City looks to tap funds it contributes to BUSD
Fees the city has paid to the school district could be used to pay for new lighting at the Starlight Bowl, should both parties agree to a proposed amendment to the joint-use agreement.
The Burbank Unified School District and the city are looking to modify an agreement they have with one another to better maintain the facilities they share.
Both agencies unanimously voted to have their respective staffs work toward an amendment to a joint-use agreement they have with one another that would allow the city to access the capital-contribution fee it pays the school district annually to maintain and repair city-owned facilities used by the school district.
Established in 1988, the city and Burbank Unified have agreed to allow use of each other’s facilities for educational and recreational use. The current 50-year agreement was entered into in November 2008, said Judie Wilke, director of the city’s park, recreation and community services.
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Since the 2009-10 fiscal year, the city has been paying an annual capital-contribution fee to the school district for repairs and maintenance on district-owned property. Burbank paid $309,323 during the 2015-16 fiscal year, and city staff members anticipate an additional $111,955 will be added during the 2016-17 fiscal year, Wilke said.
The funds have been used for several capital-improvement projects in Burbank Unified including replacement of backboards at the middle-school outdoor basketball courts, installation of LED lighting fixtures in all the middle-school gyms and renovation of the exterior of Luther Middle School.
Should both agencies approve city use of the funds, Burbank could make improvements to some of its facilities used by the school district.
Wilke said lighting improvements could be made at the Starlight Bowl, which is used by Burbank Unified for Burbank High School’s graduations. The school district had to bring in its own lighting for this year’s ceremony and doing so on an annual basis could become too expensive.
The city could also use the funds to maintain McCambridge Park, which is used by the Burbank High softball team, and Izay Park, which is used by the John Burroughs High softball team and Disney Elementary School, Wilke said.
School board President Larry Applebaum said amending the joint-use agreement could be beneficial not only to the city and school district, but to the public as well.
“I don’t think that we’re going to spend 100% of every dollar on McCambridge Park or Izay Park, just like we don’t spend 100% of every dollar on one particular school,” he said.
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Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
