1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: November 26, 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 Two Vacancies on the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission for Unexpired Terms
RECOMMENDATION
Appoint two members to the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission to fill unexpired term s ending July 31, 2025, and July 31, 2027.
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 February 9, 2016 (p er Burbank Municipal Code §§ 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 CITY CLERK’S
OFFICE
2 of the votes in the first round are either appointed or move into the second round, if necessary. The process continues for as many rounds as are necessary to attain the correct number of applicants to fill the vacancy(ies).
Burbank Cultural Arts Commission
On August 31, 2010, Council adopted Resolution No. 28,203 establishing the Cultural Arts Commission. Subsequently, on October 19, 2010, nine members were appointed to act in an advisory capacity to the Council on matters relevant to the City‘s Cultural Arts Plan. This includes promoting community engagement by participating in various public education, outreach, and promotional activities related to cultural arts, and other duties as requested by the Council.
On February 9, 2016, Council adopted Ordinance No. 16-3,874 which added the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission to the B urbank Municipal Code § 2-1-425, and changed the composition of the commission as follows:
• Nine members,
o Six Burbank residents;
o Three Burbank residents or non-residents, consisting of representatives of the business community at -large, who are engaged in the arts, or who represents a diversity of art disciplines such as arts education; art in public places; dance; live theater ; film, studio and recording industry; media affiliated resources; music; and visual arts.
• Two Council Members will serve as non-voting liaisons to the Commission.
DISCUSSION
On October 1, 2024, the City Clerk's Office began advertising and accepting applications for one vacancy on the Commission for an unexpired term ending July 31, 2025, created by the resignation of Commissioner Mercedes Molina.
Subsequently, on October 16, 2024, the City Clerk's Office began advertising and accepting applications for a second vacancy on the Commission for an unexpired term ending July 31, 2027, created by the resignation of Commissioner Anet Abnous.
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
3 The initial deadline to submit applications to the City Clerk’s Office for the Commission was Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Following the opening of the second vacancy, the deadline was extended to Monday, November 18, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. The City Clerk’s Office received 15 applications: Patrika Darbo, Kyle Bown, Rebecca Totman, John Buckingham, John Butterworth, Bryant Galindo, Mary Lou Gilliland, Mercedes Cooper, Thomas Awesome, Erin Fitzgerald, Paula Rhodes, Matthew Arat (non-resident), James Fletcher,
Marjani Elgenedy, and Katrina Darwich. The applications are listed in the order received.
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 City’s boards, commissions, and committees 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 § 2-1-425