* 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. [00:00:04] COUNCILWOMAN DEJA. PRESENT, VICE MAYOR ALLEN. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. HERE. COUNCILMAN AL? HERE. COUNCILWOMAN KERR. PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER ORANGA. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN? HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK ODI. MAYOR RICHARDSON. HERE WE HAVE A QUORUM. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE AND MOMENT SILENCE LED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR ZENDEJAS. THANK YOU. IF YOU COULD ALL JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] SILENCE, PLEASE. EVERYBODY'S STANDING. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER A MOMENT OF SILENCE, UH, PEC ON A SPECIAL DAY TODAY. TODAY IS NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AND IT IS A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY POLICING. AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS CITYWIDE THAT ARE HAVING EVENTS TONIGHT, UM, TO HONOR THAT AND CELEBRATE THAT. SO, UM, A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THAT. THANK YOU. AND AT THIS TIME, THOSE THAT CAN PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME. IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. WE STARTED A LITTLE BIT EARLY TODAY, UH, SCHEDULED AT THREE O'CLOCK, AND, UH, WE'RE STARTING RIGHT NOW IS 3 34. UH, WE HAVE A LOT TO DO TODAY. WE HAVE A, A COUPLE PRESENTATIONS. UH, WE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME BALLOT MEASURES FOR NOVEMBER, AND WE'RE GONNA ALSO, UH, BEGIN THE CONVERSATION OUR CITY'S BUDGET. SO, LOTS TO DO TODAY. UH, LET'S START WITH, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON REMEMBERING DR. KATHERINE WHITE. UH, TODAY, UH, WE RECOGNIZE THE LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF DR. KATHERINE WRIGHT, A LONG LONGTIME COMMUNITY ACTIVIST AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL IN LONG BEACH, [ REMEMBERING DR. KATHERINE WHITE] WHOSE DEDICATION TO PEDIATRIC MEDICINE AND PHILANTHROPY HAS HAD A LASTING MARK ON OUR LONG BEACH COMMUNITY AND IN THE FIELD OF CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE. FOR THIS PRESENTATION, WE HAVE A SHORT VIDEO MESSAGE FROM ONE OF DR. WHITE'S CLOSE FRIENDS, DR. JANA MARTIN, UH, WHICH WILL PLAY FOR YOU. AND WE ALSO HAVE, UH, SOME OF DR. WHITE'S FRIENDS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE WITH US THAT SAID, LET'S SEE THE VIDEO PRESENTATION. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS DR. JANA MARTIN. AS A CLOSE FRIEND AND PROFESSIONAL COLLEAGUE OF DR. CATHERINE WHITE, I AM HONORED TO SPEAK ON THE OCCASION OF THE ISSUANCE OF A PROCLAMATION FROM MAYOR RICHARDSON, ACKNOWLEDGING HER NUMEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR LONG BEACH COMMUNITY. MANY OF YOU MAY NEVER HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO BE TOUCHED BY DR. CATHERINE WHITE WHILE SHE LIVED, BUT YOU WERE ALL TOUCHED, WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT, BY THE WAY IN WHICH SHE LIVED. MAYBE YOU'VE BEEN TOUCHED BY THE PHYSICIAN SHE HAS TRAINED AND INSPIRED, OR BY THOSE THEY HAVE TRAINED AND INSPIRED. MAYBE YOU'VE BEEN TOUCHED BY KNOWING SOMEONE WHO'S HEALING AND ENHANCED SENSE OF SELF WAS DUE TO HER SKILLED HANDS, MIND AND HEART. MAYBE YOU'VE BEEN TOUCHED BY TEACHERS OR PSYCHOLOGISTS, OR COUNSELORS OR OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE ATTENDED AND LEARNED FROM THE CATHERINE WHITE LECTURE PRESENTATIONS, TEACHERS AND HELPERS WHO HAVE WORKED WITH YOU, YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, YOUR NEIGHBORS, TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE CLASSROOM, TO BE UNDERSTOOD BETTER, TO BE PROVIDED WITH DESPERATELY NEEDED RESOURCES AND SUPPORT. MAYBE YOU'VE BEEN TOUCHED BY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR WHOM SHE WAS A ROLE MODEL, SHARED A GENUINE SMILE, WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT OR BELIEF IN THEIR VALUE AS HUMAN BEINGS. MAYBE YOU'VE BEEN TOUCHED BY SOMEONE WHO BENEFITED FROM HER VOLUNTEER WORK OR ADVOCACY. DR. WHITE'S LEGACY IS LARGE, IMPACTFUL AND CONTINUES TO BE LIFE-CHANGING FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THE FIELD OF MEDICINE THROUGHOUT HER CAREER. DR. WHITE WAS A PIONEER IN THE FIELD OF PEDIATRIC MEDICINE AS A PHYSICIAN AND AS A WOMAN. IN INCLUDING BEING THE ONLY WOMAN IN HER MEDICAL SCHOOL GRADUATING CLASS IN 1943. SHE KNEW THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCESSIBILITY TO NEEDED AND QUALITY MEDICAL CARE FOR ALL. AND BEING A WOMAN OF ACTION. DR. WHITE JOINED THE PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR THE EARL B AND LORRAINE MILLER CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, REMAINING AN ACTIVE VOICE ON ITS BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR MANY YEARS. SHE HELPED PERSUADE LONG BEACH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL TO HOUSE THE CHILDREN'S CLINIC WITHIN THE MILLER CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. [00:05:01] DR. WHITE'S GENEROSITY TO MILLER WOMEN'S AND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL WAS AND IS SIGNIFICANT. UPON HER RETIREMENT. DR. WHITE GIFTED HER OFFICE BUILDING TO THE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION. SHE GAVE OVER $2 MILLION THROUGH CONTRIBUTIONS AND ENDOWMENTS RESULTING IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THREE DR. KATHERINE WHITE ENDOWMENTS AT THE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION FOR THE CHILDREN'S CLINIC, THE MEMORIAL ARTHRITIS CLINIC, AND THE DR. CATHERINE WHITE LECTURESHIP FOR PEDIATRIC EDUCATION, FUNDING, INNOVATION, EDUCATION, RESEARCH, AND PROVISION OF CARE. FOR THOSE IN NEED, DR. CATHERINE WHITE'S LEGACY ALSO INCLUDES SUPPORTING HER COMMUNITY IN OTHER WAYS THAT ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO PRESENT TODAY. SHE WAS A PASSIONATE MEMBER OF SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL OF LONG BEACH, A WOMEN'S SERVICE ORGANIZATION WHICH FOCUSES ON WHAT IS BEST FOR WOMEN LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY. SOROPTIMIST WAS NEAR AND DEAR TO DR. CATHERINE'S HEART. DR. CATHERINE WHITE KNEW THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY AND INVESTED HERSELF AND HER RESOURCES IN LONG BEACH IN SO MANY WAYS. AS I SAID, WHEN I BEGAN, MANY OF YOU MAY NEVER HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO BE TOUCHED BY DR. CATHERINE WHITE PERSONALLY IN HER LIFETIME. BUT YOU ARE ALL TOUCHED, WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT, BY THE WAY IN WHICH SHE LIVED AND THE CHANGES SHE ACCOMPLISHED ON OUR BEHALF. HER LEGACY CONTINUES TO BE LIFE CHANGING FOR THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY. SHE WAS ONE TRULY GREAT WOMAN. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WELL, WE CERTAINLY WANNA RECOGNIZE AND, AND THANK THE LOVED ONES AND FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF DR. WHITE. UH, WE RECOGNIZE HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY AND THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, BRINGING, UH, THIS FORWARD FOR US TO FINALLY CELEBRATE AND RECOGNIZE HER LEGACY HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT WE HAVE, UH, CABRILLO HIGH FLYING JAGUARS CHAMPIONSHIP [ CABRILLO HIGH FLYING JAGUARS US DRONE SOCCER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RECOGNITION] RECOGNITION. I WANNA PASS IT OFF TO COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THERE'S A PRETTY SHORT PRESENTATION, SO LET'S BRING THAT UP. PLEASE PLAY THE VIDEO, PLEASE. NO, NO. LOOKS LIKE A LINE. LOOKS LIKE THAT'S A SLIDE DECK, RIGHT? YEAH. OKAY, GREAT. LET'S GO KIDS. YOU'RE LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO GO ANYTHING WRONG, , EVERYBODY. IT'S THE OLYMPICS. SO WHILE IT'S THE OLY, I DON'T THINK DRONE SOCCER IS A, AN EVENT IN THE OLYMPICS YET. NOT YET, BUT IT MIGHT BE ONE DAY. SO, CITY COUNCIL MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY. I AM KEN FISHER. I HAVE BEEN AT TEACHING AT CABRILLO HIGH SCHOOL FOR 26 YEARS NOW. UH, I AM THE ONE OF THE MEMBERS, UH, THAT HAVE HELPED TO CREATE CABRILLO ENGINEERING DESIGN. AND I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE, UH, OUR NATIONAL US NATIONAL CHAMPION, UH, DRONE SOCCER TEAM. WHO IS GONNA GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF A PRESENTATION, SHOULD ONLY TAKE A FEW MINUTES, UH, TO EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT DRONE SOCCER IS. SO WAIT, BEFORE YOU DO THAT. YEAH, SO LET'S SAY THAT AGAIN 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK THE AUDIENCE HEARD YOU. DID YOU SAY THE US DRONE SOCCER CHAMPIONS CABRILLO HIGH SCHOOL? IS THAT WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY? ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. YES, MAYOR RICHARD, WE CAN GET INTO, WE ARE THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL DRONE SOCCER CHAMPIONS OUTSTANDING. AND WE WILL BE REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES IN ONE OR TWO, UH, TOURNAMENTS HELD INTERNATIONALLY, ONE IN HONG KONG, CHINA, AND THE OTHER ONE IN BUDAPEST, HUNGARY. SO WE JUST GOT THOSE INVITES IN OVER THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS. SO I'M GONNA LET MY STUDENTS DO THE PRESENTATIONS. UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THAT. WE HAVE SIX THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SPEAK, UH, SO WE'LL HAVE THEM DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN AND HOPEFULLY SPEAK VERY LOUDLY. THANK YOU GUYS. CLICKER. THERE YOU GO. SIT DOWN. DON'T BE SHY. DON'T BE SHY. THAT'S, YOU'RE ON THE CLOCK. LET'S GO. WAIT. GOOD. GO AHEAD. UH, HELLO. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE. UH, UH, THE MICROPHONE'S RIGHT HERE ADDRESSED TO COUNCIL. STEPHANIE, COME ON UP. UH, HELLO. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE SALGADO. I'M THE GOALIE, AND MY CALL SIGN IS GOAL. ALL RIGHT. NEXT. HI, I AM NATHAN WARREN. I AM DEFENSE ON THE DRONE SOCCER TEAM, AND MY CALL SIGN IS SHADES. OH MY GOD. MY NAME IS GIOVANNI TUAN AND MY, AND I PLAY AS DEFENSE FOR A TEAM. AND MY CALL SIGN IS PATCHES. MY NAME IS ANDRESS IBAR, I'M THE STRIKER FOR THE TEAM, AND MY CALL SIGN IS BULLSEYE. I'M JESUS VALLA AND I PLAY FORWARD FOR OUR TEAM. AND MY CALL SIGN IS B. HELLO EVERYONE. [00:10:01] MY NAME IS VALERIE SOTO. I PLAY DEFENSE FOR OUR TEAM. AND MY CALL SIGN IS ECHO LEADER. UM, HELLO EVERYONE. I'M ONE OF THE TWO COACHES, UH, YOU ALREADY MET, UH, KENNETH FISHER. HIS CALL SIGN IS MEGAMIND. UM, I'M MARCO FLORES AND MY CALL SIGN IS A SCRIPT SKIPPER. UM, AND THEN NEXT I WANT TO INTRODUCE THE TWO CHAPERONES THAT HAVE HELPED US ALONG THE WAY. OH, THERE WE GO. UM, UH, NATALIE CINDO, HER CALL SIGN'S OVERSEER AND BERNICE EZ. HER CALL SIGN IS MOTHER DUCK. UH, THESE TWO PEOPLE HAVE SUPPORTED US WHILE, UM, WHILE WE HAVEN'T BEEN, LIKE, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GO TO THE FIELD TRIPS WITH THEM, BUT THEY'VE BEEN THERE AND, UH, SUPPORTING THEIR STUDENTS THE WHOLE WAY. UM, AND THEN I'M GONNA LET THE STUDENTS KIND OF GO ON AND PRESENT. OKAY, SO WHAT IS DRONE SOCCER? SO, DRONE SOCCER IS A FIVE E FIVE TEAM BASED GAME WITH THREE MINUTE INTERVALS. YOU'RE GONNA TRY TO GET YOUR TWO BE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TWO OUTTA THREE BEST MATCHES. THAT'S FINE. YOUR GOAL, YOUR PRIMARY GOAL IS TO HAVE YOUR STRIKER GO THROUGH THE NET AND COME BACK TO RESET FOR THEIR ALLOT OF SCORE. ANOTHER POINT, UH, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE FOUR DEFENDERS, AND ONE OF THOSE DEFENDERS IS YOUR STRIKER, UM, A FORWARD. AND THE FOUR IS GONNA BE ABLE TO REPLACE THE STRIKER IF THE STRIKER GOES DOWN. UH, REGIONALS WERE HOSTED AT CABRILLO HIGH SCHOOL WHERE WE PLACED THIRD AND PETITIONED FOR A SPOT AT NATIONALS. AND LUCKILY FOR US, THERE WAS A TEAM THAT DROPPED OUT. SO WE SECURED A SPOT. AND ONCE WE RECEIVED THIS NEWS, WE STARTED PREPARING BY MODIFYING OUR DRONES, COMING UP WITH STRATEGIES AND PRACTICING CONSISTENTLY IN ORDER TO GO UP AGAINST THE TOP TEAMS IN THE NATION. AND GOING INTO THIS TOURNAMENT, WE ONLY EXPECTED TO WIN ONE GAME, BUT WE CAME UNDE, WE CAME OUT UNDEFEATED AND BECAME THE US JONES SOCCER TEAM. IN THIS NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE HOW WE WERE C 14 AND WE MADE IT THROUGH EACH, UM, MATCH UNDEFEATED UNTIL WE GOT NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. OKAY. SO A MAJOR REASON AS TO WHY WE WON THE COMPETITION WAS BECAUSE OF OUR CONSTANT COMMUNICATION THROUGHOUT EACH OF OUR MATCHES. SO DURING OUR MATCHES, WE WOULD CALL OUT THE POSITION FROM THE STRIKER SO THAT OUR, UH, SO THAT OUR DEFENDERS COULD, COULD COORDINATE BETTER. WE WOULD ALSO CALL OUT WHERE IF THE STRIKER WAS DOWN SO THAT OUR DEFENDERS COULD MAKE SURE THAT THEY WOULDN'T RECOVER AS QUICKLY. AND EVEN AFTER THE MATCHES, WE WOULD, UM, EVEN AFTER THE MATCHES, WE WOULD, OH, I'M BLANKING. SO EVEN AFTER THE MATCHES, WE'D WATCH THE ENEMY TEAMS AS MATCHES, AND WE WOULD ANALYZE HOW THEY, HOW THEY FLEW, AND SEE IF THEY HAD ANY HABITS SUCH AS IF THEIR STRIKER FLEW IN A SPECIFIC WAY OR IF THEIR DEFENSE FORMED UP IN A SPECIFIC WAY AS WELL. AND, BUT ONE OF THE, BUT THE, I BELIEVE THE GREATEST REASON WHY WE WON THE COMPETITION TO BEGIN WITH WAS BECAUSE OF THE MODIFICATIONS THAT WE DID TO OUR DRONES, WHICH LEADS INTO THE ENGINEERING ASPECT OF THIS SPORT. PART. ONE OF THE FIRST MODIFICATIONS WE DECIDED TO MAKE TO THE DRONES IS PUTTING A NEW CAGE ON IT. UM, THE ORIGINAL CAGE THAT CAME WITH THESE DRONES WAS, UM, REALLY FLIMSY. SO WE, UM, WE MODIFIED IT AND PUT A NEW CAGE ON IT TO MAKE IT STRONGER AND ADD SOME WEIGHT SO THAT DEFENSE WOULD HAVE A BETTER TIME, UM, DEFENDING, LIKE STAYING UP IN THE AIR, NOT GETTING KNOCKED DOWN. UH, WE ALSO DECIDED TO USE BIGGER BATTERIES SO THAT OUR, ESPECIALLY ON OUR DEFENSE DRONES, SO THAT THEY COULD STAY UP FOR LONGER AND HAVE MORE POWER. UM, AND, AND FOR THE SETTINGS ON THE DRONES, WE MADE THEM, UM, THEN WE MADE THE MOTOR SPIN FASTER SO THAT OUR DRONES COULD BE MORE MANEUVERABLE AND BETTER, UH, DEFEND AGAINST THE, UM, THE OPPONENT'S STRIKER AND TO BE ABLE TO GO AGAIN, GO AFTER THEIR STRIKER A LOT BETTER. AND NOW ONTO THE FUTURE. UH, SO HEADING INTO THE FUTURE, OUR TEAM IS SET TO COMPETE BOTH IN HONG KONG, HUNGARY, OR SORRY, HONG KONG, CHINA AND BUDAPEST HUNGARY. IF WE COULD FIND THE PROPER FUNDING FOR IT, OUR SCHOOL ALSO PLANS TO HOST OUR REGION 10 FINAL AT OUR SCHOOL SITE, UH, BOTH PRELIMINARIES AND FINALS. UH, WE WANNA THANK CABRILLO HIGH SCHOOL'S STUDENTS, STAFF, AND ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR CONSTANT SUPPORT THROUGHOUT OUR JOURNEY. WE'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING FOR DONATING $5,000 TO OUR PROGRAM, GIVING US A TOUR OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE BUILDING. WHEN WE TOOK OUR TRIP TO WA, OR SORRY, VIRGINIA AND MOVED OVER TO, UH, WASHINGTON DC FOR THE TOUR, ALSO FOR SUPPORTING OUR PROGRAM FOR OVER 10 YEARS NOW AND HELPING STUDENTS, [00:15:01] I'M SORRY, HELPING STUDENTS TO CONNECT TO PROFESSIONALS AROUND THE NATION. WE'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK MARATHON PETROLEUM FOR CONTINUOUSLY SUPPORTING US OVER THE PAST YEARS FOR OUR CABRILLO ENGINEERING AND DESIGN PROGRAM AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL. AND WE'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR PROVIDING FUNDING IN ORDER FOR US TO EAT IN VIRGINIA AND, UM, OTHER SUPPLIES FOR OUR DRONES AS WELL. AND FOR FINALLY OUR BIGGEST SUPPORTERS WOULD BE OUR DISTRICT. UM, THEY PROVIDED ALL THE FUNDING FOR US TO ACTUALLY FLY FOR OUR EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS VERY EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT. AND BASICALLY BEING PART OF THIS TEAM WAS A GREAT HONOR AND IT'S ALL THANKS TO OUR DISTRICT. I WANTED TO MAKE ONE MORE FINAL THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA. UM, I BELIEVE AT THE LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING, YOU GUYS APPROVED $2,500 FOR OUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS IN THIS PROGRAM, SO WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT AND, UH, APPRECIATE THE CITY COUNCIL AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE. UM, THIS IS DEFINITELY, IF YOU CAN GO BACK REALLY QUICK TO THE TOURNAMENT BRACKET. NOT ONLY DID CABRILLO HIGH SCHOOL, THERE'S 400 SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE THAT HAVE A PROGRAM OF DRONE SOCCER. MOST OF 'EM ARE ON THE EAST COAST. IT JUST FAIRLY CAME HERE TO THE WEST COAST A COUPLE YEARS AGO BY A MAN BY THE NAME OF ALBERT GAO WHO TEACHES OVER AT SATO ACADEMY. SATO WAS THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS LAST YEAR, SO WE TOOK THEM OUT. BUT THE COOLEST PART ABOUT WHAT YOU LOOK AT THIS BRACKET IS THAT OUT OF THE 400 SCHOOLS, THREE TEAMS REPRESENTED THE LONG BEACH AREA. CABRILLO DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK FIRST PLACE, BUT SATO TOOK SECOND AND THIRD. IT WAS A LONG BEACH SUITE BABY. CONGRATULATIONS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WELL CONGRAT MUCH CONGRATULATIONS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD BEFORE WE HEAD DOWN? YEAH, I JUST WANNA ASK, UH, WHAT ARE THE GRADE RANGES FOR THE PARTICIPANTS? GREAT. GO AHEAD. WHAT GRADES? I AM A SENIOR AT RIO HIGH SCHOOL. I JUST GRADUATED AND I'M GOING INTO COLLEGE. WHERE? UH, LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE? UH, I'M A SENIOR, CURRENTLY . UM, I AM, I JUST GRADUATED CABRIO HIGH SCHOOL AND I'M GOING TO CAL STATE LONG BEACH FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. ALRIGHT, GO BEACH. I'M A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL. I JUST GRADUATED CABRILLO HIGH SCHOOL IN THE SPRING, AND NOW I'M ATTENDING CAL STATE LONG BEACH FOR CHEMICAL ENGINEERING. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT THE TEAMS IS THAT IT TEACHES THEM MATH, UH, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, THAT I THINK THAT, THAT THOSE ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT SKILLS TO HAVE. AND WEST SIDE. GO. WEST SIDE. ALRIGHT, WE HAVE, SO, CONGRAT, CONGRATULATIONS. CERTIFICATE. YEAH. CONGRATULATIONS. LET'S, UH, OPEN UP THIS SPACE OVER HERE, UM, PAUL, AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA COME DOWN AND GIVE YOU A CERTIFICATE TO RECOGNIZE YOUR ACHIEVEMENT. YEAH. I ALSO WANTED TO CONGRATULATE SEATTLE ACADEMY FOR ALSO TAKING SILVER BRONZES. ALL RIGHT. I KNOW. WAIT, COME, COME A LITTLE CLOSER. COME A LITTLE CLOSER. YEAH. SORRY. YEAH. COME LIKE, LIKE TWO FEET CLOSER. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD. SMALL. HIT DRILL BACK WITH, WITH OUR ARMS. WE WERE CHASING THE OTHER DROVE. OH. KIND OF LEARN THE GAME RIGHT NOW. . WE HAD A VIDEO RIGHT WHEN WE'RE DOWN THERE. OH YEAH, WE WANTED TO SEE IT. WHO'S THE TEAM CAPTAIN? ALRIGHT, COME ON. ALWAYS PHOTO BOMBING. I KNOW. SIT UP STRAIGHT SMILE . I KNOW. ON A WINDOW. CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS. [00:20:12] OKAY, THANK YOU. SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATIONS. LET'S HAVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR PLEASE. [CONSENT CALENDAR (1. – 29.)] OKAY, WE NEED A MOTION. AND SECOND ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR. IS IT NOT WORKING ON YOU GUYS? OKAY, WE'LL TAKE A VERBAL MOTION. AND SECOND. SO MOVED TO AUSTIN. SECOND. ANG. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT CALENDAR? NO. SEEING NONE, MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. I CAN'T SEE IT. CAN WE DO VERBAL? OKAY. DISTRICT ONE? AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FOUR? AYE. DISTRICT FIVE? AYE. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN. AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT, DISTRICT NINE. AYE. THE MOTIONS CARRIED. NINE ZERO. THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW GO ON TO, TO, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER ONE, GET THAT OUTTA THE WAY. OKAY. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER ONE. I [ PUBLIC COMMENT: OBTAIN SPEAKER CARD FROM THE CITY CLERK Opportunity to address the City Council (on non-agenda items) is given to the first 10 persons who submit Speaker Cards to the City Clerk beginning at 15 minutes prior to the commencement of the meeting. Each speaker is allowed three minutes to make their comments. ] SEE FOUR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. UH, WHEN I STATE YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME FORWARD. FELTON WILLIAMS, LEE SWAIN, RICK BORELLI, AND DANA NICKERSON. PLEASE COME DOWN. VERA RICHARDSON AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF. MY NAME IS FELTON WILLIAMS AND I'M RESIDE AT 2126 DAISY AVENUE IN LONG BEACH. LET ME, UH, CONGRATULATE THE, UH, THE, THE TEAM FROM CABRILLO HIGH SCHOOL. I REPRESENTED THAT SCHOOL AS A MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND, UH, AS ONE OF THE, MY VERY SPECIAL SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE RETENTION OF THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. THE COMMISSION REPRESENTS IN PRINCIPLE AND PRACTICE A TRUE FORM OF EQUITY ALONG WITH IDEALS I HAVE FOUGHT FOR, FOR THE GREATER PART OF MY ADULT LIFE. IN MY ROLE AS PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHERN AREA CONFERENCE OF NAACP BRANCHES, WHICH REPRESENT THE, UH, BRANCHES FROM LOMPOC TO NORTH IN THE NORTH AND EL CENTRAL TO THE SOUTH. AND AS CHAIR REGION ONE, COVERING THE NINE WESTERN STATES. THE HIRING PRACTICES OF GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES WERE FOR THE MOST PART, BASED ON CRONYISM, THE HIRING OF WEALTHY CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTORS AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS THAT OFTEN EXCLUDED THE HIRING OF WOMEN AND MEMBERS OF MINORITY GROUPS. THIS PRACTICE STILL CONTINUES TO THIS DAY THROUGHOUT THIS NATION. THE PERSONNEL COMMISSION DOES PROVIDE SOME REDRESS FOR SUCH PRACTICES BY ENSURING THAT HIRING IS BASED ON MERIT, A MONUMENTAL STEP TOWARDS ENSURING EQUITY AND FAIRNESS. THE COMMISSION'S OVERSIGHT IS UNCLASSIFIED POSITIONS. WHILE TOP MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES ARE EXECUTIVE LEVEL STAFFING FALLS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY MANAGER. IN OTHER WORDS, EMPLOYEES WITH DECISION MAKING RESPONSIBILITY FALL UNDER THE HIRING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY MANAGER. I HAVE HEARD THE TRITE ARGUMENTS THAT ARE CIRCULATED FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE COMMISSION, SUCH AS BEING TOO SLOW. BASED ON MY BACKGROUND IN ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY, I DON'T SEE THE URGENCY OF HIRING THE CITY GOVERNMENTS WITH THE LIMITED EXCEPTION OF POLICE AND FIRE. WHERE, WHERE URGENCY MAY BE A PRIORITY. THIS ARGUMENT IS WITHOUT MERIT, THE ROAD TO FAIRNESS IN EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES HAS AND CONTINUES TO BE DIFFICULT. AND THE PERSONNEL COMMISSION OFFERS SOME REDRESS AGAINST DISCRIMINATORY AND UNFAIR PERSONNEL ISSUES. RECALL THE CITY MOST RECENTLY WAS CONFRONTED WITH A LAWSUIT ALLEGING ANTI-BLACK RACISM THROUGHOUT CITY DEPARTMENTS. I HAVE PERSONALLY RECEIVED COMPLAINTS FROM CITY STAFF ALLEGING PERSONNEL IRREGULARITIES AND DO RECALL SHARING THEIR CONCERNS WITH YOU, MAYOR RICHARDSON, AND YOUR ROLE AS A MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL. I WOULD URGE THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY TO TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS AT STAKE IF THE CHARTER AMENDMENT TO REMOVE THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION IS APPROVED AND URGE THAT THEY JOIN ME TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY DOES NOT TAKE A STEP BACKWARD TOWARDS PA, PATRIOTISM AND COLONIALISM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE, LEE. GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM LEE SWAIN OF VOLUNTEER USA PICKLEBALL AMBASSADOR, WHO IS ON THE LONG BEACH PICKLEBALL ADVISORY COMMITTEE WITH 10 OTHER VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING MARGIE PAGE, [00:25:01] MIMI MECADO, GARY BALLARD, DAVID ANDERSON, ROBERT FELD, MARK LEONARD, MARK HARDISON, STEVEN KELTON, KADDAFI RIPPERS, AND JOHN MORGAN. THE PICKLEBALL ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH BRENT DENNIS AND HIS STAFF AND THE CITY ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LONG BEACH PICKLEBALL ACTION PLAN, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED IN 2022. SINCE THE ACTION PLAN WAS DEVELOPED, THE CITY HAS OPENED 16 DEDICATED PICKLEBALL COURTS EIGHT AT DEFOREST PARK AND EIGHT AT VETERANS PARK, WHICH ARE VERY WELL USED. THE CITY HAS ALSO DUAL STRIPED COURTS FOR PICKLEBALL AT SEVERAL OTHER PARKS AROUND THE CITY, INCLUDING BAYSHORE MARINA VISTA, SOMERSET, BILLIE JEAN KING, AND EL DORADO. I AM VERY HAPPY TO LIVE IN A CITY THAT HAS NOT ONLY RECOGNIZED THE INCREDIBLE PUBLIC BENEFITS OF THE SPORT OF PICKLEBALL, BUT HAS ALSO TAKEN POSITIVE ACTION TO DELIVER PUBLIC SPACES WHERE KIDS AND ADULTS OF ALL AGES CAN THOROUGHLY ENJOY THIS AMAZING ACTIVITY. IN TWO DAYS ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 8TH, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE NATIONAL PICKLEBALL DAY, THE CITY WILL HOLD A GRAND OPENING OF THE FIRST TWO DEDICATED PICKLEBALL FACILITIES AT DEFOREST PARK AT 11:00 AM AND VETERANS PARK AT 1:30 PM I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO JOIN US IN CELEBRATING THIS AWESOME OCCASION, EVEN THOUGH LONG BEACH HAS MADE GREAT PROGRESS TO DATE. WE ALSO KNOW THERE IS MUCH MORE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED IN PROVIDING OTHER DEDICATED PICKLEBALL COURTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND MARINA VISTA PARK IS THE NEXT PRIORITY FOR THE CITY, AS IT ALREADY HAS BETWEEN 40 AND 70 PEOPLE PLAYING ON DUAL STRIPE COURTS EVERY DAY AND DEDICATED PICKLEBALL AND A DEDICATED PICKLEBALL FACILITY IS DESPERATELY NEEDED THERE TO SATISFY INCREASING DEMAND. LONG BEACH HAS ALREADY HOSTED A VERY SUCCESSFUL HIGH SCHOOL CLUB TOURNAMENT AND THERE ARE MANY YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT ARE TAKING UP THE SPORT, WHICH HAS BEEN THE HIGHEST GROWTH SPORT IN AMERICA OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. ON BEHALF OF THE PICKLEBALL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, I REALLY WANT TO THANK BRENT DENNIS AND HIS STAFF AND ALSO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT. I KNOW I'VE DISCUSSED WITH A FEW OF YOU, UH, THIS, UH, ENDEAVOR, UH, BUT I REALLY WANT TO EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION AND IT'S NOT JUST FOR ME OR THE PICKLEBALL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS THAT WANNA PLAY PICKLEBALL EVERY DAY. SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT IS RICK BORELLI. IS RICK HERE? OKAY, NEXT IS DANA NICKERSON IS GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK AND GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY. MY NAME IS DANA NICKERSON AND I AM THE PROJECT MANAGER AND PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF THE LONG BEACH BLACK WORKER CENTER. FOR 30 YEARS, I DEDICATED MY HEALTHCARE CAREER, MY DEDICATED MY TIME TO A CAREER IN HEALTHCARE. DURING THAT TIME, I FACED NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF DISCRIMINATION AND HAD MANY GRIEVANCES. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS VERY YOUNG WHEN I STARTED MY CAREER. I DIDN'T KNOW MY RIGHTS, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR MYSELF, AND I WAS SCARED TO SPEAK UP FOR FEAR OF LOSING MY MAIN STA MY STAPLE FOR MY FAMILY. THESE CHALLENGES, SEVERAL CHALLENGES LED TO SEVERE BURNOUT AND ULTIMATELY AN EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS. THAT CAUSED A LOT OF DEVASTATION TO MY FAMILY FINANCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY. THESE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES HAVE FUELED MY PASSION FOR ADVOCATING FOR WORKERS AND THEIR RIGHTS. SINCE 2016, I'VE BEEN COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT OTHERS DON'T HAVE TO ENDURE THE SAME HARDSHIPS I FACED. I'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK SPEAKING AND COACHING INDIVIDUALS AROUND HEALTHCARE WORKER BURNOUT, AND AS A RESULT BECAME SOMEONE WHO WAS JUST AN ADVOCATE. I STARTED IN LONG BEACH LEADERSHIP AS THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. I JUST SAT DOWN FROM THAT SEAT TO TAKE THIS ONE AT THE LONG BEACH BLACK WORKERS CENTER. WE EDUCATE BLACK WORKERS ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS, LISTEN TO THEIR STORIES OF DISCRIMINATION AND UNFAIR PRACTICES, AND WE'RE ORGANIZING THEM TO BECOME PROACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. WE BELIEVE THAT WHEN BLACK WORKERS THRIVE, OUR ETER ENTIRE COMMUNI COMMUNITY BENEFITS. WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH CITY LEADERS, LOCAL [00:30:01] BUSINESSES, OTHER COMMUNITY LED ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BUILD THIS COMMUNITY LED INITIATIVE. WE WANT A MORE EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE LONG BEACH. WE WANT FAIR RIGHTS, FAIR TREATMENT AND RIGHTS OBSERVED FOR OUR BLACK WORKERS. AND WE'RE STANDING TO BE THAT KIND OF REPRESENTATION. I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE'LL BE BACK TO DISCUSS MORE WHEN WE, AS WE GROW. AND JUST WANTED TO FAMILIARIZE YOU WITH WHAT WE'RE UP TO AND REQUEST ANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU SEE FOR US TO SEND THEM OUR WAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. ALRIGHT, WELL THAT CONCLUDES, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR, OUR SPEAKERS FOR JOINING US. WE'LL NOW GET ON WITH THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. UH, WE'RE GOING A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER. UH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE ITEM 33. WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE REVENUE MEASURE, THEN THE CHARTER MEASURES, THEN THE BUDGET. SO START WITH ITEM 33 PLEASE. ITEM 33 IS REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION SUBMITTING TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH ON THE NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024, GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION [33. 24-54287 Recommendation to adopt resolution submitting to the qualified voters of the City of Long Beach on the November 5, 2024 General Municipal Election Ballot a Tax Measure amending Long Beach Municipal Code Section 3.68.040, to repeal the exemption from the Gas Utility Users Tax for charges made for gas to be used in the generation of electrical energy by an electrical corporation or governmental agency; requesting the County of Los Angeles to consolidate said election with the November 5, 2024, Statewide General Election; directing City Attorney to prepare an impartial analysis of the Tax Measure and setting rules and deadlines for arguments and rebuttal for and against the Tax Measure. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Manager         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] BALLOT TAX MEASURE TO REPEAL THE EXEMPTION FROM THE GAS UTILITY USES TAX FOR CHANGES MADE FOR GAS TO BE USED IN THE GENERATIONS OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY BY AN ELECTRICAL CORPORATIONS OR GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY. REQUESTING THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES TO CONSOLIDATE THE NOVEMBER 5TH ELECTION, STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION DIRECTING CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE AN IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OF THE TAX MEASURE AND SETTING RULES AND DEADLINES FOR ARGUMENTS AND REBUTTAL FOR AND AGAINST THE TAX MEASURE CITYWIDE. THANK YOU. WE HAVE ONE RECUSAL BEFORE WE BEGIN. YES. OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, I'M RECUSING MYSELF FROM THIS ITEM AS I WORK FOR ONE OF THE ENTITIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, TODAY WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THREE PROPOSED MEASURES FOR THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. THAT TOGETHER, UH, I BELIEVE HELP MOVE LONG BEACH FORWARD. THESE THREE MEASURES, UH, WILL DO A FEW THINGS. UH, MR. MAYOR, WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP SAVE SERVICES. CAN WE GET A MOTION IN A SECOND? WILL SOMEBODY MAKE A MOTION IN A SECOND EXCUSE? OH, THEY CAN'T, IT'S NOT WORKING. OKAY, MOVED. AUSTIN, SECOND YANGA. THANKS. THANK YOU. THE AUTOMATIC THING ISN'T WORKING. LET'S START OVER. OKAY. SO TODAY WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THREE, UH, MEASURES FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH THIS NOVEMBER, UH, THAT ULTIMATELY HELP MOVE LONG BEACH FORWARD. UH, THEY'LL DO A FEW THINGS. ONE, THEY'LL MAKE IT EASIER FOR LONG BEACH RESIDENTS TO GET JOBS WITHIN THE CITY AND WITH WITHIN THE PORT, INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES FOR NOW AND THE NEXT GENERATION FOR GOOD QUALITY PUBLIC SECTOR, LOCAL UNION JOBS. UH, THEY'LL ALSO CLOSE LOOPHOLES FOR ENERGY COMPANIES IN OUR CITY WHO HAVE FAR TOO LONG GOTTEN AWAY WITH MAKING A PROFIT AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND NOT PAYING THE RESOURCES THAT THEY USE. SO THE FIRST MEASURE THAT WE'LL GO OVER TODAY IS A PROPOSAL TO REMOVE THE 5% GAS UTILITY EXEMPTION ON POWER PLANTS TO OPERATE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. UH, THIS IS A, A LONGSTANDING ISSUE FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS. TWO POWER PLANTS LOCAL, UH, LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, HAVE BEEN EXEMPT FROM PAYING THE VERY SAME UTILITY USERS TAX THAT ALL OF US PAY, THAT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES ALREADY PAY. AND SO BY CLOSING THIS LOOPHOLE AND REMOVING THE GAS UTILITY USERS TAX EXEMPTION, UH, THAT THESE TWO POWER PLANTS HAVE BENEFITED FROM OVER THE PAST THREE, FOUR DECADES, UH, WE, WE WOULD GENERATE APPROXIMATELY $90 MILLION IN NEW REVENUE FOR LONG BEACH BY 2030. IF VOTERS APPROVE THIS MEASURE IN NOVEMBER, THEN THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE, IT WILL HELP US PRESERVE CRITICAL SERVICES IN OUR CITY SERVICES, LIKE SENIOR SERVICES, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES, MAINTENANCE OF OUR PARKS, MAINTENANCE OF OUR BEACHES, UH, HOMELESS OUTREACH, REPAIRING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE STREETS AND POTHOLES, IMPROVING RESPONSE TIME FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, LIKE OUR AMBULANCE OPERATORS, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, OUR PUB, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND SO OTHER SERVICES THAT BENEFIT OUR, THESE ARE THE SERVICES THAT BENEFIT RESIDENTS ACROSS OUR CITY OF ALL, UH, OF ALL AGES, UH, IN ALL PARTS OF OUR CITY. AND SO WE RECEIVED A WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNITY PARTNER SUPPORT FROM THIS MEASURE FROM EN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS LIKE CLIMATE RESOLVE, UH, UNIONS REPRESENTING THE FIREFIGHTERS, THE POLICE OFFICERS, UH, EDUCATORS, UH, GROUPS THAT CARE DEEPLY ABOUT PROTECTING FUNDING FOR CORE SERVICES LIKE LIBRARY. SO I DON'T RECOGNIZE THE LONG BEACH LIBRARY FOUNDATION. ALSO FOR EXPRESSING SUPPORT, WE ALSO RECEIVED A LETTER FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON, WHICH INIT, UH, WHICH EXPRESSED SOME INITIAL CONCERNS, BUT [00:35:01] WE'VE HAD SOME PRODUCTIVE FOLLOW UP DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM. WE THANK THEM FOR COMING TO THE TABLE. NICK'S EXPRESSED A WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH US REGARDING THE MEASURE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, SO I WANNA THANK THEM AS WELL FOR THEIR COOPERATION. THAT SAID, I WANT TO END IT OVER TO, UH, TO CITY MANAGER MOCA TO BEGIN THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. MAYOR. SO, UH, TODAY WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH SOME OF THE BACKGROUND ON HOW WE GOT HERE AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE ACTUAL PROPOSAL. UH, I'LL GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES FROM OTHER CITIES AS WELL, UH, AND WE'LL TALK, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED AND THEN WE'LL GET TO THE RECOMMENDATION. ALL. ALRIGHT, SO, UM, OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY UPFRONT THAT WE FACE A CUMULATIVE GENERAL FUND BUDGET SHORTFALL. UH, THE NUMBER JUST CAME OUT IN THE RECENT BUDGET THAT WAS RELEASED, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT LATER TODAY. THAT NUMBER OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IS ABOUT 61 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. THE COST TO PROVIDE CITY SERVICES CONTINUES TO RISE WHILE OTHER, UH, REVENUE SOURCES ARE EITHER SLOWING LIKE SALES TAX AND USE TAX, OR THEY'RE BEING REDUCED, LIKE LOCALIZED OIL PRODUCTION. AND SO THIS ACTUALLY STARTED LAST YEAR. THE COUNCIL ASKED US AS PART OF GROW LONG BEACH TO DO A COUPLE THINGS. ONE IS TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE GROW REVENUE THAT IS NOT INCREASING ANY TAXES. AND THE SECOND WAS TO LOOK, ARE THERE OTHER THINGS WE CAN BRING TO THE VOTERS, UH, THAT WOULD BE PALATABLE, UM, THAT, UH, COULD HELP WITH THE SITUATION? AND SO BACK IN JUNE, WE PRESENTED FOUR DIFFERENT OPTIONS TO GENERATE REVENUES AND ADDRESS THE SHORTFALL AND MAINTAIN THOSE HIGH QUALITY CITY SERVICES. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HEARD FROM THE INPUT AND FROM THE COUNCIL WAS REALLY A PREFERENCE TO FOCUS ON THOSE THAT HAVE THE LEAST IMPACT ON LONG BEACH RESIDENTS. WE PROPOSED FOUR, SOME HAD HIGHER IMPACTS ON LONG BEACH RESIDENTS. THIS ONE, IN OUR OPINION, HAS THE LOWEST. AND SO, UH, EXPANDING THAT APPLICATION OF THE UTILITY USERS TAX TO, UM, TO CORPORATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS THAT PROVIDE POWER, UH, IS THE LEAST IMPACT. GIVE A SENSE OF OUR, UM, GENERAL FUND PROJECTED SHORTFALL. UH, UH, WE'LL GO OVER THIS A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING ABOUT THAT 61 MILLION, UM, 20, UH, 0.3 MILLION IN THE FY 25 BUDGET. AND THEN, UH, THAT'S COVERED WITH ONE TIME DOLLARS WHO HAVE ONE LAST YEAR. AND THEN WE REALLY NEED TO BE LOOKING AT SOME VERY POTENTIAL SERIOUS REDUCTIONS. UH, YOU'VE SEEN THIS SLIDE BEFORE. THIS IS NOT A PROPOSAL OF WHAT COULD BE REDUCED. IT'S MORE OF A, UM, IDEA OF WHAT THE VALUE OF CITY SERVICES ARE. AND SO THE COUNCIL WILL, WILL FACE SOME VERY TOUGH DECISIONS, UH, GOING FORWARD IF WE NEED TO ADDRESS ANYWHERE BETWEEN 23 AND $60 MILLION. YOU GET A SENSE OF WE ALL LOVE OUR PARKS TEAM PROGRAMS, OUR YOUTH SPORTS, YOU KNOW, THOSE TOGETHER ARE ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS. UH, BRANCH LIBRARIES COST ABOUT $3.6 MILLION. OUR THREE POTHOLE TRUCKS ARE 2.2. SO THESE ADD UP VERY QUICKLY, UM, TO VERY, UM, SEVERE SERVICE REDUCTIONS IF THAT'S THE ROUTE WE NEED TO GO. AND SO, UM, BEFORE WE GET INTO THE ACTUAL PROPOSAL, I WANNA TALK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE THAT MIGHT BE ON THE BALLOT BECAUSE THAT WILL PROVIDE, UM, SOME CONTEXT OF, OF WHAT COULD HELP, UM, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. AND SO THERE'S A VOTER LED INITIATIVE THAT'S BEING PUT ON THE BALLOT, UM, THAT COULD HAVE SOME DIRECT REVENUES TO LONG BEACH. UH, IT IS ABOUT, UM, IT IS UNITED WAY OF GREATER LOS ANGELES, AND IT'S ABOUT, UH, AN INITIATIVE THAT WOULD REPLACE AND REPEAL MEASURE H UH, WHICH IS THE CURRENT QUARTER CENT SALES TAX DEDICATED FOR HOMELESS SERVICES AND HOUSING. AND SO THAT PROPOSAL, UM, WHICH IS, UH, NOT, NOT WHAT YOU'RE VOTING ON TONIGHT, BUT JUST FOR THE CONTEXT, THAT'S A HALF CENT SALES TAX PRODUCES ABOUT 1.2 BILLION ANNUALLY. AND IT FUNDS HOMELESS SERVICES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THINGS LIKE RENTAL ASSISTANCE. AND THAT WOULD BE DEDICATED, 60% GOES TO HOMELESSNESS, ABOUT 35.5%, UH, GOES TO LA CASA, WHICH IS AN AGENCY THAT IS NEW, THAT IS ADVANCING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE WOULD RECEIVE SOME SIGNIFICANT DIRECT ALLOCATIONS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS. AND WE SIT ON THE BOARD AND IN FACT, OUR MAYOR IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OR IS THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD NOW, AND, AND WILL BE AS, AS THE FUNDING'S BEING DECIDED UPON. AND SO WHAT THIS DOES, WHICH IS UNIQUE IN LONG BEACH, IS BESIDES PROVIDING HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS, IT ACTUALLY ACCELERATES THE AMOUNT OF MEASURE A THAT WE WOULD GET, UH, BY ABOUT TWO YEARS. AND SO, UM, IT WOULD BE A COUNTYWIDE SALES TAX. IT WOULD GO UP TO 10.75%, BUT IT BASICALLY BRINGS $25 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO LONG BEACH EARLIER. UH, RIGHT NOW, THAT MONEY WOULD COME IN IN ABOUT 28. UM, IT WOULD ACTUALLY START COMING IN IN FY 26. AND SO THAT WOULD BE TOWARDS THAT 61 MILLION. THIS COULD BE MONEY THAT WE PUT EITHER TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE OR SUPPORT, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES AND PREVENT REDUCTIONS THERE. AND SO, UM, THAT'S ONE OPTION THAT VOTERS WILL HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT. UM, THEN THE ONE THAT, UH, I'M PROPOSING THAT YOU LOOK AT TONIGHT, UM, AND PUTTING IN FRONT OF VOTERS IN NOVEMBER, IS REMOVING THOSE CORPORATE EXEMPTIONS THAT THE MAYORS TALKED ABOUT AT CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENT EXEMPTIONS. UH, WE HAVE FOUR POWER PLANTS IN LONG BEACH. UM, TWO OF WHICH, UH, WERE, UH, UH, PAID UUT, THAT WOULD BE THE SURF FACILITY. AND, UH, THE ONE THAT SUPPORTS THE OIL ISLANDS AND TWO DO NOT, UH, FOR DECADES AND DECADES. UH, ONE IS THE, UM, L-A-D-W-P, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE HAYES PLANT. AND THE OTHER IS THE, UM, ALAMEDAS ENERGY CENTER, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE A ES PLANT. [00:40:03] AND YOU'LL HEAR LATER TONIGHT FROM OUR CITY AUDITOR. SHE'S BEEN A REAL PARTNER IN THIS AND, UH, PERFORMS SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH IN THE AREA AND FOUND THAT REALLY RESIDENTS DERIVE VERY MARGINAL BENEFIT FROM THOSE TWO POWER PLANTS, UH, THAT ARE EXEMPTED, BUT INCUR A PRETTY GREATER COST IN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCE. AND WE'RE NOT ALONE. THERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES OF POWER PLANTS THAT PAY THE GASSY UT BUT THEY ARE EXEMPT IN LONG BEACH. AND SO, UH, AGAIN, MENTIONING THAT WE HAVE FOUR POWER PLANTS, UH, JUST UNTIL RECENTLY SURF, UH, WHICH HAD BEEN IN FUNCTIONING FOR OVER 35 YEARS, PAID GAS UT. UM, AND SO THAT WAS A GOVERNMENT CORPORATION THAT DID PAY IT. UH, AND, UH, AS DID THE ONE THAT RUNS OUR OIL ISLANDS. UH, AND THEN, UH, DWP AND A US DO NOT PAY. SO BY REMOVING THIS EXEMPTION, BASICALLY, UM, THOSE TAXPAYERS ARE THE ONLY TWO THAT WOULD BE TAXED. UM, AND THEY WOULD PAY BASICALLY THE SAME, UM, AMOUNT OF TAXATION THAT, UH, ALL OF US AS RESIDENTS PAY. UH, WE EXPECT THAT TO BE APPROXIMATELY $15 MILLION THAT IS GONNA FLUCTUATE WITH THE COST AND THE USE OF GAS. UH, AND THAT WOULD BE PHASED IN ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF, UM, IN FY 25 AND UP TO 15 MILLION IN FY 26. AND SO, UM, REALLY WE BELIEVE THIS HAS THE LEAST DIRECT IMPACT ON LONG BEACH RESIDENTS AS THE BURDEN WOULD FALL ON L-L-A-D-W-P AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON CUSTOMERS, ALL CUSTOMERS. AND SO, UH, LITTLE OR NO IMPACT ON THE VAST MAJORITY OF LONG BEACH CUSTOMERS, UH, L-A-D-W-P PLANT DIRECTLY SUPPORTS L-A-D-W-P CUSTOMERS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S IN LONG BEACH AND IT IS NOT A SOURCE OF POWER FOR LONG BEACH. AND A ES ACTUALLY HAS AN AGREEMENT, UM, APPROVED BY THE CAL, BY THE CPUC THAT ALL OF THE POWER COSTS ARE SPREAD AMONG THE $15 MILLION OR 15 MILLION RESIDENTS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON SERVICE AREA. AND SO THEY'VE GOTTEN PERMISSION TO SPREAD THAT COST TO EVERYBODY. AND SO THIS WOULD BE, IN OUR OPINION, AN INCREASED COST OF, OF THAT, UH, PRICE OF POWER, WHICH WOULD BE SPREAD TO EVERYBODY. UH, IF, UH, DOING SOME ROUGH ESTIMATES IF THAT WERE TO BE SPREAD TO EVERYBODY, WE EXPECT THAT TO BE ABOUT 50 CENTS PER PERSON PER YEAR, UH, FOR ALL OF THE CUSTOMERS, UH, OUT THERE. UM, UH, SO OTHER CITIES, UH, DO HAVE, UH, UM, WE, WE FOUND OTHER EXAMPLES. UH, THE CITY OF EL SEGUNDO CHARGES GAS UT IN A WAY THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO LONG BEACH. UH, THEY HAVE THE EL SEGUNDO ENERGY CENTER, WHICH WAS FORMERLY OWNED BY EDISON, BUT WAS SOLD IN 1997 AND IS NOW PRIVATE. UH, AND THEIR MUNICIPAL CODE DOES NOT PROVIDE AN EXEMPTION FOR THAT. UM, WHICH ALSO USES NATURAL GAS, UH, FOR GENERATORS. AND SO THROUGH AN AGREEMENT TO PRO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY FOR EDISON, THE CITY BROUGHT IN ABOUT THREE TO $6 MILLION. UH, THERE'S BEEN TWO OTHER EXAMPLES OF WHERE, UH, THIS HAS BEEN PROPOSED, UM, TO VOTERS, UH, IN THE CITIES OF HUNTINGTON BEACH AND REDONDO BEACH. THOSE WERE A ES PLANTS. UH, ULTIMATELY THEY DID NOT GET APPROVED BY VOTERS. UM, UH, BUT IN THAT CASE, THERE WAS A DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU COULD SAY THAT THOSE COSTS WOULD BE PASSED ON TO EVERYBODY OR JUST THE RESIDENTS. AND A JUDGE RULED IN THE HUNTINGTON BEACH CASE, UH, THAT, UM, IT WOULD BE PASSED ON PRIMARILY TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF HUNTINGTON BEACH. UH, WE HAVE RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK. UM, WE, UH, HEARD, UM, AND, AND DID SOME OUTREACH WITH L-A-D-D-W-P-A-E-S AND EDISON. UH, L-A-D-W-P HAS EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT A GOVERNMENT ENTITY TAXING ANOTHER ENTITY. A ES HAS ALSO, UM, UH, BROUGHT UP CONCERNS ABOUT PRODUCTION COSTS AND THAT, UM, IT'LL BE PASSED ON TO LONG BEACH AND THE REGION. AND, AND THEY BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE A DOUBLE TAXATION AND THAT IT'S NOT A SUSTAINABLE REVENUE SOURCE. EDISON INITIALLY, UH, FELT THAT THIS WOULD LIKELY BE SOMETHING THEY WOULD RECOMMEND BE PASSED ON JUST TO LONG BEACH RESIDENTS, BUT THEY'VE SINCE REALLY COMMUNICATED TO US THAT THEY'RE OPEN TO WORKING WITH US ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. THAT WAS AN INITIAL REACTION. AND SO, UM, WE'RE HAPPY FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP AND TO LOOK IN INTO, UM, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE. AND SO, UM, THESE ARE INITIAL INPUT FROM THE AGENCIES. I INCLUDED THEM IN THE STAFF REPORT. UH, WE DON'T NECESSARILY AGREE WITH ALL OF IT, UH, BUT I WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY. AND SO ULTIMATELY WHAT THIS COMES DOWN TO IS THIS IS A CHOICE. UM, WE WOULD LIKE, UH, TO PROPOSE A CHOICE TO VOTERS, WHETHER THEY WANT TO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE TO 61 AND $5 MILLION OF CUTS TO TRY TO PRESERVE SERVICES, UH, TO THE MOST EXTENT POSSIBLE. AND SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT YOU PLACE THIS IN FRONT OF THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER, 2024, UH, TO REPEAL THAT EXEMPTION. UH, AND, UH, ESSENTIALLY, UH, THAT MEANS THAT, UH, THEY WOULD BE PAYING THE SAME AMOUNT OF, OF TAXATION THAT ALL OF OUR CUSTOMER OR ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS DO HERE IN LONG BEACH. UH, UH, THOSE OF US THAT ARE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS OR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS. AND WITH THAT, UH, WE'RE STAND AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. AND I BELIEVE OUR CITY AUDITOR WOULD LIKE TO MAKE REBEL COMMENTS AS WELL. I WANNA INVITE, UH, CITY AUDITOR DOWN TO ADD COMMENTS. YES. THANK YOU. UH, I SUPPORT THIS ITEM WHOLEHEARTEDLY. THANK YOU, TOM, FOR THAT PRESENTATION. UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT THESE TWO ENTITIES, UH, A ES AND L-A-D-W-P ARE THE ONLY TWO ENTITIES IN THE ENTIRE CITY OF LONG BEACH, NOT PAYING UUT. SO, UM, L-A-D-W-P AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, UM, THERE DOES NOT SERVICE ANY LONG BEACH RESIDENTS [00:45:02] YET. LONG BEACH RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN BEARING THE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN FOR DECADES WITHOUT THE BENEFITS. SO, UH, WE FEEL THAT THIS IS, UH, THIS IS TIME. WE FEEL IT'S A, A FAIRNESS ISSUE, AND, UH, THAT, THAT THEY, THEY PAY THEIR, THE UTILITY USERS TAX FOR THIS. UM, AS MENTIONED AS TOM MENTIONED, OUR CITY OWNED SURF PLANT, WE AS A CITY PAY UUT ON THE SURF PLANT WHEN IT WAS AN OPERATION. AND THE OTHER OIL, UH, PLANT HERE ALSO PAYS ON THE UUT. UM, SO, UM, WE FEEL THAT, UM, THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO DO IT. AND THAT WITH, UM, DECLINING REVENUES, THIS $15 MILLION THAT THE CITY CAN GENERATE AS A RESULT OF REMOVING THIS EXEMPTION CAN BE USED FOR, UH, CRITICAL GENERAL SERVICES, TREES, UH, PARKS, UM, MAINTAINING OUR LIBRARIES AND FACILITIES AND OUR MARINAS AND OUR WATER QUALITY. UM, SO JUST I SUPPORT THIS ISSUE AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, WE, I'M GONNA HEAR FROM THE, THE, UH, MAKERS OF THE MOTION, THE SECOND THEN WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. UH, COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. UH, I SUPPORT THE MOTION. UM, I THINK THIS IS, UM, A RESPONSIBLE WAY TO, UM, GENERATE REVENUE FOR OUR CITY THAT'S DESPERATELY NEEDED. UM, OUR BUDGET, OBVIOUSLY, UH, AS OUR CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, THE THE FORECAST, UM, IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO AS A CITY COUNCIL AND A AS A CITY. UH, UH, I SUPPORT THIS MOTION 'CAUSE IT HAS A MINIMAL IMPACT ON OUR RESIDENTS AND I WOULD ASK THAT OUR COUNCIL SUPPORT IT AS WELL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER YANGA, I AGREE WITH, UH, EVERYTHING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN SAID, AND ALSO I WANNA THANK STAFF FOR LOOKING AT, LOOKING TO DEAL WITH THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET TO FIND MORE STREAMS OF REVENUE. AND THIS ONE CERTAINLY HAS THE LEAST IMPACT ON OUR RESIDENTS. SO STRONG SUPPORT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WELL NOW TAKE IT TO PUBLIC COMMENT. I HAVE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME FORWARD. PETE MARSH, JOHN GREGORY, DAVE SHUKLA, GABBY HERNANDEZ, AND SONA COFFEY. PLEASE COME FORWARD. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, STAFF, UH, PETE MARSH, SECOND DISTRICT, UH, MEMBER OF SEVERAL CLIMATE GROUPS. I'M HERE TODAY SPEAKING ON MY OWN BEHALF. UH, I EMAILED IN SOME, UH, COMMENT BEFORE THE MEETING, INCLUDING A WHITE PAPER ON THE SOCIAL COST OF CARBON. AND I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT BRIEFLY ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS. UH, WE HEARD A LOT OF, UH, THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT IN THE CITY MANAGER'S BRIEF, BUT ESSENTIALLY, UH, FOR DECADES WE'VE UNDERSTOOD THAT BURNING, UH, COMBUSTING FOSSIL FUELS, UH, IMPOSES COSTS ON SOCIETY. THE INTER INTER, THE INTERNATIONAL, UH, MONETARY FUND ESTIMATES THAT GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD PROVIDE SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO A TRILLION DOLLARS IN DIRECT SUBSIDIES TO, UH, OIL COMPANIES. AND THE COMBUSTION, UH, EFFECTS IN TERMS OF RESPIRATORY, UH, DISEASE, ET CETERA, UH, BURDEN THE ECONOMY BY SOMETHING, UH, ABOUT 7 TRILLION. THAT'S OUT OF A HUNDRED AND TRILLION, A HUNDRED TRILLION DOLLARS GLOBAL GDP. SO WE'RE PUTTING A 7% TAX ON OURSELVES, UH, JUST BY COMBUSTING FOSSIL FUELS FOR A COUPLE OF CENTURIES. WE'VE BEEN VERY USED TO IT AND WE'VE, UH, ENJOYED THE CONVENIENCE AND THE, UH, THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THOSE FOSSIL FUELS. WE'RE NOW REALIZING THERE'S A BETTER WAY. AND SO RECOGNIZING THOSE SOCIAL COSTS IS A HUGE, UH, HUGE IMPORTANT TO US. THIS ONE IS, UH, SEEMS LIKE DEAD SIMPLE, EASY. YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN ESSENTIALLY PROVIDING, UH, THESE TWO PLANTS WITH A DIRECT SUBSIDY FROM THE TAXPAYERS OF LONG BEACH. UH, AND NOW IT'S TIME TO REMOVE THOSE SUBSIDIES MOVING FORWARD NATIONALLY AND AT THE STATE LEVEL. AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE ALREADY HAVE CAP AND TRADE, WHICH BEGINS TO ADDRESS THAT, UH, NATIONALLY, THERE ARE MOVEMENTS TO, UH, PUT A PRICE ON CARBON POLLUTION. I GLADLY PAY, UH, TO HAVE MY MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE HAULED AWAY AND PROPERLY DISPOSED OF. BUT FOSSIL FUEL COMBUSTION [00:50:01] IS EMITTED, UH, THE BYPRODUCTS ARE EMITTED FOR FREE AND WE DON'T CHARGE THOSE ENTITIES, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE ALL SUFFER, UH, PREMATURE DEATH FROM REST, RESPIRATORY ILLNESS, ET CETERA. ANYWAY, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, STAFF BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND STRONGLY SUPPORT THE MOTION AND RECOMMEND APPROVAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE, JOHN. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR RICHARDSON, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME'S JOHN GREGORY. I'M WITH THE LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER HERE FOR ITEM 33. UM, I, ON BEHALF OF DDP STRONGLY URGE YOU TO MAINTAIN THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY EXEMPTION, U UT EXEMPTION FOR HANES GENERATING STATION IF PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE VOTERS, THE MEASURE BEFORE YOU WOULD ELIMINATE THE LONG BEACH UTILITY USERS GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY EXEMPTION, AS YOU KNOW, UH, FOR THIS FACILITY, AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE'RE SENSITIVE TO THE REVENUE PRESSURES OF THE CITY. WE'RE A LO PART OF A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL, OBVIOUSLY A LARGE ONE IN YOUR NEIGHBOR. UM, AND WE KNOW IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE TO STRIKE BETWEEN THE RES THE REVENUES FOR THE CITY AND THE SERVICES THAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR. SO WE WE'RE VERY SENSITIVE OF THIS. UM, BUT WE ARE PUBLICLY ON UTILITY. WE'RE DIFFERENT THAN THE IOU, LIKE SSCE OR EVEN THE INDEPENDENT GENERATORS LIKE A ES. SO ALL OF OUR REVENUES ARE DERIVED FROM OUR RATE PAYERS. 54% OF THOSE RATE PAYERS LIVE IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. I SHOULD NOTE THAT, UH, THE HANS FACILITY THROUGH LED D DW P'S PARTICIPATION IN THE KAISO ENERGY IMBALANCE MARKET ACTUALLY DOES SERVE LONG BEACH CUSTOMERS. UM, AND THERE WAS A, A GREAT IMPACT, NOT DIRECT, BUT IT DOES IMPACT THINGS. UM, THE ELIMINATION OF THIS EXEMPTION WOULD EFFECTIVELY TRANSFER REVENUE BURDEN FROM THE TAXPAYERS AND PLACE IT NOW A NEW, NEW REVENUE BURDEN ON THE RATE PAYERS OF LOS ANGELES. UM, DESPITE, UH, L-A-D-D-P SECURING MORE THAN 500 MILLION IN STATE AND FEDERAL UTILITY BILL RELIEF DOLLARS, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF OUR CUSTOMERS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE TO PAY THEIR BILLS. AND THAT'S EVIDENCE THROUGH OUR ARREARAGES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY, UM, HOLDING ON OUR, ON OUR BALANCE SHEET. UH, THE PROPOSED MEASURE ALSO TARGETS A FACILITY THAT'S ACTIVELY MAKING SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS TO LESSEN ITS OWN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, WHILE SERVING AS A CATALYST FOR REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, AND REDUCING EMISSIONS IN, IN THE SECTOR THAT'S MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR LOCAL AIR POLLUTION AROUND THE PORTS, WHICH IS THE HEAVY DUTY TRANSPORTATION SECTOR. UM, THE OTHER CONCERN FOR L-A-D-D-P IS THAT THIS MEASURE EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATES A LONGSTANDING PRACTICE AND PRECEDENT. AND THAT IS THAT OUR TWO NEIGHBORING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DON'T NORMALLY TAX EACH OTHER 'CAUSE WE SERVE A COMMON GOOD. THIS PROPOSED MEASURE ALSO DEVIATES FROM THE SPIRIT OF LONGSTANDING TRADITION OF COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION. THIS INCLUDES PREPARATIONS FOR THE 2028 SUMMER OLYMPICS. WE HAD A, UH, JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE OVER A DECADE AGO ANNOUNCING THE INITIATION OF THE ONCE THROUGH COOLING, UH, PROGRAM TO CEASE EVENTUALLY THE ONCE THROUGH COOLING AT THE HAYES FACILITY. AND WE HAVE ONGOING DIALOGUES, UH, THAT ARE TAKING PLACE, ONE OF THE COUNCIL OFFICES REGARDING A CONTINUATION OF THE PUMPING ASSOCIATED WITH ONE THROUGH COOLING TO PREVENT STAGNATION IN THE ALAMEDA BAY MARINA. UH, ALSO IMPORTANTLY, WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH THE LONG BEACH UTILITIES DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW ON A WELL, A RECYCLED WATER CONNECTION PIPELINE WITH TWO, TWO CITIES. AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, AT THE MOMENT, WE'RE SUPPORTING A KEY PORT OF LA OWNED PROP, UH, PROJECT IN A, ON A PROPERTY OWNED WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. THAT'S GONNA BE A SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF MEETING THE 20 2800 HEAVY DUTY ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING OUTLET GOAL. UM, AND THIS, UH, PROJECT OVER THANK YOU YOUR TIME, SETH, CHARGING IN THE HOURS WHEN RENEWABLES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN. WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, DAVE SHUKLA. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR. MY NAME IS DAVE SHUKLA AND I AM A SON OF THE CITY. OUR HOUSE 63 33 EAST ELLIOT STREET IS THE CLOSEST HOUSE TO THE STACKS, THE EXHAUST STACKS OF THE A ES PLANT ON STUDEBAKER ROAD. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT NEITHER A ES NOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON, UM, BEAR THE COSTS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN THEIR PRODUCTS CREATE FOR RESIDENTS IN MY PART OF TOWN. WHILE I AM SUPPORTIVE OF THE INTENT OF THIS BALLOT MEASURE, I HAVE CONCERNS BECAUSE AFTER ALL, I MEAN LONG BEACH IS FIVE OUT OF 10 OF S E'S LARGEST CONTRACTS YEAR AFTER YEAR. I MEAN, WE'RE THE SAUDIS. WE MAY OWN THE OIL TO SOME DEGREE, BUT THEY CONTROL IT. THEY'RE THE ONES WHO PROVIDE THE KNOW-HOW AND THE WHEREWITHAL TO ACTUALLY GET IT. AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO CAN TELL THE CITY WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DO. AND MORE MOREOVER, [00:55:01] THEY CAN TELL THE CPUC TO PASS THE COST JUST ONTO LONG BEACH RESIDENTS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'LL BE SUCCESSFUL SOMETHING ELSE. BUT THE C-P-P-U-C WILL MOVE IF SE TELLS THEM TO. SO THERE IS A REAL CONCERN OF PASS THROUGH. I'M ALSO CONCERNED TO HEAR THE CITY MANAGER SAY THAT SE IS COLLABORATING WITH THE, UH, THE CITY ON THIS BALLOT MEASURE. UM, IF ONE TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF GAS BURNED IN THIS CITY, IT IS SHOCKING THAT 80 TO 85% OF IT IS NOT TAXED TEXT. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE CITY'S ARGUMENTS IN THE STAFF REPORT AND IN THE BALLOT MEASURE LANGUAGE ARE INCOMPLETE BECAUSE THEY DO NOT COMPLETELY REFERENCE WHAT LONG BEACH RESIDENTS SUCH AS MYSELF, HAVE HAD TO ENDURE AS A RESULT OF THESE FACILITIES. NOT ONLY BEING PAST THEIR USEFUL LIFE, BUT BEING OPERATIONAL AT A POINT IN HUMAN HISTORY WHERE WE KNOW WE CANNOT BURN GAS ANYMORE AS A SPECIES. THAT WAS 2022 AND WE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND COME 2028, MR. MAYOR. SO IT'S THE, IT'S THE 28TH YEAR NOW FOR US AT THAT HOUSE. COME 2028, THE WHOLE WORLD'S GONNA COME HERE AND THEY'RE GONNA SEE HOW WE LIVE AND THEY'RE GONNA SEE HOW THEIR OPTIONS, THEIR FUTURES ARE CIRCUMSCRIBED BY OUR CHOICES. THIS IS AN EASY CHOICE. THIS IS AN EASY CHOICE, BUT FOR TWO, TWO ENTITIES THAT SAID, THOSE TWO ENTITIES HAVE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF POWER, I DON'T BELIEVE SE WILL ALLOW YOU TO SPREAD THE COSTS ONTO 15 MILLION. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. AND OUR FINAL SPEAKER PLEASE. UH, ACTUALLY, GABBY GABBY'S NEXT, AND THEN SONA. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS GABBY HERNANDEZ, UH, PRONUN. HER AND I SERVE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR AND I RESIDE IN DISTRICT THREE. UM, FIRST I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR FOR INCLUDING THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND IN HIS PROPOSED BUDGET AND HOPE THAT THE REST OF THE COUNCIL WILL SUPPORT HIS RECOMMENDATION. ALSO SUPPORTS ENDING THE TAX EXCEPTION FOR POWER PLANTS IN LONG BEACH. THE 5% GAS UTILITY USER TAX IS CRUCIAL FOR FUNDING CITY SERVICES LIKE LIBRARIES, PARKS, AND INCLUDING THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND. THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND HAS, UM, SERVED AROUND A HUNDRED PEOPLE THIS FAR AND LONG BEACH HAS ABOUT 30,000 UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS AND MANY THAT LIVE IN MIXED STATUS FAMILIES. SINCE 2018, THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND HAS PROVIDED ESSENTIAL REMOVAL, DEFENSE AND IMMIGRATION LEGAL LEGAL SERVICES. LAST YEAR, $1.1 MILLION IN FUNDING WAS PROVIDED AND IS CRUCIAL TO PROVIDING PREVENTATIVE, UH, MEASURES TO AVOID DEPORTATION. HOWEVER, ONLY 300,000 OF THIS FUNDING IS STABLE LEADING TO SERVICES IN INSTABILITY AND DELAYS. UNLIKE CITIES LIKE OAKLAND, LONG BEACH LACKS A FULL SCOPE IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDER, FORCING RESIDENTS TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES TO GET HELP. AS LONG BEACH SHIFTS AWAY FROM LOCAL OIL PRODUCTION, NEW REVENUE SOURCES ARE NEEDED. ALAMEDA'S ENERGY CENTER AND HAINES PLANT HAVE BEEN EXEMPT FROM THIS TAX FOR OVER 30 YEARS. UNLIKE OTHER FOLKS ENDING THIS EXEMPTION COULD GENERATE ABOUT 90 MILLION BY 2030. FOR US, THIS MEANS THAT THERE COULD BE SOLID SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS LIKE THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND. ADDITIONAL REVENUE WOULD ENHANCE CITY SERVICES AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, LIBRARIES, AND AGAIN, PROVIDE STABLE FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS LIKE THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND. SO ALI SUPPORTS PUTTING THIS DECISION TO THE LONG BEACH VOTERS IN NOVEMBER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, SONA. HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS SONA COFFEE. I'M A RESIDENT OF THE THIRD DISTRICT AND I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE, UH, CLIMATE RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE CITY COMMISSION. AND I'M ALSO HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF BRINGING THIS BALLOT MEASURE FORWARD. I WANTED TO THANK, UH, THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THE CITY STAFF FOR REALLY LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE. I KNOW YOU HEARD, UM, SOME OF THE DAUNTING FIGURES OF WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO MOVE AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS IN THIS CITY. AND I APPRECIATE CREATIVE APPROACHES TO IDENTIFYING STABLE FUNDING SOURCES TO CLOSE THAT GAP AND REALLY GET LONG BEACH ON THE TRACK AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS AND MOVING US TOWARDS A CLIMATE JUST FUTURE. UM, I'M HERE TO, WHILE WE'RE LOOK TALKING ABOUT MAKING A PLUG FOR CLOSING THIS LOOPHOLE, I ALSO WANNA MAKE A PLUG FOR LOOKING AT SOME OTHER CREATIVE WAYS TO USE THIS FUNDING THAT COULD COME IN FROM THE UT TAX. UM, SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES. YES. SUPPORTING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY. YES, LONG BEACH JUSTICE. ABSOLUTELY. UM, LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND CLEAN JOBS, GREEN JOBS AS PART OF THE EFFORT THAT COMES IN [01:00:01] FROM THIS FUNDING, I THINK WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED AND MUCH NEEDED HERE IN LONG BEACH. UM, THERE ARE OTHER CREATIVE WAYS TO REUSE SOME OF THE SPACE OF, UH, WHERE THE OIL FIELDS ARE, THE OIL WELLS ARE AND THE IDLE WELLS ARE. SO ALL THOSE OPTIONS, I THINK COULD BE SOMETHING THAT THIS FUND THEN GENERATES AND SUPPORTS MOVING FORWARD. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. AND I'M HERE, UH, TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SONA. ALRIGHT, WELL THAT CONCLUDES, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT. UH, THANK YOU TO CITY STAFF, UH, CITY MANAGER MOCA. THANK YOU. UH, CITY AUDITOR DOWD. UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AGAIN THAT WE, UH, PUT A CHOICE IN FRONT OF, UH, OUR VOTERS. I THINK IT'S EXPECTED TO DO SO. UM, THE WAY WE FUND OUR CITY IS FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING AND OUR DEPENDENCE AND RELIANCE OF ON OIL REVENUES OVER THE PAST CENTURY REQUIRES US TO MAKE SOME DIFFERENT CHOICES. DO, DO WE WANT TO, UM, UH, SEE DEVASTATING CUTS TO OUR SERVICES, UH, IN ORDER TO PROTECT, UM, AN INCONSISTENT STANDARD, A LOOPHOLE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A TAX THAT'S PAID BY ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND OTHER POWER PLANTS. DO WE WANNA SEE SERVICES CUT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THAT? OR DO WE WANNA PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION WHERE WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OIL IS NOT OUR FUTURE, UH, AS A RES REVENUE SOURCE, AND THAT WE WANT TO ULTIMATELY EXPAND QUALITY SERVICES TO OUR CITY, DELIVERED BY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES AND ENSURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE POSITIONING OUR CITY, OUR FUTURE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO BE, UH, HANDED TO THE NEXT GENERATION AND IN A BETTER POSITION THAN WAS WHEN WE RECEIVED IT. AND SO I THINK THIS IS A VERY CLEAR CHOICE AND I KNOW WHERE I STAND. I CERTAINLY SUPPORT, UH, THIS MEASURE. AND SO THAT SAID, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, WELL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 34. ITEM 34 IS REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE REGISTRAR RECORDER, COUNTY CLERK [34. 24-54268 Recommendation to adopt resolution requesting the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk to call, provide, and give notice of a General Municipal Election to be consolidated with the Statewide General Election to be held in the City of Long Beach (City) on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, and include the proposed Charter amendment to a vote of the qualified electors of the City relating to consolidating Civil Service and Human Resources Departments into one unified hiring department, establishing an independent Civil Service Employee Rights and Appeals Commission and implementing classified hiring preferences; directing City Attorney to prepare an impartial analysis of the Charter amendment; and providing for the filing of primary and rebuttal arguments and setting rules for the filing of written arguments regarding a proposed Charter amendment to be submitted at said election. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Manager         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] TO CALL, PROVIDE, AND GIVE NOTICE OF A GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE CONSOLIDATED WITH THE STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION TO BE HELD AT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH. AND INCLUDE THE PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT TO A VOTE OF THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE CITY RELATING TO CONSOLIDATING CIVIL SERVICE AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENTS INTO ONE UNIFIED HIRING DEPARTMENT, ESTABLISHING AN INDEPENDENT CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND APPEALS COMMISSION AND IMPLEMENTING CLASSIFY HIRING PREFERENCES. DIRECTING CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE AN IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OF THE CHARTER AMENDMENT AND PROVIDING FOR THE FILING OF PRIMARY AND REBUTTAL ARGUMENTS AND SETTING RULES FOR THE FILING OF THE WRITTEN ARGUMENTS REGARDING A PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT TO BE SUBMITTED AT THE STATE ELECTION CITYWIDE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO I WANNA THANK, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC, UH, FOR HAVING THIS CONVERSATION. UH, THIS IS THE THIRD AND FINAL HEARING OF A THREE PART SERIES, WHICH IS REQUIRED IN OUR CHARTER, UH, TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED CIVIL SERVICE MODERNIZATION RECOMMENDATIONS. UH, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT, UM, UH, CHARTER AMENDMENT AND IT'S A, IT'S A LOT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHEN I TALK ABOUT IT, I FRAME IT AS THE LONG BEACH JOBS PROMISE. 'CAUSE IT'S A COMMITMENT TO MODERNIZE THE WAY WE HIRE IN OUR CITY AND EXPAND GOOD PAYING OPPORTUNITIES, JOBS WITH THE CITY, AND PRIORITIZE HIRING LONG BEACH RESIDENTS WHO KNOW HOW TO SERVE OUR RESIDENTS BEST. AND SO, UH, I WANT TO, AT THIS POINT, I'LL ADD ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AFTER THE PRESENTATION, BUT I WANNA GO TO, UH, CITY MANAGER MO MOCA TO WALK US THROUGH, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION IN FRONT OF US. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SO, UH, THIS HAS BEEN, UH, A LONG TIME. WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS OVER THE PAST, UH, NINE MONTHS. THIS ORIGINALLY CAME OUT WITH A PROPOSAL IN JANUARY. UH, IT IS ACTUALLY OUR EIGHTH PUBLIC MEETING THAT WE'VE HAD ON THIS TO GO THROUGH THE TOPIC. UH, WE WERE TWICE AT THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. WE WERE AT WATER COMMISSION HARBOR COMMISSION. UH, THEN WE, UH, PROPOSED THIS TO GET SENT OUT CHARTER COMM AMENDMENT COMMITTEE. THAT WAS, AND THAT'S THE THIRD, UM, HEARING. WE'VE DONE THREE OF THOSE. AND TONIGHT IS THAT EIGHTH MEETING, NOT TO MENTION THE ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, CONCERNED STAKEHOLDERS AND ALL OF OUR, UH, NEGOTIATIONS WITH OUR UNIONS. UH, AND WE'VE CLOSED OUT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THOSE AND ALSO HAVE LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM A NUMBER OF OUR UNIONS. UH, I WILL HAVE, UH, OUR DIRECTOR OF, UM, OF HUMAN RESOURCES GO THROUGH, UH, THE PRESENTATION. UH, WE'LL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, BUT JUST, UH, SO EVERYONE HAS THAT INFORMATION, UH, BEFORE YOU TAKE THAT, UH, FINAL VOTE TONIGHT THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING. SO TURN IT OVER TO JOE ABRINI. THANKS, TOM. AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. UM, SO AS THE CITY MANAGER INDICATED, UM, THIS HAS BEEN A NUMBER OF TIMES, UM, WE'VE, UH, DISCUSSED AND PRESENTED THIS PROPOSAL. SO TODAY WILL BE ANOTHER REVIEW, UM, ON THE HIGH LEVEL DETAILS OF THE PROPOSAL. UM, AND SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. ALRIGHT, SO WHAT IS THIS PROPOSAL? WHAT IS THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT ALL ABOUT? [01:05:01] UM, IT'S ABOUT A FEW THINGS. ONE, WE'RE IS LOOKING TO UNIFY HIRING TO ONE DEPARTMENT. UM, CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW THE HIRING FUNCTIONS IN THE CITY FOR CLASSIFIED EMPLOYMENT AND UNCLASSIFIED EMPLOYMENT ARE BIFURCATED BETWEEN THE CIVIL SERVICE AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. SO THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS TO UNIFY HIRING ALL THE HIRING, RECRUITMENT, HIRING FUNCTIONS UNDER ONE DEPARTMENT, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. IT ALSO LOOKS TO ESTABLISH AN INDEPENDENT, UH, CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND APPEALS COMMISSION, UM, TO RESOLVE COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THE CLASSIFIED HIRING PROCESS, TO EACH STEP OF THE HIRING PROCESS, AS WELL AS ADJUDICATE DISCIPLINARY APPEALS OF CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES. AS THE MAYOR DISCUSSED, IT'S ALSO TO IMPLEMENT NEW LOCAL HIRING PRE PREFERENCES FOR LONG BEACH RESIDENTS, STUDENTS, UM, FROM LOCAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AND, UH, PART-TIME, TEMPORARY CITY OF LONG BEACH STAFF, AND THOSE THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED IN APPRENTICESHIPS OR INTERNSHIPS. AND THEN LASTLY, THE PROPOSALS ABOUT THE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM REMAINING, UM, IN PLACE. UM, AND ALL CURRENT RULES AND CIVIL SERVICE RULES AND REGULATIONS REMAIN IN PLACE AGAIN, UNLESS THERE'S, UH, CHANGES TO ANY RULES, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THOSE FOLLOWING A VERY DETAILED MEET AND CONFER PROCESS. SO, GETTING INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS OF THE PROPOSAL, UM, THE PROPOSAL LOOKS TO, UM, PRESENT A MODERN AND STREAMLINED HIRING STRUCTURE, WHICH WILL HELP STREAMLINE THE HIRING PROCESS, REDUCE BUREAUCRACY AND REDUNDANCY WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL TO BE ABLE TO HIRE, UM, HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND TALENTED EMPLOYEES FASTER. AGAIN, UNIFYING, UM, HIRING TO ONE DEPARTMENT, UM, ELIMINATES THE BIFURCATED HIRING STRUCTURE AND, UH, PRESENTS A STRUCTURE THAT'S ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE MODERN WORKFORCE. UM, IT UPHOLDS THE MERIT SYSTEM AND EMPLOYEE PROTECTIONS. UM, THAT PROPOSAL CONTEMPLATES A SYSTEM WHERE EMPLOYEES HAVE THE ABILITY TO HEAR, UM, APPEALS TO ACTIONS, UM, TO AN INDEPENDENT, UM, BODY INDEPENDENT FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND HUMAN RESOURCES. AND THEN LASTLY, IT INF IT CREATES NEW HIRING PREFERENCES, WHICH HELPS SUPPORT THE ABILITY TO BRING TALENT IN THE DOOR, UM, A LOT QUICKER AND WITH, UM, TOP TALENT. SO LONG BEACH IS, UH, HIRING STRUCTURE, UM, IS AN OUTLIER, UH, COMPARED TO OTHER AGENCIES ACROSS CALIFORNIA. UM, IT'S ONLY THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND CITY OF SAN DIEGO THAT, UM, HAVE THE BIFURCATED STRUCTURE OF A HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AND A CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENT. AND, UM, THIS, UH, UH, PROPOSAL, UM, WOULD ALIGN THE STRUCTURE OF THE NEWLY FORMED CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND APPEALS COMMISSION TO THE, TO HAVE THE SAME STRUCTURE AT NEARLY ALL OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES WHERE, UH, WHEREBY THE COMMISSION WOULD FOCUS BEING AN APPEALS BODY PRIMARILY, AND, UH, NOT HANDLE THE DAY-TO-DAY ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS THAT THEY'RE HANDLING RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS. SO THE, UH, THE COMMISSION DUTIES WOULD BE FOCUSED ON HEARING APPEALS, UM, ON EACH STEP OF THE HIRING PROCESS THAT APPLICANTS AND EMPLOYEES MAY HAVE, AND THEN REVIEWING DISCIPLINARY APPEALS AS WELL, ALL WHILE, UH, BEING INDEPENDENT AND, UM, SEPARATE THAN THE CONTROL OF THE CITY MANAGER AND THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. SO, IN, UH, ALL THE, NEARLY ALL THE OTHER AGENCIES IN CALIFORNIA THAT HAVE ADOPTED THE PROPOSED STRUCTURE, UM, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT HANDLES THE DAY-TO-DAY ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS OF THE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS. UM, THOSE TASKS ARE CURRENTLY HANDLED BY THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION RIGHT NOW. SO THIS PROPOSAL WOULD STREAMLINE THOSE STEPS OF THE PROCESS AND HAVE PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL STAFF IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT BE ABLE TO HANDLE EACH AND EACH OF THOSE STEPS. UM, WE DO KNOW THAT OUR HIRING TIMELINES ARE VERY LONG RIGHT NOW, AND THEY SERVE AS A BARRIER FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING EMPLOYMENT. AND SO WE, WE SEEK TO, UH, STREAMLINE THAT PROCESS, UH, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. HAVING A CENTRALIZED AND CONSISTENT APPROACH TO HIRING ACROSS THE SYSTEM WITH ONE DEPARTMENT WOULD ALSO ELIMINATE A LOT OF THE CONFUSION AND BARRIERS, UM, THAT APPLICANTS FACE WHEN SEEKING EMPLOYMENT WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. UH, WE BELIEVE THAT CENTRALIZING HIRING TO ONE DEPARTMENT ALLOWS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INFUSE MORE EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE HIRING PRACTICES INTO THE PROCESS. SUCH THING AS SUCH THINGS AS, UH, OF MANDATING DIVERSE HIRING PANELS, UM, HAVING INTEGRATED PRACTICES WITH A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO HIRING COMPENSATION, UM, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ALL UNDER ONE DEPARTMENT, IMPROVED ACCESS TO TE TO, UH, TESTING ACCESS. AND WE BELIEVE THAT THERE'S MANY MORE THAT COULD BE DONE. THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF A FEW AREAS WHERE WE BELIEVE WE COULD INFUSE MORE EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE HIRING PRACTICES. UH, WE DO BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAFEGUARD THE MERIT SYSTEM. AGAIN, THE MERITS UPHOLDING THE MERIT SYSTEM IS A, IS A CORNERSTONE OF THE PROPOSAL. AND SO THIS, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENT CAREFULLY ENSURES THAT THE SAFEGUARDS REMAIN, UM, IN PLACE. A FEW OF THOSE WOULD INCLUDE OBVIOUSLY THE COUNCIL OVERSIGHT, UM, TO HAVING OVERSIGHT TO THE CIVIL SERVICE RULES AND REGULATIONS, UM, INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIONS. UM, THE COUNCIL CAN DIRECT AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION, UM, UH, TO ENSURE THESE, THE CHARTER PROVISIONS ARE BEING ENFORCED. THOSE INVESTIGATIONS WOULD BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND A REPORT BACK WOULD BE MADE TO CITY COUNCIL. UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS THAT EXIST VIA, UH, FEDERAL, VARIOUS FEDERAL OR STATE LAWS, INCLUDING LONG BEACH POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT, [01:10:01] UM, PROHIBIT, UH, RETALIATION DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT. AND THERE IS AN ANTI-NEPOTISM POLICY. AND THEN, OF COURSE, A VERY IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH OUR UNIONS. ROUTINE COMPLIANCE AUDITS, UM, IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF MAINTAINING, UM, SAFEGUARDS, UM, TO, UH, DO PERIODIC AUDITS OF THE MERIT SYSTEM TO ENSURE THE PRO RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS ARE BE, ARE BEING, UM, FOLLOWED. AND THEN, AND THEN THE PROPOSAL ALSO CONTEMPLATES AN INDEPENDENT STAFF MEMBER, UM, UH, TO SUPPORT THE COMMISSION THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE LOCAL HIRING PREFERENCES THE MAYOR SPOKE ABOUT. THE PREFERENCES, UM, WOULD BE, UM, GRANTED IN THE CLASSIFIED RECRUITMENT PROCESS TO LOCAL LONG BEACH RESIDENTS, RESIDENTS RESIDING WITHIN LONG BEACH, UM, GRADUATES OF LOCAL LONG BEACH INSTITUTIONS, UM, CERTAIN, UH, CURRENT TEMPORARY OR NON-CAREER CITY EMPLOYEES, AND THEN, UM, APPLICANTS THAT HAVE COMPLETED APPROVED INTERNSHIPS OR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. SO HOW WOULD THOSE PREFERENCES BE, UH, IMPLEMENTED? UM, SO PREFERENCES WOULD BE, GRANTED, PREFERENCE POINTS WOULD BE GRANTED FOR EACH PREFERENCE THAT A CANDIDATE MAY HAVE UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 10 POINTS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, SO THEY CAN'T QUALIFY FOR THE POSITION BY VIRTUE OF THE NEW PREFERENCES, THEY WOULD HAVE TO MEET THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, AND THEN THE PREFERENCE POINTS WOULD BE ADDED ON TOP OF THAT TO GIVE THE CANDIDATE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY. UM, TO SECURE A POSITION WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. THESE PREFERENCES WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT COMPLIMENT TO THE CURRENT VETERANS PREFERENCES THAT ARE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW. CURRENTLY, VETERANS AND DISABLED VETERANS RECEIVE PREFERENCE POINTS. UM, THE NEW PREFERENCE POINTS FOR THE VETERANS WOULD ACTUALLY STACK ON TOP OF THAT. UM, SO IF A, IF A VETERAN, UM, ALREADY RECEIVING A VETERAN'S POINT, SAY, RECEIVED ONE OR TWO OF THE NEW PREFERENCES ON TOP OF THAT, UM, IT'S WOULD BE VIRTUALLY ASSURED THAT THE, THE CANDIDATE WOULD BE AT THE TOP, IF NOT AT THE TOP OF THE LIST FOR TOP SCORING CANDIDATES, THEREBY INCREASING THEIR LIKELIHOOD TO, UM, SECURE A POSITION WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. SO WE VIEW THIS AS REALLY STRENGTHENING, UM, THE, THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS HERE AT THE CITY. SO THIS PROPOSAL CAME FOLLOWING A VERY DETAILED MEET AND COLLABORATIVE MEET AND CONFER PROCESS WITH EACH OF OUR LABOR GROUPS. WE RECEIVED GREAT FEEDBACK FROM THE PROCESS. IT WAS A VERY, UM, A BUSY PROCESS WITH A TIGHT TIMEFRAME TO MEET THE CHARTER MANDATED STATE DEADLINES. UM, BUT WE DID RECEIVE GREAT FEEDBACK AND, AND THE PROPOSALS, UM, AND DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE LABOR GROUPS AND THE CITY REALLY STRENGTHENED THE PROPOSAL. WE HAD A NUMBER OF CHANGES TO THE LANGUAGE RESULTING FROM THE MEET AND CONFER PROCESS. UH, ONE OF THE KEY FEATURES IS, IS THAT WE AGREED, UH, WE HAD LETTERS OF AGREEMENT WITH MULTIPLE OF THE LABOR GROUPS THAT ARE APPLIED TO, TO ALL THE CITY EMPLOYEES HERE. THESE AGREEMENTS ARE LEGALLY BINDING, UM, AND THEY ARE SUCH THAT THEY COULD ONLY BE CHANGED. THAT PROVISIONS THAT WE AGREED TO COULD ONLY BE CHANGED BY MUTUAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE LABOR GROUPS. UM, THIS, UM, UH, PROPOSAL DOES FOLLOW, UM, A, A MEASURE GG FROM 2010. THIS WAS ANOTHER MEASURE, UM, TO, UM, SIMILARLY CONSOLIDATE THE HUMAN RESOURCES AND CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENT. WE VIEWED THAT THIS MEASURE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN MEASURE GG FROM 2010. UM, WE VIEW THAT THERE HAS MUCH, UH, BIGGER DIFFERENCES IN TERMS OF STRONGER EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS, A GUARANTEE OF MERIT-BASED HIRING REMAINING, UM, THE INFUSION OF NEW LOCAL PREFERENCES THAT WE DISCUSSED. UH, THIS MEASURE DOES HAVE LABOR SUPPORT, UM, UH, GENERAL LABOR SUPPORT, BOTH FROM MANY GROUPS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION AND OUTSIDE THE ORGANIZATION, WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE WITH MEASURE GG. AND OVERALL, THE GOAL OF THE, OUR PROPOSAL CURRENTLY TODAY IS TO HIRE FASTER, UH, IMPLEMENT PREFERENCES AND IMPROVE THE CITY'S VACANCY RATE. IT'S NOT A COST SAVINGS MEASURE, WHICH WAS GENERALLY THE FOCUS OF MEASURE GG. UM, THIS, UH, PROCESS AS WE DISCUSSED, UM, UH, HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. UH, IT'S BEEN A LONG PROCESS TO BRING THIS PROPOSAL BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL THIS EVENING. UM, THE MAYOR AND CITY MANAGER PROPOSED, UH, ORIGINALLY PROPOSED THIS IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. UH, THE MAYOR AND CITY MANAGER MET WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES IN JANUARY AS WELL TO EXPLAIN THE PROPOSAL AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. MAYOR AND CITY MANAGER PERSONALLY VISITED THE THREE AFFECTED COMMISSIONS. UM, UTILITIES HARBOR AND CIVIL SERVICE IN FEBRUARY, UM, INCLUDED TWO DIFFERENT MEETINGS WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION DURING THIS TIMEFRAME. UH, WE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE MEET AND CONFER PROCESS WITH ALL 11 EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS, AND, UM, THE, UH, AMENDMENT WAS PRESENTED ON MAY 7TH, AND THEN REFERRED AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID TO THE CHARTER AMENDMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS ON JUNE 11TH AND JULY 16TH. AND THIS EVENING, UM, IS THE OPPORTUNITY BEFORE YOU TO DECIDE TO PLACE THIS ON A BALLOT. IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS, UM, WE'VE COMPLETED ALL THE REQUIRED PROCESSES, UM, FOLLOWING TONIGHT'S DECISION. UM, IT THE, THIS COULD GO TO THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER IF IT IS ULTIMATELY DECIDED TO GO TO THE VOTERS AND ULTIMATELY VOTED ON IN NOVEMBER. THE CITY HAS AGREED WITH OUR LABOR PARTNERS TO RETURN TO A SECOND MEET AND CONFER PROCESS TO DISCUSS THE IMPACTS OF THE VOTE PRIOR TO ANY CHANGES BEING MADE. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. ALRIGHT, [01:15:01] THANK YOU. SO, UH, BEFORE WE GO TO THE COUNCIL, JUST WANT TO JUST ADD A FEW COMMENTS. SO FIRST, A LOT HAS GONE INTO THE THOUGHTFULNESS OF THIS PROPOSAL, AND, UH, A LOT OF TIME, A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT HAS GONE INTO THIS PROPOSAL. I WANNA THANK THE EMPLOYEE GROUPS WHO'VE GONE THROUGH A, A VERY COMPREHENSIVE MEET AND CONFER PROCESS THAT HAS ACTUALLY IMPROVED THE PROPOSAL A LOT, SHARPENING THE PENCIL ON ISSUES LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IF, YOU KNOW, I GET IN TROUBLE AND I NEED AN INDEPENDENT GROUP TO APPEAL TO AND MAKE SURE THAT WE SHARPEN THE PENCIL ON THOSE APPEAL RIGHTS. YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IF IF SOMEONE, EVEN IF, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE ON PROBATION AND THEIR PROBATION GETS SUSPENDED, WELL, THAT IN MANY WAYS COULD BE SEEN AS SOMEONE'S DISCIPLINARY RIGHTS AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN ABILITY TO APPEAL ALL OF THOSE THINGS. SO IT'S BEEN A, A VERY GOOD PROCESS TO TO, TO GET HERE. AND I WANNA THANK YOU ALL. I ALSO WANNA REC, RECOGNIZE AND LIFT UP SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS WHO'VE, UH, WE HAVE THIS PACKET OF LETTERS TO SUPPORT, UH, THE NONPROFIT PARTNERSHIP. UM, KAMAI GIRLS IN ACTION, CENTRAL CHA, CALIFORNIA FACULTY ASSOCIATION, THE PRESIDENTS AT LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE, OR LONG BEACH STATE, CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS AND LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE. UM, LET'S SEE, UH, LOS ANGELES BLACK WORKERS CENTER, UH, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS OR LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS, APRIL PARKER FOUNDATION, LONG BEACH POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, AND A COALITION THAT'S BEGINNING TO FORM TO REALLY SUPPORT THE LONG BEACH JOBS PROMISE. SO, JUST A FEW THINGS. I WOULD SAY THAT OUR BIGGEST RESPONSIBILITY IS TO DELIVER QUALITY SERVICES TO OUR CITY. AND THE VACANCIES HAVE BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE. AND I WILL TELL YOU WE'RE DOING ALL THAT WE CAN FROM NEGOTIATING HISTORIC EQUITY RAISES WITH OUR CITY EMPLOYEES TO EXPANDING RESEARCH, UH, SORT OF, UH, RECRUITMENT EFFORTS ACROSS OUR CITY. BUT THE REALITY IS 12 MONTHS, TAKING 12 MONTHS TO HIRE NEW EMPLOYEES, UH, HELPS CONTRIBUTE TO THAT LEVEL OF VACANCIES. AND WE DESERVE, OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE AN ALTERNATIVE PLAN, ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY. UH, I WILL TELL YOU THIS AMENDMENT, WE TESTED SOME OF THE STRATEGIES WE'RE MOVING FORWARD LAST YEAR THROUGH A PILOT WHERE WE SET A GOAL TO SEE IF WE CAN HIRE IN 90 BUSINESS DAYS SUCCESSFUL, QUALIFIED LOCAL, UH, INDIVIDUALS FOR OUR WORKFORCE IN 90 BUS BUSINESS DAYS. AND WE BEAT IT. WE GOT IT DONE IN 70, AND IT'S TIME FOR US TO PROPOSE TO SCALE THAT ACROSS OUR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, UH, THAT WE'RE CLEAR ON A FEW THINGS. SO I THINK WE SHOULD BE CLEAR. UM, YOU KNOW, THE PRESENTATION SAID THIS, BUT THIS MEASURE WILL RETAIN THE CITY'S MERIT-BASED HIRING STANDARDS BASED ON QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES. THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE. SO WE'RE CRYSTAL CLEAR ON THAT. THE MEASURE PROMOTES EFFICIENCY IN CITY HIRING, COMPENSATION TRAINING, AND ONGOING EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S THAT WE NEED TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR ON THAT. THIS ELIMINATES, UH, UH, DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS. WHY DO WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT CITY WEBSITES TO HIRE? ONE FOR CIVIL SERVICE, ONE FOR HR. THIS GENERATION OF WORKERS, UH, ARE DEALING WITH MORE STRESS, MORE PRESSURE THAN ANY GENERATION WE'VE EVER DEALT WITH. RISING COST OF HOUSING STUDENT DEBT HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER GENERATION. AND THEN OUR PROCESS IS DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE IN GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL, NOT JUST THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, BUT ACROSS THE BOARD. IT'S TIME FOR US TO WAKE UP AND, AND, YOU KNOW, GET OFF OF OUR HIGH HORSES AND OPEN UP THE DOORS OF GOVERNMENT TO LET IN THE NEXT GENERATION SO THAT THEY CAN, UH, HAVE ACCESS TO THE THINGS THAT, THAT SOLVE THE PROBLEMS IN THEIR LIVES. WHAT SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF NOT HAVING ACCESS TO HOUSING A FAIR WAGE SOLVE HELPS SOLVE THAT PROBLEM. SO YOU CAN AFFORD HOUSING. WELL GUESS WHAT? WORKING IN CITY HALL, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A UNION FAIR WAGE SECURE RETIREMENT. THAT'S SOMETHING THIS GENERATION HA SELDOM HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO. WORKING IN GOVERNMENT GIVES YOU ACCESS TO, TO, TO A SECURE RETIREMENT. AND A PENSION. STUDENTS ARE DEALING WITH STUDENT DEBT AT SIGNIFICANT LEVELS. WELL, IF YOU WORK IN GOVERNMENT FOR 10 YEARS, YOUR LOANS ARE FORGIVEN. THAT'S PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS. SO IF WE REALLY WANNA OPEN UP THE D THE DOORS OF GOVERNMENT AND ALLOW PEOPLE IN, WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE COVENANT THAT WE KEEP WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND PLACE A BIGGER EMPHASIS ON GOING MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR HIRING AND PLACING A PRIORITY ON LOCAL RESIDENTS. THAT'S WHAT THIS MEASURE DOES. AND SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. THE LAST THING I'LL JUST NOTE IS I THINK PEOPLE ALSO WANT ACCOUNTABILITY. THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IF THERE'S A DISCIPLINARY APPEAL, THAT IT DOESN'T TAKE MONTHS AND MONTHS, UH, TO GET THROUGH A BACKLOG, THAT WE HAVE A EXPEDITED PROCESS TO DEAL WITH DISCIPLINARY APPEALS AND HIRING. SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT HIRING, IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE STRUCTURED IN A WAY WHERE WE HAVE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY TO OUR RESIDENTS TO MOVE QUICKLY. AND SO, SO THAT SAID, UM, I WANT TO NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. ACTUALLY, WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE MAKERS OF THE MOTION. SO WE'RE GO TO DR. RICK SODE, COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SODE. AH, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I THINK YOU, UH, KIND OF, YOU CODIFIED THE [01:20:01] ARGUMENT. UM, VERY, VERY ADEPTLY AND VERY CLEARLY. UM, I THINK OVER THE LAST YEAR, I KNOW I'VE HEARD FROM CITY DEPARTMENTS, CITY STAFF, FROM OUR LABOR PARTNERS, FROM RESIDENTS, RIGHT? UM, JUST AROUND THE COPIOUS ISSUES, UM, AND CONCERNS, UM, AROUND THE DEFICIENCIES OF OUR, OUR CURRENT SYSTEM, RIGHT? UM, AND THE CITY STAFF HAS PRESENTED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF EVIDENCE, UM, TO SUPPORT, UH, THAT ASSERTION. UH, AND SO I THINK AS YOU KNOW, MANY OF THE, THE, THE LETTERS WE RECEIVED, UM, ALREADY AS PART OF PUBLIC COMMENT HAVE STATED IT'S TIME FOR US TO MODERNIZE OUR HIRING PROCESS, UM, AND OUR CIVIL SERVICE PROCESS. SO I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME. UM, I'M SUPPORT OF PUTTING THIS IN FRONT OF OUR VOTERS, UM, AND HOPE THAT MY COLLEAGUES ARE AS WELL. ALRIGHT, AND COUNCIL MEMBER KERR? YES, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND DR. RICKS ODI. UM, YOU SUMMED IT UP PERFECTLY. I THINK, UM, THE MODERNIZATION IS PIECE IS CRITICAL. UH, LIKE YOU, DR. RICKS ODI, I'VE TALKED TO FOLKS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY WHO, UM, SOME WHO ARE EMPLOYED HERE, SOME WHO HAVE TRIED TO BE EMPLOYED HERE, UM, AND THE DEFICIENCIES IN THE SYSTEM AND THE STRUGGLES IN THE SYSTEM ARE MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO HIRE FOLKS TO WORK IN THIS CITY. PEOPLE ARE WAITING 6, 7, 8, 9 MONTHS TO HEAR ABOUT JOBS SOMETIMES THAT PAY 15 OR $16 AN HOUR WHILE TRYING TO PAY THEIR BILLS AND PAY THEIR RENT. UM, SO I FULLY SUPPORT PUTTING THIS BEFORE THE VOTERS, UM, TO REALLY ADDRESS THE, IN THE EFFICIENCY ISSUE. AND I WANNA THANK THE TEAM FOR WORKING SO CLOSELY WITH OUR, UM, BARGAINING PARTNERS AND THE COMMITMENT TO GO BACK TO THE TABLE WITH THEM, UM, WHEN OR IF THIS PASSES IS PASSED BY THE VOTERS. UM, AND I STAND BY THAT AND I LOOK FORWARD, UM, TO WHAT COMES NEXT. ALRIGHT, WELL THAT IS COUNCIL COMMENT. WE'RE NOW GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. WE CAN GO THROUGH THE COUNCIL COMMENTS. I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, SO COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW THE MOTION. I DID. IT'S OKAY. IT'S FINE. GO AHEAD. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I, I WANNA, UM, AGREE, UH, SHARE THAT I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES HERE. UM, IN THAT IN ADDITION TO ADDRESSING DEFICIENCY IN, IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING, I THINK THAT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE HIRING LOCALLY, INTENTIONALLY. YOU KNOW, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE COLLEGE PROMISE IN MAKING SURE THAT WE SUPPORT STUDENTS TO GO INTO HIGHER EDUCATION, BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD A CONVERSATION OR A PROCESS ABOUT, WELL, HOW ARE WE GONNA RETAIN THEIR TALENT? AND THAT'S SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I, I'VE BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT AS FAR AS MAKING SURE THAT WE RETAIN THOSE TALENT AND I THINK THAT THE LONG BEACH JOB PROMISE IS A REALLY IMPORTANT THING THAT WE UPLIFT AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT WE HIRE, UM, HAVE THIS UH, UM, KIND OF, UM, THIS HIRING PROCESS TO PRIORITIZE LOCAL HIRING. SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA ADD THAT IT TAKES UP TO 12 MONTHS TO HIRE NEW EMPLOYEES AND NOBODY'S GONNA WAIT THAT LONG IN A TIME WHEN THEY REALLY NEED A JOB AND WE LOSE OUT IN THAT PROCESS. AND SO IT'S REALLY TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LESSEN IT TO 90 DAYS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THE QUALIFIED LOCAL WORKFORCE NEEDED. THAT'S IN THE END, GONNA IMPROVE OUR CITY. I THINK CHANGE IS HARD, BUT CHANGE IS NECESSARY IF WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE BEING EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT IN THE WAY WE DELIVER SERVICES. SO, UM, WITH THAT I SUPPORT BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO VOTERS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO MY Q SYSTEM ISN'T REALLY WORKING. IF THERE ARE COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO CHIME IN NOW, IT'S OKAY. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA. THANK YOU MAYOR. LET'S BE HONEST. CIVIL SERVICE IS NOT GUILTY BY ITSELF. CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE JUST AS GUILTY. I USED TO WORK FOR THE CITY COP FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND I CAN TELL YOU FIRSTHAND THAT CITY DEPARTMENTS WOULD SEND OUR VACANCIES JUST SO THAT THEY COULD SAVE THEIR BUDGETS. LET'S BE HONEST, THAT'S WHAT USED TO HAPPEN. SO BROUGHT IT ALL TO BLAME ON CIVIL SERVICE AND IT'S UNJUST AND UNFAIR. HOWEVER, HAVING WE SAID THAT, I CAN SEE THE NEED FOR MODERNIZATION FOR COMING AND DEVELOPING NEW METHODS OF HIRING AND SELECTION, BUT THERE'S ONLY ONE, ONE OVERRIDING ASPECT ABOUT ALL THAT. AND THAT'S THE MERIT SYSTEM. WE NEED TO KEEP THE MERIT SYSTEM, WE NEED TO MAKE YOU STRONG AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT IS IT IS MAINTAINED REGARDLESS OF WHAT TYPE OF MARRIAGE SYSTEM WE HAVE IN PLACE. [01:25:01] I HAD TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO LOT DEPARTMENTS. I THINK A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS KNOW ME AND KNEW WHERE I'M COMING FROM, SO THAT'S ANYTHING WE'RE AFRAID. BUT I DIDN'T HEAR FROM THEM BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK THEY KNOW WHERE I COMING FROM BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, JUDGE JUSTICE IS GUILTY OF INSUFFICIENT INAPPROPRIATE HIRING AS PERHAPS THE CIVIL INSURANCE WAS IN GETTING THIS TOGETHER AND TAKE A LONG TIME. I KNOW I USED TO BE PERSONALITIES ANALYST, I CONDUCTED EXAMS. I KNOW HOW LONG HE THINKS. SO I, UH, HOPE I KNOW ON THIS ONE BECAUSE WHILE THERE NEEDS TO BE DONE, I'M NOT VERY HAPPY ABOUT IT. I NEED, THERE ARE VERY OTHER S OTHER VARIOUS WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THIS, BUT AGAIN, WE DO NEED TO CATCH UP. I WAS THERE MANY YEARS AGO WHEN WE DID REVISIONS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE RULES AND REGULATIONS. WE TRIED MODERNIZING THEM THEN I SEE HERMAN LONG IN THE AUDIENCE. HE USED TO BE DEPUTY DIRECTOR WHEN I WAS THERE ON THE CIVIL SEARCH DEPARTMENT. HE KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES TO REVISE THOSE ROLES AND TO DO THE HIRING PROCESS. POLICE AND FIRE SAVE IT WOULD TAKE LONG, BUT IT WOULD TAKE LONG FOR THE SAME REASONS. AS I SAID, HOLD OUT THE MACCIES SO THEY COULD SAVE THEIR BUDGETS. BUT THOSE DAYS AFTER WHEN, AND I HOPE THE CITY MANAGER WILL HOLD CITY DEPARTMENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHEN THEY HAVE AGENCIES FILL 'EM, FILL 'EM, FULLY BUDGETED FULLY, A HUNDRED PERCENT THEM THAT LITTLE GO. I MEAN IN, IN TERMS OF KEEPING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE, WE NEED TO KEEP OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS ACCOUNTABLE. OUR BUREAU MANAGERS ACCOUNTABLE. BOTTOM LINE, OUR HIRING AUTHORITY ACCOUNTABLE. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO KEEP ACCOUNTABLE. THERE ARE RULES, WE FOLLOW THEM. SO I'LL GET OUT MY, UH, MY, UH, SOAPBOX. SOAPBOX. MY SOAPBOX. THERE YOU GO. I ALMOST SENT PEDESTAL. MY WIFE GAVE A PEDESTAL, BUT MY SOAPBOX REGARDING THIS ISSUE, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY, I WANNA MAKE THAT POINT THAT CIVIL IS NOT TOTALLY THE BLAME. THERE'S P OF BLAME TO GO AROUND AND I'LL END UP WITH THAT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. JUST, WE'RE GONNA GO TO COMMENTS. EXCUSE ME, MR. MAYOR, MAKE SURE YOU ON THE ACT OF ITEMS TO REQUEST TO SPEAK. I'M NOT SEEING ANYTHING POP UP FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SPEAK. OKAY. YEAH, IT'S NOT POPPING UP ON MY SCREEN, SO JUST FLAG IT FOR ME. IF YOU CHOOSE, IF YOU WANNA SPEAK, SPEAK AND I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU. YOU CAN JUST STOP HAPPENING. IT'S NOT WORKING. VICE MAYOR, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK? NO, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET MY SCREEN TO WORK. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? OKAY, GREAT. ALRIGHT, SO JUST, JUST A FEW THINGS FIRST. UM, I THINK I WANT TO JUST BE CLEAR WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A SYSTEM AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT IN INDIVIDUALS. I SAY OUR CITY'S CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES OUT THERE AT COMMUNITY EVENTS JUST SAW THEM THIS PAST WEEKEND. THEY'RE WORKING HARD AND UH, AND SO THIS IS NOT A REFLECTION OF ANY INDIVIDUAL OR ANY GROUP OF WORKERS, BUT WHEN YOU SEE A SYSTEM, UH, PRODUCE A CERTAIN RESULT, A TOTAL SYSTEM OF ALL OF OUR CITY'S HIRING ACROSS DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS PRODUCE THE SAME RESULT OF A YEAR OR MORE. THEN THERE HAS TO BE A SYSTEM SOLUTION. THAT'S WHAT SYSTEMS CHANGE IS. YOU HAVE TO, WE AS ORGANIZATIONS MADE UP OF POLICIES AND PRACTICES. THAT'S WHAT A SYSTEM IS. AND IF YOU WANTED TO PRODUCE DIFFERENT OUTCOMES, YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THE SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES. HAVING A BIFURCATED SYSTEM, UH, CREATES REDUNDANCIES AND IT'S A CHALLENGE. AND EVEN IF THERE ARE DEPARTMENT HEADS PLAYING GAMES OR, OR YOU KNOW, HIRING OFFICERS, PLAYING GAMES IN AN INEFFICIENT SYSTEM, THAT'S WHERE THAT EXISTS BECAUSE THERE ISN'T VERTICALITY AND VISIBILITY INTO WHAT EVERYONE IS DOING. UH, WHEN [01:30:01] I FIRST CAME INTO OFFICE, UH, I SAT DOWN WITH BOTH DEPARTMENTS TO JUST ASKED THE QUESTION, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO HIRE? RIGHT? AND AFTER THEY CONFERRED, THEY GAVE ME WHAT, HOW LONG THAT, THAT TIMETABLE IS, AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY SETTLED ON SEVEN MONTHS. I WILL TELL YOU, EVEN SEVEN MONTHS, ONCE A POSITION IS POSTED, WE CAN DO BETTER AS A CITY, I THINK OUR RESIDENTS DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE COMPLEXITIES OF OUR SYSTEM AND THE CHALLENGES. THEY WANT US TO DELIVER RESULTS. THEY WANT US TO HIRE INDIVIDUALS. AND I WOULD SAY OUR, THERE ARE NO DEPARTMENT HEADS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TRYING NOT TO HIRE POLICE OFFICERS. THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN, INCLUDING RECRUITMENT AND HIRING BO BONUSES, UH, LIKE EVERYONE'S DOING, ALL THEY CAN TO HIRE AS FAST AS WE CAN, UH, PARTICULARLY IN SOME OF THE MORE CHALLENGING UNITS. SO I WOULD SAY THAT OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE AND EXPECT US TO PRESENT AN ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM THAT RETAINS MERIT, BASE PAY, AND PRAYS PRE, UH, UH, PUTS US ON PATH TO HAVE A MORE EFFICIENT HIRING SYSTEM AND PLACES A PRIORITY ON LOCAL RESIDENTS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY WITH THE LONG BEACH JOBS PROMISE. SO I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UM, I RECOGNIZE THE LABOR GROUPS, BUT I WANNA LIFT UP AND RECOGNIZE THE WORKERS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT I EXPECT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO. THAT SAID, WE'LL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE A WHOLE LOT. UH, SO THE FIRST 10 SPEAKERS PLEASE COME FORWARD. FELTON WILLIAMS, HERMAN LONG B CAPRICE, HICKSON MCDONALD, JAMES MARKS, ROBIN, GORDON, PETERSON, CHRISTINA WINING, JOAN AND GARA. VICKI LOVE AND NATA TUSHNET, PLEASE COME FORWARD. MR. MAYOR, ARE WE DOING 92ND OR THREE MINUTES? YEAH, THIS IS 92ND. THERE'S, YEAH. THANK YOU. SO THE RULES ARE 90 SECONDS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I THINK FELTON'S GONE, HERMAN, IS THAT YOU? YES IT IS. ALL RIGHT. YOU ARE RECOGNIZED, SIR. OKAY. UM, ONLY A MINUTE AND A HALF VERSUS THREE MINUTES. YEAH, THOSE ARE THE COUNCIL RULES. WHEN YOU HAVE MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE, OKAY, IT GOES DOWN TO 90 SECONDS AUTOMATICALLY. UH, MY NAME IS HERMAN LONG. I RETIRED FROM THE CITY IN 2008. AFTER 33 DEDICATED YEARS OF SERVICE WITH THIS ORGANIZATION, I'M ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO ANY CHARTER AMENDMENT THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE INDEPENDENT CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY MANAGER HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. I'M OPPOSED TO ANY REDUCTION OR RESTRUCTURING, RESTRUCTURING OF THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION'S POWERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY SET FORTH IN ARTICLE 11. I GUESS I'LL GO TO MY SUMMARY. ANY PROPOSED MERGER OF THE TWO DEPARTMENTS WILL NOT NECESSARILY RESULT IN ANY IMPROVEMENT IN TODAY'S HIRING AND EMPLOYMENT PROCESSES. IF THE ELEMENTS OF FAIRNESS AND TRUST ARE QUESTIONABLE, THE INTEGRITY OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM MUST BE MAINTAINED. THIS ATTEMPTED CHARTER CHANGE WILL ONLY CONTINUE TO ADD TO THE EXISTING PROBLEMS OF RECRUITING, RETAINING HIGHLY QUAL QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES. THERE ARE SIMPLY, THERE'S NO SIMP. THERE SIMPLY CANNOT BE A RETURN TO A SYSTEM WHERE HIRING AND FIRING CAN BE CORRUPTED BY CRONYISM AND DISCRIMINATION. MAINTAINING THE EXISTING MERIT-BASED SYSTEM IS PARAMOUNT TO A SUCCESSFUL RECRUITMENT AND HIRING PROCESS. UH, DURING MY TIME IN CIVIL SERVICE, I ROSE FROM A ENTRY LEVEL ANALYST TO DEPUTY DIRECTOR, AND PART OF THAT 10 YEAR, 10 YEARS OF THAT 30 YEARS WAS DEALING WITH, UH, ELIGIBLE LISTS. I WISH I HAD TIME TO EXPLAIN TO YOU ALL THE PROBLEMS AND ISSUES THAT WE HAD WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS STRINGING OUT THE SELECTION PROCESS. I DON'T KNOW WHY. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER MCDONALD. OKAY, SO I WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT. WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT EVER SINCE TITLE VII OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACTS WITH THE PAST, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A MOVEMENT TO REVERSE IT IN THE PRESENT DAY. IN THIS CASE, THERE'S A MISGUIDED ATTEMPT TO PULL APART. AN INSTITUTION CREATED STEMMING FROM THOSE ACTS CREATED SPECIFICALLY TO GIVE RIGHTS AND EQUITY TO THOSE AFFECTED. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PENDLETON CIVIL SERVICE ACT. IT WAS ESTABLISHED A MERIT-BASED SYSTEM. THE GOAL WAS TO END THE SPOIL SYSTEM AND TO ENSURE THAT CITIZENS CAN, CAN COMPETE FOR JOBS WITHOUT PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT BASED ON RACE, RELIGION, ORIGIN, AND POLITICS. SO HOW DO YOU CREATE FAVORITISM, CRONYISM, NEPOTISM WITHOUT DIRECTLY DOING SO? WELL, YOU CREATE A PRACTICE OF AWARDING PREFERENCES AND GIVING PRIVILEGES TO THOSE ALREADY PRIVILEGED. SO WHAT'S THE GOAL HERE? TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN. BUT THAT SHOULD NOT BE THE GOAL. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE PENDLETON CIVIL SERVICE ACT SPEAKS AGAINST. THE GOAL SHOULD ALWAYS BE TO HELP THOSE THAT NEED HELP UNABLE TO HELP THEMSELVES AND TO SHOW WITH THOSE THAT SHOW UP WITH NO PRIVILEGES TO GET OPPORTUNITIES. SO BACK IN THE DAY, WHICH I WAS AROUND, I WAS ALIVE, SOME OF YOU NOT. THERE WAS WHAT CITY OF LONG BEACH HAD CALLED THE CA [01:35:01] PROGRAM AND THEY ALSO HAD JPTA JOB PARTNERSHIP ACT FUNDS WERE MATCHED UP WITH EMPLOYERS PROGRAMS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE, UM, 2010, UH, $450,000 SPENT TO PUT ON A BALLOT. THOSE PROPO, THE PROPOSED PREFERENCE IS NOT WELL THOUGHT OUT OR RESEARCHED. IF IT DOESN'T WORK, THE TAXPAYER WILL HAVE TO PAY ANOTHER 450,000 PLUS TO PUT IT BACK ON A BALLOT TO FIX IT. YOU, YOUR TIME INCLUDED, WHERE PROGRAMS CAN BE APPROVED. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT IS JAMES MARKS, MS. JAMES MARKS AFTER JAMES. UH, AFTER JAMES, WE HAVE ROBIN PETERSON AND CHRISTINA WINTON. UH, HELLO TO ALL THE CITY COUNCILMEN AND CITY COUNCILWOMEN. UH, WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE SPEEDING UP PROCESS OF HIRING IN THE CITY JOBS WITH, UH, LOCAL HIRING PREFERENTIAL, I WAS REALLY ECSTATIC ABOUT IT. BUT, UH, UPON THAT I HAD A FEW CONCERNS SUCH AS, WHO WOULD BE DOING THE HIRING AND WHAT WOULD BE THE WORKERS' PROTECTIONS CAREER NON CAREER AT WILL, ET CETERA, ESPECIALLY AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TO KATHY SNUGS AND BEING AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE CITY'S RACIAL EQUITY AND RECONCILIATION MEETINGS, HEARINGS WHO SHARED MUCH INPUT AND A CO-CHAIR MEMBER OF THE CURRENT COMMUNITY OVERSIGHT OF THE CITY'S RACIAL EQUITY AND RECONCILIATION INITIATIVE, WHICH IN WHICH WE WILL BE SUBMITTING A PROGRESS REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL. UH, IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I HAVE, UH, MANY CONCERNS, SUCH AS IN 2020, THE PROCESS OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, THE TRANSITION FROM THE CPC TO THE OPO AND POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION, WHICH IS APPLICABLE UNDER GOAL THREE, REDESIGN POLICE APPROACH TO COMMUNITY SAFETY AND STRATEGY TWO, REDESIGN POLICE OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH IMPROVED AND COMPLAINT AND DISCIPLINE PRACTICES. WHICH BRINGS ME TO ONE OF THE CHANGES IN THIS CHARTERED AMENDMENT, WHICH IS TO GIVE THE POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION AND LIFEGUARD ASSOCIATION THE OPTION TO BYPASS THE CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND OFFICIAL AND APPEALS COMMISSION AND CHOOSE TO GO TO A HEARING. THE CONCEPT THAT A PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEE FACING DISCIPLINARY CHARGES FOR NEGLIGENCE OF MALFEASANCE CAN CHOOSE THEIR COURT HAS OBVIOUS, FAIR, UNFAIR, AND BIAS IMPLICATIONS IN ADDITION TO DIMINISHING CITIZEN OVERSIGHT OF POLICE OFFICERS AND LIFEGUARDS. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS UP. THANK YOU. NEXT ROBIN PETERSON. ROBIN GORDON PETERSON. AFTER ROBIN IS CHRISTINA, THEN JOAN, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ROBIN GORDON PETERSON. I AM A RESIDENT OF THE FOURTH DISTRICT. DARRYL ANA. AS MY COUNCIL PERSON, I'M NOT HAPPY. I'VE MADE IT CLEAR FROM THE ONSET THAT I'M NOT HAPPY. HAD I KNOWN THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE PLATFORM, I WOULD'VE VOTED DIFFERENTLY. I DIDN'T KNOW. I KNOW NOW, I'M A 60 YEAR RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH, 20 YEARS IN LOS STOS. I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, THIS HAS FLAWS. I'M A SOCIAL SCIENTIST, SO LET ME MAKE THIS QUICK. AND SOCIAL SCIENTISTS, WE HAVE AN ISSUE CALLED UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. YOU'RE NOT PREPARED FOR THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. AND BY THE WAY, THIS COMES OUT OF DEMOCRACY FORWARD. ANYONE WANTING THIS ARTICLE, I'LL BE GLAD TO GIVE IT TO YOU. ANYONE OUT HERE, I'LL BE GLAD TO SHARE IT WITH YOU. THIS IS TRUMP'S AGENDA. HE INTENDS TO DISMANTLE CIVIL SERVICE ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL. AND SO I SENT AN EMAIL TO TRUTH SOCIAL TODAY TELLING THEM THEY CAN JUST LOOK AT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TO SEE WHERE WE'RE HEADED. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HIS AGENDA IS TO DISMANTLE CIVIL SERVICE. AND YOU CAN DO ALL OF THIS HIRING WITHOUT THAT. BY THE WAY, LET ME GIVE YOU SOME IMPORTANT DATA THAT YOU DON'T HAVE. IN 2008, THERE WERE 25, HEAR ME, 25 STAFF MEMBERS IN CIVIL SERVICE. THIS IS 2024. THERE ARE 21. YOU CAN'T GET THE JOB DONE WITH FOUR LESS PEOPLE. 2008, AND THIS IS 2024. YOU DIDN'T EXPECT THEM TO DO THE WORK BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T GIVE THEM THE PEOPLE AND YOU DID IT BECAUSE THAT WAS YOUR INTENT. THANK YOU. NOW I, NOW I NOT TALKING ABOUT ALL OF YOU THAT DON'T GET YOUR PANTIES IN A BUNCH. THANK YOU. YOUR PANTIES UP. I'M, YOUR TESTIMONY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THIS DEPARTMENT WAS STAFF. AND I'M TALKING ABOUT SLIDE 18, THE ACCOUNTABILITY. IF I HEAR THAT WORD, NEVER THANK YOU. HELD ACCOUNT WHEN YOU WERE PICKING UP THAT PAYCHECK. RESPECTFULLY. WE ATTENDED YOUR COMMISSION MEETINGS AND WE, AND WE DID NOT DO IT. TELL YOU TODAY, ACCOUNTABILITY STARTS HERE AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT. WELL, THANK YOU. THERE ARE, THERE ARE 30 PEOPLE HERE TO SPEAK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS IS NOT PERSONAL. THIS IS HOW I FEEL. AND I HAVE A RIGHT TO SPEAK MY MIND. I'M A TAXPAYER AND I PAY A LOT OF TAXES. I OWN SIX PROPERTIES AND I PAY A LOT OF TAXES. AND SO I'M TELLING YOU HOW I FEEL. I DO NOT WANT THIS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I DO NOT WANT THIS [01:40:01] FOR MY COMMUNITY. AND EVERYONE THAT VOTES, YOU NEED TO ORGANIZE VOTERS. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED. COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CHRISTINA P WINING AND I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENT SINCE DECEMBER OF 2023 WHEN I WAS NOTIFIED AND I IN TURN NOTIFIED MY TEAM OF THE INTENT TO BRING THIS CHARTER AMENDMENT FORWARD. OUR AMAZING TEAM IN THE CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS NOT LET THIS NEW STOP THEM FROM BEING THE CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONALS THAT THEY ARE IN THEIR ROLE TO PROVIDE QUALIFIED CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT TO THE ORGANIZATION. SINCE JANUARY OF 2024, THE CIVIL SERVICE RECRUITMENT DIVISION HAS COORDINATED ATTENDANCE AT 50 EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH HAVE HELPED TO GENERATE CANDIDATES FOR THE VACANCIES THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION. WE'RE NOT EVEN DONE WITH THE YEAR AND THAT'S ALMOST ONE A WEEK. THIS DIVISION WAS RESURRECTED IN FY 20 AFTER BEING ELIMINATED IN 2008. THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES DIVISION, WHICH IS WAS REVIEWS AND ASSESSES ALL APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED, HAS CREATED 175 ELIGIBLE LISTS TO PROVIDE CITY DEPARTMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION IN A VARIETY OF CLASSIFICATIONS. TO DATE THE 175 LISTS TRANSLATE TO 3,723 CANDIDATES THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION HAS CERTIFIED TO DEPARTMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION. I SHARE THIS INFORMATION TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IN SPITE OF OUR LIMITED STAFF, IN SPITE OF THE HEAVY BURDEN OF VERY PUBLIC CRITICISM OF OUR EFFORTS TO PROVIDE CANDIDATES TO HIRING DEPARTMENTS, THE DEDICATED STAFF OF THE CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO WORK TO PROVIDE A QUALIFIED, DIVERSE CANDIDATE POOL TO DEPARTMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION. HOWEVER, AS EVIDENCED BY A QUESTION I WAS ASKED YESTERDAY AT A COMMUNITY MEETING REGARDING WHY SOMEONE WHO IS ON AN ELIGIBLE LIST HAD NOT YET HEARD FROM THE HIRING DEPARTMENT, DESPITE BEING NOTIFIED BY CIVIL SERVICE WEEKS EARLIER. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. INVOLVED RESPECTFULLY, WE CAME TO YOUR COMMISSION. YOU GAVE US VERY LITTLE TIME. WE ARE JUST STICKING WITH THE RULES PRE-ESTABLISHED MANY YEARS AGO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS JOE AND GARCA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. GOOD AFTERNOON AND RESPECTFULLY, MR. MAYOR, YOU DID COME TO OUR MEETING, HOWEVER, WE DID NOT GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WILL BE MAKING THIS DECISION. UM, A MINUTE 30 FEELS LIKE WHAT THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN. UM, I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU SOMETHING THAT TEENAGERS HIGH SCHOOLERS GET. THEY WON VIA GOOD COMMUNICATION. THIS WHOLE PROCESS HAS BEEN FLAWED AND WE HAVE CATCHY WORDS LIKE MODERNIZE AND, YOU KNOW, UPDATE AND ALL THESE GREAT THINGS, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT IT IS. LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE THAT WE GAVE TO MR. MOCA AND, UH, MR. MAYOR ON FEBRUARY 14TH AT OUR MEETING. THIS IS WHEN THEY CAME TO SPEAK. AND COINCIDENTALLY, THIS WAS ON THE AGENDA. SO THIS IS THE SCHOOL GUARD, UM, EXAMINATION RESULTS SCHOOL GUARD, ONE OF THE EASIEST POSITIONS TO HIRE WITHIN THE CITY. REMEMBER THIS MEETING WAS, UH, HELD ON FEBRUARY 14TH. SO LET'S JUST KEEP DATES IN MIND OF THIS YEAR. OCTOBER 25TH, 2023 14. NOVEMBER 15, 23, 20 QUALIFIED JANUARY 3RD, 28, QUALIFIED. JANUARY 17TH, 26. QUALIFIED JANUARY 31ST, 23 QUALIFIED. THAT'S 111 CANDIDATES FROM OCTOBER OF 23 TO FEBRUARY OF 24 AND ZERO VACANCIES HAD BEEN FILLED IN CROSS GUARD. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, VICKY LOVE. I'LL SAVE THE LOT. I'LL SAVE THIS RESPECTFULLY AS A MEMBER OF THE CIVIL SERVICE. I'LL ASK HER A FEW MORE FULLY CONSCIOUS THAN YOU. UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER GARA. EQUITABLE, DIVERSE, TRANSPARENT. THE MICROPHONE IS NOT ON MRS. GARA. I UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. I COULDN'T HEAR YOU. YOU ALL ARE F FREE TO HAVE A MEETING ON YOUR OWN, BUT THIS MEETING RUNS A CERTAIN WAY, SO COME ON DOWN. AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME, THIS IS THE THIRD CITY COUNCIL HEARING. SO ANYONE SAYING THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT IS UNTRUE. THAT'S NEXT. IS VICKI LOVE, PLEASE COME FORWARD. ONE, TWO. WE HAS NOT HAD A [01:45:01] CHANCE TO SPEAK TO CITY COUNCIL YET. THE CITY COUNCIL. THIS IS THE THIRD CITY COUNCIL HEARING. I UNDERSTAND, VICKI, LOVE, YOU'RE UP. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. UM, I WOULD HAD A PREPARED STATEMENT, BUT I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO READ IT, SO I'LL JUST GO OFF THE CUFF. UM, I'M A PRODUCT OF LONG BEACH SCHOOLS. I'M AN OVER 25 YEAR EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. UH, MY HIRING MET THAT, UH, GOLDEN 90 DAY RULE THAT WAS BACK IN THE NINETIES. UH, I'M REALLY OFFENDED BY THE FACT THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THEIR TIME HAS BEEN CUT OFF. JUST LIKE WHEN WE HAD OUR MEETINGS, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE COULDN'T MAKE ANY SUGGESTIONS TO THIS AMENDMENT TO MAKE IT MORE EQUITABLE. UM, THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN SEEN AS AN INDEPENDENT BODY WITH AUTHORITY TO HELP WORKERS THIS AMENDMENT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU SAY. 'CAUSE I'M A, LIKE I SAID, I'M A PHARMACY EMPLOYEE. I KNOW IT WON'T HAPPEN THAT WAY. EVERYTHING WILL BE UNDER ONE PERSON. AND FORGIVE ME, BUT I'M SORRY, I'M JUST SUSPICIOUS BY NATURE. NOT OF YOU PERSONALLY, BUT OF THE CONCEPT. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T DO THIS. I MEAN, YOU CAN, BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE YOU TO HOLD THIS OVER AND LET THE COMMISSION BE A PART OF WHATEVER IS THE END RESULT. 'CAUSE WE UNFORTUNATELY, AND I'M A NEW MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL, BUT WE KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED BETTER THAN ANYBODY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MRS. LOVE. ALL RIGHT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, NADA TUSHNET. I'M GONNA READ, READ THE NEXT 10 BEFORE YOU BEGIN, ADA. SO THE NEXT 10 AFTER NATA ARE ANTHONY HOLMES, CRYSTAL VEGA, DEANNA KNOWLES, GARY TREK, JOEL BARRAGAN, IRMA FIERA, MYRA, UH, GARCIA CORTEZ, UH, REID LINHART, HANNAH WALES, AND IVAN GARCIA. THANK YOU. YOU HAVE A FLOOR. OKAY, SO I'M HERE. IT'S A LITTLE AWKWARD FOR ME TO BE HERE 'CAUSE I'M USUALLY ON THE SIDE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PROPOSING THIS AND WILL BE SPEAKING FORWARD FOR IT. BUT I HAVE A DIFFERENT TAKE ON IT. UM, I, PART OF IT COMES FROM, I'M GONNA DO A LITTLE FROM MY YEARS OF TEACHING HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY, WHICH IS EVIDENTLY A QUALIFYING TO BE VICE PRESIDENT, BUT I NEVER GOT THERE. UM, SO, UH, BUT THE, I SUPPORT PARTS OF THE PROPOSAL. I THINK THE LOCAL HIGHER PART IS REALLY GOOD. UM, I THINK THAT THE MEET AND CONFER POST-ADOPTION IS REALLY GOOD. BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THE MERIT SYSTEM, THIS IS MY HISTORY BACKGROUND, THE MERIT SYSTEM REQUIRES INDEPENDENT REVIEW AT EVERY STAGE, NOT JUST IN APPEALS. AND SO INDEPENDENT BODIES HAVE TO ESTABLISH WHAT THE MERIT IS AND SEE AND MATCH THE PERSON TO THE MERIT, UH, TO THE REQUIREMENTS. IF IT IS ALL IN ONE PLACE, YOU HAVE, AND THERE IS A RIGHT OF APPEAL IN THIS AND I GET THAT, BUT THAT'S A SLOW PROCESS AND ACTUALLY PROBABLY NEVER WORKS AS WELL AS ANYBODY THINKS IT WILL WORK. THE INDEPENDENCE IS WHAT MATTERS. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. NEXT IS ANTHONY HOLMES. AFTER ANTHONY IS CRYSTAL, UM, WELL, REX, YOU SAID YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE FACING HIGHER, UH, HIGHER COST OF LIVING, BUT YOU CAN CHANGE THAT. TAKING AWAY CIVIL SERVICE. IT'S LIKE TAKING AWAY MY CIVIL RIGHTS. THAT LEAVES NO ONE TO LOOK OVER THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENTS. SO WHEN ISSUES COME UP, THEY INVESTIGATE THEY SELVES. YOU KNOW, LAST FEBRUARY I TALKED TO A WOMAN BY THE NAME OF MARIA ALAMO, VERY RESPECTFUL. DIDN'T RUSHED ME OFF THE PHONE, THEN FAST TALKED ME PRETTY MUCH, GAVE ME A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF GAME. I SAT BACK AND WATCHED A HR POINT, THE FINGER AT CIVIL SERVICE WHEN IT WAS TIME TO HIRE PEOPLE IN THE REFUSE DEPARTMENT. SO THAT LEAVE US, YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT SPEEDING UP THE, UM, THE HIRING PROCESS. BUT WHERE DO THAT LEAVE US WHEN WE FILE COMPLAINTS? YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHICH IS THE HEAD OF DEPARTMENTS, WHICH IS HR INVESTIGATING THEY SELF. WE ALL SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE, WHICH [01:50:01] IT'S NOT GONNA GET US NOWHERE. SO WE NEED CIVIL SERVICE, WE NEED 'EM A LOT. AND FOR YOU GUYS TO JUST SIT HERE AND HAVE A MEETING LIKE THIS AND BE LIKE, BE TRANSPARENCY WHEN IT COMES TO THE PUBLIC, IT'S A LOT OF LIES BEING TOLD. I MEAN, YOU GUYS KNOW TOM O ERIC LOPEZ, I SEE Y'ALL UP IN HERE. Y'ALL SEEN THAT? AND REX, YOU ALWAYS WANNA COME TO TOM ORCA DEFENSE. IT'S A LOT OF BS THAT GOES ON AND YOU JUST ALLOW IT. AND WHEN IT'S ALWAYS A BLACK ISSUE, YOU MAKE SURE YOU'RE MUTE. THEN YOU GET UP AND HEAR YOU GET IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA AND CODE SWITCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. OH, NO, NO, NO, NO. HOLD UP. THERE'S A LINE OF PEOPLE BEHIND YOU. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED RIGHT HERE THAT WORK IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT. HE'S ON MEGAN'S LAW. THANK YOU. HE'S THE MANAGER. SO THIS IS WHAT Y'ALL HR DEPARTMENT HIDES FROM Y'ALL. SO YOU GUYS NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. DO A 14-YEAR-OLD AND THIS IS HOW, THIS IS WHAT Y'ALL HR, SO WHO'S GONNA WATCH A GREAT JAR? THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER IS MYRA. AND THOSE ARE DEDICATED CITY EMPLOYEES WHO PICK UP TRASH WHEN PEOPLE DISRESPECT THESE FACILITIES AND THROW TRASH. ALL RIGHT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER, UH, IS MYRA. WAIT. NO, CRYSTAL, CRYSTAL, YOU'RE UP. IT'S CRYSTAL THEN IT'S DEANNA. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CRYSTAL VEGA AND I USE THEY THEM PRONOUNS. I'M AN ALUM OF THE INAUGURAL LONG BEACH PUBLIC SERVICE CORPS PROGRAM AND A CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENT AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH WHERE I'M PURSUING MY MASTERS. I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED CIVIL SERVICE AND HUMAN RESOURCES MEASURE, WHICH AIMS TO MODERNIZE LONG BEACH'S HIRING AND CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEMS WHILE ESTABLISHING NEW HIRING PREFERENCES FOR CITY GOVERNMENT JOBS. THIS MEASURE IS VITAL AS IT GIVES PREFERENCE TO INDIVIDUALS LIKE ME AND MEMBERS OF THE LONG BEACH IN, UM, PUBLIC SERVICE CORE COHORT WHO HAVE COMPLETED PROGRAMS, UM, AND GRADUATED FROM LOCAL COLLEGES AND OUR RESIDENTS. I WANT TO CONTINUE LIVING AND WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE I GROW UP. AND THIS FELLOWSHIP HAS SUPPORTED MY CAREER TRANSITION BACK TO THE PUBLIC SECTOR AFTER FOUR YEARS IN SOCIAL IMPACT WITHIN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. AND YES, I CHOSE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH OVER HOLLYWOOD AND WANT TO CONTINUE BEING ABLE TO DO SO. OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS FELLOWSHIP, UM, AND THESE PREFERENCES CREATE A PIPELINE TO THE PUBLIC SECTOR, ENCOURAGING YOUNG PEOPLE TO PURSUE LIFELONG CAREERS AND PUBLIC SERVICE. WE HAVE PUBLIC SECTOR TALENT HERE IN OUR CITY, ATTENDING OUR COLLEGES, PARTICIPATING IN FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS, AND INTERNING IN OUR DEPARTMENTS. I URGE THE COUNCIL TO LET THE CITY OF LONG BEACH VOTERS DETERMINE THIS NEXT ITERATION OF THE CITY'S HIRING PROCESS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. ALL RIGHT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. UH, DEANNA, AFTER DEANNA IS GARY. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS DEANNA KNOWLES AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE. I'M ALSO A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER FOR LANES LONG BEACH FOR A JUST ECONOMY CAMPAIGN AND WE FULLY SUPPORT AND ENDORSE THIS ITEM. AS AN ORGANIZER, I HAVE THE DISTINCT HONOR OF BEING ON THE GROUND WITH COMMUNITY. FAR TOO OFTEN I HEAR A REOCCURRING THEME. THEY TELL ME ABOUT THEIR LIFE AND EXTREME HARDSHIPS THEY FACE ON THE DAILY. WHEN I ASK COMMUNITY ABOUT THEIR PLAN TO ACTION, THEY FEEL HOPELESS. THEY FEEL LIKE THERE'S NO HOPE. THE AVERAGE TIME A HIRE FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS MORE THAN HALF OF THE YEAR. IMAGINE LOOKING FOR A JOB AND WAITING SEVEN MONTHS FOR A CALLBACK. HOW DO YOU PAY RENT? HOW DO YOU SURVIVE? FORTUNATELY, THE CIVIL SERVICE CHARTER CHARTER AMENDMENT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTEN THE TIME IT TAKES TO HIRE AND PRIORITIZE LONG BEACH RESIDENTS. WHILE PROVIDING A PATHWAY TO GOOD PAYING UNION JOBS. IT GIVES LOCAL RESIDENTS A PLACE OF HOPE FOR OPPORTUNITY. I BELIEVE THIS AMENDMENT TO THE CIVIL SERVICE CHARTER WILL BENEFIT LONG BEACH'S COMMUNITY. AS AN ORGANIZER FOR LBJE, WE STAND BY WORKING FAMILIES AND THIS POLICY AMENDMENT WILL WORK FOR THE FAMILIES OF LONG BEACH. I URGE CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE YES AND PLACE THIS MEASURE ON THE BALLOT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS GARY TREK. IS GARY HERE? HE, UM, STEPPED OUTSIDE BECAUSE HE WAS ABOUT TO GET A TICKET. OKAY. ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO. WE'LL, WE'LL HOLD HIM OVER THEN. JOEL. JOEL BARON. AMMA FIERA FIERA. UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JOEL BARRAGAN AND I'M A RESIDENT OF COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE. I AM ALSO A BOARD MEMBER WITH LATINOS IN ACTION CALIFORNIA. TODAY I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE CIVIL SERVICE CHARTER AMENDMENT. THIS, UH, MEASURE WILL PROVIDE STUDENTS AND PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN LONG BEACH, UH, BETTER OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK IN THE CITY. STUDENTS WHO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES DON'T GET MUCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORK ONCE THEY GRADUATE. THEY TEND TO HAVE TO WAIT A LONG TIME, UH, FOR PLACES TO HIRE. UM, WITH THIS MEASURE, IT WILL GIVE STUDENTS LIKE ME AND PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN [01:55:01] LONG BEACH A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. IT WILL ALSO HELP STUDENTS WHO HAVE MORE PASSION AND MORE COMMITMENT TO FINISH COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY AND DON'T HAVE TO WORRY SO MUCH. WHAT'S NEXT AFTER GRADUATING? THANK YOU. HAVE A NICE DAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS IRMA, THEN MYRA. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS IMA FERREIRA, RESIDENT OF THE CITY, WHICH I LOVE AND I'M PART OF DISTRICT NUMBER ONE FOR THE LAST 24 YEARS. I'M ALSO A VOLUNTEER THROUGH VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH LANE, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE CIVIL SERVICE MEASURE. UH, AS I HAVE TWO CHILDREN THAT HAVE STUDIED AND LIVED IN THIS CITY, WE WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO BE POSITIONED IN JOBS HERE IN LONG BEACH AND FOR THEM NOT TO WAIT MONTHS TO BE PLACED IN CITY JOBS. AND ALSO FOR THEM NOT TO BE, UH, OUTSOURCED AWAY FROM THE CITY AND TO HAVE, UH, JOBS THAT DON'T ALIGN WITH THEIR CAREER BACKGROUND. WHILE LONG BEACH HAS STUDENTS AND PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE, WHICH CAN BE PLACED IN THOSE POSITIONS. UH, BUT DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS AND THE PREREQUISITES CAN BE TOO DEMANDING, I ASK YOU TO LISTEN. AND ALSO, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE. PLEASE HELP THE COMMUNITY OF LONG BEACH SO THAT WE CAN HAVE BETTER JOBS AND AN IMPROVED LIFESTYLE WHILE LIVING IN THE CITY WE LOVE. THANK YOU. NEXT IS MYRA, THEN REED. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS MYRA FERNANDA AND I'M A RESIDENT OF COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO AND I'M ALSO THE LEAD ORGANIZER FOR LIRE. TODAY I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE CIVIL SERVICE CHARTER AMENDMENT. LONG BEACH IS CONSIDERING PLACING A MEASURE ON THE BALLOT TO MODERNIZE THE CITY'S OUTDATED CIVIL SERVICE CHARTER TO MERGE TWO, SEPARATING HIRING DEPARTMENTS, SHORTENED HIRING TIMES, AND PRIORITIZE LOCAL HIRES IN ADDITION TO EFFICIENCY. THE HOPE BEHIND THIS INITIATIVE IS TO CREATE A PIPELINE FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS, STUDENTS, AND APPRENTICE APPRENTICES FROM LOCAL COLLEGES. THE CITY OF LONG BEACH CURRENTLY HAS A STATEWIDE, A CITYWIDE VACANCY RATE OF 22%, AND SOME DEPARTMENTS HAVE VACANCY RATES OF 40% OR HIGHER. THE AVERAGE TIME TO FILL AN OPEN POSITION WITHIN THE CITY IS SEVEN MONTHS. THE CITY'S ANTIQUATED HIRING PRACTICES AND DELAYS ARE SHUTTING OUT LOCAL RESIDENTS AND WORKERS. FROM JOINING OUR PUBLIC SECTOR WORKFORCE ACROSS THE REGION, WORKING FAMILIES ARE FEELING THE PRESSURE FROM SKYROCKETING COST OF LIVING AND WAGES THAT HAVE NOT KEPT UP WITH THE PACE OF INFLATION. NOW IS THE TIME TO RENEW OUR COMMITMENT TO WORKING FAMILIES IN LONG BEACH AND THROUGHOUT LOS ANGELES COUNTY. OUR LONG BEACH RESIDENTS AND STUDENTS DESERVE OPPORTUNITY TO ACCESS, UH, STABLE PUBLIC SECTOR JOBS AND TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITIES THEY CALL HOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. OH, ALSO, UM, I THINK I'M SIGNED UP TWICE TO SPEAK, SO IF FERNANDA GARCIA CORTEZ COMES UP, THAT'S ME AS WELL. I DON'T THINK WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, SEE I'M CONSISTENT ACROSS THE BOARD. UM, OKAY, NEXT IS REID, THEN HANNAH. OKAY. HELLO. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, MY NAME IS REID LENHART. I'M A PART OF LONG BEACH FOR JUST ECONOMIES COMMUNITY COALITION AND A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO. UM, TODAY I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE CIVIL SERVICE CHARTER AMENDMENT. LONG BEACH CURRENTLY HAS A CITYWIDE PUBLIC SERVICE VACANCY RATE OF 22%, UM, AND SOME DEPARTMENTS ARE FACING UP TO 40%. UM, THESE VACANCIES WORK AGAINST OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS. UM, NOT ONLY DO THESE VACANCIES, UH, STALL THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S ABILITY TO SERVE THE PUBLIC, THESE VACANCIES ALSO DEPRIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF GOOD PUBLIC JOBS, UM, WITH UNION CAREERS AND RETIREMENT [02:00:01] BENEFITS. UM, SO WHILE WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO STREAMLINE THE HIRING PROCESS, I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO, UM, PRIORITIZE FILLING THESE ROLES OR THESE VACANCIES WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. UM, THIS AMENDMENT WILL CREATE A PIPELINE FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS, STUDENTS AND APPRENTICES OR INTERNS FROM THE LOCAL COLLEGES LIKE CAL STATE LONG BEACH, CAL STATE, DOMINGUEZ HILLS, UM, LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE AND COMPTON COLLEGE. SO I'M STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF THIS BECAUSE IT WILL HELP CREATE A CITY GOVERNMENT THAT IS MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE JOBS WILL BE FILLED BY THE COMMUNITY. UM, AND ALSO JUST TO PROVIDE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR STABLE CAREERS, HEALTH BENEFITS, UM, AND RETIREMENT PLANS. SO I URGE THIS COUNCIL TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF, UH, PUTTING THIS BALLOT OR THIS MEASURE ON THE BALLOT. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS IVAN. I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, HANNAH. AND THEN, UH, LUIS LUIS ORTIZ. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS HANNAH WELLS. I'M A RESIDENT OF COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE AND ALSO A MEMBER OF CLERGY AND LADY UNITED FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE. TODAY I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE CIVIL SERVICE CHARTER AMENDMENT, MODERNIZING THE CITY'S OUTDATED CIVIL SERVICE CHARTER. TO MERGE TWO SEPARATE HIRING DEPARTMENTS WILL SHORTEN HIRING TIMES AND PRIORITIZE LOCAL HIRES IN ADDITION TO EFFICIENCY. THE HOPE IS THAT THIS INITIATIVE WILL CREATE A PIPELINE FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS, STUDENTS, AND APPRENTICES FROM LOCAL COLLEGES. AS A CHRISTIAN AND A PERSON REPRESENTING THE INTERFAITH COMMUNITY, I BELIEVE ALL OF G GOD'S CHILDREN DESERVE TO THRIVE. AND THAT MEANS HAVING A STABLE CAREER WITH GOOD BENEFITS. THESE MEASURES WILL ENSURE THAT LONG BEACH LOCAL RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO PUBLIC SECTOR JOBS AND THE MANY BENEFITS THAT THESE LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES HAVE TO PROVIDE. WITH THE CITYWIDE VACANCY RATE OF 22% IN THE AVERAGE TIME TO FILL POSITION IS SEVEN MONTHS. THE CITY'S ANTIQUATED HIRING PRACTICES DELAY REMOVE GOOD UNION FAMILY SUPPORTING JOBS FROM THE LOCAL ECONOMY. IT'S BEYOND TIME TO OVERHAUL THE CITY'S HIRING PROCESS AND TO GIVE PREFERENCE TO CANDIDATES WHO LIVE IN SERVE HERE IN LONG BEACH. MY GRANDPARENTS WENT TO POLY AND WILSON. MY PARENTS WENT TO LAKEWOOD. I RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM RENAISSANCE. WE WERE ALL BORN AT LONG BEACH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. I HAVE ROOTS HERE. I KNOW THAT MY COMMUNITY HAS ROOTS HERE. THAT'S WHY IT'S THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO ME THAT LOCAL RESIDENTS GET THE PRIORITY IN THIS HIRING PROCESS FOR GOOD UNION JOBS. SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR ROOTS HERE. THANK YOU. AND WE URGE YOU TO COUNSEL TO PLACE THIS MEASURE ON THE BALLOT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. I SEE GARY, YOU'RE BACK. COME ON, COME ON DOWN. THANK YOU FOR HOLDING MY SPOT, MAYOR. SURE. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON. I GUESS IT'S ALMOST EVENING NOW. I'M MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS GARY HIT. I'M THE POLITICAL DIRECTOR OF THE LONG BEACH CHAPTER OF CALIFORNIA FACULTY ASSOCIATION, ASSOCIATION AT C-S-U-L-B. UH, CFA LONG BEACH REPRESENTS ROUGHLY 30,000 FACULTY COACHES, COUNSELORS AND LIBRARIANS AT, AT, UH, LONG BEACH STATE. I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF THE FOURTH DISTRICT. I'M HERE TODAY TO REGISTER OUR SUPPORT FOR PLACING CIVIL SERVICE CHARTER AMENDMENT ON THE, ON THE BALLOT. I AGREE WITH, UH, NATA. THERE'S, THERE, THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES WITH THIS PARTICULAR MEASURE, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT. WE NEED TO LET THE RESIDENTS WEIGH IN ON WHAT THEY FEEL IS IMPORTANT. UM, FOR US, I WE, WE REALLY FEEL THAT THERE'S TWO ISSUES THAT ARE CRITICAL. FIRST, WE UNDERSTAND HOW UNDERSTAFFING NEGATIVELY AFFECTS THE ABILITY OF ANY ORGANIZATION, INSTITUTION, OR IN THIS CASE, THE CITY, TO PROVIDE AND MEET THE NEEDS OF ITS RESIDENTS BY MODERNIZING THE CIVIL SERVICE CHARTER TO SHORTEN, UH, SHORTENING, UH, HIRING TIMES AND PRIORITIZING LOCAL HIRES. THIS REFORM WILL ADDRESS THE FRUSTRATION RESIDENTS CAN EXPERIENCE WITH DELAYED SERVICES BY ENHANCING THE CITY'S ABILITY TO EFFICIENTLY MEET THEIR NEEDS. SECOND, SECOND AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT, THE AMENDMENT WILL CREATE A PIPELINE FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS INTO UNIONIZED, UH, PUBLIC SECTOR, MIDDLE CLASS JOBS, UH, THAT PROVIDE MEANINGFUL HEALTH BENEFITS AND SECURE RETIREMENT AND LONG TERM ECONOMIC STABILITY. THIS IS A MUCH NEEDED REFORM THAT WILL IMPROVE CITY GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND PRODUCTIVITY WHILE MAINTAINING WORKER PROTECTIONS. I URGE THE COUNCIL TO PLACE THIS MEASURE ON THE BALLOT FOR NOVEMBER. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. OKAY. I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE OUTTA ORDER. COME DOWN AND I'LL REMOVE YOUR NAMES FROM THE LIST. I THINK I SEE YOU DOWN THERE, IVAN. COME, COME FORWARD FOR SURE. HI, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS LUIS ORTIZ. I'M A STUDENT AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH, WHERE I'VE BEEN ATTENDING FOR FOUR YEARS. I'M HERE TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THIS, UH, CIVIL SERVICE CHARTER AMENDMENT THAT COULD ALLEVIATE OUR GOVERNMENT AND OUR COMMUNITY. AS Y'ALL ARE AWARE, THIS CITY HAS A MASSIVE VACANCY PROBLEM WITHIN ITSELF. UM, OUR GOVERNMENT JOBS AND OUR HAVE ARE ONE OF THE MOST CRUCIAL PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITIES WITH 40, WITH SOME DEPARTMENTS HAVE 40% OR HIGHER VACANCY RATES, WHICH IS SIMPLY JUST OUTRAGEOUS. WE CANNOT EXPECT FOLKS TO WAIT SEVEN MONTHS TO BE PUT IN THESE JOBS, AND WE CAN'T. WE DON'T EXPECT THAT IN ANY JOB, LET ALONE OUR CRUCIAL PUBLIC SECTOR JOBS. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT THIS, UH, PRESENTS AS WELL IS THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND STABILITY AFTER COLLEGE. I HAVE FRIENDS OF MINE THAT ARE, THAT JUST GRADUATED LAST MAY AND ARE IN THAT REALITY RIGHT NOW. AND AS A INCOMING SENIOR, I'M STARING AT REALITY IN THE FACE, RIGHT? OUR TUITION IS BEING RAISED FOR STUDENTS AT DH AS STUDENTS AT LONG BEACH. [02:05:01] SO THIS IS ANOTHER THING THAT'S ADDING TO OUR, UH, TO OUR FUTURES THAT WE ARE NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO. AND AS YOU SAID, OUR STUDENT, UH, DEBT, UM, IS INCREASING MORE THAN EVER RIGHT NOW FOR OUR GENERATION. SO THIS AMENDMENT TACKLES BOTH ISSUES HEAD ON BY GIVING OUR COMMUNITIES BETTER ACCESS TO GREAT PUBLIC SECTOR JOBS IN THE FACE OF RISING COSTS THAT STUDENTS LIKE ME FACE, RIGHT? SO THESE BENEFITS ARE CRITICAL TO GROWING OUR MIDDLE CLASS HERE IN LONG BEACH, AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO WAIT ANOTHER EIGHT MONTHS TO BE HIGHER SO WE CAN PUT FOOD ON OUR TABLES. WE NEED TO PUSH THIS MEASURE ON, LET OUR RESIDENTS CHOOSE HOW TO SHAPE OUR GOVERNMENT TO PUSH, TO PUSH THESE DEMOCRATIC VALUES, AND URGE CITY COUNCIL TO PUT THIS COMMON SENSE MEASURE ON THE BALLOT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, IVAN. YOU'RE UP. GOOD EVENING COUNT MAYOR. MR. MAYOR COUNCIL. MY NAME IS IVAN GARCIA. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX. I AM HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROPOSED BALLOT MEASURE. UH, I PERSON, AS A PERSON WHO GRADUATED FROM CAL STATE LONG BEACH, A PERSON WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, I FEEL LIKE THOSE WHO ARE OF THE SAME EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE AN, AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY, TO SERVE THEIR CITY. AND WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT FOLKS WHO HAVE HAD TO WAIT SEVERAL MONTHS OR A LOT OF MASSIVE VACANCY RATE FOR A, FOR CITY AGENCIES. AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SEE ALL AROUND, WE SPEAK TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WANT TO SERVE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE HELPFUL FOLKS FOR WHOM COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN GO TO. BUT IF, IF THOSE, IF THOSE VACANCIES ARE NOT BEING FILLED, THEN PEOPLE ARE JUST STUCK IN, IN, IN THIS MIND SPACE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, I WANT TO HELP. I WANT TO SERVE, SERVE THE CITY, BUT HOW CAN I DO IT IF THEY'RE NOT HIRING ME OR IF THEY'RE TAKING FOREVER TO HIRE ME? AND SO I, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE, I'VE SPOKEN TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OF THIS IN THE SAME BOAT, AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, I ALSO HEARD A LOT OF THIS TALK OF, ALRIGHT, WELL, LET'S, WE WANNA HIRE, MOVE MORE FOLKS. THAT'S, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS ARE IN UNION JOBS AND FAIR WAGE JOBS. AND SO I THINK THIS IS A CRITICAL STEP, STEP IN ENSURING THAT THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS. SO, I, I, ONCE AGAIN, I VOICED MY SUPPORT FOR THIS PROPOSED BALLOT MEASURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M GONNA READ THE NEXT, UH, THE FINAL SEVEN OR SO SPEAKERS, IF YOU ALL CAN MAKE YOUR WAY TOWARD THE FRONT. MIGUEL LUGO, ASHLEY GREEN, MEGAN ROSE, ANAYA, JUNE WALLACH, WALLACH, UH, KELLY LIM, UH, AMY TRAN, AND CHRISTINA CREECH BAUM. SO NEXT, SO NEXT UP IS MIGUEL. HOW YOU GUYS DOING? SO, MR. MAYOR, YOU ALREADY MADE YOUR DECISION. SO I'M TALKING TO THE REST. ROBERT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HONEST AND FOR TELLING US THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW THEY BLOCK CERTAIN JOBS FOR PEOPLE AND THEY DON'T ALLOW IT FOR THE PROCESS TO WORK. I HAD A WHOLE SPEECH WRITTEN UP, BUT I DON'T GOT ENOUGH TIME FOR IT TOOK ME LAST NIGHT, THREE HOURS TO PUT IT TOGETHER. UM, TOM, YOU CAN, YOU CANNOT GET THE WHOLE POWER IN LONG BEACH. I'M SORRY. YOU WILL NOT. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT NEED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE AND WE NEED TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY TO HOLD 'EM ACCOUNTABLE RES YOU ELECT THE PEOPLE THAT GO THERE SO THEY CAN HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. HOW WILL YOU TAKE 'EM OFF NOW? IT'S, UH, LONG BEACH IS, WE'VE BEEN GOING AHEAD AND WE A CITY. THEY'RE GROWING. WE THE SECOND BIGGEST CITY IN LA COUNTY, AND WE EXPECT FOR YOU GUYS TO REPRESENT US. I'M A NATIVE AMERICAN. I'M, I'M A HOMEOWNER IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. I GOT SIX KIDS. I'VE SEEN PEOPLE GET SHOT BY COPS. I'VE SEEN MANY THINGS IN MY COMMUNITY. I, I LIVED IN THE, I GREW UP IN THE FIRST DISTRICT AND, UM, AND WE DON'T HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY. AND YOU GONNA LET THE POLICE, POLICE THEMSELVES, WE'VE SEEN IT HASN'T WORKED. LOOK AT THE POLICE IN CHICAGO RIGHT NOW. I WORK FOR A NONPROFIT THAT HELPS PEOPLE REENTRY BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY. I'M ASKING YOU GUYS TO REENTRY BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND ACTUALLY BE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND LISTEN TO YOUR COMMUNITY. DON'T JUST TRY TO TURN THE MIC OFF ON US WHEN WE ARE HERE. WE ARE HERE TO TELL YOU OUR TRUTH. OUR TRUTH IS WE WANT OUR KIDS TO BE SAFE. JUST LIKE YOU WANT THE COPS TO BE SAFE WHEN HE COMES BACK HOME. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS, THAT'S WE ASKING FOR. YEAH, I KNOW. MY TIME IS UP 'CAUSE YOU GUYS CUT US OFF AND YOU WANT, YOU WANT TO GET YOUR FACTS. THE FACT IS, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS IN DISTRESS RIGHT NOW. THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, MR. MAYOR, I VOTED FOR YOU. I VOTED FOR YOU, MR. MAYOR, AND I THANK YOU. I EXPECTED FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY LIFT US UP AS A COMMUNITY. PLEASE DO NOT SELL US OUT TO, TO, HE TRIED TO REPORT IT DIDN'T WORK OUT FOR HIM. MR. ROBERT, THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR BEING THE HONEST ONE TO SITTING HERE. I ASKED YOU GUYS IF HE, MR. MAYOR, SAID THAT HE WASN'T GONNA PUT THIS IN THAT EQUIPMENT. NOW WE ARE HERE TODAY. IT'S IN THE VIDEOS. I WATCH ALL THE VIDEOS BECAUSE [02:10:01] I CANNOT MAKE IT BECAUSE I'M AT, I'M AT WORK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY TODAY, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT FOR MY COMMUNITY. PLEASE, THANK YOU. BOW YOUR HEART. ALL RIGHT. DON'T LET HIM SELL YOU OUT. DON'T SELL ME OUT. DON'T SELL. THANK YOU. NEXT IS ASHLEY GREEN, THEN MEGAN AYA. HI, MAYOR REX RICHARDSON AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ASHLEY GREEN AND I AM A, UH, I AM A STUDENT AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH, AND I ALSO RESIDE IN DISTRICT ONE. I AM HERE TO EX EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR ITEM 34 AND URGE YOU TO MODERNIZE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HIRING AND CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM. THIS ITEM IS CRUCIAL BECAUSE IT WILL PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG ADULTS LIKE ME WHO HAVE COMPLETED PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE LONG BEACH PUBLIC SERVICE COURT, ENHANCING OUR CHANCES OF SECURING, UH, PUBLIC SERVICE JOBS AS A YOUNG ADULT. I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES WE FACE IN FINDING SUITABLE EMPLOYMENT RIGHT AFTER COLLEGE. MANY OF US FIND OURSELVES STUCK IN A CYCLE OF BEING ABLE TO, OH, ONLY BEING ABLE TO GET MINIMUM WAGE JOBS THAT DO NOT PROVIDE ROOM FOR US TO EXPAND OUR PROFESS PROFESSIONAL HORIZONS. DESPITE US INVESTING IN HIGHER EDUCATION TO IMPROVE OUR CAREER PROSPECTS BY MODERNIZING THE HIRING AND CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM, YOU CAN HELP ENSURE THAT WE HAVE BETTER CH THAT WE HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF OBTAINING MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE SECTOR. I URGE YOU, COUNSEL, TO PLACE THIS MEASURE ON THE BALLOT SO THAT YOUNG ADULTS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY WE LOVE AND HAVE GROWN UP IN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND COMMITMENT TO OUR CITY. THANK YOU, ASHLEY. ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS MEGAN, THEN JUNE. HI. HI, MAYOR RICHARDSON AND FELLOW CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME HERE. I'M HERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF CENTRO CHA, AS WELL AS MY COMMUNITY, AS I'M A REPRESENTATIVE OF DISTRICT EIGHT. NOW I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION, UM, AS ECHOED HERE TODAY. LONG BEACH IS NOT EXEMPT FROM MANY OF THE LABOR MARKET ISSUES GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND THE COUNTY WITH THE 22% CITYWIDE VACANCY RATE. HOWEVER, I WANNA ENSURE AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS MOTION, WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT IN THE FOREFRONT OF IT, WE ARE PRIORITIZING EQUITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCESS. OF COURSE, WE KNOW THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITY FIRST HAS ACCESS TO THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND TO ENSURE THAT THE REPRESENTATIVES WE HIRE REFLECT THE DEMOGRAPHICS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THERE IS A, UM, DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE OF 44% LATINOS, 12.3% API, 11.5% BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN. AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO WE HIRE REFLECT THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT ONLY HIRING FROM CERTAIN AGE GROUPS, THAT OUR YOUTH, OUR YOUNG ADULTS, AS WELL AS OUR ELDERS AND OUR SENIORS DO HAVE ACCESS TO THESE BETTER HIGHER PAYING JOBS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS JOBS SECURITY THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE ARE GOING FORWARD WITH THESE HIRING PROCESSES, THERE'S ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE SYSTEM AS WELL, SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN CALL OUT IF THESE PRACTICES ARE NOT MOVING FORWARD IN THE TRANSPARENT WAY THAT THEY'RE SET OUT FOR. AGAIN, I THANK YOU ALL FOR PUTTING THIS FORWARD. IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE AND TIME FOR THIS MOTION TO BE TAKEN FORWARD. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU, MEGAN. UH, NEXT IS JUNE, THEN KELLY, THEN AMY. GOOD EVENING, BOL MAYOR RICHARDSON, AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JUNE WALLICK AND I JUST COMPLETED MY FELLOWSHIP AT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AS PART OF THE INAUGURAL COHORT OF THE LONG BEACH PUBLIC SERVICE CORPS FELLOWSHIP. I'M A PROUD LONG BEACH RESIDENT GROWING UP IN DISTRICT FIVE. I ALSO ATTENDED LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE THROUGH THE COLLEGE PROMISE, AND I CURRENTLY ATTEND CAL STATE LONG BEACH AS A POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR. THE TIME I SPENT AT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WAS IRREPLACEABLE. I LEARNED HOW TO CONNECT WITH CONSTITUENTS AND DISCOVERED WAYS TO SERVE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE FELLOWSHIP. IT WAS ALWAYS SO REWARDING TO SEE MY SMALL ACTIONS GREATLY IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY. I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY UTMOST SUPPORT FOR ITEM 34, THE MODERNIZATION OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH'S HIRING AND CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEMS, INCLUDING ESTABLISHING NEW HIRING PREFACES FOR CITY GOVERNMENT JOBS. I URGE YOU TO ALSO SUPPORT MODERN MODERNIZING OUR CITY'S HIRING PROCESS. THIS CIVIL SERVICE REFORM IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WILL GIVE PREFERENCES TO PEOPLE LIKE ME AND MY PEERS WHO HAVE ALSO COMPLETED PROGRAMS LIKE THIS FELLOWSHIP. IT WOULD CREATE, IT WOULD CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO JOIN THE PUBLIC SEC SECTOR AS WELL. IF PASSED. THIS REFORM WILL SHOW FUTURE GENERATIONS THAT LONG BEACH IS COMMITTED TO INVESTING IN AND ADVOCATING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE'S LOCAL TALENT AND DESIRE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY. THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY HAS DEEPENED MY PRIDE IN BEING A LONG BEACH PRE RESIDENT. I HOPE TO KEEP SERVING OUR COMMUNITY, ENGAGING WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AND REMAINING HUNGRY, HUMBLE, AND SMART. THANK [02:15:01] YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, UH, OUR FINAL THREE SPEAKERS, ANA, AMY, AND CHRISTINA. OKAY. HELLO MARIN CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ANA AND I'M A RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATE FROM CAL STATE LONG BEACH, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO AND RECENTLY COMPLETED THE LONG BEACH PUBLIC SERVICE CORE FELLOWSHIP. I'M HERE TODAY TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT TO MODERNIZE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH'S HIRING SYSTEM IN ESTABLISHING THE NEW HIRING PREFERENCES FOR JOBS WITHIN CITY GOVERNMENT. RIGHT NOW, OUR HIRING SYSTEM IS IN NEED OF REFORM AND IN NEED OF IMPLEMENTING PREFERENCES FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND STUDENTS. WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE POOL OF YOUNG TALENT WHO HAVE GROWN UP HERE, STUDIED HERE, AND ARE EAGER TO GIVE BACK TO THE CITY THAT HAS SHAPED THEM TO TRULY HARNESS THE POTENTIAL OF OUR COMMUNITY'S YOUNG PEOPLE, WE NEED TO AMEND OUR HIRING PRACTICES TO GIVE PREFERENCES TO THOSE WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED A COMMITMENT TO OUR CITY THROUGH THEIR EDUCATION, APPRENTICE APPRENTICESHIPS OR INTERNSHIPS. BY DOING SO, WE ENSURE THAT THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT SERVING OUR COMMUNITY AND HAVE A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF ITS NEEDS ARE GIVEN THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE. IMAGINE THE IMPACT OF HIRING PEOPLE WHO KNOW OUR CITY AND HAVE INVESTED THEIR TIME AND ENERGY INTO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AND INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS. WE BRING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE AND WE ARE ALREADY INTEGRATED INTO OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE ARE MOTIVATED BY A GENUINE DESIRE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. LET'S INVEST INTO OUR YOUNG RESIDENTS WHO ARE INVESTED INTO THE CITY. LET'S PUT THIS DECISION IN THE HANDS OF OUR LONG BEACH VOTERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS, UH, AMY. HELLO, MAYOR RICHARDSON, FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS AMY CRAN AND I WAS AN, UH, LONG BEACH PUBLIC SERVICE CORPS AS A LEGISLATIVE FELLOW. UM, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO MODERNIZE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH'S CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEMS AND ESTABLISH A NEW HIRING PREFERENCE FOR JOBS WITHIN THE CITY GOVERNMENT. I CAN'T BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THE AMAZING EXPERIENCE, OPPORTUNITIES, AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT I HAD DURING THIS FELLOWSHIP. JUST THE EXPOSURE WAS A GRATIFYING EXPERIENCE AND I HAD NO IDEA HOW HARD THE CITY WORKED. I HAVE A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR THE SMALLER THINGS IN LONG BEACH FROM THE PARKS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, LONG BEACH TRANSIT AND SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS. THIS EXPERIENCE AND PASSION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE WAS MOST POSSIBLE JUST BECAUSE A CHANCE WAS TAKEN ON ME. A 23-YEAR-OLD GRADUATE STUDENT AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WORKING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR WOULD BE LIKE AND HOW MUCH I'VE COME TO ENJOY IT. LIKE MANY YOUNG ADULTS, I'M STILL EXPLORING MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER, FIGURING OUT WHAT I LIKE AND WHAT I DON'T LIKE. WHAT I DO LIKE IS THIS, RESEARCHING LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS, UNDERSTANDING ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND MEETING AMAZING ORGANIZATIONS WHO TRY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. I'M NOT SURE WHERE ALL FIT IN YET, BUT I'D LIKE TO SAY I SHARE THEIR SAME EXCITEMENT BY PASSING THE MEASURE TO BE DECIDED BY THE LONG BEACH VOTERS. IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD REALLY INVEST INTO THE NEXT GENERATION. STEPPING INTO THE WORKFORCE. THERE'S A SAYING THAT GOES, I'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT. WELL, I STARTED BELIEVING THAT I BELONG TO PUBLIC SERVICE WHEN I STARTED SEEING MY SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. CHRISTINA REBA. HELLO, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, UH, FELLOW CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL FOR LISTENING TO COMMENTS ON THIS ISSUE. MY NAME IS CHRISTINA CHRISTBAUM AND I'M REPRESENTING THE NONPROFIT PARTNERSHIP AS WELL AS I AM A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR CAL STATE LONG BEACH ACADEMIC ADVISOR ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP OFFICE. FORGIVE ME, I AM HERE TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSAL TO MODERNIZE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH'S HIRING AND CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEMS AND ESTABLISH NEW HIRING PREFERENCES FOR JOBS WITHIN THE CITY GOVERNMENT. WE BELIEVE THESE NEED OF REFORMS WILL HELP CREATE A PIPELINE OF DIVERSE WORKERS WHO COME FROM OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES, AND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, CREATING A STRONG CONNECTION BETWEEN NONPROFITS, UNIVERSITIES, AND OTHER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. INVESTED IN LONG-TERM ECONOMIC STABILITY AND MEANINGFUL EMPLOYEE, EMPLOYEE FOR LONG BEACH RESIDENTS AS AN ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, INTERNSHIPS AND PATHWAYS TO EMPLOYMENT IN LONG BEACH. WE BELIEVE THAT MODERNIZING THE CITY'S HIRING SYSTEM AND CREATING A STRONGER PARTNERSHIP AND PIPELINE IN COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WILL CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LONG BEACH RESIDENTS TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARD A THRIVING COMMUNITY. THE CITY'S HIRING, HIRING DELAYS ARE NOT ONLY BURDENSOME FOR THOSE SEEKING PUBLIC SECTOR JOBS, BUT THEY HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT WHEN IT COMES TO PARTNERSHIP. OFTENTIMES THESE VACANCIES CREATE UNDUE BURDENS ON NONPROFITS, SUCH AS DELAYED PAYMENT ON INVOICES AND LENGTHY CONTRACTING CHALLENGES. IN ADDITION, IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS INTO COMMUNITY FACE LONG DELAYS IN IMPLEMENTATION DUE TO THE SHORTAGE OF STAFF IN VACANT POSITIONS. THEREFORE, WE STRONGLY SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO UPDATE AND STREAMLINE THE CITY'S EXISTING HIRING PRACTICES. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS THOUGHTFUL APPROACH AND EXPANDING PREFERENCES WILL HELP ELIMINATE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO OPPORTUNITIES. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING. THANK YOU. WELL, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. I SEE ONE MORE PERSON. DID YOU SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? I DID. I APOLOGIZE. I'VE MADE AN ERROR. IS IT? I KINDLY ASK THAT I'D BE HEARD. MR. MAYOR, IF THAT'S OKAY [02:20:01] WITH YOU. RESPECTFULLY, I'VE BEEN RUNNING A TIGHT SHIP TONIGHT AND I CAN'T MAKE EXCEPTIONS EVEN. I JUST ASKED FOR A MINUTE AND A HALF YOUR TIME. YOU, I CANNOT MAKE EXCEPTIONS TONIGHT. OKAY. RESPECTFULLY, I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU NOT CONSTRICT DEMOCRACY. I LOOK TO THE COUNCIL, LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE AND, UH, ONE MORE CHARTER AND IT WAS AN AIR RESPECTFULLY PUBLIC COMMENT IS, IS OVER. THIS IS OUR 33RD HEARING AND INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION. SUCH A CHARTER. SEE WHAT I GONNA GIVE COMMENT. AND THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SEE ANY STAFF CITY COLLEAGUES TONIGHT, BECAUSE THERE WERE, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WELL THAT SATISFIES A PUBLIC COMMENT. I WANT TO, UH, THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME DOWN, UH, WENT THROUGH OUR PROCESS, RESPECTED OUR PROCESS. LOOK, CHANGE CAN BE A REALLY SCARY THING, BUT SOMETIMES IT, IT'S NECESSARY FOR US TO STICK TO OUR VALUES OF, OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION. SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A SYSTEM PUT IN PLACE A HUNDRED YEARS AGO MAYBE DIDN'T THINK, DIDN'T HAVE US IN MIND WHEN THE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED. AND IT'S TIME FOR US TO UPDATE THAT SYSTEM. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. DO YOU HAVE A MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO WE'RE NOW GOING TO ITEM 36 PLEASE. ITEM 36 IS REPORT FROM HARBOR DEPARTMENT AND UTILITIES RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE REGISTRAR [36. 24-54313 Recommendation to adopt resolution requesting the Registrar- Recorder/County Clerk to call, provide, and give notice of a General Municipal Election to be consolidated with the Statewide General Election to be held in the City of Long Beach (City) on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, and include the proposed Charter amendment to a vote of the qualified electors of the City to amend and restate Article V (Officers and Employees) to modify the length of terms for Harbor and Public Utilities Commissioners to three (3) terms of four (4) years; and Article XII (Harbor Department) to transfer authority over Harbor Department employment, excepting a Board-appointed Chief Operating Officer, Executive Officer to the Board, and Board staff, from the Harbor Commission to the Chief Executive Officer (who the Board will continue to employ and appoint); and formally align the Harbor Department’s annual budget timeline to the City’s fiscal year of October 1 to September 30; directing City Attorney to prepare an impartial analysis of the Charter amendment; and providing for the filing of primary and rebuttal arguments and setting rules for the filing of written arguments regarding a proposed Charter amendment to be submitted at said election.        Office or Department: Harbor Department; Utilities         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] RECORDER, COUNTY CLERK TO CALL, PROVIDE, AND GIVE NOTICE OF A GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE CONSOLIDATED WITH THE STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH. AND INCLUDE THE PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT TO VOTE OF THE QUALIFY ELECTORS OF THE CITY TO MODIFY THE LENGTH OF TERMS FOR HARBOR AND PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSIONERS TO THREE TERMS OF FOUR YEARS. AND, AND TO TRANSFER AUTHORITY OVER HARBOR DEPARTMENT EMPLOYMENT AND FORMALLY ALIGN THE HARBOR DEPARTMENT'S ANNUAL BUDGET TIMELINE TO THE CITY PHYSICAL YEAR. DIRECTING CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE AN IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OF THE CHARTER AMENDMENT AND PROVIDING FOR THE FILING OF THE PRIMARY AND REBUTTAL ARGUMENTS AND SETTING RULES FOR THE FILING OF WRITTEN ARGUMENTS REGARDING A PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT TO BE SUBMITTED AT STATE ELECTION. THANK YOU. UH, TOM BRIE, JUST A BRIEF REPORT ON, ON WHAT THIS IS. YES. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT YOU'RE HEARING THIS AS WELL. THIS HAS GONE THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS. UH, HARBOR DEPARTMENT GAVE A PRETTY EXTENSIVE PRESENTATION THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS WAS HELD. UM, SO, UM, UH, CHRISTINA, UM, IS HERE FROM HARBOR IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS AND, UH, WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS. OKAY. UH, AGAIN, THIS IS OUR THIRD TIME HEARING THIS. THIS IS A REQUEST TO CLEAN, HELP CLEAN UP, UH, THE CHARTER ON THE PORT RE SUBMITTED, UH, BY THE PORT, REQUESTED BY THE PORT. UH, AND THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL WILL BE VOTING ON. THERE'S, UH, ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UH, SHUKLA. DAVE SHUKLA. IS DAVE STILL HERE? ALRIGHT, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND COUNCILWOMAN IN DAY. DID YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. ANYTHING. EXCUSE ME, MR. MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THIS MEASURE ALSO APPLIES WITH THE TERM LIMITS TO THE, UH, UTILITIES COMMISSION. ABSOLUTELY. SO IT MAKES CONSISTENT THE TERM LIMITS ON THE HARBOR COMMISSION TO THREE, FOUR YEAR TERMS. IT ALSO AMENDS THE UTILITIES COMMISSION FROM FIVE YEARS TO FOUR YEAR TERMS AS WELL. SO THAT IS JUST SO THAT'S NOTED FOR THE RECORD. ALRIGHT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. COUNCILMAN ANO COUNCILMAN. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO NOW THIS HEADS THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. AT THIS TIME I'M CALLING FOR ARGUMENT AND REBUTTAL WRITERS FOR THE PROPOSED BALLOT MEASURES. APPLICATIONS CAN BE FOUND ON THE CITY CLERK WEBSITE AND ARE DUE TO THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK BY THURSDAY, AUGUST 8TH AT 4:30 PM COUNCIL WILL APPROVE NOMINATIONS ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 13TH. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK. THANK YOU. SO, BUDGET TIME. YOU GUYS WANT TO TAKE A BREAK OR GO RIGHT IN IT? LOOKING FOR THE COUNCIL? KEEP GOING. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, LET'S KEEP GOING. ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE UP OUR BUDGET HEARING NOW. ITEM YEAH. BUDGET HEARING ITEM 30. ITEM THIRTY'S REPORT FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATION TO CONDUCT A BUDGET HEARING TO [30. 24-54267 Recommendation to conduct a Budget Hearing to receive and discuss an overview of the Proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Financial Management         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] RECEIVE AND DISCUSS AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET, CDY. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO [02:25:01] MY VOICE IS A LITTLE GOING OUT. I THINK I'M GETTING A, A DRINK SOON, BUT, UM, I'LL MAKE THIS AS BRIEF AS I CAN. IT IS BUDGET SEASON FOLKS. UH, AS MAYOR, IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PRESENT THE PROPOSED FY 2025 BUDGET ALONGSIDE OUR CITY MANAGER MOCA WITH MY RECOMMENDATIONS. UH, YOU HAVE THOSE. UH, IT IS A RESPONSIBILITY OUT OUTLINED IN OUR CITY CHARTER, UH, WHICH BRINGS US TO TODAY, UH, STEWARD TO THE PUBLIC TRUST. WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT OUR CITY'S CITY'S BUDGET IS BALANCED, IT IS EFFICIENT, AND IT MEETS THE NEEDS OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY. THE FY 25 BUDGET OUTLINES OUR PLAN TO BUILD A STRONG, SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE FUTURE. SO THERE'S ALWAYS AN EYE TO THE FUTURE. TODAY, YOU'LL HEAR BRIEF HIGHLIGHTS FROM MYSELF, YOU'LL HEAR FROM THE CITY MANAGER AS WELL, AND YOU'LL ALSO HEAR FROM PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR ERIC LOPEZ ON ELEVATE 28, OUR FIVE YEAR CAPITAL INVESTMENT PLAN THAT WE ARE ONE YEAR IN INTO. UH, SO LET'S GET STARTED. SO, FOR DECADES, WE'VE PROVIDED OUR CITY SERVICES USING A DIVERSE SET OF REVENUES, ONE OF WHICH IS REVENUE GENERATED FROM LOCAL OIL PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES. AND WITH THE SHIFTING LEGISLATIVE LANDSCAPE AT THE STATE LEVEL, OUR COMMITMENT LOCALLY TO LOCAL CLIMATE ACTION OVER THE NEXT DECADE, THESE OIL PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES WILL GRADUALLY PRODUCE LESS AND LESS AND FEWER AND FEWER RESOURCES, UH, TO BUDGET ON THAT TRANSITION BEGINS NOW. ADDITIONALLY, WITH THE END OF FEDERAL RECOVERY DOLLARS AND THE CITY'S PROJECTED SHORTFALLS, SOME OF THAT CONTRIBUTED AS WELL TO, UM, UH, THE DECREASED OIL REVENUE. THERE'S GREATER URGENCY BEHIND OUR EFFORTS TO DEF DEFINE, TO, TO DIVERSIFY OUR CITY'S REVENUE BASE AND TRANSITION TO MORE RELIABLE ALTERNATIVE REVENUE SOURCE SOURCES. SO, DESPITE THESE HEADWINDS, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK AND WE'RE MAKING A LOT OF GREAT PROGRESS AS A CITY. IN FY 2024, WE REDUCED HOMELESSNESS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY A DECADE, WE LAUNCHED OUR GROW LONG BEACH INITIATIVE THAT'S SHOWING SOME REAL PRO PROGRESS AND PROMISE. WE'VE PLACED A FOCUS ON HIRING A LOT OF THAT DISCUSSION TONIGHT, FOCUS ON HIRING AND APPROVING OUR CITY SERVICE DELIVERY, AND WE BEGAN IMPLEMENTATION ON ELEVATE 28, UH, THE LARGEST, MOST TRANSPARENT, MOST EQUITABLE INVESTMENT PLAN IN LONG BEACH HISTORY. THIS FFY 20, UH, 25 BUDGET ACCELERATES THIS MOMENTUM FORWARD BY FOCUSING ON CORE FOUR PRIORITIES DESIGNED TO GROW OUR ECONOMY IN NEW AND MORE SUSTAINABLE DIRECTIONS, AND PROVE CITY SERVICES, REDUCE OUR RELIANCE ON OIL REVENUES, AND BUILD A STRONG FINANCIAL FUTURE FOR OUR CITY. THE FOUR CORE AREAS OF THIS BUDGET, UH, IS CITY SERVICES. THAT'S THE C OPTIMIZING OUR CITY'S CAPACITY TO GROW. THAT'S THE O UH, RECONNECTING OUR RESIDENTS TO OPPORTUNITY. THAT'S THE R AND CORE. AND THEN WE'RE PLACING A BIG FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND OUR CLIMATE. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FIRST ELEMENT, WHICH IS HOW WE'RE GONNA IMPROVE CITY SERVICES. THERE'S A LOT IN THIS BUDGET, REALLY FOCUSED ON DELIVERING BETTER QUALITY CIVIL CITY SERVICES, AND WE'VE BEEN PLACING A BIG FOCUS ON RECRUITMENT. AND THIS BUDGET ALLOCATES $4.8 MILLION IN FIRE SAFETY, INCLUDING STATION ENHANCEMENTS AND IMPROVING AMBULANCE RESPONSE TIMES. UH, WE ARE INVESTING IN A, A, A CRIME PREVENTION UNIT TO PROACTIVELY ADDRESS CRIME TRENDS CITYWIDE. AND THIS YEAR WE'LL BE OPENING IN FY 25 AND FY 25, OUR NEW POLICE TRAINING ACADEMY. UM, WE ALSO ARE INVESTING IN, UH, A LOT OF SEP TED CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN. WE'VE HEARD, UH, FROM RESIDENTS ACROSS THE CITY FROM NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THE EAST VILLAGE AND COOLIDGE TRIANGLE, THE NEED FOR BETTER NEIGHBORHOOD LIGHTING INTERVENTIONS, UM, IN, IN THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE AND, UH, PUBLIC EDUCATION ON HATE SPEECH AND HATE CRIME AWARENESS. WE'RE CONTINUING OUR PROGRESS ON ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS AND BUILDING MORE HOUSING. UH, IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE'RE ESTABLISHING LONG BEACH'S FIRST OFFICE OF HOMELESS STRATEGY AND PARTNERSHIPS TO EXPAND THE CITY'S COORDINATION OF SHELTER AND OUTREACH SERVICES. ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO AS A CITY IS PARTNER WITH OTHER AGENCIES TO DRAW DOWN RESOURCES COUNTY, FEDERAL, STATE, TO EXPAND SHELTER CAPACITY AND OUTREACH CAPACITY. WELL, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THAT FOCUS ON PARTNERSHIPS BECAUSE IT'S WORKING. WE'RE ALSO CALLING FOR THE CONTINUATION OF FUNDING OF THE TENANT RIGHTS OF COUNCIL PROGRAM. THERE'S SOME REGIONAL PROGRESS, UH, TAKING PLACE AT LA CASA. BUT UNTIL THAT HAPPENS, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM. NEXT, LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR WORK TO, UM, OUR NEXT PHASE, WHICH IS REALLY THE NEXT PIECE, WHICH IS REALLY TO IMPROVE OUR CONCRETE AND OUR STREET PROGRAM. SO WE'RE BRINGING IN OUR CONCRETE, UH, IN-HOUSE PROGRAM TO PUBLIC WORKS. SO THIS ALLOWS US TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO IMPROVE STREETS LOCALLY, ALLOW FOR MORE SIDEWALKS, CURBS, GUTTER ENHANCEMENTS. LOCALLY. LOCALLY. SO WE'RE CONTRACTING THAT IN INSTEAD OF CONTRACTING THAT OUT. SO THAT HELPS US. THE BUDGET ALSO INVESTS IN YOUTH. UH, YOU'LL SEE THE YOUTH FUND, UH, IS AT A TOTAL OF 1.15 MILLION TO SUPPORT, UH, YOUTH PROGRAMS AND YOUTH PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING. SO [02:30:01] YOU SEE THAT SUPPORT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED. UH, NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR EFFORTS TO OPTIMIZE AND ACCELERATE OUR REVENUE GROWTH IN OUR CITY. THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT OVER THE NEXT DECADE. SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS THAT ARE REALLY GONNA TRANSFORM OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND OUR REVENUE BASE. WHEN FOLKS COME TO OUR CITY FOR COM CONFERENCES OR CONCERTS, THEY STAY IN HOTELS. THEY STAY IN RESTAURANTS THAT GENERATES GENERAL FUND DOLLARS THROUGH TLT AND THROUGH SALES TAX. WELL, THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO TO ENHANCE THAT, BUT WHAT WE DON'T WANNA DO IS ONLY FOCUS ON, UH, INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN THESE REVENUE GENERATORS. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE IMPORTANT PROJECTS IN UPTOWN, LIKE UP PLAN AND MIDTOWN AND ALL OF THAT ALSO MAIN MAINTAINS A FOCUS. SO I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE CREATE A SIGNATURE PROJECTS DIVISION IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PLANNERS CAN, MAY BE LASER FOCUSED ON THE BIG PROJECTS WITHOUT TAKING OUR DAY-TO-DAY PLANNERS AWAY FROM THE IMPORTANT NEIGHBORHOOD PRIORITIES. SO THIS IS SHIFTING OUR GOVERNMENT TO PREPARE FOR GROWTH. WE ALSO, UH, HAVE REVENUE GENERATING ASSETS. THEY MAY NOT HAVE GENERATED MUCH REVENUE IN THE PAST, BUT THE QUEEN MARY IS FINALLY GENERATING REVENUE, AND WE'RE PROPOSING TO, UH, TO BUILD OUT A NEW AMPHITHEATER IN Q3 OF NEXT YEAR. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, DOING A BETTER JOB LEVERAGING OUR, PERFORMING OUR REVENUE GENERATING ASSETS SO THAT WE HAVE MORE KPIS AND A BETTER CUSTOMERS PARENTS. SO WE ARE, WE'RE CREATING A REVENUE INNOVATION STRATEGY ENHANCEMENT DIVISION IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUPPORTED BY TIDES. BECAUSE TIDES NEEDS TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE THAT'S NOT DEPENDENT ON OIL. THIS HELPS POSITION IT FOR THAT TRANSITION. AND THIS YEAR WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. UH, WE'RE CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR THE VISUAL IMPROVEMENT GRANTS THAT WAS, UH, VERY SUCCESSFUL DURING THE PANDEMIC. UH, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE THAT. UH, WE'RE ALSO INVESTING A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO SUPPORT BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS THROUGH CLEAN AND SAFE ACTIVATIONS, AND TO CONTINUE THE LEVEL UP LONG BEACH EXTREME SMALL BUSINESS MAKEOVER PROGRAM. SO THESE ACTIVITIES, AGAIN, WILL BRING MORE PEOPLE, VISITORS INTO BUSINESSES AND RESTAURANTS. IT CREATES MORE JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE OPPORTUNITIES WE'RE CREATING IN THE FUTURE WITH AMPHITHEATERS OR CONCERTS OR, OR COMPANIES LIKE FORD OR VAST, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS FEEL CONNECTED TO THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND TAKE PART IN THESE OPPORTUNITIES. SO THE NEXT BIG FOCUS IS REALLY ABOUT CONNECTING OUR RESIDENTS TO OPPORTUNITIES. SO WE'RE TAKING SOME KEY STEPS. UH, THIS IS THIS, THIS ONE IS A CHANGE. WE'RE CHANGE IS LIKE A THEME FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING. WE'RE REVAMPING AND MODERNIZING PACIFIC GATEWAY WORKFORCE INVESTMENT NETWORK TO BETTER PREPARE OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NEW IN THE NEW ECONOMY IN THINGS LIKE SPACE BEACH TOURISM AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. AND PLACE A BETTER FOCUS ON THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. SO, I'M RECOMMEND WE RESTRUCTURE AND RE REBRAND PACIFIC GATEWAY TO THE LONG BEACH WORKFORCE INVESTMENT NETWORK. SO NOW, INSTEAD OF PG WIN IS LONG BEACH WIN, TO ALIGN OUR MISSION AND OUR PROGRAMS WITH THESE OBJECTIVES AND REALLY BUILD THE PIPELINES FOR OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS INTO THE ECONOMY OF THE FUTURE. WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE CONTINUING OUR FOCUS ON PUBLIC SERVICE, UH, THROUGH PROGRAMS LIKE THE LONG BEACH PUBLIC SERVICE CORE, AND CONTINUE TO BUILD PIPELINES INTO CITY GOVERNMENT JOBS. NEXT, WE ARE CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC MOBILITY. UH, YOU'LL SEE SUPPORT TO CONTINUE THE FIRST TIME HOME BUYER PROGRAM. IT'S BEEN HIGH IN HIGH DEMAND. WE BROUGHT THIS BACK TWO YEARS AGO, AND IT'S BEEN IN HIGH DEMAND. WE'RE CONTINUING THAT PROGRAM. YOU'LL SEE, UH, CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE IMMIGRANT JUSTICE FUND, UH, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN, UH, SUPER IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL TO, UH, INDIVIDUALS IN THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY HERE IN LONG BEACH. AND WE'RE CONTINUING OUR SUPPORT FOR THE CITYWIDE LANGUAGE ACCESS PROGRAM. WE'RE PUTTING FUNDING FORWARD TO HELP SUPPORT AND STABILIZE EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION, AND, UH, EXPANDING CHILDCARE TUITION ASSISTANCE. AND THERE'S A PROPOSAL HERE TO PARTNER WITH UNITED WAY AND THE FUND FOR GUARANTEED INCOME, UH, TO DEVELOP A LONG BEACH HOUSING PLEDGE, WHICH, WHICH REALLY HELPS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO FOLKS WHO ARE WAITING ON THE HOUSING AUTHORITY SECTION EIGHT LIST WHO DON'T HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES, BUT WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE LONG BEACH RESIDENTS WHO, WHO QUALIFY FOR A LOT OF SUPPORT, UH, BUT MAY MAYBE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY. AND SO THIS YEAR, WE'RE MAINTAINING OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR ENVIRONMENT AS WELL. SO THIS, THIS BUDGET WILL SEE A LOT OF INVESTMENT, BOTH IN ELEVATE 28, INTO OUR PARKS AND OUR GREEN SPACES. UH, AND WE'RE ALSO SEEING SOME INVESTMENT BEING PLACED, PARTICULARLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS BURDENED BY POOR AIR QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGE CHALLENGES AND EXP EXPANDING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, AND IMPROVE AIR QUALITY ADVANCE OUR CLIMATE ACTION GOALS. UH, THIS BUDGET INCLUDES $4 MILLION TO UPGRADE WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT UPGRADES AT PARKS OPEN SPACES, WILLOW SPRINGS, WEST SIDE, NORTH LONG BEACH, UH, RESOURCES TO PLANT MORE TREES TO HELP THE CITY ACHIEVE, UH, THE, THE GOAL OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND TREES IN OUR CANOPY. WE'RE JUST 2000 TREES TO GO. WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF TREES, BUT THESE ARE THE HARD TO PLANT. SO YOU'RE GONNA NEED MORE TECHNICAL SUPPORT, IRRIGATION, THINGS LIKE THAT. WE'RE [02:35:01] ALSO INVESTING IN ANOTHER 1.8 MILLION, UH, TO PROCURE A NEW TRASH INTERCEPTOR BARGE, UH, HERE ALONG THE RIVER TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN OUR WATERSHED AND OUR COASTLINE. THIS BUDGET ALSO INCREASES OUR CAPACITY TO DO WORK TO TRANSITION OUR ZERO FEET EMISSIONS. AND WE ALSO KNOW, UH, THAT, UM, ALL OF THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A MOMENT OF TRANSITION RIGHT NOW. SO IF WE CONTINUE TO MAKE THESE, THESE INVESTMENTS, IF WE PLACE A FOCUS ON THESE CORE AREAS, WE'RE PLACING OUR CITY IN A POSITION FOR GROWTH AND MAKING SURE OUR RESIDENTS FEEL CONNECTED TO THAT GROWTH AND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND OUR TOP PRIORITIES TO CONTINUE TO DELIVER QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS OF OUR CITY. SO THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS. I WANNA PASS IT ON TO CITY MANAGER MOCHA, TO GIVE A MORE IN-DEPTH PRESENTATION. GREAT. THANK YOU, MS. UH, OH, OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. MAYOR. SO, UH, I WILL GO THROUGH THE BUDGET OVERVIEW. WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING TIME OVER THE NEXT MONTH GOING INTO, UH, BUDGET DETAILS. I'LL TRY TO GO A LITTLE FASTER JUST GIVEN THE TIME THAT WE, UM, UH, THAT WE HAVE TONIGHT. UM, BUT, UH, WE, UH, CERTAINLY CAN, UH, BRING BACK A LOT OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. I THINK THE COUNCIL KNOWS REALLY WELL OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS OVER THE PAST YEAR, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE DO THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE, BUT DECREASING HOMELESSNESS BY 2.1%, A RECORD AMOUNT OF HOUSING UNITS, LAUNCHING THE SECOND MAC, UH, CREATING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION TASK FORCE, WHICH IS THE, THE MOST AGGRESSIVE, UM, POLICE HIRING, UH, PROCESS THAT WE'VE EVER HAD. UH, WITH A TARGET OF ONBOARDING A HUNDRED NEW DEPLOYABLE OFFICERS. WE HAVE THE LARGEST, UH, FIRE RECRUIT ACADEMY IN OUR DEPARTMENT'S HISTORY. WE SUCCESSFULLY APPROVED LABOR AGREEMENTS AND, AND REALLY, UH, WITH EQUITY IN MIND, WE IMPLEMENTED OUR TALENT ACQUISITION DIVISION IN, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES WITH A HUGE IMPROVEMENT IN HIRING TIME FOR UNCLASSIFIED POSITIONS. UH, WE ARE NOW VISITING OUR PARK BATHROOMS FOUR TIMES A DAY, UH, AND LOCKING THEM AT NIGHT AND OPENING THEM UP. IT HAS BEEN A DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT IN THE STATUS OF OUR BATHROOMS, UH, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE USED TO HEAR A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT. AND, UH, FUTURE LONG BEACH HAS ENROLLED 768 YOUNG PEOPLE. BIZ CARE HAS BEEN, UH, AN AMAZING RESOURCE FOR ABOUT, UH, VISITING A THOUSAND DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, UH, 71 IN-PERSON POPUPS OFTEN, UH, TIMES IN LANGUAGE, UH, UH, TO ASSIST THOSE THAT NEED THAT. UH, WE HAVE, UH, LAUNCHED OUR, OUR, UM, PROGRAM FOR THE TEMPORARY AMPHITHEATER. UH, JUST THIS WEEK, UH, PUT OUT AN RFP FOR A 12,000 SEAT AMPHITHEATER. WE CELEBRATED A HUNDRED YEAR ANNIVERSARY, AND WE'VE GOT THE LARGEST INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PLAN THAT WE'VE EVER HAD, UH, THAT WAS ANNOUNCED LAST YEAR THROUGH THE ELEVATE 28. IT'S ACTUALLY GOING UP THIS YEAR, UH, AS WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING GRANT DOLLARS COMING INTO THE CITY. UH, THE BUDGET'S 3.6 BILLION, 24 DIFFERENT APARTMENTS, THREE SIX FUND GROUPS. WE'RE REALLY STAYING COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THOSE CORE PUBLIC, UM, QUALITY SERVICES, UM, UH, AND INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE'RE THINKING AHEAD IN THIS BUDGET, MAKING INVESTMENTS THAT'LL PAY DIVIDENDS IN THE FUTURE, AND THEN REALLY ALIGNING THE CITY FOR STABILIZATION TODAY AND TOMORROW AND INTO THE FUTURE BY, UM, THROUGH FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. UH, I, ONE OF THE GOALS THIS YEAR WAS TO REDUCE THAT STRUCTURAL DEFICIT WHILE NOT GOING INTO CUTS. WE HAD, UH, LET YOU KNOW EARLY ON, THERE'S ONE LAST YEAR OF RECOVERY DOLLARS, BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST WAITING UNTIL NEXT YEAR. AND SO, IN, UH, JANUARY, IT WAS A $28 MILLION PROJECTED SHORTFALL. UH, AFTER A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, UH, CORRECTIONS, WE WERE DOWN TO ABOUT A $23 MILLION SHORTFALL THAT WE ANNOUNCED IN, UH, MARCH. AND IT HAS ACTUALLY GONE DOWN FROM THERE. UH, SO OVER THE FIVE YEARS, WE WERE LOOKING AT ABOUT AN $80 MILLION SHORTFALL. THAT'S NOW A $61 MILLION SHORTFALL. UH, BUT IT DOES, UM, IT, UH, IT DOES MAKE SOME ASSUMPTIONS THAT THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A RECESSION OR THERE A RESURGENCE OF THE PANDEMIC, UH, AND THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO INVEST IN, IN OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT, UH, LIKELY NOT AT THE SAME, UH, HISTORIC LEVEL THAT WE DID IN, IN THIS LAST CONTRACT. SO, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WHILE WE STILL HAVE A SHORTFALL, IT'S, IT'S IMPROVED. UM, WE WERE VERY JUDICIOUS IN ANY OF THE ADS THAT WE MADE. WE, UH, FOR ANY AD THAT WAS MADE, HAD NEW REVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH IT, OR WAS A REDUCTION SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE DEPARTMENT AND A REALLOCATION. UH, AND WE DID NOT. UM, UH, WE ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO USE SOME OF THOSE REVENUES TOO, TO SHRINK. UM, THE, UH, THE AMOUNT DOWN TO 20.3 MILLION, UH, IS WHAT THE FY 25 SHORTFALL IS, WHICH WILL BE COVERED WITH, UH, THE LAST REMAINING, UH, RECOVERY ACT DOLLARS. UH, WE ARE, UM, AND WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS, THERE'S A STRATEGY TO REDUCE OR REDUCE RELIANCE ON OIL. YOU APPROVED THAT IN YOUR BUDGET LAST YEAR. AND SO WE STARTED THE FIRST YEAR OF THAT AT 1.3 MILLION. WE'RE GRADUALLY KIND OF MOVING INTO THIS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, BUT THINKING AHEAD, UH, TO, UH, PHASE IT OUT OF OUR OPERATING STRUCTURE OR STRUCTURE. BUT WE WILL STILL HAVE THOSE OIL DOLLARS AVAILABLE AS THEY COME IN FOR THINGS LIKE PAYING DOWN DEBT OR ADDITIONAL, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, RESPONSIBILITIES FOR OIL OR ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE. UH, WE ARE UNFORTUNATELY SEEING THE END OF, UH, ENORMOUS SUPPORT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, MORE THAN WE'VE EVER HAD IN THE PAST, UH, UNDER THE LONG BEACH RECOVERY ACT. AND SO WE WERE ONE OF THE VERY FIRST CITIES TO APPROVE [02:40:01] A COVID-19 RECOVERY PROGRAM. UH, WE DID THAT IN MARCH OF 21. UH, UH, THEN, UH, ALL TOLD WE OUR, UM, ORIGINAL AMOUNT THAT WE GOT AS A CITY WAS ABOUT 130 MILLION. THAT WAS OUR EARMARKED AMOUNT AT THE END OF THE DAY. WE BROUGHT IN $296.9 MILLION, UH, THROUGH COMPETITIVE GRANTS, THROUGH OTHER FORMULA GRANTS, UH, AND, AND REALLY SUPPORTED, UH, AMAZING AMOUNTS OF WORK. UH, IT IS, UH, SAD THAT THAT HAS COMING TO A CLOSE. AND, UH, BY DECEMBER 31ST, 2024, AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOSE A LOT OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT, UH, THAT WE HAD BROUGHT ON. AND OUR STRATEGY WAS REALLY TO HELP INVEST IN RESIDENTS IN BUSINESSES, AND THEN SOME FOR OUR BUDGET IN ORDER TO HELP US RECOVER. AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO STRETCH THOSE DOLLARS FOR OUR BUDGET FROM ABOUT TWO FISCAL YEARS TO, UM, TO ABOUT FIVE. AND SO, UH, WE HAD TO MAKE SOME TOUGH CHOICES IN THIS BUDGET ABOUT WHAT PROGRAMS WE COULD, UH, TRY TO PRESERVE, UH, THAT WERE RECOVERY ACT, AND WHICH ONES WERE GONNA BE, UH, SUNSET, UH, ALL WHILE NOT GROWING THE DEFICIT. AND SO THESE ARE JUST SOME THAT ARE CONTINUING AT A REDUCED CAPACITY WITH STRUCTURAL SUPPORT, THE BESAFE PROGRAM, THE BIZ CARE PROGRAM, UH, BUSINESS, UH, EQUITY OFFICER, HEALTH EQUITY PROGRAM, LANGUAGE ACCESS, REENTRY RISK MANAGEMENT, VENDOR COMPLIANCE, AND SIDEWALK VENDING. MANY OF THOSE ARE NOT AT THEIR FULL STRENGTH, EVEN WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, PRESERVE THEM. THEY'RE, UH, SLIGHTLY SMALLER. WE'RE CONTINUING TO SPEND RECOVERY ACT FUNDS, UM, UH, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, TO, UM, UH, SPEND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. UH, THAT INCLUDES IN OUR, UM, YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAM, COMMUNITY CRISIS RESPONSE PILOT, UH, CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, UM, THE WEST HEALTH FACILITY RENOVATION, OUR HOME BUYER PROGRAM, OUR NUTRITION SERVICES INITIATIVE, REENTRY, SAFE PASSAGE YOUTH HEALTH, AND SIDEWALK TO SUCCESS. UH, WE ALIGN OUR BUDGET NOW, UM, AND NOT THE COUNCIL HAS APPROVED A STRATEGIC VISION, AND WE'VE DONE OUR, UM, PRIORITIZATION PROCESS. WE NOW ALIGN A LOT OF THE BUDGET AND A LOT OF THE INPUT THAT WE GET WITH OUR STRATEGIC VISION. SO WE'RE STAYING, UM, ALIGNED WITH THAT, WITH THOSE, WITH THAT DIRECTION. AND SO, IN THE BUDGET, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGIC VISION. WE TALK ABOUT COUNCIL PRIORITIES. WE ALSO TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT IN JANUARY AND THROUGH THE SURVEYS AND, AND HOW THOSE ALL KIND OF LINE UP IN THOSE NINE CATEGORIES. SO I'LL GO QUICKLY THROUGH SOME OF THE CATEGORIES. UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE IMPLEMENTING IN THIS, UH, BUDGET IS THE OFFICE OF HOMELESS STRATEGY AND PARTNERSHIPS IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. THIS IS ALL GRANT OFFSET, UH, BUT IT'S TO HELP US GET ADDITIONAL DOLLARS AND ADDITIONAL THOUGHT, UH, UH, AND PARTNERSHIP AS WE, UH, UH, IMPLEMENT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE. WE HAVE MONEY FOR THE TENANT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THERE'S ONE TIME FUNDING OF 375. UH, THERE'LL BE A CARRYOVER WE EXPECT FROM LA, UH, THIS CURRENT YEAR OF A 675,000. SO TOGETHER, THAT'S ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS 1.05 MILLION FOR THE PROGRAM. WE HAVE $500,000 IN ONE TIMES FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND. UH, THAT'S, UH, 300,000 IN STRUCTURAL FUNDING IS THERE, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 300,000 IN CARRYOVER. BRINGS THAT TO ABOUT 1.1 MILLION. WE'RE ADDING, UH, POSITIONS SUPPORTING HOUSING POLICY AND PLANNING. UH, WE'RE ALSO ADDING TWO MAINTENANCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OR POSITIONS, UH, THAT'LL HELP US IN OUR BEACH AREAS, UH, FOR HOMELESS, UH, RESPONSE SERVICES THAT ARE ACTUALLY GONNA HELP THE TEAM CITYWIDE. 'CAUSE WHILE THEY'RE DOWN IN THE TIDELANDS AREA, THAT'LL FREE UP OUR TEAM TO BE, BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE, THE CITY. SORRY, IT'S STUCK. THERE WE GO. UM, PUBLIC SAFETY. IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC SAFETY, THERE'S, UH, FUNDING FOR OUR LONG BEACH VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM. UH, WE'RE AGAIN, FUNDING OUR HIGH CRIME FOCUS TEAM IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BY $1.3 MILLION TO ADDRESS VIOLENT CRIME. WE'RE, UH, ADDING COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTS TO SUPPORT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. UH, ADDING A CRIMINALIST POSITION FOR DNA ANALYSIS. UH, AND WE'RE ALSO, UH, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF OUR BODY-WORN CAMERAS, AND ALSO EXPANDING THAT PROGRAM TO ADDITIONAL SECURITY OFFICERS AND, UH, POLICE OFFICERS. UH, AS, AS THAT PROGRAM HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, UH, WE'RE ADDING MONEY IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE, UM, TO CONTINUE THE PEAK LOAD UNIT. SO WE'LL HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL RESCUE, UM, CAPABILITY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. UH, ALSO, THE COST OF JUST PROVIDING FIRE SERVICES HAS GONE UP PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND, AND UTILITY EXPENSES. SO, INCREASING THE BUDGET TO SUPPORT OUR, OUR FIRE TEAM. UH, WE, UH, WE'VE MADE GOOD PROGRESS IN OUR ARSON INVESTIGATION, UH, UNIT, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO ADD A FIREFIGHTER THERE THAT'S OFFSET. AND WE'RE ALSO CREATING, UH, FUNDS FOR ANOTHER REALLY LARGE FIRE RECRUIT ACADEMY CLASS. AND, UH, UH, ONE THING THAT CHIEF AND I HAVE BEEN REALLY WORKING ON IS LOOKING AT, UH, HOW DO WE CREATE A PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS DIVISION IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO SUPPORT, UM, EVERYTHING FROM EQUITY TO HIRING, TO INVESTIGATIONS, AND TO TRAINING, UH, FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS IN THE AREA OF ECONOMIC, UH, OPPORTUNITY AND RESILIENCY. UH, WE'RE AT SAVING THOSE FOUR PROGRAM, UH, FOUR POSITIONS IN BIZ CARE SO THAT WE CAN, UH, PRESERVE THAT TEAM, BUT AT A SMALLER AMOUNT. WE'RE ALSO CONTINUING OUR VIP PROGRAM AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. WE'RE INCREASING FUNDING FOR THE CANNABIS EQUITY PROGRAM, UH, OFFSET BY FUNDS FROM THAT, UM, FROM FEES FOR THAT PROGRAM. UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, FUNDING TO, UH, START LOOKING AT ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES ON OUR CITY'S REFUSE FLEET. [02:45:01] UH, WE'RE GONNA BE SUPPORTING THE MEET LONG BEACH, UH, CONTRACT, UH, AS THEY HAVE BROUGHT IN A LOT OF THE, THE TOT DOLLARS THAT, UH, HAVE, UH, COME BACK. AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE ADDING A POSITION TO SUPPORT OLYMPICS PREPARATION AND CITYWIDE GRANTS IN THE AREA OF EDUCATION. WE'RE GONNA BE RENAMING LIBRARY SERVICES TO LIBRARY ARTS AND CULTURE, UH, THAT WAS PROPOSED LAST YEAR AND HAS BEEN REALLY EMBRACED, UH, BY BOTH THE, THE TEAM AND BY THE COMMUNITY. UH, ONE OF THE BIG, UH, ADS HERE IS THE, THE, THE BUDGETED POSITION FOR SECURITY SERVICES AT MARK TWAIN. UH, THAT'S BEEN A, A BIG SUCCESS. WE'VE, UH, REALLY SEEN AN IMPROVEMENT IN, IN SOME OF THE SITUATIONS THAT MARK TWAIN, AND THAT'S A $200,000 INCREASE, UH, GIVING A POSITION TO LIBRARY THEIR, ONE OF THEIR LARGE PRIORITIES IS TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT CAN ADDRESS A LOT OF THE, UM, THE FACILITY MAINTENANCE, UH, AND SUPPORTING OUR COLLEGE PROMISE AS WELL. UH, WE HAVE FUNDS FOR THE YOUTH FESTIVAL. WE HAVE FUNDS FOR COMMUNITY-BASED GRANTS AND INCENTIVES AROUND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT. AND $400,000 IN MEASURE US. UH, WE'VE MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR JUNIOR GUARD PROGRAM AND ALSO EXPANDING OUR POLICE, UH, CADET, UH, PROGRAM. UH, WE HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT, UM, FUNDS THAT ARE ALREADY BEING FUNDED FOR YOUTH AND YOUTH IN INVESTMENT, AND WE'RE ABLE TO, TO PROTECT THOSE AND SAVE THOSE. THOSE ARE THINGS LIKE BE SAFE AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS AND SUMMER PROGRAMMING. A LOT OF, UH, UM, VARIETY OF INFANT TO YOUTH SERVICES, UH, AND, AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR YOUTH AS WELL. IN THE AREA OF CLIMATE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, WE'RE, UH, ADDING A FLEET COMPLIANCE OFFICER. THERE'S A HUGE PUSH IN THIS BUDGET TO HAVE A, A BIG STEP FORWARD IN OUR EV PROGRAM. WE ARE ONE OF THE STATE'S LEADERS IN EV, BUT WE NEED TO GO EVEN FURTHER TO HIT THE GOVERNOR'S GOALS. AND SO WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT A LARGE INVESTMENT IN EV INFRASTRUCTURE, AS WELL AS, AS AS OUR VEHICLES. UM, OH, I MISSED ONE HERE. UM, SO, UH, ONE OF THE LONG BEACH TRADITIONS IS THE TREES IN THE BAY. UM, AND, UH, THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES. UH, BUT WE'RE LOOKING TO ACTUALLY REPLACE THOSE WITH LED SOLAR POWERED. UH, WE DID ONE LAST YEAR, AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE NOTICED IT WAS A TEST. UH, DIDN'T GET ANY COMPLAINTS. AND SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW ROLLING THOSE ALL OUT. IT ALSO HELP US WITH THE MAINTENANCE COSTS OF HAVING TO RUN UNDERWATER CABLES, UH, TO SUPPORT THOSE MOBILITY AND PLACEMAKING. UH, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS I'M REALLY PROUD OF. I HEAR THIS FROM EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER I'M PROUD OF PUBLIC WORKS ON. THIS, IS THE ABILITY TO ADDRESS OUR CONCRETE WORK, UM, FASTER AND AT LOWER COST. UH, WE'RE GONNA BE CONTRACTING IN 10 FTES TO HAVE A CONCRETE CREW, SIMILAR TO OUR SLURRY CREW THAT CAN DEAL WITH SOME OF THOSE CURBS THAT ARE OUT THERE, OR, OR SOME OF THE SIDEWALK WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE WHEN WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING IT THROUGH A BIG STREET PROJECT. WE'VE GOT FUNDING FOR WEST LONG BEACH BEACH STREETS, FUNDING FOR TRANSPORTATION SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, UH, ADDING ADDITIONAL PARKING CONTROL CHECKERS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE LATER NIGHT SHIFTS, UH, AS WELL AS WEEKEND, UH, AND NIGHT SHIFT TO DETER LEGAL PARKING, UH, AND ALSO CONTRACTING IN OUR BIKE SHARE PROGRAM, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE STAFF THAT CAN DO THAT, UH, AT, AT OR LOWER COST THAN WHAT WE'RE PAYING. AND ALSO, THOSE STAFF CAN THEN BE ABLE TO BE MOVED AROUND TOO, WHEN WE HAVE, UH, WHEN WE HAVE CRITICAL NEEDS IN THE AREA OF HEALTH, BEHAVIOR AND WELLNESS. WE'RE ADDING A HEALTH EQUITY OFFICER WHERE PRESERVING THE, UM, THE, UM, UH, THE HUMAN DIGNITY PROGRAM AND, AND KEEPING THAT PROGRAM, UM, FROM, UM, FROM ENDING, UH, WE'RE ADDING POSITIONS FOR THE SIDEWALK VENDING PROGRAM, UH, IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, SUPPORTING TWO ADDITIONAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS. UH, WE'RE ALSO INCREASING OUR CLEANING OF THE BEACH. UH, WE CLEAN THE BEACH EVERY DAY, UH, BUT ALSO ADDING A, ANOTHER, UH, CREW TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO GET ADDITIONAL, UH, TRASH THAT'S EITHER WASHED UP OR LEFT BY, UH, PATRONS. IN THE AREA OF DIGITAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION, WE'RE FUNDING A MILLION DOLLARS FOR CYBERSECURITY AND, UH, TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE. THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE, UH, APPROACH. AND THEN, UH, ALSO IT'S BEEN, UH, ALMOST 10 YEARS SINCE OUR WEBSITE AND OUR WEBSITE NEEDS TO BE UPGRADED, BOTH FOR CYBERSECURITY PURPOSES AND ALSO FOR, UM, USER EXPERIENCE. AND SO BEING ABLE TO, UH, REHOST THAT, UH, PUBLIC SITE, UH, IN THE AREA OF OUR GOVERNMENT, UH, TO SUPPORT OUR, OUR CITY CREWS THAT DO ALL THIS WORK. UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT ADDING, UM, ANALYST SUPPORT FOR, UH, DATA ANALYSIS FOR MULTIPLE CITYWIDE REVENUES TO HELP GROW OUR REVENUES. UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO, UH, MODERNIZE A LOT OF OUR CLASSIFICATIONS. UM, UH, WE STILL HAVE CLASSIFICATIONS IN OUR CITY WORKFORCE FROM THE 1970S. AND TO MODERNIZE THOSE, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE SUPPORTING RACIAL EQUITY TRAINING, UH, INCLUDING DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAMS WITH AN EQUITY LENS. UH, WE HEAR A LOT FROM THE COUNCIL. YOU GET A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS, UM, AND NEED, UH, SOMEONE THAT CAN SUPPORT YOU IN GETTING THOSE, UH, UM, INTO THE DEPARTMENT AND GETTING THOSE WORK, UH, DONE. SO WE'RE ADDING ONE IN, IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND ADDING ONE IN PUBLIC WORKS, AND WE'RE ALSO SUPPORTING OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS PROGRAM, UH, PRESERVING THOSE, UM, OUR INTERPRETATION, UH, SERVICES THROUGH CITY STAFF. SO ELEVATE 28, YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT FROM ERIC ON THIS, BUT IT'S A FIVE YEAR INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM. IT IS THE LARGEST INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM WE'VE EVER HAD IN OUR HISTORY. UM, IT IS SUPPORTED WITH ABOUT 306 MILLION OF MEASURE A AND 622 OF OTHER FUNDING. AND IT HAS GROWN FROM ABOUT 750 TO 928 MILLION IN THIS BUDGET. UH, SO WE'RE NOT ADDING NEW PROJECTS, BUT THE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT FOR CURRENT PROJECTS HAS, HAS BEEN, UH, HAS BEEN COMING IN. AND SO, UH, WE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A TON OF PROJECTS THAT ARE NOW [02:50:01] FUNDED BY THE BOND. THAT WAS A BIG, UM, A MOVE THAT THE MAYOR, UH, THAT THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MADE, AND YOU'LL SEE THOSE IN THE CIP BUDGET. AND WE'VE NOW GOT NEW SERVICES THAT HELP EDUCATE PEOPLE. OF ALL THE PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING. ONE OF THE BIG FOCUSES IN THIS BUDGET IS TO MAXIMIZE OUR REVENUE STREAMS. SO WE'RE DOING THINGS LIKE ADDING LICENSE INSPECTORS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING ENOUGH TOT, UH, WE'RE SUPPORTING, UM, UH, UM, UH, UH, WORKERS, UH, AROUND OUR CANNABIS LICENSING AND ENFORCEMENT ENHANCING PARKING CONTROL, ENHANCING OUR BUSINESS SERVICES, UH, SYSTEMS, UH, MORE DATA SUPPORT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE REVENUES THAT ARE COMING IN AND THE BILLING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CITYWIDE REVENUE STREAMS LIKE AMBULANCE BILLING AND PARKING. UH, AND, UH, AGAIN, OUR BUSINESS LICENSE INSPECTORS. UH, WE'VE GOT THE TWO AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY INNOVATION. WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, THE PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT, SO I WON'T COVER THAT. AND THEN WE'VE ALSO HAD A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION FROM THE CITY AUDITOR ABOUT OIL AND WHERE THAT GOES IN OUR FUTURE, CONTINUING TO INVEST IN GROW LONG BEACH, FINDING WAYS TO, UH, RAISE OUR REVENUES THAT AREN'T ANYTHING RELATED TO GOING TO THE BALLOT. AND THEN ALSO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, GIVING VOTERS A CHOICE, UM, AND HAVING A, A MEASURE IN FRONT OF THEM THAT HAS LOW IMPACT ON LONG BEACH VOTER OR LONG BEACH RESIDENTS, BUT COULD BRING IN SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS. SO WE DO HAVE SOME FISCAL CHALLENGES AHEAD. UM, WE KNOW THAT THAT SHORTFALL IS NOT GONNA BE SOLVED WITHOUT INTERVENTION. UH, WE EITHER ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO GROW OUR REVENUE AND HAVE THAT SUPPORT, OR YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SOME VERY TOUGH CHOICES NEXT YEAR. UM, SO WE'RE MAKING STRONG AND FOCUSED EFFORT, UH, TO IDENTIFY THOSE NEW REVENUES. WE'VE GOT THE LOCAL BALLOT MEASURE, UH, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT. AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE CALLING, UM, UH, UH, CONTINUING OUR STRONG FISCAL POLICY, UH, AS WE CREATE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. SO, THERE'S LOTS OF WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED. UH, TODAY IS REALLY THE KICKOFF, UH, OF THE PUBLIC MEETING. AND THEN TOMORROW WE'RE HOSTING OUR FIRST, UH, FIVE, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS. AND THEN THERE'S BOC MEETINGS, THERE'S SURVEYS, THERE'S TALKING TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS. THERE'S SO MANY WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED. SO ANYONE THAT YOU HEAR OF, LIKE, I'D LIKE TO GET INVOLVED, PLEASE, UH, GIVE THEM, UH, THE QR CODE AND THE ABILITY TO GET INVOLVED HOWEVER THEY FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE. AND SO IN, IN ENDING, UH, WE ARE A RESILIENT CITY. WE'RE FOCUSED ON PROGRESS. WE HAVE SO MUCH AMAZING THINGS HAPPENING. OUR TEAM IS INCREDIBLE. OUR CITY EMPLOYEES DO AMAZING WORK, AND THEY PROVIDE SO MANY SERVICES. WE'VE MAINTAINED OUR RESOURCES AND INVESTED AND PROTECTED IN CORE SERVICES. OTHERWISE, WE WOULD BE SEEING SOME PRETTY LARGE REDUCTIONS. UH, WE HAVE INCREDIBLY DEDICATED AND EMPLOYEES THAT CONTINUE TO JUST AMAZE ME EVERY DAY. WE'RE A CITY WITH REALLY STRONG FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, AND THAT REALLY COMES FROM YOU AND SETTING THE TONE AND ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS WE MAKE SMART DECISIONS IN, IN HOW WE PUT OUR RESOURCES OUT THERE. AND WE'RE JUST VERY THANKFUL FOR THE COLLABORATION WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AND ALL OF OUR, UH, CITYWIDE ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS FROM THE AUDITOR, ATTORNEY PROSECUTOR, CLERK EXECUTIVE, UM, OR HARBOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UTILITIES AND POLICE OVERSIGHT DIRECTOR. UH, SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT QUICKLY TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, WHO WILL GO THROUGH THE CIP IN A, HE'S TOLD ME ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES. . EIGHT MINUTES. THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER. UM, UH, , MAY MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. UH, REALLY, UH, GLAD TO, UH, BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY AND, UH, TALK INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, I, I WANNA START THOUGH BY ACKNOWLEDGING, UH, THAT MANAGING ALL THESE PROJECTS, DELIVERING, UH, ALMOST A BILLION DOLLAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM CITYWIDE IS HARD. IT'S A LOT OF WORK. SO I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK OUR CITY'S PROJECT MANAGERS, OUR CITY ENGINEERS, OUR, UH, CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS, OUR ANALYSTS, OUR INSPECTORS, OUR SUPPORT STAFF, AND OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM, SOME OF WHICH ARE HERE TODAY THAT HELP, UH, MAKE ALL OF THESE PROJECTS HAPPEN IMPOSSIBLE. SO, UH, THANK, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION. HARD WORK. UH, WE'RE A LARGE DEPARTMENT. WE DO A LOT ALL OVER THE CITY. AS SOON AS YOU STEP OUT OF YOUR DOOR AND YOU STEP ON THE SIDEWALK, UH, THERE IS INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, WORK TO BE DONE. UH, AND WE'RE OUT THERE, UH, DOING A LOT OF IT WITH CITY CREWS AND WITH OUR PARTNERS, UH, OUR CONTRACTORS, UH, THAT REALLY HELP US DELIVER ON A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT, UM, ACHIEVEMENTS THAT WE DO. UH, YEAR IN, YEAR OUT, IN FISCAL YEAR 24, UM, WE HAVE COMPLETED OVER 137 LANE MILES OF ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, 137 LANE MILES. WE CONTINUE TO DO MORE STREET IMPROVEMENTS, UH, YEAR A AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR. UH, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. BUT WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT MORE, UH, TO DO. UH, WE ALSO, UH, INSTALLED, UH, SEVEN MILES OF BICYCLE LANES, UH, 120 NEW, UH, COMPLIMENTARY BIKE RACKS. UH, WE SLURRY SEALED 9 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF ASPHALT. UM, WE, UH, INSTALLED, UH, 600 NEW A DA COMPLIANT, UH, RAMPS. WE REPAIRED 4 MILLION, $4 MILLION OF SIDEWALKS AND REPAIRED 50,000 POTHOLES. WE GOT A LOT MORE TO GO, BUT WE CONTINUE TO, UH, FILL MORE POTHOLES THAN WE HAVE. UH, AND WE CONTINUE TO, UH, REALLY GET A HANDLE OF ALL THE IMPACTS THAT THE RAINS, UH, HAD THIS YEAR. UH, WE'RE STILL GOING. UH, WE HAVE, UH, SEVEN, UH, PARK, UH, PROJECTS, SIX PUBLIC FACILITY PROJECTS, BEACHES AND MARINE, THREE BEACHES AND MARINA PROJECTS, AND OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK HARD [02:55:01] ON IN DELIVERING. UH, THIS YEAR WE'RE APPROPRIATING A TOTAL OF 200, OR RECOMMENDING THE APPROPRIATION OF 221.84 MILLION. UM, YOU DO SEE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN INVESTMENT IN OUR UTILITIES INFRASTRUCTURE, SO I WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT. UH, BUT THIS IS THE ALLOCATION THAT IS IN THE, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET. UH, THE, UH, INVESTMENTS AT THE AIRPORT CONTINUE, AND THERE ARE SOME ALLOCATIONS FOR, UH, THE AIRPORT TO CONTINUE THEIR AMAZING WORK, UH, AS WELL. UM, WITHIN THE BEACHES AND MARINAS, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 8.95, UH, MILLION, UH, DOLLARS THAT ARE, UH, PART OF THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET TO CONTINUE THE, UH, CRITICAL WORK, UH, WITHIN OUR WATERFRONT. UM, THE MOBILITY AND SAFETY, UH, PROGRAM HAS A TOTAL, UM, APPROPRI APPROPRIATION OF 101.96 MILLION. UH, WE INCLUDED THE SOURCES HERE ON THE LEFT, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC IN CASE THEY WANNA FOLLOW WHERE THIS MONEY COMES FROM. AND THEN WE HAVE THE DIFFERENT, UH, PROGRAM, THE DIFFERENT USES THAT, UH, THE INVESTMENTS GO TO, UH, UM, THAT ARE HERE. OKAY. UH, THIS IS THE FUN PART. UH, YOU KNOW, UH, PICTURES ARE WORTH, UH, A THOUSAND WORDS AND BEING ABLE TO GO THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE CITY AND TAKE BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES IS TRULY, UH, A, UM, A, A A REALLY, UH, A REAL GIFT. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE HERE AS WE GO IN AND DO, UM, STREETS OR, UH, CURB RAMPS OR ALLEYWAYS, UH, THE BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE PICTURES THAT REALLY SHOW THE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT OF INFRASTRUCTURE. UH, SO, UH, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW LOCATIONS. UM, UH, WE HAVE A LOT MORE ON THE ROAD. UH, WE, UM, CONTINUE TO DO MORE STREET WORK THAN WE EVER HAVE. UM, WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT A LOT MORE, UH, NEEDS TO GET DONE. UH, WITH OUR IN-HOUSE, KRAKEN SLURRY SEAL TEAMS, AND OUR PROPOSED, UH, CONCRETE CREWS, UH, WE KNOW WE CAN DO MORE. WE KNOW WE CAN, UH, WE CAN DO IT, UH, EFFICIENTLY. AND WE REALLY, UH, ARE APPRECIATIVE OF THE COUNCIL SUPPORT TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OUR IN-HOUSE TEAMS AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME OF THESE, UH, SERVICES, UH, DIRECTLY. UM, OUR POTHOLE CREWS, UM, YOU WE MENTIONED IT EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE, WE DOUBLED THEM TO ADDRESS THE IMPACTS OF THE MAJOR RAINS, UH, THE, THESE LAST TWO YEARS. UH, WE HAVE CREWS OUT THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY WORKING REALLY HARD TO FILL, UH, POTHOLES. WE HAVE BEEN EX EXCEEDING THE 5,000 POTHOLES A MONTH GOLD THAT WE ESTABLISHED. SO I WANNA THANK OUR TEAMS OUT IN THE FIELD FOR THAT. WE HAVE MAJOR STREETS. WE'VE COMPLETED MARKET STREET EARLIER THIS YEAR. UH, WE COMPLETED, UH, LOINS DRIVE. WE ACTUALLY GOT AN AWARD FOR LOINS DRIVE THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF, UH, FROM THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF, UH, CIVIL ENGINEERS. UM, WE ARE WORKING ON ARTESIA GREAT BOULEVARD. WE'RE ALMOST DONE, WE'RE, IT'S, IT'S GETTING REALLY CLOSE. YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE IT, UH, COME TOGETHER, UH, IN SOME OF THE BEFORE AND AFTERS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT DONE. UH, I, I THINK REALLY SHOW KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. UM, THE, UH, THIS YEAR FOR THE PARKS, UH, UH, UH, PROGRAM. UH, WE HAVE ABOUT 19.68 MILLION, UH, IN, UH, IN PROJECTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE, UH, PART OF THE, OF THE, OF THE BUDGET. UM, FOR, UM, WE ALSO HAVE SOME NON MEASURE, A PROPOSED, UH, PROJECT FUNDING THAT ARE, ARE LISTED HERE. UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, SOME PROJECTS THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING, INCLUDING DAVENPORT PARK. IT, IT IS TRULY AMAZING WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY VERSUS WHAT IT DID, UH, UH, JUST A YEAR AGO. WE ARE MORE THAN DOUBLING THE USABLE PARK SPACE AT DAVEN BUILT PARK, MORE THAN DOUBLING THE USABLE PARK SPACE. SO WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT, AND OUR TEAMS HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD TO GET THAT DONE. AND IT'S, UH, JUST ABOUT DONE FOR PUBLIC FACILITIES. UH, WE HAVE, UH, OUR INVESTMENTS CONTINUE. WE HAVE 12.81 MILLION THAT'S PART OF THE, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, TO CONTINUE INVESTING IN OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES, LIKE OUR, UH, LIBRARIES AND CONTINUE MAKING ENERGY EFFICIENT, UH, IMPROVEMENTS. UH, WE ALSO HAVE AB 32 FUNDS. WE LISTED THE PROJECTS FROM AB 32, UH, TO, UH, DEMONSTRATE WHERE THOSE DOLLARS GO ARE GOING. UH, OUR, WE, I MENTIONED UTILITIES, UH, UH, HISTORIC INVESTMENTS IN OUR UTILITIES. UH, GAS, SEWER, UH, WATER, UH, AIRPORT. IT, IT'S JUST A SEWER. IT, IT, IT'S REALLY EXCITING, UH, THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE ALL THOSE INVESTMENTS. I'M AT SIX MINUTES AND I'M ALMOST DONE, SO I'LL KEEP GOING. SO, UH, COLORADO LAGOON RESTORATION AND ADMIRAL, UH, PARK PLAYGROUNDS. WE'RE ALMOST DONE WITH THE COLORADO LAGOON MAJOR INVESTMENT INTO, UH, THAT, UH, WETLAND ECOSYSTEM. UH, WE'RE REALLY, REALLY, UH, PROUD, UH, TO, UH, GET THAT FINISHED THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. AND, UH, WE LOVE OUR NEW AND APPROVED ADMIRAL KIT PARK, UH, PLAYGROUND. UH, WHERE'S THE NEW, UH, WHERE'S THE ADDITIONAL TIDELANDS FUNDING GOING? WE HAVE A LIST OF PROJECTS HERE IN THE PROPO THAT ARE PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET. $7 MILLION TOTAL. UH, AND THE DIFFERENT ALLOCATIONS ARE LISTED IN THIS SLIDE. UH, MEASURE A MEASURE A CONTINUES TO DO, UH, TO, UH, TO DO WELL. WE CONTINUE TO USE THAT TO LEVERAGE FOR ADDITIONAL, UH, STATE AND AND FEDERAL FUNDING. UM, WE, UH, THIS YEAR AS PART OF OUR, UH, PLAN THAT THE COUNCIL HAS REVIEWED AND APPROVED, UH, WE HAVE THE, UH, ALLOCATIONS. UH, AS YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR WE COME BACK [03:00:01] AND WE ALLOCATE DOLLARS PER THE FIVE YEAR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PLAN. SO WE CONTINUE TO DO THESE. A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS YOU'LL RECOGNIZE BECAUSE YOU'VE SEEN THEM BEFORE. UH, THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE GETTING FUNDING IN FY 25 AS PART OF THE BUDGET. UH, SO, UH, SO YOU, THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THEM HERE. AGAIN, UH, WE HAVE OUR MEASURE A BOND. THE BONDING, UH, STRATEGY REALLY IS ALLOWING US TO DO MORE WORK, TO BRING MORE BENEFITS TO, TO, TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO TODAY. UH, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, UH, CONTINUE TO, TO DELIVER ALL OF THESE, UH, PROJECTS. SO HERE WE HAVE OUR PARKS PROJECTS. HERE YOU HAVE OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES, BEACHES, MARINAS, UTILITIES PROJECTS ARE GETTING FUNDING, UH, THIS, UH, THIS FISCAL YEAR AS PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET. UH, PEOPLE SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS MAP. UH, BY NOW. I LOVE HOW, UH, DISTRIBUTED OUR PROJECTS ARE, OUR INVESTMENTS, THE CATEGORIES. WE CONTINUE TO GET INPUT ON THE CATEGORIES AND WHERE WE'RE MAKING THESE INVESTMENTS. UH, WE REALLY ARE, UM, ARE WORKING, UH, REALLY HARD, UH, TO, UH, DELIVER SOME OF THESE. SOME HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. UH, SOME ARE STILL, UH, IN PROGRESS. IT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER BY THE MAYOR AND CITY MANAGER THAT WE ARE ADDING TO THE PLAN. UH, WE'VE BEEN SO GOOD AT LEVERAGING OUR LOCAL DOLLARS WITH STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING THAT NOW WE HAVE TO ADD THAT FUNDING INTO THE PLAN. SO, 151 MILLION OF, OF STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS ARE BEING ADDED INTO THE PLAN. UH, AND THAT, UH, AND BECAUSE OF OUR LOCAL MEASURE A DOLLARS, THE CURRENT PLANS WERE, UH, ABLE TO REALLY LEVERAGE, UH, THOSE DOLLARS. HERE ARE SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING ADDED. UH, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A LOT OF STATE MONEY AND FEDERAL MONEY FOR SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING 12.9 MILLION FOR OUR FLEET EV CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE WORKING HARD ON WITH OUR PARTNERS AT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. UM, THE, UH, HERE'S THE, UH, THE TOTAL AMOUNT, 173 MILLION THAT THAT IS, UH, BEING ADDED TO THE PLAN. UH, UH, WE DID PROVIDE THE, UH, WORKSHEETS OF ALL THE PROJECTS THAT ARE THERE. WE'VE UPDATED THEM, UH, JUST SO THAT THE PLAN IS UP TO DATE. IT'S REFLECTIVE. AND YOU HAVE THESE IN YOUR, IN YOUR MATERIALS FOR ALL THE PROGRAMS LISTED IN THE ELEVATE 28, UH, PROJECTS. THESE PROJECTS ARE ALSO ALL AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, UH, LB ELEVATE 20 EIGHT.COM. UH, OUR WEBSITE IS BRAND NEW. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, PLEASE VISIT IT. UH, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THERE. WE CONTINUE TO ADD, UH, PICTURES AND UPDATES, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO SHARE THAT AS COMMUNICATION. SO, I WENT OVER BY ONE MINUTE, SO I DO APOLOGIZE. OKAY. I THINK, I THINK YOU WENT OVER WHEN YOU SAID MORE THAN DOUBLE THE SPACE, AND THEN YOU REPEATED IT MORE THAN DOUBLE THE SPACE AT POPS DAVENPORT PARK. THANK YOU, TOM. THANK YOU, ERIC. I HAD TO STEP BACK AND GET A DRINK OF WATER 'CAUSE I WAS LOSING MY VOICE ON THE BALLOT MEASURES. SO THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF OUR BUDGET PROCESS. IT'S BEEN INTRODUCED. NOW IT GOES INTO THE HANDS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, AND IT GOES OUT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR COMMUNITY BUDGET MEETINGS. UH, THIS IS A GOOD BUDGET. IT MAKES INVESTMENTS IN EVERY PART OF OUR CITY. UH, IT ACKNOWLEDGES THE FUTURE, THE CHALLENGES WE'RE DEALING WITH. AND, AND THE CITY MANAGER LAID OUT A PLAN TO ADDRESS OUR DEFICIT BETWEEN THE CHOICES WE'RE PUTTING IN FRONT OF VOTERS THIS NOVEMBER, AND THE GROWTH AND THE GROWTH MEASURES, UH, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE EXPLORING WITH GROW LONG BEACH. UH, THE DEFICIT HAS ALREADY SHRANK FROM 80 TO 61. AND IF THOSE TWO MEASURES PASS, THAT'S 40 OF 61, AT LEAST 21 AND A AND A RUNWAY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GROW REVENUE. WE CAN PROTECT OUR SERVICES AND ULTIMATELY POSITION OURSELVES TO EXPAND SERVICES. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF SERVICES THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO EXPAND. EXPAND, INCLUDING, AND I'M JUST GONNA NOW TALK ABOUT THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. WE SHOULD BE FIGURING OUT WAYS, WHEN I SAY EXPAND SERVICES, WE SHOULD BE FIGURING OUT WAYS TO HAVE DEDICATED REVENUE TO SUPPORT HEALTH PROGRAMS MOVING FORWARD. I, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. I'VE HEARD THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS TALK ABOUT THIS. THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO IN THE FUTURE. BUT I ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, IN THIS BUDGET IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, HOLD THE LINE. DON'T MAKE MISTAKES HERE. DON'T SUPPORT, DON'T INCREASE OUR STRUCTURAL DEFICIT, OR WE'RE GONNA MAKE MISTAKES. LET'S CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON GROWTH. LET'S CONTINUE TO, THESE ARE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CHANGE THINGS. I MEAN, YOU JUST HEARD US, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME FOLKS NOT HAPPY ABOUT SOME OF THE CHANGES WE'RE MAKING, BUT IT'S SO WE CAN DELIVER BETTER SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC. WE CAN'T AFFORD LOOPHOLES ANYMORE. WE CAN'T AFFORD ALL THESE, YOU KNOW, BELOW RATE, YOU KNOW, LEASES OR WHATEVER, AND TITLES THAT HAVE GONE ON FOR WHO, WHO KNOWS HOW LONG. BUT IT WILL TAKE TIME. IT WILL TAKE TIME FOR US TO COURSE CORRECT AND RIGHT SIZE OUR REVENUES. I DON'T WANNA SAY RIGHT SIZE, THAT'S LIKE A TALKING POINT PEOPLE USE. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DIVERSIFY OUR REVENUES, BRING IN DIFFERENT REVENUES, AND, AND I BELIEVE IN CONTRACTING IN AND CITY EMPLOYEES DELIVERING GREAT SERVICES THAT COSTS MONEY. AND THAT'S OKAY FOR US TO TALK ABOUT. SO I WANT TO JUST, YOU KNOW, BE CLEAR THE WORK FOR TOMORROW, IT BEGINS. NOW, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT BUDGET. THIS DOES, THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF US BEGINNING TO STR, WEAN OURSELVES OFF OF OIL REVENUE AND [03:05:01] WE HAVE TO HOLD THE LINE. SO, SO, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WANT TO, WE'RE GONNA DO PUBLIC COMMENT. THERE ARE 10 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UH, UNLESS THE MAKER, LEMME SEE THE JONI. DID YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER RICK. SO DID YOU SIGN UP, MAKE A MOTION? I DID WANNA GIVE COMMENTS NOW BEFORE PER COMMENT? YEAH, I CAN. MINE IS GONNA BE SUPER BRIEF. OKAY. I'M GONNA ACTUALLY SAY LIKE ONE SENTENCE PER PER PRESENTATION. SO ONE IS, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR CORE. I KNOW YOU'RE A PRO, YOU'RE PROUD OF THE CORE, YOU'RE WELCOME. ACRONYM . UM, BUT I DO WANT TO LIFT UP THE FACT THAT I COULD TELL THAT YOU FOCUSED ON WHAT PEOPLE VALUE MOST. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, CITY MANAGER. UM, I CAN TELL FROM WHAT YOU PRESENTED THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN LISTENING. YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THE CONVERSATIONS. UH, TOM IS VERY NICE AND HE LISTENS TO LOTS OF THINGS THAT I BRING UP IN MY, IN MY BRIEFINGS, RIGHT? AND SO I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING. UM, AND, UH, OUR DIRECTOR ERIC LOPEZ, I'LL ALWAYS SING YOUR PRAISES. UM, YOU DO A LOT WITH WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE YOU, RIGHT? UM, AND WHEN WE GIVE YOU MORE, YOU DO MORE. AND YOU ALLOCATE THOSE THINGS IN WAYS THAT YOU FEEL LIKE ARE EQUITABLE AND FAIR. AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT. UM, I WAS TAKING A LOOK AT THE FISCAL YEAR 24 ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UM, AND THINKING ABOUT THE WORK AS OUR, AS OUR MAYOR MENTIONED ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING IN HOUSE WITH OUR, WITH OUR POTHOLE CREWS, WITH OUR, OUR CRACK AND SLURRY SEAL CREWS, RIGHT? AND EXTENDING THE LIFE OF OUR ASSETS. UM, AND SO I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL AS WE THINK ABOUT WHAT THE MAYOR JUST MENTIONED ABOUT HOLDING THE LINE, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE VERY MINDFUL OF OUR REVENUES AND OUR EXPENSES MOVING FORWARD, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO I APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR TEAM'S VISION THERE. SO I'LL LEAVE MY COMMENTS THERE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN SECONDER OF THE MOTION. YEAH, I'M GONNA GIVE A FEW BRIEF COM COMMENTS. I'LL BE QUICK 'CAUSE WE'RE ALL RUNNING THROUGH THIS. UM, I WANNA APPRECIATE THE, UM, FOCUS ON COURSE SERVICES THAT PEOPLE REALLY ARE EXPECTING TODAY. SO I THINK I SHARED THAT WITH YOU. I CONCUR WITH DR. RICK OTI, THE COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, PUTTING THE BUDGET TOGETHER, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. BUT I ALSO WANT TO THANK DR. RICK OTI FOR HER WORK WITH BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE LEADING US IN, IN THE WORK THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING. UM, SO QUICK COMMENTS. UM, CORE SERVICES AREN'T NECESSARILY VERY EXCITING, BUT I THINK OUR CITY WENT THROUGH INTENSE CHANGES IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. WE HAD MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR NEW PROJECTS, EXCITING THINGS, AND, BUT NOW IT'S REALLY TIME FOR US TO HONE IN ON THE FUNDAMENTALS. I REALLY LIKE THE FOCUS ON STREET SIDEWALKS, CURBS AND ALLEYS. CLEANING UP AND REFRESHING OUR RIGHT OF WAYS CAN CHANGE THE LOOK AND FEEL, UH, OF A NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOW A NEIGHBORHOOD'S PERCEIVED. I ALSO LIKE THAT WE ARE STANDING UP FOR THE OFFICE OF HOMELESSNESS. I WOULD LIKE, UM, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER CITIES, LIKE CASH FOR TRASH PROGRAMS, THE JOURNEY HOME HOMEWARD BOUND PROGRAM. THESE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFULLY HELPING OVER 800 PEOPLE, UH, SINCE 2022. UM, I WANT TO FOCUS ON THE FUNDING FOR NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC SAFETY. UM, WE ARE SEEING MORE AND MORE IN MY OFFICE SO MANY TRAFFIC SAFETY COMPLAINTS IN NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I THINK THIS HAS GROWN. ASKING FOR TRAFFIC STUDIES. UM, I THINK WE NEED TO EXPLORE SOME MORE QUICK AND EASY PROJECTS THAT CAN HELP SLOW PEOPLE DOWN. AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 500,000. WE HAVE 500,000 SET ASIDE FOR THIS. UM, I THINK WE MIGHT NEED MORE IN THE BUDGET. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT STANDS OUT TO ME. I ALSO WANNA FOCUS ON OUR PARKING ENFORCEMENT. I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE THAT THE ONLY TIME THEY GET TICKETS IS WHEN IT'S STREET SWEEPING DAY. WELL, THIS IS PART OF WHAT THE CITY'S REQUIRED TO DO. UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF ILL ILLEGAL PAR ILLEGALLY PARKED CARS THAT AREN'T GETTING CITED. WE NEED TO FOCUS ALSO ON THAT. SO THESE FOUR NEW POSITIONS, UM, THEY'VE BEEN VACANT. LET'S GET THEM FILLED AND LET'S, UM, WE NEED, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT. LASTLY, UM, WE'RE ADDING A POSITION TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TO SUPPORT QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA AND ANALYSIS AND REPORTING OF MULTIPLE CITYWIDE REVENUE STREAMS. I KNOW IT IDENTIFIES PARKING ENFORCEMENT AND AMBULANCE REVENUE, BUT I HOPE THAT WE TAKE THIS TO LOOK AT REVENUES ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS. UM, SO, UH, I DO HAVE A, A COUPLE MORE ITEMS I WANNA TALK ABOUT. I, I HAVE CONCERNS THAT WE'RE BRINGING OUR CONTRACTS, UM, IN-HOUSE. I THINK WE'VE SHOWN THAT WE CAN DO THIS IN MANY AREAS, BUT I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE WE NEED TO HIRE AND KEEP STAFF AT A LEVEL TO [03:10:01] DELIVER THE SERVICES THAT WE WANT TO BE HAVE IN THE CITY. UM, AND STAFFING REMAINS AN ISSUE. I MEAN, WE'RE WATCHING THAT TONIGHT. UM, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE WITH CONTRACTING SOME OF THIS WORK, LIKE THE CONTRACT CONCRETE WORK. UM, I'M EXCITED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW WE PLAN TO GET THESE PROGRAMS SET UP AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE GETTING ADDITIONAL FUNDING THIS YEAR THAT I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THEIR IMPACT. THE LEVEL UP PROGRAM. I WANNA SEE THE STATS ON THE LEVEL UP PROGRAM. 'CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GOING WELL. LONG BEACH CIRCUIT RIGHT TO COUNCIL JUSTICE FUND AND THE BIKE SHARE PROGRAM. I THINK WE SHOULD SEE SOME STATISTICS, UM, FOR THESE, THESE PROGRAMS THAT ARE GETTING FUNDING OR PROPOSED FUNDING. I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THESE PROGRAMS, THAT'S NOT IT. I JUST THINK WE SHOULD SEE THE IMPACTS AND, AND IF WE'RE GONNA FUND THEM YEAR AFTER YEAR. PUBLIC SAFETY. I HEAR IT. I SEE IT. WE ARE FOCUSING ON, UH, ADDRESSING VIOLENCE. UM, I, I WANNA UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT HOW THIS IS GOING TO ADDRESS WHAT'S IDENTIFIED IN THE COMMUNITY AS NUISANCES. UM, NUISANCES ARE A BIG PART OF SMALLER CRIMES. VIOLENT ACTS ARE A MAJOR BLOW. WE'RE SEEING THAT A LOT IN THE COMMUNITY. BUT I ALSO WANNA LOOK AT SMALLER CRIMES, THEFT, OPEN DRUG USE, VANDALISM. THIS GOES ON AND ON. AND IT AFFECTS OUR COMMUNITY ALSO. AND I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. UM, ENFORCEMENT IN OUR PARKS AND BEACHES AND ON OUR BIKE PATH THIS SUMMER AT COLORADO LAGOON, IN BETWEEN THE PLAYGROUND AND THE PRESCHOOL, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE FIGHTS. VANDALISM, A GUN PULLED, CONSISTENT PUBLIC INTOXICATION. UM, ALONG THE BIKE PATH, WE CONSISTENTLY HEAR THERE ARE MOTOR MOTORCYCLES, QUADS, MINI BIKES. THEY'RE TEARING ALONG THE PATH AND CAUSING DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE PATROLLING THE BIKE PATH. UM, WE CAN'T ADD A CONSISTENT PATROL YET, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THERE IS FUNDING FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING IN OUR PARKS, OUR BEACHES, AND ON THE BIKE PATH. AND REGARDING PUBLIC SAFETY. UM, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE CONSISTENTLY SAYING THE DEFICIT MAY LEAD TO CUTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY AND THIS MESSAGING IS CLEAR IN THE BUDGET. ALSO, PUBLIC SAFETY AND EDUCATION ARE THE TWO TOP PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED BY OUR RESIDENTS IN THE SURVEYS AND IN, UM, THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS. IT, IT'S, IT'S TROUBLING TO ME THAT WE'RE TELLING PEOPLE THAT WE MAY MAKE CUTS TO PUBLIC SAFETY IN LIBRARIES. UM, WHILE WE'RE ADDING STRUCTURAL FUNDING WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CLIMATE INITIATIVES THAT ARE LOWER PRIORITY. THESE ARE NECESSARY FOR REVENUE, BUT WE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT WE'RE SAYING PUBLIC SAFETY AND LIBRARIES WE'RE GONNA MAKE CUTS TO. UM, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULDN'T START AT THE TOP PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED BY OUR RESIDENTS AND THE COUNCIL TO MAKE CUTS. UM, MEASURE A WAS MEANT TO PREVENT CUTS TO PUBLIC SAFETY. AND IT'S PROVIDING FUNDING FOR 151 POLICE OFFICERS. WE HAVE OVER A HUNDRED VACANT POLICE OFFICER POSITIONS. SO, SO MUCH OF THIS FUNDING IS SUPPORTING OTHER GENERAL FUND USES ALREADY. UM, I'D LIKE TO TALK MORE ABOUT TIDELANDS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET. THANK YOU ERIC. BUT I KNOW WE'RE ON A TIMEFRAME AND PRESS. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR BUDGET OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UM, SO THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF TIME TO HAVE, UM, MORE CONVERSATIONS, BUT I DO WANT TO BE CLEAR IS A NO CUTS BUDGET. WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T HAVE, UM, CUTS TO THESE STRUCTURAL FUNDED PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND, UM, AND THOSE THINGS IN THIS BUDGET. UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE NINE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGN UP TO SPEAK. UH, I'LL NAME ALL NINE MACKENZIE STR, UH, CARLA POLITO, JORDAN, UH, JOLENE EVENTS EVANGELISTA, UM, ELIZABETH MARQUEZ, CHRISTOPHER COVINGTON, GABRIEL PEREZ, UM, MIRIAM, UH, AON, AON, UH, ERIC GARCIA AND CHRISTINA CREECH BAUM, IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME FORWARD. [03:15:02] COME ON DOWN. ALRIGHT, COOL. UH, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND HONORABLE MAYOR. UH, SINCE THERE'S ONLY NINE OF US, CAN WE GET THREE MINUTES? WE HAVE, WE HAVE 10, ACTUALLY THREE. WE HAVE 10 SIGNED UP. SO YOU GET ONE MINUTE. NO, THERE'S NINE. THEY GET THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU. I'M SEEING 10. WELL, ONE PERSON LEFT. JOLENE'S NOT HERE. WELL, TWO PEOPLE LEFT, SO THEY GET THREE MINUTES. PLEASE SIGN UP. NOT THREE MINUTES. I KNOW. IT'S OKAY. WE'RE GONNA ALLOW IT. THEY WAITED A LONG TIME. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. UH, SO GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND HONOR HONORABLE MAYOR. MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER COVINGTON. UH, I'M A PROUD SERVANT OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. I SIT ON THE COMMISSION FOR EQUITY RELATIONS AS YOUR CHAIR, UM, AND ALSO SERVE ON THE, UH, ADVANCING PEACE STEERING COMMITTEE. UM, I'M COMING TO YOU UPSET, UH, TO SHARE THAT ANOTHER YOUNG PERSON WAS SHOT IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH ON SUNDAY IN NORTH LONG BEACH. UM, UH, BEFORE TONIGHT'S NATIONAL OUT, UH, EVENTS, UH, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF WE HAD BE SAFE EVERY NIGHT IN THE CITY? UM, AND WOULD THAT HAVE HAPPENED AT OMO PARK IF WE HAD THE PARK ACTIVATED ON SUNDAY EVENINGS? UM, I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO MAKE VIOLENCE PREVENTION, UH, A PRIORITY IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. I APPLAUD THE CITY MANAGER, TOM, UH, FOR PROPOSING $200,000 TO SUPPORT THE LONG BEACH, UM, VIOLENCE PREVENTION INITIATIVE. UH, I HOPE THAT WE CAN ADD VIOLENCE PREVENTION AS A SUBSET SECTION IN THE CORE PROPOSAL THAT YOU PROPOSED MAYOR, UH, UNDER CITY SERVICES OR, UH, RECONNECTING RESIDENTS TO OPPORTUNITY. WHILE I'M APPRECIATIVE, I'M ALSO DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR THAT MANY VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS ARE SCHEDULED TO RECEIVE BUDGET CUTS, UM, AT REDUCED CAPACITY. I THINK REDUCED CAPACITY NEEDS TO BE DEFINED FOR THE PUBLIC BECAUSE IT READS AS AN ACTUAL BUDGET CUT. ALTHOUGH YOU SAID THERE'S NO BUDGET CUTS THIS YEAR. UM, LET ME SEE. UH, AND THOSE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS THAT ARE NAMED ARE THE BESAFE PROGRAM AND THEN ALSO SAFE PASSAGES. AND WE, WE KNOW THAT THE LONG BEACH RECOVERY ACT FUNDING, UM, IS SUNSETTING DECEMBER 31ST. SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A PLAN TO GET MORE FUNDING BECAUSE THOSE PROGRAMS ARE BENEFICIAL AND PROVEN. UH, WHEN THE CITY, UM, CUTS PROVEN VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS, HISTORY SHOWS, VIOLENCE RISES, UM, WITH ALL THE BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS AND THE MULTIMILLION DOLLARS BEHIND IT, NO ONE WILL ENJOY IT. IF THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE DOING DUE TO FEAR OF BEING SHOT OR STABBED. ONE TIME FUNDING IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO IDENTIFY NEW STREAMS OF FUNDING LIKE UNHEALTHY FOOD AND SODA TAX THAT CAN GO DIRECTLY TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. UH, SUNSETTING LARGE NUMBER OF VACANT, UM, POSITIONS LIKE IN PD, MAYBE NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT MAYBE CUT 25 OF THEM, UH, SINCE THEY'RE NOT BEING FILLED OVER THE YEARS. UH, REDIRECT FUNDS, UH, TO REDIRECT THOSE FUNDS TO MUCH NEEDED PROGRAMS. UM, OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS VIOLENCE PREVENTION CHAMPIONS AND STRUCTURAL FUNDINGS. I HOPE THAT WE CAN COUNT ON YOU ALL TO MAKE THIS A PRIORITY IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. UM, PROCESS. UM, UH, THE LAST COMMUNITY BUDGET AS COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN HAD MENTIONED, UH, VIOLENCE SAFETY WAS NUMBER ONE AND OF SAFETY VIOLENCE PREVENTION WAS THE THIRD TOP, UH, VOTED ITEM. SO WE ARE ASKING YOU TO PRIORITIZE THAT. SO PLEASE, UM, PROVIDE FUNDING FOR SAFE PASSAGES, UH, PROVIDE, UH, FUNDING FOR SAFE, UM, SAFE LB, UH, OR BRING SUMMER NIGHT LIGHTS BACK. UH, BRING IN LA COUNTY'S VIOLENCE PREVENTION, TRAUMA PREVENTION PROGRAM AND ALSO OFFSET MATCH MUCH NEEDED MATCH FUNDING FOR THE CALIFORNIA. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES YOUR TIME, UH, PROJECT. THANK YOU. AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HI EVERYONE. FORGIVE ME. I'M A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS. UM, HI, MY NAME IS MACKENZIE STR. I'M A LI LIFELONG RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE. WENT TO CSU WILL B AND WORK FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AS AN ACCESSIBILITY ADVOCATE. THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING ME WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. THE DISABILITY ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS UNIT IS ONE OF MANY UNITS IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION, OR FEM THAT IS LOSING FUNDING. FEM HAS RESPONDED TO SEVERAL CITYWIDE EMERGENCIES IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, INCLUDING INCLEMENT WEATHER, TROPICAL STORM, HILLARY COVID-19, AND SEVERAL INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAKS. ABOUT 70 OF MY COLLEAGUES IN COMMUNICABLE DISEASE EMERGENCY RESPONSE BUREAU, INCLUDING MYSELF, ARE FACING LOSING OUR JOBS ON SEPTEMBER 30TH. MORE THAN JUST CONCERNED FOR MY INDIVIDUAL SITUATION, I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THIS LOSS OF FUNDING WILL AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY. I WISH I COULD SPEAK ABOUT ALL OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY [03:20:01] MANAGEMENT TEAM, IN PARTICULAR, PUBLIC INFORMATION AND ENGAGEMENT, WHICH INCLUDES UNITS LIKE HEALTH LITERACY AND RESILIENCY, INFORMATION PRODUCTION, LANGUAGE ACCESS, AND THE LONG BEACH MEDICAL RESERVE CORE, ALL OF WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS OF PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVES AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE MEASURES. BUT I'M HERE MOSTLY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF DISABILITY ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS, ALSO REFERRED TO AS DAF N DAF N PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN ENSURING IN INCLUSIVITY IN ALL ASPECTS OF PUBLIC HEALTH, EMERGENCY PLANNING AND RESPONSE. THE DIN UNIT PROVIDES TAILORED SUPPORT FOR THE VARYING DISABILITY NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND HAS STAFF WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE WHO PROVIDE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AND INSIGHTS, INSIGHTS WHICH WOULD SAVE LIVES IN CITYWIDE EMERGENCIES. OUR EFFORTS WERE EVEN RECENTLY FEATURED ON KTLA LOCAL NEWS. THE DAFEN UNIT HAS EFFECTIVELY ENGAGED WITH DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS TO ATTAIN FEEDBACK, TO IMPROVE ITS PUBLIC HEALTH, EMERGENCY PLANNING. DISABLED PEOPLE ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED DURING EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS. WHILE THINGS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER, WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. I'M SO THANKFUL TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS IMPORTANT WORK THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF AND HAVE DONE IT ALONGSIDE SUCH WONDERFUL PEOPLE. FOR THE SAKE OF THE COMMUNITY, I HOPE THE CITY RECOGNIZES THE GREAT IMPORTANCE OF FUNDING THESE PROGRAMS. CUTTING THEM WILL POORLY IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE NOT ENGLISH PROFICIENT. THOSE WITH LOW INCOME PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, OLDER ADULTS AND BLACK AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF COLOR, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE REEMERGENCE OF DISEASES LIKE MEASLES, COVID, AND TUBERCULOSIS, AND THE DIRE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. I HOPE VERY MUCH THAT CITY COUNCIL WILL PRIORITIZE. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. DEAR CITY COUNCILORS, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, WE DISTRIBUTED, UM, AN FAQ FOR HEALTH DEPARTMENT FUNDING LOSS. WHAT WOULD IT IMPACT IN THE DEPARTMENT, UM, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES HERE? MY NAME IS CARLA, AND I AM A CITY OF LONG BEACH EMPLOYEE, HAVE BEEN FOR ALMOST 22 YEARS. AND I ALSO AM A UNION STEWARD REPRESENTING IAM AND ALL THESE MEMBERS HERE THAT ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR JOBS. UM, I'M HERE TO ASK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN FUNDING 73 CITY OF LONG BEACH. EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE RELEASED LOTS OF FUNDING LETTERS, THEIR LAST DAY AT WORK IS SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024. IT IS TIME FOR THE CITY TO SERIOUSLY ALLOCATE FUNDING IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND NO LONGER RELY ON GRANTS. THE NEEDS FOR THE CITY IS TO CONTAIN THE NEEDS FOR THE CITY TO CONTAIN COMMUNICABLE DISEASES SUCH AS TB, HIV, AND POX, S ST. D, SYPHILIS, MUMPS MEASLES, CHICKEN POX, HEPATITIS B, ET CETERA. I CAN CONTINUE. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS AN IMPORTANT, IT'S VERY, IS AS IMPORTANT AS PUBLIC SAFETY. I HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, CITY OPERATIONS CANNOT CONTINUE WITHOUT STABLE FUNDING. WE ASK YOU TO TREAT US WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY ON THE JOB THAT YOU SHOW US. YOU CARE. IT IS TIME TO SAVE 73 POSITIONS THAT ARE PIVOTAL TO THE OPERATIONS OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HEALTHY. AS I HEARD TODAY IN THE ALL THE TALKS ABOUT NEED FOR HIRING, AND BY YET YOU FORGET YOU'RE LAYING OFF 73 PEOPLE. AND THIS IS THE FOURTH RUN I'VE BEEN THROUGH THE LAST YEAR OF LAYOFFS IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. MOST OF THEM ARE CITY OF LONG BEACH RESIDENTS. THEY'VE GONE TO ALL LONG BEACH SCHOOLS, LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE, CAL STATE, LONG BEACH. THEY'VE DONE INTERNSHIPS, THEY'VE BEEN PART OF THE LEADERSHIP LONG BEACH. HOW IS THIS CHART AMENDMENT AIDING IN THE HIRING? MAYOR, I ASK. I DON'T JUST ASK YOU. I BEG YOU, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY HAS TO BE THE ONE TO MAKE THE CHANGE AND WE'VE TRIED OVER A HUNDRED YEARS IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, NOT RELYING ON GRANT FUNDING. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS AS IMPORTANT AS FIRE DEPARTMENT, AS AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO I THANK YOU AND I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS REALLY CONSIDER THIS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HELLO, COUNSEL. MY NAME IS ELIZABETH MARQUEZ AND I'M A SENIOR EPIDEMIOLOGIST WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE COMMUNICABLE DISEASE SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL DIVISION. I'M HERE REGARDING THE LOSS OF FUNDING OF MYSELF, UM, AND 73 INDIVIDUALS EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 30TH. THE HEAVY RELIANCE ON GRANT FUNDS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT, CONTINUOUSLY JEOPARDIZES ESSENTIAL PROGRAMS. [03:25:01] UM, AND WE ASK FOR THE CITY TO, TO INVEST SUSTAINED FUNDING, UH, FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. ADDITIONALLY, I'M HERE TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPACTS THAT THESE CUTS WILL HAVE. AMONGST FOUR PROGRAM KEY PROGRAMS, UM, INCLUDING THE EPIDEMIOLOGY PROGRAM, HEALTHCARE ACQUIRED INFECTIONS, COMMUNICABLE DISEASE INVESTIGATIONS, AND VITAL RECORDS, WHICH TOGETHER ARE AT RISK OF LOSING 76% OF THEIR ALREADY SMALL TEAMS. UM, THESE TEAMS HAVE LED AND RESPONDED TO THREE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES IN THE LAST YEARS, UM, INCLUDING COVID-19, OC AND TUBERCULOSIS. AND I DO WANNA NOTE THAT DUE TO EFFICIENT STAFFING, WE WERE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY RESPOND TO OC IT WOULD'VE BEEN A LOT WORSE IF THE COUNTRY WAS NOT READY. UM, WITHOUT ADEQUATE, UH, FUNDING AND STAFFING, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TRACK CONTROL, PREVENT, UM, EMERGING, UH, MULTI-DRUG RESISTANT, UM, INFECTIONS, UH, AFFECTING, ESPECIALLY OUR SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES WILL NOT, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO FOODBORNE OUTBREAKS, UH, AFFECTING OUR RESTAURANTS, MAKING MANY INDIVIDUALS SICK, HOSPITALIZED, AND EVEN, UM, RESULTING IN DEATH OUTBREAKS SIMILAR TO THE TUBERCULOSIS, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY THAT WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW MAY BE MORE COMMON. IF WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFFING TO RESPOND, UH, WE WILL BE UNPREPARED, UNABLE TO PREPARE, UM, FOR EMERGING AND REEMERGING INFECTIONS LIKE MEASLES, UH, DENGUE AND, UH, AVIAN INFLUENZA. WE'LL BE UNABLE TO PLAN FOR MAJOR EVENTS LIKE, UM, THE OLYMPICS THAT'S COMING, THAT BRINGS THOUSANDS AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS FROM ALL ACROSS THE WORLD BRINGING POTENTIAL RISK OF DISEASE. THE EPI EPIDEMIOLOGY TEAM WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, CITY HEALTH DATA THAT THE CITY RELIES ON TO APPLY FOR GRANTS. YOU WON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS. UM, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL ALSO NOT BE ABLE TO MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCREDITATION AND EVEN STATE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. UM, WHEN COMMUNICABLE DISEASE RESPONSE AND INTERVENTIONS ARE EFFECTIVE, OUR IMPACT GOES UNNOTICED. BUT, UM, AND OUR INVISIBILITY IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR EFFECTIVENESS. BUT WHEN WE ARE NOT HERE AND RESPONSE IS INSUFFICIENT, OUTCOMES CAN BE DEVASTATING FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, INCLUDING SEVERE DISEASE, ILLNESS, AND EVEN DEATH. CURRENTLY, WE'RE RESPONDING TO A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY DUE TO INSUFFICIENT FUNDING. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING TO COMMUNICABLE DISEASE, UM, SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL. UH, PLEASE FUND US AND PROTECT THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. SO, A LOT OF FOLKS DIDN'T COME FORWARD WHOSE NAMES WERE CALLED. I'M RECALL IT ONE MORE TIME. GABRIEL, COME ON DOWN. HAVE YOU GUYS HEARD YOUR NAME? COME ON DOWN. MY FAULT. ALRIGHT, GABRIEL, YOU'RE UP AND I SEE YOU, ERIC. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS GABRIEL PEREZ. I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH LANE'S LONG BEACH FAIR JUSTICE ECONOMY CAMPAIGN AND A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE. WE THANK MAYOR RICHARDSON FOR PRIORITIZING THE NEEDS OF LONG BEACH'S UNDOCUMENTED COMMUNITY AND HIS BUDGET PROPOSAL BY KEEPING THE JUSTICE FUNDS ALLOCATION AT 1.1 MILLION. WE URGE COUNSEL TO FOLLOW THE MAYOR'S LEAD AND REAFFIRM THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO THIS CRUCIAL PROGRAM. THE JUSTICE FUND HAS HELPED KEEP LONG BEACH FAMILIES TOGETHER SINCE 2018. THE KEY EXPANSIONS OF SERVICES TO SURVIVORS OF CRIME, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND APPELLATE CASES IS A MEANINGFUL STEP FORWARD TOWARD AFFIRMATIVE LEGAL SUPPORT THAT OPENS UP THE PROGRAM TO EVEN MORE FAMILIES. THE EXPANSION HAS ALSO GIVEN COMMUNITY CONNECTORS, THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO ENSURE THAT SERVICES ARE RENDERED TO AS MANY OF THESE FAMILIES AS POSSIBLE. BUT LONG BEACH REMAINS A LEGAL DESERT, DESPITE THE VAST NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS THAT CALL LONG BEACH HOME, AT LEAST 30,000 OF WHOM ARE UNDOCUMENTED. THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS BASED HERE FOCUSED ON IMMIGRATION COMMUNITY CONNECTORS HAVE THE CONTEXT NEEDED TO BEGIN REMEDYING THAT PROBLEM AND GETTING RESIDENTS THE SUPPORT THEY NEED. BUT WE NEED STRUCTURAL FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM TO ENSURE STABILITY AND INVITE LONG-TERM COMMITMENT FROM LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS. WE THANK ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO'VE TAKEN THE TIME TO DISCUSS THIS ITEM WITH US, ESPECIALLY JUSTICE FUND CHAMPIONS, MARY AND JONI RICK OTI. YOU'VE HEARD US EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN THE SECURITY AND AGENCY OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTE SO MUCH TO THE ECONOMIC HEALTH AND CULTURAL IDENTITY OF OUR CITY. PUBLICLY FUNDED PROGRAMS LIKE THIS, GIVING GIVE, WORKING CLASS, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR A FIGHTING CHANCE WHEN FORCED TO NAVIGATE AN IMPOSSIBLY COMPLICATED LEGAL SYSTEM. WE ALL DESERVE TO LIVE AND THRIVE WITHOUT FEAR OR UNCERTAINTY. WE URGE COUNSEL TO APPROVE THE $1.1 MILLION FOR THE JUSTICE FUND. WE ALSO APPRECIATE THE, THE CHALLENGES OF A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT, BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE NEED OR THE URGENCY. SO WITH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS ON THE HORIZON, LIKE MEASURE A AND THE GAS TAX MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ALSO URGE COUNSEL TO CONSIDER OPTIONS TO SECURE STRUCTURAL FUNDING FOR THE JUSTICE FUND [03:30:01] MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. WHAT'S UP Y'ALL? MY NAME'S ERIC GARCIA AND I'M THE ORGANIZING AND PROGRAM DIRECTOR WITH, UH, . UH, AND I'M HERE TO COMMEND THE MAYOR FOR INCLUDING THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND IN THEIR RECOMMENDED BUDGET. UM, WE AGREE ON ITS IMPORTANCE AND I HOPE THE COUNCIL, UH, DOES TOO AND DEMONSTRATES IT BY VOTING TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION WITH THIS IN IT. UH, WITH ELECTION SEASON UPON US AND IMMIGRANTS UNDERGOING ROUTINE SCAPEGOATING, UH, I THINK IT'S ESPECIALLY CRUCIAL FOR CITIES AND GOVERNMENTS TO TANGIBLY SUPPORT, UM, AND INVEST IN IN VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, UH, LIKE THOSE THAT THE JUSTICE FUND SERVES. UH, WE'VE BEEN AT COUNCIL ADVOCATING FOR THIS FUND FOR YEARS NOW WHEN, UH, WE JUST GOT THE EXPANSION, WHICH INCLUDES HUMANITARIAN VISAS LIKE, UH, THE U VISA, T VISA, UH, AND AWA. UM, I'M HOPEFUL THE CITY KEEPS THIS ESSENTIAL SERVICE BY VOTING TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION, PROTECT VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. UM, AND, AND JUST WANT TO ECHO THAT WE DO NEED THIS STRUCTURAL, THIS FUNDING TO BE STRUCTURAL, UM, SO THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON, UH, FIGURING OUT HOW TO GROW AND PROVIDE THE LEGAL SERVICE IN A LEGAL DESERT. THAT IS LONG BEACH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WELL THAT SATIS, I'M GONNA CALL THE, THE REST OF THESE NAMES JUST IN CASE. UH, JOLENE EVANGELISTA, DAVE SHUKLA, MIRIAM, UH, UH, GUION AND CHRISTINA CREECH BROWN. ANYONE? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WELL, WELL THANK YOU ALL. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE BUDGET CONVERSATION. I WILL, I WILL SAY, UM, I EMPATHIZE AND UNDERSTAND AND, UM, THE IMPACT TO WORKERS FROM THE END OF THE RECOVERY ACT. UM, PROGRAMS AND DOLLARS. YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GREAT HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THEY DO INCREDIBLE WORK AND HAS BEEN, THEY HAVE DEMONSTRATED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS WHY WE SHOULD INVEST IN PUBLIC HEALTH. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO SO. WE HAVE SOME VERY DIFFICULT, UM, MOMENTS IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS. AND, AND I'LL TELL YOU, I CAN REMEMBER PRIOR TO, PRIOR TO COVID, WE HAD TO JUSTIFY EVEN HAVING, UH, A PRESENTATION FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DURING BUDGET SEASON WHERE WE WOULD HEAR FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT. AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS ALWAYS ASKING, CAN WE TALK? CAN WE TALK? AND, AND NOW WE'RE IN A PLACE WHERE THE, THE WORK OF OUR LONG BEACH HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS REALLY IMPROVED, ELEVATED THE STATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS NATIONWIDE. THEY DID INCREDIBLE WORK. AND I THINK, I THINK YOU RAISED SOME VERY VALID POINTS ABOUT LIKE, WE'RE TOO DEPENDENT ON OUTSIDE REVENUE. AND, AND I THI THIS IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT I'VE SAID IN THE PAST ABOUT LONG BEACH IN GENERAL, BEING TOO DEPENDENT ON EVEN OIL REVENUE, WHICH IS NOT A, A, A STABLE FUTURE FOR US. AND SO, MY COMMITMENT TO YOU, ONE, WE'LL MAKE SURE WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO MORE, TALK MORE FULLY AND GET A PRESENTATION FROM STAFF ABOUT WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON. BUT TWO, AS I TALK ABOUT MOVING FORWARD, THE NEED TO HAVE MORE SUSTAINABLE FUNDING FOR OUR CITY, I WILL BE PUTTING A LENS ON PUBLIC HEALTH AS WELL. SO WON'T JUST BE TALKING ABOUT GENERAL FUND SERVICES, JUST MAINTAINING WHEN WE SAY ENHANCED SERVICES. I WILL BE TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOW WE FIND WAYS TO BETTER SUPPORT AND UPLIFT PUBLIC HEALTH BECAUSE I TRULY BELIEVE IN THAT. AND I'VE SEEN, UH, THE STRUGGLES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS THAT SATISFIES PUBLIC COMMENT AND THIS ITEM. UM, AND NOW MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE TO RECEIVE AND FILE, UH, THE BUDGET PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. WELL, THEY CAN'T VOTE, SO LET'S JUST, SOME OF THEM CAN'T CATCH ON UP. TOO EASY. YES, YES. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT. OKAY. UH, NEXT WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER 31. ITEM 31 IS A REPORT FROM PARKS REC, RECREATION AND MARINE RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AND AWARD [31. 24-1398 Recommendation to adopt Request for Proposal Specifications No. PR-22-181, and award permits to Kitesurf Life LLC, of Long Beach, CA; Off the Hook Kiteboarding Inc., of Huntington Beach, CA; and SoCal Kitesurfing LLC, of Huntington Beach, CA, to provide certified kiteboarding instruction on City of Long Beach beaches for a period of three years, with the option to renew for one additional three-year period, at the discretion of the City Manager; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to award permits, including any necessary subsequent amendments. (District 3)       Office or Department: Parks, Recreation and Marine         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] PERMITS TO KITE SURF LIFE. YEAH, WE HAVE TO MOVE IT OF THE HOOK KITE BOARDING AND SOCAL KITE SURFING TO PROVIDE CERTIFIED KITE BOARDING INSTRUCTION ON THE CITY OF LONG BEACH BEACHES. DISTRICT THREE. THANK YOU. I THINK THERE'S A REQUEST TO CONTINUE THIS ITEM. YES. UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE IT FOR ONE MORE WEEK. UM, SO I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THAT, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE PREPARED TO COME BACK ON THE 13TH. WE HAVE A, UH, TWO FROM FOUR MEMO THAT WE'RE GONNA RELEASE, UH, IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO TO REALLY LAY OUT A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ANSWERED AT THE LAST TIME, UH, AND THEN BE ABLE TO, TO HAVE THAT HEARING. SO THAT WOULD BE OUR REQUEST. DARRELL. DARRELL. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU. UH, I JUST WANTED TO ENSURE, UH, ONE STIPULATION THAT, UH, WE EXTENDED THE LICENSE, UM, FOR ONE OF THE APPLICANTS, UH, TO TODAY'S DATE. WILL THAT NOW CONTINUE TO BE IN EFFECT? [03:35:01] UM, UNTIL, UH, IT COMES BACK TO COUNCIL FINANCE DEPARTMENT IS SAYING YES. OKAY. OH, VICE MAYOR, CAN WE HAVE A MOVER AND A SECONDER ON THE ITEM? OKAY. ALRIGHT. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS? CAN WE HAVE A SECOND? THANK YOU. CAN I GET A SECOND PLEASE? YES. ALRIGHT, DO YOU HAVE IT? OKAY. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT. ALRIGHT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER ZENDEJAS, VICE MAYOR ALLEN. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN. YEAH. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, ITEM NUMBER 32 32 IS COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS RECOMMENDATION TO REQUEST CITY MANAGER TO WORK WITH THE OFFICE OF CANNABIS OVERSIGHT TO CONDUCT A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON HOSTING TEMPORARY CANNABIS SPECIAL [32. 24-54357 Recommendation to request City Manager to work with the Office of Cannabis Oversight and all relevant departments to conduct a feasibility study on hosting temporary cannabis special events within City limits, including types of appropriate venues, and report back with Council presentation in 60 days.       Office or Department: Al Austin, Councilman, Eighth District; Mary Zendejas, Councilwoman, First District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] EVENTS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, INCLUDING TYPES OF APPROPRIATE VENUES AND REPORT BACK WITH COUNCIL PRESENTATION IN 60 DAYS. OKAY, GREAT. DO I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY, GREAT. ALRIGHT THEN, UM, I WILL TURN THIS OVER TO COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. I CAN BARELY HEAR YOU . THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, SO TODAY I'M VERY PROUD TO BRING FORTH AN INITIATIVE THAT I BELIEVE WILL, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY MOVE US IN A DIRECTION, UH, TO APPROACH BOTH CANNABIS REGULATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. UH, AND COULD ADD TOOLS TO OUR CITY TO EVEN, UM, INCREASE, UH, THE ENTERTAINMENT AND CONVENTION, UH, UH, TO, TO MAKE US MORE OF AN ENTERTAINMENT AND CONVENTION DESTINATION. EXCUSE ME. I'M HONORED TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF, UH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN MARY ZENDEJAS AS A DISTRICT ONE, AS A CO-SPONSOR OF THIS CRUCIAL ITEM. UH, SHE ALSO IS THE CHAIR OF OUR ARTS CO CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT, UH, COMMITTEE. THIS POST, THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF ALLOWING TEMPORARY CANNABIS SPECIAL EVENTS HERE IN LONG BEACH. AS SOME OF YOU MAY RECALL, I INITIALLY INTRODUCED A SIMILAR MOTION IN DECEMBER OF 2019. HOWEVER, THE UNFORESEEN CHALLENGES POSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE RESULTING PUBLIC HEALTH RESTRICTIONS REQUIRED US TO TEMPORARILY PAUSE OUR EFFORTS AND FOCUS ON OUR PRIORITIES AT THE TIME. WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE MEDICINAL, UH, ADULT USE CANNABIS REGULATION SAFETY ACT IN 2018, CALIFORNIA ESTABLISHING MORE COMPREHENSIVE FRAMEWORK, UH, FOR CANNABIS, UM, FOR THE LEGAL CANNABIS IN INDUSTRY, IT IS A LEGAL PRODUCT. THIS LEGISLATION, UM, OR THIS ITEM SPECIFICALLY EMPOWERS THE CITY TO GRANT A TEMPORARY EVENT LICENSES TO QUALIFY BUSINESSES. THE POTENTIAL ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR PERMITTING THESE TEMPORARY CANNABIS AND SPECIAL EVENTS IS PRIMARILY MO WHAT'S MOTIVATING THIS INITIATIVE? UM, THE, UM, LONG BEACH HAS ALWAYS BEEN A VIBRANT DESTINATION FOR ARTS, CULTURE AND TOURISM. AND BY EMBRACING THIS AND BURGEONING MARKET, WE CAN ATTRACT A DIVERSE RANGE OF VISITORS FURTHER ENRICHING OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND BOLSTERING OUR REPUTATION AS A FORWARD THINKING CITY. BEYOND TOURISM, I BELIEVE IT'S ESSENTIAL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF OUR LOCAL CANNABIS BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRY. THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY IS NOT SOLELY COMPRISED OF LARGE CORPORATIONS. IT'S REALLY COMPRISED OF A MULTITUDE OF SMALL BUSINESSES, MANY OF WHICH ARE OWNED AND OPERATED BY LONG BEACH RESIDENTS. AND RIGHT HERE IN LONG BEACH, ALLOWING TEMPORARY EVENTS WILL PROVIDE THESE LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS WITH INVALUABLE OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOWCASE THEIR PRODUCTS, ELEVATE THEIR BRAND RECOGNITION, AND FORGE MEANINGFUL FULL CONNECTIONS WITH CONSUMERS WITHIN A SAFE AND REGULATED ENVIRONMENT. I BELIEVE ON OF, UH, PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE IN, UM, ANY DISCUSSION RELATED TO CANNABIS EVENTS IS THE UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT IT IS A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. SO AS WE EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS PROPOSAL, WE MUST PRIORITIZE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SOUND SAFETY PLAN. IT'S MY HOPE, UM, THAT, THAT A RESPONSIBLE AND WELL REGULATED CANNABIS TEMPORARY CANNABIS, UH, SPECIAL EVENT CAN CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO OUR CITY'S CULTURAL VIBRANCY, ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND REPUTATION AS A LEADER IN PROGRESSIVE POLICYMAKING. SO I URGE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO JOIN US IN SUPPORTING THIS REQUEST TO THOROUGHLY LOOK AT THE FEASIBILITY OF INTEGRATING TEMPORARY CANNABIS SPECIAL EVENTS INTO THE FABRIC OF OUR DYNAMIC CITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I LOOK FORWARD TO A CONVERSATION. ALRIGHT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN [03:40:01] AND DEJAS. THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN FOR INVITING ME TO SIGN ON TO THIS ITEM. YOU HAVE BEEN A LEADER ON CANNABIS ON THIS COUNCIL FOR, FOR MANY YEARS, SO I APPRECIATE YOU. UM, THIS IS A TIMELY ITEM AS THE CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR, UH, FOR THE FIRST TIME ALLOWED CANNABIS CONSUMPTION ON SITE. THIS WAS A HISTORIC FIRST. MY INTENTION IN BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD IS BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, ALLOWING CANNABIS EVENTS WILL ALSO SUPPORT LEGAL ENTITIES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING ECONOMIC CHALLENGES. BECAUSE OF THE BLACK MARKET, WE MUST OBVIOUSLY TO INTO CONSIDERATION HEALTH CONCERNS AND ENSURE THESE TYPES OF EVENTS ARE SAFE AND THAT THE OPERATORS ARE RESPONSIBLE. AS MY COLLEAGUES CAN SEE FROM THE, THE CITATIONS, A LOT OF WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN INVESTED INTO THIS DISCUSSION. YOU CAN SEE THE ATTACHED 2020 TFF TO FROM FOUR FOR MORE DETAILS IN THE UPDATED ITEM, WE'VE ADDED SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO OBLIGATIONS AND CITY OWNED VENUES LIKE THE QUEEN MARY. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS, UH, THROUGH AND ASK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR SUPPORT ON THESE. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, ARE THERE ANY MORE, UH, ANY MORE CONVERSATIONS FROM BEHIND THE RAIL? OKAY. I DON'T SEE ANY. UM, OKAY. LET'S GO TO, UM, THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS. I HAVE PAM AND MIKE MURSON. PAM, YOU'RE UP. YES. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL. CITY MANAGER. UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING BACK THIS, UM, ITEM TO THE AGENDAS. I REMEMBER BEING HERE IN 2019 WHEN WE FIRST TALKED ABOUT IT. UM, I'M A RESIDENT OF YOUR DISTRICT, ACTUALLY, AND I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING AS A DIRECTOR OF LONG BEACH COLLECTIVE ASSOCIATION. SO, UM, WE SUPPORT THIS, UM, AND WE HAVE JUST A COUPLE THINGS, UM, FOR SOME CONSIDERATIONS. SO ONE IS, UM, THAT LBCA FULLY SUPPORTS LOCAL TEMPORARY CANNABIS SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS, INCORPORATING A COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROVISION REQUIRING THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF SALES FROM ANY EVENT BE PROCESSED THROUGH A LOCALLY LICENSED LONG BEACH CANNABIS RETAIL DISPENSARY. THIS POLICY BOOSTS THE LOCAL ECONOMY BY ENSURING THE THAT REVENUES REMAIN WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND STRAIGHTENS THE WORKFORCE. PARTICIPATION IN THE LONG BEACH, THE BLOOMING LONG BEACH CANNABIS TOURISM, UM, ADDITIONALLY ENSURES THAT PRODUCTS ARE SAFE, LOCALLY SOURCED, COMPLIANT WITH ALL REGULATIONS BY, BY PRIORITIZING LOCAL BUSINESSES. WE FOSTER ECONOMIC GROWTH, JOB CREATION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, MAKING LONG BEACH, A LEADER AND INNOVATIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CANNABIS REGULATION. WE ALSO SUPPORT TEMPORARY CANNABIS SPECIAL EVENTS ENCOMPASSING ALL CANNABIS EVENTS ACROSS THE CITY FROM SMALL TO LARGE. THIS APP APPROACH PROMOTES FAIR BUSINESS EQUITY BY ENSURING THAT EVENT OPPORTUNITIES ARE NOT LIMITED TO A SELECT FEW. ADDITIONALLY, PERMIT FEES MUST BE RESPONSIBLE AND PROPORTIONATE TO THE SIZE AND SCOPE OF EACH EVENT. TO FURTHER ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN COMPLIANCE. THE APPLICATION FORM SHOULD BE EASY TO FILL OUT. AN APPROVAL PROCESS SHOULD BE STREAMLINED AND EFFICIENT. UM, THIRDLY, CONTINUE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND LONG BEACH COLLECTIVE ASSOCIATION ON CANNABIS RELATED ISSUES AND POLICIES IS ESSENTIAL FOR A FOSTERING COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS THAT BENEFIT THE CITY, THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY, AND THE TOURISM SECTOR. AS PART OF GROW LONG BEACH INITIATIVE, WE SHOULD EXPLORE AN INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES TO EXPAND AND SUPPORT THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY. THIS SECTOR CREATES NUMEROUS CAREERS AND GENERATES SIGNIFICANT TAX REVENUE POSITIONING LONG BEACH AS A LEADER IN THIS SPACE, INTEGRATING CANNABIS RELATED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INTO THE CITY'S OVERALL STRATEGY CAN DRIVE INNOVATION, ENHANCE OUR ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE, AND SET A BENCHMARK FOR PROGRESSIVE URBAN DEVELOPMENT. AND AS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSION, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THIS IS A NEW TAX REVENUE THAT COULD ACTUALLY HELP OUR PUBLIC HEALTH, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, OR ANY OTHER BUDGET ISSUES THAT MAY BE PRESENT. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. OKAY, MIKE, GOOD EVENING, VICE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN COUNCIL MEMBERS ZENDEJAS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS ITEM. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I WAS APPROACHED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO BY A COMPANY CALLED MEDIUM RARE. AND MEDIUM RARE IS A BRANDING, UH, ADVERTISING, UM, ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY THAT PARTNERS [03:45:01] WITH CELEBRITIES LIKE SHAQ, UH, TRAVIS KELSEY GRONK, UH, SNOOP DOGG, AND, UH, A LOT OF OTHER CELEBRITIES. AND THEY DO THESE EVENTS ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES. THEY'RE EXPANDING INTO EUROPE WHERE THEY'RE INCORPORATING THE CELEBRITIES NAMES AS PART OWNERS OF THESE EVENTS. SO IN JUST IN JUST PAYING A FEE TO HAVE A CELEBRITY SHOW UP, THEY'RE ACTUALLY INVESTED IN THE OUTCOME, WHICH IS A UNIQUE PROCESS. THEY DO ALL THE SUPER BOWL PARTIES FOR THE NFL. AGAIN, THE COMPANY'S CALLED MEDIUM RARE. MEDIUM RARE APPROACHED ME BECAUSE SNOOP DOGG, WHO'S OUR LOCAL LONG BEACH ICON HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WANTS TO HAVE HIS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION DOWN BY THE QUEEN MARY PROPERTY IN OCTOBER OF 2025. THIS PROCESS, AS COUNCILMAN RO ALLUDED TO, STARTED BACK IN 2019, BUT DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, IT KIND OF WENT OFF THE RAILS FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND WE HAD TO BRING IT BACK AGAIN. I THINK THE LEADERSHIP OF DISTRICTS ONE AND EIGHT ON THIS. THIS IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS PARTICULAR SPECIAL EVENT. IT'S GONNA BRING 25 TO 30,000 PEOPLE DOWN THERE, WHICH IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A VERY LARGE MUSIC FESTIVAL. IT REQUIRES THE INCORPORATION OF CANNABIS INTO THAT CANNABIS WILL BE SEPARATE FROM THE SALE OF ALCOHOL. THERE OBVIOUSLY BE SOME PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS, BUT AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE'S BEEN EVENTS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, IN CITIES UP THERE, AND THERE'S BEEN NO PROBLEMS WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, WITH CANNABIS SALES AND CONSUMPTION THAT HAVE OCCURRED UP THERE. LONG BEACH IS IN A UNIQUE TIME PERIOD BECAUSE OTHER CITIES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, SPECIFICALLY INGLEWOOD AND SANTA ANA, ARE ALSO LOOKING AT THE OPPORTUNITIES. SO LONG BEACH IS STRATEGICALLY BETTER LOCATED FROM MY STANDPOINT. AND SNOOP IS ALSO A LOCAL LONG BEACH GUIDE, NOT INGLEWOOD OR SANTA ANA. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, BE RESPONSIBLE AS YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, SPECIFICALLY POLICE AND FIRE. BUT I THINK IT'S A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT, TO GENERATE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN REVENUE VIS-A-VIS SALES TAX AND BED TAX. SO I'M A BIG FAN OF THIS. I'M, UH, ADVOCATING FOR YOU TO PUSH THIS FORWARD, PUSH IT FORWARD EXPEDITIOUSLY. WE NEED THIS PASSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WHEN YOU COME BACK WITH AN ORDINANCE IN 60 DAYS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MIKE. AND, AND I'M ALSO A BIG SUPPORTER OF THESE, UH, CANNABIS EVENTS. I THINK, UM, IT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY, BUT AS MIKE SAID, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, MAKING SURE THAT PART OF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, UM, THAT YOU'RE A MEETING WITH POLICE AND, YOU KNOW, THESE EVENTS, IF THEY'RE EXPOSED TO MARIJUANA AND THEY GO OUT AND HAVE A SHOOTING OR THEY TEST POSITIVE OR WHATEVER, I THINK WE JUST GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK, UM, AS PART OF THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY. OKAY. I'M, I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO COUNCILMAN SUPER NA. UM, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. UM, I JUST, I JUST WANNA A POINT OF CLARIFICATION AND IT'S BEEN SAID MULTIPLE TIMES AND I, I GUESS I CAN DIRECT IT TO MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUE AL AUSTIN. THIS IS A FEASIBILITY STUDY. IT WILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL BEFORE ANY POLICY DECISIONS MADE. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S WHAT IT READS AS. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. OKAY. I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER, UH, ANYONE ELSE QUEUED UP. SO MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE TO DO A THUMB UP MOTION IS SCARY. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LET'S GO TO ITEM NUMBER 12. ITEM NUMBER 1237. 37. OH, I'M SORRY. YES. UH, 37 ITEM 30 SEVEN'S REPORT FROM PUBLIC WORKS RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO AMEND VARIOUS CONTRACTS FOR AS NEEDED CONSULTING SERVICES, [37. 24-54278 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Contract No. 35392 with BKF Engineers, of Newport Beach, CA; Contract No. 35394 with AndersonPenna Partners, Inc., of Newport Beach, CA; Contract No. 35395 with GHD, Inc., of Irvine, CA; Contract No. 35396 with Onward Engineering, of Anaheim, CA; Contract No. 35397 with Rick Engineering Company, of Irvine, CA; and Contract No. 35398 with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., of Irvine, CA, for as-needed consulting services for street design projects, to increase the aggregate contract amount $5,000,000, for a revised contract amount not to exceed $35,000,000, and extend the term of the contracts to September 30, 2025. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Public Works         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] UM, FOR STREET DESIGNS PROJECTS FOR A REVISED CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 35 MILLION CDI MOTION. AND A SECOND. UM, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS? I SEE NONE. MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. ALRIGHT, COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NOW IT IS TIME FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER TWO. [ PUBLIC COMMENT: IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT Opportunity is given to those members of the public who have not addressed the City Council on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes unless extended by the City Council. ] SORRY, IS THERE ANY, WE HAVE TWO MEMBER PETER BASIN AND JULIE HEINEN. PETER AND JULIE. I DON'T, OKAY. COME ONE UP TO THE PODIUM PLEASE. JUST WRITE TO THE PODIUM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, I PREVIOUSLY SPOKE [03:50:01] IN JUNE REGARDING SAFETY CONCERNS FOR STUDENTS AND CITIZENS THAT ARE FORCED TO INTERACT WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE A HIGH INCIDENCE OF MENTALLY ILL AND OR DRUG ADDICTED, UM, INDIVIDUALS. SINCE I SPOKE IN JUNE, GOVERNOR NEWSOM HAS BEGUN, UM, TO PROBLEM SOLVE AND THE SUPREME COURT AIDED IN THAT. I JUST, I'M HERE BECAUSE I WANNA KNOW WHAT'S OUR PLAN TO HELP, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HIGH CRIME, TAX PAYING CITIZENS THAT ARE LEAVING LONG BEACH, UH, DECREASED STUDENT ENROLLMENT, EMPTY STOREFRONTS BECAUSE NO ONE WOULD SHOP THERE DUE TO ACTIVITIES AND APPEARANCE IN AND AROUND THE BUSINESS. I HAVE A SOLUTION FOR UNHOUSED CITIZENS. I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THIS PLAN. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET ON THE SCHEDULE WITH, UM, OUR REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT TWO. I'D NOW LIKE TO ASK IF ANY OF YOUR DISTRICTS COULD HELP ME GET IN THIS CONVERSATION AND BE PUT ON THE AGENDA AT SOME POINT FOR US TO MAKE A STRONG PLAN AND A CAMPAIGN FOR FIXING THIS PROBLEM. UM, UH, THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO SEE AND PUT UP WITH ARE RIDICULOUS AND I'M HOPING THAT I CAN GET THROUGH TO ONE OF YOU TO SET A TIME FOR US, EXPLORE THE PLAN THAT I HAVE AND THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE ALREADY. AND I LIKE THAT. UM, MS. DUGAN BROUGHT UP SOME OTHER SOLUTIONS THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE VERY PROACTIVE AND NOT JUST GLOSSING OVER IT, THAT THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM, NOT ONLY IN LONG BEACH, BUT IN, UH, CALIFORNIA. SO MY NAME IS JULIE HYEN. I'LL LEAVE MY EMAIL ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER, UM, WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OVER HERE THAT I SIGNED UP WITH. PLEASE CONTACT ME SO WE CAN MEET OVER THE PHONE, ZOOM OR IN PERSON SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR COMING. AND YOUR COMMENTS. IS PETER HERE? PETER? OKAY. NOT SAYING THAT. OKAY. SO NOW, UM, LET'S GO TO, UH, ANNOUNCEMENTS. WOW. HOPE YOU WENT TO NATIONAL. [ANNOUNCEMENTS] OKAY. UM, I'LL HAND THIS OVER TO COUNCILWOMAN KERR. YES. UH, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. UH, THIS WEEKEND I INVITE YOU ALL TO ATTEND SECOND SATURDAY'S BLOCK PARTY AT PARKVIEW VILLAGE SATURDAY, AUGUST 10TH FROM 11 TO THREE. CELEBRATE SUMMER FEST WITH AN AFTERNOON OF SHOPPING FROM LOCAL ARTISANS, FOOD VENDORS, AND FAMILY FRIENDLY GAMES. ALSO, ON THE 10TH, YOU CAN HEAD OVER TO THE HANGAR LAWN AT LBX FOR BACK TO SCHOOL CARNIVAL FROM 11 TO SEVEN. SHOP A VARIETY OF VENDORS VISIT TO PETTING ZONE, PLAY CARNIVAL GAMES AND MORE. UH, ALSO I INVITE YOU TO SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR DISCOVER LBCC COMMUNITY CONCERT ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 16TH, FROM FIVE TO 8:00 PM BRING A CHAIR OR A PICNIC BLANKET TO ENJOY THE FREE CONCERT, CONNECT WITH NEIGHBORS AND FIND OUT WHAT GREAT OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES LBCC AND THE CITY HAVE TO OFFER. UM, I ALSO WANNA SHOUT OUT EVERYONE WHO'S HOSTED A NATIONAL NIGHT OUT TONIGHT THAT STARTED AT SIX. I KNOW WE ALL HAD GRAND PLANS TO BE ABLE TO VISIT. SO, UM, I WANNA THANK LESLIE, JEANNIE, DANNY AND MONICA, SHARON, STACY, LORI, BRAD, JOE AND SHIRLEY FOR HOSTING IN DISTRICT FIVE. UM, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND CATCH THE TAIL END, UH, BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR ENGAGING WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT TONIGHT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN JONI, RICK SODI. UM, ACTUALLY, CAN YOU LOOK, UH, LET COUNCIL MEMBER SUPER GO FIRST AND THEN I'LL GO. OKAY. COUNCILMAN, I FOLLOW. OH, OKAY. SUPER. SURE. OKAY. UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO DO, FIRST I JUST WANNA DO ONE SCROLLING ANNOUNCEMENT, WHICH IS I, UM, LIKE TO INVITE EVERYBODY OUT TO SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR NEXT COFFEE WITH A COP. A COMMUNITY EVENT IS GONNA BE ON MONDAY, AUGUST 12TH, 2024 FROM NINE TO 12:00 PM THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD AT THE STARBUCKS COFFEE AT ARTESIA AND ATLANTIC. THAT'S LOCATED AT 6 9 5 EAST ARTESIA BOULEVARD. FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN CONTACT MY OFFICE AT 5 6 2 5 7 0 6 1 3 7, OR DISTRICT9@LONGBEACH.GOV. UM, ADDITIONALLY, UM, I BELIEVE MANY OF YOU ALL GOT, UM, THE EMAIL REGARDING OUR FORMER CITY MANAGER, UM, UH, JERRY MILLER. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO LIFT UP A COUPLE OF, UM, JUST TO CLOSE THE MEETING IN HIS HONOR. UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY, AS WE COME TOGETHER AT CITY HALL TO DISCUSS ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT SHAPE OUR CITY, I WANTED TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO HONOR AND REMEMBER THE LEGACY OF A REMARKABLE LEADER, WHICH IS FORMER CITY MANAGER JERRY MILLER. AS A FORMER CITY MANAGER, JERRY'S LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON OUR CITY. HE WAS STEADFAST ADVOCATE FOR PROGRESS AND COMPASSIONATE STEWARD OF OUR COMMUNITY'S WELLBEING. FOR 30 YEARS, JERRY MILLER'S COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND HIS VISION FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR LONG BEACH WILL BE REMEMBERED BY ALL WHO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING ALONGSIDE HIM. AND ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE, I WANTED TO EXTEND MY DEEPEST CONSUL CONDOLENCES TO JERRY'S FAMILY AND FRIENDS. HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR CITY WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN, AND HIS MEMORY WILL LIVE ON IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE THAT HE TOUCHED. UM, AND I JUST WANT US TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT ON HIS LIFE AND THE POSITIVE IMPACT THAT HE MADE ON OUR CITY. UH, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN SUPERAL. UM, THANK [03:55:01] YOU VERY MUCH. AND I'D LIKE TO JOIN, UM, DR. JONI RICKS OTI IN, UH, ADJOURNING. TONIGHT'S, UH, COUNCIL MEETING IN MEMORY OF JERRY MILLER AS, UM, A NEIGHBOR. UH, WE GO BACK 20 YEARS WITH THE, UH, ATHERTON DITCH PROJECT LONG BEFORE I, UH, WAS EVER IN IN OFFICE. UM, WORKING WITH HIM ON FOURTH DISTRICT ISSUES SUCH AS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, HE WAS ON THAT BOARD. UM, AND CURRENTLY IN, IN THE FOURTH DISTRICT, UH, RANCHO LOS ALAMITOS, WHERE HE WAS A, UH, A COTTONWOOD AWARD WINNER. UH, JUST A A A WONDERFUL MENTOR TO SO MANY AND, UH, HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED. THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, COUNCILMAN SORROW? YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO THIS SATURDAY THERE'S GOING TO BE A NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP PROGRAM CLASS OF 2024 DAY AT THE PARK. SATURDAY, AUGUST 10TH, UM, AT KING PARK FROM 10:00 AM TO NOON. AND I ALSO JUST WANTED TO THANK A OC SEVEN AND DAYS LONG BEACH FOR DOING A NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AT MARK TW LIBRARY, AS WELL AS SUNNY CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, ON HILL STREET AND THE GREATER HARVEST CHURCH. UM, AGAIN, WISH THAT I COULD HAVE JOINED AS WELL. WE HAD PLANS, BUT JUST WANNA THANK THEM FOR BE, UH, HOSTING THAT THIS, THIS EVENING. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN, I THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO JUST, UM, CONGRATULATE, UH, NINTH DISTRICT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DR. OTI AND HER STAFF FOR PUTTING ON AN AMAZING UPTOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL THIS, UH, PAST WEEKEND. IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED, UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF SMILING FACES IN THE PARK. SO, UM, AND CANNABIS. UM, BUT , UH, BY THE WAY, UM, UM, UM, MOVING ON, UM, I WANTED TO JUST MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR, UM, FRIDAY, UH, OCTOBER, I'M SORRY, AUGUST 9TH, OUR BACK TO SCHOOL. 13TH ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL FESTIVAL IS HAPPENING. UH, IT'S A VERY BIG EVENT. THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME DOING IT ON A FRIDAY. UM, CHILDREN ARE OUT FROM SCHOOL. FAMILIES ARE HOPEFULLY GONNA BE ABLE TO ATTEND FROM THREE TO PM TO 7:00 PM AND THIS IS GONNA BE AT LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE, THE FIRST TIME WE'VE EVER DONE IT THERE AT VETERAN'S STADIUM. THE, THE EVENT IS A VERY LARGE EVENT. WE HAVE DOZENS OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS. UM, IT'S OPEN AND FREE TO EVERYONE AND WE'LL BE AVAILABLE AND WE'LL BE MOVING, UM, UNTIL SUPPLIES LAST. AGAIN, 3:00 PM TO 7:00 PM FRIDAY AT VET'S STADIUM IN THE PARKING LOT. UH, AND, UH, I, I KNOW, UH, COUNCIL FIFTH DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER MEGAN CUR HAS BEEN INVITED AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO HOLD THIS IN YOUR DISTRICT. UH, SECONDLY, WE'D LIKE TO INVITE FOLKS OUT TO, UM, THE CONCERTS IN THE PARKING LOT HOSTED BY THE BIXIE KNOWLES BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION AND MYSELF. UM, THE GROUP ABSOLUTE WILL BE PERFORMING ON MONDAY, AUGUST 12TH, UH, AT THE BIXBY OLD SHOPPING CENTER. THAT'S 44 94 CALIFORNIA PLACE. IT'S 6:30 PM IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT TIME AND IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT TIME TO, UH, FELLOWSHIP WITH OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEN LASTLY, WE HAVE A, UH, GRAND OPENING FROM THE NEW SHEAR PARK COMMUNITY CENTER ON TUESDAY, AUGUST THE 14TH. THAT'S WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14TH, UM, FROM 9:00 AM AT 9:00 AM UM, AT SHEAR PARK AT 4,600 LONG BEACH BOULEVARD. UM, IT'S, UM, IT'S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL NEW PROJECT. UM, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON OR THAT IS HAPPENING THERE. AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO UNVEIL IT TO THE PUBLIC. UM, AND, UH, IT'S A GREAT NEW SPACE FOR US TO UTILIZE HERE IN THE GREAT EIGHTH DISTRICT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. HAVE A GREAT EVENING. OKAY. THAT INCLUDES, UH, ANNOUNCEMENTS. UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES, UH, FOR CLOSING THIS IN JERRY MILLER'S NAME. UH, HE WAS JUST A REALLY IMPORTANT MEMBER OF OUR CITY. UM, LOVE BELOVED. AND IT'S WITH A HEAVY HEART, UM, THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT WE'VE LOST HIM AND HE'LL TRULY BE MISSED. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR NIGHT. * 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.