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NAJARIAN, KRIKORIAN ARE AT ODDS
By Jason Wells
Glendale News Press
March 20 2008
CA
Mayor takes issue with school board president's implication that city
isn't cooperating enough.
CITY HALL - Mayor Ara Najarian on Tuesday fired back at Glendale
Unified School District board President Greg Krikorian, calling
insinuations that the city doesn't do enough to help the school
district "false" and "irresponsible."
"This is nothing more than blatantly politicizing tough issues facing
the school board," Najarian said during Tuesday's City Council meeting.
During a three-minute speech to the council last week, Krikorian
called for more communication and collaboration between the two
government bodies and asked Glendale Water & Power to consider a 20%
discount on utility charges to the district.
In response Tuesday, Najarian called on city executives to run through
its many collaborative programs with the district, while Krikorian
was just a few blocks away at the district board of education meeting
defending his assertions that more could be done on the city's part
to lessen the impact of upcoming state education funding cuts.
"We're not just a small business," Krikorian said at Tuesday's board
meeting, citing a city interdepartmental memo that referred to the
district as such. advertisement
But back at City Hall, officials took issue with Krikorian's
implication that they aren't already collaborating with the school
district. Airing perceived grievances at such a public forum is
counterproductive and divisive, they said.
"It has become an absolutely politicized issue, and a phony one at
that," Councilman John Drayman said.
City executives say Krikorian's assertion that the district's energy
bill will likely be $2 million more in 2008 than it was in 2005 is
inaccurate, saying their records show a $578,000 increase in rate
payments over the three-year billing period.
Glendale Water & Power has also provided nearly $2 million worth of
grants and in-kind contributions for capital improvements and rebates
for efficiency programs since 1999, Power Management Administrator
Ned Bassin said.
Those efforts save the district $270,000 annually, he added.
Taken together with the dozens of programs that work with the city's
police, fire, public works, library and parks departments, a picture of
noncooperation is simply inaccurate and "demeans that whole process,"
City Manager Jim Starbird said.
"We can't let that perception get started," he said.
On Wednesday, Krikorian said city officials were taking his statements
out of context and that he too felt as if he was being blindsided.
"It's very unfortunate that the mayor missed the point I was talking
about," he said. "I never once mentioned that they weren't helping
out. I've always been deeply encouraged by city staff.
"It would have been nice to get a phone call to ask, 'Hey, what did
you mean by this?'"
Contrary to how he was portrayed at Tuesday's City Council meeting,
Krikorian said he recognizes that the city helps out in a number
of ways, but continued city and public use of district facilities
need to be addressed as an undue expense at a time when schools
throughout California face $4.4 billion reduction in state funding
next fiscal year.
"It's my hope that the City Council members don't misrepresent what
we're trying to do here," he said.
He also issued a call for a joint meeting between the City Council
and board of education to work out any perceived disconnect.
But claims of politics and misrepresentation that have already been
issued could make ruffled feathers harder to stand down, some city
and school district officials said.
Najarian and several others on the council Tuesday called for an
itemized report next week on city expenditures for collaborative
programs with the school district to counter any negative perceptions.
The uptick in rhetoric comes as the 2009 elections season appears
to be getting an early start, with announcements from two council
incumbents this month that they intend to run for reelection.
Najarian announced his intent two weeks ago at a private party. And
Krikorian said he would decide on any potential run for office in the
fall, and dismissed inquiries as irrelevant to his quest for greater
collaboration with the city.
By Jason Wells
Glendale News Press
March 20 2008
CA
Mayor takes issue with school board president's implication that city
isn't cooperating enough.
CITY HALL - Mayor Ara Najarian on Tuesday fired back at Glendale
Unified School District board President Greg Krikorian, calling
insinuations that the city doesn't do enough to help the school
district "false" and "irresponsible."
"This is nothing more than blatantly politicizing tough issues facing
the school board," Najarian said during Tuesday's City Council meeting.
During a three-minute speech to the council last week, Krikorian
called for more communication and collaboration between the two
government bodies and asked Glendale Water & Power to consider a 20%
discount on utility charges to the district.
In response Tuesday, Najarian called on city executives to run through
its many collaborative programs with the district, while Krikorian
was just a few blocks away at the district board of education meeting
defending his assertions that more could be done on the city's part
to lessen the impact of upcoming state education funding cuts.
"We're not just a small business," Krikorian said at Tuesday's board
meeting, citing a city interdepartmental memo that referred to the
district as such. advertisement
But back at City Hall, officials took issue with Krikorian's
implication that they aren't already collaborating with the school
district. Airing perceived grievances at such a public forum is
counterproductive and divisive, they said.
"It has become an absolutely politicized issue, and a phony one at
that," Councilman John Drayman said.
City executives say Krikorian's assertion that the district's energy
bill will likely be $2 million more in 2008 than it was in 2005 is
inaccurate, saying their records show a $578,000 increase in rate
payments over the three-year billing period.
Glendale Water & Power has also provided nearly $2 million worth of
grants and in-kind contributions for capital improvements and rebates
for efficiency programs since 1999, Power Management Administrator
Ned Bassin said.
Those efforts save the district $270,000 annually, he added.
Taken together with the dozens of programs that work with the city's
police, fire, public works, library and parks departments, a picture of
noncooperation is simply inaccurate and "demeans that whole process,"
City Manager Jim Starbird said.
"We can't let that perception get started," he said.
On Wednesday, Krikorian said city officials were taking his statements
out of context and that he too felt as if he was being blindsided.
"It's very unfortunate that the mayor missed the point I was talking
about," he said. "I never once mentioned that they weren't helping
out. I've always been deeply encouraged by city staff.
"It would have been nice to get a phone call to ask, 'Hey, what did
you mean by this?'"
Contrary to how he was portrayed at Tuesday's City Council meeting,
Krikorian said he recognizes that the city helps out in a number
of ways, but continued city and public use of district facilities
need to be addressed as an undue expense at a time when schools
throughout California face $4.4 billion reduction in state funding
next fiscal year.
"It's my hope that the City Council members don't misrepresent what
we're trying to do here," he said.
He also issued a call for a joint meeting between the City Council
and board of education to work out any perceived disconnect.
But claims of politics and misrepresentation that have already been
issued could make ruffled feathers harder to stand down, some city
and school district officials said.
Najarian and several others on the council Tuesday called for an
itemized report next week on city expenditures for collaborative
programs with the school district to counter any negative perceptions.
The uptick in rhetoric comes as the 2009 elections season appears
to be getting an early start, with announcements from two council
incumbents this month that they intend to run for reelection.
Najarian announced his intent two weeks ago at a private party. And
Krikorian said he would decide on any potential run for office in the
fall, and dismissed inquiries as irrelevant to his quest for greater
collaboration with the city.