TOBACCO PERMIT REVOCATIONS
The City Council on Tuesday will consider upholding a decision by the Permit Appeals Board to suspend tobacco retail licenses from three vendors who were allegedly caught selling cigarettes to underage teens.
They include Studio Star Mart at 3020 W. Olive Ave., Sevan Mini Market at 1516 N. San Fernando Road and Mega Alliance Inc. at 2616 N. Glenoaks Blvd
The license suspensions ranged from 14 to 21 days, but all three vendors appealed the decisions to the City Council.
The council adopted the Tobacco Retailer License in 2007 in an effort to cut down on youth tobacco sales. With a permitting process in place, city officials had contended that the threat of suspending, or in some cases revoking, the license would cut down on the illegal sales.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The City Council will deliberate the merits of each case before rendering a final decision. If the decisions are upheld, the retailer would be barred from selling all tobacco products during the suspension.
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REVISED BUDGET PROJECTIONS
City finance officials will recommend a revised city budget forecast Tuesday that reflects a decrease in revenue of about $1.97 million.
The latest figures are based on the first six months of the current 2008-09 fiscal year and take into account the impacts of a debilitating recession.
Included in the deflated revenue projections are a lag in city service charges, permit fees, parking tax and a battered business community.
Still, property values were 10% over the same period last year, with tax revenues of $11.4 million, and the city’s Utility Users Tax continued to track strongly at $9.4 million, according to the budget report.
A relatively conservative fiscal policy has also helped the city hedge against the state fiscal crisis and down economy, according to the report.
Comparatively, Glendale’s proposed budget adjustment for the same period is $5.43 million.
The report did not include sales tax data from the holiday shopping season, or the most recent property tax payments from the county, both of which are expected in April.
Given the fluid economic landscape, officials warned further budget adjustments could be needed after the third quarter.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The council will likely approve the budget adjustments and press for forecasts for next fiscal year, which begins July 1.
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HOME BUSINESSES
The City Council is scheduled to hear the first of two reports detailing the history of the city’s Home Occupation Ordinance, last amended in 2006.
