Burbank City Manager Bud Ovrom today announced the appointment of Bob Kramer to be the City's new Community Assistance Coordinator.

The Community Assistance Coordinator position became vacant on December 1, 2001, when the City Council appointed Margarita Campos to be City Clerk.  Campos held the job for seven years.

The Community Assistance Coordinator's primary responsibility is to serve as the City's "ombudsman" by helping residents and businesses deal with local problems and complaints.  "People frequently are not accustomed to dealing with City departments and often do not know where to go to get help," said City Manager Ovrom.  "The Community Assistance Coordinator's job is designed to be one place where anyone can go to get help on any service in the City, whether it is a tree that needs to be trimmed, a pothole that needs to be filled, where to get a building permit for a room addition, or whatever," said Ovrom.  "All of the City departments routinely provide these services, but people sometimes do not know which department handles what, or they are not satisfied with the answer or service they received.  Rather than let people get lost in the bureaucracy, the Community Assistance Coordinator in City Hall is intended to be the one person where anyone can go for help on anything," Ovrom explained.

"I can't imagine a better person for that job than Bob Kramer," said Ovrom.  "I have watched him provide exactly that kind of help on a voluntary basis for the last seven years as a Council Member and a Mayor. Bob genuinely likes helping people and he is great at it," said Ovrom.

Kramer, age 55, is a lifelong resident of Burbank.  He is a graduate of John Burroughs High School, served in the Marine Corps from 1967 to 1969 (including a tour of duty in Viet Nam) and received a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from California State University at Northridge (CSUN).  He was a painting contractor in Burbank until he retired in 1999.  

Kramer has been on the Burbank City Council since May 1995 and is currently serving his second term as Mayor.  He submitted a letter of resignation from the City Council earlier today.  His current term of office on the City Council would have come to an end on May 1, 2003.

Sixteen people applied for the job.  All were required to take a written examination as well as go through an oral examination.  The salary range for the Community Assistance Coordinator's position is $3965 to $4817 per month.  Kramer will start in his new job on March 16 and will use the intervening two weeks to wrap-up his affairs as a Council Member and move his office.

"I have enjoyed my seven years serving the community as a Council Member.  I look forward to continuing serving the public in this new position," said Bob Kramer.

Although being the City’s "ombudsman" is the primary responsibility of the Community Assistance Coordinator, Ovrom also indicated he expects to use Kramer’s other talents in the job. "Bob is one of the best communicators we have. I hope to have him also help out in the Public Information Office promoting different City services and programs, such as recycling, water and electrical conservation, the paramedic subscription program, emergency preparedness, etc. Bob is well known in town and has great credibility. He does an outstanding job of explaining City programs and services in language people can understand, without all of the usual governmental jargon. He will be a great asset in our public information efforts," concluded Ovrom.

According to the City Charter, the Council must fill the vacant Council position within 30 days. If the Council fails to do so, it becomes the sole responsibility of the Mayor to appoint a new Council Member. One of the first tasks the remaining four Council Members will have is to select a new Mayor to replace Kramer. David Laurell is currently the Vice Mayor and, pursuant to the Charter, he will serve as Mayor until a new Mayor is designated by the full Council. "I am sure the other Council Members will be surprised," said Ovrom. "Because this is a regular City job, the selection process is a confidential personnel matter. I did not talk with any of the Council Members about this appointment. How the Council wants to go about selecting a new Mayor and appointing a new Council Member is totally up to them," Ovrom concluded.

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