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BURBANK CITY COUNCIL MEETING WRAP-UP

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The council, after hearing about the city’s Zero Waste Plan — a citywide effort to significantly reduce waste — called for the gradual reduction and eventual elimination of disposable single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam.

Councilmen Gary Bric and David Gordon opposed the measure. Bric, who owns a restaurant in Burbank, was concerned about the effect a ban on Styrofoam might have on restaurants.

WHAT IT MEANS

Businesses that use Styrofoam or plastic bags will not yet be penalized as the Public Works Department is due to come back in front of the council at a future meeting with more definitive plans on what the ban entails.

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The council adopted a new set of taxicab ordinances that expands the period cab owners can file for a permit, something they are legally bound to do, and establishes a new notification system for permit holders.

Before the vote, taxicab owners had from Oct. 1 to Dec. 15 each year to file for a permit, which some had criticized as too short, resulting in a shortage of cabs in the city.

The new ordinance extends the filing period up to 180 days to ensure there is no dearth of taxis in the city and allows for emergency permits to be issued and calls for notifications to be sent to taxicab owner permit holders that their three-year permit is about to expire.

WHAT IT MEANS

The ordinance, which Mayor Marsha Ramos opposed, is now law and could make

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Citing a fire code against underground and aboveground tanks as a possible barrier — and the dearth of acceptable locations — the council decided not to push ahead with an incentive-laden program for private businesses to establish an E85 fueling station in Burbank.

E85, a fuel made up of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, has been lauded by some as a more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel and was brought to the council floor at the behest of Councilman Dave Golonski.

WHAT IT MEANS

The proposal is off the table for now, but could come back before the council at a future meeting.


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