Burbank discusses adjusting its boards and commissions
The Burbank City Council is looking to do some housekeeping on its boards, commissions and committees.
During a meeting earlier this month, council members discussed several topics pertaining to Burbank’s 22 advisory and decision-making groups in an attempt to improve their efficiency.
Erika De Leon, an administrative analyst for the city, outlined for the council the possibility of consolidating the Traffic and Transportation commissions to create a new group called the Infrastructure Oversight Board.
De Leon said the proposed advisory board would be made up of seven members who would “prioritize, advocate and review” the city’s infrastructure needs, as well as oversee infrastructure projects.
City staff members are considering combining the two commissions because some of the groups’ oversights overlap.
Should the commissions consolidate, they could still address traffic and transportation issues, De Leon said, but their oversight would also include the condition of Burbank’s infrastructure.
She added there currently is not a board, commission or committee that provides the council with information about the city’s infrastructure needs.
Additionally, De Leon said an infrastructure oversight board would be useful should Measure P be approved by voters in November.
Measure P is a proposed general-purpose, three-quarter-cent sales tax designed to address the city’s systemic budget deficit. It is projected to generate about $20 million annually.
Burbank currently does not have a local sales tax, but does collect 1% of the state’s 7.25% sales tax as well as a portion of a sales tax levied by the county.
With an infrastructure oversight board in place, De Leon said the group could keep track of how funds from the local ballot measure are used.
In addition to creating a new infrastructure board, city staff suggested consolidating the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission and the Art in Public Places Committee, but some council members argued against making that move.
Assistant City Manager Justin Hess said combining the two groups would possibly “create synergy” between one another as its members continue to work on art projects in the city.
However, members of the Arts in Public Places Committee said the work they do is different from what the Cultural Arts Commission does.
“This is kind of a solution in search of a problem,” said Dink O’Neal, a member of the Art in Public Places Committee. “I don’t think that because we both have art in our titles that we are the same thing.”
anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
