Tim Willert
CITY HALL -- From curbing residential development and improving
traffic safety to championing community cohesiveness and delivering safe
drinking water, the City Council will have its hands full with a variety
of issues in 2002.
"Within the next year, we're going to have to make some major
decisions," Councilman Frank Quintero said Wednesday.
The council will meet Tuesday for the first time since Dec. 18, and is
expected to consider a request by the Armenian Genocide Monument Council
of Glendale to erect a monument at Perkins Plaza.
In the coming months, the council will consider whether to adopt a
flag policy, award the Glendale Humane Society a new contract and
increase speed limits on some city streets.
Chief among the council's goals for 2002 is bringing the community
together.
"That's where my interests lie," Councilman Rafi Manoukian said
Wednesday. "Bringing the community together and getting over this
finger-pointing that's been going on."
Manoukian, who is in line to become Glendale's next mayor, will serve
as chairman of the city's inaugural commemorative event to recognize the
Armenian Genocide and other crimes against humanity. The event is set to
take place the week of April 24.
Said Quintero: "I do hope the steps we're taking to solve the problems
associated with lowering the flag continue."
Mayor Gus Gomez said Wednesday that balancing the budget will be one
of his top goals in the coming year.
"We're going to have a real challenge with revenues going down in the
state," Gomez said. "But I'm confident that we'll have another balanced
budget for fiscal year 2002."
Traffic and pedestrian safety will be a priority for Gomez, who also
wants the council to complete some of the community park developments in
progress.
Quintero, meanwhile, wants to reduce residential and hillside
development, and implement code enforcement efforts in multifamily
neighborhoods plagued by blight.
"I want to prevent overdevelopment. I want to keep it to scale," he
said. "In my opinion, we need to sit down with experts in order to come
up with some revised standards."
Quintero said he will be keeping an eye on the proposed Town Center
project, which would bring retail, commercial, residential and park space
to downtown Glendale.
"That's coming to the plate within the next year," he said. "To me,
it's either going to make Glendale something special or not."
Councilmen Dave Weaver and Bob Yousefian could not be reached for
comment Wednesday.
