Friedman reigns in the north

GLENDALE — City Councilwoman-elect Laura Friedman took 22 out of 51 city precincts in the April 7 election, mostly in north Glendale, according to reports from the city clerk’s office.

All but one were north of the Ventura (134) Freeway — the land of politically active homeowners associations that mobilized to send Mayor John Drayman to office as a challenger in 2007. Homeowners groups in the one southern precinct Friedman took, Adams Hill, are also no strangers to City Hall.

Voter turnout rates were also higher above the 134 Freeway, with northern precinct polls attracting between 10% and 20% of registered voters. In the lower half of the city, participation rates ranged mostly between 7% and 10%.

Overall, of the 99,445 registered voters in Glendale, just 11.2% turned up at the polls.

Friedman, who tied with candidate Bruce Philpott in one of the northeast precincts, took less than Drayman’s 30 in 2007, but she was a close second in a half dozen others, according to tentative voting results.

Either way, it was the second time that north Glendale rallied strongly behind one particular candidate as the homeowners associations, through no particular mass coordination, seemed to hit their political stride.

“There’s networking there that doesn’t exist in other neighborhoods,” said Michael Teahan, who placed 10th in the City Council election.

As the former president of the only active south Glendale homeowners association, Adams Hill, he recently took the helm of the Glendale Homeowners Coordinating Council, an umbrella group for dozens of associations.

He acknowledged that in the past two elections, the associations had played a more prominent role in stoking participation, which in turn feeds interest in City Hall.

Time and again, homeowner groups riled by neighborhood issues over the past several years have invaded City Council Chambers to lobby their cause. And nearly every time, they’ve gotten their way.

Six of the seven precincts won by Councilman Frank Quintero were also above the 134 Freeway; as were four of Councilman Ara Najarian’s seven precincts. Given the voting history for Drayman and Councilman Dave Weaver, who were backed by roughly the same groups two years ago, the political limelight appeared to be affixed on the homeowners associations even more brightly than it was in 2007.

“I think it tells the candidates the importance of our neighborhoods,” said Mirna Stanley, president of the Verdugo Woodlands West Homeowners Assn., an area that went strongly for Friedman. “I think they heard us loud and clear.”

For her part, Friedman said she was sticking to her campaign priorities upon taking office, especially in terms of progress on redeveloping the industrial San Fernando Road Corridor and working with her colleagues to move city policy forward more efficiently.

“I think it’s important to represent everybody in the city, including people who don’t vote,” she said. “[Homeowners associations] just responded to my message.”

As nonprofits, homeowners associations are prevented from making any official political endorsements, but they have grown in political significance based on their ability to spur interest among individuals outside their immediate sphere of influence, members said.

“People feel very vested in their neighborhoods,” said Tammi Relyea, a board member for the Northwest Glendale Homeowners Assn. “It’s the individual residents combined with the [homeowners associations] that make all the difference.”

Chahe Keuroghelian, who could not be reached for comment, dominated many of the south Glendale neighborhoods, getting close to 30% of the vote in one precinct alone. He took 13 in all.

Councilman Bob Yousefian, who placed fourth in the election, rounded out the precinct winners with two of his own.

Five other voting precincts applied only to the education-related races.