* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. PRESENT VICE MAYOR ALLEN. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. HERE. COUNCILMAN SUBINA. COUNCILWOMAN KERR. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT. [ROLL CALL] COUNCILMAN AUSTIN? HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SODI. HERE. MAYOR RICHARDSON. I AM HERE. WE FORM. THANK YOU. WE'LL ASK COUNCILWOMAN SORROW TO START WITH A PLEDGE AND A MOMENT OF SILENCE. UH, I LET, LET'S, UH, TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENT IN HONOR OF ALL THAT WE, ALL THOSE WE LOVE THAT [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] ARE SUFFERING AND IN PAIN RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. AND IF YOU'RE ABLE TO RISE, UM, PLEASE RISE AND PLACE YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART AND, AND BEGIN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WI IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH, UH, SO WE'VE GOT, UH, VERY, VERY BUSY AGENDA TODAY. UH, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF, UH, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION AND A NUMBER OF, UH, KEY ITEMS, BUT WE'LL START OFF WITH OUR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 4 46, AND REQUEST TO PULL ITEM 35, UH, FOR RECUSAL. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? DO, SORRY, MR. MAYOR, WE'D ALSO LIKE TO PULL ITEM 20. WE NEED TO MAKE A CORRECTION. AND ITEM 20, IS THERE A PUBLIC COMMENT ON, UH, CONSENT? WE HAVE THIS ONE. OKAY, GREAT. I HAVE NAME DELEGATE OF THE 64TH DISTRICT. PLEASE COME FORWARD. THANK YOU. YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JUAN MARTINEZ. I AM THE DELEGATE FOR THE 64 DISTRICT. I WILL BE SPEAKING TONIGHT, BUT I WILL BE WAIVING THIS PORTION OF THE AGENDA. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UH, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. WE'VE HEARD PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE ON CONSENT. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. WE HAVE, UH, TWO ITEMS THAT WERE SEPARATED OUT. I THINK IT WAS 22 AND 35. LET'S HERE 22 SIR. WAS IT ITEM 20 OR 22? WAS IT 20? 20. 20? ITEM 20 IS A REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER. RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT SPECIFICATIONS NUMBER R-F-P-H-E TWO THREE DASH 203 R-F-P-H-E TWO THREE DASH 203 R-F-P-H-E DASH, UH, TWO THREE DASH 2 44 AND R-F-P-H-E TWO THREE DASH 2 44. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. WE HAVE A QUICK CORRECTION TO THE ITEM, UH, THAT, UH, STEPHANIE, I WILL READ. HELLO COUNSEL. WE HAVE A CORRECTION FOR THE DAY'S LONG BEACH VENDOR. THE, UH, CONTRACT IS LISTED AS A HUNDRED THOUSAND IN THE COUNCIL LETTER. IT WILL BE AMENDED TO 80,000 AND WE ALSO HAVE AN AMENDMENT FOR A SECOND CALL. IT IS LISTED AS 200,000 AND IT WILL BE AMENDED TO 220,000. ALRIGHT, NOTED. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? NO. OKAY. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE ON ITEM 20. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW GO TO ITEM 35. REPORT FROM PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE RECOMMENDATION TO AUTHORIZE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR LEASE NUMBER 2 8 2 2 2 WITH BRIDGE ENTERPRISE FOR THE THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, I'LL BE RECUSING MYSELF DUE TO A LEVINE CONFLICT. THANK YOU. A SECOND. OKAY. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? SEEING NONE MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE A SECOND. IS THERE A MOTION IN A SECOND HERE? THERE'S A MOTION. KEEPS SWITCHING THE [00:05:01] MOVER. I THINK THE SYSTEM'S STILL WARMING UP. YEAH. WE'RE GONNA REFRESH IF WE CAN GET A VERBAL MOTION. AND SECOND. OKAY. I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SOTE. I NEED A SECOND. SECOND BYKER GREAT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION. MOTION IS CARRIED. GREAT, THANK YOU. UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO OUR REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION. HERE COMES OUR CITY ATTORNEY. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, WE HAVE NO REPORT FROM CLOSED SESSION. GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'LL NOW MOVE TO OUR PRESENTATION, UH, THE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH. UH, WE JUST HAD A GREAT, UM, EVENT JUST OUTSIDE, AND THE MONTH OF NO [CEREMONIALS AND PRESENTATIONS] NOVEMBER IS [ NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION] RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY AS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH. EARLY THAT THIS AFTERNOON, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH SEVERAL TRIBAL ELDERS AND LEADERS OF THE TOVA COMMUNITY. UH, IT'S BEEN THE FIRST TIME, UH, IN A LONG TIME, UH, THAT THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAS MET WITH, UH, THOSE TRULY INDIGENOUS, UM, UH, TO THE LAND THAT OUR CITY WAS BUILT ON. AND IT WAS A VERY FRUITFUL CONVERSATION. I HEARD FIRSTHAND THE, UH, CENTURIES OF CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES FAMILIES ENDURED DURING, UH, BY MULTIPLE COUNTRIES LAYING CLAIM TO THEIR LANDS. I LEARNED ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF OUR CITY, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PNA TO THEIR TRIBAL BELIEFS AND SPIRITUALITY, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PANG NOT ONLY TO THE TONGVA PEOPLE, BUT TO THE SEVERAL TRIBAL NATIONS THAT, UH, THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. SO, I WAS INSPIRED BY THE CONVERSATION. UH, I WANT TO, UH, THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. AND NOW, UH, WE HAVE JAKE HEP, CAPTAIN JAKE HEFLIN FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHO'S A TRIBAL, WHO'S A PROUD TRIBAL MEMBER WHO'S WITH US TODAY TO HELP SHARE SOME REMARKS. SO, JAKE, IF YOU COULD JOIN US AT THE PODIUM. MAYOR AND MEMBERS COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND PRESENT, UH, THIS, UH, THIS GREAT EVENT TODAY. OUT ON THE, UH, ON THE, UH, THE, THE OUTSIDE AREA, THE, THE, THE CORE. YOU KNOW, WHAT A GREAT DAY IT IS FOR US TO REALLY CELEBRATE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH IN THE CONTEXT OF REALLY WHAT THE MONTH IS, IS WE JUST, THIS BRINGS REALLY THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS TO LIGHT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT AS NATIVE PEOPLE, WE ARE, UH, EXCITED TO REALLY ENGAGE IN THE CONVERSATION. THE DISCUSSION, AND CERTAINLY ARE REALLY EXCITED THAT THE TONGA, UH, GNO TONGA COMMUNITY HAD A CHANCE TO MEET WITH THE MAYOR AND HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD DIALOGUE AND DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO REALLY CONTINUE TO FURTHER THE EFFORT TO SUPPORT NATIVE COMMUNITIES AROUND OUR CITY AND AROUND THE COUNTY FOR THAT MATTER, TO REALLY CONTINUE TO PERPETUATE AND THRIVE. AGAIN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RESILIENCY, WE'RE AMONGST THE MOST RESILIENT PEOPLE AS NATIVE PEOPLE BECAUSE WE'RE HERE, STILL HERE PRACTICING OUR LANGUAGE, OUR CULTURE, AND OUR TRADITIONS. AND AS YOU COULD HEAR TODAY, OUR SONGS AND THE, THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE TOGETHER, WE ARE STRONGER. AND THEN WE KNOW THAT. AND THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF WHAT WE'RE DOING BY CELEBRATING NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH FOR US. NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH IS EVERY YEAR. IT'S ALL EVERY PART OF OUR LIFE. UH, BUT AGAIN, TODAY, WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU AND THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THE MAYOR FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT IN BRINGING THIS TO LIGHT COUNCIL MEMBER SONO FOR HIS PASSIONATE, UH, UH, EFFORTS TO CONTINUE TO PERPETUATE AND MOVE FORWARD THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMISSION AND, AND THE EFFORTS THAT HE'S, UH, UNDERTAKEN SPECIFICALLY TO MANAGE THAT. SO WE ARE SO GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL FOR THE CONTINUED SUPPORT EVERY YEAR IN NOVEMBER AS WE CELEBRATE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, AND WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, IF YOU HAVE LEADERS THAT WANT TO COME DOWN, UH, MAYBE THEY'RE STILL OUTSIDE. I'M NOT QUITE SURE THERE. DO YOU HAVE YOUR LEADERS HERE? GREAT. UH, PLEASE COME ON DOWN. WE WANNA COME DOWN AND, UH, TAKE A PHOTO WITH YOU. OH, I TAKE A PHOTO WHILE. OKAY. THANK YOU. COME ON IN HERE. [00:10:57] ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'LL NOW GO TO OUR SECOND PRESENTATION. UH, WE WANT TO INVITE DOWN, UH, OUR ANIMAL CONTROL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR OUR PET ADOPTIONS. UH, WE BROUGHT THIS BACK, UM, JUST NOT LONG AGO. THE, THAT, WHERE WE HELP TO, UH, CLEAR OUR SHELTERS AND GET FOLKS TO HELP US WITH ADOPTING ANIMALS. AND SO [ ACS PET ADOPTION] WE INVITE SOME OF OUR GUESTS OUT, UH, ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH TO COME OUT AND, UM, LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADOPTIONS HERE IN LONG BEACH. HI. HEY, UH, HI MAYOR, MAYOR RICHARDSON AND CITY COUNCIL. NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. WE'VE MISSED YOU. UM, I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE A REALLY LONG PRESENTATION AND LONG STUFF TO DO TODAY, SO, UH, I WILL GET RIGHT TO IT. OUR, UH, OUR, UH, OH MY GOSH, I'M SO SORRY. OH MY GOD, I LOST FOR WORDS BECAUSE SHE'S SO FABULOUS. OUR DOG, UH, TODAY IS VALKYRIE. SHE'S BEEN WITH US FOR, UH, ABOUT SINCE MID-OCTOBER. OCTOBER 13TH. SHE'S PROBABLY A HUSKY BORDER COLLIE MIX OF SOME SORT. SHE'S ABOUT A YEAR OLD. YOU'LL NOTICE IN HERE SHE'S A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS. UM, BUT IT'S A LOT GOING ON. AND SHE IS, UH, SHE'S SUPER FRIENDLY AND WONDERFUL AND LOVING AND REALLY COMES OUT OF HER SHELL AND WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION TO ANY FAMILY WHO'S ACTIVE. LOVES TO HIKE, LOVES TO RUN, DOES AGILITY. SO, UH, SHE IS ONE OF MANY FABULOUS ANIMALS THAT WE HAVE FOR ADOPTION AT OUR FACILITY. AND THERE IT IS. WE HAVE, OH, NOW MELANIE IS OUR ACTIVE ACTIVE DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL CARE SURGERY. RIGHT? IT'S TRUE. ALRIGHT, SO HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT? I STARTED AT THE END OF MAY AS THE SUPERINTENDENT RAISING THIS DOG AROUND . SHE'S, LOOK AT HER. I DON'T KNOW. IT'S A GREAT DOG. SHE IS A GREAT DOG. . WOO-HOO. RIGHT. SO WE'VE HAD TREMENDOUS SUCCESS IN THIS PROGRAM, UH, BRINGING OUT, OUT, RIGHT? MM-HMM. A HUNDRED PERCENT. PERCENT. A HUNDRED PERCENT. WE STILL HAVE A 100% RECORD SINCE WE BROUGHT THIS, THE PET ADOPTION PROGRAM BACK TO CITY, CITY COUNCIL. 100%. SO IS THIS AUDIENCE GONNA MAKE SURE, WITH ALL THE FOLKS YOU HAVE TODAY, MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP OUR RECORD THAT VALERIE GETS TO HOMES. IS THERE ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD LOVE TO TAKE THIS BEAUTIFUL ? SHE LOVES OTHER DOGS. GOOD. WELL, I REALLY HOPE WE CAN KEEP OUR A HUNDRED PERCENT ADOPTION RATE. SO I THINK SHE'S DONE WITH THE CHEESE. AMAZING. AMAZING. GOOD. I THANK WELL, I'LL TELL YOU, UM, AGAIN, UH, IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM. WE HAVE A GREAT, UH, SHELTER IN LONG BEACH, VALKYRIE. I HAD SOME TIME TO SPEND TIME IN THE BACK WITH VALKYRIE. I'M A LITTLE ALLERGIC, SO I POPPED SOME, UH, SOME CLARITIN, UH, WHEN WE DO PET ADOPTION NIGHTS. SO WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS, MY FACE WOULD WELL UP AND PEOPLE THINK I'M CRYING DURING THE COUNCIL MEETING. NO, IT'S A GREAT TIME. UH, BUT THIS PROGRAM IS A GREAT PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE YOU, UH, TO GO AND TAKE A LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE. UH, YOU WANT TO LIST THE WEBSITE? YEAH, IT'S COMING UP. ABSOLUTELY. IF I CAN MAKE THIS BUTTON WORK. SURE. AH, THERE IT IS. THAT'S LONG BEACH.GOV/ACSS. AND YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE, THE PLUS A BIT? I'LL, SO YOU CAN VISIT ALL OF OUR ADOPTABLE PETS APPS. UH, ONE OF OUR EVENTS. SORRY, YOUR BUTTON ISN'T WORKING. THERE WE GO. WE'RE AT PET SUPPLIES PLUS THIS SATURDAY FROM 11:00 AM TO 2:00 PM WE'LL HAVE OUR ADOPTION WAGON. THERE'LL BE KITTENS. THERE'LL BE PUPPIES. PLEASE COME ON DOWN. JOIN US. IT'S ON BELLFLOWER BOULEVARD. WE ACTUALLY HAVE THAT EVERY MONTH SO YOU CAN SHOW UP AND SEE THAT ANYTIME. AND, UH, LIKE MAYOR RICHARDSON SAID, UH, WE HAVE SOME REALLY GREAT PROGRAMS DOWN AT LONG BEACH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, ADOPTION, FOSTER, DONATE, VOLUNTEER. UH, [00:15:01] I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A LOT OF OUR LONG STAY ANIMALS WHO HAVE BEEN THERE FOR 30 DAYS OR MORE. GO HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. THAT'S RIGHT. SO LET'S GET VALKYRIE. UH, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS WAS HERE FOR OUR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK OKAY. IT'S ON. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, WHAT DO WE WANT? BOARD MONEY. OKAY. WE WANT IT. ALL RIGHT. WHAT DO WE WANT MORE MONEY? WHEN DO WE WANT IT NOW? WHEN DO WE WANT, WHEN DO WE WANT IT? DO WE WANT, WHEN DO WE WANT? WHEN DO WE WANT? SO I'M GONNA ASK FOLKS TO BRING IT BACK. THIS ISN'T A, THIS IS A PUBLIC PROCEEDING. I'M GONNA ASK FOLKS TO, UH, THIS IS WARNING NUMBER ONE. I'M GONNA ASK FOLKS TO RESPECT THE ORDER OF THIS MEETING. UH, THIS IS NOT AN ACTION. YOU ARE FREE TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO OUTSIDE, BUT THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING AND WE HAVE RULES. SO THAT IS MY FIRST REQUEST. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WE WILL PROCEED WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING. WOO. LABOR. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. SO, UH, WE HAVE A REALLY, UH, IMPORTANT, UH, ITEM NEXT. AND SO WE'RE GONNA ASK EVERYBODY TO TAKE THEIR SEATS. UH, IF YOU'RE GONNA BE A PART OF THIS, TAKE YOUR SEATS OR CONTINUE THE RALLY OUTSIDE. SO WE'RE GONNA NEED THAT. OKAY. SO I'VE MADE THE REQUEST. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, NOW WE'RE GONNA GET BACK TO THE MEETING. UM, WE'RE GONNA PULL UP ITEM NUMBER 55, PLEASE REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH MEET LONG BEACH TO PROVIDE THE CITY WITH MARKETING PROGRAM FOR CONVENTIONS AND TOURISM IN AN AMOUNT OF 4,608,676 CITYWIDE. [55. 23-24888 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement with Visit Long Beach, Inc. dba Meet Long Beach, of Long Beach, CA, a California non-profit corporation, to provide the City of Long Beach (City) with a marketing program for conventions and tourism, in an amount of $4,608,676 for Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2024, and in amounts subject to annual appropriation of funds by City Council in any subsequent years, for a period of two years, with the option to renew for three additional one-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into the contract, including any necessary subsequent amendments. (Citywide) Levine Act:  Yes       Office or Department: City Manager         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] ALRIGHT, BEFORE WE GO TO STAFF, I'M GONNA REMIND PEOPLE OF THE ORDER OF TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL AGENDA. UH, WE HAVE THIS ITEM, UH, AND THEN WE ARE GONNA HEAR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. I KNOW FOLKS ARE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THAT'LL TAKE PLACE AFTER THIS ITEM, AND THEN WE'LL PROCEED WITH THE REST OF THE AGENDA. SO THAT IS OUR ORDER. UH, PEOPLE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES, BUT THAT IS THE ORDER THAT IS PUBLISHED AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA STICK TO THIS EVENING. SO I WANNA PASS IT OVER TO CITY MANAGER MOCA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. SO, UM, THERE ARE TWO ITEMS THAT ARE GONNA BE HEARD, UH, JOINTLY TOGETHER. THOSE ARE THE ITEMS RELATED TO, UM, UH, MEET LONG BEACH AND VISIT LONG BEACH. UH, WE WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE GROUP THEMSELVES AS THEY TALK ABOUT, UH, THE, THE PAST YEAR AND ALSO, UH, TALK ABOUT THE NEW MODEL THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING. AND THEN STAFF WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION AFTER THAT, UH, TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, COMPONENTS OF THE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER, UH, TO, UH, THE VISIT LONG BEACH CREW. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, UH, THIS YEAR. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, BUT THIS IS THE BEST YEAR IN THE HISTORY OF TOURISM IN THE 126 YEARS OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, AND THANKS TOM. AND SO WITH THAT, UH, I HAD LIKE TO GO INTO A LITTLE FURTHER AS TO WHAT ALL THAT MEANS. THIS PAST YEAR, RIGHT AFTER COMING OUT OF C-O-V-I-D HOTEL, OVERNIGHT STAY GENERATED OVER 32 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN OVERNIGHT BED TAXES. HALF OF THAT WENT INTO A SPECIAL ADVERTISING OF PROMOTION FUND. THE OTHER HALF WENT INTO THE GENERAL FUND. THE GENERAL FUND SUPPORTS ALL THE DIFFERENT CAUSES THAT THE CITY HAS, SUCH AS STREET TRIMMING, UH, SIDEWALK REPAIRS, PUBLIC SAFETY, ET CETERA. SO IT'S A, IT AT ONE TIME WAS THE FOURTH LARGEST REVENUE GENERATOR IN TAXES FOR THE CITY THIS YEAR, BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE 30% OF OUR CONVENTIONS COMING OUT OF COVID BECAUSE OF OUR LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS WITH [00:20:01] OUR CUSTOMERS. BECAUSE WE'RE NOT A TRANSACTIONAL SALES ORGANIZATION, BUT A RELATIONSHIP SALES ORGANIZATION, 30% OF OUR CUSTOMERS MOVE THEIR CONVENTIONS FORWARD INTO 23, 24 AND 25, HELPING US HAVE A HUGE JUMPSTART IN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY BY BRINGING CONVENTIONS FORWARD. WE ARE PROJECTING THIS YEAR BASED UPON WHAT WE'VE SEEN SO FAR, A 15% INCREASE IN BED TAX. THE INJUNCTION POINT RIGHT THERE IN 2013 IS WHERE THE CITY STARTED TO INVEST MONIES INTO THE PACIFIC BALLROOM, OR WHAT WAS KNOWN AS THE LONG BEACH ARENA AND STILL IS. BUT WE GAVE IT AN ADAPTIVE REUSE OR AN ADDITIONAL USE BY CONVERTING IT INTO A SPECIAL EVENT SPACE. AND WE CREATED TWO OTHER SPECIAL EVENT SPACES, THE COVE, THE TERRACE THEATER PLAZA. BY DOING SO, WE REDUCED THE COST TO OUR CUSTOMERS BY AT LEAST A HALF MILLION DOLLARS BECAUSE THESE ARE PRE RIGGED, PRE-HUNG LIGHTS, SOUND, ET CETERA. THAT HAS GIVEN US A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AS A CITY IN ATTRACTING BUSINESS TO LONG BEACH. YOU CAN SEE AT THAT JUNCTION POINT, IT'S ALMOST A ROCKET SHIP GOING UP. THEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, BUT RIGHT OUTTA THE PANDEMIC, BECAUSE WE MOVED CONVENTIONS FORWARD, IT TOOK OFF AGAIN. AND IF YOU WOULD ACTUALLY JUST DRAW A LINE STRAIGHT UP, YOU CAN SEE HOW IT IS. ABSOLUTELY. THE INVESTMENT HAS PAID OFF IN REPOSITIONING THE CONVENTION CENTER. IN ADDITION, THIS YEAR, THE CVB WAS AWARDED THE BEST CVB IN THE WEST COAST BEATING LOS ANGELES, SAN DIEGO, SAN FRANCISCO, AND OTHER CITIES ON THE WEST COAST. AND FOR THE SIXTH YEAR, THE CONVENTION CENTER HAS WON THE BEST CONVENTION CENTER IN THE WEST COAST. AGAIN, BEATING ALL THE OTHER CITIES THAT WE MENTIONED PLUS MORE. THERE ARE ONLY, THERE IS ONLY ONE AWARD AND IT'S, IT'S NOT NUMEROUS GOLDS OR BRONZE OR SILVERS, BUT JUST ONE GOLD. AND LONG BEACH HAS WON BOTH OF THOSE FOR THE SIXTH AND SEVENTH YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES. NO OTHER REGION HAS HAD A CITY EARN SIX CONSECUTIVE YEARS AND SEVEN CONSECUTIVE YEARS. LONG BEACH CONVENTION ENTER ENTERTAINMENT CENTER. WONDERFUL TEAM. THEY CONTINUE TO KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK. WE LOVE THE COLLABORATION WITH THEM. AND THIS YEAR IS THEIR HIGHEST REVENUES EVER THAT THEY HAVE BROUGHT INTO THE BUILDING. AND ALSO THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF EVENTS EVER. THE COUNCIL HAS ASKED FOR MORE ACTIVITY. THE TERRACE THEATER, THE BEVERLY NEO THEATER HAS BEEN EXTREMELY MORE ACTIVE AND THERE HAS BEEN MORE EVENTS WITHIN THE ACTUAL, UH, CONVENTION CENTER ITSELF, THE PACIFIC BALLROOM THIS MONTH, 10 YEARS AGO, SOME OF YOU WERE AROUND AL REX, CINDY MARY. AT THAT TIME WE DEBUTED THE NEW PACIFIC BALLROOM. AND SINCE THEN, WE JUST FINISHED A STUDY WITH CAL STATE LONG BEACH. AND I'D LIKE TO SHOW A WEDDING THAT TOOK PLACE LESS THAN A MONTH AGO. THIS FACILITY NOW HAS DONE EVERYTHING FROM GENERAL SESSIONS TO CORPORATE MEETINGS, TO ASSOCIATION EVENTS TO LOCAL NONPROFIT EVENTS, HELPING THEM RAISE SIGNIFICANT MONIES AND A WEDDING. THIS INNOVATIVE RE-ADAPT OF THE LONG BEACH ARENA HAS GIVEN NEW LIFE TO IT. AND THIS YEAR, PER CAL STATE LONG BEACH, OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD, THAT $10 MILLION INVESTMENT HAS NOW BROUGHT BACK 428 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT. IF WE HADN'T DONE THIS TO THIS FACILITY, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CREATE THAT IMPACT BECAUSE IT IS SERVED AS A LARGER BALLROOM BANK. THANKS. OKAY. WITH THAT, WITH THAT 400, WITH THAT 428 MILLION, IT ALSO ALLOWED US TO BOOK LARGER GROUPS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BRING INTO THE CITY BECAUSE WE NEEDED A 40,000 SQUARE FOOT BALLROOM IN SACRAMENTO. THEY SPENT $40 MILLION FOR A 40,000 SQUARE FOOT BALLROOM IN LONG BEACH. WE SPENT 10 MILLION AND GOT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE BECAUSE OF THE INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY. AND BECAUSE QUITE [00:25:01] HONESTLY, WE KNEW WHAT WE WANTED AND HOW TO DO IT. UH, THEY DON'T HAVE ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES OF THE LIGHTS AND, AND THE CAMERAS AND THE SOUND AND THE CURTAINS. THIS YEAR, ALSO GREAT YEAR FOR US IN TERMS OF BOOKING SOCIAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS. WE BOOKED THE NAACP PROGRAM. THEIR, THEIR BOARD CAME OUT AND ACTUALLY LOOKED AT US, THEIR SITE SELECTION COMMITTEE, AND ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OUT OF NEW YORK SAID THAT SHE WON AT LONG BEACH. AND A LOT OF THE MEMBERS WERE LIKE, YOU CAN'T SAY THAT, MS. DUKE. AND SHE'S LIKE, I CAN SAY WHATEVER I WANT, BECAUSE SHE'S LIKE 90. SO WITH THAT POINT, MS. DUKE LED THE CHARGE ALONG WITH HER CO-CHAIR AND THE, AND THE COMMITTEE HAS CHOSEN LONG BEACH FOR THE YEAR 2027 TO HOST THE NAACP NATIONAL CONVENTION. THAT'S MS. DUKE. AND NAOMI HELPED US IMMENSELY AS WELL. AND IT WAS JUST A WONDERFUL EVENT. AND THIS WAS, THIS WAS A COMMUNITY EVENT WHERE EVERYONE FROM THE COMMUNITY CAME OUT IN DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP CAPACITIES AND THEY SAID IN ALL THE CITIES THEY'D GONE TO, THEY'VE NEVER BEEN RECEIVED BY SUCH A WARM, WELCOMING COMMITTEE. THIS TOOK PLACE ON THE STAGE. THE TERRACE THEATER LULAC, ALSO ANOTHER LEADING SOCIAL JUSTICE ASSOCIATION, CHOSE LONG BEACH AT THEIR CONVENTION THIS YEAR FOR 2025. SO WE HAVE TWO MAJOR PROGRAMS COMING TO OUR CITY IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. LASTLY, LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCOURAGEMENT, I WOULDN'T SAY ENTIRELY ACCURATE REPORTS ABOUT DOWNTOWN AND THE SAFETY OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. AND SO WE AS AN ORGANIZATION KNEW WE HAD TO REBOOT THE NARRATIVE AND WE PUT EXTRA EMPHASIS INTO THAT. SO OUR CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING, WE PARTNERED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ZAHA, VICE MAYOR ALLEN, UH, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE CITY DOBA AND OUR OTHER PARTNERS. AND THIS YEAR WE BROUGHT 6,000 PEOPLE DOWNTOWN TO THIS, TO THIS EVENT. AND IT'S A 20% INCREASE. WE STARTED SEVEN YEARS AGO WITH 350 PEOPLE. IN ADDITION TO THIS, WE HAD, I'LL SHOW YOU THIS, $207,000 IN EARNED MEDIA THAT CAME DOWN TO COVER THE EVENING. WE HAD 200,000 VISITORS AS TRACKED BY THE DLBA IPHONE TRACKING PRO UH, PROGRAM. AND SO IT'S 200,000 PEOPLE THAT JUST CAME TO THE PLAZA. THAT'S NOT INCLUDING AS THEY SPREAD OUT TO GO AROUND THE CITY. AND SO EVERYTHING WE DID WORKED. IN ADDITION, WE BROUGHT OUR CLIENTS IN FOR A FAMILIARIZATION TRIP THAT NIGHT, AND WE BOOKED A CONVENTION FOR 2.1 MILLION. SO THAT INVESTMENT SIGNIFICANTLY PAID OFF IN TERMS OF VISUAL MEDIA CONVENTIONS AND FOOT TRAFFIC FOR WHAT IS CONSIDERABLY FOR DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH AND OUR SURROUNDING AREAS. A VERY QUIET TIME AT THIS POINT WITH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT SUCCESSES. IT WAS CLEAR THIS YEAR THAT WE NEEDED TO MODERNIZE THE STRUCTURE. AND SO WE LOOKED AT SEVERAL OTHER CITIES AND WHAT THEIR MODELS WERE. WE LOOKED TO SAN DIEGO, WHICH HAS AT THE TOP SCREEN, YOU'LL SEE THEIR PID OR BID COMPANY AND BELOW IS THEIR NONPROFIT COMPANY. SAME THING IN LOS ANGELES, SAME THING IN SAN FRANCISCO. AND SO THE ORGANIZATION AND SEVERAL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS FELT THAT WAS TIME TO MODEL THAT AND CREATE A NONPROFIT PRIVATE ORGANIZATION JUST LIKE THE OTHER MAJOR METRO CITIES. AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WILL PROTECT OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CUSTOMERS BECAUSE NO CUSTOMER REALLY WANTS TO NEGOTIATE PUBLICLY WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE TO IN OTHER CITIES AND THE OTHER CITIES. IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMIND, REMIND OURSELVES THAT SAN DIEGO, LA AND SAN FRANCISCO ALSO COMPETE WITH CHICAGO, DALLAS, ORLANDO, WASHINGTON, NEW YORK. AND SO IF WE'RE GONNA BE COMPETITIVE AS A STATE AND COMPETITIVE AS A CITY, WE NEED TO PROTECT THOSE NEGOTIATIONS WITH OUR CUSTOMERS. TO TAKE US INTO THIS FURTHER, UH, SAM MEAGHER, OUR VP OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING, IS GOING TO TAKE US FURTHER INTO THE MEET LONG BEACH AND THE VISIT LONG BEACH. OH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, STEVE. OKAY, SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME OF THE DETAILS OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, UM, AND THEN GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT AS TO THE STRUCTURE STEVE WAS TALKING ABOUT RELATED TO THE DIFFERENT CITIES. SO NUMBER 55, TONIGHT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A CONTRACT WITH MEET LONG BEACH, WHICH IS A NEWLY FORMED PRIVATE ENTITY MADE UP OF THE FORMER SALES TEAM OF, UH, THE LONG BEACH CPB. AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR A $4.3 MILLION, [00:30:01] OR, I'M SORRY, A $4.6 MILLION CONTRACT FROM THE CITY. THE FUNDING SOURCES FOR THAT CONTRACT, AS THEY HAVE BEEN, ARE THE SPECIAL ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION FUND AND $300,000 FROM THE TIDELANDS FUND. ADDITIONALLY, TO HELP FUND, UM, MARKETING SERVICES ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THEY CAN AFFORD. GIVEN THAT THE COST OF PERSONNEL FOR THE SALES TEAM IS ABOUT $4.2 MILLION VISIT LONG BEACH IS CONTRACTING WITH MEET LONG BEACH TO PROVIDE IN-MARKET MARKETING SERVICES, SUCH AS ATTENDANCE AT TRADE SHOWS, FAMILIARIZATION TOURS, SITE TOURS, UM, THAT SORT OF EXTRA STEP TO CONTINUE MARKETING THE CITY TO CLIENTS. SO THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR THAT ORGANIZATION IS ABOUT, UM, $7 MILLION. AND THEN FOR CONTEXT, ALTHOUGH THIS IS A SEPARATE ITEM THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THESE AS ONE ENTITY BEFORE, TO GIVE YOU AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE FUNDING STREAMS ARE, IS FOR VISIT LONG BEACH, WHICH IS, UH, THE LONG BEACH CVB AS WE'VE KNOWN IT PREVIOUS. UH, THE LONG BEACH TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA, UM, IS WHAT VISIT LONG BEACH RUNS AND THEY COLLECT AN ASSESSMENT. WE GET 3% OF THE TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX IN THE CITY. WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT TO BE ABOUT, UM, $6.7 MILLION NEXT YEAR. ADDITIONALLY, THE FUNDING SOURCES ARE $250,000 FOR MEMBERSHIP DUES. SO SMALL BUSINESSES, IF THEY WANT TO, CAN SIGN UP TO BE A MEMBER WITH THE CVB AND PROVIDE, WE'LL PROVIDE THEM WITH DIFFERENT MARKETING SERVICES, MEDIA RELATIONS, DEPENDING ON WHAT TIER THEY SIGN UP FOR. UM, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THE VAST MAJORITY, MAJORITY OF THE BUDGET IS TOT AND THE BUDGET FOR THAT ORGANIZATION IS $6.9 MILLION. SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND REPORTING. UM, WHILE THE MEET LONG BEACH IS GOING TO BE A PRIVATE ENTITY, MUCH LIKE THEY ARE IN, UH, SAN DIEGO, LA, AND SAN FRANCISCO, WHICH BY THE WAY, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN BACK UP ON THIS THING, BUT I MISSED A POINT, I THINK. WELL, LET ME JUST TELL YOU. SO FOR LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO AND SAN DIEGO, THOSE ENTITIES WE TALK ABOUT WHERE YOU HAVE THE, THE TBIT GIVING MONEY TO THE PRIVATE ENTITY, THEY ACTUALLY PASSED THROUGH ABOUT 90% OF THEIR FUNDING TO THAT PRIVATE ENTITY. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT THEY HAVE SALES AND MARKETING ALL IN THAT PRIVATE ENTITY. AND ALL OF THOSE SERVICES ARE PRIVATE. HERE WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT PROTECTING CLIENT, UM, CLIENT CONFIDENTIALITY. SO THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS IS ACTUALLY ONLY THREE 33% OF FUNDS. SO WE'RE ARGUING FOR MUCH MORE TRANSPARENCY THAN ANY OF THOSE OTHER CITIES HAVE. HOWEVER, THAT'S NOT TO DISPARAGE THOSE CITIES. THEY, UM, ARE COMMITTED TO ROBUST REPORTING AND WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR AND BEYOND THAT. SO MEET LONG BEACH IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING MONTHLY UPDATES TO THE CITY ABOUT THEIR ROOM NIGHTS, MEANING HOW MANY HOTEL ROOMS THEY'VE WON, HOW MANY CONVENTIONS THEY'VE WON. WE'LL HAVE QUARTERLY UPDATES TO THE CITY AS WELL ON OUR FINANCIALS, TRADE SHOWS THAT HAVE BEEN ATTENDED. CLIENT EVENTS AND LEADS, WHICH MEANS PROSPECTIVE BUSINESS. AND THERE WILL BE A DEDICATED WEBPAGE. IT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW. IT'S THE MEETINGS PAGE ON VISIT LONG BEACH.COM. BUT IT MEET, MEET LB.COM WILL ALSO GO THERE. YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE OUR BOARD MEMBERS, OUR LEADERSHIP CONTACTS, ANNUAL REPORTS IN THE BUDGET, AND ANY OF THOSE REPORTS CAN BE REQUESTED AND UPLOADED THERE AS WELL. AND THEN FOR VISIT LONG BEACH, IT'S A LITTLE LESS COMPLICATED 'CAUSE MOSTLY THAT'S MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS, BUT WE'RE COMMITTING ANYWAY TO QUARTERLY UPDATES ON SOCIAL MEDIA TRACKING, WEBSITE ANALYTICS, MEDIA TRACKING, MUCH OF WHICH WE SHARE OUT TO OUR QUARTERLY BOARD MEETINGS, UH, AT ANY CASE. AND A DEDICATED WEBPAGES AS WELL FOR, FOR SIMILAR INFORMATION. I'D ALSO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP. SO YOU'LL NOTICE SOME SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TWO AND I'LL EXPLAIN THAT AS WELL. MEET LONG BEACH'S. CEO IS STEVE GOODLING CONTROLLER. CINDY ROBBINS, CLIENT RELATIONS COURTNEY RUSSELL AND OUR NATIONAL SALES EXECUTIVES. JOSEPH, JOSEPH, JEN GENY, SORRY, JOSEPH, WHO'S BEHIND ME. AND OUR TOURO CRUZ TUCKER. AND THEN YOU'LL SEE IN VISIT LONG BEACH, WE'VE ACTUALLY CONTRACTED FOR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP WITH STEVE, OUR CONTROLLER, AND WITH COURTNEY BECAUSE THEY WERE OVERSEEING THOSE OPERATIONS IN THAT ENTITY PREVIOUSLY. AND THAT IS ALSO HOW SAN FRANCISCO AND FOR INSTANCE, LA AND SOME OTHER ONES ARE RUN AS WELL, JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE THE SUBJECT MATTER EX EXPERTS IN THAT AREA. AND, UH, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE AN ONEROUS USE OF TIME AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO GO OUT AND, UH, DO A SEARCH COMMITTEE FOR OTHERS. AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE'S MYSELF WHO'S RUNNING, I'M THE PRIMARY SERVICES OF THAT ORGANIZATION, COMMUNICATIONS MARKETING AND CONTENT CREATION, ORGANIZATIONAL DEPLOYMENT. I, I'LL KIND OF BREEZE THROUGH THIS QUICKLY BECAUSE THE MAIN THING I WANTED YOU TO UNDERSTAND THERE WAS, WAS THE FREE CONTRACTED POSITIONS AND HOW THEY RELATE TO EACH OTHER. BUT YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE 25 POSITIONS IN MEET LONG BEACH, WHICH ARE PRIMARILY SALES ORIENTED, AND THERE'S ALSO SOME SUPPORT STAFF. AND THEN IN VISIT LONG BEACH, YOU'LL PRIMARILY SEE IT'S CONTENT CREATION AND MARKETING EXECUTIVES AS WELL AS OUR CLIENT SERVICES TEAM WHO, UM, TAKE THOSE, THOSE BOOK CLIENTS WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE, UM, BOOKED AND READY TO COME TO LONG BEACH AND CONTINUE MARKETING THE CITY TOWARD TO THEM. THEY TAKE THEM ON GONDOLA RIDES, SHOW THEM AROUND [00:35:01] THE CITY, UM, THOSE SORTS OF SERVICES. SO NOW I'M GOING TO KICK IT OVER TO JOSEPH GENY, WHO'S GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE DEPLOYMENT OF MEET LONG BEACH AND ALSO, UM, WHAT THE PRECISE DELIVERABLES ARE OF THAT ENTITY. DO YOU ? YEAH, . GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. I'M JOSEPH GENY AND ALONG WITH ARTURO CRUZ TUCKER, WE OVERSEE 13 SENIOR LEVEL PROFESSIONALS IN THE SALES DEPARTMENT. THESE, UH, PROFESSIONALS ARE LOCATED IN THE MARKETS WHERE OUR CLIENTS ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN NEW YORK, DC CHICAGO, UH, THE BAY AREA. AND WHAT THIS DOES, IT ALLOWS OUR SALES, UH, DIRECTORS TO ENGAGE WITH CLIENTS, BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, ATTEND UH, UH, INDUSTRY EVENTS, AND MAKE SALES CALLS TO OUR CLIENTS IN THOSE MARKETS. MEET LONG BEACH. UH, THIS YEAR WE, WE ARE PLANNING ON HOSTING A HUNDRED MEETING PLANNERS AND THEIR GUESTS TO ATTEND GRAND PRIX AND BE EXPOSED TO LONG BEACH AS A MEETING AND CONVENTION DESTINATION. WE'RE GONNA BUILD ON OUR SUCCESS FROM LAST YEAR WHERE WE BOOKED 18 CONVENTIONS WORTH 44 TOTAL HOTEL GUEST ROOM NIGHTS, MEET LONG BEACH IS ALSO SCHEDULED TO DO FAM EVENTS THIS YEAR. FAM STANDS FOR A FAMILIAR FAMILIARIZATION TOUR. UH, WE HAVE EIGHT PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR. WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THE PAST. WE DID, UH, EIGHT, UH, SIX LAST YEAR, AND WE BOOKED 22 CONVENTIONS WORTH 24,000 GUEST ROOM NIGHTS. FROM THOSE EVENTS LIKE RINGO STAR AND BOB DYLAN. WE ALSO DO SALON EVENTS. SO MEET LONG BEACH, WE'LL DO 33 THIS YEAR. AGAIN, BUILDING ON OUR SUCCESS FROM LAST YEAR WHERE WE DID, UH, WE DID 18 OF THEM, WHICH WE CONTRACTED 50,000 HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS. FROM THOSE EVENTS. TRADE SHOWS, WE WILL ATTEND 33 THIS COMING YEAR. UH, AS MEET LONG BEACH, WE'VE SELECTED THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AND LARGEST INDUSTRY SHOWS TO ATTEND THIS YEAR. LAST YEAR WE DID 15, BUT OUT OF THOSE 15, WE BOOKED, UH, 65,000 HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS FROM THESE EVENTS. AND I'LL HAND IT BACK OVER TO ME, SAM. SURE, SAM, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO AGAIN, THIS NUMBER, THIS ITEM IS ABOUT MEET LONG BEACH, BUT FOR CONTEXT TO EXPLAIN WHAT VISIT LONG BEACH IS GONNA DO, AND ALSO BECAUSE IN A SEPARATE ITEM WE DO HAVE, UM, VISIT LONG BEACH, UH, THE ANNUAL ASSESSMENT FOR, FOR THE LONG BEACH TOURISM IMPROVEMENT AREA, GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. AND AGAIN, AS A RECAP, THOSE DELIVERABLES THAT JOSEPH JUST TALKED ABOUT, VISIT LONG BEACH IS CONTRACTING $1.7 MILLION FOR THE, FOR THOSE LAST FEW SERVICES THAT HE MENTIONED, THOSE MARKETING SERVICES LIKE FAM TRIPS AND, UM, TRADE SHOW ATTENDANCE. SO I GET TO DO A LOT OF THE PUBLIC FACING STUFF FOR VISIT LONG BEACH, WHICH IS, UM, KIND OF MY PASSION AND I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT. WE RUN OUR DESTINATION WEBSITE FOR THE CITY, VISIT LONG BEACH.COM AND, UH, WE'VE HAD A BETTER YEAR, UH, THE BEST YEAR EVER IN TERMS OF WEB TRAFFIC. IT'S CONSISTENTLY GROWN SINCE 2021 POST PANDEMIC. WE'VE HAD THE MOST AMOUNT OF VISITORS EVER AT 700,000 PLUS. AND WE ARE, UM, NOW AT 1.5 MILLION, UM, PAGE VIEWS AND ABOVE, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST WE'VE EVER ACHIEVED. SO HOW DO WE DO THAT? HOW DO WE GET THOSE NUMBERS? UM, OUR CONTENT CREATION TEAM THAT'S IN-HOUSE, A LOT OF THEM, UM, LOCAL CREATORS AND FORMER JOURNALISTS ARE WRITING CONTENT FOR THE WEBSITE AND PRODUCING ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHY EVERY WEEK. AND THAT HELPS US WITH OUR SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION RESULTS. SO NO MATTER IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BOOK A HOTEL IN LONG BEACH OR DINE HERE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE OUR WEBSITE FIRST. SO THOSE ARE CURATED RECOMMENDATIONS. AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THIS ISN'T JUST FOLKS IN DOWNTOWN. THESE ARE BUSINESSES ACROSS THE CITY AND WE'VE COMMITTED TO, UM, HIGHLIGHTING DIVERSE BUSINESSES AND BUSINESSES IN EACH DISTRICT. AND WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED JUST, UM, JUST OVER 400 IN THE PAST YEAR ALONE. CONTENT MARKETING. A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO IS SOCIAL MEDIA. IF YOU FOLLOW AT VISIT LB, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES, WE'RE POSTING AT LEAST TWICE A DAY. WE'VE REALLY RAMPED UP WITH OUR VIDEO PRODUCTION AND WE'VE SEEN GREAT SUCCESS IN INSTAGRAM REELS. WE'VE HAD MORE THAN A HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE IN IMPRESSIONS, MORE THAN 150% INCREASE IN ENGAGEMENTS, AND A 23% INCREASE IN FOLLOWERS JUST OVER THE PAST YEAR. UM, I'D LIKE TO, HOPEFULLY THIS WILL PLAY. I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU AN EXAMPLE OF, UM, A VIDEO THAT WE PRODUCED FOR OUR SITE, UM, PROMOTING A WEST LONG BEACH FILIPINO BAKE SHOP. AND IT'S ACTUALLY OUR BEST PERFORMING VIDEO EVER WITH ALMOST A MILLION VIEWS. BRIAN ADDISON HERE. AND WE ARE IN WEST LONG BEACH AT GMAT BAKE SHOP, WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN SERVING FILIPINO TREATS FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS. MY MOM STARTED THIS [00:40:01] BUSINESS BACK IN 1979. WE OFFER HUNDREDS OF TRADITIONAL FILIPINO DISHES THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO FIND ELSEWHERE. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, I KNEW THAT THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO DO. LUMPIA SHANGHAI, ONE OF OUR MOST POPULAR ITEMS AT ITS CORE. IT IS AN EGG ROLL. THERE'S A LOT OF CHINESE INFLUENCE ON FILIPINO COOKING, SO EXCITED TO TRY THIS. THESE ARE FRESH OUT OF THE FRYER, THEY'RE HOT AS HELL, LIGHT FRIED, PORKY, SAVORY. IT'S PERFECTION, ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. SO HOPEFULLY YOU COULD SEE WHY THAT PERFORMS SO WELL. I THINK PEOPLE REALLY LIKE SEEING, UM, MOM AND POP, MOM AND POP SHOPS. SO WE DO ALSO INVEST IN INFLUENCER RELATIONS. A SIZABLE PORTION OF OUR BUDGET DOES GO TO, UM, INVITING INFLUENCERS WHO HAVE DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC AUDIENCES WE'RE TRYING TO REACH, WHETHER, UM, IT'S FAMILY TRAVEL OR L-G-B-T-Q TRAVEL, THE FOODIE SCENE WE'VE HAD OUT ABOUT 14 THE PAST YEAR. WE'RE COMMITTING TO INVITING AS MANY AS 16, AND WE'VE MORE THAN DOUBLED OUR INFLUENCER REACH FROM YEAR TO YEAR REACHING MORE THAN 8.8 0.8 MILLION PEOPLE IN PLAYS, UM, OVER THE PAST YEAR, WHICH IS IMPRESSIVE. I THINK THIS IS JUST A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE INFLUENCERS WE'VE CONTRACTED WITH AND HAVE GOTTEN THOSE GREAT RESULTS FOR US. WE TRY TO, UM, CONTRACT WITH DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND DIFFERENT, UM, DIFFERENT AUDIENCES AS WELL. I DID ALSO WANNA BRIEFLY HIGHLIGHT OUR SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH LONG BEACH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WHERE ALL THESE GREAT SERVICES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, SMALL BUSINESSES IN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT CORRIDORS, WE'VE COMMITTED TO, UM, A VERY LOW LEVEL MEMBERSHIP LEVEL IF THEY WOULD LIKE OF A HUNDRED DOLLARS WHERE THEY GET, UM, AN INDIVIDUAL VIDEO LIKE THAT ON OUR CHANNELS, WHICH THEY CAN USE AS A COMMERCIAL FOR THEMSELVES AS WELL. AND ADDITIONAL HELP WITH, UH, MEDIA TRAINING, MEDIA RELATIONS, UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE, UM, PARTNERED WITH THOSE BUSINESS DISTRICTS TO DO INDIVIDUAL PROFESSIONAL PRODUCED COMMERCIALS FOR THEM AS WELL. SO OUR LAST ONE COMING UP IS UPTOWN. THEY JUST HIRED A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. SO YOU'LL SEE THAT COMING OUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS. UH, MEDIA RELATIONS IS ANOTHER BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO. SO WE ARE OUT THERE IN FRONT OF THE MEDIA ON A MONTHLY BASIS, BUT WE DO ATTEND KEY EVENTS LIKE THE NATIONAL, UM, IMM CONFERENCE FOR TRAVEL MEDIA IN NEW YORK CITY EVERY YEAR. THAT'S WHERE WE MEET PEOPLE FROM CONDE NAST, TRAVELER THRILLIST, THAT SORT OF THING. AND THEN WE'VE GOT GREAT REACH ON BROADCAST MEDIA LOCALLY HERE AS WELL. AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GROW THAT TWICE, UH, MORE THAN TWO TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR AS WELL. SO LAST YEAR ON BROADCAST MEDIA ALONE, WE REACHED 2 MILLION PEOPLE. THIS YEAR WE'VE REACHED CLOSER TO FIVE. IF WE HAD PAID FOR THAT COVERAGE LAST YEAR, IT WOULD'VE BEEN ABOUT 650,000. THIS YEAR IT WOULD'VE BEEN ABOUT $2 MILLION. SO THAT'S JUST FOR CONTEXT FOR THE SORT OF MEDIA WE'RE EARNING FOR THE CITY, WHETHER IT'S THE CAMBODIA TOWN PARADE OR DE J LOS MUTOS OR, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST GENERAL STORIES ON THINGS TO DO IN THE CITY. WE ARE CONTINUING WITH OUR ADVERTISING PROGRAM WITH VISIT CALIFORNIA JUST BRIEFLY. UM, THEY, WE, WE GIVE THEM A CHUNK OF CHANGE. WE GIVE THEM ABOUT $300,000. THEY GIVE US 25% BACK AND THAT BUYS US OVER A HUNDRED MILLION IMPRESSIONS ACROSS THE WEB KAYAK, TRIPADVISOR, UM, ANY WEBSITE WHERE YOU MIGHT BE BOOKING TRAVEL, THERE'S SOME EXAMPLES OF THEM. WE ADDITIONALLY INVEST, UM, IN ADVERTISEMENTS AND OTHER KEY PUBLICATIONS AND OUTLETS. OF COURSE, GROUP MARKETING IS KEY FOR US. AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THOSE, UM, KEY KEY OUTLETS AS WELL, WHETHER IT'S CONVENE OR PCMA OR HERE COMES THE GUIDE FOR BRIDAL MARKETING. AND ANOTHER COMPONENT OF OUR BUDGET, WHICH I KNOW SOME FOLKS SOMETIMES HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ARE OUR SPECIAL PROJECTS, WHETHER IT'S LONG BEACH PRIDE KICKOFF OR THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING. THOSE ARE MARKETED MARKETING EVENTS IN THE VISIT LONG BEACH BUDGET. AND WE DO USE THEM TO HELP ATTRACT, UM, CLIENTS TO THE CITY AND ALSO TO ATTRACT VISITORS. SO THAT WRAPS UP OUR PRESENTATION AND THEN I'LL, UH, KICK TO YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANKS. AND JUST LASTLY, WE'D LIKE TO THANK CITY TEAM. WE'D LIKE TO THANK THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT THIS PAST YEAR, BUT COULD WE ALSO GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO ALL OF OUR TOURISM FOLKS, IF THEY COULD STAND STAND UP GUYS. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO MAKE THE MAGIC HAPPEN IN LONG BEACH AND ACHIEVE THE BEST RESULTS EVER FOR LONG BEACH THIS YEAR IN 2023. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NOW WE'LL HAVE THE STAFF PRESENTATION. YES. UH, IF WE CAN PULL THAT UP IN THE BACK PLEASE, THE PRESENTATION. SO, UM, WE DO WANNA PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION. WE'VE GOTTEN A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS, UH, BECAUSE THIS, UH, IS, IS A NEW YEAR FOR, UH, THE CBB AND, AND MEET LONG BEACH, THEY ARE CREATING A, UH, AN UPDATED ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE. IT'S BEEN ABOUT 20 YEARS OF THE OLD ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE. SO THERE IS A PROPOSAL IN FRONT OF YOU AND I'D LIKE TO RUN THROUGH SOME OF THOSE DETAILS. SO THE RECOMMENDATION WE HAVE TONIGHT, UH, IS CITY STAFF RECOMMENDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS ORGANIZATION OF MEET LONG BEACH. AND WE'LL GO THROUGH [00:45:01] KIND OF HOW WE GOT THERE AND WHAT THOSE UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE. I WANNA GIVE A LITTLE OVERVIEW OF WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM, TALK ABOUT OUR HISTORY WITH THE ORGANIZATION. WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BROWN ACT AND PUBLIC RECORDS, UH, AND, UH, UM, RECAP THE STRUCTURE THAT YOU HEARD AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE ENHANCED TRANSPARENCY, UH, ENHANCED TRANSPARENCY PROVISION, EXCUSE ME, AND CONTRACT TERMS. AND SO WHERE DO THE DOLLARS COME FOR THIS CONTRACT? IT'S, UH, GENERATED BY HOTEL BED TAXES. SO WE TAKE SOME OF THE HOTEL TAXES THAT COME IN AS A RESULT OF THE HOTELS BEING FULL, UH, AND PUT THAT MONEY, UH, BACK INTO, UH, THE, UM, UH, THE SALES AND THE CONVENTION, UH, BUSINESS, UH, TO HELP GENERATE THOSE DOLLARS FOR THE CITY AS WELL AS GENERATE DOLLARS FOR THE GENERAL FUND AND FOR, UM, UH, OUR ARTS GROUPS. UH, AND SO THAT IS $4.6 MILLION IN FUNDING. UH, 4.3 COMES FROM OUR SPECIAL ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS FUND AND 300,000 FROM TIDELANDS. SO OUR CONTRACT WITH THE, UH, CVB, THE CURRENT CONTRACT GOES BACK TO 2002, UH, AND HAS RUN THROUGH 2023 OVER THAT TIME. UH, WE'VE HAD SEPARATE CONTRACTS WITH THE CVB, BOTH FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF OUR, UM, OUR BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA, UH, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT, AS WELL AS FOR CONVENTION AND PROMOTION SERVICES, WHICH IS FUNDED BY SPECIAL ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS. SO THE HOTELS TAX THEMSELVES AN EXTRA AMOUNT, AN EXTRA 3%. UH, THEY HAVE VOLUNTARILY DONE THAT. THEY VOTE ON THAT EVERY YEAR IN ORDER TO, UH, CREATE ADDITIONAL FUNDS. JUST A MOMENT, TOM, WE HAVE ADDITIONAL SEATS HERE. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO KEEP THAT AREA IN THE BACK OPEN, UH, FOR, UH, ACCESSIBILITY. UH, SO WE DO HAVE ADDITIONAL SEATS. I SEE A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL SEATS IF FOLKS IN THAT SPECIFIC SPACE COULD GRAB A SEAT, UH, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE AISLE IS CLEAR FOR ACCESSIBILITY PURPOSES. WE'RE HAVING SOME ACCESSIBILITY CHALLENGES HERE. YEAH, JUST GRAB A SEAT. WE CAN FIT IN MORE PEOPLE, BUT WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO KEEP THAT AREA CLEAR THERE BY THE DOOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO I SEE, I SEE A NUMBER OF SEATS HERE. THERE ARE SEATS DOWN HERE. GREAT, THANK YOU. I STILL SEE AVAILABLE SEATS, FOLKS. RECORD PRESENTATION IN THE BACK AND GET OUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT LOOKS A LOT, WHOLE LOT BETTER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, TOM, LET'S PROCEED. THANK YOU. AND SO THE HOTELS, UH, TAX THEMSELVES AN EXTRA 3%, UH, THAT THEY HAVE, UM, COME TOGETHER. AND SO THAT MONEY GOES THEN BACK TO FUND THOSE OPERATIONS, AND THAT'S THE L-B-T-B-I-A ASSESSMENT FUNDS. AND THE BOARD, THE CBB BOARD OF DIRECTORS SERVES AS THE ADVISORY BOARD TO THE COUNCIL, UH, RELATED TO THOSE FUNDS. AND SO THE CBB ITSELF DATES BACK TO 1982. UM, AND, UH, DURING, UH, THE RESEARCH THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS DONE THAT, UH, DETERMINED THAT THE CITY HAD A BIG HAND IN CREATING THAT ORGANIZATION TO BEGIN WITH. BACK IN 1982. IT WAS TALKED ABOUT IN A COMMITTEE. IT WAS VOTED ON BY THE COUNCIL AND THEN IT WAS INCORPORATED. AND SO THAT DOES TRIGGER, UM, CERTAIN BROWN ACT AND PUBLIC MEETING RERE, UH, RECORDS REQUEST ACT, UM, UH, FOR THAT ORGANIZATION. AND SO, UH, THIS YEAR THE CVB HAS, HAS LET US KNOW, AND YOU HEARD IT TODAY, THAT, UM, UH, FOR CERTAIN PORTIONS OF THE BUSINESS THAT THEY DO COMPLIANCE WITH THE BROWN ACT AND, AND PRA LAWS, UH, COMPROMISE THEIR ABILITY TO CONDUCT THOSE CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESSES, UM, AND CONFIDENTIAL, UM, UH, TRANSACTIONS THAT THEY DO. AND SO, UM, THE INDEPENDENT FROM THE CITY, THEY HAVE FORMED, UH, THE NEW ORGANIZATION MEET LONG BEACH, UH, TO AND ARE INTENDING TO USE THAT ORGANIZATION TO PROVIDE THE TOURISM AND CONVENTION SERVICES WHILE, UH, VISIT LONG BEACH WILL PROVIDE THE REST OF THE SERVICES. SO THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. VISIT LONG BEACH AND MEET LONG BEACH, UH, VISIT LONG BEACH AS ACBB WILL CONTINUE TO MANAGE THOSE ASSESSMENT FUNDS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. THAT WILL BE AN OPEN, UH, BODY, THAT IS A BROWN ACT BODY, UM, AND WILL COMPLY WITH ALL PRA AND OPEN MEETING LAWS. AND, UH, THAT BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE AS THE ADVISORY BOARD OF THE COUNCIL FOR THOSE FUNDS. THEN THERE'S THE INDEPENDENT, PRIVATE, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION MEET LONG BEACH. THEY PROVIDE THOSE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT, UM, SERVICES TO THE CITY AND WILL CONTRACT WITH VISIT LONG BEACH FOR A CERTAIN PORTION OF THE STAFF FUNCTIONS. AND THAT WOULD NOT BE A BROWN ACT OR PRA BODY. AND SO THIS IS SIMILAR AS YOU HEARD IN THE PRESENTATION, TO HOW OTHER CITIES, UH, ARE SET UP. UH, THE LOS ANGELES TRAVEL AND CONVENTION BUREAU, SAN DIEGO TOURISM AUTHORITY AND SAN FRANCISCO TRAVEL. UH, THEY ARE INDEPENDENT OF THE CITY AND SER UM, THAT THEY SERVE. AND THEY ARE NOT SUBJECT TO BROWN ACTOR PRA. AND SO THIS, UH, MODEL ALLOWS LONG BEACH, UH, MEET LONG BEACH TO CONDUCT THOSE CONFIDENTIAL NEGOTIATIONS AND, AND DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER MARKETING WORK. SO ONE THING THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO US AS CITY STAFF AND RECOMMENDING THIS TO YOU WAS HAVING ENHANCED TRANSPARENCY PROVIDING MORE THAN WHAT THEY CURRENTLY PROVIDE. THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A REPORTING CONTRACT, BUT IT WAS, UM, CREATED 20 YEARS AGO. AND SO IT WAS TIME TO UPDATE THAT WITH ADDITIONAL TRANSPARENCY PROVISIONS. UH, AND SO, UH, WHAT YOU'LL SEE AT THE TOP, THAT'S WHAT'S EXISTING REPORTING [00:50:01] AND THAT WILL REMAIN, UH, THEY GIVE US QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORTS, QUARTERLY ROOM NIGHT REPORTS, UH, BROKEN OUT BY MONTH AND QUARTERLY CONVENTION SALE REPORTS. UH, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS THAT THERE'D BE NEW REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. UH, THEY WOULD START REPORTING ON QUARTERLY TRADE SHOW ATTENDANCE REPORTS, QUARTERLY CLIENT EVENT REPORTS, QUARTERLY CLIENT FAMILIARIZATION TOUR REPORTS AND, AND QUARTERLY LEAD GENERATION REPORTS. AND RIGHT NOW, THESE COME IN THE FORM OF, UM, A DOCUMENT TRANSMITTED TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. AND IT'S ALWAYS ON FILE AND AVAILABLE, BUT NOT VERY MANY PEOPLE ASKED FOR THEM. UH, WE DID GET SOME PAS THIS YEAR AND, AND WE PROVIDED THOSE THROUGH THOSE DOCUMENTS, BUT WE WANT THINK THIS SHOULD BE MADE MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYBODY. AND SO WE WOULD REQUIRE IN THE CONTRACT THAT THEY'D BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, UH, THAT WE HAVE DETAILED SOCIAL MEDIA TRACKING, UH, A WEBSITE ANALYTICS AND MEDIA TRACKING DATA, UM, SHOWING THEIR SUCCESSES LIKE YOU SAW TONIGHT AND MAKING THAT AVAILABLE. AND ALSO THAT IT BE PROMINENTLY, UH, FEATURED WHO THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ARE AND WHAT THE BOARD COMPOSITION OF THE ORGANIZATIONS ARE. AND SO, UH, THE CONTRACT TERM ORIGINALLY WAS ORIGINALLY FIVE YEARS BACK IN 2020 OR 20 OR 2002, SORRY. UM, BUT SINCE THEN WE'VE BEEN DOING ONE YEAR EXTENSIONS. AND SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE DO INSTEAD OF A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT, A TWO YEAR CONTRACT WITH THREE ONE YEAR EXTENSIONS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CITY MANAGER. AND THAT PROVIDES US THE FLEXIBILITY. IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT COMES UP THAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO ADD OR AMEND, WE CAN EITHER CONTINUE WITH THE AGREEMENT OR WE CAN TAKE THOSE TIMES BEFORE THOSE EXTENSIONS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, UM, UH, TO MAKE ANY MODIFICATIONS. AND THIS ALIGNS WITH OUR, UH, PROCUREMENT BEST PRACTICES. WE GET ASKED SOMETIMES, WHY WASN'T THIS PUT OUT TO RFP? WHY IS THIS A COMPETITIVE BID PROCESS? UH, THERE IS A PROVISION IN THE CITY CHARTER THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING, UM, FOR A COM, UM, FOR A, UM, SPECIFIC, UM, UH, CONTRACT WITH THIS ORGANIZATION. AFTER LOOKING AT THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE THE, UM, THE HISTORY, THE TRACK RECORD, THE PARTNERS THAT PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, UH, STAFF DO BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE UNIQUELY QUALIFIED, UM, BECAUSE OF THE GOVERNING BOARD BEING COMPRISED OF LOCAL TOURISM, BUSINESS, UM, OWNERS AND OPERATORS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS, THAT THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES AT THIS TIME, UH, AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES. SO THAT, UH, CONCLUDES MY STAFF REPORT AND AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. SO BEFORE WE TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL, ALL RIGHT, LET'S HEAR IT FOR TOM AND STAFF REPORT. OKAY. UM, UH, BEFORE WE TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT HERE. UH, AS I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME FORWARD ON THIS ITEM. ON THIS ITEM. UH, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT IS NEXT. SO I'LL READ THE NAMES. DEBORAH FON, LARRY JACKSON, UH, JAN HOWARD, NIKKI, CLAIRE, UH, TOMMY FAVE, DAN HOFFEN, DELMA LINSKY, SHERIDAN DE ANDREWS, JULES AND IMRON AHMED. SO LET'S START WITH DEBORAH. NO, DEBORAH. OKAY. CALLING DEBORAH. NO, DEBORAH. LARRY, YOU'RE UP. THIS IS A LITTLE UNUSUAL. UH, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. I'M HERE, UH, TO READ A STATEMENT BY FORMER MAYOR, UH, BOB FOSTER, WHO IS UNABLE TO BE HERE TONIGHT. AND, UH, I AM THE FORMER CEO FOR 33 YEARS AND PRESIDENT OF LONG BEACH TRANSIT AND NEARLY A 40 YEAR MEMBER OF THE CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU. AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF, UH, BOB FOSTER, BUT I CONCUR WITH THIS STATEMENT. THANK YOU FOR THE COURTESY OF ALLOWING THIS STATEMENT TO BE READ. SINCE I CAN'T ATTEND THE COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE I'VE LEFT OFFICE THAT I'M COMMENTING ON AN ITEM BEFORE THE COUNCIL. I BELIEVE THIS ITEM IS OF SUBSTANTIAL IMPORTANCE FOR THE FUTURE OF TOURISM IN OUR CITY. WE ARE IN A COMPETITIVE TOURISM ENVIRONMENT, AND WE NEED A VEHICLE THAT WILL ALLOW THE CITY TO NEGOTIATE WITH COMMERCIAL ENTITIES IN CONFIDENCE. WITHOUT DISCLOSING OUR BUSINESS STRATEGY TO OUR COUNTERPARTY TERMS AND COMMERCIAL INFORMATION, MEET LONG BEACH WILL PROVIDE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT FORMED BY THE CITY AND NOT FOUNDED WITH CITY FUNDS, IT WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO THE BROWN ACT, WHICH WOULD OPEN CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION TO PRO POTENTIAL COMPETITORS, EITHER OTHER CITIES OR COMMERCIAL COMPETITORS. THE LONG BEACH CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU WILL STILL BE SUBJECT TO THE BROWN ACT, PROVIDING TRANSPARENCY AS WELL AS THE CONTRACT TERMS BETWEEN THE CITY AND MEET LONG BEACH. IT WILL CREATE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR MARKETING ACTIVITIES AND STRENGTHEN OUR MARKETING PROGRAM. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS POSED BY SO IS THE APPROPRIATENESS OF HAVING THE SAME INDIVIDUAL OCCUPY THE PRESIDENT'S ROLE IN BOTH ORGANIZATIONS. SIR, YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED. [00:55:02] THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. UH, NEXT SPEAKER IS JAN HOWER. AND JUST SO WE KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE 10 OR MORE SPEAKERS, THE AUTOMATIC RULES THAT AUTOMATICALLY GOES TO 90 SECONDS. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS JAN HOWER. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF LONG BEACH CAMARADERIE SINGERS. AND, UM, THANK YOU STEVE FOR A FANTASTIC PRESENTATION. UH, IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND, UM, UH, I'M HERE TO SAY THAT I VERY MUCH SUPPORT, UH, THE NEW ORGANIZATION OF THE, UM, WITH MEET LONG BEACH BECAUSE ALL BUSINESSES NEED TO BE ABLE TO, UH, NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE CONFIDENTIALITY IN THEIR NEGOTIATIONS. AND, UH, I THINK THAT WILL HELP US INCREASE OUR TOURISM. WE NOW KNOW THAT TOURISM IS THE NEW STANDARD, UH, OF MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS IN LONG BEACH GOING FORWARD. AND THERE'S SO MUCH AT STAKE NOW HERE IN LONG BEACH. WE HAVE SO MANY NEEDS THAT WE NEED TO MEET. AND, UH, THE REVENUES FROM, UH, THE TOT, FROM THE SALES TAX AND, UH, EVERYTHING THAT THE, THAT THE CBB IS DOING ARE MUCH NEEDED. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, STEVE. THANK YOU COUNSEL, AND, UH, I VERY MUCH SUPPORT THIS. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NIKKI CLAIRE. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR RICHARDSON AND, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THIS, UH, ITEM IS, UH, VERY PERSONAL TO ME. WE'VE BEEN, UM, BUSINESS, UH, MEMBERS IN LONG BEACH FOR THE PAST 24 YEARS. 24 HERE IN DOWNTOWN 17 IN THE BELMONT SHORE AREA. CVB IS VITAL TO OUR BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. THEY BRING IN MONEY FOR FOOD, RETAIL, ENTERTAINMENT, NOT JUST HERE, BUT ALL OVER THE TOWN, ALL OVER THE CITY. AND IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO KEEP BEING, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, UH, COMPETE WITH OTHER CITIES, WE NEED TO KEEP WHAT WE, UH, APPROACH BUSINESSES WITH PRIVATE. SO WHEN PEOPLE COME IN AND THEY WANNA DO CONVENTIONS HERE, IF WE DON'T SEPARATE OURSELVES AND GIVE OURSELVES A COMPETITIVE EDGE, OTHER PLACES LIKE LA SAN DIEGO CAN COME IN, GET THE INFORMATION, AND UNDERBID US AND TAKE THOSE CONVENTIONS AWAY FROM US. I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. UM, AS A BUSINESS OWNER THROUGH COVID, WITHOUT HAVING CONVENTIONS, WE LOST A TON OF MONEY, MOST OF IT FROM CONVENTIONS. SO, UH, I VERY MUCH SUPPORT THIS. UM, THE CVB HAS BEEN AMAZING TO US FOR THE PAST 24 YEARS AND WILL CONTINUE TO. AND SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME TODAY. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, LET'S SEE, TOMMY FAVE. GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND, UH, VICE MAYOR AND, UH, FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS TOMMY FAVE, UH, AND I'M HERE IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE RECOMMENDATION TONIGHT. 'CAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, TRULY, YOU KNOW, IT CREATES A LOT OF CONVENTION CALLS, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR MEMBERS. AND THEN HAVING CONVENTION CALLS THROUGH, UH, LONG BEACH, CVB, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST BRINGS MORE JOBS. UH, AND, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UH, UH, JOB, UH, YOU KNOW, GENERATOR FOR US WHEN IT COMES TO THESE, YOU KNOW, BIG, UH, CONVENTION CALLS, UM, BRINGING IN TOURISM, UH, THAT'S A BIG DEAL FOR LONG BEACH. UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL ABOUT BRINGING TOURISM, HOSPITALITY, AND ENTERTAINMENT, UH, TO LONG BEACH, UM, AND WE FULLY SUPPORT THIS RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M GONNA MAKE A QUICK CHANGE. UH, I SEE JULIE DEAN'S NAME'S BEEN ADDED. PLEASE COME FORWARD. UH, CAN WE BRING THE MIC DOWN? IT'S OKAY. THANKS, JULIE. OKAY. SORRY. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR. UM, I'M JULIE DEAN AND I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE TIMING AND TRANSPARENCY OF THE NEW LONG PROFIT. THE NEW NONPROFIT MEET LONG BEACH, THE QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIOR OF THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU. CEO, STEVE GOODLING HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE PUBLIC'S ATTENTION BECAUSE OF THE ABILITY TO UTILIZE THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT WITH THE LAWSUIT AND ACCUSATIONS AGAINST, AGAINST HIM. IT'S CONCERNING TRANSPARENCY, EQUITY, ETHICS AND OVERSIGHT OF OUR GOVERNMENT AND CITY RELATED PUBLIC FUNDS ARE VITAL TO OUR RESIDENTS. I WAS RECENTLY APPOINTED TO THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES AND JUST COMPLETED MY ETHICS TRAINING FOR THAT ROLE. THESE CHANGES MAKE ME UNCOMFORTABLE WITH WHAT I STUDIED DURING THE ETHICS TRAINING. AS I LEARNED, APPEARANCES ARE IMPORTANT, AND APPEARANCES DON'T LOOK GOOD RIGHT NOW. I HOPE AS WE MOVE FORWARD THAT WE STRONGLY CONSIDER TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, NEXT IS NEXT. WE HAVE DELMA. IS DELMA. OKAY. DE ANDREWS. OH, DELMA. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO THE REST OF THE NAMES I HAVE IS DELMA [01:00:01] D JULES IMRON, UH, THAT, THOSE ARE THE FINAL SPEAKERS WE HAVE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, FIRST OF ALL, MY, I AM DELMA LINSKY SHERIDAN. I'M WITH KABI, THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION, AND IT'S ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS. AND, UH, BEFORE I KIND OF GET INTO WHY I SUPPORT THE PRIVATE LIMITATION, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, HOW I BEGAN WORKING WITH THEM. UH, WITHIN THIS TIME SLOT. BACK IN 1998, I STARTED WORKING FOR AN ORGANIZATION WHICH ASKED ME, WHERE SHOULD YOU, WHERE SHOULD I HAVE, UM, WE SHOULD HAVE OUR EVENT. AND I IMMEDIATELY SAID, LONG BEACH. AND THEN THAT CARRIED ON WHEN I WENT TO MY NEXT POSITION. AND WHEN THEY ASKED ME, I SAID, THE SAME THING, LONG BEACH. WHY LONG BEACH? THEY SAID, SO I SAID, YOU KNOW, LONG BEACH IS A GREAT, UM, CITY. IT'S NOT TOO BIG, IT'S NOT TOO SMALL. IT SERVES A LARGE DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A, A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BRING 100, 200, EVEN 10,000 PLUS PEOPLE HERE. LONG BEACH HAS ALWAYS BEEN A, UH, THE, THE CDB HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY, UM, THEIR, UH, HOSPITALITY HAS BEEN GREAT. THEIR, UH, RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOTELS HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL, AND THAT HAS CONTINUED ON, THAT HAVE MADE US OUR ORGANIZATION CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR, UH, 6,000 PLUS, UH, CONFERENCE HERE. AND, UH, EVERY OTHER YEAR, WE WILL BE CELEBRATING OUR 2020, UH, FIVE HERE, WHICH WILL BE OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS HERE, STEPS AWAY. THERE'S ENTERTAINMENT, THERE'S PEOPLE ALL AROUND. THAT'S VERY KIND. IT'S VERY OPEN. AND I WANT TO JUST SAY, I KNOW I, I'M RUNNING OUTTA TIME HERE THAT, UH, LONG BEACH IS THE PLACE TO BE. YAY. LONG BEACH. I SUPPORT, UH, THE LONG BEACH CVB TO THE NEW FORMATION, UM, AND PRIVA STATION, WHICH WILL PROTECT OUR ORGANIZATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DELMA. THANKS FOR BRINGING YOUR BUSINESS HERE. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS DE ANDREWS. WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I THINK I KNOW A FEW OF YOU INDIVIDUALS UP THERE. I'VE BEEN UP THERE BEFORE. IT'S NOT A LOT OF FUN, BUT YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. BUT WHAT WE'RE GETTING TO TODAY, SOMETHING THAT'S VERY DEAR TO MY HEART, BECAUSE THE FACT THAT THE INDIVIDUAL, I'M HERE SPEAKING ABOUT N THE CD B IS A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION. YOU KNOW, WHAT I, UH, TONIGHT I STAND FOR AS A CHAMPION FOR STEVE GOODLAND AND HIS TEAM, THE GREAT WORK FOR THE BELOVED CITY THAT I LIVE IN, REFLECTING IN OUR DOWNTOWN PART, IT IS REMARKABLE. AND I WITNESSED THE EVOLUTION. YOU KNOW, THE ONCE EMPTIED, YOU KNOW, A HUB OF, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITIES. THIS TRANSFORMATION IS A TESTAMENT TO STEVE GOODING'S VISIONS AND LEADERSHIP IN MY, IN MY TERM AS A CITY COUNCILMAN, I WOULD ALWAYS, AND I WAS DELIBERATING ON A, YOU KNOW, ACVD UH, CONTRACT. AND I WOULD SAY, GIVE STEVE A DOLLAR AND HE'LL MAKE A HUNDRED OUT OF IT. AND THAT'S DEAL STANCE TODAY. HIS EFFORT HAS BEEN CRUCIAL IN MAKING LONG BEACH FLOURISH IN THE CITY THAT WE SEE TODAY. THE MEAT AND LONG BEACH INITIATIVES TO ESSENTIAL FOR MAINTAINING OUR CITY EDGE IN TODAY'S HIGHLY COMPETITIVE AND FLOURISH LANDSCAPE, THE APPROACH EMPOWERS THE CONFIDENCE AND TO NEGOTIATE WITH COMMERCIAL PARTNERS SAFEGUARD OUR BOTH BUSINESS AND STRATEGIES AND THE SENSITIVITY COMMERCIAL TERMS OF OUR COUNTERPARTS. SUCH A LEVEL OF DISCRETION IS CRUCIAL FOR ENSURING THAT LONG BEACH REMAINS COMPETITIVE AND RELEVANT IN EVERY LEVEL OF TOURISM SECTOR. IN CONCLUSION, I'M STRONGLY, UH, ADVOCATE AND I'M NOT A, UH, LIKE YOU SAY A LOBBYIST. I'M HERE ADVOCATING FOR YOU TO VOTE YES ON THIS ITEM AND LET US COLLECTIVELY ENSURE THAT LONG BEACH REMAINS IS JUST AS GREAT AS THE CITY, BUT IS A BEACON OF IN, UH, AS A BEACON OF IN, UH, INNOVATION GROWTH, SIR, YOUR TIME AND COMMUNITY WELLBEING. THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN. THANK YOU AND HOPE I'LL HAVE TO COME UP HERE NEXT WEEK AND SAY THE SAME THING ABOUT A GREAT GROUP THAT I TRULY BELIEVE IN. THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, JULES. HI, MY NAME IS JULES LONG BEACH. THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. AS, UH, SOMEONE WHO IS PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR HUGE, DIVERSE AND AMAZING CITY, UH, I DEFINITELY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN A COMPETITIVE EDGE, UH, ESPECIALLY THROUGH LOCKDOWN. IT WAS AMAZING TO WORK WITH THE ENTIRE CBB TEAM, TO RECRUIT CONVENTIONS, TO HAVE THEM REBOOKED, TO HAVE THEM NOT CANCEL, BUT SIMPLY PUSH FORWARD SLIGHTLY. SO WE [01:05:01] HAVE RETAINED THAT BUSINESS HERE IN LONG BEACH INSTEAD OF LOSING IT LIKE SO MANY OTHER CITIES HAVE. I THINK THAT DEFINITELY GAVE US A JUMPSTART AND MAINTAINING A COMPETITIVE EDGE WITH OUR CVB WITH MATCHING OUR DIRECT COMPETITION OF SAN FRANCISCO, SAN DIEGO, LOS ANGELES, WITH BRINGING OUR CVB INTO A MODERN ERA, UH, ESPECIALLY APPRECIATED WHAT OUR, UM, THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED REGARDING ENHANCED TRANSPARENCY ON THE PARTS WHERE WE CAN BE MORE TRANSPARENT AND MORE OPEN WITH THE PUBLIC. AND ALSO MAINTAINING A COMPETITIVE EDGE WHEN IT COMES TO NEGOTIATING FOR THE NEXT BIG CONVENTION. SO LONG BEACH IS BRINGING BACK NOT JUST THE ARTS AND THE MUSIC AND THE CONVENTIONS, BUT VIABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS IMRAN FINALLY. ALRIGHT. YEAH. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR RICHARDSON AND ESTEEMED, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, MY NAME IS IMRAN AHMED. I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE LONG BEACH MARRIOTT AT THE AIRPORT, AND HAVE BEEN THERE NOW ALMOST 10 YEARS, HAVING WORKED WITH OTHER CONVENTIONS AND VISITORS BUREAU IN THE COUNTRY, IE WASHINGTON, DC UM, AND, AND, AND, AND MARILYN. THIS IS THE MOST RIGHT FOLKS. THIS IS PUBLIC COMMENT. WHEN YOUR TIME COMES UP, WE'RE GONNA RESPECT YOUR TIME AS WELL. LET'S JUST GET THROUGH THE PROCESS. AND HAVING, HAVING WORKED WITH OTHER CBBS, THIS IS THE MOST INTIMATE CVB THAT I'VE EVER WORKED WITH. I'M SERVING AS A CHAIR FOR THE SECOND TERM AS WE SPEAK. UM, WITH, WITH, WITH THAT SAID, WE WORK SO CLOSELY WITH OUR CVB HERE IN, IN LONG BEACH, AND THE REASON IS THAT THE TEAM, THE HOSPITALITY TEAM, ESPECIALLY AT THE, AT, AT THE AIRPORT, SINCE WE ARE OUTSIDE OF THE DOWNTOWN ARENA, WE, WE KIND OF, UH, ARE, ARE OUTSIDE AND, AND THEY, THEY HELP US BRING IN THE BUSINESS. WE ARE HAVING, AND I CAN SPEAK THIS FOR THE AIRPORT HOTELS, WE ARE HAVING ONE OF THE BEST YEARS THAT AREA HAS EVER SEEN. SO I, I DO SUPPORT 101%, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR YOUR VOTE. AND I, I REQUEST FOR YOUR VOTE NOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT. OUR FINAL SPEAKER. THANK YOU. CITY COUNCIL MAYOR ANDERSON. I'M DAN HOFFEN. I'M THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF ASM FOR CONVENTION CENTERS IN A PORTFOLIO THAT WE HAVE. WE HAVE 92 CONVENTION CENTERS AROUND THE WORLD AND WE ALSO DEAL WITH VISITOR BUREAUS, 92 VISITOR BUREAUS AROUND THE WORLD. AND LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTER HAS ALWAYS PERFORMED IN THE TOP THREE OF THOSE 92 BUILDINGS. AND IT'S BECAUSE THEY CREATE AN EXPERIENCE. THEY CREATE ZONES, MEETING AREAS, LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING THAT CREATES ACTION FROM THE VISITORS. THIS IS A VERY POPULAR BUILDING BECAUSE OF THOSE SECRETS, THOSE SECRET SAUCE ELEMENTS FROM THE ARENA WHERE THE ENTIRE, UH, RIGGING AND, UH, LIGHTING AND SOUND SYSTEM IS RAISED ABOVE A PLATFORM THAT CAN BE LOWERED FOR A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS VERSUS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS IN OTHER BUILDINGS AROUND THE COUNTRY, AROUND THE WORLD. THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO KEEP THOSE SECRETS, THOSE, UH, INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE LOCKED DOWN. AND, AND THIS WILL ALLOW US TO DO THAT. AND SO I BELIEVE IN MEET LONG BEACH AS AN ADDITIONAL PART OF THIS. I'VE SEEN IN OTHER CITIES THAT WE'RE UP ON THE SCREEN THAT ARE, WE ARE ENGAGED WITH, BUT THIS BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT AND CITY AND LOCATION IS VERY SPECIAL AND IT'S VERY POPULAR WITH TRADE CHOSEN CONVENTIONS. I URGE YOU, PLEASE, LET'S KEEP THIS ROCKING. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. SO THAT SATISFIES PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'RE GONNA TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL, JUST OFFER SOME COMMENTS AND A FEW QUESTIONS BEFORE WE, UH, HAVE THE CITY COUNCIL DIALOGUE. FIRST, I JUST WANT TO, UH, JUST ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK EVERYBODY WHO CAME DOWN, UH, FOR THIS ITEM AND SPOKE, UH, UH, ON THIS ITEM. UM, TOURISM IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO OUR CITY. IT'S INCRED, INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT INDUSTRY. IT MAKES UP THOUSANDS OF JOBS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOSPITALITY JOBS THAT WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THEIR LIVING WAGE UNION JOBS, EVEN THIS NOVEMBER, THE CITY COUNCIL'S PUT FORWARD A MEASURE TO MAKE SURE THAT AS TOURISM INVESTS AND GROWS, WE MAKE SURE WE MAINTAIN A LIVING WAGE FOR ALL THOSE WORKERS WHO ARE DEPENDING ON THIS INDUSTRY. SO THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. SECONDLY, UM, I GOT THE FLOOR, UM, UH, $25 AN HOUR. THE PATH TO 30 IS A LIVING WAGE IN LONG BEACH. SO, UH, THE SECOND THING THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT IS THE NUMBERS THAT WILL RATTLE OFF A LITTLE BIT EARLIER AROUND THE TAX REVENUE [01:10:01] THAT'S CREATED. TAX REVENUES HELP US TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE QUALITY CITY SERVICES, TREE TRIMMING, UH, UH, FIREFIGHTERS, UH, STREET SWEEPING THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE COUNT ON TO GET RIGHT. AND SO IT'S ONE OF MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES THAT GENERATES ACTUAL REVENUE TO OUR CITY. AND THE LAST THING IS, UH, A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES ACTUALLY COUNT ON, UH, CONVENTIONS TO COME TO TOWN AND MEETINGS THAT COME TO TOWN. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE RESTAURANTS THAT WE LOVE THAT LOCATE NOT JUST IN DOWNTOWN. I SAW A NUMBER OF RESTAURANTS IN THE OTHER BUSINESS DISTRICTS. I LIVE IN NORTH LONG BEACH. I LOVE WHEN I SEE THE VIDEOS THAT HIGHLIGHT THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, SALS SALS GUMBO SHACK OR YOU KNOW, UPTOWN COMMONS, BIG SPIN KNOWS THE WEST SIDE. ALL OF THESE AREAS DEPEND ON AN ECOSYSTEM OF TOURISM. FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUCCESS, UH, IN DRIVING TOURISM IN LONG BEACH SO WE CAN MAINTAIN THAT LEADERSHIP. NOW I WANNA, I KNOW THERE'S SOME, UH, I WANNA GO TO TOM. I KNOW THERE'S A NUMBER OF, UH, ELEMENTS THAT YOU WALKED THROUGH. IT WAS A LITTLE NOISY AT THAT TIME. SO I WANT TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF WALK THROUGH SOME OF THESE A LITTLE BIT, UH, UH, UH, TO BE MORE CLEAR ABOUT SOME OF THESE ISSUES. SO THE LAST SLIDE, YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE PROCESS OF SELECTING A NEW ORGANIZATION AS A CONTRACTING PARTNER. CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH WHY, UM, DID THIS CONTRACT NOT REQUIRE AN RFP? WHY OR WHY NOT? UH, CAN YOU JUST WALK US THROUGH AND MAKE IT VERY CLEAR? YEAH, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOKED AT WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. UH, WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. DO WE DO A SOLE SOURCE OR DO WE LOOK, UM, OUT THERE TO GET, UM, UH, TO GET VARIOUS BIDS? UH, WE REALLY DID NOT SEE THAT THERE ARE ANY OTHER VIABLE ORGANIZATIONS. THE NATURE OF THIS WORK IS THAT THEY ARE PARTNERING DIRECTLY WITH THE HOTELS AND THOSE HOTELS AND THOSE BUSINESS PARTNERS MAKE UP THE BOARD. AND SO THEY'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER. AND SO IF THERE'S ANOTHER GROUP THAT'S OUT THERE, IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE HOTELS WHO ACTUALLY ARE NEEDED TO BRING PEOPLE IN TO DO THE ROOM NIGHTS, THEY WOULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THAT CONTRACTING. AND SO THIS GROUP WORKS WITH OUR CONVENTION CENTER AND WORKS WITH THE HOTELS AND ALL THOSE PARTNERS TOGETHER NEED TO BE ABLE TO SAY YES TO CONVENTIONS SO THAT WE CAN SELL IT AS A GROUP. AND SO THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN IN OTHER CITIES WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE ONE MASSIVE CENTER THAT HAS ALL THE HOTEL ROOMS AND THE CENTERS TOGETHER. OURS IS A DISTRIBUTED MODEL, A CONVENTION CENTER, AND THEN, UM, UH, ALL THE HOTELS THAT THEN WORK TOGETHER UNDERSTOOD. SO, UNDERSTOOD. SO THE CONVENTION CENTER WORKS WITH THE HOTELS, BOOKS, THOSE ROOMS, AND UH, AND THAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP THERE. AND THIS IS UNIQUELY SITUATED, UH, WITH THE RELATIONSHIPS TO THOSE HOTELS. I UNDERSTAND. UM, SECONDLY, SO SINCE THIS IS, UH, SORT OF A CONTRACT MODEL, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CONTRACT MODEL IS SIMILAR OR DIFFERENT TO ANY OTHER CONTRACT THAN THE CITY, WHETHER IT'S TREE TRIMMING OR STREET SWEEPING, OR ANY CONTRACT? 'CAUSE MANY CONTRACTS COME IN FROM THE CITY IN FRONT OF THE CITY COUNCIL EVERY DAY. ARE THERE SOME NUANCES ABOUT WHAT IS, WHAT DETAILS OF THE CONTRACT OR TRANSPARENT, WHAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? UH, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS HERE AS IT RELATES TO CONTRACTS? SURE. SO THERE'S ACTUALLY TWO COMPONENTS TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. SO, UM, ONE, ANY COMPONENT OF THE CONTRACT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. SO, UM, ALL, ALL DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE THAT COME TO THE CITY THAT ARE, UH, REPORTS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS SUBMITTED ARE ALL PUBLIC. ALL THE INVOICES ARE PUBLIC. UM, ANY OF THE CONTRACT DETAILS ARE PUBLIC. SO THERE ARE TWO COMPONENTS HERE. UH, ONE IS THE MANAGEMENT OF THE, OF THE, UM, THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. AND SO THAT IS TREATED VERY SIMILAR, IDENTICAL, ACTUALLY, TO ALL OF OUR OTHER, UH, P BIDS. AND SO THE DOBA, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, DOES HAVE CROWN ACT MEETINGS. THEY DO HAVE, UM, OPEN MEETING LAWS. UH, THEY ARE AP BID, UM, UH, AND SO IS, UH, THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU. SO FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, THOSE ORGANIZATIONS ARE THE SAME. THE MEET LONG BEACH, WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED IS TO TREAT THAT LIKE A CONTRACT FOR SERVICE. UH, I'LL GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF A TREE TRIMMER. UH, TREE TRIMMING ORGANIZATIONS, WE CONTRACT WITH THEM. WE HAVE OUR OWN IN-HOUSE STAFF FOR CERTAIN THINGS. WE HAVE CERTAIN, UH, UM, GROUPS THAT DO IT, UH, OUR GRID TREE TRIMMING. AND SO, UM, WE PAY PUBLIC DOLLARS FOR THAT. THEY GIVE US REPORTS. ALL OF THAT IS PUBLIC, BUT IT DOES NOT MAKE THE TREE TRIMMING ORGANIZATION ITSELF A PUBLIC BODY, UH, JUST BECAUSE THEY RECEIVE PUBLIC DOLLARS. THE CITY DIDN'T CREATE THAT COMPANY OR THAT NONPROFIT. AND SO, UM, IN THIS CASE, THE MEET LONG BEACH IS LIKE A PRIVATE CONTRACTOR. WE ARE CONTRACTING FOR SERVICE. UH, YOU'RE OUTLINING THAT TODAY WHAT DELIVERABLES YOU WANT, AND THEN THEY WILL REPORT ON THOSE, UH, AND, AND WITH THOSE TRANSPARENCY PROVISIONS. OKAY, SO VISIT LONG BEACH. THE, THE BID PORTION IS LIKE EVERY OTHER BID IN THE CITY, SUBJECT TO BROWN ACT, FULLY TRANSPARENT. UH, THE CONTRACT WITH MEET LONG BEACH, THE CONTRACT IS FULLY TRANSPARENT, IT'S PUBLIC DOCUMENT. ALL THOSE DETAILS ARE PUBLIC. JUST LIKE IF WE WERE OFFERING A CONTRACT TO ANY OTHER CONTRACT IN THE CITY, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THAT STANDARD. AND THE REPORTING WITHIN THAT CONTRACT, YOU CAN, UH, THE REPORT [01:15:01] OUT IS TRANSPARENT, BUT IF THERE'S AN EMAIL BETWEEN MEET LONG BEACH AND A CONVENTION, UH, BETWEEN A MEET LONG BEACH AND A COMPETITOR OR WHATEVER, THOSE COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT PUBLIC. THOSE ARE NOT SUBJECTS OF BROWN X. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. UNDERSTOOD. AND THAT'S SAME AS ANY OTHER CONTRACT IN OUR CITY, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY. LET'S GO TO THE NEXT QUESTION. SO, SO YOU TOUCHED ON THIS CONCEPT AND I HEARD THE PUBLIC COMMENT, TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT. WALK ME THROUGH UNDERSTANDING THAT COMPETITIVE, UH, ISSUE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP. WHO, WHO ARE THE, WHO ARE THE CITIES THAT WE'RE COMPETING WITH? HOW ARE THEIR MODEL MODELS SIMILAR OR DIFFERENT THAN THE MODEL THAT'S PUT IN FRONT OF THE CITY COUNCIL RIGHT NOW? SURE. SO, UM, THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT, UH, WE'VE HEARD OF, UM, FROM THE CBB THAT REALLY ARE THEIR COMPETITORS, THE ONES THAT WERE LISTED TODAY, UH, THOSE ARE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE LA CONVENTION CENTER, SAN DIEGO, SAN FRANCISCO. AND SO ONE OF THE CONCERNS ARE IS IF THE COMPETITIVE, UM, UH, DETAILS OF WHO WE'RE, UM, PURSUING WHAT CONTRACT TERMS WE WOULD BE TALKING TO THEM ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF INCENTIVES WE'D BE WILLING TO OFFER OUR BUSINESS MODEL AND PRACTICES. IF THOSE ARE ALL PUBLIC IN ONE ORGANIZATION, BUT THEY'RE PRIVATE IN ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, THAT IS, UM, A, A COMPLETE COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE. AND SO, UM, CREATING THE SAME STRUCTURE THAT LA HAS IN SAN FRANCISCO AND SAN DIEGO WHERE THOSE, UM, THOSE PRIVATE, UM, NEGOTIATION FUNCTIONS ARE NOT PUBLIC, THAT THAT IS WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED HERE. SO THAT WE'D BE ON THE SAME PLAYING FIELD AS OUR, UH, MAJOR COMPETITORS. SO A LEVEL, LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. YES. SO I HEARD IN THE PRESENTATION A NUMBER OF VOLUNTARY TRANSPARENT PARENTS MEASURES. DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO NOT MAKE THEM VOLUNTARY, BUT TO MAKE IT A PART OF OUR ACTUAL CONTRACT TO ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY, WHO THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE, UH, REPORTING, UH, WEBSITES, A LOT OF THINGS YOU MENTIONED. DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT THAT INTO THE ACTUAL CONTRACT? YES. SO THAT'S WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT IS TO MAKE, TAKE THAT STEP TO REQUIRE IT. THESE ARE MORE THINGS THAN WHAT WE'VE REQUIRED IN THE PAST. IT'S BEEN PRETTY SIMPLE, UM, UH, REPORTING IN THE PAST TO KNOW THAT WE WERE GETTING THE SERVICES THAT WE WERE ASKING FOR. UH, BUT WE ARE ASKING TO DO MORE. AND THAT CAN BE A REQUIREMENT. AND THAT WOULD BE IN THE CONTRACT, IT WOULD BE A LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE THIS. SO THE CITY COUNCIL CAN GIVE THAT DIRECTION AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS ARE CODIFIED IN WRITING A REQUIREMENT OF THE CONTRACT. YES, CORRECT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD, BUT I WANT TO OPEN IT UP, UH, TO THE CITY COUNCIL. I'M GONNA START WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ZENDEJAS. UM, THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR, YOU ANSWERED AND ASKED A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS. UM, AT THIS POINT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FOR THIS CONTRACT TO BE APPROVED WITH THE EXPANDED TRANSPARENCY MEASURES OUTLINED BY OUR, UM, CITY STAFF AND MEANING TOM, AND ALSO, UH, WHAT YOU TOUCHED UPON MAYOR, IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE CITY'S ABILITY TO COMPLETE FOR, UM, COMPETE FOR CONVENTIONS, BUSINESSES, AND OFFER A SUPERIOR STANDARD OF TRANSPARENCY THAN OTHER CITY CONTRACTS, UM, MODELS. SO, UM, IS THAT UNDERSTOOD? UH, COULD YOU READ THAT ONE MORE TIME JUST SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT? YES, YES. UM, I MOVE FOR THIS CONTRACT TO BE APPROVED WITH THE EXPANDED TRANSPARENCY MEASURES THAT WE'VE JUST OUTLINED RIGHT HERE, JUST TO PUT IT IN A OFFICIAL FORMAT. UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST TALKED UPON RIGHT NOW WITH THE MAYOR, UM, TO PROTECT THE CITY'S, UM, ABILITY TO COMPETE FOR CONVENTION BUSINESSES AND OFFER SUPERIOR STANDARD OF TRANSPARENCY THAN OTHER CITY CONTRACT MODELS. THANK YOU. UNDERSTOOD. YES, THAT'LL BE THE MOTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER SULI SORO. YES, I, UM, SECOND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SENDE HAS, UM, RECOMMENDED ADDITION. UH, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALSO ADD THE CHANGE THAT IT'S GONNA GO FROM JUST A FIVE YEAR RENEWAL TO TWO YEAR WITH EACH ADDITIONAL YEAR WITH, UM, REPORT BACK, RIGHT? IS THAT THE OTHER, UH, UH, MEASURE THAT IS ADDED IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ARE GETTING THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO KNOW, UH, WHERE FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION THAT COMES UP FROM YES. SO THEY'D BE REQUIRED TO REPORT ON THOSE QUARTERLY BASIS WITH THE MONTHLY REPORTS AND MAKE THAT ALL AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. AND THEN THEY WOULD STILL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THE PLAN TO THE CITY ON A YEARLY BASIS ON HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING THOSE DOLLARS GOING FORWARD. AND WE CAN SCHEDULE THOSE FOR PRESENTATIONS ANYTIME WE'D LIKE. THE CONTRACT APPROVAL THOUGH WOULD BE A TWO YEAR CONTRACT, AND THEN ONE YEAR EXTENSIONS. OKAY. THREE ONE YEAR EXTENSIONS. WELL, I, I WANNA ADD THAT THAT'S, UM, I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY ADDRESSES, I THINK A VARIETY OF CONCERN. AND I JUST WANNA EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO ALL THE HARD WORK OF THE STAFF AS WELL AS THE MEMBERS WHO'VE REALLY HELPED TO CONTRIBUTE TO BUILD A LOCAL ECONOMY SO THAT WE CAN [01:20:01] CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT JOBS ARE CREATED, UH, WAGES ARE INCREASED, AND IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING COST OF LIVING ISSUE, AND ALSO ENSURING THAT WE'RE PUTTING LONG BEACH FIRST AND FOREFRONT TO PEOPLE'S MIND TO COME AND VISIT US, TO ALSO UPLIFT OUR CITY THROUGHOUT, NOT JUST OUR DOWNTOWN. I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN PROMOTE CULTURAL EVENTS THAT WE HAVE, THAT RANGES FROM WHAT WAS MENTIONED BY SAM, NOT JUST THE DIO DE LOS METOS OR THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN NEW YEAR CELEBRATION THAT RANGES FROM CAMBODIA NEW YEAR TO QURAN, BUT ALSO THE MLK. AND REALLY, A LOT OF THESE EVENTS DO BRING PEOPLE OUT TO OUR CITY TO VISIT FAMILY AS WELL. I ALWAYS GET RECOMMENDATION, WELL, WHERE CAN I GO IN CENTRAL LONG BEACH, UM, ALL THE TIME WHEN PEOPLE ARE COMING FOR A CONVENTION, AND ALSO WAYS THAT THEY CAN ALSO GET TO KNOW THE OTHER PARTS OF OUR CITY. SO I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. UM, WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT WAYS WE CAN BE INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING, UM, THE BUSINESS HERE TO ENSURING THAT WE CAN RETAIN AND INCREASE WAGES FOR OUR HOSPITALITY WORKERS SO THAT WE HAVE A THRIVING LOCAL ECONOMY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. THE CONVERSATION'S BEHIND THE RAIL, YOU WILL HAVE YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO DO PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT IT'S BEHIND THE RAILS. WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE A BACK AND FORTH COUNCIL MEMBER. DUGGAN, THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, AND I DO APPRECIATE THE STAFF REPORT AND MAYOR, YOUR QUESTIONS. I THINK IT SHED A LOT OF LIGHT ON QUESTIONS PEOPLE HAD. UM, AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS LEADING UP TO TONIGHT'S VOTE. UM, I'M IMPRESSED WITH THE VISITORS BUREAU. I WAS FROM THE FIRST PRESENTATION. SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING BUSINESSES RELY ON THIS TO GENERATE BUSINESS FOR THEM. I I JUST THINK THAT YOU DO GREAT WORK. UH, THEY HAVE A GREAT ECONOMIC IMPACT ON, UM, AND MARKETING THE CITY, UH, THROUGH BUSINESSES. IT'S, IT'S REALLY A GOOD PART OF OUR CITY TO GENERATE ECONOMIC, OUR ECONOMIC SUPPORT. UM, I'M JUST HAPPY TO SEE THE UPDATED CONTRACT AND THE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE UPDATED AFTER SO MANY YEARS. SO I SUPPORT THIS AND APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, MOTION CHANGE IN SECOND. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER OR VICE MAYOR ALLEN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, WHAT A POWERHOUSE OF LEADERS THAT CAME OUT TODAY TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. WE GOT DE ANDREWS IN THE HOUSE, AND JULES AND, AND SO MANY, UH, OF YOU, EXCUSE ME, JUST I LET YOU TALK. JUST GIMME A SECOND. IF, IF, IF FOLKS WANT TO GET TO THE NEXT ITEM, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO WORK TOGETHER TO GET THROUGH THIS, TO GET TO THE NEXT ITEM. IF IT'S INTERRUPTED, WE DON'T GET TO THE NEXT PLACE. UH, RESPECTFULLY, THIS IS THE DIALOGUE, SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND ALSO, MAYOR HOOD. AND I ALSO WANNA SAY TO YOU GUYS, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RECORD. UH, BREAKING YEAR, UM, 15% INCREASE IN BED TAX IS REMARKABLE. AND, UM, AND I THINK, UM, AS MANY OF YOU SAID, AND MY COLLEAGUES, IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, THAT WE KEEP OUR COMPETI, UH, COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE LIKE SAN FRANCISCO AND LOS ANGELES AND LOS ANGELES AND MANY MORE. ALL RIGHT FOLKS. AND I ALSO, I ALSO APPRECIATED THAT YOU RESPECTFULLY, WE, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A, I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE ARE HERE, THERE ARE 72 ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. IN ORDER TO GET TO THE NEXT ITEM, WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH THIS PROCESS. THIS IS CIVIL DISCORD, THIS IS THE PROCESS. WE ABSOLUTELY, LET'S GET THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND THEN WE CAN GET TO THE NEXT ITEM. THANK YOU. UM, I ALSO APPRECIATE IT. UM, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WITH ALL OF THIS TOO. I KNOW THIS IS A TOUGH NIGHT TO PRESENT THIS, BUT, UM, 33% OF THE, UH, FUNDS BEING TRANSFERRED TO MEET LONG BEACH, IT SEEMS FAIR AND THE TRANSPARENCY. UM, AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY LIKE, JUST THANK YOU, UH, STEVE GOODLING FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR PASSION. I'VE ALWAYS SAID THIS ABOUT YOU, YOU'RE A VISIONARY, AND, UM, THIS IS WHY LONG BEACH CONTINUES TO BE A LEADER IN THIS INDUSTRY. AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR, UH, YOUR LEADERSHIP. YOU PUT US ON THE MAP, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NOW WE HAVE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES, BRIEFLY, I JUST WANNA THANK, UH, THE CBB FOR THE INCREDIBLE WORK THEY DO. I KNOW IT'S ASSOCIATED A LOT WITH DOWNTOWN, UM, BUT OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY ARE GREATLY IMPACTED BY THE WORK YOU DO, INCLUDING, UM, THE AIRPORT COMMUNITY AND THE SMALL BUSINESSES REPRESENTED, [01:25:01] UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY AS WELL. SO THE, THE OUTREACH THAT YOU DO SPECIFICALLY TO SMALL BUSINESSES OF LATE HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL AND IMPACTFUL, UH, FOR OUR SMALLER BUSINESS DISTRICT IS BUSINESS DISTRICTS AROUND THE CITY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT WORK. ALRIGHT. UM, COUNCILMAN AUSTIN, THANK YOU. AND I'LL BE VERY SHORT. I SUPPORT THIS ITEM. I THINK THIS, UH, THIS MOTION ON THE FLOOR PROVIDES THE, THE, UH, MEET LONG BEACH WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO CONTINUE THE SUCCESS FOR OUR CITY, UM, CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ZENDEJAS, YOU'RE QUEUED UP AGAIN. YES. OKAY. JUST REALLY QUICK, WANTED TO SAY THAT AS THE CHAIR OF THE, UM, THE ARTS, CULTURAL AND TOURISM COMMITTEE, I AM REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND ATTRACTING TOURISM TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH BY YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR EFFORTS. UM, AND IT TAKES A VILLAGE AND YOU HAVE, YOU CERTAINLY HAVE A VERY POWERFUL VILLAGE, UM, THAT CONTINUES TO BRING TOURISM AND CONTINUES TO PROVIDE JOBS TO MANY, MANY, MANY OF MY RESIDENTS. AND FOR THAT, I'M VERY GRATEFUL ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS AND THE, AND THE BUSINESS OWNERS HERE IN, UM, IN LONG BEACH. UM, THEY DEPEND ON TOURISM, SO THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO, I'LL, I'LL, UH, I'LL CONCLUDE HERE. UH, THANK YOU, UH, TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU EVERYONE ON PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, SHOWING UP TODAY, BUT ALSO TO ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE ECOSYSTEM WORKS. WHEN, UH, TOURISM WORKS, IT ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES AS A CITY AND ALLOWS US TO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS CALL ISSUES LIKE HOMELESSNESS AND THE RISING COST OF HOUSING. OUR ABILITY TO BE ECONOMICALLY STRONG, UH, DIRECTLY CONNECTS TO OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE FOR RESIDENTS. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I THINK, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR MOTION. THOSE ADDITIONAL TRANSPARENCY MEASURES MAKE A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE TO ME. AND SO, UH, THAT SAID, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, SO IT'S TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT. [ PUBLIC COMMENT: OBTAIN SPEAKER CARD FROM THE CITY CLERK Opportunity to address the City Council (on non-agenda items) is given to the first 10 persons who submit Speaker Cards to the City Clerk beginning at 15 minutes prior to 5:00 p.m. Each speaker is allowed three minutes to make their comments. ] SO WE HAVE, UH, 10 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. UH, WE'RE GONNA ALLOW FOR, UH, THE ROOM TO RESET. THANK YOU SO MUCH. A LOT MORE SEATS ARE ABOUT TO OPEN UP, SO THAT ALLOWS US TO, UH, GET FOLKS INTO THE SEAT. SO, WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE IT A MOMENT FOR THE TRANSITION. LET'S MAKE SURE WE, WE, UH, KEEP THAT PATH CLEAR. FOLKS, WE'RE HEADING OUT. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE ALMOST THERE, FOLKS. AND IF YOU SEE A SEAT, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TAKE IT. I SEE A NUMBER OF FREE SEATS ON THIS SIDE. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. AND IF WE COULD JUST HAVE THAT BACK DOOR CLOSED. WE'LL START WITH, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT PROCEEDINGS. ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE 10 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. WE HAVE, I'LL READ ALL 10 AND THEN, UH, WE'LL READ ALL 10 AND THEN WE'LL PROCEED IN THAT ORDER. MICHAEL GEEN, SCOTT VOLZ, DONNA NUNNELLY, NAIDA TUSHNET. ANTHONY BRYSON, SAIFE, REEN, SENEGAL. TAREK MUHAMMAD TARK, HAM, UH, TED GRISWOLD. TANYA CAPLA. SO FIRST UP IS TED. TED, MAKE YOUR WAY DOWN AFTER. WAIT, FIRST UP IS MICHAEL. FORGIVE ME MICHAEL, THEN SCOTT, THEN DONNA. SO IS MICHAEL HERE? IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME CALLED, COME ON FORWARD PLEASE. OKAY, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA MOVE. IS MICHAEL HERE? RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY. MICHAEL'S MAKING YOUR WAY. GREAT. COME ON DOWN, MICHAEL. [01:30:01] THANK YOU. MICHAEL, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. MICHAEL. MICHAEL GUERIN. MICHAEL GUERIN. YES. THANK YOU. CAN WE START THE TIME STARTED AGAIN? ABSOLUTELY. WE'LL START. YEAH. YOU GET THREE MINUTES. OKAY, GREAT. GREAT. UH, SO I'M MICHAEL GUERIN AND SEEING SO MANY VOICES HERE TODAY, I WANTED TO YIELD MY TIME TO, UH, A PERSON THAT I THINK THAT MAYBE HAS SOMETHING MORE RELEVANT TO SAY. UM, AND IT'S ALYSSA GUTIERREZ. YOU WANNA TAKE MY TIME? SURE. ALRIGHT, GO FOR IT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ALYSSA GUTIERREZ. I'M A SECOND DISTRICT RESIDENT AND A MOTHER OF FOUR RAISING BEAU, FOUR BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN HERE. I'M SPEAKING TODAY AS A COMMISSIONER ON BEHALF OF THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION. THE EQUITY COMMISSION IS MANDATED BY THE CITY'S MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADVISE THE CITY COUNCIL ON MATTERS OF EQUITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND HUMAN RELATIONS. IT IS WITHIN THIS CONTEXT THAT ON NOVEMBER 1ST, OUR COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY PASSED. RECOMMENDATIONS CALLING ON THIS CITY COUNCIL TO ONE, ADOPT A LOCAL RESOLUTION, SUPPORTING A CEASEFIRE, AND DEMAND AN END TO VIOLENCE IN ISRAEL AND OCCUPIED PALESTINE. IMMEDIATELY URGE THE LONG BEACH CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO SIGN ON TO CEASEFIRE NOW HOUSE RESOLUTION 7 86, AND ALLOW HUMANITARIAN AID AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES INTO GAZA. TWO. IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT LOCAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT DEESCALATE ISLAMOPHOBIA AND ANTISEMITISM, FOSTER COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND DIALOGUE, CENTERING PALESTINIAN AND JEWISH VOICES AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS AFFECTED BY THE CONFLICT. AND THREE, CONDEMN ALL FORMS OF HATE, VIOLENCE, APARTHEID, XENOPHOBIA, COLONIALISM, GENOCIDE, AND MASS ETHNIC CLEANSING. AND NOW SPEAKING AS A RESIDENT OF THE CITY, I WANNA UPLIFT SOME COMMENTS, UH, FROM SECRETARY GENERAL, UH, FROM UNITED NATIONS. SECRETARY GENERAL GUTIERREZ SAID LAST WEEK THAT GAZA IS BECOMING A GRAVEYARD FOR CHILDREN. THE SECRETARY GENERAL SAID, THE UNFOLDING CATASTROPHE MAKES THE NEED FOR A HUMANITARIAN CEASEFIRE MORE URGENT WITH EVERY PASSING HOUR, THE PARTIES TO THIS CONFLICT AND INDEED THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FACE IMMEDIATE AND FUNDAMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY TO STOP THIS INHUMANE COLLECTIVE SUFFERING AND DRAMATICALLY EXPAND HUMANITARIAN AID TO GAZA AS A, AS A A, AS CITY LEADERS, AS ELECTED CITY LEADERS. YOU ALL MAY FEEL VERY REMOVED FROM THIS ISSUE, GIVEN THAT WE'RE A CITY IN THIS BIG COUNTRY. BUT YOU DO HAVE POWER. YOUR VOICE HAS POWER, YOU HAVE INFLUENCE, AND YOU HAVE INFLUENCE TO, TO RAISE YOUR VOICE, TALK TO OUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS, AND, UM, USE YOUR PLATFORM TO, UH, CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE AND AN END TO THE MASS KILLING IN PALESTINE. AND I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT SUPPORTING THE LIVES OF PALESTINIAN PEOPLE IS NOT ANTI-SEMITIC. IT IS NOT ANTI-SEMITIC AS A JEWISH WOMAN MYSELF, I SAY NOT IN MY NAME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS SCOTT VOTES NOW. ALRIGHT, FOLKS, NEXT IS SCOTT. IS SCOTT HERE? ARE YOU SCOTT? YES. OKAY, PLEASE. I'M SCOTT, DISTRICT TWO. I'M GONNA HAND MY TIME OVER TO RDA HAMIDA, WHO IS A PALESTINIAN WOMAN WHO'S GOING TO SPEAK HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM A PROUD PALESTINIAN. I HAVE PROUDLY WORKED FOR LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT AND LONG BEACH CHILD ADOLESCENT PROGRAM AND COMMUNITY IS PALESTINE. WE ARE YOUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH. I AM HERE TO ASK YOU TO BE PROGRESSIVE AS YOU HAVE LED THE COUNTRY IN PROGRESSIVE POLICIES. BUT PLEASE DO NOT BE PROGRESSIVE EXCEPT FOR PALESTINE. I, AS A PALESTINIAN RECENTLY HAVE ORGANIZED WITH STUDENTS FOR JUSTICE FOR PALESTINES WITH LATINO AND MUSLIM UNITY. COLLECTIVELY, LATINOS AND MUSLIMS AND BLACKS AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED STOLEN LAND, HAVE EXPERIENCED OCCUPATION, HAVE EXPERIENCED OPPRESSION BY THE SAME OCCUPIER, BY THE SAME COLONIZER. AND YOU ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN US. EVERY ONE OF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS. IF YOU HAVEN'T, YOUR FAMILIES HAVE. AND WHAT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT, IT'S NOT ABOUT TWO PEOPLE. THIS IS ABOUT SEIZES FIRE VERSUS [01:35:01] GENOCIDE. RIGHT? THIS IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE VERSUS GENOCIDE. YES. THIS IS ABOUT THE LIBERATION OF ALL PEOPLE VERSUS GENOCIDE. YES. SO WE ASK YOU TODAY TO PLEASE SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WILL PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES, THAT WILL HUMANIZE PALESTINIANS. BECAUSE RECENTLY WHEN I ORGANIZED WITH STUDENTS FOR JUSTICE A PALESTINE, I LEFT LONG BEACH CAMPUS AND WAS FOLLOWED. I WAS FOLLOWED IN MY CAR ON THE WAY OUT. AND THEN WHEN I ACTUALLY DROVE OUT TO THE FREEWAY, I WAS APPROACHED BY A STUDENT AND HE HAD SHOWED ME A PICTURE OF MYSELF. AND THEN HE ALMOST RAN ME OVER AND PUSHED ME OFF THE ROAD. SO THIS IS HURTING OUR COMMUNITIES BY YOU NOT STANDING WITH US. SO PLEASE BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY, PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES, PROTECT THESE HATE INCIDENTS, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS TO US WILL HAPPEN TO YOU. THANK YOU, WILL. THANK YOU. NEXT IS DONNA. IS DONNA HERE? STEVE? FIRE, FIRE DOWN. CALLING DONNA THREE TIMES. IS DONNA HERE? DONNA NUNNELLY? DONNA? YES. OKAY, PLEASE PROCEED. THE SUBJECT I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON, UH, C OVID 19. OKAY. AND THE RESIDUAL EFFECTS IT'S HAVING, I UNDERSTAND FOR THOSE WHO ARE BEING SERVED, UH, BY THE, UH, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, THEY'RE NO LONGER SERVING US. THEY'RE SENDING US TO THE SELF-HELP CENTERS. AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE BEING FUNDED BY THIS ORGANIZATION, BY THE CITY COUNCIL, AND THEY'RE HAVING REGULAR CITIZENS ACT AS LAWYERS. AND, UH, THE LEGAL VERBIAGE ON THOSE, UH, DOCUMENTS ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, UM, WE, SOME OF IT YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND. AND THEN THE PROTECTIONS THAT THE CITY OFFERS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR C OVID 19, UH, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE. SO IN COURT, HOW CAN YOU REPRESENT YOURSELF? YOU'RE THERE. AND IT DEFEATS THE PURPOSES PURPOSE OF, UH, TRYING TO HAVE A MORATORIUM ON HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE THEY CAN JUST RUN RIGHT OVER THE, THE, UH, CITIZENS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT THEY ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING THEIR CHARGING OF FEE THROUGH NON-PROFIT OF $3,000. AND IT ALSO CAN AFFECT YOUR GOOD FAITH AND CREDIT. IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN IN THIS POSITION BEFORE, THEN YOU ARE AFFECTED BY ALL OF THIS. YOU CAN NO LONGER GET FEDERAL HOUSING OR ANYTHING ELSE WHEN YOU HAVE AN EVICTION ON YOUR, UM, RECORD. SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT, WHAT'S BEING DONE, AND THEY'RE WE'RE LIKE THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE. THE NONPROFITS ARE LETTING US KNOW THEY'RE OVERWHELMED. THEY ARE NOT REPRESENTING THE CITIZENS OF LONG BEACH HOUSING IS, I THINK THE MERCY HOUSING GROUP. ONLY THREE PEOPLE GOT APPROVED FOR THAT PROJECT ON PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY OUT OF 400 RESIDENTS. SO, I MEAN, I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT, DO YOU KNOW THIS, THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THE, THE NONPROFITS THAT YOU ARE FUNDING NO LONGER HELP CITIZENS? YES, THEY DO KNOW AND THEY GIVE THE MONEY AWAY TO VISIT. PLEASE PROCEED. AND THAT WE'RE BEING, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S DEFEATING YOUR PURPOSE OF, OF, OF YOUR MORATORIUM AND HOMELESS HOMELESSNESS. AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU INTENDED. THAT'S NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, AND NO ONE IN AMERICA SHOULD EVER BE HOME, GO WITHOUT HOUSING OR FOOD. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DONNA. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS NATA FEELING FROM THE CITIZENS OF LOBBY. SO I'M HERE TO SPEAK, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE SAME SUBJECT, UM, THAT I WANT YOU TO CONSIDER THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION REGARDING THE ONGOING WAR IN GAZA. I'M GONNA GO A STEP FURTHER. I'M GOING TO SAY THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO CALL AN EMERGENCY COUNCIL MEETING TO ACT ON THAT AND NOT WAIT TILL DECEMBER 5TH. I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT AS A JEW, I FIND THE CONFLATION OF ANTISEMITISM AND OPPOSITION TO ISRAELI POLICIES. DESPICABLE. I'VE LIVED, I HAVE LIVED IN IOWA AND IN THE SOUTH, AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED ANTISEMITISM TELL, I HAVE ALSO SEEN THE SWASTIKAS AROUND OUR OWN COUNTRY NOW. AND THE, UH, PHYSICAL ATTACKS ON PALESTINIANS BOTH ARE DEPLORABLE. THERE IS NOT A DISAGREEMENTS I WANT. I ACTUALLY, ONCE [01:40:01] WAY BACK, TAUGHT CIVICS DISAGREEMENTS AND EVEN ARGUMENTS ABOUT POLICY DO NOT CONSTITUTE SLURS AGAINST THE PEOPLE. MY OPPOSITION TO ISRAEL IS ROOTED IN THE JEWISH VALUES I WAS RAISED ON, AS ALBERT EINSTEIN SAID. AND THIS IS A DIRECT QUOTE. I HAVE IT ON A POSTER NEXT TO ACTUALLY A LETTER FROM EINSTEIN TO MY FATHER. BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY. . UM, THE EINSTEIN'S QUOTE IS AN ALMOST FANATICAL LOVE OF JUSTICE IS A FEATURE OF THE JEWISH TRADITION THAT MAKES ME THANK MY STARS FOR BELONGING TO IT. EVERY DAY WE WAIT TO ACT, TO URGE OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO SIGN ON TO THE CEASEFIRE. NOW RESOLUTION, WHICH IS HR 7 86 MORE CHILDREN DIE. I URGE YOU TO CONDEMN REAL ANTISEMITISM AND ANTI PALESTINIAN MAYOR RICHARDSON. CALL A SPECIAL MEETING AND SUPPORT THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION. NOT ONE MORE LIFE. THANK YOU. NEXT IS ANTHONY BISON. STEVE, BY NOW STEVE ANTHONY BISON IS NEXT. IS, IS THERE AN ANTHONY BISON HERE? BRYSON, IT'S BRYON. ANTHONY BRYSON, THANK YOU. WHAT DO WE WANT? CITY LAWYER. ALRIGHT, CITY OF LONG BEACH. UH, I'M A LONG BEACH RESIDENT. MY NAME'S ANTHONY. I'M GOING TO PASS MY TIME OVER TO TARIQ MOHAMMED, BUT BEFORE I DO, I JUST WANNA REMIND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU HOW DIVERSE YOU LOOK. AND THAT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE US, ACTIVISTS TOOK IT TO AND CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO TODAY. OKAY, WELL, JUST SO YOU KNOW, TAREK ALREADY IS SIGNED UP. HE HAS HIS OWN THREE MINUTES. IF YOU WANNA FINISH DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, WANTS GO FIRST? THAT'S FINE. OH, I'M GONNA EXCHANGE, HE'S GONNA GO FIRST. OKAY, I'LL GO. I'LL GO. ALRIGHT. SO, CITY COUNCIL, I'M A BLACK QUEER ACTIVIST AND I LOVE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. WOO. I LOOK AROUND AND I SEE HOW DIVERSE AND HOW BEAUTIFUL OUR CITY IS. I HEAR YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT WANTING TO ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THE CITY. LET'S ATTRACT THEM BY LETTING THEM KNOW THAT WE DON'T STAND FOR CHILDREN BEING KILLED. LET'S ATTRACT THEM. LET'S ATTRACT THEM TO OUR CITY BY SHOWING THEM THAT WE SUPPORT FAMILIES DIVERSE LIKE THIS. THIS IS LONG BEACH. THIS IS WHAT LONG BEACH LOOKS LIKE. LONG BEACH IS COMING OUT TO LET EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, REPRESENTATIVES OF DISTRICTS AND BEYOND WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IN GAZA'S OF TRAVESTY. AND YOU GUYS ARE PUT IN PLACE BY THE WORKS OF OUR ANCESTORS AND THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US TO MAKE RIGHT FOR THE CITY TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY FOR THE CITY. I LOOK AT PROUD WOMEN. I LOOK AT PROUD MEN, BLACK MEN WHO LOOK LIKE ME. THAT'S AN INSPIRATION. LET'S INSPIRE EVEN FURTHER. LET'S SPEAK OUT FOR PALESTINE. LET'S SAY NO MORE CHILDREN DYING IN GAZA. IT'S NOT SIDING WITH TERRORISM OR TERRORISTS, BUT IT'S CALLING OUT THE NECESSITY TO, TO PAY ATTENTION TO HUMAN LIVES BEING LOST, THE NECESSITY TO NO LONGER DEHUMANIZE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, THE NECESSITY TO BE A SAFE CITY FOR ALL THIS. WE SEE BLACK, BROWN, WHITE, PALESTINIAN, MUSLIM, ISLAMIC, JEWISH, ALL HERE REPRESENTING OUR CITY AND ALL ASKING FOR CEASEFIRE. WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO TAKE A SIDE, WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO CONDEMN ISRAEL. WE'RE ASKING YOU TO SAY, HEY, LONG BEACH WANTS TO FIGHTING THE STOP. LONG BEACH BELIEVES IN LIFE. LONG BEACH BELIEVES IN SAFETY. LONG BEACH BELIEVES IN DIVERSITY. THAT'S RIGHT. SO WE'RE COMING TO YOU FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS ASKING FOR ONE SIMPLE THING. DO WHAT'S RIGHT, LONG BEACH, BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY. AND SAFETY'S FIRED NOW. THANK YOU. NEXT IS NOW. THANK YOU NOW. ALL RIGHT, NEXT WE'LL HEAR TAR MCCAL. PLEASE BE UPON ALL OF YOU. UH, I JUST REMINDED, PLEASE, I'M NOT TRY TO INSULTING ANYONE. I NEED SOME QUIETNESS. PLEASE. JACK , THANK YOU FOR EVERY LIVE AND JOURNEY OF ANY POLITICIANS. WE HAVE A VERY SIGNIFICANT, GREAT SPIRITUAL, GREAT MOMENT, UNIQUE MOMENT. HE GOING TO BE, UH, ENGRAVING HIS NAME AND HIS HISTORY IN THE HEART OF THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE. HOW BY TAKING GOOD, STRONG, BRAVE, UH, UH, UH, DECISION. AND WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU FOR MORE THAN THE FOLLOWING. SHE'S FIRED. AND THIS NOT TOO MUCH FOR CHILDREN IN GAZA TO ALLOW THE ADOPT THE, THE [01:45:01] LETTERS, WHICH WE ALREADY BEEN DRAFTED BY ALICIA AND THE, THE HER GROUP AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT. THIS IS LIKE YOU SAID, THE BROTHER, HE SAID, THIS IS LONG BEACH. EVEN THOUGH IF SOMEBODY TELLING YOU GUYS LET LONG BEACH AWAY OTHER SIDE FROM THIS MATTER, EVEN IF THEY SAID THIS IS A FEDERAL PROBLEMS. NO, IT IS NOT A FEDERAL PROBLEM. THIS IS OUR COMMUNITY PROBLEM. AND WE ARE HERE AND WE ELECT, WE ELECT THE CONGRESS PEOPLE IN LONG BEACH TO NOT ABANDON US OR ES GIVING US TO LISTEN TO OUR OPINION ON OUR HEART. AND OUR HEART AND OUR OPINION IS CEASE FIRE. NOW IN GAZA, I AM GOING TO REPEAT WITH MY BROTHERS FROM MUSLIM COMMUNITY, FROM CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY, FROM JEWISH COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, NOT BY OUR NAME, NOT BY OUR FAITH. AGAIN, WE ALREADY KNOWS WHAT, WHAT THE, WHAT HAPPENED FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. AND I'M ASKING YOU BY CEASE FIRE RIGHT NOW AND REQUESTING AND ADOPTING THE LETTERS, WHAT YOU SAVING THE JEW FROM THE ZIONIST WITH THE PEOPLE HIJACK THE JUDAISM. JUST LIKE ISIS HIJACK THE ISLAM. WE NEED TO SAVE THE JEWISH FROM THE ZIONIST. AND DON'T BE SHAME. BE YOU ARE OUR LEADERS. WE ELECT YOU GUYS IN THAT TO IN THE END OF IT, EXPOSE OUR FEELING AND EXPOSE OUR, UH, OPINION. FINAL THINGS I WANT TO SAY. THE DEAR BROTHERS, GAZA WINNING THE PEOPLE HEART. LOOK AT THIS, WINNING THE PEOPLE HEART. AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN WINNING YOUR HEART TOO. AND YOU STAND AND MAKING VERY LIGHT POINTS IN YOUR JOURNEY, POLITIC JOURNEY THAT YES, I ONE DAY I SAID YES. FOR THE TRUE YES, FOR THE CEASEFIRE, YES, FOR OUR SUPPORTING THE AID TOGETHER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND APPRECIATE YOU SEE HIS FIRE NOW. THANK YOU SONAI. KEN FA NEXT IS SONAI. KEN FAY. NEXT IS SONAI. THEY CAN'T HEAR IT. YOU'RE WASTING TIME. NEXT IS SONAI. KEN FAY. THANK YOU, UH, SONAI. KEN FAYE SIX DISTRICT RESIDENT. UM, EARLIER I, I SAW A VERY INTERESTING JUXTAPOSITION. THE CITY, UH, THANKFUL TO COUNCILMAN SUPERAL FOR, UH, PUSHING FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY HERE WAS IN UNISON TOGETHER, UH, CELEBRATING THE HERITAGE OF NATIVE AMERICANS AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED BY COLONIALIZATION. AND, AND YET THROUGH THE RESILIENCY OF THEM AS A COMMUNITY, THEY'RE STILL HERE TODAY. AND JUST MAYBE 30 FEET, UH, FROM THEM WAS ANOTHER, UH, CELEBRATION FOR A GROUP OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WHO ARE VICTIMIZED BY NEOCOLONIALISM AND ALMOST COMPLETE, UH, COMPLETELY BEING IGNORED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF TODAY. I JUST THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS AN, AN ODD PAIRING. I LIKE TO THINK THAT, UH, IT PROBABLY HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE MCCARTHY ENERGY OF TODAY. THE, THE FEAR THAT COMES WITH BEING TRUTHFUL AND BRAVE, UH, WHEN THERE ARE FUNDING AND, UH, UPWARD MOBILITY, UH, ISSUES THAT COME ABOUT IF YOU STAND ON THE WRONG SIDE OF, UH, THIS DEBATE. BUT THIS ISN'T A DEBATE, THIS IS JUST A MATTER OF FACT. UM, PAUL ROBESON IS A HERO OF MINE. HE SAID THAT THE ANSWER TO INJUSTICE IS NOT TO SILENCE THE CRITIC, BUT TO END THE INJUSTICE. THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE HERE TODAY, . THESE PEOPLE AREN'T AFRAID. THEY'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT, UH, THEIR CAREER BEING ALTERED BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING THE WRONG THING. AND ONE OF, ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT, UH, POLITICAL REPRESENTATION IS, YOU KNOW, WE EXPECT YOU GUYS TO BE BRAVE TOO. UM, AND SOME OF YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S JUST NOT THE CASE. UM, I'M SPEAKING, UH, NOT JUST AS A HUMAN BEING, BUT I'M SPEAKING AS A MUSLIM HERE IN THE CITY. UH, I GO TO MASH AL SHARIF, WHICH IS THE OLDEST AND LARGEST MAST IN THIS AREA. AND WE'VE BEEN VICTIMIZED BY THE SAME ZIONIST ENERGY OF OVERSEAS HERE. WE, WE HAD PEOPLE ATTACK US, JUST NOT THAT, UH, A FEW YEARS AGO PAINT, UH, SWASTIKAS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, DEFILE OUR, OUR RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT. AND PEOPLE RALLIED AND SUPPORTED US. AND WE'RE AN ESTABLISHMENT THAT HAS MULTIPLE DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES PRESENT. WE DON'T HAVE A CHOSEN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN WE COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF A COMMUNITY THAT'S HOUSED IN, IN, IN OUR PLACE OF WORSHIP, IT'S NOT, WELL, THOSE ARE THOSE PEOPLE. LET THEM DO WHAT THEY DO. IT'S, WE ARE, AS A UMA AS A COMMUNITY, WE'RE BEING IMPACTED. AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MEMBERS OF OUR MASHED THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN GAZA WHO ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS WHO CANNOT GET BACK OVER AND WE'RE IGNORING THEM. I LIKE THAT THE CITY CAME OUT AND SAID, UH, A MOMENT OF GRACE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WERE, UM, BRUTALLY UH, MASSACRED ON OCTOBER 7TH. [01:50:01] THAT WAS THE RIGHT, AND THAT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. HOW ARE WE GONNA SAVE THOSE HOSTAGES IF THEY'RE BLOWING PEOPLE UP? IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. YOU GOT, YOU'VE GOT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN HELD HOSTAGE, UH, IN, IN GAZA, AND THEN WE'RE DROPPING WHITE PHOSPHORUS BOMBS ON THEM. THAT'S ILLEGAL. THAT'S A, THAT'S AGAINST INTERNATIONAL LAW. IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE SANCTITY OF LIFE IS BEING CELEBRATED OR, OR MUCH CARED ABOUT. AND I'VE SEEN THINGS AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE PUSHING FOR THE PART TODAY. YOUR CO CONCLUDED. YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN THINGS ONLINE THAT JUST ARE SO DETACHED FROM REALITY. YOU KNOW, SENSELESS, SENSELESS, SENSELESS VIOLENCE. I, I'M ALMOST THERE. SENSELESS VIOLENCE. I KNOW I GOT THREE MINUTES. SENSELESS VIOLENCE ONLY BEGETS MORE VIOLENCE. YOU KNOW, A NINE YEAR OLD BOY, A NINE YEAR OLD BOY IN GAZA, SAW HIS ENTIRE MALE FAMILY KILLED ON A WALL. AND THAT NINE YEAR OLD BOY BECAME A MAN. HIS NAME WAS ABDEL RANI. THAT'S THE FOUNDER OF HAMAS. SO THIS IDEA THAT THESE CHILDREN ARE BEING MASSACRED, THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN ARE BEING MASSACRED, AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA GROW UP AND BE PEACEFUL ACTIVISTS, THAT'S JUST NOT ROOTED IN REALITY. AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED A CEASEFIRE TODAY. THANK YOU. NEXT CEASEFIRE, SENEGAL. WE'RE ELECTED PEOPLE. GUYS, YOU'RE COMING IN. ALRIGHT, FOLKS UP. LET'S BRING IT BACK TOGETHER. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. GOOD TO SEE YOU, MAYOR. GOOD TO SEE YOU TOO. A LONG TIME. I AM UNAPOLOGETICALLY A PALESTINIAN MUSLIM AMERICAN WOMAN. AND I VOTED FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST YEAR, AND WE ARE GONNA, SO YOU DIDN'T GET THE PHONE? OH, WHAT PHONE? THE MICROPHONE. OH, CAN YOU, HOW CLOSE DO I GET? OH, LIKE THAT. OH, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I APOLOGIZE. I I'M UNAPOLOGETICALLY A PALESTINIAN MUSLIM WOMAN. AMERICAN. DO THEY SEE US? THAT'S WHAT MY COUSIN HER ASKED ME ON WHAT'S UP. SHE ESCAPED TWO HOMES WITH HER KIDS, A SINGLE MOM THAT WE'RE BOMBED. SHE SAID, SHIREEN YATI, WHICH MEANS MY LOVE DEATH WOULD BE BETTER THAN THIS. WE HAVE NO FOOD, NO WATER, NO ELECTRICITY. THERE IS MORE BLOOD FLOWING IN THE STREETS OF GAZA THAN THERE IS WATER COUNCILWOMAN JOANIE. THERE'S 50,000 WOMEN THAT ARE PREGNANT RIGHT NOW IN GAZA WITH NO MEDICAL CARE HAVING BABIES, BABIES DYING AS THEY'RE HAVING THEM. BABIES IN THE NICU UNITS DYING. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN, YOU'RE AN AMAZING FATHER. I'VE SEEN YOU WITH YOUR SONS. MEN ARE BURYING FOUR TO FIVE BABIES AT ONE TIME, AT ONE TIME, LOOKING FOR THE PIECES OF THEIR BODIES IN THIS BAG AND THAT BAG TO PUT THEIR KIDS TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO PRAY BEFORE THEY BURY THEM. COUNCILWOMAN SULI SORROW. WE HAVE SEEN YOU STAND UP TO REMIND PEOPLE ABOUT THE GENOCIDE IN CAMBODIA. TIME AND TIME AGAIN, I SUPPORTED YOU TO GET IN THAT SEAT. AS MANY MUSLIM AND ARAB COMMUNITY MEMBERS SUPPORTED YOU AT ONE TIME, YOU WERE MY SISTER. AND YOU KNOW, THE STRUGGLE OF MY PEOPLE. AND YOU KNOW, THE STRUGGLE OF YOUR PEOPLE. THESE ARE BABIES DYING. THIS IS NOT A WAR. IT'S AN OCCUPATION, IT'S A GENOCIDE. MAYOR REX RICHARDSON, ONE THING I KNOW ABOUT YOU, THE THING THAT I ADMIRE, AND THE THING THAT PROBABLY DRIVES ME CRAZY IS THAT WHEN YOU WANNA GET SOMETHING DONE, YOU GET IT DONE RIGHT, GET IT DONE, YOU DON'T CARE. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PUT A SPECIAL MEETING ON IN 24 HOURS. YOU WILL NOT BE A LONE RANGER. YOU WILL BE THE LEADER IN THIS FIELD BECAUSE ALL EYES ARE ON THE CITY COUNCIL TO DO THE RIGHT THING. HUMAN RIGHTS, EXPERTS, ISRAEL, ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE CALLING THIS A GENOCIDE. THIS IS NOT US AS PALESTINIANS STANDING UP AND SAYING, OH, PLEASE HELP US. 'CAUSE WE'VE INVESTED IN THIS CITY. WE'VE SUPPORTED YOU AS POLITICAL LEADERS. OUR BUSINESSES ARE INVESTING MONEY IN THIS CITY. YOU DON'T JUST GET TO STAND WITH US WHEN THINGS ARE GOOD. IMAGINE IF WE ALL WATCH SLAVERY OR GENOCIDE THROUGH OUR PHONES. IMAGINE MARY COUNCILMAN MARY, I APOLOGIZE. ONE THING I KNOW ABOUT YOU IS YOU HAVE FOUGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF THOSE WHO HAVE HAD DISABILITIES. AND I RESPECT YOU FOR THAT. AND RIGHT NOW IN GAZA TODAY, OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO ARE DISABLED EITHER CANNOT HEAR THE BOMB SISTER OR THEY CAN'T GET AWAY WITH THEIR WHEELCHAIRS WHEN THINGS COME DOWN ON THEM. THIS IS NOT A CONFLICT, IT'S A GENOCIDE. THANK YOU MA'AM. YOUR THREE MINUTES IS CONCLUDED. 11,000. [01:55:01] THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. 11,011,000 PALESTINIANS ARE GONE. OVER A MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISPLACED. IT IS THE NCA THAT MY FAMILY SURVIVED IN 1948. THEY ARE ROCK IMAGINE HOLDING BAGS OF A COUPLE OF PIECES OF CLOTHING. LET SPEAK A COUPLE OF PIECES OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS WITH THEIR MEMORIES AND THEIR PHOTOS AND THE BOOKS THAT THEIR KIDS WROTE. THANK YOU. OUR FAMILY TREES IS ALL GONE. BROTHERS AND SISTERS, PLEASE. MAYOR, I'VE INVESTED IN THIS CITY. YES. AND I'VE INVESTED IN BLACK AND BROWN. AND YOU KNOW, I'M FOUGHT YOU FOR BLACK AND BROWN. YES. I NEED YOU TO STAND FOUR HOURS. THANK YOU. SUPPORT THIS ITEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. ALRIGHT, UH, NEXT IS TED GRISWOLD. IS TED GRISWOLD HERE? YES. ALRIGHT, TED, YOU'RE UP. THANK YOU, UM, FOR, FOR HEARING ME OUT. AND YEAH, MY NAME IS TED. I AM, UM, HERE IN SOLIDARITY WITH MY PALESTINIAN AND MUSLIM NEIGHBORS. UM, I ORGANIZED WITH THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF, OF AMERICA OF LONG BEACH AND WITH JEWISH, RECENTLY WITH JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE LOS ANGELES. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORDS OF THE IMAM A MINUTE AGO MAKING, UH, A CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN JUDAISM AND ZIONISM. UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I, YOU KNOW, I'M ASHAMED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH AN IDEOLOGY THAT IS CAUSING PEOPLE TO TAKE, TAKEN LAND FROM PEOPLE, FORCED THEM INTO A VERY SMALL AREA AND IS NOW BOMBING THEM. UM, I CONSIDER THAT APARTHEID AND ETHNIC CLEANSING, AND I'M ASHAMED OF THAT AS A, AS A JEWISH PERSON. I'M ALSO ASHAMED OF IT AS AN AMERICAN. UM, BECAUSE WE ARE FUNDING THIS, THERE'S A, THERE'S A FLYER GOING AROUND HERE TODAY THAT SHOWS IF WE DID NOT GIVE $3.8 BILLION A YEAR TO ISRAEL, WHAT THAT COULD GIVE TO LONG BEACH. I THINK IT'S OVER $6 MILLION. THERE'S A LIST OF GREAT THINGS THAT WE COULD BE DOING INSTEAD OF BOMB BOMBING INNOCENT PEOPLE. UM, I ALSO LIKE NATA, UM, WAS WAS RAISED WITH JEWISH VALUES. AND I WAS TAUGHT FROM A YOUNG AGE WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE HOLOCAUST AND WAS TAUGHT NEVER, NEVER AGAIN. AND THAT MEANS FOR ANYONE, NOT JUST FOR JEWISH PEOPLE. UM, ALSO WHEN I MENTIONED THIS OUTSIDE, WHEN I WAS IN HEBREW SCHOOL, I WAS ALSO LEARNING, UM, FROM A YOUNG AGE ZIONIST NARRATIVES ABOUT THE CREATION OF ISRAEL. WHEN I STARTED TO QUESTION THESE AS A LITTLE KID, I DID NOT RECEIVE ANSWERS THAT I THOUGHT WERE REASONABLE. AND I STARTED TO QUESTION IT AND READ MORE AND LEARN FROM MY PALESTINIAN AND JEWISH FRIENDS WHO WERE ALSO QUESTIONING ZIONISM. AND NOW, I, I SEE TODAY PEOPLE USING THE TERM ANTISEMITISM, WEAPONIZING IT AND USING IT TO SHUT DOWN ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WHO SIMPLY WANT A END OF GEN AND FOR GENOCIDE. AND I FIND THAT VERY, VERY OFFENSIVE AS A JEWISH PERSON WHO KNOWS THAT ANTISEMITISM IS REAL. IT'S USED TO DIVIDE US. IT'S USED TO DIVIDE THE WORKING CLASS. IT'S USED TO PERPETUATE THIS WAR MACHINE THAT IS AND WAR PROFITEERS WHO ARE MAKING A TON OF MONEY OFF OF THESE, THESE BOMBS. UM, SO I ASK YOU TO PLEASE, PLEASE, UH, CALL FOR A SPECIAL MEETING AND ASK OUR CONGRESS PEOPLE TO CALL FOR A CEASE FIRE ON A NATIONAL LEVEL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS TANYA CEASE FIRE. NOW NEXT IS TANYA. NOW ARE YOU TANYA? YES, I'M ALRIGHT. LET'S HEAR FROM TANYA. ALRIGHT. SORRY, I'M PULLING UP MY SPEECH. . I WANNA START OFF SIMILAR, SIMILARLY TO MY SPEECH AT THE RALLY OUTSIDE I'M ANGRY. ANYONE WHO STANDS FOR HUMANITY OVER OPPRESSION IS ANGRY AND RIGHTFULLY SO. I CANNOT AND WILL NOT SIT HERE AND ALLOW PALESTINIAN VOICES, MUSLIM VOICES TO BE SILENCED. NOT HERE IN MY CITY. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD NOTHING BUT PRIDE WHEN I SPEAK, UH, THE NAME OF LONG BEACH. BUT HOW DO YOU EXPECT MYSELF AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER RESIDENTS TO CONTINUE TO SING THOSE WORDS WITH PRIDE? WHEN MAYOR REX RICHARDSON AND SENATOR ROBERT GARCIA UNDERMINING AND UNDERVALUING THE POWER OF THE RESIDENTS, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY REFUSING TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE OF CEASEFIRE OF DEATHS AND MUTILATION OF INNOCENT MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN PALESTINE, AND CENSORING US ON TOP OF THAT, MAKING RESIDENTS, TEACHERS, ALL WORKERS FEAR FOR THEIR JOB SECURITY UNDER THE THREAT OF ANTI-SEMITISM WHEN PALESTINIANS ARE TECHNICALLY SOMATIC PEOPLE. WOO. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR A CEASEFIRE ANY LONGER. THIS IS A DEMAND. RESPECTFULLY, I DO NOT WANNA CELEBRATION TO COMMEMORATE THE MEMORY OF KAZA AND PALESTINE IN THE FUTURE. I WANNA CELEBRATE THE EVER LIVING CULTURE ALONGSIDE FLOURISHING PALESTINIAN FAMILIES. NOW COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY MEMBER FARAH AND I ORGANIZED A RALLY WHICH LED LED INTO A MARCH IN [02:00:01] THE CITY LAST THURSDAY AND HAD NOTHING BUT SUPPORT FROM OVER 500 RESIDENTS. AND I CAN PROMISE YOU, WE WILL NOT STOP AND THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO BACK US UNTIL AN UNTIL AN IMMEDIATE MEETING TO DISCUSS AND APPROVE AN IMMEDIA CEASE FIRE IS A REALITY. FURTHERMORE, WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL WE SEE A FREE PALESTINE. THANK YOU. WHAT DO? WELL THANK YOU. THAT WAS PUBLIC COMMENT. I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR COMING OUT TODAY. UH, BASED ON THE RULES, ITEMS THAT CAN BE UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THE CITY COUNCIL CAN'T BE DISCUSSED HERE AT PUBLIC COMMENT UNLESS IT'S ON THE AGENDA. THE VERY FIRST STEP IS WE, WE ARE IN RECEIPT OF YOUR REQUEST. WE GOT IT. WE ON NOTICE. WE HEAR YOU. UH, AND NOW WE HAVE TO DO, UH, OUR PART. BUT WHAT I WILL TELL YOU IS THAT WHILE WE CAN'T SPEAK TO A RESOLUTION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, OBVIOUSLY WE SEE, WE SEE, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING, UH, OVERSEAS. OBVIOUSLY WE SEE THE REPORTS OF ACTIVITY IN OUR COMMUNITIES. HEY, OKAY, FINE. YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. RESOLUTION. LOOK, I KNOW MANY OF YOU BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN ON THE SAME SIDE MANY TIMES. I KNOW YOUR HEART. I UNDERSTAND. AND I ALSO KNOW THAT WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT HAS A CERTAIN SET OF VALUES. WE ARE COMMUNITIES, UH, VERY INTEGRATED. YOU'VE GOT PALESTINIAN FRIENDS THAT ARE HERE, JEWISH FRIENDS THAT ARE HERE. WE'RE A VERY INTEGRATED COMMUNITY. AND IT DOES CONCERN ME WHEN SOMEBODY WALKS IN FRONT OF MY DAIS AND SAYS THAT THEY FEEL AFRAID OUT ON CAMPUS. AND WE'RE HEARING REPORTS OF THAT IN LONG BEACH. UH, JEWISH, UH, I'M NOT GONNA BE THE ONE TO GASLIGHT WHAT IS ANTI-SEMITIC AND WHAT IS NOT. WE ARE HEARING REPORTS OF THAT. WE'RE HEARING OF ANTI-ARAB SENTIMENTS AND, AND PALESTINIAN, ANTI PALESTINIAN THINGS ARE GETTING HOT. YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO PROTEST. YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO SHOW UP TO CITY COUNCIL. WE RESPECT YOUR RIGHT EVERY SINGLE TIME. AND YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO PUSH YOUR ELECTED LEADERS TO TAKE ACTION. YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE A RIGHT. MY ONLY ASK, MY ONLY ASK IS THAT WE KEEP IN MIND THAT WE ARE NEIGHBORS. UH, WE, WE HAVE, WE ARE GROWING UP IN THE SAME COMMUNITIES. WE'RE RAISING OUR CHILDREN IN THE SAME COMMUNITIES. AND LET'S SET AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE TREAT ONE ANOTHER AS WE ENGAGE THROUGH THIS PROCESS. AND I THINK AS THE MAYOR OF THIS CITY, THAT IS AN EXPECTATION THAT WILL HOLD MYSELF AND I HOPE TO HOLD OUR COMMUNITIES TO THAT WE WILL NOT BE, UH, AN EXAMPLE OF, UH, HOW NOT TO DO IT. UH, WE WILL PROTECT PEOPLE'S FREEDOMS AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND RIGHT TO PROTEST, UH, WITHOUT ADVANCING ANTI-SEMITIC, ANTI-JEWISH, ANTI PALESTINIAN, ANTI-ISLAMIC, ANY OF THOSE SENTIMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE EACH OTHER'S BACK ON. I AM ON NOTICE. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR REQUEST IS TODAY, BUT I LEGALLY WILL NOT SPEAK TO THAT AND CANNOT SPEAK TO THAT, UH, AS A PART OF PUBLIC COMMENT. BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING DOWN. I TRULY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. OKAY. BUT THANK YOU. I'LL ALSO THANK OUR CITY MANAGER. HE RELEASED SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE STRUGGLING IN THESE, IN THESE TIMES TODAY. THANKS TOM. I'M GONNA, WE'RE GONNA ADVANCE NOW, SO WE'RE GONNA GIVE IT A MOMENT AND THEN WE'RE GONNA PROCEED WITH THE COUNCIL MEETING. THANK YOU. ACTUALLY, WE'LL TAKE A, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK. THANK YOU. [02:15:57] BEAUTIFUL. [02:15:58] ALL [02:15:58] RIGHT. WE'RE CALLING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING BACK TO ORDER. IF EVERYONE CAN TAKE THEIR SEATS. WE HAVE 50 MORE ITEMS. SIR. SIR. HOLD ON. ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO RECESS AND I'M GONNA ASK, UH, THE CITY TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A, A, A ROOM THAT WE CAN, WE CAN WORK IN. THANKS. WE'RE, WE'RE GOING BACK TO, WE'RE GOING BACK TO, UH, A RECESS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN. WE'RE CALLING THE COUNCIL MEMBERS BACK INTO THE, INTO THE, THE, UH, INTO THE ROOM. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. ALL RIGHT. MADAM CLERK, ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. PRESENT VICE MAYOR ALLEN. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN KERR. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN? HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK OTI. HERE. MARTON. I'M HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW PICK IT UP WITH ITEM 51, PLEASE. COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN AND COUNCIL MEMBER RICK OTI. RECOMMENDATION TO REQUEST CITY ATTORNEY TO DRAFT A RESOLUTION [02:20:01] RECOGNIZING NOVEMBER 16TH, 2023 AS WORLD PANCREATIC CANCER DAY IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES, COUNCILWOMAN, DR. JOANI, RICKS OTI AND COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN FOR JOINING ME AND BRINGING THIS ITEM AND HAVING LOBBIES JOIN ON RECOGNIZING NOVEMBER 16TH, 2023. AS WORLD PANCREATIC CANCER DAY, PANCREATIC CANCER IS AMONG THE DEADLIEST CANCERS WITH ONLY A 9% OF THOSE DIAGNOSED SURVIVING LONGER THAN FIVE YEARS, IT HAS THE LOWEST FIVE YEAR SURVIVAL RATE OF ALL THE MAJOR CANCERS. IT HAS SURPASSED BREAST CANCER AS THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER RELATED DEATHS IN THE US AND IS PROJECTED TO BUMP UP TO THE SECOND LEADING SPOT BY 2030. THESE DEVASTATING STATISTICS ARE DUE TO THE FACT THAT SYMPTOMS OF PANCREATIC CANCER MOSTLY COME PRESENT THEMSELVES LATER IN STAGES WHEN THE CANCER HAS ALREADY SPREAD BEYOND THE PANCREAS. UM, I CAN SPEAK PERSONALLY, IT WAS A, A RESIDENT WHO ASKED US TO DO THIS, UM, ON BEHALF OF HIS LATE WIFE WHO HAD PASSED A PANCREATIC CANCER. AND I THANK HIM FOR SHARING HIS STORY. MY FATHER-IN-LAW, ALSO PASSED AWAY FROM PANCREATIC CANCER, UH, NEARLY 10 YEARS AGO, 28 DAYS AFTER HE WAS DIAGNOSED. RECOGNIZING WORLD PANCREATIC CANCER DAY IN LONG BEACH WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AND LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER, TO STAND TOGETHER IN SUPPORT OF THOSE AFFECTED BY THE DEVASTATING LOSS AND TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH ON FACTS, SYMPTOMS, AND RISK FACTORS THAT COULD SAVE LIVES. LONG BEACH ALREADY HAS A HISTORY OF A PARTICULAR SUPPORT FOR PANCREATIC CANCER AS OUR WORLD RENOWNED MEDICAL CENTER, SUCH AS MEMORIAL CARE AND ST. MARY'S HAVE BOTH INCLUDED ADVANCED TECHNIQUES AND TREATMENT OPTIONS TO ADDRESS THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF EVERY PANCREATIC CANCER PATIENT. MEMORIAL CARE, IN PARTICULAR WITH THE MEMORIAL CARE, TODD CANCER INSTITUTE'S EXPANDED PANCREATIC AND LIVER CANCER PROGRAMS, OFFERS THE LATEST IN TECHNOLOGY FOR DIAGNOSING CANCERS, PERFORMING COMPLEX SURGERIES, AND TREATING LIVER AND PANCREATIC CANCER PATIENTS EARLY ON. I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK ALL OF THE HARDWORKING INDIVIDUALS AT THESE MEDICAL CENTERS AT EVERY LEVEL FOR THEIR UNENDING EFFORTS IN THIS FIGHT AGAINST CANCER. AND I OFFER WANT, ALSO WANT TO OFFER MY SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO ANYONE WHO HAS LOST A LOVED ONE TO PANCREATIC CANCER WITH THE RECOGNITION OF WORLD PANCREATIC CANCER DAY IN EFFECT, WE COME TOGETHER AS A CITY SHINING A LIGHT ON THIS DISEASE FOR THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION, AS WELL AS FOR A SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT AND INSPIRATION FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED. WE WILL SHOW OUR CITIZENS IN THE REST OF THE WORLD THAT WE WON'T GIVE UP ON THE FIGHT AGAINST PANCREATIC CANCER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE, LET'S SEE, THE SECONDARY IS, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, ACTUALLY, I SEE A MOTION. RICKS OTI. YES. YES. GO FOR IT. OKAY. UM, I WAS JUST GONNA ADD IN, UM, THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER KERR FOR, UH, BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION. UM, I THINK MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT MY BACKGROUND IS EPIDEMIOLOGY AND I WORK FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE. AND SO I'M IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO WORK WITH RESEARCHERS EVERY DAY WHO, UH, WORK IN THE ONCOLOGY FIELD AND WORK TO, UM, DETERMINE WAYS TO TREAT, UM, SOME OF OUR REALLY, REALLY CHALLENGING CANCERS. AND PANCREATIC CANCER IS ONE OF THOSE. UM, IT IS A CHALLENGE TO DIAGNOSE AND PEOPLE ARE OFTEN DIAGNOSED VERY LATE, WHICH IS PART OF THE REASON WHY THE FATALITY [51. 23-25166 ​​Recommendation to request City Attorney draft a resolution recognizing November 16, 2023, as World Pancreatic Cancer Day in the City of Long Beach.       Office or Department: Megan Kerr, Councilwoman, Fifth District; Al Austin, Councilman, Eighth District; Joni Ricks-Oddie, Councilmember, Ninth District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] RATE FROM PANCREATIC CANCER IS SO HIGH. UM, AND THEN IT'S ALSO, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE BEST, UM, THE, THE BEST TREATMENT COURSES. UM, JUST THIS MONTH, UM, COINCIDENTALLY, I GOT APPROACHED BY A RESEARCHER HERE IN LONG BEACH INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT U UM, UNIQUE WAYS OF BEING ABLE TO DO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS. BEING ABLE TO DIAGNOSE IT EARLY AND ALLOWING PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE BEST TREATMENT, UM, FOR THEM IF THEY ARE DIAGNOSED. UH, THIS IS AN ACTIVE AREA OF RESEARCH, UM, AND BRINGING IT TO LIGHT, UM, WHICH IS A, UH, TYPE OF CANCER THAT OFTEN IS, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE SYMPTOMS. UM, AND WHAT CAN BE DONE IF YOU, YOU ARE A LOVED ONE, ARE AFFECTED. AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. YES, AND I WAS ALSO, UH, HAPPY TO, TO SIGN ON IN SUPPORT OF, UH, THIS ITEM, UM, THAT BRINGS AWARENESS TO, UH, A REALLY, REALLY DEVASTATING FORM OF, UH, CANCER. UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO ALSO JUST, JUST UNDERSCORE THAT WE LOST A, A GREAT LEADER IN OUR CITY TO THIS VERY, VERY, UM, DISEASE. UH, JUST A FEW, NOT, NOT WELL, A FEW YEARS AGO. AND I WAS OUR STATE SENATOR GENERAL ZA. AND SO, UH, I, I HAPPY TO SIGN ON, BUT I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS MOTION IN HER HONOR. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR ALLEN. YES. I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO COUNSEL, A WOMAN KER FOR THIS ITEM. YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS, UH, WHO HAS EITHER HAD OR WHO HAS PASSED AWAY, UH, FROM CANCER. AND MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT I'M A CANCER SURVIVOR. AND SO, UM, EDUCATING RESIDENTS ON, UH, CANCER FACTS, SYMPTOMS, AND RISK FACTORS, SAVE LIVES. AND SO I VERY STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS ITEM, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD, COUNCILWOMAN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. RICK PINSON. YES. THANK YOU. GOOD [02:25:01] EVENING. MY NAME'S RICK PINSON AND I REPRESENT THE PANCREATIC CANCER ACTION NETWORK. UH, PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH AND SUPPORT IS VERY PERSONAL TO ME. AS THE COUNCILWOMAN MENTIONED, I LOST MY WIFE, LINDA, TO THIS DISEASE SEVERAL YEARS AGO. UH, INCREASED ATTENTION AND RESEARCH FUNDING DEPENDS ON AWARENESS, AND WE THANK THE CITY COUNCIL AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN KERR AND THE OTHERS WHO HAVE SIGNED ON FOR THEIR PROCLAMATION OF NOVEMBER 16TH AS PANCREATIC CANCER AWARENESS DAY. UH, YOU'VE HEARD THE STATISTICS, UH, I BELIEVE WE'RE NOW AT A VERY IMPORTANT CROSSROADS. UH, WHILE THE FIVE YEAR SURVIVAL RATE IS STILL QUITE LOW, UH, IN THE LAST SIX YEARS, IT HAS DOUBLED. SO WE'RE ON ON THE RIGHT TRACK. WE'RE MAKING STEADY PROGRESS, AND I BELIEVE WE ARE ON THE THRESHOLD OF SOME MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS THAT WILL CHANGE THE SITUATION DRAMATICALLY. RESEARCH INTO EARLY DETECTION METHODS, GENETIC MUTATION IDENTIFICATION AND TREATMENT, AND MORE TARGETED CHEMOTHERAPY, RADIATION, AND SURGERY OPTIONS ARE SHOWING SOME RESULTS. SO I HOPE AND BELIEVE, BUT THE, THAT BY THE TIME WE ARE HERE NEXT NOVEMBER, THE PICTURE WILL HAVE CHANGED. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR ATTENTION. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. WELL, THAT SATISFIES PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. SO THE NEXT TWO ITEMS THAT WE'LL TAKE, WE HAVE TO DO THE HOMELESS EMERGENCY UPDATE. THAT HAS TO BE, THAT HAS TO HAPPEN TONIGHT. AND THEN FROM THERE, WE'LL GO INTO OUR HEARING ON SIDEWALK VENDORS. SO ITEM 53, REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER, RECOMMENDATION TO CONTINUE THE LOCAL EMERGENCY CAUSED BY CONDITIONS OR THREATENED CONDITIONS OF HOMELESSNESS. AND RECEIVE AND FILE AN UPDATE ON THE EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION AND ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES, AND PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL DIRECTION TO CITY STAFF REGARDING THE EMERGENCY CITYWIDE. THANK YOU. UH, AND MR. CITY MANAGER, WE UNDERSTAND WE PROBABLY HAVE 30 MORE ITEMS, INCLUDING A HEARING TO DO TONIGHT. UH, SO I WANNA ENCOURAGE THAT WE CAN BE CONCISE WITH THE PRESENTATION, BUT WE DO NEED TO ACTUALLY HEAR THIS TONIGHT. YES, WE WILL GO A LITTLE QUICKER, UM, GIVEN THANK YOU, THE TIME, CONSTRAINTS OF TONIGHT. SO, UH, TURN IT OVER TO THE TEAM. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, GOOD EVENING, HONOR MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, WE'RE HERE TO SHARE THE 18TH UPDATE OF OUR PROCLAMATION TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS. UH, PAUL DUNCAN WILL BE JOINING ME THIS EVENING FOR THIS PRESENTATION. ALL RIGHT, SO I'M GONNA GO VERY QUICKLY, UH, THROUGH OUR, OUR MISSION, UH, THE GOALS OF THE EMERGENCY. I'M GONNA JUMP RIGHT TO OUR TINY HOME PROJECTS, . ALL RIGHT. SO THE CITY, UH, WAS NOT ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR TINY HOME PROJECTS AT THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER DUE TO A NUMBER OF UNFORESEEN ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. UM, BUT OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS, STAFF HAVE LOOKED ACROSS THE CITY AT MULTIPLE CITY OWNED PROPERTIES THAT COULD WORK IN PLACE OF THE MSC. WHEN ASSESSING LOCATIONS, THERE ARE SPECIFIC CRITERIA WE LOOK FOR, INCLUDING CONNECTIONS TO PLUMBING FOR SEWAGE AND WATER PAVED ROADS, CONCRETE [53. 23-24886 Recommendation to continue the local emergency caused by conditions or threatened conditions of homelessness within the City of Long Beach, which if not corrected, constitutes an imminent and proximate threat to the safety of persons and property within the City; andReceive and file an update on the emergency proclamation and associated activities and provide any additional direction to City staff regarding the emergency. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Manager         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] FOUNDATIONS, UM, LOCATED RELATIVELY CLOSE TO SERVICES, LOOKING AT CITY OWNED LOTS THAT WERE NOT BEING CURRENTLY PROGRAMMED, UM, SITES THAT COULD QUICKLY BE USED, ELECTRICAL CAP CAPABILITIES AVAILABLE FOR LONGER THAN A 15 OR FOR UP TO 15 YEARS AND NEAR BUS ROUTES. SO AFTER ASSESSING MULTIPLE CITY-OWNED PROPERTIES, THE BEST LOCATION IDENTIFIED IS AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF EAST SPRING, SPRING STREET, AND CALIFORNIA AVENUE. UM, THIS LOT HAS BEEN VACANT FOR QUITE SOME TIME, UM, AND CAN BE REPURPOSED TO HOST THE 33 TINY HOMES, PLUS AN ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING. STAFF HAVE DONE A MULTI-PHASE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, AS WELL AS A CONSULTATION WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR ADDITIONAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS. WITH ALL ASSESSMENTS CONDUCTED, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THIS LOCATION AS A SAFE AND USABLE SITE. PENDING THE STATE APPROVES THIS NEW LOCATION, THE CITY HAS INFORMED THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ON THE PROPOSED NEW PROJECT LOCATION, AND MAY NEED TO GO THROUGH ADDITIONAL APPROVAL PROCESSES TO RECEIVE PROJECT HOME KEY FUNDS IN ORDER TO PROCEED. IN THE MEANTIME, CITY STAFF ARE CONTINUING THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING NEW PLANS FOR THE SITE TO HOST THE 33, UH, HOMES, UH, TINY HOME UNITS OFFICE SPACE, A GUARD SHACK PARKING AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUTDOOR COMMON SPACE. UM, SIMULTANEOUSLY, WE, WE HAVE ALSO BEGUN ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS BY PROVIDING GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TINY HOME PROGRAM. UM, AND WE HAD AN OPEN COMMUNITY WEBINAR ON OCTOBER 30TH, WHERE OVER 50 PEOPLE ATTENDED. WE ALSO ARE CONDUCTING OUTREACH TO THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD AND ASSOCIATIONS BUSINESSES. AND WE'RE, UH, UH, WE HOSTED, UH, WE'RE HOSTING MULTIPLE ONE-ON-ONE INFORMATION SESSIONS, UM, TO ENSURE NEIGHBORS ARE AWARE OF THE PROJECT. THE CITY HAS RELEASED A MEMO TO ALL OF YOU AND AN FAQ, UM, TO PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT. ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT IS BEING PLANNED OVER THE COMING MONTH, AND INCLUDING A IN-PERSON SESSION THAT WILL BE HOSTED AT THE NEW SITE. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO [02:30:01] ANNOUNCE THAT, UM, AS WE SPEAK, THE, THE WINTER SHELTER IS OPENING, UH, TODAY. UH, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN 10 YEARS THAT WE'RE OPENING THIS EARLY IN NOVEMBER. UH, NOW THAT WE HAVE A PERMANENT WINTER SHELTER LOCATION AT 7 0 2 ANAHEIM WINTER SHELTER, BEDS ARE BEING ADDED THERE TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS. SO, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, LONG BEACH HAS BEEN THE HOST LOCATION FOR THE COUNTY RUN WINTER SHELTER, AND EVERY YEAR IT'S BEEN QUITE A CHALLENGE TO FIND A LOCATION WITHIN THE CITY, UM, THAT COULD HOST 50 TO 120 BEDS, UH, FOR THIS PROGRAM. THAT'S ONLY FROM NOVEMBER TO MARCH. SO NOW THAT WE HAVE 7 0 2 ANAHEIM, OUR WINTER, SHE SHELTER DILEMMA IS FINALLY OVER, AND WE CAN STREAMLINE THE PROCESS. SO WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH LASA, UM, THE FUNDER OF THE PROGRAM TO APPROVE ADDITIONAL AND ADDITIONAL 40 BEDS THAT ARE BEING ADDED TO THE SPACE. SO BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BEDS TO JUST OVER 120. UM, THESE BEDS WILL BE UTILIZED FOR 24 HOURS A DAY, UM, AND THE WINTER SHELTER PROGRAM IS SCHEDULED TO OPERATE UNTIL THE MARCH 31ST. BUT OF COURSE, IF THERE IS INCREMENTAL WEATHER EXTENDED THROUGH THE SPRING, THEN WE WILL CONTINUE AND CON, UH, KEEP IT OPENED. SO ON OCTOBER 24TH, THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED CITY MANAGER TO DEVELOP AN ENHANCED FOCUS ON DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH, AND TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES AND PUBLIC SAFETY APPROACHES FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, ALONG WITH, WITH STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES. THE CITY'S STEADFAST RESPONSE TO ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS AND SAFETY HAS BEEN A PRIORITY. THROUGH ITS DIVERSE RANGE OF ONGOING INITIATIVES AND PLANS ACROSS OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, WE RECOGNIZE THAT MORE STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE ACROSS THE CITY. SO WE STILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES TO ENSURE ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BOTH HOUSED AND UNHOUSED, EXPERIENCE LONG BEACH AS A SAFE, CLEAN, AND HEALTHY PLACE TO LIVE. A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT HAS BEEN RELEASED TODAY THAT SHARES INFORMATION ABOUT OUR DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC FO FOCUS. IT HIGHLIGHTS OUR INTERNAL CITY DEPARTMENTS AND ALSO OUR COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS. UH, FOR THIS PRESENTATION, WE'RE JUST GONNA TALK VERY QUICKLY ABOUT THE FEW ITEMS THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON THROUGH OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE EFFORTS. SO WE'RE INCREASING OUR INTERDEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION AND PLANNING. UM, WE'RE ADDING AN ADDITIONAL MAC MULTI, UH, MAC LOCATION AND INCREASING OUTREACH EFFORTS. UM, UNDER THE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROGRAM, THERE WILL BE A NEW MOBILE THERAPY PROGRAM THAT WILL PROVIDE, UH, MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE SUPPORT. WE'RE INCREASING PROGRAMMING AND ACTIVATION AT LINCOLN PARK AND AROUND BILLIE JEAN KING LIBRARY. WE'RE IN INCREASING, UH, POLICE PRESENCE WITH A FOCUS ON REDUCING CRIME AND ENHANCING QUALITY OF LIFE AND SAFETY. WE'RE INCREASING MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC SPACES TO ENSURE THE SPACERS ARE MORE ACCESSIBLE, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT EXISTING AND ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES AS WELL AS LARGE SCALE EVENTS. UM, AT THE NOVEMBER MEETING, THE HOMELESS SERVICES ADVISORY COMMUNITY RECEIVED A PRESENTATION BY THE CITY OF EUGENE. WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE SAFE SLEEPING PROGRAMS REAL QUICK. UM, SO ON THE, UH, EARLIER IN THE YEAR, UH, HAYSTACK ALSO RECEIVED A PRESENTATION FROM THE SAFE SLEEP PROGRAM PROVIDER IN DENVER, AND SEVERAL MEMBERS VISITED THE PROGRAM IN CULVER CITY. SO IN ADDITION TO THE DIRECT PRESENTATIONS, UM, STAFF HAVE REVIEWED MULTIPLE PROGRAMS AND BEST PRACTICES THAT HAVE BEEN UTILIZED OVER HERE. UM, ON THE WEST COAST, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS DEVELOPED A SURVEY TO ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, INCLUDING NONPROFITS AND FAITH COMMUNITIES, TO ENGAGE ABOUT CONSIDERATIONS, AND TO SEE IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED IN HOSTING A SAFE SLEEP PROGRAM. IN THE CASE, THE CITY WERE TO MOVE FORWARD IN IMPLEMENTING ONE. IN ADDITION TO ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, A SURVEY IS BEING ADMINISTERED WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS TO SEE IF THERE'S AN INTEREST IN WHAT KEY IN THE, WHAT KEY CONSIDERATIONS THEY WOULD WANNA SEE WITHIN A SAFE SLEEPING PROGRAM AS WELL. SO, RESEARCH THAT IS BEING CONDUCTED ALONG WITH FEEDBACK FROM THE SURVEYS, UM, WILL BE COMPILED TOGETHER INTO REPORT THAT WILL BE COMPLETED AND MADE AVAILABLE BY EARLY DECEMBER. SO I'M GONNA PASS IT ON TO PAUL TO JUST TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT ACTIONS THAT, UH, HAVE TAKEN PLACE OVER THE LAST FOUR WEEKS AND WHAT'S TO COME. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. UH, ON OUR FIRST GOAL OF INCREASING ACCESS TO SERVICES, UH, THIS MONTH, UH, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ADD CAPACITY AROUND THE MSC CALL LINE. UH, THIS IS A IMPORTANT, UM, SERVICE AND BEING ABLE TO ENGAGE PEOPLE. WE RECEIVE ROUGHLY AROUND 200 CALLS PER DAY TO THE MSC, UH, HOTLINE. SO, UM, GETTING STAFF BACK INTO THAT POSITION AND GETTING THE SECOND ONE IN PLACE IS VITAL TO BEING ABLE TO, UH, CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE UNABLE TO MAKE IT IN, UH, OR NEED INFORMATION. UH, MOBILE THERAPY STAFF HAVE BEEN PROVIDING ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE, UH, RELATED SERVICES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR FIELD FIELD-BASED TEAM, WHILE THEY PREPARE TO LAUNCH THE, UH, MOBILE THERAPY VAN. AND THEN, UH, LASTLY, THE HOMELESS SERVICE TEAM IS WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, TO GET THE, UH, TO GET A CLINICIAN BACK WITHIN THE JAIL. THAT WAY WE'RE ENGAGING PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, OR MAY JUST BE HAVING SOME OTHER SORT OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, UH, AS THEY'RE IN CUSTODY TO BETTER LINK TO CARE, UH, [02:35:01] IN THE COMMUNITY. THE DATA, UH, ON THE UNDER ENGAGING COMMUNITY AND DATA PLANNING AND ASSISTANCE. UH, THE DASHBOARD WAS REFRESHED, UH, LAST WEEK. A VIRTUAL MEETING WAS HELD ON OCTOBER 30TH ABOUT THE TINY HOMES, UH, WHICH WE TOUCHED ON A LITTLE BIT AGO. STAFF ATTENDED AND PRESENTED, UM, ON THE TINY HOMES WITH THE WILLOW SPRINGS PARK COMMUNITY, OR THE FRIENDS OF WILLOW SPRINGS PARK, UM, TO GO OVER THE PROGRAM OVER THIS LAST WEEKEND. UH, AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENTS THAT ARE COMING UP, AS WELL AS ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS THAT HAVE BEEN OCCURRING, UH, AS WE DO, UM, EVERY YEAR WHERE WE WORK TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY ON BEING ABLE TO GIVE AND PROVIDE FUNDING SPECIFICALLY TO THE MAYOR'S FUND, UH, ON HOMELESS ACTION. SO, MAILERS DID GO OUT IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER. UH, SO WE ARE SOLICITING, UM, DONATIONS FOR THE MAYOR'S FUND TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE VITAL SERVICES THROUGH A NUMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND NONPROFITS. AND THEY PASSED THREE WEEKS. OVER 200 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE 2024 ANNUAL HOMELESS COUNT. UH, SO WE DO ENCOURAGE, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS IF YOU ARE INTERESTED TO SIGN UP. UM, A AND THEN LASTLY, A PRESS EVENT WAS HELD EARLIER THIS MORNING, UH, GOING OVER THE DOWNTOWN ACTION PLAN, AND SPECIFICALLY WHAT'S BEING DONE AROUND ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS, UH, WAS COVERED IN THAT. AND THEN ON OUR PROGRESS FOR INTERIM AND LONG-TERM HOUSING, UM, THE HOMELESS SERVICES TEAM HAS STARTED TO ENGAGE WITH MOTEL OWNERS TO SEEK INTEREST IN PARTICIPATION IN THE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROGRAM. WITHIN THAT, WE'RE LOOKING TO GET, UH, 60 ROOMS TO BE ABLE TO TARGET AND PROVIDE, UH, SHELTER SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. UM, WE HAVE STAFFED, UH, THE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE THERAPY VAN, UM, AND ARE CONTINUING TO WORK TOWARDS THAT IN THE DOWNTOWN, UH, AS WE PREPARE FOR THAT E EMERGENCY RESO, UH, ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROGRAM SECOND ROUND. UM, AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL RAPID REHOUSING PROVIDER WAS ONBOARDED, WHICH WAS AL PARKER FOUNDATION, UH, AND IS NOW PROVIDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO GET BACK MORE PEOPLE BACK INTO PERMANENT HOUSING AND STABILIZED. UH, WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS GETTING FOUR NEW SUPPORTIVE, UH, HOUSING PROJECTS LEASED UP. UH, AND WITHIN THIS PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, WE'VE BEEN PROCESSING APPLICATIONS FOR TWO SITES, UH, AT 26.2 AND WELLSPRING. OVER THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS, WE'LL BE FOCUSED ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS. UH, WE DO HAVE SOME STAFF THAT ARE, UH, BEING REASSIGNED THROUGH OUR COMMUNICABLE DISEASE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM, UM, AS FUNDING FOR OUR OVERALL PANDEMIC RESPONSE HAS WOUND DOWN, SO THEY'RE BEING TRAINED AND WILL BE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SERVICES WITH, UH, ADDITIONAL MOBILE ACCESS CENTER STOPS WITHIN DOWNTOWN, WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. UM, SO THE NEWEST PLAN STOP WILL BE AT ELMAN SECOND, AND WE'RE, UH, GONNA BE ANNOUNCING DATE AND TIME. UH, WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK, THE MOBILE THERAPY TEAM WILL BEGIN PROVIDING THERAPY AND COUNSELING, UH, ON THE STREET. SO THEY'VE BEEN SUPPORTING IN OTHER WAYS. THEY'RE GETTING READY TO LAUNCH, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF THIS MONTH. THE STATE HAS RELEASED THE RFP FOR THE THIRD ROUND OF THE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROGRAM. UH, THERE IS 400 MILLION AVAILABLE STATEWIDE. SO WE ARE STARTING OUR PLANNING AND LOOKING AT WHAT OUR OPPORTUNITIES ARE FOR THIS THIRD ROUND. THE NEXT DATA TO REFRESH ON THE DASHBOARD, UH, WILL BE IN THE FIRST MONTH ON DECEMBER 7TH, OR FIRST WEEK, NEXT MONTH ON DECEMBER 7TH. UM, A COMMUNITY MEETING WILL BE HELD IN EARLY DECEMBER AROUND TINY HOMES. STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO EN ENGAGE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, UH, AND BUSINESSES AROUND THAT PROJECT. UH, WE ARE CONTINUING TO SOLICIT DONATIONS AROUND THE MAYOR'S FUND. UM, SINCE WE'VE GOTTEN THE, UH, OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, THIS HAS AWARDED 130,000. SO CONTINUED EFFORTS ON THAT. UH, AND THEN LASTLY, JUST AGAIN, CONTINUING TO GET TOWARDS OUR 300 VOLUNTEERS FOR THE HOMELESS COUNT. UM, AND THEN LASTLY, AS WE LOOK AT INTERIM AND LONG-TERM HOUSING, OVER THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS, WE ARE STILL WORKING TO IDENTIFY A SITE TO HOST INCLEMENT WEATHER. THIS IS FOR WHEN IT'S RAINING, OR IT'S EXTREMELY COLD AT NIGHT. UH, SO WE ARE LOOKING TO ALSO GET IN FUNDING TO SUPPORT THOSE OPERATIONS THROUGH THE LOS ANGELES HOMELESS SERVICES AUTHORITY. UM, AND THEN, UH, LASTLY, WE WILL BEGIN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO DISCUSS THE EXPANSION OF THE LONG BEACH GUARANTEED INCOME [02:40:01] PROGRAM TO ASSIST IN PREVENTING FAMILIES FROM FALLING INTO HOMELESSNESS. UH, PREVIOUSLY THE GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT WAS SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED IN 9 0 8 1 3. THAT WILL BE EXPANDED TO OTHER ZIP CODES THAT HAVE A ABOVE AVERAGE NUMBER OR PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES UNDER THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE. UH, AND THAT PROGRAM PROVIDES $500 A MONTH THAT ALLOWS FAMILIES TO SPEND THAT FUNDING, UH, WHERE THEY SEE NEED, AND REALLY TO TRY TO STABILIZE AND PREVENT FUTURE HOMELESSNESS. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR REPORT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, I'LL JUST KEEP MY COMMENTS BRIEF. UH, THE, THE BIG NEWS THAT WAS HIDDEN IN THERE IS THAT, UH, NOVEMBER 14TH IS THE OPENING OF THE WINTER SHELTER. UH, THAT'S TODAY. TODAY, THAT'S TODAY. SO THAT'S THE NEWS. THE WINTER SHELTER OPENED ON TIME OR EVEN AHEAD OF TIME. AHEAD OF, AHEAD OF TIME, YES. AND THAT, AND JUST TO UNDERSCORE THAT, WE TYPICALLY EVERY YEAR GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS WHERE WE DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND LOOK FOR A PLACE TO SET UP A WINTER SHELTER. AND IT'S ALWAYS LATE BECAUSE WE PLAY THIS GAME OF POLITICAL HOT POTATO. WHERE'S IT GONNA GO? WHO GOT WHAT DISTRICT THIS TIME? WHAT DISTRICT NEXT TIME, WE'LL NEVER HAVE TO DO THAT AGAIN, BECAUSE WE TOOK ACTION UNDER THE DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY TO BUY THE 7 0 2 EAST ANAHEIM SITE FROM RESCUE MISSION VOTE, WEST COAST CHOPPER. SO WE KNOW WHERE IT'S GONNA BE EVERY YEAR. AND THE GOOD NEWS IS IT'S BIGGER. SO WE HAVE 40 ADDITIONAL BEDS, 120 BEDS, AS OPPOSED TO THE NORMAL 80. SO THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG DEAL FOR US TO HAVE THAT OPEN AND READY FOR PEOPLE BEFORE INCLEMENT WEATHER STARTS. SO THAT'S A GOOD, THAT'S GOOD NEWS. SECONDLY, IT'S GREAT NEWS THAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE IDENTIFIED YOUR PROPOSED LOCATION FOR TINY HOMES. UH, TINY HOMES. IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, 1400 OR SO SHELTER BEDS IN THE CITY, TINY HOMES. THE 33 IS NOT A BIG NUMBER, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO THOSE 33 FAMILIES OR THOSE 33 INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY GET IT RIGHT. SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE DISPLACED ONCE THEY'RE LOCATED. SO I'M OKAY TAKING A FEW EXTRA STEPS TO MAKE SURE THE SITE FOR THIS PILOT PROGRAM WORKS. SO, THANK YOU FOR CONDUCTING THE OUTREACH TO THE RESIDENTS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE MEASURE TWICE AND CUT ONCE ON THIS ISSUE. TINY HOMES IS A SMALL PART OF THE BIGGER PIE OF SHELTER. SO WE HAVE A DIVERSITY OF OPTIONS AND THE IDEAS THAT IS SCALABLE. IF THIS WORKS, IF WE DO IT RIGHT, THIS COULD BE SOMETHING WE FURTHER INVEST IN, IN THE FUTURE. SO I'D RATHER WE TAKE OUR TIME TO ACTUALLY GET IT RIGHT SO THAT THOSE 33 INDIVIDUALS, UH, CAN HAVE A PLACE THAT THEY CAN COUNT ON. AND THE LAST THING I'LL, I'LL SAY IS I WANNA THANK STAFF, UH, FOR YOUR HARD WORK THESE LAST FEW WEEKS ON, UH, CHARTING THE ROADMAP TO THE DOWNTOWN RECOVERY THAT WAS ROLLED OUT TODAY. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND TAKE A LOOK, UH, COMPREHENSIVE MEASURES FROM BUSINESS, UH, OUTREACH TO, UH, ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT. IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THE NEW MENTAL HEALTH VAN. THAT WAS A, A NEW THING, A NEW MENTAL HEALTH VAN, UH, THAT WILL BE DEPLOYED IN THE EAST VILLAGE AS A PILOT, UH, IN THE DOWNTOWN. THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. UH, AND ALL THE COMPREHENSIVE WORK AROUND HOMELESSNESS, OUTREACH, THE ADDITIONAL MAX SCHEDULE, ALL OF THAT PACKAGE TOGETHER TO KIND OF SHOW UP, UH, IN, IN THIS MOMENT. AND SO, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR MOVING VERY QUICKLY ON, UH, BRINGING THAT REALLY TO BEAR WITHIN TWO WEEKS. AND SO, UH, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT. UH, WE'LL GO TO THE COUNCIL. WE'LL START WITH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH, TEAM FOR THE UPDATE AND FOR YOUR HARD WORK. AS MAYOR SAID. UM, THESE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS HAVE BEEN REALLY, UH, TESTING US AND, UM, YOU GUYS HAVE COME THROUGH AND REALLY, REALLY BROUGHT THIS, UM, ENHANCED DEDICATION TO THE DOWNTOWN. AND I THINK THAT IT'S GONNA HELP NOT ONLY THE DOWNTOWN, BUT THE WHOLE CITY AS A WHOLE. SO I TRULY DO APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR HELP AND HARD WORK ON THIS. AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE TINY HOMES, AND OF COURSE, SUPER EXCITED ABOUT, UM, ABOUT THE SHELTER OPENING TODAY, THE WINTER SHELTER. SO I KNOW IT'S GONNA SERVE A LOT OF PEOPLE. AND I, I AM EVEN MORE EXCITED FOR THE FACT THAT IT'S GONNA BE, UM, 24 7. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, KEEP OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS DURING THESE, UM, COLD, RAINY, UM, DAYS THAT, THAT ARE UPON US. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR ALLEN. I WASN'T QUEUED UP. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SODI. OH, I JUST WANTED TO GET A QUICK, UM, UPDATE ON THE, UH, THE LONG BEACH PLEDGE, OUR GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT PROGRAM. I KNOW THAT THE PILOT PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY GOING ON, AND I THINK CAL STATE LONG BEACH IS GONNA BE GIVING US KIND OF A FINAL REPORT AND ALSO SOME INTERIM REPORTS. HAVE WE RECEIVED ANY INTERIM REPORTS ON HOW WELL THAT PROGRAM IS, UM, IS GOING? [02:45:01] I AM NOT 100% SURE, BUT WE CAN WORK ON BRINGING THAT BACK. UM, WE HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH CAL STATE LONG BEACH ABOUT ADDING THIS, UM, EXPANSION OF THAT INTO THEIR SCOPE OF WORK. SO THAT WILL BE ADDED IN THE, THE DATA AND THE ULTIMATE REPORT. BUT I HAVE NOT PERSONALLY SEEN, UH, ANY REPORT YET, BUT I'M NOT, UH, OVER THE TEAM TRACKING THAT, BUT I WILL FIND OUT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN? YEAH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANKS FOR THE REPORT. UM, UH, CONTINUED PROGRESS. I AM, UH, VERY, VERY EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THE TINY HOME, UM, RESOLUTION, AT LEAST FINDING A NEW, NEW SPACE TO, UH, LOCATE THOSE, THOSE, UH, DESPERATELY NEEDED, UM, HOUSING, TEMPORARY HOUSING, UM, TOOLS FOR, FOR OUR, OUR RECOVERY. UM, ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO JUST POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT THE REPORT, YOU KNOW, 1300, UM, BEDS AVAILABLE ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT, UM, OUR, OUR PROGRESS HAS, HAS GONE UP SIGNIFICANTLY. UM, WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR, OUR HOMELESS, UM, NUMBERS WENT UP A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO SIGNIFICANTLY AS WELL, UH, WITH THIS, UM, HOMELESS EMERGENCY. AND, AND FORGIVE ME IF I, IT'S LOST ON ME. DO WE HAVE A, A SET GOAL OF, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF, OF BEDS THAT WE WANT TO CREATE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TO, TO, UH, TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE, WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE APPROPRIATELY? YEAH, WE'RE, WELL, WE WERE WORKING FROM THE NUMBERS FROM OUR OLD STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING. SO AT THE TIME IT WAS 500 NEW BEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES, BUT WE HAVE ADDED, WE'VE BLOWN THAT OUTTA THE WATER AS MAYOR'S SAYING. UM, BUT WE DEFINITELY HAVE A NEW NUMBER WE'LL BE, WE'RE FOCUSING ON SOON, SO WE CAN, SO THE ORIGINAL NUMBER WAS 500. YEAH. UM, BUT THE, THE, OUR, OUR COUNT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN, YES. OUR NEW NUMBER NOW IS 1300 THAT WE HAVE A CAPACITY FOR RIGHT NOW. AND YET WE'RE STILL, WE'RE STILL STILL NEED TO, TO GROW. YEAH. THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU. THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD. I'LL ALSO NOTE, I THINK, UH, WITH THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE COMING ONLINE, THE ADDITIONAL YOUTH SHELTER LUXURY IN AND ALL OF THOSE, THOSE WILL FACTOR INTO SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS. UH, AND THOSE ARE IMMINENT. SO I THINK AS WE DO THE, THE, THE NEW SORT OF, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN LONG TERM, I THINK WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE A NEW BASELINE FOR, FOR WHAT IT TAKES. THE OTHER THING IS, EVEN IF THERE'S, LET'S SAY 3,500 INDIVIDUALS IN A POINT IN TIME COUNT, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT WE, UH, THAT YOU NEED FOUR, YOU KNOW, 3,500 SHELTER BEDS. PEOPLE MAY NEED OTHER THINGS. SO THE HEALTHY FLOW RATE OF GETTING PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF SHELTER, LIKE WHERE DO THEY GO AFTER THAT FACTORS IN. SO YOU WON'T NECESSARILY SET A GOAL OF BUILDING 3,500 BEDS, BUT WE MAY NEED MORE LIKE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OR, UH, ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS OR SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, SOBER LIVING, TRANSITIONAL FACILITIES, ALL OF THAT TO HELP MAKE SURE AS PEOPLE GO INTO SHELTER, THEY COME OUT. SO THERE'S AVAILABILITY EVERY NIGHT, UH, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE FLOWING THROUGH. AND SO WE'LL HAVE A MORE FULL CONVERSATION WHEN WE GET TO THE WE UPDATE AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, AND COUNCILMAN KERR, AND I ALSO DIDN'T SAY, UH, THANK YOU TO COUNCILMAN KERR FOR REALLY LEADING, LEADING THE CHARGE ON, UM, UNDERSTANDING, UH, THE NEW SITE FOR THE TINY HOME. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE UP NEXT. YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, I THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE AND THANK YOU TO THE TEAM. UH, WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION IN DISTRICT FIVE. UM, AND SO WHEN THAT WAS PRESENTED AS AN OPTION, REALLY, UH, LOOKING HARD AT HOW WE COULD SUPPORT THE WORK THAT WE KNOW IS SO NECESSARY IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, I WANNA THANK THE TEAM AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR COMING OUT TO TALK TO RESIDENTS, UM, INDIVIDUALLY AT TIMES AND AS GROUPS AND ALL OF THE CONTINUED OUTREACH YOU DO, UH, TO ENCOURAGE DIALOGUE ABOUT WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE AND HOW THAT CAN BE SO INSTRUMENTAL. UM, NOT JUST FOR THE 33 FIRST RESIDENTS THERE, BUT AS THEY TRANSITION OUT OVER 90 OR 120 DAYS, THE NEXT SET OF RESIDENTS WHO WILL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT FACILITY. UM, IT'S AN ONGOING PART OF THE SOLUTION. AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO TALK MORE RESIDENTS. UH, WE POTENTIALLY ARE TALKING ABOUT A DECEMBER 2ND COMMUNITY MEETING DATE ON SITE. IF WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN, TO CONTINUE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND TO CONTINUE TO BE IN CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT PART OF THE SOLUTION, AND YOU CAN REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE, WE'RE HAPPY TO ENGAGE WITH THAT AS WELL. BUT A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO YOUR TEAM WHO CAME OUT EVEN ON A SATURDAY TO HELP US WITH A COMMUNITY MEETING. UH, WE REALLY ARE GRATEFUL. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. UM, SUCH POSITIVE THINGS. THE WINTER SHELTER, IT'S GONNA RAIN TOMORROW, SO IT'S GREAT THAT IT'S OPENING TODAY. UM, IT'S GREAT TO BE EARLY, BUT I'M VERY EXCITED TO, UM, HEAR THAT WE GET THE MENTAL HEALTH VAN COMING OUT. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE, THE WORK THAT THAT DOES TO HELP COMMUNITIES WHO NEED THAT. SO, UM, RELATED [02:50:01] TO COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN AND THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS ABOUT HOUSING, I WANTED TO SEE IF IN THE NEXT UPDATE, UM, WE COULD GET, HEAR THE DETAILED PROCESS FOR WHEN QUALITY OF LIFE OFFICERS GO OUT, UM, WHEN OUTREACH TEAMS GO OUT, WHEN POLICE GO OUT FOR HOW DO THEY KNOW HOW MANY BEDS ARE AVAILABLE. UM, AND IF IT'S AFTER HOURS, AFTER FIVE O'CLOCK, UM, OR ON THE WEEKENDS, DO WE HAVE A PROCESS FOR LETTING, LETTING THEM KNOW WHERE BEDS ARE? UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S COORDINATION ON THAT. I KNOW PAUL AND I HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT IT PREVIOUSLY, BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE THAT UPDATE NEXT HOMELESS UPDATE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. MICHAEL GEARAN. IS MICHAEL HERE? OKAY. BEST SATISFIED PUBLIC COMMENT MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MR. ALLEN. IT'S A YES. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. SO BEFORE WE GO TO THE HEARING, I SEE A SEA OF ORANGE HERE. WHAT ITEM IS, WHAT ITEM IS THIS FOR? 49. 49. LET'S HEAR ITEM 49 RIGHT NOW. COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILMAN AUSTIN, COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA AND COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS OTI RECOMMENDATION TO REQUEST CITY MANAGER TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING A [49. 23-25039 Recommendation to request City Manager to assess the feasibility of implementing a Contractor and Subcontractor Verification requirement and present to City Council in 90 days.       Office or Department: Al Austin, Councilman, Eighth District; Roberto Uranga, Councilmember, Seventh District; Joni Ricks-Oddie, Councilmember, Ninth District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] CONTRACTOR AND SUBCONTRACTOR VERIFICATION REQUIREMENT AND PRESENT TO CITY COUNCIL IN 90 DAYS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. THANK YOU. SO, AS OUR, UH, CITY CONTINUES TO GROW AND PLAN FOR ITS FUTURE HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUOUSLY WORK TO IMPROVE, UH, IN SAFETY, UH, AND CONDITIONS FOR CON CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AT, AT OUR JOB SITES WHO ARE OFTEN VULNERABLE AND EXPLOIT VULNERABLE TO EXPLOITATIVE EXPLOITATIVE LABOR PRACTICES. EXCUSE ME. TODAY'S ITEM IS A REQUEST IS TO REQUEST STAFF EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING A CONTRACTOR VERIFICATION ORDINANCE HERE IN LONG BEACH BETWEEN THE PERMIT ISSUANCE AND PRIOR TO THE START OF CONSTRUCTION, THE ORDINANCE WOULD REQUIRE CONTRACTORS TO DISCLOSE INFORMATION, INCLUDING THEIR LIST OF SUBCONTRACTORS, LICENSE NUMBERS, WORKER COMPENSATION POLICIES, AND ANY PAST OR PENDING ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS. THE GOAL OF THE ORDINANCE IS SIMPLE TO BOLSTER THE CULTURE OF SAFETY AND LEGAL COMPLIANCE WITHIN OUR CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. BY PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY, WE AIM TO PROTECT THE HARDWORKING PEOPLE WHO BUILD OUR CITIES. CITIES LIKE SANTA ANA, IRVINE, SAN DIEGO, AND MOST RECENTLY CHULA VISTA, HAVE ADOPTED THEIR OWN CONTRACTOR VERIFICATION ORDINANCES. AND ENSURING THAT LABOR STANDARDS ARE UPHELD IS NOT JUST AN OBLIGATION, IT'S A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE. WE KNOW THE IMPACTS OF WAGE THEFT AND FRAUDULENT BUSINESS PRACTICES ARE DETRIMENTAL ACROSS THE BOARD. SO WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE HURT, PROJECTS ARE DELAYED OR COMPLETED POORLY, AND THE RESPONSIBLE CONTRACTORS CANNOT COMPETE. I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, BOTH MY COLLEAGUES, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER YANGA, WHO ISN'T HERE THIS EVENING, AND, UM, DR. JONI RIN OTI FOR THEIR CO CO-SPONSORSHIP AND CONTINUOUS COMMITMENT TO PERFECT, TO PROTECTING HARDWORKING PEOPLE THAT BUILD OUR CITY. I URGE THE REST OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO, UH, SUPPORT THIS ITEM. AND, UH, I'LL QUEUE UP WITH COMMENTS FROM, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA NEXT. YOU CAN JUST DELIVER COUNCILMAN Y'S COMMENTS IF YOU WANT. YEAH, GO FOR IT. SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AKA WANTED TO EMPHASIZE A FEW POINTS HERE. UM, AND HE COULDN'T BE HERE THIS EVENING. HE WANTED US TO, TO UNDERSTAND THAT WORKERS LOSE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ANNUALLY DUE TO WAGE THEFT, A PERVASIVE ISSUE, INCUMBENCY AND UNPAID OVERTIME, MINIMUM WAGE VIOLATIONS, WORK HOUR DISCREPANCIES, AND EMPLOYEE MIS CLASSIFICATIONS. THIS PROBLEM DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTS PEOPLE OF COLOR, IMMIGRANTS AND WORKING CLASS FAMILIES. WE BELIEVE INTRODUCING A CONTRACTOR AND SUBCONTRACTOR VERIFICATION FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS PROMOTES TRANSPARENCY, FOSTERING A FAIR DEVELOPMENT IN OUR CITY. THIS RESOLUTION SEEKS TO SHIELD OUR LABORERS FROM WAGE THEFT, AND I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO ENDORSE THIS INITIATIVE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SOTE. THANK YOU. UH, SO OBVIOUSLY HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM. UM, THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND INVITING ME TO JOIN. UM, I'LL JUST, UH, JUST ADD ON, JUST, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY THIS PROPOSED VERIFICATION SYSTEM IS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY [02:55:01] AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENSURING THAT FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ARE UPHELD ACROSS OUR CITY. WE KNOW THE WAGE THAT HAPPENS, OUR CITY IS NOT IMMUNE. UM, AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OUR CITY WORK TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS FAIR LABOR STANDARDS AND ENCOURAGES GOOD ACTORS, UM, IN THIS PARTICULAR INDUSTRY. AND SO, I'M PROUD TO SUPPORT THIS AND ENCOURAGE MY COUNCIL MEMBER COLLEAGUES TO DO SO AS WELL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, RAY LAWSON, BORIS GR LEE, PLEASE COME FORWARD. UH, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UH, HONORABLE MAYOR. UH, MY NAME IS RAY LAWSON AND OF THE WESTERN STATES CARPENTERS UNION. UH, WE HAD A NAME CHANGE. WE'RE TWO UP 12 STATES STRONG ALL ACROSS THE WEST. UM, THESE ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS HERE THAT WORK HARD. THEY, THEY COME FROM WORK TO COME HERE AND MAKE THE SACRIFICE BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN FAIRNESS, THEY BELIEVE IN EQUALITY, AND THEY BELIEVE IN JUSTICE. EVERY APRIL 15TH TAX TIME, WE COME HERE AND WE MAKE A PRESENTATION ON TAX FRAUD, ON WAGE THEFT IN, IN, IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. BUT WE APPRECIATE, AND WE THANK THE FACT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER AL AUSTIN AND JODY RICKS OIE AND R ROBERTA URANGA HAVE ALL COME TOGETHER TO CHAMPION THIS BILL TO, TO CHAMPION THIS MOVEMENT, TO GET THIS ON TO THE AGENDA. AND IN 60 DAYS, HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET IT TURNED INTO A LAW BECAUSE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, WE INVITED EVERY MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. WE HAVE EVIDENCE, WE HAVE PROOF THAT THERE'S WAGE STEP GOING ON THERE. THERE'S TAX FRAUD, THERE'S COYOTES, THERE'S LOW LABOR BROKERS RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, ALL OF IT DOWN OCEAN BOULEVARD. WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE PROJECTS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH FOR THE FUTURE TO HELP CORRECT THE HOMELESS ISSUE. IF WE DON'T CORRECT THE WAGE IN, IN DISCREPANCIES, WE DON'T CORRECT WAGE THEFT IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO BE DIGGING OURSELVES INTO A BIGGER PIT. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR HA HAVE GONE FORTH TO REMEDY THIS. THIS IS THE FIRST STEP. THIS IS JUST A TOOL TO RECOGNIZE THE CHEATERS WE KEPT. WE ARE HEARING ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND WE'RE HEARING ABOUT TRANSPARENCY. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT WITH THIS GOING FORWARD, THAT WE NEED ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. THAT WAY, THE BAD ACTORS, THE CHEATERS CAN BE EXPOSED AND THE PEOPLE THAT THEY EXPLOIT CAN BE FREE TO EARN A DECENT LIVING IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS BORIS. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS BORIS GRESLEY. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE CARPENTERS CONTRACTORS COOPERATION COMMITTEE. WE ARE A WATCHDOG ORGANIZATION MONITORING HUNDREDS OF PROJECTS THROUGHOUT LONG BEACH AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. AND WE'RE A VERY STRONG SUPPORT OF THIS MEASURE. WE THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS CITY NEEDS. WE THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE WORKER'S NEEDS. THREE REASONS OF WHY WE SHOULD SAY YES TO THIS. NUMBER ONE, TRANSPARENCY. THIS IS ALL ABOUT PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY. NUMBER TWO, IT'S ALL ABOUT PROTECTING WORKERS. AND NUMBER THREE, IT'S ABOUT HOLDING CONTRACTORS ACCOUNTABLE. THERE'S ONE TINY LITTLE ITEM OR SUGGESTION I SHOULD SAY, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ALSO INCLUDE AS PART OF DIRECTION TO STAFF. AND THAT IS TO REQUIRE DISCLOSURE WHETHER CONTRACTORS ALLOCATE HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURES TO THEIR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS. WE THINK THIS ADDITIONAL ELEMENT WILL PROVIDE THE CITY WITH A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PUBLIC COST ASSOCIATED WITH CONTRACTORS NOT PROVIDING HEALTHCARE BENEFITS. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO ALSO MONITOR THAT AS, AS WELL AS THE LABOR VIOLATIONS. SO WE HOPE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD BE WILLING TO ADD THAT, UM, AND DIRECT STAFF TO, TO BRING THAT BEFORE US IN, IN 90 DAYS AS WELL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE, COUNCILMAN? YES. UM, SO I, UM, HAVE, UH, WORKED WITH THE, THE, THE CARPENTERS IN BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD. UM, I WOULD ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THE FEASIBILITY OF ADDING THAT HEALTHCARE PIECE, UH, TO THIS, UH, AS WELL. IF, IF, UH, YOU'RE AMENABLE TO THAT. UM, AND, UH, BRING THIS BACK TO US WITHIN, UM, 90 DAYS. 90 DAYS FOR, FOR, UM, FOR REVIEW. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. I WANNA THANK COUNCILMAN AUSTIN AND, UH, THE TWO KIND COSIGNERS FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. WE KNOW THAT WAGE THEFT IS AN [03:00:01] ISSUE, UH, THAT IS, UM, UH, PREVALENT. UH, AND WE, WE ALSO KNOW THAT, UM, THE CITY HAS, HAS THE ABILITY AND THE RIGHT TO ASK FOR MORE OUT OF, UH, UH, CONTRACTORS AND ASK FOR DISCLOSURE. SO IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD MOTION. AND SO, UH, MEMBERS, WE'VE HAD PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UH, BEFORE WE'RE GONNA GO TO, WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE, UH, THE HEARING NEXT, BUT I WANT TO ASK A QUESTION. I SEE THERE WAS ONE ITEM THAT WAS WITHDRAWN. DO WE NEED TO ANNOUNCE THAT? THE, UH, WHAT ITEM IS THIS? ITEM 52. I THINK IT WAS, UM, 52 OR 54. DO THOSE NEED TO BE READ TO BE WITHDRAWN? WE GOT STREET VENDING NEXT. RELAX. I'M JUST CLEANING UP. WHAT WE HAVE TO DO HERE IS, UH, WE'RE NOT DOING, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE DOING A BACK AND FORTH. THERE'S 72 ITEMS ON THE AGENDA AND IT'S PUBLICLY NOTICED, BUT THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA MOVE THROUGH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO, BUT THOSE TWO, DO ANY OF THEM NEED TO BE READ IN ORDER TO BE WITHDRAWN? SO WE'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT WE, UH, LAY OVER THEM, LAY, LAY OVER AND HAVE THE COUNCIL LAY BOTH 52. AND, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE OTHER NUMBER, BUT IT'S ARTS COUNCIL AND THE, UM, MUSEUM. SO WE'RE GONNA LAY, LAY 'EM OVER NEXT MEETING. SO SAVE SOME TIME TONIGHT, CORRECT. OKAY. DO WE NEED TO PULL THEM UP OR CAN YOU JUST WITHDRAW? AND WHAT ARE WE DOING? DO WE NEED MOTION? WE'D RATHER LAY IT OVER SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT OFF THE AGENDA AND PUT IT RIGHT BACK ON THE AGENDA JUST AUTOMATICALLY GETS PUT OVER. SO I THINK WE NEED A MOTION ON THAT, RIGHT? CAN WE KEEP THAT UP A MOTION TO LAY THOSE OVER? YES. SO WE CAN GET A MOVER IN A SECONDER TO LAY THE ITEMS OVER. OKAY. AND IF WE CAN GET A VOTE. ALL RIGHT. UM, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON MOVING THOSE TWO ITEMS? ITEM 52 ON ARTS COUNCIL AND 54 ON ART COLLECTION WITH MUSEUM OF ART. LEAVE IT OVER TO THE NEXT MEETING. OKAY. SEEING NO PUBLIC COMMENT, MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. NOW WE'RE GOING TO ITEM 47, THE SIDEWALK VENDOR HEARING. ITEM 47, REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY. RECOMMENDATION TO ACCEPT CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION AND FIND THE MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENTS EXEMPT FROM CQA. DECLARE THE ORDINANCE RELATING [47. 23-25114 Recommendation to accept Categorical Exemption (CE-23-112) and find the Municipal Code Amendments exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301, 15304, 15305, and 15308 of the CEQA Guidelines; Declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by adding Chapter 5.73; and amending Sections 3.80.146., 3.80.180, 3.80.253, 5.04.050, Chapters 5.08, 5.66, Title of Chapter 8.44, Sections 8.44.040, 8.44.050, 8.44.061, 8.44.070, Chapters 14.04, 14.14, 16.04, and Sections 16.08.504, 16.16.060, 21.35.120, 21.45.170, all relating to sidewalk vendors, read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading; and       Office or Department: City Attorney         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] TO SIDEWALK VENDORS. READ THE FIRST TIME AND LATER OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT THE ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS, WHICH RELATE TO COASTAL DEVELOPMENT WITH ALL OTHER RELEVANT SUPPORTING MATERIAL TO THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION FOR A FINDING OF CONFORMANCE WITH THE CERTIFIED LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM CITYWIDE. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. SO BEFORE WE GO TO STAFF, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. THIS WAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROCESS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. UH, IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, THE CITY COUNCIL HAD AN INITIAL DISCUSSION ON THE SIDEWALK VENDING ORDINANCE. PROPOSAL COUNCIL RAISED A NUMBER OF SUGGESTIONS AND REVISIONS AND AMENDMENTS BASED ON COMMUNITY INPUT. WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY IS THE REVISED ORDINANCE LANGUAGE THAT CODIFIES, UH, THE DIRECTION AND RECOMMENDATIONS PROVIDED BY THE COUNCIL. IF THE COUNCIL APPROVES A REVISED ORDINANCE TODAY, THERE WILL BE A SECOND READING, UH, AND, UM, AT OUR VERY NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. AND IF AND WHEN THE ORDINANCE IS APPROVED, THERE'LL BE A LOT OF EDUCATION ON THE PUBLIC SIDE REGARDING THE OPERATION OPERATING REQUIREMENTS FOR STREET VENDORS BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION TAKES PLACE. SO THIS IS ONE STEP OF MANY MORE STEPS, UH, ON THIS PATH. UH, AND SO THAT CONTEXT SET, I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO STAFF. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT BACKGROUND. I WILL JUST ADD TO THAT, THAT TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION, WHICH WILL BE DELIVERED BY THE TWO OF THE CITY'S INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM. THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY CRITICAL ISSUE FOR THE CITY. AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THEY'VE, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON IT WITH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS. SO TONIGHT, AND THE PRESENTATION STAFF WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE ORDINANCE PROVISIONS AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT AND THE IMPLEMENTATION AND THE EDUCATION, WHICH ARE ALL REALLY CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF THE CITY, UM, ROLLING OUT THIS PLAN. SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE STAFF THAT'S, UM, BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN PULLING THIS TOGETHER. THAT IS TYLEE TYLER CURLEY, OUR DEPUTY, UM, ACTING DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, AND DANIEL RAMIREZ, UM, CAPITAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR FROM PUBLIC WORKS. WITH THAT, WE'LL HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR THAT INTRODUCTION. I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER. APPRECIATE IT. UM, ONE THING I WANTED TO JUST NOTE FROM THE OUTSET IS I AM RELATIVELY NEW TO THIS PROJECT, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT [03:05:01] THIS INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM DID TO PULL TOGETHER THIS ORDINANCE AND TO FOLLOW UP FROM THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL INPUT, UM, MONTHS AGO. AND THAT'S IN PARTICULAR BEEN LED BY DANIEL RAMIREZ AS MENTIONED, MARSHA YASUDA, OUR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY WORKING ON THIS ITEM, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS IN, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH BUSINESS LICENSING, PD, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THIS HAS TRULY BEEN AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL EFFORT TO PULL TOGETHER THIS DRAFT ORDINANCE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING YOUR INPUT AGAIN TONIGHT, AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITIES. UM, SO JUST AS AT A HIGH LEVEL, WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PULL TOGETHER IS A BALANCED REGULATORY FRAMEWORK THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR SIDEWALK VENDING IN THE CITY, UH, WHILE ALSO ADVANCING HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE. AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TODAY IS, UH, PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND AND, UH, REFRESHER ON HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, UH, SOME OF THE SPECIFICS OF THE PROVISIONS WITHIN THE DRAFT ORDINANCE. AND THEN, AS LINDA MENTIONED, WE'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS IN IMPLEMENTATION. SO WITH THAT, I'LL PASS IT OVER TO DANIEL TO START WITH SOME OF THE BACKGROUND INFO. GOOD EVENING. OH, THERE WE GO. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT HERE IN 2018. THE STATE PASSED SENATE BILL 9 4 6, WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE SAFE SIDEWALK VENDING ACT, AND THAT TOOK EFFECT JANUARY 1ST, 2019. ACCORDING TO SSB 9 46, A SIDEWALK VENDOR IS A PERSON WHO SELLS FOOD OR MERCHANDISE FROM A PUSH CART STAND DISPLAY, PEDAL DRIVEN WAGON, SHOWCASE RACK, OR OTHER NON-MOTORIZED CONVEYANCE, OR FROM ONE'S PERSON UPON A PUBLIC SIDEWALK OR OTHER PEDESTRIAN PATH. THIS ORDINANCE DEALS WITH THE SIDEWALK VENDORS AS THEY'RE DEVI DEFINED BY SSB 9 46 AND ONLY AS THEY OPERATE UPON PUBLIC SIDEWALKS AND OTHER PEDESTRIANS PATHS NOT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. SSB 9 46 DID NOT OUTRIGHT PERMIT SIDEWALK VENDING IT, HOWEVER, IT CHANGED THE LAW TO WHERE SIDEWALK MENDING IS NO LONGER A CRIMINAL MISDEMEANOR OFFENSE, RATHER A, AN ADMINISTRATIVE OFFENSE OR CITATION. IT ALSO GAVE LOCAL AUTHORITIES THE ABILITY TO FURTHER REGULATE SIDEWALK VENDING. SSB 9 46 OUTLINES THE TYPES OF REGULATIONS A CITY MAY IMPOSE ON FOOD AND MERCHANDISE. SIDEWALK VENDORS REGULATIONS MUST BE FOR HEALTH, SAFETY, OR WELFARE REASONS. PERCEIVED COMMUNITY ANIMUS OR ECONOMIC COMPETITION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OBJECTIVE HEALTH, SAFETY OR WELFARE CONCERN. SO I JUST WANT TO FRAME THAT, UH, TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT HERE, UH, AND REALLY HOW THE CITY HAS TO FRAME SOME OF THESE REGULATIONS. SO IN JUNE OF 2022, LISA WEISS CONSULTING WAS TASKED WITH ASSISTING THE CITY IN UPDATING ITS REGULATIONS AND POLICIES PERTAINING TO SIDEWALK VENDORS. THIS INCLUDED AN AUDIT OF THE EXISTING MUNICIPAL CODE, A CASE STUDY OF COMPARABLE CITIES, AS WELL AS ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS AND CREATING A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, FOR FUTURE ACTION. BETWEEN JUNE OF 2022 AND MARCH OF 2023, STAFF HELD VARIOUS EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS, PERFORMED VARIOUS PUBLIC OUTREACH, AND PUBLISHED A SURVEY TO GATHER DATA REGARDING SIDEWALK VENDING IN LONG BEACH. THE CULMINATION OF THE WORK BY LISA WEISS CONSULTING AND STAFF WAS THE PRESENTATION OF VARIOUS SIDEWALK VENDING RECOMMENDATIONS DURING THE MAY 16TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING. AFTER DELIBERATION, CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF TO REPORT BACK ON NUMEROUS ITEMS AND TO DRAFT THE SIDEWALK FENDING ORDINANCE. THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THAT NIGHT IS LISTED ON SCREEN. ON SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2023, STAFF PRESENTED, UH, THE ZONING CHANGES TO THE ZONING CLO, I'M SORRY, STAFF PRESENTED THE CHANGES TO THE ZONING CODE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THIS IS THE HEARING FOR THOSE CHANGES. PLEASE NOTE THAT WHEN THE ITEM WENT BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION, IT REFERENCED TITLE V OF THE MBMC AS THE CHAPTER WAS NOT YET FINALIZED. THE RECOMMENDATION BEFORE YOU TONIGHT REFERENCES CHAPTER 5.73 OF THE LPMC FOR CLARITY. SO BEFORE YOU IS A DRAFT ORDINANCE BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL ON MAY 16TH AND THE ITEMS STAFF WAS ASKED TO REPORT BACK ON THE SIDEWALK. VENDING ORDINANCE ALLOWS FOR SIDEWALK VENDING, IT ENCOURAGES ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW INCOME AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES WHILE PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE. IT ALSO [03:10:01] AIMS TO PROTECT THE CITY'S NATURAL RESOURCES, RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PARKS. THE INTENT OF THE ORDINANCE IS TO PROVIDE CLARIFICATION ON HOW AND WHERE SIDEWALK VENDORS MAY OPERATE IN LONG BEACH SO THAT IT'S CLEARED TO SIDEWALK VENDORS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. SO THE SIDEWALK VENDING ORDINANCE, UM, HERE TONIGHT HAS FOUR GENERAL THEMES. THE FIRST IS ADMINISTRATION, WHICH OVERLOOKS THE INSURANCE BUSINESS, LICENSE AND HEALTH PERMIT REQUIREMENTS, GENERAL OPERATING CONDITIONS AND LOCATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE, UH, LOCATIONS, DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS, VENTING FOOTPRINTS, TIME PROHIBITED ACTS, ET CETERA, ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES, WHICH INCLUDE IMPOUNDMENT, FINES, REVOCATION, AND APPEAL RIGHTS, AS WELL AS GENERAL LBMC CLEANUP, WHICH, UH, AIMS TO AMEND EXISTING MUNICIPAL CODE SECTIONS. AND WE'LL GO INTO E EACH OF THESE SECTIONS A LITTLE DEEPER IN THE PRESENTATION. SO THE FIRST SECTION IS ADMINISTRATION. UH, IN TERMS OF PERMITTING. SO ALL SIDEWALK VENDORS MUST OBTAIN A CITY BUSINESS LICENSE, SIDEWALK VENDOR PERMIT. THE APPLICATION WILL BE STREAMLINED, IT WILL BE VALID FOR ONE YEAR AND MAY BE RENEWED. AUTOMATICALLY PERMITTED VENDORS WILL RECEIVE A PERMIT TO PROMINENTLY DISPLAY ON THEIR CONVEYANCE OR ON THEIR PERSON. THE PROPOSED FEE IS $300 AND MAY BE ADJUSTED ANNUALLY PER CPI. THIS FEE IS PROPOSED AT COST RECOVERY AND IT IS THE FEE THAT WAS PRESENTED TO COUNSEL AT THE MAY 16TH MEETING. IF COUNSEL WISHES TO REDUCE THIS FEE, THE PROGRAM WOULD OPERATE IN A DEFICIT REQUIRING A SUBSIDY SIDEWALK. VENDORS, UH, VENDING FOOD MUST ALSO OBTAIN A CITY ISSUED HEALTH PERMIT. UNLESS EXEMPT, AN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST WILL BE ASSIGNED TO WORK WITH EACH APPLICANT. THE PERMIT WILL BE VALID FOR UP TO ONE YEAR AND MAY BE RENEWED UPON ANNUAL INSPECTION. PERMANENT VENDORS WILL RECEIVE A PERMIT TO PROMINENTLY DISPLAY ON THEIR CONVEYANCE OR ON THEIR PERSON. SIMILAR TO THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEES WILL VARY DEPENDING ON THE OPERATION, BUT ROUGHLY IT WOULD BE $253 FOR TRICYCLES, $300 FOR FOOD SERVICE CARTS WITHOUT PLUMBING, $730 FOR FOOD SERVICE CARTS WITH PLUMBING, AS WELL AS PLANT CHECK FEES RANGING FROM $250 TO $1,165. BASED ON RISK LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOOD TYPE, THE PROGRAM IS ESTIMATED TO REQUIRE ROUGHLY A $260,000 ANNUAL SUBSIDY. THESE FEES ARE NOT PROPOSED AT COST RECOVERY. IF COUNCIL WISHES TO REQUIRE INSURANCE, STAFF PROPOSES THE FOLLOWING TO ENSURE THAT VENDORS GET THE TRUE VALUE OF THEIR POLICY. STAFF PROPOSES OR RECOMMENDS GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE OF AT LEAST $1 MILLION PER OCCURRENCE. AND AN AGGREGATE. THERE ARE LIMITED POLICIES FOR GENERAL LIABILITY WITH COVERAGE LIMITS. LESS THAN $1 MILLION, ONLY ONE RESOURCES, ONLY ONE RESOURCE PROVIDED A POLICY LESS THAN $1 MILLION, AND THE PREMIUM WAS THE SAME FOR A POLICY WITH COVERAGE LIMITS BETWEEN $300,000 AND $1 MILLION. THE ESTIMATED COST TO A VENDOR IS ROUGHLY $300 PER YEAR. SO CITY COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO REQUIRE INSURANCE, OR IF THEY WISH, THEY CAN NOT REQUIRE INSURANCE TONIGHT. SO GOING OVER A FEW OF THE GENERAL OPERATING CONDITIONS, UH, SIDEWALK VENDING FOOTPRINT PER THE LAST MEETING HAS BEEN INCREASED TO 100 SQUARE FOOT MAX, WHICH IS ROUGHLY 10 BY 10 OR ANY, UH, CALCULATION THEREOF. TABLES, CHAIRS, OR UMBRELLAS MUST BE FOR THE SOLE USE OF THE SIDEWALK. FENDER ROAMING SIDEWALK. VENDORS MAY USE BELLS AND CHIME, UH, BELLS AND CHIMES, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COUNCIL AT THE LAST MEETING. STATIONARY SIDEWALK VENDORS MAY USE ONE CANOPY FOR THEIR SOLE USE NOT TO EXCEED 10 FEET BY 10 FEET. THE CANOPY MUST BE PROPERLY SECURED AND HAVE A CANE DETECTABLE BARRIER BETWEEN THE LEGS OF THE PAN CANOPY. THIS IS TO ENSURE ADA COMPLIANCE TO ALSO, UH, ENSURE ADA COMPLIANCE. THE CANOPY MUST MAINTAIN A FOUR OR FIVE FOOT UNCOVERED PATH OF TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF THE CANOPY. UH, AND THAT DEPENDS ON LOCATION. FOUR FEET IS THE GENERAL RULE. UH, FIVE FEET WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR AREAS THAT ARE CONSIDERED HIGH OR VERY HIGH PEDESTRIAN TRAFFICKED AREAS. SIDEWALK VENDORS MAY OPERATE IN PARKS OR BEACHES ROAMING SIDEWALK. VENDORS MUST MOVE [03:15:01] TO THE SITE TO ALLOW FOR PEDESTRIAN ACCESS, AND THEY MAY ONLY STOP TO, UH, FINISH A TRANSACTION. STATIONARY SIDEWALK VENDORS MAY ONLY VENT WITHIN 10 FEET OFF OF THE PATH AND CUSTOMERS MAY NOT QUEUE ON THE PATH. IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT THIS ORDINANCE WILL BE GOING TO THE COASTAL COMMISSION, AND THE COASTAL COMMISSION MUST RATIFY THIS ORDINANCE BEFORE ANY ENFORCEMENT CAN TAKE PLACE IN THE COASTAL COMMISSION. A FEW OF THE BUFFER REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE A 20 FOOT BUFFER BETWEEN STATIONARY SIDEWALK VENDORS. UH, AGAIN, THEY MUST MAINTAIN FOUR OR FIVE FOOT, UH, PATH OF TRAVEL AT ALL TIMES, AND STATIONARY SIDEWALK VENDORS SHALL NOT OPERATE IN AREAS ZONED EXCLUSIVELY RESIDENTIAL OR WITHIN 20 FEET OF A DETACHED FREESTANDING SIEGEL FAMILY HOME IN MIXED USE AREAS. A FEW OTHER GENERAL OPERATING REQUIREMENTS, ROAMING SIDEWALK VENDORS, UH, VENDING AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS MAY ONLY VAN BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:00 AM AND 8:00 PM OR SUNSET WHICHEV, WHICHEVER IS LATER VENDING. IN NON-RESIDENTIAL AREAS, INCLUDING, UH, PARKS MAY OCCUR BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 6:00 AM AND 10:00 PM OR DURING OPERATING HOURS OF BUSINESSES ON THE SAME BLOCK, WHICHEVER IS LESS RESTRICTIVE IN PARK AREAS, VENDORS MAY OPERATE BETWEEN 8:00 AM OR THE CLOSE OR BETWEEN 8:00 AM AND CLOSING TIME OF THE PARK OR SUNSET, WHICH IS WHICHEVER IS LESS RESTRICTIVE. NO SIDEWALK VENDING MAY OCCUR WITHIN ONE BLOCK OF SCHOOL GROUNDS MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 7:00 AM AND 5:00 PM DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS AROUND SPECIAL EVENTS, THERE WILL BE A 200 FOOT BUFFER FOR EVENTS WITH UNDER 5,000 ATTENDEES. THERE WILL BE A 500 FOOT BUFFER FOR THE ENTRANCE OR EXIT TO AN EVENT WITH AN 250, I'M SORRY, THERE'S A 500 FOOT BUFFER FROM THE ENTRANCE OR EXIT TO ANY EVENT WITH MORE THAN 5,000 ATTENDEES AND A 200 FOOT BUFFER OF THE PERIMETER OF THAT SAME EVENT. FOR ALL OTHER EVENTS SUCH AS FARMER'S MARKETS, UH, OR SWAP MEETS, THERE IS A 500 FOOT BUFFER OF THE EVENT. AGAIN, THE OPERATING CONDITIONS OUTLINED IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO HEALTH, SAFETY OR WELFARE CONCERNS. AGAIN, PERCEIVED COMMUNITY ANIMUS AND ECONOMIC COMPETITION DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN OBJECTIVE HEALTH, SAFETY OR WELFARE CONCERN. NOW I'LL TURN IT OVER TO TYLER TO GO OVER A FEW OTHER ASPECTS OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE. THANK YOU, DANIEL. YEAH, SO IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATING, UM, REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE SET OUT IN THE DRAFT ORDINANCE, THERE IS INFORMATION AROUND ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE ORDINANCE. UH, SO IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW SB 9 46, UH, THERE ARE TWO, UM, CATEGORIES ESSENTIALLY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE FINE STRUCTURES. SO FOR PERMITTED VENDORS THAT, UM, VIOLATE THE ORDINANCE, UH, WITHIN A SINGLE YEAR. YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, UH, AN ESCALATING ADMINISTRATIVE FINE SCHEDULE WITH, UH, THE ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY POTENTIALLY TO REVOKE, UH, BUSINESS LICENSE OR BUSINESS PERMIT, UM, DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS. AND HERE YOU CAN SEE ESSENTIALLY A DOUBLING OF THE FINE STRUCTURE, UH, FOR UNPERMITTED VENDORS. AGAIN, THAT'S OUTLINED IN THE STATE LAW FOR AN ESCALATING FEE STRUCTURE, UM, FOR NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE ORDINANCE ONCE IT IS IN EFFECT. THE ORDINANCE ALSO INCLUDES SOME INFORMATION AROUND, UM, AUTHORITY THAT THE CITY HAS FOR IMPOUNDMENT OF POTENTIALLY EQUIPMENT, FOOD, AND OR MERCHANDISE. UM, BUT THIS IS IN RELATIVELY LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THERE'S AN IMMEDIATE CONCERN, UM, TO ADDRESS. SO INCLUDING WHEN A VENDOR IS VENDING, POTENTIALLY PROHIBITED ITEMS SUCH AS CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES, UH, POTENTIALLY THEY DON'T, UH, ACTUALLY HAVE A VENDOR PERMIT OR BUSINESS PERMIT, OR THEY LEAVE THEIR EQUIPMENT, FOOD, OR MERCHANDISE UNATTENDED FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME. THIS IS WHEN THE CITY DOES HAVE THE AUTHORITY WITHIN THE ORDINANCE TO, UH, IMPOUND THAT EQUIPMENT, FOOD, OR MERCHANDISE. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IF THOSE, UH, EQUIPMENT, FOOD, OR MERCHANDISE CAN'T BE STORED, IT'S PERISHABLE OR PRESENTS A HEALTH OR SAFETY CONCERN, IT'S SUBJECT TO A MEDIA DISPOSAL, UH, INSTEAD OF IMPOUNDMENT. SO ALONG WITH THE ADDITION OF THIS, UM, CHAPTER TO THE MUNICIPAL CODE, THE ACTION TONIGHT WOULD INCLUDE [03:20:01] A CLEANUP OF OTHER PARTS OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE, INCLUDING REALLY JUST STREAMLINING AND CENTRALIZING THESE REQUIREMENTS UNDER A SINGLE CHAPTER. SO IT'S MUCH, MUCH CLEARER FOR VENDORS AND THE PUBLIC TO KNOW WHERE TO GO TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THIS PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK IS. UH, IT ALSO WOULD ALLOW FOR SIDEWALK BENDING WITHOUT THE ENCROACHMENT PERMIT FROM PUBLIC WORKS, UM, AND ALLOW FOR SIDEWALK BENDING AND PARKS AND BEACHES AS DANIEL HAS MENTIONED. SO LAST I WANT TO COVER SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS AND WHAT IMPLEMENTATION CAN LOOK LIKE. UM, ONE OF THE KEY AREAS I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE AND OF COURSE FOLLOWING MAYOR AND COUNCIL INPUT, UH, MONTHS AGO, WAS THE INTEREST IN PROVIDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR VENDORS TO ENCOURAGE COMPLIANCE WITH THIS ORDINANCE ONCE IT IS IN PLACE. SO WE ARE WORKING WITH STAFF TO DEVELOP A GRANT PROGRAM FOR VENDORS TO HELP OFFSET COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUSINESS LICENSE AND HEALTH PERMITS, UH, AS WELL AS HOPING TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE HEALTH APPROVED SIDEWALK VENDING CARTS MORE FINANCIALLY ACCESSIBLE. SO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT RECOVERY ACT PROGRAM WILL BE, UH, SHARED AS THAT'S DEVELOPED. BUT I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION, WAYS THAT THE CITY CAN SUPPORT, UH, ESPECIALLY THIS FIRST TIME DEVELOPMENT OF THE BUSINESS LICENSE AND HEALTH PERMIT, GET FOLKS INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THIS ORDINANCE ONCE IT IS IN EFFECT. UH, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THOUGH, THAT THESE ARE ONE-TIME FUNDS WITH THE LONG REACH RECOVERY ACT. SO WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR OTHER, UH, FUNDING SOURCES AS WELL AS I KNOW THERE WAS AN INTEREST FROM, UH, THE COUNCIL IN MAY TO LOOK FOR WAYS THAT THE STATE COULD POTENTIALLY SUPPORT NOT ONLY OFFSETTING, UH, SOME OF THE CITY COSTS FOR IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT WAYS THE STATE, UM, AND POTENTIALLY EVEN CONGRESS COULD SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF, UH, ENTREPRENEURSHIP THROUGH SIDEWALK VENDING. SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR THOSE, UM, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AS WELL. ANOTHER CORE FOCUS OF THIS PROGRAM ONCE, UH, THE ORDINANCE IS FINALIZED AND DEVELOPED IS OF COURSE AROUND EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. SO AT THIS POINT, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS DONE CONSIDERABLE OUTREACH FOR VI UH, VENDORS THAT ARE SELLING FOOD. UM, AND THEY HAVE ACTUALLY STARTED THEIR SIDEWALK VENDOR EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN IN 2021 AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO FOOD SAFETY CLASSES ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. THEY PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ONLINE, IN PERSON AS THEY GO OUT AND, UM, INTERACT WITH VENDORS AND OF COURSE, IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES. SINCE DECEMBER OF 2022, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS CONDUCTED TWO WORKSHOPS AND OFFERED CONSULTATIONS AS, AS WELL AS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AT VARIOUS COMMUNITY EVENTS TO HELP ENCOURAGE VENDORS THAT NEED A HEALTH PERMIT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE AND TO BE ABLE TO COMPLY WITH THE HEALTH PER HEALTH PERMIT REQUIREMENTS. AND SINCE THEN, WE HAVE HAD ONE VENDOR THAT HAS APPLIED AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING THE SIDEWALK VENDING HEALTH PERMIT THROUGH THAT EFFORT. UH, WE ALSO HAVE ROUGHLY 40 FOOD CART VENDORS THAT HAVE AN APPROVED HEALTH PERMIT IN THE CITY. AND THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE HEALTH'S WEBSITE. SO THIS EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, OF COURSE, WILL CONTINUE FROM A HEALTH PERMIT SIDE, AS WELL AS, UM, PART OF THIS ORDINANCE, OF COURSE, IS THE REQUIREMENT FOR A BUSINESS LICENSE AND SIDEWALK VENDING PERMIT. SO IN ADDITION TO THE BUSINESS LI OR SORRY, THE HEALTH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. THE BUSINESS LICENSING TEAM WILL ALSO BE RAMPING UP EFFORTS TO, UM, SHARE INFORMATION WITH THE COMMUNITY, WITH VENDORS, UM, AROUND WHAT THIS PROCESS ENTAILS TO GET A BUSINESS LICENSE AND PERMIT. UM, AND BOTH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND BUSINESS LICENSING TEAMS HAVE INC, UM, EXPANDED THEIR TEAMS THROUGH THE LATEST CITY BUDGET, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO ADDITIONAL OUTREACH. SO THE, UM, FOCUS HERE ONCE THE ORDINANCE IS DEVELOPED IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THROUGH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SOURCES, WHETHER IT'S FLYERS, CANVASSING TO VENDORS, DOING TOWN HALLS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH, SOCIAL MEDIA, AS WELL AS THE HEALTH PERMIT WORKSHOPS, REALLY LOOKING AT A VARIETY OF WAYS TO GET INFORMATION OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THIS ORDINANCE ENTAILS AND HOW VENDORS CAN COMPLY IN ADDITION TO, UM, INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF GOING TO HEALTH PERMITTED, UM, ESTABLISHMENTS AND VENDORS. SO THE HOPE HERE IS TO FOCUS ON EDUCATION AND EN AND ENFORCEMENT AROUND THE SPECIFICS OF THE ORDINANCE. UM, MEANWHILE, OF COURSE, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY AND AUTHORITY TO, UH, ENFORCE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE AS A HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND ULTIMATELY THE HEALTH PERMIT [03:25:01] HAS ALWAYS BEEN A REQUIREMENT FOR SIDEWALK VENDORS WHO ARE VENDING FOOD UNLESS THEY'RE EXEMPT, AS DANIEL HAD MENTIONED. UM, AND WE DO HAVE A COMPLAINT AND RESPONSE TEAM WITH HEALTH PUBLIC WORKS AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT GO OUT AND EDUCATE AND, AND ENFORCE STATE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE REQUIREMENTS AND THE HEALTH PERMIT PROCESS. THIS TEAM HAS BEEN, UH, DEPLOYED 15 TIMES SINCE THE MAY COUNCIL ACTION PROVIDING ROUGHLY FOUR TO SIX VENDORS, UH, EVERY NIGHT THAT THEY'VE GONE OUT WITH EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO GET A HEALTH PERMIT AS WELL AS IN SOME CASES DISPOSING OF FOOD AND IMPOUNDING EQUIPMENT WHEN THERE WAS AN IMMINENT HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK IN THOSE, UM, VENDING ENVIRONMENTS. SO THIS IS IMPORTANT, I THINK, TO JUST EMPHASIZE THAT THIS WILL BE A, A DUAL APPROACH WHERE OF COURSE THERE IT WILL BE A CONCERTED EFFORT FOR EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO INFORM, UH, VENDORS AROUND WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORDINANCE ENTAIL, AS WELL AS THE BUSINESS LICENSING AND PERMIT PROCESS, WHILE CONTINUING TO DO EDUCATION OUTREACH AND ENFORCEMENT ON THE HEALTH PERMIT SIDE. UM, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE FOR ENFORCEMENT OF THE HEALTH PERMIT STAFF HAVE FACED SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES IN ENFORCING UNPERMITTED SIDEWALK VENDING AND, UM, GOING THROUGH THE OVERALL INSPECTIONS AND INTERACTIONS THROUGH THAT PROCESS. EVERYTHING FROM UM, PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS, STAFFING CONCERNS, VENDORS, UH, FAILING TO PROVIDE IDENTIFICATION, EVEN OF COURSE CHALLENGES AROUND AFTER HOURS ENFORCEMENT. SO WHAT THIS ORDINANCE IS, IS REALLY SORT OF A FIRST STEP IN CODIFYING WHAT THIS PROGRAM LOOKS LIKE CITYWIDE AND BRINGING TOGETHER THIS INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO, UM, DEVELOP A CLEAR APPROACH FOR ENFORCEMENT, NOT ONLY OF THE ORDINANCE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS LICENSING AND PERMIT REQUIREMENTS, BUT ESPECIALLY OF COURSE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE REQUIREMENTS AS WELL. UM, AND I KNOW THE COUNCIL ACTION IN MAY ALSO REQUESTED THAT WE WOULD RETURN TO COUNCIL SIX MONTHS AFTER ENACTMENT WITH AN UPDATE ON ENFORCEMENT. SO WE WILL OF COURSE HAVE MORE INFORMATION AT THAT POINT ON HOW THINGS ARE GOING, WHAT SOME OF THE CHALLENGE AREAS ARE, AND POTENTIALLY EVEN THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, WHAT MIGHT BE NEEDED TO EXPAND CAPACITY FOR EDUCATION, OUTREACH AND ENFORCEMENT. THE LAST THING I'LL NOTE IS WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON STREAMLINING THE PROCESS FOR THIS COMPLAINT BASED SYSTEM. SO IT'S IMPORTANT AGAIN TO NOTE THAT, UM, THIS ENFORCEMENT IS COMPLAINT BASED. SO WE ARE WORKING TO, UH, PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE GO LONG BEACH APP SO THAT THERE'S A STREAMLINED SINGLE PLACE FOR, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO, UH, INPUT THEIR COMPLAINTS. AND THEN IT HELPS AGAIN AS STAFF WITH THIS INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM TO, UH, DIRECT THE RESOURCES WHERE THEY'RE MOST NEEDED. SO WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE PROVIDED SORT OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE STARTED, HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS DRAFT ORDINANCE, SOME OF THE KEY PROVISIONS, AND EVEN, UH, POTENTIALLY NEXT STEPS. WE LOOK FORWARD, OF COURSE, TO YOUR INPUT. AND TONIGHT IF, UM, YOU KNOW, WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE RECOMMENDATION, THERE ARE THREE PIECES THAT I'LL JUST CALL OUT, UH, QUICKLY. THE FIRST IS THE ACTION TO EXEMPT THIS MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENT FROM CQA, UM, AS WELL AS DECLARING, UM, THIS ORDINANCE TO ADOPT THE CHANGES AND, UM, AMEND VARIOUS SECTIONS OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE. AND THEN THE LAST PIECE IS, UM, TO AUTHORIZE THE, UH, CITY TO BE ABLE TO SUBMIT THESE ORDINANCE CHANGES THAT IMPACT THE COASTAL ZONE TO THE COASTAL COMMISSION FOR THEIR REVIEW. UM, SO WITH THAT, WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR INPUT AND QUESTIONS AND DIALOGUE ON THIS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. AND, UH, THAT CONCLUDES, UH, STAFF PRESENTATION. SO WE ARE GOING TO GO TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. WE HAVE 37, UH, PEOPLE SIGNED, SIGNED UP, OR 31 A A LOT 30, UH, SIGNED UP, UH, FOR THIS. SO, UM, SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GONNA CALL THE FIRST 10 PEOPLE. SO IT'S SHEILA DIAZ, YOUR FIRST MIA HERNANDEZ, SABA KEELY ESCALANTE, RANDY SANTIAGO BAMBOO, UH, GIL, UH, GILDER, MINA CRUZ, SHEILA DIAZ, UH, JAMES UHSO AND ANTONIO HERNANDEZ. OKAY, SO I WANNA REMIND EVERYONE IT IS 90 SECONDS AND WE'RE GONNA ADHERE TO THE 90 SECONDS. SO THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE SITTING AND WAITING TO TALK, PLEASE PREPARE YOUR COMMENTS FOR 90 SECONDS AND I WILL STOP YOU WHEN THAT IS UP. OKAY, EVERYBODY GOOD WITH THAT? AWESOME. OKAY, SO [03:30:01] YOU'RE, YOU'RE UP. EXCUSE. GOOD EVENING VICE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS SHAYLA DIAZ AND I AM A RESIDENT OF COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN. I'M ALSO AN ORGANIZER ON LANES LONG BEACH FOR JUST ECONOMY CAMPAIGN. I LIVE RIGHT OFF THE SEVEN 10 SOUTH FREEWAY RIGHT BY PCH, WHERE WE HAVE SOME STREET VENDORS OR ENTREPRENEURS SELLING THEIR DELICIOUS FOOD. ONE OF THEM ACTUALLY BEING MY AUNT. THEY PROVIDE BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER NOT ONLY TO THE FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY IN THE AREA, BUT TO TRUCK DRIVERS WHO DRIVE IN AND OUT OF THE PORTS, THE WORKERS OF THE NEARBY FACTORIES AND MANY MORE PEOPLE. THEY'RE A CRUCIAL PART OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE BACKBONE OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMY. THERE SHOULD BE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LOCAL AND TOURISM ECONOMY, NOT MORE BARRIERS. THE PROPOSED LICENSING FEES ARE NOT PRACTICAL AND ARE OVERLY BURDEN SOME VENDORS THAT OFTEN MAKE LESS THAN 20,000 A YEAR. THE CITY SHOULD CREATE PATHWAYS TO SUPPORT STREET VENDORS WHO, WHO MAY ULTIMATELY BECOME BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESS OWNERS INSTEAD OF HAVING LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS FALL INTO DEBT TRAP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, MIA, YOU'RE UP. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR REX RICHARDSON AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS MIA HERNANDEZ PEREZ AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF STATE SENATOR LINA GONZALEZ. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A STATEMENT ON HER BEHALF. LAST YEAR I AUTHORED AND SUCCESSFULLY PASSED SB 9 72, ENHANCING THE SAFETY OF SIDEWALK FOOD VENDING INTO LAW. AND THROUGH THE PASSAGE OF SB 9 72, CALIFORNIA DECLARED ITS UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR MICRO ENTREPRENEURS, FORMERLY INTER INTEGRATING THEM INTO THE STATE'S DRIVING ECONOMY. WHILE I AGREE WITH MOST STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, I HAVE CONCERNS REGARDING THE INSURANCE REQUIREMENT, PROHIBITING VENDING AT THE PIKE OUTLETS, THE EXCLUSION ZONE FROM SCHOOLS AND PROHIBITING VENDORS FROM USING ELECTRICAL OUTLETS OR POWER SOURCES OWNED BY THE CITY, OR ANOTHER PERSON OTHER THAN THE SIDEWALK VENDOR. MY CONCERNS ARE OUTLINED IN THE LETTER SUBMITTED TO THE COUNCIL. I HOPE THE CITY COUNCIL HAS A RE A ROBUST DISCUSSION OF HOW THE CITY OF LONG BEACH CAN LEAD AND CREATE AN ORDINANCE THAT OPTIMIZES OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE MICRO ENTREPRENEURS. SIDEWALK FOOD VENDING PROVIDES VITAL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW INCOME AND IMMIGRANT WORKERS TO BUILD THEIR MICRO BUSINESSES SUPPORTING THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES. THEY HAVE BECOME A STAPLE IN CALIFORNIA'S COMMUNITIES AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE VIBRANT FOOD CULTURE THAT MAKES CALIFORNIA AND THE CITY OF LONG BEACH UNIQUE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS. I HAVE BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE WITH SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH REGARDING THE UPCOMING ORDINANCE, AND WE HOPE TO REACH AN ORDINANCE THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU MIA. OKAY, UH, SABA. WHO? SABA. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD KELLY. YOU'RE NEXT. I'M NOT KELLY. I'M VAN. OKAY. IS KYLIE HERE? ALRIGHT, ESCALANTE? NOPE. ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO, UH, THE NEXT WOULD BE, UH, IS RANDY HERE? SANTIAGO. ALL RIGHT, BAMBOO, YOU'RE UP. HELLO, VICE MARI, THE ALLEN AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS VAN BOWIE AND I'M REPRESENTING LIBRE BEING IN SOLIDARITY TODAY WITH STREET VENDORS. I THINK ALL OF US CAN ENJOY A, A PLAY OF SOME YUMMY FRESH TACOS, BUT BEYOND THAT, STREET VENDORS ARE PART OF THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY WHO DESERVE TO LIVE WITH DIGNITY TOO. AND THAT RE THAT MEANS REMOVING THE BARRIERS THAT WOULD PREVENT STREET VENDORS FROM TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING AND MAKING ENDS MEET. SEVERAL OF THESE COMPONENTS OF THE ORDINANCE AS WRITTEN WILL NOT SERVE AND CENTER THESE STREET VENDORS. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE PERMIT, THE PERMIT FEES ARE TOO HIGH FOR MOST VENDORS TO AFFORD. THESE STREET VENDORS ALREADY, ON AVERAGE MAKE LESS THAN 20 $20,000 A YEAR THROUGH THE BUSINESSES. SO HOW WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO AFFORD THESE HIGH PERMIT FEES? THE FEE SHOULD BE HEAVILY REDUCED OR SUBSIDIZED BY THE CITY. TAKE THE CITY OF, OF LOS ANGELES FOR EXAMPLE, THEY'RE CONSIDERING REDUCING THEIR STREET VENDING PERMIT FEE TO ABOUT $27 TO MAKE THE PERMIT MORE ACCESSIBLE. OTHER COMPONENTS, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DISCUSS IN MY 90 SECONDS TO DIS LIKE THE PENALTIES, PERMIT REQUIREMENTS AND PREREQUISITES OPERATING CONDITIONS, PROHIBITED AREAS. SPECIAL VENDING DISTRICTS AND ENFORCEMENT ARE ALSO NOT WRITTEN IDEAL IN MIND WITH STREET VENDORS. PLEASE LOOK TO THE LETTER FROM PUBLIC COUNCIL TO LEARN BEST PRACTICES AND POLICIES THAT WILL CENTER THESE STREET VENDORS. WE NEED TO MAKE THIS PROCESS AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE FOR THEM, AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE FOR THEM AS THEY'RE ALREADY OFTEN FACING CHALLENGES AND FINANCIAL BARRIERS AS IS AS LOW INCOME IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY MEMBERS. I HOPE THAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH VALUES THESE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ENOUGH TO RECONSIDER HOW THIS ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN AND BETTER SERVE THEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU [03:35:16] CRUZ. GOOD EVENING, UH, VICE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS NINA CRUZ AND I BELONG TO DISTRICT SIX AND I HAVE BEEN LIVING IN LONG BEACH FOR MANY YEARS. I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE, UH, THAT ALLOWS STREET VENDORS TO CONDUCT THEIR BUSINESS. IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO TAKE CONSCIOUSNESS AND VALUE THE WORK THAT THEY DO SINCE THESE JOBS ALLOW THEM TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES AND ELDERLY FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE DIFFICULTIES MAINTAINING A CITY JOB. UH, AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO, UH, OBTAIN AN ACCESSIBLE AND, UH, ADJUST UH, NORMS FOR ALL THE STREET VENDORS, CREATE A MORE, UH, SECURE, UH, ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM AND SINCE THEY ARE PART OF THE ECONOMY AND THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO WILL BE ABLE TO, UH, HELP OUT, UH, THE CITY AS WELL. AND, UH, HOPEFULLY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS, UH, INTO CONSIDERATION TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT, UH, SITUATIONS THAT THEY MIGHT GO THROUGH AND ALSO FACILITATE THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN, UH, STREET VENDORS AND THE CITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, JAMES, YOU'RE UP. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JAMES SUAZO. UH, I AM THE, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH LONG BEACH FORD AND A SIX DISTRICT RESIDENT. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF IN SUPPORT OF THE STREET VENDING ORDINANCE AND I HAVE A LETTER THAT I'LL SUBMIT TO THE CITY CLERK FOR YOUR REFERENCE AS WELL WITH SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS. TOP LINE IN 90 SECONDS THAT I WANT TO GET TO IS THAT OVERALL THIS POLICY IS A GREAT STEP FORWARD FOR US TO NOT ONLY IMPROVE ECONOMIC MOBILITY WITHIN OUR CITY, BUT ALSO LIFT, UM, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES OUT OF POVERTY AND REALLY CREATE PATHWAYS INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INTO THE FORMAL ECONOMY AND NOT BARRIERS. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND, THIS IS A COMPLEX POLICY. IT'S EASY TO GET BOGGED DOWN IN MINUTE DETAILS AND WHATNOT, BUT WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THE TOTALITY OF THIS AND THINK ABOUT HOW ARE WE CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS EITHER THEIR ALREADY STREET VENDING OR PEOPLE WHO ARE COOKING FOOD IN THEIR HOMES AND WANT TO VIEW STREET VENDING AS AN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO MEET, TO HAVE THEIR NEEDS MET. AND SO, AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THAT IS US TO THINK ABOUT THE, UH, OVERALL COST OF FEES. AS WE SEE IN OTHER CITIES LIKE THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, THEY HAVE BEEN OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS CONSTANTLY REDUCING FEES TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. WE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS PROGRAM AND THESE REGULATIONS, WE WANT TO ACTUALLY ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE UTILIZING IT. AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US. ALSO, ENSURING THAT WE WAIVE INSURANCE FEES SO THAT THOSE AREN'T BARRIERS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND THAT THE CITY CAN TAKE PROACTIVE STEPS TO AT THE SAME TIME PROTECT THEIR LIABILITY. THERE'S NUMBERS OF WAYS THAT WE COULD DO THAT MADE BY MAKING SOME AMENDMENTS TO THIS POLICY. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, ANTONIO, YOU'RE UP. ALRIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON, VICE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL IN LONG BEACH. MY NAME IS ANTONIO HERNANDEZ AND I'M A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH LONG BEACH FORWARD. I STAND BEFORE YOU ALL TO UPLIFT THE NEED TO VOTE FOR A FAVORABLE VENDING ORDINANCE TO ENCOURAGE THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP OF IMMIGRANT AND LOW INCOME STREET VENDORS IN LONG BEACH. I AM A TESTAMENT TO MY PARENTS' DIGNIFIED WORK, SELLING A LOTUS TO ENSURE MY SISTER AND I HAD A ROOF OVER OUR HEADS GROWING UP. THIS IS A REALITY FOR SEVERAL VENDORS TO MAKE THEIR DIGNIFIED LIVING TO PROVIDE A ROOF FOR THEIR FAMILY WHEN THEY CANNOT ACCESS A AFFORD ECONOMY. [03:40:01] LET'S HAVE A GENUINE CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW RESTRICTIVE A RESTRICTIVE ORDINANCE CONTINUES THE LEGACY OF LEAD AND RACIST ECONOMIC BARRIERS FOR A SUBSTANTIAL SECTOR OF MIGRANT, IMMIGRANT AND BIPO ENTREPRENEURS. WE ENCOURAGE LONG BEACH TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE PATHWAYS FOR STREET VENDORS TO PARTAKE IN A FORMAL LOCAL ECONOMY THAT INCLUDE SUBSIDIZED, SUBSIDIZED, OR FREE BUSINESS PERMITS. ELIMINATED BURDENSOME INSURANCE, WHICH WHEN SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS STREET VENDORS MAKE UNDER $20,000 A YEAR AND ALSO INCENTIVIZES VENDORS TO STILL PARTAKE IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY. AS Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING, SENATE BILL 9 46 STATES THAT LONG BEACH MUST ALLOW STREET VENDORS TO OPERATE IN NEIGHBORHOODS, PARKS, OWN AND OPERATED BY THE CITY AND ON PUBLIC STREET AND SPACES INCLUDING THE PIKE. REGARDLESS OF THE CITY'S SUBLEASE AGREEMENT. I URGE THE COUNCIL TO ENSURE THE ORDINANCE OF UPLIFTS ENTREPRENEURSHIP OF IMMIGRANT AND LOW INCOME VENDORS BY CREATING ACCESSIBLE PATHWAYS TO STREET VENDORS TO ENTER THE LOCAL ECONOMY. LET'S CREATE PATHWAYS NOW WALLS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. OKAY. I NEED THE, UH, NEXT 10 TO LINE UP JOANNA DIAZ, ERIC GARCIA, MARY LYNN, UM, LEANNA NOBLE, GRISHA LOPEZ, S IRMA, UH, CHRISTELLE, DOMBROWSKI MARYBELL CRUZ. I'M JAY, MATT HATTER AND ZUKI GONZALEZ. AND I HAVE TO SAY THE 10 SPEAKERS DID A GREAT JOB ADHERING TO THE, UH, THE TIME LIMIT. SO LET'S KEEP THAT UP. OKAY. SO, UM, JOANNA DIAZ, WHERE ARE YOU? IT'S JOANNA, ERIC, MARY, LEANNA, GRISHA, IRMA, CHRISTELLE, MARYBELL, AND JAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, YOU'RE UP. ALL RIGHTY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JOANNA AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF A FAVORABLE ST STREET VENDING ORDINANCE THAT GENUINELY SUPPORTS OUR LOCAL STREET VENDORS. THE CURRENT VERSION OF THIS ORDINANCE NOT ONLY IMPOSES HARSH BARRIERS LIKE UNREASONABLE PERMIT FEES AND PENALTIES, ALONG WITH RIDICULOUS NO VENDING ZONES AND OPERATING LIMITATIONS THAT PREVENT THEM FROM USING PUBLIC TRASH CANS. IT ALSO UNDERMINES THE INTENTIONS OF CALIFORNIA STATE LAW TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL STREET VENDORS. WE SHOULD INSTEAD FOCUS ON PROVIDING NECESSARY RESOURCES LIKE EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AND LANGUAGE ACCESSIBILITY, LIKE TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION THAT SUPPORTS OUR COMMUNITY IN NAVIGATING THESE CUMBERSOME PROCESSES. WE ALSO NEED YOUR, UH, YOUR CITY WORKERS TO BE EDUCATED ON THE POLICY AND HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT THEIR BEHAVIOR AGAINST VENDORS IN RECENT YEARS IS DEPLORABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE. AFTER SPEAKING WITH NUMEROUS VENDORS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WE HAVE HEARD FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS OF VENDORS HAVING HEALTH DEPARTMENT WORKERS AND POLICE OFFICERS POURING BLEACH INTO THEIR FOOD, SPILLING THEIR FOOD, AND PUTTING THEIR FEET IN THEIR FOOD. WE'VE ALSO HEARD THAT THEIR EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN DAMAGED AND CONFISCATED. THIS NEEDS TO STOP. INSTEAD OF WASTING MORE RESOURCES ON IMPLEMENTING AN APP THAT HARASSES OUR POC VENDORS WORKING TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES, CAN WE USE THAT, THAT COMPLAINT APP TO HOLD YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO IMPOSES VIOLENCE ON OUR COMMUNITIES ACCOUNTABLE? INSTEAD, I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT A FOOD VENDING ORDINANCE THAT WOULD PREVENT THIS HARM AND INSTEAD SUPPORT THOSE WHO MAKE THE CITY AN AMAZING FOOD DESTINATION AND MAKES US WHO WE ARE AS LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, ERIC. MY FAULT. WHAT'S UP Y'ALL? MY NAME'S ERIC, UH, WITH AND I'M GONNA FOCUS ON THE FINES AND TICKETS, WHICH I THINK ARE EXTREMELY HARMFUL, UH, TO VENDORS AND SEVERELY STIFLED BUSINESS, UH, BUSINESSES AS, UH, ANTONIO JUST MENTIONED, UH, REALLY PERPETUATING, UH, INCOME BARRIERS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE OF COLOR, BLACK BROWN IMMIGRANT. UH, AND PARTICULARLY PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT PERSISTS WHEN WE FIND THOSE SOLUTIONS IS THAT GOVERNMENTS HISTORICALLY TEND TO LEAN TOWARD PUNISHMENT PART, VERY PUNITIVE ONES AT THAT AND SORT OF ADDRESS THE SOLUTION. AND SO I THINK WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT THE SORT OF FINES ASPECT OF THIS AS AN INCENTIVE. LIKE WHAT INCENTIVES CAN YOU ALL AS THE CITY OFFER VENDORS TO FALL IN LINE WITH WHATEVER THE REQUIREMENTS? I CAN'T GET THAT ONE, ONE PERMIT THAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED. WHAT WAS THAT NUMBER DURING THE PRESENTATION? THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT. AND SO THERE ARE BARRIERS TO GETTING THESE PERMITS. AND SO THE CITY SHOULD DO EVERYTHING IT CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, INCLUDING THE, THE FINES OR THE THE FEES FOR THESE PERMITS, UM, ARE LOW AND ACCESSIBLE. SO THE CITY'S ROLE WITH FINES AS IT RELATES TO THIS SHOULD BE TO MAKE IT AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE. UM, AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY ON COST RECOVERY, I THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY WE'RE FRAMING COST RECOVERY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUSINESS. THIS IS AN INVESTMENT. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO MAKE OUR, THIS IS GONNA COME BACK INTO THE CITY. AND SO THINKING ABOUT THE COST RECOVERY ASPECT OF THIS, I THINK IS DETRIMENTAL BECAUSE THE CITY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN ITS BUSINESS OWNERS. THANK YOU. AND THAT'S YOUR TIME. OKAY. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. OKAY. [03:45:01] HELLO, MY NAME IS MAY. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE AND I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO CREATE AN ORDINANCE UPLIFTING IMMIGRANT AND LOW INCOME FOLKS. MANY ASPECTS OF THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE CREATE CHALLENGES. FIRST, PUBLICLY OWNED PROPERTY SHOULD BE OPEN TO STREET VENDORS. I'M ALARMED TO HEAR ABOUT THE PROHIBITION OF VENDING NEARBY SCHOOLS OR PLACES LIKE THE PIKE. WE ALL KNOW HOW AWESOME IT IS TO WALK OUT OF A LONG DAY OF SCHOOL AND GET ICE CREAM AND A LOTES OR WHEN WALKING BY THE SHORELINE, WE SHOULD BE HAVING MORE RATHER THAN LESS OF THAT. SECOND, I URGE THE CITY TO REDUCE OUR SUBSIDIZED FEES, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY WAY TOO HIGH FOR VENDORS WHO ARE MAKING LESS THAN 20 KA YEAR. STREET VENDORS FACE STRUCTURAL BARRIERS TO ECONOMIC WELLBEING THAT ARE ROOTED IN CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE LOCAL AND THE GLOBAL. LIKE MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES, STREET VENDORS ARE COMING FROM REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES WHO ARE HERE BECAUSE OF US MILITARY INTERVENTION. THEY TOO HAVE FLED WAR AND PERSECUTION, LIKE THE HORRIFIC GENOCIDE THAT OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE ENABLING RIGHT NOW. WE NEED TO SUPPORT VENDORS COMING FROM THESE COMMUNITIES AND CREATE MORE ECONOMIC PATHWAYS, NOT BARRIERS. THIRD, PLEASE MAKE PERMITS ACCESSIBLE AND LIFT THE BURDENSOME INSURANCE REQUIREMENT. DOING SO AS PEOPLE HAVE SAID, UPLIFTS NOT ONLY OUR VENDORS, BUT ALSO SUPPORTS WHAT THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND TO WHAT MAKES LONG BEACH BEAUTIFUL, WE DO HAVE THE MONEY TO SUBSIDIZE THESE PROGRAMS AND REDUCE THESE BURDENSOME FEES. THE CITY COUNCIL MUST THINK GLOBALLY, EVEN WHILE ACTINGLY LOCALLY TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITIES. EVERYTHING YOU'VE BEEN HEARING TONIGHT FROM PALESTINE TO LONG BEACHES AND INTERCONNECTED, WE'RE TOLD WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY WHEN WE'RE SENDING MONEY TO FUND GENOCIDE. SO THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY. PROTECT OFFENDER. THANK YOU. THAT'S YOUR TIME AND SUPPORT CEASE FIRE. THANK YOU. MY NAME'S LEANNA NOBLE. I LIVE DOWNTOWN. WITH ME IS MY PARTNER OF 50 SOME ODD YEARS. HOLLA STEWART WHO ALSO GETS TO LIVE DOWNTOWN. WE ARE HERE AS NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVISTS AND WE ARE PROUD AND IN SUPPORT OF ALL OF THE MESSAGES THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD TONIGHT. WE WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THESE ARE OUR NEIGHBORS AND THIS IS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ECONOMY. YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB AND WINNING AWARDS FOR SUPPORTING BUSINESS. THIS IS BUSINESS AND THIS IS BUSINESS THAT FEEDS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THESE STREET VENDORS ARE A PART OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CULTURE. WE ARE HAPPY CUSTOMERS AND THE, THE, THE RESTRICTIONS THAT YOU'RE PUTTING OUT THERE ARE GONNA MAKE IT HARD FOR US TO EVEN NAVIGATE OUR, OUR STREETS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE DON'T ALL DO GRUBHUB AND THIS WILL ACTIVATE OUR STREETS. WE HAVE THREE REQUESTS. DO NOT, DO NOT REQUIRE INSURANCE. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. PLEASE ALLOW, LIKE SENATOR GONZALEZ SAID, A PATH FOR ACCESS TO UTILITIES. TO ELECTRICITY AND WATER WITH COOPERATION WITH PROPERTY OWNERS. AND DO NOT, AND THINK THAT'S YOUR TIME. I'M SORRY. OUR MIXED USE BUILDINGS AND MAKE THEM A NON VENDOR AREA YOU HAVE BUILT. OKAY, THAT'S YOUR TIME MA'AM. BUT THE DOWNTOWN PLAN, MID EAST RESIDENTIAL IRMA, YOU'RE NEXT. YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WAITING TO TALK, RIGHT? YOU'RE NEXT. HI, UM, MY NAME IS CHRISTEL DOMBROWSKI AND I WAS TOLD I WOULD GET THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AND I NEVER AGREED TO A 92ND. YEAH, WHENEVER WE HAVE UH, MORE THAN 10 SPEAKERS, THAT'S THE RULES. IT'S, IT'S UH, 90 SECONDS. SO GO AHEAD. YOUR TIME BEGINS. OKAY. I CAN'T POSSIBLY SAY, WELL, EVERYTHING I HAVE TO SAY IN THAT TIME, UH, STREET VENDORS MAKE IT SAFER FOR PEOPLE. UH, THEY, THEY, UM, DO NOT COMPETE WITH THE, UM, WITH THE RESTAURANTS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, PEOPLE CAN TRY, UH, VARIOUS ETHNIC FOODS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT GO INTO A RESTAURANT, YOU KNOW, AND SPEND ALL THAT MONEY ON A MEAL. BUT ONCE THEY'VE TRIED IT, THEN THEY WILL GO, UH, WHAT I'M HERE FOR. AND I TOLD THEM THIS IS, IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE PROBLEM THAT THE CITY HAS SHUT DOWN THE FREE, UH, LIVE PUNK MUSIC ON FOURTH STREET FOR FOURTH FRIDAYS THAT SUPPORTS THESE STREET VENDORS. 'CAUSE FOURTH FRIDAY IS A PLACE WHERE STREET VENDORS ARE, UH, IT DOESN'T COST THE CITY ANYTHING. THEY'VE SHUT IT DOWN. IT HAS THE SAME DECIBEL LEVELS AS THE TWO DJS THAT ARE ALLOWED AND WE NEED MORE FREE LIVE MUSIC AND EVENTS. UM, THE STREET MEN VENDORS MAKE IT SAFE FOR PEOPLE AND THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO TO BE OPEN LIKE WHEN [03:50:01] THE BAR IS CLOSE AT 2:00 AM SO WHEN I GET OUT OF A BAR, THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE STREET AND IT'S SAFE. THERE ARE, UM, FIVE PIS BUSINESSES ON FOURTH STREET OWNED BY PUNKS MEOW FAR OUT A VINTAGE STORE WHERE, I FORGET THE NAME OF IT, BUT I KNOW THE OWNER, THE BURGER WHO PUTS ON THE MUSIC. OKAY, MA'AM, THAT'S YOUR TIME. I'M SORRY YOU'RE ALL UP. THANK YOU. WHAT HAPPENED TO RICKS REX? BECAUSE HE'S THE MAYOR. HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE HERE, YOU KNOW, AND I I I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT I'M FROM LONG BEACH, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I KNOW REX AIN'T FROM LONG BEACH. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY Y'ALL, HE'LL BE BACK LONG BEACH BACK. HE'LL BE BACK BY GOING AHEAD MAKING OH HE BE BACK, BUT HE AIN'T GONNA BE BACK BACK BY THE TIME I'M DONE. SO THE THING ABOUT IT IS A LOT OF Y'ALL HERE AIN'T, WASN'T BORN AND RAISED IN LONG BEACH, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? YEAH. WHERE IS HE AT ANYWAY? DID HE HAVE TO GO HOME AND THEN HE LEFT? NO, HE'S HERE AND HE'S, HE CAN HEAR YOUR COMMENTS. WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS. SO BACK TO IT. ANYWAY, ALL YOU KNOW, I'M PRETTY SURE A LOT OF Y'ALL AIN'T FROM LONG BEACH, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? BORN AND RAISED HERE AND I'M PRETTY SURE A LOT OF Y'ALL ARE IMMIGRANTS, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? VENONS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE TIME AND THERE'S NO REASON TO CHANGE WHAT'S GOING ON OUT HERE ABOUT CHARGING PEOPLE ON WHATEVER'S GOING ON. 'CAUSE A LOT OF STUFF JUST LIKE DOWN AT THE BLUFF. 'CAUSE I AIN'T SEEN A LOT OF Y'ALL DOWN THERE AT THE BLUFF. IF Y'ALL HAVE, Y'ALL HAVEN'T COME TALK TO US. UM, THE REASON WHY THE BLUFF AND I NAMED IT THE BLACK BLUFF AND EVERYBODY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES KNOWS IT AS THAT. UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF PROBLEMS DOWN THERE, YOU KNOW, FROM EVERYTHING GOING ON AND BEHIND US GOING DOWN THERE, VENDING AND SITTING THERE TALKING FROM PEOPLE THAT'S FROM LONG BEACH, YOU KNOW, SAT DOWN THERE AND TALKED TO ALL THE SHENANIGANS OUT THERE. WE KEEP THE BUMS IN CHECK. WE KEEP THE HOMELESS PEOPLE IN CHECK. WE KEEP THE GANG BANGERS IN CHECK AND SO TO MAKE AN ORDINANCE, 'CAUSE I SEEN THE BLUEPRINT THAT Y'ALL PUT DOWN THERE FOR THE BEACH AND A LOT OF THAT SPOTS THAT Y'ALL TAKING UP IS FOR THE FAMILIES THAT WE SET TO THE SIDE FOR THE FAMILIES. YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THESE VENDORS, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? I'M PRETTY SURE AIN'T NOBODY ON THIS PANEL OVER HERE MAKES MINIMUM WAGES. I'M PRETTY SURE. I'M PRETTY SURE NONE OF Y'ALL MAKE UNDER $50,000. THANK YOU. UM, THAT THAT'S YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. YES. WHERE'S REX AT ANYWAY? UM, SO WAIT, SO WE HAVE OKAY, YOU'RE WRAP. ALRIGHT. UH, UM, CAN I START ? SO, GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS SU GONZALEZ. I'M FROM DISTRICT ONE. UH, I'M, UH, ONE OF THE STREET VENDORS FROM UNI PRO BEACH. UH, I SAW ACAI BOWLS. SORRY, I GET EMOTIONAL . UH, SO, UH, YEAH, SO I SAW ACAI AT J APRIL BEACH AND, AND I'M HERE TO, UM, JUST TELL YOU GUYS TO PLEASE HELP US OUT, UH, SO WE CAN BE ABLE TO ACCESS TO PERMITS. UM, AND, UH, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS, UH, WHEN YOU GUYS ISSUE THE PERMITS, UH, FOR JUNIPER BEACH SECTION, UM, IF YOU GUYS CAN BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF US, UH, THE ONES THAT WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR OVER THE YEARS, UH, BEFORE EVERYBODY ELSE AND SUPPORT EVERYBODY ELSE TOO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, GOOD EVENING, UH, COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ELLO REYES, DIRECTOR OF THE LONG BEACH DETROIT, JUST ECONOMY HERE TO, UM, SUPPORT STREET VENDORS. SO STREET VENDING, UM, IN MY FAMILY GOES A LONG WAY FROM GUATEMALA ALL THE WAY TO LONG BEACH. UM, FOR MANY YEARS MY, MY DAD AND HIS WIFE LIVED IN DISTRICT NINE IN YOUR DISTRICT. DR. JOANIE AND MY DAD, UM, HAS SUFFERED FROM PARKINSON'S FOR 25 YEARS, MEANING THAT FOR A LONG TIME HE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO WORK HIS WIFE THOUGH, FROM MAKING TAMALES IN THE KITCHEN. UM, SO TAMALES, UM, SELLING OSAS. HE, SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO SUPPORT AND SUSTAIN MY DAD, ESPECIALLY WITH HIS MEDICATION. AND SO THIS ITEM IS VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART BECAUSE OF THAT. UM, AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR MY FAMILY AND MY DAD BEING ABLE TO GET ACCESS, UM, TO, TO WHAT HE NEEDS. UM, SO I URGE THE COUNCIL TO PLEASE CREATE MORE PATHWAYS FOR, UH, WORKERS, UM, STREET VENDORS TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. AND I WANT, WANT THE NEXT 10 TO GO AHEAD AND LINE UP. THAT'S, UH, KAITLYN BEIS, JULIE DEAN, UM, SYLVIA GARCIA, WENDY CHASE, ROSIE BROWN, UH, FRANCISCO AND DAWN LOVE AND TK LEE AND DIANE. SO IF WE CAN, UH, GET YOU GUYS LINED UP. ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD. GOOD EVENING, COUNSEL. MY NAME IS MARIBEL CRUZ. I AM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR WITH RE I AM ALSO A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX AND I AM HERE TODAY BECAUSE, UH, MY ORGANIZATION RE SUPPORTS STREET VENDING. STREET [03:55:01] VENDORS ARE A CRUCIAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SELL THEIR PRODUCTS TO OUR COMMUNITIES. THE PROPOSED RESTRICTIONS ARE CREATING BARRIERS AND NOT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO MAKE A LIVING. BY PROVIDING PEOPLE WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO RUN THEIR BUSINESSES, WE ARE STRENGTHENING OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. THE CITY MUST WAIVE THE INSURANCE REQUIREMENT AND SHOULDN'T RESTRICT VENDORS ON WHERE TO SELL. LET FOLKS SELL AT THE PIKE, LET FOLKS SELL AT SCHOOLS, LET FOLKS WORK AND EARN A LIVING WITHOUT BEING CRIMINALIZED. AND DIE. STAND WITH STREET VENDORS AND AS ALL WITH, WE SUPPORT OPPRESSED FOLKS. OLE AND I STAND WITH PALESTINE. THE CITY OF LONG BEACH NEEDS TO PASS THE CEASEFIRE OR ORDINANCE NOW. WE CAN'T LET GENOCIDE CONTINUE AND I REALLY HOPE THAT ALL YOU FIND THE COURAGE TO SUPPORT PALESTINE AND LIBRE LONG LIVED FREE PALESTINE. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO JUST, JUST MAKING SURE WE HAVE KAITLYN, JULIE, SYLVIA, WENDY, CHASE, ROSIE, UH, FRANCISCO, DAWN AND, UH, T CALY AND DIANE. OKAY, YOU'RE UP. UH, HI. MY NAME IS CAITLYN BEIS. UH, I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE. UM, I'M ALSO A POLICY ATTORNEY. UM, I, UH, THERE WAS, UM, A MEMO FROM LONG BEACH FORWARD THAT HAD SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THE ORDINANCE. UH, I READ IT, I CONCUR IN ALL OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, I ALSO, UH, WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THAT, UM, PEOPLE CAN'T STOP WORKING IN ORDER TO LIKE COMPLY WITH THESE CITY REQUIREMENTS. SO IT'S REALLY EASY TO IMAGINE A SITUATION WHERE SOMEONE GETS REPEAT VIOLATIONS BECAUSE THEY JUST HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO KEEP WORKING, TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES LIKE THIS. THESE ARE NOT FOLKS WHO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST LIKE, WAIT AROUND FOR THE CITY TO ISSUE ALL THESE PERMITS AND RESPECTFULLY, THE CITY TAKES A LONG TIME TO ISSUE PERMITS. SO I REALLY THINK THAT LIKE, UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER POINT THAT I WANTED TO MENTION TOO IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE PROVISIONS IN HERE THAT ALLOW FOR LIKE, UM, AN ABILITY TO PAY HEARING. UM, BUT ADDITIONAL PROCESS ISN'T A SUBSTITUTE FOR GOOD POLICY. LIKE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE FEES THAT PEOPLE CAN'T PAY IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND IT'S JUST MORE TIME THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE AWAY FROM WORK, AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES, AWAY FROM JOY AND LIVING LIFE IN ORDER TO GO IN FRONT OF SOMEONE AND EXPLAIN HOW THEY CAN'T PAY THESE FINES. SO LET'S JUST NOT IMPOSE FINES THAT PEOPLE CAN'T PAY IN THE FIRST PLACE, OR FEES THAT PEOPLE CAN'T PAY IN THE FIRST PLACE. LET'S HAVE A POLICY THAT ACTUALLY ALLOWS PEOPLE TO PURSUE THEIR LIVELIHOODS AND MAKE LONG BEACH A BETTER STRONGER CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU JULIE. SYLVIA? UH, GOOD EVENING VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M JULIE DEAN. I FEEL STRONGLY THAT WE AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS A CITY STILL HAVE MUCH WORK TO DO ON RACIAL JUSTICE. MUCH OF THE PROPOSED STREET VENDING ORDINANCE RECOMMENDATIONS SEEM TO BE FAIR AND SOUND. HOWEVER, I DO HAVE A FEW CONCERNS. STREET VENDORS ADD GREATLY TO OUR FLOURISHING LONG BEACH ECONOMY. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, STREET VENDING IS A CRUCIAL STRATEGY IN ACHIEVING EQUITABLE RECOVERY FROM THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC. WE NEED TO REMOVE OBSTACLES THESE BUSINESS PEOPLE FACE BY CREATING A PATH FOR LOW INCOME AND BROWN AND BLACK COMMUNITIES TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS, WOMEN OF COLOR MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF STREET VENDORS, SO SUPPORTING THEM MEANS WE'RE SUPPORTING A MORE DIVERSE COMMUNITY. WE MUST CREATE A FAIR AND ACCESSIBLE SIDEWALK VENDOR PERMIT PROCESS BECAUSE THEY OFFER IMPORTANT SERVICES, ESPECIALLY WHERE FOOD INSECURITY IS HIGHEST. WE SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER FEE WAIVERS AND DISCOUNTS FOR OUR STREET VENDORS. THE PROPOSED LICENSE FEES CAUSE AN UNDUE BURDEN TO THESE MICRO BUSINESSES AND POINT OUT ISSUES OF INEQUITY. AND WE HAVE FEE WAIVERS AND DISCOUNTS ALREADY IN PLACE FOR SOME BUSINESS LICENSES AND IN SEVERAL OTHER AREAS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PIKES PUBLIC PROPERTY, INCLUDING THE SURROUNDING SIDEWALK, SHOULD NOT BE RESTRICTED FROM SIDEWALK VENDING. PUBLIC PROPERTY SHOULD NOT SERVE PRIVATE CORPORATIONS. WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE LARGELY IMMIGRANT WORKING CLASS COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED, BUT BY OUR CITY. WE SHOULD BE HELPING THESE ENTERPRISING MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY AND DOING ALL POSSIBLE TO ASSIST THEM IN BUILDING TOWARDS BRICK AND MORTAR FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. ALRIGHT, SO SYLVIA, WENDY. WENDY AND CHASE. SYLVIA? CORRECT. HELLO VICE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS WENDY AND I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH. I'M ALSO A VOLUNTEER AT LONG BEACH FORD. I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE STREET VENDING ORDINANCE THAT WILL HELP UPLIFT THE BUSINESSES OF IMMIGRANT AND LOW INCOME BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS ACROSS THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. PLEASE VOTE IN FAVOR OF STREET VENDING AND UPLIFTING IMMIGRANT AND LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES. LET'S CREATE PATHWAYS RATHER THAN BARRIERS FOR OUR VENDORS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. [04:00:01] THANK YOU. UM, IS SYLVIA GARCIA, IS SHE HERE? OKAY. ALRIGHT, SO, UH, CHASE, YOU'RE UP. GOOD EVENING CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CHASE ABRAMSON AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX AND WITH LONG BEACH FORWARD TO SUPPORT THE FAVORABLE STREET VENDING ORDINANCE THAT SUPPORTS IMMIGRANTS AND LOW-INCOME BUSINESSES IN LONG BEACH. MY COMMUNITY HAS PERSONALLY BENEFITED FROM LOCAL STREET VENDORS AND THEIR BUSINESSES ARE A STAPLE OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS PART OF THE CULTURE OF LONG BEACH. PLEASE VOTE IN FAVOR OF CREATING PATHWAYS FOR STREET VENDING AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. OKAY, ROSIE, YOU'RE UP NEXT. HI, I'M ROSIE BROWN, A STAFF ATTORNEY AT PUBLIC COUNCIL. A PRO BONO LAW FIRM SERVING LA COUNTY. OUR ORGANIZATION IS PART OF THE LA STREET VENDOR COALITION AND WE SUPPORT STREET VENDORS ALL OVER THE STATE. VENDING IS A MICRO ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURE THAT CONTRIBUTES TO OUR ECONOMY AND ALLOWS PEOPLE TO EARN A LIVING AND SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES. KNOWING THAT STREET VENDOR VENDING IS LEGAL AND ENCOURAGED IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WE HAVE READ THE ORDINANCE AND HAVE THREE POINTS TO EMPHASIZE BARRIERS TO GETTING A PERMIT PROHIBITIONS ON VENDING AND ENFORCEMENT. THE CITY OF LA STUDIED THEIR PERMIT REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE FEWER VENDORS THAN PREDICTED HAVE OBTAINED PERMITS REDUCING COST RECOVERY. THE CITY FOUND THAT A PRICE OF $27 WOULD ACTUALLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF UH, VENDORS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. AND COST RECOVERY REQUIRING VENDORS TO GET INSURANCE IN ORDER TO GET THE PERMIT IS DUPLICATIVE AND OVERBURDENSOME BECAUSE THE CITY CAN ALREADY ASK VENDORS TO INDEMNIFY THE CITY IN CASE OF AN INCIDENT. VENDING CAN ONLY BE RESTRICTED FOR A HEALTH, SAFETY OR WELFARE REASON. AND PUBLIC COUNSEL ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERS AT ARNOLD AND PORTER ARE INVOLVED IN LITIGATION WITH THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES AROUND THE NO VENDING ZONES IN THE CITY. BANNING VENDING AROUND THE PIKE AND THE PERIMETER SIDEWALK WITHOUT A VALID REASON UNDER STATE LAW IS UNLAWFUL IN OUR OPINION. LASTLY, SSB 9 46 STATES THAT A VIOLATION OF THE CITY ORDINANCES PUNISHABLE ONLY BY THE SCHEDULE OF ADMINISTRATIVE FINES LISTED OR REC REVOCATION OF A PERMIT. IMPOUNDMENT IS NOT LISTED AND MAY IMPLICATE DUE PROCESS ISSUES. THANK YOU. THAT'S YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, YOU'RE UP. HI. SO DID YOU KNOW THAT CARL KARCHER STARTED OUT AS A STREET VENDOR AND HE TURNED HIS HOT DOG STAND INTO THE CARLS JR. CHAIN? SO WE DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A STREET VENDOR IN LONG BEACH WHO WILL BUILD THE NEXT CARLS JR AND PUT THE CITY ON THE MAP. THAT'S WHY I'M URGING YOU TO, TO ALLOW STREET VENDORS TO LIVE THEIR LIFE TO, TO MAKE AN HONEST LIVING. DON'T CRIMINALIZE THEM. DON'T BUR BURDEN THEM WITH EXCESSIVE FEES, FINES AND STRICT UH, STRICT RESTRICTIONS. LET 'EM SELL ON THE PIKE. 'CAUSE I'M PROBABLY NOT GONNA GO TO THE MOST OF THE RESTAURANTS ON THE PIKE. I'M GONNA GO TO A STREET VENDOR. DON'T REQUIRE THOSE COSTLY INSURANCE FEES. BY SUPPORTING STREET VENDORS, YOU ARE HELPING ENTREPRENEURS AS WELL AS UPLIFTING IMMIGRANT AND LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES. STREET VENDORS ARE A VITAL PART OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY PROVIDE FRESH, AFFORDABLE MEALS TO FOOD DESERTS IN THIS CITY. UH, DURING THE QUARANTINE WHEN I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH MONEY, I COULD ALWAYS TURN TO STREET VENDORS FOR A CHEAP AND SAFE PLACE TO EAT. UH, STREET VENDORS ENHANCE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. I MEAN, AFTER I DO YOGA ON THE BLUFF, IT'S NICE TO GET AN ON EL OTTE FROM MY FAVORITE ELO TARRO AT BIXBY PARK. UM, I'VE SEEN STREET VENDORS TRANSFORM DARK DESERTED STREETS INTO A WELL LIT PLACES. THEY LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, NIGHT MARKETS. IT'S, IT'S REALLY NICE AND IT'S SAFER TO WALK AROUND IN. AND MOST VENDORS ARE BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN. A POLICY THAT CREATES PATHWAYS RATHER THAN BARRIERS FOR THESE MERCHANTS WILL MAKE RACIALLY DIVERSE A RACIALLY DIVERSE SOCIETY AND EQUITABLE ECONOMY. UM, ALSO MAKING AN HONEST LIVING SHOULDN'T BE CRIMINALIZED, NOR SHOULD IT BE UNATTAINABLE. LONG BEACH IS KNOWN FOR DIVERSITY, BEING FRIENDLY. THANK YOU. THAT'S YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. SO SUPPORT THE STREET VENDORS AND FREE PALESTINE. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. DONE. GOOD EVENING. HI RICK. MY NAME IS TK AND I'M A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH DISTRICT THREE. I CALL ON THE CITY TO SUPPORT A STREET VENDING ORDINANCE THAT CREATES PATHWAYS AND NOT BARRIERS. PUBLICLY OWNED PROPERTY SHOULD NOT BE CLOSED OFF FROM STREET VENDING. THE CITY NEEDS TO REMOVE BARRIERS LIKE BURDENSOME INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS AND HIGH FEES. I SUPPORT STREET VENDORS BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT SERVICE TO ALL LONG BEACH RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO FACE FOOD INSECURITY DUE TO NEIGHBORHOOD DISINVESTMENT. THE INGENUITY OF STREET VENDORS REMINDS ME OF PALESTINIANS, WHO IN THE WAKE OF ISRAEL'S BOMBINGS OF VITAL INFRASTRUCTURES LIKE BAKERIES, COLLECTED FLOUR FROM ANYONE [04:05:01] WHO HAD ANY CONSTRUCTED MAKESHIFT OVENS AND FED THE RESIDENTS BREAD, WHO TAKES CARE OF PEOPLE IN THE FACE OF STRUCTURAL OPPRESSION. THE PEOPLE DO. WE MUST PROTECT THE RIGHT TO FOOD ACCESS IN LONG BEACH AND THE RIGHT TO LIVE FREE OF INDISCRIMINATE VIOLENCE EVERYWHERE. I CALL ON YOU TO SUPPORT A, A VENDING ORDINANCE THAT EMPOWERS STREET VENDORS AND BY EXTENSION OUR COMMUNITIES AND TO SUPPORT THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, DAWN, YOU'RE UP. UM, WAS FRANCISCO BY CHANCE FRANCESCA, BECAUSE THAT'S ME. I'M FRANCESCA. OKAY, , JUST MAKING SURE. UM, SO ONE OF THE FIRST INSTANCES OF VE VENDOR REGULATION TRACES BACK TO THE 1870S IN LOS ANGELES WITH A CLAIM TO BAN TAMAL VENDORS UNDER THE GUISE OF WELFARE AND SAFETY IN THE VERY WAY THAT WE ARE HEARING THAT TODAY. BUT HISTORICAL CONTEXT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT WAS AFTER THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR WHEN ANGLO-AMERICANS WERE STEALING MEXICAN AND INDIGENOUS LAND. A SCHOLARLY ARTICLE SITES THAT VENDORS ARE SPECIFICALLY TARGETED IN ORDER TO CLEAN UP A GENTRIFYING NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY ARE THE FIRST TO BE DISPLACED AND STREET VENDORS ARE LESS TARGETED WHEN THEY ARE IN IMMIGRANT LATINA NEIGHBORHOODS. SO THIS IS NOT SURPRISING THAT WE HEAR THIS AFTER WE HEARD A VERY LENGTHY PRESENTATION ABOUT TOURISM. AND SO NOW WE ARE HEARING HOW WE'RE GOING TO CRIMINALIZE AND REGULATE VENDORS. AGAIN, NOT SURPRISING. I ALSO FIND IT INTERESTING THAT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT TOURISM, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT LULAC WOULD BE ATTENDING THEIR MAJOR CONFERENCE. LULAC IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS FOUNDED IN 1929 THAT SUPPORTED LATINA PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT CAME TO CIVIL LIBERT. SO I'M WONDERING HOW THEY WOULD FEEL ABOUT THIS KIND OF POLICY. UM, ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION SOME CONCERNS THAT THERE HAS BEEN ZERO INTERACTION WITH VENDORS OTHER THAN POLICING THEM. THAT'S THE ONLY INTERACTION. THERE HAS BEEN NO INCLUSION A PART OF THE CONVERSATION. WHY AREN'T THEY INCLUDED IN THIS CONVERSATION? THEY'RE ONLY BEING POLICE. THAT'S ALL WE HEARD FROM THE PRESENTATION. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT COST TIMEFRAME, 10:00 PM BEING WAY TOO EARLY. LET'S REMEMBER THAT THESE STREET VENDORS KEEP OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFE AND THEY BUILD A SENSE OF COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT. WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? DIANE. DIANE, OKAY. SO, UM, AFTER DIANE, IF NAZAR CHRISTOPHER, UM, O KIKI, I'M SORRY IF I'M SAYING THAT WRONG. THAT'S YOUR LAST NAME. JADEN, SANDRA MARIA, UH, MR. RES AND AUSTIN MEYER. IF YOU GUYS COULD LINE UP, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR WAITING. GO AHEAD. HELLO, I'M BACK. I WAS HERE IN MAY. UM, AS A-C-S-U-L-B GRADUATE AND A DIVERSITY AND EQUITY CONSULTANT WHO WORKS WITH ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, NON-PROFITS IN UNIVERSITIES, I AM STILL DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE RESTRICTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS ON OUR LOCAL STREET VENDORS. I REP THE HELL OUT THIS CITY AND MANY OF MY OUT TOWN AND STATE FRIENDS SAY THAT SHOULD BE AN AMBASSADOR FOR THIS CITY. SINCE I SHARE SO MUCH HISTORY AND I EVEN HAVE MY OWN LONG BEACH TREATS AND EATS MAP THAT I SHARE WITH THEM WHEN THEY VISIT A FEW TIMES A WEEK, I WALK DOWN TO BLUFF PARK AND HU APPAREL BEACH, OFTENTIMES BUYING A LITTLE SNACK OR A TREAT ALONG THE WAY. IT'S REALLY WHAT MY PLACE, MY HAPPY SPACE IS. I LOVE THIS ABOUT LONG BEACH. IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A CHEESY TOURIST TRAP YET, ALTHOUGH SB 9 46 RESIGNED FOR LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO IMPLEMENT THEIR OWN POLICIES BEST SUIT THEIR COMMUNITIES. I'M CURIOUS WHY THIS PROPOSAL STILL DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE LONG BEACH'S RICH HISTORY AND ITS RICH FOUNDATION AND MINE. PERHAPS IT'S BECAUSE THE FIRM THAT CREATED THESE RECS, LISA WHITE CONSULTING STAFF, DOESN'T SEEM TO REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF LONG BEACH. ALMOST ALL THEIR STAFF APPEAR TO BE OF EUROPEAN DESCENT. ON THE CONTRARY, LONG BEACH IS ALMOST IS THE INVERSE ONLY 28% WHITE LIKE MANY PEOPLE HERE AND MANY OF YOU ALL HERE IN THE COUNCIL. FURTHER PUSHING OUT OUR LOCAL VENDORS, MOST OF WHOM ARE MELANATED WORKING CLASS FOLKS, MOST OF WHOM CANNOT AFFORD UP TO THE $2,000 FEES, WHICH IS THE AVERAGE ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT HERE IN LONG BEACH. MOST OF US HERE, UM, INCLUDING THE UNION TRADE WORKERS BEHIND US THAT UTILIZE THESE VENDORS ON A FREQUENT BASIS, WHETHER IT BE BREAKFAST BEFORE WORK OR BEAN AND CHEESE BURRITO ON THE WAY HOME AFTER A BAR, THE COUNCIL RECOMMEND IF THE COUNCIL ACCEPTS THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, IT WILL FURTHER PERPETUATE ANTI-BLACKNESS AND ANTI-IMMIGRANT POLICY. THANK YOU SO MUCH YOUR TIME. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, YOU'RE WRAP. HI, MY NAME IS NUNI AND I'M A STAFF ATTORNEY AT PUBLIC COUNCIL SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES INCLUDING STREET VENDORS. I'M ALSO A SECOND DISTRICT RESIDENT AND I URGE THE COUNCIL TODAY TO REDUCE THE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING OUR VENDING ECONOMY. STREET VENDORS ARE A CRUCIAL PART OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, STIMULATING LOCAL BUSINESSES AND CORRIDORS, PROVIDING ACCESS TO A RANGE OF FOODS AND AFFORDABLE PRICES FOR, UH, FOOD INSECURE NEIGHBORHOODS AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE VITALITY AND DIVERSITY OF OUR COMMUNITY. A MAJORITY OF STREET VENDING BUSINESSES IN CALIFORNIA ARE OWNED BY WORKING CLASS IMMIGRANT WOMEN OF COLOR AND CREATING A PATHWAY FOR VENDORS TO MAKE ENDS MEET IS A WAY TO BRING OPPORTUNITY AND STABILITY TO OUR ENTREPRENEURS. THE CITY'S VENING ORDINANCE SHOULD CREATE PATHWAYS, NOT BARRIERS FOR STREET VENDORS. INCREASED REGULATIONS AND PROHIBITIVE [04:10:01] FEES AND FINES IMPOSED ON VENDORS CREATE HIGH OBSTACLES FOR VENDORS TO COMPLY WITH THE ORDINANCE AND TRAP VENDORS IN DEBT. FOR A POPULATION THAT MAKES AN ON AVERAGE LESS THAN 20,000 PER YEAR REQUIREMENT TO PURCHASE LIABILITY INSURANCE AT AROUND $300 PER YEAR, PER YEAR IS OVERLY BURDENSOME. ADDITIONALLY, UM, MANY SMALL BUSINESSES, INCLUDING CLIENTS THAT I WORK WITH, HAVE DIFFICULTY OBTAINING LIABILITY INSURANCE AT ALL. SO HAVING THIS AS A REQUIREMENT TO OBTAINING THE PERMIT IS GOING TO EFFECTIVELY BAR A LOT OF BUSINESSES FROM OBTAINING THE PERMIT. UM, AS AN EXAMPLE TO, UH, UM, TO AFFECT THIS ISSUE, THE CITY OF LA IS NOT REQUIRING VENDORS TO PURCHASE LIABILITY INSURANCE AND INSTEAD REQUIRING VENDORS TO SIGN AN INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT ON TOP OF THIS REQUIREMENT, AN OVERLY HIGH PERMIT FEE OF $300 AND HIGH ENFORCEMENT FINES CONTINUE TO INCREASE THE BARRIER TO ENTRY. I URGE THE STATE TO REDUCE THESE FEES AND FINES AND INSTEAD TAKE A PROACTIVE ROLE IN ENCOURAGING THE SUCCESS OF OUR STREET VENING ECONOMY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, COME ON UP. YOU'RE NEXT. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. MY NAME IS OGA CHUKO CAKE AND I'M HERE AS A LONG BEACH RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX. I'M HERE AS A RESIDENT IN SUPPORT OF THE ORDINANCE OF AN ORDIN ORDINANCE THAT CREATES A CREDIBLE PATHWAY FOR STREET VENDORS TO THRIVE. I'M HERE AS A RESIDENT WHO FEELS SAFER SEEING STREET VENDORS ON ANAHEIM. I'M HERE AS A RESIDENT THAT LOVES BUYING TAMALES ON ANAHEIM, AND I WANNA EMPHASIZE, EMPHASIZE THREE ITEMS LIKE MY FELLOW RESIDENTS HERE, ONE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD WAIVE THE INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS AND NOT MAKE INSURANCE A REQUIREMENT FOR OBTAINING PERMITS. LIKE THE PRESENTATION SAID, CITY COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO NOT REQUIRE INSURANCE. SIMPLE REQUESTS DO NOT REQUIRE INSURANCE. THE SECOND ITEM I WANNA EMPHASIZE IS THAT THE OR ORDINANCE SHOULD PROVIDE GENERAL GRANTS TO SUPPORT PATHWAYS TO ENTER FOR STREET VENDORS TO ENTER THE FORMAL ECONOMY, NOT FOR GRANTS TO OFFSET HIGH COST PERMIT FEES WITH A ONE-TIME RECOVERY FUND. WE KNOW THAT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE, SO DON'T DO IT. AND THE THIRD ITEM I WANNA EMPHASIZE IS THAT THE ORDINANCE SHOULD CREATE EASIER AND PRACTICAL WAYS FOR STREET VENDORS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TOURISM ECONOMY THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, TALKED ABOUT AND HEARD ABOUT AT LENGTH AT THIS MEETING. IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE ALL THE WEIRD RESTRICTIVE RULES AND TIME LIMITS AND SPACINGS FOR STREET VENDORS, UM, LIKE AT THE PIKE AND HOW THEY CAN'T BE AT PUBLIC SPACES. AND THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE IN COMPARISON TO ALL OF THE CREATIVITY AND PRAISE YOU HAD FOR MEET LONG BEACH AND ABOUT THE TOURIST ECONOMY. THAT'S GONNA BE REV REVENUE HERE, MA'AM, YOUR TIME'S COMPLET. LITERALLY STREET VENDORS ARE OUR NEIGHBORS. THANK YOU. THAT'S YOUR TIME. CAN YOU OUR NEIGHBORS? THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, YOU'RE UP. WHEN I, UH, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UH, VICE, UH, MAYOR. MY NAME IS, UH, SANDRA EZ AND I COME HERE THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION ORLE AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT AND I'M HERE IN FAVOR OF THE STREET, UH, VENDORS. UM, THEY DO SUPPORT OUR ECONOMY AND I DO ENJOY, UH, THEIR FOOD. UH, I DO SEE THAT THEY'RE VERY FRUSTRATED AND, UH, THEY ARE ALWAYS AND AND STRUGGLES, UH, THROUGH MANY, MANY ROUGH TIMES. YES. AND I I PRAY THAT YOU, UH, DO NOT HAVE SO MANY OBSTACLES, UH, THE CITY. UH, I KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH A LOT OF OBSTACLES AND ORDINANCES AND, UH, BECAUSE OF THIS ECONOMY, UH, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THROUGH COVID, UH, FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM. AND YOU NEVER KNOW IF I WILL BE ABLE BE IN THAT SITUATION IN THE NEAR [04:15:01] FUTURE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, YOU'RE UP. ALL RIGHT. SO MY NAME IS DI PLEASURE. UH, STREET VENDING IS A STRATEGIC, IS A, SORRY, IS A STRATEGIC PATHWAY TO HELP OUR COMMUNITIES MAKE ENDS MEET, GAIN EXPERIENCE IN RUNNING THEIR OWN BUSINESS, AND PROVIDE A PATHWAY TO BRICK AND MORTAR OPPORTUNITY IF THEY WANT THAT RIGHT NOW. UH, WITH THIS POLICY, WE CAN CREATE PATHWAYS, NOT BARRIERS. FIRST, IT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY TO NOT STOP BUSINESSES RIGHT NOW AND LET PEOPLE PAY THEIR BILLS WHILE THE CITY FIGURES OUT A NEW POLICY. SECOND VENDING, UM, AT A CITY OWNED PROPERTY, LIKE THE PIKE, SHOULD NOT BE CLOSED OFF FROM STREET VENDING BECAUSE IT IS PUBLIC PROPERTY AND THE IT SHOULD SERVE THE PUBLIC, NOT PRIVATE CORPORATIONS. REGARDING LIABILITY INSURANCE AND PERMITS, AGAIN, WE SHOULD BE IN A PLACE OF CREATING OPPORTUNITY. THE PROPOSED LICENSE FEES ARE OVERLY BURDENSOME FOR FOLKS WHO DO NOT MAKE MUCH MONEY A YEAR. NOT TO MENTION THE PILING FEES FOR VIOLATORS. THE CITY MUST ALSO WAIVE INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS TO, UH, OBTAIN A PERMIT. PERSONALLY, I DON'T SEE HOW THESE FINANCIAL BURDENS ON, UH, THESE VENDORS ADDRESSES HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE. THESE ARE MORE IN LINE WITH FINANCIAL IMPOSITIONS TO PREVENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. LET'S NOT PARTICIPATE IN CRIMINALIZING AND PENALIZING ENTREPRENEURSHIP FROM OUR COMMUNITIES ARE TRYING TO GET THEIR FAMILIES FED AND ROOTS ESTABLISHED. I I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE GRANTS, UH, BUT THAT IS A BANDAID TO AN OVERLY COSTLY POLICY THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S COSTING THE CITY TO IMPOSE OR LOSING MONEY. SO THAT'S MY TIME. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE SPEAKERS THAT CAME OUT. SO THIS IS OUR LAST SPEAKER ON THIS ITEM. GO AHEAD. WHY AM I GONNA CLOSE IT OUT? UM, AM I GOOD TO GO? OKAY. UH, GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS AUSTIN MATOYER. I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH ALLIANCE. UH, WE REPRESENT, UH, THE ROUGHLY 1500 BUSINESSES IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. I'M ALSO, UH, ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL OF BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS, WHICH REPRESENTS THE OTHER BIDS IN THE CITY. UM, I WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR DRAFTING THIS ORDINANCE. UM, I BELIEVE THAT A LOT OF THE FRUSTRATION AND THE CONFLICTS WE'VE SEEN BETWEEN SIDEWALK VENDING AND BUSINESSES HAS BECAUSE HAS BEEN, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN NO CLEAR RULES OF THE ROAD. UM, WE ARE DEALING WITH SITUATIONS WHERE NO ONE CAN POINT TO THE SAME RULES. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT THIS IS A GOOD FIRST STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND ESTABLISHING AN ORDINANCE. UM, A COUPLE THINGS WE'D LIKE FOR CONSIDERATION. UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THE FEE STRUCTURE, PERHAPS CONSIDERATION OF A TIERED STRUCTURE FOR SIDEWALK VENDORS. UM, SO THAT ALL FEES ARE NOT THE SAME DEPENDENT ON REVENUE OR SCALE. UH, WOULD ALSO HAVE A CONSIDERATION FOR HOW EDUCATION AND AWARENESS OF THESE PROGRAMS THIS PERMIT IS CONSIDERED AND DIDN'T GET IS, UH, GOTTEN OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. SO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CBOS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS BEHIND ME THAT HAVE SOLID, UH, RELATIONSHIPS WITH SIDEWALK VENDINGS. IT MAY MAKE SENSE FOR THE CITY TO CONTRACT OR WORK WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO EDUCATE SIDEWALK VENDORS ON THIS NEW POLICY. UM, AND LASTLY, UH, WE WOULD LOOK AT, UH, THE ENFORCEMENT, UH, PORTION OF THIS. SO WHAT RESOURCES ARE GOING INTO ENFORCEMENT? WHAT IS EDUCATIONAL? UH, COMPONENTS ARE GOING INTO IT SO THAT IF THIS ORDINANCE IS DEVELOPED, UM, THERE IS CLEARLY IS, UH, RESOURCES PUT TO THE BACK END OF IT. THAT LOOKS LIKE MY TIME. UH, SO THANK YOU ALL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO, UH, I SEE THERE'S ONE MORE PUBLIC SPEAKER. ONE MORE SYLVIA. ONE MORE. SYLVIA BATISTA. IS SYLVIA HERE? ADRIAN, SHOW UP. SAY AGAIN. I KNOW. NO, AND YOU SAID THERE'S, I'M SORRY. ADRIANA. ADRIANA, COME ON UP. ALRIGHT. ARE YOU SYLVIA? ARE YOU SYLVIA? OH, YES. OKAY. PLEASE COME FORWARD AND THEN ADRIANA, AND THEN THAT SATISFIES PUBLIC COMMENT PLEASE. UM, BUCHE, OH, WE NEED INTERPRETATION. JUST A MOMENT, PLEASE. YEAH, LET'S DOUBLE THE TIME, PLEASE. THANK YOU. UH, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SILVIA AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE, UH, THAT FAVORS STREET VENDING, WHICH WILL SUPPORT THE BUSINESS OF IMMIGRANTS AND, UH, LOW INCOME BUSINESS OWNERS IN ALL THE CITY OF, UH, LONG BEACH. UH, PLEASE VOTE TO [04:20:01] FAVOR, UH, THE LEGALIZATION OF STREET VENDORS AND IMPROVE, UH, THE WELLBEING OF LOW INCOME IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. UH, LET'S BUILD PATHWAYS INSTEAD OF BARRIERS FOR STREET VENDORS. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. AND OUR FINAL SPEAKER PLEASE. OTHER NAMES? YEAH. OKAY. UM, SO THANK YOU. UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF A COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO WAS HERE THIS EVENING FOR SEVERAL HOURS WITH US, WHO'S ALSO A STREET VENDOR. AND UNFORTUNATELY SHE HAD TO GO HOME. UM, AGAIN, JUST A REMINDER OF MAKING THESE MEETINGS ACCESSIBLE TO FOLKS WITH FAMILIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES BACK AT HOME. SO, THANK YOU. UM, SO LONG BEACH. HELLO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ADRIANA AND I'M A STREET VENDOR. I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE THAT FAVORS THE STREET VENDING, WHICH WILL SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES OF IMMIGRANTS AND LOW INCOME BUSINESS OWNERS IN ALL THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. MY HUSBAND WORKS AS A STREET VENDOR TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY AND ADDING MORE LAWS WILL AFFECT MY FAMILY'S ECONOMY. PLEASE VOTE TO FAVOR THE LEGALIZATION OF STREET VENDORS AND IMPROVE, UH, THE WELLBEING OF LOW INCOME IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. LET'S BUILD PATHWAYS INSTEAD OF BARRIERS FOR THE STREET VENDORS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND HAVE A GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THAT SATISFIES PUBLIC COMMENT. I WANNA THANK, UH, ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR COMING DOWN. I WANNA THANK THE VICE MAYOR FOR HELPING MANAGE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT. JUST SO YOU KNOW, ALL THESE SCREENS AND ALL THIS IS BACK THERE, SO IF EVERYONE, ANYONE EVER TAKES A, UH, STEP BACK TO, YOU KNOW, GO TO THE RESTROOM, WHATEVER, THEY STILL KEEP UP AND HEAR EVERYTHING. UM, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, SO NOW WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL. IT'S OUR TURN. UH, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS NOW WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE COUNCIL. UH, IF THE COUNCIL MAKES ANY CHANGES, THEN WE COME BACK AND DO A FIRST READING AGAIN. SO IF THERE ARE CHANGES TO WHAT'S PROPOSED, WE, THERE'S NO RUSH HERE. WE CAN, UH, MAKE WHATEVER AMENDMENTS ARE ARE NECESSARY, BUT IT WOULD NEED TO COME BACK FOR FIRST READING. IF THE COUNCIL MAKES NO CHANGES AND APPROVES, THEN THE COUNCIL WILL THEN MAKE THREE VOTES. THERE'S THREE MOTIONS TO ADOPT. AFTER THOSE THREE VOTES, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO GO TO A SECOND ORDINANCE AT THE NEXT AVAILABLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. SO THAT'S OUR PROCESS. SO THAT SAID, LET'S TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL. UH, THE MOTION IS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MAYOR. AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT IN SUPPORT OF STREET VENDORS. JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY, UH, MY PERSONAL HISTORY OF HOW WE GOT HERE TODAY IS THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO, UM, DEFEND AND PROTECT OUR STREET VENDORS WHO WERE BEING, UM, ASSAULTED IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND SO, UM, THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF BEING ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO HEAR THIS ITEM. I WANNA THANK, UM, STAFF FOR ALL THEIR INCREDIBLE WORK. UM, FROM MAY UNTIL NOW. I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK DONE, UM, IN BETWEEN AND I KNOW THAT, THAT YOU HAVE HEARD THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF COUNCIL. I HAVE SEEN THEM IN THIS NEW DRAFT AND I'M VERY, UM, VERY PROUD OF ALL THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE TO GET US HERE BECAUSE I FEEL THAT YOU NOW UNDERSTAND THE SPIRIT OF THIS ITEM, WHICH IS TO CREATE A PATHWAY TO, UM, STREET VENDING AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT THEY HAVE A WAY TO GET A PERMIT AND DO WORK HERE. UM, I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, THAT ARE HERE TODAY. THE VENDORS THAT CAME AND SPOKE AND THOSE WHO, UM, WHO SPOKE ON BEHALF OF VENDORS AND ALL OF THE ADVOCATES THAT HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS ORDINANCE THROUGH TO ENSURE THAT IT IS AS EQUITABLE AS POSSIBLE. I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT TODAY WE ARE VOTING ON LEGALIZING THE WORK OF SIDE SIDEWALK VENDORS, [04:25:01] WHICH IS HUGE. TODAY IS THE DAY WE CAN, UH, MOVE AWAY FROM THE HISTORIC PRACTICE OF CRIMINALIZING THE HONORABLE WORK OF SIDEWALK VENDING AND INSTEAD OFFER PATHWAYS TO PERMIT TO PERMITS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY FEEL VALUED AND RESPECTED IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, THIS IS THE PURPOSE AND THE SPIRIT OF THIS ORDINANCE. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS A NEW SYSTEM. UM, WE ARE CREATING, THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO ASK, UM, STAFF TO REPORT BACK TO US, UM, AND CONTINUE TO COME BACK TO US, UM, YOU KNOW, IN SIX MONTHS TO SEE HOW THE IMPLEMENTATION, WHATEVER IS PASSED, UM, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ORDINANCE, UM, CREATES IN THE COMMUNITY. WE WANNA BE ABLE TO ASSESS ITS SUCCESSES AND BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ANY AREAS THAT, UM, MAY BE A NEED FOR IMPROVEMENTS. UM, THE STEPS WE ARE TAKING TODAY IS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT STEPS AND LONG OVERDUE. I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. UM, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS MENTION OF, UM, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS SO I MAY HAVE TO QUEUE UP AFTERWARDS AND JUST LETTING YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE MENTION OF LACK OF ENGAGEMENT. CAN CITY STAFF PLEASE, UM, WITH VENDORS THEMSELVES, CAN YOU, UM, SHARE WITH US WHAT THE ENGAGEMENT WAS AND WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE WITH OUR VENDORS? PLEASE NONE. COME ON FOLKS. LET'S, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M JUDITH LONG MANAGER OF THE BUREAU OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. UH, IN DECEMBER, 2022, WE CONDUCTED OUR FIRST WORKSHOP. WE WERE ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FOOD SAFETY WORKSHOPS REGARDING CSB 9 72. UM, HOW TO GET A PERMIT IN THE STATE. AND WE HAD A GREAT TURNOUT. WE HAD MORE THAN 70, UH, ATTENDEES AT THAT. UM, AT THAT WORKSHOP WE RECEIVED OVER 20 APPLICATIONS. AND TO DATE, WE ONLY HAVE ONE THAT IS GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING A HEALTH PERMIT. WE ALSO OFFERED A 10% DISCOUNT AT THAT WORKSHOP AND WE HAD TWO IN THE PROCESS. FOR SOME REASON THE OTHER ONE DROPPED OUT. AND THEN WE HAVE ONE THAT'S WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS AT THIS POINT. UH, LAST MONTH WE CONDUCTED ANOTHER WORKSHOP. WE HAD 18 PEOPLE ATTEND AND TO, TO DATE, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY APPLICATION FOR THIS, SO MANY OF OUR WORKATION REGULATION. ALRIGHT FOLKS, THIS IS HOW TO OBTAIN A HEALTH PERMIT WORKSHOP. JUST, JUST A MOMENT. JUST A MOMENT. WELL, THIS IS AN ACTUAL HEARING, SO WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY TO GO BACK TO PUBLIC COMMENT. ONCE PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED, UH, THERE'S AN ACTUAL DELIBERATION THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE. I'VE SEEN SITUATIONS WHERE THE DELIBERATION DIDN'T TAKE PLACE AND LAW REQUIRED US TO GO BACK AND DO THE HEARING ALL OVER AGAIN. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US AGAIN, IF WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES, BECAUSE THAT IS THE CITY COUNCIL'S PREROGATIVE, BUT WE HAVE TO GET THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS. PLEASE PROCEED. THANK YOU. SO ASIDE FROM THE VENDOR WORKSHOPS, THERE WAS VARIOUS EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS HELD WITH VARIOUS, UM, SIDEWALK VENDORS. THOSE COMMUNITY MEETINGS SET UP TO SPEAK WITH SIDEWALK VENDORS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. UH, STAFF ALSO PARTICIPATED IN CANVASSING TO VARIOUS SIDEWALK VENDORS. UM, UH, ASIDE FROM THAT, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND A EVERY INTERACTION WITH SIDEWALK VENDORS, THERE IS AN EDUCATION ASPECT TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS. SO THERE'S BEEN PLENTY OF, UH, INTERACTIONS AND CONVERSATIONS HAD WITH SIDEWALK VENDORS. THANK YOU. AND I ASKED SEC, SORRY, ONE LAST ITEM. THERE WAS A SURVEY THAT WENT LIVE TO ALL VENDORS, RESIDENTS, VISITORS TO THE CITY, AND WE RECEIVED A LOT OF FEEDBACK, UM, IN THAT, UH, SURVEY AS WELL. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU DANIEL VERY MUCH FOR THAT. AND THANK YOU, JUDITH. UM, THAT'S WHAT I RECALLED. SO I'VE WANTED TO SHARE THAT THERE WAS ACTUALLY ENGAGEMENT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, AND WE'LL CONTINUE THE ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR, UM, WITH OUR STREET VENDORS. SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. UM, ALSO ON, ON THE FEES, THAT'S MY TIME UP. YES. YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED. SORRY, I WOKE YOU UP AGAIN, COUNCILWOMAN. UM, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS A HEARING AND I KNOW YOU'RE ARRIVING AT A MOTION, PLEASE CONTINUE. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. [04:30:01] UM, WITH THAT SAID, CAN, CAN YOU, UH, ALSO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, SPECIFIC ON THE FEES AND WHAT SUBSIDIZED MEANS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THEN ALSO THE FEES FOR THE HEALTH PERMIT? YES. UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE PRESENTED TO YOU ON THE FEE STUDY THAT WAS COMPLETED. IT WAS A FORMAL STUDY CONDUCTED BY AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT. OVER 300 FEES WERE EVALUATED FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH BUREAU. ON AVERAGE, YOU APPROVED AT 67% COST RECOVERY, WHICH MEANS THAT 33% IS SUBSIDIZED. THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, CAN YOU ALSO, UM, ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE FEE FOR THE HEALTH PERMIT AND WHY IT'S AS EXPENSIVE AS IT IS? SO, THE FEE PERMIT FOR THAT PART OF THE FEE STUDY, WE ACTUALLY DID NOT INCREASE OUR FEES. WE DID NOT ACCEPT THE CONSULTANTS' RECOMMENDATIONS TO INCREASE THE FEES. WE LOOKED AT OUR NEIGHBORING CON, UM, NEIGHBORING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH JURISDICTIONS, AND THEY WERE COMPARABLE TO WHAT THOSE RATES ARE. WE KEPT THE RATES THE SAME BECAUSE OF MARKET CONDITIONS, AND WE UNDERSTAND THE OPERATOR'S ABILITY TO PAY. AND WE ARE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIRECTORS ACROSS THE STATE ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO SEE IF WE CAN WAIVE SOME OF THESE PLAN CHECK FEES, WHICH MEANS THAT IF THERE'S AN APPROVED EQUIPMENT THAT'S COMPLETED BY LA COUNTY AND IT'S GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THAT'S THE SAME MANUFACTURER CARD WANT TO COME TO LONG BEACH, AS LONG AS WE HAVE THAT APPROVAL FROM THE COUNTY, WE WILL WAIVE THOSE PLAN CHECK FEES. THERE'S NO REASON FOR US TO CONDUCT THOSE PLAN CHECK, UM, PROCESS AGAIN. HEY, COUNCIL, IF I CAN ADD ON FEES. SO, UH, IN GENERAL, THE COUNCIL HAS A POLICY TO DO FULL COST RECOVERY, UH, FOR MOST INSTANCES UNLESS THERE'S A SPECIFIC BENEFIT, UM, TO LOWERING THOSE FEES. AND SO THE CITY DOESN'T MAKE MONEY ON FEES. WE BASICALLY COVER OUR COSTS. IT'S THE COST OF THE INSPECTION AND THE WORK. IN THIS SPECIFIC CASE. THE COUNCIL DID TAKE THAT ACTION EARLIER THIS YEAR TO SAY, WE DO WANT TO KEEP THESE FEES SUBSIDIZED. UH, YOU MADE A POLICY DECISION ON THAT, UH, YOU KNEW WHAT THAT COST WAS, AND THAT'S WHERE THAT 33% CAME FROM. SO HAD WE NOT DONE THAT ACTION, THE FEES WOULD'VE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN WHAT ARE TODAY. AND SO THAT IS, UH, A PUBLIC POLICY DECISION THAT YOU MADE EARLIER THIS YEAR. THAT'S CONTINUING, UH, RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, TOM AND COUNCIL MEMBER TO TALK ABOUT THE BUSINESS LICENSING FEE. SO THE FEE THAT WAS PRESENTED TONIGHT AT $300, THAT IS AT FULL COST RECOVERY AND AS PRESENTED TONIGHT. UM, CERTAINLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COUNSEL COULD, UH, LOOK AT, WHETHER YOU DID WANT TO HAVE A SUBSIDY TO THAT AT, NOT OR NOT, BUT THAT IS, UM, AT FULL COST RECOVERY, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN THE, UM, HEALTH PERMIT FEE. UM, ONE MORE QUESTION. UM, CAN YOU, UH, ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE OR, OR SHARE WITH US, WHAT WOULD IT MEAN IF WE, IF THE VENDORS DID NOT HAVE INSURANCE? SO THAT'S JUST, UM, RECOVERY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGES, UM, AND THE INSURANCE WOULD ENSURE THAT THE VENDOR COULD COVER, UH, LOSS OR DAMAGES THAT WERE INCURRED BY CUSTOMERS OR FROM THE VENDING? UM, IN TERMS OF THE QUESTION REGARDING INDEMNIFICATION, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, IN THE DRAFT ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW. UM, THE ISSUE WITH, UH, INDEMNIFICATION IS THAT THAT'S WHERE THE VENDOR AGREES TO COMPENSATE THE CITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE. HOWEVER, IF THE VENDOR DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO COVER THE LOSS OR DAMAGE, THEN UM, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INDEMNIFICATION, UH, SORT OF LOSES ITS VALUE. SO THAT WOULD BE THE REQUIREMENT OR WHY THERE WOULD BE A REQUIREMENT FOR INSURANCE. SO, UM, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, UM, IT, IT REALLY IS TO PROTECT THE VENDOR, UH, AGAINST ANY, ANY CLAIMS AGAINST THEM. AND SO, UM, THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, LET ME SEE HERE. I KNOW THAT THERE WAS TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO ALLOW, UM, VENDING IN THE PIKE AREA, WHICH IS MY DISTRICT. UM, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE LEASES THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE AND CONTRACTS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. UM, WITH THAT SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, MOTION THAT WE ASK, UM, THE, THAT WE HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE LEASES AT THE PIKE TO EXPRESS [04:35:01] THE CITY'S ENTRANCE IN ALLOWING VENDORS TO OPERATE AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE PROPERTY. AND, UM, OPTIONS TO INCLUDE ALLOWANCES IN THE LEASE AGREEMENT AND SEE IF THEY ARE RESPONSIVE TO THAT. UM, ALSO WITHIN THE WRITTEN CONSENT, UM, OF PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF, UM, THE PROPERTY OWNERS WOULD ALLOW STREET VENDORS TO USE THEIR UTILITIES, UM, FROM PRIVATE PROPERTIES, LIKE IF THEY'RE SETTING UP AT A PARKING LOT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. OF COURSE, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, AND ENSURING THAT THERE IS NO TRIP HAZARDS OR ACCESSIBILITY CHALLENGES THERE. UM, ALSO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REFER, I WOULD LIKE THE ORDINANCE TO, UM, ALSO REFER TO THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT IN THE ORDINANCE TO REINFORCE EXISTING LAWS PROHIBITING, UM, CERTAIN INFORMATION FROM, FROM SHARING, FROM BEING SHARED, AND HELP BUILD TRUST WITH THE UNDOCUMENTED COMMUNITY. AND THAT IS MY MOTION AND I HOPE THAT I WANNA HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES AND I HOPE THAT THEY'LL SUPPORT, UM, THIS ITEM GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU. UH, NEXT WE HAVE COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I WANNA JUST THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS. AS WE'VE SHAPED THIS ORDINANCE OVER JUST THE PAST, UM, REALLY SEVERAL YEARS MORE THAN IT HAS BEEN THE PAST YEAR, AND ALSO STAFF OR YOUR INTERDEPARTMENTAL EFFORT, I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN A LONG PROCESS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GONNA WORK. UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT A PLACE WHERE I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE CAN CONTINUE TO DIALOGUE AROUND HOW DO WE ENSURE IT'S ACCESSIBLE, IT'S AFFORDABLE, AND THAT WE DO CREATE A PATHWAY. SO JUST I SUPPORT COUNCIL WOMEN'S, UM, YOU MOTION AND WANNA ADD ONE MORE, WHICH IS IF WE CAN REMOVE THE INSURANCE REQUIREMENT AND MAKE IT RECOMMENDED, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE EDUCATION THEY NEED TO KNOW WHY THE CITY RECOMMENDS IT, BUT I DON'T WANNA MAKE IT A REQUIREMENT. IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT EDUCATION IS PROVIDED ON THE, UM, AND WITH THAT SAID, I DO ALSO WANNA ADDRESS SOME CONCERN AROUND, UM, THE ENFORCEMENT. WHILE I THINK THAT IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE SOME EDUCATION AND, UH, AND OUTREACH FOR OUR VENDORS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THERE'S A SMOOTH TRANSITION TO GETTING THEIR PERMITTING AND MAKING SURE THEIR BUSINESS ISN'T IMPACTED IS, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC MAKING COMPLAINT BECAUSE IT'S COMPLAINT BASED. HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT, UM, PEOPLE ARE EDUCATED SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST GETTING THESE RANDOM COMPLAINTS JUST BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT LIKE THE VENDOR OR THEY DON'T LIKE THE FOOD THEY'RE SELLING. UM, SO I WONDER HOW ARE WE SHAPING THIS COMPLAINT? SO IT'S BASED ON THE POLICY ITSELF. SO OUR, UM, WHEN OUR OFFICE RECEIVES A COMPLAINT, WE TAKE THE INFORMATION, WE ASK QUESTIONS, UM, WHAT TYPE OF FOOD ARE THEY SELLING? DO THEY HAVE A HEALTH PERMIT? AT WHAT LOCATIONS ARE THEY AT? UM, TO DATE, WE HAVE ABOUT CLOSE TO 800 COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE COME INTO THE OFFICE, AND MORE THAN 500 ARE RELATED TO SIDEWALK BENDING. SOME OF THESE COMPLAINTS WERE, UM, INVESTIGATED BY STAFF. AND, YOU KNOW, SOME COMPLAINTS DID NOT SUBSTANTIATE TO THAT, MEANING THAT IN THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION THAT THAT COMPLAINT IDENTIFIED, THEY WERE NOT THERE. BUT IN MOST CASES, WE DID FIND, UM, OPERATING, UM, MANY OF THE VENDORS ARE OPERATING WITHOUT A HEALTH PERMIT. UM, OKAY, SO THAT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLAINT. HOW ARE WE GONNA ENSURE THERE'S GONNA BE THE CAPACITY TO MANAGE ALL OF THAT? I KNOW THAT IT'LL BE, UM, AS THE ORDINANCE ROLL OUT, HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE RESPONSE THEY NEED? BECAUSE I THINK WE WILL HEAR FROM THEM, LIKE, IS THERE A GENERAL TIMELINE ON WHEN THEY'LL BE A RESPONSE BACK TO IT? SO WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING, UM, INTERDEPARTMENTALLY, PUBLIC WORKS HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND, UM, MANY OTHER TEAM MEMBERS, BUSINESS LICENSING, UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, HOW DO WE COORDINATE OUR EFFORTS? AND WE PUT TOGETHER A COMPLAINT RESPONSE TEAM. AGAIN, WE COLLECTED DATA, WE LOOKED AT WHERE THE LOCATIONS ARE FREQUENTLY CALLED OUT, AND THAT'S HOW WE PRIORITIZE OUR INVEST INVESTIGATIONS. AND, UM, WE, WE DO OUR BEST TO GET TO THESE COMPLAINTS. [04:40:01] BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S, IT'S A LOT TO, UM, SO AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE INFORMATION, THE COMPLAINT ON INFORMATION, IF THERE'S NOT, UM, ENOUGH, WE'LL DO A FOLLOW UP CALL TO THE COMPLAINANT TO SEE IF WE COULD, WE COULD GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THOSE COMPLAINTS. AND COUNCILMAN SORO FROM THE BUSINESS LICENSE PERSPECTIVE, AND, EXCUSE ME, MY NAME IS TARA MORTENSON AND I'M THE BUSINESS SERVICES BUREAU MANAGER. UM, WE ALSO RECEIVED COMPLAINTS AND WE'LL BE RECEIVING COMPLAINTS, UM, REGARDING JUST THE, THE BUSINESS LICENSE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS. AND WE FOLLOW A SIMILAR PATH THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DOES WHERE WE'RE GOING TO QUALIFY THE COMPLAINT FIRST. OBVIOUSLY AS AN ENFORCEMENT, UM, HAVING AN ENFORCEMENT BODY WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION, WE'RE AWARE OF FOLKS WHO MAKE COMPLAINTS FOR REASONS, AS YOU'VE SAID. AND SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT IT WITH AN EQUITY LENS. AND ALSO JUST, YOU KNOW, GOOD JUDGMENT MM-HMM, AS WE SHOULD BE USING WITH ALL COMPLAINTS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE'RE ENFORCING IS FOR THAT. BUT IT IS VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, CAN BE INTO A SIMPLE PERSPECTIVE. YOU EITHER HAVE A LICENSE OR YOU DON'T HAVE A LICENSE. IF YOU'RE OPERATING, AND IF YOU'RE OPERATING IN THE CORRECT SPACE, THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY SIMPLE FOR US TO, TO LOOK AT THAT. SO, UM, I'M NOT AS CONCERNED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO HAVE, UM, UH, THE APPROPRIATE, UH, REACTIONS AND THE APPROPRIATE REVIEW OF IT. UM, AND ALSO IN THE ORIGINAL ACTION TO THIS, WE DID, UM, INCREASE OUR STAFF FROM A BUSINESS LICENSE PERSPECTIVE SO THAT WE INCREASED OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF SO THAT OUR FIELD STAFF HAVE MORE TIME TO BE IN THE FIELD. AND, UM, CERTAINLY WE'LL BE INFORMING THE CITY MANAGER AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IF THAT, UM, STAFF IS, IF THE, THE DEMANDS MEET THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE. THANK YOU. I, I JUST HAVE ONE THING MAYOR TO COMMENT ON IS, UM, IT'S THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PIECE. I KNOW THAT THIS IS AROUND ORDINANCE, AROUND RIGHT AWAY AND SAFETY AND HEALTH CONCERN AROUND STREET VENDING, BUT I DID WANNA MAKE SURE AT LEAST TO LIFT UP THE, THE OPPORTUNITY THAT IS PRESENTED AS, AS WE THINK ABOUT HOW THE REGULATION GETS, UM, UH, INTO PLACE IS THAT UNFORTUNATELY THERE'LL BE VENDORS WHO WON'T BE ABLE TO VENT IN THEIR USUAL SPOT. IS, UH, WHERE, HOW CAN WE CONSIDER WAYS THAT WE CAN ASSIST? I KNOW THAT WE CAN'T TELL THEM WHERE THEY SHOULD BE OR NOT, BUT WILL THERE BE A PROCESS OR AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO EXPLORE OP WAYS THAT VENDORS CAN MAYBE GO INTO OTHER AREA? I KNOW THAT A LOT OF VENDING HAPPENS IN THE DOWNTOWN, IN THE OCEAN AREA, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF OUR, UH, PEOPLE ARE AT, RIGHT? THERE'S A LOT OF TOURISM THERE, BUT I'M SEEING IT ALSO MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY, HOW DO WE REVITALIZE AREA THAT MAY NOT HAVE THESE, UM, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITY, UH, TO THINKING ABOUT KIND OF A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP THAT COULD OCCUR. 'CAUSE I DO KNOW WE HAVE ALREADY AN EXISTING VENDORS LIST OF THOSE VENDORS WHO HAVE LICENSES AND HOW MAYBE BRICK AND MORTAR CAN WORK WITH OUR STREET VENDORS. HOW CAN CITY, HOW OUR CITY CAN HELP FACILITATE THESE RELATIONSHIP AND SUPPORT THEM. SO I JUST WANTED TO, UM, PUT THAT OUT THERE AND JUST GET YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT, UM, WHAT WILL HAPPEN, RIGHT? WHEN WE ARE TELLING PEOPLE THEY CAN'T BE THERE ANYMORE, WHAT ALTERNATIVES WILL THEY HAVE? COUNCILWOMAN SORROW, I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, IN THE BEGINNING FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST THREE TO SIX MONTHS, THE INTENTION IS NOT TO BE COMING FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF NO, NO, NO, YOU'RE DOING THE WRONG THING. OUR INTENTION IS FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST THREE TO SIX MONTHS, IS TO HAVE A PURELY, UM, EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT. UM, JUDITH AND I, AS WELL AS, UM, OUR OTHER PARTNERS IN THIS HAVE DEVELOPED A PROCESS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE WEEKLY, UM, ENGAGING, UM, AT, YOU KNOW, BOOTS ON THE GROUND AT THEIR SITES AND AT LOCATIONS WHERE VENDORS ARE MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF THE RULES AND THAT WE ARE NOT HERE AS, AS YOU KNOW, THE ENFORCEMENT ALL THE TIME. WE WANT TO HELP THEM. WE WANNA HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THE REGULATION. WE WANNA HELP THEM UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHY, UM, IT'S IN PLACE. HOW TO ALSO HELP THE COMMUNITY AND THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT SURROUND THESE AREAS AND ANY POTENTIAL COMPLAINTS THAT THEY MAY HAVE AND MITIGATE THEIR CONCERNS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING AS MUCH HELP AS POSSIBLE. WE ARE DEVELOPING, UM, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MATERIALS AND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF STUFF. WE HAVE, UM, ALSO CONNECTED WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING TOWARDS WAYS TO BE ABLE TO HELP AND WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE ARE OUT THERE AND OUT IN THE PUBLIC. AND SO THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME AND TO MY STAFF IS TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, BUILD THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE VENDORS SO WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT THEY NEED SO THEN WE CAN FIND OUT HOW TO HELP THEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND ADDING ONTO THAT COUNCILWOMAN, I THINK IN TERMS OF THE INTEREST IN PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE PRIVATE, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS, PART OF THE INFORMATION IN THE MEMO AND THE ORDINANCE IS AROUND WAYS THAT THAT CAN HAPPEN. SO THE ORDINANCE IS FOCUSED OF COURSE ON [04:45:01] VENDING IN PUBLIC PROPERTY, ON SIDEWALKS, BUT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH, PARTNER WITH PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS, WHETHER THAT'S A PARKING LOT OR, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A STRUCTURE THAT FOLKS, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE GATHERING, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO AN ADMINISTRATIVE USE PERMIT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THOSE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS. UM, IN ADDITION TO THIS SIDEWALK VENDING ORDINANCE. TO ADD TO THAT TOO, UM, ENVI, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TEAM IS ALREADY WORKING WITH THE ECO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM, UM, TO LOOK AT MANUFACTURERS THAT ARE APPROVED. WE COULD EXPEDITE THAT APPROVAL IF IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, DONE BY THE MANUFACTURERS AND ALSO PROVIDE SOME COSTS, UM, UM, SUPPLEMENT TO HELP WITH THE COST OF THESE CARTS. SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND THESE MANUFACTURERS THAT CAN PRODUCE THE CARTS AT AN EFFECTIVE COST. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA PAUSE. WE HAVE THREE MORE, UH, SPEAKERS FROM THE COUNCIL, BUT WE'RE GONNA PAUSE BECAUSE THERE'S A MOTION WITH AMENDMENTS TO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND A FRIENDLY, CAN WE WALK THROUGH WHAT WE UNDERSTAND AS THE MOTION RIGHT NOW, TOM? UH, YES. AND I WANTED TO ADDRESS A COUPLE OF THOSE THINGS. SURE. SO, UM, UH, WE HEARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COME BACK IN THE SIX MONTHS TO TALK ABOUT THE SUCCESSES AND ANY ADDITIONAL AREAS. MM-HMM. , UH, THERE WAS AN ITEM TO REQUEST THE PIKE, UH, TO, UM, UH, TO ALLOW STREET VENDORS. I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, TALK ABOUT THAT AS THAT CAME UP IN THE, IN THE MEMO. UH, WE DO ALLOW IN THE ORDINANCE, UH, IN PUBLIC AREAS FOR THESE TO BE, THAT'S PRETTY CLEAR. UH, THERE ARE CERTAIN PROPERTIES THAT, ALTHOUGH IT'S PUBLICLY OWNED LAND, HAVE LONG-TERM LEASES. AND THAT'S A PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHT, THAN THEY HAVE. SO THE PIKE HAS A LEASE DATING ALL THE WAY BACK TO ABOUT 2001. AND SO, AND IT, AND IT ACTUALLY INCLUDES THE SIDEWALK. SO WE DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THAT. UM, THAT LEASE GOES UNTIL 2040. UH, AND SO, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO GO ASK THEM ABOUT. AND SO I THINK THIS MOTION THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER PUT UP IS, IS A VERY APPROPRIATE WAY TO GO AND, AND GO AND ASK THEM ABOUT THAT. UH, AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO, UH, ON THAT. UH, FOR THAT SPECIFIC PROPERTY, THERE WAS A, UH, MOTION ABOUT ALLOWING ELECTRICITY, UH, FROM PRIVATE USE AS LONG AS THAT PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER WAS, UM, SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AND WE CAN, WE CAN FACILITATE THAT IF THAT'S THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL. UH, THERE WAS A MOTION ABOUT ADDING IN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, UH, THAT, UH, THE VALUES ACT WILL APPLY HERE, AND THAT IS CERTAINLY OUR INTENT. AND SO THAT IS, IS SOMETHING WE CAN CERTAINLY SUPPORT AND, AND INCLUDE. UM, THERE WAS A, A, A QUESTION ABOUT INSURANCE. SO I DO WANNA, UH, LET YOU KNOW THAT IS A, THAT IS A PUBLIC POLICY CHOICE. I DO WANNA LET YOU KNOW THE KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS THERE. UM, SOME CITIES HAVE GONE THE, UH, INDEMNITY ROUTE, WHICH MEANS THAT THE, UH, THE SIDEWALK VENDOR TAKES ON ALL RESPONSIBILITIES. SO THEN, THEN THEY INDEMNIFY THE CITY AND SAY IF ANYTHING WAS DONE THAT A STREET VENDOR CAUSED, THEY GET THE PERSON WHO, WHO, UM, IS SUING GOES AFTER THE VENDOR FIRST. SO THEY WOULD GO AFTER THE VENDOR UNTIL THERE'S NO OTHER ASSETS THERE. AND AT THAT POINT, THE CITY MIGHT BE LIABLE IF THERE'S NO INSURANCE. THE INSURANCE ACTUALLY PROTECTS THE VENDOR AND THE CITY. AND THAT THE INSURANCE IS THE FIRST GROUP THAT WOULD GET THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, BE PAYING OUT IF THERE WAS A MAJOR ACCIDENT. SO IMAGINE A STREET VENDOR HAD SOME ITEMS OUT IN THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT THEY WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO HAVE A BICYCLE COMES ALONG, HITS THEM, AND THERE'S A, A HEAD INJURY THAT THAT LAWSUIT WOULD FIRST GO TO THE VENDOR. UM, AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE INSURANCE, THEY'RE GONNA GO THROUGH ALL THEIR ASSETS UNTIL THEY THEN TURN TO THE CITY. UM, SO THO THAT IS A PUBLIC POLICY CHOICE. SOME CITIES CHOSE TO DO THE INDEMNITY ROUTE, OTHERS CHOSE, UM, TO REQUIRE INSURANCE. AND WE HAVE THAT IN THE MEMO. IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY MORE, MORE THAN HALF CHOSE TO GO THE INSURANCE ROUTE TO BOTH PROTECT THE VENDOR AND THE CITY. BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU AS A, AS A BODY CAN DECIDE. UM, AND THEN, UM, UH, THOSE ARE THE MAJOR MOTIONS I HAD. I DO WANNA ASK, UM, LINDA TATUM TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RECOVERY ACT BECAUSE WE'RE PUTTING A GREAT DEAL OF RECOVERY ACT DOLLARS INTO THIS. WE HEARD THE COUNCIL LOUD AND CLEAR, HOW DO WE HELP THESE VENDORS GET STARTED? AND WE'RE LOOKING AT USING THOSE VEN THOSE, UM, ONE-TIME DOLLARS TO HELP OFFSET THE FEES IN THE FIRST YEAR, UM, UP TO, I THINK $1,100 SO THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR, UM, GET THEIR FEET UNDERNEATH THEM, START, UM, BEING A, A LEGAL BUSINESS. AND THEN, UM, UH, AND THEN THAT WOULD HELP IN THE FUTURE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. TOM. AND I DID WANNA JUST CLARIFY THAT FOR THE CITY THAT WE HAVE SET ASIDE IN ONE OF OUR LONG BEACH RECOVERY ACT PROGRAMS, FUNDING TO SUPPORT, UM, THE PAYMENT FOR THE, THE BUSINESS LICENSE AS WELL AS THE PERMIT FEES FOR, FOR THE STREET VENDORS. AND WE'VE HAVE, UM, AMPLE ENOUGH TO, UM, COVER THEIR, THEIR FEES FOR THE FIRST YEAR. WE ARE ALSO EXPLORING, WE DON'T HAVE THE FINE DETAILS YET, BUT WE TALKED ABOUT THE, THE, THE FOOD CART, THE PURCHASE. THAT'S KIND OF A BIG TICKET ITEM AND WE'D LIKE TO SET ASIDE SOME FUNDING TO SUPPORT THAT EFFORT TOO, BUT WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THE DETAILS OF THAT. BUT FOR THEIR VERY FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION, WE CAN COVER THEIR PERMIT FEES AND THEIR, THEIR, UM, BUSINESS LICENSES UP TO $1,100. [04:50:01] AND THE LAST THING THE CITY ATTORNEY REMINDED ME IS UNDER THE ITEM ABOUT ALLOWING ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY AND UTILITIES, THERE WAS THE PART OF THE MOTION SAID, UH, NOT TO CREATE A TRIPPING HAZARD. SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, IN THE MOTION AS WELL. THAT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING OF IT. OKAY. SO I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS, UH, THANK YOU, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND DEJAS ON THE INSURANCE ISSUE. THAT IS A FRIENDLY, UH, I NEED TO HEAR, IS THAT ACCEPTED OR NOT? ABSOLUTELY, YES. OKAY. SO THAT IS ACCEPTED. UH, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT, UH, UH, BEFORE WE GO THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, A BIG PART OF IT IS, A PART OF THIS IS, YOU KNOW, SINCE IT'S A NEW SORT OF A NEW CLASSIFICATION OF, OF BUSINESS TYPE THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA, UH, REGULATE, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ADOPTION. SO I THINK THE BARRIERS TO GET COMPLIANT, WE NEED TO LIKE LIMIT, LIKE LOWER THEM SO THAT YOU GET MORE FOLKS IN AND ON THE PATHWAY TO, TO COMPLIANCE FOR THE SAKE OF, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC HEALTH AND ACCESSIBILITY AND ALL THOSE ISSUES. UM, WHAT DOES IT COST TOTAL IF YOU INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, PERMIT, YOU KNOW, PERMIT FEES, LICENSE AND INSURANCE, WHAT DOES THAT FIRST YEAR COST FOR THOSE THINGS? SORRY. SO, UM, I WANNA GIVE TWO EXAMPLES. ONE OF WHICH IS, UM, NOT REQUIRING A HEALTH PERMIT. WE OFTEN GET TRIPPED UP ON THAT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ONES THAT REQUIRE A HEALTH PERMIT ARE GONNA GO THROUGH A DIFFERENT PROCESS. BUT SOME OF THIS TOO IS SELLING GOODS AND MERCH OR SELLING MERCHANDISE. UM, SO THAT WOULDN'T REQUIRE A HEALTH PERMIT, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $300 FOR THE BUSINESS LICENSE. AND IF YOU DON'T REQUIRE THE INSURANCE, THAT WOULD BE ABOUT IT. UH, IF YOU INQUIRED, UH, ALLOWED THE INSURANCE, IT'D BE ANOTHER $300 FOR THE INSURANCE. SO THAT WOULD BE AROUND $600. AND THE RECOVERY ACT DOLLARS WOULD BASICALLY COVER THAT IN THE FIRST YEAR. SO, UM, UH, 'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE UP TO $1,100. THEN, UH, IF YOU WERE TO DO A FOOD VENDOR TYPE, UM, INSPECTION FOR A TYPICAL FOOD AND VENDOR, IT'D BE $300 FOR THE BUSINESS LICENSE. UH, IF YOU REQUIRED INSURANCE, IT COULD BE ANOTHER 300, BUT THAT'S NOT IN THE MOTION. SO LET'S JUST SAY IT'S 300. AND THEN THE HEALTH FEE WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 300 AS WELL. SO THAT WOULD BE THEN THE $600 ALSO COVERED BY THE, BY THE VALUE ACT. SO TEAM, DID I GET THAT RIGHT? YES. I'M SORRY. THE RECOVERY ACT? YEAH. OKAY. SO $600 IF INSURANCE IS REQUIRED UNDER ONE SCENARIO OF NO FOOD, NO HEALTH PERMIT REQUIRED, IF HEALTH PERMIT REQUIRED IT'S $900. CORRECT. BUT THE GRANT WE OFFER IS UP TO $1,100. CORRECT. SO IT, IT COVERS ALL OF IT. UM, THAT'S CORRECT. THE GRANT EAS, IS THE GRANT PROCESS EASY TO APPLY FOR? YES, WE'VE MADE IT AS AS PAINLESS AS POSSIBLE. ARE THERE ANY DOCUMENTATION, STATUS REQUIREMENTS OR ANY OF THAT? THERE ARE SOME. LET ME HAVE, UM, BUSINESS LICENSE RESPOND TO THAT. SO, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY AS WELL, TO, FOR THE HEALTH PERMIT, UH, DEPENDING ON THEIR, UM, FOOD OPERATIONS, OUR RANGE OF SCALE WILL BEGIN AT 2 65 FOR PRE-PACKAGED OVER 25 SQUARE FOOT FOOTAGE, AND THEN $300 FOR CARTS WITH NO PLUMBING. AND THEN SEVEN, ABOUT $730 FOR CARTS WITH PLUMBING. AND THEN IF THERE IS A PLAN CHECK REQUIREMENT, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO INSPECT THE CARTS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S IN COMPLIANCE WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE, THAT COULD BE ADDITIONAL $1,165. SO THERE ARE MORE FEES. THERE ARE MORE FEES. THE FOOD OPERATION, WE HAVE A BALLPARK OF WHAT A FOOD VENDOR SELLING TACOS. SO IF YOU'RE SELLING TO MOLLY WITH PROBABLY YOUR AVERAGE COST WOULD, THAT WOULD BE A CART WITHOUT PLUMBING. SO $300 IF THERE'S NO PLAN CHECK IF THAT CART WAS ALREADY APPROVED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND HAS AN APPROVAL OR SEALED FROM THE COUNTY, THERE'S NO REASON FOR US TO DO A PLAN CHECK ON IT SO WE CAN WAIVE THOSE FEES. OKAY. SO IT, SO THAT WOULD BE IT, THAT WOULD BE THE ANNUAL COST. BUT IF IT DOES REQUIRE, 'CAUSE IT'S A NEW CART, IT'S NOT PREAPPROVED COUNTY. IF THAT'S REQUIRED, THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT 1,165 ON THE TOP, THAT'S ON TOP OF THE 600 OF THE ANNUAL PERMIT. OKAY. SO THAT'S, WELL I'M, I'M SAYING UNDER THE SCENARIO OF INSURANCE, 1465, SO 1465. SO THAT'S THE WORST CASE SCENARIO IS 1465. YES. I THINK AT THE VERY LEAST OUR, OUR GRANT PROGRAM SHOULD ALLOW $1,500 UP TO, TO COVER THOSE, THOSE COSTS SO THAT THERE ISN'T A GAP. I THINK WE NEED AS, WE NEED AS FEW BARRIERS AS POSSIBLE TO GET PEOPLE TO, INTO THE PROGRAM. IF THE GOAL IS TRULY HEALTH AND SAFETY AND THOSE THINGS, WE HAVE TO REMOVE BARRIERS. NOW, ASSUMING THIS IS A NEW OPERATION, NEW VENDOR NOW AFTER A YEAR, IMAGINE YOU'VE, YOU'VE MADE SOME MONEY AND, UH, WE CAN REVISIT WHAT THE POLICY IS FOR RENEWAL IN YEAR TWO. BUT I THINK FOR THAT INITIAL, YEAH, THAT CHECK FEE IS A ONE TIME, AND AGAIN, THAT COST IS FOR VERY COMPLEX OPERATION. YEAH. AND SO IF YOU'RE, IF YOUR PLAN CHECK DOESN'T, IF YOUR EQUIPMENT DOESN'T REQUIRE COMPLEX PLAN CHECK INSPECTION, THEN WE WOULD NOT. SO IT'S NOT THE AVERAGE. THAT'S, [04:55:01] THAT'S THE EXCEPTION. THAT'S THE HIGHEST COST TO THE RULE, RIGHT? YES. SO, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD, LIKE, WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE ANY EXCUSE FOR SOMEONE TO SAY OUR FEES ARE TOO HIGH, THEREFORE I'M NOT COMPLYING WITH THE PROB WITH, WITH WHAT? NO, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO SET UP A PAYMENT PLAN, WE'LL WORK WITH YOU IN TERMS OF WELL PAYMENT PLANS. BUT ALSO I THINK OUR GRANT PROGRAM NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE WORST CASE SCENARIO. SO WE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN, SO CAN CAP ON THE PAYMENT PLAN. YEAH. UM, AGAIN, WE DON'T THINK THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE COVERED UP TO THAT 1500, BUT WE COULD, UH, AND THEN IT WOULD JUST BE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE UNTIL THAT, UH, FUNDING SOURCES IS UNAVAILABLE AND WE CAN REVISIT IF PEOPLE, I MEAN, IF IT'S SUCCESSFUL AND PEOPLE ARE TAPPING INTO IT, THAT'S A GOOD THING WE CAN REVISIT AND PUT MORE MONEY INTO THE PROGRAM BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING ADOPTION. THAT'S A GOOD THING. RIGHT. BUT WHAT I DON'T WANT IS TO LEAVE HERE SAYING THAT THE FEES THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS ESTABLISHING EXCEEDS THE RESOURCES OR THE SUBSIDIES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE. I DON'T THINK THAT'S, THAT'S ACCEPTABLE. NOW THE THING ABOUT INSURANCE, SO, UH, THE FRIENDLY THAT I HEARD JUST SAYS NO INSURANCE, BUT THERE'S AN OPTION ON WE NEED TO AT LEAST HOLD HARMLESS TO CITY AT THE VERY LEAST. IS THAT RE REFLECTED IN THIS MOTION? THAT'S ALREADY IN THE ORDINANCE. OKAY. SO THAT'S ALREADY THERE, THE INDEMNIFICATION PATH. OKAY. AND THEN THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS, UM, AFTER THE ORDINANCE GOES INTO EFFECT, WHAT'S THE PERIOD OF EDUCATION? SO THERE'S EDUCATION BOTH ON THE BUSINESS LICENSE SIDE AND ON THE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SIDE FOR THE HEALTH PERMIT. AND WE PLAN TO DO THAT JOINTLY. AND SO THAT PERIOD IS GONNA BE, UM, UH, DEPENDING UPON WHEN IT ACTUALLY GOES THROUGH, UH, BETWEEN, UH, THE ENTIRE WINTER FALL, UM, WINTER AND SPRING. AND THEN AT THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO START OUR REGULAR OPERATIONS. SO WE'RE LOOKING RIGHT NOW BETWEEN THREE AND SIX MONTHS. OKAY. SO THREE AND SIX MONTHS OF EDUCATION AND YOU'RE GONNA FOLD IN INSURANCE NOW INTO THAT IF INSURANCE IS REQUIRED? YES. NO, NOT THE RECOMMENDATION WAS THE INSURANCE IS NOT THERE, BUT RECOMMENDED INSTEAD OF, SO THAT WILL BE A PART OF THE EDUCATION PROGRAM? YES. OKAY. UNDERSTOOD. OKAY, THANK YOU. WELL, NOW, UH, NOW THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US, WE'LL GO BACK TO THE COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER TI UM, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. SO ONE IS, UM, THE FIRST WAS JUST ABOUT THE MIXED USE ZONES. SO COULD YOU JUST EXPLAIN THE REASONING AROUND CHOOSING, BECAUSE I KNOW WE SAID THE, UM, UH, IN THE DOCUMENTATION IT TALKS ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE LEGISLATION IS SILENT ON MIXED USE ZONES. UM, AND SO WE, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO BASICALLY PREVENT VENDING IN FRONT OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. AND I WAS JUST WONDERING THE STAFF TO JUST KIND OF CLARIFY THE CHOICE AROUND THE SINGLE FAMILY HOME. YEAH, SO THAT'S LARGELY IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THE ORDINANCE, UH, BECOMES VERY COMPLICATED WHEN WE TRY TO RESTRICT VENDING IN FRONT OF RESIDENCES WHEN IT IS IN A MIXED USE ZONE, OFTEN WHERE RESIDENCES AND COMMERCIAL ARE POTENTIALLY EVEN IN THE SAME BUILDING. SO IT'S HARD TO DISENTANGLE FROM AN ENFORCEMENT STANDPOINT AND EVEN FROM A VENDOR STANDPOINT WHERE THEY CAN OPERATE OR NOT. SO THE IDEA WITH THIS, UM, PARTICULAR PROVISION WAS THAT IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE UNDERSTANDABLE AND CLEAR FOR THE VENDORS AS WELL AS, UM, RESIDENTS WHERE VENDING COULD BE, UM, OPERABLE IN THOSE MIXED USE ZONES. OKAY. UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY, UH, RELATED TO THE INSURANCE, 'CAUSE I'LL ADMIT I'M HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE NO INSURANCE REQUIREMENT, BUT I HEARD OUR CITY MANAGER SAY, SO THE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY VOICE TODAY, BUT, UM, WE'RE SAYING THAT THERE WOULD BE THE RECOMMEND, THE, THE FRIENDLY RIGHT NOW IS FOR NO INSURANCE, UH, OR THE INSURANCE FOR IT TO BE, UM, VOLUNTARY, BASICALLY RECOMMENDED. UM, BUT IT DOES INCLUDE AEM, LIKE WE'RE REQUIRING INDEMNIFICATION FOR THE CITY. SO CAN YOU JUST KIND OF WALK ME THROUGH HOW THAT WORKS? SURE. SO I CAN TALK ABOUT IT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, PRACTICALLY, UM, OR LIKE, YOU KNOW, LEGALLY WHAT WOULD BE IN THERE AND THE ATTORNEY CAN CORRECT ME IF I GET ANYTHING WRONG. AND THEN PRACTICALLY, SO, UM, WE WOULD THEN HAVE THEM INDEMNIFY THE CITY. SO BY SIGNING THE PERMIT, THEY WOULD SAY, I AGREE THAT I'M TAKING ON ALL OF THE RISK. UM, SO THE VENDOR THEN WOULD HAVE THE RISK TO DEFEND US IF WE EVER GOT, UM, SUED FOR THAT, WE WOULD BASICALLY TENDER THAT TO THE VENDOR AND SAY, YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS 'CAUSE YOU AGREED TO IT. UM, SO, UH, THEORETICALLY WE WOULD BE PROTECTED. UM, IN ACTUALITY, UH, THESE ARE VENDORS THAT DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ASSETS AND, AND AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO PAY IF THERE'S A MAJOR, YOU KNOW, 300, 400, $500,000 LAWSUIT FOR LIKE A, YOU KNOW, A, A MAJOR INJURY OR SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED THAT THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR. AND SO THEN VERY QUICKLY THE UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SUING PARTY WOULD THEN COME TO THE CITY AND SAY, WELL, WE WENT AFTER THE VENDOR, THERE ARE NO ASSETS AT THE END, AND THEN THEY COME TO THE CITY AND THEN WE WOULD BE LIABLE FOR THAT. UM, POTENTIALLY IF, IF WE WERE FOUND TO BE, IF THERE WAS FOUND TO BE FAULT. SO THAT WOULD'VE TO GO THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM. SO, UM, AGAIN, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE STRUGGLED WITH. IT WAS ORIGINALLY NOT IN THE MOTION AS WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE THIS, YOU KNOW, A LOW IMPACT AS POSSIBLE. UM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL ASKED ABOUT INSURANCE AND ABOUT COULD WE REQUIRE A LOWER AMOUNT. WE FOUND THAT THERE REALLY ISN'T [05:00:01] A MARKET FOR A LOWER AMOUNT. AND IF YOU WERE TO FIND $300,000 OF INSURANCE, IT WAS BASICALLY THE SAME PRICE AS INSURING FOR A MILLION. UH, THE OTHER OPTION I'LL THROW OUT, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A PUBLIC POLICY OPTION, IS IF WE'RE PAYING FOR IT IN THE FIRST YEAR WITH OUR RECOVERY ACT, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE US, YOU KNOW, REQUIRE IT FOR A YEAR, SEE HOW IT GOES, SEE IF PEOPLE CAN GET IT, AND THEN, UM, WE COULD REPORT BACK TO YOU IN SIX MONTHS. UM, AND, AND WE WOULD BE PAYING FOR THAT OUT OF THE $1,100 IN, IN THE RECOVERY ACT, THOSE DOLLARS AREN'T GONNA BE THERE LONG TERM. UM, THAT COULD BE A COMPROMISE, UM, SOLUTION, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SRO, WOULD YOU BE AMENABLE TO THAT? BECAUSE I, I'M, I'M ADMITTEDLY I'M HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE NO INSURANCE REQUIREMENT. AND PART OF THAT IS JUST BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE, YOU KNOW, NON-PROFIT AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS IN MY DISTRICT THAT WHEN THEY WANT TO EVENT, THEY WANT TO USE THE, YOU KNOW, CITY PROPERTY, THEY HAVE TO PAY A MILLION DOLLARS, THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO INDEMNIFY THE CITY AND HAVE INSURANCE. SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO ACCEPT NOT REQUIRING THAT OF FOOD VENDORS AS WELL. YEAH. SO I, UM, I, I, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN BECAUSE I WAS JUST KIND OF FIGURING OUT LIKE HOW DO WE, BECAUSE MY CONCERN IS JUST GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE PROGRAMMING THE PROGRAM AND REDUCING THE BARRIERS. SO I'M AMENABLE IF IT GETS COVERED THE FIRST YEAR, UM, MAKING IT A REQUIREMENT, IT GETS COVERED THE FIRST YEAR, UH, BY OUR SUBSIDY AND THEN GETTING TO A SECOND YEAR WHERE IT CAN BE CONSIDERED AND THEN IT'S LIKE, UM, PEOPLE GET ACCLIMATED, UM, YOU KNOW, TO THE PROGRAMMING. AND THEN HOPEFULLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS NOT A FIRST, YOU KNOW, ONE TIME COST ISSUE AFTER THE SECOND YEAR. YEAH. SO I THINK, UM, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW, HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. WE WOULD BE ABLE TO COVER IT WE THINK FROM A MONETARY PERSPECTIVE IN THE FIRST YEAR THROUGH THE RECOVERY ACT. SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE $1,100 WE WOULD SAY, UM, THAT YOU COULD GET REIMBURSED FOR THAT PART. I, I WON'T SAY IT WON'T ADD SOME LEVEL OF ADDITIONAL STEP BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO FIND A VENDOR THAT WILL DO THAT. THERE ARE SOME THAT WE'VE MENTIONED IN OUR STAFF REPORT THAT ARE AVAILABLE. UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY RECOMMENDED INSURANCE VENDORS. WE HAVE SOME THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT DO, DO THIS, BUT IT IS AN EXTRA STEP THAT THE, THAT THEY'D HAVE TO DO. WE COULD THEN, UM, UH, REIMBURSE THOSE COSTS AND THEN COME CHECK IN WITH YOU AT SIX MONTHS TO SEE IS THIS SOMETHING THAT IS EASILY OBTAINABLE? UM, OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT'S TRULY CREATING A BARRIER? IS THAT REASONABLE OR, OR ANOTHER, OR ANOTHER OBJECT. 'CAUSE I GET WHERE, WHERE YOU GUYS ARE GOING. I, I THINK LIKE WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, TRY TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT, PROTECT, UH, PROTECT THE CITY. 'CAUSE THINGS ARE GONNA HAPPEN. WE HAVE TO ASSUME THOSE THINGS ARE GONNA HAPPEN. BUT ALSO THE BARRIER, I THINK THAT BARRIER TO ENTRY IS IT'S GONNA, IT'S REAL. SO WHAT IF YOU INVERTED IT? WHAT IF IT'S RECOMMENDED IN THE FIRST YEAR IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO IT, IT'S COVERED, BUT THERE'S NO BARRIER FROM GETTING ON THE PATH. BUT IT'S REQUIRED IN YEAR TWO. SO IN YEAR ONE, THE PATHWAY IN IT IS RECOMMENDED AND SUBSIDIZED. IT'S CONCLUDED, BUT IT IS NOT A BARRIER FOR GETTING ON THE PATH. SO NO ONE CAN SAY, I CAN'T GET INSURANCE BECAUSE OF WHATEVER REQUIREMENTS INSURANCE MAY HAVE. RIGHT. SO WHAT IF, WHAT IF WE INVERTED THAT? I MEAN, IT'S A POLICY DISCUSSION. MM-HMM. . BUT WHAT ABOUT THAT? IT, IT ACKNOWLEDGES THE BARRIER GETS YOU ON A PATH TO INSURANCE AND ALLOWS US TO ENCOURAGE IT FINANCIALLY IN THE FIRST YEAR. THAT MAKES SENSE. MY ONLY CONCERN IS THAT, LET ME THINK THROUGH THAT. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A REASON. AND STAFF FEEL FREE TO WEIGH IN AS WELL IF YOU THINK THAT YEAH, I MEAN I THINK THAT'S REASONABLE. 'CAUSE THINK, LIKE I SAID, AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO GET AT THE MIDDLE GROUND OF PROTECTING THE CITY, RIGHT, RIGHT. FROM ANY KIND OF LIABILITY. AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT COVERING IT FOR THE FIRST YEAR OR COVERING IT IN GENERAL MM-HMM. , UM, EVEN ONGOING IS A, TO ME IS A GOOD PO PUBLIC POLICY, RIGHT? BECAUSE I'D RATHER SPEND $300 ON LIABILITY INSURANCE THAN EXPOSE THE CITY. UM, I GUESS MY, MY, MY THOUGHT THERE IS IS THEN THIS IS JUST KIND OF, IT'S AN EDUCATION PIECE, RIGHT? AND AS WE'RE EDUCATING THE, THE, THE FOOD VENDORS ON OUR NEW POLICIES, RIGHT? PART OF THAT IS GONNA BE ON HOW TO, YOU KNOW, BE 88 COMPLIANT, THINGS LIKE THAT. IN MY MIND, I'M ALMOST THINKING THAT THE FIRST YEAR MIGHT BE THE, THE YEAR WHERE THEY'RE MOST LIKELY FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN. RIGHT? RIGHT. SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE JUST DEPOSITION FOR ME, RIGHT? IS THAT PROBABLY THE HIGHEST RISK IS IN THAT FIRST YEAR? MM-HMM. . SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS JUST A WAY TO FACILITATE, UM, MAKING IT REALLY SIMPLE AND BARRIER FREE FOR THEM TO COME ON BOARD, GET ALL OF THEIR PERMITS AND ALL OF THEIR LICENSING, INCLUDING INSURANCE. SO THERE'S NOT A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN COVER THE INSURANCE, UH, THROUGH, UM, THE LBRA FUNDING. WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO THOUGH IS TO GET THE, THE BLESSING OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE THINKING IS THAT WE COULD BRING ON BOARD A THIRD PARTY, UM, WHO HAS CONNECTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY TO, TO FACILITATE THAT. SO THE CITY ISN'T PROVIDING THE INSURANCE DIRECTLY. WE'RE WORKING WITH A THIRD PARTY WHO CAN HELP THEM FILL OUT THE FORMS AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT THE INSURANCE IS, IS PURCHASED. ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE? COUNCIL MEMBER? THAT WOULD [05:05:01] BE THAT I, I LIKE THAT IDEA. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AMENABLE TO YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. SO, SO CAN WE CLARIFY? I THINK WE THREW SOME IDEAS THAT WE WOULDN'T MAYBE CONSIDER RECOMMENDING IT THE FIRST YEAR AND THEN MAKING A REQUIREMENT THE SECOND, OR JUST MAKING IT A REQUIREMENT FROM THE BEGINNING, BUT ENSURING THAT WE PROVIDE SUBSIDY FOR THE INSURANCE AND THEN WITH EDUCATION, KNOWING THAT THAT'S GONNA BE A COST THAT THEY NEED TO CONSIDER IN YEAR TWO BE AS FAR AS IT BEING A REQUIREMENT, I THINK WHAT LINDA'S SAYING IS SHE NEEDS DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL. SO WE COULD DO IT EITHER WAY. THEY CAN DO IT, EITHER. IT'LL BE UP TO THE COUNCIL'S DIRECTION. RIGHT. BUT WE CAN FUND COVERING THE INSURANCE IN THE FIRST YEAR. RIGHT. RIGHT. I WAS CLARIFYING IT WITH US. OKAY. I I PERSONALLY WOULD PREFER, UM, COVERING THEM THE FIRST YEAR AND MAKING A REQUIREMENT, BUT ALSO DOING WHAT THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS ARE SAYING IS, UM, I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA. 'CAUSE I IMAGINE THAT THERE JUST MAY BE SOME, UM, INSURANCE VENDORS OUT THERE THAT ARE JUST RELUCTANT TO OFFER INSURANCE. AND SO IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A THIRD PARTY VENDOR THAT COULD THEN ONGOING, UM, ALLOW FOR PEOPLE TO CONTRACT AND YOU AND UTILIZE THAT THROUGH THE CITY, WHICH REMOVES THAT BARRIER, UM, THAT WOULD BE THAT, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING FOR HERE. RIGHT, RIGHT. SO I WOULD SAY, NO, SORRY, THAT'S NOT WHAT THE, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. SO, SO IT'S ULTIMATELY THE COUNCIL DE DECISION, SO LET'S JUST KEEP GOING THROUGH AND HEAR FROM THE REST OF THE COUNCIL ON THE DISCUSSION. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN? YEAH. UM, SO I'M NOT SURE IF WE GOT TO, UH, ANY STILL DEFINITIVE ON THE, ON THE INSURANCE. THAT'S A AREA OF CONCERN THAT, THAT I HAVE AS WELL. UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE COMPLETELY WITH THE INDEMNIFICATION PROCESS, UH, BECAUSE I REALLY FEEL LIKE, I MEAN, WE WERE PUT HERE BY, BY THE VOTERS AND, AND THE, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TAXPAYERS TO PROTECT THE DOLLARS HERE, UM, THAT, THAT WE ARE, UM, HAVE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO DO. AND SO, UM, I I I DON'T WANNA EXPOSE THE CITY TO, TO UNNECESSARY RISK. UH, I DID HAVE SOME CLARIFICATION IN QUESTIONS AND I THINK THE DISCUSSION IS GOOD. UH, EARLIER STAFF MENTIONED THAT THIS WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE COASTAL ZONE FOR APPROVAL. RIGHT. UM, AND SO WOULD THAT MEAN THAT THE ENTIRE POLICY WOULD NOT BE, UM, ENACTED UNTIL IT WAS APPROVED BY THE COASTAL ZONE OR COASTAL COMMISSION OR, UM, IS IT, WOULD IT BE APPROVED IN THE REST OF THE CITY, OUTSIDE OF THE COASTAL ZONE? CORRECT. SO IT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE, UM, THE ORDINANCE WOULD BE EFFECTIVE IN THE AREAS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE COASTAL ZONE OVERLAY. AND THE ORDINANCE COULD, UM, ONLY BE ENFORCED AFTER COASTAL COMMISSION APPROVED. UM, THE RESTRICTIONS IN THE COASTAL ZONE OVERLAY. SO ESSENTIALLY SOMEBODY COULD BE A FOOD VENDOR IN, IN BIXBY KNOWLES AND THEN IT HALF OF THE DAY, AND THEN THE OTHER HALF OF THE DAY THEY GO DOWN TO THE COASTAL ZONE AND THERE'LL BE TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF, UH, RULES. THAT IS UNFORTUNATELY THE, THE REQUIREMENT. UM, OKAY. FOR THE COASTAL ZONE OVERLAY, UH, ZONES. YEAH, I, I JUST WANTED, BUT I DO WANNA PRONOUNCE THAT HEALTH OR STATE HEALTH LAW STILL APPLIES EVERYWHERE. SO THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE. SO IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO BE SAFE AND HAVING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, THE THINGS YOU WOULD NEED TO BE SAFE FROM SELLING A FOOD PERSPECTIVE WOULD STILL BE IN THE COASTAL ZONE JUST LIKE IT IS TODAY. UH, BUT ANY OF THE NEW RULES ABOUT, UM, SETTING UP A BUSINESS LICENSE WOULD, UH, HAVE TO BE, UM, WE'D HAVE TO WAIT FOR COASTAL IN THE COASTAL ZONE, I'LL CALL IT. AND ALSO IN THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE, WE, WE TALK ABOUT, UM, UH, A ONE BLOCK PARAMETER FROM A, A SCHOOL OR SCHOOL ZONE ONE BLOCK. RIGHT. AND JUST CURIOUS, HOW DO WE DEFINE ONE BLOCK? HOW IS ONE BLOCK DEFINED? IS, IS, WOULD IT BE BETTER TO, TO PUT FEET AS OPPOSED TO A BLOCK? SO ORIGINALLY WE PROPOSED 500 FEET AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL. UM, HOWEVER THE STANDARD CITY BLOCK IS NOT 500 FEET. UH, CITY BLOCK CAN VARY IN LENGTH. SO ONE FOOT, UH, HAS BEEN DISCUSSED WITH LONG BEACH UNIFIED AND THEY'VE, I'M SORRY, ONE BLOCK HAS BEEN DISCUSSED WITH LONG BEACH UNIFIED AND THEY FELT THAT ONE BLOCK WAS SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW FOR SAFE PASSAGE. AND ONE BLOCK IS DEFINED AS ONE CITY BLOCK. SO CURB TO CURB CITY BLOCK TO CITY BLOCK. THAT'S WHAT IT IS. AND IT'S THE PERIMETER OF THE SCHOOL, NOT THE CENTER OF THE SCHOOL. OKAY. I JUST THINK THAT'S STILL A LITTLE SUBJECTIVE, BUT, UM, IF, IF THIS IS ALREADY BEEN AGREED UPON BY THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, I'M, I, I, I'LL, I'LL BE OKAY WITH IT. UM, AND THEN I, I, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT TALKED ABOUT THE RECOVERY ACT DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE TO POTENTIALLY [05:10:01] RAMP UP, UH, AND, AND, AND SUBSIDIZE, UM, THIS, THIS POLICY. DO WE, IS THERE A, IS THERE A CAP ON WHAT'S AVAILABLE? YES, THERE IS, AND I DON'T HAVE A HARD NUMBER, BUT IT'S APPROXIMATELY $150,000. AND THE, THE GOAL HAD BEEN TO, UH, USE SOME OF THAT FOR THE PERMIT FEES THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, BUT WE'D ALSO LIKE TO SET SOME OF, SOME OF THAT ASIDE FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE CARTS AS WELL. BUT THAT'S WHAT'S STILL BEING WORKED OUT. IT'S TWO 50. OKAY. SO ESSENTIALLY WE, WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO TO, TO SUBSIDIZE MAYBE A HUNDRED FOOD VENDORS. WELL, I WAS JUST, UM, GIVEN I, I THINK IT MAY BE MORE THAN ONE 50, IT COULD BE UP TO TWO 50, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY CLARIFY THAT WE FEEL THOUGH THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TO GET, UM, THE NUMBER OF, OF VENDORS THAT WE ANTICIPATE WILL BE COMING TO THE CITY FOR ASSISTANCE. AND THEN THERE'S, THERE'S THE REQUIREMENT FOR A BUSINESS LICENSE. CORRECT. UH, CAN YOU, CAN STAFF ANYBODY SPEAK TO WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A BUSINESS LICENSE FOR A SMALL BUSINESS POTENTIALLY? SO THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS TO HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSE IN GENERAL, UM, ACROSS THE CITY AS FAR AS WHETHER IT'S BRICK OR MORTAR. UM, WHICH IS THE, THE TRADITIONAL, UM, BUSINESS LICENSE. TYPICALLY IT'S ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. IT'S ABOUT, UM, SAFETY WITHIN, UM, THE LOCATIONS. UM, A LOT OF THAT, THAT SAFETY CONCEPT OF IT TRANSFERS OVER TO THE, UM, SIDEWALK BENDING. UH, IT MAKES IT SO THAT WE'RE, WE ACTUALLY KNOW WHO THE SIDEWALK VENDORS ARE. SO IF THERE ARE COMPLAINTS, WE KNOW WHO THE COMPLAINTS ARE ABOUT. IF THERE WAS AN INJURY, WE KNOW WHO IT IS THAT THAT IS THE BUSINESS OWNER. BUT LICENSING IN GENERAL ACROSS THE STATE AS BUSINESS LICENSING IS, IS EVERYWHERE, UM, IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA IS, UM, IS USED, UH, INITIALLY AS A REVENUE TOOL. AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF IT IS, UM, TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY FOR LOTS OF VARYING REASONS. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE HEARD, SIR, UM, IN THE INDUSTRY OUT IN THE INITIAL OUTREACH, ESPECIALLY FROM FOOD VENDORS, IS THAT THEY WANT THE, THE, UM, RECOGNITION THAT THEY'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE ASKED THEM TO DO. AND SO WE'VE SEEN INSTANCES WHERE PEOPLE COME UP AND SAY, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE HERE. AND WE'D LOVE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THEIR BUSINESS LICENSE AND SAY, YES, I AM. UH, THE CITY HAS, YOU KNOW, GRANTED ME A BUSINESS LICENSE, I ABIDE BY ALL THE RULES AND REGULATIONS. SO THAT'S ONE THING. AND THEN ONCE THE PROGRAM IS ESTABLISHED, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP EDUCATE PEOPLE TO VISIT VENDORS THAT ARE APPROVED AND ARE HEALTHY AND ARE SAFE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HELP AND SAY, THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD GO TO A STREET VENDOR WHO IS DEEMED APPROVED BY THE CITY AND SELLS GOOD QUALITY SAFE FOOD AS OPPOSED TO THE ONES THAT IGNORE ALL THE RULES AND ARE DOING THINGS THAT ARE UNSAFE, WHICH WE'RE, WE ARE UNFORTUNATELY SEEING RIGHT NOW. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS GETTING AT. THE, THE, THE POTENTIAL, UH, ASSISTANCE WITH, WITH BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND UH, AND EVEN, UH, THE GRANTS THAT, THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE. AREN'T THOSE TIED TO, TO SOME SORT OF BUSINESS LICENSE OR THE FACT THAT YOU ARE NOW A LEGITIMATE BUSINESS? THAT IS CORRECT. WE, ALL OF THE GRANTS AND THE, THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO, UH, PROVIDE TO THE VENDORS, IT'S, AND IT'S, IT'S, UM, BASED UPON THEM GETTING A CITY, UH, CITY BUSINESS LICENSE. THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE CLARIFICATION. I, I, UH, FOR THE MOST PART I THINK I SUPPORT, UH, WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US. I THINK IT PUTS US ON A PATHWAY TO, UM, LEGITIMIZING BUSINESS, UM, SMALL BUSINESSES, VERY SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT IT ALSO, UH, ESTABLISHES I THINK FAIR, REASONABLE, UH, GUIDELINES, UH, AS WELL THAT, THAT PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC, UH, BUT ALSO, UH, PROVIDE A, A A LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY I THINK THAT WE'VE ALL DISCUSSED. AND IT, YOU KNOW, MANY, MANY RESIDENTS HAVE REACHED OUT AND ASKED EVEN SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, BRICK AND MORTAR SMALL BUSINESSES, WHY IS THE STANDARD DIFFERENT FOR US THAN, THAN THAN THEM? AND SO I THINK THIS BRIDGES THAT ADDRESSES MANY OF THOSE CONCERNS. UM, AND, BUT IT'S NOT PERFECT AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, ON ANY GIVEN TUESDAY WE CAN COME BACK AND TIGHTEN IT UP IF NECESSARY. THANKS. THANK YOU. AND I'LL AGREE WITH MUCH OF THAT, UH, THERE WAS A QUEUING ISSUE. NEXT IS ACTUALLY VICE MAYOR ALLEN. ALRIGHT, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, MAYOR. SO I JUST, UM, I JUST WANNA FIRST SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE, UM, THAT COMMENTED. UM, I THINK THAT WAS VERY, UH, THOUGHTFUL COMMENT AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT. UM, ALSO, UM, THANK YOU STAFF FOR, FOR YOUR REPORT. I DO HAVE A COUPLE JUST CLARIFYING QUESTIONS. SO I WANNA START, UM, WITH, UH, THE PIKE AREA. UM, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT YOU DID CHECK, I WAS WONDERING IF THE SIDEWALK WAS INCLUDED IN THAT LEASE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT YOU DID CONFIRM THAT, CORRECT? [05:15:01] YES, THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. SO, UM, DOES SSB UH, 46, DOES THAT OVERRIDE ANY OF THAT LEASE AGREEMENT SINCE IT IS A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY? SO IT DEFINITELY APPLIES TO PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, BUT NOT TO PLACES WHERE, UM, YOUR CO YOUR PRIVATE CONTRACTS CLAUSE WILL OVERRIDE THAT. THAT'S IN THE CONSTITUTION. IF YOU ENTER INTO A BINDING CONTRACT, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN COME BY LATER AND CHANGE THE PROVISIONS OF A CONTRACT. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE FOUNDATION OF, UH, PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS. UH, BY DOING THAT TYPE OF LEASE AGREEMENT THAT WE DID BACK IN THE NINETIES, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO PROGRAM THAT LAND AS IF IT'S THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY UP UNTIL 2040. AND SO, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD POTENTIALLY PASS A LAW, BUT, UM, THOSE HAVE BEEN FOUND ROUTINELY TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL. I'LL TURN THE ATTORNEY IF I MISSPOKE THERE AND THAT IS CORRECT. AND THE LEASE DOES SPECIFICALLY STATE THAT THE, THE STREETS THAT ARE WITHIN THE PIKE AREA ARE CONSIDERED PRIVATE STREETS, SO SSB 9 46 ONLY APPLIES TO PUBLIC STREETS. OKAY. AND SO THE, THE LEASE IS UP IN 2040, IS THAT WHEN THE LEASE IS UP FOR THE PIKE? YES, IT WAS RESTATED IN 2019 AND JUST UPON CURSORY REVIEW IT LOOKS, I JUST HAD IT UP RIGHT HERE. IT LOOKS ABOUT TO BE 2040. OKAY. SO MY CONCERN IS, I KNOW WHEN THIS USED TO BE MY DISTRICT, UM, I KNOW THEY WERE REALLY DIFFICULT. THEY DIDN'T WANT ANY VENDORS THERE AND UM, AND I, I HAD SOME REALLY TOUGH CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, LIKE WE NEED LOW COST OPTIONS AND THOSE RESTAURANTS DON'T OFFER THAT. AND THAT'S WHY I THINK VENDORS THERE WERE REALLY IMPORTANT. SO I GUESS MY POINT IS, UM, SOME POINT, UM, I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT THEY'RE GONNA LET US, UH, ALLOW ANY VENDORS DOWN THERE IF THIS IS THE CASE. SO WHAT, WHAT OPTIONS DO WE HAVE? UM, I I I SUPPOSE WE CAN RENEGOTIATE THE LEASE IN 2040, BUT THAT'S A LONG TIME, IT'S A LONG TIME AWAY. WHAT OTHER OPTIONS DO WE HAVE IF THEY SAY NO WITH, 'CAUSE IT IS, IS A SIDEWALK AND IT IS PUBLIC PROPERTY AND IS A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY? WELL, THE MOTION AS IT STANDS IS TO GO AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT IS THE LAW AND WHAT DOES IT ALLOW AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD ALLOW THAT IN THAT SIDEWALK PORTION. UM, YOU KNOW, PER, PERHAPS THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO THEM IN ONE SPECIFIC AREA, IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALLOWING IN OTHER CITIES, BUT, OR ANOTHER AREAS OF THE CITY. BUT WE'D HAVE TO ASK THEM FOR THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE WE HAVE TO AMEND THAT LEASE. UM, AND SO THAT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY THEN TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION IF THAT'S REALLY THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL. UM, YOU KNOW, AND REMEMBER THAT IS IN THE COASTAL ZONE, SO THE ACTUAL ENFORCEMENT OF THIS NEW ORDINANCE AND ALL THOSE THINGS IS GONNA TAKE SOME TIME, UM, TO, TO ENFORCE IN THE COASTAL ZONE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. YEAH, I'M, I I DOUBT THAT THEY'RE GONNA ALLOW US TO DO MUCH OVER THERE, BUT WE'LL SEE. I'M, I'M GONNA BE HELPFUL. UM, OKAY. UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS. SO I, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE INSURANCE AS WELL, NOT HAVING, NOT HAVING, UH, THE INSURANCE AND UM, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, FROM HAVING THREE SMALL BUSINESSES HERE IN THE CITY THAT IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSE IN ORDER TO GET INSURANCE. UM, AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN'T SPEAK ON 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT AN INSURANCE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WE CAN'T SAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO, UH, IF, IF WE WANT THEM TO HAVE INSURANCE THAT KIND OF GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE BUSINESS LICENSE. IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING? I THINK THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTOOD. THE, THE, THE DISCUSSION WAS THAT GIVEN THAT WE HAVE THE AVAILABLE FUNDING TO COVER THE INSURANCE, AND WE KNOW THAT ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS TO RECEIVE THE THE SUBSIDY IS THAT YOU HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSE. SO I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY GO HAND IN HAND. WE WILL SUBSIDIZE THE PAYMENT FOR THE, THE BUSINESS LICENSE AS WELL AS THE INSURANCE THROUGH WHATEVER MECHANISM STAFF, UM, DETERMINES TO BE APPROPRIATE TO, TO JUST LOWER THE BAR FOR THEM GETTING THE INSURANCE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, AND THEN JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD, UH, SO ARE WE ALLOWING VENDORS TO USE UTILITIES FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY? BECAUSE AS LONG AS IT'S SAFE, AS LONG AS IT'S LIKE, LIKE WITH ANY OTHER EVENT, CAN THEY USE PRIVATE PROPERTY? UM, IF, IF IT'S AGREED UPON. SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S IN THE MOTION THAT, UH, THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ZENDEJAS MADE WAS, UH, UH, THAT'S NOT CURRENTLY IN THE, IN THE, UM, ORDINANCE. BUT THEN WE WOULD CREATE A SECTION OF THE ORDINANCE THAT SAYS, AS LONG AS YOU HAVE PERMISSION FROM THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER TO USE THEIR UTILITIES AND IT'S DONE SAFELY AND THERE'S NO TRIPPING HAZARD, THEN UH, THAT WOULD BE ALLOWABLE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. YEAH, THAT'S WONDERFUL. OKAY, AND THEN JUST ONE LAST THING. SO I DO, I DO, UM, MAYOR, I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING ALL THOSE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE, WHAT THE COSTS ARE. YOU KNOW, $1,100 FOR SOMEONE WHO'S SELLING FRUIT IS REALLY TOUGH, YOU KNOW, UH, TO ENTRY. AND SO, UM, I'M COUNCIL MEMBER THAT 1165 IS A ONE-TIME PLANT CHECK FEE FOR THOSE SERVING RAW MEATS OR PREPARING RAW MEATS. SO IT'S A MORE COMPLEX OPERATION IF YOU, IF IT'S, IF YOU ARE NOT SELLING RAW MEAT, THEN THE FEES, [05:20:01] THE FEE DOES GO DOWN TO ABOUT 200, $230. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. AND I, BUT I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT FULL COST RECOVERY, I DO THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, AS SUBSIDIZING THAT FIRST YEAR, UM, IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO, BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. UM, I WANNA THANK TYLER AND DANIEL. WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS AND THE WHOLE TEAM, THIS IS, UM, AN ORDINANCE THAT REPRESENTS INPUT FROM A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE. UH, I DON'T THINK THIS IS EASY AT ALL AND I LIKE OUR CONVERSATION TONIGHT TO BUILD THIS. UM, BUT I THINK IT DOES A GOOD JOB OF STRIKING A BALANCE BETWEEN THE IN INTENT OF STATE LAW AND MAKING SURE OUR COMMUNITIES ARE SAFE. I WANNA GIVE MY INPUT ON INSURANCE. UM, I LIKE THE IDEA AND I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, WE WOULD SUBSIDIZE THE FIRST YEAR TO GET THEM STARTED AND THEN REQUIRE IT SECOND YEAR AND FORWARD. CORRECT. THAT'S NOT WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW. RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. BUT WE'RE IN DISCUSSION. RIGHT. ABSOLUTELY. THAT WAS ONE OF THE OPTIONS. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. AND I'M GONNA RE-CLARIFY AFTER WE HEAR FROM EVERYONE. OKAY. WE'LL GO BACK TO COUNCILWOMAN ZAJA AND COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW TO BE CLEAR ON WHERE WE'RE LANDING. GREAT. SO I THINK YOU EXPRESSING WHAT YOUR PREFERENCE IS WOULD HELP YEP. INFORM THAT. UM, I DO, I LOOK AT THE COST TO THE CITY. IF WE ARE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING, UH, TAKING ON THE LIABILITY, I BELIEVE, UM, VENDORS NEED TO HAVE INSURANCE TO HELP, UM, HELP PROTECT THE CITY TOO. AND QUITE HONESTLY, PROTECT THEMSELVES. BUSINESS OWNERS ARE ALSO PROTECTING THEMSELVES. UM, OKAY. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND I'M GONNA SHARE A COUPLE OF SCENARIOS THAT MY OFFICE, UM, FREQUENTLY FACES. UH, I WANNA SEE HOW THIS ORDINANCE AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE ORDINANCE WILL WORK. SO WHEN THIS CAME TO, WHEN WE STARTED WITH THIS IN MAY, FLASHING SIGNS WERE TAKEN OFF THE BOARD, SO IT'S NOT IN THE ORDINANCE. SO FLASHING SIGNS CAN BE USED. UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE LIMITATIONS ARE FOR FLASHING SIGNS FOR SIDEWALK VENDORS. AND I I UNDERSTAND IT MAYBE GOES BACK TO SIGNAGE PARAMETERS. YEAH. SO CURRENTLY, AS YOU MENTIONED IN THE ORDINANCE, IT DOES ALLOW FOR FLASHING SIGNS, BUT, UM, THERE'S NOT A LOT MORE SPECIFIC TO AT THE THIS POINT. SO I WOULD LIKE, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW TO DO THIS WHEN WE HAVE IT, SOMETHING ON THE TABLE THAT WE'RE BUILDING, BUT I WANT SOME LIMIT. I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME LIMITATIONS ON FLASHING SIGNS, UM, ALONG HIGH TRAFFIC CORRIDORS, HIGH INJURY INTERSECTIONS WITHIN RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND IN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS WE'RE DEALING WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE FOR A YEAR ON COUNCIL, BUT, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES, BIRD ADVOCATES, REALLY, THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW IT'S IMPORTANT TO AVOID THE IMPACTS OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS. THINK OF THE WETLANDS CAN'T HAVE FLASHING, YOU KNOW, EVEN, UM, HEADLIGHTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE. SO FLASHING LIGHTS, UH, IMPACT HABITAT MITIGATION AREAS AND, AND MIGRATING BIRDS. UM, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS MORE RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, 12 INCHES BY EIGHT INCHES. , I DON'T KNOW. YOU, YOU CAN BRING, RAISE ANY OF THE ISSUES YOU, YOU WOULD LIKE RIGHT NOW DURING YOUR TIME. I KNOW, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE BUILDING AN ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE FLASHING, I'D LIKE TO, DO YOU WANNA PUT SOME PARAMETERS ON WHAT THE PARAMETERS ARE ARE CURRENTLY ON SIGNAGE? BECAUSE THAT MUST, HOW WAS GONNA ENFORCE THAT? DOES ORDER SPEAK TO THE FLASHING SIGNS AT ALL? IT DOESN'T SPEAK TO THE FLASHING SIGNS SPECIFICALLY, BUT SIDEWALK VENDORS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO VENT IN PROTECTED HA HABITAT OR MITIGATION AREAS. OKAY. UM, I LIKE TO, SO ALLOWED ADDRESSING ONE OF THOSE. SO LIMIT LIMITATIONS ON HIGH TRAFFIC CORRIDORS, HIGH INJURY CORRIDORS, AND HIGH INJURY INTERSECTIONS AND WITHIN RESIDENTIAL AREAS. SO THAT'S BASICALLY A BAN ON FLASHING SIGNS IN THE CITY. SO I THINK SOME OF THE, I I'M JUST JUMPING 'CAUSE WE GOTTA HEAR FROM STAFF ON THIS, RIGHT? I THINK THE, THE TRAFFIC INJURY THING IS REAL. [05:25:01] ACTUALLY THAT ONE. I THINK WE, I THINK THAT THAT'S REASONABLE TO SAY. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE IN A PLACE WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY IDENTIFY WHAT ARE THE HIGH TRAFFIC INCIDENT LOCATIONS IN THE CITY OR IS THERE A BETTER MECHANISM WITHOUT SAYING, HEY, THIS IS AN UNSAFE INTERSECTION. IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO SAY, UM, FLASHING LIGHTS, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A BETTER METHODOLOGY TO, TO DO THAT? 'CAUSE I THINK THAT THAT PART IS RELEVANT. A FLASHING LIGHT NEXT TO A RED LIGHT OR A FLASHING STOPLIGHT. MM-HMM. COULD BE DISTRACTING. I COULD UNDERSTAND THAT. SO IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO GET TO THAT? SO STAFF WOULD BE AMENABLE TO, UH, PROHIBITING FLASHING SIGNS IN THESE HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS, HIGH INJURY, UH, AREAS AS WELL. UM, BUT LIKE, OKAY. YEAH. SO THERE IS A PATHWAY TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THERE, THERE CAN BE, YES. OKAY. SO YOU COULD STILL HAVE A SIGN. IT JUST CAN'T BE A FLASHING BRIGHT SIGN IN THOSE AREAS. SO YOU CAN BE ALLY STILL. SO IF YOU WANTED TO ASK THAT AND BUILD IT IN THE MOTION, WE WOULD THEN WORK WITH OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER. 'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME DEFINITION, RIGHT? YOU NEED A DEFINITION. IT'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T CONSTANTLY CHANGE. SO WE WOULD THEN WORK TO BUILD A DEFINITION AND BRING THAT BACK TO YOU FOR FIRST READING. OKAY. SO THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE BEFORE FIRST READING. OKAY. THAT THEN NEEDS TO BE STRUCTURED AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE MAKER OF THE MOTION. OKAY. LET ME CONTINUE. CONTINUE AND THEN I WILL OFFER FRIENDLY. OKAY. WE'LL COME BACK. OKAY. UM, I DON'T THINK COASTAL COMMISSION'S GOING TO ALLOW FLASHING SIGNS IN THE COASTAL ZONE. WE'LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS. UM, OKAY. SO I'LL, UH, OFFER A FRIENDLY FOR HIGH TRAFFIC, HIGH ACCIDENT CORRIDORS AND INTERSECTIONS. CAN WE, UM, PROHIBIT FLASHING SIGNS? YEAH. YES. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT HOW WE CAN PUT IT IN THE MOTION SO THAT WE CAN, UM, GET STAFF TO LOOK AT RIGHT. WHAT THE REASONABLE, I THINK STAFF IS SAYING THAT THEY'RE AMENABLE TO THAT PIECE. MM-HMM. . AND THEY CAN WORK WITH THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER TO DEFINE IT. YES. BEFORE IT COMES BACK ON FIRST READING. SO THAT'S POSSIBLE. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY, GOOD. AND IF I CAN ON THAT, UM, IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I THINK, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, IF YOU'RE CLOSE TO LIKE A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, THAT IS ONE THING WHERE THAT COULD BE VERY CONFUSING IF IT'S A HIGH CORRIDOR DISSECTION, BUT IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF A STRETCH WHERE THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, THAT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF, OF RISK. SO IF WE CAN WORK WITH OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER TO CREATE SOME DEFINITIONS AROUND, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO INTERSECTIONS, THAT TYPE OF THING. RIGHT. THAT GIVES US SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT HOW THIS WOULD ACTUALLY WORK. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE, COUNCILWOMAN? YES. UM, IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE STARTING WITH AN EDUCATION FIRST APPROACH TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE BUSINESSES UNDERSTAND THE NEW LAWS. UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE WHEN ARE WE, HOW LONG ARE WE GOING WITH THE EDUCATION FIRST APPROACH? IF WE COME BACK IN SIX MONTHS, ARE WE GOING TO EITHER MAKE A DECISION TO CONTINUE EDUCATION FIRST OR START ENFORCEMENT WITHOUT THE MULTIPLE, UM, ENFORCEMENT WARNINGS? SO, UM, THE EDUCATION FIRST KIND OF CONCEPT IS GONNA BE GLOBALLY FOR EVERY VENDOR THAT WE ENCOUNTER DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME. AND THEN OUR PROCESS WITH ALL, UM, ALL BUSINESSES THAT WE ENCOUNTER, IT'S ALWAYS AN EDUCATION FIRST. SO WE ALWAYS HAVE AN INITIAL CONTACT, FIND OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THE REGULATIONS. AND THEN, UM, IT'S AT THE DISCRETION OF THE, UM, UH, BUSINESS LICENSE INSPECTOR WHO'S A PART OF THE PROCESS. UM, AND THE EGREGIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION AND WHAT'S HAPPENING. AND IF THEY'RE A PUBLIC SAFETY OR PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS, UM, ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS, WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON. SO THERE IS A QUALIFICATION OF WHAT'S GOING ON. I CAN'T SAY THAT EVERY SINGLE CONTACT WILL ALWAYS BE IN EDUCATION FIRST, AND THEN THE NEXT ONE WILL BE, WE DEFINITELY TAKE THE, THE CONDITIONS OF THE SITUATION INTO ACCOUNT. UM, BUT DURING THIS INITIAL PERIOD, WHEN I SAY EDUCATION FIRST IT'S THE VENDORS, BUT IT'S ALSO THE COMMUNITY AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL. AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE INFORMATION FOR EVERYONE. SO THE COMPLAINANTS, THE, THE PEOPLE POTENTIALLY WHO COULD BE SUPPLYING COMPLAINTS TO US, MAKING SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE REGULATIONS AS WELL AS THAT THE VENDORS UNDERSTAND THE REGULATIONS. AND THEN ONCE WE MOVE INTO MORE OF AN ENFORCEMENT PHASE, UM, THAT ISN'T JUST LIKE A CRACKDOWN ON EVERYONE AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE IN THAT, THAT MODE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, UH, EDUCATING THE VENDOR, MAKING SURE THEY UNDERSTAND AND WE'RE FINDING OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AND, AND WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN ORDER FOR THEM TO GAIN COMPLIANCE. AND THEN FROM THERE, REPEAT OFFENDERS ARE GOING TO START TO SEE, UM, CITATIONS AND START TO SEE THE, [05:30:01] THE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION PROCESS, UM, CONTINUE. AND HAS THE, UM, EDUCATION AND THEN ENFORCEMENT PORTION BEEN SUCCESSFUL? I THINK YOU SAID YOU HAD 15, UM, VENDORS HAD BEEN EITHER CITED OR HEALTH, HEALTH-WISE. AND JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLARIFYING. SO THIS IS WHAT WILL BE, I'M EXPLAINING WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE BUSINESS LICENSE SIDE, AND THEN I'M GONNA HAND THAT QUESTION OVER TO JUDITH BECAUSE SHE'S THE ONLY ONE HER OPERATION HAS BEEN DOING THE OTHER ENFORCEMENT, UM, OPTIONS. 'CAUSE THE HEALTH PERMIT HAS BEEN ENFORCEABLE THIS ENTIRE TIME. CORRECT. SO HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE ALLOWS US TO DISCARD FOOD TO TAKE SOME ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS, WHICH INCLUDES DISCARDING FOOD THAT MAY BE IMMINENT TO HEALTH AND MAY HAVE HEALTH HAZARDS. UH, WE ARE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ALSO IMPOUND EQUIPMENT AND THE OPERATORS CAN RETRIEVE THOSE EQUIPMENT WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER IT'S BEEN IMPOUNDED. AND SO TODAY WE HAVE CONDUCTED 18 COMPLAINT RESPONSE TEAM INVESTIGATIONS. UH, AGAIN, WE FOLLOW THIS SIMILAR EDUCATION APPROACH. WE EDUCATE, WE INFORM, WE LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE THERE. WE CAN PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, WE ARE AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATIONS. UH, BUT DURING THAT COMPLAINT RESPONSE INVESTIGATIONS, WE ARE GOING TO DISCARD FOOD BECAUSE, UH, WE FOLLOW THE CDCS, UH, MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IF FOODBORNE ILLNESSES, IF FOOD ARE PROPERLY, UM, IMPROPERLY STORED, UH, PERSONAL HYGIENE, WHAT ELSE? IMPROPER COOKING TEMPERATURES. THESE, UH, FOOD FROM UNSAFE SOURCES AND CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT. SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING WHEN WE'RE CONDUCTING THESE INVESTIGATIONS. AND SO AT THAT POINT WE WILL DISCARD FOOD AND IMPOUND THE EQUIPMENT. THANK YOU. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, JUST WANNA FLAG, WE'RE UP ON 10, 10 MINUTES HERE. ALRIGHT. UH, AND WE HAVE 23 ITEMS TONIGHT. SO I HAVE, I'M ASKING IF YOU HAVE JUST A COUPLE MORE WE CAN JUST FINISH. OKAY. BUT IF YOU GOT A LOT MORE, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO REQ, UH, I'LL QUEUE UP. I'LL BE, I'LL BE EFFICIENT. ALRIGHT. UH, WE'RE GOING BACK NOW TO THE SECOND ROUND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. OKAY. SHE DEFERS. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SOTE. LEMME TURN THAT ON. OKAY. I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. SO THIS IS JUST UNDER THE ENFORCEMENT PIECE. I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE COMPLAINT RESPONSE TEAM. UM, AND IN THE DOCUMENTATION Y'ALL, UM, REPORTED YOU GAVE, YOU SAID THAT THE CRT HAD BEEN DEPLOYED 15 TIMES SINCE THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION REGARDING SIDEWALK VENDORS ON MAY 16TH, PROVIDING FOUR TO SIX SIDEWALK VENDORS WITH EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS EACH TIME. I WAS JUST ASKING, UM, HOW, UH, WHERE IS THE INFORMATION? LIKE HOW IS THE INFORMATION DOCUMENTED ON THE REPEAT VISITS AND WHO THOSE VENDORS ARE? SO WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, THAT'S A DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. ALL COMPLAINTS ARE RECORDED INTO THAT DATABASE. UM, THE INVESTIGATIONS, THE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS ARE ALL DOCUMENTED INTO, UM, INTO THAT SYSTEM AS WELL. IF WE'RE TAKING PICTURES, WE WILL PUT THAT AS WELL. UH, THE LOCATIONS, THE SITE, THE, UM, TEAM MEMBERS THAT ARE PART OF THAT INVESTIGATIONS ARE LISTED ON THAT DOCUMENTATION AS WELL. OKAY. UM, AND IS THAT INFORMATION SOMETHING THAT COULD BE MADE, MADE AVAILABLE TO OUR OFFICES? FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE RESIDENTS WHO ARE ASKING ABOUT ENFORCEMENT, UH, OF A PARTICULAR VENDOR. YES. WE'VE STARTED LOOKING AT OUR DATA. WE HAVE SOME INITIAL ANALYSIS AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU. OKAY. WONDERFUL. UM, AND THEN THIS IS JUST A QUESTION ON THE SECTION. UM, THE DIVISION ONE PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS. THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF DEFINITIONS THAT YOU ALL INCLUDED AS PART OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE. UM, AND I JUST HAD A SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT ONE FOR PARKWAY. UM, AS PART OF THAT DEFINITION, IT SAYS PARKWAY ALSO INCLUDES ANY AREA WITHIN A ROADWAY, WHICH IS NOT OPEN TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. COULD THAT POTENTIALLY INCLUDE A MEDIAN? SO YES, THERE ARE SOME LANDSCAPED MEDIANS THAT THAT COULD INCLUDE. I UNDERSTAND THE, UM, THAT THERE COULD BE MISCONSTRUED DEFINITIONS IN THAT. SO STAFF CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT DEFINITION AND REFINE IT FURTHER. OKAY. UM, YEAH, I IF, DOES THAT NEED TO BE A FRIENDLY TO ASK FOR A REVISION TO THE DEFINITION FOR PARKWAY? UH, CAN YOU, CAN YOU JUST STATE THAT ONE MORE TIME? UM, SO I, I WAS ASKING DO I NEED TO MAKE THAT A FRIENDLY, SO IT'S, IT'S A DEFINITION THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE ORDINANCE, BUT I'M ASKING STAFF TO AUGMENT THE DEFINITION BECAUSE IT'S UNCLEAR AND IT CONFLICTS WITH OUR, UM, UH, BANNING OF BASICALLY KIND OF LIKE VENDING TO VEHICLES. IF SOMEBODY CAN SET UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARKWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. AND SO WHAT WOULD THE AUGMENT DO? SO I'M ASKING THEM TO, TO CLARIFY THE LANGUAGE TO EXPLICITLY SAY THAT THAT DOES LIKE, THAT YOU, UM, THAT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE MEDIANS. OR I GUESS THE QUESTION IS FOR YOU, DO WE WANT TO SPECIFY THOSE SPECIFIC LANDSCAPE MEDIANS WHERE THAT'S AVAILABLE? BUT TO ME THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT CONFLICTS WITH US PROHIBITING VENDING TO CARS. AND WOULD IT BE BEST TO SIMPLY REMOVE OR TO ADD AN EXCEPTION TO NO VENDING IN ANY MEDIANS. OKAY. UM, THEN I'D LIKE [05:35:01] THE, UM, FRIENDLY TO BE, TO ADD TO THE LANGUAGE UNDER PARKWAY TO EXPLICITLY STATE THAT WE DO NOT ALLOW VENDING IN MEDIANS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND STREET MEDIANS IN THE MIDDLE OF MEDIA. THE STREET, STREET MEDIAN. OKAY. YEAH. ALRIGHT. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UH, AND THEN ONE LAST THING. UM, AND THEN THIS IS JUST, UM, A QUESTION ABOUT THE, AND I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER SUPER NOW ACTUALLY BROUGHT THIS UP, UH, AROUND, UM, HAVING A, UM, A BUFFER, UM, BETWEEN VENDORS AND ANY KIND OF LA COUNTY WATERWAY OR FLOOD CONTROL FENCING, AND WE PUT THAT AS 15 FEET. CAN STAFF JUST KIND OF CLARIFY WHY IT'S 15 FEET, 15 FEET WAS, UH, CHOSEN BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER REQUESTED AND THAT'S WHAT STAFF INCLUDED IN THE ORDINANCE. OKAY. I HAD, UM, A COUPLE OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT REACHED OUT WITH SOME CONCERNS AROUND, UM, ESSENTIALLY THAT NOT BEING ENOUGH SPACE, UM, FROM A WATERWAY. 'CAUSE THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT ISSUES OF KIND OF RUNOFF DUMPING THE STAFF THINK THAT 15 FEET IS SUFFICIENT OR, UM, WOULD BE, WOULD, WOULD POTENTIALLY, UM, WITHIN THE, THE PARADIGM OF THE LAW BE ABLE TO EXPAND THAT TO SAY 25 OR 30 FEET. SO LONG AS IT DOESN'T INTERFERE WITH ANY OTHER, UH, OF THE REQUIREMENTS. I THINK 25 OR 30 FEET, WOULD IT BE AMENABLE. OKAY. UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND DEJAS, WOULD YOU BE AMENABLE TO, UM, A MODIFICATION TO THE, UM, UH, TO THE PROPOSAL HERE TO INCREASE THE BUFFER BETWEEN A VENDOR AND AN LA COUNTY WATERWAY OR FLOOD CONTROL FENCING TO 25 FEET INSTEAD OF 15 FEET? I HAVE SOME, SOME OF MY RESIDENTS HAD SOME CONCERNS AROUND RUNOFF FROM VENDORS OR POTENTIAL, LIKE DUMPING INTO THE WATERWAY AWAY. YES. OKAY. THEN I'M DONE. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. HANG ON, WE STILL GOT A FEW MORE FOLKS TO GO. THIS IS HOW THE SAUSAGE IS MADE. UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES. UH, THANK YOU. COME ON. UM, I WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE ROBUST SAUSAGE MAKING AS YOU'RE CALLING IT, UM, AND THE BACK AND FORTH. I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, WE HAVEN'T SETTLED THE INSURANCE QUESTION CORRECT YET? YES. OKAY. UM, BECAUSE I, I THINK THE, UH, REQUIREMENT AND SUBSIDIZING WITH RECOVERY MONEY IN THE FIRST YEAR IS AN IMPORTANT STEP. UM, AND I WOULD SUPPORT THAT FULLY. AND JUST TO CLARIFY, SO WHEN, AND THE PIKE IS NOT MY AREA AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, IF FOLKS WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS AND GOT THEIR LICENSE, COULD THEY THEN APPLY WITH THE AGENCY TO BE A VENDOR ON THE PROPERTY ONCE THEY HAVE A PROPER BUSINESS LICENSE? I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY AND THAT THEY GET TO CHOOSE WHO THEIR VENDORS ARE. IS THAT A PROCESS THAT WE COULD ASK IF THE, THE PIKE FOLKS WERE AMENABLE TO? YEAH, THEY CERTAINLY COULD IF THEY WERE A FULLY LICENSED VENDOR. UM, THE PIKE DOES HAVE VENDORS ON, ON THEIR PROPERTY. THEY DO HAVE LIKE THE KIOSK AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF THAT THEY COULD CHOOSE TO ALLOW IT. UH, I THINK THE POINT IS THOUGH, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY, EVEN THOUGH WE WOULD ALLOW IT ON PUBLIC, THEY HAVE THE, THE LEGAL RIGHT TO SAY THEY DON'T WANT IT AT ALL. BUT IT CERTAINLY COULD BE A CHOICE OF THEIRS. GREAT. THANK YOU. I DO WANNA POINT OUT THOUGH THAT THAT'S A DIFFERENT BUSINESS LICENSE. AND SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS GETTING A BUSINESS LICENSE FOR BEING A SIDEWALK VENDOR. AND WHEN YOU'RE, UM, YOU'RE, UM, BEING A VENDOR ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, UM, IT TYPICALLY THERE IS, UH, THERE'S ONE DAY PERMITS AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE ABILITY TO HAVE A, UM, SEPARATE BUSINESS LICENSE FOR THAT. USUALLY WE DO, UM, JUST THE ONE DAY PERMITS AND IF FOLKS AREN'T GOING TO BEND FOR MORE THAN 26 DAYS THROUGH THE YEAR, UM, THEN THAT ENDS UP BEING OKAY, COST EFFECTIVE. THAT ONE DAY PERMIT IS ABOUT $60. AND IF, UM, I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH THE PIKE IS SOMETHING THAT THAT STAFF IS GOING TO DO KIND OF IN GENERAL ABOUT THIS, IS THAT A QUESTION THAT WE COULD POSE TO THEM ABOUT THEM BEING OPEN TO, UM, SOME OF OUR NEWER VENDORS AS PART OF THE CONVERSATION? SO I THINK AS WE UNDERSTAND THE MOTION, WE WOULD GO ENGAGE AND, AND ASK THEM. AND I THINK WE WOULD PRESENT THEM THE VARIOUS OPTIONS. SO, UM, IF THEY WERE TO GET, YOU KNOW, A BUSINESS LICENSE, WOULD, WOULD THEY ALLOW THEM AS STREET VENDORS JUST ON THEIR PROPERTY OR, UM, WE COULD OFFER THEM THE OTHER TYPE OF, OF, UM, YOU KNOW, ON, ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. SO WE'D HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS ONE. 'CAUSE THIS IS TECHNICALLY PUBLIC PROPERTY, BUT UNDER A PRIVATE LEASE. OKAY. THANK YOU. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. OKAY. SO WE, UH, I UNDERSTAND FROM FORMER CONVERSATION THAT INSPECTORS BOTH FROM BUSINESS LICENSING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES WILL GO OUT TOGETHER AS A TEAM. YES. SO THE PLAN IN TERMS OF THE EDUCATION OUTREACH AS WELL AS LONG TERM, UH, AS WE DEVELOP OUT THE ENFORCEMENT IS OFTEN, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THESE EARLY MONTHS, WE'LL BE TAG TEAM INTERDEPARTMENTAL APPROACH BECAUSE [05:40:01] PART OF THIS IS OF COURSE EDUCATING AROUND THE SPECIFICS OF THE ORDINANCE, THE BUSINESS LICENSING PROCESS, WHICH IS NEW. UM, BUT AS MENTIONED BY JUDITH AND OTHERS, THE, UM, HEALTH PERMIT REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN LONGSTANDING. SO THERE IS ALREADY INFORMATION ABOUT THAT, BUT IT IS INCLUDED IN THE ORDINANCE. UM, AND JUST CO CLARIFYING AND, UM, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE WHOLE SCOPE OF THE, UH, NEW ORDINANCE. BUT OF COURSE, THE EDUCATION OUTREACH, IT WILL DEPEND ALSO ON THE VENDOR. SO IF THE VENDOR IS NOT A FOOD VENDOR, THEY, THEY WON'T NEED THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEALTH PERMIT, BUT THEY WILL NEED INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF THE ORDINANCE AND THE BUSINESS LICENSING PROCESS. SO THERE ARE 19 HEALTH INSPECTORS AND FOUR BUSINESS LICENSE INSPECTORS. TWO OF THE BUSINESS LICENSE INSPECTORS ARE FOCUSING ON SPECIAL EVENTS. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, UM, IF YOU'RE GOING OUT IN A TEAM, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE SHORT ON BUSINESS LICENSE RESOURCES. UM, AGREED. UM, AND IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BUSINESS LICENSE INSPECTORS, UM, I'M SORRY, THE HEALTH INSPECTORS TO LOOK AT STYROFOAM BLOCKING OF RIGHT OF WAYS OR DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS. IS THERE ANY CROSS TRAINING? SO IF BUSINESS LICENSING GOES OUT AND THEY SEE SOMETHING, THEY'RE GONNA CALL THE OTHER ENTITY. SO YOU'RE GONNA DO THAT. OKAY. WHAT DAYS AND TIMES DO BUSINESS, UH, INSPECTION INSPECTORS WORK? BUSINESS LICENSE INSPECTOR IS, UM, IS TYPICALLY A SIX DAY A WEEK OPERATION. OH. AND, UM, WE WORK BETWEEN SIX AND SIX AND THEN WE DO HAVE, UM, ARRANGEMENTS, UH, MADE WITH OTHER ENTITIES IN THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO COVER THE OTHER HOURS OF THE DAY, LIKE WHAT WILL WE DO AFTER HOURS AND WE'RE WORKING THAT OUT. SO THERE WILL BE A PLAN FOR ENFORCEMENT FOR AFTER OUR TYPICAL, UM, HOURS OF OPERATION GOING TILL 2:00 AM GOING TILL WHENEVER WE NEED IT TO GO TILL. GREAT. OKAY. UH, ON THE HEALTH SIDE, TO PROVIDE SOME CLARIFICATION, WE DO HAVE 19 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS THAT ARE DEDICATED IN THE FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM. KEEP IN MIND THAT WE HAVE OVER 2,600 FOOD FACILITIES IN LONG BEACH, AND SO WE CAN ONLY REALISTICALLY COMMIT ABOUT THREE TO FIVE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSPECTORS FOR THIS TYPE OF OPERATION. AND SO THAT IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY BETWEEN THE 19. WE DO ROTATIONS. UM, OUR INSPECTORS WORK 10 HOUR DAYS. WE DO HAVE, UM, WE WORK ON WEEKENDS FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS WHERE TEMPORARY FOOD FACILITIES ARE SET UP. WE DO ROUTINE AND WE CONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS. WE DO COMPLAINT INVESTIGATIONS ON THE WEEKENDS AND AFTER HOURS. GREAT. THANKS FOR THE CLARIFICATION. IN THE MEMO, IT SAYS WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE ENFORCING IN SOME SITUATIONS BECAUSE INSPECTORS ARE BEING INTIMIDATED. UM, WHEN THIS HAPPENS, WHAT'S THE RESPONSE? WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS CASE? UM, DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC SCENARIO YOU CAN WALK US THROUGH? HOW DOES THAT WORK? YES. IN SOME, UM, IN SOME OF THE CONDITIONS THAT WE'VE ENCOUNTERED WHEN WE'RE GOING OUT DURING THESE COMPLAINT INVESTIGATIONS, YOU, YOU COULD SEE A LARGE CROWD FORMING. UM, THERE ARE, UM, UH, UNSAFE CONDITIONS WHERE OUR INSPECTORS HAVE EXPERIENCED VERBAL ASSAULTS, UM, FILMED ON CAMERA. UM, SOME OF THEM WERE FOLLOWED. UM, THEIR VEHICLES WERE FOLLOWED TO THEIR WORK LOCATIONS. UH, AND SO IT HAS BECOME DIFFICULT TO, TO DO OUR JOBS. WHEN YOU ARE BEING HARASSED, WHEN YOU'RE YELLED AT, WHEN YOU'RE SCREAMED AT, WHEN YOU'RE TALKED TO, UM, YOU KNOW THAT YOUR JOB IS NOT IMPORTANT. AND SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S DRAINED, IT'S DRAINING, IT'S TIRING. AND, UM, BUT WE'RE HERE TO DO OUR JOB AND WE'RE HERE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC HEALTH, BUT WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED THOSE IN MORE THAN ONE OCCASIONS. WE'RE ALSO ENCOUNTERING THOSE ON THE BUSINESS LICENSE SIDE AS WELL. WE HAVE HAD, UM, SITUATIONS WHERE BUSINESS LICENSE INSPECTORS HAVE HAD TO CONTACT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO ESCORT THEM OUT OF LOCATIONS BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN, UM, BLOCKED. THEIR VEHICLES HAVE BEEN BLOCKED, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACTUALLY LEAVE WHERE THEY ARE. PEOPLE HAVE, UM, UH, BANGED ON THE, THE WINDOWS AND, UM, ON THE VEHICLE ITSELF AND LICENSE INSPECTORS HAVE FELT INCREDIBLY UNSAFE. SO THIS IS, UM, SOMETHING WHERE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE. YOU GO BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH STAFF ARE IN THIS SITUATION. SO IF IT'S UNSAFE, IF IT'S DEEMED UNSAFE, WE DO ASSESS THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE CONDITIONS WE'RE AT THE LOCATIONS, WE LOOK AT THE CROWD CONDITIONS, WE WON'T, WE WON'T CONTINUE WITH THE OPERATIONS. WE WILL STOP. AND THEN ALSO, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND BUSINESS SERVICES HAS WORKED WITH THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT TO WORK OUT A STAFF SAFETY, UM, PLAN [05:45:01] AND A WAY TO BE ABLE TO, UM, ESCORT US TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO OUR JOB. UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE IS AN ONGOING, UM, CONVERSATION. UH, BECAUSE AS, AS THE CLIMATE CHANGES AND AS THE SITUATIONS CHANGE, UM, WE DID ASK IN THE ORIGINAL ITEM FOR, UH, FUNDING FOR, UH, THE VICE DETAIL TO BE ABLE TO HELP ASSIST BOTH JUDAS TEAM AND MY TEAM . OKAY. UM, I KNOW THIS IS GOING LONG, BUT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ORDINANCE. SO, UM, IF, UM, AT LATE AT NIGHT YOU SAID YOU WILL HAVE STAFF LATE WHO, IF SOMEONE IS, UM, SOMEONE IS BLOCKING A SIDEWALK, A PERSON COMES OUT OF A RESTAURANT AT 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, WHO DO THEY CALL IN THAT SITUATION? IF THEY'RE, UM, IF THEY'RE IMPEDING AND THAT'S AN IMMEDIATE, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, THEN UM, THEY WOULD CALL 9 1 1 FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. OH, OKAY. SO PD HAS TO USE THEIR RESOURCES TO COVER THAT BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A WAY FOR A RESIDENT TO CALL SOMEWHERE FOR THOSE WORKING LATE AS INSPECTORS TO COME AND VIEW THE AREA. AND SO COUNCIL MEMBER, AS YOU'VE POINTED OUT, THE AMOUNT OF STAFF THAT WE HAVE ISN'T A SITUATION WHERE, UM, ANY COMPLAINT CAN BE RESPONDED TO IMMEDIATELY. SO WE DON'T HAVE IMMEDIATE DISPATCH OF, UM, OF RESOURCES. IT IS GOING TO BE, UM, A SITUATION WHERE, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO RESPOND IN, UM, AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME, WHICH IS LIKELY GONNA BE ONE TO THREE DAYS IN MOST, UM, UH, SIDEWALK VENDING AND STREET VENDING SITUATIONS THAT WE'VE ENCOUNTERED, UH, SO FAR. TYPICALLY THE, UM, THE VENDOR THEMSELVES IS A RECURRENT, UM, VENDOR IN THE LOCATION. AND MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS ARE BECAUSE OF THE RECURRENT VISITS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING OVER TIME. THE, UM, IMMEDIATELY ADDRESSING SOMETHING AS YOU, UM, DESCRIBED, WHICH IS AN ADA VIOLATION OR THERE'S SOME OTHER VIOLATION WE WOULD HAVE TO BE LOOKING TO OUR OTHER CITY PARTNERS. UM, THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS AS WELL AS FAR AS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE ARE ADDRESSING AND WHAT THEY'RE ADDRESSING AND WE ARE MAKING SURE TO HAVE THAT DIALOGUE UPFRONT WITH THEM. UM, OKAY. I I AM GOING TO ASK FOR FRIENDLY AND THEN I WILL BE DONE. UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT OUR POLICE OFFICERS HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO AND WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO RELY ON THEM FOR, FOR THINGS LIKE THIS BECAUSE THEN IT'S NOT EVEN GONNA BE ENFORCED UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK. BUT MY FRIENDLY TO THE MOTION, UM, FOR STAFF TO COME BACK DURING THE SIX MONTH UPDATE WITH A PLAN THAT ALLOWS FOR ADEQUATE ENFORCEMENT WITHOUT RELYING ON OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO CAN YOU RESTATE THAT AGAIN? DIDN'T QUITE FOLLOW THAT. LET'S GET STAFF, LET'S RESTATE IT AND ASK STAFF TO RESPOND TO IT. FIRST. I'M ASKING FOR A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO MO UM, TO INCLUDE STAFF TO COME BACK IN THE SIX MONTH UPDATE WITH A PLAN THAT ALLOWS FOR ADEQUATE ENFORCEMENT WITHOUT RELYING ON OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. IS THAT FEASIBLE? SO WE CAN CERTAINLY COME BACK WITH THE COST OF WHAT WOULD DO TO ADD MORE OF AN INSTANT RESPONSE OR LIKE A, A DAY OF RESPONSE AND HAVE THAT STAFFING THROUGHOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HOURS OF THE NIGHT THAT WILL BE EXPENSIVE. I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU NORMALLY DON'T JUST ADD ONE PERSON. YOU NORMALLY ADD PEOPLE IN SHIFTS SO THAT WHEN THEY'RE ON VACATION AND GONE, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT. UM, IT JUST KNOW, IT IS NOT OUR INTENT TO HAVE POLICE DEPARTMENT BE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ENFORCEMENT ARM. THAT IS NOT HOW ANY OF THIS IS SET UP. IT REALLY IS BUSINESS LICENSE. THE WAY WE WOULD BE SET UP, AS TARA MENTIONED, WAS WE WOULD ESSENTIALLY, UM, GET TO THAT AND SCHEDULE THOSE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO DO THIS AS A TEAM APPROACH BECAUSE OF SAFETY AND EVERYTHING ELSE. BUT WHEN WE DO GET THOSE COMPLAINTS AT 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, IF THERE'S A REAL SAFETY ISSUE, WE DO ASK THAT, THAT BE CALLED DISPATCH. WE CAN THEN HAVE A RECORD OF IT AND THEN THAT HELPS US BUILD OUR CASE TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND VISIT IT. SO WE WILL GET TO THOSE, IT JUST WON'T BE SAME NIGHT. WE CERTAINLY CAN DO THE, THE MATH OF IF WE WANTED TO HAVE A, A GROUP OF INSPECTORS THAT COULD DO THAT. UM, BUT THAT WOULD BE, UH, THAT WOULD BE FAIRLY PRICEY, BUT WE CAN COME BACK IN SIX MONTHS FOR SURE IF THAT'S ACCEPTED. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, YOU CAN COME BACK IN SIX MONTHS AND TALK ABOUT WHAT A DEDICATED SORT OF, UH, STREET VENDOR RESPONSE TEAM COULD LOOK LIKE FROM A STAFFING AND COST STANDPOINT. YES. OKAY. AND HOW MANY TIMES PD HAD TO RESPOND BECAUSE THE COST OF A POLICE OFFICER IS OUTWEIGHS INSPECTORS, I BELIEVE. OKAY. YEAH. THE COST OF A POLICE OFFICER IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN AN INSPECTOR. SO, [05:50:01] SO CAN WE ADD HOW MANY TIMES PD HAS HAD TO RESPOND? I THINK, I THINK WHAT WAS PROBABLY FEASIBLE IS A COST ANALYSIS TO SEE IF THIS IS MORE COSTLY OR LESS COSTLY THAN, UH, THE CURRENT MODEL. I HESITATE, UH, TO SUPPORT SOMETHING THAT SAYS LIKE WHEN YOU SEND OUT CITY STAFF AND THEY KNOW IN THIS MOMENT, I'M GOING TO NEED TO COUNT ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE CITY COUNCIL LIMITED THEIR ABILITY TO DO SO. UM, I'VE BEEN A CITY EMPLOYEE A LONG TIME. I REMEMBER WHEN THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, A CITY EMPLOYEE WAS IN DOING AN INSPECTION WAS SHOT IN THE EYE. SO THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS PUT, UH, CREATE A SITUATION WHERE YOU CAN'T RESPOND ON OUR ENTIRE CITY TEAM. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I THINK THE HESITATION IS. I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET TO IS WHAT'S THE BEST MODEL TO RESPOND. OKAY. I THINK STAFF CAN RESPOND TO THAT. RIGHT. AND LOOK AT WHAT THE BEST ENFORCEMENT MODEL IS. YEAH. WE, WE GOT IT. JUST NEED TO KNOW IF THAT FRIENDLY'S BEEN ACCEPTED. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL, THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBERS ZA DAY HOST. HOW'S THIS SOUND? THANK YOU. UM, YES. UM, I THINK THAT, THAT ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS HERE TONIGHT WITH THIS ORDINANCE IS TO, UM, BUILD A, A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STREET VENDORS AND MAYBE EVENTUALLY NOT NEED, UM, TO HAVE POLICE OFFICERS RIGHT. ATTENDING, YOU KNOW, JOINING THE INSPECTORS, UH, WHEN THEY HAVE TO DO ENFORCEMENT. UM, SO I, I HOPE THAT MAYBE WE CAN, THE STAFF CAN COME UP WITH A, WITH A GOOD ENOUGH PLAN THAT WE COULD ADDRESS THAT. UM, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN DUGGAN FOR THAT. UM, ALSO WANTED TO, UH, MAKE IT CLEAR THAT, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS THE COMMON SENSE, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT OUR CITY STAFF DOES REALLY GOOD WORK AROUND THIS, BUT I WANNA GO ON THE RECORD. UM, ADVOCATING FOR SPANISH SPEAKING, UM, INSPECTORS OR SPANISH SPEAKING COMMUNICATION, UM, WITH THE VENDORS, UM, TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHETHER IT'S DURING AN INSPECTION, WHETHER IT'S DURING OUTREACH. BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE TRUST BUILDING AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA MAKE THIS ORDINANCE REALLY STRONG IN OUR CITY, IS IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM. AND I, UM, I'M VERY, VERY HOPEFUL, UM, WITH ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT MADE HERE THROUGH FROM COUNCIL AND HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT STAFF HAS DONE TO THIS POINT AND THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO IN THE SPIRIT OF THIS ORDINANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A PATHWAY TO STREET VENDING HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO LET'S LAND THIS PLANE, BRING IT ALL HOME. I'M GONNA ASK STAFF TO RESTATE, UH, THE MOTION WITH THIS VERY FRIENDLY MOTION, UH, WITH ALL THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS. SO LET'S, LET'S, LET'S HEAR THE, LET'S RESTATE WHAT WE HAVE. DID YOU WANT TO, UM, HOLD ON THE INS INSURANCE? WE'RE GONNA RESOLVE THAT. TELL US WHAT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL HANDLE THE INSURANCE NEXT. SO STAFF WILL COME BACK IN SIX MONTHS TO REPORT ON HOW THE ORDINANCE IS, UH, WORKING. WE WILL, UM, ENGAGE WITH THE PIKE TENANT TO ASK IF THEY WILL ALLOW SIDEWALK VENDORS ON THEIR PROPERTY. UM, SIDEWALK VENDORS CAN USE PRIVATE UTILITIES WITH AUTHORIZATION OF THE, UH, PROPERTY OWNER. AND AS LONG AS THERE IS INSURANCE OF NO TRIPPING HAZARDS, UH, IT CAN BE DONE SAFELY. AND, UM, ACCESSIBILITY CHALLENGES ARE RESOLVED. THERE WILL BE A REQUIREMENT TO ADHERE TO THE VALUES ACT. THERE IS GOING TO BE AN INCREASE IN THE BUFFER BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK VENDOR AND AN LA COUNTY WATERWAY OR FLOOD CONTROL FENCING FROM 15 FEET TO 25 FEET. UH, STAFF WILL COME BACK IN SIX MONTHS TO UPDATE, UH, WITH BEST IN, UH, BEST ENFORCEMENT MODEL TO IMPLEMENT REGARDING THE PROGRAM. THERE WILL BE A LIMITATION ON FLASHING SIGNS. UM, AND STAFF WILL COORDINATE WITH THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER TO DETERMINE WHAT AREAS, UM, CAN BE, UH, RESTRICTED. AND THERE WILL BE A REVISION TO THE DEFINITION OF PARKWAY TO EXPLICITLY STATE THAT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE VENDING IN STREET MEDIANS. THAT'S WHAT I HAD ON MY LIST AS WELL. I DID WANT TO POINT OUT, THE MAYOR MADE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF RECOVERY ACT FROM 1100 TO 1500, BUT THAT WASN'T IN THE FORM OF A FRIENDLY MOTION. SO WE DID SOME DIRECTION ON THAT. SO WE'RE GONNA HANDLE THESE LAST TWO FRIENDLIES. SO HOW [05:55:01] ABOUT THE RAISE THE CAP TO 1500 TO FULLY COST THE, UH, PERMITS? YES, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT TO THE MOTION, PLEASE. OKAY. WELL, SHE JUST ADDED IT TO HER FRIENDLY. OKAY. NOW THE SECOND ISSUE, SO I'VE BEEN, BY MY COUNT FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS EXPRESSED, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO THE INSURANCE ISSUE. SO BY MY COUNT, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS EXPRESSED, UH, THE PATHWAY OF REQUIRING THE FIRST YEAR AND INCLUDING IT IN THE REIMBURSABLE FUNDS. UM, BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD A, WE WE HAVEN'T ADDRESSED IT IN THE FRIENDLY. SO WHERE DO YOU, WHERE DO YOU WANNA GO WITH THIS COUNCILWOMAN? YES. I THINK THAT THAT'S A REASONABLE IN THIS. OKAY. SO INCLUDE THE TWO OF THOSE IN YOUR MOTION. WE NOW HAVE A COMPLETE MOTION. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. NOW AGAIN, NEXT STEP. THIS STAFF WILL WORK ON THIS AND COME BACK WITH A NEW FIRST READING. BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE OTHER 23 ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, UH, I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE I SEE ALL, ALL OF YOU HERE IN THE ORANGE. I RECOGNIZE YOU, RIGHT? LET ME JUST SAY THIS, UH, I THINK YOU'RE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE END OF THE MEETING. IS THAT CORRECT? I THINK THAT'S WHAT WHAT IT IS. THESE NEXT FEW ITEMS DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENTS, SO I THINK WE CAN GET THROUGH THESE PRETTY QUICK, BUT WE CAN'T TAKE ENDING CLOSING PUBLIC COMMENT UNTIL THE AGENDA ITEMS ARE DONE. THAT'S ACTUALLY COUNCIL RULES, BUT I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE ITEMS THAT HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE READY TO SPEAK. SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE TO ROLL A LITTLE BIT FASTER, UH, FROM HERE ON OUT. OKAY, THE NEXT ITEM THAT WE HAVE IS ITEM 50. SO LET'S HEAR ITEM 50 PLEASE. COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILWOMAN KERR, VICE MAYOR ALLEN, AND COUNCIL MEMBER YANGA RECOMMENDATION TO DIRECT STAFF IN WRITING A LETTER URGING OUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS TO MOVE EXPEDITIOUSLY AND PHASING OUT LEADED AVIATION FUEL, PARTICULARLY AT [50. 23-25161 Recommendation to request City Manager to direct staff in writing a letter urging our Congressional Leaders, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to move expeditiously in phasing out leaded aviation fuel, particularly at Long Beach Airport, in the name of public health, recent EPA findings and as part of the City’s legislative agenda; and Request City Manager to work with the Airport, City Attorney, and all relevant departments to present the October 31, 2023, memorandum on General Aviation Operations at Long Beach Airport to the City Council in December.       Office or Department: Megan Kerr, Councilwoman, Fifth District; Cindy Allen, Vice Mayor, Second District; Roberto Uranga, Councilmember, Seventh District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] LONG BEACH AIRPORT. AND REQUEST CITY MANAGER TO WORK WITH ALL RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS TO PRESENT THE MEMORANDUM ON GENERAL AVIATION OPERATIONS AT LONG BEACH AIRPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN DECEMBER. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. UH, I'D LIKE TO THANK BOTH VICE MAYOR ALLEN AND COUNCILMAN URANGA FOR THEIR CO-SPONSORSHIP ON THIS ITEM. AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN FOR THE SECOND TONIGHT TO REQUEST A LETTER TO BE WRITTEN TO OUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS TO URGE THE FAA AND THE EPA TO ACT EXPEDITIOUSLY IN THE PROCESS TO PHASE OUT THE USE OF LEAD AVIATION FUEL. THROUGHOUT MY TENURE AS COUNCILMAN OF DISTRICT FIVE, I'VE HEARD FROM NUMEROUS RESIDENTS CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCREASED IMPACT GENERAL AVIATION AND FLIGHT SCHOOL PLANES HAVE HAD ON THEIR LIVES AS THESE PLANES ARE CONSISTENTLY FLYING OVER HOMES AND SCHOOLS. THE CONCERN OF LEAD POLLUTION IN THE AIR IS A MATTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY. AS WE KNOW, EXPOSURE TO LEAD AND DAILY LIFE IS UNSAFE AND CAN CAUSE HARMFUL AND IRREVERSIBLE EFFECTS. THIS IS WHY WE NO LONGER ALLOW LEAD IN SUCH PRODUCTS AS PAINT OR CAR FUEL, OR EVEN IN FUEL FOR COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT. WITH THE EPAS RECENTLY PUBLISHED FINDINGS THAT UNDENIABLY CONFIRM THE LINK BETWEEN THE LEAD POLLUTION IN THE AIR AND THE SMALL GENERA GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT, WE NEED TO ACT WITH APPROPRIATE URGENCY. THIS ITEM IS CURRENTLY ON THE LONG BEACH, ON LONG BEACH'S FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. AND WHILE THE EPA AND FAA HOPE TO AFFECT THIS CHANGE BY 2030, I FEEL, AND AS I KNOW MANY OF OUR CONSTITUENTS DO, THAT THIS IS NOT SOON ENOUGH. WHILE WE AS A CITY MAY ATTEMPT LOCAL CHANGE AND POTENTIALLY INCENTIVIZE OUR OWN PILOTS TO TRANSITION TO THE SAFER FUEL, THE ROOT OF THIS PROBLEM CANNOT BE RESOLVED WITHOUT CLEAR REGULATIONS AND ENFORCEABLE LEGISLATION BY OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, BY SENDING A LETTER FROM OUR CITY OUTLINING THE URGENCY WE FEEL HERE AT HOME OVER THIS MATTER, WE HOPE TO, UM, GENERATE THE SAME SENSE OF URGENCY IN OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION AND LEADERS AND OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS. SECONDLY, WITH THIS ITEM, WE'RE REQUESTING THAT A PRESENTATION FROM THE AIRPORT CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY REGARDING THE OCTOBER 31ST MEMO ON GENERAL AVIATION PRACTICES BE DELIVERED TO THE COUNCIL IN DECEMBER WITH A FULL AND DETAILED PRESENTATIONS FROM THOSE WHO PUT THE REPORT TOGETHER, WE CAN ENSURE NO MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF INFORMATION AND DETERMINE FULLY HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH NEXT STEPS IN ADDRESSING RESIDENT CONCERNS AND PRACTICES AT THE AIRPORT THAT ARE WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL AUSTIN, I SECOND THE MOTION, UH, FULLY, FULLY SUPPORT THIS, UH, THIS EFFORT. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN KER. YOU WANNA READ COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERTO'S STATEMENT? YEAH, IF I COULD READ COUNCIL MEMBER YANG'S COMMENTS INTO THE RECORD. HAVING REPRESENTED THE CALIFORNIA HEIGHTS AND BIXBY KNOWLES COMMUNITIES, I KNOW THE AIRPORT'S CONCERN ABOUT SMALL AVIATION NOISE AND POLLUTION CAUSED BY LEADED AVIATION FUEL AT THE LONG BEACH AIRPORT. LEADED FUEL, PROPO LEADED FUEL POSES A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH, EMPHASIZING THE URGENCY OF ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. WHILE FEDERAL REGULATIONS OVERSEE AVIATION, IT IS CRUCIAL FOR THE CITY TO ACTIVELY ADVOCATE FOR SWIFT REGULATORY MEASURES TO MITIGATE NOISE AND SAFEGUARD RESIDENTS FROM LEAD FUEL EMISSIONS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. UH, I WANT TO, UH, THANK, [06:00:01] UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AND WE RAISED THIS WHEN I WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER, THE LEAD ISSUE. AND IT'S GREAT THAT THE EPA HAS FINALLY SPOKEN UP AND ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT 2030 IS, IS TOO LONG AND WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR VOICE VERY, VERY CLEAR. I'M PROUD THAT YOU'RE LEADING THE CHARGE HERE. UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MEETING IN DECEMBER. UH, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT NOT JUST FEDERAL ACTION, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO LOCALLY TO INCENTIVIZE GETTING, ADOPT, ADOPTING CLEANER FUELS. AND SO, UH, I LIKE THIS DIRECTION. I FULLY SUPPORT IT. UM, AND I SEE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN IS QUEUED UP. YES. UM, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN KERR. AND I, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UM, ALLOWING ME TO SIGN ONTO THIS ITEM. I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT POLLUTION CAUSE UM, WHY THIS, UH, LEAD FUEL DOES PUT, UM, FOLKS AT RISK, UH, EVEN PEOPLE IN DISTRICT TWO. UM, MY OFFICE RECEIVES CALLS ABOUT AIRPORT ACTIVITY AND, UH, WE ALSO KNOW FROM THE, UM, FROM THE RECENT MEMO THAT, UH, THE AVIATION ACTIVITY HAS INDEED INCREASED AT THE AIRPORT. AND I KNOW THERE ARE SOME ALTERNATIVE FUELS, UH, THAT THE FAA APPROVED AND I SUPPORT ASKING OUR LEADERS TO EXPEDITE THE TRANSITION OF UNLEADED FUELS. UM, I THINK THIS WOULD BE ALSO, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR RESIDENTS TO, UM, RECEIVE SOME TYPE OF PRESENTATION ON, UM, OPERATIONS AT OUR AIRPORT. I KNOW I'VE ASKED FOR PRESENTATIONS IN THE PAST, AND I KNOW THAT, UM, MY DISTRICT TWO RESIDENTS WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, COUNCILMAN KERR FOR THIS ITEM. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. WELL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE THREE SPEAKERS, DAVE SHUKLA, MY MYRON WALLEN, AND STEVE BENNETT. DAVE, YOU'RE GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UH, MY NAME'S DAVE SHUKLA. I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK VICE MAYOR ALLEN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ORRAN AND MOST OF ALL COUNCILWOMAN KERR, UH, FOR LEADING THIS, UH, THIS EFFORT. UH, I, UH, COMMEND YOU FOR SUPPORTING A NATIONWIDE BAN ON LEADED AVIATION FUEL. AND, UH, I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT, AS THE MAYOR JUST DID, THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT BOTH THE CITY AND THE AIRPORT CAN DO IN THE INTERIM OF, UH, THAT NATIONWIDE BEND, UH, BEING ACHIEVED, UM, TO PROMOTE, UH, AVIATORS, FLIGHT SCHOOLS, SMALL PLANES THAT, UH, DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE THE UNLEADED FUEL. UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. UH, MYRON? NO, STEVEN. HI, MY NAME IS STEVEN BENNETT. I AM A RESIDENT OF BIXBY KNOWLES. I'D FIRST LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR TAKING THE STEPS YOU'VE TAKEN SO FAR TO HAVE THE FUEL TRANSITION FROM LEADED TO UNLEADED. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE AIRPORT HAS UNDERSTOOD FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS THE IMPACTS OF LEADED FUEL. AND THEY'VE MADE ABSOLUTELY NO EFFORT WHATSOEVER TO GET THE PILOTS THAT OPERATE OUT OF THEIR, OUT OF THE LONG BEACH AIRPORT TO TRANSITION TO UNLEADED FUEL. SO, IN ADDITION TO THE REASON EPA FINDING THAT LEADED FUEL IS TOXIC AND, AND HARMFUL, THERE'S, THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THE LONG TERM HEALTH EFFECTS OF LEAD FUEL POISONING. UM, SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO IN THE INTERIM BETWEEN NOW AND, UH, THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCIL MEETING, EVERYONE IN BIXBY KNOWLES AND CALIFORNIA HEIGHTS WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT. UH, FOR MYSELF, I DON'T HAVE KIDS, BUT I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DO, AND THEY'RE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ONGOING LEAD POISONING AND WHAT EFFECTS IT'LL HAVE ON THEIR KIDS. UM, FURTHER, FURTHERMORE, UH, ALMOST EVERY DAY WE HAVE SMALL PLANES FLYING OVER BIXBY KNOLLS, AND WE, WE'VE HAD, UH, DECIBEL READERS RECORD HOW CLOSE THEY ARE TO OUR ROOFS. AND ROUTINELY THE PLANES FLY UNDER 500 FEET. WE'VE HAD PLANES FLOWN BY LOCAL PILOTS, UH, AS CLOSE AS 129 FEET TO RESIDENCE ROOFS. AND THAT'S WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS. UM, THAT'S NOT EVEN ONE THIRD OF A FOOTBALL FIELD AWAY, UH, OR IT'S ABOUT A THIRD OF FOOTBALL FIELD AWAY. UM, SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY'VE ALSO BEEN VIOLATING, UH, THE, THE SMALL PLANES, THE GENERAL AVIATION. THEY'VE BEEN VIOLATING THE NOISE ORDINANCES ALMOST EVERY DAY, ALMOST EVERY DAY. THEY FLY WELL BEFORE 7:00 AM OFTEN BEFORE 6:00 AM AND THEN THEY FLY WELL PAST 10:00 PM OFTEN PAST MIDNIGHT, UM, DEEP INTO THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING. I KNOW, I KNOW IT'S NOT ALWAYS PLANES FROM LONG BEACH AIRPORT. SOMETIMES THEY ARE PLANES FROM TORRANCE, SOMETIMES THEY'RE PLANES FROM JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT. SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE COULD DO AS A CITY TO MITIGATE THAT AND KEEP THOSE PLANES FROM OTHER TOWNS [06:05:01] OUT OF OUR AIRSPACE, I THINK THAT COULD ALSO BE A, A NICE OR A PRODUCTIVE FIRST STEP IN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IN DECEMBER, WE'LL HAVE A FULL CONVERSATION AT COUNCIL ABOUT WHAT LEGALLY WE CAN DO, WHAT LEGALLY WE CAN'T DO, BUT, UH, THIS IS THE APPROPRIATE STEPS GOING THROUGH THESE STEPS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. 60. PLEASE REPORT FROM LONG BEACH AIRPORT. RECOMMENDATION TO IMPLEMENT A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE, REIMBURSEMENT INCENTIVE AT LONG BEACH AIRPORT TO FACILITATE THE TRANSITION FROM LEADED TO UNLEADED AVIATION FUEL AND AN AGGREGATE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 60,000 DISTRICTS FOUR AND FIVE. THANK YOU. TURNING OVER TO STAFF, [60. 23-24892 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to implement a Supplemental Type Certificate reimbursement incentive at Long Beach Airport to facilitate the transition from leaded to unleaded aviation fuel, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $60,000 through December 31, 2025; and Increase appropriations in the Airport Fund Group in the Airport Department by $60,000 offset by Airport funds available.  (Districts 4, 5)       Office or Department: Long Beach Airport         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR, UH, AIRPORT DIRECTOR, CYNTHIA GRY, AND SHE'LL MAKE A BRIEF PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. THIS ITEM IS, IS TO SEEK YOUR APPROVAL FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE. AND THIS IS FOR PILOTS THAT ARE BASED AT THE AIRPORT TO REIMBURSEMENT, UH, OF THEIR COST FOR, FOR USING THE UL OR UNLEADED 94 PRODUCT THAT IS AT THE AIRPORT. WE BELIEVE THIS, THIS PRICE JUST ON, UH, INVESTIGATION IS ROUGHLY BETWEEN 150 TO $300 PER AIRCRAFT. AND WE ARE LOOKING TO, AGAIN, REMOVE BARRIERS TO, TO OUR PILOTS IN TRANSITIONING TO UNLIGHTED FUEL. AND WE FEEL THAT THIS IS JUST ANOTHER, UH, STEP IN, IN, UH, IN THIS TRANSITION. SO WE'RE SEEKING YOUR APPROVAL TONIGHT FOR THAT ITEM. THANK YOU. WE'LL TAKE IT BY ON THE RAIL. COUNCILMAN KERR? YES. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR AND DIRECTOR GIRI. I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND THAT'S RIGHT. YOUR STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE MOST APPROPRIATE WAY TO DO A REIMBURSEMENT IS FOR OUR PILOT. SO JUST AS WE'VE DISCUSSED, THE DANGERS OF LEADED FUEL ARE REAL AND PRESENT, AND WE KNOW THAT. AND AS WE AWAIT THE ACTIONABLE ITEM OR LEGISLATION FROM OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, YOU'VE BEEN WORKING TO HELP FIND SOLUTIONS IN THE MEANTIME. AN IMPORTANT PART OF DOING THAT IS TO ENCOURAGE THE TRANSITION TO UNLEADED FUEL, UM, AND SUPPORTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ALLOWS FOR THAT UNDERSTANDING THAT THE AIRPORT DOES NOT OWN AIRCRAFT OR SELL FUEL. WE HAVE STRONGLY SUPPORTED OUR PARTNERS IN MAKING UNLEADED FUEL AVAILABLE AT L-G-B-L-G-B, BUT WE KNOW THERE'S STILL MORE WE CAN DO. AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE STEPS THAT WE CAN TAKE. UH, I APPRECIATE YOU LOOKING AT THE, THE PILOTS AND THE AIRCRAFT THAT ARE, ARE LONG BEACH BASED, UM, AS A WAY TO PILOT THIS PROGRAM. AND INCENTIVIZING, UH, THE ACQUISITION OF THE CERTIFICATION, UH, WILL LEAD TO HOPEFULLY SOONER IMPLEMENTATION. UH, AND WE WANNA ENCOURAGE THIS WITH OUR PARTNERS, UH, AT THE AIRPORT WHO DO THIS WORK. AGAIN, YOU TALKED ABOUT REDUCING THE BARRIERS, UH, FOR ENTRY OF THIS TRANSITION BY OFFSETTING THE COSTS OF PLANES HERE IN LONG BEACH. AND AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER STEP THAT WE'RE TAKING IN THIS, UM, LONGER EFFORT, UH, TO ADDRESS THE PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BRETT, VICE MAYOR ALLEN. YEAH, I JUST, UM, WANNA SAY, I HOPE THAT, UM, INCENTIVIZING THIS TRANSITION OF LEAD FUELS HAS AN IMPACT HERE IN LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. MICHAEL FI FIGUERA. I'M SORRY IF I BUTCHERED IT. I'M READING THE HAS IN FRONT OF ME. THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. UM, MY NAME'S MICHAEL FIGO. I'M A RESIDENT OF BIXBY KNOWLES. UM, MY WIFE AND I HAVE A TWO YEAR OLD AND WE LIVE VERY CLOSE TO THE FLIGHT PATH IN THE AIRPORT. SO I APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL'S COMMENTS ON THIS MATTER, THEIR ATTENTION TO THE ISSUE. BUT WHILE THIS IS GOOD, IT'S NOT SUFFICIENT BECAUSE WHAT WE SEE IS THAT IF PILOTS CAN PURCHASE CHEAPER LEADED FUEL, THEY'RE GOING TO DO THAT. AND THEY DO DO THAT. SO I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT ON THE CITY COUNCIL TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACTUALLY GET THEM NOW TO USE UNLEADED FUEL. AND WHETHER THAT IS MAKING UNLEADED FUEL CHEAPER THAN LEADED FUEL OR TAXING LEADED FUEL AND MAKING IT MORE EXPENSIVE, OR BOTH. I THINK IT'S THE COUNCIL'S MORAL DUTY TO DO THAT BECAUSE CHILDREN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE SCHOOLS ARE BEING POISONED. THEY HAVE BEEN, IT'S ONGOING. AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN WAIT FOR FEDERAL LEGISLATION 'CAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN IN TIME. AND SO IF EVERYONE HERE THOUGHT ABOUT THEIR OWN FAMILY AND WHETHER THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO SPEND MONEY TO STOP THEIR CHILD FROM BEING POISONED, I THINK THEY WOULD DO THAT IF THEY HAD THE ABILITY TO. I THINK THE COUNCIL HAS SHOWN GREAT EFFORT WITH FINDING FUNDS TO SUPPORT STREET VENDING IN OUR CITY, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO FIND THE FUNDS AND HOW TO SPEND THE MONEY TO STOP CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY FROM BEING POISONED. SO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE URGENTLY ADDRESSED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO THAT, THAT, UH, THAT SATISFIED PUBLIC COMMENT, [06:10:01] BUT I WILL ADDRESS THAT. UM, I AM A FATHER RAISING A CHILD IN AROUND THE AIRPORT, SO I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR AIRPORT DOES NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THE FUEL. THAT IS, THAT'S, WE WE'RE STRUCTURED DIFFERENTLY. SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, UH, MAKE IT COMPETITIVE. UH, BUT A SUBSIDY, LIKE WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF FIGURING OUT HOW TO STRUCTURE THAT AND HOW TO PAY FOR IT. UH, BECAUSE WE, IF WE WERE THE ONES PROVIDING THE FUEL, IT'S A POLICY DECISION, WE'RE GONNA CHOOSE THIS VERSUS THAT, BUT WE ACTUALLY DON'T DO IT. IT'S PRIVATE OPERATOR WHO HAS THOSE RIGHTS THROUGH THEIR, THROUGH THEIR LEASE NOW STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN, THEY WEREN'T OFFERING UNLEADED. NOW THERE ARE, NOW WE'RE MOVING THE BARRIERS FOR PL PLANES TO ACTUALLY USE THE UNLEADED. THAT'S ONE OF THESE ACTIONS TODAY. AND THERE ARE SUBSEQUENT STEPS, I THINK YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, BUT EACH OF THOSE NEEDS TO BE THOROUGHLY VETTED AND THEY HAVE TO BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OPERATOR AT THE AIRPORT BECAUSE WE CAN'T UNILATERALLY TAKE THAT STEP. BUT I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING, THAT'S THE DIRECTION TO GO. BUT WE HAVE TO REALLY MANAGE EXPECTATIONS HERE ABOUT, UH, WHAT THE PROCESS IS TO GET THERE. EVEN IF WE WERE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET IT 100% THE SAME AMOUNT YOU HAVE TO PROGRAM AND GET AND GET LOCAL AVIATORS TO ADOPT IT. SECONDLY, THERE'S NOTHING THAT STOPS SOMEONE TO GO INTO A DIFFERENT AIRPORT TO FUEL UP AND FLYING AROUND OUR COMMUNITIES. SO HOW CAN WE MANAGE AND CONTROL WHAT WE CAN CONTROL AND HOW CAN WE GET LOCAL ADOPTION, OUR LOCAL, IN OUR LOCAL, UM, UH, AV WITH OUR LOCAL AVIATION PARTNERS. AND SO THAT'S THE TRACK THAT WE'RE ON. I UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY, UH, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD JUST BE AS CLEAR WITH MANAGEMENT EXPECTATIONS AS WE CAN ABOUT WHAT'S POSSIBLE UNILATERALLY AND WHAT REQUIRES PARTNERSHIP TO, TO ACHIEVE, WHICH SOMETIMES TAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING DOWN. I APPRECIATE IT AND FOR WAITING SO LONG TO SPEAK 'CAUSE THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT ISSUE. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT. UH, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, ITEM 57 BRIEF STAFF REPORT ON THIS ONE REPORT FROM HUMAN RESOURCES RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION APPROVING A LETTER OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND IAM FOR THE CONTRACT TERM FROM 20 [57. 23-24890 Recommendation to adopt resolution approving a Letter of Agreement between the City of Long Beach and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) to amend the IAM Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) for the contract terms from 2007 – 2023.  The amended provision is applicable pursuant to the IAM MOU, Appendix C: Skill and Other Pays; and, Article VIII, Section IV.       Office or Department: Human Resources         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] TO 2007 TO 2023. ALRIGHT, BRIEF STAFF REPORT. REALLY BRIEFLY, THIS IS THE ITEM, UH, THAT IS A ADDRESSING A SKILL PAY IN THE HARBOR. UM, AND IT'S BEEN NEGOTIATED, GONE THROUGH THE MEET AND CONFER AND, UH, READY TO IMPLEMENT. ALRIGHT, SO IT'S RETROACTIVE AMENDMENTS TO THE CONTRACT WITH IAM. CONGRATULATIONS TO IAM ON RATIFYING THEIR CONTRACT. UH, MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. SO MAYOR, THIS IS THE SKILL PAY AND THEN THE CONTRACT IS COMING. CONTRACT IS NEXT. GREAT. MEMBERS, PLEASE STILL PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. 58 REPORT FROM HUMAN RESOURCES RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR UNREPRESENTED NON-MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES CITYWIDE. ALRIGHT, UH, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. UH, MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. 59 REPORT FROM HUMAN RESOURCES RECOMMENDATION. OH, WE, WE GOTTA DO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT. WE GOTTA DO PUBLIC COMMENT. WAS THERE A PUBLIC COMMENT ON, UH, ITEMS 57 OR 58? NO, THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THOSE ITEMS. OKAY, GREAT. JUST MAKE SURE I CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT. 59 REPORT FROM HUMAN RESOURCES RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION APPROVING 2023 TO 2026, MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE WORKERS CITYWIDE. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA HEAR A BRIEF STAFF REPORT HERE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SO THIS IS THE, I, UH, I AM MOU UH, ONE QUICK CORRECTION. I SAID PORT UNDER ANOTHER 57. IT'S AIRPORT, SO IT'S AIRPORT RIGHT. SECURITY OFFICERS AT THE AIRPORT. SO THAT WAS MY MISTAKE. SO 59, UH, IS THE CULMINATION OF A LOT OF, UH, GOOD NEGOTIATION, UH, WITH OUR INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION MACHINISTS. UH, THEY REPRESENT 3082 EMPLOYEES IN THE BARGAINING UNIT. ONE OF THE MAIN FOCUSES FOR OUR NEGOTIATIONS, UH, WAS TO IDENTIFY POSITIONS THAT WERE COMPENSATED BELOW THE MARKET AND, UH, THEN APPLY AN EQUITY INCREASE TO BRING THOSE POSITIONS BACK INTO MARKET RATE. AND SO THIS APPROACH NOT ONLY SUPPORTS FAIR COMPENSATION FOR RETENTION PURPOSES, BUT ALSO HELPS IN FUTURE RECRUITMENT EFFORTS, UH, AND, UH, FOR THOSE POSITIONS. SO, UM, UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, IT'S ALL IN YOUR STAFF REPORT, BUT WE HAVE SOME GENERAL SALARY INCREASES, BUT THEN EVERY POSITION, WE LOOKED AT IT FROM AN EQUITY PERSPECTIVE AND THEY'RE EITHER GETTING, YOU KNOW, 5% INCREASE, EIGHT OR 13, I THINK 18. AND THE TOP ONE WAS, UM, 22, I BELIEVE, OR 23. SO DEPENDING, YEAH, UH, DEPENDING ON, UM, THE CLASSIFICATION. SO LOW WAS 24. 24. WAS IT 24? YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND [06:15:01] SO, UM, UH, THIS IS ALL WITHIN OUR FISCAL ABILITY TO PAY. UH, THAT WAS PART OF THE NEGOTIATION IS TO DO AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, BEING COGNIZANT THOUGH OF, UH, FUTURE DEFICITS. AND, UH, WE'RE EXTREMELY EXCITED TO HAVE A, A GREAT AGREEMENT WITH OUR EMPLOYEES, UH, AND REWARD THEM, UH, AND, AND HELP THEIR FAMILIES PUT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO PAY FOR THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEIR FAMILIES. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. UH, IN TERMS OF TOTAL VALUE, HOW DOES THIS COMPARE THIS, UH, CONTRACT WITH IAM COMPARED TO OTHER CONTRACTS IN THE HISTORY WITH IAM? UM, THIS IS, UH, ONE OF THE BEST CONTRACTS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO COME TO AGREEMENT ON. SO, UH, THE CITY PUT A, A LOT OF INVESTMENT IN. UH, WE DEFINITELY WENT BEYOND, UM, WHERE WE ORIGINALLY WERE LOOKING AT AND, AND TRYING TO DO THE BEST DEAL THAT WE COULD. UM, ALL OF MINE, ALL THE WHILE BEING COGNIZANT OF THE ABILITY TO PAY, BUT, UH, DOING AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY COULD, RIGHT? SO I WANNA, UH, THANK I AM'S LEADERSHIP, UH, FOR COMING TO THE TABLE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, WIN A BIG, UM, HISTORIC CONTRACT HERE THAT RECOGNIZES, UH, REALLY THE VALUE OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT. AND THEN SECONDLY, INEQUITY. SOME CLASSIFICATIONS WERE WAY BEHIND AND WE ADDRESSED SOME OF THOSE ISSUES WITH BIGGER RAISES. UH, BUT EVERYONE GOT AT, AT THE VERY MINIMUM, I THINK EIGHT AND A QUARTER, UH, WAS THE VERY LEAST, UH, THAT FOLKS GOT. AND SO, UM, SOMETIMES THAT'S HARD TO SAY. YOU'RE GONNA GET ONE AND YOU'RE GONNA GET THE OTHER, UH, AND WE'LL ADDRESS EQUITY OVER TIME THROUGH CONSISTENT CONTRACT NEGOTIATION AND PARTNERSHIP, LONG-TERM PLANNING. BUT THIS IS A REAL ACCOMPLISHMENT AND WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL, UH, TO OUR CITY EMPLOYEES FOR WORKING WITH US COMING TO THE TABLE AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO, HOW TO GET THIS DONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'LL GO TO VICE [59. 23-24893 Recommendation to adopt resolution approving 2023-2026 Memorandum of Understanding with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). (Citywide)       Office or Department: Human Resources         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] MAYOR ALLEN. YEAH, I JUST WANT TO, UH, JUST SAY THANK YOU. I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THIS, UH, AGREEMENT AND I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK ON BOTH SIDES, BUT, UH, THAT'S THE POWER OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. BARGAINING. SO CONGRATULATIONS BARGAIN. ABSOLUTELY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER OTTI. UM, I THINK I CONCUR WITH MY, UH, WITH THE VICE MAYOR HERE. UH, IT'S A POWER OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND MAKING SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL, YOU ARE FAMILY, RIGHT? YOU'RE OUR CITY FAMILY, AND MAKING YOU SURE YOU FEEL VALUED AND THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN YOU AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO MAKE THE CITY A PLACE THAT YOU WANT TO SPEND YOUR TIME, YOUR TALENT, UM, AND, AND SERVE OUR CITY. AND SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. OH, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? I DON'T SEE ANY, THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. IT'S GETTING LATE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO TO ITEM 48, COMMUNICATION FOR MAYOR RICHARDSON. RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE MAYOR'S DESIGNEES AS ARGUMENT WRITERS FOR THE LONG BEACH BALLOT MEASURE. APPEARING ON THE MARCH 5TH, 2024, CALIFORNIA STATEWIDE PRIMARY ELECTION BALLOT. ALRIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN SORROW FOR A [48. 23-25104 Recommendation to approve Mayor's designees as argument writers for the Long Beach ballot measure appearing on the March 5, 2024, California Statewide Primary Election ballot.       Office or Department: Rex Richardson, Mayor         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] RECUSAL. YES, AS A NOMINEE FOR THIS ITEM, OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, I AM RECUSING MYSELF TO AVOID ANY, UM, POTENTIAL CONFLICT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. ALL RIGHT. UH, UNDER THE CHARTER, THE MAYOR MUST DESIGNATE ARGUMENT WRITERS FOR ANY MEASURE APPEARING BEFORE THE VOTERS ON THE BALLOT. FOR THE UPCOMING MARCH 5TH, 2024, PRIMARY ELECTION, VOTERS WILL CONSIDER A BALLOT MEASURE THAT'S PROPOSING TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE OF HOTEL WORKERS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH BASED ON A PUBLIC CALL FOR ARGUMENT WRITERS WHO SUBMITTED INTEREST FORMS. I'M NOMINATING THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE AS ARGUMENT WRITERS FOR THE MARCH, 2024 BALLOT MEASURE. ON THE FORE SIDE IS DR. SULI SORROW, WHO WILL SERVE AS THE LEAD ARGUMENT WRITER ON THE FOUR ARGUMENT. UH, AMELIA CARILLO IS SECOND, UH, GARY TREK, THEN NA TUSHNET AND REV, THEN REVEREND CYNTHIA WALLY HOGAR ON THE AGAINST SIDE. UH, SARAH WILT, WHO WILL SERVE AS THE LEAD ARGUMENT WRITER ON THE AGAINST ARGUMENT AND CORDLESS LEE. SO, UH, THOSE ARE THE ARGUMENT WRITERS AND MEMBERS. UM, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. UH, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? SEEING NONE, UH, MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE A QUORUM. WE, YEAH, WE WE GOT QUORUM. WE CAN, MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. I BELIEVE THAT'S THE LAST PRESENTATION WITH THE, WITH, I MEAN, LAST ITEM WITH THE PRESENTATION. UH, LET'S GO TO ITEM 49. OH, WE HAVE ONE MORE. I, NO, WE ALREADY DID 49. WE HAVE 56. THIS REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC WORKS RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR THE PURCHASE OF CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY LOCATED ADJACENT TO 1800 OCEAN BOULEVARD IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 50,000. THANK YOU. IS THERE A BRIEF STAFF REPORT HERE? [56. 23-24889 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute any and all documents necessary including a Standard Offer, Agreement and Escrow Instructions for Purchase of Real Estate with Frank P. Prue & Francis J. O’Neill, as Trustees of the Prue-O’Neill Living Trust Dated September 20, 1990, or its assignee, for the purchase of certain real property located adjacent to 1800 Ocean Boulevard, Assessor Parcel Number 7265-017-010, in an amount not to exceed $50,000; and Accept the Categorical Exemption CE 23-139. (District 2). Levine Act:  Yes       Office or Department: Economic Development; Public Works         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] THANK YOU MAYOR. MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. [06:20:01] UM, THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS FOR THE PURCHASE OF REAL PROPERTY THAT'S LOCATED ADJACENT TO 1800 OCEAN BOULEVARD. IT'S ACTUALLY A, A PARCEL OF SAND ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN 10,000 SQUARE FEET. UM, THE, IT'S IMPROVED WITH THE BIKEWAY. UM, THE PROPERTY WAS LISTED FOR SALE. UH, THE CITY EXTENDED AN OFFER WITH THE INTENT OF PURCHASING THIS AND MAKING IT PERMANENTLY, UH, BEACH. GREAT. FANTASTIC. THANK YOU. UM, LET'S SEE. UH, OKAY. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. I SEE NO PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. WE NOW HAVE, UH, A BUNCH OF ORDINANCES. WE'RE GONNA BATCH SOME OF THESE TOGETHER. UM, LET'S DO 61. PLEASE REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY RECOMMENDATION TO DECLARE ORDINANCE ALL RELATING TO MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. READ THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING. CITYWIDE. OKAY. I NEED A SECOND [61. 23-25106 Recommendation to declare the attached Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Long Beach (City) amending the Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) by amending and restating Chapter 1.15 and Section 2.01.1030; amending sections 2.01.320, 2.01.410, 2.01.630, and 2.01.1110.B; adding section 2.01.1010; and repealing Chapters 1.21, 1.22, 1.24, 1.25, 1.26, and 2.02, all relating to municipal elections, read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Attorney         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] HERE. I SEE A FIRST. OKAY. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. THIS IS, UH, ELECTION RULES CLEAN UP TO COMPLY WITH STATE LAW. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NONE MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. NOW, ITEMS 62 THROUGH 71 ARE ALL HISTORIC DESIGNATION OF PROPERTIES, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN READ THEM, BUT TAKE ONE VOTE ON ALL OF THEM. IS THAT CORRECT, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY? YES. GREAT. SO LET'S READ ITEMS 62 THROUGH 71 PLEASE. SO REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY RECOMMENDATION TO DECLARE ORDINANCES RELATING TO THE DESIGNATION OF THE PROPERTIES AS HISTORICAL LANDMARKS, RED AND ADOPTED AS RED. AND THOSE PROPERTIES ARE 3 3 0 5 EAST FIRST STREET, 4 0 0 4. COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE, 6 6 45 WEST 11TH STREET, 6 2 2 TO 6 2 8 EAST ANAHEIM STREET AND 9 5 3 CHESTNUT AVENUE. AND 8 2 2 WILLOW, I THINK IT'S 8 8 2 WILLOW, RIGHT? UM, 8 2 2 WILLOWS. EIGHT TWO WILLOW. GOT IT. YES. 3 3 8. JUAN APPAREL AVENUE. 1400 HELLMAN STREET. 8 3 0 SANTIAGO AVENUE. 1 5, 1 ST. JOSEPH AVENUE. AND THAT IS THE LAST ADDRESS. ALRIGHT, UH, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? SEEING NONE, MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. WE'LL NOTE, WE NOW HAVE ITEM 72, REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY. RECOMMENDATION TO DECLARE ORDINANCE REPEALING, REPEALING THE ORDINANCE KNOWN AS CHAPTER 5.96, HEALTHCARE MINIMUM WAGE RED AND ADOPTED AS RED [62. 23-24500-01 Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by adding Sections 16.52.2400, relating to the designation of the property located at 822 Willow Street, as a historic landmark, read and adopted as read.       Office or Department: City Attorney         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] CITYWIDE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, LET'S, I I CAN JUST SPEAK TO THIS. AND, UH, SO STATE LEGISLATION HAS NOW, UH, ENABLED FOR THIS BALLOT MEASURE THAT WAS PLACED FORWARD BY THE, BY THE PETITIONS OF THE VOTERS, UH, FOR THAT TO HANDLE BE HANDLED THROUGH LEGISLATION. AND SO, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL NOW IS, [72. 23-24662-01 Recommendation to declare ordinance repealing Ordinance No. ORD-22-0022, also known as Chapter 5.96 (“Healthcare Minimum Wage”), read and adopted as read. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Attorney         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] UH, REMO HAS THE ABILITY TO REMOVE THIS FROM THE BALLOT. AND BOTH PROMO PROPONENTS AND OPPOSITION HAVE BOTH AGREED TO DO THAT. THAT'S THE REPORT. IS THAT SUFFICIENT? MADAM CITY ATTORNEY? OR YOU NEED TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE THERE? THAT'S GOOD. FANTASTIC. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO HEAR. ALRIGHT. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST OR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. OUR FINAL THREE ITEMS OF NEW BUSINESS. I, I WANNA BATCH THEM TOGETHER. FUND TRANSFERS. SO, LET'S, UH, READ THE FUND TRANSFER ITEMS, COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILMAN SUBINA. RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE APPROPRIATIONS BY 8,450 TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE FOLLOWING 1000 TO PARTNERS OF PARKS 1500 A [73. 23-25680 Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $8,450, offset by Fourth Council District One-time District Priority Funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department to provide support for the following: $1,000 to Partners of Parks in support of District 4 partners seeking partnership for holiday events; $1,500 to Care Closet LBC in support of their ongoing community support services; $2,500 to Newcomb Academy PTSA in support of their Run Like It’s Recess 5K Run/Walk 1k/Toddler Dash event; $2,000 to the League of Women Voters in support of their advocacy efforts for the El Dorado Neighborhood Library; $1,000 to Young Horizons in support of their annual gala; $450 to the Belmont Shore Business Association in support of their annual Christmas Parade; and Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $8,450 to offset a transfer to the City Manager.       Office or Department: Daryl Supernaw, Councilman, Fourth District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] CARE CLOSET, 2,500 D NEWCOMBE ACADEMY, PTSA 2000 TO THE LEGAL OF WOMEN VOTERS. 1000 TO YOUNG HORIZONS AND 450 TO THE BELMONT SHORE BUSINESSES. COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILWOMAN SORROW, VICE MAYOR ALLEN, AND COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE APPROPRIATIONS BY 8,000 TO SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING ORLE TO SUPPORT THEIR 2023 LIBERATION WALK AND RUN AND GRACE MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH TO SUPPORT THEIR DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. INTERFAITH BREAKFAST AND COMMUNICATION FROM VICE MAYOR ALLEN. RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE APPROPRIATIONS BY 25,000 TO SUPPORT THE WINTER WONDERLAND FESTIVAL. ALL RIGHT, UH, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. UH, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? WE DO HAVE ONE SPEAKER FOR ITEM 74. [06:25:01] OKAY. I DON'T SEE IT. SO YOU, YOU CAN CALL HIM. CAN YOU JUST CALL THE NAME PASTOR WILLIE MCINTYRE. OKAY. PLEASE COME FORWARD. PASTOR MCINTYRE. WE GOT A NEW SYSTEM. I'M STILL FIGURING THIS THING OUT, . THAT'S OKAY. UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AT THIS LATE HOUR, UH, SHOWING THAT YOU'RE WORKING. ALL RIGHTY. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WITHIN LONG BEACH, THE, UH, CHURCHES AND SYNAGOGUES AND AND MOSQUES HAVE ALL BEEN VERY IMPORTANT AND VITAL IN THE, UH, RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP OF LONG BEACH. AND I WANT TO, UH, SAY THAT WE ARE VERY WELL, UH, NEEDED IN OUR COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY WITH THE RECENT VIOLENCE THAT HAS RESURFACED HERE IN LONG BEACH. SO, UM, I AM, UH, IN GRATEFUL SUPPORT FOR THIS RELIGIOUS LEADERS, UH, BREAKFAST, UH, FOR OUR ORGANIZATION AND RECOMMITMENT, UH, TO SAFETY, SECURITY AND, AND, UH, UH, UH, UNITY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY IN LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. THAT SATISFIES PUBLIC COMMENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. YES. I JUST WANNA THANK, UH, PASTOR MCINTYRE FOR YOUR PATIENCE, UM, FOR THIS ITEM TO COME FORWARD. UM, WE HAVE STARTED SOMETHING NEW IN DOING, UM, AN MLK INTERFAITH BREAKFAST BEFORE THE PARADE, BUT THIS YEAR WE WANNA MAKE SURE, UH, WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME. AND, UH, I WANNA THANK, UM, VICE MAYOR ALLEN AND COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA TO COME TOGETHER FOR THIS BREAKFAST BECAUSE IT'S BUILDING OFF OF THE ITEM THAT WE DID TO RECOGNIZE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE. AND THIS IS CARRYING ON THE MESSAGE OF PEACE IN MEMORY OF DR. KING, CONSIDERING, UM, THE STATE OF OUR, UM, WHERE, WHERE WE ARE AT NOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CATCH A VOTE. IT WENT AWAY. WE GOTTA FIGURE IT OUT. GIVE US JUST ONE MOMENT. LET US RECU THAT VOTE. LIKE EVEN THE COMPUTER TIRE. , OF COURSE. ON THE LAST ITEM. THAT'S RIGHT. WE NOW KNOW IT'S LIMITS. CAN WE JUST DO A VOICE VOTE? YEAH. THIS IS OUR LAST VOTE OF TONIGHT. LET'S TAKE A VOICE VOTE ON THAT. THAT LET'S TAKE A VOICE VOTE. DISTRICT ONE. AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FIVE. AYE. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. UM, AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. NOW WE'LL HAVE OUR FINAL PUBLIC COMMENT OF THE EVENING. THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. UH, DO WE HAVE A LIST? , IF YOU HIT PUBLIC COMMENTS. THE SECOND ONE? YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE UP. OKAY. UH, I'M GONNA READ THE FIRST. WE HAVE 24. UM, I, I THINK MANY OF THESE FOLKS HAVE HAVE LEFT THOUGH, SO I'M GONNA READ THESE NAMES AND, UH, IF YOU'RE HERE, JUST, JUST LINE ON UP. MOHAM MINCY, TANYA KAILA, UH, RITA HAMADAN, ALYSSA GUTIERREZ, FARRAH AL BATAL. ADAM HIJAZI. JOE HART, DELEGATE OF THE 46TH DISTRICT. JOANNA DIAZ, CHRISELLE, DOMBROWSKI, ANGEL CORTEZ, DAVE SHUKLA, TIFFANY, DAVY, JULIE. HACK AL. AL SAEED, UH, LILY MONTERO ELMO, TED HIRSCHFIELD, HECTOR QUINTANA, EDDIE CARBAJAL, DEREK PECANS. ANTHONY HOLMES, JOAQUIN BELTRAN, AND WINSTON DELAUER. ALRIGHT, IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME CALLED, PLEASE COME DOWN, TIFFANY. ALRIGHT. YES, SIR. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR AND PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME SO WE CAN CHECK IT OFF. UH, ELMO. THANK YOU ELMO. UH, MAYOR, WHAT, WHAT TIME ARE WE GIVING? THE 14 YEARS AND, UM, THEY GET THREE MINUTES. YEAH, I'VE BEEN AT THE CITY FOR 14 YEARS AND SECOND TIME ON A NEGOTIATING TEAM. AND WHAT I'VE BEEN SEEING, UM, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE SO FAR APART, UM, IN NEGOTIATIONS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY MANAGER IS EXPLAINING TO YOU GUYS HOW FAR APART WE ARE. WE'RE FAR APART. AND SEEING THAT YOU GUYS HAVE WENT UP ON THE TRASH AT LEAST TWO TIMES FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE SO FAR APART. YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, CHARGING THE CITIZENS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS JUST TO COLLECT THE TRASH FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS ON THE, ON THE RATES. UM, WHEN WE DID THE SURVEY OF, [06:30:01] OF, UH, LA COUNTY OF THE, UM, TENT SURROUNDING CITIES TO SEE WHERE WE ARE. CITY OF LA IS NUMBER ONE, THE LARGEST CITY L UH, LONG BEACH IS NUMBER TWO WITH THE LARGEST CITY. BUT IN PAYWISE, YOU GUYS ARE PAYING YOUR SANITATION, UH, OPER, UH, OPERATORS AT THE BOTTOM. NUMBER 10. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? AND YOU GUYS KEEP GOING UP ON THE TRASH YOU JUST NOW DID IS THERE WAS A, A ARTICLE IN THE LONG BEACH POST THAT SURFACE CLOSING AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO UP ON TRASH AGAIN, RIGHT? DURING THE PANDEMIC WE WERE OPERATING UNDER WHAT WE HAD AT 50% STAFF AND STILL GETTING THE TRASH UP, RIGHT? SO WHAT I CAN UNDERSTAND IS HOW IS IT THAT WE'RE GENERATING ALL THIS MONEY IN A REFUGE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE STILL HAVE GUYS WHO CAN GO TO THE COUNTY AND GET FOOD STAMPS. HOW'S THAT POSSIBLE? WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING? CITY MANAGER, HUH? I MEAN, I'M, I'M, I'M SITTING AROUND AND I HAVE COWORKERS TELLING ME THAT THEY GOTTA USE, THEY GOTTA EAT HOT DOGS AND EGGS FOR THEIR, THEIR THEIR TWO LITTLE DAUGHTERS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT MAKING ENOUGH. THERE'S NO OVERTIME, RIGHT? YOU GOT YOU GUYS PAID. YOU GUYS GAVE WHAT? $6,000 TO NEW HIRES. WE GOT THOSE SAME NEW HIRES LEAVING, GOING TO OTHER PLACES WHERE THEY'RE MAKING MORE MONEY. THE LITTLE $6,000 THAT YOU GUYS ARE SAYING YOU'RE GONNA SPREAD OUT OVER 18 MONTHS, THAT'S NOT CUTTING IT, THAT'S NOT GONNA KEEP ANYBODY. THESE GUYS ARE LEAVING. WE GOT PEOPLE WHO ARE WAITING TO LEAVE. FOUR GUYS WAITING TO LEAVE AND THEN ANOTHER FOUR GUYS THINKING ABOUT LEAVING. IT'S JUST NOT GONNA CUT IT. MAYOR. AND I DON'T THINK YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO BE THE FIRST MAYOR, THE FIRST CITY COUNCIL OR THE FIRST, UH, CITY, UH, UH, MANAGER TO HAVE A STRIKE ON YOUR HANDS. ALL BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE PLAYING HARDBALL TO PAY THE, THE, YOUR SANITATION WORKERS LIKE THE SECOND LARGEST CITY IN LA COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL AND CITY MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR. UM, I'M GONNA KEEP IT SIMPLE AND STRAIGHT TO THE POINT. MY NAME IS DERRICK BEVINS AND I WORKED FOR THE REFUGE DEPARTMENT FOR SIX YEARS AND I FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS SHOULD ALL BE EMBARRASSED. UM, EMBARRASSED. AS CITY EMPLOYEES CONTINUE TO BE UNDERPAID COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES AND OTHER PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE CAN'T KEEP UP TO THEIR WAGES, THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON WHY A CITY EMPLOYEE WITH CAREER WORKING IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, HAVING TO PICK UP A SECOND JOB JUST TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE AND OBTAIN, SUSTAIN OUR MONTHLY EXPENSES, INCLUDING TAKING TIME ANY TIME AWAY WITH OUR FAMILY AND KIDS. WE ARE AT THE BRINK OF HAVING TO DECIDE IF WE'RE GONNA BE CAPABLE OF GETTING GIFTS FOR OUR KIDS FOR THE HOLIDAYS [ PUBLIC COMMENT: IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT Opportunity is given to those members of the public who have not addressed the City Council on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes unless extended by the City Council. ] OR AFFORD TO PAY OUR RENT OR MORTGAGE. WE STILL HAVE TO AFFORD GAS EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE TO COMMUTE FROM OTHER CITIES THAT CAN'T LIVE LOCALLY. AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. HOW YOU DOING? MY NAME IS, UH, HECTOR QUINTANA. I'VE BEEN HERE ALMOST 18 YEARS. I'VE BEEN WORKING, UH, THROUGH THE HEAT STORMS, RAINSTORMS THE COVID AND I STILL DON'T GOT MONEY IN MY DAMN POCKET. AND IT'S SO I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M SO, YOU KNOW, EMBARRASSED THAT MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR HAD IT. SHE WENT AND SPENT SOME, UH, HER FOOD STAMPS TO GIMME SOME FOOD FOR MY FAMILY 'CAUSE I DON'T GOT MONEY TO BUY FOOD. BUT YOU GUYS ARE REAL QUICK TO RAISE UP MY, MY UH, MY TRASH. I HAVEN'T PAID MY LIFE BILL OR MY WATER BILL. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG. I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GONNA GO HOME TOMORROW OR IF, IF I GOT ELECTRICITY OR GAS AND YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA GIVE US A LITTLE, UH, RAISE THAT YOU SUPPOSED TO HAVE GAVE US. THAT'S BREAD CRUMBS. WE CAN BIRDS GIVE US A NICE DECENT RAISE. GOTCHA. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. UH, GOOD EVENING. UH, EVERYONE, MY NAME IS EDDIE CARBAJAL AND I'M BEING IN THE REFUGE DEPARTMENT FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS. SO I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE REFUGE DEPARTMENT TO BRING AWARENESS TO THE YOU AUTHORITIES ABOUT OUR CURRENT SITUATIONS. WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO VOICE IT OUT THAT OUR DEPARTMENT IS IN NEED OF, UH, GETTING COM COMPETENT WAGES IN FOR THE LONG TERM. AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT IS ON CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CITY WITH A NEW CONTRACT TO THE UNION. IT IS A REALITY THAT THE CITY IS NOT OFFERING COMPETITING WAGES TO CONTINUE OPERATIONS. THE INFLATION DEFICIT DEFICIT IS SO HIGH COMPARED TO YOUR CURRENT WAGES. THE CITY IS JUST OFFERING A VERY TINY PERCENTAGE INCREASE [06:35:01] WHEN IN THE CURRENT ECONOMY SITUATION. THAT IS NOTHING TO OUR LIVING STANDARDS. UM, WE ARE GETTING PAID FOR SERVICE BUT WE ARE NOT GETTING PAID FAIRLY FOR WHAT WE DO AND FOR, FOR WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF. THAT BRINGS ME TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EFFECT OF THIS LOW INCOME JOB, UH, PRODUCES, UH, THAT PRODUCES IN OUR DEPARTMENT. PEOPLE ARE QUITTING LEFT AND RIGHT BECAUSE THEY CANNOT MAKE A LIVING WITH THE CURRENT CURRENT STANDARDS. SINCE THE PAN, SINCE THE PANDEMIC, EVERYTHING HAS GOES UP BUT OUR WAGES HAVEN'T, UH, IN ADVANCE THAT MUCH. PEOPLE, UH, LEAVE THIS DEPARTMENT GOING TO PLACES WHERE THEY PAY MORE DECENT SALARIES FOR THE TYPE OF JOB WE DO. WE ARE COMMERCIAL DRIVERS. WE DEMAND FAIR WAGES FOR COMMERCIAL DRIVERS. PLUS ON TOP OF THAT WE DEAL WITH THE TRASH. WE DO THE JOB. BUT NO, JUST ANYONE WANTS TO DO ON TOP OF THAT, WE KEEP THE CITY CLEAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR FOR YOUR ATTENTION. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. YOU KNOW, WE CALL THIS GOOD TROUBLE REX. YOU KNOW, YOU HEARD THE TERM THAT WE OUTSIDE, WE REALLY OUTSIDE TONIGHT. UM, ZENDEJAS, I WASN'T COME IN HERE YELLING AND SCREAMING AT YOU, BUT I TALKED TO SOMEONE, I'VE WATCHED YOU FOR EIGHT MONTHS SIT THERE AND SAY YOU PROUD TO BE A LATINA WOMAN. BUT MY THING IS, YOU SHOULD HAVE CAME AND CHECKED ON YOUR LATINO BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN OUR DEPARTMENT, ALL THE B******T THEY'VE BEEN ENDURING FOR DECO MARCO AND RUDY, HUMANA AND FRANK RAMIREZ. AND I RESPECT YOU 'CAUSE YOU SPEAK PASSIONATELY ABOUT YOUR CULTURE, BUT SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA DEMONSTRATE AND GO AGAINST THE ODDS AND BE A LEADER AND JUST TAKE THAT STAND WHEREVER THE BACKLASH IS, DEAL WITH IT. UM, YOU, YOU TIME, THIS IS A METAL BAR THAT I GOT HIT IN THE HEAD WITH TWO WEEKS AGO. YOU CAN HAVE IT. I GOT STAPLES, I GOT SEVEN STAPLES WITH STITCHES IN MY HEAD. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME I HAD A HOOD ON WHICH IT HIT UPSIDE, IT HIT RIGHT HERE ON MY LEFT EYE ABOVE MY EYEBROW. SO THIS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME. THAT DUDE DERRICK LAW, Y'ALL SAFETY OFFICER, HE DOESN'T DO S**T. THE ONLY TIME HE COME TO OUR DEPARTMENT IS WHEN IT'S AN IN AND OUT TRUCK OR HE'S COME TO GET FREE LUNCH. WE'VE BEEN MAKING COMPLAINTS. THEY HAD A OUTSIDE PARTY COME IN AND DO INVESTIGATION AND A PROBLEM IS STILL HAPPENING. AND WHEN WE TELL MANAGEMENT AND A SUPERVISOR, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY TELL ME? WAS IT AN OLD TRASH, A OLD TRASH CAN OR THE NEWER TRASH CAN THAT THE BAR IS FLYING OFF? WHAT DOES IT MATTER? THAT'S LIKE ASKING ME, WAS IT THE OLDER ANTHONY OR THE YOUNGER ANTHONY THAT PENCE SLAPPED SOMEBODY? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU AND ERIC LOPEZ DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE OR MEXICAN PEOPLE. 'CAUSE Y'ALL, YOU, YOU SHOWED Y'ALL LACK OF URGENCY WHEN WE WAS FILING COMPLAINTS WHEN Y'ALL DON'T DO S**T. SO I'M CUSSING LIKE THIS BECAUSE I'M FED UP AND THE THE SEVEN 9% AND 11% COME ON, MAKE UP Y'ALL MIND. WE NEED A 23% RE 23% AND UP. UM, AND ALSO MY BAD FOR PAUSING, UM, DON HENDERSON, I DON'T KNOW WHY Y'ALL GOT THAT WOMAN UP IN OUR DEPARTMENT. SHE DOESN'T DO ANYTHING. WHEN I SAT IN THAT MEETING WITH DON HENDERSON, SHE KNOW WHAT THEM PEOPLE TOLD HER DOWN AT CITY HALL. I'M NOT GOING TO EXPOSE IT YET, BUT I WILL. SHE, BUT SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOWN HERE. SHE SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE WHITE SUPREMACIST THAT GOES ON IN THE CITY HALL IN OUR DEPARTMENT FOR HER TO JUST SIT BACK AND LAUGH ABOUT IT AND NOT BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION, MAYOR OR ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. IT'S JUST RIDICULOUS. I DON'T, I I JUST DON'T F*****G UNDERSTAND IT. LIKE, DO SOMETHING TOM, IF YOU DON'T LIKE US, GET THE HELL ON RESIGN. WE DON'T NEED ERIC LOPEZ TO COME AND TAKE LINDA'S PLACE, UM, TO BE A, UM, A A ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER. WE DON'T WANT HIM, WE DON'T WANT YOU, WE DON'T WANT HIM. I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU GUYS BROUGHT HIM IN UNDER THE OLD CITY MANAGER THAT WAS DOING CORRUPT S**T AND Y'ALL PUT ON THE WEB, ON THE, ON THE INTERNET SAYING Y'ALL DID A WORLDWIDE SEARCH THAT, UM, BRING A CITY MANAGER IN. KNOW Y'ALL DIDN'T, Y'ALL BROUGHT HIM IN AND HE'S DOING THE SAME CROOKED S**T. HE'S GETTING OVER ON Y'ALL. HE'S PLAYING Y'ALL. I THINK HIS WHOLE STAFF, SIR, YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. OH, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS WINSTON. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX AND A MEMBER OF AN ORGANIZER WITH THE PARTY FOR SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION. UM, I'VE BEEN HEARING SOME VERY CONCERNING ALLEGATIONS COMING FROM WITHIN THE REF REFUSE DEPARTMENT SINCE I'VE STARTED ATTENDING THESE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. UM, IN REGARDS TO, UH, I STARTED ATTENDING, UH, AROUND THE CAMPAIGN TO INCREASE HOSPITALITY WORKERS' WAGES. AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST MEETING WHERE I'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, WORKERS FROM THE REFUSE DEPARTMENT COME INTENDING TO SPEAK REGARDING THEIR VERY SERIOUS CONCERNS. [06:40:01] AND EITHER THE PUBLIC COMMENT IS OVER BEFORE THEY ARRIVE, OR LIKE TONIGHT THEY'RE HAVING TO WAIT UNTIL ALL THE REST OF THE PUBLIC HAS GONE HOME. YOU KNOW, THIS, I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING VERY SERIOUSLY WRONG HERE. I THINK THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE REFUSE DEPARTMENT, THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A CITY THE SIZE OF OURS, WE ARE NEARLY HALF A MILLION PEOPLE. THE AMOUNT OF TRASH THAT'S PRODUCES AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST CITIES IN THE STATE AND THE WEALTHIEST STATE, ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST STATES IN THE COUNTRY, AND WE CAN'T PAY THESE PEOPLE A DECENT WAGE. IT'S ABSURD. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, THE IMPORTANCE OF, YOU KNOW, OF BUSINESS TO PROVIDING THE REVENUE TO KEEP OUR CITY RUNNING. WHAT WOULD IT DO TO THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS PRECIOUS TOURISM INDUSTRY? WHAT WOULD IT DO TO OUR BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE WORK OF THE REFUGE DEPARTMENT OF OUR SANITATION WORKERS? YEAH. SO WE NEED TO DO RIGHT, WE NEED TO DO RIGHT BY ALL, ALL THE CITY WORKERS. AND I WANNA POINT OUT, I WANNA POINT OUT SOMETHING ELSE. IT WAS ONLY TWO YEARS AGO THAT THIS CITY HAD TO SETTLE $700,000 FOR A RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CASE, UM, IN WHICH VERY SEVERE ALLEGATIONS OF ANTI-BLACK RACISM WERE ALLEGED IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT, IN CITY HIRING PRACTICES. AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT KICKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, BRIEFLY WITH RESPECT TO SEVERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS MADE BY LANDLORD GIVEN NAME JAMES RICHARD CO, DBA JIM KOCH, I WOULD LIKE TO CORRECT THE PUBLIC RECORD SINCE SEPTEMBER 5TH, 2023, THIS LANDLORD HAS REPEATEDLY MADE REFERENCE TO THEY, I RENTED TO THEM, TO THESE PEOPLE. THEY'RE DOING THIS. THERE IS NO THEY THIS PERSON RENTED TO TIFFANY DAVY AND TIFFANY DAVY ALONE. THIS PERSON HAS NEVER BEEN MY COLLEAGUE, MY FRIEND, MY PEER, OR ANYTHING ELSE. MY PROBLEM WITH THIS PERSON BEGAN IN AUGUST OF 2019 WHEN THIS LANDLORD REQUESTED THAT I PERSONALLY PLACE CASH IN HIS TRUCK'S GLOVE COMPARTMENT FOR TIFFANY'S RENT. I REFUSED AND TOLD HIM TO HANDLE TENANT ISSUES WITH HIS TENANT. HIS BEHAVIOR TOWARDS ME SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME HOSTILE AND GROSSLY INAPPROPRIATE. THE FOLLOWING MONTH, I HAD TO BLOCK THIS PERSON ON FACEBOOK AFTER HE MADE SEVERAL INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS ABOUT MY MOTHER AND DISABLED BROTHER AFTER SPYING ON THEM THROUGH THE FRIENDS LIST ON THAT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM. FURTHERMORE, FOR THE RECORD, THIS LANDLORD LIED TO HIS TENANT FROM THE VERY START OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP. HE LIED ABOUT THE UNIT BEING A STUDIO. HE LIED ABOUT HIS LIVING ON THE PREMISES. HE LIED ABOUT HIS PROPENSITY TO INSERT HIMSELF INTO THE PRIVATE LIVES OF HIS TENANTS, PLURAL, NOT JUST TIFFANY. ON OCTOBER 10TH, 2023, HE READ A DOCTOR'S NOTE FROM ANOTHER TENANT. I CHALLENGED THIS LANDLORD TO PRODUCE 15 COPIES OF THIS DOCTOR'S NOTE FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD IN THIS COUNCIL CHAMBER, AS WELL AS CLEAR INDICATION IN WRITING THAT HE HAS HIS TENANT'S PERMISSION TO SHARE IT PUBLICLY. IT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISING TO ME AT ALL IF JIM KOCH WROTE THE NOTE THAT HE QUOTED FROM ALSO ON THE 10TH OF OCTOBER, HE ASSERTED THAT EACH OF US, TIFFANY DAVIAN MYSELF, LIED IN COURT. IT WAS THE JUDGE WHO VIEWED HIS VIDEO EVIDENCE IN COURT. IT WAS THE JUDGE WHO GOT HIM TO ADMIT THAT HE HAD EDITED THAT VIDEO. IT WAS THE JUDGE WHO FOUND HIM NOT CREDIBLE, AND IT WAS THE JUDGE WHO FOUND HIM LIABLE FOR COURT FEES. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY BECAUSE ON THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 7TH, 2022, THIS LANDLORD PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED ME AND THEN PULLED OUT HIS CAMERA TO FILM MY SURPRISED, SHOCKED REACTION. HE THEN TRIED TO SUBSEQUENTLY USE THAT VIDEO AS EVIDENCE OF ABUSE. HE LIED IN HIS POLICE REPORT, HE LIED IN COURT AND HE WAS FOUND NOT CREDIBLE IN COURT. AND IT'S IMPORTANT ALSO BECAUSE ON THE 17TH OF OCTOBER, HE PLAYED SOME AUDIO. THAT AUDIO WAS FROM FEBRUARY OF 2022, A WEEK AFTER HE TRIED TO RUN ME OVER WITH HIS CAR HOLDING HIS CAMERA UP, FILMING MY REACTION. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU TIFFANY. AND THE LAST SPEAKER? YES, LAST ONE. GOOD EVENING. TIFFANY SMO, DAVY, RESIDENT OF THE FOURTH DISTRICT HERE TO SPEAK AGAIN ON A PRIVATE MATTER, WHICH HAS RECENTLY BECOME A PERSONAL CRUSADE OF ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS ADDED BLATANT AND FALSEHOODS TO THE PUBLIC RECORD. AS YOU'RE ALSO AWARE, MY NAME HAS BEEN REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES REGARDING THE CIVIL MATTER AND I WANT TO CORRECT THE PUBLIC RECORD. ON SEPTEMBER 5TH, THIS INDIVIDUAL READ MY ADDRESS ONTO RECORD, FORMERLY A VICTIM OF VIOLENT CRIME. BUT OKAY, THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS NOW MADE MENTION OF VARIOUS WORK ON MORE THAN THREE OCCASIONS AND MADE COUNTLESS FALSE AND SLANDEROUS CLAIMS SHEDDING LIGHT ONLY ON WHAT HE WOULD LIKE THE PUBLIC TO BELIEVE IS TRUTH. HIS ACTIONS AIMED A FURTHER TROUBLING [06:45:01] PATTERN OF HARASSMENT. ON OCTOBER 10TH, THIS INDIVIDUAL FALSELY STATED THAT WE WERE COLLEAGUES IN MY 24 YEARS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE AND 21 AND A HALF YEARS OF WORK ASSIGNMENTS. THIS PERSON, I'VE NEVER SHARED WORKPLACES, TITLES OR SERVED A SINGLE SHARED MISSION AS COLLEAGUES. THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS ONLY BEEN ASSISTED BY MYSELF WHILE PERFORMING DUTIES. MOST NOTABLY, AS AN ELECTION WORKER WITH THE COUNTY OF LA AND THE CITY OF LONG BEACH ON OCTOBER 17TH OF THIS YEAR, HE ALSO PLAYED AN AUDIO RECORDING, ALBEIT IN VIOLATION OF CALIFORNIA'S TWO PARTY CONSENT LAWS OF MY PARTNER. AGAIN, THIS WAS AN UNSOLICITED 7:00 AM FILMING, FILMING INCIDENT, UH, AGAIN FOLLOWING AN INCIDENT WHICH HE ATTEMPTED TO HIT MY PARTNER WITH HIS VEHICLE. THIS PERSON HAS ALSO FALSELY STATED THAT THE EVIDENCE WAS NOT VIEWED DURING A HEARING, WHICH WAS HEARD ON DECEMBER 1ST, 2020 SECOND. UM, FIRST INCIDENT, WHICH AGAIN TOOK PLACE IN AUGUST OF 2022 AFTER MIDNIGHT, A VIOLENT INCIDENT AGAIN INCITED BY THIS SAME INDIVIDUAL. THIS SAME INDIVIDUAL WENT ON TO FILE A FICTITIOUS POLICE REPORT AND SOUGHT TO CRIMINALIZE MY PARTNER IN A CASE WHICH RESULTED AGAIN IN HIM FINDING THE JUDGE, FINDING THEM TO LET CREDIBILITY AND SUBSEQUENTLY ORDERED HIM TO PAY LEGAL FEES. HE WAS ASKED BY THE JUDGE IF HIS VIDEO WAS EDITED AND SURPRISE. THE TRUTH WAS THAT IT WAS, IT'S BEEN 1072 DAYS SINCE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH PASSED THE MULTI-TENANT HARASSMENT ORDINANCE, 1067 DAYS SINCE THIS PERSON PLACED LARGE TRASH FIVE FEET OUTSIDE OF MY WINDOW CONSISTING OF A MOLDY MATTRESS, WHICH HAS RESIDED THE PROPERTY SINCE AND TWO YEARS PRIOR, LARGE FORMAT PRINT AND DISCARDED FURNITURE. IT'S BEEN 819 DAYS SINCE I SENT THIS INDIVIDUAL SEVEN PAGE DOCUMENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL REGARDING HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT HARASSMENT AND HABITABILITY ISSUES AT THE PREMISES. 747 DAYS SINCE I SENT THIS INDIVIDUAL 43 PAGE DOCUMENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL REGARDING RETALIATION ISSUES AS WELL. 508 DAYS SINCE I FIRST REQUESTED AN INTERIOR INSPECTION OF THE UNIT WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH CODE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT FOR THE LACK OF HEAT AND OTHER CODE VIOLATIONS OF THE PROPERTY. IT'S BEEN 467 DAYS SINCE THE LANDLORD INCITED THE VIOLENT INCIDENT WHEREIN HE RAN HIS ENTIRE BODY INTO MY PERSON AND THEN FILED THE FALSE POLICE REPORT. IT'S BEEN 4 29 DAYS SINCE I FIRST FOLLOWED UP WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT REGARDING THE PROMISE IN INSPECTION OF 20 22, 427 DAYS SINCE CODE ENFORCEMENT INFORMED ME THAT THEY ACTUALLY DID NOT HAVE TO INSPECT THE INTERIOR OF THE UNIT, MISSTATED YOUR TIMES, COMPLETED, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY DID NOTHING. THANK YOU, TIFFANY. FIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. UH, COUNCILMAN AUSTIN, I SEE YOU QUEUED UP. YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK OUR, OUR MANY REFUSE WORKERS FOR, FOR SITTING THROUGH THIS ENTIRE MEETING THIS EVENING. UM, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY PROBABLY HAVE TO BE UP EARLIER THAN ANYBODY IN THE CITY. UM, UH, OBVIOUSLY IT'S COLLECTIVE BARGAINING GOING ON. I WANT TO ENCOURAGE, UH, GOOD FAITH BARGAINING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TABLE. UM, AND THE PROCESS WORKS. WE'VE SEEN IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THE PARTIES ALWAYS START OUT AND FAR APART. UH, I I HAVE TRUST AND FAITH IN THE, IN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS THAT IT WILL WORK. UM, I WILL JUST SAY I'VE TAKEN, I'LL TAKE EXCEPTION, I'VE TAKEN EXCEPTION TO SOME OF THE, THE COMMENTS, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION AND THESE ARE, ARE OUR, OUR WORKERS WHO HAVE ENDURED QUITE A BIT AND HAVE, UH, REALLY, REALLY BAILED US OUT. UH, I THINK WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THOSE, THOSE COMMENTS ON RECORD. ABSOLUTELY. AND BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, WE CAN'T HAVE A FULL CONVERSATION. BUT THE SENTIMENT I UNDERSTAND, I'LL ALSO SAY, UM, BARGAINING, GOOD FAITH MEANS WE'RE NOT GONNA DISCUSS THE DETAILS OF THE BARGAINING. UH, HERE IN PUBLIC SESSION THERE'S A BARGAINING TEAM DESIGNATED TO TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS. UH, SO IN GOOD FAITH WE WON'T BE ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES HERE. UH, BUT WE CAN, I CAN SAY THAT, UM, WE SAW A LOT OF CHALLENGES OUTSIDE OF BARGAINING WITH HIRING, REFUSE AND PICKUP. AND WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF PROGRESS THERE IN TERMS OF, UH, GETTING FULLY STAFFED IN THE REFUSE DEPARTMENT, GETTING TRASH COLLECTED ON TIME. AND THAT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN, BEEN ABLE TO HAPPEN WITHOUT PARTNERSHIP FROM THE RANK AND FILE WORKERS AND FINDING A PATH TO GET THERE. AND SO, UM, WE BELIEVE IN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. WE'RE GONNA FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THERE. UH, THANKS A LOT. UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO CLOSING ANNOUNCEMENTS. ALRIGHT. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS, [ANNOUNCEMENTS] THANK YOU. JUST REALLY QUICKLY, I WANTED TO THANK YOU MAYOR RICHARDSON [06:50:01] AND MY ENTIRE COLLEAGUES HERE AT CITY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF DEL LOS MUTOS, WHETHER IT WAS WITH A SPONSORSHIP, WHETHER IT WAS WITH PARTICIPATING IN DIA LOS MUTOS, UM, IN THE DEL LOS MUTOS PARADE, UH, OR BOTH. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EACH ONE OF YOU FOR, FOR MAKING THIS EVENT SUCH A SUCCESS FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. I'LL BE QUICK. COUPLE QUICK ITEMS. THURSDAY, KEEPING THE KEYS, AAA IS DOING A WORKSHOP, UH, LEARNING VALUABLE INFORMATION TO HELP OLDER DRIVERS AND THEIR FAMILIES PLAN TO KEEP MATURE DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. THAT'S THURSDAY CRITICAL MASSES ON SUNDAY. MEET US FOR A BIKE RIDE WITH YOUR FAMILY D FIVES AQUARIUM DAY. UM, I KNOW WE ALL GET THE CHANCE TO DO THIS IS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH. LOOK FOR INFORMATION IN OUR NEWSLETTER. AND THERE WILL BE A TREE LIGHTING IN CAL HEIGHTS AT, UH, FATE STUDIOS AND THE CAL HEIGHTS MARKET ON NOVEMBER 30TH AT FOUR 30 C THERE. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BRICKS. OTI. AH, YES. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE PEOPLE OUT TO THREE EVENTS WE'RE HAVING THIS WEEK. SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE OUT THE COMMUNITY TO OUR UPTOWN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, UM, UH, QUARTERLY MIXER. I THEN WE MEETING ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH FROM 10 TO 11:30 AM AT VILLA PARK, WHICH IS AT 6 4 7 5 ATLANTIC AVENUE, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MEET OUR BRAND NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR UPTIME BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, UM, AS WELL AS MEET SOME OF OUR REALLY FANTASTIC LOCAL BUSINESSES. UM, ADDITIONALLY ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH, UM, AT 7:00 PM UH, THE DEFOREST PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WE'LL BE HAVING THEIR MONTHLY MEETING AT 6 2 5 5 TO FOURTH AVENUE. I'M HONORED TO BE THEIR GUEST SPEAKER, UH, THIS MONTH. UH, AND THEN LASTLY, UM, WE WILL BE HAVING OUR, UM, OUR NEXT COFFEE WITH THE COP, OUR LAST ONE OF THE YEAR ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM WE'LL BE MEETING AT THE STARBUCKS AT 6 6 2 9 DOWNEY AVENUE, WHICH IS AT THE CORNER OF DOWNEY AND ARTESIA. UM, BECAUSE THIS IS IN THE MCKINLEY COMMUNITY, WHICH IS, UM, WHICH BORDERS, UM, BELLFLOWER. WE WILL ALSO BE PARTNERING WITH, UM, A LOCAL COUNCIL MEMBER, VICTOR SANCHEZ. UM, AND HAVING, UH, LONG BEACH PD AS WELL AS THE LA COUNTY SHERIFFS BOTH PRESENT. SO GREAT TIME, GREAT WAY FOR US TO, UH, COLLABORATE PARTICULARLY FOR OUR COMMUNITIES THAT BORDER, UH, OTHER CITIES. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN SORROW. YES, I JUST WANTED TO INVITE, UM, EVERYONE TO THE ANNUAL THANKFUL, SERVING WITH A THANKFUL HEART, UM, FREE THANKSGIVING MEAL. IT'S GONNA JUST BE DINNER FROM FOUR TO SIX THIS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16. I JUST WANNA SEND MY DEEP GRATITUDE TO THE ONLY HOTEL, UH, SPONSORING THIS EVENT, WHICH IS THE WESTIN. UM, AND SO HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, AND, UM, AND SO, SO I WANT TO JUST, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE AND I THINK WE WILL DO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE PUBLIC LATER, BUT I DO WANT TO CLOSE AND JUST LIFT UP, UH, WINNIE CARTER, UH, WHO, UH, RECENTLY PASSED AT THE AGE OF 104. AND, UH, WINNIE WAS JUST AN INCREDIBLE, UH, LEADER IN, UH, THE NORTH LONG BEACH COMMUNITY MEMBER OF OUR SENIOR PROGRAMS, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY. UH, MANY OF US HAVE KNOWN HER. I'M GONNA ASK COUNCILMAN AUSTIN ALSO TO CH CHIME IN. I KNOW THAT HE WAS VERY, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN AUSTIN WAS VERY CLOSE WITH HER AS WELL. UH, SO WE, WE CERTAINLY WANNA LIFT UP, UH, WINNIE AND JUST CALL HER NAME OUT, UH, SINCE SHE'S CERTAINLY HAS A LEGACY OF, OF SERVICE AND, AND LEADERSHIP HERE IN LONG BEACH. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN, YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT? UH, WE CLOSED DINNER IN HONOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, UM, WHEN WE, WHEN, UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY WINNIE WAS SOMEBODY VERY SPECIAL, UM, TO OUR COMMUNITY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WILL MISS HER SORELY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, LAYING HER TO REST WITH THE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION THIS FRIDAY. AND, UH, I WILL BE COMING WITH TO THE COUNCIL WITH A, HOPEFULLY A REQUEST TO, TO HONOR HER IN A MORE, UM, RIGHT. MORE PERMANENT WAY. RIGHT. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD REFRAME IT AS, UH, IT, IT'S IN THE PRESS TELEGRAM AND SHE HAS A BIG CELEBRATION COMING UP. MAYBE I SHOULD REFRAME IT THAT WAY. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, COUNCILMAN AUSTIN THAT SAID, OUR MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.