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COUNCIL STARTS RESHUFFLING ITS PICKS
By Melanie Hicken
Glendale News Press
Thursday, October 8, 2009 9:33 PM PDT
Reappointments to city commissions begin, similar to Design Review
changes last year.
CITY HALL -- With the application period for city commissioners now
passed, the City Council on Tuesday began the process of reappointing
their picks to a plethora of open seats.
On Tuesday, Councilmen Dave Weaver and John Drayman each reappointed
six commissioners to their posts.
The rest of the appointments are expected in the coming weeks.
"I'm hoping to do it fairly quickly," said Councilwoman Laura Friedman.
The City Council last month put nearly all city commissioners up
for revotes as a part of a new ordinance changing the terms of city
boards and commissions to run concurrently with the four-year term
of the nominating council member.
The move was made to increase the accountability of commissioners
by tying their performances more closely to the council members who
appoint them.
The new system mirrors what was done last year for the city's two
Design Review boards.
The Civil Service Commission, which is governed by the city Charter,
the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority and the Metropolitan
Water District of Southern California representative are not a part
of the process.
Each council member will make one appointment per board or
commission. As a part of the streamlining, the City Council also
voted to downsize the Arts & Culture Commission and the Commission
on the Status of Women from seven members to five.
The vast majority of current commissioners indicated they would like
to retain their positions, while almost 40 other applications were
submitted, according to the city clerk's office. The city's Building
& Fire Board of Appeals was the only commission not to receive new
applications.
Newcomers vying for a spot include Zanku Armenian, a board member for
the Armenian National Committee's western region, for the Glendale
Water & Power Commis r Fuad, president of the Northwest Glendale
Homeowner's Assn., and former City Council candidate Edward Lafian.
Former Glendale Community College Board of Trustees candidate Christine
Rodriguez joined Lafian in applying for the Community Development
Block Grant Advisory Committee.
City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian said the application turnout was about
average except for the Arts & Culture Commission, which saw 17
applicants, including its seven current commissioners.
"That is probably the most we've had for that," Kassakhian said.
Arts commission Chairman Arman Keyvanian said he was thrilled to hear
about the popularity of his commission, which could soon be disbanded
under a council plan to explore setting up a nonprofit-based group
to take over its duties. That plan is still being studied and explored.
"I think this is proof enough that the community still needs the Arts &
Culture Commission," he said.
Zareh Amirian -- a member and former chairman of the Community
Development Block Grant Advisory Committee, one of the city's more
contentious commissions -- said syncing terms with the City Council
was a positive move.
"I think it's the proper way to do it because it establishes
accountability for both the commissioners that are being appointed
and the council members who appoint them," he said.
And if the new process results in commissioners aligning their views
closer to the council member who appointed them, that's not necessarily
a bad thing, he said.
"I weigh not just the information that is provided for me, but also
the opinion of the council member because in the end they have a
broader view of what the city's needs are," he said.
Under the new process, Friedman, who took office in April, will
make her first appointments to several of the city's boards, having
previously made only one appointment out of the 10 boards up for
reappointment.
She said she planned to give fair consideration to both current
commissioners and new applicants.
"Even if people are doing a good e it up a little and give someone
else a chance," she said.
Friedman, who earlier this year spoke at a luncheon encouraging women
to enter city politics, said she had encouraged several women to apply.
"I think it would be a great thing to have," she said. "Diversity is
always good, whether it is gender or ethnicity, to bring different
perspectives. But I certainly wouldn't appoint someone just because
of one of those things. They have to be qualified."
By Melanie Hicken
Glendale News Press
Thursday, October 8, 2009 9:33 PM PDT
Reappointments to city commissions begin, similar to Design Review
changes last year.
CITY HALL -- With the application period for city commissioners now
passed, the City Council on Tuesday began the process of reappointing
their picks to a plethora of open seats.
On Tuesday, Councilmen Dave Weaver and John Drayman each reappointed
six commissioners to their posts.
The rest of the appointments are expected in the coming weeks.
"I'm hoping to do it fairly quickly," said Councilwoman Laura Friedman.
The City Council last month put nearly all city commissioners up
for revotes as a part of a new ordinance changing the terms of city
boards and commissions to run concurrently with the four-year term
of the nominating council member.
The move was made to increase the accountability of commissioners
by tying their performances more closely to the council members who
appoint them.
The new system mirrors what was done last year for the city's two
Design Review boards.
The Civil Service Commission, which is governed by the city Charter,
the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority and the Metropolitan
Water District of Southern California representative are not a part
of the process.
Each council member will make one appointment per board or
commission. As a part of the streamlining, the City Council also
voted to downsize the Arts & Culture Commission and the Commission
on the Status of Women from seven members to five.
The vast majority of current commissioners indicated they would like
to retain their positions, while almost 40 other applications were
submitted, according to the city clerk's office. The city's Building
& Fire Board of Appeals was the only commission not to receive new
applications.
Newcomers vying for a spot include Zanku Armenian, a board member for
the Armenian National Committee's western region, for the Glendale
Water & Power Commis r Fuad, president of the Northwest Glendale
Homeowner's Assn., and former City Council candidate Edward Lafian.
Former Glendale Community College Board of Trustees candidate Christine
Rodriguez joined Lafian in applying for the Community Development
Block Grant Advisory Committee.
City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian said the application turnout was about
average except for the Arts & Culture Commission, which saw 17
applicants, including its seven current commissioners.
"That is probably the most we've had for that," Kassakhian said.
Arts commission Chairman Arman Keyvanian said he was thrilled to hear
about the popularity of his commission, which could soon be disbanded
under a council plan to explore setting up a nonprofit-based group
to take over its duties. That plan is still being studied and explored.
"I think this is proof enough that the community still needs the Arts &
Culture Commission," he said.
Zareh Amirian -- a member and former chairman of the Community
Development Block Grant Advisory Committee, one of the city's more
contentious commissions -- said syncing terms with the City Council
was a positive move.
"I think it's the proper way to do it because it establishes
accountability for both the commissioners that are being appointed
and the council members who appoint them," he said.
And if the new process results in commissioners aligning their views
closer to the council member who appointed them, that's not necessarily
a bad thing, he said.
"I weigh not just the information that is provided for me, but also
the opinion of the council member because in the end they have a
broader view of what the city's needs are," he said.
Under the new process, Friedman, who took office in April, will
make her first appointments to several of the city's boards, having
previously made only one appointment out of the 10 boards up for
reappointment.
She said she planned to give fair consideration to both current
commissioners and new applicants.
"Even if people are doing a good e it up a little and give someone
else a chance," she said.
Friedman, who earlier this year spoke at a luncheon encouraging women
to enter city politics, said she had encouraged several women to apply.
"I think it would be a great thing to have," she said. "Diversity is
always good, whether it is gender or ethnicity, to bring different
perspectives. But I certainly wouldn't appoint someone just because
of one of those things. They have to be qualified."