Private Property

WEED ABATEMENT PROGRAM HEARING WHAT HAPPENED The council approved a resolution to charge private property owners for the cost of removing overgrown weeds and other debris after no one spoke at a public hearing. WHAT IT MEANS Private property owners can either clear weeds and debris themselves or the city, through the County of Los Angeles Weed Abatement Program, will complete the removal and assess the owner. The purpose of the program is to reduce fire hazards and eliminate havens for rodents and disease-carrying insects.

CITY HALL — Looking to bolster its secondhand-smoke laws, the City Council this week agreed to explore smoking prohibitions on private property and in common areas of multifamily buildings. The proposals, which piqued the interest of council members after hearing from several special-interest groups and residents, could bar smoking at swimming pools, yard areas and private balconies and patios. In all, the new laws could ban smoking at more than 400 private-parking structures and about 22,000 multifamily residential units, said Terre Hirsch, assistant community development director and administrator of license and code services.

I do not like to breathe outside second-hand smoke from others ("City Council firms up ban on smoking," Saturday). But if I find myself in a situation where others' outdoor smoking bothers me, I move away from it. I don't need a law to tell me to do this, it is common sense. It's kind of like when someone who has the flu sneezes. The best advice is to get away from it. Are you sure you want to criminalize outside smoking? Are we shooting for utopia here? You need to tone it down a bit. It has been said that a democracy fails after roughly 250 years because the laws enacted by a relatively small, vocal minority become so restricting of the personal liberties of others that the population gets fed up. A tyrant will surface and a full-blown dictatorship will ensue.

BURBANK — Members of the entertainment industry and community voiced their concerns at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting following proposed changes to the city’s filming ordinance. Some testified that small filmmakers and freelancers might be negatively affected by the changes, which, they believed, would give police and fire authorities more power to stop or modify a production due to safety concerns. However, officials said changes in the ordinance mostly consist of new wording to clarify existing policies.

BURBANK — The Burbank Democratic Club held its third annual picnic Saturday at Johnny Carson Park as its members talked politics and received updates from the region’s elected officials. The event, co-sponsored by the Democratic Clubs in Glendale and the northeast San Fernando Valley, featured talks from Rep. Adam Schiff, state Sen. Jack Scott, Assemblyman Paul Krekorian and gave members the opportunity to talk about the June 3 primary. “Were here to get out the vote,” Burbank Democratic Club President Janet Reynolds said.

Karen S. Kim BURBANK -- City Atty. Dennis Barlow will meet with the City Council in closed session Tuesday to discuss possible litigation strategies involving Southwest Airlines' refusal to reimburse Burbank for a plane crash last year. Burbank's request for Southwest Airlines to pay a reimbursement of $40,891 -- the expense incurred by the city last March, when the airline's Boeing 737 skidded off of the runway at Burbank airport and came to rest on Hollywood Way -- was denied by airline officials Feb. 7. Barlow has not advised the council on the matter and is still searching for a legal statute that would require Southwest to pay Burbank's bill, he said.

CITY HALL — Looking to bolster its secondhand-smoke laws, the City Council this week agreed to explore smoking prohibitions on private property and in common areas of multifamily buildings. The proposals, which piqued the interest of council members after hearing from several special-interest groups and residents, could bar smoking at swimming pools, yard areas and private balconies and patios. In all, the new laws could ban smoking at more than 400 private-parking structures and about 22,000 multifamily residential units, said Terre Hirsch, assistant community development director and administrator of license and code services.

CITY HALL — It’s margarita time. Well, almost. The City Council this week authorized city executives to allow owners of the downtown Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant to serve alcohol in a fenced-off section of the sidewalk. The 3-1 vote to grant the encroachment came after a cascade of questions from Councilman David Gordon, who expressed dismay upon discovering that the city failed to notify property owners within 100 feet. Guidelines for encroachments, adopted by the council in 1996, specify that “property owners within a 100-foot radius of the encroachment are to be notified prior to the granting of any encroachment agreements.

BURBANK — Members of the entertainment industry and community voiced their concerns Tuesday night about proposed changes to the city’s film ordinance, as the City Council considered a plan that would change the permit rules for small-scale filmmakers around the city. Under the proposed ordinance, filmmakers using hand-held cameras would not need to obtain a filming permit to operate on private or public property. As long as the camera operators do not impede access to public property, a permit would not be required.

Film law revisions don’t go far enough I’m glad the Burbank City Council unanimously approved a first reading for a new film permit ordinance (“Changes to filming ordinance worry some,” today). It’s a great first step and much better than what we had previously. We can now all shoot legally on most private and public property with a hand-held camera, along with a tripod and on-camera light. I’m also very happy that at least two council members (Marsha Ramos and David Gordon)

BURBANK — The Burbank Democratic Club held its third annual picnic Saturday at Johnny Carson Park as its members talked politics and received updates from the region’s elected officials. The event, co-sponsored by the Democratic Clubs in Glendale and the northeast San Fernando Valley, featured talks from Rep. Adam Schiff, state Sen. Jack Scott, Assemblyman Paul Krekorian and gave members the opportunity to talk about the June 3 primary. “Were here to get out the vote,” Burbank Democratic Club President Janet Reynolds said.

For exercise I often walk sections of Burbank Boulevard several times a week in the early morning or evening hours. As such, I’ve had a pretty fair view of the goings-on during the current “beautification project.” It’s been interesting, to say the least. First they cut all the trees down, then they, uh, plant new trees. Sort of sounds like the Army, doesn’t it? But as far as construction projects go I don’t believe they have been any better or worse than most that I have seen, up until now. Several months ago, they installed bright blue safety/traction pads at all the corners.