By Julie BUTCHER

The Glendale City Council selected Councilmember Elen Asatryan as the city’s next mayor by a vote of 3-2 at a packed, loud meeting on Tuesday night from which at least a dozen people were thrown out for disruptive behavior.

“Some people have mentioned the effect on children watching the fairness of the mayoral selection process,” Councilmember Paula Devine said. “I can only hope that your children aren’t watching.

“I’ve served on this council for 10 years and I’ve never witnessed or been part of any council decision that has caused so much anger, accusations, disrespect or division as this one … not only from the public but from my colleagues. I understand this decision is based on the argument about what is in the ‘best interest’ of the city – what I think is best for the city is that we move on from this vitriol, this anger, this division.”

Devine implored the council members to “be the leaders we were elected to be – put aside your politics, your personal issues, your personal agendas. Do the right thing tonight. Follow the ordinance. Look at the changes on April 30 and let us move on to do the business of the people.”

Numerous speakers addressed the council. Edgar, a 2022 graduate of Glendale schools said, “Mr. Najarian has been mayor four times. Miss Devine has been mayor twice; Mr. Kassakhian has been mayor, and Mr. Brotman is the current mayor. The only person on this council who has never been mayor is Elen Asatryan. Elen Asatryan is an ally of the working class, an advocate for reproductive rights and an ally to marginalized communities who have faced harassment and discrimination over the past year in Glendale. This would represent another victory against the bigots and misogynists who have been slandering her and a symbolic victory against bigots who have been bringing hate to Glendale since April 2023.”

“I’m here as a 35-year resident,” Susan Broussalian told the council. “Until recently, I didn’t realize the politics involved in selecting the city’s ceremonial mayor each year. I truly thought it was just the friendly passing of the gavel. Last week’s meeting revealed all the political turmoil and behind-the-scenes drama in the mayoral selection process before the rules were changed, a little over two years ago. Last week, Paula Devine rightly said that the system has worked well since then and should be fair to all. Councilmember Najarian has proudly dedicated his service to our city for more than 20 years. He meets all the requirements in the current municipal code and has always prioritized his advocacy with our city’s best interest at heart. He has been actively involved in benefitting the city through his actions and dedication on many levels and he was reelected four times for demonstrating his passion in putting our city’s needs first and should be selected our next mayor.”

Councilmember Ara Najarian determined the process to be adversarial and demanded to treat the process as a quasi-judicial hearing.

“The municipal code at §2.04.020 is clear when it says, ‘[t]he councilmember with the longest, continuous uninterrupted service on the council since last serving as mayor … shall be selected as mayor.’ The word ‘shall’ is significant. The only way to bypass this language is the ‘best interest’ language in Section H, language that was put into the ordinance without discussion, language we agreed to review and change. Last week, you heard five of us say that we don’t know what that language means.”

Soon to be former Mayor Dan Brotman commented at length: “This has been difficult for me and I have a real dilemma. I believe in sticking to agreements. And it is true, we agreed on an order for mayoral rotation. According to that order, Councilmember Najarian is up next. Yes, there’s an out clause for extreme circumstances, but I prefer not to invoke it – it’s not good for the functioning of this council and it’s not good for this community.

“However I cannot support elevating Mr. Najarian to the mayorship because I think it would be even more harmful than invoking the out clause. In fact, I believe it would be dangerous and cause long-term damage to the community.”

Mayor Brotman touched on the recent disagreements within the Glendale community regarding accusations that the Glendale Unified School District is teaching differences in sexual preference and gender expression. He informed those present and listening online that schools cannot tell parents if a student expresses the desire to identify as a different gender or to use a different name or pronoun.

“That is true,” he said. “It also happens to be a matter of state law.”

Mayor Brotman went on.

“The problem for me is that many parents are being misled and manipulated and unfortunately Mr. Najarian has stepped into these muddy waters by repeating some of these lies, the most obvious example was his interview with the ‘Business Insider.’”

Mayor Brotman said that Najarian was asked how the protests got started and answered that it probably happened during the pandemic when some parents realized that the material their children were being presented was inappropriate. He also said that Najarian said that school officials approached children to offer gender-affirming counseling.

“And to be clear, they are lies,” Mayor Brotman said. “The school does not teach the proper way to have oral sex. And there’s not a shred of evidence they do, outside perhaps of sex education classes that talk about protecting oneself from sexually transmitted diseases – which, by the way, parents are free to opt out of. The school obviously does not approach children and try to get them to change their gender and the idea that the school administers hormone treatment is so absurd, it’s laughable. Schools need parents’ permission to give a Tylenol, for God’s sake. Does Mr. Najarian really believe they give hormone replacement therapy? With or without permission? The idea that a sitting councilmember would repeat these lies and then do nothing to correct them is deeply concerning. It’s dangerous in light of the threats and intimidation directed towards GUSD administrators and teachers as well as towards LGBTQ students.”

Mayor Brotman then asked what would prevent Najarian as mayor from continuing to spread these lies.

“That is why I believe elevating Mr. Najarian to mayor is not in the best interest of the city. With the bully pulpit of mayor, his actions would be more impactful, and his words reverberate farther than they already do, and I cannot in good conscience support him,” Brotman concluded.

Elen Asatryan received three votes and assumed the chair of mayor.

Najarian’s attorney, his son Alexander, minced no words.

“The die has been cast, constitutional rights have been displaced, and we will see you in court,” he yelled.

“What transpired during this meeting is a reflection of the pain and divide that has been growing in our Jewel City for some time now,” said new mayor Elen Asatryan. “We have become a hot bed for division and a common place to throw stones and name-calling. It is way past time for healing and unity. I invite you to join me in meeting hate with love.”

After the meeting, Councilmember Najarian told the Crescenta Valley Weekly that the fight has just started.

“It’s a dark, dark day for the City of Glendale. If this is how they treat a sitting councilmember, think about the treatment of an average resident,” he said.

Najarian said he plans to seek a writ of mandamus in court, asserting that he’s been deprived of constitutional, liberty and due process rights.

In limited other business, the council heard from consultants at CityGate regarding an analysis of the city’s fire service, specifically deployment, headquarters operations and facilities. Given the diversity of the city’s geography (“Not many cities have a mountain range in their middles,” the consultant observed), response and travel times are acceptable. The analysis suggests increased ambulance coverage would be helpful, especially during daylight hours, and recommends adding a sixth ambulance for the southern part of the city. The consultant also suggests the city explore two-firefighter paramedic squads like those that are utilized by Los Angeles County (rather than sending out four-person fire engines) but which would require improved software and training for dispatching operations to differentiate the most acute calls.

As to the city’s fire facilities, of the nine stations three are older than 50 years and three are older than 60 years. None meet the essential facility, seismic and gender separation standards. The consultant suggested the city develop a comprehensive capital spending plan over multiple years in three phases, rebuilding stations 29, 28, and 26 in the first phase. Station 29 is the Montrose station and Station 28 is in La Crescenta.

“That way, staff could move from Montrose to La Crescenta during the renovation,” interim fire chief Greg Fish explained.

Earlier in the council meeting, the city proclaimed April 2024 as Sexual Assault Awareness month as “every 68 seconds, someone in America is sexually assaulted. Approximately one of every six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.”

This year, Denim Day – a day of action and awareness is an event in which people are encouraged to wear denim to combat victim blaming and educate others about sexual violence – is set for Wednesday, April 24.

Also, the council declared the first week of April as Food Waste Prevention Week and issued commendations to four Glendale businesses that have exceeded standards for certifying green businesses. They are Joie De Vivre Style; S.I.G. Property Management; Ara Kassabian, CPA; and Glendale’s Central Library.

The next meeting of the Glendale council will be on Tuesday, April 16.