Airport authority names president

AIRPORT DISTRICT — Bob Hope Airport’s tri-city governing body unanimously elected Glendale Commissioner and Police Lt. Carl Povilaitis as president of the authority on Monday to serve out the term of Glendale City Councilman Bob Yousefian who resigned from the post last month.

Yousefian stepped down from the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority on Nov. 13, a day after he resigned the presidency. Yousefian’s fellow council members handed down a vote of no confidence in him the week before and were poised to remove him from the board.

Povilaitis, who has served on the commission since 1999, accepted the presidency with a hopeful tone.

“In my years here, it has been wonderful,” Povilaitis said. “We don’t always agree on everything, but it’s certainty been with a level of respect that we approach the issues. I look forward to continue to work with you.”

Because Yousefian stepped down in the middle of his term, Povilaitis will retain the presidency until July, when elections for officers are typically held, airport spokesman Victor Gill said.

Pasadena Commissioner Joyce Streator questioned his election, momentarily delaying the vote.

“I thought we had a process by which the vice president moves up and becomes president,” she said.

Burbank Commissioner Bill Wiggins is the vice president.

But Burbank Commissioner Don Brown pointed out that Wiggins supported Povilaitis’ presidency.

“It was Bill’s suggestion that Carl should be elected to a position he should have had a long time ago,” he said. “Originally, Carl was supposed to be president [in July], and it didn’t work out, so under these circumstances, where there’s an opening, Bill is more than willing to step aside.”

Wiggins nodded from his seat in the president’s chair as Povilaitis waited outside until the vote was complete.

The vice president wasn’t the only one occupying a temporary seat.

Glendale City Manager Jim Starbird stepped in as interim commissioner until the Glendale City Council votes on a replacement.

As president, Povilaitis wants to complete the Part 161 study, a report intended to eliminate or significantly reduce the nighttime flight noise at Bob Hope Airport, he said.

The study was initiated in 2000, and its completion has been delayed since the second phase of the project began in 2002, Burbank Commissioner Charles Lombardo said.