Burbank Airport Agrees to Most City Demands

BURBANK —  Under pressure from the Burbank City Council, Burbank Airport commissioners agreed Friday to all but one demand for changes in a $109.8-million package to finance a land acquisition for a new, larger terminal.

But capping an extraordinary weeklong war of words, the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority refused a key demand, declining to give the city of Burbank veto power over all aspects of financing airport expansion.

The authority agreed to the Burbank council’s remaining demands by promising:

* To limit the use of the financing proceeds to acquire land only. Earlier, the authority had planned to use the money to both buy land and begin building the terminal.

* To make a good-faith effort to enforce a voluntary curfew on commercial flights, now in effect but sometimes ignored, between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

* To compensate the city of Burbank for lost property taxes that would result from building the new terminal, estimated at $500,000 a year.

The board refused to make all financial matters related to building the new terminal subject to a two-thirds vote of approval by each of the trio of representatives from each of the three cities that oversee the airport--Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena. Such a provision rules the authority’s power to issue bonds.

Burbank city and airport officials acknowledged that their deteriorating relationship stems from a lack of trust since the Airport Authority made its $109.8-million proposal public on March 31. The plan replaced an earlier bond-financing scheme that would have required Burbank’s approval.

The Airport Authority hopes to build a 465,000-square-foot terminal large enough to accommodate an increase of 10 commercial flights a day over the present average of 93, and 5.4 million passengers flying into and out of Burbank within three years.

But it has faced strong opposition from the city of Los Angeles, a number of Burbank residents and now the Burbank City Council, which worries about the increased aircraft noise and traffic.

Council members presented a list of demands they said needed to be addressed before they would back the airport’s proposal to borrow $109.8 million from investors.

In the discussion Friday, Burbank City Manager Robert (Bud) Ovrom said that the veto was requested by some council members who felt a need for more assurances from the authority that the new terminal will not be built or financed without their knowledge or consent.

Airport Commissioner Robert W. Garcin of Glendale responded by saying that he could not believe that the level of distrust was so high.

Garcin said the authority is not legally empowered to make the promise demanded.

“Are we trying to sneak a terminal in so bad that the city is going to be forever plagued” by the Airport Authority’s proposal? Garcin asked Ovrom.

“Yes, I would agree there would be a concern that is held in the community,” Ovrom replied. “If we are so confident we’re going to work something out, then why not agree to the language?”

Though the issue of airport expansion has been debated for years, it was not until this week that members of the Burbank City Council and the Airport Authority squared off publicly.

Last Sunday the council’s anti-expansionists, Vice Mayor Dave Golonski and Councilwoman Susan Spanos, accused the Airport Authority of acting in bad faith by failing to give more notice on the latest financing proposal.

Reflecting the growing tensions on both sides, Spanos complained to airport officials on Monday about an unidentified man who approached her after two public meetings and called her a jerk.

The man turned out to be a contractor with the airport’s public relations firm, Cerrell Associates, who was subsequently fired, an airport spokesman said Friday.

On Wednesday, during a special meeting of the Airport Authority’s finance committee, Commissioner Joyce Streator of Pasadena referred to the council’s list of demands and other concerns as “blackmail,” prompting Ovrom to walk out.

Spanos said she has not ruled out the possibility of dismissing one or more of Burbank’s three airport commissioners and replacing them with new representatives if the authority fails to grant the city veto power over expansion plans.

Burbank’s three airport commissioners are Councilman Robert Bowne, Councilman George Battey Jr., and Brian Bowman, president of the Airport Authority.

Council members will discuss the amended financing proposal on April 11, the same day as the city’s general election. The Airport Authority plans to take it up April 17.

“Significant progress has been made today,” said Bowne, “and my hope is that all that won’t be lost.”

The simmering discord between the two sides has prompted at least one observer to plead for an end to all the fighting.

“Until we get the fundamental question answered on how we will work together,” said Airport Commissioner William Paparian of Pasadena, “we will be dealing with memos, demands and hostility when we need not be dealing with them.

“I don’t blame (the council) for responding one bit the way they have. But presenting someone with a list of demands is not conducive to a good relationship. We need to wipe the slate clean.”