On Tuesday, December 15th, the Burbank City Council held their last City Council meeting of 2020 and were accompanied by new council members Konstantine Anthony and Nick Schultz. The council has continued to meet virtually due to the state of emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Newly appointed Mayor Bob Frutos started the meeting by adjourning former City of Burbank employee, Ralph Costanzo (1946-2020). Costanzo joined the Marine Corps for 4 years where he spent his time in Vietnam and the Philippines. He worked for the City of Burbank in the Public Works department and rose to Supervisor. He worked for the city for 35 years before retiring, and just recently lost his battle with cancer.
The City is holding a survey to gather community thoughts and ideas for prioritizing housing programs to meet Burbank’s current and future housing needs. The survey deadline is December 31st. To take the survey visit www.burbankhousingelement.com.
Mayor Frutos reminded the public that the City Hall office will be closed on Christmas and New Years Day and that the next council meeting will be held on January 5th, 2021.
During the City Manager’s report, Justin Hess, introduced Patrick Prescott to speak on behalf of the San Fernando barricades. Prescott announced that the barricades have been removed and the streets have been reopened to traffic to encourage take out. A survey of the businesses along San Fernando showed that majority of stores wanted to keep the street open so the city will be working on a hybrid plan when outdoor dining is allowed again.
Also in the City Manager’s report the City Attorney educated the public on the process for non-compliant businesses pertaining to COVID orders. If the city gets a complaint about a business not following orders, Code Enforcement comes out to the business to remind and educate the business owners. On the second complaint, police are deployed to again remind and educate. By the 3rd complaint the matter is referred to the County Public Health Office where a process may be held to revoke a health permit and/or suspend and revoke their liquor license.
The city has been struggling with local restaurant, Tinhorn Flats, who has continued to operate against orders and has reached the point where the matter has been moved to Public Health. The city is working with Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office and County health to stay on the issue.
The City Council unanimously voted to approve the Consent Calendar which included the consideration and adoption of unmodified urgency ordinances extending the local Commercial Eviction Moratorium, extending the time to allow restaurants and service businesses to operate in their private parking, and consideration and adoption of a resolution authorizing the continued closure of parts of San Fernando BLVD and extension of outdoor dining permits.
A presentation was made by Dave Hernandez, Manager of the TND Engineering sections at Burbank Water and Power. He discussed the BWP Wildlife Mitigation Plan and the study of 50 risk driver events over the last 15 years in the Tier 2 High Fire Threat District of Burbank. Twelve mitigation activities were accomplished including completing 100% of annual patrol inspections. There were no intrusive pole inspections needed this year but a list was made of poles to be addressed over the next 3-5 years. Other accomplishments were pole loading assessment and remediation, overload transformer replacements, and a vegetation management program. 34 problem trees were removed that were affecting or about to affect power lines.
The council unanimously voted to verify that the BWP’s Wildlife Mitigation Plan complies with all applicable rules, regulations, and standards and to direct BWP to accept all reasonable and appropriate comments on the Wildfire Mitigation Plan from the public, other local and state agencies, and interested parties that are received prior to January 1, 2021.
Senior Planner for the Community Development Department, Lisa Frank, presented on the Burbank 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Assessment which allocates 8,751 additional housing units for the 2021-2029 planning period. The plan addresses the jobs-to-housing imbalance where 12,00 housing units are to be facilitated through 2035 while building and protecting neighborhoods. We are currently at the end of the 5th cycle.
The Burbank 2035 General Plan addresses goal 1 (Quality of Life) accommodating a mix of residential and non-residential land uses in appropriate locations, goal 5 (Housing) providing a variety of residential neighborhoods with varying densities and housing types which will provide more people to live near work and public transit, and goal 6 (Economic Vitality and Diversity) attracting and retaining new business by developing workforce housing near employment centers. The status update was noted and filed.
Finally the council members were appointed as Council Liaisons to committees and coalitions for the January 2021-December 2021 term. The list below shows the committee/coalition and the 2021 appointees. The council also voted to add the Transportation Commission to the list and appointed Sharon Springer and Konstantine Anthony
1 Affordable Housing Advisory Committee- Sharon Springer, Konstantine Anthony
2 Airport Ad Hoc Committee- Mayor Bob Frutos, Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes
3 Audit Committee- Mayor Bob Frutos, Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes
4 Economic Development Subcommittee- Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes, Sharon Springer
5 Fiscal & Treasurer’s Review Group- Mayor Bob Frutos, Nick Schultz
6 Public Information Office Advisory Committee- Mayor Bob Frutos, Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes
7 Racial Equity and Diversity Subcommittee- Mayor Bob Frutos, Sharon Springer
8 Arroyo Verdugo Communities Subregion Joint Powers Authority- Sharon Springer, alternate:Nice Schultz
9 Disaster Council- Mayor Bob Frutos, alternate: Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes
10 Domestic Violence Task Force- Sharon Springer, Konstantine Anthony
11 League of California Cities Annual Statewide Voting Delegate- Mayor Bob Frutos, alternate: Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes
12 League of California Cities L.A. Division- Mayor Bob Frutos, alternate: Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes
13 San Fernando Valley Council of Governments- Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes, alternate:Sharon Springer
14 San Fernando Valley Service Sector Governance Council- Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes
15 Southern California Association of Governments District 42 Representative -not needed
16 Southern California Association of Governments Annual General Assembly Voting Delegate- Mayor Bob Frutos, alternate: Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes
17 Valley Economic Alliance Board of Directors- Nick Schultz, Konstantine Anthony
18 Board of Library Trustees- Mayor Bob Frutos
19 Burbank Cultural Arts Commission- Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes
20 Infrastructure Oversight Board- Mayor Bob Frutos, Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes
21 Parks and Recreation Board- Sharon Springer
22 Police Commission- Mayor Bob Frutos, Nick Schultz
23 Senior Citizen Board- Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes, Sharon Springer
24 Burbank Sustainable Commission- Mayor Bob Frutos, Nick Schultz
25 Burbank Association of Realtors- Mayor Bob Frutos, Vice Mayor Jess Talamantes
26 Burbank Chamber of Commerce- Mayor Bob Frutos
