1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: October 24, 2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Kimberley Clark, City Clerk
BY: Melissa Dekermenji, CMC, Records Manager
SUBJECT: Appointment to Fill One Vacancy on the Board of Library Trustees for an Unexpired Term
RECOMMENDATION
Appoint one member to the Board of Library Trustees to fill an unexpired term ending July 31, 2024.
BACKGROUND
All Board, Commission, and Committee (BCC) Members shall be appointed by a three- fifths (3/5) vote of all Council Members and serve without compensation from the City. No person shall serve on more than one BCC at the same time. Vacancies on a BCC occurring during the term of office shall be filled within ninety (90) days from the date the vacancy occurs. Any person appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold office for the remainder of the unexpired term. In addition, all applicants must be electors of, and actually reside in, the City of Burbank with the exception of three positions on the Burbank Cultural Arts and the Sustainable Burbank c ommissions as established in Ordinance No. 16- 3,874 adopted 2/9/2016. (Per BMC Sections 2-1-404, 2-1-405, 2-1-406, and 2-1-407)
Once a vacancy is established, the City Clerk advertises the vacancy for 30 days, accepts applications, and provides applications received to the City Council for consideration.
Applicants have the option of applying for up to two BCCs, indicating their first and second choice.
The voting process established allows for each Council Member to vote as many times as there are vacancies on the BCC being considered; the applicants receiving a majority of the votes in the first round are either appointed or move into the second round, if CITY CLERK’S
OFFICE
2 necessary. The process continues for as many rounds as are necessary to attain the correct number of applicants to fill the vacancy.
Board of Library Trustees
In 1927, the First Library Board was appointed per City Charter. On November 7, 1950, the Board name changed to Board of Library Trustees by Charter Amendment, adopted by the vote of the people. The Board of Library Trustees shall serve as an advisory board and have the following powers and duties: 1) to initiate studies, investigations and surveys in the general field of public libraries and report its findings and recommendations to the City Council, 2) to prepare and recommend, for adoption by the City Council, rules and regulations for the maintenance and improvement of the public libraries of the City, 3) to recommend to the City Council the acquisition of library sites by the City, and, 4) to act in an advisory capacity to the City Council in all matters pertaining to the public libraries of the City. Ordinance No. 3674, effective July 30, 2005, increased the composition to seven (7) members.
DISCUSSION
On September 13, 2023, the City Clerk's Office began advertising and accepting applications for one vacancy on the Board of Library Trustees for an unexpired term ending July 31, 2024 created by the resignation of Member Rosemary Morrison.
To obtain qualified candidates, a Notice of Unscheduled Vacancy was advertised through the following:
• The City website
• City Council meeting announcements
• All social media platforms overseen by the City Clerk’s Office • Press release sent to The LA Times, Burbank Leader, and MyBurbank.com • Notices posted on the City Hall Bulletin Board
• Community Groups and Organizations
The deadline to submit applications to the City Clerk’s Office for the Board of Library Trustees was Friday, October 13, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. The City Clerk’s Office received ten (10) applications: John Medici, Timothy Cullen, Josh Caston, Lili Rossi, Ellen Portatino, Jennifer Sosnowski, Neil Wade, Stephanie Bennett, Steven Storozum, and Bennett Taracena. The application is listed in order received.
Please note the following Applicant, John Medici, currently serves on the Senior Citizen Board and if appointed, this will create a vacancy on the Senior Citizen Board.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment 3 and, as such, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item.
CONCLUSION
The City and the community both realize substantial benefits from civic involvement.
Appointments to the boards, commissions, and committees help to encourage public participation in the governmental process and ensure Burbank residents have a voice.
ATTACHMENT
Attachment 1 – Applications and Resumes
Attachment 2 – Burbank Municipal Code Section 2-1-409