* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:11:15] [00:18:45] THANK [00:18:45] COUNCIL [00:18:46] MEMBERS, CALL THE MEMBERS. YOU CAN PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS. WE'RE READY TO BEGIN. ALL RIGHT. UM, LET'S, UH, BEGIN THE MEETING. MATTER OF FACT, PLEASE TAKE ROLE. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. COUNCILMAN ALLEN, PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. HERE. COUNCILMAN SUPER SUBINA HERE. COUNCILMAN KERR. PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT VICE MAYOR URANGA. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN THRASH INUK. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SODI. HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU MAYOR. CLERK. UH, WE'RE TURN THE OPEN OF SILENCE AND THE FLAG SALUTE, AND I'LL PASS IT OVER TO CAUSE . [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] YES. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE IN CHAMBERS. AND IF YOU'RE WATCHING ONLINE, I ASK AT THIS TIME, IF YOU WOULD TAKE, UH, JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE [00:20:01] FOR WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU'RE MOST REFLECTIVE ON TODAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'RE GONNA DO THE PLEDGE. PLEASE STAND IF YOU'RE ABLE AND JOIN IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. READY? BEGIN PLEDGE ALL TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND REPUBLIC ONE NATION, NATION. UNDER THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU ABOUT CUSTOMER MACKER. UH, WE'RE REARRANGING THE, UH, THE AGENDA FOR A BIT. WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, CHANGING THE PRESENTATIONS. WE'LL START OFF WITH OUR, UH, LEGACY LETTER LEGACY OF, UH, GERALDINE REKY, MAD CLERK. YOU WANNA READ YOUR ITEM? NO IDEA. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER KERR TO INTRODUCE [ HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. GERALDINE STRAMSKI] THANK YOU MADAM CLERK AND MR. VICE MAYOR. AS MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, WE WANTED TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TODAY TO RECOGNIZE THE INFLUENTIAL AND IMPACTFUL LIFE AND WORK OF DR. GERALDINE RAKY. SOME OF YOU MAY RECOGNIZE THE NAME AS DR. RAKY WAS A DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICIAN HERE IN LONG BEACH, WHO IN 1975 FOUNDED THE SCRAN, THE RAKY CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT MEMORIAL CARE MILLER CHILDREN'S AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL, UM, NOT UNDER THAT NAME. IT WAS RENAMED, UM, LATER ON UNDER HER NAME, WHICH PROVIDES CARE FOR CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIORAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL CONDITIONS. IN HER WORK, SHE RECOGNIZED THE NEED FOR A TEAM APPROACH TO HELP SUPPORT AND CARE FOR THE MULTIPLE HEALTH ISSUES SO OFTEN ENCOUNTERED IN CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL CONDITIONS. AND NOW FOR 50 YEARS, THE SHAMSKY CENTER HAS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE CARE AND SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF PATIENTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL. I WON'T GO INTO TOO MANY DETAILS AS NOW, I'D LIKE TO INVITE UP ALLISON MANLEY, DR. SHAMSKY'S NIECE, TO SHARE SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HER AUNT'S LIFE AND THE ONGOING LEGACY THAT CONTINUES TO LIVE ON HERE IN LONG BEACH. THANK YOU FOR COMING, ALLISON. THANK YOU. HELLO, AND GOOD EVENING. MY NAME'S ALLISON MANIE. I'M THE NIECE OF DR. RAKI. SHE WAS THE OLDER SISTER OF MY MOM, CAROLYN MANEY, AND I'M HONORED TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT DURING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND SHARE SOME OF HER LEGACIES. AS MENTIONED, SHE WAS A PEDIATRICIAN AT LONG BEACH MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER FOR OVER 20 YEARS. EARLY IN HER CAREER, SHE RECOGNIZED THE NEED FOR A TEAM APPROACH FOR MULTIPLE HEALTH ISSUES, OFTEN ENCOUNTERED IN CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC DISEASES AND DEVELOPMENTAL CONDITIONS. SHE HAD A VERY SPECIAL VISION AND A VISION OF A SPECIAL PLACE TO CARE FOR THESE CHILDREN. IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT, I, I DID WORK IN HEALTHCARE. I AM NOT A PHYSICIAN, BUT WE CALL IT CONTINUING CARE. IN 75, HER VISION CAME TO LIFE AND THE CHILDREN'S CHRONIC DISEASE CENTER WAS FOUNDED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THESE CHILDREN. THE CENTER PROVIDED A TEAM APPROACH AND, FOR EXAMPLE, PULLING TOGETHER PHYSICIANS, DENTISTS, CARE, CARE CAREGIVERS, AND OTHER CASEWORKERS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THESE CHILDREN HOLISTICALLY FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND THE PATIENT. IN 1991, SEVERAL YEARS PRIOR TO HER UN UNFORTUNATE PASSING AT THE EARLY AGE OF 65, THE CENTER WAS RENAMED THE STRANSKY CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENTAL CENTER, WHERE IT STILL CONTINUES TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE DIAGNOSIS. IT HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY. THE SERVICES INCLUDE AUTISM, A-D-H-D-A-D-D, FRAGILE X DOWN SYNDROME, AND OTHER GENETIC DISORDERS, LEARNING DISABILITIES, BEHAVIORAL SLEEP CONDITIONS IN CRANIAL FASCIAL ABNORMALITIES. IN ADDITION, I RECENTLY LEARNED SHE MENTORED AND PROVIDED VERY CRITICAL GUIDANCE TO THE FEMALE PHYSICIANS IN HER LIFE. AS AN EXAMPLE, DR. EUNICE LARSON, ONE OF HER VERY CLOSE FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES ONCE SAID, JERRY WAS THE SORT OF PERSON EVERY WOMAN IN MEDICINE WOULD LIKE TO BE. FOR OVER 50 YEARS, RAKI HAS FLOURISHED IN MY PERSPECTIVE. I THINK SHE PLANTED THE SEED. I THINK IT'S FLOURISHED AND GROWN. AND TODAY THE CENTER IS STILL THRIVING AND THE CENTER IS THRIVING DUE TO THOSE PROVIDERS AND STAFF THAT CONTINUALLY WORK AT THE DEVELOP RAKI DEVELOPMENTAL CENTER. I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN GENEROUS DONATIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEEP THE CENTER ALIVE. ON BEHALF OF THE STRS C CENTER, I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCILWOMAN MEGAN KERR, [00:25:01] VICE MAYOR, ROBERTO ORANGA, AND CITY COUNCIL FOR HONORING AND RECOGNIZING DR. RAKI. HAVE A GREAT EVENING. WE CAN GIVE THAT A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, PLEASE. THANK YOU, ALLISON. IT'S CLEAR THAT DR. SHAMSKY LIVED AND WORKED WITH GREAT COMPASSION, CARE AND INTEGRITY, AND I'M PROUD TO SEE THE WAY THESE VALUES CONTINUE TO LIVE ON, AT HER NAMESAKE CENTER AND THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. MY DAD WAS ALSO IN HEALTHCARE. HE WAS A HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATOR. AND THE THINGS THAT YOUR AUNT WAS TALKING ABOUT IN 1975, OR THINGS THAT WE ASSUME SHOULD BE HAPPENING, AND THEY WEREN'T. AND THEY WEREN'T HAPPENING UNTIL PEOPLE LIKE HER AND VISIONARIES LIKE HER, UH, MADE OTHERS LISTEN TO CARE FOR FOLKS WITH CHRONIC NEEDS AND ESPECIALLY CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC NEEDS. SO I'M DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT CONTINUES TO BE DONE IN HER NAME, AND SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU HERE TONIGHT. SO TONIGHT WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR YOU COLLEAGUES. I WOULD LOVE IF YOU WOULD JOIN US, UH, DOWN IN THE FRONT FOR A PHOTO, UH, WITH DR. SHAMSKY'S FAMILY. THANK YOU ALL. OKAY. OH, JUST IN THE CENTER FAMILY IN THE MIDDLE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR US WAITING ONE MORE. WE CAN, I CAN, I CAN FIT, KEEP FIT EVERYONE. ONE MORE. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, I HAD A MOMENT AS BEST AS I USED TO. SO GOTTA TAKE IT. TAKE YOUR TIME A LITTLE BIT. OKAY. OUR NEXT, UH, PRESENTATION IS, UH, ON, UH, ALLEN COUNTY MEDICAL CONTROL [ GREATER LA COUNTY VECTOR CONTROL DISTRICT SERVICES] DISTRICT. WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, UH, CAROLINE GARRA. YES. OKAY, WELCOME. SO I DO HAVE A PRESENTATION. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, IS IT THIS WAY? PERFECT. OKAY. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS CAROLINE G GORA AND I AM THE PUBLIC INFORMATION COORDINATOR AT THE GREATER LOS ANGELES COUNTY VECTOR CONTROL DISTRICT. I DO APOLOGIZE FOR THE LONG NAME, UH, BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE DO CONTROL MOSQUITOES AND OTHER VECTORS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. SO, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR DISTRICT. UH, WE ARE THE LARGEST OF THE FIVE VECTOR CONTROL DISTRICTS THAT SERVICE LA COUNTY. UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, WE ARE THE ONE IN ORANGE. SO WE DO GO ALL THE WAY TO SANTA CLARITA THAT GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE NORTHERN BORDER. WE DO COVER THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, UH, MID-CITY, AND ALSO PARTS OF LONG BEACH AND ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, I GUESS, EAST ALL THE WAY TO DIAMOND BAR. UH, WE ARE FUNDED THROUGH PROPERTY AND SPECIAL ASSESSMENT TAXES WITH OUR CURRENT COST PER SINGLE FAMILY BEING $18 AND 97 CENTS ANNUALLY. AND THIS COVERS OUR SERVICES FOR MOSQUITOES, BLACK FLIES, AND MIDGES. SO JUST REALLY QUICKLY TO GO OVER SOME OF THE MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES OF CONCERN, NOT ONLY FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, BUT FOR THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES IS DENGUE FEVER, WHICH IS A GROWING THREAT. UM, IN 2023, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH DID HAVE LOCAL TRANSMISSION OF THIS DISEASE, AND LAST YEAR WE DID HAVE THREE, UH, LOCAL TRANSMITTED CASES WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA. UM, AND THEN WEST NILE VIRUS IS SECOND AFTER THAT JUST BECAUSE WITH THIS, UM, DISEASE, IT IS ENDEMIC TO LA COUNTY. MEANING EVERY SINGLE YEAR WE'LL [00:30:01] SEE SOME FORM OF ACTIVITY, EITHER IT BE IN DEAD BIRDS, HUMAN CASES, OR POSITIVE MOSQUITO SAMPLES. UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF HOW WE CONDUCT MOSQUITO CONTROL OR JUST IN GENERAL VECTOR CONTROL, UM, APPROACH IN OUR DISTRICT IS THROUGH THE INTEGRATED VECTOR MANAGEMENT, AND WE DO THIS THROUGH SURVEILLANCE CONTROL AND EDUCATION. SO REALLY QUICKLY, JUST TO GO OVER THE THREE MAIN DEPARTMENTS. OUR FIRST ONE IS OPERATIONS, AND THIS WAS, THIS IS THE DEPARTMENT THAT YOU OR THE PUBLIC MAY BE MOST AWARE OF. SO WITH OUR OPERATIONS DEPARTMENTS, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE RESPONDING TO THE SERVICE REQUESTS THAT WE GET FROM BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT OUR PUBLIC, UM, THROUGH OUR SERVICE AREA. AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT CONDUCT THOSE PROPERTY INSPECTIONS. SO THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE MEETING WITH OUR RESIDENTS, UH, LETTING THEM KNOW OF ANY POTENTIAL MOSQUITO BREEDING SOURCES THEY MAY HAVE IN THEIR HOME. AND WE WORK WITH THEM TO, UM, HAVE THOSE SOLUTIONS NOT ONLY FOR THIS MOSQUITO SEASON, FOR, BUT FOR THE FUTURE AS WELL. AND THEY ARE THE ONES THAT, AGAIN, ARE BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND THEY ARE RESPONDING TO THOSE MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASE CASES. EITHER IT BE, UM, LOCAL TRANSMISSION OR IMPORTED CASES. AND THEN, UH, MAYBE NOT SO VISIBLE, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC IS THAT WE DO HAVE VECTOR CONTROL SPECIALISTS THAT ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY EVERY SINGLE DAY, UH, MONITORING, INSPECTING, AND TREATING, UH, VARIOUS PUBLIC SOURCES AND ALSO, UM, SWIMMING POOLS. SO I KNOW THAT'S A BIG CONCERN FOR A LOT OF COMMUNITIES AND MAYBE ALSO HERE IN LONG BEACH, WHERE WE ARE WORKING WITH RESIDENTS TO MAKE SURE THEIR POOLS ARE, UM, UP AND RUNNING MAINTAINED, OR IF NOT, UM, DRY SO WE CAN AVOID THOSE, UM, MOSQUITO BREEDING SOURCES. AND IN THE SUMMERTIME THEY MEET. THIS IS WHERE RESIDENTS DO SEE US A LOT IN THEIR COMMUNITY IN THE STREETS WHEN WE ARE TREATING THOSE STREET GUTTERS. AND THEN, UM, OTHER SOURCES TOO ARE INCLUDE THE UNDERGROUND STORM DRAINS, ESPECIALLY IN THE WINTERTIME FOR US MOSQUITO SEASONS ALL YEAR ROUND, BECAUSE MOSQUITOES DO TEND TO GO UNDER THESE, UM, UNDERGROUND STORM DRAINS TO BREED. SO, UH, WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE MAINTAINED, UM, AND TREATED. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE THAT JUST FLOW INTO LONG BEACH ARE THE FLOOD CONTROL CHANNELS WHERE WE DO WORK WITH OTHER AGENCIES SUCH AS THE, UM, CORPSE OF ENGINEERS AND ALSO LA COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS TO MAKE SURE THAT ONE, WE ARE DOING PHYSICAL CONTROL IN THESE CHANNELS, MAKING SURE THERE'S, WE'RE CLEANING UP THOSE DEBRIS. AND THEN ALSO, UM, TREATING ANY STANDING WATER. AND THEN WHEN YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IS A MAP OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, UM, AND SOME OF THOSE MOSQUITO SOURCES THAT FALL WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION. SO AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE MAP, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE, UM, AT LEAST ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE CITY, WE SEE A LOT OF DOTS. SO, AS I MENTIONED, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE SOURCES THAT INCLUDE RESIDENTIAL, PUBLIC, UM, PONDS, POOLS, SWIM, UH, STORM WATER STRUCTURES AND DRAINS. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT THE, UH, PARTS THAT WE DO NOT COVER, THAT ARE NOT PART OF OUR JURISDICTION ARE COVERED BY THE LONG BEACH DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. SO EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T COVER THE MAJORITY OF THE CITY, WE DO WORK COLLABORATIVELY, UH, WITH THE CITY'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE ONE, YOU KNOW, UH, WE ARE COMMUNICATING WHEN IT COMES TO THESE CASES. WE DID HELP THE CITY OF LONG BEACH BACK IN 2023 WITH THEIR RESPONSE TO THAT LOCAL TRANSMISSION. UM, AND AT LEAST JUST FOR OUR SERVICE AREA, WE DID TREAT, WE DID INSPECT OVER 8,000 SOURCES IN 2024. UM, SO AGAIN, THIS DOES NOT COVER EVERYTHING, BUT AT LEAST WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE THAT EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T COVER THE ENTIRE CITY, THEY ARE BEING COVERED BY SOME VECTOR CONTROL PROGRAM. AND THEN WITH OUR SECOND DEPARTMENT IS OUR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL DEPARTMENTS. SO THESE ARE VECTOR COLLEGES THAT ARE CONDUCTING BLACK, BLACK FLY SURVEILLANCE MOSTLY IN THE LA RIVER. SO YOU CAN THINK ABOUT GRIFFITH PARK, THE DODGER AREA, AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO CONDUCTING MOSQUITO TRAPPING MOSQUITO IDENTIFICATION. SO WE DO TAKE THOSE MOSQUITOES FROM THOSE TRAPS. WE IDENTIFY THE SPECIES. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT SPECIES ARE HERE IN THE CITY. WE TAKE A PORTION OF THOSE MOSQUITOES, SEND THEM UP TO UC DAVIS FOR TESTING. AND THAT'S HOW WE ARE AWARE, UH, WHETHER THESE, UM, MOSQUITOES TEST POSITIVE FOR, LET'S SAY, WEST NILE VIRUS DENGUE OR THESE OTHER MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES. AND WE DO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR CITIES AND ALSO THE STATE, UM, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH FOR, UM, DEAD BIRD TESTING. THIS HELPS US MONITOR WEST NILE VIRUS ACTIVITY, UM, NOT ONLY IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, BUT IN OUR JURISDICTION. UM, SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOMETHING THAT WE ARE, UH, WORKING ON IS OUR STERILE INSECT TECHNIQUE. SO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE, UM, STERILIZING MALE MOSQUITOES WITH X-RAYS. WE ARE RELEASING THEM IN A TARGETED AREA OVER TIME, AND THESE STERILE MILL MOSQUITOES, WHICH DO NOT BITE, UM, MADE WITH THE WILD FEMALES. AND OVER TIME, WE SHOULD SEE A REDUCTION IN MOSQUITO POPULATIONS, BUT ALSO IN THE RISK OF MOSQUITO-BORN DISEASES. AND THAT IS BECAUSE WHEN THESE STERILE MALE MOSQUITOES, UM, MADE WITH THE WILD FEMALES, THEIR EGGS ARE NOT VIABLE, MEANING THAT THEY DO NOT HATCH. UM, AND THIS IS A GREAT ALTERNATIVE BECAUSE IT IS NONCHEMICAL AND ECO-FRIENDLY. IT DOES NOT REPLACE OUR EXISTING MOSQUITO CONTROL, UM, TOOLS. IT'S JUST ANOTHER TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX, UM, FOR MOSQUITO CONTROL, BUT ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES [00:35:01] TO, UM, THE RESPONSES TO OUTBREAKS OR OTHER DISEASES. AND THEN LASTLY, UM, OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT. SO THEY ARE THE ONES THAT PROMOTE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE DISTRICT SERVICES AND EDUCATES THE PUBLIC ABOUT MOSQUITOES AND VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES, UM, THROUGH VARIOUS, UM, METHODS AT WHICH INCLUDES COMMUNITY OUTREACH, YOUTH EDUCATION, PRESENTATIONS LIKE WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY. AND THEN OF COURSE USING TRADITIONAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, AGAIN TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE WELL INFORMED. AND THEN LASTLY, UH, WE DO ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR CITIES, INCLUDING THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, TO WORK WITH OUR DISTRICT, UM, TO REACH ALL OF THE RESIDENTS. SO AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T SERVICE THE ENTIRE CITY, BUT JUST MAKING SURE, UH, RESIDENTS KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT ALONE IN THE FIGHT WHEN IT COMES TO MOSQUITOES. 'CAUSE MOSQUITOES DO NOT DISCRIMINATE. THEY WILL BITE, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY EVEN HERE AND I GET BIT AS WELL. SO, UM, I'M ONE OF THE UNLUCKY ONES. SO DEFINITELY WORKING WITH OUR CITIES, UM, TO HELP SPREAD THE INFORMATION AND THE MESSAGING AND THROUGH VARIOUS WAYS AS YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN. AND THEN WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, I CAN TAKE THEM. AND I WAS TOLD THAT JUDITH, WHO IS THE MANAGER OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, HEALTH IS HERE TODAY AS WELL. SO WE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE, UH, COUNCIL? I, THAT'S EVERYBODY'S FAVORITE INSECT, SO ? YEAH. OKAY, PERFECT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. ALRIGHT, WE DO THE, UH, REGULAR AGENDA. WE HAVE, UH, THE CONSENT COUNTER ITEMS ONE THROUGH 15. THERE'S A REQUEST TO PULL ITEM 10, SO EXCUSE ME. SO WE GET A PLEASE VOTE ON ITEMS [CONSENT CALENDAR (1. – 15.)] ONE THROUGH 15 EXCEPT FOR ITEM 10. OKAY. OKAY. I HAVE A MOTION A SECOND. UH, WHAT THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS ONE THROUGH 15. OH, I'M SORRY. COMMENT. MOTION COUNCILMAN SUPER NOW MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. UH, ITEM 10, REPORT FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT AN MOU WITH KAISER FOUNDATION HEALTH PLAN AND HEALTH NET COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS CITYWIDE. I NEED A [10. 25-54503 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Health Net Community Solutions, Inc. for a period of three years, with the option to renew for three additional one-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager, unless written notice of non-renewal is given with 180 days by either party. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Health and Human Services         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] MOTION AND SECOND, FIRST READ BECAUSE OF OUR, UH, DOUG WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FIRST OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, I'M GOING TO BE RECUSING MYSELF FOR THIS ITEM AS MY OFFICE HAS A CONTRACT WITH KAISER. DAMN. OKAY. UH, WE SECOND TAKE A VOTE PLEASE. THERE'S NO PUBLIC ON THIS PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY. THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME. EXCUSE ME A SECOND. WE ARE DONE, COUNCILWOMAN. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK FOR YOUR INDULGENCE. UH, WE'RE GOING THROUGH A REGULAR AGENDA. THERE'S BEEN REQUEST TO MOVE ITEM 40 UP, WE JUST DO IT WITH OUR REFUSE. UH, SECOND, THE PROGRAM REPORT FROM PUBLIC WORKS RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO [20. 25-54512 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Contract No. 34496 with USA Waste of California, Inc. dba Waste Management, of Long Beach, CA, for providing recyclable collection services, to increase the annual contract amount by $6,877,982, authorize a 20 percent contingency on the full contract in the amount of $2,075,596, for a revised total annual contract amount not to exceed $12,453,578, and update the contract terms to be in alignment with current practices, state requirements, and operational adjustments beginning with the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025; and Increase appropriations in the Refuse/Recycling Fund Group in the Public Works Department by $8,953,578, offset by revenue generated by the proposed rate adjustments for May 1, 2025, and August 1, 2025. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Public Works         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] AN AMEND CONTRACT WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR PROVIDING RECYCLABLE COLLECTION SERVICES FOR A REVISED TOTAL ANNUAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 12,453,578 CITYWIDE. YES, I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO DEPUTY DIRECTOR JOSH HICKMAN. GOOD EVENING AGAIN. UH, VICE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, UH, AS YOU HAD HEARD EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON, THERE HAS BEEN A NUMBER OF CHANGES IN THE RECYCLE INDUSTRY AND THE COMMODITY VALUES HAVE CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. AS PART OF THE RECENT COST OF SERVICE STUDY THAT WE REVIEWED EARLIER, HFNH, OUR THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT REALLY DID A DEEP DIVE INTO THE INFORMATION SUBMITTED THROUGH WASTE MANAGEMENT TO VALIDATE ALL OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH [00:40:01] OUR RECYCLING CONTRACT. AND THESE, UM, THIS PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU IS TO AMEND THE CURRENT CONTRACT WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT TO CONTINUE COLLECTION OF THOSE SERVICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HF AND H STUDY AND THE COST OF SERVICE STUDY THAT WE REVIEWED PREVIOUSLY TODAY. THAT CONCLUDES STAFF REPORT AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS FROM WASTE MANAGEMENT AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS FROM HFNH HERE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS SHOULD YOU HAVE SPECIFIC ITEMS YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, ANY COMMENTS? THERE'S ONE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. OKAY. ILAN SUAN. HI COUNSEL. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. DOES THIS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE ORGANIC WASTE COLLECTION ELECTION? NO. OKAY. THANK YOU. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, ANY COMMENTS FROM SECURITY COUNCIL? SEE NONE. GO AHEAD. TAKE COUNCILMAN SORROW. OH, SORRY. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. AT THIS POINT I'D LIKE TO, UH, HAVE A REPORT FROM, UH, FROM OUR SENIOR ATTORNEY. UH, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. UH, I WILL REPORT THAT THERE IS NO REPORT FROM CLOSED SESSION TONIGHT. NO REPORTS. ALRIGHT, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO A BOLD COMMENT NUMBER ONE. THERE ARE EIGHT SPEAKERS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. CAN I GET THE SPEAKERS TO LINE UP? MARIA ASHLEY, [ 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. ] JEN, ANGELICA, STACY, LEANNE MAX, AND ROBERT MARIA, IF YOU CAN COME TO THE PODIUM FIRST. DID YOU SAY THEY WERE EIGHT? WE HAVE THREE MINUTES EACH, AND THEY HAVE THE PACKETS THAT, OH, SHE'S JUST DRIVEN IT. GREAT. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, CITY MANAGER. UH, MY NAME IS MARIA GASHA. I LIVE ON 38 NORTH ALBANI, UNIT SEVEN, UH, IN LONG BEACH IN ALAMITOS BEACH. I AM A, UH, PRO SHELTER INDIVIDUAL. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR OUR HOMELESS SHELTERS AND PROVIDE HOUSING FOR THEM. I AM A RESIDENT AND HOMEOWNER FOR ALMOST EIGHT YEARS IN LONG BEACH AND IN ALAMITOS BEACH. AND TODAY I AM HERE, UH, IN FRONT OF YOU TO DISCUSS ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE HAD IN ALAMITOS BEACH. ONCE THE, UH, SHELTER IN VAGABOND MOTEL WA WAS DEVELOPED, WE HAVE HAD DAILY INCIDENTS WITH SHOOTING, WITH TRASH, WITH AGGRESSION, WITH DRUGS, ALL KIND OF CRIMES THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO SEVERAL OF THE AGENCIES, WHETHER THEY'RE HOMELESS AGENCIES, THE POLICE, OR DISTRICT TWO. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO AND YOUR PACKAGE. I PROVIDED PHOTOS BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU DON'T GET TO SEE WHAT WE SEE EVERY MORNING WHEN WE OPEN THE DOOR OF OUR HOUSES. UM, WE HAVE HEARD THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A EXPANSION FOR THE BAGGA BONE, UM, MOTEL AND TO DUPLICATE THE CAPACITY FOR THE MOTEL. AND WE'RE VERY MUCH AGAINST IT. WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A PLAN. THE CITY MANAGER HAS HAD A PLAN. HE'S THE ONE WHO RUNS THE DAILY, UH, OPERATIONS OF THE CITY, AND THE PLAN IS NOT WORKING. WE NEED MORE ACCOUNTABILITY, COORDINATION, DETAILED CASE FOLLOW UP OF INDIVIDUAL CASES, AND DEFINITELY A PLAN FOR NOMADS. WE HAVE NOMADS, WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT DON'T WANNA GO ANYWHERE, BUT IN CALIFORNIA, THERE ARE AREAS FOR NOMADS TO STAY. I PREFER OVERCROWDED SHELTERS THAN SEEING HUMAN BEINGS ON THE STREETS SURROUNDED BY TRASH AND WHAT THEY CALL, UH, THEIR BELONGINGS. THE MESSAGE SHOULD BE NO ONE IS ALLOWED ON THE STREETS. THAT, UH, FULLERTON JUST PASSED A CITY CODE ABOUT THAT ONE, I BELIEVE LAST WEEK. HERE I AM, YOU GIVE ME THREE MINUTES TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS. YOU HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR THREE YEARS, SOME OF YOU AND THE CITY MANAGER HAS DONE IT FOR FIVE YEARS, AND YOU HAVE A CAREER OF OVER 20 YEARS OF COMMITMENT TO OUR CITY. AT TIMES, YOU HAVE TO PULL YOURSELF BACK, REFLECT, REVISIT, AND MAKE THE CHANGES. THE PLAN IS NOT WORKING, LET'S MAKE CHANGES [00:45:01] WE NEED, AND WE ASK YOU TO MEET UP WITH THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH YOU OUR THOUGHTS. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS, UH, ASHLEY. HELLO, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS ASHLEY AND I AM A RESIDENT OF THE THIRD DISTRICT, MS. LONG BEACH PRIDE, AND ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS OF THE FEMINIST UPRISING, A QUEER INTERSECTIONAL FEMINIST ORGANIZATION BASED IN LONG BEACH. THE MAIN REASON THAT BRINGS US HERE TODAY IS THE DEEP CONCERN OVER SPACEX MUSK AND HOW LONG BEACH PLANS TO CONTRACT WITH THE DRAGON PROJECT. I AM A BIT SHOCKED THAT WE EVEN NEED TO DISCUSS THIS. WE ARE A BEAUTIFUL, DIVERSE COMMUNITY THAT THRIVES ON EQUITY AND INCLUSION. WHY WOULD WE FUSS WITH A MAN WHO IS ACTIVELY DESTROYING, SORRY, THE HARDWORKING COMMUNITIES THAT LITERALLY MAKE UP LONG BEACH, UH, THE HARDWORKING COMMUNITIES THAT LITERALLY MAKE UP LONG BEACH AND THE LITTLE DEMOCRACY THAT OUR COUNTRY HAS ANY LEFT. NOT ONLY IS THIS CONTRACT HARMFUL TO OUR CITY'S HEART, IT'S TOXIC FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT. WE WILL NOT BECOME A DUMPING GROUND OR A WASTE BASKET FOR A FASCIST MAN WHO DOESN'T GIVE 2 CENTS ABOUT OUR HUMANITY. SPACEX HAS NOW HAD EIGHT FAILED LAUNCHES, UM, WHICH WILL HAVE LASTING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE LONG BEACH PART OF HIS MENAGERIE OF DESTRUCTION. WE URGE YOU TO PLEASE REJECT ANY EXPANSION AND GET MUSK OUT OF LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ASHLEY. NEXT UP IS, UH, WELL, WHERE, WHAT HAPPENED HERE. JEN COHEN. UH, JEN. YES. UM, OKAY. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JEN COHEN. I AM ALSO ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS OF THE FEMINIST UPRISING. UM, LIKE ASH MENTIONED, WE ARE QUEER INTERSECTIONAL GRASSROOTS ORG, UM, FOUNDED HERE IN LONG BEACH, AND I'M ALSO HERE TONIGHT TO URGE YOU ALL TO REJECT ELON MUSK'S DRAGON X PROJECT. UM, AND ANY PLANS THAT HE HAS TO BRING SPACEX TO, OR MORE OF SPACEX TO LONG BEACH. UM, GIVEN HIS RECENT CATASTROPHIC EXPLOSION, UM, JUST LAST WEEK, UM, ALLOWING HIM TO OPERATE HERE ISN'T JUST A BAD IDEA. IT'S A DIRECT THREAT TO THE SAFETY OF LONG BEACH. UH, MUSK CLAIMS THAT, UH, THE MOVE TO LONG BEACH IS ABOUT REDUCING RISK, BUT HE'S TRYING TO RELOCATE FROM CAPE CANAVERAL, WHICH HAS A POPULATION OF UNDER 10,000 PEOPLE TO LONG BEACH, WHICH HAS A POPULATION OF OVER 400,000. SO THE IMPACT OF AN EXPLOSION HERE, LIKE THE ONE THAT RECENTLY HAPPENED WOULD BE SO MUCH WORSE FOR OUR CITY. UM, HE HAS A TRACK RECORD THAT PROVES HE CAN'T BE TRUSTED WITH PUBLIC SAFETY. SPACEX EXPLOSIONS HAVE SCATTERED DEBRIS, LEAKED HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS, AND CAUSED ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE. IF ONE OF HIS ROCKETS WERE TO FALL HERE, THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE SO DEVASTATING TO OUR DENSELY POPULATED COMMUNITY. THIS ISN'T ABOUT INNOVATION OR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. THIS IS ABOUT EXPLOITATION. LONG BEACH HAS A POVERTY RATE NEARLY DOUBLE THAT OF CAPE CANAVERAL. MUSK IS TARGETING A WORKING CLASS DIVERSE CITY BECAUSE HE BELIEVES NOBODY WILL FIGHT BACK. BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE BECAUSE LONG BEACH IS THE SAME CITY THAT RAISES A DISABILITY PRIDE FLAG FOR DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH, IT HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST INCLUSIVE PRIDE EVENTS. IT IS THE SAME CITY THAT IS KNOWN FOR CELEBRATING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION. IT'S A CITY THAT STANDS UP FOR ALL OF ITS PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT THEIR BACKGROUND IS. SO HOW COULD WE, HOW COULD THIS COUNCIL RATIONALIZE ALLOWING MUSK WHO HAS BEEN ACTIVELY DISMANTLING DEI PROGRAMS, FIRING EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ADVOCATING FOR EQUALITY AND GIVING A PLATFORM TO HATE SPEECH? HOW COULD WE ALLOW HIM IN OUR COMMUNITY? UH, HE'S FOUGHT AGAINST UNIONS. HE'S FOUGHT AGAINST WORKERS' RIGHTS, HE'S VIOLATED LABOR LAWS BY SILENCING EMPLOYEES. LONG BEACH IS A LABOR CITY. WHY WOULD WE WANT A UNION BUSTING BILLIONAIRE HERE? LONG BEACH DESERVES INVESTMENT IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUSTAINABLE JOBS, AND WE SHOULD NOT BE USED AS MUSK MUSK'S DUMPING GROUND. SO I URGE THIS COUNCIL TO PLEASE REJECT SPACEX. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU. UH, ANGELICA. HI. HI, I'M ANGELICA SANCHEZ AND I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE FEMINIST, UM, UPRISING. AND MINE IS GONNA BE REAL SHORT BECAUSE, UM, I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO, UM, REJECT, UM, ELON MUSK, UM, AND MOVING THE SPACEX, UM, DRAGON PROJECT HERE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY HE, YOU KNOW, HE'S A MILLIONAIRE THAT ONLY CARES ABOUT, [00:50:01] YOU KNOW, HE, HIS ACTIONS, UM, AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE HAVE SHOWN HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY. UM, HE ONLY CARES ABOUT PROFIT, YOU KNOW, AND SO AS MY COLLEAGUE AND MY FRIEND WAS SAYING, UM, HE SHOULD NOT BE HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, STACY. HI GUYS. UH, I FIGURED MY ORIGINAL ISSUE WAS WORTH REPEATING AFTER FINGERPRINTS ANNOUNCED THEY'RE LEAVING AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED MY DISTRICT IS ESPECIALLY SUFFERING. THAT'S DISTRICT ONE. I WANT TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THIS COUNCIL CONCERNS ABOUT THE 96 UNIT MICRO LIVING COMPLEX THAT IS SLATED TO BE BUILT AT 4 21 EAST FOURTH STREET, WHICH IS A LOT DIRECTLY BEHIND THE BUILDING THAT I RESIDE IN. MY TWO KEY CONCERNS ARE SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR RESIDENTS, A CASA CO ZONE IN THE EVENTS OF AN EMERGENCY, MY BUILDING HOUSES DISABLED PEOPLE, MOST OF WHICH THAT ARE CONFINED IN WHEELCHAIRS. AND AT LEAST THREE EPILEPTICS. ONE IS ME. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS USED THE LOT BEHIND MY BUILDING FOR PERSONNEL TRAINING. SHOULD THIS COMPLEX BE BUILT, HOW DOES THE FIRE DEPARTMENT INTEND TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE ELEVATED FLOORS TO RESCUE AND TRAPPED INDIVIDUALS SUCH AS THOSE WHO ARE CONFINED TO WHEELCHAIRS OR WHO ARE OTHERWISE DISABLED? WHEN ASKED ABOUT CLEARING PRE-INCIDENT PLANS, GLEN GIA AND LYNN WARD WENT SILENT PARKING, AVAILABILITY, AVAILABILITY FOR NEARBY SMALL BUSINESSES. THE LAW AT 4 21 EAST FOURTH STREET WAS USED AS A PAY FOR PARKING LOT, WHICH HAS 43 STANDARD PARKING SPOTS. THIS PARKING LOT HAS HELPED DECREASE PARKING CONGESTION IN THE LOCAL AREA. HOWEVER, AT TIMES DURING LOCAL EVENTS, VEHICLES HAVE TROUBLE FINDING LEGAL PARKING SPACES. THE SCARCITY OF PARKING HAS LED TO INDIVIDUALS PARKING VEHICLES IN THE DESIGNATED LOADING ZONE IN FRONT OF MY BUILDING, THE DISABLED RESIDENCE. A CASA COR ZONE LARGELY DEPEND ON THIS LOADING ZONE IN ORDER TO GET TO THEIR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS THROUGH VARIOUS MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES SUCH AS ACCESS, DIAL LIFT, ET CETERA. HOW DOES THE CITY INTEND TO REPLACE THE ALREADY SCARCE PARKING IN THE EAST VILLAGE ARTS DISTRICT? A LOT OF DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH RESIDENTS DO NOT LIKE TO USE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION AND RELY ON THEIR OWN CARS AS IT IS MORE CONVENIENT, ESPECIALLY FOR FAMILIES. FINGERPRINTS CITED THE LACK OF ADEQUATE PARKING AS ONE OF THE REASONS FOR LEAVING DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH, DUE TO THE PROCESSES OF SUCH DEVELOPMENTS CAUSING POTENTIAL LOST SALES, EFFECTIVELY DRIVING THEM OUT OF THE CORE OF DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH. TO QUOTE AN INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE OWNER OF FINGERPRINTS AND LONG BEACH SIZE, I THINK THE CITY HAS WORKED REALLY HARD TO APPEAL TO DEVELOPERS, BUT IT COMES WITH THE COST SHOULDER BY MANY OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE THIS WAY, PLEASE, I'M JUST ASKING YOU. LISTEN, CARE, SMALL BUSINESSES, DISABLED RESIDENTS, I DON'T WANT IT TO BE ME. I DON'T WANT IT TO BE MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I'VE LIVED IN FOR 30 YEARS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK HELLO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. I AM ALSO HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE VEGA BONG END AND CINDY ALLEN. I EMAILED YOU LAST YEAR. YOU CALLED ME BACK AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AT THE TIME I WAS PREGNANT AND I WAS EXPECTING MY FIRST CHILD, UM, WHEN THERE WAS THE ORIGINAL ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE VAGABOND END WAS GONNA BE USED FOR, UM, A TEMPORARY AT THE TIME IS WHAT THE WORD WAS USED FOR SHELTERING, UM, HOUSELESS INDIVIDUALS. AND I'M TRYING TO BE PC TO BE RECEIVED WELL BECAUSE I DO UNDERSTAND THAT LONG BEACH HAS A VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY AND WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS THAT DO NOT HAVE SECURED HOUSING OR, UM, JUST THAT SENSE OF SECURITY AND BASIC, BASIC NEEDS. I GET THAT. I SEE IT. I WORK DOWNTOWN. I LIVE IN ALAMEDOS BEACH. I'VE BEEN IN ALAMEDOS BEACH FOR FIVE YEARS. I CARE ABOUT THIS CITY. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CITY. I HAVE TWO FAMILY MEMBERS THAT USED TO WORK FOR THE POST. I'M VERY WELL INFORMED. I DON'T TALK A LOT. THIS IS MY FIRST MEETING, BUT THIS MORNING I WALKED OUTTA MY BUILDING AND I HAD TO STEP OVER SOMEBODY TO GET TO MY CAR BECAUSE THEY WERE LAYING UP ON THE STOOP AGAINST THE ACCESS TO MY BUILDING. THAT'S NOT OKAY. I WORK REALLY HARD TO LIVE WHERE I LIVE. I LOVE THIS CITY. I WANNA SEE IT THRIVE AGAIN. WE'RE HOSTED TO WE'RE HOST OR WE'RE SLATED TO HOST A BUNCH OF THE EVENTS FOR THE UPCOMING OLYMPICS. I HOPE WE CAN KEEP THAT. AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN LET LONG BEACH SHINE. BUT WITH OUR HOUSELESS COMMUNITY, THERE IS A PROBLEM. AND THERE IS A PROBLEM IN ALAMEDO ALAMITOS BEACH. THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL ON THE STREETS. [00:55:01] THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE CORNER OF SECOND AND ALAMITOS. UH, YOU COULD DRIVE BY IT. NOW, ON MY WAY TO WORK THIS MORNING, THERE WERE FOUR PEOPLE OUTSIDE WITH BIKES. I'M GONNA ASSUME THEY'RE STOLEN AND A BUNCH OF TRASH AROUND THEM. I'M FOLLOWED. IF I WALK TWO BLOCKS TO THE OCEAN, TO THE BEACH PATH, I DON'T FEEL SAFE IN MY OWN COMMUNITY. THAT'S A PROBLEM. I KNOW A LOT OF MY FELLOW NEIGHBORS, SOME OF THEM ARE HERE, FEEL SIMILAR. I DON'T THINK PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY CAN APPROACH THE CITY COUNCIL. SO I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THEM. PLEASE DO BETTER. WE CAN DO BETTER. WE HAVE A LOT OF, A LOT OF DIVERSITY IN THE CITY, AND THAT'S AMAZING. IF WE CAN LEAD WITH THAT. AND FROM ALL ANGLES, NOT JUST THE DEI PERSPECTIVE, WE CAN HAVE THAT AS A SHINING BRIGHT LIGHT FOR OUR CITY. BUT WE HAVE OTHER IN INDIVIDUALS HERE TOO THAT NEED HELP THAT FALL KIND OF OUTSIDE OF THAT. WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE SCOPE OF WHAT OUR CITIZENS NEED IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. AND I THINK WE CAN DO THAT. SO I HOPE THAT YOU HEAR ME AND PLEASE DO NOT EXTEND THE VAGA END, UM, WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF SOME KIND OF SYSTEM TO KEEP THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE STAYING THERE IN SOME KIND OF CHECK AND SAFETY FOR OUR PUBLIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, UH, HELLO. UH, MY NAME IS MAX. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. UM, LONG BEACH AS A CITY CONTINUES TO CRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS OFTEN. UH, JUST RECENTLY OVER 25 PEOPLE FROM DRAKE PARK HAVE BEEN DISPLACED AND HUNDREDS OF POSSIBLY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF THE MATERIALS WERE DESTROYED. MATERIALS THAT PEOPLE OWNED AND USED TO SURVIVE AND WHERE THOSE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO GO. WHEN A SWEEP HAPPENS, DO YOU ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE? UH, THOSE THAT LOSE EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF THE CITY'S DECISION? THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE A SOLUTION OTHER THAN TRYING TO GET RID OF THEM. THE CITY NEEDS TO WORK WITH PEOPLE TO HELP AND SUPPORT THEM AND NOT JUST GIVE MORE MONEY TO COPS IN ORDER TO HARM AND TRAUMATIZE THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY. FORCIBLY DISPLACING PEOPLE FROM A HOME IS NOT A VIABLE SOLUTION. TRASHING THEIR PERSONAL POSSESSIONS AND NECESSITIES IS NOT A VIABLE SOLUTION. SWEEPING HOMELESS PEOPLE HAS NEVER AND WILL NEVER BE A VIABLE SOLUTION TO THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY. SOME OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS STATED THAT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED ON THE STREETS, BUT PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS DON'T CHOOSE TO BE LIVING ON THE STREET. RISING HOUSING PRICES, LACK OF TENANTS RIGHTS AND FAILED GOVERNMENT SUPPORT ARE ALL PIECES THAT MIGHT COST SOMEONE TO BE, TO NEED TO FIND HOUSING ANYWHERE THAT THEY CAN. AND THE CRIMINALIZATION OF HOMELESSNESS ISN'T THE ANSWER AND HAS NEVER BEEN THE ANSWER. THE CITY NEEDS TO HALT SWEEPS OF HOUSES, PEOPLE'S ENCAMPMENTS IMMEDIATELY FOR THEIR SAFETY AND WORK WITH THE MOST MARGINALIZED PEOPLE IN THIS CITY TO MEET THEIR NEEDS RATHER THAN TRYING TO KILL THEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. FINAL. CAN YOU HEAR THERE, ROBERT? GOOD EVENING. CITY COUNCIL. UH, I AM ROBERT. I, UH, WANTED TO TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT THE, UH, VAGABOND INN. UH, I'VE LIVED HERE, UH, SINCE 1996, UH, OVER ON, UH, AT HARBOR PLACE TOWER AND WAS RECENTLY THE, UH, VICE PRESIDENT OF OUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION. UH, I WANTED TO TELL YOU AN INCIDENT WE JUST HAD ON THE 28TH. UH, A LADY WAS IN OUR JACUZZI AND A GENTLEMAN JUMPED OVER THE FENCE AND DISROBED AND STARTED TO GET IN AND SHE'S LIKE, HEY, HEY, NO, NO, NO, WE DO HAVE A SECURITY GUARD. UH, AND HE DID CAME UP. AND THE THING THAT STRIKES ME THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IS HE TOLD HER, THE GUY THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, HE DIDN'T ACCOST HER, BUT HE TOLD HER THERE'S NOTHING YOU COULD DO. UM, AS A HOMEOWNER, THAT'S REALLY KIND OF ALARMING. UH, I AM A RETIRED, UH, REGISTERED NURSE ER NURSE FROM A LOCAL ER, UH, AND HAVE SEEN MAJOR INCREASES IN INCIDENCES. UM, THE STREETS AREN'T SAFE. UM, WE HAVE LESS POLICE, UH, WE HAVE LESS FIRE AVAILABLE AND WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE. WE, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. PEOPLE ARE GONNA GET HURT AND, AND THEY DO GET HURT. UH, THE LADY THAT WAS IN THE INCIDENT, SHE DID NOT REPORT IT. SHE'S A CITY WORKER. SHE SAID THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING, UH, WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY SAD THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF YOUR OWN PEOPLE WILL NOT EVEN REPORT IT. UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF CASES THAT THAT HAD HAPPENED. SO I ASKED, PLEASE, UH, THE VAGABOND INN, IS IT, WE HAVE ONE ON THE VAGABOND INN AND ALSO THEY CONVERTED THE, UH, THE, UH, HOLIDAY INN ON 10TH AND ATLANTIC. UM, SO WE'RE KIND OF BOOKEND WITH, WITH A LOT, A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT IF THEY DON'T GET IN AND [01:00:01] THEY DO HAVE RULES AND I'M, I'M AWARE OF THAT JUST FROM MY WORK. AND IN TALKING TO THEM, IF THEY DON'T GET THERE IN TIME, THE DOOR SHUT ON THEM AND THE BAG MON IN ACTUALLY HAS A SECURITY GUARD THAT'S KEEPS 'EM AWAY. UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IT'S, IT'S A BAD SITUATION, UM, THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA GET HURT. UH, THE LADY IN MY MY JACUZZI DID NOT GET HURT AND SHE JUST WANTED US AND THE HOME, OUR HOMEOWNERS TO, TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. WE HAVE A SECURITY GUARD AND WE ARE BEEFING UP OUR SECURITY. UM, BUT WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? IS, IS ALL I'M ASKING. UM, PLEASE, PLEASE CONSIDER THE BAGGA BOND AND ACTUALLY THE FIRE. UH, OUR, THAT BUILDING DOESN'T EVEN HAVE SPRINKLERS. I MEAN, YOU, YOU CAN'T HOUSE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN AND THEN HAVE SECURITY ISSUES. I MEAN, UH, FIRE ISSUES TOO. SO, SO PLEASE THINK ABOUT IT. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU. UH, THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE COMMENT. WE GO BACK TO THE, UH, REGULAR AGENDA, UH, ITEM 16 REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT AND ANY NECESSARY DOCUMENTS WITH GO BZ TO RECEIVE AND EXPEND GRANT FUNDING IN THE [16. 25-54517 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement, and any necessary documents including any subsequent amendments, with the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), to receive and expend grant funding in the amount of $1,198,263, to support the Cannabis Equity Program, from April 1, 2025, to October 31, 2026; and Increase appropriations in the General Grants Fund Group in the Economic Development Department by $1,198,263, offset by grant revenue. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Economic Development         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] AMOUNT OF 1,198,263 TO SUPPORT THE CANNABIS EQUITY PROGRAM CITYWIDE. OKAY. UH, WE DON'T HAVE A MOTION YET. IT'S TENA AND MYSELF. OKAY. OKAY. SORRY. I'M IN A, I'M IN THE WRONG SPOT, THAT'S WHY. SORRY. ALRIGHT, HERE WE GO. OKAY. YEAH, THAT ONE'S BROKEN USED LAST WEEK. OKAY, WELL WE HAVE MOTION BY, UH, TRASH CAR. ANY COMMENTS DOESN'T OCCUR? NO. OKAY. NO COMMENTS. , THERE ARE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM. OH, SORRY. YEAH, GO UPON COMMENT. THERE ARE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. WAS THERE, NOT UNLESS ONE'S REQUESTED, BUT WE ARE PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT IT IF YOU'D LIKE TO. YOU, DO YOU WANNA COMMENT? I ONLY HAD TWO QUESTIONS I WAS GONNA ASK. GO AHEAD. OKAY, THANK YOU. UH, JUST AS CLARIFICATION, 'CAUSE I REMEMBER, I THINK I, I EMAILED YOU ALL ABOUT THIS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HEARD. SO, UM, REGARDING THE VALUE OF THE STAFF WAGES AND BENEFITS THAT QUALIFY FOR THE MATCHING GRANT FUNDS, UM, IS THAT REFERRING TO CITY STAFF WAGES OR THE CANNABIS EQUITY BUSINESSES STAFF WAGES, THAT WOULD BE CITY STAFF WAGES. OKAY. SO THAT QUALIFIES FOR THE MATCH THE, THE CANNABIS BUSINESSES WOULD NEED IN ORDER FOR TO RECEIVE THE, THE GRANT FUNDS? CORRECT. UM, AND THEN, UM, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT WAS JUST THE ONE QUESTION. THAT'S ALL I HAD. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU COUNCILOR, MEMBER. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE COUNCIL? NONE. OKAY. THANK THE MOVE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. ITEM, UH, 17 REPORT FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS WITH HEALTH NET TO ENTER INTO A FEE FOR SERVICE AGREEMENT [17. 25-54510 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary documents and any subsequent amendments, including amendments to the award amount or terms, with Health Net of California, Inc. (Health Net) to enter into a fee-for-service agreement in an amount up to $3,107,812 for the CalAIM Community Supports Program, for an operational period up to one year, effective upon full execution of the applicable agreement(s), estimated to begin April 1, 2025, with the option to renew for an additional one-year period, at the discretion of the City Manager; and Increase appropriations in the Health Fund Group in the Health and Human Services Department by $3,107,812, offset by grant revenue. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Health and Human Services         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] IN AN AMOUNT UP TO 3,107,812 FOR THE CAL A IM COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAM. CITYWIDE. OKAY, WE HAVE A, A MOTION TO SING IT BY KER. UH, ANY FURTHER COMMENT ON THIS ONE? NO FURTHER COMMENT. STAFF. SO, UH, MR. VICE MAYOR, WE HAVE THREE ITEMS THAT ARE ALL RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS. WE'RE GONNA BE PRESENTING ON NUMBER 19, WHICH IS REALLY OUR ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION, UH, ABOUT THE LA RIVER. FOR THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN, IN TALKING ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TO HOUSE PEOPLE, THAT REALLY IS THE ITEM THAT WE'RE PREPARED TO PRESENT ON. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE, THE TEAM ALREADY, UM, FOR THIS ONE OR THE NEXT ONE UP TO 19. OKAY, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. I HAVE NO COMMENT ON THIS ONE. OTHERS TABLE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. NEXT ITEM IS, UH, ADAM 18 REPORT FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE MUNI CONTRACTS WITH PRO PARK [01:05:01] FOR PROVIDING SHUTTLE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR [18. 25-54511 Recommendation to receive and file Munis Contract No. 32301386 with Pro Park, LLC, of Hartford, CT, for providing shuttle transportation services for people experiencing homelessness, in a total contract amount not to exceed $796,170, made pursuant to Chapters 2.69 and 2.85 of the Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) and in response to the proclaimed Homelessness and Tuberculosis (TB) emergencies; and Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Munis Contract No. 32301386 with Pro Park, LLC, of Hartford, CT, for providing shuttle transportation services for people experiencing homelessness, to increase the contract amount by $55,000, for a revised contract amount not to exceed $851,170, and extend the term of the contract to September 30, 2025. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Health and Human Services         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND IN RESPONSE TO THE PROCLAIMED HOMELESSNESS AND TUBERCULOSIS EMERGENCIES FOR A REVISED CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 851,170 CITYWIDE. OKAY, THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND. ANY COMMENTS? OKAY, COUNCIL, THERE IS, THERE IS ONE PUBLIC COMMENT. OH, WELL, OKAY. THERE'S PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST IF YOU DON'T MIND. ALRIGHT, LATOYA, MARSHALL , COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS LATOYA MARSHALL AND I'M COMING HERE TODAY BECAUSE I AM A CLIENT THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM FROM THE BEGA BOND. AND I HAVE THEIR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND IN THEIR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IT SAYS THAT THEY SUPPOSED TO BE TRANSITIONING US FROM, YOU KNOW, THE SHELTER INTO PERMANENT HOUSING. THEY SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE US WITH A HOUSING VOUCHER FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, UM, AND FILL OUT A APPLICATION FOR WE COULD BE SUBMITTED INTO THEIR QUEUE. THEY'RE NOT DOING SO THEY'RE TURNING AROUND AND THEY'RE KICKING OR EXITING PEOPLE OUT OF THE PROGRAM FOR NON-RELATED ISSUES, NON-VIOLENT ISSUES. UM, I WAS, UH, EXITED OUT OF THE PROGRAM JUST FRIDAY, UM, BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT I SUPPOSED TO HAVE THREATENED A STAFF MEMBER, BUT THE STAFF MEMBER DOES NOT HAVE ANYONE ELSE TO CORROBORATE THAT STORY OR NOTHING OF THAT SORT. SO WE ARE LEFT STUCK BACK OUT HERE AGAIN. AND YOU GUYS SAY, OKAY, WELL IF YOU GUYS DON'T PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM, YOU STILL WILL RECEIVE HOUSING. BUT IF YOU GUYS NEVER IMPLEMENT US INTO THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES COMPUTER, WE WILL NEVER GET OUR VOUCHER AND WE WILL BE BACK OUT HERE HOMELESS AGAIN. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE PUBLIC IS TALKING ABOUT. YOU GUYS HAVE A A FORMULA SET UP JUST TO GET THE MONEY AND THEN YOU GUYS SAY Y'ALL RAN OUTTA BUDGET AND THAT Y'ALL NEED MORE MONEY OR Y'ALL NEED TO EXTEND THE PROGRAM. THEY HAVE NINE DIFFERENT HOTELS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING THIS WITH. THE BEST WESTERN PEOPLE BEEN IN THERE FOR NINE YEARS NOW AND YOU GUYS HAVEN'T HO HOUSED THEM. THAT'S CRAZY. IT IS NO REASON WHY WE SHOULD NOT, WE SHOULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY HOUSED. I WAS THERE FOR FIVE MONTHS AND DIDN'T FILL OUT, NOT ONE APPLICATION FOR APARTMENT. NOW I'M GOING THROUGH BEING OUT ON THE STREETS. I'M PROBABLY SURE Y'ALL SEEN ME IN AN ORANGE TENT THAT'S RIGHT THERE AT THE VAGABOND BECAUSE THEY HAVE ILLEGALLY KICKED ME OUT WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF, YOU KNOW, NOTIFICATION OR ANYTHING ELSE. SO NOW I'M BACK ON THE STREETS WHEN I WAS PROMISED TO BE, YOU KNOW, PERMANENTLY HOUSED. I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS WITH YOU GUYS FOR SIX YEARS NOW. I DON'T COMPLY WITH THE PROGRAMS, EVERYTHING ELSE. AND THEN WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, UH, WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO COME IN AND GIMME MY VOUCHER, I'M NOT GETTING IT AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OR WHATEVER. I REACHED OUT TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. I TRIED TO MAKE GRIEVANCES ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I'M NOT GETTING ANYWHERE. I DON'T HAVE THIS WOMAN LIE ON ME AND PUT ME INTO A MENTAL HOSPITAL FOR 51 50 WHERE I WAS HELD AGAINST MY WILL, SUPPOSED TO BEEN FOR 72 HOURS AND THEY HELD ME FOR FIVE DAYS JUST BECAUSE A PERSON MADE THESE ACCUSATIONS AND WASN'T EVEN QUALIFIED TO PUT ME UNDER A 1 51 HOLE. SO THAT'S USING MY DISABILITY AGAINST ME AND THAT'S NOT RIGHT. IF YOU GUYS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TO HELP US, HELP US. BUT DON'T SIT THERE AND JUST TAKE MA'AM, YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED. YOU SAID WHAT? YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED, YOUR THREE MINUTES IS UP. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU. BRING BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL, RICK, WHO DO HAD A QUESTION? YEAH, I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. UM, SO ONE WAS, I WAS ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THOSE SERVICES ARE REQUESTED? SO HOW DO PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, HOW DO THEY ACCESS THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES? YEAH, TRANSPORTATION CAN BE REQUESTED THROUGH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS. UM, OFTEN IT'S TAKING PEOPLE TO VITAL APPOINTMENTS. THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE HAVE SCHEDULED AS REGULAR, UM, TRANSPORTATION. SO WE TAKE PEOPLE TO THE DMV, UH, ONCE A WEEK SO PEOPLE CAN SIGN UP. UH, IT CAN BE REQUESTED BY OUTREACH AS THEY'RE OUT IN THE FIELD. IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO COME IN, TAKE A SHOWER, GET TO THE CLINIC, UH, PEOPLE CAN ALSO REQUEST THROUGH THEIR CASE MANAGER IF THEY NEED TO GET TO A CERTAIN APPOINTMENT SOMEWHERE OUT IN THE FIELD. THAT'S A VITAL APPOINTMENT. SO IT GETS REQUESTED IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS. UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE PEOPLE THAT HAVE CALLED INTO OUR PHONE LINE AND REQUESTED SUPPORT IN GETTING TO THE MSC, SO WE CAN ARRANGE IT IN THAT WAY. UM, ONE THING TO NOTE IS WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS TRYING TO, [01:10:01] UM, BRING THIS IN-HOUSE. THERE ARE MOMENTS THAT WE WILL NEED A CONTRACT. SO OUR GOAL IS TO ULTIMATELY BRING THIS IN HOUSE WHERE WE HAVE A CITY STAFF THAT IS DOING THE TRANSPORTATION, UH, AND THAT WE HAVE OUR OWN SHUTTLE VERSUS COMPLETELY RELYING ON A CONTRACT. UH, SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF THAT, BUT IN THE MEANTIME WE DO NEED CONTRACT. AND ONCE WE DO BRING IT IN HOUSE, SOMEBODY'S OUT SICK. IF THEY'RE GOING ON VACATION, THIS CONTRACT WOULD BE ABLE TO COVER THAT OR OTHER, UH, TRANSPORTATION NEEDS AS THEY ARISE. OKAY. SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UM, EVEN ONCE WE BRING IT IN HOUSE, THE IDEA THAT WE'D HAVE SOME SEMBLANCE OF A CONTRACT WITH AN OUTSIDE ENTITY TO COVER THAT, WHICH WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T SUPPORT FOR WHATEVER THE PARTICULAR REASON IS FILLING GAPS. YEP. UNDERSTOOD. UM, FOR THE FIELD-BASED SERVICES, UM, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE FIELD-BASED SERVICES, DOES THIS INCLUDE THE MOBILE ACCESS CENTER? SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF AN INDIVIDUAL'S REFERRED TO SERVICES THROUGH THE MAC, RIGHT? CAN THEY UTILIZE THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES? YEAH, THEY COULD CALL FOR SOMEBODY. THEY WANT TO TAKE A SHOWER, UH, THEY WANT TO GO TO THE CLINIC. THE MAC IS ABLE TO REQUEST THE, THE SHUTTLE COME OUT AND TRANSPORT SOMEBODY IN, UH, FOR OUR OUTREACH TEAMS, JUST KIND OF DEPENDING ON WHAT'S HAPPENING, OUR GENERAL OUTREACH TEAMS, UH, SOMETIMES WE DO TRANSPORT PEOPLE, UH, AS WELL DIRECTLY TO VARIOUS APPOINTMENTS. UM, SO JUST KIND OF DEPENDING ON WHAT'S HAPPENING, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO DIRECTLY TRANSPORT THE PERSON OR, UH, THEY CAN CALL THE SHUTTLE TO COME AND HELP THEM TRANSPORT. OKAY. NOW DOES A STAFF MEMBER HAVE TO MAKE THAT REQUEST OR CAN AN INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, IS THERE LIKE A NUMBER THAT THEY COULD CALL AND REQUEST TRANSPORTATION? YEAH, THEY CAN CALL THE MSC HOTLINE, UH, AT 5 6 2 5 7 0, UH, 4,500. UH, AND THAT WE HAVE TWO, UH, PHONE COUNSELORS, UH, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO REQUEST SUPPORT WITH THE SHUTTLE THROUGH THEM. EXCELLENT. AND THEN LAST, OKAY, THANK YOU. AND THEN LAST QUESTION WAS, UM, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. UM, IS THERE A REPORT THAT INCLUDES THE USAGE OF THE SERVICES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS? YEAH, WE, WE GOT THAT REQUEST. WE ARE REQUESTING PRO PARK, UH, TO PROVIDE THAT LOG. SO THEY'RE THE ONES, UH, DOING THAT. SO WE WILL FOLLOW UP AND PROVIDE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THAT. UM, WE DON'T NECESSARILY TRACK ON OUR SIDE, BUT PRO PARK DOES HAVE A LOG. OKAY. EXCELLENT. AND I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AS YOU SAID AROUND BRINGING IT IN, UM, INTERNAL, I THINK THAT KIND OF DATA IS NECESSARY FOR US TO THEN ASSESS, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR INTERNAL SUPPORT LOOKS, NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE AND THEN THE SIZE OF OUR CONTRACT MOVING FORWARD. SO YEP. THANK YOU CONSUMER, UH, CUSTOMER OCCUR. UM, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS OD ASKED THE TWO QUESTIONS I HAD AND MORE. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE HAVE, UH, A MOTION SINGING FAVORABLE MOTION IS CARRIED. ITEM 19. ITEM 19, PLEASE. ITEM 19, REPORT FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS WITH A CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO ACCEPT [19. 25-54516 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary documents and any subsequent amendments, including amending the award amount, with the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to accept and expend grant funding in the amount of $11,051,738 for the Encampment Resolution Funding Program, for the estimated period of March 2025 – April 2029, at the discretion of the City Manager; and Increase appropriations in the Health Fund Group in the Health and Human Services Department by $11,051,738, offset by grant revenue. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Health and Human Services         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] AND EXPEND GRANT FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF 11,051,738 FOR THE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION FUNDING PROGRAM. CITYWIDE. THANK YOU. ANYBODY COMMENT? WHAT THIS IS IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW. YEAH. THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. SO WE DO, THIS IS REALLY GREAT NEWS. I THINK WE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE SPEAKERS EARLIER ABOUT THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL WAYS TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS. THIS IS EXACTLY HOW WE DO IT. THE VAGABOND IS ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS, AND WE'LL GIVE A LITTLE UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE VAGABOND 'CAUSE THAT IS TEMPORARY. UM, THAT WAS FROM THE LAST ROUND WHERE WE BROUGHT ON PEOPLE INTO THE VAGABOND AND THEN WE WORKED TO GET THEM HOUSING. AND THAT'LL BE CLOSING IN ABOUT THREE MONTHS. YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT. UH, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAVE NOW GOTTEN A THIRD, UM, ONE OF THESE GRANTS FROM THE, UM, FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. UH, WE ARE ONE OF ONLY THREE CITIES CONTINUUM OF CARES THAT HAVE GOTTEN THIS. UH, AND SO WE'RE VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL IN USING THIS TO HELP, UH, GET PEOPLE HOUSED AND GET INTO PERMANENT HOUSING. SO WE WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THIS, UH, AND GIVING YOU THE, THE OVERVIEW AND BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. SO I WILL TURN TO THERESA CHANDLER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, AND PAUL DUNCAN, OUR MANAGER OF OUR HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU. GOOD EVENING CITY COUNCIL. SO WE ARE, UH, EXCITED TO PRESENT TO YOU ON THIS ITEM AS IT WILL BE THE THIRD TIME THAT WE ARE RECEIVING FUNDING FROM THE STATE TO, UH, IMPLEMENT AN ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROGRAM. THE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION FUND PROGRAM FROM THE STATE IS A RELATIVELY, UH, NEW, IT'S RELATIVELY NEW, BOTH AS A FUNDING SOURCE AS WELL AS A MODEL IN DEVELOPING BEST PRACTICES AND REDUCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS IN LARGE ENCAMPMENTS. UM, THAT [01:15:01] BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A, UH, A MODEL THAT IS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, PREVENT HOMELESSNESS FROM EXISTING AND UNSHELTERED IN A SPECIFIC AREA, BUT IT ALLOWS US TO QUICKLY MOVE IN, UH, AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO REDUCE HOMELESSNESS AND WORK TOWARDS SOLUTIONS WHERE PEOPLE ARE, ARE NO LONGER UNSHELTERED. UH, LONG BEACH HAS APPLIED AND RECEIVED FUNDING IN THE PREVIOUS TWO ROUNDS FROM THE STATE IN 2022. WE WERE AWARDED FUNDING, UH, THROUGH ROUND ONE, UH, WITH JUST OVER 1.3 MILLION, WHICH ALLOWED US TO FOCUS ON MACARTHUR PARK, UH, AND THEY ADJACENT ANAHEIM CORRIDOR. AND IN 2023, WE RECEIVED AN AWARD TO FOCUS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA AROUND BILLY JEAN KING LIBRARY, LINCOLN PARK, UH, PINE STREET, AND THE PROMENADE AREA. UH, WHICH THE EFFORTS ON THE SECOND ROUND ARE STILL ONGOING AT THIS TIME. UM, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NOT COMPLETELY ELIMINATED HOMELESSNESS IN THOSE AREAS, UH, WE HAVE SEEN SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN THE NUMBER OF UNSHELTERED PEOPLE WITHIN THOSE AREAS. UM, WITH THE BOTH OF THE TWO ROUNDS, A BIG FOCUS OF THIS WAS PROVIDING NON CONGREGATE SHELTER, UH, WHERE PEOPLE COULD IMMEDIATELY GET TO A SPACE THAT'S THEIR OWN SPACE, UH, AND OFF OF THE STREET. UM, WHILE, WHILE WORKING ON OTHER SOLUTIONS. UM, IN ADDITION TO THE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION, THE CITY ALSO RECEIVES, UH, ALLOCATIONS FROM THE STATE AROUND THE HOMELESS HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND PREVENTION PROGRAM. UH, HOWEVER, THIS IS A COMPETITIVE FUNDING GRANT, WHICH CITIES, COUNTIES, AND CONTINUOUS CARES ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR, UH, WITH THE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION. AS TOM SAID, WE ARE ONE OF THREE CITIES THAT HAS BEEN AWARDED WITHIN EACH ROUND. UH, WE APPRECIATE THE STATE RESOURCES AND THE RECOGNITION OF THE ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS, UH, THAT ARE WORKING TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF ENCAMPMENTS AND INTO HOUSING. UH, STAFF WILL MONITOR FOR WHEN THE FOURTH ROUND, UH, FUNDING BECOMES OF COMES OUT, UH, SO THAT WE CONTINUE TO REDUCE UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS WITHIN THE CITY. SO LOOKING AT OUR THIRD ROUND AND WHAT THE FOCUS WILL BE, UH, WE, UH, ARE GOING TO BE FOCUSED IN ON THE LA RIVERBED AND WANT TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION AROUND WHAT OUR PLANS ARE, UH, FOR ROUND THREE AND OUR FOCUS. SO OUR AWARD FOR ROUND THREE IS A LITTLE OVER $11 MILLION, WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO PROVIDE TARGETED ENGAGEMENT AND RESOURCES FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN LIVING ON THE LA RIVERBED. THIS DOES NOT RESSEM REPRESENT, THIS DOES REPRESENT OUR LARGEST ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION FUND PROGRAM, BOTH IN THE ASPECT OF TOTAL FUNDING, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE GEOGRAPHY THAT IT WILL COVER. UH, THE LA RIVER BED ALSO SPANS ACROSS MULTIPLE, UH, JURISDICTIONS WITH THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE LA RIVER BED BEING LA COUNTY PROPERTY, BUT THERE IS ALSO LONG BEACH CITY, CALTRANS, EDISON, LA METRO, AND PRIVATE PROPERTIES THAT MAKE UP THE LA RIVER BED IN ADJACENT OPEN PROPERTIES. SO IT IS A COMPLEX, UH, GEOGRAPHY. AS WE LOOK AT ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS ACROSS IT. UH, WE ARE, WE'RE, UH, ABLE TO, ABLE TO, THROUGH PLANNING, THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS, UH, WITH THE AWARD, WE WILL BE ENGAGED IN IMPLEMENTATION AND PLANNING WORK IN THE COMING MONTHS WITH THE GOAL OF GETTING TO IMPLEMENTATION, UH, OR SOMETIME IN THE SUMMER. SO, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ASPECTS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A COUPLE SLIDES THAT WE'RE WORKING TO GET, UH, IN PLACE WITH THE ANTICIPATION OF THE PROGRAM LASTING APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS. UH, AND FROM A CONTRACTUAL POINT, UH, WE ARE REQUIRED TO SPEND DOWN ALL FUNDS BY 2029. SO, UH, AS WE LOOK AT WHY WE CHOSE THE RIVERBED, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE RIVERBED, UH, AND SOME OF THE UNIQUE ASPECTS OF THE RIVERBED. UM, ALTHOUGH WE DON'T HAVE DATA BACK TO THE SEVENTIES OR EIGHTIES, SAFE TO SAY THAT THE LA RIVERBED HAS BEEN THE LARGEST LONGSTANDING ENCAMPMENT WITHIN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. UH, AS WE LOOK AT WHAT LED TO THE CITY FOCUSING ON THE LA RIVER BED, AGAIN, UH, WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF PEOPLE AND WHO'S EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ON THE LA RIVER BED. UH, DURING THE 2024 POINT IN TIME HOMELESS COUNT, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THERE WERE, UH, ROUGHLY 246 PEOPLE ACTIVELY LIVING ON THE RIVER BED AT THAT POINT. HOWEVER, BASED [01:20:01] ON HMIS DATA, UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS SOME LEVEL OF MOVEMENT MOVEMENT AND WE ESTIMATE THAT THERE'S ROUGHLY AROUND 325 PEOPLE LIVING ON THE RIVER BED OVER A YEAR PERIOD, UH, BASED UPON OUR HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM DATA. UH, WE ALSO ESTIMATE THAT WE ARE SEEING MORE PEOPLE ON THE LA RIVER BED AT THIS POINT THIS YEAR THAN WE WERE AT THIS POINT LAST YEAR. UH, SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT MIGHT BE, UH, IMPACTING THAT. UH, BUT WE ARE SEEING MORE PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY ON THE LA RIVERBED. UH, AND LOOKING AT OTHER ENCAMPMENTS IN THE CITY, WE SEE THAT PEOPLE ON THE RIVERBED ARE MORE LIKELY THAN OTHER ENCAMPMENTS HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FOR A YEAR LONGER. UH, AND THOUGH ALL, ALTHOUGH NOT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN OTHER ENCAMPMENTS, UH, AND OUR OVERALL HOMELESSNESS, WE DO SEE HIGHER RATES OF REPORTED DISABILITIES, UH, INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE, AND CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. UM, AND LASTLY, WHILE OUTREACH IS IN THE FIELD, UH, THEY OFTEN ENGAGE IN ASKING PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT SERVICES THEY ARE MOST INTERESTED IN. UH, AND WE HAVE DONE ENGAGEMENT ON THE LA RIVER BED AROUND THIS AS WELL. UH, WE FIND THAT THIS HAS BEEN PRETTY CLOSE TO UNIVERSAL FOR THE TOP TWO REQUESTS. UH, AND THEY MIGHT CHANGE BACK AND FORTH DEPENDING ON WHERE WE ARE. UH, BUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE MOST WANTING IS PERMANENT HOUSING WITH AN ONGOING SUBSIDY, UH, AND, AND OR A MOTEL VOUCHER OR A SHELTER SPACE THAT THEY CAN GO WHERE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN ROOM, UH, THAT LOCKS AND THEIR OWN RESTROOM. SO THOSE ARE THE MOST RE REQUESTED SERVICES. SO REALLY WE, UH, TAILORED OUR PROPOSAL AROUND WHAT PEOPLE ARE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKING FOR. UH, SO AS WE LOOK AT OUR SERVICES AND BUDGET AND WHAT THIS IS GONNA BE FUNDING, UH, THERE IS 11 MILLION THAT IS COMING IN FROM THE STATE. HOWEVER, THERE IS OTHER FUNDING THAT WE ARE LEVERAGING IN, UH, BOTH FROM COUNTY RESOURCES AS WELL AS, UH, THROUGH OUR HOUSING AUTHORITY AND REALLY LOOKING AT, UH, OUR ABILITY TO MAKE AS MUCH OF AN IMPACT AS POSSIBLE ALONG A WIDE RANGE, UH, SPECTRUM OF SERVICES. SO, UH, THE BUDGET WILL, UH, AS WE LOOK AT THE GRANT, UH, WE REALLY START OFF IN LOOKING AT PROGRAM COORDINATION AND MANAGEMENT, UH, AND MANAGEMENT. SO THIS WILL PROVIDE STAFFING TO OVERSEE THE WORK AS WELL AS DATA SUPPORT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE TRACKING AND REPORTING, UH, AROUND OUR EFFORTS. SO THIS IS REALLY KIND OF TO KEEP THE PROJECT TOGETHER AS A WHOLE. UH, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN STREET OUTREACH, HOWEVER, UH, THE MAJORITY OF OUR STREET OUTREACH EFFORTS WILL BE, UH, LEVERAGED FROM OTHER RESOURCES THAT EXIST, UH, FROM GRANTS THAT ARE COMING IN, UH, INCLUDING THROUGH THE COUNTY AND ME, UH, AND, UH, THE HILTON GRANT, AS WELL AS SOME CITY GENERAL FUNDS. UM, AND THEN THE BULK OF OUR BUDGET WITHIN THE PROGRAM IS GOING AROUND NON CONGREGATE SHELTER AND STAFFING OPERATIONS. UH, WITHIN THE LAST TWO ROUNDS, WE HAVE LEASED MOTELS. UH, CURRENTLY WE'RE IN THE VAGABOND. OUR AGREEMENT THERE WILL END IN MAY. WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER, UH, MOTEL AND HOTEL OPTIONS, TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING THAT IS ADJACENT ALONG THE RIVER BED, UM, AND TRYING TO, UH, AGAIN, HAVE IT ADJACENT TO WHERE WE ARE SERVING PEOPLE. UM, SO WE WILL BE LOOKING OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS TO LOOK FOR POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS. UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS CONVERSATION. WE ARE NOT LOOKING AT EXTENSION AT THE VAGABOND, BUT LOOKING AT NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR LEASING A MOTEL OR HOTEL CLOSER TO THE RIVERBED. UH, AND THEN, UH, AS WE PROVIDE SUPPORT IN, UH, SHELTER, WE KNOW THAT THIS A VITAL RESOURCE AND STABILIZING PEOPLE, BUT ULTIMATELY WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO LEASE MOTELS FOREVER AND EVER. UH, SO SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH GETTING TO PERMANENT HOUSING. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT IS ALWAYS TOUGH IS WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DO NEED PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. HOWEVER, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT FUNDING, THAT IS A ONE TIME SHORT TERM TYPE OF GRANT, AND WE'RE TALKING TWO TO THREE YEARS, UH, OUR OPTIONS AROUND CREATING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ARE LIMITED. UH, SO REALLY WE ARE FOCUSED IN ON FUNDING RAPID REHOUSING, UH, THROUGH THE GRANT. THIS PROVIDES, UH, SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT, ALONG WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH LEASE, UH, TO HELP PEOPLE GET INTO A LEASE. WE KNOW FOR THE RIVERBED, UH, THIS FOR MANY PEOPLE MIGHT BE A PLACEHOLDER WHILE WAITING FOR A VOUCHER TO OPEN UP. [01:25:01] UH, THAT IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE. WE ONLY HAVE SO MANY VOUCHERS THROUGH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY THAT WE ARE ALLOCATED. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALLOCATE THEM AS WE BECOME AVAILABLE. UH, BUT WE DO HAVE A CHALLENGE WITHIN THAT, THE AREA THAT WE WILL BE LEVERAGING IS OUR, AND OUR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. SO AGAIN, WORKING WITH OUR HOUSING AUTHORITY AS VOUCHERS BECOME AVAILABLE, UH, TO WORK ON PRIORITIZING PEOPLE AND GETTING THEM LINKED WITH VOUCHERS. UM, OBVIOUSLY AS WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE ON THE RIVERBED, THE LIKELIHOOD OF US BEING ABLE TO GIVE A VOUCHER TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON IS NOT GOING TO BE POSSIBLE. SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH PEOPLE TRYING TO STABILIZE 'EM THROUGH, UH, THAT SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND, UH, LINKING PEOPLE TO A VOUCHER WHERE POSSIBLE. AND THEN LASTLY, WE HAVE, UH, SOME FUNDING FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THIS. UH, IT IS A PRETTY LEAN ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, FUNDING SOURCE, SO WE'LL BE ALIGNING IT AND WORKING WITHIN OUR EXISTING STRUCTURES, UH, TO MAKE THIS AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE AS WE IMPLEMENT. UM, SO AGAIN, THIS IS LOOKING AT A TWO YEAR BUDGET ACROSS, UH, ACROSS THE SPECTRUM. SO, UM, JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON GOALS AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ACCOMPLISH. UH, THIS IS REALLY HIGH, TAKING SOME HIGH LEVEL THINGS. UH, OUR GOAL IS REALLY TO HAVE A HIGH, UH, YOU KNOW, AN IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF THOSE LIVING ON THE RIVERBED. AND WITHIN THE SPACE OF THE RIVERBED. WE WANT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN LIVING ON THE RIVERBED TO HAVE INCREASED ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND TO CREATE A PATHWAY TO STABILITY AND HEALTH AND HOUSING. AND FOR THE OVERALL RIVERBED TO BE MORE HEALTHY AND A CLEAN SPACE FOR ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS. UH, OVER THE PROGRAM PERIOD, WE WILL BE LOOKING TO PROVIDE NON CONGREGATED SHELTER TO AT LEAST 130 PEOPLE. UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE IN. SO, UH, WE'LL BE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT OUR COUNTY RESOURCES AS WELL AS ALSO UTILIZING SOME OF THE UNITS AT, UH, THE FORMER LUXURY INSIGHT FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS. OUR GOAL IS 130. WE'RE HOPING WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE FROM THE RIVERBED INTO NON CONGREGATE SPACE. UH, END OF THOSE. WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL WORK WITH ON PERMANENT HOUSING RESOURCES ALONG WITH THAT. UH, AND THEN WE ARE LOOKING TO SUPPORT 80 PEOPLE THAT EXIT THE RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM INTO PERMANENT HOUSING AND ASSISTING 40 PEOPLE IN PERMANENT SUPPORTING HOUSING PLACEMENTS. UH, AGAIN, HOPEFULLY WE CAN BRING MORE RESOURCES ONLINE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS THAT PROVIDE MORE PERMANENT HOUSING PATHWAYS FOR PEOPLE, UH, AS WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE ON THE, THE RIVERBED. SO, ALTHOUGH THE PROGRAM IS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO REACH EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THE RIVERBED, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE OVERALL NUMBERS AND THE MOVEMENT, UH, WE DO SEE THAT THIS HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM IMPACT ON THE RIVERBED AND FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING ON THE RIVERBED. UM, SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR REPORT, AND WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT. BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I NEED A, A MOTION AND A SECOND. IT WAS MOTIONED SECOND. THERE IS A, ONCE THE PRESENTATION GOES DOWN, YOU CAN SEE IT'S MOTIONED BY COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT, THE SECOND. OKAY. BYE. FIVE. THANK YOU. UH, I HAVE, UH, ONE SPEAKER, AND I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER ONE I WANT TO SPEAK. YES, WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT SPEAKERS TONIGHT. KEN FAYE, UH, SON KEN, PHASE SIX, DISTRICT RESIDENT. GREAT. UM, PRESENTATION BY MR. DUNCAN. UM, I THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. UH, I THINK HE GOT MORE THAN 17 MILLION, MAYBE TH 30 MILLION, GIVE OR TAKE. IF WE ADD IN MEASURE RAY IN A, A COUPLE OTHER COUNTY OPPORTUNITIES. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THAN EVER, I THINK THAT THE CITY NEEDS SOME WINS. AND I'M OF THE BELIEF THAT THIS IS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO HAVE A, A SIZABLE WIN AND A SPACE THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PUBLIC, UH, CONFLICT WITH. UM, FOR ME, I KNOW WITH THE VAGABOND, THE CITY, UH, RESPECTFULLY WAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IN THE SENSE OF THE PRICING, BECAUSE WHEN, UH, A MOTEL, PEOPLE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CITY'S ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE WITH THE HOUSING CRISIS. AND SO WHEN YOU'RE PAYING $199,000 A MONTH WITHOUT THE OPPORTUNITY, [01:30:01] THE, THE, IT MINIMIZES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES THAT WE'RE HEARING PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT, UH, COMPLAIN ABOUT THE LACK OF, AND I THINK THAT WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY, IT'S VITAL THAT THE CITY LOOKS TO USE THIS MONEY AND LEVERAGE THIS MONEY TO GET INTO THE SPACE OF OWNERSHIP. I THINK THAT THERE'S, UH, TWO SIZABLE MOTELS, UH, IN THE GREATER LONG BEACH AREA THAT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY. THERE'S THE ONE ON ARTESIA, UH, IT'S 8 7 3 0 ARTESIA BOULEVARD, AND THEN THERE'S THE OTHER ONE ON PCH. IT'S THE 31 0 1 EAST PCH, THAT'S ABOUT 16 BEDS. UH, BOTH OF THOSE ARE UNDER, UH, CUMULATIVELY UNDER $7 MILLION. AND THOSE GREAT OPPORTUNITY, I'M SURE THAT, AND THAT'S JUST AT THE CONSERVATIVE LEVEL OF OFFERING AT RATE OVER THEM. OBVIOUSLY BEEN ON THE MARKET FOR OVER A YEAR. SO THERE'S DEFINITELY AMPLE WIGGLE ROOM. UH, IF, UH, MADAM ATTORNEY HAS HER PARALEGALS LOOK INTO IT, I'M SURE THAT THEY CAN MANEUVER THERE AND, AND SAVE US ABOUT 800,000 TO $1.5 MILLION EASILY IN SAVINGS THAT COULD BE UTILIZED. I SEE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING WITH THE CAL AIM INTO COMMUNITY SUPPORTS. UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO CREATE REVENUE STREAMS WITH THESE PEOPLE, UM, AS THE ADMINISTRATIONS CHANGE THEIR VIEWPOINTS ON HOW WE HOUSE PEOPLE. SO I, I, I SEE THE HOLISTIC APPROACH BEING UTILIZED. I THINK THE ONE KEY FACTOR IS THE CITY DOESN'T LOOK INTO HOUSING OWNERSHIP OF HOUSING ENOUGH. AND SO I HOPE THAT WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN SEE. UH, I TRUST THE, UH, THE, THE DIRECTOR AND HIS TEAM THAT THEY, THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL GET TO IT. UH, IF ANYTHING, UH, MYSELF AS A, A RESIDENT AND ALSO IN THE CAPACITY I SERVE AT THE ORGANIZATION THAT I WORK FOR, WOULD LOVE THE SUPPORT. UM, BECAUSE THIS IS A GRANT OPPORTUNITY. UH, YOU MAYBE YOU CAN ALSO LOOK AT INTO THE SIDED GRANT RIGHT NOW, THE SIDED PATH GRANT, THAT'S ANOTHER GREAT OPPORTUNITY. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, UH, HE GOT YOUR APPLICATION IN ON TIME, BUT LIKE I SAID, I'M HERE TO SERVE. I'M HERE TO HELP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MAD CLERK THAT CONCLUDE WHEN I COME FOR THIS ITEM? YES. OKAY. I'LL BRING YOU BACK TO THE COUNCIL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, VICE MAYOR. UM, SO WHILE, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TEAM IN BEING ABLE TO BRING DOWN THIS LEVEL OF RESOURCE, UH, FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. NOT ONE TIME, TWO TIMES, BUT THREE TIMES. UM, AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE BY THE TIME I FINISH MY COMMENTS THAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING US DO IT A FOURTH TIME, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY. UM, SO I WILL SAY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WAY THAT THIS, UH, MOTION IS WRITTEN UP WITH AN EMPHASIS ON A PEOPLE CENTERED APPROACH. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEONE WHO PERSONALLY LIVES ALONG THE RIVERBED, I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE REALLY TACKLE, UM, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WITH THE RIVERBED. UM, AND I'M, YOU KNOW, REALLY PLEASED THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO TACKLE. AND I, I THINK A NUMBER OF MY COLLEAGUES, IT RUNS THROUGH PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE CITY. UM, AND SO MANY OF US ARE IMPACTED, UM, IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER RELATED TO THE RIVERBED. SO, GETTING INTO SOME OF MY THOUGHTS, UM, I, I SHARED ALREADY THE PLEASE THAT I'M PLEASED ABOUT THE PEOPLE CENTERED APPROACH. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR REPORT IS THAT THIS, UH, PARTICULAR, UM, AREA HAS OVERLAPPING JURISDICTIONS, SO LA COUNTY AND OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, RELATED JURISDICTIONS. WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SHARE IF THERE IS A PLAN TO CREATE A TASK FORCE THAT WOULD BRING THOSE JURISDICTIONS TO A REGULAR CONVERSATION WITH US SO THAT WE CAN AMPLIFY WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING IN LONG BEACH? YEAH, WE DO. SO CURRENTLY EXISTING, WE DO MEET WITH, UH, THE COUNTY AND CALTRANS ON A BIWEEKLY BASIS. SO WE ARE MEETING WITH THEM EVERY OTHER WEEK TO DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, OVERLAPPING JURISDICTIONS, HOW WE'RE RESPONDING AND OUR APPROACH. SO WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE RIVER BED EXTENSIVELY WITHIN THAT, UH, THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A FOCUS. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT AS MUCH RIVER RIVER BED OR I MEAN, METRO, UH, RIVER BED PROPERTY. UM, BUT WE WILL BE REACHING OUT TO THEM. WE DON'T SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON EDISON, BUT THEY DO PARTICIPATE BOTH IN OUR INTER-JURISDICTIONAL COLLABORATIVES. SO WE WILL BE ENGAGING THEM AS WELL. UH, BUT OUR KEY TWO PARTNERS IS REALLY GONNA BE LA COUNTY AND CALTRANS AS WE, AS WE GO ABOUT THIS PROJECT. AND, AND WE'LL BE MEETING WITH THEM EVERY OTHER WEEK. THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR. I DEFINITELY WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN INVOLVE ALL OF THE KEY THOSE STAKEHOLDERS AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS THAT THEY'RE PART OF, UM, THIS ENCAMPMENT, UM, GRANT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED. UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON ENGAGING THE INDIVIDUAL, IDENTIFYING [01:35:01] SHORT-TERM, LONG-TERM HOUSING OPTIONS. UM, ALL OF THAT IS GREAT. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND, UM, IN THE RIVERBED. SO I DIDN'T SEE A LOT OF RESOURCES FOR CLEANUP, UM, OR ANY SORT OF LONG TIME, LONG-TERM SECURING ANY GREENING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AREAS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO RESTORE. SO THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE ONGOING. THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE COSTS WITHIN THE STATE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROGRAM, BUT AS WE LOOK AT ALL LONG-TERM IMPACTS AND ULTIMATELY HOW DO WE SUPPORT THE RIVERBED, I THINK THERE IS COMMITMENT FROM THE COUNTY, FROM CALTRANS, FROM THE CITY TO FIND WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, BEAUTIFY, RESTORE SPACES, UH, FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING ADDITIONAL GREEN SPACE THAT, YOU KNOW, IS AVAILABLE TO THE OVERALL COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF BEAUTIFUL TRAILS THAT DO, UH, RUN ALONG THE RIVERBED THAT ARE PRESERVED FOR WILDLIFE. MM-HMM . MAKING SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THOSE AND THAT THEY ARE HEALTHY SPACES IS AN IMPORTANT PART, UH, OF THIS ENGAGEMENT WORK. EXCELLENT. I THINK THAT UNDERSCORES OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS AS WELL. SO YOU SPOKE ABOUT TRAILS. LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT I THINK THAT THE NEXT, UH, ROUND OF FUNDING COULD POTENTIALLY BE USED FOR IF WE WERE TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THAT. UM, SO THE EIGHTH DISTRICT HAS THE UNIQUE, UH, ASSET OF THE RAIL LINE. UM, THAT RAIL LINE DOES TEND TO ATTRACT, UH, A LEVEL OF EN OH AND DISTRICT NINE. OKAY. IT TENDS TO ATTRACT, UH, A LEVEL OF ENCAMPMENT. JOIN FIVE TOO. FIVE AND FIVE. OKAY. WELL, LET'S, ALL RIGHT, WE, LET'S JOIN THE YES, SO IT, THE NORTH PART OF THE CITY . UM, AND SO, UH, AS WE THINK ABOUT WHAT IS, IF WE CLEAN UP THE RIVERBED, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GIVE PEOPLE NEW PLACES, UM, TO ENGAGE. AND, UM, MIGHT THERE BE AN OPPORTUNITY, I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AS AN OPEN-ENDED QUESTION, UM, TO LOOK AT EITHER MEASURE A DOLLARS AS WELL, BUT MAYBE GO BACK TO THE STATE. I MEAN, WE CLEARLY HAVE A PROVEN MODEL HERE IN LONG BEACH THAT WE CAN USE, UM, OVER AND OVER AGAIN, UM, THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO ATTRACT RESOURCES. YOU AGREE? OKAY, GREAT. THEN I'LL FINALLY SAY THAT, UM, WHATEVER I CAN DO AS CHAIR OF OUR HOUSING COMMITTEE AS A COUNCILWOMAN, UM, TO ENSURE THAT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA CONTINUES THIS FUNDING SOURCE. UH, PLEASE COUNT ON ME TO SUPPORT BEING ABLE TO SHARE WITH SACRAMENTO THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THESE KINDS OF RESOURCES SO THAT CITIES CAN SUPPORT ALL OF THEIR NEIGHBORS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE UNHOUSED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER AND I SURE THEY'LL PROBABLY BE REACHING OUT TO YOU EVENTUALLY. , UH, COUNCIL KERR. YES, THANK YOU. UH, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH AND TUCK FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS. UM, JUST ONE CLARIFICATION, UH, DIRECTOR, AND YOU DID TOUCH ON IT ABOUT, UH, THE NATURE PRESERVE. SO SPECIFICALLY DOMINGUEZ GAP, WHICH, UM, IS SHARED BY DISTRICT FIVE IN DISTRICT EIGHT SPLITS DOWN THE MIDDLE, DOES DO THE MONEY. WE KNOW WE'VE HAD FOLKS WHO ARE ENC CAMPED IN THERE AS WELL, WHICH IS PART OF, AGAIN, LA COUNTY'S JURISDICTION. DOES THIS EXTEND, THOUGH NOT ON THE RIVERBED, DOES THAT INCLUDE, UM, LOOKING AT A WAY TO HELP THOSE FOLKS AS WELL? YEAH, AS WE APPROACH THIS GRANT, WE ARE LOOKING AT A PRETTY BROAD DEFINITION OF THE RIVERBED. SO IT'S RIVERBED AND ADJACENT OPEN PROPERTY. SO DOMINGUEZ GAP WILL BE INCLUDED WITH THAT, AS WELL AS OTHER, UH, PROPERTY THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY DIRECTLY RIVER BED, BUT, UH, BUTS UP TO THAT RIVER BED. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NO MORE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL RIVER, UH, GOVERNOR MEMBER ALLEN. YES. UH, THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR. UM, I THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU GUYS FOR THIS PRESENTATION, AND IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO THIS. THESE GRANTS ARE, ARE REALLY HUGE. AND YOU HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE SPEAKING ABOUT, UH, THE VAGABOND. SO CAN SOMEONE SPEAK ON, I MEAN, THAT'S GONNA BE CLOSING IN THREE MONTHS, CORRECT? IS THAT CORRECT? UM, SO HOW WILL, HOW WILL THIS, HOW WILL THESE WORK TOGETHER WITH THAT, WITH THAT CLOSING? IS THERE ANY OF THESE MONIES, ARE YOU ABLE TO WORK TOWARDS, I DON'T KNOW IF THE NON CONGREGATE SHELTER, STAFFING AND OPERATIONS ARE GONNA HELP, BUT CAN WE JUST SPEAK ON THAT A LITTLE BIT? 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE HAD A LOT OF CONCERN HERE TODAY FROM THE COMMUNITY. YEAH. THAT, I MEAN, EVERY TIME WE DO THIS, THIS IS A CHALLENGE AS WE COME TOWARDS THE END OF A PERIOD WANTING TO MAXIMIZE, OBVIOUSLY OUR USE OF THE MOTEL, MOTEL SPACE AS IT'S AVAILABLE. SO AS WE MOVE SOMEBODY AT, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT, THEY GET HOUSED, WE BRING SOMEBODY ELSE IN. YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO MAXIMIZE THAT. BUT IT DOES CREATE A CHALLENGE AS WE GET TOWARDS, UH, THE END OF OUR POINT ON A LEASE. UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ENGAGED, UH, AND WORKING WITH, UH, ARE [01:40:01] PROVIDER PROVIDING RAPID REHOUSING SUPPORT, UH, THAT CAN PROVIDE THAT, UH, RENTAL ASSISTANCE. WE DO HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET LINKED TO VOUCHERS. UM, SO WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE PEOPLE THAT ULTIMATELY ARE STILL WORKING ON STABILITY. AS WE GET TO THE END OF MAY. UH, WE HAVE SOME FUNDING THAT WE'VE SET ASIDE LOOKING AT MOTEL VOUCHER SPACE, ALSO LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S OUR PRIORITY AS SPACE BECOMES AVAILABLE AT THE FORMER LUXURY SITE. UH, WE DO HAVE A NEW PSH PROJECT, UM, THAT WILL BE OPENING UP AND THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS. SO WE'VE BEGAN TO MATCH PEOPLE TO THAT AS WELL. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET SOME PEOPLE IN THAT'LL BE SLIGHTLY AFTER THIS, BUT WE'LL BE UTILIZING MOTELS AND OTHER OPEN SPACE TO TRY TO BRIDGE PEOPLE, UH, TOWARDS OPPORTUNITIES AND TRYING TO FIND SOLUTIONS. SO OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, THAT'S REALLY OUR CONVERSATION WITH PEOPLE IS WHERE ARE YOU AT? YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU OPEN TO AND WHAT CAN WE GET YOU LINKED TO? IF YOU'RE WORKING ON HOUSING, HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOU AROUND, UH, YOUR PERMANENT HOUSING GOALS? WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. AND I JUST WANNA SAY FOR THOSE WHO CAME OUT TO SPEAK ABOUT THE VAGABOND AND MY, MY OFFICE IS OUT THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY. WE'RE TAKING PICTURES OF THE AREA, WE, WE UNDERSTAND, UM, THE CONCERNS. AND SO CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU SEE. BUT WE, WE LITERALLY ARE MONITORING THIS, MONITORING, MONITORING THIS VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY CLOSELY. SO, UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU GUYS DO. IT'S REALLY IMPRESSIVE AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I CONGRATULATIONS AS WELL. I JUST WANTED TO BUILD ON COUNCILWOMAN THRASH AND TOOKS QUESTION ABOUT, UM, NOT NECESSARILY A TASK FORCE, UM, AND THAT YOU SHARED THE COUNTY WILL BE INVOLVED, BUT I WANTED TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ON HOW LASA IS GONNA BE INVOLVED, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE, WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THEM TO TAKE OVER PROVIDING SERVICES OR, AND OTHER, UM, WORK IN THAT AREA. SO IF YOU COULD SHARE A LITTLE MORE HOW THEY'LL BE ENGAGED AND INVOLVED, UM, THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD. YEAH, I THINK WITH LASA, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS AT THE MOMENT, UM, THAT ARE MORE EXISTENTIAL IN NATURE. SO, UH, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO SAY. CURRENTLY WE HAVE TWO, UH, SITES THAT LOSS THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH LOSS OF CONTRACTS. SO A, B, C AND 7 0 2 ARE FUNDED THROUGH LOSS OF CONTRACTS. UH, OUR MEASURE H FUNDING, WHICH WE'LL SWITCH OVER TO MEASURE A, HAS DIRECTLY COME FROM US TO US FROM THE COUNTY CEO'S OFFICE. SO THAT SHOULD NOT BE IMPACTED WITH ANYTHING THAT'S CURRENTLY OCCURRING WITH LASA. UM, WE ARE ENGAGED IN CONVERSATIONS AROUND, YOU KNOW, THE TWO SHELTERS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT LEFT HIGH AND DRY WITH THOSE TWO SHELTERS. UH, WE DO HAVE CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY AND THEIR HOMELESS INITIATIVE. UH, SO THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING WITH THEM REGULARLY AROUND HOW DO WE PARTNER, HOW DO WE FIND WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER. UH, THE COUNTY DOES HAVE THEIR PATHWAY HOME PROJECTS, WHICH ARE LOCALLY FUNDED, MEASURE H FUNDED, UH, ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION TYPE PROGRAMS. UH, SO THE COMMITMENT FROM THE COUNTY IS THAT OVER THE NEXT, UH, YEAR AND A HALF, ANY OF THOSE UNITS THAT DO OPEN UP WITH ANY OF THOSE SITES THAT ARE HERE WITHIN LONG BEACH, WE'LL REPRIORITIZE FOR PEOPLE ON THE RIVERBED. HOPEFULLY WE CAN BRING IN SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, BOTH FOR ENGAGEMENT, UH, ALONG THE RIVER BED, AS WELL AS RESOURCES THAT GET PEOPLE OFF AND HOPEFULLY SOME ADDITIONAL PERMANENT HOUSING RESOURCES. THE UNIT THAT IS OPENING, OR THE UNIT PROJECT THAT'S OPENING UP, UH, THE FORMER HOLIDAY INN ON, UH, 10TH AND ATLANTIC WAS PURCHASED BY THE COUNTY. UH, AND THEN LINK HOUSING HAS BEEN THE ONE THAT'S THE DEVELOPER ON IT. SO THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY THAT DO BRING ON RESOURCES. WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN MORE RESOURCE. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT RESPONSE BECAUSE IT'S GONNA, IT'S HELPING ME KIND OF, UM, RAISE THE SECOND CONCERN I HAVE, WHICH IS WHERE I HOPE THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION AS THEY, UM, CONTINUE TO IMPROVE IN THEIR, OR THINK ABOUT THEIR STRUCTURE, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE LOWER LA RIVER IS LONG BEYOND OUR JURISDICTION AT THE CITY. I KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA END AT THE NORTHERN PART OF OUR CITY, BUT, UM, I AM CONCERNED THAT BECAUSE [01:45:01] JUST, I'M JUST SO PROUD OF THE WAY THAT YOU ALL DO THE WORK AND THAT YOU DO AMAZING WORK, IS THAT IT MAY BE ENDLESS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT KIND OF STARTS TO LEARN THAT, WOW, IF YOU JUST STEP INTO LONG BEACH , YOU COULD GET THESE ADDITIONAL SERVICES, WHICH I, AS WE SHARED, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO, WE'RE PROUD TO BE ABLE TO DO IT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, I'M JUST CONCERNED IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES WITHOUT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, UM, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A LESSON LEARNED WITHIN OUR ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION APPROACHES, ESPECIALLY THAT FIRST ROUND IS ESTABLISHING OUR LIST EARLY ON AND PRIORITIZING THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE RIVERBED, NOT THE PERSON THAT SHOWS UP WHEN THE RESOURCE BECOMES AVAILABLE. I MEAN, IT'S TOUGH. EVERYBODY WANTS AND NEEDS A RESOURCE, SO I DON'T FAULT ANYBODY FOR WANTING TO DO THAT. UH, HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, AND NOT HAVING IT BECOME MORE OF AN ISSUE WITHIN AN ENCAMPMENT AREA, THOSE ARE PRACTICES THAT WE DO NEED TO TAKE. UM, THERE ARE MULTIPLE OTHER ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROJECTS THAT WERE FUNDED BY THE STATE THAT ARE HERE IN LA COUNTY. UH, THERE IS ANOTHER PORTION OF THE LA RIVER BED THAT GOT A PREVIOUS AWARD AND THEN GOT AN EXPANSION. SO THEY'RE COVERING MORE OF THE RIVERBED, UM, IN THIS ROUND OF FUNDING AS WELL. UH, LA CITY WILL BE FOCUSING ON THE 10 FREEWAYS, SO THEY GET GOT IN ONE OF THE LARGEST ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION GRANTS TO FOCUS IN ON THAT. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER COUNTY PROPOSALS THAT WENT IN THAT UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT MAKE THE AWARD CUT. UH, SO I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER CITIES THAT ARE WANTING TO STEP UP. THEY'RE WANTING TO TAKE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION APPROACHES. SO AS MUCH AS WE CAN SUPPORT THAT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND THE REGION, THE MORE IMPACTFUL IT'S GONNA BE. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN CONTINUE TO BRING MORE, UH, YOU KNOW, FUNDING AND ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT THESE TYPES OF RESOURCES, BOTH HERE IN LONG BEACH, BUT AS A REGION THAT WE CAN HAVE A LARGE IMPACT IN THAT THAT'S NOT JUST A COUPLE CITIES. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. AND COUNCIL MEMBER THAT YOU HIT ON A REALLY GREAT POINT. THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT NOT ONLY TO DO THE WORK HERE IN LONG BEACH, BUT TO ADVOCATE FOR ALL OF OUR OTHER CITIES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT SAME TYPE OF WORK SO THAT THERE'S NOT AN INCENTIVE TO COME TO LONG BEACH TO DO THIS. UH, WE BELIEVE IN THE WORK THAT WE DO, WE KNOW WE CAN DO IT WELL, BUT WE NEED EVERYONE TO DO THAT. THAT'S WHY NOT ONLY DO WE GO AFTER MONEY, BUT WE ALSO SUPPORT OTHERS GETTING MONEY, UH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE BIG REASONS WHY MEASURE A WAS PASSED AND, AND REALLY PASSED IN LONG BEACH, AND WE SUPPORTED GETTING THOSE FLEXIBLE DOLLARS TO OTHER CITIES SO THEY CAN DO THIS KIND OF WORK AS WELL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. UH, ANY MORE COMMENTS FURTHER? COUNCIL? NONE. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND THINK MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. UH, WE DID ITEM 20, ITEM 21, REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY. RECOMMENDATION TO DECLARE ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. READ THE FIRST TIME AND LATER OVER THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF [21. 25-54659 Recommendation to declare ordinance of the City Council of the City of Long Beach (City) amending the Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) by amending and restating Section 2.01.210.B; and repealing Section 1.15.020.A, all relating to municipal elections, 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. ] CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING CITYWIDE. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND. ANY COMMENTS? COUNCIL? ? NO UNI. ANY COMMENTS? NONE. OKAY. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. ALL, ANY VOTE COUNCILWOMAN. MARK SODI MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. THAT INCLUDES THE, THE REGULAR AGENDA GOING OUT TO VOTE. COMMENT NUMBER TWO. THERE ARE SIX SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR THE SECOND PUBLIC [ 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. ] COMMENT. TAWNY, MAXINE, LATOYA ARE THE FIRST THREE. AND THEN IT'S IAN NOYA LEE AND AVERY, IF WE CAN GET THIS FIRST SPEAKER. LUKE, TAWNY WILLIAMSON. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY MATTER IS HERE IS IS, UM, I'M A, I LIVED IN LONG BEACH, UM, ALL MY LIFE, 56 YEARS. UM, I HAVE ALSO HAVE A, A RV THAT'S PARKED THAT'S PARKED IN A, NOT NOT A RESIDENTIAL AREA. UM, I GOT A AMENDMENT, WHAT YOU CALL IT, UM, EXCUSE MY, I'M KIND OF NERVOUS HERE, BUT I HAVE A, UM, A MEMORANDUM THAT STATES THAT THERE HAS TO BE SIGNS POSTED IN ORDER FOR THEM TO COME OUT AND GIVE ME TICKETS. [01:50:01] I'M NOT IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA. I'M NOT DEFENDING NO BUSINESS. UM, WHEN I WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF A MY RESIDENCE, I HAD SIGNS PO I HAD, UH, PERMITS AND THEY STILL CAME OUT, GAVE ME TICKETS. SO I MOVED MY RV TO WHERE IT'S A NON-RESIDENT, BUT THEY STILL COMING OUT, GIVING ME TICKETS. WHEN I PRESENTED THIS TO A LAW OFFICER, HE SHOCKED THAT I GOT IT. UM, I SAT DOWN TO TALK TO, UM, IN A COURTROOM BACK HERE WITH THE, WITH THE CITY. AND HE WAS ALSO SHOCKED THAT I HAVE THIS TYPE OF STUFF. THEY DON'T WANT ME TO KNOW THE LAW. THEY DON'T WANT NOBODY TO KNOW THE LAW, BUT IN ORDER THEM TO KEEP GIVING ME TICKETS, PLEASE SHOW ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT INSTEAD OF VERBALLY. SO I DON'T HAVE TO KEEP ON GOING THROUGH THIS. 'CAUSE ANYTHING AFTER THIS THAT I'M, IF IT'S NOT PERTAINING TO WHAT'S WRITTEN, IT FALLS UNDER RACKETEERING. AND I, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP GOING THROUGH THIS TYPE OF SITUATIONS. I WANT SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT I'M FIGHTING FOR MY, MY RIGHTS. IF IT'S, IF IT IS WRITTEN, THEN IT'S, IT IS. RIGHT, RIGHT. IF IT'S PERTAINING TO A LAW OTHER THAN THAT, THEY KEEP TELLING ME, SOMEBODY, KEEP A LAW OFFICER, KEEP TELLING ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THAT'S HEARSAY. THAT'S NOT ABIDING TO WHAT'S WRITTEN. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I GOT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. MAXINE MALONE. HELLO, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MAXINE MALONE, AND MY ISSUE WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, ALTHOUGH SIMILAR TO WHAT I'VE HEARD TONIGHT. I'M A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH. I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE. I MOVED AWAY IN 2 0 0 5, STAYED AWAY FOR 20 YEARS, LIVED IN GEORGIA, CAME BACK AND, OH, WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES. I'VE DISCOVERED SO MUCH. AND IN THE TIME THAT I'VE COME BACK, I'VE BEEN BACK THREE YEARS. I'M A NEW FACE FOR UNHOUSED OR WHAT IS KNOWN AS HOMELESSNESS. YOU COULDN'T HAVE PAID ME TO SAY THAT I WOULD BE, THAT. I WORKED IN LONG BEACH UNIFIED. I WORKED IN COMPTON UNIFIED. I'VE JUST BEEN A PERSON THAT WAS MAKING IT. THE COST OF LIVING GOT SO HIGH. I SPENT ALL THE MONEY THAT I MADE MY RETIREMENT. BUT THAT'S NOT MY ISSUE. I'M HERE TODAY TO SAY THAT I BENEFITED FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS GIVEN AWAY. I FOUND A PLACE, I'M IN A PLACE, HOWEVER, NOW I'M DEALING WITH SOMETHING ELSE. I'M LOOKING AT DRUGS BEING SOLD IN FRONT OF THE PLACE. THEY EVEN APPROACHED ME AND ASKED ME DID I WANNA BUY DRUGS. AND SO I LIVE ON ANAHEIM BETWEEN LOCUSTS AND LONG BEACH BOULEVARD. IT'S NOT, IT'S JUST, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE THAT ARE HOMELESS OR UNHOUSED. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE DRUGS THAT ARE RAMPANT. I'M TALKING ABOUT HOW DIRTY THE STREET IS, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND I'VE DECIDED THAT I'LL BECOME AN INTIMATE PART OF HELPING TO CLEAN UP THE CITY WITH WHATEVER I CAN DO. I'M WILLING TO WORK AS A VOLUNTEER, LIKE TO GET PAID, BUT IF I DON'T, I WANT SOMETHING DONE. THIS IS MY CITY. I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE. I'M BACK HERE AND I PLAN TO DIE HERE, IF YOU WILL. SO I DON'T KNOW WHO I NEED TO TALK TO. HOWEVER, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, I'D LIKE TO, I DON'T FEEL DANGER. LIKE I HEARD PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT WHERE THEY LIVE. THEY LIVED THERE 30 YEARS. I'M 75. I'LL BE 75 IN SEPTEMBER. THIS IS MY HOME. I'M NOT GONNA WALK A STREET AND BE AFRAID. I'M NOT AFRAID, I DON'T FEEL DANGER. I BECAME THE NEW FACE TO WHAT IS UNHOUSED SO I CAN WALK OUT THERE AND RELATE ONLY. I NEVER USED DRUGS. I NEVER USED ALCOHOL. I DIDN'T LOSE MY MIND ALMOST, BUT DIDN'T. SO I WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WHAT I, WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? I'M IN A HOUSE OR AN APARTMENT. WHAT IS THERE THAT CAN BE DONE WHERE I DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AROUND, I'M NOT AFRAID, BUT JUST TO BE IN, JUST TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT DRUGS. MA'AM, YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, . THANK YOU. I DON'T KNOW WHO NEEDS TO TALK TO YOU HAVE, UH, COUSIN, UH, UH, MR. CITY MANAGER. OKAY. UM, CITY COUNCIL. I COME HERE TODAY. YES, MR. MAYOR, UH, MR. VICE MAYOR. OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, THERESA CHANDLER IS HERE AND CAN PROVIDE HER WITH SOME, SOME RESOURCES. RIGHT. OKAY. UH, GO AHEAD. YOU CAN SPEAK NOW. [01:55:01] GO AHEAD. UM, I'M COMING TO ASK, UH, FOR ASSISTANCE WITH BEING RELOCATED. LIKE I WAS TOLD THROUGH THE VAGABOND AND THEIR STAFF MEMBER THAT WAS RAISING ACCUSATIONS, THEY TOLD ME THAT I WOULD BE RELOCATED. I'M DISPLACED. I'M BACK OUT ON THE STREETS. LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THEY DID NOT IMPLEMENT MY APPLICATION INTO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. SO I STAND WITHOUT THE VOUCHER THAT I SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN GRANTED WHEN I FIRST ENTERED INTO THE PROGRAM. UM, I'M JUST ASKING FOR SOME TYPE OF HELP. I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS, I'VE BEEN COMPLETING PROGRAMS, AND I'M STILL NOT PERMANENT HOUSE. SO IS THERE ANY WAY THAT THE CITY CAN LOOK INTO, YOU KNOW, EITHER FINDING OUT IF THOSE WAS FALSE, YOU KNOW, UH, COMMENTS ABOUT ME WHERE I CAN REENTER THAT PROGRAM OR BE RELOCATED TO ANOTHER FACILITY, NOT THE MULTIPURPOSE CENTER, UH, WINTER SHELTER WHERE YOU'RE SLEEPING INSIDE OF A OFFICE, BUT THE SAME TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT THAT I WAS IN, AND ALL I WANT IS PERMANENT HOUSING. I WAS PERMANENTLY HOUSED. I WAS EVICTED WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF DRUG OR, UH, GUN RELATED OR GANG RELATED INCIDENT WITHOUT, UH, OWING THEM ANYTHING. I WAS PUT BACK ON THE STREETS. SO IT'S NOT NOTHING THAT I HAVE DONE ANYTHING WRONG, BUT I KEEP BEING PUT IN THIS POSITION AND I'M SUFFERING, AND IT IS MESSING UP MY QUALITY OF LIFE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, NEXT. HI, COUNSEL. UM, MY NAME IS ELLIE NOAH. I'M A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH. I LIVE ON ALAMEDO AND BROADWAY. UM, THE, THE LACK OF HUMANITY IN THIS ROOM IS, IS IT'S CHILLING. HAVE YOU ALL BEEN TO THE LA RIVER? HAVE ANY OF YOU STEPPED FOOT THERE? HAVE YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE PEOPLE LIVING THERE? YEAH. HAVE YOU BEEN THERE ONE WEEK CHATTING WITH FOLKS, SHARING A MEAL, PROVIDING THE MOST BASIC SUPPLIES LIKE WATER BOTTLES AND DOG FOOD, AND THEN ONE WEEK LATER DRIVE UP WITH THE USUAL HOT FOOD AND THE COMMUNITY YOU'VE BEEN INTERACTING WITH. LOOKS LIKE IT WAS LEVELED BY A TORNADO OR A TSUNAMI, EXCEPT THAT THIS WASN'T A NATURAL DISASTER. THIS WAS YOU ALL, YOU ARE WORSE THAN A NATURAL DISASTER BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE A MANMADE DISASTER DRIVEN BY A TOTAL LACK OF RESPECT FOR HUMAN DIGNITY. YOU SEND IN PEOPLE WITH GUNS TO TEAR DOWN PEOPLE'S SHELTERS, THROW AWAY THEIR BELONGINGS, AND EVICT THEM FROM WHERE THEY HAVE MADE A HOME. SWEEP IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE WORD. ATTACK. ASSAULT SOUNDS MORE LIKE IT. FIX THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. LOWER RENT. MAKE HEALTHCARE FREE FOR ALL OF YOUR RESIDENTS AND CITIZENS IN LONG BEACH. OPEN UP THIS SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO SLEEP. IF THEY ARE SLEEPING OUTSIDE, NO ONE IS HERE. OPEN UP YOUR SPACE. YOU DO REALIZE THAT YOU CAN BE CREATIVE HERE, RIGHT? IT IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE SAFE AND HEALTHY AND HAPPY. STOP DESTROYING OUR COMMUNITY. STOP THE SWEEPS, TAKE THE MONEY FROM THE POLICE BUDGET AND PUT IT INTO HEALTHCARE, HOUSING, AND EDUCATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT. HI, COUNSEL. MY NAME IS LEE, AND I'M A LONG BEACH COMMUNITY MEMBER HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU TO STOP THE SWEEPS, OR, AS MY COMRADE SAID, EXTREME VIOLENCE IN OUR AGAINST OUR HOUSELESS NEIGHBORS. THE PARK NEXT TO MY APARTMENT WAS SWEPT MANY TIMES. AND I HAVE TO SAY, UNLIKE MANY OF THE OTHER FOLKS THAT HAVE SPOKEN TONIGHT, I FELT SAFER WHEN MY HOUSELESS NEIGHBORS WERE LIVING NEAR ME. WHY? BECAUSE I ACTUALLY TALKED TO THEM, BUILT RELATIONSHIPS, AND WE LOOKED OUT FOR EACH OTHER. IT'S NOT HARD. IT DOESN'T TAKE A LOT OF WORK TO GET TO KNOW SOMEONE, BUT THAT MEANS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HUMANIZE FOLKS. AND IT'S A LOT HARDER TO PERPETRATE VIOLENCE WHEN YOU ACTUALLY SEE SOMEONE AS A PERSON. PEOPLE ARE GETTING HURT IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE VIOLENCE THE CITY IS PERPETRATING IS DESTROYING PEOPLE'S HOMES AND THEIR PROPERTY. THIS IS DEVASTATING THE LIVES AND THE SAFETY OF RESIDENTS OF LONG BEACH, BECAUSE YES, THERE ALSO RESIDENTS OF LONG BEACH. THIS HAPPENS TO OUR NEIGHBORS EVERY DAY. THOSE TERRIBLE GREEN SIGNS, THE ONES THAT SAY WHEN THEY'RE GONNA SWEEP GO UP EVERYWHERE IN LONG BEACH. I'M A LONG BEACH RENTER WITH A FULL-TIME JOB AND A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF EDUCATIONAL PRIVILEGE. I HAVE ACCESS TO A JOB THAT PAYS ABOVE MINIMUM WAGE, AND I CAN BARELY [02:00:01] MAKE MY RENT EVERY MONTH. HOW ARE HOUSELESS FOLKS SUPPOSED TO SURVIVE? HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO RENT? I AM SO HAPPY THAT YOU ALL ARE WORKING ON SOME, SOME OPTIONS, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT HOUSING 10 OR 50 PEOPLE. WE NEED EVERY SINGLE PERSON HOUSED, AND IN THE MEANTIME, STOP SANCTIONING VIOLENCE. THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO STOP THESE SWEEPS. NOW, THE CITY IS USING MONEY ON SENSELESS VIOLENCE, AND THESE FUNDS SHOULD BE GOING TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. SO YEAH, TAKE THE MONEY AWAY FROM THE POLICE WHO ARE COMING IN WITH GUNS TO PEOPLE'S HOMES AND USE IT TO ACTUALLY SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MY FINAL SPEAKER. HELLO, HONORABLE COUNSEL. MY NAME IS AVERY CERVANTES. I'M AN EDUCATOR AND A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH DISTRICT ONE. UH, FIRST OFF, I WOULD LIKE TO UPLIFT LATOYA'S POWERFUL TESTIMONY. UM, SHE SPOKE TO THE FACT THAT THESE SERVICES THAT WE ARE PROVIDING ARE INADEQUATE FOR OUR HOUSELESS NEIGHBORS. UM, I HAVE BEEN FEEDING PEOPLE OUT AT DRAKE PARK, WHICH IS, UH, AN ENCAMPMENT BY THE LA RIVER, UH, FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW. UM, AND WHAT I'VE SEEN IS A VIBRANT COMMUNITY THAT IS RESILIENT, UM, AND HAD BEEN RESILIENT UNTIL THE CITY OF LONG BEACH SWEPT THEIR COMMUNITY. UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THIS HAPPENED BEFORE. UM, THE, WHAT IS, WHAT WAS VOTED ON, UH, UH, THE $11 MILLION, UH, FUNDING THE GRANT WENT INTO EFFECT. AND SO WHAT I THINK, UH, MIGHT BE HAPPENING IS THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS PRIORITIZING SWEEPING HOUSELESS ENCAMPMENTS BY THE LA RIVER BEFORE THIS GRANT GOES INTO EFFECT. UM, BEFORE THESE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED, UH, FOR PEOPLE. AND IT'S, IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE COINCIDENTAL THAT IT'S HAPPENING BEFORE THE OLYMPICS. UM, I FIND THAT TO BE VERY INTERESTING. UM, I FIND IT TO BE VERY INTERESTING THAT YOU ALL HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT HOUSELESS PEOPLE AS THOUGH THEY'RE EYES SORES AS THOUGH IT'S SOMETHING TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. I'M ALSO A CERTIFIED NATURALIST. UM, AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE BEAUTIFICATION OR THE HEALTH OF THE LA RIVER, UM, I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE SMOKE STACKS, I THINK ABOUT THE RAIL YARD. I THINK ABOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE AT FAULT FOR THE LA RIVER BEING POLLUTED AND HOUSELESS PEOPLE THAT DOESN'T COME TO MIND. AND SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE YOU TO REFLECT, UM, ON THE KIND OF HARM THAT IS BEING WAGED AGAINST HOUSELESS COMMUNITIES. I THINK WE WANT TO UPLIFT, UM, RENTER PROTECTIONS. WE WANT TO, UH, GO DO AWAY WITH EVICTIONS, UH, AND ALL EVICTION LOOPHOLES. I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE CITY SHOULD BE PRIORITIZING. AND THIS TUBERCULOSIS, UM, OUTBREAK THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR MONTHS, IF NOT A YEAR, IF I'M, IF I'M CORRECT, UM, WOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOLVED IF PEOPLE WERE PUT IN PERMANENT HOUSING. BUT AS LATOYA, UH, VERY POWERFULLY DEMONSTRATED TODAY, THAT'S NOT HAPPENING, NOT AT THE RATE THAT IT SHOULD BE. SO I REALLY INVITE YOU TO REFLECT ON THAT. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TONIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES UPON THE KIND NUMBER TWO. NOW WE'RE AT ANNOUNCEMENTS. UM, [ANNOUNCEMENTS] THANK YOU CHAIR. UH, TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE THE MEETING BY RECOGNIZING LATINA HISTORY DAY, WHICH BACK IN MARCH OF 2016, THIS BODY PROCLAIMED TO BE EVERY MARCH 11TH, WHICH IS TODAY. THAT PROCLAMATION CAME ABOUT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HOPE. THAT'S HOPE ORGANIZATION, WHICH STANDS FOR HISPANIC ORGANIZED FOR POLITICAL EQUALITY. UH, THIS PAST FRIDAY, MY STAFF ATTENDED HOPE'S 34TH ANNUAL LATINA HISTORY DAY CONFERENCE IN LOS ANGELES, WHICH WAS EVENTFUL AND PAID TRIBUTE TO ALL THE HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTIONS LATINAS HAVE MADE IN BUSINESS, POLITICS, AND SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO HOPE ON COMMEMORATING 34 YEARS OF THIS CELEBRATORY DAY AND GO FORTH. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, KEVIN ALLEN. UH, YES, I AM, UH, EXCITED TO INVITE, UM, ALL OF YOU [02:05:01] TO THE OPENING OF OUR CITY ASSET, UM, THE NEW ANA PERRO BEACH, UH, SPORTS COURT, AND THE, UH, ROLLER RINK RIGHT THERE ON THE BEACH. SO, UM, COUNCILMAN RICK OTI. I HOPE YOU BRING THOSE KIDS DOWN AND, UH, THRUSH INTO BRING, BRING THE KIDS. SULI SORROW. YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE YOUR KIDS. BRING 'EM DOWN. LET'S DO THAT. UM, UM, UH, BRING THE GRANDKIDS, SUPERAL, BRING YOUR KIDS. UM, BRING YOUR HUSBAND MEGAN KERR. SO, UM, LISTEN, BRING EVERYONE, THIS IS REALLY EXCITING, UM, FOR US THAT WE, WE HAVE THIS OPEN. AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL OF YOU DOWN HERE ENJOYING THIS CITY ASSET THAT, UM, THEY DID SUCH A GREAT JOB AT GETTING THIS DONE. AND I KNOW WE HAD SOME HICCUPS ALONG THE WAY, BUT IT IS READY TO GO. SO I'M EXCITED THIS SATURDAY, 4:00 PM PM SO BRING, UH, BRING YOUR, UH, FAMILY AND EVERYONE HERE, YOU'RE INVITED AS WELL. HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL 4:00 PM SATURDAY . THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION. UH, CUSTOMER SORROW. YES. SO, YOU KNOW, WE LOVE CLEANUPS IN DISTRICT SIX, SO I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT. A OC SEVEN'S GONNA BE HAVING THEIR SPRING INTO ACTION, CLEAN UP ON 1101 GARDENA AVENUE AT EIGHT 30 TO 10:30 AM AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA POP UP WITH SOME FUN ACTIVITIES OF ARTS AND CRAFT AND GIVEAWAYS AT 10 30 TO 12:00 PM RIGHT AFTER THAT. SO PLEASE JOIN, JOIN US. THERE YOU GO. MEMBER, UH, . YES. THANK YOU, MR. VICE MAYOR. UH, THIS WEEKEND I INVITE ALL OF YOU TO WILLOW SPRINGS PARK ON SATURDAY MARCH FOR 15TH FOR THIS YEAR'S MONARCH DAY OF ACTION. FROM NINE TO 12, YOU CAN JOIN INTO PLANT NATIVE POLLINATOR PLANTS AND LEARN ABOUT MONARCH BUTTERFLIES IN ONE OF OUR CITY'S MOST NATURAL SPACES. THERE'S ALSO ACTIVITIES AT AT LBX THIS WEEKEND. ON SATURDAY, THEY'RE DOING A WOMEN'S HISTORY MARKET. AND ON SUNDAY THEY'RE DOING A GROOVING INTO SPRING MARKET AND SUNDAY THE 16TH. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN THE NEIGHBORS IN BIXBY KNOWLES FOR CRITICAL MASS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD MONTHLY BIKE RIDE. AS ALWAYS, THE GROUP TAKES OFF FROM BEHIND PIXIE TOYS ON ATLANTIC AVENUE AT 11:00 AM DON'T FORGET YOUR HELMET. UH, AND LASTLY, I ASK YOU TO SAVE THE DATE FOR DISTRICT FIVE DUMP DAY ON SATURDAY, MARCH 29TH. FROM EIGHT TO NOON, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO BRING LARGE, BULKY ITEMS THAT DON'T FIT IN YOUR REGULAR TRASH BIN TO ONE OF THREE DUMPSTERS LOCATED AROUND DISTRICT FIVE. SO, UH, YOU CAN CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AND NEWSLETTER FOR MORE DETAILS ON THAT. THANKS EVERYBODY. THANK COUNCIL MEMBER CUSTOMER RICK SOY. UH, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE OUT TO OUR, UH, MY OFFICE'S INAUGURAL UPTOWN HOUSING EXPO. THAT WILL BE THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 15TH FROM 8:00 AM TO 12:30 PM THE EVENT WILL BE HELD AT HOWTON PARK AT 63 0 1 MYRTLE AVENUE, LONG BEACH BOULEVARD. WE'LL HAVE A TON OF RESOURCES THERE ON HOME OWNERSHIP, UH, WEALTH BUILDING GRANTS, AND INFORMATION FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THE RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY. SO PLEASE COME OUT, EVERYTHING WILL BE, UH, WILL BE FREE, AND WE'LL HAVE TONS OF REALLY GREAT WORKSHOPS. UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE, EXCUSE ME, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO INVITE EVERYBODY OUT TO THE DEFOREST PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING THAT WILL BE ON THURSDAY, MARCH 20TH FROM SEVEN TO 8:00 PM THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD AT THE DEFOREST PARK CLUBHOUSE AT 6 2 5 5 DEFOREST AVENUE. UH, AND FINALLY, AND THIS IS REALLY EXCITING, UH, ALSO REALLY EXCITING. I'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYBODY OUT TO ATTEND THE RAMONA PARK PLAYGROUND GROUNDBREAKING CELEBRA GROUNDBREAKING CELEBRATION ON FRIDAY, MARCH 28TH FROM 11:30 AM TO 12:30 PM THIS EVENT WILL BE AT RAMONA PARK AT 33 0 1 EAST 65TH STREET. SO COME OUT AND, UM, AND CELEBRATE WITH US AS WE'RE GETTING A NEW PLAYGROUND AND, AND DISTRICT NINE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE ANY 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. THANK YOU CUSTOMER. UH, CUSTOMER. THANK YOU SO MUCH, VICE MAYOR. SO, JUST WANTED TO CONTINUE TO UNDERSCORE THINGS ARE HAPPENING UP NORTH. I WANNA HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON AND WANNA THANK THE LONGWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FOR ATTENDING A WALKING TOUR THIS PAST WEEKEND WHERE WE HAD A CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH RESIDENTS AND DISCUSS CHANGES THAT WE WANNA SEE IN THE FUTURE, SUCH AS INCREASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BEAUTIFICATION, AND COMMUNITY CLEANUPS. I WANNA THANK LBPD, COMMANDER HUGHES AND OFFICER RAF FOR JOINING AND HEARING OUT THE NEIGHBOR'S CONCERNS ON SATURDAY. WE HAD A GREAT TIME. IT WAS OPENING DAY, UH, FOR MANY OF OUR LITTLE LEAGUERS, AND I'M EXCITED TO SAY THAT I WAS AT HOWTON PARK, JOINED BY COUNCILWOMAN RICK ODI, WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO BE A PART OF THOSE CELEBRATIONS. WE HAD A CHANCE TO GET A CHANCE TO BE, UH, SEE THE TEAM BE INTRODUCED. EVEN THE WOLF PACK MOTORCYCLE CLUB WAS IN THE HOUSE. AND, UH, IF YOU WEREN'T THERE, YOU MIGHT'VE MISSED IT. BUT I WAS THERE TO SEE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. THE FIRST PITCH, UH, GIVEN BY [02:10:01] COUNCILWOMAN OIE. THE WOLF PACK IS ACTUALLY OUR NEWEST LITTLE LEAGUE IN OUR CITY. UM, AND THEY ARE PROVIDING SERVICES IN THE NORTH PART OF OUR CITY IN NORTH LONG BEACH. GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR KIDS TO FOCUS ON TEAMWORK, PERSEVERANCE, AND HEALTHY COMPETITION. THEY'VE ALREADY TOLD US THAT THEY EXPECT TO BE UNDEFEATED, SO WE'RE WISHING THEM THEIR VERY, THE VERY, VERY BEST AS THEY EMBARK ON THIS SEASON. UH, AT LINDBERG, UH, THIS MORNING, THE STEM ACADEMY, WE HAD A CHANCE TO HONOR, UH, TEACHER APRIL MADISON AND HER STUDENTS, UM, FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE EYE ON DESIGN PROGRAM. THIS 15 WEEK PUBLIC ART EDUCATION PROGRAM WASN'T HELD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ARTS COUNCIL FOR LONG BEACH. THIS PROGRAM CULMINATED IN A BEAUTIFUL MOSAIC PIECE THAT'S CREATED BY THE STUDENTS, AND YOU CAN VIEW THAT ON LINDBERGH'S SOCIAL MEDIA. I WANNA THANK THE ARTS COUNCIL FOR PROVIDING OUR STUDENTS WITH SUCH A VALUABLE AND REWARDING EXPERIENCE. THERE'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE, UH, FOOD AS WELL AS HOUSEHOLD GOODS, ALL FREE OF CHARGE FROM THE FAMILY OF FAITH CHRISTIAN CENTER, UH, THAT'S LOCATED AT 56 0 1 ORANGE AVENUE. UM, THIS HAPPENS EVERY THIRD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH. SO PLEASE JOIN US AT 8:00 AM FOR THAT. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL KNOW THAT OUR LINDBERGH COMMUNITY MEETING WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, MARCH 22ND. CHECK OUT OUR NEWSLETTER FOR MORE INFORMATION. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IT'S WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, AND I HAVEN'T HAD ENOUGH TIME TO SAY, UH, HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THAT. UH, MARCH EVERYONE MAY KNOW IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO AN INVITATION THAT WE HELPED EXTEND TO THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF LONG BEACH, UH, TO BE AT OUR COUNCIL NEXT WEEK TO PROVIDE A PRESENTATION TO THE LADIES WHO ARE ON THE COUNCIL. UM, BY ADDING ANOTHER LADY, INCLUDING ME, WE'RE NOW UP TO SEVEN, A HISTORIC NUMBER OF WOMEN WHO SERVE ON THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL. I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE ALL ARE GREAT ADVOCATES, HAVE GREAT LEADERSHIP, AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD A VIBRANT COMMUNITY. UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY IN CONTACT WITH US IN THE EIGHTH DISTRICT. 'CAUSE WHAT WE'RE DOING IS HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE WOMEN WHO MAKE THE EIGHTH DISTRICT GO AS WELL. I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE CELEBRATIONS FOR THIS, UH, MARCH AS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER BURKE. SEE NO FURTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED FOR MARCH 11TH, 2025. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.