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Tamala Takahashi Newsletter — August 17, 2026
🌟 From the Dais with Mayor Tamala Takahashi | August 17, 2026
Hello, Burbank friends and neighbors,
It’s been a little bit since I’ve sent out a newsletter. I’ve been looking for a new way to keep everyone udpated, and I finally made the transition from Substack to this new home, MyGovTools. This is the first edition from the new platform.
If this landed in your inbox today, it is most likely because you were subscribed to one of my Substack newsletters or because you are someone I know personally who might enjoy keeping up with my mayor and city activities. The newsletter will go out every Monday, so I promise not to inundate your mailbox. If it is not your thing, the unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this email.
So let’s get started with the first edition of the new From the Dais with the Mayor!
It was a full week in Burbank: a City Council meeting on August 11, time capsule at the library, a fire on the hill, and a Sunday spent talking about human connection with the kidney health community, just to name a few.
🏛️ Council Corner
🔹 Recap: August 11 City Council meeting: The City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, August 11.
- The Sister City exchange students gave an update of their stay in Incheon, Korea.
- Council received an update from Federal Representative Laura Friedman
- Appointed 1 member of the Fire Codes and Appeals Board
- Received an update on the child care needs in the city, and directed staff to do a full study and to report back in a few months on short term measures we can take to address child care today.
The full agenda, staff reports, and meeting video are all posted on the city website
👉 View meeting agendas and minutes
🔹 Next up: Tuesday, August 25: Council is dark this Tuesday, August 18, and returns on August 25 for a joint meeting with the Housing Authority and Parking Authority. The forecast includes a grant for our Fire Department's wildland program, two regional water agreements, an amendment to the Downtown TOD Specific Plan contract, an evaluation of project labor agreements, and a housing public hearing. I break down several of these below. As always, the forecast is subject to change, so check the posted agenda before the meeting.
🔹 New: Comment from your couch: As of July 28, you can now speak in public comment at Council meetings remotely through Zoom, in line with Senate Bill 707. More information here.
👉 See how to participate remotely
🚌 Transportation Updates
🔹 The NoHo to Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit Update: Metro's Bus Rapid Transit project will add stations connecting North Hollywood, Burbank, Glendale, Eagle Rock, and Pasadena, with zero-emission buses and station amenities. Construction started in Pasadena in April, moves to Glendale late summer, and is expected to reach Burbank between the fall or end of year, if the litigation has been resolved by then. Metro is hosting a virtual community meeting tonight, Monday, August 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and an in-person open house Tuesday, August 18, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Adult Recreation Center, 201 E. Colorado St. in Glendale. And as always, feel free to reach out to me directly with any concerns or questions. I cannot discuss the litigation, but I am always listening to your thoughts as we work through this together.
👉 Get BRT project and litigation details
🔹 Back-to-school traffic safety: With the school year upon us, Burbank PD published a helpful list of do's and don'ts for drop-off and pick-up: slow down, plan ahead, use designated drop-off zones, and have kids exit on the sidewalk side. Stay safe!
🏘️ Housing & Downtown's Future
🔹 The Downtown Specific plan is available for review: After extensive community engagement, the Draft Specific Plan Policy Document for the Downtown Transit-Oriented Development project (or, the “Downtown Specific Plan”) is now available for public review. Two open houses are coming up, and both cover the same material: Saturday, August 29 from 9 to 11 a.m., and Wednesday, September 2 from 6 to 8 p.m., both in Room 104 of the Community Services Building at 150 N. Third St. Hard copies are also available at the Planning and City Clerk counters and at the Central, Buena Vista, and Northwest libraries.
→ 💬 My take: This plan will shape how Downtown Burbank grows around transit for decades: housing, walkability, and the character of our core. Your feedback has already made a big impact on plan updates, so please continue to show up or send comments.
🔹 Section 8 public hearing on August 25: Council will hold a public hearing on an amendment to the Burbank Public Housing Agency's annual plan and updates to the Section 8 Administrative Plan to implement federal HOTMA requirements. That’s a mouthful! Basically it’s a required hearing to ensure we are distributing Section 8 funds according to law. Housing assistance rules can sound technical, but they directly affect how voucher households access and keep stable homes in Burbank. We’d love to get your take on the documents, and to hear from you.
🌿 Environment & Sustainability
🔹 Water resilience on the docket: The August 25 forecast includes a joint powers agreement to establish the Southern California Regional Water Authority and a water exchange delivery agreement with the San Diego County Water Authority. Serving on SCAG's Energy and Environment committee has convinced me that water security is a regional team sport, and I’m thrilled to see us make this step. It’s on consent, which means we may not discuss it formerly, but the links with more information on this partnership will be available on the city website on Thursday.
🔹 Greenhouse gas check-in, September 15: Council will hold a study session on implementation of our Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan, including the 2024 emissions inventory. As liaison to the Sustainable Burbank Commission, I will be paying close attention to what the data tells us. This one is a very important agenda item for our city, and for our environment.
💼 Economic Development & Local Business
🔹 Save the date: State of the City, October 15: I will be presenting the 2026 State of the City Address at the Burbank Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday, October 15, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport. I am grateful to the sponsors already investing in this event, and I am looking forward to sharing where our city is headed. Burbank really is better together.
👉 Reserve your State of the City seat
🔹 How we build public projects: Also on August 25, Council will hear an overview and evaluation of project labor agreements related to our Capital Improvement Program. This report gets at how we balance workforce standards, costs, and timelines on the projects your tax dollars fund. I will be listening carefully, and I welcome your perspective before the meeting.
💚 Connection is Medicine
🔹 Spotlight on healthcare: On Sunday, I had the honor of delivering the keynote, Connections for Mental Health, at the Renal Support Network's 33rd KidneyTalk Educational Luncheon at the Burbank Elks Lodge. We talked about why community and human connection matter so much when you are living with ongoing health stress and chronic pain. As a therapist, I have seen how isolation compounds illness and how belonging helps people heal. This community lives that truth. And yes, a smiling purple kidney made an appearance.
🔹 Screens, kids, and balance: I also popped by the Schools without Screens parent meetup on Sunday morning. The conversations about building a healthy relationship with screens and social media were excellent, and honest. This is one of the questions I hear most from families, and there are no perfect answers, only ongoing conversations. I am glad Burbank parents are having them together.
🧶 The Community Thread
🔹 Voices building Burbank: I recently met with Abi Koya of LA African Professionals, who I had the joy of performing with at a Community Band Memorial Day concert earlier this year. She is a magic maker with a beautiful voice and exciting ideas for our city. Burbank is at its best when every community brings its ideas to the table, and I intend to keep that table big.
👉 See a pic of us together
🔹 Starlight Bowl update: A fire broke out near the Starlight Bowl on Saturday, August 8, and I am deeply grateful to Burbank Fire and Burbank Police for their quick response protecting people and structures on the hillside. The sold-out Fab Four concert that night was cancelled out of caution. Hold on to your tickets: the team is working to reschedule, and ticket holders will be contacted directly.
👉 Read the Starlight Bowl update
🔹 Help fill the 2026 Time Capsule: Through September 25, the Burbank Public Library is collecting ideas for a new time capsule capturing life in Burbank in 2026, continuing a tradition that began with the 1976 Bicentennial monument. Here is the delightfully nerdy twist: when staff opened the compartment meant for a 2001 capsule, it was empty. We get to fix a 25-year-old mystery. What object says "Burbank, 2026" to you?
🔹 Arts around town: Catch Side by Side: Visions of Nature at the Betsy Lueke Creative Arts Center through August 20, StarKid's Tomb Quest at the Colony Theatre through August 23, and Free Shakespeare in the Park for Families at the Buena Vista Library on August 29 and 30. As Council liaison to the Cultural Arts Commission, I never stop being amazed by how much art fits into 17 square miles.
👉 Browse the Burbank arts calendar
🗓️ Mark Your Calendar
🔹 Wednesday, August 19: Burbank PD is hosting a community meeting from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber to gather input for its next Strategic Plan. It will not be televised, so comments must be shared in person. If you have thoughts on public safety priorities, this is your moment.
🔹 Verdugo Aquatic Facility closure: The pool will be closed August 24 through September 20 for scheduled maintenance. Plan those last summer swims accordingly.
💡A Final Thought
Thank you for following me to this new platform. A newsletter is a two-way street: hit reply and tell me what you want covered, what's affecting you positively or negatively, or what you are seeing in your neighborhood. And if you know someone who would enjoy these updates, forward this along and invite them to subscribe. Next week brings the August 25 joint meeting and plenty to unpack, so I will see you then.
