myBurbank Talks
myBurbank Talks
The Week That Was and That Will Be - May 6
Picture this: you're soaring high with the LA County Fire Department, the cityscape shrinking below, and the thrill of the wind whipping around you. That's just a taste of the adventure Ross Benson, Craig Durling, and I, Craig Sherwood, recount on this week's myBurbank Talks episode. We've got the scoop on local happenings, from John Salazar Jr.'s striking photo contest win to the heartfelt moments at the Boys and Girls gala. We're also tipping our hats to newsletter contest winner Andrew Biser and sending a special shoutout to planning board commissioner Samantha Wick for her unwavering support. Buckle up, Burbank buddies, because this episode takes you on a community roller coaster ride of insights and camaraderie.
Ever wondered what it's like to be at the helm of city decisions? Dive into the heart of civic duty with us as we dissect the ins and outs of joining Burbank's city boards and commissions. You'll hear firsthand stories that just might inspire you to take up the mantle yourself. And for those with an eye on the city's pulse, we've got the latest on landlord-tenant policy woes and the city council's budget gymnastics. Whether you're a Star Wars fan cheering "May the Fourth" or a Star Trek aficionado celebrating "First Contact Day," our banter on cultural dates will spark your festive spirit.
Of course, the City's budget will be the bid City Council talking point this month, and the hosts will delve into the 661-page report and discuss things such as a new part-time Paramedic squad.
We wrap things up with a look ahead, steering through the maze of parking strategies for this weekend's electric events, including Fire Service Day and the Celebrate Burbank shindig. Don't miss our heartfelt tribute to mothers everywhere as we round off with a gentle reminder to cherish the upcoming Mother's Day. And don't forget about Fire and Police Service Day this weekend, during which we will be doing a remote podcast! Join us as we continue to weave the vibrant tapestry of Burbank's news, culture, and history. This episode isn't just a listen; it's a celebration of the community we love.
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 Shewitt here with you once again, along with our co-host Ross Benson.
Speaker 3:Hi there, boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 2:And let's not forget our other co-host, but on a remote location.
Speaker 1:Craig Durling. Good evening everybody. Good to be back.
Speaker 3:He's got some airplane ready to dump floss. Check on his head Well.
Speaker 2:I think after last week's picture and he asked for you know, and we had a little contest of where that was and um, um, well, let me, let me bring last week's picture up, because that we have a winner, we, and well, let me let me bring last week's picture up, Cause that we have a winner.
Speaker 1:We have somebody that guessed it correctly.
Speaker 2:Yes, we have a winner. This one Get out of the way. There we go.
Speaker 1:And Craig, why don't you tell, tell, give us, tell us about that picture that you shot? This was on. Well, I'll, I'll, I'll bury the lead here, but I was assigned by the LA County fire department to fly out to Catalina with them for a brush fire drill, a large scale brush fire drill, some years ago, and at the end of that drill, all of the station 55 apparatus that is stationed on Catalina Island, santa Catalina Island. We got them all up to the airport because that's where the command post was for the drill, and I set them out and took a portrait of the apparatus so that is all the LA County fire apparatus stationed on Catalina Island, station 55, and took a portrait of the crews that were there in front of the apparatus, and then this one that's displayed here of just the apparatus. So that is the airport in the sky, you said you flew out, did you?
Speaker 1:parachute in? No, they actually landed on the ground. So that is the airport in the sky, as it's known. You said you flew out. Did you parachute in? No, they actually landed on the ground at the airport. Actually, the trip there. We landed in a field on the other end of the island. That was LA Sheriff's Air 5 that took myself and the crew I was embedded with. We landed in a field out on the north side of the island and then we took one of the firehawks back from the airport here after I shot these pictures it must be nice flying in there five your tax money at work.
Speaker 1:Yeah, good, john john salazar jr guessed it right. Yes, he did catalina island. They even got the name of the nickname of the airport in the sky. But nobody went for the bonus answer of the station number, which is actually, if you look hard, it is on the apparatus. Yes, it is, it's 55, station 55.
Speaker 2:Well, he says he's flown into there before. In fact they had a lot of fun, so thanks, John.
Speaker 1:Salazar Jr Looks like a scary airport to fly into.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thanks John Salazar Jr for listening to the show. In fact, he should have his gift card by now. I did send it out last week.
Speaker 1:Great and kudos to him for listening on an unannounced live to an unannounced live unless he heard the recorded version later. But you see, this came in kind of quick, didn't?
Speaker 2:it Well. Yeah, but I also think I got the show put out on Tuesday night right after we got done with it too.
Speaker 3:So okay, we had all, wait my tooth, okay, ouch doing that. A lot ross, I tell you. You know what? We got?
Speaker 2:a lot of winners well, yeah, um, andrew andrew biser. Uh won our newsletter contest this week also now, how do you?
Speaker 3:when we say newsletter there's my burbank, there's you can. When you refresh your page, um, a little green box comes up and that is our newsletter. That comes out usually every Monday, done by our own Ashley Erickson, of stories that we have had on myburbankcom the previous week. Basically, it's a week in review, a week in review. So if you don't have time to look at my burbank 24 hours a day, like some people do, you can get a refresh on that monday and know what's going on.
Speaker 2:And that's where andrew, you saw his name and then it, and well, he should have his gift card by now also.
Speaker 1:I think those gift cards gift cards are just flying out the door, but we we missed one this week. We have a gift card that didn't go out this week Because nobody sent in last week's Word of the Week on our show.
Speaker 2:I can't believe that. Everybody probably thinks, oh, I'm not going to win, I'm not going to win, so I won't send it in.
Speaker 1:Why bother sending it in? Well, guess what? You would have been the only one to win, to get it this week wanted to win, to get it this week.
Speaker 3:Now I'm curious about. We did ask one of our previous winners to send us a picture.
Speaker 2:Well, we didn't ask her. She actually just sent it in saying thank you Samantha.
Speaker 3:Samantha Wick. Well, if you recognize that name, she is at one of our police commissioners. I'm sorry, she's one of our planning board commissioners. Of course she actually does something.
Speaker 2:Well, she does.
Speaker 3:I saw her Saturday night at the Boys and Girls which we'll talk about later gala, and she met Ashley. She is also one that is wearing some of our swag. Oh, that's great. She really supports my Burbank. She told me personally my rant of the week, so there's another one that goes on my list.
Speaker 1:She sent a picture of her, and Samantha is not directly affiliated with my Burbank, so she's eligible to win and she's a big fan of the show.
Speaker 2:She sent a picture of her breakfast she had at Hill Street Cafe and take a look at it right now. This is for you. If you're watching live, watch again later, just imagine a nice omelet.
Speaker 3:You have to go to Hill Street Cafe and order this.
Speaker 1:It's a nice fruit cup, and what I'm guessing is the lots of mushrooms omelet, which is exactly what I would order.
Speaker 2:With a little cheddar cheese too. Something to stick it together, right. That's right, yeah well.
Speaker 1:It's a binding agent.
Speaker 2:Yes. So thank you to all of our winners and once again, we'll have a word of the week later in our show. And if you like that Hill Street Cafe gift card for $25, please email in the word and we'll be glad to. It's hard to figure out which name to pick and I had the computer do it and this week the computer felt sad.
Speaker 1:So I have a rules question for you, mr sherwood yes does this week's gift card roll over to, does last week's roll over into this week, and you get two no no, no, you know okay, what happens is I get to use it. Oh, oh, oh well you, I know you have your eyes on that mushroom yeah, I do, I do.
Speaker 2:It looks very good. Well, let's get onto the show here. So last week, last week, the city announced that they are looking for more. Well, not more. You know, this time of year they're replenishing their boards and commissioners and most terms are all going to be four-year terms. I think there's one term that's an unexpired term. That's only going to be for two years. But, to give you an idea, they're looking for two members for arts and public places, two members for the Board of Building and Fire Code Appeals. Now, that's got to be an exciting board to be on. They're looking for three people for the Board of Library Trustees and, with all those things the library is planning on this year and the next couple years in a new library, that's probably a very exciting thing to be involved with. Looking for four people for the Brinkwater and Power Board, a board that, technically, you better know your stuff because you know what it's above my head. I don't, I'm not. I don't mind saying that it's extremely complicated when it comes to the rates and everything else.
Speaker 1:It's very, very technical, very numbers oriented. Yes, and these are current vacancies, right?
Speaker 2:Well, these are. These are vacancies they're going to fill in July. Every year. They go through and do this Every two years. I should say Civil Service Board looking for two people, the Community Development Goals Committee looking for five people, the Heritage Commission looking for two, the Landlord Tenant Commission is looking for two. Now, one thing I don't know. I feel bad for that commission, I just commission with no power. A senior citizen board they're looking for four four-year people and one person for an unexpired term that's going to end in two years.
Speaker 1:So that's a Wow if you want a voice in your city folks. Yeah, you want to get involved this is how you do it, you know.
Speaker 2:Now let me say that you go to the city clerk's website on the City Brick website. Go to the city clerk's page and you can fill the application out right there on your computer. Or you can always mail in to her snail mail if you want to, but I'm sure she would prefer electronic mail. But yeah, and then the city council will go over every application and they will pick the people they think is best for each commission.
Speaker 3:Now what I was going to say. You can go to my Burbank and we have an article about it which will take you to that city clerk's page. But there are some requirements and I'm looking page. But there are some requirements and I'm looking. I didn't think some of these required the Form 700. That shows if you have any financial interest in anything that that board will make a decision on, or an AB1234 requirement and I don't know.
Speaker 3:I think that's to just test if you can count the four. I'm not sure which one that is, but I know if you have questions you could always call our city clerk Kim and everybody in her office could help you out. There are deadlines, real important. There are things that last week you know you might want to be on a board or commission but if you travel with your family it was shown a couple weeks ago one of our commissioners on, I believe, arts and public places had told them that they she was going on a wedding vacation in australia you're only allowed to miss the city charter and the city code. You're only allowed to miss specific and certain meetings and if you don't have and in that case, in her case, they had put in a meeting. They did a special meeting in the middle Right.
Speaker 2:that made the third meeting. She would not have missed three in a row if they I just did the monthly meeting.
Speaker 3:I happen to know Patty quite well and she loves that committee and they went to bat for her. They've kept her on it. But there are some just don't think you're putting in your name because you have an education and a diploma from some Harvard Law School and think you can get all these boards and commissions. The council do read them. So does the public. Once you fill this out, this is public information, the public. Once you fill this out, this is public information. Everything your application can be seen by everybody in the public. So if you're one not want to know, they don't disclose your address. They don't disclose your phone. They don't tell you what sex you are oh, they might now, but you know you can't Non-binary. It's all public information. But you know what To serve our city, a lot of people that have been board and commissioners have run for city council.
Speaker 2:I'm thinking about down the line, trying to get on a board and commission myself. I haven't decided yet, but down the line, you know.
Speaker 1:You need to be on the police commission and Ross needs to be on the landlord-tenant commission. Well, let's tell the truth, greg they would not like me on the police commission they would not like me out, because I would.
Speaker 2:I would actually. They don't like you now. No, that's true that's very true.
Speaker 3:Well, let's, let's, uh, pull the covers back. You ran for city council many years ago, and you many years ago. Well, you had less weight and a lot more hair, but you got got many votes.
Speaker 2:That was about 45 years ago, Was it really? Oh, that was back in the. I think it was 1978. Was Mike Graceffo born then? He's older than I am.
Speaker 3:I know he is.
Speaker 2:What was funny about that? You know what my initial platform was that we need a movie theater in Burbank Because at the time there were no theaters in Burbank Pickwick had closed down and no AMCs. Yet we had all these studios. I said how can we have all these studios in this city and nowhere to see a movie?
Speaker 3:Well, that's really funny, because this weekend I was at the Boys and Girls Club gala and the man that brought walk-in movie theaters back to Burbank, mr Vic Giorgino. He's brought in the first AMC and now and it still is AMC on the West Coast. Burbank is their number one.
Speaker 2:On this side of the Mississippi, the Burbank AMCs are the number one theaters, but there are Because there are more AMC theaters in this city than in the other 16, 22, close to 30.
Speaker 1:Eight, a six and a 16.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we have. And just think, at one time we had zero.
Speaker 1:Now, all we want is a good 24-hour restaurant.
Speaker 2:Boy, that Now you're pushing things.
Speaker 1:We need you to run, Mr Sherwood.
Speaker 2:Well, you know what? Wow. Good idea, though If I had the money, I'd buy a restaurant.
Speaker 3:Good platform.
Speaker 1:The my Burbank Cafe.
Speaker 2:Okay, so that's the board's commissions. Know, last week was a pretty, a pretty slow week actually. No council meeting last week, no, um, not a lot of things. Now, on the weekend we had the. We had the car show at mirror. Um, I didn't have a chance to. Ross, did you know any about the car show? Yeah, I talked to a Stacy.
Speaker 3:Uh, who? Uh, from logic, who is one of the big sponsors of the event? Great turnout. Uh, road Kings had. I think they had over 30 cars there. Good old Don bald the Cerrone had his 1956, something there that got out and I was told, very good turnout. This year they changed locations. Last year it was up at Stow and it was just around the park. This was at Muir. You could pull in, there were food vendors. There were food vendors. They had baskets that you could raffle on. So quite a successful event. I'm glad to hear that.
Speaker 2:Great. And then on Saturday night we had the… Same day, yeah, Same day the Boys and Girls Club Gala at Lakeside Golf Course, and I think you stopped by there, didn't you?
Speaker 3:I did. That was actually… I was out there. I hope you brought by there, didn't you? I did that was actually.
Speaker 2:I was out there. I hope you brought a jacket with you.
Speaker 3:Well, I shoot with my shooting vest and I kind of knew. But I'll tell you. As soon as I got there, I walked by one of those heaters and I said to myself I think I know where I'm staying tonight. It blows off the hill from Universal.
Speaker 2:Oh yes, across that green Down the Barham Pass there. And it got mighty cold, but they had over 400 people raised a ton of money for Boys and Girls Club. I don't think it'll go inside, though. No, wouldn't it be? It's all outside. I say why don't they go inside? Because isn't this time of year usually known to be not that?
Speaker 3:warm at night, Because they can't put that many people inside. It only sits so many. I've been to a pretty big event.
Speaker 2:Well, it is there but how about somewhere else, somewhere that has it inside?
Speaker 3:But they had a great turnout, Tons of stuff that they were auctioning and so forth. So you run into the who's who of Burbank. All the politicians are there and everybody else and it was a really, really good. A good time was had by all and I'll tell you, the place was so full. I got there early. I'm glad I did. I parked pretty close up front because I still can't walk that far. When I left I came down rows out the exit. People were rocking to their car all the way down to McFarland to get inside. Yeah, when you have to park that far away, the parking lot was full. Smokehouse was full that night. So park in the neighborhood and I'll tell you wow.
Speaker 2:Wow, too bad that Shamrock couldn't open their parking area for people.
Speaker 3:The Shamrock building. Oh yeah, maybe next year they can make that deal, maybe Shamrock or the old Warner Brothers building that has parking down below.
Speaker 2:That's the one next to the golf course, right Well?
Speaker 1:they have to drive through the weeds first. Yes, wait, I thought I saw they just cut those just the other day. Oh, I haven't been down that street in a bit so I haven't had a fresh look.
Speaker 2:Well, that's kind of it for last week. It was kind of a nice low. Sometimes you have weeks that just not a lot goes on. So let's pause, We'll have ourselves a quick little commercial and we will come back with the week that will be.
Speaker 4:Enjoying the show right now Thinking 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 interested, please drop us an email at studiorentalsatmyburbankcom. That's studiorentalsatmyburbankcom. That's studiorentals at myburbankcom and we will get back to you. Now back to our show.
Speaker 2:All right, Burbank, we are back. Craig Shewitt here, of course, with Ross Benson.
Speaker 3:Hi, you know, I'm not sure. I just got a text from the president, not of the United States. He's probably in bed already. Yeah, you're right, we might not be live on Twitter and YouTube, but the show will be edited and up in a couple of days, so we're not sure where the technical problem is.
Speaker 2:Well, if we're not live, then they won't know that we're not live. You're right.
Speaker 1:No reason to tell them, but we are recording and that's what everybody will hear.
Speaker 2:Yes, they will. There you go, and we always get it.
Speaker 1:Oh, by the way. Craig Durling and ZoomZoomZoom and live.
Speaker 2:I'm live here, not on YouTube or Twitter. So once again, we will get into the week that will be. There's a lot going on this week, big week.
Speaker 3:Big week Today's. What Today's?
Speaker 2:this week Big week, big week.
Speaker 3:Today's, what Today's?
Speaker 2:Monday, may 6th. Okay, just checking and just so people know we try to get the audio version up always on Monday and we get the video up usually on Tuesday. So it takes a little time to edit everything but we get it as fast as we can. So tonight, oh I forgot the Arts and Public Places meeting had been cancelled because, of course, the city decided to schedule two meetings at once, like they always seem to want to do on Monday nights.
Speaker 1:So that's why the door is still locked. I've been sitting outside.
Speaker 3:Come on, tell the truth. They wanted people to be able to listen to the podcast there you go.
Speaker 2:The Landlord Tenant Commission did meet at 615 tonight and they had a tenant form from 3016 Riverside Drive. So there was an issue there and two of the commissioners I guess they look into it and they can't. Once our city gets put together what they want to get to put together with this new ordinance, I think there's gonna be a lot more help for people, a lot more guidance for people.
Speaker 3:Right and, like you're saying, you make it sound like you know they go there and you can plead your case and it's useless. That is true because I've been there. But I will say, on something like this, they can't refer them, they can't make recommendations, but they can give them direction. Yeah, and that's you know. If you're having a problem in a building and your hands are tied, you feel you know Burbank is its own city, you can't go to LA, you can't go here or there. You can meet, and this is what you know these two commissioners were addressed to. Maybe push, tell these people where to go.
Speaker 2:If they raise your rent by more than 6% that the state allows. The problem is they can't do anything to enforce it. They can just tell you where to go to maybe get it enforced, but they can't help you get it enforced. They don't have the authority to do anything.
Speaker 3:Right. But you know, a couple weeks ago at council I heard our city attorney specifically state at one of these that somebody got evicted, that they gave them direction and help and that was more than they got from anywhere else. So the city's trying Well we have our three-month rent.
Speaker 2:You know, no-fall eviction thing in right now and that's going to become a permanent thing.
Speaker 3:So hopefully they got these people that they're working on 3016 got help.
Speaker 2:I don't think you'll ever see rent control per se in burbank but you, because we have that state law now of six percent. But you will see stuff in place.
Speaker 1:So people just can't get thrown out on two weeks notice, which has been an issue well, I think the worst part is, as we've all seen, is people getting thrown out of where they've been living for a while for really no cause other than greed of from the landlord right and we still can't stop that they can still, but now at least they have to fork up three months rent to them if they want to do that.
Speaker 2:So at least the people will have something to. And I say about their security deposit should also be. They should get a full security deposit back if they're being evicted for a no fault.
Speaker 1:Right. Well, the purpose of a security deposit is if, when you move out, they find damage that occurred while you were there, it helps cover the cost for repairs of that. It's not a punitive thing but you know it's not supposed to punish you or it's not free money for the landlord. There's a reason that a security deposit is given and held in a uh, a special account by the landlord. You know it's you. You almost assume, as long as you haven't wrecked the place, that you'll get it back.
Speaker 3:Well, that's what kind of got me when I got kicked out on uh, where I was living. I above me 26 years, there Me, I think it was 7 or 10. And they kept my security deposit. And when I went to court, that's what the plea bargaining was you either accept it or kick me out anyway, and we're going to keep your security deposit. It's like wait a minute. And I had a dog, so I had to pay an extra $100 for the dog.
Speaker 1:It's just like they know they're going to get your money Well with a security deposit.
Speaker 1:they already have your money, so it's probably easy to keep it or come up with a reason to keep it, but it's supposed to be kept in an escrow account, separate from anything else, protected, yep. But uh, it's a. It's a shame that, with what you're paying in security deposits now, with rents as high as they are, that it's so easily thrown away and it should have some recourse to get that back, especially if they're just keeping it without a good reason.
Speaker 2:Well, let's move on to Tuesday, tomorrow. Unless you're watching video, it's probably then tonight. Once again, two meetings at once.
Speaker 1:Well, we can say when tomorrow is Tuesday May, unless you're watching videos.
Speaker 2:Buy it in. Tonight Once again two meetings at once.
Speaker 3:Well, we can say when tomorrow is Tuesday, May 7th, or whenever you're listening to this, yes, Tuesday May 7th.
Speaker 1:Wait, did we miss?
Speaker 2:May the 4th be with you, you're a Star Wars guy. I figured you'd say that I'm a Star Trek guy. Oh, okay, I'm not a Star Trek star. I enjoy star Wars.
Speaker 1:I like to. I'm a star Trek guy. May the fourth be with you.
Speaker 2:I have a couple of friends whose birthday. They're star Wars babies, cause they were born on May 4th yeah, see, I live for first contact day, so that's, that's where we are in ours.
Speaker 1:And we're still waiting for you to get beamed up.
Speaker 3:Yes, that's a big spaceship.
Speaker 2:It is Um, so tomorrow that's a big spaceship, it is, so tomorrow it lists to the left when they bring. Once again, we have two meetings at the same time tomorrow, because we enjoy doing that and scheduling two meetings at once.
Speaker 1:Just to torture you.
Speaker 2:Because we don't want everybody to show up at one meeting. You know, we want people to have to get spread out a little bit.
Speaker 1:Anyhow, pick your favorites.
Speaker 2:So the Burbank Athletic Federation will meet tomorrow at 6 o'clock at the Community Services Building, and there's nothing really on their agenda worth even meeting for. So my opinion is they should have probably just canceled their meeting for this month.
Speaker 1:So everybody should go to the city council meeting.
Speaker 3:I'm on the Dodger cam. That meeting will be like what Dodger's doing now Ah, he's snoring. He's snoring and you can sleep right through it.
Speaker 1:Well then, the city gets to the city council meeting. We go.
Speaker 2:City council meeting. Does they do meet at six o'clock tomorrow night? And it's a rack pack, lack max, it's going to be. You know, you thought the last one was long at nine hours. This is only going to be part one. Yeah, but the nice part about this To start the meeting off, though, they're going to have a couple presentations. Ross, why don't you go through our presentations for us?
Speaker 3:Well, I looked on the agenda and, besides some other specialty, this month they are going to, first off, do the Matthew Pavelka Scholarship Awards Usually the Burbank Police Foundation, I think. Usually six students apply and they have to write essays and do all sorts of stuff and there will be six recipients of the Matthew Pavelka Award and, if I recall right, I read somewhere where they increased the amount going to these scholars and also right after they're presented, it is also the Older Americans Month, honoring two people in our city, linda Barnes and Carol Collins. Now, I happen to know both quite well. Linda and I worked on Burbank Comp Parade. A lot of people know the name. She's a local realtor, has lived in Burbank many, many years.
Speaker 1:You're an older American.
Speaker 3:That's right. And Carol Collins I saw her the other night at the Boys and Girls and she came up to me. She said, ross, are you going to be there to take my picture? She said what kind of award is it? The older? This award was named after Peter McGrath Older American Volunteer Award. And Peter has been, was around town for many, many years, passed away just a couple ago I think. He had donated or volunteered thousands and thousands of hours and people put their names in and this year they're honoring Linda Barnes and Carol Collins. And I believe there was one other presentation for some organization within the city or one union or something. So that's the beginning of the meeting.
Speaker 2:Go on with. Well, they'll still have their consent calendar and they'll slide right through it and they'll have comment. People can comment, which I'm sure with the budget they're going to have a lot of comments. We'll have the city manager comments and, of course, we'll have the city attorney report on closed session. So that should take about 22 seconds. After that we talk budget. Wrote down a couple things. The budget, I think that we saw, is 661 pages. Wait a minute.
Speaker 3:Is that a four-letter word, budget? Because in some people's terms, I think it should be. Everybody hates budget time.
Speaker 1:Now, what's the one page? The title page, the table of contents? What's the one why?
Speaker 2:do they have to have 661? It's a nice color picture actually and there's a couple of pages in there. This page left blank intentionally.
Speaker 1:I know that I saw that About 600 of those.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So one of the things I kind of jotted down was they have recurring revenue. They estimate to be around $246 million and that represents a 5.7% increase over the revised projections. And of that, sales tax and property tax continue to be the general fund's largest revenue source, representing 56% of the reoccurring revenue into the city.
Speaker 3:Now you need the flashback here for 10 seconds. Do you remember that word? Covid and council was meeting and they thought oh, we're going to lose Nobody's going to stay in our hotels and we're going to lose all that bed tax. We're going to lose sales tax because they remember they closed stores down. You couldn't shop oh yeah, you know. And things at night you couldn't go to the movie theaters or bars. Burbank bounced back pretty good. If we have $246.7 million and some cities are declaring bankruptcy, I think if you wonder why you live in Burbank and how this city is, you've got some money put away.
Speaker 2:I found out alone that the Empire Center alone brings in close to $3-4 million every year alone just in sales tax. So we have good income sources and, in all honesty, one of our now current airport commissioners, bud Overham, did a great job in diversifying our portfolio years and years ago. When we lost Lockheed out of Burbank and we lost all those jobs, all the aerospace, the contracts, everything else. He had it in place where he had. It was called before Costco. It was called. What was the name of that? Before Costco it was called it was over on Vineland and it's the Vineland and Sherman Way.
Speaker 3:What was it called? What was Costco before? Dr Sherwood, Dr Durling?
Speaker 1:Well, it's the Viarta Market now, isn't it?
Speaker 3:No, no, no no.
Speaker 2:Before Costco. Oh, it could be Viarta, yeah, but what was that? That's what it is now Viarta. What was that over there? Yeah.
Speaker 3:Price Club Price Club.
Speaker 1:That's what I was thinking, Price Club. But I was thinking back to the East Coast Right, so I didn't even mention it.
Speaker 2:Well, he got Price Club to come to Burbank and that became our number one sales tax thing, and then, of course, the Empire Center and he diversified a lot of our portfolio to bring a lot of tax money.
Speaker 3:Come on, Wait, let's be honest. Bud Overeem brought In-N-Out Burger to Burbank, let's be honest, but over and brought in and out burger to Burbank. He was the number one and he said if we're doing anything on anything in this city we need. He was a fan of in and out burger and that's how we got an in and out burger, but over him. Instead of naming a park after him, they should call it, but over him's in and out burger.
Speaker 2:I'm not sure that burger would appreciate the city pay to get In-N-Out Burger in here.
Speaker 3:Well, I think they made some good deals, because look where they are.
Speaker 1:Well, in the long run, yeah, the short run, oh, that parking lot sucks. They stick around.
Speaker 2:And, in all honesty, that is a very poorly designed building and parking lot because what happens is people go in and line up to go to the drive-thru and block all the parking spaces there's been other restaurants in there.
Speaker 3:Don't you remember baja fresh?
Speaker 1:and it couldn't survive you've seen, if you've seen other in and outs, kind of like the uh, what's the? The chicken place on olive oh right raising canes, raising canes same kind of situation. Wherever they put these things, they screw up traffic. Wherever they are and In-N-Out every parking lot, every shopping center they put them in, they end up taking half the parking lot up because the cars they have to the cars are lined up.
Speaker 3:I read the In-N-Out story page by page and it was fascinating how they started off with. You know the one story thinking now, amber or so, and what they look for. You got to be by a freeway, you got to those palm trees are the same, their exit, how they get their food? They don't have freezers at all, so that food has to be brought in. You know, and it's just fascinating. But that Burbank In-N-Out you can stay in that line after a Burbank Burroughs football game for at least an hour, but kind of like.
Speaker 1:Bob's was in the day it's going to kill whatever other store goes into that little shopping area.
Speaker 2:It has been killing them yeah.
Speaker 1:That's why it's always like a discount appliance store or something like that.
Speaker 3:Well, I think Bob's is pretty happy there because they, you know, remodeled that store and where the Mexican restaurant was, they've occupied that now and I think where there was something else, that's all Bob's furniture and you know their competition is right next to him.
Speaker 1:Yeah well, no knocking in and out. Believe me, I love me some in and out, but the drive-thrus can be tough and that our in and out. In Burbank you can be in and out much quicker if you find a place to park, walk in order inside and and just walk it out. You'd still be sitting in the drive-thru if you exactly and I've seen I've.
Speaker 3:I have done that. I dropped off. My son once walked in to get food and we pulled out of the line because he got it quicker than.
Speaker 2:Well, when I stop by McDonald's, I go to their little thing and use the app Instead of waiting in that damn line there. I use the app and say I'm in parking spot number three and I get food way and I look at where would I have been in that line if I would have stayed in that line? And I always leave way before that person gets near the window.
Speaker 3:So back to the budget.
Speaker 2:You wonder how we?
Speaker 3:you know that's a lot of In-N-Out burgers, but there's other places in town that are making some big bucks Wait, what were we talking about?
Speaker 1:We were talking about a budget.
Speaker 2:So next budget sale tax is going to get an extra 2% of the revenue, which is up to going to be about $64 million. Property tax is going to go about 7% or get $74 million. Now I think that's because we have more new properties Plus, let's face it, when somebody dies off and had Prop 13 taxes, that house loses that and now their taxes go way up. So there's reasons for that. That'll continue to go up every year. Service charges are going up 12% more than last year of the budget. We're going to dive deep into that down the line. I think some of these service charges. I was reading something on the budget and it said about service charges. It says no service charge will be made unless it directly reflects the amount the city is spending on the service. And I look at some of that and I say what did the city do to help me put that light switch in? But they want money on a permit.
Speaker 3:But isn't this also, when it says those charges, part of what the president just says? All these unnecessary? We're going to look into that a little bit down the line, Because some of these you know, yeah, you buy an AMC ticket and you're paying for the guy that's sweeping the floor, I mean the extra charges that show up on your receipt.
Speaker 2:We used to rent the baseball field at Burroughs at one time they may have actually rent and pay for it and one of the charges was to have a custodian there the entire time and he would never show up. He'd just be doing his work on the rest of school and I said no, no, no, wait a second. You want me to pay his salary and overtime I want him to sit in the stands and be there at my baseball field. All of a sudden, we weren't paying for a janitor anymore.
Speaker 3:But as I look on the list that was repaired, jumping down because we don't need to go through each one of them. But the other big ding, the ones that go ding, ding, ding, yep, is your transit occupancy tax with all our and you know what they're Heads and beds, or beds and heads, or?
Speaker 2:what's it called Heads and pillows?
Speaker 3:I thought it was butts and bed.
Speaker 2:No, that's butts and seats for the schools.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay.
Speaker 2:One of the reasons it's going to go up a lot is now the addition of the Cambria Hotel and all the look at the other hotels that work Well. They're not open, but right now Cambria will be putting sales tax in.
Speaker 3:So and of course, the when we talk about these places being built, you know a lot of people go.
Speaker 2:oh, the traffic and this and that, and let's think about you know what we're going to make $13 million in that bed tax for people staying in Burbank, just like the parking tax. If you park at the airport we get a piece of that.
Speaker 3:We're getting $4.4 million off that and, if you think about it, if you live in Burbank I don't know who lives in Burbank, well, I do know a lot of people live in Burbank, but they get dropped off because it's so convenient, the airport is so convenient. But these people that are in Sun Valley and come in to use the Burbank airport, that's who we're dinging for, that tax.
Speaker 2:You know what else the city figured out.
Speaker 3:Uh-oh.
Speaker 2:That this new parking service makes them more money. So they're asking to increase the amount of officers, increase the amount of time, and all that for this new parking company. Oh, the parking enforcement.
Speaker 3:The parking enforcement, because and, mr Durling, what is their name? Come on, you know it. I'll give you a clue.
Speaker 1:Laz, you're good, very good, laz. It's going up 8.3% parking, traffic and other fines.
Speaker 2:So they figured you know what? We get more people in there. They're going to be like LA.
Speaker 1:They're going to have people one cop at every, at every parking meter. Well, one Laz parking at four. In person they're not cops.
Speaker 3:But if you recall, they're also with Laz. They're bringing on more people because they're finding it was a trial thing for the last year Worked out so well we can go cha-ching, yep, and they're going to go cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching and bringing in quite a bit more revenue for the city. So watch where you're going.
Speaker 1:I wonder how many calls they get, how many complaints they're fielding and if they need more bodies to field the complaints there's another good idea for a story down the line.
Speaker 2:You know what, being a news outlet, we need to find these things out. Currently, we are working on a huge story Huge, huge story that's coming out this week about crime at the Empire Center. So hold on to your hats, hold on to your wallets yes, hold on to your wallets when you see the stats that I received for the amount of crime. And, by the way, between 75% and 80% of all crime in Burbank is committed by people who don't live in Burbank.
Speaker 1:Shocker.
Speaker 3:Okay, now that was just a tease. Back to the budget. Yes, you know, one thing we want to make clear. You like my cup of tea. What do you mean?
Speaker 1:Keeping us on track, Mr Benson.
Speaker 3:Which I very unusually do.
Speaker 1:I don't have my rat hole pen with me, so I can't call everybody out.
Speaker 3:But I will say, if you're going to listen to the budget, they break it into a couple of weeks. They do each department. We're just jumping around on the highlights of the budget.
Speaker 1:But all this information is available online.
Speaker 2:All 661 pages of it. That's right, and you know of it. That's right, and you know each department will come in and they basically do a PowerPoint presentation of their highlights of the year and what they were asking for and why they're asking for it. And you know it's pretty much by the end of the night that rubber stamp gets pretty much used up.
Speaker 3:Well, it'll be interesting to see if our council members have done their homework. You know, I know some of them have, some of them do and they'll question well, do you really need this? Do you need that? You know, yes, we have some money, but can we wait for another year? You know.
Speaker 2:I think they're actually predicting a deficit down the line. Yeah, a couple of years down, but not now.
Speaker 3:Nick was here and we're in good shape, right. But I think, um, one of the departments that we kind of look closer at is a Burbank fire department. This is the first year that we have seen some additional items in the budget that I know Craig Sherwood is like wow. Finally, you know, you think about the number of calls in the city. We listen to it 24 hours a day. There are times when Burbank paramedics are so busy that they're rolling paramedics, als, advanced life support from Pasadena to transport somebody, and some of that, I know, is down time when they're sitting at a hospital. So Burbank has asked for an additional apparatus.
Speaker 2:They're also now an additional paramedic unit, an apparatus could be anything well, no piece of an ambulance it's funded for another.
Speaker 3:Yes, that's what I'm saying and then they've also budgeted for a fireman and a paramedic to man that certain hours of the day, kind of like right now, like glendale's doing, but also burbank's turning into a big city, folks, a lot of you laugh yeah, laugh, yeah. We are over 110,000. 101,000. 1,000. And they call the paramedics and fire department a lot. So they are going to fund supervisors, because when you have personnel, you know you have to have chiefs that they answer to and chiefs that do different things.
Speaker 2:The fire department is ramping up well, it needs to expand because look at the development going in the city. When you talk about that new project in fries, we talk about the thing at pass in riverside, we talk about the warner brothers ranch, we talk about what could happen to nobody kia. The city's going to expand in a lot of ways, both commercially and residentially, and and we do need enough paramedics to go around, we do need enough fire apparatus.
Speaker 1:In reality. This is why so many cities went back to having their own medical apparatus and paramedics and EMTs, because, honestly, it's where the money's at. It's where all these fire departments and cities are getting their revenue from. They don't have fires to put out as often as they used to, but medical is where it's at. If you remember, these cities used to have contract ambulance companies and farm it out to them. Then they realized wait a minute, there's money to be made here for the city.
Speaker 3:If you dig down, which I did the other night, if people wonder what I do at 3 in the morning, I read the budget almost page by page, like medicines that they push. Yes, when they go to the hospital, if they've given you meds, they get them replaced. But the stuff that doesn't get replaced is the gauze, the bandages, the splints, the other things Plus. It was pretty neat to know, and we were going to do a story on it the Lucas device. That is a device now, thank God, most people probably don't know what it is. It does CPR in place of a fireman when they're driving to the hospital.
Speaker 1:It does compressions.
Speaker 2:It does compressions Because in the old days they'd have to have a fireman off a rig doing CPR while a paramedic worked on the person, and Because in the old days they'd have to have a fireman off a rig doing CPR and now and a paramedic worked on the person and they'd take a fire engine out of service until the fireman would return after the call.
Speaker 3:So this way that fireman that engine stays in service and now they want to put them on every engine. So if they start CPR at a house, that device can go to the hospital and get back and just some of the things that the fire department is really ramping up on.
Speaker 2:In all honesty, these fees, I think it's like $1,500. They transfer it to the hospital. That's about a $1,500 bill at least. So these fees are going to pretty much pay for a fourth paramedic unit in the long run. So I mean it's not just an expense, I think it's something that's it's like parking enforcement the more you have, the more you make.
Speaker 3:Yep. So tomorrow night will be a long meeting. It probably won't go until two or three because they have a curfew and they know they'll be back the following week. But, like Craig said, all the departments will have their traffic officers. I don't know if PD is the first.
Speaker 1:This is where they all pitch their case for next year's budget.
Speaker 2:They've submitted their proposals. Now they're going to explain or be there to answer questions of why do you need this?
Speaker 3:Yep. So it's for some very interesting meeting, and you wonder why we are, you know, in good shape here in the city.
Speaker 2:I would think that 90, 98% of the people don't give a damn about meetings like this because of numbers and everything else. But this is what's so important, this thing that we have to watch and we have to monitor and you know, because this is, this is you know, how the sausage works.
Speaker 1:Exactly I was going to say this is. A lot of people don't care how the sausage is made, they just like the end result. But this is the process everybody has to go through to make that happen for you.
Speaker 2:It's extremely important. Anyhow, as we move on here, is it Wednesday yet? Well, it just about is. It takes so long some days. The Board of Library Trustees is going to meet at 5.30 on Wednesday at the Central Library and they're going to get a library services update and a Friends of the Library update. I guess no updates from the enemies of the library, just the Friends of the Library.
Speaker 1:There was a friend of the library, somebody that makes a donation.
Speaker 2:I imagine it probably is.
Speaker 3:Friends of the Library run their. They have little stores. At three of the libraries I think, at least I know the main and Buena Vista. They collect old books and they every year have a book sale. Well, the city employees don't do that, it's the friends of the library that runs those. Those events kind of like friends at the animal shelter. That's good to have friends so it's like a volunteer core.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Within the library system. Right, okay, very good.
Speaker 2:And then you can do a half hour of the library meeting and then run over to McCambridge Park and they're having a meeting for the city park's master plan and that's from 6 to 8 pm at McCambridge Park.
Speaker 3:Well, you know, I wanted really, but Wednesday is so busy. That was the one. They had one at Verdugo, good turnout. But you want to talk about why we should have another Verdugo Aquatic Center. You know, up at McCambridge, this is where you come, give your two cents. They've made it convenient One at Verdugo Park, this one's up at McCambridge Probably have some fruit and snacks there. But uh, it's, it's a important meeting, uh, community room, meeting room, three from six state at mccambridge park okay, well, moving on.
Speaker 2:Uh, we are moving on, aren't we?
Speaker 3:Then the oh, that just says the group that's running the. What do you call them? A consultant? That?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I have a consultant, Always have a consultant.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 1:You know where the money's at.
Speaker 3:No offense. You know what Dodger? We got to go to the Dodger cam. We got to go to the Dodger cam. He is looking right at the camera.
Speaker 2:Oh, go to the dodger cam. He is looking right at the camera. Oh there he goes.
Speaker 3:He's looking at me, hi. Oh, he's got the big year on them.
Speaker 1:Oh, we were born yeah, you said his name. If he didn't say his name, he would have kept on.
Speaker 2:Yeah that's true well, so thursday, may 9th, that's coming up, uh, later this week, as they say. I think he's looking right at the camera now. I should put a treat on the camera next. He'll probably eat the camera then, I thought we were back.
Speaker 1:We are back.
Speaker 2:We're not front Anyhow, so Urban Cultural Arts Commission is going to meet at 9 am, 9 am on Thursday morning.
Speaker 3:I guess that's a commission. That's not a typo.
Speaker 2:Nope, that's not a typo Nope, that's 9 am. I will never apply for that board and they are going to talk about the Elephant Parade Economic Development. Elephant Parade Economic Development staff will provide an update on a traveling art exhibit of painted and decorated elephant statues, known as the Elephant Parade. Now I want to talk about this one.
Speaker 1:No, there's no shovel for you to walk behind with.
Speaker 2:The art exhibit is funded by the Tourism Business Improvement District, also known as Visit Burbank, and will be coming to Burbank this summer. Go ahead.
Speaker 3:Ross. Well, I found out today. I spoke to somebody within the city and the chamber. This is going to be a big deal in burbank. If you notice the king and queen this started in royalty there's there's elephants on display. This is a big, big thing going worldwide and burbank is going to jump on it in the beginning and you're going to burbank's, a big tourism place and where is this going to be All over Burbank?
Speaker 2:Oh boy, Is this like an outside art exhibit thing.
Speaker 1:I don't know what is this.
Speaker 3:I don't know if you could put elephants inside. Do they put big elephants?
Speaker 1:Well, they're not real elephants, right.
Speaker 2:No, but they put elephant statues on different corners or something.
Speaker 3:All this conversation is just starting and tomorrow, I know, there's this big meeting and I was told today that it's going to be an economic. You know our economic department is thinking of things to bring people to Burbank and we're getting on the ground floor of this elephant parade. There's going to be a stampede. Hey, we've had circus animals. I have a picture of you next to a llama. I think I don't have you next to an elephant.
Speaker 1:I have elephant pictures if they need any.
Speaker 3:Oh see, Look at that, so you know what You're hearing it here first when you hear about this elephant parade.
Speaker 1:I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to seeing what it's all about.
Speaker 2:I'm sure they'll have a list of where they're going to put them all throughout the city, oh, definitely it's going to be like a hunt.
Speaker 1:You have to find them, find the elephant.
Speaker 2:So later on Thursday Brinkwater Power is going to have a special meeting and they're going to recommend the city council about the commercial electric charging station program and they've got two options to look at, one being how much they're going to charge on rebates, and that'll be an interesting to this day, I still think. I still think that they put the cart before the horse on these electric vehicles, because I think you're going to have I totally agree.
Speaker 2:Charging stations will be a very lucrative business if you can get down the line and you can get parking spaces and put chargers in, Because people will have no access to chargers when everybody's had an electric car and they'll be begging for chargers. It'll be like the gas shortage back in the what was it? The 80s or something, when you go to gas stations and your license plate in and on certain odd numbers and then there'll be lines because Are you old enough to remember that?
Speaker 1:Wasn't that a Jimmy Carter thing? Wasn't that through during his tenure? I?
Speaker 2:don't know who the president was. I just know that they're the lines out the gas stations.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, I remember Hollywood Way, your license plate ended in a certain number you could go get a gallon of gas and I was so lucky that I well, I had a gas station it was the old Texaco over on Pass and Alameda and I went there for all my car repairs and everything else. So the owner just said look, you drive your car over here, you park it over here, leave me the keys and in the morning I'll just fill it up for you, and then you can just pay me. Later, boy, I'll tell you what that saved me a lot of time and effort and energy.
Speaker 3:Wait, did I find Mr Derby? I got my rat hole pen. Rat hole pen.
Speaker 2:Well, that's okay, that's a true story. That's what's going to happen with electric chargers. You're not going to have enough chargers to go around when everybody has to have an electric car. There just won't be enough. There won't be enough in these seven-story apartment buildings with 140 units and seven parking places.
Speaker 1:There's like four of them right outside the door in the underground parking at Whole Foods.
Speaker 3:Yeah right.
Speaker 1:Like right when you walk in from the parking lot, there's like four of them right there by the door.
Speaker 2:Right, and they're usually empty. Well, what happens when everybody has to have an electric car, though?
Speaker 1:There's more than four units, there won't be enough.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, you know what, though? I won't be around when that happens. I don't care, I don't care. Why do I care? I don't care, why do I care? Park and Recreation Board is going to be at 6 o'clock and I'm just going to get the department operations updates.
Speaker 3:Really nothing going on special with them. I went off to the Dodger cam while you were giving that update. He's about as boring as that Parks and Rec departmental update.
Speaker 1:Let's up the energy people. We're on the home stretch here.
Speaker 3:Last page, I see let's see here Go for a big finish. Craig's trying to figure out where page 6 is.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I didn't because we're in a hurry when I did this and I didn't put the dates along with the days, if anybody's keeping score.
Speaker 1:we have not gotten to the word of the week yet, so if you're still awake, stick around.
Speaker 3:No, but on Friday. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Craig Durling, did you just? I'm not stuttering. Did you hear what Mr Sherwood just said? He didn't put the dates on the sheet.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no. The days aren't above on the right sheet and I printed it out. Friday is on one page and the event is on another page. That's the problem.
Speaker 1:I wonder who prints them out. I don't care about the dates. I wonder who prints these things out.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, sometimes you can't be rushed.
Speaker 3:You're burying yourself, Craig.
Speaker 2:Keep going.
Speaker 3:What's happening on Friday Next?
Speaker 1:week. I'm going to take my time and do it the way I want to do it then. Well, we've got a busy weekend this weekend, the 11th and 12th.
Speaker 2:Are we going to talk about Friday first, or are we just going to pass over?
Speaker 1:No, we can talk about Friday.
Speaker 4:I spun right past that oh you're right.
Speaker 2:Because the dates overlap and they're not on the right page. Now Ross is trying to figure it out.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay, now I see it's at the bottom of the page, I see.
Speaker 2:Oh, so now he's trying to figure it out.
Speaker 1:What were we talking about? People not wanting to see how the sausage is made?
Speaker 2:Yes, so on Friday Is what happens Home Again. La has their 10th annual gala Boots and Brews Barbecue, Not in Burbank but at the Autry Museum.
Speaker 3:Well, but do you recall where they wanted to put that museum?
Speaker 2:Yeah, they wanted to put it in Burbank and we wouldn't let them. That's right.
Speaker 1:They wouldn't allow the Gene Autry Museum to be in Burbank.
Speaker 2:They wanted to put Disneyland in Burbank and we wouldn't let them.
Speaker 3:Gene Autry came.
Speaker 2:They wanted to put UCLA in Burbank and we wouldn't let them.
Speaker 3:Gene Autry came to the city and said I will give you any money you want that I can put my museum at Johnny Carson Park on the south side of the freeway. And the city said, no, no, we want to have that statue there instead.
Speaker 3:No, that came many years later. But the city said no kind of like the vision they had when UCLA wanted to come here. When Disneyland wanted to come here, they said that is not big enough of a space. And now you look at the Gene Autry Museum and you, boy, maybe the city fathers did have good sight back many, many years ago. But, it's pretty damn close.
Speaker 2:The reason they didn't get Disneyland here is they said they didn't want a carnival atmosphere in Burbank.
Speaker 1:But anyway, Boots and Brews Barbecue at the Gene Autry Museum.
Speaker 2:On the 10th Grab your boots, have a brew, enjoy some barbecue.
Speaker 3:And again that is. You know it's gala season. That is Home LA's 10th annual gala and, at the witness of last week's Boys and Girls, I guarantee Home LA will be another sellout.
Speaker 2:I will say this though If you have an organization, why not plan your gala a different time of the year? Because right now, how much money goes around in all these galas and I think people are trying to run low on funding, where maybe later in the year they'd have kind of a more of a everything-to-themselves type situation.
Speaker 3:Actually, if you think about it, it's right after tax season. All these multimillionaires that come to these galas Well, just the last two are. It's a good time for them to write checks.
Speaker 2:The last three or four before taxes, though.
Speaker 3:I don't know.
Speaker 2:What do I know? I just sit here and criticize everybody. I'm good at that. Well, let's move on to Saturday, because Saturday is a big event. Not only is it doing nice weather. I checked today it's nice weather, thank goodness no rain, but no hot, no heat. It should be a nice day, but we're having Fire and Police Service Day from 9 am to 2 pm. Hot, no heat. It should be a nice day, but we're having fire and police service day from 9am to 2pm and the main thing will be at the police and fire headquarters at 3rd and Orange Grove.
Speaker 3:In fact, didn't they just pave at Orange Grove? They just paved it.
Speaker 2:It'll be gorgeous out there next week Hopefully the sun's not too hot and your shoes don't melt into the pavement. But also the my Burbank crew will be there doing a podcast. We have a special podcast there. We couldn't make the care walk because of some unforeseen difficulties, but we will be at Police and Fire Service Day, so please stop by say hey. Hey, I can say hi too.
Speaker 1:And we should be on the apparatus floor inside. So come by and say hello with uh after you pick up your pancakes.
Speaker 3:No, no pancakes.
Speaker 1:No pancakes.
Speaker 3:That's a YMCA thing. They, they canceled. I'm out, yep, you're out, but but I will say um, see, sidewalk cpr, you can take a demo. Uh, fireman climbing the aerial ladder, tours of the fire station, people always ask the tours of the fire station are very you you, it's firemen live there 24 hours a day it is a nice station too and they're going to redo the kitchen up at Station 11, so you get to see the old and then next year the new.
Speaker 3:But everybody asks every year who pays for your food? The residents of Burbank do not pay for firemen's food and so forth and you see where all the guys indirectly do, because they pay them a salary.
Speaker 1:They all pay into their own account.
Speaker 3:They collect from each fireman every day and I know for every year. People ask that you know where they do their laundry. You know they'll show you where they have special washing machines for the fireman's gear. But I will tell you two things Bring money, because there's stuff usually for sale there. The Burbank Firefighters, local 778, I've already confirmed they will have cookers going all night long making pulled pork brisket. Last year they sold out. They brought more than they've ever brought, but they're going to be cooking that stuff overnight behind the station.
Speaker 2:You know the one thing I do miss is years ago, they used to let you go down the fire pole. But boy, nowadays nope, nope, nope, Nobody goes down that fire pole.
Speaker 1:They don't let the firefighters go down the fire pole anymore. A lot of nope, nope, nope. Nobody goes down that fire pole. They don't even let the firefighters go down the fire pole anymore. A lot of stations have removed them because of safety and injuries.
Speaker 2:They're still on Station 11. They still use that one. Yes, yes, you know what. You better actually hold on to that thing pretty tightly as you go down, because you're going.
Speaker 1:There's no brakes on that thing. A lot of newer stations aren't being built with them. Right Just stairs. Now Guys with leg injuries.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because you don't know how to wrap your leg around it and everything else. I remember being taught how to do that one time and I did it once, and I enjoyed it, but one and done Exactly.
Speaker 3:But, the demos.
Speaker 1:The demos are kind of one of the better attractions at Fire Service Day, whether it's the rapplling demos or the canine demos. What?
Speaker 2:Ross. What are the demos under Ross?
Speaker 1:What's one of the best demos people like gathering around and watching.
Speaker 2:People love to see the jaws of life. Oh wait a second. What?
Speaker 1:The jaws of life.
Speaker 2:What, what, what, what does this mean? The word of the week that.
Speaker 1:The word of the week, that's the word of the week, jaws.
Speaker 2:And we're not talking about the James Bond movie, we're talking about the actual Jaws of life.
Speaker 1:But for the purpose of the contest, all you have to put in is Jaws, doesn't matter what it's from.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's true.
Speaker 1:But put that in the subject line of an email to contest at myburbankcom and we'll put you in the running for, uh, the $25 gift card to hill street cafe, which nobody submitted for last week shame, shame, shame absolutely. That's a crime against humanity, okay, somebody's missing out on a great mushroom omelet apparently it's one of the based on that photo one of the I don't know whatever.
Speaker 3:I am with my burbankcom. But you know what, if you come to fire service day and we'll have a little card there or something in a basket or a pickle jar and if your name gets pulled out of it by the end of the day we'll have a fire chief. Pull your, pull the name out. You will get a 25 gift certificate, the tequilas well, how they got from me how are they going to get there? I'll have it if they stick around or they'll put their number on it.
Speaker 1:Do they have to be there in person.
Speaker 2:Do they have a card? That they fill out and you put in there. Oh okay, or a business card, we'll do something, we'll do something. We're going to do some contests Ross is going to have a little contest there and stop by our table, say hi, drop in your name and somebody Find our table.
Speaker 1:Stop by our table for the chance to win that gift card, Just like if you put in for the word of the week, Jaws.
Speaker 3:So, besides Jaws, I love that sound, if you you recall the first week, yeah, you wanted that as your theme.
Speaker 2:Thing.
Speaker 1:It's also helpful at this point in the show because it'll wake everybody up.
Speaker 3:Yes, Well, Kelly Clarkson can do it in her mouth and I don't know how Kelly Clarkson.
Speaker 1:Oh, there you go.
Speaker 3:But it's police and fire service Outside. They don't let the policemen inside the firehouse. But out on the back apparatus floor the motors are going to be doing demos. K-9 will be there. The SWAT truck, the Bearcat you can climb in the Bearcat and look out the what's it called the turret.
Speaker 1:Sure, and the mayor may not be a helicopter parked in the turret. Sure, sure and, and they're the the mayor may not be a helicopter parked in the intersection of orange grove and no, they're going to park it back in the parking lot, I'm told this year oh they are, it's not too heavy yep, nope, not too heavy and this is going to be uh, you can ask them about the new helicopter that they're uh, they're getting.
Speaker 3:Uh, the command staff will be out there with the command post, the animal shelter, the cadets, the reserves.
Speaker 1:Everybody. It's all hands on deck for these things. Everybody's there.
Speaker 3:They really like to show off Folks. This is your city at work, your emergency services. Craig Durling and Craig Sherwood, we've done it for many years. I mean Craig Durling Craig's's gonna have some pictures on display, some amazing, amazing fire shots that he has shot um and you as well, right yeah, I will. We're gonna have a display going of some my burbank covers and some action shots. I even have located some really old pictures of burbank fire department firemen that have long retired.
Speaker 1:Nostalgia.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so it should be a great day. Saturday, May 11th, from 9 to 2, Burbank Fire Headquarters. Now I'm going to give you a secret. I'm cluing you off. Folks, you want somewhere to park. You can park across the street in the….
Speaker 2:Is the camera on me. I might as well wave while he's talking.
Speaker 3:It's on me. I don't know why the highlight's on, but it's on me.
Speaker 2:Oh. I heard the light was on. It says ha ha ha In the old.
Speaker 3:There's a parking lot across the street that is open to the public. There's a city parking lot down the street. Don't forget Farmer's Market is going on, so sometimes parking, but read street signs. We do have lads out. Now. If you park on olive there, they have put you cannot during, uh, the farmer's market because too many people were jaywalking and almost got hit. So there's now no parking on olive watch, where you park isn't she walking usually fire service day.
Speaker 1:There are road closures around the fire and police station from usually Orange Grove, from Glen Oaks to 3rd.
Speaker 3:Right, well, they got to bring out the crash rig. Yeah, the crash rig will be there.
Speaker 1:Well, and they have displays out in the streets and people walking around so they close down the streets right around the station. So you can expect to have to park off-site a little bit and maybe walk half a block or a block in there.
Speaker 2:So now here's the thing Uh-oh, it's a great day, but don't use all your energy there, because that's from 9 to 2. And going on from 11 to 4 in another part of the city is Celebrate Burbank's celebration, and they're from 11 to 4 at the corner of Empire and Buena Vista. They had it there last year also Great location, yeah, absolutely Lots of parking. They couldn't have it in a city spot because the fees are being charged and private has helped them out. I just really hope people will go and see both things, because it's a whole different. You know, it's a whole different thing. Save your energy up, visit both locations. Well, if you notice what's here's my.
Speaker 1:Here's my recommendation. Sorry Ross, here's my recommendation. Go to the fires and police service day in the morning, get your fill of that and then go to the Celebrate Burbank, because that event goes later anyway. Yes, and you'll still have energy.
Speaker 3:I was just going to say that, greg, you could nine o'clock fires and a lot of people are at fire service day at 901, you know Well fire service day breaks down earlier than it's.
Speaker 1:You know it's usually starts on time, but it'll start breaking down probably 1.30 or so. So don't plan on going to that later in the time slot. You might miss some stuff.
Speaker 3:So you can get over to Elevate Burbank corner of Empire and Born in. Vista.
Speaker 2:Celebrate Burbank.
Speaker 3:Celebrate Burbank. I'm sorry but it's put on by Elevate Burbank. Yes, and good old Linda Besson and her crew. I know Linda quite well. She Besson and her crew know Linda quite well. She's put a lot of energy. They got some great entertainment. They got food trucks. I hope next year they pick a different day. Well, I think the calendar is going to be hopefully a little straight. We talked about that before. Yeah, this weekend is like. You know what else goes on this week?
Speaker 1:Oh, Well, it's a big weekend anyway for a lot of folks.
Speaker 2:What else on Saturday?
Speaker 3:Nothing else on Saturday, but I will say none of us in this room. We've all lost our mothers. We've all had mothers. Where are you? I've lost my mother. You know, Sunday is a big, big day. I remember for years.
Speaker 1:Mother's Day, the 12th.
Speaker 3:That's right and I remember for years fire department Fire department started doing fire service day second week of May. I can't say before mothers started. But you know, and it's always been a family problem, that people go. Well, we got fire service day, can't do Mother's Day. It's a big thing If your mother's still alive. I can literally say there's many times I'd like to get on the phone, call my mom and ask her something about a recipe or something that I did or I cut my finger or something I know. Craig Durling's the same way. He lost his mom a couple years ago. And Craig Sherwood we have all lost our mothers. But if your mom's still alive, take the time Sunday, take her to lunch. Stop by Saturday, get some flowers at the farmer's market. What else can I say, guys?
Speaker 1:I still celebrate Mother's Day every year.
Speaker 2:I talk to my mom all the time. I lost my mother, so if anybody finds her, let me know. That's a joke for you, Mom. There we go. She's looking down in front of some forest lawn.
Speaker 3:I was just going to say Donna, I guarantee she's still.
Speaker 2:And she doesn't understand the joke.
Speaker 1:Anyway, the restaurants are going to be busy on Sunday, if you don't have reservations, eat at home.
Speaker 2:Well, I think that actually rolls us into the one and the only the final thing. Oh boy, I'm so excited. And it would only be for one thing, and that would be Ross's rant, ross's rant, ross's rant.
Speaker 4:I'd take a flame through into this place. Watch out, Doc.
Speaker 3:Well, you know it's funny. I'm looking at camera four and my tally light's not on, but on my monitor it says that the camera's on me, so we're hoping something's.
Speaker 1:Aren't you controlling the cameras? Yes, I am, so you should know what camera's on.
Speaker 3:I noticed my tally light's not on.
Speaker 2:Well, my red light's on before you meet me, so I don't know.
Speaker 3:I'm going to okay. Well, that's weird, ross's rant. I wrote down a couple things. First of all, we just said at Mother's Day, you know they're important, you know let's remember them. This week, this month, there's just so much going on graduations. Next couple of weeks we're going to talk about graduations. You know some campuses we're not where there's a usc or ucla here, thank goodness. But you know there's high school graduations. There's advancement for kids that have. You know, a couple years ago, because of COVID, didn't get to celebrate. So graduations, there's galas going on for the next couple of weeks. There's so much more. Our city gives you a ton of stuff to do and if you have to go outside of the city, I'm kind of surprised. You can stay here, spend your money here, celebrate here, and May is just that time. Oh, and I guess I have a birthday coming up in a week and a half and Mr Sherwood has one following me.
Speaker 2:No, I don't. No, I don't.
Speaker 3:I know you don't but well.
Speaker 2:No, I don't. Your mother told me you did.
Speaker 3:Ross loves to put his personal stuff on the air. I don't. Well, in the month of may we we both have birthdays, so um lots going on. Indeed a busy month yep, so and we uh, this week's show we've covered a ton that wasn't really a rant, though that was a yeah, not much of an observation or it was very tame for you. I'm going toger, I'm getting after the week you've had.
Speaker 2:You hear that Dodge Not much going on.
Speaker 3:I went back to Dodger, so yeah, so we'll have to figure out the tally lights on cameras and whoever gets dead at this boy do I feel sorry for him.
Speaker 1:Well, my red lights went off and that's when I put your well happy mother's day to all the mothers that are still with us and those who have passed. You'll always be with us Absolutely, Absolutely Well that's it, I agree. Wow, what a show, boys. We're ready to start. Roll the opening credits, here we go.
Speaker 3:Well, I think Craig Sherwood is ready to push that button and take us to the the big red one. Actually, it's the big blue one, the big blue one, and we're taking it to the end zone, or?
Speaker 1:Who's closing for another week.
Speaker 2:That's it for the week. That was the week that will be our May 6th edition, craig Sherwood, along with Ross Benson and, of course, craig Durling, saying we will see you next week.
Speaker 1:My Burbank Talks would like to thank all of my Burbank's advertisers for their continued support. Burbank Water Power, cusimano Real Estate Group, ume Credit Union, burbank Chamber of Commerce, game Credit Union Providence, st Joseph Medical Center. Game Credit Union, providence, st Joseph Medical Center. Community Chevrolet Media City Credit Union, ucla Health, tequila's, burbank, logix Credit Union, hill Street Cafe, pertain Escobar Wealth Management and the UPS Store on Third Street.