ELECTIONS 2007:In favor of independent thinking

When Gary Bric finished third behind winning candidates Jef Vander Borght and Todd Campbell in the 2003 City Council election, he wasted little time pursuing other avenues for community involvement.

"I felt that it was important to sit on different boards and commissions," he said. "At that time since traffic was such a big issue, as it is today, I chose to sit on one of those."

And with an appointment to the Traffic and Transportation Committee in 2005, Bric joined the efforts of city traffic engineers and other committee members to improve traffic congestion, one of the most often-heard gripes from Burbank residents.

Recently the committee coordinated with city engineers to remedy traffic-light synchronization problems on Hollywood Way, which was causing traffic to back-up onto the Golden State (5) Freeway. The committee is also reviewing parking codes for recreational vehicles in Burbank, an issue that sparked a public dialogue between RV owners and some residents who argue that long-term parking of RVs in Burbank can pose eyesores.

"We've had some great input from the RV owners and the public and we want to continue doing our work for the benefit of all the citizens in Burbank," he said.

Bric's civic involvement stretches back more than 20 years, starting when he served as president of the Burbank Men's Golf Club, where he often worked with the Park, Recreation and Community Services Department, he said.

A regular presence at Burbank veterans' events, Bric, who lost his brother in the Vietnam War, made the dedication speech at the opening of the Vietnam Memorial in 1988. He has since joined the Veterans Commemorative Committee.

But Bric has had his sights set on a second bid for the council since his defeat in 2003, and kicked-off his fundraising campaign on Wednesday with a gathering of about 140 supporters.

"My role as a city councilperson would be to add diversity and be an independent thinker — an independent decision-maker on all items that come before the council," he said. "And I feel strongly that that's important for anyone who sits on the council."

Bric lauded the current council's strides in bolstering public transportation in Burbank through the Burbank Bus system and services for senior citizens and disabled persons, but is critical of some the negative impacts of some council-approved development projects, such as the Porto's Bakery in Magnolia Park.