CITY HALL
Monthly trash fees for Glendale residents serviced by the city Public Works Department are rising by $1.11 after a City Council decision Tuesday.
The reason for the hike comes from a need for revenue as a result of rising fuel costs, landfill fees and future replacement of trash trucks, city officials said.
Residents will now pay $16.95 instead of the previous $15.85, an increase of 7%. In the last year, fuel costs have increased 17% for the 42-truck Integrated Waste Management fleet that consumes about 400,000 gallons of fuel annually. City officials estimate that next year's fuel cost for the fleet will be approximately $1.2 million. However, officials pointed out that even with the hike, Glendale rates remain low, compared with other Los Angeles area cities such as Burbank and Pasadena. With the increase, officials aim to continue to provide top-notch service to their residents while keeping rates as low as possible.
The complex — which will house 65 families — sits at the southern end of Gardena Avenue. The ceremony also included the groundbreaking on the adjacent Metro Loma 44-unit affordable housing complex.
At present, City Lights is full of tenants and Metro Loma will not be accepting applications until further along in construction, officials said.
Rents will range from $500 to $900 per month, prices that many officials said should help working families afford a home in Glendale.
Officials were also pleased that the homes were in close proximity to the Glendale Train Station — giving them access to various forms of public transit.
EDUCATION
Efforts to raise immigrant students' English proficiency levels are on track, despite students scoring lower this year than last year on the state-issued language development exam, school officials said.
State Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell released the results of the 2006-07 California English Language Development Test on Thursday. The test was administered to 1.3 million students statewide in kindergarten through 12th grade. Modifications were made to the test to make it a more valid and accurate assessment of proficiency levels for students learning English, O'Connell said. The changes yielded lower marks, but will hold the state, district and schools more accountable in the future, he said.
