Step into the heart of Burbank as we swap stories with Craig Sherwood, Ross Benson, and the ever-enthralling Craig Durling, who joins us from his intriguing underground lair. Together, we'll take you back to our podcasting hijinks, share a slice of Craig's awe-inspiring Kenyan safari snaps, and toast to the 'Ask the Mayor' initiative that's revolutionizing community communication. By the way, your voice matters to us—jump on social media to pitch in with questions and steer our civic discourse.
This episode isn't just a trip down memory lane; it's a deep dive into the heartbeat of our city's happenings. We'll tackle why Craig is giving police commission meetings the cold shoulder and celebrate the Burbank Police Department's heroic Baker to Vegas relay race victory. We're also shining a light on community gems like 'Coffee with a Cop' and school board decisions—matters that hit right at the wallet of every Burbank resident. Plus, a tip of the hat to junior reporter Edna's poignant coverage of the Armenian genocide remembrance, painting the diverse strokes of our local canvas.
We don't shy away from the tough stuff—cities buying out gun stores, escalating city event fees, and the juggling act between street vending, sidewalk space, and city planning. These are the issues that are redefining our community's fabric, and we're here to unpack them all. Whether it's the economic pulse of Magnolia Park's food truck night or the intricacies of balancing commerce and regulation, we're dissecting the pressing topics that you need to know about. Join our candid conversation and become part of a dialogue that's as invested in Burbank's future as you are.
Step into the heart of Burbank as we swap stories with Craig Sherwood, Ross Benson, and the ever-enthralling Craig Durling, who joins us from his intriguing underground lair. Together, we'll take you back to our podcasting hijinks, share a slice of Craig's awe-inspiring Kenyan safari snaps, and toast to the 'Ask the Mayor' initiative that's revolutionizing community communication. By the way, your voice matters to us—jump on social media to pitch in with questions and steer our civic discourse.
This episode isn't just a trip down memory lane; it's a deep dive into the heartbeat of our city's happenings. We'll tackle why Craig is giving police commission meetings the cold shoulder and celebrate the Burbank Police Department's heroic Baker to Vegas relay race victory. We're also shining a light on community gems like 'Coffee with a Cop' and school board decisions—matters that hit right at the wallet of every Burbank resident. Plus, a tip of the hat to junior reporter Edna's poignant coverage of the Armenian genocide remembrance, painting the diverse strokes of our local canvas.
We don't shy away from the tough stuff—cities buying out gun stores, escalating city event fees, and the juggling act between street vending, sidewalk space, and city planning. These are the issues that are redefining our community's fabric, and we're here to unpack them all. Whether it's the economic pulse of Magnolia Park's food truck night or the intricacies of balancing commerce and regulation, we're dissecting the pressing topics that you need to know about. Join our candid conversation and become part of a dialogue that's as invested in Burbank's future as you are.
From deep in the Burbank Media District. It's time for another edition of my Burbank Talks, presented by the staff of my Burbank. Now let's see what's on today's agenda as we join our program.
Speaker 2:Hello, Burbank Craig Sherwood here with you once again in the studio, along with Ross.
Speaker 3:Benson Da-da-da-da-da-da, I am here, here's my voice. I got bald head and you know what I look like Jerry Lewis tonight? I forgot my false tooth. No chiclet tonight. No chiclet.
Speaker 2:Well, we have in the studio. We have Dodger joining us tonight in the studio.
Speaker 3:You got my chiclet oh. No, I didn't but you know what was really great when you started the show. What was that? The voice.
Speaker 1:The voice. Voice because back with us via zoom. And here he's live on air via zoom craig derling. I am zooming. Good to be back with everybody, even though from my uh, my bunker several stories below the earth's surface in an undisclosed location, and we'll get to be back and we'll keep it that way well, the door locks from the outside, so I can't get out anyway.
Speaker 3:Good to have you back, Greg, I mean it's been a couple weeks.
Speaker 1:It's been a minute, hasn't it?
Speaker 3:It has Haven't seen you in a long time and I've heard you but haven't seen you. And now it's great to see your gorgeous face back on our camera and in our view. Do you want to talk about that background?
Speaker 1:Well, let's not take a poll about that one. Let's not take a poll about that one.
Speaker 2:You want to talk about that background picture a little bit before we start.
Speaker 1:Oh, this. Well, I'm not. This is not of my underground bunker, but this. I took this at some point while I was in Kenya last year. We were in the. Masai Mara in.
Speaker 3:Western Kenya. Oh, there it is.
Speaker 1:And we're photographing a trio of cheetah brothers that had just taken down a zebra and that one you see over my shoulder is standing kind of on top of it holding it down. It's pretty dramatic and it was a graphic scene but tried to make the best of it photography-wise. But looking across at my other crew members that we were all in Kenya together taking pictures of what was going on, there, I just happened to find this a minute ago on my scratch folder on my computer, so I had a background other than just the blur.
Speaker 3:Well, it's nice to see that you know we talk about Craig's photography all the time and to see that as a background. I'd love to do another podcast. Craig and I used to do podcasts how many years ago, when we both had hair.
Speaker 2:Back in the early days of podcasts.
Speaker 1:Back in the day, it was a bit ago.
Speaker 3:It was a bit ago, but it was fun. He could do a whole show on photography and how to shoot and what to shoot and how not to shoot, and where to be and where not to be.
Speaker 2:Well, gee, I wonder if we knew anybody that had a studio that he could use whenever he wanted to use it. Then it'd be a lot easier. Hint, hint. Anyhow, the Viper Bank studio. You can always rent it out or for staff members. Staff members get to use it for free.
Speaker 3:Wow, we get a special price. Well, so let's get to Look at that.
Speaker 1:If I could get there in person right now, I would be there. Well, you'll be here eventually. I would be there, but I'm Well, you'll be here eventually In my underground lair for the time being.
Speaker 2:You'll be here, you'll be with us eventually.
Speaker 3:Actually, eventually I'll be back. You're in the media district adjacent, so that's okay.
Speaker 1:Yes, Media district adjacent Exactly. I think our property taxes are slightly lower here.
Speaker 3:Well, they may be going up by week. There will be April 22nd. What do we start off with? We're going to start with last week, no Monday.
Speaker 2:Monday was canceled due to lack of interest. Let's go to Tuesday. Last Tuesday there was no council meeting so instead we brought the mayor into the Maya Burbank Studios here and we did an Ask the Mayor show, which once again very informative. Um, I thought he did a great. You know, he doesn't. You know, when I talk about the question he goes no, you ask me whatever you know and he gives frank answers. He doesn't pull punches and every, every question, somebody asked frank?
Speaker 3:I didn't know, he knew frank. Okay, you said frank, he is great when he's.
Speaker 1:When he's on the program, though he's a very quick on his feet and and he's very honest and very well, very transparent in his answers, very well spoken.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he should be.
Speaker 3:He should be a politician someday well, he should do that for a living yeah, well, he, and I think probably when you do the video you could probably put in the link to that show, because people are looking at it. It gives Burbank people another forum.
Speaker 2:I'll tell you when our show's over. It always shows you what you should watch next. I'll put it right in there for people.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you think about it because people you know, I know former mayors tell me when they go shopping and everybody stops them. Here's another place we had and we answered a couple people's questions and I got to remember not to use that left hand because I keep blocking my camera.
Speaker 2:And it was timely information too, so things are going right now. So that was Tuesday and we got it posted up within a day or so.
Speaker 1:And if people have questions they want to submit for the next one.
Speaker 2:I always let them know through Facebook and through Twitter that we are accepting questions, so please watch our social media for that. And then, when you send the questions in, we don't use your last names, we just use your first names. If you don't even want your first name used, tell us that too, and we'll give you an alias. It's not about your name, it's about the information, it's about the knowledge.
Speaker 3:And, if you recall, during his show somebody sent us a picture of East Olive Avenue above Glen Oaks that we ran. We used the picture we did. Traffic wasn't as worse up on all of Craig Durling than it was behind you. I don't think you've been up there since you returned from your safari.
Speaker 1:I haven't been too far. No I haven't gone far from the bubble.
Speaker 3:One of these days, I'll have to take you around and give you a tour of Burbank.
Speaker 1:What's changing all the time? It's changing all the time. Always something different.
Speaker 2:Let's move on to Wednesday, and Wednesday there was a police commission meeting, and I am now boycotting police commission meetings. So, Ross, it was all yours. Why don't you give us a rundown of what happened at the police commission meeting that?
Speaker 1:I don't want to talk about. By boycotting, you mean you're no longer going to a meeting you never went to.
Speaker 2:No, I'm no longer watching it. I'm no longer commenting on it. I'm no longer doing anything about it because it just doesn't do any good. It's not your favorite, not my favorite, right.
Speaker 3:Well, I guess I goofed up because I watched it on YouTube and I was watching the meeting from previous months instead of the current meeting and I made a call in for oral comment and they all were scratching their head what I was talking about. I was talking about something that was in the previous meeting, but they changed the format around a little because they had Christiana Sanchez, who is a detective with the Burbank Police Department, part of the Baker to Vegas team, and this year Burbank came in first in their class and she read off some facts 258 agencies get involved. You know their time this year was 1514 15 minutes and 14 seconds 15 hours there you go, there you go.
Speaker 1:That'd be hours. It goes all night.
Speaker 2:You got to tell people let's go.
Speaker 3:Sorry, it just said that we're not on air, but it's an error. We're on air. But, this is the first time they've been running since for many, many years, and they did this one for matt pavelka and, uh, their competition was, I guess, cover city, and cover city has won for many years. And you know, I, in fact now I want to give it to craig, because I know craig derling, he, he's done Baker to Vegas, he's been part of the support team.
Speaker 3:I don't know if he's ever run it, but tell us about Baker to Vegas, Craig.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've never run it on purpose, but I've been on the support team many times because every team that's in there and each city, each police department I've worked for over the years, has a team and they're categorized by the size of your department, typically as to which kind of grouping you're in, and they have different start times.
Speaker 1:But it starts, it's a road race that starts in Baker, california, where the big thermometer is, if you're driving to Vegas, and it goes all night through Pahrump, over the mountains and comes down into Las Vegas and typically ends at wherever the host hotel is 126 miles, something like that. I'm guessing at that, but you might have that in the literature somewhere. But it's something and it's worldwide teams. Teams come from all over the world, law enforcement come in and it's a great, great camaraderie, uh, for everybody to get together and it supports good causes and it's a long-standing tradition and, like I said, I've never, never run it. I'm not, I'm not wired for running, but, uh, I was on the support team for these departments for many years and often did the photography, uh for the, for the team, which meant I was out for all 18 legs of the race so that, and from the start to the finish I wish pd would have shared that with us.
Speaker 2:I mean, it'd be great to you know, let those, let everybody know what they did. What a positive story, and winning.
Speaker 3:We are following it up. I have ashley uh following it up with they had did a video, I guess, uh, last year weather changes through their whole run last year the different elevations you go to.
Speaker 1:You go through all four seasons. You can go from 120 degrees in baker to to snow and ice up and up in the mountains at night.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the desert area is always changing, yeah and, and they were saying that, the experience, but it's great camaraderie, great team building, and that next year they want to you know they're looking forward and I want to make it real clear no public fund or no city funds support this. They do it all by donation.
Speaker 1:It is. It's hosted by LAPRAC, lapd's Athletic Association. So Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Association typically heads it up and it's all done through donations. So all your different participants, different cities that participate, go out into their communities and get donations from car dealerships because vehicles are needed for follow vehicles and support vehicles and, all you know, food, all kinds of for different reasons. So if Burbank PD, I assume, went out and got some donations and some help from a community, local businesses and so forth to help with what's a great cause and they won their division Not sure how many were in Burbank's division with them, but congratulations to them for pulling out the win on that- yeah, in fact last year I do remember they had a they brought in some food trucks up in front of the station to raise money.
Speaker 3:They do some restaurant, you know donations.
Speaker 1:they'll take donations and they'll take sponsorships as well.
Speaker 3:Exactly. If you're uh, if you'd like to look into that, um, you know you could always call detective uh Christina Sanchez as a Burbank PD, and I guarantee she would be glad to talk to you. She's done it with many years, for many years. And then the Chief brought up other things that are happening at that meeting. I'll move on. There's a calendar full of stuff. This Saturday Drug take back, all departments do it.
Speaker 2:It's a done by it's a national thing actually nationally.
Speaker 3:And uh, craig durlean, am I correct to say that? Um, what department? Uh, law department, oversees doj, department of justice? I believe that, uh, every station does it. Burbank's doing it. You don't have to. All you got to do is put your stuff in a trash bag, a baggie, any way. You want drugs, old prescriptions, old insulin, vitamins? They don't look at them, they just take them it.
Speaker 1:It's one of those no questions asked type things.
Speaker 3:It's this saturday you could, and there's signs. I covered it. I've covered it for many years. There's state pictures all over the station how to pull in. You come in off a palm, they're set up, cadets and officers will unload your car. You pull out, boom, you get rid of it. It's. You don't want to flush meds down the toilet, you don't want to put them down the sink. It's contaminating our ocean, our drinking water and, and think about it, people have extra stuff. Oh, I don't want to put them down the sink. It's contaminating our ocean, our drinking water. And think about it, people have extra stuff. Oh, I don't know what to do with it. You know it's right, like the old goldfish, you throw it down the toilet, but medicines are really you shouldn't I?
Speaker 1:think one of the more important parts of it is you keep it out of the hands of the kids and people who shouldn't get their hands on it. So if you have old medications in the medicine cabinet you don't know what to do with. I think the only rule is they don't want you to bring them in kind of loose, have them in a container of some kind uh, but they'll uh, they'll safely dispose of them and, like Ross you said you don't want them flushed down the toilet, contaminating water or anything like that, and you certainly don't want them in the medicine cabinet possibly getting into the hands of somebody who shouldn't have.
Speaker 3:And I'll tell you, at my age, at the top of my dresser I probably have 27 different medicine bottles that I I take a dozen of them at least, so that, and also he brought up there's going to be a jailer graduation on May 3rd from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. In fact one of our cadets is going through the class to graduate. And then the big thing that we will be at all three of us, four of us, five of us Fire Service Day, police and Fire Service Day.
Speaker 2:Now, is it Fire Service Day or is it Police and Fire Service? I thought it was Fire day. Or is it police and fire, sir, is it? I thought it's fire service day and the police who kind of hooked on to it well, years ago I did a uh a report on it.
Speaker 3:In fact it started off as fire service day many, many years ago and it was competition they, they had hose wagons and they had brigades and did all that. Mustards Right, firemen mustards in competition. And then law enforcement has Craig Dirling can help me here Memorial Police Officers Memorial Day is also in May. It's the second week, I think, or third week, and if I recall it was Chief Scott LaChoss that said why don't we put the two events together? And that's how you know. They're in the same building, they're in the same parking lot, so go ahead, kirk.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was more inclusive and they share a building, so they're right there. But you know the police also. Yeah, they have national night out, which the fire department doesn't typically participate in, so that gets them out in the community. But it's a it's more of a public safety day and I commend Burbank for for doing that, especially since they do share a building and a parking lot, they might as well be there, and the police department is always. They're always a hit too, because they have some cool stuff that they bring out for the families and kids in attendance to to check out.
Speaker 3:Well, my Bur, my bur, try to get that camera on my burbank will be there doing a podcast, uh. So, if you want to come by and be maybe on air or meet the, uh, the crew that puts the show on, um, I know, fire department, they're, uh, the fire union or firemen's a union. We will be cooking. They put out a hose thing where kids can literally squirt water and put fires out imitation fires of a building. All Burbank paramedics will be there. Hazmat will be there. You want to know what? When you see these guys in these bright, shiny red trucks, they'll even probably have a yellow crash rig out there, because I know the airport's coming. Crash rig out there, because I know, uh, the airport's coming, disney's coming.
Speaker 3:It's a great day, fire and on police side, like craig said, motor officers put on a show. You can climb in a bear cat, the armored vehicle. You can look at burbank squat gear if the helicopter sometimes they fly in and you can look inside and talk to the pilots. The whole command staff is there. The command center is out there, animal shelter what more can you have? It's a day of April or April no, may 11th, big day.
Speaker 1:It's a great day and a great opportunity to check out some of your city services that typically you only see during emergencies, and there's always good food. Good food and some giveaways, things like that. So it's overall a great day, and, ross, you and I have been participating in these for decades now, and every time we have fun it's a great event.
Speaker 3:It is. It starts nine o'clock, goes till like two o'clock. Like I said, we will be there and Craig made it real clear. You know, you see some of these people only when you dial 911 or you drive past an accident. This is a great time to come and you can go up and ask the guys what does that do? Or when you, you know, open up your kitchen sink cabinet and find all these different bottles, don't mix them together or you get a hazmat out of it. You know, and they also they're teaching people how to do cpr. I mean kids. I have pictures of kids learning cpr.
Speaker 1:So the last. They usually do the cut and rescue demos they usually have some old cars there that they'll use the dirt. They're different hydraulic tools to to pull, uh, you know simulated people from and, uh, you can actually pick these things up and see how heavy they are, and it's a great experience, great hands-on.
Speaker 3:Well you know, Craig and I have been doing fire photography for many, many years and we get in close when they use the Jaws of Life and they let you get that close that day. I mean, it's all you know. They show you the Jaws of Life, they show you how they'll cover somebody inside. They'll have a paramedic inside talking to the person to keep them calm, because when they pop a door off or cut the roof off a car what they call filleting a car you know that's scary to somebody inside. But to watch it and know what to expect great day. And, like I said, you and I have done it for many years. We've, and it's free exactly, exactly.
Speaker 3:The last thing the chief brought up was um kind of different coffee with a cop is going to be at nordstrom rack over in the empire center. Now we're trying.
Speaker 1:I've never been, I personally didn't know, they had a coffee shop.
Speaker 2:Maybe they can stop some of those people stealing all this stuff out of Nordstrom while they're there.
Speaker 3:Well, you know, in fact, the chief even said he's never been over to Nordstrom. Apparently, they do coffee or something. But that's going to be May 15th. Hey, that's a good day. That's my birthday. Maybe they'll buy me a free cup of coffee. But if you want, to talk to us.
Speaker 1:It should be a national holiday.
Speaker 3:It should be May 15th, nordstrom Rack over in the Empire Center from, I think, 10 to noon. Coffee's on them. You can talk to the command staff, talk to officers Another way that you can talk to officers, or whatever, and not in an emergency situation. So I know I've taken a long time with the police commission. Craig, you see what you missed.
Speaker 2:I didn't miss a thing because you know. And what did they advise the council about?
Speaker 3:I'm not going to go into that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, there you go, Nothing.
Speaker 3:No, they did. They had a couple of reports, yeah reports it's kind of interesting to listen to some of the things they have. Some of us find it interesting but, yeah, a lot of gibberish and jabberish.
Speaker 1:Yep. Look at all the great events we found out about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we never would have talked about those events in our upcoming shows. Yes, we would have.
Speaker 3:I would hope we have. Why are people tuning in to us? A couple weeks ago I heard somebody get up at city council and go. I never know what's going on in the city. Why don't you guys let us know? This podcast is another avenue for the public to listen to when you're driving to work, when you're exercising, and find out about some of this stuff.
Speaker 2:We should find out where that guy lived and gone over to his house every Monday and say here's what's going on in Burbank this week for you, because we don't want you to come down and say you don't know what's going on again.
Speaker 3:Well, it was during that bus conversation. Some of the people they didn't do a great job of marketing it. Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2:We only did a story on it in advance. We did and we talked about it on our podcast in advance and we have 70,000 readers. I would think that maybe somebody would talk to somebody about it, you know.
Speaker 3:Well, that's how it works, as we know what else went on moving on from Wednesday to Thursday.
Speaker 2:The school board. They did vote to put a bond measure onto November's ballot. It will need to pass with a 55% yes vote. It'll be basically $55.18 per every $100,000 of assessed value. Now, that's going to mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It's going to mean, if you're still in a Prop 13, which people like me are fortunate to stay with our assessed value is not very, very much. But if you bought your house in the last you know five years, your assessed value is going to be very high, which means that you're going to be paying anywhere from $500 to $1,000 extra a year. That's a scary thing for some people. And, of course, all the apartment buildings. They're going to be assessed value also, which basically means landlords got to pay a lot more money. So, at that 6% raise. If you want to know what they would get, a rent raise 6%. Well, here's one of the reasons it's going to cost landlords a lot more money.
Speaker 1:Well, regarding the school board, the bond measure, am I missing the part where they explain what the bond measure is going toward?
Speaker 2:It's going toward facility improvements and they listed every school in the district. Of course they over list everything. It cannot go to salaries, it cannot go to administration, did not go to administration. But it does say an independent board will be appointed and have to do an auditing. I just scares me that they get to appoint their own board members. It's too bad.
Speaker 1:It doesn't sound very independent if they have appointed right.
Speaker 2:Well, that's why, yeah, that's always been one of my, you know, but at least they can't, you know. But my the thing I have a problem with. And yeah, we do need facilities and stuff, but I got a couple problems. Number one we did that, you know, 10, 15, 20 years ago and they used the money. They rebuilt Burroughs, they rebuilt Burbank and Burroughs is falling apart. The gym is falling apart inside. They've had to redo lighting, they've had to redo the air conditioning, the roof leaks like a sip, yeah, the roof leaks, the pool breaks down.
Speaker 2:That's just. At Burroughs, at Burbank, there's issues also, I know, at Burroughs, when they put the baseball field back in after the stadium construction, they put the field in crooked. So I mean, what scares me is the oversight, you know. I mean, it's just, it's the oversight and the shabby workmanship. You know, if we're going to spend all that money, I want to see that school last for 40 years, or whatever they build, last for 40 years, not for 10 to 15 years. It's like the police and fire department building what was it 10 years after they built it? Oh, hey, they put the windows in backwards. Hey, the floor is falling apart.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. Well, and the floor leaking in the parking garage was they realized that before they cut the ribbon on the building.
Speaker 2:I believe that was a big lawsuit too. I think we sued the contractor and got some money out of it.
Speaker 3:Well, if I recall, it dripped lye on officers' cars and civilians' cars.
Speaker 1:And black and white, and it was cheaper to repaint people's cars than it was to fix the actual problem, as I recall.
Speaker 2:Well, you're government at work. So that's my whole problem with this thing is we're going to go out there and get the cheapest bid we can get. And you know what we're going to get with that cheapest bid, we're going to get the cheapest type of work you can get. You know, and it's just I, I, you know, I'd rather pay an extra 10 percent and have a guarantee of x amount of years than pay 10 percent less and have it within 10 years, have to go and redo everything.
Speaker 1:So I, well, there's there's the the price part too. But when they're doing these infrastructure programs like they're rebuilding a bridge or something, or after an earthquake, and they say, I don't know we finished there's a bonus if you finish a year early, ahead of schedule I'm like, well, what are we skipping to do that, to make that happen, and why are we incentivizing that? I understand there's an importance to get things open again, but why do we want to incentivize them, possibly skipping steps and cutting corners? I've never understood that part.
Speaker 2:Well, here's a little bit of your government work too, which you know. We talked about the elevator at Oliver Pass a little on the mayor's show, and they're going to spend $1.5 million to basically put a whole new elevator in. You know the whole thing, which is great and needs to be done. It was 26 years old and the most hazardous elevator in the city, if you saw our video or read my story. But here is the big thing. They're going to really work for now with Metro or anybody else up in Sacramento they need to improve the Olive Hoard Pass because they need to make it wider, safer and make it so maybe a bus can stop up there. But when they do that, they're going to have to rip out this $1.5 million elevator. They're just putting in right now to reconfigure the entire bridge and it's like so that $1.5 million we're going to spend now may only be good for anywhere from three to five years if they get the funding to fix the bridge.
Speaker 1:So you know, I just Maybe they can reuse the elevator car.
Speaker 2:Yes, maybe they can.
Speaker 3:The doors on the elevator car, is it yeah? No.
Speaker 2:They got scratches on them.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they got too many coats of paint on them.
Speaker 2:So it's just. I just you know on them they got too many coats of paint on them. You kind of wonder, when people get frustrated and fed up sometimes with government spending and everything else and accountability, you see things like that going on, you say, well, you know what? Let's hope for the best.
Speaker 1:It's not just us If you were watching Congress last week, some of the hearings with the military and spending holding up a bag of washers a $100. Some of the hearings with the military and spending holding up a bag of washers a $100 bag of washers that the military spent the government spends $90,000 for Crazy, so it's not just us.
Speaker 2:They've learned that from the pharmaceutical companies. They charge an American $500 for a pill.
Speaker 1:They charge what you'll pay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then somewhere in in um europe they get it's 22 or something. And well, the reason is that americans can't afford to pay more, so they'll screw us when they can. Well, let's move on. Let's move on here.
Speaker 3:Well, before we move on, I want to backtrack just a little because I forgot to write it down for the show notes. I apologize. Last wednesday was the pta uh dinner, uh, honoring tons of people up at uh no, that's right which we had coverage on. Ashley covered it. Ashley was awarded uh award. I know my daughter-in-law from red heart got an honorary service award.
Speaker 2:There were a couple hundred people there and we actually did a podcast with the pta council president. You know which is you should listen to and all the great things going on in the city and with PTAs and everything else. Yeah, I heard that was a great event. And Ashley, who has 42 different hats and does everything, she's also PTA President at Bret Hart Elementary. Oh, I'm sorry it is Bret Hart. I'm sorry, that's right. I do live in Burbank, don't I?
Speaker 3:She does wear many hats. She did a video for us, she wrote the article and she got honored. I mean amazing. Good job, Ashley.
Speaker 2:Thank you she actually did a nice job today. Disney had a presentation at a school today for some reading and everything else At Disney school today for some reading and everything else. She got over there One of the administrators in the district let me know about it, and so I asked her to stop by which she was really slammed today, but she still got by to do it, which I really appreciated.
Speaker 3:Well, let's move on. As you said, we were moving and I backtracked. Sorry I always like to dance that two steps forward one step back.
Speaker 2:I should have remembered it.
Speaker 3:So, on the weekend, Boy, what a busy weekend it was a busy weekend At City Hall.
Speaker 2:They had the Armenians had their flower-laying ceremony for the genocide at City Hall. The mayor was there, the supervisor was there. A lot of people were there for the first ceremony. We got a nice story up on my Burger King from our new reporter.
Speaker 1:My Burger King. Did you say my Burger King?
Speaker 2:Yes, my Burger King I must be hungry.
Speaker 1:Cheese burger, cheese burger.
Speaker 2:Oh, you had to do that, didn't you? Yeah, we have a new reporter. She's actually a junior at Burbank high school and very I was on a debate team and a very smart girl, so she actually shot some pictures and wrote a story and, uh, that's on the website now did a very good job. So her name is Edna.
Speaker 3:Take a look at that. I mean this is what Burbank high is putting out. I mean she's a junior yes, a junior on the debate that. I mean this is what Burbank High is putting out. I mean she's a junior yes, a junior On the debate team. She writes she's in several sports. I read her story. It was just really. She covered all angles of it. I'll give her a little coaching on some photography down the road. But you know what, we can't be everywhere. And she was there. She covered it.
Speaker 2:Well, also Also an event close to both your hearts was Care Walk, which was Saturday morning, and we had some technical issues of manpower so we weren't able to do the podcast we thought we might be able to do, but you know what the nice thing about Care Walk is there will be one next year and we will be there for that one.
Speaker 1:Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed this was the first one I've missed in 10 years, so it was sad I couldn't be there.
Speaker 2:So Ross, why don't you?
Speaker 3:run down on how Care Walk went. It's affecting everybody. You know nobody wants to donate Care Walk. A lot of people don't realize the money that you pay. You know either a team or individual goes to helping a family service agency give free counseling at all of our schools, not only at your schools. If you don't get along with your next door neighbor and they're, you know you're worried about walking out of your house. You never don't have to live that way. You can call, go to FSA and they'll help you get through.
Speaker 2:Our schools need that because they're cutting a counselor to every school and a vice principal. Well, the Care Walk, so the counseling is very necessary.
Speaker 3:Oh it is. And this year they honored Zonta, and our vice mayor, who knows Zonta quite well, did the honors, and Zonta was there. They did a food drive to help fill the pantry.
Speaker 1:Yet another reason to go.
Speaker 3:That's right, and the band from Doris Aretha played in the morning you did a nice job rolling the R on that thing. Doris, aretha and Lewis from I can't. I knew the catering company, the Lara family.
Speaker 1:You're either going to remember his name or the name of his company, but not both.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I don't know why Command Performance there you go, and now what's his name?
Speaker 2:That's why we do notes and stuff you can actually write things down, lewis, from Command Performance.
Speaker 3:Lewis. He donates breakfast for everybody. It was pancakes, sausage, bacon, turkey sausage, fruit, coffee, tea, orange juice. All you had to do was walk around once. Now Ashley was there and covered that too. She ran it with her son who was in the hospital a month ago. Older son, older son, older son, they ran it. Ashley was pretty winded because her son had to wait once or twice. She told me, but again, boom, it started at 8 o'clock. Everybody was out of there by 10.15, 10.30. Very successful. If you want to know more about it, ashley will have a story up in a day or so. It's nice to see some of the principals and so forth. Our city manager, justin Hess, was out there and so it was a nice event. And then there were later that day. It was a busy day for me. I had the memorial for my good friend Mike Bolton that I was able to get changed to and go to up at Forest Lawn Greg. What church did I say it was?
Speaker 2:the north church the old north church north church that's a big red church up at uh forest lawn and I'm sure craig knows a lot about that church too, because you know where that original church is. Of course that's as I said, there is only one old north church and it's in the north end of boston and when you take the uh oh, what's the name of the walk up there you take? It's the freedom, freedom walk which I, I have taken the Walk, I walked the entire thing, and it ends at the church.
Speaker 1:It's the one if by land, two if by sea. Paul Revere Church.
Speaker 2:The only thing I didn't do is I didn't try to go up to that tower. They have a tower that's like a very windy staircase.
Speaker 1:The Bunker Hill Monument. It looks like the Washington Monument. Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:I thought you know what, I'll get stuck in there somewhere and they'll have to come pry me out, or something.
Speaker 1:I grew up with that in my went to college with that in my view, and I've never gone to the top of it either. So don't worry, it's not just you.
Speaker 2:You know it's funny. One time we went down to San Diego and they had the carriers down there.
Speaker 1:The old carrier, yeah, the Midways is down. The.
Speaker 2:Enterprise the midway, yeah, and so we took the tour and they bring you up to the bridge and guess what? That's a pretty tight little.
Speaker 1:It's a tight fit around those ships, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, and I said halfway up I go uh-oh, because you can't go back down, and you're like, uh-oh, I hope I can keep squeezing through this thing.
Speaker 3:That's funny. You say that Once I went to McDonald's and somebody dared me. One of my, I think, granddaughters dared me to go into that round thing. Somebody my size is nuts, but there should be a sign on it saying anybody but Ross Benson can go down this slide.
Speaker 1:The real story is you tried to crawl in through the drive-thru window and got stuck.
Speaker 3:That I wouldn't do, but that twirly thing. I figured there'd be enough for a.
Speaker 2:There's a lot more of me than there's a lot of little areas like that.
Speaker 1:I know I went up and we wonder why we're broken all the time.
Speaker 2:Another tough one is the arch in St Louis. There's a little elevator that takes you to the top of that and you get in that elevator. That's snug up there too, and it's no, it's a very small little and I put four people in that thing and it goes up sideways and it's not air conditioned in any way.
Speaker 1:You don't know those hot st louis days, oh you know lest lest we forget, uh and gloss over mike mike bolton he was a friend of many uh, to many in burbank and to many uh on this program right here.
Speaker 3:So well, he listened to us. Uh, he would send me notes on my phone while we're doing the show. A big dodger fan, I mean the games have started and me notes on my phone while we're doing the show. A big Dodger fan, I mean the games have started and I look at my phone daily. I'm a very good friend of mine. It was really nice to reminisce with some. He had gotten me the job at Warner Brothers as a firefighter and he's involved in our community in many ways.
Speaker 2:Radio.
Speaker 3:Watch. He started Neighborhood Radio Watch.
Speaker 2:He was the founder of Radio Watch, kind of Radio Watch. He started Neighborhood Radio Watch. Yeah, he was the founder of Radio Watch along with yourself and he was very motivated and we had I remember we'd have little get-togethers at his house in his backyard and stuff. That's funny.
Speaker 3:Great dog trainer. Yep.
Speaker 1:Among many talents he had.
Speaker 3:Well, one of the things that I shared that my dog Duke I'm sorry, my current dog Dutchess. I used to have Duke. I was going to say Duck and Louis from Command Performance Catering.
Speaker 3:But Mike would make sure my dog got a box of Christmas gifts every year. He would send me supplements, he would send me dog toys. So you know how do I explain to Duchess that we won't be getting boxes from Mike anymore. But there were people there. From when we worked at Warner Brothers. We got to talk about the Burbank Studio days, cbs, the Triangle Building, copper, penny, when there was no wall along Olive Avenue and you could walk to Taco Bell or the drugstore. Mike worked Gate 3 at Warner Brothers for many years. The girls that worked in the drugstore- right there.
Speaker 2:Tell people where Gate 3 is.
Speaker 3:Gate 3 is right. Well, it's in front of the administration building technically.
Speaker 2:Right, which is would have been for the Copper Penny people across from Copper Penny Right. It's a very. It's not a very heavily used gate. No, it's more or less for executives. I'm sure some actors slip in there once in a while. Or Mal Palso, I think there are studios right by there too. But it's a very. It's not a heavily used gate. I don't think it had really any car access, did it?
Speaker 3:Yes, you could go in there. In fact he worked there when they closed off Warner Boulevard, Okay, when he started working there. And then he went to work at Lockheed and Craig Durley and I got to share. Today we were talking. Mike would clue me off when they were flying the stealth bomber out.
Speaker 1:Every so on he would call me In the C5, in the cargo plane, the C5A would take off at 1130 on a Friday night, but we didn't know which Friday night.
Speaker 3:And Mike would call me, wouldn't say anything, but we'd go out. We'd end up on Van Owen. All the lights, all the lights of the whole airport were dark, and you know why that was right. So nobody could see.
Speaker 2:No, no, nobody there. It's because the satellites above Right that the Russians were flying Right.
Speaker 3:Couldn't see the airport when it was being loaded into the C-5A, but Craig Durling today was sharing with me. What book was it, Craig, that you were looking at?
Speaker 1:We had a lovely lunch at Tequila's today as we often do.
Speaker 1:But there's a great book by Ben Rich who was the last person to run the Skunk Works, which used to be at Burbank Airport for many, many years where they developed the Ste stealth and the SR-71 and all that. But it's called Skunk Works and it's great kind of behind-the-scenes information, especially if you're a Burbank person. That was in our front yard for a long time and it really kind of pulls the curtain on some of the stuff that went on there. It's a very interesting read and of local interest too.
Speaker 3:Well, greg, do me a favor. You relate a story today in the book real quickly talk about when the fire department got called out to a building. That yeah, we're doing something they should.
Speaker 1:It's in it is in the book but it's they either. They, they created their own either hydrogen or nitrogen on the property there in one of the buildings for for their, but they created it themselves and there was some kind of alarm that went off and the fire department Burbank fire department rolls up and they're trying to get into the building and they won't let them in the building because everything's top secret in there. And uh, and somebody finally says they look in the in the warehouse and they said the, the fog created by the leak from the hydrogen or nitrogen, whatever it was covered and blocked the view of all the top secret stuff. So they're like, yeah, let them in, let them in, they can't see anything anyway, so won't hurt anything and you wonder why that became a super fun site exactly, and the city, the, city never knew that they were doing that inside there, among many other things, I'm sure.
Speaker 1:But if people know where the empire center is, that was all part of lockheed and the skunk works there too, and they spent years decontaminating the soil so they could build that shopping center after lockheed moved out well, I was a lot of history.
Speaker 3:Somebody just recently said asked me how could they build a hotel, the new cambria hotel, on a superfund site on a superfund site because they went through all that earth that Lockheed paid for to clean that earth, and so forth.
Speaker 1:That was the whole point of it was to make it inhabitable so they could build on those properties.
Speaker 3:So may Mike rest in peace he was buried next to his former wife Debbie, and his mom and dad and the nice thing they did. He was in the Air Force. They did a flag ceremony, but he's up on a hill overlooking Burbank.
Speaker 1:He will be missed. He's watching us all now, so behave.
Speaker 2:That he will. Hopefully he's with my mom and dad hanging out.
Speaker 3:They're on the other hill. I waved to them as I drove by.
Speaker 2:Okay, I've been there since we left Anyhow.
Speaker 1:All these people on a hill and you two are over the hill.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's about it for last week. Let's take a quick commercial break and we'll get on to the week that will be, so we'll be right back.
Speaker 4:Enjoying the show. Right now, I have a problem. I think you may want to do your own podcast. Vibrate Talks is renting out our podcast studio on an hourly rate. You can do audio podcasts or both audio and video, and even bring in guests to talk with. We will help you get set up on podcast platforms and start a YouTube channel, and we can edit your productions to make you look and sound your very best. If you are arrested, please drop us an email at studiorentalsatmyburbankcom. That's studiorentalsatmyburbankcom, and we will get back to you. Now back to our show.
Speaker 2:All righty Back with you again. Another edition of the week that was and the week that will be. And today we've already had most of our events go happen today. The Planning Commission they met today at 6 o'clock at City Hall and for one thing, one thing only, and that is to allow, have a CUP Conditional Use Permit to allow alcohol at round one in the town center. Now I've thought that was kind of made for kind of kids in a way, and everything else.
Speaker 3:I was going to say don't get me started because I read this movie.
Speaker 1:Well, let's explain what round one is for everybody.
Speaker 2:Okay, round one is like a Buster.
Speaker 1:Like a Dave and Buster's entertainment space Right.
Speaker 2:It's a lot of arcade games, it's got a couple lanes for bowling, it's kind of a fun zone type thing. So why they need to have liquor in a place like that and they've had several fights there and they've had some gang activity here there We've heard on the radio over the last couple years too so why they want to do alcohol? And of course staff said, oh yeah, approve it. So I don't know what the planning board said, but they're probably going to get their alcohol in there.
Speaker 1:Most. So I don't know what the planning board said, but they're probably going to get their alcohol in there. Those places are interesting.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry to interrupt you, but they also asked for the entire facility, not just in certain areas, the entire facility.
Speaker 1:I'll add to that a little bit. These places are kind of conflicted, like your Dave and Buster's type of places, because they cater to kids and grown-ups, because it's kind of an adult hangout with the bowling alleys, things like that, like a Lucky Strike type of place.
Speaker 2:Right, but I just thought it got like. Ross you said it had four lanes, didn't it?
Speaker 3:I think only a couple of lanes. I'm told, yeah, I've never been in there.
Speaker 1:But what happens a lot too, is people will come and they'll rent out the whole place for an event or a party and they want to be able to. I'm not an advocate, or either either way, for the liquor license I couldn't really care less, but uh, but they'll rent out the whole place so they want to be able to serve alcohol and you know, in all four corners of the facility it's just strange in some bars, children under 20 are just not allowed period, and yet here's a place geared toward kids and they're going to allow alcohol.
Speaker 1:We seem to have a. It's a conflict because they're trying to cater to kind of two different generations, so to speak.
Speaker 3:Well, I am conflicted, but I did read that they're building some new, they're adding on, they're adding more rooms for private events, and I see where Craig Durling makes it a point. You know, last week or so my granddaughter no bowling alleys in Burbank, so they went to Montrose and my son rented the whole place and they were closed to the public. It was just for you know. They didn't let any other adults in or anybody else, it was just for her. So I guess if you could do that at round one I could see where they want.
Speaker 1:If anything, they'll limit where the underage people can go in the facility, but that's not in the report.
Speaker 2:It's not in there, not in the CUP. And if they had certain rooms, they said, okay, in these rooms for private parties, you can do, I'd be okay with that too, but it specifically said the entire facility.
Speaker 1:Right. They're reserving the ability to serve alcohol in the entire facility. That doesn't mean that if there's a kid's party going on, that they'll be serving alcohol in that part of the facility.
Speaker 2:No, I'm not saying I'm sure they'll be responsible, but you still have others.
Speaker 3:You hope they will, but it gives them the ability to serve the adult part of their clientele. I see a field trip for my Burbank Fox pod crew that we go in there and just look around Investigative report.
Speaker 1:I just need the company credit card, Mr Sherwood.
Speaker 3:Let's go take a look. So let's go take a look. I guarantee that the city was watching their liability because of where it is and everything else.
Speaker 2:But round one when they moved in there that's probably one of the, you've got to remember Seymour's moved out. If Seymour gets sued they'll say, hey, we gave him these conditions and they didn't follow. It's their fault. Sue them. That's why there's CUPs.
Speaker 1:Well, it should all be, but the theory is that it should all be outlined in the CUP. It is.
Speaker 2:It is, but you still are dealing with, I'm sure, a turnover of employees in a place like that, and a lot of young employees.
Speaker 3:Well, as you know, Mr Brick would remind us, places like that the ABC kind of watches and all they got to do is get caught once or twice, and things will change quickly.
Speaker 2:Well, while the Planning Commission met today at the same exact time, the Community Development Goals Committee held their meeting at the exact same time. There was a community services building and they talked about community development, block grant funding recommendations for the new fiscal year and, of course, the fiscal year being July, through June of, through june, of 24, 25. So I'm sure there are a lot of um good organizations who are putting applications to receive block grant funding, so I don't know how it came out well, you know those funds are are federally, you know, given to the city.
Speaker 3:And I remember my good friend glenn duke sat on the c CDBG for years and years and there were a handful of nonprofits that put in for grants. They do the same ones every year. But now there are people coming out of the woodwork that say you know, they house or they do this and that and so it's a lot harder. And I know the federal government we're getting less money.
Speaker 2:Well, let's always remember this, one of the points I like to always make they're getting, you know, they're getting money from the government to do this right. That's still money that you and I are paying. Oh yeah, we're still. Even though it doesn't come from our, we still pay taxes to the government. They're the ones giving the money away, so we're still the ones paying for that.
Speaker 3:But I will say that, if you listen, and this will all be brought to the council, because that's who approves it they have to approve it so you can hear whenever that is, but you know when. The Boys and Girls Club or Family Service Agency and the dental clinic, ymca I can go down the list, but I tell you now that list is so long, right, some of them don't get a lot of money and they're asking for big bucks.
Speaker 2:Let's move on to Tuesday. City Council is going to meet again at City Hall, of course, at 6 o'clock. They're going to talk about the approving of the repaving. They have two major areas. They're going to repave once again through federal grant money, which, of course, you and I are paying for. Actually, what about?
Speaker 1:me.
Speaker 2:They're talking about all three of us actually. Oh, making sure. Yeah, they're going to pave a hollowed way between Victory and Valhalla, which is worn down to.
Speaker 3:It's horrible. I was Craig and I just so happened. I went to the main post offices today and Craig Durling was my passenger. And Craig did you ask me if I have shocks or don't have shocks?
Speaker 1:I thought we were off-roading. I didn't even know we were on a road.
Speaker 2:Well, we got two areas of olive also, one between Flower and Virginia, which is not in a great condition, and of course the other one is going to be between California and the smokehouse, the border of the city. So that's all going to get repaved. That means it'll be interesting how they do it and when they do it, because the traffic is going to be horrendous as it is and they'll have to close down lanes and everything else they're going to do?
Speaker 1:Are they repaving or just like?
Speaker 2:slurry sealing.
Speaker 1:Repaving. Repaving. So that's a much bigger operation. Yes, it's usually pretty well choreographed.
Speaker 3:Well, you know what gets me about this. The last time they did it and I remember when they did all of it because we used to do Burbank on Parade they'll pave the street and then, two months down the road, some utility will want to cut a hole from one end to the other and then when that settles and sinks, it's horrible again and it's too bad, you know what?
Speaker 2:Why don't we keep on top of that? And when we see them do that, we're going to bring it up and highlight it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it never fails. Within weeks of the new pavement, they're already out there spray painting on it to start digging it up.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Different utility projects and stuff. It's horrible timing historically.
Speaker 2:Let's see here. They're also going to be using SB1 funds for that. That comes from the state. That's money we pay to our state taxes.
Speaker 3:Now, I'm just curious.
Speaker 1:It doesn't matter what they call it, we're still paying for it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we're still paying for it? Is that part of the money that our president you know for road repairs and?
Speaker 2:No, you say president. No, it's state, state. It's a state now. Okay, so it's a state. It's one that Newsom now Okay.
Speaker 2:This is the money that the federal government couldn't get their hands on. Councilman Constantine Anthony asked for to have a letter that would be signed by all five council members to Congressman Ted Lieu in support of Glutrap Prohibition Act. Now it was interesting to read what that. You know the glue trap thing, and I get it. I mean, basically they put very sticky stuff on like flypaper and rats will come and rodents will come and they get stuck on this and the only way for them to get away is to actually do a saw movie and eat their leg. In other words, they'd amputate their own leg so they can get away.
Speaker 1:They're saying it's inhumane.
Speaker 2:It's inhumane. And you know, let's face it, who likes rats and rodents? Nobody, but you know what?
Speaker 1:Well, Disney's in town here, so they're pretty keen on mice.
Speaker 3:You know many years ago I lived in a place.
Speaker 2:We don't see anything. Suffer no matter what.
Speaker 3:I lived in a place that the landlord had put those glue traps and I found a vent hole where my dryer vent came up through the floor and every night I would hear something flapping, flapping, flapping. What was it? What was it? Finally got a repair guy out there. There was a dead rat to a glute, but he was trying to get through the hole with a four-inch by eight-inch glue board to his leg.
Speaker 2:There's two ways for them to die they have to eat their own leg off or stay there and starve to death.
Speaker 3:We got to keep this a PG show.
Speaker 2:I understand the reason for it. So I think it's. I support it. It's too bad we have to have legislation for things like that. Also, the council is going to provide direction and here's the big one people. This is, and I've already seen Does this need a drumroll? Well, we have a drumroll for this. This is also. The drum roll is not playing. Well, must have been Buddy Rich gone, like Buddy Rich. I've seen it already. They're going to be talking about rent controls and potential landlord and tenant strategies, and what's going to happen I've already seen it is that these landlord and tenant commissions all throughout Southern California, they're all mobilizing. So we're going to get 300 people at City Hall who don't live in Burbank and they're going to want to talk about City Hall, about how Burbank works, about our rent controls and this and that, which is fine. But the problem is they're going to say the same thing over and, over and over again and it'll probably take an hour and a half to get through it.
Speaker 3:So I'm not. Do you see what the city put out? It's all over Facebook. It's on the city website. Be prepared before you come to address council tomorrow night. They put out a whole page.
Speaker 2:They'll probably knock it down to one minute too A whole page.
Speaker 3:They'll probably knock it down to one minute too, but it's funny that I've never seen them put out a game plan on how to address city council, because they're expecting it.
Speaker 2:And guess what, all those people coming aren't going to read that. They don't know Exactly, they don't know.
Speaker 3:Yep.
Speaker 2:It's not sent out to the media and I doubt all those people are going to go look at the city's website to see how you address the city council. Anyhow, that's going to be a big thing and, like I said, I see there's two sides of this. You know, I see you as a tenant and I'm well, I guess a landlord because I own property, but my property taxes, all the things I would do in this house are a lot more than 6% higher on a yearly basis, and the most you can raise rent is 6%. So people are upset because rents get raised 6%, but I equate it to what they're doing with fast food. All fast food workers now get a $20 salary. You know what? Because I get it. You know those people need to not work 80 hours or three jobs and you know $20 an hour. Yeah, I mean that's a nice wage, but that's going to mean every McDonald's burger or Burger King or anybody else is going to go up and we're all going to pay more for it anyway.
Speaker 3:So it's a vicious circle. I saw today's news. They listed the restaurants that have already upped their prices, and it's those fast food places.
Speaker 2:Yeah because the new law says they have to pay those people $20 an hour. Now, like I say, I don't begrudge them, but who's going to pay? That I mean restaurants are't begrudge them, but who's going to pay? That I mean restaurants aren't going to pay them money out of their profits. Those CEOs still want to make their $45 million a year bonus, you know. So it's a vicious circle and I don't know where it's going to go or where it's going to stop.
Speaker 2:But I think the reason is because for a long time, for probably 20 years, they never really did keep up with cost of living and raises and everything else. And California, you know our cost of living is double what it is in most states Anyhow. So that's one part. And then the second part is they're going to talk about the firearm retailers once again and they're going to determine and this is interesting the level of financial resources required to see if they can buy out some retailers. They've been told that some of these retailers want to go out of business. They will leave the business if they're bought out and the city's been looking to see how much it would cost. I think it was in Culver City that they the city actually bought the gun shop that was there so it couldn't be sold to another person, and then they made it into something else. I think Craig Durling, did you hear?
Speaker 3:Whoa, whoa, I don't have, I think.
Speaker 2:Craig Durling, we talked about that before I'm not getting his audio right now. Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Speaker 3:You had turned me off.
Speaker 2:I didn't turn anybody off. Let me you know what. Let's take another quick break here and I will be right back. We're going to straighten out and be right back with you. So if you're watching live, hang in there and we'll be right back.
Speaker 1:How would you like your business advertised in this very spot? My Burbank Talks is looking for local businesses interested in a 30-second spot to appear in our podcasts. If you're interested, please email advertising at myburbankcom and we'll be glad to discuss all the exciting possibilities with you. Now back to our podcast.
Speaker 2:And we're back with you. Sorry, we have a couple of technical difficulties here, but they've been worked out by our incredible TD and our staff here.
Speaker 1:Our crack staff.
Speaker 2:Our crack staff here. Thank you, Dodger. Did a nice job Talking about the city council and the buying back, possibly buying some gun stores back or out of business.
Speaker 1:Or incentivizing them to. These are gun store owners or FFLs that are willing to be bought out, to leave, basically vacate and retire or whatever right Right Now.
Speaker 2:Was it Culver City that did that or something. I think they bought the gun shop, a family-owned gun shop.
Speaker 1:I believe they bought Martin B Redding which was the big gun store down there had been for many years. I think they actually relocated. I think they made Ogunda Nevada or something like that.
Speaker 2:Hold on Ross is sending me a message by writing here.
Speaker 1:A carrier pigeon.
Speaker 3:Right, yeah, craig, just to let you know again. We're having technical.
Speaker 2:We have your audio now, but we don't have your video right now, which we don't know, so stop picking your nose.
Speaker 1:They know what I look like.
Speaker 3:And we know what that cheetah looks like. They'd rather forget. But we do have you live A face for radio and a voice for print.
Speaker 2:We're going to work it out for you as we go along here.
Speaker 1:That's all right, let's just keep keep rolling, as long as you hear me, that's, that's, that's the important part.
Speaker 3:Yep, we got you.
Speaker 1:We hear you.
Speaker 3:That's interesting.
Speaker 2:It's obviously a big no no. Okay, well, I've done everything I knew how to do.
Speaker 1:Let's just go, let's keep going.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:But the FFL. The gun store thing is obviously a big enough issue with residents of the city and or the city itself that they're willing to put some money forth to buy out these stores, if that's how they're choosing to do it.
Speaker 2:But okay, I'm all. I don't know where the money's coming from, but okay, it may have come from our general fund, but I'm okay with that. But here's the problem I have. Okay, let's say they buy four or five stores out. Let's just stop four or five more stores now from coming in.
Speaker 1:They haven't rewritten city code to prevent it, right?
Speaker 2:You have to have a cap on how many stores they can have. It's like why would they do that and not have a safety in place so other stores can't come in?
Speaker 1:I mean, they're putting the cart before the horse. It seems like let's not start buying out these stores just to be replaced by another one, because we can't stop them, because we haven't changed any zoning laws or put a cap on how many there can be in a square mile, and stuff like that. Unless they've done that, I'm not aware of it, though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, or tax money at work. Let's move on here to Wednesday. The Senior Citizens Board is going to meet at 1 o'clock at Jocelyn.
Speaker 3:Craig Durling doesn't qualify, but you and I do Don't forget it.
Speaker 2:Which one is going to get up that early to go to the meeting? Wait 1 pm.
Speaker 3:Yeah, 1 pm, you're both still sleeping at 1 pm.
Speaker 2:Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. My alarm goes off at 11 in the morning, so what about yours? My automatic drug dispenser, Geritol, comes out at 2 o'clock, so I'm useless before that. The Animal Shelter, once again, is going to offer another low-cost dog and cat vaccination clinic from 2 to 5 pm.
Speaker 3:They have been doing that so much. Those dogs' hips are going to be tired.
Speaker 2:Transportation Commission is going to meet at 5 o'clock at the Community Services Building.
Speaker 3:Wait a minute. I saw today we've talked, we've had articles, we've run. Leadership Burbank is doing this new kennel. They started today. If you go take your dog to get vaccinated there's signs sorry about our dust and everything else, but they're starting to work. That $48,000 donation that Leadership Burbank raised is in the process of being put to work for more dog runs and more things for dogs to do.
Speaker 1:At the existing animal shelter.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You mentioned that they're building a new one.
Speaker 3:No, the existing. What they did is they moved a lot of storage to a different location. They're laying some new concrete, they're going to fence off or kennel off some areas of larger dogs, but this will also give them the opportunity to have more families come and see dogs and adopt.
Speaker 1:And they're not going to start selling guns.
Speaker 2:No, that's all.
Speaker 1:Just want to make sure, okay.
Speaker 3:The Transportation Commission is meeting at 5 pm at the CSB building and recommend that the City Council request that the Royal Verdugo Community's Joint Powers Agreement Joint Powers Authority Board of Directors program $5.7 million in the new Metro M sub-regional fund toward purchasing Burbank Bus zero-emission electric vehicles to implement the Burbank Bus rollout. Wow, that was a mouthful.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry I wasn't listening. Could you repeat that? No?
Speaker 3:you're only getting it once? No, you're only getting it once.
Speaker 2:Be careful you are now going to be back on camera again.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so now we can see a picture of those. Oh, thanks.
Speaker 2:God, I missed my face. And once again here we are having two informational meetings at the same time in different locations, so you got to pick your meeting now. At 530 to 630 at the Community Services Building they're going to have a community development department is going to have a community meeting to discuss residential soft-story seismic retrofit program.
Speaker 3:Say that quickly, please.
Speaker 1:I said it once and that's all you get. He can't say it slowly.
Speaker 2:It's an opportunity to learn more about the proposed program, who it affects and how the city plans on making residents safer. Now, basically what that is is that in an earthquake, they want to stop the in a two-story apartment building. They want to stop the first story from pancaking. So that's basically what they're going to talk about. They're going to have funds available to, I guess, to support second stories, so they don't come. You know, two-story apartment, yeah, two-story apartments don't become one-story apartments. And I mean two-story apartments don't become one-story apartments. And we saw that in Northridge. How a lot of people what happened when those apartments came down?
Speaker 1:It seems like something they would have handled already.
Speaker 3:So Craig, at your place that I've seen, you'd end up in the backseat of your car.
Speaker 1:I'd end up in my car, so I could safely drive away, right.
Speaker 2:So that's one meeting they're having and at the same exact time, but in a different location, they're going to have a community. Wait a second. Did I say community? Oh, that's Ross. What does that mean?
Speaker 3:What does this mean? I love community. Isn't that the sound for the word of the week?
Speaker 1:Is that the word of the week? The word of the week Community. Oh Whoa, what does that mean? What's?
Speaker 2:the word of the week. You send in the word community in the subject line to contest at myberberinkcom and send in your name and your address and we are going to send you a $25 gift card for Hill Street Cafe.
Speaker 1:The winner, the random winner that sends in an email.
Speaker 3:Yes, Not everybody that sends in an email gets the gift card. Look at that and I'm covering up the winning number. No, I don't know who's going to win it, but $25 gift card right here, hill Street Cafe located on Glen Oaks.
Speaker 2:That's right, and Frederick.
Speaker 1:Great family restaurant. But, yeah, you send that email with community in the heading. What was the word? I believe community, and you'll be put in a random drawing of those who submit and possibly with the gift card. Hill Street's a great place. If you haven't been there yet. You need to find it, and if you have a $25 gift card in your pocket, that's even more reason to go and enjoy a nice meal. Homemade meal.
Speaker 3:Went up there the other day and guess what? They have their liquor applying for full liquor license instead of just the. So they could do.
Speaker 1:So they can do a kid's birthday party.
Speaker 3:Yes, Right, so they can do more functions.
Speaker 2:So there's a meeting at 6 to 730 at the Buena Vista Library and they're going to be discussing the new development at Pass and Riverside and I know the neighbors here in the media district media district adjacent are very upset with the fact that it's going to go three stories underground and six stories high and they're putting in amenities, from what I understand, that are on the back half of the project which faces a residential neighborhood. So like the pool, the dog run they're going to have a few things up there, all the noisy stuff.
Speaker 2:All the noisy stuff toward the neighbors. Plus, of course people can look down in the neighbor's backyards and all that stuff.
Speaker 3:Greg Durling, didn't you and I talk about that Didn't you get a notice put on your door, your mailbox, or something?
Speaker 1:Everybody in the neighborhood.
Speaker 2:I walked in the door here.
Speaker 1:District adjacent.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we have a lot of neighbors who are very upset. I met with a couple and I said look, do you understand Number one? They're going to do this. It's going to happen, it's not, you know, I'm sorry. Going to happen, it's not, you know, I'm sorry. The Rancho people found out that, no matter how much they bitched and moaned, there's still two developments going on in the Rancho area. This will go into now, can they? You know, they're upset because of the traffic that's going to egress and enter off of Riverside Drive. They said oh, it'll never work. People will try to go across.
Speaker 1:I said they'll put in traffic mitigation, like they did at Raising Cane and Target.
Speaker 2:They'll make it work and they'll find a way around every speed bump you throw in front of them and I've tried to tell people, if you bitch and you moan enough and you yell and scream enough, it's not going to stop them, it's going to make them change an SP-35 project, and now you'll have no say in anything.
Speaker 3:We broke this story how many years ago? Oh yeah. When the developer came to us and said this is what we're proposing for the Kinko site. We ran it then. They have met numerous times and they've modified it many times.
Speaker 2:They have not submitted plans yet and they've modified it many times. They have not submitted their plans yet, they haven't gone to the planning board or anything else and they have to do CUPs and the whole thing.
Speaker 3:But you know the sad part. I drove by today with Mr Durling and I commented okay, we drove by 3700 Riverside, the old car wash. It looks ugly, there's weeds, the windows have been broken.
Speaker 2:It's now that's another developer who couldn't do his financing.
Speaker 3:No, no, he's to meet what the city required. He has had to go back to the planning, you know, to redo his plans. And the problem is the same thing on this project, those empty, that old Sony building in Kinko's is going to sit empty until some of us are over at Forest Lawn.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know what?
Speaker 1:Well, look at the old Warner Brothers office buildings now, with all the overgrowth around there now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and the neighbors don't want him to put in commercial in the bottom floor, they want him just to put in residential only and go floor lower and all. I get all these concerns but you can't. You know, if it's legal to do something and somebody thinks they can make money doing it, they're going to do it. It's not like, oh, neighbors don't want that, oh, then we won't do that it's not going to happen.
Speaker 2:I mean, I love this neighborhood and I agree it does not fit in our neighborhood. It does not fit in our neighborhood but because our city leaders, in their wisdom, have never zoned or made it so you can't put these kind of buildings in now, developers are doing it and we can't do a damn thing about it.
Speaker 3:Like I said, they will have public input, public meetings. It's coming, folks, it's coming.
Speaker 2:You don't want to have a public meeting. So they can say they had a public meeting.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, you know who wants it.
Speaker 2:Can't wait People from Priscilla's, all those new tenants up there will be buying their coffee every day, all the little restaurants around there are going to Priscilla's is absolutely against it because it's going to take away their parking. That's what I was told by this committee. That's what you have been told.
Speaker 1:They don't have any parking anyway.
Speaker 2:Their parking is actually behind the Gary Marshall Theater, which would not be affected by this.
Speaker 3:That's correct. That's why I've talked to Shannon and she's got all sorts of new customers coming in to replace, you know, as soon as it's built, plus construction workers.
Speaker 1:But all those little businesses, all those little restaurants along the Riverside, right across the street. You know, everybody drives by going where, where can you park? Where can you park to stop at any of these places? Well, if there's a big six-story building across the street, people live in there. They just walk.
Speaker 2:Well, I, I do, I I will say I disagree with that in in one way, because that's what milano's thought was going to happen by putting his restaurant on the bottom of that big. All those apartments are on Palm and 3rd and nobody came down and used his restaurant or bought his groceries.
Speaker 3:But again, let's look back at Talaria. Everybody said nobody's going to live in it, he's booked. The place is packed. I mean, people are waiting to get in there.
Speaker 2:But I will say this that's a Cusimano project and he listened to the surrounding neighborhood. He doesn't infringe on anybody there. It fits in that neighborhood where those buildings are and Cusimano is a responsible developer and he's someone who cares about Burbank, compared to some of these people who come from the outside about Burbank, compared to people who come from the outside.
Speaker 3:Well, when you say comes from the outside, the gentleman that owns a property there at Riverside and Pass is a North Hollywood to look like guy. He's part of the community, he knows, he's seen it growing up, he's bought it, you know. So it's a little different.
Speaker 2:You can't say, let's put two blocks from his house and see how he likes it.
Speaker 3:Anyhow, if you live too far.
Speaker 2:But I think once again, he has the right to do it.
Speaker 3:You know I attended the last, the Luca Lake Chamber. Mixer and a couple of people got up and were real vocal about it and they feel they wanted to convince everybody in the room. Come speak, because you can change their mind.
Speaker 2:No, you won't change their mind. You're right, they're going to have a meeting and they're not deciding anything in this meeting whatsoever. Yeah, I know it's a venting meeting. Go vent, because that's all you're going to get out of it. I mean, that's.
Speaker 3:I don't know who dropped off the notice on your door, but there's a lady that lives on National. That is, the developer has met with her many, many times. Aren't you going to lunch with her?
Speaker 2:I've been to lunch with her and she said well, they're wasting so much money. We want to convince them how they can save money by doing that, I go. You can't tell him how to spend his money. He doesn't spend money any way. He wants to spend money. You have no right, or you know? I mean it's his right to waste money if he wants to waste money. So we'll see. We'll find out on Thursday what happens. I may stop by there and see what happens. Anyhow, let's move on to the weekend. This coming weekend we're going to have a plant for a greener Burbank. From 8 to 10 am at Brace Canyon Park. They're going to plant trees.
Speaker 3:Wait a minute.
Speaker 2:This isn't a dig event. Nope, not a dig event. It's called plant for a greener Burbank. Now, I guess we're not doing Arbor Day this year?
Speaker 3:Yes, they are, but it's not called Arbor Day. They changed it. I saw in the city somewhere up at Brace they're planting 15 new trees.
Speaker 2:I understand, but I'm just saying Arbor Day is still a national thing. Burbank's just choosing not to recognize Arbor Day anymore. Correct, they used to do Tree City USA on those days you already so. They used to do Treat City USA on those days. Um, you already talked about the drug take back event. That's from 10 to 2 at the police department. So that um leaves us now with just one thing. Craig, anything you want to add before we get on to the most important part of the show no, I just.
Speaker 1:I'm giddy with excitement because I've missed the last few Ross's rants wait, you missed what ross's rant ross's rant.
Speaker 4:Ross's rant. Ross's rant I'd take a flame through into this place hostile what?
Speaker 3:what is that? Is it really my oh man? I wrote down a couple of things. I got a couple of rants, got a couple complaints and, uh, I'll tell you. First, we're going to start off with weeds, weeds and more weeds. You know we had a ton of rain. There are weeds growing on city property that are taller than my granddaughters. Now I know we can't use pesticides and weed killers. We've got to do something. Either they do a dig project up Magnolia and down Burbank Boulevard, but on city property weeds are getting four feet high. Give us some locations. Oh, anywhere on Magnolia, any of those city pots where there's a city tree, there's weeds growing. There's around Verdugo Park.
Speaker 3:I saw today when I went by McCambridge. There's a guy out there with a weed whacker in the rose bushes cutting weeds. But I know it grained and I understand that really made weeds. But I'll tell you I'm taking allergy medicine. All that stuff causing you know that is one. So I wonder how everybody's hay fever is the other one. You know I listened to a scanner. I have for 50 years the number of useless. I mean I know you cut your finger, maybe not off, but something that requires a good Band-Aaid and people call the paramedics for which means for a life-saving another call. They're occupied, they're busy. That's why Burbank's now kind of going to. Instead of sending both an engine and a paramedic, they're just sending an engine because they were inundated with people calling. And that leads me up to another good reason. People should belong to the Burbank paramedic program Because if you call the paramedics and they take you to the hospital, it's going to cost you big dollars and cents about $1,200. Take a ride in a fancy.
Speaker 2:You said they also charge you if they show up to. That's right.
Speaker 3:I had an accident. I was involved. Somebody hit me at Magnolia and Buena Vista. Paramedics came out, took my blood pressure, checked my eyes and they said I suggest you go to the hospital if you need to, but we don't need to transport you.
Speaker 3:I had to sign a form a waiver and two weeks later I got a bill for a couple hundred dollars for Burbank paramedic service at a traffic accident. And then, right before I came here, I opened an email. People wonder why events don't take place in Burbank. The food truck night that we've done in Magnolia Park for many years, we do it now for only, I think, eight nights. Not even eight nights, it's a couple of months. You know, on the last Friday of the month the fees went up. Hold your hat, craig, hold your toupees 458% in city fees. We're not going to be able to put the event on. How do you charge a food truck? We've already given them an increase. I mean, now we're going to have to go to the city and an event that we've done for over 10 years and now 458% in increase in fees.
Speaker 2:So let me understand here. You've now got to pay. I'm not sure what that is in dollars, but you pay 458% more, and what does the city do for that?
Speaker 3:Well, that's what I read in the letter. They're going to send an inspector out instead of for so many hours They've now. In past years they've charged us regular hours. Now they're charging us overtime because the event starts at 5 o'clock. So we're now paying a lot more for that inspector.
Speaker 1:Is that just a way for the city to kind of let everybody know they don't want events in their city anymore? They just price you out. I think you're exactly right, Greg.
Speaker 2:How much is the bill to the city for this one inspector for four hours?
Speaker 3:Well, we don't get it broken down. Well, I guess we did get it broken down. I didn't bring it with me, but I could tell you from about $1,100. What we used to pay is now $2,900.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I mean how do you? Get If they're charging you, let say, $1,500 for this inspector for four hours. They're saying that he's basically making $350 an hour.
Speaker 1:I'm sure he's getting a minimum, like a four-hour minimum or something too, for being there, just like the fire marshal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but $350 an hour, oh, I get it.
Speaker 1:Believe me. We were told already. I'm not supporting this at all.
Speaker 3:The Burbank Police Department got a raise in December for Holiday in the Park this year. Two years ago we paid $10,000 for law enforcement. Last year we paid $20,000. It goes up $10,000. $10,000 each year. I mean these events. It just when I got this letter today.
Speaker 2:Like you guys said, Burbank does not want to have events in the city because it takes them extra work, extra effort, planning and they say you know what? We don't get paid extra to make sure these things go on in our city for our citizens. Let them go to North Hollywood for Cyclovia, Let them go to every other city for every other event, for the parades, for all these things. Let them go to every other city for every other event, for the parades, for all these things. Let them go to other cities, because we just don't want to bother ourselves here with the extra work for our city, the forms that have to go to every department.
Speaker 3:You have to pay Every department that's involved public works, fire department, police department. I can go down the list. The list is 20 people, 20 different departments. They all get paid. So all part of that fee is is in there. It just right.
Speaker 1:But what's disguised in there is is the officer or the city employee that was there last year is getting paid the same he was last year to be there. The city's pocketing the rest, yes, and they'll disguise it and they'll say well, we have to pay for their health insurance, we have to pay for the retirement, we retirement. These are all the costs of the city to have that officer working. So we're transferring that cost to you. But the officer or whoever is there isn't making a penny more than they were before.
Speaker 3:You're right. In fact, what they do on the mall, the cultural marketplace now that goes Friday, saturday and Sundayay I guess I talked to the person who puts that on their fees got tripled. They have again an inspector a city inspector that comes out that they said spend so many hours. They've followed this city inspector and wrote down how long he's there yeah versus what he gets paid or what the city gets paid. How long is he there? An hour and a half, and they say that he's there four hours. No, he's not.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they just check in. All they do is check in, sign off on something and they go back to their golf game.
Speaker 2:The school district's the same way. When you rent facilities out, well, you've got to pay for a janitor to be there, and so we'd have to do it for an event or something. Okay, we pay the money to have the janitor there and guess what? We can't find the janitor the entire time. But we paid for a janitor to be there. But you know it's a city and a school district. You know it's a shakedown. It's a shakedown of way to make extra money because, oh yeah, you know what. We'll look into the fees a little bit, I think. I think maybe it's my Burbank project, looking at the fee structure a little bit of how Burbank yeah, I think some of them are.
Speaker 3:For some events I understand, but for some we're not closing Magnolia Boulevard. We have food trucks park and legally park, but to buy the signs that you can't park here costs us.
Speaker 2:And the thing is, I am all for the fact let's follow the health inspector and see how long he works, but I'm not. This is not against the health inspector himself, it's about the system. It's about what they I mean. I'm not going to sit there and call somebody out and say you weren't there for four hours. You were there for an hour and a half and we paid you for four hours. And all of a sudden now they'll blame him instead of their system.
Speaker 1:I would invite input from other organizations or businesses or events out there listening that listen to this, to get in touch with us and let us know your experience with this type of thing. It's not just a Magnolia Park thing, it's not just you know our own experiences, but we're wondering how prevalent this is and if everybody's being treated the same way as well.
Speaker 3:You know it's funny Craig Durling, you said that and Linda Besson puts on Elevate Burbank and she does it in a private parking lot. But again, she has to pay a permit fee, she has to go through it. And this year when she applied, she sent me an email or a text how much did your holiday in the parking van go up? How much did food truck Friday nights go up? Did your holiday in the parking van go up? How much did food truck Friday nights go up? She said we got the new fees.
Speaker 2:And it was like oh my gosh, do you know? If you change a light socket in your house, if you do anything, you're supposed to get a permit for that and pay for it. Seriously, though, seriously, I know, I know, you know, and what do?
Speaker 1:they do for that light socket.
Speaker 2:Nothing. They collect your money.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they want your money. It's just not right.
Speaker 2:And the last one that I got. It's a shit guy by our city. That's all it is.
Speaker 3:I will say, you know, flipping the coin here on my way here tonight I had heard a police call of Burbank Municipal Code violation Point of vista in victory as soon as I. I say that. I bet everybody already knows what food trucks were out there. The chiro guy burnt to a crisp burrito. I mean there's usually 10, no food trucks out there tonight. But there's a guy set up on the sidewalk with a tent with lights and I went in the city manager's notes this week on. You know street vendors, Holy macaroni, pastrami, 30 pages, what they can and can't do. So it was funny because I called the watch commander and I said I had heard the call. He says yeah, they set up usually after the city inspectors leave so they don't get caught. The other place here in town is up on Delaware. In San Fernando there's a, he said, food trucks. Usually when you come out there, fine, we'll put our trash can in, we're gone, but these other ones.
Speaker 2:But if a food truck is authorized to work in Burbank, you know to do business in Burbank, they to right. Let me ask you and not to interrupt you on this, but let me throw this into the mix who says you have to have an event anymore on friday nights, where you call an event and you just tell food trucks hey, why don't you come by this friday night and just set up somewhere and now all of a sudden, now you're not paying any fees because it's not an event anymore.
Speaker 3:Well, it's not a Magnolia Park. We did that because on the months that we don't do that, it's the last Friday of the month. Yeah, we had food trucks wanted to come into Magnolia Park.
Speaker 2:We told them Let them come in. They can Well, why not come in on that Friday? Anyway, you're not having an event, but they all come in Because the city came down on us and gave us. You're not telling them to that, they're doing it on their own.
Speaker 3:But, like I said, the city will come up with and come to Magnolia Park merchants and punish you more. Yeah, so you can't, just you know, but the one got me, like I said, driving here tonight and heard the police call when I drove by.
Speaker 1:I was. You know, when it's out on Victory at Highborne, nobody's going to say something because it's every block in LA.
Speaker 3:Well, just to be clear, we need to distinguish between these food trucks and food carts, right, because normally there are a couple of food trucks on Buena Vista there, but this happened today was a food cart on the sidewalk, right yeah, it's a pretty 10 by 12 tent that's set up at tables and they're very common in la too, isn't it oh?
Speaker 3:every you go into north hollywood on victory boulevard they're across the street. It's competition yeah, it's everywhere. But I know and I get some of the rules that they have to go by because they drip and they drop food and they get the sidewalk dirty and then you get right right, right of way issues with them blocking right instructing pedestrian traffic, things like that, yeah but not.
Speaker 3:A lot of people in the valley get up to san fernando at delaware and that's happened to be kind of near my my hood and I see these people set up on delaware. They were doing it on san fernando road and I think they were seen too much because it's a lot heavily traveled street. But they now do it on San Fernando Road and I think they were seen too much because it's a lot heavierly traveled street. But they now do it on Delaware and some of the rules that I read in the city manager's report there's restaurants there. They wait till they close. They're set up. They close at 9. They're set up by 9.30. They work till after the bars close. They make some good money.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because there's no more restaurants opening anymore at night. That's right.
Speaker 3:So it was just funny People. If you want a good read, read that memo on what it required for food trucks and sidewalk vending Magnolia Park. You can't vend to sidewalk selling between Buena Vista and Screenland and anywhere. The sidewalk is 10 feet. You can't obstruct the sidewalk. You can't go by a set restaurant or a storefront Gosh, the rules are just.
Speaker 1:Well, it's interesting. I think I've shared the story before but because Forest Lawn Drive is kind of a little personal project of mine as far as observing what goes on over there and from around the cemeteries all the way to the 134 freeway, there's usually pretty consistently half a dozen different flower vendors on the sides of the road. Up and down that road, which I have no problem with them, especially by the cemeteries and all that they're doing their thing, but every single one of them is set up in a no-stopping zone, so any vehicles that actually stop, pull over and stop to buy flowers from them, are instantly blocking traffic. And I've been stuck in traffic many times because it's one or two lanes and you get stuck because somebody actually stopped in the middle of the road to buy flowers from one of them.
Speaker 3:Wait a minute. Were you with me the other day. Were you in my backseat. I was running late to the funeral. I go the 5 to Western to the 134. I get off Forest Lawn Drive is backed up onto the freeway. I get through the stop sign.
Speaker 1:Because when you get off the freeway you have that dedicated left turn lane to go to Zoo Drive, which gives you one lane on Forest Lawn Drive going toward Warner Brothers, I guess, or to the studios. So if one car stops to buy flowers from one of those vendors, you're sitting there.
Speaker 3:You're sitting there. You stopped traffic. I did, I was late to Mike's funeral, and those are all posted no stopping zones where all those flower vendors are. And now I find that line of those vendors. They've got four or five right under the bridge, underneath it, you know, near the off-ramp.
Speaker 1:Where there's no stopping.
Speaker 3:Right and then past the off-ramp of eastbound traffic, there's at least a dozen of the vendors.
Speaker 1:I always consistently count about half a dozen along the whole Forest Lawn stretch and, like I'll say it again, they're all set up where no cars, legally, can actually stop without blocking traffic.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was kind of.
Speaker 2:They make money, or they wouldn't be out there day after day for a year after year and they're in the city of LA, so no one cares Exactly.
Speaker 1:There's no enforcement.
Speaker 3:Well, it's funny because they cleaned up Riverside Drive and we keep seeing this one vehicle Forest.
Speaker 1:Lawn.
Speaker 3:Forest Lawn Drive. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because the studio money said clean this up, we don't want tourists to see the homeless problem.
Speaker 1:Well, it was a total eyesore, but there's what you're getting at Ross is. There's one motorhome trailer there with flat tires that has never moved and it's associated with, we know, a white suburban that parks in front of it all the time. But for some reason and we haven't been able to get an answer yet why can that one decrepit trailer with flat tires stay there?
Speaker 2:Why did everybody else?
Speaker 1:have to leave, they stay there.
Speaker 2:You know what I was thinking the other day. I'm watching this on the news about all these places. If you go park on Ventura Boulevard and that meter runs out, within 30 seconds to a minute, they've got guys on bicycles, they've got guys there, they're citing you right there and then. So I think you know and maybe, craig, you might know more about this than I do with courts but you can't have selective prosecution, can you? If you're going to cite everybody for parking tickets on Ventura Boulevard but you're not going to cite anybody where it says no parking from 3 to 5 am and they park there anyway and you're not even going to cite them, wouldn't it become selective enforcement? My recommendation would have these people should all go to trial and say if you're not enforcing the parking laws everywhere, then why are you only enforcing it against me?
Speaker 1:Would that be a good argument. You can argue all you want, but unfortunately parking tickets are usually handled by mediators and not a judge, not in a courtroom nothing like that.
Speaker 2:But couldn't you ask for a jury?
Speaker 1:I mean, if you really wanted to waste everybody's time, it depends, because they figure for a $60 parking fine that people aren't going to want to go through all that we need, you know. But that's the thing is. The whole Forest Lawn Drive thing was out of sight, out of mind. La City didn't care because it was, you know nobody went over there from LA.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the strike was on too, so they were able to hide in plain sight over there.
Speaker 3:I saw on the news that Craig probably watched that they've painted the curb all the way along from Barham, I think, almost to Forest Lawn Right On both sides and I guess some of the businesses the Muse Room I did their ribbon cutting. They're a member of Burbank Chamber. Their clients have nowhere to park now and it's like those businesses in there are now getting screwed Well and car carriers take up 10 spaces, 10, 12 spaces at a time over there because they're parking them overnight Illegally.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, that's the thing about, and I'll use Forest Lawn Drive again, but it's kind of a test, an example for things going on all over the country right now. Not to get political, but all they had to do LA City was enforce the laws on the books. At the time it was already posted no overnight parking, limited time parking, red zones but they just let it go. They ignored it until look what it turned into and that became a huge expense and deal and a pr nightmare for the city to have to go clean it up now. If they had just started, just started it all off by enforcing the signage that was already there, it never would have been a problem well, I remember you counted a couple of times and told me, go look at it and I would drive it.
Speaker 1:And I was just, I was in astonishment and there's people's neighbors but they'd let it get to that point by appeasing the people and not enforcing the signage and the laws that were there, if they had just done that. But again, for LA City it was out of sight, out of mind for them. They'd rather have them over on Forest Lawn Drive for everybody in Burbank to look at than up and down, you know, rodeo Drive or something like that Different city.
Speaker 2:It was like that lot in Sylmar where you had 40 motorhomes or park next person's lot and until the news media goes and covers it and complains about it, they don't do anything Right.
Speaker 3:But if they had nipped it in the butt at the beginning, probably enforcing codes already on the books.
Speaker 2:It never, never, would have gotten to that point. Look what my rants brought up. Oh boy, well, that's the longest rant area we've ever had, I think.
Speaker 3:But I think people will relate because of all the things that I discussed. They're brought up, they're, they're you know well, they kind of call it the broken window theory right. Yeah.
Speaker 1:If you ignore the little problems they turn into bigger problems which you ultimately have to deal with anyway. So it's easier to get it at the beginning.
Speaker 3:So I do want to. We got some great podcasts up on my Burbank Talks. Ashley has done some great ones. Our Restaurant One. We have part two coming up real quick. Craig's going to do his travel and trailer show. No, I'm kidding, we're going. We have a couple others that are up there. We're going to do next month fire service day. Take a listen If you're out doing your exercise, you want to pound a couple extra miles. Listen to a couple of our and please subscribe to our channel.
Speaker 2:Please subscribe. We need subscribers. Like and subscribe.
Speaker 3:That Guitar Ninja. That guy's a brain.
Speaker 2:That guy was very you can find everything at MyBurbankcom.
Speaker 3:That's right. That wraps up the week. That was the week that will be for April 22. We started and said, no, we don't have a long show. We had some technical difficulties but we withered through it. And, mr Durling, I am so happy that I've gotten to see your face on camera, like I haven't seen it recently. But, craig, we had a good show Thank you very much, glad to be back and we got through.
Speaker 2:We got through our technical difficulties. We're still. We're still kicking so um, but things happen. You know and those of you who are not watching this live, you'll never know what just happened.
Speaker 1:Well, we keep talking about it, so they'll just be curious what the heck happened.
Speaker 3:And I still don't have a front tooth.
Speaker 1:I feel like Jerry Lewis, but well, your microphone pretty much blocks your that half of your face anyway.
Speaker 2:So good, just so you don't look like Jerry Lewis.
Speaker 3:But what's it? Wait, do you get a?
Speaker 2:yeah, I have one for you. I got it.
Speaker 3:And don't forget the word of the week Community Not immunity Community.
Speaker 2:That's it.
Speaker 1:Good night everybody.
Speaker 2:For Ross Benson Hinton Studio and, of course, craig Dirling and his remote Africa location. We will talk to you all again next week. Once again, thank you for listening.
Speaker 1:My Burbank Talks would like to thank all of my Burbank's advertisers for their continued support Credit Union, UCLA Health, Tequila's Burbank Logix, Credit Union, Hill Street Cafe, Pertain, Escobar Wealth Management and the UPS Store on Third Street.