Full Text of Swearing-In Speech

Thank you Madame Mayor, and thank you fellow Councilmembers.

To say I am humbled and honored to be here today would an understatement. Words cannot describe how grateful I am to have this opportunity to serve the amazingly compassionate, creative, and resilient people of our great city, and I am touched by the outpouring of support that I have received from members of our community.

I know none of us need to look too far to understand that the challenges before us are difficult. I believe that these seemingly insurmountable problems must be met with bold and innovative ideas, and the collective spirit and resolve of our community to tackle these issues.

I believe our city is up to the task, and it will be an honor to be a part of that effort, alongside my colleagues on the council, as we all work together in the days and months ahead.

 ECONOMIC RECOVERY & HOUSING

We all know that Burbank is facing an unprecedented public health and economic crisis. The harm inflicted upon our entertainment industry, our airport, our small businesses, and the workers that depend on these industries is immeasurable. 

I applaud the outgoing city council for their work in creating an economic recovery plan for our community. This plan has set a foundation from which we can nimbly respond to the ever-evolving demands of this pandemic.

However, we must ensure that as we move forward, we create a fairer and more sustainable Burbank. We must not only restore what we have lost as a result of this pandemic, but we must also continue to find opportunities for everyone who seeks to call Burbank home to earn a livable wage with benefits and health insurance.

We are a city born of industriousness and creativity. In that legacy, we need to be innovative in finding ways to help our neighbors pay the rent or mortgage, access quality healthcare and childcare, keep their jobs, and save our small businesses.

We need to find long-term solutions to our homelessness problem and lack of affordable housing options. Issues that have always been challenging are all the more challenging now…but we can do it.

These will be my priorities as your next member of city council. These will be the guiding questions on my mind as I start each day, and they will be the thoughts I reflect upon at the end of each night.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

I also believe that we must come to terms with some difficult truths facing our community.  We are rightfully proud of our excellent public services and our selfless and dedicated public servants. But the results of our most recent elections reveal a mandate for major reforms to community policing and to re-imagine public safety.

To do this we will need to work together and seek the input and participation of everyone in Burbank, including BPD and the community they serve.  We need:

• Further investments in preventative and restorative justice programs that emphasize treatment and rehabilitation.

• To employ methods that keep us safe while also ensuring people are treated with dignity and respect.

• To ensure that justice carried out is truly just and that our community is a place where truth, compassion, and equity reign as our guiding principles.  

 I applaud the council for taking the first step of passing the Sundown Town Resolution last week. To change, we must acknowledge our past, including the transgressions against people of color that continue to have effects to this day. But we cannot stop there. 

 It is crucial that we bring new voices to City Hall to lead us on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I promise to prioritize the diversification of our city boards and commissions. And while some of these conversations may be difficult, by us having them, I believe our community will be stronger for it.

 ENVIRONMENT

We also need to address the climate crisis.  It is here and we cannot merely rely upon state and federal legislators to solve a global problem; instead, we need to explore all local solutions. We need to become a regional leader on climate recovery policies.

As a member of this esteemed body, I will work to commit the City of Burbank to significantly reducing our current greenhouse gas emissions and pursuing a 100% renewable energy portfolio at BWP by the end of the decade. 

Moreover, I will follow the Sustainable Burbank Commission’s recommendations by advocating for a Sustainability Coordinator. I will also prioritize significant investments in our transportation infrastructure to provide safe, reliable, and affordable alternative modes of transportation that reduces vehicular traffic.

Admittedly, these will not be easy tasks. But for this little patch of Earth we call our city, it’s our duty and responsibility to protect it, defend it, and nurture it. We must act as stewards of our environment to ensure that our children and grandchildren inherit a planet where they can breathe clean air and drink clean water. 

ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC

As I embark on this next exciting chapter of my life, I commit to each and every one of you that I will remain accessible, transparent, and accountable in the work that I do on behalf of the people of Burbank.

Additionally, I will be conducting town halls or community coffee talk events every month to share what I am working on at City Hall and, much more importantly, to answer your questions and field your concerns. At first, we will host these events virtually with the hope that we will one day soon be able to meet together in the community.

To sign up for my newsletter or to attend any of my monthly events, please email me at nick@nickforburbank.com.

I'd also like invite you to stay connected with me by following my social media accounts:

          Facebook – Councilmember Nick Schultz (@NickForBurbank)

          Twitter – Councilmember Nick Schultz (@NickFor Burbank)

          Instagram – Councilmember Nick Schultz (@NickForBurbank)

CONCLUSION

In closing, I would like to share the words of our 35th President, John F. Kennedy, who once remarked that:

“There are risks and costs to action.  But they are far less than the long range of risks of comfortable inaction.” 

These words ring true today.  Like all of you, I love Burbank. I love the community spirit, unity, and resolve that makes Burbank such a special place to live. I want to make sure that all of our children and grandchildren inherit a city that is safe, affordable, livable, and sustainable.  The next four years will be challenging.  But we can, we must, and we will meet these challenges with hard work, innovation, and bold new ideas.