Councilwoman Sharon Springer appointed as next Burbank mayor
A first-time Burbank City Council member has been named the city’s top leader.
Council members unanimously voted on Monday for Councilwoman Sharon Springer to serve as mayor over the next year. They also unanimously voted for Councilman Bob Frutos to be vice mayor.
In the past, Burbank held its reorganization meetings in April. However, because the city is realigning its City Council election cycles to coincide with the statewide general elections, council members’ terms were extended and the selection of a new mayor and vice mayor was also pushed back.
Springer, who was elected to council in May 2017, has spent the past 18 months as vice mayor, while Councilwoman Emily Gabel-Luddy served as mayor.
The new mayor thanked Gabel-Luddy and the rest of the council members for helping her learn the ins- and outs of city government.
Right out of the gate, Springer highlighted her top four priorities for the year, starting with addressing the new state legislation regarding accessory-dwelling units, commonly known as ADUs or granny flats.
The new state laws, which go into effect Jan. 1, 2020, loosen the requirements regarding how ADUs can be built.
Many city officials, including Springer, think the new regulations will be detrimental to Burbank by negatively affecting neighborhoods with single-family homes.
“It embodies a complete and total disregard for professional planning and ignores the nuances of our neighborhoods, such as Magnolia Park, the Rancho [District], the Golden State [area], downtown, the Media District, the hillside, and also ignores our unique hazard zones,” Springer said.
“This legislative effort amounts to marginalizing the health, safety and public welfare of our community,” she continued. “It’s not OK, and I will push back.”
Springer is also looking to address the hurdles that prolong the processing of housing projects in the city.
In addition, she wants to prepare the city for the changing transportation landscape, in which autonomous vehicles and new public transportation change how Burbank’s workforce gets around.
Her final goal for the year is to reduce the number of those who are homeless in Burbank.
Frutos, who last served as vice mayor in 2015, said he’s ready to support Springer during her tenure as mayor. He added that Springer has grown significantly over the past three years.
“I welcome her, and I’m really looking forward to being her right-hand man as her vice mayor to continue moving our city forward,” Frutos said.
