Tasty Edits

I’m a total sucker for behind-the-scenes City Hall machinations, and no where is there a better place to keep a pulse on city officialdom — and the gadflies that won’t stop — than the City Attorney’s Office.

That’s because it’s the conduit for public records requests. So you’ll have to put up with the occasional post here regurgitating some of the more weird, mundane and absurd records requests that I come across at City Hall (yes, we editors do get out).

Here’s a couple for today:

1) Phyllis Pollack of Northridge requested all permits and documents related to the cost of accommodating Michael Jackson’s funeral at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Glendale.

The Jackson family was billed for the costs, but here’s what the tabs were according to the records: $142,770 for the city, and $4,278 for Glendale Unified.

2) Then there was this one, based on a request filed by Lila Ramirez, an active politico in Glendale (and mother of former Burbank Mayor Marsha Ramos).

Salary payouts to the City Council in 2008 were as follows:

Ara Najarian: $41,542; Frank Quintero: $41,167; John Drayman: $41,167; Dave Weaver: $41,167; and Bob Yousefian: $41,063.

As of September 2009, the payouts were as followed:

John Drayman: $30,915; Laura Friedman: $16,819; Ara Najarian: $31,315; Frank Quintero: $31,330; and Dave Weaver: $30,915.