Burbank allots federal grants
By Alex Dobuzinskis, Staff Writer

Los Angeles Daily News
May 5 2005

BURBANK — Youth job training, counseling and academic programs will
receive the bulk of $271,500 in federal community development money
disbursed Tuesday by the City Council.

The council also gave final approval to disburse more than $1 million
for city building projects, including $459,900 for a new headquarters
for the Burbank Temporary Aid Center. The nonprofit also received
$37,500 to provide emergency lodging, food and other assistance to
the needy.

“All of these organizations were asking for a lot more; they were
asking for twice what we gave them,” said Mayor Jef Vander Borght.
“They all deserve every bit that we can give them, but there’s only
so much funds so you have to be as Solomonic as possible.”

The Burbank Unified School District will receive $70,000 to
administer a summer employment program for young people from low-
and moderate-income households.

Other allocations included:

$42,100 to the nonprofit Family Service Agency of Burbank for youth
counseling programs and a community day school.

$35,000 to the Boys & Girls Club for a student-enrichment program.

$18,000 to the Salvation Army to help the homeless and the needy.

Barbara Howell, executive director of the Burbank Aid Center, said
the federal money is not the nonprofit’s main source of funding,
but that it is important.

“It ensures that we’re going to have money next year to pay people’s
power bills and emergency housing, and help people replace their IDs
and that kind of thing,” Howell said.

The Armenian Relief Society also received $2,500, the first time the
council has funded the group.

“Last year the council voted not to fund them … because of the
concern that we prefer to fund organizations that are as inclusive
as possible and open to everyone,” Vander Borght said.

But the organization deserves funding because it helps Armenians with
limited English who might not get help from other groups, he said.

While the council had given initial approval to the funding breakdown
for $1 million in building projects in December, its final approval
was granted Tuesday.

BTAC’s project to rebuild its headquarters at 1304 W. Burbank Blvd.
is expected to be finished by early next year. The agency got $575,000
in Community Development Block Grant money for the project last year.

The council also allocated $505,148 for city street, alley and walkway
projects; $133,450 for code-compliance inspectors; and $78,000 to
Build Rehabilitation Industries Inc. for new training rooms, lighting
and a sprinkler system to help it train disabled individuals to enter
the work force.
From: Baghdasarian