1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: July 29, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Kimberley Clark, City Clerk
BY: Linda Thai, Assistant City Clerk and Kimberley Clark, City Clerk
SUBJECT: Introduction of an Ordinance Amending and Restating Title 2, Section 1, Article 4 (Boards, Commissions, and Committees) of the Burbank Municipal Code Relating to Boards, Commissions, and Committees and Approval of Various Administrative Changes to Boards, Commissions, and Committees
RECOMMENDATION
1. Introduce AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BURBANK AMENDING AND RESTATING TITLE 2 , CHAPTER 1 , ARTICLE 4 (BOARDS,
COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES ) OF THE BURBANK MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES (Attachment 1).
2. Approve various administrative c hanges to the City’s Boards, Commissions, and Committees.
BACKGROUND
At the February 4, 2025 , City Council Meeting, Council was presented with a first step report on the composition of the City’s Boards, Commissions, and Committees (BCC s) and the BCC attendance policy, as requested by Council Member Mullins on July 18, 2023, and April 9, 2024, respectively. During this meeting, Council provided direction to staff on changes to the composition, requirements, attendance, and terms of the City’s 23 BCCs.
Council has established various BCCs to review City programs, projects, and community issues. BCC members (Members) serve in an advisory capacity with limited decision - making authority. Each BCC can provide input and make recommendations to the Council; however, they do not determine or establish City policy or administrative direction
2 with the exception of the Planning Commission, which conducts public hearings, makes decisions on applications for discretionary projects such as Conditional Use Permits and Variances, and considers appeals of decisions by the Community Development Directo r on certain types of project applications.
DISCUSSION
The following changes will be implemented in the 2026 annual recruitment cycle with the commencement of incoming members’ terms on August 1, 2026.
Changes to the Burbank Municipal Code (BMC)
1. Consistent Member Composition
For all City -initiated BCCs, Council voted to implement a consistent composition of five to seven members, with the exception of the Sustainable Burbank Commission and Burbank Cultural Arts Commission, which will remain at nine members, and the Youth Board (see #7 below for additional details). The Community Development Goals Committee, which currently has nine members, will be reduced to seven members.
Staff recommends implementing a reduction in membership to the following BCCs from seven to five members: Board of Library Trustees, Burbank Water and Power Board, Infrastructure Oversight Board, Police Commission, Senior Citizen Board, and Transportation Commission. Staff requests Council approval of this change. This reduction shall occur through expiration of current members’ terms until the member composition of the BCC reaches the number authorized by Council. In the event of an unscheduled vacancy, the vacancy shall not be filled unless an appointment is needed to meet the membership threshold for that specific BCC.
Council recommended removal of the voting representatives from the Planning Commission and Park, Recreation and Community Services Board from the Art in Public Places (APP) Committee; this will reduce the number of APP Committee Members from seven to five, although these representatives would be invited to attend APP Committee meetings on an as-needed basis as there is value in obtaining their input on public art installations.
2. Attendance Policy
Council voted to implement the following Attendance Policy:
a) Absences will be tracked during the 12 -month period of August 1 st to July 31 st, with the absence count resetting the following August 1st.
b) A BCC member’s second absence from a regular meeting would continue to trigger a warning, but rather than notifying the BCC chair, staff would directly notify the member in writing with a copy provided to the chair and the City Clerk.
3 c) Upon a third absence within this period, the City Clerk will place the matter on the City Council’s agenda for consideration and action to either excuse the absences or remove the member.
d) Should the Council excuse the member’s three absences, and the member misses a fourth meeting within that 12 -month period, the member shall automatically be removed from their position by City staff.
3. Additional Reasons for Removal
Council authorized additional reasons for BCC member removal, including violation of the policies outlined in “City Council Expectations of Board, Commission, and Committee Members” (Attachment 3) or failure to attend training sessions mandated by the City, including, but not limited to, the Brown Act and AB 1234 ethics trainings.
The “City Council Expectations of Board, Commission, and Committee Members” document was updated by the City Council on May 6, 2025. This document is provided to each Member currently sitting on a BCC.
4. Registered Elector Requirement
Council directed staff to remove the requirement for Members to be electors of the City.
5. Term Limits for BCC Members
Council authorized a limit of three consecutive full terms, or a maximum of 12 years, in total time served on a single BCC. The term limit would be applied to full -term appointments beginning August 1, 2026. Appointments to serve unexpired terms and terms served prior to August 1, 2026, would not be counted toward the total number of terms or years served.
6. Completion of Unexpired Terms
Council added a requirement that Members appointed to unexpired terms must complete their appointed term before applying for a different BCC.
7. Changes to Youth Board Membership
Council voted to a llow all members of the Board to vote and added a member from Lycée International (LILA) de Los Angeles . In addition, Council r educed the Youth Board to 15 Members, consisting of 11 members from designated schools and four members appointed by Council.
8. Residency Requirement for All BCC Members
Council voted that all Members must be Burbank residents.
4 9. Removal of Non-Voting Liaison Positions
Council approved the elimination of all non-voting liaison positions from the City’s BCC; implementing this change will currently affect only the Sustainable Burbank Commission. While representatives from relevant organizations (such as the Burbank Unified School District, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Burbank -Glendale- Pasadena Airport) are encouraged to attend Commission meetings, their membership would no longer be mandated.
10. Member Requirements for the Art in Public Places Committee Council voted to eliminate certain membership requirements for the APP Committee.
While BMC § 2-1-422 requires that one member of the APP Committee be chosen from the business community following a recommendation by the Chamber of Commerce, one member chosen from the residential communi ty, and one member selected at large , this practice has not been observed in the selection of Members.
Removal of this requirement simplifies the process of selecting APP Committee Members.
Other Council Approved Administrative Changes to BCCs
1. Community Development Goals Committee Name Change
Council approved changing the name of the Community Development Goals Committee to the Community Development Block Grant Committee to better reflect the Committee’s role as a liaison entity on matters relevant to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Planning and Development Programs including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership Act, and Continuum of Care funds.
2. Goal Setting Meeting
Modeled after the Council’s biennial goal setting meeting, all BCCs shall agendize an item at the first meeting following the routine appointment of new members to set 5 - 10 goals that align with Council goals. Liaisons will work with their department heads to transmit minutes from the BCC Goal Setting Meetings to be included in the Weekly Management Reports provided to Council.
3. Annual Survey of BCC Members
Council requested that staff conduct an annual survey of Members regarding their experience on their BCC.
Future Agenda Items
1. Consolidation of the Art in Public Places Committee with the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission
5 Council authorized staff to consolidate the APP Committee with the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission to form the “Arts and Culture Commission .” This change will be presented to Council as a separate item to allow the Parks and Recreation Department to engage a consultant and conduct outreach. Currently there are nine members on the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission and seven members on the APP Committee; following consolidation, the newly formed Arts and Culture Commission will be composed of seven members.
2. Landlord-Tenant Commission Name Change
On June 24, 2025, Council Member Mullins requested a report to consider changing the name of the Landlord -Tenant Commission to Housing Provider -Tenant Commission and replacing references to “Landlord” in the BMC with “Housing Provider.” On July 15, 2025, Council directed staff to agendize a discussion of alternate terms to replace the term “Landlord.” Staff will present this report to Council at a later date.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity involves internal reorganization 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. As such, it is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378).
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding to pay for updates to the Burbank Municipal Code is provided by the City Clerk’s Office and the changes will be implemented by the City’s vendor, General Code. The City’s BCCs require support and resources, and it is anticipated that the proposed changes will decrease the amount of staff time required to manage the City’s BCCs.
CONCLUSION
The proposed amendments to the Burbank Municipal Code will establish a consistent member composition, change the membership requirements of various BCCs, clarify the attendance policy, implement term limits, and establish defined guidelines and standards for all BCCs. Enacting these changes would reduce overlapping roles and duties, increase the efficient use of City staff and resources, ensur e qualified and trained BCC members, and increase public participation.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – BCC Ordinance
Attachment 2 – Redlined BCC Ordinance
Attachment 3 – City Council Expectations of BCC Members