First published in the Nov. 12 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
Last week’s City Council meeting was witness to Councilman Bob Frutos’ lengthy scolding of Simone McFarland for the city’s selection of committee to decide the fate of the old Boys & Girls Club building at 2244 N. Buena Vista.
Not running for reelection this year, Bob spent considerable time trying to throw shade at Jamie Keyser Thomas. She leads the current Chamber of Commerce, was just awarded the 2022 Mary Alice O’Connor Visionary Award from FSA and knows just about everyone in Burbank.
Frutos continued to conjure up concerns about Jamie’s character, because she knew one of the members of Home Again L.A. from Leadership Burbank. Bob believed this to be a conflict of interest. All the while Bob himself “forgot to mention” that he had sat on the board for the other organization up for the space — the community dental clinic — convenient. He spent considerable time pointing fingers at others though. Perhaps not running for reelection is best.
The city and Bob failed to mention why they left a building sit empty for close to two years, certainly adding to the failed upkeep and expenses the new organization will have to incur.
Jonathan Carson
Burbank
