Burbank Unified hires manager to oversee bond funds

Since Burbank voters approved a $110-million facilities bond in 2013, Burbank school officials have spent about $30 million of it as they’ve made upgrades to classrooms, athletic fields and invested in a more comprehensive technology infrastructure.

Now, with $80 million left to spend, the Burbank Unified School Board agreed last week to spend $1.3 million over the next three and a half years to hire a bond manager to oversee how the funds are being spent, as well as monitor project budgets, construction and architectural plans.

The Burbank school board unanimously voted to hire the Cordoba Corp., based in downtown Los Angeles and one of nine companies that submitted proposals to Burbank school officials.

Reached by phone on Tuesday, school board member Larry Applebaum said officials began to look into hiring a bond manager when they realized that the district’s understaffed facilities department would benefit from additional guidance in implementing construction and facilities upgrades with the remaining bond funds.

The district’s School Facilities Oversight Committee made the initial request to hire a bond manager, and three committee members — Debbie Kukta, Ron Davis and Brian Smith — interviewed firms before officials narrowed their choice down to Cordoba.

“It became a priority when we finally realized there was just no hope of getting ahead of the curve on this and also doing the long-term planning… to try to maximize what we can deliver with the dollars that we have,” Applebaum said. “They’re going to come in now as a management team and hopefully help us figure out how we can deliver as much as we possibly can deliver using the dollars we have.”

During a school board meeting last week, Applebaum also let representatives from Cordoba know what the bond means to him.

Ahead of voters approving the bond in 2013, he said he spent eight years “cajoling” and “bludgeoning” in an effort to convince fellow school board members and school officials to support placing the bond on the ballot.

School board member Roberta Reynolds said she was hesitant to support the bond at first, but now she’s changed her opinion.

“I stand corrected,” she said. “It was the absolutely right thing to do.”

As an electrical and general contractor himself, Applebaum admitted he is not familiar with school district or commercial work as much as he is with residential work. However, he went on to say that he will be keeping an eye on the company and its work in Burbank.

“Good work is good work. Bad work is bad work. I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years. Believe me when I tell you I know what I’m looking at. I will be your best friend or your worst enemy. I could be both,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with you.”

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Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan