1 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:10,000 I would like to bring the August 11 meeting of the Budget Oversight Committee to order. Can I get a roll call for peace? 2 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:15,000 I'm Eastern roll call. Can I get a roll call, please? Councilman Allen. 3 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,000 Vice chair. 4 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,000 Vice chair. 5 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:21,000 Chair Rick Zoddy. 6 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:22,000 Chair Rick Quorum. 7 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,000 Wonderful. First item, please. 8 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:33,000 I, one, is the recommendation to approve the minutes for the Budget Oversight Committee meeting of Tuesday, August 4, 2020. 9 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:37,000 Okay, I'll get a motion of first and the second. 10 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:42,000 Any comments or changes from my committee members? 11 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,000 Seeing none. We can go to public comment. 12 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:52,000 If any members would like to speak on this item, please line up in front of the podium. 13 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,000 Seeing none, that concludes public comment. 14 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,000 Okay, then we can take a vote. 15 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,000 Motion carries. 16 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,000 Next item, please. 17 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:14,000 Item 2 is a recommendation to receive and file an overview presentation on measure U.S. 18 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,000 Can I get a motion of first and the second, please? 19 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:31,000 Thank you. 20 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,000 I believe we have a presentation from staff. 21 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,000 So please go ahead when you're ready. 22 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:38,000 Thank you. 23 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:40,000 All right, so good afternoon. 24 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:43,000 Chair members of the Budget Oversight Committee. 25 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:51,000 I'm Theresa Chandler, a deputy city manager, and I'm here with Erica Valencia Dachi, deputy director from the Department of Health and Human Services. 26 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,000 And today, we're going to share about measure U.S. 27 00:09:54,000 --> 00:10:03,000 And how it's evolved over the past several years from a voter-approved funding measure into a citywide strategy for investing in children, youth, and healthier communities. 28 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:08,000 We'll also discuss where we go from here as this funding source begins to fund that. 29 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,000 Click. Click. Click. 30 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:19,000 There we go. 31 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:24,000 Okay. So just as a reminder of what measure U.S. is. 32 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:33,000 So in November of 2020, Long Beach voters made an intentional decision to invest today's natural resources into tomorrow's generation. 33 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:43,000 So measure U.S. double the city's oil barrel production tax, but more importantly, the city council established a clear policy direction for how these resources should be prioritized. 34 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:48,000 So the focus is was on children and youth, community health, and climate, and the environment. 35 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:53,000 So what makes measure U.S. significant isn't simply the revenue it generated. 36 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:59,000 It gave the city an opportunity to rethink how we invest in upstream programs and services for youth and families. 37 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:05,000 These priorities have guided every measure U.S. investment since adoption. 38 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:13,000 This timeline tells the story of measure U.S. is evolution. 39 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:21,000 We started by pulling departments together to reimagine a vision for transforming these dollars into true resources that could serve youth and families. 40 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:32,000 We began with foundational investments and youth participatory budgeting, then focused on building the partnerships, staffing, and infrastructure needed to support long-term success. 41 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:44,000 Those early investments eventually grew into strong beach, a city-wide prevention initiative that brings together departments, schools, community organizations, and residents around a shared vision for youth well-being. 42 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:54,000 Today, we're entering the next chapter, preserving what we've built and identifying sustainable ways to continue this work beyond the life of measure U.S. 43 00:11:55,000 --> 00:12:02,000 Since measure U.S. was approved, funding has supported initiatives across all three priority areas. 44 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:09,000 The majority of investments have focused on children and youth while also supporting community health and environmental resilience. 45 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,000 These investments weren't intended to create isolated programs. 46 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:21,000 They helped departments build capacity, strengthen partnerships, and create systems that continue benefiting residents along after individual projects have completed. 47 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:26,000 In many ways, these investments became the building blocks for the collaborative work you see today. 48 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:30,000 And on the slide, it's just a breakdown of the different priority areas. 49 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:41,000 Under U.S. development, we have the youth participatory budgeting process, the U.S. strategic plan, office of U.S. development, steam programming, and enrichment, 50 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:45,000 team mental health and the list goes on for health and well-being. 51 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:56,000 Community health and well-being is trauma-informed approaches, violence prevention services, youth and family mental health, support for older adults, and racial equity and capacity building. 52 00:12:56,000 --> 00:13:05,000 And then under climate and environment, we have climate action initiatives, screen house gas reduction, air and water quality, community education and engagement, and the list goes on there. 53 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:12,000 So, as you can see, there's a lot that we were able to do with this source of funding. 54 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:17,000 So, measure U.S. investments have remained consistent over time. 55 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:26,000 Since fiscal year 22, approximately 70% of funding has supported children and youth, nearly 20% has supported community health, 56 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:30,000 and the remainder has supported climate and environmental priorities. 57 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:36,000 Those percentages closely reflect the policy direction established by the City Council when measure U.S. was adopted, 58 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:44,000 and the consistency demonstrates that these investments were intentional, allowing departments to build programs over multiple years. 59 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:50,000 It also demonstrates that Long Beach State true to the priorities voters endorsed in 2020. 60 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:55,000 I'm going to turn it over to Erica for the next few slides. 61 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:56,000 Hi, good afternoon. 62 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:04,000 One of the most transformative investments made possible through measure U.S. has been our youth power participatory budgeting. 63 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:14,000 And so, in this program, rather than asking adults what young people need, we ask young people directly, how they want to invest in their own communities. 64 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:21,000 And since 2022, we've invested more than 2.3 million and youth designed and youth selected projects, 65 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:27,000 reaching nearly 16,000 young people and their families across Long Beach. 66 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:32,000 The true impact isn't measured only by the dollars invested or the number of participants. 67 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:35,000 It's measured by the shift in how decisions are made. 68 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:40,000 Young people moved from being recipient of services to becoming partners in public decision making. 69 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:46,000 They identify priorities, develop proposals, vote on projects, and help shape city investments. 70 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:51,000 For the last four years, the city has partnered with Committee Girls in Action, the nonprofit partnership, 71 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:59,000 and helped save Long Beach to plan, prepare, outreach, engage and implement and evaluate the participatory budgeting process. 72 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:00,000 They're experts. 73 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:10,000 T's, experience and roots in community have been invaluable for this process, ensuring fidelity to the model, intention to community engagement and continuous quality improvement. 74 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:20,000 We absolutely would not be here without them and we are so grateful for their engagement and I wanted to thank, I see some of them in the audience and so I wanted to thank them for being here today. 75 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:24,000 I think it demonstrates the importance of the project in the program. 76 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:34,000 These experiences continue to influence not only the programs we fund today, but also the priorities that guide strong beach and our broader youth investment strategy. 77 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,000 As we listen to young people, something else became very clear. 78 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:41,000 Success isn't created by one program alone. 79 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:53,000 Healthy youth development doesn't happen in one place, it happens at home in schools, in parks, in community organizations, neighborhoods and workplaces. 80 00:15:54,000 --> 00:16:00,000 Measure US allows us to invest across the entire ecosystem, rather than funding isolated programs. 81 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:09,000 By listening directly to young people, we gain a much clearer understanding of where they spend their time, who influences their lives and what support they need to thrive. 82 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:22,000 That community informed approach guides many of our prevention strategies and also as a result of measure US, we've also begun to see a shift in how city departments themselves work together. 83 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:34,000 Today, departments are working together around common goals, stronger partnerships and common understanding that improves outcomes for young people and this requires all of us working together. 84 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:42,000 We evolved from supporting individual projects within individual departments to building a stronger coordinated citywide strategy. 85 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:49,000 This is an interdepartmental collaboration with shared vision, goals and data and all of this is reflected in the strong beach initiative. 86 00:16:49,000 --> 00:17:06,000 Strong beaches guided is guiding a broader citywide investment strategy centered on prevention, collaboration and shared outcomes and this is what guides are measure US investments and expands opportunities for youth and their families. 87 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:13,000 So the proposed fiscal year 27 budget continues to reflect the priorities established by the city council and measure US was adopted. 88 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:19,000 At the same time, we have to and need help planning responsibly for the future. 89 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:28,000 As oil production declines and measure US revenues gradually decrease, we want to continue focusing on structural investments, even if measure US can no longer be the source. 90 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:34,000 In the meantime, we may have to focus on strategic one-time investments that maximize the remaining revenue. 91 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:42,000 This allows us to preserve flexibility while continuing to invest in youth, health and environmental priorities during the remaining life of measure US. 92 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:47,000 It also positions us to begin identifying sustainable funding sources for the work we've built together. 93 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:58,000 This is especially important because measure US has served as one of the few dedicated funding sources for youth centered investments, and there has not historically been a stable replacement source to support this work at the same level. 94 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:06,000 As the fund sunsets, we will need partnership and direction and identifying what comes next. 95 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:12,000 So the infrastructure relationships and programs built through measure US are not lost. 96 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:21,000 Measure US has made quite an impact, including enabling organizations to launch, expand, and strengthen programs driven by youth priorities. 97 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:28,000 It funded projects of projects reach diverse communities and participants from their neighborhood throughout the city. 98 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:36,000 Youth participatory budgeting funded programs foster meaningful relationships among youth peers, mentors, families, and community organizations. 99 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:44,000 And youth participants gain access to mentorship, career exploration, wellness activities, educational enrichment, and community engagement opportunities. 100 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:58,000 The question before us is not only how we use the remaining measure US dollars responsibly, but how we protect the youth investment ecosystems those dollars helped build once the funds is no longer available. 101 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:03,000 Measure US demonstrates something incredibly important, investing in young people works. 102 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:09,000 We've built partnerships, we've strengthened community organizations, we've created opportunities for youth leadership. 103 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:13,000 We've established a prevention infrastructure that didn't previously exist. 104 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:18,000 For fiscal year 27, the total investments are 1.16 million. 105 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:26,000 That's 945,000 investing in youth, 114,000 for healthy communities and 105,000 for climate. 106 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:30,000 The challenge before us isn't whether this work has value. 107 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:37,000 The challenge is ensuring that the partnerships systems and momentum we've spent years building continue long after measure US sunsets. 108 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:48,000 That's why our focus moving forward is continuing youth investment, strengthening cross sector partnerships, and identifying sustainable funding that allows us to work to continue. 109 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:52,000 Measure US transformed today's resources into tomorrow's opportunities. 110 00:19:52,000 --> 00:20:03,000 It allows long beach to test a different model, one centered on prevention rather than reaction, collaboration rather than isolated efforts, and partnership rather than government working alone. 111 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:10,000 The funding itself was always temporary, but the relationships, the infrastructure and the lessons we've built together have lasting value. 112 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:15,000 As we look ahead, our responsibility is not simply replacing a funding source. 113 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:24,000 It is preserving the vision that Long Beach voters have supported in 2020 and ensuring future generations continue benefiting from the foundations we've built together. 114 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:31,000 Measure US became a catalyst for changing how Long Beach invests in its young people. 115 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:41,000 So I just want to thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration, Eric and I would be happy to answer any questions that committee may have. 116 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:56,000 Thank you so much for that presentation. Before I go to my committee colleagues, I got a message from someone in the public that says that the presentation is it presenting online, so they can see the chamber, but they can't see the presentation. 117 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:58,000 That's typically how we- 118 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,000 I'll see you don't show the presentation. 119 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:04,000 Oh, okay. Well then now, if they're watching, they now know. 120 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:08,000 Any questions from my council colleagues about the presentation? 121 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,000 Vice Mayor Oranga. 122 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:20,000 Vice Chair, can you? 123 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:28,000 Yes, the sunset date is projected for 2030. 124 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:30,000 2020, thank you. 125 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:36,000 I thank you, Chair. Thank you for that presentation. 126 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:49,000 I know that we've definitely seen the impact of these dollars, especially in district two or of spaces like the bluff and have been activated with kickboxing and wellness classes. 127 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:57,000 I don't know if there's anything that is at the one app, roller ring and all of that. So we've definitely seen that. 128 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:01,000 And it's great, the majority of this is going to use services. 129 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,000 So I love all that. 130 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:11,000 Unfortunately, I think seeing this funding source decline has got to be one of our biggest priorities. 131 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:18,000 I know that the city has seen the decline and the oil production and the tightments revenue. 132 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:22,000 Which helps support a lot of these services and investments. 133 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:30,000 So my question would be, do we have, are we communicating with anyone from the state? 134 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:44,000 Or are they indicated that they would be willing to provide any kind of funding for cities like Long Beach who have been, you know, reliant on oil production? 135 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:48,000 So I have to check with our legislative team. 136 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:52,000 We have ongoing conversations with our government team. 137 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:56,000 Just about all that's happening in the health department, all that's happening across our city. 138 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:58,000 And that definitely is a top priority for us. 139 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:04,000 So we're going to have to have lots of conversations about, because we want to continue these funding sources. 140 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:10,000 We want to continue not having to just search for grants that sunset every, you know, couple of years, 141 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:16,000 which has been the majority of how we've been able to do this work for so long as the grant. 142 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:18,000 But now there are a few in far between and further between. 143 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:22,000 So I think we need to have more conversations now. 144 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:28,000 And perhaps we could even ask that committee just to make sure that from the budget that's okay with the chair, 145 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:38,000 just to make sure that that's on their radar to be advocating for these funds and any help that we can get from the state. 146 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:42,000 If I could add to what Teresa mentioned. 147 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:50,000 So our, the next phase of this work includes bringing back this particular challenge to our interdepartmental committee, 148 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:54,000 so that we can begin to brainstorm how we can continue the success of this work. 149 00:23:54,000 --> 00:24:00,000 Now that we're entering into, you know, we're approaching 2030, even though if it's difficult to say. 150 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:06,000 So that would be phase two of this work is figuring out now how we prepare for the future and so that recommendation will certainly be added. 151 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:10,000 And just as a piggyback on what Councilman Allen said, 152 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:16,000 I think your recommendation is for this to be something that protects our effort governmental affairs committee, 153 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:22,000 takes up and adds to their legislative agenda for us to advocate at the state and federal level. 154 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,000 Correct. Okay. Understood. 155 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:28,000 And then just one last question if that's a k-chair. 156 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,000 So are there any state or a federal grants? 157 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:36,000 No, you guys are always looking for ways, but if anything on the radar that you say, 158 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:40,000 you know, where do you plan for this is something to help us sustain this? 159 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,000 Is there anything on the radar right now? 160 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:44,000 Nothing's on the radar right now. 161 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:46,000 It's a really tight year. 162 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:50,000 There was a big grant for violence prevention that we have gotten the last several years. 163 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:52,000 We actually did not receive. 164 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:56,000 They decided not to fund cities and they're funding non-profit organizations. 165 00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:00,000 So yeah, it's a tight time right now. 166 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:04,000 All right. Thank you for your presentation and thank you chair. 167 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:08,000 Absolutely Councilman Allen and your questions were essentially the same once I had. 168 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:14,000 So I promise we weren't sharing notes. She's just very smart and so she had very similar questions. 169 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:20,000 But I do want to just uplift as somebody who has worked in this for a long time. 170 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:26,000 I understand the realities of where we are, but it's, you know, we did this presentation because it was important to do. 171 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,000 People to know the status of where we're at as a city. 172 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:32,000 But, you know, obviously it's incredibly disappointing, right? 173 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:36,000 When we think about the work that we've done over the last few years to really invest in these programs, 174 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:42,000 we're talking about youth power, health equity, climate action, all things that are really important for a vibrant and equitable city. 175 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:50,000 And, you know, we've had, you know, all of our strategic plans, talking about the importance of investing in our youth and our young people in our next generation. 176 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:56,000 And so to Councilman for Allen's comments, right? Really thinking about, as we move forward, 177 00:25:56,000 --> 00:26:02,000 how are we figuring out how to strategically plan for how we're going to prioritize what gets funded, 178 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:12,000 how are we going to, you know, explore partnerships with nonprofits, as you mentioned Theresa around that maybe getting grants that we currently are not eligible for. 179 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,000 And then, how are we working with, you know, we have created this really fantastic, I think, 180 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:22,000 ecosystem of youth and nonprofits in the city, so how are we leveraging their skill sets of their knowledge bases, 181 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:28,000 to figure out how to stretch the dollars that we do have to make sure that we're still making meaningful progress 182 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:34,000 on many of these outcomes that I know that are so important to us. 183 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:40,000 I did have one question, can we go back to slide six? 184 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:44,000 Yes. 185 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:54,000 So I had a question, because I was looking at the youth served over time, right? Obviously, it looks like the partnerships that we've had with youth purchase for budgeting has changed. 186 00:26:54,000 --> 00:27:02,000 And just you all know, as a resident, I got to participate in the first two years of participatory budgeting that we had up in with Long Beach. 187 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:10,000 So PB is a near and dear to my heart, and it's something that I absolutely am going to advocate to continue into the future. 188 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:18,000 But I see in 2022 and 2023, so it looks like in 2022, we had these 100, many in mid-sized grants. 189 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:24,000 And then in 2023, it looks like we had YPVB and youth, the youth 100 fund. 190 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:29,000 And I see the numbers of youth served in those years was higher than subsequent years. 191 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:38,000 Can we talk a little bit about, or can you all share a little bit about how we were able to engage that many youth like what the structure of those programs constituted? 192 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:44,000 And is that something potentially we could replicate in the future if we're going to have to do some of these partnerships? 193 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:55,000 Yeah, of course. So just for some context, the minigrants and mid-sized grants were allowed us to fund more nonprofits at the time because the minigrants went up to about $5,000. 194 00:27:55,000 --> 00:28:01,000 And so when we shifted over to YP, youth part of the power participatory budgeting, the grants became much larger. 195 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:09,000 And so for instance, we funded, I think in 2024, we funded fewer organizations, maybe like between six to nine, but they had much more money. 196 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:21,000 So if they had, if I look at my notes, so the youth 100 grants were between $500 and $2,000, the mid-sized grants were between 10,000 and $25,000. 197 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:35,000 And then now our YPB grants are between $25,000 and $50,000, which is why we kind of see this fluctuation in the number of people served in addition to the number of organizations that were served. 198 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:42,000 And so it took us a little bit of time to get our youth power participatory budgeting off the ground in terms of the direct voting. 199 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:47,000 And in fact, we're still always continuing to refine that process with our amazing partners. 200 00:28:47,000 --> 00:29:05,000 So every year, we get better and better at the things that we do. So we like, as of now, you know, the feedback has been that people enjoy having the larger pots of funding to be able to provide more centered and focused services. 201 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:09,000 That exactly answers my question. Unless three said, did you have something you wanted to add? 202 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:12,000 No, this is very good. This one. 203 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:14,000 Anything else from my colleague? 204 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,000 That being said, then we can go to public comment. 205 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:21,000 I have this time if you'd like to speak on this item. Please line up at the podium. 206 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:37,000 It looks like we have a total of four speakers, so it will be three minutes. 207 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,000 That's awesome. 208 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:45,000 Okay, can I start? 209 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,000 Okay, awesome. Good morning. Oh, nice morning. Good afternoon, chair. 210 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,000 And members of the budget over six, maybe my need is to tell you on a limb. 211 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:56,000 And I'm here representing cry goes and action and then that's in use coalition. 212 00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:00,000 I kind of want to get ready into it. I know I recognize that this. 213 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:14,000 I think it's important to uplift, especially in a time where so many young people feel that shaping their futures out of reach is more than necessary that our city continues. 214 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:23,000 Education and its love to a young people and ensuring that they feel that they can shape the city of their own ideas and process. 215 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:35,000 Personally, the YPPB process has enabled me to grow more into my leadership or how the opportunity to share ideas that shape and change the youth of the city while having the ability to meet other young people that care about the same things I do. 216 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:43,000 In this process, I was able to directly shape a summer program with other young people like me where we collaborated and I got to see the first hand commitment of my peers. 217 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:47,000 And learn from their own expertise and their different backgrounds and their knowledge. 218 00:30:47,000 --> 00:31:00,000 Through it, I gained the invaluable experience of collaborating with others who think totally different from me utilizing our different values and our different backgrounds to shape a very well-rounded program. 219 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:14,000 And from there, I want you to, as you guys consider this year's budget, I respectfully ask that you preserve the use power, participatory budgeting program by limiting reductions to YPPB and preserving what we've built up. 220 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:26,000 We're asking for an additional $125,000 to ensure adequate resources to both engage, want me to and fund enough youth selected community programs to have a positive impact on the lives of want me to. 221 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:32,000 Essentially, this investment would maintain a close to $400,000 investment for a project. 222 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:40,000 And by maintaining this investment, we can continue empowering young people, strengthening civic engagement, and ensuring that youth remain active partners in building a stronger lump each. 223 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:42,000 Thank you for your time and consideration. 224 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:49,000 Good afternoon, Chair. 225 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,000 Members and my dear oversight committee. 226 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:52,000 My name is Walter Horner. 227 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:55,000 I'm representing the set of challenges and a best youthful initiative. 228 00:31:55,000 --> 00:32:00,000 First, I want to thank everyone for taking a time off today to be here and listening to us and hear our stories and experiences. 229 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:04,000 We truly appreciate you be here and give us the opportunity to share our voices. 230 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:09,000 The youth participatory budgeting process had a lasting impact on young people who participated. 231 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:12,000 Last year, we celebrated 10 years of PV among each. 232 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:15,000 Even now, we're continuing to legacy participating. 233 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:19,000 Budgeting process through the collaboration and community engagement issued decision making. 234 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:26,000 You've developed confidence, strength, leadership skills, and gain a deeper understanding of local government and civil responsibilities. 235 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:33,000 The program demonstrates the value of giving young people authentic opportunities to help shape the future of their communities. 236 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:38,000 I first have been involved with the youth power participatory budgeting for the past four years. 237 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:41,000 As a youth budget delegate and as a member of the Youth Theatre committee. 238 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:44,000 Through this experience, I've grown as well for a leader in the aggregate. 239 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:50,000 I've learned how to identify many needs, work to leverage, to develop solutions, and help bring youth driven projects to life. 240 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:59,000 Most importantly, I've gained the confidence, to speak up, engage with city leaders and realize that young people can please plant meaningful role in local decision making. 241 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:04,000 Through youth power, participatory budgeting, I've witnessed young people's life change in ways I never can imagine. 242 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:09,000 I've seen youth find jobs, it's a care housing, and build a community where we show up and support one another. 243 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,000 I first think around a lot throughout this process. 244 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:14,000 I've learned to facilitate, make my voice heard when I was set to a room. 245 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:21,000 Being a part of this process has taught me that our voice student matters when young people come together to speak up and stand together. 246 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:25,000 We have a part to create a real change, not just for ourselves, but for our entire community. 247 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:31,000 My experience is just one example of the impact this process has on hundreds of young people across Long Beach. 248 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,000 These investments do more than in front of community projects. 249 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:41,000 They prepare the next generation of several leaders by giving me youth to tools and knowledge and experience to take a difference today. 250 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:51,000 As you can say to this year's budget, I respectfully ask that you continue investing in youth power for their supported budget by an additional $125,000 for youth in 2027. 251 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:55,000 This investment of power is young people to turn their ideas into straight things, 252 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:59,000 our communities, and the shared that at Long Beach continues to develop top in it in the fourth millionaires. 253 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:03,000 Thank you for your leadership, and you're continuing to invest in youth in Long Beach. 254 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:17,000 Good afternoon chair and members of the budget oversight committee. 255 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:25,000 My name is Kaylee Wagner, and I'm here representing the Investing Youth Coalition and the Sex and Challenges, where I participate in the hype program. 256 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:29,000 Walter shared why youth power participatory budgeting is important. 257 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:35,000 I want to share what that investment can actually look like when it reaches young people like me. 258 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:45,000 For the past three years, youth power participatory budgeting funding has helped success and challenges provide yet and now hype for transition to 18th and long Beach. 259 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:59,000 Through hype, we are learning about things that directly affect us as transition age youth like housing, financial literacy, employment, physical and mental wellness, leadership, and becoming more independent. 260 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:07,000 These are things we are expected to understand as adults, but not every young person has someone that can teach them these things our safe place to ask questions. 261 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:15,000 One thing that has stood up to me personally is the better community that you have around you to teach and for knowledge and to you will set you to the right path. 262 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:29,000 Through that experience, I learned that what this is about this view, and how out of reach and may seem, there's someone who has already walked in those shoes and is willing to walk you through it to see the succeed and learn by any means necessary. 263 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:40,000 Being part of the investment youth coalition allows us to advocate for young people being part of hype allows me to see what happens when advocacy is backed up by actual investing. 264 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:47,000 Youth voice is important, but young people also need resources and opportunities behind that voice. 265 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:52,000 I respectfully ask you that you continue investing in youth power PV. 266 00:35:52,000 --> 00:36:03,000 By adding an additional 125,000 or 27,000, why PPB cycles, so more young people being involved in high access opportunities like these things. 267 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:12,000 Good afternoon, Chair and members of the budget oversight committee. 268 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:19,000 My name is Rylan and I am also a participant with the Invest in Youth Coalition and Success in Challenges. 269 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:25,000 You heard about youth power participatory budget and some of the opportunities it has created. 270 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:28,000 I want to talk about what that means to us as young people. 271 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:34,000 Before participating in hype, slash year, I was honestly in a really low place every day felt the same stain inside. 272 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:38,000 I'm moving towards anything and not having any productive to do. 273 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:43,000 Through this program, I learned how to understand and manage my money in a way I never knew how to before. 274 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:48,000 I learned the basic skills of financial literacy, things like budgeting and saving. 275 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:52,000 I also learned about mental health which is very important. 276 00:36:52,000 --> 00:37:01,000 Something I will take with me from this hype program into my daily life is the confidence in skills to actually manage myself for my time, my money and my goals. 277 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:05,000 Programs like hype give young adults more than somebody to go. 278 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:09,000 They give us a place to learn things we need to navigate adulthood. 279 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:16,000 Meet people who can support us, experience new opportunities, build long lasting relationships and think about what we want for our futures. 280 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:22,000 Through the Invest in Youth Coalition, we're also learning how to advocate for ourselves and our community. 281 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:31,000 We're learning the young people, we're learning that young people don't have to wait until we're ordered to have something meaningful to contribute to our city. 282 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:37,000 The young people standing before you today are an example of what happens when long beach chooses to invest in its youth. 283 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:41,000 But we don't want this opportunity to stop with us. 284 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:48,000 There are young people coming behind us who deserve the same opportunity to learn, lead, advocate and prepare for the futures. 285 00:37:48,000 --> 00:38:01,000 So when you consider this year's budget, we're asking you to continue investing in youth power participatory budgeting by adding an additional 125,000 for a 2027 YPPB cycle. 286 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:04,000 Continue giving young people a voice. 287 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:12,000 Continue giving us opportunities and most importantly continue giving young people the resources to turn our ideas into actions. 288 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:15,000 Investing in young people isn't only about our future. 289 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:20,000 We're already here and we're ready to be a part of building long beach today. 290 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:21,000 Thank you. 291 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:31,000 Thank you to all the youth that came out and expressed the impact that PB and our programming here in the city. 292 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:41,000 What it's really done and I think it's just a showcase of why I think I can share the sense that we as a committee, you know we as a committee, but I think we as a city are really working hard to figure out ways that we can preserve that. 293 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:45,000 So what that being said, we can go ahead and vote. 294 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:07,000 Motion carries. 295 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:10,000 Next item, please. 296 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:19,000 Item three is the recommendation to receive a file presentation on the fee study audit development impact, please. 297 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:27,000 Okay, get a first and a second, please. 298 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:30,000 Councilman Rowland. 299 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:33,000 Not working white, but. 300 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:35,000 All right, well, we handle that. 301 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:38,000 I know staff has a presentation for us. 302 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:41,000 Fun with impact fees. 303 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:46,000 Good afternoon, but to chair members of the committee. 304 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:51,000 April, up a DACA are administrative and financial services bureau manager. 305 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,000 We're going to change that name and make a better at some point. 306 00:39:54,000 --> 00:40:03,000 Um, is going to give us the most exciting impact fee presentation you've ever seen. 307 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:05,000 All right, thanks, Chris, very good afternoon. 308 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:07,000 Members of the budget oversight committee. 309 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:14,000 As Chris, for mentioned, I'm April Apadaka and I have the mouth full of a title administrative and financial services bureau manager. 310 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:19,000 We're here together to talk to you today about our development impact fee update. 311 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:27,000 Before I dive into the details, I always like start with a quick road map, so that's what you see on the slide up in front of you today is. 312 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:34,000 And what you see is that as we go through this presentation, what we'll cover will include an overview of development impact fees and what they are. 313 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:45,000 A recap of the key issues that were highlighted in last year's audit report and update on the progress that's underway and an overview of next steps to implement recommendations. 314 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:52,000 So starting kind of back at the beginning of our foundationally, uh, I want to describe what development impact fees are. 315 00:40:52,000 --> 00:41:00,000 Those are fees that are paid by developers that help offset the cost of our additional infrastructure needs that are caused by new development. 316 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:10,000 There are several regulatory codes that inform how and when those fees can be charged, including the California mitigation fee act 8602 and the Long Beach Municipal Code. 317 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:20,000 The codes themselves are meant to add clarity and ensure that agencies are charging these fees, the agencies that charge these fees are doing so in a way that is directly related to the need created by development. 318 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:26,000 That is, the funds have to be used to make improvements that address the increased demand that comes from those projects. 319 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:35,000 The city's impact fee program was established by the adoption of various fees per started in 1990 and it provides resources for the following. 320 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:54,000 We have our fire facility fees, parks and recreation facilities, police facilities, transportation improvements, sensitive coastal resources, the utility sewer capacity and then Long Beach Unified School District fees, which are collected by the city during a development project but not set by us as an agency. 321 00:41:56,000 --> 00:42:06,000 Next I'll go into some examples of how we use these fees in recent years but before I do that I do also want to highlight some of the general rules that inform the eligible uses of these funds. 322 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:15,000 Impact fees do not generally directly affect most residents or homeowners and are only assessed on projects that are adding residential capacity or new workers. 323 00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:23,000 The development impact fees collected have to be used for infrastructure projects that are related to growth in the residents and workers that are added. 324 00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:28,000 So we have to use them for physical improvements we need to support our growing community. 325 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:34,000 It means we can use the impact fees for things like capital improvement projects or facilities and equipment that expand capacity. 326 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:44,000 However, they can't be used for things like staffing, fixing or addressing existing deficiencies or for our routine operating or maintenance costs. 327 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:54,000 The city reports under development impact fees every year in March with review and adoption of a resolution that approves annual and five year reports providing an overview of each fee. 328 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:58,000 How they're used and the plan public improvements associated with each fee. 329 00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:03,000 In recent years, our four primary impact fees have helped fund the following. 330 00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:13,000 Our park fees have helped fund park and recreation facilities and facility improvements like new playgrounds recreational equipment and sports fields. 331 00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:21,000 Examples of that include the 10th Street Green Belt, heart well park artificial turf and howton park playground and sports complex. 332 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:27,000 The police fee has funded police department facility and capital projects including vehicles and equipment. 333 00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:35,000 Most notably for the police academy building improvements that were needed to facilitate agility testing and enhance the training capacity. 334 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:53,000 The fire fee is eligible to fund fire department facility and capital projects and recent examples of the dedication of those funds have gone towards new paramedic ambulance unit and one time medical equipment needed to equip that unit. 335 00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:59,000 Transportation fee funds facilities and capital projects that meet our increased traffic resulting from economic growth. 336 00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:05,000 And examples of ways that has been a program for use is with through our T.J. Great Boulevard. 337 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:09,000 The Schumacher Bridge replacement and shoreline drive realignment. 338 00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:19,000 Development impact fees are one important tool in the development process but they're only one piece of a complex puzzle. 339 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:23,000 And there are other factors to consider when we think about these fees. 340 00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:32,000 We always want to make sure that the fees are supplementing other existing funding that they're set in a way that's clear that fees are proportional to the growth related need. 341 00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:40,000 And it's done in a way that balances our other priorities like housing production, investment in the city and the future of economic development. 342 00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:44,000 The work that we'll talk about in the next few slides will help provide more context. 343 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:57,000 But the goal with this slide is to emphasize that we want to make sure a fees are balanced and that we are mindful of the laws that limit how they can be assessed, especially on things projects like ADUs or change of use. 344 00:44:57,000 --> 00:45:00,000 The impact fees are not a one-size-fits-all solution. 345 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:14,000 And they vary by agencies. So it can be challenging to try and assess and compare fees, especially when we're looking at other cities, or some of our partners charge more, other to charge less, and some even charge zero. 346 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:27,000 The 2025 audit, for really, though, and its recommendations get at that complexity. The auditors review, focused on our four primary impact fee types, the fire parks police and transportation. 347 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:31,000 And the primary findings of that audit can be thought of in two major sections. 348 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:46,000 It was that there was a need to evaluate impact fee amounts to make sure that they are updated and better aligned with our current need, and there's a need to strengthen the interdepartmental coordination to effectively manage the fees. 349 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:54,000 In reviewing the audit study, we focused on certain key points that are part of the larger context that's important to consider when comprehensively discussing the fees. 350 00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:59,000 Some things I'd like to highlight, or is that it is important to note that not all cities collect these fees. 351 00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:06,000 Some of our comparison cities do, but others like Lakewood, Compton, Downey, Norwalk, and Santa Fe Springs do not. 352 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:13,000 And then the different adoption dates for each fee in the municipal code section do tend to create some confusion. 353 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:19,000 They were written at different times, and there's a lack of consistency, and so we do need to work better across departments. 354 00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:24,000 A thorough detailed next study is fundamental to addressing these issues. 355 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:32,000 It'll provide a defensive foundation for any proposed fee changes, and help ensure that we're all working from the same information when we discuss the components of the fee. 356 00:46:32,000 --> 00:46:39,000 Whether that's administrative costs or how to handle the need for dealing with inflation as we go forward. 357 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:51,000 To that end, the community development department and our partners in fire parks, police and public works have all been working together on an in-depth effort to make sure we get the new nexus study right. 358 00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:57,000 And in a way that complies with state regulations and demonstrates that fee recommendations are directly related to need. 359 00:46:57,000 --> 00:47:05,000 The effort first began when we identified a consultant who began their work in 2024, and has been working on detailed analysis. 360 00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:12,000 The draft of that analysis is expected to be ready for consideration by the city council and the public later this summer or an early fall. 361 00:47:12,000 --> 00:47:26,000 When that action is brought before the full council, we'll address the audit recommendations by including proposed code updates that better add standardization and more uniformity across the fee types. 362 00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:30,000 As part of the nexus study, we've seen improvement on interdepartmental collaboration. 363 00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:32,000 We've been working together a lot every day. 364 00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:36,000 A lot of my partners out there in the audience to try and get this right. 365 00:47:36,000 --> 00:47:45,000 And so we'll also continue to build on that, looking at ways to have shared guides and more standardized times to meet to talk about the use and reporting of the fees. 366 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:55,000 While we do report on these fees annually, the upcoming council review the nexus study will also give us an opportunity to provide an overview of how that fee calculation works and how the analysis was designed. 367 00:47:55,000 --> 00:48:05,000 And so we'll include recommended fee adjustments and code amendments when we're back before you later this fall. 368 00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:10,000 Because the nexus study itself is still in draft, we do not have specific amounts to discuss with you today. 369 00:48:10,000 --> 00:48:21,000 That said, the interdepartmental team has been driven by the need to make sure that we're striking balance between revenue generation and also keeping development in long reach something that makes sense. 370 00:48:21,000 --> 00:48:25,000 But you can expect to see that fee recommendations will likely be based on the type of fee. 371 00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:30,000 They'll include phasing to make sure that we're smoothing the impact over time. 372 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:37,000 Edalen, include recommendations for adding inflationary factors, so revenues can keep up with rising construction costs for infrastructure improvement. 373 00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:49,000 And now that I've covered some of the details about the audit itself, I'm going to turn the presentation over to community development director Christopher Coons, who will give you some more insight on how the fees fit into the bigger picture. 374 00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:57,000 Alright, thank you April. So I think my part of the presentation is the so what part of the presentation. 375 00:48:57,000 --> 00:49:17,000 So what I'm striving to do is help BOC understand this very specialty revenue source impact fees, how that fits into the larger context of the budget that you're looking at and the work that you do you're around as part of this committee's work. 376 00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:22,000 So impact fees are within a larger source of revenue. 377 00:49:22,000 --> 00:49:31,000 You know, we have the page and the budget book that talks about the largest revenue sources, but we actually have, you know, more than 30 different revenue sources as a city. 378 00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:35,000 This is one individual one time source. 379 00:49:35,000 --> 00:49:40,000 So the audit focused on improving the administration of the impact fees. 380 00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:42,000 We couldn't agree more right now. 381 00:49:42,000 --> 00:49:45,000 Can you need development collect these fees? 382 00:49:45,000 --> 00:49:55,000 But it's hard for us to answer questions from customers about why the fee is what and what it's used for, because the administration of the fees is spread across multiple departments. 383 00:49:55,000 --> 00:50:02,000 It's parks, it's public works, it's there's a large role for FM, there's a role for the fire department. 384 00:50:02,000 --> 00:50:09,000 So I think that we can fix that internally, so that the customer, the person on the other side of the counter, 385 00:50:09,000 --> 00:50:17,000 the counter always gets a positive consistent answer and experience from the city when they're trying to do something that's important to the city, 386 00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:23,000 whether it's building a building or just doing a bathroom addition to their home. 387 00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:27,000 All of those things matter to the customer, right? 388 00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:37,000 And we absolutely agree we can do much better in evaluating how the fees are collected and then accounting for those fees, 389 00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:45,000 so that they can be spent as expeditiously as possible to meet the city's needs. 390 00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:52,000 But I do want to, if you take nothing else from this presentation, I want to really impress upon you the one time nature of impact fees. 391 00:50:52,000 --> 00:51:03,000 So when it fees are set appropriately and all of our other tools are in place, we have zoning that works, we have friendly staff, we have economic development policies that work, 392 00:51:03,000 --> 00:51:10,000 it all comes together and it creates a project. So that creates one time revenues, that includes impact fees, 393 00:51:10,000 --> 00:51:16,000 but that also includes permit fees that help pay the employees within community development, 394 00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:25,000 and other one time fees depending on if there's construction equipment, but was really important to the city, 395 00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:29,000 our structural revenues, our recurring revenues. 396 00:51:29,000 --> 00:51:35,000 So when a development occurs, they build the thing, whether it's an apartment building or hotel, 397 00:51:35,000 --> 00:51:43,000 and then they will pay property tax, sales tax and other taxes on that development, not just one time at every single year. 398 00:51:43,000 --> 00:51:50,000 So in 2025 we worked with a consulting firm Cosmaut to look at what does that mean? 399 00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:55,000 So once upon a time when residential property values were lower, 400 00:51:55,000 --> 00:52:00,000 we would quote unquote lose money on every single residential development. 401 00:52:00,000 --> 00:52:05,000 It caused more to service that building than a generated in tax revenue. 402 00:52:05,000 --> 00:52:12,000 And that's why cities love car dealerships and some cities don't love producing housing, 403 00:52:12,000 --> 00:52:18,000 but as property values have changed, that whole math has changed. 404 00:52:18,000 --> 00:52:25,000 So we do break even or modestly see revenue on residential development. 405 00:52:25,000 --> 00:52:33,000 So to give you an example, we looked at a hypothetical 48 unit building here in downtown. 406 00:52:33,000 --> 00:52:38,000 They would pay about $300,000 in one time fees, which is great, 407 00:52:38,000 --> 00:52:45,000 but they would pay about $166,000 every year in various taxes to the city. 408 00:52:45,000 --> 00:52:52,000 So by year two, those recurring dollars are more important than the one time dollars. 409 00:52:52,000 --> 00:52:54,000 So each fee is different. 410 00:52:54,000 --> 00:53:00,000 We think about impact fees in the aggregate, but the city has different fees with different needs. 411 00:53:00,000 --> 00:53:04,000 So in our fee update, which will come back to city council on the fall, 412 00:53:04,000 --> 00:53:07,000 we're really looking at individual responses. 413 00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:14,000 So on the fire facility side, we really don't have other sources of revenue other than just general fund dollars 414 00:53:14,000 --> 00:53:15,000 that are in short supply. 415 00:53:15,000 --> 00:53:19,000 There's not a lot of grants for building fire stations, there's not a lot of other sources. 416 00:53:19,000 --> 00:53:24,000 So obviously that's a fee that we're going to target to go up considerably. 417 00:53:24,000 --> 00:53:26,000 Parks, we all love parks. 418 00:53:26,000 --> 00:53:29,000 I love parks, I'm at city parks with my family all the time, 419 00:53:29,000 --> 00:53:35,000 but for parks, for transportation facilities, there are other sources of funds. 420 00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:42,000 Those include grant funds, gas tax dollars, county measures, state measures, 421 00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:50,000 and the impact fee is paying for a very small portion of those projects that we build for our parks and our streets. 422 00:53:50,000 --> 00:53:56,000 So it doesn't mean those fees don't need to go up, but what it means is we have different options there, 423 00:53:56,000 --> 00:53:59,000 then we do on the fire side. 424 00:53:59,000 --> 00:54:02,000 So legal limits matter. 425 00:54:02,000 --> 00:54:07,000 So two things are going on and both can be true at the same time. 426 00:54:07,000 --> 00:54:13,000 Well, we have an interest in increasing our impact fees, but the state has been very aggressive, 427 00:54:13,000 --> 00:54:19,000 both in the legislature and in the courts in signaling to cities to do the opposite. 428 00:54:19,000 --> 00:54:25,000 So the state has significantly strengthened rules regarding impact fees. 429 00:54:25,000 --> 00:54:32,000 They're directing cities to limit impact fees and the courts have been very aggressive in limiting impact fees, 430 00:54:32,000 --> 00:54:36,000 including a case that went all the way to the US Supreme Court. 431 00:54:36,000 --> 00:54:44,000 There was about the development of just a guy that wanted to place a mobile manufactured home on a lot, 432 00:54:44,000 --> 00:54:50,000 and the city was trying to charge him tens of thousands of dollars in fees. 433 00:54:50,000 --> 00:54:56,000 And unsurprisingly, he wasn't very happy about that, and over the course of almost a decade, 434 00:54:56,000 --> 00:55:03,000 he pled his case through the various courts and the US Supreme Court as well as when it came back to the California courts, 435 00:55:03,000 --> 00:55:06,000 concluded that that was improper. 436 00:55:06,000 --> 00:55:13,000 So each new improvement leads to city maintenance costs, that's the other thing to important. 437 00:55:13,000 --> 00:55:17,000 So impact fees don't buy police officers, firefighters, life guards, or parks staff, 438 00:55:17,000 --> 00:55:22,000 but when we build a park, we definitely need parks to maintain that park. 439 00:55:22,000 --> 00:55:28,000 When we build a new fire facility, we fill it with firefighters and their equipment, 440 00:55:28,000 --> 00:55:31,000 and we have ongoing needs. 441 00:55:31,000 --> 00:55:35,000 So BOC and the city as a whole has to think about all of those trade-offs. 442 00:55:35,000 --> 00:55:38,000 And impact fees can only pay for growth. 443 00:55:38,000 --> 00:55:41,000 We are not a city that's growing a lot. 444 00:55:41,000 --> 00:55:45,000 We are growing, but this is not a high growth city. 445 00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:50,000 This is not a place that its population is booming. 446 00:55:50,000 --> 00:55:56,000 So our impact fee revenue is never going to be a huge source of capital 447 00:55:57,000 --> 00:56:00,000 because we're a mature city. 448 00:56:00,000 --> 00:56:05,000 And many of our challenges and strengths are the fact that we're a mature city. 449 00:56:05,000 --> 00:56:14,000 And we have the beautiful buildings and water pipes and sewer pipes that are over 100 years old and need updating. 450 00:56:14,000 --> 00:56:19,000 The other thing, just for BOC to understand, it's a great revenue source, 451 00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:24,000 but impact fees are a highly unpredictable revenue source. 452 00:56:24,000 --> 00:56:31,000 You could have fees generated in the millions of dollars one year and close to zero the next year. 453 00:56:31,000 --> 00:56:37,000 The city, therefore, has to set impact fees appropriately, use them expeditiously as we can, 454 00:56:37,000 --> 00:56:42,000 but not necessarily budget based on large amounts of them coming in. 455 00:56:42,000 --> 00:56:46,000 They're highly dependent, not just on the economy, but on interest rates, 456 00:56:46,000 --> 00:56:51,000 and the higher interest rates are, the less development activity usually occurs, 457 00:56:52,000 --> 00:56:56,000 as real estate is a business where people build things with borrowed money, 458 00:56:56,000 --> 00:57:00,000 and when interest rates are high, the cost of doing that is high. 459 00:57:00,000 --> 00:57:06,000 All of the 80 years that you see going up around the city, almost none of those pay impact fees 460 00:57:06,000 --> 00:57:16,000 because, again, the state has legislated that we can't collect impact fees on any 80 year that's under 754 feet. 461 00:57:17,000 --> 00:57:22,000 So in terms of what happens next, we're giving you this update because we're in the middle of the budget, 462 00:57:22,000 --> 00:57:30,000 but they actually update to the impact fee ordinance and the fees themselves will come in. 463 00:57:30,000 --> 00:57:32,000 It says September 22nd. 464 00:57:32,000 --> 00:57:35,000 That is a goal, so please don't hold me to that. 465 00:57:35,000 --> 00:57:38,000 Anything could happen between now and September 22nd. 466 00:57:38,000 --> 00:57:42,000 That could become the first week in October, or the second week in October, 467 00:57:42,000 --> 00:57:48,000 or sometimes the nine of you at City Council don't all agree, 468 00:57:48,000 --> 00:57:51,000 and we might have to come once or twice or three times. 469 00:57:51,000 --> 00:57:55,000 Hopefully we get at the first time, but that's our approximate day. 470 00:57:55,000 --> 00:58:00,000 And then we will be able to after that, do our close out process with the auditor, 471 00:58:00,000 --> 00:58:05,000 and then revenue accrues accordingly, but there is a gap. 472 00:58:05,000 --> 00:58:11,000 So what happens is impact fees are assessed when a builder pulls a building 473 00:58:11,000 --> 00:58:17,000 permit, and then they go build a thing, typically that could take up to 24 months, 474 00:58:17,000 --> 00:58:22,000 and then before they finalize, they pay those already accrued fees. 475 00:58:22,000 --> 00:58:33,000 So if we change the fees tomorrow, it could be 24 plus months before the city starts to see that higher fee revenue, 476 00:58:33,000 --> 00:58:37,000 actually hit from a cash flow standpoint. 477 00:58:37,000 --> 00:58:40,000 So I think those are our updates. 478 00:58:40,000 --> 00:58:46,000 We hope that they were helpful, and we would be delighted to hear the public testimony and take your questions. 479 00:58:46,000 --> 00:58:48,000 Thank you so much. 480 00:58:48,000 --> 00:58:51,000 I will go to my committee colleagues. 481 00:58:51,000 --> 00:58:53,000 Do either of you have any questions? 482 00:58:53,000 --> 00:58:56,000 Looks like Vice Mayor Ranga has one. 483 00:58:56,000 --> 00:58:58,000 You guys have a more question. 484 00:58:58,000 --> 00:59:05,000 Well, in the mid future of the budget, how much of an impact here are you at the fees? 485 00:59:05,000 --> 00:59:17,000 In the overall budget, was it percentage of the budget? 486 00:59:17,000 --> 00:59:23,000 Rebecca, what was our total revenue last year? 487 00:59:23,000 --> 00:59:25,000 Let me look it up really quick. 488 00:59:25,000 --> 00:59:39,000 We collected $26 million in impact fees last year, which is a small amount compared to the denominator, 489 00:59:39,000 --> 00:59:42,000 but that math I can't do in my head. 490 00:59:42,000 --> 00:59:44,000 So Rebecca is going to help us all. 491 00:59:44,000 --> 00:59:46,000 Are there any other? 492 00:59:46,000 --> 00:59:48,000 Excuse me. 493 00:59:48,000 --> 00:59:53,000 Any other impact being going to meet considered for the future? 494 00:59:53,000 --> 00:59:54,000 Any additions? 495 00:59:54,000 --> 00:59:56,000 So these are the main impact fees. 496 00:59:56,000 --> 01:00:00,000 There are some special TPs that apply only in certain locations. 497 01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:28,000 In Council District 3, where the wetlands are, there's a special fee for wetland impacts. I think that only applies to five or so properties. But that is on the book for those properties. We did evaluate whether additional fees for libraries or other facilities should be considered, but based on keeping the city competitive. 498 01:00:28,000 --> 01:00:41,000 We decided against that. The reason for that is if we were to add additional fees, that is going to limit how much we can charge on the fees that we have already. 499 01:00:41,000 --> 01:00:57,000 And something that we had discussed with the departments and with the city manager was really solving for everything, but prioritizing improving revenues for fire facilities. So that's how we got to where we are today. 500 01:00:57,000 --> 01:01:19,000 If you are free, related to tolling, parking, another customer, customer, or residential impacts, also calling in this. 501 01:01:19,000 --> 01:01:37,000 So these are not related to those and I think Rebecca got the answer that is impact fees are three to four percent of general fund or about 0.6 percent of toll all funds. 502 01:01:37,000 --> 01:01:39,000 Thank you. 503 01:01:39,000 --> 01:01:41,000 Councilwoman Ellis. 504 01:01:41,000 --> 01:01:56,000 Thank you, Christopher, for that presentation. I know that as we're facing significant deficits, whether it sells tax going down and heard a lot about oil, money, declining. 505 01:01:56,000 --> 01:02:10,000 I think it's important that we look at other ways to strengthen city infrastructure and revenue. So I think that the development impact fees are definitely a way to, you know, to start that conversation. 506 01:02:10,000 --> 01:02:23,000 And I think it can particularly help, you know, with some of our infrastructure as a city continues to grow, but now at the same time the presentation makes it clear through one time revenues. 507 01:02:23,000 --> 01:02:39,000 So while development, which I support and I wish we have more of it, you know, can generate that as you explain so great that that reoccurring property tax and sales tax and other revenues that we have for future and that's really good. 508 01:02:39,000 --> 01:02:49,000 But I just want to make sure that we're careful we're not creating additional barriers to, you know, to meeting our housing production needs. 509 01:02:49,000 --> 01:02:55,000 So as you know, Christopher, I drew the short straw, it's gag and you know, I am on on rena. 510 01:02:55,000 --> 01:03:05,000 And so which, you know, we, those of you don't know what that is, it's a committee that oversees housing assessments and develops a methodology and all of this kind of stuff. 511 01:03:05,000 --> 01:03:18,000 As I look at our near at our city, so we have Lakewood, Compton, Downey, Norwalk and Santa Fe Springs, they don't collect any, any development impact fees at all. 512 01:03:18,000 --> 01:03:33,000 So I just want to make sure that we're still good at implementing something like this or we're still in remain competitive and it's not going to be, it's not going to interfere with any of our, you know, construction or housing that we, 513 01:03:33,000 --> 01:03:36,000 we really need for the future. 514 01:03:36,000 --> 01:03:46,000 Yeah, I think we share your goal council member and we'll have more to share about that on September, 22nd or other date. 515 01:03:46,000 --> 01:03:55,000 But we, you know, it kind of give away the headline, we will be coming back with fees that are higher than what they are today. 516 01:03:55,000 --> 01:04:00,000 But our below, what a maximum fee we could be. 517 01:04:00,000 --> 01:04:11,000 We think it's very important to charge the fee that will continue to attract investment of a city including housing. 518 01:04:11,000 --> 01:04:23,000 And I think you can't, every city is different, so you can't compare long beach to San Diego, which has some of the highest fees in the state. 519 01:04:23,000 --> 01:04:26,000 But it's the hottest real estate market in the state. 520 01:04:26,000 --> 01:04:32,000 You really do have to compare us to our neighbors who have pretty limited fees. 521 01:04:32,000 --> 01:04:39,000 So we're trying to strike that balance and we'll bring more to the council in September, October about that. 522 01:04:39,000 --> 01:04:47,000 Well, thank you. And just as you do bring that back that proposed fee increases, just making sure that if you have some type of. 523 01:04:48,000 --> 01:04:57,000 You can just present to us on, I'm just making sure that, you know, we looked at it and we were not decreasing housing production that we want to promote that. 524 01:04:57,000 --> 01:05:02,000 So that's my comment. Thank you, Christopher. I know what, I know you do a great job over there. 525 01:05:02,000 --> 01:05:15,000 And I know we're, we're, we're both wanting to make sure that we're increasing our housing production. So I just want to make sure that any policies that we are implementing that is encouraging that as well. 526 01:05:16,000 --> 01:05:19,000 So I think councilwoman Allen is saying, please don't make my life hard. 527 01:05:23,000 --> 01:05:28,000 I do want to thank the Department of Community Development for this presentation on the development impact fees. 528 01:05:28,000 --> 01:05:35,000 I feel like I learned something and I'm always, I always, it's always a pleasure to learn more about how our city works and how our fee structure works. 529 01:05:35,000 --> 01:05:42,000 And I generally appreciate the time and effort that went into breaking down what can be a really complex and I think often misunderstood area of municipal finance. 530 01:05:42,000 --> 01:05:48,000 So this presentation is given as much clear understanding of what impact these are and how they can and cannot be used. 531 01:05:48,000 --> 01:05:52,000 And that clarity is invaluable to make decisions about our city's infrastructure needs. 532 01:05:52,000 --> 01:05:59,000 What I found particularly helpful is a reminder that the impact fees are one time revenue is meant to offset capital costs caused by development. 533 01:05:59,000 --> 01:06:09,000 They're not flexible funding sources that can't be used for salaries, routine maintenance, general operations. So I understood when you said, please focus on this one slide if you get nothing from it. 534 01:06:09,000 --> 01:06:17,000 So I was paying attention. And I think that distinction is critical as we think about how to fairly allocate the cost of growth. 535 01:06:17,000 --> 01:06:21,000 We're protecting our general fund, which is the conversation that we're all having right now is equal to budget. 536 01:06:21,000 --> 01:06:25,000 And I think understanding the legal and fiscal boundaries helps us be more honest. 537 01:06:25,000 --> 01:06:31,000 I have more honest conversations with developers, residents, and our own departments about those fees can be really realistic. 538 01:06:31,000 --> 01:06:41,000 We achieve. I think it's our own version of myth busters, right? Because I think sometimes we hear a lot of conversations internally and externally around why doesn't the city just do X, Y and Z with these funds, right? 539 01:06:41,000 --> 01:06:45,000 And so having all of us beyond the same page around the limitations, right? 540 01:06:45,000 --> 01:06:48,000 And the flexibility that I think is really important. 541 01:06:48,000 --> 01:06:52,000 Additionally at the same time, the presentation highlights important challenges we need to address. 542 01:06:52,000 --> 01:07:03,000 As you mentioned, the next study will help us identify the direct link between development infrastructure needs and project costs, which is essential under what you mentioned with the California mitigation fee act rights. 543 01:07:03,000 --> 01:07:05,000 So there's limitations to what we cannot do. 544 01:07:05,000 --> 01:07:10,000 I also appreciate the recognition that we must balance cost recovery with economic competitiveness. 545 01:07:10,000 --> 01:07:20,000 As councilwoman Allen, aptly noted, especially when nearby cities as you noted, Lakewood, Compton, Downey, etc., do not collect these fees. 546 01:07:20,000 --> 01:07:27,000 And I think about those specifically for myself, because I neighbor as the district nine councilwoman, I neighbor many of these cities as well, right? 547 01:07:27,000 --> 01:07:33,000 And that was actually something that I didn't know. I didn't know that many of our neighbor and cities don't collect the impact fees that we collect. 548 01:07:34,000 --> 01:07:37,000 And so I'm looking forward to the ongoing work on that next study. 549 01:07:37,000 --> 01:07:41,000 The clear we are about what the impact fees can and cannot fund. 550 01:07:41,000 --> 01:07:46,000 I think the better position we are to effectively leverage them in the growth that we do have here in the city. 551 01:07:46,000 --> 01:07:48,000 So I just had a couple of questions. 552 01:07:48,000 --> 01:08:01,000 And one of the slides, I think it was slide seven, you commented about proposing automatic indexing for future increases to be able to basically keep our fees up with. 553 01:08:01,000 --> 01:08:13,000 I'm assuming a version of inflation, essentially. Can you talk a little bit about what automatic indexing is and what we potential, how would we implement that? 554 01:08:13,000 --> 01:08:20,000 Yeah, so I think people are really familiar with inflation that we experience in our own pocketbook. 555 01:08:20,000 --> 01:08:30,000 So we measure CPI, which is the consumer price index and that's when I go to the grocery store and I get angry because baking costs more and butter costs more and 556 01:08:30,000 --> 01:08:33,000 I just bought milk and now I have to buy it in. 557 01:08:33,000 --> 01:08:38,000 But so it's the same concept, everything costs more every year here at the city. 558 01:08:38,000 --> 01:08:44,000 But we don't met where the city is not a consumer in that way, that's not what we measure. 559 01:08:44,000 --> 01:08:48,000 So we measure based on what's called the construction cost index. 560 01:08:48,000 --> 01:08:53,000 So that is the cost of doing construction and we do that for two reasons. 561 01:08:53,000 --> 01:08:59,000 We are charging a fee on is construction and the value of that construction goes up each year. 562 01:08:59,000 --> 01:09:02,000 And we're trying to recover a portion of that. 563 01:09:02,000 --> 01:09:10,000 And then what we use these funds for is building infrastructure, building fire stations, building roads, building parks. 564 01:09:10,000 --> 01:09:16,000 So we would adjust each year. 565 01:09:16,000 --> 01:09:20,000 We are charging a percentage of a maximum fee. 566 01:09:20,000 --> 01:09:29,000 So if you think of every year that maximum fee is going to go up by some amount of change in the construction cost index. 567 01:09:29,000 --> 01:09:31,000 Be it three years one year. 568 01:09:31,000 --> 01:09:33,000 It's a really high inflation year. 569 01:09:33,000 --> 01:09:38,000 The next year maybe a 7% maybe the next year is 1% so it's going to vary each year. 570 01:09:38,000 --> 01:09:44,000 But that's going to change kind of the basis of what we can charge. 571 01:09:44,000 --> 01:09:49,000 And then the fee itself will also adjust based on that. 572 01:09:49,000 --> 01:09:55,000 You know changing the index but also based on whatever policy adjustments we've made. 573 01:09:55,000 --> 01:10:00,000 So like I mentioned before we're not going to recommend charging the maximum that we can charge. 574 01:10:00,000 --> 01:10:06,000 But the amount that we do charge would still adjust each year. 575 01:10:06,000 --> 01:10:12,000 We it's automatic but it's also not automatic because we do still have to come to council every year. 576 01:10:12,000 --> 01:10:14,000 It's a legal requirement. 577 01:10:14,000 --> 01:10:22,000 So that automatic adjustment would instruct staff and how we adjust those fees and how we report that to council. 578 01:10:22,000 --> 01:10:24,000 But there would still be oversight. 579 01:10:24,000 --> 01:10:39,000 There's a highly regulated area of our our law as a city and we would still fulfill the need to discuss impact fees with the council every year. 580 01:10:39,000 --> 01:10:49,000 Can you go back to slide 16 I just had one question. 581 01:10:49,000 --> 01:10:59,000 And the question I had is now escaping me give me a second. 582 01:10:59,000 --> 01:11:02,000 It was about the last point but not all remember what I was going to ask you. 583 01:11:02,000 --> 01:11:06,000 I should have written it down a set of different down slide number. 584 01:11:06,000 --> 01:11:13,000 I don't remember what it was. I'm sure whatever it was it must not have been that important or either that or you've already answered it and so the question went away. 585 01:11:13,000 --> 01:11:16,000 But anyway, thank you so much for this presentation. 586 01:11:16,000 --> 01:11:22,000 It was really great very informative and I think helpful as we're thinking about how to leverage these dollars moving forward. 587 01:11:22,000 --> 01:11:26,000 So that being said we can take public comment. 588 01:11:26,000 --> 01:11:34,000 I hope this time if you'd like to speak on this item please line up at the podium. 589 01:11:35,000 --> 01:11:37,000 Hi Karen. 590 01:11:37,000 --> 01:11:40,000 Hi. 591 01:11:40,000 --> 01:11:50,000 I'm sorry I paralyzed my vocal cord so it's different called for me to talk but I'm going to bring up some things. 592 01:11:50,000 --> 01:11:53,000 People love the younger generation. 593 01:11:53,000 --> 01:11:59,000 We support giving them a money and developing them more fully. 594 01:11:59,000 --> 01:12:07,000 I'm not thinking about the impacts that older adults have on their futures and on the impact date. 595 01:12:07,000 --> 01:12:16,000 I know one of the issues I get a lot of questions about is older adults who have a medical emergency. 596 01:12:16,000 --> 01:12:18,000 They call 911. 597 01:12:18,000 --> 01:12:20,000 They get an ambulance. 598 01:12:20,000 --> 01:12:21,000 They don't want to be a problem. 599 01:12:21,000 --> 01:12:24,000 They don't want to be a father to anybody. 600 01:12:24,000 --> 01:12:28,000 So they say no no I don't need to go to the hospital. 601 01:12:29,000 --> 01:12:42,000 I saw a man that refused treatment crawling on his hands and knees to get back into our building because he didn't want to be transported by the fire department. 602 01:12:42,000 --> 01:12:46,000 Most of the M.T. calls are for older buildings. 603 01:12:46,000 --> 01:12:48,000 I know the M.T.s are in my building. 604 01:12:48,000 --> 01:12:56,000 I think that's pretty much the same for a lot of older adult housing. 605 01:12:56,000 --> 01:13:04,000 So when older adults refuse to get transported, a lot of times they're insurance. 606 01:13:04,000 --> 01:13:07,000 We'll not cover the cost. 607 01:13:07,000 --> 01:13:09,000 They don't know this. 608 01:13:09,000 --> 01:13:14,000 So they get us bill for like a thousand dollars to get transported. 609 01:13:14,000 --> 01:13:16,000 I don't know what the current rate is. 610 01:13:16,000 --> 01:13:20,000 And they can't pay it because they're on social security. 611 01:13:20,000 --> 01:13:25,000 This is barely impacts their income. 612 01:13:25,000 --> 01:13:33,000 Social security does not keep up with the cost of inflation. 613 01:13:33,000 --> 01:13:41,000 We got close and then so that creates a real burden for our older adults. 614 01:13:41,000 --> 01:13:47,000 And they can't pay the bills. 615 01:13:47,000 --> 01:13:51,000 So I'm sure that has impact on the city. 616 01:13:51,000 --> 01:13:57,000 If we can get them to the point where they understand, then medical, most of them are on medical. 617 01:13:57,000 --> 01:14:00,000 We'll cover the cost of that transportation. 618 01:14:00,000 --> 01:14:03,000 I think that could save the city. 619 01:14:04,000 --> 01:14:08,000 And you know, I don't like impact beef at all. 620 01:14:08,000 --> 01:14:15,000 But there's a couple of other issues with older adults that they're talking about. 621 01:14:15,000 --> 01:14:19,000 They're getting to a point where their houses paid off. 622 01:14:19,000 --> 01:14:26,000 They're living on their retirement and they can't afford the property taxes on their property. 623 01:14:26,000 --> 01:14:29,000 So they don't know what to do. 624 01:14:29,000 --> 01:14:38,000 So I know that people are getting, they're losing their housing in LA County for small tax bills that they can't afford to pay. 625 01:14:38,000 --> 01:14:41,000 So I think we need to start looking at that. 626 01:14:41,000 --> 01:14:43,000 Thank you, Thomas Lobs. 627 01:14:43,000 --> 01:14:48,000 And the young people are going to be our caregivers. 628 01:14:48,000 --> 01:14:51,000 That's going to impact their lives. 629 01:14:51,000 --> 01:14:52,000 Thanks Karen. 630 01:14:52,000 --> 01:14:56,000 And it sounds like I think from most of us we recognize they already are. 631 01:14:57,000 --> 01:14:58,000 Okay, that was close. 632 01:14:58,000 --> 01:14:59,000 Pop a comment. 633 01:14:59,000 --> 01:15:00,000 We can take a vote. 634 01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:12,000 Motion carries. Thank you. Next item. 635 01:15:12,000 --> 01:15:17,000 Item 4 is the recommendation to receive a file. Council district correspondence. 636 01:15:17,000 --> 01:15:27,000 I don't believe we had any this time, right? Oh, sorry. Yes, first and second. We didn't have any. Correct. Correct. 637 01:15:27,000 --> 01:15:33,000 Then unless my council colleague had any comments or something they do, we can go to public comment. 638 01:15:33,000 --> 01:15:38,000 At this time, if you'd like to speak on the side and please line up at the public comment. 639 01:15:38,000 --> 01:15:49,000 Seeing none that concludes public comment. All right, like and vote. Motion carries. All right, item 5. 640 01:15:50,000 --> 01:15:59,000 Item 5 is the recommendation to receive and file list of follow-up items from the budget hearings and or budget oversight committee meetings. 641 01:15:59,000 --> 01:16:02,000 First and the second. 642 01:16:02,000 --> 01:16:18,000 If we have any this time, probably probably for next week, maybe from last week's meeting. Correct. We will have items for both the standing council district correspondence and the follow-up for next week. Great. 643 01:16:18,000 --> 01:16:23,000 Public comment. At this time, if you'd like to speak on this item, please line up at the public. 644 01:16:23,000 --> 01:16:36,000 Seeing none. All right, vote. Motion carries. That ends the regular agenda, so we can go to general public comment. 645 01:16:36,000 --> 01:16:43,000 At this time, if you'd like to speak on any issues, not on the agenda, please line up at the public. 646 01:16:49,000 --> 01:16:54,000 We have one speaker, chair. 647 01:16:54,000 --> 01:17:01,000 Excuse me, I guess. Okay, good afternoon chair and a few members of the budget oversight committee. 648 01:17:01,000 --> 01:17:05,000 Thank you for the opportunity to express my concerns and I appreciate this platform. 649 01:17:05,000 --> 01:17:10,000 My name is Swing Velas. I graduated from UCSB in 2024 with a major in English. 650 01:17:10,000 --> 01:17:16,000 I'm an incoming law student and gold honors scholar at USC Gold and I'm not a resident of Long Beach. 651 01:17:17,000 --> 01:17:22,000 I'm probably from Lakewood, but as a close neighbor of the city, I really do consider Long Beach my second home. 652 01:17:22,000 --> 01:17:29,000 This school's I attended. This sports team site played for my family's favorite restaurants and all my best friends homes are located here. 653 01:17:29,000 --> 01:17:33,000 Additionally, some of my favorite libraries are in Long Beach. 654 01:17:33,000 --> 01:17:41,000 I walk with my childhood library where my mom would let me check out 12 random hard covers and the librarians would smile knowing I'd probably only read about three of them. 655 01:17:41,000 --> 01:17:46,000 Bock is where I took my first all-sap practice test and scored something that didn't make me want to pass out. 656 01:17:46,000 --> 01:17:49,000 And where I still go to browse titles on days I crave a quiet moment. 657 01:17:49,000 --> 01:17:59,000 Michelle Obama held a community event I attended in high school with a club I founded and holds a fond place in my heart for offering a space for young adults to explore valuable community resources. 658 01:17:59,000 --> 01:18:07,000 When I recently learned of the proposed budget cuts to library hours and stopping, I knew I had to make my gratitude for Long Beach libraries known. 659 01:18:07,000 --> 01:18:16,000 How amazing is it? How proud are you to be public servants of a facility whose facilities are this dear to members outside of your community. 660 01:18:16,000 --> 01:18:24,000 If I feel so profoundly impacted by the downsizing, stripping down of and shutting of your libraries, imagine how your residents might feel. 661 01:18:24,000 --> 01:18:30,000 How the students of Long Beach may not have a safe and stable place to start their weeks off focused and hopeful in Monday's might feel. 662 01:18:30,000 --> 01:18:42,000 For a land consistent access to these books, computers, tables, desks, chair, the air conditioning and overall safety to continually empower and invest into themselves as they pursue higher education. 663 01:18:42,000 --> 01:18:46,000 Education that they in turn will eventually use to pour back into this city. 664 01:18:46,000 --> 01:18:51,000 Or the members of your community who eagerly look forward to Mondays to receive a smile and hello from the front desk staff. 665 01:18:51,000 --> 01:18:56,000 Who's only consistent social interaction we come from when they're librarian asks them what they're reading. 666 01:18:56,000 --> 01:19:04,000 As our world continues to wrap the be change and every space that seems to be safe, clean, exciting and stable comes out of cost. 667 01:19:04,000 --> 01:19:09,000 Libraries are one of if not the last third space is still accessible to the public at large. 668 01:19:09,000 --> 01:19:17,000 Where educational personal and creative growth isn't limited by your zip code, your mode of transportation, your tax bracket or how much you have in your wallet. 669 01:19:17,000 --> 01:19:22,000 Libraries are the playgrounds for the dreamers, the worldly laparines for the curious and the rest stops for the weary. 670 01:19:22,000 --> 01:19:27,000 Long Beach. Why limit the potential of your community by limiting the accessibility of your libraries? 671 01:19:27,000 --> 01:19:38,000 In the time between this moment and the upcoming budget revision meeting, I implore you to keep the dreamers, the curious, the weary and all those in between at the forefront of your mind when deciding the best interests for your community. 672 01:19:38,000 --> 01:19:40,000 Thank you for your time. 673 01:19:40,000 --> 01:19:42,000 Thank you so much. 674 01:19:46,000 --> 01:19:48,000 They've got closest public comment. 675 01:19:48,000 --> 01:19:50,000 All right, we'll see you in the additional comment. 676 01:19:50,000 --> 01:19:52,000 We are adjourned. 677 01:19:52,000 --> 01:19:54,000 Thank you everyone.