Paul Clinton
BURBANK -- Gearing up for the first airport-related measure on a
citywide ballot in almost 25 years, officials are convinced voters will
approve Measure B without thinking twice.
The initiative, placed on the ballot by the City Council in May, would
require public approval of any deal to expand or relocate the terminal at
Burbank Airport.
In addition to putting in place a public gauge for any terminal
proposal, Councilwoman Stacey Murphy said the initiative will comfort
residents who don't trust City Hall deal makers.
"It's the ultimate reassurance," Murphy said. "It will be very well
supported."
The measure came about as a council-endorsed alternative to an
initiative, first floated by the grass-roots committee Restore Our
Airport Rights in September 1999, that was signed by more than 7,400
residents. That measure was tossed out because it didn't conform to state
election code.
The key player not taking a position on Measure B is the
Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority. Authority spokesman Victor
Gill maintained that stance when contacted Friday.
"The Authority regards this as an internal question for the city of
Burbank and its voters to discuss with each other," Gill said.
Murphy and her four colleagues have backed Measure B, which will
piggyback on the Nov. 7 Los Angeles County ballot. The council members
have attached their names to the argument in favor of Measure B that
appeared in the voter handbooks. Councilman Dave Golonski penned that
opinion.
It was Golonski who first proposed the idea of a public vote on
airport expansion in the mid-1990s. The councilman, along with Murphy,
also negotiated the now-defunct Framework for Settlement in August 1999,
a deal that withered under criticism from city residents, the Federal
Aviation Administration and the airlines.
"It would be a good thing to get the input of the voters," Golonski
said. "The airport is a difficult, complex issue."
Vice Mayor Bob Kramer, who successfully pushed for a public advisory
vote on the airport in the fall of 1999, said Measure B won't necessarily
solve the nearly two-decade-old terminal stalemate.
"I don't see any solution to the problem in sight," Kramer said. "This
should be on the books first."
Mayor Bill Wiggins and Councilman David Laurell also said they support
the measure. Wiggins read a description of the measure at Tuesday's
council meeting to remind voters of its place on the ballot.
Members of ROAR also support Measure B. With handmade placards in
