Wednesday, November 25, 2015

City Buzz — Mark Scott, emails, and the city council

Outgoing City Manager, Mark Scott, has B-town buzzing for a number of reasons. First of course, his ultimatum to city council members to approve a reclassification/promotion for an employee under the threat that he would resign if they refused to capitulate. Three council members faced down that threat and voted against the change. At that infamous November 16 city council meeting […]
Saturday, November 21, 2015

Burbank city manager’s retirement email to city council

There are some indisputable truths in the City Hall drama between the Burbank City Council and City Manager, Mark Scott. The city council hired Scott. They are his bosses. They’ve stood up for Scott from the very beginning. In the face of angry public criticism over Scott’s huge salary and benefit package of around $300,000, each council member publicly declared […]
Friday, November 20, 2015

Burbank city manager sends out retirement email

More drama at city hall in Burbank. Late last night, City Manager, Mark Scott, sent out an email about his plans to retire to City Clerk, Zizette Mullins. After his threat to resign over a vote he did not like at last Monday’s city council meeting, Scott clarified his intentions. He told the Burbank Leader:”I am not resigning,” Scott said […]
Tuesday, November 17, 2015

City Buzz: Burbank city manager threatens to resign

Last night’s city council meeting produced a bombshell and it had nothing to do with the council’s approval or so-called endorsement of the controversial Bob Hope Airport Replacement Terminal Conceptual Term Sheet. The Burbank Airport Authority overwhelmingly gave this framework for an airport replacement terminal agreement a thumbs up two weeks ago. At the council meeting Monday night, Mayor Bob […]
Sunday, November 1, 2015

City Buzz: Burbank Mayor Bob Frutos on the mend

A lot of chatter around B-town about the sudden illness and disappearance from public view of Burbank Mayor Bob Frutos. It was because of Frutos’ absence at last Tuesday’s city council meeting that the controversial discussion, and approval, ah, endorsement of the Bob Hope Airport Replacement Terminal Conceptual Term Sheet by council members had to be delayed. (that item was rescheduled […]
Thursday, October 29, 2015

Person of interest arrested in Burbank school theft case

A person of interest has been arrested in connection with the alleged theft of money and a credit card from a teacher’s purse at Bret Harte Elementary School in Burbank . A week ago yesterday, Burbank Police released photos of the suspect and her vehicle and asked for the public’s help in tracking down the woman described in a news release […]
Tuesday, October 13, 2015

City Buzz: Burbank Police, oversight, and poopgate

Recently, the Burbank City Council renewed the three-year contract of consultant, Michael Gennaco, of the Office of Independent Review, as an independent monitor of the Burbank Police Department. The cost of Gennaco’s contract, $80,000.  In light of the growing tab for the notorious police cases and the BPD’s handling of that nasty incident involving Magnolia Park merchants last August, monitoring […]
Thursday, September 24, 2015

Talk of the Town: Sue Georgino’s consulting job

For months now, there has been chatter around B-town about former Burbank Airport Commissioner, Sue Georgino, and where her true loyalties lie. On the city council agenda tonight, a discussion regarding Georgino’s decision to take a consulting job with the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority less than a year, after resigning her position as a commissioner on that authority representing the interests […]
Friday, September 11, 2015

City Buzz:Burbank merchants’ feud escalates in Mag Park

That bitter merchants’ feud in the 3400 block of West Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank, once thought to be dying down,  has escalated with more nasty allegations, a police report, and a mystery videotape. I began covering the dispute back in August of 2014, when it centered on the fight for one-hour parking on the north side of the block. Most […]
Monday, September 7, 2015

Call-out : A Burbank school waters on Monday in the heat

Outdoor watering restrictions are in effect in Burbank, but apparently at David Starr Jordan Middle School on South Mariposa Street they’re not following city rules. As I walked by the school campus at around 11 a.m. today, I noticed some sprinklers spraying steady streams of water on a lawn section dotted with some young trees.The temperature at the time was […]
Monday, September 7, 2015

Labor Day: Enjoy the holiday, remember the workers

“I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living.” — John D. Rockefeller
Sunday, September 6, 2015

Walmart moves ahead with a superstore in Burbank

Retail giant, Walmart, is busy converting the old Great Indoors site, at 1301 North Victory Place, into one of its stores. That’s exciting news for some and a reason to go into mourning for others. “The litigation has concluded with respect to Walmart’s permits and we are moving forward with bringing a Walmart Supercenter to our Burbank customers.” Delia Garcia, […]