Lawyers’ Memo Urged Burbank to Allow Reno Air Flights

Airport noise has long been a major issue in this city, where elected officials often remind voters during election season just how hard they have fought against early morning and late night flights at Burbank Airport.

But when the airport’s governing body recently considered a request by Reno Airlines to schedule a 6:40 a.m. flight, lawyers for the city urged politicians to lie low.

According to a memo obtained by The Times, lawyers from the firm of Cutler & Stanfield recommended the city not fight the Reno proposals. This would demonstrate that the airport commission, when left to its own devices, is “unwilling or unable to persuade airlines to comply with a voluntary noise curfew,” the memo said.

City officials acknowledged receiving the memo but said they disregarded the silent strategy, choosing instead to speak against the wake-up flights.

“It’s up to us to follow their advice or disregard it,” said Burbank City Councilman Bob Kramer. “That was the advice from the attorneys, but obviously we didn’t listen to them in this case.”

Indeed, at least three elected officials--Mayor David Golonski, Vice Mayor Stacey Murphy and Councilman Ted McConkey--spoke against the early morning flights at airport commission meetings.

As of two weeks ago, the city seemed to be losing the battle. Reno Air appeared to have majority support of the nine-member Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena commission for the flights that would go to the airline’s San Jose hub.

But the dispute took an unexpected turn Tuesday when the air carrier, stung by protesting Burbank residents, voluntarily agreed to delay takeoffs in an effort to “be a good neighbor,” as Reno officials put it.