[00:01:21]
ARE YOU READY? YOU READY? READY.UH, WARN ABOUT A PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
[CALL TO ORDER]
COUNCILWOMAN SANJA.COUNCILMAN ANA COUNCILWOMAN KERR.
[ROLL CALL]
SORROW, VICE MAYOR URANGA PRESENTING COUNCILWOMAN TRASH TECH.FOR THE RECORD, THE MAYOR IS PREPARING FOR THE, THE STATE OF THE CITY THIS EVENING, SO HE WILL NOT, UH, BE HERE, BUT EVEN BE TALKING TO ALL OF US LATER ON THIS EVENING.
AND NOW WE HAVE A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
WE HAD A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO BE LED BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR.UM, AND BEFORE WE BEGIN, UH, I'D LIKE TO INVITE ALL OF US TO TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
WE REFLECT AND HOLD IN OUR HEARTS, THE FAMILIES, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF MY OWN FAMILY WHO HAVE BEEN DEEPLY IMPACTED BY THE FIRES THAT HAVE UPENDED SO MANY LIVES.
LET US PAUSE TO HONOR THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED LOSS, LOSS OF PERSON, LOSS OF PROPERTY, AND THOSE WHO ARE BRAVELY RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS, INCLUDING OUR CITY FAMILY FROM LONG BEACH AND ALL WHO ARE WORKING TOWARDS THE RECOVERY.
MAY WE CARRY COMPASSION AND HOPE FORWARD AS WE THINK OF THOSE IN NEED.
AND NOW LET'S BEGIN OUR MOMENT OF SILENCE.
NOW I INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN ME IN RECITING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE STAND IF YOU'RE ABLE TO DO SO.
AND IF YOU'RE UNABLE TO DO SO, UH, PLEASE JOIN US AS WE RESPECT AND UNITY OUR PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING, SO, UM, CAN I HAVE A MOTION FOR THE, UH, CONSENT CALENDAR? OR DOES ANYBODY WANNA PULL AN ITEM ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR? NO.
WHICH ITEM IS THAT? ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
GO AHEAD THE VOTE, VOTE ON THE, UH, REMAINING ITEMS, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO VOTE FOR ON THE ITEM FOUR.
THERE WAS NO PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS ITEM.
YOU COULD GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE.
[00:05:01]
CARRIES.UH, YOU WANT TO DISCUSS ITEM NUMBER FOUR? COUNCIL MEMBER RICK? UH, YES.
I THINK WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
YES, WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING THAT PERSON.
I THINK THEY'RE IN THE BACK COMING UP RIGHT NOW.
[4. 25-53970 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary documents and any subsequent amendments, including amending the award amounts, with the Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office of Los Angeles, California, to accept and expend funding in a total amount not to exceed $150,000, for a one-year period, at the discretion of the City Manager, for the Interjurisdictional Collaborative Program in the City of Long Beach. (Citywide) Office or Department: Health and Human Services Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, CAN I JUST CONFIRM THE VOTE ON THAT LAST ONE? I THOUGHT IT SAID FIVE VOTES, BUT THERE'S SIX COUNCIL MEMBERS.CAN YOU VOTE? OH, THERE SHE GOES.
REPORT FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS WITH THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF LOS ANGELES TO ACCEPT AND EXPEND FUNDING IN A TOTAL AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED $150,000 FOR THE INTER-JURISDICTIONAL COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH CITYWIDE.
YEAH, I WAS JUST HOPING THAT, UH, HEALTH COULD DO, UH, OUR DIRECTOR.
COULD YOU JUST GIVE US A LITTLE BRIEF, UM, REPORT ON WHAT THIS ITEM IS? AND THEN I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE, THE, THE PUBLIC UNDERSTOOD.
UH, THIS IS THE, YOU KNOW, JURISDICTIONAL COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM THAT IS A STRATEGIC INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO ENHANCE COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN VARIOUS LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, DEPARTMENTS, AND JURISDICTIONS WITHIN LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
THE PROGRAM AIMS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN A MORE INTEGRATED AND SYSTEMATIC MANNER BY FOSTERING MULTI-AGENCY AND MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL COOPERATION.
COUNCIL APPROVAL IS REQUESTED HERE TODAY TO APPROVE AND EXPEND THESE GRANT FUNDS TO OPERATE THE INTERJURISDICTIONAL COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM VIA A NEW AGREEMENT WITH THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CEO.
HOWEVER, THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF AN EXISTING IMPLEMENTATION.
THIS PROGRAM WILL ASSIST UNSHELTERED PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THAT ARE RESIDING IN PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAYS WITHIN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
THE CITY HAS OPERATED SIMILAR PROGRAMS IN PRIOR YEARS, UH, AND IS SEEKING TO CONTINUE THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
SERVICES ARE DELIVERED IN THE FIELD THROUGHOUT VARIOUS LOCATIONS.
STAFF SUPPORTED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM WILL ASSIST AND ENGAGE PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION.
THE CITY HAS OPERATED SIMILAR PROGRAMS IN PRIOR YEARS AND IS SEEKING, UM, TO WORK CON ONGOING, UH, AS A LIAISON, AND WE'LL COLLABORATE WITH HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU, OUTREACH STAFF, RESTORATIVE ENGAGEMENT TO ACHIEVE COLLECTIVE HEALTH, WHICH IS OUR REACH TEAM, THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE QUALITY OF LIFE TEAM, OUR MENTAL EVALUATION TEAM, AND LONG BEACH PD, METRO SECTION, AND LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT ENTITIES.
SERVICES WILL BE RENDERED AT THE MSC BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN THE JURISDICTIONAL LIAISON AND COLLABORATING ENTITIES WILL CONTINUE, UM, WITH THE FOLLOWING.
UM, THE ABOVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO CREATING A MORE ORGANIZED, EFFICIENT, AND SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IN THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES.
I THINK WHEN I READ THE REPORT, UM, THE INNER JURISDICTIONAL NATURE AND THE WAY THAT THAT WORKED WASN'T COMPLETELY CLEAR.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S WORKED WITH LA COUNTY, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S FUNDING TO CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UM, SO I GUESS O ONLY ADDITIONAL QUESTION I WOULD ASK WOULD BE, DOES THIS, DOES THIS FUNDING ALLOW US TO KIND OF BOLSTER THOSE SERVICES? DO THEY GET DIRECTED TO ANY PARTICULAR TYPE OF SERVICE OR ENTITY, OR IS IT JUST THE FUNDING IS USED KIND OF GENERALLY TO SUPPORT THE SERVICES, THE VARIETY OF SERVICES THAT WE OFFER THROUGH QUALITY OF LIFE, THE REACH TEAM, UM, THE MSC, ET CETERA.
SO E EVERYTH, I MEAN, AS A, IT'LL CONTINUE.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAD.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS CLEAR.
COUNCIL MEMBER, ANY FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL? ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
[00:10:02]
COMMUNICATION FROM MAYOR RICHARDSON.RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A NEW LIST OF CITY COUNCIL STANDING COMMITTEES, AUTHORITIES, AND MEMBERSHIPS.
[8. 25-54090 Recommendation to receive and file a new list of City Council Standing Committees, Authorities, and Memberships. Office or Department: Rex Richardson, Mayor Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
OKAY.UM, ANY COMMENTS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE, ON THE, UH, ASSIGNMENTS? NO PUBLIC NONE.
I, UH, I PURPOSELY SKIPPED ON GENERAL COMMENT NUMBER ONE.
SO WE'LL COMBINE ONE AND TWO, UH, TOGETHER.
SO DO WE HAVE GENERAL ONE COMMENT? WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS.
AND WE HAVE SAMUEL PARKER, STACY SELLERS.
YOU COULD LINE UP AT THE PODIUM, PLEASE.
HELLO AGAIN, FROM DISTRICT ONE.
AFTER RECENTLY SPEAKING DIRECTLY WITH CITY LEADERS, I WAS READY TO GIVE UP ON LONG BEACH, MY HOME OF 36 YEARS.
BUT THEN THE FIRES IN LA STARTED, THEY SAY COMMUNITY WORKS FASTER THAN THE GOVERNMENT, EVEN WHEN THE COMMUNITY REACHES OUT TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR ASSISTANCE.
DISTRICT ONE HAS RELENTLESSLY BANDED TOGETHER ON THEIR OWN, ESPECIALLY THROUGH CHRIS, CHRIS SWEENEY OF RIGHT MEALS TO DELIVER FOOD, ESSENTIAL ITEMS, ET CETERA, DIRECTLY TO THOSE AFFECTED LONG BEACH LEADERS PUBLICLY NOTICED AIR QUALITY WAS POOR TWO DAYS AGO.
OUR ALEXAS WARNED US BEFORE LAST WEEK'S MEETING, I AM EMBARRASSED AND DISAPPOINTED IN THE ENTIRE COUNCIL IN FRONT OF ME FOR FAILING ITS CITY WHO TURNED TO COMMUNITY PAGES TO SEEK WAYS TO TRULY ASSIST THOSE IN NEED.
GUESS WHO ANSWERED THOSE QUESTIONS? I DID.
AT LEAST TWO AMONG THE DEAD SUFFERED FROM CEREBRAL PALSY, WHICH I HAVE EVERYTHING SAID.
CAN I EVEN TRULY RELY ON MY CITY IN MY TIME OF NEED? BECAUSE THIS GUTS ME.
I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO.
WE HAVE BEEN STRETCHING OURSELVES THIN.
WE WENT TO SANTA ANITA PARK, WE WENT TO TWO OTHER PLACES YESTERDAY, OURSELVES.
I HAVE HAD ONE SEIZURE FROM MY CEREBRAL PALSY PUSHING MYSELF THIN.
WE ASKED YOU FOR HELP, PLEASE.
AND I HAVE HAD SO MUCH PRIDE FOR MY CITY, SO MUCH LOVE, AND I AM A DISABLED RESIDENT, AND I FIGHT SO HARD FOR OUR CITY AND LA'S GOING, HEY, HELP US PLEASE.
AND LONG BEACH GOES, WHAT DO YOU NEED? CHRIS SWEENEY WRITE MEALS EVERY DAY.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN INDIANA IN A SMALL TOWN OF LESS THAN 1100 PEOPLE.
I MUST SAY I'M THOROUGHLY DISAPPOINTED IN HOW THIS COUNCIL HAS CONDUCTED BUSINESS.
IN THE PAST MONTH, I HAVE NOTICED PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE DOUBLE DEALING POLITICS THAT I GREW UP IN, IN MY TINY HOMETOWN.
YOU GUYS REPRESENT OVER HALF A MILLION PEOPLE.
YOU WERE ELECTED BY HALF A MILLION PEOPLE.
REMEMBER THAT NEXT TIME YOU GUYS ARE UP FOR ELECTION, THE LACK OF ACTION THE PAST WEEK DURING THESE FIRES HAS BEEN STAGGERING.
NOW, TO THOSE WHO HAVE HAD PERSONAL AFFLICTIONS BECAUSE OF THE FIRE
[00:15:01]
OR KNOW FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY IT, IS MY DEEPEST APOLOGIES FOR THAT.AS SHE JUST SAID, I HAVE SPENT SINCE THURSDAY WORKING TIRELESSLY 13, 14 HOURS A DAY TO HELP PEOPLE I DON'T EVEN KNOW FROM A STATE I WOULD HAVE NO CLAIM TO.
I HAVE CUT MY THUMB OPEN TO THE POINT WHERE I NEEDED STITCHES AND FAT TISSUE CLEANED OUT.
AND GUESS WHAT? THE VERY NEXT MORNING I WAS BACK TO WORK, HELPING THE VERY COMMUNITY THAT I LIVE IN.
NOW, MY FAMILY RAISED ME ON THREE IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES.
THE FIRST ONE IS YOU LEAVE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE THAN YOU FOUND IT.
THE SECOND ONE IS, IS YOU PROTECT THOSE WHO CANNOT PROTECT THEMSELVES.
AND THE THIRD IS, IT'S THE ONE I'M THE MOST PROUD OF.
IT TAKES YOU AND YOU ALONE TO ENACT THE CHANGE IN THE WORLD THAT YOU SEEK.
SO REMEMBER THAT THE NEXT TIME WE RUN INTO ANOTHER ONE OF THESE ISSUES, SUCH AS THESE WILDFIRES, BECAUSE WE, THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED YOU ALL WILL REMEMBER, WE WILL NOT FORGET THE IMPOTENCE THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN THE PAST YEAR.
SO IF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO SEEK REELECTION, WHICH I KNOW THE ODD NUMBER DISTRICTS AS WELL AS THE MAYOR, WHO I'M QUITE FRANKLY DISAPPOINTED IS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY, ARE UP FOR REELECTION NEXT YEAR IN 2026.
AS A POINT OF INFORMATION, WE HAVE A MANAGER ON THE FLOOR.
YOU CAN COME OVER HERE TO THE LEFT AND SOMEONE WILL TALK ABOUT YOU AND YOUR, AND YOUR CONCERNS.
AND NOW YOU'RE, YOU REACHING AND THEN YOU BROUGHT HERE TODAY.
SO YOU CAN TALK TO ONE OF THEM.
ALSO, LONG BEACH YOUTH PARTICIPATING IS THE SUPPORT OF WILDFIRE, UH, RELIEF EFFORTS.
UH, YOU CAN DONATE, MAKE A DONATION FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AT LONG BEACH TO LA AT 7 0 7 0 7 0.
YOUR ON YOUR, ON YOUR PHONE TO JUST GET A DONATION.
WE ARE, UH, SUPPORTING THE CITY VALET WITH ITS RELIEF EFFORTS, AND WE HOPE TO, UH, HAVE SOME VERY POSITIVE RESULTS SOON.
UH, NEXT, UH, DO WE NEED, WE DON'T NEED TAKE MORE ANYTHING HERE, UH, ANY, UH, DISCUSSION FROM THE STATE COUNCIL ON THIS? THAT'S IT.
[ 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. ]
[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
OKAY.UH, TONIGHT WE CLOSE THIS MEETING IN HONOR OF PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER.
PRESIDENT JAMES EARL CARTER WAS A THIRD ACT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, WARNED ON OCTOBER 1ST, 1924 IN PLACE, GEORGIA PRESIDENT CARTER GRADUATED FROM THE NAVAL ACADEMY IN ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND AFTER WHEN SHE MARRIED HIS WIFE, FIRST LADY ROSALIND CARTER.
AND THEY WELCOMED THREE SONS AND ONE DAUGHTER.
AFTER SERVING AS A NAVAL OFFICER, PRESIDENT CARTER RETIRED BACK TO PLACE GEORGIA.
I BEGAN HIS JOURNEY IN STATE POLITICS.
HE BEGAN THE GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA IN 1962, AND HE DEFEATED GENERAL PRESIDENT GENERAL FORD IN THE 1976 ELECTION, BECOMING THE 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE LEGACY OF PRESIDENT CARTER AND STILL SEEN THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY.
PRESIDENT CARTER'S TENURE INCLUDED CIVIL SERVICE REFORM, THE EXPANSION OF THE FINANCIAL, OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM AND THE CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
THE LASTING EFFECTS OF PRESIDENT CARTER'S PRESIDENCY WENT BACK TIME OFFICE AFTER LEAVING OFFICE.
PRESIDENT CARTER AND HIS WIFE ROSALYN WERE ACTIVELY INVOLVED A HUMANITARIAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL AID WELL INTO THEIR NINETIES.
ROSALYN CARTER PRECEDED PRESIDENT CARTER PASSING AWAY IN NOVEMBER OF 2023.
PRESIDENT CARTER PASSED ON DECEMBER 29TH, 2024.
HE WAS A TROOPER ENTRY FOR THE WORKING CLASS AND FOR THE BETTERMENT OF ALL AMERICANS.
OUR CONDOLENCES GO TO HIS FAMILY.
ANY COMMENTS FROM MY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS? HEARING NONE, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
OH, I DO YOU MEAN COMMENTS OR ANNOUNCEMENTS? UH, ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? COMMENTS? YEAH.
UM, I'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE OUT TO THE 2026 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS COMMUNITY MEETING
[00:20:01]
ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 23RD FROM SIX TO 7:30 PM UH, THIS EVENT WILL BE AT THE DOORSTOPS, THE OVER COMMUNITY CENTER AT HOWTON PARK, LOCATED AT 63 0 1 MYRTLE AVENUE.SO WE ARE STARTING AS A CITY OUR, UM, BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
SO I'M INVITING EVERYBODY OUT TO THE COMMUNITY MEETING, UM, AT OUR HOUTON PARK COMMUNITY CENTER.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE OUT TO THE COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE AQUARIUM NIGHT ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD FROM 6:30 PM TO 8:30 PM UH, WE'LL BE HELD AT THE AQUARIUM IN THE PACIFIC, UM, AT 100 AQUARIUM WAY.
AND THEN LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE EVERYBODY OUT TO, UM, MY STATE OF THE DISTRICT.
UM, WE, THAT WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND FROM 10:00 AM TO 12:00 PM THIS WILL ALSO BE HELD AT THE DOORSTOP OVER COMMUNITY CENTER AT HOWTON PARK.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THESE EVENTS, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE AT 5 6 2 5 7 0 6 1 3 7 OR DISTRICT9@LONGBEACH.GOV.
ANY FURTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? OKAY.
THIS MEETING WILL BE ADJOURNED THROUGH THE STATE OF THE CITY, WHICH BEGINS THERE TODAY AT FIVE O'CLOCK.