[00:05:38]
[00:05:54]
OKAY, WE'RE GETTING READY TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, ANNOUNCE THAT WE DO HAVE INTERPRETATION AVAILABLE IF ANYONE NEEDS IT.AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER FOR APRIL 2ND, 2025.
MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE TIME? TIME IS SIX OH SEVEN.
AND CAN WE GET A ROLL CALL, PLEASE?
[CALL TO ORDER]
SO,[ROLL CALL]
I JUST WANT TO STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT WE HAVE COMMISSIONER BUTLER AND COMMISSIONER SHA MALONE AS EXCUSED ABSENCES.COMMISSIONER SAW ME WILD HERE.
PRESENT VICE CHAIR, BAT PRESENT CHAIR COVINGTON.
SO AS YOU CAN HEAR OUR CHAIR, HE, UM, IS UNABLE TO BE HERE THIS EVENING.
SO HE HAS DIALED IN REMOTELY, UM, UNDER TRADITIONAL TELECONFERENCE GUIDELINES.
AND I DID WANT TO SHARE WITH ALL OF YOU, IN CASE YOU DO NOT ALREADY KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER NEWBIE FLORES HAS RESIGNED THE COMMISSION EFFECTIVE MARCH 31ST, UM, 2025.
SHE IS, UM, BEING CALLED TO DO SOME FABULOUS WORK TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE THANK HER FOR HER TIME IN JOINING OUR COMMISSION.
ARE THERE, UM, ANY OBJECTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL MOVE ON FOR THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THIS EVENING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE COMMISSIONER LISETTE FLORES.
TONIGHT, I ACKNOWLEDGE I AM SPEAKING TO YOU TODAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL ANCESTRAL AND UNSEATED TERRITORY OF THE GAMINO TONGA PEOPLES, THE TRADITIONAL CARETAKERS OF THIS LAND, WHO WERE POSSESSED OF THEIR LAND, AND YET CONTINUE TO STEWARD THIS LAND TODAY.
SO I WANT TO INVITE FOLKS IN TO PAUSE AND HONOR THEIR CULTURE, HISTORY, AND IDENTITY AND ANCESTORS, AS WELL AS THE LIVING ELDERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
[CHAIR REMARKS]
WHEREVER YOU ARE TODAY, I INVITE YOU TO PAUSE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE PEOPLE WHOSE LANDS YOU ARE ON AND LET THEIR ENDURANCE AND STRENGTH INSPIRE YOU.WE ALSO PAUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON THE FREE LABOR OF ENSLAVED AFRICANS, AND CONTINUES TO FUNCTION FROM THE LABOR OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR EVERY DAY.
LET'S TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO PAUSE AND ACKNOWLEDGE OUR PAST AND GIVE HONOR TO THOSE WHOSE LANDS AND SHOULDERS WE WE STAND ON TODAY.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY, AND IT IS MY HONOR TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE APRIL EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING AS WE GATHER TODAY, WE REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING EQUITY, INCLUSIVITY, UM, JUSTICE, AND
[00:10:01]
IN OUR COMMUNITY.UM, OUR WORK IS MORE THAN JUST DISCUSSIONS.
IT'S ABOUT ACTION ADVOCACY AND ENSURING THAT EVERY VOICE IS HEARD AND VALUED.
APRIL IS THE MONTH RICH IN DIVERSE AWARENESS AND HERITAGE CELEBRATIONS, OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES TO EDUCATE, ADVOCATE, AND CELEBRATE VARIOUS CAUSES AND CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS.
THIS MONTH IS DEDICATED TO RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT CRITICAL HEALTH ISSUES, PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE AND HONORING OUR COLLECTIVE HERITAGE.
APRIL IS ALSO A TIME OF RENEWAL AND OPPORTUNITY REMINDING US THAT EQUITY IS NOT JUST A GOAL, BUT AN ONGOING EFFORT THAT REQUIRES OUR DEDICATION, COURAGE, AND COLLABORATION.
SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN TODAY'S DISCUSSION, I ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO BRING YOUR IDEAS, YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCE, AND YOUR PASSION TO THE TABLE.
THE STRENGTH OF THIS COMMISSION LIES IN OUR ABILITY TO LISTEN, LEARN, AND LEAD TOGETHER.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO JUSTICE AND FOR WORKING TO BUILD A MORE INCLUSIVE LONG BEACH.
MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE FIRST ITEM, ITEM ONE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH, 2025.
CAN I GET, CAN I GET A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? ALL RIGHT.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER, UM, JESSICA GOLET.
UH, WE WILL NOW TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT
[1. 25-54873 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Equity and Human Relations Commission meeting of Wednesday, February 5, 2025. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
AND PLEASE SPEAK UP IF YOU'RE PROVIDING ANY PUBLIC COMMENT.MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE, UH, LET ME KNOW IF THERE'S ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ONLINE? YES.
IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM IN PERSON, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM.
IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM IN ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE OR DIAL STAR NINE IF CALLING IN, NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND SEEING NONE AT THE PODIUM.
COMMISSIONERS, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? ALL RIGHT, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE? MOTION CARRIES.
UH, CAN YOU PLEASE READ THE NEXT ITEM? AND YOU KNOW WHAT, LET, I'M SORRY, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK BECAUSE I JUST REALIZED WE HAVE CHAIR COVINGTON, WHO IS ACTUALLY REMOTE CHAIR FOR THE LAST ITEM.
FOR ITEM ONE, I DID NOT RECORD YOUR, YOUR VOTE FOR ITEM ONE.
UM, IF WE CAN READ THE NEXT ITEM.
ITEM TWO IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE PRESENTATION FROM OR A LE REGARDING THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
[2. 25-54874 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation from ORALE regarding the Long Beach Values Act. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
THE ITEM HAS BEEN, UH, MOVED BY COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY AND SECOND IT BY COMMISSIONER LAURA.UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSIONS? 'CAUSE WE WILL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT IF THERE'S ANY ONLINE, IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
IF YOU WERE READY FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
SO THANK YOU COMMITTEE FOR THE TIME AND OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEAK TO YOU ALL TODAY.
UM, SO WE'RE HERE TO HAVE A PRESENTATION ON REVISITING THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, UM, AND SPECIFICALLY GOING OVER PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION AND REMOVING SP 54 EXCLUSIONS AND
[00:15:01]
EXPANDING PROTECTIONS.I'M A COMMUNITY LAWYER, UH, WITH
UM, AND I'LL BE CO-PRESENTING WITH, HI, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH THE FILIPINO MIGRANT CENTER.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, JUST SOME BACKGROUND ON THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY PUT IN PLACE TO, UH, BE ABLE TO PROTECT IMMIGRANTS, RIGHT? BY, UM, REALLY SETTING OUT THESE GUIDELINES TO BE ABLE ON HOW PERSONAL INFORMATION IS HANDLED, UM, AND TO ULTIMATELY TO PREVENT CO COOPERATION WITH, UM, IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE, AS A PART OF THIS WORK WITH THE VALUES ACT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH ALSO ESTABLISHED, UM, THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND IN 2019, UM, TO ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR DEPORTATION DEFENSE.
AND THEN THE NEXT QUOTE, THE SECOND BULLET POINT IS, IS A QUOTE TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, UM, RESOURCE GUIDE, UM, THAT WAS RELEASED IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, SAYING THAT LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICY, UM, IT GENERALLY PROHIBITS THE SHARING OF, UM, IMMIGRATION RELATED INFO WITH ICE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK ALL OF THIS TO SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, OVER THESE LAST FEW YEARS AND HOW IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, UM, ARE IMPACTED IN, IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS THAT THIS IS REALLY A RESULT OF THE ONGOING ADVOCACY AND THE ORGANIZING, UH, THAT HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE BY MANY, UM, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS LONG BEACH RESIDENTS.
SO, JUST TO GIVE A VERY QUICK TIMELINE OF THE LAST, YOU KNOW, SEVEN PLUS YEARS, SEVEN OR SO YEARS, UM, IS THAT IN 2018 THROUGH, UM, THAT ADVOCACY AND THE ORGANIZING THAT WAS, UH, BEING DONE BY CBOS, UM, IN 2018, THE CITY ACTUALLY ADOPTED THE, THE VALUES ACT.
AND THEN, UM, JUST RECENTLY IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, UM, THE COUNCIL, CITY COUNCIL ACTUALLY VOTED, UM, TO STRENGTHEN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
UM, BUT THEN ALSO SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY WANTED TO REVIEW AND NEEDED SOME ADDITIONAL TIME TO REVIEW SOME OF THOSE REQUESTS.
AND SO THOSE REQUESTS, UM, IN THE LBVA, UH, WERE LEFT UNDECIDED.
AND NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, LEADING UP TO, UM, TO OUR CURRENT TIME RIGHT NOW TODAY, UM, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.
AND, UH, SB 54, UH, REMAINS UNADDRESSED, AND FERNANDO WILL SPEAK MORE ON THOSE, UM, IN THE UPCOMING SLIDES.
UM, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE WORKING FOR NOW IS THAT IN JUNE, OUR GOAL IS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO REVISIT THE VALUES ACT AND TO BE ABLE TO VOTE AND APPROVE ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS.
SO TO SHARE SOME OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT WERE PASSED, UM, IN JANUARY.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, REQUEST THAT EACH INDEPENDENT OFFICE, UM, AND THEN EVEN SEVERAL EXTERNAL PARTNERS, PARTNER AGENCIES, COMMIT TO THE VALUES ACT.
UM, SO THIS INCLUDES THE PORT, UM, THE CITY CLERK, CITY PROSECUTOR, AUDITOR, EVEN POLICE OVERSIGHT, UM, CITY ATTORNEY, SO MANY DIFFERENT, UM, AGENCIES, UM, YOU KNOW, IS WHAT WE'RE, UM, CALLING FOR TO COMMIT TO THIS.
UM, SECOND IS TO REINFORCE THE CITY'S, UM, DATA PRI PRIVACY GUIDELINES, UM, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, CO UM, CONTRACT LANGUAGE, STANDARD CONTRACT LANGUAGE WITH ALL VENDORS OF THE CITY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A WAY TO ENSURE THAT OUR, UM, OUR RESIDENTS, UM, AND OUR C'S DATA IS, UM, KEPT, UM, YOU KNOW, IS FOLLOWING THE PROPER PRIVACY GUIDELINES.
THIRD IS TO AUTHORIZE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND.
UM, JUST SO THAT WAY TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, UM, HAS ACCESS TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND IMMIGRATION PROCEEDINGS, AS WELL AS OTHER, UM, CONNECTION TO COMMUNITY SERVICES AND RESOURCES.
AND THEN FOURTH, UH, IS TO BE ABLE TO CREATE AND DISTRIBUTE INFORMATIONAL, UM, DOCUMENTS AND RESOURCES, UM, TO ASSIST OUR RESIDENTS, UM, IN NEED OF THAT CRUCIAL INFORMATION.
SO BEFORE WE GET INTO THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE PASSED, UM, IN JUNE BY CITY COUNCIL, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE VALUABLE TO SHARE WITH ALL OF YOU THE REASON WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE STRENGTHENING THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
UM, AND TO DO SO, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE CONTEXT OF THE SCALE OF HARM, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING FROM IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT SINCE THE NEW ADMINISTRATION, UM, HAS COME IN.
UM, SO THROUGH THE FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, AND AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE RUN UP TO THE BEGINNING OF HIS SECOND ADMINISTRATION, AND NOW A FEW MONTHS INTO IT, UM, WE'VE SEEN THAT HE'S HAD PLANS FOR MASS DEPORTATION,
[00:20:01]
WHICH ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY, AS I'M SURE ALL OF YOU HAVE SEEN THROUGH VARIOUS NEWS REPORTS AND, UM, THE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS THAT, UM, EACH OF YOU HAVE.UM, WE'VE EVEN SEEN, UM, DEPORTATIONS TAKING FOLKS TO COUNTRIES THAT THEY'RE NOT EVEN FROM.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE KEEPING UP WITH THE NEWS, WE'VE SEEN FOLKS BEING DEPORTED TO EL SALVADOR, TAKEN TO GUANTANAMO BAY, UM, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEIR TRUE IN ACTUAL COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN ARE.
UM, WE'VE ALSO SEEN A RESCINDING ON OF A MEMO, UM, WHICH WAS JUST AN INTERNAL POLICY, RIGHT? IT WASN'T A LAW THAT THE GOVERNMENT CAME OUT TO PROTECT SENSITIVE LOCATIONS.
IT WAS AN INTERNAL MEMO, BUT EVEN THAT, UM, HAS BEEN RESCINDED, UM, TO REMOVE PROTECTIONS AT, UM, WHAT THEY HAD IDENTIFIED AS SENSITIVE LOCATIONS, UH, WHICH INCLUDED PLACES LIKE SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, UM, AND EVEN PLACES OF WORSHIP.
UM, SO YOU WOULD THINK THESE, UM, PLACES THAT WE HOLD SO DEAR IN OUR COMMUNITIES WOULD BE PLACES THAT FOLKS CAN HAVE AT LEAST SOME FORM OF REFUGE, SOME FORM OF PROTECTION.
UM, EVEN THE MEMO THAT HAD GIVEN SOME PROTECTION IN THOSE SPACES HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND RESCINDED.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE'VE ALSO SEEN THE TARGETING OF PEOPLE WITH LEGAL STATUS, UM, SO VISA HOLDERS, UM, AS WELL AS THOSE WITH LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENCY OR GREEN CARD HOLDERS, IF YOU'RE MORE FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM, UM, BECAUSE OF DISAGREEMENTS WITH, UM, THEIR EXPRESSION OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH OR IDEOLOGIES.
UM, SO WE'VE SEEN FOLKS SUCH AS PROFESSORS COMING IN, UH, THROUGH VISAS THINKING THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO BE ADMITTED INTO THE UNITED STATES AS THEY HAD BEEN BEFORE BEING DENIED ENTRY AND DEPORTED BACK TO THEIR COUNTRIES, UM, FOLKS WITH LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENCY BEING, UH, PUT INTO DIFFERENT PROCEEDINGS TO REMOVE THEM OF THEIR LEGAL STATUS.
UM, SO IT'S NOT JUST THE RHETORIC OF, UH, THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE ADMINISTRATION THAT THEY'RE TARGETING, TARGETING UNDOCUMENTED FOLKS, BUT IT'S EVERYONE THAT'S CONNECTED TO THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT STATUS THEY HAVE.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE'VE SEEN, UH, AND ENFORCING OF, UM, UH, WELL, A PENDING ENFORCEMENT OF A REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT FOR UN UNDOCUMENTED, UH, INDIVIDUALS TO, UM, SELF-REPORT THEMSELVES TO THE GOVERNMENT WITH THE THREAT OF CRIMINAL PROSECUTION, UH, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, FINES UP TO THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AS WELL AS IMPRISONMENT, UH, FOR NOT COMPLYING, UH, WITH THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT.
UM, AND ON TOP OF A SLEW OF OTHER THINGS, WE'RE SEEING THAT, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, UM, IS ATTEMPTING TO GET SENSITIVE INFORMATION TO TARGET, UM, MORE MEMBERS OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, SUCH AS THROUGH THE IRS, UM, WHICH AGAIN, WE WOULD THINK OUR TAXPAYER INFORMATION WOULD BE, UM, FREE FROM THESE ATTACKS ON AN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
AND YET WE'RE SEEING DHS COLLABORATE WITH ICE, UH, WITH THE IRS IN ATTEMPTS TO SHARE INFORMATION TO FURTHER TARGET MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO THESE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES.
UH, THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAT I COULD TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY.
UM, BUT I THINK IT WAS JUST REALLY IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT THE SCALE OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN TERMS OF IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND THE IMPORTANCE, UM, TO CREATE FURTHER PROTECTION SO THAT WE CAN PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES HERE IN LONG BEACH.
UH, SO THE FIRST AMENDMENT THAT I WANT TO, UH, TALK TO ALL OF YOU ABOUT TODAY IS PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.
SO, CURRENTLY UNDER THE LANGUAGE OF THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, UM, IT'S NOT ENFORCEABLE.
UM, SO FOLKS MAY SUFFER FROM VIOLATIONS OF THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, UM, WITH NO WAY OF ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, FOR, UH, VIOLATIONS.
AND SO THERE ARE INTERNAL STRUCTURES CREATED TO, UH, PROVIDE DISCIPLINARY MEASURES FOR ANY VIOLATIONS.
UM, HOWEVER, IF WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE LBVA DOES AS IT INTENDS TO DO, UM, THEN WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS ACCOUNTABILITY THERE, RIGHT? UM, AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE SEE PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION INCORPORATED INTO THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT SO THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE A WAY OF ENSURING THAT, UM, THIS POLICY HAS TRUE AND REAL IMPACT, SO THAT NOT ONLY IS IT, UH, WRITTEN IN WORDS THAT LONG BEACH IS COMMITTED TO PROTECTING OUR LONG BEACH, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT ALSO THAT, UM, THERE'S STRUCTURES IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT IT'S NOT JUST WORDS, RIGHT? THAT IT'S ACTUALLY ACTION AND COMMITMENT FROM THE CITY THAT THEY WILL FOLLOW THROUGH, UH, WITH THIS POLICY.
UM, AND IN ADDITION, UH, WE HAVE S SP 54 EXCLUSIONS AND EXPANDING PROTECTIONS.
SO CURRENTLY UNDER THE LANGUAGE OF THE CURRENT LB UH, VA, THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, THERE ARE LIMITATIONS IN TERMS OF, UM, WHO IS PROTECTED, UH, WITHIN OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT WAS TO PROTECT EVERYONE IN OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO IF WE WANNA KEEP IN SPIRIT OF WHY THIS, UM, LONG BEACH VALUES ACT WAS PASSED IN THE FIRST PLACE, IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT THE LANGUAGE REFLECT THAT, UH, AND ENSURE THAT THERE ARE PROTECTIONS FOR ALL OF OUR LONG BEACH, UH, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND SO IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT WE AMEND THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
UM, SO THAT LANGUAGE REMOVES THOSE CURRENT EXCEPTIONS TO ENSURE THAT
[00:25:01]
THE CITY OF LONG BEACH DOESN'T PARTICIPATE, UM, IN, OR ASSIST FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, UH, WITHOUT EXPLICITLY BEING REQUIRED TO DO SO.UM, SO CUTTING OUT THOSE EXCEPTIONS TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S THE MOST BROADEST EX, UM, PROTECTIONS THAT WE CAN HAVE TO PROTECT ALL OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE IDEA IS TO AMEND THE LANGUAGE IN THE, UM, CURRENT LONG BEACH VALUES ACT POLICY TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S A BRIGHT LINE, SO IT IS CLEAR AS DAY FOR ANYONE TO SEE, OR ANYONE READING AND INTERPRETING THE POLICY THAT CITY RESOURCES SHOULDN'T BE USED, UM, IN ANY WAY, UH, TO ASSESS WHETHER, UM, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD BE TURNED OVER, UH, TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT TO ICE.
AND SO THEN FOR, UM, THIS LAST, UH, THIS LAST SLIDE IS, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN YOU ALL, UM, AS THE, UM, E-E-H-R-C, UM, SUPPORT, RIGHT, THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT THE WORK OF, UM, MANY ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE REALLY BEEN, UM, DOING THE GROUNDWORK OVER THE YEARS.
AND SO, UM, THE FIRST ASK IS TO VOTE TODAY TO SEND A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL, UM, TO ENSURE THAT THEY ADD THE, UM, LBVA AMENDMENTS, UM, TO THE AGENDA, TO THE, AN UPCOMING AGENDA, AND TO APPROVE THOSE ITEMS. AND THEN TO ALSO REACH OUT TO, UM,
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S, AGAIN, THAT'S IMPORTANT, RIGHT? TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THIS VALUES ACT HAS SOME, UM, TEETH TO IT, SO THAT WAY THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COUNCIL AND AND RESIDENTS ACTUALLY FEEL AND KNOW THAT, UM, IT DOES MAKE AN IMPACT.
UH, SECOND IS TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY, UM, COUNCIL FOLLOWS UP ON THE VALUES ACT AND SUPPORT OUR OWN, UM, LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND REQUEST.
UM, SO THE, LET THE CITY COUNCIL KNOW THAT YOU KNOW, YOU AS THE, UM, EHRC SUPPORT THE AMENDMENTS FOR THE VALUES ACT, AND THEN, UM, FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND COALITION, WHICH, UM, BOTH OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS ARE A PART OF ALONGSIDE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, IN THE CITY, IS THAT, UM, TO SUPPORT OUR, OUR COALITION'S ASK FOR A 2.2 MILLION BUDGET, UM, UH, FOR THE JUSTICE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND, UH, FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT ASK AND THAT INCREASE, UM, BUDGET ASK IS REALLY TO, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE CURRENT CLIMATE AND LOOKING AT ALL OF THE IMPACTS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY JUST HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST THREE MONTHS, IF WE'RE, YOU KNOW, UM, LOOKING AT IT, RIGHT? AND SO HOW CAN WE INVEST, MAKE LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS IN OUR, UM, PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES? AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS TO UTILIZE, UM, THE COMMUNITY CONNECTORS.
SO
BUT, YOU KNOW, THESE THREE ORGANIZATIONS, UM, REPRESENTING, UM, DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER, UM, THROUGH THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND, UM, TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING HELP, UM, WITH IMMIGRATION, GETTING CONNECTED TO PROGRAMS, UM, SERVICES, RESOURCES.
UM, AND JUST SOME EXAMPLES THAT WE CAN DO ARE PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, YOUR RIGHTS EDUCATION, WE CAN MAKE REFERRALS, UM, AND JUST SHARE A, UM, A WIDE VARIETY OF RESOURCES BECAUSE, UM, THE, THE SITUATION CHANGES ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS, DEFINITELY ON A WEEKLY BASIS, RIGHT? AND SO HOW DO WE KEEP UP AND, UH, KEEP OUR COMMUNITY INFORMED AND EDUCATED ABOUT IT? SO, UM, THOSE ARE OUR, OUR THREE ASKS, UM, TO YOU ALL AS COMMISSIONERS.
AND SO WE JUST WANT TO OPEN IT UP TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY, UM, QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, UM, FROM THE COMMISSIONERS.
UM, WE WILL NOW TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.
MADAM CLERK, DO YOU SEE ANY ONE ON LINE? IS, IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM IN PERSON, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, UM, ONLINE, PLEASE USE THE, UH, STAR NINE.
IF YOU'RE CALLING IN OR RAISE YOUR HAND, WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT IN PERSON, YOUR TIME BEGINS NOW.
HI, EVERYONE, MY NAME IS GABBY HERNANDEZ AND I SERVE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR, OR, UM, I WANNA ASK YOU ALL A QUESTION.
UM, HAVE YOU ALL HEARD OF THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT BEFORE TONIGHT? CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU DID? OKAY, THAT MAKES ME REALLY SAD THAT A LOT OF YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS.
UM, AS YOU ALL SAW IN THE TIMELINE, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE STARTED IN 2017, AND SO IT'S EIGHT YEARS LATER THAT WE'RE STILL HERE ASKING FOR BETTER RECOMMENDATIONS, BETTER LANGUAGE, JUST PROTECT OUR IMMIGRANT, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
[00:30:01]
WE HEAR A LOT OF FOLKS SAYING, WE ARE HERE TO PROTECT FOLKS, BUT WE NEED IT TO BE TANGIBLE, AND WE NEED IT IN REAL LANGUAGE, RIGHT? AND SO WE ARE HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU FOR A VERY MINIMAL THING, THE LEAST THAT WE CAN DO TO PROTECT OUR FOLKS IN OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.I THINK ALL OF YOU'RE SEEING WHAT'S ON THE NEWS, THE OVERWHELMING SPECTACLE THAT IS HAPPENING, AND IT'S, IT'S A SPECTACLE.
UM, AND IT'S ON PURPOSE A SPECTACLE.
THEY WANT US, UM, TO SEE EACH OTHER SUFFER.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING, RIGHT? ALL THE IMAGES THAT YOU ALL ARE SEEING ON TV.
AND SO WE'RE HERE TO FIGHT BACK, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.
AND SO, I, I THINK WHAT OUR COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED ARE SO CRITICAL.
WE HAVE THE LONG BEACH, UH, VALUES ACT, AND YET WE DON'T HAVE TEETH, RIGHT? OUR STILL, OUR COMMUNITY IS STILL UNPROTECTED.
UM, THEY COME TO US AND THEY'RE LIKE, WAIT, WE HAVE A SANCTUARY POLICY.
WHY AM I STILL NOT PROTECTED? IF INFORMATION IS SHARED BY ACCIDENT OR ON PURPOSE, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE NO WAY OF HOLDING THE CITY ACCOUNTABLE.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT AND REALLY, UH, PROCESS THAT TO MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL.
THE EXPANSION AND THE PROTECTION OF SB 54 IS CRITICAL AT THE STATE LEVEL, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
WE CANNOT WAIT FOR THEM TO FIND SOLUTIONS FOR US.
WE NEED TO DO THAT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
WE CANNOT LABEL FOLKS CRIMINAL, NOT CRIMINAL FOR THEIR EXPERIENCES THAT THEY'VE HAD.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF FOLKS, AND WHAT THE EXCLUSIONS ARE IS FOLKS THAT HAVE HAD INTERACTION WITH THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM, WHO HAVE SERVED THEIR TIME AND NOW ARE BEING TRIPLE PUNISHED FOR SIMPLY BEING IMMIGRANTS.
SO WE DON'T ALLOW THAT LANGUAGE TO BE PART OF OUR ECOSYSTEM, AND RIGHTFULLY SO, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, ANYONE, IF YOU ARE UNLAWFULLY HERE, THEN YOU ARE LABELED WHAT I DON'T WANNA SAY, RIGHT? THAT, THAT, THAT WORD THAT WE ALL KNOW.
AND SO, I THINK WE'RE HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU TO NOT DO THE SAME MISTAKE AND TO RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT WE DON'T EXCLUDE ANY IMMIGRANTS FROM THIS PROTECTION, AND THAT IT IS ADDED TO A CURRENT POLICY THAT WE HAVE.
WHAT WE'VE HEARD IN THE PAST IS THAT THIS IS A STATE ISSUE, A FEDERAL ISSUE.
WE CANNOT HIDE BEHIND THAT ANYMORE.
WE NEED LOCAL PROTECTIONS, AND WE NEED THEM NOW.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, AND I REALLY AM HOPING THAT WE CAN GET RECOMMENDATION FROM YOUR COMMISSION TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
THE BIGGEST FIGHT IS THERE, SO THIS IS REALLY THE MINIMAL ASK THAT WE HAVE FOR YOU.
HI, MY NAME IS MARIBEL, AND I'M THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR WITH
I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING BOTH MY FAMILY AND MY COMMUNITY.
LONG BEACH HAS BEEN OUR HOME FOR OVER 30 YEARS, AND DURING THIS TIME, MANY OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO ADJUST THEIR STATUS DUE TO THE HORRIBLE IMMIGRATION LAWS.
WHEN WE ADVOCATED AND WON THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, IT MADE US FEEL SEEN, AND TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, PROTECTED.
HOWEVER, RIGHT NOW, WE NEED THE CITY TO BE COURAGEOUS AND TRULY BACK UP ITS WORDS WITH MEANINGFUL ACTION.
FOR MANY IMMIGRANTS, ACCOUNTABILITY IS VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTENT.
MANY ATTORNEYS, WE COME FROM ATTORNEYS WHO EXPLOIT US FINANCIALLY TO EMPLOYERS WHO COMMIT WAGE THEFT WITH IMPUNITY.
SECURING ANY FORM OF ACCOUNTABILITY REMAINS AN ENORMOUS CHALLENGE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE URGE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TO PROVIDE THIS MUCH NEEDED ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
BY INCLUDING A PUBLIC RIGHTS OF ACTION, WE CAN ENSURE THAT LONG BEACH HONORS WHAT IT HAS SAID FOR MANY YEARS, THAT IT STANDS WITH IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
JOIN US IN ENSURING THAT THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF ACTION BECOMES A REALITY.
WE NEED EVERYONE TO TAKE ACTION NOW BECAUSE FAMILIES ARE BEING TARGETED NOW.
GOOD EVENING, ALYSSA GUT, SECOND DISTRICT RESIDENT, JUST, UM, COMING TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF LES'S, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS, FILIPINO MIGRANT CENTER'S RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, TO MAKE OUR VALUES ACT STRONGER, AND PARTICULARLY TO INCORPORATE THE PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION INTO THE VALUES ACT, AS WELL AS REMOVING THE HARMFUL EXCLUSIONS, UM, PIECE OF THE LEGISLATION.
I ALSO WANNA ASK YOU TO TAKE A STRONG STANCE AGAINST THE TARGETING OF ANTI-WAR ANTIGEN GENOCIDE ACTIVISTS THAT ARE BEING ILLEGALLY TARGETED, UH, DETAINED, AND, UM, THREAT OF, OF DEPORTATION.
UM, I THINK THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON, UM, AT LEAST FOLKS WHO, UH, WERE HERE LAST YEAR DURING THE CEASEFIRE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, SHOULD BE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THIS AND SHOULD BE, UM, REALLY, UH, FIGHTING FOR THOSE KINDS OF PROTECTIONS.
BECAUSE AT THIS POINT IN THIS CLIMATE, ANYBODY WHO HAS TAKEN A STAND, UM, AGAINST GENOCIDE AND AGAINST WAR, UM, IS A TARGET.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE, OF OLES RECOMMENDATIONS AND, UM, CONTINUE TO BE THE CHAMPIONS THAT YOU ARE.
[00:35:39]
HELLO, GOOD EVENING.MY NAME IS SADID, AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE PROTECTION OF THAT ALL IMMIGRANTS DESERVE AS MYSELF.
CURRENTLY, A LOT OF, UH, PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE BEING AFFECTED OR ARE AFFECTED DUE TO THE FEAR AND UNCERTAIN OUR ITY.
UM, THAT, UM, UM, DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF FAMILIES BEING SEPARATED, UM, WHICH IS AFFECTING OUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH ACT, THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, UM, WHICH WAS APPROVED WITH THE MAIN PURPOSE, UM, OF PROTECTING OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, WHICH DO NOT HAVE LEGAL STATUS.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME AREAS WITHIN THESE, UM, LAWS THAT LEAVE OUR COMMUNITY VULNERABLE, UM, LEAVING THEM AGAIN OPEN, UM, OR VULNERABLE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF THE BEING DEPORTED OR DEPORTATION.
UM, THE, UH, LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, UM, HAS SOME EXCEPTIONS THAT ALLOWS THE COLLABORATION WITH ICE, WHICH GOES AGAINST THE ORIGINAL OR THE, OR THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THIS, UH, ACT FORM OF THERE'S REALLY NOT A WAY TO MAKE THIS ACT, UM, BE, UM, EFFECTIVE SINCE THERE IS NO ACTION FOR PRIVATE RIGHTS, WHICH MEANS THAT SOME OF THE VIOLATIONS GO UNPUNISHED.
AND OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THERE'S NOTHING OUR COMMUNITY WHO IS AFFECTED, THERE'S NOTHING OUR OUR COMMUNITY CAN DO, UH, REGARDING THIS.
UM, IT IS URGENT THAT WE FIND A SOLUTION THAT ELIMINATES ANY, UM, SOURCE OR ANY WAY THAT OUR CITY, UH, ALLOWS, UM, TO COLLABORATE OR ANY COLLABORATION WITH ICE WE NEED FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO BE, UM, PROTECTED, UH, TO LIVE WITHOUT FEAR AND TO FEEL SAFE.
I'M ASKING, UM, FOR US TO ESTABLISH THE ACTION FOR LEGAL RIGHTS FOR THOSE THAT ARE AFFECTED SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE LEGAL ACTION AND THEY CAN FILE ANY LEGAL ACTION, UM, AGAINST THE CITY WHEN THEIR RIGHTS, UM, ARE VIOLATED.
[00:40:01]
UH, INSTEAD OF HAVING INTERNAL MEASURES, UH, OR DISCIPLINARY, INTERNAL DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS, LONG BEACH NEEDS REAL PROTECTION, NOT JUST PROMISES, EMPTY PROMISES, UM, FOR OUR, SO THAT THESE DOCUMENTS, UH, HAVE CLEAR, UH, FOUNDATION.THEREFORE, I'M CALLING, UH, FOR THE, UH, COMMITTEE FOR EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS, UM, TO, UM, BE, UM, AN ADVOCATE FOR IMMIGRANTS AND, UM, TO CALL, UM, OR MAKE A PETITION TO THE COMMITTEE, UM, THE LBVA ON THE NEXT MEETING, UM, IN JUNE, SO THAT ALL THESE PROTECTIONS, UH, ARE INCLUDED AND MAKE THEM VALID FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND LASTLY, UM, THE PROTECTION FOR OUR IMMIGRANTS.
IT'S KEY FOR THE, UH, GROWTH, UH, OF OUR CITY.
BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT IS THAT THE CITY DO DOES NOT, OR DO NOT PARTICIPATE OR BE PART OF A SEPARATION OF FAMILIES.
UM, ARE, IS THERE ANYONE ONLINE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? NO.
UM, I'M GONNA ASK FOR ANY COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS AND VICE CHAIR.
I DO SEE THAT COMMISSIONER LAURA IS, UM, SIGNED UP.
UM, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK THE SPEAKERS, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION, UH, MEN'S GRATITUDE FOR DOING THIS IMPORTANT NECESSARY WORK.
ALSO APPRECIATION FOR BOTH ORGANIZATIONS,
HOPEFULLY, I GOT YOUR NAME CORRECT, SO MY APOLOGIES IF I DIDN'T.
UM, UH, THIS MOMENT THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING REALLY SPEAKS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO.
IT ALSO AND IS NOT LOST ON ME, THAT EVERYONE THAT SPOKE TONIGHT, UM, ALSO IS FACING THE SECONDARY TRAUMA AND SOMETIMES A PRIMARY TRAUMA DEPENDING ON IMMIGRATION STATUS.
UM, AND SO I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN A PUBLIC BODY, TO SEE THAT WORK AND, UH, BRING, UH, RECOGNITION TO IT.
SO IT IS NOT LOST ON ME, AND I HOPE IT IS NOT LOST ON ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC HERE AS WELL.
AND MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, UM, I DO HAVE QUESTIONS THAT CAN HELP US AS A BODY, UH, FIGURE THIS OUT IN HOPES, RIGHT? YOU NEVER KNOW, WE CAN'T PREDICT THE FUTURE, BUT IN HOPES THAT, UH, WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING OUT OF, UH, THIS, UH, UH, BODY, UH, TODAY, UH, BECAUSE THAT IS THE CLEAR ASK OF THIS BODY.
UM, SO MY QUESTION, UM, AND I HAVE A COUPLE, AND IF YOU NEED ME TO REPEAT THEM, PLEASE, BY ALL MEANS.
I KNOW I HAD SEVERAL QUESTIONS HERE.
UM, YOU MENTIONED, SEVERAL OF YOU MENTIONED EXAMPLES OF ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, BUILT INTO THE AMENDMENTS.
DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF WHAT THAT ACCOUNTABILITY COULD LOOK LIKE AND PERHAPS SOME OF THE LANGUAGE? SO THAT'S QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
AND WHAT WOULD BE THE MECHANISMS TO ENFORCE THE, NOT JUST THE AMENDMENTS, BUT THE EXISTING, UH, UM, UM, LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, OR, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LEGAL REMEDIES THAT YOU SPOKE OF, UM, AND WHAT ARE THE EXCEPTIONS THAT ARE FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO KNOW? WHAT ARE THE EXCEPTIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY CARVED OUT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE REMOVED? UM, AND THEN FINALLY, WHAT CITIES, IF ANY, HAVE THE AMENDMENTS SIMILAR TO YOUR REQUESTS ALREADY ON THEIR BOOKS? RIGHT.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU NEED ME TO REPEAT THESE QUESTIONS, I CAN, I TAKE TONS OF NOTES, SO THEY'RE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME,
SO, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE FIRST
[00:45:01]
QUESTION REGARDING, UM, PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.SO ESSENTIALLY THE WAY THAT THE, OR I'LL, I'LL KIND OF TOUCH ON DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE QUESTIONS MM-HMM
AND LIKE, LET ME KNOW IF I'M PLEASE MISSING ANY PARTS OF IT.
UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY THE WAY THAT THE LANGUAGE IS CURRENTLY LAID OUT MM-HMM
THE ONLY WAY FOR, UM, THERE TO BE ANY ACTION IN TERMS OF ANY VIOLATIONS WOULD BE INTERNAL DISCIPLINARY MEASURES.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF ENSURING THAT THERE IS ACCOUNTABILITY, WE WANT TO INCLUDE, UM, A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.
SO A WAY THAT, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN, UH, SUE THE CITY, CITY EMPLOYEES, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, TO ENSURE THAT WHETHER IT WAS BY ACCIDENT ON PURPOSE, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, UM, THAT SHARING OF COMMUNITY DATA TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, UM, IS PROHIBITED.
AND SO SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF LIKE WHAT, UM, THOSE LAWSUITS COULD RESULT IN, UM, IT WOULD NAMELY BE, UM, AN ENJOYMENT, UM, INJUNCTIONS.
SO ENSURING THAT ANY CITY ACTIONS THAT ARE, UM, ACTIVELY, OR, UH, HOWEVER IT MAY BE SHARING DATA WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IS PUT TO AN END.
UM, AND SO, UH, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, IT WOULD KIND OF REQUIRE, UM, FOR OUR LONG BEACH RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A VEHICLE TO DO THAT, RIGHT? MM-HMM
BECAUSE HOW DO YOU, UH, ADVOCATE TO ENSURE THAT CITY, UM, EMPLOYEES, CITY GOVERNMENT, UM, DOESN'T DO AN ACTION, RIGHT? YOU WOULD NEED, UH, JUDICIAL INTERVENTION.
AND SO PROVIDING LANGUAGE WITHIN THE, UM, LBVA WOULD PERMIT INDIVIDUALS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE STANDING IN COURT TO BE ABLE TO, UH, HAVE THAT LAWSUIT SO THAT A JUDGE CAN REVIEW WHAT'S HAPPENED AND ENSURE THAT, UM, ACTIONS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROHIBITED ARE IN FACT PROHIBITED.
UM, AND ANOTHER POSSIBLE, UM, AVENUE FOR SOME RELIEF WOULD BE, UH, IN DAMAGES, UM, WHICH IS HARD TO IMAGINE.
BUT IF THERE ARE SITUATIONS WHERE VIOLATIONS LEAD TO ECONOMIC LOSSES, UM, THAT FOLKS CAN GET, UM, REIMBURSED FROM THROUGH COURT INTERVENTION, THAT WOULD BE A POTENTIAL OPTION FOR THEM AS WELL.
UM, AND IN TERMS OF CITIES THAT HAVE, UH, SIMILAR WORDING, SIMILAR LANGUAGE, UM, THE LAW, UM, THE LA ORDINANCE, UM, HAS LA ORDINANCE HAS A SIMILAR SANCTUARY POLICY, UM, THAT, UH, INCORPORATES THESE COMPONENTS.
UM, AND LET ME KNOW IF I MISSED ANYTHING.
I THINK THE LAST QUESTION WAS WHAT CITIES, IF ANY, HAVE ANYTHING ON THEIR BOOKS? UH, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE EXACT AMENDMENTS THAT, UH, ARE BEING DISCUSSED WITH SOMETHING SIMILAR, JUST SO WE HAVE COMPARISON FOR OTHER CITIES, IF THERE ARE ANY.
SO, UH, SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS, UH, MENTIONING AT THE A AT THE END.
SO LOS ANGELES, UH, THEY HAVE A SANCTUARY ORDINANCE THAT HAS, UH, A LOT OF THAT, UM, THAT LANGUAGE AND THOSE SPECIFIC THINGS.
UH, WE REALLY LOOK FOR THEM AS A COMPARISON IN TERMS OF WHAT DO THEY HAVE THAT WE CURRENTLY DON'T TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE, UH, ACTIVELY, UH, PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS BEST WE CAN.
AND I'LL JUST TACK ON ONE MORE QUESTION, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS IN SOME WAYS A, A DISCUSSION.
SO WE LEARN, UH, HERE IN THE PROCESS, DO YOU HAVE THE WRITTEN LANGUAGE OF THESE AMENDMENTS THAT, THAT I AND MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS CAN SEE, UM, AS WE ENGAGE IN THIS AGENDA ITEM? UH, YEAH.
SO THAT WAS ATTACHED PRIOR TO THE PRESENTATION, AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN ATTACHMENT IN YOUR MATERIALS MM-HMM
UM, BUT WHEN WE ORIGINALLY APPROACHED, UM, CITY COUNCIL, UM, IN THE LEAD UP TO THE JANUARY, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEETING, UM, WE HAD PROVIDED THEM WITH A LETTER WITH WHAT OUR, UM, ASKS WERE.
AND WITHIN THOSE ASKS WERE THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT WE HAD IN MIND FOR BOTH PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION, AS WELL AS AMENDMENTS TO LANGUAGE REGARDING THE SB 54 EXCLUSIONS AND EXPANDING PROTECTIONS FOR OUR FOLKS.
UM, SO THAT SHOULD BE IN THE MATERIALS THAT, UM, EACH OF YOU HAVE.
UM, COMMISSIONER GILLETTE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
UM, IN 2018, DURING THE ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY, WHEN UNACCOMPANIED MIGRANT CHILDREN, UH, WERE SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES, I, UH, NO FULL WELL, UH, I WAS IMMERSED IN THOSE SITUATIONS BECAUSE I SPEARHEADED WORK TO ASSIST WITH THOSE UNACCOMPANIED MIGRANT CHILDREN AND THOSE SEEKING ASYLUM.
SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE SITUATIONS THAT THEY LEFT THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN FOR AND WHY THEY CAME TO THE UNITED STATES.
UM, AS AN ATTORNEY, I'M ALSO FAMILIAR OF THE IMPORTANCE OF A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.
UM, HERE WE ARE SEEKING THAT AGAINST, UM, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WHICH AS YOU KNOW, IS A PUBLIC ENTITY AND IS SUBJECT TO MANY IMMUNITIES.
[00:50:02]
AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'RE NOT IMMUNE FROM ALL LAWSUITS.UM, I AGREE THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LBVA, UM, TO PROVIDE OUR CITIZEN, OUR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS, UH, REMEDIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF LBVA.
UH, THANK YOU FOR CITING TO THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING, UH, BECAUSE THEY AS WELL HAVE SERVES THE SAME POPULATION THAT WE HAVE HERE IN LONG BEACH.
UM, A FEW QUES, I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UH, ONE OF THE REQUEST IS TO SUPPORT LBJF COALITION'S, 2.2 MILLION BUDGET, ASK FOR NEXT YEAR.
CAN YOU SHARE WITH US WHAT THE BUDGET WAS THE PRIOR YEAR SO WE COULD SEE THE DIFFERENCE AND WHAT THE DIFFERENCES IS GONNA GO TOWARDS? WE, WE, WE RECOGNIZE THE SITUATION WE'RE IN, BUT JUST FOR COMPARISON.
SO THE PREVIOUS YEAR IT WAS 1.1, WHICH WAS A MUCH HIGHER INVESTMENT THAN THE PREVIOUS YEARS.
AND JUST TO SET THE RECORDS STRAIGHT, THE ONLY STRUCTURAL FUNDING THAT WE HAVE FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND IS FOR THE REMOVAL DEFENSE.
AND IT'S BETWEEN 270,000 OR 300,000 LAN ANTONIO, IF YOU CAN BOTH CORRECT ME.
UH, THE REST OF THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM ONE TIME FUNDS.
AND SO OUR AS IS NOT ONLY GETTING AN INVESTMENT OF 2.2 THIS TIME AROUND FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR, BUT IT'S ALSO THAT IT'S STRUCTURAL.
EVERY SINGLE YEAR SINCE WE GOT THIS FUND, WE HAD TO COME TO COUNCIL TO FIGHT FOR THE FUNDS, UH, AND TO ENSURE THAT THEY BECAME ALLOCATED FOR THE JUSTICE FUND.
AND THE WAY THAT IT'S BROKEN DOWN IS INTO FOUR DIFFERENT SECTORS, WHICH IS THE COMMUNITY CONNECTORS, WHICH YOU HEARD OF, UH, TODAY.
THEN WE HAVE REMOVAL DEFENSE, UM, ATTORNEYS AND LEGAL SUPPORT THAT SUPPORT WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE IN REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS.
AND THEN WE HAVE A PORTION THAT IS FOR AFFIRMATIVE.
AND SO THAT'S FOR FOLKS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF CRIME WITH THE U VISA OR WAWA, UM, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO ONCE IT'S THE LAST, UH, RESOURCE THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO FIGHT THEIR CASE, AND TO BE ABLE TO REMAIN IN THIS COUNTRY IS INCREDIBLY HARD TO REPRESENT YOURSELF IN THAT PARTICULAR SETTING.
'CAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH FEDERAL COURTS, RIGHT? AND THE APPEAL SYSTEM.
AND SO A PORTION OF THE FUNDING ALSO GOES TO THAT.
UM, AND THE IDEA IS THAT THE MONEY IS DOUBLE RIGHT FOR, FOR THIS TIME AROUND, GIVEN THAT THE URGENCY AND THE AMOUNT OF DEPORTATIONS AND APPREHENSIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE ARE ALREADY GOING UP.
MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION IS, ONE THING I SEE HAVING WORKED AS A DEFENSE ATTORNEY, UM, I KNOW THAT THE POPULATION THAT NEEDS THESE SERVICES ARE THOSE, SOME DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO TAKE ON THAT FIGHT, AND IT'S NOT UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE, THEY'VE ALREADY SPENT MONEY ON AN ATTORNEY ONLY FOR THE COURT TO DISMISS CERTAIN CAUSES OF ACTION BECAUSE THERE IS NO PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE ADDRESSED? UH, DO YOU, WHEN, WHEN A COMMUNITY MEMBER GOES TO YOU FOR SERVICES, DO YOU, IS THAT FUNDING, UM, GOING TOWARDS THOSE KIND OF ADVISING OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS SEEKING TO FILE A LAWSUIT? NO.
SO THIS IS ALL IN REGARDS TO, UH, FIGHTING THEIR CASES AND IMMIGRATION COURT.
IT DOESN'T INVOLVE ANYTHING ELSE, UM, BECAUSE THE FUND IS ALREADY STRETCHED ENOUGH WITH THE SERVICES THAT I MENTIONED.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT, UM, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S THE ASK AND PEOPLE WOULD HAVE THEIR PERSONAL RESOURCES OR SEEK OUT SUPPORT TO DO THAT, THAT'S NOT THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND.
BUT WE STILL WANT THAT PROTECTION FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
BUT THE FUND IS SOLELY, UM, THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO PRO TO PROTECT IMMIGRANTS BY PROVIDING LEGAL SUPPORT IN THEIR IMMIGRATION CASES.
AND, UH, IF I MAY, UH, ONE THING I WOULD ADD TOO IS THAT, UM, THAT'S ANOTHER GREAT REASON TO SUPPORT, UM, INCREASING THE FUNDING FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND, BECAUSE THROUGH THAT FUND, WE'RE GONNA BE CONNECTING FOLKS WITH ATTORNEYS, RIGHT? AND SO IF WE SEE THAT THEY'RE ENTERING INTO REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS BECAUSE OF, UH, THROUGH THOSE CONSULTATIONS, THROUGH THOSE CONVERSATIONS, THAT IT WAS AS A RESULT OF VIOLATIONS THROUGH THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, ALTHOUGH THOSE ATTORNEYS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BRING THAT SPECIFIC LITIGATION, WE DO HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER ATTORNEYS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO CONNECT THEM WITH.
AND SO SUPPORTING BOTH EFFORTS IS, IS REALLY CRUCIAL TO ENSURE THAT NOT ONLY IS THERE PROTECTIONS WITH TEETH, BUT THAT THEY HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH ATTORNEYS.
UH, BECAUSE OTHERWISE A LOT OF OUR FOLKS DON'T HAVE CONNECTIONS TO, UM, ATTORNEYS.
THEY DON'T HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE ATTORNEYS, NO.
FOLKS WHO WENT TO LAW SCHOOL HAVE THOSE CONNECTIONS, RIGHT? AND SO IF WE ALSO ARE ABLE TO SUPPORT LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND, THEN WE'RE ABLE TO START TO CREATE THOSE CONNECTIONS AND HOPEFULLY PROVIDE THEM WITH THOSE REFERRALS SO THAT
[00:55:01]
THEY CAN BRING ABOUT THAT LITIGATION, UM, ON TIME.UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, DE LEON, YOU'RE GONNA BE NEXT, BUT I JUST HAVE ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION SINCE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET.
UM, ON THE PRESENTATION, IT SAYS, TO SUPPORT THE LBJF COALITION COALITION'S 2.2 MILLION BUDGET ASK FOR NEXT YEAR.
IS THAT ASK FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, AND IF SO, WAS THAT ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET? NO.
SO THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND COALITION IS COMPOSED BY CBO O SOME OF US ARE HERE TODAY.
SO I'M A, UM, LIKE I MENTIONED, I'M WITH
SO THIS IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT, UM, THAT HAS BEEN AT THE FRONT LINES IN ENSURING THAT ADVOCACY IS HAPPENING, ORGANIZING IS HAPPENING TO GET THIS FUNDING FROM THE CITY.
I WISH THE CITY ACTUALLY WOKE UP AND SAID, HEY, TODAY, THIS YEAR WE'RE GONNA GIVE 2.2, KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW IS HAPPENING WITH IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S NOT THE CASE YET, BUT WE'RE STILL HOPEFUL THAT THE MAYOR CAN PUT IT IN HIS, UM, RECOMMENDED BUDGET THAT SUPPOSED IS SUPPOSED TO BE COMING OUT ON THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST.
UM, SO THERE'S STILL TIME TO PUT IT IN THE BUDGET, BUT THIS IS A COMMUNITY ASK FOR THE CITY.
AND SO IN PREVIOUS YEARS, OUR ASK WAS 1.1, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE, THIS TIME AROUND OUR ASK IS 2.2, WHICH IS DOUBLE WHAT WE GOT LAST YEAR.
AND THIS IS A, A, A DEMAND TO THE CITY.
AND SO THE CITY IS NOW HOPEFULLY ABLE TO AGREE ON THAT AND HAVE THOSE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
SO TO BE CLEAR, IT WOULD BE COMING FROM THE CITY, THOUGH, NOT THE SIX ORGANIZATIONS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO THE ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING THE ADVOCACY.
THE MONEY WILL COME FROM THE CITY TO FUND THE SUPPORT AND SERVICES.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DE LEON.
AND A LOT OF APPRECIATION FOR FERNANDO ROMEO, AND THEN KJ NOT BEING HERE, BUT RECOGNIZING THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT STORIES OF DIA AND RESILIENCE IN THIS ROOM, UH, AND ALSO NOT IN THIS ROOM, AND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS WHO MAY HAVE WANTED TO SPEAK BUT COULDN'T, UM, BECAUSE OF THE CONDITIONS WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
AND SO I KNOW EACH OF YOU ARE CARRYING DOZENS OF VOICES WITH YOU IN THIS ROOM, EVEN AS ONLY A FEW WERE ON THE MICROPHONE.
UH, I WANNA STATE REALLY QUICKLY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DEFAULT MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS A RECEIVE AND FILE.
UH, THAT BASICALLY JUST MEANS THAT WE TAKE THE PRESENTATION.
IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S THE INTENT OF MANY OTHERS ON THIS, UH, BODY, THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THAT MOTION, AND THAT LATER IN THIS CONVERSATION, WE'RE GOING TO BE TRYING TO TRANSMIT SOMETHING TO COUNSEL.
AND SO I WANNA SET THE EXPECTATION UPFRONT THAT WILL BE MADE
UH, IT IS MORE MEETINGS THAN NOT THAT WE DO MORE THAN RECEIVE AND FILE, BUT ACTUALLY TRANSMIT, RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHAT, UH, USING THE LEVER OF THIS SPACE, UH, TO REALLY MOVE THE CITY WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
UM, I WANNA MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS AROUND, I THINK THE IMPORTANCE OF A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.
AND BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MIGHT BE A NEW THING TO FOLKS.
UM, BUT THERE'S A LONG PRECEDENT OF PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION EXISTING IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
UM, THERE'S THE SAFE DRINKING WATER AND TOXICANT FORCE IN ACT OF 1986, UH, IS INC.
WHICH IS PROP 35 65, IS INCLUSIVE OF DIFFERENT, UH, PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION COMPONENTS.
CALIFORNIA CONSUMER PRIVACY ACT HAS SOME, UM, PATHWAYS FOR THAT CALIFORNIA LABOR CODE UNDER PAGA.
THE PRIVATE ATTORNEY'S GENERAL ACT HAS A LITTLE BIT OF THAT CALIFORNIA BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE 17 200 UNFAIR COMPETITION LAW HAS ASPECTS OF PRIOR RIGHT OF ACTION, AS WELL AS CIVIL RIGHTS ACTS AROUND AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO THERE'S A LONG HISTORY OF PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION BEING A PART OF THE PROTECTION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES, OF CONSUMERS, OF CONSTITUENTS.
UH, AND SO WANNA REALLY EMPHASIZE THAT WHILE IT MAY BE A NEW TERM IN THIS BODY, IT IS NOT A NEW TERM TO THE STATE.
IT'S NOT A NEW TERM TO OUR REGION.
UH, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK REALLY DEMOCRATIZES THE ABILITY OF US AS CONSTITUENTS AND AS, UH, MEMBERS OF LONG BEACH TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN PROMISED TO US, UH, IN WORD TO MAKE THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CARRY OUT OURSELVES AS INDIVIDUALS IN PRACTICE.
AND SO, UM, REALLY THINK THAT'S GONNA BE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF WHAT WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS CONVERSATION TODAY.
UM, AND AS GABBY MENTIONED IN PUBLIC COMMENT, WE DON'T WANT TO DOUBLE PUNISH TRIPLE PUNISH OUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT? AND SO CLOSING OF THOSE GAPS IN SB 54, UH, RELATIVE TO THE LA BEACH VALUES ACT IS GONNA BE ESSENTIAL AS WELL.
AND SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS CONVERSATION, IT IS MY INTENT, AND I THINK A LOT OF OUR INTENT, UM, THAT WE ARE REFLECTING THOSE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS AS WE MOVE TOWARDS, UH, COUNCIL TAKING THIS UP.
UH, I WANNA SAY ONE MORE THING AS WELL, UM, WHICH IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THIS MOMENT, UH, WE ALL RECOGNIZE THE, THE, THE FEAR THAT EXISTS IN OUR CITIES AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
I THINK IT'S ALSO REALLY CLEAR THAT, UH, THIS TRANSCENDS, UH, EVEN THE FACES IN THIS ROOM, RIGHT? AS, AS ALYSSA PUBLIC COMMENT MENTIONED, UM, YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE USING THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, UM, GETTING TARGETED.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO, UH, HAVE BEEN HERE FOR GENERATIONS, RIGHT? WHO ARE BEING TARGETED.
AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF STORIES THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO IN MY BELIEF, AND I HOPE THAT AS WE MOVE THIS CONVERSATION,
[01:00:01]
WE'LL BE ABLE TO HONOR THOSE.UM, CHAIR COVINGTON, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, I HAVE, I AM THANK YOU ALSO TO COMMISSIONER
I DO HAVE A QUESTION, UH, FROM OUR PRESENTERS IN REGARDS TO THE PRIOR THEIR RIGHT OF ACTION.
UM, BASED OFF OF THE PREVIOUS QUESTION AND THE RESPONSE, UM, THE BOTTOM LINE THAT I RECEIVED WAS THAT THE PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION ALLOWS COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SUIT THE CITY, UM, IN CASE THERE ARE VIOLATION, UM, SOMETIMES WITH SETTLEMENTS OF THOSE PARTICULAR LAWSUITS.
IT COULD INCLUDE POLICY, AMENDMENT, UM, PROCEDURAL CHANGES, UM, UH, EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS.
AND THEN IN SOME CASES, UM, DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THE CASE, THERE ARE FINANCIAL, UH, UH,
MY QUESTION IS, IN THE SPECIFIC AMENDMENTS, ARE THOSE DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS OR POTENTIAL, UH, FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THESE LAWSUITS, UH, INCLUDED IN THE AMENDMENT? AND THEN ALSO, UM, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT POTENTIAL IMPACT OF LIKE, I PROVIDING FUNDS FOR IMMIGRANT JUSTICE, BUT ALSO, UM, A POTENTIAL EXPERIENCE OF MONEY GOING OUT FOR, FOR LAWSUITS, A VIOLATION.
SO HAS THE, HAS THE SAME PROSECUTIONS BEEN ADDRESS YET? THAT'S MY QUESTION BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, SO DEFINITELY THE AMENDMENTS WOULD HAVE LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT ALLOWS FOR, UM, THOSE LAWSUITS TO ALLOW FOR INJUNCTIONS FOR THE STOPPING OF THOSE ACTIONS, AS WELL AS POTENTIAL, UM, UH, REMEDIES, UH, FINANCIAL REMEDIES SO THAT THEY CAN BE, UH, HAVE THOSE, UM, PROVIDED TO THEM IN CASE THERE ARE, UM, FINANCIAL ISSUES.
BUT SOMETHING I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS THAT, UM, A LARGE REGION THAT WE WANT TO PUSH THIS FORWARD, UM, IS TO ALSO, UH, ENSURE THAT EMPLOYEES DON'T, UH, VIOLATE, UH, LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE TEETH IN THE POLICY, UM, THAT WOULD ENSURE THAT EMPLOYEES KNOW THAT IT'S NOT JUST GONNA BE INTERNAL MEASURES THAT, UM, THAT THEY POTENTIALLY MIGHT BE, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT IF THEY WERE TO MAKE A VIOLATION, WHETHER INTENTIONALLY OR ACCIDENTALLY.
UM, BUT THAT THERE'S ALSO, UM, TEETH IN THE POLICY THAT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN IDENTIFY WHETHER THERE WAS A VIOLATION, UM, AND, UM, USE THE PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION TO, UM, ENSURE THAT THERE'S ACCOUNTABILITY THERE.
UM, SO DEFINITELY PART OF THAT, UM, AND SOMETHING I'LL HIGHLIGHT IS ENSURING THAT, UH, EMPLOYEES KNOW THAT, UM, AND ARE, UM, DETERRED FROM TAKING ACTION THAT COULD HAVE, UH, REAL SEVERE CONSEQUENCES FOR MEMBERS OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? UH, CHAIR, I'LL RE RAISE MY HAND.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF COMMISSIONER DELEON WOULD LIKE TO QUEUE BACK UP TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, OR NOT, BUT I'D BE WILLING TO MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, MINOR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
UM, BUT, UM, I DO WANT TO QUICKLY, UH, UH, GIVE SOME VOICEOVER OF SOME OF THE LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE REAL QUICK.
UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER LARA ASKED ABOUT THAT.
I HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, SO I'LL READ IT OUT SO WE HAVE IT ON THE RECORD.
AND THEN WHEN I CONCLUDE THAT, UM, I'LL MAKE A MOTION, I ALSO WILL RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, I'VE BEEN A COMMISSIONER FOR LIKE FIVE MONTHS AND SO I MAY NEED HELP.
AND SO JUST LETTING KNOW, OR OUR FANTASTIC, UH, STAFFERS OVER THERE THAT IF I SAY SOMETHING LEGALLY ADMISSIBLE, PLEASE STOP ME.
BUT, UM, IN TERMS OF THE LEGISLATION THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR,
[01:05:01]
UM, THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE WOULD BE FOR SECTION SEVEN OF THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.UM, TO ADD, UH, QUOTE, THIS REGULATION CREATES A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.
AND NO CITY EMPLOYEE OFFICIAL OR APPOINTEE MAY ASSERT ANY FORM OF IMMUNITY AS A DEFENSE OF SUCH ACTION.
INDIVIDUALS MAY SUE FOR, FOR INJECTIVE RELIEF TO ENFORCE THIS REGULATION.
AND INDIVIDUALS INJURED BY A VIOLATION OF REGULATION MAY SUE FOR INJECTIVE RELIEF AND FOR MANY OR OTHER DAMAGES.
SO THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED WITHIN SECTION SEVEN OF LBVA.
AND THE OTHER PIECE FOR THAT WOULD BE, UM, FOR SECTION NINE UNDER VIOLATIONS, IT WOULD BE ADDING THE LANGUAGE QUOTE IN ADDITION TO A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION TO SEEK REMEDY FOR VIOLATION OF THIS REGULATION.
THIS REGULATION MAY ALSO BE REMEDIED THROUGH THE CITY'S DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES FOR EMPLOYEES UNDER APPLICABLE CITY REGULATIONS AND POLICIES, INCLUDING LIMITED TO THE CITY CHARTER AND CIVIL SERVICE RULES AND REGULATIONS.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO, UH, SPECIFIC LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE THAT THEY WANT FOR, UH, PRIOR RIGHT OF ACTION.
AND THEN UNDER SB 54 EXCLUSIONS, IT'LL BE STRIKING SUBPARAGRAPH B OF SECTION THREE, SUBPARAGRAPH F OF SECTION FOUR, UM, AS WELL AS SOME MODIFICATIONS THAT I DO NOT FEEL LIKE READING AT THIS POINT, 'CAUSE I THINK WE GET THE GIST OF IT.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, ACTUAL LANGUAGE AND STATUTE THAT WOULD CHANGE, UM, IF WE MOVE THESE FORWARD WITH THAT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE A, MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE TO DIRECT STAFF TO WRITE A LIT LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL RECOMMENDING THAT CITY COUNCIL TAKE UP THESE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS ON THEIR AGENDA BY THE END OF JUNE, 2025, INDICATING EQUITY, HUMAN RELATION COMMISSION SUPPORT FOR A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION TO BE ADDED TO THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AND TO CLOSE VALUES ACT SB 54 EXCLUSIONS.
I I KNEW I'D HAVE AT LEAST ONE GO
SO YOUR MOTION IS FINE, BUT YOU DON'T DIRECT STAFF.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU ALL AUTHORIZE A COMMISSIONER OR A SUB, AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO DRAFT THAT LETTER.
BUT WE WON'T, UH, YOU DON'T DIRECT US.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO THIS, I THINK, UH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION, BUT I THINK WE CAN REALLY VERY MUCH DISCUSS IT IN CASE THERE'S AN AD HOC WHERE MULTIPLE PEOPLE WANT TO COLLABORATE OR IF YOU WANNA DO JUST ONE.
UM, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A FRIENDLY MOTION TO THE AMENDMENT, TO THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, TO THE MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE TO FORM AN AD HOC, UH, IN THE EQUITY HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION TO DRAFT A LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
RECOMMENDING THAT CITY COUNCIL BY THE END OF JUNE, 2025 TAKE UP, UH, PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION INCLUSION FOR THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AND A CLOSURE OF LONG BEACH VALUES ACT SB 54 EXCLUSIONS AND TO INDICATE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION IS IN SUPPORT OF THOSE CHANGES.
SORRY, I SHOULD JUST STAY UP HERE.
UM, SO JUST TO CLARIFY, 'CAUSE YOU SAY IN TWO WEEKS, THAT MEANS THAT YOUR LETTER WON'T COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? THAT IS MY INTENT, BUT I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT AS A, YEAH, AS A COMMISSION.
SO THAT'S FOR THE MAKER OF THE, UM, THE ORIGINAL MOVER TO APPROVE OR ACCEPT COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.
MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE FOR THE LETTER TO COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION, HONESTLY.
UM, BUT I KNOW THAT THIS IS TIME SENSITIVE, SO I AM OKAY WITH YOUR FRIENDLY COMMISSIONER, LAURA.
SO I'VE DONE A LOT OF LEARNING WHILE BEING ON THIS BODY.
UM, I, THERE IS DEFINITELY A SENSE OF URGENCY, NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT I KNOW ALSO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BODY SEEING THE LETTER.
AS SOMEONE WHO WROTE A VERY IMPORTANT LETTER
WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO AMENDING THAT FRIENDLY? I DUNNO.
HOW COME? WE'LL SEE IF COMMISSIONERS FEEL ABOUT IT WITH A SPECIAL MEETING.
AREN, THE LETTER'S DONE SO WE CAN COME BACK, SEE THE LETTER, RIGHT THEN THE, THE COMMISSIONERS CAN SEE THE LETTER AND THEN IT GETS SENT.
WOULD THAT BE OKAY? SO I WOULD ACCEPT AS THE MOTION OF THE FRIENDLY AND THEN COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY WOULD ACCEPT AS THE ORIGINAL MOVER.
OR JUST ME? I WOULD, I I'M FINE EITHER WAY.
WE NEED A LITTLE DIRECTION HERE.
SO DO COMMISSIONER LAURA AMENDED THE FRIENDLY,
[01:10:05]
DO YOU ACCEPT IT? OH YES.SO WE CAN MOVE TO A VOTE ON THE AMENDED.
IF I MAY JUST ADD, IF AN AD HOC WILL BE CREATED AND THEN A SPECIAL MEETING IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE, CAN YOU ALSO IDENTIFY THE MEMBERS OF THE AD HOC? SO IT'S ALL A PART OF THIS ITEM.
WHO WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE ON THE AD HOC? ANY COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER DE LEON, COMMISSIONER LAURA, COMMISSIONER SEWELL, COMMISSIONER CHAIR COVINGTON.
IS YOUR HAND UP FOR COMMENT OR FOR BEING A PART OF THE AD HOC? UH, FOR COMMENT? I HAVE A CLARIFYING QUESTION TO
IN TERMS OF PROCESS, UM, THE QUESTION IS, UH, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING AND OUR EXPERIENCE, THE, THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE NEEDS TO GO, NEEDS TO BE PRESENTED TO THE BODY BEFORE IT GETS TRANSMITTED TO COUNSEL, UM, TO HAVE APPROVAL OF OF THE COMMISSION.
BUT, UM, WITH THE TIMELINE THERE, IS THERE A PATH TO WHERE WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CURRENT COMMISSION AND GIVING THE PERMISSION TO THE AD HOC, COULD THE AD HOC THEN DEVELOP OUT THE LETTER APPROVAL WITH AMONGST THE AD HOC AND THEN IT BE TRANSMITTED ON THE BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION? YES.
IF THAT'S WHAT THE COMMISSION DECIDES.
SO THAT WOULD BE, AGAIN, UH, COMMISSIONER DELEON ALREADY READ THE RECOMMENDED AME, UM, AMENDMENTS Y'ALL WANT TO SEE IN THE VALUES ACT.
UM, SO IF THE ENTIRE BODY ISN'T LIKE IN SUPPORT, THEN THAT AD HOC CAN TAKE THAT CONTENT, DRAFT THE LETTER AND SEND IT TO STAFF TO TRANSMIT WITHOUT BRINGING IT BACK TO THE FULL BODY.
UM, I KNOW WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FRIENDLY MOTION AMENDMENT, UH, BUT BASED OFF OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PRESENTED TODAY IN FROM THE PRESENTATION FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND THE INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED BY COMMISSIONER DELIO, I DON'T SEE ANY ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE BEING SHIFTED OR CHANGED THAT THE AD HOC WILL BE RECEIVING AND THEN SUBMITTING TO COUNCIL.
UM, SO FOR OUR COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE DOING FRIENDLIES, UM, I, I WOULD ASK TO RECONSIDER, UM, ADDING ADDITIONAL MEETINGS TO THE, TO OUR PLATES, UM, AND THEN, UM, FOR OUR BODY TO TRUST IN OUR AD HOC, UM, TO MOVE THE, THE LETTER FORWARD TO COUNCIL.
AND AS THE CHAIR, I'M MOVING TO SIT ON THAT AD HOC, THAT WAY WE HAVE BOTH MEMBERS AND LEADERSHIP OF THIS COMMISSION APPROVING THE LETTER OF CITY COUNCIL.
SO THAT'LL BE CONTINGENT UPON THE MAKER, THE MOVER OF THE FRIENDLY, THE FIRST AND SECOND.
SO COMMISSIONER LAURA WHO AMENDED THE FRIENDLY, ARE YOU WILLING TO AMEND BACK TO THE ORIGINAL FRIENDLY? I JUST WANNA CLARIFY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL KNOW WHAT, HOW, WHAT IS MOVING FORWARD.
'CAUSE I KNOW PROCESS, I KNOW IT MAY NOT SEEM BE PROCESS IS SO IMPORTANT HERE.
SO WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DO IF IT MOVES FORWARD IS WE'RE GIVING THE AD HOC COMMITTEE THE, UH, THE RESPONSIBILITY TO WRITE THE LETTER PER YOUR SPECIFIED RECOMMENDATIONS, COMMISSIONER DE LEON.
AND THEN UPON THAT, THE LETTER ADVANCES FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL IN TERMS OF RECOMMENDATIONS WITHOUT THE COMMISSIONER SEEING THAT FINAL LETTER, BECAUSE WE ALREADY UNDERSTAND AND WE HEARD YOUR AMENDMENT CORRECT.
WELL, DID I DO THAT CORRECT? DID I DID THAT ONE QUESTION JUSTICE.
UM, IT WOULD GO FROM THE AD HOC TO STAFF, STAFF WILL SEND THE LETTER FOR REVIEWING BACK TO THE AD HOC.
SO, SO ONCE STAFF HAS IT, THEN IT'S GONE.
[01:15:01]
OKAY.I AM PERSONALLY FINE BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND, LIKE, I UNDERSTAND THE LETTER AND THE TIMELINE SENSITIVITY, SO I AM FINE GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL AMENDMENT, THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT BY COMMISSIONER DELEON, I ACCEPT THE RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION
UM, AND I THINK, UH, ONE KIND OF POINT OF CLARIFICATION IS I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS MOTION, THIS TIMEFRAME, I THINK IS MAKES SENSE FOR THIS BUNDLE OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND SB 6 54 AND AROUND PRIVATE OF ACTION.
AND SO I CAN SEE A WORLD WHERE, UH, WE DO LIKE THE TWO WEEKS AD HOC TO MAKE THIS AND THEN ALSO HAVE LIKE A LONGER TIMEFRAME AD HOC TO TALK ABOUT LIKE THE, UM, JUSTICE FUND BUDGET.
SO I WANNA SEE IF I CAN DO THAT OR IF I HAVE TO KIND OF BUNDLE IT ALL IN ONE MOTION SO YOU CAN BRING THAT BACK AT A FUTURE MEETING.
UM, BUT THAT DISCUSSION, UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT INCLUDE THAT MOTION NOW THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW, OTHERWISE WE'RE SAVING THAT FOR WHENEVER Y'ALL WISH TO BRING THAT ON THE AGENDA.
AND THEN AS A, AS A CLARIFICATION, DO WE, AS A BODY, ARE WE ABLE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL DIRECTLY WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET ALLOCATIONS OR IS THAT A DIFFERENT RECIPIENT? UM, YOU CAN MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL.
THEN I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND
IF WE DREW THIS OUT, BY THE WAY, THIS WOULD BE VERY ENTERTAINING.
SO LET ME MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO MY OWN FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO, I'LL DO THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE TO FORM AN AD HOC, TO WRITE A LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, RECOMMENDING CITY COUNCIL TAKE UP THE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO ALLOW FOR PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION FOR THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AND CLOSING LBVA SBV FOUR EXCLUSIONS ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA BY THE END OF JUNE, 2025, INDICATING EHRC SUPPORT FOR THOSE POLICIES AND TO RECOMMEND THAT, UH, THAT THE BUDGET FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND BECOME STRUCTURAL AT A NUMBER, NO LESS THAN $2.2 MILLION, UH, PERIOD.
COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY, MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO TALK ABOUT THE MONEY ALLOCATION AS A COMMISSION, BUT AGAIN, UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS TIME SENSITIVE AND WITH CHAIR COVINGTON BEING ON THIS AD HOC, I'M OKAY WITH IT.
CAN WE, UM, IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? YES.
UH, JUST A BASIC QUESTION AND, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF HAVE LIMITED EXPERIENCE WHEN OUR AD HOCS ARE WRITING UP RECOMMENDATIONS.
IF IT AUTOMATICALLY GOES TO COUNCIL, SAYS THAT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN THAT FOR ME, LIKE THAT I HAVE PRE-APPROVED THAT LETTER BECAUSE SOMETIMES, QUITE FRANKLY, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GONNA BE WRITTEN, AND I'VE EXPERIENCED THAT BEFORE.
I'M ON THE SAME PAGE AS EVERYBODY FOR SURE,
SO I'M JUST WONDERING, LIKE FOR THE RECORD, DOES IT MEAN THAT I HAVE APPROVED, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SIGNED MY NAME TO THAT AS WELL.
SO BY VOTING TO AUTHORIZE THAT LETTER, UM, THAT AD HOC COMMITTEE IS WRITING THIS LETTER ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COMMISSION.
I'M NOT SURE I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND SO IF YOU WERE TO VOTE NO, THEN THE RECORD, WHICH WOULD BE DIFFERENT THAN THE LETTER THE RECORD WOULD'VE INTEND THAT IMPLY THAT YOU DID NOT SUPPORT THIS.
HOWEVER, THE LETTER IS STILL WRITTEN SHOULD MAJORITY VOTE IN FAVOR, THE LETTER WOULD BE WRITTEN ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COMMISSION.
THEN LIKE I SAY, I'M NOT APPROVING OF THE PROCESS.
OH YEAH, I, I THINK ONE, UH, ONE CLARIFICATION THOUGH IS, UM, WE CAN'T DEVIATE FROM THE LANGUAGE, UH, THAT WE'VE APPROVED TOGETHER.
AND SO, UM, IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL FOR ME AND THE GROUP AS THE AD HOC TO WRITE AN ADDITIONAL POLICY
[01:20:01]
RECOMMENDATION OR CHANGE THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR JUSTICE FUND.UM, SO I THINK, I THINK FOR THAT PIECE, THERE'S, THERE ARE LIMITATIONS.
SO WE, WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, FREELANCE ALTOGETHER, UM, IT CAN'T VIOLATE WHAT'S WRITTEN HERE.
UM, I THINK ALSO WHAT I CAN MAKE AS LIKE A PERSONAL COMMITMENT IS THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO, UH, LIKE FREELANCE THE SENTIMENT AROUND THIS.
UM, UH, THIS IS A CITY BODY, BUT NOT A POLITICAL BODY PER SE.
UH, AND SO, UH, IT IS MY INTENT AND HOPEFULLY THAT OF EVERYONE WHO WOULD BE ON THIS, THAT, UM, WE NOT, WE NOT REPRESENT US IN A WAY THAT ALL OF US CANNOT BE PROUD OF.
AND SO, LIKE, THAT'S MY PERSONAL COMMITMENT.
I ALSO RECOGNIZE I'LL HAVE NO PERSONAL ILL WILL IF ANYONE VOTES, NO.
UM, UH, AND I'M RECOMMENDING THIS PROCESS AND THE SPECIFIC, UH, MOTION HERE REALLY BECAUSE OF THE URGENCY OF THIS MOMENT.
UH, AND THAT I DO NOT PLAN TO HAVE THIS TO BE THE REGULAR PROCESS BY WHICH THAT WE, UH, UH, TAKE UP FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS UNLESS CRISES ARE AS THEY ARE TODAY.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE COMMENT, WHICH IS, UM, I DO UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY AS WELL.
UM, I'M KIND OF IN AGREEMENT WITH COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.
UM, I WOULD PREFER FOR THIS TO HAVE BEEN TWO SEPARATE, UH, THE 2.2 MILLION, A SEPARATE ITEM VERSUS, UM, THE URGENCY OF THE, UM, SB 54.
UH, BUT I AM CONFIDENT IN OUR COMMISSIONERS AND OUR CHAIR SITTING ON THERE.
UM, BUT I, I, I AM HESITANT BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THE 2.2 MILLION SHOULD HAVE BEEN SEPARATED.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, MADAM CLERK, CAN WE, IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HAVE ONE, UM, MAYBE REITERATION SLASH CLARIFICATION.
UM, SO THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS WHO MAY HAVE EITHER CONCERNS OR WANT TO BE A PART OF THE PROCESS TO JOIN A HOP.
UM, SO THERE'S ONE OPTION THERE.
UM, AND I WANT TO CONFIRM THAT THERE ARE, UM, THE ACTUAL MEMBERS OF THE AD HOC.
UM, SO TONY, UM, CAN YOU REPEAT THE FOLKS WHO WHO'VE BEEN, WHO'VE SIGNED UP, UM, TO JOIN THE AD HOC? UH, YES.
CURRENT AD HOC MEMBERS ARE COMMISSIONER DELEON, COMMISSIONER LARA, COMMISSIONER COVINGTON, AND COMMISSIONER LEY.
UM, I WANNA GIVE THE COMMISSION AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYONE WHO'S OF THIS AND WANTS TO ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS.
IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAME TO, TO THAT COMMITTEE.
AND I CAN'T SEE ON, SO IF NOT JUST SAYING NOBODY RAISE THEIR HAND.
UH, THERE'S, THERE'S NO ONE ELSE, UM, RAISING THEIR HAND.
WE CAN GO FORWARD WITH THE PROCESS.
UM, COMMISSIONER DEION, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO SAY? 'CAUSE I STILL SHOW YOU REQUESTING TO SPEAK.
OH, NO, I, IT'S, IT'S BEEN STUCK.
UM, AND THEN COMMISSIONER LAURA, UM, I JUST HAVE ONE RECOMMENDATION IF YOU'RE OPEN IT TO COMMISSIONER DE LEON, IF YOU COULD READ VERBALLY FOR THIS BODY IN THE PUBLIC, UH, TO YOUR POINT OF JUST HAVING A CLEAN, SMOOTH LETTER WITH A LANGUAGE.
WHAT, SO I CAN GIVE FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE, DEAR MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, THE, UH, THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, UM, SUPPORTS, BUT, AND THEN READ EXACTLY.
AND THAT, THAT MIGHT HELP US AS A BODY REALLY THINK, ARE WE VOTING YES, NO, OR ABSTAIN? WAIT, SO TO, TO CLARIFY.
UM, OH, OH, I THINK I MIGHT BE CONFUSED.
COULD YOU REITERATE THAT ONE MORE TIME? SORRY.
MY RECOMMENDATION, IF YOU'RE OPEN TO IT, TOTALLY FINE IF YOU'RE NOT, BUT IF YOU JUST READ WHAT THIS LETTER WOULD SOUND LIKE, THAT WAY WE CAN WRAP OUR MINDS AROUND IT SO THAT WE DON'T DEVIATE FROM THE SPIRIT, SPIRIT OF THE LETTER, AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, TO YOUR POINT, NOT REALLY.
UM, UH, I FORGET WHAT EXACT WORDS WE USED.
BEEN NOT ADDING TOO MUCH TO THE LETTER.
THAT WAY WHEN WE VOTE, WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE VOTING FOR OR AGAINST OR ABSTAINING FROM.
LET'S SEE IF I DID IMPROV IN COLLEGE OR NOT, I DID NOT TO BE CLEAR, BUT, UM, OKAY.
WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M THINKING IS THE STRUCTURE WOULD BE SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF LIKE, DEAR MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, UH, IN LIGHT OF THE, UH, URGENT CRISIS REGARDING, UH, MIGRATION OR URGENT CRISIS AROUND, UH, IMMIGRATION HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
[01:25:01]
UH, AND THE FEAR AND THE IMPACT, UM, THAT, UH, THIS HAS HAD ON OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.UM, WE, AS THE EQUITY IMMIGRATIONS COMMISSION BELIEVE IT IS URGENT THAT WE ADVANCE RECOMMENDATION FROM COMMUNITY THAT LIKE PREAMBLE, UM, AND THEN DIRECT RECOMMENDATIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS.
AND THEN IT WOULD LIST OUT THE, UH, PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION AND THEN THE SPECIFIC, UH, LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE CHANGE.
AND THEN IT WOULD LIST OUT, UM, SB 54 EXCLUSIONS LANGUAGE CHANGE, AND THEN THE, UH, JUSTICE FUND AND THE DOLLAR AMOUNT RECOMMENDED.
THE ONE PIECE THAT I THINK, UH, UM, I WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO HAVE IS MAYBE TWO LINES OF REASONING AROUND EACH, SO THAT COUNCIL HAS ENOUGH TO STAND ON IN ORDER TO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN PROPERLY EVALUATE THE RECOMMENDATION.
UM, AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN FULLY NAME THAT IN THIS MOMENT, ALTHOUGH IF YOU GIMME 15 MINUTES, I COULD, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANNA SPEND 15 MINUTES WAITING ON IT.
IT, BUT THAT'S THE CON IS WHAT I'M THINKING.
UM, AND THEN AT THE END TO CONCLUDE WITH, UH, THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION OF EQUITY, HUMAN MOVEMENT RELATIONS CLINICIAN AS A BODY, UM, AND TO INCLUDE THE TIME THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING, WHICH IS THAT THEY TAKE IT UP BY A JUNE COUNCIL MEETING, UH, THIS YEAR, 2025.
UH, AND HAPPY TO WORDSMITH TOGETHER ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
I THINK, UH, AND AGAIN, I'M ONLY MENTIONING THESE AS, AS RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, BECAUSE OF THE LEARNINGS THAT I'VE HAD ON THIS BODY.
AND I THINK THAT HELPS WITH FOLKS DECIDING RIGHT, WHICH WAY TO VOTE.
AND ALSO IT HELPS THE PUBLIC, UH, UNDERSTAND, UH, THE CONTENT AND THE TRANSPARENCY FROM THIS BODY.
'CAUSE WE, WE ALWAYS WANNA BE TRANSPARENT TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE WE VOTE? OKAY.
UM, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL FOR VOTE CHAIR COVINGTON, HOW DO YOU VOTE? YES.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND THE VALUABLE CONVERSATION AS WELL.
MADAM CLERK, CAN WE PLEASE READ THE NEXT ITEM? ITEM THREE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION FROM BETTER WORLD GROUP REGARDING RIVER PARK COALITION'S EFFORTS TO SAVE THE LAST PARCELS OF OPEN SPACE IN WESTERN LONG BEACH.
CAN I GET A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? IT HAS BEEN MOVED BY COMMISSIONER LAURA AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SWELL, AND WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION.
CAN I GO AHEAD AND START? OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO, UH, CHAIR COVINGTON, TO VICE CHAIR BATS AND THE REST OF THE COMMISSION FOR THIS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU THIS EVENING.
MY NAME IS DR. KIMBERLY WALTERS AND MY FAMILY AND I LIVE AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF THE SEVEN 10 AND 4 0 5, WHICH YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY I AM, UM, EXPLAINING THAT IN JUST JUST A MINUTE.
I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF A COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION CALLED THE RIVER
[3. 25-54875 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation from Better World Group regarding Riverpark Coalitions efforts to save the last parcels of open space in Western Long Beach. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
PARK COALITION, AND, UM, IT HAPPENS TO BE OUR MONTHLY BOARD MEETING TONIGHT, WHICH IS WHY I'M HERE BY MYSELF.UM, SO THIS COMMISSION IS WELL AWARE OF THE PARTICULAR CHALLENGES THAT THE RESIDENTS FACE IN WESTERN LONG BEACH.
THE PORTS OF WEST LONG OF LONG BEACH AND LOS ANGELES ARE THE BEDROCK OF OUR CITY'S ECONOMY IN MANY WAYS.
AND THEY PROVIDE OUR CITY WITH REVENUE AND JOBS.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE POLLUTION, THE PORTS PRODUCE IS DISPROPORTIONATELY BREATHED IN BY THE RESIDENTS, UH, WHO LIVE ALONG THE SEVEN 10 FREEWAY.
THE DIESEL EMISSIONS FROM SHIPS IN THE HARBOR, AS WELL AS THOUSANDS OF SEMI-TRUCKS, MOVING CONTAINERS IN AND OUT OF THE PORTS HAS GIVEN US AREA A NICKNAME YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD BEFORE, THE DIESEL DEATH CORRIDOR.
ADDITIONALLY, THE REFINERIES THAT
[01:30:01]
SIT JUST OUTSIDE THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF WEST SIDE LONG BEACH CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT IS SOME OF THE WORST AIR QUALITY IN ALL OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND EVEN THE NATION LONG BEACH RANKS LAST AMONG THE HUNDRED LARGEST CITIES IN THE US IN TERMS OF AIR QUALITY WITH RESIDENTS EXPERIENCING GOOD AIR QUALITY ONLY ABOUT 10% OF THE YEAR.SO THIS POLLUTION BURDEN, UM, AND THIS MAP IS DRAWN FROM, UM, THE, UM, ENVIRO SCREEN.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN ALL LOOK UP AND CHANGES FROM, UM, FROM YEAR TO YEAR OR TIME TO TIME.
THIS POLLUTION BURDEN DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS HOUSEHOLDS IN WESTERN LONG BEACH.
CHILDREN IN THE SEVEN 10 CORRIDOR ARE AT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RISK OF DEVELOP DEVELOPING ASTHMA DUE TO THE EXPOSURE TO DIESEL PARTICULATE MATTER.
AND STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT COMMUNITIES NEAR THE PORTS OF LA AND LONG BEACH EXPERIENCE HIGHER RATES OF ASTHMA, NOT JUST AMONG CHILDREN, BUT ALSO AMONG ADULTS.
THIS EXPOSURE HAS ALSO BEEN LINKED TO HEALTH ISSUES SUCH AS, UM, DECREASED LUNG FUNCTION AND INCREASED RATES OF LUNG DISEASE AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES.
SO THIS TOLL ON PEOPLE'S HEALTH MEANS THAT RESIDENTS OF WESTERN LONG BEACH END UP LIVING FIVE TO 10 YEARS SHORTER LIVES THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN THE REST OF LONG BEACH.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ACCORDING TO A REPORT PUBLISHED BY JANICE HAN'S OFFICE, QUOTE OF THE 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE WHO LIVE ALONG THE LONG BEACH EAST LA CORRIDOR, NEARLY 1 MILLION OR 83% IDENTIFY AS BLACK OR HISPANIC AND QUOTE.
SO THE INEQUITY AT PLAY HERE IS AT ONCE GEOGRAPHIC AND RACIAL.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH RUTH RUTH WILSON, GILMORE'S FAMOUS DEFINITION OF RACISM, I'M SURE DR.
SHE SAYS IT IS, QUOTE, A STATE SANCTIONED OR EXTRA LEGAL PRODUCTION OF GROUP DIFFERENTIATED VULNERABILITY TO PREMATURE DEATH.
THE LOWER LIFE EXPECTANCY IN WESTERN LONG BEACH FITS THIS DEFINITION ALL TOO PERFECTLY.
GREEN SPACE NEEDS TO BE A CENTRAL PART OF THE SOLUTION TO THIS DEEPLY TROUBLING HISTORICAL LACK OF INVESTMENT IN WESTERN LONG BEACH.
TREES AND VEGETATION PROVIDE A PURIFYING EFFECT FOR AIR QUALITY.
VEGETATION ABSORBS PARTICULATE EMISSIONS THROUGH STOMATA, AND THE LEAVES ON TREES INTERESTINGLY, PROVIDE MULTIPLE SURFACES THAT PHYSICALLY COLLECT AND HOLD HAZARDOUS POLLUTANTS OUT OF THE AIR, UM, PHYSICALLY AS WELL AS CHEMICALLY.
BUT BEYOND AIR QUALITY, ACCESS TO NATURE IS SO IMPORTANT FOR SO MANY REASONS.
PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE GREEN SPACE HELPS WITH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH.
IT PROVIDES A FOCAL POINT AND A MEETING SPACE, WHICH ALLOWS FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING.
THERE'S EVEN RESEARCH THAT INDICATES THAT PLANTING TREES AND BUILDING GREEN SPACE ACTUALLY HELPS TO DECREASE CRIME RATES IN SURROUNDING AREAS.
BEYOND THAT, EVERY YEAR OUR CLIMATE CRISIS IS WORSENING.
WE HAVE HOTTER TEMPERATURES, LONGER HEAT WAVES, MORE INTENSE DROUGHTS AND STORMS, AND EVER MORE FLOODS AND FIRES.
WESTERN LONG BEACH IS PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO FLOODING, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS MAP.
AND APOLOGIES FOR THE OUTDATED, UM, DISTRICTS, COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
UM, THE RISK OF FLOOD IN A CITY WORSENS WITH THE MORE IMPERVIOUS SURFACES LIKE ASPHALT AND CONCRETE THAT WE USE TO COVER OUR LAND.
GREEN SPACE CAN HELP US TO ABSORB HEAVY RAINFALL AND SERVES AS A PLACE TO DIRECT EXCESS RIVER WATER WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THE LA RIVER OVERFLOWS.
PLANNING FOR WORSENING FLOODS IN THE YEARS AHEAD IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF BUILDING A MORE CLIMATE RESILIENT LONG BEACH.
GREEN SPACE CAN ALSO HELP US OFFSET THE RISING TEMPERATURES THAT WE'RE FACING DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
BUILDING MORE ASPHALT AND MORE CONCRETE WILL ONLY ADD TO OUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT.
BUT CAREFULLY PLAN GREEN SPACE CAN SERVE TO COOL US DOWN, NOT JUST FROM THE SHADE THAT TREES PROVIDE, BUT ALSO BECAUSE TREES COOL THE AIR THROUGH EVAPOTRANSPIRATION A PROCESS WHERE WATER EVAPORATES FROM THE LEAVES AND IT COOLS THE AIR AROUND IT AS A PRO AS A OUTCOME.
SO WE AT THE RIVER PARK COALITION, WE REALLY LIKE THIS QUOTE FROM THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LANDS, QUALITY PARKS AND GREEN SPACES ARE FUNDAMENTAL FOR SUSTAINING EQUITABLE, RESILIENT COMMUNITIES.
ACCESS TO NATURE AND THE OUTDOORS
[01:35:01]
CLOSE TO HOME.AND IN THE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE LIVE IS A MATTER OF HEALTH, EQUITY AND JUSTICE.
HAPPILY, THERE ARE SOME AREAS OF LONG BEACH THAT HAVE A WEALTH OF GREEN SPACE.
YOU'VE PROBABLY ALL BEEN DOWN TO THE BEAUTIFUL COLORADO LAGOON, WHICH IS PICTURED HERE, OR WALK THE TRAILS AT THE EL DORADO NATURE CENTER.
EASTERN LONG BEACH HAS SUCCEEDED AT BUILDING FANTASTIC PARKS THAT HOST PICNICS AND BIRTHDAY PARTIES AND FARMER'S MARKETS AND COMMUNITY CONCERTS, AND SO MANY OTHER EVENTS.
SADLY, HOWEVER, WESTERN LONG BEACH HAS NOT RECEIVED A SIMILAR AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT.
THE NATIONAL RECOMMENDATION IS THAT CITIES SET ASIDE 10 ACRES OF PARK SPACE FOR EVERY A THOUSAND RESIDENTS.
BUT EAST LONG BEACH IS BLESSED WITH 16.7 ACRES PER A THOUSAND RESIDENTS, WHICH IS WELL ABOVE NATIONAL RECOMMENDATION, WHICH IS WONDERFUL FOR THEM.
BUT WEST AND NORTH LONG BEACH HAVE RECEIVED ONLY ONE ACRE OF PARK SPACE PER A THOUSAND RESIDENTS.
THIS IS ONLY 10% OF WHAT IS RECOMMENDED FOR HEALTHY RESILIENT COMMUNITIES.
SO JUST TO UNDERSCORE THIS POINT, NOT ONLY DOES WESTERN LONG BEACH BEAR A DISPROPORTIONATE POLLUTION BURDEN, WHICH CAUSES LOWER LIFESPANS, WE ALSO HAVE LESS THAN ONE 16TH THE PARK SPACE THAT EASTERN LONG BEACH HAS.
SO YOU MAY BE AWARE ALREADY THAT FOR DECADES, THE COUNTY AND THE CITY HAVE RELEASED PLANNING DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE INCLUDED INCREASED GREEN SPACE IN WESTERN LONG BEACH ALONG THE LA RIVER.
UM, THE LONG BEACH RIVER LINK PLAN, WHICH IS, UM, SHOWN HERE, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS, UM, IN THE MIDDLE WRIGLEY HEIGHTS PARK.
AND, UM, IT POINTS TO, UH, TWO PIECES OF LAND THAT STRADDLE THE 4 0 5 RIGHT ALONG THE, UM, LA RIVER.
UM, AND THE SAME AREA IS SHOWN AS FUTURE GREEN SPACE IN THE LONG BEACH STRATEGIC PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE PLAN, AND THE LA RIVER MASTER PLAN, WHICH IS PUT OUT, UM, BY, UM, THE COUNTY AND OTHER, UM, RELATED AGENCIES AND THE LOWER LA RIVER REVITALIZATION PLAN.
SO FOR, UM, DECADES, THIS, THERE, THERE ARE PARTS OF LONG BEACH, WESTERN LONG BEACH THAT HAVE BEEN EARMARKED FOR, UM, GREENING GOING FORWARD.
UM, SO THE WRIGLEY HEIGHTS PARK, THAT WAS TO BE THE SECTION OF IT THAT IS SOUTH OF THE 4 0 5, HAS NOW BEEN DESIGNATED FOR HOUSING, WHICH IS MUCH NEEDED IN LONG BEACH.
UM, IN THIS, UM, UM, THESE TWO IMAGES THAT ARE HERE, YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE LAND THAT IS NORTH OF THE 4 0 5, UM, AND THAT IS, HAS NOT YET BEEN DESIGNATED FOR SOMETHING THAT THE CITY NEEDS LIKE HOUSING.
UM, AND THIS IS WHAT RIVER PARK COALITION SEES AS, UH, REALLY OUR LAST CHANCE FOR A RIVER PARK BECAUSE THE RIVERLINK PLAN HAS SLOWLY BEEN SHIPPED AWAY AT OVER YEARS.
ALL THE SECTIONS OF IT THAT HAD BEEN TARGETED FOR GREENING, UM, ARE SLOWLY BEING, UM, OR BUILDING VARIOUS THINGS ON THEM.
UH, AND THIS IS THE LAST LARGE SCALE PIECE OF LAND THAT IS AVAILABLE TO ADD GREEN SPACE IN WESTERN LONG BEACH.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE IN THE, UH, THE PICTURE WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE OCEAN THAT'S FACING SOUTH, OBVIOUSLY.
AND THERE'S THE 4 0 5 TRANSECTING IT.
AND THE PROPERTY IS THE, THE LARGE, UM, PARCEL, UM, ON THE NORTH OF THE 4 0 5.
AND THE IMAGE NEXT TO IT IS LOOKING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
SO IT'S FACING NORTH, UM, THE BLUE LAND, THE THAT'S, UM, OUTLINED IN BLUE IS, UM, OWNED BY THE COUNTY.
THE LAND THAT IS OUTLINED IN YELLOW IS OWNED BY A COMPANY NAMED INSIGHT.
AND THE, THE AREA THAT IS OUTLINED IN RED IS A SMALL PIECE OF LAND OWNED BY THE MCDONALD TRUST, UM, BY JEANNIE MCDONALD OF THE MCDONALD FAMILY.
UM, AND, UM, THE ALTOGETHER THIS PROPERTY TOTALS ABOUT 30 ACRES.
SO AT PRESENT, THE, UM, THE PROPERTY THAT I SHOWED YOU THAT WAS OUTLINED IN YELLOW, UM, IT'S OWNED BY A COMPANY NAMED INSIGHT, WHICH IS A MID-SIZE, UH, NATIONAL, UM, COMPANY THAT, UM, BUILDS, UH, STORAGE.
AND THEY HAVE, UM, PUT A, UH, PLAN TO DEVELOP THIS, UM, LAND FORWARD TO THE CITY THAT, UM,
[01:40:01]
IS ASKING TO TURN THE PROPERTY INTO FOUR STORIES OF SELF STORAGE AND A PARKING LOT FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLES.THAT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE, UM, UH, DUMPING GROUND FOR THE RECREATIONAL VEHICLES AND A, UM, CAR WASH FOR THE RECREATIONAL VEHICLES.
UM, BY CONTRAST, THIS IS WHAT THE LA RIVER REVITALIZATION PLAN HAD TARGETED FOR THIS, THIS IS THEIR PICTURE, UH, OF WHAT THE WRIGLEY HEIGHTS PARK COULD LOOK LIKE.
IN ADDITION, RIVER PARK COALITION WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE, UM, EQUESTRIAN TRAILS ADDED TO THIS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR CENTURIES OLD EQUESTRIAN COMMUNITY THAT STILL EXISTS IN SOUTH CENTRAL LA AND ALSO HERE IN LONG BEACH.
UM, SO THE, THE VISION FOR THE PROPERTY COULD NOT BE MORE DIFFERENT, A PARKING LOT OR A PARK
UM, WHAT'S SO EXCITING IS THAT THE, UM, RED PROPERTY, THE MCDONALD TRUST PROPERTY HERE HAS RECENTLY BEEN, UH, IS IN PROCESS TO BE PURCHASED BY THE RIVERS AND MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY, THE RMC, WHICH IS, UH, A STATE BODY.
UM, AND THE, UH, THEY VOTED, UH, IN JANUARY TO, UM, TO MAKE TWO GRANTS TO, UH, ONE OF THEIR SUBAGENCIES TO, UM, PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY.
AND THAT IS IN PROCESS CURRENTLY AND WILL IN THEN BE GREENED WITH THAT MONEY.
UM, AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND LONG BEACH CITY, UM, ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, AGREED THAT, THAT THE PROPERTY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF INSIGHT PROPERTY WOULD ALSO BE GREENED.
UM, SO, UH, WE HAVE RIGHT NOW A PROMISES OF GREENING ON EITHER SIDE AT INSIGHT PROPERTY, BUT THE, THE PROPERTY IN THE MIDDLE IS THE BIGGEST CHUNK.
AND, UM, IS, WOULD BE WHAT WOULD BE BRINGING EXTRA TRAFFIC AND WOULD BE BRINGING MORE IMPERMEABLE SERVICES AND MORE HEAT, AND, UM, WOULD NOT BE ALLOWING US TO HAVE THE, UM, THE GREEN SPACE THAT WE HAVE BEEN PROMISED FOR SO SUCH A LONG TIME.
BUT WE ARE MAKING, UM, FORWARD MOTION WITH, UM, THE MCDONALD TRUST PROPERTY.
WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT, AND IT'S A MODEL FOR WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH THE INSIGHT PROPERTY THAT, UM, WITH, UH, IF IN THE INSIGHT, UM, COMPANY IS, UM, WILLING TO PUT TOGETHER A WILLING SELLERS LETTER, THEN THE RIVERS MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY CAN COME FORWARD WITH THE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO, UM, PURCHASE THIS LAND AND IT CAN BECOME GREEN SPACE.
SO THIS IS A VERY, VERY DOABLE THING.
UM, BUT IT NEEDS THE WILL OF, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
UM, SO TO THAT POINT, UM, RIGHT NOW THE INSIGHT HAS, UM, AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT THAT IS BEING FINALIZED, AND IT WILL COME BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT AS LIKELY TO BE IN MAY, UM, ONCE THE PLANNING COMMISSION VOTES ON WHETHER OR NOT TO APPROVE THIS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, THEN UH, IT MAY OR MAY NOT GO FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL.
WE EXPECT IT WILL LIKELY GO FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL BY AUGUST.
UM, AND, UH, WHAT WE NEED IS FOR, UM, THE LEADERS OF OUR CITY TO, UM, COME FORWARD AND, UM, MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS FOR LAND USE IN OUR AREA TO BE ABLE TO OFFSET THE DECADES OF DISINVESTMENT IN WESTERN LONG BEACH, BRING THE, UM, GREEN SPACE, BRING THE TREES, BRING THE NATURE, BRING THE, UM, THE COOLING BREEZE THAT, UM, ARE PART OF THE CITY NEEDS.
UM, AND THAT WILL HELP OFFSET THE, UM, THE, THE TERRIBLE AIR QUALITY THAT WE HAVE.
IT WON'T SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS ENTIRELY.
THERE'S MANY OTHER PIECES TO IT, BUT IT WILL DEFINITELY BE, UM, A LARGE PART OF WHAT WE NEED TOWARDS BRINGING GREEN SPACE TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND SO THAT PEOPLE NO LONGER HAVE TO GET IN THEIR CARS AND DRIVE TO THE OTHER SIDE AND WALK ON OTHER PEOPLE'S TRAILS, BUT THEY'LL HAVE THEM IN, UM, THEIR OWN PART OF THE CITY AND, AND BE ABLE TO ACCESS THEM BY BIKING TO THEM OR WALKING TO THEM RATHER THAN, UM, DRIVING TO THEM.
SO, UM, WHAT RIVER PARK COALITION IS HERE ASKING YOU FOR AS, UM, THIS COMMISSION IS, IF YOU WOULD THROW YOUR WEIGHT BEHIND, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION VOTING NO ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THIS PROPERTY.
UM, IF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, UH, IS REJECTED, THAT SITUATES THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY, UM, IN A WAY THAT THEY'LL BE MORE LIKELY TO THEN BE, UH,
[01:45:02]
BE WILLING TO PUT TOGETHER A WILLING SELLER'S LETTER FOR THE RIVERS AND MOUNTAINS, UH, CONSERVANCY.SO, UM, IN ORDER TO, IT'S A LONG PROCESS IN ORDER FOR US TO GET TO ACTUAL GREEN SPACE, LOTS OF BUREAUCRATIC, UM, IN BETWEEN THERE.
AND THE BUREAUCRATIC IN BETWEEN THAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT.
SO IF THE CITY COUNCIL VOTES DOWN THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND SAYS, NO, WE DO NOT THINK THIS IS WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTALLY REQUISITE FOR THIS AREA, THIS IS IN FACT NOT WHAT, UH, THIS PART OF THE CITY NEEDS, THEN, UM, WE CAN THEN START MOVING FORWARD IN OTHER WAYS TO BE ABLE TO ULTIMATELY GET THE GREEN SPACE THAT, UM, WE NEED IN WESTERN LONG BEACH.
SO, UM, I AM VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO THE EXTENT THAT I CAN, AND, UM, WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU WITH FURTHER DOCUMENTATION ON ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
UM, WE WILL NOW TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM IN PERSON, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM.
NOW, IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM IN ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE OR DIAL STAR NINE IF CALLING IN.
UM, ANY COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER LI LISETTE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS AMAZING AND THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
I LIVE IN THAT C COMMUNITY AND A PARK WOULD BE SO AMAZING FOR US TO HAVE.
AND I'M APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE AND YOUR COMMITTEE OVER THE YEARS, BECAUSE THIS HAS TAKEN YEARS TO GET TO THIS POINT.
AND I APPLAUD YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO, UM, CREATING EQUITY IN WESTERN OR WEST LONG BEACH, NORTH LONG BEACH FOR OUR COMMUNITIES TO TH CONTINUE TO THRIVE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, PARK EQUITY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, UM, AND TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
UH, I LIVE IN SIX DISTRICT, UH, AND WE HAVE MK MCCARTON, UH, VETERANS PARK IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, UM, FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO LIVE ON THE WEST SIDE DEFINITELY NEED ADDITIONAL PARTS, MAYBE.
UM, SO DEFINITELY FIGURE OF, UH, THE REQUEST BEING MADE OF OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UH, AND I'LL JUST READ THEM ALL OFF.
UM, WHAT, UM, UH, HOW HAVE YOU ALL, ALL IN YOUR REQUEST AND IN YOUR JOURNEY FOR THIS ADDITIONAL PARK SPACE IN THE WEST SIDE, HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ENGAGING IN THE LONG BEACH? UH, PROJECT 2028 PLAN FOR THE WEST SIDE? UM, THAT WOULD BE MY FIRST QUESTION.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE SECOND QUESTION THAT I HAVE, UH, IS YOUR PROJECTED TIMELINE.
I KNOW THAT THE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS ARE HAPPENING IN MAY, UM, BUT THIS SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A COUPLE OF YEARS IN THE MAKING.
UM, I ALMOST SEE THIS PROJECT BEING SIMILAR TO THE WILLOW SPRINGS PROJECT, UM, AND TAKING OVER THAT, THAT PUBLIC LAND ACTUALLY CONVERTING IT INTO, UM, PARK SPACE, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRIVATE LAND AND BEFORE IT CAN BE PUBLIC LAND, UH, TURNED INTO FOREST SPACE.
SO, UM, JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, WHAT YOUR PROJECTED CLIMATE IS FOR THE WHOLE PROJECT.
AND THEN, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE PROJECT 2028 PLAN FOR WEST PALM BEACH, UM, HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ENGAGED IN THE PARKS AND RECS DEPARTMENT AND THE PARKS COMMISSION? THANK YOU.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAIR FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, SO, UM, WESTSIDE PROMISE IS SOMETHING THAT WE, UM, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH PALM MAN IN THE, UM, MAYOR'S OFFICE AND HE'S REALLY SUGGESTED THAT WE, UM, TAP INTO THE MAYOR'S VISION FOR WEST SIDE LONG BEACH.
AND, UM, WE ARE, SO WE ARE, WE ARE WORKING WITH MAYOR ALONG THAT, UM, PROJECT 2028.
I'M AFRAID I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT, THAT LANGUAGE, SO I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
POTENTIALLY ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO'S NOT HERE COULD ANSWER THAT BETTER.
UM, BUT, UM, MAYBE YOU CAN, UM, MAYBE YOU CAN SPEAK TO HOW, HOW YOU THINK THAT WOULD, UH, WE COULD FIT IN WITH THAT.
PROJECT 2028, I THINK IT'S THE SAME AS THE WEST SIDE PROMISE.
[01:50:01]
MAYBE I'M SAYING IT INCORRECTLY, BUT, UM, THERE ARE SEVERAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, UM, WITH MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, UH, THAT ARE ALLOCATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, UM, THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DUE AND, UH, COMPLETED BY 2028, AND THEY'RE CALLING IT 28, OR MAYBE IT'S, UH, MAYBE I'M SAYING IT WRONG.UM, BUT EXPLAIN TWO EIGHT BECAUSE THE OLYMPICS ARE COMING SHORT EIGHT, UM, AND THERE'S A WEST SIDE LONG BEACH, UM, COMPONENT, AND I BELIEVE IT'S THE LONG WEST SIDE PROMISE PROJECT.
UM, SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE REALLY CONNECTED.
UM, AND BY UTILIZING THAT PLATFORM, UM, WE BRING ADDITIONAL MELANIE SUPPORT, BUT FUNDING, UM, FOR THE PROJECTED PLAN IN THE AREA.
BUT I'M ALSO REALLY LIKE, UH, EXCITED THAT YOU HAVE STATE FUNDING, UM, THAT IS ALREADY READY TO BE LIKE THIS.
I SHOULD, I SHOULD, UH, BE CAREFUL TO SAY WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE STATE FUNDING.
THERE IS, UH, ACTUALLY VERY, UM, AN INORDINATE AND SURPRISING AMOUNT OF STATE FUNDING AVAILABLE AT PRESENT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE STATE FUNDING IN THE SENSE THAT JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU ALREADY NOTED, WHICH THIS, THIS IS PRIVATE LAND, SO NOTHING IS YET, UM, OFFICIAL, UM, THE ONLY WAY THAT IT CAN BE MADE OFFICIAL AND BECOME, UM, PUBLIC LAND IS IF THE DEVELOPERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BUILD ON IT.
SO IF THEY BUILD ON THIS PROPERTY, WHAT THEY WANNA DO IS BUILD ON IT AND THEY WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT IF NOTHING IS PUT IN THEIR WAY.
BUT, UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE NEED FIRST TO GET THE CITY COUNCIL TO, UM, NOT ALLOW THEM TO BUILD ON IT BY NOT, UH, APPROVING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND NOT ISSUING PERMITS TO BUILD WITH INSTEAD THE VISION THAT WHAT THIS AREA HAS LONG BEEN PLANNED FOR AND WHAT IT NEEDS, WHAT OUR AREA NEEDS IS GREEN SPACE AND NOT MORE ASPHALT AND CONCRETE.
SO THAT FIRST HAS TO TAKE PLACE AT THAT POINT.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE IT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE PROPERTY, BUT WE COULD HAVE THE PROPERTY, THE FUNDING IS THERE, IF THAT MAKES MORE SENSE, IF I'M BEING MORE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND TO YOUR POINT ABOUT WILLOW SPRINGS, IT'S A, IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT POINT THAT THIS IS, THIS IS PRIVATE LAND, BUT, UM, THAT'S EXACTLY HOW EL DORADO PARK CAME TO BE.
THE, UM, LOCAL COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER.
THEY, UM, FOUGHT DEVELOPERS WHO WANTED TO BUILD ON IT.
THERE WERE HOUSING TRACKS THAT WERE PLANNED FOR IT, AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY SAID, NO, WE NEED GREEN SPACE.
LOCAL MOTHERS CAME OUT AND SAID, WE NEED GREEN SPACE.
AND THEIR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, SHE WAS THE ONE WHO MADE EL DORADO PARK HAPPEN BY PUTTING THESE BUREAUCRATIC HURDLES IN THEIR WAY.
SO IT PRIVATE LAND DOESN'T HAVE TO STAY PRIVATE LAND.
THE MOST PUBLIC LAND, YOU KNOW, WAS ONCE PRIVATE, UM, AFTER IT WAS STOLEN FROM THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED ON IT
UM, BUT IT CAN, IT, IT WILL, UM, IT, WE, THAT IS HOW MOST OF THE, THE PARK SPACE IN LONG BEACH HAS BECOME, PARK SPACE IS BEING PRIVATE AND BEING THEN, UM, BOUGHT BY THE, BY PUBLIC ENTITIES.
SO THERE IS A PATHWAY JUST LIKE RMC HAS DONE WITH, UM, THE MCDONALD TRUST.
THERE'S A PATHWAY THAT IS AVAILABLE.
UH, WE JUST NEED OUR CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE THE FIRST STEPS IN ORDER TO GET US TO THAT POINT, IF THAT'S CLEAR.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER LAURA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND FOR PUTTING PARK EQUITY AT THE FOREFRONT OF, UH, UM, OF US HERE IN THIS AGENDA ITEM.
UM, MY QUESTION, AND THEN IF I UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY, I MAY NOT HAVE, RIGHT, SO BEAR WITH ME HERE, BUT IF I UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY, THERE WAS AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, THE FINAL VERSION IS COMING UP, BUT I ALSO DERIVED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN DRAFTS BEFOREHAND.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE BEEN PUBLIC AND IF THEY ARE PUBLIC, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US SOME KIND OF KEY POINTS AND INSIGHTS IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'VE REVEALED IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT TO THE ENVIRONMENT? YEAH, SO THE HISTORY OF THIS IS IN FACT THAT, UM, THIS PROPERTY WAS ONCE, UM, OIL OPERATORS, UH, PROPERTY.
SO THERE WERE, UM, THIS IS WHERE, UM, LIKE AFTER OIL WAS REFINED, THE WASTE WAS DUMPED ON THIS LAND.
AND, UM, IT WAS THEN CAPPED WITH ABOUT 40 FEET OF, UM, SOIL, UM, AND HAS JUST KIND OF SAT THERE FOR DECADES.
UM, AND WHEN, UM, THESE DEVELOPERS PURCHASED THE LAND IN 2019 AND STARTED MOVING FORWARD WITH A PLAN TO BUILD A, UM, RV PARKING LOT ON IT, UM, THEY INITIALLY CAME TO THE CITY, UM, AND ASKED FOR WHAT'S
[01:55:01]
CALLED A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DEC DECLARATION INSTEAD OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT.SO BASICALLY THEY SAID, THERE'S NO REASON FOR US TO DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ON THIS PROPERTY.
UM, AND THE CITY INITIALLY APPROVED FOR THEM TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT DOING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ON LAND THAT WAS, UM, HAD TOXIC WASTE UNDERNEATH IT.
UM, AND THEY WERE SET TO BUILD.
BUT THE RIVER PARK COALITION, UM, BROUGHT A LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM FOR NOT FOLLOWING CA, THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT.
UM, AND, UM, THAT LAWSUIT WAS, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT LAWSUIT, AND THE COMPANY WAS MADE TO GO BACK AND DO THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT THAT THEY DID NOT DO INITIALLY.
AND SO THE DRAFT OF THAT REPORT, THE, THE WAY THE WAY THIS PROCESS WORKS IS INITIALLY A DRAFT COMES OUT TO THE PUBLIC, THE PUBLIC GETS TO READ IT, COMMENT ON IT, AND, UM, THEN THE CITY HAS TO RESPOND TO ALL OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTARY ON THAT DOCUMENT.
SO THAT DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT WAS RELEASED, UM, LAST YEAR IN 2024.
AND THE CITY IS STILL, BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH PUBLIC COMMENT, THE CITY IS STILL RESPONDING TO ALL THAT COMMENTARY, WHICH IS WHAT'S PUSHING THE EIR, UH, COMING BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION UNTIL MAY, IS BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S JUST, JUST, UM, SO MUCH PUBLIC, UM, COMMENT.
IT'S RIVER PARK COALITION, IT'S LA WATER KEEPERS, IT'S SEVERAL OTHER, UM, ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, EAST YARDS IS ONE OF OUR ALLIES.
UM, THERE ARE SEVERAL OF OUR, UM, UH, ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS AREA THAT'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
SO YES, I'M HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOU THE, UM, THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT.
AND, UH, WE EXPECT THAT THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE TOO MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DRAFT AND THE FINAL, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT.
BUT, UM, THE PROCESS HAS BEEN, UM, PRETTY CURTAILED.
THEY HAVE NOT BEEN, UM, TO OUR MIND, THE MIND OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYERS THAT WE'VE SHOWN IT TO.
THEY HAVE NOT BEEN VERY THOROUGH IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT.
UM, AND THERE'S, UM, THERE'S REALLY NO CONSIDERATION FOR THE OVERALL AIR QUALITY IN THE AREA AND THE NEED FOR MITIGATION OF THE AIR QUALITY, THE NEED FOR FLOOD MITIGATION, ESPECIALLY AS WE GO FORWARD WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE OVERALL NEED OF WESTERN LONG BEACH TO HAVE MORE GREEN SPACE.
NONE OF THAT IS ADDRESSED IN THIS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT.
UM, THERE, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER LIKE TECHNICAL THINGS ABOUT BENZENE COMING OUT FROM THE GROUND, FROM THE, THE TOXINS THAT ARE UNDERNEATH THAT ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED IN, UH, THIS IMPACT REPORT.
SO, UM, I'M HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOU AND THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UM, THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR VERY SPECIFIC, UH, CONCERNS WITH THAT IMPACT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, WHY IT REALLY IS INSUFFICIENT AND WHY THERE ARE VERY GOOD REASONS TO VOTE IT DOWN.
UM, BEYOND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GENERAL NEED THAT WE HAVE, WE NEED MORE GREEN SPACE AND THERE'S NO LAND LEFT.
THESE, THIS IS THE LAND THAT WE HAVE, THIS IS THE PLACE THAT WE CAN BUILD GREEN SPACE.
BUT THERE ARE VERY SPECIFIC POINTS IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT THAT, THAT MERIT VOTING IT DOWN.
I'M CURIOUS, WHAT REMEDIATION EFFORTS HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE IN THE SPACE? LIKE, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S BEEN LARGELY LEFT FALLOW SINCE, UH, IT WAS TRANSITIONED OUT.
AND SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE STEADY STATE RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL HARMS THAT ARE EXISTING IN THIS MOMENT? AND WOULD A DEVELOPMENT OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING A PARK, UM, HOW WOULD REMEDIATION LOOK, UH, TO MITIGATE THOSE? YEAH, NO, THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION.
UM, SO BEFORE THEY, UH, BEFORE THERE WAS REALLY ANY ABILITY TO STOP THEM, THE, AND BEFORE THE, THE COMMUNITY EVEN KNEW THAT, UM, THERE WAS A PLAN TO BUILD ON THIS PROPERTY, THE, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS CAME IN AT NIGHT AND THEY BULLDOZED THE PROPERTY, WHICH MEANT THAT WE THEN COULDN'T GO AND WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY WERE PLANNING TO BUILD ON IT.
'CAUSE WE HAD BEEN BEING TOLD FOR DECADES THAT IT WAS GONNA BE PARK SPACE.
AND, UM, WHEN THEY BULLDOZED IT, THEN IT MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO LOOK FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES LIKE THE TAR PLANT, WESTERN TAR PLANT, OR, UM, SEVERAL OF THE SPECIES OF, UM, LITTLE NESTING OWLS THAT ARE ENDANGERED.
THAT WOULD'VE ENABLED US TO THEN USE THAT AS REASON TO STOP THE, THE PROJECT THAT WAS, UM,
WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE THEY BULLDOZED IT WITHOUT OUR, OUR KNOWLEDGE.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW, AS YOU SAW FROM THE PHOTOS, IT'S BASICALLY JUST A BIG PILE OF DIRT.
BUT I THINK YOUR BIGGER POINT IS WHAT ABOUT THE TOXINS UNDERNEATH IT? THE UNDERNEATH.
SO THERE'S A 40 FOOT CAP OF, UM, SOIL, AND THEN
[02:00:01]
THERE'S, UM, THE TOXINS UNDERNEATH THAT.UM, WHAT ABOUT THE TOXINS UNDERNEATH IT? AND, UM, THAT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION THAT I THINK WOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS PROJECT.
THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT IS TO SAVE THE LAND
AND THEN THE NEXT PHASE IS, OKAY, NOW LET'S LOOK AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF IT BEING A PARK, PARTICULARLY, UM, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT PARK WOULD LOOK LIKE NEXT TO THE 4 0 5 AND SEVEN TEN'S, NOT TOO FAR OFF, IT'S A, A LITTLE BIT FURTHER AWAY, BUT THIS IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE 4 0 5.
BUT THAT IS A, THOSE KIND OF SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE PARK REALLY CAN'T, WE CAN'T EVEN ASK THEM AND ADDRESS THEM AND DO THAT KIND OF AN ASSESSMENT UNTIL WE STOP THE RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARK, UM, PARK, UH, PARKING LOT FROM BEING BUILT THERE.
I JUST WANNA UNDERSCORE AGAIN, LIKE THEY'RE GONNA TAKE AWAY RECREATION FROM LONG BEACHERS IN ORDER TO STORE RECREATIONAL VEHICLES
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? THAT DOES.
AND, UM, YOU GLANCED ON A LITTLE BIT DURING THE PRESENTATION.
I'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT COALITIONS, ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE IN SUPPORT MM-HMM
OF, IN SUPPORT OF OPPOSITION TO THE, UH, CURRENTLY PROPOSED PROJECT OR WHO HAVE ADVOCATED FOR DESIRE FOR THERE TO BE A PARK.
CAN YOU KINDA WALK US THROUGH, UH, THE, WHAT I IMAGINE IS A COURSE OF SUPPORT FOR RIVER PARK? YEAH.
UM, SO WE HAVE SOME OF OUR SUPPORTERS UP ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT WE HAVE, UM, UH, LIKE I SAID, EAST YARDS IS A SUPPORTER OF OURS.
LA WATERKEEPERS IS, WORKS CLOSELY WITH US.
BETTER WORLD GROUP IS, UM, WORKING CLOSELY WITH US.
UM, UH, KA MY GIRLS FOR, UM, ACTION.
GREEN LATINOS, UM, ARE OUR SUPPORTERS.
WE HAVE LOTS OF NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS.
WRIGLEY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UM, IS OUR SUPPORTERS.
UM, I, SORRY, I DIDN'T BRING THE FULL LIST WITH ME, BUT I THINK THE PEOPLE WHO'VE SIGNED OUR LETTER
AND DID I ANSWER BOTH OF YOUR QUESTIONS? DID YOU, DID, DID YOU ASK SOMETHING I MISSED? NO, NO, THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER, SUN MUTE,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I JUST HAD, UM, A QUESTION.
SO, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE, UM, TRYING TO, UM, UH, NOT ALLOW THE CITY TO APPROVE THE EIR OR TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, UM, GET THEM SO THAT WE, THEY DON'T APPROVE THE, THEIR EIR SO THEY CAN'T BUILD ON THE PROPERTY AND, UM, THE, THE VISION IS FOR IT TO BECOME A PARK.
SO ONCE, UM, AND MAYBE YOU CAN EDUCATE ME ON THIS BECAUSE I'M, I'M NOT FAMILIAR.
HOW DOES IT, HOW, AT WHAT POINT, WHAT DOES THAT PROCESS LOOK LIKE FROM THE POINT WHEN THEY, YOU KNOW, VOTE DOWN THE EIR MM-HMM
DOES IT BECOME A PARK? HOW DOES IT COME FROM PRIVATE TO PUBLIC PROPERTY? YEAH.
AND WHAT IS YOUR PLAN ON MAKING SURE THAT YOU CAN FUND IT TO MAKE THAT VISION COME TRUE? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE, UM, IF THE CITY REJECTS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, THEN THE DEVELOPERS CAN'T MOVE FORWARD AND ASK FOR PERMITS.
THEY FIRST HAVE TO DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT THAT HAS TO BE ACCEPTED, THAT THE CITY AGREES THAT THIS IS ENVIRONMENTALLY, UM, THE THING TO DO.
AND THEN, UM, THEN THEY CAN ISSUE PERMITS.
BUT, UM, IF, SO, IF THE CITY SAYS, NO, YOU CAN'T, YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT IS NOT ACCEPTED, THEN THE COMPANY INSIGHT, THEY CAN OWN THE PROPERTY, BUT THEY CAN'T BUILD THAT RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKING LOT THAT THEY WANNA BUILD ON IT.
AND SO, SINCE THAT'S THE BUSINESS THAT THEY'RE IN SELF STORAGE, AND SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN ALREADY STALLED FOR NOW FIVE YEARS, UM, AS A RESULT OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AGAINST THE PLAN TO DEVELOP HERE, THEN THEY ARE NOW, BASICALLY THEY HAVE THEIR HANDS TIED.
AND SO AT THAT POINT, THEN THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE WILLING TO WRITE WHAT'S CALLED A WILLING SELLER'S LETTER.
SO THEY WOULD BASICALLY WRITE A LETTER SAYING, WE'RE WILLING TO SELL IF THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT WANTS TO COME IN AND BUY, AND THAT LETTER HAS TO BE WRITTEN BEFORE THE AGENCY CALLED THE RIVERS AND MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY CAN THEN COME IN AND MAKE AN OFFER TO BUY.
SO THEY HAVE TO BE WILLING TO SELL, AND THEY HAVE TO, THEY HAVE TO PUT THAT FORWARD FIRST.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE WILLING TO SELL IF THEY CAN BUILD, BUT THEY, THEY ARE NOT GONNA BE, IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO BUILD, THEN THEY'RE IN A BETTER POSITION TO BE WILLING TO SELL.
[02:05:01]
LETTER, WILLING SELLERS LETTER, THE RIVERS AND MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY, WHICH HAS MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ALLOCATED SPECIFICALLY THROUGH MEASURES TO GREEN, THE LA RIVER, TO REVITALIZE THE LA RIVER, TO PURIFY WATER, VARIOUS MEASURES THAT WE'VE ALL VOTED FOR OVER THE YEARS.THEY HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SET ASIDE, UM, TARGETING THIS AREA, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE HAD DECADES OF PLANNING TO MAKE THIS AREA GREEN AND WHY WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN, UM, THERE'S BEEN A REPOSITORY FOR THOSE PUBLIC FUNDS IN THE RIVERS AND MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY FOR A LONG TIME.
SO THE, THEIR, THE MONEY, I MEAN, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM, THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO SAY THAT THEY WILL PURCHASE THE LAND UNTIL, UM, THE, THE, THE, UM, COMPANY COMES FORWARD WITH A WILLING SELLERS LETTER, BUT THE MONEY'S THERE AND, AND THEY JUST DID IT FOR THE LAND RIGHT NEXT TO IT.
SO THERE'S NO REASON WHY THEY COULDN'T DO IT ALSO FOR, UM, THIS, UH, INSIGHT PROPERTY.
SO, SO LET'S SAY INSIGHT SAYS, ALRIGHT, HERE'S THE WILLING SELL THIS LETTER, THEN THE RIVERS AND MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY CAN COME IN AND PURCHASE THE LAND.
AND THEN THE COUNTY, WHICH HAS COUNTY LAND IS RIGHT THERE.
THE CITY CONSERVATION CORPS AND, UM, LA WATER KEEPERS AND OUR ORGANIZATION, THE RIVER PARK COALITION, UM, CAN COME TOGETHER TO CREATE THE, UH, LONG-TERM PLAN FOR UPKEEP OF THE PROPERTY.
AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHERE OUR ORGANIZATION IS PARTICULARLY KEEN TO, UM, TAKE A LONG-TERM ROLE IN CONTINUING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THERE'S FUNDING FOR WHAT WOULD LIKELY BE, AND THIS IS JUST A LIKELY SCENARIO, UM, UPKEEP THROUGH, UM, PUBLIC AGENCIES GOING THROUGH PROBABLY CONSERVATION CORPS PROBABLY BECAUSE AGAIN, I'M JUST TALKING SPECULATIVELY AT THIS POINT.
WE CAN'T GET TO THAT POINT TO MAKE THESE KINDS OF PLANS UNTIL WE HAVE A NO ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT UNTIL THEY, THEY TELL THE, THE DEVELOPER WE, THEY CAN'T BUILD HAS TO HAPPEN FIRST.
DOES THAT MAKE IT A LITTLE CLEARER? YES, THANK YOU.
I KNOW IT'S ALL VERY COMPLICATED
I OH, THE LAST, OH, I'M SORRY.
SO LET'S, LET'S, THANK YOU START WITH YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, UH, TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS.
UM, AS YOU'VE POINTED OUT SEVERAL TIMES, THIS IS, THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY.
AND IT'S BEEN PRIVATE PROPERTY FOR, FOR QUITE A WHILE, BUT, SO COULD YOU LET ME KNOW WHO PROMISED YOU, YOU HAD SAID EARLIER IN YOUR TESTIMONY THAT SOMEONE PROMISED YOU THAT IT WOULD BE GREEN SPACE.
I YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT TO POINT THAT OUT.
IT WASN'T A PROMISE IN THE SENSE OF A LEGAL PROMISE.
IT WAS THAT DECADES OF PLANNING DOCUMENTS HAVE SHOWN THIS LAND AS FUTURE GREEN SPACE.
ARE YOU WITH BETTER WORLD? I'M NOT WITH BETTER WORLD.
I AM PART OF THE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION, RIVER PARK COALITION.
I, UM, AH, WHERE DO I START? UH, COULD YOU BRING UP THE MAP OF THE, THE, THE YELLOWS AND, AND GREENS AND BLUES? IS THAT POSSIBLE? UM, AND WHILE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THAT, UM, WEST LONG BEACH, UH, WOULD YOU AGREE THAT THE, THE PROPERTY IN IN YELLOW, THE, UM, THE INSIGHT PRIVATE PROPERTY, WOULD YOU SAY THAT'S CLOSER TO, UH, WRIGLEY? OR WOULD YOU SAY THAT'S CLOSER TO LOS CERRITOS, VIRGINIA COUNTRY CLUB? UM, SO YOU, YOU, YOU WANT THE, THE, WHERE IT'S NEAREST TO, SO THE 4 0 5 TRANSECTS, THOSE TWO NEIGHBORHOODS, RIGHT.
SO IT'S ACROSS THE 4 0 5 FROM WRIGLEY.
AND IT IS NEXT TO, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS FROM, BUT NEXT TO BOTH THOSE TWO NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE WRIGLEY AND THE VIRGINIA COUNTRY CLUB.
SO, UH, JUST TO NOTE, LOS CERRITOS NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOT THE SAME AS THE COUNTRY CLUB.
BUT IT'S, IT'S, I I THINK OF LOS CERRITOS SCHOOL, I THINK OF LOS CTOS PARK.
IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO LOS CERTO SCHOOL.
UH, AND WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GROUP THIS ALL TOGETHER AND SAY IT'S THE LAST GREEN SPACE, UH, UM, I, I JUST THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S DISINGENUOUS WHEN YOU SPEAK ABOUT PARK INEQUITY, WHEN THE, THE, THE MAJORITY, THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE SPACE IS, UH, UH, PROBABLY NEXT TO THE PART OF LONG BEACH, UH, THE SECOND MOST GREEN PART OF LONG BEACH AFTER, UH, THE RANCHOS IN EL DORADO.
UH, UM, YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A RANCHO THERE, YOU HAVE LOS RTOS
[02:10:01]
PARK, UM, IS IS ON.UM, AND I JUST, I DON'T SEE THAT AS I, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THAT AREA.
UH, AND THEY DON'T CALL THEMSELVES, UH, THEY DON'T CONSIDER THAT WEST SIDE, WEST SIDE IS, IS, IS GENERALLY LOWER.
WHICH IS WHY I HAVE SAID WESTERN LONG BEACH WESTERN.
WHICH IS NOT THE SAME THING AS WEST SIDE LONG BEACH, WHICH I HAVE DIFFERENTIATED TO, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE LAST PROPERTY, WHAT I'VE SAID IS THE LAST LARGE SCALE PROPERTY.
SO TO BRING A SIGNIFICANT CHUNK OF GREEN SPACE TO THE WESTERN PART OF LONG BEACH, THIS IS REALLY, IT'S NOT THAT THERE AREN'T OTHER TINY PARCELS HERE AND THERE, BUT ANYTHING THAT IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT, THIS IS THAT.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THAT LOS CERRITOS IS DEFINITELY AN AREA OF PRIVILEGE.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
I DID NOT SAY PRIVILEGE, BUT I SAID GREEN SPACE.
WELL, I'M SORRY, UH, PARAPHRASING WORDS IN MY MOUTH.
ONE OF THE PRIVILEGES THAT LOS CERRITOS HAS IS A LOT OF GREEN SPACE.
BUT GIVEN THE WAYS IN WHICH GREEN SPACE IS ACCESSIBLE AND WAYS IN WHICH IT BENEFITS PEOPLE IN TERMS OF AIR QUALITY, NOT JUST WHO LIVE RIGHT NEXT TO IT, AND GIVEN THE WAYS IN WHICH IT HELPS WITH FLOOD MITIGATION, IT'S THIS, THIS IS A BENEFIT TO WESTERN LONG BEACH, NOT JUST TO LOS CERRITOS.
AND YOU, AND YOU MENTIONED THAT IT'S, IT'S TOXIC THAT IT'S, THAT IT'S THAT IT'S NOT SAFE UNDERNEATH, UNDERNEATH THE 40 FOOT CAP THAT'S ON IT RIGHT NOW.
AND SO IT'S PROPOSING TO BUILD A, A PARK ON, ON TOXIC LAND.
NOW YOU, YOU'VE, WITH YOU, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE MCDONALD PROPERTY, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE RED TRIANGLE, THE WHERE WOULD THE FUNDS COME FROM? YOU, YOU SAY THAT I THINK IT'S RMC RIVER.
WOULD, WOULD, UH, HAVE THEY, WELL, YOU, YOU HAVEN'T SAID THAT THEY'VE CONFIRMED THAT THEY COULD BUY THAT UNTIL THEY KNOW IT'S FOR SALE.
THEY CONFIRM SO THEY KNOW IT'S FOR SALE.
HAVE THEY, IS THERE, THEY DO THEY HAVE A BUDGET? BECAUSE I THINK THAT THROWING E ON PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS AND TINGLING THEM UP AT COURT AND THEN ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO TURN DOWN AN EIR TO MAINLY JUST DEVALUE THE PROPERTY, UH, UH, IS, IS ALSO DISINGENUOUS.
NO, IT'S ABOUT VISION AND PLANNING FOR OUR CITIES.
WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE THIS PROCESS, WHY WE HAVE A PROCESS BY WHICH PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS CAN'T JUST DO WHATEVER THEY LIKE.
THEY HAVE TO FIRST GO TO THE CITY TO SEE THAT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THESE PROCESSES IN PLACE.
AND THIS IS NOT WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH A DEFICIT OF GREEN SPACE IN THIS AREA FOR THAT VERY REASON.
THIS IS NOT WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST.
IF THIS WERE HOUSING, I WOULD NOT BE STANDING HERE IF, ESPECIALLY IF THIS WERE LOW INCOME HOUSING, I WOULD NOT BE STANDING HERE.
BUT FOR US TO GIVE UP ONE OF THE LAST PIECES OF PROPERTY ON WHICH WE COULD DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL IN TERMS OF GREEN SPACE FOR A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKING LOT, AND SAY SOMETHING LIKE, WELL, IT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST HOW IT'S GOTTA BE IS TO ME, THAT'S MIND BOGGLING.
THAT'S NOT WHAT COMMUNITY VISION, URBAN PLANNING, ALL OF THOSE PROCESSES ARE ABOUT.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ONE MORE PRESSING COMMENT? I, I JUST, I SEE THAT THERE'S, UH, THERE'S LA HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH INSIGHT ABOUT HOW THEY WOULD ADDRESS I'VE, I'VE SEEN PLANS, UH, PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, AND THEY HAD DEDICATED, THEY HAD TALKED ABOUT DEDICATING, UH, UH, GREEN SPACE, UH, UH, AND DEVELOPING SOME GREEN SPACE AS PART OF THEIR, WHAT THEY OFFERED WAS TO DO THE, THE GREENING OF THE COUNTY LAND NEXT TO THEM.
AND THAT'S A, WOULD YOU SAY THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF LAND THAT LOS ANGELES COUNTY LAND? IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALMOST IN SPACE, 70% OF THE INSIGHT PROPERTY.
I WOULD SAY THAT IF WE GIVE UP 14 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE, WHEN WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ONE ACRE OF GREEN SPACE PER 1000 RESIDENTS, ONE, WHAT IS RECOMMENDED IS 10
[02:15:01]
ACRES PER 1000 RESIDENTS.I WOULD SAY WE WOULD BE, WE'RE, WE WOULD BE SHOOTING OURSELVES IN THE FOOT.
WE HAVE ALREADY GIVEN UP THE, THE, THE AREA THAT WAS PART OF WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF RIVER LINKS, UH, ABOVE WHERE IT'S NOW, UM, USED TO BE THE BOY SCOUT PROPERTY UP THE RIVER FROM THIS THAT'S ALREADY BEEN BUILT ON.
AND RIGLEY SOUTH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE 4 0 5 THAT IS NOW SLATED TO BE BUILT ON ALREADY.
SO ALL OF THE LITTLE CHUNKS OF LAND THAT WE COULD HAVE BROUGHT GREEN SPACE TO, AND THAT WE COULD HAVE BROUGHT FLOOD MITIGATION TO, THAT WE COULD HAVE BROUGHT NATURAL HABITAT TO, THEY'RE DISAPPEARING.
THIS IS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BECOME A PARKING LOT.
SO, I MEAN, YOU CAN SAY YOU CAN PUT IN A TREE OR TWO HERE AND THERE AND CALL IT GOOD, BUT THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT THING THAN 30 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE.
30 ACRES IS MEANINGFUL, 11 IS NOT 30.
AND I, I I FOUR PARK SPACE, I I I'M INVOLVED WITH KIND OF DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT.
UH, I'M JUST AGAINST, UH, UH, SUGGESTING THAT, UH, PRIVATE PRO, IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY.
BUT SO WAS EL DORADO PARK BEFORE NOW IT WAS PRIVATE PROPERTY AS WELL.
SO FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, SORRY, I HAVE TO DO THIS, BUT I DO SEE TWO MORE PEOPLE QUEUED AND I KNOW THAT WE ALSO HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL AD HOC, UM, COMMITTEE.
AND SO I AM GOING TO SUGGEST FIRST I WILL SEE IF YOU GUYS HAVE A QUICK COMMENT.
OKAY, COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU.
JUST TO CLARIFY, UM, THAT IS WHAT EVERYBODY CALLS THE BOW TIE, RIGHT? THE THE BLUE, BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE ELEVATE 20 LIST.
SO, UM, PROJECT 28, ELEVATE THAT CHAIR, UH, MENTIONED IT'S CALLED ELEVATE 28.
AND THERE ARE LIKE OVER 175 LINE ITEMS TO THAT BUDGET.
THE BLUE IS PART OF THAT AND IT'S LIKE A FEW HUNDRED GRAND, BUT CLEARLY THE CITY VALUES THAT.
SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD USE FOR YOUR LEVERAGE.
YEAH, NO, THE CITY VERY HAPPILY VOTED IN 2021 TO GREEN THAT SPACE.
THE COUNTY, UM, AND THE CITY GOT TOGETHER AND AGREED TO GREEN THAT SPACE.
UM, BUT WHAT REALLY WE NEED THEN IS FOR THAT TO BECOME CONTIGUOUS, RIGHT.
ALL THE WAY ACROSS FROM THE LITTLE TINY PIECE OF GREEN HERE TO THE LITTLE, THE BIGGER PIECE OF GREEN HERE ALL THE WAY ACROSS.
IT'S LIKE A WASTE, RIGHT? YES.
ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT IT'S NOT HOUSING COMMISSIONER DE LEON IS YOURS QUICK? I THINK SO IT'S MORE AROUND LIKE PROCESS OPTIONS GOING FORWARD.
I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS THERE'S LIKE A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
I MEAN, ONE IS WE DO HAVE LIKE AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AD HOC THAT HAS BEEN TASKED WITH IDENTIFYING PROJECTS THAT WE, OR TOPICS WE COULD FOCUS IN ON.
THERE'S ONE WORLD WHERE WE COULD REFER THIS TO THAT AD HOC.
UM, UH, THERE'S ANOTHER VERSION WHERE THIS RETURNS, UM, WITH US REVIEWING THE EIR AS A BODY AND THEN LIKE MAYBE LIKE HAVING A CONVERSATION.
AGAIN, THERE'S A VERSION WHERE WE MAKE RECOMMENDATION NOW, AND THERE'S A VERSION WHERE WE RECEIVE AND FILE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE, KIND OF GET MY HEAD AROUND THE DIFFERENT PATHS FORWARD, UM, AND WANNA SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS OTHER THOUGHTS FOR LIKE, WHAT THE OPTION SET IS.
UM, BECAUSE I DO RECOGNIZE THAT NEXT MONTH IS OUR RETREAT, WHICH TO MY UNDERSTANDING, WE ARE NOT TAKING AGENDA ITEMS OR LIKE DELIBERATION.
IT'S MORE LIKE OUR LIKE RETREAT PROCESS.
AND SO WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO, UM, LIKE REVISIT THIS CONVERSATION IN TIME TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION BEFORE THE IR HEARING PER THE TIMELINE GIVEN.
SO JUST WANT TO SEE IF THAT'S A FAIR, LIKE AN ACCURATE RECO, AN ACCURATE RECOUNTING OF WHAT THE, UM, KIND OF OPTIONS WE MIGHT HAVE ARE.
IS THAT ACCURATE? IS THAT RIGHT? YES.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST.
SINCE WE HAVE A, UM, THIS IS, UH, ON THE AGENDA AS A RECEIVE AND FILE PRESENTATION, THAT, UM, THAT'S WHAT THE VOTE IS FOR, TO RECEIVE AND FILE.
AND THEN, UM, MOVING FORWARD WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER, UH, MEETING WITH THIS GROUP, WITH THE AD HOC, WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL AD HOC TO DETERMINE WHAT ARE THE FURTHER ACTIONS AND THE REQUEST OF THIS ACTUAL COMMITTEE.
AND THEN FROM THERE WE CAN BRING THAT BACK TO THE BODY.
AND THEN I GUESS AS A QUESTION, UM, UH, FOR, FOR OUR GUEST SPEAKER, UM, WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TOUCH POINTS THAT YOU SEE AS MOST IMPORTANT IN THE TIMELINE? IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S THE EIR HEARING, UH, UNSCHEDULED, BUT LIKELY IN MAY, AND THEN THERE WOULD BE COUNCIL TAKING UP IN AUGUST.
[02:20:01]
ARE THOSE LIKE THE TWO BIG TOUCH POINTS? ARE THERE OTHER MOMENTS? BECAUSE I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT OUR, OUR OUR RESTRICTED ONE, ONE TIME A MONTH SCHEDULE, AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TWO MONTHS BEFORE OUR NEXT LIKE NORMAL MEETING.AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO BE COGNIZANT OF HOW TO FIT ALL THE PUZZLE PIECES TOGETHER.
IF WE WERE TO MAKE ANY SORT OF RECOMMENDATION ON THIS, WHICH WE MAY OR MAY NOT, I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, YEAH, SO IT'S NOT CERTAIN YET THAT IT'LL BE MAY, IT'S LIKELY IS WHAT WE UNDERSTAND AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND THEN, UM, FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION, IT USUALLY TAKES ABOUT TWO TO THREE MONTHS TO GET TO THE, THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND I THINK, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT MEET, UH, IN JULY.
AM I CORRECT IN THIS? UM, SO THEN IT WOULD LIKELY BE AUGUST THAT, THAT, BUT IT'S, THIS IS ALL, UM, UH, BASED ON PLANNING, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION DATE.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME HERE AND WE, WE, WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
UH, UM, I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT, UH, THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS THE ADVISORY, UH, ON THIS NOW.
UM, IT'S, IT'S GONE TO PLANNING.
SO THIS RECOMMENDATION IS TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY FRIENDLIES TO AMEND THAT.
SO, UM, WE ARE GOING TO MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL FOR A VOTE.
OH, YEAH, NO, MY BUTTON WAS STUCK.
I, I WAS GONNA MAKE A, A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, UM OH, OKAY.
SORRY, I REALIZED THAT I'VE BEEN PRESSING THE SUGGEST ON THE WRONG AGENDA ITEM.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A TICK LAYER ERROR.
UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION TO HAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AD HOC, UH, REVIEW THE EIR WHEN IT IS RELEASED, AND THEN RETURN TO THE EHRC AT OUR NEXT BODY MEETING WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BODY FROM THE AD HOC COMMISSIONER LAURA PROCESS.
UH, IF, IF I CAN INTERJECT REAL QUICK, UM, PROCESS WISE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, UH, OBJECTIVE IS TO IDENTIFY A SPECIFIC PROJECT SO YOU TECHNICALLY CAN'T TAKE ON ANYTHING UNTIL YOU IDENTIFY WHAT PROJECT YOU'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH.
SO THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN TODAY, UH, IN THE AD HOC UPDATE IF YOU ALL MADE THAT DECISION.
BUT, UM, WE, WE CANNOT SEND OR ASK FOR AD HOCS TO PICK UP PROJECTS BECAUSE THEY'RE OBJECTIVE FOCUSED.
UH, AND WE HAVEN'T COMPLETED THAT PROCESS YET.
BUT I, I, I KNOW THAT THE RIVER PARK COALITION IS IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH OUR VICE CHAIR, SO WE CAN DEFINITELY SCHEDULE, UM, AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO COME BACK AND THEN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE COALITION WOULD LIKE, UH, THE COMMISSION TO ACCEPT.
AND THEN THE SECOND OPTION, UM, THAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE IS THAT THE RIVER PARK COALITION EMAIL THAT SAYS THE COMMISSION, THE OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, PARTICIPATE IN ANY ADVOCACY.
UM, WE CANNOT SPEAK ON THE BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION BECAUSE THE COMMISSION HAS NOT VOTED, BUT IF YOU PERSONALLY, AS A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND SPEAK AS THE RESIDENT, YOU CAN DO SO IF YOU CHOOSE NOT.
BUT I JUST, I, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT, THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AD HO NEEDS TO COMPLETE THIS PROCESS BEFORE YOU WORK ON ANY PROJECT.
SO THEN THE MOTION STANDS, THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE PRESENTATION FROM THE BETTER WORLD GROUP AND MADAM CLERK.
AND NOT TO SAY THAT WE DON'T CARE
MADAM CLERK, CAN WE PLEASE CALL FOR A VOTE CHAIR COVINGTON? YES.
RECEIVED COMMISSIONER COLE? YES.
[02:25:05]
MOTION CARRIES.THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
LOOKING AT THE TIME, UM, WE ARE GOING TO, UM, HAVE TO CARRY OVER SOME OF THE, UH, SUGGESTED ACTION ITEMS. UM, SO I, I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GET CONSENSUS FROM THE COMMISSION, UM, 'CAUSE WE'RE JUST, WE END AT EIGHT 30, SO EVEN TO HAVE ANY OTHER FURTHER DISCUSSION, EVEN IF IT'S ONE MORE ITEM TO HAVE CONCESS CONSENSUS ON QUORUM.
UM, THE SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO, OR I'M GONNA DIVERT TO CHAIR.
DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE? YEAH, SO I, THIS MENTIONED WE CAN, UM, CONTINUE WITH ONE ITEM AND SET A TIME CAP IF FOLKS ARE, IF THERE'S ENOUGH MEMBERS TO HAVE FORUM FOR THAT TIME CAP.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE STAFF THAT ARE HERE LATE WITH THIS TOO, TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
UM, OR WE CAN MOVE TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AND THEN MOVE ON THE REST OF THE ITEMS TO THE NEXT, UM, REGULAR MEETING, UH, COMMISSION MEETING, WHICH WILL HAPPEN IN JUNE.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH CONTINUING ON WITH THE AGENDA? THAT MEANS STAYING A LITTLE LATE, INCLUDING STAFF? HOW LATE ARE WE PLANNING ON STAYING? UM, UH, ESTIMATE? THE, UH, MONTHLY REPORT, UM, TYPICALLY TAKES US LESS THAN 10 MINUTE.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE, UM, THE BUDGET CONVERSATION, WE CAN DEFINITELY MOVE TO THE RETREAT.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE THE, UM, AD HOC UPDATE, WHICH NORMALLY TAKES ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
SO I WOULD SAY TO LEAVE NO LATER THAN NINE.
UM, BUT THEN THERE'S A QUESTION FOR TONY.
THE PARKING LOT, UM, SHUTS DOWN A SPECIFIC TIME.
UM, SO, UH, I ALSO WANT TO ADD, YOU STILL HAVE A GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL, SO FACTOR IN TIME FOR THAT.
AND, UM, YOU DO HAVE, UM, PARKING VALIDATION IN THE BACK OF THE, THE CHAMBER.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION TO FOLKS IS THAT WE ADJOURN THE MEETING, UH, WE DO PUBLIC OPEN, PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN, UM, WE, UM, DO THE OFFICE OF EQUITY UPDATE.
AND THAT SHOULD TAKE US NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES TO, TO GET OUT.
UM, THAT WAY FOLKS UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT WE'RE WALKING INTO FOR THE RETREAT AS WELL.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT FRIENDLY TO THAT RECOMMENDATION AND JUST SUGGEST THAT WE ADJOURN THE MEETING AND OFFICE OF EQUITY CARRY OVER TO THE NEXT MEETING UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING PRESSING WITHIN YOUR PRESENTATION.
AS LONG AS WE DO HAVE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
CHAIR, WE'RE GOING TO CARRY ALL THREE ITEMS OVER AND WE ARE GOING TO MOVE TO, UH, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
WERE YOU CALLING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT OR WERE YOU STILL YES, DEC OKAY.
UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS AGAIN.
UM, I, OH, CAN YOU HOLD ON ONE MOMENT? OH, SORRY.
SO, SO WHAT, WHAT I WANNA DO IS I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UM, ACTIVATE ITEM FOUR AND I'M GONNA ASK THAT YOU ALL DO A, A MOTION AND A SECOND TO LAY ITEMS. UM, THIS IS GOING TO APPLY FOR ITEMS FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX TO LAY THEM OVER.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS TO LAY OVER ITEM
[4. 25-54876 Recommendation to discuss and possibly act on the EHRC FY25 Budget, including potential allocation and use of funds. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
FOUR AND IT'S GONNA ALSO APPLY TO ITEM FIVE AND SIX.UM, IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON LAYING OVER ITEMS FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX IN PERSON, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM NOW.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM IN ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE OR DIAL STAR NINE.
[02:30:01]
CALLED IN, THERE ARE NO PUBLIC COMMENT, VICE CHAIRMAN, GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR A VOTE.MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL FOR A VOTE CHAIR COVINGTON.
AT THIS TIME WE WILL TAKE NON AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT, I KNEW YOU WEREN'T READY FOR ME,
GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONER ALYSSA GUTIERREZ, SECOND DISTRICT RESIDENT.
UM, I AM, UH, WANTED TO COME TO YOUR MEETING TODAY TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, TO BRING
[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Equity and Human Relations Commission on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]
UP TWO ISSUES THAT I THINK YOU ALL SHOULD BE AWARE OF, UM, AS THEY ARE EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES.AND, UM, FORGIVE ME, I'M NOT SURE WHERE YOU ALL ARE AT WITH YOUR AD HOC, SO, UM, IF YOU'RE ALREADY WORKING ON ONE OF THESE ISSUES, UM, YOU KNOW, APOLOGIES, IT MIGHT BE REDUNDANT.
UM, BUT THE TWO ISSUES THAT I WANTED TO BRING UP, ONE, UM, REVISITING CHILDCARE AT PUBLIC MEETINGS.
I HAD BROUGHT THIS UP BEFORE AT A, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, AND SO I WANTED TO, UM, JUST BRING IT BACK ON YOUR RADAR.
UM, I KNOW YOU ALL ARE GONNA BE GOING INTO A, A RETREAT SOON AND DOING SOME PLANNING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE HAD A POLICY ON THE BOOKS, UM, THAT WAS PASSED IN LIKE 2018, I WANNA SAY MAYBE 2019.
UM, THAT WAS WORKED ON REALLY HARD BY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I WORKED ON THAT IN MY DAY JOB.
I WORKED FOR FIRST FIVE LA WE'RE AN EARLY CHILDHOOD ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION.
AND, UM, WITH THE BEST START, UM, INITIATIVE WE, UM, PASSED, UH, CITY COUNCIL PASSED A POLICY THAT, UM, WOULD REQUIRE CHILDCARE TO BE PROVIDED AT PUBLIC MEETINGS.
AND IT NEVER QUITE GOT IMPLEMENTED.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, THE PANDEMIC HAPPENED AND, AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING CHANGED.
AND SO I THINK THAT THIS POLICY MIGHT HAVE JUST GOTTEN FORGOTTEN ABOUT.
AND, UM, SO I WANTED TO BRING IT TO THE EQUITY COMMISSION TO, UM, SEE IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU ALL CAN LOOK BACK INTO, UM, AND FIND OUT JUST WHAT THE PROCESS WOULD BE LIKE.
I UNDERSTAND FOR A MEETING LIKE THIS, IT MIGHT, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT NOT BE REALISTIC TO HAVE CHILDCARE AVAILABLE, RIGHT? UM, FOR MAYBE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, RIGHT? AND THIS IS REALLY AN ACCESSIBILITY ISSUE, UM, AND REALLY A, A CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ISSUE, RIGHT? TO ALLOW, UM, EVERYBODY TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON OUR DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
UM, THE OTHER ISSUE THAT I WANTED TO BRING UP TO YOU ALL, UM, IS, UH, A, AN ACCESSIBILITY ISSUE AS WELL, IN MY OPINION AROUND, UM, ACCESSING PUBLIC MEETINGS IS OUR, OUR PARKING.
SO OUR PARKING STRUCTURE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL KNEW THIS, I JUST FOUND THIS OUT.
UM, THERE IS NO VALIDATION FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, FOR OUR PARKING LOT, UM, FOR OUTSIDE OF, UM, UH, THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
AND SO I'VE ATTENDED QUITE A FEW COMMISSION MEETINGS RECENTLY.
THIS, UH, JUST LAST WEEK, THE, UM, UH, POLICE COMPLAINT COMMISSION, THE NEW ONE.
UM, AND I HAD TO PAY $6 FOR PARKING, UM, FOR SOMEBODY LIKE ME, UH, IT'S NOT A HARDSHIP, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT THAT COULD BE A HARDSHIP.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY ISSUE FOR THIS COMMISSION TO LOOK INTO.
UM, MAKING SURE THAT JUST LIKE YOU ALL ARE GETTING VALIDATED PARKING TONIGHT THAT WE WOULD AS WELL.
UM, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND SO GOOD TO SEE ALL OF YOU.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE OR DIAL STAR NINE IF CALLING IN AND THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT IN ZOOM.
AT THIS TIME, COMMISSIONERS, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT ON ANNOUNCEMENTS? JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT.
UH, THIS WEEKEND IS THE
THERE IS THE PARADE FOLLOWED BY CULTURE FESTIVAL.
[02:35:01]
STARTS FROM MACARTHUR PARK AND ENDS AT L-B-C-C-B-C-H CAMPUS ON SUNDAY.[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER? HEY Y'ALL.IT FEELS GOOD TO
UM, I WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE YOUTH POWER OF PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING SYSTEM IS GONNA HAVE ITS FAIR ON APRIL 22ND.
THAT IS AT 4:00 PM TO 6:00 PM FOOD FUN ENTERTAINMENT.
AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS ALSO GONNA BE HONORING THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE ANCHORING OUR NEW CIVIC ENGAGEMENT SYSTEM.
WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE EVERYONE THERE AND IF FOLKS HAVE LITTLES, UH, FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET INTO THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS EARLY AND CELEBRATE THEIR, THEIR FORMING OF WHAT LONG BEACH COULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE Y'ALL.
AND I'M ALSO SORRY TO ANNOUNCE THIS IS MY LAST MEETING.
I DID NOT KNOW THAT THE ADVENT OF FINISHING MY PHD AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT COME WITH SPRING WOULD PULL ME IN SO DIFFERENT, SO MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
BUT I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT THE WORK THAT I'M DOING IS IN THE VEIN OF ALL OF THIS.
AND I'M GONNA BE CONTINUING TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE WORK THAT ALL OF Y'ALL ARE DOING.
AND THANK YOU FOR ACCEPTING ME HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY TOO.
UM, WE'RE ALL RESIDENTS AT THE END OF THE DAY AND MAKING THINGS BETTER FOR FOLKS.
AND I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE A AUTHENTIC FORM OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT THAT I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT TOO.
SO I'LL DEFINITELY BE PUTTING SOME WORD OUT, UH, TO HAVE SOMEONE FILL MY CHAIR.
WOW, WE GOT TWO COMMISSIONERS DOWN.
JOHN, ARE YOU BULLYING PEOPLE?
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? NOBODY ELSE, PLEASE.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, THEN I DECLARE, OH, COMMISSIONER COVINGTON, I'M SORRY YOU'RE NOT ON MY SCREEN ANYMORE.
UM, I JUST WANNA REMIND FOLKS THAT ON MAY 3RD IS OUR RETREAT.
IT'S HAPPENING, UH, FROM 9:00 AM TO 4:00 PM UM, YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A CALENDAR INVITE.
UM, WE DO HAVE AN AD HOC THAT IS WORKING ON THE SURVEY, UM, OF THE LISTENING SESSION.
SO WE'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LISTENING SESSION AFTER A RETREAT.
UM, BUT BETWEEN NOW AND THE ACTUAL RETREAT ITSELF, IF YOU HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS, IDEAS, LEADS, UM, IN THE SPECIFIC AREAS FOR, UM, OUR LISTENING SESSION, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, UM, PLEASE DIRECT ME TO TONY.
UM, AND AS WELL AS, UM, A REMINDER TO FILL OUT THE SURVEY THAT YOU ALL RECEIVE SO THAT WE CAN START IDENTIFYING THESE FOR TRAINING FOR OUR COMMISSION, UM, AND COME READY WITH IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OUR COMMISSION.
UM, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH, UH, WE'RE COMING UP ON THE END OF OUR TWO YEAR ROADMAP, UM, WE STILL HAVE MUCH WORK TO BE DONE.
UM, SO A COMPANY, UH, WITH SOME REALLY GREAT SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS FOR THE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER, UH, THAT PERTAINS TO OUR LISTEN SESSION AND ANY OTHER, UM, COMMISSION RELATED, UM, NEEDS.
UH, SO PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAILS, FILL OUT THE SURVEYS.
UM, I KNOW THAT CAPE COD SENT OUT AN INVITATION FOR US TO WALK WITH THEM, UH, IN THE CAMBODIAN FESTIVAL, SO CHECK THAT OUT AS WELL.
AND THEN, UM, HAVE A GREAT, UH, REST OF YOUR EVENING AND HAPPY SPRING.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR SHOWING ME A LITTLE GRACE THIS EVENING FOR ALL MY MISHAPS.
SO IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, THEN I DECLARE THE MEETING ADJOURNED.
MADAM CLERK, UH, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE TIME, THE TIME IS EIGHT 40? THANK YOU.
DON'T FORGET YOUR TIME SHEETS.
TIME SHEETS AND YOUR VALIDATION, VALIDATION.