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ITEM ONE[CALL TO ORDER]
IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE CLIMATE ENVIRONMENT AND COASTAL PROTECTION COMMITTEE MEETING HELD TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST, 2023.HOLD ON, LET ME JUST REACTIVATE, WOULD ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC LIKE TO COMMENT? OH, CAN I GET A MOTION IN A SECOND? YEAH.
CAN I KEEP MOVING FORWARD? YES.
CAN I, CAN I GET A VERBAL SUPER OUT FOR THE MOTION RECEIVED? RECEIVED? SO JUST FOR THE RECORD, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER SUPER NA MAKING THE MOTION AND A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA.
AND BY WAY OF VOTE, COUNCIL MEMBERS URANGA AYE.
UM, WE DID ASK FOR MEMBERS OF PUBLIC TO SPEAK PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, THIS IS A RECEIVE AND FILE PRESENTATION, CITY CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE READ THE ITEM?
[1. 24-52888 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Climate, Environment, and Coastal Protection Committee meeting held Tuesday, October 31, 2023. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ITEM TWO IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE PRESENTATION ON THE POLY SIREN ORDINANCE.UM, I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT WE HAVE THIS PRESENTATION TODAY BY AARON AND BASIL.
IS THAT RIGHT? SORRY, JOSH IS COMING A FEW MINUTES LATE FROM A BUDGET MEETING.
AND IT'S AARON, CORRECT? IT IS AARON ROLAND.
UM, WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH OUR PRESENTATION.
BEFORE, SORRY, BEFORE WE BE IN THE PRESENTATION, JUST CAN WE GET A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THAT ITEM? YEAH, I, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MOTION SUPER.
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER SUPERAL AND A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IT'S NICE TO BE HERE TO PROVIDE JUST AN OVERVIEW OF OUR EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE ORDINANCE TODAY.
UM, WE HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FROM THE BEGINNING, AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, YOU'RE NEW, NEWER TO THE TEAM AND THIS MIGHT BE NEW FOR, NEWER FOR YOU AS WELL.
SO WE WANNA JUST START WITH, UM, A VIDEO THAT WAS CREATED BY, UM, LBTV, I THINK BACK IN 20 18, 20 19, THAT PROVIDES A SHORT OVERVIEW ABOUT THE ORDINANCE.
[2. 24-52889 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation on the Polystyrene Ordinance. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ALRIGHT, THERE IS A VIDEO, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA SHOW IT TODAY.IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE WE'RE HAVING A TECHNICAL ERROR, BUT IT'LL BE HOPEFULLY IN THE PRESENTATION AND AVAILABLE.
IT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE ALREADY.
UM, THE VIDEO DOES PROVIDE HIGHLIGHTS OF, UM, WHAT THE ORDINANCE IS, WHAT IT INCLUDES, AND KIND OF THE OUTREACH EFFORTS THAT WE MADE, UM, FOR A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY.
OUR NEXT SLIDE HERE, UM, JUST PROVIDES A TIMELINE OF WHERE WE WERE AND WHERE WE'VE BEEN SINCE THIS ORDINANCE WAS INITIALLY ADOPTED.
UM, THE ORDINANCE WAS INITIALLY ADOPTED BACK IN 2018.
UM, BIG PICTURE, THE PRIORITY FROM COUNCIL AT THAT TIME WAS TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF SINGLE USE FOOD WEAR CONTAINERS MADE FROM EXPANDED POLY STYRO, STYRENE FOAM, AND RIGID POLYSTYRENE, AKA, MOST FOLKS KNOW IT AS STYROFOAM.
UM, AT THAT TIME WE ALSO PROHIBITED AND MADE STRAWS AND UTENSILS ONLY AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
AND THEN THERE WAS A SPECIAL REQUEST FOR THE RETAIL SALE OF SPECIFICALLY POLYSTYRENE ICE CHEST BEANBAGS AND CRAFTS TO BE INCLUDED.
UM, YES, AND, UH, THIS ORDINANCE, WHEN IT WAS INITIALLY ADOPTED, THERE WAS A REALLY LONG TIMELINE THAT OUR CITY COUNCIL GAVE FOR BUSINESSES TO REACH COMPLIANCE.
UM, THERE WERE THREE PHASES, AND THE FIRST PHASE WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON CITY FACILITIES.
AND THE SECOND AND THIRD PHASE WERE BASED, WERE FOCUSED ON BUSINESSES BASED ON THEIR SIZE.
SO IF THEY HAD, UM, MORE THAN A HUNDRED SEATS, THEY WERE PHASE TWO AND LESS THAN A HUNDRED SEATS, THEY
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WERE PHASE THREE.UM, AND WE HAD REALLY GREAT SUCCESS WORKING WITH OUR LOCAL OR ORGANIZATIONS BUSINESSES, UM, TO GET THEM IN COMPLIANCE.
WE CAME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL, UM, TO PROVIDE UPDATES ON THE ORDINANCE.
AND AT THAT POINT, UM, IN FEBRUARY, THERE WAS A DIRECTION AND RECOMMENDATION FROM ACTUALLY FROM COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL ITEMS IN THE ORDINANCE.
SO AT THAT POINT, WE EXPANDED THE ORDINANCE FURTHER, UM, TO HAVE MORE RESTRICTIONS RELATED TO STRAWS AND WITH THE MATERIAL THEY COULD BE MADE OUT OF.
WE ELIMINATED AN EXEMPTION THAT WAS JUST KIND OF AN ERROR IN THE, UM, ORDINANCE.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT, AND I THINK THIS WAS REALLY THE BIGGEST SUCCESS OF THE ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE HERE, IS THAT WE PUT A FURTHER BAN OF THE SALE OF MATERIAL AT RETAIL.
AND THAT REALLY HAS, WAS REALLY IMPORTANT AT THAT TIME TO TRY TO LIMIT WHERE THIS MATERIAL COULD BE SOLD.
SO IT WOULD BE HARDER FOR BUSINESSES TO ACCESS THIS.
SO AS I ALLUDED TO, THERE WAS A LOT OF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH THAT THE CITY STAFF UNDERTOOK OVER, YOU KNOW, 20 18, 20 19, EVEN UP UNTIL 2020 TO EDUCATE CITYWIDE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
UM, WE DID DIRECT MAILERS TO ALL IMPACTED BUSINESSES.
WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON EDUCATION COMPLIANCE CHECKS.
AND MOVING FORWARD, WE'LL BE INCLUDING ENFORCEMENT.
UM, WE WERE REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE MULTILINGUAL STAFF GOING OUT AND DOING EDUCATION IN THE LANGUAGES NEEDED BY THE BUSINESSES.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE STAFF ON HAND, WE HAD TRANSLATORS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT OR, UM, COMMUNICATION AS THAT WAS NEEDED.
UM, WE HAD WEBSITE PAGES AND STILL HAVE WEBSITE PAGES DEDICATED TO THE SUBJECT MATTER AND TO PHONE FREE LB.
AND WE REALLY CREATED THIS, UM, HUGE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN WITH A HASHTAG FOAM FREE LV.
SO, AS ALLUDED TO, WE DID SITE VISITS.
WE HAD A COUPLE OF TEAM MEMBERS DO OUTREACH TO OVER 400 BUSINESSES TO ALL OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS AT THE TIME.
UM, WE WERE REALLY, UH, WANTED TO MAKE SURE, WHILE WE KNOW THAT OUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS DON'T HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF BUSINESSES IN THEM THAT ARE IMPACTED BY THIS ORDINANCE, WE DID WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS AT LEAST A MINIMUM STANDARD OF BUSINESSES REACHING THIS EARLY COMPLIANCE, UM, BEFORE WE HAD THIS FULL IMPLEMENTATION BACK IN 20 20 19.
UM, SO WE, WE KNOCKED ON DOORS.
I MEAN, WE WERE OUT THERE KNOCKING ON DOORS IN ADDITION TO THE LETTERS.
WE KNOW THAT NOT EVERYONE IS READING THINGS THAT THEY GET IN THE MAIL.
THEY MIGHT GO TO THE MAIL TO ONE PERSON, BUT OTHER PEOPLE ARE IN THE STORES DOING THE WORK.
UM, SO WE DID OUTREACH TO OVER 400 BUSINESSES.
UM, WE ALSO PROVIDE AN ECONOMIC INCENTIVE FOR BUSINESSES TO COMPLY EARLY.
UH, WE REALLY WANTED TO BREAK DOWN FINANCIAL BARRIERS TO REACH COMPLIANCE AND TO SHOW THAT THE CITY WAS NOT ONLY ASKING FOR FOLKS TO REACH COMPLIANCE, BUT WE WERE PROVIDING AN ECONOMIC INCENTIVE TO DO THAT.
SO WHILE 40 45 BUSINESSES RECEIVED, UM, THE ECONOMIC INCENTIVE, IT WAS ABOUT $12,000.
UM, SO WE DID OUR BEST TO PROVIDE THE INCENTIVE TO EVERYONE WHO MET THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE SET.
AT THAT POINT, WE ALSO PROMOTED, THERE WAS SOME CO COOPERATIVE PURCHASING OPTIONS WHERE BUSINESSES COULD UTILIZE A FREE ONLINE RESOURCE TO PROVIDE, PROVIDE, I'M SORRY, TO FIND COMPLIANT PRODUCTS, UM, THAT OFTEN WERE THE SAME OR CHEAPER THAN PRODUCTS THEY WERE BUYING AT THAT TIME.
UM, WE PROMOTED AND RECOGNIZED BUSINESSES WHO OPTED IN TO OUR PHONE PRE-CAMPAIGN, UM, THROUGH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, THROUGH PRINT, THROUGH PAID, UM, ADVERTISEMENT.
WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE MAYOR AT THE TIME TO GET A THANK YOU LETTER TO DISTRIBUTE.
SO IN ADDITION TO REACHING OUT TO OUR BUSINESSES, WE REALLY FELT STRONGLY THAT WE WANTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
SO OUR EFFORTS OF, UM, ENGAGEMENT WERE BOTH TO THE BUSINESS SECTOR AND TO OUR RESIDENTS.
DURING 20, THE SUMMERS OF 20 18, 20 19, AND KIND OF THAT WHOLE YEAR WE DID MASSIVE PUBLIC OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS.
UM, CHOOSING AND ENGA OR ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO BRING THEIR OWN.
UM, WE FELT LIKE SOLUTIONS TO THESE PROBLEMS ARE BOTH THE PRODUCTS, BUT ALSO CONSUMER HABITS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT CONSUMERS ASSUME IS THE NORM.
MOST CONSUMERS ASSUME THE NORM IS THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET A TAKEOUT CONTAINER WHEN THEY GO OUT TO EAT.
BUT WHAT IF WE CHANGE THAT ASSUMPTION? WHAT IF WE CHANGE THAT NORM? AND THAT WAS A REALLY BIG FOCUS FOR US OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY FOR US.
WE ALL HAVE TAKE, TAKE OUT OR TO GO CONTAINERS AT OUR HOME FROM, YOU KNOW, OTHER TIMES WE'VE BEEN OUT TO EAT.
HOW DO WE DO MORE TO GET FOLKS TO REMEMBER TO BRING THEM WITH THAT? HOW DO WE NORMALIZE THAT? JUST LIKE WE'VE NORMALIZED BRINGING YOUR SHOPPING BAG TO THE GROCERY STORE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WHERE ARE WE, UH, WHERE, WHERE HAVE WE BEEN AND WHERE ARE WE? SO AS I ALLUDED TO WHEN WE BEGAN THIS PRESENTATION, THIS EFFORT BEGAN IN 2018.
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THROUGH A GLOBAL PANDEMIC.WE'VE HAD DIFFERENT CHANGES IN PRIORITIES OF CITY RESOURCES AND CITY STAFFING.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT A NEW TIME, I THINK, WITHIN THE CITY, WITHIN OUR PRIORITIES OF WORK MOVING FORWARD.
SO WE HAVE HAD, UH, AT LEAST SINCE 2020, I'M SORRY I COULDN'T FIND THE EXACT DATE.
WE'VE HAD AN ONLINE COMPLAINT FORM WHERE FOLKS CAN ANONYMOUSLY PROVIDE COMPLAINTS OF STORES OR LOCATIONS THAT ARE NOT COMPLIANT.
SO OUR FIRST COMPLAINT THAT WE RECEIVED WAS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020.
AND SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE HAD 68 COMPLAINTS COME THROUGH TO US WHEN WE RECEIVED COMPLAINTS TODAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND EVEN DURING THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, OUR EFFORT HAS ALWAYS BEEN, AND INITIALLY HAS BEEN ON EDUCATION GOING OUT.
WE WEREN'T NECESSARILY DOING SITE VISITS, UM, BUT WHEN IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO DO SITE VISITS, WE WOULD GO OUT AND DO SITE VISITS, UM, WORK WITH THEM TO REACH, YOU KNOW, REACH COMPLIANCE, FIND OUT THEIR CHALLENGES, AND SEE WHAT WE COULD DO, UM, TO GET THE RIGHT PRODUCTS IN THEIR STORES.
UM, BUT, UH, AS I ALLUDED TO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY.
SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO MOVING FORWARD? SO, AS I THINK MOST OF YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN, A TFF WAS RELEASED RECENTLY WITHIN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, UM, TALKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA BEGIN ENFORCEMENT OF THE ORDINANCE.
SO, UM, WE OUTLINE THAT PROCESS AND IT'S HERE ON THIS SLIDE.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY WE REALLY WANT FOLKS TO BE IN COMPLIANCE.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA KIND OF, YOU KNOW, DO OUR BEST TO FOLLOW THIS PROCESS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SEE, SEE WHAT THIS EXPERIENCE IS.
THIS IS GONNA BE A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR US TO DO THIS ENFORCEMENT.
WE ASSUME THAT WE'RE GONNA LEARN MORE THROUGH THIS PROCESS, BUT WE DO WANNA CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO HAVE A FOAM FREE CITY AND TO HAVE STORES AND RESTAURANTS IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR MUNICIPAL CODE.
SO SINCE 2020, THERE ALSO HAVE BEEN OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT DO IMPACT US AND ARE IMPACTING, UM, KIND OF OUR PROCESSES TO THINK, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE LONG TERM OF WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH OUR ORDINANCES HERE AT THIS CITY.
SO THE FIRST LAW I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT PAST, BACK IN 2022, UM, THIS IS A STATE LAW THAT PASSED THAT REALLY JUST KIND OF EXPANDED UPON THE, UM, YOU KNOW, SINGLE USE FOOD WARE COMPONENTS AND ALSO AROUND KIND OF WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED UPON REQUEST.
SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE IN OUR ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW AND SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE NOT.
UM, WE'VE KIND OF IDENTIFIED THAT SOME OF THE GAPS AND AREAS FOR US TO KIND OF FURTHER UPDATE OUR ORDINANCE MOVING FORWARD AS WELL.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD SAY THE, THE MORE COMPREHENSIVE LAW THAT JUST PASSED IN 2023.
AND WE'RE STILL WORKING HARD TO UNDERSTAND AS IT'S NOT BEEN, UM, THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES FROM THE STATE HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY FINAL, HAVE NOT BEEN FINALIZED.
THEY'RE IN ACTUALLY THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULEMAKING PROCESS NOW.
UM, BUT SB 54 IS ONE OF THE LARGEST PACKAGING, UM, PACKAGING PRODUCER LAWS THAT HAS EVER PASSED IN CALIFORNIA.
AS YOU GUYS KNOW, WE LIKE TO BE THE BEST AND WE LIKE TO BE FIRST.
AND SO THIS LAW, I THINK IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
UM, BUT THE, UH, KEY TAKEAWAY THAT I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ON THIS SLIDE IS THAT THIS LAW DOES HAVE VERY STRICT REQUIREMENTS AROUND PRODUCTS BEING RECYCLABLE.
AND IT SPECIFICALLY, UH, PROVIDES CONTENT RELATED TO EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE THAT CURRENTLY IT ONLY HAS A 2% RECYCLING RATE, AND THIS LAW REQUIRES PRODUCTS TO HAVE A 25% RECYCLING RATE IF THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE SOLD IN CALIFORNIA.
SO THERE IS A, A THOUGHT THAT BY 2025 EPS MAY NOT EVEN BE ALLOWED TO BE SOLD WITHIN THE STATE.
UM, THIS LAW, AS ALLUDED TO, IS NOT IN FULL IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE AT THE CITY ARE REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS LEGISLATION.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO FULL IMPLEMENTATION.
WE ARE ON A WORKING GROUP, UM, PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS LEGISLATION, WORKING ALSO WITH OUR CITY TEAM MEMBERS SO THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS.
UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE HOW THIS SHAPES THE IMPACTS OF SINGLE USE PLASTICS IN THE CITY AND IN CALIFORNIA MOVING FORWARD.
SO THAT'S WHAT I, UH, PREPARED FOR TODAY FOR JUST KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE LEGISLATION, OR EXCUSE ME, OF OUR MUNICIPAL CODE, SOME UPDATES ON STATE LAWS THAT HAVE IMPACTS ON OUR MUNICIPAL CODE.
UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I THINK I'D LIKE TO GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM NOW.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS TOO AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT.
I'M A BUSINESS OWNER AND A RESIDENT IN DISTRICT THREE.
UM, I HAVE FOLLOWED THIS VERY, UH,
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VERY, VERY PARTICULARLY.I'VE READ THE, READ THE, THE MUNICIPAL CODE, UM, FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER.
UM, AARON AND HER TEAM THERE HAVE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB AT EDUCATING THE PUBLIC.
UM, I HAVE NUMEROUS, NUMEROUS, UM, PIECES OF PAPER THAT TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT THE LAW IS, WHAT THE STIPULATIONS IS, WHAT THE TIMEFRAME IS, 2018.
UM, HAS ERIC LOPEZ ASSIGNED AN ENFORCEMENT OFFICER? CAN YOU ANSWER ME THAT? SO, WE'LL, DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S MY QUE THAT'S MY QUE THAT'S MY QUESTION BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE, THIS IS HE IS, HE IS, HIS RESPONSIBILITY IS TO ASSIGN AN ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
HOW MANY TICKETS HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AS FAR AS I KNOW, ZERO TICKETS.
SO THERE'S NO REVENUE TO HIS, UM, DEPARTMENT BECAUSE HE HASN'T ISSUED ANY TICKETS.
AND LAWS ARE NICE AND, BUT IF, UM, IF YOU DON'T ENFORCE THEM, SMART AND FINAL DOESN'T CARE.
SMART AND FINAL CARE HAS HUGE AISLES OF STYROFOAM.
THEY COULD FILL THIS ROOM WITH STYROFOAM RIGHT NOW, JUST IN THE CITY.
THEY DON'T, WE, I'VE COMPLAINED TO THEM.
I'VE COMPLAINED TO THEIR MANAGERS AND I GET FAST FOOD ALL THE TIME.
I GET, AND I GET, UH, FOOD AT RESTAURANTS AND HIGH-END RESTAURANTS.
THEY GIMME STRAWS, YOU KNOW, NAME, UH, I MEAN, THERE'S PLENTY OF HIGH END RESTAURANTS THAT I GO TO THAT I CAN GO DOWN THE SECOND STREET, BELMONT SHORE, I CAN GO UP TO BIXBY.
EVERYBODY GIVES ME A PLASTIC STRAW.
SO WHY WOULD ANYBODY CARE? YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T GET TICKETS FOR SPEEDING, PEOPLE WILL SPEED.
SO PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THROW A STYROFOAM ON THE GROUND, THEY'RE GONNA STILL SELL IT BECAUSE THERE'S NO PUNISHMENT AT ALL.
AND SO I THINK IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY THAT AS A CITY, THAT IT'S GREAT TO PAT YOURSELF ON A BACK FOR A GREAT LAW THAT SHOULD BE GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
BUT WITH ZERO ENFORCEMENT, NOBODY CARES.
THEY'RE STILL GONNA USE, YOU KNOW, ONLY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE LIKE MY SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS AND A FEW OTHERS WILL, YOU KNOW, USE PAPER STRAWS IF IN AND OUT CAN FIGURE IT OUT.
AND THEY HAVE A PAPER STRAW THAT DOESN'T GET SOFT, I CAN DRINK THE SHAKE TO THE VERY BOTTOM.
SO YOU'VE GIVEN PLENTY OF CONCESSIONS TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN PLENTY OF CONCESSIONS TO BUSINESSES.
IT NEEDS TO HAVE A, THE, YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THE RULE OF LAW THAT YOU GUYS MADE IN THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE.
AND ERIC AND HIS TEAM HAVE TO HAVE AN ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
THEY HAVE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GIVE TICKETS TO PEOPLE, AND THEY NEED TO HAVE PUNISH THEM, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT SO THEY CAN PAY ATTENTION.
AND SO I SEE THE FINES HAVE GONE UP, AARON, AND THAT'S GREAT, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM WHAT I HEARD BACK IN SEPTEMBER.
BUT, UM, YEAH, EVERY DAY THAT, THAT THEY'RE GONNA BREAK THAT LAW, UM, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN GIVE THEM A TICKET, BUT I WOULD GIVE 'EM A TICKET.
WAIT 30 DAYS, GIMME ANOTHER TICKET, WAIT 30 DAYS.
BUT THIS LAW HAS A LOT OF TEETH.
SMART AND FINAL, WE CAN TAKE AWAY THEIR CUP, THEY CAN'T EVEN OPERATE IF THEY DON'T PAY THIS WITHIN 30 DAYS.
THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS IN THE LAW.
SO THEY'RE GONNA PAY ATTENTION IF YOU DO THAT, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA PAY ATTENTION TO A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
GOOD AFTERNOON LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
I WAS WONDERING, UM, WHAT IF, UM, IS THERE, THERE, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE IF YOU CAN, LIKE TAX THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY SENT THE PLASTIC INTO LONG BEACH? I'M SORRY, MY NAME IS RONALD SAMPSON.
UM, I'M A MEMBER OF DISTRICT THREE.
MY DAD WAS A, UH, BUSINESS OWNER OF DISTRICT THREE.
UM, I REPRESENT THE, UH, THE CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITY AS FAR AS THE DIFFERENT FACE, YOU KNOW, UM, WHEN WE'RE YOUNGER, WE'RE NOT EDUCATED AS FAR AS HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE AFFECT EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW, AND IT, IT STARTS OFF EVEN WITH THE PLASTIC STRAWS AND THE THINGS OF THAT SORT, THE WAY I SEE IT, UM, EVEN WITH THE FINES THAT THIS GENTLEMAN WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? YOU HAVE GREAT BUSINESSES THAT OUT THERE THAT ARE PUTTING OUT THEIR PAPER STRAWS AND THINGS OF THE SORT.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BUSINESSES? LIKE HE WAS SAYING THAT ARE NOT, THAT ARE DELIBERATELY STILL STOCKING WITH THE STYROFOAM? WHAT IF THEY, WHAT IF THEIR TAXES ARE HIRED INSTEAD OF THE BUSINESS THAT ARE FOLLOWING BY THE RULES? WHAT IF THERE'S SOME TYPE OF SEPARATION AS FAR AS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING BY THE RULES? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? FROM THE, THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT GOING BY THE RULES? 'CAUSE IT, IT, IT DOESN'T MAKE NO SENSE FOR PEOPLE LIKE MY DAD'S BUSINESS, THIS GENTLEMAN'S BUSINESS RIGHT HERE TO BE FOLLOWING THE RULES.
AND I'M PRETTY SURE HE'S A TAX PAYING CITIZEN.
THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO.
THEY TURN AROUND AND LOOK AT THE GUY DRIVE RIGHT PAST HIM, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND THE, THE BENTLEY OR THE, YOU, YOU KNOW, GETTING THAT TYPE OF SALARY AND HE'S DOING THE EXACT SAME THING.
AND ALSO, WHAT IF WE WOULD TRY TO IMPLEMENT, UM, SOME OF THESE, THESE THINGS LIKE INSIDE THE SCHOOLS, THE WAY I SEE IT, IF WE'RE NOT TAUGHT WHEN WE'RE YOUNGER, THEN YOU, YOU'LL HAVE THE SAME MISTAKE THAT WILL
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HAPPEN AGAIN AT ME.I'M ALMOST 40 YEARS OLD AND I'M JUST NOW UNDERSTANDING THE WAY THE WORLD OPERATES.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? BECAUSE I WAS NOT TAUGHT, WE'RE NOT TAUGHT THIS IN, IN HIGH SCHOOL.
WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, BACK WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, WE USED TO HAVE PROGRAMS WHERE, YOU KNOW, EACH SCHOOL OR EACH DISTRICT WOULD GET TOGETHER AND THEY WOULD GIVE SOMETHING TOWARDS THE CHILDREN THAT WOULD MAKE THEM WANT TO GO OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, TO DO THE BEACHES.
I'M NOT TALKING NECESSARILY A SWAG BAG.
I'M TALKING ABOUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A, A, A 59 CENT BURGER FROM MCDONALD'S.
AND IT, WE HAPPY, YOU KNOW, THINGS OF THAT SORT.
UM, I, I THINK IT IS LIKE WE'RE SPENDING A LOT MORE MONEY ON THINGS THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE OUT THERE ON THE STREET SWAG BAG.
YOU'LL SEE IT OUT THERE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? YOU'LL END UP SEEING THE HOMELESS GUY, HE'S DRAGGING A SWAG BAG DOWN THE STREET AND HE'S DROPPING IT ON THE STREET.
NOW WE GOTTA GO PICK THE SWAG BAG UP.
SO THAT'S THE THINGS THAT I'M SAYING.
I THINK WE SHOULD TRY TO LIKE, UM, PUT MORE PROGRAMS AND STUFF LIKE THAT WITH, UM, STARTING OFF FROM ELEMENTARY TO JUNIOR HIGH ALL THE WAY BACK INTO THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO PEOPLE WILL BE TRAINED FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM A, A YOUNGER AGE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN OUR CHILDREN GET OLDER, WE GOTTA HAVE THIS PLACE TO LEAVE TO SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW? AND IF WE'RE, WE DON'T GET ON TOP OF IT, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE NO CLEAN BEACHES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SCOOTERS AND THINGS AND HOMELESS PEOPLE AND ALL THIS TYPE OF STUFF.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO WE SHOULD TRY TO NIP IT IN THE BUD.
OH, DO I HAVE TO, CAN YOU HEAR ME?
I'M SONA COFFEE, THE THIRD DISTRICT RESIDENT AND ALSO A COMMISSIONER ON THE CITY'S, UM, CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABLE CITY.
THERE'S A WHOLE LONG TITLE TO THAT
UM, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR STREAMING THIS.
UM, SO I WAS ABLE TO CATCH THE FANTASTIC STAFF PRESENTATION ON MY WAY DOWN HERE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, UM, SOME COMMENTS PUTTING ON MY FORMER MUNICIPALITY HAT OF JUST HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO IMPLEMENT AND ENFORCE PROGRAMS LIKE THIS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WANNA APPLAUD STAFF FOR COMING UP WITH A PROCESS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THE OUTREACH, UH, ENGAGE WITH THE BUSINESSES AND FIGURE OUT AN ENFORCEMENT PIECE, UH, TO MAKE THIS, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE COMPLIANCE WITH IT A REALITY.
UM, SOME THINGS I WOULD SUGGEST ARE IF THE CITY CAN ADD ONTO ITS BUSINESS LICENSE, THE FORMS THAT EACH OF THE BUSINESSES IN THE CITY GET AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE BUSINESS THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS AND THAT THEY ARE GOING TO COMPLY WITH THE ORDINANCE.
EVERY CITY HAS TO RENEW ITS BUSINESS LICENSE, OR EVERY BUSINESS HAS TO RENEW ITS LICENSE HERE IN THE CITY.
AND THAT MIGHT BE ONE WAY FOR THEM TO SEE IT RIGHT UP FRONT, BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY DON'T ALWAYS READ THE LETTERS AND THE MAILERS AND THINGS THAT, UM, THAT THEY MIGHT GET NOTIFYING THEM ABOUT THE ORDINANCE AND HOW TO COMPLY.
UM, ONE OTHER SUGGESTION IS ALSO, UH, FOR STAFF HERE TO START WORKING WITH, UM, CHAMBER GROUPS BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT GROUPS.
UM, A LOT OF THE RESTAURANTS THEY BUY THEIR PRODUCTS FROM, UH, DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS, WELL PRETTY MUCH SIMILAR SUPPLIERS.
THOSE SAME SUPPLIERS THAT THEY'RE PROCURING THEIR FOAM PRODUCTS FROM THE, UH, DISPOSABLE UTENSILS AND STRAWS.
THOSE SAME PROVIDERS ALSO HAVE THE ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS.
SO THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE TO CHANGE VENDORS IN MOST OF THE CASES.
HERE'S A, PICK A STANDARD BUSINESS, SEE WHO THEIR PROCUREMENT, UH, COMPANY IS AND FLAG, HERE ARE THE PRODUCTS THAT WOULD COMPLY WITH OUR ORDINANCE AND SUGGEST THAT TO THE BUSINESS.
LIKE YOU, YOUR SAME VENDOR IS ALREADY SELLING YOU THESE PRODUCTS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REALLY SWITCH IT UP.
YOU JUST NEED TO CHANGE THE TYPE OF PRODUCT THAT YOU'RE SELLING AND USING HERE IN LONG BEACH.
UM, I THINK A COUPLE OF THOSE TWEAKS WOULD HELP.
AND YOU CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE CHAMBERS, WITH THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT SO THEY CAN SEND IT TO THEIR MEMBERS AND TO THEIR RESTAURANTS AND RETAILERS HERE IN THE CITY.
UM, ONE OTHER THING TO SUGGEST, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PASSIONATE FOLKS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL SIDE THAT ARE REALLY, UM, HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE PLASTICS ISSUE, FOLLOWING THE POLLUTION ISSUE HERE IN LONG BEACH, UH, THAT WANT TO HELP.
AND I KNOW ARE THE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED, THE FOAM FREE LB AND THE EDUCATION MATERIALS ARE OUT THERE PARTNERING WITH SURF RIDER, WITH SIERRA CLUB, WITH GRADES OF GREEN IN OUR SCHOOLS, UM, AND CREATING STREET TEAMS THAT CAN AMPLIFY WHAT THE CITY CAN DO.
'CAUSE ONE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IS PROBABLY NOT ENOUGH FOR THE, JUST THE, UH, LARGE SCALE THAT WE HAVE HERE IN LONG BEACH.
SO IF WE CAN MAKE USE OF, UH, VOLUNTEERS AND OTHERS THAT WANT TO HELP SHARE THE INFORMATION, SHOW EXAMPLES, HIGHLIGHT GREAT BUSINESSES LIKE PRIME ALCHEMY THAT ARE ALREADY DOING SUSTAINABILITY THINGS, UM, I KNOW A LOT OF US WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD.
ALRIGHT, ANYONE ELSE? UH, LET'S MOVE TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UH, I'LL JUST HELP THE SPEAKER OUT BECAUSE IT'S NOT A Q AND A.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND ASK YOUR QUESTION TO, TO STAFF.
SO AARON, DO YOU HAVE, UH, A MODEL THAT YOU CAN, UH, EXPLAIN TO US ABOUT HOW ENFORCEMENT GOES? YEAH.
SO AN ENFORCEMENT MEMO WAS ISSUED WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND THAT WAS SHARED.
UM, DE DETAILS OF THE NEW STRUCTURE OF THE PAYMENT OF THE FINES IS ON
[00:25:01]
THE TFF THAT WAS RELEASED.SO STARTING IN JUNE, UM, AS WE START TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO GO OUT AND DO THE INITIAL SITE VISIT.
UM, I DON'T WANNA GET THE DETAILS INCORRECT, BUT, UM, THE COMPLAINT WILL BE INVESTIGATED AND THEN FROM THERE THEY'LL HAVE 30 DAYS TO, UM, UH, CORRECT THAT COMPLAINT AT THAT POINT.
UM, AS IF THEY'RE NOT CORRECTED.
A SECOND SITE VISIT WILL BE, I'M SORRY, A SECOND SITE VISIT WILL BE CONDUCTED.
AND IF THEY'RE STILL FOUND TO BE IN VIOLATION, THEN WE WILL BEGIN THE CITATION PROCESS.
UM, MANAGERS WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE BUREAU AND OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR WERE GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE THE CITATIONS.
AND, AND JUST AS A FOLLOW UP, AND, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO 2018 AND SORT OF REMEMBERING ALL THOSE DISCUSSIONS, I, IT WAS PROBABLY AT A DISCUSSION POINT WHERE IT SEEMED LOGICAL THAT HEALTH INSPECTORS WOULD HELP OUT WITH THIS PROCESS.
DID THAT EVER HAPPEN? OR I WOULD BE DEVIATED FROM THAT AT THIS POINT.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, I THINK I WANNA ANSWER THAT.
SO WE WERE IN A DIFFERENT WORLD IN 2018 AND WE CONTEMPLATED THAT HEALTH INSPECTORS AS WELL AS, UH, PARK STAFF WOULD HELP, UH, DO EDUCATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THIS ORDINANCE.
UM, SO FAST FORWARD TO THE ORDINANCE GOES INTO EFFECT, UM, AND WE ENTER COVID STAFFING AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
BECA BECAME A NON-STARTER TO HAVE HEALTH STAFF DO THAT.
AND THEN WE MADE, UH, CHANGES THAT YOU'RE WELL AWARE OF ON THE PARK SIDE, MOVING AWAY FROM SORT OF THE, UH, PARK RANGER PROGRAM AND TOWARDS THE PARK AMBASSADOR PROGRAM THAT WE'RE JUST NOW, UM, STAFFING UP IN BRENT'S CHOP.
AND THEN ON THE PUBLIC WORK SIDE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES OBVIOUSLY HAD SOME VERY SERIOUS, UM, STAFFING CHALLENGES.
AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA TALK, UH, IN COUNCIL IN, IN MAY ABOUT SOME OF OUR HIRING PROCESS.
SO THAT BRINGS US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
SO THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF, UH, ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF STAFF TO DO ENFORCEMENT.
SO I THINK WHERE WE WANT TO FOCUS ON IS GIVING YOU UPDATES ABOUT WHERE WE GO FROM HERE, NOT DISPUTING WHAT YOU HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC, THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF ENFORCEMENT, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, UH, PICK IT UP AND, AND MOVE IT FORWARD.
UM, WHICH OBVIOUSLY RAISED THE QUESTION, HOW MUCH, HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE YOU RECEIVED OVER THE YEARS IN REGARDS TO STRAWS OR STYROFOAM BEING DISTRIBUTED, UH, BY THESE RESTAURANTS? SO WE HAVE RECEIVED 68 COMPLAINTS SINCE 2020.
UM, COMPLAINTS HAVE VARIED FOR WHAT THEIR, UM, CONCERNS WERE.
I, I DON'T HAVE THE ITEMIZED DETAIL OF EACH COMPLAINT.
UM, BUT AS WE'VE RECEIVED COMPLAINTS SINCE 2020, WE'VE DONE AT LEAST, UM, A MINIMUM LEVEL OF EDUCATION THAT INCLUDED A DIRECT MAILER.
UM, AND WHEN IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO ALSO DO SITE VISITS, WE ALSO DID SITE VISITS IN ADDITION TO MAILERS.
IS THERE A, UH, ONLINE THAT SOMEBODY CAN REACH OUT AND HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO, UH, PUBLICIZE THAT? YES, WE HAVE AN ONLINE, UH, ON OUR WEBSITE, WE HAVE A COMPLAINT FORM THAT'S ANONYMOUS.
UM, IN 20 18, 20 19 LEADING UP TO 2020, WE WERE DOING A LOT OF ADVERTISING OF THAT WITH OUR GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE EPS ORDINANCE.
UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'VE PRIORITIZED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE TO DO THE ENFORCEMENT, I COULD SEE US INCREASING THE ADVERTISEMENT OF THAT AND LETTING FOLKS KNOW HOW THEY CAN PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND CONCERNS OF WHERE BUSINESSES ARE NOT COMPLIANT.
WELL, ONE OF THE CONCERNS ALWAYS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COMPLAINTS AREN'T THERE.
UM, YOU REALLY CAN'T CONTEST ANYTHING BECAUSE IF THAT IS NOT THERE, SO WE NEED TO GET, BE MORE, UH, PROACTIVE YEAH.
IN TRYING TO GET THAT DATA SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK WITH MORE, UH, COMP, WELL COME BACK WITH CONFIDENCE THAT IF WE NEED TO INCREASE ENFORCEMENT, WE CAN GO DO SO BECAUSE THE DATA SHOWS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MORE ENFORCEMENT.
BUT IF THAT IS NOT THERE, THAT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO SHOW THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A, AN ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OR, OR BE ABLE TO GET A HIGHER STAFF TO ENFORCE THESE, UH, THESE NEEDS ORDINANCES.
SO I WOULD WANT TO, UH, TO, UH, PUSH THIS COMMITTEE, IF NOT THE COMMITTEE, AT LEAST STAFF TO BE MORE, UH, CAREFUL OR MORE VIGILANT AND SAY ABOUT, UH, MONITORING COMPLAINTS THAT COME IN.
BECAUSE OVER THE YEARS, YES, THERE WERE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE USE OF, UH, PAPER STRAWS AS AN EXAMPLE, AS WOULD GO SOMEWHERE.
AND, AND PEOPLE KNEW ME AND THEY WOULD SAY LIKE, WHATCHA MAKING US
[00:30:01]
DO, YOU'RE MAKING US USE THESE, THESE, UH, PAPER STRAWS.AND THEY, AND THEY WILT AND BECOME USELESS AFTER, AFTER A FEW USES, NOT USELESS, BUT AFTER ONE, AFTER A FEW FEW SWALLOWS.
AND, UH, AND SO THEY, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE COST PROHIBITIVE FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY WOULD ALWAYS BE BUYING STRAWS AND REPLENISH THAT.
BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE'S WAYS AROUND THINGS AND IF THE ENFORCEMENT'S NOT THERE AND WHAT'S BEEN POINTED OUT, THE PEOPLE ARE GONNA CONTINUE DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH PLASTIC AND, AND NOT NOT COMPLYING WITH THE ORDINANCE.
SO I THINK THAT IT FALLS ON US, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THE ORDINANCE HAS TEETH, THAT IT'S THERE FOR A REASON.
WE ARE PROTECTING FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
SO WHAT KIND OF ADVERTISING WAS DONE WITHIN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, FARMERS MARKETS? UM, I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE CHAMBER PUSHING OUT THIS INFORMATION BECAUSE THEY CAN SIMPLY DO THAT THROUGH THEIR OWN ADVERTISING.
DID YOU DO THAT BEFORE? YEAH, WE DID.
UM, WE DID, UH, AND I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT WE DID, UH, PRESENTATIONS AT SEVERAL OF THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS.
I WANNA SAY WE PROBABLY DID ALL OF THEM, BUT I, I DON'T, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT WE PARTNERED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS.
WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER, UH, UH, DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY TO DO EDUCATION ON JUST OTHER ISSUES AS WELL.
SO WE WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LONG BEACH WATER AT THE TIME AND SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE TO TALK ABOUT OTHER ISSUES IN OTHER PROGRAMS SO THAT WE WERE, UH, KIND OF MAXIMIZING OUR OUTREACH IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE SPOKE AT THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, WE SPOKE AT OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS UPON REQUESTS.
UM, WE HAD SOME LUCK IN DOING TABLING AT SOME OF THE FARMER'S MARKETS FOR EITHER SPECIFIC ON FOAM FREE OR FOCUSED ON OUR BYO CAMPAIGN, BRING YOUR OWN CAMPAIGN.
UM, AND WE WENT TO PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF EVENTS TO TALK ABOUT HOW RESIDENTS COULD BE PART OF THE SOLUTION WITH OUR BI BYO CAMPAIGN AS WELL.
I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY, UM, THERE'S PROBABLY LESS OF A BUDGET TO DO ADVERTISING ON THAT, BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE PRESENTATIONS AT ALL OF THE, THE BUSINESS DISTRICTS AGAIN, AND THE BYO UM, CAMPAIGN.
I KNOW, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE ALL PROMOTE, ESPECIALLY AT THE FARMER'S MARKETS.
I KNOW MY DISTRICT GETS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THINGS AT FARMER'S MARKET.
WE'RE TRYING TO BE SUSTAINABLE FARM TO TABLE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I, I WOULD LIKE TO DO.
UM, DO WE KNOW THAT LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOLLOWS THIS ORDINANCE? WE DON'T WANNA STEP OUT OF OUR LANE, BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO KNEW, UM, WE KNEW THAT THEY DID WHEN WE BROUGHT THIS HERE.
DO I KNOW TODAY IN REAL TIME IF THEY STILL ARE? I I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION WITH ME SO WE CAN REPORT BACK.
I, I THINK WHAT WE CAN TELL YOU IS LONG BEACH UNIFIED'S NOT SUBJECT TO THE ORDINANCES OF THE CITY, BUT THEY HAVE A WHOLE SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE VERY PROUD OF.
AND I KNOW THEY'VE BRIEFED, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ABOUT, AND IT APPLIES BOTH TO THEIR OPERATIONS AND CONSTRUCTION.
SO I WOULD BE SHOCKED IF THEY WEREN'T, UM, FOLLOWING THE GOALS OF OUR ORDINANCE.
DO THEY FOLLOW IT TO THE LETTER, YOU KNOW, IN THE EXACT SAME WAY.
WE CAN'T REPORT THAT TO YOU TODAY.
WE'D HAVE TO HAVE SOME MORE DISCUSSION WITH THEM.
UH, GOING ON TO PROCUREMENT, UM, OR REALLY PLACES LIKE SMART AND FINAL, THAT'S, THAT'S A PROBLEM BECAUSE ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE GOING THERE AND PURCHASING ITEMS. SO ITEMS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE, IS THOSE 68 COMPLAINTS SINCE 2018 OR 2019, ARE WE LOOKING AT WHAT, UH, LOCATION HAS HAD MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS THAT SHOULD BE OUR TOP PRIORITY.
AND THEN LOOKING AT PLACES LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, BIG, BIG BOX TYPE STORES THAT ARE REALLY PRESSING AND THEY, THEY ARE, UM, SELLING THINGS THAT OUR ORDINANCE DOES NOT, UM, SUPPORT.
UM, HOW, UH, NEXT, HOW MANY INSPECTORS ARE THERE? HOW MANY CO ENFORCEMENT INSPECTORS
[00:35:01]
DO YOU HAVE WORKING ON THIS? YEAH.JOSHUA HICKMAN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
AS FAR AS, UM, TO, TO ANSWER A COUPLE OF THE QUESTIONS AND TO ELABORATE ON SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT HAVE ALREADY KIND OF BEEN TALKED ABOUT.
SO OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, WE, WE, OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE STATUS, UH, THE SHORTAGE OF STAFFING THAT WE HAD A NUMBER OF MONTHS AGO.
AND WE'VE REALLY BEEN RAMPING UP TO BRING ON BOARD FOLKS THAT CAN HANDLE THE COMPLIANCE, FOLKS THAT CAN HANDLE ALL OF THE EDUCATION.
'CAUSE PART, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, WE'RE ALSO ROLLING OUT OUR RESIDENTIAL ORGANICS PROGRAM.
AND AS PART OF THAT EFFORT, WE NEED TO RAMP UP OUR COMPLIANCE FOR THAT AND WE NEED TO RAMP UP OUR EDUCATION.
SO IT GIVES US ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO REENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND REMIND THEM OF ALL THESE OTHER ITEMS AS WELL.
UH, SO AS FAR AS SPECIFICS, WE ARE, ERIN HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB WITH HER TEAM AND PHIL, THEY'RE FULLY STAFFED, UH, NOT ESB AS A WHOLE, BUT, BUT THIS TEAM, UH, IN GENERAL, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF ANALYSTS AS WELL AS RECYCLING SPECIALISTS.
AND EVEN, UH, OVER HERE WE HAVE A BRAND NEW, BRAND NEW OFFICER HERE TO HELP, UH, WITH ALL OF THIS, UH, ALL OF THIS WORK AS WELL.
SO THIS IS RAMPING UP BASICALLY AS WE GET TO JUNE WHEN WE START THE CITATION PROCESS.
SO IT'S FIRST INSPECTION, IF THEY'RE OUTTA COMPLIANCE IN 30 DAYS, THEY GO BACK.
IF THEY'RE NOT IN COMPLIANCE, THEY GET THEIR FIRST CITATION 30 DAYS AGAIN, SECOND CITATION.
SO IT'S A 30 DAY SPAN, OR IS THERE A SHORTER SPAN AFTER THE FIRST CITATION IS IF ISSUED? SO, SO THE CONCEPT IS THAT WE WOULD BE OUT THERE AS SOON AS WE RECEIVE COMPLAINTS.
SO IF, UH, IF WE'RE RECEIVING MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS FOR A SINGLE LOCATION OR A SINGLE ENTITY, WE'D, WE'D BE OUT THERE TO GO MAKE SURE, ARE THESE COMPLAINTS VALID? UH, ARE THEY, AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO EDUCATE THE BUSINESS IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY BEEN EDUCATED ON HOW THEY CAN COME INTO COMPLIANCE.
UH, FROM THERE WE WOULD THEN WALK THROUGH, UH, ALL THOSE STEPS THAT AARON HAD, UH, PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED.
SO WE'D HAVE THAT, THE BUSINESS WOULD HAVE 30 DAYS TO COMPLY, AND THEN WE WOULD RETURN SOMETIME AFTER THAT 30 DAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUSINESS IS NOW IN COMPLIANCE.
IF THEY'RE NOT, THEY WOULD RECEIVE THAT CITATION.
AND THEN AFTER THAT WE DIDN'T REALLY GET PAST WE FIRST CITATION AND THEN IT WOULD BE AFTER THAT.
SO, SO LOOKING THROUGH HERE AT THE, AT THE ORDINANCE AND THE DETAILS, IT WOULD BE A FINE IMPOSED FOR EACH DAY THEREAFTER AFTER THE FIRST CITATION.
AFTER, AFTER THE SECOND CITATION, YOU GET A FIRST CITATION, YOU HAVE 30 DAYS TO CURE.
IF YOU'RE STILL OUT OF COMPLIANCE ON THAT SECOND VISIT, THE CITY AT ITS DISCRETION CAN WRITE YOU A NEW CITATION EVERY DAY THEREAFTER UNTIL YOU COME INTO COMPLIANCE.
AND IS THAT THE $508 CITATION? IS THAT THE THIRD TIER? I FORGET THE, OH, I HAVE IT.
SO THAT MIRRORS OTHER PROCESSES LIKE CODE ENFORCEMENTS AND BUSINESS LICENSE.
THAT SHOULD BE A LOT OF INCENTIVE FOR BUSINESSES TO COMPLY.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANT TO UNDERSTAND IS HOW PEOPLE, WHERE PEOPLE GO FOR THE WEBSITE FOR THE FORM, THE COMPLAINT FORM.
AND DO YOU HAVE A, YOU SAID YOU HAVE A HOTLINE.
IS IT A PHONE NUMBER OR IS IT JUST THE WEBSITE? YEAH, AS FAR AS INFORMATION, WE HAVE THE ABILITY FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO GO ONTO THE WEBSITE AND REMAKE THAT REPORT.
AND WE ALSO DO HAVE A HOTLINE THAT PEOPLE CAN CALL INTO AND, AND REPORT ANY SORT OF VIOLATIONS AS WELL.
SO THAT WOULD BE OUR SB HOTLINE THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE WEBSITE, JUST GO TO LONG BEACH.GOV/SB.
UH, WE HAVE A LONG BEACH.GOV/FF LB, PHONE FREE LB AND WE'RE STILL USING THAT HASH HASHTAG.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS, YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, ALRIGHT, THANK YOU AGAIN.
THAT WAS GREAT TO HEAR EVERYTHING AND HEAR THE STEPS.
[00:40:01]
I THINK WE'RE READY TO TAKE A VOTE.THAT'S A GOOD FIRST STEP AND UM, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO MAYBE BRINGING YOU ALL BACK IN SIX MONTHS AND HEARING HOW IT GOES.
ALRIGHT, UH, WE ARE MOVING ON TO THE THIRD ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH I'M VERY EXCITED TO, UM, HAVE ERIC ZA FROM TITLE INFLUENCE COME.
HE REALLY IS THE EXPERT ON OUR WETLANDS,
[3. 24-52890 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation providing an update on restoration of the Los Cerritos Wetlands. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
WHICH WE ARE CONSERVING HERE IN LONG BEACH.UH, ERIC HAS DONE SUCH A GREAT JOB.
I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW HIM OVER THE PAST YEAR.
UH, SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW I'M THE CHAIR OF, UM, LCWA, THE LOS RITOS WETLANDS AUTHORITY.
AND, UH, COUNCILMAN ORANGA ALSO IS ON THAT BOARD WITH ME, AND WE HAVE HAD QUITE A YEAR PUSHING THROUGH THINGS FORWARD, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR ERIC'S, UH, PRESENTATION.
SO JUST A QUICK, UM, INTRO INTO THIS, THE MOVEMENT WITH THE WETLANDS OVER BY, UH, CHAIR.
LET'S SEE ON, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GO AHEAD AND READ THE ITEM? OH, YES, PLEASE READ THE ITEM.
AND, AND THEN CAN WE GET A MOTION AND SECOND ON THE ITEM CHAIR, DUGGAN? YES.
GREAT RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON RESTORATION OF THE LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS.
ALRIGHT, WELL I'LL BE BRIEF AND LET ERIC GET GOING ON THIS, BUT WE, UM, WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE 154 ACRES NEAR SECOND AND PCH THAT WILL BE SWAPPED FOR, UH, FIVE ACRES.
AND I THINK ERIC CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON THIS.
IT'S A REALLY EXCITING PROJECT.
UM, AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE CITY FOR HAVING THIS COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT THESE IMPORTANT TOPICS.
UM, THE LOS WETLANDS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING TOPIC FOR, FOR A LONG TIME.
AND, UH, LIKE THE CHAIR SAID, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF GREAT DEVELOPMENTS ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT LEVELS.
UM, WITH THIS CONSERVATION EFFORT, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON LONG BEACH TODAY 'CAUSE THE LOW WILDLANDS DOES BLEED INTO SEAL BEACH, WHERE A LOT OF, UH, OTHER EXCITING THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
UM, BUT WE, WE WANNA TALK ABOUT A PROJECT THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR ABOUT A DECADE NOW.
AND, UM, I WAS ASKED TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO THIS COMMITTEE ON THE PROGRESS OF THE LOS RITOS WETLANDS OIL CONSOLIDATION AND RESTORATION PROJECT.
SO THIS IS LOCATED, UH, IN THE THIRD DISTRICT.
UM, IT IS IN, ON THE SOUTHEAST AREA OF THE CITY.
AND, UH, THE PROJECT INCLUDES, UH, FOUR DIFFERENT MAIN PROPERTIES.
AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, ON THIS GRAPHIC.
UH, THE GREEN IS, THE SYNERGY SITE IS 154 ACRES.
THE ORANGE IS THE LCWA SITE, LOW SURREAL WETLANDS AUTHORITY IS, IS WHAT THAT STANDS FOR.
AND THAT'S ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE ACRES ON THE CORNER OF STUDEBAKER AND SECOND STREET.
UH, THE BLUE PARCEL IS OWNED BY THE CITY.
AND THEN THE YELLOW SOUTHERNMOST PROPERTY IS ABOUT FIVE ACRES, AND IT'S OWNED BY LION LIVING.
UM, THE, THIS SETS A STAGE FOR SOME REALLY INTERESTING DYNAMICS, AND THERE'S A FEW THINGS AT PLAY HERE THAT I WANT TO WALK YOU ALL THROUGH.
SO THERE WAS AN ORIGINAL APPROVED SITE PLAN.
UH, THIS IS A, A GRAPHIC THAT DEPICTS SOME OF THE ASPECTS OF THIS ORIGINAL, UM, PROJECT PROPOSAL.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, YOU SEE ALL THE COLORFUL PORTION IN THE, IN THE NORTHERN, UM, PART.
THE, THAT'S A PROPOSED WETLAND RESTORATION SITE THAT'S PART OF A, UH, AN APPROVED MITIGATION BANK.
AND I'LL, I'LL GO MORE INTO DETAIL ON THAT, ABOUT 77 ACRES.
UM, AND THERE, THE, THE PUMPKIN PATCH, WHICH I TALKED ABOUT AND THE LCWA SITE ARE BOTH PROPOSED AS, UH, POTENTIAL, UH, CONSOLIDATION LOCATIONS FOR OPER OIL OPERATIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY HAPPENING ON THE CITY SITE AND ON THE SYNERGY SITE, UH, THERE'S A FEW OTHER NUANCES ON THERE.
UM, THERE IS A, UM, ORIGINALLY PROPOSED PIPELINE SYSTEM THAT WOULD CONNECT THE, UH, LCW SITE TO THE PUMPKIN PATCH SITE.
AND THEN ALSO A PROPOSED, UH, PUBLIC ACCESS TRAIL, UM, ON THE SYNERGY SITE THAT WOULD BE INSTALLED, UH, AFTER THE RESTORATION IS
[00:45:01]
COMPLETE.UM, THIS IS, UH, THE SAME PLAN THAT EXISTED, UH, EARLY ON, UH, THROUGH THE EIR PROCESS, THIS COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT PROCESS.
UM, SO JUST VERY RECENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN SOME UPDATES TO THIS PLAN, I THINK, UM, ARE, ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THIS COMMITTEE, UH, WILL BE HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, UH, THERE IS MOVEMENT TO EXPAND THE MITIGATION BANK.
UM, AND IN DOING SO, THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THE OIL OPERATIONS AND OIL OPERATIONS ON THE SYNERGY SITE WOULD BE CONSOLIDATED A MUCH, UH, FASTER CLIP, UM, FOUR YEARS AS OPPOSED TO 20 YEARS.
UH, THERE IS ALSO, UM, A NEW AGREEMENT ON A DEED RESTRICTION ON THE LCWA SITE, WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE OIL DRILLING OR ANY OIL OPERATIONS ON THAT FIVE ACRE PARCEL THAT WOULD THEN ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR A PIPELINE SYSTEM CONNECTING, UM, THE LCWA SITE TO THE PUMPKIN PATCH SITE.
SO I THINK THESE ARE ALL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, TO, UH, THE PROJECT OVERALL.
AND, UH, THE, IT DOES PLAY OUT, UH, WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, A, A FEW OTHER NUANCES THAT I'LL EXPLAIN.
SO FIRST OF ALL, THE ENTITLEMENT PROCESS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR, UH, ABOUT, UH, 10 OR 11 YEARS.
UH, MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.
THERE IS AN A, A CHANGE TO THE LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM, AND THERE IS A VESTED COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT IN PLACE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS ONGOING, WHICH, UH, IS SENSITIVE AT THIS TIME IS THE LAND EXCHANGE AGREEMENT.
THOSE NEGOTIATIONS ARE ONGOING BETWEEN THE LOS C WETLANDS AUTHORITY AND THE, UM, PRIVATE ENTITY, UH, WHICH GOES BY MANY NAMES, BEACH OIL AND MINERAL PARTNERS, SYNERGY, UH, LOS C WETLANDS, LLC.
UM, HOWEVER, THAT LAND EXCHANGE AGREEMENT WAS JUST APPROVED BY THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY, WHICH IS A, A SMALL LITTLE HURDLE, BUT AN IMPORTANT ONE, UM, UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR.
AND, UH, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, DRILLING PERMITS, UM, HAVE NOT YET BEEN RECEIVED.
SO THIS PROJECT IS GETTING CLOSE TO BEING THROUGH ITS ENTITLEMENT PROCESS, BUT STILL HAS SOME STEPS TO TAKE.
UH, I KNOW THE THREE OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROJECT.
UM, BUT JUST FOR, UH, A COMPLETE PICTURE, I WANT TO COMPARE THE TWO PROPERTIES THAT ARE PART OF THE LAND EXCHANGE.
UM, SO THERE'S AN APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO FIVE ACRE PARCEL AT THE CORNER OF STUDEBAKER AND SECOND STREET THAT OWNED BY THE WETLANDS AUTHORITY.
UM, IT'S CURRENTLY LEASED FOR STORAGE AND IT'S ZONED FOR INDUSTRIAL USES.
THAT PROPERTY IS BEING PROPOSED TO BE EXCHANGED FOR 154 ACRES, UM, BETWEEN PCH STUDEBAKER, UM, AND SECOND STREET.
THAT'S CURRENTLY PRIVATELY OWNED BY LOS REALS WETLANDS, LLC.
UH, THAT SITE IS USED FOR OIL OPERATIONS, BUT HAS SOME BEAUTIFUL WETLANDS ON IT, WHICH I'LL SHOW YOU IN A SECOND.
UM, IT IS CURRENTLY ZONED FOR OPEN SPACE AND WETLANDS, AND THERE IS, UH, ALONG WITH OIL OPERATIONS, A BUILDING ON SITE THAT'S A HISTORIC, UH, BIXBY RANCH HOUSE.
UM, SO THESE ARE THE TWO PROPERTIES THAT ARE LOOKING TO BE SWAPPED.
AND IT'S REALLY A BENEFIT FOR BOTH PARTIES TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN.
FOR THE LOS FIELDS WETLANDS AUTHORITY WITH A MISSION OF CONSERVING THE WETLANDS, THEY'RE GONNA ACQUIRE THIS 154 ACRES AND INHERIT A, A FULLY RESTORED SITE THAT'S PART OF THIS MITIGATION BANK.
WITH, THAT COMES WITH AN ENDOWMENT FOR THE LONG TERM MANAGEMENT INTO PERPETUITY OF THIS SITE.
UM, THEY'LL ALSO ACQUIRE A BUILDING THAT THEY CAN USE AS AN OFFICE SPACE AND A VISITOR CENTER, WHICH DOES NOT CURRENTLY EXIST.
AND THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO EXPAND ALL THEIR STEWARDSHIP AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC ACCESS OPPORTUNITIES BY ACQUIRING THIS PROPERTY.
AND FOR THE PRIVATE LANDOWNER, WE'LL CALL THEM MUTUAL AND MINERAL PARTNERS, UH, FOR, FOR THIS SLIDE, UM, THEY GET TO STREAMLINE THEIR OIL OPERATIONS.
THEY'RE OPERATING OUT OF, UH, ANTIQUATED SET UP THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY FIRST DISCOVERED OIL IN 1926 ON THEIR PROPERTY.
AND THE WELLS ARE JUST WILLY-NILLY WITH PIPELINES EVERYWHERE, AND THEY GET UNDERWATER EVERY TIME IT RAINS.
THE TIDES ARE TOO HIGH, SO THEY GET TO MOVE OUT OF THE WETLANDS, STREAMLINE FROM 105 ACRES TO FIVE ACRES AND USE NEW TECHNOLOGY, UM, WHICH WOULD BE BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND, AND HELPS THEM SLEEP AT NIGHT.
AS WE KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S BEEN A RECENT ACCIDENT OUT IN THE WETLANDS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN WHEN THEY CAN, UH, OPERATE WITH THE NEWER TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, NOT THE NINETEENS AND FIFTIES AND SIXTIES TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY USING.
THEY'LL ALSO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD A NEW OFFICE BUILDING AND HAVE THEIR OPERATIONS THERE ON THE, ON THE PUMPKIN PATCH.
AND ULTIMATELY THEY GAIN FINANCIALLY BY SELLING CREDITS THAT ARE EARNED BY THE MITIGATION BANK.
SO BOTH PARTIES SEEM TO HAVE, UM, BENEFITS FROM THIS.
AND, AND HERE'S REALLY THE BENEFIT FOR, FOR ALL THE, THE PUBLIC AND FOR THE, FOR THE WETLANDS AUTHORITIES MISSION IS THESE ARE PHOTOS, UH, THAT I'VE TAKEN OVER THE YEARS FROM STEAM SHOVEL SLU, UM, WHICH IS A INTACT NATURAL TITLE WETLAND THAT EXISTS RIGHT HERE IN OUR CITY THAT NOBODY GETS TO SEE.
AND, UH, THIS WILL BE, UH, BECOME A, A PLACE THAT, UM,
[00:50:02]
MORE PEOPLE CAN EXPERIENCE, UM, IN OUR CITY.AND AS I SAID, THE OIL OPERATORS ARE GONNA GET THE MOVE AWAY FROM THEIR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S JUST ROTTING AWAY OUT THERE.
AND, UM, IS IS NOT ONLY HAZARDOUS, BUT UH, YOU KNOW, CREATES, UH, CONCERNS FOR THEM ALL THE TIME.
AND, UM, WORRIES ABOUT THIS, THESE FACILITIES NO LONGER OPERATING AND CAUSING SPILLS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
WE'VE HAD FIRES COME THROUGH, UM, LOS REAL WETLANDS USUALLY BECAUSE A PALM TREE MAKES FRIENDS WITH THE POWER LINE AND, UH, THAT CAUSES A FIRE.
AND SO, UH, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, UM, WOULD, WOULD, WOULD NOT EXIST THROUGH THIS CON UH, CONSOLIDATION OF THE OIL OPERATIONS.
AND THERE'S THOUSANDS OF FEET OF FENCE LINE, WHICH MAKES SECURITY A CHALLENGE.
SO CONSOLIDATION ALLOWS 'EM TO FOCUS SECURITY AND NOT HAVE THESE CONSTANT BREACHES, UM, THAT CAUSE THEM CONCERN.
SO, UM, AGAIN, UH, MOVING OUTTA THE WETLANDS AND, AND THEN RESTORING THE WETLANDS IS, IS A BENEFIT TO BOTH PARTIES.
AND THIS, THIS OIL OPERATION CONSOLIDATION, I SAY IT JUST, YOU KNOW, FLIPPANTLY, BUT THIS IS A LARGE DEAL.
THERE ARE ABOUT 16 MILES OF PIPELINES THAT WOULD BE REMOVED.
SO, UH, IF YOU GO OUT THERE, YOU DON'T JUST SEE ONE PIPELINE, YOU SEE ABOUT FIVE PIPELINES ALL RUNNING.
AND MANY OF THEM ARE NO LONGER IN USE.
THEY'RE JUST THERE BECAUSE NO ONE'S BEEN, UH, ENFORCING THEIR REMOVAL.
UM, THREE TANK FARMS, WHICH YOU CAN SEE FROM THE STREETS, WILL BE REMOVED.
ALL THE ELECTRICAL LINES REMOVED, 53 OIL WELLS ABANDONED.
AND ALL OF THIS CONSOLIDATED JUST TO THE FIVE ACRE PUMPKIN PATCH SITE NO LONGER TO THE LCWA SITE.
SO HERE'S SOME GRAPHICS AND I, I GOT TO UPDATE THIS ONE WITH THE BIG X THROUGH IT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE CONSOLIDATION SITE NUMBER ONE THAT IS NOW THE CONSOLIDATION SITE AT THE PUMPKIN PATCH.
ALSO A CH CHRISTMAS TREE LOT DURING, UH, THE WINTER TIME.
UM, AND NO LONGER WILL THERE BE OIL, UH, OPERATIONS, UH, AT SECOND.
AND, UH, STUDEBAKER, AND I KEEP ON SAYING THIS A LOT, BUT THIS IS A BIG DEAL FOR THIS PROJECT 'CAUSE IT'S HAD A HARD TIME GETTING OUT FROM BEHIND THE NEW OIL DRILLING CONCERNS AND TURNING A PUBLIC PROPERTY INTO A PRIVATE OIL DRILLING SITE.
AND SO THIS JUST SEEMS LIKE A, A VERY GOOD MOVE.
THIS SITE WILL STILL BE USED BY THE PRIVATE ENTITY, UM, FOR STORAGE AND, AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL USES THAT DON'T INVOLVE OIL OPERATIONS.
HERE'S A GOOD PICTURE OF THE CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY, WHICH I THINK ARE ALSO IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THOSE OLD OIL MULES, UM, THAT ARE INEFFICIENT AND OFTEN REQUIRING A LOT OF MAINTENANCE AND VERY VISIBLE, UM, AND NOT THE BEST CONTAINMENT MEASURES THAT ARE GRANDFATHERED IN WITH THEM AS OPPOSED TO THESE NEW SELLERS, UM, WHERE YOU CAN FIT EIGHT WELLS IN THE, IN THE SAME FOOTPRINT AS ONE WELL, UM, USING HYDRAULIC PUMP SYSTEMS THAT ARE MUCH SAFER AND WELL CONTAINED.
SO THIS, I THINK, OVERALL FOR OUR COMMUNITY, UM, IS, IS A, IS A, A BIG IMPROVEMENT FOR SOME OF THE, UM, OPERATIONS THAT HAPPEN, UH, THROUGHOUT THE SEAL BEACH OIL FIELD.
NOW, THE MOST COMPLEX AND, UM, PROBABLY, UM, UH, CATTLE CATALYTIC PART OF THIS WHOLE THING IS THIS MITIGATION BANK.
NOW THE CITY, UM, HAS SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATED THE MITIGATION BANKING PROCESS WITH COLORADO LAGOON.
UM, A LOT OF THIS, UH, PROJECT IS MODELED AFTER THAT, THAT PROJECT.
AND, UM, THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT THE 77 ACRE PROJECT THAT THEY PROPOSED INITIALLY FOR THE MITIGATION BANK WAS ACTUALLY SIGNED BY ALL OF THE RESOURCE AGENCIES THAT HAVE BEEN TRACKING IT FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS.
IT WAS SIGNED LAST YEAR, SO THAT IS FULLY APPROVED.
YOU CAN GO ON THE FEDERAL, UM, AGENCY WEBSITE RIVETS, AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S ALL THERE WITH ALL THE DETAILS.
UM, BUT AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, THE BANK SPONSOR IS LOOKING TO EXPAND THIS MITIGATION BANK BEFORE THIS FIRST 77 ACRES IS IMPLEMENTED SO THAT IT INCLUDES THE ENTIRE 154 ACRE SYNERGY SITE.
UM, SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? HERE'S, HERE'S THAT PART OF THAT INITIAL GRAPHIC, AND YOU CAN SEE THE COLORED IN PART THAT WAS THE INITIAL 77 ACRE DESIGN.
IT'S THE NORTHERN PART OF THAT SYNERGY SITE.
AND WHAT THE APPLICANT, THE BANK SPONSOR IS LOOKING TO DO IS, UH, INCLUDE THE LOWER 77 ACRES IN AND THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN ADDENDUM PROCESS.
THEY ALREADY HAVE AN APPROVED MITIGATION BANK.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO START FROM SQUARE ONE, BUT THEY DO HAVE TO REDESIGN IT AND GET IT TO PASS MUSTER WITH, UM, THE NUMEROUS AGENCIES THAT SIT ON THE INTERAGENCY REVIEW TEAM.
UM, SO IN ORDER TO DO THIS, THEY'RE ELIMINATING THE A SHEET PILE WALL THAT WAS PROPOSED AND AN EARTH AND BERM THAT WAS GONNA SEPARATE THE OIL FIELD FROM THE RESTORATION.
AND INSTEAD THERE'LL BE A BERM ALONG THE PERIMETER OF PCH AND SECOND STREET THAT KEEPS THE TIDAL WATERS OUT OF OUR ROADWAYS.
UM, AND, UH, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO SOME REDESIGN ON THE TIDAL CHANNELS SO THAT THE WHOLE SITE CAN FILL UP WITH WATER AND DRAIN WITH WATER SOMETIMES TWICE A DAY.
UM, AND THERE MAY HAVE TO BE SOME
[00:55:01]
REROUTING OF THE PUBLIC ACCESS TRAIL AS THIS IS NOW GOING TO, UH, CONSUME WHERE THAT TRAIL FOOTPRINT IS GOING TO BE.ULTIMATELY WE GET MORE WETLANDS RESTORED SOONER, AND THEN IT'S ONE MOBILIZATION INSTEAD OF IM MOBILIZATION THAN 10 TO 20 YEARS ANOTHER MOBILIZATION.
SO LESS DISRUPTIVE ON THE HUMAN COMMUNITY AND ALSO ON THE, UH, PLANT AND ANIMAL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SO THAT SUMMARIZES MY UPDATE AND THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS GOING ON IN LOS WILDLAND, SO I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROJECT OR, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S, THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE LOS ANGELES WETLANDS.
THAT IS SUCH AN EXCITING PROJECT FROM THE DECOMMISSIONING OF THE OIL WELLS TO THE PUBLIC ACCESS.
UM, I'D LIKE TO OFFER MY, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM NOW.
UH, SO A COPY FROM THE THIRD DISTRICT, MORE OF A QUESTION THAT, UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN ASK OR YOU MAY HAVE THE ANSWER FOR THE NEW SITE, THE, THE PUMPKIN PATCH THAT'S GONNA BE TAKEN OVER OR SWAPPED.
UM, HOW MANY OIL WELLS ARE GONNA OPERATE ON THAT SITE IS, I DON'T, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S NOT CURRENT OIL OPERATIONS NOW, BUT THEY'RE DECOMMISSIONING WHAT'S ON THE 154 ACRE SITE.
UM, I KNOW THE LAND AGREEMENT, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT WAS APPROVED A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
UM, BUT I'M CURIOUS FOR THE, THE NEW SITE, WHAT MITIGATION'S GONNA HAPPEN.
YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EARTH AND BERMS AND THINGS ALONG THE PERIMETER, UM, BUT ANYTHING TO BLOCK THE VIEW OF WHAT OPERATIONS MIGHT BE PUT IN PLACE THERE.
UM, AND THEN FOR THE EXISTING, THE 154 ACRE SITE FOR THE ABANDONED WELLS, UM, JUST TO CONFIRM THAT ALL THOSE WILL BE ABANDONED, DISMANTLED, AND THEN CAPPED OFF SO THAT THEY'RE NOT LEAKING FOR THE FUTURE.
ANYONE ELSE? ALRIGHT, ERIC, IF YOU COULD JUST SHARE ON THE LIONS HOLDING, UM, MORE INFORMATION ON THE WELLS THAT WILL BE CON CONTINUING.
SO ORIGINALLY THE PROJECT WAS APPROVED FOR 120 NEW WELLS TO BE DRILLED AND THAT DRILLING PROCESS WAS GONNA BE OVER ABOUT A 15 YEAR PERIOD.
UM, NOW WITH THIS NEW, UM, PIVOT, UH, OF NOT HAVING DRILLING PERFORMED ON THE LCWA SITE, UM, IT'S UNCERTAIN HOW MANY WELLS ARE GOING TO BE PURSUED FOR THE, UM, PUMPKIN PATCH.
UM, BUT I, THEY, THEY HAVE LIMITED ROOM THERE, SO, UM, I DON'T WANNA WAGER A GUESS.
UM, THAT'S STILL BEING DETERMINED.
UM, AND THEN AS FAR AS, UH, YOU KNOW, A ABANDONING WELLS, UH, THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO HAVE WELLS BEING ABANDONED BECAUSE, UH, THE, UM, REQUIREMENTS FOR HOW TO ABANDON A WELL AND THE, THE PROCESS IS, IS SCRUTINIZED BY MANY DIFFERENT AGENCIES.
SO THESE ARE GOING TO BE ABANDONED AT THE, THE, UM, HIGHEST LEVEL POSSIBLE AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY GREAT SENSITIVITY TO THE EXISTING RESOURCES, UM, ON SITE AND THE SENSITIVE HUMAN RECEPTORS IN THE AREA.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, I THINK ONE OF THE PARTS OF HER QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE DECOMMISSIONING OF THE 154 ACRES, RIGHT? THAT WILL BE ABSOLUTELY COMPLETELY DECOMMISSIONED FROM, UM, A TIME PERIOD OF 20 YEARS.
WE'RE NOW DOWN TO FOUR TO FIVE YEARS, ISN'T THAT RIGHT? THAT THAT IS WHAT IS BEING, UM, PROPOSED CORRECT.
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, I SIT IN THE WINDOWS AUTHORITY AS A MEMBER OF THE, UH, RMC, THE RIVERS AND MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY, AND WE BROUGHT THIS UP ISSUE BACK, GEEZ, EVER SINCE I BEEN THAT COMMISSION 20 15 16.
SO WHEN THIS OPPORTUNITY CAME UP, CAN YOU PUT THAT, THAT PRESENTATION BACK UP AND SHOW THE, THE CONTRAST OF NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, UH, THE, UH, THE, UH, THE SWAMP ITSELF, IF YOU COULD PUT THAT UP.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A VERY GOOD GRAPHIC AS TO IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD GET THE POWERPOINT BACK UP, THE STAFF POWERPOINT.
WELL, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE, THE, THE MAIN CONCERN HAS BEEN, AND ALL WE WILL BE IS THE, THE AREA ITSELF WHERE THE SWAP TAKES PLACE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, UH, A FEW MORE.
UH, I THINK ONE OR TWO MORE WHERE YOU ACTUALLY SHOW THE SWAP.
[01:00:01]
RIGHT THERE.UH, WHERE YOU GO FROM, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED AND SOME OIL WALLS TO, I THINK OVER THE COURSE OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT I'VE HAD TO ABOUT 50 SOMETHING AT, AT THE 5.1 ACRES.
BUT THE MAIN CONCERN THERE IS THE DEEP, THE DEEP WELDING THAT, THAT'S TAKING PLACE, AND THE CONSOLIDATION ISSUES THAT PASSED HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD WHERE, UH, THERE IS A, A FAULT ALONG THAT, ALONG THAT, THAT AREA RIGHT THERE.
AND THE CONCERNS ARE, IF IT WERE TO MOVE THAT THERE WOULD BE A MASSIVE HOST SPILLAGE OF OIL.
CAN YOU GIMME AN UPDATE AS TO WHAT, OR GIVE US AN UPDATE AS TO WHAT THE, THE REAL DANGER IS THERE, IF ANY, AND WHAT IS BEING DONE TO, UH, MITIGATE THAT IN TERMS OF PEOPLE'S CONCERNS OR, OR, OR LEGAL CONCERNS? YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
UH, THE REASON THAT OIL OPERATIONS EXIST IN THIS LOCATION AND, YOU KNOW, FROM NEWPORT TO INGLEWOOD IS 'CAUSE THERE'S A FAULT THAT'S RUNNING ALONG THERE AND, AND ALLOWS FOR THOSE RESOURCES, UM, TO BE MORE EASILY ACQUIRED.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY THE RULE IS YOU PUMP ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.
YOU DON'T GO THROUGH A FAULT LINE AND TRY AND DRILL THROUGH A FAULT LINE BECAUSE THEN YOUR PIPE IS GOING TO, UM, GET MOVED AND POTENTIALLY SEVER.
SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, GEOTECHNICAL FOLKS THAT ARE WAY MORE SMARTER THAN ME THAT ARE MAKING SURE THAT, UM, THE DIRECTIONAL DRILLING THAT MAY OCCUR AS PART OF THIS PROJECT STAYS AWAY FROM THE FAULT LINE.
NOW, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THERE WAS TWO DIFFERENT ORIGINAL PROPOSED DRILLING SITES, UH, WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE BOTH ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FAULT LINE.
SO AT THIS POINT, UH, I'M NOT CERTAIN HOW THEY'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND IF ANY OF THE RESOURCES ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE FAULT LINE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE SOURCED FROM THE PUMPKIN PATCH SITE, UM, I, YES.
SO YEAH, SO, UH, THE CITY'S WORKING WITH, UH, CALEM LEADERSHIP AND WITH DR.
KO BRIDGE AND HER STAFF AT THE COMMISSION.
SO WE WON'T BE DRILLING ACROSS FAULT LINES, BUT DRILLING IS ALWAYS NEAR FAULTS.
THAT'S WHERE OIL ACCUMULATES IN THE CRACKS AND THE UNDERNEATH, UH, SURFACE OF THE, THE EARTH, RIGHT? SO, UM, BECAUSE THEY'LL NO LONGER BE DRILLING ON THE NORTHERN SITE, THERE WILL BE NO PIPELINE.
SO ALL OF THE DESIGN REALLY FOCUSED ON THE WHOLE RISK HAD TO DO WITH THE PIPELINE.
SO THE PIPELINE HAD SHUTOFFS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE FAULT.
SO THEORETICALLY, EVEN IN A SEISMIC EVENT, THERE WOULD'VE BEEN NO SPILLAGE.
BUT IF THERE WAS, IT WOULD JUST BE THE VOLUME THAT WAS IN THAT GAP BETWEEN THE, THE TWO SHUTOFFS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE FAULT.
UM, BUT ALL THE EXTRACTION WILL BE ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE THAT WE KNOW AS THE PUMPKIN PATCH.
UM, AND TO ANSWER THE QUESTION FROM EARLIER, THE CITY APPROVAL WAS FOR UP TO 50 WELLS.
IT PROBABLY WON'T BE 50 WELLS, SO IT'LL BE SOME NUMBER THAT IS LESS THAN 50 IN TERMS OF THE WELLS THAT'LL BE, UM, DRILLED THERE.
AND THAT'S SUBJECT NOT JUST TO CITY CONTROL, BUT TO CAL GYM CONTROL, WHICH IS THE STATE AGENCY, UM, THAT OVERSEES THAT, THAT DRILLING.
WELL, I CAN SAY THAT, UH, WE WERE, UH, EXCITED ABOUT THE, THE LAND SWAMP BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYBODY.
THEY CONTINUE TO DRILL AND WE GET 154 ACRES, UH, TO TURN INTO WETLANDS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS, THAT'S A BIG WIN RIGHT THERE, UH, BECAUSE ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD TO CREATING MORE WETLANDS WHEN POSSIBLE.
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP IS, IS THE FACT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT CREATING MORE WETLANDS IS ALSO CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO GO OUT THERE AND ENJOY, UH, THE NATURAL BEAUTY THAT WE HAVE HERE IN LONG BEACH.
I JUST GOT BACK FROM A MEETING FROM MEETINGS IN SACRAMENTO WHERE OIL WAS OUR BIG POINT OF DISCUSSION AT WHAT'S COMING UP WITH, UH, AB 38, 11 33, 7 37.
AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON LONG BEACH IN TERMS OF OIL OPERATIONS AND OUR WEEDING OURSELVES AWAY FROM FROM OIL.
SO THERE WAS ALWAYS, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE, I GUESS, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL PROTEST THIS FLAT SWAP BECAUSE IT IS A, A CONTINUATION OF DRILLING AND THERE JUST BE MORE OPPOSED TO, TO DRILLING AS A WHOLE.
IS THERE AN IMPACT FROM 1137 RICO REGARDING THIS, THIS 5.1 ACRES? UH, SO COUNCILMAN, I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT I CAN.
SO, UH, 1137 WAS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE AND THEN
[01:05:01]
WAS SUBJECT TO A REFERENDUM PROCESS.IT'LL BE VOTED BY THE PEOPLE IN NOVEMBER.
UH, EVERYONE EXPECTS IT TO, UH, BE AFFIRMED BY THE PEOPLE, BUT WE HAVE ELECTIONS FOR A REASON.
SO, BUT FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, 1137 IS NOT, NOT IN EFFECT TODAY, UM, AND WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT UNTIL JANUARY OF 2025, UH, IF, UM, CONFIRMED BY THE, THE VOTERS.
SO, UH, THIS APPLICANT, UM, ON BEHALF OF THEMSELVES, UM, AS WELL AS SOME PROPERTY IS OWNED BY THE CITY AND OTHERS, UM, ALL OF THOSE PERMITS ARE ALREADY INTO CAL GM AND WE BELIEVE THEM TO BE VESTED, UH, WHICH WOULD ALLOW, UH, THIS PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD.
UH, WE'VE HAD EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CAL GM FOLKS AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT I CAN TELL YOU AN OPEN SESSION.
IF, IF FOR SOME REASON, UH, THE PROJECT WAS NOT ABLE TO PROCEED, UM, THE APPLICANT AND THE CITY WOULD HAVE CERTAIN RIGHTS THAT WE'D HAVE TO DISCUSS IN A CLOSED SESSION.
WELL, I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT AS A MEMBER OF THE, UH, COASTAL COMMISSION AS WELL, I WAS VERY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO APPROVE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS NOT SWAP TO HAPPEN.
SO THANK YOU, ERIC, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE WITH THIS PROJECT AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILMAN.
FIRST, I'M TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THAT COMMENT THAT MR. C***S MADE.
WE HAVE ELECTIONS FOR REASONS.
I, I MAYBE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT LATER.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I I GUESS, UM, I'LL, I'LL GIVE, UH, A LONGITUDINAL VIEW HERE.
I GUESS THAT MEANS I'M OLD, BUT, UH, LET'S SAY WE HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT THAT STARTED FOR, UM, ARGUABLY IN 1971 WITH THE FIRST EARTH DAY, AND YOU THINK AS A COLLEGE STUDENT.
THEN, UM, THROUGH THE SEVENTIES I DROVE BY THIS AREA THINKING, OKAY, THIS WILL ALL BE GONE IN A FEW YEARS.
OR MAYBE A BETTER EXAMPLE, THE PLATFORM SAID HUNTINGTON BEACH OUT, OUT IN THE OCEAN.
AND, UM, AT A CERTAIN POINT IN LIFE, YOU GET TO THINKING THAT THIS'LL NEVER GO AWAY, POSSIBLY.
AND SO I THINK IT'S JUST A VERY EXCITING TIME.
I I I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S LOST ON YOU, ERIC, THAT UM, THIS IS ON YOUR WATCH AND IT'S JUST A REAL, REAL SIGNIFICANT, UH, THING TO BE HAPPENING.
YOU ALSO MENTIONED, UM, UH, OIL WELLS BEING CAPPED CORRECTLY.
UH, WE SURE HAVE A LOT THAT WEREN'T.
AND, UM, WE HAD A RESIDENTIAL PROJECT THAT WAS MINE ON LOMA AND PCH AND NOW IT'S, UH, A COUNCIL MEMBER DUG INSTITUTE TO REDISTRICTING, BUT THEY DISCOVERED, UH, AN OIL WELL ON THAT PROPERTY BEFORE THEY BUILT THE FIVE STORY STRUCTURE THAT HAD, THEY HAD TO GO BACK AND CAP IT CORRECTLY.
AND THAT'S A MAJOR, MAJOR EFFORT.
AND, UM, SO THE FACT THAT THIS IS IT BEING DONE AT THE RIGHT TIME WHEN, WHEN OIL WELLS, THERE'S A LOT OF SCRUTINY IN HOW THAT WORKS.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION.
UM, YOU HAVE DONE SO MUCH WORK ON THIS.
YOU DO GREAT WORK FOR THE WETLANDS AND YOUR PROGRAMMING.
I I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION MORE, AND THEN WE CAN WRAP THIS UP TODAY, ABOUT HOW MANY ACRES ARE NEAR THE SYNERGY SITE AND IN THIS CITY OWNED AREA, HOW MUCH, HOW MANY ACRES IN TOTAL COULD BE CONSERVED AS WETLANDS IN THAT AREA, INCLUDING SEAL BEACH? YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT THE ENTIRETY OF THE COMPLEX, APPROXIMATELY 500 ACRES, UM, WHICH 170 ACRES ARE ALREADY OWNED BY THE LOS RI WETLANDS AUTHORITY AUTHORITY FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSERVATION, UM, AND RESTORATION.
UM, SO WE, WE HAVE SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, AROUND 300 TO 350 ACRES THAT ARE, ARE STILL IN LIMBO OF WHAT THEIR FUTURE WILL BE.
SO THIS IS A BIG PIECE OF THE PUZZLE, RIGHT.
UM, THE CITY ALSO OWNS 33 ACRES, WHICH THIS PROJECT HAS TO MOVE FORWARD TO OPEN UP THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT 33 ACRES TO ALSO REALLY BE ABLE TO BE RESTORED.
SO, UM, WITH THIS PROJECT, WHICH WE CALL THE UPPER LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS RESTORATION PROJECT, UM, AND THEN WHERE WE HAVE THE SOUTHERN LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS PROJECT IN SILL BEACH, WHICH IS A HUNDRED ACRES, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, APPROXIMATELY, UM, 250 ACRES THAT ARE REALLY PROGRESSING WITH RESTORATION PLANS AND ARE OUT AHEAD OF THIS.
BUT THIS IS, UH, WHILE WE, WE HAVE BEEN WAITING A, A LIFETIME TO SEE A LOT OF THIS LANDSCAPE CHANGE, AND ACTUALLY I FEEL AS LIKE A LIFETIME JUST FOR THIS MITIGATION BANK PROCESS.
UM, THIS IS GONNA BE A MULTI-GENERATIONAL PROCESS.
UM, SO WE'LL HAVE SOME, UH, OF THESE ASPECTS THAT CAN HAPPEN IN THE NEXT DECADE AND, AND PROBABLY SOME THAT CAN HAPPEN IN THE NEXT TWO DECADES.
AND THEN THERE MAY BE ASPECTS THAT ARE PRIVATELY OWNED THAT WON'T HAPPEN,
[01:10:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR 50 TO A HUNDRED YEARS.UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO SET A MODEL, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT CAN BE DONE AND SHOW HOW THESE LANDSCAPES CAN, CAN BE REINVIGORATED.
SO YES, IT IS VERY EXCITING AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SHARE AN UPDATE WITH YOU.
I'M HOPING FOR ANOTHER UPDATE IN MAYBE SIX OR EIGHT MONTHS ON THIS WITH SOME POSITIVE OUTCOMES.
UM, THANK YOU ERIC FOR COMING TODAY AND I THINK WE'RE READY TO GO TO A VOTE.
COUNCIL MEMBER OR SORRY, CHAIR DUGGAN, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
CLERK, CAN YOU REPORT OUT THE VOTE? WE JUST DON'T HAVE IT ON THE SCREENS.
IT'S NOT, LET ME TRY TO GO BACK TO IT, BUT I DID RECORD ALL THREE MEMBERS, SO THE LINE SAID NOT SHOULD WE DO A VERBAL, UH, WE GOT IT.
SO IT WAS UNANIMOUS, ALL THREE MEMBERS.
SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
I'D JUST LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WANTED TO COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON A NON AGENDA ITEM, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM NOW.
SO NO COFFEE, LET THEIR DISTRICT, I JUST WANT TO ADD SOMETHING FOR EARTH MONTH.
AND WHILE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT OIL, AND THIS IS AN EVENT TO MOVE US AWAY FROM THAT, THERE'S A DRIVE ELECTRIC EARTH MONTH EVENT HAPPENING THIS SATURDAY FROM 12 TO NOON AT LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE.
UM, IT'S A FREE EVENT, UH, FOLKS CAN REGISTER ONLINE.
IF YOU GO TO DRIVE ELECTRIC EARTH MONTH.ORG, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE LOTS OF VEHICLES AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE 10 CYBER TRUCKS, WHICH PEOPLE ARE REAL CURIOUS ABOUT.
UM, O PC PC LA BEACH CITY COLLEGE 1305.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.
AND I'D LIKE TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
SORRY, I THINK YOU HAVE ONE MORE PUBLIC COMMENTER.
I APOLOGIZE TO KEEP YOU GUYS WAITING.
UM, I'VE, UM, BEEN LIKE, I, I LIKE TO DEAL WITH A LOT OF THE BUSINESS AND SEE WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE AND STUFF.
UM, THEY'RE HAVING LIKE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ALONG ANAHEIM AND ALONG, UM, PCH ABOUT THE JAYWALKING, YOU KNOW, UH, THE PEOPLE, UH, CROSSING THE, UH, THE STREETS WITH THE, THE BASKETS AND THE THINGS OF THE SORT LIKE THAT.
LIKE I SAID, UM, I'M, I'M A THE NEW FACE.
UH, AND SO THE WAY I SEE IT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THEY USED TO TAKE THINGS AWAY, YOU KNOW, FROM US.
NO ONE REALLY WANT TO LOSE OUR, THEIR STUFF.
AND SO THE WAY I SEE IT, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, YOU CAN GIVE A PERSON A TICKET, GIVE 'EM A TICKET,
[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Climate, Environment, and Coastal Protection Committee on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]
BUT LEAVE THE BASKET, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA, WHAT BASICALLY WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IS IT IS GONNA CAUSE LIKE, UH, ACCIDENTS WHERE LIKE LIFE COULD BE LIKE LOST FOR A SIMPLE REASON.PEOPLE ARE COMING HOME AT THIS TIME, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THEIR CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND, YOU KNOW, UH, PEOPLE ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, NO REGARD, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS LIKE THE PLACES THAT DO NEED CROSSWALKS, LIKE, UM, A LITTLE BIT PAST, UH, REDONDO AND, UH, I BELIEVE, UM, RISA OR WHATNOT, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE LIKE, UH, THAT YOU KNOW, NEED TO BE LIKE, KIND OF LIKE IMPLEMENTED AS FAR AS LIKE, UM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN STREETS ARE JUST SO FAR TO HAVE A CROSSWALK.
IT'S UNDERSTAND, IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT, YOU KNOW, TO LIKE, JUST HAVE PEOPLE JUST WALKING ACROSS THE STREET WITH BASKETS, YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, HALF OF THE TIME IT'S AT NIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND PEOPLE ARE GOING HOME FROM WORK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE BEING TIRED, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND SO YOU CAN IMAGINE, UH, THOSE STREETS ARE NOT REALLY THAT LIT UP LIKE THAT.
AND SO WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED IS SOMEBODY'S GONNA END UP GETTING HURT, YOU KNOW, AND IT, IT'D BE A PERSON ON THEIR WAY HOME FROM WORK THAT'S, THAT'S A TAX PAYING A CITIZEN.
AND THEN YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN A PERSON ON THE NEWS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HITTING A FOOTBALL STAR.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
ALRIGHT, UH, LET'S ADJOURN THIS MEETING.