Media District plan goes to council; film permit fees return in December

A public hearing on whether the Planning Commission should recommend that the City Council approve the update to the Media District Specific Plan (Project No. 22-0003509, agenda), certify its final environmental impact report, amend the Burbank2035 General Plan, and amend the zoning code to match. The plan covers the southwestern edge of the city, roughly bounded by Clybourn Avenue, Keystone Street, Oak Street and the Los Angeles River, an area that includes Disney, Warner Bros. and other studios along with offices, shops and housing (agenda). The update sets what uses, heights, densities and parking are allowed there and creates a streamlined, non-discretionary approval path for qualifying housing and small commercial projects. Staff recommended a scaled-back version called the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative, which concentrates growth in the center of the district and limits it to what staff said city utilities can serve. The commission's vote is a recommendation; the City Council makes the final decision. at 00:02:19

• Substitute motion by Mike Van Gorder (Commissioner), seconded by a commissioner: everything in Samantha Wick (Commissioner; Chair)'s motion, plus a recommendation that hotels in the Media District Specific Plan be required to have development agreements. Result: failed, 2-3. No: Samantha Wick (Commissioner; Chair), Paulina Safarian (Commissioner; Vice Chair), Jason Bennett (Commissioner). at 01:32:25
• Samantha Wick (Commissioner; Chair) moved, seconded by a commissioner, to adopt the Planning Commission resolution recommending that the City Council (1) certify the final environmental impact report for the Media District Specific Plan Update, with the resolution's title amended to say it includes the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative as the preferred project, (2) amend the Burbank2035 General Plan consistent with the plan, (3) adopt the amended plan, and (4) adopt an ordinance amending the municipal code to implement it; and to include annual progress reports to the City Council. Result: passed, 5-0. at 01:32:35

• City staff Said the Media District plan dates to 1991, has not changed substantially in 35 years, and that very little has been built in that time while housing demand and state housing laws have changed. at 00:07:13
• City staff Said the update has been in the works for almost four years and was discussed at more than 40 public events and presentations, with eight rounds of dedicated outreach. at 00:08:18
• City staff Said only minor changes were made since the commission last saw the plan: an updated infrastructure chapter, editorial fixes, and edits to reflect the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative as the preferred alternative. at 00:08:18
• City staff Described a jobs-housing imbalance in the district, saying about 69,000 people come into it while only 364 both live and work there, which staff said adds to traffic and quality-of-life problems. at 00:10:24
• City staff Listed the plan's three goals as development that fits its context, growth oriented to transit, and streamlined housing production. at 00:11:26
• City staff Explained that allowed building heights, residential density and commercial intensity step up toward the center of the district and stay lower next to lower-scale residential neighborhoods. at 00:13:38
• City staff Said parking rules were aligned with state mandates that generally reduce parking requirements, with minimums kept in some cases because of neighborhood concerns. at 00:14:42
• City staff Said the infrastructure chapter does not assume today's water, sewer, power and other systems can handle all future growth, and that new development pays its applicable share of improvements. at 00:15:48
• City staff Described the plan's ministerial review path: housing on identified opportunity sites, housing projects of up to 150 units in the area staff described as 87 units per acre, and commercial projects up to 10,000 square feet; other projects stay in discretionary review. at 00:16:54
• City staff Explained that the environmental report found some impacts significant and unavoidable, which means the City Council must weigh benefits against impacts and adopt a statement of overriding considerations. at 00:21:03
• City staff Said public comments on utilities and infrastructure during the draft environmental review led staff, with Burbank Water and Power and Public Works, to develop the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative. at 00:22:07
• City staff Said the alternative concentrates future development in the core of the district and scales back growth there so the city can also accommodate growth in its other specific plan areas. at 00:23:09
• City staff Said staff found the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative to be the environmentally superior alternative and recommends it as the preferred project. at 00:23:09
• City staff Said growth under the plan could bring the city more revenue than it costs in services at build-out, depending on the type and pace of development, and that the city is looking at an enhanced infrastructure financing district. at 00:25:20
• City staff Responded to a union's request for workforce displays by saying staff is working on a separate citywide program for creative signage and off-site advertising that will come forward on its own. at 00:52:50
• City staff Disputed the framing that past Burbank hotels needed development agreements because they were hotels, saying those were complex mixed-use projects that did not fit the standard code. at 00:52:50
• City staff Said the hotel question went to the City Council, by staff's recollection twice, and the council accepted the conditional use permit requirement and did not direct staff to add a development agreement requirement. at 00:53:56
• City staff Answered a complaint about late materials by saying staff reports are customarily published the Thursday before a hearing and the public has another month before the City Council hearing on October 27. at 00:54:57
• City staff Said the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative is written into the proposed resolutions and ordinance and into the plan's density and intensity maps. at 00:55:58
• City staff Said on wildfire concerns that the environmental law requires studying the project's effect on the environment, not the environment's effect on the project. at 00:55:58
• City staff Said the city has issued a notice that it is preparing a separate citywide environmental analysis of the state law SB 79, rather than studying it plan by plan. at 00:57:00
• City staff Said the city does not build all utilities for a plan up front but adds them as development is proposed, and that departments' infrastructure planning is expected to be done by the end of December 2029. at 00:58:00
• City staff Said individual projects are analyzed for sewer and electrical needs and charged fees when they apply, and the plan's technical studies will be used to update those fees. at 00:59:13
• Mike Van Gorder (Commissioner) Asked whether calling the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative the preferred alternative means it is adopted in full or applied selectively. at 01:00:06
• City staff Answered that the alternative shows up in the plan through the density and intensity maps, which was the only part of the plan that had to change; the development standards are unchanged. at 01:00:39
• Mike Van Gorder (Commissioner) Pointed to the drop in potential housing units from 9,700 under the original proposal to 2,200 under the alternative and asked how that fits the city's state housing targets. at 01:01:53
• City staff Said the reduced plan is consistent with the city's housing obligations to the state, and that infrastructure for the larger alternatives could be built but not by the plan's 2035 horizon. at 01:02:06
• City staff Added that the housing element's roughly two dozen housing opportunity sites are in the downtown and Golden State plan areas, so Media District units would be on top of those. at 01:03:22
• A commissioner Criticized the state environmental law for treating the no-project option as environmentally best, arguing that not building pushes people to live far away and commute long distances. at 01:06:37
• A commissioner Said he shares the concern about cutting the number of housing units but understands why staff proposed the alternative. at 01:06:37
• The commission's legal adviser Explained that when the no-project option is environmentally superior the law requires naming another alternative, weighing impacts against whether it meets the project's objectives. at 01:07:33
• A commissioner Said he disagrees with the report's conclusions and considers the maximum-growth alternative the environmentally friendly one, but accepts the scaled-back alternative as a practical matter. at 01:08:36
• Paulina Safarian (Commissioner; Vice Chair) Thanked planning staff for the years of work on the plan and had no questions. at 01:09:14
• A commissioner Asked about mixed-use development, saying the district seems well suited to it; staff answered that it is a permitted use in the plan's use table. at 01:10:06
• A commissioner Asked staff to clarify what the plan proposes for hotels and whether a development agreement applies. at 01:11:39
• City staff Said the plan allows hotels only with a conditional use permit, a discretionary decision by the Planning Commission that can be appealed to the City Council. at 01:12:01
• City staff Said the environmental analysis studied up to 400 hotel rooms in the plan area, and anything beyond that would need more environmental review. at 01:13:45
• City staff Said, in answer to a question about affordable housing, that projects using the streamlined path must still meet all city rules including affordability rules, and that updates to the density bonus and inclusionary housing rules are coming to the commission. at 01:15:18
• City staff Confirmed, in answer to the chair, that the city's public art requirement still applies to development in the district and the mural program continues. at 01:16:13
• A commissioner Said he was not happy the scaled-back alternative arrived late in the process but thought it best to approve the plan and move it on. at 01:17:22
• Mike Van Gorder (Commissioner) Argued the commission should recommend requiring development agreements for hotels in the district, citing the coming Olympics and a greater need for housing than hotel space. at 01:18:04
• Mike Van Gorder (Commissioner) Supported a public commenter's idea of an annual progress report on development and infrastructure capacity. at 01:18:04
• City staff Said the plan's implementation program already has the Planning Commission review the capital improvement program, which is then presented to the City Council. at 01:19:18
• The commission chair Said she is not against hotel development agreements but would not put the requirement in this one plan, preferring a citywide rule so neighborhoods are treated consistently. at 01:19:51
• Mike Van Gorder (Commissioner) Replied that a requirement in this plan would serve as a stopgap until a citywide rule is adopted, at which point it would simply become redundant. at 01:20:30
• A commissioner Said she would not recommend development agreements now and would leave it to the City Council to take up if it wishes. at 01:21:33
• The commission chair Said she supports the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative and annual progress reports, and that she had expected a study session before the hearing and would have liked one more. at 01:21:52
• The commission's legal adviser Pointed out that the commission's own resolution already contains a finding recommending the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative as the recommended project. at 01:24:22
• City staff Proposed, at the chair's request for clearer wording, adding to the resolution's title that the environmental report certification includes the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative as the preferred project. at 01:26:41

Routine approval of the minutes of the commission's September 14, 2026 meeting. at 01:33:02

• A commissioner moved to adopt the minutes of the September 14, 2026 Planning Commission meeting as written; a second was stated. Result: passed, 5-0. at 01:33:22

Closing staff comments turned into an exchange about how and when commissioners can influence large planning documents. Staff said two other specific plan efforts, downtown and Golden State, are still to come, and that study sessions will be scheduled ahead of hearings. No action was taken. at 01:33:52

• City staff Thanked the plan's two project managers and Scott Plambaeck (Planning Manager) for their work on the Media District plan. at 01:33:58
• City staff Said a follow-up study session on the downtown plan is coming to gather commission comments on the environmental review; it is not yet scheduled but is expected before the end of the year. at 01:35:04
• A commissioner Said plans often feel either too early or too late to change by the time the commission sees them, and asked staff to say which parts are still open to change. at 01:35:21
• City staff Said plans are most open to change at the study session stage, before the environmental consultant runs the analysis. at 01:36:05
• City staff Explained that a major change after environmental review has begun forces the costly analysis to be redone, and said staff will plan study sessions ahead of hearings for the downtown and Golden State plans. at 01:36:05

• General oral communications: no speakers in person and no callers.
• Media District plan hearing: nine people spoke in person and there were no callers. Staff said one email had also been received and sent to commissioners.
• Four speakers asked that any new hotel in the Media District be required to get a development agreement rather than only a conditional use permit. Three identified themselves as with Unite Here Local 11, a hospitality workers' union (one of them also as a Burbank renter), and one as a homeowner speaking for a local tenants union in support. Their claims: the plan allows roughly 2.4 million additional square feet of commercial development including hotels; seven of Burbank's 18 hotels and nearly two-thirds of its hotel rooms were approved through development agreements; Glendale requires such agreements for new downtown hotels; hotel parking would drop from one space per room to 0.8; and hospitality workers cannot afford to live near their jobs, with one describing a three-hour round-trip commute by transit.
• One speaker, representing IATSE Local 80, a film and television workers' union that he said has more than 3,000 members and has had its headquarters at 2520 West Olive Avenue for 25 years, asked that the plan and the code amendments allow what the union calls Media District workforce displays: rotating displays on its building of productions its members worked on, through paid promotional agreements with rights holders.
• One speaker urged the commission not to recommend certifying the environmental report until evacuation and fire safety are studied further, saying the city relies on a 2010-based evacuation map, that streets around the Burbank Toluca Lake neighborhood would be narrowed, and that SB 79 is not addressed; she asked for commitments on firefighting water, evacuation transport for people without cars, coordination with Los Angeles, and neighborhood parking protections.
• One speaker objected that the hearing materials, which she said were 17 documents totaling thousands of pages, were not public until the Thursday before, and questioned whether sewer and electrical capacity will be ready and who pays. She cited 7.4 miles of sewer upgrades including two miles for the Media District, a forecast peak demand of 421 megawatts against about 69 megawatts of remaining interconnection capacity between 2025 and 2035, and a substation still four to five years away, and said the 2029 deadline in the mitigation plan is too late.
• One speaker praised the sewer analysis and the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative but asked for analysis of added density from state housing laws, interim milestones instead of a single December 31, 2029 deadline, annual public reports to the City Council on growth and infrastructure capacity, and a clear showing of where the alternative appears in the plan.
• One speaker said SB 79 undercuts the plan, estimated it would allow at least 57,000 additional housing units citywide, backed the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative but said she could not tell from the packet that it is what is being approved, and asked the commission to hold off until a redline or checklist of the changes is provided.

• The Media District Specific Plan Update goes to the City Council; staff said that hearing is on October 27.
• The commission's recommendation carries two additions made at the meeting: a resolution title stating that the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative is the preferred project, and annual progress reports to the City Council.
• Staff said a separate citywide program for creative signage and off-site advertising will come forward as its own item.
• Staff said the city has issued a notice of preparation for a citywide environmental analysis of SB 79.
• Staff said the Planning Commission will soon review a development agreement, and will soon see proposed changes to the city's density bonus and inclusionary housing regulations.
• Staff said city departments' infrastructure planning tied to the plan has an anticipated completion date of the end of December 2029.
• A follow-up study session on the downtown specific plan's environmental review is expected before the end of the year; no date is set. Staff said it will consider scheduling study sessions ahead of hearings for the downtown and Golden State plans.
• The commission adjourned to its next meeting on Monday, October 12, 2026 at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chamber.

Before the open meeting the council met in closed session on three legal matters: two cases of anticipated litigation in which the city would be the plaintiff, and one existing personal injury auto accident lawsuit against the city (case no. 24NNCV04282 on the agenda). Reported out in open session: the council voted 5-0 in each of the two anticipated matters to authorize the city attorney's office to file suit. Who the city intends to sue, and over what, was not disclosed; that is to be made public once the suits are filed. No reportable action was taken on the existing case. No one commented on the closed session items. at 00:07:17

• Authorize the city attorney's office to commence litigation in the first anticipated-litigation matter, with the city as plaintiff (vote taken in closed session and reported out; mover not stated). Result: passed, 5-0. at 01:49:21
• Authorize the city attorney's office to commence litigation in the second anticipated-litigation matter, with the city as plaintiff (vote taken in closed session and reported out; mover not stated). Result: passed, 5-0. at 01:49:21
• Existing litigation, a personal injury auto accident case against the city (case no. 24NNCV04282 on the agenda): no reportable action. Result: no action. at 01:50:24

• A speaker Announced before the closed session that the council would take up three items: two matters of anticipated litigation with the city as potential plaintiff and one existing personal injury auto accident case at 00:07:17
• A council member Closed the closed-session public comment period after hearing there were no in-person or remote commenters at 00:07:56
• A speaker Reported in open session that the council had met on the three closed session items at 4:30 p.m. at 01:49:21
• A speaker Said the other party and the circumstances of the first lawsuit will be made available once the litigation has been filed, and said the same of the second at 01:49:21

The meeting opened with nine announcements. They included a summary of the three local measures on the November 3 ballot: Measure C, which would raise the hotel tax from 10% to 12%, and Measures CC and CD, which concern how council members are elected, including whether to move from at-large to by-district elections. Also announced: an October 6 virtual webinar on changing accessory dwelling unit standards to match state law, application deadlines for three city boards and commissions, and community events on October 3. at 01:37:21

• A speaker Announced that Measure C on the November 3 ballot would raise the city's hotel tax, paid by visitors staying in Burbank hotels and motels, from 10% to 12% at 01:39:27
• A speaker Said Measure C, if approved, would generate approximately $3 million a year for public safety, emergency response, parks and recreation programs and other city services at 01:39:27
• A speaker Said Measure CC would amend the city charter to allow more flexibility in future election methods, and Measure CD asks voters whether to move from at-large to by-district council elections at 01:40:29
• A speaker Said sample ballot booklets began mailing September 24 and vote-by-mail ballots start arriving October 1, with the city election consolidated with the Los Angeles County general election at 01:41:30
• A speaker Announced a planning division virtual webinar on Tuesday, October 6 at 6 p.m. on a proposed zone text amendment to bring accessory dwelling unit and junior ADU standards in line with state law at 01:38:22
• A speaker Announced application deadlines for vacancies: September 30 for the Burbank Housing Corporation board of directors, October 2 for the Cultural Arts Commission and October 5 for the Sustainable Burbank Commission at 01:42:32
• A speaker Announced the Burbank Book Festival at the Buena Vista Branch Library on Saturday, October 3, the same day as a Burbank Water and Power craft fair and open house supporting the city's 2027 Rose Parade float at 01:37:21
• A speaker Reminded candidates that election signs may not go on private property without the owner's permission or on any public property, and said violations can be reported to the clerk's office at 01:41:30

A ceremonial proclamation recognizing the city's planning staff and its appointed planning and transportation commission members. No vote was taken. at 01:43:24

• The mayor Said Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) would make the presentation in the chair's place because of a knee injury earlier in the day at 01:43:24
• A council member Presented the proclamation declaring October 2026 National Community Planning Month and thanked planning staff for their work at 01:43:36
• A speaker Accepted the proclamation for the planning staff, saying land use and transportation planning affects how everyone in the city lives and gets around at 01:46:42

After general public comment, staff and council members responded. A resident had described returning from a trip to find a car towed under a rule against parking in one spot for more than 72 hours, at a cost he put at a $175 fine plus $726 to the tow yard. Police staff explained how the rule is enforced and agreed to publicize it. Other responses covered where to report suspected campaign finance violations, calls for civility in the council election, and an apology from a council member to a commenter. No votes were taken; the matters were not on the agenda. at 02:37:07

• The city manager Said the city took the contact information for the YMCA Youth and Government program and will help publicize it if it is not already doing so at 02:37:26
• A speaker Explained, speaking as a police captain standing in for Rafael Quintero (Chief of Police), that state law allows towing of vehicles parked 72 hours or more in one spot and that the clock restarts if the car is moved at 02:37:52
• A speaker Offered to run a public awareness effort on social media and elsewhere about the 72-hour rule at 02:37:52
• A council member Suggested the city look into ways of making people aware of the rule, saying the issue has come up before at 02:39:40
• City staff Said, as the police captain over special operations, that 72-hour complaints come in through the city's 311 app and average about 250 a month; said he did not know how many of those end in a tow at 02:40:51
• City staff Said parking control photographs and marks a reported car and an orange notice is placed on the windshield, correcting an earlier statement from the other captain that notes are generally not left at 02:41:25
• City staff Said that after the notice, officers return, cite the car if it is still there, and then wait a further 24 hours before towing at 02:42:04
• City staff Said many of the towed cars are abandoned, while acknowledging some owners are caught out by circumstances such as being away at 02:43:13
• The mayor Backed a public service announcement on social media and suggested an insert in Burbank Water and Power bills for people who do not follow social media at 02:43:32
• A speaker Answered a commenter's question about suspected violations of the city's campaign contribution limit by saying complaints go to the clerk's office, which works with the city attorney's office as needed at 02:44:01
• A council member Rejected a commenter's suggestion that he hides or distances himself from his politics, saying he is open about his beliefs and is carrying out what he campaigned on at 02:44:27
• A council member Agreed social media is eroding politics but disagreed with a commenter's criticism of boycotts, calling them protected speech at 02:45:31
• A council member Thanked a commenter who spoke about surviving sexual assault and said she and some colleagues have felt disrespect and intimidation on the dais at 02:47:59
• A council member Told a commenter who has repeatedly asked about housing enforcement that he would request an updated report from the housing enforcement unit at 02:48:46
• A council member Said he hopes all candidates can share their platforms without being harassed at 02:49:49
• Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) Urged respect in the final month of the council campaign, saying candidates should not be attacked for putting themselves forward at 02:53:04
• Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) Apologized to the commenter who described being raped and who objected to remarks made at the previous meeting during the license plate camera debate, saying she was deeply sorry for what the commenter went through at 02:54:05
• Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) Said the exchange after the previous meeting involved shouting back and forth and that her remark was not directed at the commenter's own experience at 02:54:05
• Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) Said the council could not discuss the airport worker wage request because it was not on the agenda at 02:55:16

Four items passed in one vote: meeting minutes, an update to the city's conflict of interest code, acceptance of a $1,235,750 federal grant toward building a new emergency operations center, and a $50,000 contract with Home Again Los Angeles to run the city's Immigration Emergency Assistance Fund. The fund gives one-time help to Burbank residents facing economic hardship directly tied to immigration enforcement: up to $500 for individuals and $1,000 for families. Staff said applications open October 1. at 02:57:54

• Approve the consent calendar, items 1 through 4 (mover and seconder not identifiable from the transcript). Result: passed, 5-0. at 03:01:26

• A council member Asked staff for a summary of the immigration assistance item without pulling it from consent, so the public would know about it at 02:59:24
• A speaker Explained, as the city's community assistance coordinator, that staff sought approval of a $50,000 agreement with Home Again Los Angeles to administer the fund at 02:59:52
• A speaker Said the fund was a one-time appropriation approved unanimously in the adopted fiscal year 2026-27 budget at 02:59:52
• A speaker Said assistance is capped at $500 for individuals and $1,000 for families, subject to eligibility and available funding at 02:59:52
• A speaker Said the program would begin October 1, with applications accepted from that day at 02:59:52
• A council member Said the council had chosen to fill a gap, noting Home Again Los Angeles already runs the program elsewhere in the region at 03:00:56
• The mayor Thanked Nikki Perez (Council Member) for getting the fund onto the council's agenda at 03:01:18

A task force of entertainment industry figures, set up at the council's direction in June 2025, delivered three recommendations: make filming easier (including making film permits free for a year and waiving city facility rental fees), create a physical creative hub for creators and companies, and hire a specialized marketing firm to pitch Burbank to creative companies. Staff said several permitting changes are already in place and recommended keeping current fees for now, saying waiving permit and facility fees would cost about $408,000 a year on top of a $2.7 million recurring budget deficit. Council members were split on how fast to act on fees. The council voted 5-0 to have staff return in December, with the first-quarter budget report, with fee waiver options for a vote. Work on the hub and the marketing plan continues. No fees were changed at this meeting. at 03:01:37

• A council member moved that staff bring back in December, for a vote, a discussion of film permit fee waivers for the one-year pilot program the task force recommended, with options for the different permit lengths, looking to a January 1 start; a council member seconded. Result: passed, 5-0. at 05:06:30

• City staff Recounted that the council directed staff in June 2025 to set up the task force to understand changes in the entertainment and creative industries and keep Burbank competitive at 03:02:41
• City staff Said the entertainment industry generates more than 66,000 jobs in Burbank's economy and supports thousands of local businesses at 03:02:41
• City staff Said staff, working with consultant Stratascope, interviewed more than 30 industry professionals and chose 21 for the task force, which produced 23 initial recommendations at 03:03:43
• City staff Listed the three final recommendations: enhance film permitting, establish a creative hub, and retain a marketing firm to position Burbank as the creator capital at 03:04:43
• City staff Said the city has already put in place a dedicated film permit concierge offering a one-stop service five days a week at 03:05:47
• City staff Said the city re-established agreements with neighboring jurisdictions to supply police personnel for shoots when Burbank's are unavailable at 03:05:47
• City staff Said the council approved $15,000 in the 2026-27 budget for independent film and media production through the community arts grant program at 03:06:49
• City staff Said film permit fees brought in about $333,000 and facility rental fees about $75,000 in 2025, so waiving both would cost the city about $408,000 at 03:07:52
• City staff Said some neighboring cities recently cut or waived fees but there is not yet data showing that increased filming at 03:07:52
• City staff Said Burbank's film permit fees are the most competitive in the region and have not been raised since 2020 at 03:08:54
• City staff Gave the staff recommendation: keep the existing fee structure, continue the moratorium on fee increases, and keep monitoring other cities at 03:08:54
• City staff Described the proposed creative hub as a physical place bringing creators, entrepreneurs, businesses, schools and industry partners together at 03:08:54
• City staff Said the city would not necessarily own or run the hub; its role would be to convene partners and identify locations and resources at 03:10:56
• City staff Said the task force wants a more specialized marketing strategy aimed at creative companies and decision makers outside Los Angeles County and California at 03:11:56
• City staff Laid out the timeline: a film permitting update to the council in early 2027, a hub implementation plan possibly in the first quarter of 2027, and a marketing scope and cost estimate by the end of this year at 03:12:58
• Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) Asked whether a newly signed state tax credit for post-production, which a commenter had raised, had been factored into the work, given how much post-production happens in Burbank at 03:19:00
• The city manager Said the bill had not been factored in yet, does not take effect until January, and staff can look into what the city might need to do at 03:20:28
• Christopher Rizzotti (Council Member) Supported looking at the permitting process to draw more post-production houses to Burbank to use the tax credit at 03:21:40
• City staff Explained the city handles film permits in-house rather than through Film LA, which she said adds more than $900 on top of a jurisdiction's own fees at 03:25:47
• Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) Suggested marketing directly to film schools and industry training programs, whose graduates move quickly into production jobs at 03:32:12
• A council member Asked that any marketing firm hired be one that knows the industry from the inside at 03:34:06
• The city manager Said no firm has been chosen and the city would issue a request for proposals with a specific scope at 03:35:13
• City staff Said task force members could stay involved through the hub and as advisers on marketing, and that healthcare would probably be the next sector to get a similar task force at 03:37:17
• City staff Said Irvine's recently launched innovation hub is city-run and mostly grant-funded, and Burbank will look for grants and approach its legislators at 03:41:51
• City staff Gave the current fees: $398 for a one-to-two-day film permit, with student permits at $25 for one to two days and $100 for three to seven days, and $40 for nonprofits at 03:43:45
• City staff Confirmed the city charges the same permit fee regardless of a production's size at 03:44:45
• Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) Objected to a flat permit fee that is the same for a one-day shoot in a park corner as for a large shoot taking over parking lots at 03:46:21
• A speaker Reminded the council, as community development director, that city fees are set to recover the cost of the service, not by the scale of the activity at 03:47:21
• A speaker Clarified that the film permit fee does not cover parking or facility rental, which productions pay for separately at 03:50:24
• A council member Argued for keeping one flat fee so staff do not have to sort productions by size, saying tiers would make the process cumbersome again at 03:51:00
• City staff Said facility charges for filming are set separately in the fee schedule, giving the example of $200 an hour with a two-hour minimum for a city pool at 03:53:11
• City staff Said the task force did not see permit fees as a main reason production leaves California, pointing to other states' incentives and lower labor costs at 03:57:31
• A speaker Said, as financial services director, that all film-related revenue including permits, locations and staff services is about $1.4 million, most of it reimbursing city costs at 04:00:00
• A speaker Said Proposition 26 bars the city from charging more than a service costs and that, with fees frozen for years, the city is probably already subsidizing film permitting at 04:00:00
• The city manager Said the city has a $2.7 million recurring deficit and that adding $408,000 would be significant at 04:01:19
• The city manager Said staff was not saying no to a waiver but wanted to see property tax, sales tax and the Measure C result first and take it up within the wider budget discussion at 04:02:27
• Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) Argued the concern is low-budget pilots and independent films, which shop for the cheapest location, and proposed a discounted tier for small productions that show a low budget and no stunts, night shoots or similar needs at 04:03:03
• A council member Said he could accept a lower fee for simpler permits as long as the city still covers its costs at 04:05:20
• A council member Called the creative hub the most exciting recommendation and the one he most wanted to move ahead on at 04:05:41
• A council member Said she had put the task force idea forward and passed on three requests from industry contacts: an online list of local businesses that serve productions, a city-hosted gathering for location managers, and a timeline for the hub at 04:09:11
• A council member Supported trying the free-permit pilot, calling it an investment in the industry where she said one in five residents work at 04:11:16
• A council member Argued Burbank should lead on this rather than wait to see what other cities do at 04:11:16
• A council member Agreed the hub should happen as soon as possible and urged keeping the task force conversation going at 04:15:57
• A council member Asked staff to come back with the budget impact of pausing permit fees for one year at 04:17:04
• City staff Said the film permit office works to cut costs for small productions, and that Burbank's permit review is the fastest and cheapest in the region at 04:22:14
• The mayor Said cost is the barrier she hears about most from small and independent productions and proposed waiving or sharply cutting fees for one-day shoots as a first step at 04:27:28
• A council member Said that, given the budget, she would settle for waiving permit fees only and not facility fees, arguing a no-permit-fee message would help Burbank compete with Culver City at 04:29:02
• City staff Said Burbank issued 753 film permits in 2025 against 200 in Culver City and 335 in Santa Clarita at 04:31:51
• City staff Noted the city had a balanced budget when the task force began and asked for time to see whether waivers make a difference at 04:31:51
• Konstantine Anthony (Council Member) Argued cities are not fighting over a fixed number of productions, and that lower costs lead small productions to film at larger scale rather than avoid permits at 04:34:01
• A council member Urged waiting for tax and ballot measure results, warning that a deeper deficit could mean layoffs or cuts to other programs at 04:38:49
• The city manager Said a permit would still be required even if the fee were fully waived, so the city can manage filming at 04:41:53
• City staff Relayed the film permit office's concern that with no charge productions might not apply at all, costing the city insurance coverage and enforcement leverage, and floated a refund or repeat-customer bonus instead at 04:42:50
• City staff Said permits ran about 1,600 a year before COVID, about 750 last year and more than 600 so far this year at 04:43:56
• A speaker Asked for time to check facts, noting Culver City waived its own fee but uses Film LA, which charges $931, and he did not know whether that was waived at 04:45:35
• Zizette Mullins (Council Member; Vice Mayor) Suggested productions could pay the fee up front and be reimbursed after filming, so the city still knows who is filming at 04:46:37
• The city manager Said a fee change would come back as a fee resolution and could take effect almost immediately after a vote at 04:50:17
• A speaker Advised that a council majority could probably waive the fee temporarily without rewriting the whole fee schedule at 04:50:34
• A council member Noted the Measure C result should be known by mid-December, so a December return could allow a change by January 1 at 04:50:48
• The city manager Recommended bringing fee options back with the first-quarter budget report in early December, when tax revenues will be clearer at 04:53:42
• A council member Asked that the options include waiving only the short-duration permit, and a schedule that heavily subsidizes city properties and the first police officer on a shoot at 04:55:39
• The mayor Said she would prefer an immediate cut but wanted production companies' input on the fee options first at 04:57:49
• Christopher Rizzotti (Council Member) Floated a repeat-customer incentive, with the third shoot in two years free at 04:59:32
• City staff Noted the roughly 750 permit count excludes filming on studio lots and at pre-approved production facilities at 05:01:17
• The mayor Said the cost of subsidizing permits does not alarm her because it is an investment in the city's main industry, so long as it is done thoughtfully at 05:02:40
• A council member Agreed to wait until December given where the council was heading, and asked staff to consult the advocacy group Stay in LA at 05:03:46
• The city manager Asked for a specific motion on fees because council members had raised many separate ideas, and said work on the hub and marketing would continue at 05:04:16
• A council member Moved that staff return in December with a discussion of fee waivers for the task force's one-year pilot, for a vote at 05:05:39

Council members reported on events and meetings they attended since the last meeting. One member relayed figures from a meeting with the police chief about the city's license plate reader cameras, a subject of public comment at this and the previous meeting. No action was taken. at 05:06:48

• A council member Reported attending an economic development panel and said the city is applying for a certification, with details to come from staff at 05:07:58
• A council member Reported attending the Cal Cities annual conference on September 23 and 24 and being re-elected treasurer of its LGBTQ Caucus at 05:09:11
• A council member Reported that students at a Providence High School civic engagement panel asked about homelessness, license plate cameras and artificial intelligence at 05:10:51
• Christopher Rizzotti (Council Member) Reported meeting with Rafael Quintero (Chief of Police) earlier in the week to better understand how license plate readers are used at 05:13:42
• Christopher Rizzotti (Council Member) Relayed four cases he called successes for the readers and no breaches, including robbery arrests, recovered stolen merchandise, an arrest over break-ins at 40 mailboxes, and an arrest over $3,000 stolen from a downtown business; the period covered was not clearly stated at 05:13:42
• The mayor Reported speaking about the entertainment industry and the task force on a panel of mayors at a United Chamber of Commerce luncheon that day at 05:18:32

One request was made: a memo with updated statistics from the city's housing enforcement unit, which handles landlord-tenant complaints. The meeting adjourned to the next regular meeting on Tuesday, October 13. at 05:18:32

• Christopher Rizzotti (Council Member) Requested a memo with updated statistics from the housing enforcement unit at 05:19:00
• The mayor Adjourned the meeting to a regular meeting on Tuesday, October 13 at 05:19:14

• General public comment drew 24 speakers (23 in person, one remote), each limited to two minutes. No one spoke on closed session items.
• Seven speakers were from the Burbank YMCA Youth and Government program: an adult adviser and six high school students. They described what the program taught them and asked for help raising awareness; the adviser said 30 students from seven high schools are enrolled this year.
• Three speakers criticized the Democratic Socialists of America and its Los Angeles chapter's role in the council election, urging voters to examine endorsements; one of them asked the council to denounce online harassment and boycotts of businesses that host candidates. A fourth speaker, who said he is a council candidate, thanked those three and spoke of online defamation in the campaign.
• Three speakers addressed rental housing: two who identified as housing providers asked for protections for landlords and opposed further rent regulation, and one tenant advocate called for a rental registry, a rent cap and universal just-cause eviction protection.
• Four speakers addressed the entertainment industry: two urged the council to adopt the film recommendations quickly, including a one-year pilot of free film permits; one asked that the task force's work include visual and performing arts and the wider community; one warned of layoffs if a Paramount-Warner Bros. merger goes ahead.
• Two speakers criticized remarks a council member made at the previous meeting about rape victims during the debate over Flock license plate cameras; one of them said she is a survivor of sexual assault and asked that such hypotheticals not be used again.
• Two speakers raised a battery case arising from an April protest of a Moms for Liberty event; one asked the council to open an internal investigation into how the case led to criminal charges after, the speaker said, the city attorney's office first rejected it for insufficient evidence.
• One speaker asked where to report suspected violations of the city's $500-per-person campaign contribution limit, and asked that the Media District specific plan require development agreements for hotel projects.
• One resident said his car was towed under the 72-hour parking rule while he was traveling, costing a $175 fine and $726 at the tow yard, and asked for better public notice of the rule.
• One remote speaker asked the council to prioritize a formal meeting with the airport authority on raising Hollywood Burbank Airport workers' wages, citing Los Angeles' $30-an-hour airport wage standard and a petition he said has more than 700 signatures.
• On the Creative Industry Taskforce report, two people spoke in person and none remotely: one stressed building community among creative workers and promoting productions already shooting in Burbank; the other praised the staff presentation and a newly signed state post-production tax credit bill.

• Staff is to return in December, alongside the first-quarter budget report expected in early December, with film permit fee waiver options for a council vote; council members discussed a possible January 1 start.
• Staff said work continues on the other task force recommendations: a film permitting update to the council in early 2027, a creative hub implementation plan possibly in the first quarter of 2027, and a scope and cost estimate for a specialized marketing firm by the end of 2026.
• Staff said it could look into whether the city needs to act on a state post-production tax credit that takes effect in January.
• The Immigration Emergency Assistance Fund was to open October 1, with applications accepted from that day.
• Police staff agreed to publicize the 72-hour parking rule; the mayor also suggested a Burbank Water and Power bill insert.
• A council member requested a memo with updated statistics from the housing enforcement unit.
• The parties and nature of the two lawsuits the council authorized are to be disclosed once the suits are filed.
• Virtual webinar on proposed accessory dwelling unit zoning changes: Tuesday, October 6 at 6 p.m.
• November 3 election: Measures C (hotel tax from 10% to 12%), CC and CD (council election method and by-district elections). Vote-by-mail ballots begin arriving October 1.
• Application deadlines: September 30 for the Burbank Housing Corporation board, October 2 for the Cultural Arts Commission, October 5 for the Sustainable Burbank Commission. Halloween decorating contest entries close October 12 or at 50 entries.
• Next regular council meeting: Tuesday, October 13, 2026.