Business Improvement Districts

Robert Chacon Brand Boulevard business owners are trying to pool together their resources in an organization that would help them battle a potential loss of customers if the Americana at Brand is built. Downtown Glendale Merchants Assn. members want to create a business-improvement district that, among other things, would help fund more advertising. Members would pay dues to the district to fund its projects. "When the [Americana] opens, it will take business away from us," said Harry Hall, president of the merchants' association and co-owner of Milano's Cucina Italiana, 525 N. Brand Blvd.

Karen S. Kim GLENDALE -- Removing gum embedded in concrete city sidewalks through years of weather and pedestrian traffic can be a sticky business, but for Glendale resident Mohammed Talukder, it takes less time than it would to chew a stick of Juicy Fruit. Through his new business, Gum Busters of Burbank, Talukder promises to remove gum from sidewalks and carpets in about 10 seconds. Using a small, four-wheeled cart with a long hose attached to it, Talukder uses a combination of dry steam, high temperatures and a chemical to zap away the gummy eyesores.

Ryan Carter Hopes of people who do business in Glendale for 2004 revolve around lessening workers' compensation and health-care costs and finding ways to remain centers of local commerce in the shadow of larger business developments. Local business leaders have already scheduled meetings for 2004 that focus on how to nudge local legislators to come up with ways to trim workers' compensation premiums. Legislators passed a package of bills in 2003 to trim costs, but local business people are skeptical of their effect and are calling for more action.

CITY HALL — The Montrose and Adams Square business improvement districts are looking good financially for the 2007 calendar years, according to officials representing the two shopping associations. The joint City Council and Redevelopment Agency approved balanced budgets for 2007 for the districts Tuesday — a $304,000 budget for the Montrose Shopping Park district and a $34,000 budget for the Adams Square district. "In terms of business in the last year, I spent a lot of time in most of the neighborhood business districts in the county," Montrose Shopping Park Assn.

Ryan Carter How to deal with skyrocketing health-care premiums was on the minds of local business people last year, but it did not stop them from doing business. Lots of things happened locally in 2003 that made it a busy year for commerce in Glendale. WORKERS' COMP/ HEALTH-CARE ISSUES Business payments for workers' compensation and medical care came to the forefront this year as local chambers of commerce lamented premiums that were threatening to drive businesses out of the state.

After being interviewed for, and subsequently reading, Robert Chacon's article, "Parking is at a premium in city," Friday, I thought I should clarify some history regarding the municipal parking lots in Montrose. The Montrose business district owes its origin to a 300-acre land auction on Washington's Birthday, Feb. 22, 1913. Almost immediately, the first commercial building in the Montrose business district was erected on the Southwest corner of Honolulu Avenue and Verdugo Road.

Councilman's insult deserves an apology Dear Councilman Weaver: I am using the title "councilman" to address you because it is respectful of me to do so, but I must say that in my many years of life, 75 to be exact (40 of them spent in Montrose), I have never witnessed such disrespect from a councilperson toward the public at large. For the clerk of our city to be sitting in on merchant meetings (a group, I might add, that has become quite beloved in our community)