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UH, LET'S SEE.CAN UH, IRENE, CAN YOU PLEASE DO THE ROLL CALL? MICHELLE VALENCIA.
COMMISSIONER HEINZ, CAN YOU PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE? ABSOLUTELY.
THERE'S A FLAG I PLEDGE OF THE TO FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
COMMISSIONER CLARK, CAN YOU PLEASE READ OUR MISSION STATEMENT? GOOD MORNING.
WE ADVOCATE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR LONG BEACH'S, CULTURALLY DIVERSE OLDER POPULATION BY EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE AND SERVICES RELATED TO EDUCATION, HEALTH, HOUSING, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, SAFETY, TECHNOLOGY, AND LANGUAGE ACCESS.
COMMISSIONER GIBBONS, CAN YOU PLEASE READ OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT? WE, THE ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AGING, RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE ON TRADITIONAL AND SACRED LANDS OF MANY INDIGENOUS GROUPS WHO CALL THESE GROUNDS HOME.
WE THANK THEM FOR THEIR STRENGTH, PERSEVERANCE, AND RESILIENCE IN THEIR SPIRIT.
MAY WE STRIVE TO ALWAYS HONOR AND RESPECT THE WISDOM OF OUR EIGHT ELDERS? THANK YOU.
UH, NOW MAY I PLEASE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AGING MEETING FROM WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12TH, 2025.
IS THERE ANY, UH, DISCUSSION ON THAT? SHALL WE TAKE A VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MARCH MINUTES.
ANYONE OPPOSED? AND IS ANYONE ABSTAINING? I'LL STAY.
WELL, IT DOES APPEAR, THE MOTION CARRIES.
UH, LOOKS LIKE HEIDI, DO YOU HAVE A REPORT FOR US? YES.
UM, HAPPY TO SEE YOU ALL HERE.
UM, SO I HAVE SOME, SOMETHING THAT I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT AND HERE ABOUT THIS TIME.
I GET SUPER EXCITED AND FAST TO TELL YOU.
I'M A LITTLE, A LITTLE EXCITED PROBABLY.
UM, BUT, UM, OLDER AMERICANS MONTH IS HERE IN MAY, SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD AS A STAFF TEAM TO PUT THINGS TOGETHER, DIFFERENT EVENTS FOR, UM, THE 50 PLUS COMMUNITY HERE IN LONG BEACH, UM, TO ACTUALLY ENJOY SOME ACTIVITIES.
UM, AND I HAVE TO TWEAK AND SEE MY MARGINS ARE A LITTLE WRONG ON ONE OF THESE, SO WE'LL HAVE TO TWEAK THEM TO MAKE SURE IT ALL FITS ON THE PAGE PROPERLY.
UM, BUT, UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS AND THERE'S SOME ALSO FACTORS FOR THE PUBLIC IF THEY WANNA KNOW.
BUT WE, EVERY MAY, YOU KNOW, WE DO PROGRAMMING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR OLD ADULT PROGRAMS. THEN WE, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT IN LIKE OUR FIELD TRIPS WHERE WE TAKE ALL CENTERS ON FIELD TRIPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND WE'LL BE DOING SOME THIS SUMMER THAT ARE COMING UP THAT ARE GONNA BE EXCITING.
AND THEN DIFFERENT, LIKE WE'VE HAD OUR NEW YEAR'S DANCE, BUT IN MAY, UM, IT'S CONSIDERED OLDER AMERICANS MONTH.
AND SO WE, THIS IS OUR THIRD YEAR TRYING TO REALLY, UM, DOING SOMETHING IN LONG BEACH, UM, WITH PARK AND REC IN REGARDS TO OLDER AMERICAN MONTH.
SO WE HAVE A MONTH LONG CELEBRATION OF OUR OLDER ADULTS, UM, TO WHERE WE HAVE DIFFERENT EVENTS THIS YEAR WE HAVE 12 EVENTS GOING ON DURING THE MONTH OF MAY.
SO YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCHEDULE EVENTS THAT LIST THE EVENTS.
SOME OF THE EVENTS WE KIND OF DO ANNUALLY, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST LIKE FUN AND THE COMMUNITY LIKES THEM.
UM, WE TEND TO ALWAYS START OUT WITH THE NATURE CENTER AS A NATURE CENTER ADVENTURE, WHERE THEY COME AND DO A WALK AT THE NATURE CENTER AND, UM, KIND OF WALK AROUND THE AREA, GET TO KNOW THE NATURE CENTER, AND WE HAVE INFORMATIONAL TABLES OUT THERE.
EACH EVENT, THEY GET SOME TYPE OF PROMOTIONAL ITEM TOO THAT HAS, UM, THE PARK AND REC LOGO ON IT, AND THEN SOMETHING THAT SAYS CELEBRATING OLDER ADULTS ON IT.
UM, BUT SOME OF THE STUFF YOU'RE INVITED TO ATTEND ANYTHING, SOME DO HAVE SOME TYPE OF REGISTRATION.
SO IF THEY HAVE A STAR, THERE'S SOME TYPE OF REGISTRATION, WHETHER IT'S ACTUALLY SIGNING UP FOR EVENT OR THE TALENT SHOW, IT'S TO SIGN UP ACTUALLY TO BE ONE OF THE TALENT SHOW PERFORMERS.
SO IF YOU HAVE SOME TALENT LEADING TALENTS, PLEASE SIGN UP.
UM, THE PICKLEBALL ONE, IT'S ACTUALLY THE SIGN UP TO ACTUALLY PLAY PICKLEBALL.
SO SOME OF 'EM ARE SIGNED UP TO PARTICIPATE, BUT IF YOU DIDN'T WANNA PARTICIPATE, ANYONE CAN GO AND WATCH THE ACTIVITIES, UM, FOR IT.
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THEN WE HAVE, UM, UH, ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE STARTED LAST YEAR THAT WE'RE GONNA DO AGAIN THIS YEAR IS THE PROCLAMATION.SO WE GOT THE CITY TO, UH, MAKE A PROCLAMATION IN REGARDS TO A MAY BEING OLDER MARANS MONTH.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE, UM, VENDOR, UM, EXHIBIT BEFORE THE, UM, COUNCIL MEETING AND SOME PERFORMANCES.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO INTO THE COUNCIL MEETING AT FIVE O'CLOCK TO ACTUALLY GET THE PROCLAMATION AND HOPEFULLY TAKE A GROUP PICTURE WITH ALL OF, UM, OUR OLDER ADULTS AND ATTENDANCE AND OUR, UM, DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
UM, ANOTHER ONE WE PARTNERED THIS YEAR WITH THE 18 SERVICES COLLABORATION, AND THEY'RE HAVING A SENIOR SAFETY SUMMIT AT MOUNT PARK ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 7TH.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY ABOUT JUST SAFETY.
AND IT'S NOT JUST SAFETY IN THE COMMUNITY, IT'S SAFETY IN REGARDS TO, UM, SAFETY WHEN YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, AT HOSPITALS OR CAREGIVER SUPPORT SAFETY.
AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A VENDOR AFFAIR WITH DIFFERENT, UM, NONPROFITS AND, UM, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT FOCUS ON SAFETY AS WELL.
A LOT OF THEM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE LUNCH AT THEM, UM, BECAUSE IT'S DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO WE HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT GREASE WHERE WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO DRESS UP, WHICH SHOULD BE SUPER FUN.
UM, WE HAVE A SUNSET RODEO DANCE DRESS UP LIKE MOVIE, LIKE THE GREASE MOVIE, YOU KNOW, LIKE JOHN TRAVOLTA STYLE, UM, OR THE PINK LADIES, WHATEVER YOU WANT.
UM, BUT THEN WE HAVE A SUNSET RODEO DANCE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A DANCE AND DINNER TOO, WHICH LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR WE'RE HAVING A WESTERN THING, WHICH WILL BE KIND OF CLASS.
UM, NOW THAT'S JUST THE SCHEDULE EVENTS, BUT MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE EVENTS IS IN OUR NEWSLETTER.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEWSLETTER, IT HAS ALL THE DETAILS.
WE HAVE A BOOK OF THE MONTH, WHICH WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THE LIBRARY AS WELL, WHICH WE, UM, PICK A BOOK BECAUSE EVERY MONTH MAY, THERE'S A THEME BEHIND IT.
THIS YEAR IT'S FLIPPED THE SCRIPT ON AGING.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FLIP THE SCRIPT ON WHAT PEOPLE THINK AGING IS.
UM, SO THE BOOK KIND OF TALKS ABOUT THIS LADY WHO'S, UH, RETIRED AND SHE'S DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING AND SHE'S NOW WENT THROUGH THE BAKING SHOW.
SHE'S FLIPPING THE SCRIPT ON WHAT PEOPLE THINK AGING IS.
UM, AND A LOT OF OUR EVENTS, UM, ARE TRYING TO DO THAT AS WELL.
BUT THERE'S MORE DETAILS ON THE EVENT SPECIFICS.
SO HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS WILL BE ABLE TO COME TO THEM.
YOU REGISTER AT THE EVENTS AT OUR SENIOR CENTER LOCATIONS.
SOME HAVE TRANSPORTATION, SOME YOU CAN DRIVE ON YOUR OWN.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST SOMETHING EXCITING ON THE BACK.
WE HAVE A LOOK BACK FROM LAST YEAR OF SUMMER EVENTS, AND THEN WE HAVE A PICTURE OF OUR STAFF TEAM IN OUR OLDER AMERICAN SHIRTS, AND THOSE ARE THE TEAM MEMBERS THAT PUT THIS, UM, GREAT MONTH TOGETHER.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT, BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE FROM MY REPORT.
UM, SO I HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET TO SEE YOU GUYS AT SOME OF OUR OLDER AMERICAN EVENTS IN VEGAS.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE HEIDI'S REPORT? SO MOVED.
IS THERE A SECOND? CAN I SECOND? OKAY.
WAS THERE LIKE, ANY DISCUSSION ON IT OR SHOULD WE TAKE A QUESTION? I WOULD, YEAH.
REPEAT THE, UM, THE HARBOR CREWS THAT WE DID LAST YEAR.
WE ARE NOT EVEN THE HARBOR CREWS THIS YEAR.
IT WAS A FUN, IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS RIGHT.
I'M SORRY, MAYBE NEXT YEAR I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, UH, WHICH IS, THIS LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY GOOD SCHEDULE FOR OLDER ADULT.
I'M REALLY HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
I MEAN, THIS IS JUST MONTH, BUT WE DO HAVE ALL THESE ACTIVITIES AND WE'RE, OH, I'M IN THE TALKS.
THIS IS, MAYBE I SHOULDN'T ANNOUNCE THIS YET.
OFFICIAL AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW THAT.
SO IS THERE SOMETHING LIKE THIS EVERY SINGLE MONTH AND WE'RE JUST FOCUSING ON IT BECAUSE IT'S OLDER ADULTS MONTH? YEAH.
WELL, WE HAVE PROGRAMS EVERY SINGLE MONTH, SO A LOT OF, LIKE, NOT ALL THESE PROGRAMS DON'T HAPPEN EVERY MONTH, BUT EVERY SENIOR CENTER HAS LIKE, WHETHER IT'S LIKE A HOLIDAY OR LIKE MAYBE A CULTURAL MONTH GOING ON LIKE TODAY AT MCBRIDE PARK, UM, WHICH IS A, API, UM, CELEBRATION THEY'RE HAVING THERE WITH, UM, AND IT'S A CAMBODIAN NEW YEAR'S OVER THERE, SO THEY'RE HAVING A CAMBODIAN NEW YEAR'S EVENT THERE THAT PROBABLY WILL BRING IN LIKE 200 OF OUR OLDER ADULTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND SO EVERY SINGLE DAY AT DIFFERENT CENTERS, THERE'S, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS, WHETHER IT'S, UM, EVENTS LIKE DANCES, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS MONTH IS EASTER COMING UP, SO THERE'LL BE SOME TYPE OF LIKE SPRING DANCE, NOT EASTER, BUT SPRING.
UM, OR THEY'LL HAVE LIKE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION LUNCHEONS OR JUST, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO EACH, UM, PROGRAM HAS A MONTHLY CALENDAR THAT THEY GIVE OUT EVERY MONTH.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF THESE ACTIVITIES.
THEY HAVE A FIELD TRIPS CENTER OUT THERE CENTERS TOO, THAT THEY GO ON JUST WITH THEIR LIKE CENTER OR PEOPLE THAT WANNA SIGN UP.
WE HAVE FIELD TRIPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT WE BRING ALL OF OUR CENTERS TOGETHER AND
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TAKE ABOUT 150 OF OUR OLDER ADULTS TOGETHER ON THE FIELD TRIPS, WHICH ARE OUR BIG ONES.BUT THEN EACH CENTER CAN DO LITTLE FIELD TRIPS.
THEY DO DANCES, THEY BRING IN BANDS.
WE HAVE A BAND THAT COMES INTO EL DORADO PARK TWICE A WEEK TO PERFORM.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT BANDS THAT COME HERE.
SO IT, IT JUST DEPENDS ON, UM, KIND OF THE MONTH, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOME TYPE OF CELEBRATION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
EACH CENTER WILL HAVE THEIR OWN CELEBRATION.
WON'T BE MAYBE QUITE AS BIG AS THIS, BUT THERE ARE, UM, STUFF GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE MONTH AND EVERY DAY, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR DISCUSS DISCUSSION REGARDING HEIDI'S REPORT? ALL RIGHT, THEN LET'S TAKE A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING HEIDI'S REPORT.
ANYONE OPPOSED? ANYONE ABSTAINING? THE MOTION CARRIES.
NOW OUR NEXT, UH, AGENDA ITEM.
WE HAVE OUR GUEST SPEAKER EDUCATION VOLUNTEER SUPERVISOR ASHLEY LAZANO FROM THE AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC.
SHE IS IN CHARGE OF ALL OUR EDUCATION VOLUNTEERS, WHICH IS RANGED FROM ABOUT 250 TO 500 VOLUNTEERS AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
SHE'S IN CHARGE OF SCHEDULING THEM AS WELL AS, UM, PER PROVIDING THEIR TRAINING MATERIALS.
SO THAT'S WHY SHE'S GOING TO, UM, GIVE US THIS INFORMATION TODAY ON HOW CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS SENIORS.
I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
AND SPECIAL THANKS TO MICHELLE FOR INVITING ME TO TALK ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC.
UH, IF I'M NOT LOUD ENOUGH, JUST LET ME KNOW.
UH, I AM HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA FIRST START OFF WITH SOME OF THE BASICS BEFORE WE GET INTO THE NITTY GRITTY DETAILS.
UH, SOMETIMES THERE IS CONFUSION OVER WEATHER AND CLIMATE.
SO WEATHER IS THE DAY TO DAY, UH, EXPERIENCE THAT YOU'RE FEELING OUTSIDE.
SO YOU'RE TUNING INTO YOUR LOCAL WEATHER FORECASTER TO GET, UH, AN IDEA OF WHAT TO WEAR, UM, WHETHER IT'S SUNNY, WHETHER IT'S CLOUDY, RAINY, WHATEVER THAT CASE MAY BE, VERSUS CLIMATE.
IT IS THE LONG TERM PATTERN OF WEATHER THAT'S HAPPENING.
AND THAT IS WHAT IS HELPING US TO DETERMINE WHAT TO EXPECT SEASONALLY.
SO HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WE'RE REALLY BLESSED.
WE HAVE AMAZING WEATHER, SO OUR CLOSETS DON'T HAVE TO BE FULL WITH, UM, VERY INTENSIVE SNOW GEAR OR OTHER, UH, OUTERWEAR THAT REQUIRES MULTIPLE AIRING.
WE JUST WEAR SIMPLE T-SHIRTS AND BOTH, UH, BEACH CLOTHES, UH, VERSUS OTHER LOCATIONS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
THOSE ARE GONNA EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT CLIMATES.
UM, BOTH THE WEATHER AND CLIMATE ARE INFLUENCED BY THE ATMOSPHERE.
UH, THE ATMOSPHERE IS COMPOSED OF DIFFERENT GASES.
AND ONE OF, UH, THE GASES THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT AND FOCUS ON TODAY IS CARBON DIOXIDE.
UM, I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD THIS SPIEL ALREADY ABOUT CARBON DIOXIDE.
IT IS ONE OF THE GASES THAT NATURALLY OCCURS IN OUR ATMOSPHERE.
UH, IT HELPS TO TRACK THE HEAT.
WE ARE GETTING HEAT FOR ENERGY FROM THE SUN.
IT'S COMING IN AND IT'S BEING ABSORBED BY OUR LAND AND OUR OCEANS.
AND SOME OF IT GETS REFLECTED BACK OUT INTO OUR SPACE, BUT SOME OF IT GETS TRAPPED THAT, UH, CARBON DIOXIDE, YOU CAN THINK OF IT AS A BLANKET.
IT IS TRACKING THAT HEAT AND THAT ENERGY ON OUR PLANET, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT BLANKET, OUR TEMPERATURE WOULD NOT BE THE WAY IT WAS.
WE WOULD BE LIKE OTHER PLANETS 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT ATMOSPHERE.
AND SO IT, IT'S, IT'S AN IMPORTANT NATURALLY OCCURRING GAS THAT WE HAVE.
THE PROBLEM IS WE HAVE ADDED TOO MUCH CO2 INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
AND SO THAT IS WHAT, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE IS REFERRING TO.
IT IS A CHANGE IN OUR USUAL AVERAGE CLIMATE.
AND SO, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THIS GRAPH RIGHT HERE, THIS IS A GRAPH PROVIDED BY PDC.
UM, YOU CAN SEE, UM, FROM 1940S TO, UH, RECENTLY, WE ARE DRASTICALLY INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE.
SO THAT'S HUGE, RIGHT? GLOBALLY, WE ARE INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE AS YOU THINK ABOUT BOILING WATER, RIGHT? IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO BOIL WATER.
WE ARE SEVERELY IMPACTING OUR GLOBE, AND THAT'S IMPACTING US.
UM, SO MANY OF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED IT, UM, IN RECENT DAYS, RIGHT? WE, EARLIER THIS MONTH, WE HAD STRONG WILDFIRES, AND THAT WAS DEVASTATING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
IT'S DEVASTATING TO PEOPLE, DEVASTATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND WE'RE JUST GONNA LEARN WHAT THOSE LONG TERM EFFECTS ARE ON ALL OF THOSE ASPECTS.
AND, UM, IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE GRAPH TRANSFER OVER HERE, UM, IT'S SHOWING YOU HOW MUCH CARBON DIOXIDE YOU'RE PUMPING OUT INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
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OF DIFFERENT THINGS.IT'S MAKING THAT CARBON DIOXIDE, THAT BLANKET LAYER THICKER.
SO IF YOU HAVE THICKER BLANKET, YOU'RE GONNA STAY WARMER.
AND IT'S JUST INCREASING AND INCREASING.
THE MORE WE CONTINUE TO BURN THOSE FOSSIL FUELS, THE THICKER THAT RAIN IS GONNA GET AND THE HIGHER THAT TEMPERATURE IS GONNA GET.
AND SO THAT TEMPERATURE CHANGE AFFECTS THE WEATHER, THE CLIMATE IT AFFECTS, THE WIND PATTERNS, IT AFFECTS, UM, THE HEAT THAT'S RADIATING OFF FROM OUR LAND.
AND SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS THINK ABOUT HOW WE ARE GOING TO NAVIGATE THAT.
AND SPECIFICALLY, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT HOW IS THIS AFFECTING SENIORS CURRENT.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF SERIOUS THINGS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITH CLIMATE CHANGE.
HEAT WAVES IS ONE MAJOR, ONE LOCALLY IN OUR AREA.
UM, I'M SURE MANY OF YOU CAN THINK BACK TO ALL THE PREVIOUS SUMMERS WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
THEY'RE GETTING HOTTER AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE STAYING LONGER.
UM, THAT POSES A RISK, HEALTH WISE TO OUR SENIOR POPULATION.
SO, UH, OUR ABILITY TO REGULATE OUR BODY TEMPERATURE AS WE AGE IS MORE DIFFICULT.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE A PREEXISTING CONDITION LIKE DIABETES OR HEART DISEASE, YOU'RE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO HEAT STROKE OR HEAT EXHAUSTION.
AND, UM, THAT IS A RISK BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS AN ADDITIONAL STRESS UPON NAVIGATING HEAT ITSELF.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, COMES UP, IF YOU HAVE DIABETES, UM, THERE IS A CONDITION, UM, WHERE DIABETES CAN LEAD TO NERVE DAMAGE.
AND THAT NERVE DAMAGE AFFECTS OUR NATURAL BODY'S ABILITY TO DETECT TEMPERATURE CHANGES AND TO BE ABLE TO REGULATE THAT, UM, INSULIN OR ABSORPTION, IF YOU'RE DEHYDRATED, IT CAN REDUCE BLOOD FLOW TO SKIN, AND SO IT CAN NEED HIGH BLOOD SUGAR.
SO THE HEAT WAVES ITSELF IS JUST EXACERBATING THE CURRENT CONDITIONS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE ALREADY WITH HEART DISEASE.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT EFFECT IS WILDFIRES AND AIR POLLUTION.
UM, BECAUSE OF THE WILDFIRES THAT WE HAD EARLIER THIS MONTH, THERE WAS A LOT OF AIR POLLUTION.
UM, I'M SURE, UH, I KNOW MANY PEOPLE, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THIS REGION, WERE AFFECTED OR KNOW SOMEBODY THAT WAS AFFECTED BY THESE FIRES.
AND ONE THING THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL ABOUT THESE WILDFIRES IS THE FLU.
BUILDINGS ARE BURNING, CARS ARE BURNING, ALL THOSE MATERIALS ARE INTO THE AIR.
AND THERE HAS BEEN A STUDY THAT HAS FOUND A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN AIR POLLUTANTS AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.
SO EVERYTHING RELATED TO THE HEART IS A STUDY BY THIS MULTI STUDY OF, I'M GONNA SAY THIS REALLY, I'M GONNA TRY MY BEST ATHERO OSIS AIR POLLUTION STUDY.
UH, THE POLLUTION FROM THESE PARTICLES CREATED PLAQUE BUILDUP IN THE CORONARY ARTERIES.
AND SO THESE POLLUTANTS, NOT ONLY FROM WILDFIRES, BUT FROM OUR EMISSIONS, ARE ALL AROUND US ALL THE TIME.
UH, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF AND FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP MITIGATE AND HELP LESSEN THE AMOUNT THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO THE ATMOSPHERE SO THAT WE CAN REBALANCE, UH, WHAT OUR NATURALLY OCCURRING SYSTEMS HAVE.
UH, THE EPA, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY HAS ALSO FOUND THAT, UH, EXPOSURE TO PARTICULAR MATTER HAS SHOWN AN INCREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS RELATED TO THE HEART.
SO AIR POLLUTANTS ARE NOT A GREAT THING.
AND AS YOU GET OLDER, YOU GET MORE AND MORE, UH, CONDITIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO NAVIGATE AND DO IT.
SO IT JUST COMPOUNDS ALL OF THAT, AND THAT ADDS, UH, ADDED STRESS.
AND WITH THE AIR POLLUTION, IF YOU HAVE, UM, ASTHMA OR YOU DON'T HAVE ASTHMA, IT CAN TRIGGER AN ASTHMA ATTACK.
AND IF WERE SOME, ANY KIND OF LUNG CONDITIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, UH, THIS IS ALL VERY SERIOUS, BUT I'M ALSO GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME VERY POSITIVE THINGS THAT WE CAN, THAT, THAT IS HAPPENING CURRENTLY.
UH, THE LAST TWO EFFECTS THAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS NAVIGATING DISPLACEMENT.
SO EVACUATIONS DUE TO, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE, RIGHT? CLIMATE CHANGE, WE ARE GONNA HAVE MORE FIRES, STRONGER FIRES, LONGER LASTING FIRES.
HURRICANES ARE STRONGER, THEY'RE LASTING LONGER.
THE SEASON STARTING EARLIER, UM, TORNADOES ARE BEING STRONGER.
ALL OF THOSE, UH, DISASTERS THAT WE EXPERIENCE ARE, ARE INCREASING.
AND THIS SEVERELY AFFECTS THE SENIOR POPULATION BECAUSE OF DISPLACEMENT.
I'M SURE MANY OF YOU SAW EARLIER THIS YEAR DURING THE FIRES.
UM, WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THE SENIORS? UM,
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THE EVACUATION, UH, GETTING PEOPLE OUT SAFELY, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT, UH, WE AS A CITY AND WE AS, UM, HUMANS, ALL THIS WANNA HAVE TO PLAN AND, AND HAVE THOSE THINGS READY IN OUR EMERGENCY PLANNING.UM, DURING THOSE TIMES, ESPECIALLY AS SEVERELY AS THE FIRES THAT HAPPENED EARLIER, ACCESS TO MEDICATION IS DIFFICULT.
THAT ENTIRE PROCESS, UM, GETS, GETS DESTROYED.
YOU HAVE TO FIND YOUR DOCUMENTS, YOU HAVE TO FIND NOW ANOTHER HOSPITAL, ANOTHER PHARMACY THAT CAN GO TO PICK UP THOSE MEDICATIONS DURING THOSE EVACUATIONS.
ACCESS TO ELEVATORS, ACCESS TO RESOURCES IN ORDER, UH, TO SUSTAIN YOURSELF IS LIMITED.
AND SO IT PUTS OUR SENIOR POPULATION IN A VERY, UM, IN A VERY TOUGH SPOT IN ORDER TO NAVIGATE.
WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE EVACUATIONS AND WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE EMERGENCIES, UH, THIS ALL PUTS A MENTAL STRESS JUST TALKING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? IT IS VERY HEAVY.
THERE'S A LOT TO THINK ABOUT AND THERE'S A LOT TO PROCESS.
UM, AS THE SENIOR POPULATION, THERE'S A FIXED INCOME, RIGHT? THERE'S A SET AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE IN ORDER TO LIVE.
AND AS THESE, UH, FIGHT CHANGE EFFECTS HAPPEN, WE HAVE TO ADAPT TO THAT.
AND ADAPTING TO THAT MEANS HAVING, UM, MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT MATERIALS IN OUR HOME.
HAVING ACCESS TO, UH, COOLING CENTERS, UPGRADING YOUR HOME AS, OR YOUR, YOUR PLACE AS BEST AS YOU CAN, THAT ALL REQUIRES ADDITIONAL MONEY, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
AND SO WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO PROVIDE THAT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE IS ALSO THAT UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE FUTURE.
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
THERE'S THE STRESS FROM THE HEALTH RISKS.
SO AS YOU GET, AS YOU AGE, MORE AND MORE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPOSURE, LONG TERM EXPOSURE TO POLITIC WOUNDS INTO OTHER THINGS IN THE ENVIRONMENT, PLAY A ROLE, PLAY A TOLL ON YOUR BODY.
AND SO THE OTHER THING THAT I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS COMMUNITY.
UM, IT IS DIFFICULT WHEN YOU HAVE HOT WEATHER.
WHEN IT'S HOT WEATHER, YOU WANNA STAY COOL.
AND SO SOMETIMES THAT MEANS STAYING IN YOUR HOME IF YOU HAVE AIR CONDITIONING, UM, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO, GETTING TO COMMUNITY CENTERS, GETTING TO POOLING CENTERS, GETTING TO PARKS AND AREAS WHERE THERE, THEIR HOUSING, UH, THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO STAY COOL IS IMPORTANT.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A COOL COLD WEATHER, RIGHT? AND SO WHEN IT'S COLD, YOU WANT STAY HOME, YOU WANT TO STAY WARM, AND YOU BECOME MORE ISOLATED.
AND SO FINDING OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT CAN BE VERY EASY TO SELF ISOLATE AND TO THINK ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND FEEL LIKE THERE IS NO HOPE, BUT THERE IS HOPE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING ON THESE ISSUES.
HAVING COMMISSIONS JUST LIKE YOURS TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE AGING COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT, JUST HAVING THE CONVERSATION AND SPREADING AWARENESS IS A BIG THING.
UM, THE MORE THAT WE CAN KEEP THE CONVERSATION ALIVE, THE MORE THAT WE CAN ADVOCATE AND SUPPORT FOR POLICIES THAT ARE IMPORTANT.
SO I INVITE A MISSION AND EVERYONE, UM, ON PLANET TO TAKE ACTION IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO ONE OF THE POLICIES THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT STRIDE WAS THE PARIS AGREEMENT.
UM, HAS ANYBODY HEARD OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT? SO, UM, IT WAS REALLY AWESOME BECAUSE IT IS A LEGAL LEAD BINDING INTERNATIONAL TREATY ON CLIMATE CHANGE.
THIS WAS ADOPTED IN 2015, AIMING TO LIMIT GLOBAL WARMING TO WELL BELOW TO FREE CELSIUS.
UH, IT ENTERED INTO A LEGAL FINDING STATUS IN NOVEMBER OF 2016, AND IT RELIES ON THE COUNTRY'S, UH, NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS TO CHIEF OF VOTES.
UH, THE US JOINED THIS IN SEPTEMBER, 2016, UM, BUT IT WAS WITHDREW IN 2020.
AND SO GLOBALLY, EVERYBODY'S WORKING ON THIS ISSUE.
AND WHAT WE CAN DO ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL IS TO SUPPORT POLICIES THAT ARE BEING PUT INTO PLACE TO HELP PROTECT THE PLANET, HELP PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES, AND HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND KEEPING THOSE CONVERSATIONS ALIVE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE WANNA KEEP THAT TOPIC UP UPFRONT AND SET.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT IS ALSO A REALLY GREAT THING TO DO IS TO VOLUNTEER THIS, UM, CAN HELP BUILD COMMUNITY.
UM, THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO GET CONNECTED TO COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY HERE IN LONG BEACH.
THERE'S LOTS OF VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AND IT IS A WAY TO NOT, UM, BE DEPRESSED ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
IT ALLOWS YOU TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE ALSO FACING SIMILAR CHALLENGES.
AND SO THERE IS STRENGTHS IN THAT COMMUNITY AND IN
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THAT SHARED, UM, IN THAT SHARED, UH, PASSION FOR MAKING THAT CHANGE.AND SO I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE UPCOMING THINGS THAT I HAVE FOUND.
UM, LONG BEACH ACTUALLY HAS A LOT OF REALLY AMAZING PROGRAMS. UH, THERE IS THE TREE TRACKER.
HAS ANYBODY HEARD OF THE TREE TRACKER? IS THAT I, YEAH, SOMEBODY, UM, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH PROVIDED FREE TREES AT, AT SOME POINT.
I GOT A LEMON TREE, LIKE OKAY, PERFECT.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE RUNNING IT STILL.
SO, UM, THEY, UH, THIS, THIS IS PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
IT PROVIDES FREE TREES, UH, FOR RESIDENT PARKS.
AND SO FAR BETWEEN THE SEPTEMBER, 2024 AND JUNE 25TH, 2025, PLANTING SEASON, 130 TREES PLANTED.
UM, SO I'M NOT SURE WHEN YOU GOT YOURS, BUT YEAH, IT WAS LIKE SIX YEARS.
SO THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS ARE, ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE WITH OTHERS AND TO BE A PART OF IF YOU CAN.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT IS, UH, PROVIDED BY THE, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS THE TIME AT RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABILITY CITY COMMISSION.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE AN UPCOMING MEETING, UH, THURSDAY, APRIL 24TH.
UH, IT IS, THE COMMISSION ADVISES THE CITY COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES SUCH AS BUILDING AND NEIGHBORHOODS, URBAN NATURE, TRANSPORTATION, WATER, ENERGY, WASTE REDUCTION, AND ECO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
IT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING A SUSTAINABLE CITY ACTION PLAN.
UM, SO THOSE ARE JUST TWO THINGS, UM, THAT YOU CAN GET INVOLVED WITH WITH THE CITY ITSELF.
UH, THERE ARE ALSO TWO OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS WHERE YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW, UH, EVERYONE IS WORKING TO KIND OF MITIGATE WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, THE AQUARIUM PACIFIC IS ACTUALLY HOSTING A EARTH DAY FESTIVAL TEAM CLIMATE FEST, UM, ON APRIL 26TH AND 27TH.
UM, THESE ARE, IT'S ACTUALLY HOSTED BY OUR TEAMS, OUR YOUTH, PUTTING TOGETHER BOOTHS AND HAVING SPEAKER TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE ARE IMPACTING THE PLANET AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO SUPPORT THE PLANET.
UM, THE LAST THING I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT IS, UH, THIS SATURDAY, APRIL, WELL, UM, ALTA SEA AL SEE IS RIGHT OFF OF SAN PEDRO.
THAT'S THAT NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
IT'S GONNA BE THE HUB OF OCEAN EDUCATION AND OCEAN RESEARCH.
UM, THEY'RE HAVING A SERIES TO TALK ABOUT URBAN RENEWABLE ENERGY SUMMIT.
SO IT'S A GATHERING DEDICATED TO ADVANCING CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND ENERGY EQUITY IN LA'S MINORITY COMMUNITIES.
SO THERE IS HOPE, THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE, THERE ARE FOLKS LIKE YOU ALL THAT ARE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE TOPICS ARE, ARE, ARE ADDRESSED AND, AND TALKED ABOUT.
AND SOLUTIONS ARE, ARE BEING DISCUSSED AND IMPLEMENTED.
UM, IT'S ALL HEAVY CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT, UM, THERE ISN'T, THERE ISN'T HOPE OUT THERE.
THERE, THERE'S, BUT I'M SORRY.
THERE'S HOPE OUT THERE FOR US TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES AND, UH, INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE ACTION IS A BIG PART OF THAT.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ASHLEY? UH, GO AHEAD.
UM, SO THE TREE TRACKER, IS THAT THE ONE THAT OFFERS THE FREE PRUNING CLASSES ALSO? OH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.
I WENT TO PR UH, PRUNING CLASS ON SPRING STREET AND SOMETHING, UH, AND IT WAS PRETTY COOL, YOU KNOW, SO I LEARNED HOW TO PRUNE THAT LIMIT TREE TOO LATE.
I, IT SEEMS OPPOSITE COUNTERINTUITIVE TO, TO CUT THE TREE, BUT YEAH, THERE'S A SPECIAL WAY TO DO THINGS.
SO DO YOU THINK THE THE FACIAL MASS WOULD HELP KEEP OUT THE POLLUTANTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? YEAH, THERE'S PARTIC UH, THERE'S SPECIFIC PARTICULATE MATTER MASS OF THAT HELP TO LESSEN WHAT YOU'RE BREATHING IN, UM, ESPECIALLY DURING WILDFIRES.
UM, AND GETTING AWAY FROM WHERE THAT IS SO LONG BEACH.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, MANY OF YOU PROBABLY NOTICED THAT WHEN THE WILDFIRES WERE HAPPENING, MANY PEOPLE CAME DOWN HERE TO THE COAST BECAUSE OUR AIR WAS BETTER, UM, BECAUSE WE HAD THAT POSTAL BREEZE AND IT REALLY HELPED PEOPLE WITH, UM, COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEMS AND PEOPLE WHO HAD ASTHMA.
THIS IS WHERE THEY BREATHE WITHOUT HAVING TO STRUGGLE BECAUSE OF THAT POLLUTION.
UM, WELL FIRST I WANNA TELL YOU THAT WILMORE CITY, UM, COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION HAS PLANTED 38 OF THOSE TRACKER TREES IN WILMORE.
[00:30:01]
ONLY HAVE TO SAY I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT, I'LL WATER IT UNTIL IT'S ON ITS OWN.AND SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, 18 MONTHS WORTH OF WORK ON YOUR PART TO, TO WATER IT.
BUT ANYWAY, MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE ANY DATA ON THE, UM, AMOUNT OF INCREASE OF RESPIRATORY ISSUES DURING THOSE WILDFIRES? BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST SAID THAT WE HAD CLEANER AIR, THAT WAS A RELATIVE TERM.
OUR, UH, POLLUTION LEVELS WERE WAY UP IN THE SEVENTIES, UH, AS FAR AS AIR QUALITY EVERY DAY.
AND WERE USUALLY DOWN IN THE 18 TO TWENTIES.
SO, UM, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAD ANY, SO ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THAT IN YOUR RESEARCH FOR THIS TALK? UM, NO.
I DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC DATA POINTS OF, OF WHAT THE AIR QUALITY LEVELS WERE, UM, UP NORTH AND DOWN SOUTH HERE.
UM, A BIG PART OF IT TOO IS THE WIND CONDITIONS, RIGHT AS, UH, THE TEMPERATURE HAD PLAYS A BIG ROLE AS WELL AS THE LANDSCAPES BECAUSE WE HAVE THE MOUNTAINS.
UM, WHATEVER IS HAPPENING UP NORTH, DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER CONDITIONS CAN BRING IT DOWN SOUTH HERE.
WE'VE ALSO GOT ALL THE SEMI TRUCKS COMING DOWN HERE INTO THE PORT.
AND SO ALL OF THAT EXACERBATES EVERYTHING, RIGHT? I DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC DATA ON ON WHAT PARTICULAR, UH, EMISSIONS WERE LIKE DURING THAT TIME.
YEAH, I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE WE, WHERE I LIVE AND MICHELLE LIVES, WE DEFINITELY GET THE PORT YEAR ROUND 24 7.
NOW THE PORT HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES IN BECOMING A LESS POLLUTANT, UH, FOR OUR, UH, BUT THEY'RE FAR FROM BEING GREAT AT THIS POINT.
SO, UM, THERE THEY, UH, ANY ADDED ON THAT, UM, IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT IS REALLY A DEATH SENTENCE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THAT AREA BECAUSE IF YOU ALREADY ARE DIAGNOSED WITH COPD, WHICH IS CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE, AND THEN YOU START PUTTING WILDFLOWERS FIRES AND THE PORT ON IT AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAN HAPPEN.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE REFINERIES, RIGHT? WILMINGTON IS, THAT'S A HUGE PROBLEM IN WILMINGTON.
THERE'S A LOT OF HEALTH RELATED, UM, DISEASES HAPPENING BECAUSE OF POLLUTION THAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
AND IT'S STILL A STRUGGLE TO, TO GET CHANGE AND GET IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT IT LESSES THE EFFECT ON US.
UM, I ATTENDED AN EVENT IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES AND IT WAS HOSTED BY ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES, BUT THEY LITERALLY GAVE AWAY AIR FILTERS FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT SHOWED UP.
LIKE IT'S THIS BIG, THE BOX, ALL THAT BRAND NEW.
AND I WAS WONDERING AS LONG BEACH CONTACTED THE COUNTY TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD POSSIBLY DO.
'CAUSE THEY LITERALLY, EVERYBODY THAT SHOWED UP, WE ALL GOT AN AIR FILTER.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA DO WITH MINE, BUT IT, I HAVE ONE, PLUG IT IN,
I MEAN, EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT SHOWED UP, IT WAS A LUNCHEON, BUT IT HAD TO BE THREE, 400 PEOPLE AND LITERALLY EVERY PERSON THAT WALKED AWAY, THEY WALKED AWAY WITH AN AIR FILTER.
SO, UM, THE OTHER THING I WAS WONDERING IS, I KNOW TREES ARE LIKE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF YEARS OLD AND THEY CAN TELL BY THE TRUNK AND THE RINGS AND ALL THAT.
IS THERE A THING WHERE YOU CAN'T CUT DOWN A TREE BECAUSE IT'S OLD? IT HAS TO BE REPLACED? OH, OKAY.
SO I'LL TACKLE THE FIRST QUESTION FIRST.
UM, I AM NOT SURE HOW THE CITY GOES UP ANYTIME THERE IS, UH, EMERGENCIES.
LIKE WITH, UM, AIR POLLUTION, LIKE THE CITY OF CARSON ALSO DID THE SAME THING, RIGHT? UM, WHEN WE HAD, UH, OUR AIR QUALITY WAS TERRIBLE, UH, THEY DISTRIBUTED, UM, THOSE AIR FILTERS AND SOME WATER FILTERS BECAUSE OF THE CONTAMINATION THAT WAS HAPPENING, THAT IS ALL COORDINATED BY THE CITY.
SO I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT FUNCTIONS.
I KNOW SOMETIMES WHEN THEY HAVE EVENTS THEY'RE ABLE TO PRODU PROVIDE THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS THE TREES, UM, THE TREE POLICY IN TERMS OF WHAT CAN BE CUT DOWN, THAT'S ALL COORDINATED BY THE CITY.
AND UH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S NOT THE FISH AND WILDLIFE.
WELL, YEAH, WE HAVE MAINTENANCE SIDE, THE, THE TREES AND STUFF, BUT THERE'S DIFFERENT PAWS.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE AGE OF THE TREES.
UM, BUT THERE ARE DIFFERENT, UM, AND I'M NOT SURE THE HOOP DECK, BUT THERE'S LIKE NESTING SEASONS, SO YOU CAN'T LIKE CUT TREES DEPENDING ON IF IT'S NESTING SEASON FOR CERTAIN, LIKE BIRDS IN THE TREE.
SO THERE IS SHORT TIME PERIODS NOT TO CUT THEM DOWN, BUT I KNOW FOR LIKE TREE TRIMMINGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW, UM, IF THERE'S A POLICY ABOUT LIKE IF THE TREE IS SOLD THAT IT CAN'T CUT DOWN, I'M NOT SURE ON THAT.
ONLY REASON WHY I ASK IS 'CAUSE AT MY HIGH SCHOOL, UM, OUR HIGH SCHOOL WAS BUILT 1896 AND ON OUR PROPERTY WHERE THE HIGH SCHOOL WAS, WE OBVIOUSLY HAD TREES THERE WHILE I WAS 200 YEARS OLD.
[00:35:01]
WHEN THEY LEVELED THE SCHOOL, THEY LEVELED ALL THE TREES.AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS WAS, ISN'T THERE LIKE A HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION OR SOMETHING FOR SOME TREES, LIKE BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE TREE THAT YOU ACTUALLY CAN'T HARM OR HURT THE TREE, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S NOT CAUSING ROOT PROBLEMS IN THE SIDEWALK OR ANY OF THAT STUFF.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S SOMEBODY PROTECTED THE, THE LOT, THE WILDLIFE AND ALSO THE TREES AS WELL.
YEAH, AND THERE'S, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.
SO WHENEVER THINGS ARE BEING BUILT, THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW CERTAIN GUIDELINES AND GET PERMITS AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL EPA, UM, CONFIRMING WHAT CAN AND CAN BE DONE IN THAT SPACE.
SO I ASSUME THEY, UM, GOT THE PERMISSION FROM THE EPA CAME OUT OR
WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION AND MORE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WHAT ISN'T.
AND SO NAVIGATING THE BALANCE BETWEEN OUR NEED TO SURVIVE AND OUR IMPACT ON THE, ON THE CLIMATE, WE HAVE TO GET BETTER AT BALANCE IN THAT.
THERE IS IS A POLICY ON THE BOOKS THAT YOU, WITH THE EPA, YOU TAKE A TREE DOWN, YOU REPLACE A TREE.
BUT FOR CONTRACTORS THAT ARE BUILDING NEW BUILDINGS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO PUT THEM RIGHT IN THAT SPOT, BUT THEY DO HAVE TO, UH, PUT 'EM SOMEPLACE.
SO THOSE TREES MAY HAVE BEEN REPLACED MILES AWAY FROM WHERE THAT HIGH SCHOOL WAS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMM UH, QUESTIONS FOR I CHAIR? GO AHEAD.
THE, UM, IS THERE A WAY WE CAN ASK CITY COUNCIL ABOUT FREE AIR FILTERS FOR, UM, OLDER ADULTS? I GUESS? I MEAN, YEAH, I MEAN I WE'RE IN THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, RIGHT? WE ADVISORY COMMISSION.
SO YEAH, I MEAN YOU COULD ASK THEM ADVISE THAT YOU WANT, HOW WOULD WE DO THAT? UM, I READ PRETTY MUCH, I MEAN YOU CAN SEND I GUESS ME AND EMAIL AND I CAN PUSH IT UP BETWEEN OUR DEPARTMENT AND SEE IF, UM,
IF, IF WE COULD HAVE LIKE AN EVENT AND HAVE SOME FREE AIR FILTERS FOR THE, AND I KNOW THE PORT USED TO HAVE, UM, A PROGRAM WHERE THEY WERE GIVING AIR FILTERS TO CERTAIN, UM, AREAS ALONG THE SEVEN 10 FREEWAY TO I THINK IT WAS HOUSEHOLDS OR BUSINESSES.
AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.
SO THERE'S BEEN, UM, PROGRAM THAT WAS HAPPENING.
I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO.
I'M NOT SURE THE STATS ON IT NOW, BUT THANK YOU.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE EASIEST WAY WOULD BE TO EMAIL HEIDI AND HALFER PUSH IT UP.
WE COULD ALSO PUT IT ON OUR NEXT AGENDA AND WRITE A LETTER TO THE COMMISSION, TO THE COUNCIL AS A COMMISSION.
SO EITHER WAY SAY CONTACT, UH, THE COUNTY, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS THE CITY OF LA AND THIS, IT WAS ACTUALLY COUNCIL DISTRICT MEMBER, UH, HEATHER HUT, DISTRICT 10 IN LOS ANGELES.
AND JUST PARTNER AND SAY MAYBE THE COUNTY CAN STEP IN.
'CAUSE IF NOW IT'S COUNTY MAYBE DOESN'T HAVE THE FUNDS THAT ARE WHEREWITHAL AND EVEN IF YOU CAN'T GIVE EVERY SINGLE PERSON ONE, IF IT'S ONE OF THOSE SPIN THE WHEEL KIND OF THINGS, WHERE NOW WHOEVER SPINS IT, THEY CAN GET ONE SO THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE TO GIVE AWAY 600, YOU MAY HAVE TO GIVE AWAY 60 AT EACH EVENT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I WAS WAITING FOR YOU.
UM, YOU MENTIONED SENIOR ACCESS AND MOBILITY, ESPECIALLY IN CON IN CONTACT WITH THE WILDFIRES.
THERE'S UM, ISSUES WITH SENIORS HAVING ACCESS TO ELEVATORS AND OR, YOU KNOW, HAVING SAFE ROUTES OR THE ABILITY TO EVACUATE SORT OF THING.
SO CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? IS THAT A, A CITY FUNCTION? IS THERE WAYS TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY ELEVATORS ARE IN POOR WORKING IN THIS? I REMEMBER, YES.
UM, EMILY FRANCIS DAWSON, HARRIS, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY KNOWS HER, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, SHE WAS A, SHE USES OUR USES USED A WHEELCHAIR, BUT UM, SHE AND THE CHAIR WERE SO HEAVY AND THE ELEVATOR WASN'T WORKING.
SHE WAS BASICALLY STUCK ON HER FLOOR AND BY HER STORY FOR, FOR QUITE A WHILE.
SO IS THERE AN AGENCY OR IS THAT A PART OF LONG BEACH OR MUNICIPAL, UM, AUTHORITIES THAT ARE DOING RESEARCH ON THAT AND TRYING TO MITIGATE THOSE PROBLEMS FOR SENIORS? YES, THERE ARE A COUPLE DIFFERENT AGENCIES, I DON'T KNOW SPEC SPECIFICALLY,
[00:40:01]
UM, WHICH ONES WOULD HAVE THE POWER TO ENACT THOSE PROCEDURES.SO WHENEVER THERE IS AN EVACUATION, UM, IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR GOVERNING BODY TO MAKE SURE TO GET EVERYONE OUT.
AND PART OF THOSE PLANS INCLUDE WHERE ARE PEOPLE GOING TO BE EVACUATED TO? HOW IS IT GONNA HAPPEN? HOW ARE WE GONNA WORK AS A COMMUNITY TO GET PEOPLE OUT? AND SO THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED THE COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM.
UH, IT'S DISTRICT TEAM, IT'S A CERTIFICATION THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET.
UM, AND IT IS, UH, CONDUCTED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, I TOOK THAT COURSE AND IT, IT HELPED ME LEARN A LOT OF INFORMATION.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS RECOMMENDED, UM, FOR FOLKS WHO ARE WHEELCHAIRS OR HAVE LIMITED MOBILITY AND BECAUSE OF FIRES OR EARTHQUAKES, RIGHT, YOU CANNOT ACCESS THE ELEVATOR.
THE BEST, UH, COURSE OF ACTION IS TO HEAD TO WHERE THE EMERGENCY STAIRCASE IS.
THAT'S THE ROUTE THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS GONNA USE, UM, THAT'S GONNA GET YOU, UM, AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE TO THE STAIRCASE.
AND THERE ARE TOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED TO HELP AID, UM, PEOPLE GETTING DOWN THE STAIRS.
IT'S A KIND OF LIKE A, A GURNEY, UM, THAT IS INSTITUTED IN SOME LOCATIONS.
HOW WIDESPREAD THAT IS, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING THAT SHOULD BE TALKED ABOUT IN PLANS WHEN WE HAVE THESE EVACUATIONS.
UM, THE RED CROSS FEMA, RIGHT? THOSE ARE ALL ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP, UM, WHEN WE HAVE THESE, THESE PROBLEMS ARISE.
SO IT IS A BIG IMPORTANT ISSUE.
UM, ACCESS TO, UM, GETTING OUT AND MOBILITY, I DUNNO SPECIFICALLY WHO WOULD BE THE LEADER IN MAKING CHANGES? NO, I I I GET THE RESPONSE.
IT'S LIKE, YEAH, THERE'S A BIG FIRE OR THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE TO RUSH IN.
I THINK I'M LEANING MORE TOWARDS WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, OUR PLAN BEING THE CITY OR WHAT HAVE YOU, TO GO IN AND IDENTIFY BUILDINGS WITH LESS THAN ADEQUATE ACCESS FOR SENIORS OR ELEVATORS AND MOBILITY PLANS.
I MEAN, I CAN SEE DURING A, AN EMERGENCY WE RESPOND AND THE FIREMEN COME IN AND THEY BRING THEIR GURNEYS, BUT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE LONG TERM THAT WOULD IDENTIFY THESE FACILITIES AND COOLING CENTERS AND WHATEVER THAT WOULD BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH, WITH SENIOR CENTERS OR SENIOR, UM, LOCALITIES WHERE A LOT OF SENIORS LIVE, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND BE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THIS MITIGATING PLAN PLAN.
SARAH, YOU'VE MENTIONED THE COMMUNITY ACTION RESPONSE TEAM.
IS THAT, IS THAT THEM? UH, NO, THAT'S JUST THE TRAINING THAT, UH, THE TRAINING, IT, IT TRAINS YOU TO DEAL WITH, UM, UH, TRIAGING AND EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
YOU CAN BE A VOLUNTEER FOR THE RESPONSE TEAM, UM, AND IT, IT TRAINS YOU HOW TO, UM, IDENTIFY SOMEONE'S INJURED AND IT GOES OVER, UM, HOW TO NAVIGATE, UM, FIRES.
IT, IT DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS WHAT CAN WE DO NOW WITH THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE SEEING.
UM, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE, UM, DONE BY DIFFERENT AGENCIES.
AND I'M NOT SURE WHICH AGENCY TO DIRECT YOU FROM IN TERMS OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE.
WELL, LET ME ASK MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, ISN'T IT THE CITY? WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO OR WHAT SHOULD WE DO? I MEAN, ACCESS AND MOBILITY FOR SENIORS, ESPECIALLY IN HIGH RISE, YOU KNOW, COMPLEXES TYPICALLY SENIOR RESIDENCES, THEY HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES FROM WHAT SHE'S DESCRIBING AND WHAT I UNDERSTAND AS WELL.
BUT IT'S NOT LIKE THIS IS AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE ISSUE.
I THINK THIS IS HOW TO RETROFIT BUILDINGS MAYBE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND PUT IN NEW ELEVATORS OR GREATER ACCESS, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT SORT OF THING.
THAT'S A LONG TERM, YOU KNOW, COMPLEX FINANCIAL ISSUE FOR SENIORS, NOT JUST SENDING IN A FEW FIREMEN AND, AND WHIPPING OUT THE GURNEY.
I THINK THIS NICHE UPCOMING, UH, CLIMATE RESILIENT MEETING, UM, THEY SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE, I THINK CONNECTING WITH THEM, UM, TO BE THERE BEFORE APRIL 24TH AND PUT IT IN ON THE AGENDA.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DEADLINE IS FOR THE AGENDA, BUT THAT WOULD BE A GREAT THING TO BRING UP AND MAYBE MIGHT HAVE WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE FOR THAT.
APRIL 24TH? YEAH, APRIL, IT'S ON A THURSDAY.
[00:45:01]
UM, IS THAT ON THIS SLIDE HERE, YOU'RE SAYING? YEAH, I SEE APRIL 12TH.UH, YEAH, THAT A DIFFERENT, UH, EVENT.
THE CITY OF LONG BEACH ALSO HAD A COMMISSION, THE CLIMATE RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE CITY COMMISSION.
THEY'RE HAVING A MEETING APRIL 24TH, IT'S ON A THURSDAY.
UM, AND THEIR WHOLE COMMISSION IS TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THAT MIGHT BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT AND BRING THAT UP ON AGENDA AND SEE WHAT INFORMATION THEY HAVE.
WERE THERE ANY, I JUST WANNA COMPLIMENT, CAN I? YES, GO AHEAD.
UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WAY IN WHICH YOU PUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FACTORS TOGETHER IN ONE PRESENTATION AND IT, IT SHOWS US HOW THINGS ARE INTERCONNECTED.
FOR EXAMPLE, OF WHEN YOU SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S HOT AND YOU WANNA STAY INSIDE, BUT THEN THAT INCREASES ISOLATION AND THEN THE ALTERNATIVE IS COMMUNITY BUILDING.
ANYWAY, I JUST FOUND IT REALLY ADMIRABLE.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE ASHLEY'S PRESENTATION? SO MOVE SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION THEN? ALRIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING ASHLEY'S PRESENTATION.
ANYONE ABSTAINING? THAT MOTION CARRIES.
AND WE ARE ON TO OUR, UM, FINAL AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS, UH, TALKING ABOUT THIS SAFETY NET BENEFITS FOR LOW INCOME SENIORS.
THE COMMITTEE WANTED TO BRING UP SOME STUFF AND THEN WE, WE COULD, UM, TALK ABOUT THAT.
YEAH, THIS IS JUST A BEGINNING REPORT, LIKE THE FIRST REPORT.
SO I'M HOPING FOR THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS WE CAN, I CAN GIVE YOU A REPORT ON WHERE OUR THINKING IS GOING.
UM, SOME OF YOU KNOW THAT SOME BACKGROUND, SOME OF YOU KNOW THAT IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE I WAS TAUGHT, I WAS A SOCIOLOGIST.
I AM STILL A TRAINED SOCIOLOGIST, AND I TAUGHT CLASSES AND DID SOME RESEARCH AMONG OTHER THINGS ON POVERTY AND INEQUALITY AND PROGRAMS, UM, THAT WERE DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THEM, WHETHER THEY WORKED OR DIDN'T WORK.
SO, UM, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE COMMISSION, I THOUGHT MAYBE MY CONTRIBUTION WOULD BE TO LINK UP WITH, UM, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, SENIORS AMONG NATION, AND, UH, FIND OUT NEED UNMET NEEDS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
BUT I'VE CHANGED, UM, THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND I'VE LEARNED A LOT IN THE PRESENTATIONS WE'VE HAD.
AND A COUPLE OF THE PROGRAMS, I WENT TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, ON HEALTHY AGING, THAT SPEAKER WE HAD HERE FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE, UH, SENIOR CENTER.
AND I'VE HEARD A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT HOW WE DON'T PAY ENOUGH TO ATTENTION TO LOW INCOME SENIORS IN LONG BEACH.
AND, AND IN FACT, AS I STARTED OVER THIS LAST MONTH TO TRY TO COMPILE A BASIC FACT SHEET, I WAS REALLY SURPRISED ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO GET ANY UP TO DATE STATISTICS ON ALL OF THE THINGS ONE WOULD NEED TO, TO HAVE A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF SENIORS AND POVERTY.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S STUFF ON SENIORS AND UH, THE BEST STUFF I FOUND WAS IN 2016, THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR LONG BEACH ON AGING.
AND I HAVE WONDERFUL GRAPHS AND CHARTS AND EVERYTHING, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF YEARS AGO.
AND WE STILL DON'T HAVE OUR 2024 OR 2025 PLAN PUBLISHED YET.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA COME OUT IN THAT ONE.
THE ONE THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS OVERSEAS.
SO, SO ONE OF THE THINGS I SPENT THE LAST MONTH, OH, SO ANYWAY, WHEN I GOT INTERESTED IN THIS, I WENT TO PHYLLIS 'CAUSE I KNEW SHE HAD WORKED ON, UM, SOME STATE PROGRAMS, OCCUPATIONAL REHAB AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SHE ALSO HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN COMMUNITY ACTIVISM.
SO ANYWAY, THE ULTIMATE GOAL THAT I'M POSING FOR THIS AD HOC COMMITTEE IS TO DO THE BACKGROUND RESEARCH NECESSARY TO IDENTIFY ONE PROGRAM OR ONE THAT EITHER IS ALREADY IN PLACE BUT HAS SOME CHALLENGES OR ONE NEW PROGRAM THAT SOME OTHER CITY IS DOING SUCCESSFULLY AND ADVOCATE FOR IT.
IN OTHER WORDS, FIND ONE PARTICULAR THING OR TWO PARTICULAR THINGS THAT THIS COMMISSION CAN ADVOCATE FOR.
BUT TO GET THERE, LIKE I SAY, IT REQUIRES SOME, UM, BACK, UM, SEARCHING FOR JUST WHAT IS THE SITUATION.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT OVER THE LAST MONTH WAS HOW DO YOU DEFINE LOW INCOME? AND OF COURSE, IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENT DEFINITION FOR EACH OF THE MAJOR PROGRAMS, AND YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THE SIZE
[00:50:01]
OF THE HOUSEHOLD THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IS.AND THEN YOU LOOK ON THIS CHART AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE REALLY LUCKY, YOU CAN FIND, UH, WHAT THE CUTOFF POINT WAS FOR 2023 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ANYWAY, SO OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I, OR WE ARE GONNA BECOME AN EXPERT AND THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO CAN DO THAT.
BUT I AM GONNA BE, UM, INTERVIEWING A COUPLE OF PEOPLE, KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE, AND I ASKED HEIDI FOR, I'VE REACHED OUT TO HEIDI AND I'VE REACHED OUT TO KAREN AND JUST, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE WHO ARE DEALING WITH THESE PROGRAMS DIRECTLY.
WHAT'S THE DEFINITION AND WHAT ARE THE MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE ARE HAVING IN ACCESSING YOUR PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, THE MOST POPULAR PROGRAMS. UM, AND THEN I HAVE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS.
UM, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE IN IN POVERTY IN OUR CITY ARE SENIORS? AND IS THIS INCREASING? UM, WE KNOW IT IS INCREASING.
UM, I HAVE A FEW HINTS, BUT I WANT TO GET AN ACTUAL STATISTIC.
UM, WHAT ARE, UM, CHA SOME CHALLENGES SENIORS FACE IN APPLYING FOR THE MOST COMMON DATA SAFETY NET PROGRAMS? UM, WHAT ARE SOME PROGRAMS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AS OPPOSED TO THE ONES THAT COME FROM STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS? DO THESE PROGRAMS HAVE AN IMPACT? IN OTHER WORDS, ARE THEY JUST SHORT TERM PROGRAMS WHEN THERE'S SONS AVAILABLE, OR ARE THEY LONGER TERM? AND, UM, WILL THE LONG BEACH STRATEGIC PLAN FOR HEALTHY AGING INCLUDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDRESSING ISSUES OF SENIORS LIVING IN POVERTY? SO I'M HOPING TO BE ABLE TO TALK ALSO TO, UM, TO THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THAT PLAN, EVEN THOUGH IT HASN'T BEEN PUBLISHED YET.
SO THE NEXT, UM, STEP WOULD BE THEN TO REPORT BACK TO THE COMMISSION ON WHAT ARE THE KEY THINGS WE'VE LEARNED AND MAYBE WITHIN TWO MONTHS OR, OR THREE MONTHS OR SO, UM, MAYBE HAVE A SPECIFIC FOCUS AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE PROBABLY A NEW AD HOC COMMITTEE, UH, TO DOUBLE FOCUS ON THAT, UM, OR GIVE YOU SOME ALTERNATIVES OF WHAT WE COULD ADDRESS.
UH, DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT BILL? NO.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON NORMA'S? I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION.
AS WE WERE LOOKING FOR HOUSING, WHEN WE WERE A FORMER, UH, COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION, WE COULDN'T FIND A DEFINITION OF SENIOR.
SO AT WHAT LEVEL DID YOU CALL SENIOR? BECAUSE WE WENT FROM 50 TO 55 TO 60 TO 6 62 TO 60 TO 65 AND UP.
SO WHAT, WHAT LEVEL, WHERE ARE YOU CALLING SENIOR? AND THEN FROM THERE, WHAT DEFINITION DID YOU ALL COME UP WITH FOR THE SAFETY NET? WELL, IF I, IF I, IF I GET THIS FACT SHEET FOR NEXT TIME, I'LL, I'LL PUT THAT IN THERE BECAUSE FOR SOME PROGRAMS WE LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, 50 AND ABOVE.
AND FOR OTHER PROGRAMS IT WAS OTHER CUTOFFS, HIGHER CUTOFFS.
YEAH, IT, IT'S A LITTLE COMPLICATED, BUT, UM, AND, UM, OKAY.
UH, IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION GO AHEAD THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU THAT I WOULD COMMENT? YEAH, IN THE CASE, NORMA, I WAS INVOLVED AS OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM WERE IN THE, UM, LONG BEACH HEALTHY AGING STRATEGIC PLAN BACK IN 16 WITH ALL OF THOSE BEAUTIFUL GRAPHS AND ALL KINDS OF HIGHFALUTIN THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE AND SHOULD BE DONE.
AND THAT ORGANIZATION IS STILL IN PLACE.
AND I SEE THAT, I BELIEVE MICHELLE ATTENDS THE MEETINGS ON BEHALF OF THE, UM, SENIOR COMMISSION.
BUT WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS, BEFORE THE CITY ACTUALLY LAUNCHED THE LONG BEACH HEALTHY AGING STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN UPDATED, I BELIEVE TWICE NOW, MAYBE 16 AND 20 PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE UPDATED AGAIN BY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS LAST TIME, 16 OR SO.
BUT LONG BEACH STATE, AND MAYBE SOMEBODY'S GONNA HAVE TO HELP ME WITH MY RECOGNITION OR RECOLLECTION OF THAT, BUT THEY HELD A, A MEETING WITH A LOT OF THE SENIOR LEADERS OR LEADERS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH WHO HAVE, UM, AGING OR SENIOR POPULATION AS A PART OF THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR PURPOSE IN THEIR BUSINESS.
AND SO LONG BEACH STATE CONDUCTED A VERY EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON SENIOR ISSUES, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE
[00:55:01]
SENIOR POPULATION IS, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH IS THE SENIOR POPULATION IN POVERTY, WHAT ARE THE PROGRAMS FOR THE DIFFERENT SENIORS? AND THAT BIG MEETING AT LONG BEACH STATE LED INTO A, UM, THE LONG BEACH HEALTHY AGING STRATEGIC PLAN.BUT IT WAS, IT WAS A HIGH LEVEL, UM, DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY AND IT FOLLOWED A, UM, UM, ONE OF MAYBE THE 2000, ANY CASE, UM, AFTER THERE WAS A LOT OF, UM, INPUT FROM THE CITY THAT THIS BASICALLY, THIS WAS THE PROBLEM WITH AGING IN LONG BEACH AND, AND IT HIGHLIGHTED ALL OF THE, UM, SHORTFALLS IN THE PLAN.
AND SO WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY, AND THAT WE NEED MORE INFORMATION, AND I, AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT TIMES FROM THIS COMMISSION, WE HAVE ASKED FOR DEMOGRAPHICS FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, RIGHT? AND DO WE HAVE THOSE DEMOGRAPHIC, DO WE HAVE THOSE STUDIES FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH? I SAY NAY.
AND SO REPEATED REQUESTS APPARENTLY HAVEN'T COME TO FRUITION, BUT MAYBE, I GUESS THIS IS A, FINALLY, I GOT TO MY QUESTION, NORMA, IS THAT WE NEED A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND INVITE NOT JUST THE COMMISSION ON AGING, BUT OTHER BUSINESSES, OTHER GROUPS IN THE CITY WHO HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THE SENIOR POPULATION AND FIND THE SHORTFALLS IN THE NEEDS OF THE, UM, SENIOR POPULATION IN LONG BEACH.
A MUCH GREATER, UM, STUDY USING THE, THE LAST DEMOGRAPHIC STUDIES AND THAT SORT OF THING, WHICH I WOULD ASSUME WAS CONDUCTING WHAT, 2020 SORT OF THING IN THAT EVERY 10 YEARS THAT THEY DO THE, THE CENSUS STUDY.
AND I HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN RESULTS OF THAT 2020 CENSUS STUDY.
MAYBE YOU GUYS HAVE, BUT I HAVEN'T.
DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE? I THINK THERE WAS, IN REGARDS TO WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT YOU, BUT YOU JUST, YOU DID SAY THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN UPDATE TO THE 2016 PLAN.
I BELIEVE SO MAYBE I NEED TO, I, YES, I BELIEVE THAT WAS, YES, I BELIEVE THAT WAS, LET ME SEE.
I'LL LOOK SOME MORE AND I'LL ASK SOME MORE PEOPLE.
YEAH, I'M, I'M THINKING IT WAS RIGHT AROUND 2020.
YES, BUT I, I, I DIDN'T, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND ALL MY SKILLS AND I, I COULDN'T FIND IT EASILY.
SO WELL THAT, THAT'S DISCOURAGING SINCE YOU'RE A PROFESSIONAL IN THAT AREA.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HEIDI, YOU CAN GET THAT DATA OUT? SO YEAH, THERE'S A 2016, I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN UPDATE FOR 2020, SO I DON'T, BECAUSE OF COVID PROBABLY IS ONE I KNOW DURING 2020 THEY WERE, UM, DOING, AND IT'S NOT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S, UM, SHOULD BE UPDATED, UM, BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
BUT THEY'RE WORKING ON, THE ONE THAT WAS KIND OF MORE RECENT IS THE AGE, UM, LONG BEACH AGE FRIENDLY ACTION PLAN, WHICH IS, UM, THAT ONE WAS THE ONE THAT, UM, KIND OF HAD SUBGROUPS BEFORE, UM, 2020.
AND THEN THEY HAD ONE REMAINING GROUP LEFT, AND I THINK IT WAS THE HOUSING ONE, UM, THAT SOPHIA FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CAME AND PRESENTED.
AND SHE SAID THAT THEY WERE RESTATING THAT WORK GROUP TO FINISH THE PLAN.
AND THEN I KNOW HER PLAN IN THE NEXT HOPEFULLY, UM, COUPLE MONTHS, SHE'S JUST GETTING APPROVAL TO START PUTTING IT OUT.
AND I DID TALK TO HER LAST, UM, WEEK ABOUT HER COMING TO ONE OF OUR NEXT MEETINGS TO, UM, GIVE YOU GUYS AN UPDATE ON THE PLAN AND THAT WILL HAVE SOME GRAPHS IN IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL BE THE GRAPHS THAT NEEDING THE INFORMATION, UM, THAT YOU WANTED.
UM, BUT IT WILL HAVE SOME GRAPHS AND THAT'S NOT TECHNICALLY THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
THAT'S JUST THE LONG BEACH AGE FRIENDLY ACTIONS PLAN, UM, COMING UP THAT THE HEALTH DEPART WILL PRESENT.
DO YOU KNOW IF THERE IS A STRATEGIC PLAN IN, IN PROCESS? UM, I'M, I'LL HAVE TO ASK SOPHIA ON THAT THROUGH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND WE CAN, CAN ASK HER TO COME LIKE, UM, SHE'S GONNA PRESENT THE ACTION PLAN FOR YOU GUYS.
I KNOW SHE'S GONNA PRESENT IT AT COUNCIL IN THE, YOU KNOW, FUTURE AS WELL.
SO IF IT GETS ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA BEFORE IT GETS HERE, I'LL DEFINITELY LET YOU GUYS KNOW, UM, WHEN IT'S GOING TO COUNCIL.
UM, I KNOW AT OUR OLDER AMERICAN CELEBRATION WHO I'VE INVITED THEM TO COME AND, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT MAYBE THEIR UPCOMING PLAN AS WELL.
SO, UM, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN COME TO THAT.
BUT I'LL CHECK IN REGARDS TO THE STATUS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND IF THERE, IT WAS AN UPDATE 2020, I DON'T KNOW.
YEAH, I BELIEVE THAT WAS 2020.
THAT'S, I BELIEVE THAT'S THE ONE I WOULD, SO THE 2020, I THINK THE WORK GROUPS WERE THE, THE AGE FRIENDLY ACTION PLANS.
[01:00:01]
SO, UM, BUT UM, I CAN HAVE HER, UM, COME TO OUR NEXT MEETING, KIND OF PRESENT MAYBE THE DIFFERENCES PLAN IN THE TWO PLANS AND KIND OF WHERE THEY'RE GOING, UM, WITH THAT.UM, I KNOW A LOT OF THE DATA FROM THAT IS OUT IS FROM THE 2023, UM, CENSUS.
UM, SO THAT IS ONLINE AND WE CAN LIKE, SEND LINKS TO EVERYONE ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW I DID SEND NORMA SOME DATA AND, UM, INFORMATION THAT I GOT FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UM, TO HER ON FRIDAY THAT HOPEFULLY WILL HELP ANSWER SOME OF HER QUESTIONS AS WELL.
I WAS JUST THAT, UM, WITH THE RECENT, UM, CONCERNS REGARDING THE ADJUSTMENTS, ELIMINATION OF, OR CONVERSATIONS AROUND SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, MEDICAID, UM, THAT MOST OF THE STATE AND THE COUNTY ARE ACTUALLY, UM, SENDING, UM, SURVEYS TO SENIORS.
'CAUSE I RECEIVED TWO THAT ARE, IF YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY WAS CUT OR ALTERED, HOW WOULD YOU BE AFFECTED AND WHY? SO THEY'RE, I HAVE, THEY'RE GATHERING THAT INFORMATION NOW IN A, UH, PRECAUTIONARY, UM, SITUATIONSHIP WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING AT, WAIT A MINUTE, IF ALL OF THESE PEOPLE LOSE THIS, THEN WHAT? AND HOW WILL THEY BE AFFECTED? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE ASKING THESE QUESTIONS NOW, UM, I KNOW FOR SURE LOS ANGELES, BUT THEY'RE ASKING THEM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND THE REGION, IF SOCIAL SECURITY WERE AFFECTED, THEY HAD A BIG, UH, CELEBRATION OR WELL PROTEST ACTUALLY ABOUT THE, UM, AND ALL THE NEWS CHANNELS ARE CARRYING IT, THEN PEOPLE ARE SAYING, I'M ON FIXED INCOME.
IF I LOSE THIS, THIS IS MY ONLY SOURCE OF INCOME.
WHAT AM I GOING TO DO AND THEY'RE NOT SAYING FOOD'S GOING TO BE AFFECTED WHEN IT'S GONNA BE AFFECTED, BUT WHAT CERTAIN IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN A NUMBER THROWN AROUND THAT OVER 7 MILLION PEOPLE WHO ARE RECEIVING SOCIAL SECURITY AND OR MEDICAID BENEFITS WILL HAVE THAT CUT OR CUT OFF COMPLETELY BY LABOR DAY.
SO IT'S ALREADY STARTING TO TRICKLE.
PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED THEY, IT'S GONNA BE ME, IT'S GONNA BE YOU, IT'S GONNA BE MY MOM, MY DAD.
SO THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AS TO WHO'S GONNA BE AFFECTED, CLOSING OF SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICES, LAYING OFF OF SOCIAL SECURITY EMPLOYEES.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
BUT THEY ARE ASKING THE QUESTIONS, HOW WILL THAT BE EFFECTIVE? WHO WILL YOU BE? WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? YOU LOSE HOUSING OR YOU NEED FOOD, OR WHATEVER.
SO THE COUNTY'S GEARING UP, PARTICULARLY FROM THE, UM, CALFRESH FOOD, UM, PROGRAM OR, UM, NUTRITION, SO THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT ISSUING MORE, UM, EBT CARDS FOR PEOPLE SO THEY CAN HAVE FOOD AND LOCATIONS ARE TALKING ABOUT ISSUING CARDS SO THAT THEY CAN GET, UM, TOILETRIES AND ESSENTIAL ITEMS, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS, BUT THEY'RE WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO SAY, IF I DO GET CUT OR LOSE IT, THIS IS WHERE I'M GOING TO HAVE A NEED.
SO THOSE, THOSE SURVEYS ARE GOING OUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
UM, SO WE MAY HOLD ON OR WAIT, I DON'T KNOW.
WE MAY HAVE SOME NUMBERS BECAUSE IT PROBABLY AFTER SURVEYS, I'LL PROBABLY PUBLISH IT SOMEWHERE ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE SO THAT YOU COULD, SO I WOULD SUGGEST THE NUMBERS NOW BECAUSE IT'S NEWS STORIES, UH, SPECTRUM NEWS AND THE LOCAL NEWS CHANNELS AND CONTACT THE, UM, THE, UM, PERSONS WHO ARE DOING THE ACTUAL STORIES BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE REPORTING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AS A RESULT.
UH, AS, AS NEWS STORIES ABOUT THE, UM, THE UPCOMING CUTS.
IF I MAY, CAN WE, THAT, THAT SOCIAL SECURITY ISSUE IS INTERESTING, BUT NORMA, BACK TO THE DEMOGRAPHICS.
SO I, I DON'T THINK AS A COMMISSION WE REALLY LANDED ON, ON AN ACTION PLAN FOR A STUDY OR GREATER DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, BE IT THE 23 CENSUS, WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, PERHAPS BY A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION YOU WOULD KNOW MORE ABOUT THOSE TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS.
I KNOW LONG BEACH STATE, FOR EXAMPLE, DID THE LAST ONE AND THROUGH THEIR DEPARTMENT ON AGING OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
BUT, UM, IT SEEMS TO ME, AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, NOT TO EVERYBODY ON THIS COMMISSION, BUT TO DEVELOP A PLAN IN ORDER TO GET THAT DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY FOR SENIORS IN
YEAH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE DATA ON HOW MANY OLDER ADULTS DO WE HAVE IN LONG BEACH? THANK YOU, JUDY.
THAT MIGHT BE A, THAT I THINK BASICS LIKE THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THAT LIKE THE FIVE BASIC THINGS LIKE WHAT HEIDI SENT ME, BREAKDOWN BY AGE, BREAKDOWN BY ETHNIC GROUP AND THAT SORT OF THING.
BUT WHAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IS THE NEXT STEP WHERE YOU SAY, OKAY, UH, YOU KNOW, AMONG THOSE
[01:05:01]
WHO, WHAT'S YOUR POVERTY CUT OFF LIMIT? AND THEN WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE AND WHAT DO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO, WHETHER THEY DON'T HAVE AC WHAT ARE THEIR, AND BY HOW, YOU KNOW, THE BASIC THINGS, HOUSING, FOOD.SO THEY, YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T GO FARTHER, BUT THEY DO HAVE THE BASICS LIKE THAT.
BUT IT'S REALLY JUST FIVE THINGS OR SIX THINGS, YOU KNOW.
BUT YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE SUGGESTING AN AD HOC COMMITTEE HERE AMONG THE, WELL, WE, WE DO ALREADY HAVE TO, TO PUT THAT IN PLACE, RIGHT.
TO HAVE, WE CAN HAVE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT'S DOING.
WE GATHER, WHAT IS THIS? WE DO ALREADY HAVE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE THAT SOMEBODY PROFESSIONAL SHOULD, I WAS HOPING THAT IT WAS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BECAUSE I THOUGHT THEY WERE COMING OUT WITH A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN AND IT WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL LIKE THAT OLD, YOU KNOW, WITH COLORS AND EASY TO READ CHARTS AND EXACTLY.
ANSWERING ALL YOUR QUESTIONS KIND OF THING AND IDENTIFYING THE SHORTFALLS.
FROM CITY SERVICES FOR SENIOR ESPECIALLY, IT'S PROBABLY NOT IN PROCESS THE POOR POPULATION.
WELL, THERE, IT'S A PLAN, SO DON'T TAKE CONTEXT.
I THINK ONCE THE PLAN COMES OUT, AND MAYBE THAT WILL HELP ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, AND MAYBE ONCE THE PLAN COMES OUT THEN, AND WE BRING SOPHIA, MAYBE SHE CAN TALK THROUGH WITH US AND FIGURE OUT WHERE THE, LIKE THE SHORTCOMINGS OR WHERE THE COMMUNITY AND PARTNERS WILL COME INTO PLAY.
AND THEN MAYBE ONCE THE PLAN PLAYS, THEN UM, WE CAN SEE WHAT ELSE MAYBE ISN'T ON THERE THAT SHOULD BE, OR OKAY.
I STILL SUPPORT YOUR AD HOC COMMITTEE.
I MEAN, IF WE DON'T HAVE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE OR AN ACTION GROUP HERE WITHIN OUR SENIOR COMMISSION, WE WON'T BE IN A POSITION REALLY TO BE ABLE TO DO MUCH OF ANYTHING ABOUT THAT INFORMATION.
I MEAN, I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE SAYING LET'S DO SOMETHING, RIGHT? MM-HMM
LET'S IDENTIFY A SUBJECT, HAVE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, AND LET'S TAKE ACTION ON SOMETHING.
IT ISN'T, BUT NOT THE ESSENCE OF YOUR YEAH.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY YOU WERE OUT OF THE ROOM, BUT WE DID VOTE ON HAVING THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.
NOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS GOOD BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE GIVING THE AD HOC COMMITTEE A KICK IN THE PANTS AND SAYING, LET'S, LET'S GET TO THE ACTION PART AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON RECEIVING AND FILING THE UPDATE FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.
AND THEN SHE, UH, NORMA COULD PUT ON THE AGENDA AGAIN WHEN SHE HAS AN UPDATED REPORT FOR US.
WAIT, WHO'S ON THIS AD HOC COMMITTEE? OR DO YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY AT THIS TIME? IT'S, YOU CAN READ THE MINUTES.
AT THIS TIME, IT'S, UH, NORMA AND PHYLLIS.
THEY MAY WANT AN ADDITIONAL, ONE ADDITIONAL PERSON IS ALLOWED TO JOIN.
UH, AND YOU COULD TALK OFFLINE ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON, UH, UH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE? SO MOVED.
LET'S TAKE A VOTE ON RECEIVING AND FILE IN NORMA'S REPORT.
ANYONE OPPOSED? ANYONE ABSTAINING? OKAY.
AND IT'S NOW TIME FOR OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
DOES ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC, KAREN, GO AHEAD.
SPEAKING OF ONE, YOU HAVE UP TO THREE, I'M GONNA DO IT TWO PARTS.
I'LL DO THE GRAY PANTHER PART AND THEN I'LL DO THE COUNTY PART BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, YOU NEED TO KNOW.
YOU DID A GREAT JOB WITH THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE.
UM, THE GRAY PANTHERS TOOK TWO INTERNS, UH, TO SACRAMENTO, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN LOBBY DAY ON MAY 25TH FOR HOUSING.
AND WE WORK WITH, UM, 72 OTHER PARTNERS.
WE DID THIS WITH A PARTNER THAT IS, UM, CALIFORNIA SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ASSOCIATION AND IT'S GROUP.
THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE FROM LONG BEACH THAT PARTICIPATED ALSO.
WE HAD A RALLY ON THE STEPS OF THE CAPITOL, AND, UH, WE LOBBIED FIVE LEGISLATORS.
UM, WE MET WITH, UM, JOSH LOWENTHAL, MIKE GIBSON, MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ, MARK GONZALEZ, AND LISA CALDRON.
AND THESE BUILDING, THESE BILLS ALL RELATED TO HOUSING.
THE BIG ONE WAS AB 8 0 4, WHICH IS BEING HEARD I BELIEVE TODAY.
UM, WHICH WOULD ENTITLE MEDI-CAL RECIPIENTS.
IT WOULD GIVE THEM THE FLEXIBILITY OF BEING ABLE TO, UM, APPLY MEDI-CAL BENEFITS FOR HOUSING SUPPORT.
SO, UH, THERE WAS ANOTHER BILL FOR, UM, HOSEA ASANA WHO HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK IN LONG BEACH AND WORKS
[01:10:01]
IN THE, UM, PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED GROUP.HE WAS ADVOCATING FOR A BILL TO PROVIDE, UM, HOUSING FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN, HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED.
WE'RE HAVING HUGE PROBLEMS WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE INCARCERATED.
YOU KNOW, THE JAILS ARE CROWDED, THEY'RE TRYING TO PUSH PEOPLE OUT OF JAIL, PARTICULARLY OLDER PEOPLE ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES OR NURSING HOMES WILL NOT TAKE THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE RECORDS.
SO THIS BILL WOULD HELP ADDRESS THAT REALIGN.
UM, THE, SOME OF THE HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL ALL AWARE THAT THERE'S A HOUSING CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA, AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF REALIGNMENT GOING ON WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENTS AT THE STATE LEVEL AND, UM, HOPEFULLY AT THE CITY LEVEL.
AND, UH, CERTAINLY AT THE COUNTY LEVEL.
THE HEAD OF THE LA COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY RESIGNED LAST WEEK.
SO, UM, AND THE MEASURE A MONEY IS GOING TO, IT'S STARTING TO PAY OUT AND THE FIRST RECEIPTS ARE GONNA COME IN APRIL.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION GOING ON.
AND, UM, JANICE HAHN INTRODUCED A BILL TO START A, A NEW HOMELESS ORGANIZATION TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN LA SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE HOUSED FOR THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GETTING.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE DID IT ON THESE LEGISLATIVE VISITS.
ALL OF THE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS AGREED TO SUPPORT THE BILL AND TO SIGN ON AS CO-SPONSORS.
SO WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL VISIT.
AND, UM, AND I WANNA TAKE ALL THE INTERNS NEXT SEMESTER IF I CAN.
THE INTERNS JUST ABSOLUTELY HAD A FABULOUS TIME.
UH, THEY WERE THE ONLY INTERNS THERE, BUT IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, AND THAT'S SOMETHING YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO TOO.
AND THEN FOR LA COUNTY, UM, THE WILDFIRE, UH, HAVE ASSAULTED IN A REPORT.
UM, AND ACTUALLY, UM, THE COUNTY OVERSEES EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE.
ONLY THE STATE CAN DECLARE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION FOR EVENTS.
SO THEY WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF INTERACTIVE, UM, GROUPS AND, UH, WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THEY HAVE DESIGNATED THAT EACH CITY IN LA COUNTY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING THEIR OWN EVACUATION PLAN.
NOW, LONG BEACH HAS BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT, AND, UH, SHOULD BE READY AT ANY TIME.
AND THEN THIS COUNTY IS GOING TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO COME UP WITH A LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PLAN.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE COUNTY COMMISSION WAS THEY USED TO HAVE AN ALERT SYSTEM FOR PEOPLE THAT WERE DISABLED.
38 PEOPLE DIED IN THE WILDFIRES, AND, UH, THEY MOSTLY DIED BECAUSE THEY DID NOT EVACUATE WHEN THEY WERE TOLD TO EVACUATE.
THEY WERE ALL OLDER ADULTS EXCEPT TWO, AND THOSE WERE PEOPLE THAT WERE DISABLED.
SO, UM, THE PLAN, UH, IS GOING TO HAPPEN FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, AND THERE ARE GONNA BE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE INPUT INTO THE PLAN.
UH, THERE'S ALREADY GROUPS THAT ARE GOING ON IN DISCUSSION.
LA HAS, UM, RESOURCE CENTERS WHERE YOU CAN GO AND GET INFORMATION.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? I DO.
UM, FIRST I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY RECOGNIZE ME FROM PREVIOUS BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M REPRESENTING MYSELF, NOT ANY COMPANY THAT I, UM, WORK FOR DURING THE DAY, BUT I WANT TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT I HAVE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED MY, UH, 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT, UH, WHICH HEAVILY FOCUSES ON THE SENIOR POPULATION, UM, WITH FIGHTING, UH, FIGHTING, FOOD INSECURITY, UM, ALSO, UH, HELPING WITH DIGITAL LITERACY, NOT JUST DIGITAL LITERACY, BUT AI LITERACY.
UM, IT'S EXPANDING AT A RAPID PACE.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT AND I HAVE BEEN OFFERING FREE PROGRAMS TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, JUST TO KEEP EVERYBODY UP TO SPEED.
AND ALSO, UH, WITH MY NON-PROFIT, IT, IT SPEAKS TO WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
THEY WILL BE A, A HEAVY FOCUS ON, UM, MARKET RESEARCH.
UH, WITH MY DAY JOB, UM, I'M FRONT LINES IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, I HEAR THE PEOPLE, I, I HEAR WHAT THEY WANT, WHAT THEY DON'T WANT, WHAT'S WORKING WITH FOR THEM, WHAT'S NOT.
AND, UM, I WILL, IT MIGHT NOT BE AS EXPANSIVE AS LONG BEACH STATE, BUT
[01:15:01]
I WILL BE CONDUCTING RESEARCH FOCUS GROUPS, UH, THINGS TO THAT NATURE.AND ONCE EVEN, I'M NOT STOPPING THERE.
ONCE I HAVE THAT DATA, I WILL BE PRESENTING SOLUTIONS.
UH, SO I'M SUPER EXCITED, SUPER PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.
UH, AND I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON YOU GUYS' RADAR.
MY NAME IS TREY MOODY, AND, UM, I PLAN ON DOING SOME GREAT THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY, SO THANK YOU.
IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? ALL RIGHT.
DO ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS TO MAKE? I DO.
I JUST WANNA SAY SOMETHING ABOUT, I, I GET THE HARVARD WOMEN'S HEALTH INITIATIVE AND, UH, THIS ONE CAME THROUGH AND I KIND OF WAS TOUCHED BY IT.
IT SAID THE HEALING POWER OF KINDNESS.
I THINK WE FORGET ABOUT THAT AND IT HAS A GREAT ARTICLE.
I'M GONNA HAVE SOME COPIES MADE AND YOU'LL HAVE IT NEXT MONTH.
I'LL JUST TAKE THE FRONT PAGE OF IT AND, UH, I THINK WE SHOULD BUILD OUR LIFE WITH THAT.
AND THE OTHER THING IS, IN KEEPING WITH THE AD, I HAVE ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT WITH THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.
UM, I WENT AHEAD TO GET SOME INFORMATION.
THE COUNTY HAS, AS YOU KNOW, 88 CITIES.
AND I WENT TO OUR NEIGHBOR THAT WE SURROUND SIGNAL HILL.
AND I WAS KIND OF INTERESTED WHEN I GOT SOME OF THEIR, UH, FLYERS THAT THEY PUT OUT.
IT'S A MONTHLY AND I CAN GET AVAILABLE IF ANY OF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN.
THEY DO NOT HAVE A FACILITY, LIKE A SENIOR CENTER.
UM, THEY JUST BOUGHT A BUILDING AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A ROOM IN IT.
BUT RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE AN, AN AMAZING FOR A CITY OF 11,000.
I'M JUST AMAZED AT THE KIND OF, UH, SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE THE SENIORS, UH, RECREATIONAL AND OTHER THINGS.
AND THEY'RE WORKING ON SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT WAS JUST KIND OF BLEW MY MIND.
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT PROVIDING HEALTHCARE, AND I THOUGHT, WOW, THAT WOULD BE SIMPLY STUNNING IF THAT CAME TO PASS.
AND THEN MY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENT IS, HAVE WE EVER DONE ANYTHING WITH THE COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT WE DID ON THE SENIOR CENTER, OR ARE WE GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN ANY WAY AS A, AN ADVISORY TO THAT CENTER AS IT'S BEING BILLED? DO WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT IT? AND THAT'S ABOUT IT THIS MORNING FOR ME.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? I DO.
I HAVE ONE, UH, THERE'S A DISABILITY PRIDE, UM, UH, MIXER FOR PEOPLE ON, LEMME GET THE DATE RIGHT, MAY 1ST.
UH, IT'S AT, UH, THURSDAY, SIX TWO 8:00 PM UH, AT ROXANNE'S.
AND THIS IS, UH, UH, A SITUATION TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE, UH, DISABILITY PRIDE COMING, UM, UH, EVENTS.
YEAH, I WANTED TO SHARE, UM, THREE PEOPLE I'VE BEEN TALKING TO.
ONE IS THE JULIE LEE, WHO'S THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION ON HOME CITY COMMISSION ON HOMELESSNESS.
AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, I ASKED HER WHAT SHE KNEW ABOUT SENIORS AND HOMELESSNESS, AND WE DECIDED THAT MAYBE IF IT'S ALLOWED, SHE MIGHT BE, UH, SOMEBODY WE WOULD INVITE TO SPEAK BECAUSE SHE'D BE WILLING TO SPEAK.
THERE'S NO RULE AGAINST SOMEBODY FROM ONE COMMISSION.
AND THEN I MET AS WELL, PHYLLIS WAS GATHERING HER SIGNAL HILL, UH, INFORMATION.
I JUST BY ACCIDENT MET, UM, A WOMAN NAMED PAM DUTCH, WHO'S ON THE SENIOR COMMISSION AND SIGNAL HILL.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT'S LIKE.
AND, AND THEN THE THIRD PERSON I ACCIDENTALLY MET WAS, I GUESS THE STARS ARE ALIGNED OR SOMETHING.
AMANDA LAWRENCE IS, WAS INVOLVED IN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, UH, WHEN THEY PUT TOGETHER THE STRATEGIC PLAN ON AGING.
AND SHE WAS TELLING ME HOW ALL THE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES AND OBSTACLES THAT THEY ENCOUNTERED.
SO I THOUGHT MAYBE I WOULD INVITE HER AS ONE OF MY SPEAKERS.
AND YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE, OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE IN JUNE.
AND IRENE HAS A, AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
I JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYBODY.
THERE WILL NOT BE A MEETING IN MAY, UM, DUE TO OLDER AMERICANS MONTH.
BUT WE WOULD ENCOURAGE, UM, ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO COME OUT AND JOIN IN ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES.
AND COMMISSIONER HINES? UH, MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT MAKING LAST MONTH'S MEETING.
UM, BUT AT THE, UH, LUCK HOMEGOING CELEBRATION FOR OUR, UH,
[01:20:01]
FORMER COMMISSIONER ALLEN GHOSTING, I, UM, WAS ABLE TO, THEY GAVE OUT A PACKET OF FLOWERS TO GROW AND I WAS ABLE TO GET ONE FOR EACH OF US TO GROW IN HIS HONOR.THEY GAVE THAT OUT AT THE CELEBRATION, AND I JUST LEFT THEM AT HOME BECAUSE I WAS AT HOME.
IF THERE'S NO OTHER ANNOUNCEMENT, THEN I MAY, UH, HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNING THE MEETING.
MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 11:21 AM.