With Burbank facing budget deficit, new public works director will focus on city’s most important projects

Burbank city employees are well aware of the implications that a looming budget deficit will have on the city and the services it provides. One newcomer said she is ready to tackle the tough decisions that will have to be made in the near future.

Marnell Gibson, who became Burbank’s new public works director a few months ago, said she is ready to provide a safe, reliable infrastructure system for Burbank as top city officials decide how to address the budget woes.

Gibson said it will be up to residents and, ultimately, the City Council to decide how they want the city to operate and look like if council members start approving cuts in services and/or personnel.

“It’s a very large endeavor to work through that and make those determinations,” Gibson said. “There are always ways that you can look to streamline efforts, but the core of it is, what services do you want to provide? What are the costs affiliated with that? And how do we close the gap if there is one?”

Gibson replaced Bonnie Teaford, who spent the past 17 years of her 32-year engineering career in Burbank, and retired in December 2016.

Before taking the helm of the Public Works Department in Burbank, Gibson was the assistant director of public works for San Diego. She spent about five years in the private sector before switching over to the public sector during her 27 years as a civil engineer.

“I just really enjoyed that community-based service,” Gibson said. “It was a core driver for me to stay in the public sector, so that’s where I stayed.”

Understanding the gravity of the budget shortfall the city faces over the next five years, Gibson said she is not focusing on accomplishing a certain pet project, but rather trying to complete the most important projects in the city, such as street resurfacing, in a quick and timely manner.