[00:01:07]
IT'S TIME TO CALL, UH, THE MEETING OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER IS JANUARY 7TH.
COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS PRESENT.
PRESENT, COUNCILWOMAN THRASH OOK.
I WANNA WISH A HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
UH, SHE WILL BE MOVING, UH, LEAVING A LITTLE BIT EARLY TONIGHT.
UH, 'CAUSE BECAUSE IT'S HER BIRTHDAY.
AND, UH, VI UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN SUPER.
NA AND DUGGAN, UH, AREN AREN'T, ARE UNDER THE WEATHER, AREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT.
TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BY VICE MAYOR YANGA.
OKAY, BEFORE WE DO THAT, I'D LIKE TO TAKE OUT A FEW MOMENTS OF SILENCE AND WE DO.
SO LET'S RECALL LAST YEAR, THOSE WE LOST, AND THOSE THAT WE
[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
STILL HAVE, GLEN, THAT WE HAVE WITH US TODAY.LOVE WHO YOU GOT NEXT TO YOU, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT THIS NEW YEAR WILL BRING.
AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER WHO WE ARE AND WHY WE'RE HERE.
PUT YOUR HAND OVER YOUR HEART.
READY TO BEGIN? I PLEDGED TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS? ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR HOME.
UH, SO WE HAVE NO PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING AND WE'LL START WITH CONSENT CALENDAR.
THEN WE'LL, UH, REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION, UH, AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND THEN WE'LL START OFF WITH THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
SO, UH, LET'S HEAR THE, LET'S PULL UP THE CONSENT CALENDAR, PLEASE.
WE NEED A MOTION IN A SECOND ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
[CONSENT CALENDAR (1. – 23.)]
MOVING AND SECONDED.UM, JUST Q PUSH YOUR SPEAKER QUEUE.
UH, AND WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER, YOUR FIRST FULL COUNCIL MEETING.
WE'RE GONNA USE THAT CUE BUTTON.
UH, COUNCILMAN SORROW? ANYTHING? NO.
COUNCIL MEMBER, YOUR VANCE MAYOR RE ANYTHING? NO.
AND TO THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. MAYOR.
AND THANK YOU TO MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AT MY FIRST OFFICIAL OR FULL MEETING.
I ASKED TO SPEAK ON TODAY'S CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS. I SPECIFICALLY WANTED TO DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO A FEW KEY ITEMS, UH, RELATED TO ITEM NUMBER 13, 14, 15, AND 19.
UH, THESE ARE ALL RELATED TO MUNICIPAL CONTRACTING.
AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT MUNICIPAL CONTRACTING, I BELIEVE, REPRESENTS AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF ECONOMIC MOBILITY.
AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT HISTORICALLY NEGLECTED AND UNDERSERVED, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE.
AS I REVIEW THESE ITEMS, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF ALSO UPHOLDING OUR LOCAL BUSINESS ORDINANCE TO ENSURE THAT THE CONTRACTS THAT WE AWARD REFLECT A STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES.
WE WANNA PRIORITIZE BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT ONLY CONTRIBUTING TO OUR ECONOMY, BUT ALSO UPLIFTING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGH MEANINGFUL REINVESTMENT AND CREATE PATHWAYS FOR GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY.
[00:05:01]
WE SHOULD EXPAND OUTREACH AND EFFORTS, OF COURSE, TO ENGAGE AND EMPOWER LOCAL BUSINESSES, GIVING THEM ACCESS TO SUCH OPPORTUNITIES WHILE ENSURING THAT TAXPAYER DOLLARS CONTINUE TO CIRCLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.I WANNA REALLY REITERATE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT THESE BUSINESSES LOOK AT, UH, HIRING FOSTER INCLUSIVITY AND EQUITY ACROSS OUR CITY.
SO THIS STATEMENT IS REALLY JUST A REMINDER OF OUR VALUES THAT WE HOLD HERE TONIGHT.
ON OUR CONSENT CALENDAR, WE WILL APPROVE WHAT WILL BE NEARLY $2 MILLION IN RESOURCES TO A VARIETY OF COMPANIES AND FIRMS, AT LEAST SEVEN, UH, TWO OF WHICH APPEAR TO BE, UH, WOMEN-OWNED ENTITIES.
AT THIS TIME, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH OUR, UH, OUR STAFF TODAY, UH, THANK YOU TO THE AIRPORT FOR, UH, GOING AHEAD AND INCLUDING IN THEIR REPORT, UH, DETAILS REGARDING OUR LOCAL BUSINESS ORDINANCE.
SOME QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD HAVE IN THE FUTURE, UH, NOT NECESSARILY FOR TODAY, BUT FOR CONSIDERATION, ARE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE OWNERS OF THE PRIVATE COMPANIES, THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE LEADERSHIP OF THOSE COMPANIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THEIR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ANY ACTIVE AND ENGAGEMENT OF THOSE, UH, COMPANIES IN THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY, SPECIFICALLY THEIR LOCAL PRESENCE, UM, ACTIVE SPONSORSHIP OF ACTIVITIES THAT SUPPORT THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN LONG BEACH, AND ANY SUBCONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES THAT MIGHT BE ASSOCIATED WITH THESE CONTRACTS, AND ENSURING THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE CONTRACTS.
SO THAT, UH, REALLY REFLECTS, UH, WHERE I AM REGARDING, UH, OUR CONSENT, UH, ITEMS THAT I JUST MENTIONED.
UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO US CONTINUING TO SUPPORT LOCAL ENTERPRISES HERE IN LONG BEACH.
UH, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT MEMBER? NO.
MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, PLEASE REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION.
WE HAVE NO REPORT FROM CLOSED SESSION TODAY.
WE'LL NOW GO TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER ONE.
SO WE SEE FOUR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
[ 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. ]
HAVE AINA REDMOND, WE HAVE PAMELA FIELDS AND LILLIAN PARKER, PLEASE COME FORWARD.BRANDON BOYD SHOULD BE ALIVE RIGHT NOW.
IT'S BEEN 50 DAYS SINCE FOUR LVPD OFFICERS MURDERED BRANDON BOYD RELEASED THEIR NAMES AND CHARGE THOSE OFFICERS.
IT'S BEEN 50 DAYS SINCE THE 9 1 1 CALLS WERE MADE, RELEASED THOSE TRANSCRIPTS.
IT'S BEEN 50 DAYS SINCE THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE RECORDED LVPD OFFICERS KILLING BRANDON BOYD.
THE LAW SAYS YOU NEED TO TURN THIS FOOTAGE OVER.
WITHIN 45 DAYS, A 20 MINUTE CLIP MADE BY THE PEOPLE WHO KILLED BRANDON IS NOT ENOUGH.
IT'S BEEN 50 DAYS SINCE THE BOYD FAMILY WAS ATTACKED BY LVPD AND THEN CHARGED WHILE THEY WATCHED THEIR FAMILY MEMBER GET KILLED.
DROP THE CHARGES AGAINST THE BOYD FAMILY.
IT'S BEEN 50 DAYS SINCE LBPD MURDERED WHEN, AND BOYD AND BRENNAN BOYD SHOULD BE ALIVE RIGHT NOW.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ADRINA REDMOND.
I'M THE MOTHER OF DANTE JORDAN, WHO WAS KILLED BY LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 2013.
SINCE THEN, WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A PARK BENCH, WHICH IS IN YOUR DISTRICT.
UH, P EVERYBODY THE HOMELESS IS LAYING ALL AROUND AND THEY'RE DAMAGING THE BENCH, SO IT'S UNDER YOU.
AND I HAVE ONE MORE, UH, COMMENT I'D LIKE TO MEET.
AND THIS ONE IS FOR OFFICER CRUZ, HIS LEADING OFFICERS.
PLEASE TELL HIM THAT DANTE'S MOTHER SAID, EVERY TIME HE LAY HIS WIFE DOWN, I HOPE HE SEE MY SON'S FACE AND HE CAN'T PERFORM.
ALL RIGHT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ADRINA REDMOND.
GOOD EVENING ALL AND HAPPY 2025.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THE COMING OF THIS YEAR WITH A SENSE OF JOY.
UH, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE FOR THE BOYD FAMILY, MEMBERS OF WHOM ARE ON THEIR WAY HERE THIS EVENING, BUT ARE BEING HELD UP.
'CAUSE THIS IS LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND WEATHER THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
UM, BUT I'M HERE ON, ON THEIR BEHALF AND IN COMMUNITY WITH THEM FOR THE REASONS THAT MAX HAS LAID OUT.
AND THAT IS THAT IT'S BEEN 50 DAYS AND THE LAW DOES
[00:10:01]
CALL FOR ALL OF THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE TO BE RELEASED.IT HAS NOT AS OF YET, HUMANITY CALLS FOR US TO CARE ABOUT THIS FAMILY.
HUMANITY CALLS FOR US TO SAY THAT SOMETHING DIFFERENT COULD HAVE AND SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED THAT NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 19TH.
AND THAT TWO AND A HALF HOURS FROM A, AFTER A CALL FROM A PERSON IN DISTRESS WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO DECIDE THAT IT HE WAS DONE.
IF YOU SAW THAT VIDEO, WHAT YOU SAW WAS A MAN WITH HIS HANDS UP.
IF YOU SAW THAT VIDEO AND HEARD THAT VIDEO, WHAT YOU HEARD WAS MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO KNEW HIM BEGGING FOR HIS LIFE.
BECAUSE AS I HAVE HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD FROM THEM, THEY COULD ALL TELL THAT SOMETHING WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
OF COURSE, YOU COULD TELL WHEN SWAT SHOWS UP THAT SOMETHING IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
THE CONTINUED INJUSTICE AFTER THAT NIGHT WAS THAT FOR TWO WEEKS, THAT FAMILY DID NOT KNOW WHERE HIS BODY WAS, DID NOT KNOW WHERE HE WAS.
THEY HAVE HAD TO, THEY HAD TO MOURN THROUGH THAT.
AND THEN THEY WERE CALLING AND ASKING, AND NO ONE WAS RETURNING THEIR CALLS.
I WAS PRESENT OUT THERE THAT NIGHT.
I KNOW THAT MEMBERS OF THAT FAMILY GAVE THEIR PHONE NUMBERS TO SEVERAL FOLKS.
AND SO WHEN WE HEARD OR WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO REACH THEM, THAT WAS BULL.
WHAT THAT WAS, WAS A LACK OF CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE SOMETHING, I BELIEVE WE HAVE VICTIM SERVICES WHEN THIS STREET CRIME, RIGHT? WE SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR.
WHEN PEOPLE ARE MURDERED BY THE POLICE, THEY ARE STILL HUMAN BEINGS.
THEY STILL COME FROM FAMILIES, THEY'RE STILL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE STILL FEEL PAIN, NOT JUST THE FAMILY MEMBERS, BUT THE FOLKS OUT THERE WITNESSING THAT, WHO SAW THAT.
AND THEN TO HAVE HIS TWO SISTERS SITTING IN VEHICLES ARRESTED, ABUSED, AND BRUISED, HAVING TO LOOK AT HIS BODY FOR THREE HOURS, HAVING TO LOOK AT HIS DEAD BODY ON THE STEPS OF THAT CHURCH.
HOW CALLOUS IS THAT? HOW CALLOUS IS THAT? SO I'M HERE SAYING THAT THERE WE CAN DO BETTER.
I KNOW WE CAN DO BETTER IF WE WANT TO DO BETTER.
I KNOW THAT YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS IN YOUR CONVERSATION AND YOUR GUIDANCE TO THE CITY MANAGER, MAAM CONCLUDED AND THE ATTORNEY ONE MORE SECOND, AND THE ATTORNEY AND OTHERS CAN GIVE THAT GUIDANCE.
ALRIGHT, OUR FINAL SPEAKER, LILLIAN.
LILLIAN PARKER, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
UH, TODAY I'M HERE TO COURTNEY, INVITE YOU TO, UM, OUR 5K RUN SLASH WALK, UH, HERE THAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING ON SATURDAY, UH, JANUARY 11TH AT THE SHORELINE, UH, CENTER.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, UH, ZENDAY HAS, HAS, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR OFFICE AND YOUR STAFF FOR SUPPORTING AND ACKNOWLEDGING US.
UM, THIS IS, WE GOT THIS COMMUNITY, UH, ORGANIZATION THAT IS DOING A PEACE AND UNITY RUN.
IT'S A PRECURSOR FOR OUR, UM, MLK, UH, CELEBRATION AND PARADE.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT, UM, THE MAYOR AND AND STAFF WOULD JOIN US ON THAT DAY AND SUPPORT US AND ALSO REACH OUT TO MEMBERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, FOR THE SUPPORT.
I'VE LEFT A FLYER, UH, WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE FOR EVERYONE.
ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, WE'LL GET STARTED WITH THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
WE, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 25, COMMUNICATION FROM VICE MAYOR YANGA.
COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS, COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS OTI RECOMMENDATION TO STRENGTHEN THE LONG BEACH'S VALUES ACT AND REAFFIRM THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING
[25. 24-55995 Recommendation to strengthen the Long Beach’s Values Act and reaffirm the City’s commitment to protecting its local diverse immigrant communities by requesting that each separate appointing authority including; the Harbor Department, Utilities Department, City Clerk, Police Oversight, and the elected offices of the City Prosecutor, City Auditor, City Attorney, and Legislative Department to formally commit to the Long Beach Values Act via a letter to the City Council; Request City Attorney to draft language to integrate the City’s Data Privacy Guidelines into standard contractual language, and to implement formal Data Transfer and Use Agreements for all agreements involving data transfers; Support City Manager’s authorization of an additional $200,000 for removal defense support via the Long Beach Justice Fund as part of their Fiscal Year 2024 Year End recommendations to the Mayor and City Council; Request City Manager’s office to develop and amplify informational materials, resources, and community partnerships to help educate community members on their rights and protections; and Request City Manager’s office and City Attorney to review and determine the feasibility of additional community requests and report back to City Council. Office or Department: Roberto Uranga, Vice Mayor, Seventh District; Mary Zendejas, Councilwoman, First District; Joni Ricks-Oddie, Councilmember, Ninth District Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ITS LOCAL, DIVERSE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES BY REQUESTING THAT EACH SEPARATE APPOINTING AUTHORITY, INCLUDING THE HARBOR DEPARTMENT, UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, CITY CLERK, POLICE OVERSIGHT, AND THE ELECTED OFFICES OF THE CITY PROSECUTOR, CITY AUDITOR, CITY ATTORNEY, AND LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT TO FORMALLY COMMIT TO THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT VIA A LETTER TO THE CITY COUNCIL.DRAFT LANGUAGE TO INTEGRATE THE CITY'S DATA PRIVACY GUIDELINES INTO STANDARD CONTRACTUAL LANGUAGE AND TO IMPLEMENT FORMAL DATA TRANSFER AND USE AGREEMENTS FOR ALL AGREEMENTS INVOLVING DATA TRANSFERS, SUPPORT CITY MANAGER'S, AUTHORIZATION OF AN ADDITIONAL 200,000 FOR REMOVAL DEFENSE SUPPORT VIA THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND AS PART OF THEIR FISCAL YEAR 2024 YEAR END RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, DEVELOP AND AMPLIFY
[00:15:01]
INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS, RESOURCES, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP TO HELP EDUCATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON THEIR RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS AND REVIEW AND DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY REQUESTS AND REPORT BACK TO CITY COUNCIL.BEFORE I TURN IT TO, UH, VICE MAYOR URANGA, UH, A FEW COMMENTS, THEN WE'LL HEAR FROM VICE MAYOR URANGA.
THEN WE'LL DO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL HEAR THE REST OF THE COUNCIL COMMENTS.
UNLESS, UH, UNLESS, UH, THE SECOND OF THE MOTION OR WHOEVER ELSE WANTS TO SPEAK PRIOR TO THEM, WE'RE GONNA GET TO PUBLIC COMMENT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
UH, IT'S THE FIRST MEETING OF THE YEAR.
UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A PENDING, UH, UH, CHANGE IN THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION THAT'S COMING.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, AND WE'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE.
WE'VE, UH, BACK IN 2016, WE SAW SOME OF THE, THE SAME CHALLENGES AND, AND, AND RHETORIC AND ACTIONS, UH, AGAINST THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
UH, BACK IN 2016 AND 2017, I HAPPENED TO BE A COUNCIL MEMBER BACK THEN, AND I SO WAS, UH, VICE MAYOR URANGA AND A NUMBER OF US.
AND, UH, I REMEMBER, UH, AND THE TWO OF US, WE CO-AUTHORED THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT BACK IN 2017, UH, TO SORT OF STRENGTHEN OUR COMMITMENT TO THE SAFETY AND DIGNITY OF OUR LOCAL, LOCAL IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
UH, WE LED LATER ESTABLISHED THE JUSTICE FUND A YEAR LATER.
UH, WE'VE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE JUSTICE FUND EVERY SINGLE YEAR SINCE THEN.
UH, AND TODAY WE FIND OURSELVES AGAIN PREPARING FOR, UH, AN ADMINISTRATION THAT IS, UH, OUTWARD, OUTWARDLY, UH, CHALLENGED SOME OF OUR VALUES AND BELIEFS.
AND, UM, NO MATTER WHO'S IN POWER IN WASHINGTON, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO STAND FIRM ON OUR PRINCIPLES SO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS FEEL SAFE AND SEEN AND PROTECTED REGARDLESS OF HOW THEY PRAY OR WHO THEY LOVE OR WHERE THEY WERE BORN.
AND SO, IN THESE MOMENTS, UM, THIS IS A MOMENT WHERE WE SHOULD, I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD, UH, UH, STAND FIRM OUR PRINCIPLES, UH, BACK IN DECEMBER, I WANNA RECOGNIZE ALL THE FOLKS WHO MET WITH ME, UM, THE, THE IMMIGRANT RIGHTS GROUPS, UH, YOU KNOW, FILIPINO MIGRANT CENTER AND, AND, AND
WE SAT DOWN IN, UH, WITH THE COALITION TO HEAR SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS GROUPS L-G-B-T-Q GROUPS TO HEAR ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS AND WAYS THAT LONG BEACH SHOULD RESPOND IN THE, UH, IN THIS TIME LEADING UP TO THE CHANGE IN THE ADMINISTRATION.
ALSO SAT DOWN WITH OUR CITY TEAM AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND OUR OFFICE OF EQUITY TO THINK ABOUT, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS OUTSIDE OF, UH, WHAT WERE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY IN A, IN A LETTER FROM COMMUNITY GROUPS.
MANY OF THOSE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE REFLECTED IN THE COUNCIL ITEM.
I WANNA THANK VICE MAYOR ORANGA FOR HIS LEADERSHIP, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ZENDEJAS COUNCIL, MEMBER X OTI, UH, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD IN A TIME, IN A EXPEDITIOUS MANNER SO THE ACTION BE, CAN BE TAKEN BEFORE THE TRANSITION TO A NEW, UH, ADMINISTRATION.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL REINFORCE AND STRENGTHEN LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RESOURCES, UH, IN OUR JUSTICE FUND TO BE PREPARED.
AND SO THAT SAID, I WANNA, UH, INTRO, I WANNA, UH, PASS IT OVER TO VICE MAYOR ANG, AND THANK YOU MAYOR AND UNUSUAL, I GONNA TAKE ALL MY READ COMMENTS AND THROW 'EM AWAY BECAUSE YOU SAID EVERYTHING THAT, THAT IS IMPORTANT.
YOU MOVE BY THE SPIRIT SOMETIMES.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT LONG BEACH IS THAT WE HAVE A VALUE STATEMENT.
AND IN THAT VALUE STATEMENT, WE AFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, TO EQUITY, AND TO INCLUSION.
D-E-I-D-E-I MIGHT MEAN SOMETHING THAT NOT EVERYBODY AGREES TO, BUT IT IS OUR STRENGTH.
IT IS WHAT MAKES LONG BEACH, LONG BEACH.
IT, IT IS, IT MAKES US STRONG SOCIALLY, CULTURALLY, AND ECONOMICALLY.
MAC, WHEN THE MAYOR WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT, WHEN WE FIRST JOINED THE CITY COUNCIL, THERE WAS A NEW ADMINISTRATION AND IT WAS A VERY AGGRESSIVE ADMINISTRATION THAT ATTACKED OUR IMMIGRANTS AND ATTACKED OUR CHILDREN.
WE SUPPORTED THE CALIFORNIA VALUES ACT, AND WE GAVE SHELTER TO CHILDREN SEPARATED FROM THE PARENTS HERE AT OUR CONVENTION CENTER.
SO THIS IS NOT NEW TO LONG BEACH.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO AND WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO SUPPORT.
SO WITH THIS VALUES ACT THAT WE ARE PROPOSING HERE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY IS A REAFFIRMATION THAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT DIVERSITY.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT EQUITY AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE INCLUSIVE IN EVERY ACTION THAT WE TAKE.
MIGHT NOT PLEASE EVERYBODY, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING HARD AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT.
[00:20:01]
WE'RE HERE TO TAKE ACTION WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE.SO IF MOVING THIS FORWARD, THE, THE VALUES ACTING REPORT HAS A, WANTS A COMMITMENT FROM ALL THE IMPORTANT AUTHORITIES, INCLUDING THE HARM DEPARTMENT, UTILITIES, CITY CLERK, POLICE OVERSIGHT, CITY PROSECUTOR, CITY AUDITOR AND ATTORNEY, AND THE LEGAL NATIVE DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE AND CONSISTENT IT IS IT TO ENSURES COMMITMENT TO THE CITY MAN ACT, MATTHEW ACT ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS.
THIS NEW STATEMENT OFFERS NEW STANDARD CONTRACTUAL LANGUAGE TO INTEGRATE THE CITY, DEBATE DATA PRIVACY GUIDELINES INTO ALL CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS.
AN INCREASE IN THE POLICE IN THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND OF 200,000, AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONTRIBUTION OF NEW EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO ENSURE OUR COMMUNITIES ARE AWARE AND ABLE TO ACCESS CITY SERVICES.
THIS ACTION ALSO REQUESTS THAT THE CITY MANAGER EXPLORE OTHER COMMUNITY REQUESTS THAT MAY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH.
AND THE NEW ADMINISTRATOR COMES IN, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE GONNA BE, THE FOCUS IS GOING TO BE ON US, ESPECIALLY ON CALIFORNIA.
THE ADMINISTRATION DOES NOT VALUE DIVERSITY, DOES NOT VALUE INCLUSION, DOES NOT VALUE INTEGRITY.
I'M SORRY, WHAT? INTEGRITY, TOO.
WE'RE NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO US AND OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I HOPE THAT WITH THIS MOTION THAT WE HAVE THE SUPPORT OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE CITY COUNCIL TO GET THE REAFFIRMATION OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS TOWARDS THE MANAGERS ACT SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND WITH, THEN I'LL PASS IT ON TO OUR CITY MANAGER TO, UH, EXPAND ON WHAT I WANT THIS MATTER.
THIS, UH, VALUES ACT REPARATION, UH, PROVIDES, WELL, I THINK WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE SECOND OF THE MOTION.
IS THERE, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S A PRESENTATION.
WHAT TOM? NO, BUT WE'RE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
I THINK THE COUNCIL MEMBER WANTED US TO LOOK, OR VICE MAYOR, EXCUSE ME, UH, UM, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE DID IN THE RESEARCH AND, AND, UH, HOW THAT WORKS.
SO WE HAVE BOTH OUR EQUITY OFFICE HERE THAT CAN ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS AND ALSO OUR, UH, CHIEF OF POLICE.
SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE, WE'LL HEAR FROM THE SECOND OF THE MOTION, WE'LL DO PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN IF YOU WANNA GO FURTHER IN ANY QUESTIONS, STAFF STANDS READY TO DO SO.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS, SORRY.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, OR I'M SORRY, VICE MAYOR ORANGA FOR OUTLINING, UM, WHAT SOME REALLY IMPORTANT POLICY THAT'S COMING BEFORE THE, UH, COUNCIL.
AND I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A BROADER VIEW AND JUST KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS AND WHY I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT IN THE CONTEXT OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, TODAY, WE ADDRESS A CRITICAL ISSUE THAT REFLECTS OUR SHARED VALUES AS A CITY, ENSURING THAT OUR RESIDENTS, REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS, ARE TREATED WITH DIGNITY, RESPECT, AND PROTECTION.
I'M PROUD TO CONTINUE THE WORK STARTED IN, IN DISTRICT NINE WITH THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, WHICH WAS SPONSORED IN 2017 ON THE LEADERSHIP OF MY PREDECESSOR, THEN VICE MAYOR RICK RICHARDSON, COUNCIL MEMBERS OF ROBERTO ORANGA, LENA GONZALEZ, AND JUNIOR PIERCE.
TODAY'S AS A BODY, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ANOTHER IMPORTANT STEP IN STRENGTHENING OUR COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING THOSE WHO ARE PART OF OUR INNER IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
LONG BEACH IS A PROUD OF ITS COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
THESE COMMUNITIES ARE A VITAL, VITAL PART OF WHAT OUR CITY MAKES OUR CITY.
SO VIBRANT AND DIVERSE PROGRAMS LIKE DACA, WHICH STANDS FOR DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS, WHICH PROTECTS OUR YOUNG UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WHO ARRIVED HERE IN THE US AS CHILDREN AND SUPPORT FOR ALL OF OUR DREAMERS.
THEY ENABLE, THEY ENABLE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE LONG CALLED THIS COUNTRY HOME TO THRIVE AND CONTINUE MAKING VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR ECONOMY, CULTURE, AND COMMUNITY BY SUPPORTING INITIATIVES THAT SUPPORT OUR FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
LONG BEACH REAFFIRMS DEDICATION TO INCLUSION, EQUITY, AND PROTECTION OF ALL OF ITS RESIDENTS.
IT'S A SOBERING REMINDER THAT WHILE THE SUPREME COURT ALLOWED DOCKET TO REMAIN IN PLACE, IT DID NOT MAKE THE PROGRAM PERMANENT.
THE COURT MADE IT CLEAR THAT AT A PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO END PROTECTIONS FOR DREAMERS IF PROPER PROCEDURES ARE FOLLOWED, THAT'S WHY IT'S CRITICAL FOR LONG BEACH TO STRENGTHEN ITS LOCAL POLICIES.
LIKE THE LONG BEACH CARES ACT LIKE THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT TO SUPPORT AND PROTECT ITS RESIDENTS.
AS A COUNCIL, WE HAVE A DUTY TO LEAD WITH COMPASSION AND TAKE ACTION.
I'M PROUD OF THE LONG BEACH'S HISTORY OF STANDING UP FOR OUR LARGE AND DIVERSE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
I BELIEVE WE CAN BUILD ON THIS FOUNDATION TO CREATE SAFER, MORE INCLUSIVE CITY FOR EVERYONE.
I WANNA WORK TOGETHER TO REAFFIRM OUR CITY'S VALUES AND COMMITMENTS TO PROTECTING EVERY RESIDENT, NO MATTER THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS.
AND I THINK THAT IS THE STEPS THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO TAKE
[00:25:01]
TODAY.UM, I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO ADD A FRIENDLY, UM, TO THIS MOTION.
UM, I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO INCLUDE A REPORT BACK PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS.
UM, AS THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE HERE IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING, UM, THIS WILL ALLOW US TIME TO IMPLEMENT THESE CHANGES AND DETERMINE WHETHER THERE ARE ADDITIONAL WAYS WE NEED TO CONSIDER TO STRENGTHEN THIS POLICY AT THAT TIME.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
VICE MAYOR URANGA AND COUNCIL MEMBER DR.
JONI, RICK SODI, UM, FOR JOINING, UM, FOR ALLOWING ME TO JOIN IN ON THESE EFFORTS, UM, TO STRENGTHEN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AND TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AS WE PREPARE FOR A SECOND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
UM, BUT I AM ALSO DISHEARTENED, UM, THAT WE ARE IN A POSITION THAT REQUIRES US TO TAKE ACTION.
WE, AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL, HOLD A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY THAT INCLUDES TO SPEAK AND ACT ON BEHALF AND IN PROTECTION OF OUR RESIDENTS, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN OUR RESILIENT IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
UH, I AM PROUD, I AM A VERY PROUD IMMIGRANT, AND THE PROMISE OF THIS COUNTRY STILL BRINGS TRUE TODAY.
AND I STAND WITH OUR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SURE TO BE IMPACTED, UH, BY THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION IN LONG BEACH.
WE ARE PROUD OF OUR IMMIGRANT IDENTITY UNI DON'T TELL FIRST THE SLIGHTEST THAT YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES WILL DO ALL WITHIN THEIR POWER TO KEEP OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES SAFE AND UNITED.
TONIGHT, I STRONGLY VOTE IN SUPPORT OF THESE MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN OUR LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, AND I REQUEST THAT STAFF ALSO, UM, UM, REPORT BACK ON THE ADDITIONAL, UH, ASK THAT WE'RE DONE JUST BRIEFLY.
WE'LL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, I TOO WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES, UM, VICE MAYOR YANGA, COUNCIL MEMBER OTI, AND, UM, COUNCILWOMAN SEND FOR BEING THE ITEM FOR IT.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT RIGHT OFF THE NEW YEAR, WE TAKE EVERY MEASURE POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROTECT OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
I THINK THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT WE CAN'T TAKE ANYTHING LIGHTLY AND THAT EVERYTHING WE DO HAS TO BE DONE WITH INTENTION AND MAKING SURE WE DO, UM, EXPLORE EVERY AVENUE FOR PROTECTION.
SO JUST WANNA, UM, SHARE THOSE WORDS AND THAT MY HEARTS ARE WITH ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE LIVING IN FEAR RIGHT NOW.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE STAND WITH YOU, UH, AND FOR YOU TO KNOW THAT WITH OUR VALUES AND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY IS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE'RE HERE FOR YOU AND WE'RE STANDING UP FOR YOU AGAINST OUR NEW ADMINISTRATION AND WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING.
COUNCIL MEMBER TH THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR.
I TOO WANNA, UH, ECHO AND THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR BRAVERY, THEIR LEADERSHIP, UM, IN BRINGING FORWARD, UH, THIS PARTICULAR, UH, LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AND ITS, UH, UPDATE, UM, I STRONGLY SUPPORT IT.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO OFFER A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT IN ADDITION TO THE ENTITIES THAT ARE LISTED IN THE MEMO ITSELF.
I'D LIKE TO ADD THAT WE WOULD ALSO BE SENDING FORMAL COMMITMENTS REGARDING THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT TO LONG BEACH TRANSIT AND TO THE LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, I WOULD ALSO ASK THAT WE ALSO EXTEND, UH, A LETTER TO THE LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ALONG WITH THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD, ALL A PART OF THE LARGER LONG BEACH FAMILY, ENSURING THAT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, UH, WHEREVER THEY MIGHT BE AND HOWEVER THEY PARTICIPATE IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, FEEL AND ARE SEEN AND ARE PROTECTED.
IS THAT, UH, IS THAT FRIENDLY, ACCEPTED? I SUPPORT IT.
ALRIGHT, NOW WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE NOW HAVE, UH, 22 INDIVIDUALS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP UP TO SPEAK.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO PUBLIC COMMENT, THEN WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
I'LL BRIEF, UH, I WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
UM, WHILE ALL OF THIS WAS GOING ON, I WAS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AND PRESIDENT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AT THAT TIME.
AND, UH, AS PART OF OUR WORK AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, WAS TO AMPLIFY THE WAYS IN WHICH WE PROTECT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.
UM, OUR SUPERINTENDENT WAS VERY STRONG,
[00:30:01]
UH, AND I THINK, UH, ASKING THEM TO REMIND US OF THE GROWTH WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING TO PROTECT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WILL BE REALLY CRITICAL.UM, BUT THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES AND TO ALL ENGAGED IN THIS WORK IN THE CITY.
ANYBODY, ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT.
UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE HAVE 22 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
PLEASE BEGIN MAKING YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT, UH, WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME AND WE'LL PROCEED THROUGH, UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE THAN 10, THERE ARE 90 SECONDS PER PUBLIC COMMENT.
MYRA FERNANDA, BIANCA CARIA, UH, GABBY HERNANDEZ, MAX C GABRIEL PEREZ, DAVE SHUKLA, ANNA LAURA MENDEZ, GARCIA, ALEJANDRA LOPEZ, UH, LAURA MOZO AND BETTY HERNANDEZ.
THOSE WHO HAVE, WHO HAVE REQUESTED INTERPRETATION GET DOUBLE THE TIME FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION.
WHAT'S YOUR NAME? OH, I'M BIANCA.
BIANCA, I THINK YOU'RE NUMBER TWO.
WHILE MYRA MAKES IT TO THE FRONT.
HELLO AND GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS BIANCA CARRILLO AND I RESIDE IN DISTRICT SIX OF LONG BEACH.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE PARTY FOR SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION, THE PSL, AND I'M STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH
I'M CALLING ON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO STRENGTHEN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
THE TIMING IS EXTREMELY URGENT.
WITH LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY FROM THE TRUMP ADMIN TAKING OFFICE, TRUMP IS PLANNING TO LAUNCH THE LARGEST MASS DEPORTATION PROGRAM IN US HISTORY, AND HE PROMISES TO START BY DEPORTING MILLIONS OF IMMIGRANTS.
ON DAY ONE OF HIS ADMINISTRATION.
THERE ARE ABOUT 55,000 NON-CITIZENS, POSSIBLY MORE.
UM, WHO ARE OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR FAMILIES, OUR FRIENDS IN LONG BEACH WHO ARE AT RISK OF DEPORTATION UNDER THE UPCOMING ADMINISTRATION, WORKING PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN LIVING HERE FOR DECADES COULD HAVE THEIR FAMILIES RIPPED APART UNDER THE DRACONIAN IMMIGRATION POLICY.
THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT PASSED IN 2018 UNDER THE FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, AND AS IT STANDS, IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO PROTECT IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
WE NEED TO DO MORE, AND THAT FIRST STEP IS TO STRENGTHEN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
THIS IS NOT NEW TO MANY OF US IN THIS ROOM AND TO MANY ON THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, BUT IT IS WORTH REPEATING.
IMMIGRANTS CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY AND THE ECONOMY AS NON-IMMIGRANTS DO.
BILLIONAIRES LIKE TRUMP WANT US TO BELIEVE THAT IMMIGRANTS ARE DANGEROUS CRIMINALS, BUT THAT COULDN'T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
ALL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH POINTS TO IMMIGRANTS BEING FAR LESS LIKELY TO COMMIT VIOLENT CRIMES THAN NON-IMMIGRANTS AND WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS KEY INDUSTRIES WOULD BREAK DOWN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
MYRA, AFTER MYRA IS GABBY THE MAX PARA.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL NAME IS, MY NAME IS EDITH GONZALEZ, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH, AND I'M HERE FOR YOU TO, UH, FORTIFY, UM, AND SOLIDIFY THE, UH, POLICY OF VALUES IN LONG BEACH, UH, ALONG WITH THE PROTECTION OF THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION.
AND WE ASK THAT THE CITY IS ABLE TO, UH, LEGISL JUSTIFY THE PROTECTIONS OF, UH, IN, IN AGAINST THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS, UH, LOCAL DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS IMMIGRATION.
AND WE ALSO ASK THAT THE, UH, MUNICIPAL RESOURCES ARE NOT UTILIZED TO COLLABORATE ALONG WITH THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT.
LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR, WHICH IS TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF, UH, FERTILIZING OR REINFORCING THE POLICY OF VALUES.
AND THIS WILL HELP THAT SO THAT THE POPULATION WILL FEEL, UH, MORE, UH, CERTAIN AND SAFE, AND THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO LIVE A DIGNIFIED LIFE.
UH, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR.
[00:35:01]
AFTER GABBY, IT'S ME, MAX, AND GABRIEL.MY NAME IS GABRIEL HERNANDEZ AND I SERVE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OR, AND WE ARE HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE REVISION OF THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT-ELECT, TRUMP'S THREATS OF MASS DEPORTATION LONG BEACH MUST TAKE A DECISIVE ACTION TO PROTECT ITS RESIDENTS FROM THE CRUEL AND INHUMANE POLICIES.
I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM DISTRICT ONE, SEVEN AND NINE FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP IN BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT ARE A CRITICAL STEP FORWARD IN CLOSING EXISTING LOOPHOLES AND EXPANDING PROTECTIONS FOR ALL, ENSURING THAT NO CITY RESOURCES ARE USED FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
WE SUPPORT THE EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN THE POLICY AND THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR REMOVAL DEFENSE.
THE HARM THE TRUMP'S AGENDA WILL CAUSE IN OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES WILL HAVE IN IMPACTING THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO THESE ACTIONS REPRESENT THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM THAT THE COUNCIL CAN DO TO STAND WITH IMMIGRANTS.
LONG BEACH IS SENDING A MESSAGE THAT THEY WILL NOT BE COMPLICIT IN THE QUA DEPORTATION MACHINE.
I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR ENSURING THAT NO WORKER IS EXCLUDED FROM THE LEAVING WAGE POLICY.
THIS SHOULD INCLUDE ALL WORKERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN AGENCY PO UH, AGENCY POSITIONS.
EVERY WORKER, REGARDLESS OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT STATUS, DESERVES A FAIR WAGE WORKPLACE PROTECTIONS AND THE DIGNITY THAT COMES WITH BEING TREATED AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
LONG BEACH MUST CONTINUE TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE IN CREATING A JUST AND EQUITABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL.
WE'RE ALSO HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE BOYD FAMILY'S DEMANDS TO RELEASE THE TAPE AND ALL THE OTHER DEMANDS THAT THEY HAVE.
UH, THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD FULLY SUPPORT ITEM 25, STRENGTHENING THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY IN LONG BEACH MAKES UP CLOSE TO 25% OF THE CITY'S POPULATION AND CONTINUES TO GIVE SO MUCH TO THE CITY.
THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY AGENDA ITEM TO PASS, AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE WHERE SUPPORT ENDS.
COMMITTING TO THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY REQUIRES MORE THAN A LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL AND MUST INCLUDE CHANGES TO THE MATERIAL CONDITIONS FOR THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY IN LONG BEACH.
SUPPORTING THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY INCLUDES STRENGTHENING JUST CAUSE EVICTION PROTECTIONS IN LONG BEACH WITH 60% OF RESIDENTIAL RENTERS.
THIS INCLUDES REMOVING THE SUBSTANTIAL RENOVATION LOOPHOLE AS WELL AS UNIVERSALIZING JUST CAUSE PROTECTIONS TO ALL TYPES OF HOUSING.
SUPPORTING THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY INCLUDES FINALLY PASSING RENT CONTROL IN LONG BEACH, WHERE A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION IS RENT BURDENED.
SUPPORTING THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY INCLUDES REMOVING BARRIERS TO SIDEWALK VENDING IN LONG BEACH, RATHER THAN PREVENTING FOLKS FROM EARNING AN INCOME.
IF THE CITY TRULY WANTS TO LIVE IN ACCORDANCE TO THIS VALUES ACT, THAT HAS TO START WITH MAKING SURE PEOPLE CAN SURVIVE AND LIVE HERE.
NEXT IS GABRIEL, THEN DAYLA AFTER THAT IS ANNA LAURA MENDEZ.
I'M A SENIOR ORGANIZER WITH LANE'S LONG BEACH FOR A JUST ECONOMY CAMPAIGN AND A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE.
WE URGE COUNCIL TO STRENGTHEN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
TRUMP'S INAUGURATION IS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY, AND WE KNOW WHAT HIS REGIME HAS PROMISED TO DO.
WE MUST DEFEND LONG BEACH RESIDENTS FROM CRUEL AND INHUMANE DEPORTATIONS.
WE'RE PROUD OF THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO REAFFIRM ITS COMMITMENT TO IMMIGRATION ADVOCACY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE JUSTICE FUND, THE IMPORTANCE OF WHICH CANNOT BE OVERSTATED RIGHT NOW, AND NOW IS THE TIME TO DOUBLE DOWN AND STRENGTHEN THE CITY'S SANCTUARY STATUS.
TO THAT END, WE PROPOSED THE FOLLOWING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE VALUES ACT, EXPANDED SCOPE TO INCLUDE ALL CITY OFFICES, DEPARTMENTS, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS ALLOW FOR PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION TO ENSURE ENFORCEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
STRENGTHEN THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO NON-COOPERATION BY PROHIBITING THE USE OF ANY CITY RESOURCES FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
AND ENSURING NO INFORMATION OR DATA IS INADVERTENTLY SHARED WITH ICE.
THESE CHANGES WILL ENHANCE PROTECTIONS, PROVE TRANSPARENCY, AND ENSURE THAT REGULATIONS APPLY ACROSS THE BOARD.
WE ALL DE DESERVE TO LIVE WITH FEAR.
DESERVE TO LIVE WITHOUT FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY.
PREPARE FOR WHAT TO PREPARE FOR WHAT'S COMING, AND STAND BEHIND THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES THAT MAKE OUR CITY WHOLE.
NEXT IS DAVE SHUKLA, THEN ANNA, LAURA MENDEZ GARCIA, AND THEN ALEJANDRA LOPEZ.
UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS ANNA LAURA.
I AM HERE WITH ORLE TO VOCALIZE MY SUPPORT FOR A STRONGER LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AS THE OPERATION SPECIALIST AT ORLE ON A DAILY BASIS, COMMUNITY COME TO US FOR HELP.
[00:40:01]
AS RESILIENT AS THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY IS, WE ARE SCARED FOR WHAT IS TO COME.YOU ARE IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION TO PROTECT ALL RESIDENTS OF LONG BEACH.
THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY REQUIRES YOUR HELP AND PROTECTION.
NO MORE DATA SHARING, NO CITY FUNDS TO BE UTILIZED FOR IMMIGRATION, ARREST, DETENTION AND DEPORTATIONS.
IMMIGRANTS ARE HUMAN ARREST TRAUMATIZES INDIVIDUALS.
DETENTION CENTERS ARE INHUMANE AND DEPORTATIONS SEPARATES AND DESTROYS FAMILIES.
MY FAMILY, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FRIENDS, THEY NEED YOUR SUPPORT FOR A STRONGER LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
STAND WITH IMMIGRANTS, NOT AGAINST THEM, PLEASE.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT THREE SPEAKERS, ALEJANDRO LOPEZ, LAURA MOZO, AND BETTY HERNANDEZ.
I'M A MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER AND I'M HERE, UH, COMING, REPRESENTING THE ORALLY, UH, ORGANIZATION.
I'M A RESIDENT OF THE SIXTH DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
AS AN IMMIGRANT, I CAN SEE THE FEAR AND THE THREAT THAT HAS BEEN CAUSED, AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE CAUSED BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN MY COMMUNITY AND IN THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS, UH, CLOSE FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
UH, WHICH IS WHY, UH, I'M HERE TODAY, UH, TO ASK AS FAR AS THE PETITION OF HUMANITY AND IN ORDER TO, UH, FORTIFY THE, UH, VALUES, THE POLICY OF VALUES OF LONG BEACH.
AND MY PETITION IS TO, UH, ASK OR WORK IN FAVOR OF OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE LIVING WITHOUT FEAR AND, UH, FEELING MORE SECURE AS FAR AS THE AUTHORITIES.
AND THEREFORE, UM, THIS WILL CAUSE IF THIS IS NOT, UH, WORKED THOROUGHLY, THIS WILL CAUSE, UH, DISCOMFORT IN BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE POLICE.
AND AS SUCH AS CONSEQUENCES, IT WILL BE MORE, UH, DELINQUENCY, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
AND, AND AGAIN, I ASK FOR YOU TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE CHANGES THAT WE ASK FOR THE POLICY OF, OF VALUES IN LONG BEACH.
OKAY, LAURA, BEFORE YOU GO, I'M GONNA CALL THE NEXT 10.
SO, UH, SO AFTER LAURA, YOU HAVE BETTY HERNANDEZ, AND THEN THE NEXT 10 SPEAKERS ARE CHRISELLE D ANDRE DORADO, DONATO, UH, FERNANDO ACEVEDO KIA BETH SANCHEZ, UH, LV PO, UH, DENISE TAPIN.
MARIA DOLORES, A ANGU, ANGU, EXCUSE ME.
ANGELA ANDRE, UH, ERIC GARCIA, AND VERONICA V IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME, UH, PLEASE LINE UP, COME FORWARD.
UH, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS LAURA MOSO AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE IN THE, UH, WASHINGTON COMMUNITY.
AND I'M HERE SU IN SUPPORT OF THE ORGANIZATION ORLE, WHO HELPS, UM, MANY FAMILIES TO KEEP THEM UNITED.
[00:45:07]
VALORE.I'M AN IMMIGRANT MOTHER THAT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO, UH, BECOME, UH, LEGALIZED, UH, NOR ADVANCE, UH, LOSING A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITY, WORK OPPORTUNITIES, UH, AS ALSO, UH, STUDYING OPPORTUNITIES AND, UH, LIVING CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND I'M HERE TO ASK FOR YOUR VOTE TO, UH, SOLIDIFY THE POLICY OF VALUES.
UH, WE ARE, UH, CO-DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER, AND WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING TOWARDS, UH, THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE, YOU NEED, YOU ARE IN NEED OF US, AND WE ARE IN NEED OF YOU.
UH, DO NOT ALLOW THAT THE, UH, THE FEAR, UM, CONSUMES US.
AND WE, WE DO NOT LOSE ANY HOPE IN, IN, UH, WHOLE FAMILIES THAT ARE AFFECTED WITH THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION.
AND THAT, UH, THESE POLICIES ARE AFFECTED IN THE NEW ADMINISTRATION.
UH, AND THE DIFFERENT PROMISES OF DEPORTATIONS CAN TAKE INTO EFFECT AND THAT IT CAN AFFECT, UH, HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES THAT ARE SEPARATED.
AND ALSO, UH, CONTINUE ON WITH YOUR VOTES.
PLEASE VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS POLICY TO BE SOLIDIFIED THE POLICY OF VALUES.
OKAY, NEXT IS BETTY, AND THEN CHRISELLE.
HERNANDEZ ES UH, GOOD AFTERNOON CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS BETTI HERNANDEZ AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT SIX.
AND I'M HERE TO ASK TO RE UH, SOLIDIFY THE, UH, POLICY OF VALUES OF LONG BEACH.
I HAVE BEEN LIVING HERE FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, AND WE ARE HERE AGAIN TO ASK YOU TO ELIMINATE THE COMPLETE, UH, CLAUSE OF EXCLUSION THAT IS, UH, NEGATIVELY AFFECTING, UH, THE COOPERATION ALONG WITH IMI, THE IMMIGRATION, UH, DEPARTMENT.
LONG BEACH IS A SANCTUARY CITY THAT DOES NOT WANT, UH, ANY PARTICIPATION OF MASS DEPORTATION.
PLEASE VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THE POLICY OF VALUES.
NEXT IS, UH, CHRISELLE D AFTER CHRISL IS ANDRE, THEN FERNANDO.
HI, MY NAME IS ELLE DOMBROWSKI.
UH, I'M, UH, I AM A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH IN DISTRICT ONE MARY ZENDEJAS DISTRICT.
UM, I'M HERE TO SAY THAT SIX MONTHS IS TOO LATE TO VOTE FOR IMMIGRATION.
A COUPLE DAYS AFTER TRUMP WAS ELECTED, I WENT DOWN, UH, AND SPOKE WITH AN IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY BECAUSE I GUESS THE CITY IS WORRIED ABOUT BEING SUED OR I DON'T KNOW WHAT, BUT I WOULD ALLOW PEOPLE TO SLEEP IN MY LIVING ROOM.
I COULD BE, I COULD BE, UH, UH, WHAT IS IT? EVICTED.
I ALSO OFFERED TO LET PEOPLE THAT I KNEW WERE, UM, GOING TO BE
[00:50:01]
DEPORT, DEPORTED TO VENEZUELA, THAT THEY COULD SLEEP IN MY LIVING ROOM AND THEIR 3-YEAR-OLD SON.IT'S TIME LONG BEACH DID SOMETHING.
I'M DISABLED AND I'M STANDING IN SOLIDARITY.
I'M ALSO VERY MUCH IN SOLITARY WITH BRENDAN BOYD'S FAMILY BECAUSE OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY.
MY GRANDFATHER WAS ASSASSINATED.
MY, MY GIRLFRIEND WAS MOLESTED AND WOULD'VE BEEN RAPED BY THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT IN AN ELEVATOR.
THEY KNEW HOW OLD SHE WAS 'CAUSE SHE HAD HER LITTLE, UH, BACK.
IT WASN'T MIDDLE SCHOOL, IT WAS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, HER HIGH SCHOOL IDENTITY CARD.
AND IF I'M DOING IT, I'M CALLING LONG BEACH, UH, LA UH, LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
'CAUSE I WAS A TEACHER AND THEY MA'AM, YOUR TIME IS CONCLUDED.
ICE MAKE SWEEPS AND THEY TAKE KIDS.
ALRIGHT, NEXT IS ANDRE, THEN FERNANDO, THEN KIA BAY.
HI, I AM ANDRE OONA, THE DIRECTOR OF LONG BEACH RESIDENT IN POWER HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHTS AND NOAH SHOULD BE DENIED STABILITY AND SAFETY DUE DURING IMMIGRATION STATUS.
AS STRONGER SANCTUARY CITY POLICY PROTECTS OUR COMMUNITY BY ENSURING NEIGHBORHOODS ARE IN SUSTAINABLY SIZED BY TARGETING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES.
UNDOCUMENTED RENTERS ARE AMONG THE MOST VULNERABLE TO BE EXPLOITED AND FACE THREATS LIKE HAVING ICE COLUMN THEM.
AND THIS LEADS TO ENDURING UNSAFE LIVING CONDITIONS, ILLEGAL EVICTIONS AND RENT GROUNDING DEPORTATION OR HARASSMENT DISABILITY TIES, NEIGHBORHOODS, AND PUSHES FAMILIES INTO EXPERIENCING HOUSING INSTABILITY AND POTENTIAL HOMELESSNESS.
LONG BEACH MUST STRENGTHEN ITS COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH A STRONGER LONG BEACH VALUES ACT THAT ENSURES REAL SANCTUARY AND SEC SECURITY FOR OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS.
WE ALSO NEED JUSTICE FOR BRANDON BOY AND HIS FAMILY.
HIS FAMILY SHOULD NOT BE CRIMINALIST LIES FOR WITNESSING THE POLICE VIOLENCE THAT TOOK BRANDON'S LIFE.
PLEASE RELEASE THE 9 1 1 CALLS, RELEASE THE NAMES OF THE OFFICERS AND RELEASE OUT BODY CAMERA AND FOOTAGE AND DROP ALL THE CHARGES AGAINST THEIR FAMILY.
NEXT IS FERNANDO, THEN KIA BETH IN SAVANNAH.
MY NAME IS FERNANDO VEDO, COMMUNITY LAWYER FOR HO, CONSIDERING TRUMP'S UPCOMING INAUGURATION AND HIS VOW TO ENACT THE LARGEST DEPORTATION PROGRAM IN HISTORY FROM DAY ONE.
UM, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT LONG BEACH DEFENDANTS RESIDENTS THROUGH THE PROPOSED LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AMENDMENTS.
WE NEED COVERAGE TO INCLUDE ALL CITY ENTITIES TO CLOSE EXISTING GAPS, PROTECTING OUR VULNERABLE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
IN ADDITION, STRICTER GUIDELINES, UM, ON, ON DATA SHARING IS NECESSARY TO PREVENT THE TRADING OF PERSONAL DATA THAT CAN END UP IN ICE'S HANDS AND ENSURE THAT WE HAVE GENUINE SAFETY AND BELONGING FOR ALL LONG BEACH RESIDENTS.
LASTLY, WE URGE THE COMPLETE REMOVAL OF HARMFUL EXCLUSIONARY, UH, CLAUSES, ALLOWING COOPERATION WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND THE INTRODUCTION OF A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION TO ALLOW OUR RESIDENTS TO LEGALLY CHALLENGE VIOLATIONS OF IMMIGRANT RIGHTS.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS KI BETH, THEN SAVANNAH, AND THEN DENISE TAPIN.
I'M THE HEALTH JUSTICE MANAGER AT
TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES AND COMMUNITY DEMANDING THE STRENGTHENING OF THE VALUES ACT SO THAT IT CAN TRULY CEMENT LONG BEACH COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING ITS IMMIGRANT AND UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS.
FROM THE ANTICIPATED ATTACKS BY THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION, WE'RE CALLING FOR THE COMPLETE REMOVAL OF HARMFUL EXCLUSIONARY CLAUSES THAT CURRENTLY ALLOW COOPERATION WITH IMMIGRANT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
AS A CITY, WE MUST ENSURE THAT ALL ITS RESIDENTS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR INTERACTION WITH THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM, ARE PROTECTED FROM FURTHER HARM THROUGH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
LONG BEACH SHOULD NOT BE COMPLICIT IN THE DEPORTATION OF ITS RESIDENTS.
THE INCREASED CRIMINALIZATION OF IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND EXACERBATE ALREADY PRESENT ANXIETIES IN FAMILIES BY MAINTAINING ITS COLLABORATION WITH ICE RATHER THAN COMMUNITY.
AS A REMINDER, THE FOLKS WHO WILL BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION DID NOT HAVE A VOICE IN ELECTING THEM.
YET THEY WILL BE THE ONES WHO WILL HAVE THE MOST DETRIMENTAL CONSEQUENCES.
WITH THE STRENGTHENING OF THE VALUES ACT, LONG BEACH HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES HAVE A VOICE.
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WE HAVE SHARED WITH Y'ALL MANDATE, TRANSPARENT, COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROCESSES FOR ANY POTENTIAL CHANGES TO THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
THIS MEANS IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES WILL HAVE A DIRECT VOICE IN POLICIES THAT IMPACT THEIR LIFE.
EVERYONE HERE WITH US TODAY DEMANDING THE STRENGTHENING OF THE VALUES ACT KNOWS THE CONSEQUENCES, THE THREATS OF MASS DEPORTATION AND HYPER CRIMINALIZATION OF IMMIGRANT FOLKS HAVE ON THEIR DAILY LIVES.
WE ASK YOU TO VOTE IN SUPPORT OF THE STRENGTHENING THE VALUES ACT AND DEMONSTRATE YOUR CONS TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, YOUR COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES
[00:55:01]
AND INDIVIDUALS.NEXT IS SAVANNAH, THEN DENISE, THEN MARIA, HONORABLE MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARY ZENDEJAS.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF SENATOR LENA GONZALEZ, BUT ALSO RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE IN LONG BEACH.
DEAR HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, AS MAJORITY LEADER OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE REPRESENTED DISTRICT 33.
I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IT'S WITH THIS COMMITMENT IN MIND THAT I EXPRESS MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR STRENGTHENING THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
THIS ENHANCEMENT WILL ESTABLISH A STRONGEST SANCTUARY CITY FRAMEWORK THAT WILL ENHANCE PROTECTIONS FOR OUR DIVERSE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
AS A STATE WITH THE LARGEST IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY IN THE NATION, CALIFORNIA'S PROUD TO MAKE AN ETHICAL AND MORAL DECISION TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS WHO CALL OUR STATE HOME WITH THE PASSING SB 54.
IN 2017, LONG BEACH IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.
HOME TO THE LARGEST CAMBODIAN REFUGEE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF CAMBODIA, A THRIVING IMMIGRANT FILIPINO COMMUNITY, AND THE LATINO POPULATION THAT REPRESENTS OVER 44% OF ITS RESIDENTS, OF WHICH 33.4 ARE FOREIGN BORN.
NEARLY 25 OF PERCENT OF LONG BEACH POPULATION CONSISTS OF FOREIGN BORN PARENTS.
MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE IMMIGRANTS OR COME FROM IMMIGRANT FAMILIES WHO DEPEND ON LEADERSHIP TO ENSURE THAT LONG BEACH REMAINS A SAFE AND INCLUSIVE CITY FOR ALL.
GIVEN THIS RICH DIVERSITY, I STRONGLY SUPPORT STRENGTHENING THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT BY FOCUSING ON THE FOLLOWING KEY RECOMMENDATIONS, EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF THE LONG BEACH VALUE ACT, IT IS CRUCIAL TO ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS, OFFICES, EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, APPOINTEES, AND AGENTS WORK TO UPHOLD OUR VALUES OF INCLUSIVITY.
EXPANDING LOCAL IMMIGRATION DEFENSE SERVICES, PRIOR PRIORITIZING, AND ADDITIONAL 200 K FOR REMOVAL OF DEFENSE SUPPORT WILL PROVIDE PEACE OF MIND AND PROTECTION TO SOME OF OUR MOST RO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL LEGAL RESOURCES.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS NIECE, THEN MARIA, AND THEN ANGELA.
HELLO, MY NAME IS DENISE AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT TWO.
I AM COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH
IN MY JOB, I'M CONFIDED IN BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT THEIR FEARS, WORRIES, AND ALSO THEIR HOPES FOR THE CITY.
I MEET PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTIVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, WHO VOLUNTEER AT CHILDREN'S SCHOOLS, WHO DISPUTE FOOD, WHO DISTRIBUTE FOOD TO THEIR NEIGHBORS.
LONG BEACH NEEDS TO STRENGTHEN LONG BEACH VALUES ACT TO PROTECT OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
I'D ESPECIALLY LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT AND ASK, UH, TO REMOVE THE HARMFUL EXCLUSIONARY CLAUSES THAT ALLOW COOPERATION WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
WITH THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION THAT IS SET ON CRIMINALIZING IMMIGRANTS, WE MUST BE PROACTIVE.
I BELIEVE THESE EXCLUSIONS MAY PUT ALL IMMIGRANTS AT RISK.
THE LB VALUES ACT HAS THE ABILITY TO KEEP OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY SAFE AND ALLOW THEM TO LIVE FULL LIVES WITHOUT FEAR THAT THEY'LL BE TURNED OVER TO ICE BY THE VERY CITY THEY LOVE AND LIVE IN.
PLEASE VOTE YES ON ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE TO STRENGTHEN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO STATE MY SUPPORT FOR ALL THE WORKERS' RIGHTS TO MINIMUM WAGE AND ALSO SUPPORT FOR THE FAMILY OF BRANDON BOYD.
NEXT IS, UH, MARIA IS RENO IS GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS MARIANO AND I'M A MEMBER OF OR, AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE.
UH, AND LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, WE, UH, IMMIGRANT FAMILIES.
WE LIVE IN FEAR OF THE THREAT OF THE PRO, UH, THE NEXT, UH, RESIDENCY OF, UH, PRESIDENT TRUMP OF AS FAR AS THE DEPORTATION MASSIVE DEPORTATIONS GO.
WHAT I'M HERE TO ASK YOU AS A PETITION IS THAT, UH, ANY OF THE MUNICIPAL RESOURCES, UH, POLITICAL AND PRIVATE, ARE NOT USED AGAINST THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.
AND I'M HERE TO REINFORCE THE VALUES ACT OF LONG BEACH.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THE RESOLUTION OF 2017 AND THAT LONG BEACH BECOMES A SANCTUARY CITY.
[01:00:12]
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PETITION AND TO REMIND, UH, REMIND YOU OF THE PROMISE THAT THE MAYOR RICK RICHARDSON MADE BACK IN, UM, DECEMBER, UH, 12TH, 2024, THAT YOU WOULD, UH, SUPPORT ALL THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES SO THAT WE ARE PROTECTED AND VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE VALUES ACT QUE.NEXT IS ANGELA, THEN ERIC, THEN VERONICA.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR PETERSON.
MY NAME IS AANDRA AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT THREE, AND I'M HERE WITH ORALLY.
AND I'M ASKING YOU TO REINFORCE THE, UH, VALUES ACT.
I'VE BEEN WORKING APPROXIMATELY FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, UH, AS A CLEANING DOMESTIC PERSON, AND I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE TO OFFER MY SERVICES, SUPPORT MY FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES WITH THE INFORMATION IN ORDER TO CONTINUE ON LIVING.
I ASK THAT NO MUNICIPAL RESOURCE CAN BE USED TO INVESTIGATE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF, UH, THE COMMUNITY.
AND I HOPE THAT THE CITY DOES NOT COLLABORATE WITH ICE OFFICIALS.
IF THIS IS DONE, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE WILL CONTINUE, UH, FEELING SECURE FOR PLEASE CONTINUE, UH, VOTING IN FAVOR FOR THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR, FOR THE, UH, VOTING ACT.
UH, ERIC, BEFORE YOU GO, I'M GONNA CALL THE NEXT FEW SO THEY CAN LINE UP.
UH, AFTER ERIC IS VERONICA, THEN JACQUELINE PEREZ, THEN MARIBEL LES, THEN ANGELICA, MARIA OMAR CARDENAS, UH, AND JENNIFER CHI IS THE LAST SPEAKER.
WHAT'S UP Y'ALL? UH, MY NAME'S ERIC GARCIA WITH
UH, IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT THE COUNCIL TAKE ACTION TO STRENGTHEN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AND FURTHER FOSTER TRUST IN COMMUNITY BETWEEN CITY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING POLICE AND THE COMMUNITIES IN LONG BEACH ADMINISTRATION'S PAST, NOT JUST TRUMPS HAVE USED THE VAST NETWORK OF IMMIGRATION SHARE INFORMATION SHARING TO TARGET AND DEPORT IMMIGRANTS, ESPECIALLY THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM.
THIS IS WHY GETTING RID OF THE EXCEPTIONS OR CARVE OUTS IN THE STATEWIDE LEGISLATION SHOULD ALSO BE A PRIORITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMPLETED THEIR SENTENCES AND WERE STILL DOUBLY PUNISHED AND DEPORTED WHEN UNDER ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCE, THEY WOULD'VE BEEN ALLOWED TO REINTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY AND COME HOME.
I STRONGLY URGE Y'ALL TO REMOVE THE EXCEPTIONS TO THE STATEWIDE BILL.
UH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THE VAST NUMBER OF DEPORTATIONS IN RECENT YEARS HAVE BEEN A RESULT OF SOME PRIOR, OF SOME PRIOR CONTACT WITH THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM.
IT'S CRUCIAL THAT WE DETANGLE THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM FROM THE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY COMMUNITIES DON'T TRUST POLICE ON TOP OF EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE AND EXTRA JUDICIAL CLEANINGS.
UH, AND SO TO THAT POINT, WE'RE ALSO HEARING SOLIDARITY WITH THE BOYD FAMILY TASK THAT YOU RELEASE.
THE TAPES RELEASED, THE 9 1 1 CALLS AND THE NAMES OF THE OFFICERS.
LASTLY, A LIVING WAGE IS AN ESSENTIAL STEP TOWARD HELPING PEOPLE LIVE FULL THEIR LIVES.
AND THIS SHOULDN'T COME WITH EXCLUSIONS.
[01:05:01]
THANK YOU.AFTER VERONICA IS JACQUELINE LONG BEACH.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, SIR AND MADAMS OF THE OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS VERONICA VALINO AND I'M A COMMUNITY, UH, LEADER, UH, WITH THE ORGANIZATION, ORLE.
AND I AM PART OF DISTRICT NINE, AND I'M HERE TO ASK YOU MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE VALUES ACT OF LONG BEACH SO THAT OUR CITY CAN BECOME A SANCTUARY CITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THAT AGAIN, WE WILL BE FACED WITH A PRESIDENT, THAT WE DO NOT AGREE WITH THESE IDEAS.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, WE LIVE IN FEAR AND AND CAUSES FEAR, ANXIETY, AND, AND SECURITY.
UM, THIS WILL NOT ONLY AFFECT, UH, ADULT, THE ADULT COMMUNITY FATHERS GRANDPARENTS, BUT ALSO OUR, OUR KIDS, OUR CHILDREN, WHICH ARE THE FUTURE OF THE CITY.
ALRIGHT, NEXT IS JACQUELINE AND MARIBEL.
MY NAME IS JACQUELINE PEREZ VALENCIA, AND, AND I'M THE ECONOMIC JUSTICE MANAGER AT ORLE.
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH AMAZING LONG BEACH RESIDENTS WHO ARE ENTREPRENEURS HELPING DRIVE THE CITY'S GROWTH.
THANKS TO ITS IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY'S DEDICATION AND HARD WORK, I ASK THAT YOU HONOR THEIR HUMANITY BY STRENGTHENING THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AND PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AGAINST THE THREATS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS PROMISING.
IF WE ARE A CITY THAT CARES ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY, WE MUST BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION TO ENSURE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IS PROTECTED.
I ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT A STRONGER VALUES, UH, LONG BEACH VALUES ACT TO ENSURE NO CITY RESOURCES ARE USED FOR IMMIGRANT STATUS, INQUIRIES OR ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS, BUT RATHER BE USED TO CONTINUING TO STRENGTHEN IT, BUT YES, TO A STRONGER LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
ALRIGHT, UH, NEXT IS MARYBELL.
AND AFTER MARY BE, WE HAVE ANGELICA AND THEN OMAR.
AND GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS MARIVALE LES AND I LIVE IN, UH, I'VE BEEN LIVING IN LONG BEACH FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS.
I'M AN IMMIGRANT AND THE MOTIVE THAT I I'M HERE IS TO ASK TO ADVOCATE FOR ALL THE IMMIGRANT FAMILIES THAT, UH, LIKE ME ARE LIVING IN FEAR.
UH, SINCE THE NEW ADMINISTRATION, THE NEW TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, UM, LONG BEACH, UH, WE ARE AWARE THAT THERE WILL BE A LARGE NUMBER OF DEPORTATIONS AND THEREFORE I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO, UH, RES SOLIDIFY THE VALUES ACT OF LONG BEACH THAT WILL GUARANTEE, UH, THE EXPANSION AND SECURITY OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES, UH, SUCH AS GOVERNMENTAL AND, UH, SCHOOL AND, UH, HEALTH WISE, SO THAT YOU'RE, WE ARE PROTECTED AND THAT THEY DO NOT ALSO COLLABORATE ALONG WITH ICE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
[01:10:01]
AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE FOR THE LAST 23 YEARS.I HAVE TWO SONS, TWO DAUGHTERS, AND ONE SON, AND THEY DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE LIFE THAT WE HAVE LIVED.
WE HAVE, UH, ESTABLISHED HERE IN LONG BEACH AND I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE, UH, SUPPORT AND, AND THE ELIMINATION OF THE COMPLETE CLAUSE OF EXCLUSION.
SINCE THIS ACTS ACTUALLY AFFECTING ME AND MY MY PEOPLE, I AM NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED, UH, DEPORTATION, UH, DETENTION OF DEPORTATION.
AND I DO NOT WISH THIS UPON ANYBODY ELSE.
WHICH ACTUALLY I HAVE LEFT MYSELF.
THEREFORE, THAT'S THE REASON WHY I'M HERE FOR, TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
UH, SINCE IT'S A VERY SAD MOMENT TO SEE FAMILIES SUFFERING AND, UH, LIVING IN FEAR, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE SITUATION AND, UH, ALLOW US TO REALLY SEE THE UNITY OF THE, THE TRUE VALUE OF UNITY.
OMAR, YOU'VE BEEN PATIENT, AWAKE, PATIENTLY WAITING.
UH, MAYOR RICHARDSON AND CITY COUNCIL.
I'M A DISTRICT OF, I'M A RESIDENT DISTRICT SIX IN THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZING AND CALIFORNIA FOR JUSTICE.
UM, I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE, TO STRENGTHEN THE, UH, LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
AND HERE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY STORY.
MY GRANDFATHER FRANCISCO VERUS, UM, MIGRATED TO THIS COUNTRY IN THE FORTIES DURING THE BRACERO MOVEMENT WHEN THERE WAS A LABOR SHORTAGE, UM, UH, DURING, BECAUSE OF THE US INVOLVEMENT IN THE WAR, UH, MY GRANDFATHER FIRST JOB IN THIS COUNTRY WAS PICKING COTTON.
ALL OF MY ELDERS ARE IMMIGRANTS AND HAVE TOILED THE LAND OF THIS COUNTRY.
A LOT OF US ARE HERE BECAUSE OF THE, THE EFFORT AND THE COMMITMENT TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY WHAT IT IS AND THE CONTINUED LABOR OF IMMIGRANTS.
RIGHT? I SEE IT EVERY DAY AS A, AS A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH, EVERYWHERE I GO, THERE ARE IMMIGRANTS THAT MAKE THIS CITY DOPE.
RIGHT? IN ORDER FOR US TO CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS CITY DOPE AND ENSURE THAT THIS CITY THRIVES, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR, TO SHOW OUR LOVE AND SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY WITH IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
WE START BY MAKING THE ADJUSTMENTS OR THE AMENDMENTS TO STRENGTHEN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
UM, I TRUST AND BELIEVE THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TONIGHT AND TO CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS CITY DOPE, RIGHT? BY SUPPORTING AND AGAIN, SHOWING LOVE AND SOLIDARITY TO OUR IMMIGRANT FOLKS, NEIGHBORS, FAMILY, LOVED ONES.
ALRIGHT, AND OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS JENNIFER CHAI.
HI, MY NAME IS JENNIFER CHAI AND I'M HERE WITH, UH, KAMAI GIRLS IN ACTION.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE CAMBODIAN IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITY IN LONG BEACH, A COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR CITY FOR DECADES.
MANY OF OUR CAMBODIAN NEIGHBORS ARRIVED AS REFUGEES ESCAPING THE HORRORS OF THE GENOCIDE, AND THEY WORK TIRELESSLY TO BUILD NEW LIVES IN THE US.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF THESE DEPORTATIONS ARE PROFOUND.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PARENTS BEING TORN FROM THEIR CHILDREN, FAMILY BEING SEPARATED, AND ENTIRE COMMUNITIES BEING DESTABILIZED.
MANY OF THESE FAMILIES HAVE US BORN CHILDREN WHO WILL BE FORCED TO LIVE WITHOUT THEIR PARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS, OR THEY'LL ALSO FACE BEING TAKEN TO A COUNTRY WHERE THEY HAVE NO TIES.
AGAIN, THIS IS A DOUBLE PUNISHMENT AND WE ARE NOT POWERLESS IN THE FACE OF THIS THREAT HERE IN LONG BEACH.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ACTION, THEREFORE, WE MUST EDUCATE AND MOBILIZE OUR COMMUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS AND TO TAKE ACTION TOWARDS INJUSTICE.
IT'S CRITICAL THAT FAMILIES ARE PREPARED AND SUPPORTED IN THE TIME OF THE CRISIS.
WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT LEGAL RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO NEED THEM, ESPECIALLY FOR INDIVIDUALS FACING DEPORTATION.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE VITAL SUPPORT, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH LEGAL AID, HELPING FAMILIES WITH EVERYDAY NEEDS, OR ADVOCATING FOR POLICY CHANGES.
WE MUST DEMAND ACTION FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
[01:15:01]
LONG BEACH HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN A CENTURY CITY, EVERYONE.WE MUST CONTINUE TO PROTECT THAT STATUS.
WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DOES NOT CORROBORATE WITH ICE, AND WE MUST SUPPORT POLICIES THAT KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER REGARDLESS OF THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS.
TOGETHER WE CAN ENSURE THAT LONG BEACH REMAINS A PLACE WHERE ALL RES RESIDENTS ARE SAFE, RESPECTED, AND CAN THRIVE.
ALRIGHT, SO, UH, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT AND SHARED THEIR TESTIMONY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE ARE A COMMUNITY.
WE'RE A COLLEGE TOWN WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT STUDENTS AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND, UH, STUDENTS WITH DIFFERENT DOCUMENTATION STATUS.
WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS.
YOU KNOW, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS PUT OUT NOTICES TO, IF YOU'RE TRAVELING, COME BACK BEFORE THE CHANGE IN ADMINISTRATION.
YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR ASTUTE KIDS, WE ALL GO TO SCHOOL.
NOBODY, OUR KIDS DON'T KNOW THE DOCUMENTATION STATUS OF THEIR CLASSMATES.
THIS IS, THIS IS A, A REAL CONCERN.
I THINK THE STEPS, AND MY HOPE IS THAT THE STEPS WE'RE TAKING TONIGHT, UH, THE AMENDMENTS THAT WERE ADDED TONIGHT, UH, HELPED TO, UH, SORT OF REINFORCE OUR COMMUNITY, ADD A MEASURE OF, UH, SUPPORT.
UH, BUT WE KNOW BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE THAT IT'S GONNA BE A, IT'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGE THESE NEXT FEW YEARS.
BUT I'M CONFIDENT IF WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER, IF WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, WE'LL, WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH THIS, UH, WA LEADERSHIP IN WASHINGTON MAY COME AND GO, UH, BUT WE SHOULD NOT WAIVER OR MOVE ON YOUR VALUES.
SO THAT SAID, I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
MEMBERS, UH, CAST YOUR VOTE ON THE MOTION IN FRONT OF US.
OKAY, SO NOW WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM 27, PLEASE.
[27. 24-55956 Recommendation to receive a presentation to evaluate options for modernizing existing wage rates for Long Beach Airport and Long Beach Convention Center concession workers and request City Attorney to prepare ordinance amending Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 16.60, Payment of Living Wage to Workers at the Airport and the Long Beach Convention Center, based on direction from the City Council. (Districts 1, 4, 5) Office or Department: Economic Development; Long Beach Airport Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ITEM 27, REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LONG BEACH AIRPORT.RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE A PRESENTATION TO EVALUATE OPTIONS FOR MODERNIZING EXISTING WAGES FOR LONG BEACH AIRPORT AND LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTER, CONCESSION WORKERS AND REQUEST CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE BASED ON DIRECTION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS ONE, FOUR, AND FIVE.
ALL RIGHT, SO AS THE ITEM STATES, UH, WE'RE GONNA HEAR A PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
UH, AND THE CONTEXT IS, UH, LONG BEACH IS A TOURISM CITY.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN SINCE 1897 WHEN WE, UH, BUILT OUR VERY FIRST, UH, PAVILION ON THE WATER THAT EVENTUALLY BECAME THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND, UH, WE HAVE, UH, OUR ECONOMY IS VERY TIED TO IT.
JOBS ARE VERY TIED TO IT, AND WE HAVE A HISTORY OF, UH, MAKING SURE THAT OUR WORKERS ARE PROVIDED, UH, A LIVING WAGE IN LONG BEACH.
UH, THIS TOOK PLACE MANY YEARS AGO WITH MEASURE N UH, LAST YEAR WITH, UH, MEASURE RW.
WE WERE VERY PROUD WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL AND, UH, THE WORKERS, UH, STOOD UP AND WENT TO THE VOTERS, AND WE WERE PROUD WHEN THE VOTERS ADOPTED MEASURE RW SAYING THAT AS WE HEAD INTO 2028, UH, THIS, THIS, THIS MILESTONE, WE SET AN EXAMPLE, UH, FOR A REGIONAL OLYMPICS WAGE TO THIS DATE, WHERE THE, WHERE THE FIRST CITY, UH, FIRST CITY, ANYWHERE TO ESTABLISH AN OLYMPICS WAGE.
UH, WHEN THE OLYMPICS COMES TO TOWN, I THINK IT SENDS A GREAT MESSAGE THAT WE, WE VALUE WORKERS, WE ALWAYS HAVE, AND WE CONSISTENTLY WILL DO THAT.
IT ALSO, UH, CALLS ANOTHER JURISDICTIONS TO FOLLOW SUIT, MAKE SURE THERE'S A REGIONAL OLYMPICS WAGE.
IT ALSO ENCOURAGES LABOR PEACE, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
WE WANNA SHOW THAT, UH, AS WE HEAD INTO 2028, UH, OUR VALUES ARE VERY CLEAR, AND THERE IS A MODEL IN A CASE TO HAVE A THRIVING TOURISM ECONOMY THAT'S NOT ON THE BACKS OF WORKERS, BUT OF LIFTS WORKERS.
THAT'S BEEN WHAT'S, WHAT'S TAKEN PLACE AFTER, UH, AFTER MEASURE, RW, UH, WAS ADOPTED.
UM, UH, SIMILARLY, UH, 10 YEARS BEFORE IN MEASURE N, WE EXTEND EXPANDED THOSE, UH, THOSE WAGES TO OUR AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER.
UH, LAST SUMMER, COUNCILWOMAN SORROW BROUGHT FORWARD A MOTION, UH, ASKING TO EXPAND, UH, THE NEWLY ADOPTED MEASURE, RW, TO COVER WORKERS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AT THE AIRPORT.
THAT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED BY CITY STAFF, UH, AND CAME BACK IN, UH, IN DECEMBER.
UH, SINCE THEN, UH, THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT'S IN FRONT OF TONIGHT, THE PRESENTATION WITH SOME OPTIONS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HEAR A PRESENTATION FROM CITY STAFF, UH, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR DELIBERATION AT COUNCIL.
UM, JUST TO BE CLEAR, I, I SUPPORT GIVING, UH, EXPANDING OUR WAGES, UH, TO OUR WORKERS AT OUR AIRPORT, OUR CONVENTION CENTER.
BEEN PRETTY PUBLIC ABOUT THAT.
UH, THERE ARE SOME DECISIONS WE HAVE TO MAKE IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT'S LEGAL, WHAT'S NOT, AND HOW
[01:20:01]
FAR CAN YOU ACTUALLY GO AND WHAT THE ECONOMIC PARAMETERS ARE.THAT'S A DECISION FOR THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL.
THAT'S THE DECISION, DECISION BEFORE THEM TONIGHT.
SO THAT SAID, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, EXCUSE ME, CITY MANAGER MOCA SAME INITIALS, COUNCIL MEMBER, CITY MANAGER.
UH, PLEASE BEGIN THE PRESENTATION.
SO, UH, I THINK YOU SAID IT WELL.
WE PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT AND STUDY INTO THIS.
UH, WE'VE HAD A, A FAIRLY EXTENSIVE REPORT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR YOUR A COUPLE MONTHS NOW, AND, UH, WE'RE READY TO PRESENT IT TODAY.
UH, I WILL TURN TO JOHNNY VALLEJO, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO KIND OF GO THROUGH THAT AND, AND ALSO TRY TO ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE HEARD COME UP IN THE LAST, UH, COUPLE, COUPLE WEEKS.
UH, AND THEN, UH, TURN IT OVER TO THE COUNCIL FOR DELIBERATION.
THANK YOU AND GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AS MENTIONED, THE ITEM THIS EVENING WILL PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS REQUESTED IN CONSIDERATION OF THE CITY'S MINIMUM WAGE ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO THE LONG BEACH CONVENTION AND ENTERTAINMENT CENTER AND THE LONG BEACH AIRPORT.
UH, BUT FIRST, SOME BACKGROUND.
LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 16.60 SETS THE MINIMUM WAGE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AIRPORT.
THE ORDINANCE CURRENTLY SETS MINIMUM WAGE AT THESE FACILITIES AT 1797 PER HOUR.
FOR COMPARISON, UH, THE HOTEL AND RESTAURANT WORKERS UNDER MEASURE RW ARE AT A MINIMUM HOURLY RATE OF $23 AN HOUR.
CITY COUNCIL HAS RECENTLY SUPPORTED CONSIDERATION FOR MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES FOR HEALTHCARE, HOTEL, AND RESTAURANT WORKERS.
ON JUNE 16TH, 2024, CITY COUNCIL REQUESTED CITY MANAGER EVALUATE OPTIONS TO MODERNIZE THE MINIMUM WAGE RATES OF THE BENCH CENTER AND AIRPORT.
AND ON NOVEMBER 1ST, A MEMORANDUM OUTLINING POSSIBLE OPTIONS AND IMPACTS WAS CIRCULATED TO COUNCIL.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT UNDER THE CONTRACT PROVISION IN THE APPLICABLE MUNICIPAL CODE AND REVISED MINIMUM WAGE UNDER THIS ORDINANCE WOULD NOT NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED UNTIL AFTER THE TERMINATION DATES OR AMENDMENTS TO THE CURRENT CONVENTION CENTER AND AIRPORT CONTRACTS.
THIS ITEM IS BROUGHT FORTH TO PROVIDE A FORM FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION AND DIRECTION.
THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AIRPORT ARE VERY UNIQUE FACILITIES.
THEIR OPERATIONS AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM AN UPDATED WAGE ORDINANCE DIFFER AT EACH FACILITY.
I'LL SHARE SOME OF THE CONTEXT RELATED TO THE CONVENTION CENTER WHILE MY COLLEAGUE, AIRPORT DIRECTOR, CYNTHIA GIRI WILL COVER SOME AIRPORT SPECIFIC CONTEXT.
THE CONVENTION CENTER IS MANAGED BY A SM GLOBAL UNDER A MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2029.
WHILE UNDER THE CONTRACT PROVISION OF THE ORDINANCE, THEY WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO ADOPT THE UPDATED WAGES UNTIL LATE 2029.
A SM GLOBAL IS WORKING WITH ITS LABOR PARTNER TO INCORPORATE WAGES EQUAL TO OR BETTER THAN MEASURE.
NOW, A SM GLOBAL IS ALSO WORKING WITH UNITE HERE, LOCAL 11 TO EXPAND THE CURRENT COLLECTIVE BARGAIN AGREEMENT TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL NON CONCESSION WORKERS TO BENEFIT FROM THE INCREASED WAGES.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
JUST TO PROVIDE A LITTLE CONTEXT FOR THE AIRPORT.
UH, THE CONCESSION FACILITIES ARE MANAGED, UH, UNDER A MASTER TENANT OR CONCESSIONAIRE AGREEMENT.
AND PARODIES LIKE ADAIRE COVERS FIVE POST SECURITY LOCATIONS TODAY IN THE PASSENGER CONCOURSE THAT SERVES TWO RETAIL AND TWO FOOD AND BEVERAGE OPERATIONS.
PARODIES HAS BEEN THE AIRPORT'S MASTER CONCESSIONAIRE SINCE 2012 WHEN THE CONCOURSE OPENED, AND BOTH RETAIL AND FOOD AND BEVERAGE, UH, AGREEMENTS EXPIRE IN NOVEMBER OF 2027.
UNDER THESE AGREEMENTS, PARODIES PAYS THE AIRPORT COMMISSIONS ON GROSS REVENUES, PARODIES AND UNITE.
HERE, UH, LOCALLY 11 NEGOTIATED A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT THAT MODERNIZES THEIR WAGES, UH, EFFECTIVE, UH, IN APRIL 22 THROUGH JUNE OF 2027.
AND THE CURRENT CBA ALSO INCLUDES A BENEFIT PACKAGE FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, SUCH AS HEALTH INSURANCE, PAID LEAVE, PENSION, ET CETERA.
IN CONSIDERATION SOME OF THE MORE, EXCUSE ME IN CONSIDERATION, SOME OF THE MORE RECENT PREVIOUS MINIMUM WAGE ITEMS, STAFF COMMISSIONED THE LOS ANGELES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO PREPARE AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACTS OF WAGE, MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES.
THE L-A-E-D-C REPORT NOTED THAT EMPIRICAL FINDINGS WERE NOT UNANIMOUS, BUT EVIDENCE SUGGESTS MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES LEAD TO A NUMBER OF NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES IN THE LONG RUN, INCLUDING A POTENTIAL REDUCTION IN NUMBER OF JOBS AVAILABLE TO LOW LOW WAGE WORKERS.
THE LA EDC REPORT, WHILE GIVING CAUTION TO THE CONCEPT OF MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES, PROVIDED A BALANCED ANALYSIS INCLUDING BOTH POTENTIAL BENEFITS AND RISKS OF IMPLEMENTING MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS INCLUDE SHORT TERM INCREASES TO EMPLOYEE MORALE AND PRODUCTIVITY INCREASES TO LABOR INCOME FOR RELATIVELY LOW WAGE WORKERS, STRONGER LABOR SUPPLY AND RETENTION, AND POTENTIAL INITIAL INCREASES TO TOT POTENTIAL RISKS INCLUDE SHORT RUN JOB LOSSES FOR LOW WAGE WORKERS, DECREASED PROFITABILITY AND INCREASED OPERATIONAL COSTS, RESULTING IN LONG-TERM JOB LOSSES, QUALITY REDUCTION, AND INCREASED COST TO CUSTOMERS.
THESE COULD LEAD TO LONGER TERM DEC DECREASES IN TOT AND REDUCED VISITOR SPENDING AFFECTING THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
STAFF, THOUGH WAS ALSO AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH LABOR ADVOCATES FROM THE LOS ANGELES ALLIANCE FOR A NEW ECONOMY OR LANE TO
[01:25:01]
BETTER UNDERSTAND THE WORKERS' PERSPECTIVE ON PROPOSED MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE, LANE HIGHLIGHTED HOUSING UNAFFORDABILITY THE HIGH COST OF LIVING AND STAGNANT WAGES AS FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THE NEED FOR AN INCREASED MINIMUM WAGE FOR CONCESSION WORKERS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AIRPORT LANE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IN SUPPORT OF AN INCREASED MINIMUM WAGE, INCLUDING AN ANALYSIS SPECIFIC TO LONG BEACH TOURISM WORKERS.THIS REPORT WAS PROVIDED AS AN ATTACHMENT TO THE THE NOVEMBER 1ST MEMO TO COUNCIL.
THE REPORT CONCLUDED THAT CHANGES TO THE WAGE ORDINANCE WOULD INCREASE THE WAGES OF TOURISM WORKERS TO KEEP PACE WITH THE RISING COST OF LIVING, INCLUDING HOUSING AND HEALTHCARE COSTS, HELPING FAMILIES PREPARE FOR UNFORESEEN FINANCIAL SHOCK, SAVE FOR HOME OWNERSHIP, AND BUILD INTERGENERATIONAL WEALTH.
LABOR COSTS OF THE CONVENTION CENTER ARE THE SINGLE LARGEST EXPENSE AT OVER 40% OF TOTAL COST.
BUT UNLIKE TYPICAL HOTELS OR RESTAURANTS, LABOR NEEDS FLUCTUATE FREQUENTLY BASED ON SIZE AND NEEDS OF BOOKED EVENTS.
THIS REQUIRES THE USE OF STAFFING AGENCIES TO PROVIDE IRREGULAR TEMPORARY STAFFING.
THE CENTER PAYS A PREMIUM FOR THIS STAFFING, WHICH OFTEN EXCEEDS THE FULLY LOADED COST OF REGULAR PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, BUT THERE'S REALLY NO OTHER WAY TO STAFF UP FOR CERTAIN CENTER ACTIVITIES.
THE PROPOSED WAGE INCREASES WILL NE NECESSITATE A RENTAL RATE INCREASE AT THE CENTER EXCEEDING THE INDUSTRY NORM OF 3%, POSSIBLY AS HIGH AS 15% INITIALLY, WHICH WILL AFFECT BOTH EXISTING COMMITTED EVENTS AND THE CENTER'S COMPETITIVENESS IN THE MARKET.
IN THE CASE OF CURRENT CONTRACTED EVENTS, THE CENTER AND CITY WILL ULTIMATELY INCUR THOSE ADDITIONAL COSTS AS THOSE CLIENTS HAVE ALREADY SIGNED CONTRACTS.
INDICATIONS FROM RECENT AND PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS AT THE CENTER HAVE INDICATED THAT BECAUSE OF OUR PRICING, THEY ARE BEING FORCED TO CONSIDER COMPETITOR VENUES.
A REDUCTION IN BOOKING AND ATTENDANCE WOULD NOT ONLY INCREASE THE ANTICIPATED DEFICIT AT THE CENTER, BUT ALSO DIRECTLY IMPACT CONVENTIONAL RELATED BUSINESS AT LOCAL HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, AND ATTRACTIONS, NEGATIVELY IMPACTING TRANSIT, OCCUPANCY TAX AND SALES TAX.
IMPLEMENTING THE PROPOSED WAGE STANDARDS FOR EMPLOYEES AT THE CENTER, ESSENTIALLY EQUIVALENT TO MEASURE RW WILL ADD AN ADDITIONAL $400,000 IN EXPENSES IN FY 25 ADDING TO THE CENTER'S $1.8 MILLION ESTIMATED ANNUAL DEFICIT.
SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE FINANCIAL IMPACTS TO CENTER OPERATIONS ARE ALSO LIKELY TO INFLUENCE A SM GLOBAL'S ABILITY TO FUND FUTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER OR ARENA.
FURTHER ADDITIONAL TERMS BEING DISCUSSED AS PART OF AN ONGOING LABOR NEGOTIATIONS BEYOND THE PROPOSED MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE COULD RESULT IN THE OPERATIONAL DEFICIT AT THE CENTER EXCEEDING THREE TO THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY, WHICH WOULD BE THE CITY'S FINANCIAL OBLIGATION.
AS MENTIONED ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THE CENTER ROUTINELY FINDS A NEED TO UTILIZE TEMPORARY STAFFING AGENCIES TO PROVIDE WORKERS FOR LARGE SCALE OR SHORT OR SHORT NOTICE EVENTS TO AUGMENT REGULAR FULL AND PART-TIME STAFF.
THE CBA DOES DIRECT THE OPERATOR TO TRY AND FILL THOSE NEEDS WITH UNION EMPLOYEES TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, BUT IN MANY CASES, THAT JUST CAN'T BE DONE.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S BEEN SOME INTEREST EXPRESSED TO APPLYING THE NEW WAGE STANDARDS TO TEMP WORKERS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS WOULD INCREASE EXPENSES, EXPENSES TO CENTER OPERATIONS BY AN ADDITIONAL $400,000 A YEAR, UM, AND HAVE AN ADDITIONAL, HAVE ADDITIONAL IMPACTS TO F AND B OPERATIONS THAT WOULD PRECLUDE NEW INVESTMENT AT THE CENTER BY A SM GLOBAL.
FOR ADDITIONAL REFERENCE, THE CITY ROUTINELY USES TEMP AGENCY WORKERS, UM, AS OUR OWN TO FILL NEEDED GAPS AND IMPOSES A 960 HOUR PER CAP USE ON THEIR U PER YEAR CAP ON THEIR USE.
REGARDING THE AIRPORT POTENTIAL IMPACTS, UM, AS AN ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENT AND FEDERALLY GRANT FUNDED, UH, AIRPORT, THE AIRPORT MUST BE SELF-SUSTAINING AND GENERATE ITS OWN REVENUES TO COVER ITS OWN OPERATING EXPENSES.
CONCESSIONS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS THAT GENERATE APPROXIMATELY 4 MILLION ANNUALLY IN COMMISSIONS TO THE AIRPORT, WHICH HELPS COVER OUR OPERATING EXPENSES.
PARITIES OPERATIONS UNDER THE CURRENT CBA INCLUDE HOURLY WAGE INCREASES THAT COMMENCED IN 2023, AND THE CBA ALSO ALLOWS FOR A MINIMUM SCALE INCREASE RANGING FROM 20 CENTS TO A DOLLAR 50 PER HOUR.
IF THE LEGAL MINIMUM WAGE IS EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN NEGOTIATED CBA POTENTIAL IMPACT TO PARITIES IS THAT THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY WAGES EXCEEDING THE PROPOSED MINIMUM WAGE STANDARD.
THE AIRPORT, UH, CONDUCTED A REQUEST FOR A PROPOSAL OR RFP SOLICITATION PROCESS FOR NEW PRE-SECURITY CONCESSION SPACE, AND PARITIES WAS SELECTED FOR RECOMMENDATION, WHICH IS SUBJECT TO CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL AND PARITY SUBMITTED A CREATIVE PROPOSAL THAT INCLUDES A $5.3 MILLION INVESTMENT IN BOTH PRE AND POST, UH, SECURITY LOCATIONS FOR A TERM OF UP TO FIVE YEARS.
A MAJOR BENEFIT OF PARITY'S PROPOSAL
[01:30:01]
IS THAT THAT PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT WOULD BE COMPLETED IN TIME FOR THE 2028 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES.HOWEVER, CHANGES TO THE LEGAL MINIMUM WAGE WILL REQUIRE A REEVALUATION AND RENEGOTIATION OF TERMS. AS REQUESTED BY COUNSEL, WE PROVIDED SOME BROAD APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF WAGES AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AIRPORT.
THE FIRST APPROACH IS ESSENTIALLY TO LET THE CONTRACTED OPERATORS AND THEIR LABOR PARTNERS CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE COLLECTIVE BARGAIN AGREEMENTS AT THE TWO FACILITIES.
EACH HAS A HISTORY OF FAIR AND EQUITABLE AGREEMENTS WITH THEIR LABOR PARTNERS AND MARKET FORCES FROM RECENT AND PENDING LOCAL AND STATEWIDE MINIMUM WAGE PROVISIONS, BENEFIT WORKER AND LABOR POSITIONS IN CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS AT THE AIRPORT, THE CURRENT CBA APPROXIMATES OR EXCEEDS THE PROPOSED MINIMUM WAGE STANDARDS.
AND AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, A SM GLOBAL SUPPORTS THE PROPOSED WAGE STANDARDS AND EVEN THE EXPANSION OF COVERED CLASSIFICATIONS, THIS SCENARIO WOULD HAVE MINIMAL UNANTICIPATED FISCAL EFFECTS AT THE FACILITIES.
AS BOTH PART, BOTH OPERATORS ARE SUPPORTIVE OF CBAS THAT MEET OR EXCEED THE PROPOSED WAGE STANDARDS.
THIS SCENARIO WOULD ALSO ALLOW THE CITY CONTINUE TO CONTINUE TO CONSIDER THE PROPOSAL FROM PARITIES TO INVEST $5.3 MILLION AT AIRPORT FACILITIES.
THE MODERN IMPACT OPTION RECOGNIZES THE SITUATIONAL DIFFERENCES AT THE FACILITIES, RESPECTS THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS, AND ACCOMPLISHES THE GOAL OF ENSURING MODERN FAIR AND COMPETITIVE WAGES.
IF OPTION TWO IS EXERCISED, IT WOULD NOT NEED TO TAKE EFFECT AT THE RESPECTIVE FACILITIES UNTIL AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF THE CITY'S CURRENT AGREEMENTS WITH A SM GLOBAL AND PARITIES OR AFTER AMENDMENTS TO THOSE AGREEMENTS ARE EXECUTED AFTER THE NEW ORDINANCE TAKES EFFECT.
OPTION TWO PROPOSES TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE TO UPDATE THE WAGE SCHEDULE TO CONVENTION CENTER CONSISTENT WITH THAT OF MEASURE RW INCREASING TO $23 AN HOUR UPON ADOPTION, $25 AN HOUR ON JULY 1ST OF THIS YEAR, AND INCREASING ANNUALLY TO 29 50 ON JULY 1ST, 2028 AT THE LONG BEACH AIRPORT.
THE PROPOSAL WOULD RESPECT THE RECENTLY ADOPTED CBA WITH UNITE HERE LOCAL 11 AND RAISE WAGES AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF THAT CBA ON JUNE 30TH, 2027, AT WHICH TIME IT WOULD REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH MEASURE RW WAGE SCHEDULE INCREASING TO $28 AN HOUR ON JULY 1ST, 2027, AND INCREASING TO 29 50 AN HOUR ON JULY 1ST, 2028.
IN BOTH CASES, THERE WOULD BE AMENDING LANGUAGE TO INCLUDE CPI INCREASES STARTING ON JULY 1ST, 2029, STRENGTHENING COMPLIANCE LANGUAGE, IMPROVING THE SERVICE CHARGE DEFINITION TO ENSURE WORKERS PERFORMING THE WORK RECEIVE THE ENTIRETY OF THE SERVICE CHARGE.
AND CLARIFYING THE ORDINANCE APPLIES TO REGULAR, FULL AND PART-TIME CONCESSION WORKERS, UH, BUT DIFFERENTIATES BETWEEN TEMP TEMPORARY STAFF ACQUIRED THROUGH STAFFING AGENCIES WHOSE WAGES ARE SET BY THOSE STAFFING AGENCIES.
OPTION THREE IS WITH THE PREVIOUS OPTION.
UH, THIS OPTION IF EXERCISE WOULD NOT TAKE EFFECT AT THE RESPECTIVE FACILITIES UNTIL AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF THE CITY'S CURRENT AGREEMENTS WITH A SM GLOBAL AND PARITIES OR AFTER AMENDMENTS TO THOSE AGREEMENTS ARE EXECUTED AFTER THE NEW ORDINANCE TAKES EFFECT.
OPTION THREE INCLUDES PROVISIONS ADVOCATED BY LANE, INCLUDING UPDATED THE MINIMUM WAGE SCHEDULE TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THAT OF MEASURE RW, BUT ALSO MAKING IT RETROACTIVE TO JULY 1ST, 2024 AT AIRPORT.
THE PARITY CBA WILL ALSO PROMPT A MINIMUM SCALE INCREASE FOR PARITIES EMPLOYEES LIKELY IMPACTING PARITIES $5.3 MILLION CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROPOSAL.
SIMILAR TO OPTION TWO, THERE WOULD BE AMENDING LANGUAGE PROVIDING FOR CPI INCREASES STARTING ON JULY 1ST, 2029, STRENGTHENING COMPLIANCE LANGUAGE, IMPROVING THE SERVICE CHARGE DEFINITION, AND OF COURSE, UM, UH, ACCOMMODATING THE, UH, RETROACTIVE PAY TO JULY 1ST, 2024.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN ALL THREE SCENARIOS ARE OPTIONS.
THERE IS SUPPORT FOR AN UPDATED MINIMUM WAGE FOR CONCESSION EMPLOYEES AT BOTH THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AIRPORT.
OUR OPERATORS UNDERSTAND THE CITY'S SUPPORT FOR LIVING WAGE AND HAVE WORKED HARD TO BROKER FAIR AND EQUITABLE AGREEMENTS GENERALLY IN LINE WITH MEASURE RW WAGE SCHEDULES.
OPTION ONE ALLOWS THE OPERATOR AND LABOR UNIONS TO CONTINUE TO BROKER WAGES AND OTHER TERMS UNDER THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS, WHICH HAS PROVED SUCCESSFUL.
THIS ENSURES BOTH PARTIES UNDERSTAND ALL RELATED IMPACTS AND FISCAL EFFECTS.
OPTION ONE ALSO SUPPORTS THE PLAN $5.3 MILLION CAPITAL INVESTMENT AT THE AIRPORT.
OPTION TWO SUPPORTS CONVENTION CENTER AND AIRPORT WORKERS, BUT ALSO HELPS CONTROL THE GROWING DEFICIT AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, WHILE STILL ALLOWING CONSIDERATION FOR THE PROPOSED CAPITAL INVESTMENT AT THE AIRPORT.
OPTION THREE HAS A BROADER APPLICATION, WHICH OBVIOUSLY SUPPORTS WORKERS AT BOTH THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AIRPORT, BUT COULD ADDITIONALLY IMPACT THE CENTER'S FISCAL POSITION BY CLOSE TO $1 MILLION, DECREASE THE REVENUE SHARE AT THE AIRPORT BY $900,000 AND LIKELY JEOPARDIZES THE PROPOSED CAPITAL
[01:35:01]
INVESTMENT AT THE AIRPORT.AND LASTLY, TO KEEP IN MIND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORDINANCE ARE TYPICALLY WAIVED IF AND WHEN A COLLECTIVE BARGAIN AGREEMENT IS REACHED.
IN THAT CASE, THE ORDINANCE ACTS MORE AS A BACKSTOP AS THE TERM OF THE RESPECTIVE CBAS TAKE PRECEDENCE.
ALTHOUGH THE AIRPORT CBA IS NOTED DOES CONTAIN CERTAIN TRIGGERS THAT COULD INCREASE WAGES UP TO A A DOLLAR 50 OVER THE PROPOSED MINIMUM WAGE UNDER OPTION THREE.
AND ALSO, UH, AS A REMINDER, UNDER ALL NAR SCENARIOS, THE CBA AT THE CO CONVENTION CENTER IS LIKELY TO HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT TO THE EXISTING DEFICIT AT THE CENTER.
AND WITH THAT, UH, THIS CONCLUDES MY SUMMARY AND STAFF FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AIRPORT AND CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
ALL RIGHT, WELL THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
WE'LL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE HAVE 1917 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
ANDRE DONATO, VICTOR SANCHEZ, IRMA FERRA, UH, GUILLERMINA CRUZ, ABEL SANCHEZ, ABEL ALVAREZ ROSALES, UH, GABRIEL PEREZ, GUSTAVO MASO, DAVE SHUKLA, AND GRACIE LOPEZ.
I'M ANDREA DONDO, THE DIRECTOR LIBRE.
OUR CITY SHOULD CONTINUE BEING A LEADER IN SUPPORTING OUR WORKERS, AND I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CITY'S PROPOSAL THAT EXCLUDES AGENCY WORKINGS FROM THAT LAW.
OTHER CITIES ARE LOOKING TO US FOR LEADERSHIP, AND IF THIS PROPOSAL PASSES, IT WILL INSTEAD TAKE OUR CITY BACKWARDS AND PLACE US OUT OF A STEP WITH OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE SIMILAR LAWS.
WHETHER A WORKER DIRECTLY WORKS FOR AN OPERATOR OR THROUGH A STAFFING AGENCY SHOULD NOT DETERMINE WHETHER THEY ARE PAID A LIVING WAGE OR NOT.
AIRPORT AND CONCESSION WORKERS WHO ARE AT THE HEART OF OUR CITY STORAGE INDUSTRY, UM, DESERVE A LIVING, UH, A LIVING WAGE THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO LIVE IN THE SAME CITY WITH WHERE THEY WORK.
WORKER RIGHTS ARE RENTERS RIGHTS, EXCLUDING WORKERS FROM LIVING WAGE LOSS IS DIRECTLY TIED TO THEIR ABILITY TO AFFORD THEIR RENT AND PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
PLEASE DO NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS ITEM UNTIL THE CITY COUNCIL ENSURES ALL WORKERS ARE INCLUDED IN THE CITY'S AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTERS LAW.
GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LANE.
I'M HERE TO URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS POLICY UNTIL ALL AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER CONCESSION WORKERS ARE COVERED, INCLUDING AGENCY WORKERS.
WHETHER WORKERS DIRECTLY WORKS FOR AN OPERATOR OR THROUGH A STAFFING AGENCY SHOULD NOT DETERMINE WHETHER THEY'RE PAID A LIVING WAGE OR NOT.
GIVEN HOW MUCH THE CITY HAS INVESTED IN INCENTIVIZING THE GROWTH OF THIS SECTOR HERE, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE YOUR AUTHORITY TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE STANDARDS IN PLACE THAT NOT ONLY PROTECT THAT INVESTMENT, BUT SERVE THE BROADER PUBLIC INTEREST.
DO NOT CREATE AN ECONOMIC INCENTIVE ON THE PART OF CONCESSIONAIRES TO BYPASS DIRECT HIRES IN FAVOR OF TEMPORARY WORKERS WHO WILL PERFORM THE SAME WORK AT LOWER WAGES.
LONG BEACH HAS BEEN A LEADER FOR WORKERS, BUT THIS MOVE WOULD BE A GIANT STEP BACK.
DO NOT WEAKEN EXISTING LAW AND UNDERMINE THE ORDINANCES CENTRAL PURPOSE OF IMPROVING THE WELFARE OF WORKERS AND STRENGTHENING THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
LOOK, YOU MAY THINK THAT NOT COVERING AGENCY WORKERS IS A FAIR COMPROMISE.
IT'S NOT YOU THINK OF THE PRECEDENT, A PERVERSE INCENTIVE THAT BENEFITS CORPORATIONS SEE BEYOND THE OLYMPICS.
THIS REGION IS GOING TO SEE UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND WITH A CLUB WORLD CUP, A WORLD CUP, A GOLD CUP, AN NB, A ALL-STAR GAME, AND A SUPER BOWL.
AND THAT'S JUST UP UNTIL 2027.
LIVE UP TO LONG BEACH VALUES AND SUPPORT A POLICY WHERE ALL AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CONCESSION WORKERS ARE COVERED.
NEXT IS IRMA GONNA START? GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MAYOR, MY NAME IS IMA FERREIRA AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE, AND I'M ALSO A VOLUNTEER WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS CONVENTION CENTER.
I THANK YOU FOR TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE TOURISM WORKERS OF LONG BEACH AND IN THE INCREASING, INCREASING THEIR WAGES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WORK AT THE AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER.
THEY DESERVE TO LIVE A LIFE WITH DIGNITY AND NOT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT WHETHER THEY WILL PAY RENT AT THE END OF EACH MONTH OR WILL THEY BE ABLE TO EAT.
[01:40:24]
I'LL READ YOU HOWEVER, THAT, UH, IT'D BE THE SAME FOR TEMPORARY WORKERS AS WELL.THERE ARE ALSO HUMAN BEINGS AND DO NOT DESERVE TO WONDER WHETHER THEY WILL PAY RENT OR EAT A HOT MEAL.
YOU SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE THEM IN THIS LAW AS THEY ALSO DESERVE TO LIVE A DIGNIFIED LIFE WHERE THEY CAN SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN.
MY NAME IS MINA CRUZ AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX.
AS A LONG BEACH RESIDENT AND VOTER, I'M PROUD OF OUR CITY'S HISTORY AND SUPPORTING OUR TOURISM WORKERS BY ADOPTING LIVING WAGE AND WORKING WORKER PROTECTION LOSS.
OUR CITY SHOULD CONTINUE BEING A LEADER IN SUPPORTING OUR WORKERS.
OUR CITY IS CONSERVING, UH, AN UP UPDATE UP TO DATE TO THE AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER LIVING WAGE LAW.
I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CITY PROPOSAL THAT EXCLUDES AGENCY WORKERS FROM THAT LAW.
OTHER CITIES ARE LOOKING TO US FOR LEADERSHIP, AND IF THIS IS, IF THIS PROPOSAL PASSES, IT WILL INSTEAD TAKE OUR CITY BACKWARDS AND PLACES OUT OF STEP WITH OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE SIMILAR LAWS.
OTHER CITIES ARE LOOKING FOR US FOR LEADERSHIP, AND IF THIS PROPOSAL PASSES, IT WILL INSTEAD TAKE US OUR CITY BACKWARD AND PLACE US OUT A STEP WITH OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE SIMILAR LAWS.
WE URGE THE CITY COUNCIL NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS POLICY UNTIL ALL AIRPORT AND CONVENTION, UH, CENTER WORKERS ARE COVERED.
AFTER ABEL SANCHEZ IS ABEL ALVAREZ.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAJOR.
UH, MY NAME IS ABEL ALVAREZ ROSALES, AND I'M HERE TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR AN INCREASE IN LIV LIVABLE WAGE, UM, FOR AIRPORTS AND CONVENTION CENTER WORKERS, UH, INCLUDING SUBCONTRACTORS.
I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE, GRATITUDE TO THE CITY, AND ITS CONTINUED EFFORTS TO UPLIFT THE TOURIST WORKERS WHO PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN MAKING OUR CITY A WORLD CLASS DESTINATION.
HOWEVER, I MUST ADDRESS A SERIOUS CONCERN.
THE CITY'S RECENT PROPOSAL EXCLUDES TEMPORARY WORKERS FROM THE POLICY.
UM, FROM THIS POLICY, UH, CREATES A GLARING LOOPHOLE ON THAT IT BENEFITS OWNERS AND OPERATORS WHILE LEAVING BEHIND THE BURIED WORKERS WHO KEEP OUR TOURISM INDUSTRY THRIVING.
UH, THIS WORKERS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT CLASSIFICATIONS TO SERVE A FAIR PAY AND RECOGNITIONS OF THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS, UH, WE ARE TO CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER, CONSIDER AND ENSURE ALL THESE AIRPORTS AND CONVENTION CENTER CONCESSIONS WORKERS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS POLICY.
NO ONE SHOULD BE LEFT OUT IN THIS CRITICAL EFFORT TO CREATE MORE E EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCE IN OUR TOURISM INDUSTRY.
UH, LASTLY, AS AN UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT AND NOW INDIVIDUAL IN SOCIETY, SIR, YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED.
THANK YOU MUCH, BUT FINISH YOUR,
[01:45:01]
FINISH YOUR STATEMENT.AS AN UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT, NOW INDIVIDUAL IN THE SOCIETY, I REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOU GUYS, UH, EFFORTS TO PRO, UM, PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY.
IS THE NEXT ABEL HERE? GRECIA, GO FOR IT.
UH, MY NAME IS GRACIE REYES, DIRECTOR OF LA BEACH, DETROIT JUSTICE ECONOMY.
FIRST, UM, THE SHIAT THAI WAGE POLICIES TO ONGOING LABOR NEGOTIATIONS.
THIS UNDERMINES THE CITY'S AUTHORITY TO ENACT INDEPENDENT POLICIES THAT PRIORITIZE EQUITY AND COMMUNITY WELLBEING.
UM, I'M ALSO REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE EXCLUSION OF TEMPORARY WORKERS.
THIS INCENTIVIZES CONCESSIONARIES TO REPLACE, REPLACE DIRECT HIRES WITH LOWER PAID TEMPORARY WORKERS, EFFECTIVELY SIDESTEPPING THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE FAIR WAGES.
THIS NOT ONLY HARMS WORKERS, BUT ALSO DESTABILIZES THE LOCAL ECONOMY BY UNDERCUTTING THE LIVING WAGE PURPOSE OF FOSTERING EQUITY AND ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR ALL TEMPORARY WORKERS ARE OFTEN ALREADY AMONG THE MOST VULNERABLE AND EXCLUDING THEM WOULD ONLY DEEPEN INEQUITIES.
IF THE COUNCIL MOVES FORWARD WITH THIS, YOU WILL BE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR OPENING THE DOOR TO WIDESPREAD EXPLOITATION AND DEEPENING POVERTY AMONG WORKERS IN YOUR CITY.
BY DOING SO, YOU WILL BE VOTING TO DIMINISH THE VOICES OF WORKERS WHO HAVE CONSISTENTLY SHARED THEIR STORIES AND LIVED EXPERIENCES DEMONSTRATING THE DEVASTATING IMPACT THAT LOW WAGES HAVE ON THEIR LIVES.
THIS DECISION WOULD IGNORE THE REALITIES AND UNDERMINE THE VERY PRINCIPLES OF FAIRNESS AND DIGNITY THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS MEANT TO UPHOLD.
THIS IS ALSO ABOUT ENSURING THAT WORKERS ARE ALL WORKERS ARE PROTECTED IN THE CITY, BUT YOU ARE CHOOSING TO, TO STEP BACKWARDS AND NOT, AND NOT PROVIDE FAIR WAGES FOR OUR WORKERS.
I URGE YOU TO PLEASE REJECT ANY PROPOSAL THAT EXCLUDES TEMPORARY WORKERS AND CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION UNTIL ALL AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER WORKERS ARE COVERED.
AFTER GABRIEL IS GUSTAVO, THEN DAVE.
LANE ORGANIZER, DISTRICT ONE RESIDENT.
WE'RE GRATEFUL THE COUNCIL RECOGNIZES THE NEED TO UPDATE THIS ORDINANCE.
IT'S PAST PASTIME CONCESSION WORKERS AT THE AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER ENJOY THE SAME WAGES AS THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN THE CITY'S LARGEST AND MOST PROFITABLE HOTELS, AS WE'VE SAID FOR OVER HALF A YEAR, THIS IS ABOUT EQUITY AND ENSURING LIVABLE WAGES FOR ALL WORKERS ACROSS LONG BEACH'S THRIVING TOURISM INDUSTRY.
BUT ANY PROPOSAL THAT EXCLUDES TEMPORARY OR SUBCONTRACTED WORKERS WHO ARE ALREADY COVERED BY THE EXISTING LAW ONLY SERVES TO UNDERMINE THE EQUITY WE ARE TRYING TO, WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
MOREOVER, IT WOULD SET A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT AND ACTIVELY HARM THE LABOR MOVEMENT BY INCENTIVIZING RELIANCE ON UNPROTECTED SUBCONTRACTORS AND ENABLING COMPANIES TO AVOID PAYING WORKERS THE WAGES THEY NEED AND DESERVE THE IMPACT WOULD JEOPARDIZE LIVING WAGE ORDINANCES EVERYWHERE.
IT'S A STEP BACKWARD WE CANNOT AFFORD TO TAKE.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR RECOGNIZING THE URGENCY OF THIS CRUCIAL ITEM.
WE ASK THAT YOU ALSO RECOGNIZE THE DANGER OF EXCLUDING WORKERS AND URGE YOU TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION UNTIL THIS SOLUTION IS FOUND THAT PROTECTS ALL WORKERS.
I ALSO ASK THAT YOU, THAT I ALSO ASK THAT THE CITY RELEASE ALL FOOTAGE OF BRANDON BOYD'S MURDER, THE NINE ONE ONE.
CALL THE OFFICER'S NAMES AND DROP THE CHARGES ON HIS FAMILY.
AFTER GUSTAVO IS DAVE GUSTAVO.
MY NAME IS GUSTAVO AND I'VE BEEN A WAITER, UH, FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I'M HERE TO REQUEST FROM YOU THE LEADERS THAT YOU APPROVE THE OLYMPIC WAGE.
SO THAT INCLUDES ALL WORKERS WITHIN THE AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER.
UH, THE CURRENT WAGE AND SALARY IS NOT ENOUGH TO SURVIVE.
WE ARE THINKING ON BEHALF OF OUR FUTURE AND OUR FAMILIES.
M NO WORKING DIRECTLY FOR A SM OR AN AGENCY SHOULD NOT BE A DECIDING FACTOR.
IF WE ARE TO EARN A FAIR SALARY OR NOT.
THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD NOT BE CHOOSING AMONGST LOSERS OR WINNERS.
DON'T CONTINUE FORWARD UNTIL THIS, UH, ISSUE IS RESOLVED.
ALRIGHT, DAVE, BEFORE YOU START ON THE CALL, THE REMAINING SPEAKERS,
[01:50:01]
UH, ANDREA, ANDREA ROMERO, CHRISL, DOM DOKI, UM, UH, DAVID VENTURA, GARY REK, JUAN MUNOZ, AISHA MAHMUD, AND NAZI ABU.COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, THIS, UH, PROPOSAL WHILE WELL INTENTIONED AND WELL TIMED, UH, CANNOT BE ACCEPTED IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
UM, PLEASE, UH, AMEND IT SO THAT IT CAN, OR AT LEAST HOLD IT UNTIL IT CAN BE BROUGHT BACK IN A FORM THAT INCLUDES ALL WORKERS AT THE AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTERS.
AND PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE UNIQUE, UH, OPPORTUNITY.
YOU HAVE TO SET THE TONE NOT ONLY FOR OUR CITY, OUR COUNTY, AND OUR STATE, BUT THE NATION.
HI, MY NAME IS CHRISL DOMBROWSKI.
I'M, UM, I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE.
UH, I, I WANT THE, THE, THIS NOT TO BE LIMITED TO, UH, TEMP WORKERS OR WORKERS HIRED FROM AGENCIES BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THAT THEY WILL HIRE INSTEAD OF FULL-TIME WORKERS.
'CAUSE THAT'S TRADITIONALLY DONE.
I GREW UP IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT, SO THE OTHER PEOPLE ARE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THIS THAN I AM, BUT THAT'S WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
MY NAME IS ANDREA ROMERO AND I'M A LEE COOK AT THE LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTER.
I'M HERE TO ASK YOU CITY, CITY LEADERS TO PASS THE OLYMPIC WAGE, BUT TO ENSURE IT INCLUDES ALL WORKERS AND THAT NO WORKER IS LEFT BEHIND.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY ARE IN-HOUSE OR SUB SUBTRACT, SORRY, SUBCONTRACTED.
WE ALL WORK HARD TO MAKE DELICIOUS EYE CATCHING MASTERPIECES TO MAKE ALL EVENTS MEMORABLE.
WE ALL WELCOME THE VISITORS TOGETHER IN THE CITY.
PLEASE DO NOT UNDERMINE THE GOAL WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AND DON'T MOVE FORWARD UNTIL THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED.
WORK TO LIVE, NOT LIVE TO WORK THESE WORKERS AT THE AIRPORT AND THE CONVENTION CENTER LIKE US AND THE SUBCONTRACTED OR THE BACKBONE OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, UH, IN LONG BEACH WHO ARE TRYING TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY.
YES, GOOD EVENING, UH, HONORABLE MAYOR RICHARDSON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS DAVID VENTURA AND I'M THE ORGANIZER AT THE LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTER FOR, UH, UNITE HERE, LOCAL 11.
OUR MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY WITH, UH, RAISING WAGES.
THAT'S WHY WE'VE ALL WORKED HARD FOR THE PAST 18 MONTHS TO GET TO THIS POINT.
OUR MEMBERS ARE STRUGGLING TO GET BY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT URGENCY SHOULD NOT UNDERMINE THE GOAL THAT WE ARE TRYING TO SEEK HERE, WHICH IS TO RAISE WAGES FOR ALL LONG BEACH CONVENTION AND TOURISM CONCESSION WORKERS.
UH, WE THINK THAT IT IS WRONG TO ROLL BACK THE EXISTING LIVING WAGE LAW BY CREATING TWO TIERS OF WORKERS, ESSENTIALLY AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
THOSE THAT ARE COVERED BY THE LAW AND THOSE THAT ARE NOT, ACCORDING TO DATA FROM A SM IN TWO, UH, 2023, THE CONVENTION CENTER RELIED ON 28,000 HOURS OF SUBCONTRACTED WORK.
WE THINK THE STAFF REPORT OVERESTIMATES THE COST OF COVERING THOSE WORKERS.
NOT ONLY IS IT WRONG TO EXCLUDE THEM, BUT IT WILL CREATE AN INCENTIVE TO FURTHER CONTRACT OUT WORK TO AVOID PAYING A LIVING WAGE.
WE URGE YOU TO NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROPOSAL UNTIL WE ENSURE THAT WE COVER ALL AIRPORT AND ALL CONVENTION WORKERS.
AFTER GARY IS JUAN, AND THEN AISHA.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I'M THE POLITICAL DIRECTOR OF THE CALIFORNIA FACULTY ASSOCIATION, C-S-U-O-B LOCAL AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT FOUR.
I'M HERE TODAY TO URGE THE COUNCIL TO ENSURE THAT ALL AIRPORT CONVENTIONS CENTER CONCESSION WORKERS ARE COVERED BY THE PROVISIONS IN MEASURE.
RW, I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED, AS OTHERS HAVE SAID TONIGHT, WITH THE CITY'S PROPOSAL TO EXCLUDE AGENCY WORKERS FROM THE CITY, UH, CITY'S LIVING WAGE LAW.
WHETHER A WORKER DIRECTLY WORKS FOR AN OPERATOR OR THROUGH A STAFFING AGENCY, AGENCY SHOULD NOT DETERMINE WHETHER THEY ARE PAID A LIVING WAGE.
DOING SO, AS WE ALSO HEARD, WOULD FURTHER INCENTIVIZE THE USE OF
[01:55:01]
AGENCY WORKERS UNDERMINE MORALE AND CREATE TWO CLASSES OF EMPLOYEES.WE HAVE LONG RHETORICALLY RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR TOURISM SECTOR WORKERS.
NOW IS THE TIME TO SHOW REAL SUPPORT.
THE ESTIMATED $200,000 COST OF WAGE INCREASE INCREASES REPRESENTS JUST 0.4% OF THE CITY'S $50 MILLION INVESTMENT IN THE CONVENTION CENTER.
A NEGLIGIBLE AMOUNT COMPARED TO THE ECONOMIC ECONOMIC ACTIVITY OUR INVESTMENTS WILL GENERATE IN THE FUTURE.
AND WE NEED TO LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE LONG BEACH AIRPORT CONTINUALLY SETTING RECORDS, UM, OR THE REPORT BY, UH, PROFESSOR LESTER, WHICH CAME OUT LAST, UH, SUMMER.
THAT ESTIMATED A $21 MILLION POSITIVE IMPACT OF THE INCREASED IN IN WAGES THAT WOULD, IN THAT INCLUDES, UM, MEASURE RW.
SO I URGE THE COUNCIL TO ENSURE THAT ALL AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER CONCESSION WORKERS ARE COVERED BEFORE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS POLICY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.
ALRIGHT, JUAN, UM, HONORABLE MAYOR AND RICHARDSON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS JUAN MUNOZ AND I'M A POLITICAL COORDINATOR WITH UNITE HERE, LOCAL 11.
UH, TONIGHT WE ARE AT AN INFLECTION POINT.
WE STRONGLY SUPPORT RAISING THE WAGES OF AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER WORKERS BY UPDATING THE CITY'S EXISTING ORDINANCE FOR THOSE WORKERS.
HOWEVER, WE ARE EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT A PROPOSAL PUT FORTH IN A CITY MEMO THAT WOULD ROLL BACK WHO IS COVERED BY THE CITY'S EXISTING LIVING WAGE LAW ORIGINALLY DRAFTED IN 2014 THAT REPORTS SUGGESTED THE LAW SHOULD NOT APPLY TO SUBCONTRACTED WORKERS EMPLOYED THROUGH STAFFING AGENCIES HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE IN EVERY OTHER MINIMUM WAGE LAW.
WE ARE AWARE OF THAT IT APPLIES TO ALL WORKERS AT A WORK SITE.
OTHERWISE, AS MANY HAVE STATED, IT CREATES THE PERVERSE INCENTIVE TO CONTRACT OUT WORK TO AVOID PAYING THE MINIMUM WAGE THAT APPLIES.
UNFORTUNATELY, MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS ITEM, WHILE EXCLUDING THOSE SUBCONTRACTED WORKERS WILL MOVE US BACKWARD AND POSES A REAL DANGER, IT WILL UNDERMINE THE INTENT THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE, WHICH IS TO RAISE WAGES FOR ALL TOURISM WORKERS AND ENSURE EQUITY WHILE ALSO PLACING LONG BEACHES.
AND IT UNFORTUNATELY ALSO PLACE LONG BEACH'S LAW OUT OF A STEP WITH SIMILAR LEGISLATION IN THE REGION.
WHETHER A WORKER DIRECTLY WORKS FOR AN OPERATOR OR THROUGH A STAFFING AGENT AGENCY SHOULD NOT DETERMINE WHETHER THEY'RE PAID A LIVING WAGE OR NOT.
IT SETS BAD PRECEDENT BY CREATING TWO CLASSES OF WORKERS THOSE PAID THE LIVING WAGE AND THOSE THAT ARE NOT.
WE URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION SO WE CAN FURTHER EVALUATE THESE PROPOSALS AND AND TO ENSURE THAT ALL AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER WORKERS, UH, ARE COVERED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU NAZI AISHA.
I'M A RESEARCHER WITH NON-PROFIT JOBS TO MOVE AMERICA AND A RESIDENT IN DISTRICT THREE, AND I'M SPEAKING TODAY IN SUPPORT OF A WAGE INCREASE FOR ALL AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER WORKERS, THE WORKERS THAT WE ARE TRUSTING WITH, FACING AND SERVING THE FLOOD OF TOURISTS.
OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS AROUND SPORTING EVENTS WE'RE HOSTING THAT ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE CITY'S REVENUE AND SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY, SMALL AND BIG BUSINESSES.
I THINK IT'S VERY DANGEROUS TO EXCLUDE SUBCONTRACTED WORKERS FROM THIS WAGE INCREASE.
INSTEAD, THE CITY HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO HOLD ITS CONTRACTORS TO A HIGHER STANDARD FOR THEM TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PROFIT OFF OF THE CITY AND WORKING WITH, UH, OUR WORKERS AND SPECIFICALLY TO REQUIRE HIGHER LABOR STANDARDS FROM OUR CONTRACTORS AND THEIR STAFFING SUBCONTRACTORS, WHICH IS WELL WITHIN THE CITY'S LEGAL AUTHORITY TO MAKE SURE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR LONG BEACH RESIDENTS AND WORKERS IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR VALUES IN THE CITY AND THE PARAMETERS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO, TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE.
VOTERS LAST YEAR VOTED FOR MEASURE RW, RECOGNIZING THAT TOURISM WORKERS WAGES HAVE NOT KEPT UP WITH THE COST OF LIVING AND ESPECIALLY THE COST OF HOUSING AND WOULD BE A SHAME AND INCREDIBLY UNJUST WAGE WITH THE WAGE FOR SOME WORKERS WHILE THEIR COWORKERS ARE LEFT UNPROTECTED AGAINST INFLATION AND INCREASED RENTS RAISING THE WAGE FOR SOME.
AND NOT ALL WORKERS WOULD ONLY OPEN A LOOPHOLE FOR STAFFING AGENCIES TO BE THE PREDOMINANT SOURCE OF HIRING AND THEN COMPLETELY UNDO A LOT OF THE BENEFITS THAT COULD COME FROM THIS WAGE INCREASE.
I URGE THE COUNCIL TO MOVE, MOVE FORWARD WITH A POLICY THAT MAKES SURE ALL AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER WORKERS ARE PAID A LIVING WAGE.
ALL RIGHT, NAZI FINAL SPEAKER.
MY NAME IS NAZI ABBA AND I'M THE CLT DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING FOR ALL LONG BEACH COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AND LIBRE.
AND I'M HERE TO ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS ITEM UNTIL IT ENSURES THAT THERE'S EQUITY FOR ALL AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER CONCESSION WORKERS, AIRPORT AND CONTENTION.
CONCESSION WORKERS ARE THE HEART OF OUR CITY'S TOURISM INDUSTRY.
A LIVING WAGE MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO LIVE IN THE SAME CITY WHERE THEY WORK.
OUR STUDY SHOULD CONTINUE BEING A LEADER IN SUPPORTING OUR WORKERS, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE CITY PROPOSAL THAT EXCLUDES AGENCY WORKERS FROM THAT LAW AND UNDERMINES THE LAW'S PURPOSE.
OTHER CITIES ARE LOOKING TO US FOR LEADERSHIP AND IF THIS PROPOSAL PASSES, IT'LL PLACE US OUT OF STEP WITH OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE SIMILAR MINIMUM WAGE LAWS AND INCENTIVIZE THE CONTRACTING OUT OF WORK
[02:00:01]
TO AVOID PAYING THE MINIMUM WAGE, DESTABILIZING OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND EXPLOITING UNPROTECTED WORKERS.ALL WORKERS DESERVE A LIVING WAGE AND WHETHER A WORKER DIRECTLY WORKS FOR AN OPERATOR OR THROUGH A STAFFING AGENCY SHOULD NOT DETERMINE WHETHER THEY ARE PAID A LIVING WAGE OR NOT.
LASTLY, WORKERS' RIGHTS ARE HOUSING RIGHTS, EXCLUDING WORKERS FROM LIVING WAGE LAWS IS DIRECTLY TIED TO THEIR ABILITY TO AFFORD THEIR RENT, PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND REMAIN CONNECTED TO THEIR COMMUNITIES.
WE URGE YOU NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS ITEM UNTIL THE CITY COUNCIL ENSURES ALL WORKERS ARE INCLUDED IN THE CITY'S AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER LAW.
AND FINALLY, I URGE THE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT JUSTICE FOR BEN AND BOYD AND HIS FAMILY AND SUPPORT THE DEMANDS THAT WERE SHARED TODAY, INCLUDING RELEASING THE NAMES OF THE OFFICERS, RELEASING THE 9 1 1 CALLS AND BODY CAM FOOTAGE AND DROPPING THE CHARGES AGAINST HIS FAMILY.
ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.
NOW WE'LL BE BEGIN THE DELIBERATION BEHIND THE RAIL.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, STAFF, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR LEADING EFFORT TO, UH, UH, BEGIN THIS STUDY IN THIS CONVERSATION.
OKAY, SO NOW WE'LL BEGIN THE DELIBERATION.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU HEARD A BIG PRESENTATION.
NOW'S THE TIME TO GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
UH, AND STAFF IS READY, UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
WE'LL START WITH THE MAKER OF THE MOTION, COUNCILWOMAN SORROW.
THANK YOU TO THE STAFF FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND THE PROCESSES WE GO THROUGH THE, UM, RESEARCH AND, AND UNDERSTANDING, UM, THE DIFFERENT ISSUES.
SO I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS BEFORE I MAKE A MOTION.
AND TOM, UH, I HAVE ABOUT THREE QUESTION.
CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THE COST OF THE WAGE, THE WAGES, AND, UH, HOW, AND IMPLEMENTING IT IMMEDIATELY? AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, HEAR THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO INCLUDE TEMPORARY WORKERS AND, BUT I ALSO WANNA KNOW WHAT IS THE LEGAL CONSIDERATION OF INCLUDING WAGES ON THIRD, UM, PARTY CONTRACTS.
AND MY LAST QUESTION IS IF, WOULD YOU WANT ME TO ASK YOU ONE AT A TIME AS YOU ANSWER OR OKAY.
I'LL ASK 'EM ALL AND THEN I CAN REPEAT IT AGAIN.
UM, IS JUST A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
UM, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SHARE SOME EXAMPLE OF HOW THE CITY COULD POTENTIALLY DEFINE TEMPORARY WORKERS IN ORDER TO HELP ESTABLISH A WORKING DEFINITION FOR THIS IN THE REVISED ORDINANCE? ABSOLUTELY.
SO THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THAT, UH, OPPORTUNITY.
AND I'LL RELY ON THE TEAM AND, AND DON AS WELL.
BUT I WANNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ABOUT THE FACILITY JUST FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE SO WE CAN KIND OF UNDERSTAND THAT.
UH, AND WE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE CONCERNS WE HEARD TODAY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE MAKING SURE THERE'S NO INCENTIVE TO USE DIFFERENT WORKERS AT A DIFFERENT RATE AND REPLACING, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, THOSE WHO HAVE A COLLECTIVE BARGAIN AGREEMENT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE INTENT.
UH, AND, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THAT IN THE CITY CONTROLLING FOR THAT WHILE ALSO BRINGING ON TEMPORARY WORKERS.
AND SO, UM, TAKING US BACK FOR MANY YEARS, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER, EVERYONE BELIEVES THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER OPERATES AT THIS MASSIVE PROFIT AND BRINGS IN LOTS OF DOLLARS.
UH, CONVENTION CENTERS ARE ACTUALLY BUILT TO BRING ECONOMIC ACTIVITY TO CENTERS.
SO YOU BUILD IT AND YOU KNOW THAT THAT CENTER ITSELF DOESN'T NORMALLY MAKE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT YOU USE IT TO FILL YOUR RESTAURANTS, YOU USE IT TO BRING IN TOURISM, YOU USE IT TO CREATE JOBS.
UH, AND THAT CERTAINLY HAS BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
OUR, UH, CONVENTION CENTER, UH, SHOWED ON PAPER ABOUT A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR TO THE POSITIVE.
UH, THAT ACTUALLY DIDN'T ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT A $3 MILLION ELECTRIC BILL THAT WE HAVE IN A DIFFERENT ACCOUNT, BUT LET'S SAY IT WAS ABOUT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO THE POSITIVE TODAY AFTER THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
AND, AND, UH, UM, UH, WORKING WITH THE OPERATOR TO RAISE, UH, RATES AND TO UNIONIZE AND TO BRING ON A GREAT STAFF.
UM, IT OPERATES RIGHT NOW AT ABOUT A $1.8 MILLION DEFICIT.
SO WITH ALL THE, THE EVERYTHING FROM LABOR COSTS TO MATERIALS COSTS, SUPPLIES, COSTS, UH, LOSS OF CERTAIN CONVENTIONS DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE'RE OPERATING AT A $1.8 MILLION DEFICIT, WHICH WE'RE WORKING ON SOLVING, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, RAISE THAT TO ABOUT $2.2 MILLION.
UM, WE THINK THAT'S MANAGEABLE.
WE THINK WE CAN FIGURE OUT THOSE, UH, THOSE IMPACTS.
BUT GOING BEYOND THAT, WHERE WE START LOOKING AT THE COST OF TEMPORARY WORKERS, UH, UH, WOULD RAISE THAT TO
[02:05:01]
ABOUT 2.6 MILLION FOR THE CITY, BUT ALSO A WHOLE LOT MORE FOR OUR OPERATOR, WHICH THEN HAS TO RAISE ITS PRICES, WHICH THEN STARTS THIS DOMINO EFFECT OF BECOMING UNCOMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET.AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE START LOOKING AT A SEVERAL MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT THAT WILL NOT BE REALLY POSSIBLE FOR US TO, TO MANAGE.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THO THOSE FINANCIAL CONCERNS ARE ONES THAT WE REALLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT.
UH, THE CITY DOES ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, UM, INTERNALLY ABOUT, UH, USING TEMPORARY WORKERS.
WE USE TEMPORARY WORKERS WHILE WE HAVE, UH, FULL SERVICE CITY, 6,000 EMPLOYEES.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WORKERS, YOU KNOW, GO ON MEDICAL LEAVE OR, UM, OR WE CAN'T HIRE FOR THAT SPECIFIC POSITION FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS OR EVEN JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS.
AND SO WE HAVE CONTRACTS THAT WE BRING PEOPLE ON, AND THEN WE HAVE VERY STRONG RULES THAT SAY THOSE ARE NOT PERMANENT EMPLOYEES, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT SUPPLANTING OUR CURRENT WORKFORCE, THEY'RE THERE TO SUPPLEMENT.
AND SO THE CITY ADDRESSES THIS TWO DIFFERENT WAYS.
UH, FROM A FULL-TIME, UH, PART-TIME TO A FULL-TIME, WE HAVE A LIMIT OF ABOUT 1600 HOURS.
SO AFTER 1600 HOURS YOU BECOME FULL-TIME, BUT WE HAVE A LOWER LIMIT, WHICH IS ABOUT 960 HOURS, SAYING IF WE BRING ON A TEMPORARY STAFFING AGENCY AFTER 960 HOURS, THAT WORKER BASICALLY IS NOT ALLOWED TO KEEP WORKING SO THAT WE DON'T CREATE THAT INCENTIVE, UM, FOR A LOWER COST EMPLOYEE TO TAKE OVER SOMEBODY ELSE'S JOB.
AND SO THAT'S HOW THE CITY REGULATES IT.
I, UM, WE CAN LOOK AT, UM, UH, IF THE COUNCIL'S REALLY INTERESTED IN THIS ISSUE, UM, TO TRY TO, TO MANAGE THIS BALANCE, UM, LOOK AT, CONSIDER A THRESHOLD, AT WHICH POINT YOU'RE GOING TO THEN SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, TEMPORARY WORKERS, UH, BASICALLY WILL UNDER THESE HOURS, WILL BE UNDER THE CURRENT COST, AND THEN WE WILL JUMP UP TO A HIGHER THRESHOLD, UH, ONCE THEY GO ABOVE THAT AMOUNT.
AND SO I THINK THAT COULD CREATE THIS BALANCE OF MAKING SURE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE FOR LONG TERM HAVE A, HAVE THAT LONGER WAGE, BUT THEN, UH, AND NOT CREATE AN INEQUITY.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD SUGGEST YOU TAKE A LOOK AT.
AND, UM, UH, DAWN, DO YOU WANNA TALK ANY OF THE THIRD PARTY CONTRACTS OR DID WE ANSWER MOST OF THOSE QUESTIONS? SO THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MARSHY SUIT TO ANSWER THE LEGAL QUESTIONS ON THIS ISSUE WITH RESPECT TO, UM, LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR INCLUDING, UM, WAGES ON THIRD PARTY CONTRACTS.
IT COULD LEGALLY BE DONE, UM, IN TERMS OF APPLYING THE LIVING WAGE ORDINANCE TO A STAFFING AGENCY.
AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT CAN WE START DIRECTING WHO, UM, WHO THEY HIRE WHEN THEY HIRE.
UM, THAT'S NOT, IS MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, A LEGAL AREA WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH BECAUSE THAT IS NOW DIRECTING A THIRD PARTY HOW THEY WORK WITH A THIRD PARTY.
BUT RATHER WE DO RECOMMEND THAT YOU SET A, SOME AT SOME POINT TELL US WHEN YOU BELIEVE THAT THOSE, UH, TEMPORARY WORKERS SHOULD BE, UM, SUBJECT TO, TO THAT WAGE.
AND I THINK THAT COULD, THAT COULD, UM, MAYBE INCREASE COST A LITTLE BIT, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE MANAGEABLE.
UM, AND ALSO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE AND BALANCE, UH, WITH NOT CREATING THAT INCENTIVE, UH, TO HIRE, UM, OR HAVE LOWER PLATE EMPLOYEES, UH, TAKE OVER FROM, UH, FROM THE, UH, WORKERS THAT ARE THERE.
THIRD QUESTION, THE DEFINITION OF, UH, TEMPORARY WORKERS.
UM, I WILL TURN THAT OVER, UH, TO, UM, TO JOHNNY TO TALK THROUGH WHAT, UM, UH, TO TEMPORARY WORKER DEFINITION IS.
AND MARSHA, BUT I DO WANNA ADD ONE MORE POINT.
TEMPORARY WORKERS ARE NOT NECESSARILY LESS COSTLY TO THE EMPLOYER THAN, UM, UM, BECAUSE YOU, YOU PAY THE WAGE TO THE EMPLOYEE AND, UH, YOU HAVE TO PAY MARKET WAGE TO GET SOMEONE TO COME.
IF YOU DON'T PAY ENOUGH THAT SOMEBODY WILL COME, UH, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE WORKING, THEN YOU HAVE TO PAY A, UH, SURCHARGE ON TOP OF THAT TO THE STAFFING AGENCY BECAUSE THEY'RE PROVIDING A SERVICE, UH, BY CONNECTING THAT EMPLOYEE AND THEIR WAGES.
SO, UM, THEY'RE NOT SOME, THEY'RE NOT THE FIRST GO-TO FOR STAFFING OR FOR, UH, CONVENTION CENTERS.
THEY REALLY DO USE THEM FOR SUPPLEMENTAL.
IMAGINE YOU'RE A CONVENTION CENTER AND, AND ONE WEEKEND YOU HAVE 500 PERSON CONVENTION AND YOU HANDLE THAT WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR OWN STAFF.
AND THE NEXT, UH, WEEK YOU HAVE A 5,000 PERSON CONVENTION, UH, YOU ARE GONNA NEED ASSISTANCE AND YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO BE ABLE TO STAFF UP AND THEN, UH, HAVE THOSE, UH, UH, UH, TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES GO BACK, UH, TO OTHER JOBS, UH, ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION.
UH, JOHNNY IF YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE THIRD QUESTION.
UM, SO THESE TEMPORARY STAFF ARE, ARE, ARE STAFF HIRED THROUGH STAFFING OR OR EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES TO SUPPORT LARGE SCALE OR SHORT NOTICE EVENTS? SO A DEFINITION MIGHT BE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THE, THE DESCRIPTION IN THE TFF, WHICH WAS ESSENTIALLY TEMPORARY STAFF ACQUIRED THROUGH STAFFING AGENCIES WHOSE WAGES ARE SET BY THOSE STAFFING AGENCIES.
AND AS TOM POINTED OUT, UH, THE, THE CITY USES THE TEMPORARY STAFF AND, UM, SETS A A A THRESHOLD OF 960 HOURS PER YEAR.
UH, BUT I BELIEVE THERE'S ALSO A FORMAL DEFINITION WITHIN STATE CIVIL CODE THAT DEFINES AN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY.
SO YOU COULD POSSIBLY DEFINE A TEMPORARY WORKER IN THIS REGARD AS SIMPLY SOMEONE HIRED THROUGH AN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY AS DEFINED BY THE STATE CIVIL CODE.
MAYOR, IF I MAY JUST MAKE MY MOTION NOW, I KNOW MOST OF IT WAS THROUGH A
[02:10:01]
QUESTIONS ANS ANSWERED.UM, SO, OR DO YOU WANNA LET YOUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UH, SPEAK OR YOU WANNA DO IT NOW? ARE THEY ABLE TO WITHOUT ME MAKING A MOTION? YEAH.
WELL, YEAH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE LEGALLY OKAY.
WELL, MADAM ATTORNEY, WHAT DO YOU SAY? SHOULD SHE START NOW OR KEEP GOING THROUGH THE COUNCIL COMMENT? WELL, THERE'S A, A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, SO IF SHE'S GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENT MOTION, YOU CAN EITHER HAVE THE COUNCIL LIBERATION, THEN YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR MOTION OR YOU CAN DO IT NOW.
YOU GOT THE TIME TO MAKE A MOTION.
WELL, NO, I'M GONNA, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES BEFORE I, I MAKE A FINAL MOTION COUNT.
UH, LET'S SEE, WHO WAS A SECONDER HERE? ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER TI.
UM, THANK YOU, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RO UM, FOR THAT LINE OF QUESTIONING, UH, IT GOES LINE WITH THE QUESTIONS I HAD AS WELL.
UH, AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION FOR EVERYBODY WATCHING, UM, COULD STAFF JUST SUMMARIZE THE, THE, THE, THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OPTION TWO AND OPTION THREE? YES.
UH, JOHNNY, CAN YOU GO THROUGH OPTION TWO AND OPTION THREE? YOU MIGHT WANNA BRING THAT SLIDE BACK UP SO WE CAN TALK TO THAT.
CAN WE GET THE, THE TEAM IN THE BACK CAN BRING UP THE PRESENTATION.
SO THE, UM, THE MODERATE IM IMPACT SCENARIO, UM, ESSENTIALLY AT THE LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTER, UH, WOULD, UH, RECOMMEND A WAGE SCHEDULE CONSISTENT WITH MEASURE RW, UM, BUT, UH, EXCLUDE OUT THE USE OF TEMPORARY AGENCY WORKERS, UM, AT THE AIRPORT IN ORDER TO KEEP, UM, UH, IN ORDER TO HONOR THE, UM, AND RESPECT THE CURRENT CBA, UH, THAT EXISTS AT, UH, AIRPORT FOR AIRPORT EMPLOYEES.
UM, IT WOULD, UH, UPDATED WAGES WOULD NOT BE IMPLEMENTED UNTIL JULY 1ST, 2027, BECAUSE IT WOULD, UM, THEY WOULD ESSENTIALLY RESPECT, UH, THE CURRENT CBA AT THAT FACILITY.
UM, THEN OTHER THAN THAT, THE OPTIONS, UM, THE OTHER, UH, THE OTHER LANGUAGE, THE LANGUAGE, UH, THAT INCREASES OR, UM, UH, ENHANCES THE, UM, ENHANCES THE LANGUAGE IN REGARDS TO, UM, TO, UH, ENFORCEMENT, NOT ENFORCEMENT, UM, SORRY, AS I'M TRYING TO GET TO THE RIGHT PAGE HERE, MODERATE IMPACT.
SO THE, UH, THE ENSURING THE COMPLIANCE LANGUAGE, THAT'S THE SAME IN BOTH.
UM, OPTION TWO AND OPTION THREE, THE CPI INCREASES, UH, BEGINNING ON JULY 1ST, 2029, THAT REMAINS THE SAME.
THE, UH, STRENGTHENING OF THE SERVICE CHARGE LANGUAGE THAT STAYS THE SAME, AND THOSE WERE ITEMS THAT ARE ALL BROUGHT FORTH BY LANE.
UH, SO WE RESPECTED THOSE, UM, THOSE CHANGES IN, UH, BOTH OPTION TWO AND OPTION THREE.
THE REAL DIFFERENCE, UM, UH, HAS TO DO WITH, UH, IN OPTION TWO AND OPTION THREE, THERE'S TWO MAIN DIFFERENCES.
ONE IS THE, UH, THE EXCLUSION OF, UH, TEMPORARY AGENCY WORKERS AND, UH, ALSO THE WAY THAT THE, UH, THE WAGE IS IMPLEMENTED AT AIRPORT.
UH, AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, I KNOW ON SLIDE 11, UM, THERE WAS DIMENSION OF THE, THE CAP THAT THE CITY MANAGER JUST, UM, SPOKE ABOUT RE REGARDING AGENCY WORKERS.
UM, COULD YOU JUST GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ON THE REASON FOR THE 960 HOUR MARK? YEAH.
UM, SO, UH, AGAIN, NO ONE IS DOING THIS.
AND, AND, AND FROM WHAT WE CAN TELL, UH, WE ARE NO OTHER AGENCY, NO CONVENTION CENTER IS DOING THIS.
THERE REALLY ISN'T A MODEL TO LOOK AT.
UM, BUT WE'RE TAKING AND BORROWING FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCE KNOWING THAT WE'VE BEEN A UNION CITY FOR A LONG TIME AND WE HAVE LOTS OF, UM, COLLECTIVE BORROWING AGREEMENTS.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE IN THE CITY, IT'S BEEN THERE A LONG TIME, IS AT A THOUSAND HOURS YOU BECOME ENROLLED IN THE PENSION SYSTEM.
UH, AND THAT BECOMES, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CALIFORNIA STATE LAW.
SO THAT IS WHERE YOUR, YOUR BENEFITS START GOING WAY UP.
UM, AND SO WE WOULD HAVE TO ENROLL TEMPORARY AGENCY WORKERS IN THE PENSION SYSTEM AND THEN LATER AT 1600 HOURS, THAT'S WHERE MORE HEALTHCARE COMES IN, UH, IN INVOLVED IN A LOT OF OTHER GENER, UH, CITY BENEFITS.
AND SO, UM, THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THAT WE'VE, UH, FOUND PRETTY GOOD BALANCE ON.
WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH OUR, UH, WITH OUR UNIONS TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT TEMPORARY WORK, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE THE CONCERN THAT IF THEY'RE LOWER PAID THAN, THAN THE UNION WORKERS, THEN WHAT'S THE, THERE'S AN INCENTIVE FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE TO KEEP THEM.
UM, WE HAVE APPLE ONE UNTIL WE, UM, SO WE DON'T HIT THAT A THOUSAND BARRIER.
AND AT NINE 60 WE SAY THAT, UM, TO THAT, UM, TO THE STAFFING AGENCY, YOU NEED TO EITHER CANCEL THAT, THAT CONTRACT OR SEND US A DIFFERENT EMPLOYEE TO DO A DIFFERENT JOB.
WE CAN'T, UH, UM, UH, CREATE THAT, UM, THAT AREA.
SO IT REALLY IS DESIGNED TO, UM, KEEP TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES BEING TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES AND NOT PERMANENT EMPLOYEES.
[02:15:01]
AND THEN LAST QUESTION IS, HOW LONG HAVE WE HAD THAT, UH, THAT POLICY IN PLACE? OH GOSH, THAT'S AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN HERE.HOW ASK ROBERTO USED TO BE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER AND HAVE TO MANAGE IT.
IT'S BEEN HERE A LONG TIME, SO, UH, YEAH, SO IT'S A LONG TIME AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE PRECEDENCE HERE, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE AGREED TO WITH OUR, YOU KNOW, UM, ENTITIES AND IT'S BEEN WORKING.
SO THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD MODEL FOR YOU TO LOOK AT, UM, FOR, UH, FOR OTHER AGENCIES.
UM, I MEAN, I HEAR THE, THE, THE COMMENTS FROM, UM, THE, UH, FROM THE SPEAKERS TONIGHT RIGHT AROUND THE, UH, THE CONCERNS AROUND INCENTIVIZING, YOU KNOW, THE HIRING LONG TERM MM-HMM
OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LOWER WAGE, RIGHT.
AND THEN OUT-COMPETING FULL-TIME WORKERS.
UM, AND I, I DON'T THINK ANYONE HERE WANTS TO CREATE THIS KIND OF TWO CLASS SYSTEM, UM, INTERNALLY.
SO, UM, I'LL SAY THAT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT I PERSONALLY WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF, UM, IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE MAKER OF THE MOTION WAS CONSIDERING.
NEXT WE HAVE COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, VICE MAYOR YANGA.
IS THERE A, A TIME CONSTRAINT ON THIS? IS THERE A, A, UH, A, A LIMITATION THAT WE NEED TO REACH BEFORE X DATE? NO.
THERE, THERE'S NO LEGAL CONSTRAINT, BUT THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING WE'VE HEARD FROM THE GROUPS TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
SO, UH, WE WANTED TO BRING YOU THE REPORT IN NOVEMBER, AND THEN WE WAITED A LITTLE BIT TO HAVE PEOPLE BE ABLE TO SEE THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE A, A NEW COUNCIL AS WELL, UH, AND MAKE SURE OUR NEW COUNCIL HAS BEEN A PART OF THIS.
AND SO THIS WAS THE FIRST AVAILABLE DATE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE URGENCY WE WERE HEARING FROM THE GROUPS TO GET THIS, UH, IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL.
WELL, THE REASON IS THAT, BECAUSE I HAVE CONCERNS, OBVIOUSLY ABOUT WHAT'S BEING WOULD BE IN FRONT OF US.
UH, I DIDN'T HEAR ONE TESTIMONY.
OH, BY THE WAY, THANK YOU TO THE AUDIENCE FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS HEARING TODAY.
BUT I DIDN'T HEAR ONE IN FAVOR OF ANY OF THE OPTIONS.
LET'S PUT IT BACK TO, FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM STAFF, THERE APPEARS TO BE A UNWILLINGNESS TO DO THAT.
BUT MY, MY MAJOR CONCERN IS THAT THERE'S ONLY FIVE OF US HERE TODAY.
UH, THERE ARE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE ABSENT, WHO, UH, DON'T HAVE A, UH, A VOICE, IF YOU WILL, OR, UH, AN OPINION ON WHAT'S TAKING PLACE TODAY.
AND I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING FOR SOMETHING THAT AT LEAST ONE THIRD OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ABSENT.
SO WHATEVER MOTION THERE IS, I WOULD LIKE TO SUBSTITUTE IT WITH A, WITH A CONTINUANCE.
LET'S CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION.
UH, LATER ON WHEN MAYBE OUR, WE HAVE A FULL COUNCIL AND WE HAVE A FULL DISCUSSION ON THIS, ON THIS ITEM HERE.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY CONSIDERATION THIS TIME, THIS TIME.
AND I WILL POINT OUT THAT IS THE COUNSEL'S PREROGATIVE, SO THAT THE TIMING IS UP TO THE COUNSEL.
I WILL SAY THIS IS NOT OUR LAST STEP.
THIS IS ACTUALLY OUR VERY FIRST STEP.
SO THE WAY, UH, WHEN WE CREATE ORDINANCES, WE NEED TO GIVE DIRECTION TO THE ATTORNEY TO INCLUDE CERTAIN PROVISIONS.
AND SO THAT WAS THE STEP THAT WE WERE ASKING YOU TODAY IS TO START THAT.
UM, AND, AND SO THAT GETS WORKED ON, GETS BROUGHT BACK FOR A FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE.
UM, AND THAT'S WHEN EVERYONE SEES THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE OF WHAT THE LAW IS GONNA BE AND CAN COMMENT ON THE LANGUAGE.
AND THEN THERE'S A SECOND LANGUAGE.
SO THIS IS THE FIRST OF THREE STEPS? YEAH, WELL, I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE BEHOOVE STAFF AS WELL AS THE UNIONS AND ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION SO THAT WHEN WE COME BACK, WHEN IT COMES BACK TO CITY COUNCIL, WE HAVE SOMETHING MUCH MORE PALATABLE FOR EVERYBODY THAT WOULD BE, UH, UM, MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL TO VOTE ON.
AND PLUS WE HAVE A, A FULL COUNCIL.
ALRIGHT, NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER THS.
UM, THANK YOU TO THE STAFF FOR ALL THE TIME AND THE DEDICATION AND RESOURCES AND BEING ABLE TO, UH, COME UP WITH THESE SCENARIOS, UH, REGARDING SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOT TOO LONG AGO I WAS SITTING ON THE OTHER SIDE, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE, UH, HAD RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR, UH, WORKERS AND, AND GETTING READY FOR THE OLYMPICS AND THE MANY OTHER, UH, ACTIVITIES WE INTEND TO HOST OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
UM, AND I SIT HERE, UH, QUITE PROUD OF THE FACT THAT LONG BEACH IS, UM, A CITY THAT IS LEADING ON THESE ISSUES AND REALLY, UM, MAKING SURE THAT OUR WORKERS ARE, UM, ABLE TO ACCESS, UH, LIVING WAGES.
THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, UM, FOR TODAY,
[02:20:01]
I WILL TOUCH ON THREE.UM, THE FIRST IS, UH, REALLY RELATED TO ENSURING, UM, THAT WE DO NOT PUT FORTH POLICIES THAT WOULD ENCOURAGE EXCESSIVE RELIANCE ON TEMPORARY OR SUBCONTRACTED WORKERS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ISN'T AN INCENTIVE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
UM, HERE I HAVE HEARD, UH, OF A RESOURCE, UM, THAT COULD BE AVAILABLE, UM, THAT WOULD DISCOURAGE THAT IN THE FORM OF, UH, OTHER POLICIES THAT WE HAVE AT THE CITY LEVEL, UM, THAT WOULD GIVE US A MODEL THAT WE COULD UTILIZE, UM, TO ENSURE THAT THAT INCENTIVIZATION IS NOT MADE, UM, FOR, UH, THOSE SUBCONTRACTED WORKERS.
SO THAT WAS THE FIRST QUESTION, BUT I THINK UNLESS THERE ARE ANY OTHERS, THAT, THAT WAS ONE THAT I THOUGHT, UM, HELPED TO SATISFY THAT.
UM, THE SECOND WAS RELATED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WHAT, WHAT OTHER PEERS AND CONVENTION CENTERS, UM, ARE OUT THERE THAT, UM, WE MIGHT, UH, LEARN FROM OR COULD BE OUTTA STEP WITH.
UM, I CERTAINLY HEARD FROM SOME OF OUR SPEAKERS THAT LONG BEACH IS A LEADER AND IS LEADING, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE HAVE PUT FORTH REGARDING, UH, SUPPORTING OUR WORKERS.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE STAFF HAS, IT WAS NOTED THAT THERE WAS, UM, CONSIDERATION REGARDING, UM, WHAT IS HAPPENING, UH, WITH OTHER CONVENTION CENTERS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND THEN, UM, IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, TODAY, I WOULD SAY ONE AREA WHERE I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST A RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE AROUND, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EVALUATING AND MONITORING THE IMPACT OF THIS POLICY IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE'RE COLLECTING DATA, UM, AND HAVING REPORTING MECHANISMS THAT WILL BE IN PLACE TO TRACK THE IMPACT OF THE ORDINANCE, SPECIFICALLY ON WAGES, WORKFORCE COMPENSA, UH, COMPOSITION AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE.
AND SO THAT PROBABLY IS THE ONE QUESTION THAT MAYBE WE HAVEN'T SPENT AS MUCH TIME ON, UM, THAT I'D LIKE TO, UH, SEE IN, UM, THE POLICY AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
YOU WANNA RESPOND TO SOME OF THAT, TOM? YES.
UM, I, I THINK, UH, THROUGH THE DISCUSSION WE'VE KIND OF ANSWERED THE FIRST ONE, WHICH, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO HIT THAT BALANCE WHERE WE'RE NOT CREATING AN OVER-RELIANCE ON TEMPORARY WORKERS.
SO, UM, THE, UH, THRESHOLD IDEA IS WHAT WE HAVE AT THIS POINT.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE ANY OTHERS OF THAT, UH, TO SUGGEST, UH, OTHER CONVENTION CENTERS.
SO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, A SM DOES THIS KIND OF WORK IN A LOT OF OTHER CONVENTION CENTERS, SO WE KNOW THAT THEY DON'T DO THAT AT THEIR CONVENTION CENTERS.
WE ALSO DID CHECK WITH CITY OF LA AND THIS IS NOT AN EFFECT CITY OF LA FOR AGENCY WORKERS.
AND, AND JUST FROM OTHER TYPES OF RESEARCH, WE HAVEN'T SEEN THIS ANYWHERE ELSE.
SO I DO THINK WE'RE A LITTLE BIT GROUNDBREAKING ON THIS.
UM, SO BEING ABLE TO HELP SET THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HOW THIS WOULD WORK AND THEN, UM, YEAH, THAT CERTAINLY CAN BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ADDED INTO THE MOTION IS, UM, BEING ABLE TO COLLECT SOME OF THE DATA.
THIS IS A THIRD PARTY, SO, UH, WE, THERE ARE LIMITS ON WHAT WE CAN ASK A THIRD PARTY TO DO.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU PASS AN ORDINANCE, YOU CAN SOMETIMES REQUIRE, UM, SOME, SOME, UH, REPORTING OF SOME, SOME DATA TO BE ABLE TO SAY LIKE HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, HOW, WHAT YOUR WAGES WERE, WHAT KIND OF, UM, TEMPORARY STAFFING YOU USED, UM, BEYOND A A THRESHOLD, THAT TYPE OF THING.
SO IT COULD BE REEVALUATED AND IF THAT THRESHOLD IS TOO LOW, TOO HIGH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE, UH, THE COUNCIL CAN LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE.
YEAH, SO I THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR QUESTIONS AND, UM, YOUR COMMENTS AND CONCERNS THAT YOU'VE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE RAISED, OH, SORRY.
OH, SO I, I DO WANNA MAKE A MOTION.
IT'S, UM, I WANNA MAKE A REVISED MOTION IN WHAT'S ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW.
AND AS SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS ITEM LEADING THIS ITEM, I DO FEEL THAT THIS IS A PROCESS THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN EVOLVING IN THE WAY THAT WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD.
AND THIS IS PART OF, PART OF IT IS COMING TO A PLACE WHERE, UH, WE CAN REALLY ENSURE THAT WE'RE LIVING UP TO OUR LONG BEACH VALUES TO PUTTING WORKERS FIRST.
SO, AND WE'VE HEARD TOO THAT THERE ISN'T A MOTTO THAT EXISTS, SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE ALL WORKING TO FIGURE OUT TOGETHER.
SO THIS IS, MY FINAL MOTION IS BASED ON THE THREE OPTIONS PRESENTED BY STAFF FOR MODERNIZING WAGE RATES FOR LONG BEACH AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER CONCESSION WORKERS, AS OUTLINED IN STAFF'S NOVEMBER, 2024 MEMO.
I MOVE TO REQUEST THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LONG BEACH AIRPORT AND CONVENTION CENTER WORKER WAGE ORDINANCE LBMC, CHAPTER 16.60, AUTHORIZING THE MARKET PAY ADJUSTMENT SCHEDULE AND ALL OF THE ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS OUTLINED UNDER OPTION NUMBER TWO, THE MODERATE, UH, IMPACT SCENARIO, BUT WITH ONE MODIFICATION CLARIFYING THAT CITY STAFF SHOULD WORK WITH A SM
[02:25:01]
GLOBAL TO SUPPORT ANY LABOR AGREEMENT DISCUSSIONS TO INCLUDE IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION, A WAGES THAT APPROXIMATE OR EXCEED THE PROPOSED MINIMUM WAGE SCALE.SO UNDER OPTION TWO, THE WAGE SCALE WOULD APPLY TO ALL REGULAR, FULL AND PART-TIME CONCESSION WORKERS.
SO AS PART OF THE ORDINANCE REVISION, I AM REQUEST RECOMMENDING THAT TEMPORARY WORKERS WORKERS HIRED TO PROVIDE CONCESSION OPERATION THROUGH AN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY ALSO BE MADE ELIGIBLE FOR THE COMPENSATION PROVISION OF LB, SORRY, LMBC 16.6 0.040 AFTER SUCH WORKERS HAVE ACCUMULATED MORE THAN 960 HOURS DURING A SINGLE FISCAL YEAR.
SO THIS WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY'S GENERAL COMPENSATION PRACTICES WITH TEMPORARY WORKERS.
SO WE HAVE, UH, TWO MORE SPEAKERS, BUT I WANT TO CLARIFY.
SO IN OPTION TWO, IT WAS IMPLEMENT LATER AT THE END OF THE AGREEMENTS, THIS MOTION WOULD IMPLEMENT IMMEDIATELY.
BUT THERE ARE SOME LEGAL FACTORS WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THERE.
UM, SO ONE, UH, I THINK WE'VE TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT IN THE REPORT, BUT THE WAY THE ORDINANCE GOES INTO EFFECT, YOUR ABILITY TO ENACT AN ORDINANCE IS ONLY AT THE, UM, WHEN THEY AREN'T UNDER CONTRACT.
AND SO, UH, WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH A SM THAT RUNS UNTIL 2029.
SO, UH, AS I UNDERSTAND THE MOTION, THIS IS TO REQUEST THROUGH THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS WITH A SM THAT WE DON'T WAIT UNTIL 2029 THAT THAT GET IMPLEMENTED, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE COLLECTIVELY BARGAINING OR THEY ARE AT THE TABLE.
UM, AND, AND SO I THINK THE INTENT IS THAT THESE WAGES ARE WHAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN GOING INTO EFFECT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THROUGH THAT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AND NOT WAITING UNTIL THE END OF THE CONTRACT.
I DON'T THINK THIS SHOULD BE LINKED TO THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
THE ORDINANCE ITSELF SHOULD BE THE BACKSTOP PERIOD.
I THINK THE MOTION SHOULD, IF YOU'RE GONNA IMPLEMENT A MINIMUM WAGE ORDINANCE, IMPLEMENT IT.
NOW, I KNOW THAT YOU, UH, YOU'RE IN DIFFERENT AGREEMENTS AT THE AIRPORT AND THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND I SAW THE SLIDE ABOUT THE POTENTIAL INVESTMENT AT THE AIRPORT.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN COST? WE WOULD NEED TO APPROACH THAT CONTRACTOR AND WE WOULD COVER THAT DIFFERENCE.
WHAT IS THAT DIFFERENCE IN COST? YEAH.
LEMME TURN TO, UH, CYNTHIA FOR THAT ONE, BUT I DO WANNA, ON THE FIRST ONE, I UNDERSTAND THE INTENT, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO ABIDE BY THE MEYER AM MILIUS BROWN ACT.
SO IF YOU, UM, IF YOU ARE, UM, IN, IN NEGOTIATIONS, YOU CAN'T IMPOSE A WAGE, EVEN IF IT'S ONE THAT WE LIKE AND WE THINK IT'S HIGH.
UH, SO WE CAN, I, I THINK I UNDERSTAND THE INTENT, BUT YOUR RIGHT, YOUR ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT IT IS REALLY AT THE END OF THEIR CONTRACT.
BUT WE STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, OTHERWISE YOU'RE DOING AN UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE.
SO IF WE ESTABLISH, 'CAUSE WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, OUR ORDINANCE PROVISIONS IN OUR ORDINANCE ARE IN EFFECT IN DAY ONE, LESS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WAIVES THOSE PROVISIONS.
SO WE CAN PUT, CAN ASK THAT POINT THOSE TO BE IN EFFECT.
BUT DONE, AND YOU MIGHT WANNA JUMP IN HERE, THIS IS THAT WE CAN'T LEGALLY EN ENACT THAT ORDINANCE, I BELIEVE, UNTIL THEIR CONTRACT IS UP.
WE ASKED THIS QUESTION 'CAUSE THAT WAS A QUESTION IN THE REPORT.
AND SO WE ASKED THAT QUESTION, COULD IT BE IMPLEMENTED IMMEDIATELY? AND THE ANSWER CAME BACK FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY WAS YES, IT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED, BUT I MEAN, IT'S GONNA BE A COST OF IMPLEMENTING IMMEDIATELY.
WHERE DOES THAT GO? SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR ON THAT.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE AIRPORT OR THE CONVENTION CENTER? BOTH.
THE AIRPORT AND CONVENTIONS CENTER ARE TWO DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.
SO IN THE AIRPORT, WE CANNOT IMPOSE ANYTHING UNTIL 2027 AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT LIMITATION.
AND IN THE AIRPORT, IF WE, UH, IF WE REQUEST IT AT THE AIRPORT, ESSENTIALLY WE HAVE TO APPROACH THE CONTRACTOR AT THE AIRPORT AND SAY, WE'D LIKE FOR THESE WAGES TO GO IN EFFECT.
NOW, THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE IN COST.
AND IT, IT, AS, AS MENTIONED IN THE REPORT, IT'S IT'S SUBSTANTIAL COST DIFFERENTIAL.
UM, THE OTHER PIECE OF IT IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO RENEGOTIATE THE CURRENT, UH, UH, PROPOSAL THAT PARITIES HAS.
UH, THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SUBJECT TO, TO YOU ALL'S APPROVAL, COUNCIL APPROVAL.
WE WERE TO BRING IT BACK, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A MONTH OR TWO.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S IN JEOPARDY AS WELL.
BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE EXPECTATION IS.
UM, AND TO TO CORRECT IT WAS 2029, NOT 2027.
I THINK 2029 IS, IT'S NOT THE SPIRIT OF HAVING AN OLYMPICS WAGE FOR IT TO GO IN EFFECT IN 2029.
SO I THINK YOU, YOU SHOULD APPROACH BOTH AND COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL AS A PART OF IMPLEMENTATION OF YOUR ORDINANCE.
NOW, IF IT COMES BACK AND SAYS THIS IS A CHALLENGE, THEN YOU NEED TO LET THE COUNCIL KNOW THAT.
BUT THE EXPECTATION, AND I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT, IT'S ONE ARRANGEMENT AT THE AIRPORT, ONE ARRANGEMENT AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
BUT I THINK THE EXPECTATION TO BE CLEAR IS IF THE COUNSEL ADOPTS AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE A WAGE, PEOPLE GET A WAGE, NOT THEY GET A WAGE IN 2029.
[02:30:01]
SO I UNDERSTAND IT'S TWO DIFFERENT APPROACHES, BUT THAT'S THE SPIRIT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.WE UNDERSTAND THAT, AND WE BELIEVE BOTH OPERATORS UNDERSTAND THAT AS WELL.
SO JUST TO REITERATE MY UNDERSTANDING, AND THE ATTORNEY CAN, CAN, UH, CONFIRM OR HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION AT THE AIRPORT, THEY HAVE A CONTRACT THROUGH 2027, AND AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, THEY HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY THROUGH 2029.
THE, AT THE AIRPORT THOUGH, WE'RE DEALING WITH THIS, UM, NEW CONTRACT THAT IS, UH, PROPOSED FOR THE OUTSIDE CONCESSION AREA, WHICH WOULD GO INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY AND ALSO AFFECT THE ONE ON 2027.
SO THE, I THINK YOU'RE TELLING US, GO BACK AND NEGOTIATE, GET THE, GET THE OPTION B WAGES, GET THOSE DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT THEN THERE IS GONNA BE A NEGOTIATION OF COSTS THAT THE CITY'S GONNA HAVE TO WORK THAT THROUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT'S FINANCIALLY VIABLE.
AND THEN ON THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE A SM WANTS TO, THEY WANNA PAY THESE WAGES.
THEY, THEY, THEY WANNA BE A GOOD PARTNER.
UH, THEY AGREE AND SUPPORT THIS.
THEY KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE A COST.
TECHNICALLY WE CAN'T REQUIRE THEM, UH, TO DO IT BEFORE 2029.
BUT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN THIS.
THIS IS BEING COLLECTIVELY BARGAINED AT THE TABLE AND THEY WANT TO, THEY WANT TO GET THERE VERY, VERY SOON TOO.
SO I, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
SO I, I RAISED THAT TO SAY LIKE, I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN THINGS ARE BOILED DOWN TO TALKING POINTS, THE NUANCE IS LOST.
I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR HERE WHAT OUR EXPECTATION IS.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF LEGAL QUESTIONS, THAT'S WHY IT TOOK YOU A MINUTE TO DO THE REPORT AND ANALYZE THOSE THINGS.
SO THE EXPECTATION HERE, COUNSEL'S GONNA GIVE YOU SOME DIRECTION TO DRAFT AN ORDINANCE AND BEGIN IMPLEMENTATION.
SOME THINGS MAY COME IN THE FORM OF ORDINANCE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT SOME YOU HAVE TO GO TO YOUR CONTRACT CONTRACTORS AND DISCUSS.
SO WE FUND WE UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS THE COUNCIL MAKES A VOTE AND THINGS GO INTO EFFECT AND PEOPLE GET RAISES.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IMPLEMENTATION IS VERY CLEAR.
AND THAT'S OUR ROLE TO DO THAT.
BUT WE FULLY UNDERSTAND THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL WANT THIS TO HAPPEN AND THEY WANT TO HAVE WORKERS GET GOOD WAGES AND THEY WANT THAT SOONER THAN LATER.
I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, HOLIDAYS JUST PASSED.
PEOPLE NEED TO GET THEIR MONEY.
THE MEASURE PASSED IN FRONT OF THE VOTERS BACK IN MARCH.
IT'S, IT'S, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S SOME URGENCY HERE.
THE LAST THING I'LL SAY, BEFORE YOU GO BACK TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, NOW THERE'S A MOTION IN FRONT OF US.
SO YOU, YOU RAISED SOME NUMBERS.
MAYOR, CAN WE CONFIRM WE HAVE A SECOND ON THAT MOTION PLEASE.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE A SECOND? A SECOND.
SO THE OTHER THING THAT I WANNA, I WANT TO JUST RAISE AND JUST HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF DISCUSSION ON, UM, CITY MANAGER IS YOU RAISE THE ISSUE OF CONVENTION CENTER RUNNING A DEFICIT AND HOW THESE DECISIONS MAY IMPACT THAT DEFICIT.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO PUT A LITTLE BIT OF COLOR TO SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND.
UH, ONE, WE HAVE A, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE WAYS TO GENERATE MONEY TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND TWO, THE EXPECTATION HERE IS THAT CONVENTION CENTERS BREAK EVEN.
CONVENTION CENTERS ARE TYPICALLY NOT MONEY MAKERS, ARENAS ARE, AMPHITHEATERS ARE, BUT CONVENTION CENTERS ARE LOSS LEADERS.
THEY BRING PEOPLE TO THE CITY AND YOU MAKE MONEY INDIRECTLY THROUGH HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO, SHOULD THE COUNCIL MOVE FORWARD AND MAKE THIS DECISION TO IMPLEMENT THIS WITH THESE ADDITIONAL COSTS, DO YOU HAVE A PLAN TO SHORE UP THE CONVENTION CENTER TO ADDRESS THE DEFICIT? YES, WE DO.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT THERE IS SOLUTIONS IN THE 2 MILLION RANGE, UM, WHICH IS RIGHT AROUND WHERE WE'D BE TWO, 2.2 MILLION.
RIGHT? UH, OUR HESITATION, THE REASON WHY WE REALLY HAD SOME CONCERNS WITH OPTION THREE IS THAT PUTS US IN THE THREE TO $4 MILLION RANGE.
AND WE DON'T HAVE SOLUTIONS AT THAT LEVEL.
SO AT LEAST NOT IN THE SHORT TERM.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO HIT THIS FINANCIAL BALANCE.
UH, WE UNDERSTAND THE, THE POLICY AND THE INTEREST AND ALSO TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BREAK EVEN AND GET BACK TO THAT, THAT BREAK EVEN STATUS WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER AND STILL LOOK AT WAYS TO ENHANCE THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE ARENA AND AMPHITHEATER AND, AND ALL THOSE GENERATING ASSETS THAT YOU'VE ASKED US TO DO AS WELL.
SO, UH, AND ONE OF THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS WAS FOR UPDATES ON HOW THIS IS GOING.
I THINK THE CONTRACTING IS ONE ISSUE, BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING A LOOK IN THAT REPORT BACK AT THE FINANCES, AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE, UH, AND HOW YOUR IMPLEMENTATION OF YOUR PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS, THAT IT IS AT A POINT WHERE IT MAKES THE MONEY IT NEEDS TO MAKE.
LET'S MAKE SURE THAT IS A LENS ON THIS, UH, ON THIS REPORT.
WE'LL GO BACK TO THE COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR.
UM, AND NOW THERE'S EMOTION ON THE TABLE.
SO I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO SHARE THEIR STORIES TONIGHT.
THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CONVERSATION, UH, SINCE BEFORE LAST MARCH.
AND I WANNA THANK COUNCILWOMAN SORROW FOR, UM, BRINGING IT FORWARD.
AND I'M PROUD TO BE PART OF A LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT SUPPORTS AND RESPECTS DEEPLY WORKERS, UM, WHO HAS BEEN A LEADER IN THIS AREA, AS WE HAVE HEARD FROM, FROM FOLKS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
UH, I THANK MY COLLEAGUE IN D NINE FOR, UM, THE PROPOSED HOURS AND, UM, SUBSEQUENTLY ADDED TO THE MOTION BY COUNCIL ZARO.
[02:35:02]
COUNCILMANUM, I'M NOT USED TO IT EITHER.
I THINK THAT WHEN WE GET THE SLEW OF COMMENTS THAT ARE SAYING THAT THERE'S NO MORE TO THIS ITEM THAN, THAN THAN WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT HERE ON THESE THREE OPTIONS, I THINK IT RAISES A, A FLAG THAT WOULD REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT IT.
PLUS AGAIN, WE'RE MISSING ONE THIRD OF OUR COUNCIL AND, UH, I THINK THAT THEY HAVE THIS DISCUSSION VALUE ON DISCUSSION THAT THEY CAN ADD TO THIS ISSUE HERE TODAY.
SO ON THAT, IT'S IMPORTANT OF THIS MOTION.
ALL RIGHT, SO THAT SATISFIES, UH, THE REST OF THE COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCIL COMMENTS MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
[24. 24-55957 Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, and adopt resolution continuing the Zaferia Parking and Business Improvement Area assessment levy for the period of October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to extend the agreement with the Zaferia Business Association for a one-year term. (Districts 2, 3, 4) Office or Department: Economic Development Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD.CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION.
IS THIS, IS THIS A LONG HEARING? BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE FIVE MEMBERS.
I WANNA GIVE 'EM A RESTROOM BREAK IF I COULD.
'CAUSE IF ONE GOES TO THE RESTROOM, WE LOSE QUORUM.
AFTER THIS HEARING, WE'RE GONNA DO A QUICK RESTROOM BREAK AND THEN COME BACK.
WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT EACH RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD, CONCLUDE PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPT THE RESOLUTION.
CONTINUING THE ZARIA PARKING AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA ASSESSMENT LEVY DISTRICTS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR.
THERE IS AN OATH REQUIRED FOR THIS.
WILL THOSE PARTICIPATING IN THIS RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND? DO YOU AND EACH OF YOU SOLEMNLY STATE THAT THE TESTIMONY YOU MAY GIVE AND THE CAUSE NOW IMP PENDING BEFORE THIS BODY SHALL BE THE TRUTH, THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.
ALRIGHT, SEE YOU, MANAGER JULIANS WILL GIVE A STAFF REPORT.
ARVAL MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
THE S PARKING AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA, ALSO KNOWN AS A BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN 2010.
THIS ALLOWS FOR THE LEVY OF AN ANNUAL ASSESSMENT TO BE PAID BY THE BUSINESS LOCATED IN THE DISTRICT.
THE CITY CONTRACTS WITH THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, CONTRACTS WITH THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION TO MANAGE THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, AND THE SIA BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS BOARD OF DIRECTOR SERVES AS THE ADVISORY BOARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON MATTERS RELATING TO THE DISTRICT.
UH, THE STATE LAW GOVERNING THIS DISTRICT REQUIRES THAT AN ANNUAL REPORT BE APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, THE ANNUAL REPORT, AS IN OF WITH OTHER BIDS, UH, DESCRIBES THE BOUNDARIES, PROPOSE ACTIVITIES AND BUDGETARY INFORMATION, AS WELL AS THE METHOD AND BASIS OF THE CONTINUATION OF THE ASSESSMENT.
THE ANNUAL REPORT PROPOSES NO CHANGES TO THIS DISTRICT, BOUNDARIES, ASSESSMENTS, OR SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES.
STATE LAW FURTHER REQUIRES THAT A PUBLIC HEARING BE HELD ON THE PROPOSED PROGRAM AND ASSESSMENT.
UH, AT ITS DECEMBER 3RD, 2024, MEETING, CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE RESOLUTION, GRANTING APPROVAL OF THE ANNUAL REPORT, DECLARING THE INTENTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO LEVY THE ASSESSMENT AND SETS.
TODAY AS THE DAY OF PUBLIC HEARING, STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HEAR AND CONSIDER ALL PROTEST AGAINST THE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM PROGRAM BOUNDARIES OF THE AREA UNDER ANY BENEFIT ZONE AS PROPOSED IN THE ANNUAL REPORT.
THIS CONCLUDES MY STAFF REPORT.
I'M HERE TO ANSWER QUE ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, IS THERE ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, UH, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? UH, SEEING NONE, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR THOUGHT, BUT AGAIN, THERE ARE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS MISSING.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE, THAT HAVE THIS, THIS ITEM ON THE, ON THE PEOPLE.
CAN WE CONTINUE THIS? ADAM, YOU MAY CONTINUE IT.
IT'S NOT TIME SENSITIVE, I DON'T BELIEVE.
YEAH, AND THE ANNUAL REPORT HAS ALREADY BEEN PASSED BY THE, UH, COUNCIL LAST YEAR ON DECEMBER 3RD.
SO THIS IS JUST ALLOWING THE PUBLIC FOR ANY OPPORTUNITY TO PROTEST AGAINST THE ASSESSMENT.
UM, REALLY, I, I THINK WE WOULD BE OKAY TO MOVE FORWARD.
THE COUNCIL DECIDES THAT, AND THEN THIS ALLOWS THEM TO ACTUALLY, UM, UM, THIS IS SUPPORTED BY THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION SO THAT THEY CAN IMPLEMENT THEIR, UM, UH, THEIR LEVY AND COLLECT
[02:40:01]
THEIR DOLLARS THAT THEY CAN DO THEIR PROGRAMS. I, I'LL SAY, UH, VICE MAYOR, THAT THESE, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ONE.AND THEY WOULD'VE BEEN HERE, THERE WERE THINGS THAT PREVENTED THEM FROM BEING HERE, UH, THAT WERE, WE CAN'T DISCLOSE.
UH, BUT I WILL SAY, UM, THIS IS GEN, THIS IS SUPPORTED BY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WE ADVANCE, UH, WE ADVANCE THIS FOR THEM TONIGHT.
WELL, I, I THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, NORMALLY I WOULD SAY LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A PERFUNCTORY, UH, ISSUE THAT WE'VE DONE, WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE SEVERAL TIMES.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE BECAUSE OF THE, OF THE ABSENCE OF OUR MEMBERS.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THERE MIGHT BE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES WHILE, WELL, THEY ARE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHY THEY'RE NOT HERE.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND CHANGE MY, I'LL CHANGE MY, UH, MY, UH, MY MOTION.
ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE, UH, TO, TO APPROVE THE, THE RECOMMENDATION MOTION IS CARRIED.
WE'LL NOW TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS AND RESTROOM BREAK.
[02:48:44]
BACK.[02:51:08]
ALL RIGHT.UH, WE'RE GONNA CALL THE MEETING THE CITY COUNCIL BACK TO ORDER.
FOR YOU PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN THRASH OOK.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL PICK UP THE LAST FEW ITEMS. UH, ITEM 26, PLEASE LEASE REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE LONG BEACH TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA, DECLARING ITS INTENTION TO LEVY THE ANNUAL ASSESSMENT AND SETTING THE DATE OF HEARING FOR
[26. 24-55955 Recommendation to adopt resolution approving the Annual Report for October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, for the Long Beach Tourism Business Improvement Area, declaring its intention to levy the annual assessment, and setting the date of hearing for February 4, 2025. (Districts 1, 2, 4, 5) Office or Department: Economic Development Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
FEBRUARY 4TH, 2025.IS THERE A STAFF REPORT HERE? BRIEF STAFF REPORT? YES.
UH, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE LONG BEACH TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN 2005.
THIS ALSO ALLOWS FOR THE LEVY OF AN ANNUAL ASSESSMENT TO BE PAID BY THE HOTELS WITH GREATER THAN 30 ROOMS THAT ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE IMPROVEMENT AREA.
THE CITY CONTRACTS WITH THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU TO MANAGE THE TOURISM AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA, AND THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU BOARD OF DIRECTORS SERVES AS THE ADVISORY BOARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON MATTERS RELATED TO THE AREA STATE LAW GOVERNING THIS DISTRICT REQUIRES THAT AN ANNUAL REPORT BE APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
DANIEL REPORT DESCRIBES BOUNDARIES, PROPOSED ACTIVITIES, AND BUDGETARY INFORMATION, AS WELL AS THE METHOD AND BASIS FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE ASSESSMENT.
THE ANNUAL REPORT PROPOSES NO CHANGE TO THE AREA BOUNDARIES, OR THE METHOD OF LEVYING THE ASSESSMENT.
THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES WILL BE FOCUSED ON PROMOTING AND MARKETING LONG BEACH AS A DESTINATION FOR TOURIST AND CONVENTIONS.
THIS RECOMMENDATION APPROVES THE ANNUAL REPORT AND SETS THE PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR FEBRUARY 4TH, 2025.
THIS CONCLUDES MY STAFF REPORT.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
[28. 24-55974 Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending Chapter 5.77 relating to short term rentals, read 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. ]
REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY.RECOMMENDATION DECLARED AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO SHORT TERM RENTALS.
READ THE FIRST TIME AND LATE OVER THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING, CITYWIDE.
UH, CITY ATTORNEY, YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO CONTINUE THIS? UH, YES.
I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO A TOY WILSON FROM MY OFFICE.
UH, OUR, OUR OFFICE IS REQUESTING THIS ITEM TO BE WITHDRAWN AT THIS TIME.
UM, THERE IS A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE MADE AND FOR THIS ITEM TO BE PLACED BACK ON THE AGENDA FOR, UH, JANUARY 21ST.
SO WE NEED A MOTION TO CONTINUE THE JANUARY 21ST.
MR. MAYOR, IT'S JUST TO WITHDRAW THIS ITEM.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENT MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? NO.
NEXT IS LOURDES DIXON, THEN DALE DIXON, THEN CHRISELLE DOMBROWSKI.
ARE ANY OF THOSE FOLKS HERE PLEASE COME FORWARD.
[02:55:01]
WE'RE WELCOME.MY COUNCILWOMAN IS NOT HERE TO WISH HER HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUT HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE.
I'M UNDOCUMENTED, UNAFRAID, AND UNAPOLOGETIC.
I'M ALSO A DISTRICT ONE RESIDENT.
I MIGRATED TO LONG BEACH AT THE AGE OF FOUR, AND I'M, AND NOW I AM A PROUD SELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND, AND I ALSO ORGANIZE WITH THE LONG BEACH TENANTS UNION.
UH, I HAVE BEEN COMING HERE SINCE MAY OF LAST YEAR.
UM, TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, FIGHTING MY SUBSTANTIAL REMODEL EVICTION, SUBSTANTIAL REMODEL CONTINUES TO BE A, UH, THREAT TO OUR FAMILIES HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH WHO RENT.
UH, AND JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE CHANGES THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN NEGLECTING.
UH, IN MAY OF 2024, YOU VOTED TO ADDRESS THE CHANGES THAT AB 5 67, UH, BROUGHT TO THE JUST CAUSE POLICY.
AND IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS NOW AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE LOCALLY.
WE CONTINUE TO LET YOU KNOW, REX AND ALL THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, THAT THERE IS A NEED TO CLOSE THE SUBSTANTIAL REMODEL LOOPHOLE AND ALSO TO PREVENT EVICTIONS BY LIMITING EVICTIONS FOR NONPAYMENT OF RENT.
IF YOU LOOK UP, KEEP LA HOUSED, WHICH I USED TO BE THE CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR FROM, YOU WILL SEE THAT THEY HAVE A TENANT BILL OF RIGHTS PLATFORM THAT WE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, ARE VERY DESPERATE FOR.
UM, ANOTHER ONE OF OUR DEMANDS, UH, IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD BY NOW, WE TOOK TO THE STREETS ON DECEMBER 28TH, OVER A HUNDRED TENANTS IN THE CITY.
AND, UH, ADVOCATES TO REALLY ADVOCATE FOR THREE DEMANDS.
AND THE ONE, THE FIRST ONE CONTINUES TO BE CLOSING THE SUBSTANTIAL REMODEL LOOPHOLE.
UM, AND THE SECOND IS TO LIMIT EVICTIONS ON NONPAYMENT OF RENT, CREATING A
[ 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. ]
THRESHOLD SO THAT FOLKS DEALING WITH FINANCIAL CRISISES OR ANY SORT OF BURDEN LIKE COVID OR ILLNESSES COULD CONTINUE TO KEEP THEIR HOME WHILE THEY'RE DEALING WITH THEIR CRISISES.AND THE LAST ONE, THE BUS, THE BIGGEST ONE, THE ONE THAT SEEMS TO BE VERY CONTROVERSIAL TO THIS, UH, BOARD OR COUNCIL, UH, RENT STABILIZATION AT A TWO TO 3%.
IT'S NOTHING SHORT OF WHAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY REALLY NEED.
WELCOME TO THE, TO THE COUNCIL.
I I WAS ACTUALLY IN A COHORT WITH YOU FOR THE CALIFORNIA POLICY IN 2020.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY YOU BRING SOME KNOWLEDGE OR SHARE SOME KNOWLEDGE ON, UH, RENTER PROTECTIONS TO REALLY STABILIZE OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE WANT TO STABILIZE OUR HOMES SO THAT OUR COMMUNITIES CAN BE STABLE, AND SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO FIGHT AGAINST DEPORTATIONS AGAINST, UH, YOU KNOW, ED MAKING BETTER OUR EDUCATION FOR OUR CHILDREN, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
IN THE LAST 15 SECONDS, I REALLY HOPE THAT THE COUNCIL IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO, UH, TAKES AN ACTION ON THIS.
IT, THE, THE TIMELINE WAS JANUARY.
AND SO I HOPE SOME CHANGES WILL COME OTHERWISE, UM, COMMUNITY WILL BEGIN TO ORGANIZE MORE DIRECTLY AND BY DIRECTLY, I MEAN, UH, HERE AND IN YOUR HOMES.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER IS NICK.
WHAT'S GOING ON GUYS? I FEEL LIKE I COULD PROJECT WITHOUT THE MICROPHONE.
ARE WE GOOD? WE GOOD? OH, THE MIC IS GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING WHO AREN'T HERE.
ALRIGHT, WELL, WITH RESPECT TO THE COUNCIL, I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY HERE FOR STICKING AROUND THROUGH SUCH A LONG SESSION.
THERE'S, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT VALUE AND DIVERSITY HERE.
AND, UM, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT I REALLY WANNA SPEAK TO AS WELL AS YOU.
SO, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF WHO I AM.
I'M A FOURTH GENERATION CALIFORNIAN.
MY VALUES, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AWARE OF ANY RAVERS HERE, PLU, PEACE, LOVE, UNITY, RESPECT.
BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO, UH, SAY I BELIEVE IN FREEDOM THROUGH TRANSPARENCY.
UM, FOURTH GENERATION, MY GRANDFATHER, GREAT-GRANDFATHER ON ONE SIDE, SAN JOAQUIN CATTLE RANCHER.
SO GRANDMOTHER, SO POOR, SHE MADE HER OWN WEDDING DRESS.
GERMAN AUSTRIAN JEWS WHO LEFT IN THE EARLY FORTIES, CAME HERE TO ESCAPE.
ABOUT 60, 80 OF MY RELATIVES DID NOT MAKE IT.
UM, AND WHAT MY GRANDFATHER DID IS HE JOINED THE NAVY AND HE WAS PART OF THE RADAR, RADAR INTELLIGENCE THAT HELPED US WIN THE WAR.
SO, UM, THAT IS KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF WHO I AM.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'M IN, I'M A HUMAN AND I HAVE FEELINGS, AND I JUST KIND OF WANNA LOOK AROUND HERE AND JUST BY SHOW OF HANDS, TO SEE THAT WE'RE ALL ADULTS HERE, AND THAT WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND LOOK PAST POLITICAL AFFILIATION, NO MATTER WHO YOU VOTED FOR, THAT WE COULD ALL WORK TOGETHER TO FIX
[03:00:01]
OUR CITY.SHOW OF HANDS, ANYBODY, ANYBODY SHOW OF HANDS, NO MATTER WHO YOU VOTED FOR.
I'M A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN.
I'VE STUDIED PHILOSOPHY, ECONOMICS, COMPUTER SCIENCE.
I'VE RUN 5 0 1 C THREES, DONE COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
I'M ON THE GROUND MAKING CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT EVEN QUALIFIED FOR TAX BRACKET, MAKING CIRCLES AROUND THE LONG BEACH, ALONG THE LONG BEACH LIBRARY, TRYING TO FIND COMMUNITY LEADERS WITHIN IT, WITHIN THAT, AS WELL AS THOSE IN THE IVORY TOWERS.
OKAY, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR THE RESIGNATION OF MARY'S AND DEJAS.
CLEARLY SHE'S NOT PUTTING THE PUBLIC IN FRONT OF HERSELF.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE GONE PAST THE BROADWAY PARK AREA AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
CLEARLY THERE'S SOME HOMEOWNER IN A CRISIS.
IT SAYS, WELCOME TO THE S**T SHOW SINCE CHRISTMAS.
GUYS, I WANT TO NOT JUST BRING PROBLEMS, BUT OFFER A SOLUTION.
I HEAR SO MUCH FEAR ABOUT, I, LIKE I CAME FROM AN IMMIGRANT, LIKE, I'M SO SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT ALL OF THIS PAIN AND THIS FEAR THAT THESE GUYS, AND I MAY BE THE ONLY MAGA WHO'S DEEPLY INVOLVED WITHIN THE MAGA COMMUNITY.
I'M TALKING TO PEOPLE ON THE EAST COAST HAVE GONE THROUGH ALL THE CRISIS AND STUFF, AND THERE'S A GIANT MISCONCEPTION I WOULD LOVE TO OFFER MY SERVICES.
THANK YOU TO EDUCATE AND BE, SIR, YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED.
ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS TO ELIMINATE THE FEAR.
I, I SAY I'M HERE FOR YOU GUYS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY, SIR.
AND YOUR INSTAGRAM IS CUTE AND YOU SHOULD NOT POST THINGS DURING COUNSEL.
BY THE WAY, REX AND I CHALLENGE YOU TO A HEADS UP CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WRONG THAT IS.
OUR NEXT, UH, SPEAKER IS CIO, UH, JULIA.
I'D LIKE TO WORK TOGETHER PART, IT'S NECESSARY.
UM, UM, TAGGING OFF OF THE S**T SHOW.
UM, YEAH, MY PLACE GOT HIT BY SOMEBODY OUTTA CHEVRON.
UM, UH, THERE'S EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE I HAVE BEEN KIND OF THROUGH THE YEARS, FELT TARGETED, UM, HEALTH ISSUES THAT ACTUALLY STEM FROM A STOLEN MOLAR.
AND THAT DENTIST, SHE'S STILL IN PRACTICE IN CALIFORNIA.
AND, UM, SPEAKING OF CALIFORNIA, THERE WAS A DENTIST SHOT AND KILLED BENJAMIN ROONEY IN EL CAJON SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY LAST YEAR.
UM, BUT I MIGHT GO YELL AT HER, UM, IN THE COMPANY OF MY RELATIVES BECAUSE WHEN YOU WEAKEN SOMEONE'S ORAL HEALTH BY PULLING THEIR MOLARS WHEN IT'S NOT NECESSARY, SHAME ON ME.
ALSO FOR NOT GETTING A SECOND OPINION.
IT CAN HAVE AN EFFECT ON SOMEONE'S, UM, COGNITIVE ISSUES OR ABILITIES TO MAKE DECISIONS BE DECISIVE.
MENTAL HEALTH IS BASICALLY INVITED AND THEN STAYING BUSY, MAYBE BECOMING A WORKAHOLIC, UM, NOT GETTING AROUND TO GET DENTAL TEETH FIXED.
SO THEN, UM, A PERSON CAN GET HATED ON IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I FEEL THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ME.
BUT I HAVE TO BE PATIENT AND LOVING.
I WILL NEVER HURT ANYONE IN MY COMMUNITY OR THAT DENTIST, BUT I HAVE A LOT OF PICKING UP TO DO.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
UM, I KIND OF DIDN'T WANNA GET INTO IT THIS DEEPLY BECAUSE THERE IS HAVE TO COUNSEL MISSING, BUT, UH, YEAH, I, UH, I'VE MET A LOT OF SOULS, UM, IN MY WEST SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND, UH, IF I HAVE ISSUES, I THINK I'VE MET PEOPLE WHO HAVE GREATER ISSUES.
SO I'M WONDERING WHAT, UM, WHAT KIND OF DENTAL CARE THEY HAD IN THEIR YEARS.
UM, UM, SO PEOPLE WITH PROMS OUT THERE, HOMELESSNESS, IT'S NOT ALWAYS DRUG ABUSE, IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABUSIVE FATHERS.
THERE'S OTHER, UM, THERE'S OTHER, UM, CIRCUMSTANCES THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED AT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE AT AN AGE WHERE WE NEED MORE COLLABORATION AND, AND COLLUSION BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, SOCIAL WORKERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, AND JUST A PLAIN, UM, BASIC HUMAN BEING COMMITTEE MEMBERS LIKE NICK.
UM, AND, UH, AND, AND, AND SO I THINK, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
I ACTUALLY DIDN'T WANT TO GET INTO IT THAT MUCH.
I HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO AT MY SPOT.
UH, GO CLEAN UP OTHER PEOPLE'S TRASH.
UM, BECAUSE APPARENTLY, UM, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT ISN'T TEACHING, UM, UM, OUR YOUTH HOW TO PROCESS GARBAGE.
[03:05:01]
IT'S JUST TEACHING A LOT OF US HOW TO BE CONSUMERS.UM, SO WITH THAT, I THANK YOU AND LET'S, UH, LET'S HAVE A, A GOOD HAPPY PROGRESSIVE 2025.
AFTER LOURDES IS DALE, IS IT OKAY IF I SPEAK FIRST? SURE.
UM, DEAR SEATED COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'M SPEAKING OUT TO EXPRESS THE PRESSING CONCERNS REGARDING UNPERMITTED VENDORS WHOSE PRESENCE IS SEVERELY UNDERMINING THE LIVELIHOOD OF THOSE OPERATING AT SHORELINE VILLAGE AND THE CARTS OF RAINBOW HARBOR, AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING RESTAURANTS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES.
THESE UNAUTHORIZED VENDORS HAVE TAKEN OVER VALUABLE SPACE ALONG AQUARIUM WAY, DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HOOTERS AND BUBBA GUMP SHRIMP COMPANY.
THEY ARE DIVERTING SIGNIFICANT REVENUE AWAY FROM THE LEGITIMATE SMALL VENDORS AT CART OF RINGO HARBOR, WHO PAY SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS IN RENT, GROSS PERCENTAGE AND INSURANCE.
MEANWHILE, SHORELINE VILLAGE HOLDS THE PROPER PERMITS AND PAYS A PREMIUM TO OPERATE LEGALLY WHILE THESE VENDORS ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF OPERATING RENT FREE.
MOREOVER, THESE UN PERMITTED VENDORS ARE EXEMPT FROM ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS SUCH AS BUSINESS LICENSES, INSURANCE, AND THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION, ALL OF WHICH ARE MANDATED BY THE CITY.
THIS IS NOT, THIS NOT ONLY PLACES COMPLIANT VENDORS AT A DISADVANTAGE, BUT ALSO NEGATIVELY IMPACTS SURROUNDING RESTAURANTS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES WHO, WHO RELY ON TIPS FOR EX FOR A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THEIR INCOME.
THIS, YOU KNOW, QUALITY IS FUNDAMENTALLY UNFAIR.
THESE VENDORS CAN CIRCUMVENT THE RULES WHILE PROFITING, WHILE PROFITING.
WHY SHOULD LEGITIMATE OPERATORS CONTINUE TO SHOULDER THE FINANCIAL BURDEN? COMPOUNDING THIS ISSUE, MANY OF THESE VENDORS LEAVE THE STREET AND SIDEWALK IN A DISRESPECTFUL CONDITION, LITTERED WITH TRASH, HOT DOG, WATER, AND OTHER RESIDUES, WHICH TARNISHES THE IMAGE OF OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY.
THERE HAS ALSO BEEN INCREASED HOSTILITY AMONG SOME VENDORS, INCLUDING A DISTURBING INCIDENT WHERE ONE OF THE VENDORS THREATENED THOSE AT CARTS OF RAINBOW HARBOR CLAIMING TO HAVE A GUN.
IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT SUCH BEHAVIOR CONTINUES UNCHECKED AND THE INACTION OF THE CITY.
AND MAYOR REX RICHARDSON ON THIS MATTER IS DE DEEPLY TROUBLING.
OUR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AT SHORELINE VILLAGE IS UNFORTUNATELY HANDCUFFED IN THEIR ABILITY TO ENFORCE CITY REGULATIONS.
THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN NEGLECTED FOR FAR TO LONG.
IT HAS ESCALATED INTO A CRISIS SINCE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC VENDORS SELLING TOYS, CLOTHING, AND FOOD ARE SQUATTING RENT FREE IN PRIME LOCATIONS, MOST LIKELY WITHOUT PERMITS, THE CITY NEEDS TO ENFORCE THE EXISTING ORDINANCE AS STATED IN PRESS RELEASE NUMBER 0 1 2 9 2 4.
VENDORS ARE PROHIBITED FROM OPERATING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY OR AT CITY OWNED FACILITIES LEASED BY ANOTHER AGENCY, INCLUDING, SO YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED.
GOOD EVENING TO ALL THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR RICHARDSON.
UM, AND I'M HERE IN BEHALF OF, UH, THE SAME TOPIC THAT MY SON WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
[03:10:01]
UNFORTUNATELY, UH, DISTRICT ONE, REPRESENTATIVE ZEN IS NOT HERE.UM, BUT WE HAVE TALKED TO HER CLOSE TO A MONTH AGO ABOUT THIS ISSUE, I THINK.
AND I SPOKEN TO, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, LYNN WARD.
AND THEY'RE OVERLOOKING THE, THE SITUATION AND SHE'S NOT AWARE OF THAT AREA, UH, WHERE THE HOG DOGS AND THE ICE CREAM VENDORS ARE.
IT'S JUST FOR UNLOADING AND LOADING AREA ZONE ONLY.
AND THEY ARE DISTRIBUTING, UH, THEIR PRODUCT WITHIN THE AREA OF LONG BEACH PEOPLE.
LANDING, PARKING, LANDING STORE P LANDING.
ONE OF THEM WAS PEOPLE LANDING LOCATED BY P LANDING STORE IN THE PARKING, IN THE PARKING IN THE PARKING LOT.
AND THEY'RE ALWAYS, UH, PARKED IN A RED ZONE AND THEY DON'T PAY ANY TYPE OF RENT OR, UH, PARKING PERMITS OR ANY OF THE SORT.
AND OTHERS ARE ALSO LOCATED IN THE AREA WHERE HOOTERS IS, OR, UM, THAT AREA OR SO UHHUH AND PARKING, PARKING AQUARIUM.
WE'RE ALSO NOTICING THEY ARE LOCATING, RELOCATING IN THE, UH, PARKING, PARKING AREA OF THE, THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE AQUARIUM.
MANY OF THE VENDORS, UH, MANGOS, CHURROS, AND HURRO, UH, PAPITAS CHE.
AND THEY'RE SELLING VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF MERCHANDISE AND THEY'RE TAKING UP THE WHOLE SPACE.
AND THERE SHOULD BE SOME, THEY SHOULD BE IN COMPLIANCE AS FAR AS A SPACE OF, UH, THE, UH, THE VENDORS AND, UH, ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THEY SHOULD GIVE.
AND WE PAY, UM, THE AREA IN THE SHORELINE, UH, WE PAY FOR THAT AREA.
UH, AND WE HAVE SUFFERED A SIGNIFICANT MONETARY LOSS EVER SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN COMING TO THAT AREA.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ADD AS WELL THAT THE RESTROOMS ARE, UH, KEPT ENCLO IN THE BACK.
THERE'S ONLY TWO OF THEM THAT ARE OPEN HOMELESS, AND THE OTHER THREE ARE OCCUPIED BY HOMELESS WHO ARE LIVING INSIDE.
AND ONE OF THE HOMELESS HAS CAUSED A LOT OF VANDALISM.
AND WE HAVE NOT DONE A REPORT TO THE POLICE DUE TO THE MINOR SCALE OF, OF THE INCIDENT.
BUT THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE A LONG SOME TIME, AGAIN, WE'RE ASKING FOR OUR PETITION TO BE LOOKED AT, AND IF SOMEBODY COULDN'T PASS BY EITHER SATURDAY OR SUNDAY AND LOOK AT THE SITUATION, YOU CAN SEE, UM, ALL THE COVERAGE, UH, IN THE AQUARIUM AREA.
AND YOU CAN ALSO, UH, TAKE A NOTE OF THE SITUATION THAT'S GOING ON IN THE RESTROOMS. DECEMBER, ON DECEMBER 31ST, WE
[03:15:01]
WORKED UNTIL VERY LATE AND PEOPLE WERE, UH, WAITING IN LINE AND THERE WAS ONLY TWO RESTROOMS AVAILABLE.LANDING AS WELL AS THE SIDE OF WHERE P PORT LANDING WAS.
THERE WAS A HUGE LINE, SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE FOR, UH, THE LOCAL PEOPLE AND VISITORS WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE THE BEST SERVICE FOR LOCAL PEOPLE AND TOURISTS AS, AS WELL.
UH, MISS MRS. DIXON AND MR. DIXON.
YOU GUYS HAVE COME, UH, TO THE COUNCIL A FEW TIMES ON THIS ISSUE.
THERE HAS BEEN SOME PROGRESS, EVEN AS, AS LIKE TODAY WAS LIKE A TRAINING ON SOME OF THE VENDOR STUFF.
I'M GONNA ASK WHOEVER THE CITY MANAGER ON DUTY, UH, MAKE SURE THAT YOU CONNECT WITH MR. DIXON AND MRS. DIXON ABOUT SOME OF THE UPDATES AND MAKE SURE THEY KNOW ABOUT HOW TO THE REPORTING MECHANISMS SO AT LEAST SOME PROGRESS CAN BE MADE.
GRA ALL RIGHT, OUR LAST SPEAKER IS CHRISELLE DKI.
WELL THAT CONCLUDES, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE'LL NOW GO TO OUR CLOSING, UH, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ADJOURNMENT.
UH, VICE MAYOR DURANGO WOULD LIKE, UH, TO, UH, BEGIN.
[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
THANK YOU, MAYOR.UH, TONIGHT I HAVE THE HONOR, UH, CLOSING TONIGHT'S MEETING FOR TWO INDIVIDUALS.
ONE, I HAVE A LETTER FROM COUNCIL MEMBER.
OH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CHRISTINA DUGAN.
THANKS, WHOSE MOTHER REASONABLY PASSED AWAY, AND I'M GONNA READ HER LETTER.
I WANT TO DEDICATE TONIGHT'S MEETING TO MY MOTHER LEADING RAUS, BORN ON SEPTEMBER 22ND, 1942.
SHE PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY AT HOME, SURROUNDED MY FAMILY.
ON DECEMBER 21ST, 2024, SHE WAS RECEDED IN DEATH BY HER SON, RICHARD, AND HER HUSBAND ROBERT RASMUSSEN.
SHE HAD SURVIVED BY HER THREE DAUGHTERS, THERESA, CHRISTINA, ANTONIO, TWO SONS-IN-LAW, MATT AND RYAN, AND FOUR AMAZING GRANDCHILDREN, SHANNON, MATTHEW GRAYSON, AND SIENNA.
MY MOTHER WATCHED COUNCIL MEETING AND WOULD CALL ME THE NEXT DAY TO ASK QUESTIONS.
SHE SPENT TIME KNOWING WHAT WAS GOING ON IN MY WORK.
I WILL ALWAYS CHERISH THE BLANKET SHE DID FOR ME, FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS BECAUSE I SAID I WAS COLD ON THE DANCE.
LENA WAS THE KINDEST, MOST LOVING PERSON I HAVE KNOWN.
SHE RAISED FOUR CHILDREN WHILE WORKING AT THE PHYSICAL THERAPIST AID, AND IT STARTED ON ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY, WHICH SHE RAN SUCCESSFULLY FOR OVER A DECADE.
AS SOON AS GRANDCHILDREN WERE ON THE HORIZON, SHE'S TOLD HER BUSINESS TO FOCUS ONCE AGAIN ON FAMILY.
I WILL MISS MY MOTHER AND THE LIGHT SHE BROUGHT TO THE WORLD WITH HER SMILE AND HER POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER HER SAYING THAT SHE, HER GOAL WAS TO RAISE LOVING AND KIND HUMANS WHO ARE GOOD CITIZENS.
MY FAMILY ALWAYS THRIVES FOR THAT GOAL.
I WANNA THANK CHRISTINA FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON HER BEHALF.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IS THAT LOSING THE PARENT CAN BE A MAJOR LOSS AND YOU FEEL ALONE.
I WANT CHRISTINA TO KNOW THAT WE HERE ON THE DAYS IN THE CITY ARE HER EXTENDED FAMILY, AND WE WISH TO GIVE HER OUR CONDOLENCES.
ALSO, TONIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE AND REMEMBRANCE OF ESCHEN AND BELOVED AND CHERISH ADVOCATE OF THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY IN LONG BEACH ARTS AND MINES ISSA, WHO PASSED AWAY DECEMBER 30TH, 2024, EITHER WAS CO-OWNER OF THE ME ROOM, EACH SALON, THEN HE
[03:20:01]
SHARED FOR HIMSELF AND HIS SISTER JOSIE.HE HAD BEEN A LONG ATTACK COMMUNITY MEMBER FOR THE MASS DECADE OF THE LONG OF THE, OF THE BUSINESS.
AND, AND THE STRONG ADVOCATE IN THE IQ COMMUNITY.
HE HAS SURVIVED BY HIS MOTHER AND ROCIO FATHER HECTOR, TWO SISTERS, MANNA AND JOSIE, THREE NEPHEWS, A ABRAHAM, JANE, NATHAN, AND NIECE EVELYN, WHICH CENTER INDULGENCES SUPPORT TERESA'S FAMILY AND THE BROADER LONG BEACH COMMUNITY DURING THE
AND ALSO ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I KNEW HIM PERSONALLY.
HE AND JOSIE REFERRED TO US, TONY, MY WIFE AND I AS TIO UNCLES, AUNTIE AND TIA, UH, AUNTIE.
IT'S A TRAGEDY THAT OUR YOUNG MAN, SO HANDSOME, SO MUCH TO GIVE TO THE COMMUNITY, HAD TO PASS AWAY THIS WAY.
SO FOR HIM AND ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY TO HIS AND THE CITY FAMILY, WE WISH 'EM, WE WISH THE, THE FAMILY WELL.
CONDOLENCES ON, ON THE DEATH OF A LITTLE TIMELINESS OF M.
UH, NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SOTE.
UH, AND THANK YOU, UM, VICE MAYOR ORANGA, UM, FOR SHARING THAT I ALSO SHARE, UM, AND GIVING MY CONDOLENCES TO THOSE FAMILIES.
UM, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF, UM, ANNOUNCEMENTS I'D LIKE TO MAKE.
UH, I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UM, EVERYONE OUT TO THE NAM NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 9TH, UM, FROM SIX TO 7:00 PM UH, THIS WILL BE AT THE TERIYAKI GRILL LOCATED AT 1230 EAST ARTESIA.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE, UH, I'D LIKE TO INVITE PEOPLE OUT TO A COUPLE EVENTS WE'RE HAVING AT THE MICHELLE OBAMA LIBRARY.
UH, THE FIRST IS ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 11TH.
SO IT GOES, UM, WE'LL BE HELD FROM JANUARY 11TH ON JANUARY 11TH FROM 12 TO 1:00 PM AT THE MICHELLE OBAMA LIBRARY, WHICH IS AT 58 70 ATLANTIC AVENUE, UM, AS WELL AS THE ILL SOCIAL CLUB, UM, WHICH WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 14TH FROM FOUR TO EIGHT, FOUR TO 5:00 PM.
UM, IF YOU'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ANY OF THESE EVENTS, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE AT 5 6 2 5 7 0 6 1 3 7, OR DISTRICT9@LONGBEACH.GOV.
COUNCIL MEMBER KERR? YES, UH, COLLEAGUES, I ASK THAT WE ADJOURN ALSO IN THE MEMORY OF NIKKI RASH, A FIFTH DISTRICT RESIDENT WHOM WE LOST SATURDAY AFTERNOON, JANUARY 4TH.
ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26TH, MRS. RASH WAS CRITICALLY INJURED IN A HIT AND RUN COLLISION AT CALIFORNIA AND SAN ANTONIO.
JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM HER HOME.
SHE WAS A VITAL MEMBER OF HER COMMUNITY, A CHERISHED MOTHER, WIFE, FRIEND, AND NEIGHBOR, AS WELL AS A DEDICATED VOLUNTEER WITH THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LABRADOR RETRIEVER RESCUE.
FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS, MRS. RASH RESCUED TWO DOGS THROUGH S-C-L-R-R AND TOOK THEM REGULARLY TO VISIT PATIENTS AT THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF LONG BEACH AND LONG BEACH MEMORIAL, WHERE SHE SPENT HER OWN FINAL DAYS IN EXPERT CARE BEFORE PASSING WITH HER THERAPY DOG BY HER SIDE.
AS LBPD CONTINUES TO SEARCH FOR THE SUSPECT IN THIS ONGOING INVESTIGATION, I'M HOPEFUL FOR A RESOLUTION OF JUSTICE AND SOME SENSE OF PEACE FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY THIS TRAGEDY.
NIKKI HAS SURVIVED BY HER HUSBAND, CHILDREN, AND MANY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, AND THE CAL HEIGHTS COMMUNITY.
MAY WE TAKE A MOMENT TO REMEMBER NIKKI RUSH AS WE OFFER OUR DEEP CONDOLENCES TO HER FAMILY AND LOVED ONES.
YES, MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCE TO THE, THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYBODY ABOUT THE ANNUAL MLK PARADE IN CELEBRATION COMING UP ON JANUARY 18TH.
UH, WE ALWAYS KICK OFF THE PARADE AT 10:00 AM AT MLK AVENUE AND ANAHEIM STREET FOLLOWING WITH A CELEBRATION AT THE MLK PARK.
SO PLEASE SAVE THE DATE SATURDAY, JANUARY 18TH.
COUNCIL MEMBER CURRY, DID YOU QUEUE UP AGAIN? I DID.
UH, I JUST WANNA INVITE SOME FOLKS OUT TO SOME EVENTS HERE IN, UH, DISTRICT FIVE.
YOU'RE INVITED TO VISIT RANCHO CERRITOS FOR THEIR FREE MONTHLY BIRD WALK ON THURSDAY MORNING, JANUARY 9TH AT 8:00 AM UH, YOU CAN JOIN NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS AND LEARN ABOUT LOCAL WILDLIFE WHILE WANDERING THE HISTORIC RANCHO GROUNDS.
THEN ON FRIDAY, I INVITE YOU TO VISIT WILLOW SPRINGS PARK FOR RESTORATION FRIDAYS ON JANUARY 10TH FROM TWO TO FOUR.
AND FINALLY ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 11TH, I INVITE YOU TO VISIT PARKVIEW VILLAGE ON VIKING WAY FOR THEIR MONTHLY SECOND SATURDAY'S BLOCK PARTY FROM 11
[03:25:01]
TO THREE.UH, COUNCILWOMAN, ANYTHING? OKAY, WELL, I WANNA, UH, CLOSE THE MEETING AND, UH, I WANNA THANK, UH, ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
I WANNA THANK THE CITY COUNCIL.
I ALSO WANT TO JUST, UH, EXPRESS MY, MY THOUGHTS, UH, WITH THE FAMILY OF COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, WHO COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT.
AND IT WAS ANNOUNCED, UH, WHY WE, WE CERTAINLY, OUR HEARTS AND OUR PRAYERS AND OUR THOUGHTS ARE YOU, WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
AND WE KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN SOME MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY IN THESE LAST FEW WEEKS.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN HARD ON A LOT OF FOLKS, SO WE CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'RE ALL MEMBERS OF THIS LONG BEACH COMMUNITY.
UH, AND WE CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
AND SO WHEN THESE THINGS HAPPEN, UH, WE HEAR ABOUT IT, WE KNOW ABOUT IT, AND, AND, AND WE TRY TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO WRAP OUR ROUNDS ARMS AROUND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I WANNA WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I WILL SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY AT THE TERRACE THEATER FOR OUR ANNUAL STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS.
THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.