).

New Carts Coming Soon!

To comply with California’s new trash and recycling cart color and labeling requirements, Public Works will be replacing all residential carts in two phases over the next two years.

This year, replacement of carts for Tuesday and Wednesday service routes will occur  through the end of December. For questions about the Residential Cart Replacement Project, contact Public Works at: (818) 548-3916, or via email.

Volunteers Needed for the Homeless Count 2024!

Join us for the City of Glendale's 2024 Homeless Count! On January 24, we'll be hitting the streets to provide donations and count unhoused neighbors in our community. First time volunteers are required to attend volunteer training on January 16. Must be 18 or older. Please bring a smartphone or tablet to participate. Sign up at https://forms.office.com/g/FFTbwK0Z7q to be a part of this important initiative!

GPD's 2023 Community Academy Recap! 👮🚓

The Glendale Police Department concluded its 2023 Community Academy! 30 participants were selected to join the 11-week program and were instructed in the many facets of law enforcement.

During the 11-session program, participants heard from and learned about the following sections/units of the Police Department:

• Chief of Police
• K-9 Unit
• Burglary Unit
• Air Support Unit
• Defense Tactics Unit
• Professional Standards Bureau Unit
• Gangs/Parolee Enforcement Detail
• Mental Health Outreach Unit
• 911 Dispatchers
• Robbery/Homicide Detectives
• Narcotics Detectives
• Financial Crime Detectives
• SWAT Team
• Traffic Unit
• Critical Incident Debriefs Unit
• Community Relations Team
• Homeless Outreach Team and more!

Keep an eye out to join the 2024 Community Academy!

Shop at GWP’s Marketplace for Holiday Deals!

Take advantage of these limited-time offers on ENERGY STAR®-certified smart thermostats when you enroll in GWP's Peak Savings program. Enjoy ultimate comfort and convenience in your home when you purchase a Google Nest Thermostat for FREE, or other smart thermostats at extremely discounted prices.

Visit GWPMarketplace.com to start shopping and check out the holiday season deals on LEDs, smart thermostats, and indoor water products.

Sign Up For GWP Outage Text Alerts 💬

When a water/power outage occurs, we understand how crucial it is for you to have the most up to date information. That's why we offer an easy way for you to report and stay informed about outages through our Outage Text Alerts. You can receive real-time updates on the status of outages in your area!

Don't let an outage catch you off guard, sign up for Outage Text Alerts and stay in the know by enrolling at GlendaleCA.gov/OutageTextAlerts

Once your account is enrolled simply text OUT to 1-855-550-4497 to report an electric outage or text WATER to report a water outage.   

Join the Glendale Police Department! 👮🚨🚓

GPD is hiring and, for the first time, offering a $20,000 signing bonus for police officers and communications operators who join Glendale from other agencies.

If you or someone you know is committed to working hard and has a passion for public service, visit JoinGPD.com or call 818-548-3117 to learn how to apply to one of these lateral or recruit/trainee positions.

Whether you’re an experienced law enforcement officer or looking to start the journey of a lifetime, the Glendale Police Department is the premier place to take the next step!

Districting Update

The City of Glendale has passed a resolution of intent to change from citywide elections to district elections to elect its City Councilmembers. The City is considering a plan for six (6) separate council districts and a directly elected mayor.

At the fifth public hearing held on November 7, the Glendale City Council identified three focus maps to drive further discussion and feedback from the community.

The City is inviting community leaders and organizations to participate in exclusive stakeholder meetings to share your thoughts.

If you or your organization is interested in participating in a Stakeholder Meeting, please take ninety seconds to fill out the following 5-question survey below.

Want to Make a Difference in our Community?

Summary of each Commission's purview:

Building & Fire Board of Appeals - consider appeals of orders, decisions or determinations made by the Building Official and/or the Fire Marshal relative to the Glendale Building & Safety Code. (3 open seats)

Historic Preservation Commission - advise the City Council on historic preservation issues, including the designation of properties to the Glendale Historic Property Register, and assist in building community support for preservation issues. (2 open seats)

Arts & Culture Commission - facilitate interaction among artists, promote art activities and education and recognize achievement in the arts. (2 open seats)

Parks, Recreation & Community Services Commission - advise the City Council on programming of parks, playgrounds and recreational activities. (2 open seats)

Planning Commission - review and make recommendations to City Council on general and master plans and approval of major land subdivision plans. They also consider and determine issues of condominium approvals, minor land divisions, and approvals for Special Recreation Zone issues. (2 open seats)

Audit Committee - review financial information and internal controls. Provide recommendation to the City Council regarding the scope, areas of audit and priority. (1 open seat)

Civil Service Commission - establishes the rules and policies under which Glendale's merit system operates, ensuring continuation of Glendale's reputation as a city whose employees attain and keep their positions on the basis of ability, training and experience, rather than political patronage.

Commission on the Status of Women - assess and evaluate the needs and issues of women in the City and to advise the City Council, City departments and other community agencies and organizations of those needs and issues. Recommend programs or legislation to the City Council. (1 open seat)

Design Review Board – review and approve design plans and applications in accordance with the Glendale Zoning Code, with a focus on appearance, site planning, design, and general layout. (1 open seat)

Open Call for Local Businesses!📢

Free Compost Giveaway Recap!

The Public Works Department hosted their last two free Compost Giveaway Events for 2023 on October 7^th and November 4^th. 20 tons of compost, supplied by NASA and Waste Resources, were picked up by residents on both occasions. Thank you to everyone who came out to collect their free compost!

Request a Free Compost Bin!

Time for Holiday festivities! Did you know you can compost food scraps in your own home and use it in the soil in your backyard? Glendale residents can request a free backyard compost bin at GlendaleCA.gov/Composting or by sending an email to the address below:

Brand Park Motorway Trail
Improved and Open for all!

The Brand Park Motorway Improvements Project has been completed which involved the clean-up of rockfall, the removal of debris and scaling of hillside slopes in the affected area as well as the installation of a high-strength steel mesh system anchored to the slope face. Be safe and enjoy the trails.

Confused About What To Recycle? ♻

Do you have questions about which bin to put your recyclables in? Recycle Coach is here to help. Public Works has partnered with Recycle Coach to help make recycling easier. Simply take a photo or type name of the item in the search bar and the app will provide an answer. Use the web browser or download the app today!

Winter 2024 Leisure Guide Now Available!

The Leisure Guide is our quarterly digital newsletter where you can find information about programs, classes, services, and events that we are offering that season. You'll find classes and activities that suit each person in your family, from tots to seniors.

Want to see a list of all our parks or learn about our rental facilities? Looking for our department's phone directory? That's inside too!

Looking for work? 💼

The Verdugo Jobs Center is a career center providing our region’s workforce with career counseling, job search assistance, professional development & training, job fairs, workshops, & more all free of charge. Interested in public service? Visit Government Jobs.

Stay Connected!

This is an official publication of the City of Glendale, distributed by the Communications Office. For inquiries, please contact City Connection Editor
Annette Ghazarian at MyGlendale@GlendaleCA.gov or (818) 548-4844 opt.1.