myBurbank Talks
Ask the Mayor with Nick Schultz, July 2024
What if your local government had the power to directly impact international conflicts? Find out as Mayor Nick Schultz unpacks the Burbank City Council's involvement in global issues and the ripple effects on our community. From the conflicts in Israel and Ukraine to local priorities like public safety and housing, we delve into the delicate balance of global awareness and local responsibility. This episode promises to offer eye-opening perspectives on how international matters influence our city governance and community dialogue.
Join us as we navigate the challenges and triumphs of housing development, rent control, and eviction policies in Burbank. Mayor Schultz sheds light on ambitious plans to build 9,000 housing units by 2028, the complexities of local and state-level initiatives, and procedural matters that aim to streamline council meetings for more effective governance. We also discuss the transformation of key sites like the old IKEA and Kmart into vibrant residential areas and the importance of fair eviction policies to protect our residents.
In the latter part of our conversation, we reflect on Burbank's evolving transportation landscape, including the Chandler bike path's metamorphosis into a bustling community hub. Mayor Schultz shares insights into upcoming initiatives like the Safer Streets Burbank Initiative and previews an exciting future episode featuring transportation czar David Kriski. As we wrap up, we emphasize the importance of community engagement and support for myBurbank, ensuring that our residents stay informed and involved in shaping the future of our city.
What if your local government had the power to directly impact international conflicts? Find out as Mayor Nick Schultz unpacks the Burbank City Council's involvement in global issues and the ripple effects on our community. From the conflicts in Israel and Ukraine to local priorities like public safety and housing, we delve into the delicate balance of global awareness and local responsibility. This episode promises to offer eye-opening perspectives on how international matters influence our city governance and community dialogue.
Join us as we navigate the challenges and triumphs of housing development, rent control, and eviction policies in Burbank. Mayor Schultz sheds light on ambitious plans to build 9,000 housing units by 2028, the complexities of local and state-level initiatives, and procedural matters that aim to streamline council meetings for more effective governance. We also discuss the transformation of key sites like the old IKEA and Kmart into vibrant residential areas and the importance of fair eviction policies to protect our residents.
In the latter part of our conversation, we reflect on Burbank's evolving transportation landscape, including the Chandler bike path's metamorphosis into a bustling community hub. Mayor Schultz shares insights into upcoming initiatives like the Safer Streets Burbank Initiative and previews an exciting future episode featuring transportation czar David Kriski. As we wrap up, we emphasize the importance of community engagement and support for myBurbank, ensuring that our residents stay informed and involved in shaping the future of our city.
My Burbank Talks presents another edition of Ask the Mayor, a monthly forum giving the Mayor of Burbank an opportunity to answer questions from you, the listener, and address issues important to the City of Burbank. Now let's join our hosts as they welcome the Mayor of Burbank.
Speaker 2:Hello Burbank, craig Sherwood here with you once again, along with, of course, ross Benson. Hey, say Tally-ho, let's go.
Speaker 3:That's a little shorter than usual. Well, we have a different show tonight. We have, you know, the Mayor of Burbank. This is one of our favorite shows.
Speaker 2:We have the Mayor of Burbank here it's Ask the Mayor, with Nick Schultz, mayor Schultz, how you doing.
Speaker 4:I'm great, guys, how you doing.
Speaker 2:It's all good. I enjoy doing this and I appreciate you coming in here. In fact, it was nice that you know we were pretty busy and you actually sent the you know say hey, when are we doing our show, which I appreciate. That's good. That shows that you want to do it and I think it's important that people you know you'd get to talk to people like this, you know, in a different setting than the Brown Act.
Speaker 4:I love it because we can have more of a dialogue and a conversation. And you guys know we're up there on the dais, folks are talking to us for a few minutes and we're so limited in how we can respond. So I appreciate the forum and I mean, hey, I've got to find some way to, you know, take advantage of an empty Tuesday night.
Speaker 2:Well, you know.
Speaker 3:Well, I have Joe Madrigal here sitting with us. Got my heart racing there for a second. Well, you know, I'm out at a ton of events and people say to me we're the only source that they hear. You know the page of the leader only once a week and ended he's specific articles. We kind of been involved in this for years. Oh, yeah, so we know, you know the community and what they want, and this is just again another forum for people to be able to talk to their mayor.
Speaker 4:Well, and I I just, you know not to belabor the point, but I just want to thank you guys, Cause I mean, look with, with the internet and the advent of social media, I mean you got you guys know this. I mean the hard part is there's so much information that's spread out there and yet so much of it isn't fact-checked, isn't really subject to good journalism, like you guys try to do. You know, everybody who has a Facebook page can have an opinion and present something as fact, and yet both of you and your whole staff really try to, you know, ferret it out and try to give Burbank good, reliable, accurate information.
Speaker 3:Well, you just said a very good point because I know Patrick, I know our community development department. People don't understand what it takes. You just don't go wave a wand and you have a new, you know structure here. I mean things all over Burbank. Last week the Rite Aid, magnolia and Hollywood Way new business. There must have been over 150 people commenting oh I wanted this there, I wanted that there. The city looks at that. The business that's going in there we happen to know quite well, longtime 40-year Burbank business. They started off in Magnolia Park. They grew. They started off in Magnolia Park. They grew, they've continued to grow and, like Rob, the owner says the godfather of sports cards, they are the biggest. You go on the internet and it says Burbank Sports Card. Well, he loves the location. If he could afford that building.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah.
Speaker 3:And I've been there. We've covered stories here and I've seen celebrities. It's amazing when a basketball player walks in to trade cars with them.
Speaker 2:They have an amazing online business too, all over the world Right.
Speaker 3:So it's Magnolia Park. I'm part of that board. I'm happy to see them there. It's, like I said, a longtime Burbank business and you know it's hard to when. You know I drove by coming here. Um the 99 cent store. It's now got a big sign up there it's going to be the dollar store, yep, and it's already being gutted and turnover quick. You know we've seen properties sit for months and months and people wonder and then the weeds grow. But both of these and and listen to rob he's, he's keeping his, his world up. On the car shop he says look at this parking lot, we can have event, we can have pickleball tournaments. Out here we can have a basketball game he loves. You know it's a good size, 70 spaces, but it's from one street to the other, is all his.
Speaker 4:Well, and we do need more pickleball space.
Speaker 2:By the way, the weeds I talked about in a couple shows they're gone. At Clark and Holloway they got all mowed out, which I was very impressed, like six-foot-high weeds in the parkway, and then all of a sudden they're gone. So I appreciate whoever went out there and did that parkway and then all of a sudden they're gone.
Speaker 3:So I appreciate this show because I I do know that I've complained about some things around town and you know, I, a couple weeks ago I complained right about, uh, you get off the freeway at the? Um, the new underpass, their empire, empire, and that where they're building that appliance store, graffiti on that fence and all we commented here and that green fence got fixed the next day and I'm going, wow, you know. So somebody's listening to us. But you know what you guys know, craig and I, we love the city. Yeah, you do, we have every inch of it. We have covered every inch of it.
Speaker 3:We go back to days of doing park patrol where we would literally go out and and we could tell you where whatever alleys are and what parks are. We were out there all night, you know. And, um, we know the city and we love it and that's why we're continuing. Craig and I both feel and I've said to you, that's why we've stayed in the world of media burbank deserves its own, it's only its news source, yeah, and we're going to do it by people who know the city. That's why we've stayed in the world of media. Burbank deserves its own, its only its news source, yeah.
Speaker 4:And we're going to do it by people who know the city.
Speaker 2:That's right, yeah, and that's yeah exactly.
Speaker 4:You guys are doing a heck of a job.
Speaker 2:Well, we have questions.
Speaker 4:Okay.
Speaker 2:We did get some questions. We're going to, we're going to start off and they want to talk about the ceasefire and why you believe that Burbank needs to weigh in on this, and then how many hours it took In fact, the meeting did not end until actually 251, but you guys were down to 230 on this topic. So why are we worried about what goes on in that war in Israel and are we going to solve Russia and Ukraine next? I mean, why are we involved in that? Why are we taking a lot of staff time up and a lot of city time and are we going to pay all those people to be there? It's a long time. I just want to tag on to that part of your answer.
Speaker 3:Yeah, what you guys said, do you think it'll? There was an extra hour, two hours of people talking about that. Do you think, with what you did, we're still going to get those people every week? You've done what they wanted.
Speaker 2:I'll go to Glendale now and start with Glendale probably.
Speaker 3:But you know yeah.
Speaker 4:I see, I see your point. Um, great question. Let me unpack it a bit. Look. So I'll try not to repeat myself too much from what I said on the dais. Look there's.
Speaker 4:I have no doubt in my mind that this statement it's the folks are calling it a resolution it's not. It was a statement of the council. I don't think it's going to lead to world peace, as much as I wish people would read it and listen to it. The reality is that's not what this was about. This really started with some Burbank residents and look, full disclosure.
Speaker 4:Yes, there were people that didn't live in Burbank that came out to that meeting to comment about it, but it started with a group of Burbank residents who came to council consistently over the last eight months. Councilmember Anthony, as is his prerogative, decided to agendize it, and so we had to have at least this initial conversation, because under our rules and procedures, we can talk about whether Councilmember Anthony should or should not have requested it, but he did, so we had the conversation. I am very comfortable with the statement that we approved. I thought that, you know, starting with the vice mayor and myself, we tried to take a statement that we thought captured the majority of where the community was at. I thought that Council Member Mullen's additions in her statement that she put together were really great really impactful.
Speaker 2:She personally did a lot of things in that.
Speaker 4:She really did. And you know, I felt the conversation that the council had, overall it was good, it was balanced and what we came out with, I think, at the end of the day, is a statement that captures not all but where most of the community's at. And so just to round out my answer to you, craig, you know, look, is it going to lead to world peace? Probably not, but what I hope it does is leads to a good dialogue in the community about what's happening abroad, which is impacting at least segments of our community, folks that live here with family on all sides of the conflict, that live in the Middle East. But, more importantly, I hope that in some small measure it can lead to some sense of healing. You know that, yes, even though we are the Burbank City Council and our mission is always going to be to run a good city and to solve our issues here, yes, like everyone, we see bloodshed, we see atrocity across the world and of course we should pray for peace. We should pursue that.
Speaker 4:Then, to your quick add on Ross, and then I'll be quiet, cause you probably got follow-ups. Look, as far as whether folks are going to continue coming back or not, I don't know, but what I would say is we have devoted a substantial amount of time to the conversation, we have made our statement very clear and if folks want to come back and continue talking about it, that's their right in the public comment period. My belief is that we have discussed this extensively, we've made a very clear statement and I don't know that I have personally anything further to add on it. I'd love to continue to get back to basics and talk about um, keep having safer streets in Burbank and adding more housing All those Burbank issues.
Speaker 3:Like Craig and I've said, we have a slew of issues here in Burbank. Sure, um, foreign policy is not on the top of that list. Um, I, I've talked to Justin, our city manager, and he's never gotten involved in. You know world peace and you know foreign affairs like this. You did what you had to do. Now my thing is let's move on. You're right, we're probably going to have some stragglers, sure, sure, because there's still people that disagree there. Have we not found? There's people out there who will disagree just to disagree?
Speaker 4:Right. And the one other thing I would add, ross, is if some of your folks are listening to this, just to put them in the mindset of one council member, here's what I would say. Part of the reason that I felt that we should make a comment on it is for the sake of consistency. As you guys remember, even though there was discussion about whether we should or should not, prior councils have recognized the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Artsakh. They've rescinded a friendship city status with Hadrut. We have weighed in on international issues, and I don't know if I was clear in making that point at the council meeting, but that was my concern.
Speaker 4:If we begin to pick and choose, this is an international conflict worthy of us weighing in and this one is not. It creates a lot of dissension and distrust in the community. I think the better approach is if we're going to do it, great. If this or future councils decide we're just not going to comment on foreign policy at all, that's great. But it needs to be a uniform approach, because you can't be picking and choosing which conflicts are worth weighing in on.
Speaker 3:Well, and I think, with all of you agreeing with what was written, it almost needs to be printed out and put out in the foyer, because you've made the decision you talked about. You did what you know, you guys all said you wanted to do. People that come in and want to speak about this is what we decided. We're not going to bring it up every you know. We're not going to open it up every council and so forth. So, like I said, we have a lot more great stuff to do in the city, so I have a couple of follow-ups.
Speaker 2:Please, please, number one at the end of every meeting. It's okay, council's pleasure. What would you like to put on the agenda? You know, does anybody have anything to bring up? Is that something that you could? Somebody could bring it up and they'd have to have a second to say let's put that on the agenda, or is it? Is that I'm not sure how the Robert's Rules of Orders and all those work? I mean, could you actually have it where, well you know I want to talk about? You know the where well you know I want to talk about.
Speaker 2:You know, the war in Russia and they need to have. You know, two people have to have a vote to put that on the agenda. I mean, is that something that we could do or is that?
Speaker 4:not part of how it works. Craig, that's a great question. That is absolutely something that council could change. So we're not bound by Robert's rules of order. But, as you guys know, we have a resolution. We'll actually be bringing it up in two meetings time when we'll be talking about how council runs meetings, but we have a standing resolution which governs our procedures.
Speaker 4:Now, historically, as you both know, we've always empowered individual council members to be able to add something to the agenda.
Speaker 4:But I'd be remiss if I didn't point out some of our boards and commissions, like police commission for example, do require you, if you want to add something to the agenda, there has to be a request by one commissioner and a second. And so, based on some of these recent topics, when the council considers that item in a few weeks time, I would fully expect at least one of my colleagues to say you know what? Maybe we should require at least two council members to say this is an item of importance, I want to talk about it. So that can absolutely be changed and if that were put in place in a in, say, a month's time, a couple of meetings from now, that could go into effect immediately and I think that I would imagine that we probably will talk, when this comes up, about this experience on this item and other recent topics and whether we feel we really should continue to allow one council member to put anything they put on the agenda. Sometimes they it's a self-thought and you could tell, sometimes community will drive them to wanting something done.
Speaker 3:So I I get where. It's good that you know and again, that's probably taken up during your goals meeting of how council meetings are run, because we've watched for years.
Speaker 2:I think a check and balance system is kind of a little you know. Yeah, and one more thing on that also kind of changing of the rules. Oh, seven or eight years ago, the geriatric council I mean the city council, you know, it was a lot of older people back then and they put this rule in saying at 11 o'clock we've got to stop and take a vote if we want to keep on going. Now, as long as you've been doing this, has anybody ever said no, that's it, we're stopping, we're going home Meeting's over. Why don't? How long has that rule got put in? Seven or eight years ago? Why hasn't we say you know what, we're taking that rule out because that's just. It. Just it breaks the, you know, it breaks the flow of the meeting all of a sudden. Well, hold on to that thought, we've got to do this now. Well, it's like well, you know, do we have to do this now? Let's get rid of that.
Speaker 4:You know I don't. The council were meeting every single week, maybe there'd be an argument for saying, okay, we've gone late enough tonight, we can take this up next Tuesday. As you and all your listeners know, we meet a couple of times a month and so I've never supported. I've never seen a colleague say I want to cut this conversation short at this point. I think it's an antiquated rule that is just creating an unnecessary roadblock, an unnecessary delay in our meeting to interrupt the conversation, to extend the past 11.
Speaker 2:We should get rid of that rule I've heard you say I'm here as long as it takes I was there till 3 am.
Speaker 3:That's right, I got you well, you know, that's it exactly. And people don't realize. Sitting through a couple hours of public input where people are swearing at you and nasty, it's changed now. I mean they all, I agree, they have concerns, but listen to them for a couple hours. Sometimes you're just. You can only take so much abuse.
Speaker 4:Well, you know, not necessarily the thrust of your comment or question, ross, but one thing I do think your listeners would find interesting is you know, having been on the council for years, I can see the fatigue set in on Zezette, on Tamela, for example. You know, six, seven hours into a meeting I can see it on their face. One of the questions I get is how do I stay, at least by appearances, spry and really engaged? Well, if you see me in the meeting and I think every mayor does it differently I'm getting up, I'm talking to Joe, I'm collaborating with Kimberly.
Speaker 4:My attention is so focused on trying to run a really tight ship in a good meeting. I kind of lean into those administrative responsibilities to get up, get the blood flowing. That's why sometimes you'll see me, I'll get up, I'll grab a snack, I'm listening to public comment, but I'm walking. I just try to stay really on my toes, really alert, because you're right, I mean you know, sitting there for four hours of public comment. It's easy to zone out and I have my personal tricks to try to stay engaged because I want everyone to feel like they have my attention.
Speaker 3:Well, it's funny because we talked about it on our show last night. My Burbank is going to buy some containers of Ensure and put our label on them, myburbankcom, and put it in that little cooler that you guys have for you guys.
Speaker 2:You know, what is nice about the meetings is that you've actually got people now that buy in on the jazz hands oh I love it. You don't have to tell anymore, they just do it now. Buy in on the jazz hands oh I love it. You don't have to tell anymore, they just do it. Now they don't. And when you're listening at home, it's good not to have to listen to all that clapping.
Speaker 4:So it's you know what I will say? That is yeah, I didn't know where it was going to go.
Speaker 2:That might be your, your legacy on the city council 20 years from now, and Well, we remember that.
Speaker 4:You know I got to say it's been a wild ride the last four years. But I had a chance to watch Sharon a little bit, bob, jess, constantine, and I saw how they all handled the audience and so I just try to approach it with lightheartedness, humor. I try to just take the tension down in the room and I have found jazz hands get everybody. You can't do it without kind of laughing and feeling a little goofy and it just makes people ease up and relax.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Let's move on. And, by the way, I had to fix the mayor's microphone during the show there. His bass was somehow turned down, so now he's sounding like he's full. Wait a minute.
Speaker 3:Isn't there a song like that? I love that bass.
Speaker 2:All about that, bass, all about that bass.
Speaker 4:There you go Ross you're just a huge megan trainer. Megan trainer. You should have her on the podcast.
Speaker 3:There you go you know she has a beat and I just love all her songs. You know it's fantastic she is and and it just it's got that beat, so you add your bass.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, we talked, we touched on a little last month and of course it's still going on now and we're talking about rent evictions. You know no-fault rent evictions and the ordinance you're working on. We thought you're about ready to pull the trigger and the public made some good suggestions and there's some cities that do it differently that we didn't have in our formula. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So you kind of sent that. So where are we now on on that topic? Is that topic you're going to have done before your days in the council are over, you think?
Speaker 4:You know? I hope so. This is probably one of my top two or three priorities of things. I want to finish, um, and we can talk more about that later. But, um, before I go on, let me just say so there are two very different issues and public's going to have ample opportunity to weigh in on both. So, on the one hand, we have the rent cap, or rent stabilization, or rent control. We're talking about government regulation on how much you can increase the rent year to year. As you guys know, because you're helping us get the word out, that is not what we're talking about here. That topic is going to be the subject of a survey and several public forums that we're gathering input from the community over the next few months. So if you're listening to this and you have an opinion one way or the other on the appropriate level of government involvement, you can participate and get your feedback to council that way.
Speaker 4:But this topic is the important related issue of what you do in a situation where a tenant is being evicted. You know, look, and we're not talking necessarily about the at-fault causes. I mean, if you don't pay your rent or your tax. That's one thing. Ross has gone through this Right Now we're talking about no-fault eviction, right? So I need to do a substantial renovation of my building, I have to evict you, or I need to move an elderly or sick relative in. I need that room back. So we're talking about those situations. So the way the ordinance is written currently, what is currently on the books in Burbank, is that only for the category of I have a substantial remodel that I have to do on the property, only for that reason for eviction, you are entitled as a tenant to three months worth of relocation assistance. For all the other reasons that you are lawfully allowed to evict the tenant under law, under state law, it currently only requires one month of rental assistance, relocation assistance.
Speaker 4:What the council talked about last week was look, we should be. This is at least Nick Schultz's sort of cliff notes and summary. I think what we reach consensus on is that, regardless of the reason for a no-fault eviction, one month's rent just isn't enough when you're looking at moving expenses, when you're looking at a deposit on a new place. And I think that, for the sake of consistency and treating everyone as fairly as we can, we're looking at three months relocation assistance for all the categories of eviction. So that change to the ordinance is going to be coming back at a future council meeting and I believe that that component will be done, certainly while I'm on council.
Speaker 4:The council also wanted to look at a few other related issues. So there's still the ongoing conversation of whether certain mom and pop landlords should be exempted from that requirement of more relocation assistance. Council really hasn't reached a consensus on how do you define a mom and pop. Is it based on the number of units that they own and operate? Is it based on a sole proprietor as opposed to some LLC or corporation? These are the questions that we have to grapple with, and the last thing I would say is that we also talked a little bit about tenants who are in more dire or more limited circumstances. So maybe a tenant that's dealing with like a terminal illness Some communities have said even above and beyond the three months of relocation, maybe there's additional compensation that they're entitled to. That is the issues I'm outlining now. Council has not reached a consensus on, but these are the things that we'll probably be exploring and discussing and hopefully reaching a consensus on before the end of the year.
Speaker 2:Very complicated issue Extremely and I don't think there's a good guy side or bad guy side on this. I think that the landlords have legitimate concerns and the tenants have legitimate concerns. It's going to be a tough way to go.
Speaker 3:You know I've been in that situation. You know I've been evicted. So as a guy that lived above me, that lived there for 29 years and we got both, you know, evicted and thank goodness you know now that I think about, oh, because we agreed I lost my security deposit and everything else and I guess that's why I wasn't put on my record now that I think about it. But currently I'm in a situation this rent cap 300 last year. I just got a note as of august another state rent, rent camp.
Speaker 3:Right, yeah, which is 10 or just below 9.6, yeah, nine point, yeah, it's like that yeah, every year they can raise it that much well, they have the
Speaker 4:last two years. I mean mean, yeah, it's a, it's always a maximum of 10%, but but still I mean, you know, nine, 8%, uh, you know, uh, what I would say is that's certainly outpacing my year to year job, my wage increase, right Like I'm not getting eight to 9% increases a year. Most people are not.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it just when is it going to stop? I understand we're in California, but but folks, you know it hurts. Uh, you know, you think of all the other things and, like you said, when people don't realize, when you go to move, it's not just moving, it's redoing your, your cable, redoing, you know all those things reconnecting gas, reconnecting going to the city, so forth you know your credit card, all your addresses, everything, the mail, the whole thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's quite involved.
Speaker 4:Well, and you know, ross, to your point, what I would say is look, I think you both said something really important. This is not an us versus them. There is no bad guy in the equation. I don't think anyone on the council and I am certainly not pointing my finger at landlords, housing providers, if you will in our community saying that you're the problem. That's not the case. The issue is we're talking about a situation where a tenant's getting evicted, and it's not because they didn't pay the rent. The tenant did nothing wrong. They just, you know the property needs to be reclaimed by the housing provider, and so the way I look at it is this is all about fairness and ensuring that folks land on their feet and are able to find good replacement housing.
Speaker 4:And so look, without naming the organization, there was one organization that recently reached out to me and advocated for me to simply not touch the issue and leave it for the election and the next council to decide. The same organization is now sending postcards throughout Burbank. I know you guys are getting word on that, and I will tell the public and those listening right now the same thing that I told to this representative. With this organization, With all due respect. We have a housing crisis right now. We have tenants who are at risk of displacement right now, and I'm going to do the job I was elected to do until I'm no longer on the council and I'm going to try to strike that right balance and I think my colleagues are on board too and this is not a time for politics and gamesmanship.
Speaker 2:That's not who you are. You are the person who will take responsibility Exactly. I've come after the four years. We've come to know you, you, you have a lot of integrity when it comes to that stuff.
Speaker 3:I appreciate it that leads me into my next. Well, a question that we did put down or no, I guess in my notes was we had talked about the property up. What's considered the old IKEA Burbank needs to put in more rental, more whatever, you know, residential.
Speaker 2:How many houses are we down for the state? Oh man 3,700?
Speaker 4:Oh man, 3,700?. We are required to build 8,000, 87, 8,800 units of housing by the end of the RENA cycle, which is Like 2028. So we need to build almost 9,000 units of new housing. So we have a lot of work to do.
Speaker 2:Carpenters needed.
Speaker 3:Well, you know that leads me to that question. That old IKEA site. You know, I know there's a lot of it's gone back and forth. We saw a development that was going to go in there, Then it got pulled. I mean, is there maybe some future down the road? Do we see, maybe looking? You know, Bob Frutos always said, well, we don't have a crystal ball, but do you see in your crystal ball, when you shake it up, maybe that being developed in the next several years?
Speaker 4:I think so and I'm rooting for it. Not a month goes by where I'm not asking Patrick Prescott what can we do to get someone in there to build housing? So in my view, there are three sites in town that just make too much sense, like why don't we have housing there? That would be the old Ikea, the old Kmart and the mall itself. I mean, we have a great mall but it is underutilized.
Speaker 2:I mean, look the malls of the 1990s that I grew up going to. That is just not where people do their shopping.
Speaker 3:The Burbank Mall has never been that popular because the Galleria pretty much set the target and they originally planned where Office Depot is an office building and during the day that's what people walk to the mall and buy their lunch and do their Christmas shopping, and all that. We never built that office building where the bakery Corner Bakery.
Speaker 4:Corner.
Speaker 3:Bakery Same thing. It was supposed to be another office building.
Speaker 3:And the old home savings, all those was supposed to be another office building the old home savings all those were supposed to be developed with the vision, oh, that'll keep the mall going, but that never happened. Now I will say, and I'm wondering what the plans will be with that new development on First Street, the apartments, first Street Village. There's going to be a lot of people living there. And if, unless they change development on First Street, the apartments, first Street Village, yep, yep, there's going to be a lot of people living there. And unless they change that entrance which I had heard that that was the plan or down the road so people from that development can get into the mall and a 777.
Speaker 2:Front Street building too. That's going to.
Speaker 3:Right, they create a lot of people in the area too.
Speaker 4:I mean, I'll tell you both right now, if I had an endless pile of cash and a magic wand look.
Speaker 4:When I look at the Ikea and the Kmart, for example, I see a great possibility for, yes, apartments, but something even how about condominiums or townhomes, some home ownership opportunity where people could buy into Burbank and have a nest egg and really invest in the community. For the mall, I'm not saying we should go as high end as the Americana brand, but the concept of like an outdoor walkable space mall with housing above it where people can live and walk down and go shopping and get their groceries. I love that concept. For the mall and the Ani Group, which recently acquired the mall property.
Speaker 4:I haven't seen any plans yet but from what I'm hearing through the grapevine, they are looking at schematics that could potentially add a thousand units of new housing on those on that parcel alone. That is not only going to solve our housing crisis, but we always talk on the show about how you grow and yet you know compliment and integrate with the community, not upend things. Well, those are just vacant and underutilized commercial parcels sitting there. That's where we add the housing and make sense to do it.
Speaker 2:I heard through just around. I have no facts to back this up, which I hate even to talk about it, but I did hear it. It's not a bad thing, but they're building that one seven-story apartment house on Empire, I was told. The other two buildings that got basically approved under SB 35 are now not being built and the state came down and said we're changing how you can do that and the developers bailed out on it. Is that, is that true? I mean I don't know if you know about that or not. I mean that's kind of an out there, but I heard that we've lost those two buildings.
Speaker 4:We, we did so. The developer of the 140 plus unit project on empire and you all remember this is the one that had a little controversy because seven parking places right. Remember, this is the one that had a little controversy because seven parking places right. State law only required the seven parking places so that one did get approved and I believe it's still happening. The developer was going to develop those other two parcels. Um, it didn't. It never got to the point of approval before council. But just from what I know about the parcel they, it would have been the same situation an sp35 project where they would have qualified. Those projects did fall through and I believe that the owner is still looking to find a way to develop them for housing.
Speaker 2:I got to tell you that developer not one of my favorite people kind of came in here and big leagued Bur and just kind of threw his nose up in the air at the council and I did not appreciate that attitude.
Speaker 4:You know, I think, and that's where the state I can say that because I'm a citizen.
Speaker 2:You really can't say it, but I did not appreciate his tone or his attitude.
Speaker 3:Well, I think some of these developers come in here. A good example is Pickwick. You know the residents down there, you can't do this, you can do this, you can't do that. Then sp35 kicks in and he goes I can do what I want. Yeah, want to now and now, you know, and I remember him going to council he changes attitude a bit when he, you know, after it all got approved, you know and so forth, but Burbank's changing and people don't like that, you know. Let's say, we go back to the old IKEA site. People don't understand. There's a market a half a block away. You don't need two cars when you don't have to. You know commute I agree.
Speaker 3:You know you have Metrolink. I just heard yesterday that Metrolink buses and trains the ridership has increased over when it slowed down for COVID Pre-pandemic levels yeah, it increased, wow. And they're saying, you know, and then that picture that we got to look down again, that crystal ball, we got the Olympics in 28. I mean people are going to come in to Burbank and the World Cup in two years. World Cup, I mean there's some events. You know we're going to have a new airport, a rebuilt airport. You know. But Craig, yesterday on our weekly show we kind of joked. It's now a race. The new Warner, ranch or Ranch stages, the Ranch Lot, ranch Lot and the airport which is going to be done first.
Speaker 4:Yeah, they're both in the lots going up pretty quick.
Speaker 3:They really are. I mean, I don't know if you saw this week I happened to watch it came on the progress of the terminal they're pouring concrete and they got concrete going up and the guy said we're ahead of schedule. Terminal they're pouring concrete and they got concrete going up and the guy said we're ahead of schedule. I guess he said right now the biggest problem is, um, they're ahead of schedule, it's the heat that they're dealing with. Oh yeah. So that leads me into my next question. Okay, um, it's not a hot one, but it's um, it's going to be 100 over 100 degrees here in burbank before we start that, can I finish?
Speaker 2:one more question on housing. You have a very good question coming up. We have the media district specific plan, which is the big thing going on right now, and in that plan it talks about the size of development, the height limits, things like that. And of course, before that's been approved, we've got the developer came in on Pass and Riverside and wants to build a very large building, a very tall building, and residents are not happy in this area.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I'm hearing about it. How.
Speaker 2:The developer has every right to do what he's doing. He's not doing anything illegal. How do you tell these residents that you know we can't stop him from doing this? A and B is how do we start putting safeguards in around the city so if a developer says, hey, they're going to start doing, you know, let's go in real fast and do something before they make a rule? How can we do something to temper the? You know like any area under consideration cannot have a development until it's you know. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't know how you would phrase that, you know, but I see the neighbors are very upset. Yeah, but let's face it. They all can come to city council and yell and scream, but the developer's not doing anything legally wrong. And you can't say you know you can't do that because legally we'd be on the hook then for a lawsuit. Well, the Empire.
Speaker 3:Project. Yeah, you kind of came in here and said this is what I'm doing. You don't like it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, these neighbors down here are all, you know, they're all. Oh, I know.
Speaker 3:Craig, they have Craig's address for this project down the street.
Speaker 2:here I get regular literature you talking to Mary. Had lunch with her last week.
Speaker 4:She's really sweet she really is.
Speaker 3:She's trying and we understand her point. People don't like change. She's a stickler for change, I get it. They have made some adjustments on that project, listening to the residents, but the height is still above what the new plan says it should be, and things.
Speaker 2:So what do you tell these people when that comes to you? Because that's where you're in a tough spot.
Speaker 4:Well, you know, right now I'm telling folks that are talking about this particular project, you know, advocate, come to council talk. My understanding this project will come to council talk. This, my understanding this project will come back early next year. So, as much as I'm up to speed on it, I unfortunately won't get a chance to weigh in on it officially, but what I would say, though, is like I get the frustration. Here's what I would say.
Speaker 4:There are two things that we can do to, yes, meet our, meet our demand for more housing, but do it in a really sensible way. And there's a local solution I'll start with. And then there's really a change I think we need to do at the state level. So, at the local level, it all comes down to these specific area plans, because that is where you can bake in objective development standards, height limitations, setback requirements. That's where we are having, to use Bob's phrase, have a little bit of a crystal ball, but you are applying objective criteria that apply to any kind of development on any parcel, and that's really where we still have some ability to protect the community from overdevelopment and some of the impacts of these projects. Those are also all three going to come back early next year. So, regrettably, one of the things I'm not going to get to touch. Well, you can't touch them on the state level. Yeah, and I still may. You might see me showing up at a council meeting saying, hey, here's how I would have voted.
Speaker 3:Well, it's funny because Emily Gabaletti did speak at last night's planning board meeting. She doesn't come out too much.
Speaker 2:She actually came to the media district. She's still involved, besides being an airport commissioner, which I think is great, absolutely.
Speaker 3:You know, that's the thing I don't think people realize when we've talked about the, what's the development along Hollywood Way, where FedEx or where Randy's Donuts is the? Avalon Project or the Fry's Project no the old one where the new warehouses are along Hollywood Way. That took years to develop the Avion Project.
Speaker 4:Avion.
Speaker 3:And I remember it was a fight. You know about Hollywood Way being a major street, People down at Hollywood Way in alameda were concerned. Yeah, you know what the traffic was going to do. They've been in there a couple years.
Speaker 2:Life goes on you know, I always want to sing that song.
Speaker 3:The sun will come up tomorrow it will, it will.
Speaker 2:Talking about the sun rosh, you've got a question about what the sun's been doing wait my turn before you go.
Speaker 4:Okay, here's the only tweak I'd say at the state level. Um, so let me put it this way we treat two parcels of property almost identical in California. So if you want to subdivide and put an ADU at your neighbor's house over here, Craig, I mean for all intents and purposes it's as if we're treating it the same as any other parcel in town. In town, my thought is this we all know where the housing really needs to go. It's on those sites. We talked about the IKEA site, the old Kmart site. That's where you're going to add more housing at the level of density that we actually need to solve our housing crisis.
Speaker 4:So right now, the state is treating every parcel the same. We need to think two-dimensionally. Well, we really need to think three-dimensionally. If that's where we want the housing to go, then don't offer the same incentive as the property to you next door. If that's where the housing needs to go, let's talk about relief from development impact fees. Let's talk about other ways to steer the development of housing to the places in our community that make the most sense. And the last thing I'll say because I do want to get to your question, ross is that seems very common sense and I think the reason it hasn't been done is how many legislators have been on a planning commission or on a council. But when you've been in a community and you've seen this tug of war of needing to grow but also trying to respect the concerns of existing residents, when you don't have that nuance and that perspective, that's how you get sort of cookie cutter approach in state law.
Speaker 3:In my opinion, Well, I will say, you know, with you running for assembly, we can say that, even though it's a mayor's show, you know, you, the assembly district for this area. You've gotten your feet wet in Burbank. You know how the politics is in Burbank, but you got now other cities that are how to deal with it, so you have to look forward.
Speaker 4:I'll just say. I'll just say this I look back, look forward to coming back on the show as a candidate, but as a mayor, and speaking just in that lens, I can tell you that the mayor of Glendale, the mayor of Pasadena, the mayor of LA, we are all dealing with the same issue and and how we navigate our relationship with the state and you know, hopefully we will have more and more leaders at the state level with local government experience, that they understand that perspective and I look forward to talking more about that when I'm back ross, let's talk about the heat.
Speaker 3:Okay, that brings up a hot one it's hot topic here it's been pretty warm the last week or so and they're saying we're going to have another week of over 100 degree weather. In the past, la county used to open up cooling centers, which they still do, and so does the city of los angeles, and they're pushing them. Why hasn't burbank opened up? And I know we used to have depended on la county County because I was told they pay for the employees. They pay all of that. I mean it's as hot here as it is in the other districts. Why aren't we opening a library as a cooling center? I know there's other areas. You can walk the mall or sit in the mall and it's 70 degrees in there, oh yeah. But at the library, you know it's, and I'm just curious why we this this round. We didn't see anything.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I can tell you that when the hot weather started, I actually called our city manager, justin Hess, and I actually asked him that question, cause I was concerned why don't we open it up? I don't have all the answers as I sit here tonight, but my understanding is that, as you said, the county is the one who ultimately makes the call to say hey, burbank, you're going to go ahead and open up cooling shelters, we're going to provide the funding and other support relief, but you know it's really a county level decision. I would this is just pure speculation. I would speculate that it's a matter of resource management, but what I can say is it's something that I have spoken about with the city manager and as the hot weather continues this week, you know I'll be on the phone to Catherine Barger, her office. You know we'll be talking and you know continuing to push for having the resources to keep that library open, because, you're right, when the weather gets hot for many, many people it can be a life threatening situation if they don't have somewhere cool to go.
Speaker 3:Well, what I find is July our utilities went up a bit. Some of these we have an older community and people don't realize they all don't have air conditioning and they'll leave off their air conditioning during the day so they can, you know, pay their bill. But those are the people that sometimes you need help. You don't think of the 25 or 30 year old that works a pretty good job. But it's now getting to be a challenge and I know Catherine is very supportive of things that we've asked, I mean every time I'm out and about she's helping Burbank.
Speaker 3:I mean, she really does keep us as in her district, what else?
Speaker 2:Well, I think we've.
Speaker 3:Oh, this is the good time we give him open mic time.
Speaker 2:Yes, I think we've gotten kind of everything that we've kind of had questions for, but I think we should talk a little about the upcoming elections here in Burbank and the process. If somebody wants to run for council and I have a feeling that most people do not know that now you have to run in a district for school board.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And two-fifths of the city will not get to vote for a school board member this cycle. Yeah, I think there'd be a lot of surprise when they figure that stuff out. But as far as running for city council, I mean, how do they do it? What's the process? Give us a little rundown. You've been through it, I have been.
Speaker 4:So council has two seats up Worst kept secret in town by operation of law. Because I'm in another race, I will not be running for the city. Council has two seats up Worst kept secret in town by operation of law. Because I'm in another race, I will not be running for the city council, so that's pretty much why we can't have the governor be the vice president.
Speaker 2:Let's get by law. That's the laws.
Speaker 4:The laws are very strict, that is true. So here's what that means, if you're listening to this and you're thinking about running. So, first things up, the two seats that'll be up both carry four-year terms. So you'd be elected in November, two people from the community will be seated in December and then their terms will run all the way through December 18th of 2028. So there's two four-year terms that are up. When you go online, you see there's different dates for the nomination period. Let me make it easy for all your listeners. So, because I'm not going to be running for reelection, you have until Wednesday, august 14th, at 5 PM to get your nomination paperwork in. So there is still time for people that are listeners of your podcast, if they really want to run for council. It is not too late. You can go down to the uh, to the office, you can grab the paperwork. You can grab the paperwork, you can get the signatures from your neighbors and you can file to run.
Speaker 3:I was going to say, let me. I just want to interject Our city clerk, kimberly Clark, and prior to Zezette their webpage, if you want to know the ins and outs and what you have to do literally, they will walk you by your hand on how to get through the process, and Kim is very, very receptive to helping people. She's. So if you want to run, there are some requirements. Like the mayor just said, you have to get so many signatures to endorse you.
Speaker 4:Yep, you have to be a resident of the city for at least 31 days. You know there are registration and filing fees and there are hardship waivers. You know if, if folks really can't afford to, you know to to pay those. The thing I would just say is if, if you want to learn more, if you're interested, you can go down to Kimberly's office at city hall. You can visit the website. We have the. We actually have this portion of the website in English, spanish and Armenian translation, and you can always call the number 818-238-5851. That's always. It's open every business day during general hours. You can call and ask questions to your heart's delight, if this is something that you think is right for you.
Speaker 3:Well, you know I'm throwing Craig here. Did you know he ran for city council back many years ago? I didn't know that 1978. He did not when dirt was first thought of. He was not the lowest, that didn't come in last. He didn't come in last, all right, but we're talking.
Speaker 2:That's why you remember the number one thing my platform was At that time, was it? We had no movie theaters in Burbank, movie capital of the world. Yeah, the movie capital of the world and we had no theaters in Burbank.
Speaker 2:Now we have like two AMCs next to each other, the Pickwick, had just shut down and that was it. And I said this is ridiculous. At that time I wasn't that old and people my age had nowhere to go in Burbank in the evenings no movies, no anything and people my age had nowhere to go in Burbank in the evenings no movies, no anything, and so so that's where he's gotten it.
Speaker 3:You know, the force has been with him all these years and a lot of people don't also realize. When you go in front of Bob's let's say, the people that have been here many years there used to be 20 news racks, All half of them were pornographic news sites. Craig looked up the city codes and he forced the city to have them all removed 355 newspaper stands in front of any painted curb in the city. And that was his doing, of having them and look at how nice it looks.
Speaker 2:Now he drives by with big boy, it looks nice.
Speaker 4:Well, and I think it's a good reminder that you know, look, if you care about your community, run for office. You don't have to run for office to be effective and to do a lot of, but you know, hey, we need good people to run.
Speaker 3:Sure, it's funny you say that because I, craig and I were just talking um. Bob kramer, who started as a council critic and was at council every week, didn't like the smell going over the Burbank Bridge. My granddaughters call it the poop bridge, but they don't understand the purpose of the reclamation center and the millions of dollars you know and so forth. And then Bob became a council member and then a mayor yeah, and now he's yeah.
Speaker 2:And then Now he's Mr Burbank and just before he left they created the office of ombudsman. Yeah, and he actually I think he left the council almost two months early to take that position and he's been there ever since.
Speaker 3:But again, there is a perfect showing but he loved Burbank Of how you get involved. In Burbank You're passionate about something. Absolutely you want to see. Get on a commission. I will commend you guys. I read through all those applications. Yeah, you guys had a lot of reading and I know why you guys walk away with three notebooks, three-inch notebooks, every week. We had some great people apply Tons. They really were qualified. As I said to Craig, the ones that lived here maybe two, three years. You're not in Burbank long enough to know when the light signals change on Magnolia. You've got to have a little more time here, but you guys did your homework. I was very happy with who you placed and there are other things that people can do to get involved Currently we just got a notice today.
Speaker 2:It's got to be tough, though, when they come up to communications and they plead their case for the two or minutes. They're sitting in there hoping that did it, and then you don't pick them.
Speaker 4:I mean, it's got to break your heart, you know, because it's not personal. No, and I'll tell you. Of all the decisions we make the land use, the ceasefire, the statement the toughest decision is always looking at someone who is qualified and wants to get involved and volunteer, yeah, and yet you have 10 people, all great, applying for two spots. That is the worst decision.
Speaker 3:Well, there are currently four. Even though you, you guys voted, it was the term. It normally runs july. I noticed we got a notice today from the city clerk. There's an opening on the park and rec board. Yep, and we have an opening on our planning board. So if you have now when I say planning board, it's nice. If you know what a hammer is or you know, you can look up plans and read the legend, you know and the smart things, but also the Parks and Rec Well, parks and Rec, I'll tell you, I really have thought about running, you know, applying for that.
Speaker 2:but you know I look at the applications people put in and they have you know, oh, 12 pages of a record collars and everything else, I go. God, I guess it doesn't matter. I have 50 years, you know sports and, and and I've used all these parks my entire life. I think they're probably looking for. I will say for education and not for experience, you know those resumes.
Speaker 3:When you see NASA engineer, you know you go and they're applying for this board.
Speaker 4:Okay, it's intimidating, you know Well, and I again, if you have anyone who's listening and is thinking of either the planning commission or the parks and rec board, I hope this insight is helpful. Can't speak for any of my colleagues, but I obviously look for a qualified candidate, but I don't always go with the person whose resume looks the best on paper, cause I mean, craig, you'd appreciate this as a coach, right, I'm thinking about it from the team dynamic. Okay, it's like a council. Would you want a council full of five NICs? Probably not. So you want balance and I'm always looking at okay, what are the strengths of the planning commission? And then, where do they not really have expertise? Who could we add into the fold that maybe has an experience professional, lived or otherwise that no other commissioner has?
Speaker 2:Don't be surprised. Maybe if you, although it might mean I had to put on pants.
Speaker 4:I'm pretty sure that that might be an expectation, but you should do it.
Speaker 3:But you know, honestly, like you say, you look at those applications and like you say, you, you, I, I read, oh, it had to be two days, I read through every one and a lot of that you know people don't realize it's public information and you learn about somebody quite a bit and then when you put somebody on those boards and commissions, you want them to be a team player. Oh yeah, being on a board of commission or any of the boards in Burbank, you got to work with other people, you do. You know, I mean, one of the nice things about they do teach at in leadership burbank they give them a project and it's not one person's project, it's a class project and you all have to put in your 110 percent absolutely. And that's one of the you know they people get out of leadership burbank. But I will say we've seen council, they don't talk to one another. No, I know, you know, and it's this is not that council.
Speaker 4:No no no.
Speaker 4:Well, and I will say it. I know you guys probably got other questions or things to get to, but I will say whether you're running for council this year or you're applying for a boarding commission, my one bit of unsolicited advice is it's easy to stand up as a candidate or applicant and say I want to do this, I want to change this, but it's a team sport right. At the end of the day, you can't make anything happen without at least two other votes in the case of council, or more if you're on certain boards and commissions. So it's great to have ideas, but you have to understand, walking in, that you need to work with other people, you need to play well in the sandbox and you have to work to get things done. That's democracy.
Speaker 2:I'll tell you, one of my motivations for thinking about this is the huge development I'm going to do it at all of or we don't call it all the park anymore. It's now um, georgia is a park and I I really believe I would have good input to that because of being experienced in the city. You should apply.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm thinking about it, Okay, but those are the reasons that, you know, I think I would have good ideas, and you're right, like Ross says, you have to work with people, you know. But I would be doing it to benefit my city.
Speaker 3:That would be my only motivation, you know, and people need to understand you do not get to make choice of what city employee gets a pat on the back. They don't work for you, Right, they work for our city manager. You need to know how our city government works. It's not like Los Angeles, not like the state of California. We are run by a city manager who makes who's in charge of the personnel of the city and the city attorney works for the city council. Those are the only two jobs that answer to the city council and I know some council members have gotten up there and I've been out with them and go. Well, I can take care of that. As you've learned, you really can't. You, you can hand off the the problem to that department, but you, there's no more weight that it came from the mayor or whatever.
Speaker 2:But they do want to make you happy.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, what's?
Speaker 4:your purpose. Yeah well, I think you know that boy. That could be a whole other segment or a show, but it's the concept of hard power and soft power right, like as a council member in Burbank, as the mayor. It's not like city of LA. I'm not Karen Bass, I'm not the de facto Justin Hess of the city, I'm not running you know, by extension, all the departments. But I think that if you understand your role as a spokesman for the community, if you're able to motivate people, if you're able to guide them with vision and prompt them to do things that you think will do good, like, there is a way to get your agenda done. But you're, you know you're always going to get more accomplished if you are positive, if you're motivational, if you're aspirational in your approach and not coming in dictating saying I want to do X, y and Z, because at the end of the day you'll turn off staff, you'll turn off your colleagues and you won't get the agenda done that you really want to achieve.
Speaker 3:And we've said this numerous times we're real fortunate in this city to have a guy by the name of Justin Huss running it. Yeah, we are. He's a long-term person. He cares about this city.
Speaker 2:He understands it.
Speaker 3:And I know the last couple of council meetings. It's been tough for him when you guys bring up some of these topics and you know he has to deal with them him and the city attorney. But if you correct what we say, you know it's nice when you go and turn the light switch on and the lights go on.
Speaker 3:You know, christmas Day your trash is going to get picked up in the city of Burbank. You don't get that in Beverly Hills. You don't get that in Beverly Hills, you don't get that in other cities. The things that we get here, you know, and they're all led by our city, a great team of city employees, 1,800 some odd city employees that don't just come for a paycheck. They care about the city.
Speaker 4:Well, and I will say one other thing If I do it at council all the time, but if I can break the fourth wall, I One other thing if I do it at council all the time, but if I can break the fourth wall, I mean, look, there are folks running for my seat right that are probably listening to your podcast. Here would be my advice. I'll say it now, because then everyone gets to hear it. Right, no one gets any special treatment.
Speaker 4:You know, sometimes I agree with Joe McDougal, sometimes I don't Same with Justin Hess, but I will tell you, rarely is anything ever said on the dais from me that I haven't discussed with them in advance, because, at the end of the day, we can disagree, and I understand my role and I understand their role, but we are part of a team, you know. We, we hash it out on the dais, and whatever the majority of council wants to do, justin and Joe and the rest of staff, their professionals, they will execute the mission of council. Our job, though, is, you know, try to set each other up for success, like, if I have a tough question, I'll tell the department head hey, I'm going to grill you on this, want you to be ready. I want you to have an answer for me. I think that that's good governance. It's not about showmanship.
Speaker 2:There's respect, exactly, there is respect.
Speaker 3:You just said it, craig, and I have listened to, honestly, over hundreds of city staffers and the last couple of years we've had some of the top notch city employees. When you ask a question, they put their A team up there to answer your questions. It's not oh, I need one or two, need to go? Well, I need to go find Sure.
Speaker 4:But it amazes me that when you ask or when somebody gives a report, they're well prepared, and I think the key to that success both for people that might be on the council soon and just those who watch it and like to learn more is if your interest is in having a headline and looking like you're really smart and making a spectacle, then you can just wait till the meeting and ask your questions. But if you care about getting good policy done, you should tell your staff in advance. I want to know the answer to this. I want you to have the answer when I ask it, and I'm going to ask it so the community can come along and understand my thought process, and I think that this council, especially as a team, we do a pretty good job of doing that. That's why we've had really yes, they go to 3am, but we've had really thoughtful, good good dialogue.
Speaker 2:I still think you should have a three B's a month. I'm just a big, it's such a. Have it as special, like you did for the um. Yeah, have a special moment.
Speaker 3:You know it's funny. I said to correct you the other night when the meeting went to 251. 251. I figured you know why.
Speaker 2:We were up, we watched the whole thing. You know why it went to 251?
Speaker 3:Because in the parking structure there's no parking between 3 and 5. We got out.
Speaker 2:Well, what a show We've come to. You know, we've come to that. We're not done yet. No, we haven't. Because we forgot, I forgot but we're saving it for last. Wait, isn't there a drum roll for this part? Do we have a drum roll for that? Of course, yes, we do. There we go, and it's time for what's on the Mayor's Mind.
Speaker 4:Well, thank you guys. I'll be quick. What's on the Mayor's Mind tonight is there's actually three community events coming up that I'm really excited about. I would imagine that my Burbank will be at some, if not all, of these, but I want everyone to know about it so I can see them out there. So the first one up is the and forgive me, I'm just going to look at my notes here, because there's so much good stuff we have the inaugural City of Burbank Media Industry Expo and Job Fair. It's going to be at woodbury university thursday, august 1st, from 12 pm to 4 pm. This is really exciting. Um, I hope that you look. If you want to break into the entertainment industry, this is the place to go and learn more and network. It's going to be exciting, um. Next up, we have national night out, which is always a huge, huge thing in burbank. We do it better than anybody. Um, so that's tuesday, august 6th, in lieu of our normal council meeting. Johnny carson park.
Speaker 4:Yep 5 30 to 8 30 and then many, many neighborhoods yep we'll have their own uh, their own celebrations also, which you, I know you and the council all visit yeah, a lot of people don't know that we all go to johnny carson park to kick it, but then you know, generally speaking, we all ride along with other BPD officers and visit the block parties, and so it's a really great event. And the last thing is and this one I'm really excited about because I now live like two minutes from it, go figure August 14th, 6 pm, the 20th anniversary of the Chandler Bike Path. We have a really special celebration that the city of Burbank is hosting with the BTMO and Walk Bike Burbank Ross I know you could probably speak more to this. This is exciting. It's 20 years.
Speaker 2:We remember when it was a train track. I once covered a train accident at Pass and uh, chandler, pass and chandler. When a train ran into a car, yep, at pass and chandler. So that's how much we remember the old days, but boy well, I will.
Speaker 3:I want to tell you the city's done for that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we make that um, craig, hemp hill and the and mike and the walk bike burbank teams started many months ago. Yep, and you know you can go on the Chandler bike path and you will find all walks of life People skating, people walking, old folks in their walker. I remember when it was put in Marsha Ramos was one of the people. Janet Deal was involved back in the day Probably one of the best things that got put into the city back in the day. Probably one of the best things that got put into the city. You know, and um, even the people that live on it live on Chandler. You know when the train tracks were there, there were hibiscus plants. You didn't even know your neighbor across the street Cause you couldn't see him.
Speaker 3:We have found walk bike Burbank. Um, a former city employee's husband was an engineer on that train every day lives on California right up the block. He's been a great resource. He saw the tracks come out, the Chandler Bike Path get put in. They're working on some stories from him. Like I say, walk Bike Burbank is doing some great history and, again, this is a community event. It's free, there will be giveaways, there will be enjoyment and for people that haven't, uh, we moved it. It was going to be a californian chandler, but with the aid of having um the whitnell park at pass and chandler, we're thinking it might grow pretty big, we can go into into that park some.
Speaker 3:So, another great event I'd like to say.
Speaker 2:I think this is totally off the topic, but on this topic I think down the line you as a counselor are going to have some decisions to make, because I've seen, like in the beach towns kids are getting electric bikes now. They're going 15, 20 miles an hour. Kids, not just adults. And the more of these electric bikes and scoot they're going 15, 20 miles an hour, kids, not just adults and the more of these electric bikes and scooters and everything else. You know the Chandler bike path is, you know it's kind of there's people walking, there's a lot of you know. I'm just wondering what you know down the line, what is going to have to happen? You know new laws or new?
Speaker 3:BMC codes. Well, currently burbank doesn't have any laws about riding those scooters or bicycles on the sidewalk. You can ride on a sidewalk it's something that will have to be a municipal code, you know, enacted as a municipal code. That's right. And nowadays, like you say last night I was right down the street from the studio 9, 30, 10 o'clock at night.
Speaker 3:This guy goes buzzing by me and it's like oh whoa, but it's the kids that have now but I've been on magnolia and somebody come up on you on a bike and it's too late when you turn around. So, um, we're changing how we do our transportation. Yep, a lot more people walking and so forth. So maybe, uh, down the road, that would be a law that we would see. That you know. But again, as a Burbank police would say, they don't like to, they do like to enforce that. It's the three E's, but it's engineering and education.
Speaker 4:You got to educate people that what you can do and can't do, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention related but different topic. Uh, one of the big items on, I believe, next Tuesday's council meeting agenda is an update nothing final, but an update on the Safer Streets Burbank Initiative, which is really taking the concept of Vision Zero the goal of redesigning streets to achieve zero pedestrian and other traffic fatalities, and so staff is going to be coming back because it's been almost 18 months since we initially brought it up. They're going to be sharing with us in the community what they've been working on, how they envision achieving that goal, and so it's a great intersection of talking about how we handle motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists Certainly not the full conversation, but if people have thoughts on it, it's a great opportunity next Tuesday to share your perspective with council.
Speaker 3:Well, can I give a little tease? Absolutely, we have talked, we have asked the czar, what we call the czar of transportation, transportation czar, Mr Kriski.
Speaker 4:I assume David Kriski.
Speaker 3:He has agreed, and Craig talked to him just the other day he's going to sit down and do a podcast with us.
Speaker 2:I'd love that and one of the shows with you, eric, and where is he going to do that podcast with us at?
Speaker 2:We're going to do that on a Burbank bus as we are driving around Burbank, because I remember four or five months ago somebody sat up at that council meeting in the mayor's chair and said we're going to do a podcast on a bus and bus. And I go oh, are we really? Well, you know what? We are figured it out. We think we've got the equipment we need to do this. I love it. Um, jonathan at the pio's office has been fantastic to us and help gets arranged and bus people are helping with it.
Speaker 3:So, karen, karen, uh, from transportation, yeah, she has gotten us routes, she's gotten us how, how you know?
Speaker 2:Oh, it's so interesting so it's Get ready for that coming up. I'm excited, let's do it. I think we'll do the whole mayor's show just on transportation in Burbank. There's more than enough to talk about right.
Speaker 3:Well, David Kriske. We ran into him. He was on the day of the Road Kings car show. He was out, he's a car fanatic, he's a transportation guru, and his wife, that's right. I didn't recognize him with that hat on either, but I knew who he was and he knows and he shared with us. You know what people are seeing. You don't just snap your finger and decide to do something. It takes a lot of planning. It does the safe streets. We've got to reduce the people getting killed. I'm shooting. We have how many?
Speaker 3:accidents, so many when people are getting killed and it's, you know, a lot of things are going on. But he said, you know he has some to share with us around town here, some things that are going to go on. That. I think it'll be very interesting and I'm looking forward to David I'm known for, since he, you know, know.
Speaker 2:You know I'm going to be critical on the Burbank bus system in general.
Speaker 4:Yeah so.
Speaker 2:I think that you know, I think we could do so much better.
Speaker 4:I agree, I really do, and it'd be great to have a north to south running line through our community.
Speaker 2:And even up on the hill where we're running by the schools where the kids can, because I think it's great. You guys are talking about waiving the fee for students, but if you're a student in a school, there's no Burbank bus running near you to jump onto. So yeah, I think it's. You know things are changing, but in a positive way. But change does. Like Ross says, change takes time, it does.
Speaker 4:Well, I'm looking forward to that next show whenever we get to it, whether it's next month or the month after.
Speaker 2:It's going to be next month we're getting up for it. It's going to happen. Make sure we get an air-conditioned bus.
Speaker 3:Oh, they're all air-conditioned. Okay, that's going to be that. Well, I noticed on our show notes, mayor, this is the time, you know, the last four months of you being on council. Yeah, what are there things that you want to accomplish that you can share, because we're not at a council meeting?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean, look, I think that the priorities for me really do echo what the council goals were when we set them a few months back. In terms of housing, look, I don't know that we're going to solve the housing crisis in four months, but trying to get to a good place. In terms of the eviction protections, we've been talking about, look, the rent stabilization piece. That may take longer, but I think, with the eviction protections, we've been talking about, look, the rent stabilization piece. That may take longer, but I think, with the eviction protections, I'd love to get that wrapped up in the next four months. Reach a consensus so the community knows what to expect.
Speaker 2:Ross brought up a thing in the show the other day which we're worried. I think we were talking privately. He says well, I really hope when the new county, if that's not finished, that when the new council gets seated, the new two members, that we don't start over again from you know that, yeah, we got to bring them up to speed a little bit, but we don't, you know, all of a sudden now the three-month period now takes another nine months because these two members want to do the whole process again.
Speaker 3:But I think that brings up a good point, sir, and it brought both of you. When you look at your people running for city council, some of them probably know some of the stuff going on and some of them are quite well involved in our Burbank community and when you vote you want somebody that knows what's going on in this community and kind of has a background, knows, so we don't have to start all over again. It's right, like when you go from seventh grade to eighth grade or go from middle school to high school. It's like wow. But I think whoever we fill those two seats with streamline that process of them knowing not a learning process for them.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I agree, and that's really where my passion for trying to get as much progress made in four months on this issue comes from. It's not coming from the point of trying to ram my agenda through. It's coming from the perspective of I've sat with this for four years. I've had a lot of knowledge and perspective that I have accumulated from hearing our residents. I'd like to offer as much of that to the community as I can and do as much good while I'm still on the council. Quickly, I would say so housing, you know that's one issue.
Speaker 4:Transportation we're going to talk a lot more about that next month. There are some. I would love to revisit the green line for Burbank bus before I go, um. And then sustainability there's always more that we can do to really reduce our, our carbon footprint, to build a more climate resilient community. Um, we're going to be talking about gas leaf blowers in a few months. Uh, we're also going to be talking about workforce development standards.
Speaker 4:All of these are things that I really want to tackle, and the last thing I will say is this I want to get as much good stuff done as we can in four months, of course, but I also understand that look, I will, hopefully. Well, I'm not leaving Burbank no matter what, and hopefully I'll be continuing to serve the community in some capacity, even after four months. So let's carry the ball, you know. Let's carry the baton, if you will, and put us in the best position so that when we hand it off to the next runner, they can keep Burbank moving forward. And I think we have a lot of great work we can do in the next four months.
Speaker 2:Well, I agree and I want to make a quick note to everybody that starting in August, my brick once again do our election shows of meet the candidates. So we invite you on, we'll let you decide when in August or September, sometime in that area, and we'll talk about your assembly run and anybody else out there. If you appear on the Burbank ballot in any race, we would love to have you on the show. Just drop us a note at news at myBurbank and tell us we'd like to come on and do a podcast and you're on. We don't care what you know Republican or Democrat or Green Party or you know, or Dodger Party, who knows?
Speaker 2:We want everybody to have that equal time.
Speaker 3:Well, you know it's funny. I say during our weekly the week that was the week that will be we're in a great city, I don't care what anybody says, yeah, there's a lot of things that can be. We're in a great city, I. I don't care what anybody says, yeah, there's a lot of things that can be fixed and so forth. We have a fantastic run city, um I. You go from north hollywood to burbank and it's you know exactly. When you're in burbank, you know, and there's, there's city functions and city personnel and so forth. And you know, mike davis, former fire chief, said pretty amazing, you dial a three-digit number and you're guaranteed to see somebody at your house within three minutes. Not too many cities can say that, you know, and we have a great police and fire department and people need to get out. I saw our vice mayor on social media the other day was at the cultural market. Oh yeah.
Speaker 3:I saw some pictures. That is getting to be a great place. I remember the, the cultural market. Oh yeah, I saw some pictures that is getting to be a great place. I remember the planning of that. There's a lot going on in our community. Get involved in your community because you know what it's you that makes up this community. That's right, well said.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, we thank everybody for listening or watching and please, on the bottom of this YouTube YouTube video, you can see you can send in a little something to us. If you want to donate some money, we'd appreciate it. So we want to ask everybody to take a look at that. And for Mayor Nick Schultz and for Ross Benson, this is Craig Sherwood saying we will talk to you again next month from a Burbank bus. Good night.
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