PAY RAISES ADVANCES
The City Council on Tuesday introduced a slew of ordinances that, if ultimately adopted next week, will give nearly 2,000 city employees a collective $6.59 million worth of pay raises.
The salary bumps, meant to cover cost-of-living increases, are called for in each of the city’s four-year agreements with the four Glendale employee unions, representing police, fire, employees and management.
City officials said the salary increases, which range in size from 2% to 5%, are the only way to ensure Glendale remains a competitive employer and can attract top talent, even in hard economic times.
Top city department executives are not included in the proposed raises.
WHAT IT MEANS
The ordinances, which stem from previous union agreements approved by the council, will come back next week for a final vote.
NO VOTE
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
The council on Tuesday authorized a $111,000 plan to upgrade the fire sprinkler system for Civic Auditorium’s parking structure.
Various pipe joints and sections have shifted over the years as the structure “settled” and tension in the concrete garage flexed. As a result, the pipes have experienced minor leaking and rust.
The structure was completed in 1996. Since that time, no major upgrades have been performed on the garage.
WHAT IT MEANS
City officials will now seek private bids on the project, which will bring the sprinkler system back into fire code compliance.
VOTE: 5-0
TRAFFIC MEASURES
The council approved the installation of speed bumps and pre-fabricated rubber “speed cushions” for two city streets.
The installation of five asphalt speed bumps on Olmsted Drive between Virginia and Pacific avenues will cost $25,000. Two rubber speed cushions installed on Vine Street between Columbus and Central avenues will cost $4,000.
Speed cushions differ from asphalt speed bumps in that they feature two “grooves” that fit the tire tracks of emergency response vehicles, facilitating quicker passage. At the same time, the grooves are spaced such that normal vehicles must traverse the hump. They can also be more easily removed if residents in the future no longer want them.
The speed bumps had overwhelming residential support and recommendations from the Transportation and Parking Commission.
WHAT IT MEANS
Residents along Olmsted and Vine have sought the bumps as a way to force drivers to slow down.
VOTE: 5-0
FIRE SAFETY ZONES
The council adopted state designated “very high fire safety hazard zones” in Glendale.
The new map designates urban development abutting wildland and then assigns a fire hazard level based on the density of the surrounding vegetation. It roughly follows along the same lines as the existing city map, although Adams Hill will no longer be a part of the high fire area since, over time, the neighborhood has been saturated with development, city officials said.
The recommendations were developed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire, and cross checked by Glendale fire officials against their existing municipal map.
WHAT IT MEANS
Construction within the risk zones will have to comply with new state regulations that require fire resistant materials.
VOTE: 5-0
