By Julie BUTCHER

Following proclamations recognizing Building and Safety Month and Lupus Awareness Month on Tuesday night, the Glendale City Council approved a 10-year lease agreement with SAS Entertainment for the operation of the Alex Theatre.

Last year, the council voted 3-2 to contract with the private vendor rather than Glendale Arts, the organization that had been running the venue since 2008.

According to the city’s report, “The total City contribution is estimated at $6,750,000 over the 10 years. SAS will be collecting a per-ticket facility fee and returning the revenue to the City as an offset to facility maintenance and improvement costs. The 10-year projected cost to the City, offset by the estimated facility fee revenue, is approximately $1,750,000.”

The council authorized $775,000 to implement the new agreement and expects to hear an annual report on the theatre’s operations including a summary of proposed shows, performance metrics and quarterly reports subject to audits.

Mayor Ardy Kassakhian insisted on receiving at least annual reports.

“This is a new relationship, operating an important city resource,” he said.

Councilmember Dan Brotman voted against the lease agreement.

“They’re not getting a management fee and we’re giving up a great deal of control. It’s misleading – we’re still paying, we’re just calling it something else,” he said.

Next, the council approved hiring eight new permanent employees to work at Glendale Water and Power (GWP) on the utility’s underground distribution mechanical crew to improve customer service and help prepare for expanding building and transit electrification.

Finally, two homes were added to the historical register. The first, at 1639 Santa Barbara Ave. in the Verdugo Woodlands neighborhood, was built in 1926 by famed movie designer S. Charles Lee and is called the Robert and Florence Dick House after its first owners. As described by associate historic preservation planner Kasey Conley, it is an “excellent example of modest Spanish Colonial Revival-style architecture which conveys distinguishing elements and planning features. It incorporates details in the primary façade that creates intrigue from the public right-of-way, a trademark of Lee’s work and his theory of ‘the show starts from the sidewalk.’”

Charles Lee designed Los Angeles’ Tower Theatre and the Los Angeles Theatre as well as Glendale’s Alex Theatre.

The second home is simply called the “1559 Grandview Avenue house” and is found at 1559 Grandview Ave. in Glendale’s El Miradero neighborhood. Also built in 1926, the home sits on the triangle of land where Grandview Avenue meets Sonora Avenue and Bel Aire Drive. The historic preservation commission has recommended the removal of the compass artwork on the house’s chimney, the removal of tilework surrounding the front door, and the replacement of the gazebo in the rear yard.

Owners of both properties thanked the council for the approval of the historic designations.

The final report of the city’s Blue Ribbon Pension Review Commission will be released on Monday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers. The report will detail strategies on which the commission has been working to address the city’s $640 million pension obligation.