* 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] ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. IT IS NINE OH FIVE. I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE THURSDAY, APRIL 18TH, 2024 MEETING OF THE LONG BEACH PARKS AND RECREATION COMM COMMISSION. WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DIRECTOR DENNIS, WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE THE ROLE? THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR LIVINGSTON. UH, CHAIR LIVINGSTON. PRESENT VICE CHAIR REDFIELD. HERE. COMMISSIONER ALLEN. HERE. COMMISSIONER CHAVEZ. HERE. COMMISSIONER HIA. SHE IS EXCUSED. SHE HAPPENS. OKAY. COMMISSIONER SCHOEN. SHE IS EXCUSED. ALRIGHT. AND COMMISSIONER TI SMITH PRESENT. WE HAVE QUORUM. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, WE WILL START WITH OUR PRESENTATIONS. FIRST IS EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH. MR. DIRECTOR? YES. THANK YOU. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY BE DUE TO OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS EVERY MONTH WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TURN THE SPOTLIGHT ON ONE OF OUR SELLERS STAFF MEMBERS WHO'S NOMINATED BY THEIR PEERS AS EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH AND TODAY. UM, JOY HERE. OH YEAH, I WAS GONNA TURN IT OVER TO THE LEADER OF OUR EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION COMMITTEE, UH, JOY WARREN, AND SHE INTRODUCE OUR PRESENTATION. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, BRENT. GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS AND OUR FULL HOUSE. GREAT. SO I HAVE THE HONOR AND PRIVILEGE OF BRINGING UP ONE OF OUR AMAZING TEAM MEMBERS. WE HAVE A WHOLE SLEW OF 'EM. UM, AND IF YOU EVER COME AND RESERVE EITHER A FACILITY OR UH, A PICNIC RESERVATION, WE JUST COME TO FIND OUT WE CAN PROCESS THOUSANDS OF THEM A YEAR. UM, AND WE HAVE A SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAMS THAT DOES IT. ONE OF THE STELLAR MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF. UM, HER, HER ROLE IS PROCESSING THOSE PERMITS AND TWO OF OUR VALUES IN OUR DEPARTMENT ARE TEAMWORK AND SERVICE. AND THIS PERSON PROVIDES THE ABSOLUTE TOP LEVEL EXEMPLARY SERVICE, UM, AND REPRESENTS OUR DEPARTMENT WELL. SO IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BRING OUT MS. LINDA RUBIO. SHE RECOGNIZES OUR, UH, EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH. AND I'D LIKE TO BRING UP APRIL TOO. WHO IS OUR SUPERVISOR SO SHE CAN GIVE FURTHER. UH, LINDA IS A STELLAR EMPLOYEE. SHE IS ALWAYS READY AND WILLING FOR ALL MY CHALLENGES THAT I GIVE TO HER AND IS READY TO PROVIDE NEW IDEAS THAT CAN STREAMLINE OUR PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES. I ALWAYS HAVE GREETED WITH A SMILE AND READY TO GO ATTITUDE. I GREATLY APPRECIATE HER AS AN EMPLOYEE AND ALSO AS A FRIEND. YOU KNOW, WE ARE A FAMILY BASED UM, DEPARTMENT AND IT MEANS A LOT TO ME THAT I CAN RELY ON HER AND SHE CAN ALSO RELY ON US. THANK YOU. LINDA. LINDA, LINDA . SO LINDA AND I HAVE A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SARCASTIC BENCH THAT WE GO BACK AND FORTH AND SINCE SO LAST WEEK SHE WAS NOMINATED AS YOU KNOW, SURPRISED BY HER COLLEAGUES FOR EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH. SO NOW ALL WEEK LONG WE'VE BEEN HAVING TO CALL HER EOM, THAT'S HOW SHE ANSWERS THE PHONE . BUT LINDA IS ABSOLUTELY AN EX STELLAR, EXEMPLARY EMPLOYEE. UM, APRIL BOARD, A HUNDRED PERCENT TESTIMONY TO THAT. UM, THEY ARE A SMALL BUT MY FAMILY IN THERE AND PROCESSING THOUSANDS, UM, UH, PERMITS TO THE PUBLIC, UM, AND WITH CLASSES AS WELL. AND THEN ALL THE WORK THAT GOES BEHIND THAT. UH, WHETHER IT BE A REFUND OR A CHANGE OR OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, LINDA CONTINUES TO COME IN, UM, WORKS HARD FROM THE MOMENT SHE GOES THERE. OFTEN STAYS LATE TO GET HER WORK DONE. UM, BUT VERY, VERY THANKFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. YOUR HARD WORK DOES NOT GO UNRECOGNIZED 'CAUSE YOU ARE TRULY VALUED BY THE DEPARTMENT. WE APPRECIATE YOU. SO, LINDA, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY? UM, I WOULD JUST SAY I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ERC FOR, UM, SELECTING ME AS EMPLOYEE THE MONTH FOR MARCH. IT IS A GREAT HONOR TO, UM, BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THE CITY AS BEST AS I CAN. UM, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO, I ALWAYS ENJOY HELPING OTHERS AND PROVIDING GOOD SERVICES TO THEM. SO, UM, I TRULY APPRECIATE THE NOMINATION. DO YOU WANNA DO THAT SIDE? SO THIS IS ALWAYS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MY MONTH WHEN WE GET TO ACTUALLY RECOGNIZE ONE OF OUR GREAT TEAM MEMBERS. SO A LOT OF YOU THAT KNOW ME PRETTY WELL KNOW THAT I'M ALL INTO, UH, BEAUTIFICATION, MAKING SURE WE LOOK, UM, CLEAN AND WELL MAINTAINED. UM, I CALL THAT, UM, CURB APPEAL, BUT IN TERMS OF OUR HUMAN CURB APPEAL, [00:05:01] UM, LINDA EXEMPLIFIES THAT ONE. IT'S ALWAYS WELCOMING PEOPLE INTO OUR FACILITY WITH A SMILING FACE AND A HELPFUL ATTITUDE. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR AWARD AND WE BEGAN THE NEW TRADITION. WE ASK OUR COMMISSION TO HAVE A PHOTO WITH OUR EMPLOYEE . THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. BEFORE WE HAVE OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, I HAD A REQUEST. IF YOU'RE HERE TODAY, MAKE SURE THAT EITHER WHEN YOU CAME IN OR BEFORE YOU LEAVE, WE HAVE A SIGN IN SHEET RIGHT BACK IN THE CORNER. SO PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU WRITE DOWN YOUR NAME SO THAT WE KNOW YOU WERE HERE. NEXT IS A VERY EXCITING, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, FROM THE ASK FOUNDATION, SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, BRAD. THANK YOU, CHAIR LIVINGSTON. SO, UH, LOTS OF GREAT THINGS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING THROUGH OUR PARK SYSTEM OVER THE PAST, UH, DECADE OR SO, AND MANY OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE EXCITING ACTIVITY AND I'LL CALL IT SPORTS SINCE IT'S RECOGNIZED BY THE OLYMPICS OF SKATEBOARDING. AND I THINK OUR ENTIRE FRONT ROW ARE SOME OF THE YOUNG SKATEBOARDERS IN LONG BEACH. SO WE'RE WELCOME, UH, EVERYONE. I THINK THEY'RE STILL ON THEIR DONUT HIDE. SO , OH MY GOD, THEY'RE THE CUTE. IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH SOMEBODY THAT LEADS COMMUNITY EFFORTS AND REALLY CARES ABOUT, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE AND QUALITY FACILITIES. SO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ASK FOUNDATION, MIKE DONLAN, IS HERE TODAY AND HE'S GOING TO SHARE A VERY SPECIAL DOCUMENTARY. THIS I THINK IS THE PUBLIC DEBUT OF IT, IF I MAY SPEAK CORRECTLY. SO WE'RE REALLY PRIVILEGED AS AN AUDIENCE TO SEE THIS FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UM, I CAN MIKE AND HIS WING. WINGMAN. WINGMAN. ALRIGHT, GOOD MORNING, MIKE. GOODNESS, ABSOLUTELY. FIRST OF ALL, UH, WELCOME. WE KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY WORKED AT LONG BEACH AND IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU AS PART RED. WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE IS BASICALLY A 20 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY OF OUR 27 JOURNEY, 27 YEAR JOURNEY, WORKING WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND OUR SKATE PARKS. UH, AND WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS GIVE PARTS AND REC, UH, THE COMMISSION THE COURTESY OF SEEING THE PREMIER, THE VIDEO, I MEAN, THE DOCUMENTARY REPORTS ACTUALLY RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC. IT WILL BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC IN JUNE. IT WILL BE AT FEATURED AT THE, UH, ARTS THEATER ON FOURTH STREET. EVERYBODY DOES THAT. UH, AND THAT'S LATER. UM, THE DOCUMENTARY, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE ONLY THING MISSING IN THIS CUT OF IT WILL BE THE CREDITS AT THE END. UH, BUT ALL OF US THAT HAVE SEEN IT, A LOT OF THESE KIDS ARE IN IT. UM, THE ADULTS THAT HAVE THEIR KIDS IN THIS PROGRAM, THERE'S NEVER A DRY EYE IN THE ROOM. THE GUYS THAT'S SEEN IT, IT'S VERY EMOTIONAL, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF US. AND I EVEN, I I'M WATCHING MANY TIMES AND I STILL GET TEARS. MY, HE AND I WERE CRYING WHEN WE FIRST SAW HIM . UH, SO IT, IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT REALLY TELLS AN INTERESTING STORY AND WHY, AND HERE IS THAT WE WOULD NOT BE HERE AND HAVE AN IMPACT, NOT JUST ON KIDS IN LONG BEACH AND THE UNITED STATES, BUT ALL OVER THE WORLD. IT'S A FANTASTIC PIECE. SO IF YOU WANNA START IT UP, WE HAVE LIGHTS. IF ASK WASN'T AROUND, I'LL BE HONEST, I'LL PROBABLY BE IN A GANG. I WAS SURROUNDED BY A LOT OF BAD PEOPLE AND I GREW UP IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WASN'T SOLD WELL. WHEN YOU GO FROM HOUSEHOLD IN WHICH YOU HAVE YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY TOGETHER TO SPLITTING THAT FAMILY APART, IT KIND OF DOES SOMETHING TO YOU. AT 14 YEARS OLD, I USED TO LIVE IN A PRETTY GHETTO NEIGHBORHOOD AND PRETTY MUCH THERE'S NOT REALLY NOTHING OUT THERE EXCEPT FOR GANGS AND, YOU KNOW, DRUGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT AROUND ME IN MY SCHOOL. I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE SMOKING AROUND ME AND TRYING TO DO DRUGS, TRYING TO SELL ME STUFF, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAID NO. 'CAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA BE A PART OF THAT LIFE. I WAS GOING DOWN IN THE WRONG PATH. I WAS ABOUT TO QUIT SKATING WHEN I SAW THE EVENT ON A SK. AND WHEN THEY TOLD ME TO JOIN IT BRIGHT MY DAY. AND EVER SINCE THAT DAY, I FELT BETTER AS A PERSON, JUST IN GENERAL AND HAVE GOTTEN WAY BETTER MENTALLY OVER THE YEARS. [00:10:01] I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN SUCH A GOOD EXPERIENCE. I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL FUTURE PEOPLE. I'M LOOKING AT ALL LIKE MY KIDS MADE ME TELL 'EM ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AND MADE ME OPEN THEIR EYES. SKATEBOARDING, LIKE, SO THERE'S A WHOLE NOTHER LIKE WORLD OUT HERE. I MEAN, JUST JOINING ASH, I REALLY OPENED DOORS FOR ME TO BE LIKE, HEY, THERE'S A DIFFERENT HAT FROM THIS BAD MIKE, TAKE ONE. LET'S DO ASK. DID I DO THAT RIGHT? YEAH. LET'S DO ASK DOCUMENTARY. YEAH, ASK DOCUMENTARY, TAKE ONE. YOU HAVE ONE OF THE LITTLE THINGS MAKE ME FEEL BETTER. MY NAME IS MIKE. I'M FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ASK FOUNDATION. UH, AS FOUNDATION IS A NONPROFIT BENEFITING SOME OF OUR CITY'S MOST AT RISK KIDS. IT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST, IF NOT THE OLDEST, GRASSROOTS, NONPROFIT, BENEFITING SKATEBOARDERS IN THE COUNTRY THAT GIVE THESE KIDS A WINDOW OF TIME IN THEIR LIFE THAT IS POSITIVE, INTERACTIVE, DIVERSE, A PLACE THEY CAN, UH, SHARE THEIR TALENTS AND GET PROPS AND KUDOS FROM KIDS ALL OVER THE WORLD. IT'S A PHENOMENAL SUCCESS. IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING HOW IT STARTED. I WAS A MEMBER OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL, THE YEAR 1996, ENJOYING MY SUNDAY DAY OFF GARDENING. SOMETHING I DON'T GET TO DO VERY OFTEN. MY WIFE CAME OUTSIDE, SHE SAID, MIKE, YOU HAVE A PHONE CALL FROM A GUY THAT'S IN PANIC MODE. I SAID, TELL HIM I'M NOT HERE. TELL HIM I AT THE GROCERY STORE OR WHATEVER. SHE SAID, NO, YOU REALLY NEED TO TALK TO THIS GUY. HE IS HYPERVENTILATING COUNCILMAN, YOU HAVE TO COME OVER HERE RIGHT NOW. YOU GOT, THEY'RE DESTROYING MY PROPERTY. I JUST PUT IN A NEW LAWN AND SPRINKLER. THEY'RE TEARING EVERYTHING UP. AND I WENT, PUT IN SOME BAD AREAS AND I THOUGHT, WELL, WHAT IS IT? AND HE GOES, SKATEBOARDERS. SO I WAS LIKE, DAMN. AND MY SON WAS A SKATEBOARDER. SO I GOT IN THE CAR AND WENT OVER THERE AND THERE THEY WERE. I GET OUTTA THE CAR AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, GUYS, GUY'S KIND OF P****D OFF THAT YOU'RE SKATING IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE AND CAN YOU JUST MOVE OR SKATE SOMEWHERE ELSE? AND THIS LITTLE KID CAME UP TO ME, HIS NAME WAS JONATHAN. HE WAS EIGHT, 10 YEARS OLD. GOT UP IN MY FACE AND YOU'RE A BIG SHOT, AREN'T YOU? I GO, YEAH, AREN'T YOU? GIVE US A SKATE PARK. WE CAN'T SKATE IN THE SCHOOLS. WE CAN'T SKATE IN OFFICE BUILDINGS. NOW THIS GUY WON'T LET US SKATE IN OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD. WE NEED A SKATE PARK. RIGHT? SO I RECOGNIZED THE NEED AND IT WAS ALL 'CAUSE OF A LITTLE EIGHT TO 10-YEAR-OLD SKATEBOARDER. I NEVER IMAGINED WHAT IT WOULD BECOME. IT EVOLVED. THERE WAS NEVER A PLAN. EVERY YEAR IT GREW AND THERE WERE MORE KIDS INVOLVED. I'M KEVIN HUMP FREE AND I SKATE AND PLAY BASKETBALL AND I'M FROM CONLIN. HEY, HOW'S IT GOING? MY NAME'S SIA. I'M FROM LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. MY NAME IS JA ROMERO. I'M 15 YEARS OLD. UH, MY NAME IS JEREMIAH. I'M FROM LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. I GO BY PONCHO. MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT SKATEBOARDING IS RIDING TRICKS. AND THERE'S A FEELING AFTER, YOU KNOW, WORKING SO HARD TO GET A TRICK AND THEN YOU LAND IT JUST A FEELING AFTER THAT COMPARE TO, I LOVE RAILS. I KNOW I'M SHORT, BUT I LOVE DOING THEM. FAVORITE PART ABOUT SKATEBOARDING HAS TO BE ALL THE FRIENDS I MAKE AND THE LITTLE CIRCLE THAT I HAVE AROUND ME. ONCE A MONTH WE FEED THE KIDS. WE DO TRICKS FOR DOLLARS. WE DO A BEST TRICK, GET THE KIDS TOGETHER. WE JUST HAVE A SPOT AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THEM TOGETHER TO SKATE TOGETHER. MY MAIN ROLE IS TO COME OUT TO THE SKATE EVENTS AND BASICALLY MC THE SKATE CONTEST FOR THE KIDS. I LOVE MCING THE EVENTS. THEY'RE SUPER FUN. I'VE BEEN DOING 'EM OVER 10 YEARS. I GET THE CROWD HYPE. I GET THE KIDS HYPE. THIRD PLACE, THOSE TWO, THIS GUY AIN'T HERE. YOU GET TRICKS FOR DOLLARS. WE GIVEAWAY BOARDS, WHEELS, ALL KINDS OF OTHER COOL STUFF. ASK LONG BEACH HAS PROVIDED A A SAFE PLACE FOR SKATERS TO COME, BE CREATIVE, MEET UP WITH FRIENDS, MEET NEW PEOPLE, AND WE ALL TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. IT'S A GOOD ENVIRONMENT FOR KIDS. CURRENTLY, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASK FOUNDATION. MIKE WOULD HIRE KEEN RAMPS TO SET UP THE SKATE CONTEST. I THINK THE BIGGEST THING THAT STOOD OUT ABOUT ASK WAS JUST SEEING THAT FAMILY ASPECT WITHIN A SKATE PARK. YOU KNOW, I GREW UP GOING TO SKATE PARKS AND THAT'S HOW I MADE ALL MY FRIENDS, RIGHT? BUT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING TYING US TOGETHER. SO I JUST REALLY LIKED THE ASPECT OF, OH, THIS IS ESSENTIALLY JUST REGULAR SKATING KIDS AT A SKATE PARK, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING TO SORT OF BIND THEM TOGETHER. AND I THOUGHT THAT ASK DID A VERY TASTEFUL WAY OF CREATING THIS FAMILY VIBE AROUND THE LOCAL LONG BEACH SKATE SCENE. IT HAPPENED ORGANICALLY. THERE WAS NO PLAN. THERE WAS NO ORGANIZED EFFORT. IT JUST ORGANICALLY GREW, UH, BECAUSE OF [00:15:01] THE KIDS' INTEREST AND INVOLVEMENT IN SKATEBOARDING. AFTER WE CAME UP WITH A NEW NAME, UH, ASKED FOUNDATION, WE KNEW THAT WE WANTED TO GO IN THE DIRECTION OF CREATE IN A NON-PROFIT. SO ONCE I MADE THE DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD ON DEVELOPING THE SKATE PARKS, I WENT TO CITY MANAGER AND TOLD ME WHAT I WANTED TO DO. AND THERE WAS A BIG LIABILITY ISSUE. 'CAUSE SKATEBOARDING WAS NOT ON THE LIST OF HAZARDOUS SPORTS THAT CITIES COULD PROVIDE FOR. SO WE DID A ROAD TRIP TO SACRAMENTO. WE LOBBIED A JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO ADD SKATEBOARDING TO THE LIST OF HAZARDOUS SPORTS, WHICH WE DID SUCCESSFULLY. AND WHEN THAT WAS DONE, I CAME BACK TO THE CITY AND WE HAD TO DO A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON THE BENEFITS AND PROS AND CONS OF, OF SKATE PARKS. THE ONLY WAY THAT I KNEW TO EFFECTIVELY DO THIS WAS FOR ME TO STEP ASIDE AND PUT KIDS OUT IN FRONT. CONNECTING WITH THE LOCAL SKATERS IS CRITICAL. UM, YOU KNOW, ENSURING THAT THEIR VOICE IS LOUD, UH, AND CLEAR AND AND FRONT AND CENTER. I THINK MIKE, MORE THAN ANYONE UNDERSTANDS IT WHEN SERVING A PARTICULAR CONSTITUENCY IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL KIDS, UH, AND TRY TO GET THEM TO SKATE PARK, THAT THEIR VOICES NEED TO BE HEARD, THAT THEY NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE DECISIONS BEING MADE ABOUT THIS, THIS, THIS PROJECT, BUT ALSO GONNA BE UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE THEM IN A DIFFERENT WAY. AND HAVING THEM DOING THE WORK, HAVING THEM REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, HAVING THEM TALKING TO OTHER LOCAL LEADERS AND, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTING THEMSELVES. AND ULTIMATELY HAVING DONE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE WORK TO GET THE SKATE PARK BUILT. AND THAT, THAT SENSE OF PRIDE IS ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT COMES WITH, WITH, YOU KNOW, REALLY GETTING IN THERE AND HAVING SOME SKIN IN THE GAME. AND WE WENT TO COMMUNITY MEETINGS. WE WENT TO COMMISSION MEETINGS AND WENT ALL OVER THE CITY TO PROMOTE SKATE PARKS, UH, WITH THEY LISTENED AND LEARNED PROS AND CONS OF SKATE PARK AND THEY WERE ALL WELL SEASONED AND READY TO GO. AND WE WENT TO CITY COUNCIL. THEY HAD ALL THE ANSWERS TO ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN. SO MY, MY EFFORT WAS TO PUT THESE KIDS IN FRONT OF THE CITY AND HAVE THEM ASK FOR SOMETHING. I THINK THE ONE THING THAT'S THAT'S BEEN MOST CRITICAL FOR US IN THE CITY IS WE WOULDN'T HAVE DEVELOPED SKATE PARKS THE WAY WE DID IF IT NOT BEEN FOR THE FOUNDATION. ACTUALLY PROVIDING THE INPUT AND PROFESSIONAL ADVICE FROM SKATERS ON HOW THESE PARKS SHOULD BE BUILT. POLITICIANS WON'T USE INVOLVEMENT. THIS WAS IT. THIS WAS AN EPITOME OF YOUTH INVOLVEMENT. THEY HAD PASSION, THEY HAD COMMITMENT. PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING TO BIG DRIVE, SKATE PARK, LONG BEACH ALL WAY. TONY HALL. THANKS, INCLUDING ME. CONGRATULATIONS. LONG BEACH. UH, YOU ENJOY YOUR PARK. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT. TO TRY TO DEVELOP SKATE PARKS IN AREAS LIKE THIS AND TO SEE THE SENSE OF PRIDE THAT KIDS HAVE IN IT. AND THE FACT THAT THEY, THEY REALLY WERE PART OF THIS PROCESS AND THEY SAW IT IN POSITION BECAUSE OF THEIR HARD WORK. UH, TONY, TAKE ONE, ONE TAKE FIRST, FIRST TRY. FRIDAYS. I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN IN SKATE PARK ADV ADVOCACY MOST OF MY LIFE BECAUSE I STARTED OUT SKATING AT SKATE PARKS. I GOT INTO SKATING AS IT WAS SORT OF FALLING OUTTA STYLE. AND THEN AS I GOT REALLY INTO IT, ALL THE SKATE PARKS CLOSED. SO I ALWAYS HAVE AN AFFINITY FOR SKATE PARKS AND, AND WHAT THEY BROUGHT TO ME IN TERMS OF A SENSE OF COMMUNITY, A SENSE OF SELF-CONFIDENCE, UM, A SENSE OF IDENTITY. MCBRIDE WAS I THINK THE TURNING POINT TO, TO GETTING A LOT OF SKATE PARKS BUILT OR, OR TO AT LEAST GETTING THEM ENDORSED AND APPROVED. BECAUSE GETTING THAT FIRST SKATE PARK BUILT IN A CITY IS ALWAYS A BIG HASSLE AND A BIG CHALLENGE. AND THERE'S A LOT OF PUSHBACK, USUALLY FROM OLDER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. PEOPLE WHO BUY INTO STEREOTYPES OF SKATEBOARDING. THERE WAS A INTENTION IN MAKING SURE THAT PARTICULARLY NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MAYBE WEREN'T AS INVESTED IN OR LOWER INCOME COMMUNITIES ALSO HAD ACCESS TO REALLY GOOD PARKS. AND SO A LOT OF THE GREAT PARKS IN LONG BEACH AND SOME OF THE, I THINK MOST DYNAMIC SPACES HAVE BEEN IN, IN COMMUNITY THAT REALLY NEEDED THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. PRIOR TO JOINING ASK, I KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I WAS GOING THROUGH STUFF, YOU KNOW, I, I HAD LOST MY GRANDPA, MY MOM'S, MY MOM'S DAD. AND THAT WAS PRETTY HARD ON, YOU KNOW, ME AND MY BROTHER. IF ASK WASN'T AROUND, I'LL BE HONEST, I'LL PROBABLY BE IN A GANG. 'CAUSE I WAS SURROUNDED BY A LOT OF BAD PEOPLE. THAT'S WHERE MY, MY FRIENDS WERE AT AND EVERYTHING. SO I WOULD JUST FOLLOW THEM. WHEN YOU GO FROM A HOUSEHOLD IN WHICH YOU HAVE YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY TOGETHER TO SPLITTING THAT FAMILY APART, IT KIND OF DOES SOMETHING TO YOU. AT 14 YEARS OLD, I FEEL LIKE IF I'D NEVER GOTTEN INVOLVED AND ASKED, I WOULD BE IN THE STREETS, YOU KNOW, GANG BANGING, DOING STUPID STUFF THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, OR SHOULD NOT BE DOING. AND I FEEL LIKE, LIKE IF I DIDN'T, I WOULD EITHER BE IN JAIL OR DEAD. BUT THEN I JOINED AS, WHICH KEPT ME OUT OF THAT, KEPT ME GOING IN THE RIGHT PATH AND KEPT ME FROM HANGING WITH THE WRONG PEOPLE. THE CITY COUNCIL REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY INJECTIONS. THE PUSHBACK WAS FROM PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. THOSE THAT US INVOLVED IN SKATEBOARDING, REFER [00:20:01] TO THEM AS THE HATERS. YOU BUILD SKATE PARKS, YOU'RE GONNA INCREASE CRIME, IT'S GONNA DECREASE YOUR PROPERTY VALUE. UH, THESE KIDS ARE, UH, HOODLUMS OR GANG BANGERS. WE HEARD ALL OF IT. A LACK OF, UM, THINGS TO DO FOR THE KIDS AFTER SCHOOL, BETWEEN THE HOURS OF THREE AND, AND EIGHT AT NIGHT. UM, THEY'RE AT THE PROGRAMS. I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEE. THERE ARE SOME, BUT THERE, THERE ARE NOT. TO BE ABLE TO PUT A SKATE PARK THERE AND TO GIVE KIDS A PLACE TO GO WHERE THEY CAN FOCUS THEIR ENERGIES IN A POSITIVE WAY. WHERE THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF BEING A GOOD SKATEBOARD ARE SUCH THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO GET ON THE AVENUE OF DRUGS. YOU WANT TO STAY OUTTA GAMES. YOU WANT TO BE AN ATHLETE. YOU KNOW, IN THE, IN THE, IN A SKATEBOARD, UH, ENVIRONMENT. I ACTUALLY INTERVIEWED A LONG BEACH POLICE OFFICER ONCE WHO TOLD ME THAT THE SKATE PARK IS A BLESSING BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT WHEN KIDS ARE THERE, THEY'RE SAFE, THEY'RE TOGETHER, THEY'RE GONNA WATCH OUT FOR EACH OTHER AND THEY'RE OUT OF HARM'S WAY. HE UNDERSTOOD VERY CLEARLY THAT THE SKATE PARK REPRESENTED A SANCTUARY, NOT A THREAT. SKATE PARK ACTIVISTS AND AND WATTS HAVE TOLD ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COUPLE OF SMALL PARK THAT THEY HAVE, THERE ARE PLACES WHERE THE GANGS JUST DON'T HANG OUT. YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE PLACES WHERE THE KIDS CAN GO AND SKATE AND NOT BE HARASSED OR NOT BE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT HAVING ENCOUNTERS WITH GANG MEMBERS. THE GANGS LIKE TO CONTROL, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHEREVER THEY ARE, THEY LIKE TO CONTROL THE, THE SCENE AND THE SITUATION. AND WITH SKATEBOARDING, THERE'S JUST PEOPLE MOVING AROUND ALL THE TIME AND THERE'S LIKE ACTIVITY AND IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE, IT, IT, THEY, THEY CAN'T REALLY CONTROL IT, SO THEY JUST END UP, YOU KNOW, CONGREGATING ELSEWHERE. AND SO THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE ACTIVITY THAT, THAT JUST KIND OF CREATES A PERIMETER, LIKE KIND OF ITS OWN SAFE SPACE. YOU KNOW, IN AN URBAN SETTING, IF YOU DON'T DESIGN AND PROVIDE SKATE PARKS, YOUR WHOLE CITY BECOMES A SKATE PARK. AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A POSITIVE THING. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET COMPLAINTS FROM BUSINESS OWNERS OR, OR HOME OWNERS THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST THE, THE PRESENCE OR ACTIVITY OF SKATEBOARDING, UM, SOMETIMES HAS A DETRIMENTAL FACT THAT THIS IS ALL THE RED TEAM WE HAD TO CUT THROUGH. ONE IS JUST STEREOTYPES AND THE STIGMA THAT SKATERS ARE TROUBLEMAKERS, THAT THEY'RE, UH, A NUISANCE THAT THEY TRESPASS. YEAH, THEY DO ALL THOSE THINGS BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T PROVIDE A PLACE TO SKATE FOR THEM. SO THEY'RE FORCED TO GO SKATE ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY AND HOT FENCES. SO BEHIND ME IS MICHAEL K. GREEN PARK, ALSO KNOWN AS BLACK MIKE PARK. HE WAS A SKATEBOARDER THAT GOT SHOT AND KILLED BACK IN 2005. AND HE PASSED AWAY AND THEY BUILT THIS SKATE PARK IN HIS MEMORY. WHEN WE MADE THE DECISION TO DEVELOP THE 14TH STREET SKATE PARK, WHICH IS A MICHAEL K. GREEN SKATE PARK, THAT WAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST CRIME AREAS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. AND PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT WAS CRAZY. I SAID, NO, IF YOU GIVE THESE KIDS SOMETHING TO DO, IT IS GONNA BENEFIT. IT'S GONNA GET THEM OFF THE STREETS. WITHIN THREE YEARS AFTER THE MICHAEL K. GREEN SKATE PARK WAS BUILT, DRUG RELATED CRIME DECREASED BY 60.9% VIOLENT CRIME BY 29.3%. OVERALL CRIME, 22.8% AND CALLS FOR SERVICE BY 23%. AND THAT'S THE SKATE PARK THAT REALLY WOKE THE CITY UP TO RECOGNIZE THE BENEFITS OF OUR SKATE PARKS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SKATE PARKS, BENEFITING CITIES AND LOWERING CRIME, IT'S NOT JUST TALK WITH PROOF. SO I WAS REALLY INVOLVED IN, UM, THE MICHAEL GREEN SKATE PARK AS A COUNCIL PERSON AND THEN IN MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS AS MAYOR. AND THAT WAS A REALLY OBVIOUSLY SPECIAL, UH, SPECIAL PARK. HE WAS OBVIOUSLY TRAGIC, UM, IN A SENSE, UH, OF WHAT HAPPENED. UM, BUT THE FACT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE INPUT AND LOVE AND SUPPORT OF MICHAEL'S MOTHER AND, UM, OF THE YOUTH AND, AND, AND THOSE THAT SKATED THERE. AND THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT MOMENT FOR THE CITY. AND, UM, I'M REALLY PROUD OF THAT PARK. THIS FOUNDATION HAS SAVED A LOT OF LIFE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. AND THAT BROUGHT SKATEBOARDING A LONG WAY. IF WE END UP GETTING RID OF IT, OUR FANS OF GOING AWAY, NOT NECESSARILY SKATEBOARDING WOULD GO AWAY, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE AS LIFESAVING OR LIFE CHANGING. I, I REALLY THINK FOR A SK HELPED ME A LOT. THEY MADE ME, THEY MADE ME BE ABLE TO SAY THAT I ACTUALLY DID HAVE A CHILDHOOD. MOST PEOPLE DON'T GET THAT PRIVILEGE. AND JUST SO I HAVE THAT, THEY OPENED THE DOOR FOR ME TO HAVE A CHILDHOOD. A BIG THING THAT ASK TAUGHT ME OVER THE YEARS OF BEING WITH THEM WAS NOT ONLY TO BE A ROLE MODEL FOR PEOPLE AROUND YOU, THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME, YOUNGER PEOPLE, BUT TO SOMETIMES BE A BROTHER FOR THOSE PEOPLE AS WELL. THERE'S A STIGMA WITH SKATE PARKS THAT ATTRACTS THE WRONG CROWD. WHEN IN ALL ACTUALITY, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S ATTRACTING THE BETTER KIDS. NOW THE KIDS WHO WANT AN OUTLET, THEY WANT TO DO SOMETHING CREATIVE, BUT THERE'S A LOT TO BE GAINED FROM THE TENACITY OF KIDS THAT DO THESE SPORTS. WHEN YOU GO TO SKATE PARK, YOU SEE FOLKS FROM EVERY PART OF TOWN, FROM DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES AND OPPORTUNITY COMMUNITIES TO HIGH RESOURCE COMMUNITIES ALL TOGETHER, CELEBRATING AND LEARNING FROM ONE [00:25:01] ANOTHER THROUGH THIS ART AND CRAFT AND SPORT OF SKATING. THAT YEAR AND A HALF OR SO OF, OF WHAT WE CALLED COVID, LOCKDOWNS, SKATEBOARDING BOOMED, PEOPLE DISCOVERED SKATING IN THOSE MONTHS BECAUSE THEY WERE STUCK ONE PLACE. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE KIND OF CURIOUS, LIKE, I ALWAYS WANNA LEARN HOW TO SKATEBOARD. I GUESS I HAVE TIME NOW. AND WE COULD NOT KEEP SKATEBOARDS ON THE SHELVES. THAT IN TURN BECAME MORE NEED FOR SKATE PARKS. I'M 70 YEARS OLD, I PLAN TO DO THIS. I UNTIL I CAN'T WALK ANYMORE. BUT THERE WILL COME A TIME THAT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED IN RUNNING IT. UH, SO I THINK THE OBJECTIVE RIGHT NOW IS TO SECURE SOME KIND OF LONG-TERM FUNDING FOR THE FUTURE. 'CAUSE IT'S SUCH A BENEFIT TO KIDS PARTNERING WITH AS FOUNDATION CHANGES LIVES, IT, IT, IT CAN SAVE KIDS. THE A STANDS FOR ACTION AND THE S STANDS FOR SPORTS. AND THE K IS ABOUT KIDS. AND THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF THE S FOUNDATION. THEY LIVE AND BREATHE OUT EVERY DAY AND THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY. THE MONEY WILL BE GOING TOWARDS OUR FUTURE SKATE CONTESTS AND ALSO BACK TO FIXING OUR PARKS. WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GIVE OUT MORE BACKPACKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES OR GET LAPTOPS FOR 'EM OR HAVE A, A SPACE WHERE THEY CAN LIKE, MAKE ART OR WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE. WE COULD GET LIKE A GRANT WRITER AND THEN THE GRANT WRITER COULD HELP LIKE GET SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THESE KIDS TO DO TRADE SCHOOL OR COLLEGE IF THEY WANT. I WOULD SAY THAT AN INVESTMENT IN THE AS FOUNDATION IS A REALLY GOOD INVESTMENT BECAUSE THE MONEY'S GOING DIRECTLY INTO SUPPORTING SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE THAT REALLY LOVE SKATING. AND WHERE SKATING IS REALLY THE, THE, THE OUTLET THAT THEY HAVE TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND FRIENDSHIP AND TEAMWORK. A GREAT ORGANIZATION. I DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE . YOU KNOW, I THINK A SK LONG BEACH AND THE WORK OF THE ORGANIZATION, UH, AND THE WORK OF MCDONALD IN PARTICULAR HAS REALLY PUT LONG BEACH ON THE MAP FOR SKATEBOARDING AND FOR SKATEBOARDERS, NOT JUST AROUND THE COUNTRY, BUT AROUND THE WORLD. WHEN SOMETHING GOES AWAY THAT YOU REALLY LOVE AND YOU HAVE PASSION IN, YOU END UP GOING AWAY. YOU GOTTA BE KEEPING KIDS OUT OF TROUBLE. YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP KIDS OUT OF GOING TO PRISON OR DOING DRUGS THAT NO KID SHOULD BE DOING. IT'S A SAFE ZONE. IT'S WHERE YOU WANT TO GO AND JUST CREATE A VIBE. YOU MEET PEOPLE, YOU CREATE THESE MEMORIES, AND BY INVESTING IN SKATE PARKS, YOU'RE INVESTING IN YOU AND YOU'RE GIVING 'EM SOMETHING POSITIVE AND YOU'RE KEEPING THEM ON THE RIGHT TRACK. YOU'RE KEEPING THEM ENGAGED IN POSITIVE ACTIVITIES AND IT'S AN INVESTMENT THAT WILL PAY MULTIPLE DIVIDENDS AS TIME GOES ON. WITHOUT QUESTION, WE WOULD NOT BE THIS FAR ALONG IN TERMS OF HAVING SO MANY SKATE PARKS AND HAVING INVESTED, UH, TO THIS EXTENT AND TO THE SKATING COMMUNITY IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THE ADVOCACY AND LEADERSHIP OF THE ASK FOUNDATION. BY INVESTING SKATE PARKS IN LONG BEACH, WE'RE REALLY INVESTING IN OUR YOUTH AND WE INVEST IN OUR YOUTH. WE INVEST IN FAMILIES, WE INVEST IN COMMUNITIES. IF SOMEONE IS CONSIDERING SUPPORTING ASK FOUNDATION AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS OR WHAT THE IMPACT IS, GO TO A SKATE PARK IN LONG BEACH. GO SEE HOW MANY KIDS ARE USING IT AND HOW IS AN ECLECTIC GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ALL ENJOYING, THAT ARE ALL CHEERING EACH OTHER ON. MY CURRENT GOAL RIGHT NOW IS TO GIVE THE FOUNDATION LONGEVITY TO CONTINUE BEYOND MY TIME WITH IT. YEAH, I'M GONNA DO THIS AS LONG AS I POSSIBLY CAN, AS LONG AS THE FUNDING'S THERE. BUT TALKING TO OUR BOARD MEMBERS, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS FIND A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO FUND IT. AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NO STAFF. SO IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THIS LEGACY THAT AS FOUNDATION IS, IS WE NEED A STAFF. IF I HAVE ANY GOAL, IT WOULD BE FUNDING TO CONTINUE WHAT WE'VE DONE AND CONTINUE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF CHILDREN THROUGH SKATEBOARDING. I'M GONNA INTRODUCE OUR CREW AND THEN WE'RE GONNA DISPERSE AND LET YOU GUYS KNOW. THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR, ALL OF YOU WEREN'T HERE, YOU SAID GLADYS, 27 YEARS OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR PHENOMENAL SUCCESS. FIRST OF ALL, JEREMIAH, I GOTTA [00:30:01] DO THIS IN ORDER. , UH, EVERYBODY KNOWS JEREMIAH. YES. UH, AND WE STARTED THIS THING YEARS AGO. OUR KIDS BACK THEN ARE NOW IN THEIR THIRTIES AND FORTIES. UH, AND THIS IS THE GENERATION, THE KIDS WE'RE WORKING, RIGHT? RIGHT NOW EVERYBODY KNOWS JEREMIAH, MY GODSON. HE'S BEEN WITH ME, HE'S BEEN HERE BEFORE, SINCE HE'S NINE YEARS OLD. HE'S BEEN WITH ME. HE'S GONNA BE 20. AL, JUSTIN, JEREMIAH'S BROTHER. AND THIS HAS THE NEW GENERATION ESCAPE HERE, OUR FUTURE OLYMPIANS AND ATHLETES. JD . DYLAN USED TO BE OUR YOUNGEST KID. YOU WERE, HOW OLD WAS HE? SIX. HE WAS SIX, 11 YEARS OLD. I CAN'T GET RID OF HIM. . THIS IS LOLO. THE GUY WITH THE PIE IN THE FACE. . AND THIS IS MARLEY. AND AT A COMMUNITY MEETING YEARS AGO ON BELMONT SHORE, LADY STOOD UP AND SAID, COUNCILMAN, YOU NEED TO BUILD BENCHES FOR KIDS TO STUDY AND READ BOOKS IN PARTS. IT'S NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF TESTOSTERONE. THIS IS KAY. YAY. THIS IS ONE OF SEVEN. UH, SO THIS THING EXPANDED INTO ALL, YOU KNOW, I, I LOOK INTO KIDS AND I DON'T SEE MALE, FEMALE, FLAT, BROWN. I LOOK IN THEIR EYES AND SEE THEIR HEART AND THEY INCREDIBLE PASSION. AND THESE GUYS INSPIRE THESE GUYS. AND WHEN THESE GUYS GET OLDER, THEY'RE GONNA INSPIRE OTHERS. THIS THING JUST CONTINUES TO EVOLVE ITSELF. AND THEN SOME VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE THAT ARE NEVER WITH ME, BUT MY BIGGEST SUPPORTERS, MY BROTHER AND SISTER IN THE BACK, PATRICK FUL LADIES THAT GOD HAS EVER PUT ON THE EARTH. MY DAUGHTER NICOLE, I MARRIED MY WIFE OF 52, 51 YEARS OR SOMETHING. . MY FAMILY IS JUST MY BIGGEST SUPPORTERS. THEY LOVE WHAT WE DO. THEY KNOW WHAT MOST OF THESE KIDS, UH, THEY'VE BEEN TO OUR HOUSE AND BEEN PART OF OUR TRIBAL EVENTS. UM, BUT I GOTTA TELL YOU, MY WIFE, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS, WE'D GO TO THE ORIGINAL 14TH STREET SKATE PARKS. SHE'D DO HOT DOGS AND BANDAGE UP KIDS AND REALLY TAKE CARE OF 'EM. THAT'S WHEN WE HAD SEVEN TO 10 KIDS AND WAS AT BRIDGE. SHE GOES, I'M DONE, , THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND IT WAS FUNNY, I COME HOME FROM EVENT AND I START RATTLING OFF ALL THESE THINGS AND SHE JUST ROLLED HIS, MY GOD, HE'S STARTING TO TALK LIKE THEM NOW. . ANYWAY, THIS IS THE SUPPORT GROUP AND IT'S THESE GUYS AND YOU GUYS THAT ARE, ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF THESE CHILDREN. THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MIKE. BEFORE WE BRING IT UP HERE, DOES ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? ALRIGHT. AND MONEY. E BY THE WAY, ELOISE, I WOULD SAY IT'S A WONDERFUL THING THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING BECAUSE THEY'RE DIFFERENT GENERATION AND, UM, MY ORGANIZATION, YOU LIKE, YOU REACH OUT TO ME OR YOU AND I CAN TALK. I WOULD RATHER COMMUNICATE WITH YOU IN REGARDS TO. THANK YOU. PERFECT. ANYONE ELSE? ANY COMMENTS UP HERE? YEAH, I'LL MAKE THE COMMENT. SO MIKE, I JUST, I REALLY DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE YOU FOR SUPPORTING BOYS AND MEN OF COLOR LIKE NO ONE ELSE HAS IN A LONG TIME. INCONSISTENTLY FOR MANY YEARS JUST BECAUSE IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND SO THAT IS HUGE FOR ME. AND I LOVE SEEING ALL THE KIDS HERE. THEY ARE SO INSPIRATIONAL BEYOND, I THINK ANY WORK THAT I CAN PROVIDE. SO I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE YOU FOR STAYING IN IT FOR THESE KIDS. THANK YOU. THAT MEANS A LOT. AND LIKE I SAID, THESE, I'VE BEEN ASKED TO ETHNIC MAKEUP OF OUR KIDS AND IT'S A QUESTION I CAN'T ANSWER. LIKE I SAID, I LOOK IN THEIR EYES AND SEE THEIR HEARTS. UH, AS LONG AS THEY GOT A SKATEBOARD UNDER THEIR FEET, , YOU KNOW, THAT'S ABOUT IT. BUT, UH, UH, AND, AND THESE KIDS, SOME ARE MORE PRIVILEGED THAN OTHERS. A LOT OF OUR KIDS ARE NOT PRIVILEGED AT ALL. BUT TO SEE 'EM ALL TOGETHER, HAVING A GOOD TIME NO MATTER WHAT THEIR ETHNIC BACKGROUND, DIVERSITY, JUST EVERYBODY OUT THERE HAVING A GREAT TIME AND A DIRECTOR. OUR BIGGEST SUPPORT DEAF. UM, AND THIS GUY'S BUSY . I MEAN, HE WEARS ME OUT. WE KNOW I, HIS FACE , HE WEARS US OUT. HE TAKE A NAP OR SOMETHING , BUT CERTAINLY THE MOST ACTIVE, UH, UH, PARTS RECORD THAT, THAT I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH. AND HE, SOMETHING ALWAYS STICKS IN MY MIND THAT HE, HE, I KNOW, BUT HE REMINDS HIM ABOUT AN ACTIVE PART OF THE STATE PARK. AND, UH, WE'VE PROVEN THAT VICE CHAIR RED, OH, COMMISSIONER CHAVE, UH, VICE CHAIR. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING [00:35:01] THAT YOU'VE DONE. THIS HAS BEEN REALLY NEAT TO SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, AS FOUNDATION DOES WHAT YOU DO FOR THE KIDS TO ACTUALLY SEE THE KIDS THAT YOU'RE BENEFITING AND HELPING OUT ARE IS, UH, I THINK VERY, VERY POWERFUL. UH, DEFINITELY AGREE WITH, UH, UH, UH, SOLICITS COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER YTE SMITH'S COMMENTS ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, HELPING OUT, UH, UH, PARTICULARLY YOUNG MEN OF COLOR, UH, BOYS AND YOUNG MEN OF COLOR. UH, I APPRECIATE AND, AND GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT ALSO LIKE HOW TO BRING IN GENDER EQUITY INTO THAT, HOW TO GET MORE WOMEN AND GET GIRLS INVOLVED WITH, WITH SKATING. I'D ALSO BE CURIOUS, NOT PROCLAIMING TO BE AN EXPERT OR, YOU KNOW, HAVING AN IDEA OF HOW TO APPROACH IT. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW TO BRING IN THE DISABLED COMMUNITY, UH, AS WELL, IF THERE'S A WAY WE DID THAT. OKAY. WONDERFUL. YEAH, WE'VE DONE EVENTS AT HOW PARK WITH THE ADAPTIVE, ADAPTIVE SPORTS COMMUNITY, AND IF YOU'VE SEEN TO WORK WITH THE GRAND OPENING OR TRACY, GARY GAR. COULD SHE FROM, UH, ALL THE LITTLE KIDS KNOW HER, SHE'S IN A WHEELCHAIR. MM-HMM. UH, AND SHE SKATES BOWLS, RIDES, BOWLS, SHE CALLS IT. UH, BUT WE ARE VERY MUCH IN TUNE WITH THE ADAPTIVE SPORTS C WONDERFUL EVENTS WITH THEM. ANYTIME THEY WANT US, THEY CALL US AND THEY DO IT. WE'VE ALSO DONE EVENTS WITH, UH, AUTISTIC CHILDREN, STATE CAMP WITH AUTISTIC CHILDREN. MY DAUGHTER WHO'S A GRADUATE CAL STATE, UM, SHE HAS HER MASTER'S IN SOCIAL WORKERS. SHE WORKS WITH AUTISTIC CHILDREN, AS DOES MY GRANDDAUGHTER. UH, SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN, BUT WHEN WE GET TOGETHER WITH THE KIDS AND WE'VE DONE SKATE CAMP, GREAT. THEY, OUR KIDS, YOU KNOW, PUSHING AROUND AUTISTIC CHILDREN. SO WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING, WE'VE DONE IT ALL. UM, BUT YOU ONLY DO SO MUCH WITH NO STAFF, RIGHT? UH, AND WE DON'T DO COLLABS ANYMORE UNLESS IT'S WITH A GROUP LIKE THAT. UN UNDERSTOOD. AND, AND CERTAINLY WE DID NOT MEET AS A SUGGESTION OR CRITICISM, BUT REALLY GENERAL CURIOSITY. LIKE HOW, HOW WOULD A GROUP LIKE YOURS OR SOME SORT OF GROUP ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO, TO, TO INTERACT OR, YOU KNOW, HELP SERVE THOSE KIDS AS WELL? THE, UH, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ADAPTIVE SPORTS LEAD, I'VE KNOWN SINCE HE LITTLE KID, UH, AND TONY OF COURSE WORKS WITH THOSE GUYS AND THEY KNOW WE'RE HERE. ANYTHING THAT WE EVER KNOW, THEY WILL, UH, WE, WE DO THAT. WONDERFUL. UM, JUST, I, I JUST ONE, YOU KNOW, ANY WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS COMMISSION CAN BE OF HELP OR SUPPORT OBVIOUSLY WITHIN THE CONFINES AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE TO THE CITY, BUT CERTAINLY WOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS HAPPY TO BE AN ALLY, UH, ON A LOT OF THESE ISSUES. AND I ACTUALLY, I THINK IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO THE COMMISSION TO MAYBE HEAR ABOUT HOW LIKE THAT SORT OF COLLABORATION MAYBE AT A FUTURE HEARING, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU WORK WITH THOSE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. AGAIN, ON THE DISABILITY SIDE OR DIVERS SIDE. I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST. UM, BUT YEAH, JUST WONDERFUL WORK. AND YOU SAID THAT YOU'RE DOING A PREMIER OF THE DOCUMENTARY THAT YOU JUST SHOWED ONE. YEAH, WE GOTTA ADD THE CREDITS TO IT. UM, AND THEN, UM, THE CARTOON CHARACTERS OF THE SKATEBOARDERS. MM-HMM. , WE'RE GONNA ADD A KID OF COLOR TO IT, . UH, AND THAT'S ABOUT IT. GOT IT. THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO CHANGES WE'RE GONNA MAKE. AND, UH, WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD ON WHEN AND HOW TO DO THE, UH, UH, PREMIER, WHICH WOULD BE BASICALLY A FUNDRAISERS OUR THEATER AND THE VP AFTER PARTY ACROSS THE STREET AT, UH, LOLA'S LOLA'S. WHICH ONE? LOLA'S THE COFFEE SHOP. THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THE THEATER. OH. OH, OKAY. SOMETHING IN SAGE. OH YEAH. OH, AND SAGE ON THAT. OKAY. POSTED. YEAH. WE'LL, UH, AND THEN WITH THE LEAD UP TO THE PREMIER, THERE WILL BE A LOT OF STUFF ON THE INTERNET AND STUFF THAT'S NOT IN THERE THAT'LL BE THROWN OUT. UH, SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. WE'RE NOT A BIG RUSH TO DO IT. UH, AND THEN IF WE CAN RAISE A FEW BUCKS, BREAK EVEN, WE'LL BE FINE. BUT I THINK WHAT THIS, THIS WILL DO AND WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE IS INSPIRE OTHER CITIES TO RECOGNIZE, UM, THE NEED EVENTS OF THE STATE. LIKE I SAID, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 22 YEARS SINCE EL I WANT DO, CAN I DO A GROUP PICTURE REAL QUICK? WAIT, A FEW MORE COMMENTS. I'M COMM COMMISSIONER ALLEN. YEAH, I JUST WANNA SAY THIS IS, UH, AMAZING. I MAY BE THE NEWEST COMMISSIONER, BUT I WAS A STAFF MEMBER TO COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GARCIA WHEN MICHAEL K. GREEN OPENED. UM, AND HAD TO BE PART OF THAT INITIAL CONCEPT TEAM AND WORKED TO MAKE SURE ON THE CITY SIDE, UM, THAT THAT EVENT WENT OFF THAT HITCH. AND SO IT WAS REALLY EXCITING TO SEE THAT MENTIONED IN THE, IN, IN THE FILM AND TO SEE THE WORK THAT CONTINUES AND NOW TO BE ON THIS SIDE, UM, AND BE ABLE TO BE SUPPORTIVE AND BE HELPFUL WHERE I CAN AS A COMMISSIONER. SO, GREAT JOB, MIKE. I JUST IS, I MEAN, YOU'VE ALWAYS HAD A PASSION FOR THIS AND IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLE TO SEE IT GROW AND CONTINUE. I WIFE BETTER, MORE THAN A PASSION . UH, BUT THIS IS INCREDIBLE. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT TODAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. VICE CHAIR REDFIELD. THANK YOU, MIKE. I JUST WANNA ECHO WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS SAID, [00:40:01] BUT YOU EPITOMIZE. MY FAVORITE QUOTE IS MARGARET MEAD WHO SAID, NEVER DOUBT THAT A SMALL GROUP OF THOUGHTFUL, COMMITTED CITIZENS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. INDEED. IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS. GO AHEAD. NO REAL, JUST REAL QUICK. I, ALL OF THE STUFF THAT'S IN THAT VIDEO, YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS DISCUSSION. I GOT TO WORK WITH MIKE WHEN I WAS A STAFFER IMPROVING AND, AND OPENING THE, THE SKATE PARKS WHEN YOU POSTED THIS ON FACEBOOK, ANOTHER FORMER COUNCILMAN LES ROBBINS CALLED ME AND SAID THAT WE NEEDED TO ALSO MENTION THAT WHEN WE OPENED THE DISC GOLF OUT HERE, WE HAVE THE SAME KIND OF COMMENTS. IT'S A BAD ELEMENT. WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT. WHAT I WANT TO COMMENT IS FOR ALL OF US UP HERE THAT ARE DECISION MAKERS AND DECISION EXECUTORS ON STAFF, WE ALL AGREE THAT PARKS MAKE LIFE BETTER. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT PARKS ARE ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITY AND ALL KINDS OF ACTIVATION. AND SO YOU GUYS WERE A LEADER IN THAT CONCEPT. AND WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS COME IN OTHER DIVERSE USES OF OUR PARKS ALONG WITH ASK YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB. I ALWAYS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE BECAUSE THE WORLD, SMALL PIECE OF A BIG PICTURE. YEP. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT US SKATEBOARDING. UM, AND I, I TOLD THIS LADY OVER HERE, ALL THIS DO BIT. YEP. WE GET A LOT UP. ABSOLUTELY. AND WE'RE JUST PART OF THE EQUATION. PART OF THE THANK YOU. A PHOTO. YEAH, DO THE PHOTO NOW I'M JUST GONNA GET THE KIDS RIGHT UP HERE AND THEY'RE GONNA GET DOWN ON THEIR KNEES. THEY'RE IN THE BACKGROUND. OH, THAT'S CUTE. LET'S GO BACK. THEY ACTUALLY, YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB. YOU, YEAH. ESPECIALLY JUST SITTING THERE, MAN, THAT'S A LONG TIME TO SAY KAYLA, YOU GUYS JUST, YEAH. GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES. LINE UP, GET BACK. HERE. I GOT STORIES. DO YOU WANNA PUT THE, DO YOU WANT, DO YOU GUYS WANNA COME AROUND HERE AND SEE? I'M BEHIND. STAND BEHIND. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET DOWN BECAUSE WE'D LOVE FOR ONE OF YOU OR THREE OF YOU TO BE A COMMISSIONER SOMEDAY. , THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE, DO WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER? YEAH, WE DO. WE DO HAVE A COMMISSION. SHOULD BE ON. SHOULDN'T BRENT BE IN THE PICTURE? MIKE AND MIKE, HERE WE GO. 1, 2, 3. THANK YOU. YOU GOOD? WE'RE DONE. THANK YOU, MIKE. GOOD JOB GUYS. I GOTTA LEAVE. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU GUYS AND, UH, ANYBODY WHO IS HERE FOR THAT PRESENTATION, IT'S NOT CONSIDERED RUDE IF YOU LEAVE, BUT AGAIN, REMIND YOU IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU'VE SIGNED IN ON THAT SHEET BACK THERE, UH, BY ELOISE. AND, UH, WE'LL NOW GO ON TO OUR REGULAR AGENDA. ITEM NUMBER ONE, RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETINGS OF THURSDAY, MARCH 21ST, 2024. AND WEDNESDAY APRIL 3RD, SECOND 2024. I HAD A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ALLEN, A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER TI SMITH. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? HEARING NONE AGAIN. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ALLEN. SECOND BY TI SMITH. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. THANK YOU. ITEM NUMBER TWO. RECOMMENDATION TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OR DENIAL OF THE FEE WAIVER REQUESTS OUTLINED IN ATTACHMENT A IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEE WAIVER POLICY DIRECTOR. YEP. THANK YOU. UH, CHAIR LEVITON. SO GLADYS KAISER, OUR BUREAU MANAGEMENT FOR COMMUNITY RECREATION SERVICES WILL PRESENT THE SITE. GOOD MORNING ABOUT US. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS. IN THIS SPIRIT OF CONTINUING, UH, FULFILLING OUR PARKS WITH ACTIVE PARTNERSHIPS, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY, UM, WE HAVE, UM, PARTNERSHIP PARKS, THE LONG BEACH TRADE PANTHERS. NOT A NEW GROUP, NOT A NEW EVENT. THEY'RE HAVING THEIR ANNUAL SENIOR REQUEST IN THE LONG BEACH SENIOR CENTER AUDITORIUM ON MAY 4TH. $410 IN FACILITY FOR FEES REQUESTED TO BE WAIVED. UH, $300 IN APPLICABLE STAFF CHARGES. THEY EXPECT ABOUT 300 IN ATTENDANCE. AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF PARTNERS OF WORK LONG BEACH TRADE PANTHERS, THEY'RE HAVING AN ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY ON JUNE 13TH, UM, AT THE LONG BEACH SENIOR CENTER AUDITORIUM. AGAIN, IT'S A COMMUNITY EVENT. $370 IN FACILITY PERMIT FEES, $180 IN THE STAFF. UH, APPLICABLE FEES, 200 EXPECTED IN ATTENDANCE ON BEHALF OF LAKEWOOD VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. IT'S THEIR ANNUAL END OF SUMMER COMMUNITY CELEBRATION AT PAN AMERICAN PARK IN [00:45:01] THE OPEN SPACE. IT'S A COMMUNITY EVENT, $345 OF FACILITY PERMIT FEES. UM, REQUESTED TO BE TWO $40 IN LIBERAL STAFF CHARGES AND EXPECTED 200 IN ATTENDANCE. ON BEHALF OF THE KAMAI PARENT ASSOCIATION, IT'S THIRD 30TH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. SCHOLARSHIP AWARD CELEBRATION ON JUNE 8TH AT MC PRIDE PARK IN THE SOCIAL HALL. THIS IS A COMMUNITY EVENT, $290 IN FACILITY PERMIT FEES REQUESTED TO BE WAIVED. $300 IN APPLICABLE STAFF CHARGES ABOUT 130 IN ATTENDANCE ON BEHALF OF GP CARE PACKAGES AND BLANKETS OF LOVE, UM, HAVING THEIR, UM, ANNUAL, UM, COMMUNITY EVENT. IT'S THE GP CARE PACKAGES SUMMERTIME HANDOUT AT VETERANS PARK IN THE OPEN SPACE. $215 IN FACILITY AND PERMIT FEES. UM, REQUESTED TO BE WAIVE ZERO APPLICABLE STAFF CHARGES ABOUT A HUNDRED IN ATTENDANCE. ON BEHALF OF LONG BEACH SIGMA PEARLS FOUNDATION, GAMMA TILE SIGMA ALUMNI ALUMNI ASSOCIATE CHAPTER. THIS IS A NEW GROUP TO US IN THE NEW EVENT. UM, THE WISH TO USE KING PARK POOL FOR THEIR SWIM 1922 SWIM CLINIC ON MAY 18TH. UM, $625 IN FACILITY AND PERMIT FEES REQUEST. WE WAIVE ZERO APPLICABLE STAFF CHARGES 110. 110. UM, AND THE LAST REQUEST IS EL DORADO AUDUBON SOCIETY REQUESTING TO USE THE EL DORADO PARK BRIDGE ROOM, UM, FOR COMMUNITY MEETINGS ON 4 18, 516, 6 2200 $20 FACILITY PERMIT FEES REQUESTED TO BE WAIVED. $120 APPLICABLE STAFF CHARGES AND ABOUT 35 AND 10 FEE WAIVERS. TOLD THIS MONTH, $2,475 COMMISSIONERS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. GLADYS, I SCREWED UP. I FORGOT TO GET A MOTION BEFORE ASKING FOR THE STAFF REPORT, SO CAN I GET A MOTION? SO MOVED. ALRIGHT. UM, SO OUR UH, FEES AND CHARGES, UH, COMMITTEE MET LAST WEEK. THE ONLY QUESTION WE HAD WAS TO NOTE THAT THE LONG BEACH SIGMA PEARLS FOUNDATION IS PART OF A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT, THAT DOES EVENTS LIKE THIS. UM, WE WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ALL OF THE OTHER, UH, EVENTS, UH, PROJECTING OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE AND WE'RE ONLY WAIVING UNDER $2,500 IN FEES. SO I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD USE IF WE APPROVE IT. UH, WHAT WE NORMALLY DO IS GO TO THE AUDIENCE, IF THERE'S ANY OF THE GROUPS THAT ARE HERE FROM THESE ORGANIZA, ANY PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE FROM THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND ABOUT YOUR REQUEST. SO WE'LL START WITH THE GRAY PANTHERS AND THERE'S TWO OF THEM, TWO EVENTS. SO IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THOSE, KAREN, UH, WE WANNA INVITE YOU ALL TO OUR, THIS IS OUR SEVEN ANNUAL SENIOR FAST. IT'S BEEN GROWING EVERY YEAR AND UM, WE'RE FOCUSING ON SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS. IT'S A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE SENIORS AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND CREATE SOME SOCIAL GROUPS, UH, AND ADVERTISE OUR CLUB SILVER EVENT THAT WE DO MONTHLY. SO, UM, WE APPRECIATE THE FEE WAIVERS AND ALL THE SUPPORT FROM THE PARKS AND REC STAFF. UM, IT ENABLES US TO DO SO MANY OF THESE EVENTS. AND THEN THE ELDER ABUSE, IT'S A WORLD AWARENESS EVENT AND THIS WILL BE OUR THIRD TIME OF DOING IT. WE DO IT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WISE AND HEALTHY AGING, WHICH IS AN AMAZING ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES ALL KINDS OF SERVICES THROUGH THE COURTHOUSE. AND, UM, WE DID A MARCH LAST YEAR PLANNING ON DOING MARCH. AGAIN. WHAT WE DID WAS WE HAD THE SENIORS PULLED UP SIGNS THAT HAD ACTUAL CASES OF ELDER ABUSE ON THEM AND THE SENIORS LOOKED AROUND. WE HAD THREE, UM, SENIORS REPORT TO THE POLICE ELDER ABUSE CASES. SO LONG BEACH HAS ABOUT 400 CASE NEW CASES REPORTED EACH MONTH. SO IT'S REALLY A HUGE ISSUE AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE ADVANCE THE SENIOR SAFE HOME, WHICH IS GOING FORWARD AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU KAREN. ANY QUESTIONS ON EITHER OF THOSE TWO? UH, NEXT, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY FROM THE LAKEWOOD VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION? ALRIGHT, ANYBODY FROM THE KAMAI PARENT ASSOCIATION THAT WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE REQUEST? UH, THE GP CARE PACKAGES AND BLANKETS OF LOVE. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS ELISE PARKER AND I'M THE FOUNDER AND, AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF, UM, GP CARE PACKAGES AT, OF LOVE. THIS EVENT FOR THE SUMMERTIME WILL BE OUR VERY FIRST SUMMERTIME EVENT. UM, GP CARE PACKAGES IS NORMALLY DOES A CHRISTMAS EVENT, WHICH YOU GUYS HELPED US OUT LAST YEAR FOR OUR NINTH ANNUAL EVENT, BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR VERY FIRST TIME SUMMER GIVEAWAY. AND WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO IS ACTUALLY HELP THE LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE STUDENTS HELP SOME OF THE YOUTH THAT ARE IN THE AREA AND ALSO, UM, HOUSE COMMUNITY BY PASSING OUT CARE PACKAGES AND RESOURCES FOR DIFFERENT, [00:50:01] UM, AREAS FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO, SO WE'RE HOPING TO GREAT, THANK YOU. UH, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY FROM, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY. I'M SORRY, WHAT DOES JP STAND FOR? THANK YOU. AND I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT. SURE, COMMISSIONER. SO I'LL SAY, ELOISE DOES AN AMAZING JOB OF THIS ORGANIZATION. SHE HAS PUT HER WHOLE HEART AND SOUL INTO THIS WORK AND I'M PROUD TO KNOW HER. PROUD TO CALL HER A PARTNER, UM, IN OUR NONPROFIT WORK TOGETHER. AND SO JUST, SHE DOES AMAZING WORK FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT SEEN. AND SO ELOISE, I TRULY AM GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WORK FOR THE CITY. THANK YOU. SO, AND IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A PEEK, UNFORTUNATELY I DIDN'T BRING ANY CARDS, BUT IF YOU GO TO GP CARE PACKAGES.ORG, YOU CAN TAKE A PEEK AT OUR WEBSITE, SEE WHAT IT IS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING. UM, IT'S BEEN A BLESSING TO BE GOING ON 10 YEARS THIS YEAR AND OUR HEART IS TO HELP THOSE THAT ARE HOMELESS OR UNHOUSED OR IN NEED. SO THAT'S WHAT WE VERY GOOD. UH, ANYBODY HERE FROM LONG BEACH SIGMA PEARLS FOUNDATION? UH, EL DORADO AUDUBON SOCIETY, MARY PARCELLS, THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. HER BEAUTIFUL BIRDS ON AS I WAS PARKING MY CAR THE SUMMER TO COME IN. EL AUDUBON IS A LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL OTTAWA SOCIETY. THE MISSION IS CONSERVATION OF WHERE WILD BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE AND THEIR HABITATS AND EDUCATION. THAT'S EDUCATION TO OUR MEMBERS, BUT EDUCATION TO THE COMMUNITY. UM, THE CHAPTER WAS, UH, FOUNDED IN 1969 BY TEACHERS AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, THEIR STUDENTS AND A LOCAL VETERINARIAN. THE FIRST MEETING OF THE CHAPTER WAS IN SEPTEMBER, 1969, AROUND 1969 UNTIL 2020. ELDORADO OT PRESENTED NATURAL SCIENCE PROGRAMS ON BIRDS, OTHER WILDLIFE AND THEIR HABITATS. SPEAKERS INCLUDED BIOLOGISTS, REPRESENTATIVES OF LONG BEACH WATER DEPARTMENT, LONG BEACH STUDY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MORE THAN ONE, UM, ON THE LAKE COMMITTEE, MIGO, WILLOW SPRINGS PARK, SUSTAINABILITY, ENDANGERED SPECIES, WOOD BOXES. WE SPEAK AT LONG BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARIES, LION CLUBS, GARDEN CLUBS. AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO AN EVENT AT EXPO AND ATLANTIC BOULEVARD NEAR CARSON REGARDING THE LOS ANGELES RIVER. WE TRULY A CITY BETWEEN TWO RIVERS, THE TWO RIVERS THAT WENT THROUGH OUR ACTIVITIES WALKS. PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED FREE. THERE IS NO CHARGE, NO REQUIREMENT FOR MEMBERSHIP FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES ON A WE RECENT LOS RITOS WETLANDS WALK OR GRANDFATHER CAME AND HE HAD THREE GRANDKIDS WITH HIM. AGE EIGHT, 11 AND 12. 11 AND 12 ARE LEARNING HOW TO USE GRANDPA'S. CAMERA EIGHT IS WATCHING THINGS AT HIS LEVEL. BUTTERFLIES, BUGS, ANTS, DELIGHT. SO WE PAID FOR AN AUDIO TOUR OF THE ELDER PARK DUCK POND, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE BIRDS OF THE POND. IT'S CALLED WING WONDERS. IT'S A PHONE NUMBER. AND THAT WAS THE, THE BIRDS WERE PICKED BY AN RHEUMATOLOGIST AT LONG BEACH STATE. AND IT'S TO EDUCATE PEOPLE, GIVE PEOPLE NOT TO LET THEIR DOG, UH, THEIR DOGS CHASE WILDLIFE, WHICH IS SO DESTRUCTIVE, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST DUNNO. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND AND WHAT TO FEED THEM, BUT IT'S NOT GOOD. SO ANYWAY, WE ALSO DO THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH THE POPULATION OF BIRDS IN GENERAL. WE DO THAT COUNT IN VIRTUALLY EVERY PARK IN LONG BEACH SURROUNDING CITIES EVERY YEAR, ALL VOLUNTEER. SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR THE . THANK YOU MARY. ALRIGHT, ANYONE ELSE FROM THE AUDIENCE WITH ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THESE REQUESTS? ANYONE ON THE COMMISSION? OKAY. WE HAD A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ARTIE SMITH, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CHAVEZ TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? THANK YOU AGAIN. IF YOU NEED TO LEAVE, IT'S NOT CONSIDERED RUDE IF YOU DO THAT. UH, WE WILL GO ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE DIRECTOR'S MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS REPORT. WE CREATE COMMUNITY AND THE DIRECTOR'S HIGHLIGHTS FOR APRIL, 2024. CAN I GET A MOTION? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. A DIRECTOR. THANK YOU. CHAIR LIVINGSTON. SO TODAY I'M NOT SURE OF OTHER ITEMS. IT'S BEEN A REAL BUSY, UH, MONTH SINCE YOUR LAST MEETING, BUT, UH, WE ARE IN THE THROES OF CITYWIDE CELEBRATION OF BIRTHDAY. THEY CALL FOR MONTH NOW. WE'LL BE OUT DOING A LOT OF APPLICATION PROJECT. I KNOW THIS SATURDAY IN PARTICULAR, WE HAVE A BEACH CLEANUP, UH, INITIATIVE, [00:55:01] UM, EVENTS AT MCBRIDE PARK AND DE FOREST PARK, UH, PARTNERING WITH THE ASSOCIATION, UH, THE OFFICER SPONSORING A PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND. SO SUSAN, YOU PROBABLY WANNA PUT THAT ON YOUR CALENDAR. UM, SO YESTERDAY, AND I DO WANT TO THANK STEVE SCOTT AND, AND ALSO JANICE MCMULLEN. WE, UM, PRESENTED OUR FISCAL YEAR 25, UH, BUDGET TO THE CITY MANAGER AND A HOST OF OTHERS THAT WERE A LOT OF BUDGET ANALYSTS AND OTHER, UH, CITY TEAM MEMBERS, PRIMARILY FROM HUMAN RESOURCES AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. BUT, UH, THE PRESENT PRESENTATION WENT RATHER WELL. UH, WE HAD SOME NICE COMPLIMENTS FROM THE CITY MANAGER, SO WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THAT. UM, MAY, UH, WE WILL BE IN CITY COUNCIL, UH, RECOGNIZING MAY IS OLD AMERICANS MONTH, SO THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US. UH, AND THEN WE'RE FORECASTING PROBABLY FOR OUR NEXT MEETING, HOPEFULLY, UH, THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO BRING THE NEW VISION PLANS FOR MOST SHARE PARK AND MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARK BEFORE THE COMMISSION, THE PRESENTATION CITY FABRIC, UH, AS OUR CONSULTANT GROUP THAT'S WORKED CLOSELY WITH OUR PARK PLANNING AND PARTNERSHIPS BUREAU TEAM FOR A LOT OF THE REALLY GREAT AND ENGAGING COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND WORKSHOPS. SO, UM, IDEALLY WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT AND THEN TAKE THAT TO COUNCIL FOR THEIR PRESENTATION AND, AND SUPPORT IN JUNE WHEN WE'LL HAVE THE SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASING ALL OF OUR SUMMER PROGRAMS, UH, AT A COUNCIL MEETING. UH, ALSO IF YOU GO OVER TO THE NATURE CENTER, I KNOW SOME OF YOU WERE AT THE PARTNERS OF PARK SEWING THE SEED EVENT, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS EVENING HOURS, BUT WE'VE BEEN INTRODUCING SOME OF OUR NEW UPGRADED WAY FINDING SIGNS, UM, AT, UH, AT THE PARKING AREA, THE ENTRANCE AREA, JUST GIVING PEOPLE I THINK A NICE CLEANER, UH, ORGANIZED WAY TO FIND THEIR DIRECTIONS AROUND A VERY COMPLICATED PARK. IT'LL JUMP ACROSS SPRING STREET THIS SUMMER AS WE'LL BE INTRODUCING, UH, IMPROVED WAYFINDING OR DIRECTIONAL SIGNS IN THE PARK THERE. UM, I DO WANT TO JUST LOOK BACK AT THIS PAST SATURDAY. IT WAS VERY BUSY, BUT, UH, MIKE DID HIGHLIGHT HOW BASS FOUNDATION AND A LOT OF SKATEBOARDING EVENTS DO INCLUDE, UH, ADAPTIVE RECREATION. BUT OVER AT LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE, UM, THEY HOSTED THE FIRST EVER, UH, ADAPTIVE RECREATION SPORTS FAIR. THEY WERE HOPING TO HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED REGISTRANTS, AND THEY ENDED UP BEING PLEASANTLY SURPRISED THAT OVER 700 INDIVIDUALS SIGNED UP TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A MYRIAD OF REALLY GREAT ADAPTIVE SPORTS. SO IT WAS, UH, A GREAT THING. IT WAS REALLY A MOTIVATION FOR ME TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IN A BIGGER WAY TO ACCOMMODATE INTEREST IN, UH, THE ADAPTIVE SPORTS REALM. SO I WANTED TO MENTION THAT. AND THEN, UH, JUST A DETAIL ON ITEM SIX, WE DID LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE. UH, AND RO THANK YOU FOR FILLING IN FOR EARLY TODAY, BUT, UH, EARLY OWENS DID ANNOUNCE HIS RETIREMENT AS OUR BUREAU MANAGER FOR PARK MAINTENANCE AND THEY'VE SETTLED IN ON RETIREMENT, UH, GET TOGETHER ON MARCH 20, MAY, I'M SORRY, MAY, MAY 23RD. UM, AND IT'S GONNA BE OVER AT RECREATION PARK. UM, I THINK THERE ARE, THERE'S A TICKETED TYPE ASPECT JUST TO HELP OFFSET FOOD COSTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT, UH, GENERAL WILL SEND OUT MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION. I THINK THEY JUST ORGANIZED A FLYER FOR THAT. BUT, UM, IT'S BEEN A VERY BUSY SPRING. YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S NICE AND GREEN THANKS TO ALL OF THE RAINFALL. AND, UH, I GUESS WITH THAT, THE REST OF MY REPORT, UH, I DON'T HAVE TO REALLY REPEAT THAT UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE? ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS UP HERE? UH, I JUST HAD ONE, WHICH I THINK FALLS UNDER THIS. DID WE GET ANY REPLY FROM HONORING OUR FALLEN, UM, UH, ABOUT SOME OF OUR CONCERNS? YEAH, UH, SHE BE, UM, ARE ACTING OUR PLANNING OF PARTNERSHIPS. BUREAU MANAGER HAS AN UPDATE ON THAT. OH, OKAY. DO YOU WANNA WAIT TILL COMMENTS OR? I'LL WAIT TO COMMENT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. PERFECT. THANK YOU. GOOD, GOOD FOLLOW UP QUESTION. UH, AND THEN, UM, THE TENNIS, WE, WE HAD THE GUY FROM TENNIS HERE TWO MONTHS AGO. HOW, WHAT IS AN UPDATE ON THE TENNIS? UH, YEAH, THE 18TH, WHICH IS TOMORROW I THINK, OR TODAY. YEAH, TODAY THE RFP CLOSES FOR, UM, MANAGEMENT, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR TENS OF PICKLEBALL CENTERS. SO WE DID EXPAND THE, THE AVAILABILITY OF SPORTS AT BOTH FACILITIES. OKAY. COOL. ALL RIGHT. ANY, AGAIN, COMMISSIONER SHA UH, SO WOW. REALLY RETIRING. YEAH. 27 YEARS. IT DOES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS, HIS MILITARY SERVICE. GOT IT. SO THAT'S WHY, YEAH, HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB. UM, I THINK WE CAN LIFT UP LOTS OF EXAMPLES THAT HIS LEADERSHIP WILL HAVE A LASTING EFFECT. PARK AMBASSADOR PROGRAM IS PROBABLY THE ONE INITIATIVE THAT HE'S VERY, VERY PROUD OF. UM, I, I DO WANT TO CIRCLE BACK TO ONE THING. OKAY. SO, UM, AGAIN, I MENTIONED THAT MANY OF YOU [01:00:01] WERE AT THE, UH, SATURDAY SOWING THE SEEDS EVENT. UM, AND I, I DO WANT TO CALL OUT TRINKA, SHE'S HERE, BUT, UH, THIS WILL MOST LIKELY BE HER LAST MEETING THAT SHE'LL BE ATTENDING IN THE OFFICIAL CAPACITY. YOU AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. THAT'S WHY YOU WANTED MY MONEY . BUT IT WAS A VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT. WE DID HAVE TO MOVE THE EVENT INSIDE THE NATURE CENTER, BUT I THOUGHT IT FELT ACTUALLY MORE IMPORTANT. I THINK EVERYBODY WAS, AND THIS IN A LOT MORE CONVERSATIONS AND THINGS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PUBLICLY, YOU KNOW, EXPRESS MY GRATEFULNESS FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND WE WISH YOU WELL. THANK YOU, RINKA. ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE? UH, ON ITEM THREE? OKAY. WE HAD A MOTION TO RECEIVE A FILE FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER ALLEN SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RT SMITH. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. A AYE. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE AT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION ON NON AGENDA ITEMS. EACH SPEAKER IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES TO MAKE THEIR COMMENTS UNLESS EXTENDED BY THE CHAIR. DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE? DRINK THAT? I JUST WANTED TO SAY HI. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ATTENDED THE EVENT, IF WE DID HAVE TO MOVE IT INSIDE. AND IT WAS STILL AMAZING AND WE HAD AS MANY PEOPLE AS LAST YEAR INSIDE , WHICH WAS CHALLENGING FOR ME. YEAH. THAT SHE WAS, MEGAN WAS A LITTLE, IT WAS A LITTLE TENSE DURING SETUP TIME. FUNNY WORKED OUT. AND, UH, WE RAISED $25,000 OUR BEST. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE TO SUPPORT PARTNERS OUR TIME HERE. AND IT'LL CONTINUE TO BE GREAT JUST WITH SOMEBODY ELSE. . THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VERY THANK YOU TRKA. MARY, I DO WANT SAY THAT THERE WERE 12 PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP FOR THAT EVENT FROM EL DORADO. VERY NICE. WE DID HAVE A LOT, MARY. THEY CARE ABOUT PARKS AND THEY HAD A GREAT TIME. ANYBODY ELSE? YES. HI, I'M LINDSAY FROM SOWING SEEDS OF CHANGE. WE'RE ONE OF YOUR PARTNERS. UM, WE HAVE AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT. UM, WE WERE CONTACTED FROM SOUTHWEST CARPENTERS PARTNERED WITH MARY AND DEHUS FIRST DISTRICT AND WILMORE HERITAGE ASSOCIATION. SO THEY'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH US TO PROVIDE US WITH A DA ACCESSIBILITY TO OUR SITE. YAY. SO LONG. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED. UM, ON ANOTHER TOPIC, UM, WE WOULD REALLY LOVE YOUR SUPPORT IN THE SHOEMAKER BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION BECAUSE WE ARE AT LIKE GROUND ZERO OF THE WHOLE PROJECT . SO, UM, IF THERE'S ANY SUPPORT THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE TO KEEP US INFORMED IF YOU GUYS ARE, ARE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS AT ALL, I HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU, SO I'LL, I'LL CALL YOU. OKAY, GREAT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT. UH, DO WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE STAFF? GLADYS, UM, JUST WANNA SHARE, UM, BRING SOME HIGHLIGHTS TO THE RECREATE COMMUNITY. UM, BUSY CALENDAR AS WE ROLL INTO MAY VERY, VERY SOON FOR OLDER AMERICANS MONTH. UM, THE GREAT PART ABOUT THIS IS WE BRING OUR OLDER ADULTS FROM ALL OVER OUR SENIOR CENTERS, UM, TOGETHER TO COLLABORATE, UM, AT THESE FUN EVENTS. UM, AS BRENT MENTIONED EARTH DAY CELEBRATION. SO THERE'S A LOT THAT YOU CAN DO THIS COMING WEEKEND TO CELEBRATE, UM, EARTH DAY. UM, THEN WE HAVE OUR YOUTH SPORTS. CURRENTLY WE'RE IN OUR INDOOR SOCCER SEASON, UM, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR POPULAR, UM, SEASONS. AND THEN A HIGHLIGHT AS WE GET PREPARED AND STAFF PREPARE WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DODGERS, UH, DREAM TEAM FOUNDATION. UM, WE HOSTED A CLINIC ON SATURDAY AT PAN AMERICAN PARK. UM, IT'S A SURPRISE TO EVERYONE. THE GUEST SPEAKER WAS MANAGER DAVE ROBERTS. SO THAT WAS KIND OF COOL FOR ALL THOSE DODGER FANS. UM, THERE HE USED EXCELLENT SPEAKER AND I'M NOT SURE IF THEY WON THE GAME THAT DAY. UM, BUT WE DID HAVE SOME, UM, LONG BEACH, UH, INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH THEM AND HOW HE COULD HAVE DONE THAT. HE GOT A LOT OF, UH, UM, INFORMATION. AND THEN LASTLY LAST SATURDAY, UM, WAS OUR KICKOFF TO OUR DAY CAMP REGISTRATION. SO AT 9:00 AM UM, PARENTS WITH MULTIPLE APPARATUSES IN FRONT OF THEM, , UM, TRYING TO GET THEIR KIDS INTO OUR POPULAR CAMPS. UM, SO, UM, OUR, OUR VERY PROUD THAT OUR CAMPS ARE VERY POPULAR AND THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO BRING THEIR KIDS, UM, TO COME AND RECREATE AND SPEND THEIR SUMMER WITH US. UM, AND JUST WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR TEAMS, UM, DEPARTMENT WIDE TO GET READY FOR SUMMER. UM, DEFINITELY KEEPING, UM, STEVE'S TEAM BUSY AS WE BRING ON, UM, NEW STAFF, UM, PROMOTING STAFF OR TRANSFERRING STAFF, UM, TO FILL ALL THE NEEDS OF OUR UPCOMING PROGRAMS FOR SUMMER. UM, SO WE'RE SUPER EXCITED [01:05:01] ABOUT THAT. AND THEN IT ROLLS INTO THE BUSY SEASON AND YOU KNOW, RONALD AND I HAVE THE CONVERSATION JUST BEFORE THIS MEETING, WHAT WE NEED TO DO, BUT BRINGING ALL THOSE PEOPLE ONTO OUR PARKS AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE PREPARED. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. THAT'S IT. GREAT. ASK A QUESTION. YES, YES. UH, IS THERE AN ESTIMATE OF ABOUT HOW MANY CHILDREN PARTICIPATE IN YOUR SUMMER PROGRAMS? IN OUR SUMMER PROGRAMS? UM, WE DO, I DON'T KNOW THAT ESTIMATE OFF HAND. UM, BUT WE DO ACTUALLY KEEP MONTHLY, UM, UH, PARTICIPATION FOR ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS THAT WE CAN. SO I CAN THANK YOU. IT'S A LOT. I WAS GONNA SAY THAT, BUT I . UM, YES. SO YES. THANK YOU STEVE. CHRISTINE, I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR CHRISTINE. WE WILL BE GETTING EMAILS IF WE ARE OWED THE, IF WE HAVE TO DO THE CODE OF CONDUCT OR THE ETHICS TRAINING. YES, THAT WILL COME IN THE SEPARATE. OKAY. THANK YOU . HELLO. GOOD MORNING. UM, JUST TO RESPOND TO A COUPLE THINGS, HONOR AND OUR FALL IN, WE DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH OUT TO THE ORGANIZATION. THEY WILL BE AT THE BAY MEETING, UM, PRESENTING THE REVISION TO THE PLAQUE. SO THEY TOOK IN, WE GAVE THEM ALL THE FEEDBACK AND THEY TOOK THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AND HAVE RESUBMITTED IT FOR, SO THEY'LL BE HERE NEXT MAY. THANK YOU. HAS THAT, UM, THROUGHOUT THE PRESS, I JUST GOT AN UPDATE, UM, ABOUT OUR TENNIS RFPS ACTUALLY BEING EXTENDED TO APRIL 23RD, UM, DUE TO SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES THEY HAD WITH LONG BEACH BUY. SO THEY HAVE EXTENDED IT OUT A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO ACCOMMODATE THAT. UM, SO FRESH NEWS THERE. UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER PROJECTS AND THINGS THAT OUR BUREAU HAVE BEEN WORKING ON AND MACARTHUR PARK, THEY ACTUALLY ARE GETTING READY TO START THE LARGER CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OVER THERE TO RENOVATE. IT'LL TAKE ABOUT A YEAR FROM MACARTHUR PARK TO BE FINISHED WITH THAT PROJECT IS ACTUALLY CAN MAKE THE KICKOFF AND GET GOING. AND LAST BUT NEVER LEAST I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE AND LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE A MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT, UM, HERE WORKING IN OUR DEPARTMENT. SHE'S IN ALYSSA TAN, SHE'S IN HERE IN THE AUDIENCE. SHE'S IN HER FOURTH AND FINAL, UM, ROTATION HERE WITH THE PARK AND REC, UM, DEPARTMENT AND WORKING WITH US ON THE OPEN SPACE ELEMENT AND A FEW OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE FOR HER IN RECREATION, GETTING A GOOD VIEWPOINT OF ALL THAT WE DO HERE IN OUR DEPARTMENT. SO, WELCOME. YES. COMMISSIONER, VICE CHAIR. HOW LONG WILL SHE BE WITH US? THROUGH JUNE. TO JUNE THAT MAKE, THOSE ARE ALL THREE MONTH ROTATIONS IN ONE DEPARTMENT. EACH OF THE MANAGEMENT ASSISTANTS GET, THEY GET TO PICK THE DEPARTMENT OR ARE YOU ASSIGNED? NO, WE'RE ASSIGNED. OH, WE, WE. BUT YOU WOULD'VE PICKED PARKS AND REC, RIGHT? . HE'S IN HER BEST ROTATION. RAUL. UH, GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. UH, JUST A COUPLE THINGS JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON GLADYS. WE ARE SETTING UP FOR, UM, OUR SUMMER SCHEDULE. SO IT IS OUR BUSIEST TIME. UM, SO ALL THE EVENTS THAT GLADYS PUTS ON, WE ARE BEHIND THE SCENES DOING EVERYTHING TO PREPARE AND CLEAN UP AFTER. AND THEN, UH, FINALLY IS, UH, HURLEY RETIREMENT IS A BIG LOSS FOR US 'CAUSE HE HAS A LOT OF, UH, INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, SO WE'RE TRYING TO ABSORB AS MUCH AS WE CAN WHILE HE'S STUDYING. . THANK YOU COMM, UH, DIRECTOR DENNIS. NOTHING ELSE. NOTHING ELSE. THANK YOU. OKAY. COMMISSIONER ALLEN? NO, MR. CHAVEZ. YEAH. UH, JUST VERY BRIEFLY, UH, THANK YOU TRINKA AGAIN FOR YOUR SERVICE TO PARTNERS IN PARKS AND TO THE, UH, BROADER LONG BEACH COMMUNITY. UH, EXCELLENT EVENT ON SATURDAY. UH, IT WAS A LOT OF FUN AND, UH, I ACTUALLY, YOU THOUGHT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, NICE TO BE IN INDOORS. UH, IT WAS, UH, KIND OF PUT A DIFFERENT SPIN TO THE EVENT. SO, UH, IT WAS OVERALL VERY SUCCESSFUL. UH, WANTED TO THANK, UH, DIRECTOR DENNIS AS WELL FOR, UH, SPEAKING TO THE FRIENDS OF WILLOWS, UH, WITH THE FRIENDS OF WILLOW SPRINGS PARK GROUP ON, UH, SATURDAY. I UNFORTUNATELY COULDN'T MAKE IT. I HAD A, HAD STAFFED AN ALL DAY EVENT THE DAY BEFORE, SO I WAS REALLY TIRED THAT SATURDAY AND HAD TO, HAD TO GIVE MYSELF THAT DAY OFF. BUT, UH, UH, I KNOW IN OUR CONVERSATIONS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, THE CONVERSATION WITH THEM WAS VERY POSITIVE. I HEARD THE SAME THING FROM THE GROUP. UH, SO ALL IN ALL, I THINK THAT WAS A VERY, UH, PRODUCTIVE AND VERY HELPFUL CONVERSATION. AND, UH, AND YEAH, SO JUST WANTED TO, TO MY APPRECIATION FOR THAT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER ARTIE SMITH. JUST REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE THAT LOVE THEIR COMMUNITY. UM, WHETHER IT'S CRITTERS OR NATURE OR LITTLE ONES, BIG ONES IN BETWEEN ONES. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. VICE CHAIR, REDFIELD, NOTHING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING OTHER THAN WE ARE ALL PROUD OF OUR LONG BEACH PARKS. AND WITHOUT OBJECTION. WE WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 10 15. 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.