Two city council seats are on the ballot on Tuesday for the Glendale election. Current city council members Paula Devine and Dave Weaver are running for reelection against Evelyne Poghosyan, Chahe Keuroghelian, Edith Fuentes, Erik Yesayan, and Vartan Gharpetian. El Vaquero sent the candidates the following questions to answer. Yesayan and Gharpetian were unable to send their responses in time for publication.

What do you think are the most important issues currently in Glendale?

“Safety in our streets(pedestrian, cycling and motorists) and development issues.  As a council member, I will continue to advocate for safer crosswalks for pedestrians, continued safety education of our residents by the Glendale Police, and continuous enforcement of laws by our Glendale Police Officers. They are making progress and we are beginning to see changes in behavior, especially amongst our elderly pedestrians.”  Paula Devine

“The most important issue is the city budget.  We have eliminated over 500 workers in the city in order for our expenditures to match our revenue projections.  The people of this city desire to keep all the services the city has provided.  We are not going to see a significant increase in the revenue stream into the future, so we must find ways to provide the people of Glendale with the services through streamlining and adjusting how we do business in the city.” Dave Weaver

“The cost of living, operating the city, infrastructure, traffic, transportation,parking, etc.” Evelyne Poghosyan

“There is little doubt in my mind that the biggest problem in Glendale is a lack of knowledge by the voting and general public of the way the city of Glendale really works; as a consequence, the public does not have its interests addressed by the city council. It seems, as if, the common good is almost completely disregarded.

The costs to both the college and the general public on water and electricity bear the burden of a council who ignores California state law with impunity…The city has unfunded debt of over $600 million dollars according to its financial reports. Without money we can’t provide for adequate youth services or maintain roads (unless it is with federal money as we do now).” Chahe Keuroghelian

1. “Public Safety – make sure we keep Glendale as one of the safest cities not

only in California, but in the country.

2. Fiscal responsibility – The City cannot spend more than the revenues we

take in. No more TRANSFER, no more borrowing and no more debts.

3. Economic development and helping small businesses to come to Glendale

– by streamlining the process and making it easier for new and current

businesses to thrive and grow. Too much development in such a short

period of time. Say “NO” to irresponsible development and “YES” to those

that are consistent with the needs and desires of the community.

4. City infrastructure – they are old and need repair and upgrading.
5. Preserving our neighborhoods and maintaining our Quality of life – more

parks and open spaces, preserving our historic resources.

Edith Fuentes

What do you hope to accomplish for GCC students?

“I feel the safety of GCC students is a very critical issue.  Crossing Verdugo and driving down Mountain to Verdugo can be very dangerous.  Education and awareness is important and I would encourage safety programs for students.  I have also spoken in Women’s Studies classes at the college, so I feel a guest speaker program on government affairs, running for political office, and the importance of voting are important issues for college students. Meeting and speaking to council members is a wonderful way for government students to experience this “service to community” message.  Unfortunately, council has little to do with budget or funding for GCC, however, we all recognize the importance of having this terrific educational institution in our community.” Paula Devine

“As a former president of the Glendale Alumni Association, I am quite familiar with the college.  The most important thing I would like to see happen is the construction of a new facility for bio technology.  As you know, your robotics lab is not accredited and it will continue to grow.  This city, as well as some other cities, are becoming high tech centers.  GCC must be a community college that can turn out students in those areas of biotechnology.” Dave Weaver

“One of my initiatives is to create a hi–tech hub in our city, similar to Silicon Valley, as well as supporting currently existing businesses, which will create hand-on internship opportunities for many students. I also plan to initiate “Walk with the Council” weekly walks from City hall, where students will have an opportunity to come and join and be more involved in city affairs by walking and sharing their ideas and concerns.” Evelyne Poghosyan

“GCC students need to become part of the process of governance. They need to become involved and we can tie GCC education to internships in the city to help increase students’ participation in and knowledge of city affairs.” Chahe Keuroghelian

My hope is to see GCC students have a stronger collaboration, coordination and cooperation with the City in terms of doing projects and programs that would benefit the college and the entire city as a whole. The City could have a closer working relationship with the parents, teachers and the GCC [board of trustees] and different student bodies…The students could be the future employees, managers and administrators of the city or other organization. Let’s have a stronger relationship.” Fuentes

In what ways have the residents of Glendale benefitted the most during your term as a City Council member?

“Having been an educator (teacher, coach, athletic director, department chair), I have a lot of experience in collaboration, communication and leadership.  This has enabled me as a city council member to perform my duties and make decisions in the best way possible.  I have done my homework, listened to the residents and studied issues in order to make the best decisions I can…In the eight months of my term, I feel I have established a track record of ‘Promises Made, Promises Kept.’  I hope to continue my work for the community and its residents.”  Paula Devine

“I’ve served 18 years now.  Some of the things that come to mind that I have voted on are the Americana, hundreds of acres of open space, a smoking ordinance,  new police station, new car dealer establishments on Brand, Disney Imagineering development, DreamWorks, historic districts, sports complex, mini parks, and Brand Library renovation to name a few.” Dave Weaver

What experience do you bring to the table that makes you the best choice for city council?

“I have been a college instructor for eight years and later a college dean. I have been running my own business for past 10 years; have Masters in Organizational Leadership and currently working on my second Masters of Business Administration…I have the ability to come up with creative solutions to problems and find alternative ways of looking at life’s challenges. I will definitely bring fresh and innovative perspective to the City Council.”  Evelyne Poghosyan

“For many years I’ve been dealing with the issues of residents in southern Glendale who’ve been underrepresented in [the city] council and who live in inadequate neighborhoods. The safety issues are well known to me as a prior member of the GPD. Public improvements, finance issues and safety issues require years of involvement so as not to be misled by unofficial city rhetoric.” Chahe Keuroghelian

“My decision to run was a very serious one. My heart, passion and vision are in this race. I want to continue serving the city that I have worked and has been my home for 20 years. I am the candidate that’s coming from within – I was there, I worked within the system, I know where the problems are and I am up to the challenge to help make realistic solutions. I firmly believe that my strong educational background… plus more than 35 years of local “hands-on” government experience will guide me in making the right decisions for Glendale.”

Edith Fuentes