* 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. [00:07:32] ALL [00:07:33] RIGHT, MADAM CLERK [CALL TO ORDER] WAS CALLED TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS, VICE MAYOR ALLEN. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. COUNCILMAN SUBINA? HERE. COUNCILWOMAN KERR. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW PRESENT. COUNCIL [ROLL CALL] MEMBER URANGA. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS ODI. HERE. MAYOR RICHARDSON. I AM HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. WE'RE GONNA ASK COUNCIL MEMBER SUPER NOT ALL. LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, PLEASE, UH, JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. UH, THANK YOU. UH, PLEASE, UH, RISE IN BODY OR IN SPIRIT, AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG. NICE. THANK YOU. UH, THANKS [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] FOR JOINING US. UH, IT'S DECEMBER 3RD, OUR FIRST, UH, COUNCIL MEETING OF THE MONTH. COUNCIL MEMBERS, ZENDEJAS AND DUGGAN WON'T BE ABLE TO JOIN US TONIGHT. THERE'S NO PRESENTATIONS THIS WEEK. WE GET RIGHT TO BUSINESS. UH, STARTING WITH THE CONSENT CALENDAR, LET'S MOVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR MINUS ITEMS 10, 14, AND 25. OKAY. I SEE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR. EDWARD M. GOOD EVENING. UH, WE'VE B WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS SINCE, UH, 1776, AN ABUSIVE AND AN INEFFICIENT GOVERN GOVERNMENT AND, UH, CITIZENS WHO WILL REFUSE TO PAY THEIR TAXES AND WHO WILL REFUSE TO BE HIJACKED. UH, YOUR PARKING AND LIEN, UH, FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAS TOWED MY VEHICLE ILLEGALLY AND THEY REFUSE TO [CONSENT CALENDAR (1. – 43.)] GIVE ME MY VEHICLE BACK. UH, THEY'RE GIVEN PRETEXT THAT IT HAD TICKETS. I PROVE TO THEM THAT THE TICKETS WERE NOT ISSUED TO ME. NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, [00:10:01] STATE LAW PROHIBITS THEM FROM TOWING VEHICLES FROM THE STREET. IF THE REGISTRATION IS NOT PASSED SIX MONTHS, I WILL SUE THE CITY. SOMETHING I HATE TO DO, IF IT THIS IS NOT RESOLVED IN A TIMELY MANNER, I WILL SUE THE CITY. AND WHATEVER THE JUSTICE, UH, SYSTEM, UH, ALLOWS, I WILL GO WITH. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, AND PAUL HAS MY INFORMATION AND SO DOES, UH, UH, JEFF WILLIAMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THAT CONCLUDES, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBER MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE ON CONSENT CALENDAR. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. WE'LL TAKE ITEM 10, PLEASE. ITEM 10, COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILWOMAN ZENDAY HAS RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE APPROPRIATIONS BY 1,965 FOR SIGNAGE AND LIGHTING INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NORTHEAST VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW? YES. UM, SINCE COUNCILWOMAN SINHA NOT HERE, I'D LIKE TO MOTION TO POSTPONE ITEM NUMBER 10 TO NEXT WEEK. [10. 24-55719 Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Public Works Department by $1,965, offset by a transfer of First District One-Time Council District Priority Funds from the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department for signage and lighting infrastructure improvements in the North East Village Neighborhood; and  Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $1,965, to offset a transfer to the Public Works Department.       Office or Department: Mary Zendejas, Councilwoman, First District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] ALL RIGHT. UH, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT HERE. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. 14, PLEASE COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILMAN SUBINA. RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE APPROPRIATIONS BY 3,675. TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE FOLLOWING LONG BEACH LATINO EMPLOYEES ORGANIZATION FOR $265 CARE CLOSET FOR 2,500, THE BELMONT SHORE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, AND SUPPORT THEIR ANNUAL COMMUNITY HOLIDAY PARADE IN AMOUNT OF $450 AND LEADERSHIP LONG BEACH IN SUPPORT OF THEIR ANNUAL MLK DAY OF SERVICE IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,000. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SUBA. OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO, WE'RE, UH, GOING TO [14. 24-55733 Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $3,675, offset by Fourth Council District One-Time District Priority Funds, transferred from the Citywide Activities Department, to provide support for the following:  Long Beach Latino Employees Organization Inc. in support of their annual Churro Run in the amount of $265; Care Closet in support of their ongoing efforts to assist people experiencing homelessness in the amount of $2,500;  The Belmont Shore Business Association in support of their annual community holiday parade in the amount of $450;  Leadership Long Beach Inc in support of their annual MLK Day of Service in the amount of $1,000; and  Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $3,675, to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department. Levine Act: Yes       Office or Department: Daryl Supernaw, Councilmember, Fourth District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] REMOVE, UM, ONE ITEM FROM THIS, AND THAT IS THE BELMONT SHORE PARADE ITEM FOR $450. AND THAT BRINGS THE GRAND TOTAL ADJUSTED GRAND TOTAL TO $3,225. I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR CITY OUTER, UH, LOWER DOUBT FOR ASSISTANCE ON THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. ITEM 25, PLEASE REPORT FROM CITY CLERK RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION HELD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024. CITYWIDE. THANK YOU. THE CERTIFICATION CAME A WEEK EARLY. WE WANT TO THANK THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES FOR THEIR EXPEDITIOUS PROCESS OF, UH, TALLYING OUR VOTES. UH, WE WANNA THANK THE RESIDENTS AND VOTERS OF LONG BEACH WHO VOTED DECISIVELY TO APPROVE THE CITY'S THREE MUNICIPAL MEASURES ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT MEASURE. HC THE HARBOR COMMISSION ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURE THAT PASSED WITH 57% MEASURE JB THE LONG BEACH JOBS PROMISE THAT PASSED WITH 62% AND MEASURE LB WITH, UH, WHICH PASSED WITH AN OVERWHELMING 82% OF THE VOTE. AND SO, UH, WITH THE ADOPTION OF THESE MEASURES, UH, WE HAVE A, A MUCH MORE FAIR, ROSY FINANCIAL, UH, P PICTURE. UH, AND WE'RE ON TRACK TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST MAJOR CITIES, LARGE CITIES IN CALIFORNIA TO ACHIEVE 90 DAY HIRING WITH THE LONG BEACH JOBS PROMISE. SO WE'RE, WE'RE PROUD OF THIS, THIS WORK, AND WE WANNA THANK THE COUNTY. WE WANT TO [25. 24-55732 Recommendation to adopt resolution declaring the results of the General Municipal Election held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Clerk         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] THANK THE VOTERS OF LONG BEACH. UH, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. UH, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY. THAT'S THE CONSENT CALENDAR. WE HAVE A RELATED ITEM TO THE ELECTION ITEM 54 I COMMUNICATION FROM MAYOR RICHARDSON. RECOMMENDATION TO CONFIRM AND FILE THE RESIGNATIONS OF COMMISSIONER JOANNE GARCA, JOSE ASUNA, AND [54. 24-55760 Recommendation to confirm and file the resignations of Commissioners Joen Garnica, Jose Osuna, and Erik Frost Hollins from the Civil Service Commission; Waive application of Section 2.03.065 of the Long Beach Municipal Code and suspend Council rule contained in Long Beach City Council Resolution No. RES-23-0026 Section 6 relating to the established authority of the City Council’s standing Government Operations and Efficiency Committee to review City Charter Committee appointments in order to allow the City Council to directly review and approve City Charter Committee appointments to the Civil Service Commission; and Confirm Charter Commission appointments pursuant to Section 509 of the City Charter.       Office or Department: Rex Richardson, Mayor         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] ERIC FROST. HOLLINS FROM CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO, WHILE THE CITY BEGINS TO, TO BEGIN IMPLEMENTING THE VOTER APPROVED MEASURE, JB TO MODERNIZE OUR HIRING CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION CONTINUE TO MEET ITS CONDUCT AND ITS REGULAR BUSINESS AND FULFILL ITS DUTY UNDER THE CHARTER TO HEAR APPEALS AND OVERSEE PERSONNEL RELATED ACTIONS. AT OUR LAST MEETING ON NOVEMBER 19TH, WE EXTENDED THE CURRENT COMMISSION'S ABILITY TO CONTINUE MEETING UNTIL WE COMPLETE THE AGREED UPON MEET AND CONFER PROCESS WITH OUR LABOR PARTNERS. THREE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSIONERS HAVE SINCE INDICATED THEIR INTENTION TO RESIGN OR TO NOT TAKE PART IN THE CITY'S ONGOING TRANSITION PROCESS. I WANNA THANK AND RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER JOSE O SUNO, WHO COMMITTED, WHO, WHO COMMUNICATED HIS RESIGNATION TO ME DIRECTLY IN WRITING. UH, SO WE WANNA THANK HIM, UH, FOR HIS SERVICE COMMISSIONS, JOE COMMISSIONERS, JOAN, ERIC JOHAN GARA, AND ERIC FROST. HOLLINS, WHO THEY STATED THEIR RESIGNATION DATES FOR DECEMBER 10TH ON THE RECORD DURING THE LAST CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MEETING ON NOVEMBER 20TH. UH, AND SO BASED ON OUR DUE DILIGENCE, UH, THIS CONFIRMS IN MADAME CITY ATTORNEY, PLEASE CONFIRM THAT [00:15:01] THAT STATEMENT ON THE RECORD IS SUFFICIENT TO CONFIRM RESIGNATION. UH, YES, YOUR HONOR. THANK YOU. UH, SO IN THIS CASE, WE WOULD LIKE TO ACCEPT THEIR RESIGNATION OF THESE THREE COMMISSIONERS, AND THANK YOU. THANK THEM FOR THEIR, THEIR SERVICE TO OUR CITY. AND IN LIGHT OF THESE REG RESIGNATIONS, TODAY'S ACTION WILL ALLOW US TO MAKE INTERIM APPOINTMENTS TO THE CURRENT CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION SO THAT THE COMMISSION CAN CONTINUE TO CONDUCT ITS REGULAR BUSINESS. AND WITH THESE NEW COM NEW APPOINTMENTS SET TO BEGIN ON A DATE CERTAIN OF DECEMBER 10TH, UH, IN TIME FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMITTEE COMMISSION MEETING THAT'S SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 11TH, THE THREE CANDIDATES ARE BEING RECOMMENDED WHO ARE BEING RECOMMENDED FOR THESE INTERIM APPOINTMENTS. TODAY ARE ALL CURRENT CHARTER COMMISSIONERS WHO SERVE ON OTHER CITY CHARTER COMMISSIONS, INCLUDING THE ETHICS COMMISSION, THE HARBOR AND UTILITIES COMMISSION, THE HARBOR COMMISSION, AND THE UTILITIES COMMISSION. UH, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SERVE CONCURRENTLY ON BOTH COMMISSIONS THROUGH THIS TRANSITION. IF THEY EVER ENCOUNTER ANY POTENTIAL CONFLICTS BETWEEN THEIR TEMPORARY DUAL COMMISSION SERVICE, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO RECUSE THEMSELVES FROM ANY RELEVANT ITEMS AND THESE INTERIM APPOINTMENTS, THE COMMISSION WILL HELP TO PREVENT A BACKLOG OF APPEALS FROM FORMING, UH, AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR NEW CIVIL SERVICE AND HIRING SYSTEM IS ENACTED OVER THE MONTHS AHEAD. AND DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF STANDING UP AND RECRUITING, UH, THE FIVE MEMBERS OF OUR NEW CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND APPEALS COMMISSION, WHICH WILL HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY TO HEAR ALL APPEALS, ACTUALLY EXPANDED AMOUNT OF APPEALS SINCE THIS MEASURE PROVIDES ADDITIONAL APPEAL RIGHTS THAT WEREN'T, THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE. AND SO THAT PROCESS WILL HAVE HAPPEN CONCURRENTLY. THAT SAID, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN, VICE, MAYOR ALLEN, ANYTHING? UH, MAY, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. UM, JUST IF YOU COULD TOUCH ON, I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, CONTINUING THE REGULAR BUSINESS OF THE COMMISSION. COULD YOU JUST GIVE A FEW PRACTICAL EXAMPLES SURE. OF THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN UNTIL WE STAND UP THE NEXT GO FOR IT. SEE MEMBER COMMISSION AND DEPARTMENT. ABSOLUTELY. SO, UH, WE HAVE AGREED, UM, WITH OUR, UH, UNION PARTNERS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE THE SYSTEM AS IS UNTIL WE GET THROUGH MEET AND CONFER. AND SO, UM, THE, THE DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION ARE STILL, UH, TO DO THINGS LIKE APPROVE JOB BULLETINS. SO BEFORE WE'RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY GO OUT AND EVEN ADVERTISE FOR A POSITION, IT NEEDS TO HAVE COMMISSION APPROVAL AT THIS POINT. SO WE NEED TO DO THAT, UM, CERTIFICATION OF LISTS. UH, WHEN LISTS, WHEN DEPARTMENTS NEED TO HIRE, THEY NEED TO HIRE FROM THOSE LISTS. UM, IF THOSE, UM, CAN'T BE CERTIFIED, THEY CAN'T HAVE A LIST TO PULL FROM. UH, THERE'S ALSO DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS, UH, WHERE EMPLOYEES ARE WAITING FOR THEIR DISCIPLINARY HEARING. UM, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CONTINUES. THOSE ARE THREE SOLID EXAMPLES OF WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE THE BUSINESS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? SEEING NONE MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE'LL HAVE OUR REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION, PLEASE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE HAVE, UH, TWO ITEMS TO REPORT FROM CLOSED SESSION. WE HAVE REACHED A SETTLEMENT IN THE MATTER OF SAMUEL BONNER VERSUS CITY OF LONG BEACH IN THE AMOUNT OF $1 MILLION AND A SETTLEMENT IN THE MATTER OF GATON VERSUS TO CITY OF LONG BEACH IN THE AMOUNT OF $450,000. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW GO TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER ONE, AND I WILL READ THE NAMES OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTERS. SO WE HAVE SIX MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. JANELLE COOPER, VICKI JUAREZ, [ 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. ] GABRIEL PEREZ, IRMA FERRA, UH, REVEREND MELINDA TATER DODGE, AND CAMILA DELGADO. PLEASE COME FORWARD. WHO FIRST? MAYOR JANELLE. SORRY. CAN WE HAVE SUBSTITUTE WITH THE NAME, SIR? IS IF, IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME AND YOU'RE READY TO GO, WE CAN JUST TAKE YOU OFF THE LIST AFTER YOU GO. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, I'M A LONG BEACH AIRPORT WORKER, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE TOURISTS COME TO LONG BEACH, WE'RE OFF OFTEN IN THE FIRST PHASES THAT THEY SEE. AND, UH, WE KNOW THAT WITH THE OLYMPICS AND THE PARA PARALYMPICS THAT WILL GROW AND IT'S ALREADY GROWING NOW, AND WHAT THEY'LL SEE IS A SMILING FACE. BUT WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW IS THAT HUNDREDS OF US WORKERS AND THE AIRPORT AND THE CONSENT CONVENTION CENTER, UM, ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET. AND, YOU KNOW, UH, RAISING THE WAGE IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD CHANGE OUR LIFESTYLE AND, AND HELP, YOU KNOW, SEE, LIKE YOU SAY, YOURSELF, THE AIRPORT IS A CHARMING AND RELAXING ATMOSPHERE AND WE WANT IT TO ALWAYS STAY THAT WAY. AND WITH THE TOURISM GROWING AND, YOU KNOW, UM, IT'S, WE NEED, WE NEED [00:20:01] TO YOUR HELP. SO WE NEED THIS TO CHANGE AND WE WANT OUR FAMILIES TO BENEFIT FROM THIS. AND, UM, YEAH. SO WE WANT, WE'RE ASKING FOR MAYOR RICHARDSON AND THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL TO NOT DELAY THIS ANY LONGER AS WE CAN. PLEASE RAISE THE OLYMPIC WAGE NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR. MY NAME IS DKI JUAREZ AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTER FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS AS A BANQUET SERVERS. WE HOST AND SERVE THE THOUSAND OF VISITORS OUR LONG BEACH EVERY YEAR. WE KNOW THAT WITHOUT ES AND EVENTS COMING TO THE CITY AND THE TOURISM SECTORS ARE GOING TO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY AT THE SAME TIME, MANY OF THE WORKERS ARE BATTLING, STAYING AFLOAT. WHAT AFFECT ME THE MOST IS THAT AFFECT THAT I HAD TO, THE PAY IS SO LOW, AND BECAUSE OF THAT I HAD TO HAVE FIVE JOBS TO GET BUS TO GET BY AS A MAN, I HAD TO MAKE A DIFFICULT DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT I BUY FOR MY FAMILY OR MYSELF. I HAD TO DECIDE BETWEEN PAYING MY RENT, FOOD, OR SAVING FOR MY CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. WE NEED THE CITY COUNCILS TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO DE TO NOT RELY THIS M WAY FOR US. OUR FAMILIES CAN KEEP WAITING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GABRIEL. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS GABRIEL PEREZ. I'M A SENIOR ORGANIZER FOR LANES LONG BEACH FOR ADJUST ECONOMY CAMPAIGN AND A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE. WE ARE HERE TO URGE THE COUNCIL TO MOVE THE LIVING WAGE ORDINANCE FORWARD FOR CONCESSION WORKERS AT THE AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER. WE FOUGHT A LOT OF BATTLES THIS YEAR, WON SOME, LOST SOME, BUT I WANNA UPLIFT A CRUCIAL ONE, UH, MEASURE RW, WHICH WAS A HISTORIC VICTORY FOR WORKING FAMILIES IN LONG BEACH THAT SHOWED US WHAT'S POSSIBLE WHEN WE ORGANIZED AND FIGHT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. WE'VE BEEN TRYING THIS YEAR TO RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL VISION OF RW AND SEE IT THROUGH BY INCLUDING THESE CONCESSION WORKERS, THIS IS ABOUT EQUITY AND ENSURING THAT NO WORKER GETS LEFT BEHIND. AS THE CITY INVESTS MILLIONS IN TOURISM RELATED PROJECTS AND PREPARES TO HOST MAJOR WORLD EVENTS, WE MUST ALSO INVEST IN THE CRUCIAL WORKFORCE THAT WILL BE EXPECTED TO RISE TO THE OCCASION IT'S PAST TIME TO FOLLOW THE MANDATE SET BY VOTERS IN MARCH AND ENSURE ALL TOURISM WORKERS EARN A LIVING WAGE. WE'VE REQUESTED MEETINGS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DISCUSS CONCERNS ABOUT THE RECENT REPORT PUBLISHED BY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING THE EXCLUSION OF TEMPORARY WORKERS AND THE CITY'S POWER TO IMPLEMENT A POLICY IMMEDIATELY. BUT SEVERAL OFFICERS HAVE YET TO RESPOND. RW TOOK EFFECT ON JULY 1ST. WE ARE NOW IN DECEMBER AND WORKERS ARE LOSING LIFE SUPPORTING WAGES EVERY DAY. THIS POLICY IS DELAYED. WE HOPE YOU TAKE THE TIME TO MEET WITH US AND MOVE THIS POLICY FORWARD. NO MORE DELAYS OLYMPIC WAGE NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, NEXT IRMA OR CAMILA? CAM, GO FOR IT. CAM. OKAY. HELLO, MY NAME IS SO CAMILA AND I WORK IN THE HOTEL MAYA FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS AS A HOUSE WORKER, HOUSEKEEPER AS HOTEL WORKERS IN LONG BEACH. WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT OUR COWORKERS THAT WORK AT THE AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER BECAUSE TOGETHER IN UNISON, WE ARE THE FACE OF THE CITY. AND WITH OUR LABOR, WE MAKE THAT THE TOURISM PROSPEROUS. WE ALL FORM AN INTEGRAL PART IN THE CITY. AND THE WORKERS AT THE AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER, UH, DO NEED TO EARN, UH, A BETTER OLYMPIC PAY JUST LIKE US. THEY DESERVE EARNING AN OLYMPIC WAGE. NO MORE DELAYS. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND MELINDA? YEAH, I'M THE ONE WITH THE REVEREND THERE. MY NAME IS REVEREND MELINDA DODGE AND I'M THE PASTOR OF COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION FOR BEING THE CHURCH MOVEMENT LONG BEACH, WHICH IS A GROUP OF FOUR UNITED METHODIST [00:25:01] CHURCHES. THEY'RE IN FOUR DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, DISTRICTS 2, 3, 4, AND FIVE. AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT FOUR AND I'M ALSO A PART OF CLU, CLERGY AND LADY UNITED FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE. AND I'M HERE BECAUSE I BELIEVE ALL OF OUR TOURISM WORKERS WHO MAKE THIS CITY THRIVE AND MAKE THIS CITY SO GREAT, UM, ARE ESSENTIAL IN BUILDING AND CONTINUING TO BUILD THIS GREAT CITY. AND ALL TOURISM WORKERS DESERVE SUSTAINABLE WAGES TO LIVE AND THRIVE WHERE THEY WORK. IT BREAKS MY PASTOR'S HEART TO HEAR THAT ONE OF OUR WORKERS IS WORKING FIVE JOBS AND IS CHOOSING BETWEEN PROVIDING FOOD AND PAYING FOR RENT THAT IS NOT REFLECTIVE OF THIS GREAT CITY IN WHICH WE LIVE. THE VICTORY OF MEASURE RW HAS MADE A GREAT IMPACT, AS WE JUST HEARD ON OUR HOTEL WORKERS AND FAMILIES AND MEMBERS OF ALL OF OUR CHURCHES HELP TO GET THAT VOTE OUT FOR MEASURE RW. AND THEY SHOULDN'T. OUR WORKERS SHOULDN'T BE CHOOSING, LIKE I SAID, BETWEEN PAYING RENT OR BUYING GROCERIES. THE CONCESSION WORKERS AT LONG BEACH AIRPORT AND THE CONVENTION CENTER, THEY ALSO DESERVE LIKE THEIR COLLEAGUES, THE HOTEL WORKERS TO HAVE QUALITY TIME WITH THEIR LOVED ONES. AND THAT'S ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN THEY HAVE SUSTAINABLE WAGES AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORK 2, 3, 5 JOBS TO MEET THEIR NECESSITIES. IN MY CHRISTIAN TRADITION, WORK, UM, PROVIDES BOTH AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR LIVELIHOOD AND OUR IDENTITY, AND IT ALLOWS US TO SUPPORT OURSELVES, OUR LOVED ONES, AND TO BUILD THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITIES, THE GOD THAT I WORSHIP, AND THAT I LEAD OUR COMMUNITIES TO WORSHIP. WE TRUST THAT GOD WANTS US TO THRIVE AND LIVE IN AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE LIVE AND WORK. AND THIS CAN ONLY HAPPEN WHEN OUR WORKERS ARE PAID ADEQUATELY SO THAT THEY CAN LIVE IN AND SUPPORT THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY WORK AND LIVE. SO I URGE OUR CITY COUNCIL TO IMMEDIATELY RAISE THE WAGE FOR CONCESSION WORKERS TO $23 AN HOUR NOW, AND WITH A GRADUAL ESCALATION TO 2350 BY 2028, THIS OLYMPIC WAGE, LET'S NOT MAKE OUR WORKERS WAIT LONGER FOR FAIR WAGES. NOW IS THE TIME TO ENSURE EQUITY FOR ALL OF OUR TOURISM WORKERS IN LONG BEACH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? MA'AM? WHAT IS YOUR NAME? KENDRA. KENDRA? YEAH. DID YOU SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? SHE'S SPEAKING THE SUBSTITUTION OF, OKAY. COME ON DOWN. GOOD EVENING. HAPPY HOLIDAYS. UH, MY NAME IS KENDRA AND I BEEN WORKING AT THE LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTER FOR FIVE AND A HALF YEARS. UM, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN ME LAST YEAR, THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING. I KNOW REX, I SAW YOU. I'LL BE THERE TOMORROW AS WELL. UM, I MAKE $15 AND 50 CENTS AN HOUR AND MY WAGES HAVE STAYED THE SAME FOR FIVE YEARS. UM, IF I AM NOT GETTING TIPPED, THAT'S NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH FOR ME TO COVER MY EXPENSES FOR MY APARTMENT. I HAVE RECENTLY ACQUIRED A, UH, FOREIGN EXCHANGE ROOMMATE TO HELP ME, UM, ABSORB SOME OF THE COSTS FOR RENT, BUT MY RENT JUST WENT UP, UM, BY $160 A MONTH BECAUSE I WENT TO MONTH TO MONTH INSTEAD OF DOING A FULL 12 YEAR LEASE. I CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY THERE. I CAN'T AFFORD TO MOVE. I'M IN A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION. I FEEL LIKE I'M DROWNING. UM, I JUST ASK THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER US TO GO TO THIS OLYMPIC WAGE INCREASE. I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT WANTING TO BE PAID MORE THAN A FAST FOOD WORKER IN, IN MY OWN CITY THAT I WORK IN, I HAVE OVER 10 PLUS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN BARTENDING AND OUR TIPS ARE NOT GUARANTEED. SO IF PEOPLE DON'T TIP ME, I MAKE MINIMUM WAGE. SO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND I HOPE I SEE YOU TOMORROW AT THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING. ALRIGHT. MM-HMM, . WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING DOWN. THAT SATISFIES PUBLIC COMMENT AND IT'S NOT ON AGENDA, SO I CAN'T SAY MUCH ABOUT IT, BUT I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU. THE COUNCIL WAS VERY PROUD WHEN WE PUT FORWARD MEASURE RW. AND, UM, AND WE KNOW THAT, UM, UH, HISTORICALLY WHEN WE RAISED THE WAGES WITH, UH, MEASURE MEASURE N UH, THE CITY COUNCIL FOLLOWED UP AND DID THE SAME WITH AIRPORT AND CONVENTION WORKERS. AND I KNOW YOU HAD A, A RECENT MEETING WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. SO, UH, THE DETAILS ARE BEING SORTED OUT AND WHEN THAT IS READY, THE CITY COUNCIL AND WE UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY, UM, OF, OF THIS ISSUE. BUT WHEN THAT THOSE DETAILS ARE SORTED OUT, UH, THERE'LL BE SOME UPDATES. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, WE'LL NOW CONTINUE WITH THE MEETING. LET'S GO TO, UH, HEARING, HEARING ITEM. NO. LET'S GO TO ITEM 53. REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER. RECOMMENDATION TO DECLARE ORDINANCE AMENDING LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF ADULT USE CANNABIS DELIVERY ONLY DISPENSARY BUSINESS LICENSES AND CORRECT CLERICAL ERROR. AND ALLOW THE APPROVED ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS [53. 24-55685 Recommendation to declare ordinance amending Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) Chapter 5.92 relating to the regulation of adult-use cannabis delivery-only dispensary (retail) business licenses; and Correct a clerical/scrivener error and allow the approved ordinance amendments from May 17, 2022, to remain in place, read the first time, and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Manager         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] FROM MAY 17TH, 2022 TO REMAIN IN PLACE. READ THE FIRST TIME AND LATER THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING CITYWIDE. [00:30:14] ALRIGHT, STAFF PRESENTATION PLEASE FOR 53. HI, GOOD EVENING. ITEM 53 ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 5.92 OF THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO ESTABLISH THE OPERATING CONDITIONS RELATED TO THE REGULATION, REGULATION OF ADULT USE, CANNABIS DELIVERY ONLY. DISPENSARIES, ALSO KNOWN AS NON-STORE FRONT RETAIL, UM, WHICH WILL BE EXCLUSIVE TO EQUITY APPLICANTS AND OUR CANNABIS EQUITY PROGRAM. THIS AGENDA ITEM IS A COMPANION ITEM TO A HEARING, WHICH WILL BE BE PRESENTED MOMENTARILY, UM, BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. IN ADDITION, UM, THIS IS AN, THIS ITEM IS INCLUDING A CORRECTION TO SECTION 5.9 2 4 4 20 OF THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO CORRECT DISCRIM ERROR THAT TOOK PLACE IN A PREVIOUS ORDINANCE AMENDMENT. UM, AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, ANY QUESTIONS? MEGAN? COUNCILMAN GAR REKA? OKAY. UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, LET'S VOTE. OR WAS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS? OKAY. NO PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. MEMBERS CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY, LET'S GO TO ITEM 46. 44. OKAY. ITEM 44, REPORT FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD. CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC HEARING REVIEW AND DETERMINE THAT THE PROPOSED LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENTS ARE EXEMPT FROM CQA [44. 24-55414 Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, review and determine that the proposed Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) amendments are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15183 (Projects Consistent with a Community Plan or Zoning) and Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of state CEQA Guidelines, as it will not result directly or indirectly in significant environmental impacts (CE 24-133); Declare ordinance approving Zoning Code Amendment (ZCA24-001), and adopt the proposed findings related thereto, amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by, adding Section 21.15.114, adding Section 21.45.700, amending Section 21.15.113, amending Section 21.32 Table 32-1, and amending Section 21.33 Table 33-2 to introduce and establish new regulations for adult-use cannabis delivery-only dispensaries within Title 21 (Zoning) of the Long Beach Municipal Code to support proposed changes to Title 5 (Regulation of Businesses, Trades and Professions) of the Long Beach Municipal Code, read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading;       Office or Department:         Suggested Action: ] PURSUANT TO STATE CQL GUIDELINES, AS IT WILL NOT RESULT DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. DECLARE ORDINANCE APPROVING ZONE ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS, AMENDING THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE BY AMENDING TABLE 32 DASH ONE AND TABLE 33 DASH TWO TO INTRODUCE AND ESTABLISH NEW REGULATIONS FOR ADULT USE CANNABIS DELIVERY ONLY DISPENSARIES. READ THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING. DECLARE AN ORDINANCE APPROVING ZONING CODE AMENDMENT AMENDING THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE BY AMENDING TABLE 15 DASH TWO AND 15 DASH THREE TO INTRODUCE AND ESTABLISH NEW REGULATIONS FOR ADULT USE CANNABIS DELIVERY ONLY DISPENSARIES. READ THE FIRST TIME AND LATE OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO SUBMIT THE LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM AMENDMENT TO THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION FOR ITS REVIEW AND CERTIFICATION IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CERTIFIED LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM CITYWIDE. AND THIS ITEM DOES REQUIRE FOUR VOTES. ONE, TWO. ALRIGHT, I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, APRIL WALKER. THANK YOU. UM, TONIGHT WE HAVE DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER KUNZ, ALLISON SPINDLER RUIZ, PLANNING BUREAU MANAGER AND QUENTIN JACKSON PLANNER FOR THIS ITEM. GOOD EVENING. UM, AS YOU HEARD ON THE PREVIOUS ITEM, THERE IS, UM, QUITE A BIT OF BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT ON, UM, THIS PROPOSED SET OF CODE AMENDMENTS DATING BACK TO, UH, 2018 WHEN THE CITY ADOPTED CHANGES RELATED TO ADULT USE CANNABIS, UH, WITHIN TITLE 25 OR TITLE V AND TITLE 21. UM, AND THEN BASED ON COUNCIL'S DIRECTION BACK IN 2021 RELATED TO THE CANNABIS EQUITY PROGRAM, STAFF HAS WORKED ON A SERIES OF ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS TO ALLOW DELIVERY ONLY CANNABIS DISPENSARIES, UH, WITHIN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ZONES IN OUR CITY UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. UM, SO IN PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED ZONES OF COMMERCIAL AREAS, IT WOULD BE ONLY ON THE SECOND FLOOR OR OR ABOVE. UM, GIVEN THAT IT WOULD NOT BE A TRADITIONAL RETAIL TYPE OF USE. AND THEN, UM, THERE ARE SPECIFIC, UH, STANDARDS THAT ARE REQUIRED UNDER, UM, THE ZONING CODE RELATED TO BUILDING FACADE, WINDOW COVERAGE, ENTRANCES AND LOBBIES, UM, AND CLEAR, UM, DISTRIBUTION AND STORAGE AREAS. HAPPY TO, UM, PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THOSE ITEMS. UM, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. OKAY, GREAT. DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS? ALRIGHT, CAN YOU GO AHEAD AND CALL THEM PLEASE? THERE ARE THREE SPEAKERS. TAMIKA BOYCE. SPEAKER NUMBER ONE, UH, DMITRI WOODARD AND MAY BE REAL FIRST SPEAKER, PLEASE. I CAN'T, MS. BOYCE, SHE'S NOT HERE. OKAY. MS. BOY IS NOT HERE. OKAY. SHE'S ON THE WAY. [00:35:01] OKAY. JUST GO AHEAD. WHOEVER'S HERE. COME ON UP, MR. WOODARD. MAY BUR. WELL, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. UH, MY NAME IS MAY BURRELL, UM, WITH GIVING ALL GLORY AND HONOR TO GOD. UM, I AM A SOCIAL EQUITY APPLICANT WITH THE PROGRAM. UM, I AM IN FAVOR OF COURSE OF US HAVING DELIVERY LICENSES FOR EQUITY ONLY. UM, YET ONE THING THAT I DID WANT TO PRESENT TO YOU ALL IS HOPEFULLY REMOVING THE THOUSAND FOOT BUFFER BETWEEN EXISTING BRICK AND MORTAR DISPENSARIES AND DELIVERIES. SO, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, PROPERTY'S VERY LIMITED IN THE CITY, ESPECIALLY FOR OWNERS THAT ARE WILLING TO A LEASE TO SOCIAL EQUITY ENTREPRENEURS, OR B, CANNABIS IN GENERAL. SO HAVING SUCH A BIG BUFFER BETWEEN EXISTING DISPENSARIES AND DELIVERY WOULD GREATLY HINDER US. SO I'M ASKING THAT EITHER YOU ALL REMOVE THE BUFFER COMPLETELY, UM, AS IT IS ABOVE STATE, UM, REGULATIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS OR AT THE VERY LEAST REDUCE IT DOWN TO 500 FEET BETWEEN EXISTING BRICK AND MORTARS AND DELIVERY SINCE WE CAN'T HAVE CUSTOMERS AT OUR LOCATION ANYWAY AND EXISTING DISPENSARIES WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT WE EXISTED, EVEN IF WE WERE NEXT DOOR TO THEM. SO IT WOULD HELP US TO BE ABLE TO GET LICENSES, ESPECIALLY, UM, WITHIN THE CITY. UM, SECOND THING I'M ASKING THAT YOU ALL DO EXPEDITE THIS. WE HAVE BEEN WAITING SINCE I BELIEVE 2021 FOR THIS LICENSE TYPE TO BE, UM, ACTUALLY PUT IN PLACE AND AVAILABLE FOR US TO RECEIVE IT. UM, THIRD THING IS BEING IN THE PROGRAM, UM, I'VE BEEN IN THE PROGRAM SINCE 2019. I'M ACTUALLY APPLICANT NUMBER SEVEN, SO I'VE KIND OF BEEN HERE SINCE THE BEGINNING. UM, AND THROUGHOUT THIS TIME, UM, THE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR GRANTS OR EQUITY PROGRAM HAS CHANGED DRASTICALLY. UM, NOT JUST THE AMOUNT OF GRANT FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVE, BUT THE TYPE OF LICENSES THAT WE CAN THEN APPLY FOR. SO I MYSELF, I INITIALLY APPLIED FOR CULTIVATION, MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTION WITH THE CITY, KNOWING SINCE THE BEGINNING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DELIVERY TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE PLANT FROM SEED TO SELL, WHICH HELPS MARGINS, UM, HELPS WITH CONSISTENCY, QUALITY CONTROL AND THINGS OF THAT SORT. UM, BUT NOW IS TOLD BY VALENCIA, WHO'S THE CANNABIS OVERSIGHT MANAGER, THAT GIVEN THE NEW REGULATIONS THAT WERE JUST IMPLEMENTED A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, UM, THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ALLOCATE THE GRANT FUNDING FOR THE NEW LICENSE TYPE THAT I'VE BEEN WAITING LITERALLY YEARS FOR. SO I'M ASKING THAT YOU ALL GRANDFATHER US IN IF WE'VE ALREADY BEEN IN THE PROGRAM FOR YEARS. AND AS I AM AT MILESTONE NUMBER THREE, ALMOST TO THE END, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE PROGRAM AND THE GRANT FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED TOWARD BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE WAR ON DRUGS, AKA, THE WAR ON PEOPLE. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER. HOW YOU DOING? DMITRI WOODARD 28 42 EASY AVE, LONG BEACH 9 0 8 1 0. YES. UH, JUST TO PRETTY MUCH PIGGYBACK OFF WHAT, UH, MAY SAID THAT YES, THERE'S NO NEED FOR A BUFFER IN BETWEEN, UH, DISPENSARIES AND NON, UH, STOREFRONT RETAIL. 'CAUSE ONCE AGAIN, THEY WILL NEVER EVEN KNOW THAT WE'RE THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. UM, SO THERE'S NO NEED FOR THAT BUFFER, WHAT WHATSOEVER. UM, AND ALSO TO PIGGYBACK OFF WHAT MAY SAID THAT FOR INDIVIDUALS HAS BEEN WITHIN THIS, UM, THE REALM FOR, UH, SOME TIME NOW, UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME, SOME MISSES AND THINGS THERE. SO WE NEED TO, TO ENSURE THAT, UM, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOCIAL INJUSTICES IN THE WAR ON DRUGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND ALL THE INJUSTICE THAT'S BEEN TAKING PLACE. UM, SO, UM, IF WE CAN JUST BE MINDFUL OF, UM, THE THINGS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AND DEALING WITH WITHIN THIS COUNSEL AND THIS BODY, UM, AND, AND MERITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WE JUST WANNA JUST ENSURE THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING THESE KIND OF THINGS BECAUSE, UH, I, MYSELF HAS BEEN LEFT OUT OF THE ACTUAL DISPENSARY PROCESS WHEN I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS PART OF THE 20 WHO HAVE EVER BEEN, UH, ARRESTED, JAILED, UM, RAIDED. AND THAT WAS, UH, PART OF A 2010 WINNING LOTTERY. AND MERIT BASE SAYS, YOU KNOW, HOW WAS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE FOR ME NOT EVEN TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS? SO WE JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE, UM, DOING OUR DILIGENCE AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE EVERYTHING FAIR AND EVERYTHING DONE RIGHT. I MEAN, AND I WAS WONDERING, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO ACTUALLY, UM, UH, UH, RECOMMENDED FOR AN ADVANTAGE FOR, UM, A SUCH PERSONS WHO HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THAT BACK IN THE 2010 OR 2017, UH, LOTTERY, UH, WHEN OVERSIGHT TOOK THAT LANGUAGE, THEY TOOK IT AND PUT IT AS A 10% ADVANTAGE AND THEN WROTE IT AS WHO WAS LISTED ON THE LICENSE, WHICH WAS MY BROTHER [00:40:01] AT THE TIME. SO THEY DEEMED ME NOT ELIGIBLE. HOWEVER, MERIT BASE OUT OF ANYONE WITHIN THAT 20, ANYONE, NONE OF THEM CAN SAY THAT THEY WERE ARRESTED AT A LOTTERY WEDDING DISPENSARY. NONE OF THEM CAN SAY THAT THEY WERE JAILED, YOU KNOW, I MEAN FOR OPERATING A 2010 LOTTERY WEDDING DISPENSARY. AND NO ONE CAN SAY THAT THEY HAD THEIR HOME RAIDED AND THEIR PROPERTY SEIZED FOR OPERATING A 2010 WINNING LOTTERY DISPENSARY. SO MERIT BASED ALONE, HOW, HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE FOR SOME PEOPLE NOT TO EVEN BE PART OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND A PERSON WHO SPENT A LIFELONG UH, SERVICE TO THE CITY TO NOT BE CHOSEN? WHEN I AM THE ONLY ONE OF MY KIND MERIT DISTINCTIVE A REWARD FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS DISTINCTIVE WAS SO DISTINCTIVE ABOUT ME. I'VE BEEN IN THE CITY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, RAISED MANY, AND I WAS THE ONLY ONE TO BE ARRESTED, JAILED, AND SEIZED IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IN A 2010 WINNING LOTTERY DISPENSARY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. OUR, ARE YOU OUR LAST SPEAKER? OKAY, COME ON UP. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL. I'M SORRY I WAS RUNNING A LITTLE LATE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I WANTED TO SPEAK TODAY TO ADDRESS CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE NEW ORDINANCE FOR THE NON-STORE FRONT DELIVERY RETAIL CANNABIS LICENSES. AS THE LANGUAGE STANDS WITH THE BUFFER ZONE, HAVING TO BE 1000 FEET WITHIN, UH, AWAY FROM ANY OTHER DISPENSARY WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY DETRIMENTAL TO A WHOLE LOT OF PERSPECTIVE SOCIAL EQUITY APPLICANTS WHO CURRENTLY ARE AWAITING THE OPPORTUNITY, WHO HAVE ADVOCATED FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY BEING THAT WE ALREADY HAVE LOCATIONS, UM, THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE FOR DELIVERY SERVICES. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY CANNABIS OVERSIGHT THAT FOR THIS NEW LICENSE OPPORTUNITY, WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE OFFERED ANY GRANT FUNDING ASSISTANCE BECAUSE WE PREVIOUSLY UTILIZED OUR MILESTONES TO OPEN UP THE FIRST CANNABIS LICENSES THAT WERE AVAILABLE. THAT BEING SAID, WITH THE RETAIL LICENSES AND THE EQUITY DISPENSARIES, THERE IS DOUBLE DIPPING. THEY ARE ALLOWING OTHER, UM, GRA UH, OTHER APPLICANTS TO UTILIZE THIS NEW GRANT FUNDING TO THE TUNE OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, EVEN THOUGH THEY PREVIOUSLY UTILIZED GRANT FUNDING MILESTONES FOR THEIR MICRO BUSINESSES AND OTHER LICENSED TYPES TO THEN TELL THE NON NON-STORE FRONT DELIVERY APPLICANTS THAT WE WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO UTILIZE ANY NEW GRANT FUNDING AND TO ENFORCE THOSE BUFFER ZONES WOULD FORCE US TO THEN GO OUTSIDE OF THAT AND HAVE TO SEEK ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS OUT OF POCKET AND TRY TO START THIS WHOLE NEW LICENSE TYPE. EVEN THOUGH, LIKE I SAID, OTHER APPLICANTS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO EFFECTIVELY DOUBLE DIP IF THE BUFFER ZONE CANNOT BE ADDRESSED. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, LET'S REVISIT AND ADDRESS HOW THE GRANT FUNDING IS BEING ALLOCATED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. OKAY. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENTS, SO I'LL TAKE IT BEHIND THE RAIL. UH, COUNCILMAN I THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR. I THINK THAT, UH, MS. SWORD IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, UH, VERY CLEAR IN TERMS OF WHAT IS REQUIRED AND WHAT THE STATE WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE. I FULL AND SUPPORTIVE. ALRIGHT. COUNCILWOMAN KERR? I'M GOOD. OKAY. UH, COUNCILWOMAN JONI, RICK OTI. THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. UM, I WANTED TO ADDRESS, UH, ONE OF THE COMMENTS FROM, UH, THE PUBLIC COMMENTERS AROUND THE BUFFER ZONE. UH, COULD STAFF, I I I, I'M EMPATHETIC TO WHAT THEY'RE SAYING AROUND THE BUFFER ZONE FOR DELIVERY. COULD STAFF ADDRESS THAT QUESTION? YEAH. SO THAT RELATES TO THE PREVIOUS ITEM TITLE V, BUT WE'RE GONNA ANSWER AS A POINT OF INFORMATION. SO I'M GONNA ASK, UH, VALENCIA TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. YES. TO CLARIFY, IN THE THOUSAND FOOT BUFFER ZONE, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS INITIALLY PUT AS PART OF THE MEDICAL CANNABIS ORDINANCE, BUT IT IS ONLY IT'S APPLICABLE, IT'S THE STOREFRONTS AND THAT BUFFER WAS PUT IN PLACE JUST DUE TO CONCERNS OF OVER CONCENTRATIONS OF DISPENSARY STOREFRONTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. BUT BECAUSE DELIVERY DOESN'T HAVE THAT KIND OF PUBLIC FACING ASPECT TO IT, UM, IT'S REALLY SHOULD, IT'S MEANT TO BE SMALL COMMERCIAL SPACES, EVEN LIKE A SMALL OFFICE SPACE WHERE IT'S GONNA BE, UM, IT'S REALLY JUST A PRODUCT THAT COMES STRAIGHT FROM THE SHELF, ALREADY PREPACKAGED AND ALL AND STRAIGHT TO THE CUSTOMER. AGAIN, THERE ISN'T ANY CUSTOMER FACING, THERE ISN'T THE CONCERNS OF, YOU KNOW, ANY QUEUING OUTSIDE OF THE BUSINESSES. AND SO THE ANSWER IS NO, IT WOULDN'T APPLY TO, IT WOULD, THE BUFFER DOES NOT APPLY TO THOSE DELIVERY DISPENSARIES BECAUSE OF THAT REASON, BECAUSE IT'S THE ZONING'S SET UP A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND JUST TO CLARIFY, FOR THE APPLICANTS THAT ARE HERE, YOU ARE SAYING THAT THAT THOUSAND FOOT BUFFER BUFFER, THERE'S A MISCOMMUNICATION SO THAT A THOUSAND FOOT FOOT BUFFER DOES NOT APPLY IN WHEN [00:45:01] IT COMES TO DELIVERY ONLY BUSINESSES? THAT IS CORRECT. AND WE DID PUT THE, THERE IS A CORRECTION HERE JUST BECAUSE THERE WAS A MISTAKE THAT OCCURRED IN A PREVIOUS ORDINANCE AMENDMENT. UM, WE JUST DID IT AS A CLEANUP ITEM HERE, BUT IT IS A SEPARATE ISSUE, BUT IT DOES NOT APPLY. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES, UH, COUNCIL COMMENTS. UH, I'M SORRY, COUNCILMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, AL AUSTIN. THANK YOU. UH, I'LL BE BRIEF BECAUSE, UH, MY COLLEAGUE ACTUALLY ADDRESSED THE QUESTION THAT, THAT I HAD RELATED TO THE BUFFERS. UM, I DID WANT TO JUST ADDRESS, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL. UM, AND YOU KNOW, MR. WOODARD'S CASE IS ONE OF THOSE THAT IT WAS VERY UNIQUE. UM, I'M ACQUAINTED AND, AND FAMILIAR WITH THE, THE SITUATION. AND LITERALLY WHEN WE, WE CRAFTED THE, UM, THE SOCIAL EQUITY KIND OF LANGUAGE AND, AND THE IDEAL IN IN MIND TO EXPAND, UM, WE HAD CASES LIKE THAT IN MIND. AND SO, UM, I, I'VE UNDERSTOOD THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE APPLICATION PROCESS WAS, THAT THERE WAS SOME, SOME TECHNICALITIES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UM, THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS DEFINITELY, UM, JUSTICE INVOLVED, UM, AND REALLY, REALLY PUT THROUGH IT, UM, FOR HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE EARLY, UM, CANNABIS BUSINESS. AND SO, UH, IT'S CASES LIKE THAT IS WHY WE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SOCIAL EQUITY PROGRAM. THAT WAS THE SPIRIT AND INTENT OF WHY WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE THIS PROGRAM. AND I WILL JUST SAY ON MY BEHALF, I'M PERSONALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT, UM, THAT HE WASN'T ABLE TO, TO BE GRANTED A LICENSE, UH, IN THIS PROCESS. UH, OBVIOUSLY I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS LEFT TO, UH, MAKE CORRECTIONS, BUT I WOULD JUST IMPLORE UPON MY COLLEAGUES TO CONTINUE TO WORK TO IMPROVE, UM, THE, THE WORK, UM, WITH, WITH CANNABIS EQUITY. UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO, WHO, UH, WHO SUFFERED GREAT PAINS AND NOW INDIVIDUALS ARE MAKING GREAT PROFITS OFF OF WHAT PEOPLE USED TO GO TO JAIL FOR AND BE, BE BE LABELED AS CRIMINALS. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THOSE COMMENTS AND, UH, I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE ITEM. WELL, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU CHRISTOPHER AND, UM, ALL, JUST ALL THE GREAT PLANNING TEAM THAT HAVE WORKED ON THIS ITEM. I'M GLAD TO SEE THESE CHANGES BEFORE US TODAY, THOUGH I HAVE TO SAY I'VE BEEN SURPRISED, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN SO LATE IN THE CANNABIS, UH, DELIVERY SPACE. UM, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND FOLKS HAVE BEEN DELIVERING ON LONG BEACH FOR SOME TIME. SO THE TIMING ON THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT SURPRISING TO ME. BUT THAT BEING SAID, I'M ABSOLUTELY VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM. UM, I KNOW, AND WE KNOW THE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, AND BY ALLOWING DELIVERY ONLY DISPENSARIES, UM, WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, STIMULATE JOB CREATION, INCREASE CUSTOMER ACCESS TO SAFE CANNABIS PRODUCTS. SO WHILE THE MARKET CONTINUES TO GROW, I THINK IT'S VITAL THAT WE ESTABLISH VERY CLEAR REGULATIONS AND PROMOTE SAFETY AND ALSO PROMOTE, UM, COMPLIANCE. AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT BOTH BUSINESS OPERATORS AND RESIDENTS FEEL SECURE AND INCLUDED, UM, IN THIS EVOLVING INDUSTRY. SO I THINK, UM, THAT, UH, THAT THESE ARE, UH, SOME GOOD CHANGES. SO THANK YOU. AND LIKE I SAID, I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM. HEY, THAT CONCLUDES COUNCIL COMMENTS. SO, UH, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. NEXT VOTE. OKAY, LET'S GO TO THE REGULAR, UH, AGENDA. ITEM 46. WE STILL NEED TO TAKE, UH, THREE MORE VOTES FOR THAT. OH, THAT'S RIGHT. WE HAVE THREE VOTES. YES. OKAY. NEXT VOTE. YEP, I'LL BE BACK. I'LL BE BACK. KEEP GOING. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. COUNCILMAN SUBINA? NO MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY. NEXT VOTE. I DON'T KNOW. [00:50:04] MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY. MEMBERS, WE HAVE ONE MORE VOTE LEFT, CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY. LAST VOTE. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY, SO NOW LET'S GO TO THE REGULAR, REGULAR AGENDA. UM, ITEM 46 REPORT FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AN APPLICATION TO THE CALIFORNIA STATE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING [46. 24-55382 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing an application to the California State Department of Housing and Community Development Prohousing Incentive Program for grant funding in the amount of $1,380,000; and Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents and agreements necessary to apply for and utilize these funds for eligible projects. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Community Development         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PRO HOUSING INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR GRANT FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF 1,380,000 CITYWIDE. OKAY. AND WE HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION, UH, YES, VICE MAYOR. UH, THIS IS, UM, PROVIDING THE CITY COUNCIL'S AUTHORIZATION FOR US TO APPLY FOR, UH, FUNDS, UH, FROM HCD. UH, WE EXPECT THE GRANT TO BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $1.3 MILLION TO SUPPORT OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS. UH, SO IN 2023, UM, THE CITY GARNERED A PRO-HOUSING DESIGNATION AND WE KNEW THAT THAT WOULD GIVE US BONUS POINTS AND DIFFERENT GRANT APPLICATIONS. AND IT WAS ALSO AN EXPRESSION OF THE COUNCILS, UM, VALUES. AND BEING A CITY THAT SUPPORTS HOUSING PRODUCTION, INCLUDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, THE STATE PUT SOME MONEY BEHIND THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS FANTASTIC, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO APPLY FOR THOSE GRANT FUNDS. SO, UH, THERE ARE ABOUT $8 MILLION AVAILABLE STATEWIDE BASED ON OUR, UH, POPULATION. AND WHEN WE BECAME A PRO-HOUSING CITY, WE ESTIMATE, UM, ABOUT 1.3 MILLION WILL BE AWARDED IF WE APPLY FOR THESE FUNDS. UM, IF THE GRANT IS SUCCESSFUL, THERE IS NO MATCH REQUIRED. UM, THE CITY WOULD USE THESE FUNDS TO, UH, FUND SUCH THINGS AS LAND ACQUISITION, UM, DEVELOPMENT COSTS, AS WELL AS OPERATIONS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS. UM, THOSE PROJECTS ARE ALL DONE THROUGH OUR PARTNER, UH, DEVELOPERS THAT OPERATE, UH, THOSE, UM, BUILDINGS. UH, SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT YOU ADOPT THIS RESOLUTION REQUIRED BY THE STATE, UM, TO APPLY FOR THIS GRANT. AND, UH, WE WILL REPORT BACK LATER THIS YEAR AND WE DO EXPECT TO, UH, RECEIVE THOSE FUNDS AND PUT THEM TO GOOD USE. UM, THE APPROPRIATION, UH, WOULD FLOW LATER, UM, AFTER THE GRANT WAS RECEIVED. I'M GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION. UM, DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, INVESTING ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS ON THIS? OKAY, UM, I WILL TAKE IT BEHIND THE RAIL TO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN JONI, RICK SODI. THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. UH, NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. YOU ACTUALLY ANSWERED THE ONE I HAD, WHICH IS WHAT WE WOULD BE USING THE MONEY FOR AND YOU ALREADY SAID THAT. SO I THINK AGAIN, UH, THE PRO HOUSING DESIGNATION AND THE GRANT FUNDS THAT WE'RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ARE JUST AGAIN, UM, SHOWCASING OUR COMMITMENT HERE TO, UM, TO REALLY PRODUCING HIGH QUALITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. SO THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU. WELL, THAT CONCLUDES OUR COMMENTS BEHIND THE ROW. SO MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. COUNCILMAN SORROW. UM, CAN I JUST CONFIRM THAT, UM, WE CHECKED ON PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, WE DID. PERFECT, THANK YOU. THERE WERE NO PUBLIC COMMENT. MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, LET'S GO TO ITEM 48. ITEM 48, REPORT FROM HARBOR RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION APPROVING HARBOR DEPARTMENT SALARY RESOLUTION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. OKAY. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? NO PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. ANY, UH, COMMENTS FROM MY [48. 24-55730 Recommendation to adopt resolution approving Harbor Department Salary Resolution HD-24-3234 for FY 2025.       Office or Department: Harbor         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] COLLEAGUES? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. A MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, ITEM 45. ALRIGHT, I'M BACK. OKAY, WHICH ONE WE ON 45. WHICH ONE? ITEM 45. REPORT [00:55:01] FROM CITY ATTORNEY RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ALL FORMS OF RACISM, RELIGIOUS OR ETHNIC BIAS, DISCRIMINATION, INCITEMENT OF VIOLENCE, HATE CRIMES, AFFIRMING THE CITY'S VALUES OF INCLUS, INCLUSIVITY, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND ACCEPTANCE IN RELATION TO PUBLIC MEETINGS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR FOR, UH, FOR HOLDING IT DOWN FOR ME WHILE I WAS, WHILE I WAS IN THE BACK. OKAY. SO, UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WE HAVE A LONGSTANDING [45. 24-55709 Recommendation to adopt resolution condemning all forms of racism, religious or ethnic bias, discrimination, incitement of violence, and hate crimes, and affirming the City’s values of inclusivity, diversity, equity, and acceptance in relation to public meetings.       Office or Department: City Attorney         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] COMMITMENT TO ADVOCATING FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE, EQUITY, SAFETY AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AMONGST ALL OUR RESIDENTS AND ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, IN THE RECENT MONTHS LEADING UP TO AND FOLLOWING THE NATIONAL ELECTIONS, WE'VE SEEN A NUMBER OF, UH, INCIDENTS, A RISING NUMBER OF HATE MOTIVATED SPEECH AND INCIDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. UH, WE KNOW THAT, UH, LAST TIME WE HAD A DIVISIVE NATIONAL ELECTION, WE SAW THE VERY SAME TREND. SO WE KNOW, UH, UNFORTUNATELY WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR WHAT WHAT COMES NEXT. UH, THE LA COUNTY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RELATIONS. MOST RECENT HATE CRIME REPORT REVEALED THAT HATE CRIMES ROSE ACROSS THE COUNTRY BY 18%, WITH AN ALARMING INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ANTI-BLACK ANTI-LATINO ANTI-SEMITIC ANTI L-G-B-T-Q, HATE CR HATE CRIMES COUNTYWIDE, UH, SUCH AS ASSAULTS, VANDALISM, AND ACTIVE INTIMIDATION. PUBLIC GOVERNMENT FORUMS LIKE CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSION MEETINGS, ARE NOT IMMUNE TO HATE MOTIVATED SPEECH AND INCIDENTS. PUBLIC COMMENTS MADE BY CITIZENS, PRIVATE CITIZENS SPEAKING THEIR INDIVIDUAL IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES CAN SOMETIMES RESULT, UH, IN PROMOTING PREJUDICE AND UNDERMINING THE SAFETY OF OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS AND EXPERIENCES. AS ELECTED LEADERS WHO REPRESENT MANY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES HERE IN LONG BEACH, WE HAVE A DUTY TO ADDRESS HATE IN THE MANY DIFFERENT FORMS THAT IT CAN MANIFEST TO ENSURE THAT ALL RESIDENTS FEEL SAFE IN OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS AND WHERE KEY P POLICY DECISIONS ARE BEING, BEING, UH, DEVELOPED. EARLIER THIS, EARLIER THIS YEAR, VICE MAYOR ALLEN, COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS OTI AND MYSELF, WE BROUGHT FORWARD, UH, COUNCIL ITEM ASKING OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO DRAFT A RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ALL FORMS OF BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION, ESPECIALLY IN RELATION TO PUBLIC MEETINGS. THROUGH THE RESOLUTION LANGUAGE, THOUGH THROUGH THE RESOLUTION LANGUAGE THAT'S BEING BROUGHT TO COUNCIL TODAY, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CLEAR THE CITY'S POSITION IN CONDEMNING ALL FORMS OF RACE, UH, RACISM, RELIGIOUS OR ETHNIC BIAS, UH, DISCRIMINATION AND INCITEMENT OF VIOLENCE EXPRESSED IN PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND BY CONSISTENTLY AFFIRMING THE CITY'S VALUES OF INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND ACCEPTANCE. THIS, THIS RESOLUTION WILL ALLOW US TO EQUIP OUR COMMISSION CHAIRS AND OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, UH, ALL OF OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS WITH A STANDARDIZED STATEMENT THAT COULD BE READ AT THE BEGINNING OF PUBLIC MEETINGS TO HELP TO SET THE, TO HELP TO SET THE TONE FOR IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS, ESPECIALLY ONES WHERE POLARIZING OPINIONS ARE LIKELY TO SURFACE. WHILE WE CANNOT REGULATE THE FREE SPEECH OF PRIVATE CITIZENS, WE CAN MODEL CIVIL DISCOURSE. WE CAN AFFIRM THE CITY'S SHARED VALUES DURING OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS WHERE OUR CITY STANDS AND FEELS SAFE AND FEELS WELCOME. IN THESE CHAMBERS, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED SUPPORT, LETTERS, SUPPORT, AND LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THIS RESOLUTION, INCLUDING THE L-G-B-T-Q CENTER OF LONG BEACH , LONG BEACH MINISTERS ALLIANCE, LONG BEACH PRIDE, JEWISH LONG BEACH, AND AMONG MANY OTHERS. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, THAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION THAT IS FOR BEFORE YOU TODAY WE HAVE WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. UH, LAURA FRIEDMAN, LAUREN FRIEDMAN, LYNN CASS, RICHARD MARCUS NATA TUSHNET, AND AUTUMN OVERTON. LAUREN, YOU'RE FIRST. HI, MY NAME IS LAUREN FRIEDMAN. I'M A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH AND A MEMBER OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ALL FORMS OF RACISM, RELIGIOUS OR ETHNIC BIAS, DISCRIMINATION, INCITEMENT OF VIOLENCE, AND HATE CRIMES IN RELATION TO PUBLIC MEETINGS. THIS IS A GOOD STEP AND THERE IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK TO BE DONE. WE IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO PARTNER TO ENSURE LONG BEACH IS FREE FROM HATE AND IS A WELCOME HOME TO ALL OF ITS RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR RICHARDSON AND MEMBERS OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS LYNN CASS AND I CURRENTLY SERVE AS A VOLUNTEER ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF JEWISH LONG BEACH. I'VE BEEN AN ACTIVE VOLUNTEER IN THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY FOR 27 YEARS AND SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE ALBERT JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER DURING THAT TIME. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO VOICE MY APPROVAL FOR THE RESOLUTION THAT IS BEFORE YOU FOR A VOTE. THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION REAFFIRMS THE CITY OF LONG BEACH'S UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A COMMUNITY ROOTED IN INCLUSIVITY, DIVERSITY, AND EQUITY BY CONDEMNING ALL FORMS OF [01:00:01] RACISM, DISCRIMINATION, AND HATE CRIMES. EXCUSE ME. THIS RESOLUTION SERVES AS A CRITICAL STEP FORWARD, ADDRESSING THE ALARMING RISE IN HATE MOTIVATED INCIDENTS ACROSS THE REGION. THE FINDINGS OF THE 2022 HATE CRIME REPORTS CITED IN THIS RESOLUTION HIGHLIGHT THE URGENT NEED FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO TAKE A PROACTIVE STANCE, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE TROUBLING STATISTICS ON HATE CRIMES MOTIVATED BY RACE, RELIGION, AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION. THE THIS RESOLUTION SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT HATE HAS NO PLACE IN LONG BEACH, REINFORCING THE CITY'S VALUES OF SAFETY, MUTUAL RESPECT, AND JUSTICE FOR ALL RESIDENTS. FURTHERMORE, THIS RESOLUTION STRENGTHENS LONG BEACH'S COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THE SAFETY AND DIGNITY OF ITS DIVERSE COMMUNITIES THROUGH PUBLIC ADVOCACY AND ACCOUNTABILITY BY EMPOWERING CITY LEADERS TO VOCALIZE THEIR REJECTION OF PREJUDICE AND HATE DURING PUBLIC MEETINGS. THE CITY COUNCIL SETS AN EXAMPLE OF LEADERSHIP THAT UPHOLDS THE IMPORTANCE OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH, WHILE ALSO PRIORITIZING INCLUSION, RESPECT, AND CIVIL DISCOURSE. THIS INITIATIVE UNDERSCORES THE CITY'S DEDICATION TO CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE ALL RESIDENTS CAN THRIVE, FREE FROM FEAR, INTIMIDATION, AND DISCRIMINATION. I URGE YOU TO VOTE TO APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT, RICHARD, HERE RICHARDSON, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS RICHARD MARCUS. UH, I'M PRESIDENT OF JEWISH LONG BEACH AND A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE. ON BEHALF OF JEWISH LONG BEACH BOARD OF DIRECTORS, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ALL FORMS OF RACISM, RELIGIOUS OR ETHNIC BIAS, DISCRIMINATION, INCITEMENT OF VIOLENCE AND HATE CRIMES, AND FOR AFFIRMING THE CITY'S VALUES OF INCLUSIVITY, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND ACCEPTANCE. IN RELATION TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING A WELCOMING INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT AT PUBLIC MEETINGS IS NOT UNIQUE TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO ATTACK JEWS, THEN IT'S POSSIBLE TO ATTACK SOMEONE FOR BEING MUSLIM, BLACK, LATINO, CAMBODIAN, L-G-B-T-Q-I-A, IDENTIFYING AND PARTICULAR TO 2025, UH, DREAMERS AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. IT IS POSSIBLE TO IGNORE OR EVEN PERSECUTE INTERSECTIONAL IDENTITIES, INCLUDING JEWS OF COLOR, L-G-B-T-Q-I-A, UH, IDENTIFYING JEWS AND IMMIGRANT JEWISH POPULATIONS. THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT A PANACEA AND THERE IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK YET TO BE DONE, BUT IT IS A CRITICAL FIRST STEP. IT IS THE RARE CITY COUNCIL THAT IS PREPARING FOR WHAT IS LIKELY TO BE A VERY TOUGH YEAR AHEAD. WE IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, THANK YOU, SUPPORT YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO PARTNER TO ENSURE LONG BEACH IS FREE FROM HATE AND A WELCOMING HOME TO ALL OF ITS RESIDENTS. AND IN A FINAL COMMENT, IF I CAN, THANK YOU MAYOR RICHARDSON FOR YOUR OPENING REMARKS TO THIS ITEM. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ADA NAIDA TOUCHNET, DISTRICT THREE. I ALSO THINK THAT THIS RESOLUTION IS AN IMPORTANT ONE. I BELIEVE THAT THE VALUES IN LONG BEACH ARE VALUES WHICH THAT I EMBRACE AND HAVE FOUGHT FOR AGAINST ODDS IN THE PAST. I WANT TO PUT OUT A WARNING, HOWEVER, ANTISEMITISM IS ANTI-JEWISH HATE. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PALESTINE. I AM A STRONG JEW, A MEMBER OF AN ANTI-ZIONIST JEWISH ORGANIZATION, JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE. UNFORTUNATELY, A MAJOR JEWISH ORGANIZATION, THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE, HAS CONFLATED CRITICISM OF ISRAEL AND CRITICISM OF ZIONISM AT BASE WITH ANTISEMITISM. AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT IN ALL OUR STATEMENTS ABOUT THIS, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS REAL ANTISEMITISM, NOT THOSE WHO OPPOSE THE STATE OF ISRAEL IN ANY FORM EVER. THAT'S A POLITICAL ISSUE THAT IS NOT A HATE ISSUE AT ALL. SO PLEASE, IN THE STATEMENTS ABOUT IT, MAKE IT CLEAR THAT ANTISEMITISM IS DESPICABLE. I'VE BEEN A VICTIM OF IT SINCE CHILDHOOD, UM, AND NOT SO MUCH IN LONG BEACH, WHICH IS WHY I LOVE IT HERE. BUT I HAVE IN THE PAST AND PARTICULARLY IN MY YEARS IN THE SOUTH, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M ABOUT RIGHT NOW IN MY OPPOSITION TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN [01:05:01] THE MIDDLE EAST. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, SIR. WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? AUTUMN. AUTUMN. OKAY. AUTUMN. LAST, LAST SPEAKER. AUTUMN OVERTON. UH, GREETINGS MAYOR, CITY COUNCILORS, UM, SHULA AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS. MY NAME'S AUTUMN OVERTON AND I LIVE, UH, DOWN BROADWAY. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN DISTRICT TO, UM, I'M HERE TONIGHT, UM, AS A JEW, UM, REPPING A FEW DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. UM, I'M WITH THE RA JEWS OF ORANGE COUNTY AND LONG BEACH. UM, I'M A MEMBER OF JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE AND IF NOT NOW, AND A LIFELONG ACTIVIST AGAINST THE, THE GENOCIDAL URGES OF ISRAEL AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF PALESTINE. JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS IS THAT MY EDUCATION ON ZIONISM BEGAN AROUND AGE 13. NORMALLY WHEN A KID IS JEWISH, KID IS 13, THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THEIR BAR MITZVAH INSTEAD. I WAS SITTING ON THE COUCH WITH MY MOTHER WATCHING THE FIRST MISSILES FLY INTO KUWAIT ON LIVE ON CNN DURING THE FIRST IRAQ WAR. I MUST HAVE SAID SOMETHING TO COMMISERATE WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WE WERE BURNING TO DEATH BECAUSE MY MOTHER THEN ASSAULTED ME. SHE SAID TO ME, WE JEWS HAVE TO KILL THOSE ARABS AND MUSLIMS BEFORE, UH, BEFORE THEY KILL US. I'VE WOKEN UP EVERY DAY SINCE AGE 13, EXPECTING A GENOCIDE LIKE WHAT WE'RE WATCHING RIGHT NOW UNFOLD BEFORE US. WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS NOT A SURPRISE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM TO ME. EVERY PERSON IN MY FAMILY HAS RE RE RE SAID THIS THING. IN FACT, MY COUSIN SAID THE EXACT THING VERBATIM LAST NOVEMBER, WE HAVE TO KILL THEM BEFORE THEY KILL US. THIS IS A GENOCIDAL IDEA THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE VALUES OF JUDAISM. AND I'M VERY, VERY GRATEFUL THAT Y'ALL TOOK THE BRAVE DECISION TO VOTE FOR CEASEFIRE, UH, UH, CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE. WHAT I'M HERE TO SAY IS THAT THANK YOU FOR CALLING FOR THIS RESOLUTION. I HOPE YOU GUYS WILL PASS IT, BUT I HAVE TO WARN YOU, THE RIGHT WING, THE RISING RIGHT WING THAT IS COMING WITH TRUMP HAS ALREADY BEGUN USING THESE KINDS OF HATE SPEECH THAT CLASSIFY, UH, CRITICISM OF ISRAEL AND CRITICISM OF ZIONISM. THEY'RE USING THEM AS A CUDGEL ON THE FLOOR OF CONGRESS AND CITY COUNCILS, UH, AT SCHOOLS, UH, EVERYWHERE TO TRY AND LIMIT AND STIFLE AND EVEN, UH, DE LEGALIZE THE ABILITY TO, TO, UH, CONTRADICT THE FOREIGN POLICY DECISIONS OF A NATION STATE CALLED ISRAEL. SO PLEASE BE AWARE, MOVING FORWARD, YOU ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE A FULL COURT PRESS FROM ORGANIZATIONS LIKE JEWISH LONG BEACH, THE A DL, UH, APAC AND OTHERS THAT ARE ALIGNED DIRECTLY IN LOCKSTEP WITH PRO-ISRAELI, UH, WITH THAT GOVERNMENT, WHICH SAYS THAT THAT GOVERNMENT AND THESE ORGANIZATIONS SAY THERE IS NOT A GENOCIDE HAPPENING. THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE SAYING THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS THE NAKBA. DO NOT BELIEVE THE GASLIGHTING. THEY'RE GOING TO COME FOR Y'ALL. AND THEY'RE GOING TO TRY AND USE THESE SORTS OF HATE SPEECH THINGS TO LIMIT THE SPEECH OF ACTUAL JEWS OF CONSCIENCE AND OTHERS OF CONSCIENCE. AND THEY'RE GONNA USE IT TO CONTINUE TO POLICE THE SPEECH. THANK YOU OF PALESTINIANS HERE AND LET ISRAEL CONTINUE ITS POLICING OF PALESTINIAN BODIES AND VOICES IN ISRAEL. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU BEST FOR Y'ALLS INCREDIBLE WORK, BUT PLEASE, PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE INCREDIBLE FIGHT, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE LAUNCHED AGAINST YOU TO LIMIT OUR RIGHTS. WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR, AND TO DISTRACT YOU FROM THE REAL ANTISEMITISM. THAT ACTUALLY IS, I UNDERSTAND WE, WE DO HAVE OUR THREE MINUTE LIMIT, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, SO, UH, VICE MAYOR ALLEN, ANYTHING? YES. UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT, UH, RESOLUTION AND WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME OF RISING HATE CRIMES IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, OUR JEWISH COMMUNITIES, OUR L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITIES, OUR TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES, AND THINGS ARE GETTING WORSE. I THINK WE'VE SEEN IN ALL OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT WE ARE NOT IMMUNE TO HATE SPEECH WHILE FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS A [01:10:01] CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED RIGHT. WE ALSO KNOW THAT SOME COMMENTS ARE HORRIBLE AND EVEN UNDERMINE THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITIES. IT IS MY HOPE THAT AFFIRMING OUR CITY'S VALUES AND STATEMENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF COUNCIL ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, THAT IT WILL REMIND FOLKS THAT WE CONDEMN, UM, HATE SPEECH. AND AS I SAID BEFORE, I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE TACKLE THESE PROBLEMS AHEAD ON AND WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT EVERY RESIDENT, UM, BUSINESS OWNERS AND OUR VISITORS FEEL SAFE AND WELCOMING DURING OUR LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, UM, DURING, UM, COMMISSION MEETINGS, DURING ANY CITY SANCTIONED EVENT. I HOPE IT IS, IT IS REALLY MY HOPE THAT OUR BELOVED CITY AND OUR BELOVED C CITY, THAT WE CAN HAVE CIVILITY AT ALL TIMES, ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC FORUMS. SO, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR THIS. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. UH, THANK YOU. UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC COMMENT. UH, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH BYPASSING THIS TONIGHT, UM, HATE IN ANY FORM, UM, IS GOING TO BE CONDEMNED AND, UM, NEVER TOLERATED. AND I THINK THIS RESOLUTION REALLY CODIFIES, UH, OUR VALUES AS A CITY, UM, AND AS IT RELATES TO INCLUSIVENESS OUR DIVERSITY, BUT ALSO, UM, INTOLERANCE AS WELL. SO, UM, UH, INTOLERANCE TO, TO HATE , WANNA BE CLEAR ON THAT? UM, SO I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS AND, UH, ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO DO THE SAME. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER OTTI. UM, I, UH, ECHO, UH, THE WORDS OF MY COLLEAGUES. UH, AND AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT THIS DEMONSTRATES OUR SHARED VALUE AND COMMITMENT TO BOTH FREE SPEECH AND CREATING A SAFE SPACE FOR OUR DIVERSE RESIDENTS. AND HONESTLY, IT'S MY HOPE THAT, UM, THIS WILL BE USED AS A MODEL FOR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES. SO THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UH, THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT ONLY IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES, THANK YOU. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS. I JUST HAD A QUESTION FOR EITHER THE CITY ATTORNEY OR A CITY MANAGER. I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, THIS CAN BE SPOKEN AT THE BEGINNING OF COUNCIL MEETINGS. I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A, A STATEMENT EITHER PULLING FROM ONE OF THE WHEREASES OR ONE OF THE SECTIONS THAT'S IN HERE FOR US TO PUT, UM, ON THE AGENDA WITH A LINK TO THE FULL RESOLUTION SO THAT IF SOMEONE IS PRINTING AN AGENDA OR READING AN AGENDA FROM HOME, THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THAT EITHER AT THE END OR THE BEGINNING OF THE AGENDA. UM, JUST AGAIN, TO PUT IN FRONT OF PEOPLE WHAT, UM, THE VALUES ARE OF THIS COUNCIL. UH, SO I'LL SPEAK TO THAT COUNCILWOMAN. UM, SO YES, UM, THE SECTION ONE, WHICH IS REALLY THE OPERATIVE LANGUAGE, UM, COULD BE PUT ON A COUNCIL AGENDA. UM, IT COULD BE PART OF THE STANDARD AGENDA AND JUST HAVE A LINK ON THERE. UM, AND THIS APPLIES TO THE COUNCIL AGENDAS. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S THE IDEA. ONCE, ONCE WE GET THE RESOLUTION, THEN YOU HAVE MULTIPLE PLAYS. YOU CAN, WAYS YOU CAN DEPLOY IT, UH, ON SOME OF THE COUNTY AGENCIES, WE HAVE A VIDEO THAT'S WR THAT PLAYS AT THE BEGINNING OF, YOU KNOW, OUR MEETINGS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, DOES TRIBAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND STATEMENT OF VALUES. THERE'S PLACES YOU CAN PLACE IT ON THE AGENDA. COMMISSIONS MAY USE IT DIFFERENTLY. THEY MAY PUBLICLY STATE IT ON THEIR OWN AT THE BEGINNING OF MEETINGS. I THINK WE WANTED TO JUST BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT IS WITHIN THE REALM OF OUR ABILITY WITHOUT LIMITING FREE SPEECH TO REAFFIRM OUR VALUES. I'LL ALSO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT. I KNOW THAT, UM, I, I'LL JUST TELL YOU PAST EXPERIENCE, BEST INDICATOR OF, OF OF FUTURE EXPECTATIONS. CITY MEETINGS GOT, YOU KNOW, WAY MORE HEATED, UH, AFTER THE 20, WAS IT 2016 ELECTIONS? I THINK THERE WAS A, A LICENSE. PEOPLE FELT THERE WAS A LICENSE TO, TO UH, PROMOTE, UH, HATE. WE SAW, YOU KNOW, Q ANON AND ALL THESE THINGS BEGIN TO HAPPEN AT THE BEGINNING OF 20 20, 20, 20 16. AND I HAD GONE TO VIRTUALLY EVERY COUNCIL MEETING SINCE 2010. THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE CHANGE AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S APPREHENSION AMONGST MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES WHO RESIDE IN LONG BEACH FROM OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, OUR, OUR JEWISH COMMUNITIES, OUR L-G-B-T-Q-L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITIES, BLACK FOLKS, UM, WOMEN, UH, ABOUT THE RHETORIC. AND I THINK WE HAD TO BE PREPARED BECAUSE SOME SEE THE RESULTS OF THIS NATIONAL ELECTION AS A LICENSE TO EMBRACE HATE, AND THAT IS A CONTRADICTION TO WHAT WE VALUE IN LONG BEACH. AND IT'S A CONTRADICTION OF SAFETY. SO WE SEE THIS AS A STEP TO BEGIN TO, UH, THINK ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN ENSURE A SAFE SPACE WHEN WE CONVENE AS A CITY. THAT'S [01:15:01] WHAT I SEE, THAT THE SPIRIT OF THIS IS, AND IT CAN BE MANIFESTED IN MANY WAYS. UM, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, TO EVERYONE, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. UM, EXCUSE ME, MAYOR, BEFORE YOU CAST A VOTE, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SOME, A COUPLE CLARIFYING COMMENTS. ONE IS, THIS APPLIES TO THE CITY COUNCIL. IT DOESN'T APPLY TO COMMISSIONS OR COMMITTEES. UM, THERE IS A BALANCE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO STRIKE IN PEOPLE'S FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTED SPEECH, WHILE STILL BEING ABLE TO ARTICULATE THE VALUES OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE VALUES OF OUR COUNCIL. AND THIS IS REALLY GIVING YOU THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THAT AND TO ARTICULATE THROUGH THIS RESOLUTION WHAT OUR VALUES AS A COMMUNITY ARE. BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY GIVE THE ABILITY TO ARTICULATE THIS LANGUAGE TO EVERY COMMISSION AND COMMITTEE, MANY OF WHICH WE DON'T STAFF, AND WE CAN'T MAKE SURE THEY'RE USING IT CORRECTLY. SO I THINK, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS OFFLINE, BUT I THINK, UM, UH, A BIG PART OF THE DISCUSSION WAS HAVING A STANDARD APPROACH THAT COULD BE A PLACE TO EVERY PUBLIC AGENDA. SO MAYBE THEY CAN'T, MAYBE WE FIGURE OUT, AND WE CAN DISCUSS THIS LATER, A TEMPLATE LANGUAGE THAT CAN GO ON THEIR AGENDAS THAT'S EASIER TO MANAGE IF THEY'RE NOT STAFFED. BUT IF IT'S A PUBLIC COMMISSION, THERE SHOULD BE, I MEAN, THEIR VALUES SHOULD BE THE SAME VALUES AS THE CITY, RIGHT? WE'RE THE CITY COUNCIL. WE ESTABLISH THOSE, RIGHT. THE CITY COUNCIL'S ARTICULATING THOSE VALUES. IT'S, IT'S NOT THAT THOSE COMMISSIONS DON'T HAVE THE VALUES, IT'S THE COUNCIL WHO IS ARTICULATING THEM AND MAKING THIS POINT VERY CLEARLY. UM, BUT THE CONCERN THAT WE HAVE EXPRESSED IS MAKING SURE THAT THE COMMISSIONS ARE COMMITTEES WHICH MAY HAVE VERY LITTLE GUIDANCE AND MAYBE NO GUIDANCE FROM OUR OFFICE, NOT MUCH STAFF SUPPORT TO GUIDE THAT CAN REALLY NOT CROSS THAT LINE AND VIOLATE PEOPLE'S FIRST AMENDMENT, RIGHT. PROTECTED SPEECH RIGHTS. SO, RIGHT. UM, SO THAT'S WHY IT'S CRAFTED THE WAY. IT'S FANTASTIC. GREAT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. 49. PLEASE REPORT FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO APPLY FOR GRANT FUNDING FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 16,100,000 FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FACILITIES, PROVIDING SERVICES FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS CITYWIDE. ALRIGHT, SO STAFF HAS REQUESTED WE CARRY THIS OVER ONE MORE WEEK. UH, IT'S IN ADVANCE OF THE APPLICATION DEADLINE. WE WANNA DO A LITTLE BIT MORE ENGINEERING ON THE APPLICATION. UM, SO IS THERE A MOTION TO CONTINUE THIS? ALL RIGHT. I SEE A, A MOTION. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. SECOND. UH, DR. RICK SODI, ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC ON PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'RE CONTINUING THIS. SO THE, THE YOU, IF YOU SPEAK, IT'S TOWARD CONTINUING IT. OH, MY NAME IS CHRISTELLE DOMBROWSKI. I LIVE HERE IN LONG BEACH. UH, I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE, AND, UM, I'VE WAITED QUITE SOME TIME TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS. IT SEEMS LIKE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE HOMELESS GETS PUT AT THE END OF THE, THE AGENDA. AND I'M STANDING UP FOR MYSELF BECAUSE I HAVE A SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST AND, UH, I WAS ILLEGALLY EVICTED. IF I DON'T GET RID OF MY MALEVOLENT STEPBROTHER, I, I'M IN LINE FOR HUD HOUSING. WE NEED THIS GRANT. I AM STANDING UP FOR MY FRIENDS PREACHER MAN. HE'S A HOMELESS VET, MY FRIEND WITH CANCER. PAUL MADDIE, [49. 24-55688 Recommendation to adopt resolution to authorize City Manager, or designee, to apply for grant funding from the California Department of Health Care Services, Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program Round 1, in an amount not to exceed $16,100,000; and Authorize City Manager or designee, to execute all necessary documents and any subsequent amendments, including amendments to the terms or the award amount, with California Department of Health Care Services relating to the grant application to the Health and Human Services Department, for the development of behavioral health facilities providing services for people experiencing homelessness. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Health and Human Services         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] A WOMAN OF COLOR, UH, ROSIE, WHO IS FILIPINO, WHO'S 87 YEARS OLD, AND SHE IS ON THE STREET AND SHE IS HOMELESS. SHE STAYED AT MY HOME. A A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD STAYED IN MY HOME. THEY CAN'T ALL FIT, LET ME TELL YOU THAT. SO WE NEED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, WE NEED THIS GRANT, AND WE NEED THE, THE, UM, ALSO WHEN, UH, I KNOCKED ON DOORS TO, TO PASS MEASURE A, PEOPLE WERE ASKING ME WHAT HAPPENED WITH MEASURE H. WHEREAS THAT MONEY, AND I AM ASKING WHAT HAPPENED TO THE APPROXIMATE $6 MILLION THAT WAS ALLOCATED BY THE STATE TO GO TO THE HOMELESS. I HAVE ASKED THE CITY AUDITOR, THEY HAVE MY EMAIL. THEY HAVE NEVER EMAILED ME BACK. MM-HMM. , THAT COULD BE MY MONEY, BUT IT'S ALSO MY FRIEND'S MONEY. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. UH, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE TO CONTINUE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ITEM 52, REPORT FROM TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION [01:20:01] RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO EXECUTE A MASTER PURCHASE AGREEMENT AND ANY NECESSARY DOCUMENTS WITH ORACLE AMERICA INC. FOR PROVIDING SOFTWARE LICENSES [52. 24-55693 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a Master Purchase Agreement, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Oracle America, Inc., of Redwood Shores, CA, for providing software licenses and related services on the same terms and conditions afforded to the County of Los Angeles, CA, through the Software License Agreement Number MA-IS-2540008-1, in an annual amount of $800,000, authorize a 10 percent contingency in the amount of $80,000, for a total annual contract amount not to exceed $880,000 for the first year of the contract, until the County of Los Angeles, CA, contract expires on October 27, 2034, with the option to renew with 6 percent annual increases, for as long as the County of Los Angeles, CA contract is in effect, at the discretion of the City Manager. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Technology and Innovation         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] AND RELATED SERVICES FOR A TOTAL ANNUAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 880,000 CITYWIDE. UH, LET'S SEE. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ITEM 50, REPORT FROM POLICE DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT AND ANY NECESSARY DOCUMENTS WITH AXION ENTERPRISE FOR THE PURCHASE OF BODY-WORN CAMERA EQUIPMENT, TASER ENERGY, WEAPONS, ACCESSORIES, SOFTWARE SUPPORT, AND DIGITAL EVIDENCE STORAGE FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $12,760,685 AND 70 CENTS FOR A PERIOD OF [50. 24-55698 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Axon Enterprise, Inc., of Scottsdale, AZ, for the purchase of body worn camera equipment, TASER energy weapons, accessories, software, support, and digital evidence storage, in an amount of $11,600,623.36, authorize a 10 percent contingency in the amount of $1,160,062.34, for a total amount not to exceed $12,760,685.70, for a period of five years. (Citywide) Levine Act: Yes       Office or Department: Police Department         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] FIVE YEARS CITYWIDE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, THERE'S ONE MEMBER OF THE, IS THERE ANY, I SEE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP SPEAK BILL BREAK. BILL BREAKER, FIRST OF ALL, ALL PRAISE TO BE A LOT OF POWER TO THE PEOPLE. UH, THEY DON'T NEED THE MONEY. THEY'RE EITHER GONNA MISAPPROPRIATE THE EQUIPMENT OR, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDS. YOU GUYS JUST KILLED A GUY THAT HAS SEVEN CHILDREN. THE POLICE, THE LONG BEACH POLICE GANG. YOU GOT ONE OF THEM UP THERE THAT KILLED A GUY IN 94. SO ALL, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S RIGHT. I THINK IT'LL BE IN GOOD FAITH TO NOT GO THROUGH WITH THIS AND TO, YOU KNOW, SHOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE ACTUALLY DEMOCRATS AND NOT REPUBLICANS OR LIBERALS OR WHATEVER YOU GUYS BE TRYING TO FRONT UP THERE. SO I SAID, I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE ESE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH AND THE LONG BEACH LOCALIST MOVEMENT. YOU GUYS HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ITEM 51, REPORT FROM POLICE DEPARTMENT. RECOMMENDATION, RECEIVE AND FILE THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT. 2023 ANNUAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT USE REPORT. ADOPT THE 2024 [51. 24-55692 Recommendation to receive and file the Long Beach Police Department 2023 Annual Military Equipment Use Report, adopt the 2024 Military Equipment Special Order, and direct City Attorney to prepare an Ordinance formally adopting the 2024 Military Equipment Special Order as required by California Assembly Bill 481. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Police Department         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] MILITARY EQUIPMENT SPECIAL ORDER AND DIRECT CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE AN ORDINANCE FORMALLY ADOPTING THE 2024 MILITARY EQUIPMENT SPECIAL ORDER AS REQUIRED BY CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY. BILL 4 8 1 CITYWIDE. THANK YOU. THIS IS THE, THIS IS AGAIN IN 2023. UH, STATE LAW REQUIRES THIS REPORT TO BE UPDATED AND PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL EVERY YEAR. UH, THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR WE'VE, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS. UH, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? I SEE BILL BREAKER. IS BILL STILL HERE? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. WE'RE ON TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER TWO. WE HAVE ITEM 47. THAT'S STILL OUTSTANDING. OH, OKAY. ITEM 47. WE MISSED ONE REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH PROPERTY [47. 24-55689 Recommendation to approve the Downtown Long Beach Property and Business Improvement District Annual Report and Assessment for the period of January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025, automatically extending the current agreement with the Downtown Long Beach Alliance for a one-year period; and, authorize payment in City property assessments of $586,248 from the Civic Center Fund Group in the Public Works Department to be allocated to associated funds. (District 1)       Office or Department: Economic Development         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT AND ASSESSMENT FOR THE PERIOD OF JANUARY 1ST, 2025 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2025 FOR A ONE YEAR PERIOD AND AUTHORIZED PAYMENT IN THE CITY PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS OF 586,248. DISTRICT ONE. ALRIGHT, WELL, WE CERTAINLY SUPPORT OUR, UH, OUR DOWN, OUR DLBA BID. THEY'RE HAVING A GREAT WEEK. UH, THEY OPENED, UH, UH, A NEW FIVE STAR LUXURY HOTEL THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN FAILING DOWNTOWNS. THAT HAPPENS IN THRIVING DOWNTOWNS. UH, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE RIBBING DOING A RIBBING CUTTING, UH, ON A NEW ENGINEERING FIRM MOVING 80 JOBS INTO THE DOWNTOWN THIS THURSDAY. AND TOMORROW WE'RE DOING THE, UH, THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING, THE ANNUAL TRADITION, OUR DOWNTOWN. SO WHAT A WEEK FOR OUR DOWNTOWN, UH, HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. COUNCILMAN OCK. COUNCILMAN ALLEN. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT. ON TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER TWO. OKAY. I SEE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED TO SPEAK VANESSA DURAND. [ 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. ] IS VANESSA HERE? OKAY, ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ADJOURNMENT. [ANNOUNCEMENTS] REX, I'D LIKE TO READ SOMETHING THAT FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR, SHOULD I JUST DO IT ON? YEAH, YOU CAN DO IT UNDER ANNOUNCEMENTS. WE'LL GO TO, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER SONO FIRST. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU. I [01:25:01] I WANT TO READ THIS STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF, UH, COUNCILMAN DUGGAN. AND IT, UH, IT APPLIED TO A, A CONSENT ITEM. UH, SO MADAM, UH, CITY ATTORNEY, I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS, BUT I'LL JUST DO IT NOW IF YOU DON'T MIND. UM, FROM CHRISTINA DUGGAN. I CAN'T PAY THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT, BUT I WANT TO EXPRESS MY FULL SUPPORT FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE ANNUAL BUSINESS ASSESSMENT AND THE IMPORTANT WORK. BELMONT SHORE AND ZEPHYR BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION, UH, AREAS, THESE ORGANIZATIONS SHOW HOW BUSINESS AND THE CITY CAN WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS STRONGER. THE BELMONT SHORE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO KEEP SECOND STREET VIBRANT AND WELCOMING FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. SIMILARLY, THE ZARIA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN STRENGTHENING EAST ANAHEIM STREET SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES AND IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU TO HEATHER KERN AND MARISSA PFEIFFER FOR YOUR WORK, IMPROVING OUR CITY BY SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES. YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY LIFE OF OUR RESIDENTS IN LONG BEACH. I FULLY SUPPORT THE CONTINUATION OF THE ANNUAL ASSESSMENT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. YEAH, SO, UH, WE HAVE A CLEANUP THIS SATURDAY ON DECEMBER 7TH, UH, 1744 IN CAVITA AVENUE. IT'S BY THE MIDTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. SO, UM, JOIN US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR ALLEN. UH, YES, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, DECEMBER 1ST WAS WORLD'S A DAY, AND THIS MORNING I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, TO SPEAK AT, UH, ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL. THAT'S WHY I AM WEARING MY RED RIBBON TODAY. YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO PAUSE AND REMEMBER THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIFE TO AIDS COMPLICATIONS, AND THEN STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THOSE WHO ARE CURRENTLY LIVING WITH AIDS AND OUR COMMUNITY. I JUST WANNA PERSONALLY THANK THE CARE CENTER AT ST. MARY'S MEDICAL CENTER, WHO DO, WHO DOES SUCH CRITICAL WORK AND DIAGNOSING, DIAGNOSING AND GETTING AIDS PATIENTS CONNECTED WITH VITAL SERVICES. SO, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, ST. MARY'S FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. UM, AND THEN ON ANOTHER NOTE, I WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT DECEMBER 15TH IS OUR, UM, ANNUAL WINTER WONDERLAND. SO, UM, I'M HOPING THAT YOU ALL COME OUT AND PLAY IN THE SNOW AND PLAY WITH SANTA AND EAT SOME FOOD AND OPEN SOME TOYS AND, AND JUST HAVE FUN. SO THAT'LL BE AT ABA PARK DECEMBER 15TH FROM FOUR TO EIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN B BRICK ODI? UH, YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS THIS WEEK, SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU ALL OUT TO THE STAR KING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ON WEDNESDAY. NO, UH, DECEMBER 4TH FROM SEVEN TO 8:00 PM UH, THAT EVENT WILL BE HELD AT THE HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, LOCATED AT 200 EAST 68TH STREET. UH, ADDITIONALLY, UH, THE HOUGHTON PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, UH, WILL BE HELD THIS THURSDAY FROM DECEMBER 5TH, ON DECEMBER 5TH, UH, 2024 FROM SEVEN TO 8:00 PM IT WILL BE THEIR ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY. AND THIS WILL BE AT HOUGHTON PARK, UM, NEIGHBOR, UH, THE HOUGHTON PARK COMMUNITY CENTER, LOCATED AT 63 0 1 MYRTLE AVENUE. UH, AND THEN LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE OUT TO THE POOLS OF HOPE ANNUAL HOLIDAY AND FOOD GIVEAWAY ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7TH. THIS EVENT STARTS AT 11:00 AM THE EVENT WILL BE HELD AT THE, AT POOLS OF HOPE, LOCATED AT 68 0 1 LONG BEACH BOULEVARD. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE AT 5 6 2 5 7 0 6 1 3 7 OR DISTRICT9@LONGBEACH.GOV. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CARR. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. FIRST I'D LIKE TO INVITE ALL OF YOU IF YOU ATTEND THE DOWN CAN'T ATTEND THE DOWNTOWN TREE LIGHTING TO THE SECOND ANNUAL CAL HEIGHTS TREAT LIGHTING CELEBRATION THIS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5TH, BEGINNING AT FOUR 30. JOIN NEIGHBORS ON THE CORNER OF ORANGE AND BIXBY ROAD, HOME OF FATE STUDIOS AND CAL HEIGHTS MARKET FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD HOLIDAY CELEBRATION, COMPLETE WITH LIVE PERFORMANCES, FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES, PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES, AND SNOW AND MORE. AND ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6TH, YOU CAN CONTINUE THE CELEBRATIONS, UH, WITH BIXBY KNOWS HOLIDAY VILLAGE THEMED FIRST FRIDAY, AND THEN ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8TH. I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN MY OFFICE AT ROSIE THE RIVETER PARK FOR OUR DISTRICT FIVE PET ADOPTION AND VACCINATION CLINIC FROM 8:00 AM TO 12:00 PM MAKE SURE YOUR FURRY FRIEND IS SAFE AND HEALTHY. WE'VE PARTNERED WITH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES TO PROVIDE LOW COST PET VACCINATIONS AND MICROCHIPPING WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE A PET ALREADY, YOU CAN CONSIDER BRINGING A NEW FRIEND HOME AS ANIMAL CARE WILL ALSO BE BRINGING ANIMALS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION AND LOOKING FOR THEIR FOREVER HOME. AND LASTLY, WE KNOW THAT WHILE IT'S OFTEN MUCH TO CELEBRATE THIS TIME OF YEAR, FOR SOME, IT CAN BE A TIME OF GRIEVING. SO THIS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5TH, NEW HOPE GRIEF SUPPORT INVITES YOU TO NEW HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS, A CONVERSATION ABOUT GRIEF AT PARK CREST CHURCH FROM FIVE TO 7:00 PM SEE YOU OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SUB BERNARD. UH, THANK YOU. TWO BIG ITEMS THIS SATURDAY. [01:30:01] THE FIRST IS SATURDAY MORNING AT, UH, SPORTS BASEMENT, THE FORMER STEER SEARS STORE IN LOS ALTOS. IT'S A GRAND OPENING RIBBON CUTTING. I'LL BE THERE AT 9:15 AM SO HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. AND THANK YOU. UH, I WANNA SAY THIS PUBLICLY, THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR BEING SO SUPPORTIVE OF THIS NEW RETAILER. IT WAS A HEAVY, HEAVY LIFT TO GET 'EM HERE. AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE THIS SUPPORT. UH, AND THEN AT NOON, FROM NOON TO TWO AT, UH, EL DORADO PARK TENNIS CENTER, WE'LL HAVE OUR FREE, UH, YOUTH TENNIS, UH, CLINIC, UH, GOING ON FOR TWO HOURS WHEN THE KIDS GET BORED, WE HAVE FACE PAINTING AND A BALLOON ARTIST, AND A FREE LUNCH. SO HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WELL, THAT CONCLUDES OUR COUNCIL MEETING. UH, JOIN US TOMORROW NIGHT FOR THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING OUR, OUR TRADITION AT THE TERRACE THEATER. SIX O'CLOCK. SEE YOU THERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HAVE A GOOD 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.