* 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. [00:12:53] ALL [00:12:53] RIGHT, [00:12:53] MADAM CLERK, UH, LET'S CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILWOMAN SINAZ. PRESENT VICE MAYOR ALLEN. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. HERE. COUNCILMAN [CALL TO ORDER] AL? HERE. COUNCILWOMAN KERR. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. COUNCIL MEMBER ORANGA. WHAT IS THAT COUNCILMAN TON HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK ODI. HERE. MAYOR RICHARDSON. I'M HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA ASK COUNCIL MEMBER KERR TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE IN THE MOMENT OF SILENCE. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] IF YOU COULD JOIN ME IN FUR. WE'LL JUST TAKE A DEEP BREATH. IT'S A BIG DAY. IF YOU COULD JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE. THANK YOU. PLEASE STAND IF YOU'RE ABLE AND JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDERG GOD, INDIVIDUAL JUSTICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO, UH, IT IS DECEMBER, UH, DECEMBER 10TH. AND TONIGHT WE HAVE A, A NUMBER OF THINGS TO DO. WE'LL GO THROUGH PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR COUNCILMAN AUSTIN, UH, CELEBRATING HIS 12 YEAR TENURE HERE ON THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF HEARINGS AND THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA. UH, WE ARE GONNA OPEN UP, UH, TONIGHT WITH GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER ONE. SO THERE ARE 10 PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. I'M GONNA, UH, READ THEIR NAMES AND AS YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME FORWARD. EACH SPEAKER HAS THREE MINUTES. FIRST IS TIFFANY BOYD. I KNOW THE BOY FAMILY WAS UPSTAIRS COMING DOWN, SO MAYBE YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME. UM, YOU KNOW WHAT, HERE'S WHAT WE'LL DO BEFORE WE DO THAT, WE'LL JUST TAKE CARE [00:15:01] OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AND GIVE IT A COUPLE MORE MINUTES FOR THE BOY FAMILY. SO LET'S HEAR THE CONSENT CALENDAR. ALL RIGHT, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. I SEE MEM ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP [CONSENT CALENDAR (1. – 15.)] TO SPEAK ALEXIS ORTIZ. OKAY, SEEING NONE, UH, MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. YOUR VOTE ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, LET'S SEE. I'M GONNA GIVE IT A COUPLE MORE MINUTES. I'LL DO SOME, SOME OF THESE, UM, ITEMS THAT HAVE NO REPORTS. LET'S DO ITEM 27. ITEM 27 IS A REPORT FROM PUBLIC WORKS RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO AMEND WITH CJ CONCRETE [27. 24-55789 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Contract No. 35388 with CJ Concrete Construction, Inc., of Santa Fe Springs, CA, for as-needed construction of curb ramps and concrete-related improvements in Community Development Block Grant program areas, to increase the contract amount by $1,400,000, for a revised contract amount not to exceed $11,288,000, and extend the term of the contract to October 31, 2025. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Public Works         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] CONSTRUCTION FOR AS NEEDED CONSTRUCTION OF CURB RAMPS AND CONCRETE RELATED IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM AREAS FOR REVISED CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 11.2 MILLION CDY. ALRIGHT, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT ITEM SAYING NONE MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY, WE'LL DO 19. OH, THAT'S PRESENTATION. NEVERMIND. 22. 22. ITEM 22 IS REPORTED FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT AND AWARD CONTRACTS TO VARY CONTRACTORS FOR PROVIDING ON-CALL ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING, [22. 24-55784 Recommendation to adopt Specifications No. RFP DV-24-386 and award contracts to AECOM Technical Services, Inc., of Los Angeles, CA, Ascent, of Irvine, CA, City Fabrick, of Long Beach, CA, Environmental Science Associates, of Los Angeles, CA, Eyestone Environmental, LLC, of El Segundo, CA, Gruen Associates, of Los Angeles, CA, HDR Engineering, Inc., of Long Beach, CA, HR&A Advisors, Inc., of Los Angeles, CA, Keyser Marston Associates, Inc., of Los Angeles, CA, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., of Orange, CA, Lisa Wise Consulting, Inc., of San Luis Obispo, CA, LSA Associates, Inc., of Irvine, CA, Michael Baker International, of Santa Ana, CA, Moore Iacofano Goltsman, Inc., of Riverside, CA, Placeworks, Inc., of Santa Ana, CA, Psomas, of Santa Ana, CA, Rincon Consultants, Inc., of Ventura, CA, RRM Design Group, of San Luis Obispo, CA, T&B Planning, Inc., of Irvine, CA, Veronica Tam and Associates, Inc., of Pasadena, CA, and Willdan Engineering, of City of Industry, CA, for providing on-call environmental, planning, outreach and affordable housing consultant services, in a total aggregate amount not to exceed $5,800,000, for a period of two years, with the option to renew for three additional one-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into the contract, including any necessary subsequent amendments. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Community Development          Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] OUTREACH AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONSULTANT SERVICES IN A TOTAL AGGREGATED AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 5.8 MILLION CDY. ALRIGHT, IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON 22? NO SEEING NONE. MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE CAST MEMBERS ZENDEJAS MOTION. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. 23 ITEM 20 THREE'S REPORT FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH WW GRANGER FOR [23. 24-55786 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with W. W. Grainger, Inc., of Lake Forest, IL, for furnishing and delivering maintenance, repair and operations supplies, on the same terms and conditions afforded to the City of Tucson, AZ, through Omnia Partners, in an annual amount of $2,000,000, authorize a 20 percent contingency in the amount of $400,000, for a total annual contract amount not to exceed $2,400,000, until the Omnia Partners contract expires on December 31, 2027, with the option to renew for as long as the Omnia Partners contract is in effect, at the discretion of the City Manager. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Financial Management         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] FURNISHING AND DELIVERING MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND OPERATION SUPPLIES FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 2.4 MILLION CDI. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? NO. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. 24. ITEM 24 IS A REPORT FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATION TO AMEND CONTRACT WITH CRISP ENTERPRISES AND PROFORM GRAPHIC SOURCE FOR PROVIDING PRINTING [24. 24-55787 Recommendation to authorize City Manager or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Contract No. 36905 with Crisp Enterprises Inc. dba Crisp Imaging, of Costa Mesa, CA, and Contract No. 36906 with Proforma Graphic Source dba Proforma, of Corona, CA, for providing printing services and related supplies, to increase the annual aggregate contract amount by $800,000, for a revised annual aggregate contract amount not to exceed $1,160,000. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Financial Management         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] SERVICES AND RELATED SUPPLIES FOR A REVISED ANNUAL AGGREGATED AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 1.1 MILLION CDY. THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST OR VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK ODI. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL DO ONE MORE AND THEN WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC. COMMENT 25. ITEM 25. SUPPORT FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND HARBOR RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ISSUANCE BY THE BOARD OF HARBOR [25. 24-55785 Recommendation to adopt resolution of the City Council of the City of Long Beach approving the issuance by the Board of Harbor Commissioners of the Harbor Revenue and Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2025 (Non-AMT) in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $140,000,000 secured by Harbor Department revenues. (Districts 1, 7)       Office or Department: Financial Management; Harbor         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] COMMISSIONERS OF THE HARBOR REVENUE AND REVENUE REFUNDING BONDS IN AN AGGREGATED PRINCIPAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 140 MILLIONS SECURED BY HARBOR DEPARTMENT REVENUES DISTRICT ONE AND SEVEN. THANK YOU. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. GREAT, THANK YOU. NOW WE'LL GO TO GO BACK TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER ONE. I'M GONNA READ THE NAMES OF THE 10 SPEAKERS. WHEN YOU'RE HEARING YOUR NAME, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE, TO THE FRONT VERSUS TIFFANY BOYD, THEN TYRA, BOYD, BOYD, DESIREE BOYD, [ 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. ] ARINA, REDMOND, LAIKA CASTILLO, ADRIANA COVINGTON, KEITH STEELE, ANTHONY HOLMES, CAN AND KAREN RE RESIDE. AND FRANKLIN SIMS. ALRIGHT, SO FIRST IT'S TIFFANY. TWO MINUTES, RIGHT? I'M SORRY, TWO MINUTES RIGHT? IT'S THREE MINUTES. THREE. OH YEAH, OF COURSE. UM, THANK YOU ALL, UM, FOR BEING HERE. I AM HERE WITH MY FAMILY WHO I'M GOING TO ENTRUST TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY. SO INSTEAD OF SPEAKING TO YOU AS BRANDON'S BABY SISTER, THE LAST OF MY FATHER'S CHILDREN, UM, NUMBER FIVE, BRANDON WAS NUMBER FOUR, WHO'S JUST A YEAR APART FROM MY BROTHER. AS I WAS OVER HERE, I REALIZED ALL THE OTHER ROLES THAT I PLAY. TIFFANY BOYD, THE COMMISSIONER FOR COMMISSION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES REPRESENTING JANICE HAHN, [00:20:01] TIFFANY BOYD, THE ADVOCATE WHO HAS DEDICATED 20 YEARS OF HER LIFE TO TRANSFORMING THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM WHO HAS WORKED FOR THE LIKES OF KAMALA HARRIS, WHO HAS WORKED WITH PEOPLE LIKE KAREN BASS, WHO ROMANTICIZED THAT SHE HAD ALL THE POLITICAL CONNECTIONS IN THE WORLD, BUT NONE OF THEM MATTERED. THAT FAITHFUL DAY, NONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES OF SITTING IN ROOMS AND BEING ON THE PROPOSITION HHH COMMISSION AND REPRESENTING MY CONSTITUENCY. NONE OF THE FLOORS THAT I'VE SPOKEN ON OR SEATS THAT I'VE SAT IN THAT LOOK LIKE YOURS MADE A DIFFERENCE WHEN MY BROTHER WAS ON THE STAIRS POURING HIS HEART OUT. AND WHILE I DO IMAGINE IN THE EVENT THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE CALLED ME IN TIME TO MAKE SOME OF THESE POLITICAL CALLS AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THAT WAS MY BROTHER ON THE STAIRS IN THAT MOMENT, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. AND SO I'M NOT HERE AS BRANDON'S LITTLE SISTER TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW. I'M HERE AS ONE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES TO REMIND YOU THAT THIS CAN BE YOU. TO THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE TIME TO CALL YOU YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR CONNECTIONS. THAT WOULD STOP SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING TO YOUR BROTHER, COUSIN RELATIVE WHEN THEY SNAP. 'CAUSE MENTAL HEALTH IS REAL AND PEOPLE DO SNAP AT SOME POINT PEOPLE DO BREAK, MEN DO CRY, MEN DO HURT. I THINK IT WOULD BE SO UNFORTUNATE, AND I WISH THAT YOU NEVER HAVE TO FEEL THIS FEELING TO HAVE ALL THE CONNECTIONS IN THE WORLD, BUT NONE ENOUGH TO REACH THE PEOPLE THAT YOU LOVE. TO SIT IN MEETINGS WITH DIRECTORS OF MENTAL HEALTH AND HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS, KNOWING THAT YOU HAVE PEOPLE AT HOME THAT ARE IN CRISIS, THAT NONE OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING ANYTHING THAT'S ACTUALLY GONNA TRICKLE DOWN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. NONE OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING WOULD'VE BEEN CULTURALLY RELEVANT ENOUGH. NOBODY TOOK THE TIME TO GIVE THAT HUMAN DECENCY. AND I KNOW FOR A FACT IF I WAS ON THE STAIRS, I WOULD'VE BEEN TREATED DIFFERENTLY. THAT'S NOT FAIR AND THAT'S NOT OKAY. SO I'M GONNA LET MY SISTERS AND MY FAMILY SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OUR FAMILY. BUT AS SOMEBODY THAT SITS ON THE OTHER SIDE WHERE YOU SIT, I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT YOU CAN BE SITTING WHERE WE'RE SITTING TOO. THAT WE ALL HAVE FAMILIES, WE ALL HAVE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN OUR FAMILIES THAT REQUIRE EXTRA SUPPORT. YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW IN YOUR FAMILY THAT YOU KNOW IS STRUGGLING, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THEM. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PATIENCE AND WHEN PEOPLE GET ON TV, PATIENCE DOESN'T START UNTIL YOU'RE TWO HOURS IN, IN THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES. YOU CAN'T CLAIM PATIENCE FOR BEING PATIENT IN THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES UNTIL YOUR ARMS ARE HURTING AND YOU'VE BEEN SITTING THERE AND YOU'RE READY TO GO HOME. YOU CAN'T EVEN CLAIM PATIENCE. SO UNTIL YOU ALL SEE THE WHOLE TWO AND A HALF HOURS, I ASK YOU TO RESERVE JUDGMENT ON THE SITUATION. I ASK YOU TO HAVE COMPASSION FOR MY BROTHER, AND I REMIND YOU THAT I STAND HERE BEFORE YOU WITH HALF THE PEOPLE I JUST NAMED CELL PHONE NUMBERS IN MY PHONE RIGHT NOW THAT I COULD CALL. NONE OF IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF THAT WAS YOUR BROTHER ON THE CHIPS, THE STEPS OF THE CHURCH. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT SANCTUARY CITIES. WE PROTECT A LOT OF DIFFERENT RIGHTS AND LONG BEACH AND OO, WE FIGHT FOR THAT. SINCE WINNING THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS THE STEPS OF A CHAIR OF A CHURCH, THE STEPS OF A CHURCH NOT CONSIDERED SANCTUARY. WHY ARE THE STEPS OF A CHURCH NOT SACRED IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH? WHY WERE YOUR OFFICERS NOT TOLD THAT HE IS ON THE STEPS OF A CHURCH? ACT ACCORDINGLY. EVERYTHING ELSE IS SACRED HERE. AND I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY OUR HOLY SPACES AREN'T AND MY BROTHER'S LIFE WASN'T PROTECTED OR THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PATIENCE TO GIVE HIM THE HELP THAT HE NEEDED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU HONOR. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS RA AFTER RA. AFTER RA IS DE DESIREE. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. MY NAME IS TIARA BOYD. I AM THE OLDEST SISTER OF BRANDON BOYD. UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW THE STORY AND MY SISTER, JUST MY SISTER SO ELOQUENTLY REMINDED US ALL OF THE FRAGILITY THAT WE ALL CAN FACE, JUST BEING HUMANS. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST START WITH SOME FACTS. ACCORDING TO THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE USE OF FORCE POLICY, A PEACE OFFICER SHALL NOT USE DEADLY FORCE AGAINST A PERSON BASED ON THE DANGER THAT PURSES POSES TO THEMSELVES. ONLY IN THE EVENT THAT THERE IS IMMINENT HARM AND OTHERS, OTHER OFFICERS ALSO AGREE THAT THERE COULD BE IMMINENT HARM. IMMINENT HARM IS NOT MERELY A FEAR OF FUTURE HARM, NO MATTER HOW GREAT THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE HARM. BUT IT [00:25:01] IS ONE THAT FROM APPEARANCE MUST BE INSTANTLY CONFRONTED AND ADDRESSED. YOU DON'T GET TO CHOOSE WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE THE HARM ACCORDING TO THE LONG BEACH POLICY. UM, EXCUSE ME. IN 2022, RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH EXPRESSED THEIR DISAPPROVAL OF THE USE OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT BY LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT. ONE RESIDENT STATED, I DON'T FEEL SAFER KNOWING THAT LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS MILITARY EQUIPMENT. UM, ON THAT SAME JULY 13TH, 2022, THE LONG BEACH POLICE CHIEF WALLY HABICH SAID THAT THE MILITARY GRADE EQUIPMENT IS NOT TYPICALLY USED DAY TO DAY, BUT MOSTLY FOR SQUAD OPERATIONS. HE GAVE A LIST OF POSSIBLE REASONS TO USE THE MILITARY EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING CIVIL UNREST, ACTIVE SHOOTER RESPONSES, BARRICADED SUBJECTS, HOSTAGE RESCUE, HIGH SEARCH WARRANTS, INTERNAL OR INTERNATIONAL, EXCUSE ME, OR DOMESTIC TERRORISM AND DISASTER RESPONSE. HOWEVER, MY BROTHER WAS SITTING ON THE CHURCH STEPS BY HIMSELF THAT FATEFUL NIGHT IN RESPONSE TO WHAT HE HAD DONE. POLICE CHIEF GOT ON THE TV ON NOVEMBER 19TH AND PRAISED HIS OFFICERS FOR THE USE OF THOSE SAME MILITARY WEAPONS AGAINST MY BROTHER ON THE CHURCH STEPS PROTOCOLS FOR OFFICERS RESPONDING TO PEOPLE WHO THEY BELIEVE MAY BE LOOKING FOR A SUICIDE BY COP SITUATION. ACCORDING TO DR. JOHN NICOLETTI, A POLICE PSYCHOLOGIST DR. NICOLETTI SAYS, IN SOME SPONTANEOUS SUICIDE BY COPS INCIDENTS POINTING A FIREARM AT A PERSON MAY ACTUALLY BE WHAT CAUSES HIM TO THINK OF SUICIDE BY COP AS A WAY OUT OF HIS UNHAPPY LIFE. POSING A FIREARM CAN SET IN MOTION DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES. THE PROTOCOL FOR OFFICERS RESPONDING TO A POTENTIAL SUICIDE BY COP INCIDENT IS A THREE STEP PROCESS. FIRST, COPS MAKE THEMSELVES SAFE AND ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY. NEXT OFFICERS MUST REMEMBER AND BE AWARE THAT POINTING A GUN AT A POTENTIALLY SUICIDAL PERSON WILL INCREASE HIS OR HER ANXIETY. AND THANK YOU. YOU'RE EXASPERATE THE SITUATION. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS CONCLUDED. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I, UH, FINISH YOUR THING. THERE'S A LOT OF EMOTION, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TALK ABOUT FACTS. AND THE FACTS HAVE BEEN LOST SINCE NOVEMBER 19TH BY THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. AND WHILE I HAD A MOMENT, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I EXPRESSED SOME FACTS. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OH, MY SISTER SAID THAT I CAN TAKE HER TIME. DESIREE, THIS IS DESIREE. OKAY, GO AHEAD. THANKS, DESIREE. I THINK YOU GUYS SHOULD HEAR THIS. OKAY. SO THANK YOU FOR MUCH DESIREE, FOR ALLOWING ME YOUR TIME. UM, ALL OF THIS INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED TO ME AS A RESEARCH SCHOLAR WHO WENT AND DID SOME SIMPLE RESEARCH JUST AS A PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY. UM, A CIVILIAN. I'M NOT SURE AT WHAT POINT THE OFFICERS WHO WERE SWORN TO PROTECT AND SERVE US WAS ALSO, ALSO HAD ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. BUT I JUST WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE YOU, UM, WITH A COUPLE OF QUOTE UNQUOTE OPINIONS. NOW THAT I'VE LEFT YOU ALL WITH SOME FACTS. BRANDON WAS NEVER THE AGGRESSOR GROWING, GROWING UP. BRANDON WAS NEVER THE TYPE TO HIT FIRST. BRANDON WAS ALWAYS THE PROTECTOR. AND ON THAT FATEFUL NIGHT, BRANDON LIVED UP TO EXACTLY WHO HE WAS. BRANDON WAS NOT THE AGGRESSOR AND DID NOT INITIATE VIOLENCE THAT NIGHT. THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, THE POLICE OFFICER, EXCUSE ME, THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT COULD HAVE BEEN HEROES THAT NIGHT. THEY COULD HAVE SAVED MY BROTHER'S LIFE AND THEY COULD HAVE WENT ON TO TALK ABOUT, AND WE COULD HAVE BEEN COMMENDING THEM FOR THE HERO HEROISM AND, AND, AND ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT THEY DID TO SAVE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL LIFE. BUT THEY DIDN'T DO A LOT OF WONDERFUL THINGS TO SAVE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL LIFE. AND FORTUNATELY, THEY CHOSE TO BE VILLAINS INSTEAD OF HEROES FOR OUR FAMILY. I'D LIKE YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A PERMANENT DECISION MADE THAT NIGHT BASED ON TEMPORARY EMOTION. THE EMOTIONS OF MY BROTHER WERE TEMPORARY AND THE EMOTIONS OF THE OFFICERS WERE TEMPORARY. THE AGITATION FROM THE CROWD, THE COLD, THE DARK, ALL THE THINGS THAT THE OFFICERS WERE SAYING THAT THEY WERE TIRED OF DEALING WITH WERE TEMPORARY CONDITIONS. MY BROTHER'S MOMENT WAS TEMPORARY. HALF OF THE ISSUES THAT HE WAS HAVING THAT DAY, I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO FIND ANSWERS TO. I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO FIND ANSWERS TO. EVERYTHING [00:30:01] WAS TEMPORARY, BUT SOMEBODY DECIDED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE A DECISION THAT LEFT MY FAMILY WITH A PERMANENT NIGHTMARE. AND I'M SORRY IF MY WORDS AGITATE. SOME PEOPLE, I'M SORRY IF THE TIME THAT I'M SPENDING HERE IS IRRITATING SOME PEOPLE. MY BROTHER WAS A HUMAN AND I'M A PERSON AS WELL. AND OUR LIVES MATTER. AND IF YOUR OFFICERS COULD HAVE GIVEN MY BROTHER A FEW MORE MINUTES, LIKE YOU ALL JUST GAVE ME, I WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE TALKING TO YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE TONIGHT. I'D BE AT HOME GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS, BUT CHRISTMAS IS THE FARTHEST THING FROM OUR MIND RIGHT NOW. I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF MY LITTLE BROTHER AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO LAY HIM TO REST AND KEEP MY FAMILY WHOLE. SO AGAIN, I'M SORRY FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANTED ME TO LEAVE AFTER THAT FIRST THREE MINUTES. AND THESE LAST THREE MINUTES HAVE IRRITATED YOU. BODY LANGUAGE SAYS A LOT. WE COULD SAY A LOT WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING THE SAME WAY MY BROTHER SAT THERE AND LET THOSE OFFICERS KNOW HE WAS PEACEFUL WITH HIS BODY LANGUAGE. I'VE WATCHED ALL OF YOU SPEAK TO ME THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. NEXT IS ADRINA. AFTER ADRINA IS LAIKA. I, I, I ACTUALLY, UM, WOULD PREFER THAT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOY FAMILY SPEAK BEFORE ME. OKAY, THAT'S FINE. IT WOULD SAY BELOVED. ALL RIGHT. LET'S SEE. UM, LAIKA, OH, YOU, YOU'LL ALSO DEFER. THAT'S RIGHT ADRIANA. SO ADRIANA, THEN WE'LL GO. KEITH, ADRIANA, AND KEITH. I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE REST OF THE FAMILY, CORRECT? YES. OKAY. UM, UNLESS QUINCY, HIS OLDEST SON WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING. UM, HI EVERYBODY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM, MY NAME IS ADRIANA COVINGTON. I'M BRANDON BOYD'S NIECE, OLDEST NIECE. UM, I , EVERY TIME I HEAR MY NAME, I'M REMINDED THAT HE GAVE ME MY NAME. UM, I STAND HERE BEFORE YOU GUYS ECHOING A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT MY FAMILY HAS SAID, BUT REALLY FIRST AND FOREMOST, ASKING FOR JUSTICE FOR MY UNCLE AND ASKING THAT WHATEVER YOU GUYS CAN DO WITHIN YOUR POWER, THAT THAT HAPPENED. UM, YOU KNOW, WE WATCHED 17 MINUTES OF BODY CAM FOOTAGE THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DECIDED TO RELEASE. UM, BUT THERE WAS TWO HOURS OF THAT BODY CAM FOOTAGE THAT IS UNACCOUNTED FOR, UM, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND WE WOULD LIKE THE PUBLIC TO SEE SO THAT HIS NAME ISN'T TARNISHED IN THE MEDIA. UM, IN YOUR MINDS. UM, HE WAS A PERSON, LIKE MY FAMILY HAS SAID HE WAS HUMAN. HE WAS A LOT TO US, TO HIS FAMILY. AND, UM, HIS LEGACY DESERVES TO BE SAID IN THE WAY THAT THAT THAT HE, HE MEANT IT TO BE. AND YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT A LOT OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE BEING HIDDEN FROM THE PUBLIC OR A LOT OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF BEING EDITED AND AND NOT TOLD TRUTHFULLY, UH, THEY NEED TO COME OUT SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN HAVE THEIR OWN OPINION AND BE SO TOLD EXACTLY THE TRAGEDY THAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT. UM, SO YES, WE ARE DEMANDING THAT THAT BODY CAM FOOTAGE BE RELEASED ALL TWO HOURS OF IT SO THAT WE CAN SEE AND THAT THOSE OFFICERS BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE MURDER OF MY UNCLE. 'CAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS. IT WAS A MURDER. AND SO WE ASK THAT THEY BE ACCOUNT ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. YOU ALSO THANK YOU KEITH. IS KEITH HERE? KEITH. KEITH. OKAY. ALRIGHT, I'LL KEEP GOING DOWN THE LIST THEN. THANK YOU. UM, SO ADRINA, IT'S YOUR TURN THEN. YEAH, FOR SURE. WE APPRECIATE. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS, UH, AINA REDMOND. I'M A 30 YEAR RESIDENT OF THIS CITY. IT WAS A CONSCIOUS DECISION FOR ME TO LIVE HERE. UM, AND I AM SADDENED AND DISAPPOINTED [00:35:01] THAT I HAVE TO FIND MYSELF HERE AGAIN ON AN ISSUE LIKE THIS. BUT I AM PLEASED TO HAVE MET THE BOYD FAMILY AND TO BE OF SERVICE AND IN COMMUNITY WITH THEM. UM, I WAS OUT THERE THAT NIGHT. I GOT A CALL AND I WAS OUT THERE AS SOON AS I COULD GET THERE. AND I STAYED THERE UNTIL BRANDON'S BODY WAS REMOVED. THAT WAS A VERY HARD NIGHT BEING WITH THE FAMILY. AND I WAS ANXIOUS TO SEE THAT VIDEO, BUT IT DID NOT SHOW ALL OF WHAT I HAD HEARD HAPPENED THAT NIGHT FROM WITNESSES. BUT WHAT WAS CLEAR IS THAT BRANDON WAS A PERSON IN DISTRESS AND THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND SWAT ESCALATED THE SITUATION. HE SAID HE WANTED TO HURT HIMSELF, NOT OTHERS. HE ALSO SAID HE REACHED OUT TO LONG BEACH PD FOR THEIR RESOURCES. HE SAID THAT, BUT GUNS WERE POINTED AT HIM FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND HE SAID, I DON'T WANNA STAND UP 'CAUSE OF A STANDUP OR MAKE ANY MOVE. YOU'RE GONNA SHOOT ME. AND WE KNOW THAT TO BE TRUE. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR FROM THE TONE OF THE OFFICERS IN THE VIDEO THAT THE, THAT THEIR, THEIR, THEIR ENERGY SHIFTED BRIGHT LIGHTS IN HIS FACE, GUNS, VANS, VEHICLES VEST, HELMETS SWATTED UP AS IF THIS WAS A MILITARY ENEMY ZONE. BUT BRANDON WAS DEESCALATING HIMSELF WITH HIS HANDS CLEARLY IN FRONT OF HIM. BUT THAT WASN'T ENOUGH. THAT WASN'T THE PLAN. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT PROCESSES AND PRACTICES FOR THE APPROACHING AND SAVING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN MENTAL DISTRESS HAS TO BE LOOKED AT. BUT THIS HAPPENS ALL TOO OFTEN FOR IT TO BE AN ACCIDENT. IT HAPPENS ALL TOO OFTEN FOR THIS TO BE ABOUT REFORM. YOU DON'T REFORM SOMETHING THAT'S DOING EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS BUILT TO DO. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF EFFORTS AT REFORM, INCLUDING SOME PRETTY GOOD ONES IN THIS CITY. BUT IT IS TIME FOR MORE RADICAL AND COMMUNITY CENTERED APPROACH. IT'S TIME TO INVEST MORE IN THE SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT AND PRACTICES THAT KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AND ELIMINATE POLICE AS A PRIMARY RESOURCE FOR SITUATIONS IN WHICH THEY DO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE DECISION MAKING APTITUDE. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED. I'M NOT FINISHED. HIS SISTERS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BRUTALIZED AS THEY SOUGHT TO SPEAK TO THEIR BELOVED. LOVE IT. DID YOU HEAR THEM PLEADING WHEN YOU WATCHED THAT VIDEO? DID YOU HEAR THEM SCREAMING WHEN YOU WATCHED THAT VIDEO? WHY DID THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN LIKE THAT? THE COMMUNITY IS NOT A MILITARIZED ZONE IS NOT US AND THE ENEMY THEM. AND IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN APPROACHED IN THE WAY THAT IT WAS OPEN. HOSTILITY AND LACK OF COMPASSION TOWARD THE COMMUNITY WINS NO HEARTS. OUR CITY MANAGER SHOULD LEARN TO COMMUNICATE TO THE CITY STAFF LIKE A MAN TRAGICALLY LOST HIS LIFE. AND AS IF CITY STAFF ARE HUMAN AND MAY LIVE IN THE CITY, MIGHT EVEN HAVE KNOWN BRANDON OR THE BOYS. BRANDON CANNOT BE RESTORED TO HIS FAMILY, BUT THERE CAN BE JUSTICE. HIS MURDER WILL BE A TEST OF THE NEW POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION AND WE WILL BE THERE. SAY HIS NAME. SAY HIS NAME. BRANDON BOY. SAY HIS NAME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS LAIKA. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS LAIKA CASTILLO. I AM A FAMILY FRIEND OF THE BOYD FAMILY. I'M ALSO, UM, A MEMBER OF BLACK LIVES MATTER AND ORGANIZER WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER, LOS ANGELES AND, UH, BLACK LIVES MATTER GRASSROOTS, ALTHOUGH I'M NOT A RESIDENT HERE IN LONG BEACH, I WAS, UH, ON THE BOARD OF A CHURCH HERE IN LONG BEACH AND WAS A LONGTIME, UM, CHURCH MEMBER HERE IN NORTH LONG BEACH FOR OVER A DECADE. WHAT I SAW AND HEARD ON THE NIGHT THAT I WENT [00:40:01] OUT TO SUPPORT THE BOYD FAMILY AFTER BRANDON WAS MURDERED BY LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. IT WAS EVIL, IT WAS SICK AND IT WAS DISRESPECTFUL WHAT THEY DID TO THIS FAMILY. WE ALL WATCHED THE 17 AND A HALF MINUTE VIDEO, THE VIDEO THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CHOSE TO EDIT, TO REMOVE ANY SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN THOSE TWO AND A HALF HOURS THAT THEY WERE OUT THERE WITH BRANDON BOYD, HIS SISTER, SCREAMING AND PLEADING, WE ARE HERE, WE LOVE HIM. THIS IS OUR BROTHER. LET US TALK TO HIM. HE NEEDS HELP THE THERAPIST, NOT THE THERAPIST THAT THE POLICE CLAIM TO HAVE ON THE SCENE. BUT THERE WERE THERAPISTS BECAUSE THERE IS A TREATMENT CENTER RIGHT BEHIND THAT CHURCH WITH THERAPISTS THAT CAME OUT AND SAID, WE ARE HERE, WE ARE PROFESSIONALS. LET US TALK TO HIM. HE NEEDS HELP HIS FRIENDS WHO ARE HIS BROTHERS BECAUSE THEY GREW UP TOGETHER, SAID, WE ARE HERE. LET US TALK TO HIM. HE NEEDS HELP. AND INSTEAD OF THE POLICE BEING HUMAN, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT, INSTEAD OF THEM DOING THE RIGHT THING, THEY SHUN THE FAMILY. THEY SHUN THE PROFESSIONALS, THEY SHUN THE FRIENDS. THEY SAID, YOU ARE AGGRAVATING THE SUSPECT AS IF THE MAN WHO CONTACTED THE POLICE FOR HELP WAS A SUSPECT RATHER THAN BEING A VICTIM OF HIS OWN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. RIGHT? THEY DIDN'T CONSIDER ANY OF THOSE THINGS. THEY DIDN'T SEE HIM AS CREATED IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD, WHICH HE IS. THEY DIDN'T SEE THAT HIS FAMILY LOVES THIS MAN AND CARES FOR HIM AND WANTED TO HELP HIM BECAUSE THEY SAW THE CRISIS. RIGHT? WE KNOW, I KNOW PERSONALLY BECAUSE I WAS OUT THERE UNTIL ALMOST THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING THAT BRANDON'S BODY LAID COLD ON THAT, THOSE CHURCH STEPS FROM THE TIME HE WAS GUNNED DOWN BY LONG BEACH POLICE AT 5:39 PM UNTIL ALMOST 3:00 AM WHY WAS HE OUT THERE FOR SO LONG? WHY DID THEY USE A FLASH GRENADE IN THE FIRST PLACE? RIGHT? THIS IS A MAN WHO HAD HIS HANDS UP, OUT AND FOR, WE ALL WATCHED IT ON THE NEWS PRIOR TO THE POLICE RELEASING THEIR VIDEO FOOTAGE, RIGHT? ABC SEVEN. WE SAID, WE'RE THE ONLY ONES HERE ON THE SCENE. THIS MAN HAD CHRIS CHRISTIE HIS HAND. THIS MAN HAD HIS HANDS UP THE WHOLE TIME. THIS IS A BIZARRE TURN OF EVENTS. THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE SOME MAJOR INTERNAL INVESTIGATION WITHIN LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT. Y'ALL NEED TO DO SOME MAJOR INTERNAL INVESTIGATION AS THE LEADERS OF THIS CITY INVESTIGATE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED HERE. WHY DID THEY USE A FLASH GRENADE? THROW SOMETHING AT A MAN WHO'S IN DISTRESS, WHO IS DEESCALATING HIMSELF AND THEN GUN HIM DOWN AND CLAIMED THAT IT'S BECAUSE HE PULLED A WEAPON ON THEM. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND SAYS SOMETHING LIKE THAT? RIGHT? BRANDON WAS NOT IN HIS RIGHT MIND. HE SAID THAT AT THE TIME, I'M HAVING A CRISIS. THEY ARE SUPPOSEDLY THE PEOPLE WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT AND SERVE. SO THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THEIR RIGHT MIND, BUT THEY'RE THE ONES WHO INSTIGATED THE VIOLENCE AND THEY NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, I THINK THAT'S ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE BOY FAMILY. I WANT TO, I WANT TO JUST EXTEND MY CONDOLENCES TO THE, TO THE BOY FAMILY. AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S THE HOLIDAYS AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS. THAT'S WHAT THE PROCESS IS FOR THE LEVELS OF REVIEW. AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH GOES THROUGH THAT PROCESS. ALL THREE LEVELS OF THAT REVIEW. THANK YOU. THE, THE NEXT SPEAKER, FRANKLIN SINS. YOU KNOW MY NAME? NO, THAT'S NOT, YOU'RE NOT THE NEXT SPEAKER, ACTUALLY. UM, KAREN REZA AND THEN ANTHONY HOLMES. CAN WE SWITCH? LET HIM GO AHEAD. I'M HERE FOR THE BOYD FAMILY AS WELL. MAYOR REX RICHARDSON. RESPECTFULLY, YOU'RE, I'M GOING IN THE NAME OF THE ORDER. SO KAREN, YOU'RE UP NEXT. KAREN JUST SAID I CAN SPEAK. DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT? GO FOR IT. KAREN GAVE HER SPOT. GO FOR IT. THANK YOU MAYOR BRANDON BOYD WAS OUR BROTHER. HE WAS OUR BROTHER. MANY IN OUR CITY BELIEVE THAT WE MUST ABIDE BY FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE, AND THAT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE. OUR BROTHER WAS SICK, HE WAS ON THE EDGE, HE WAS SUICIDAL, BUT THERE WAS HOPE. HE COME TO THE CHURCH. SO THERE WAS HOPE. HIS HANDGUN WAS ON THE GROUND. SO THERE WAS HOPE. WHEN THERE'S HOPE, WE DON'T LAUNCH A GRENADE AT OUR NEIGHBOR WHEN HE'S AT THE EDGE OF A MENTAL BREAK. WHEN WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR, WE DO NOT SEND IN THE SWAT TEAM WITHOUT A PLAN TO PRESERVE HIS LIFE AND PROTECT OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM. WE FAILED TO PRESERVE HIS LIFE AND OUR OFFICER WAS WOUNDED. YOU SEE, WHEN WE LOVE OUR BROTHER, THE CITY'S TOP LEADER DOESN'T CALL HIM A SUSPECT [00:45:01] WITHOUT THE FACTS OR PRAISE. ONE SIDE AS BRAVE AND DEDICATED WITHOUT SHOWING AN OUNCE OF COMPASSION OR CONDOLENCE FOR THE FAMILY WHO WITNESSED THE GRENADE. AND SHOOTING LOVE IS THE GREATEST OF THESE. WE HAVE SEEN THE CITY SHOW LOVE ON SECOND STREET. WHEN OUR WHITE BROTHERS APPEAR TO HAVE A GUN IN THEIR HAND, THE POLICE UNLEASH A CANINE NON-LETHAL. BUT WHEN OUR DARKER BROTHER HAS A GUN ON THE GROUND, THE POLICE UNLEASH A GRENADE. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED THE CHILDREN OF GOD. MY BROTHER WAS SICK. HE WAS AT THE DOOR OF THE CHURCH ACROSS FROM THE CARLITOS PROJECTS. HIS GUN WAS ON THE GROUND. THEY MADE A CHOICE TO ESCALATE. AND IF BRANDON BOYD HAVE BEEN WHITE AND SICK ON SECOND STREET, THEN BRANDON BOYD MIGHT BE ALIVE TODAY. SO THE NEXT TIME THEY GO TO THE PROJECTS, PLEASE BRING SOME LOVE WITH YOU. THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE PROJECTS, PLEASE BRING SOME HOPE, FAITH, AND COMPASSION WITH YOU. AND MAYBE YOU HAVE IT, BUT TELL ALL OF YOUR BROTHERS IN BLUE TO COME TO OUR COMMUNITY LIKE WE WERE ORANGE COUNTY, KAREN, AFTER KAREN IS ANTHONY HOLMES. AND THEN, UH, MATTHEW. MATTHEW LUFF. HI, I'M KAREN RE SIDE. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE LONG BEACH GRAPE PANTHERS. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I CAN FOLLOW THAT. MY HEART, UM, GOES OUT TO THE FAMILY BECAUSE THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ANY ONE OF US AT ANY TIME. AND, UM, I HAVE AN ISSUE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON DILIGENTLY AT THE SENIOR CENTER. WE HAVE A SIMILAR GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HURTING THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. SO MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE HURTING BECAUSE IT IS THE HOLIDAYS. AND WE HAVE A GROUP THAT CONSISTENTLY GATHERS IN FRONT OF THE SENIOR CENTER. AND EVERYBODY'S BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE, BUT THEY ARE NOW SMOKING CRYSTAL METH IN FRONT OF THE SENIOR CENTER EVERY NIGHT, TWICE LAST WEEK I HAD TO WALK THROUGH CLOUDS OF I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF SMOKE AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE AN OVERDOSE BECAUSE OF ACTIONS OF OTHER PEOPLE. THESE PEOPLE ARE OBVIOUSLY IN PAIN. MY INTERNS CAME IN TO HELP DISTRIBUTE THE FOOD ON FRIDAY, AND THEY CAME IN AND TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE SHOOTING UP ON THE BENCHES OUTSIDE THE SENIOR CENTER BY THE PARKING LOT. SO I'M HERE TONIGHT, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER SITUATION THAT ESCALATES TO THIS LEVEL AND THAT WE REMOVE THE PLANTER FROM IN FRONT OF THE SENIOR CENTER. SO THERE'S NOT A GATHERING PLACE. AND WE REMOVE THE BENCH ON THE SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST, BUT EVERYBODY SAYS MONEY IS AN ISSUE. SO MAYOR, YOU'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL. LET'S FIND SOME MONEY AND GET THAT PLANTER MOVED CHRISTMAS BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND THE BENCH REMOVED SO THAT MAYBE WE CAN GET SOME HELP FOR THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE GATHERING OUT THERE SO THEY DON'T END UP IN THIS KIND OF SITUATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE. MATTHEW. MY NAME IS MATTHEW LOWE. THANK YOU. UM, I'M A MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN THAT, UM, I WORK AT TARZANA TREATMENT CENTER, WHICH IS RIGHT AT ADJACENT TO WHERE MR. BOYD'S LIFE WAS LOST CARELESSLY. UM, I CAN'T ADD TO ANYTHING THAT THESE REMARKABLE PEOPLE HAVEN'T ALREADY SAID. IN TERMS OF THE QUALITY OF PERSON THAT BRANDON MUST HAVE BEEN, IT'S REFLECTED IN ALL OF THEM. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MEET BRANDON'S SON, 18 YEARS OLD, ALREADY IN THE MARINES, GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL EARLY. UM, THIS MAN COMES FROM A GREAT FAMILY. THIS MAN COMES FROM A GREAT COMMUNITY. AND LIKE PEOPLE HAVE POINTED OUT, HE WAS HA IN A, IN A, IN A VERY, VERY DETRIMENTAL CRISIS. MENTALLY, I'M A MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN AND THAT'S MY PROFESSION. I TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN SERVING THE COMMUNITY. BRANDON DIED MERELY STEPS FROM TREATMENT, FROM SUPPORT, FROM HOPE, FROM LOVE. I NEVER GOT THE CHANCE TO MEET BRANDON AND I STRONGLY FEEL LIKE I COULD HAVE HELPED HIM. I WANT TO IMPLORE YOU CITY LEADERS TO EVOLVE THE PROCESS WITH WHICH YOU RESPOND TO THESE KIND OF CRISES, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT INVOLVES PEOPLE FROM PEOPLE OF COLOR. THERE'S A HUGE GAP [00:50:01] AND IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. IF WE CAN GO INTO AFRICA AND, AND, AND, AND CAP AND, AND CAPTURE A WILD LION WITHOUT HARMING A SINGLE HAIR ON ITS HEAD, WE CAN TREAT HUMANS WITH THE SAME REGARD. WHO ARE IN CRISIS. THERE'S TECHNOLOGY, THERE'S RESOURCES, THERE'S HOPE AND LOVE IN THE COMMUNITY. YOU GUYS NEED TO TAP INTO IT. YOU GUYS ARE RESPONSIBLE AND THIS IS GOING ON AND ON AND ON AND ON AND ON. LONG BEACH LEADERS LEAD THE WAY TO EVOLVE THIS PROCESS. IT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. WHY NOT HERE? WHY CAN'T OUR APPROACH, AND I'M DON'T WANNA JUST BE HERE COMPLAINING. I WANT TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION AND I CAN, AND I WILL. I WANNA OFFER MY SERVICES FOR FREE. ANYBODY IN HERE WAS AFFECTED BY THIS TRAGEDY. I CAN BE FOUND AT TARZANA TREATMENT CENTER. LET'S GET THESE PEOPLE HELP THAT THEY DESERVE BEFORE THIS TYPE OF THING HAPPENS AND THE LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY. I WANNA IMPLORE YOU GUYS TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. SO BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO A A A IS THERE ONE MORE? OKAY. ANTHONY, I CALLED YOUR NAME A LITTLE BIT EARLIER. OUR FINAL SPEAKER. IT IS 2024. AND THE SAME STUFF IS KE KEEP HAPPENING. UM, OFFICER ARUBA, I WAS TALKING TO HIM IN THE HALLWAY AND I WAS TELLING HIM, EVERY BLACK MAN IN AMERICA DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH, EVEN INCLUDING YOU, REX, I DON'T CARE HOW HOT YOU ARE UP THE LADDER, YOU STILL DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH TOO. UM, THEY SAY BRANDON BOY HAD A GUN. WELL, TO ME IT'S, IT IS BETTER TO BE CAUGHT WITH ONE THAN WITHOUT ONE. EVERYTHING THAT BLACK MEN ARE FACING IN AMERICA. UM, AND WHEN WE SCREAM, BLACK LIVES MATTER AND DEFUND THE POLICE. MY DEFINITION OF DEFUNDING THE POLICE IS NOT BRINGING MILITARY WEAPONS TO SWAT TO KILL US. THAT'S MY DEFINITION. UM, AND ALSO YOU GUYS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE BLACK COMMUNITY. IF I EVER CALL AND I'M DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND I'M BRAVE ENOUGH TO COME UP HERE AND SAY IT LIKE I DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH, BUT I KNOW HOW TO COPE WITH IT. BUT IF I CALL LONG BEACH PD AND THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH IT, AT LEAST GIVE ME A FAIR CHANCE. AND WHOEVER I NOTICED THAT THE SISTER SHE GOT A CAST ON, SHE GOT ROUGHED UP BY THE POLICE. SO ALL THE GUYS THAT WAS OUT THERE RECORDING AND NOT DOING NOTHING, IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME, DON'T PULL OUT YOUR PHONES TO RECORD. COME HELP ME STRAIGHT UP AND DON'T WAIT TILL I BECOME A HASHTAG TO GET BEHIND ME. LIKE I SAID, I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO SAY THIS WHEN I SCREAM OUT, BLACK LIVES MATTER. I'M NOT SCREAMING IT OUT JUST FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, THE CITY OF LA THE NYC, I'M, I'M SCREAMING OUT FOR EVERY BLACK PERSON IN THIS COUNTRY. UM, AND I THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER RECS AS ALWAYS. YOU CAN COME UP AND SAY THAT THIS RECONCILIATION, AS I TOLD THE BLACK LIVES MATTER LEADER RECONCILIATION, THIS IS A FANCIER WORD FOR RACISM. SO YOU TAKING ALL THE CREDIT, LIKE YOU'VE DONE SOMETHING, THAT S**T DON'T MEAN NOTHING TO US. YOU GOTTA SHOW US. IF YOU COMFORTABLE WITH JUST BEING THE FIRST BLACK MAYOR OF LONG BEACH, HEY, MORE POWER TO YOU. BUT YOU GOTTA STEP ON THE FRONT LINE AND START MAKING STUFF HAPPEN. YOU GUYS HAVE A NICE DAY IN MY HEART. GO OUT TO THE BOY FAMILY. BLACK LIVES MATTER. BLACK LIVES MATTER BRANDED BOY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO THE NEXT THING THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS EVENING IS GO TO THE PRESENTATIONS. BUT I THINK, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WAS A VERY POWERFUL, IMPACTFUL, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD THAT WE JUST HAD. AND THERE'S A LOT OF TRAUMA. OUR OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS PUT OUT RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE TO COPE WITH TRAUMA. I'M GONNA ASK THAT THEY PUT IT OUT AGAIN AFTER TONIGHT. THIS, THIS IS PARTICULARLY, UH, TRAUMATIC FOR, UH, MANY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. PARTICULARLY, UH, PEOPLE ARE HERE FROM NORTH LONG BEACH TO CELEBRATE COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. SO LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT THAT OUT AGAIN TOMORROW. UM, I'M GONNA DO ONE MORE ITEM BEFORE WE GO TO, UH, RECOGNIZING THE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE OF COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. JUST TO, YOU KNOW, ALLOW FOLKS TO KIND OF RESET. LET'S SEE, UM, WHAT'S LEFT? THAT DOESN'T HAVE A HUGE PRESENTATION. YOU WANNA DO FIVE MINUTES? LET'S JUST TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND WE'LL START FRESH WITH COUNCIL. [01:00:41] ALL [01:00:41] RIGHT, MADAM CLERK, LET'S GO AHEAD AND CALL THE, THE, OR CALL TO ORDER THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. PRESENT VICE MAYOR ALLEN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN MAD DUGGAN? HERE. COUNCILMAN SANA. COUNCILWOMAN KERR. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER ORANGA. PRESENT. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN? HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK ODI. HERE. MAYOR RICHARDSON. I AM HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA RECONVENE NOW. UH, AND WE'RE GONNA GET INTO, UH, TONIGHT'S, UH, BIG ITEM, WHICH IS RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP OF EIGHTH DISTRICT COUNCILMAN AL AUSTIN. UH, [ RECOGNIZING THE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE OF COUNCILMAN AL AUSTIN II] WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TO CELEBRATE COUNCILMAN AUSTIN THIS EVENING. SO WHAT THIS WILL LOOK LIKE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS AND I'LL READ THE ORDER, UH, COME UP AND GIVE SOME OF THEIR, THEIR COMMENTS AND REMARKS. UH, AND THEN, UM, WHEN, WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE FINISHED WITH THAT, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL'S GONNA COME DOWN AND WE'RE ALL GONNA TAKE A PHOTO WITH COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. UH, COUNCILMAN AUSTIN, AS YOU KNOW, IS A THREE TERM COUNCIL MEMBER REP REPRESENTING THE EIGHTH COUNCIL DISTRICT. THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE, UH, UH, TESTAMENT. HE'S BEEN A TRANSFORMATIVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AND A TRAILBLAZER IN MANY WAYS THAT WE YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT TONIGHT. SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. WE'RE GONNA START WITH, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, CHRISTOPHER KOONS. SO EVERYONE'S GONNA SPEAK RIGHT HERE OVER THERE. ALL RIGHT? YEAH. OKAY. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE. I GOT YOU THIS SHOVEL, UH, BASED ON ALL THE THINGS THAT WE BUILT TOGETHER, UM, AND ALL THE GOOD THAT YOU'VE DONE, UM, FOR THIS CITY. SO, 12 YEARS IS A LONG TIME. UM, AND AS I'VE SAID TO YOU IN PRIVATE, TO SAY IN PUBLIC, YOU PROBABLY WON'T MISS US IMMEDIATELY 'CAUSE THIS JOB IS HARD AND EXHAUSTING, . UM, BUT I THINK OVER TIME YOU WILL MISS US AND WE WILL ALL MISS YOU. UM, I'LL MISS THE AMAZING WORK, UH, WE DID TOGETHER. AND THE DIFFERENCE YOU MADE HERE IN THE CITY. UM, WHEN YOU WERE ELECTED IN 2012, THAT YEAR, THE CITY HAD 199 HOUSING STARTS PRETTY BAD. UH, THIS YEAR WE HAD OVER 1600. UM, YOU'VE OVERSEEN A PERIOD OF GROWTH AND FLOURISHING FOR THE CITY. YOU HELPED BUILD A CITY THAT'S AFFORDABLE AND THRIVING FOR ITS RESIDENTS. UH, YOU RAN TO BE A LEADER ON TRANSPORTATION AND AIR QUALITY. YOU LEAVE WITH A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN IN PLACE, BIKES, SCOOTERS, BUSES, AND PROGRESS ON ALL FRONTS. UM, YOU BROUGHT CONFIDENCE BACK TO THE CITY THROUGH YOUR GOVERNANCE, THROUGH YOUR DEMEANOR, ETHICS, REDISTRICTING, UM, ALL HAD YOUR FINGERPRINTS ON IT. UM, AND YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT ADVOCATE FOR YOUR RESIDENTS. AND YOU ALWAYS REMIND ME ABOUT YOUR RESIDENTS AND THE NEEDS IN, IN YOUR DISTRICT. I PARTICULARLY ENJOYED WORKING ON, UM, DAVENPORT PARK BACK AT THE BEGINNING WHEN WE WERE DOING THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS AND FINDING THINGS WE DIDN'T WANNA FIND IN THE GROUND, BUT WE WANTED TO KEEP THAT PROJECT MOVING AND NEVER GIVE UP ON IT. UM, AND THEN MORE RECENTLY, ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOMENTS WAS A DEMOLITION EVENT FOR HABITAT, UH, FOR HUMANITY THAT WE DID TOGETHER. UM, AT THE FORMER NORTH LIBRARY, I'M TOLD WE BROKE A FEW SAFETY RULES, BUT NO ONE WAS, UH, HURT AND, UM, ENJOYED GETTING TO SEE YOU UP THERE IN THE EXCAVATOR. UM, SO I KNOW THERE'S WORK THAT REMAINS UNFINISHED, BUT YOU SET THE GROUNDWORK. AND WHETHER IT'S FILLING VACANT STOREFRONTS OR EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, UM, I REMEMBER THE DIRECTION AND WE WILL CONTINUE, UM, WHAT YOU STARTED AND, UH, CONTINUE TO TAKE, UH, GOOD CARE OF THE DISTRICT, UH, AND THE CITY. SO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS WHILE BEING A GREAT PERSON, WHICH I REALLY APPRECIATE. YOU'RE A FATHER OF TWO VERY ACCOMPLISHED SONS. UM, AND YOU ALWAYS ARE SHARPLY DRESSED AND CARRY YOURSELF WELL. UM, AND I THINK TEACH ALL OF US, UM, HOW TO BE DIGNIFIED, HOW TO CARE. YOU LISTEN, YOU READ THE MATERIAL AS SOMEONE WHO WRITES THE MATERIAL, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, YOU'RE A CLASS ACT AND YOU SHOULD BE SO PROUD OF YOUR TIME HERE AT THE CITY. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH ME OVER THE YEARS, FOR BEING PATIENT AND OPEN-MINDED AND, UM, EVEN WHEN WE DIDN'T [01:05:01] AGREE YOU WERE GREAT TO WORK WITH. SO I THINK THAT, UH, THAT IS JUST WONDERFUL. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND, UH, ENJOY YOUR TIME AFTER THE CITY. ALRIGHT, I'LL . ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT, UH, FROM, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, UH, THE MASTER OF DISASTER, REGGIE HARRISON, MASTER. WELL, I THINK CHRIS SAID IT ALL. THERE'S NOT MUCH LEFT FOR ME TO SAY EXCEPT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER. CONGRATULATIONS. THESE 12 YEARS THAT YOU'VE SPENT HERE AT THIS DAIS, THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY COMMUNITY SERVICE THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED, UH, TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. THIS IS JUST THE END OF THAT ROAD. BUT YOU'VE BEEN A SERVANT IN THIS COMMUNITY. WELL, MAYBE NOT THE END, , RIGHT? BUT YOU'VE BEEN A SERVANT IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR MUCH, MUCH, UH, LONGER, UM, THAN, UH, 12 YEARS. AND I, AND I REALLY BELIEVE THAT YOUR WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL, UH, EMPLOYEES, UM, PREPARED YOU WELL, UH, FOR THIS JOB. PREPARED YOU WELL TO WORK, UH, WITH THE CITY STAFF HERE IN LONG BEACH, AS YOU CAN HEAR FROM, FROM CHRIS, PROVIDED YOU WITH A UNIQUE, I THINK, PERSPECTIVE INTO THE WORKINGS OF CITY GOVERNMENT. AND YOU TOOK THAT TO, UM, YOUR ADVANTAGE TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, UH, MUCH I BROUGHT YOU AND DAJA A GO BAGG. I BET YOU GUYS A GO BAG IN THE EVENT THAT THERE IS ANOTHER MAINLINE WATER BREAK IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE, , YOU HAVE TO EVACUATE. SO, SO HOPEFULLY, UM, THAT, THAT WILL HELP. AND, UM, JUST IN CLOSING, I JUST WANT TO SAY, UM, FIRST OF ALL, SERVING TO ALL, WE SHALL TRANSCEND ALL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE OUR FIRE CHIEF DENNIS BUCHANAN. WELL, COUNCILMAN AL TON CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE 12 YEARS YOU'VE SERVED THIS COMMUNITY. I'LL MAKE IT QUICK. AL UH, IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU AND YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF EVERYBODY HERE IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY OF LONG BEACH, ESPECIALLY IN NORTH LONG BEACH. BUT ON BEHALF OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT, I WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT WITH NEW FIRE STATION NINE THROUGH YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR VISION. WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GREAT STATION TO SERVE THE NORTH, NORTH, UH, PART OF OUR CITY HERE. AND I ALSO WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE BEST BASEBALL CAP IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WHICH IS THE LBFD. CONGRATULATIONS. WISH YOU THE BEST. ALRIGHT, CONGRATULATIONS. NEXT IS PARKS RECREATION MARINE, BRENT DENNIS. SO COUNCILMAN AUSTIN, 12 YEARS, THAT'S A LONG TIME. THAT'S LIKE COLLEGE THREE TIMES. SO WITH A GRATEFUL HEART. UH, ON BEHALF OF OUR TEAM OF PARKS, RECREATION, MARINE, AND ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, UH, WE WANT TO PROVIDE YOU THIS RECOGNITION. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE 166 BEAUTIFUL PARKS, UM, WE'RE GONNA BESTOW THIS VIRTUAL PARK HONOR, UH, ANNOUNCING THE AL AUSTIN II PARK, CITY OF LONG BEACH. AND THIS WILL BE A PLACE THAT YOU CAN RELAX, REGENERATE, ET CETERA. BUT, UH, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT FOLLOW, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO TO MAKE OUR CLEAN OR MAKE OUR CITY CLEAN, SAFE, WELCOMING, AND MORE BEAUTIFUL. UM, WE'VE APPRECIATED YOUR ADVOCACY, ALL THAT. SO, UM, I KNOW COUNCIL ALWAYS LOVES TO DO CERTIFICATES. THIS ONE WILL BE APPROPRIATE FOR FRAMING. AND IT SAYS, CITY OF LONG BEACH PARKS RECREATION MAR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. THIS CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION PRESENTED ON DECEMBER 10TH, 2024 IS PRESENTED TO COUNCILMAN AL AUSTIN II AS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. AND THANKS FOR YOUR 12 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. A TREE WILL BE PLANTED IN HONOR OF YOUR SERVICE IN LONG BEACH PARK OF YOUR CHOICE. AND THEN IT SAYS, PARKS MAKE LIFE BETTER. PARKS MAKE LONG BEACH. BUT TODAY, I SAY AL AUSTIN MAKES LIFE BETTER. AND ALL AL AUSTIN MAKES LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. [01:10:01] ALRIGHT, NEXT UP FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, ALLISON KING, A BASKET OF VACCINES, HUH? I KNOW, . HEY, IF I COULD HAVE, I WOULD'VE, WE NEEDED THE MORE OF THOSE. COUNCILMAN, I JUST WANNA TELL YOU THAT WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR 12 YEARS. YOUR LEGACY IS NOT JUST IN THE POLICIES PAST THE BUILDINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED OR THE STANDS THAT YOU'VE TAKEN, BUT YOU'VE REMINDED US OF WHAT PUBLIC SERVICE REALLY IS. ON BEHALF OF OUR SEVEN BUREAUS AND OVER 500 STAFF MEMBERS, WE THANK YOU FOR STANDING FOR US AND FOR THIS COMMUNITY. I'M REMINDED OF THE QUOTE BY MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN THAT SAYS, I BELIEVE EMBODIES YOUR SPIRIT. SERVICE IS A RENT WE PAY FOR BEING. IT IS THE VERY PURPOSE OF LIFE AND NOT SOMETHING YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME. I THANK YOU FOR 12 YEARS OF EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE TO THIS COMMUNITY. WE ARE GRATEFUL. ALL RIGHT, NEXT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, ERIC LOPEZ, COUNCILMAN AUSTIN, WE, UH, WE ARE KNOWN FOR GIVING OUT STREET SIGNS. SO INSTEAD OF JUST DOING ONE, I BROUGHT TWO. SO YOU CAN HAVE ONE YOUR GARAGE, YOU CAN HAVE ONE IN YOUR ROOM IF YOU SO WISH. AND YOU'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER, UH, THE EMPLOYEES OF PUBLIC WORKS. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, OUR 700, UH, DEDICATED STAFF THAT WORK DAY IN, DAY OUT, UH, TO KEEP OUR CITY CLEAN, KEEP OUR CITY MAINTAINED, UH, PARTNER ON REBUILDING ALL OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UM, AND TRIM ALL THOSE TREES, FILL ALL THOSE POTHOLES, REPAIR ALL THOSE SIDEWALKS AND ALLEYS. UH, WE HAVE MORE THAN WE CAN HANDLE, BUT WE'RE DOING OUR BEST. AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO COUNT ON YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIPS, FOR YOUR ADVOCACY. UM, A LOT OF THE FUNDING THAT WE'VE GOTTEN IS BECAUSE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, WHEN YOU WERE ON BOC, UH, WHEN YOU LED, UH, THAT, UH, THAT WORK. AND, AND WE TRULY BENEFITED AS A DEPARTMENT. SO, UH, MY STAFF, MY TEAM, ON BEHALF OF OUR ENTIRE, UH, DEPARTMENT, UH, CONGRATULATIONS. UM, THERE'S ONE CAVEAT, THOUGH, WITH ACCEPTING THE SIGN. YOU HAVE TO AGREE TO FILL YOUR OWN POTHOLES, , REPAIR YOUR OWN ALLEYS. UM, YOU HAVE TO, UM, TRIM YOUR OWN TREES. UM, AND, UH, HA, TAKE CARE OF ANY TRIP AND VAULTS IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE. . I'M JUST KIDDING. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. THAT'S A GOOD ONE. ALL RIGHT. YEAH, THESE ARE GOOD THIS YEAR. . UH, ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS OUR CITY ATTORNEY, DON MCINTOSH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M JUST GONNA STAY HERE. HARD TO GET OVER THERE. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN, UH, I, I WANNA THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. UM, I THINK WE'RE ALL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT THAT SERVICE DOESN'T END HERE TONIGHT, AND YOU'LL CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY, UH, FOR MANY YEARS MOVING FORWARD. IT'S BEEN A GREAT PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. AND, UM, I WISH YOU GREAT ADVENTURES AHEAD. WE GOT A SMALL GIFT FOR YOU TO JUST HELP YOU REMEMBER TO DO THE RIGHT THING, EVEN THOUGH WE WON'T BE THERE TO ADVISE YOU ANYMORE. SO I HAVE A GAVEL FOR YOU. SO WHENEVER YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO, JUST LOOK AT THAT GAVEL AND THAT'LL HELP YOU REMEMBER . ALL RIGHT, GOOD. SO NEXT, FROM THE PORT OF LONG BEACH, MARIO CERO. THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCILMAN AL AUSTIN. AFTER TONIGHT, I'M JUST GONNA CALL YOU AL BUT BEFORE I START, LET ME CLEAR THE RECORD HERE. UH, THE FIRE CHIEF CAME UP HERE AND SAID THAT THE BEST HAT WAS A LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT HAT AL. YOU KNOW, HE DIDN'T GIMME A HEADS UP ON THAT, BUT WE'RE GONNA REPLACE THAT HAT WITH THIS LA DODGER CHAMPIONSHIP HAT WORLD SERIES BABY. SO, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA ADD A DODGER HAT 'CAUSE THAT IS THE BEST HAT THAT YOU COULD WEAR. BUT ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE, [01:15:01] UH, AL THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I'M SURE DAISIA WILL HAVE MORE TIME, UH, MORE OF YOUR TIME, YOU KNOW, EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT, BEING HERE AND DEALING WITH THE CHALLENGING ISSUES FOR 12 YEARS, I COMMEND YOU. AND FOR THAT MATTER, COMMEND EVERYBODY ON THE COUNCIL FOR YOUR SERVICE ON BEHALF OF THE CITY DEALING WITH SO MANY CHALLENGING ISSUES. BUT FROM A PORT PERSPECTIVE, AL UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR NOT ONLY YOUR SUPPORT OF THE PORT, BUT LIKE MANY OF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE DUAL, UM, ADVOCACY FOR THE GREEN PORT, THE PORT OF LONG BEACH. WE OWN THE POLLUTION ISSUE, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, WE'VE EXERTED LEADERSHIP ON THAT TO ADDRESS THAT PROBLEM. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH US AND BEING PRAGMATIC AND YOUR LEADERSHIP ON BOTH THOSE AREAS. UM, AND LAST, I WILL SAY THE PORT IS BEING A LITTLE BIT OUTDONE. I MEAN, A PARK NOW IS GONNA BE NAMED AFTER YOU, A STREET GONNA BE NAMED AFTER YOU. SO I'M GONNA GO BACK TO THE PORT AL AND TALK OR COUNCILMAN AL, UH, AND TALK TO MY PEOPLE. MAYBE WE COULD FIND A VESSEL, YOU KNOW, SO WE'LL TOP ALL THAT. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, AL AND DACIA YOUR SERVICE AS A FAMILY. IT'S ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED, UH, YOUR TWO ATHLETIC SONS THAT, JUST FOR THE RECORD, I DON'T KNOW IF POLY HIGH SCHOOL IS THE BEST PROGRAM. A LITTLE, A LITTLE LOVE FOR ST. JOHN BOSCO, BUT I THINK I'M GOING BEYOND THE SUPPORT HERE. SO GO POLY, GO BOSCO BRAVES. BUT WITH THAT L HERE'S A LITTLE TOKEN AND I AM GONNA SEND YOU THE BEST HAT THAT YOU COULD BE WEARING HERE IN LONG BEACH, LOS ANGELES. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BEAU MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU. CITY COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR 12 YEARS OF SERVICE. AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT 12 YEARS OF SERVICE ON CITY COUNCIL AND TO THE COMMUNITY, I ALSO THINK ABOUT IT IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT YEARS. AND SO IT'S REALLY 60 YEARS WHEN IT COMES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE PROJECTS DON'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. THEY HAPPEN OVER TIME. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING A CHAMPION, AN ADVOCATE AND A STATE LEADER WHEN IT COMES TO SMALL BUSINESS JOBS AND COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR REVITALIZATION. ON AND ON BEHALF OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WE'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU A SMALL GIFT. AND IT'S REALLY FROM THE ICONIC QUEEN MARY, AND I THINK IT'S THE BEST GIFT OF ALL. SO I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS. ALRIGHT, MR. MAYOR, I, I APOLOGIZE, I HAVE TO, YOU GONNA HAVE A LA ORDER HERE? A, A, A DODGER SHIP NOW, YOU NO, NO. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. I HAVE TO SAVE MY JOB HERE BECAUSE I WAS VERY REMISS AND NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE FACT THAT PRESIDENT BONNIE LAL WOULD'VE BEEN AT THIS MEETING, BUT UNFORTUNATELY SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND. SO MY COMMENTARY IS ON BEHALF MYSELF, BONNIE LTA, OUR PRESIDENT, OUR HARBOR COMMISSION. SO, AGAIN, I'M SORRY TO, UH, GO OUT OF ORDER, BUT I'M TRYING TO SAVE MY JOB NOW. THANK YOU, . THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S GOOD. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT, UH, OUR CITY MANAGER, TOM MOCA. YOU GOTTA GO UP THERE, TOM. YES. ALL RIGHT. UH, WANTED, UH, MY EXECUTIVE TEAM, UH, FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO JOIN ME. AND THIS IS ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US. SO WANNA MENTION A COUPLE OF WORDS. SO FIRST, AL, UH, CONGRATULATIONS ON 12 YEARS, ONE OF THE VERY FIRST COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SERVE ALL 12 YEARS, UH, AFTER, UH, TERM LIMITS WERE CHANGED. AND WHEN YOU CAME IN, IN 2012, YOU INHERITED THE EIGHTH DISTRICT WITH NO REDEVELOPMENT. THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HADN'T HAD REDEVELOPMENT IN PROBABLY 40 YEARS. THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A WAY THAT WE'VE CREATED A LOT OF OF PROJECTS UP IN, IN NORTH LONG BEACH. AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT. AND SO YOU REALLY HELPED HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO UNDO REDEVELOPMENT AND HOW TO PRESERVE SOME OF THOSE PROPERTIES. THE EXPO BUILDING, UH, WAS TURNED BACK OVER TO US WITH NO REAL PLAN AND FINDING A WAY TO PRESERVE THE EXPO BUILDING, MAKE THAT THE HEART OF BIXBY KNOWLES, UH, SECURE THE FUTURE OF BIXBY K KNOWLES, AND HELP THEM EXIST AS AN, AS AN ENTITY. UH, THE BIA AND I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT, UH, YOU'RE A BIG PROPONENT OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, WHICH IS THRIVING AND AT THE EXPO CENTER AND IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART, UH, OF OUR, OF OUR HISTORY IN OUR COMMUNITY. UH, AL YOU WERE SUCH A BIG, UH, PROPONENT FOR PARK SPACE. UH, YOU, YOU SPOKE LOUDER THAN ANYONE IN, IN, IN THAT AREA ABOUT THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL PARK SPACE. AND [01:20:01] SO YOU CAN BE VERY PROUD OF THE 52ND STREET GREENBELT OF MOLINA PARK OF THE RECENT IMPROVEMENTS AT, AT CHIRA. AND ULTIMATELY, DAVENPORT PARK IS, IS A CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT THAT IN A PARK PORT AREA OF THE CITY, ONE OF THE LARGEST EXPANSIONS OF, OF PARKLAND THAT WE'VE SEEN, UH, IN A GENERATION IN NORTH LONG BEACH. THERE WERE TOUGH TIMES TOO. UM, WE STOOD IN FRONT, YOU AND I, UH, STOOD SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH, UH, FIRE IN FRONT OF 300 ANGRY PEOPLE AT THE EXPO WHEN WE HAD TO EXPLAIN THAT FIRE STATION NINE WAS CLOSING WITHIN 24 HOURS. AND, AND THAT WE WOULD GET THERE AND THEN WORK ON, ON A PLAN AND BE PATIENT AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET FIRE STATION NINE UH, OPEN. UM, UH, WE SUPPORTED THE LAND USE ELEMENT, UH, SOME VERY DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT OUR, OUR, OUR FUTURE NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE. AND, UH, THOSE MEETINGS HAD OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE IN SOME OF THOSE TENTS IN SHERA PARK. AND, UH, TO, TO DO THE SMART THING OR TO PLAN FOR SMART DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO LISTEN TO, TO THE RESIDENTS ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE ASKING US TO DO. ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS I REMEMBER ASKING YOU FOR WAS THE WINTER SHELTER. UH, YOU AGREED TO IT ONCE, AND THEN WE HAD TO COME BACK TO YOU AND ASK YOU TO DO IT AGAIN, AND THEN DO IT AGAIN. AND THOSE WERE HARD CONVERSATIONS, BUT YOU KNEW IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, BUT YOU ALSO HELD US TO THE COMMITMENT THAT THAT IS GONNA BECOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND YOU HEARD CHRISTOPHER TALK ABOUT THAT. IT WAS A GREAT DAY WHEN WE TOOK DOWN THE OLD NORTH LIBRARY AND TURNED THAT INTO A, INTO A NEW COMMUNITY ASSET. AND THEN OF COURSE, UM, THE ENTIRE DISTRICT CHANGED. UM, UH, REDISTRICTING COMMISSION HANDED YOU A BRAND NEW DISTRICT THAT LOOKED VERY, VERY DIFFERENT THAN YOUR EXISTING DISTRICT. AND, AND FIGURING ALL THAT OUT AND WORKING ON PROJECTS LIKE RIVERDALE AND, AND, UH, AND ADDRESSING, ADDRESSING HOME, UH, UM, ADDITIONAL OWNERSHIP HOUSING. AND THROUGH ALL OF THAT, AL YOU'VE REALLY SERVED WITH CLASS, UH, WITH DIGNITY. UH, YOU'RE A FAMILY MAN. UH, YOU'VE BEEN A LIFELONG SUPPORTER OF LABOR. UH, AND MOST OF ALL, YOU'VE BEEN A PUBLIC SERVANT AND A VERY HUMBLE PUBLIC SERVANT. AND I APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH. I ALWAYS APPRECIATED YOU SHARING YOUR BEGINNINGS OF HOW YOU WORKED AT, UH, AT, UH, BOEING AND WORKED IN C 17 AND, UH, AND THAT IN ALL THOSE FORMATIVE YEARS, IT REALLY HELPED, UH, BECOME WHO YOU ARE PROFESSIONALLY AND THAT YOU ALWAYS STOOD UP FOR WHAT YOU KNEW TO BE RIGHT. UH, THAT'S KIND OF A CORE FEATURE OF THE AL AUSTIN THAT I KNOW. AND SO ON BEHALF OF OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM, UM, UH, WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU THIS HANDMADE BOX. UM, THIS IS FOR YOU TO KEEP ALL OF YOUR, UH, TREASURES IN, UH, THAT YOU, UH, HAVE ACCUMULATED ALONG THE WAY. UM, THIS IS SOMETHING, UH, THIS IS A HOBBY OF MINE THAT I MAKE AND, AND, UH, SO THERE'S NOT ANOTHER ONE LIKE IT. THE LASER ENGRAVING, UH, WAS DONE WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR LONG BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY. THEY HAVE A MAKERSPACE AND THEY, UH, ASSIST US IN DOING THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS APPROACHING PUBLIC SERVICE WITH EXTREME CLASS, UH, AND YOU HAVE SO MUCH TO BE PROUD OF AS YOU, UH, PASS THAT TORCH TO OTHERS WHO WILL SERVE BEHIND YOU. SO, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN, JUST PERSONALLY FOR THE SUPPORT YOU'VE SHOWN ME, UH, AND OUR ENTIRE TEAM. AND ON BEHALF OF OUR 6,000 EMPLOYEES, WE APPRECIATE YOU AL. THANK YOU. YEAH. ALRIGHT. WELL SAID. YEAH, IT DOES LOOK LIKE A HUMID DOOR. IT IS. NOW IT'S A LITTLE WEATHER STRIPPING. IT'LL BE FINE. UM, OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM, UH, DR. LEON AND PAULA WOOD, OUR KEYS TO THE CITY, CITY RECIPIENTS. I WASN'T SURE WE WERE GONNA GET TO SPEAK. UM, , COME ON UP HERE. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE, UH, THIS PAST YEAR, 12 YEARS OF HAVING YOU, UM, HAVING OUR, UH, SUCCESS AND CHALLENGES BUILDING LOCATED IN, IN YOUR DISTRICT. I THINK, UM, THERE WERE MANY TIMES WHEN WE HAD A QUESTION, WE SAID, WELL, WE'LL JUST CALL AL AND SEE, UH, WHAT HE SAYS AND IF HE'LL MEET WITH US. AND HE WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO MEET WITH US REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. I COULD COUNT ON, UH, COUNCILMAN AUSTIN FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT AS WELL AS, UH, IDENTIFYING RESOURCES TO HELP US WITH THINGS THAT WE NEEDED TO DO, THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO IN NORTH LONG BEACH. UH, AL WAS ALWAYS THERE, UM, OUR SIGNATURE PROGRAM, FREEDOM SCHOOL. AL WAS INVOLVED OFTEN THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. HE WOULD SERVE AS A READER, HE WOULD SERVE AS A FINANCIAL SUPPORTER, A SPEAKER AT OUR VARIOUS EVENTS. AND SO I THANK YOU AND I JUST WANT TO WISH YOU THE VERY BEST, UM, IN THESE COMING YEARS. I KNOW YOU WILL FIND SOME EXCITING THINGS TO DO AND I KNOW WE'LL STILL SEE YOU AROUND THE CITY. AND I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF SUCCESS AND CHALLENGES AND, UH, PASTOR WOOD AND MYSELF, WE WANTED YOU TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN TO US AND SUCCESS AND CHALLENGES OVER THE YEARS. SO, ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. AND, AND I LIKE TO SAY, UM, THE ONE THING THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE IS ALL THE, THE WAY YOU TREATED THE YOUNG MEN THAT WE'RE AT, THAT'S THE PRAYER CENTER. THOSE YOUNG MEN CAME [01:25:01] FROM SOME PRETTY ROUGH BACKGROUNDS AND, AND YOU ALWAYS, YOUR STAFF, EVERYONE, EVERY TIME WE NEEDED SOMETHING, YOU WERE THERE FOR US. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT NORTH OF DEL LAMO AND SEE THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE IN THE 12 YEARS. YOU'VE BEEN THE CITY COUNCILMAN BEFORE THAT THE BUILDINGS WERE RUN DOWN THERE. POLICE OF TO, WE SEE DEVELOPMENT NOW. HOMES ARE BEING BROUGHT IN, PEOPLE ARE CHANGING IN THAT COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S THE RESULT OF THE POSITIVE THINGS THAT YOU BROUGHT TO THE COMMUNITY. SO WE SAY THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH AND WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU, BUT I'M NOT, 'CAUSE I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE. YOU'RE MY FRIEND. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU TO THE WOOD FAMILY. WE HAVE A FEW REPRESENTATIVES FROM, UH, CONGRESS AND THE COUNTY LIZER JACK CUNNINGHAM ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN GARCIA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR. UH, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE BACK HERE IN THESE CHAMBERS TO RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN AUSTIN TONIGHT. UM, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF CONGRESSMAN ROBERT GARCIA, WHO UNFORTUNATELY HAD TO BE IN WASHINGTON, DC TODAY, BUT ASKED ME TO BE HERE ON HIS BEHALF AND, UH, SHOW HIS APPRECIATION FOR YOU AND YOUR YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO LONG BEACH AND THE EIGHTH DISTRICT IN PARTICULAR. UM, YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND YOUR SERVICE TO THE COUNCIL AND THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. LONG BEACH IS A BETTER PLACE BECAUSE OF THE ENERGY AND THE TIME YOU SPENT AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU'VE HAD TO THIS COMMUNITY. UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SELFLESS WORK AND, UH, I HAVE A FLAG HERE THAT WAS FLOWN OVER THE CAPITOL BUILDING, UM, FOR YOU, UM, ON BEHALF OF, OF CONGRESSMAN GARCIA. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. YOU GOTTA SHOW THAT OFF. YEAH, YEAH. HOLD THAT UP. OH YEAH. THE GIFTS DEFINITELY ELEVATED THIS TIME. , LOOK AT THAT. THERE GOES THE PLAN. VERY NICE. GOOD. NEXT, UH, WE HAVE JEANETTE CHRISTIAN FROM THE OFFICE OF SUPERVISOR, JANICE HUNT. OF COURSE, JANICE WANTS A BIGGER PLAQUE AND FRAME THIS TIME AND FRAME. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL MEMBER AL AUSTIN. WE ARE SO THANKFUL THAT FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE, 12 YEARS, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF LA COUNTY SUPERVISOR JANICE HAHN, WHO SADLY COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY 'CAUSE OF THE BOARD MEETING RAN LATE. BUT SHE WANTED TO JUST THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE, IN PARTICULAR FOR THE ATTENTION YOU PAID TO CARLITOS, WHICH IN YOUR DISTRICT YOU TREATED IT LIKE IT WAS YOUR OWN. AND THROUGH THE YEARS WE'VE JUST SEEN IT GROW. AND, UM, ALL THE ATTENTION YOU PAID TO IT REALLY PAID OFF. AND WE'RE JUST REALLY GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE. AND LONG BEACH IS A BETTER PLACE BECAUSE OF YOU. AND ON BEHALF OF THE 10, UH, MILLION RESIDENTS OF LA COUNTY, WE HAVE THE SCROLL FOR YOU. IT JUST FRAMED A FIVE SIGNATURE SCROLL AND JUST WANTED TO PRESENT THAT ON HER BEHALF. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, BEFORE WE GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL, 'CAUSE YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE QUEUED UP AND I'LL GIVE SOME FINAL REMARKS. UH, I KNOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE TONIGHT WITH COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. IF YOU'RE JUST HERE TO CELEBRATE AND SUPPORT. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN, CAN YOU JUST PLEASE STAND? OUTSTANDING. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING. ALL RIGHT, NOW YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM YOUR COLLEAGUES. LET'S START WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER YANGA, WHO NOW HAS THE SENIORITY NOW THAT YOU'RE LEAVING THE COUNCIL. HE'S NOW THE ELDER STATE'S BEEN ON THE COUNCIL. ARE YOU SEEING HIM OLD? HE'S ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF THE OLDER ELDER STATE . HEY YOU. S**T, YOU SEEN 'EM OLD. SEE ALS THROWING ALL THE SHOTS TONIGHT? BE CAREFUL. WELL, I HAVE A STORY. WE ALL HAVE STORIES, BUT I FIRST MET AL WHEN HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE YOUNG DEMS, SO HE WAS LESS THAN 35 WHEN I MET HIM. NOW HOW LONG ARE YOU 65 ? IT WAS OVER 20 YEARS AGO. OVER 20 YEARS AGO. SO, UM, HE WAS A GENTLEMAN AND THEN VERY MUCH ACTIVELY INVOLVED BEFORE HE GOT ELECTED. HE WAS A PART OF A COMMITTEE THAT LAUNCHED MY CAREER IN POLITICS WHEN I BECAME A MEMBER OF THE MOR TRUSTEES OF LONG CITY COLLEGE. SO WE HAD A, AN IMPACT ON MY LIFE AND MY POLITICAL CAREER AND BEING ABLE TO GET HIS AND SUPPORT FOR MY, UH, CAREER. YEAH, AS A COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEE. AND NOW WE SAT BESIDE EACH OTHER. I'VE SAT NEXT TO YOU NOW FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS AND IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE HAVING ALWAYS BEEN AGREEABLE, BUT WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN FRIENDS AND I HOPE WE ALWAYS DO [01:30:01] REMAIN FRIENDS. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU GAVE ME WHEN I, WHEN I BECAME A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WAS ONE OF THESE SHIRTS, BUT IT WAS EMBROIDERED WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. FIRST ONE, THE MEMBER GAVE ME ONE SHIRT LIKE THAT WITH YOU. AND I APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH. I WENT HOME. I'M NOT GONNA PUT IT IN A PLAQUE, BUT IT IS A SPECIAL PLACE. THANK YOU OUT FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE. VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. YOU'RE A GENTLE AND SCHOLAR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS COUNCILMAN SORROW. YES, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN AS LONG AS COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA, BUT I HAVE KNOWN YOU, UM, WHEN I WAS WORKING AS A STAFFER, AND I ALWAYS REMEMBER WHEN WE MET, 'CAUSE YOU ALWAYS TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE THROUGH YOUR EXPERIENCES. UM, HE TOLD ME A STORY ABOUT HIM BEING A STAFFER. I WAS LIKE, OH, OKAY. UM, THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE DAY I MAY RUN FOR OFFICE AND, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS, UH, KIND OF SAW COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN AS SOMEBODY WHO I COULD LOOK UP TO AS FAR AS THE WAYS THAT HE HAS SERVED THE COMMUNITY. I THINK HE CARES A LOT ABOUT HIS RESIDENT AND IS A PROBLEM SOLVER. I DON'T, I THINK THAT WHEN AN ISSUE COMES UP, HE'S REALLY THOUGHTFUL IN HOW TO BEST APPROACH IT IN A WAY THAT REALLY SOLVES THE PROBLEM, RATHER THAN I THINK JUST MAKING IT GO AWAY, RIGHT? BEING A REAL PUBLIC SERVANT AND REALLY ANSWERING TO THE NEEDS OF RESIDENT, BUT ALSO ADDRESSING POLICY ISSUE AND APPRECIATE A LOT OF HIS PERSPECTIVE ON THE DAIS, THE QUESTIONS YOU ASK, THE ANALYSIS YOU PROVIDE. I FEEL LIKE IT REALLY ADDS TO THE WAY THAT WE MAKE OUR DECISION. AND I'LL MISS THAT ON THE DAIS. UM, AND REALLY KNOW THAT AS A SOMEBODY WHO'S A LIFELONG SERVANT, UM, YOU'RE DEFINITELY GONNA CONTINUE TO SERVE. BUT I'M SURE YOU'LL ALSO TAKE A MUCH NEEDED BREAK WITH DASIA AND YOUR KIDS, UM, AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS. SO I HOPE Y'ALL DO THAT AND JUST WANNA CONGRATULATE YOU ON A JOB WELL DONE IN THE PAST 12 YEARS. SO YOU'VE LEFT YOUR MARK AND I THINK AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU'VE MADE THE CITY BETTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE YOU ROUND. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN. UM, AS YOU KNOW, YOU ARE TRULY A STAPLE OF LONG BEACH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO OUR CITY. THANK YOU FOR TACKLING THE CHALLENGES WITH INTEGRITY AND VISION. YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE CARE FOR THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH HAVE LEFT AN UNDENIABLE MARK. UM, YOUR CONTINUE YOUR CONTINUED CONTRIBUTIONS WILL CONTINUE TO SAY TO SHAPE OUR CITY FOR YEARS TO COME. UM, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING A MENTOR AND ALWAYS, I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAD A MEETING WITH YOU AS THE, UM, BUDGET OVERSIGHT CHAIR. AND I CAME TO YOU WITH ALL THESE GREAT IDEAS OF WHERE WE COULD PUT FUNDING AND SHUFFLE THEM AROUND. AND YOU WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE IN THAT. AND THEN YOU TOLD ME, MARY, THESE ARE ALL GREAT IDEAS. TELL ME WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GET THE MONEY FROM? WHERE ARE YOU GONNA TAKE IT FROM? AND I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT, UM, TILL THIS DAY THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO, UM, REALLY, YOU KNOW, MANAGE OUR MONEY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU TAUGHT ME AND ALSO YOU'VE ALWAYS TAUGHT ME TO FIND BALANCE AND TRY TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE GOOD AND THE BAD AND TRY TO FIND A MIDDLE GROUND. AND FOR THAT, I WILL FOREVER BE THANKFUL. UM, I HAVE NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT YOUR PASSION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE, UM, WILL LEAD YOU TO EVEN GREATER THINGS AND IN LIFE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. UM, SO I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN THIS NEXT CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER SUPERMAN. UH, THANK YOU. SO AL WE GO BACK TO, UH, 2015 WHEN I JOINED THE COUNCIL. I'D ACTUALLY MET YOU IN, IN 2006, I THINK IT WAS WHEN YOU, YOUR LIFE BECAME A LITTLE MORE PUBLIC. UM, BUT I JUST WANNA THANK YOU, UH, IN ADDITION TO YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY, UM, JUST YOUR MENTORSHIP AND YOUR LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE. UM, AL AUSTIN IS PROBABLY THE STRONGEST INDIVIDUAL I'VE MET IN LIFE. WHAT'S SO IMPRESSIVE, IT IS A QUIET STRENGTH. AND I THINK OF THE TIMES THAT WE WERE UP AGAINST IT. AND I LOOK TO AL FOR, UM, SOME HELP, SOME ASSISTANCE. AND OF ALL THE LEGISLATION WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, UH, WHAT COMES TO MIND WOULD BE, UH, A REALLY TOUGH AIRPORT VOTE. WE ARE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF A, OF A THREE SIX VOTE AT THE TIME. AND THERE WAS NO SHORTAGE OF DETRACTORS OUT [01:35:01] THERE. THEY WERE TELLING US WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING. WE WERE GONNA CRASH THE WHOLE AIRPORT ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE OVER OUR INCOMPETENCE. AND WE MANAGED TO FLIP THAT VOTE FROM SIX THREE TO ONE EIGHT, AND WE WON. AND I THINK THOSE ARE THE THINGS. I REMEMBER WHERE AL WAS UNFLAPPABLE. HE WAS, HE WAS JUST UNDETERRED BY THE NEGATIVITY. AND, UM, THAT'S WHAT I ADMIRE MOST ABOUT HIM. UM, BUT WITH ALL THAT, UM, CHARACTER AND STRENGTH, I THINK, UH, ONE OF YOUR BEST ROLES IN LIFE IS THAT OF A PARENT. UM, I USED TO HAVE A, A FAVORITE, UM, FOOTBALL PLAYER FULLBACK BY THE NAME MIKE ALSTOT. I APOLOGIZE, CINDY. THEY, THEY BEAT THE, UH, THE TEMP RACE, BEAT THE, UH, RAIDERS IN THAT FAMOUS SUPER BOWL. BUT, UH, I WAS WATCHING A GAME ONE TIME AND THEY SHOWED A PICTURE OF HIS PARENTS IN THE STANDS AND SAID IT PARENTS HAD BEEN TO EVERY ONE OF HIS GAMES, COLLEGE AND PRO. WELL, UM, I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED BY THAT. BUT NOW AL AND DACIA GO TO ALL THE GAMES FOR TWO KIDS, AND I THINK THAT'S EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE. SO AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS, BEST WISHES ON, ON YOUR NEXT CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE. AND, UH, WE REALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT, DR. JONI, RICK SODI. UM, AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THIS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN, UH, AND ABOUT YOUR LEGACY, I WAS THINKING, UH, SINCE THE, YOU HAD BEEN ELECTED IN 2012, THE ENTIRE TIME I HAVE LIVED IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, YOU HAVE BEEN A COUNCIL MEMBER AND YOU DON'T LOOK ANY WORSE FOR WHERE, I PROMISE. UM, BUT NO, IT HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE. UM, OBVIOUSLY OUR, OUR JOURNEY STARTED AS ME AS A RESIDENT RIGHT? IN NORTH LONG BEACH AND AS ENGAGING AT THAT LEVEL, AND THEN ME BECOMING A COUNCIL MEMBER AND BEING ABLE TO, UH, YOU, YOU, MY NEIGHBOR NOW HERE AT THIS END OF THE DAIS. UM, BUT I HAVE SO APPRECIATED KNOWING YOU, UM, AS A RESIDENT AND THEN NOW ALSO AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, AND I, UM, MARVEL AT YOUR ABILITY TO SEE ISSUES, UM, IN WAYS THAT ARE STRATEGIC AND CLEAR-EYED, UM, BUT ALSO TO SEE THEM IN ALL THEIR FACETS, RIGHT? AND RECOGNIZE THAT SOMETIMES THE THE WAYS THAT WE COME INTO CONVERSATIONS ARE NOT THE WAYS THAT WE COME OUT OF CONVERSATIONS, RIGHT? UM, AND BEING WILLING TO OFTEN TO TAKE IN A NEW INFORMATION. AND I SEE YOU DO THAT REGULARLY ON THE DIETS, UM, AND IN COMMUNITY. UM, AND SOMETIMES THAT CAUSES YOU TO CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS. AND I APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO SEE SOMEONE OPERATE IN THAT SPACE CONTINUOUSLY. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I LOOK UP TO. AND SO I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE JUST YOU AS A PERSON. UM, SEEING YOU ENGAGE WITH YOUR RESIDENTS, SEEING YOU ENGAGE WITH YOUR FAMILY, UM, AND SEEING YOU WEIGH ALL THOSE DYNAMICS, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE CAN ALL APPRECIATE AND I WILL PERSONALLY MISS ON THE COUNCIL. AND SO I WISH YOU, UH, THE VERY BEST, UM, DON'T, UH, DON'T RUSH IT AS WE TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT DON'T RUSH INTO ANYTHING TOO QUICKLY, RIGHT? SO ENJOY, ENJOY THIS TIME, YOU KNOW, GIVE DEIA HER HUSBAND BACK FOR A LITTLE WHILE RIGHT BEFORE YOU AGREE TO ANYTHING ELSE. UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, AND JUST, UH, ENJOY YOUR TIME AS A, AS A RESIDENT OF NORTH LONG BEACH. UM, BUT WE STILL GONNA CALL YOU SOMETIMES AND BE ASKING YOU TO DO SOME THINGS, SO DON'T, DON'T RUN AWAY TOO QUICKLY. SO, UM, BUT AGAIN, UH, CONGRATULATIONS MY FRIEND. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KIRK. YES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. CONGRATULATIONS, SIR. I WORE MY GREEN AND GOLD. I KNOW YOU HAVE, UH, POLLY AND OREGON. UH, THE PATRIOTS I THINK ARE BLUE AND SILVER, BUT, BUT I WORE MY GREEN ON PURPOSE. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I THINK I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU, DIFFERENT THAN THE ONES OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE. ALL OF US HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE WITH YOU HERE ON COUNCIL WHEN I WAS ON SCHOOL BOARD FOR EIGHT YEARS, REPRESENTING NORTH LONG BEACH. I GOT TO WORK WITH YOU THEN, BUT I WAS ALSO WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ORANGA AND MAYOR, UH, RICHARDSON AT THE TIME. BUT FROM 20 20 12 TO 2020 AND A HALF, I WAS AN EIGHTH DISTRICT RESIDENT. SO I THINK I'M THE ONLY ONE UP HERE WHO WAS YOUR CONSTITUENT FOR MOST OF THAT TIME. UM, SO I WANNA THANK YOU AS A FORMER CONSTITUENT, UH, FOR YOUR SERVICE AND ATTENTION AND CARE TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE SHARED AT THAT TIME AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO SHARE, UM, IN DIFFERENT WAYS. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO A DIVERSE CONSTITUENCY IN DISTRICT EIGHT OVER THE YEARS, UM, AND ADVOCATING FOR NORTH LONG BEACH, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IS A COMMUNITY I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT AS WELL. UM, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING A PARTNER IN THAT WORK, UM, AND FOR MAKING OUR COMMUNITY MORE VIBRANT AND LIVABLE. UM, I WISH YOU AND DACIA AND ALEX AND DAYLEN SUCCESS AND JOY IN THE FUTURE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. CONGRATULATIONS. ALRIGHT, NEXT, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. UM, I REMEMBER SPECIFICALLY THE FIRST CONVERSATION I HAD WITH YOU ON [01:40:01] THE PHONE. IT WAS TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO ON OCEAN BOULEVARD. AND YOU WERE SO NICE TO TAKE MY CALL AS I WAS CAMPAIGNING AND YOU ASKED QUESTIONS. WE TALKED ABOUT YOUR KIDS, WE TALKED ABOUT MY KIDS, AND YOU ASKED, WHY DID YOU WANNA DO THIS JOB? WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO DO THIS JOB? BUT I SEE WHY, AND I'VE ONLY HAD TWO YEARS WORKING WITH YOU, WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE AND OF YOUR 12 YEARS, AND I FEEL VERY LUCKY TO HAVE WORKED WITH YOU FOR THOSE TWO YEARS. I APPRECIATE EVERY CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE. UM, WE AGREE A LOT, BUT WHEN WE DISAGREE, WE AGREED TO DISAGREE. IT WAS AN HONEST CONVERSATION. YOU LEAD AS A COUNCIL COUNCILMAN, BUT AS A PERSON WITH HONOR, WITH RESPECT, WITH SOLUTIONS, AND WITH A SMILE, WHICH ALWAYS MAKES IT BETTER. UM, AND I THINK YOU JUST ALWAYS DID WHAT YOU FELT WAS RIGHT AND YOU WEREN'T LED BY ANYTHING BUT THAT. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. I APPRECIATE YOU AS A LEADER AND I LOOK TO YOU FOR HOW YOU DO THINGS. SO CONGRATULATIONS. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU DO IN THE FUTURE. AND OF COURSE, I WISH YOU AND DACIA AND THE BOYS WELL, SO CONGRATULATIONS. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS VICE MAYOR ALLEN. YES. I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, CONGRATULATIONS, UM, ON A JOB WELL DONE, COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I BELIEVE TO BE TRUE IS SERVICE, UM, TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS THAT, THAT I TREASURE AND I KNOW YOU DO TOO. SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE EIGHTH DISTRICT. I WANNA THANK YOU TO YOUR SERVICE, TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. AND, UM, I KNOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN A WONDERFUL SERVANT, A FATHER, A HUSBAND, AND MAY THE GOOD WORK CONTINUE IN YOUR DISTRICT. AND, UM, AND I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN YOUR FUTURE, UH, ENDEAVORS. ALL RIGHT, SO I GET TO SPEAK LAST. SO, SO, UH, COUNCILMAN, YOU KNOW, THE THING ABOUT SPEAKING IN LAST IS EVERYBODY SAID A WHOLE LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALL KNOW. UH, I THINK TOM LAID OUT, UH, A PRETTY HEFTY TRACK RECORD. YOU CERTAINLY LEFT YOUR MARK ON COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT IN THE NORTH LONG BEACH COMMUNITY IN MANY WAYS, AND THAT'S BEEN RECOGNIZED TONIGHT. I THINK, UH, COUNCILMAN URANGA KIND OF MENTIONED YOUR LEGACY WITH THE YOUNG DEMS AS A FOUNDER OF THE YOUNG DEMOCRATS. UH, SO THERE'S A LOT THAT COULD BE SAID ABOUT YOUR CAREER. YOU'RE A GREAT, UH, LEADER, VERY INDEPENDENT, UH, VERY PRINCIPLED, UM, A GREAT ROLE MODEL. IN THE EXAMPLE, UH, AND IT WAS MENTIONED, BUT I'M GONNA MENTION AGAIN, I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST LEGACIES IS, UH, AS A FATHER, AND I CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, YOU'VE DONE YOUR THING HERE IN PUBLIC LIFE, BUT YOU, YOU REALLY DID YOUR THING AS A FATHER, UH, RAISING YOUR, RAISING YOUR FAM, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR BOYS. NOW I CAN SAY PERSONALLY THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, I WAS 18 YEARS OLD WHEN I MET YOU AS A FRESHMAN, COULDN'T AFFORD BRACES YET. SO I HAD GAP TEETH ON CAMPUS WITH A BAGGY SUIT AT CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS AND A JERRY CURL. IT'S OKAY, IT'S COMING OUT. IT'S FINE. THAT'S RIGHT. I WAS, I WAS, I WANTED TO JOIN YOUR FRATERNITY, RIGHT? AND FOR ME, I WAS A FIRST GENERATION STUDENT. YOU GO WHERE THE SUCCESSFUL MEN ARE, THE SUCCESSFUL BLACK MEN ARE. AND THAT'S WHERE AL AUSTIN WAS. AND, UH, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, MY, YOU KNOW, I CAN, WE WERE TALKING JUST EARLIER, ME AND RASHINA, HOW MY FIRST CAMPAIGN JOB THAT WAS, YOU PRESENTED THAT OPPORTUNITY, UH, LEARNING ABOUT LABOR. AND MY FIRST JOB IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT, YOU, YOU HELPED ME WITH THAT OPPORTUNITY. AND, YOU KNOW, WE GONNA SKIP A FEW YEARS, BUT, UH, I WOULD SAY ONE OF YOUR BIGGEST LEGACY IS REALLY HELPING OPEN THE DOOR FOR NEXT GENERATIONS AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HERE ON THIS DAIS, UH, AND ACROSS THE REGION. IT'S A TREMENDOUS LEGACY. NOW, EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE DID A PROJECT CALLED REPRESENTED AT LAST, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE STORIES HAVE NOT BEEN RECOGNIZED OR TOLD, UH, THE STORIES ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONS THAT OPENED UP THE DOOR FOR THE UPTOWN RENAISSANCE AND OPENED UP THE DOOR FOR COUNCILMAN NEAL TO BE WHERE HE IS, FOR MYSELF, TO BE WHERE I AM FOR, FOR JOANIE AND FOR UA, FOR ALL OF US TO BE WHERE WE ARE. YOU WERE PART OF THOSE EARLY CONVERSATIONS, AND THAT HADN'T BEEN DOCUMENTED ANYWHERE. UH, THE CHANGE IN REPRESENTATION CITYWIDE, THERE WERE A LOT OF, A LOT OF MOVES THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE TO HELP MAKE THAT THAT HAPPEN. SO WHAT I WANNA DO RIGHT NOW IS SORT OF RECOGNIZE YOUR PLACE IN HISTORY. PLEASE BRING THAT FORWARD. BRING IT UP HERE. [01:45:02] UH, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S GO DOWN THERE. COME ON NOW. , COME ON. YOU NEED DOWN HERE. COME ON. GETTING YOUR STEPS IN ONE NIGHT. SO MAKE ON SPACE WHERE COUNCILMAN AUSTIN'S POSITION IS, UH, IN THIS CITY'S HISTORY, IT'S NOT EASY TO BECOME THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN COUNCIL MEMBER IN COUNCIL DISTRICT A THAT WAS NOT AN EASY DISTRICT TO WIN, PARTICULARLY UNDER THOSE OLD MAPS AND ON THE OFF CYCLE ELECTION. THAT IS, THAT IS A BIG PART OF THE LEGACY, BUT ALSO BEING THE FOUNDER OF THE LONG BEACH YOUNG DEMOCRATS, WHICH HELPED OPEN THE DOOR FOR MANY DEMOCRATS IN THEIR LEADERSHIP. SO THIS IS, UH, A PART OF THE REPORT TO REPRESENT THAT LAST REPORT, WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATION OF LONG BEACH'S POLITICS AND PARTICULARLY YOUR ROLE IN THAT TRANSFORMATION. HERE'S A QUOTE. UH, IN THE MID NINETIES, WE DEVELOPED SOME STRATEGIES AND PLANS TO RUN AFRICAN AMERICAN PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY. FROM THOSE EARLIER CONVERSATIONS. WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT NORTH LONG BEACH. WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THE WEST SIDE. WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT OTHER AREAS. AND IT WASN'T JUST OBVIOUSLY TO CREATE, YOU KNOW, AFRICAN AMERICAN BLACK POLITICAL POWER, BUT IT WAS ALSO TO ADVANCE ISSUES THAT WERE NOT ONLY UNIQUE TO OUR COMMUNITY, BUT TO SO MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. SO YOU SAID THAT IN YOUR INTERVIEW. UH, SO THIS IS TO YOU, A FORMER LABOR ORGANIZER, UH, MCDONALD DOUGLAS EMPLOYEE, UH, FIELD REPRESENTATIVE, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN ELECTED THE EIGHTH DISTRICT, AND THE FOUNDER, CO-FOUNDER OF BEACH YOUNG DEMOCRATS. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR LEGACY. ONE, TWO. ONE MORE. ONE MORE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN. UH, ANY, UH, ANY REMARKS, UH, FOR THE AUDIENCE ON YOUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR WONDERFUL REMARKS. UM, IT HAS BEEN, UH, REALLY A PROFOUND HONOR OF MY LIFE, UH, TO HAVE BEEN ELECTED THREE TIMES TO SERVE, UM, AND REPRESENT MY NEIGHBORS AND MY COMMUNITY. EIGHTH DISTRICT, UM, FOR THE PAST 12, I'D SAY 12 AND A HALF YEARS. 'CAUSE I GOT A LITTLE EXTRA TIME 'CAUSE OF REDISTRICTING AND HOW WE CHANGED THE, THE ELECTION CYCLE A BIT. UM, THE RESPONSIBILITY AND EXPERIENCE, UH, AS A LEADER IN THIS COMMUNITY, UM, HAS BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING. UM, I WANNA, UH, THANK ALL OF THE, THE CITY DEPARTMENT HEADS FOR THEIR, THEIR, THEIR WONDERFUL COMMENTS AND GIFTS. I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GONNA GET ALL OF THIS STUFF HOME AND AND WHAT I'M GONNA DO WITH IT. , UH, I THINK WE HAVE A NEW PROJECT DAY SHOW FOR THE MAN CAVE. WE NEED TO CLEAR THINGS OUT AND, UM, MAKE IT REALLY NICE. BUT, UM, I, I, I WANNA JUST SAY IT HAS BEEN A, I I I MOVED AS, AS MUCH AS YOU ARE. UM, I'M INSPIRED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. ALL THAT THAT CAME UP AND SPOKE TODAY HAS INSPIRED ME TO, TO BE AT THE PUBLIC SERVANT THAT I HAVE BEEN, UM, OVER THE LAST 12 AND A HALF YEARS. I'VE BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY, BY MY RESIDENTS WHO, YOU KNOW, WERE SOMETIMES TOUGH TO LOVE, BUT, YOU KNOW, HELP HELD ME ACCOUNTABLE AND, AND, AND, AND, UH, [01:50:01] YOU KNOW, KEPT THEIR FOOT ON MY NECK. AND THAT'S WHAT IT REQUIRES TO, TO, TO MAKE PROGRESS. UM, ANY, THE FOLKS SITTING BEHIND THIS, THIS DAIS NEED THAT, THAT MOTIVATION. WE NEED, UM, THE PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM OUR RESIDENTS AND BE CONNECTED ALWAYS TO OUR COMMUNITY. UM, AS I REFLECT ON, UM, I'M CERTAINLY PROUD OF THE MANY UPGRADES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE, UM, IN THE DISTRICT AND FOR THE DISTRICT. UM, WE BROUGHT IN NEW HOUSING. WE DID MILES OF STREETS, AND I THINK WE REPAIRED ALL OF THE ALLEYS IN THE DISTRICT THAT WERE HORRIBLE WHEN I FIRST STARTED. UM, DOZENS OF ACRES OF NEW PARK SPACE, UM, THRIVING SMALL BUSINESSES, DOZENS. I MEAN, I CAN'T, COUNTLESS AMOUNT OF SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE, I THINK WE'VE HELPED USHER THROUGH IN THE DISTRICT. UM, AND, UM, THESE ARE JUST FEW ACCOMPLISH ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT, THAT, THAT I CAN SAY I'M VERY PROUD OF. AND WE PLANTED OVER A THOUSAND NEW TREES IN THE DISTRICT, RIGHT? UM, IN AN EFFORT TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE. HOWEVER, I THINK WHAT I'M MOST PROUD OF, UM, IS THE COMMUNITY NETWORK THAT WE ARE ABLE TO, TO DEVELOP AND TIE TOGETHER. UM, THAT INCLUDES EMPOWERING SEVERAL NEW NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS AND ASSOCIATIONS THAT DIDN'T EXIST 12 YEARS AGO. UM, MANY SMALL BUSINESSES IN SUPPORTING OUR SMALL BUSINESS DISTRICTS. WE UP, WE STOOD UP THE UPTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT AND UPTOWN OUT OF A NEED. UM, WE, I THINK, UM, THE B-K-B-I-A MAKES ME KNOWS BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT IS THRIVING AND WAY MORE ROBUST THAN IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO, 12 YEARS AGO, UM, IN THE EVENTS AND FOSTERING SEVERAL MEANINGFUL PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR CHURCHES AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. IT, IT WAS INTENTIONAL THAT WE HAD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS TO BE ABLE TO, TO REACH AND MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND, UM, THE NON-PROFIT PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE, THE TIME. UM, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE EVENTS AFTER EVENTS AFTER EVENTS, AND IT BECOMES ALMOST CLOCKWORK, AND I'M NOT SAYING EASY, BUT A LOT EASIER WHEN, WHEN FOLKS KNOW HOW TO JUST FALL IN LINE AND KNOW THIS IS MY ROLE AND THIS IS WHAT WE DO IN PARTNERSHIP TO CREATE A BETTER DISTRICT AND TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY BETTER. UM, AND SO FOR THAT, I'M VERY, VERY FORTUNATE AND, AND PROUD OF, OF, OF THE ORGANIZING THAT THAT WENT TOOK PLACE. UM, AND THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS WORKING, UM, ON MY BEHALF WHEN I'M AWAY DOING MY DAY JOB. UM, AND SO I'VE HAD BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOME AMAZING PUBLIC SERVANTS WORKING, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE EIGHTH DISTRICT AND, AND REPRESENTING ME IN THE COMMUNITY. I THINK YOU ALL KNOW IF, CAN I GET MY STAFF TO STAND UP HERE? TODAY'S STAFF, YESTERDAY'S STAFF, , ANYBODY THAT'S WORKED, THEY, THEY ALL FIT A, THEY ALL FIT A VERY SIMILAR PROFILE. THEY, THEY LOVE LONG BEACH. THEY, THEY LOVE PUBLIC SERVANT. THEY WANT TO TO DO MORE, AND THEY WANT TO SEE US SUCCEED. AND SO FOR THAT, I'M VERY, VERY GRATEFUL. THEY'VE BEEN VERY INTEGRAL TO, UM, TO THE SUCCESS OF MYSELF AND, AND OF COURSE, UH, THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE. AND I CAN'T THANK ENOUGH. UM, I WANNA THANK ALL THE FOLKS WHO, WHO TOILED AWAY IN THE EARLY DAYS. YOU KNOW, UM, OUR MAYOR MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE EARLY CAMPAIGNS. UH, WHAT HE DIDN'T MENTION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, HE WAS THE GUY WHIPPING UP THE VOLUNTEERS AND, AND SITTING IN THE STRATEGY SESSIONS. AND IT WAS VERY, VERY INTEGRAL PART OF, UH, OUR, OUR SUCCESS, UM, WINNING THE EIGHTH DISTRICT. AND SO, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE, ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS, UH, THAT, UM, HELPED ME EVER GET ELECTED AND HELPED ME REALIZE THESE, MY DREAMS, UM, THAT TO HELP ME, HELPED ME LEAD IN A COMMUNITY THAT I, THAT I LOVE, A COMMUNITY THAT HAS GIVEN ME AND MY FAMILY SO MUCH. UM, IT'S, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE. I WANT TO THANK ANYBODY THAT'S EVER CONTRIBUTED TO MY CAMPAIGNS. OF COURSE, CAN'T LEAVE THOSE OUT. UH, THEY, THAT, THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO, TO DO IT. AND SO, UM, OR ANYBODY WHO'S EVER ENCOURAGED ME, AND, AND FOR THOSE WHO KNOW WHAT, WHAT RUNNING FOR OFFICE IS LIKE, YOU NEED THAT ENCOURAGEMENT THAT, THAT, THAT PUSH, UH, THAT YES AT THE DOOR, YOU KNOW, WE THRIVE FOR THOSE. AND SO, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. UM, I ALSO WANT TO ESPECIALLY ACKNOWLEDGE MY, MY AFSCME AND MY LABOR FAMILY FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY [01:55:01] TO REPRESENT WORKING FAMILIES DAILY AND GAIN VALUABLE INSIGHT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC SERVANTS. UM, THE, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS AND, AND FOR ALLOWING ME TO FIGHT FOR DIGNITY FOR ALL WORKERS AS, AS PART OF MY DAY JOB AND WHAT I DO AND, AND MY INTERNAL CONSTITUTION. UM, MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO THANK MY, MY A ONE FROM DAY ONE, MY RIDE OR DIE PARTNER FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS, MY AMAZING WIFE DACIA. UM, SHE PLEASE STAND UP AND TAKE A BOW. WE, WE, WE, WE'VE DONE THIS TOGETHER. I WANNA THANK OBVIOUSLY OUR SONS, UM, AND MY ENTIRE FAMILY FOR THEIR SACRIFICES AND ALWAYS STANDING SOLID, UM, THROUGH IT ALL. UM, IT WASN'T ALWAYS EASY. UM, AND IT WASN'T CONVENIENT AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ROUGH, YOU KNOW, SHARING, UM, ME WITH THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? UM, AND THEY DID SO GRACEFULLY AND, AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT. I LOVE YOU. THANK YOU. UM, MY FAMILY IS MY GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT. UM, AND, UH, WE'VE ALL BEEN BLESSED BY THE EXPERIENCE, UM, AND THE LOVE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED. UM, HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG, LONG BEACH. EVERY MEMBER OF MY FAMILY IS, HAS A PUBLIC SERVICE HEART, RIGHT? WE'RE ALL GIVING BACK, UM, DAISHA, UM, AND MY BOYS WILL BE FUTURE, UM, PUBLIC SERVANTS. I WON'T SAY FUTURE PUBLIC SERVANTS. THEY'RE GONNA GIVE BACK TO THIS COMMUNITY. I KNOW THAT BECAUSE THEY LOVE LONG BEACH. UM, I DON'T WANNA PUT 'EM IN ON THE SPOT LIKE THAT, . AND SO, WHILE MUCH HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, UH, DURING MY TENURE IN OFFICE, UM, THERE'S STILL MUCH WORK AHEAD. AND WE, WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT. I HOPE WE CAN ALL CONTINUE THE SAME PARTNERSHIPS, UM, CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER FOR A BETTER, MORE VIBRANT AND INCLUSIVE AND LIVABLE LONG BEACH WITH THE INCOMING COUNCIL MEMBER, MS. INTU. MRS. INTU, I LEAVE OFFICE, UH, TODAY FULL KNOWING THAT, UM, I PUT IT ALL OUT THERE AND THAT MY DISTRICT IS IN A MUCH STRONGER PLACE TODAY THAN IT WAS WHEN WE STARTED. AND FOR THAT, I AM SO GRATEFUL TO SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, IN THIS BUILDING, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY. UH, AND, AND, AND, AND EVEN IN, THROUGHOUT THE REGION, I'VE HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT, UM, WHICH I, I, I JUST CAN'T DENY. AND SO FOR THAT, I WANT TO JUST THANK, UH, AGAIN, THE RESIDENTS OF THE EIGHTH DISTRICT FOR THEIR CONFIDENCE, THEIR TRUST, UM, AND THE, UM, YEAH, THE, THE ABILITY TO TO, TO SERVE ON YOUR BEHALF. AND, UH, I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THE, THE BEST IS IN MY FUTURE AND IN OUR FUTURE AS A CITY. AND AGAIN, AS, AS LONG AS WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER AND WE, WE SHARE THE SAME PASSION AND VALUES, UM, THAT I KNOW THIS CITY EMBODIES, WE WILL BE THE BEST CITY IN CALIFORNIA. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND, UH, I'LL JUST SAY AL AUSTIN OUT. , YOU JUST WANTED TO USE IT, RIGHT? WELL, YOU CAN'T SAY AL AUSTIN OUT AND THEN STAY FOR THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEETING. YOU'RE WELCOME TO LEAVE. WE STILL GOT WORK TO DO, . ALL RIGHT. OKAY. AND WE, WE WON'T, WE WON'T BE LONG BEHIND YOU. YEAH. YOU STILL GOTTA VOTE TONIGHT. OKAY. YOU CAN STAY FOR A COUPLE VOTES. SO, AL AUSTIN, ALMOST OUT. GOTCHA. ALL RIGHT. THANKS SO MUCH, UH, EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING. UH, A VERY POWERFUL, VERY IMPACTFUL NIGHT. WE'RE GONNA KEEP GOING WITH THE, UH, WITH THE AGENDA. WE HAVE A FEW HEARINGS THEY, THEY SHOULDN'T TAKE VERY LONG. LET'S GO TO, UH, HEARING ITEM 16, PLEASE. ITEM 16 IS, IS A REPORT FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE [16. 24-55776 Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, review and determine that the proposed project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15307 (Actions by Regulatory Agencies for the Protection of Natural Resources) and Section 15061 (b) (3) (the ‘Common Sense’ Exemption) of the CEQA Guidelines and accept Categorical Exemption (CE-24-022); Declare ordinance setting aside and dedicating in perpetuity Parcel A in Willow Springs Park, located at 2745 Orange Avenue, for public park purposes and uses, read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading;       Office or Department:         Suggested Action: ] SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD. CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC HEARING REVIEW AND DETERMINE THAT THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS EXEMPT FROM CQA GUIDELINES AND ACCEPT CATEGOR CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION. DECLARE ORDINANCE, SETTING ASIDE THE DEDICATING IN PERPETUITY PARCEL A IN WILLOW SPRING PARK, LOCATED AT 27 45 ORANGE AVENUE FOR PUBLIC PARK PURPOSES AND USES, READ THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING. DECLARE ORDINANCE AMENDING TABLE 35 DASH TWO OF THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO INCLUDE THE ENTIRETY OF PARCEL A OF WILLOW SPRING PARK, THEREBY [02:00:01] APPROVING ITS DEDICATION. READ THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING. DECLARE ORDINANCE AMENDING THE USE DISTRICT MAP TO CHANGE THE ZONING DISTRICT FOR THAT PORTION OF PARCEL A IN WILLOW SPRINGS PARK THAT IS ZONED MEDIUM INDUSTRIAL TO PARK ZONE. READ THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING AND ADOPT RESOLUTION SETTING FORTH THE CITY COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION FOR FUTURE DEDICATION OF PARCEL B. LOCATED AT 10 40 SPRING STREET AS WILLOW SPRINGS PARK DISTRICT ONE AND FIVE. AND THIS ITEM DOES REQUIRE FIVE VOTES. ALRIGHT. UH, THERE'S NO OATH REQUIRED. THIS REQUIRES FIVE VOTES. SO WE'LL DO THE STAFF PRESENTATION, THEN WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT, THEN WE'LL VOTE STAFF, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UM, MS. UH, MR. MAYOR, THIS IS A ITEM THAT COUNSEL HAS HEARD BEFORE. SO WE CAN DO THE PRESENTATION OR WE CAN FOREGO THE PRESENTATION. IT'S YOUR QUESTION. IF WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THE PRESENTATION, THEN WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THE PRESENTATION. SURE. SO I'LL JUST DO A BRIEF, UH, SUMMARY. I KNOW, UH, THERE'S AN EVENT EVERYONE WANTS TO GET TO, BUT, UM, A COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY HEARD, UH, DISCUSSION ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND, UH, MOST RECENTLY PROVIDED STAFF, UH, DIRECTION TO DEDICATE AND PERPETUITY WILLOW SPRINGS PARK. THAT'LL HAPPEN IN TWO STEPS. UM, ONE IS THE LARGER PIECE OF THE PARCEL, WHICH WILL HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY. UM, NEXT IS A SMALLER PARCEL, UM, WHICH HAS HAD A VARIETY OF USES WHICH WILL BE DEDICATED IN THE FUTURE IN CONNECTION, UM, WITH THE PARK NEEDS PROJECT IN DOWNTOWN. UM, THIS WILL, UH, ESTABLISH, UH, COUNCIL'S COMMITMENT TO MAINTAINING ALL OF WILLOW SPRINGS PARK AS PARK IN PERPETUITY. AND THESE ARE JUST THE FIVE LEGAL ACTIONS REQUIRED FOR YOU TO DO SO, UM, AS ESTABLISHED IN YOUR PRIOR DIRECTION. ALRIGHT, WE HAVE, UH, A NUMBER OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, LET'S SEE, FOUR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. MONA EKER, EICHNER, EXCUSE ME. UH, MIKE LARA, LARA, UH, LYNETTE ZI, AND CHRIS CHAVEZ. PLEASE COME FORWARD. MONA IS FIRST. WOO. SO I GET A FULL THREE MINUTES. UM, I WON'T USE IT ALL. GOOD MORNING. UM, HONORABLE MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS MANA EICHNER AND I LIVE IN THE SEVENTH DISTRICT AND I'M ONE OF THE CO-CHAIRS OF FRIENDS OF WILLOW SPRINGS PARK. I AND ALL OF THE FRIENDS OF WILLOW SPRINGS PARK MEMBERS, SOME OF WHICH ARE HERE, UM, ARE SUPPORT THE THREE ORDINANCES, ALIGNING THE ZONING AND MAPS FOR THE DEDICATION AND PERPETUITY OF PARCEL A AND THE RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING PARCEL B TO ULTIMATELY JOIN THE REMAINING ACREAGE AFTER ITS TIME IN THE LAND BANK. ONCE THE MECHANISM IS IN PLACE, REST ASSURED, THE, THE FRIENDS OF WILLS, THE FRIENDS, WILL BE FOLLOWING ITS PROGRESS AND WON'T LET THAT RESOLUTION BE FORGOTTEN. , UM, THANK YOU MAYOR RICHARDSON, COUNCILWOMAN KERR AND YOUR STAFF. UM, COUNCILMAN, MEMBER YANGA, THE CITY MANAGER. I DUNNO IF BRENT DENNIS IS STILL HERE, BUT THANK YOU, BRENT DENNIS. UM, AND OF COURSE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL THE HARD WORK PLANNING, PUTTING THIS TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF THE FRIENDS GROUP, I WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK LARRY RICH OF THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR SEEING BEYOND THE KIND OF INDUSTRIAL WASTELAND THAT IT ONCE WAS, AND GUIDING IT ON ITS RESTORATION JOURNEY TO THE 16 ACRE NATIVE HABITAT. IT IS TODAY AND WILL FORTUNATELY CONTINUE TO GROW TO THE FULL 48 AND HOPEFULLY NOT IN THE TOO DISTANT FUTURE. AND A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER JAMES JOHNSON FOR HIS ROLE IN GETTING US HERE AS WELL AS MO AS HOPEFULLY MOST OF YOU KNOW, WILLOW SPRINGS PARK IS A UNIQUE GEM OF OPEN SPACE IN THE CENTRAL WESTERN PART OF THE CITY, AND HOSTS A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT GROUPS JUST AT SUCH AS FARM LOT 59, THE LONG BEACH BEEKEEPERS, THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY COMPOST. THE CONSERVATION CORPS HAS A LUMBER MILL THERE, AND OF COURSE THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND SUSTAINABILITY WHO SUPPORTS THE CLIMATE ACTION CORE, I'M SORRY, SUPPORTS THE CLIMATE ACTION CORE GROUP AND THE CLIMATE ACTION AMBASSADORS. AND ALL THESE GROUPS ENCOURAGE PUBLIC AND EDUCATION, I'M SORRY, LEMME TRY THAT AGAIN. ALL THESE GROUPS ENCOURAGE PUBLICATION EDUCATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK, UM, LONG BEACH HERITAGE TO WHICH IS, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT HELPED FRIENDS OF WILLOW SPRING PARK BECOME, THEY'RE ONE OF OUR SPON, THEY'RE OUR SPONSORS. [02:05:01] AND THEY ALSO RECOGNIZED THE IMPOR, THE PARK'S, HISTORIC AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. AND, UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK OUR FORMER CO-CHAIR MANNY VALENZUELA, WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING THE FRIENDS GROUP TO THIS POINT. IN TWO WEEKS, OR ACTUALLY A WEEK FROM THIS COMING SATURDAY, THERE'S GOING TO BE A WINTER SOLSTICE PROGRAM WITH THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND SUSTAINABILITY, AND WITH THE FRIENDS OF WILL SPRINGS PARK WITH. AND, AND THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED. WOW. THAT THREE MINUTES WENT FAST. OKAY. YEAH. YOU SAID YOU WEREN'T EVEN GONNA USE ALL THREE MINUTES. I DIDN'T THINK I WAS AND WHEN I TIMED IT, IT ALL, IT GOES FAST. IT DOES . THANK YOU, MIKE. OH, WOW. MY NAME'S MIKE LARA. I'M A WRIGLEY RESIDENT AND A STRONG SUPPORTER OF WILLOW SPRINGS PARK. AND I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR COUNCIL AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT'S WORKED ON THIS. UH, IT'S BEEN KIND OF A LONG HAUL. WE WERE HOPING TO GET IT ALL DEDICATED AT THIS POINT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S STILL IN THE WORKS AND WILL HAPPEN. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UH, WHILE I'M VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THIS PARK A MUCH NEEDED OPEN SPACE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, I WOULD HOPE THAT THIS IS THE BEGINNING AND NOT THE END OF CITY GOVERNMENTS, UH, DEALINGS WITH THE PARK. IT NEEDS SOME FUNDING NOW. THERE'S NOT EVEN A PUBLIC RESTROOM AND THERE ARE SOME, UH, AT LEAST TWO AND POSSIBLY MORE REVENUE SOURCES THAT ARE, UH, COMPANIES THAT ARE PAYING RENT TO THE PARK OR TO THE CITY. AND I'M HOPING SOME OF THAT FUNDING WILL FLOW TO THE PARK TO HELP FURTHER DEVELOP THINGS. IT'S A GREAT NATURAL RESOURCE. IT'S A PLACE WHERE SCHOOL CHILDREN CAN COME AND LEARN ABOUT NATURE IN A PRETTY NATURAL SETTING, CONSIDERING IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF A LARGE CITY. UH, SO LET'S KEEP AT IT. IT'S KEEP IMPROVING THINGS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT IS LYNETTE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LYNETTE REEN. I'M A RESIDENT OF WRIGLEY. I FULLY SUPPORT THE DEDICATION OF WILLOW SPRINGS PARK IN PER IN PERPETUITY. AND I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATION. UM, I ALSO SUPPORT THE CONTINUED ALLOCATION OF MONEY IN WILLOW SPRINGS PARK, PARK IN EVERY BUDGET CYCLE. THE PARK STILL DOES NOT HAVE A PERMANENT RESTROOM AND RECEIVE NO MEASURE A FUNDS. IN ORDER TO MAKE SOME BASIC IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK, I ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO DIRECT INCOME GENERATED FROM MARTIN MARIETTA TO ONSITE IMPROVEMENTS INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE GENERAL FUND. ALSO, PARKS AND REC FEES COLLECTED FROM NEW DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE 437 ACRE GLOBE MASTER CORRIDOR PLAN ARE NOT SPENT WITHIN THE PLAN AREA. IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE MONEY GENERATED WITHIN THE PLAN AREA. STAY IN THE PLAN AREA AT WILLOW SPRINGS PARK, THE ONLY OPEN SPACE IN THE GLOBE MASTER PLAN. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. CHRIS CHAVEZ. CHRIS CHAVEZ, UH, RESIDENT OF THE RIG, UH, IN WRIGLEY IN THE SEVENTH DISTRICT. UH, VERY BRIEFLY, JUST WANNA STATE MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR THIS MEASURE AND ALSO SUPPORT, UH, CONTINUED FUNDING AND DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT FOR WILLOW SPRINGS PARK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'LL TAKE IT BEHIND THE RAIL COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UM, THANKS TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT. THANK MANA. THANK YOU MANA FOR, UM, BASICALLY TAKING ALL OF MY TALKING POINTS, SO I'LL ONLY REPEAT THEM BRIEFLY. UM, AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE FRIENDS OF WILLOW SPRINGS WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT. UM, IT HAS BEEN A LONG JOURNEY, UM, AND WE KNEW WHEN WE FIRST HAD THAT CONVERSATION OUTSIDE BIXBY, JOE, UM, I GAVE YOU MY WORD THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT AND THAT WE WERE GONNA WORK ON IT. UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING ME AND I WANNA THANK THE TEAM AT THE CITY FOR ALSO BELIEVING ME WHEN I SAID THIS WAS A PRIORITY FOR OUR OFFICE, UM, WHEN WE ASSUMED OFFICE TWO YEARS AGO. UM, ALSO THANK YOU TO THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, PRM STAFF, THE CONSERVATION CORPS, UM, THE FRIENDS OF WILLOW SPRINGS AND ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE HAD HAD A HANDS ON PART IN THE RESTORATION WORK THAT CONTINUES EVERY SINGLE DAY AT WILLOW SPRINGS, UM, TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WHO WORKED IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO GET US TO THIS VOTE TONIGHT. UM, 48 ACRES IS AIG IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SPACE. PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST DEDICATIONS IN RECENT MEMORY. AND THOUGH ONLY 11 ACRES ARE RESTORED CURRENTLY, THE ENTIRETY OF THE DEDICATED SPACE WILL MAKE WILLOW SPRINGS ONE OF OUR LARGEST CITY PARKS, COMPARABLE TO, BUT LARGER THAN ONE OF OUR OTHER NATURAL PARKS, THE COLORADO LAGOON AND ITS SURROUNDING SPACE. UM, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE ONGOING WORK THAT CONTINUES THE DEDICATION OF PARCEL B IN THE FUTURE, UM, AND REALLY WANNA THANK THE CITY TEAM AND MY COLLEAGUE SUPPORT. I THINK THIS IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR COMMITMENT [02:10:01] TO UTILIZING OUR EXISTING ASSETS TO MEET THE COMMUNITY NEEDS OF EXPANDING GREEN SPACE AND OPEN SPACE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS IN THE CITY. UM, AND WHILE WE KNOW IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE WORK THAT WE CAN DO EVERY DAY AND EVERY YEAR, UM, TO RESTORE AND REVITALIZE AND OPEN MORE OF THE PARK, UM, FOR OUR USE. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MEGAN CONTINUING THIS PROJECT. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, WILLOW SPRING PARK USED TO BE IN THE SEVENTH DISTRICT. IT IS NOW THE PART OF THE FIFTH. AND AS YOU MIGHT RECALL, WHEN I WAS THERE, IT WAS PART OF THE SEVENTH. WE HAD A TRAIN DEPOT TRANSFERRED THERE, BUT FOR THE FIRE, WE WOULD'VE RESTROOMS, WE WOULD'VE A COMMUNITY CENTER THERE. UNFORTUNATELY, IT WOULD'VE BEEN FLAMES. BUT I HOPE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT FIGHT TO CONTINUE TO FURTHER THE FUNDING TO CREATE A COMMUNITY CENTER THERE, A CENTER THAT WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE CHILDREN WITH OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WILL SPRINGS, WHAT IT WAS, WHY, WHY THEY CALLING WILL SPRINGS. VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. SO ANYWAY, I WANT TO THANK, UH, EVERYBODY AT BOW WITH THIS THANK COMMUNITY FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK THEIR FRIENDS SPRING PARK FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT IT AND TO KEEP THE FIGHT FORWARD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. YES. I WANTED TO, UM, THANK COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA AND COUNCIL MEMBER KERR ON THEIR HARD WORK IN ENSURING THAT WE ARE AT THIS POINT IN THIS DEDICATION OF THE PARK IN PERPETUITY. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS PARK IS NOT TOO FAR FROM MY DISTRICT WHERE IT'S AN AREA THAT IS MUCH NEED OF GREEN SPACE. AND I KNOW I ALSO GO TO THIS PARK FOR, UH, JUST HANGING OUT WITH MY KIDS, BUT ALSO TO GET MULCH AS WELL. 'CAUSE I'M A GARDENER. UM, BUT I, I JUST WANNA THANK THE CITY TEAM AS WELL AS THE RESIDENTS AND FRIENDS OF WILLOW SPRING PARK FOR NOT GIVING UP AND ALWAYS PUSHING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THE GREEN SPACE, UM, AND, AND, AND WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVE IT. SO JUST WANTED TO LEND MY SUPPORT AND HOW HA UM, JUST GLAD TO SEE IT COME TO THIS POINT. I KNOW IT TOOK SOME TIME. AND THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE. THANKS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KIRK? YES. AND JUST ONE QUICK THING, AND IT WAS IN MY NOTES AND I'M SORRY I SKIPPED IT. UM, I DO WANNA THANK MY PREDECESSORS FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK AND REALLY ESPECIALLY THANK JAMES JOHNSON FOR HAVING A VISION, UM, ALL OF THOSE YEARS AGO AND LOOKING AT THAT SPACE AND SEEING THAT IT COULD BE SOMETHING, UM, AND CONVENING FOLKS TO DO A MASTER PLAN AND WHAT OUR MASTER PLAN LOOKS LIKE MOVING FORWARD MIGHT LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN OUR ORIGINAL ONE. UM, BUT HIS VISION AND HIS, UH, DETERMINATION BACK THEN HELPED MAKE ALL OF THIS POSSIBLE AS WELL. SO THANK YOU TO JAMES JOHNSON. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A LOT TO WORK TO DO TO MAKE THIS, BRING THIS, UH, PARK TO FRUITION. BUT THIS IS A BIG MILESTONE, UH, WITH THE ACTION TONIGHT. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE COMMUNITY. MUCH MORE WORK TO DO. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED ON THE FORSIGHT. THAT WAS THE SHORTEST HEARING IN HISTORY. WE GOT THREE MORE VOTE. FOUR MORE VOTES. GOT A VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, NEXT VOTE. THIRD VOTE FOR THE, UH, DECLARE THE ORDINANCE AMENDING TABLE 35 DASH TWO MOTIONS CARRIED. NEXT VOTE IS TO DECLARE ORDINANCE AMENDING THE USED DISTRICT MAP TO CHANGE THE ZONING. DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER ZARO MOTION IS CARRIED. NEXT ITEM IS TO DOBB RESOLUTION. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT. OKAY. LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT HEARING. ITEM 17. ITEM SEVENTEEN'S REPORT FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD, CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC HEARING REVIEW AND [17. 24-55780 Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, review and determine that the proposed Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) amendments and Local Coastal Program Amendment (LCPA) exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301, 15304, 15305, and 15308 of the CEQA Guidelines (CE23-112) and accept Categorical Exemption (CE23-112); Declare ordinance adopting Zoning Code Amendment ZCA23-006, that amends LBMC Section 21.35.120, Table 35-1, Use in Parks District, clarifying that sidewalk vending is a permitted use subject to the regulations of Chapter 5.73 of the LBMC and repeals Section 21.45.170.L, regarding regulations pertaining to encroachment permits for vendors located within the right-of-way, read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading; and       Office or Department:         Suggested Action: ] DETERMINE THAT THE PROPOSED LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENTS AND LOCAL COASTING PROGRAM, [02:15:01] COASTAL PROGRAM AMENDMENT AND ACCEPT CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION. DECLARE ORDINANCE ADOPTING ZONING CODE AMENDMENT, CLARIFYING THAT SIDEWALK VENDING IS A PERMITTED USE REGARDING REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO ENCROACHMENT PERMITS FOR VENDORS LOCATED WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY. READ THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING AND ADOPT RESOLUTION TO SUBMIT THE ZONING CODE, AMENDMENTS AND ASSOCIATED MATERIALS AND FINDINGS TO THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION FOR A FINDING OF CONFORMANCE WITH THE CERTIFIED LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM CITYWIDE THIS ITEM REQUIRE THREE VOTES. THANK YOU. WE'LL GO TO THE STAFF'S REPORT. SURE. SO IT'S JUST A VERBAL REPORT. THIS IS SORT OF A NOTHING BURGER FOR THE CITY COUNCIL. SO I KNOW THAT, UH, SIDEWALK VENDING HAS BEEN A TOPIC OF INTENSE DISCUSSION. UM, BUT WHAT'S BEFORE YOU IS NOT THE LARGER SIDEWALK VENDING PROGRAM. IT'S JUST WHEN COUNCIL APPROVE SIDEWALK VENDING, MOST OF THOSE CHANGES LIVE IN TITLE V, WHICH IS WHERE BUSINESS REGULATIONS LIVE. BUT WE HAVE SOME DEFINITIONS IN TITLE 21, INCLUDING SAYING THAT SIDEWALK VENDORS, WHICH ARE ALLOWED PURSUANT TO TITLE V OF THE LBMC IS AN ALLOWED USE, UH, IN PUBLIC, UM, AREAS. UM, WE NOTICED IT CORRECTLY FOR TITLE V, BUT NOT FOR A TITLE 21 AMENDMENT IN THE COASTAL ZONE. AND OUR FRIENDS AT THE COASTAL COMMISSION POINTED THAT OUT. UM, SO IT DOES REQUIRE PROCEDURALLY FOR YOU TO READ, ADOPT, UH, THE ITEM AT THIS TIME, WHICH WE HAVE PUBLICLY, UH, NOTICED IN THE NEWSPAPER, WHICH I'M SURE MANY PEOPLE READ, BUT WE ALSO PUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE AND PROVIDE ADEQUATE, UM, PUBLIC NOTICE. AND WITH THIS VOTE, UH, YOUR DUTY SHOULD BE, UM, FULFILLED AND WE'LL SUBMIT TO THE COASTAL COMMISSION. THANK YOU. WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ZAINAB AND ANGELICA FRANCO, PLEASE COME FORWARD, BOTH OF US DECLINE AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, UH, WE'LL TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND DEJAS. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CARR. OKAY. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. THERE ARE THREE VOTES HERE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, NEXT VOTE. NEXT VOTE IS TO DECLARE ORDINANCE ADOPTING ZONING CODE. CLARIFYING THAT SIDEWALK VENDING IS PERMITTED. GO AHEAD AND CAST YOUR VOTES. MOTION IS CARRIED. OUR FINAL VOTE ADOPT RESOLUTION MEMBERS, SARAH, OH, SORRY. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW GO TO ITEM 18, HEARING ITEM 18. ITEM 18 IS REPORT FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE SUPPORT AND DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD, CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC [18. 24-55782 Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, review and determine that the proposed Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) amendments and Local Coastal Program Amendment exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 21080.25(b)(9) of the CEQA Statute and Sections 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) and 15305 (Minor Alterations in Land Use Limitations) of the State CEQA Guidelines and accept Categorical Exemption (CE-24-135); Declare ordinance approving a Zoning Code Amendment (ZCA23-003), and adopt the proposed findings related thereto, to amend Long Beach Municipal Code Chapters 21.15, 21.25, 21.27, 21.41, 21.45, and 21.52 of Title 21 (Zoning) related to parking requirements, read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading; and       Office or Department:         Suggested Action: ] HEARING REVIEW AND DETERMINE THAT THE PROPOSED LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENTS AND LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM AMENDMENT EXEMPT FROM DECLARE ORDINANCE APPROVING A ZONING CODE AMENDMENT AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED FINDINGS RELATED THERETO TO AMEND LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE RELATED TO PARKING REQUIREMENTS. READ THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING AND ADOPT RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER OR DESIGNEE TO SUBMIT LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM AMENDMENT AND ASSOCIATED MATERIALS AND FINDINGS RELATED TO CHANGES TO TIDY 21 OF THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSIONS FOR ITS REVIEW AND CERTIFICATION IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CERTIFY LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM. CITYWIDE THIS ITEM DOES REQUIRE THREE VOTES. ALRIGHT, UH, WE'LL GO TO STAFF REPORT, MR. MAYOR, WE WILL MOVE EXPEDITIOUSLY, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME, UH, THE BODY IS HEARD THIS. SO WE ARE REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH A BRIEF PRESENTATION AND OVERVIEW. AND ALLISON SPINDLER RUIZ, OUR PLANNING BUREAU MANAGER, WILL GIVE THAT PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, CHRISTOPHER. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. SO BEFORE YOU, AS A PROPOSED SERIES OF ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS RELATED TO PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILT OUT PROPERTIES LOOKING TO CHANGE A BUILDING'S USE OR EXPANDING A BUSINESS FOOTPRINT, THIS PROPOSAL IS FOR YOU BASED ON PREVIOUS DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL RELATED TO ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, OUR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN. AND DUE TO NEW REQUIREMENTS UNDER STATE LAW. UM, THE DIRECTION GOES BACK TO 2019 WHEN THE COUNCIL, UM, ASKED STAFF TO LOOK AT MAKING REFORMS DUE TO THE BARRIERS THAT OUR CHANGE OF USE PARKING REQUIREMENTS, UM, PUT IN PLACE FOR BUSINESSES LOOKING TO LOCATE IN VACANT STOREFRONTS. THAT ISSUE WORSENED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. ADDITIONALLY, MANY BUSINESSES, UH, TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED EXISTING PARKING SPACES, UM, [02:20:01] AT THEIR PROPERTY, UM, UM, AS A WAY TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE, TO MAINTAIN BUSINESS IN AN OUTDOOR SPACE SAFELY. AND THEN, UM, WHEN THE MAYOR CAME INTO OFFICE AS PART OF HIS 100 DAY PLAN, HE IDENTIFIED, UM, PURSUING A CHANGE OF USE PARKING AMENDMENT AS A PRIORITY CODE AMENDMENT. AND, UH, THAT IS WHAT BRINGS STAFF BEFORE WHO THIS EVENING. SO YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHAT IS CHANGE OF USE? PARKING, CHANGE OF USE PARKING REQUIREMENTS REFER TO ADDITIONAL PARKING BEING REQUIRED SIMPLY BECAUSE SOMEONE WANTS TO USE AN EXISTING BUILDING SPACE DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY HAVE IN THE PAST. UH, THIS REQUIREMENT EXISTS BECAUSE OUR CITY ZONING CODE, UM, REQUIRES DIFFERENT LAND USES TO PROVIDE DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF PARKING ON A PROPERTY, EVEN IF IT'S ALREADY BUILT OUT. SO FOR EXAMPLE, A RETAIL STORE REQUIRES LESS PARKING THAN A RESTAURANT. AND SO REQUESTING TO CHANGE THE USE OF AN EXISTING STRUCTURE, UM, OFTEN HAS TO BE DENIED WHEN ADDITIONAL PARKING CANNOT BE PROVIDED ON SITE TODAY. AND THIS IS A BARRIER THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ADDRESS. SO TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE HERE ON THE SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE AN EXAMPLE OF A PROPERTY ON ATLANTIC AVENUE THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1920 BEFORE WE HAD SUCH PARKING REQUIREMENTS HERE IN THE CITY. THE LAST PERMITTED USE WAS A SALON, WHICH REQUIRES FOUR SPACES PER 1000 SQUARE FEET OF GROSS FLOOR AREA. UM, IT DOES NOT HAVE THOSE EIGHT REQUIRED PARKING SPACES, BUT IT'S SORT OF GRANDFATHERED IN AT THAT RATIO. HOWEVER, IF SOMEONE COMES IN TO TRY TO REUSE THE SPACE AS A RESTAURANT THAT REQUIRES FIVE SPACES PER THOUSAND INSTEAD OF FOUR PER THOUSAND. AND THEREFORE, UNLESS THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PARKING ON THE PROPERTY TODAY, THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REUSE THE SPACE, UM, AS REQUESTED. THE SECOND EXAMPLE IS ON ANAHEIM STREET, A FURNITURE STORE, WHICH REQUIRES LESS PARKING THAN A CORNER MARKET, WHICH WOULD BE PROPOSED IN THE EXAMPLE. AND, UM, BECAUSE THAT ADDITIONAL PARKING CANNOT BE PROVIDED ON SITE, UM, IT WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED . SO WITH ALL THAT IN MIND, STAFF HAVE ENGAGED WITH THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON THIS TOPIC OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF. THERE WAS A STUDY SESSION WITH PLANNING COMMISSION LAST FALL AT WHICH TIME THEY, UM, ASKED US TO CONSIDER EXPANDING OUR PARKING REFORM PROPOSAL. AROUND THE SAME TIME SOME STATE LAWS CHANGED IN PART DUE TO THE BUSINESS IMPACTS OF COVID-19, UM, RELATED TO BUSINESSES WANTING TO CONTINUE PROVIDING OUTDOOR DINING AND OTHER USES. UM, AND SO STAFF HAVE ACTUALLY EXPANDED, UM, THE PROPOSAL, WHICH I'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT. SO THIS SLIDE SUMMARIZES THE FIVE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, AMENDMENTS THAT ARE BEFORE YOU. THE FIRST ONE IS TO SIMPLY ELIMINATE THE REQUIREMENT FOR ADDITIONAL PARKING TO BE, UM, PROVIDED ON SITE WHEN ALL THAT'S HAPPENING IS A CHANGE IN THE USE OF THE BUILDING. SO NO EXPANSION, JUST A CHANGE OF THE USE. THIS IS SOMETHING WE ACTUALLY DID IN A SMALL AREA OF NORTH LONG BEACH AS PART OF OUR REZONING UNDER, UH, UAN. UM, SO THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR A FEW YEARS AND WE'RE NOW PROPOSING TO EXPAND THAT CITYWIDE. THE NEXT ONE IS RELATED TO OUR COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW UNDER ASSEMBLY BILL 2097, WHICH EXEMPTS, UM, WHICH REMOVES OUR ABILITY TO IMPOSE PARKING MINIMUMS IN CERTAIN TRANSIT RICH AREAS OF THE CITY THAT ALREADY EXIST UNDER STATE LAW. BUT THIS AMENDMENT WOULD THEN PROVIDE THE LOCAL CODE AND REGULATION THAT EXPLAINS WHERE THOSE, UM, UM, WHERE THOSE CHANGES HAVE HAPPENED AND HOW WE MAP THEM OUT EACH COUPLE OF YEARS AS THE STATE LAW CONTINUES TO EVOLVE. THE THIRD CHANGE IS TO ESTABLISH A DISCRETIONARY PROCESS THROUGH A PUBLIC HEARING BY THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR TO ALLOW FOR LOWER PARKING MINIMUMS TO BE CONSIDERED BASED ON SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE AND FINDINGS, INCLUDING PARKING STUDIES, TRANSPORTATION, DEMAND MANAGEMENT, UM, AND OTHER SUCH ANALYSIS FOR NON-RESIDENTIAL USES AND PROJECTS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO BUSINESSES THAT HAVE, UM, EXPANDED THEIR OUTDOOR OPERATIONS DURING COVID-19. SO THERE'S A STATE LAW AB 1217 THAT REQUIRES EVERY CITY TO PROVIDE SOME KIND OF DISCRETIONARY PROCESS FOR DOING THIS. UM, AND THEREFORE STAFF HAVE MOVED FORWARD WITH, UM, OUR PROPOSED PROCESS, WHICH I'LL GET INTO IN JUST A MINUTE. THE LAST TWO ARE MORE ADMINISTRATIVE CLEANUPS. THE FIRST IS COMPLIANCE WITH ANOTHER STATE LAW, AB 1308, WHICH PROHIBITS ADDITIONAL PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPANSION OR ALTERATION OF SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS STATEWIDE. AND FINALLY, BUT VERY IMPORTANT TO US AT THE STAFF TABLE IS, UM, IMPROVED CODE LANGUAGE TO IMPROVE LEGIBILITY FOR BOTH STAFF AND THE PUBLIC SO THAT WE'RE ALL ADMINISTERING THE CODE PROPERLY. SO ADDING A COUPLE OF DEFINITIONS AND, UM, CLEANING UP SOME OF THE CODE, UH, REGULATIONS AS SHOWN IN YOUR PACKET. SO GETTING INTO THE, UH, DISCRETIONARY PROCESS THAT STAFF ARE RECOMMENDING FOR BUSINESSES, UM, THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR LOWER PARKING RATIOS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. UH, THIS EXAMPLE SHOWS A BUSINESS THAT, UM, EXPANDED THEIR, UM, AND PROVIDED OUTDOOR DINING ON FIVE PARKING SPACES, UH, UNDER THE CURRENT ZONING THAT WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE THAT OUTDOOR DINING. BUT WITH THE PROPOSED [02:25:01] CODE AMENDMENT, THEY COULD APPLY FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE USE PERMIT OR A UP AND HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING WITH A ZONING ADMINISTRATOR WHO WOULD REVIEW, UM, TRANSPORTATION, DEMAND MANAGEMENT PLAN, PARKING STUDY, UM, AND OR OTHER, UM, STRATEGIES FOR BASICALLY SHOWING THE ANALYSIS OF WHY THIS IS APPROPRIATE AND WOULD MAKE SENSE AT THIS LOCATION. UM, IN THIS EXAMPLE YOU CAN SEE, UM, HOW THE TDM STRATEGIES SUCH AS BICYCLE PARKING SPACES, VARIED HOURS OF WORK SHIFTS FOR EMPLOYEES, AND THEN OTHER IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS SIDEWALK, UH, SIDEWALK REPAIR, UM, WOULD HELP TO BRIDGE THAT GAP. THE SECOND EXAMPLE IS A HOTEL LOOKING TO PROVIDE, UM, A BANQUET SPACE, UM, WHERE THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO UNDER TODAY'S CODE BECAUSE OF HOW MANY ADDITIONAL PARKING SPACES THEY WOULD NEED TO PROVIDE, BUT UNDER THE PROPOSED CODE AMENDMENT AND A UP COULD CONSIDER WHAT'S CALLED A SHARED PARKING AGREEMENT, INCLUDING AN ANALYSIS THAT SHOWS HOW DIFFERENT PEOPLE USE PARKING AT DIFFERENT HOURS OF THE DAY AND DIFFERENT DAYS OF THE WEEK. BECAUSE OF THE VARIED USES THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED UNDER THIS, UM, UH, PUBLIC HEARING BY THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR THAT COULD BE APPEALED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, FOR CONSIDERATION OF THOSE USES AS WELL AS TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT MEASURES. AS WITH ALL ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS, THEY MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH OUR GENERAL PLAN AND POLICIES. YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE SLIDE THAT THIS CODE AMENDMENT, UM, SUPPORTS THE REUSE OF VACANT AND ABANDONED BUILDINGS, HELPS FACILITATE, UH, THE COMPATIBLE MIX OF USES ALONG MAJOR CORRIDORS AND NEIGHBORHOOD HUBS SUPPORTS A RANGE OF MOBILITY CHOICES INCLUDING WALKING, BIKING, AUTOMOBILE AND TRANSIT, AND UPDATES OUR PARKING POLICIES TO IMPLEMENT OUR LAND USE AND MOBILITY GOALS MORE BROADLY, THIS PROJECT IS BOTH CATEGORICALLY EXEMPT AND STATUTORILY EXEMPT UNDER CQA OR CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT. AND THEREFORE STAFF RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE SET OF CODE AMENDMENTS. AND WE'RE HAPPY TO GO THROUGH ANY SUBSECTION OF THESE IN FURTHER DETAIL IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND I'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AARON HOOPS AND KURT CANFIELD, PLEASE COME FORWARD. HI, I AM AARON HOVES. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND STAYING LATE. UM, I WAS GOING TO READ A LIST OF ALL OF THE CITIES THAT HAVE REMOVED PARKING REQUIREMENTS, UH, BUT THERE WERE 93 AS WELLS PAIR YOU IN ME FROM THAT. UH, BUT PARKING REQUIREMENTS HINDER OUR BUSINESSES. THEY HINDER OUR ABILITY TO BUILD HOUSING. THEY REALLY HOLD BACK OUR, OUR COMMUNITY. AND THIS, UH, THIS IS SUCH A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE BUSINESSES CAN CHOOSE WHERE THEY WANT TO LOCATE. SO IF THEY FIND A BUILDING THAT HAS ONLY TWO BARGAIN SP SPACES, THEY'RE NOT GONNA SET UP SOMETHING THAT NEEDS 10 PARKING SPACES, RIGHT? THEY'LL FIND A, A SUITABLE BUILDING FOR THEIR BUSINESS. BUT WE NEED TO LEAVE THAT UP TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE STARTING THESE BUSINESSES AND OUR COMMUNITY WILL ADJUST UM, AS SOMEBODY WHO LOVES TO WALK TO RESTAURANTS ON ANAHEIM STREET NEAR MY HOUSE, I AM VERY, VERY SAD TO SEE SO MANY VACANT, UH, STOREFRONTS. SO I'M VERY HAPPY THAT THIS WILL GIVE A CHANCE FOR NEW BUSINESSES TO SPRING UP AND, UH, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PRO. PROBABLY LOWER RENTS BECAUSE THERE ISN'T PARKING. UH, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE WHERE WE LIVE, YOU CAN JUST WALK OVER THERE AND GET YOUR FOOD OR WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO. UH, SO PLEASE SUPPORT THIS, UH, REQUIRING PARKING IS, IS JUST MISPLACED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. UH, THANK YOU. NAME IS KIRK CANFIELD, MEMBER OF CARLITE LONG BEACH. UH, I SUPPORT THIS, UH, POLICY. IT'S A GOOD ONE. UM, IT'S, IT'S SMART TO DO. IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR BUSINESSES TO GET STARTED WHEN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T EVEN, YOU CAN'T EVEN RENT THE, THE PROPERTY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, STARTING OUT LIKE, HEY, LIKE, I'M GONNA NEED MORE PARKING SPACES, BUT I CAN'T TEAR DOWN THE BUILDING ITSELF TO PUT TWO MORE IN THERE. UM, SO THIS IS CHEAP. IT'S FREE, YOU KNOW, AND NOW WE CAN ENJOY POTENTIALLY HAVING FEWER VACANCIES, FEWER RETAIL VACANCIES IN LONG BEACH, WHICH THERE ARE QUITE A FEW RIGHT NOW. UM, THIS COUPLED WITH THE VIBRANCY TO VACANCY MAP, OR VACANCY TO VIBRANCY MAP, WE DON'T WANNA GO THAT WAY. UH, VACANCY TO VIBRANCY MAP, I THINK IS REALLY HELPFUL. UM, IT'LL SHOW PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, PLACES THAT THEY CAN, UH, THINK ABOUT MOVING INTO. MAYBE THEY HAD A NEIGHBORHOOD IN MIND, BUT THEY DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, UH, THEY JUST WASN'T GONNA WORK WITH THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS. SO, UH, THIS IS, I THINK, GONNA BE, UH, REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL, UM, FOR KIND OF CONCENTRATING MORE WEALTH IN LONG BEACH. SO, YEAH. HOPE [02:30:01] YOU SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL. JUST OFFER MY COMMENTS. I, I OBVIOUSLY SUPPORT THIS. AND, UM, AND THANKS FOR REFERENCING THE A HUNDRED DAY PLAN. AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE, UH, HAVE BEEN HEADING IN THIS DIRECTION FOR A WHILE. THINGS ARE CHANGING, PARTICULARLY POST PANDEMIC. IF YOU ASK A NEIGHBOR OR A RESIDENT, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A VACANT, UH, VACANT BUILDING THAT'S HARD TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES? OR WOULD YOU WANT, UH, A BUSINESS THAT HAS MORE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC, MORE FOOT TRAFFIC THAT'S BRINGING ACT POSITIVE ACTIVITY THAT HELPS TO KEEP THE NEIGHBORHOOD A LITTLE BIT MORE SAFE? AND SO I CERTAINLY SUPPORT THIS, AND I THINK IT WILL HELP PARTICULARLY IN, UM, YOU KNOW, IN OUR COMMUNITIES LIKE NORTH LONG BEACH, ARTESIA BOULEVARD, YOU KNOW, AREAS LIKE THAT WHERE YOU HAVE THESE VERY SMALL AREAS WITH NOT A LOT OF PARKING, BUT YOU WANT TO ATTRACT SOMETHING OTHER THAN A, A, YOU KNOW, A, A, UM, APPLIANCE STORE, RIGHT? AND SO THIS MAY CREATE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US. SO, UH, SO WE'LL TAKE IT BEHIND THE RAIL. UH, VICE MAYOR ALLEN. UH, YES. UM, I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THIS, UH, PROPOSAL. I BELIEVE THAT IT DOES REDUCE THE BARRIERS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES BY REMOVING THE RESTRICTIVE PARKING REQUIREMENTS, UM, MAKING IT EASIER TO, UM, OPEN OR, UM, OPERATE A BUSINESS. UM, I ALSO THINK THAT IT CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND, UM, REVITALIZES EMPTY SPACES IN, IN OUR CITY. AND I, I THINK THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE A CITY THAT SUPPORTS BUSINESSES. AND I THINK THIS IS ANOTHER WAY, UM, TO DO IT. AND I DO, UH, ALSO AGREE WITH THE SPEAKER WHO WAS JUST HERE, WHO, WHO TALKED ABOUT THOSE VACANCIES. I THINK THIS IS ANOTHER WAY THAT WE CAN, UM, ADDRESS THAT. UM, THIS AMENDMENT ALSO SUPPORTS THE ECONOMY BY BOOSTING THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND IT SUPPORTS A COMMUNITY BY, UH, CREATING VIBRANT SPACES, UM, IN OUR CITY. SO I THINK THIS CHANGE ALSO MAKES IT EASIER TO REPURPOSE EXISTING SPACES, UM, FOR NEW USES. AND, UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, CREATING A MORE THRIVING ECONOMY. SO I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DHAS. YES. VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM. I THINK IT'S VERY NECESSARY, ESPECIALLY AS I REPRESENT THE DOWNTOWN AREA. I THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY GREAT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND TO REALLY FILL UP THOSE, UM, VACANT VACANCIES THAT, UM, WE HAVE HERE, STOREFRONT VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS, AND IT'S GONNA GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO THOSE THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO PUT ADDITIONAL PARKING SPACES, THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THE PARKING STRUCTURES THAT ARE ALREADY IN EXISTENCE, AND THAT, UM, ARE BUILT FOR THAT SPECIFIC REASON TO BRING MORE PEOPLE TO, UM, DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY. SO, VERY SUPPORTIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS COUNCILMAN SORROW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO, I AM VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS. I'VE BEEN VERY ANXIOUSLY WAITING SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN ONE OF THE BARRIERS. IT WA IT'S NOT THE ONLY ANSWER, BUT I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A REALLY IMPORTANT TOOL, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ACTIVATE AND FILL IN THE VACANT SPACES ON PACIFIC AVENUE AND THE WRIGLEY AREA, AS WELL AS ANAHEIM. SO A LOT OF MY CORRIDOR, BUSINESS CORRIDOR HAVE HAD CHALLENGES WITH THESE PARKING REQUIREMENTS, WHICH HAS REALLY BEEN OUTDATED, GIVEN THE, YOU KNOW, HOW PEOPLE, UH, WANNA LIVE AND SHOP AND SUPPORT BUSINESSES IN THE, THE COMMUNITY. SO I'M VERY EXCITED THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A, A TOOL THAT WE CAN USE AS WE'RE MOVING TO VACANCY TO VIBRANCY PROCESS AS WE'RE DEVELOPING THAT. I DO HAVE A QUESTION, AND 'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE MANY BUSINESSES WHO TRIED TO OPEN THEIR BUSINESS IN THESE AREAS. HOW ARE WE GONNA MAKE SURE TO LET POTENTIAL BUSINESSES KNOW THAT THIS IS NO LONGER GONNA BE A REQUIREMENT FOR THEM TO OPEN IN THEIR STOREFRONTS? YEAH, SO, UH, AS PART OF THE CONSULTATION PROCESS, WE DID, UM, MEET WITH BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, INCLUDING MIDTOWN. UM, AND, UH, ASSUMING THIS IS APPROVED TONIGHT, OUR NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO BE, UM, PROVIDING INPUT BACK TO THOSE WE DISCUSSED WITH, SO THE BIDS WE ALSO MET WITH THE CHAMBER, UM, AND THEN THAT IT WOULD BE PART OF OUR OVERALL, UM, COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM, UM, TO SMALL BUSINESSES. AND THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP. IT'S ALSO THE BROKER COMMUNITY. SO LEASES ARE, ARE GENERALLY NEGOTIATED BY BROKERS OR PEOPLE WOULD BE ADVISED TO USE BROKERS. UM, AND WE'LL BE REACHING OUT TO THE MAJOR BROKERAGES, UH, HERE IN THE CITY TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THIS EXCITING, UM, CHANGE. UM, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS DO MORE AND, AND GLAD TO, TO TALK ABOUT OUR COMMUNICATIONS PLAN, UM, IN A FUTURE BRIEFING. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS COUNCILMAN KERR. SURE. AND I'LL JUST, UM, ECHO MY [02:35:01] COLLEAGUES AT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AS WE HAVE VIBRANT BUSINESS CORRIDORS THAT HAVE LONG-TERM VACANCIES, SOME 10, 15, 20 YEARS, BECAUSE FOLKS WHO HAVE LOOKED AT THOSE SPACES AND WANTED TO DO SOMETHING, WERE MET WITH, YOU NEED 10 MORE SPACES, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE COMPLETELY BUILT OUT AND THERE'S NOWHERE TO DO IT. UM, AND SOME OF OUR MOST WALKABLE, UH, BIKEABLE, ENJOYABLE THOROUGHFARES HAVE HAD THESE LONG-TERM VACANCIES. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE GET FROM RESIDENTS ALL THE TIME, IS HOW COME SOMEONE DOESN'T MOVE IN THERE? UM, SO I APPRECIATE THIS. I KNOW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN WORKED ON THIS, UM, PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY AS WELL. UM, AND I ALWAYS APPRECIATE US BEING, UH, IN, IN COMPLIANCE WITH, UH, NEW STATE REGULATIONS. SO THANKS TO THE TEAM FOR GETTING THIS DONE. THANK YOU. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE VICE MAYOR HELEN. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. WE'LL GO TO ITEM 33. UH, ACTUALLY WE NEED TWO MORE VOTES. OH, TWO MORE VOTES. UH, NEXT VOTE IS TO DECLARE ORDINANCE, UH, APPROVING A ZONING CODE AMENDMENT. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, OUR FINAL VOTE, THIS TO ADOPT RESOLUTION MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. ITEM 33, PLEASE. ITEM 33 IS A REPORT FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO APPLY FOR GRANT FUNDING FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 28 MILLION, [33. 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 $28,000,000; 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. ] AND TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS WITH CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FACILITIES, PROVIDING SERVICES FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS CITYWIDE. ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS A, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US. IT COMES WITH A PRE A STAFF REPORT AND A PRESENTATION. A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, UM, UH, A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO, THE CITY COUNCIL EMBARKED ON A MENTAL HEALTH STRATEGIC PLAN, AND A BIG PRIORITY WAS FINDING OPPORTUNITIES TO LOCALIZE FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR MENTAL HEALTH. AND SO I JOINED A COALITION OF BIG CITY MAYORS, AND WE PROPOSED, UH, UH, AMENDING OR REFORMING THE CALIFORNIA MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT THAT TURNED INTO A BALLOT MEASURE CALLED PROP ONE THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE VOTERS IN MARCH OF LA OF EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT HAS NOW CREATED, UH, A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US, UH, WHICH GENERATES, UH, ABOUT ONE AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, UH, SUPPORT AND THINGS LIKE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. AND SO THE FIRST STEP IS WE NEED TO SUBMIT A GRANT APPLICATION. THIS GRANT APPLICATION WILL HELP US BE, TO BEGIN TO TAP INTO THOSE RESOURCES, WHICH ARE, UH, REALLY ABOUT LOCALIZING MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT. SO IN ORDER TO TACKLE BOTH, NOT ONLY HOMELESSNESS BUT MENTAL HEALTH, WE NEED, WE NEED MORE ROBUST LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE. AND THAT IS A BIG STEP, UH, TO ALLOW US TO DO SO. SO THAT SAID, LET'S, LET'S HAVE THE STAFF PRESENTATION ON OUR APPLICATIONS. ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING, MAYORS AND MEMBERS OF, UH, CITY COUNCIL. UH, TONIGHT WE ARE REQUESTING AN AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION DIRECTING CITY STAFF TO APPLY FOR GRANT FUNDS FROM THE PROPOSITION ONE BOND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT OR CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM, UH, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS BHIP, UM, TO SUPPORT TWO POTENTIAL PROJECTS, UH, EXPANDING THE CITY'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES. UM, JUST FOR CONTEXT, WHEN WE REFER TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, UM, WE ARE MOST OFTEN TALKING ABOUT PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MANY OF US IN THIS ROOM HAVE EITHER PERSONALLY OR HAD SOMEONE CLOSE TO US GO THROUGH A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, UM, OR GONE THROUGH RECOVERY FOR A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. SO THE POTENTIAL EXPANSION OF THIS SYSTEM, UM, I THINK HITS VERY CLOSE TO HOME FOR MANY OF US. UM, WE ARE EXCITED FOR THE POTENTIAL TO BRING ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND CAPACITY TO SERVE, UH, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. SO, UM, TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THE BACKGROUND, I'LL PASS IT OVER TO CHRISTIAN CASTRO FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE OF HOMELESS STRATEGY AND PARTNERSHIPS TO GO INTO BACKGROUND ON THE NEED, UH, FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES AND PROPOSITION ONE. UH, THE NEED FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES IN LONG BEACH IS BOTH SIGNIFICANT AND URGENT. REFLECTING BRO, BROADER TRENDS ACROSS CALIFORNIA STATEWIDE. OVER 1.2 MILLION ADULTS LIVE WITH A SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS WHILE ONE IN THIR, UH, 13 CHILDREN SHOW UP WITH A SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE. THESE CONDITIONS OFTEN GO UNTREATED DUE TO SYSTEMIC BARRIERS LEADING TO MORE SEVERE OUTCOMES, SUCH AS HOMELESSNESS AND INCARCERATION IN LONG BEACH. THE DATA IS ESPECIALLY CONCERNING. ACCORDING TO THE 2024 POINT IN TIME COUNT, 34.3% OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITY REPORTED HAVING A SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS, AND 28.3% REPORTED SUFFERING FROM SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. UNFORTUNATELY, [02:40:01] A SHORTAGE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, UH, TREATMENT FACILITIES IN THE REGION EXACERBATES THESE ISSUES. MANY INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS END UP CYCLING THROUGH EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS, TEMPORARY SHELTERS, OR EVEN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE, UH, SYSTEM WITHOUT RECEIVING THE COMPREHENSIVE CARE THEY NEED. ADDITIONALLY, DATA FROM THE LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT UNDERSCORES THE NEED TO EXPAND SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT SERVICES IN LONG BEACH. BETWEEN JULY, 2019 AND APRIL, 2023, THE LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO OVER 1300 OVERDOSE RELATED CALLS FOR SERVICE. THESE NUMBERS REVEAL THE ONGOING IMPACT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. FROM 2018 TO 2022, THE CITY RECORDED NEARLY 300 OPIOID RELATED DEATHS WITH NEARLY 80% ATTRIBUTED TO FENTANYL. THE MAP ILLUSTRATES A DEVASTATING IMPACT OF THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN THE GROWING NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY IN THE 9 0 8 0 2 AND 9 0 8 0 8 1 3 ZIP CODES WHERE OVERDOSE RATES ARE THE HIGHEST. A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED A COUPLE YEARS AGO BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHERE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDERS, CLINICIANS, HEALTH AGENCIES, AND OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS WERE CONSULTED, RESULTING INTO DEVELOPING A ROBUST MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM IN LONG BEACH REPORT. THIS REPORT, ALONG WITH OTHER COUNTY AND STATEWIDE STUDIES, HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE MOST URGENT NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY. ONE MAIN CHALLENGE IS THE LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT FACILITIES. LA COUNTY HAS IDENTIFIED A NEED FOR 418 RESIDENTIAL BEDS FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, INCLUDING 81 ADDITIONAL BEDS WITHIN SERVICE PLANNING, AREA EIGHT, THE SERVICE AREA THAT INCLUDES LONG BEACH. THIS LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE PREVENTS INDIVIDUALS FROM ACCESSING TIMELY CARE AND EXACERBATES HEALTH DISPARITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY. IN THE, IN THE LONG BEACH REPORT, IT RECOMMENDS SEVERAL STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THESE GAPS. ONE KEY RECOMMENDATION IS TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF SPECIALIZED TREATMENT BEDS, PARTICULARLY THOSE FOR STEP DOWN CARE FOLLOWING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOSPITALIZATION FROM EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS OR ACUTE PSYCHIATRIC FACILITIES. THESE BEDS PROVIDE TRANSITIONAL SUPPORT, ENSURING THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN RECOVER IN A STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT BEFORE MOVING ON TO LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS LIKE HOUSING OR OUTPATIENT CARE. ANOTHER CRITICAL AREA IS THE EXPANSION OF INTENSIVE SERVICE LOCATIONS SUCH AS CRISIS RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES, AND ENRICH RESIDENTIAL CARE PROGRAMS. THESE SERVICES PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN STABILIZING INDIVIDUALS IN ACUTE CRISIS AND PREVENTING AVOIDABLE HOSPITALIZATIONS. NOW I'M GONNA GO OVER THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY. IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, CALIFORNIA VOTERS PASSED PROPOSITION ONE. THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT AUTHORIZED A $6.4 BILLION IN FUNDING TO EXPAND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FACILITIES AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING STATEWIDE. THIS INITIATIVE PROVIDES CRITICAL FUNDING FOR CONSTRUCTION, REHABILITATION, AND ACQUISITION OF FACILITIES, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. OF THIS FUNDING, 4.4 BILLION IS ALLOCATED THROUGH THE BEHAVIORAL THROUGH B SHIP. AND THIS PROGRAM PRESENTS A TRANSFORMATIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR LONG BEACH TO ADDRESS CRITICAL SERVICE GRAPHS IN OUR SYSTEM. NOW I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO ALVIN ING, WHO WILL SEGUE INTO MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE CITY'S PROPOSALS. THANKS, CHRISTIAN. UM, IN RESPONSE TO THESE AVAILABLE FUNDS, UH, CITY STAFF DID BEGIN EVALUATING POSSIBLE PROJECTS TO EXPAND OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, UH, SERVICES HERE IN THE CITY. UM, SO, UM, AFTER THAT PROCESS, THE CITY, UH, IS NOW PUTTING FORWARD TWO POSSIBLE PROPOSALS FOR PROP ONE, UH, BOND BEACH OF FUNDING. UM, WE WILL ALSO, UH, LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, A FEW OTHER PROJECT PROPOSALS THAT WERE BROUGHT FORWARD BY NON-CITY AGENCIES, UM, THAT WILL ALSO SERVE CITY RES RESIDENTS. SO, UM, I'LL PASS IT OVER TO PAUL DUNCAN, OUR HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU MANAGER, TO DISCUSS, UH, DETAILS OF, UH, THE TWO CITY LED PROJECTS BEFORE GETTING INTO SOME OF THE OTHER NON-CITY PROJECTS. SO OUR FIRST PROPOSED PROJECT IS AN OFFICE-BASED OPIATE TREATMENT PROGRAM AT THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. SO THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, UH, OPERATES AS THE MAIN POINT OF ACCESS FOR MANY PEOPLE SEEKING OUT SERVICES, UH, AS THEY'RE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SERVICES ON SITE, UH, INCLUDING CURRENTLY. WE PRO PROVIDE SPACE FOR A NUMBER OF, UH, SUBSTANCE USE RELATED SERVICE PROVIDERS TO COME AND SET UP IN OUR PARKING LOT THROUGH MOBILE SERVICES. AND WE KNOW THAT A HIGH NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING IN, UH, ARE ACTIVELY UTILIZING SUBSTANCES AND COULD BENEFIT FROM, UH, TREATMENT. SO OFF THIS WOULD BUILD OUT A NEW SPACE WITHIN, UH, THE BACK CORNER OF THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. UH, THE PROPOSED PROJECT. WE WOULD BE LOOKING TO PARTNER WITH A NONPROFIT THAT HAS EXTENSIVE, UH, HISTORY IN PROVIDING OFFICE-BASED OPIATE TREATMENT, WHICH IS A MEDICALLY ASSISTED, UH, INCLUDES MEDICALLY ASSISTED TREATMENT TO HELP PEOPLE WITH OPIATES AND REDUCING THE CRAVING FOR THOSE OPIATES AS, AS WELL AS COUNSELING THAT WOULD GO [02:45:01] ALONG WITH THAT. UH, SO THIS SPACE WOULD PROVIDE A DESIGNATED PLACE THAT PEOPLE COULD REACH OUT, UH, AND RECEIVE THAT CARE. UM, THE CITY WOULD PARTNER WITH WHATEVER NONPROFIT COMES, UH, ON BOARD. IF THIS, IF THIS PROJECT WAS SELECTED AND BUILT OUT, UH, AND WOULD ALIGN WITH THE CURRENT OPERATIONS OF THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. UH, WE DON'T SEE A LARGE IMPACT. WE KNOW THAT MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD UTILIZE IT ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN FOR OTHER SERVICES AT THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. UH, THAT BEING SAID, THE PROJECT WOULD BE OPEN TO ANY RESIDENT REGARDLESS OF HOUSING STATUS, UH, TO PROVIDE THOSE SUBSTANCE USE RELATED SERVICES. UH, AND A BIG PART OF OUR PROGRAM WOULD ALSO BE ASSISTING PEOPLE IN GETTING INTO RESIDENTIAL CARE IF THAT WAS ALSO WHAT THEY'RE SEEKING. THE SECOND PROJECT THAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS AN ENRICHED RESIDENTIAL CARE AT 7 0 2 WEST ANAHEIM. UH, AS MANY PEOPLE MAY REMEMBER DURING THE, UH, HOMELESS EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION, WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY OF LA UTILIZING MEASURE H AND MEASURE A FUNDING, UH, HERE LOCALLY TO PURCHASE THE, UH, 7 0 2 WEST, UH, ANAHEIM BUILDING, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY THE LONG BEACH RESCUE MISSION. THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING IS BEING BUILT OUT FOR YEAR-ROUND SHELTER. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME BUILDINGS IN THE BACK OF THE SITE THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE PICTURE, UH, THAT WEREN'T WITHIN THE INITIAL PLAN. SO THIS PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT, UH, WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE. SO THE PROPOSAL AT THE SITE IS TO BUILD OUT A ENRICHED RESIDENTIAL CARE PROGRAM. UH, ENRICHED RESIDENTIAL CARE IS REALLY THAT GAP BETWEEN SOMEBODY THAT, UH, MIGHT BE, UM, POTENTIALLY IN A SITUATION OF LONG-TERM CONSERVATORSHIP WHERE THEY'RE IN A LOCKED FACILITY AND, YOU KNOW, OUR TYPICAL SHELTER SETTING. SO IT REALLY IS, UH, MEANT FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH, UH, AND NEED A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE THAN A TYPICAL SHELTER WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE. UH, THERE ARE NOT MANY ENRICHED RESIDENTIAL CARES CURRENTLY WITHIN LA COUNTY. SO THIS IS ONE OF A LARGE GAP THAT WE SEE, UH, AND WOULD BE THE FIRST ENRICHED RESIDENTIAL CARE PROGRAM HERE IN LONG BEACH. UH, ENRICH RESIDENTIAL CARE PROGRAMS ARE STATE LICENSED, UNLIKE TYPICAL, UH, REGULAR SHELTER PROGRAMS. SO IT WOULD GO THROUGH A STATE LICENSURE, UH, PROCESS. AND WE WOULD ALSO BE WORKING TO FIND A PROVIDER THAT HAS EXPERIENCE IN RUNNING A SIMILAR PROGRAM, UH, AND KNOWS HOW TO GO THROUGH THE STATE LICENSING PROCESS. AND BILL, UH, INSURANCE FOR THE SERVICES ON SITE, UH, SERVICES WOULD BE, UH, BETWEEN, UM, THREE TO 24 MONTHS IN DURATION, REALLY GIVING THAT TIME FOR PEOPLE TO ENGAGE IN SERVICES, UH, AND WORK ON BUILDING SKILLS THAT WILL HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL. UM, UH, SIMILAR TO SHELTERS, YOU'D SEE MANY OF THE SIMILAR SERVICES, BUT WOULD ALSO HAVE, UH, ADDITIONAL SPACE FOR PRIVATE THERAPY, UH, MEDICATION ASSISTANCE, UH, AS WELL AS INCREASED PRIVACY WITHIN IT. UH, ONE THING, LAST THING TO MENTION IS, UH, PART OF THE STATE LICENSURE IS A MAXIMUM OF 16 BEDS. SO THIS WOULD, UH, MAXIMIZE THE MAXIMUM SPACE WITHIN A BUILDING FOUR RESIDENTIAL CARE. UH, ON THE SCREEN YOU CAN SEE A LAYOUT OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT PROVIDING, UH, MORE PRIVACY AND OPEN SPACE IN MOST OF OUR OTHER SHELTER SETTINGS. AND, UH, CLOSING OUT FOR THE CITY PROJECTS. UM, WE, UM, DO, UH, DID WANNA HIGHLIGHT A FEW LOGISTICAL, UH, DETAILS. SO AS MENTIONED, THE CITY, UH, TEAM WILL BE APPLYING FOR, UH, B HIP FUNDS. THOSE WOULD, UH, FUND ALL CAPITAL COSTS, INCLUDING DESIGN, ADMINISTRATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECTS. UM, THE CITY'S LOCAL MATCH OBLIGATION WOULD BE MET THROUGH THE APPRAISED VALUES OF THE PROPERTIES AND THE EXISTING FACILITIES ON EACH, UH, CITY OWNED SITE. UM, AND THE ESTIMATED TOTAL COSTS ARE LISTED HERE, 17 MILLION FOR ENRICHED RESIDENTIAL CARE AND 11 MILLION FOR THE OFFICE-BASED OPIOID TREATMENT FACILITY. UM, IN TERMS OF ONGOING OPERATIONS, UM, EACH FACILITY WOULD BE OPERATED BY A LICENSED AND CERTIFIED SERVICE PROVIDER, UM, WITH EXISTING SERVICE CONTRACTS WITH, UM, LA COUNTY. UM, IF AWARDED, THE CITY WOULD INITIATE A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT PROCESS TO SELECT A QUALIFIED SERVICE PROVIDER. UM, THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT WOULD BE TO PROVIDE THE FACILITIES AT LOW TO NO COST TO THE PROVIDER, AND THE PROGRAMS WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH, UM, COUNTY CONTRACTS AND BILLING FOR SERVICES. WE ALSO DID WANNA ALSO HIGHLIGHT, UM, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT WENT INTO, UH, THE SELECTION OF THESE, UH, TWO PROJECTS AND THE SERVICES, UH, THAT WOULD BE PROVIDED AT EACH ONE. UM, WE WOULD ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE MENTIONED, IT, UH, WAS HEAVILY BASED ON EXISTING, UH, UH, [02:50:01] ANALYSIS OF GAPS IN OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM. UM, WE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE INPUT AND ENGAGEMENT FROM THE, UH, HOMELESS SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE, LA COUNTY, DMH, UH, COC BOARD, UH, WEST SIDE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, WILMORE CITY HERITAGE ASSOCIATION, AND, UH, ATTENDEES AT OUR, UH, ONLINE COMMUNITY FORUM. UM, WE ALSO WOULD WANT TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT A FEW OTHER NON-CITY, UH, PROJECTS THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD. AS YOU ALL MAY KNOW, UM, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES ARE PROVIDED THROUGH A REGIONAL SYSTEM WHERE THE CITY ONLY PLAYS ONE. UH, PART OF THAT, UM, LA COUNTY PROVIDES AND FUNDS THE BULK OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, UH, WITHIN LONG BEACH, OFTEN THROUGH PARTNER AGENCIES AND MANY, UH, OF WHOM PROVIDE LEVELS OF CARE THAT ARE WELL OUTSIDE OF THE CITY'S CAPACITY. SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO HAVE NON-CITY, UH, PROJECTS THAT WE ARE, UM, SUPPORTING IN THIS EFFORT AS WELL. UH, ONE WE WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT WE'RE AWARE OF IS, UH, COLLEGE MEDICAL CENTER. SO, COLLEGE MEDICAL CENTER IS A, AN ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL THAT PROVIDES A RANGE OF MEDICAL, SURGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES HERE IN LONG BEACH. UM, IT OFFERS, UH, INPATIENT OUTPATIENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE FOR INDIVIDUALS AGE 18 AND OLDER, AND, UH, OPERATES A 24 7 PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION UNIT. UM, SO IT SERVES AS A KEY DESTINATION FOR EMS TRANSPORTS, UH, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN, UH, MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. UM, DUE TO CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS, UH, COLLEGE HAS MENTIONED THAT THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT MUST AT TIMES DIVERT PATIENTS TO OTHER FACILITIES. AND SO TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES, COLLEGE IS PROPOSING TO DEVELOP 22 INPATIENT CRISIS STABILIZATION BEDS AT THEIR HAWTHORNE CAMPUS IN THE CITY OF HAWTHORNE. UM, THESE BEDS WILL PROVIDE, UM, MUCH NEEDED, UH, ADDITIONAL CAPACITY, UM, AND WILL HELP ALLEVIATE, UH, BOTTLENECKS, IMPROVE PATIENT FLOW AND FREE UP CRITICAL RESOURCES, UM, AT OUR LONG BEACH FACILITY. SO WE ARE VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF THAT. UM, THE SECOND ONE WE WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS COMMUNITY CARE CAMPUS. SO, AS SOME OF YOU MAY BE AWARE, COMMUNITY CARE CAMPUS IS LOCATED AT THE FORMER COMMUNITY HOSPITAL AND IS OPERATED BY, UH, NATIONAL HEALTHCARE AND HOUSING ADVISORS AND HHA, UM, IT IS, UH, A CAMPUS THAT IS FOCUSED ON, UH, WHOLE PERSON CARE, UM, ADDRESSING, UH, YOU KNOW, INTEGRATED SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UM, SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, AND IS REALLY FOCUSED ON INTERCONNECTED, UH, NEEDS ACROSS BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, UM, AND SUBSTANCE USE. UM, WE ARE, UM, AS, AS WE KNOW, THEY ARE ALSO, UH, SUBMITTING A PROP ONE APPLICATION AS WELL. SO, UM, THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING APPLICATION THAT WE'RE VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF. UM, THEY ARE, UM, APPLYING FOR, UH, EXPANDED SERVICES, INCLUDING A PERINATAL, UH, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER PROGRAM, OFFERING RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR PREGNANT AND PARENTING WOMEN, UM, OUTPATIENT SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER PROGRAMS. UM, A 50 BED DETOX AND WITHDRAWAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, AS WELL AS 50 RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT BEDS, WHICH WILL PROVIDE 24 7 INTENSIVE CARE AND TREATMENT, UM, FOR THOSE WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS. UM, SO THESE PROJECTS, UM, ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, ALIGNED WITH N HHA NH HHAS MISSION TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRATED CARE, UM, TO LONG BEACH'S MOST VULNERABLE, UH, POPULATIONS BY FILLING CRITICAL GAPS IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TREATMENT. UM, CITY STAFF ALSO HAVE RECEIVED, UH, REQUESTS FROM, UH, TWO OTHER, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE DIDN'T, UH, DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO ADD TO THE PRESENTATION, UM, BUT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AS WELL. SO, COMMUNITY MEDICAL WELLNESS CENTERS, UM, AT, UM, ON ANAHEIM STREET, UM, PROVIDES CULTURALLY SENSITIVE, COORDINATED MEDICAL, DENTAL, AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, UH, IN, WITHIN CENTRAL LONG BEACH. UM, THEY WILL BE, UH, APPLYING FOR, UH, BOTH INTERIOR AND EXTRA, UH, INTERIOR RENOVATIONS TO PROVIDE 49 ADDITIONAL TREATMENT SLOTS, UM, FOR, UM, FOR, UH, CHILDREN, ADULTS, AND FAMILIES WITHIN THEIR PROGRAMS. UM, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES INCORPORATED, UM, ALSO HAS APPLIED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 18, UH, RESIDENTIAL SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT BEDS AT, UH, THEIR FACILITY, THE FLOSSIE LEWIS CENTER. UM, ALTOGETHER THESE FOUR PROJECTS, UH, COMBINED WITH THE TWO CITY LED PROJECTS REALLY REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD TOWARDS MEETING THE NEEDS, UH, WITHIN OUR, UH, CITY'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM. SO, IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS, UM, WE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WE ARE SEEKING AUTHORIZATION AND DIRECTION TONIGHT FROM, UH, COUNCIL TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR THE TWO CITY LED PROJECTS. UM, IF AUTHORIZED CITY STAFF WILL SUBMIT THE TWO GRANT APPLICATIONS BY DECEMBER 13TH, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS OF AWARDS ARE EXPECTED SOMETIME IN, IN, UH, AROUND MAY OF 2025, UM, IF AWARDED, UM, STAFF WILL CONTINUE, UH, AND COMPLETE THE DESIGN AND PLANNING PROCESS, UM, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE ADDITIONAL STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. UM, SIMULTANEOUSLY, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL ALSO INITIATE A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT PROCESS TO SELECT PROVIDERS TO OPERATE EACH FACILITY. UM, SO IN CONCLUSION, CITY STAFF ARE REQUESTING AUTHORIZATION TO APPLY FOR FUNDS FROM, UH, THE PROP ONE, UH, BEACH SHIP PROGRAM ROUND ONE TO IMPLEMENT, UH, THE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED PRO UH, PROJECTS UP TO $28 MILLION. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. GREAT JOB, ALVIN. GREAT, GREAT JOB. SO, UH, SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE IT TO THE COUNCIL, BUT YOU KNOW, THESE ARE EXPENSIVE PROJECTS, SO WE SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT NONE OF THESE RESOURCES WERE AVAILABLE PRIOR TO PROPOSITION ONE. SO IF THE, IF WE'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE GRANTED THESE DOLLARS, UH, WE CAN SHOW REAL PROGRESS, UH, DIRECTLY RELATED TO A PROPOSAL WE SUPPORTED ON THE STATEWIDE BALLOT [02:55:01] TO, TO LOCALIZE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT. SO THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS A BIG DEAL, UH, AND WE AND I, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA DO WHAT WE CAN TO ADVOCATE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS. WE'LL TAKE YOU BEHIND THE RAIL. UH, COUNCILMAN URANGA, THINK YOU DIDN'T WANNA SAY ANYTHING? CORRECT. ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO TO, UH, ALL THAN TO SEE. I WISH YOU FINE. WELL, AND SUCCESSFUL SUCCESS PROPOSAL. OKAY, GREAT. AND I SEE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP SPEAK, UH, CHRISELLE DOMBROWSKI. HI, MY NAME IS CHRISELLE DOMBROWSKI. I WAS HERE LAST WEEK, UM, HELLO CITY COUNCIL, HONORABLE MAYOR REX RICHARDSON. I WAS AT THE ZOOM MEETING ABOUT THIS. I'M VERY GLAD THAT WE HA THAT WE PASSED, UH, THE MEASURE ONE. UM, WE ALSO NEED PERMANENT HOUSING BECAUSE, UH, HUD IS NOT GOING TO DO IT. THERE'S A 14-YEAR-OLD WAITING LIST TO GET ON HUD. I AM ON IT. UM, UH, MY MONEY'S GONNA RUN OUT BEFORE THEN. UM, AND, UH, THIS IS A VERY GOOD PROJECT. THE, UH, ONE OF THEM IS ALREADY SHOVEL READY, THE ONE, UH, AT THE, UH, FORMER, UM, UH, UH, LONG BEACH RESCUE MISSION. SO I AM VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF IT. I ALSO WANTED TO THAT, UH, COMMENT, UH, THAT, UH, I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN GET FUNDS FROM POSSIBLY MEASURE A AS WELL, WHICH WE NEED TO GET A, UH, INDEPENDENT AUDITOR APPOINTED SO WE CAN VET TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ACTUALLY INDEPENDENT. UH, MY NEIGHBORS WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH MEASURE H, WHICH WAS ALSO SUPPOSED TO BE FOR, UH, MENTAL HEALTHCARE AND HOMELESSNESS. UM, AND, UH, UH, UH, UH, OKAY, JUST A SEC. UH, OH. THE, THERE WAS $6 MILLION THAT WAS ALLOCATED. EVERYBODY LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS NUTS. BUT, UM, THE CITY O UH, ACCOUNTANT OFFICE HAS MY EMAIL. THEY'VE HAD MY EMAIL SINCE, UM, SINCE MARCH, UH, OF LAST YEAR'S. UH, DR. REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER KING JR'S, UH, BIRTHDAY, UH, AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO EMAIL ME. THEY NEVER HAVE. I'VE MADE NUMEROUS CALLS AND EVERYBODY'S LIKE, WHAT? MONEY? UH, YEAH, THAT THE, IF THE CITY, UH, ACCOUNTANT KNOWS THAT THERE WAS MONEY, THERE WAS MONEY. THANK YOU. I AM VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THIS PROJECT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. YES, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND GETTING US LINED UP IN ORDER TO BE AN APPLICANT FOR THIS FUNDING SOURCE. AND JUST WANNA, UM, THANK THERESA ALLISON, PAUL ALVIN, AND CHRISTIAN FOR ALL YOUR WORK IN GETTING THE APPLICATION TOGETHER. I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT HOW CRUCIAL IT IS THAT WE AS A CITY ARE ALSO SUPPORTING NON-CITY APPLICANTS, BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE PLACES ARE ALSO SERVING AREA WHERE THERE ARE HIGH OPIOID, UM, FATALITIES. UM, SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY CARE, UM, MSC AREA, AND AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY MEDICAL WELLNESS CENTER. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY SHOWS THAT WE'RE NOT JUST A CITY TRYING TO COMPETE FOR DOLLARS FOR OURSELF, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GET AS MANY OPEN AND OPERATING TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AS POSSIBLE. SO I ALSO WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT. VICE MAYOR ALLEN HAD BROUGHT THE ITEM FORWARD ABOUT OTHER WAYS WE CAN ADDRESS OP, THE OPI OPIOID PENDA EPIDEMICS. UM, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK WITH, UM, THESE APPLICATIONS AND FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD. I THINK THIS IS REALLY GREAT. I KNOW I SPEAK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IN SAYING THAT WE'RE EXCITED TO EXPAND MENTAL HEALTH AND DRUG TREATMENT SERVICES HERE IN LONG BEACH. WE'VE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH HOW THE LACK OF TREATMENT HAS IMPACTED OUR COMMUNITIES, AND I THINK EVERYONE AGREES THAT WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE STRUGGLING FROM ADDICTION INTO TREATMENT WITH THESE FOUR PROJECTS. REALLY, THAT WAS A GREAT OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECTS. THANK YOU FOR THAT. UH, I THINK LONG BEACH CAN LEAD THE WAY WITH THESE PROGRAMS. I, LIKE I SAID, I WANNA THANK, UM, WELL, I WANNA THANK OUR CITY MANAGER FOR REALLY PUSHING THIS FORWARD. [03:00:01] I THINK YOU INVITED, AS COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW SAID, THERE'S OUTSIDE AGENCIES THAT WE'RE HELPING TO GET THIS FUNDING FOR, SO YOU'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT. I ALSO WANNA THANK COUNCIL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ORANGA AND COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS FOR STEPPING UP TO EXPAND THE OPERATIONS AT BOTH THE MSC AND THE 7 0 2 SHELTER. THIS IS BRINGING SERVICES THAT WE NEED IN OUR CITY. EVERYBODY WANTS MENTAL HEALTH AND DRUG TREATMENT SERVICES, BUT FEW WANT IT IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD. AND, UM, WE GET TO CELEBRATE EXPANDING THESE SERVICES AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, BUT IT'S REALLY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THESE RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS THAT NEED TO WORK WITH THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AND ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL CONCERNS OF RESIDENTS THAT COME WITH THIS. SO I'M GOING THROUGH THIS WITH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, THE, UM, COMMUNITY CARE CAMPUS. THEY ARE GREAT, BUT I'M ALWAYS WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND I'M REALLY PROUD THAT DISTRICT THREE IS HOME TO THESE SOLUTIONS THAT ARE HELPING PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND, UM, THE NEED OF DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAMS. SO I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO'VE BEEN WORKING AS THE LIAISON BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THESE FACILITIES FOR A LONGER TIME THAN ME. UH, I DO APPRECIATE THAT, AND I'M, I'M EXCITED TO SEE IN MAY WHAT APPLICATIONS GET ACCEPTED. GOOD WORK ON THIS. ALL RIGHT, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, UH, LET'S GO TO ITEM 21. ITEM 20 ONE'S REPORT FROM CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION TO AMEND THE UNREPRESENTED MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEE TERMS, TO UPDATE THE SALARY TO [21. 24-55795 Recommendation to amend the City of Long Beach Unrepresented Management (Non-Sworn) Employee Terms to update the salary to reflect approval to create a salary range for the Executive Director of Civil Service in the hourly amount of $120.838 - $126.318, effective the pay period beginning December 30, 2023.       Office or Department: Civil Service Commission         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] REFLECT APPROVAL TO CREATE A SALARY RANGE FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL SERVICE IN THE HOUR AMOUNT OF $120 0.8 38 THROUGH $126 0.3 18, EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 30TH, 2023. JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, UH, IN CONTEXT, AND THEN I'LL ASK, UH, MR. MOKA TO, TO ELABORATE. UH, THIS WAS AN OUTSTANDING QUESTION OF, UH, THE RANGE HAD TOPPED OUT FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE DIRECTOR. UH, WE ASKED STAFF, UH, IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO, TO DO, UH, A CHECK WITH PER CALPERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER ACTION WE TAKE, UH, WOULD BE, UH, LAWFUL AND CONSISTENT WITH CALPERS RULES. UH, WE DO HAVE, WE HAVE HEARD BACK AND HAVE A DETERMINATION THERE. I'M GONNA ASK, UM, UH, STAFF TO JUST, UH, WALK THE COUNCIL THROUGH, UH, WHERE THIS BRINGS US TODAY. YES, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SO, UM, WE SENT OUT A CITY MANAGER ALERT, AND I MADE THAT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL IN WRITING. UH, BUT, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID WHEN THERE WAS A REQUEST FROM THE UTILITIES COMMISSION FOR THE, UH, GENERAL, UH, MANAGER INCREASE, UH, WE CHECKED IN WITH CALPERS AND IN THAT CASE, THEY GAVE US, UH, AN AFFIRMATIVE ANSWER THAT THAT WAS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WAS, UH, CONSIDERED, UH, WITHIN THEIR REGULATIONS. WE DID THE SAME THING, UH, WITH THIS POSITION SO THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION. UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE ARE DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES. UH, IT CAME BACK, UH, THAT, THAT WOULD, UH, UH, BE CONSIDERED PENSION, SPIKING, AND NOT BE THE, UH, BE AVAILABLE TO BE, UH, GIVEN IN TERMS OF INCREASING, UH, COMPENSATION IN THE LAST YEAR. SO, UM, THE INFORMATION'S IN THE RECORD, UH, OF WHAT CALPERS HAS PROVIDED. AND, UM, THAT IS NOT TO SAY YOU CAN'T DO OTHER THINGS, UM, BUT THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HEARD BACK FROM, UH, FROM CALPERS AND I WANTED TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS REPORTED. ALRIGHT, SO, UH, SO THAT MEANS, UH, UH, WE WOULD NEED A MOTION TO ESSENTIALLY RECEIVE AND FILE THIS. UH, WE DID EXPLORE IT. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A COMMITMENT TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND EXPLORE IT. WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT. UH, BUT I THINK THIS BRINGS US TO THE END OF THE ROAD ON THIS DISCUSSION. SO, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE MR. MAYOR? IF I CAN ADD, SO THERE WAS A, A REQUEST THAT COMMISSION ASKED FOR 7%. WE DID ALSO FOLLOW UP WITH A LOWER AMOUNT INSTEAD, THAT'S RIGHT OF 7% IS NOT, UM, FOUND TO BE WITHIN THE REGULATIONS AS SOMETHING MORE LIKE THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT. AND THEY ALSO RULED THAT 3.5% IS NOT ALLOWABLE EITHER, UM, PER CALPERS REGULATIONS. RIGHT. AND WE SHOULD BE CLEAR ON THAT. WE INQUIRED AT THE 7%, THE FULL RANGE, AND WE BROUGHT THE NUMBER DOWN AND INQUIRED, INQUIRED. WOULD IT STILL QUALIFY IN THAT CASE? UH, AND WE DID RECEIVE A DETERMINATION THERE. SO, UH, SO WE'RE GONNA NEED A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE. UM, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THE MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE. OKAY. AND I SEE SECONDED. COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? OKAY. SEEING NONE, MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTIONS CARRIED. THANK YOU. UH, WE'RE GONNA NOW MOVE UP. ITEM 32 PLEASE. [03:05:10] ITEM 32 IS COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCIL ZENDEJAS RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE APPROPRIATIONS BY $1,965 FOR SIGNAGE AND LIGHTING INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NORTHEAST VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. [32. 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. ] THANK YOU. CAN WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST, PLEASE? I KNOW THAT SURE. WE HAVE FOUR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. UH, JEAN RASCON, CHRISTINE TUCKER, GREG PENA, AND DR. MYRA FERNANDEZ. JEAN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. GREETINGS, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS JEAN RASCON AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE SAN ANTHONY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WHICH INCLUDES A COMMUNITY OF RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, AND MEMBERS OF HISTORICAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SITUATED BETWEEN ALAMEDA BOULEVARD, ATLANTIC BOULEVARD, SEVENTH STREET, AND THIRD AVENUE, AND BORDERING GUMBY PARK. THE PURPOSE OF SAUNA AND OUR MULTIDISCIPLINARY ADVISORY COUNCIL IS TO WORK WITH AND ASK FOR HELP FROM THE CITY TO MAKE NEEDED CHANGES SUCH AS INCREASED STREET AND PARK LIGHTING, ILLUMINATION, NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH, SIGNAGE, AND THE ADDITION OF A WROUGHT IRON FENCE SO THAT THE VERY DANGEROUS GUM BIN PARK CAN BE CLOSED DOWN AT NIGHT. THESE INVESTMENTS ARE TO PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE OF OUR COMMUNITY, OUR CHILDREN AND RESIDENTS, AND PROPERTY FROM RANDOM VIOLENCE AND CRIMINALITY THAT HAS ITS ORIGINS IN GUNFIGHTER PARK. THE NIGHT BEING THE WORST WE HAVE REQUESTED FROM THE CITY VIA COUNCILWOMAN, MARRIES, AND AJAS OFFICE IS THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD GET INCREASED LIGHTING LUMENS TO FOUR SELECT STREETLIGHTS AND ADDITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH SIGNS TO INCREASE THE SAFETY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DUE TO THE HIGH LEVEL OF FEAR AND RISK THAT IS PRESENT AT NIGHT ON SIXTH STREET, FIFTH STREET, SEVENTH STREET, ALL IN THE VICINITY OF GUMBY PARK. HER TEAM HAS WORKED WITH US TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. TO PROVIDE MORE CONTEXT TO OUR PREDICAMENT AND DISCUSSION WITH NEIGHBORHOOD STAKEHOLDERS, COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN IN AJAS DECIDED TO TEMPORARILY FENCE IN GUM BY PARK FOR MAINTENANCE FOR THE THIRD TIME IN ITS HISTORY, DUE TO THE SERIES OF SHOOTINGS, A DECISION THAT HAS IMPROVED OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DRAMATICALLY. SHE DID THIS IN RESPONSE TO THE MOST RECENT SHOOTING THAT OCCURRED ON JUNE 20TH, 2024, WHERE SEVEN BULLETS WERE FIRED BY AN UNKNOWN ASSAILANT IN FRONT OF SAINT ANTHONY PARISH HALL. FROM THE DIRECTION OF GUN BINDER PARK HITTING TWO PERSONS AND MULTIPLE PASSING VEHICLES, PERHAPS THIS IS A RUTHLESS GANG ENFORCER. IMAGINE PARENTS AND CHILDREN FROM OUR FOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS WHO UNKNOWINGLY RISK WALKING TO AND FROM THE SCHOOLS IN THE EARLY MORNING AND AFTERNOON ALONG SIXTH AND FIFTH STREET CORRIDORS, AND ARE SUBJECT TO THE HIGH PROBABILITY OF BECOMING A VICTIM AND OR WITNESSING THE MOST HEINOUS OF CRIMES. THIS WAS NOT THE VISION PROMISED TO THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD BY THEN, MAYOR ROBERT GARCIA AND COUNCILWOMAN LANA GONZALEZ IN 2017 TO JUSTIFY A $2.8 MILLION INVESTMENT IN GUM MINOR PARK AT ITS INCEPTION, IT HAS EVOLVED INTO A WELL-DOCUMENTED HELLHOLE SINCE THE DANGEROUS GUMMI PARK IS REOPENING ON DECEMBER 20TH. WE ARE ADDITIONALLY REQUESTING THAT THE CITY MAKE IT A MATTER OF HIGHEST PRIORITY TO INSTALL A WR IRON FENCE AROUND GOLDWATER PARK AND ADD HIGH INTENSITY LIGHTING SIMILAR TO WHAT IS NOW AT LINCOLN PARK, SO IT CAN BE SHUT DOWN AT NIGHT. IN CLOSING, HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER WITH THE CITY TO BRING GOLDWATER PARK TO A LEVEL WHERE IT CAN ACTUALLY BE USED ON A DAILY BASIS, SAFE ENOUGH WHERE OUR YOUNG CHILDREN CAN BE SAFE AND USE THE PLAYGROUND SKATE PARK, AND RESIDENT RESIDENTS CAN RECREATE AS PROMISED BY THE CITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. UH, THANK YOU CHRISTINE. THANK YOU FOR, UH, STAYING HERE SO LATE. UM, MY NAME IS CHRISTINE TUCKER AND I'M A 30 YEAR RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH, AND I'M ALSO THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ST. ANTHONY HIGH SCHOOL. AND, UH, WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN THAT WALK THAT BIKE, SKATEBOARD, AND ARE DRIVEN TO ONE OF THE FOUR SCHOOLS IN OUR NORTHEAST VILLAGE, ST. ANTHONY COMMUNITY EVERY SINGLE DAY. THEY ARE OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE AND DESERVING OF OUR UTMOST PROTECTION. YET OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY REMAINS VULNERABLE DUE TO THE INSUFFICIENT SAFETY MEASURES AT GUM COMBINER PARK. PRIOR TO THE TEMPORARY INSTALLATION OF THE FENCING AROUND THE PARK, THERE WAS IN EXISTENCE SIGNIFICANT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, VANDALISM, DRUG USE, PROSTITUTION, ALL IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN ADDITION TO MANY OTHER VIOLENT CRIMES THAT ARE JUST STEPS AWAY FROM OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. THIS CREATES AN [03:10:01] ENVIRONMENT OF FEAR FOR NOT ONLY OUR STUDENTS, OUR PARENTS, BUT ALSO OUR RESIDENTS. AND NO CHILD SHOULD EVER FEEL UNSAFE ON THEIR WAY TO SCHOOL. AND NO PARENTS SHOULD HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR CHILD'S SAFETY WHEN THEY'RE WALKING TO SCHOOL. OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS, ST. ANTHONY HIGH SCHOOL HAS PRIORITIZED CAPITAL INVESTMENTS INTO OUR BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH COMMUNITY. WE HAVE BEEN SERVING OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS. THIS FUNDING THAT WE ACHIEVED WAS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION, WAS NOT THROUGH TAX DOLLARS, WAS NOT THROUGH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. IT WAS ALL DONE FROM PRIVATE ALUMNI AND FAMILY FOUNDATIONS WHO BELIEVED IN THE FUTURE OF ST. ANTHONY, BUT ALSO BELIEVED IN THE FUTURE OF LONG BEACH. AND THE ROLE THAT ST. ANTHONY HIGH SCHOOL PLAYS IN DEVELOPING THE FUTURE LEADERS OF OUR BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY. IMPROVING THE LIGHTING AT GUM PARK AS IT BEGINS TO REOPEN, INCREASING OUR PATROLS AND OUR COMMITMENT AS PARTNERS AND INVESTING IN THE POTENTIAL OF PERMANENT FENCING TO SECURE THE PARK AFTER HOURS IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE LIVES OF OUR COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS, OUR COMMUNITY OF RESIDENTS, AND OUR COMMUNITY OF OUR FACULTY AND STAFF. WE WON'T GO BACK TO THE CRIME RIDDEN BLIGHT THAT THE PARK HAS BEEN FOR MANY YEARS, AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT TOGETHER WE'RE GONNA CREATE A SAFER ENVIRONMENT AND A PARTNERSHIP FOR EVERY CHILD AND EVERY RESIDENT WITHIN OUR BEAUTIFUL NORTHEAST VILLAGE OF LONG BEACH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU, MARY. THANK YOU. UH, GREG PINA AND DR. MYRA FERNANDEZ. CAN YOU GUYS GO AHEAD AND LINE UP? OKAY. UH, OKAY. GO AHEAD, MA'AM. OKAY. MY NAME IS DR. MYRA FERNANDEZ. THANK YOU FOR LETTING US, UH, COME AND ASK YOU FOR THIS GREAT FAVOR. UH, TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. SINCE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL, WHEN THEY TOLD ME THAT BABIES CAME FROM, UH, GARBAGE, I WOULD GO THROUGH ALL THE GARBAGE TO FIND, UH, A BABY. 'CAUSE I WANTED A BABY OF MY OWN. AND WHAT WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT I GREW UP AND I ADOPTED 11 CHILDREN AND HAD SIX, UH, TO BOOT. AND SO MY LIFE HAS BEEN ABOUT CHILDREN. WHEN I SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND IN OUR CHURCH GROUNDS, UH, I WAS ASSAULTED BY THIS ONE GUY THAT THAT CAME INTO OUR CHURCH. AND, AND THAT'S JUST AROUND THE CORNER. I ALSO TEACH, UM, THE LITTLE KIDS AND THE, AND THE ADULTS THERE. AND SO THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE CAN STOP THEM. I GO TO OPEN THE DOOR TO THE ADJACENT HALL, TO THE PARK, AND, UM, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF FILTH THERE THAT CANNOT EVEN BE MENTIONED. AND THERE ARE CHILDREN THAT WILL BE SEEN THAT. SO I BEG OF YOU TO ALSO THINK OF CHILDREN FIRST AND TAKE CARE OF THE SITUATION. YOU HAVE THE POWER AND WE, THE CITIZENS HAVE GIVEN YOU THAT POWER. AND I TRUST THAT YOU WILL VOTE FOR WHAT IS CORRECT TO SAVE OUR CHILDREN. AND I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF BECAUSE I DID IT IN LESS THAN THREE MINUTES. , VERY GOOD JOB. YES, IT'S GETTING LATE. THANK YOU, COUNSEL FOR LISTENING TO, UH, OUR PLEAD. UM, MY NAME IS GREG PENA, FORMER RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH, UH, PAST BUSINESS OWNER, UH, DOING BUSINESS WITH 20 YEARS IN THE BUILDING, CATTY CORNER FROM US, A HUNDRED OCEAN GATE, PASSIONATE ABOUT LONG BEACH IN THE CITY THAT, UH, I ONCE LIVED IN. AS YOU HEARD TONIGHT, THIS IS A, UH, IMPACTFUL COMMUNITY OF CHILDREN. A TOTAL OF SIX SCHOOLS ARE IN THAT COMMUNITY, AND NUMEROUS INCIDENTS OF WHAT WE CALL NEAR MISSES IN THE RISK MANAGEMENT BUSINESS OF VIOLENT AND DEATHLY INCIDENTS IN THAT COMMUNITY. THIS MOVE TONIGHT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS COUNCIL TO MAKE THIS COMMUNITY LIKE A LOT OF OTHER COMMUNITIES IN LONG BEACH TURNED AROUND, REVITALIZED SAFE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND USE THIS PARK. I WAS DOING BUSINESS IN THIS TOWN AND KNEW DR. GUM BYER. I THINK IF HE WAS HERE TODAY, HE'D BE DISAPPOINTED BY THE SITUATION OF HIS PARK, UH, NAMED IN HIS HONOR. DR. GUM BYER WAS A MOVER AND SHAKER, NOT ONLY IN LONG BEACH, BUT IN CALIFORNIA, IN THE NATION. HE FOUNDED FHPA MAJOR HMO COMPANY, A SUCCESSFUL COMPANY IN THIS COMMUNITY, IN THE GREATER CALIFORNIA AND IN THE NATION. HE DESERVES TO BE HONORED. [03:15:01] I THINK IF HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, HE'D LIKE TO SEE THIS PARK SAFE AND USEFUL FOR THE CHILDREN IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND SUPPORT OF THIS EFFORT. HOPEFULLY IT'S THE FIRST STEP OF MORE STEPS OF TURNING THIS COMMUNITY AROUND IN LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UH, COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR. FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT AND STAYING THROUGH THE WHOLE MEETING. UM, I KNOW THAT WAS A LOT, BUT, UM, BUT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO HEAR FROM YOU DIRECTLY, UM, TO HEAR THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. AND I HOPE THAT MY COLLEAGUES CAN SUPPORT ME IN THIS EFFORT. UM, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. UM, PARKS WERE MADE SO THAT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN COULD THRIVE, AND THAT'S OUR GOAL, IS TO REALLY GIVE THAT BACK. UM, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT WORKING TOGETHER WE CAN DO THAT. I, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR CONTINUOUS INVESTMENT IN NOT ONLY THE PARK THERE, BUT BUT OUR COMMUNITY, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND, UM, YOU DO THIS BY, BY STARTING AN ASSOCIATION, ST. ANTHONY'S ASSOCIATION, WHICH I'M SO PROUD OF DOING THAT, UH, OF YOU GUYS DOING THAT AND PARTNERING WITH YOU ON SO MANY ISSUES. SO, UM, THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR, UM, FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE AND UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF GUN BINDER PARK AND, UM, THE ISSUES THAT WE CONTINUE TO FACE THERE. AND ALWAYS WILLING TO HEAR ME OUT AND COME UP WITH IDEAS. SO, REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM. AGAIN, THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS FOR COMING OUT. THANK YOU. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. AWESOME. HAS ITEM, UH, 26 BEEN CALLED? UH, NO. OKAY. ITEM 26. ITEM 26 IS REPORT FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC PLAN CITYWIDE. [26. 24-55788 Recommendation to receive and file the City of Long Beach Early Childhood Strategic Plan. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Health and Human Services         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA DO A SHORT PRESENTATION ON THIS. THIS HAS BEEN A ITEM THAT WE'VE BROUGHT FORWARD TO YOU IN A, IN A MEMO EARLIER THIS YEAR. UH, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK GOING INTO THE, UH, EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC PLAN AND, UH, WE WILL HAVE OUR TEAM SUMMARIZE THAT WORK AND, UH, COUNCIL FEEDBACK. GOOD EVENING, UH, HONOR VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE UPDATES ON THE EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC INITIATIVES PROGRAM, FORMERLY THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM, THE NEW EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC PLAN, AND SOME EXCITING NEW STEPS. HERE WITH ME IS DR. ALEJANDRA ALBER MOSES, AND OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC INITIATIVES PROGRAM MANAGER WHO WILL TAKE IT OVER FROM HERE. HELLO. UH, I WILL TRY TO GET THROUGH THIS AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. UM, EARLY CHILDHOOD IS A STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT RANGES FROM PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT TO AGE EIGHT. THE FIRST FIVE YEARS ARE FREQUENTLY REFERRED TO AS THE CRITICAL STAGE BECAUSE THI IT IS DURING THIS STAGE THAT 90% OF THE BRAIN IS FORMED DURING THIS TIME. EVERY INTERACTION A CHILD HAS SHAPES THEIR BRAIN. THOSE WHO HAVE POSITIVE EXPERIENCES WILL HAVE DENSE BRAINS THAT WILL BE THE BUILDING BLOCK FOR ALL FUTURE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFETIME. IN LONG BEACH, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 32,000 CHILDREN, AGES ZERO TO FIVE. THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM WAS FORMED IN 2016 WITH ONE PART-TIME FUNDED STAFF AS DIRECTED BY COUNCIL IN JANUARY, 2018, UH, WE BEGAN THE PROCESS TO CREATE AN EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC PLAN. OUR FIRST, UM, THAT INCLUDED 21 FOCUS GROUPS WITH CHILDREN, FAMILIES, ECE PROVIDERS, AND VARIOUS OTHER LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS. THIS PLAN WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN 2018. IN EARLY 2019, WE LAUNCHED THE ECE STRATEGIC PLAN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE THAT WAS COMPRISED OF STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS THE CITY, INCLUDING SCHOOL, OUR SCHOOL, UM, DISTRICT, OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD PARTNERS, AS WELL AS HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. THIS COMMITTEE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING PLANS TO TRACK THE SEVEN GOALS OF THE PLAN WHEN THE, WHEN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HIT CHANGING THE EARLY CHILDHOOD LANDSCAPE. HERE'S A QUICK, UM, LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL SEVEN GOALS FROM THE EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC PLAN. UH, BEFORE [03:20:01] 2020, WHEN WE LAUNCHED THE EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC PLAN, WE BEGAN, UH, COLLABORATING WITH PARTNERS ACROSS THE CITY, UH, TO BUILD, UH, OUR NETWORK OF SUPPORT FOR THE EARLY CHILDHOOD. HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF OUR INITIAL, UH, SUCCESSES, UM, SPECIFICALLY REALLY FOCUSING ON BUILDING THOSE INITIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, BOTH AT THE LOCAL LONG BEACH LEVEL, AS WELL AS ACROSS THE COUNTY. UH, HAVING THIS EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC PLAN SERVED AS A CRITICAL TOOL IN THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE NEW NEEDS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE PANDEMIC. THE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM OVERSAW A MILLION DOLLARS IN CARES FUNDING AND NEARLY $3 MILLION IN LONG BEACH RECOVERY ACT FUNDING. UH, HERE YOU WILL SEE, UM, SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN DURING THIS TIME, SPECIFICALLY HIGHLIGHTING OUR, UH, EARLY LEARNING HUB, UH, WORK, WHICH IS AN ONLINE, UM, PLATFORM OPERATED BY THE MAYOR'S FUND FOR EDUCATION TO HELP FAMILIES FIND AND ENROLL IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SERVICES. OUR INITIAL PILOT FUNDING HAS ALLOWED US TO CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE TO BUILD AND SEEK ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO CONTINUE THIS PROJECT MOVING FORWARD. IN ADDITION TO THE SPECIFIC COVID-19 EFFORTS FROM OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEAM, WE CONTINUED MORE BROAD EARLY CHILDHOOD, UH, EFFORTS WITH COMMUNITY, UM, HIGHLIGHTING OUR ROLE IN SUPPORTING THE COUNTY TO LOCALLY DISTRIBUTE A THOUSAND, UH, CANS OF BABY FORMULA DURING THE FORMULA SHORTAGE. UM, AS WELL AS, UH, OUR CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT WITH, UM, OUR CELEBRATION OF THE YOUNG CHILD AND OUR LAUNCH OF THE HELP ME GROW PROGRAM THAT HELPS TO, UH, PROVIDE OR INCREASE ACCESS TO DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENINGS AND SERVICES. UH, THIS WORK WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE INCREDIBLE SUPPORT OF OUR PARTNERS HERE ACROSS THE CITY. UH, HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES WHO HAVE MADE AND CONTINUE TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD LANDSCAPE OF LONG BEACH. THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM, MANY OF WHO ARE IN OUR AUDIENCE, AND WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO STAY HERE FOR THIS PRESENTATION. UM, ADDITIONALLY, SINCE 2020, OUR ECSI PROGRAM HAS BUILT STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS, UM, TO CONTINUE THE REVITALIZATION OF OUR WEST HEALTH FACILITY AS AN ADDITIONAL EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FACILITY. OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC PLAN WAS WRITTEN IN 20, OUR ORIGINAL EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC PLAN WAS WRITTEN IN 2018 TO ADDRESS THE FRACTURED ECE SYSTEM IN THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY SUCCESSES AND THERE REMAIN THAT THERE REMAINS A NEED TO ADDRESS THE SYSTEM. IN LIGHT OF THE EVER CHANGING LANDSCAPE SINCE 2018, THERE HAS BEEN A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ECE FACILITIES. DUE TO THE COVID-19 BUSINESS CLOSURES, THERE HAS BEEN A DECREASE IN PROFESSIONALS SEEKING CAREERS IN THE FIELD OF EARLY CHILDHOOD, UH, EDUCATION, IN LARGE PART DUE TO THE LOW INCOME OF THE FIELD. IN ADDITION, THERE IS LESS FAMILIES ENGAGING IN EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION, IN PART DUE TO MORE WORKING FAMILIES FROM HOME. AND BECAUSE OF CONCERNS OF SAFETY IN CENTERS, THERE IS AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS, YOUNG CHILDREN AND ADULTS ALIKE WHO ARE IN NEED OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. WHILE THERE REMAINS A VARIETY OF CHALLENGES, WE LEAN ON THE COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS AS WE CONTINUE THIS IMPORTANT WORK. AND THIS IS JUST A, A SNEAK PEEK OF WHAT OUR PLAN WILL BE, WILL LOOK LIKE, UM, AND WILL BE AVAILABLE ON OUR LONG BEACH HEALTH DEPARTMENT PAGE. UM, ONCE APPROVED BUILDING, BUILDING ON THE SUCCESS OF THE PREVIOUS PLAN IN MAY, 2023, THE EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC IN INITIATIVES PROGRAM WAS CHARGED WITH UPDATING THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PLAN. CONSULTANTS WERE HIRED TO OVERSEE THE PROCESS, HOLDING 13 FOCUS GROUPS AND 10 INTERVIEWS WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING, UH, LONG BEACH, UH, RESIDENTS, REPRESENTATIVES FROM CHILD SERVING AGENCIES, UH, PARENTS, AND, UM, A CLASSROOM OF PRESCHOOLERS. THEY ALSO LAUNCHED THE PUBLIC CITYWIDE. WE ALSO LAUNCHED A PUBLIC WIDE SURVEY, UM, IN ENGLISH SPANISH AYA TAGALOG TO GAIN ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK THAT WAS PUBLIC. THE CONSULTANTS WORK WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING THE LONG BEACH EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION COMMUNITY, AND THE LONG BEACH, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ANALYZE FINDINGS AND TO CREATE NEW GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND ACTIVITIES TO ACHI ACHIEVE THEM. UH, THIS SUMMER WE FINALIZED A DRAFT OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. [03:25:01] OUR ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT FAMILIES FEEL MOST SUPPORTED WHEN THEY'RE ABLE TO ENROLL THEIR CHILDREN IN EASY OPPORTUNITIES WITH EASE WHEN THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD AND REPRESENTED. WHEN RESOURCES ARE SHARED THROUGHOUT, THROUGH CONSISTENT MESSAGING ACROSS MANY TOUCH POINTS. FAMILIES HAVE A NEED FOR SAFE HEALTHY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR CHILDREN WHEN INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO, UH, SERVICE ACCESS, WHEN THEY HAVE ACCESS TO CENTRALIZED ENTRY POINT OF INFORMATION, WHEN THEY HAVE ACCESS TO EARLY INTERVENTION, WHEN PROGRAMS ARE, ARE TRAUMA INFORMED, AND WHEN THERE IS FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES. FINALLY, BOTH FAMILIES AND EDUCATORS BELIEVE THAT EDUCATORS NEED ACCESS TO ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT ADDRESSES THE, UH, THE EVOLVING NEEDS OF YOUNG CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY POST PANDEMIC EDUCATORS ARE TRUST, ARE TRUSTED RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT DEVELOPMENT AND LOCAL RESOURCES AND SERVICES. AND WORD OF MOUTH COMMUNICATION THROUGH TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO GET INFORMATION OUT TO FAMILIES. THESE FINDINGS AND A NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION LANDSCAPE LED TO OUR RENEWED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES SEEN HERE. UM, IMPORTANT NOTE, MANY OF THESE BROAD GOALS, UH, REMAIN THE SAME FROM OUR, UM, PREVIOUS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PLAN. HERE WE'VE MERGED, UH, GOAL SEVEN AND SIX INTO GOAL SIX. SO WE NOW HAVE SIX GOALS WITH VARIOUS ACTIVITIES AND, UM, THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY WILL ENGAGE IN TO, UM, ENSURE ITS SUCCESS. AND NOW I WILL PASS IT BACK TO, UH, DIRECTOR ALLISON KING TO COMPLETE THE PRESENTATION. THERE ARE, OOPS, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, ON THE HORIZON WITH $1.33 MILLION FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS IN EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION SETTINGS, AND $400,000 FROM THE LA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF THE EARLY LEARNING HUB OPPORTUNITIES. UM, ALSO IN THE PROCESS, WE ARE PLANNING THE SIXTH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF THE YOUNG CHILD, WHICH WILL BE HOSTED ON APRIL THE 26TH AT LINCOLN PARK. AND WE ARE PLANNING TO OPEN A NEW ECE FACILITY IN WEST LONG BEACH IN THE FALL OF 2025. THE MISSION OF OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC INITIATIVES PROGRAM IS THAT ALL YOUNG CHILDREN IN LONG BEACH WILL REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AND LIVE IN HEALTHY AND SAFE HOMES AND COMMUNITIES. SINCE THE INCEPTION, UM, OUR TEAM HAS GROWN TO A STAFF OF THREE FULL-TIME AND, UM, INTERNS FROM LOCAL UNIVERSITIES. OUR FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET TOTALS JUST OVER $2 MILLION. THIS INCLUDES GENERAL FUNDING FOR A PART-TIME STAFF GRANT FUNDING FROM THE STATE CHILDREN AND YOUTH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES FOR 1.5 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS, FUNDING FROM FIRST FIVE OF LOS ANGELES TO SUPPORT OUR HELP ME GROW TEAM WITH ONE FULL-TIME STAFF. AND ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE A VARIETY OF PROJECTS THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH VARIOUS GRANTS. IN THE CITY'S FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET, THERE WERE $250,000 IN ONE-TIME FUNDING ALLOCATED TO THE MAYOR'S FUND FOR EDUCATION. THAT WILL HELP ADVANCE SOME OF THE ECSI WORK. SINCE THAT FUNDING IS GOING OUT DIRECTLY TO A COMMUNITY PARTNER, THEY ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET. WHILE OUR TEAM HAS ACHIEVED MANY SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES, THERE'S MORE WORK TO DO. YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT IS CRUCIAL IN UPLIFTING THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN, ZERO TO EIGHT OF DIFFERENT ABILITIES, AND THOSE WHO CARE FOR THEM. A DIRECT INVESTMENT IN OUR YOUNG CHILDREN IS THE BEST UPSTREAM PREVENTION TOOL TO MITIGATE HOMELESSNESS, ADDRESS VIOLENCE PREVENTION, AND INCREASE GRADUATION RATES, AND IMPROVE THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE AND COLLECTIVE EFFORT THAT REQUIRES ALL OF US TO DO OUR PART TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OUTLINED IN THIS PLAN. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS CRITICAL WORK. THAT COMPLETES OUR PRESENTATION. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION. UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UM, GO TO PUBLIC, UH, THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS. WE HAVE, UH, SARAH ANO AND CHRISTINA HALL. ARE YOU STILL HERE? IF YOU CAN COME TO THE PODIUM PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. HONORABLE VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS SARAH SONO. I SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE LONG BEACH EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION COMMITTEE, AND I AM ALSO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF YOUNG HORIZONS, A CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER HERE IN THE FIRST DISTRICT. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE ADOPTION OF THE CITY'S 20 24 20 29 LONG BEACH EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC PLAN. PARTICULARLY ITS INITIATIVES FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING FAMILIES AND [03:30:01] EXPANDING EARLY EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY. I BELIEVE THAT TONIGHT THE ADOPTION OF THIS PLAN IS OUR CITY'S VALUES STATEMENT, OUR LEADERS. YOU RECOGNIZE THAT INVESTING IN FAMILIES AND EARLY EDUCATION IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL WAYS WE CAN FOSTER A THRIVING EQUITABLE CITY. BY PRIORITIZING THESE INITIATIVES, OUR CITY WILL ENSURE THAT EVERY CHILD, REGARDLESS OF THEIR BACKGROUND OR SOCIO SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. THIS PLAN CALLS FOR SUPPORTING FAMILIES. STRONG RESILIENT FAMILIES ARE THE BACKBONE OF A VIBRANT COMMUNITY. FAMILIES NEED ACCESS TO RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP THEM THRIVE, SUCH AS AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE SERVICES AND SUPPORT SERVICES. IN ADDITION, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COMMUNITY. THE EARLY EDUCATION WORKFORCE IS FOUNDATIONAL TO PROVIDING THE HIGH QUALITY NURTURING EXPERIENCES CHILDREN NEED IN THEIR EARLY YEARS. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE NOT ONLY INVEST IN THE CHILDREN WE SERVE, BUT ALSO IN THE EDUCATORS THAT MAKE THAT WORK POSSIBLE. BY IMPLEMENTING THESE INITIATIVES, OUR CITY CAN ATTRACT AND RETAIN FAMILIES TO OUR BEAUTIFUL LONG BEACH, CONTRIBUTING TO OUR COMMUNITY'S ECONOMIC, OUR COMMUNITY'S GROWTH AND ECONOMIC VITALITY. I URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS PROPOSED AND ENSURE THAT THE INITIATIVES INCLUDED WITHIN AIMED AT SUPPORTING FAMILIES, EXPENDING EARLY EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES, AND STRENGTHENING THE EARLY EDUCATION WORKFORCE. ARE FULLY FUNDED AND PRIORITIZED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, VICE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CHRISTINA HALL. I AM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY INITIATIVES AT THE NONPROFIT PARTNERSHIP. I LEAD OUR BEST START, UH, INITIATIVE HERE IN, UH, CENTRAL LONG BEACH, WHICH IS FOCUSED ON THE ZERO TO FIVE, UH, COMMUNITY AGE GROUP AND THEIR FAMILIES. AND I'M ALSO THE WORK GROUP CHAIR OF THE LONG BEACH, UH, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION COMMITTEE POLICY AND ADVOCACY WORK GROUP. UM, I AM VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS NEW, UH, EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGIC PLAN. YOU SAW THE IMPACT OF THE ORIGINAL, UH, PLAN, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE STAFF'S, UH, WORK IN SUPPORTING OUR YOUNGEST LONG BEACH RESIDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE ZERO TO EIGHT YEARS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMANS, AND WE SEE THIS REPRESENTED IN THE NEW STRATEGIC PLAN. HOWEVER, WITH THAT SAID, WE NEED TO SEE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH SUPPORT THESE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. UH, WE HEARD FROM SARAH ABOUT THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, UM, NEEDS FOR STAFF AT FACILITIES, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO SEE THE FUNDING OF STAFF AT, UH, THE CITY'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO MAKE THESE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES HAPPEN. UH, WE SEE THAT, UH, THAT THERE IS SOME STAFF ALLOCATED, BUT ONLY, UM, A HALFTIME PERSON, AND WE DON'T GET TO HAVE A REDO OF THESE DEVELOPMENTAL YEARS. SO I GREATLY ENCOURAGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO NOT JUST FILE THIS PLAN, UH, BUT TO MOVE TO SUPPORT FULL-TIME, UH, STAFF, UH, AT OUR LONG BEACH HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS, COUNCILMAN ROBERTO ANG? NO, THANKS SIR. I SUPPORT THE STRATEGIC PLAN. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN JONI, RICK SODI. HI. THANK YOU. UH, VICE MAYOR. UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY I WAS GENUINELY EXCITED TO READ THROUGH THE PLAN AS I REALLY THINK IT ADDRESSES MANY OF THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT FACE PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION COMMUNITY. UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AS A PARENT OF VERY YOUNG CHILDREN, UM, MUCH OF WHAT I READ RESONATED WITH ME PERSONALLY. UM, AND I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UM, SOME OF WHICH YOU ACTUALLY ALREADY ANSWERED. UM, SO ONE WAS I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE LEARNING HUB, UM, AND I'VE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT IT EVEN WITH MY OWN KIND OF LIKE DAYCARE PROVIDERS. UM, HOW ARE PEOPLE BEING INFORMED ABOUT THE EARLY LEARNING HUB AND, AND, AND, AND BECOMING PART OF THAT PLATFORM? YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THE EARLY LEARNING HUB WAS PILOTED WITH FUNDING FROM THE LONG BEACH RECOVERY ACT, BUT IT IS, UH, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE MAYOR'S FUND FOR EDUCATION. SO THEY TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE MARKETING. HOWEVER, UM, WE DO SHARE THE INFORMATION AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE. WE SHARE THEIR MARKETING ON OUR, UM, PLATFORMS AS WELL AS THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION COMMITTEE SHARES THE, THE, UH, INFORMATION OUT WITH THEIR MEMBERS AND HOPEFULLY CONTINUES TO SPREAD THAT WAY. I BELIEVE THEY RECENTLY, UM, HAVE SIGNAGE IN BUSES AS WELL. OH, [03:35:01] EXCELLENT. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, FOR GOAL NUMBER TWO, I WAS INTERESTED IN THE MIXED DELIVERY SYSTEM, UH, WHICH AIMS TO EXPAND EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION OPTIONS LIKE FAMILY, CHILDCARE HOMES, COMMUNITY-BASED CENTERS, SCHOOL-BASED CARE. UM, I ACTUALLY WAS KIND OF INTERESTED WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING THESE OPPORTUNITIES. ALONG WITH THAT, ARE WE THINKING ABOUT PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT SOME OF THESE, THESE NEW BUSINESSES? LIKE I IMAGINE FOR MANY OF THEM WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING AND PERMITS LIKE ACCREDITATION, LIKE THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE, AND WE HAVE AN ENTITY EVEN IN MY DISTRICT THAT IS HAVING DIFFICULTY NAVIGATING THAT SYSTEM. UM, IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO KIND OF PAIR ALONGSIDE THAT EXPANSION SUPPORT FOR FOLKS WHO WANT TO OPEN UP THESE CENTERS? YEAH. UM, SO DURING THE LONG BEACH RECOVERY ACT, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH, UH, OUR, UM, GOSH, I'M GONNA REMEMBER, FORGET WHICH DEPARTMENT IT WAS, BUT WHO OVERSAW OUR SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS AS PART OF THE RECOVERY FUNDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THANK YOU, UM, TO HIGHLIGHT THE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS AS, UH, A SMALL BUSINESSES. UM, SO WE DID PROVIDE SOME SUPPORT THERE IN ADDITION TO GRANTS AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UM, THROUGH OUR SPECIFIC ECSI PROGRAM. HOWEVER, WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE FUNDS, UM, TO FURTHER SUPPORT FINANCIALLY. HOWEVER, I DO WORK WITH OUR LA COUNTY PARTNERS WHO DO CURRENTLY HAVE FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR EXPANSION, UM, AND HAVE BEEN WORKING AGAIN WITH OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION COMMITTEE TO GET INFORMATION OUT ABOUT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND AS PARTNERS CALL, UM, AND SEEK ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, REALLY WORKING TO, UH, HELP THEM FIND OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAKE SENSE FOR THEM. OKAY, GREAT. YEAH, 'CAUSE I JUST, I, I, I RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, PEOPLE WHO WANNA GET INTO THAT SPACE, IT'S DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE, RIGHT? AND SO A LOT OF PEOPLE, I THINK, END UP DOING MISSTEPS, UM, ALONG THE WAY. AND SO SOMEONE THERE, THEY KIND OF HOLD THEIR HAND AND, AND LET THEM KNOW THE KIND OF LANDMINES, THE, THE DIFFICULTIES, THE CHALLENGES, I THINK WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE EXPANDING THESE TYPES OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY. UH, THAT IS ALL. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR. YOU'RE WELCOME. UH, COUNCILWOMAN MEGAN KERR. YES. UH, THANK YOU. I WANNA THANK THE TEAM, UH, FOR THEIR CONTINUED HARD WORK, UM, IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE, UM, AND CONTINUING, UH, THE INVESTMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I WAS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR EIGHT YEARS AND, AND I WAS THE, UH, LIAISON FOR THE HEAD START PROGRAM AND REALLY INVESTED A LOT OF TIME, UM, IN UNDERSTANDING OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM HERE IN LONG BEACH. AND WE KNOW THAT THE WORK OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE WORK OF THE PARTNERSHIPS OVER THE LAST, UM, FOUR YEARS HAS DONE INCREDIBLE WORK. AND THE HUB IS A, IS GONNA BE, COULD BE A NATIONAL MODEL. WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR THE TEAM FOR CONTINUING TO DO THAT. AND ALL OF THE PARTNERS THAT ARE LISTED ON, UH, WHATEVER PAGE ON THE SLIDE WAS, I JUST HAD IT AND I'M MISSING IT. UH, PAGE EIGHT OF YOUR SLIDE PRESENTATION, INCLUDING OUR PARTNERS AT LONG BEACH UNIFIED. UM, WE KNOW THAT THE BEST AND MOST IMPORTANT UPSTREAM WORK THAT WE CAN DO IN TERMS OF ANTI-POVERTY, ANTI-VIOLENCE, ALL OF THE THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO BANDAID NOW WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY CAN BE DONE BEST AND MOST EFFECTIVELY IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD YEARS WHEN WE TAKE FAMILIES WITH LITTLE ONES AND WRAP THEM IN THOSE SERVICES SO THAT THEY GROW UP IN A COMMUNITY THAT IS FREE FROM VIOLENCE, SO THAT ON THE BACKEND, 10 OR 15 YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT REINVESTING IN THOSE, THOSE FAMILIES AND THOSE COMMUNITIES, UM, WHERE WE COULD HAVE DONE THE WORK EARLY ON. SO I APPRECIATE, UM, THE CITY'S CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN THAT WORK. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIPS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT IS KEY TO A SEAMLESS SYSTEM AND A SEAMLESS SAFETY NET WHEN WE HAVE NOT ONLY OUR PUBLIC AGENCIES, LIKE OUR CITIES AND OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, BUT OUR PRIVATE PROVIDERS, OUR NONPROFIT PROVIDERS, OUR HEADSTART PROVIDERS, OUR CDC PROVIDERS ALL WORKING TOGETHER. AND SO THAT WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO BY CONVENING REGULARLY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UM, IS THE WORK THAT CONTINUES TO BUILD THIS SAFETY NET THAT IS DESPERATELY NEEDED BY MANY, MANY FAMILIES HERE IN LONG BEACH AND BEYOND. UH, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT CONTINUED WORK. UM, I WILL ALWAYS PUT IN A PLUG FOR FULL-TIME FOLKS WHO HELP SUPPORT THE WORK. UM, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE IN A BUDGET SEASON, BUT KNOWING THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE KNOW THAT THIS WORK CAN PREVENT MORE EXPENSIVE WORK DOWN THE ROAD. UM, SO DOING THAT EARLY INVESTMENT IS REALLY CRITICAL. SO THANK YOU TO THE TEAM. UM, AND THANK YOU, UH, FOR THIS NEW STRATEGIC PLAN. I'M HAPPY TO ADOPT IT. THOSE ARE GREAT COMMENTS, COUNCILWOMAN. OKAY. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. OKAY. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHTY. THAT COMPLETES ITEM 26, ITEM 28. ITEM 28 IS A REPORT FROM UTILITIES [03:40:01] RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION ON [28. 24-55793 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation on the significant water main breaks that occurred on October 9, 2024, and subsequent Boil Water Notice, and the after-action report on the incident.       Office or Department: Utilities         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] THE SIGNIFICANT WATER MAIN BREAKS THAT OCCUR ON OCTOBER 9TH, 2024, AND SUBSEQUENT BOIL WATER NOTICE AND THE AFTER ACTION REPORT ON THE INCIDENT. OKAY. I'LL PASS THAT OVER TO A**L. HOW ARE YOU? JUST FINE. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE VICE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. I HAVE INDEED A A BRIEF PRESENTATION FOR YOU RESPONDING TO THE REQUEST THAT YOU HAD MADE TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE MAIN BREAK AND BOIL WATER NOTICE AS WELL AS THE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN. SO I'LL GO THROUGH THESE SLIDES AND BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. SO I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU AN INTRODUCTION TO THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, GO OVER A LITTLE BIT OF THE DEPARTMENT GOALS IN CIP, THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE MAKE IN INFRASTRUCTURE. I'LL GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE INCIDENT ITSELF, AND THEN FOCUS A LITTLE BIT ON THE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS THAT TOOK PLACE OVER THE COURSE OF THE INCIDENT, AND THEN ALSO BE DISCUSSING THE NEXT STEPS THAT WE'RE IMMEDIATELY TAKING NOW TO, UH, IMPROVE. THESE ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE ACTUAL AFTER ACTION REPORT THAT WAS CREATED. THE LONG BEACH UTILITIES IS A CONSOLIDATED UTILITY NOW, IT CONSOLIDATED IN 2022, CONSOLIDATING THE GAS DEPARTMENT WITH THE WATER DEPARTMENT. WATER DEPARTMENT PROVIDED WATER AND SEWER SERVICE FOR THE CITY. IT IS GOVERNED BY A FIVE MEMBER BOARD OF UTILITIES COMMISSIONERS, AND IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 522 DEDICATED EMPLOYEES. OUR ANNUAL BUDGET IS ABOUT $378 MILLION. THAT'S FOR FISCAL YEAR 25. IN TERMS OF THE WATER DEPARTMENT, WE ALWAYS COMMENT ON THE SOURCES OF WATER THAT PROVIDE OUR WATER SUPPLY. 60% OF IT IS LOCAL GROUNDWATER PUMPING. THAT'S AN INCREDIBLY PRECIOUS RESOURCE HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. 30% OF IT IS IMPORTED WATER. WE ARE A MEMBER OF THE METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT. THAT IS AN INCREDIBLY PRECIOUS, UH, RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. AND CONSEQUENTLY, THROUGH THEM, OUR IMPORTED WATER IS PROVIDED FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND FROM THE COLORADO RIVER AS WELL. RECLAIM WATER OR RECYCLED WATER IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT RESOURCE TOO. IT IRRIGATES MANY OF OUR PARKS HERE IN THE CITY ITSELF, AND THAT'S ABOUT 10% OF OUR WATER SUPPLY. IN TERMS OF GOALS THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS, ONE OF THE CRITICAL GOALS IS EXCEPTIONAL WATER QUALITY. THE CITY'S DRINKING WATER MEETS OR EXCEEDS ALL FEDERAL AND STATE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS. LONG BEACH UTILITIES ITSELF TREATS 32 MILLION GALLONS OF THAT LOCALLY PUMPED PRECIOUS GROUNDWATER AT OUR LONG BEACH GROUNDWATER TREATMENT PLANT. AND IN ORDER TO ENSURE THIS EXCEPTIONAL WATER QUALITY, THE EMPLOYEES AT THE LONG BEACH UTILITIES, THEIR SCIENTISTS AND TECHNICIANS PERFORM ALMOST 70,000 WATER QUALITY TESTS ANNUALLY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE DRINKING WATER, WATER STORAGE, AND DELIVERY IS INDEED WHAT MAKES THAT WATER AVAILABLE TO ALL OF US HERE. LONG BEACH UTILITIES MAINTAINS 30 LARGE RESERVOIR STORAGE TANKS AND DELIVERS WATER THROUGH 1,600 MILES OF WATER, MAINE PIPELINES AND LATERAL PIPELINES. THE UTILITY ITSELF GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND. IT IS ONE OF THE FIRST UTILITY AGENCIES IN THE NATION TO JOIN THE PARTNERSHIP FOR SAFE WATER PROGRAM, WHICH IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT SETS STANDARDS, THAT PROVIDES RESOURCES TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE METRICS FOR AGENCIES TO INDEED GO ABOVE AND BEYOND PROPOSED REGULATORY LEVELS. AMONG THOSE, THE LONG BEACH UTILITIES EXCEEDS THE AMERICAN WATERWORKS ASSOCIATION STANDARDS PIPELINES BREAK ACROSS THE NATION. ONE OF THE STANDARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IS ABOUT 15 MAIN BREAKS PER HUNDRED MILES PER YEAR. LONG BEACH UTILITIES IS PROUD TO HAVE A DEMONSTRATED RECORD OF FOUR MAIN BREAKS PER HUNDRED MILES, WHICH IS AN INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT ITSELF. CUSTOMER SERVICE IS ANOTHER CRITICAL GOAL. THE UTILITIES IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE THROUGHOUT ALL OF ITS SERVICES, INCLUDING WATER, BUT ALSO SAFE, NATURAL GAS DELIVERY, AND THE MAINTENANCE OF A RELIABLE SEWER SYSTEM. THE UTILITIES IS ALWAYS RESPONDING 24 7 FOR ALL WATER, SEWER AND NATURAL GAS EMERGENCY REQUESTS, THANKS TO A DEDICATED DISPATCH STAFF THAT IS INDEED WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK 365 DAYS A YEAR. IN TERMS OF INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE, LONG BEACH UTILITIES IS COMMITTED TO AN INVESTMENT IN THE MAINTENANCE OF ITS UTILITY SYSTEM, INFRASTRUCTURE AND WATER. AND PARTICULAR THE DEPARTMENT HAS BUDGETED OVER THE SPAN OF TWO FISCAL YEARS, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS, ADDRESSING THE ENTIRE WATER PRODUCTION SYSTEM FROM BEGINNING TO END, THAT DELIVERS THE WATER TO YOUR COMMUNITIES AND YOUR HOMES. THAT INVOLVES COLLECTION, TREATMENT, STORAGE, AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS. TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THAT, OUT OF THIS INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS REPRESENTS, UH, HALF OF IT IN A FISCAL YEAR, REPRESENTS 28% OF THE ENTIRE WATER FUND BUDGET FOR THAT FISCAL YEAR. I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT, WHAT IT ENTAILS. IT TALKS ABOUT WATER DISTRIBUTION VALVES AND PIPELINES ARE PART OF THIS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT, BUT ALSO RESERVOIR AND GROUNDWATER TREATMENT, PLANT COMPONENTS, WHICH ARE CRITICAL TO THE DELIVERY OF THAT, THE GROUNDWATER WELLS THAT PRODUCE ALL OF THAT WATER FROM THE GROUND, THAT IMPORTANT PRECIOUS RESOURCE FOR 60% OF OUR SUPPLIES, AS WELL AS THE RECYCLED WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. ALL OF THAT IS ENCOMPASSED IN THAT INVESTMENT. THE [03:45:01] NUMBERS HERE ARE, ARE NOT RELEVANT EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER, I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE $50 MILLION INVESTMENT PER YEAR OVER THE SPAN OF TWO FISCAL YEARS. BUT IN TERMS OF A FIVE YEAR PERIOD THAT WE HAVE, LOOKING AHEAD, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INVESTMENT OF OVER $200 MILLION IN THIS INFRASTRUCTURE. THAT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. I'M GONNA SWITCH NOW TO A DISCUSSION, JUST BRIEFLY RUN THROUGH A SEQUENCE OF THINGS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE AFTER ACTION REPORT, BUT IT'S AN OVERVIEW OF THE MAIN BREAK AND THE SUBSEQUENT BOIL WATER NOTICE. AND THIS ALL BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9TH, 2024. AT ABOUT 11:15 AM IN THE MORNING, THE CONTROL ROOM NOTICES A PRESSURE LOSS IN THE BOOSTED ZONE ON THE MAP THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU, YOU SEE ALL THESE DIFFERENT COLORS. YOU SEE THE LIGHT BLUE ZONE THERE TOWARDS THE UPPER NORTH PART OF THE CITY. THAT IS THE BOOSTED PRESSURE ZONE. SO WE HAVE A PUMP STATION DRIVING THE WATER INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. THAT'S WHERE WE NOTICED THE PRESSURE LOSS. IT WAS PUMPING AT MAX CAPACITY TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE ABOVE 20 P-S-I-P-S-I IS POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH, AND THAT IS THE STANDARD THAT IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE FIREFIGHTING CAPABILITY. THERE WERE MULTIPLE CUSTOMER REPORTS AND MEDIA INQUIRIES. OUR MAIN BRAKE RESPONSE IN THAT FORMAT IS IMMEDIATELY TO STOP THE FLOW OF WATER, IMMEDIATELY PROVIDE EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION SO OTHER PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND RESTORING WATER SERVICE. AND INDEED, THE WATER WAS STOPPED AT THAT, UM, MAIN BREAK ON THE 20 INCH TRANSMISSION MAIN. IT WAS STOPPED WITHIN THE HOUR, AND IN FACT, WE HAD MOBILIZED, UH, TRUCKS ALREADY WITHIN THE VERY FEW MINUTES TO MAINTAIN PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE VICINITY OF THE INTERSECTION. EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS WERE GOING OUT IMMEDIATELY THAT THERE WAS A MAIN BREAK ADVISING THE PEOPLE TO AVOID THE INTERSECTION WHILE THE SITUATION BECAME UNDER CONTROL. AND WITHIN THE HOUR, WE WERE ABLE TO STOP THE FLOW TO THE TRANSMISSION MAIN AND MAINTAIN SERVICE CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH THE DISTRIBUTION MAINS NEARBY, AND ALSO MAINTAIN FIRE FLOWS. GOING INTO THE AFTERNOON, WE BEGAN RECEIVING CALLS FROM CONCERNED CUSTOMERS THAT THERE WERE PORTS OF BROWN WATER. WE SENT OUT A MESSAGE THAT THE WATER ITSELF WAS SAFE TO DRINK. THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE OF BROWN WATER HAD TO DO WITH THE FACT OF THE SYSTEM BEING REINITIATED AGAIN. AND WHEN THE SYSTEM WAS REINITIATED, THERE'S MINERALS IN THE WATER THAT TEND TO SETTLE OUT OVER TIME. AND THAT BACK AND FORTH FLOW ACTIVATES IT AGAIN AND LEADS TO THE DISCOLORATION. NOTWITHSTANDING THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRINK, WE ACTED IMMEDIATELY TO BEGIN FLUSHING THE SYSTEM. AND WITHIN THREE HOURS, THE DISCOLORATION HAD BEEN REMOVED, AND WE WERE LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT THROUGH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS AS WELL AS RESPOND TO CUSTOMER INQUIRIES OVER THE PHONE. WE RESPONDED TO A REPORT OF A LEAK NEAR 4 45 71 LINDEN AVENUE, AND WE DETERMINED IT TO BE A SERVICE BREAK. I DO APOLOGIZE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN HAS NOW LEFT, BUT I DID NOT HAVE A GIFT FOR HIM HERE FOR HIS RETIREMENT. I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE'VE DEDICATED THE TWO INCH SERVICE LINE IN HIS HOME THAT IS GOING TO THE METER. IT IS NOW THE AL AUSTIN TWO INCH SERVICE LINE IN HIS HONOR. LATER ON IN THAT AFTERNOON. AND THEN GOING INTO THE EVENING, WE CONTINUED TO RECEIVE REPORTS OF LOW FLOW TO NO WATER IN VARIOUS PORTIONS OF THE SERVICE AREA TOWARDS THE NORTH OF THE BOOSTED PRESSURE ZONE. INTERNAL ANALYSIS OF PRESSURE SYSTEM MONITORING BEGAN, AND OUR PRIMARY SYSTEM MONITORING INDICATED THERE. PRESSURE HAD BEEN MAINTAINED, BUT A SECONDARY MONITORING SYSTEM BEGAN TO INDICATE THAT PRESSURE HAD BEEN LOST TO THE DEGREE THAT THERE WAS A RISK FOR CONTAMINATION. THIS RISK FOR CONTAMINATION COULD ONLY BE VERIFIED PER STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD MANDATE BY TESTING. AND THAT TESTING WOULD INDEED TAKE 24 HOURS TO CONFIRM. KNOWING THAT WE HAD THAT RISK FOR CONTAMINATION, IT WAS EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT'S DECISION THEN THAT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO ISSUE A BOILED WATER NOTICE. OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION TO ASSESS THIS RISK, WE BEGAN WORKING WITH STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD TO SET UP SAMPLING LOCATIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. AND WE ALSO BEGAN TO TAKE THE STEPS OUTLINED IN OUR APPROVED WATER QUALITY EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION PLAN, WHICH IS A PLAN ADOPTED AND APPROVED BY THE STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD. FOR US GOING INTO THE LATE EVENING, WE ESTABLISHED THE CONTACTS NECESSARY WITH STAKEHOLDERS AS LISTED IN THE PLAN ITSELF. WE PREPARED A PHONE BANK AND PREPARED PUBLIC NOTICING MATERIALS AT THE SAME TIME. WE WERE ALREADY TRYING TO DO, UH, ADVANCE WORK AND GETTING AHEAD OF THE SCHEDULE BY DOING WATER QUALITY SAMPLING AT TESTING PLA TESTING PLACES THAT WE KNEW WOULD BECOME CRITICAL. INDEED, UPON REVIEWING THAT WITH THE STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD INTO THE EVENING, THE OFFICIAL BOIL WATER NOTICE WAS PERMITTED BY THE STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD, ALLOWING US TO ISSUE IT AT ABOUT 11:16 PM AT THE SAME TIME, THE MAIN BREAK RESPONSE CONTINUES UNABATED THROUGH THE NIGHT. WE HAVE THE DEBRIS ROOM REMOVAL. THESE PHOTOGRAPHS KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS. WE HAVE THE DAMAGE MAIN ITSELF WAS BEING EXCAVATED, AND OVER THE COURSE OF THAT NIGHT, WE BEGAN THE REPLACEMENT OF THE 20 INCH MAIN IN THE AREA OF THE FIRST ORIGINAL BREAK. GOING INTO THE EARLY HOURS OF OCTOBER 10TH, ONCE WE HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO ISSUE THE BOIL WATER [03:50:01] NOTICE ALERT, LONG BEACH WENT OUT WITH TEXT MESSAGES THAT WERE SENT TO ALL REGISTERED USERS BY SIX 30 IN THE MORNING. I WAS DOING MULTIPLE MEDIA INTERVIEWS THAT MORNING TO COMMUNICATE TO THE VARIOUS MEDIA OUTLETS WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE MAIN BREAK, AS WELL AS THE BOIL WATER NOTICE. AND LATER THAT MORNING, WE ALERTS WENT OUT AND SENT TO ANYONE IN THE IMPACTED ZIP CODES. THROUGHOUT THE DAY, THERE WAS A LIVE STREAM WITH THE MAYOR, COUNCILWOMAN CARER, AS WELL AS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND THAT WAS DONE AT ONE 30 IN THE AFTERNOON. WE HAD BEEN ASSEMBLING FAQS BY DEALING WITH CUSTOMER CALLS AND ANSWERING THEIR QUESTIONS. AND AS THOSE BEGAN TO SHAPE UP, WE BEGAN SHAPING UP FAQS THAT WE WERE DISTRIBUTING AS SOCIAL MEDIA, AS WELL AS A POSTED SET OF SOCIAL, UH, OF FAQS THAT WE WERE DEVELOPING FOR OTHER PARTIES AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND THAT WAS BEING DONE BY EARLY AFTERNOON INTO THE LATE EVENING ON OCTOBER 10TH IN THE AFTERNOON, A NEW 20 INCH TRANSMISSION, UH, BREAK OCCURRED VERY MUCH IN THE VICINITY OF THE FIRST BREAK. AND THAT WAS AS THE LINE WAS RE PRESSURIZED. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO RESPOND, AND THAT ENTIRE INCIDENT WAS RESOLVED WITHIN 30 MINUTES. AND WE THEN BEGAN REPAIRING THAT LINE. THERE WERE ADDITIONAL LEAKS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AS BRAKES THAT WERE REPORTED. THE VIRGINIA ROAD WAS A SIX INCH LINE, BUT THE TOLBERT AND GUNDRY AVENUE WERE BRAKES, UH, AS THEY WERE REPORTED. BUT THESE WERE BRAKES TO SERVICE LINES, THE TWO INCH SERVICE LINES IN E IN ANY OF THESE INSTANCES, THERE WAS NO LOSS OF PRESSURE IN THE LINE. SO CONSEQUENTLY, EVERYTHING PROCEEDED AS PLANNED WITH THE BOIL WATER NOTICE TIMELINE AND THE TESTING OF SAMPLES THAT WOULD INDEED LEAD TO A CONFIRMATION OF NO CONTAMINATION. NOTWITHSTANDING THAT IN JOINT EFFORTS WITH THE CITY, THE CITY SET UP TWO BOTTLED WATER DISTRIBUTION SITES AT, AT HOUGHTON PARK AND SOMERSET PARK, AND THAT WAS LED BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT STAFF. AND THE TWO SITES OFFERED FREE BOTTLED WATER TO LONG BEACH RESIDENTS WITH PROOF, PROOF OF RESIDENCE FROM TWO 30 TO EIGHT IN THE EVENING PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE STAFF CERT, POLICE EXPLORERS, AND PUBLIC WORK STAFF ASSISTED, ASSISTED. AND IN TOTAL DISTRIBUTED 1068 CASES OF WATER AT HOUGHTON PARK AND 960 CASES OF WATER AT SOMERSET PARK INTO THE LATE EVENING. NOW, WE WERE BEGINNING TO ANTICIPATE HOW THE WATER SAMPLES WOULD COME FORWARD, BUT INDEED, WE HAD TO WAIT FOR THE INCUBATION PERIOD TO FINISH. IT IS A MANDATORY 24 HOURS FOR THOSE TEST RESULTS TO PROVE OUT. THEY DID INDEED PROVE OUT IN THAT LATE EVENING, COLIFORM RESULTS CONFIRMED THERE WAS NO CONTAMINATION, AND THAT THEN BEGAN THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS TO ASSEMBLE ALL THIS DATA AND PREPARE IT IN REPORT FORMAT THAT THE STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD COULD EVALUATE. I WANT TO NOTE, AND WE EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO THE STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD WHO STAYED UP WITH US AND PROMISED TO DO SO IN ANTICIPATION OF THESE RESULTS. AND INDEED WITH THAT, IT WAS THEY WHO ARE ALLOWED TO LIFT THE NOTICE. WE CANNOT UNILATERALLY LIFT IT OURSELVES. THEY APPROVED THE CANCELLATION OF THE BOILED WATER NOTICE AT 1228 IN THE MORNING ON OCTOBER 11TH. WITH THAT LAYERED MEDIA NOTICES IMMEDIATELY WENT OUT TO NOTIFY RESIDENTS THAT THE BOTTLED WATER NOTICE HAD BEEN CANCELED. BOIL WATER NOTICE HAD BEEN CANCELED. I APOLOGIZE. NOW WITHSTANDING, WE CONTINUED TO MAKE REPAIRS ON ALL THE DIFFERENT BREAKS. THESE ARE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS DEMONSTRATING YOU HAVE IN THE MIDDLE, WHAT WE CALL THE TWO INCH SERVICE LINES THAT REPRESENTED SOME OF THESE BREAKS. ORANGE AVENUE ITSELF, THE SITE OF THE 20 INCH MAIN BRAKES BEING A CONCRETE STREET DEMANDED ADDITIONAL REPAIR TO THE PAVEMENT. AND THAT REPAIR, ALONG WITH THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS WERE FINALLY RESTORED TO FULL TRAFFIC FLOW ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18TH. COMMUNICATIONS THROUGHOUT IN AN AFTER ACTION REPORT THAT WE PREPARED FOR YOU AND WAS ATTACHED TO THE CITY COUNCIL LETTER. AS A RESULT OF EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS AND ANALYSIS, BOTH WITH US AS WELL AS WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS, WE'RE TAKING THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS ON THE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PLAN FOR OURSELVES. IN THE SHORT TERM, WE'RE UPDATING THAT PLAN TO INCLUDE UPDATED AND NEW STAKEHOLDER CONTACT INFORMATION. BUT WE'RE ALSO PREPARING NOW IN ADVANCE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC NOTIFICATION COLLATERAL. THE STATE WATER RESOURCE CONTROL BOARD ONLY REQUIRES TWO LANGUAGES, BUT HERE AT LONG BEACH, WE HAVE A COMMITMENT TO MORE. SO WE'RE ALREADY PREPARING THAT COLLATERAL PUBLICATIONS THAT WE CAN HAVE AVAILABLE TO PUBLISH SHOULD THAT BECOME NECESSARY INTERNALLY. ALSO, WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE CREATED MULTIPLE ACCESS POINTS TO ALL OUR PUBLIC CHANNELS TO INCREASE THE SPEED AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION IN THE MEDIUM TO LONG TERM. WE'RE GOING TO TRAIN STAFF ON THE INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM STRUCTURE AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES. WE HAVE INHERENTLY ALWAYS HAD THIS, BUT NOW AS A CONSOLIDATED UTILITY, IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE REASSEMBLE THAT NOW AS A CONSOLIDATED UTILITY AND ESTABLISH THESE NEW FUNCTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE CITY'S EOC AS WELL. WE'RE GONNA UPDATE OUR OVERALL DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY PLAN IN 2025, AND INDEED, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS ON TABLETOP EXERCISES FOR STREAMLINED INTER INTERDEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION. IN PARTICULAR WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS THAT HAS TO OCCUR BETWEEN THE TWO ENTITIES. WE WANT TO CROSS PROMOTE ALERT [03:55:01] LONG BEACH TO UTILITY RATE PAYERS THROUGHOUT OUR VARIOUS COMMUNICATION CHANNELS, AND FORGE PARTNERSHIPS WITH NEIGHBORHOOD BASED COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER TRUSTED CBOS TO HELP SPREAD AWARENESS AND MESSAGING. BEFORE I MOVE ON TO THIS SLIDE ON CLOSING THOUGHTS ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT, ON BEHALF OF OUR PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION PRESIDENT JEAN MCGUIRE, I WANT TO FIRST EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO COUNCIL MEMBER KERR FOR THAT LETTER THAT WAS SENT TO THE DEPARTMENT EXPRESSING THANKS FOR ALL THE EFFORTS THAT WAS GREATLY APPRECIATED BY ALL THE EMPLOYEES. WE DISSEMINATED IT TO THEM. AT THE SAME TIME, I ALSO WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER RICK OTI FOR THE INVITATION TO COME TO THE COMMUNITY MEETING AND BE ABLE TO PRESENT INFORMATION AND ANSWER QUESTIONS THERE AS WELL. OVERALL, OVER A HUNDRED LONG BEACH UTILITIES DEPLOYED EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND DISPATCH FOR CONSTRUCTION WATER SERVICES CALL CENTER AND MANAGEMENT. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE WERE MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT EXPRESSED, UH, THAT PROVIDED THEIR SERVICES AND WERE GRATEFUL TO ALL OF THEIR COOPERATION AND COORDINATION AS WELL. I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER NOW TO REGGIE HARRISON, WHO'S GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE OVERVIEW REGARDING THIS INCIDENT WITH REGARDS TO THE ALERT AND WARNING MESSAGING. GOOD AFTERNOON, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR ALERT AND MESSAGING, UH, PLATFORM, UH, THAT WE USED IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, UH, LIKE THIS, LIKE THE ONE THAT WE USED IN OCTOBER, UH, 2024. SO THE CITY HAS ESTABLISHED REDUNDANCIES AND, AND A LAYERED APPROACH TO OUR ALERT AND AND WARNING SYSTEM. AS DEPICTED IN THE SLIDE, UH, ABOVE THE FRAMEWORK ALLOWS FOR FLEXIBILITY TO START AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS, UM, PYRAMID TO ISSUE ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS OR AT THE TOP OF THE PYRAMID TO ISSUE NOTICES OF ALERTS OF IMMINENT, UH, THREATS, UH, UH, TO DANGER OR A MIXTURE OF THESE THAT MIGHT ALSO GO OUT. SO WE START AT THE BOTTOM AND WE WORK OUR WAY UP, AND WE ALSO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO ISSUE NOTICES, UM, A MIXTURE OF THESE NOTICES. UM, LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID, THE WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, PLATFORMS, WE WOULD USE THAT PLATFORM WHEN WE HAVE A, A, A LONG TIMELINE IN TERMS OF, UH, EMERGENCY OR DISASTER. SO THINK ABOUT, UH, A STORM THAT'S APPROACHING PERHAPS, UH, THIS WEEKEND. WE MIGHT START WITH ADVISORIES TO THE PUBLIC, UH, NEWSPAPER, ARTICLE, COAST PRESS RELEASES, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. AND THEN WE WOULD MOVE UP TO LOCAL AND ACOUSTICS ALERTS, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, DOOR KNOCKS ON RESIDENTS DOORS, UM, ANNOUNCEMENTS VIA PUBLIC ALERT SYSTEMS, PA SYSTEMS ON PUBLIC SAFETY VEHICLES. MAYBE OUR HELICOPTERS WELL MIGHT MAKE, UH, ALERTS. UM, IF YOU FOLLOW THE, UM, FIRES IN MALIBU, YOU NOTICE THAT THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST METHODS OF ALERT THAT THEY PROVIDED, UM, TO THE PUBLIC THERE. MOVING FURTHER UP THE CHAIN, WE GET TO ALERT LONG BEACH. THAT IS THE CITY'S PRIMARY, UH, MASS NOTIFICATION SYSTEM. UM, THROUGH THIS SYSTEM, UH, RESIDENTS CAN RECEIVE MESSAGES VIA PHONE, EMAIL, OR TEXTS. AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE USE THIS SYSTEM, UM, QUITE A BIT DURING THE COVID-19, UH, PANDEMIC. AND THEN FINALLY, WE REACH THE TOP OF THIS, UH, PYRAMID, WHICH IS OUR WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM. UM, IT'S IN TEXT LIKE MESSAGES THAT ARE PUSHED TO ALL MOBILE PHONES CONNECTED TO A CELLULAR TOWER. SO YOU THINK OF THIS AS SIMILAR AS A AMBER ALERT, NO MESS, NO NEED TO SIGN UP FOR THIS. WE ONLY USE THIS IN THE EVENT OF IMMINENT THREATS TO PUBLIC SAFETY. WE USE THE WEA, UH, TO COMMUNICATE THE IMMEDIATE, UM, BOIL WATER NOTICES DURING THE OCTOBER EVENT. THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, SHOWS A, A COMPARISON BETWEEN, UM, THE ALERT LONG BEACH SYSTEM AND THE WIRELESS EMERGENCY, UH, SYSTEM. A MAJOR DIFFERENCE, UH, BETWEEN THE TWO TOOLS, TWO TOOLS IS THAT ALERT LONG BEACH REQUIRES RESIDENTS TO SIGN UP TO ENROLL, TO OPT IN TO RECEIVE MESSAGES. WHILE WE ARE, MESSAGES ARE PUSHED OUT TO ALL MOBILE PHONES THAT ARE CONNECTED TO A CELL TOWER WITH NO REGISTRATION, UM, REQUIRED. ANOTHER MAJOR DIFFERENCE, UH, BETWEEN THE TWO IS THAT ALERT LONG BEACH HAS THE CAPABILITY TO SEND ALERT MESSAGES IN SPANISH, ENGLISH, KA TAGALOG. AND THEN FOR OUR RESIDENTS WITH ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS, ALERT MESSAGES, ALSO SEND OUT AN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE, UH, VIDEOS, UH, WITH VOICE OVER TEXTS. WIA CAN ONLY SEND MESSAGES OUT IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. AND THEN I REALLY WANT TO NOTE ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO IN THAT. WIA IS A TOOL THAT'S PROVIDED, [04:00:01] UH, BY FEMA TO BE ASSESSED, UH, TO BE ACCESSIBLE, UH, BY THE CITY. UH, UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, THE CITY IS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN ELIGIBILITY FOR USE THROUGH TRAINING AND REGULAR TESTING. UH, FURTHER, THE SYSTEM IS INTENDED TO BE USED ONLY WHEN THERE'S AN IMMINENT THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY. IMPROPER USE OF THE WEA SYSTEM CAN RESULT IN THE CITY'S ACCESS, UH, BEING REVOKED. AT THAT POINT, THE CITY WOULD BE RELIANT UPON THE COUNTY TO SEND, UH, WEA MESSAGES DURING THIS, UH, WATERMAN OUTBREAK. UH, BOTH PLATFORMS WERE USED TO INFORM THE PUBLIC AS A BEST PRACTICE. UM, THE EOC STAFF, UH, CONFERS, CONFERS WITH THE LEAD DEPARTMENT, IN THIS CASE, THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, AND TO CRAFT MESSAGES TO ENSURE, UH, THE ACCURACY OF MESSAGES AND THE CONSISTENCY OF MESSAGES. UH, THROUGHOUT THE MAIN WATER BREAK INCIDENT, THE CITY ISSUED EIGHT MESSAGES VIA ALERT LONG BEACH AND THE WHEEL SYSTEM, INCLUDING AN ALL CLEAR NOTIFICATION CANCELING, UM, THE BOIL, UH, WATER NOTICE. UM, ALSO OF NOTE, UH, IN THIS PROCESS, UH, THE CITY, UM, AMBER ALERT, I'M SORRY, ALERT LONGVIEW SYSTEM AND THE WE ARE MESSAGING SYSTEM THAT THEY SHARE THE SAME PLATFORM. THEY EXPERIENCE AN OUTAGE, WHICH HAS NEVER HAPPENED DURING, UH, AN EMERGENCY, UH, SITUATION. SO ALL OF THE PLATFORMS ASSOCIATED, UH, WITH CODE RED THAT WE USE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, THAT PLATFORM, UM, HAD PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND COULD NOT SEND MESSAGES. AND AGAIN, AS I SAID, THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED, UH, DURING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. SO WE WORKED THROUGH OUR MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS WITH THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO SEND THE EMERGENCY ALERT MESSAGE, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. THE MESSAGE WAS SENT OUT SEAMLESSLY WITHOUT RESIDENTS ON THE PUBLIC, UM, OR OTHER AGENCIES, UM, HAVING ANY, ANY INDICATION THAT IT WAS SENT OUT, UH, OTHER THAN THE CITY OF, OF LONG BEACH. AND, UM, THAT WAS, UM, A PROCESS THAT WE'VE NEVER USED BEFORE. UH, STAFF USED, UH, A, A, A LOT OF EFFORT, UH, IMAGINATION GOING TO VARIOUS RESOURCES. WE WENT TO THE STATE, SEE IF THEY COULD SEND IT OUT FOR US. WE WENT TO THE COUNTY. THEY ALL USED THE SAME PLATFORM, SO THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO SEND IT. CITY OF LOS ANGELES USES A DIFFERENT PLATFORM, SO THEY WERE ABLE, UH, TO SEND THAT, TO SEND THAT OUT. AND, UM, WE'RE REALLY, REALLY HAPPY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A SYSTEM THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO, UH, SEND OUT ALERTS, UH, TO THE PUBLIC. UH, MY FINAL, UH, SLIDE IS REALLY A, UH, GOOD NEWS, UH, SLIDE. IF THERE IS ANY GOOD NEWS, UM, FROM THIS WATER, UH, MAN BREAK. AND THIS SLIDE DEPICTS AS WE WOULD HOPE THAT DURING AN EMERGENCY, THE PUBLIC WOULD RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF RECEIVING EMERGENCY ALERT NOTIFICATIONS. AND IN THE WEEKS FOLLOWING THE WATER MAN BRICK INCIDENT, MORE THAN 1000 RESIDENTS SIGNED UP FOR TO RECEIVE ALERT LONG BEACH, UH, MESSAGES. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, THERE ON, ON THE SLIDE, THE NUMEROUS WAYS THAT OUR, UH, RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS SIGNED UP, WHETHER VIA EMAIL OR TEXT, OR PHONE OR VIA TDD FOR OUR RESIDENTS. UH, WITH, UM, HEARING, UM, IN PARITIES, WE CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO SIGN UP FOR ALERT LONG BEACH. THAT IS OUR PRIMARY MASS NOTIFICATION, UH, SYSTEM. BUT WE DON'T USE THAT SYSTEM, UH, IN A VACUUM. IT'S USED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER SYSTEMS, UH, THAT WE HAVE. UM, BUT IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR RESIDENTS TO GET THE QUICKEST MESSAGE REGARDING WHAT IS THE EMERGENCY? WHAT ARE PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL DOING, AND WHAT SHOULD RESIDENTS DO, UM, TO PROTECT, UH, THEMSELVES. AND WE APPRECIATE THROUGH THIS OPPORTUNITY, THROUGH THIS EXPOSURE THAT THE COUNCIL HAS PROVIDED, THAT RESIDENTS HAVE RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF SIGNING UP FOR THIS SYSTEM. AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THAT WITH THAT VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER. THAT'S COMPLETES THE PRESENTATION BY BOTH THE UTILITIES AS WELL AS DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. COUNCILMAN MEGAN KERR? YES. UH, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. UM, I WANNA THANK, UM, GENERAL MANAGER FALUN FOR, UH, AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM. I SEE TAI AND I SEE DIANA OUT THERE AS WELL FOR THIS REALLY COMPREHENSIVE REPORT AND PRESENTATION. UH, BECAUSE EMERGENCIES BY THEIR VERY NATURE COME WITHOUT WARNING. IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE TIME AFTER AN INCIDENT TO ASSESS OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSES AND SYSTEMS TO IDENTIFY WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE IN THE FUTURE. UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE HARDWORKING CREWS, AS YOU SAID, WHO [04:05:01] IN THAT MOMENT, UM, ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE NEED, WHICH WAS TO STOP THE FLOW OF WATER. UM, THEY WORKED FOR DAYS ON END, AND WE ARE VERY, VERY GRATEFUL. UM, WE KNOW PEOPLE WERE RESPONDING, ASSESSING, IDENTIFYING, GOING OUT TO OTHER LOCATIONS, AND WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR, FOR THE TEAMS ON THE GROUND FOR DOING THAT WORK. UM, I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS REPORT. UM, IT WAS REALLY PROFESSIONAL. UM, IT WAS THOROUGH, UM, THE WAY THAT YOU SET UP, YOU MADE IT PLAIN SPEAKING, SO THOSE OF US WHO ARE NOT WATER PROFESSIONALS COULD UNDERSTAND. BUT YOU ALSO COVERED THE TECHNICAL PIECES, UM, AS WELL. UM, SO I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC RECORD FOR US TO LOOK AT, UM, THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE. SO WHEN SOMEONE, A RESIDENT IN THE FUTURE ASKS SOMETHING ABOUT WATER, WE WILL PROBABLY GO RIGHT BACK TO THIS REPORT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE INFORMATION AND SAY, HEY, IF YOU WANNA KNOW HOW THINGS WORK, UM, HERE'S HOW TO DO IT. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, AND I APPRECIATED THAT YOU TALKED TO YOUR STRENGTHS, THAT YOU TALKED TO THE WEAKNESSES, AND THAT YOU MADE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE GONNA DO IN THE FUTURE. I THINK IT'S A REALLY, UM, VALUABLE MODEL FOR HOW WHEN WE DO HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE FRUSTRATED, WE CAN SAY, LOOK, THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S WORK TO DO, AND HERE'S WHAT'S GOING TO BE DONE IN THE FUTURE. UM, SO WOULD LOVE AND UPDATE NOT NECESSARILY PUBLICLY, UM, MAYBE A YEAR FROM NOW ON WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, A YEAR OUT OF, OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO CREATE EITHER CREATE THAT COLLATERAL THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, COMMUNITIES THAT YOU'VE CONNECTED WITH AS A RESULT OF THIS WORK. UM, BUT BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE FUTURE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS IN ENACTING ON THEM, I THINK IS REALLY CRITICAL. UM, SO JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THE UTILITY SIDE. ONE OF THE, UH, CONCERNS, ACTUALLY, IT'S MORE, IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT LESS UTILITIES AND MORE COMMS AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH. UH, I KNOW THAT OUR OFFICE WAS IN CONTACT WITH YOUR TEAM, UM, AT THE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, WAY INTO THE NIGHT, THE NIGHT OF THE INCIDENT HAPPENING SO THAT WE COULD PUSH OUT THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU WERE SENDING OUR WAY. UM, AND WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. AND I THINK ONE OF THE LESSONS LEARNED, UM, FROM A CITY STANDPOINT IS WHAT DO WE DO WHEN THERE IS AN EMERGENCY WITH ONE OF OUR AGENCIES THAT IS, YOU KNOW, RUN BY A COMMISSION THAT WE DON'T HAVE AUTHORITY OVER? AND SO ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS, THE PORT IS ANOTHER ONE. IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY AT THE PORT, IT'S THE PORT'S RESPONSIBILITY, BUT HOW ARE WE AS A CITY CONNECTED TO THAT WORK? UM, AND HAVING JOINT COMMUNICATION, I THINK IS, IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US, UM, AS A CITY AND AS THOSE DEPARTMENTS TO MOVE FORWARD. UM, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATION, UM, I WANT TALK ABOUT, I APPRECIATE THE GRAPH OF THE, THE PYRAMID OF HOW WE COMMUNICATE AT DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF URGENCY. AND MY QUESTIONS ARE REALLY AROUND WHAT ARE THE DETERMINATIONS OF HOW WE MOVE FROM ONE LEVEL TO THE NEXT? IS THERE A RUBRIC OR A SET OF STANDARDS THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT TO SAY, YEAH, WE'VE MOVED PAST WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND WE'RE MOVING INTO LOCAL ACOUSTIC ALERTS, AND THEN WE'RE MOVING TO ALERT LONG BEACH. UM, AND DO WE HAVE THOSE? AND IF WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TONIGHT, THAT'S OKAY, BUT I'M INTERESTED IN WHAT, WHAT THAT RUBRIC OR STANDARDS LOOK LIKE IF THEY'RE DISSEMINATED WIDELY, SO THAT IF SOMEONE IS OUT OR SOMEONE CAN'T BE IN COMMUNICATION, UM, THAT THERE ISN'T A DROP OFF IN THE DISCUSSION OF HOW WE MOVE FROM ONE LEVEL TO THE NEXT. IS, IS, SO ARE THOSE THINGS STANDARDIZED? I THINK, REGGIE, THIS IS PROBABLY MORE FOR YOU IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNICATIONS, UM, SPECIFICALLY FROM THE CITY. YEAH. SO THANKS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE, THE QUESTION. AND AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU INDICATED THAT EVERY EMERGENCY IS DIFFERENT. AND, AND THAT'S SO TRUE. AND, AND IN THIS CASE, WE HAVE WORKED WITH OTHER INCIDENTS WHERE WE'VE HAD WATER LINE BREAKS AS, UM, ANTO SAID THAT HAPPENS, UH, PRETTY OFTEN. AND SO WE'VE WORKED ON THOSE KINDS OF SCENARIOS. DIFFERENCE IN THIS ONE IS THAT PREVIOUS SCENARIOS DID NOT ALSO INCLUDE THE POTENTIAL FOR CONTAMINATION. SO THAT'S ANOTHER WRINKLE THEN THAT, THAT HAPPENS. SO WE DON'T HAVE LIKE THE AUTOMATIC, UM, WELL THERE, SO THERE ARE AUTOMATIC TRIGGERS THAT, THAT HAPPEN. AND WE GO STRAIGHT TO WE. SO, AND AS I SAID, WHEN THERE'S IMMINENT THREAT TO LIFE AND SAFETY, THEN WE'RE MOVING TO THE TOP OF THAT PYRAMID. WHEN WE HAVE LONG LEAD TIMES, SOMETIMES THAT WE MIGHT, UH, HAVE WITH A STORM THAT'S COMING, THAT WE KNOW ABOUT IT TODAY IS SCHEDULED TO HIT ON WEDNESDAY, THEN WE'LL START AT SOME OF THE LOWER, UH, LEVELS OF, OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS. THE THING TO REMEMBER AS WELL IS THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS COMMUNICATIONS IN THEIR OWN WAY. AND SO FOR SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS, UM, READING THINGS IN A NEWSPAPER [04:10:01] IS A MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO CONNECT WITH THEM. FOR OTHERS, SENDING OUT COMMUNICATIONS VIA SOME FORM OF TECHNOLOGY IS, IS EFFECTIVE FOR THEM. SO GENERALLY WE USE A MIXTURE OF, OF THESE, AND THEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT HOW MUCH TIME DO WE HAVE AND IS THERE IMMINENT THREAT? AND COUNCIL MEMBER, ONE THING THAT WE, THAT CAME OUTTA THIS IS WE USE, WE, UH, PRETTY INFREQUENTLY. IT'S DESIGNED FOR THAT, THAT BIGGEST LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION. AND SO, UH, WE, WE USED THE, UM, ALERT LONG BEACH AND PUT IT OUT AND, UH, AND USED ALL THOSE THINGS. AND THEN WE FOUND OUT IN THE MORNING, PARTLY THROUGH YOU AND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHERS SAYING, WELL, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAID, WE GOT THE MESSAGE FOUR TIMES, AND OTHERS SAID, I DIDN'T GET IT AT ALL. SO THEN THAT HELPS US UNDERSTAND WE NEED TO DO MORE. ONE THING WE'VE NOW PUT IN PLACE IS FOR EACH TIME WE USE GO, UH, ALERT LONG BEACH, WE'RE ALSO GONNA DO A GO NO GO DECISION ON WA. SO WE'LL ASK THAT QUESTION OF THE TEAM, DO WE NEED A WEA ON THIS ONE SO THAT WE'RE NOT ALWAYS LOOKING AT THE PROGRESSION, BUT SHOULD WE BE DOING IT AT THE SAME TIME? UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO SAY, SHOULD WE HAVE DONE THAT RIGHT AT THE, AT THE TIME. UM, YOU KNOW, WEA OPERATES DIFFERENTLY. IT ALSO, UM, IT ALSO WAS GREAT DURING THE DAY BECAUSE IT CAPTURES PEOPLE WHO COME INTO THE SYSTEM, UM, RATHER THAN PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY LOCATED HERE. BUT THAT IS A STEP WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW, IS MAKING THAT GO NO GO DECISION ON EACH TIME THAT WE USE ALERT LONG BEACH. OKAY, THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL. AND I THINK, UM, SOMETHING REGGIE THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT'S IN THE AFTER ACTION REPORT IS THAT THERE WAS AN OUTAGE. SO NONE OF US NEED THERE TO BE AN OUTAGE WHEN IT'S OUR EMERGENCY. UM, AND WE HAD THAT HAPPEN. SO IN TERMS OF FIGURING OUT THE PLAN B WAS, WAS TALKING WITH OTHER AGENCIES SURROUNDING US TO UTILIZE THE SYSTEMS THAT THEY HAD IN PLACE. UM, SO I'M HOPING AND, UH, WOULD EXPECT THAT WE NOW PLAN FOR THERE TO BE AN OUTAGE, AND WHAT IS THE PLAN B AND WHAT IS THE PLAN C WHEN WHAT WE'VE COUNTED ON AS THAT FIRST AND SECOND LINE OF COMMUNICATION MIGHT FAIL BECAUSE IT DID THIS TIME. SO THAT'S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY MAY NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, BUT IT DID THIS TIME. SO, UM, DO WE, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE CAN TALK THROUGH NOT ONLY WHAT THE GO NO GO IS ON A WE, BUT, BUT WHAT IS THE PLAN B IF IMMEDIATELY WE REALIZE ALERT ALARM REACH DIDN'T WORK, IS THE WE THE MOST EFFECTIVE? IF IT ISN'T, WHAT OTHER TOOLS HAVE WE RESEARCHED OR LOOKED OUT TO? UM, SO THAT, AGAIN, EVERY EVERY EMERGENCY'S DIFFERENT AND WHO'S IN THE ROOM IN THAT MOMENT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT, BUT THAT THERE'S SOME STANDARDIZATION SO THAT WE'RE NOT ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS NEXT TIME THAT WE HAD TO ASK THIS TIME. SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE A SUGGESTION. UM, AND I KNOW MY COLLEAGUE PROBABLY HAS A COUPLE QUESTIONS. UM, THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS DEPENDING ON, ON OUR DISTRICTS AND ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS, UM, ARE DIFFERENT, UM, BUT HAVE SIMILARITIES, ALERT LONG BEACH BEING VOLUNTARY, UM, IN MOMENTS LIKE THIS IS KIND OF TOUGH TO TAKE. UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A, A PHONE NUMBER ASSOCIATED WITH EVERY UTILITY ACCOUNT, BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY REACH EVERY RESIDENT BECAUSE THOSE ACCOUNTS CAN BE TIED TO LANDLORDS AND NOT TENANTS. UM, AND WE HAVE THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES. UM, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, 54,000 ALERT LONG BEACH WENT OUT THE FIRST TIME, AND THEN 48,000 THE SECOND TIME THE IMPACTED AREA WAS OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE. IT WAS LIKE 103,000 PEOPLE. UM, SO WE CLEARLY HAVE GAPS IN HOW WE COMMUNICATE. UM, WE HAVE RESIDENTS, UM, OLDER RESIDENTS WHO ARE NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT ALL. THEY'RE NOT ON COMPUTERS AT ALL. THEY CALL US FROM THEIR LANDLINES. THEY BARELY HAVE AN EMAIL. UM, SO ALERT LONG BEACH, COMING TO AN EMAIL IS OKAY TO A LANDLINE IS BETTER. UM, BUT I THINK IN THE FUTURE, I'D BE REALLY CURIOUS HOW WE MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT, NOT JUST BY PASSIVELY ASKING PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR ALERT LONG BEACH, UM, BUT REALLY FINDING SOME MECHANISMS WHERE WE'RE DOING SOME HARDCORE OUTREACH. UM, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA START ASKING MY TEAM TO ASK EVERYBODY THEY TALK TO IF THEY'RE SIGNED UP, AND IF THEY'RE NOT, HELP THEM SIGN UP. UM, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S STILL GONNA BE GAPS IN HOW SOME OF MY RESIDENTS WOULD BE ALERTED IN THIS SITUATION NEXT TIME. UM, WE USE, THE EXAMPLE IS WE HAD SOMEONE FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CALL BECAUSE THEY SAW IT ON THE NEWS AND THEY HAD FAMILY, ELDERLY FAMILY HERE WHO HADN'T HEARD ABOUT THE BOIL WATER NOTICE. UM, SO WE KNOW THAT THOSE GAPS EXIST, AND I THINK IT'S A CHALLENGE FOR US, UM, AS A CITY AND AS LEADERSHIP TO FIGURE OUT WAYS IF WE COULD OPT PEOPLE IN SOMEHOW FIGURE OUT WHAT THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT IS, UM, BECAUSE IT'S AN EMERGENCY. SO I KNOW THAT'S MORE OF A STATEMENT THAN A QUESTION, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER, UM, WHEN THE NEXT EMERGENCY COMES, BECAUSE WE KNOW SOMETHING AT SOME POINT IS GONNA BE AN EMERGENCY WHERE WE NEED TO REACH ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS PRETTY URGENTLY. SO THANK YOU. BUT, UH, AGAIN, APPRECIATE THE REPORT GREATLY AND THANK YOU TO THE TEAM. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. UH, THOSE WERE EXCELLENT, UH, SERIES OF QUESTIONS AND [04:15:01] I THINK THINGS FOR US TO, TO CONSIDER AND THINK ABOUT. UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO START OFF BY SAYING, UH, STAFF THAT I APPRECIATE THE THOROUGHNESS OF THE REPORT. UH, AND I REALLY ENJOYED, UM, AND APPRECIATED THE DETAILED TIMELINE THAT YOU PUT IN, UM, INTO THE REPORT AS WELL. UH, IT WAS VERY HELPFUL FOR, TO ME, UH, AND I THINK ALSO TO THE PUBLIC. UM, AND THEN I JUST HAD KIND OF SOME QUESTIONS AND, AND OBSERVATIONS THAT I HAD ALSO MADE. UH, SO ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, AND DEBRIEFING WITH MY OWN PERSONAL STAFF AND SOMETHING, A CHALLENGE THAT WE SAW WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO RESIDENTS WAS THAT I THINK MOST PEOPLE HAD NEVER HEARD OF A, A BOILED WATER NOTICE. UH, SO FOR THOSE WHO SAW IT, UM, MANY LACKED CONTEXT FOR WHAT THEY WERE SEEING, RIGHT? SO THE IDEA OF LIKE, OKAY, WHAT IS A BOIL WATER NOTICE? SO JUST AS A, UM, TO, TO FLAG FOR US, WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THESE TYPES OF EMERGENCIES, PARTICULARLY ONES THAT ARE NEW TO RESIDENTS, HOW CAN WE PROVIDE CONTEXT AROUND WHAT IS THAT? WHAT DO WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT? I KNOW THAT POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA MAKES IT SOMETIMES DIFFICULT OR THE WAYS THAT WE NEED TO MESSAGE, RIGHT? SO THINKING CRITICALLY AROUND HOW DO WE MESSAGE IN WAYS OR HAVE LINKS TO THINGS OR WHATEVER HAVE YOU, TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE PROVIDING SOME CONTEXT AROUND SOME OF THESE NOTICES WHEN PEOPLE, 'CAUSE I THINK FOR SOME FOLKS, THEY LOOKED AT IT AND THEY WERE JUST LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT A BOIL WATER NOTICE IS, AND THEN THEY IGNORE IT. UNFORTUNATELY. UM, I APPRECIATED THE CONVERSATION AROUND COMMUNICATION AND STAKEHOLDERS, RIGHT? SO I THINK ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE WERE HAVING ONGOING WAS THAT WE, AS COUNCIL OFFICES, WHEN WE HAVE EMERGENCIES LIKE THIS, WE WANNA BE PARTNERS, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE NEWSLETTERS, WE HAVE COMMUNICATION STRUCTURES, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE WANNA BE ABLE TO DISSEMINATE THINGS TO RESIDENTS. SO THINKING OF COUNCIL OFFICES ALSO AS STAKEHOLDERS, RIGHT? UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING AS TIMELY INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS AROUND WATER DISTRIBUTIONS, RIGHT? FAQS, RIGHT? ALL OF THOSE THINGS, YOU HELP US HELP YOU BY BEING ABLE TO DISSEMINATE THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION IN, IN REAL TIME. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO BRING UP IS THAT I KNOW THAT IN THE, THE TIMELINE WE TALKED ABOUT, LIKE THE LAYERS IN WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO DO THE TRANSLATION. UM, AND IN THE REPORT YOU MENTIONED THAT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU PLAN ON DOING IN THE FUTURE IS SOME OF THIS KIND OF BOILERPLATE LANGUAGE FOR SOME OF THESE EMERGENCIES, YOU NOW CAN PRET TRANSLATE, RIGHT? UM, BUT I DO WANNA SAY FOR EMERGENCIES THAT WE DON'T ANTICIPATE IN THE FUTURE, I THINK THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKLOG AND WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO GET EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS TRANSLATED. AND SO I THINK THIS IS A CON THIS IS A QUESTION TO, TO ALL THE STAFF, WHICH IS WHEN WE HAVE EMERGENCIES, WHAT IS DO WE HAVE OR DO WE NEED TO, TO CREATE A PROCESS FOR PRIORITIZING THAT TRANSLATION FOR SPEEDING UP THAT PROCESS? SO THINGS AREN'T TAKING 4, 5, 6, 7 HOURS FOR US TO TRANSLATE THINGS INTO MULTIPLE LANGUAGES. UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE STAFF HAS DISCUSSED. UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, YES, YES, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, WE HAVE, THROUGH OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS, WE HAVE ACCESS TO TRANSLATORS IN THE VARIOUS, IN THE, THE REQUIRED LANGUAGES, UH, OF, OF THE CITY. AND, AND, UM, WE ALSO USE A THIRD PARTY, AS I MENTIONED, TO SEND OUT MESSAGES IN, IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE, UH, VIDEOS AS WELL. THAT MESSAGE GOES OUT ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE SPANISH AND THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION. SPANISH TRANSLATIONS GO OUT MUCH SOONER THAN THE TAGALOG OR, OR, UH, COME, UM, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE FEWER STAFF THAT ARE ABLE TO DO IT IN THIS SITUATION AS WELL. THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF THE FIRST, UM, MESSAGE THAT WENT OUT, I'M NOT CERTAIN AS TO WHAT STAFF MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE, THOSE TRANSLATIONS, UM, AS WELL. BUT WE DO HAVE CONTRACTS WITH TRANSLATORS, UM, TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE. AND NOT ONLY POSSIBLE, BUT A REQUIRED PART. WE DO HAVE TEMPLATES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE AS WELL, BUT AGAIN, EACH MESSAGE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. SO IF WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH AND IT HITS RIGHT ON THIS ONE, THEN WE'RE ABLE TO USE IT. AND I WOULD PROBABLY SUGGEST AS WELL THAT WE WOULD, UM, OVER COMMUNICATE AS OPPOSED TO UNDER COMMUNICATING. SO IF OUR TEMPLATE SAYS SOMETHING THAT'S MORE THAN WHAT WE WANT, BUT IT'S STILL GONNA BE SAFE FOR RESIDENTS, WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND GET THAT OUT AND THEN COME UP WITH A MORE APPROPRIATE, UM, MESSAGE LATER AND, AND DURING THE, UM, DURING THE INCIDENT. OKAY. AND THEN AS PART OF THE ACTIVATION, UH, WE, WE DID BRING ON OUR IN-HOUSE LANGUAGE ACCESS TEAM. SO THEY, WE MADE THEM AVAILABLE TO THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO TRANSLATE ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY WANTED TO. WHAT WE DISCOVERED, UM, THROUGH THE ACTIVATION WAS A PROCESS ISSUE. UH, THE TEAM DOING COMMUNICATIONS WAS BASICALLY, UM, CREATING THE ENGLISH DOCUMENT AND THEN, AND THEN GETTING ALL THE DOCUMENTS TRANSLATED BEFORE THEY WERE GOING OUT. UM, THAT'S, UH, A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN HOW WE'VE DONE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS IN THE PAST. AND SO, UH, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING WE WORKED WITH THEM ON AND CHANGED STRATEGIES. UH, RIGHT AROUND ON THURSDAY, PROBABLY AROUND FOUR O'CLOCK, UH, WE STARTED DOING [04:20:01] WHAT WE'VE DONE IN, IN OTHER EMERGENCIES, INCLUDING COVID AND, AND OTHERS, WHICH IS COMMUNICATE AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH, TRANSLATE IT, PUT OUT THE SPANISH VERSION, TRANSLATE THAT, PUT OUT THE KAMAI VERSION, AND IT'S CONSTANTLY PUT THAT OUT. AND SO, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT MANY PEOPLE CAN SPEAK BOTH, BOTH LANGUAGES TO GET TO THE MOST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AND, BUT MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS PROVIDING THAT TRANSLATED DOCUMENT AS WELL, SO THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY COMMUNICATING AND GOING FASTER. AND SO WE MADE THAT CHANGE, UH, UM, UH, ON THURSDAY. OKAY. EXCELLENT. UM, AND THEN IF I MAY ADD AS WELL, JUST ONE, ONE LAST THING, JUST AS, BECAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE MESSAGES DURING COVID, WHICH HAD A LOT OF MEDICAL CONTENT ASSOCIATED WITH IT. AND SO WORKING WITH TRANSLATORS THAT UNDERSTAND THOSE MEDICAL TERMS, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT USED EVERY DAY, AND SO THEY OBVIOUSLY WANNA BE VERY PRECISE AND SOMETIMES IT MIGHT TAKE THEM A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO TRANSLATE INFORMATION, UM, AS, AS WELL. UM, SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE NUANCES AND, AND, AND THESE EMERGENCIES, THERE'S NUANCES, UM, IN THE COMMUNICATIONS, UH, PIECE, UM, AS WELL. AND WE OVERCAME A LOT OF THOSE CHALLENGES, UH, DURING COVID WHERE IT WAS A LOT OF MEDICAL TERMS AND JARGON THAT WAS USED THERE. COUNCIL MEMBER, YOUR INSIGHTS ARE, ARE RIGHT ON POINT AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER KERS. UH, WE'RE DEBRIEFING AND TAKING ALL OF THIS INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE ICS TRAINING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING FOR UTILITIES. ONE OF THE INSIGHTS THAT YOU JUST POINTED OUT IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS AND YOUR INSIGHTS PROVIDED TO ME RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE DISASTERS NEVER OBEY OUR TYPICAL CLOCKS. AND SO THIS WAS HAPPENING AT A DIFFERENT TIME TO BUILD ON YOUR COMMENTS IN COUNCIL MEMBER KERR'S COMMENTS, THERE'S AN ELEMENT TO SPEED AND SCALE WITH WHICH AN EVENT IS UNFOLDING. AND AS THOSE SPEED AND SCALE METRICS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO THEN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AND TRAIN TO GROW OUR COMMUNICATION BASE. AS REGGIE WAS POINTING OUT WHEN AND HOW WE DO THAT IS ONE OF COUNCIL MEMBER KERR'S COMMENTS ON WHAT ARE THE PROTOCOLS. SO WE'LL BE BUILDING THAT INTO OUR TRAINING AND MAKING SURE THAT AS A CONSOLIDATED UTILITY, WE'RE ABLE TO ADAPT QUICKLY AND FOCUS ON LAYERED COMMUNICATIONS AS WE NEED TO GROW SPEED AND SCALE OF THE RESPONSE. EXCELLENT. UM, UH, AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION I HAD WAS, UH, THERE WAS A SECTION IN THE ABSTRACTION REPORT THAT TALKED ABOUT, UM, WATER QUALITY VEHICLES AND NIGHT OPERATIONS. AND IT WAS TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE LACK THE WATER QUALITY VEHICLES WITH THE SAFETY LIGHTING THAT WE NEEDED FOR NIGHT OPERATIONS. IS THAT JUST BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER NEEDED THEM BEFORE OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE LIKE, NEEDED TO PURCHASE? COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? YOUR COMMENTS ARE RIGHT ON POINT. WE WERE JUST COMMENTING TO YOU NOT ONLY SPEED AND SCALE, BUT THE DISASTER DOESN'T TRY TO FOLLOW THE NORMAL HOURS THAT WE HAVE. SO OUR WATER QUALITY SAMPLING AND TESTING, WHAT I STARTED MY PRESENTATION, TO TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE SO PROUD OF ALL THE THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF ANNUAL TESTS, WE DO THAT AS A MATTER OF PROTOCOL FOR OUR PERMITS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FEDERAL STANDARDS. SO WE DO THAT DURING THE DAY, BUT HERE WE WERE FACED WITH THE IMMEDIATE NEED TO TEST IN THE EVENING, AND IT BROUGHT TO LIGHT SOMETHING WE HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT BEFORE. WHAT IF THIS ENTIRE SYSTEM NOW NEEDED TO RESTRUCTURE ITSELF AND DELIVER IN THE EVENING, AND LO AND BEHOLD, ARE THE TRUCKS PROPERLY LIGHTED? THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING SAMPLING STATIONS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. AND WE HAD TO TRY, TRY TO QUICKLY ADAPT. SO YOUR QUESTION AND YOUR COMMENT IS RIGHT ON POINT WITH WHAT WE NEED TO TRAIN FOR AND CHANGE OUR VEHICLES TO ADAPT TO THAT. UNDERSTOOD. UH, AND THEN LAST QUESTION WAS ACTUALLY, UH, A QUESTION FROM, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN. UM, HE HAD MENTIONED THAT, UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL, AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THESE KIND OF SMALLER BREAKS THAT WERE IN THE, IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. UM, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE PERHAPS SOME OF THOSE STREETS, UM, HAVE YET TO BE FULLY PREPARED, REPAIRED. SO I THINK ORANGE IS FINE, BUT MAYBE SOME OF THE SIDE STREETS, UM, ARE STILL IN DISREPAIR. AND YOU WANTED TO HAVE A TIMELINE AROUND WHEN THOSE ADJACENT STREETS, UM, UH, WHEN THE CONCRETE THERE WOULD BE REPAIR OR THE ASPHALT. I WILL LOOK INTO THAT. I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT. OKAY. UM, OTHER THAN THAT, UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT. UM, AND I KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE AN ONGOING, I MISS, WELL, I ASSUME THIS IS GONNA BE AN ONGOING CONVERSATION, RIGHT? AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT OUR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, UM, AND WHAT WE'RE LEARNING FROM THIS, BUT ALSO HOW WE'RE APPLYING WHAT WE'RE LEARNING HERE TO THE WAYS THAT WE OPERATE IN OTHER TYPES OF, FOR OTHER TYPES OF DISASTERS AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN. UH, THANK YOU. UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT MY, MY COMMENTS ARE REALLY, REALLY INTO THE WEEDS. I RECOGNIZE THAT, BUT THE, THE OVERALL ISSUE IS THAT I ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION THE LAST TIME WE HAD THIS PRESENTATION. NOW THE, SO I WAS ON A CERTAIN TRACK AND TO, TO, UM, JONI RICKS OTIS POINT, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO COMMUNICATE CLEARLY WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS. SO WE JUST TRYING TO GET THE STORY STRAIGHT. SO I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, THE CONCEPT OF OUT OF ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, WE DID THE BOIL WATER NOTICE VERSUS WAS [04:25:01] IT STATE MANDATED? THE ANSWER I GOT LAST TIME IS THAT IT WAS STATE MANDATED. NOW I HEAR TONIGHT WE'RE BACK TO OUT OF, IT WASN'T THAT BAD, BUT OUT OF A, A ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, WE DECIDED TO ISSUE THIS. SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN EVER GET CLARIFICATION ON THAT POINT, BUT THE IDEA THAT IT, IT'S A MIXED MESSAGE WHEN IT COMES BACK AGAIN THAT THAT'S, THAT'S MY ISSUE. THE OTHER THING THAT I MENTIONED LAST TIME IS ON PAGE 15, THE MAP, UM, I, I'M WILLING TO ADMIT THAT MIGHT BE THE GREATEST MAP IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND, BUT MY RESIDENTS DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT AND THERE WAS NO REASON TO PUT IN ZIP CODES AND DISTRICTS THAT WEREN'T PART OF THE PROBLEM. SO SOMEONE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT THE MAP ON A, ON A, ON A CELL PHONE, AND IT'S NOT THAT CLEAR. SO I'M GONNA SAY AGAIN, BECAUSE IT, IT APPEARS BACK THE SAME WAY IT WAS. I GUESS THAT'S WHAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING TONIGHT, YOU'RE KIND OF CHRONICLING WHAT WENT OUT THERE. BUT I MADE THE POINT THAT A MAP LIKE THAT HAS TO CHANGE BECAUSE, UM, YOU, YOU'RE CREATING A, A PARANOIA IN AREAS THAT IT JUST DOESN'T NEED TO BE. SO HAVE YOUR MAPS EXCLUSIVELY OF THE, THE PROBLEM AREA, BUT NOT IN AREAS THAT ARE FIVE MILES AWAY BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN'T READ THOSE. SO THOSE ARE TWO POINTS THAT I MADE LAST TIME THAT, UM, I, I HOPE I CAN GET, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST, JUST CLARIFICATION ONE TIME AND NOT A DIFFERENT STORY EACH TIME. THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN. UH, DR. SULI SORROW. THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. UM, I WANNA THANK COUNCILWOMAN KERR AND UH, RICK SODI FOR THE QUESTIONS. 'CAUSE I ALSO HAVE THE SAME QUESTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ANA HAS BECAUSE THERE'S A PORTION OF MY DISTRICT THAT WAS IN THE MAP THAT WAS AFFECTED, BUT IT WAS REALLY HARD TO SEE THE BOUNDARY LINES OF WHICH PART IT WAS AND HOW I WAS GONNA COMMUNICATE WITH MY RESIDENTS ON THAT. SO IF THERE IS A WAY THAT WE COULD BETTER TELL OR DELINEATE WHO'S IMPACTED, BECAUSE I WAS READY TO TELL MY, MY TEAM TO, IF THEY COULD JUST GO KNOCK ON THOSE DOORS BECAUSE WE JUST WEREN'T SURE EXACTLY WHERE THE BOUNDARY LINE TO AT LEAST GIVE THEM A HEADS UP IF THEY WEREN'T GETTING SOME OF THESE NOTICES. SO, UM, SO THAT'S REALLY, FOR ME, VERY HARD TO FIGURE OUT AS A COUNCIL MEMBER HOW TO NOT ONLY GET THAT INFORMATION TO THE RESIDENT, BUT MAKING SURE WE WEREN'T GIVING IT TO THE WRONG RESIDENTS TO BE ALERTED AS WELL. SO I DO WONDER IS THERE ANOTHER MAP OR, OR BOUNDARY OR HOW WE CAN BETTER, I DON'T KNOW, NARROW DOWN THESE AFFECTED AREAS? THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE TAKEAWAYS OUT OF THIS INCIDENT IN TERMS OF TRYING TO COMMUNICATE I THINK IT'S, I IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER AS WE MOVE INTO THE SPEED AND SCALE ISSUE OF THE, THE SIZE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT, THAT NO SINGLE FORM OF COMMUNICATION IS GONNA BE THE ONE THAT ABSOLUTELY DELIVERS ALL THE INFORMATION. SO IT CAN BE A COMBINATION OF MAPS, UH, QUESTIONS, COMMENTARY, DESCRIPTIONS, PHONE NUMBERS TO CALL TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW EXACTLY IF YOU HAVE A CONFUSION OR CONCERN. THESE LAYERED COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS WILL BE WHAT DELIVERS EVERYTHING. THAT NOTWITHSTANDING IT IS INDEED TRUE. THE INSIGHTS YOU PROVIDED ABOUT THE MAP ARE ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE FOR THE NOTICE THAT WENT OUT. WE CAN LEARN AND WE CAN DO BETTER WITH THAT, AND WE WILL. OKAY. THAT CONCLUDES, UM, MY COLLEAGUES' COMMENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR THE THOROUGH, UH, PRESENTATION. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTIONS CARRIED. OKAY. MOVING RIGHT ON DOWN THE LIST. ITEM 20. ITEM 20 IS A COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILWOMAN SINAZ, COUNCILWOMAN SORROW AND COUNCIL MEMBER RICK ODI. [20. 24-55796 Recommendation to request City Manager work with Department of Health and Human Services on a Council presentation regarding the status and implementation of the Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKO) ordinance and report back to City Council within 90 days.       Office or Department: Mary Zendejas, Councilwoman, First District; Suely Saro, Councilwoman, Sixth District; Joni Ricks-Oddie, Councilmember, Ninth District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] RECOMMENDATION TO REQUEST CITY MANAGER TO WORK WITH DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ON A COUNCIL PRESENTATION REGARDING THE STATUS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MICRO ENTERPRISE HOME KITCHEN OPERATIONS ORDINANCE AND REPORT BACK TO CITY COUNCIL WITHIN 90 DAYS. OKAY. UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, SUE LI SORO. YES, SO I WANNA THANK COUNCILWOMAN ZENDAY FOR, UM, BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD AND ADDING MYSELF AND COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS ODI. UH, WE, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, THERE, THERE'S A ORDINANCE IN IMPLEMENT IN PROCESS RIGHT NOW FOR THE MICRO ENTERPRISE HOME KITCHEN OPERATIONS, YOU KNOW, AS, AS AS COUNCIL MEMBER OF DISTRICTS WHERE THERE ARE MANY WHO MAKE FOOD AT HOME AND HAVE, WERE ABLE TO SURVIVE DURING THE PANDEMIC TO, UM, START UP THEIR BUSINESS FROM THEIR KITCHEN. AND WE RECOGNIZE IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT [04:30:01] TO FIGURE OUT, WELL, WHAT ARE THOSE, UH, HEALTH AND SAFETY PROCEDURES THAT NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED AND LOOKED AT IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO FORMALIZE THIS PROCESS AND BE ABLE TO ALSO SUPPORT THEM ECONOMICALLY IN HOW DO THEY DEVELOP THEIR BUSINESS? SO THIS ITEM IS TO ASK THAT, UM, TO GET A STATUS OF THE, UM, MICRO ENTERPRISE HOME KITCHEN OPERATIONS ORDINANCE AND, AND TO HAVE IT BE REPORT BACK TO CITY COUNCIL WITHIN 90 DAYS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN JONI, RICK SODI. UM, YEAH, I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ZENDEJAS FOR INVITING ME TO JOIN HER ON THIS ITEM. UM, AND I ALSO WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF RECEIVING AN UPDATE ON THE THE MIKO PROGRAM. UM, IT REALLY REPRESENTS AN INNOVATIVE OPPORTUNITY TO POWER MICRO ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN OUR COMMUNITY. UH, THEY PROVIDE A PASSION FOR RESIDENTS TO TURN THEIR PASSION FOR COOKING INTO A VIABLE BUSINESS WHILE CONTRIBUTING TO THE CULTURAL RICHNESS, RICHNESS AND DIVERSITY OF OUR LOCAL, UM, FOOD ECONOMY. UM, AND IT'S GONNA REALLY OFFER AN ACCESSIBLE ENTRY POINT INTO THE FOOD INDUSTRY FOR UNDERSERVED ENTREPRENEURS FOSTERING LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. UM, AND SO SOMETHING THAT I KNOW THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THIS COUNCIL, UM, THESE OPERATIONS CAN HELP ADDRESS FOOD DESERTS AND EXPAND THE VARIETY OF FRESH, CULTURALLY RELEVANT MEAL AVAILABLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SUPPORTING THIS ALIGNS WITH OUR CITY'S GOALS OF ECONOMIC EQUITY AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT. UM, AND SO I JUST WANT TO, UM, ASK ALL OF MY, UH, COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS AND I'M REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT COMES BACK. OKAY. UM, AND, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GO TO PUBLIC SPEAKERS. IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE QUITE A FEW PUBLIC SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM. UM, SO IF YOU ARE STILL HERE, IF YOU COULD LINE UP, UH, TONY DICO, ABRAHAM ZALLA, UH, ZALLA, AND ANGELA AN ANGELICA FRANCO. THANK YOU FOR WAITING. GOOD EVENING, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME'S TONY D'AMICO. I'M THE CO-DIRECTOR OF LONG BEACH FRESH, OUR CITY'S FOOD POLICY COUNCIL FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS. AND I'M ALSO THE COORDINATOR OF THE HOME COOKS COALITION. UM, OUR COALITION INVOLVES MORE THAN A DOZEN ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS WHO HAVE NO LEGITIMATE PATHWAY TO START FOOD BUSINESSES RIGHT NOW. UH, THIS IS A POLICY THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET ON THE AGENDA FOR FIVE YEARS AND COUNTING, AND WE REALLY THINK THAT FOLKS IN THE INFORMAL FOOD ECONOMY WHO ARE LARGELY COMPRISED OF LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES OF COLOR SHOULDN'T HAVE TO OPERATE IN THE SHADOWS AND THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO WAIT THIS LONG TO SEE AN ITEM BROUGHT FORWARD. OUR COALITION ALSO INVOLVES, UM, SOME ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE VERY ACTIVE IN THE FOOD SPACE, LIKE THE HARBOR AREA FARMERS MARKETS FEEL GOOD, KITCHEN PARTAKE COLLECTIVE, THE DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH ALLIANCE, THE VENDOR JUSTICE COMMITTEE, THE COOK ALLIANCE, LONG BEACH FORWARD, AND SOME, YOU KNOW, REALLY STAPLE VICTORIES FOR COTTAGE FOOD SUCCESS LIKE GUSTO BREAD, AS WELL AS, UH, LONG BEACH'S FAMOUS CAMBODIAN COWBOY, CHEF CHAD BATAM, B BARBECUE, AXIOM KITCHEN, AND LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE'S FINEST CHEF TEA, THE RISING PHOENIX. WE'VE GOT A GREAT COALITION, WE'VE BEEN BUILDING TOGETHER FOR A WHILE. WE DIDN'T BRING EVERYBODY OUT TONIGHT, UM, BUT WITH THIS ITEM, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN ORDINANCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE ALSO VALUE THE PROCESS OF BEING ABLE TO GET EVERYONE INVOLVED. KIND OF FEEL EVERYONE OUT ON THIS. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS PROCESS COULD MOVE FORWARD IN SUCH A WAY THAT EVERYBODY TRIES TO ADD ON LIKE A BUNCH OF TEDIOUS RESTRICTIONS. WE THINK THIS IS A VERY CLEAR CUT POLICY THAT WAS SET UP AT THE STATE LEVEL. UM, THE 16 JURISDICTIONS THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED IT, MOST OF THEM JUST PRETTY MUCH ADDED A DEFINITION OF MICROENTERPRISE HOME KITCHENS TO THEIR MUNICIPAL CODE TO GET THE PROCESS STARTED. SO WE'D DEFINITELY LIKE TO SEE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S REPORT IN 90 DAYS, UM, INCLUDE SOME DRAFT ORDINANCES THAT CAN BE LOOKED AT, AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THOSE BACK WITHIN A COUPLE WEEKS TO VOTE ON THEM RATHER THAN HAVING TO WAIT ANOTHER FEW MONTHS. HONESTLY, A LOT OF FOLKS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH DIRECTLY ARE STALLED OUT, HAVE ALREADY BEEN WAITING QUITE A WHILE, WAITED THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AS WELL, AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS THING GET MOVING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. UM, SO JUST A COUPLE QUICK, UM, IMPACTS THAT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT WE'LL EXPAND ON IN FUTURE MEETINGS IS THAT KO'S BOOST INCLUSION FOR FOLKS THAT CAN'T AFFORD OTHER PATHWAYS AND ALSO PROVIDE MORE AFFORDABLE, CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE OPTIONS IN FOOD SWAMPS. KOS ALSO CREATE INCUBATION FOR FOLKS TO TEST OUT THEIR CONCEPTS AND REALLY THEY OFFER INNOVATION, WHICH INVOLVES THE LONGSTANDING TRADITION OF LOCALS ACTUALLY HAVING THE POWER TO GENERATE FOOD TRENDS VERSUS ONLY FOLLOWING THE LARGER TRENDS THAT COME OFTEN FROM PLACES THAT HAVE A LOT OF LOCATIONS ALREADY. WE WANNA SEE MORE LOCALLY GROWN FOOD BUSINESSES BUILD UP THEIR SUCCESS, LIKE WIDE EYES OPEN, PALMS, GUSTO BREAD, AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THROUGH COTTAGE FOOD POLICY. THANK YOU. [04:35:02] THANK YOU, ANGELICA. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU. YOU ARE UP NEXT. HEY EVERYONE, I'M ANGELICA FRANCO. I'M A PART OF THE VENDOR JUSTICE COMMITTEE. UM, TONY STATED A LOT OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND, AND, UM, COALITION MEMBERS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH. I WANTED TO JUST REMIND YOU GUYS THE LAST TIME THAT WE CAME BEFORE YOU GUYS WAS DOING THE REVIEW FOR THE SIDEWALK ORDINANCE. UH, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HIGHLIGHTED ON OUR COMMITTEE AND INVITED OUR VENDORS TO DO WERE THE OBSTACLES THAT THEY FACED NAVIGATING INTO THE SIDEWALK SUCCESS PROGRAM. AND ONE OF THEM BEING ACCESS TO COMMERCIAL KITCHENS AND BEING ABLE TO MEET THE COMMISSARY REQUIREMENTS AND ALL THE HEALTH CODE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED OF THEM TO BE, TO RECEIVE THEIR PERMITTING. MANY OF THEM DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT SPACE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE VERY FEW AVAILABLE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND THEY'RE VERY UNAFFORDABLE. UM, A PART OF OUR, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE PROVIDED, IF YOU GUYS, UH, WE HAD SUBMITTED A LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS PRIOR TO, UM, THE REPORT BEING RELEASED DURING THE LAST REVIEW INCLUDES THE INCLUSION OF MIKO PERMITS AND THEN DIRECTLY SUPPORTS NOT ONLY ALL THE VARIOUS FOOD VENDORS THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BUT SPECIFICALLY OUR SIDEWALK VENDING COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN STUCK ESSENTIALLY IN THE PROCESS, AWAITING A CLEAR PATHWAY TO BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE FULLY INTO THE SYSTEM. WE THINK THAT ONCE THE MIGOS ARE PASSED AND IMPLEMENTED, WE'LL SEE A HIGHER SUCCESS RATE OF THESE BUSINESSES MOVING INTO THAT, UM, BUSINESS MODEL. AND ALSO, I WANTED TO REALLY REITERATE THAT MANY OF THE VENDORS THAT SPOKE BEFORE YOU GUYS PREVIOUSLY AND IN SOME OF OUR MEETINGS TOGETHER WHILE WE ARE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP, HAVE SHARED THAT THEY'VE HAD TO CLOSE AND OR SCALE BACK THEIR CAPACITY TO SERVE FOOD OR THE COMMUNITY BASED ON THIS, UM, ROADBLOCK ALONE. A LOT OF THE KITCHENS DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SUPPORT THEM IN THAT SPACE, OR THE PARTNERSHIPS HAVEN'T BEEN ESTABLISHED. THERE'S ALSO BEEN SOME REPORTS THAT WHEN YOU DO HAVE A SMALLER, I, UH, A SMALLER FOOD VENDOR UTILIZING THE SPACES, ONCE THEY GROW, IT BECOMES COMPETITION. AND NOW THE KITCHEN THAT THEY'RE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NO LONGER WANTS TO HAVE THEM THERE. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY ADVOCATING FOR THAT, THAT FEELING OF AMIN, WE REALLY STRONGLY BELIEVE IN THE CULTURE OF THE FOOD THAT SUPPORTS OUR COMMUNITY. UM, MANY TIMES I'VE JUST SHARED WITH YOU GUYS BEFORE, WE'VE ALL BEEN IN EVENTS TOGETHER. YOU GUYS HAVE HOOPED WITH ME TOGETHER, WE HAVE THE FOOD AND, AND, AND BEVERAGES AND ALL THE THINGS THAT COME FROM THESE VIBRANT FAMILIES. AND KO'S KITCHENS DIRECTLY SUPPORT THAT PATHWAY AND HELP THEM TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES. SO WE REALLY WANT YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT TONY HAS MADE TODAY AND ALSO INCLU CONTINUE TO INCLUDE US IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS THE POLICY IS BUILT OUT SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT ANY OTHER ROADBLOCKS THAT COULD BE POSSIBLY WRITTEN OR IN THE WAY OF THE VENDORS OR ANY OF THE BUSINESSES ARE, ARE HIGHLIGHTED. AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. AND SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO, UH, GET YOU UP HERE. OKAY. WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE PEOPLE. DIANE AND TRACY, ARE YOU HERE? HI, GOOD EVENING. UH, I'M TRACY. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO AND I'M ALSO A GRADUATE OF THE LA FOOD POLICY FOOD LEADERS LAB. UH, LA COUNTY OF WHICH WE ARE A PART HAS ALREADY LEGALIZED MICRO ENTERPRISE HOME KITCHENS. AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT ASPIRING FOOD ENTREPRENEUR ENTREPRENEURS. THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING MORE AFFORDABLE, FRESH FOOD OPTIONS TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, TO BRING CULTURALLY RELEVANT FOODS TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND ACTUALLY IN A WAY THAT IS QUITE A RETURN TO TRADITION, WE CAN HAVE MORE SUCCESS STORIES LIKE THE BELOVED GUSTO AS MENTIONED EARLIER, FOR FOLKS WHO WANNA ONE DAY OPEN A BRICK AND MORTAR. SO TODAY I JUST ASK YOU TO SUPPORT MICKOS AND IT'S BEEN SIX YEARS SINCE THIS WORK BEGAN AND SIX MONTHS SINCE THE COUNCIL APPROVED THIS FUNDING. SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THIS WORK DONE AND SUPPORTING THE VARIOUS COALITIONS ACROSS THE CITY THAT ARE IN SUPPORT OF MICKOS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. OKAY, YOU'RE UP NEXT. HELLO? UH, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ABRAHAM ZAVALA AND I'M WITH THE WESTERN CENTER ONLINE POVERTY. UM, WE CO-SPONSORED THE SB 9 72 BILL AND SB 9 4 6 PROUDLY HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT, UM, HOME COOKS, UH, COALITION, UH, LONG BEACH FRESH IS IS THE ONE SPONSORING THE LETTER. WE WANNA SUPPORT THAT LETTER THAT THEY SUBMITTED. UM, WE BELIEVE THAT MCOS CAN BROUGHT IN ACCESS TO FOOD ENTREPRENEURS WHO HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO COMMERCIAL KITCHENS. AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S VERY FEW IF, IF LIKE THINK TWO OR THREE. UH, AND IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE, THEY'RE INEXPENSIVE AND HOW TO REACH FOR MANY, MANY SIDEWALK VENDORS. AND ALTHOUGH HOME COOKS COALITION IS THE ONE, UH, PUTTING THIS ON, THERE'S AN INTERSECT BETWEEN, UH, INDIVIDUAL'S ABILITY TO, TO MAKE FOOD AT HOME AND, AND, AND SIDEWALK, RIGHT? THERE'S THAT INTERSECT. AND, AND WE REALLY STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS. WE HOPE AS YOU MOVE FORWARD, UM, THE ORDINANCE, UH, STAYS WITHIN THE SPIRIT [04:40:01] OF AB 6 2 6. UM, AND WE ASK THAT AS THESE, YOU KNOW, HEALTH DEPARTMENT MEETS WITH COMMUNITY, THEY MEET WITH THE COALITION HOME COOKS COALITION AND THE VENDOR JUSTICE COMMITTEE WHO'S BEEN DOING WORK, UH, ABOUT BRINGING MIKO INTO THE CITY AS WELL. UH, SO THAT'S ALL I SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HI EVERYONE. I DID SIGN UP BUT I DIDN'T HEAR YOU CALL MY NAME, SO I'LL BE BRIEF. EVERYBODY'S READY TO GO HOME. I'M SAY NAV. I WAS HERE BEFORE, UM, WITH THE VENDOR JUSTICE COMMITTEE ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUE ANGELICA. I GUESS EVERYTHING THAT I WAS GONNA SAY HAS PRETTY MUCH BEEN SAID, BUT I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE, PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I'M A FOOD VENDOR HERE IN LONG BEACH AND I'VE BEEN ON HOLD LIKE EVERYONE ELSE WAITING PATIENTLY. UM, I CAN'T URGE YOU ENOUGH TO PLEASE EXPEDITE THE BRINGING ABOUT OF THE ORDINANCE. UM, AND THEN ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO ENCOURAGE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO INCLUDE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE STEPPING UP TO OFFER THEIR INSIGHT, THEIR INPUT. WE ARE THE ONES ON THE GROUND LEVEL. WE ARE THE ONES THAT THIS IMPACTS. AND TO IGNORE OUR VOICE JUST KIND OF, I MEAN SAY LESS, RIGHT? OKAY. SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INCLUDED. OUR VOICES ARE IMPORTANT. WE ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE THE COURAGE TO COME UP HERE. MOST OF THE, MY COLLEAGUES DON'T WANT TO COME BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID THAT SOMETHING'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THEIR FOOD. THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ALLOWED TO VEND. AND IT'S REALLY IMPERATIVE THAT WE BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR FAMILIES LIKE YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURS. SO, UM, THAT PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THIS GETS HANDLED, UM, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. AND PLEASE REMEMBER THAT MOST OF THE, UM, CULTURAL BEAUTY THAT WE TALK ABOUT DOESN'T REALLY GET TO, TO MAKE THE BROCHURE. IT DOESN'T GET TO BE EXPERIENCED BY THE LARGER, UM, COMMUNITY. IT'S ONLY IN OUR SMALLER COMMUNITIES. AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US, ESPECIALLY WITH THE OLYMPICS COMING AND EVERYBODY ELSE COMING TO SHOW. WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE BEAUTY AND THE DIVERSITY OF LONG BEACH, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE BEGIN TO ACT ON THAT AND ACT LIKE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND IT NEEDS TO BE SHOWN. IT ACTUALLY IS A VALUE INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING ABOUT IT, LET'S DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ON THAT. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND DOING WHAT YOU DO. I KNOW YOU GUYS VOLUNTEER, SO I RESPECT THAT AND I APPRECIATE IT AND THANK YOU FOR HONORING US FOR ALL BEING HERE AT THIS UH, UNGODLY HOUR. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND I DO APOLOGIZE I DID NOT CALL YOUR NAME. ALRIGHT. UM, SO THAT CONCLUDES, UM, PUBLIC COMMENTS. SO MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. VICE MAYOR. THERE'S UH, DIANA BUCK HOLDER. IT'S ON THE LIST. DIANA BUCK HOLDER. OKAY. I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE. YEAH. ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENTS. SO MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY. UH, ITEM 19. ITEM 19 IS COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILWOMAN SANJA, VICE MAYOR ALLEN, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ORANGA RECOMMENDATION TO REQUEST CITY MANAGER TO WORK WITH DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC [19. 24-55790 Recommendation to request City Manager to work with Department of Public Works on a Council presentation regarding our localized flooding management response plan, and report back to City Council in 45 days.       Office or Department: Mary Zendejas, Councilwoman, First District; Cindy Allen, Vice Mayor, Second District; Roberto Uranga, Councilmember, Seventh District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] WORKS ON A COUNCIL PRESENTATION REGARDING OUR LOCALIZED SECOND FLOODING MANAGEMENT RESPONSE PLAN AND REPORT BACK TO CITY COUNCIL IN 45 DAYS. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I'LL SECOND THAT. COUNCILMAN URANGA? YEAH, YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO FORWARD TO THE STUDY. OKAY. UM, I WANNA, UM, I WANNA START BY JUST THANKING COUNCILWOMAN UH, ZENDEJAS FOR ASKING ME TO SIGN ON TO SUPPORT. I KNOW THAT, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ENSURE THAT OUR CITY IS PREPARED FOR, UH, SEASONAL FLOODING. AND, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR WE ALL REMEMBER THE HEAVY RAIN, UH, WE, WE RECEIVED. AND AT THAT TIME, MY OFFICE HAD RECEIVED MANY CALLS FROM RESIDENTS ASKING WHERE THEY COULD GET SANDBAGS OR WHERE THEY COULD REPORT CLOG GUTTERS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE STORM. AND WE WORKED HARD, UM, TO, UH, PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. I THINK THIS INFORMATION IS GONNA BE VERY USEFUL AND, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE ENGAGING OUR RESIDENTS ON THE TOPIC. BEING PREPARED FOR THESE EVENTS MEANS NOT ONLY PROTECTING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS AND THE NEEDS OF OUR BUSINESSES. SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU MA UH, UH, COUNCILMAN Z DEJAS FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. UM, AND, UM, IS THERE, WAS THERE A PREPARED PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM? UH, NO. VICE MAYOR, THIS IS A REQUEST TO COME BACK LIKE WE DO WITH PRESENTATIONS. UH, WE HEAR FROM YOU TONIGHT WHAT YOU WANNA HEAR AND THEN WE COME BACK AND THIS ONE'S IN 45 DAYS. WE'LL BE BACK IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY. OKAY. ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM? OKAY. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION [04:45:01] IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. WE'LL GO TO ITEM 29. ITEM 20 NINES REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER. RECOMMENDATION TO DECLARE ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LONG BEACH MONIES PER CODE RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF ADULT USE, CANNABIS [29. 24-55762 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, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Manager         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] DELIVERY ONLY. DISPENSARY BUSINESS LICENSES, READ AND ADOPTED AS READ. CITY DY COUNCILMAN SORO, MCC NO COMMENT. COUNCILMAN UR. NO COMMENTS. ANY PUBLIC SPEAKER? ANY? OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. I KEEP ON GOING THERE TO VOTE . SORRY ABOUT THAT. OKAY. ITEM 30, ITEM THIRTY'S REPORT FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO DECLARE ORDINANCE APPROVING ZONING CODE AMENDMENT AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED FINDINGS TO INTRODUCE [30. 24-55414 Recommendation to 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 and adopted as read. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Community Development         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] AND ESTABLISH NEW REGULATION FOR ADULT USE CANNABIS DELIVERY ONLY DISPENSARIES WITHIN THE TITLE 21 OF THE LAW BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO SUPPORT PROPOSED CHANGES TO TITLE V, RED AND ADOPTED AS RED CITYWIDE. OKAY, I SEE WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC SPEAKER. ISAIAH DYE, ARE YOU HERE? OKAY. COUNCILMAN SORROW? NO. ALL MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION CARRIES ITEM 31. ITEM 30 ONE'S REPORT FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO DECLARE ORDINANCE APPROVING ZONING CODE AMENDMENT, AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED FINDINGS [31. 24-55699 Recommendation to declare ordinance approving Zoning Code Amendment (ZCA24-001), and adopt the proposed findings related thereto, amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by, amending Section 22.15.030, Table 15-2 and 15-3 to introduce and establish new regulations for adult-use cannabis delivery-only dispensaries within Title 22 (Transitional Zoning Code) 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 and adopted as read. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Community Development         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] TO INTRODUCE AND ESTABLISH NEW REGULATION FOR ADULT USE CANNABIS DELIVERY ONLY DISPENSARIES WITHIN TITLE 22 OF THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO SUPPORT PROPOSED CHANGES TO TITLE V RED AND ADOPTED AS RED CITYWIDE. OKAY, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. I DON'T SEE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM. MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTIONS CARRY ITEM 34. ITEM 34 IS COMMUNICATION FROM VICE MAYOR ALLEN, COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS AND COUNCILWOMAN KERR RECOMMENDATION [34. 24-55857 Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $20,000, offset by Second Council District One-Time District Priority Funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department to support the creation of a Long Beach AIDS Memorial; and Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $20,000, to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department.       Office or Department: Cindy Allen, Vice Mayor, Second District; Mary Zendejas, Councilwoman, First District; Megan Kerr, Councilwoman, Fifth District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] TO INCREASE APPROPRIATIONS BY $20,000 TO SUPPORT THE CREATIONS OF LONG BEACH EIGHT MEMORIAL. OKAY, I HAVE A, UM, I'M, I'LL MOVE THAT. MEGAN IS SECONDING THAT. UM, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS? OKAY. MEMBER, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ITEM 35. ITEM 35 IS A REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY RECOMMENDATION TO DECLARE ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE 2024 [35. 24-55838 Recommendation to declare ordinance of the City Council of the City of Long Beach adopting the 2024 Military Equipment Special Order of the Long Beach Police Department creating a policy for the funding, acquisition, use and reporting requirements for military equipment as mandated by Assembly Bill 481, read for the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Attorney         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] MILITARY EQUIPMENT SPECIAL ORDER OF THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, CREATING A POLICY FOR THE FUNDING ACQUISITION USE AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR MILITARY EQUIPMENT AS MANDATED BY ASSEMBLY BILL 4 81 READ FOR THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING. CDY. OKAY, UM, I'LL SECOND THAT. UM, AND THEN, UM, AND WE HAVE QUITE A FEW PUBLIC SPEAKERS. SO LET'S START WITH ALEXA ORTIZ, SHEILA, ANDREW, MAKE SURE I GET EVERY MELINDA AND TERRY, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE LINE UP. ALEXIS ORTIZ. YOU ARE FIRST. HI, I AM SHEILA BATES. I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER, GRASSROOTS AND BLACK LIVES MATTER LOS ANGELES. THE FACT THAT YOU'RE SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE POLICE SHOULD GET MILITARY EQUIPMENT WHEN JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO THE POLICE KILLED BRANDON BOYD IS ABSOLUTELY ABSURD. THE POLICE DO NOT NEED ANY MORE MILITARY EQUIPMENT, THEY DON'T NEED ANY EQUIPMENT, PERIOD. THEY NEED TO BE DEFUNDED AND WE NEED TO ACTUALLY FUND SERVICES THAT KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. IF YOU REMEMBER CORRECTLY, 'CAUSE YOU JUST HEARD FROM HIS FAMILY, BRANDON BOYD WAS KILLED IN A MOMENT OF CRISIS. HE WAS ASKING FOR HELP, BUT WHAT SHOWED UP INSTEAD WERE POLICE WHO ALREADY HAD MILITARY EQUIPMENT AND INSTEAD OF HIM GETTING THE HELP THAT HE NEEDED, HE WAS KILLED IN FRONT OF HIS TWO SISTERS AND HIS NIECE. HE HAS A FATHER OF SIX AND NOW HE HAS, THOSE CHILDREN ARE WITHOUT THEIR FATHER, THEIR SONS, HIS SON SAT HERE ON HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY AND HAD TO SIT HERE AND LISTEN TO HIS FAMILY, POUR THEIR HEART OUT TO YOU SO YOU WOULD HAVE SOME [04:50:01] POSSIBILITY OF HAVING SOME DECENCY. WHEN WE ALL KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING FOR THE NUMEROUS MURDERS THAT HAVE BEEN AT THE HAND OF LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THIS ISN'T MY FIRST TIME AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING HERE IN LONG BEACH BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WHAT LONG BEACH PD DOES IS CONTINUE TO KILL PEOPLE AND ALL OF YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? BECAUSE HIS FAMILY DESERVES JUSTICE. BUT THERE IS NO JUSTICE FOR BRANDON BOYD BECAUSE JUSTICE WOULD MEAN THAT HE'S STILL HERE. JUSTICE WOULD MEAN THAT THEIR CHIL THAT HIS CHILDREN GET TO SEE THEIR FATHER AND GET TO SEE THEIR FATHER FOR HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY. TEENTH JUSTICE WOULD MEAN THAT HIS SISTERS DIDN'T HAVE TO WATCH HIM BE MURDERED AND WERE NOT EVEN ABLE TO SPEAK TO HIM. THERE WAS A MET TEAM ON SITE AND HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK TO BRANDON. BRANDON NEEDED HELP AND THE POLICE SHOWED UP. THAT'S WHAT THIS CITY DOES. THAT'S WHAT ALL OF YOU ARE MORE THAN LIKELY TO SIGN OFF ON. IS THAT WHAT YOU TOOK THIS JOB FOR? I WOULD HOPE NOT. SO I EXPECT THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU DO BETTER THAN YOUR PREDECESSORS AND YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME AND YOU'VE SIGNED OFF ON NUMEROUS OF THEM. SO AS THE MAYOR WHO'S NOT SITTING HERE CONVENIENTLY, IT'S ABSOLUTELY ABSURD THAT WE HAVE TO COME HERE TIME AND TIME AGAIN. IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. JUSTICE FOR BRANDON BOYD. AGAIN, THERE IS JUSTICE IN THE NAME OF BRANDON BOYD BECAUSE JUSTICE WOULD MEAN THAT HIS SISTERS WERE NOT ARRESTED. HIS SISTERS AND HIS NIECE WERE ARRESTED AFTER THEY WITNESSED THEIR LOVED ONE BE MURDERED AND SAT IN A POLICE CAR AND HAD TO WATCH HIS BODY UNCOVERED ON THE STEPS OF A CHURCH WHERE HE WAS MURDERED. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS BEEN CONCLUDED AND YOU GIVE THEM, YOU WANNA GIVE THEM MORE MILITARY EQUIPMENT? ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. VOTE NO. SAY HIS NAME. BRANDON BOY. SAY HIS NAME. BRANDON BOY. SAY HIS NAME. BRANDON BOY. OKAY. ANDREW MOLINA. AND TERRY, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM FOR YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM AND EVERYONE ELSE LEFT? OKAY. ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU, UM, FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THAT CONCLUDES, UM, THE, UH, THAT CONCLUDES OUR COMMENT PERIOD. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. SHAME ON YOU, SHAME ON YOU. OKAY, SO WE'LL GO TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER TWO. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP? SHAME ON YOU. ARE THERE ANY MEMBERS? WE HAVE EIGHT. UH, KATHLEEN ADAMS HELPLINE, YOUTH COUNCIL, [ 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. ] MIN LOU HAITI HERRING, SHARIFA BAT. JOSE CASTELLANO, BLAIR COHEN. ERIC WHITE, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM. CAN YOU, CAN YOU READ THAT ONE MORE TIME? UM, SO IF YOU'RE HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER TWO. UH, WE, UH, ARE GONNA CALL YOU TO THE PODIUM. SO CAN YOU READ THOSE NAMES ONE MORE TIME? KATHLEEN ADAMS HELPLINE. YOUTH COUNCIL WHO SIGNED UP FOR THAT. AND THEN WE HAVE MIN LOU HAITI HERRING, SHARIF BAT, BLAIR CONE AND ERIC WHITE MOLINA TO BE ON THAT LIST. OKAY, SO, UH, MA'AM WHAT IS YOUR NAME? KATHLEEN ADAMS. OKAY, GO AHEAD. SEASONS GREETING SEASONS. GREETINGS. MY UH, COMMENT ORIGINALLY WAS WHEN I CAME FROM THE PARKING LOT HERE, THE AIR WAS SO BAD I WAS HOLDING MY BREATH. AND THAT HAPPENED THIS MORNING TOO. WHEN I WENT OUTSIDE A TREE FELL DOWN ON MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND I WANNA THANK THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. THEY CAME OUT THERE WITH SAWS AT 7:00 AM AND CHOPPED DOWN. IT'S ALREADY GONE. AND SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO IT'S A MIXED BAG. SO IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO PUT AIR QUALITY MONITORS IN ALL THE SCHOOLS? UM, HAVE IN THIS, UH, ALERT LONG BEACH WHEN THE AIR QUALITY'S REALLY BAD. I AM NOT EXERCISING OUTSIDE ANYMORE BECAUSE IN THE LAST SIX WEEKS THE AIR QUALITY HAS BEEN THAT BAD. I'M ACTUALLY DRIVING OUT OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TO GET FRESH AIR AND UH, I DON'T REMEMBER IT BEING THIS BAD. IT'S LIKE SUDDENLY IT'S LIKE SOMEBODY IN HUNTINGTON BEACH JUST OPENED THE PORT FOR THE OIL DRILLING AND LETTING THE FUMES FLOAT INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. I, [04:55:01] IT'S WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE. 'CAUSE IT SMELLS LIKE REFINERY FUMES. AND IT WASN'T THAT WAY IN OCTOBER THAT I RECALL 'CAUSE I WAS WALKING AROUND OUTSIDE. SO THANK YOU FOR, UM, SEEING WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT GETTING THOSE AIR QUALITY MONITORS AND LETTING US KNOW WHEN IT'S, AND WE NEED SOME TEARS ON IT'S OKAY TO GO OUTSIDE. WHEN I, I FIRST I'VE BEEN COMING HERE OR LIVING HERE SINCE 1972. I WENT TO SCHOOL AT TINCHER AND THAT TIME I COULDN'T, UM, PLAY OUTSIDE BECAUSE THE AIR WAS BROWN. AND I'M REALLY DELIGHTED THAT I CAN SEE THE MOUNTAINS NOW. BUT, UM, I STILL, WE'VE GONE BACK IN JUST THIS LAST MONTH, SO, UM, AND I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THE MILITARY, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND, UM, FOR SOME REASON WE THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED TO DEFEND OURSELVES WITH MILITARY EQUIPMENT HERE. I'D REALLY LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE BEHIND THAT. 'CAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. THEY DIDN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT IT. OKAY. WE, UM, WE, I JUST EVER LET EVERYONE SPEAK. EVERYONE HAS A VOICE HERE, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UM, SIR, ARE YOU SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? YES, SIR. I'M ERIC WHITE. UM, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? ERIC WHITE. OKAY, GO AHEAD SIR. YOU'RE UP. ALL RIGHT. HELLO, MY NAME IS ERIC WHITE. UM, I'M A MEMBER OF BLACK LIVES MATTER. I'M ALSO A MINISTER AT ANTIOCH CHURCH IN LONG BEACH. UM, AND I'M JUST HERE TO SPEAK ON THE MURDER OF BRANDON BOYD. UM, JUST TO SPEAK NAME OF HIS LIFE, HE WAS A FAMILY MAN, HE WAS A LOVING FATHER. I'M A FATHER OF TWO BOYS MYSELF, AND I JUST WANT TO, UH, SAY THAT THEY THROWING A FLASH GRENADE. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE, WHAT THE RATIONALE WAS ON THAT TO, FOR THAT TYPE OF TACTIC, UM, TO BE USED. THE FAMILY DESERVES TRANSPARENCY ON THIS ONGOING INVESTIGATION, AT LEAST SOME TYPE OF UPDATES OR SOMETHING, UM, TO THIS. IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WHAT SOME PEOPLE WOULD CONSIDER AS MISCONDUCT OR BROKEN POLICY ULTIMATELY IN THESE TYPE OF SITUATIONS END UP IN A LOSS OF A LIFE. YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY TRAGIC WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM AT, ON THE, ON THE STEPS OF A CHURCH. YOU KNOW, AS A MINISTER IT'S JUST VERY SADDENING TO HEAR. UM, THERE WAS A THERAPIST ON SITE WHO ATTEMPTED TO DEESCALATE THE SITUATION WHO SAID THAT GUNS WERE POINTED AT HIM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TYPE OF TRAINING IS DONE OR HOW, YOU KNOW, WHY THAT WAS FELT THAT THAT WAS THE NECESSARY RESPONSE OR HOW TO JUSTIFY THAT, UM, IN ANY WAY. UM, WE JUST WATCHED THE WHOLE PRESENTATION ON MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, RIGHT? AND THE ONE THING THAT I FEEL LIKE CONSIDERING THIS SITUATION THAT WAS LACKING IN THAT PRESENTATION WAS IF SOMEBODY'S HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND THEY CALL 9 1 1, HOW ARE WE GONNA MAKE SURE THE PROPER PEOPLE ARE BEING DISPATCHED? HOW ARE WE GONNA MAKE SURE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAINED TO DEAL WITH A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS ARE DEPLOYED ON SITE FOR A SITUATION LIKE THAT? RIGHT. UM, YEAH, THAT, UH, JUST CLEARLY, UM, THERE'S BEEN ONE TOO MANY INCIDENTS JUST NATIONWIDE, NOT ONLY HERE IN LONG BEACH. POLICE OFFICERS RESPONDING TO MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS HAVE RESULTED IN TRAGIC SITUATIONS, NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. SO WE HAVE TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT. WE HAVE TO, WE GOTTA FIGURE SOMETHING OUT. I'M A RESIDENT IN THIS CITY, I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE, UM, AND I'M JUST COMING TO Y'ALL AND I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, WE, WE HAVE TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT. THE POLICE IS NOT THE ANSWER IN THESE SITUATIONS, NOT THE ANSWER. UH, I YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT. I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. OKAY. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE HERE THAT WAS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? GO AHEAD MA'AM. MY NAME IS MOLINA ABDULLAH AND I ORGANIZE WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER. UM, I AM ACTUALLY NOT FROM LONG BEACH. I LIVE IN LOS ANGELES. THIS IS MY FIRST LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL MEETING. YOU HAD A PACKED ROOM EARLIER WITH PEOPLE FROM BLACK LIVES MATTER, DETROIT, BLACK LIVES MATTER, BOISE, BLACK LIVES MATTER, TAMPA, FLORIDA, UM, ALSO OTHER LOS ANGELES MEMBERS. ONE OF THE PEOPLE IS ACTUALLY ANOTHER FATHER WHO LOST HIS SON TO POLICE VIOLENCE WHOSE SON'S LIFE WAS STOLEN BY POLICE VIOLENCE. HIS NAME WAS ANDREW JOSEPH II. THE REASON I'M LIFTING THAT UP IS BECAUSE YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WHAT HAPPENED TO BRANDON BOYD, THE THEFT OF BRANDON BOYD'S LIFE IS NOT JUST A LONG BEACH ISSUE. THE ENTIRE WORLD IS WATCHING YOU. AND WE WATCH AS YOU ENGAGE IN WHAT NDA, CWE CHI MORINGA CALLS A DOUBLE MURDER THAT THE LIFE OF THIS BLACK FATHER OF SIX WAS STOLEN. [05:00:01] AND THEN WHAT DOES THE CITY DO? THEY COMMIT A DOUBLE MURDER BY ASSASSINATING HIS CHARACTER. YOU ALL NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IT IS YOU ARE DOING AND DECIDE WHAT SIDE OF THINGS YOU WANNA STAND ON. THIS WAS A SON OF YOUR CITY. THIS WAS A BLACK MAN WHO WAS DOING ALL OF THE THINGS WE SAY WE WANT OUR FATHERS AND MEN TO DO. HE WAS RAISING HIS CHILDREN LOVINGLY AND WHEN HE NEEDED HELP, HE WENT TO THE STEPS OF THE CHURCH THAT HE WAS RAISED IN AND HE WAS STOLEN. AND YOU ALL JUST PASSED A MOTION TO INCREASE MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO THE SAME POLICE THAT USED A FLASH BANG GRENADE ON THIS BLACK FATHER. YOU ALL SAT HERE, YOU ALL SAT HERE FOR HOURS. WE ARE WIPED OUT. I'M SURE YOU ARE TOO. BUT YOU ALL SAT HERE AND WERE HYPOCRITES IN LISTENING TO THESE PRESENTATIONS ON MENTAL HEALTH WHEN WHAT BRANDON BOYD NEEDED AND REQUESTED AND WHAT WAS THERE FOR HIM WAS MENTAL HEALTH PROVISION. AND INSTEAD YOU UNLEASHED A LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT SAW BRANDON BOYD'S LIFE AS MEANINGLESS AND IN FACT VIEWED HIM WITH DISDAIN. YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOW TO CHANGE COURSES TO THINK ABOUT THE FAMILY'S DEMANDS, RIGHT? YOU CRIMINALIZED THE FAMILY FOR DARING TO SAY THAT MY BROTHER, MY UNCLE'S LIFE MATTERS. YOU BEAT HIS SISTERS AND HIS NIECE. SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? HOW ARE YOU GONNA BE DIFFERENT? WE'RE FACING A FASCIST THAT'S COMING INTO OFFICE. ARE YOU GONNA DOUBLE DOWN ON FASCISM? ARE YOU GONNA SAY THAT WE BELIEVE IN JUSTICE TOO? AND THAT STARTS WITH BRANDON BOYD. WE'RE ALL WATCHING YOU AND WE'RE DEMANDING JUSTICE IN THE NAME OF BRANDON BOYD. SAY HIS NAME. BRANDON BOYD. SAY HIS NAME. BRANDON BOYD. SAY HIS NAME. BRANDON BOYD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M GONNA WITHDRAW MY REQUEST TO ANNOUNCE MY SWEARING IN. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG FOR UH, YOU TO GET TO YOUR COMMENTS. OKAY, SO THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENTS AND SO WE'RE GONNA GO ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ADJOURNMENTS. UM, I DO HAVE A NOTE THAT, UM, GO AHEAD CHRISTINA. I'D [ANNOUNCEMENTS] LIKE TO CLOSE THE MEETING TONIGHT. UM, FOR GRAHAM STEWART SCHOFIELD, THE BROTHER OF SELENA LUNA AND A THIRD DISTRICT, UM, RESIDENT. HE, UM, GRAHAM STEWART SCHOFIELD WAS BORN TO JOSEPH AND NORMA SCHOFIELD ON FEBRUARY 15TH, 1979 IN HARBOR CITY, CALIFORNIA. GRAHAM PASSED AWAY UNEXPECTEDLY ON NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024 AT THE AGE OF 45 IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. GRAHAM ATTENDED GRADE WOLVES IN SAN PEDRO. AS A YOUNG CHILD, HE LEARNED TO PLAY THE PIANO AND BLOSSOMED INTO A TALENTED MUSICIAN DUE TO HIS TALENT AS A MUSICIAN. HE WAS ACCEPTED TO THE GIFTED ARTS PROGRAM AT HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL AND LATER ATTENDED UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER ON A MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP. AFTER COMPLETING COLLEGE, HE MOVED TO LONG BEACH WHERE HE WOULD GO ON TO RAISE HIS FAMILY. HE WAS A MEMBER OF LOCAL BANDS, MELTING POT AND WORLD TRIBE, AND WOULD FREQUENTLY PERFORM AT LOCAL MUSIC VENUES LIKE DE PIAZZAS. GRAHAM ALSO LOVED TO GIVE BACK TO HIS COMMUNITY AND WOULD VOLUNTEER AS A PIANO, PIANO ACCOMPANIST FOR LOCAL MUSIC THEATERS IN LONG BEACH. FOR MANY YEARS, GRAHAM WAS A BELOVED TEAM MEMBER AT TRADER JOE'S, NEAR SECOND NPCH AND WOULD LATER WORK AS A UNION. LONGSHOREMAN GRAHAM WAS A KIND PERSON WHO ALWAYS WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO HELP OTHERS. AND HIS THOUGHTFULNESS WILL FOREVER BE REMEMBERED. GRAHAM IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE SARAH AND CHILDREN SADIE, PAUL AND NORA. HE'S ALSO SURVIVED BY HIS SISTER ROSA, LINDA AND FATHER JOSEPH. HE WAS PROCEEDED IN DEATH BY HIS MOTHER, NORMA BERA. SCOFIELD GRAHAM WILL BE MISSED BY HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO WILL FOREVER REMEMBER HIS CARING HEART, INFECTIOUS LAUGH, AND THE JOY HIS MUSIC BROUGHT US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN URANGA. THANK YOU. BY THE MAYOR. I'D ALSO LIKE TO CLOSE TONIGHT'S MEETING IN THE NAME OF RITA ANDERSON IN THE MEMORY OF RINA ANDERSON, WHO WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 12TH, 1924 IN NCI, NOT GOOD NCI, I GUESS, UH, TEXAS, WHERE AFTERWARDS SHE HAD, SHE MOVED TO [05:05:01] SAN PEDRO AND LONG BEACH IN THE 1970 SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES. IF YOU DO THE MATH, SHE WAS A HUNDRED YEARS OLD. I, UH, ATTENDED HER BIRTHDAY BACK IN FEBRUARY AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL CELEBRATION. ARIAN, SHE USED HER GREAT HOMEMAKING SKILLS, FOR CHARITY. SHE WAS A COMMITTED NEIGHBORHOOD LEADER AND A LONG TIME RESIDENT ON WEST SIDE LONG BEACH WHERE SHE HELPED FOLLOW THE THE ORGANIZATION. SHE ALSO CREATED THE BOLD ANDERSON MEMORIAL TRACK SCHOLARSHIP AND MEMORY OF HER LATE SON WHO WAS A VICTIM OF RANDOM GANG VIOLENCE. SHE'LL BE REMEMBERED BY HER FRIENDS DEARLY. I WILL REMEMBER HER GREATLY FOR A WONDERFUL WARM SMILE AT HER DEAFNESS AND BEING ABLE TO GET ISSUES QUICK. SHE WAS, SHE WAS SOME COGENT NEAR THE END. SHE WAS A WONDERFUL LADY. SHE WON'T BE MISSED. THANK YOU. AND I AM SO SORRY FOR BOTH OF YOUR LOSSES. UM, UH, COUNCILMAN SUPERAL. UH, THANK YOU. I'D JUST LIKE TO MENTION THIS DATE, UH, IMPORTANT DATE IN LONG BEACH HISTORY. UM, 64 YEARS AGO ON DECEMBER 10TH, 1960 IS THE DATE OF THE JUNIOR ROSE BOWL. THERE'S A GRAPHIC OF IT UP ON THE SCREEN NOW, AND UH, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I'D EVER SEEN, UH, D ANDREWS PLAYING A FOOTBALL GAME. HE HAD A VERY FAMOUS, UH, TOUCHDOWN RETURN AND AT THE AGE OF EIGHT I HAD MY CHILDHOOD SPORTS HERO AND JUST THE, THE PRIVILEGE OF LATER ON IN LIFE SERVING WITH D ENTRIES ON THIS BODY IS, IS JUST SUCH A SPECIAL MEMORY FOR ME. UM, HE HAD AN INCREDIBLE TOUCHDOWN RETURN IN THAT, AND I SHARED THIS BEFORE, BUT, UH, DECEMBER 10TH, THE LAST TIME IT CAME UP ON A TUESDAY WAS 2019. SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE IT AGAIN TONIGHT. AND, UH, WE HAVE A VIDEO THAT LASTS, UH, 35 SECONDS WHERE DEE ANDREWS RUNS 120 YARDS. UH, HE COULD DO THAT IN ABOUT HALF THAT TIME, BUT THE VIDEO'S IN SLOW MOTION. SO IF WE COULD ROLL THAT VIDEO NOW, UH, I'D APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. BOBBY PRICE KICKS OFF WITH THE CHEERING. APACHE STILL WHOOPING IT UP. IT'S THE LONG ONE, CLEAR TO THE GOAL LINE WHERE MARTIN GATHERS IT IN. WILLIE STARTS TO HIS LEFT, BUT AS MAN AT THE 15 WHERE HE HANDS OFF TO DE ANDREWS A BURST OF SPEED, TAKES HIM BY TWO APACHES, A GREAT BLOCK BY FRANK ROY WIPES OUT ANOTHER ONE AND JIM SMITH TAKES THE REST. ANDREWS A 14 FLAT HIGH HURDLER IS LONG GONE, 85 YARDS AND AN ELECTRIFYING TOUCHDOWN. COMPLETELY SHATTERS THE TEXANS ENTHUSIASM. . WELL THANK YOU MY COLLEAGUES FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE THAT. AND, UH, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MR. VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU. THAT WAS AWESOME. OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR SHARING THAT WITH US. I JUST WANNA, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THIS MEETING THANKING AGAIN, COUNCILMAN UH, AL AUSTIN FOR HIS 12 YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR CITY AND TO DISTRICT EIGHT. AND, UH, JUST WANNA DO A QUICK REMINDER THAT SANTA HAS LEFT THE NORTH POLE AND HE IS ARRIVING AT ORBA PARK ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15TH FROM 48. SO DON'T FORGET TO COME AND I HOPE THE CITY FAMILY COMES AS WELL. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT 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.