Budget Process

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — The state commission that oversees Glendale Community College has put the campus on a warning list reserved for colleges that must make progress in certain categories, officials said. Of the four standards the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges uses to evaluate college performance, Glendale Community College was dinged for not having a more transparent budget process, Supt./President Dawn Lindsay said. The warning status comes with no sanctions, but Glendale Community College must make progress at a review in 2012.

A number of budget unknowns this year means that even with the new fiscal year just around the corner, Glendale officials will be left in a state of flux. At a City Council hearing Tuesday on Glendale's draft $165-million budget, officials said they were still waiting to see how many employees would take an early retirement option, and what the ultimate financial impact of the state's decision to eliminate local redevelopment would be. “The watchword of this budget process is 'uncertainty,'” City Manager Scott Ochoa said.

The Glendale City Council was scheduled to begin its budget planning sessions this week, but the meeting was put off to next Tuesday because of the need for some final “numbers crunching,” according to a city spokesman. Numbers may not be the only thing that gets crunched this year, as the council faces the possible need to reopen discussion on the long-range capital budget it spent six months crafting. Word from the city is that the $167.8 million plan for new libraries, fire stations and other facilities may be based on overstated revenue figures.

CITY HALL — The city budget gap for next fiscal year is now estimated to be just north of $16 million — a significant increase from the original $10-million projection, and one that could spell the wholesale cutting of public programs. City officials plan to bridge about $6 million of the gap by maintaining a citywide hiring freeze on vacated positions, but that will still leave $10 million of cutting. “I know the upcoming budget process will show that this is going to be a difficult year for Glendale,” Mayor Laura Friedman said in her first remarks in the position on Monday.

The following programs will be broadcast on Glendale Government Access Channel 6 on Charter Cable. For more information, call 548-4013 or 548-4844. TODAY 2 p.m. -- Planning Commission live 9 p.m. -- Replay of Planning Commission Midnight -- Community Calendar TUESDAY 10 a.m. -- Special City Council: Budget Process FY live 2:30 p.m. -- Housing Authority & GRA live 6 p.m. -- City Council live Midnight -- Community Calendar WEDNESDAY 9:30 a.m. -- Zoning Administration Hearing live 3:30 p.m. -- Parks & Recreation Commission live 6 p.m. -- Replay of Housing, GRA & Council Midnight -- Community Calendar THURSDAY 9 a.m. -- Special City Council: Budget Process live 1 p.m. -- Design Review Board One live 10 p.m. -- Replay of Parks & Recreation Commission Midnight -- Community Calendar FRIDAY 9 a.m. -- Replay of Planning Commission 1 p.m. -- Replay of Design Review Board One 6 p.m. -- Replay of Housing, GRA & Council Midnight -- Community Calendar SATURDAY 11 a.m. -- Replay of Housing, GRA & Council 10 p.m. -- Replay of Special City Council: Budget Process SUNDAY 9 a.m. -- Replay of Parks & Recreation Commission Noon -- Replay of Zoning Administration Hearing 10 p.m. -- Replay of Design Review Board One

The City Council on Tuesday will consider an approximately $50,000 contract for the construction of a transformer facility as a part of the estimated $11-million Glorietta Park Pump House reconstruction. All of the six bids came in above the engineer’s estimate of $50,000 so officials are recommending the City Council award the contract to the lowest and responsible bidder. WHAT TO EXPECT The council will likely approve the contract, as it is a part of a larger project, which has already been budgeted for. EMERGENCY SERVICES The council will consider two new employee classifications for a revised emergency services delivery model that the Fire Department proposed as a cost-cutting measure during the budget process.

Josh Kleinbaum With budget deliberations in the rearview mirror, the La Canada Flintridge City Council will shift its focus to finding a permanent city manager. Several signs suggest that interim City Manager Mark Alexander remains the leading candidate to replace Jerry Fulwood, who left La Canada Flintridge for a job as chief administrative officer of Culver City. After budget deliberations concluded Monday, Mayor Steve Del Guercio made a point to praise Alexander for his diligence and hard work during the budget process, a sentiment echoed by the rest of the council.

CITY HALL — Changes to the Fire Department’s emergency services model will free up more rescue vehicles at peak call times, fire officials said Tuesday. The new system, approved by the City Council on Tuesday, will replace two firefighters on each ambulance per day and replace them with non-sworn emergency medical technicians to go on less serious emergency calls, said Fire Chief Harold Scoggins. Currently, five ambulances are on call at any given time. With the new system, four ambulances would be on call during the slowest times of the day, with six on call at the busiest times, he said.

CITY HALL — Changes to the Fire Department’s emergency services model will free up more rescue vehicles at peak call times, fire officials said Tuesday. The new system, approved by the City Council Tuesday, will replace two firefighters on each ambulance per day and replace them with non-sworn emergency medical technicians to go on less serious emergency calls, said Fire Chief Harold Scoggins. Currently, five ambulances are on call at any given time. With the new system, four ambulances would be on call during the slowest times of the day, with six on call at the busiest times, he said.

A number of budget unknowns this year means that even with the new fiscal year just around the corner, Glendale officials will be left in a state of flux. At a City Council hearing Tuesday on Glendale's draft $165-million budget, officials said they were still waiting to see how many employees would take an early retirement option, and what the ultimate financial impact of the state's decision to eliminate local redevelopment would be. “The watchword of this budget process is 'uncertainty,'” City Manager Scott Ochoa said.

Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Silver Lake) said Friday he regrets comments he made earlier in the week equating state Controller John Chiang’s decision to freeze lawmakers’ pay during the ongoing budget stalemate to creating a “Banana Republic.” Gatto also caught heat for saying that because of the pay suspension, he would “have to explain to my wife and daughter that we won't be able to pay the bills because a politician chose to grandstand at...

CITY HALL — The city budget gap for next fiscal year is now estimated to be just north of $16 million — a significant increase from the original $10-million projection, and one that could spell the wholesale cutting of public programs. City officials plan to bridge about $6 million of the gap by maintaining a citywide hiring freeze on vacated positions, but that will still leave $10 million of cutting. “I know the upcoming budget process will show that this is going to be a difficult year for Glendale,” Mayor Laura Friedman said in her first remarks in the position on Monday.

While California’s faltering budget process is capturing headlines, the federal government is nearing as tipping point. Republicans and Democrats are locking horns over spending cuts as a temporary extension of the federal budget is set to expire April 8. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) said the problem is as much Republican vs. Republican as it is between the two major parties. “We’re still far apart because even if (House Speaker John) Boehner wants to make a deal, he’s got to curry favor with the most extreme members in his caucus,” Sherman said, adding that symbolic side issues are waylaying substantive discussions.

In the rush of last-minute activity leading to the passage of the state budget, Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Silver Lake) won approval of a measure he co-sponsored to boost the state's Rainy Day Fund. The fund sets aside money in years when there is a budget surplus and guarantees that it be used first to fully fund public schools, then to pay down the state's bond debt and then to cover costs in years when the state operates at a deficit. The bill Gatto co-authored with Assemblyman Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks)

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — The state commission that oversees Glendale Community College has put the campus on a warning list reserved for colleges that must make progress in certain categories, officials said. Of the four standards the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges uses to evaluate college performance, Glendale Community College was dinged for not having a more transparent budget process, Supt./President Dawn Lindsay said. The warning status comes with no sanctions, but Glendale Community College must make progress at a review in 2012.

CITY HALL — More than six months after the data were made public, City Council review of a citywide report measuring public health and quality-of-life benchmarks will be delayed till at least May, officials said. The Quality of Life Indicators report culled data from a number of sources, including Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the U.S. Census Bureau and the city’s own statistics, and then compared those figures with other cities. The first report was released in 2002 and took seven years to pull together.

CITY HALL — Changes to the Fire Department’s emergency services model will free up more rescue vehicles at peak call times, fire officials said Tuesday. The new system, approved by the City Council on Tuesday, will replace two firefighters on each ambulance per day and replace them with non-sworn emergency medical technicians to go on less serious emergency calls, said Fire Chief Harold Scoggins. Currently, five ambulances are on call at any given time. With the new system, four ambulances would be on call during the slowest times of the day, with six on call at the busiest times, he said.

CITY HALL — Changes to the Fire Department’s emergency services model will free up more rescue vehicles at peak call times, fire officials said Tuesday. The new system, approved by the City Council Tuesday, will replace two firefighters on each ambulance per day and replace them with non-sworn emergency medical technicians to go on less serious emergency calls, said Fire Chief Harold Scoggins. Currently, five ambulances are on call at any given time. With the new system, four ambulances would be on call during the slowest times of the day, with six on call at the busiest times, he said.

The City Council on Tuesday will consider an approximately $50,000 contract for the construction of a transformer facility as a part of the estimated $11-million Glorietta Park Pump House reconstruction. All of the six bids came in above the engineer’s estimate of $50,000 so officials are recommending the City Council award the contract to the lowest and responsible bidder. WHAT TO EXPECT The council will likely approve the contract, as it is a part of a larger project, which has already been budgeted for. EMERGENCY SERVICES The council will consider two new employee classifications for a revised emergency services delivery model that the Fire Department proposed as a cost-cutting measure during the budget process.