Burbank

Burbank

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Burbank episodes

  • Downtown plan with heights up to 300 feet reviewed; comments get attachments

    The Planning Commission took another look at the draft downtown transit-oriented plan, and the City Council heard that written public comments can now include attachments. The commission also approved a children's indoor play center on San Fernando Boulevard.

    Planning Commission, Monday, October 26

    • Follow-up study session on the draft Downtown TOD Specific Plan (00:28:09)
      • A commissioner said they had to leave the meeting for a private matter before the item began (00:28:47)
      • A commissioner disclosed having spoken with members of the public about the plan (00:29:16)
      • City staff said the session follows up on the August study session and seeks input on how well draft policies match the community vision (00:29:51)
      • City staff acknowledged a letter received that day from the union Unite Here and asked that it be part of the record (00:31:56)
      • City staff said the draft program EIR is in internal review and expected to be circulated publicly later this year (00:32:56)
      • City staff said the plan and environmental analysis should be finalized in early 2027, with adoption hearings by spring 2027 (00:33:58)
      • City staff said the plan aims to address the city's jobs-housing imbalance with more housing, including workforce and affordable housing (00:33:58)
      • City staff said the union's hotel development agreement request was also made at the last study session and would be considered for the final draft (00:37:56)
      • A commissioner backed requiring development agreements for hotels, arguing downtown should be heavy on housing (00:38:26)
      • A commissioner objected that the mall and areas west of it appeared on a map as retail and services, and said they should be mixed use (00:38:26)
      • A commissioner said the owner of the former IKEA building had expressed interest in large-scale housing there (00:39:28)
      • A commissioner favored breaking up the mall site into smaller, walkable, mixed-use blocks (00:40:28)
      • City staff clarified that the map showed current land uses, not zoning, and that nearly all of downtown would allow mixed use (00:41:13)
      • City staff said housing in the industrial areas west of the freeway, such as the Victory corridor, would be allowed only through a state preemption process (00:41:13)
      • City staff said heights would reach about 100 feet near the station, 60 feet at the plan's edges, and 40 feet next to single-family homes (00:42:11)
      • City staff translated 60 feet as roughly four commercial or five to six residential stories (00:42:47)
      • City staff pointed to the plan's height map, with a core maximum transcribed as 205 feet and a freeway height overlay allowing taller buildings (00:44:50)
      • City staff noted, and staff confirmed, that the current Burbank Center plan already allows that maximum height, with a discretionary permit (00:46:48)
      • A commissioner urged a specially noticed meeting with a walking tour of the plan area before it returns for approval (00:47:15)
      • City staff said staff are trying to find a date for a walking tour and will coordinate with the city attorney's office (00:48:25)
      • A commissioner agreed with the walking tour idea, saying the plan is hard to visualize (00:48:56)
      • City staff said discretionary review would apply only in the freeway overlay, up to 300 feet with a CUP, with an AUP for the range transcribed as 205 to 250 feet and other heights by right (00:49:56)
      • City staff said projects built to by-right heights would still go through development review, keeping community oversight (00:49:56)
      • A commissioner said they didn't see a problem with hotels in the area, noting hotels near transit help visitors without cars (00:50:49)
      • A commissioner argued that buses on First Street and the coming BRT, not Metrolink, are the realistic transit anchor downtown (00:51:51)
      • A commissioner asked that the plan do more to treat buses as the main way people arrive downtown and to welcome bus riders (00:52:51)
      • A commissioner agreed Metrolink serves work commuters but said that covers a narrow part of the day (00:53:38)
      • A commissioner asked staff to clarify the two options shown for the mall site (00:54:36)
      • City staff said the mall illustrations are a vision, not a plan of what will be built (00:55:04)
      • City staff described options for reconnecting San Fernando Boulevard through the Town Center as a street or a pedestrian paseo (00:55:38)
      • City staff said pre-development applications proposing housing have been filed for the IKEA property (00:56:36)
      • City staff noted that some in the community want the enclosed mall kept as a cool refuge for people without air conditioning (00:56:36)
      • A commissioner asked whether any feasibility study had been done on the mall options (00:58:04)
      • City staff said the mall's developer has reviewed the concepts and given feedback, and the plan aims for flexibility within set standards (00:58:52)
      • A commissioner endorsed the short-block, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented concept and questioned keeping the mall mainly for air conditioning (01:03:33)
      • A commissioner noted that many people, especially seniors, use the mall for walking in the mornings (01:04:18)
      • A commissioner asked what the city's financial role would be, such as issuing bonds (01:05:18)
      • City staff said the city cannot fund the housing itself; the plan changes zoning and streamlines review, and private owners propose the projects (01:05:39)
      • City staff said larger downtown projects have usually gone through planned development and development agreement processes taking two to three years, which the plan aims to replace (01:07:48)
      • City staff pointed to the implementation chapter's funding tools, including enhanced infrastructure financing districts and a possible expansion of the downtown business improvement district (01:10:00)
      • City staff cited state infill infrastructure grants as one way to pay for off-site improvements for housing (01:12:06)
      • A commissioner asked what would trigger the first project under the plan (01:14:07)
      • City staff said that after adoption, projects that meet the standards would get streamlined review backed by the program EIR (01:14:23)
      • A commissioner asked whether the plan sets a target for low- or moderate-income units (01:16:08)
      • City staff said the plan relies on state housing requirements and the city's 12% inclusionary requirement rather than its own target, and that an inclusionary update is under way (01:16:22)
      • Super WYLD children's indoor play center at 330 N. San Fernando Blvd. (00:03:26)
        • City staff presented for staff that the site is a 13,506-square-foot tenant space next to a previously approved amusement use inside a larger building (00:05:06)
        • City staff described planned features including trampolines, ball pits, slides, arcade-style games, party rooms and arts-and-crafts rooms (00:08:16)
        • City staff said food and beverage service would serve only patrons, not the general public, and no alcohol sales were proposed (00:08:16)
        • City staff gave the proposed hours as 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday (00:09:18)
        • City staff reported that no members of the public attended the required development review community meeting, held October 20, 2026, and staff had received no public comments (00:11:29)
        • City staff said staff found the project categorically exempt from CEQA under the existing-facilities exemption (00:11:29)
        • The applicant's representative asked that the business be allowed to stay open until 10 p.m. occasionally for special events such as a glow night (00:13:18)
        • The applicant's representative said the operator worked with the city on using the space for a FIFA fan zone and is ready to submit building permits (00:13:18)
        • A commissioner asked staff whether the conditions would need to change to allow a 10 p.m. closing (00:16:26)
        • City staff suggested amending condition 13 to set both closing times at up to 10 p.m. and said staff had no problem with it (00:16:48)
        • A commissioner asked whether the arcade games would be gambling-style or ticket-prize games (00:17:16)
        • The applicant said there would be games of skill and no gambling-type or ticket-based games, just free play for kids (00:17:36)
        • A commissioner asked whether the center would be open to the public or only for private parties (00:18:36)
        • The applicant's representative said it would be open to walk-ins, with a reservation system and timed tickets of about two hours to manage capacity (00:18:57)
        • A commissioner asked whether the storefront windows would stay clear or be covered (00:20:51)
        • The applicant's representative said windows would stay clear, with paint changes and a sign but no major facade changes (00:20:58)
        • A commissioner stressed that San Fernando is a corridor where storefronts should engage pedestrians (00:21:19)
        • The applicant said the windows would be covered with marketing vinyl during construction, before opening (00:21:35)
        • The applicant's representative answered a capacity question by saying the fire department would set occupancy at the building-permit stage (00:22:04)
        • A commissioner asked how the business would make sure children leave with the adult they came with (00:22:42)
        • The applicant's representative described a reception desk with turnstile entry and said children cannot be dropped off (00:23:07)
        • The applicant said parents must sign a waiver listing parent and child names, birthdays and ID (00:23:44)
        • The applicant explained that a planned Sherman Oaks location was delayed because its building needed fire-system upgrades (00:24:46)
        • A commissioner supported the project, saying it would bring foot traffic to a section that has been vacant, and backed the 10 p.m. closing (00:26:08)
        • A commissioner supported the project, thanked the applicants for answering safety questions, and said Burbank needs child services (00:27:14)

          • Documents: Agenda

          City Council, Tuesday, October 27

          • Request for a first-step report on written public comments (04:08:28)
            • The vice mayor said the request followed public concerns about email attachments being left out of agenda packets. (04:08:44)
            • The city manager reported that eComment submissions can now include attachments, effective immediately. (04:09:21)
            • The city manager said users may attach up to three documents of up to 10 megabytes each. (04:09:21)
            • The city manager said emails sent directly to the council will get an auto-reply directing senders to the eComment portal for the official record. (04:09:21)
            • The city manager said staff needs more time to change the submission period for public hearing comments and will report back. (04:10:25)
            • The vice mayor asked that the auto-reply explain that agenda-related comments should go through the link. (04:11:58)
            • The vice mayor welcomed the changes as a way to steer the public toward eComment. (04:13:03)
            • Consent calendar (02:59:59)
            • Council comments (03:56:25)
              • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) reported visiting a new Burbank publisher of mostly dual-language education books. (03:56:38)
              • A council member reported attending a California Film Commission board meeting about the current round of film tax credits. (03:57:47)
              • A council member reported meeting with the police chief on license plate readers and said they had led to two carjacking arrests since the last meeting, with no breach of the system. (04:00:01)
              • Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) reported meeting Armenia's consul general in Los Angeles to discuss a possible sister city with Armenia. (04:00:55)
              • Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) reported meeting with the BWP general manager about water and power policies. (04:04:05)
              • A council member reported that the San Fernando Valley Council of Governments supports Metro providing seven-day service from the North Hollywood station to the new airport terminal. (04:06:27)
              • A council member said that if Metro provides that service, the city would no longer need to run its own. (04:06:27)
              • 2026 City Investment Policy (03:02:36)
                • The city treasurer said the update came from a comprehensive review done with MGT advisors. (03:03:26)
                • The city treasurer described a new state requirement that local agency officials complete fiscal and financial training. (03:04:33)
                • The city treasurer explained that compliance with portfolio percentage limits will be measured at book value, because market value fluctuates. (03:07:50)
                • The city treasurer said state law now allows commercial paper maturities of up to 397 days, but the city will cap commercial paper at 25% of the portfolio. (03:08:55)
                • The city treasurer explained that the city has long bought about $3 million at a time, and the new language ties purchase size to portfolio size. (03:08:55)
                • The city treasurer read the new per-purchase cap of generally 0.75% of portfolio market value. (03:11:00)
                • The city treasurer said the policy now states that stocks, ETFs, REITs and annuities are not allowed. (03:13:05)
                • The city treasurer described a new objective ESG screen that bars buying from issuers the city's ESG data provider rates as lagging. (03:15:11)
                • The city treasurer said the monthly liquidity requirement rises to $154 million from $127 million, based on the latest budget. (03:17:39)
                • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) asked for plain definitions of book value and market value. (03:18:58)
                • The city treasurer said the city does not currently buy commercial paper because its yields are not attractive. (03:21:10)
                • A council member asked how the city decides when to sell a corporate bond early instead of holding it to maturity. (03:21:37)
                • The city treasurer said such decisions are made with both investment committees, citing a downgraded Intel bond the city held to maturity and U.S. Bank bonds it sold during the banking crisis. (03:22:14)
                • A council member voiced appreciation for the ESG policy. (03:23:35)
                • A council member asked whether the ESG change had any immediate effect or was preventive. (03:24:00)
                • The city treasurer said there was no immediate concern; the change codifies existing practice for the future. (03:24:26)
                • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) asked whether the process for consulting the committees before exiting an investment is written down. (03:25:12)
                • The city treasurer said she can act alone in an emergency, that major noncompliance must be reported to council liaisons and the committees, and that she is open to adding more specific language. (03:26:02)
                • City Treasurer's investment portfolio report for June 30, 2026 (03:28:21)
                  • The city treasurer reported that the portfolio had grown to $757 million. (03:28:54)
                  • The city treasurer reported a June yield of 3.69%, which she called in line with other cities. (03:30:03)
                  • The city treasurer reported $2.1 million in interest income in June. (03:30:03)
                  • The city treasurer highlighted a purchase of airport authority bonds that financed part of the new terminal. (03:30:03)
                  • The city treasurer reported that multifamily loan delinquencies had risen sharply. (03:37:42)
                  • The city treasurer noted that the Federal Reserve raised rates by 25 basis points last month. (03:38:47)
                  • Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) asked why air travel demand stays high despite higher fuel prices. (03:40:40)
                  • The city treasurer pointed to rising net worth among the top earners and continued low unemployment. (03:41:39)
                  • Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) raised concern that further rate increases would add pressure on the housing market. (03:42:40)
                  • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) suggested that people priced out of buying homes are spending on travel instead. (03:45:30)
                  • A council member pointed to the multifamily delinquency and value figures, attributed them partly to pressures on housing providers, urged colleagues to weigh them, and said they would not take part in that topic. (03:46:56)
                  • A council member asked how to separate earnings gains caused by market conditions from those caused by investment strategy. (03:47:58)
                  • The city treasurer credited both a conservative, disciplined approach and higher rates. (03:48:34)
                  • A council member asked whether an AI bubble bursting would affect the city's investments. (03:50:34)
                  • The city treasurer said the city holds bonds from large tech companies she does not expect to fail, and holds bonds to maturity, so market swings don't matter. (03:51:23)
                  • The city treasurer said the airport bond holding is only $100,000 because the bond is hard to find, and that it reflects the ESG policy's push to invest locally. (03:53:38)
                  • Announcements: election, ballot measures, film permits, Media District hearing (02:06:38)
                    • City staff announced a new streamlined online film permit application process. (02:06:38)
                    • City staff announced a November 10 council public hearing on the Media District Specific Plan update. (02:07:39)
                    • City staff announced that BurbankBus rides will be free all day on election day. (02:08:43)
                    • City staff explained that Measure C would raise the hotel tax from 10% to 12%. (02:08:43)
                    • City staff said Measure C could raise about $3 million a year for public safety, parks and other services. (02:09:45)
                    • City staff explained that Measure CD asks whether council elections should move from at-large to by-district. (02:09:45)

                      • Documents: Agenda

                      This episode was produced with AI from the public recordings of the week's meetings. Links to the sources are in the show notes.

                      Report an error · This episode's page

                      8 min
                    • Library builder hired, union labor deal required; airport-area hotel advances

                      The Burbank City Council approved a design-build contract for the new central library and civic center and added a requirement for a project labor agreement. The Planning Commission recommended a new 420-room hotel at the Marriott site across from Hollywood Burbank Airport.

                      Planning Commission, Monday, October 12

                      • New 420-room dual-brand hotel and parking garage at the Marriott site, 2500 North Hollywood Way (00:10:08)
                        • City staff said the commission last heard the project in January 2025, during the public comment period on the draft environmental report (00:12:14)
                        • City staff described the site as already holding a nine-story, 488-room Marriott hotel, a convention center and surface parking (00:14:14)
                        • City staff said the new seven-story hotel would have 420 rooms, 203 under the Aloft brand and 217 under Residence Inn, in a building about 83 to 84 feet tall (00:15:15)
                        • City staff said the new garage would be valet-only, holding 673 cars normally and up to 766 during larger events, with another 285 surface spaces, and that a parking study found the parking sufficient (00:16:18)
                        • City staff listed the development agreement's community benefits: $30,000 each for future fire and police equipment (00:17:18)
                        • City staff said the benefits also include money for a neighborhood protection and traffic-calming plan, $80,000 for Burbank Bus operations and $20,000 for Metrolink station maintenance, and put the total value at about $1.1 million (00:18:19)
                        • City staff said three impact areas remain significant and unavoidable: greenhouse gas emissions, construction noise, and utilities and service systems (00:19:22)
                        • City staff clarified that the utilities finding is about construction noise from infrastructure work, not a lack of utility capacity (00:19:22)
                        • City staff said Los Angeles County airport land use commission staff found the project consistent with the county's airport land use plan on August 12, 2026 (00:21:27)
                        • City staff said staff does not expect a significant negative effect on the city's general fund (00:21:27)
                        • City staff said hearing notices were mailed to owners and occupants within 1,000 feet of the site (00:22:28)
                        • A guest presenter said the project has been ten years in the making (00:24:17)
                        • A guest presenter said the building would be 84 feet tall, 33 feet below the maximum allowed on the site (00:25:21)
                        • A guest presenter claimed it would be the first new all-electric hotel in Burbank (00:26:24)
                        • A guest presenter said more than 36,000 square feet of solar panels are proposed on the garage roof (00:29:35)
                        • A guest presenter projected about $2.6 million in hotel tax revenue in the first full year of occupancy, and more than $123 million over thirty years (00:33:05)
                        • A guest presenter estimated more than $12 million in fees, offsets and community benefit funding, and said the project would upgrade more than 1,500 linear feet of sewer line (00:33:48)
                        • A guest presenter described a planned partnership with the nonprofit Home Again LA to provide temporary bridge stays for families in its program (00:34:51)
                        • A guest presenter said a partnership with the Western States Carpenters would ensure the project is built with union labor (00:34:51)
                        • A guest presenter said the client would invest more than $200 million in the project (00:35:59)
                        • City staff responded to calls for housing by saying the site is not one of the six or seven housing element opportunity sites in the Golden State area, though housing is not ruled out there (01:16:10)
                        • City staff said the applicant is a hotel developer whose stated project objective was a hotel (01:18:17)
                        • City staff defended counting hotel guests in the greenhouse gas service population as a city policy allowed by the municipal code, because guests use energy and water as residents do (01:19:23)
                        • City staff recommended amending the condition on renewable power from 10% to 11% so it matches the environmental report (01:20:24)
                        • A guest presenter said the applicant is open to further talks with staff about strengthening the transit subsidy before the Council hearing (01:21:45)
                        • A guest presenter argued that adding housing would require an entirely different financing structure, which the applicant believes is not possible in today's market (01:22:46)
                        • A speaker said, as the applicant's land use counsel, that the applicant accepts the change to 11% (01:24:15)
                        • A speaker criticized the two long opposition letters submitted that day as a disfavored tactic (01:24:15)
                        • A speaker argued that since hotel guests generate emissions, counting them in the service population keeps the per-person calculation balanced (01:26:19)
                        • A speaker said the project does not rely on a private 1997 parking agreement with the neighboring office parcel, and that all its parking is on the hotel parcel or off-site for special events (01:28:29)
                        • A speaker asked whether the community benefits were requested by the city or offered by the applicant (01:30:42)
                        • City staff said the benefits were city requests, calculated as fair-share contributions for each area, modeled on earlier agreements such as 77 Front Street and Avion (01:32:35)
                        • A speaker objected to making developers pay for improvements he believes the city should fund, especially when the hotel will also generate tax revenue (01:33:04)
                        • A speaker explained, as a senior transportation planner, that the transit pass figures come from the city's transportation demand management ordinance and that the applicant's enrollment is voluntary (01:36:06)
                        • A commissioner said impact fees are standard and paid by everyone, even people building ADUs (01:36:21)
                        • A commissioner asked whether staff coordinated with the airport land use commission, which was raised in one letter (01:36:57)
                        • City staff confirmed that with the required sewer upgrades there would be enough capacity for the project (01:38:01)
                        • City staff said current zoning does not allow housing on the site, but the general plan designation allows a density he believed to be 58 units per acre (01:39:05)
                        • A commissioner raised a concern that under state no-net-loss law, approving a project with no housing would mean upzoning elsewhere to make up the lost capacity (01:40:55)
                        • City staff said the underlying density capacity on the site would not be removed, that nearby parcels are proposed for upzoning to about 120 units per acre, and that the general plan projected no new homes in the airport district by 2035 (01:41:39)
                        • A speaker asked how the city's housing projections would lower the citywide three-to-one jobs-to-housing ratio (01:43:29)
                        • City staff said the housing element plans for more than 10,000 units against a regional allocation of 8,772, and that the three specific plans together are being studied for up to about 16,000 units citywide (01:44:48)
                        • City staff said the agreement would lock in building rights for up to ten years, though the applicant intends to build within two to three, with impact fees due before building permits (01:46:57)
                        • City staff described the community benefits as negotiated in exchange for the longer term and the locked-in rules the agreement gives the developer (01:48:32)
                        • A speaker said a non-CEQA traffic study found no significant intersection impacts except a slight delay increase at one intersection that would occur even without the project, later corrected to Hollywood Way and Victory Boulevard (01:53:18)
                        • A speaker said a construction management plan required by the conditions would address haul routes and staging (01:52:46)
                        • A commissioner declined to carry the hearing over to another meeting when the time limit was raised (01:54:57)
                        • A commissioner asked the applicant for a firm guarantee that the transit subsidy would be a permanent employee benefit (01:55:08)
                        • A guest presenter declined to commit on the spot, saying the commitment would last in perpetuity, but offered good-faith talks with staff (01:55:36)
                        • A guest presenter said Home Again LA suggested drafting an MOU with the hotel once construction begins (01:56:25)
                        • A commissioner noted that earlier public comments almost all asked for housing (01:56:59)
                        • A guest presenter said the client's preliminary search found no lenders interested in financing a version with housing (01:59:06)
                        • A guest presenter said the 420-room count came from the existing hotel's data and from market analysis by the developer and Marriott (02:00:24)
                        • City staff said citywide hotel occupancy is above 70% but not quite 80% (02:02:19)
                        • City staff said staff hopes to bring the Golden State Specific Plan to the commission in the second quarter of next year, after its draft environmental report is completed in the first quarter (02:02:58)
                        • A guest presenter said the existing Marriott runs about 81% occupancy and regularly turns away large group bookings (02:03:40)
                        • A guest presenter said the applicant hopes to break ground about a year after approval, which is too late to open before the Olympics (02:05:13)
                        • City staff cited a citywide average daily room rate of $184.28 as of August 2026, from the city's economic development staff (02:06:35)
                        • A speaker argued the development should not be penalized for how guests choose to travel to it, and called city-based greenhouse gas targets flawed (02:07:51)
                        • A speaker argued it is the landowner's right, not the commission's, to decide to build a hotel (02:08:55)
                        • A commissioner backed the project, saying financing drives what gets built, and praised the employee benefits and the union labor (02:09:51)
                        • A commissioner backed the project, citing the city's budget deficit and the projected hotel tax revenue, while urging a stronger transit subsidy (02:11:03)
                        • A commissioner said he wished the project had included something on housing, such as an in-lieu fee (02:13:44)
                        • A commissioner suggested earmarking some of the projected hotel tax revenue for housing needs, while saying he supports the project and its union labor (02:15:48)
                        • A speaker supported the project, saying the housing shortfall can be made up elsewhere in the city (02:16:36)
                        • City staff pointed to the needed changes to conditions 16 and 24 (raising the renewable energy share from 10% to 11%) and asked permission to clarify the attachments to show the approval covers part of the existing planned development zone (02:17:13)

                          • Documents: Agenda

                          City Council, Tuesday, October 13

                          • New central library and civic center: Clark design-build contract, with labor agreement required (02:26:58)
                            • City staff said voters backed the project in 2003 and a new central library is long overdue (02:28:06)
                            • City staff described a building of about 97,500 square feet that would house the library and city offices (02:29:12)
                            • The city's project manager put the design-build contract at an estimated $155 million and the total project at about $185–190 million including soft costs (02:29:46)
                            • The city's project manager gave the target opening as spring 2029 and noted the project was once studied as a public-private partnership (02:30:47)
                            • The city's project manager explained that a guaranteed maximum price will come back to council next summer for the full construction contract (02:31:49)
                            • City staff proposed moving the farmers market to the City Hall parking lot during construction and back onto the new plaza afterward (02:38:25)
                            • The city's project manager said the selection panel unanimously chose the Clark and SOM team (02:41:27)
                            • The city's project manager said the team expects to hold at least four community town halls on the design (02:45:14)
                            • A guest presenter estimated a project labor agreement would add roughly 2% to 3% to the cost (02:49:59)
                            • City staff said the library is not covered by the citywide labor agreement now being developed unless council amends this contract (02:50:36)
                            • A speaker reported that the citywide labor agreement effort has started, with an attorney reviewing the union's template (02:51:09)
                            • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) asked whether the decision could come back in two weeks on consent instead of being made that night (02:53:44)
                            • City staff urged a decision that night, saying delay costs money on this project (02:54:06)
                            • City staff said the library does not need to wait for a citywide community workforce agreement (02:55:07)
                            • City staff read possible contract language requiring the design-builder to negotiate a project labor agreement before any construction (02:56:54)
                            • A council member objected that the staff report said nothing about a labor agreement or its cost, so the issue was new to her (02:58:52)
                            • City staff said the contract issued to bidders in May had no labor agreement because staff had no such direction then (03:00:42)
                            • City staff said staff recommended adopting the agreement as written and called the labor agreement a policy decision for council (03:04:20)
                            • A speaker said council members had pointed to the library during the August labor-agreement discussion as a project they expected to be covered (03:04:48)
                            • A guest presenter said requiring union labor would keep non-union subcontractors who pay prevailing wage from bidding (03:06:39)
                            • A guest presenter cited a current $130 million project, built union without a labor agreement, where the premium was about 1.5% (03:12:39)
                            • A council member said the public should be able to review a cost of up to $4.6 million before it's approved, and asked for the full financing breakdown (03:14:54)
                            • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) asked whether a later citywide labor agreement would apply retroactively to this contract (03:18:27)
                            • City staff answered that a citywide labor agreement would not be applied to existing contracts (03:18:53)
                            • City staff said pre-construction costs are covered by $10 million from the municipal infrastructure fund, matched by a $10 million state grant, plus other city funds (03:20:25)
                            • City staff stressed that the pre-construction phase uses no general fund money (03:21:26)
                            • City staff said construction would be financed with a lease revenue bond, with debt service paid from the infrastructure fund rather than the general fund (03:21:26)
                            • City staff described the 3% figure as the city's maximum likely exposure (03:24:28)
                            • City staff said the added debt service would equal roughly one small capital project a year over the life of the loan (03:26:44)
                            • The city's project manager said $4.6 million equals about 3,800 square feet of building at about $1,200 per square foot (03:28:44)
                            • The city's project manager noted the project carries a $15 million city-side contingency that could cover the cost, though he'd rather not use it this early (03:29:46)
                            • The city's project manager estimated delay costs at about $750,000 a month, based on roughly 5% yearly construction cost escalation (03:33:25)
                            • Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) said she felt held hostage by being asked to choose between cost and delay on information she had just received (03:36:06)
                            • The city's project manager said a January update, at the end of the design workshops, would come early enough to decide on labor terms (03:40:56)
                            • A council member said his main concern is avoiding a strike or work stoppage, which he understood costs more than other delays (03:43:49)
                            • The city's project manager said no subcontractors would be hired by January, so adding a labor requirement then wouldn't delay the project (03:46:07)
                            • A guest presenter pointed to the Garden Grove civic center, a similar project Clark recently finished under a labor agreement (03:46:57)
                            • City staff explained that the first option would require Clark to sign a labor agreement with the trades before any construction, while letting design proceed now (03:47:54)
                            • A speaker argued skilled union labor protects quality and safety, telling of a family member shocked by bad wiring in an apartment built without union labor (03:51:32)
                            • A speaker said she wants Clark to negotiate a labor agreement with the building trades now (03:52:32)
                            • A speaker said, for the building trades, that a project labor agreement is the only legal way to require local hiring on union projects (04:00:55)
                            • A speaker said non-union contractors can still bid on public projects under a labor agreement (04:01:58)
                            • City staff offered to add local-hire provisions alongside the no-strike clause in the required labor agreement language (04:09:59)
                            • A council member noted the contract caps the final guaranteed maximum price at $155 million, and asked whether the council could amend that figure if needed (04:13:05)
                            • City staff explained the city dropped the public-private partnership approach in November 2024 because developers could not make it pencil out (04:14:07)
                            • Election announcements and local ballot measures (00:09:58)
                              • A speaker announced that the vote-by-mail registration deadline for the November 3 election is Monday, October 19 (00:09:58)
                              • A speaker described Measure C as a city services measure that would raise the hotel tax from 10% to 12%, estimated to bring in about $3 million a year (00:11:03)
                              • A speaker explained that Measure CD asks voters whether to move from at-large to by-district council elections, and that Measure CC would amend the charter (00:12:05)
                              • Responses to public comment: book festival, written comments, airport wages (01:41:12)
                                • City staff reported that the book festival drew over 5,300 visitors (01:41:41)
                                • City staff said 159 authors applied and 80 were chosen, limited by space at the library (01:41:41)
                                • City staff confirmed that self-published authors were not accepted under current criteria and said a staff committee could change that (01:42:43)
                                • City staff said the library rarely buys self-published books because they usually lack professional reviews, but accepts donations from local authors (01:45:10)
                                • A council member asked whether the festival could be held twice a year (01:46:11)
                                • City staff said the Friends of the Library paid for the festival apart from staff time (01:46:31)
                                • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) said his personal online comments are separate from the city's official social media (01:48:18)
                                • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) said he had not known about the change limiting written comments in the record (01:48:18)
                                • A council member asked whether emails about agenda items are still uploaded to the meeting record (01:54:37)
                                • The city clerk said the city manager's office told her only eComments would be included in the record from now on (01:54:47)
                                • City staff explained the change as an effort to put written comments in one paid software system, because sorting emails, faxes and drop-offs was hard on staff (01:55:37)
                                • City staff offered to look at how Glendale and Pasadena handle it but said the city can't go back to the old way (01:56:37)
                                • City staff said the meeting record is for agenda items, not for all correspondence council receives (01:58:23)
                                • A council member said she also wants to know how many at-fault and no-fault evictions there are (01:59:57)
                                • A council member said she did not know about the Bible verse on the jail wall and wants to follow up (02:02:07)
                                • A council member said she understood the airport authority had told its attorney to work with the city attorney on a resolution (02:02:58)
                                • City staff disagreed with that description, saying airport commissioners asked their own staff for an employee census and the council had asked for a local wage survey (02:03:34)
                                • City staff said he wrote to the airport authority that its data would be useful to the city (02:04:38)
                                • Requests for future reports and memos (04:39:21)
                                  • A council member asked for a police memo on whether four-wheeled Amazon cargo bikes are street legal, after nearly hitting one on Hollywood Way (04:40:21)
                                  • A council member asked for a short report on how Glendale and Pasadena include emailed comments with agenda items (04:41:23)
                                  • A council member asked for a memo on how book festival authors are selected (04:42:00)
                                  • A council member asked for a memo on the Bible verse in the jail, including its history (04:42:00)
                                  • Consent calendar, including $468,181.81 firefighter grant (02:05:33)
                                    • A council member moved the consent calendar and asked the fire chief to explain the grant (02:07:09)
                                    • A speaker said that as far as he knew, this is the first grant the department has received for paramedic training (02:07:32)
                                    • A speaker said the grant lets the department keep sending firefighters to paramedic school so paramedic vacancies don't climb again (02:07:32)
                                    • A council member asked the department to report back on how many people the grant trains (02:10:04)
                                    • Appointment to Burbank Housing Corporation board (02:10:48)
                                      • Kimberley Clark (City Clerk) reported three applications for the seat (02:12:47)
                                      • Appointment to Burbank Cultural Arts Commission (02:15:42)
                                        • The city clerk said the vacancy came from a commissioner's resignation and that four applications were received (02:15:57)
                                        • Appointment to Sustainable Burbank Commission (02:17:44)
                                          • The city clerk noted that one applicant withdrew after the staff report went out (02:18:05)
                                          • A council member urged applicants who weren't chosen to contact council members ahead of time if they apply again (02:26:09)
                                          • A council member encouraged applicants who weren't chosen to attend and comment at commission meetings anyway (02:26:58)
                                          • State legislative update from the city's lobbyists (00:29:54)
                                            • A speaker flagged two data-center bills requiring water assessments before any data-center permit, which the firm said are the main ones affecting local agencies (00:32:25)
                                            • A speaker said she understood council would get an early staff report on data centers in December (00:33:25)
                                            • A speaker noted a new law that changes the deadline for answering public records requests from ten days to ten business days (00:38:17)
                                            • A speaker said a pension bill letting safety officers retire at 55 failed but is expected back in January (00:38:17)
                                            • A speaker reported the city took positions on 28 bills and the final result matched the city's position 61% of the time (00:39:19)
                                            • A speaker said the state budget includes $1.2 million for the Burbank Reservoir and for storage of firefighter protective equipment (00:41:22)
                                            • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) asked whether any other state tax credit program is uncapped, in light of the attorney general's push to uncap the film and TV tax credit (00:46:17)
                                            • A speaker asked which legislator might carry a bill to expand the film tax credit (00:47:03)
                                            • Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) asked whether the state has done anything about high utility costs for consumers (00:48:37)
                                            • A council member asked whether the police department had been briefed on the new state e-bike definitions (00:51:17)

                                              • Documents: Agenda

                                              This episode was produced with AI from the public recording of the meeting. Links to the source are in the show notes.

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                                              12 min
                                            • Media District plan goes to council; film permit fees return in December

                                              The Planning Commission unanimously recommended a scaled-back update to the Media District Specific Plan, which now goes to the City Council. The council also heard its Creative Industry Taskforce and asked staff to return in December with film permit fee waiver options.

                                              Planning Commission, Monday, September 28

                                              • Media District Specific Plan Update: recommendation to the City Council (00:02:19)
                                                • City staff said the Media District plan dates to 1991, has not changed substantially in 35 years, and that very little has been built in that time while housing demand and state housing laws have changed. (00:07:13)
                                                • City staff said the update has been in the works for almost four years and was discussed at more than 40 public events and presentations, with eight rounds of dedicated outreach. (00:08:18)
                                                • City staff said only minor changes were made since the commission last saw the plan: an updated infrastructure chapter, editorial fixes, and edits to reflect the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative as the preferred alternative. (00:08:18)
                                                • City staff described a jobs-housing imbalance in the district, saying about 69,000 people come into it while only 364 both live and work there, which staff said adds to traffic and quality-of-life problems. (00:10:24)
                                                • City staff listed the plan's three goals as development that fits its context, growth oriented to transit, and streamlined housing production. (00:11:26)
                                                • City staff explained that allowed building heights, residential density and commercial intensity step up toward the center of the district and stay lower next to lower-scale residential neighborhoods. (00:13:38)
                                                • City staff said parking rules were aligned with state mandates that generally reduce parking requirements, with minimums kept in some cases because of neighborhood concerns. (00:14:42)
                                                • City staff said the infrastructure chapter does not assume today's water, sewer, power and other systems can handle all future growth, and that new development pays its applicable share of improvements. (00:15:48)
                                                • City staff described the plan's ministerial review path: housing on identified opportunity sites, housing projects of up to 150 units in the area staff described as 87 units per acre, and commercial projects up to 10,000 square feet; other projects stay in discretionary review. (00:16:54)
                                                • City staff explained that the environmental report found some impacts significant and unavoidable, which means the City Council must weigh benefits against impacts and adopt a statement of overriding considerations. (00:21:03)
                                                • City staff said public comments on utilities and infrastructure during the draft environmental review led staff, with Burbank Water and Power and Public Works, to develop the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative. (00:22:07)
                                                • City staff said the alternative concentrates future development in the core of the district and scales back growth there so the city can also accommodate growth in its other specific plan areas. (00:23:09)
                                                • City staff said staff found the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative to be the environmentally superior alternative and recommends it as the preferred project. (00:23:09)
                                                • City staff said growth under the plan could bring the city more revenue than it costs in services at build-out, depending on the type and pace of development, and that the city is looking at an enhanced infrastructure financing district. (00:25:20)
                                                • City staff responded to a union's request for workforce displays by saying staff is working on a separate citywide program for creative signage and off-site advertising that will come forward on its own. (00:52:50)
                                                • City staff disputed the framing that past Burbank hotels needed development agreements because they were hotels, saying those were complex mixed-use projects that did not fit the standard code. (00:52:50)
                                                • City staff said the hotel question went to the City Council, by staff's recollection twice, and the council accepted the conditional use permit requirement and did not direct staff to add a development agreement requirement. (00:53:56)
                                                • City staff answered a complaint about late materials by saying staff reports are customarily published the Thursday before a hearing and the public has another month before the City Council hearing on October 27. (00:54:57)
                                                • City staff said the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative is written into the proposed resolutions and ordinance and into the plan's density and intensity maps. (00:55:58)
                                                • City staff said on wildfire concerns that the environmental law requires studying the project's effect on the environment, not the environment's effect on the project. (00:55:58)
                                                • City staff said the city has issued a notice that it is preparing a separate citywide environmental analysis of the state law SB 79, rather than studying it plan by plan. (00:57:00)
                                                • City staff said the city does not build all utilities for a plan up front but adds them as development is proposed, and that departments' infrastructure planning is expected to be done by the end of December 2029. (00:58:00)
                                                • City staff said individual projects are analyzed for sewer and electrical needs and charged fees when they apply, and the plan's technical studies will be used to update those fees. (00:59:13)
                                                • Mike Van Gorder (Commissioner) asked whether calling the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative the preferred alternative means it is adopted in full or applied selectively. (01:00:06)
                                                • City staff answered that the alternative shows up in the plan through the density and intensity maps, which was the only part of the plan that had to change; the development standards are unchanged. (01:00:39)
                                                • Mike Van Gorder (Commissioner) pointed to the drop in potential housing units from 9,700 under the original proposal to 2,200 under the alternative and asked how that fits the city's state housing targets. (01:01:53)
                                                • City staff said the reduced plan is consistent with the city's housing obligations to the state, and that infrastructure for the larger alternatives could be built but not by the plan's 2035 horizon. (01:02:06)
                                                • City staff added that the housing element's roughly two dozen housing opportunity sites are in the downtown and Golden State plan areas, so Media District units would be on top of those. (01:03:22)
                                                • A commissioner criticized the state environmental law for treating the no-project option as environmentally best, arguing that not building pushes people to live far away and commute long distances. (01:06:37)
                                                • A commissioner said he shares the concern about cutting the number of housing units but understands why staff proposed the alternative. (01:06:37)
                                                • The commission's legal adviser explained that when the no-project option is environmentally superior the law requires naming another alternative, weighing impacts against whether it meets the project's objectives. (01:07:33)
                                                • A commissioner said he disagrees with the report's conclusions and considers the maximum-growth alternative the environmentally friendly one, but accepts the scaled-back alternative as a practical matter. (01:08:36)
                                                • Paulina Safarian (Commissioner; Vice Chair) thanked planning staff for the years of work on the plan and had no questions. (01:09:14)
                                                • A commissioner asked about mixed-use development, saying the district seems well suited to it; staff answered that it is a permitted use in the plan's use table. (01:10:06)
                                                • A commissioner asked staff to clarify what the plan proposes for hotels and whether a development agreement applies. (01:11:39)
                                                • City staff said the plan allows hotels only with a conditional use permit, a discretionary decision by the Planning Commission that can be appealed to the City Council. (01:12:01)
                                                • City staff said the environmental analysis studied up to 400 hotel rooms in the plan area, and anything beyond that would need more environmental review. (01:13:45)
                                                • City staff said, in answer to a question about affordable housing, that projects using the streamlined path must still meet all city rules including affordability rules, and that updates to the density bonus and inclusionary housing rules are coming to the commission. (01:15:18)
                                                • City staff confirmed, in answer to the chair, that the city's public art requirement still applies to development in the district and the mural program continues. (01:16:13)
                                                • A commissioner said he was not happy the scaled-back alternative arrived late in the process but thought it best to approve the plan and move it on. (01:17:22)
                                                • Mike Van Gorder (Commissioner) argued the commission should recommend requiring development agreements for hotels in the district, citing the coming Olympics and a greater need for housing than hotel space. (01:18:04)
                                                • Mike Van Gorder (Commissioner) supported a public commenter's idea of an annual progress report on development and infrastructure capacity. (01:18:04)
                                                • City staff said the plan's implementation program already has the Planning Commission review the capital improvement program, which is then presented to the City Council. (01:19:18)
                                                • The commission chair said she is not against hotel development agreements but would not put the requirement in this one plan, preferring a citywide rule so neighborhoods are treated consistently. (01:19:51)
                                                • Mike Van Gorder (Commissioner) replied that a requirement in this plan would serve as a stopgap until a citywide rule is adopted, at which point it would simply become redundant. (01:20:30)
                                                • A commissioner said she would not recommend development agreements now and would leave it to the City Council to take up if it wishes. (01:21:33)
                                                • The commission chair said she supports the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative and annual progress reports, and that she had expected a study session before the hearing and would have liked one more. (01:21:52)
                                                • The commission's legal adviser pointed out that the commission's own resolution already contains a finding recommending the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative as the recommended project. (01:24:22)
                                                • City staff proposed, at the chair's request for clearer wording, adding to the resolution's title that the environmental report certification includes the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative as the preferred project. (01:26:41)

                                                  • Documents: Agenda

                                                  City Council, Tuesday, September 29

                                                  • Creative Industry Taskforce recommendations and film permit fees (03:01:37)
                                                    • City staff recounted that the council directed staff in June 2025 to set up the task force to understand changes in the entertainment and creative industries and keep Burbank competitive (03:02:41)
                                                    • City staff said the entertainment industry generates more than 66,000 jobs in Burbank's economy and supports thousands of local businesses (03:02:41)
                                                    • City staff said staff, working with consultant Stratascope, interviewed more than 30 industry professionals and chose 21 for the task force, which produced 23 initial recommendations (03:03:43)
                                                    • City staff listed the three final recommendations: enhance film permitting, establish a creative hub, and retain a marketing firm to position Burbank as the creator capital (03:04:43)
                                                    • City staff said the city has already put in place a dedicated film permit concierge offering a one-stop service five days a week (03:05:47)
                                                    • City staff said the city re-established agreements with neighboring jurisdictions to supply police personnel for shoots when Burbank's are unavailable (03:05:47)
                                                    • City staff said the council approved $15,000 in the 2026-27 budget for independent film and media production through the community arts grant program (03:06:49)
                                                    • City staff said film permit fees brought in about $333,000 and facility rental fees about $75,000 in 2025, so waiving both would cost the city about $408,000 (03:07:52)
                                                    • City staff said some neighboring cities recently cut or waived fees but there is not yet data showing that increased filming (03:07:52)
                                                    • City staff said Burbank's film permit fees are the most competitive in the region and have not been raised since 2020 (03:08:54)
                                                    • City staff gave the staff recommendation: keep the existing fee structure, continue the moratorium on fee increases, and keep monitoring other cities (03:08:54)
                                                    • City staff described the proposed creative hub as a physical place bringing creators, entrepreneurs, businesses, schools and industry partners together (03:08:54)
                                                    • City staff said the city would not necessarily own or run the hub; its role would be to convene partners and identify locations and resources (03:10:56)
                                                    • City staff said the task force wants a more specialized marketing strategy aimed at creative companies and decision makers outside Los Angeles County and California (03:11:56)
                                                    • City staff laid out the timeline: a film permitting update to the council in early 2027, a hub implementation plan possibly in the first quarter of 2027, and a marketing scope and cost estimate by the end of this year (03:12:58)
                                                    • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) asked whether a newly signed state tax credit for post-production, which a commenter had raised, had been factored into the work, given how much post-production happens in Burbank (03:19:00)
                                                    • The city manager said the bill had not been factored in yet, does not take effect until January, and staff can look into what the city might need to do (03:20:28)
                                                    • Christopher Rizzotti (Council Member) supported looking at the permitting process to draw more post-production houses to Burbank to use the tax credit (03:21:40)
                                                    • City staff explained the city handles film permits in-house rather than through Film LA, which she said adds more than $900 on top of a jurisdiction's own fees (03:25:47)
                                                    • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) suggested marketing directly to film schools and industry training programs, whose graduates move quickly into production jobs (03:32:12)
                                                    • A council member asked that any marketing firm hired be one that knows the industry from the inside (03:34:06)
                                                    • The city manager said no firm has been chosen and the city would issue a request for proposals with a specific scope (03:35:13)
                                                    • City staff said task force members could stay involved through the hub and as advisers on marketing, and that healthcare would probably be the next sector to get a similar task force (03:37:17)
                                                    • City staff said Irvine's recently launched innovation hub is city-run and mostly grant-funded, and Burbank will look for grants and approach its legislators (03:41:51)
                                                    • City staff gave the current fees: $398 for a one-to-two-day film permit, with student permits at $25 for one to two days and $100 for three to seven days, and $40 for nonprofits (03:43:45)
                                                    • City staff confirmed the city charges the same permit fee regardless of a production's size (03:44:45)
                                                    • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) objected to a flat permit fee that is the same for a one-day shoot in a park corner as for a large shoot taking over parking lots (03:46:21)
                                                    • A speaker reminded the council, as community development director, that city fees are set to recover the cost of the service, not by the scale of the activity (03:47:21)
                                                    • A speaker clarified that the film permit fee does not cover parking or facility rental, which productions pay for separately (03:50:24)
                                                    • A council member argued for keeping one flat fee so staff do not have to sort productions by size, saying tiers would make the process cumbersome again (03:51:00)
                                                    • City staff said facility charges for filming are set separately in the fee schedule, giving the example of $200 an hour with a two-hour minimum for a city pool (03:53:11)
                                                    • City staff said the task force did not see permit fees as a main reason production leaves California, pointing to other states' incentives and lower labor costs (03:57:31)
                                                    • A speaker said, as financial services director, that all film-related revenue including permits, locations and staff services is about $1.4 million, most of it reimbursing city costs (04:00:00)
                                                    • A speaker said Proposition 26 bars the city from charging more than a service costs and that, with fees frozen for years, the city is probably already subsidizing film permitting (04:00:00)
                                                    • The city manager said the city has a $2.7 million recurring deficit and that adding $408,000 would be significant (04:01:19)
                                                    • The city manager said staff was not saying no to a waiver but wanted to see property tax, sales tax and the Measure C result first and take it up within the wider budget discussion (04:02:27)
                                                    • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) argued the concern is low-budget pilots and independent films, which shop for the cheapest location, and proposed a discounted tier for small productions that show a low budget and no stunts, night shoots or similar needs (04:03:03)
                                                    • A council member said he could accept a lower fee for simpler permits as long as the city still covers its costs (04:05:20)
                                                    • A council member called the creative hub the most exciting recommendation and the one he most wanted to move ahead on (04:05:41)
                                                    • A council member said she had put the task force idea forward and passed on three requests from industry contacts: an online list of local businesses that serve productions, a city-hosted gathering for location managers, and a timeline for the hub (04:09:11)
                                                    • A council member supported trying the free-permit pilot, calling it an investment in the industry where she said one in five residents work (04:11:16)
                                                    • A council member argued Burbank should lead on this rather than wait to see what other cities do (04:11:16)
                                                    • A council member agreed the hub should happen as soon as possible and urged keeping the task force conversation going (04:15:57)
                                                    • A council member asked staff to come back with the budget impact of pausing permit fees for one year (04:17:04)
                                                    • City staff said the film permit office works to cut costs for small productions, and that Burbank's permit review is the fastest and cheapest in the region (04:22:14)
                                                    • The mayor said cost is the barrier she hears about most from small and independent productions and proposed waiving or sharply cutting fees for one-day shoots as a first step (04:27:28)
                                                    • A council member said that, given the budget, she would settle for waiving permit fees only and not facility fees, arguing a no-permit-fee message would help Burbank compete with Culver City (04:29:02)
                                                    • City staff said Burbank issued 753 film permits in 2025 against 200 in Culver City and 335 in Santa Clarita (04:31:51)
                                                    • City staff noted the city had a balanced budget when the task force began and asked for time to see whether waivers make a difference (04:31:51)
                                                    • Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) argued cities are not fighting over a fixed number of productions, and that lower costs lead small productions to film at larger scale rather than avoid permits (04:34:01)
                                                    • A council member urged waiting for tax and ballot measure results, warning that a deeper deficit could mean layoffs or cuts to other programs (04:38:49)
                                                    • The city manager said a permit would still be required even if the fee were fully waived, so the city can manage filming (04:41:53)
                                                    • City staff relayed the film permit office's concern that with no charge productions might not apply at all, costing the city insurance coverage and enforcement leverage, and floated a refund or repeat-customer bonus instead (04:42:50)
                                                    • City staff said permits ran about 1,600 a year before COVID, about 750 last year and more than 600 so far this year (04:43:56)
                                                    • A speaker asked for time to check facts, noting Culver City waived its own fee but uses Film LA, which charges $931, and he did not know whether that was waived (04:45:35)
                                                    • Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) suggested productions could pay the fee up front and be reimbursed after filming, so the city still knows who is filming (04:46:37)
                                                    • The city manager said a fee change would come back as a fee resolution and could take effect almost immediately after a vote (04:50:17)
                                                    • A speaker advised that a council majority could probably waive the fee temporarily without rewriting the whole fee schedule (04:50:34)
                                                    • A council member noted the Measure C result should be known by mid-December, so a December return could allow a change by January 1 (04:50:48)
                                                    • The city manager recommended bringing fee options back with the first-quarter budget report in early December, when tax revenues will be clearer (04:53:42)
                                                    • A council member asked that the options include waiving only the short-duration permit, and a schedule that heavily subsidizes city properties and the first police officer on a shoot (04:55:39)
                                                    • The mayor said she would prefer an immediate cut but wanted production companies' input on the fee options first (04:57:49)
                                                    • Christopher Rizzotti (Council Member) floated a repeat-customer incentive, with the third shoot in two years free (04:59:32)
                                                    • City staff noted the roughly 750 permit count excludes filming on studio lots and at pre-approved production facilities (05:01:17)
                                                    • The mayor said the cost of subsidizing permits does not alarm her because it is an investment in the city's main industry, so long as it is done thoughtfully (05:02:40)
                                                    • A council member agreed to wait until December given where the council was heading, and asked staff to consult the advocacy group Stay in LA (05:03:46)
                                                    • The city manager asked for a specific motion on fees because council members had raised many separate ideas, and said work on the hub and marketing would continue (05:04:16)
                                                    • A council member moved that staff return in December with a discussion of fee waivers for the task force's one-year pilot, for a vote (05:05:39)
                                                    • Proclamation: October 2026 as National Community Planning Month (01:43:24)
                                                      • The mayor said Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) would make the presentation in the chair's place because of a knee injury earlier in the day (01:43:24)
                                                      • A council member presented the proclamation declaring October 2026 National Community Planning Month and thanked planning staff for their work (01:43:36)
                                                      • A speaker accepted the proclamation for the planning staff, saying land use and transportation planning affects how everyone in the city lives and gets around (01:46:42)
                                                      • Closed session: council authorizes two lawsuits (00:07:17)
                                                        • A speaker announced before the closed session that the council would take up three items: two matters of anticipated litigation with the city as potential plaintiff and one existing personal injury auto accident case (00:07:17)
                                                        • A council member closed the closed-session public comment period after hearing there were no in-person or remote commenters (00:07:56)
                                                        • A speaker reported in open session that the council had met on the three closed session items at 4:30 p.m. (01:49:21)
                                                        • A speaker said the other party and the circumstances of the first lawsuit will be made available once the litigation has been filed, and said the same of the second (01:49:21)
                                                        • Consent calendar, including $50,000 Immigration Emergency Assistance Fund contract (02:57:54)
                                                          • A council member asked staff for a summary of the immigration assistance item without pulling it from consent, so the public would know about it (02:59:24)
                                                          • A speaker explained, as the city's community assistance coordinator, that staff sought approval of a $50,000 agreement with Home Again Los Angeles to administer the fund (02:59:52)
                                                          • A speaker said the fund was a one-time appropriation approved unanimously in the adopted fiscal year 2026-27 budget (02:59:52)
                                                          • A speaker said assistance is capped at $500 for individuals and $1,000 for families, subject to eligibility and available funding (02:59:52)
                                                          • A speaker said the program would begin October 1, with applications accepted from that day (02:59:52)
                                                          • A council member said the council had chosen to fill a gap, noting Home Again Los Angeles already runs the program elsewhere in the region (03:00:56)
                                                          • The mayor thanked Nikki Perez (Council Member) for getting the fund onto the council's agenda (03:01:18)
                                                          • Responses to public comment: 72-hour parking tows, campaign complaints, election conduct (02:37:07)
                                                            • The city manager said the city took the contact information for the YMCA Youth and Government program and will help publicize it if it is not already doing so (02:37:26)
                                                            • A speaker explained, speaking as a police captain standing in for Rafael Quintero (Chief of Police), that state law allows towing of vehicles parked 72 hours or more in one spot and that the clock restarts if the car is moved (02:37:52)
                                                            • A speaker offered to run a public awareness effort on social media and elsewhere about the 72-hour rule (02:37:52)
                                                            • A council member suggested the city look into ways of making people aware of the rule, saying the issue has come up before (02:39:40)
                                                            • City staff said, as the police captain over special operations, that 72-hour complaints come in through the city's 311 app and average about 250 a month; said he did not know how many of those end in a tow (02:40:51)
                                                            • City staff said parking control photographs and marks a reported car and an orange notice is placed on the windshield, correcting an earlier statement from the other captain that notes are generally not left (02:41:25)
                                                            • City staff said that after the notice, officers return, cite the car if it is still there, and then wait a further 24 hours before towing (02:42:04)
                                                            • City staff said many of the towed cars are abandoned, while acknowledging some owners are caught out by circumstances such as being away (02:43:13)
                                                            • The mayor backed a public service announcement on social media and suggested an insert in Burbank Water and Power bills for people who do not follow social media (02:43:32)
                                                            • A speaker answered a commenter's question about suspected violations of the city's campaign contribution limit by saying complaints go to the clerk's office, which works with the city attorney's office as needed (02:44:01)
                                                            • A council member rejected a commenter's suggestion that he hides or distances himself from his politics, saying he is open about his beliefs and is carrying out what he campaigned on (02:44:27)
                                                            • A council member agreed social media is eroding politics but disagreed with a commenter's criticism of boycotts, calling them protected speech (02:45:31)
                                                            • A council member thanked a commenter who spoke about surviving sexual assault and said she and some colleagues have felt disrespect and intimidation on the dais (02:47:59)
                                                            • A council member told a commenter who has repeatedly asked about housing enforcement that he would request an updated report from the housing enforcement unit (02:48:46)
                                                            • A council member said he hopes all candidates can share their platforms without being harassed (02:49:49)
                                                            • Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) urged respect in the final month of the council campaign, saying candidates should not be attacked for putting themselves forward (02:53:04)
                                                            • Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) apologized to the commenter who described being raped and who objected to remarks made at the previous meeting during the license plate camera debate, saying she was deeply sorry for what the commenter went through (02:54:05)
                                                            • Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) said the exchange after the previous meeting involved shouting back and forth and that her remark was not directed at the commenter's own experience (02:54:05)
                                                            • Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) said the council could not discuss the airport worker wage request because it was not on the agenda (02:55:16)
                                                            • Announcements: November 3 ballot measures, ADU webinar, commission vacancies (01:37:21)
                                                              • A speaker announced that Measure C on the November 3 ballot would raise the city's hotel tax, paid by visitors staying in Burbank hotels and motels, from 10% to 12% (01:39:27)
                                                              • A speaker said Measure C, if approved, would generate approximately $3 million a year for public safety, emergency response, parks and recreation programs and other city services (01:39:27)
                                                              • A speaker said Measure CC would amend the city charter to allow more flexibility in future election methods, and Measure CD asks voters whether to move from at-large to by-district council elections (01:40:29)
                                                              • A speaker said sample ballot booklets began mailing September 24 and vote-by-mail ballots start arriving October 1, with the city election consolidated with the Los Angeles County general election (01:41:30)
                                                              • A speaker announced a planning division virtual webinar on Tuesday, October 6 at 6 p.m. on a proposed zone text amendment to bring accessory dwelling unit and junior ADU standards in line with state law (01:38:22)
                                                              • A speaker announced application deadlines for vacancies: September 30 for the Burbank Housing Corporation board of directors, October 2 for the Cultural Arts Commission and October 5 for the Sustainable Burbank Commission (01:42:32)
                                                              • A speaker announced the Burbank Book Festival at the Buena Vista Branch Library on Saturday, October 3, the same day as a Burbank Water and Power craft fair and open house supporting the city's 2027 Rose Parade float (01:37:21)
                                                              • A speaker reminded candidates that election signs may not go on private property without the owner's permission or on any public property, and said violations can be reported to the clerk's office (01:41:30)
                                                              • Future agenda requests and adjournment (05:18:32)
                                                                • Christopher Rizzotti (Council Member) requested a memo with updated statistics from the housing enforcement unit (05:19:00)
                                                                • The mayor adjourned the meeting to a regular meeting on Tuesday, October 13 (05:19:14)

                                                                  • Documents: Agenda

                                                                  This episode was produced with AI from the public recording of the meeting. Links to the source are in the show notes.

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                                                                What Burbank's City Council and its Planning Commission decided, who said what, and how they voted, on the Thursday after they meet. Produced with AI from the public recordings of the meetings, and…