1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: September 10, 2024
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 Park, Recreation and Community Services Board for an Unexpired Term
RECOMMENDATION
Appoint one member to the Park, Recreation and Community Services Board to fill an unexpired term ending July 31, 2025.
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 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 reside in, t he 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 §§ 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 the applications received to 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(ies).
PARK, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARD
On August 11, 1925, Ordinance No. 298 was adopted establishing the Park and Forestry Commission; appointing four members and one Chairman. On April 5, 1927, the Charter was amended by the vote of the people which changed the title to Park Commission. On May 17, 1927, the Playground and Recreation Commission was established in the Charter. The Charter amendment adopted by the vote of the people on November 7, 1950, established the Park and Recreation Department and the Park and Recreation Board and abolished the Park Commission, and the Playground and Recreation Commission. On February 6, 1951, Council adopted Ordinance No. 1091 adding the Park and Recreation Board to the Code. The Charter amendment ratified by the voters on April 10, 2001, amended the name of the Board to Park, Recreation and Community Services Board.
The Park, Recreation and Community Services Board (Board) consists of five (5) members. The Board shall have the following powers and duties:
• to initiate studies, investigations and surveys in the general field of parks and recreation and report its findings and recommendations to the Council; • to prepare and recommend, for adoption by the Council, rules and regulations for the use and improvement of the public parks, squares and grounds in the City, including playgrounds, concessions and recreational facilities and programs installed and maintained therein as a park use;
• to recommend to the Council the acquisition of park sites by the City; to act in an advisory capacity to the Council in all matters pertaining to the parks, squares and grounds of the City, including all matters affecting policy, procedures and operations of all athletic and recreational organizations or groups who receive any part of their financial support in any form from public funds of the City; • to approve and fix the schedule of times, dates and places for the use of all City facilities under the jurisdiction of the Park, Recreation, and Community Services Department; and
• to act in an advisory capacity to the Council and recommend the amount of financial support to be contributed by the City for inclusion in the annual budget for all dramatic, musical, or cultural organizations or groups which receive any part of their financial support in any form from the public funds of the City, to make funding decisions and award grants to such groups pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the Director of the Park, Recreation and Community Services Department, to approve contracts to formalize the funding commitment and the responsibilities of such groups, and to approve any changes or amendments to such contracts.
3 DISCUSSION
On July 23, 2024, the City Clerk's Office began advertising and accepting applications for one vacancy on the Board for an unexpired term ending July 31, 202 5, created by the resignation of Member Lori Durbin.
To obtain qualified candidates, a Notice of Vacancy was advertised through the following:
• City website
• City Council meeting announcements
• All social media platforms managed by the City Clerk’s Office • Press releases sent to the Los Angeles Times, Burbank Leader, and MyBurbank.com
• Notices posted on the City Hall bulletin board
• Community groups and organizations
• Constant Contact email notification
The deadline to submit applications to the City Clerk’s Office for the Board was Thursday, August 22, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. The City Clerk’s Office received 12 applications: Matthew Nelson, James Atwell, Robbie Brody, Karen Pavliscak, Natalie Torres, Chris Yoosefi , Limor Zimskind, Lisa Goldfisher, Stephanie Kim, Terre Hirsch, Angelica Campa, and Ever Huerta. The applications are listed in the order received.
Please note that applicant Limor Zimskind currently serves on the Sustainable Burbank Commission and, i f appointed, this will create a vacancy on the Sustainable Burbank Commission.
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 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.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Applications and Resumes
Attachment 2 – Burbank Municipal Code § 2-1-410