Inspections

Darleene Barrientos Even though the recent misty, overcast weather might keep the grass green a little longer, Glendale Fire inspectors want hillside residents to be vigilant about keeping their property clear of plants and trees that could burn this summer and fall. The drizzle that fell this week will be long forgotten once 90-degree days start becoming the norm, Glendale Urban Forester Doug Nickles said. "June gloom dampens the annual grasses and they absorb the moisture," Nickles said.

Tim Willert CITY HALL -- The City Council will move forward with plans to start a program to periodically inspect all multifamily rental housing in the city. The council voted unanimously Tuesday to direct staff to finalize the necessary legislation for starting the program, which will be based on existing programs in Pasadena and Los Angeles. "I think the program will go a long way in helping the community maintain the housing stock that we have now," Councilman Rafi Manoukian said.

Alex Coolman NORTHWEST GLENDALE -- The robot scuttled slowly forward, humming along the sewer pipe amid the steaming ooze and the cockroaches. And up in his air-conditioned van, Glendale Sewer Maintenance Worker Jerry Jarak calmly surveyed the video feed supplied by the machine. He noted a crack at 21.2 feet and another at 59.2 feet, entering data onto a videocassette recorder so that repair crews could return later. Glendale has been engaged in a long-term effort to perform video inspections of all its sewer lines ever since the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Public Works Director Kerry Morford said.

Glendale could be overpaying for park landscape maintenance because the city lacks adequate oversight controls, according to a recent internal audit. The audit said the contractor hired by the city, Parkwood Landscape Maintenance, doesn't submit a weekly work schedule for proper monitoring, which means the firm could be paid for services that aren't rendered. This “increases the risk that contractor's performance is not effectively monitored and that invoice deductions are not made for work not performed,” the audit stated.

Residents in the Mariposa neighborhood are invited to a community meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. today. The city's neighborhood services staff will discuss its improvement project, which includes systematic rental housing inspections. Residents who have already gone through the inspection process will be able to discuss any questions, concerns or suggestions they have for the program. Staff will also provide refreshments, child care and a raffle. Residents who bring the ticket they received during the inspections can win gift certificates to Ralphs grocery stores.

The city has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of an 11-year-old who suffered a roughly 5-inch gash on her forearm while on a school field trip at Verdugo Park nearly two years ago. Anahit Allakhverdian was pushing a younger student on a swing when a broken metal strap jabbed into her forearm, causing the injury, according to court records. After Armenouhi Ghourgoian, Anahit's mother, sued the city over the June 2010 incident, last week the city finalized a $28,000-settlement with the Sun Valley family.

Joshua Pelzer Pet shops and other businesses profiting from the sale of animals could be required to obtain a permit, following a City Council vote. The council approved drafting the ordinance Tuesday night to assist the Pasadena Humane Society, the city's animal control provider. Kennel permits are required for those keeping or maintaining commercial or noncommercial dog or cat kennels in the city. Although shop permits would not increase the quality or quantity of inspections, they will assist the society with identification for its quarterly pet shop inspections.

Josh Kleinbaum Rather than make recommendations on the tough issue of rent control, the Rental Housing Issues Working Committee decided to play hot potato, leaving the hot topic in the hands of the legal system. The pending legal battle could make any recommendations by the committee moot, members said. Property Owners for Property Rights Protection is attempting to get an anti-rent control initiative on a ballot in Glendale but the Glendale Tenants Assn.

Vito Canella, a longtime Montrose community leader and county commissioner, was honored by the Los Angeles County board of supervisors Tuesday for his volunteer work in the county. Canella, the former postmaster of Montrose, was saluted for his 24 years on the Sybil Brand Institute commission on inspections. The commission yearly inspects each county jail or lockup, probation facility and group home administered by the county. Having served 28 years on the county human relations commission, Canella said he is retiring from the Sybil Brand commission to spend more time with his wife.

The city has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of an 11-year-old who suffered a roughly 5-inch gash on her forearm while on a school field trip at Verdugo Park nearly two years ago. Anahit Allakhverdian was pushing a younger student on a swing when a broken metal strap jabbed into her forearm, causing the injury, according to court records. After Armenouhi Ghourgoian, Anahit's mother, sued the city over the June 2010 incident, last week the city finalized a $28,000-settlement with the Sun Valley family.

Glendale could be overpaying for park landscape maintenance because the city lacks adequate oversight controls, according to a recent internal audit. The audit said the contractor hired by the city, Parkwood Landscape Maintenance, doesn't submit a weekly work schedule for proper monitoring, which means the firm could be paid for services that aren't rendered. This “increases the risk that contractor's performance is not effectively monitored and that invoice deductions are not made for work not performed,” the audit stated.

Organizers of the farmers market in Montrose - already in hot water regarding sponsorship rules - have been told by public health officials to ratchet up efforts to keep animals out. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued a notice of violation to organizers of the Montrose Harvest Market last month after counting more than 12 dogs in the market, far above the number usually seen during a random inspection, said Scott Hunter,...

CITY HALL — City officials are demanding an inspection of former City Councilman John Drayman’s Montrose condominium to determine whether he underreported renovations in permits filed with the city after the work was done. Drayman filed permits for the renovations in January — months after the work was completed by seven subcontractors of Advanced Development & Investment Inc., an affordable housing firm now under federal investigation for allegedly bilking several cities, including Glendale, out of millions in construction overcharges.

GLENDALE — City budget deficits and traffic problems were among the concerns of local Realtors who hosted an election forum on Wednesday for the six City Council candidates. Rafi Manoukian, Mike Mohill, Chahe Keuroghelian and Garen Mailyan are challenging incumbents Dave Weaver and John Drayman for two seats in the April 5 election. At Wednesday’s forum — hosted by the Glendale Assn. of Realtors at the Elks Lodge and moderated by La Cañada City Councilwoman Laura Olhasso, herself a candidate for reelection — the candidates addressed a large group of members of the local real estate community.

CITY HALL With city finances tight, fire and police are the latest city departments to introduce new fees as a way to recover the costs of providing services. The City Council on Tuesday voted 4 to 0, with Mayor Frank Quintero absent, to approve a new $135 police booking fee and a $30 charge for fire inspections, which officials said would help the two departments recoup the costs of staff time spent on the tasks. In an age of citywide budget cuts, public safety officials say, the additional fees should help departments bolster their budgets as demand for services remains high.

CITY HALL — With city finances tight, fire and police are the latest city departments to introduce new fees as a way to recover the costs of providing services. The City Council on Tuesday voted 4 to 0, with Mayor Frank Quintero absent, to approve a new $135 police booking fee and a $30 charge for fire inspections, which officials said would help the two departments recoup the costs of staff time spent on the tasks. “It’s become very difficult to offset all of our costs through general-fund budgeting,” said Fire Chief Harold Scoggins.

Vito Canella, a longtime Montrose community leader and county commissioner, was honored by the Los Angeles County board of supervisors Tuesday for his volunteer work in the county. Canella, the former postmaster of Montrose, was saluted for his 24 years on the Sybil Brand Institute commission on inspections. The commission yearly inspects each county jail or lockup, probation facility and group home administered by the county. Having served 28 years on the county human relations commission, Canella said he is retiring from the Sybil Brand commission to spend more time with his wife.

BURBANK — A persistent decline in the number of people willing to shell out for a plane ticket prompted Bob Hope Airport officials Monday to cutback on their own spending plans, deferring multimillion-dollar construction projects in the face of falling revenue. Just four months into a fiscal year rife with market turmoil, the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority voted unanimously Monday to adjust its capital improvement plan budget to reflect a 16.5% drop from last year in the number of passengers using the airport in October, a total of 419,213 people.