Nick’s News for June 2021
Good morning everyone,
Welcome to the latest edition of "Nick's News," which is my monthly newsletter covering what I'm working on at City Hall, as well as upcoming events in the City of Burbank. In this edition we will cover:
A brief recap of the developments at Burbank City Hall in May 2021.
A preview of City Council meetings scheduled for June 2021.
Upcoming community activities and events.
However, I would like to begin by sharing that the City of Burbank recently adopted its fiscal year 2021-2022 budget after a month-long process involving several study sessions and a public hearing. On May 25th, this process was completed when I moved and voted to approve the upcoming fiscal year's Burbank City Budget.
As you can see from the chart above, our locally owned and operated utility, Burbank Water and Power (BWP), constitutes the largest portion of the budget. Last month, the Burbank City Council approved electric and water rate increases to account for increased operating costs and to make significant investments in our infrastructure so that BWP can continue to provide reliable energy and clean drinking water to our community.
Importantly, the Burbank City Council will be considering an expansion to the BWP financial assistance programs related to COVID-19, in the coming months, in order to partially offset the impact of these rate increases.
The fiscal year 2021-2022 budget adopted by City Council also includes many important General Fund investments that will prove to be helpful to our community for years to come. These investments include:
Creation of a homeless services coordinator.
Creation of a BWP Sustainability Coordinator.
Earmarked funds for life-saving CPR equipment for acquisition by the Burbank Fire Department.
Hiring of new planning department staff to help with the backlog of residential and commercial project approvals.
Allocation of a $50,000 performing arts endowment fund.
Purchase of a vehicle for the Burbank Police Department mental health evaluation team expansion.
Approximately $75 million in infrastructure investments for our community (e.g., sidewalk and road re-pavement, playground equipment replacement).
In summary, I believe that this budget is one that all of us can be proud of and build upon to tackle our biggest issues in the year’s ahead! For more information about the status of our city's revenues and expenditures, as well as our five-year financial forecast, please click here for a short and descriptive handout from the Financial Services Department.
Recap of May 2021
Each month I summarize the notable events at City Council during the prior month. Below is a brief recap of the Burbank City Council meetings held in May 2021:
May 4, 2021 - The City Council held a regularly scheduled meeting in which we recognized May 2021 as both "AAPI Heritage Month" and "Mental Health Awareness Month." The City Council approved an agreement between the City of Burbank and the OIR group to continue serving as an independent monitor of the Burbank Police Department. Next, the City Council approved an agreement with the Los Angeles Community Garden Council to manage two community gardens in Burbank. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) annual action plan was also adopted by City Council. Additionally, the City Council also introduced and discussed an ordinance to impose "hazard pay" for certain frontline grocery and pharmacy retail workers in the City of Burbank. Finally, the City Council discussed options and provided direction to city staff for celebrating Burbank's 110th anniversary in July 2021. Please click here to view the video recording of this meeting.
May 11, 2021 - There was no City Council meeting.
May 18, 2021 - The City Council held a regularly scheduled meeting in which we recognized "National Public Works Week," as well as "Harvey Milk Day" in the City of Burbank on May 22nd. We also congratulated the John Muir Middle School Chess Club for winning the 2021 state championship! City Council also thanked Mickey DePalo for his many years of service to the community. Next, the City Council adopted an ordinance to impose "hazard pay" for certain frontline grocery and pharmacy retail workers in the City of Burbank. Proposed increases to electric, water, and refuse rates were approved by the City Council after conducting a public hearing. The City Council also appointed former City Manager Bud Ovrum and former Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority. Finally, the City Council reviewed and provided feedback to city staff regarding the downtown Burbank transit oriented development (TOD) specific plan. Please click here to view the video recording of this meeting.
May 25, 2021 - The City Council held a regularly scheduled meeting in which we recognized Danny Bustos as the California State University Northridge Wolfson Scholar. We also recognized Barry Gussow and Marcia Baroda as "Older American Volunteer Service Award" recipients, as part of "Older Americans Month." The City Council spent the first portion of our meeting reviewing, discussing, and ultimately adopting the fiscal year 2021-2022 city budget. Next, the City Council reviewed and provided feedback to city staff regarding the draft Housing Element, Safety Element, and Environmental Justice updates to the Burbank 2035 General Plan. The City Council also approved changes to the city's Permanent Local Housing Allocation program application. Lastly, the City Council received informational reports regarding the 2020 Golden State Substation Outage and the city's COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Please click here to view the video recording of this meeting.
Outside of City Council meetings, I have continued to represent the City of Burbank on the Board of Directors for the Valley Economic Alliance. I have also been regularly attending meetings of both the Sustainable Burbank Commission and the Burbank Police Commission to serve as a resource for the commissioners.
I spent the last month touring Burbank Water and Power facilities (e.g., Magnolia Power Plant), as well as the Burbank Police Department, to develop a greater understanding of our operational capacity and needs moving forward. I have also had the opportunity to represent the City Council at several community events in recent weeks, including an Eagle Court of Honor for one of our newest local Eagle Scouts. I also had the opportunity to attend a ceremony honoring the latest retirements and induction of the newest recruit classes of the Burbank Fire Department.
Upcoming Events
Please join me later this month for a joint townhall with Assemblymember Laura Friedman. We will be discussing the challenges and opportunities for state and local governments to add much needed affordable housing in our community. Event details will be forthcoming in a separate email later this month.
In the meantime, you can check out the City of Burbank's calendar of events to learn more about some of the latest happenings in our community, including upcoming Board and Commission meetings. Upcoming City Council Meetings
The Burbank City Council will be meeting twice during the month of June. There will be many important topics of conversation during these upcoming meetings. Below is a list of the meeting dates and tentative agenda items:
June 8, 2021 - This meeting will be divided into two components. At the start of the meeting, the Burbank City Council will issue a proclamation recognizing June 2021 as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in the City of Burbank for the first time. Next, the City Council will participate in a Joint Meeting with the Burbank Unified School District (BUSD). There will be several topics of discussion including:
Updates on our long-range planning efforts.
Community childcare & updates on Horace Mann Child Development Center.BUSD re-opening plans.
Joint Use Agreement for the emergency use of pools.
School Resource Officers (SROs) in Burbank public schools.
After completion of this joint session, the City Council will also consider approval of BWP's COVID-19 job loss bill credit program's eligibility enhancements and extension of program expiration. The City Council will also conduct a public hearing regarding the introduction of an ordinance approving a zone text amendment to update regulations on supportive housing, transitional housing, and emergency shelters. Lastly, the Burbank City Treasurer will report to the City Council on our 2021 Investment Policy and the Investment Portfolio Report for March 31, 2021. Please click here to view the complete meeting agenda.
June 15, 2021 -There will be no City Council meeting.
May 25, 2021 - The City Council will consider adoption of the proposed ordinance approving a zone text amendment to update regulations on supportive housing, transitional housing, and emergency shelters. A resolution extending the local COVID-19 state of emergency will be considered by City Council, along with a permanent local housing allocation for rapid rehousing contract. Next, the City Council will conduct a public hearing to consider adoption of the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
There will also be several noteworthy reports to the City Council including: updates on downtown Burbank electric vehicle parking management; consideration of neighborhood protection options for the Rancho Providencia neighborhood; an update on the Intermountain Power Plant; and review of BWP's annual update to its Wildfire Mitigation Plan. Lastly, the City Council will consider approval of the updated electric vehicle commercial charging rebate program. Please click here to view the complete meeting agenda once it's posted.
June 29, 2021 - There will be no City Council meeting.
Opportunity to Serve on a Board or Commission
As a reminder, the Burbank City Clerk's Office is currently accepting applications to serve on several City of Burbank boards and commissions. The City Council will be considering the applications and making appointments to these boards and commissions at our July 13th meeting. Please note that the deadline to apply is today (June 2nd) at 5:00 p.m.
Staying in Touch
As a reminder, you will find my latest press releases, blog posts, and upcoming events on my community page. I encourage you to keep in regular contact with me by regularly visiting my community page or by following my social media accounts (see links below).
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends. If you know someone who would like to be added to the recipient list, please ask them to visit my community page and sign-up to receive it. In the meantime, please stay safe and be well. Thank you for reading!
Your Friend,
Nick
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