[00:09:33]
ALL[00:09:34]
RIGHT.IT IS APRIL 15TH, TUESDAY, APRIL 15TH, AND IT IS TIME FOR THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
LET'S START WITH ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
[CALL TO ORDER]
COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS.[ROLL CALL]
KERR.[00:10:02]
COUNCILWOMAN THRASH AND TECH.LET'S START WITH THE MOMENT OF SILENCE AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
LED BY COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH INTU.
UH, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU TO JOIN ME IN RECITING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
FOR THOSE WHO ARE ABLE, PLEASE STAND RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART.I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
WELL, I WANNA FIRST, UH, START OFF BY THANKING, UH, OUR LORDSHIP, UM, FOURTH DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER SUPER NA FOR LEADING LAST WEEK'S COUNCIL MEETING WHILE I WAS TRAVELING ON CITY BUSINESS.
I HEARD NOTHING, BUT, UH, BUT GOOD THINGS.
AND I, I'M HOPING TO LIVE THAT TITLE DOWN IN TIME, SO, UH, OKAY.
I APPRECIATE NOT REPEATING IT TONIGHT.
ALRIGHT, SO TODAY WE HAVE THREE PRESENTATIONS AND AFTER THAT WE'LL GO THROUGH CONSENT AND GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN WE HAVE A PRETTY LIGHT REGULAR AGENDA.
SO THE THREE PRESENTATIONS WILL BEGIN FIRST WITH CAMBODIAN NEW YEAR.
AND SO I'M GONNA PASS IT TO COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW.
SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE JOINING TODAY TO
[ CAMBODIAN NEW YEAR]
CELEBRATE THE CAMBODIAN NEW YEAR, BUT AS WE ALSO LEARN FROM LONG BEACH AND CRAN, WHICH IS AN EVENT THAT CELEBRATE, UM, IS ALSO CELEBRATED BY PEOPLE FROM LAOS, THAILAND, MYANMAR, SRI LANKA, AND SOME PARTS OF INDIA.BUT SINCE IT IS ALSO CAMBODIAN HERITAGE MONTH IN APRIL, UH, WE ARE FOCUSING ON TODAY'S PRESENTATION ON CAMBODIAN NEW YEAR.
SO I'M, I'M, I AM HONORED AND PRIVILEGED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE TIME HONORED TRADITION AND THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NEW YEAR THAT CELEBRATED IN THE PAST THREE DAYS.
UH, FOR THREE DAYS FROM STARTED YESTERDAY, MONDAY, APRIL 14TH TO WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16TH.
WE CAMBODIANS DO NOT DO ANYTHING IN ONES.
THEY DO THINGS IN THREES OR FIVES, UM, IN CELEBRATION.
BUT, UH, LIKE MANY OTHER CULTURAL NEW YEAR CELEBRATION, IT SIGNIFIES A TIME OF RENEWAL AND REFLECTION, BUT ALSO OF GRATITUDE.
AND IT, DURING THE CAMBODIAN NEW YEAR, UM, IT'S A TIME IN WHERE COMMUNITY FAMILIES COME TOGETHER TO ENJOY RITUALS AND CUSTOM, AND IT'S ALSO WATER HOLDS A CENTRAL ROLE, SYMBOLIZING PURITY AND CLEANSING.
AND IT IS CUSTOMARY TO ALSO SPRINKLE WATER ON FAMILY MEMBERS AND ELDERS AS A TOKEN OF RESPECT AND BLESSINGS FOR THE FORTHCOMING YEAR.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS GO ALL OUT FOR THE NEW YEAR BECAUSE IT'S BEEN ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CELEBRATE AND UPLIFT AND SHOWCASE THE ARTS, CULTURE, SPORTS, UM, TRADITIONS AND CUSTOM, BECAUSE DUE TO THE GENOCIDE, IT WAS ALL ALMOST LOST FOREVER.
AND NEXT WEEK WE WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT APRIL 17TH, 2020, APRIL 17, AS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY WHEN THE GENOCIDE OCCURRED.
BUT TODAY, HERE IN LONG BEACH, WE HAVE FIERCELY FOUGHT AND PERSEVERED TO PRESERVE AND UPLIFT ARTS, MUSIC, SPORTS, CULTURAL TRADITION AND PRACTICES BECAUSE IT IS WHAT MAKES UP OUR IDENTITY EVERY COMMUNITY.
THAT IS WHAT IT MAKES UP OF A COMMUNITY.
AND THAT IS, WITHOUT IT, THERE IS NO IDENTITY.
AND SO TO PRESERVE AND CELEBRATE AND UPLIFT THE TRADITION, UM, IT WAS DONE THROUGH THE PAST LAST WEEKEND'S EVENT THROUGH LONG BEACH ANDRON, AS HOSTED BY THE CAMBODIAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER.
I HAVE INITIALLY HOSTED IT IN THE PAST, BUT THE CAMBODIAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER HAS NOW TAKEN IT ON FULLY AND ALSO THE CAMBODIA TOWN NEW YEAR PARADE AND CULTURAL FEST FESTIVAL HOSTED BY CAMBODIA TOWN.
SO THIS WAS AN HISTORIC COORDINATION OF TWO DIFFERENT EVENT IN THE SAME VENUE AND THE SAME WEEKEND AS YOU WILL HEAR FROM EACH GROUP WHO, UH, ORGANIZED IT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE ON THIS NEW YEAR NOTE, TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO EMBRACE THE SPIRIT OF THE NEW YEAR, UM, IN UNITY AND TO HONOR OUR HERITAGE AND FOSTER UNDERSTANDING AND WORK IN SOLIDARITY, UH, ONWARD.
SO WE'LL BEGIN THE PROGRAM FIRST WITH THE NEW YEAR BLESSING FROM OUR VENERABLE, UM,
[00:15:01]
MONKS, HONORABLE MAYORS AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, LADY AND GENTLEMAN, I'M VERY HONORED TO INVITE THE MOST MEMORABLE TO HAVE THE GREAT 2000 FIND AND 68 YEARS OLD PRAYER WE CALLED AWAKENING FOR PROTECTION AND THE VICTORY PRAYER PERFORMED BY THE MUSLIM SUN MONK.PURIFY YOUR MIND TO OBSERVE THIS VESSEL PRAYER IN PARTY LANGUAGE, SOME ABNORMAL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BLESSING ALL OF US AS WE ENTERED THE NEW YEAR AND FOR SOME OF US AGAIN.
UM, SO NEXT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT A VIDEO BE PLAYED BY, UH, VISIT LONG BEACH OR, UM, TALKING ABOUT THE LONG BEACH ANDRON.
I WANNA JUST THANK, UH, LONG BEACH VISITORS, UH, CONVENTION VISITORS BUREAU FOR THE FOR FOR THIS VIDEO.
SULI SORROW AND I AM SO EXCITED FOR APRIL A TIME TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN CULTURE AND TRADITIONS RIGHT HERE IN LONG BEACH.
WE'RE KICKING OFF THE WEEKEND WITH THE ANNUAL LONG BEACH ANDRON ON SATURDAY APRIL 5TH AT LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE.
SOMERAN IS NEW YEAR CELEBRATED BY PEOPLE FROM CAMBODIA, LAOS, THAILAND, MYANMAR, SRILANKA, AND SOME PART OF INDIA.
THIS YEAR, SOME CRIME WILL START AT 8:30 AM AND BRING TOGETHER BUDDHIST TRADITION, MUSIC, FOOD, AND PERFORMANCES.
IT IS FREE AND IT'S FAMILY FRIENDLY AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER FOR THIS SPECIAL CELEBRATION.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE INTERIM CHAIR OF THE CAMBODIAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER TO PLEASE COME UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE RECENT EVENT.
I GET A CLAP THAT'S EMBARRASSING.
SO, GOOD EVENING, HONOR BONE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS TWANA SAM LIMON.
I STAND BEFORE YOU AS THE INTERIM CHAIR OF THE CAMBODIAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER.
I AM ALSO PRIVILEGED TO SERVE AS THE BOARD OF DIRECTOR FOR THE AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC AND FOR THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY CAMBODIAN EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION.
TONIGHT, I AM VERY THRILLED WITH JOY AS I SHARE THE REMARKABLE SUCCESS OF THE THIRD ANNUAL LONG BEACH STRAN, WHICH WE PROUDLY HOSTED IN COLLABORATION WITH LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE, IT AND THE UNITED CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY.
AND THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN SOLI SORROW FOR KICKING IT OFF THE FIRST YEAR AND HOSTED THE SECOND YEAR.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND ALSO YOUR TEAM SYNCHRON.
AS, UM, THE VIDEOS SHARE, AS MANY OF YOU ALREADY KNOW, IT'S A VIBRANT NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATION OBSERVED NOT ONLY IN CAMBODIA, BUT IN LAOS, THAILAND, MYA MAS, SRI LANKA, AND SOME PART OF INDIA.
UM, THIS YEAR THE EVENT BROUGHT THOUSANDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, STRAN FESTIVAL, UNITE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES IN THE JOYFUL CELEBRATION, NOT JUST LONG BEACH, BUT ALSO LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
SO WE'RE HAPPY THAT WE'LL BE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO IT YEAR AFTER YEAR.
UM, I WISH TO EXTEND OUR HEARTFELT GRATITUDE TO THE ELECTED OFFICIAL THAT
[00:20:01]
ATTENDED THE EVENT.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
YOUR PRESENT MEAN SO MUCH TO US AS THE COMMUNITY.
YOUR SUPPORT IS INVALUABLE AND DEMONSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY AND SHARE VALUE THAT BIND US TOGETHER.
I ESPECIALLY LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE CACC INTERIM BOARD MEMBERS, RICHARD SON,
I'M HOPING THAT THEY'RE BEHIND ME.
AND, UM, OUR ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VULNERABLE, SKI ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE QURAN COMMITTEE LEADS IN VARIOUS PROGRAM THAT WE, UH, THAT ARE STANDING HERE TONIGHT WITH ME.
UM, OUR EVENT COORDINATOR, SANDY KIM, UM, HOPEFULLY SANDY MADE IT OVER HERE.
UM, LOOK AT J PENA, WRONG, BHU, S EE, MARY KAY SEON, RACOR TE ANO SUPER MOOC BAND, LANA AND SERENA AND
FOR CAMBODIAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER HOSTING QURAN FESTIVAL HAS BECOME A CULTURAL PRIDE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, NOT JUST AS I MENTIONED FOR LONG BEACH, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO SEE THAT THERE ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OUTSIDE OF LONG BEACH, LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE THAT CAME OUTTA STATE, INCLUDING SOME OF OUR PERFORMERS.
SO THIS YEAR IS, UM, PLEASANTLY SURPRISED THAT MANY OF OUR PERFORMER ACTUALLY FLEW IN TO PERFORM FOR STRAN.
UH, CACC IS COMMITTED TO PLANNING AND COORDINATING EVENTS THAT RESONATE WITH OUR MISSION OF CULTURAL CELEBRATION, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION.
WE ARE EXCITED TO CONTINUE THIS JOURNEY AND LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING OUR UPDATES ON THE WORK THAT WE DO AND MAKING POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO ON BEHALF OF THE CAMBODIAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND WARM WISHES FOR THE HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU HERE, INCLUDING THE AUDIENCE AND ATE AND
LET THIS YEAR FILL YOUR HEART WITH JOY, PEACE, AND HARMONY, AND GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE.
SO IF I COULD HAVE THE NEXT, UH, LBTV, UM, S-L-B-T-V TO PLAY THE NEXT VIDEO FOR THE CAMBODIA TOWN AND CULTURAL FESTIVAL BY, UH, VISIT LONG BEACH.
SOLI SORROW ON SUNDAY, APRIL 6TH.
WE'RE PROUD TO CELEBRATE THE 17TH ANNUAL CAMBODIA TOWN CULTURE FESTIVAL THIS YEAR.
OUR PARADE BEGINS IN THE MORNING AT HEIM AND ING AVENUE WITH THE INTEGRATED PROGRAM.
IT THEN FLOWS INTO THE CULTURE FESTIVAL AT LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE, WHERE YOU'LL EXPERIENCE A VIBRANT MIX OF FOOD, MUSIC, DANCE, AND TRADITIONAL PERFORMANCES THAT CELEBRATE THE CAMBODIAN IDENTITY AND UNITY.
CAN I ASK THE CHAIR WOMEN'S, UH, SATAN TO PLEASE COME FORWARD? GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND RESPECTED ELECTED OFFICIAL.
MY NAME IS SATAN, CHAIR OF CAMBODIA TOWN.
I AM HONORED TO SHARE THE JOY AND SUCCESS OF THE 17 ANNUAL CAMBODIA TOWN PARADE AND CULTURE FESTIVAL HELD ON SUNDAY APRIL 6TH.
THIS EXTRA ORDINARY DAY BROUGHT TOGETHER SEVERAL THOUSANDS FROM ACROSS OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING GUESTS FROM OUT OF STATE AND ABROAD, CAMBODIA, CANADA, AND EUROPE, TO CELEBRATE CAMBODIAN HERITAGE, CULTURE AND UNITY FROM VIBRANT FLOATS AND TRADITIONAL DANCES TO MY CUISINE AND CULTURAL EXHIBITS.
THE FESTIVAL SHOWCASE PRIDE, IDENTITY, AND COMMUNITY SPIRITS.
THIS YEAR, RECORD BREAKING TURNOUT.
HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANT OF SUCH EVENTS IN STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY BONDS AND PRESERVING THE RICH CULTURAL IDENTITY THAT DEFINE US.
WE ARE ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF COUNCILWOMAN DR.
SORO AND OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE CAMBODIAN
[00:25:01]
AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER.A SINCERE THANK YOU TO MAYO RICHARDSON FOR SENDING THE FIRST LADY AND HIS FAMILY COUNCIL MEMBERS, CINDY ALLENS, MEGAN CARE, DR.
RO, CITY PROSECUTOR DOUG BERT, CITY ATTORNEY DON MCINTOSH AND DEPUTY CHIEF T BUFFER.
YOUR PRESENT MEANS SO MUCH TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SPECIAL THANK TO OUR BOARD MEMBERS, UM, COUNCIL, ADVISORY MEMBER, UH, I'M HERE WITH ME TODAY.
I HAVE MY FIRST CHAIR, BIE, UH, CO-CHAIR RICHARD SAN AND MARI KHAN, EVEN COORDINATOR.
LINDA RICH, ASSISTANT COORDINATOR, MARI MARINETTE LISKA, AND ALL OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS, PARTNERS, SPONSOR, VOLUNTEERS, PERFORMERS, VENDORS AND GUESTS.
YOUR HARD WORK MAKE THIS DAY SHINE.
AND WE ARE EXCITED TO BUILD ON THAT MOMENTUM TO CELEBRATE OUR CULTURE AND UPLIFT OUR COMMUNITY.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS MOMENTUM, HONORING OUR CULTURE, UPLIFTING OUR COMMUNITY, AND BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR ALL.
SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU BOTH, ALL, BOTH GROUPS WITH YOUR VERY ACTIVE BOARD MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS FOR WORKING SO HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS A COLLABORATIVE FUN WEEKEND AND REALLY CONTRIBUTES TO THE CREATIVE ECONOMY IN LONG BEACH, BRINGING PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO COME TO LONG BEACH EVERY YEAR TO CELEBRATE TOGETHER.
SO IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL COME UP.
IT'S GONNA BE A BIG FAMILY GROUP PHOTO, BUT I'LL COME UP AND, UH, WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE MAYOR, UH, AS WE PRESENT THE PROCLAMATION, UM, AND TAKE A GROUP PHOTO.
[00:30:05]
WE'RE GONNA DO, UH, DENIM DAY PRESENTATION BY THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, SO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
[ DENIM DAY]
DENIM DAY TIME, TIME FOR DENIM DAY.ALRIGHT, READY? UH, DENIM DAY.
WHERE'S OUR CHIEF? OVER THERE.
ALRIGHT, OUR CHIEF ALONGSIDE OUR, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT TEAM.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR, AND GOOD EVENING.
I'M COMMANDER SCOTT JENSEN, ALONG WITH SERGEANT RICARDO SOLORIO AND SERGEANT JOHN JACOBS.
WE ARE PLEASED TO BE HERE TONIGHT ON BEHALF OF THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ACCEPT THIS PROCLAMATION AND CO-SPONSOR DENIM DAY LONG BEACH.
I'M ALSO JOINED UP HERE WITH POLICE CHIEF WALLY ISH AND COMMANDER NORMA KA.
THEY WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.
OUR DEPARTMENT IS WHOLEHEARTEDLY COMMITTED TO ENSURING PUBLIC SAFETY AND PREVENTING SEXUAL ASSAULT.
WE ARE GRATEFUL OUR WONDERFUL COMMUNITY PARTNER INTERVAL HOUSE AND OUR SCHOOL SITES AT WILSON AND JORDAN HIGH SCHOOLS FOR CONTINUING TO WORK CLOSELY WITH US ON DENIM DAY AND TO INCREASE AWARENESS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT WITHIN OUR LONG BEACH COMMUNITY.
WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO INTERVAL HOUSE.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE ARE ABSOLUTELY THRILLED THAT DENIM DAY LONG BEACH CONTINUES TO GROW EACH YEAR SPREADING AWARENESS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION CITYWIDE THE INCREASING INVOLVEMENT OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, FAITH, COMMUNITY BUSINESSES, AND LONG BEACH RESIDENTS HAS MADE DENIM DAY LONG BEACH SOMETHING WE ARE VERY PROUD OF.
WHEN WE STARTED DENIM DAY, LONG BEACH 21 YEARS AGO, THANKS TO THE INCREDIBLE LEADERSHIP OF OUR LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE NEVER DREAMED THAT WE WOULD BE SO WELCOMED BY OUR COMMUNITY AND ESPECIALLY OUR SCHOOLS TO EXPAND SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS AND CHANGE THE WAY THAT OUR COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO THIS VIOLENCE.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING DENIM DAY LONG BEACH SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CITY.
THIS YEAR, WE ARE PROUD TO ONCE AGAIN BE ON SITE FOR DENIM DAY AT WILSON HIGH SCHOOL AND JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL, WORKING WITH INSPIRATIONAL STUDENT LEADERS WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO BREAKING THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE.
IT IS MY HONOR TO NOW INTRODUCE VAL VALERIA AND V TWO FROM WILSON HIGH SCHOOL, AS WELL AS ALAN AND MELANIE FROM JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL.
HELLO, GOOD EVENING, CITY LEADERS.
I WAS THE FORMER FALL A SB UM, ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT AT WILSON HIGH SCHOOL.
I AM NOW THE SECRETARY AND, UH, LAST YEAR I HAD THE HONOR TO, UH, HOST AND LEAD THE DENIM DAY RALLY AT OUR SCHOOL AS WELL.
I'M THE SOPHOMORE CLASS PRESIDENT AT WILSON.
STUDENT LEADERS AT WILSON HIGH SCHOOL ARE SO PROUD TO CONTINUE DENIM DAY LONG BEACH ON OUR CAMPUS.
IT IS OUR DUTY TO EDUCATE THE YOUTH ON THE VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF RESPECTING ONE ANOTHER AND LISTENING AND SUPPORTING VICTIMS AS THEY BRAVELY CONTINUE TO SHARE THEIR STORIES.
VICTIMS ARE SEEN AND VICTIMS ARE HEARD ON APRIL 29TH.
WILSON WILL BE HONORED TO HOST YET ANOTHER RALLY WHERE WE PLAN TO TEACH THE STUDENTS THE ORIGIN OF DENIM DAY, UM, THE COLORS AND ITS SYMBOLISM, AS WELL AS AN INTERACTIVE BOOTH WHERE STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO COME UP, UM, COLLECT SOME GRAMS STICKERS AND PLEDGE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF DENIM DAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY REMAINS COMMITTED TO MOVING TOWARDS A DAY WHERE NO PERSON, YOUNG OR OLD MAN OR WOMAN IS THE VICTIM OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE ARE GLAD AND EXCITED TO SEE OUR CITY COUNCIL JOIN HANDS WITH US ON THIS NOBLE CAUSE AND ESPECIALLY COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN FOR PERSONALLY TAKING TIME OUT OF HER SCHEDULE TO COME TO WILSON.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYORS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS EILEEN AGUILAR AND I'M A, I'M PART OF THE FEMALE LEADERSHIP CA ACADEMY AT JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL.
AND I AM MELANIE GUZMAN REPRESENTING THE ASSOCIATE BODY AS SECRETARY OF FEMALE LEADERSHIP AT JORDAN.
THROUGH THE ASSOCIATED BODY AND FEMALE LEADERSHIP
[00:35:01]
ACADEMY ACADEMY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INTER RENTAL HOUSE AND LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE USED OUR COMPASSION AND CREATIVITY TO CREATE A CAMPAIGN THAT ENGAGES STUDENT IN A POWERFUL WAY FOR DENIM DAY IN THIS MONTH OF APRIL, WHICH IS SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH.COUNCIL MEMBER RICKY'S AUDI FOR BEING A PART OF WHAT WE ARE DOING THIS YEAR AT JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL.
WHILE WE ENGAGE OUR YOUTH, WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE ELSE IN LONG BEACH TO BRING OUT YOUR FAVORITE PAIR OF JEANS ON APRIL 30TH TO WEAR DENIM, BREAK THE DRESS CODE AS A SYMBOL AGAINST RAPE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND VIOLENCE TOWARDS WOMEN.
THANK YOU FOR CARING ABOUT OUR CITY'S YOUTH AND HELPING US TO STOP VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
ALRIGHT, WELL, I LOVE, UH, SEEING THAT THE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE, ARE HELPING LEAD THIS PRESENTATION J TOWN IN THE HOUSE.
WEREN'T YOU JUST IN MY OFFICE? YOU WERE JUST IN MY OFFICE.
YOU HAD A LOT OF GOOD QUESTIONS FOR ME.
UH, BUT THIS IS CERTAINLY A GOOD CAUSE YOU'RE HANGING IN GOOD COMPANY TO THE LEADERSHIP IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
CONTINUING THIS, UH, THIS THIS TRADITION AND INTERVAL HOUSE.
YOU UH, WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT YOU? YOU DO, YOU, YOU PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
NOW LET'S REMIND ALL OUR EMPLOYEES WHAT DAY SHOULD THEY WEAR THE JEANS? APRIL 30TH.
'CAUSE NOT EVERYBODY HAS JEANS TODAY.
APRIL 30TH IS DENIM DAY, BUT WE WANNA LIST LIFT THAT UP TODAY.
WEAR YOUR JEANS NO MEANS NO AND THERE IS NO EXCUSE.
I HAVE A DON'T WE HAVE A, WE I THINK WE HAVE A RIGHT.
I'LL COME DOWN AND TAKE A PHOTO QUICKLY.
AND ANYBODY'S WELCOME TO JOIN ME IF YOU'D LIKE.
UH, BUT WE'RE GONNA TAKE A QUICK PHOTO.
AND SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY.
NOPE, I THINK THEY'RE COMING DOWN.
IS THAT OKAY THERE? YEAH, LET'S JUST TAKE THE PICTURE.
WE JUST, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
UH, NEXT PRESENTATION IS ANIMAL CARE SERVICES MONTHLY PET ADOPTIONS.
[ ACS PET ADOPTION]
SORRY, MAYOR, AS THEY COME UP HERE, IF WE COULD, UM, JUST SAY A COUPLE WORDS BEFORE THE YOUTH GO OUT OF THE ROOM, PLEASE.I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT INTERVAL HOUSE AND OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM JORDAN AND WILSON HIGH.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PARTNERSHIP THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.
UM, IN BRINGING AWARENESS AND ADVOCACY FOR DENIM DAY.
IT IS TRULY A COURAGEOUS OF OUR YOUTH, ESPECIALLY THAT THEY ARE THE VOICES OF SUCH AN IMPORTANT, UH, SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC AND THAT THEY BRING AWARENESS, UH, TO DENIM DAY AND WHY WE CELEBRATE DENIM DAY.
AND LIKE ONE OF OUR YOUTH SAID, NO MATTER IF YOU'RE A FEMALE OR MAYOR, UM, MAY MALE, SORRY, MAYOR, UH, UH, FEMALE OR A MAY MALE, THAT THE MESSAGES THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY FALLS A VICTIM TO, UM,
[00:40:01]
TO ANY ASSAULT.SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE.
THANK YOU FOR THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT YOU DO.
AND YES, UM, EVEN THOUGH TODAY'S NOT, NOT DENIM DAY, I DID WEAR MY DENIM, UH, ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH INTO, UM, TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE TODAY.
AND WE'LL BE WEARING THEM ON APRIL 30TH AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR LETTING ME TO SAY THOSE COUPLE WORDS.
UM, VICE MAYOR, UH, I AGREE WITH INDEED, BUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SAY, BUT I HAVE ONE REQUEST.
CHIEF, CAN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WORK THAT ON THAT DAY? UHOH, I PROBABLY OUT ON YOU UNIFORM.
HEY, ALL I CAN DO IS ASK ON THE 30TH, HE SAID, ONLY ON THE 30TH.
ALL I I CAN DO IS ASK ALL WE HAVE ACTUALLY, IN TERMS OF UNIFORMS, THEY'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO HAVE BEARDS IN LONG BEACH, WHICH IS ACTUALLY NOT STAND IN OTHER PLACES, WHICH IS HELPS US WITH RECRUITMENT, IN FACT, PRETTY PROGRESSIVE.
ALL RIGHT, WELL NOW, UH, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT.
NEXT WE HAVE OUR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES PET ADOPTION.
AND I THINK WE HAVE IS THAT BRUNO? IT IS.
TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT BRUNO
YOU DIDN'T GET THAT REFERENCE.
HELLO, ESTEEMED COUN, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND HONORABLE MAYOR.
I'M THE SUPERINTENDENT OF LONG BEACH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, AND I'M ACCOMPANIED TODAY BY MATT INES, OUR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR AND OUR SHELTER PET OF THE MONTH.
UH, HE'S OUR WONDERFUL COMPANION, LOOKING FOR A FOREVER HOME.
HE IS SIX YEARS OLD, A NEUTERED MALE.
HE'S EASYGOING GUY WHO LOVES TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS.
UH, HE'S GOT A PLAYFUL SPIRIT AND ALSO WALKS REALLY, REALLY WELL ON A LEASH.
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS LOOKING FOR A LOYAL COMPANION, BRUNO COULD BE THE PERFECT MATCH.
COME VISIT BRUNO AT BECKS LONG BEACH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.
WE'RE OPEN FROM WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY, STARTING AT 10:00 AM IT'S WONDERFUL PICTURE OF OUR OUR LITTLE FRIEND BRUNO.
AND IF YOU'RE READY TO ADOPT YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND, NOW IS THE TIME OUR SPRING ADOPTION SPECIAL.
WE ARE CALLING BLOOMING BUDDIES.
IT'S HAPPENING NOW THROUGH MAY 4TH.
YOU CAN ADOPT ANY OF OUR LONG STAY DOG MEANS ANY DOG THAT'S BEEN WITH US FOR 30 DAYS OR MORE FOR JUST $20, INCLUDING MEADOW.
THAT'S THE DOG ON OUR POSTER THERE.
UH, MEADOW IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
WE'RE LOCATED AT 7,700 EAST SPRING STREET IN LONG BEACH, AND ARE OPEN FROM 10:00 AM TO 5:00 PM WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, AND 10:00 AM TO 3:30 PM SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
LONG BEACH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES OR LBAS AND COMMUNITY ANIMAL MEDICINE PROJECT CAMP ARE TEAMING UP AGAIN THIS YEAR TO BRING YOU A LOW COST VACCINE CLINIC BECAUSE EVERY SHELTER PET, EXCUSE ME, EVERY PET DESERVES TO BE HAPPY AND HEALTHY.
THIS CLINIC IS AN ONGOING EVENT AND HAS UP UPCOMING DATES OF APRIL 21ST, 25TH, 28TH, AND, EXCUSE ME, AND THE 28TH.
EACH CLINIC IS OPEN TO THE FIRST 60 PETS AND NO APPOINTMENT IS NECESSARY TO VIEW DETAILS.
AND FOR MORE INFORMATION, UH, VISIT OUR WEBSITE@LONGBEACH.GOV SLASH ACS CALIFORNIA.
AND LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL LAW REQUIRES THAT ALL CATS AND DOGS OVER THE AGE OF FOUR MONTHS BE LICENSED AS A RABIES CONTROL MEASURE.
IF YOUR PET ISN'T LICENSED YET, GETTING A LICENSE IS SIMPLE.
YOU CAN APPLY EITHER ONLINE OR IN PERSON AT LONG BEACH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, AND ALL YOU NEED IS PROOF OF RABIES VACCINE AND A SPAY NEUTER CERTIFICATE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PET LICENSING OR TO START THE PROCESS, VISIT OUR WEBSITE@LONGBEACH.GOV SLASH ACS.
AND LASTLY, HERE'S OUR INFORMATION FOR OUR SHELTER.
UM, IF YOU WANNA COME ADOPT, FOSTER, VOLUNTEER, OR EVEN DONATE, OUR SHELTER IS OPEN WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, STARTING AT 10:00 AM AND YOU CAN FIND ALL OF TODAY'S INFORMATION AND MORE RESOURCES AT OUR WEBSITE, LONG BEACH.GOV/ACS.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, LET'S HEAR IT FOR OUR INCREDIBLE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES TEAM.
AND BRUNO, I, I'LL TELL YOU, YOU SAID THAT BRUNO IS VERY GOOD WITH A LEASH.
YES, HE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB.
WENT DOWN, HE GREETED EVERY SINGLE PERSON.
HE SPENT A LITTLE EXTRA TIME WITH A FEW PEOPLE.
HE SAID, TAKE ME HOME WITH YOU,
UH, BUT, UH, BUT I'LL TELL YOU, UH, BRUNO'S A GOOD DOG.
AND SINCE WE'VE DONE THIS ANIMAL CARE SERVICES ADOPTION, ALL THE, ALL THE PETS THAT HAVE COME IN HAVE BEEN ADOPTED OUT BY A LONG BEACH FAMILY.
AND SO, UM, BRUNO CAN BE THE NEXT, THE FINEST FOREVER HOME WITH, WITH SOMEONE OUT THERE.
SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU VISIT, UH, LONG BEACH.GOV/ACS,
[00:45:01]
UH, AND CHECK OUT BRUNO AND MANY OF HIS, HIS BUDDIES.I TOOK THE GIRLS WANTED TO GO SEE THE PETS, AND I HEARD YOU GUYS SPOTTED ME OVER THERE,
SO, UH, AND I STARTED GETTING CALLS.
THE MAYORS AT AN, YEAH, WELL WE WENT TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE PETS.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT, WE MIGHT, WE GOT A LITTLE ONE.
THANK YOU SCOTT, WHO'S INTERESTED.
LET'S HEAR FOR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.
THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATIONS.
WE'LL NOW TAKE UP, UH, CONSENT CALENDAR.
IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
THERE'S ANY CON ANY, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
[CONSENT CALENDAR (1. – 14.)]
YOUR VOTE.NOW WE'LL GO TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT ONE.
I SEE THERE ARE SIX PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
PLEASE COME FORWARD WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT: OBTAIN SPEAKER CARD FROM THE CITY CLERK Opportunity to address the City Council (on non-agenda items) is given to the first 10 persons who submit Speaker Cards to the City Clerk beginning at 15 minutes prior to the commencement of the meeting. Each speaker is allowed three minutes to make their comments. ]
MARIA LOPEZ, NIKKI MIE, ASHLEY BRADY, JEN COHEN, AND CHRISELLE DUMBROWSKI MAYA IS UP FIRST.UM, YOU JOKE ABOUT BEING LORDS AND KINGS IN OUR FACES.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T FIND THAT FUNNY WHEN I KNOW THAT MY NEIGHBORS DON'T HAVE FOOD TO EAT OR A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD BECAUSE OF YOU.
RIGHT? THE PEOPLE, OR MAYBE Y'ALL PREFER THE TERM PEASANTS ARE SUFFERING.
FOLKS HAVE COME AND TALKED TO YOU FOR WEEKS ABOUT HOW CONTRACTING WITH SPACEX GOES AGAINST LONG BEACH AS STATED VALUES AND NOTHING CHANGES.
CONVENTION CENTER WORKERS TELL YOU THEY'RE NOT BEING PAID FAIRLY AND MONTHS LATER THEY'RE STILL SUFFERING.
YOU MUST ADDRESS THOSE DEMANDS TODAY.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT HOW IN APRIL, 2017, VICE MAYOR ORANGA, AS WELL AS MAYOR RICHARDSON, REQUESTED THAT A RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH RENTER'S DAY BE ADDED TO THE COUNCIL AGENDA EIGHT YEARS LATER IN RENTER'S DAY ISN'T EVEN WORTH MENTIONING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S TOMORROW.
MAYOR RICHARDSON, HOW MUCH MONEY DOES THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION GIVE YOU TO IGNORE AND BLOCK OUR DEMANDS? TENANTS SPEND MONTHS AND YEARS TALKING TO YOU ALL ABOUT UNJUST, SUBSTANTIAL REMODELS.
AND WHEN WE MEET WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, VARIOUS STAFF MEMBERS, THEY HAVE ZERO KNOWLEDGE OF SUB REMODEL OR THE IMPACTS ON RESIDENTS.
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT GOVERNMENT STAFF ARE SO UNINFORMED AND UNMOTIVATED AFTER HOURS AND HOURS OF RESIDENT LED EDUCATION? WE ARE NOT PAID TO SIT HERE AND EDUCATE YOU.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO START THE CONVERSATION FROM SCRATCH WITH YOUR STAFF WHEN YOU ALL SHOULD ALREADY BE LOOKING URGENTLY INTO YOUR RESIDENTS LOSING THEIR HOMES TODAY? I'M ACTUALLY GONNA BE NICE, AND I'M NOT GONNA NAME SPECIFIC NAMES, BUT I'D LIKE TO RECAP SOME OF THE THINGS YOUR STAFF MEMBERS HAVE SAID ABOUT REMOVING SUB REMODEL EVICTION LOOPHOLES WHEN TENANTS MET WITH THEM.
I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT SUB REMODEL.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE COUNCIL PERSON STANDS ON THIS.
WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THIS ISN'T AN EMERGENCY.
YOU HEAR THAT LONG BEACH HOUSING IS THE FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCK OF LIFE.
BUT IF YOU LOSE YOUR HOUSING, YOUR REPS WILL TELL YOU IT'S NOT AN EMERGENCY.
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE POLITICS.
EX COUNCIL MEMBER IS THE HOUSING ONE.
YOU SHOULD ASK THEM TO DO IT, NOT US SILENCE.
'CAUSE THE STAFF MEMBER WAS TEXTING WHILE TENANTS WERE SHARING THEIR HEARTBREAKING STORIES OF DISPLACEMENT.
AND MY FAVORITE WHY COUNCIL MEMBER DOESN'T WANNA ADVOCATE FOR TENANTS BECAUSE THEY'LL FACE HEAT FROM THEIR FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEIR PERSONAL BUSINESS INTERESTS.
IF THEY DO, IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW LONG BEACH HATE'S TENANTS SO MUCH THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL APPLY HEAT TO STOP EACH OTHER FROM KEEPING US IN OUR HOMES.
THE RENTERS DAY IS TOMORROW AND THEY COULDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO INCLUDE A CEREMONIAL.
AND THEY'LL INCLUDE IN THEIR SYMBOLIC RESOLUTIONS THAT THEY WANNA HONOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS RENTERS MAKE TO THE CITY AND DO NOTHING IN RETURN.
COMING TO COUNCIL AND TALKING TO YOUR STAFF IS HONESTLY DEHUMANIZING.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE MONEY FOR A LEGAL BRIBE OR A NONPROFIT LABEL TO GIVE YOU CREDIBILITY, IT'S CLEAR THAT YOUR VOICE AS A HUMAN IN THE CITY JUST DOESN'T MATTER.
I WOULD LOVE TO BE WRONG AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS COUNCIL DO SOMETHING TO KEEP PEOPLE HOUSED THIS RENTER'S DAY.
BUT WHAT I LEARNED FROM Y'ALL STUFF IS THAT APPLYING HEAT IS WHAT GETS THE JOB DONE.
SO NOW WE HAVE OUR ROADMAP AND, YOU KNOW, SUMMER'S COMING, SO I JUST HOPE Y'ALL ARE READY FOR HELL.
NOT SO HAPPY AS A TENANT WHO WILL BE LOSING, UM, UH, THEY'RE HOME SOON.
[00:50:01]
MORE.MY COURT DATE IS APRIL 21ST AT 1:45 PM AT THE LONG BEACH COURTHOUSE.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME AND CHECK IT OUT, UM, AND SEE HOW IT TURNS OUT FOR ME.
UH, MARIA WITH THE AUTONOMOUS TENANT ORGANIZER WITH THE LONG BEACH TENANTS UNION, TOMORROW IS CITYWIDE RENTERS DAY.
AND TODAY YOU WILL SIT IN YOUR SEATS AND USE ELABORATE AMOUNT OF EXCUSES AS TO WHY YOU COULDN'T TAKE A STEP FORWARD ON TENANT PROTECTION.
WHATEVER ALLOWS YOU TO FEEL COMFORTABLE OR AT PEACE WITH YOURSELF.
YET WE SAID LAST WEEK THAT INACTION IS NOT AN OPTION FOR COMMUNITIES.
WE NEED COUNCIL TO TAKE A STEP FORWARD AND TO REALLY SPEAK OUT ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES OF OUR MAJORITY TENANT POPULATION IN THE CITY.
AND WE HOPE YOU DO IT THROUGH YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA.
AT BARE MINIMUM, THE BAR IS REALLY LOW FOR YOU.
WE HAVE OFFERED YOU MANY ATTEMPTS TO STEP UP AND ALL WE HEAR IS THAT IT'S ON OUR RADAR THAT DOES NOTHING FOR US.
WE WORK WITH YOUR STAFF AND THEY'RE QUICKLY TO MAKE TENANTS FEEL LESS THAN RAISING THEIR VOICE AT US, MAKING THEIR NARROW VIEWS BE KNOWN BY STATING THIS WON'T HAPPEN.
USING THEIR PHONE ON WHILE THEY'RE ON A MEETING WITH US FOR 30 MINUTES.
AND EVEN UNDERMINED STATEMENTS YOU ALL MADE TO US DIRECTLY STATING, I THINK THE COUNCIL MEMBER OVERP SPOKE IN SAYING THAT ALL THIS IS HIGHLY UNPROFESSIONAL AND GIVES US AN INSIDE OF THE WORK ENVIRONMENT IN YOUR OFFICES.
BUT I WANT TO UPLIFT RENTERS ON THE LITTLE TIME YOU HAVE GIVEN ME BEFORE RENTER'S DAY AND SAY A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE BRING TO THE CITY THAT ARE UNMATCHED.
OUR HARD WORK BRINGS THOUSANDS OF TENANT OF TAX DOLLARS TO THE CITY.
OUR STABLE INCOME HELPS HOUSE AND KEEP LANDLORDS OFF THE STREETS.
OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS REDUCE TO TURNOVER COSTS.
TENANTS ARE INVESTED IN LONG-TERM LEASES, ARE MORE LIKELY TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF THEIR PROPERTY, REDUCING NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR TENANTS CREATE A STRONG CITY FABRIC AND SENSE OF SAFETY.
TENANTS TAKE CARE OF OUR FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS ALMOST A YEAR AFTER MAY 14TH WHEN YOU LAST TOOK A STEP IN JUST CAUSE WE'RE CALLING FOR PERMANENT AND FORCIBLE PROTECTIONS JUST CAUSE EVICTION LAWS GUARANTEED RIGHT TO COUNSEL.
RENT STABILIZATION, A FULLY FUNDED EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
THESE ARE PROVEN, EFFECTIVE AND URGENT.
YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO PREVENT THIS.
AND EVERY DAY WITHOUT ACTION, PEOPLE ARE BEING PUSHED OUT INTO A CRISIS.
HOUSING IS NOT A PRIVILEGE, IT'S A FOUNDATION.
AND PROTECTING IT IS YOUR JOB.
THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL DEBATE.
IT'S A MORAL AND A MORAL AND FISCAL EMERGENCY AND A STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN OUR CITY'S FUTURE.
OUR NEXT ORGANIZING GROUND WILL BE YOUR HOMES.
ALL RIGHT? OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NIKKI MBI.
UM, I'VE MET A FEW OF YOU, BUT IF I HAVEN'T, UM, MY NAME IS NIKKI MAJIDI AND I'M THE STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT AT LONG BEACH STATE.
AND WITH ME, I HAVE MY CHIEF LEGISLATIVE OFFICER, NICHOLAS NIETO.
AND TOGETHER, OVER THIS PAST YEAR, WE HAVE CONDUCTED OVER 20 LEGISLATIVE VISITS WITH PUBLIC OFFICIALS FROM A CITY, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVEL THAT REPRESENT OUR STUDENT BODY.
ONE OF THEM BEING YOU MAYOR REX RICHARDSON.
UH, AND IN OUR MEETING A FEW MONTHS AGO, I HAD DISCUSSED THAT MY BIGGEST PROJECT AS PRESIDENT, WHICH IS THE FIRST LEGISLATIVE POLICY AGENDA AT LONG BEACH STATE.
AND ALSO THE FIRST LEGISLATIVE POLICY AGENDA IN THE ENTIRE CSU SYSTEM.
UH, WE SPENT ABOUT A THIRD OF THE YEAR GATHERING OUR DATA TO FIND STUDENTS' LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES ON A CAMPUS CITYWIDE, STATEWIDE AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, GIVEN TO YOU, I HAVE PREPARED A FOLDER WITH THE AGENDA AND MY PERSONAL CARD AND A LITTLE GIFT BEHIND THE AGENDA IF YOU SAW IT.
UM, AND IF THERE'S ANY DATA THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO, FOR US TO TRY TO FIND, UM, THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP THAT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE, UM, FOR THE FUTURE.
AND, UM, IF YOU DID DO SEE THAT, WE FOUND THAT THE TOP THREE PRIORITIES WERE ONE, UH, COLLABORATING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES TO OFFER INTERNSHIPS AND JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES.
UH, TWO, IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSIT SAFETY AND COMFORT THROUGH MEASURES LIKE INCREASED SECURITY AND BETTER LIGHTING AT BUS STOPS, INCLUDING KEY LOCATIONS LIKE SEVENTH STREET AND ANAHEIM STREET.
AND LASTLY, EXPANDING CHILDCARE SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO HELP LOW INCOME FAMILIES ACCESS AFFORDABLE, UM, CHILDCARE.
AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE PACKET WE KIND OF DEMONSTRATED OUR METHODOLOGY AND HOW WE WERE ABLE TO FIND THESE TOP THREE PRIORITIES.
[00:55:01]
UM, THE LEGISLATIVE POLICY AGENDA IS A TEST TESTAMENT TO OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR STUDENTS AND THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENT BODY.ADVOCATING FOR LEGISLATION, AS WE'VE SEEN WITH OUR 20 LEGISLATIVE VISITS, IS CRUCIAL NOW MORE THAN EVER.
UM, IT IS OFTEN UNSEEN THAT CRITICAL ISSUES LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, FOOD INSECURITY, EQUITABLE ACCESS, OFTEN FALL INTO STUDENTS AS THEY WORK TO OBTAIN THEIR DEGREES.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
AND I'M HOPING THAT THE LEGISLATIVE POLICY AGENDA CAN AID IN YOUR DECISION MAKING AND LEGISLATION UPLIFTING THE VOICES OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY LONG BEACH.
ALRIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU NIKKI.
AND I GOT YOUR, UH, YOUR GIFT BEHIND THE LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE.
UH, PAY ATTENTION TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COURSE, SHARE THAT WITH YOUR, YOUR PEERS.
SENIORS GRADUATING SENIORS AND RECENT GRADUATES ARE ELIGIBLE, UH, FOR THIS PROGRAM.
I ACTUALLY, I CHECK ROUTINELY FOR IT.
THIS SHOULD BE THE NEXT COHORT.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS ASHLEY BRADY.
OH, BUT THIS, OH, I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE.
UM, HI MAYOR REX, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, I AM ACTUALLY NOT JUST HERE FOR SPACEX TODAY, SO TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S A RUMOR GOING AROUND THAT SPACEX IS A POTENTIAL SPONSOR FOR LONG BEACH PRIDE.
SO I'VE ALREADY SQUASHED THAT RUMOR WITH THE BOARD, BUT THEY, I'VE ALSO LEARNED THAT, UM, THAT LONG BEACH, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS ACTUALLY HANDLING THE PRIDE PARADE.
SO WE REALLY WANT THAT RUMOR SQUASHED.
IS SPACEX A SPONSOR OF LONG BEACH PRIDE OR NOT? OR IS THAT IN THE WORKS? UM, SO I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE KNOWN.
UM, THE SECOND THING IS, SO I'M FULLY AWARE THAT AS YOUR ROLE AS MAYOR CITY COUNCIL, YOU CAN'T CUT A CONTRACT WITH SPACEX.
UM, BUT SAYING THAT IT'S COMPLETELY OFF YOUR HANDS IS NOT COMPLETELY HONEST BECAUSE YOU DID PICK ALL FIVE OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
YOU DO HAVE INFLUENCE AS MAYOR AND YOUR POSITION DOES HAVE WEIGHT.
SO, AND FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, YESTERDAY'S MEETING, THEY KIND OF CHUCKLED AT THE FACT THAT WE WERE TOLD TO GO TO THE HARBOR COMMISSION TO PUT SPACEX ON A CONTRACT ON THE AGENDA.
SO I FEEL LIKE AT THIS POINT, WHERE DO WE GO? WHO DO WE TALK TO? PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
THAT HARBOR COMMISSION HAD, YOU KNOW, THEY SAID YES ON THE LEASE, BUT LIKE, THIS IS A CRAZY COMPANY TO BE WORKING WITH IN LONG BEACH.
AREN'T WE THE THE SANCTUARY CITY NOW FOR THE QUEER COMMUNITY? I AM MS. LONG BEACH PRIDE.
I AM A QUEER WOMAN IN THIS, IN THIS CITY.
I HAVE LIVED HERE FOR MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE.
HAVING SPACEX HERE FEELS UNSAFE.
I CAN'T BELIEVE WE EVEN LIKE THOUGHT OF THIS SPACE SPEECH.
I WANT THIS ON THE AGENDA AND I WANT IT REMOVED.
BUT LET'S ALL FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET IT DONE TOGETHER.
I WILL KEEP COMING BACK UNTIL WE DO.
I WANNA UPLIFT THE LONG BEACH TENANTS UNION HARD WORK AND ASK THAT LONG BEACH REMOVES A SUBSTANTIAL RENOVATION LOOPHOLE FROM THE JUST CAUSE ORDINANCE.
IF MARIA DIDN'T MOVE YOU TO MOVE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL WILL THAT MADE ME CRY.
I CRY A LOT, BUT THAT WAS VERY MOVING.
SO PLEASE, I IMPLORE YOU DO SOMETHING.
WHY ARE WE WORKING AGAINST THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE LONG BEACH BEAUTIFUL AND DIVERSE? THE MIDDLE CLASS, THE BEAUTIFUL WORKING CLASS US.
LIKE, WHY ARE WE WORKING AGAINST US? WHY ARE WE DOING THE ABSOLUTE MOST FOR BILLIONAIRES LIKE SPACEX AND MONTHS RENT REDUCTIONS FOR THEM? I'M GONNA HAVE TO LOOK MORE INTO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I HEARD AND I AM SO P****D.
I AM ALSO THE OTHER CO-FOUNDER OF THE FEMINIST UPRISING.
UM, AND I'M HERE AGAIN TONIGHT TO ALSO DISCUSS MY CONCERNS REGARDING SPACEX.
UM, SO AS ASHLEY MENTIONED, WE DID ATTEND THE HARBOR COMMISSION MEETING YESTERDAY, UM, AS WAS RECOMMENDED.
AND THEY WERE KIND, BUT THEY EFFECTIVELY TOLD US A COOKIE CUTTER, YOU KNOW, ANSWER ABOUT THE RENT BEING, UH, THE LEASE BEING APPROVED THROUGH 2028.
SO I AM VERY CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO FROM HERE? WHAT IS THE EXPECTATION OR HOW EXACTLY ARE WE SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION IF IT'S NOT BEING ALLOWED TO BE, UM, PUT ON THE MAIN AGENDA SO THAT WE CAN, AS A COMMUNITY HAVE A CONVERSATION? BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT OUR COMMUNITY, OUR MEMBERS
[01:00:01]
COME TO US AND TALK ABOUT.THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND IT'S NOT GONNA QUIET DOWN.
IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW.
UM, SO I ALSO AM HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE I TOO WANNA UPLIFT THE LONG BEACH TENANTS UNION AND TENANTS ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOST IMPACTED BY POLLUTION AND DISPLACEMENT FROM COMPANIES LIKE SPACEX ARE POOR WORKING CLASS RENTERS THAT ARE OFTEN BLACK, BROWN, INDIGENOUS, DISABLED, QUEER.
AND I ECHO THE DEMAND TO REMOVE THE SUBSTANTIAL RENOVATION LOOPHOLE FROM THE JUST CAUSE ORDINANCE.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE CITY IS GIVING A BILLIONAIRE LIKE ELON MUSK A SUBSTANTIAL, SUBSTANTIAL RENT RELIEF IF THAT IS NOT ALSO GOING TO BE TRUE OF THE CITIZENS WHO LIVE AND WORK IN THIS CITY WHO ARE PAYING RENT, WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ECONOMY.
UM, LET'S ALSO TALK ABOUT HOW ENVIRONMENTALLY THIS PROJECT IS A DISASTER.
WE KNOW SPACEX HAS A DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF EXPLOSIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL INVITING OR IN ADDING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS.
LONG BEACH ALREADY HAS A HUGE ISSUE WITH ASTHMA.
ONE OF THE LARGER PERCENTAGES OF, UM, YOU KNOW, ASTHMA SUFFERS IS HERE IN LONG BEACH.
UM, AND SO I, I GUESS MY CONCERN IS WHY ARE WE ALLOWING FURTHER POLLUTION? UM, AND THEN MORALLY, HOW IS, HOW IS, HOW ARE WE ALL OKAY BEING TIED TO A FASCIST WANNABE NAZI BILLIONAIRE? I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT IS ACCEPTABLE FOR ANYTHING IN THIS CITY.
THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT POLITICS, IT'S ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH.
IT'S ABOUT TENANT PROTECTIONS.
IT'S ABOUT THE SOUL OF THIS CITY.
AND I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE A GOOD IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WE ARE GENUINELY OKAY WITH AND WHAT WE TRULY SUPPORT HERE.
AND LASTLY IS CHRISTEL AND BROSKI.
HONORABLE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT 'CAUSE THEY'RE FINALLY DOING SOMETHING AFTER FIVE YEARS BECAUSE I'M A VICTIM OF ELDER FINANCIAL ABUSE.
UH, WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO GO? I JUST ATE AT COA AND UH, I'VE LOOKED INTO SENIOR HOUSING, ET CETERA.
ALSO, ELON IS NOT A WANNABE FASCIST.
HE GETS A DISCOUNT AND WE ARE DENSELY POPULATED.
SO YOU'RE ENTICING HIM TO TO, TO MOVE HERE.
BECAUSE WHEN THAT STUFF BLOWS UP, PEOPLE GONNA DIE.
AND WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO GO? ELDERLY, DISABLED WOMEN.
WHERE THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE? I'VE LOOKED INTO SENIOR HOUSING COSTS ABOUT 700 MORE THAN I MAKE A MONTH.
YOU SAY YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
YOU WON'T DO ANYTHING BUT YOU SUPPORT A FASCIST DEPORT.
ALL RIGHT, WELL THAT SAT, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO THE REGULAR AGENDA.
COMMUNICATION FROM VICE MAYOR URANGA.
RECOMMENDATION TO REQUEST CITY MANAGER TO COORDINATE WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS TO PROVIDE COMMEMORATIVE AND DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE AND EXECUTE A STREET NAME CHANGE ON WEST 28TH STREET FROM PACIFIC AVENUE TO PINE AVENUE.
AND ON EAST 28TH STREET FROM PINE AVENUE TO THE DEAD END AT THE METRO BLUE LINE TO JACKIE ROBINSON.
WAY, AN AUTHORIZED CITY MANAGER TO DIRECT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR TO CHANGE MAPS AND STREET SIGNS AS NECESSARY AND TRANSMIT INFORMATION TO ALL RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS.
DISTRICT SEVEN COUNCIL, UH, VICE MAYOR URANGA.
EXCUSE ME FOR, UH, I'M CLOTHING MYSELF, BUT TODAY IS JACKIE ROBINSON DAY THROUGHOUT THE MAJOR LEAGUES, EVERY PLAYER IN EVERY CITY IS WEARING NUMBER 42 AS YOU WENT UP ALREADY.
[01:05:01]
WHY IS THAT ONE REASON JOHNNY ROBINSON ON THIS DAY, 78 YEARS AGO, IN 1947, MADE HIS DEBUT AS A ROOKIE WITH THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS, AND THEN THEY SANG.THE REST IS HISTORY BECAME ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, HOW THE DODGERS WIN THE WORLD SERIES AND BECAME A HALL OF FAMER.
JACKIE ROBINSON WAS BORN ON JANUARY 1ST, 1919 IN CARROLL, GEORGIA.
AND WE ALL KNOW THE HISTORY OF HIM COMING TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, PASADENA, ATTEND UCLA AND
WE ALSO KNOW THAT WHEN HE BECAME A ROOKIE WITH THE DODGERS, HE DID ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING.
HE BROKE THE RACE BARRIER, HE DESEGREGATED BASEBALL, WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS MOSTLY ALL WHITE.
SO HIS PRESENCE THERE BECAME A BENCHMARK FOR NOT ONLY BASEBALL, BUT FOR ALL SPORTS.
I REMEMBER AS A KID, I PLAYED LITERALLY AND THEN PROBABLY WORE NUMBER 42 AS MY NUMBER WHEN I WAS PLAYING.
I WAS A CATCHER IN THE CENTER.
JOHNNY ROBINSON STONE BASES HAD HINTS, ONE OF THE MOST VERSATILE PLAYERS ANYONE WOULD EVER WANT TO SEE.
SO TODAY I'M HONORED TO MEET HERE TODAY TO SAY THAT WE'RE GONNA ON JACKIE ROBINSON.
TODAY WE'RE GONNA MEET WITH STREAM AFTER JACKIE ROBINSON AND SMALL, A LITTLE PART OF A STREET IN, IN, UH, THE WRIGLEY AREA OF LONG BEACH, BUT WIDE AND SIGNIFICANT IN ITS MEANING.
I WANNA THANK THE LA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PRINCIPAL, REBECCA NO FOR BEING CHAMPIONS IN PUSHING THIS BOARD.
AND IT'S MY HONOR TO PUSH THIS FORWARD WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
I HOPE THAT I CAN GET THEIR SUPPORT ON, UH, PROVIDING THIS GRAD, THIS STREAM.
I ONE IN THE MIDDLE FOOTNOTE LONG BEACH IS A HOME TO WILLIE ROBINSON, WHO IS A GRANDSON OF JACKIE ROBINSON.
AND WE WANNA BE ABLE TO HONOR HIM IN THIS WAY TODAY, DODGERS STADIUM.
LATER ON TODAY, WHEN I GET HOME, I'M GONNA TURN ON THAT TV AND WATCH THE DODGERS PLAY A GAME AND WATCH ALL THE PLAYERS WEARING NUMBER 42.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS MOTION FORWARD AND FOR YOUR, UH, YOUR, YOUR BROOKLYN DODGERS JERSEY.
SO DIDN'T WE JUST HAVE THAT'S RIGHT, ROD.
NOT RIGHT, NOT THE RIGHT NAME ON THE BACK, BUT IT'S OKAY.
UH, BUT DIDN'T WE JUST HAVE JACKIE ROBINSON DAY AT DODGER STADIUM? WAS THAT LIKE IT'S TODAY.
SO I, WE HAD SOMETHING TO DO TONIGHT, SO WE, OBVIOUSLY WE COULDN'T BE THERE, BUT, UH, BUT CONGRATULATIONS.
I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA AND I'M, I'M, I'M ALWAYS GLAD TO SEE WHEN COUNCIL MEMBERS TAKE ON THE PROCESS IN THEIR DISTRICT AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF NAMING SOMETHING I'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY, BUT YOU STAND UP.
UH, IF YOU THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY TO BRING MORE PRIDE TO YOUR COMMUNITY, YOU STAND UP AND YOU, AND YOU CHAMPION THAT.
AND SO, I, YOU HAVE MY FULL SUPPORT ON THIS.
I THINK THIS IS, UH, ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE ONE, ONE MORE THING I CAN SEE, MAYOR, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
TAKE THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING THE FLOOR.
SO IF JACKIE ROBERTON WE'RE HERE TODAY IN THIS ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE, HAVING A JACKIE ROBINSON DAY TO DAY WOULD, WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.
BASED ON THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
[01:10:01]
I'M NOT GONNA SAY ANY FURTHER BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.BUT, BUT MY THANK YOU AND GRATITUDE IS TO HIM FOR HIS LEADERSHIP KNOWLEDGE OF, TO US AND OUR LEADERSHIP TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYTHING TODAY CONTINUE ON INTO THE FUTURE.
AND I WANNA THANK MAY UNIQUE BASEBALL FOR RECOGNIZING THAT.
AND I HOPE THAT THEY, THEY DO NOT SUCCUMB TO THE PRESSURES THAT OTHERS
[16. 25-54987 Recommendation to request City Manager to coordinate with Community Development and Public Works Departments to take necessary actions to provide commemorative and directional signage and execute a street name change on West 28th Street, from Pacific Avenue to Pine Avenue and on East 28th Street from Pine Avenue to the dead-end at the Metro Blue Line to “Jackie Robinson Way”; and Authorize City Manager to direct Public Works Director to change maps and street signs as necessary and transmit information to all relevant departments. (District 7) Office or Department: Roberto Uranga, Vice Mayor, Seventh District Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
HAVE BEEN AGGRESSED TO ATTORNEY FEE ATTORNEYS THAT ARE TO THE ADMINISTRATION.AND I WANNA ALSO THANK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES FOR STUDYING THEM FOR WHAT'S RIGHT.
D-E-I-D-E-I IS A THREE LETTER WORD, BUT THE WAY THEY SPELL IT IS A FOUR LETTER WORD.
BUT ONE THING THAT WE WANT TO DO AND ENSURE IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO EMBRACE WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE ARE, AND CONTINUE FORWARD WITH THAT MOVEMENT.
SO I BELIEVE THAT NAMING A STREET AFTER JACKIE ROBINSON ON MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL'S OFFICIAL JACKIE ROBINSON DAY TODAY, APRIL 15TH, IS AN AMAZING TRIBUTE TO HIS LEGACY AND QUITE INGENIOUS.
SO I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK VICE MAYOR, UH, YANKA FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD.
UH, TODAY, HIS ACHIEVEMENT IN BREAKING MAJOR LEAGUE'S COLOR BARRIER, AS YOU NOTED, REMINDS US THAT CHANGE IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE.
THE MEMORY OF JACKIE ROBINSON INSPIRES US TO CONTINUE TO STRIVE IN OUR PASSIONS, CONTINUE MAKING PROGRESS, AND FORGE A PATH FORWARD.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN MAKE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN SPORTS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE FOR US ALL.
WITH BASEBALL SPECIFICALLY, IT TEACHES ALL OF US AND OUR CHILDREN TEAMWORK, PERSEVERANCE, COLLABORATION, AND HEALTHY COMPETITION.
THESE ARE ALL VALUES THAT YOU'VE HIGHLIGHTED THAT JACKIE ROBINSON HAS GIVEN TO THE WORLD.
SO TODAY I LOOK FORWARD TO RENAMING THE STREET JACKIE ROBINSON WAY AND LOOK FORWARD TO MY COLLEAGUES VOTING FOR THIS MOTION.
ALRIGHT, I SEE YOU HAVE THE DENIM AND THE DODGER CAP ON.
WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT REBECCA.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS REBECCA, NO PROUD PRINCIPAL OF JACKIE ROBINSON ACADEMY.
AND I AM HERE TO JUST SAY A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE RENAMING OF OUR PORTION OF 28TH STREET AND WANNA EXPRESS OUR HEARTFELT GRATITUDE FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
THIS YEAR MARKS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR SCHOOL, POWERFUL MILESTONE THAT CELEBRATES THREE DECADES OF EDUCATION, RESILIENCE, AND COMMUNITY.
AS WE REFLECT ON OUR HISTORY AND LOOK TO THE FUTURE.
WHAT BETTER WAY THAN TO HONOR THIS MOMENT THAN BY COMMEMORATING THE LEGACY OF JACKIE ROBINSON? A PIONEER WHO STOOD FOR COURAGE, FOR INTEGRITY, AND FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS.
THIS PROPOSED NAME CHAIN REPRESENTS MORE THAN JUST A NEW SIGNAGE FOR US AT JACKIE ROBINSON.
IT IS A INSPIRATION FOR STUDENTS EVERY DAY AS THEY WALK TO SCHOOL, AS THEY LEAVE SCHOOL.
JACKIE ROBINSON'S LIFE TEACHES US TO BREAK BARRIERS, TO RISE ABOVE ADVERSITY AND TO LEAD WITH PURPOSE.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS CHANGE DOESN'T HAPPEN IN ISOLATION.
AND I REALLY WANNA THANK THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WITH UM, LBPD IN REALLY HELPING TO SUPPORT SOME OF THE INITIATIVES OF JACKIE ROBINSON ACADEMY.
YOUR WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN AND COLLABORATE SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THE POWER OF THE CITY PARTNERSHIPS AS SEEN TODAY IN ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS THAT HAS HAPPENED IN JUST A FEW HOURS THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, YOUR SERVICE, AND FOR HELPING US SHAPE THE CITY WHERE EVERY CHILD KNOWS THAT THEY WALK IN THE FOOTSTEP OF GIANTS AND AS THEY DO EVERY DAY TO MAKE A LASTING DIFFERENCE.
WELL SAID ON SPRING BREAK, NO DOUBT.
ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
[01:15:01]
IS CARRIED.JUST QUICK QUESTION, UM, TO, UH, APRIL OR DAWN, DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE TO DO THIS? THE MOTION'S ALREADY PROVED, BUT WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU, UH, ANTICIPATE? WELL, I WOULD, OKAY, SO PUBLIC WORKS CAN GET THE SIGNAGE CHANGED PRETTY QUICKLY, SO WE'LL WORK WITH 'EM ON THAT TO EXPEDITE AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO RELAY THAT CHANGE TO ALL THE AGENCIES.
SO THE MAPS AND ALL OF THAT'S GONNA BE REFLECTED.
BUT, UM, THAT CBDI CAN GET BACK TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL ON THE TIMING OF THAT COMPONENT.
CHRISTOPHER LOOKED LIKE HE HAD, CHRISTOPHER HAS AN ANSWER.
I JUST WANNA MANAGE EXPECTATIONS.
SO, SO EXCITED TO, UM, WORK ON THIS.
BUT THE, UH, NAME CHANGE PROCESS HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS VERY EXTENSIVE AS, UM, THE MAYOR MAY REMEMBER FROM WHEN HE WAS COUNCIL MEMBER SOME ITEMS WORKED ON THERE.
SO THIS PROCESS CAN TAKE NINE MONTHS TO A YEAR, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST RIGHT NOW IN, UM, DOING SOMETHING MORE IMMEDIATE.
SO ERIC, UH, FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND MYSELF ARE GONNA WORK AND SEE WHAT KIND OF CEREMONIAL SIGNAGE WE CAN PUT UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
BUT THE PROCESS TO CHANGE THE STREET NAME AND THE OFFICIAL BOOKS THAT ARE FIRST HELD WITH THE COUNTY AND THEN YOU INFORM THE POSTAL SERVICE AND YOU, THERE'S LIKE 144 STEPS THAT TAKES A LOT OF TIME.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S UP TO A YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHY WE WERE GONNA WORK WITH CD SEVEN TO PUT UP SOME NONOFFICIAL OFFICIAL SIGNAGE IN THE MEANTIME SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO FIXATE I THINK WHAT THE COUNCIL'S TRYING TO DO IN A QUICKER TURNAROUND.
IT'S GOOD TO KNOW BECAUSE WE ARE AS A PART OF THE ENTERTAINMENT STRATEGIC PLAN, LOOKING AT SOME LANDMARKS AND OTHER THINGS.
SO THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TEST CASE FOR SOME OF THAT WORK.
WELL THANK YOU OUR, TO OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND EXPECTATIONS.
ALRIGHT, WELL I'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, ITEM 15 PLEASE.
COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN, VICE MAYOR ANG COUNCILWOMAN.
RECOMMENDATION TO REQUEST CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE DRAFT ORDINANCE
[15. 25-54984 Recommendation to request City Attorney to prepare draft ordinance to amend Chapter 5.92 of the LBMC to authorize cannabis special events, following successful completion of the meet and confer process with impacted labor groups, to include specifically that special event permits should be limited to 12 per year per individual, business entity, business owner, and event organizer or promoter and that said special event permits require an Equity Plan as determined by the Office of Cannabis Oversight and Special Events & Filming; and Request City Attorney to amend Chapter 8.68 to provide a temporary waiver allowing public cannabis consumption during cannabis special events. Office or Department: Cindy Allen, Councilwoman, Second District; Roberto Uranga, Vice Mayor, Seventh District; Mary Zendejas, Councilwoman, First District Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
TO AMEND CHAPTER 5.92 OF THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO AUTHORIZE CANNABIS SPECIAL EVENTS TO INCLUDE SPECIFICALLY THE SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT SHOULD BE LIMITED TO 12 PER YEAR PER INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS ENTITY, BUSINESS OWNER AND EVENT ORGANIZER OR PROMOTER.AND THAT SAID, SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS REQUIRE AN EQUITY PLAN AS DETERMINED BY THE OFFICE OF CANNABIS OVERSIGHT AND SPECIAL EVENTS IN FILMING AND REQUEST CITY ATTORNEY TO AMEND CHAPTER 8.68 TO PROVIDE A TEMPORARY WAIVER ALLOWING PUBLIC CANNABIS CONSUMPTION DURING CANNABIS SPECIAL EVENTS.
UM, JUST A BIG THANK YOU TO COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS FOR CO-AUTHORING THIS ITEM WITH ME.
AND, UH, ALSO I'D LIKE TO, UH, THANK VICE MAYOR YANKA FOR SIGNING ON AND ALSO SUPPORTING THE ITEM.
UH, LONG BEACH IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN OTHER MAJOR CITIES AND HOSTING CANNABIS SPECIAL EVENTS THAT ARE SAFE, REGULATED AND BENEFICIAL TO BOTH THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND OUR RESIDENTS.
AND AS WE GROW OUR ECONOMIC BASE THROUGH MAJOR PROJECTS LIKE THE AMPHITHEATER PROJECT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO STAY CREATIVE IN HOW WE MAINTAIN LONG BEACH AS A DYNAMIC TOURIST DESTINATION.
AND HOSTING CANNABIS SPECIAL EVENTS WOULD DO EXACTLY THAT, CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOURISM WHILE UPLIFTING LOCAL CANNABIS BUSINESSES AND FOSTERING A MORE INCLUSIVE REGULATED MARKETPLACE.
THIS ORDINANCE ENSURES THAT EQUITY REMAINS A ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR CANNABIS POLICY.
EVERY EVENT WILL REQUIRE AN EQUITY PLAN, WHICH SUPPORTS LOCAL PARTICIPATION AND UPLIFTS EQUITY APPLICANTS.
JUST AS CITIES LIKE SAN FRANCISCO HAVE DONE TO ENSURE THAT MOST IMPACTED THAT, THAT THE MOST IMPACTED BY PAST CANNABIS POLICIES CAN FULLY BENEFIT FROM THE LEGAL INDUSTRY.
HOSTING SPECIAL CANNABIS EVENTS IS NOT JUST A CELEBRATION, BUT IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO INFORM, EDUCATE, AND DESTIGMATIZE CANNABIS THROUGH RESPONSIBLE PROGRAMMING AND EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS.
BY PERMITTING AND REGULATING THESE EVENTS, WE CREATE A SAFE STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT FOR CANNABIS, CANNABIS EVENTS WHILE ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH SAFETY REGULATIONS.
THIS ITEM COMES AFTER FOUR MONTHS, AFTER MONTHS OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH, ROUND TABLES
[01:20:01]
AND EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH.IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE IS AN INTEREST IN EVENTS LIKE CANNABIS AND WELLNESS FESTIVALS.
MY TEAM TODAY SUBMITTED 14 LETTERS OF SUPPORT SENT IN TO MY OFFICE TO THE, UH, CITY CLERK.
I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR CANNABIS TEAM FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK.
THE, UH, MEMO FROM JANUARY WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.
I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE ORDINANCE CHANGE PRESENTED HERE TODAY.
JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I WANNA CLARIFY.
UH, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE ARE CREATING A WELCOMING BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT FOR THESE EVENTS TO SUCCEED AND THAT WE'RE ALSO SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL CANNABIS, UH, BUSINESSES.
SO, UM, SO ANY PROMOTER CAN COME IN, BUT, UH, SO I, UM, JUST TO CLARIFY THIS, BUT VENDORS SELECTED TO SELL CANNABIS, UM, ACCORDING TO UM, STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE TO HAVE A LONG BEACH RETAIL LICENSE.
IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
WE WOULD ONLY PERMIT OUR LOCALLY LICENSED, UH, CANNABIS RETAILERS TO BE THE VENDORS AT THESE EVENTS.
BUT IN THEORY, IT THE CANNABIS EVENT ORGANIZED OR COULD BE ANYBODY, IT COULD BE ANYBODY OUTSIDE OF LONG BEACH.
AND THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT WE WANTED TO, UM, LEARN FROM LESSONS LEARNED, FOLLOW FROM LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO WHERE THE EVENT THAT THE ONE EVENT THAT THEY'VE HOSTED SO FAR WAS THE CANNABIS EVENT ORGANIZER AND THE VENDOR WAS ONE IN THE SAME.
AND SO THAT SHUT OUT ALL OF THE LOCAL RETAILERS IN THE PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT EVENT.
SO WE WOULD NOT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN HERE.
UM, SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASONING FOR IT AS WELL.
BUT YES, ONLY LOCAL RETAILERS.
AND, AND THE REASONING BEHIND THAT WAS, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? YES.
THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO, UM, LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE IT WAS AROUND SUMMERTIME FOR THE STATE FAIR EVENT, WHICH IS HOSTED AT A VENUE CALLED CAL EXPO.
THEY HAD WHAT THEY CALLED THE CANNABIS EXPERIENCE AS PART OF THE LARGER STATE FAIR.
UM, THINK OF IT AS AN EVENT WITHIN AN EVENT.
SO IT'S COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM THE REST OF THE STATE FAIR.
IT WAS HOSTED BY A SINGLE CANNABIS EVENT PROMOTER, BUT THAT EVENT PROMOTER ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A CANNABIS RETAILER.
AND SO THE WAY THAT SORT OF CONTRACT AGREEMENT WORK, I'M NOT TOO FAMILIAR WITH HOW IT HAPPENED BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT THEY ESSENTIALLY WERE THE SOLE RETAILER AT THAT EVENT.
SO NONE OF THE LOCAL CITY OF SACRAMENTO CANNABIS RETAILERS WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE 'CAUSE THEY WERE EFFECTIVELY SHUT OUT.
UM, AND SO WE WANNA BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE.
UM, AND FOLLOWING A DIFFERENT MODEL, THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, THEY HAVE A SHORT LIST OF VENDORS THAT THEY UTI, UH, CANNABIS EVENT PROMOTERS THAT THEY ALLOW TO HOST CANNABIS SPECIAL EVENTS, BUT WITHIN THEIR ORDINANCE, THEY DO ONLY ALLOW, UM, SAN FRANCISCO CANNABIS RETAILERS, UM, THAT IS ALSO TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES AS WELL.
SO IF, UM, SO IF WE HAVE OUTSIDE VENDORS THAT COME IN AND THEY WANNA DO BUSINESS HERE, UM, THEY WOULD JUST NEED TO PARTNER THEM WITH ONE OF OUR VENDORS.
LIKE SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT, UM, THE POINT OF SALE, IF THERE'S OTHER VENDOR OR OTHER OUTSIDE VENDORS WANNA COME IN, ALL THE POINT OF SALE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH, UH, ONE OF OUR, UH, BUSINESSES, OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES? THAT WOULD BE CORRECT.
SO I THINK OF IT MORE AS WHEN WE HAVE THIS SPECIAL EVENT, THERE IS A DESIGNATED SALES AREA.
SO IF YOU LOOK, IF WE WERE TO WALK IN AND SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT BOOTS IN THAT ALL THOSE VENDORS WOULD BE ALL OF OUR LOCAL CANNABIS, UH, DISPENSARIES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN TOWN, UM, THEY CAN CERTAINLY THE EVENT PROMOTERS USUALLY OUTSIDE THEY, THERE'S OTHER, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE PANS THAT WILL WORK ON THIS.
BUT ULTIMATELY THE BUSINESSES, THE RETAILERS OR THE VENDORS IN THIS CASE THAT ARE CONDUCTING THE SALES ARE LONG BEACH RETAILERS OR DISPENSARIES.
WE TEND TO USE THE TERMS INTERCHANGEABLY.
WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK ON THIS.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MY QUESTIONING.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN, UM, FOR LEADING ON THIS.
UM, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO CITY STAFF FOR THE INCREDIBLE, UH, WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING ON THIS.
I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EASY TASK, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE DOING SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WHEN THERE'S NOT MUCH, UM, TO GO ON FROM OTHER CITIES, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING ON THIS.
UM, OUR ROLE IN THE CITY COUNCIL IS TO IMAGINE MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE FOR LONG BEACH AND TO TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO GET THERE.
FOR FAR TOO LONG, CANNABIS USE WAS CRIMINALIZED IN CALIFORNIA.
AND AS A STATE AND AS A CITY, WE HAVE BEGUN THE WORK TO NOT ONLY DECRIMINALIZE CANNABIS CONSUMPTION, BUT ALSO TO ALLOW FOR LOCAL INDUSTRIES TO THRIVE.
[01:25:01]
BUSINESS FRIENDLY CITY MEANS BECOMING A CANNABIS, UH, FRIENDLY CITY TOO.UM, AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTING OUR DOWNTOWN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, I AM PROUD TO JOIN COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN ON THIS ITEM TO AUTHORIZE CANNABIS SPECIAL EVENTS IN LONG BEACH.
AS THE MEMO RECEIVED IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, MADE IT CLEAR, VIEWING THIS OPPORTUNITY THROUGH AN EQUITY LENS CONSISTS OF US AS REGULATORS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE TO TREAT CANNABIS.
NO DIFFERENT THAN REGULAR REGULATING ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO.
WITH THIS IN MIND, THIS ITEM IS REQUESTING FOR CERTAIN LIMITATIONS ON THESE SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS TO ENSURE BEST PRACTICES.
I THINK THE ADOPTION OF THIS ORDINANCE WILL BRING ABOUT MANY POSITIVES TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, TO OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND TO THE CITY OF LONG, LONG BEACH AS A CULTURE OVERALL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, AGAIN, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE ON THIS, AND I ASK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR SUPPORT ON THIS.
UH, WE'LL GO THROUGH THE, UH, THE REST OF THE COUNCIL.
UM, WE JUST HAVE TWO MORE HANDS AND THEN WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE WORKED, UH, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS IN ORDER TO BRING THIS MATTER FORWARD, UM, AND WORKING WITH OUR CITY STAFF, UH, AS THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THIS BODY.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I TOOK THE TIME TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS, UM, TO ENSURE THAT I'M UP TO SPEED AND READY TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS ITEM.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I COME TO THIS AS, UH, A MOTHER WHO IS THINKING ABOUT WHAT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES WE'LL BE BRINGING, UH, TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, MY FIRST QUESTION WAS RELATED TO, UH, BOUNDARIES AND WHERE, UM, SUCH EVENTS WILL BE ABLE TO OCCUR WITHIN OUR CITY.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A CONNECTION WITH ENSURING THAT SCHOOLS DAYCARES AND OTHER SENSITIVE FACILITIES, UM, WILL HAVE A BUFFER ZONE WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS POLICY.
WE WILL BE FOLLOWING THE EXISTING SPECIAL EVENT, EXISTING SPECIAL EVENTS PROCESS.
AND SO WHAT WE, WHAT WE'VE DONE AS PART OF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, WE DID NOT RECOMMEND SPECIFIC LOCATIONS.
UM, WE DON'T DO THAT AS WE DO IT NOW FOR NON-CANNABIS EVENTS.
UH, BUT, BUT AS YOU MENTIONED, THE SENSITIVE USE REQUIREMENTS, THOSE BUFFERS, UH, DISTANCING BETWEEN SCHOOLS.
AND THERE'S ALSO, UM, RESTRICTIONS AS TO WHERE WE CAN, YOU CAN SMOKE IN PUBLIC AND IT HAS TO BE A CERTAIN, I FORGET THE DISTANCE FROM THE SCHOOL, BUT, UM, ALL OF THOSE ARE TAKEN INTO, INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND SO BY DEFAULT, THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LIMITED NUMBER OF THESE EVENTS TAKING PLACE BECAUSE OF THE, BECAUSE OF THE SPACE AVAILABLE.
UM, SO THERE ARE A FEW VENUES THAT WE HAVE IN MIND AS MENTIONED IN THE, IN THE FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT, BUT IT'S ULTIMATELY GOING TO DEPEND ON THE SIZE OF THE EVENT.
UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, IT CAN LOOK, IT CAN BE A MUSIC FESTIVAL, IT CAN BE A, UM, B2B TYPE EVENT.
SO IT'S JUST GONNA BE DEPENDENT ON THOSE FACTORS AS TO WHERE THEY CAN LOCATE.
BUT CERTAINLY THEY HAVE TO CONFORM, THEY HAVE TO ADHERE TO STATE REGULATIONS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS AS WELL AS OUR LOCAL PERMITTING PROCESS.
UM, SO I NOTED IN THE FEASIBILITY REPORT THAT THERE IS A PURCHASING LIMIT AND SOME OTHER SAFEGUARDS, UM, THAT WILL BE PUT FORTH.
UM, AND WE MAY HAVE MULTIPLE VENDORS THAT MAY BE AT THE SITE.
JUST WANTED TO, UH, GET AN IDEA AS TO HOW WE WILL ENSURE, UM, THAT THOSE, UH, PROTOCOLS WILL BE ABLE TO BE, UM, MANAGED, UM, FOR THOSE WHO ARE MAKING THOSE PURCHASES.
YES, I, I WILL NOTE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF CANNABIS CONTROL, OR DCC FOR SURE, THEIR INSPECTORS ARE ON SITE DURING THE EVENT AND THEY'RE HERE PRIOR, UM, TO INSPECT ALL OF THE PRODUCTS, BUT ALSO TO MAN TO OVERSEE WHAT THEY CALL REAL TIME COMPLIANCE TO VERIFY THAT SUCH A THING DOESN'T HAPPEN, WHERE IF I'M A CONSUMER, I CAN GO TO DIFFERENT BOOTS AND GET DIFFERENT PRODUCTS AND, YOU KNOW, MAXIMIZE MY SALES LIMIT.
SO THE IDEAL THING THAT HAPPENS, AND IT'S MORE COMMON NOW AS THESE EVENTS ARE COMING UP AND DIFFERENT PROMOTERS ARE MORE EXPERIENCED, THEY ARE USING A SINGLE POINT OF SALE SYSTEM, UM, IN THAT POINT OF SALE SYSTEM.
THEY, AS A CONSUMER, WHEN YOU WALK UP TO ONE OF THESE VENDOR BOOTHS, YOU, UM, HAVE TO SHOW ID, UH, TO PROVE THAT YOU ARE 21 AND OLDER BECAUSE THESE EVENTS ARE ONLY OPEN TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
UM, AND THEN UPON PURCHASE, THEY ARE ABLE TO, UM, VERIFY IT ONCE MORE.
BUT AS PART OF THAT POINT OF SALE SYSTEM, THERE IS LIKE A CUSTOMER PROFILE THAT IS CREATED, AND SO THAT IS TRACKING HOW MUCH PRODUCT IS BEAMED, UM, BEING BOUGHT, BEING PURCHASED BY THIS PARTICULAR CONSUMER.
[01:30:01]
IDEAL SCENARIO.AND WITH, AGAIN, WITH EXPERIENCED PROMOTERS, THEY HAVE THIS, UH, THIRD PARTY POINT OF SALE SYSTEMS THAT ALL OF THE VENDORS CAN USE.
NOW, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THESE EVENTS, THE EMPHASIS APPEARS IS ON, UM, UTILIZATION OF CANNABIS WHILE AT THE EVENTS.
UM, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT ALCOHOL, UM, AND OTHER, UH, SUBSTANCES ARE NOT PERMITTED.
UM, HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT PEOPLE WHO ENTER THESE EVENTS, UM, ARE NOT BRINGING ANY OF THOSE, UH, SUBSTANCES THAT ARE NOT ALLOWED TO COME IN? YEAH, SO WE DO HAVE STANDARD SECURITY CHECKS.
AS FOR ANY, AS WE THINK OF WHEN YOU GO TO A CONCERT OR ANY SOCCER GAME, BASEBALL GAME, THERE'S TYPICALLY THOSE BACK CHECKS.
SOME VENUES WILL REQUIRE A CLEAR BAG POLICY SO THAT WE MAKE, IT'S EASIER TO, UM, SEE WHAT IS, WHAT PATRONS ARE COMING IN WITH.
UM, THERE'S ALSO POLICIES ON BAG SIZE TOO.
SO IT CAN BE THAT YOU CANNOT BRING IN SOMETHING THAT'S BIGGER THAN A WALLET, BUT ALL OF THAT IS BEING CHECKED.
THERE'S METAL DETECTORS, THERE'S SECURITY ON SITE, THERE'S ALSO ADDITIONAL SECURITY THAT IS ROAMING THROUGHOUT THE EVENTS.
AND SO IN THE OFF CHANCE SOMEBODY DOES, UM, SNEAK IN SOMEBODY THAT THEY'RE NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO, THEN THOSE SECURITY GUARDS WILL ADDRESS IT.
UM, AND IT COULD BE SOMEBODY SNEAKS IN, YOU KNOW, CIGARETTES.
WE CAN ADDRESS THAT AT THAT TIME.
SO THERE IS THOSE STANDARD SECURITY CHECKS AND THEN SECURITY THROUGHOUT THE VENUE.
UM, I NOTED THAT THERE, YOU DID SOME WONDERFUL COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND YOU GOT HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF SURVEYS.
SO I REALLY WANNA THANK THE STAFF FOR ALL OF THAT EFFORT AND FOR SUMMARIZING THOSE RESULTS.
UM, ONE OF THE HIGHEST CONCERNS THAT RESIDENTS HAD WAS RELATED TO ENSURING THAT AS PEOPLE, UM, LEAVE THESE EVENTS THAT THEY LEAVE IN A SAFE MANNER.
UM, SO HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE OPTIONS WHEN THEY ARE, UM, EXITING ONE OF THESE EVENTS? YEAH, SO PART OF ADDRESSING THE CONCERN ABOUT DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OR, OR, OR POSSIBLY OVER INTOXICATION AS WELL, IS ALSO WHEN WE'RE THINKING ON EVEN AT THE POINT WHERE WE'RE PURCHASING, UH, CONSUMERS ARE PURCHASING THAT.
THERE'S ALSO COMES DOWN TO, ASIDE FROM THE MAX THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO PURCHASE, THERE IS THE BASIC, YOU KNOW, BARISTA, BARISTA TYPE ETIQUETTE WHERE IF, IF I SEE AN INDIVIDUAL IS TOO INTOXICATED, THEN YOU KNOW, WE SHUT THEM DOWN, YOU DON'T SERVE THEM.
UM, AND ON THE WAY OUT, ONE THING THAT WE, WE REQUESTED AS PART OF THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS OR WE LISTED AS PART OF THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION WAS TO, UH, PUT A BIG EMPHASIS ON THE SIGNAGE.
AND I BELIEVE CITY COUNCIL ALSO, WHEN WE DID OUR PRESENTATION BACK IN OCTOBER, THERE WAS A REQUEST TO PARTNER WITH DIFFERENT RIDE SHARE PROVIDERS LIKE UBER OR LYFT, AND HEAVILY PROMOTE THAT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE OF PEOPLE DRIVING UNDER, UNDER THE INFLUENCE.
I WILL NOTE THAT WHEN WE SPOKE TO OUR OTHER COMPARABLE CITIES OR FRIENDS IN OAKLAND, SACRAMENTO, UM, THEY DID NOT REPORT ANY INSTANCES OR ANY ISSUES, UM, WITH THE EVENTS.
UM, I THINK THEY MAY HAVE HAD ONE CASE OF SOMEBODY BEING, UH, OVERLY INTOXICATED, BUT IF WE LOOK AT HOW ALCOHOL, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKES PLACE IN, YOU KNOW, CONCERT THAT'S NOT, UM, UNUSUAL, BUT THEY DIDN'T REPORT ANY ISSUES UNDER WHAT'S DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE.
UM, SO I'LL JUST MAKE TWO FINAL COMMENTS.
UM, SO ONE, I'M REALLY, UH, PLEASED TO SEE THE EMPHASIS ON LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND LIFTING UP, UH, THE EQUITY STRATEGIES AND ENSURING THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, THOSE WHO'VE PARTICIPATED IN THE CITY'S, UH, EQUITY PROGRAM, UM, CAN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE, UH, EVENTS.
UM, AND CITY STAFF, YOU ARE JUST SO KNOWLEDGEABLE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORTS THAT YOU'VE DONE TO LEARN FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS.
I WANNA ENCOURAGE OUR CITY MANAGER TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH, UM, TO GO OUT AND HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING, UM, IN OTHER MARKETS AND HOW OTHER COMPARABLE CITIES, UM, ARE PLANNING AND HOSTING THEIR EVENTS, UM, AND ENSURING THAT WE CAN BRING THOSE LEARNINGS BACK TO, UH, LONG BEACH.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING ALL MY QUESTIONS AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO VOTING IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION.
UM, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN FOR BRINGING FORTH THIS ITEM WITH COUNCILWOMAN SIN DEZA AND VICE MAYOR URANGA.
I WANNA THANK COUNCILWOMAN THRASH AND TOOK FOR ASKING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY QUESTIONS.
THEY'RE SIMILAR TO WHAT I'M GONNA ASK, SO I WON'T ASK THEM.
UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, ARE DEFINITELY CONCERNS THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS.
UM, BUT MEANWHILE I THINK THAT THERE ARE, UH, BENEFITS THAT WE MAY HAVE FROM THIS AND WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER CITIES OR UNDERSTAND FROM, UH, WHAT WE HEARD IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN INCREASED, UH, VISITORS AS WELL AS ECONOMIC GROWTH.
UM, I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAVE A SENSE
[01:35:01]
NOW WHAT THAT COULD BE PROJECTED FOR LONG BEACH.SHOULD WE MOVE THIS ORDINANCE FORWARD? YES, AT THIS TIME BASED ON HOW THE STATE REGULATIONS ARE SET UP, THE COST AND HOW OUR OWN REGULATIONS ARE SET UP AS WELL.
UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE BIG TIME EVENTS LIKE I THINK THE EMERALD CUP IS A POPULAR ONE THAT HAS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN LOC LOCATING HERE IN LONG BEACH FOR THEY ROTATE DIFFERENT CITIES EVERY YEAR.
UM, SO BASED ON THE ENTRANCE THAT WE RECEIVE SO FAR, AND THIS IS MOSTLY THE LARGE SCALE EVENTS, WE HAVEN'T REALLY GOTTEN A SENSE OF WHAT THE SMALL SCALE IN TERMS OF QUANTITY WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, WE COULD BE LOOKING AT A FEW PER YEAR.
IT'S ULTIMATELY GONNA BE DEPENDENT ON THE VENUE AVAILABILITY AS WELL.
UM, BUT AT THIS TIME WE'RE SEEING ABOUT A HANDFUL EVENTS AND THIS IS PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE OTHER CITIES.
OAKLAND HOSTED THE EMERALD CUP LAST YEAR IN AUGUST.
THEY HOSTED I THINK ONE OR TWO OTHER MAYBE MEDIUM SCALE EVENTS.
SAN FRANCISCO HAS A SHORT LIST OF ABOUT SIX EVENTS THAT THEY ALLOW.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THEY HAVE IT EVERY SINGLE YEAR, BUT THIS WOULD BE IN, IN WE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'VE SEEN OTHER CITIES AT THIS TIME.
UM, I I DID WANNA HA I DID, I WANTED TO ASK ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION AS WE ARE DOING, UH, SOME MAYBE OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH AS COUNCILWOMAN THRASH AND, AND TOOK HAS SHARED AS IF THERE WERE OTHER HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS THAT RISES.
UM, WOULD, WOULD THERE ALSO BE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO FIGURING OUT HOW TO ADDRESS THEM? IF, IF IT'S NOT THROUGH ORDINANCE, HOW WOULD IT LOOK THROUGH PRACTICE OR, UM, OTHER, UM, YEAH, I'LL JUST SAY I'LL KEEP IT TO PRACTICE.
SO WHEN WE SPOKE TO THE OTHER CITIES, THOSE ALSO DIDN'T COME UP AS AN ISSUE OF CONCERN.
BUT SHOULD WE RUN THAT TO RUN INTO THAT HERE IN LONG BEACH? UM, THANKFULLY THE WAY OUR SPECIAL EVENTS PROCESS IS SET UP, WE WORK WITH ALL OUR DIFFERENT, WE WORK SEVERAL DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING BUSINESS LICENSE, HEALTH, FIRE, POLICE.
AND SO IF THAT DOES ARISE AND AS PART OF EVEN THE WAY WE SET UP THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY, WE HAD, YOU KNOW, WE SHARED THOSE INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS AND SO SHOULD WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT AT THAT TIME, THEN WE WILL COME TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION.
UM, THANKFULLY WE, THE PERKS OF HAVING OUR OWN HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THAT'S ALSO VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF DATA, UM, THAT THEY COULD SHARE.
AND THEN WE CAN ALSO REACH OUT TO OTHER CITIES, ESPECIALLY NEW CITIES AS THEY'RE COMING ON BOARD THAT ARE ALLOWING THIS, I THINK LOS ANGELES MIGHT BE NEXT.
UM, SO ALWAYS WE ALWAYS LEAN HEAVY ON LEARNING FROM OTHER PEOPLE AND ALSO SHARING OUR OWN EXPERIENCE.
I APPRECIATE THE RESPONSE THAT WE'VE SHARED AND I'M IN SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM.
UM, THANK YOU TO STAFF AND I APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION, UM, FROM MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES.
I THINK FOR MANY RESIDENTS WHO'VE GONE TO SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE CALI VIBES, UM, IT CAME AS A SURPRISE THAT CANNABIS WASN'T ALREADY ALLOWED AT EVENTS.
SO I THINK, UM, I THINK I'M OUTNUMBERED ON THIS ITEM TOO, BUT I WOULD PREFER THAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH NOT JOIN OAKLAND, SAN FRANCISCO AND SACRAMENTO IN LEADING THE STATE ON THIS TOPIC.
LET'S LET LA DO IT BEFORE WE DO IT.
UM, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO, WE ARE GOING TO BE LEARNING A LOT OF LESSONS, UM, AND OTHER CITIES ARE LEARNING THESE AND I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT THIS MORE.
I'D PREFER US WAITING TO SEE THE OTHER CHALLENGES THAT CITIES ARE NAVIGATING, UM, BECAUSE THESE EVENTS ARE GONNA BRING PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED BEFORE WE HOLD THEM IN OUR CITY.
UH, I THINK SMOKING, WHETHER IT'S TOBACCO OR CANNABIS, IS UNHEALTHY AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE A CHOICE.
UM, AND THIS CHOICE SHOULDN'T BE MADE FOR PEOPLE BY HAVING TO ENDURE SECONDHAND SMOKE.
THIS WAS IN THE PRESENTATION, UM, THE FIRST PRESENTATION WHEN THIS ITEM CAME FORWARD, STATE LAW IMPLEMENTED A DISTANCE REQUIREMENT STATING THAT MARIJUANA CAN'T BE SMOKED WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF SCHOOLS, DAYCARES AND COMMUNITY CENTERS WHILE CHILDREN ARE PRESENT.
THIS IS TO AVOID GETTING THEM SMOKED OUT WHEN THEY ARE, UM, WHEN THEY'RE AROUND.
NOW, FOLLOWING UP WITH COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH TOOKS QUESTIONS, YOU STATED THAT WE AREN'T PUTTING ANY ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS OTHER THAN THE STATE REQUIREMENT OF A THOUSAND FEET.
[01:40:01]
THIS ON LOCAL PERMITTING AND THE SIZE OF THE EVENTS.CAN YOU EXPOUND ON THAT? WHAT'S GONNA MAKE THE DIFFERENCE WITH THE SIZE OF THE EVENT ON HOW YOU'RE GOING TO ALLOW A DISTANCE? YES, AND JUST TO BACK UP A LITTLE BIT, WHEN YOU MENTIONED ABOUT MAYBE CONCERNS ABOUT THIS HAPPENING AT OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS, I DO JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THESE ARE TARGETED EVENTS.
SO THIS IS SPECIFICALLY CANNABIS SPECIAL EVENTS, SO THIS WON'T BE PART OF EXISTING CITY EVENTS.
UM, BUT TO, TO YOUR QUESTION, THERE IS, AGAIN, THERE ARE THE STATE REGULATIONS, UM, THEY'RE PRETTY SPECIFIC AND WHERE YOU COULD HAVE THESE EVENTS, THERE'S LIMITATIONS ON THOSE DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AND ULTIMATELY BECAUSE WE, WHERE WE ARE SITUATED IN LONG BEACH, THERE'S NOT THAT MANY PLACES ANYWAY.
UM, I THINK THE QUEEN MARY IS A GOOD EXAM IS A, IS AN EXAMPLE THAT'S BROUGHT UP FREQUENTLY BECAUSE THAT ONE IS PRETTY FAR AND AWAY FROM RESIDENCIES AS FAR AWAY FROM WHERE THOSE SENSITIVE USES WOULD TAKE PLACE.
UM, BUT THERE ARE OTHER PLACES LIKE SHORELINE PARK WHERE POSSIBLY THIS COULD BE HOSTED.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO DEPEND ON THOSE FACTORS.
WHAT'S THE SIZE, WHAT'S THE TYPE OF EVENT, DOES IT HAVE A MUSIC COMPONENT? AND SO, UM, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO EVALUATE THOSE AT THE TIME THAT THEY SUBMIT FOR A PERMIT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WHAT I WANNA NOTE WHEN IT COMES TO THAT SMOKING RESTRICTION, I BELIEVE IT'S A THOUSAND FEET.
AND IF IT'S A THOUSAND FEET FROM SCHOOLS, THAT IS ONLY WHILE SCHOOLS ARE IN SESSION OR WHILE CHILDREN ARE PRESENT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I WANNA MAKE.
WE WILL CERTAINLY NOT HOST THIS WHEN CHILDREN ARE PRESENT.
UM, I THINK SHORELINE PARK IS ALSO A GOOD EXAMPLE WHERE BECAUSE OF ITS PROXIMITY TO THE AQUARIUM AND OTHER AREAS THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN COULD BE PRESENT.
SO DEPENDING HOW BIG THAT EVENT IS, THAT MIGHT NOT BE FEASIBLE, BUT IT COULD BE FEASIBLE FOR SOMETHING SMALLER.
SO IT IS JUST DEPENDENT ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, BASED ON HOW THESE RE REGULATIONS ARE SET UP, HOW THE EVENTS, THEY ARE COSTLY TO BRING FORWARD.
UM, AND I DO WANNA BE ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
SO WE WILL NOT HAVE, WE WILL NOT HAVE MANY TO BEGIN WITH UNLESS THIS, YOU KNOW, THERE IS MORE OF A TREND.
UM, BUT JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT STATE LAW AND WHEN CHILDREN ARE PRESENT, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT.
SO, JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU MENTIONED CHILDREN AT THE AQUARIUM, SO YOU MAY HAVE TO DOWNSIZE AN EVENT, IS THAT RIGHT? OR EXPLAIN THAT MORE PLEASE.
THAT IS CORRECT IN THE SENSE THAT WE WOULD NEED TO SEE HOW BIG IS THE EVENT? ARE WE TALKING A HUNDRED PEOPLE? UH, COULD BE AN EVENT WHERE THERE MIGHT NOT BE CONSUMPTION PRESENT.
IT COULD BE A, THERE ARE JUST, MOST OF THE TIME THE FOCUS IS THE MUSIC FESTIVALS WITH ONSITE CONSUMPTIONS, BUT THERE ARE EVENTS, CANNABIS EVENTS THAT COULD BE JUST STRICTLY EDUCATIONAL.
UH, THERE ARE PRODUCTS ON SITE BUT THERE IS NO SMOKING.
BUT IT IS DEPENDENT ON JUST THE ATTENDANCE AS WELL AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE PERIMETER THAT NEEDS TO BE SET UP FOR THAT EVENT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT ALLOWS US TO, UM, GIVES US ESSENTIALLY DISCRETION TO BE ABLE TO, IF WE SEE THAT AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, IF WE SEE THAT THIS AN EVENT, WHETHER IT'S CANNABIS OR NOT, POSES A THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY OR OTHER CONCERNS, WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DENY THAT PERMIT.
SO THAT IS THE SAME PROCESS THAT WE WOULD FOLLOW FOR HERE.
SO I, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA OFFER A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, UH, THAT I'D LIKE STAFF TO EVALUATE AND RETURN BACK TO CITY COUNCIL WITH A MORE SPECIFIC DISTANCE REQUIREMENT TO OTHER SENSITIVE RECEPTORS.
'CAUSE MY CONCERN IS THIS MOVES TO AREAS THAT ARE CLOSER TO HOMES.
UM, AND, AND WE JUST DON'T WANNA TAKE THAT CHANCE OF MOVING THIS FORWARD WITHOUT MORE SPECIFICS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A A A, I MEAN WE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, LIKE YOU SAID, SMOKING WITHIN, WITHIN A DEFINED AREA.
BUT HERE IS MY FRIENDLY VERY SPECIFICALLY.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PROHIBIT CANNABIS EVENT EVENTS FROM BEING PERMITTED WITHIN 250 FEET OF HOMES, ADD HOMES TO THAT SCHOOLS, DAYCARES, COMMUNITY CENTERS AND OTHER SENSITIVE RECEPTORS, AND REQUIRE THAT EVENTS BETWEEN 250 AND 500 FEET BE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL BEFORE PERMITS ARE ISSUED.
IS THAT ACCEPTED BY THE MAKER OF THE MOTION? UM, NO, THAT'S NOT ACCEPTED BY ME.
UM, UH, I THINK WE ALREADY HAVE THE STATE REQUIREMENTS.
[01:45:01]
ON EXISTING POLICIES.THERE ALREADY IS A PROCESS IN PLACE FOR LIMITATIONS AND I DON'T WANT THINGS COMING BACK TO CITY COUNCIL EVERY TIME WE HAVE AN EVENT.
ALRIGHT, WELL THAT, THAT IS TIME.
I'M GONNA ADD JUST A COUPLE COMMENTS BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF ANYONE WANTS TO COM QUEUE UP, THEY CAN SPEAK AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT.
'CAUSE WE DO HAVE 12 MEMBERS OF PUBLIC, 11 MEMBERS OF PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, AND THANK UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN AND, UH, THE OTHER MAKERS OF THE MOTION CITY ONE AND CITY SEVEN.
SO THIS CONVERSATION STARTED TWO YEARS AGO, AND I REMEMBER IT WAS COUNCILMAN AUSTIN THAT ASKED TO BEGIN TO STUDY THIS.
AND SO MANY OF THE ANSWERS YOU HAVE IS BECAUSE WE DID THAT RESEARCH ALREADY AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK THERE WAS AN EXPECTATION THAT AT SOME POINT THIS WOULD BE A NEXT LEVEL OF PROGRESSION AS WE GOT INTO, UM, UM, THE ILLEGALIZATION AND RECREATION, UH, AND EXCUSE ME, UM, REGULATION OF CANNABIS.
I THINK IT WAS EXPECTED THIS WOULD HAPPEN.
I DO WANNA MANAGE EXPECTATIONS.
UM, AND I WANNA THANK, UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, WHEN THIS INITIALLY CAME OUT, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, APPREHENSION BECAUSE OF, I THINK THE NUMBER WAS, UH, EACH COULD DO NO MORE THAN 12 EACH ONE.
AND LET'S SAY THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, 24 VENDORS TIMES 12, THAT NUMBER WAS REALLY SCARY FOR FOLKS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT MEET AND CONFER PROCESS.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, IT GAVE US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO TALK WITH STAFF AND TALK, YOU KNOW, AND JUST TALK ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT AS YOU PROCEED, WE CAN ACTUALLY, UM, HAVE A PROCESS TO LEARN AND, YOU KNOW, ENGAGE IN PILOTS, TEST OUT DIFFERENT SIZE EVENTS, GET MORE CURRENT INFORMATION ON HOW TO RESPOND TO IT, TO WHERE THE APPARATUS SURROUND IT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE PLANNING TEAM.
AND EVERYONE IS ABLE TO SORT OF, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, LEARN, UH, TO WHERE WE HAVE, UM, AN ORDINANCE THAT WE CAN STAND UP AND PROTECT.
UH, BECAUSE I I, I THINK INITIALLY THE, THE 12 WAS SHOCKED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
SO I THINK, I THINK ULTIMATELY YOU WANT YOUR ORDINANCE TO HAVE A, HAVE AN AMOUNT THERE, BUT WE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PHASE IN OVER TIME.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION OF PHASE IN THAT WE CAN LEARN.
SO IF STAFF, UM, IF STAFF OR THE ATTORNEY WANNA WEIGH IN ON HOW YOU WOULD APPROACH THAT, CREATE YOUR ORDINANCE, BUT MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY, FLEXIBILITY TO PHASE THIS IN.
UH, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT OF PERSPECTIVE THERE.
AND TO YOUR, IT IT WILL BE INHERENTLY BUILT IN.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF A, IF THE PHASING PIECE WOULD BE NECESSARY JUST BECAUSE HOW A LOW NUMBER OF EVENTS WILL LIKELY GET BASED ON WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER CITIES BASED ON OUR REGULATIONS.
AND I WILL ALSO NOTE, UM, OUR SPECIAL EVENTS ORDINANCE DOES GIVE US THE, UH, DISCRETION TO DENY OR APPROVE FOR A CERTAIN EVENT, UM, FOR CERTAIN REASONS.
SO SOME OF THOSE REASONS COULD BE, YOU KNOW, IT IS GONNA CAUSE UNDUE HARDSHIP TO OTHER BUSINESSES, IT'S GOING TO UNREASONABLY DISRUPT TRAFFIC WITHIN THE CITY.
AND SO THERE'S A PRETTY LONG LIST THAT GIVES US THOSE SAFEGUARDS TO ENSURE THAT IF EVENT IS AN EVENT IS BEING PROPOSED TO BE HOSTED HERE IN LONG BEACH, WE ARE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT IT'S NOT GONNA BE ANY HARM TO OUR RESIDENTS.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE THREATEN ANY PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO ONCE YOU GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND THE STATE HAS A SIMILAR PROCESS THAT AUTOMATICALLY NARROWS DOWN THE POOL, UM, THERE, THERE IS A LOT OF INTEREST, BUT I THINK AS PROMOTERS OR EVENT ORGANIZERS, ONCE THEY, UM, YOU KNOW, GET TO SEE WHAT THE APPLICATION PROCESS LOOKS LIKE, THAT HAPPENS NOW WITH NON-CANNABIS EVENTS.
IT DEFINITELY NARROWS THE, THE POOL OF WHO CAN HOST THESE EVENTS.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR WHAT HAPPENS IN OTHER CITIES TO SEE WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCE LOOKS LIKE, RIGHT? BUT IT HA SO FAR HAS NOT SEEN THAT IT'S GONNA BE A HIGH NUMBER IF THERE IS CONTINUED CONCERN ABOUT THE NUMBER OF, UM, THE NUMBER OF EVENTS PER YEAR PER BUSINESS.
AND JUST TO NOTE A STAFF, WE PUT THAT, PUT THAT RECOMMENDATION FORWARD LEARNING FROM CITY OF OAKLAND.
THIS WAS MORE A CONCERN THAT WE DID NOT WANT WHAT THEY CALL LIKE A DEFACTO DISPENSARY OR LIKE A POP-UP DISPENSARY EVERY TWO WEEKS IN THE CASE THAT WE HAVE A DISPENSARY BUSINESS HOSTING THAT, UM, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE, WHY WE PUT THAT REQUIREMENT IN THERE.
I THINK A STAFFIE INITIALLY PUT SIX, UM, NOW THE REQUEST IS TO BRING IT UP TO 12, BUT AGAIN, THE REALITY MIGHT NOT REFLECT THAT.
THAT'S MORE OF A SAFEGUARD IN CASE WE HAVE AN A SITUATION LIKE THAT.
BUT BASED ON HOW THESE ARE STRUCTURED, WE MIGHT NOT GET THERE.
WELL, I, I APPRECIATE YOU YOU EXPLAINING THAT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK OF THE CANNABIS EVENTS, THEY'RE TYPICALLY LARGE.
[01:50:01]
UM, THE ONES THAT FOLKS TALK ABOUT IN THESE OTHER AREAS, THEY'RE LARGE.AND I THINK WITH OUR GROWING FESTIVAL SORT OF, UM, GROUNDS OVER NEAR THE QUEEN MARY AND SOME OF OUR OTHER OUTDOOR FESTIVALS, I COULD SEE HOW THIS COULD WORK.
UH, I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ONLY WORKING WITH THE VERY BEST, THE VERY BEST PROMOTERS, VERY BEST EVENT PLANNERS THAT WHATEVER WE DO IN LONG BEACH, IT IS HIGH QUALITY.
UM, AND WE'VE THOUGHT THROUGH ALL OF THE SCENARIOS, UM, AND I THINK WHEN I HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE BUFFERS, I THINK FOLKS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SMALL, POTENTIALLY SMALLER EVENTS.
THAT'S WHERE THE QUALITY OF LIFE CHALLENGES ARE REALLY GONNA GONNA COME IN.
SO LET'S MAKE SURE WE LOOK AT, UH, THE VERY DIFFERENT REALITIES OF THESE EVENTS.
A VERY PUBLIC EVENT BY THE, BY THE QUEEN MARY, FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK HAS DIFFERENT QUALITY OF LIFE EXPECTATIONS.
PEOPLE ARE GOING OVER THERE TO THE ISLAND AND THEY KNOW THIS IS THE EVENT THEY'RE GOING TO, THERE'S AN EXPECTATION, BUT I THINK IF THERE IS, UM, AN EVENT IN A NEIGHBORHOOD OR, OR, OR WHATEVER, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE, UM, THERE IS, YOU KNOW, NO IMPACT, UM, ON THOSE LOCAL NEIGHBORS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE BALANCE AS WE CRAFT THIS.
AND THEN WITHIN THE, THE SPECIAL EVENTS PROCESS TOO, TO YOUR POINT OF ONLY GETTING THE VERY BEST IS WE DO HAVE THE DISCRETION TO ALSO GO ONLY WITH EXPERIENCE PROMOTERS.
AND SO THAT IS ABSOLUTELY, WE, ESPECIALLY AS WE TEST THIS, AS YOU MENTIONED, WE, WE CERTAINLY DO NOT WANT OUR FIRST EVENT TO BE FROM AN EVENT PROMOTER THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE IN THIS.
AND SO, UH, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THAT VERY CLOSELY, ESPECIALLY AS THE FIRST COUPLE COME ON.
AND WE'LL LOOK TO SEE MONITOR, UM, THE FREQUENCY OF REQUESTS FROM LOCAL OR SMALL, THE SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND, BUT I THINK JUST BASED ON THE RESTRICTIONS, WE MIGHT NOT GET THAT MANY.
BUT AGAIN, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.
SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY AS YOU ENGAGE AND MEET AND CONFER TO LIKE, MANAGE THOSE EXPECTATIONS.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF EVENTS ACROSS TOWN.
WE'RE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN REALITY IS VERY FEW, VERY FEW, BUT HIGH QUALITY, UH, EXPERIENCES.
ALRIGHT, WELL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE HAVE 11 PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
SAMANTHA B JOHN KENDRICK, ANGELA ANDRADE, MARTHA COTA, SANDRA ROD RODRIGUEZ, ARIANA GONZALEZ, PATRICIA, MIKE MURCHISON, UH, MELINDA COTTON, PAM, CHAD SWATI, AND AYA KINASE.
SAMANTHA, YOU ARE FIRST AND WE'LL IT IS 90 SECONDS ON THE CLOCK.
UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, COUNSEL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS SAMANTHA B AND I'M WITH THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION.
UM, AS A THREE YEAR RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH AND A COMMUNITY IMPACT DIRECTOR WITH THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSAL TO WEAKEN LONG BEACH EXISTING SMOKE-FREE REGULATIONS.
OPENING THIS POLICY WILL TO ALLOW SPECIAL EVENTS, PERMITS FOR ONSITE CANNABIS CONSUMPTION, UNDERMINES YOUR YEARS OF WORK TO CREATE A SMOKE-FREE SPACES.
PARTIC UH, PARTICLES OF LEVELS OF SECONDHAND SMOKE OF MARIJUANA ARE HIGHER THAN TOBACCO SMOKE, UM, AND HAVE A LONG KNOWN TO BE SORRY, HAVE BEEN LONG KNOWN THAT BREATHING IN SECONDHAND SMOKE CAUSES HEART DISEASE, STROKE, LUNG DISEASE, AND CANCER.
THERE IS NO SAFE LEVELS OF EXPOSURE TO SECONDHAND SMOKE.
IN FACT, THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEATING AND REFRIGERATING OF AIR CONDITIONING ENGINEERS HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT NO TECHNOLOGY OR ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS CAN MAKE INDOOR SMOKING SAFE SMOKE-FREE LAWS COVERING WORKSPACE, RESTAURANTS, BARS AND PUBLIC SPACES HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR REDUCING RATES OF TOBACCO USE AND ASSOCIATED DEATHS.
FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS, CALIFORNIA HAS FOUGHT HARD TO PROTECT THE WORKERS AND ENSURE SAFE, HEALTHY, SMOKE-FREE WORK ENVIRONMENTS.
YOUR EXISTING POLICIES MATCHES THIS COMMITMENT TO ENSURE LONG BEACH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ARE SAFE FROM SECONDHAND SMOKE.
YES, I AM THE ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDER, ONE OF THE, UH, CO-CHAIRS OF THE COALITION FOR SMOKEFREE LONG BEACH.
AND I'VE HEARD EVERYTHING YOU SAID, BUT YOU HAVE NOT DRESSED NONE OF THE PROBLEMS WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE U USING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IS HAVING, THERE'S NO SAFE DISTANCE FROM SMOKING FROM MARIJUANA.
IT CAN TRAVEL, YOU CANNOT KEEP IT IN ONE PLACE.
AND I HAVE GONE TO EVENTS FROM THE 1980S TO EVENTS BY THE QUEEN MARY AND SO ON, AND THERE IS NO SAFE DISTANCE.
I'VE SEEN POLICE OFFICERS GET CONTACT FROM REGGAE FESTIVALS AT THE QUEEN MARY WHO
[01:55:01]
WAS OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES.I REQUI LIKE TO SEE EVERYONE HERE AND YOUR STAFF AND OTHERS TO HAVE A MEETING WITH US TO ADDRESS MANY THINGS THAT I HAVE NOT HEARD BEING ADDRESSED.
YOU HAVE NOT DRESSED EVERYTHING AND NOT EVEN CLOSE TO ANYTHING.
NONE OF YOU RIDE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND SIT NEXT TO SOMEBODY WHO SMELLS LIKE A MARIJUANA FACILITY AND GET A CONTACT OR GET SICK.
MY TIME IS UP, BUT I I'M GONNA SEND YOU AN EMAIL AND I HOPE YOU WILL SET UP A MEETING WITH US.
ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER IS ANGELA, AFTER ANGELA'S, MARTHA, WHEN I CON GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR.
MY NAME IS ANGELAND AND MY COMMENT IS IN REFERENCE TO ITEM NUMBER 15, THE ORDINANCE 8.68 OF THE CITY, WHICH WAS APPROVED SINCE 1993 RELATIVE TO SMOKE IN PUBLIC PLACES FIRMLY ESTABLISHES THE PURPOSES.
THE PURPOSE DECLARED BY THIS CHAPTER IS TO PROHIBIT SMOKING, TOBACCO OR ANY OTHER HERB OR PLANT IN PUBLIC PLACES, IN PLACES OF WORK ACCORDING TO WHAT STIPULATED AND REQUIRED IN THIS CHAPTER.
HOWEVER, COUNCIL MEMBERS ZEN DISTRICT ONE, COUNCIL MEMBER ORANGA, DISTRICT SEVEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN DISTRICT TWO, SOLICITED THE A CITY PROSECUTOR TO MODIFY CHAPTER 8.68, UH, TO, UH, PROVIDE AN EXEMPTION THAT WILL ALLOW THE PUBLIC CONSUMPTION OF CANNABIS DURING SPECIAL CANNABIS EVENTS.
AFTER THE PREVIOUS DECISION OF THE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT THE SPECIAL CANNABIS EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2024, WE FOUND OUT FROM, UH, VARIOUS NEWS SOURCES ANNOUNCING WHAT YOU SADLY WANT TO APPROVE AS A MOTHER AND RESIDENT OF THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY.
I OBJECT YOUR INTENTIONS TO INCREASE ENTRANCE FEES TO CITY EVENTS WHILE YOUNG PEOPLE DIE HOOKED TO THESE DRUGS.
NEXT IS, UH, MARTHA, AND THEN SANDRA.
[02:00:26]
THANK YOU.ABOUT, ABOUT THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THREE, ABOUT THE, UH, LETTERS THAT SHE RECEIVED.
TWO, THE TWO LETTERS THAT SHE RECEIVED.
I'M AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN SAN FRANCISCO AND I'M VERY SAD OF, OF THE, UH, THE POSITION THAT YOU HAVE IN REFERENCE TO THIS, TO THIS EVENT.
I ASK THE YOUTH REFLECT UPON THIS.
MY NAME IS MARTHA COTA, MEMBER OF COALITION FOR, UH, LONG BEACH FREE OF SMOKE.
I'M HERE TO PROVIDE MY COMMENT IN REFERENCE TO ITEM NUMBER 15, WHICH I'M NOT IN AGREEMENT.
WE ARE VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE ORDINANCE THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS, DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, TWO, AND SEVEN, WHO ARE ADVOCATING TO ALLOW THE USE OF CANNABIS IN THESE SPECIAL EVENTS.
AS A MEMBER OF THE COALITION AND SPOKESWOMAN FOR HUNDREDS OF MOTHERS, UH, I LIKE TO SHARE MY PROFOUND CONCERN ABOUT THE CHANGES PROPOSED TO THE ORDINANCE 8.68.
THE CHANGES TO THIS ORDINANCE WILL ALLOW SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES DETERIORATE ONE'S HEALTH, AND INCREASE VIOLENCE FOR USUAL, HAVE TO HIRE HUNDREDS OF, UH, PUBLIC POLICE FORCE TO LOOK AFTER THE WELFARE OF COMMUNITIES.
UH, SADLY, HUNDREDS OF FATALITIES WERE RESULT DUE TO ALL OF THIS.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS SANDRA AND THEN ADRIANA, THEN PATRICIA PLATO.
I, GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR.
MY NAME IS SANDRA RODRIGUEZ AND MY COMMENT IS IN REFERENCE TO ITEM NUMBER 15 OF WHICH I'M 1000% OPPOSED.
HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF THE YOUTH POPULATION ON YOUR OWN KIDS, FAMILY MEMBERS, WHICH CAN BE AFFECTED BY THIS VICE? HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE DEATH THAT CAN OCCUR AS A RESULT OF THESE EVENTS WHICH CAN INSTIGATE VIOLENCE AND FIGHTS, EVEN SHOOTINGS WHICH CAN RESULT IN INNOCENT LIVES, UH, BEING LOST? HAVE YOU ANALYZED THE SITUATION? HAVE YOU REFLECTED UPON THAT EACH PERSON THAT LEAVES THE EVENT NOT ONLY DRIVES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CANNABIS, BUT ALSO ALCOHOL? THANK YOU.
NEXT WE HAVE ADRIANA AND THEN PATRICIA, AND THEN MIKE
[02:05:05]
GON, GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR.MY COMMENT IS IN REFERENCE TO ITEM NUMBER 15, I'M IN COMPLETE DISAGREEMENT WITH THE CHANGES OF THE, UH, 8.68 ORDINANCE.
MY REASONS ARE, UH, ROOTED AS A MOTHER AND THE LOVE I HAVE FOR OUR CITY.
THE BUDGET GAINS EARNED SHORT TERMED WILL BE COUNTERBALANCED WITH THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES SEEN IN THE LONG TERM AND THE IMPACT WITHIN THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES TALKING ABOUT HEALTH CONCERNS AND THE TERRIBLE IMPACT TO ONE'S HEALTH DUE TO SMOKING AND VAPING.
SECOND AND THIRD HAND SMOKING WILL ALSO AFFECT THOSE THAT DO NOT SMOKE.
THIS IS ALL INFORMATION THAT WE'RE ALL AWARE OF AND KNOW VIA THE STUDY OF VIABILITY OF THE MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATOR WHO REMARKS THE SMOKE FROM CANNABIS CONTAINS HIGH LEVELS OF CHEMICALS HARMFUL TO ONE'S HEALTH, SUCH AS AMMONIA, HYDROGEN, CYANIDE, NITROGEN DIOXIDE.
AND KNOWING THIS, YOU STILL PLAN TO CONTINUE FORWARD WITH YOUR PLAN.
I HOPE THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO REFLECT UPON THIS.
THANK YOU, UH, PATRICIA AND THEN MIKE.
UM, MAYORS AND COUNCIL, WOMEN AND MEN.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHRISTINA.
I APPRECIATE THE, UM, HOLD ON.
I'M A THREE TIME WORLD CHAMPION IN WOMEN'S ROWING.
UM, I HAVE RAISED ATHLETES MYSELF.
WE HAVE CHILDREN WHO HAD FULL RIDES TO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THROUGH SPORTS.
ONE CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT IN SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENTS.
ONE CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT IN HEALTHY CITIES.
ONE CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A STRONG CITY ORDINANCE IN WHICH I RAISE MY CHILDREN.
YOU DON'T RAISE CHAMPIONS AND YOU DON'T RAISE KIDS WHO CAN FOCUS WHEN YOU HAVE WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
SO THE TEMPORARY WAIVER, 8.68, THERE HAS BEEN A FAILURE TO DEFINE WHAT TEMPORARY IS.
THERE HAS BEEN A REAL HAZY FAILURE TO REALLY STATE HOW MANY, UM, OF THESE EVENTS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 12.
IT'S GONE UP, IT'S NOW 12 PER YEAR PER INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS ENTITY, BUSINESS OWNER, EVENT ORGANIZER, PROMOTER, YOU COULD, WE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT 2,500 EVENTS.
THAT'S A TEMPORARY WAIVER IS PERMANENTLY ELIMINATING OUR TOBACCO ORDINANCE.
THAT'S MORE EVENTS YOUR TIME HAS INCLUDED.
THERE ARE DAYS IN THANK YOU, THE YEAR.
SO I'M VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED TO THIS.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS MIKE, AND AFTER MIKE IS MELINDA AND THEN PAM AND THEN SAI.
THEY DID EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THIS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM TAKING THE TIME TO TALK TO OTHER CITIES AND SEE THE SUCCESS THAT'S OCCURRED.
WITHOUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS, EVERYTHING IS RUN SMOOTHLY UP IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
[02:10:01]
FOR THE THAILANDS TO BRING IN SOME DIFFERENT REVENUE THAT HASN'T COME IN BEFORE.UH, AS THE MAYOR ALLUDED TO, IT HAS A LIKELIHOOD TO BE PAIRED UP WITH A MUSIC FESTIVAL, POSSIBLY, UH, ALSO A FOOD FESTIVAL.
COMBINING THAT ALL TOGETHER, IT'S A VERY UNIQUE SITUATION.
UH, YOU'VE ALL HAVE READ ABOUT SNOOP DOGG AND HIS PARTNERSHIP WITH MEDIUM RARE.
THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING THIS INTO LONG BEACH.
AND IT WILL BE LISTED AS A CULTURAL FESTIVAL.
UH, IT'LL BE DONE PROBABLY DOWN EITHER IN THE QUEEN MARY OR SOME AREA AWAY FROM SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND ALL THAT.
MOST LIKELY IT'LL BE IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, MAYOR ON THIS.
I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER CINDY ALLEN, COUNCIL MEMBER ZENDEJAS, VICE MAYOR URANGA FOR BRINGING THE MOTION FORWARD AND SUPPORTING THIS TONIGHT.
ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE, MELINDA.
MY NAME IS MELINDA COTTON AND I LIVED IN BELMONT FOR 40 YEARS.
COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN FOR EXPRESSING THE HEALTH CONCERNS.
IN 1993, THE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY VOTED A NO SMOKING ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY.
THE TOBACCO INTEREST OBJECTED.
68% OF LONG BEACH RESIDENTS WANTED NO SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES.
THE SURVEY THAT WAS TAKEN WAS 700 PEOPLE.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO RESPONDED WERE US CANNABIS ENTREPRENEURS.
AND THIS HAS BEEN PRESENTED AS A MUSIC FESTIVAL MUSIC EVENT, 10 TO 12,000 PEOPLE EVENT COMBINATION WITH APPARENTLY OPEN SMOKING AND VAPING.
UH, CBS NEWS SAID, YOU MAY SOON BE ABLE TO SMOKE MARIJUANA AT PUBLIC EVENTS IN LONG BEACH.
NBC, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH COULD BECOME THE FIRST SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CITY TO LET VISITORS SMOKE MARIJUANA IN PUBLIC SPACES.
IS THAT REALLY HOW WE WANT OUR CITY TO BE KNOWN? AND AREN'T YOU TURNING AWAY NON-SMOKERS WHO LIKE MUSIC FESTIVALS? WHAT ABOUT THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO LOOK UP TO ADULTS? AND IF THEY GO TO THOSE FESTIVALS, WHICH THEY WILL BECAUSE THOSE ARE, UH, VERY GREAT MUSIC FANS, THEY'RE GOING TO SEE PEOPLE OPENLY SMOKING CANNABIS VAPING, WHO KNOWS WHAT? SO IS THAT THE MESSAGE WE WANT? I DON'T THINK SO.
YOUR TIME, CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN? UH, DO YOU? THANK YOU.
NEXT, NEXT IS PAM, AND THEN SAI.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF.
UM, I THINK THE FIRST TIME I CAME UP HERE FOR THIS AGENDA WAS 2019, AND THEN WE GOT HIT.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR PUSHING US THROUGH.
UM, I HAVE LIKE THREE POINTS I'M GONNA RUN THROUGH REALLY QUICK.
UM, I'M AN EDUCATION DIRECTOR WITH LONG BEACH, UM, COLLECTIVE ASSOCIATION.
I'M A 20 PLUS YEAR RESIDENT HERE IN LONG BEACH IN DISTRICT TWO.
AND I'M A NEWLY SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.
UM, SO I WANNA SAY FIRST, UM, I WANNA ADDRESS MY FIRST, UM, HIGHLIGHT IS THAT LONG BEACH LOCAL RETAILERS WILL PROTECT THE CITY AND RESPECT OUR NEIGHBORS, UM, WAY MORE THAN OTHER RETAILERS OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY WHO PROBABLY WILL COME IN AND THEY WON'T REALLY CARE, THEY'LL JUST DO THEIR EVENT.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, UM, I REALLY WANNA THANK STAFF TO FOR THEIR STUDY AND LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES AND TO ENSURE THAT, UM, UH, WE INCORPORATE A COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROVISION REQUIRING THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR SALES FROM ANY EVENT SHOULD BE PROSTITUTE OUR LOCAL LICENSE, LONG BEACH RETAIL DISPENSARY.
UM, THE CITY CAN ENSURE PROPER TAX COLLECTION WHILE AWAITING THE COMPLEXITIES OF DOUBLE TAXATION THAT MAY ARISE WHEN RETAILERS FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS, UM, WHO ARE ALSO OBLIGATED TO PAY TAXES IN THEIR HOMETOWN.
'CAUSE CANNABIS IS VERY, VERY COMPLICATED.
UM, THE SECOND POINT IS, UM, THAT TEMPORARY CANNABIS, OH, I'M ALREADY OUTTA TIME.
I HOPE YOU READ THE LETTER AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PUTTING THIS THROUGH.
OUR FINAL SPEAKER, SONAI, UH, SONAI CAN FACE SIX DISTRICT RESIDENT.
I'M PROUD TO NOW SAY THAT NOT ONLY WAS I ONE OF THE, UH, EARLIEST CLASSES OF JACKIE ROBINSON ACADEMY, I ALSO WAS BORN ON, I WAS BORN AT JACKIE ROBINSON WAY 'CAUSE I WAS BORN AT THE FORMER PACIFIC HOSPITAL.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO THIS ITEM TODAY, I ALSO WAS HERE IN 2019.
AND I LOVE TO BE AS CONSISTENT THEN AS I, UH, AM
[02:15:01]
TODAY, WHICH IS THAT THERE IS NO EQUITY ELEMENT CONNECTED TO THIS SIX YEARS AGO, WHICH I SAID THEN, UH, AND THERE'S STILL NO EQUITY ELEMENT CONNECTED TO IT SIX YEARS LATER.UM, MR. TIM BLAKE, UH, IF YOU'RE GONNA COME HERE AND DO BUSINESS HERE, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, A LOT OF THE IN INCARCERATED, RECENTLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE WAR ON DRUGS, UH, DON'T WANT TO JUST PARTICIPATE IN THESE, UH, ACTIVITIES AS, UM, CLIENTELE OR AS PERSONNEL, UH, DESERVE THE RIGHT TO BE, UH, OWNERS.
AND, UH, I LOVE MY COUSIN IN, UM, OAKLAND, WHO THANKS TO IT BEING ON THE HARRY J KAISER, UH, FACILITY.
THE EMERALD CUP WAS MANDATED
WE ARE, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH THI TO WHAT I SEE IN THIS.
AND UNTIL THERE'S THIEF IN THIS, IT'S NOT EQUITABLE.
AND SO WE STILL DON'T HAVE ANY EQUITY OWNERS OF ANY RETAIL DISPENSARY IN THE CITY.
SO YOUR TIME HAS TO, I JUST DON'T BELIEVE IN SELF REGULATION.
UH, SO WE'VE HEARD A LOT FROM THE PUBLIC.
UH, I WANNA REMIND FOLKS THIS IS, UH, THE BEGINNING OF THE, THIS NEXT PHASE OF THE PROCESS.
WHEN STAFF COMES BACK, THEY'LL TALK ABOUT EDUCATION SCOPING, ALL OF THOSE DETAILS BECAUSE THERE WERE A NUMBER OF, UH, REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS AND, AND ELEMENTS THAT WERE RAISED, UM, UH, BY THE PUBLIC TONIGHT.
SO, UH, SO STAFF WILL DO THEIR, DO THEIR DILIGENCE AND BE BACK, AND THERE WILL, WILL, WILL CERTAINLY BE, UH, MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
THAT SAID, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
ALRIGHT, NEXT WE'RE GONNA GO TO ITEM 17, PLEASE.
COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN.
RECOMMENDATION TO REQUEST CITY MANAGER TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
[17. 25-54988 Recommendation to request City Manager to work with Community Development and Economic Development Department to initiate a process to establish a new vision and update the land use regulations which govern the Long Beach Marina Planned Development District (PD4) for the Alamitos Bay Marina. Office or Department: Kristina Duggan, Councilmember, Third District Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
TO INITIATE A PROCESS TO ESTABLISH A NEW VISION AND UPDATE THE LAND USE REGULATIONS, WHICH GOVERN THE LONG BEACH MARINA PLAN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT FOR THE ALAMITOS BAY MARINA.ALRIGHT, WAS THERE GONNA BE ANY, UH, WERE YOU GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS CHRISTOPHER, A LITTLE BIT BEFORE I MAKE, MAKE MY COMMENTS? NO, IT'S, IT'S YOUR ITEM.
SO I'M JUST HERE FOR QUESTIONS.
I, UM, I AM SO GRATEFUL TO STAFF FOR TALKING WITH ME AND MEETING WITH ME ABOUT THIS.
AND I'M ALSO GRATEFUL TO FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER SUSIE PRICE FOR THE LONG AND IMPORTANT CONVERSATION THAT LED TO CSIP THE SOUTHEAST AREA SPECIFIC PLAN.
BECAUSE THIS PLAN LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR CHANGE AND GROWTH IN SOUTHEAST LONG BEACH, IT ALSO PRESERVED LAND FOR FUTURE COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND IMPORTANTLY, PROTECTED THE LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS.
SO WE ARE SEEING HOUSING MOVING FORWARD WITH 1,250 HOUSING UNITS APPROVED IN JUST THE PAST TWO YEARS.
COMMERCIAL RECRUITMENT IS ALSO HAPPENING, FOCUSING ON BRINGING HIGH VALUE JOBS TO THIS AREA.
I AM PROUD TO SHARE THAT LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS AUTHORITY, THE LCWA WILL BREAK GROUND THIS YEAR ON 250 ACRES OF COASTAL WETLANDS RESTORATION.
THIS IS AN ENORMOUS WIN FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE CITY IS CHANGING AS A WHOLE.
THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAS BEEN AN OIL TOWN FOR OVER A CENTURY.
WE'VE HAD A 10 YEAR PHASE OUT PLAN, UM, 10 YEAR PLAN TO PHASE OUT OIL BEFORE, UH, IT WAS ACCELERATED BY SB 1137.
THE CITY NOW FACES AN URGENT NEED TO REPLACE THAT HUNDRED, THAT CENTURY LONG OIL REVENUE, UM, WITH ANOTHER WAY TO GENERATE REVENUE FOR THE TIDELANDS AREA.
I KNOW THE MAYOR'S WORKING REALLY HARD TO TURN OVER STONES, GET OTHER REVENUE SOURCES, UM, CREATING NEW SOURCES OF REVENUE.
AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR FUTURE COASTLINE AS ONE OF THOSE.
WE'VE SEEN PD SIX IN DOWNTOWN AND HOW THIS HAS DEVELOPED THE DOWNTOWN SHORELINE VISION PLAN.
[02:20:01]
IT'S TIME TO LOOK AT PD FOUR.THIS IS A PLAN DEVELOPMENT FOR, IT RUNS ALONG MARINA DRIVE AND INCLUDES A MIX OF THRIVING BUSINESSES CURRENTLY THERE.
RECREATIONAL AMENITIES, UH, SO MANY SURFACE PARKING PLACES THAT ARE PARKING IS EITHER REALLY FULL OR ALMOST EMPTY.
PD FOUR PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REIMAGINE THIS SPACE, NOT JUST FOR TODAY'S NEEDS, BUT FOR WHAT WE WANT IT TO BECOME A DECADE FROM NOW.
AND THIS PROJECT ISN'T JUST ABOUT REVENUE, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FACTOR, BUT IT'S ABOUT ENGAGING WITH RESIDENTS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND VISITORS TO SHAPE A VISION OF WHAT REFLECTS OUR SHARED PRIORITIES.
IT'S ABOUT ASKING, DO WE WANT MORE GREEN SPACE? DO WE WANT BETTER TRANSIT ACCESS? DO WE WANT IMPROVED WATERFRONT EXPERIENCES? THIS IS ABOUT SUPPORTING BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY THERE WHILE PLANNING FOR ADDITIONAL BALANCED GROWTH THAT CAN BENEFIT EVERYONE.
SOUTHEAST, UM, LONG BEACH IS CHANGING AND GROWING.
OUR CHALLENGE AND OUR OPPORTUNITY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT CHANGE SUPPORTS OUR RESIDENTS, OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND THE LONG-TERM HEALTH OF OUR CITY.
I'M BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD TO START THE CONVERSATION, AND I'M EXCITED TO DIVE INTO THIS ITEM WITH OUR RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, STAKEHOLDERS, AND CITY STAFF WITH AN EMPHASIS ON HEARING FROM OUR RESIDENTS BUSINESSES AND BRINGING TOGETHER A VISION THAT WE CAN ALL MAKE SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE OF SOUTHEAST LONG BEACH IN THIS AREA.
I'M NOT, UH, JUST ADD MY, MY SUPPORT HERE.
I THINK THIS IS A VERY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR OUR CITY.
YOU HAVE, UM, AN AREA THAT'S LARGELY A PARKING LOT AND THE FUTURE OF OUR COASTAL AREAS IS NOT PARKING.
IT'S GONNA BE ACTIVATION, IT'S GONNA BE OTHER THINGS THAT GENERATE REVENUE.
AND, AND THE WAY THAT, UM, YOU'VE LAID IT OUT IS REALLY THOUGHTFUL AND THAT YOU'RE BEGINNING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I CAN TELL YOU WHEN I BEGAN AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, IT JUST STARTED WITH, WE WANTED TO HAVE A SPECIFIC PLAN FOR NORTH LONG BEACH UP PLAN.
INITIALLY, THE RESOURCES WEREN'T THERE INITIALLY, BUT WE HAD TO ADVOCATE UNTIL WE FOUND THOSE RESOURCES AND WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, PLAN OUT THE FUTURE OF, OF NORTH LONG BEACH.
I THINK THIS IS ONE OF A NUMBER OF SIGNATURE PROJECTS ACROSS OUR CITY FROM SHORELINE.
UH, THE SHORELINE DRIVE, UH, WORK TO, UH, THIS PROJECT PROJECTS UP IN NORTH LONG BEACH LIKE CARMEL CARLITO'S, POTENTIALLY.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SIGNATURE PROJECTS ACROSS TOWN THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM OUR, OUR ECONOMIC BASE AND TRANSFORM, UM, UM, UM, OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND THIS IS, AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM.
SO THIS HAS MY STRONG SUPPORT.
UM, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
IT'S ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT TIDELANDS, WE KNOW THAT WE CAN NO LONGER COUNT ON OIL TO THE SCOPE THAT WE'VE COUNTED ON IT AS REVENUE SOURCE FOR MANY YEARS.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE IN THE TIGHTS AREA AND IT WILL REQUIRE MAKING CHANGES.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR SHOWING LEADERSHIP HERE AND, AND GETTING BEGINNING BY ENGAGING WITH YOUR COMMUNITY, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
BECAUSE WHAT ULTIMATELY TAKES PLACE THERE NEEDS TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE COMMUNITY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO OFFER MY SUPPORT AND THANKS THERE.
UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN, UH, YES.
UM, I DID HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND SO THANK YOU CHRISTOPHER KUNZ FOR TAKING A MEETING WITH ME TODAY AT LAST MINUTE AND ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS AND HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM.
ALRIGHT, UH, WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
KIN FACE SIX, DISTRICT RESIDENT.
FIRST, I WANT TO, UH, COMPLIMENT AND VOICE MY APPROVAL AND SUPPORT OF, UH, COUNCILWOMAN DUGGAN'S, UH, UM, SUPPORT OF DEVELOPMENT COMING INTO THIS AREA AND WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
DEVELOPMENT, UH, IN TWO, TWO-PRONGED.
WHETHER THAT'S DEVELOPING THE NATURAL HABITAT OF THE WETLANDS OR DEVELOPMENT WITH RESPECT TO, UM, THE COMMERCIAL.
AND I, I DID HEAR A LITTLE HINT OF RESIDENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SPACE.
UM, SO THIS CENSUS TRACK THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS LIKE, UM, FIVE, WHAT IS IT, CHRIS? IT'S LIKE 5 7 5 7, 7 0 1,
[02:25:04]
MAYBE 5, 5 7.IT'S, IT'S FIVE FIVE SOMETHING.
SO THIS IS A CENSUS TRACT THAT 62% OF THE POPULATION IS OVER THE AGE OF 50.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? I LOVE ALL THE OLD PEOPLE.
I LOVE THE YOUNG PEOPLE MORE, BUT I LOVE ALL THE OLD PEOPLE.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, AND I'M LOOKING AT MY TWO ELDERS HERE.
WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT 10 YEARS LEFT TO USE YOUR GUYS' CALPERS PENSION RETIREMENT MONEY TO FUND ANY OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS NEEDED IN THIS AREA.
SO IF WE CAN JUST EXPEDITE ALL OF THIS AS FAST AS WE CAN, WHILE THIS MONEY AND OUR MOST IMPORTANTLY, OUR ACCESS TO IT IS STILL AVAILABLE, I'M ALL FOR IT.
I KNOW THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA GET A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS INTO, INTO THE AREA.
WE'LL GET THE INCLUSIONARY HOUSING, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S 11% NOW.
WE, WE CAN GET WHAT WE CAN GET.
BUT WHAT I DO UNDERSTAND FOR THIS AREA THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT WE GET SOME TYPE OF CONDOMINIUM TOWN HOME DEVELOPMENT, WHICH ARE MORE REALITY.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A CENSUS TRACK, MEDIAN INCOME IS LIKE, UH, FOR THE HOUSEHOLD IS LIKE 130,000, UH, AVERAGE MEDIA INCOME FOR THE INDIVIDUALS ABOUT 98,000.
IT'S A VERY CLEAR PROFILE OF WHO CAN ACTUALLY MOVE AND BUY INTO THIS AREA, RIGHT? AND WE KNOW THAT COMMERCIAL, UH, RETAIL IN THE WAY THAT IT EXISTS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PAST THE, WE'RE PAST THE YEARS OF TOWER AND YOU KNOW, BARNES AND NOBLES IS REMODELING.
I KNOW IT'S, PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME THAT IT'S REMODELING, BUT OKAY,
UH, BUT SO WE JUST HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES HERE.
AND I THINK THAT WITH THIS TRACK, UH, IF WE CAN GET SOME MORE FOCUS ON WORKFORCE MIDDLE INCOME, YOU KNOW, EVEN TOWARDS THE LUXURY ENDS OF, OF THINGS, IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE IT WOULD'VE BEEN BUILT FROM 2025 ON.
SO PROP 13 ASIDE, THAT'S SOME NEW INCOME.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DEPLETING OIL INCOME, WE NEED SOME OF THAT NEW IN.
WE NEED, WE NEED PEOPLE LIKE ME BUYING INTO THESE.
I, WELL I CAN'T BUY IN THAT AREA, BUT, YOU KNOW, BUYING INTO THESE AREAS BECAUSE WE PROVIDE NEW INCOME TO A CITY THAT'S HAVING DEPLETED INCOME.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY I SUPPORT ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THESE AREAS.
IT'LL JUST BE PRAGMATIC AND WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
UH, EVEN WITH THAT MOTEL THAT'S GOING DOWN, UH, THAT'S, UH, GOING OUTTA BUSINESS, WOULD LOVE TO HELP SUPPORT DEVELOPING CONDOS.
EIGHT, SEVEN, $800,000 MORE, WHATEVER IT TAKES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS SUPPORTIVE OF CREATING VISION FOR AN AREA THAT CAN ENHANCE, UM, COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND I THINK THAT WITH THIS BEING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY, UH, TO THE OCEAN, BUT ALSO, UM, TO OTHER RECREATIONAL AREA, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UM, AND I'M, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF ALWAYS VISIONING, UM, THAT INCLUDES RESIDENT.
I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE THINKING COUNCILMAN DUGGAN AND WHAT THAT PROCESS WOULD LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE I, I IMAGINE, UM, EVERY, JUST AS WE HEARD FROM A PUBLIC COMMENTER, EVERYBODY HAS THEIR IDEAS.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT ARE THE WAYS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM RESIDENTS OR IN GENERAL IN LONG BEACH? I AM REALLY GLAD YOU ASKED THAT BECAUSE I RE UM, I WAS GONNA SPEAK AGAIN EXACTLY TO THAT POINT.
I AM ASKING FOR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS TO BE VERY INVOLVED.
THIS HAS TO BE A TRICKLE DOWN OF ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS AND GETTING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS TO ACTUALLY ENGAGE WITH RESIDENTS.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE RESOURCES THROUGH COMMISSIONS LIKE, UM, THE MARINE ADVISORY COMMISSION.
WE HAVE, UM, THESE RESOURCES WE CAN USE AS LEADERSHIP IN THE THIRD DISTRICT AND SURROUNDING THAT CAN OFFER INPUT FOR WHAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THIS, UH, FOR THIS PD FOUR.
SO, AND I'M GOING TO LOOK TO PD SIX AND HOW THAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH WAS DONE.
AND I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO LISTEN TO HOW OTHER PEOPLE HAVE DONE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
HAPPY TO LISTEN TO, UM, THOSE WHO HAVE COME BEFORE AND BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT RECEIVING THAT INFORMATION.
MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
[02:30:01]
IS CARRIED.18 REPORT FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH MARINA REVENUE REFUNDING BONDS SERIES 2025 IN AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 103 MILLION AND AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTION OF RELATED DOCUMENTS, DIS DISTRICTS ONE AND THREE.
LET'S JUMP INTO THE STAFF REPORT, PLEASE.
WE HAVE, UH, KEVIN RUPER, DIRECTOR OF, UH, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT HERE FOR QUICK PRESENTATION.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
I'M JOINED BY ASSISTANT CITY TREASURER AND DEBT MANAGER, JESSE ORTEGA.
UH, WE HAVE HALF A DOZEN SLIDES TO SHARE WITH YOU.
10 YEARS AGO, THE CITY SOLD A LITTLE OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF MARINA REVENUE BONDS AND 10 YEARS LATER WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REFINANCE THOSE TO REFUND THEM AT LOWER INTEREST RATES THAN PREVAILED 10 YEARS AGO.
THE REFUNDING BONDS IMPORTANTLY ARE THE INTEREST ON THEM IS EXEMPT FROM FEDERAL AND STATE INCOME TAX.
SO WE GET A LOWER INTEREST RATE THAN PRETTY MUCH ANYBODY IN THE CAPITAL MARKETS 'CAUSE OF THAT TAX EXEMPTION.
WE'LL KEEP THE FINAL MATURITY OF THESE, UH, 2015 REVENUE BONDS AT 2045.
THEY WERE 30 YEAR BONDS, THEN THERE'D BE 20 YEAR BONDS NOW.
AND, UH, EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, ABOUT THE FINANCIAL STRUCTURE IS THE SAME AS IN 2010.
THERE ARE SOME BOND COVENANTS THAT WE WISH TO HIGHLIGHT FOR THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, THE FIRST ONE IS THE REVENUE THAT STANDS BEHIND THESE BONDS.
THE REVENUE STANDING BEHIND THESE BONDS INCLUDES NO TAX REVENUE, NO TIDELANDS REVENUE, IT'S ALL MARINA FUND REVENUE PAID ONLY BY THE USERS OF THE MARINAS THROUGH THEIR SLIP FEES.
NO TAXPAYER MONEY IN TERMS OF SPENDING.
UH, IN TERMS OF THE, UM, FINANCIAL CASH FLOW OF THE REVENUE THAT COMES INTO THE MARINA FUND.
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE COSTS GET PAID FIRST FROM THE MARINA USER'S REVENUE, AND THEN DEBT SERVICE GETS PAID WITH ENOUGH OF A CUSHION FOR, UM, REPAIRS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS GOING FORWARD.
THAT'S SOMETHING DEMANDED BY BOND HOLDERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE SAME INTEREST IN A HEALTHY MARINA, AS DOES THE WHOLE CITY, AS DOES THE CITY COUNCIL, AS DOES THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, THE PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE DEPARTMENT, AND AS OF COURSE DO THE USERS OF THE TIDELANDS AND THE MARINAS THEMSELVES.
THERE IS ONE BOND COVENANT THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS BE CHANGED HERE IN 2025 FROM WHAT IT WAS IN 2015.
AND THAT'S THE FOURTH ITEM ON THE SLIDE.
BECAUSE OF A STATE LOAN REQUIREMENT BACK IN 2015, ALL MARINA REVENUE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS HAS HAD TO STAY WITHIN THE MARINA FUND ITSELF.
IT COULDN'T BE USED ANYWHERE ELSE, UH, IN THE TIDELANDS.
BUT THAT REQUIREMENT IS NOW FALLING AWAY WHEN WE REPAY, UH, THE FINAL STATE LOAN NEXT WEEK AT JUST $200,000.
AND SO THE MARINA REVENUE BONDS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR YOUR APPROVAL TONIGHT DON'T NEED THAT REQUIREMENT ANYMORE.
YOU HAVE A DEBT POLICY THAT CALLS FOR FLEXIBILITY.
AND FLEXIBILITY MEANS, UM, ANY EXCESS REVENUES IN THE MARINA FUND AFTER MEETING OTHER REQUIREMENTS COULD CONCEIVABLY BE SPENT IN THE TIDELANDS AREA.
GENERALLY CAN'T BE SPENT IN THE GENERAL FUND, CAN'T BE SPENT, UH, ANYWHERE OTHER THAN THE TIDELANDS BECAUSE OF COURSE THE MARINAS ARE IN THE TITLES.
SO, UH, THE BOX ON THE, UM, SCREEN, THE LAST FOUR WORDS FROM THE 2015 BOND, COVENANT DON'T APPEAR ON THIS PAGE.
IT USED TO BE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS, THE COVENANT SAID, UH, SURPLUS APPLIED FOR ANY LAWFUL PURPOSE IN THE MARINA FUND.
BUT THE BOND FINANCING TEAM HAS STRUCK THOSE FOUR WORDS SO THAT YOU AND FUTURE CITY COUNCILS SHOULD YOU DESIRE AND SHOULD THERE BE EXCESS MARINA REVENUES WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY, NOT THE REQUIREMENT, NOT THE MANDATE, JUST AN ABILITY TO MOVE EXCESS MONIES FROM THE MARINA FUND TO THE TIDELANDS FUND AS TO HOW MUCH WE MIGHT EXPECT TO SAVE.
THE CITY COUNCIL LETTER THAT'S PUBLISHED IN THE PACKET HAD, UH, INTEREST RATES AS OF THAT DAY THAT WOULD GENERATE 20 YEARS OF DEBT SERVICE SAVINGS AT ABOUT $500,000 A YEAR.
UH, THE SECOND BULLET TALKS ABOUT AN IMPORTANT MEASURE THAT'S ON A NET PRESENT VALUE BASIS.
THOSE SAVINGS ARE ABOUT $5.7 MILLION IN TODAY'S MONEY, WHICH IS ALMOST 6% OF THE REFUNDED BONDS.
AND THE THIRD BULLET HAS THIS, YOUR DEBT MANAGEMENT
[02:35:01]
POLICY.UH, STAFF AND BOND FINANCING TEAMS SHOULD ONLY EXECUTE REFUNDINGS WHEN THE NET PRESENT VALUE OF REFUNDED BONDS IS 3% OR MORE AS OF MARCH 31ST.
GOODNESS KNOWS WHERE WE'LL BE ON MARCH ON, UM,
UM, HERE'S THE FINANCING SCHEDULE.
THE FOURTH BULLET SAYS WE HOPE TO PRICE ON TUESDAY, MAY 6TH BEFORE THE FEDERAL OPEN MARKET COMMITTEE MEETING ANNOUNCES FEDERAL RESERVE, UH, INTEREST RATE CHANGES THE NEXT DAY.
UM, I'M ALWAYS SAYING INTEREST RATES CAN CHANGE, AND THEY CERTAINLY HAVE DONE THAT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, IF INTEREST RATES GO UP SO HIGH THAT WE'RE NOT AT THE NET PRESENT VALUE SAVINGS AT 3%, THE BOND FINANCING WILL BE PUT ON THE SHELF UNTIL INTEREST RATES DO GET HIGH ENOUGH.
WE WILL NOT SELL THESE REFUNDING BONDS IF THE NET PRESENT VALUE IS NOT AT LEAST 3%.
FINALLY, UM, I MENTIONED ALL THE USES OF THE MARINA FUNDS.
SO, UH, IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, BUDGETARY FUNDS AVAILABLE THAT CAN BE APPROPRIATED FOR ONE-TIME, USES LIKE CAPITAL PROJECTS HAVE GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE MARINA FUND, UM, UP 60% IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS TO $33 MILLION AS OF SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024.
AND BECAUSE OF THE STRONG FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF THE MARINA FUND OVER THE 10 YEARS SINCE THESE BONDS WERE SOLD, ABOUT $3 MILLION OPERATING, UH, INCOME, NET OPERATING INCOME EACH YEAR, THAT NUMBER IS LIKELY TO INCREASE.
UH, THE MARINE BUREAU OF THE PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE HAVE A LIST OF CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT TOTALS $34 MILLION.
AND THAT LIST IS INCLUDED IN THE PRELIMINARY OFFICIAL STATEMENT THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TO BOND HOLDERS, TO PERSPEC PROSPECTIVE BUYERS OF OUR BONDS, UM, AT THE END OF APRIL.
SO THERE'S ENOUGH CASH, ENOUGH BUDGETARY FUNDS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW TO FUND THAT ENTIRE, UM, CAPITAL, THAT ENTIRE LIST OF CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT FOR YOU.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
AND MR. DOTE AND I ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
DAVE BOOKER AND PATRICIA DAVE.
I WANNA THANK YOU, UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL PE COUNCIL PEOPLE.
I'M FROM THE LONG BEACH MARINA BOAT OWNERS ASSOCIATION, AND I'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME WITH CHRISTINA AND KEVIN AND I KNOW THEIR FINANCE DEPARTMENT WELL, AND THEY KNOW THE MARINA THAT, THAT I LIVE ALMOST LIVE IN AND VERY WELL TOO.
FOR 65 YEARS, THE BOAT OWNERS ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN AN ACTIVE IN LONG BEACH MARINAS, WHICH FOR SOME OF US IS ALSO OUR HOME.
OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE DEVELOPED AN EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MARINA MANAGEMENT TEAM AND THE CITY'S MARINE ADVISORY COMMISSION.
I WANT TO TAKE THIS TIME TO SAY THAT THE LONG BEACH MARINA BOAT OWNERS ASSOCIATED EXTEND SINCERE APPRECIATION TO COUNCIL MEMBER DUGAN CITY FINANCIAL DIRECTOR, KEVIN RIPPER AND THE CITY'S MARINE ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR THEIR TIME, DEDICATION AND LEADERSHIP.
THESE GOOD FOLKS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE BOAT OWNERS WITH THEIR PARTNERSHIP.
THE BOAT OWNERS ARE READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BOUNDARY ISSUE AND PRIORITY MARINE PROJECTS OVER MORE THAN A DECADE.
THE LONG BEACH MARINA FUND HAS BUILT UP THOSE RESERVES ENTIRELY THROUGH SLIP FEES AND EFFICIENT MARINA OPERATIONS.
I WANT YOU GUYS TO THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS, THE MARINA OPERATES OPERATE AS A BUSINESS.
IT'S GOT REVENUES AND EXPENSES AND THIS PART, AND THEY HAVE, LUCKILY, THEY, THEY RUN, THEY RUN PRETTY, PRETTY EFFICIENT SHOP.
UM, THE MARINA IS REALLY A BUSINESS.
IT'S MAKES A SLIGHT PROFIT OFFERING TENANTS A CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED PLACE TO LEAVE THEIR BOATS AND IN SOME CASES MAKE A HOME AT A FAIR PRICE.
I CALCULATED THE PROFIT MARGIN.
AT 2020 23, THEY MADE 4.8% OF REVENUE.
THAT'S MORE THAN A GROCERY STORE, BUT LESS THAN MCDONALD'S AS REQUIRED BY THE STATE TIDELANDS GRANT.
IT OPERATES FOR THE PUBLIC GOODS SERVING ALL OF THE RESIDENTS OF CALIFORNIA AS THE 2025 MARINE BOND APPROVAL APPROACHES.
THE MARINA BOAT OWNERS ASSOCIATION RESPECTFULLY URGE THESE RESERVES BE DEDICATED TOWARDS LONG OVERDUE MARINE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT SERVE THE BROADER PRO UH, PUBLIC.
IMPORTANTLY, WHILE THE BOAT OWNERS HAVE NOW CONCRETE DOCKS THAT THAT'S BEEN DONE, THERE ARE A FEW ANCIENT WOODEN DOCKS REMAINING FOR PUBLIC AND VISITORS.
AND THESE ARE AVAILABLE AT A DAILY RATE, BY THE WAY.
SO VISUALIZE, I WANT YOU TO VISUALIZE AS A, AS A BOAT OWNER, BUT YOU VISUALIZE THAT MOTEL THAT YOU WENT TO WITH YOUR PARENTS.
'CAUSE SOME OF THE SLIPS ARE ABOUT LIKE
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THAT WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT SOME OF THE VISIT VISITING SLIPS.SO WE'RE NOT QUITE DONE WITH THE REBUILD.
WITH THE LONG BEACH PREPARING TO WELCOME THE WORLD FOR THE 2020 OLYMPICS, WE HAVE A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD USING MARINA GENERATED FUNDS, NOT TAX DOLLARS.
OUR REQUEST FOR THE BOAT OWNERS IS TO USE THE RESERVES TO ADDRESS THE PROJECTS THAT IN SOME CASES DATE BACK TO THE 2011 AGREEMENT WITH THE COASTAL COMMISSION.
THEY'VE REALLY BEEN OUT THERE THAT LONG.
THEN THESE, UM, WILL STRENGTHEN TOURISM AND APPEAL TO VISITING VOTERS, ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY, FULFILL A DA REQUIREMENTS.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, I WASN'T AWARE OF THIS, UH, ITEM, BUT, UM, I WANTED TO STAY FOR, UM, MY DISTRICT.
I AM A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE, AND, UM, WE LOOK FORWARD AS RESIDENTS TO WORKING WITH OUR COUNCILWOMAN, UM, IN A, UM, COLLABORATIVE MANNER TO DISCUSS A MULTITUDE OF WAYS TO BUILD OUT BOTH COMMERCIALLY AND RECREATIONALLY.
I HAVE TO SAY, I ATTENDED JUST BY CHANCE, A CITY COUNCIL MEETING BEFORE THE BUILDING OF PCH IN SECOND, BACK WHEN IT WAS, THERE WAS A HOTEL THERE, UM, AND A COLLABORATIVE GROUP OF COLLEGE, UM, MASTER'S DEGREE STUDENTS FROM USC, FROM ST.
MARY'S, AND FROM UCLA WORKED TOGETHER AND PRESENTED AN AMAZING PRESENTATION.
I'M SURE IT'S ON RECORD OF WHAT THAT SPACE COULD BE AND WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE.
THEY HAD, THEY HAD AN ARCHITECTURE STUDENT, THEY HAD LIKE FIVE STUDENTS, AND THEY PRESENTED AN AMAZING PRESENTATION OF WHAT A REPLACED, UM, OLD HOTEL COULD BE.
UH, IT WAS JUST KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF.
DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES, THEY WERE ALL FROM THE AREA, GRADUATED FROM OUR HIGH SCHOOLS HERE.
UM, SO KIND OF WITH THAT SPIRIT AND LOOKING AT WHAT PCH AND SECOND IS, NOW I HAVE FULL FAITH IN THE RESIDENTS, YOUNG AND OLD
MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
19 REPORT FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT AND SEPARATELY ISSUED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED
[18. 25-54922 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing the issuance of the City of Long Beach Marina Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2025 (Alamitos Bay Marina Project) in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $103,000,000, and authorize the execution of related documents, and approve related official actions. The Series 2025 Revenue Refunding Bonds are solely secured by Marina Fund revenues. (Districts 1, 3) Office or Department: Financial Management Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
[19. 25-54920 Recommendation to receive and file the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and Separately Issued Financial Statements for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2024. (Citywide) Office or Department: Financial Management Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024 CITYWIDE.WE NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
UH, WE WILL GO 21 REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY.
RECOMMENDATION TO DECLARE ORDINANCE RELATED TO AIRPORT NOISE
[21. 25-54771 Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending and restating Chapter 16.43 related to Airport Noise Compatibility, read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading. (Citywide) Office or Department: City Attorney Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
COMPATIBILITY.READ THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? PUBLIC COMMENT.
MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
22 REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY RECOMMENDATION TO DECLARE ORDINANCE RELATED TO THE PILOT PROGRAM
[22. 25-54985 Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending Chapter 10 at Section 10.12.020.A and Section 10.38.020 related to the pilot program for electric scooters on the beach path, read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading. Office or Department: City Attorney Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
FOR ELECTRIC SCOOTERS ON THE BEACH PATH.READ THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
WE'LL GO TO OUR SECOND GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
UH, WE HAVE ONE PERSON, EDGAR C.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT: IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT Opportunity is given to those members of the public who have not addressed the City Council on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes unless extended by the City Council. ]
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY STAFF.I AM AN EQUITY APPLICANT ACTIVELY WORKING TOWARDS BUILDING A LICENSED CANNABIS MICRO BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UH, AS YOU, UH, DISCUSS THE FUTURE CANNABIS SPECIAL EVENTS AND LICENSING OPPORTUNITIES, I WANNA TAKE THE MOMENT TO BRING
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THE CONVERSATION BACK TO THE FOUNDATION.THE EQUITY PROGRAM ITSELF, UH, THE PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED NEARLY 10 YEARS AGO, BUT THE PROMISE OF PROVIDING REAL OPPORTUNITY TO THOSE MOST IMPACTED BY THE CANNABIS CRIMINALIZATION.
UH, TODAY THERE ARE OVER 140 EQUITY RECIPIENTS, AND YET NOT A SINGLE EQUITY OWNED CANNABIS BUSINESS HAS BEEN OPENED ITS DOORS IN THE CITY.
UH, THIS IS A REFLECTION, UH, OF SYSTEMIC ISSUES THAT REMAIN UNADDRESSED.
THE INCUBATION PLAN WRITTEN INTO THE ORDINANCE WAS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT EQUITY ENTREPRENEURS, BUT IN PRACTICE, IT HAS NO BACKBONE WITH ENFORCEMENT.
WE'VE CREATED A SYSTEM WHERE CURRENT OPERATORS CAN HOUSE EQUITY APPLICANTS FOR APPEARANCES, ONLY USING THEIR NAMES, IDEAS, AND DREAMS TO SATISFY COMPLIANCE WITHOUT EVER PROVIDING A PATH TO TRUE OWNERSHIP.
THIS IS A FORM OF ABUSE, HIDING BEHIND INCLUSION AND MUST BE CALLED OUT.
WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL FUTURE WHERE SOME EQUITY RECIPIENTS MAY RECEIVE RETAIL LICENSES.
UH, BUT THE TRUTH IS, IN THIS ECONOMIC CLIMATE BUILDING AND SUSTAINING A RETAIL OPERATION IS MORE DIFFICULT NOW, MORE THAN EVER BE BEFORE.
BETWEEN RISING BUILDING COSTS, MARKET SATURATION AND THE LACK OF MEANINGFUL FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO SUSTAINABILITY OF THESE BUSINESSES IS A SERIOUS RISK FROM THE START.
AND WHERE EQUITY ENTREPRENEURS ARE STUCK IN LIMBO, WE STILL ALLOW EXISTING RETAILERS TO OPERATE DESPITE, UH, BEING OUT OF COMPLIANCE, INCLUDING MANY WHO ARE NOT IN GOOD STANDING WITH TAX FILINGS.
UH, WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY IN THIS? IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE STOP, UH, CONFLATING EQUITY WITH COMMUNITY.
THESE ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE.
EQUITY IS A TARGETED RESPONSE TO A HISTORIC HARM.
IT IS NOT A FILL GOOD CATCH ALL TERM.
UM, IF WE BLUR THAT LINE, WE WILL RAISE VERY PEOPLE WITHIN THE PROGRAM THAT WAS CREATED TO SUPPORT THE CITY IS GOING TO CONTINUE CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES LIKE SPECIAL EVENT LICENSES.
THEN IT ALSO MUST TAKE A BOLD CORRECTIVE ACTION TO FIX WHAT'S BROKEN.
THIS MEANS ENFORCING RULES ALREADY ON THE BOOKS, PROTECTING EQUITY APPLICANTS FROM PREDATORY BEHAVIOR AND ENSURING THE BUILDING A SYSTEM WHERE EQUITY BUSINESSES CAN THRIVE, NOT JUST EXIST ON PAPER.
I, I URGE YOU GUYS TO PRIORITIZE EQUITY, NOT IN JUST WORDS, BUT IN STRUCTURE ENFORCEMENT AND MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY.
UH, WE ARE ALL ADD, UH, THAT CONCLUDES GENERAL COMMENT NUMBER TWO.
[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
ALLEN.UM, I'M PERSONALLY INVITING YOU VICE MAYOR TO BRING THE GRANDKIDS AND THRESH AND TOOK, UH, YOU BRING YOUR KIDS AND SULI SORROW.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING THE BIG EGG EASTER EGG HUNT, UM, ON, UH, IT'S GOING TO BE ON A SATURDAY AT, UM, AT BIXBY PARK, UM, FROM 10 30 TO 1130, AND WE HAVE OVER A THOUSAND EGGS AND ALL KINDS OF CANDY.
SO ALL OF YOU WITH KIDS, I NEED YOU ALL TO COME DOWN AND TAKE THESE EASTER EGGS OFF MY HANDS.
AND ALSO THERE'S GOING TO BE THE EASTER BUNNY THERE TO MAKE VISITS AS WELL.
IT'S GOING TO BE AN EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT EVENT.
YES, THANK YOU MR. VICE MAYOR.
UH, THIS SATURDAY MORNING, APRIL 19TH, I INVITE RESIDENTS TO JOIN ME, MY TEAM, AND THE BIXBY OLD STROLLERS FOR AN OFFSITE STROLL BEGINNING AND ENDING AT THE DISTRICT FIVE FIVE FIELD OFFICE AT WARDLOW PARK.
JOIN THE THREE MILE LOOP TAKING OFF AT SEVEN 30 SHARP TO MEET NEW FRIENDS AND CONNECT WITH NEIGHBORS FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF CD FIVE ON SATURDAY, APRIL 19TH.
IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN'S EVENT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT THE HANGAR AT LBX FOR THIS WEEK'S POPUP MARKET WITH A COUNTRY WESTERN THEME FROM NOON TO SIX, YOU CAN SHOP LOCAL VENDORS, ENJOY FAMILY FRIENDLY WESTERN THEMED ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING LINE DANCING AND SPEAKING OF DANCING, I ALSO INVITE YOU TO SUPPORT LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE'S PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM BY ATTENDING THE SPRING 2025 DANCE ENSEMBLE IN CONCERT.
YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM THREE SHOWS THIS WEEKEND, FRIDAY THE 18TH AT SEVEN, SATURDAY THE 19TH, AT ONE OR 7:00 PM YOU CAN VISIT LCC.EDU/PERFORMING ARTS FOR MORE TICKETS AND INFORMATION.
LASTLY, I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR NEXT CD FIVE COMMUNITY MEETING ON THURSDAY, APRIL 24TH AT 6:00 PM AT WARDLOW PARK COMMUNITY CENTER, WHERE WE WILL BE JOINED WITH GUEST SPEAKERS FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO DISCUSS WAYS THEY SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I HOPE TO SEE YOU OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I THINK WE LOVE DANCING IN THE CITY.
I WANTED TO INVITE YOU GUYS TO DANCE FITNESS WITH CYAN, UM, WITH CYAN ON CLASSES ON FRIDAY.
UH, ONE TWO 2:00 PM AT LINCOLN PARK ON FRIDAYS.
ALL IT IS OPEN TO ALL SKILL LEVELS.
[02:50:01]
SO IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO DANCE, YOU'RE WELCOME.AND IF YOU KNOW HOW TO DANCE, REALLY GOOD, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME AS WELL.
UM, AFTER YOU GO TO CINDY ALLEN, COUNCILWOMAN CINDY ALLEN'S FESTIVAL, UM, PLEASE COME JOIN US AT OUR SPRING FESTIVAL AT GUM BINDER PARK, HOSTED BY MY OFFICE IN COLLABORATION WITH ST.
ANTHONY'S NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 19TH FROM 12 TO 2:00 PM LOCATED AT THE GUM BINDER PARK.
ALSO, I INVITE YOU TO SUBSCRIBE FOR, TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR ALL DISTRICT ONE UPDATES AND CITY RESOURCES, COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND MUCH MORE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, VICE MAYOR, AND SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE A FUN WEEKEND IN LONG BEACH.
UM, BEFORE I, UH, CLOSE TONIGHT, I DID WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT APRIL IS, UH, EARTH MONTH.
UM, AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND TAKE MEANINGFUL STEPS TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.
THAT MEANS PLANTING TREES AND REDUCING WASTE TO ADVOCATE TO ADVOCATING FOR CLEAN AIR WATER.
AND THIS MONTH REMINDS US THAT EVERY ACTION COUNTS.
LAST WEEKEND, MY OFFICE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH RESOURCE FAIR.
IT WAS HELD AT THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER.
IT WAS SO GREAT TO SEE SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS OUT PROVIDING VALUABLE RESOURCES TO OUR MOTHERS HERE IN THE CITY.
AND I WANNA THANK CRC FOR HOSTING THE EVENT.
AS A REMINDER, THE CRC IS AN OPEN SPACE FOR OUR RESIDENTS WHERE THEY HAVE FREE HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLASSES THAT ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC CLASSES, INCLUDES AEROBICS, NUTRITION, AND COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS AND STRESS REDUCTION WORKSHOPS.
YOU CAN VISIT THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA AT CRC LONG BEACH TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR SERVICES.
LOOKING AHEAD, UH, NEXT THIS WEEK, UH, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE COOLIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION TOMORROW EVENING AT COOLIDGE PARK AT 7:00 PM AND THE, UH, NORTH VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WILL BE HOSTING A GO LB WALK.
THAT'LL BE THIS THURSDAY AT 6:00 PM WE'LL START THE ROUTE AT THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER, CRC ON ATLANTIC, AND WALK THROUGH THE AREA, TAKE PHOTOS AND MAKE SUBMISSIONS.
UM, SO WE'RE WARNING THE CITY STAFF NOW.
UH, WE'LL BE ON THE GO LONG BEACH APP, UM, ON THURSDAY.
UH, THIS WILL BE A CHANCE FOR NEIGHBORS TO GET TOGETHER AND ALERT THE CITY ABOUT IMPORTANT, UH, ITEMS THAT NEED OUR ATTENTION.
UH, JUST LIKE OUR, MY OTHER COLLEAGUES HERE, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY CONNECTED WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE EIGHTH DISTRICT.
PLEASE DO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AND CHECK US OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
I JUST GOT A TEXT FROM MY DAUGHTER SAYING YOU NEED TO TAKE THE DAY OFF, UM, TO HANG OUT.
SO SHE'S EIGHT AND IT'S THEIR SPRING BREAK.
SO DEFINITELY NEED TO HIT ONE OF THESE AMAZING EVENTS.
WE HAVE SOME IN THE SIXTH DISTRICT TOO, UM, WHERE A OC SEVEN IS HOSTING THEIR EARTH DAY EXTRAVAGANZA THIS SATURDAY, UM, APRIL 19TH, UM, AT 1800 EAST ANAHEIM STREET.
AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA DO POPUPS THAT'S GONNA BEGIN AT 10 30 AROUND LEARNING AROUND CLIMATE ACTIONS THAT, UM, WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE, UM, IN ADDRESSING THE ONGOING CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUE.
UH, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE THE ANNUAL MARK BIXBY MEMORIAL, EASTER EGG HUNT, AND PAUL KENARD BOOK FAIR.
UM, FROM 12 TO 2:30 PM ON APRIL 16TH.
UM, SORRY, THIS SATURDAY AS WELL AT 1729, JUAN APPAREL AVENUE, WHICH IS THE ROTARY CENTENNIAL PARK.
SO COME AND TAKE A PICTURE WITH THE EASTER BUNNY, UH, AT COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN'S EVENT AND ALSO AT THIS EVENT AS WELL.
UM, SO THAT IT'S A FUN, FUN FILLED, PACKED WEEKEND.
WELL, WE KNOW I GET TO GO HOME AND SEE THE DODGE GAME.