[0:17] Good evening, everyone. Uh, we're about to call the meeting to order
[0:24] if we can please everyone take your seats.
[0:28] okay. Thank you. Um, I'm councilman darryl augh.
[0:32] uh, I'll be chairing tonight's meeting, uh, the mayor and vice mayor our
[0:36] way, and that's why I'm in the seat tonight. Um,
[0:42] the time is 5 0 5 june 16th, 2026. So
[0:46] we'd like to call the meeting to order. And can we have a roll call, please? Madam
[0:50] clerk councilwoman s present councilwoman
[0:55] ellen present. Council member duggan. Here. Councilman
[0:59] subina. Here. Councilwoman kerr. Present councilwoman
[1:03] sorrow. Present vice mayor oranga councilwoman
[1:07] thrash. And took here. Council member rick sodi. Here. Mayor richardson.
[1:13] we have a quorum. Okay. Thank you. Um,
[1:17] at each meeting we rotate, uh, a different council member, um,
[1:21] delivers the, um, moment of silence and the pledge. And tonight
[1:26] that honor goes to councilwoman cindy allen. Thank you everyone. If everyone would
[1:30] be so kind, a moment of silence for all of our police officers and
[1:34] firefighters that work so hard for our city and our protection. If we can have a moment of silence, please.
[1:50] thank you so much for your service to our city. And if you're able to please stand up and
[1:54] face, uh, and face the flag.
[2:19] okay, thank you. The first order of business tonight is a presentation for
[2:23] employee of the month, uh, from the city manager's office, and the city
[2:27] manager is also absent tonight. So in its place we have assistant city manager, april
[2:31] walker. Uh, april. You have the floor.
[2:41] okay. Thank you so much, uh, chair of their meeting this evening. Councilman
[2:45] augh and council members. So every quarter we
[2:50] give our employee of the month presentation and we're really excited to recognize
[2:54] these hard deserving colleagues of ours who support operations citywide.
[2:59] and so we will cover april, may, and june this evening. So if you can
[3:04] come forward as I read your bio, and then we'll take a photo. So the first one
[3:08] is angel marquez from the utilities
[3:12] department, chief construction inspector angel leads a team of eight
[3:16] construction inspectors, ensuring that all water and sewer infrastructure projects meet
[3:21] lvud standards. Long beach utilities department, he is widely
[3:25] recognized as a glue person who keeps construction activities on track
[3:29] and communicates effectively across teams and stakeholders. Angel regularly,
[3:34] uh, regularly steps into inspect sites, resolve
[3:38] issues, and addresses complaints. He's one, also one of our go-to leaders
[3:42] for emergency water and sewer repairs, frequently responding to after
[3:46] hours events, and often managing our most challenging field situations.
[4:03] whoever wants to mug .
[4:08] alright, here.
[4:13] thank you.
[4:19] one, two.
[4:23] thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[4:28] okay. Uh, the next for april is tiffany lamb, deputy city
[4:32] auditor city auditor's office. Tiffany joined the city in 2023
[4:36] after serving in a managerial role at davis far, bringing years of
[4:40] auditing expertise through her leadership, vast knowledge of government auditing
[4:44] and accounting and collaborative management approach. Tiffany consistently drives
[4:48] the success of our projects and empowers her team to achieve shared goals that
[4:53] support a better long beach. Tiffany's analytical skills and strategic mindset
[4:57] have led to an impactful findings and innovative solution-oriented
[5:01] recommendations that improve city operations. Among her many accomplishments,
[5:06] tiffany has led two major audits that not only enhance city operations through
[5:10] implemented recommendations, but also earned national recognition through prestigious
[5:15] 19 awards, including the construction and demolition performance audit
[5:19] and the development impact fees, performance audit, tiffany's dedication,
[5:24] professionalism, and commitment to excellence set a high standard for those around
[5:28] her. She truly embodies the values of the auditor's office and is highly deserving
[5:32] of this recognition. Please join us in congratulating tiffany on her outstanding
[5:37] service and dedication to the city.
[6:03] all right. We move into may, our first
[6:07] may employee of the month. Oh, yes. Thank you for flipping through. Here we go. Is jeffrey holland,
[6:12] clerk typist three. Energy and environmental services department. Jeffrey holland
[6:16] consistently exemplifies professionalism, teamwork, and a strong commitment to
[6:21] supporting his colleagues. He always approaches work with the initiative to get things
[6:25] done. Jeff is known for his willingness to volunteer and step in wherever is needed.
[6:29] his genuine des desire to contribute to the department's success is evident in both
[6:33] his daily contributions and his proactive approach to improvement. Jeff has
[6:37] been instrumental in the integration of the new energy and environmental
[6:41] services department, which is comprised of energy resources and public
[6:46] work staff. His assistant with coordinating the move of staff from multiple
[6:50] locations was crucial to the project success. He also has been
[6:54] responsible for initiating team building events and assisting with the ees
[6:59] all hands meetings. He is also both a floor warden and racial
[7:03] equity champion. Jeff's reliability commitment to assisting colleagues
[7:07] initiative and dedication to the department are what have made him an
[7:11] invaluable member of ees.
[7:24] thank you.
[7:29] oh, yeah. If you want your parents up there, that's the most important.
[7:42] they don't.
[7:49] thank you. Congratulations. Congratulations. Nice to meet you.
[7:55] okay. Next we have joshua valencia, moreno, police officer,
[7:59] police department officer josh valencia moreno is highly deserving of
[8:04] employee of the month for his exceptional leadership initiative and impact on recruitment,
[8:09] retention and department operations. As one of the department's lead recruiters, he
[8:13] manages a list of more than 700 potential candidates, coordinates
[8:17] over 30 recruitment events each month and played a role, a key role in achieving 100
[8:22] recruits for class 100. Drawing from his experience as
[8:26] a former us marine, he has been especially successful in recruiting and
[8:30] mentoring military and college applicants help, helping
[8:34] strengthen both the quality and diversity of the applicant pool.
[8:38] in addition, he serves as a campaign manager for the 30 for 30 initiative,
[8:42] and as an instructor in the police recruit non-career program where he has helped
[8:47] prepare and retain approximately seven recruits prior to academy
[8:51] entry. Beyond recruitment, he supports the department through his service on
[8:55] the honor guard, crowd management team, explorer advisor, special
[9:00] weapons and tactics, technical and drone pilot. He
[9:04] is also a member and organizer of the baker to vegas race committee. Through his dedication,
[9:08] leadership, and wide region contributions, officer valencia moreno
[9:13] has made a significant and lasting impact on the department making him an outstanding
[9:17] choice for employee of the month.
[9:29] we can
[9:38] congratulations. They have to come back.
[9:46] come. Oh boy. We got a whole toyota apartment. Okay,
[9:53] for you, josh. All right.
[10:05] we need squeeze in, huh?
[10:12] okay. Everyone over here. One, two.
[10:25] okay. I'm gonna ask any pd, any pd that will stay
[10:30] behind for our civilian employee of the month to just hang out so we can quickly
[10:34] take our next photo. So our next employee of
[10:38] the month is corinne swart crime analyst police department.
[10:43] corinne consistently exceeds expectations routinely working extended hours, and
[10:47] maintaining a high level of responsiveness. She provides command staff with
[10:51] critical updates and emerging trends, patterns and actionable intelligence.
[10:55] her professionalism, reliability, and strong sense of ownership over her work have
[10:59] had a direct and measurable impact on operational effectiveness.
[11:04] in addition to her core responsibilities, corinne has embraced innovative real-time
[11:08] crime monitoring practices by utilizing genetech camera systems,
[11:13] coordinating with on-duty personnel. She has also developed a patrol
[11:17] information notification that provides officers with timely intelligence,
[11:21] unwanted individuals for serious crimes. She also assisted the
[11:25] east division during a vacancy in their crime analyst position, and has supported
[11:29] targeted crime reduction strategies within designated priority grids.
[11:34] through detailed analysis and strategic recommendations, corinne
[11:38] exemplifies the department's values of respect, compassion, service, integrity,
[11:42] and accountability. Her work ethic initiative and commitment to excellence significantly
[11:47] enhance the capabilities of the department and contribute to the safety
[11:51] and wellbeing of the community we serve.
[11:59] thank you so much. Thank you.
[12:11] these guys. Sorry.
[12:23] holy slopes. Hi everybody. , can you stand on your toes
[12:29] over here? One and
[12:37] hold.
[12:43] thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you.
[12:48] brandon boyd. Say his name, boy. Brandon boyd. Okay. So we
[12:53] have our last employee of the month that we'd like to honor today. And this is an
[12:57] employee of the month for june. Uh, yali santana, city
[13:01] clerk specialist city clerk's office. Yali has been an outstanding member
[13:05] of the city clerk's office whose dedication, professionalism, and continued
[13:10] growth have made a meaningful impact on the department. During her four years with the
[13:14] office, she has consistently demonstrated exceptional detail, attention
[13:18] to detail, a strong work ethic, and an eagerness to learn and understand the
[13:22] city's processes. Since promoting from city clerk, clerk assistant to
[13:26] city clerk specialists, she has expanded her knowledge and responsibility while remaining
[13:31] a dependable team member. Yali plays a key role in conforming
[13:35] contracts, ordinances, resolutions, and manages the passport program
[13:39] with efficiency and care. And much patience because I brought my children for that. And you
[13:43] are wonderful. Thank you. She also supports civic engagement,
[13:48] outreach efforts, assist residents with public comments, signups, and questions regarding
[13:52] city meeting processes, providing helpful and professional customer service.
[13:57] most recently, she has begun training on clerking city council meetings
[14:02] and has shown great enthusiasm and initiative in preparing to join the legislative
[14:06] team. Her positive attitude, adaptability, and commitment to providing
[14:10] excellent service make her a valuable asset to the department and well deserving of
[14:14] this recognition.
[14:38] thank you. Thank you, thank you. Do you want to take,
[14:42] and thank you so much to chair and counsel for allowing us this time every quarter.
[14:46] it's super important, and as you can see, uh, colleagues and family are very excited
[14:50] to celebrate our well-deserving employees. Okay. Thank
[14:54] you. April. Let's hear it for all the employees.
[14:59] okay. Um, now we're going to move to, uh, general public
[15:03] comment. Um, number one, this is public comment
[15:08] for non-ag council items. We'll wait till, uh,
[15:12] those folks make their exit.
[15:17] and, um, I'm obligated to give my first,
[15:21] uh, warning. And that is, um, shouting out from the
[15:26] audience is not permitted. And so consider this the first,
[15:30] uh, warning. Thank you.
[15:56] okay. The speaker signed up to speak is seymour justice x
[16:01] gray tay anthony holmes, steven solo,
[16:06] g russell clamp, carolyn essex, and
[16:10] dave shukla. If you could please line up at the podium.
[16:28] oh, uh, hi everybody. Uh, I'm here as a concerned citizen.
[16:33] uh, hello, counsel minus mr. Oranga
[16:37] and, um, oh, rex. And unfortunately,
[16:41] tom moca's not here, but, uh, I'm a history teacher. And,
[16:45] um, I've been thinking about some connections between what seems to be happening in the world,
[16:50] in the country. And right here in this room with a moment in history.
[16:54] I'm gonna talk to you about france in 1940 through 1944,
[17:00] um, when axis powers germany invaded france,
[17:04] the south of france, known as vichy french rule, decided to
[17:08] collaborate with fascist nazis in an effort to
[17:12] get a better deal from the nazi power and gain some autonomy.
[17:18] it didn't work in 1942, they ended up getting, uh, fully
[17:22] taken over and occupied anyway. But the
[17:26] idea that fascism is on the horizon or far
[17:30] away, I think we, a lot of us still have that idea. Fascism
[17:35] is right here in the united states right now. And on an, you
[17:39] know, more and more it feels like fascism is on the rise right here
[17:43] in these city council chambers. So I'm gonna hope that
[17:47] tonight, a little later, when you are voting to, you know,
[17:51] curtail public comment, you'll kind of think of these connections. You
[17:55] might think they're like way out of line or way, like, uh,
[17:59] too much. But when I see things like
[18:05] black hawk helicopters with military people repelling onto
[18:09] hotel roofs, firing live rounds,
[18:14] and our city giving nothing but a very tepid response, really
[18:19] no response to it. Whether you have control over it or not, that's
[18:23] vichy french energy. When I see us
[18:28] pretend to be a sustain, uh, um,
[18:32] sanctuary city, but do very little to nothing
[18:36] to protect our citizens who are our residents, who are being kidnapped
[18:41] off the streets, except for a big banner up on top of city
[18:45] hall for a couple of days, that's vichy french
[18:49] energy. When I hear that the city council
[18:53] is gonna restrict public comment and make it
[18:57] so that it's harder and harder for you to hear from the public,
[19:02] that's vichy french energy. And I'm gonna encourage you
[19:06] and challenge you to not be like the vichy french
[19:11] fascism is here. Don't be a part of it. One day we'll all be opposed to
[19:15] this. Pretend like we are against it. You could do that right now.
[19:19] stop leaning into fascism and be a part of the resistance, please.
[19:23] thank you. And roll out of long
[19:28] beach. Our, uh, our next speaker I have
[19:32] listed is gray. Is that, is that accurate?
[19:36] x ibi x. Oh, I'm sorry. X, x or gray x. Alright,
[19:41] I apologize. X so this is a continues, uh, public comment
[19:45] on non-ag agenda items. Every time city
[19:49] council proposes something seemingly good, it's nothing but
[19:53] lipstick on a pig. 2015, you voted to
[19:57] build a more modern civic center in part to promote civic engagement.
[20:02] the old city hall chambers was the embodiment of democracy. It was the rule of the people
[20:06] where we, the people sat high and observed. You are public servants.
[20:10] the old city chambers were surrounded by full high glass windows where the public could look down
[20:15] into the proceedings. Lipstick on the pig, the new city chambers
[20:20] is a, is the anti, uh, thesis. The
[20:24] dais is above the people, and the chambers are completely surrounded in opaque walls.
[20:28] the glass on the outside simulates transparency, but it's only skin deep.
[20:33] 2005, the adopt, uh, the city adopted the greenport policy
[20:37] intended to reduce the negative environmental impacts of port operations. And you
[20:42] called our port the green port lipstick on the pig in 2014
[20:46] against every single environmental organization in long beach and the state. You renewed
[20:50] the contract for exporting the dirtiest fuels produced by the us coal
[20:54] and petroleum coke. 2015, you voted unanimously
[20:59] to create three parks in the park, star north and western long beach,
[21:04] uh, and called them the pearls of the la river lipstick on the pig.
[21:09] after campaign investments from the developers into your pockets, you voted in
[21:13] favor of two gated communities and a 14 acre asphalt parking
[21:17] lot. The iic of the cake was you called the parking lot an
[21:21] environmentally responsible project. 2018,
[21:26] you invoked the voting rights act and the boogeyman of,
[21:30] uh, unlimited, uh, number of terms to increase term limits. The
[21:34] lipstick on the pig, as we predicted this anti-democratic
[21:39] fascist measure resulted in three count, uh, council members serving three
[21:43] terms in the city's 129 year history.
[21:47] only two people had achieved the third term. In the last eight years,
[21:51] we have had three council members serving 12 years, including
[21:55] super na and uranga. In 2020, in the aftermath
[21:59] of the george floyd protest, you acknowledged that the city's police complaint commission
[22:04] was a farce. And after extensive inter interviews with
[22:08] those of us who have been negatively affected by the police, you promised to right the
[22:12] wrong lipstick on the pig, instead of fixing the commission, you eliminated
[22:16] it. 2026. Today
[22:21] you sent out one of your typical push polls,
[22:25] designed as a survey ostensibly to inform city council on
[22:29] ways to increase public participation in council meetings,
[22:34] more lipstick on the pig. True to form, you're about to pass an
[22:38] anti-democratic ordinance that does the complete opposite
[22:42] no, on 49 and, and real out of long beach.
[22:50] okay, thank you. Uh, the next speaker is gray.
[22:58] uh, last week this council awarded a contract to this superlative group of cleveland,
[23:03] ohio to consult and evaluate advertising opportunities and
[23:07] design ad an advertising program for city owned spaces. Some
[23:11] of us questioned why this project and funds weren't used on local advertising
[23:15] services. The council said, uh, long beach doesn't have this specific service.
[23:20] I think there probably was local talent that would've been up to the task. But anyway,
[23:25] it recently came to light that ohio secretly gave 100% sales tax breaks
[23:29] lasting up to 40 years to tech giants for data centers. These exemptions
[23:34] give google meta and amazon $600 million each. So
[23:38] just a reminder that data centers are destroying our environment and they need to
[23:42] be stopped. So maybe just next time, award the contract to a local
[23:46] business. Just keep it local. And speaking of things that need to be stopped,
[23:51] android industries, a weapons manufacturing industry is setting up
[23:55] shop in our backyard, a 1.18 million square foot campus
[23:59] close to the long beach airport. Android industries is known for making
[24:03] autonomous weapons and has ties to gkn aerospace, which was
[24:08] recently responsible for a mass evacuation in garden grove due to a chemical leak.
[24:13] this council, despite our objections, approved contracts that support ice in
[24:17] the dhs, even as people continue to die in ice custody, in
[24:21] cases of sexual abuse, medical neglect and inadequate nutrition
[24:25] continue even as israel's genocide of the palestinians and its bombings
[24:29] of lebanon. Continue, this council approved a contract with
[24:33] lexus nexus cop logic solutions, which contributes to mass surveillance
[24:38] as outlined in their contract with ice, which also indicates that ice
[24:42] aims to surveil individuals who are, where no crime has been committed.
[24:46] it also approved a contract with general dynamics it, which holds more than one multimillion
[24:51] dollar contract with the, the dhs. It approved a contract with
[24:55] gov connection inc. Which also holds a contract with the dhs in a
[24:59] time where congress is now trying to not just figurative, figuratively, but literally
[25:03] tie our military to the israeli military. This city at the besst
[25:08] of this council, will be a hub of mass surveillance and weapons
[25:12] manufacturing. So I want to, again, advocate for the council to adopt
[25:16] the civil and human rights screening policy so that there's a line of defense in
[25:20] place to prevent our taxpayer money from being invested in acts of war
[25:24] and war crimes and other aggressions against humanity.
[25:29] and, uh, these first public comments are inaccessible for people who are working normal hours or
[25:33] have a long commute. So some of us have to request time off to get here.
[25:37] so trying to make these start times even earlier would be ridiculous.
[25:41] andro out of long beach, f**k ice, f**k israel free palestine.
[25:50] okay, our our next speaker is tay. And just a reminder,
[25:54] this is general po public comment for non agendized items.
[26:02] I, I have tay tay. Is that accurate?
[26:07] okay. Uh, after tay is anthony holmes,
[26:18] y'all can start my time.
[26:24] somehow I think white america is paying. Somehow I think
[26:28] white america is, is paying black america back for the oj for the
[26:32] oj trial. I want to thank donald trump tonight.
[26:36] I know what y'all thinking. Oh, is anthony a republican? Not at all. I'm not a democrat
[26:40] or a republican. I want to thank donald trump
[26:44] for giving white people, white racist people, the courage to come be racist
[26:49] publicly. No more hiding than behind closed doors. And I want y'all to tell
[26:53] rex the next time he start my time without me speaking, since he wanna arrest
[26:57] my voice, tell him to arrest my hands, have long beach pd put me in handcuffs. It
[27:01] won't be the first time I've been put in handcuffs for no reason. Um,
[27:07] what I've been asking for for the last four years is free. I'm
[27:11] not coming down here asking for no funding, begging you guys, if I come down here asking for something,
[27:15] I'm demanding it. If I don't get it, I'm taking it.
[27:20] and what I'm asking for is free. And that's justice
[27:24] for all black workers that's going through what I'm going through. And
[27:29] april walker sarah green, you know, I respect y'all. Y'all did
[27:33] something for me and one of my coworkers, that
[27:38] black people that look like me wouldn't do and ask.
[27:45] really, really investigated something that happened in our department.
[27:49] something I've been fighting for, for four years publicly. I'm not talking
[27:53] about the times that I wasn't fighting for this, you know,
[27:57] and I 49. It's just, it's
[28:02] just the disrespect. You guys are so, so busy. But y'all have time
[28:07] to put this on the agenda. The take away, not take
[28:11] away public comments. The shortening 'em the 90 seconds is just disrespectful. So that shows me what y'all
[28:16] think about the public. You know, I don't, I don't, I
[28:20] don't agree with it, it's just sad. Um,
[28:26] but I have the end is protect black workers, protect black workers, protect black workers
[28:31] until my black employees, well, black leadership in the city of long beach. I'll
[28:35] be coming at y'all for the next four years. Y'all have a nice day.
[28:44] our next speaker is steven soto. I'm pulling an order. Yeah,
[28:48] I want to know what order I'm in.
[28:53] carolyn essex, here's speaker number nine. Thank you.
[28:57] okay. We're, we're now on speaker number six. Is that accurate? That's
[29:02] accurate. Steven. Solo. Solo. That's right. Mm-hmm . Mm-hmm .
[29:06] alright. Uh, I said non agenda item. Uh, only
[29:10] 'cause it never really feels like morality's on the agenda here. Uh,
[29:15] but I am more, I am pretty concerned to hear that you
[29:19] about the efforts to limit our time together. You know, it, it kind
[29:23] of, I dunno, like if you don't want to see or hear from the people you know, just tell us. It
[29:27] don't string us along. You know, it's like a bad breakup, you know, just, if you don't wanna see us, tell us.
[29:31] we'll make our voices here another way. We'll find a way. Now,
[29:36] I want to thank all my comrades that are here, that got all the facts. 'cause most of what I got are feelings. Okay?
[29:40] and we're all here. None of us are paid to be here. I mean, some of us are.
[29:45] now, I came here in an effort to follow the rules, you know, to lawfully express
[29:50] my feelings, my emotions. Even though we have leaders in this country that have completely
[29:54] disregarded those rules to make their will and their feelings known,
[30:03] those in charge do not appear to have a conscience to me.
[30:08] and the, all the laws that we have a history of here in this country that have been
[30:12] unjust, some of 'em that are no longer here, some of 'em are still here. Were never changed because
[30:16] the officials gained a conscience. It was because the people forced them to change.
[30:23] I wanna mention, uh, a friend of mine by the name of kai guerro, who's
[30:27] been locked up for almost a year now, that's a year without
[30:31] trial. So that's an innocent man. You have locked up without his court approved medications without
[30:36] food access to his family, the people that he cares about as a man losing
[30:40] his life slowly disintegrating because paperwork getting passed
[30:44] around from city official to city official. I know for a fact people here that have responded
[30:48] in emails, passed them along to other people. That's a life you've passed along. Imagine being
[30:52] that family, watching, seeing themselves being passed along from official, official while you make magic
[30:57] happen for corporations to come in here, murderous corporations
[31:01] that are gonna come here and milk weapons to, to go kill people in other countries
[31:05] off of our tax money. Meanwhile, we got people rotten themselves
[31:10] that don't even need to be there.
[31:16] that's andel. We want andel outta long beach. We want ice outta long
[31:20] beach. If we're up to me, if it were up to me, I'd have the police outta long beach.
[31:24] okay? I heard somebody earlier mention brandon boyd.
[31:29] I'm gonna say his voice out loud for brandon boyd. 'cause that's another life right there. Lost
[31:33] how many families out there we in, I, I don't even have enough time on that list right there to mention all
[31:37] the names. Accountability. That's right. Accountability.
[31:41] and that's something we don't see here. We feel it as people. We face the accountability
[31:46] for your actions, for your spending, our money. You're standing on the piles of our tax money
[31:50] saying you can't do nothing but give it to the police. Meanwhile, our kids can't even get a proper education
[31:54] here. Woo. So that's something y'all need to fix.
[31:59] and like I said, I don't got facts. I just got feelings. And that's how I feel and will outta long
[32:03] beach f**k ice. Woo. Okay. Our next speaker
[32:07] is g is is g here?
[32:12] sweet. Yeah. Okay. Thank you.
[32:19] all right.
[32:23] hmm. Whew.
[32:28] all right. So, um, I saw long beach has a sign
[32:33] out there on ocean boulevard. Long beach
[32:37] is a vibe city. What vibes are we giving off
[32:42] ice as those ick holes were staying down here and
[32:46] most likely still are? Fascist city as
[32:50] most of this council is so eager to assist this regime
[32:55] in the white house. By the way, did you guys enjoy that spectacle of ufc
[33:00] and how stupid we look to everyone all over the world? It was, uh, pretty
[33:05] sad. Anyhow, so again,
[33:09] like I was saying, this council is more than likely, I mean more than happy to assist this
[33:13] regime, um, by way of ordinance 49,
[33:17] which is going to move the start time from five o'clock to what?
[33:21] 4, 4 15, when people could barely make it. Again, I've said
[33:25] this before, you guys could barely make it when you're here, you're not even here.
[33:30] this is our only recourse for what you guys
[33:34] are doing. You guys decide what you do with our money,
[33:38] you guys decide whether or not we should have, um,
[33:43] los mutos. You guys are deciding whether or not,
[33:47] um, we should have pride. Guess what? Two of those things didn't happen.
[33:52] every other city had it except for us. And of course, thank
[33:56] you ua. You continue to do your job of nothing. I appreciate
[34:00] that. You know, speaking of ua and dr.
[34:04] joni, you guys continue to sit up here and look
[34:08] down upon us. Where your freaking constituents,
[34:12] how the f**k you guys think you guys got here with us? If it
[34:16] wasn't for us, you guys wouldn't be up here. And some of you guys will stay. I'll
[34:20] give you that. But some of you guys will go. So if
[34:24] you want to stay and if you actually want
[34:28] to care to listen to your constituents, say no to 49,
[34:34] say no to those other ordinances that are, that you guys use
[34:38] for sb 7 0 7 to dissect and say, ooh, this is a great
[34:42] excuse for us not to hear what the people want to say.
[34:47] again, this is our only recourse right now. And if you guys think you guys are safe up here for right
[34:51] now, think again, think again. Because
[34:55] guess what? You are once us and we are still you.
[34:59] and, uh, with the time I have left, I wanna say, uh, go iran.
[35:04] go iraq. F**k ice free palestine, and
[35:08] I love you lebanon. C chao, fornell.
[35:15] okay, uh, speaker number eight is russell clampett.
[35:24] good evening. My name is russell clampett, and thank you for allowing
[35:28] me to speak. And this is about the military
[35:32] exercises in long beach on the night of june 4th.
[35:36] and I see the city responded to the military, uh, last week
[35:40] by letter, and I appreciate that. But I'd like to make two additional
[35:44] suggestions. First, who
[35:49] or what was the entity that allowed its vacant hotel
[35:54] to be used for that exercise that night?
[35:58] and we had the closure of an important state highway,
[36:02] and it was near homes and businesses. And
[36:06] I want to know who owns that hotel and who agreed and how much
[36:10] did they get paid. And they created a situation that inconvenienced
[36:15] a lot of people, including our own police, who had to block the highway.
[36:19] and I think the city needs to go after that owner and get a fine
[36:23] or prosecutor or whatever. And secondly,
[36:27] more importantly, be proactive. Contact
[36:32] the military now and tell them, no,
[36:36] you're not coming into this city for your training exercises. You
[36:40] got these giant bases at camp pendleton, fort irwin, 29
[36:44] palms. There's lots of places where you can practice and blow
[36:49] up stuff. Sorry. Now I'm gonna assume that the
[36:53] military will ignore that letter. Or maybe they'll just respond and they'll
[36:57] say, well, we're the united states military. We can do whatever we want.
[37:02] and trump and hegseth said, we can do whatever we want. And I
[37:06] ask that you push back, file a lawsuit for an injunctive order,
[37:11] or whatever the city attorney might suggest. And you know what? You'll
[37:15] probably win the lawsuit. 'cause trump's lawyers aren't very good. All
[37:20] the smart lawyers have gone. So give it your best shot.
[37:25] maybe you can get a public interest law firm to help, but you can get a
[37:29] judgment that keeps the military out of our city for any future
[37:34] training exercises. You know,
[37:38] 120 years ago, the ku klux klan would go into a town and they'd go up
[37:42] on a hillside and they'd set up a big cross and they'd set it on
[37:46] fire. And the klan wasn't doing that to practice their fire building skills.
[37:50] they were doing it to, or roast marshmallows. They were doing it to intimidate
[37:55] people, particularly black people. And I would submit to you
[37:59] that the us military is trying to do the same things with their training
[38:03] exercises. They're trying to intimidate the people who live here.
[38:08] they're trying to intimidate the government and our police department.
[38:13] don't let them do that. Thank you very much. Yeah.
[38:19] okay. Our final speaker, oh, I'm sorry. We have, uh,
[38:23] carolyn's, uh, speaker number nine, carolyn essex.
[38:32] thank you. Good evening, members of the council. Carolyn
[38:36] essex, district one happy juneteenth week.
[38:40] uh, we celebrate freedom day june 19th, 1865.
[38:44] we celebrate resilience. Number one, we celebrate freedom
[38:49] and joy, our history, uh,
[38:53] american history. We honor the strength, courage, and
[38:57] contributions of black americans past, present, and future.
[39:02] every element of the flag intentionally mirrors and,
[39:06] and, uh, reclaims american history. The
[39:10] colors red, white, and blue. The color scheme deliberately uses the colors of
[39:14] the american flag. This serves as a reminder that the formerly enslaved
[39:19] people and their descendants were and are full
[39:23] americans. The central star, the white five pointed star in the center
[39:27] has a dual meaning. It represents texas, the lone star state, where
[39:32] the final enforcement of the emancipation proclamation
[39:36] was delivered in galveston on june 19th, 1865.
[39:40] it also symbolizes the freedom of african americans
[39:45] across all 50 states. The nova burst
[39:49] the multi-point outline surrounding the star represents
[39:53] a nova, a new star. This signifies a new beginning,
[39:58] a new dawn of freedom, and a new future for african americans. The arc, the
[40:02] curve line, dividing the red and blue fields represents a horizon.
[40:07] it symbolizes the promise of progress, growth, and the ongoing
[40:12] journey toward full equality and opportunity.
[40:16] and I wish I had my flag tonight, but amazon overnight
[40:21] is a lie. , this week, communities
[40:25] across our nation will celebrate juneteenth the day that news of freedom finally reached
[40:30] its last enslaved american americans in galveston, texas.
[40:34] as I reflect on juneteenth this year, I think of our ancestors, the ones
[40:38] who survived, who sacrificed, who built families, businesses, churches, neighborhoods,
[40:42] and communities. Despite barriers designed to hold them back,
[40:46] I think of their courage and faith. And how do we honor them by revitalizing
[40:51] neighborhoods that have been neglected for decades by
[40:55] ensuring our streets are safe, our public spaces are welcoming by addressing
[40:59] homelessness with compassion and effectiveness, by investing in our
[41:04] children and creating opportunities for future generations to thrive
[41:09] by recognizing that democracy works best when every voice matters, and every
[41:13] community is seen. So tonight for me to you, you guys simply wanna say,
[41:17] happy juneteenth long beach. May we honor our past
[41:22] and inspire our future. May we remain strong together, better together,
[41:26] thank you, protect black city workers, protect black families.
[41:31] reparations are a legal remedy for state sanctioned unjust policies and
[41:35] crimes against your time has included. Thank you. Thank you.
[41:42] okay, our, uh, our final speaker, speaker number 10 is dave shukla.
[41:47] and dave, we'll move to consent right after this, so you can hang out there if you wanna speak on consent.
[41:52] thank you, chair sono council members. So
[41:56] how about them next? I think, uh, after
[42:00] 30 minutes of, uh, being yelled at, we could all,
[42:04] uh, appreciate some levity. Um,
[42:09] the stated, uh,
[42:13] topic that I was gonna talk about was, uh, rollback, which, uh, for those
[42:17] of you who don't know, is a technical term. When, uh, systems,
[42:22] uh, they can be technological systems, they can be human systems, organizational
[42:27] systems, uh, achieve a certain level of complexity or differentiation,
[42:31] but then are called backwards to an earlier state that is
[42:35] not as complex, not as effective. Um,
[42:40] there are a lot of, uh, examples of rollback lately. Um,
[42:44] but I like to do something else because this part might perhaps be my only time to be
[42:48] able to be a bit more interactive, a bit more loose, uh, be able to, uh,
[42:53] respond to things that I just heard that made me think of something else. Um,
[42:57] maybe my thoughts aren't worth anyone's time, but since I got a minute, uh,
[43:01] and change, uh, I, I'd like to say a bit about why I come to city council and,
[43:05] uh, what my method has been. Um,
[43:11] as I've, uh, spoken to a couple of you, uh,
[43:15] I left graduate school early, uh, deliberately
[43:19] to try and build something in the city. And that was a community choice energy
[43:23] program. Uh, basically to take over electricity service
[43:28] for the residents and businesses of long beach, um, from edison and
[43:32] do it at a cheaper rate, um, than what
[43:36] edison currently can provide. Fun fact, the united arab emirates
[43:42] just yesterday announced they're building one of the world's largest storage, uh, solar
[43:46] and storage, uh, installations. Do you know how much
[43:50] they're gonna charge for electricity? 1 cent,
[43:54] 1 cent per kilowatt hour. On the economic argument,
[43:59] clean energy has won. We are in the mid transition of a better,
[44:03] brighter, cleaner future. But here in southern california, we are
[44:07] paying the second highest rates in the nation, second only to pg e. Uh, we
[44:11] pay between 38 and 44 cents for residential. It can be a lot more depending
[44:16] on what type of commercial installation you have. And yet, somehow,
[44:21] uh, the service, even though, you know, in the eaton fire killed people, is not as bad as
[44:25] pg e's. Um,
[44:30] as you've heard from a lot of the speakers before me, there's a lot of frustration, not just at you,
[44:34] but the way things are going throughout the country. And this is their first kind
[44:38] of point of contact with governance and hopefully with governance done right.
[44:43] um, I appreciate that councilman super nas the, uh, chair today
[44:47] because you run a tight ship, sir. I like it. I like things that move quickly. Uh, I like,
[44:51] I don't like having my time wasted, but I, I encourage you all to listen because
[44:55] be your only chance, your time has to include it. Thank you. Thank you.
[45:00] okay, thank you. We're going to move to the consent calendar now, and we have
[45:05] one item, item being pulled. Um, item number six. So we'll
[45:09] hear consent items one through five and seven through
[45:14] 13. So if you're, do we have a list of the public speakers? I know dave
[45:18] is speaking on five. It's item seven through 31. Oh,
[45:22] okay. Yes. You wanna do seven through 31 first? No, I, it's one . Oh,
[45:26] I'm sorry. I missed that. Did I, I didn't say seven through 31. Yes. That's funny. That's
[45:31] exactly how it's written here. So thank you for those accurate notes. No problem. Um,
[45:35] okay. So, uh, any public comment on items one through five
[45:39] or seven through 31? We need, uh, a second, please.
[45:44] oh, I'm sorry. Oh,
[45:52] we have, uh, dave shus signed up to speak fb
[45:57] seymour justice, please line up.
[46:02] I'm here to talk on item five. Uh, I think it's a great item. Uh, I'm not here to criticize.
[46:06] I'm here to applaud you. I think, uh, the city needs to take full advantage of,
[46:10] uh, programs like the california climate action corps. I, myself, uh, am an alum
[46:15] of that program, the city of oakland. Uh, this is the premier program
[46:19] along with civic spark, which I'm also an alum of , uh, in the
[46:23] state, uh, to do something meaningful about climate change, uh, in your
[46:27] locale, uh, in a way that is structured in a way that builds on previous efforts in
[46:31] a way that has, uh, appropriate tracking and metrics for evaluating
[46:36] its effectiveness. I applaud the city for continuing to partner with, uh,
[46:40] uh, bay area community resources on the california climate action corps. And I thank
[46:44] all of you. Okay. Uh, madam clerk,
[46:49] can you help me with the list? Yes. Uh, fb
[46:58] time starts. Matt. Good evening, everybody.
[47:02] um, I wanna say happy juneteenth
[47:06] and, uh, yes, please protect black workers and
[47:11] in honor of juneteenth and also black workers that are here with us
[47:15] tonight. Uh, a quote from brother malcolm x, you don't
[47:20] get freedom peacefully. Freedom is never safeguarded peacefully.
[47:25] anyone who is depriving you of freedom isn't deserving
[47:29] of a peaceful approach by the ones who are being deprived of their
[47:33] freedom. Saying that I'm speaking about item 27.
[47:38] um, it looks like you guys are going to contract out chargepoint
[47:43] inc. Who I will read out the case number, whoever's
[47:47] listening or watching. Um, it's case number 5 23
[47:52] c like charlie v like victor, 0 6 1 7 2
[47:57] con versus chargepoint, inc. This is a current status of
[48:01] a, um, lawsuit, currently had may 26,
[48:05] the current status, the judge has denied charge point's motion to dismiss
[48:10] the case. The judge noted that the updated case has no longer
[48:15] a, uh, what is it, presentation of conclusionary,
[48:20] uh, allegations, but rather a methodical chronological
[48:24] presentation tying the company's financial emissions directly to
[48:28] securities fraud. What the f**k are you guys doing?
[48:34] it took me two seconds to find this. You don't know that there's an active case right
[48:38] now with this same people. You wanna contract a $2.5 million
[48:44] contract to how dare you pieces of s**t,
[48:48] do your job. And then I also wanted to congratulate,
[48:52] um, ms. Santana, she's very nice to us,
[48:56] you know, human beings. And, um, I do agree that she is
[49:00] employee of the month, and I agree to that. At least you guys, um, you
[49:04] know, can come together on a really good and honest decision.
[49:09] thanks for doing that. Congratulations miss samantha or santana.
[49:14] um, go f**k yourselves. Do better.
[49:19] okay. The, um, see you more justice. The technical, uh, difficulties have been
[49:23] resolved and I think, uh, seymour justice is up now to speak on item number 25.
[49:28] mr. Justice, the floor is yours. Thank you, chairman. Um,
[49:33] I, uh, I'm here on number 25. I'm gonna be honest. Uh, some of these consent
[49:38] calendar items, I can't really, I'm not really sure what they're a hundred percent
[49:42] about. I, I, all the numbers and stuff. It's beyond my, uh, my
[49:46] knowledge base. But I do see, uh, ceqa there,
[49:50] uh, the california environmental quality act. And I also see,
[49:55] uh, douglas park, eir environmental impact report.
[49:59] and then I also see it says something about vacating
[50:03] a portion of conant street and cover street. And I'm not sure exactly
[50:08] what property that is, but I do know that a
[50:12] giant vast military industrial complex ai submarine
[50:17] building factory is coming to our backyard,
[50:21] councilwoman kerr, right in our backyard. I know you
[50:25] live right over there too. I know in garden grove, they just had
[50:29] to evacuate 50,000 people because
[50:33] gkna company had a horrible spill. Gkn
[50:38] has contracts with andro. Gkn is a little,
[50:42] little guy next to this proposed andel site.
[50:46] it's half the size and only 20% of that company is
[50:51] military. Like, I don't know, whatever they use to blow stuff up.
[50:55] so andel will be twice the size and 100%
[50:59] evil doing merchant of death ai submarine creation right
[51:03] in our backyard. And I'm in the evacuation zone, and I'm guessing
[51:07] almost everybody here would be in the evacuation zone.
[51:12] so I'm wondering, I hope anyway, this environmental income
[51:16] report, uh, impact report and the ceqa has nothing to
[51:20] do with this douglas park building operation. 'cause it looks like you're
[51:24] creating a carve out where somehow the eir and the ceqa
[51:29] is gonna be vacated. I'm here really to ask, please,
[51:34] pretty please, with a cherry on top, do
[51:38] whatever you can to force and roll to
[51:42] do everything that you can to force them to have the most,
[51:46] like in depth, slow them down with environmental impact reports.
[51:50] that's what I'm hoping I saw they already broke ground. They're moving dirt around. They
[51:54] got all the earth movers. I know that they're probably gonna be using our waters
[51:59] to do their little test runs with their ai automated submarines.
[52:04] okay. I really hope we'll turn away from what mayor
[52:08] rex did when we found out they were coming 5,000 jobs,
[52:13] more tax base, celebrating these merchants of death coming
[52:17] into our neighborhoods. I know that we've been tied to
[52:21] the military industrial complex since the beginning, but the days of
[52:25] rosie the riveter, yes, we can. We're the good guys trying to save,
[52:29] uh, germany, save france from germany over the time has concluded
[52:34] . Okay. That, uh,
[52:39] satisfies public comment. We have a, uh, fir, uh, motion
[52:44] and a second on this item. So, uh, members, we wanna cast
[52:48] our votes on items one through five and seven through 31.
[52:56] motions carried. Okay. Thank you. Now we'll move to item number
[53:00] six, which is being pulled. So, um, uh, councilwoman, would you like to,
[53:05] uh, do the cusal at this time? Yes. Thank you so much. Chair,
[53:09] go ahead. At this time, I need to recuse myself from item number six out of an abundance
[53:13] of caution. I may have a personal conflict regarding this matter due to a family
[53:18] relationship with obcc.
[53:33] okay. Um, so on item number six, we have a motion by megan kerr,
[53:38] a second by suli sorrow. Uh, do you have any public comment on item
[53:42] number? I'm gonna go ahead and read the recommendation. I'm sorry. Oh, I'm sorry.
[53:46] report from city manager recommendation to execute any necessary
[53:50] agreements with long beach community college district to allow for
[53:54] the placement of college corpse fellows at no cost to the city citywide.
[54:01] okay. Um, so, so we have a motion to second and public comment
[54:05] on, there's no public comment. No comment. Okay. Members, please cast
[54:09] your vote.
[54:17] motion carries. Okay.
[54:21] so, um, we'll move on with agenda when our, um, recused member
[54:25] returns. And, uh, next up
[54:30] is, uh, hearing item number 32,
[54:36] report from financial management recommendation to receive supporting
[54:40] documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing and grant
[54:45] an entertainment permit with conditions for entertainment with dancing to the lynden
[54:49] club at 36 36 lynden avenue, long beach, california,
[54:53] 9 0 8 0 8 district five.
[55:00] and this item requires an oath. Okay. And, um,
[55:06] also I have here that grace y is going to be presenting here. Is, is grace
[55:11] here? Oh, there she is. Yeah, I I'm used to you
[55:15] being back there in the hot seat. Okay. Um, so yeah, would you like to
[55:19] administer the, the oath? Yes, please. Stand. For those of you who are going to testify
[55:23] on this item, do
[55:27] you, and each of you do solemnly state that the testimony you may give in the
[55:31] cause now and pending before this body shall be the truth, the whole truth, and
[55:35] nothing but the truth. So help you god, you may be seated.
[55:42] okay. I'd like to invite staff to for the presentation.
[55:46] great, thank you. We have ju salcido business services officer with the financial
[55:50] management department, who will give the staff report.
[55:54] uh, good evening. Uh, members of the city council before you tonight
[55:59] is an application for entertainment with dancing for 24 karats, l-l-c-d-b-a,
[56:04] the linden club. The establishment is located at 36 36
[56:09] linden avenue and operates as an establishment, I'm sorry, operates
[56:14] as all hall rental. Uh, this location has been in operation since march of
[56:18] 2026. All the appropriate departments, health and human services development
[56:22] services, police and financial management have reviewed the application
[56:26] and have provided their recommended conditions as contained in the hearing packet.
[56:31] uh, the following, uh, recommended conditions and attachment a should be noted
[56:35] from the additional conditions section. Uh, one entertainment activities shall
[56:40] be restricted monday through sunday from 8:00 am
[56:44] to 12:00 am. Uh, also all outdoor operations shall
[56:48] be restricted to no later than 10:00 pm monday through sunday.
[56:52] no outdoor entertainment as, uh, or amplified music shall be permitted.
[56:58] I, along with the city attorney, ashley stone and commander hughes from long beach
[57:02] police department are available to answer any questions that you may have. This
[57:06] concludes my staff report. Okay. Thank you for that. Um,
[57:11] madam clerk, do we have any public comment on this item? We do. We have one speaker.
[57:16] okay. Crystal, crystal moreno.
[57:26] good evening counsel. My name's crystal moreno. I am the director of sales for
[57:30] 24 karats catering, who is operating the linden club, formerly
[57:34] as the petroleum club. I just wanted to come and give, um, an
[57:38] expression of gratitude for the amazing community support of
[57:43] reopening these doors as a special event venue. Um,
[57:47] it has been our goal to take 22,000 square feet
[57:51] of event space that can hold up to 600 people and welcome people
[57:55] for their most cherished moments, weddings, social events, corporate
[58:00] events, and then also work with citywide business for
[58:04] further corporate and entertainment pur purposes. Um, today I
[58:08] just want you to know my face as a partner, as a friend. Welcome you all
[58:12] and thank you so much for being so welcoming to us. Um, we're excited to be in
[58:16] this community with all of you. Thank you. Alright,
[58:20] thank you. At this point, I believe I can close the hearing and we'll
[58:25] move to, um, council deliberation. Um, first step
[58:29] is to move to the maker of the motion making concur. Thank you, mr.
[58:33] chair. Um, welcome to the lyn club. Folks, it's good to
[58:37] see your faces here tonight. We're happy to have these doors back open in such
[58:41] a spectacular honoring of the original space and elevating it, uh,
[58:46] really incredibly so. We're so grateful to have you in the neighborhood. I just have one
[58:50] quick technical piece, uh, both on this item and item 33. It has,
[58:54] uh, the zip code listed as 9 0 8 0 8, and I believe the zip code is 9 0 8 0 7.
[58:59] so if we could note that for the record, wherever it needs to be for legal
[59:03] purposes, would be helpful. But welcome again.
[59:08] okay. Now to the second dear of the motion, suli sorrow. I'm in support
[59:12] of the item. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Um, that
[59:17] concludes, uh, council deliberation, madam clerk, is there anything else I need to do on the hearing?
[59:22] no, we could go for the vote. Alright, thank you. Let's move to a vote.
[59:32] motion is carried.
[59:37] okay, we'll move now to our next, uh, hearing item number 33,
[59:42] report from financial management recommendation to receive supporting documentation
[59:46] into the record, conclude the public hearing and grant a social club
[59:50] permit with conditions to the lynden club at 36 36
[59:55] lynden avenue, long beach, california, 9 0 8 0 7
[59:59] district five. Okay, thank you. At this time, it's my great honor
[1:00:04] to introduce grace yon, who's one of my favorite employees in the city.
[1:00:08] and before we go back to your favorite employee in the city, I would just like to
[1:00:12] remind you an oath is required on this item. Oh, okay. I'm sorry. Okay, let's, let's go for the oath.
[1:00:17] please stand for those of you who are going to testify on this item,
[1:00:21] do you, and each of you do solemnly state that the testimony you may give in the cause
[1:00:25] now impending before this body shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
[1:00:29] so help you god. Yes. You may be seated.
[1:00:36] all right. And with that, we'll turn it back to junie salcedo business services officer for the staff report.
[1:00:41] thank you, grace. Uh, this application for the same location is for a social
[1:00:45] club license, uh, for 24 karats, l-l-c-d-b-a as the lyden
[1:00:50] club. Uh, again, the establishment is located at 36 36
[1:00:54] lyden avenue and operates as a hall rental and has been in operation since march
[1:00:58] of 2026. And all appropriate departments, health and human services development
[1:01:03] services, police and financial management have reviewed the application and have provided their
[1:01:07] recommended conditions as contained in the hearing packet. Uh,
[1:01:11] the following recommended conditions in attachment a should be noted from the additional
[1:01:15] conditions section. Uh, the entertainment activities shall be restricted to monday through
[1:01:19] sunday from 8:00 am to 12:00 am all outdoor operations shall be
[1:01:24] restrict, restricted to no later than 10:00 pm monday through sunday. And no outdoor
[1:01:28] entertainment or amplified music shall be permitted as a social club.
[1:01:32] the permitee shall always comply with the long beach municipal code. Chapter 5.75
[1:01:37] membership and a social club shall be granted, and membership registration shall
[1:01:41] always comply with long beach municipal code chapter 5.75.
[1:01:46] and once again, uh, the team and I are here to answer any questions, uh, that anyone
[1:01:50] may have. And that concludes my staff report. Okay. Thank
[1:01:54] you. Staff will, uh, now move to public comment. Any members of the public wishing to
[1:01:58] speak on this item, please come forward. Chris. Crystal moreno. We're good.
[1:02:03] okay. Thank you for those brief remarks. Um, okay.
[1:02:07] now we go to the, the closure of the meeting and, uh,
[1:02:12] the public. Uh, now that public comment has been satisfying and we'll
[1:02:16] move to council deliberation again to the maker of the motion. Megan kerr,
[1:02:21] supporter of the item. Thank you. Okay. The seconder, uh, no comment. Supportive.
[1:02:26] thank you. Okay. We have everything satisfied, so we'll move to a
[1:02:30] vote.
[1:02:37] motion is carried.
[1:02:44] okay. Um, could we, uh, have the next, uh, hearing item read?
[1:02:49] please report from human resources recommendation
[1:02:53] to conduct a public hearing hearing pursuant to assembly bill 25 61
[1:02:58] on the status of vacant positions, recruitment and retention efforts
[1:03:02] prior to adoption of the city's annual budget citywide.
[1:03:08] okay. Uh, this says no oath required, so we'll go to grace
[1:03:12] yon. Great, thank you. We have bryce tyler, director of human
[1:03:17] resources, and yesenia rico, tejeda, manager of talent management,
[1:03:21] who will provide the staff presentation.
[1:03:36] good evening chair and members of the city council. Um, we're gonna do just a
[1:03:40] brief background and overview for, um, the hearing tonight, and then
[1:03:44] I will pass it over to yesenia to continue with the presentation.
[1:03:50] so this hearing, um, is a, uh, part
[1:03:54] of our requirement under assembly bill 25 61, um, which passed last year.
[1:03:58] so this is the second year that we are actually having this, uh, presentation,
[1:04:03] um, where we are, um, required to, um, hold an annual hearing
[1:04:07] prior to final budget adoption, to present information on job vacancies,
[1:04:12] recruitment and retention efforts, uh, and any hiring related
[1:04:16] policies or procedures that may create barriers to filling positions. Um,
[1:04:20] also as part of this requirement, um, the city is required to provide our
[1:04:25] recognized bargaining groups, um, the va, the citywide vacancy rate and vacancy rates
[1:04:29] for their respective organizations, and provide an opportunity to present
[1:04:33] input to the council, which is going to happen, uh, this evening.
[1:04:38] uh, and what we'll do after our presentation will actually queue up the,
[1:04:42] uh, four labor partners who will, uh, make the presentations this evening.
[1:04:47] also, in terms of our, uh, hiring process, we utilize
[1:04:51] a merit based hiring system, which is governed by the civil service rules and
[1:04:55] regulations. Uh, this process consists of, uh, four primary
[1:04:59] phases requiring, uh, the coordination between departments and the human
[1:05:04] resources department. Um, and we have, um, over the
[1:05:08] years been working to modernize, uh, the hiring process. Um, last year
[1:05:12] was the year that we implemented the charter amendment, uh, measure jb um,
[1:05:16] so we will speak on some of the hiring efficiencies and, uh, streamlining
[1:05:21] the processes next, uh, in our slide. So at this point, I
[1:05:25] will turn it over to yesenia.
[1:05:30] thank you bryce, and good evening members of the city council.
[1:05:36] I'd like to start off by highlighting several of our recent recruitment and staffing wins.
[1:05:41] so over the past year, the city has continued to make meaningful progress in recruitment and staffing,
[1:05:45] including reducing the average time to hire across classified positions to approximately
[1:05:49] 90 business days. We've also seen a reduction by more than 50%
[1:05:54] in requisition approval timelines and the implementation of the local hiring preferences
[1:05:58] program. These efforts have overall contributed to the decrease in the citywide
[1:06:03] vacancy rate from 22% to 16.4%.
[1:06:07] these improvements are also reflected in the city's overall recruitment
[1:06:11] strategy. So now we'll take a look at 2025
[1:06:16] recruitment outcomes. So during the reporting period, the city opened 403
[1:06:20] recruitments, reviewed and processed over 41,000 applications,
[1:06:25] supported over 800 permanent hires, and had over 1.5 million
[1:06:30] hits and views on the city's online job board demonstrating continued
[1:06:34] interest and public interest in public service careers.
[1:06:40] so as of may 1st, 2026, citywide vacancy data represented
[1:06:44] 5,806 permanent budgeted represented positions
[1:06:48] with 959 of those positions remaining vacant, resulting in
[1:06:53] an overall vacancy rate of 16.5%. I
[1:06:57] do wanna highlight that this vacancy rate does not include contract, temporary,
[1:07:01] seasonal, or extra help employees.
[1:07:06] so this chart demonstrates, um, visually the steady decline in vacancy
[1:07:10] rate that the city has experienced over the past several years with a peak of 22%
[1:07:15] at fy 2024, and where we stand now at 16.5%
[1:07:20] in fy 26. This continued improvement reflects recruitment,
[1:07:24] modernization efforts, streamlined hiring processes, and strong collaboration
[1:07:29] between departments and central hr. While vacancy rates
[1:07:33] do continue to improve, several factors continue to contribute to
[1:07:37] the influx in staffing levels.
[1:07:42] like many public agencies, the city is not immune to labor market competition,
[1:07:46] particularly for hard to fill roles in specialized positions.
[1:07:51] vacancy rates are also influenced by employee attrition, retirement,
[1:07:55] and the addition of newly budgeted positions each fiscal year to the city's workforce,
[1:07:59] which do require recruitment activities before they can be filled.
[1:08:04] despite these challenges, I do wanna recognize that the city has continued making steady
[1:08:08] progress and reducing vacancy levels.
[1:08:13] so here we provide an overview of the bargaining units that were included in the
[1:08:17] city's vacancy analysis and reporting efforts. So now we'll take a
[1:08:21] li we'll take a look at vacancy rates across each bargaining unit and compare
[1:08:25] current data to prior reporting year.
[1:08:31] so based on our point in time data, as of may 1st, 2026, the
[1:08:36] majority of bargaining units remained under the 20% vacancy threshold,
[1:08:40] and several have shown significant improvement compared to the prior reporting year.
[1:08:45] notably, I'd like to highlight a decline in vacancy rates for bargaining units,
[1:08:49] p-o-a-s-e-I-u-l-b-m-a and ace. And
[1:08:53] do wanna highlight that a e, e and cpa were the only bargaining units
[1:08:58] above that 20% threshold. So now we'll take a more
[1:09:02] detailed look at those specific bargaining groups.
[1:09:06] so for the association of engineering employees, the data shows that
[1:09:10] 66 out of the 307 positions are currently vacant.
[1:09:15] we received 686 applications across 12 active recruitments
[1:09:20] that were conducted for classifications, including but not limited to,
[1:09:24] civil engineer, fire inspector, permit center supervisor,
[1:09:29] and senior surveyor, with the average time to hire for these recruitments
[1:09:33] being 126 business days from date, posted
[1:09:38] some of the efforts to improve recruitment across these classifications for
[1:09:42] this specific bargaining group, um, include continued partnership with
[1:09:46] central hr and our labor group and active and ongoing labor negotiations.
[1:09:54] so now we'll take a look at data for our city prosecutors association, cpa.
[1:09:59] so they currently have three out of 14 positions that are vacant, and we saw
[1:10:04] a total of 561 applicants across five active recruitments
[1:10:08] for classifications, including deputy city, prosecutor, intern, and
[1:10:12] prosecutor assistant one through five. Some efforts to improve recruitment
[1:10:17] for these specific classifications include continuing to strengthen the partnership,
[1:10:22] specifically with central hrs talent acquisition unit to expand the candidate outreach
[1:10:26] and pool and increasing awareness for these specific career opportunities.
[1:10:32] beyond vacancy reporting, the city continues implementing several recruitment
[1:10:36] modernization strategies. Some of
[1:10:40] these strategies include streamlining, hiring processes, processes through process improvements,
[1:10:45] policy updates, and the continued implementation of measure. Jb
[1:10:50] the city also continues to enhance recruitment technology and standardizing hiring
[1:10:54] practices to improve efficiency and transparency. In
[1:10:58] addition to streamlining these processes, the city continues to invest
[1:11:02] in strategies to attract more qualified talent.
[1:11:08] the city does this through strengthening workforce pipelines through initiatives such
[1:11:12] as the public service corp fellowship program, recruitment and marketing
[1:11:16] community outreach, and the expansion of the local hiring preferences
[1:11:21] to expand awareness of and access to career opportunities with the city.
[1:11:25] these efforts are also reflected in the growth we've seen in our outreach activities between
[1:11:29] fiscal year 25 and 26.
[1:11:36] so when looking at the data for our outreach efforts between fy 25 and 26,
[1:11:42] we see that an fy 26 outreach efforts have already exceeded
[1:11:46] fy 20 fives totals in several areas, including a 29%
[1:11:50] increase in career fairs and hiring events, and a 73%
[1:11:54] increase in workshops and trainings.
[1:12:02] in addition, the city continues to focus on strengthening classification and compensation
[1:12:06] efforts to support workforce retention, market competitiveness, and
[1:12:10] career growth. We also recently launched the civic excellence
[1:12:14] leadership academy, which helps develop current and future leaders across the organization.
[1:12:20] together these efforts continue to support employee engagement, professional development, and
[1:12:24] long-term career planning. The importance of these investments becomes
[1:12:29] even more apparent when reviewing the city's separation data.
[1:12:35] so in 2025, there was a total of 687 employment
[1:12:39] separations processed with resignations representing the largest category
[1:12:43] at 51%, followed by retirement at 20%.
[1:12:48] looking beyond why an employee leaves, we must also acknowledge that
[1:12:52] it's important to understand when they leave.
[1:12:57] in looking at our 2025 separations by length of service, we
[1:13:01] recognize that approximately 62% of separations occurred within the first five
[1:13:05] years of service. This reinforces the importance of onboarding,
[1:13:10] employee engagement, leadership support, and career development opportunities earlier
[1:13:15] on in an employee's career. These insights also continue to
[1:13:19] reinforce the city's retention efforts. Moving forward and looking ahead, the city will
[1:13:23] continue to focus on several key priorities.
[1:13:29] those priorities will be to continue to modernize recruitment practices,
[1:13:33] leverage technology and data analytics to improve hiring outcomes, while continuing
[1:13:38] to strengthen local hiring efforts, community partnerships and workforce
[1:13:42] pipeline development initiatives, in addition to attracting talent
[1:13:47] focus, will also remain on retaining and developing employees who choose to grow their
[1:13:51] career with the city of long beach.
[1:13:57] we'll also continue to enhance onboarding and employee engagement efforts while
[1:14:01] using employee feedback and workforce data to drive our retention strategies.
[1:14:06] we'll continue evaluating policies, improving processes and procedures,
[1:14:10] and revising civil service rules and regulations to improve efficiencies and support
[1:14:14] a more responsive and sustainable workforce.
[1:14:18] ultimately, the city remains committed to continuous improvement in building a workforce
[1:14:23] that can effectively serve the long beach community.
[1:14:27] this brings us to the conclusion of the presentation, and I'll go ahead and hand it back over
[1:14:31] to bryce. Thank you.
[1:14:36] thank you, . So at this point, we'd like to, um, bring
[1:14:40] forward our labor partners, and we'll start first with the long beach association of
[1:14:44] confidential employees, also known as ace.
[1:14:53] hello. Good evening, um, chair and members of the city council. Uh, my name is levi,
[1:14:58] uh, sinkler, and I serve as the president of the association of confidential employees. Um,
[1:15:02] I'm joined with my, uh, board secretary anthony lim tonight. Um,
[1:15:06] so first I would like to start out by asking, you know, if the chair or any members of the council
[1:15:10] can ask, um, as to slide 12, um, in reference to the
[1:15:15] pre and post merger, um, statistics. Um, we did note that,
[1:15:19] uh, the pre-merger, um, stats state that up to two years
[1:15:24] was the timeline. Um, and then the post merger is a definitive 90 days.
[1:15:28] um, oh,
[1:15:32] this is the, for the slide deck, we don't have a presentation.
[1:15:39] okay. So, um, yeah, we do believe, uh, transparency is paramount, uh, when highlighting
[1:15:43] the city's successes and failures. Um, so that would be a, a good question to
[1:15:48] ask. Um, so a little bit about ace. Um, we're primarily based in human
[1:15:52] resources, um, but we do have members across several departments, um, including
[1:15:57] economic development, financial management, um, the police department, public works,
[1:16:01] and technology innovation. Um, our members support over 6,000 city
[1:16:05] employees through benefits administration, workplace investigations, budget management
[1:16:09] classification, and compensation systems, recruitment, labor relations, risk management, and other
[1:16:14] critical citywide functions. Despite these responsibilities, many
[1:16:18] areas remain significantly understaffed. For example, uh, just three employees handle
[1:16:22] all the eeo complaints, um, from city employees, uh, vendors,
[1:16:27] uh, in the public. Um, there's three staff to manage citywide
[1:16:32] classification and compensation system, which is responsible for over 300 classified
[1:16:36] classifications, not including the unclassified side. Um,
[1:16:41] we also have two, um, two members that oversee the return to work operations. So
[1:16:45] this involves, um, a da accommodations leave management, um, so
[1:16:49] on and so forth. Um, we are a small bargaining unit, um, but our work is essential
[1:16:53] to city operations, um, and requires specialized expertise, collaboration, and strong
[1:16:57] support from, uh, city leadership. Currently, we do have seven vacancies, as
[1:17:01] you saw on the slide, um, which is an 8% vacancy rate. Um, that is significant
[1:17:06] for us. So we do urge the city to go ahead and fill those, um, within the 90 business
[1:17:10] days. Being, um, stated here, uh, tonight, um, operating with
[1:17:14] only 89 budgeted positions is not sustainable when positions remain vacant under
[1:17:18] budgeted or uncompetitive. Um, which brings me to my next point. Um, the
[1:17:22] city's retention strategy, rightly does emphasize that internal equity, uh, market
[1:17:27] competitiveness and pay transparency, uh, and employee development are important
[1:17:31] principles. Um, we strongly do support those, those ideas.
[1:17:35] um, so as part of our negotiations in 2022, we did,
[1:17:39] um, breach an agreement with the city to conduct a salary, um, uh,
[1:17:44] salary survey, um, of our 11 represented classifications.
[1:17:48] um, so we did receive the results of those, uh, a couple months ago, and the results
[1:17:52] are stark. Um, we benchmarked against 10, uh, 10 agencies,
[1:17:57] um, and it, and it did reveal significant, um, gaps in the
[1:18:01] compensation, uh, structure within the city. Um, so,
[1:18:05] you know, I, I want to, uh, take this time tonight to ask that as negotiations
[1:18:10] continue on, and you guys find yourselves in closed session, um, for, you know, additional
[1:18:14] contract authority or whatever it may be that you do, um, consider carefully
[1:18:19] our request here tonight and those requests that come through, if you could wrap up your,
[1:18:23] your time has concluded. Okay? Yep. That's all for
[1:18:27] us. Thank you.
[1:18:34] thank you. Next, uh, we will have the long beach association of engineering employees,
[1:18:38] also known as a ee,
[1:18:42] and if we could bring up their slides for this presentation.
[1:19:03] can we please load this slide deck for
[1:19:08] a ee?
[1:19:14] they're having a little bit of technical difficulties, so have a moment.
[1:19:27] thank you. Go ahead and proceed.
[1:19:35] hello, my name is he corso, president of association of engineering employees.
[1:19:39] the city's own vacancy report shows that a ee
[1:19:43] has a 21% vacancy rate, one of the highest among all
[1:19:48] bargaining units, more than one in five engineering positions are vacant.
[1:19:52] these vacancies create challenges for project delivery, institutional knowledge,
[1:19:56] and workforce stability. We're talking about your infrastructure, your
[1:20:00] port, your roads, your utilities airport.
[1:20:04] the city states that its retention strengthening,
[1:20:09] um, strategy includes a strengthening compensation to improve market
[1:20:13] competitiveness and employee retention. The question is whether
[1:20:17] current salaries are actually competitive. According
[1:20:22] to the city's own salary study, 87% of
[1:20:26] a ee classifications were found to be below market when compared to the
[1:20:30] cities as standard competitors agencies, some classifications were
[1:20:34] as much as 28% below market. These findings help explain
[1:20:39] the recruitment and retention challenges reflected in the vacancy data.
[1:20:45] the results become even more concerning when engineering positions are
[1:20:50] compared with en enterprise agencies, including utility agencies and
[1:20:54] the port of la. In those comparisons, some classifications were found to
[1:20:58] be as much as 32% below market. These are
[1:21:02] often the same employers who are recruiting for the same talent pool.
[1:21:08] but despite these findings, the city's initial
[1:21:12] proposal in negotiations included a zero 0% equity adjustment
[1:21:17] and only a 1% annual cost of living increase with inflation
[1:21:21] exceeding 4% of most ae classifications and most
[1:21:25] of ae classifications already below market. Many members viewed this,
[1:21:29] this proposal as discouraging sign that the compensation concerns
[1:21:33] documented by the city itself were not being taken seriously.
[1:21:39] it is also important to understand that only 10%
[1:21:44] of a ee salaries come, come from the general fund. Nearly
[1:21:48] 90% of, uh, are funded through enterprise and or revenue
[1:21:52] generating operations. As a result, improving compensation for
[1:21:56] the engineering employees will have a limited impact on the general fund.
[1:22:03] the city's own data tells a consistent story. The association
[1:22:07] of engineering employees faces high vacancy rates. Most classifications
[1:22:12] are below market, and the city's current proposal makes those gaps even worse.
[1:22:17] hiring and retention require a comprehensive strategy that
[1:22:21] makes wages, employment conditions, and benefits more attractive and competitive
[1:22:25] in today's economy. The question is not whether the city can afford to
[1:22:29] remain competitive, the question is whether it can afford not to. Thank
[1:22:33] you.
[1:22:49] thank you. Next, we would like to bring forth the long beach firefighters association, also known as ffa
[1:22:53] fay, excuse me.
[1:22:58] and if we can queue up, uh, their presentation. I think it's just one slide.
[1:23:16] oh, green.
[1:23:21] good evening, mayor pro, tim super na, honorable members of city council, city management
[1:23:25] staff, favorite employees on behalf of the long beach firefighter
[1:23:30] association, thank you for the opportunity to participate in today's discussion,
[1:23:34] and a special thank you to human resources for the work reflected in this report.
[1:23:39] we appreciate the city's efforts to improve recruitment, streamline hiring processes,
[1:23:44] strengthen retention, and modernize our workforce system.
[1:23:48] those efforts are important not only for our employees, but for the quality and
[1:23:52] reliability of services that our residents depend on every single day.
[1:23:57] as the bargaining unit representing the long beach firefighters, we wanted to offer a
[1:24:01] perspective from the workforce, the workforce side
[1:24:05] of this conversation. When discussing recruitment and retention, it
[1:24:09] is easy to focus on metrics like vacancies, hiring
[1:24:13] timelines, applicant pools, and obviously separations.
[1:24:18] those measurements are important because they help us understand whether processes are improving,
[1:24:23] but from the perspective of the people doing the work. Recruitment and retention
[1:24:28] ultimately are about something larger. They're about building a workforce that
[1:24:32] is sustainable. They're about creating environments where talented people choose to
[1:24:36] join, choose to stay, and have opportunities to grow throughout their careers.
[1:24:41] they're about preserving experience, mentorship, institutional knowledge,
[1:24:46] while ensuring organizations have the resilience and the capacity
[1:24:51] to continue serving the public effectively. Over the past year,
[1:24:55] the city labor organizations and elected leaders have engaged in important
[1:25:00] conversations about workforce needs, service delivery,
[1:25:04] and preparing our organization for the future. Those conversations
[1:25:09] have reinforced an important principle. Thoughtful investments
[1:25:13] in people and organizational capacity create stronger teams
[1:25:18] and better outcomes for the communities we all serve.
[1:25:22] as we continue evaluating recruitment and retention efforts, we encourage
[1:25:26] the city to look not only about how positions are filled,
[1:25:31] but also at how those efforts strengthen workforce sustainability,
[1:25:36] operational readiness, employee development,
[1:25:41] and long-term organizational health. In public safety,
[1:25:46] we see every day that people are our most valuable resource.
[1:25:51] recruitment and retention are not simply workforce objectives. They're
[1:25:55] about ensuring that when our community calls for help
[1:25:59] experienced and well prepared professionals are there to
[1:26:04] answer. We appreciate the city's willingness to evaluate these issues openly
[1:26:08] and transparently, and we remain committed to being a constructive partner
[1:26:13] in this conversation. Our shared goal is straightforward,
[1:26:17] attract exceptional people, retain experienced professionals,
[1:26:22] and build an organization that is prepared to meet the evolving needs
[1:26:26] of long beach today, and remain ready
[1:26:31] and resilient for the needs of tomorrow. Thank you for your time.
[1:26:43] and next, we would like to invite up the long beach lifeguard association, also known as
[1:26:47] lga.
[1:27:04] good evening. My name is devin bebe. I'm president of the long beach lifeguard association.
[1:27:09] first, I'd like to acknowledge the city's efforts to improve recruitment and hiring processes,
[1:27:13] particularly the emphasis on local hiring and strengthening partnerships
[1:27:17] with educational institutions throughout the city of long beach. From
[1:27:21] the lifeguard association's perspective, one of the most successful recruitment tools we have is
[1:27:26] our partnership with long beach unified school district through the long beach
[1:27:30] near lifeguard program. Every summer, we introduce hundreds of local
[1:27:34] youth to water safety, public service, and the profession of ocean lifeguarding.
[1:27:39] for a number of our lifeguards, that program was their first exposure to the possibility of
[1:27:43] a career in marine safety. And what's unique about this profession
[1:27:47] is that developing a permanent lifeguard workforce is an exceptionally
[1:27:52] long-term process. Many of our permanent members started as junior lifeguards,
[1:27:57] became seasonal lifeguards as teenagers, and eventually promoted
[1:28:01] into career positions. And to 10 years later, the
[1:28:05] workforce pipeline we're building today will determine whether we have qualified local candidates
[1:28:09] five to 10 years from now. The marine safety division has 25
[1:28:14] positions that represent our entire permanent workforce, and because of that, even a
[1:28:18] single vacancy can have a significant impact on operations, staffing,
[1:28:23] training, and employee workload filling vacancies. Recruitment,
[1:28:27] retention, and training are all critical to maintaining the level of service that
[1:28:31] the public expects on our beaches and waterways, especially as the olympics are fast
[1:28:36] approaching. As the city continues its efforts to strengthen local hiring, we
[1:28:40] encourage continued investment in these programs like the junior lifeguard
[1:28:44] program, internships and partnerships with long beach unified. These
[1:28:48] programs not only create career opportunities for long beach youth, but also help
[1:28:52] ensure that the next generation of public servants come from the communities they serve.
[1:28:57] the long beach lifeguard association looks forward to continue our partnership
[1:29:01] with the city lbsd and local educational institutions to
[1:29:05] strengthen that pipeline. Thank you for your time.
[1:29:16] and that, excuse me, that concludes the, uh, presentations for this
[1:29:20] item. Thank you. Okay. Thank you, director. We're gonna move to,
[1:29:24] uh, public comment at this time. I have one speaker listed
[1:29:28] that's, uh, sashi. Miro. Rin.
[1:29:35] okay. Sashi out there. I I, I probably butchered that last name. I apologize. But,
[1:29:39] uh, okay. Any other speakers? Madam clerk?
[1:29:43] no other speakers. Okay. So, um, I will now close
[1:29:48] the public hearing and we'll move to, uh, council deliberation.
[1:29:53] um, I think they may hear the motion out, have it on my
[1:29:57] screen, but it was council member duggan. Alright. Thank you chair. Uh,
[1:30:02] I wanna thank human resources for bringing this report forward.
[1:30:07] um, and I also wanna thank our labor representatives for speaking tonight
[1:30:11] and for your partnership. The work that we have seen
[1:30:15] over the last couple of years to fill critical
[1:30:19] vacancies has been important. Uh, but this has been working.
[1:30:24] we can see that when I started in 2023, we had
[1:30:28] so many, so few maintenance assistant
[1:30:32] positions that it was impacting our services. We were short on
[1:30:37] trash collection, drivers and roots were being missed.
[1:30:41] and this was before our organics, uh, program was even
[1:30:45] implemented. We were closing the beaumont pool because
[1:30:49] we didn't have lifeguards to work. Our police department
[1:30:54] had vacancies in the 20% range,
[1:30:58] and we were short several hundred officers filling
[1:31:03] these vacancies matters because they directly impact the ba basic
[1:31:07] services our residents rely on. Whether it's trash collection,
[1:31:12] park maintenance, public safety, or other core city services, we
[1:31:16] need to have the staffing in place to deliver those services. Well,
[1:31:20] I think the numbers for our police department, uh, I think that
[1:31:25] is a little bit misleading because we know many of the officers who
[1:31:29] have been hired are still in the academy and they can't
[1:31:33] be deployed on their own yet. I
[1:31:37] believe we still have nearly a hundred officers that are currently
[1:31:42] still in training right now. This is going
[1:31:46] to be critical. We need to continue to fill officer
[1:31:50] vacancies by continuing to run academies.
[1:31:55] we already have officers working mandatory overtime, and as we add
[1:31:59] facilities like the amphitheater, it increases the demand
[1:32:04] for our officer coverage. We can't have special events
[1:32:08] take officers from patrols at the risk of a longer response time to
[1:32:12] priority one and two calls. I know there's nothing, uh,
[1:32:17] no action required tonight, but it really
[1:32:21] has to be a focus. Thanks for the city to continue to fill officer
[1:32:25] vacancies as we increase the demand for police coverage throughout
[1:32:29] the city. Thanks again for the presentation.
[1:32:34] okay, thank you. We'll move to the seconder, uh, council member,
[1:32:38] uh, ook. It's, uh, councilwoman
[1:32:42] rick sodi. Oh, I'm sorry. Alright, you're next .
[1:32:47] um, thank you. Uh, thank you chair. Uh, I just wanted to put in there that,
[1:32:51] um, thank you for the presentation. I think it's kind of a sobering reminder of the,
[1:32:56] uh, of where we've come, right? How far we've come, but also the work that is, uh, we
[1:33:00] continue to need to do, uh, here in the city to, uh, improve our vacancy rates,
[1:33:04] um, and fill the really critical positions, uh, that we're gonna need ongoing. Um, I
[1:33:08] wanna thank all of our labor partners, uh, for speaking their truth,
[1:33:13] um, adding context, uh, to the data that we have gotten from the city.
[1:33:17] um, and these are things that we're all gonna need to take into consideration, um, as we move
[1:33:21] into our budget, um, and again, determining where resources are gonna go.
[1:33:27] okay. Thank you. Now we get to move to council member thrash.
[1:33:31] thank you so much, council member. Super. Um, so thank
[1:33:35] you as well, uh, to director bryce, uh, for your work here and to
[1:33:40] the team for bringing this comprehensive look at our hiring practices along
[1:33:44] with our workforce results. Um, I too want to thank our labor partners,
[1:33:48] our bargaining units for being here tonight. Uh, it is very
[1:33:52] important that we hear those perspectives, and I wanna thank you for being so
[1:33:56] prepared and so effective in sharing, uh, some additional context regarding
[1:34:01] the numbers that we're seeing here. So, um, it's already been stated
[1:34:05] by my colleague, but I will just remind voters that this is something that they were interested
[1:34:09] in, which is how do we ensure that we streamline,
[1:34:13] uh, the hiring process here within the city. And so measure jb as
[1:34:18] well as the consolidation of our civil service and human resources department
[1:34:22] into one single unit, um, has created a unifying hiring system
[1:34:26] that allows us to do just that. Um, but I want to
[1:34:30] move towards the area and issue of how we continue to
[1:34:34] strengthen our outreach efforts, um, especially for local hiring
[1:34:38] preferences. Um, as you know, earlier this season,
[1:34:42] I put forth the motion, um, that your department is taking a look at to analyze
[1:34:47] our workforce and intentionally make sure that we are increasing outreach in
[1:34:51] underserved communities as well as employment deserts within our city.
[1:34:55] and so I look forward to that report back accordingly. I'll just
[1:35:00] note that on slide 14, um, you talk about and share
[1:35:04] the increase, um, in the number of workshops and trainings that you've
[1:35:08] been hosting. And I think that that is wonderful and can also be, um,
[1:35:12] probably attributed to the number of vacancies we've been able to feel.
[1:35:16] um, but I'm specifically interested in trying to understand,
[1:35:20] uh, what type of sessions, uh, these, that makes up these categories.
[1:35:25] so I know that we currently have, um, the economic development department
[1:35:29] and the lb win team conducting outreach activities. So
[1:35:34] I wanna make sure that I know, you know, what makes up those outreach activities.
[1:35:38] and then beyond that, you know, city hall is one place to get access to
[1:35:42] information about jobs here in the city, but we have a very large city
[1:35:46] and one where if we're going to reach underserved communities means that we have to
[1:35:50] be in those communities ensuring that we're sharing the opportunities
[1:35:55] of employment in those communities. So I'm interested in hearing and
[1:35:59] learning more about how we have ensured that those workshops, um, have been
[1:36:03] equitably placed throughout the city. So those are my two questions. Um,
[1:36:07] director, if you could answer those. Sure. I'm gonna ask
[1:36:12] you to speak to the, uh, the current events, and then I'll talk about, um, some
[1:36:16] of our future plans in terms of the, um, continued community outreach.
[1:36:21] thank you, bryce. So these workshops and hiring events include job fairs.
[1:36:26] um, we've done interview and resume, uh, workshops specific
[1:36:31] to departments, um, per their request. We've done 'em for the community. It includes
[1:36:35] our, um, regularly held how to navigate the city's hiring
[1:36:39] process workshops as well. So it's a combination of all of those. We're
[1:36:43] continuing to explore different ways we can, um,
[1:36:48] target different communities and kind of figure out where those gaps are.
[1:36:52] so we do a combination of different workshops and sometimes it's at the request of
[1:36:56] specific departments or just feedback from the community.
[1:37:00] thank you so much. I think what I'm looking for is a bit proactive, um, activities
[1:37:05] within the department to get out. I know for example, in in my community in
[1:37:09] the north part of the city, we have the long beach adult school, which would be a great place to do
[1:37:13] some outreach. We also have some very active parent associations at some of our
[1:37:17] schools where that outreach could take place, especially again, in underserved
[1:37:22] or employment deserts within our city. So I look forward to additional information
[1:37:26] in the future regarding how we are being proactive in that.
[1:37:31] yes, and just to, just to add we, you know, um, understand and kind of, you know, reflecting
[1:37:35] on like, um, what was mentioned earlier, um, by councilwoman rick oti, that we
[1:37:39] are, um, you know, uh, realizing where we have been and where we are going.
[1:37:43] and part of that is all making sure that we are looking at, um,
[1:37:47] better outreach with our partners, not only within our department, but the other departments
[1:37:51] who are running the recruitments, as well as our, uh, community stakeholders
[1:37:56] and educational partners. And the goal is really to go out to where the community
[1:38:00] is versus asking them to come to us as a single, um, point
[1:38:04] of information and engagement, but also continuing to learn more in terms
[1:38:08] of what the needs are and working with individuals and not just pointing them to
[1:38:13] how to apply, but better understanding the nuance of applying and
[1:38:17] what they should be doing actually, um, giving them more opportunity to
[1:38:21] understand the process. So that is forthcoming, um, for the work that we still have ahead of us.
[1:38:29] okay. Thank you. That concludes council deliberation. Uh, let's move to a vote.
[1:38:40] motion is carried. Okay, thank
[1:38:44] you. We have one more hearing. That's hearing number 35. There is no oath
[1:38:48] required. So, madame clerk, can you please, uh, read the recommendation report
[1:38:52] from public works recommendation to receive supporting documentation
[1:38:56] into the record, conclude the public hearing and adopt resolution,
[1:39:00] amending the master fee and charges schedule to add a special events
[1:39:05] parking fee at the 1 2 5 elm avenue city owned
[1:39:09] facility and increase appropriations by a hundred thousand dollars for parking
[1:39:13] structure upgrades, district one. Okay,
[1:39:17] thank you. As I said, there's no, uh, oath required. So is my honor to introduce
[1:39:21] grace yon. We have joshua hickman,
[1:39:26] director of public works, who will provide the staff report.
[1:39:30] all right, good evening chair and council members. Um, excited to be here before you
[1:39:34] this evening. So the item before you is to establish a fee to utilize the city
[1:39:39] owned facility at 1 2 5 elm for special events parking.
[1:39:43] this will allow additional, uh, capacity and parking within the
[1:39:47] vibrant downtown area and activation of the space itself. That
[1:39:51] concludes staff report, and we're available for any questions.
[1:39:57] okay. Uh, we'll move to, um, uh, public comment
[1:40:01] on, uh, this item. Do we have any public comment? There's no public comment.
[1:40:06] okay. Thank you. Then I will close the, um,
[1:40:11] uh, I'm closing public comment and, um, we, we will move to, um,
[1:40:16] council deliberation, and we have
[1:40:20] any council members wishing to speak on this item? Yes, mr.
[1:40:25] chairman, hold on one second, please. This is the maker of the motion,
[1:40:29] so go ahead. Thank, thank you. Um, council member,
[1:40:33] um, where people park matters when it comes to bringing foot traffic
[1:40:38] to small businesses, um, I, I wanna thank, um,
[1:40:42] public works for this opportunity to bring more parking
[1:40:46] into very, um, very parking impacted
[1:40:51] location. I think that for the time being, adding
[1:40:55] a parking option at 1 25 elm may help
[1:41:00] activate our east village in a positive way. Um,
[1:41:05] the item mentions that this funding will help prepare the facility
[1:41:09] for public access with cleaning and safety upgrades.
[1:41:14] uh, may staff please share what some of those, um, safety upgrades
[1:41:19] will be. Yes, great
[1:41:23] question. So we do have, uh, some preliminary work that will be done here
[1:41:28] very shortly to allow the space to get up and operational
[1:41:32] for these special events parking. And then in addition to that, what will
[1:41:36] be before you later this evening is some additional work, uh, as part of the pd
[1:41:41] parking, uh, the pd crime lab project will also include
[1:41:45] some, um, parking improvements, but
[1:41:49] specific to the items included within this council letter. Would you like to speak a
[1:41:53] little bit to this? Yeah. So the
[1:41:57] items that are gonna be covered by this are, uh, a lighting upgrade
[1:42:02] to convert the lights to led, uh, sweeping pressure washing,
[1:42:06] uh, locksmith, some fencing for the top level of the
[1:42:10] facility. And I think that's the majority of the safety ones
[1:42:14] for the start. Thank you. Um, I know that in the past I have
[1:42:18] asked for this, uh, parking lot to be accessible to our
[1:42:23] community for community use. So I'm glad that it's being used somehow
[1:42:27] to alleviate the parking in that area. And I would also
[1:42:31] encourage us to continue exploring options on how our community
[1:42:36] can use it when it's not being used for special events. So thank you for
[1:42:40] this item. Great. Thank you.
[1:42:44] as is protocol, we'll move to the seconder of the item,
[1:42:48] uh, council member rick sote, uh, no comment chair. Um, support of the item.
[1:42:53] okay, thank you. I see no other council deliberation going once,
[1:42:57] going twice. Okay. Let's move to the vote.
[1:43:04] motion is carried. Alright,
[1:43:08] thank you. Uh, we now move to the regular agenda.
[1:43:13] next item up is item 36. Will the clerk please read
[1:43:17] report from city clerk? Recommendation to adopt resolution, establishing
[1:43:21] a policy addressing disruptions to telephonic and internet service during
[1:43:26] city council meetings?
[1:43:31] okay. We, we have a motion and a second.
[1:43:36] um, I do have a staff report. Yeah, please.
[1:43:41] good evening. Members of the city council. This policy was created in response to
[1:43:45] senate bill 7 0 7, which amended the brown act to require local legislative
[1:43:49] bodies to have a plan in place by july 1st, 2026, for
[1:43:53] handling disruptions to telephonic or internet service during public meetings.
[1:43:58] the goal is to ensure the public can continue to participate remotely, even
[1:44:02] when technical problems occur. The policy applies to all city council meetings
[1:44:06] where remote public access is offered. A service disruption
[1:44:11] is an outage or a failure that prevents the public from joining or observing
[1:44:15] a meeting remotely. If such a disruption occurs, the mayor, presiding
[1:44:19] officer, or city clerk must immediately announce it. The meeting may then
[1:44:23] go into recess up to one hour, while staff makes good faith
[1:44:28] efforts to restore service. These efforts could include troubleshooting
[1:44:32] software, replacing equipment, using backup systems, or contacting
[1:44:37] support if service is still not restored. After an hour, the city
[1:44:41] council reconvenes and may choose to adjourn the meeting, extend the recess,
[1:44:45] or continue the meeting after making a formal finding that the public
[1:44:49] interest is moving forward in moving forward outweighs the lack of remote
[1:44:53] access. Just to clarify, this item is only
[1:44:58] speaking to technical disruptions during the meeting. Finally, the city
[1:45:02] clerk must document the disruption, the efforts to fix it, and any
[1:45:06] decisions made by the council in the meeting minutes, staff from the city
[1:45:10] clerk's office, city attorney's office, and technology and innovation department are available.
[1:45:14] available to answer any questions from the city council. Thank you.
[1:45:20] okay. Thank you. Um, monique de la garza for that staff report.
[1:45:24] uh, we'll go to the maker of the motion. Dr. Joni, rick sodi.
[1:45:30] oh, do the staff here not have any report or no? Oh, that was it. Okay.
[1:45:35] um, yeah, I, um, I'm supportive of the item. It's important that we make sure that we have a
[1:45:39] policy in place so that people are able to engage telephonically, um,
[1:45:43] and virtually, um, if they so choose to do so.
[1:45:48] okay. Now we go to the seconder, mary zendejas supportive.
[1:45:54] okay. I see. Uh, oh, we have, um, deliberation, um,
[1:45:59] suli. Soro. Thank you. Uh, so I have
[1:46:03] a question about this technical, uh, policy here.
[1:46:07] um, so I just, I think that this is, this
[1:46:11] is brought forward because it sounds like, I just wanna make sure we clarify
[1:46:16] that this policy is set up because there's an expectation that there's going to be technical
[1:46:20] difficulties. Um, and I'm wondering, uh, you know,
[1:46:25] can you share a little bit about why that's anticipated around technical
[1:46:30] difficulties? Uh, thank you council member. To be clear, this policy is legally
[1:46:35] required by sb 7 0 7. That is why we are, uh, adopting it tonight
[1:46:39] before sb 7 0 7 goes into effect july 1st, um,
[1:46:43] of this year, uh, as staff can attest to, we are working
[1:46:47] diligently to, um, comply with sb 7 0 7 before the
[1:46:51] deadline and do not anticipate any issues with that. Uh, thank you for
[1:46:55] clarifying that it is to be in compliant, but I also wanted to make sure we
[1:46:59] lift up what are some technical difficulties we expect to
[1:47:03] encounter as, uh, as we conduct
[1:47:08] our council meeting when we do have, 'cause the effort is to
[1:47:12] make sure there's more accessibility to people making public comments,
[1:47:16] not just in person, but virtually. So I just wanted to
[1:47:20] make sure, um, you know, we address this. Is that, that's,
[1:47:25] yes, it's according to law, but what do we expect to encounter as a city
[1:47:29] right around that? And council member, thank you for the question.
[1:47:33] um, I think there are a number of technical issues that we always want to be
[1:47:37] prepared for. Um, and we'll talk a little bit about what those could potentially be.
[1:47:42] um, but part of this is having a plan for how we would go about addressing
[1:47:47] the different aspects that might occur. Uh, because this is a public meeting,
[1:47:51] we want to ensure that we have the maximum amount of transparency and accessibility from
[1:47:55] our community. Um, and so anything from the internet,
[1:47:59] uh, and, and outages in an internet to any of our
[1:48:03] outages of the systems, uh, which are many that support the technology
[1:48:07] for the council meeting, um, that, uh, are, are either
[1:48:11] run through a system or a vendor, uh, may have the opportunity to
[1:48:16] not work as intended. And so having that plan in place, uh, to address
[1:48:20] what happens if is very important so we can then also be,
[1:48:24] uh, reporting that to the city clerk and being compliant in a way, uh,
[1:48:28] with the law. Yeah, and I appreciate that and I, I'm making it a
[1:48:32] point to have this discussion because it's really, um, you know, as a city
[1:48:36] we wanna make sure that to make every effort for people to be able
[1:48:40] to participate. So should there be technical difficulty,
[1:48:45] uh, do we need to put in writing that if people who wanted to
[1:48:49] speak that day with technical difficulty would also be able to submit
[1:48:53] their comments in writing? Um, or is that something that's part of
[1:48:57] our practice is like, okay, so if, again, I'm
[1:49:02] not thinking about within the, the law, right, the state law, but I'm thinking within
[1:49:06] about how do we actually put this into practice because there's no guidance
[1:49:10] from the state to do so. How do we make sure then, is that a
[1:49:14] policy we need to put in there that, or is it kind of a roll of practice
[1:49:18] that we can make where if people couldn't provide their public comment virtually,
[1:49:22] can they email that to city clerk or should they email it to city clerk
[1:49:27] or mail it in by, you know, usps? 'cause I do have some
[1:49:31] resident that still sends me hard copy mail. Uh,
[1:49:36] I think both of those are options that we currently have
[1:49:40] as part of our council meetings. At any time, the public can email
[1:49:45] or use our software, our one meeting software to provide written public comment
[1:49:49] for any of the agenda items at any time. Um, people can submit
[1:49:53] comments after the meeting, before the meeting. We don't have a deadline on when
[1:49:57] we can receive those comments. They will be taken and distributed to the council
[1:50:02] members and made part of the record at any time when we receive them.
[1:50:06] again, we can receive them via email through our software. Um,
[1:50:10] people can drop them off at the meetings, they can drop 'em off at our counter, they can mail it in. So
[1:50:14] that is always an option. If technology does go down, the council would
[1:50:18] make the determination whether to continue the meeting, um, after an
[1:50:22] hour of trying to reestablish connection,
[1:50:27] or we would adjourn the meeting. And if people telephonically could not
[1:50:31] participate after that time, yes, they could definitely email us their
[1:50:35] comments. Thank you. I appreciate that. This is where I just wanna make sure there's a
[1:50:39] very clear point of clarification that we wanna make sure regardless
[1:50:44] of technology, that, you know, engagement is very important
[1:50:48] to us, um, and that we won't allow
[1:50:52] that to interfere with people being able to give their comments to us. Thank you.
[1:50:59] okay. I see no other, uh, counselors queued up. So without objection, we'll go
[1:51:03] to public comment. We have four speakers on the list,
[1:51:07] um, so they'll have three minutes each. Um, first up is dave chla,
[1:51:12] followed by oscar svia, seymour justice, and fb.
[1:51:20] thank you chair, superman council members, um, first I'd like to thank
[1:51:24] you as well as the city attorney's office for separating, uh, the issue of sb 7 0 7
[1:51:28] implementation and compliance from, uh, the proposed changes
[1:51:32] in what is now, uh, agenda item number 49 last week, uh, agenda item
[1:51:36] 46, uh, they were, uh, muddled together
[1:51:40] and really since, uh, november of last year, uh, it's been presented
[1:51:44] as though the toe are, uh, are inseparable. And
[1:51:49] I think that's just not only been logically, but procedurally, uh, an error.
[1:51:54] um, I'm supportive of this item because, you know, I'm supportive of
[1:51:59] expanded access to public meetings and generally, um, increasing
[1:52:04] those options to include zoom and telephonic, uh, options. Um,
[1:52:08] but also because I've experienced them, uh, with the city council. So in, uh,
[1:52:12] 2020 when we had the pandemic, we had to switch. We didn't have any
[1:52:16] other choice but to switch to zoom and telephonic call-in options,
[1:52:20] uh, I find it striking, uh, that the staff report doesn't have any
[1:52:24] analysis of what went right or what went wrong with that experience. Um,
[1:52:29] and may, maybe there's some reasons for that. It's not, uh, my
[1:52:33] job here to speculate on what they are. But, um,
[1:52:37] there are three things, uh, specifically, uh, not only the lack of
[1:52:42] analysis on what went wrong or, or right, with how the city rolled it out the first time
[1:52:46] when it had no other option, but, um, how, uh,
[1:52:50] we would metric and evaluate, uh, success
[1:52:54] of implementation for sb 7 0 7. There we're saying we're
[1:52:58] doing it, we're saying we're going to provide these options. We're saying we have a policy now if
[1:53:02] there are technical service disruptions. Um, but I don't think there's
[1:53:07] been sufficient thought into all the other things that could go wrong with implementing,
[1:53:11] uh, zoom and telephonic options at the city council. Um,
[1:53:16] from my experience on october 4th, 2020, uh, october, sorry,
[1:53:20] uh, august 4th, 2020 and august 11th, uh, I, as
[1:53:24] well as other speakers, uh, were selectively, uh, disrupted
[1:53:28] by service interruptions. Uh, in my case, once I had a comment cut off
[1:53:32] halfway through when it was a particularly sensitive, I'm a long-winded guy,
[1:53:37] I think in paragraphs, but it, it, it cut the paragraph right in half and it made me
[1:53:41] sound like I was saying something that was an exact opposite of what I was. Uh, luckily
[1:53:45] for me, I knew to comment on more than one item and knew to, uh,
[1:53:50] to adapt. But, uh, not everyone comes to every state of council
[1:53:54] meeting. Um, the other, uh,
[1:53:58] issue, uh, in addition to metrics or, um,
[1:54:03] you know, uh, speakers kind of being targeted for the content of
[1:54:07] the commons is there's nothing about bad actors. Um, not only from inside the city,
[1:54:11] but outside the city. How are you going to ensure that residents are being heard and people aren't
[1:54:15] gaming these new options? Haven't heard anything about that. Thank you.
[1:54:25] okay, next speaker please.
[1:54:31] you can start time. My name is oscar svia. Um, I try
[1:54:36] to come here when I can. I'm just, um, I'm very puzzled on
[1:54:40] 36 sb seven seven and agenda item 49.
[1:54:45] um, it overlaps, I'm satisfied that they were split up, but
[1:54:49] I thought agenda item 49 was proposed or done or we're
[1:54:54] discussing that in order to satisfy sb 7 0 7, but
[1:54:58] now we're being told that 36 satisfies it. So if 36 satisfies it, I
[1:55:02] don't see why we need 49 or why 40 thirties can't be done on that
[1:55:06] or waiting on. So I just wanted to ask if I could have some elaboration
[1:55:12] on why 49, um, is still going on. If it's not supposed to be a part of 7 0 7,
[1:55:20] would I be able to have a comment on that later on? But this, this is your time
[1:55:24] to comment. We, we don't respond to comments. Yeah. So I'm talking about later though. Would I be able to
[1:55:28] talk with the temporary city manager about that or
[1:55:32] no? This is not a q and a, this part of the, uh, agenda. It is this your yeah,
[1:55:36] I'm talking about after the council meeting. Um, well, certainly yeah, you,
[1:55:40] you can contact, uh, staff on, on anything, but go ahead. This, I'm, I'm, I'm
[1:55:44] taking up your time, so go ahead. Yeah, that was all. Thank you. Okay.
[1:55:50] okay, next speaker is seymour justice. Uh, hi again,
[1:55:54] counsel. Um, I'm just speaking to 36 now, and
[1:55:58] uh, I was really pleased to see that you've kind of like double,
[1:56:03] uh, decoupled the, uh, compliance with sb 7 0 7
[1:56:07] from the other measures that you guys have been deliberating over.
[1:56:12] um, I like some of the previous statements.
[1:56:17] um, 7 0 7 is great. Um, it's to
[1:56:21] increase access to public comment to having your constituents have access
[1:56:26] to let you know what they think to comment on issues
[1:56:30] that are coming before the council. So I think it was a really good idea
[1:56:34] whoever kind of decided to pull those apart for this meeting. Uh,
[1:56:38] I also know there's a whole thing about having to do a first reading, a second reading
[1:56:42] before a, a final vote. So I'm wondering, is this a first reading
[1:56:47] of the 7 0 7 or, uh, and having to start over
[1:56:51] again, uh, or is the vote later on 49,
[1:56:55] the third and final reading, and you're voting on that? So I, I'm
[1:56:59] not sure how all the parliamentary stuff works, but I do know that,
[1:57:03] uh, you've been getting some calls, uh, opposing what's
[1:57:08] coming in 49, but I want to make sure like we don't lose the
[1:57:12] 7 0 7 part and the sauce because whatever you guys are gonna do,
[1:57:16] I, I didn't, like dr. Sorrow said, I didn't get why this motion was all about
[1:57:20] a disruption of, of the telephonic and, and web stuff.
[1:57:25] I was hoping to maybe hear when you're deliberating, what is the plan
[1:57:29] for like how, I don't know whether public comment means we're
[1:57:33] gonna hear people from zoom kind of in telephone, like
[1:57:37] in the meeting room or just that they get to comment 'cause they're the public and
[1:57:41] send an email. Uh, it sounds like they'll be a part of this meeting.
[1:57:46] so I was a little confused in the presentation about they can like
[1:57:50] send an email whenever they want and get it to you. I think part of the whole point of
[1:57:54] 7 0 7 is people who can't come to council want to be a part of the
[1:57:58] council meeting mm-hmm . So I'm really hoping that that's what this part of the measure
[1:58:02] is and not just about what happens if the wifi goes down or something.
[1:58:07] so I look forward to hearing 49 much more than this one, but I wanted to
[1:58:11] thank you for pulling this 7 0 7 part away from that. So now
[1:58:15] we can deal with the 49 part that really felt kind of disingenuous
[1:58:20] that you were trying to kinda like jam in these restrictions on
[1:58:24] public comment and pretending that it was about 7 0 7 to comply with
[1:58:28] it. 'cause that was pretty clearly not the case. So thank you.
[1:58:33] okay, thank you. Our final speaker is fb,
[1:58:40] I'm am not gonna thank you. I'm gonna thank the, um, constituents
[1:58:45] of long beach for coming and forcing you to decouple
[1:58:49] 3 36 from 49 you pieces of s**t. Um,
[1:58:53] this is the reason why we come to city hall. Uh, this is the reason why people's
[1:58:58] voices need to be heard because when they're heard you do things
[1:59:02] like decoupling 36 from 49, and I wanna
[1:59:06] say I am, I'm okay with that. I'm okay with 36, approve it. Great, fantastic.
[1:59:11] make access possible for all of us. Um, I just wanted to say that
[1:59:15] thanks doesn't go to you that thanks, goes to us for forcing you to
[1:59:19] f*****g do it. We all know you got phone calls and emails
[1:59:24] and I don't know, talking tos hopefully, but the reason why you
[1:59:28] f*****g did that, you pieces of s**t, and this is the reason I speak to you this way
[1:59:32] because you're trying to take our f*****g voices away from us. How f*****g
[1:59:37] dare you. You're eroding our first amendment every single f*****g
[1:59:41] time. The people that come here every tuesday, no matter what,
[1:59:45] it's because we want to protect our f*****g civil
[1:59:49] liberties. You don't get it. Or maybe you get it, but
[1:59:53] maybe you're, I don't know, getting backdoor deals somewhere. I don't f*****g know. I
[1:59:58] don't wanna have conspiracy theories on what you guys do
[2:00:02] to make your money, but I just wanna say that please say the
[2:00:06] f**k away from my first amendment, you pieces of s**t
[2:00:11] free palestine.
[2:00:16] okay. Uh, that concludes, um, public comment. I see no other,
[2:00:20] uh, deliberation from the members. So, uh, please, let's move to a vote.
[2:00:31] motion is carried. Okay,
[2:00:35] thank you. Our next item is number 37. Will the clerk please,
[2:00:39] please read report from community development recommendation
[2:00:43] to approve the fiscal year 2026 through 2027 action
[2:00:48] plan for the expenditure of community development block grant, home
[2:00:52] investment partnerships, program grant and emergency solutions grant funds
[2:00:57] approve the substantial amendments to the fiscal year action plans
[2:01:02] and execute all necessary documents with the united states department of
[2:01:06] housing and urban development and other entities to implement
[2:01:10] and comply with related federal regulations citywide.
[2:01:15] um, I see we have a staff presentation, so please take it away.
[2:01:21] all right, team. Good evening mayors. Um,
[2:01:25] good evening, members of the city council. This item is for the fiscal year 26
[2:01:29] through 27 action plan and prior year substantial amendments for
[2:01:33] our hud funds. This is a fifth and final action plan under
[2:01:38] the current five-year consolidated plan. The presentation today will cover
[2:01:42] the consolidated plan, the annual action plan process, including the
[2:01:46] proposed budgeted activities as well as prior year action plan substantial amendments.
[2:01:51] and lastly, I'll cover our outreach efforts for this action plan and the feedback
[2:01:55] we've received. Click
[2:02:04] thank you. The
[2:02:08] 26th through 27 action plans, a single year spending plan for the three hud
[2:02:12] grants listed here, cdbg home and esg. The c-d-b-g-p
[2:02:17] program encourages activities that facilitate suitable living environments
[2:02:21] and can expand economic opportunities for low income persons and communities.
[2:02:26] the home program focuses specifically on increasing the supply of affordable
[2:02:30] housing and the esg program provides funds for persons experiencing
[2:02:34] homelessness.
[2:02:39] although the city of long beach is an entitlement jurisdiction, meaning we do not compete for this
[2:02:44] funding, we must, we must prepare a five-year consolidated plan for hud approval.
[2:02:48] the consolidated plan serves as our application for the hud funds and
[2:02:53] was developed with significant community input and was approved by city
[2:02:57] council on july 19th, 2022. It will expire
[2:03:01] next year on september 30th, 2027. The
[2:03:05] consolidated plan includes an assessment of housing and community development needs,
[2:03:09] market analysis priorities and strategies to address those needs.
[2:03:15] whereas the consolidated plan identifies needs and establishes
[2:03:19] goals and priorities over five years. The annual action plan includes specific
[2:03:24] actions that will be undertaken through funded projects and activities
[2:03:29] every year. We follow a three step development process, which entails addressing our
[2:03:33] five year goals, collecting and considering public input
[2:03:37] and analyzing trends and allocating resources to best meet
[2:03:41] local goals. As I mentioned,
[2:03:46] the 26th through 27 action plan is our fifth and final action plan under
[2:03:50] the 23 through 27 consolidated plan. Our congressional
[2:03:55] allocation for 26 through 27 is a total of $7,855,555
[2:04:02] and 95 cents as shown at on the table
[2:04:06] this year. Our cdbg and esg allocations have decreased by
[2:04:10] about 29,000 and 11,000 respectively, and our
[2:04:15] home allocation has increased by 17,000. The total available
[2:04:19] funding for the year is over $9.4 million when we combine the new
[2:04:23] entitlement with projected program income for the year.
[2:04:30] this slide provides more detail on the proposed activities and their budgets
[2:04:34] that will be supported. They are organized by consolidated plan goal. They are responding
[2:04:38] to goal one is to create and preserve affordable housing. The action
[2:04:42] plan proposes just over 3.4 million in home funds
[2:04:47] and a little over 1.4 million in new cdbg funds for new construction
[2:04:51] acquisition and rehab for a total of $4,867,204.
[2:04:58] this goal receives the largest amount of funding as housing was identified as the
[2:05:02] most urgent priority during the consolidated plan outreach process.
[2:05:08] under goal two, support activities to end homelessness, the total esg
[2:05:12] funding amount is $400,303 and
[2:05:16] it's being proposed for emergency shelter rapid rehousing, the
[2:05:21] homeless management information system and street outreach. These figures were
[2:05:25] determined by our health department as they administer esg grant activities.
[2:05:29] it should be noted that the health department receives funding from several different
[2:05:33] sources for homeless services and those resources are considered annually when
[2:05:37] developing the action plan. Budget consolidated plan goal three,
[2:05:41] eliminate blight and strengthened neighborhoods, supports a variety of community
[2:05:46] improvement activities and public service programs. The two proposed
[2:05:50] non-homeless public service activities are the afterschool and weekend recreation
[2:05:54] program and the senior meal program for a total
[2:05:58] of $417,993. Under the
[2:06:02] strengthening neighborhoods category, we have several programs including the graffiti, graffiti
[2:06:07] removal, mural restoration, neighborhood leadership, code
[2:06:11] enforcement, and side improvement, all of which are supported by cdbg with
[2:06:15] a total of $2,000,007. Activities that
[2:06:19] are considered public service are marked with an asterisk here.
[2:06:23] total cdbg funding for public service type activities cannot exceed 15%
[2:06:27] of the annual budget. Undergo four, expand
[2:06:32] economic opportunities, 110,000 is being allocated towards this goal
[2:06:36] goal for small business technical assistance. And lastly, undergo five, promote
[2:06:40] fair housing choice, 100,000 is being budgeted.
[2:06:46] this slide summarizes the budgetary changes from fiscal
[2:06:50] year 25 through 26 across the three grants by activity
[2:06:55] under cdbg. The sidewalk improvement program was budgeted
[2:06:59] substantial. The budget was substantially reduced in fiscal year 25
[2:07:04] through 26. As the department of public works was working to spend down
[2:07:08] prior cdbg funds allocated to the program. In fiscal
[2:07:12] year 26 through 27, the budget for this program is being restored to
[2:07:16] its previous level. The neighborhood leadership program is
[2:07:20] being increased by 60,000 to help cover increased staff and program cost.
[2:07:25] the graffiti removal program has a proposed budget increase of 50,000,
[2:07:30] similar to the sidewalk improvement program. Their budget was decreased
[2:07:34] by 50,000 in the prior action plan year due to the
[2:07:38] cap on public service cost this year, that that budget is also being restored to
[2:07:42] prior year levels. Budgetary decreases in the fiscal year
[2:07:46] 26 through 27. Action plan for cdbg activities include
[2:07:51] housing, land acquisition, the neighborhood resource center and
[2:07:55] administration. And I'll cover this more in the next slide.
[2:07:59] as I mentioned, the home grant allocation has been slightly increased and
[2:08:03] as a result we're able to increase activity budgets accordingly
[2:08:07] as shown here. Lastly, esg activities tend
[2:08:11] to fluctuate from year to year. And as I mentioned with the health department assessing
[2:08:15] new and ongoing funding sources this year, they're proposing
[2:08:19] an increase to street outreach, emergency shelter, hmis and
[2:08:23] a reduction to rapid rehousing and administration.
[2:08:29] the proposed fiscal year 26 through 27 reductions for housing
[2:08:33] acquisition will be offset through new funding sources, including measure
[2:08:37] a la casa and state housing trust fund and pro housing
[2:08:41] incentive program, which also support the acquisition and production of new affordable
[2:08:45] housing. Reductions to the nrc will be covered in part by
[2:08:50] budgetary increase to the neighborhood leadership program as the two programs
[2:08:54] share staff in the next, in the next consolidated plan cycle. Staff will
[2:08:58] redesign nlp with community input and will consider changes
[2:09:03] such as partnering with community based organizations to coordinate the program while
[2:09:07] maintaining program structure and the goal of resident empowerment.
[2:09:12] reductions to administration will be covered by administrative allowances under state
[2:09:16] grant dollars and measure funds.
[2:09:21] federal regulations and the city's citizen participation plan require a
[2:09:25] substantial amendment to the consolidated plan or annual action plan. If there's a
[2:09:29] change in the use of cdbg home or esg activities from one activity
[2:09:33] to another in the excess of 25%.
[2:09:38] a change in allocation priorities, a change in purpose, scope, location, or beneficiaries
[2:09:43] of an activity. Funds not spent from previous action plans cannot be
[2:09:47] included in the current fiscal year 26 through 27 action plan and
[2:09:51] will be spent through action plan substantial amendments. Unspent funds will
[2:09:55] be allocated to the security deposit program, home improvement roof program,
[2:10:01] mobile outreach, homeless management information system, and supportive services for
[2:10:05] people experiencing homelessness to help meet programmatic needs and
[2:10:09] help meet regulatory requirements of cpd funds.
[2:10:17] outreach and public participation is a key component of action plan development. This year.
[2:10:21] community development staff attended and or hosted 15 events
[2:10:25] shown here to inform residents about the action plan development to collect feedback
[2:10:29] via our three question survey, which assesses which programs and priorities
[2:10:33] are most important for us to continue to fund.
[2:10:39] the multilingual survey was made available for over two months from february 24th
[2:10:43] through may 2nd. It was available in english spanish command tagalog.
[2:10:48] it was available online and via hard copy at the 15 events I shared
[2:10:52] on the previous slide, as well as at in libraries and parks and cdbg
[2:10:57] areas. We received 454 total responses and
[2:11:01] the most critical goal was assisting in the creation and preservation
[2:11:05] of affordable housing for low income and special needs households. We also shared
[2:11:09] information on ways to participate on social media, the city
[2:11:14] website, a media public notice, several e-blast, promotional
[2:11:18] video and flyer distribution. We conducted two public
[2:11:22] hearings with the long beach community investment company on march 18th
[2:11:27] and last week on june 10th. Um, and lastly, we
[2:11:31] published public notices in multilingual newspapers and on the city website as part
[2:11:35] of our 30 day public comment period.
[2:11:41] the fiscal year 26th through 27 action plan draft was made
[2:11:46] available for 30 day public comment, beginning may 5th
[2:11:50] and ended friday june 5th. During that time, staff received 28 written
[2:11:54] public comments, many of which opposed higher density and affordable
[2:11:58] housing development within highest opportunity areas. For reference,
[2:12:03] highest opportunity areas are those whose characteristics
[2:12:07] have been shown by research to support positive economic, educational
[2:12:12] and health outcomes for low income families, particularly families with children.
[2:12:17] historically throughout california and long beach, affordable housing has been
[2:12:21] concentrated in low opportunity areas, effectively excluding low and
[2:12:25] moderate income residents from neighborhoods with the highest quality schools,
[2:12:30] parks, and environmental conditions. Upon approval of the 21
[2:12:34] through 29 housing element in february of 2022
[2:12:39] and the 23 to through 27 consolidated plan on july, 2022,
[2:12:44] the city identified the development of affordable housing in high
[2:12:48] resource areas as a goal
[2:12:52] annually. In order to continue receiving federal funds,
[2:12:56] the city must also self-certify that it's meaningfully further furthering fair
[2:13:00] housing in accordance with the fair housing act of 1968,
[2:13:05] as well as complying with the california assembly bill 6 86, which
[2:13:09] includes taking action to address various types of discrimination.
[2:13:14] however, since the current consolidated plan was approved in 2022,
[2:13:18] no projects have been proposed in highest opportunity areas due to higher land
[2:13:22] costs. Lack of available sites feasible for larger developments.
[2:13:26] prior to that, only three small acquisition rehab affordable
[2:13:31] housing projects were developed in highest opportunity areas. These
[2:13:35] three projects produced a combined 13 units. Because smaller affordable
[2:13:39] housing projects are more feasible, the city intends to continue working with nonprofits
[2:13:44] and the local housing land trust to purchase and rehabilitate smaller
[2:13:48] rental projects to convert to affordable housing units.
[2:13:53] as part of this, as part of the city's obligation to address fair housing goals,
[2:13:59] this is one of the three affordable housing projects located in highest opportunity
[2:14:03] area that I just mentioned. To give you a sense of the size and scale, this is a four
[2:14:07] unit affordable housing project for disabled adults.
[2:14:15] as we begin to prepare for our next consolidated plan, we're also keeping a close
[2:14:19] eye on federal funding developments that could,
[2:14:24] excuse me, that could impact future funding
[2:14:28] of cpd funds. On april 3rd, the trump administration
[2:14:32] released its 27 budget, which would be implemented locally on
[2:14:37] october 1st, 2027. So next year that would
[2:14:41] be under the next consolidated plan, and that proposes the elimination of cdbg
[2:14:45] and home. The house appropriations committee completed markup
[2:14:49] of the 27 budget and voted to send the updated bill to the full house.
[2:14:54] the house bill proposes to fund hud at an 8% reduction
[2:14:58] from 20 se 26 levels for cpd programming.
[2:15:02] the program most affected by this radi
[2:15:07] iteration of the budget includes the home program with the
[2:15:11] proposed 60% reduction. Though
[2:15:15] the 27 budgets still being revised and reviewed by congress, staff are
[2:15:19] monitoring the budget developments closely.
[2:15:24] not all needs requests or priorities can be supported with these funds, especially
[2:15:29] considering our annual allocations have been declining year after year.
[2:15:33] the allocation presented today is 47.7% less
[2:15:37] than our 2010 allocation. If allocations had remained at the same level,
[2:15:41] the city would have received an additional 96 million during that time.
[2:15:46] staff also continue to apply for new funding sources and have secured state grant funds
[2:15:51] for affordable housing staff continue to work closely with partner departments
[2:15:55] and agencies to better align our programs, improve service coordination, effectiveness,
[2:15:59] and efficiency, and spending to find upstream, upstream solutions such
[2:16:03] as our partnership with the los angeles county housing solutions agency
[2:16:07] or la casa. And with that, our recommendation
[2:16:12] is to approve the 26th through 27 action plan and prior year substantial
[2:16:16] amendments. That concludes the presentation. We're happy to answer any questions you may
[2:16:20] have. Thank you. Okay. Thank you for the presentation. We'll
[2:16:24] move to the maker of the motion. Uh, council member zendejas. Thank you.
[2:16:29] um, thank you staff for that great presentation. Very thorough. A lot
[2:16:33] of information in there. Um, these federal grants offer
[2:16:37] critical funding that offers enhanced support to low income communities
[2:16:41] throughout the city. These grants have, uh, funded services
[2:16:45] like neighborhood resource center that allows residents to apply
[2:16:50] for supplies and print flyers to invite their neighbors to an
[2:16:54] upcoming block party event or any kind of neighborhood event
[2:16:59] that they're hosting. These services support neighbors getting
[2:17:03] organized and getting active and making a difference in their community.
[2:17:08] as an alumni of the neighborhood leadership program, I have
[2:17:12] experienced firsthand the empowerment, um, that these services
[2:17:16] have had on our neighborhoods and our community leaders. Um,
[2:17:21] it is unfortunate to see such a decline in
[2:17:25] federal support and a loss of some of these services.
[2:17:29] this is why I support the efforts to reassess, um, and
[2:17:33] look for alternatives and future funding to bring the support
[2:17:37] back in the coming years. Thank you so much for your work on this.
[2:17:43] okay, we'll go to the, uh, seconder of the motion, uh, council member
[2:17:47] sorrow. Um, thank you. Yes, thank you for the presentation
[2:17:51] on this year's, uh, fiscal year's action plan. I think
[2:17:55] that, um, it's, it's been really important that we've
[2:17:59] received this, um, funding, um, and been
[2:18:03] able to allocate it them annually through the public
[2:18:07] participation process, which I appreciate was done to make sure that it's
[2:18:12] going into the areas that the community wants, um, you know, see
[2:18:16] improved. And I think we're seeing more need for housing
[2:18:20] services, um, um, homeless services to also preserving
[2:18:24] housing. And I think that need is gonna continue to not only
[2:18:29] continue as is, but increase with the less funding that we're gonna get as a
[2:18:33] city. Uh, but it's really been so crucial to be able to have this, to make the different
[2:18:37] kind of improvements and empower residents through training
[2:18:41] programs to be able to make these changes, um, in, in their communities.
[2:18:46] so I, I also wanna add that we to encourage staff
[2:18:50] to continue monitoring, but also, um, finding ways that we can be
[2:18:54] creative to continue the programming that we do. Especially,
[2:18:59] um, prioritizing the neighborhood leadership program. I know that we're gonna
[2:19:03] continue that program. It's gonna be modified, but I think that it's
[2:19:07] been so empowering to see residents throughout
[2:19:11] the city get the training they need to, uh, activate the neighborhood
[2:19:15] and also empower their neighbors to do, to take action as
[2:19:19] well collectively. So, thank you very much.
[2:19:24] okay. Uh, councilman th thank you so much, chair.
[2:19:28] um, so to the team, um, I know you read it out, but it takes an incredible amount
[2:19:32] of work to get to the point that, uh, you are and to have, um, the presentation
[2:19:37] accordingly. And there's some elements we should be celebrating because of the
[2:19:41] things that we've been able to do on the front lines for so many families
[2:19:45] in our community. Um, but understand that you've presented it in a way that's
[2:19:49] quite sobering, um, and helping us understand where we're going from
[2:19:54] a fiscal standpoint. So, programs that you've mentioned home, esgc,
[2:19:58] dbg, um, really help to stabilize families in our communities.
[2:20:03] um, and yet we're seeing sort of a very devastating trend.
[2:20:08] um, the combination of multimillion dollar disinvestment
[2:20:12] and just elimination of resources, the rising costs of labor
[2:20:16] and inflation that we're experiencing right now. I'm just grateful that our team has
[2:20:20] been able to maintain, um, even the services that we've been providing,
[2:20:25] uh, so far. Um, the transparency that you've provided in
[2:20:29] this presentation, uh, should help share with the public that the president's
[2:20:33] budget currently, uh, plans for an elimination altogether
[2:20:37] of all of these resources, um, in community. And so,
[2:20:42] you know, I know that you're trying to be as clear-eyed about our fiscal reality as
[2:20:46] possible. The complete elimination of the cdbg
[2:20:50] funding, which would now, you know, really close our neighborhood resource centers, um,
[2:20:54] is quite a heavy blow. Um, and one that provides direct assistance
[2:20:59] to our neighborhood association, civic engagement and community building.
[2:21:03] um, but like my colleagues have said, um, I see that you've put more money, um,
[2:21:08] into the neighborhood leadership program, um, to ensure that it can
[2:21:12] continue on and really creatively thinking about how to use staff from other
[2:21:16] programs to support very similar work to what they're doing,
[2:21:20] um, to keep our residents connected with this important, uh, infrastructure.
[2:21:25] so, you know, with that, I of course will be, uh, I will be supporting
[2:21:29] this item. Um, but, um, you know, trying to, trying to celebrate the wins
[2:21:33] of what we've been able to do to hold communities together while understanding that
[2:21:37] this may be the last year of these resources. Thank you.
[2:21:42] okay. Um, if the clerk can confirm, it appears we have no public comment on this item.
[2:21:46] no public comment. Okay. Without objection, we'll move to a vote.
[2:21:57] motion is carried. Alright. Uh, the next item,
[2:22:01] um, number 38, will the clerk please read report from
[2:22:06] economic development and opportunity police department and public works? Recommendation
[2:22:10] to execute any and all documents necessary, including a
[2:22:14] standard offer agreement and escrow instructions for purchase of
[2:22:18] real estate with lalb harbor for the purchase of
[2:22:23] certain real property, located at 1400 canal avenue
[2:22:27] in an amount not to exceed $6,300,000
[2:22:31] with an additional $100,000 for our acquisition related
[2:22:35] cost increase appropriations by $6,750,000
[2:22:41] to fund the purchase of the property and to fund tenant improvements
[2:22:45] and accept categorical exemptions. District seven.
[2:22:50] okay. Thank you. We have a motion a second. Can we move to the staff report please?
[2:22:56] thank you. Chair superman, members of the city council. The item before you is for the
[2:23:00] purchase of, um, 1400 canal avenue. Uh, the subject
[2:23:05] property measures approximately 39 30,900 square feet and includes
[2:23:09] a 17,400 square foot building that currently houses the long beach police department's
[2:23:14] crime lab, and one of two sites for pds long-term property and evidence storage.
[2:23:18] the current lease expired april 30th of this year with the tenancy continuing
[2:23:22] on a month to month holdover status, permanent locations for the crime
[2:23:27] lab and property and evidence storage functions have been identified at 1827
[2:23:31] spring street and 1 25 elm. However, tenant improvements will not be completed.
[2:23:35] total 2028, the city engaged landlord and negotiations for
[2:23:39] short term extension, but only long-term options were, uh, offered.
[2:23:44] in addition, the current lease requires the city to complete substantial restoration work upon
[2:23:48] vacating the site. Given the cost of a long-term lease and required restoration, acquisition
[2:23:53] of the subject property is the financially prudent option.
[2:23:57] to that end, the city has negotiated a purchase with the landlord in the amount of 6.3 million
[2:24:02] with an additional 100,000 needed for acquisition costs, due diligence items,
[2:24:06] and escrow and closing fees. Further, $350,000 is needed
[2:24:10] for tenant improvements, including roofing repairs. The city will have a 45 day
[2:24:14] due diligence period and escrow will close 21 days thereafter.
[2:24:19] a couple of additional considerations to note is that first, the city will no longer owe rent
[2:24:23] payments when, once we take ownership. And secondly, after the pd functions relocate
[2:24:27] to their permanent facilities, the city may declare the property surplus and recover cr costs
[2:24:31] through a fa future disposition, or alternatively,
[2:24:36] evaluate use of the subject property for other long term municipal uses.
[2:24:42] the acquisition will be funded with idle cash in the general capital projects fund group in
[2:24:46] the department of public works until a long term decision is made to either sell the property or
[2:24:50] retain the property long term and issue debt to replenish the upfront cash.
[2:24:55] a decision would not need to be made until later in 2028 or early 2029, at
[2:24:59] which time the subject property could be considered for a bond issuance forecasted for that
[2:25:03] time. This timing also allows the police department to complete transition to
[2:25:07] their permanent facilities. Ongoing operations and maintenance costs are
[2:25:11] expected to remain in line with the current usage and are already appropriated in the general
[2:25:15] fund group in the police department. Therefore, the recommendation
[2:25:20] before used is to authorize the city manager or designee to execute any and all documents for
[2:25:24] the purchase. Increase appropriations in the capital projects fund group in the public works department
[2:25:28] by 6.75 million to fund the purchase offset by
[2:25:32] the sale of the property or future bond proceeds and accept categorical exemption
[2:25:36] ce 26 dash 0 4 8. This concludes my staff report
[2:25:41] and I'm available for any questions you may have.
[2:25:46] okay? Okay. Thank you. Um, we'll move to
[2:25:51] the maker of the motion. Councilman thrash I
[2:25:55] support. Okay. To the seconder joining rick sodi, uh,
[2:25:59] no comment. I also support. Okay, I see no public comment
[2:26:03] on this. We have one oh, oscar svia.
[2:26:18] hello. Um, I want to express dissatisfaction with this specific
[2:26:23] agenda item, especially 'cause I come from district seven. Um, I don't know if people
[2:26:27] remember, but one of the reasons why I became an unofficial candidate back in
[2:26:31] february was to look out for the community for my district, because
[2:26:35] I feel every time there's funding available, that funding is used specifically for police,
[2:26:39] police funding or something. Not for the community. This
[2:26:44] place, $7 million, that's a lot of money
[2:26:48] all of a sudden that could appear from the city funds instantly.
[2:26:52] but we have no money to put more trash cans in the corners of
[2:26:57] district seven more facilities make that entire district area where canal
[2:27:01] is more prettier. So it could, so it could be more storefronts, could
[2:27:05] be there, more people could want to come, but it's just all alone and
[2:27:09] ugly. The streets aren't cleaned, nothing like that. So just, it really
[2:27:13] angers me and frustrates me that there's always money for things
[2:27:18] like this, but never any money to support the community. Thank you.
[2:27:22] very here.
[2:27:27] okay. Thank you. That concludes public comment. So that concludes public comment without objection.
[2:27:31] we'll move to a vote
[2:27:47] co council minow. Motion is carried.
[2:27:54] okay, thank you. Um, next item is number 39.
[2:27:58] report from health and human services. Recommendation to receive and
[2:28:02] file a presentation regarding the city of long beach, cambodian community
[2:28:07] health needs assessments citywide.
[2:28:11] okay, we have a motion and a second, uh, we'll move to
[2:28:15] a staff report. We have allison king
[2:28:19] with the health and human services department.
[2:28:25] good evening. Um, pro mayor, pro
[2:28:29] tem , and our honorable council. Tonight the department
[2:28:33] of health and human services is presenting the cambodian community health needs
[2:28:38] assessment, which reflects the lived experiences
[2:28:42] and priorities of the cambodian community in long beach.
[2:28:46] this work aligns with the city's racial equity and reconciliation
[2:28:51] initiative by advancing racial data transparency
[2:28:55] and centering community voice in decision making.
[2:29:00] I'll now turn it over to nicole san andre, our
[2:29:05] cambodian health equity coordinator.
[2:29:09] thank you, allison.
[2:29:21] good evening council member. The purpose of this assessment was to better understand
[2:29:26] the health and social need of the cambodian resident in long beach and
[2:29:30] signal hill, particularly following covid-19, and to help
[2:29:34] inform culturally responsive programs and services. Additionally, I would
[2:29:39] like to note that we also included cambodian residents
[2:29:43] in signal hill due to interconnectedness of the cambodian
[2:29:47] community across cities. Some, some cambodian
[2:29:51] residents live in signal hill, but work, worship, access,
[2:29:55] healthcare and community program in long beach where my speaking
[2:30:00] resources are more accessible. Next slide.
[2:30:06] this particular project was conducted in partnership
[2:30:10] with cambodian communities, uh, the united cambodian community,
[2:30:15] families in good health camp scholar and an academic partner,
[2:30:19] um, csu dominguez hill, using community led
[2:30:24] and culturally response approach.
[2:30:28] their assessment collected 447 surveys between
[2:30:32] may and august of 2024, both in kamai and english,
[2:30:38] followed by community listening sessions. Survey was also
[2:30:42] conducted by bilingual staffs and volunteer through trusted community
[2:30:46] spaces. Next slide. Our
[2:30:50] sample included 18 to 92 yale cambodians
[2:30:55] one third were full, full-time worker and nearly 20%
[2:31:00] had less than high school education. About one in five
[2:31:04] respondent lived in multi-family dwellings with
[2:31:08] an average household size of four language access issues.
[2:31:13] intergenerational homes and economics stability were also founded
[2:31:17] in the assessment. These demographic emphasized the needs of
[2:31:22] culturally and linguistically relevant services
[2:31:27] based on both surveys, result and community listening sessions.
[2:31:32] we identify five major area that consistently came up as
[2:31:36] top concern for cambodian residents. These are healthcare access
[2:31:41] and utilization, mental health and emotional wellbeing, housing
[2:31:45] stability and food security, economic security and employment.
[2:31:49] and lastly, community safety and discrimination. These five focus area
[2:31:54] guided us and our analysis and frame the
[2:31:58] next section of a presentation.
[2:32:02] access to healthcare is a significant issue for this sample of
[2:32:06] cambodian resident with about 70% reporting, health
[2:32:11] insurance may lead through medi-cal or medicare. However, insurance
[2:32:15] does not equal to access. 38% experienced a lack
[2:32:19] of support during covid-19 pandemic lead leading to missed appointments.
[2:32:24] 65% reported having regular doctor or primary care
[2:32:28] provider. Approximately 26% use traditional healers due
[2:32:32] to familiarity and trust. This
[2:32:36] highlight the need for culturally safety and relationship and healthcare.
[2:32:43] in this lie highlights the top three barrier respondents
[2:32:47] face when trying to access healthcare. The most common barrier is
[2:32:51] cost. With 38% of respondent said healthcare
[2:32:56] is unaffordable even when they have insurance. Second barrier
[2:33:01] is time. About 31% reported not having time
[2:33:05] to seek care often due to long wait times, work schedule,
[2:33:09] or caregiving responsibilities. The third major
[2:33:13] barrier is distant and comfort with 23%. Se
[2:33:17] said care is either too far or that they
[2:33:22] do not feel comfortable in healthcare settings together, these findings suggest
[2:33:26] that access is not just about coverage. It's about whether care is
[2:33:30] affordable, fit into people's lives and feel accessible
[2:33:34] and welcome when they seek it.
[2:33:39] mental health emerged as a significant concern with one in three
[2:33:43] respondent reporting, ongoing stress culture,
[2:33:48] cultural stigmas, mistrust in healthcare system, and limited
[2:33:53] access to culturally relevant services contribute to this gap.
[2:33:57] respondent often rely on family, faith and community leaders
[2:34:01] for support. Underscoring the need for culturally affirming mental health
[2:34:06] approaches and address both intergenerational trauma and community
[2:34:10] based healing. Housing and food
[2:34:14] security emerge as interconnected challenges affecting
[2:34:18] health and wellbeing. Rising health housing costs
[2:34:23] are a significant stressor for many respondent, most of whom are
[2:34:27] renter. Approximately 38% reported experiencing food
[2:34:31] insecurity, including skipping meals due to financial constraint,
[2:34:36] while also facing barrier to access affordable, healthy, and
[2:34:40] culturally familiar food transportation challenges. Further
[2:34:44] limits access to grocery for about
[2:34:48] one third of the respondent. Together these finding highlight
[2:34:53] the needs for integrated solution that address housing, affordability,
[2:34:58] food access, cultural food needs, and transportation barrier.
[2:35:06] nearly one in third respondent lost work or had hour
[2:35:10] reduced and one in four
[2:35:14] reported experiencing or witnessing anti-asian
[2:35:18] hate. These events create lasting fear and
[2:35:22] mistrust. Many community members describe feelings
[2:35:27] unsafe, even doing simple thing like grocery shopping or taking the bus.
[2:35:31] one respondent shared, I don't feel comfortable leaving my
[2:35:35] house because of hate crime against asian communities. Another
[2:35:40] said we had, we need more protection for our elders who
[2:35:44] takes the bus beyond fear. 38% said they
[2:35:48] had no one to help navigate healthcare during the
[2:35:52] pandemic. A gap that left many isolated and
[2:35:56] unsure how to get support these experiences highlight
[2:36:00] the importance of safety, belonging, and trust as part
[2:36:04] of health equity, not just services or programs.
[2:36:09] through surveys and listening session, community member consistently emphasize
[2:36:14] the need for kamai speaking services, affordable housing, transportation
[2:36:19] support, and safer community spaces and
[2:36:23] respond recommendation fo focus on expanding culturally responsive
[2:36:28] services, strengthening mental health supports, address
[2:36:32] food and economic insecurity and advance community safety
[2:36:37] efforts.
[2:36:42] next step?
[2:36:46] yes. The cambodian community health need assessment
[2:36:50] report will be publicly available this month. As
[2:36:54] part of a next step. We had convene a first meeting of the
[2:36:59] cambodian com community health need assessments steering committee to help
[2:37:03] identify current community priorities and guide the next phase of this work.
[2:37:08] the department will also continue to support culturally responsive community
[2:37:14] response activities informed by the findings, and utilize the assessment
[2:37:19] to help inform health equity community projects, funding opportunities.
[2:37:26] that's it. Next one.
[2:37:31] oh, I went ahead. My apologies. Okay. And that's it.
[2:37:36] alright. Yep. Couple more. Slide. One more.
[2:37:42] if there's any question, please reach out to a team at our email on the s slide.
[2:37:47] thank you for your time.
[2:37:56] okay. Does that conclude the staff presentation? Okay. We'll move to the maker of the motion.
[2:38:01] uh, councilman th took that
[2:38:05] was councilwoman sorrow. I'm sorry. I got number first here. Um,
[2:38:10] thank you council member. Um, . Uh,
[2:38:14] so thank you very much for the overview and presentation
[2:38:19] on the, um, health needs, the cambodian health needs assessment. I
[2:38:23] think that, uh, this was the timelining. Just to clarify,
[2:38:28] uh, this was one of, uh, several community health assessment
[2:38:32] that was requested to be conducted post covid
[2:38:36] to see how we can be responsive to the needs of the
[2:38:41] specific community. 'cause they were disproportionately impacted by covid.
[2:38:45] is that correct? Okay. Nodding meaning. Yes.
[2:38:49] I'm, I just wanna make sure , yes, I'm interpreting it. Okay. Thank you very much. I
[2:38:53] just wanted to share, because it's now 2026, and I know
[2:38:57] that these, I appreciate a lot of the work done to
[2:39:01] bring, um, community steering committee members together. So thank you
[2:39:06] to those who have helped, participated and conducted the,
[2:39:10] um, and been part of the, uh, survey as well as the focus groups.
[2:39:15] I think it's so important that, uh, you know, people do know that the community
[2:39:19] has been here for now about 50 years, given that we celebrated
[2:39:24] the, uh, ann or the commemorate the remembrance of the, the
[2:39:28] genocide. It's 51st now, but I think that over time,
[2:39:33] uh, there's still challenges that has changed, but also that has, and
[2:39:37] I think some emerging one that had come up was from the post covid
[2:39:42] pandemic and where we had, um, the federal administration
[2:39:46] targeting a specific group of people and blaming particularly,
[2:39:51] uh, those who are from china or may look asian as a cause
[2:39:55] of covid. So, which had triggered a variety
[2:39:59] of violence against seniors at that time. And I just wanted to add
[2:40:04] some context because it's been some time in how this has emerged. Right? So
[2:40:08] having the background is very important, which is why I think that,
[2:40:12] but that doesn't mean that all that fear and those issues just went away.
[2:40:16] right? Which is why this assessment is important because this is still people's
[2:40:21] real lived experience, particularly cambodian community members.
[2:40:25] so I appreciate you also including the signal hill, um,
[2:40:29] as well, city member, uh, cambodian community members because, uh,
[2:40:34] my district, which is really adjacent to signal hill, is hard to tell where the line starts
[2:40:38] and end unless you look at the street, uh, uh, signs.
[2:40:43] I did have a question around, uh, when it's been lifted up
[2:40:47] many times around having language access, and I'm
[2:40:51] wondering how does this, uh, report help inform
[2:40:56] the language access program that we have currently? Uh,
[2:41:00] as far as, um, sharing that information, but also will there
[2:41:04] be exploration and how this report will help inform
[2:41:08] the program around needs and, and other resources.
[2:41:16] thank you, dr. Soro. Um, so in terms of
[2:41:20] this assessment, it will be, it's our first and we're hoping not gonna be our last.
[2:41:24] um, however, I, I think in terms of where we're heading
[2:41:28] currently, we're hoping to get our steering committees members, some of
[2:41:33] who are here today, um, to, to help support guiding us
[2:41:37] in terms of what it could look like and how this report will be
[2:41:42] utilized by a language access team. Um, in partnership
[2:41:46] with our language access team. As you already know, a lot of our
[2:41:50] translation services are very, um, are now more up to date
[2:41:54] and also more accessible for our cambodian community as well. 'cause traditionally,
[2:41:58] um, we translate our material at a, at a very direct,
[2:42:02] um, translation where community, as some of you may already know, our
[2:42:07] community member, some of them might not be able to read at that
[2:42:11] level. So, current, one of the, our continued partnership, we're hoping
[2:42:15] to, uh, work with language access to make sure our language access are translating
[2:42:20] material in where community are able to do so. But also currently we're waiting
[2:42:24] for our community, uh, steering committee recommendation as well,
[2:42:28] because again, they're in the community. They're the one that's doing the direct
[2:42:32] work with community, and they're hearing the day-to-day basis. So they're,
[2:42:36] whatever their recommendation may be, that's what we're gonna utilize to continue to guide us to doing
[2:42:40] this work, um, while always emphasizing on amplifying
[2:42:45] a community voices through this process. So we're in a early stake. We just have a first steering
[2:42:49] committee meeting last month. We're hoping to get more done. Okay. Thank
[2:42:53] you for that update. I think that every, uh, the different assessment
[2:42:57] groups, um, that has a steering committee and they're at different, um,
[2:43:02] pace, uh, as far as timelining. And I think, you know, that
[2:43:06] question applies to these other area issues that would be related to the
[2:43:10] department, such as economic impacts, right? Is that gonna be shared
[2:43:14] with our economic development opportunities department as
[2:43:18] well, so that they can be informed in areas that they can provide
[2:43:22] programming or resources to, to those respective small businesses.
[2:43:26] so thank you. I look forward in hearing the progress of the steering committee,
[2:43:31] prioritizing, uh, the issues as we narrow down what programming
[2:43:35] could look like. But I think that we also know that we're going into
[2:43:40] a times where there's gonna be more budget constraint. So
[2:43:44] I think that more than ever partnership is gonna be so crucial, uh,
[2:43:48] not only amongst other department, but also with our community members,
[2:43:53] uh, as organizations that we work with in order to figure out
[2:43:57] ways that we can, uh, collectively think through programming
[2:44:01] and sharing resources if we can, and expertise. Uh, so thank
[2:44:06] you very much for all the hard work. Um, and I look forward to staying updated,
[2:44:10] uh, on this. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. We'll
[2:44:15] go to the second of the motion. Thank you so much, chair. Um, so
[2:44:19] I just wanna say that I'm really proud to live in a city, um, that focuses on
[2:44:24] ensuring that and understanding that the cambodian community is not just part
[2:44:28] of long beach. Um, it is part of our core, uh, city identity,
[2:44:32] uh, history, and I believe future as well. Um, so, and I
[2:44:36] wanna thank all those community members who took part, um, in this analysis. Over 400,
[2:44:41] uh, conversations, I know, uh, took a lot of energy to
[2:44:45] get folks to fill things out, come to community events, and engage accordingly.
[2:44:50] uh, director king, thank you for overseeing this and to, uh, health equity coordinator.
[2:44:54] nicole. Um, thank you for the presentation. So I, what
[2:44:58] I appreciate about this, uh, health needs assessment, that is that it doesn't
[2:45:02] just exist on paper. Um, I believe based on the kinds
[2:45:07] of feedback that you've shared with us today, it reflects lived experiences,
[2:45:11] the struggles and the triumphs, um, that I hear from my constituents,
[2:45:15] and then personally that I hear from my family members who are of cambodian descent.
[2:45:21] this, uh, data specifically shares with us that we need
[2:45:25] culturally competent mental health and other care linguistic services,
[2:45:29] uh, for this community. And that was reinforced in some of the feedback that the
[2:45:33] community, um, had shared. But I do believe that this, uh, plan here
[2:45:38] provides us with some actionable, uh, steps that we can take,
[2:45:42] uh, to make sure that we tear down those barriers, um, help people not
[2:45:46] only be part of social safety nets, but frankly feel safe, uh, within our
[2:45:50] community. And that we could hear loud and clear from what you've described, um,
[2:45:54] like my colleague. I too look forward to how we can align resources,
[2:45:59] um, to ensure that we're prioritizing some of the grassroots
[2:46:03] organizations that already have the community trust that you talked about,
[2:46:07] um, so that we can make sure that we get the community, all of the, uh,
[2:46:11] public health that it deserves. So, um, I wanna thank you for,
[2:46:16] um, really making sure that this particular, um, health needs assessment
[2:46:20] lifts up the voice of the cambodian community. Um, and I look forward to
[2:46:24] hearing next steps. Thank you. Alright, thank you. Uh,
[2:46:28] it appears we have two members of the public who would like to speak. We have sangha
[2:46:33] and savon,
[2:47:03] department of health and human services, dr. Alison
[2:47:07] king for your leadership. Uh,
[2:47:15] cambodian community assessment,
[2:47:47] cambodian assessment
[2:48:08] theory 2020, commitment to
[2:48:12] advance racial and health equity by .
[2:48:19] good evening city council members. Uh, I'm sangha resident of
[2:48:23] district six. I'm here to congratulate the team,
[2:48:28] dr. Lisa king and the whole team for doing great job regarding
[2:48:32] this assessment. And as a cambodian community member, this is really the first
[2:48:36] opportunity to also thank you everyone involved for uplifting
[2:48:41] our cambodian community, because this is the testament to
[2:48:45] how the city is taking good care of the community in a way, like,
[2:48:49] uh, especially the promoting healthcare and how,
[2:48:54] uh, cambodian people live in the community alongside with other cambodian
[2:48:58] folk, other folks, because, uh, this is, uh, the statement
[2:49:02] itself to, to, uh, to emphasize that, uh,
[2:49:07] cambodian community is taken care of. And again, the, uh, tonight I would
[2:49:11] really humbly ask that city council members vote to approve,
[2:49:15] uh, this item of the agenda for the cambodian, uh, the health
[2:49:19] need assessment report. And, uh, because this, this means
[2:49:24] a lot to our community. Thank you so much. Thank you.
[2:49:31] hi, good evening, council member. Uh, my name is ion cy,
[2:49:35] and thank you to dr. King and nicole for this presentation. Uh,
[2:49:40] I've been working at united cambodia community for a little over 10 years now,
[2:49:44] uh, helping the youth and the community, uh,
[2:49:48] access various things from, have the school art program,
[2:49:53] uh, uh, senior program, and learning about how to talk
[2:49:57] about health, uh, oral history, about their trauma.
[2:50:02] and, um, and with our other steering
[2:50:07] committee, uh, kimberly town inc. Um, seniors
[2:50:11] taking, uh, self-defense courses because of the
[2:50:15] fear that they've had. And so, what we have tried to do at,
[2:50:19] uh, at ucc, you know, the last years we have served
[2:50:24] four, uh, 5,400, uh, community members, uh,
[2:50:28] is that we wanna empower our community. And, uh, programs
[2:50:32] that we provide are like, you know, uh, esl classes,
[2:50:36] um, access to resources and where to
[2:50:40] empower them and not just, you know, being able to hand them
[2:50:45] different things that, that, you know, that would just, uh, continue to equip with them.
[2:50:49] so our purpose is to empower a community, build a healthy long beach,
[2:50:54] uh, and of course, the cambodian community. I live in district three, but I
[2:50:58] work in district six, so I get to see a variety of, of
[2:51:02] places. I'm very privileged that way, I think, to be able to see two
[2:51:06] sides of, of my community. And I understand the west side as
[2:51:10] well, uh, and the need. So I just want us to say thank you
[2:51:14] and I love the city. And please, I know the funding is, is
[2:51:19] not quite there, but continue to fund our health department because that's for all of us.
[2:51:23] thank you. Okay. Madam clerk,
[2:51:27] can you confirm that concludes public comment? That concludes public comment. Okay. Without objection, we'll
[2:51:31] move to vote.
[2:51:38] motion carries. Okay, thank you. We're into the forties. Item
[2:51:42] number 40, report from health and human services
[2:51:46] recommendation to execute all documents necessary to amend the grant
[2:51:51] agreement with the los angeles county chief executive office for a
[2:51:55] revised total contract amount of 12,000,111 and
[2:51:59] $52,000 for measure a comprehensive homeless solutions
[2:52:03] citywide. Um, okay. Thank you. We have
[2:52:08] a motion and a second. Do we have a staff report?
[2:52:13] okay. No staff report on this. And for those of you keeping score at
[2:52:17] home, I've messed this up twice tonight. So we're gonna go to the maker of the motion. Joni, rick
[2:52:21] sodi, uh, uh, thank you chair. I'm always gonna
[2:52:25] support investments into our health department, our
[2:52:29] homeless services, and the fantastic work that our continuum of care, um, does.
[2:52:33] um, and you're very deserving of this. And I only hope that we are able to
[2:52:37] continue to fund everything at the same levels that we've been able to, and that we have a reversal in
[2:52:41] some of the decisions that we see at the federal level.
[2:52:46] okay. Thank you to the seconder. I'm just delighted to
[2:52:50] be able to accept, uh, millions of dollars in resources, uh,
[2:52:54] from the county and other measures accordingly. I look forward to supporting. Thank
[2:52:58] you. Okay, I see no other council comment. Uh, any members
[2:53:02] of the public? There's no public comment. Okay. Without objection. Let's
[2:53:06] go to a vote.
[2:53:11] motion is carried. Thank you. Number 41. Report
[2:53:16] from health and human services recommendation to execute all documents necessary
[2:53:20] to amend contract with the los angeles county chief executive office
[2:53:25] for an updated contract amount not to exceed $9,889,433
[2:53:31] for measure a local solutions fund citywide.
[2:53:35] okay. Thank you to the, uh, maker of the motion council member thrash.
[2:53:40] thank you so much. Chair unequivocally support. Okay. To the seconder,
[2:53:44] joni, rick sodi.
[2:53:50] are we good? Sorry, we're having some technical cept here. Um, but none nonetheless.
[2:53:55] uh, ditto. Uh, councilman rush took, uh, happy to accept this funding, uh, on
[2:53:59] behalf of our health department. Okay, that concludes council deliberation.
[2:54:03] do we have any members of the public who are speaking on this? No. Public comment. Okay. Let's move to
[2:54:07] a vote.
[2:54:13] motion is carried. Thank you. Number 42, report
[2:54:17] from human resources recommendations to purchase through alliant
[2:54:22] insurance services. Various insurance policies, total cost of
[2:54:26] all coverage coverages, shall not exceed $18,418,150
[2:54:33] and execute all documents necessary to secure these coverages
[2:54:37] citywide. Okay. Thank you for that abbreviated reading
[2:54:41] and, uh, much appreciated. Uh, we'll go to the make of the motion council member
[2:54:46] sorrow. Um, I support the item. I think, fortunately,
[2:54:51] you know, insurance needed for, um, all the activities that's done, and some have increased
[2:54:56] and some have decreased. So, um, that's it for my comment.
[2:55:00] okay. To the secondary councilman row, I support, uh, the item.
[2:55:04] okay. We have a motion a second. Any members of the public? No public comment. Okay. Move
[2:55:08] to a vote. Motion is
[2:55:13] carried. Okay. I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you to fasten your seat belts for
[2:55:17] this section of the, uh, agenda. Uh, item number 44,
[2:55:21] uh, 40 43. I'm sorry, I got ahead of myself. , we
[2:55:25] still thinking. Report from human resources. Recommendation
[2:55:30] to procure property insurance for city buildings, contents, and vehicles
[2:55:34] via alliant insurance services property insurance program to include
[2:55:39] primary cyber liability boiler and ma machinery
[2:55:43] and primary property layers for the queen mary. Total premium
[2:55:47] for these policies shall not exceed $7,226,363
[2:55:53] citywide. Okay. Comments from the, uh, motion or, uh,
[2:55:58] council member fashion? Took comment. Did one of my colleagues want
[2:56:02] to motion councilwoman in dejas? No.
[2:56:07] okay. Thank you. No comment. Okay. To the seconder, uh, council member
[2:56:11] allen, no comment. Uh, approve the item. Okay. Any public comment?
[2:56:16] no public comment. Okay. Move to vote.
[2:56:27] motion is carried. Thank you. Item number 44, report
[2:56:31] from public works. Recommendation to adopt plans and specifications
[2:56:35] and adopt resolution to execute a contract with comp compass
[2:56:41] contracting and consulting for the construction of the convention center, promenade
[2:56:46] and ra rainbow lagoon curb concrete repairs for a total
[2:56:50] contract amount, not to exceed $4,025,000.
[2:56:54] district one. Um, thank you. We have, uh,
[2:56:58] a motion and a second. Um, we're gonna move to a staff report.
[2:57:05] all right. Good evening. Again, chair and council members, we do have a brief staff report that
[2:57:09] we'll we'll go through here. Thanks for pulling that up.
[2:57:16] so we are combining two projects, the convention center and the
[2:57:20] rainbow lagoon. They're both located in the downtown shoreline area.
[2:57:24] the convention center features more than 400,000 square feet of
[2:57:29] meeting and exhibit, uh, exhibit space. And the area
[2:57:33] around the convention center will be utilized for the 2028 games, hosting
[2:57:37] several events. The rainbow lagoon is a saltwater lagoon
[2:57:41] that's connected to the bay, um, and is a destination and a special
[2:57:46] events location.
[2:57:50] so, a brief background on the convention center. It was originally constructed
[2:57:54] back in the seventies. There was a major renovation back in 94.
[2:57:59] the pedestrian bridge that connects the convention center to the
[2:58:03] other side of shoreline drive was constructed in 82. And
[2:58:07] there have been some minor repairs and maintenance, uh, over the years, but nonetheless,
[2:58:12] there is still, uh, some significant work that needs to take place out there on site.
[2:58:18] so what is that work that we're gonna be doing? We've got some deficiencies
[2:58:22] of non-structural elements that will be addressed as represented here
[2:58:26] in some of these photos. You've got some damaged sidewalks, some cracks,
[2:58:31] deteriorated stairs, um, and some leaking down into the parking garages.
[2:58:39] over at the rainbow lagoon, we have a five and a half acre
[2:58:43] manmade salt water lagoon. As I had mentioned previously, uh, was constructed
[2:58:47] a number of decades ago. And while again, some minor repairs
[2:58:51] have been made over the years, the perimeter walkway is in a state of disrepair.
[2:58:59] so our goals over there at the lagoon are to repair the curb
[2:59:04] and the walking surface surrounding the lagoon itself.
[2:59:11] as shown on this image here, you've got some, uh, deteriorated
[2:59:15] concrete coping as well as the broken tiles, the broken bricks and
[2:59:20] deteriorated concrete and cracks and uplifts in the, in the
[2:59:24] sidewalk.
[2:59:29] so we did put this project out to bid, um, the,
[2:59:33] as a combined project, the, the goal of which was to find a contractor
[2:59:37] that can perform both projects. Uh, we opened the bids back in february,
[2:59:42] however, we, we received no bids on this project, so we
[2:59:46] did decide to move forward. We courted our construction
[2:59:50] folks that are out there and asked them to submit on
[2:59:54] this project, asked them if they would be interested, and we ultimately were able to
[2:59:59] work with compass to, uh, compass contracting and consulting.
[3:00:03] we worked with them to, uh, get a price, negotiate a price, uh, for this
[3:00:08] project. So we, we selected them and,
[3:00:12] uh, worked with them based on prior experience on projects within the city.
[3:00:18] so a little bit of background. Uh, they did serve, uh,
[3:00:23] and worked with us directly on a couple different projects. We, they were the
[3:00:27] general contractors, cm or construction manager, responsible for
[3:00:31] overseeing the macarthur park renovation project that was recently completed. And
[3:00:35] the davenport park expansion project also recently completed,
[3:00:39] uh, with a combined construction value of over $13 million.
[3:00:44] uh, they were responsible for project management, including onboarding subcontractors,
[3:00:49] working with different folks to, uh, deliver both of those projects. So we do have confidence
[3:00:53] in their ability to deliver this, this project as well.
[3:00:57] they have a pretty good understanding prior to, to compass. They also worked with us in
[3:01:02] a couple other projects. Um, we, we have confidence in their
[3:01:06] ability to know and understand the long beach construction
[3:01:10] standards and rules and regulations.
[3:01:14] it is, uh, an important to note that the previous projects mentioned were,
[3:01:19] uh, completed on budget and on schedule.
[3:01:25] so the budget for this project, we have $5.3 million available.
[3:01:30] uh, the total cost of these projects, both the convention center and the
[3:01:34] restoration around the lagoon, uh, is anticipated to cost $5.3 million.
[3:01:42] so our goal, uh, should the item be, uh, passed this evening,
[3:01:46] we would quickly enter into construction contracts. We would begin
[3:01:51] later this year and wrap up construction in 2027.
[3:01:58] that concludes staff report, and I'm available for any questions.
[3:02:04] okay. Thank you. We'll, uh, move to the maker of the motion. Mary zendejas.
[3:02:09] thank you. Thank you director hickman for that presentation.
[3:02:13] uh, we have a beautiful convention center, promenade wok
[3:02:17] and rebo lagoon that offers aesthetic settings for a lovely visit
[3:02:22] to our downtown long beach. I am in great support of these
[3:02:26] repairs and improvements, and I'm glad to see we have a record of successful
[3:02:30] projects completions with this contract partner. Um,
[3:02:35] so that brings me great excitement. I greatly appreciate
[3:02:39] that the presentation includes the project schedule. 'cause
[3:02:43] I'm, I always wanna know when it's gonna be completed, and I know
[3:02:47] we have a lot to do, but, um, thank you for sharing that with us.
[3:02:51] uh, I'm looking forward to seeing the results coming back, um, and seeing the
[3:02:55] completion in in spring of 27. Thank you very much. Okay.
[3:02:59] thank you to the seconder, dr. Joni otti.
[3:03:04] always glad to see investment in infrastructure, uh, in our city, and thinking about
[3:03:08] just, you know, how much utilization we have of the rainbow la grown and just that area. Um,
[3:03:12] I'm happy to see this in investment. Thank you. Okay. Seeing no other council
[3:03:16] discussion and no members of the public wishing to speak, let's move to a vote.
[3:03:26] motion is carried. Thank you. Item number 45,
[3:03:31] report from public works. Recommendation to adopt specifications and
[3:03:35] award a contract to laz parking for providing
[3:03:39] citywide parking operations and management services for a total
[3:03:44] contract amount, not to exceed $16,014,945
[3:03:49] and execute all documents necessary citywide.
[3:03:54] okay. Uh, we have a motion a second, and it looks like director hickman is
[3:03:58] ready to present another report. Yes, sir. We'll,
[3:04:02] we'll make this one, um, pretty brief. It's a a pretty robust slide deck,
[3:04:06] anybody's feel free to, uh, flip through it. There's a lot of great information in there. But
[3:04:10] I will, uh, quickly touch on a few of the highlights, uh, that I think are important
[3:04:14] to note. So we have a pretty robust system,
[3:04:18] uh, parking system here in the city. We, that includes parking structures,
[3:04:23] surface lots. And overall, we have 10,418 total
[3:04:27] spaces that, that are managed, uh, by the city because
[3:04:31] we love maps in public works. We've got a, a nice map here that gives you
[3:04:35] an overview of the different parking facilities that we manage, uh, downtown
[3:04:40] over, um, along the beach. And we have north long
[3:04:44] beach, uh, in the inset as well as downtown.
[3:04:50] so, parking management overview. The, the goal behind bringing somebody on
[3:04:54] board to do this is to run the day-to-day, uh, operations and management of the
[3:04:58] facilities themselves. This is a 365 day operation.
[3:05:02] we need somebody there, um, onsite to serve the public, uh, protect the
[3:05:07] revenue stream, uh, keep the facilities ready to go, keep 'em safe, clean,
[3:05:11] and we want to be able to continue to scale up what we're doing, uh, throughout the
[3:05:15] city. So I do wanna spend a minute
[3:05:19] on, on this slide. Our previous contract allowed for the parking manager
[3:05:24] to handle the maintenance, landscaping capital projects. Uh, kind of a whole,
[3:05:28] whole approach type effort. Uh, there were some small
[3:05:32] specialized projects or initiatives that were led by the city, um,
[3:05:37] but the majority of work was handled by the parking contractor. Our
[3:05:41] new contract, or what's before you this evening, is that the parking manager
[3:05:45] will handle the day-to-day operations, as noted on the previous slide, making
[3:05:49] sure everything's safe, beautiful, accessible, uh, signages
[3:05:53] in place, that kind of thing. Public works will then be handling and performing
[3:05:58] the management of the landscape and cip type projects.
[3:06:04] so, some recent improvements to our parking system include equipment, uh,
[3:06:08] technology. We're gonna continue to evolve and adapt and, and look
[3:06:12] at new opportunities there. Uh, we've also repainted some of our facilities.
[3:06:17] we've added new way finding signage, new security cameras and, and, um,
[3:06:22] additional lot striping and improvements.
[3:06:27] um, but we're not done. We're gonna continue to invest in our parking assets. We're
[3:06:31] looking at increasing the use of technology, license plate, reading technology,
[3:06:36] qr codes, real-time occupancy monitoring. Uh, and, and the list,
[3:06:40] uh, goes on.
[3:06:45] so our parking systems generate just shy
[3:06:49] of $10 million annually. And our annual parking
[3:06:54] contract, uh, that's before you this evening, includes the just shy of
[3:06:58] $5 million operator contract in addition to, uh, $1 million
[3:07:03] that will be c performed or self-performed cipn maintenance type improvements.
[3:07:11] so over the course of the, the first three years, we have a not to exceed,
[3:07:15] uh, $16 million. Uh, that includes the contingency
[3:07:20] that we also do have options to renew for two additional, uh, one year
[3:07:24] periods. And this is funded across a number of different funding sources.
[3:07:31] that concludes staff presentation. And I'm available along with my colleagues to answer
[3:07:35] any questions. Okay. Uh,
[3:07:39] thank you director hickman. We'll go to the maker of the motion. Uh, mary zendejas.
[3:07:44] thank you. Thank you again. Director hickman. Um, las park has
[3:07:48] been a strong partner of our city for many years. I think they are one
[3:07:52] of our strongest partners that know the needs of long beach
[3:07:56] very well. And they, they have extensive experience
[3:08:01] in this, so happy that we're able to partner with them. Thank you.
[3:08:06] okay. To the seconder, uh, council member allen. Yeah. Um, I agree with you, councilman
[3:08:10] diaz. They've done a great job, uh, for us. And, um, and I'm happy,
[3:08:14] uh, to see us moving forward with another contract. Thank you. Okay.
[3:08:18] comments from, um, council member? Th my point of, I I,
[3:08:22] pardon me? Oh, did you call my name? Yes. Okay, great. I know, I know I
[3:08:27] made you gun shy tonight. I apologize. Um, thank
[3:08:31] you chair. Um, so my comments are related to, um,
[3:08:35] the, I, I agree. I think that the service has been very strong
[3:08:39] and, um, pleased that, you know, we're moving forward. But one of the
[3:08:43] things that I see is when I'm out and there is an event or
[3:08:48] a major set of activities, um, individuals who
[3:08:52] may not be as familiar with interacting with our system, uh, may take
[3:08:56] a little longer and create some backups in some of our, uh, facilities.
[3:09:01] again, especially when we have major events. I'm wondering, does this contract include
[3:09:05] human capital investment? Um, are they, you know, where they make
[3:09:09] sure that there's an attendant there to help people, uh, manage the exit
[3:09:13] process? Um, and if not, is that something that the city does?
[3:09:17] and when do they decide to employ those human, that
[3:09:21] human capital in order to ensure that we have a smooth, um, exit process?
[3:09:28] yeah, great question. We'll have our mobility officer, willie walker,
[3:09:32] uh, help answer that question. Yeah. So it's really,
[3:09:36] um, a little bit of parking theory here. You
[3:09:41] don't always wanna put someone in the lane at an exit when it's busy. Everyone's gonna stop and
[3:09:45] ask them questions. Uh, we saw some examples of this recently. Um,
[3:09:50] what they do a lot of times to manage event parking though, is they pre-sale for our
[3:09:54] events, which means when you get to the exit, it just reads you your license plate and it opens up. You don't
[3:09:58] actually have to wait. So what you might be noticing during special events has a
[3:10:03] lot to do with the traffic that's outside of a garage. So maybe someone's
[3:10:07] gonna go to a stoplight or stop sign and that actually backs up traffic going through the
[3:10:11] garage, which it looks like someone's actually stuck at a, at a gate.
[3:10:15] but yeah, they, they're always staffed and there's always people on site. They just don't always put them in
[3:10:19] the lanes. It slows down traffic. Mm-hmm . So I'm asking the question 'cause
[3:10:23] I was at the events over the weekend with, uh, soccer and lbc mm-hmm .
[3:10:27] um, and I was in a lot, um, and there were two exit lanes.
[3:10:32] um, I could tell that, uh, patrons were having a hard time understanding how
[3:10:36] to use the systems and there was only one, uh, person there to manage
[3:10:40] the exit. Um, and so that's why I wanted to get a sense, given that we will have
[3:10:45] many more activities during the world cup and of course are preparing for
[3:10:49] the olympics. So my expectation is that we are thinking about
[3:10:53] what, um, assets we will have in place. And I'm assuming that this
[3:10:58] contract considers that so that we don't have that level of stack up that I
[3:11:02] saw over the weekend. Yeah, it, it does. They, so they do have,
[3:11:06] I mean, it's fully staffed. I think it's, I don't
[3:11:10] know the hours off the top of my head, but it's massive in there, the amount of hours that they run. So
[3:11:14] if, if we approve them to staff up for special events, they can.
[3:11:19] okay. Um, I look forward to maybe having further conversations about that. Thank you.
[3:11:24] alright, thank you. Uh, council member duggan.
[3:11:28] so the contract with la was started in 2018 and it just was,
[3:11:33] it just ended. Why are we splitting the contract for
[3:11:37] the city to take some of the facility maintenance over? And
[3:11:41] what is the savings? Um, could you share that
[3:11:45] again if that was, uh, part of one of the slides?
[3:11:51] yeah, great question. So, uh, we wanted to, as, as we
[3:11:55] released this rfp, we wanted to make sure that we had a full understanding
[3:11:59] of what it is that a parking operator would do. Uh, there's also some new,
[3:12:03] um, state requirements as well. So we wanted to comply with the new state requirements.
[3:12:08] we also looked at where do we have some overlap with what we do within public works
[3:12:12] currently and with the parking operator. So this really allows us to be
[3:12:16] a little bit more efficient, a little bit more nimble, allow the parking operator to really
[3:12:20] focus in on what they do well and allow us to focus in on what
[3:12:24] we do well. Can you just repeat it would be for
[3:12:29] maintenance, is that picking up trash in the parking lot as well
[3:12:33] as landscaping?
[3:12:40] so, uh, here on, on slide four is really the overview of
[3:12:44] the day to day activities that will be done out there in our parking
[3:12:48] facilities, in our parking lots. This isn't, uh, fully en
[3:12:53] encompassing. There are some additional items. So if a parking garage is full, let's
[3:12:57] say, then we'll have folks available to be there to
[3:13:01] facilitate the way finding direct folks elsewhere. There's also special events
[3:13:05] as we were talking about, uh, previously. So we'd onboard them to help with
[3:13:10] additional, uh, support there as well as maybe some additional security in
[3:13:14] different locations. So this isn't all encompassing, but really the idea is
[3:13:18] manage it on a day-to-day basis. And then, uh, public work should
[3:13:22] be doing more of the landscaping capital projects and improvements. For example,
[3:13:26] installing new security cameras, installing, um,
[3:13:30] new, new led fixtures, that kind of stuff.
[3:13:34] thank you director for clarifying that.
[3:13:39] okay. Uh, thank you. That concludes, uh, council commentary. Um, do we
[3:13:43] have any members of the public issue to speak? No public comment. Alright, thank you.
[3:13:47] let's move to a vote.
[3:13:55] motion is carried. Okay, thank you. We're to the second
[3:13:59] to the last item in the, um, regular agenda. Item number 46,
[3:14:03] please report from public works recommendation to execute
[3:14:08] all documents necessary to amend contract with all american
[3:14:12] asphalt for providing as needed major and secondary highway
[3:14:17] construction services for a revised total annual contract amount
[3:14:21] not to exceed $100 million citywide.
[3:14:26] um, thank you. We have a motion and
[3:14:31] a second. I see no staff report here.
[3:14:35] uh, just, just a brief, brief report. Okay. So this is an existing contract that was
[3:14:39] bid and awarded in 2023. Uh, there is no
[3:14:43] increase to the line item cost themselves. This is an increase in authority that
[3:14:47] will allow us to continue delivering critical infrastructure projects. That
[3:14:52] concludes the report. Well, thank you, uh, to the maker of the motion, dr. Sorrow.
[3:14:57] um, I support the item. Thank you. Okay. To the seconder, dr. Rick
[3:15:01] sodi, uh, no comment chair, just supportive of the item. Okay, thank you.
[3:15:05] um, do we have any public comment on this item? No public comment. Okay.
[3:15:09] let's go to a vote.
[3:15:18] councilman duggan. Motion is carried.
[3:15:23] thank you. I misspoke again. We have item 47 to slip in there.
[3:15:28] report from public works police department recommendation to adopt
[3:15:32] plans and specifications and awarded contract to new
[3:15:37] dynasty construction for construction of the long beach police department crime
[3:15:41] lab laboratory ti project for a total contract amount
[3:15:45] not to exceed 14,000,870 2008 $899,
[3:15:50] and execute all documents necessary to enter into the contract
[3:15:54] and increase appropriations by $12,500,000
[3:15:59] to fully support project delivery including design
[3:16:03] construction and associated administration and design support
[3:16:07] cost district one. Okay. Thank you, uh, to the maker of
[3:16:11] the motion, cindy allen. Um,
[3:16:16] I'm mc mary the mo, the maker of the motion, please.
[3:16:21] okay. And mary cindy house. Thank you. Um,
[3:16:25] the crime lab will become an important component of our public
[3:16:30] safety responses and criminal investigations. I'm glad
[3:16:34] to see these improvements including additional accessible parking
[3:16:38] upgrades and other safety improvements, um, by when do
[3:16:42] we expect the completion of these improvements? If I could
[3:16:46] interrupt just one second. Do you wanna go to your full staff report at this point
[3:16:50] or do you wanna answer that question? Sure. Ha, happy to do that. Yeah. It and the, or both
[3:16:55] the staff report does include a slide on the scan. Perfect. Perfect. Thank you.
[3:17:00] okay. Well without further ado, we'll get right into it. So, uh, we're excited to be here
[3:17:04] this evening to, uh, give you a little overview about this project. Uh,
[3:17:08] did mention it briefly earlier, um, earlier this evening. And
[3:17:12] this is the, the first of our capital improvement projects
[3:17:17] for the new 1 25 elm facility. So the police department
[3:17:21] crime lab is gonna be located on level three. You can see here in the
[3:17:25] diagram on, on the screen before you, uh, we have parking
[3:17:29] on level two in the rooftop long beach police department crime lab on level
[3:17:34] three, and then our new ees, um, department on level four.
[3:17:42] so some of the work that will take place out there, uh, within the crime lab,
[3:17:47] modern forensic lab space evidence process in storing,
[3:17:51] uh, admin spaces and new hvac and other infrastructure
[3:17:55] improvements to the facility itself, uh, including the common space that
[3:17:59] you see here.
[3:18:05] this slide represents a floor plan showing that the project
[3:18:09] is going to include office and circulation areas as well as the crime
[3:18:13] lab itself, restaurant facilities, and then space carved out for a future
[3:18:18] dna lab. That'll be a future project.
[3:18:24] the total cost of the project is $19.8 million.
[3:18:28] uh, available funding, including the proposed bond financing.
[3:18:32] uh, it brings us to $19.8 million.
[3:18:40] we intend should the item get approved this evening. Uh, we intend to execute
[3:18:44] the contracts with the contractor start construction as soon as this fall
[3:18:48] and wrap up in 2028.
[3:18:53] so the recommendation before you this evening, adopt the plans and specs, award the
[3:18:57] contract to new dynasty construction company and approve the 12
[3:19:01] and a half million dollars in bond financing necessary to complete the funding stack
[3:19:06] and deliver the project. That concludes staff report.
[3:19:10] and I'm available for any questions. Okay. I see no other
[3:19:14] council commentary. We have one member of the public, uh, wishing to speak
[3:19:19] and that is, uh, mr. Svia.
[3:19:28] madam clerk. Do we have any other public speakers? No, that was the only
[3:19:32] one.
[3:19:36] so once again, um, kind of relating to what I said about 36,
[3:19:40] there's always money for police departments for real estate, but never for
[3:19:44] actual improvement of the communities. Yeah.
[3:19:48] and for this to be the tune of almost $14 million
[3:19:53] shame. It's pretty crazy. Like when we're like, especially
[3:19:57] priority wise, don't get me wrong, I'm a, I'm mechanical engineer, so I appreciate science
[3:20:01] and having that technology be able to do some science, but we need
[3:20:05] to think about priorities. This is not a priority right now. While so
[3:20:09] many other things in the city and districts need attention.
[3:20:14] yeah. You guys are trying to make a fancy, it's like state of the art
[3:20:18] lab, but including improvements of elevator as if it's
[3:20:22] like a lounge space. So again, I just, I'm really disappointed
[3:20:26] with you guys always using funds for stuff, especially with district
[3:20:31] one. I'm really, I would wish better for
[3:20:35] you would do better. Especially given recently you also around the
[3:20:39] park, you, it was you that approved the homelessness fence. Correct.
[3:20:44] so I feel like there's a lot of funding going to things we don't need that just attack our community.
[3:20:49] um, and yeah, I
[3:20:53] would hope that going on further on or
[3:20:58] one of you guys have wrote no on this, we
[3:21:02] could discuss it further as council as democracy.
[3:21:06] um, thank you so much.
[3:21:11] okay. That, that concludes, uh, public comments. So without
[3:21:15] objection, let's go to a vote.
[3:21:26] ocean is carried. I, yay. Okay. Thank you. Well money for
[3:21:30] cops. Woo. Okay. Uh, we'll
[3:21:35] we're gonna have a second warning on that. We have identified two people
[3:21:39] in the audience. Please keep the comments, uh, down
[3:21:43] and, um, we have, have, uh, we've concluded
[3:21:47] the regular agenda and now we're gonna move to the, oh, I'm sorry. We have one
[3:21:51] more item number 48.
[3:21:56] I wouldn't wanna break any more votes. Okay. Madam clerk, I think that would be the third warning then.
[3:22:00] so can you read your statement? I don't know who, who's who. Yeah,
[3:22:04] you have to announce it. Chair super na
[3:22:08] this is your third and final warning. We're on second meeting. Just to be clear, is disrupting
[3:22:12] the meeting? Sorry, just to be clear, we're on a second warning for the individuals
[3:22:16] in the audience that you identified. Okay. Do
[3:22:21] I have any other obligations at this point? Yes.
[3:22:25] so they are, they're entitled to an additional warnings.
[3:22:30] okay. So that, that's a warning and, um, identify the individuals.
[3:22:34] is that, is that required? Okay, so gentleman, the red shirt, the woman in the
[3:22:39] white, next to the green hat back there. Everyone got that? Alright.
[3:22:43] thank you chair. Thank you. So, um, we're gonna go to item number
[3:22:47] 48 48 report from
[3:22:51] public works technology and innovation recommendation to execute
[3:22:56] the right of way, use agreement and any necessary documents between
[3:23:00] the city and the gateway city's council of governments for the installation,
[3:23:04] maintenance, and operation of the gateway city's regional fiber optic
[3:23:08] network and administer the agreement, approving finalized plans,
[3:23:12] associated site letters, and any other actions necessary and
[3:23:16] connection with the agreement citywide.
[3:23:21] thank you. We have, uh, no staff report here, so we'll go to the maker of the motion. Mary zendejas.
[3:23:30] thank you. I'm pleased to support this item, which
[3:23:35] represents a smart investment in long beach's digital infrastructure
[3:23:39] and term connectivity. Um, this agreement allows
[3:23:43] the city to partner with gateway city's council of governments
[3:23:48] to expand access to a regional fiber optic
[3:23:52] network that will strengthen communications across our city.
[3:23:57] reliable high speed fiber infrastructure is essential
[3:24:01] for modern city operations, public safety, traffic management,
[3:24:06] technology systems, and the delivery of efficient
[3:24:10] services to residents and businesses. Happy to
[3:24:15] support this item. Okay. Tha to the seconder, uh,
[3:24:19] councilwoman kerr. Yeah, I just wanna thank the gateway cities cog for their continued
[3:24:23] important regional work and collaboration, uh, with all of the cities in the
[3:24:27] council of governments. Uh, I noticed that executive director, hector de la tore was here. There
[3:24:31] he is. I wanna thank you for the continued work that you do with your colleagues,
[3:24:35] um, to keep us more physically connected, communication connected, um,
[3:24:39] and do all kinds of things across the region. So, thank you.
[3:24:44] okay. Um, can the clerk confirm we have no public comment on this? No public comment.
[3:24:48] okay. Thank you. Let's go to a vote. You have one,
[3:24:52] I believe. Um, councilwoman rick sodi.
[3:24:58] okay. I, I apologize for that. You don't show up on my screen, but you have the floor. No worries.
[3:25:03] thank you chair. Uh, I just wanted to, um, uh, uplift the, the work of the gateway cities
[3:25:07] cog. I get the honor of, uh, sitting as part of that, uh, of that body. Um, and
[3:25:11] this has been a continuous conversation we've had over the last several years. Uh, the importance
[3:25:15] of, um, really the connectivity in our southeast la cities, um, and make sure everyone,
[3:25:19] um, we think about utilities, right? Internet is one of them. Um, and making sure that
[3:25:24] everyone, um, in the southern, you know, southeast la county region has access to high quality
[3:25:29] internet, um, and making that a priority. And so I wanna thank the gateway city cog.
[3:25:33] I wanna thank our executive director, hector della tore, um, trust me, he has been very
[3:25:37] consistent , uh, on this particular issue and making sure that it comes
[3:25:41] to fruition for every single city, um, in southeast la county. So, thank you.
[3:25:48] okay. That concludes commentary. So we'll go to a vote.
[3:25:57] motion is carried. Okay, thank you. We'll move to ordinance
[3:26:01] number 49, report from
[3:26:05] city attorney recommendation to declare ordinance amending chapter 2.03
[3:26:11] relating to the rules of the city council by adjusting the city council
[3:26:15] meeting. Start time, public comment, process and supplemental agenda
[3:26:19] timeline, read and adopted as read.
[3:26:25] okay. Um, we have a motion, but we have no second.
[3:26:31] okay. We now have a second. So, uh, we will go.
[3:26:37] okay. Uh, we'll go to the, um, maker of the motion. Uh, council member duggan.
[3:26:44] so, uh, over the past week I've heard from many
[3:26:49] residents about their concerns with this proposed change.
[3:26:54] these are significant changes to how we will run our council meetings
[3:26:59] and people have raised real issues.
[3:27:03] I think changes are needed as we implement this
[3:27:08] ordinance, sb 7 0 7. But I don't wanna make a rash
[3:27:12] decision based on an arbitrary deadline that we are
[3:27:17] imposing on ourselves. My understanding that this
[3:27:21] council only needs to approve the disruption policy, which
[3:27:25] we already approved before the deadline, and the other changes aren't
[3:27:30] required to be implemented before july. I have concerns
[3:27:34] about having one public comment period only at the
[3:27:38] beginning of the meeting. I don't like, like giving the meeting chair the authority
[3:27:43] to cut off public comment. Now the mayor may
[3:27:47] never use that authority, but other people could.
[3:27:53] as I brought up in one of the first meetings, I have concerns
[3:27:57] about cutting off public comment signups at five 30.
[3:28:01] also, most importantly, I don't like that we are being put under an
[3:28:06] arbitrary deadline when our communities are asking for more public discussion
[3:28:11] on sweeping changes to how the public participates in our meetings.
[3:28:18] when I started this discussion with the
[3:28:22] goe, the government operations and efficiencies committee,
[3:28:26] uh, we did community outreach. We sent out
[3:28:30] surveys, and I think some of
[3:28:35] the proposed changes don't reflect the feedback that we heard,
[3:28:40] I think we need to slow down these changes, hear more from our community,
[3:28:45] and not make a rash decision when we don't have to right
[3:28:49] now. Okay.
[3:29:14] does that conclude your comments?
[3:29:18] okay. We'll go to the seconder. Um, dr. Jon, rick sodi. Okay.
[3:29:22] um, thank you chair. Um, I just had a couple of clarifications. Um,
[3:29:26] I think we've heard a lot of public comment, either in person or, um, like
[3:29:31] our council offices by email, et cetera. Um, and admittedly, I think that there's a lot of
[3:29:35] questions out there around the proposed changes. And so I wanted to ask some questions to allow some, some
[3:29:39] clarity, I think, for the council as well as the, um, uh, as those in
[3:29:44] watching the meeting tonight. Uh, so the first was, and this was actually a comment that was made,
[3:29:48] uh, earlier in the meeting when we were talking about the disruptions. Uh, can the city clerk
[3:29:52] describe to residents what a hybrid city council experience was, look and sound
[3:29:56] like. Specifically, will attendees in the chamber be able to hear public commenters?
[3:30:01] and how will staff transition between in-person public comment and virtual public
[3:30:05] comment? Thank you for the question, councilwoman.
[3:30:09] so it would function similar to how it functioned during covid, where
[3:30:14] we had people call in on a zoom meeting and we would broadcast their voice
[3:30:18] into the chamber for the duration of their comment. Under
[3:30:22] new sb 7 0 7 guidelines, we would hear people in zoom
[3:30:27] and we envision going back and forth between the people in
[3:30:31] zoom and the people physically in the chamber to ensure
[3:30:36] equity with in-person and online public commenters.
[3:30:42] okay. Excellent. Uh, and so the follow up comment to that is, some public commenters
[3:30:46] have mentioned that virtual public comment should be easy to implement because we had to do this during
[3:30:50] covid-19. Can staff specifically the city clerk, describe what a similar between
[3:30:55] that experience and the hybrid meeting we are now moving to and what is
[3:30:59] different? It's similar in that we are having zoom commenters.
[3:31:03] the big difference is during covid-19, there was nobody in
[3:31:07] the chamber physically present for public comment. It was 100% virtual.
[3:31:12] we were able to organize callers and have everybody
[3:31:17] function in a zoom room and make their comments,
[3:31:22] and we can determine how many callers we're gonna be commenting, commenting on
[3:31:26] a single item during covid-19. Under this hybrid
[3:31:30] model, we would not be able to determine how many
[3:31:34] people are gonna call in versus how many people are gonna arrive in person
[3:31:39] to make comments. It's gonna be a little bit more difficult to provide
[3:31:44] equity and do one-on-one. Um,
[3:31:48] I think we will be able to wrap our arms around that after we have a few
[3:31:52] meetings under our belt, but I think it's gonna be a, a difference. So
[3:31:57] that is one of the big differences between covid-19 and what we are going
[3:32:01] to experience going forward. It's, it's
[3:32:05] not all online like it was, we will have, have
[3:32:09] to manage both in person and online. And then the last
[3:32:13] question would be, we've received public comment saying the residents don't understand why we are
[3:32:17] choosing to combine agendized public comment into one period instead of having it per item
[3:32:21] like it is right now. Can city staff speak to the technical and staffing challenges
[3:32:26] to a hybrid meeting in general? And why was the recommendation made to combine public comment
[3:32:30] into a specific period? So the recommendation was to ensure
[3:32:35] that we mitigated potential
[3:32:39] technical difficulties that we could have with
[3:32:43] every item receiving public comment. It increases the
[3:32:47] chances of, of us losing connectivity, having
[3:32:51] high volume of calls. Um, there could be a lot of internet traffic
[3:32:56] and we would have to stop the meeting depending on our connectivity
[3:33:00] issues at any point. So we could get through half of the meeting, a third of the meeting,
[3:33:04] three quarters of the meeting, and then need to call and end to the meeting in order
[3:33:08] to reestablish connectivity. The thought behind having
[3:33:12] one public comment period was that that would reduce technical
[3:33:17] potential technical difficulties that we were having. It would also allow
[3:33:21] us to determine the volume of callers that we were going to have for that meeting.
[3:33:26] and we did do, um, research on how many callers
[3:33:31] we were getting. I'm sorry, how many public commenters we were getting per meeting,
[3:33:35] which was about 36, which is something, something we discussed in one of the previous meetings
[3:33:39] on average. And we did do some math on how
[3:33:43] money, how much time, if we had 36 on average, would that
[3:33:47] require for us to have. And it equaled about an hour, hour and a half for to
[3:33:51] hear all those public comments. If we had about an average of 30 to
[3:33:55] 36 callers, and then I'm assuming the assumption is now,
[3:34:00] um, because we are recommending in this particular item to go to 90 seconds,
[3:34:04] the idea is that potentially we could double that amount. Um, and so therefore that allows
[3:34:08] for the same amount of hour and a half. But understanding now we're ex we're,
[3:34:12] we're expecting an increase volume, right? Because we're, we're increasing accessibility
[3:34:17] and increased volume of callers, right? And so we're gonna need to be able to accommodate both
[3:34:21] in person and virtual correct of a comment. And it was also
[3:34:26] out of the survey that we did, one of the, the common comments that
[3:34:30] was part of the survey was they, the public really wanted
[3:34:34] to have an idea of when they were gonna comment. The idea that they were
[3:34:38] waiting all night long to make a comment was
[3:34:44] a, a burden to sit and wait. And part of
[3:34:48] the recommendation was to give them a definite timeframe in
[3:34:52] which they could make their comments. So they weren't waiting all meeting long to make
[3:34:56] the comments that they could come down to council, make their comments, and
[3:35:00] then go home. Or they could make their comments virtually not
[3:35:04] even come down to city hall, but have the opportunity to call in during a given
[3:35:09] timeframe and make those comments and not be as disruptive to
[3:35:13] their day. They can go on and have dinner with their family, go to soccer
[3:35:17] practice, go to baseball practice, call from those places as well. That is
[3:35:21] part of the virtual comment availability is being able to
[3:35:25] access your counsel from wherever you're at during that timeframe that
[3:35:30] that also went into the thinking behind the recommendation for that particular timeframe
[3:35:34] for public comment. Okay. Thank you so much. Those are all my questions, chair.
[3:35:40] okay. Uh, thank you. The next speaker is council member tu.
[3:35:44] uh, thank you so much, chair. Um, so I too received a number,
[3:35:48] I would say a robust set of emails as well as phone calls from the public,
[3:35:53] uh, regarding this matter. And I wanna thank the public for taking the time to
[3:35:57] engage in this way. Uh, part of how we are, how,
[3:36:01] what, how I think about, um, this work is related to,
[3:36:05] uh, what we understand might be the public sentiment, as well
[3:36:09] as some additional information out there regarding the facts of
[3:36:13] what, you know, where we're trying to go. Um, I wanna say that a couple things
[3:36:18] that I have considered are how do we identify a way to
[3:36:22] engage the most people, um, in the process. There seems to
[3:36:26] be an interest, uh, among the public to definitely be part of the
[3:36:30] process. So we wanna try and figure out what that looks like. Um, we want to
[3:36:35] make sure that people have a sense as to when, uh, their matter will
[3:36:39] come up. That was also something that we saw in the survey as well as what I've
[3:36:43] heard from the public. So, before I get into some analysis
[3:36:47] and information that I was considering as part of this conversation,
[3:36:51] uh, one question that I have probably for either, uh, our city
[3:36:55] attorney or for our deputy city manager, um, if there is
[3:37:00] a, uh, potential change or, you know, recommended, um,
[3:37:04] friendly amendment that I might offer, um, to the motion and seconder, um, if
[3:37:09] that does occur this evening, does that put us back at a first reading regarding
[3:37:13] this matter? If it's to the language of the ordinance, then yes, it would bring us back to
[3:37:17] a new first read. Okay. And the language of the ordinance includes
[3:37:21] the, let's say, for example, the amount of time the public is given to speak? That's
[3:37:26] correct. That's a substantive change to the ordinance. Okay. Thank you. Um, I will
[3:37:30] keep that in mind. Um, so one
[3:37:34] of the things that I did, my staff and I is tried to think about, you know, how are
[3:37:38] other jurisdictions grappling with this matter? Um, what are they
[3:37:42] doing in order to ensure that there is public participation?
[3:37:46] and based on some of the things that we've heard from the public, um, regarding how
[3:37:51] does the city of long beach fair in terms of its access and democracy
[3:37:55] as a city? So if we take the, the top eight cities in the state
[3:37:59] of california with long beach being the seventh one, um, the
[3:38:03] city of los angeles, san diego, san jose, and san francisco,
[3:38:08] all in that order, all host their public meetings, their council
[3:38:12] meetings, either in the morning or as early as one 30 or 2:00 pm
[3:38:17] which is not what we do here in the city of long beach. We allow for
[3:38:21] more accessibility, allowing people who might be in a more traditional
[3:38:26] nine to five working experience to participate. All of these councils
[3:38:30] that I've just brought up are also full-time, several of which meet several
[3:38:34] times a week, just to give some census as to, you know, how
[3:38:38] do we fair in comparison to other cities. Then I took a look
[3:38:42] at among those cities, uh, how often or how much
[3:38:46] time do they allow the public to speak? Um, currently,
[3:38:51] most, if not nearly all of them allow for a maximum of two minutes.
[3:38:55] so that's los angeles, san diego, san jose, and san francisco. So
[3:39:00] as of today, they allow for two minutes. However, the city of san
[3:39:04] jose is having conversations as a council to move to one minute
[3:39:09] in order to comply with 7 0 7. We have not gone that
[3:39:13] far down as the city of long beach to two minutes, or even to to one
[3:39:17] minute. Um, then I took a look at other cities that I would say, okay,
[3:39:21] they're population size, very similar, um, to the city of long beach
[3:39:25] and represent the fifth, sixth, seventh. Well, we represent the seventh and eighth
[3:39:29] city. So fresno, sacramento and oakland skipping long beach,
[3:39:34] all of which are part-time councils. Now, um, according to
[3:39:38] that research, fresno gives three minutes, um, and long
[3:39:42] beach gives three minutes. Um, oakland is more likely to give
[3:39:46] two minutes and noted that they move to one minute if there is
[3:39:51] a crowd. And out of all of those entities, fresno,
[3:39:55] uh, sacra, uh, fresno and oakland in particular, fresno starts at nine,
[3:39:59] oakland starts at three 30. Um, sacramento has two
[3:40:04] meeting times. It appears that they start some of their business at 2:00 pm
[3:40:08] uh, so some of the consent calendar items, some public comment, and then
[3:40:13] they also have a meeting that's scheduled at 5:00 pm where they continue a regular
[3:40:17] agenda. So I share all this just to give
[3:40:21] some context about where I think we are. As long beach one, we wanna be
[3:40:25] a leader. So I'm pleased to see that we are starting our meetings at a time
[3:40:29] that I think the public is pleased with. And, and because we are starting
[3:40:34] later in the day, we are a leader in that sense. We have
[3:40:38] long been a leader on the amount of time that we have provided to the public
[3:40:42] at three minutes. Um, but, you know, I wanna reserve,
[3:40:46] uh, sort some more additional conversation regarding whether we go
[3:40:50] down to a minute and a half or how that change might go into effect.
[3:40:54] given that we also now have to consider not only those who are in the room,
[3:40:59] but those who are not in the room, and how many, uh, calls we might give.
[3:41:03] so I wanted to share this with my colleagues, um, as we consider,
[3:41:07] um, you know, how do we fare in comparison to other cities, um, and
[3:41:12] how, again, do we allow the most people the greatest opportunity
[3:41:16] and a specific time to participate, um, in our meetings for today.
[3:41:20] so I'll stop there for now. Thank you.
[3:41:25] okay, thank you. Um, next up is suli. Soro. Yes, thank you
[3:41:29] chair. Um, yeah, I wanna also thank everyone for their
[3:41:33] engagement and participation in giving feedback. I think that
[3:41:38] with every process, we're a democracy, right? It's not perfect, especially when,
[3:41:43] uh, a legislative item is passed at a state level for
[3:41:47] local cities to figure out how to implement it based on the size
[3:41:51] of their city, the resources they have, um, and the
[3:41:56] level of connectivity. So hopefully it's better since we got that gateway cog grant,
[3:42:00] right? To improve our digital access.
[3:42:04] uh, but that may be a bit to get it built. Uh, well, I think actually,
[3:42:08] uh, yeah, to get it act, uh, constructed and set up. Uh,
[3:42:12] but I did wanna ask some clarifying question about
[3:42:16] the engagement process because I think many knows that we've
[3:42:20] been, the conversation has been going on in the committee, right? The government oversight
[3:42:25] and efficiency committee. So, and I know there was engagement done
[3:42:29] during that committee, so I'm just wondering how, what,
[3:42:33] what is it that I think has generated more interest now
[3:42:38] compared to when it was discussed in the committee meeting? Um,
[3:42:42] you know, as far as what was shared in with the public during
[3:42:46] the committee process to get public input put.
[3:42:53] okay, so I know that there are several departments that worked on this process alongside
[3:42:58] goe, so I can speak to what I know happened over
[3:43:02] time. And then mo can you please fill in any blanks for me? Thank you. So
[3:43:06] this originally came, um, out of the goe committee, I believe concurrently.
[3:43:11] they also had issued a survey. Um, when we brought this back
[3:43:16] as staff with our memo and our recommendations, um,
[3:43:20] we also issued, uh, the same survey but more citywide.
[3:43:25] we had multiple offices sending it out via newsletters. We
[3:43:29] sent it out via our newsletter, which before the original survey hadn't had
[3:43:33] that much reach. And so through the memo process
[3:43:37] and taking that feedback that we received bringing you back to, to council,
[3:43:42] um, we developed recommendations. And so it's been in front of a public setting.
[3:43:46] besides the survey itself, I would say
[3:43:50] probably five or six instances in up
[3:43:54] to now. Um, and so I can, that's what I know
[3:43:58] has we've done in a publicly with this item. And then mo you wanna fill
[3:44:03] it, anything else that maybe I glazed over our miss?
[3:44:08] yeah, that, that was an excellent recap. We did go to goe, um, a few
[3:44:12] times and it has gone to k cod for review and input from
[3:44:17] that commission. Um, and it has been before council, uh, a handful of
[3:44:21] times as well. And it's been discussed and I think all
[3:44:25] of our recommendations have grown and evolved. And I think
[3:44:30] once it comes to council, it definitely gets highlighted and has
[3:44:34] more eyes on it. And we have seen an uptick in
[3:44:38] participation and communication on the particular item. I think people are very concerned
[3:44:43] about change and what's gonna happen with the order of business and how that's
[3:44:47] gonna impact public comment. So right. And then that's what
[3:44:51] I think I appreciate is this process of conversation about
[3:44:56] creating a process that in a short period of time. So I think that there's
[3:45:00] a lot of pressure because of this deadline that we need to meet. And at
[3:45:04] this point, we're at the third reading, so, but I also understand that,
[3:45:09] um, it takes time to kind of really allow
[3:45:13] people to digest what, what it means, maybe at this point
[3:45:17] for their ability to make public comments. So I
[3:45:21] wanted to just as building on, um, my colleague's
[3:45:26] question is, uh, you know, I, I did wanna be reminded, well, what's
[3:45:30] the consequence again if we don't pass this in order to make sure we set up a
[3:45:34] process that would work, uh, best for,
[3:45:38] um, you know, a trial? 'cause it's gonna be a trial and error
[3:45:42] process. And I think that we've been discussing, well, let's try something
[3:45:47] and see how do we change it later on. But it sounds like we're at a
[3:45:51] place where the starting point is, is kind of, um, you
[3:45:55] know, it's, you know, there isn't a lot of, um, it
[3:45:59] feels like it's not in increasing engagement, so how do, but it
[3:46:03] also means that we're gonna be having longer meetings we're gonna have.
[3:46:07] so I think that there needs to be understood the consequences around increasing,
[3:46:12] um, you know, public commenting as well as making sure that,
[3:46:17] uh, we also have to deliberate. This is the only time that
[3:46:21] council gets to talk to each other. I've heard many comments about, well, you go
[3:46:25] on and on and like, because it's the only time we're allowed to talk to each other,
[3:46:29] and sometimes we will go on because all of us goes through our own process and
[3:46:33] our own, uh, consideration and analysis as we're
[3:46:37] considering our decision making here on the diet with feedback that's given
[3:46:42] from co comment as well. So that's all of the things that's going through my
[3:46:46] mind when I have to figure out, well, what are all these things to consider, right?
[3:46:50] so I think that this is a real process that we're, you know, encountering. And we're not
[3:46:54] the only city. So I'd like to know what the legal consequences
[3:46:59] are, uh, at this moment as far as, because there's
[3:47:03] continuous conversation that seems around how to proceed and move forward.
[3:47:08] um, if you could see, I have a point of order, pardon me for interrupting this, but
[3:47:13] I don't know if you, we should go to it now, and that is the maker of the motion would
[3:47:17] like to withdraw. So my understanding is that it's not being withdrawn,
[3:47:21] it's not I'm
[3:47:26] motion. Oh, okay. I apologize. Please
[3:47:30] continue. You have, you have a question before you,
[3:47:35] I believe your question was the legal implications if we do not pass this final
[3:47:39] reading today, correct? Yes. I just wanna make sure we're clear.
[3:47:43] this is the third reading, so, um, I just wanna make
[3:47:48] sure we're clear on that again. Uh, uh, just a point of
[3:47:52] clarification, this is the second reading. Oh, it's okay. Yes. Um, last week
[3:47:56] we had a second, first reading this week is actually the second reading.
[3:48:00] okay. Um, to your question about the legal ramifications of this,
[3:48:04] if we don't pass this ordinance, um, to be clear, uh,
[3:48:08] july 1st hits, if this ordinance doesn't pass, the proverbial
[3:48:13] sb 7 0 7 switch will turn on and we will still be required to have
[3:48:17] a hybrid meeting with zoom. And in person comments. We would
[3:48:22] continue with the current order of business in which every, um, every
[3:48:26] item is called and we call and we call for,
[3:48:30] um, public commenters. Except the difference will be we will call for
[3:48:34] public commenters, both in the zoom and in person.
[3:48:39] uh, and, and most spoke to the reasons behind the, the recommendations for this
[3:48:43] ordinance. Um, the idea was due to sb 7 0 7
[3:48:47] and the significant changes it will have on the, uh, uh, business of
[3:48:51] this, of council meetings. Um, that was the, uh, reasoning behind
[3:48:55] the recommendations. However, again, uh, if we, if the
[3:48:59] council does not pass this ordinance tonight, we will still have to comply with sb 7 0 7
[3:49:04] in, in which we will have a hybrid meeting. And I would also like to add that
[3:49:08] it will also impact the non-agenda public comment because we do need to be
[3:49:12] equitable. It would be five in person and five in zoom, if they're indeed five
[3:49:16] in zoom. So it would reduce the number of in person
[3:49:20] speakers for non-ag agenda, public comment. 'cause we are limited to 10.
[3:49:26] okay. Thank you. Okay. Uh, council member
[3:49:30] allen? Uh, yes. Thank you. Again, I wanna thank everyone too.
[3:49:34] um, and I also, just like the rest of my colleagues received a lot of communication.
[3:49:39] um, so that was a little bit, I asked that question last, um,
[3:49:43] count, uh, last meeting, um, about the consequences, um,
[3:49:47] of us, uh, deciding to, um, talk
[3:49:51] more about this and just basically, uh, try to get it right. So it's a little bit
[3:49:55] different answer. It sounds like, um, even if we didn't move forward
[3:49:59] with this tonight, um, we could still have a little bit more time without
[3:50:04] there being any legal ramifications. Is that what I'm hearing from you?
[3:50:09] last week? Uh, your question was the, uh, consequences of violating
[3:50:13] the brown act, if I remember correctly. And, and, uh, the city attorney did explain those
[3:50:17] consequences. And in general, for the brown act, there, there are con uh, legal ramifications
[3:50:22] for violations. However, again, for this ordinance,
[3:50:26] uh, we, the counsel can again, not adopt this ordinance
[3:50:31] tonight. We will still have the proverbial sb 7 0 7 switch turn on
[3:50:35] when counsel returns from recess. And we will continue under this current,
[3:50:39] uh, proposed order of business, except in a hybrid environment in which we have both online
[3:50:43] and in person public commenters. Awesome. Thank you so much for clarifying
[3:50:48] that. Um, also, I wanna say I had a, um, a long conversation
[3:50:52] with, uh, dave shukla last week, and, you know, he had, um,
[3:50:56] some really good, uh, he has some good feedback and some good questions that,
[3:51:00] that I want to, um, ask the, uh, city manager, um, about.
[3:51:04] um, so one of the things, um, that dave brought up is
[3:51:08] someone who likes to read and review staff reports, as we all know he does. Um,
[3:51:13] you know, and this new ordinance, um, you know, we
[3:51:17] are, you're, if we get the, the staff reports on friday, and then you have to
[3:51:21] have your public comment and on friday, it's really tough for them to be able to review, um,
[3:51:26] to review these staff reports prior to a council meeting. So, um,
[3:51:30] what would be a staff's, what would be your recommendation for getting those
[3:51:34] those staff reports out in a timely manner? Um, even before,
[3:51:38] uh, before and, you know, a couple days before a meeting to make
[3:51:43] sure that the public has plenty of time to review those staff
[3:51:47] reports, uh, prior to, um, to a council meeting. And even sometimes
[3:51:51] they don't come out on friday, sometimes they come out on a monday or even a tuesday
[3:51:55] or even come out right before a meeting. So, um, that could be problematic for,
[3:51:59] for the, um, um, for folks. So can you address that?
[3:52:05] sure. Uh, so some time ago we aimed to adjust
[3:52:09] our timeframe for submitting, uh, to the clerk
[3:52:14] for public record, the powerpoints, um, staff reports.
[3:52:18] and we did receive, because we receive feedback that, um,
[3:52:22] the council would like to have more time to review that over the weekend and not the day
[3:52:26] before or the day of. So I would say we're pretty successful, uh, over the last several
[3:52:30] months in getting those in by friday. There are instances
[3:52:34] where sometimes we get them in on a monday, and that is usually due to a lot
[3:52:38] of, um, internal review and data collection.
[3:52:43] uh, sometimes the feedback from the city manager might require additional
[3:52:47] gathering, sometimes inter interdepartmental efforts, but we always
[3:52:51] aim to get that done on friday. Um, we would love to
[3:52:55] explore the feasibility of getting those in sooner. I do wanna highlight
[3:53:00] that much of what the staff reports include due to the brown act.
[3:53:04] um, and the powerpoint really do reflect what's in either the attachments
[3:53:09] and or the agenda staff report itself. It can't be way off because then
[3:53:13] we'd be in violation of the brown act talking about something, uh, that
[3:53:17] is not necessarily aligned with the recommendation and the data within the staff report that's already
[3:53:22] been published. Um, so we can look into that and what that
[3:53:26] would, what, what that would take. It would just take a lot, uh, it would just take some coordination
[3:53:30] and understanding of, um, those particular items. And they're all very nuanced
[3:53:34] and different, so some are very easy, straightforward, and then some take a little
[3:53:38] more time and coordination. Um, thank you. And I think, uh, I think
[3:53:42] I would appreciate, uh, that consideration, just making sure those staff reports are out in plenty
[3:53:46] of time, um, for people like dave who likes to, um, who likes to read all
[3:53:50] those and, and, um, and also for council. But, um, but I think that's gonna be
[3:53:55] important, especially if we're asking folks, uh, to provide other comments, um,
[3:53:59] prior to council. So. Okay. That's all my questions. Thank you.
[3:54:06] okay. Um, the next speaker is mary zaja. Thank you.
[3:54:10] um, I too have gotten a lot of calls and emails both supporting
[3:54:15] and opposing this item. Um, one of the things that
[3:54:19] I continue to see is that there's a lot of confusion
[3:54:23] and discu discomfort with these changes and their
[3:54:28] impact on public comment. And I, I see it up
[3:54:32] here on the daes, so that makes me, um, anxious
[3:54:36] to see that. And also if we are having discomfort
[3:54:41] or confusion, um, I can just imagine what our community
[3:54:45] is going through as well. Um, one of the things that I would like to
[3:54:49] see is that if this is approved, uh,
[3:54:54] one of the things that we have in there is that, um, we would come back
[3:54:58] in, uh, six months, um, to give a review
[3:55:02] of how it's been working, what, um, what has been working, what
[3:55:07] hasn't been working. Um, and so that's
[3:55:11] not in the ordinance correct? For clarification, can you confirm
[3:55:15] that? That's correct. That's direction that we took from counsel. Okay.
[3:55:19] um, since that is not in the ordinance, um, if this
[3:55:23] were to be approved, can you do a 90
[3:55:28] day report back, like using the data that that's
[3:55:32] what my recommendation would be, that if this is approved, that it would be
[3:55:37] a 90 day, um, showing us
[3:55:41] what has been working, collecting data, um, to give
[3:55:45] the, to give us an idea of what it looks like and what
[3:55:49] it's gonna look like, and, and then we can take community
[3:55:53] input to be able to just get it right.
[3:55:58] yes. Uh, I think especially with, uh, this item aside, especially
[3:56:02] with sb 7 0 7 and that changing how we, um, navigate
[3:56:06] the meetings and including the hybrid option, we will definitely wanna gather some
[3:56:11] data, both staff time, resources, um,
[3:56:15] engagement from the public, uh, obviously with the rules
[3:56:19] we have to track any disruptions, um, tech concerns. So
[3:56:23] we will definitely be gathering all of that with the sb 7 0 7 implementation
[3:56:28] and we can certainly provide a report back, um, and a snapshot in
[3:56:32] time up to that point if 90 days is requested. Yes.
[3:56:36] thank you. Okay. Uh, council member duggan,
[3:56:40] I'd just like to make a comment and, um, city attorney,
[3:56:46] we, um, vote on an ordinance two weeks in a
[3:56:50] row. Correct. And for what reason? So you vote
[3:56:54] on an ordinance under the, uh, charter, uh, vote is an ordinance requires
[3:56:58] two votes. Your first vote happens and then the ordinance comes back at your next regularly
[3:57:03] scheduled meeting. So last week you voted on this ordinance and then it's back
[3:57:07] tonight because of the regularly scheduled, it's your next regularly scheduled meeting,
[3:57:11] and that's created for an opportunity for additional public feedback and consideration on the
[3:57:15] item. That's the point I just wanted to bring up.
[3:57:20] we vote twice on an ordinance because we received public comment
[3:57:24] at different periods of time, and this was a time that
[3:57:29] there was, um, I think additional public comment that
[3:57:33] I know I was listening to. So thank you very much for that clarification.
[3:57:38] um, council member ku? Yes, uh, just a clarifying
[3:57:43] question. Um, and we've talked a little bit about this, uh, over the whole conversation
[3:57:47] about the different ways that we receive public comment, including through emails.
[3:57:51] um, one thing that I try to do is go through,
[3:57:55] I know people get frustrated if they see us on their phones, but sometimes it's because we're getting comments from
[3:57:59] the city clerk and we're trying to read that before an item comes so that I'm fully informed
[3:58:04] of what people say. And I don't think necessarily in the ordinance, but since we've
[3:58:08] given counsel direction about a six month review, can we also talk potentially about
[3:58:12] the city clerk giving us a report out similar to how the city attorney does about the number
[3:58:16] of public comments received up until, you know, the hour
[3:58:20] before. I know that the policy is that if you want it on the record before the meeting, it has to
[3:58:24] be received an hour before. Would there be an opportunity for the clerk to report out
[3:58:28] the number of emails received potentially, um, to each item that's
[3:58:32] given? I know, uh, one of the pdfs that you gave us today is 40 pages
[3:58:37] long with public comment and one of the attachments is one page long.
[3:58:41] so, um, I think for me as a council member, it would be helpful to know that as you
[3:58:45] were taking public comment over the whole course of the time before the meeting, if you said we
[3:58:49] received 47 public comments on item two zero public comments on
[3:58:54] anything else like those kinds of report out, would that be something that we could do as council direction
[3:58:58] and not in the ordinance? Yes, we can provide
[3:59:02] that information for you. Um, we have a cutoff
[3:59:07] at 4:00 pm uh, the day of the meeting. We do take public comment
[3:59:11] after that. We just don't include it in the email sent to you by five o'clock meeting
[3:59:15] start time. Um, but we can definitely provide that information to you.
[3:59:20] I think it would be helpful because I think we see that unless someone goes in after the meeting
[3:59:25] to read the minutes of a meeting, they don't realize the amount of public or the lack of public comment that
[3:59:29] was received that particular week. So I think if we had a kind of point in time
[3:59:33] in the moment meeting conversation or at least an acknowledgement about what has
[3:59:37] been received in the other ways that we receive public comment could be helpful for deliberations.
[3:59:45] I think that was it for now. Okay. Thank you. Um,
[3:59:50] that's, uh, all the uh, council commentary we have for now. Um,
[3:59:55] I had a quick question way into the weeds, um, before we go to public comment.
[3:59:59] and that is, is the six month timeframe baked into the ordinance?
[4:00:04] so would that be difficult for us to change tonight? No, the six month timeframe
[4:00:08] is not reflected in the ordinance. It's direction that was given to us from counsel,
[4:00:12] so that if we wanted to come back in 30 days, that could be something that we could vote on
[4:00:16] tonight. That's correct, chair. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Without any,
[4:00:21] um, other council members, uh, queued up, I think we're ready to go to public comment.
[4:00:25] um, I have a listing here, I dunno if it's still accurate, but that would be something
[4:00:30] like 22 members of the public wanting to speak and by rule that would
[4:00:34] go to one and a half minutes. That's correct. Okay.
[4:00:38] um, so do you, uh, madam clerk, would you like to read off the,
[4:00:42] the names and, uh, we can queue up at least read off half of 'em and, and go
[4:00:46] from there? Sure. I will go ahead and read the first 10 names. Joseph ramos,
[4:00:50] nadia tushnet, carolyn x, anthony holmes
[4:00:55] gray, dr. Sharif batz. Elena dorio.
[4:00:59] jay oscar illa. If you could please line up at the podium.
[4:01:06] okay. So our, our first speaker is joseph joseph ramos.
[4:01:16] good evening, joseph ramos for agla. We urge you to reject the
[4:01:20] draft ordinance for agenda item 49 or at a minimum limit. Proposed changes to general public
[4:01:24] comments only. These changes are far too sweeping to be made all at one time and
[4:01:29] risk seriously damaging public engagement due to unforeseen impacts.
[4:01:33] we understand that the city council cannot allow itself to be sidetracked based on a single issue.
[4:01:37] this is why the mayor already has the authority to hold any highly contentious issue over a special
[4:01:41] meeting. And we encourage the use of such existing authority. Also,
[4:01:45] we do not want city council meetings to be contest of endures lasting far into the early morning hours.
[4:01:49] therefore, we encourage adoption of a set time for all city council meetings with any items
[4:01:53] not covered, automatically held over into the next regularly scheduled city council meeting.
[4:01:58] if the city council wishes to pursue untested and radical revisions as drafted, then they should
[4:02:02] be implemented for general public comments only. These general com these general comments can be even
[4:02:06] held until the end of the agenda, free of additional time fraction items. However,
[4:02:10] the drastic changes should not be implemented for agendas. Items that the city council will be deciding
[4:02:15] a speaker's cap of 60 minutes will wrongfully prohibit many speakers on many items from speaking
[4:02:19] as we have experienced firsthand in los angeles, a defund mentally un
[4:02:23] undemocratic to prohibit all public input on multiple agendas items due to an
[4:02:27] arbitrary time limit. Further speakers should not be limited to
[4:02:31] 90 minutes per speak as the time is greatly insufficient for regular community members
[4:02:36] to be able to fully communicate their concerns or ideas, especially on complex issues.
[4:02:40] we, again, urge the city council to policy sweeping changes until agla long beach city,
[4:02:44] uh, long beach chamber city or city unions and other groups have been been
[4:02:48] able to wait far as them. Thank you.
[4:02:56] next speaker please. I'm
[4:03:00] gonna say my name first. It's naida. The a is before the
[4:03:04] I, just so we know. Um, I've been here many times
[4:03:09] and actually I had a speech written before I came
[4:03:13] and that I've changed it is the very reason comments
[4:03:18] should be buy item not ahead of time.
[4:03:23] there are two points I wanna make. One is that I teach
[4:03:28] hybrid for seniors. We manage it fine.
[4:03:32] um, it's not a problem. And it's seniors. One's 101
[4:03:37] by the way, we're okay and she's at home. Uh, the
[4:03:41] other issue that I wanted to raise is the comment,
[4:03:45] buy item issue. That's what's important. You hear
[4:03:50] the public also needs to hear the analysis
[4:03:54] and the comments and the staff report, not just
[4:03:58] get access to the slides, but hear the staff
[4:04:02] report before we get to comment. Um,
[4:04:07] so that's really important. I think I'm
[4:04:11] very much in favor of opening it up to a hybrid kind of
[4:04:15] setting. I found teaching hybrid was difficult
[4:04:19] at first and now I've got a rhythm. You'll get a rhythm. It's all
[4:04:24] okay. Um, and again, the comment by item is the most
[4:04:28] important thing that I can think of. And I also
[4:04:32] thank you
[4:04:39] coming. Thank you nata. You're amazing.
[4:04:44] uh, carolyn essex, district one. Uh, I appreciate,
[4:04:48] um, your run of this meeting, member super na um, thank you for your remarks.
[4:04:53] uh, member dugan on to knew why, just why
[4:04:57] we're not lucky. Um, this is, uh, those other cities have
[4:05:01] nothing to do with us. Exactly. Woo. Um, uh, I would like to offer a
[4:05:05] few recommendations to keep meaningful public comment opportunities in tact and
[4:05:09] in place of importance. Consider whether council member remarks could be
[4:05:14] shortened if residents are being possibly reduced in 90 seconds. Perhaps council
[4:05:18] discussion could also be more concise. Uh, shortened
[4:05:22] staff reports and focus on highlights key facts, recommendations, and
[4:05:26] fiscal impacts. Res residents can review the detailed reports
[4:05:30] online, uh, move council district announcements and ceremonial
[4:05:34] acknowledgements to the beginning of the meeting exactly after the pledge of allegiance, immediately
[4:05:39] before hearings. Followed by non-ag agenda, public items, community
[4:05:43] recognitions deserve attention. Uh, announcements delivered at the very
[4:05:47] end of a meeting are often made to an empty changer chamber.
[4:05:51] um, if the purpose of this announcement is to inform, uh, connect
[4:05:56] and engage in public, they should occur with the public is still present and
[4:06:00] attentive. Uh, efficiency is important, but efficiency should not come
[4:06:04] at the expense of meaningful public participation.
[4:06:08] the public is not the problem to be solved. The public is not the rea the
[4:06:12] public is the reason these meetings exist. Your time, time have concluded
[4:06:21] participation. Thank you very much.
[4:06:28] hi, I'm x um, I live in district five and I work in
[4:06:33] the east village at byo long beach and at throughout long beach as a pet sitter,
[4:06:37] I'm here to speak for myself and other residents of this city who don't realize what they're losing tonight.
[4:06:41] to diminish the time that people have to give public comment or the ability to give
[4:06:45] it at all because of timing, is to diminish access to the first amendment
[4:06:49] by removing precious moments from when regular residents and community members are
[4:06:54] able to address you, you lean into the fascist federal government's goals to take away
[4:06:58] any chance for public descent and completely usurp the original purpose of
[4:07:02] this bill. Come on. Amen. Please do not vote yes on
[4:07:06] this, especially not because of all the crazy hypothetical technical
[4:07:10] difficulties that you keep throwing out. Do not sharpen a tool to use it against us when
[4:07:14] it was intended to be used to help us. Again, removing public comment, time is
[4:07:18] an act against the public. Please do not pass this. Thank you so much.
[4:07:25] next speak. Next speaker is anthony holmes. Anthony holmes,
[4:07:34] you know, I give credit when credit is due. Christina duggan, you, only one made sense tonight.
[4:07:38] you stand with us on this, um, ua, you comparing
[4:07:43] us to other cities, we don't need that, but it's long beach, long beach versus everybody.
[4:07:47] I think it's a agenda, agenda problem. It's not a people problem. Yep.
[4:07:52] and just vote on it. That's all I have to say.
[4:07:59] next speaker is gray.
[4:08:05] uh, first of all, other cities doing a bad job of engaging their public and cities council
[4:08:09] meetings is not an excuse for this city to adopt bad practices that make it more difficult
[4:08:13] for the public to engage. So yeah, vote no on item 49
[4:08:18] last week, every public comment about the proposed changes was against them. And we brought
[4:08:22] up that an earlier start time makes the meetings less accessible. The people coming from work that
[4:08:26] putting a limit on total speaking time for the public would rob us of time potentially
[4:08:30] limiting us to 60 seconds. We're not trained professional speakers. And
[4:08:34] even trying to get your point across in 90 seconds is difficult.
[4:08:39] um, the council ignored all the points that we made and said that we have to be in compliance with sb 7 0 7.
[4:08:43] we have a deadline, but sb 7 0 7 only calls for telecommunication to make these meetings
[4:08:47] more accessible. And that was the one thing that none of us disagreed with. We're fully behind
[4:08:52] more inclusion in these meetings. None of us spoke against that, but the council acted like
[4:08:56] we had. First public comment is already inaccessible to anyone who can't be here at 4 45.
[4:09:00] and with the new meeting time, it'll be inaccessible to anyone who can't be here at four 15.
[4:09:05] and the mayor mentioned that the limit on public speaking time isn't fixed, that it can be lengthened
[4:09:09] if necessary, but it's up to your discretion. Right? So how are we supposed to take comfort in
[4:09:13] that? I've seen that timer started before a member of the public even began to speak. And when
[4:09:17] he demanded his time back, the mayor refused to give it to him. And I've seen people wait and
[4:09:21] wait for an agenda item to come up, only for it to finally arrive. And the council decided
[4:09:25] to choose to go out of numerical order and push the item off. Just last
[4:09:29] week, a number of us were kept outside waiting. And when a speaker was called, nobody
[4:09:33] told us that we could come in. And by the time we got in, they said, no. We moved on. Your time has concluded.
[4:09:51] dr. Sharif bat mic off. You could still talk in my cameras . All
[4:09:55] right. Good evening. My name is dr. Sharifa batz. And although I am the president of the
[4:10:00] nacp long beach branch tonight, I am speaking solely in my capacity as a
[4:10:04] resident of the eighth district. I do appreciate the efforts to improve the efficiency
[4:10:08] of a city council meeting, but the concerns are there
[4:10:12] and there's a potential impact to those who don't even get off
[4:10:16] work in enough time to reasonably arrive to city hall
[4:10:21] by four 30 or five 30 to sign up to speak. There's also concern with
[4:10:25] the proposal to reduce the speaking time to 90 seconds
[4:10:29] because 90 seconds on complex issues that affect our neighborhoods,
[4:10:33] our families, our businesses, and quality of life, it's just not enough time to clearly articulate
[4:10:38] the concerns and provide relevant facts and offer meaningful
[4:10:42] input. I recognize that cities and throughout california exploring
[4:10:47] ways to improve meeting efficiency. However,
[4:10:51] we really need to focus here, right here in long beach. And I do believe that there's
[4:10:55] opportunities to achieve both goals, improving efficiency while preserving
[4:11:00] meaningful public participation. But I encourage the council
[4:11:05] to explore solutions that maintain accessibility for working residents
[4:11:09] and ensure that all members of our community have a fair opportunity
[4:11:13] to engage in the democratic process. Public participation should
[4:11:17] be encouraged, not restricted. Public comment allows the community to
[4:11:21] speak before our elected representatives, and it's vital that we are
[4:11:26] here to speak. So I respectfully ask that you carefully consider
[4:11:30] the, your time has concluded
[4:11:36] elena.
[4:11:41] my name's elena. I'm here in opposition of agenda item 49.
[4:11:45] rather than simply offer you my opinion, I chose to look at what other california
[4:11:49] cities are actually doing. After reviewing each city's bylaws
[4:11:53] throughout the state of california, these principles remain consistent. Public
[4:11:58] testimony is three to five minutes long in connection with agenda items being
[4:12:02] considered. Even los angeles, the largest city in california and the second
[4:12:06] largest in the nation, allows public comment on agenda items before
[4:12:11] council deliberation. You have the power to postponed agenda
[4:12:15] item 49 indefinitely tonight. Do you want
[4:12:19] your legacy to be california chair and california
[4:12:23] city council members to be that you've silenced the people to do the
[4:12:27] right thing? These are the california cities that are not being
[4:12:32] silenced. Bakersfield. Agenda item. Five minutes. Clovis agenda
[4:12:36] item. Five minutes. Visalia agenda item. Five minutes. Roseville agenda
[4:12:40] item, five minutes. Folsom agenda item, five minutes. Elk grove. Agenda
[4:12:44] item, five minutes. Vacaville agenda item, five minutes. Fairfield
[4:12:48] agenda item, five minutes. Temecula. Agenda item, five minutes.
[4:12:53] stockton. Agenda item, five minutes. Crescent city agenda
[4:12:57] item, three minutes. Eureka agenda item three minutes. Napa agenda item
[4:13:01] three minutes. Petaluma agenda item three minutes. Milpitas agenda item, three
[4:13:05] minutes. Monterey agenda item, three minutes. Tracy, agenda item, three
[4:13:10] minutes. Fresno agenda item. Three minutes. Did time have to included riverside
[4:13:17] item three minutes, santa barbara and I could go on.
[4:13:26] next speaker is jay. Jay
[4:13:33] is jay here,
[4:13:38] sorry. Sb 7 0 7 is
[4:13:42] a public access law. Its purpose is to expand participation
[4:13:46] in local government meetings by requiring cities and other public agencies to
[4:13:50] provide remote access and remote public comment opportunities.
[4:13:54] what sb 7 0 7 does not do is equally important.
[4:13:59] it does not require cities to shorten public comment speaking times. It does not
[4:14:03] require cities to move general public comment to the beginning of meetings. It does
[4:14:07] not require cities to start meetings earlier. And it does not require cities to make
[4:14:11] it harder for working people, parents, caregivers, students,
[4:14:15] residents with disabilities to participate in local government. These are local
[4:14:20] policy choices. Last week, several high schoolers came here
[4:14:24] because they wanted, or, uh, wanted to be heard, but didn't come here because
[4:14:28] they had to prepare for their final exams. A trusted adult read their
[4:14:33] comment for them. None of these comments were 90 seconds
[4:14:37] or less. If this council simply implemented a hybrid meeting
[4:14:41] and allowed these kids to call in during the relevant point in the
[4:14:45] meeting, they could have had their voice voices heard. Whether it was 5:00 pm 8:00 pm
[4:14:49] 10:00 pm 11:00 pm I urge you not to use a pro
[4:14:54] participation law to weaken our local democracy. We do
[4:14:58] not need to be the least worst of the top eight cities.
[4:15:02] . We can do better than that. Thank you so much for your time.
[4:15:09] um, ma madam, madam clerk, just a point of order. Can we read the next
[4:15:13] 10 names? Yes. Um, it's gonna be oscar seymour,
[4:15:17] justice fb, robert fox, al francesca,
[4:15:21] tara glennys, cordless lee, brian cochran,
[4:15:27] jay, amy, and de shukla. Such a huge night.
[4:15:32] go ahead. Ask to stop a suppressive ordinance. So
[4:15:36] just in case anyone in the audiences or at home online
[4:15:40] is confused. Um, sb 7 0 7 has already dealt
[4:15:44] with, with agenda item 36, which was passed today.
[4:15:49] that's dealt with. I don't approve of
[4:15:54] this kind of notion of framing the framing. Us having to stay till
[4:15:58] 10 or later till 11, till 12 as consequences for all of us. It
[4:16:02] was framed as consequences when in a sense it's
[4:16:06] our duty to show up and we show up because we do show up. Obviously we're tired and
[4:16:10] everything. We come type, we still show up. But you guys all
[4:16:14] have city council. You guys, we have a social contract, which I hope
[4:16:18] all of you're familiar with. You guys are supposed to come here every single
[4:16:23] time so that people can hear you. The fact that I'm from district seven and
[4:16:27] my district seven representative isn't even here to hear me or speak on it,
[4:16:31] or I didn't, never got a survey from him, I never got told by him what was going on.
[4:16:36] all things have to, I have to depend on the other city council members on
[4:16:40] christina have to depend, depend on what's more,
[4:16:45] is just such an important change to the ordinance of the city. Yet the
[4:16:49] the mayor isn't even here. Thank god the mayor isn't
[4:16:53] here. So what if it passed and then he wasn't even here then he just comes one month later when we
[4:16:57] reconvene. Lastly with my last seconds credit where credit is
[4:17:01] due. Thank you so much christina duggan for being with the people on this and for being
[4:17:05] a council representative and for representing the people on this time has concluded. Okay,
[4:17:10] nick. Nick, speaker seymour seymour justice,
[4:17:14] uh, hi council. I appreciated the like robust discussion. It helps us
[4:17:19] understand what's going on, uh, in in your office and
[4:17:23] in your heads. And, uh, if we had to make those comments before you even
[4:17:27] talked, we wouldn't know that. So, um, I think that's more of a reason. Like
[4:17:31] I think a previous speaker, nata said, uh, you need to keep the comments coupled.
[4:17:35] here's one question I have is by looking at the words
[4:17:40] on the agenda, I couldn't find what you're actually about to vote on.
[4:17:44] are we voting on right now to start meetings at four 30? Are we voting
[4:17:48] right now to limit to 90 seconds? Are we voting right now
[4:17:52] to decouple public agenda for agenda items at the beginning of the
[4:17:56] meeting instead of during the, uh, agenda item? It doesn't say that
[4:18:01] in the, in the agenda. And you know, I, I've been coming a little while.
[4:18:05] I know what's going on. I pay attention more than, than most or more than many.
[4:18:09] and if I don't know, and I've been sitting here all night, I, what are you guys voting
[4:18:13] on? Right? I I hope you just vote no, because as
[4:18:17] was clearly stated, sb 7 0 7 is going to happen
[4:18:22] whether we vote tonight or not. Exactly. So there's no, like this whole
[4:18:26] idea, this pretend like we have to do it right now. This was a convenient
[4:18:31] way for you to try to like swoop in with some of the things the government
[4:18:35] oversight and efficiency committee was gonna do. I have never even heard of that. And I
[4:18:39] come every week, vote no on this, please. Come on guys.
[4:18:45] uh, next we have fb.
[4:18:51] I just want to thank everybody except the city
[4:18:55] council members that are here because you're constantly retaliating against
[4:18:59] us. You, I, us, no pun intended.
[4:19:03] um, and the mayor's not even here. This is one of
[4:19:07] the most like record breaking, like city council. There's so many people here.
[4:19:12] why? Because we're all fighting for our first amendment. Why? 'cause there
[4:19:16] is a current administration that's trying to take that away from us. And
[4:19:21] you here locally are trying to take it away from us too.
[4:19:25] and you're not going to. Nope. And this is what we do to protect
[4:19:29] our first amendment and to protect all of our rights
[4:19:33] as citizens, as humans, as people that need to be heard.
[4:19:37] this is why we have such mental illness
[4:19:43] in and mental health is because we are not being allowed
[4:19:47] to speak on what we are concerned about. You are not transparent
[4:19:52] enough for us to know what the f**k you're voting on.
[4:19:58] no one f*****g likes you, okay? And I'm not gonna thank
[4:20:02] you christina. And uh, ua, you can go f**k
[4:20:06] yourself. You f*****g b***h. You too christina.
[4:20:10] all of you. Yeah. Go ahead and go leave. Yeah, that's right. This is what the first amendment does. It
[4:20:14] makes you feel uncomfortable. You f*****g b***h ass f*****g losers. No leaders
[4:20:18] here. F**k you all free palestine.
[4:20:23] okay, uh, robert fox,
[4:20:29] aloha council members, I flew in from honolulu to address you tonight.
[4:20:33] wow. Um, as you know, I ran for city council and
[4:20:38] lost legally. And here's what the truth is.
[4:20:42] when I started so many decades ago when beverly o'neill
[4:20:46] was our mayor, we had unlimited amount of time to speak.
[4:20:50] and then as time, as many people were gathered here, we shortened
[4:20:54] it by her will because she was a very good, uh,
[4:20:58] mediator. And I think that was a really good process. Uh,
[4:21:04] asking people to make a comment at the beginning of a meeting for something that's happening
[4:21:08] like three hours later, the council will forget what
[4:21:12] the, what the comment was. So that cannot be uncoupled.
[4:21:16] you have to have comment at the time, uh, of the,
[4:21:20] of the item. Also, what's disturbing to me here is
[4:21:25] we have to sign up. Now, we didn't used to for an agenda
[4:21:29] item 44 or 49 or 62 at
[4:21:33] the beginning of the meeting. Sometimes in the middle of all this stuff, we
[4:21:37] listen to a staff report, we listen to the council and we say, oh my gosh, I
[4:21:41] didn't know that that was something different. And
[4:21:45] then as responsible citizens, we want to make a comment so that you know,
[4:21:50] that we know or maybe we bring something to the table that you had not
[4:21:54] thought. I'm not trying to beat you up, but I'm trying to make
[4:21:58] you more responsible with the things going on in our country today. Thank you.
[4:22:02] we,
[4:22:06] uh, next up is l
[4:22:12] alright. First I'd like to say, uh, I wanna start off, uh, am in solidarity
[4:22:16] with those, um, both inside and outside the lento and
[4:22:20] delaney concentration camps, those who are putting their bodies on the line by
[4:22:25] going on hunger strike and, um, by getting the hell being out of them.
[4:22:29] viva raza. Um, now onto this suli. How
[4:22:33] dare you say, uh, you talk so much because,
[4:22:37] oh, there's, this is the only time we get together. Well, how about this?
[4:22:41] why don't you use the time wisely instead of getting all these photo
[4:22:45] ops and instead of filibustering over f*****g trash cans
[4:22:50] for over an hour, why don't you talk about things of substance like we're trying to do here.
[4:22:55] you wanna shorten the time so we can stop
[4:22:59] talking about what we need as your constituents? Yours.
[4:23:04] mary, yours, cindy, yours, christina, yours, megan,
[4:23:08] yours, sna, yours, suli and ua. God
[4:23:12] and dr. You know what, I'm just gonna say joni, because you know what a
[4:23:16] doctor would want, what's best for their
[4:23:20] patients, right? What do you want? What do you want? Do you want what's best for
[4:23:24] us? Or do you want what's best for you? Because all your fricking uh,
[4:23:28] eye rolling and stuff like that, it's absolutely disgusting. And you know what,
[4:23:33] christina, it's interesting. I thought you brought a bot about
[4:23:37] this ordinance and now you're backing off. And you know why? Because
[4:23:41] all of you got your asses handed. You time has concluded constituents
[4:23:46] by calling, by emailing by the way. It's okay bill and know
[4:23:50] what you guys have the opportunity
[4:23:58] that we matter. Thank you. Next speaker is francesca.
[4:24:05] hi, good evening. Um, so I'm a little confused because currently commission
[4:24:10] meetings are already in hybrid. I just recently attended one and they are hybrid.
[4:24:14] and then in 2021 I actually attended multiple city council meetings that were hybrid.
[4:24:18] so the idea that we cannot do city council meetings hybrid is confusing because
[4:24:23] I've attended multiple city council meetings that were hybrid after covid.
[4:24:27] so it's misleading to use that as a talking point. Oh yeah. Um, also the
[4:24:31] earlier points about residents wanting to know where they could com when they could comment is also
[4:24:35] misleading and misinterpreted because I took the survey and the way that it was
[4:24:39] framed was that we just wanna know a roundabout time when we could comment. So for example,
[4:24:44] we sign up at 5:00 pm for public comment, but then we have to sit through employee of
[4:24:48] the month. The mayor brings the dogs out and we're here for two hours before we
[4:24:52] can actually even do public comment. So it's misleading when we're told come
[4:24:56] at 5:00 pm and then we can't do public comment until two hours
[4:25:01] later. So clarification on those points doesn't mean that we want to
[4:25:05] come at four 30. So that's also being misleading and misinterpreted.
[4:25:09] um, the survey also mentioned that the time is too early. And I actually looked
[4:25:14] at the, the outcomes and the number one reason why people don't
[4:25:18] come is because of scheduled conflicts and city council meetings being too early. So
[4:25:22] why are we starting them at four 30 then if people can't even make it at 5:00 pm it doesn't
[4:25:26] make sense. And I just wanna uplift what na said. I second what she said. And also
[4:25:31] last week's point about the youth not being able to talk, it's also misleading because the
[4:25:35] mayor has moved up items before I was here when he did so for mike union.
[4:25:39] so why.you do it for the youth and you care so much. Okay,
[4:25:43] we have tara.
[4:25:48] hi, my name is tara. I'm here today to claim my full-time, perhaps for the
[4:25:52] last time. Since time is such a topic for this evening, I'd like to point
[4:25:56] out a couple of items that I was able to suss out from this council's
[4:26:00] meetings. Since 2023, there are 52 weeks in the year.
[4:26:04] this council meets an average of 32 weeks of that year. Since
[4:26:09] this council has, has, has started, you
[4:26:13] have started the meetings late 95% of the time, about
[4:26:17] 20, wasting about 22 hours of your time. And the community's time
[4:26:22] you have heard just under this is since 2000, 2333
[4:26:26] hours of public comment. That makes up about 8% of each meeting's
[4:26:31] time. Meanwhile, you have heard over 81 hours of comments from
[4:26:35] non-public presentations, including staff and other members before this
[4:26:39] that have matters before this council. That makes up about 20 me percent of the time
[4:26:44] in the same amount of time you have heard seven five hundred and seventy three levine
[4:26:48] act items indicating that this isn't so much against expression
[4:26:52] as is the currency under which that expression is given.
[4:26:57] if this amendment were to go into effect since 20 23, 40
[4:27:01] members of your community would have been silenced. If the council
[4:27:06] seeks to reduce time in co in council meetings, it can run meetings more efficiently
[4:27:10] and effectively. You can put time limits on yourselves and on
[4:27:14] on the uh, non-public presentations. Councilperson
[4:27:18] kerr, your left, your time has concluded. Thank you. Very fortunate. Okay, we
[4:27:22] have glin. Thank you.
[4:27:28] good evening counsel. My name is clin dolche and I'm here
[4:27:32] to, uh, remind you that I I was one
[4:27:36] of the many people that took your survey and I am
[4:27:41] pretty sure, in fact I'm positive I didn't
[4:27:45] ask for reducing the speaking time by half.
[4:27:49] I took the survey and I'm positive that I did not request
[4:27:53] the, uh, agenda items to be disassociated from
[4:27:58] comments. I was however, approval approving
[4:28:02] of having the remote, uh, agenda item,
[4:28:06] public comment. So, um, but here
[4:28:10] we are and what are we getting? We'll get the remote public
[4:28:14] commenting as uh, required by the state. We'll get
[4:28:19] meetings at an earlier time, not, not that we ask for it.
[4:28:23] reduce our speaking time by half. And most egregiously
[4:28:28] disassociating the, uh, public comments to the agenda
[4:28:32] items themselves. And no one asked for this.
[4:28:36] you can have remote commenting without cutting us off at the knees. Uh,
[4:28:40] we are the public and we have a right and a responsibility
[4:28:45] to speak up on actions that you want to take that affect our lives.
[4:28:49] you need to hear us. Sb 7 0 7 was intended to
[4:28:53] expand, comment, not limit it. We are not an inconvenience,
[4:28:58] we're not a box to be checked. Your time has concluded. Thank you. We're partners and democracy.
[4:29:05] okay. Cordless lee carelessly,
[4:29:10] district five. Um, one of the things that wasn't reported on tonight
[4:29:14] was how many council meetings these other cities have.
[4:29:20] I mean, we went from four a month to three a month
[4:29:24] because you guys voted for that. Is that what they're doing in the other cities?
[4:29:28] these council meetings do go along and I sympathize with the idea of
[4:29:32] working on shortening them. Um, I didn't
[4:29:36] realize when I wrote my letter to you that so much work had been done on this.
[4:29:41] and I did see that survey. It did come across to me. I didn't take
[4:29:45] it because the question seemed to disingenuous to me.
[4:29:50] how can we increase public participation?
[4:29:54] well, first of all, sb 7 0 7 did that for you. They're increasing
[4:29:58] public participation. But when I looked, went back
[4:30:03] and looked at what the survey responses were, I
[4:30:07] don't see that reflected in this ordinance. Somebody messed with
[4:30:11] it in the meantime. And the real goal became how can we shorten
[4:30:15] meetings anticipating that more people will be attending
[4:30:19] remotely? If you'd been honest about that, I would've been willing to take the
[4:30:23] survey. I mean, I'm interested in shortening these meetings too.
[4:30:27] I will say that the gettysburg address lincoln stated, um,
[4:30:32] in the gettysburg address that we may preserve a government
[4:30:37] of the people by the people for the people time
[4:30:41] has. And you guys need to print that in front of yourselves.
[4:30:46] okay. Next speaker is brian cochran.
[4:30:53] good evening everyone. Uh, brian cochrane, district three. Um, I'm hoping you're
[4:30:58] all familiar with the washington post's motto, which is democracy dies in darkness.
[4:31:02] well, it withers, fades, and diminishes in lack
[4:31:06] of engagement. You have to want the engagement. That's the important part
[4:31:10] of this process. It's ugly, it's messy. It's sometimes uncomfortable, but
[4:31:14] that's the part that the public trusts in you to do. Don't take democracy
[4:31:19] away by letting it wither on the vine. You have to want that.
[4:31:23] um, I heard a week ago that, uh, somebody asked the, the, um,
[4:31:27] city attorney about what the consequences for this self-imposed or artificial
[4:31:32] deadline where the answer came back that we don't know. The, uh,
[4:31:37] the judges have a lot of discretion. Everything I hear tonight suggests this is not that
[4:31:41] urgent. I would rather see council go dark for three more sessions than push this
[4:31:45] through to create the artifice of some sort of better process. Christina,
[4:31:50] I really wanna applaud you. This is the most proud moment I've been knowing you in four
[4:31:54] years because you took a bold statement here. Follow that through. Withdraw your emotions
[4:31:58] so that this doesn't go forward. That would be huge.
[4:32:04] thank you. Tune up for asking questions. Previously, I saw that came up in last
[4:32:08] session where somebody here was posing questions about other jurisdictions.
[4:32:12] we should be thought leaders, not followers, not adherence to what the basic minimum
[4:32:16] should be. Keep the robustness of this. Let council be robust
[4:32:20] and bold in this room. Find another way. Follow the oscars example here.
[4:32:24] time honor. Thank you. In a different,
[4:32:30] okay, next speaker is jay. Um, madam, madam
[4:32:34] clerk. Can, can we have, uh, more speakers names read? I think we, we are off track
[4:32:38] here a little bit. Uh, jay, amy and dave shukla are the last three speakers.
[4:32:43] so jay and amy are up before dave.
[4:32:48] okay. Hi, my
[4:32:52] name is amy. I'm a resident of district two. Thank you for not skipping me because I wasn't lined up
[4:32:56] like a kindergartner. 'cause I would like to clarify that that's specified. Nowhere. We don't
[4:33:00] have to line up. And I think that you guys should be able to wait a couple of seconds for your constituents
[4:33:04] to walk up here. Um, so there's
[4:33:08] so much I wanna say. So many people have said so much, so many amazing things.
[4:33:12] um, I would like to clarify though, that a lot of the things that have been brought up have been brought
[4:33:16] up in previous sessions. So like, we don't have to be at this, what this
[4:33:21] first, second read, whatever the hell you said. Um, this could have been like
[4:33:25] squashed weeks ago, but there was always this fake urgency about these fake
[4:33:29] scenarios about what could happen. Um, and really just like putting fear
[4:33:33] into b******t. Um, so here we are.
[4:33:37] um, tena, you totally bastardized my comment from last week. What with the research
[4:33:42] that I did in the top cities in california, and literally word for word long beach
[4:33:46] being number seven. But there was so much that you left out in that research, which is so evident by
[4:33:50] the research that elena did. Um, so you can thank us for doing that research
[4:33:54] and all the other numbers. Um, I didn't get your name, but you also came up here
[4:33:58] with research and facts, which is always great. Um, because up here
[4:34:02] you guys like to freak out over fake s**t. Um, , there's always,
[4:34:06] there's, there's comments about like, people being worried about change. We're not worried about change. We're
[4:34:10] worried about being limited in our first amendment. Um, and I'd like to also,
[4:34:15] I'd like to also make it clear that I feel like we've made progress here because rex is
[4:34:19] so f*****g condescending to you all because you guys have brought up reservations before
[4:34:23] and he basically shut that down. And he had,
[4:34:28] oh, okay. Uh, dave shukla, I think you have the last
[4:34:33] word. Thank you. Chair
[4:34:37] council members. Thank you cindy allen for asking my main question. Uh, like, uh, nata,
[4:34:41] I have, uh, changed my, uh, prepared comments in light of the staff presentation council discussion
[4:34:45] along with other public comments, uh, that made me think, uh, mary,
[4:34:50] I'd like to challenge you to produce evidence of any public support
[4:34:54] for this proposal. Um, I don't believe there are any,
[4:34:58] some quick metrics, uh, for the council. You have received at least 65 pages,
[4:35:02] uh, on agenda item 46 last week from 40 unique respondents. Tonight,
[4:35:06] you've received at least 50 pages from at least 35 unique
[4:35:10] respondents. And not a single one of them, not a single one of them are
[4:35:14] for these changes. Not a single one
[4:35:22] lost my place and I really have to go pee. Um, okay. So, uh, there have been, uh,
[4:35:27] a survey, uh, uh, there have been public comments where, uh, people have said,
[4:35:31] look, uh, our survey inputs have been misrepresented in your survey. Yeah,
[4:35:35] yeah. The survey is not a representative sample of the city. It's not scientific. And the
[4:35:39] way it was rolled out was kind of problematic to say the least. Look,
[4:35:43] I'm a supporter of the mayor. I'm a supporter of the city council, but
[4:35:48] I don't think he got it right. I don't think you've gotten it right. Yep. You lose
[4:35:52] nothing. You lose nothing. By waiting a couple of weeks and bringing this back and
[4:35:57] actually trying to implement a hybrid system and seeing what the problems were, I have not heard
[4:36:01] any metrics related to the city's previous experience with doing
[4:36:05] a hybrid system. Your time has to, you do thank you. To solve
[4:36:09] the trouble.
[4:36:19] okay. That concludes a public comment. Thank you to all the, uh,
[4:36:23] speakers for your civic engagement. Um, I don't see any other council
[4:36:27] members queued up. Oh, council member, uh, sno, can I just have one point
[4:36:32] of clarification for, um, council members in dejas,
[4:36:36] um, request around the, was council member,
[4:36:40] uh, dayja, was it 90 days you wanted it to come back?
[4:36:44] does that need to be, uh, a modification to the motion,
[4:36:48] or is that just, or is that just direction and we only need direction? We'll just take it as direction. Thank you.
[4:36:52] okay. Understood. Oh,
[4:36:57] okay. It can I have c clarification on what you just said, ? Oh,
[4:37:01] I was just clarifying because council members zendejas had shared that we, before the council direction
[4:37:05] was for a six month report back. Council members zendejas asked for a 90 day
[4:37:09] report back. And I just wanted to clarify that council direction was sufficient and that we did
[4:37:13] not need to have an amended motion in order to incorporate that into the motion.
[4:37:18] correct. We will take that as direction. Withdrawn.
[4:37:22] okay. So I, I think we, um, have all
[4:37:26] the, uh, commentary satisfied, and, uh, with no further ado,
[4:37:31] we'll go to a vote.
[4:37:43] motion fails.
[4:37:57] thank you. Thank you.
[4:38:02] okay. Uh, thank you. We actually have more of a council meeting to get to. So we're gonna go to item number
[4:38:06] 50,
[4:38:12] report from city attorney. Recommendation to declare ordinance amending
[4:38:16] the long beach municipal code relating to speed limits red and adopted
[4:38:20] as red citywide. Okay.
[4:38:25] uh, thank you. We have a, a motion and a second we'll go to the make making kerr.
[4:38:29] no comment. No comment, um, to the seconder, uh, trash
[4:38:34] into it. Okay. No comments. Any public comment
[4:38:38] on item number 50? No public comment. Let's, let's
[4:38:42] take a vote.
[4:38:57] councilwoman allen and councilwoman sin
[4:39:04] motion is carried. Okay. Thank you. I'm
[4:39:08] gonna pause just a second and just ask the audience if you can exit quietly. Both have to,
[4:39:12] uh, we'd like to continue our meeting. Okay.
[4:39:16] item number 51.
[4:39:24] item 51, report from community development. Recommendation to
[4:39:28] adopt ordinance for a city initiated zoning map change to amend
[4:39:32] the zoning designation for a property at 57 0 5
[4:39:37] and 57 23 lyme avenue from low density multi-family
[4:39:42] residential, small l small lot to mix use to special
[4:39:46] use incentives, red and adopted as red district eight.
[4:39:58] okay, we have a motion a second for the first time tonight, I'm gonna get this right. We're
[4:40:02] gonna go to the maker of the motion. Council member thrash. Untuck. Thank
[4:40:06] you so much, chair. Uh, we are just excited to be able to usher in, uh,
[4:40:11] a piece of property that will allow us to activate affordable housing our community. Thank
[4:40:15] you here.
[4:40:20] okay.
[4:40:26] any, any members of the public, uh, wish to comment on this? No. Public comment.
[4:40:30] okay. Thank you. We'll go to a vote.
[4:40:40] councilwoman th motion is
[4:40:44] carried. Okay. We go to
[4:40:48] item number 51. Item number 52 reports
[4:40:53] from community development recommendation to declare ordinance adopting
[4:40:57] zoning code amendment to update the existing enhanced density bonus
[4:41:02] to align with the provisions of the inclusionary housing ordinance at
[4:41:06] special bonuses for projects providing communi community
[4:41:10] benefits and implement other procedural and implementation streamlining
[4:41:14] changes, read and adopted as red citywide.
[4:41:18] uh, thank you. We have a motion. A second. Any commentary from council?
[4:41:24] okay. See? None. Do we have any public comment? No public comment. Okay. Let's move to a vote.
[4:41:34] motion is carried. Okay. Are
[4:41:39] we moving to item 53 now? Report from community development
[4:41:43] recommendation to adopt ordinance amending the long beach municipal code to
[4:41:47] establish two new zoning districts mixed use main street
[4:41:51] and commercial main street that will implement the neighborhood service
[4:41:55] serving corridor low and community commercial place
[4:41:59] types of the long beach general plan, la land use elements,
[4:42:05] sorry, and minor amendments to all existing
[4:42:09] zoning districts contained within title 22, red and adopted as
[4:42:13] red citywide. Uh, thank you. We have a motion to second any commentary from council?
[4:42:19] okay. Seeing none, any public comment? No public comment, move to a vote.
[4:42:31] council in the house. Motion
[4:42:35] is carried. Thank you. Number 54, report
[4:42:40] from community development recommendation to adopt ordinance for a zoning
[4:42:44] map change to amend the zoning designations and rezone select
[4:42:48] properties on major corridors in the greater bixby olds area to title
[4:42:53] 22 zones that implement the designated place types
[4:42:57] for each property read and adopted as red citywide. Okay, thank
[4:43:01] you. Motion by curve. Second by alan. Any comments?
[4:43:06] seeing none. Any public comment? No public comment. Move to a vote.
[4:43:16] chair. . Oh, I'm sorry. That's okay.
[4:43:20] you want these? Motion carries.
[4:43:25] okay. Number, item number 55, report from
[4:43:29] technology and innovation. Recommendation to declare proposition l ordinance,
[4:43:34] which pursuant to section 1806 of the city charter,
[4:43:38] makes findings and determinations regarding contracting of utility
[4:43:43] bill printing, read and adopted as red citywide.
[4:43:47] uh, thank you. Moved by dejas, seconded by curve. Do we have any
[4:43:51] council comment? Cn any public comment?
[4:43:56] no public comment. Move to a vote please.
[4:44:05] motion is carried. Okay. Thank you. If anyone
[4:44:09] remembers former mayor bob foster, it is time for a new business
[4:44:15] report from community development recommendation to amend purchase order
[4:44:19] for the amount of $39,720 and
[4:44:23] amend the terms and conditions with granicus for short term rental compliance
[4:44:27] services citywide. Okay, we have a motion by christina duggan, seconded
[4:44:32] by cindy allen. Any council commentary? Seeing none. Public comment?
[4:44:36] no public comment, move to a vote.
[4:44:42] motion carries. Thank you. Um, item number 57,
[4:44:47] report from city manager. Recommendation to receive and file an
[4:44:51] overview of the city soccer in the lbc plan and increase
[4:44:55] appropriations by 800,000 for the soccer in the lbc plan.
[4:45:00] offset by a release of internal designation established in preparation
[4:45:04] for the 2028 olympic and paralympic games citywide.
[4:45:10] uh, thank you. We have a motion a second. I can see we have the esteemed dr. Curley here
[4:45:14] to give us staff presentation. So, um, thank you. Yeah. Before tyler
[4:45:18] gets started, I just wanted to, um, say that we're really excited to talk about this. We've
[4:45:22] already had the activations last week. It's gone really well. Tyler will give you some of the stats
[4:45:27] and some of the overview, but the team's done a really, really great job pulling all this
[4:45:31] together and it's really helping us with our 2028 games readiness. Tyler,
[4:45:35] thank you. Yep. So just wanna give an update on soccer and the lbc. These
[4:45:40] are our activations, uh, related to the international soccer
[4:45:44] tournament that everybody knows, but must not be named.
[4:45:48] um, so we have a essentially a three stage approach that you
[4:45:52] all have seen. Um, our group stage is happening right now. I'll talk about in partnership with la
[4:45:56] galaxy and downtown long beach alliance. And then we'll bring, um, our city
[4:46:00] screen out to neighborhood parks, um, in the knockout stage.
[4:46:04] and then we will end, uh, the world cup final with a large beach streets
[4:46:08] event. So the group stage that's happening right now, we'll have
[4:46:12] viewings every single day, um, and 47 total matches will be viewed.
[4:46:17] and this is ultimately two main layouts. The main closure is pine avenue between
[4:46:21] broadway and third, uh, throughout the whole group stage. That's about
[4:46:26] 2,400 person capacity. And then for seven marquis days,
[4:46:30] we add a part of broadway between pacific and pine. And
[4:46:34] this is largely a partnership, as I mentioned, with galaxy and with downtown long beach alliance.
[4:46:38] and we did get a few, uh, letters of support from downtown long beach alliance from
[4:46:42] altar society, and baby bros talking about the benefits of, um, more foot
[4:46:46] traffic downtown for the businesses. Uh, but we're also seeing
[4:46:50] through the partnership with galaxy, they're bringing out their star squad, uh, team, uh,
[4:46:55] store popups, player appearances, and then a lot of exciting fun
[4:46:59] for families. And it's also an opportunity to test out the entertainment zone
[4:47:03] and the easy sip, um, process that I know the council has been really interested
[4:47:07] in over the last year or so. And then as we move into, uh,
[4:47:12] later parts of the tournament, we'll have eight additional match viewings. Uh, we'll have neighborhood
[4:47:16] level, uh, watch parties in the parks. And this is more community focused
[4:47:20] family, uh, type of programming. Um, where, um, you know, we
[4:47:24] will be able to watch a number of the later stage games. And then as mentioned, we'll
[4:47:29] have a beach streets to close off the entire tournament. Uh, and that is supported
[4:47:33] by la metro and the port of long beach as well. So, just
[4:47:37] to give a high level overview, a lot of different activations are happening throughout the region.
[4:47:41] um, this is a different approach that we're trying to
[4:47:45] take. Um, a lot of the regional, um, events are
[4:47:49] fee to get in. Uh, often they're at one location, they may be for
[4:47:54] one to maybe three days of viewings. Often these are in private event
[4:47:58] spaces. Um, there's limited partnership opportunities with this type of
[4:48:02] activation, and you might just see one type of activation. But we
[4:48:06] wanted to diversify this as much as we could. So all of the viewings are free
[4:48:10] and open to the public. We have viewings in every council district 55
[4:48:15] total viewings. We have a different approach to support local
[4:48:19] businesses, of course. Um, the entertainment zone activation, as I mentioned. Uh,
[4:48:23] also leveraging partnerships like with la galaxy to hopefully
[4:48:28] maximize the reach and also minimize some of the city's costs. And then also,
[4:48:32] uh, test different activation models that will help us prepare for 2020. It
[4:48:36] is, uh, april mentioned. So I did want to show a little bit
[4:48:40] of, uh, the feedback and the excitement from the first early
[4:48:45] days, um, where we meet. We reached capacity on the first day, which is a thursday
[4:48:49] afternoon for the mexico south africa game. It's soccer and the
[4:48:53] lbc for the 2026 fifa world cup here in downtown long
[4:48:57] beach. Let's watch some fluke ball.
[4:49:25] these events are here until june 27th. Come watch the world
[4:49:30] cup games here in downtown long beach.
[4:49:34] and then friday we had the usa paraguay match, um, where we opened up that
[4:49:38] part of broadway. As I mentioned, we had another 2000 people, uh,
[4:49:43] capacity. So this is another exciting video of what happened. We're back for soccer and the lbc for
[4:49:47] the world cup, and this time it's usa versus,
[4:50:27] and over the weekend we did reach capacity again with the brazil morocco game, um,
[4:50:31] and then also had strong crowds at during the other matches.
[4:50:35] um, we've also had our first youth soccer clinic in partnership with
[4:50:39] galaxy, uh, where we had a hundred youth to participate at lincoln park. Different soccer
[4:50:44] clinics. We'll have another one on june 19th. Um, and then ali galaxy
[4:50:48] is actually one of our partners for the day of sport, which is happening next week, um, which
[4:50:52] is also very exciting. We'll have over 600 youth, uh, participating in different youth
[4:50:56] sports activities. So this just shows the long-term partnership opportunities
[4:51:00] from something like this. And it's not just a one-off activation. So just really
[4:51:05] quick, um, there is data in the slides around some of our communication efforts for
[4:51:09] this. We have a website. We've had over 5,000 views driving a lot of traffic there
[4:51:13] to show where to go, how to watch the, the matches. It also includes community
[4:51:17] led events. Um, as part of our calendar, three press releases, two
[4:51:22] inside long beach news articles with over 500 views as well. Um, and
[4:51:26] then working with galaxy and others, we've been able to expand our reach on social.
[4:51:31] so you can see again, some of the social media data points over 75
[4:51:35] posts across different platforms, 500,000 impressions.
[4:51:39] um, there are a number of different top posts, but here you can see a couple. Uh,
[4:51:43] one of them is 141,000 views. Another is 87,000 views.
[4:51:48] just, um, in the last week or so on some of these activations and
[4:51:52] in partnership with others, um, we've been able to get over 1 million content views
[4:51:56] in collaboration with the galaxy downtown, long beach alliance and others,
[4:52:00] including lbt to really raise, uh, awareness around public transportation
[4:52:05] options as well. So, as april mentioned,
[4:52:09] this is really important, not just to activate right now, um, but to help us prepare
[4:52:13] for the 2028 olympic and paralympic games. Uh, this is helping us to learn
[4:52:18] more about interdepartmental coordination. Um, jorge, myself, others
[4:52:22] aren't typically involved in special events coordination, um, but we are in this
[4:52:26] effort. And our special events team, of course, leads a lot of that. But we're also
[4:52:30] bringing in external partners, really testing out our public safety resources,
[4:52:35] different street closure, um, strategies, security perimeters,
[4:52:40] crowd management, uh, of course the communications that I just mentioned, working
[4:52:44] with different sponsors and partners, and of course, uh, looking at different
[4:52:48] strategies for neighborhood activations later on in the tournament. And all of this
[4:52:52] is also happening during other large scale events. So for example, we have
[4:52:56] this weekend juneteenth, we also have, um, an insomniac
[4:53:00] event and the, one of the larger activations for the world cup
[4:53:04] all happening together. So this is part of our test and delivery phase for the 2028
[4:53:09] games as uh, mentioned in our strategic roadmap. So
[4:53:13] for tonight, uh, obviously wanted to give you an update on where we're at with the plan
[4:53:18] and, uh, the different, uh, activation strategies. Um,
[4:53:22] but this of course will cost, um, the city some funding,
[4:53:26] but there is no general fund impact to our strategy here. We have set aside
[4:53:30] funding in the special advertising and promotional fund, sap,
[4:53:34] um, over the last several years to help us start preparing for 2028.
[4:53:39] um, and this again, is part of our preparations for 2028, doing different test test events,
[4:53:43] figuring out different activation strategies. So there is no general, general fund
[4:53:48] impact, um, but any of the additional funds that aren't used would go back to
[4:53:52] that set aside for 2028 games preparation. And we're also looking of
[4:53:56] course, for additional sponsorships and grants to help, um, with this as well.
[4:54:00] so with that, I'd be happy to answer any questions. Okay. Thank
[4:54:04] you for the presentation. Uh, we have, uh, suli sorrow.
[4:54:09] so council and second. Yeah, did, did we not do
[4:54:14] that? I apologize. So chair, I was the maker of the motion. Okay. I'd
[4:54:18] like to, um, actually ask that the clerk, um, make my colleague,
[4:54:22] uh, councilwoman, marry the maker, and I'll serve as the second, and
[4:54:26] then I'll yield to her to begin.
[4:54:34] thank you. Um, team, what a great
[4:54:38] job you have been able to do. It's been electrifying
[4:54:42] out there on pine avenue. Um, thank you for
[4:54:46] all the investment that we've made. Um, I've never seen the community
[4:54:50] so excited, um, and just, just vibrant
[4:54:55] out there in downtown long beach. I didn't even know we could fit that many people on
[4:54:59] pine street. Um, but it was really great to experience that.
[4:55:04] I'm really happy to support this, and especially because we are preparing
[4:55:08] for the olympics. And so this is a real test case for
[4:55:12] us. Um, and one of the things that I would also like to highlight
[4:55:16] is that, um, it's bringing a lot of business, a lot of foot
[4:55:21] traffic to our small businesses around the downtown area,
[4:55:25] whether you're right there or adjacent. And so I think that
[4:55:29] that's really good. I also, um, would like to recommend that we,
[4:55:34] um, keep in close contact with our small businesses because I think
[4:55:38] that sometimes they have been overwhelmed with
[4:55:43] not expecting that many, uh, people to come and, um,
[4:55:47] and need their services. So, um, I think that that's one thing that I
[4:55:52] would recommend, just keeping an eye on our small businesses, making sure that,
[4:55:56] um, they know, uh, what, what to expect. Um,
[4:56:00] I, I think now they know , but I think that that would be
[4:56:04] really good. And seeing if we can help them in any way, um, be able
[4:56:08] to take advantage of having so many people out, um, in, on
[4:56:12] pine street and in downtown. So, great job. Great job to,
[4:56:16] to you guys and great job to our special events, um, team as
[4:56:21] well. Okay, thank you. Now we'll go the seconder. Thank you so much,
[4:56:25] chair. Um, I too was very excited about, um, soccer
[4:56:29] and lbc. I had the chance to go out and see my colleague on pine
[4:56:33] street, uh, along with so many other residents and just folks from
[4:56:37] all around, uh, here in the region. Uh, we were excited about
[4:56:42] the chance to have our, um, my son have participate in
[4:56:46] the clinic, um, and get to meet an la galaxy player, which was
[4:56:50] very exciting. He being a soccer player. Um, and then to be able
[4:56:54] to be part of some of the small business activities, um, I have to admit,
[4:56:59] uh, I would like to make sure that the economic development department as well, um,
[4:57:03] along with maybe, um, uh, dlba check in
[4:57:07] with our, uh, small businesses, uh, there was a lot of people
[4:57:11] there. And I think a number of strategies that I'm hoping that our small businesses will
[4:57:15] look to, uh, employ in order to take advantage of the number
[4:57:19] of potential consumers and customers that are there. Um, and would
[4:57:23] wanna make sure that there is a plan in place for that. Um, and to give them some ideas
[4:57:28] about how to take advantage of those, that audience. And then further,
[4:57:32] I think that, um, it would be great if we, if economic development could
[4:57:36] also think about what are some of the key metrics that we want to benchmark
[4:57:41] against, um, as we host events like this, um, to get a sense
[4:57:45] as to where sales, you know, were, had been, um, maybe the number
[4:57:49] of jobs they were able to bring in. So really thinking about some of those economic impacts,
[4:57:53] um, in the immediate area. And certainly we could see that people were spilling
[4:57:58] out into our downtown area, creating other very positive
[4:58:02] economic benefits. And I'd love to make sure that we are taking the time to capture
[4:58:06] what some of those might be, to be able to tell, uh, the full story. And
[4:58:10] I already mentioned earlier today that some of our parking lots were quite a fool,
[4:58:15] and I wanna make sure that we have, um, the human touch of support and someone
[4:58:19] to make sure we get people moving along and out of the facilities and
[4:58:23] on their way. But all in all, uh, kudos. Tyler, you did, you've done a great job getting
[4:58:28] us to this point. Um, and I will say with lbpd, I
[4:58:32] felt like all of the, um, checkpoints and everything was set up really, really well,
[4:58:36] um, to allow for a lot of family fun. Thank you. Okay,
[4:58:40] now we'll move to suli sorrow. Thank you, chair. I too wanna add thank
[4:58:45] all the work that's done to set this up in order to make sure that we take advantage of this opportunity,
[4:58:50] uh, to practice how we really uplift our
[4:58:54] business quarter at particularly to downtown. So that kinda get
[4:58:59] a feel for what, and also make it aware to the businesses what to
[4:59:03] prepare for. But I think that what's great is the consideration of
[4:59:07] also doing watch party throughout, um, the city and our parks.
[4:59:11] I think this is really an important time to gauge to that. Um,
[4:59:16] you know, there won't be existing businesses in the park area, but it's
[4:59:20] good to consider what, what, what could we do to take an advantage of the opportunity
[4:59:24] to bring vendors out to these sites if we have, if we can
[4:59:28] partner with the health and human services system, uh, as far as who the vendors are
[4:59:32] that could come out practicing, uh, you know, vending, um,
[4:59:37] or if we could have other booths set up, if that's a possibility with
[4:59:41] our local businesses. I, I do understand that we have a short
[4:59:45] timeline, but I think that there could still be an opportunity to do a call
[4:59:49] out if we can. So then it's, um, giving these people some time if
[4:59:53] they wanted to set up a booth that could easily pop up. So
[4:59:58] I hope that that can be done in partnership with edo, um,
[5:00:02] as a way for our businesses, um, in our district
[5:00:07] area that can practice this well. This could be a practice run, hey, pop up
[5:00:11] opportunity, who wants to join? Um, sign up here.
[5:00:15] uh, otherwise this is very exciting. Um, it's great to see
[5:00:20] soccer fever throughout the city. Even I
[5:00:24] have it, and I'm not that, I'm not a sports person, but I'm also feeling it
[5:00:28] too. So thank you. Okay, thank
[5:00:32] you. Um, do we have any public comment on this item? No public comment.
[5:00:37] okay. Thank you. Members, please place your votes.
[5:00:45] motion is carried. Okay.
[5:00:50] um, now we have general public comment number two.
[5:00:56] that's correct. We have six speakers signed up to speak. Lourdes and
[5:01:00] dixon. Melanie andrews, carla
[5:01:04] polito, jeffrey, oscar arturo,
[5:01:09] brian cochran, can you please line up,
[5:01:27] uh, hello? Uh, three minutes. Okay. Hi, uh, how's it going?
[5:01:32] um, gee whiz. Uh,
[5:01:36] it's a very colorful city. Um, congratulations.
[5:01:41] um, I, I feel like, uh, just getting, uh, just getting
[5:01:45] acquainted I guess with this, uh, area and city. And, um,
[5:01:50] I was, I was a bit, uh, uh, I had a
[5:01:54] bit of a reaction to just like spending time here, walking around to
[5:01:58] see the, uh, economic inequality, I guess is what they would call it on
[5:02:02] cnn or whatever, um, of, uh, people sleeping outside
[5:02:07] somewhat like, uh, downtown la uh, previously I've,
[5:02:11] I've been to los angeles to the city council also to, uh, make comments there
[5:02:15] and talk to people there, have some experience seeing how things go
[5:02:20] in that political, uh, the horse shoe, they call it. You have kind of like
[5:02:24] a less of a curved shoe, something on a shoe.
[5:02:28] um, so, uh, I thought I would kind of maybe lend a little bit of my support
[5:02:33] to, uh, karen bass. Uh, as far as inside safe, um,
[5:02:38] I know, I guess there's a election cycle now going on with that. Um, and,
[5:02:42] uh, she gets a lot of crap, um, for spending a lot of
[5:02:46] money on that, I guess you'd say, or making attempts to do something like that. Um,
[5:02:50] but in my opinion, walking around here and seeing the variables or whatever they're
[5:02:55] in los angeles, um, you should be keeping pace,
[5:02:59] I think with, uh, los angeles, if they can do, if they can be trying to
[5:03:03] house people at, at a certain rate or something. I don't see why long beach can't be
[5:03:08] doing the same or better. You're a smaller city, maybe you could be a little more agile
[5:03:12] or something and get ahead of the, get ahead of the bar or whatever.
[5:03:17] um, as far as the mayor, I guess, uh,
[5:03:21] he's not here. The vice mayor's not here, so they say, um,
[5:03:26] to be honest, looking around at the city and looking at the way the mayor acts,
[5:03:30] his personality or the, again, the variables of politics, I'm
[5:03:35] not sure that that can be something that can be fixed, so to speak.
[5:03:39] um, I think that I, to, to be honest, I,
[5:03:43] I would have to say like, I think it's reasonable to ask the, the mayor step down.
[5:03:47] um, just based on walking around again, I mean, the way that
[5:03:51] you guys live, you know, everyone here, you seem to have your needs fulfilled or whatever, you know, food,
[5:03:55] water, shelter and whatever. Um, I think
[5:03:59] that that's something obviously that all people would like to have. Um,
[5:04:04] if, if, you know, he has an ego or whatever, that he doesn't understand
[5:04:08] that, you know, it's something is wrong in the situation, to me, I'm not
[5:04:12] sure that there's a way to, uh, uh, connect
[5:04:16] that person with the reality of what's going on. It's just like he lives in a bubble. So
[5:04:20] that's, that's my take. Have a nice day. Okay, our
[5:04:24] last speaker is brian cochran.
[5:04:29] thank you, mr. Chairman. Um, I'm here with a, a semi-regular
[5:04:33] update on something of concern that I think matters to all of you, but you haven't
[5:04:37] come to realize it yet. We're at an alarm bell stage. Um, there's
[5:04:41] an irony, a bitter irony in fact, that rich archibald, my former editor at the press telegram
[5:04:45] from way back in the day, has a column this week that, uh,
[5:04:50] touts the virtues of leadership at long beach. It's a join it. Now,
[5:04:55] here's this alumni network that's huge, making a difference across our city. Um,
[5:04:59] while in the same piece, he never mentions the neighborhood leadership program of which
[5:05:03] I'm an alumni and a current facilitator of my third year. Um,
[5:05:08] those things matter. And the big difference that you'll see in that is the equity.
[5:05:12] um, you heard the item earlier about the community block grants and people telling you how
[5:05:16] things are gonna be preserved. Don't feel as uncomfortable as that would suggest
[5:05:20] you should be. The neighbor leadership program amounts to a subsection of a line item of a
[5:05:24] budget of a section deep in there, and it's in jeopardy because
[5:05:29] they're going to cut the two staff members that are currently overseeing it, and they
[5:05:33] represent the continuity to the program. We don't come back as facilitators just
[5:05:37] because we want to do hangouts. We come back because those two staff members in
[5:05:41] the city are that continuity that I've seen it through for 20 plus years. Much
[5:05:45] like leadership, long beach has its continuity. Jeff williams, the mayor's
[5:05:50] aid, is a former director, sean devereaux, who's on the olympics
[5:05:54] outreach thing. He's a current participant of nlp and a former director of leadership
[5:05:58] long beach. The two programs get con get convoluted and contorted,
[5:06:02] but they are different. And the big difference that you should all be concerned about is
[5:06:06] that leadership long beach costs $5,000 for each of their participants.
[5:06:11] you need to pay up to get in there. That's already an elite group of people, often
[5:06:15] from city circles, often from employers who can pay to send them to that.
[5:06:19] are you comfortable giving crumbs to all of our communities to just go, neighborship
[5:06:24] leadership program will just be outsourced to occasional events like that. It
[5:06:28] won't have the continuity of staffing, it won't have the continuity of all those alumni
[5:06:32] that we've built up over those years. We're gonna graduate our 900th one this year,
[5:06:36] and god willing, they're, they're going to be out there and meaningful much as the leadership
[5:06:41] long beach folks are. But that's essential for you to find the budget for that small
[5:06:45] subsection of a budget item and not let it get lost in the, in
[5:06:49] the community block grant development funds that are seemingly being saved. So please
[5:06:54] start that process now. We're in the budget, early parts of that. Save those two staffers
[5:06:58] so they can be that continuity, be the glue that we need, that we all come back and build
[5:07:02] on from there. Don't give crumbs to our communities because they can't afford $5,000 for
[5:07:06] a much different program. Thank you very much.
[5:07:12] okay, that concludes public comment. And, um,
[5:07:16] we are now going to move to announcements.
[5:07:20] and first we have council member cindy allen.
[5:07:29] thank you, uh, chair superal. Um, tonight,
[5:07:33] um, I would like to close an honor, a retired long beach police department
[5:07:38] sergeant james smla, who passed away on may 17th
[5:07:43] after a courageous battle with cancer. Sar sergeant
[5:07:47] smla served the long beach police department for nearly two decades,
[5:07:51] joining the department in 2007, and then being promoted to
[5:07:55] sergeant in 2019. Most recently, he supervised
[5:07:59] the marine safety detail. Despite his untimely passing,
[5:08:04] he made a tremendous impact on so many people in the department and
[5:08:08] the community will be forever held in our hearts.
[5:08:13] his passing is a heartbreaking loss for his family, friends, long beach pd
[5:08:17] and our community. Please keep his wife jessica, who lost her
[5:08:21] husband and his two daughters who lost their dad. And your thoughts
[5:08:26] during this very difficult time, and especially in the many days
[5:08:30] ahead, my prayers will be with you.
[5:08:34] okay, thank you. Council member. Um, we're gonna move to, uh, councilman
[5:08:39] mary zendejas. Thank you very
[5:08:43] much, chair. Um, I also would like to
[5:08:47] take a moment to close this meeting out. Um,
[5:08:53] and in honor of the life of a
[5:08:58] wonderful longtime community leader who was known
[5:09:02] through the community as downtown dawn,
[5:09:07] sending a heartfelt condolences to his wife barbie,
[5:09:13] don er loved and believed in
[5:09:17] the beauty and greatness of our downtown long beach.
[5:09:21] he brought people together. He encouraged business owners and
[5:09:26] residents to get involved, get organized, and most importantly,
[5:09:30] he was a friendly and welcoming face to all.
[5:09:35] don, you will certainly be missed, but your immense
[5:09:40] contributions to our city and our downtown community
[5:09:45] have made an impact that will be felt unseen
[5:09:49] for generations to come. May you rest in peace.
[5:09:55] thank you. Alright. Thank you. Uh, councilman mccrea.
[5:10:01] yes, thank you. I so appreciate you bringing the stories of community members
[5:10:05] who've made a deep impact in our community, both our city family and our larger communities. And my
[5:10:09] heart goes out to their families and my sincere condolences, uh,
[5:10:13] we have some events happening this week as we move forward for your
[5:10:17] consideration in the fifth district. Uh, consider stopping by long beach exchange for their two events happening
[5:10:22] on saturday, june 20th. On the, from 12 to four, they have a little maker's
[5:10:26] market summer fest, and after that, they have their reggae
[5:10:30] summer concert series with the band cali conscience from five to 9:00 pm
[5:10:35] these events are free to attend and pets and families are welcomed and
[5:10:39] encouraged. Next, I'd like to invite you to bixby knows for the first event, uh,
[5:10:43] the first concert in the parking lot series of the summer on monday, june 22nd
[5:10:47] at the bixby joe parking lot, starting at six 30. Enjoy great music from yaari,
[5:10:52] moori latin band and great food from local bixby noles restaurants. The band will
[5:10:56] begin playing at six 30 and is advised to arrive early. You can bring your own chair,
[5:11:00] you can walk, ride your bike, um, and friendly leash. Dogs are welcome.
[5:11:04] this event is also free and for all ages. Uh, I'd also like
[5:11:08] you to consider stopping by a seat at the table. Exhibit offered by the african american
[5:11:12] cultural center of long beach, located at the expo art center. The exhibition pays tribute to
[5:11:16] the nine trailblazing women who have served as harbor commissioners, recognizing their leadership and lasting
[5:11:21] impact in shaping the port of long beach. The hours for exhibit
[5:11:25] are tuesdays, wednesdays, and saturdays from 11 to 4:00 pm thursdays
[5:11:29] and fridays from two to seven. This exhibition's last day is saturday,
[5:11:33] june 27th. So be sure to plan a visit before then and to mark
[5:11:37] your calendars for july 11th as, uh, soccer in the lbc heads
[5:11:41] to the fifth district, where we'll have a, uh, hartwell park viewing
[5:11:45] party of, uh, the match that night. Thanks.
[5:11:50] okay, thank you. Uh, council member, me soro. Um, thank you.
[5:11:54] I wanted to share that juneteenth celebration at king park
[5:11:58] is this saturday, um, june 20th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
[5:12:03] at mlk park. And right before,
[5:12:07] um, well, uh, right before it starts
[5:12:12] or a little bit after that, juneteenth starts there, we all have a soft opening
[5:12:17] of the dale e clinton resource center from at 11:00 am
[5:12:21] to 12:00 pm right, um, next to the park. But I also wanna make sure that
[5:12:25] people have an option to also go to the world famous, uh,
[5:12:29] block party juneteenth, uh, in downtown as well. So that's
[5:12:33] also gonna be, um, pretty much all day as well. Uh,
[5:12:37] so we'll hope to see you at one of them. Thank you. Okay. Uh,
[5:12:41] thank you, uh, councilman thra. Thank you so much, chair.
[5:12:46] uh, tonight I'll be closing. Uh, today's, uh, meeting in memoria
[5:12:50] to jim burge. Um, colleagues, uh, we lost,
[5:12:54] uh, jim burge on june 5th, 2026. He was a
[5:12:59] ridgewood triangle neighborhood association leader. Jim passed away
[5:13:03] peacefully, surrounded by his family and loved ones, following a courageous eight month
[5:13:07] battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in jasper, indiana.
[5:13:12] jim was a beloved veteran, husband, father, grandfather, and friend who
[5:13:16] touched countless lives across the country. And his quick wit and infectious
[5:13:20] sense of humor, uh, was felt by all. After graduating
[5:13:24] high school, he joined the us air force station primarily in turkey.
[5:13:29] following his honorable discharge, jim moved to california and attended
[5:13:33] ucla where he owned, earned a bachelor of arts degree,
[5:13:38] as well as a master's of fine arts degree in motion picture in television.
[5:13:43] jim remained at ucla as a counselor in the school of fine arts,
[5:13:47] where he founded the ucla comedy club and launched accomplished
[5:13:52] writing and acting career with memorable roles, including a famous
[5:13:56] scene opposite danny glover in lethal weapon two,
[5:14:00] the koch classic chasing dreams with kevin costner and writing
[5:14:04] credits on productions like tales from the crypt. But here
[5:14:08] in long beach, jim was a pillar in the community around activation
[5:14:12] in the eighth district, north long beach and bixby knowles from hosting cleanups
[5:14:16] twice a month or to organizing youth programs, jim's devotion
[5:14:21] to his neighbors was never ending. For the past 25 years,
[5:14:25] jim produced and hosted, which, you know, as the classroom jeopardy,
[5:14:29] it was a student competition event. He visited schools throughout long beach
[5:14:33] and southern california to foster a deep love for education, earning
[5:14:37] media attention awards, and the affectionate nickname jim,
[5:14:41] the jeopardy guy jim, brought to every conversation,
[5:14:46] uh, joy, and always saw the bright side of light. He
[5:14:50] was inspired by the very best, best, and everyone was fortunate
[5:14:54] to know him. We send our deepest condolences to his loved ones,
[5:14:59] his incredible legacy live lives on in his wife donna,
[5:15:03] his children, grandchildren, and thousands of other children he taught
[5:15:07] and inspired. So after a lifetime spent asking questions,
[5:15:12] learning, teaching, and sharing his love of knowledge, it brings us great comfort
[5:15:16] to imagine that jim has now moved onto a place where all of
[5:15:20] the answers are finally revealed. May he rest in peace.
[5:15:26] okay, thank you. Uh, council member duggan
[5:15:31] tonight I have a shout out. Um, I
[5:15:35] want to recognize our marine bureau team and our beach
[5:15:39] maintenance crews that work for the marine bureau for their work. Over the past week,
[5:15:44] our coastline is experiencing an incredible swell that is causing damage
[5:15:49] up and down the state. This includes the peninsula, which has
[5:15:53] been facing high tides and a southern swell that is coming through the breakwater.
[5:15:58] this is pretty much the worst case scenario. Our marine bureau
[5:16:02] team has been working around the clock to build berms and take every
[5:16:06] protective measure we can limit imp uh, measure
[5:16:11] we can to limit the impacts on life and property
[5:16:15] over the next few days. We're still going to see some high tides
[5:16:20] and swells. We're not through it yet, but there has been limited damage
[5:16:24] to this point because of these city teams, the marine bureau
[5:16:28] and our beach maintenance crews. They sometimes work all night.
[5:16:33] uh, I just wanna say a heartfelt thank you.
[5:16:37] um, and your work is appreciated.
[5:16:42] okay, thank you. Uh, councilman row? Yes. I just have a couple events
[5:16:46] I want to let you, uh, be aware of. Um, tomorrow I wanna invite everyone to join us
[5:16:50] for the lgbtq plus cultural district concept unveil press
[5:16:54] event. And, uh, so I hope y'all can come. It'll be three 30 at bixby
[5:16:59] park near broadway and juan perro. And, um, at the event
[5:17:03] we're gonna share the conceptual design and renderings and the vision for
[5:17:07] the lgbtq plus cultural district right here in long beach. So I hope you can contend.
[5:17:11] um, and also we have some cleanups, um, that happening in the district. And I'd love
[5:17:16] if you could come, um, monday morning rose park neighborhood cleanup at 10th street,
[5:17:20] and it'd be from nine 30 to 1130 at
[5:17:25] 28 25 east 10th street. And bl park
[5:17:29] neighborhood association is also having a cleanup this saturday,
[5:17:33] and it's their quarterly neighborhood cleanup and a breakfast.
[5:17:37] so they're gonna feed you. That's good. So, so 9:00 am to 10 30,
[5:17:42] um, at the trolley at the corner
[5:17:46] of redondo avenue and 82nd street. So I hope you all can come and help clean up our
[5:17:50] district. Thank you. Okay. Um, council member retu.
[5:17:55] thank you so much, chair. Um, it's movies in the park time. We hope you join
[5:17:59] us tomorrow, june 17th in davenport park. Bring your family, friends,
[5:18:04] and a blanket for a fun evening under the stars, starting at 6:30 pm
[5:18:09] on saturday, june 20th. The north village neighborhood association will host
[5:18:13] a cleanup as well as a neighborhood meeting. There'll be several, uh,
[5:18:17] key speakers that'll be there. Um, you'll get to hear updates. We hope to see you at
[5:18:21] 8:00 am for the cleanup, and 10:00 am for the meeting.
[5:18:25] happy juneteenth. As my colleague mentioned, there are several celebrations happening.
[5:18:30] I wanna bring your attention to the juneteenth block party, celebrating black culture,
[5:18:34] music, and creativity. The event is hosted by the vip family foundation.
[5:18:39] I will bring the community together through live music, cultural popups, and
[5:18:43] engaging conversations. It'll be held at two 15 east first street
[5:18:47] from noon to 8:00 pm on june 24th. I encourage
[5:18:51] my colleagues and residents to attend the move la conference. It's a gathering
[5:18:56] that will feature the future of transportation, including air travel,
[5:19:00] as well as by sea. This, uh, conference focuses on mobility
[5:19:04] and infrastructure in our region. We hope you'll be there to be participate
[5:19:09] with other community leaders, advocates, as well as those who are interested
[5:19:13] in improving the quality of life for all residents around transportation.
[5:19:17] it'll take place at the long beach convention center from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
[5:19:21] visit move la.org for more information. And on
[5:19:26] saturday, june 27th, we will be out there as well, cleaning up the neighborhood.
[5:19:30] we'll start with the ridgewood neighborhood cleanup at 8:00 am located at
[5:19:34] 4 5 5 5 orange avenue. And the coolidge triangle neighborhood
[5:19:38] cleanup will start at 9:00 am that's at 300 east
[5:19:43] scott street. We hope to see residents out. And finally, I'd
[5:19:47] like to say as we move towards, uh, the weekend, happy father's day to all of our
[5:19:51] fathers out there. Thank you. Um, thank
[5:19:55] you for those comments. Um, I have two announcements to make.
[5:19:59] the first I want to give a, a shout out to my chief of staff, isabelle
[5:20:04] martinez, who's been with me here all night. And you think I look nervous. Can
[5:20:08] you imagine how she felt watching me here? But, uh, and also an alum of, uh,
[5:20:12] leadership long beach. So thank you isabelle, for doing the extra duty tonight.
[5:20:17] and, um, last, I wanted to wish a
[5:20:22] heavenly happy birthday to my dad, don ana, who was born on this
[5:20:26] date in 1918. He's the poster child for,
[5:20:30] um, the olympics in long beach and how it affects kids. Uh, he
[5:20:34] watched the rowing competitions at marine stadium in, um, 1932
[5:20:39] and inspired him to go on to letter in crew at poly and
[5:20:43] in college. Um, he was a world war ii marine
[5:20:47] who, um, went, uh, to, uh, work for the fire department
[5:20:52] where he served for 28 years. In his 27th
[5:20:56] year on the job, he received a certificate of accommodation from the
[5:21:00] fire department for extreme heroism in the line of
[5:21:04] duty. And he always got a kick out. The fact that the
[5:21:09] certificate was signed by the mayor, tom clark, who had been my
[5:21:13] dad's councilman for 10 years. And when people made comments
[5:21:17] and they did, like, isn't 56 years of old, uh, of age,
[5:21:21] a little bit old to be getting a hero award, and he would use this line.
[5:21:25] well, I needed my councilman to become mayor to sign a certificate before
[5:21:29] I won him. So, because I'm in this seat tonight, I just
[5:21:33] wanted to, um, wish my dad a happy birthday. And I know age
[5:21:38] 108 is a little bit late, but I guess he had to wait till his son was in the
[5:21:42] mayor seat to get it announced. So to don ana, happy
[5:21:46] birthday, uh, semper fi and semper pradas.
[5:21:50] with that, we will, um, want to thank you again for
[5:21:54] your civic engagement. And with that, we stand adjourned.