Burbank Council Candidate: Sharon Springer
At a Glance:
Age: 58Occupation: Nonprofit administration at EngAGE
Political affiliation: Democrat
Education: Ohio State University -- Master’s in City and Regional Planning
University of South Alabama -- Bachelor’s of Science in Geography
Jefferson Davis Junior College
Gulfport East High School
Online resources:
Questionnaire:
Have you run for office previously?
No.Why are you running?
I love Burbank and it has been my home for over 23 years.I’m running for City Council because I can make a positive difference in the way our city moves forward. The issues are complicated and I have the education and experience to consider them with an open mind, and maintain the necessary balance between the needs and concerns of our community and the fiscal responsibility required to run a city.
What is the most important issue facing the city?
The biggest challenge is maintaining our quality of life and small town charm while moving public and private development and infrastructure projects forward, responsibly, within the context of limited natural and other resources. Our community feels that they don’t matter and are left out of decision-making processes. Our city, with its small town charm, is slipping away. We must practice and encourage inclusiveness and increased public engagement with an attitude of collaboration and cooperation.Name a recent issue or policy the current City Council has decided that you agree with. Why?
In March 2014, the City Council approved three years of annual recurring funding for School-Based Counseling for students within the Burbank Unified School District (BUSD). This decision forgoes the need to request funding annually. Family Service Agency (FSA) of Burbank provides the counseling services. As a four-plus-year volunteer with Burbank Community Day School students, who are youth at risk, I have personally seen the very positive impacts of this program.Name a recent issue or policy the current City Council has decided that you disagree with. Why?
The conditions of approval for the proposed IKEA, the largest store in N. America, at 805 S. San Fernando Blvd. According to Bloomberg, IKEA’s profit in 2011 was $4 billion and can amply afford the costs to mitigate the negative impacts. Instead, our community will pay these costs in the form of worsened air quality, urban heat island, increased traffic, and inadequate protection for pedestrians, children, the elderly, and the disabled all who live, work, go to school in the area.
What is the best thing about how the current city government is run?
I like the city manager form of government.What is the worst thing about how the current city government is run?
Residents feel that they don’t matter and are left out of decision-making processes. City government and its decisions are separate and disconnected from our community.
Is the city doing enough to be transparent about its negotiations with the airport regarding the replacement terminal and/or the so-called “opportunity site?” What, if anything, could be done better?
I attended a workshop and check online resources, and for our computer-savvy community, outreach is good. One can access LinkBurbank.com for explanations and updates. We need to do a much better job informing our less technically experienced community on this and other issues.
When City Manager Mark Scott was hired in 2013, his salary was more than the city managers of Glendale and Pasadena, as well as the mayor of Los Angeles. Has he earned it?
I think a $290,000 to $300,000 starting salary is excessive. Comparison of the salaries at Glendale, Pasadena, Los Angeles and his previous salary indicate a lower salary was more appropriate. So, I guess my answer is no. He’s probably earned a salary comparable to that of city managers/mayor in neighboring cities. Maybe he’s truly extraordinary, but he doesn’t report to me and I haven’t monitored his performance.
In light of the legal issues the city has been involved in, including the water transfer suit, is City Attorney Amy Albano providing the council sound legal advice? Why or why not?
She may be providing sound legal advice, but council may not be following it. As a city attorney with over 20 years experience, she would know about Proposition 218, a 1996 law that seemingly outlaws transferring utility fees to the General Fund, a practice that Burbank commenced in 1958. She would know that Riverside settled its lawsuit and was required to return $10 million from their General Fund to the water fund. Riverside’s settlement did not bode well for Burbank, which was sued after the Riverside settlement. Burbank settled about a year after it was sued and agreed to return $1.5 million from the General Fund to the water fund and pay legal fees of $275,000.
Open Response:
Burbank is my home. As a child and adult, I lived in two foreign countries and 7 states. I lived in Libya when it was a kingdom, before the coup that put the late Kadafi in power and I also lived in Spain. I can say hello and count to ten in Arabic, and I’m conversant in Spanish.
In our community, I believe we must encourage inclusiveness, and increased public engagement with an attitude of collaboration, creativity, cooperation and gratitude. Trust should be fostered between city government and our community.
Our community deserves great schools and services, a healthy, safe environment, superior police and fire protection, and diverse transportation options. We must enhance our workers’ ability to participate in the recovery and earn a living; we must support a diverse economy and provide opportunities for training and reinvention. Our seniors deserve lifelong learning opportunities, and the option to “age in place,” and our neighborhoods, infrastructure and services must enable this to happen.
New construction should be consistent with the General Plan, and within the context of our surrounding neighborhoods, population trends, and long term goals of our city. Density bonuses and extraordinary concessions, if given at all, to developers should be matched by provisions of affordable housing, conservation measures, and/or financial contributions to fund quality of life enhancements to our community. We must do our best to retain displaced businesses and residents.
My professional life has been in the private sector. I was a commercial real estate appraiser for 12 years and valued shopping centers, industrial complexes, residential subdivisions and apartments. I was appraising a portfolio of gas stations when I had the epiphany that my education and talents could be used in a more meaningful way (for me).
As a business owner I was awarded 5 patents and developed and marketed my products nationally and internationally. I now work in non profit administration for an organization that sets up art, fitness, nutrition, lifelong learning and social services programming in senior communities.
I’ve been an active member of the Sustainable Burbank Commission for over 5 years. I also volunteer with the Burbank Farmers Market Advisory Board, the Burbank Community Day School youth at risk, and the UC Cooperative Extension. The first Saturday of every month, another Master Gardener and I are at the Burbank Farmers Market to advise, help and answer your questions about growing fruits, and vegetables. We support the city’s composting and zero waste goal and send many of our visitors to the Recycle Center’s composting workshop.
About seven years ago I addressed city council with a proposal to start a community garden and have been actively involved in the process since the beginning. City council member Bob Frutos informed me that the project has been approved! Our first community garden will be located at Chandler and Pass Avenue.
Five years ago, Chris Krohn, the principal of the Burbank Community Day School and I led the installation of the vegetable garden that is there, now. We started with a weed patch, and brought the community together to help. Today, there’s a budding culinary arts program and the students harvest and cook produce that they have grown themselves.
For almost 19 years I was the wife of Lawrence Lee Gardner Jr. He was a remarkable man with more grace, patience and diplomacy than anybody I’ve ever known. He died of leukemia in 2010 and every day I endeavor to carry the gift of him forward with me in a positive way.
Thank you very much for your vote.
Public Records & Legal Information:
Endorsements:
JoDee Geryak
Jim Carrol & Burt Ballard
Susan Aprahamian
Nancy Bower
Anna May Nelson
Mary Anne & Gary Sutliff
Christine Krohn
Andrea, Jenny & George Foster
Christine Krohn
Kreigh & Marta Hampel
Nancy Bower
Claire Torrey
Jodie & Angelo Venturelli
Vicki Sarandi
Paul, Gina, Julia and Eric DeLuca
Perla & Jess Obal
Emilia, Hernan, Alexandra, Andy Camacho Platas
Luz & Steve Morales
Alfred Aboulsaad
Jeff & Catherine Nelson
Bill Nelson
Dena Gould
Robert Moore
Steve & Ophelia Simon
Gerry Wilcox
Joshua Junkermeier
Teddi Shattuck
Kit Harper
Doug Wiskow
Dale & Lisa Jaffe
Karen Gibson
Florence & Ed Zolian
Kay Hamilton
Jane Mulder
Funds raised by Springer:
