STAFF REPORT
PARKS AND
RECREATION DEPARTMENT
DATE: August 22, 2023
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Marisa Garcia, Park, Recreation, and Community Services Director VIA: Paula Ohan, Senior Administrative Analyst
BY: Patricia Molinar, Administrative Analyst I
SUBJECT: Approval of the City of Burbank Tournament of Roses 2024 Float Rendering
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the Burbank Tournament of Roses 2024 float rendering.
BACKGROUND
Since 1914, the City of Burbank (City) has been represented in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade (Parade) on New Year’s Day. Originally, the Burbank Chamber of Commerce and the schools entered floats on behalf of the City. In 1947, the Burbank Tournament of Roses Association (BTORA) took responsibility for the City’s annual float entries. The 202 4 entry will mark BTORA’s 7 6th consecutive float entry and the City’s 91st float entry in the Parade. There have been only a handful of years when the City did not submit a float entry due to unforeseen circumstances , including the cancellation of the Parade from 1942 through 1945 due to World War II, and in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
BTORA is a non -profit organization comprised of community volunteers who construct and decorate a float to represent the City in the annual Parade. BTORA utilizes Burbank Water and Power’s (BWP) Auxiliary Warehouse located at 123 West Olive Avenue, for construction and decoration activities. This is a 6,000 square foot facility with a 34 -foot- high ceiling. The City is one of six remaining self -built floats. The other self -built floats include California Polytechnic Universities (Pomona and San Luis Obispo), and the cities of Downey, La Cañada-Flintridge, Sierra Madre, and South Pasadena.
Preparation for each year’s float begins immediately after New Year’s Day. Once the Parade theme is announced, concepts and drawings are solicited from the general public in a design contest. BTORA’s Board of Directors reviews, selects several of the submitted designs, and presents them to BTORA’s general membership for final recommendation.
The selected design is then presented to the Pasadena Tournament of Roses for approval.
2 Upon approval by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the construction and decoration committees review the final drawings and plans, and a final rendering is submitted to the City Council for approval. Actual construction of the float begins shortly thereafter, and decoration materials are ordered. Orders for live flowers are placed with various growers to be grown for the float ; however, m ost of the actual floral decoration begins on December 26 and continues until December 31. The float is moved to the Metr olink parking lot to be judged by Parade officials on December 30 and December 31. Animation and music are displayed for the public before the convoy leaves the City. On the evening prior to the Parade, Burbank Police Department (BPD) escorts the float with motorcycles and police cars via surface streets to Pasadena.
DISCUSSION
The 13 5th Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade theme is “Celebrating a World of Music: The Universal Language .” In March 2023, Parade officials approved the theme and the conceptual design for the 202 4 City float entry named “Caterpillar Melody ” (Attachment 1). The float design and rendering were submitted by Richard Burrows from Mission Viejo, California. This is Richard Burrow’s fourth float design win.
BTORA uses a portion of City property to construct the float and in exchange, enters the float in the name of the City of Burbank. The City, primarily BWP, partners with BTORA through staffing and financial support. BWP contributes $54,720 to BTORA annually for the construction of the float. This contribution supports construction materials including roses, flowers, and various tools and equipment. Additionally, BTORA uses BWP’s facilities for the design and construction of the float . Yearly, the overall City contribution, including staffing, facility usage, and financial support, totals over $190,000.
BTORA Fundraising Events
BTORA hosts annual and on-going fundraisers throughout the year for additional financial support. One of the largest fundraiser events is an annual Open House and Craft Faire that takes place on the first Saturday in October at the BWP Auxiliary Warehouse.
BTORA also has on-going fundraisers to receive donations through businesses including eBay, Ralphs, and Domino’s.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This activity involves approval of the BTORA float rendering for 2024 and has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and as such, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Qual ity Act (CEQA) 14 Cal.
Code Regs § 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report . The City’s contribution of $54,720 was included in the adopted Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Budget and will be used to construct the 2024 float. In addition to the City’s annual contribution for the construction of the float, an estimated total of $22,295 of in-kind support from BWP and PD goes toward the overall operation of the annual float. The P arks & Recreation (P&R) Department provides
3 administrative support as well. The in-kind support from BWP, PD, and P&R is not included in the adopted Budget.
CONCLUSION
Council acceptance and approval of the 202 4 Tournament of Roses float rendering will allow BTORA to begin construction of the float. Historically, the Parade takes place on January 1, unless it falls on a Sunday. This year the Parade will take place on January 1, 2024 at 8:00 am, and the Burbank parade float will join spirited marching bands from across the nation, high-stepping equestrian units, and majestic floral floats as they parade down Colorado Boulevard.
ATTACHMENT
Attachment 1- Proposed 2024 City of Burbank Tournament of Roses Float Entry