Glendale City Council Meeting Wrap-up

The City Council on Tuesday authorized Glendale Water & Power officials to solicit bids for a major inspection and overhaul of a power generator at the Grayson Power Plant.

The gas turbine generator has been operating since 1977 and has yet to get a complete reworking due its relatively low amount of annual run time. An on-site inspection of the unit in 2001 revealed the need for a major inspection, but it has been put off to allow for the overhaul of four more intensely-used turbines.

WHAT IT MEANS

Utility officials must still return to the City Council with a contract recommendation for the work.

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An ordinance that would allow the use of temporary construction frames, commonly known as story poles, without having to pull a building permit won unanimous approval from the City Council on Tuesday.

In March, the council adopted a revised set of design review guidelines that required the use of story poles for all new buildings and second-story additions to help gauge the mass and scale of the proposed project during the review process.

The urgency ordinance amends the Building and Safety Code to more easily facilitate the use of story poles in construction projects since applicants would not have to first go through the added expense of pulling a building permit.

WHAT IT MEANS

As an urgency ordinance, the new rules take effect immediately.

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The City Council on Tuesday appropriated $25,000 for an overhaul of the Verdugo Skate Park.

The original concrete wall caps, or coping, will be replaced with a new, more durable material that was developed after the park’s original design in 2004.

The current concrete coping was originally built using materials for pools, which over time has been unable to withstand the daily impact of skateboarding.

Coping joints, along with the tiles underneath, have experienced significant deterioration, requiring daily repairs at annual cost of roughly $3,700.

The new coping concrete is more dense and designed to withstand the pressure of normal skateboarding. It also comes with a five-year warranty.

The park, which hosts about 1,500 visitors each month, generates about $36,500 annually from filming permits and nonresident user fees.

WHAT IT MEANS

The renovation is expected to provide a more smooth skating surface and reduce the amount of time the park is closed for repairs.