BURBANK : Council Agenda Policy Reversed

Reversing a 2-year-old policy, the Burbank City Council has voted to allow individual members to place issues on council agendas.

Previously, a majority of the five-member council had agreed to take up a topic--leading to complaints that views of members in the minority were suppressed.

“It ought to be a right of a council member to put an item on an agenda,” said Councilman David Golonski, who raised the issue.

On Tuesday the council reversed the policy, in effect since 1990. Council members can now request during a session that an item be placed on a future agenda, but the entire council will decide whether city staff members should research and put together a presentation on the issue.

“There were a great number of staff hours being wasted,” Councilman Bob Bowne said. The majority vote was required, Bowne said, because council members were suggesting agenda items taking city staff hours to research and prepare that would have no support from the rest of the council.

Resident Ted McConkey said the old policy had created a “tyranny of the majority,” shutting out those such as former Councilman Tim Murphy who were often outvoted.

The new council rules, approved unanimously, will go into effect immediately. An ordinance formalizing the policy is being drafted.