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READY? YES.I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND ASK THE CLERK FOR A ROLL CALL.
HERE, VICE CHAIRMAN STEVE ASIN.
AND LET US START WITH THE PLEDGE OF THE, OF ALLE.
COULD YOU LEAVE THE P? UH, PLEASE STAND.
AND I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS? ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE OF LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
MR. A MOTION TO RECEIVE AND FILE MINUTES FROM MARCH 17TH, 2025.
I'LL SECOND IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
ARE THERE ANY, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE MINUTES? COMMISSIONERS? WE'LL NOW TAKE, WE'LL NOW TAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING? OKAY, THEN WE WILL NOW VOTE ON THE MOTION.
ALL IN FAVOR OF ADMITTING THE MINUTES.
RECEIVING AND FILING THE MINUTES FOR MARCH 17TH.
OPPOSED THE MOTION PASSES I NORMALLY WOULD SHARE.
OH, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO SAY THAT.
THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS APPEARS IN CONDEMNATION IS ESTABLISHED.
OH, THESE, THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS APPEALS AND CONDEMNATIONS IS ESTABLISHED BY LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 18 POINT 10.020 TO PROVIDE A FORM TO REVIEW FINDINGS OF THE BUILDING OFFICIAL AND MAKE DETERMINATIONS TO ABATE SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS CONSTITUTING PUBLIC NUISANCES.
THE BOARD ALSO ACTS AS HEARING OFFICERS AND CONDUCTS ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS FOR APPEALS OF ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS.
ASSESS ASSESSED LEVIES AND APPEALS OF DISABLED ACCESS CASES.
THE BOARD CONDUCTS THE HEARINGS ACCORDING TO ROBERTS RULE ORDER FOR EACH ITEM.
CLERK WILL READ THE CASE NUMBER AND PROPERTY ADDRESS.
THE PROPERTY OWNER OR OWNER'S REPRESENTATIVE MAY THEN COME TO THE PODIUM.
STAFF WILL PRESENT THE CASE REPORT AND A STAFF RECOMMENDATION AT THAT TIME, THE OWNER OR OWNER'S REPRESENTATIVE MAY ADDRESS THE BOARD.
SHOULD YOU WISH TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE PROPERTY AT ISSUE.
MADAM CHAIRMAN, MADAM CLERK, EXCUSE ME.
PLEASE, PLEASE SWEAR IN WITNESSES.
WOULD ALL STAFF APPELLANTS, WITNESSES AND OTHERS PRESENT WISHING TO TESTIFY ON AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA? PLEASE RISE AND RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME.
YOU DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR OR AFFIRM THAT THE EVIDENCE YOU SHALL GIVE IN THIS HEARING SHALL BE THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, SO HELP YOU GOD.
UM, THE BUREAU MANAGER WILL NOW READ THE VACANT LOT ORDINANCE BRIEFING.
UH, TODAY WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A BRIEF, THE BRIEFS GONNA SPECIFY THE OPTIONS THAT PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE TO BE REMOVED OFF THE VICTIM LOT MONITORING PROGRAM.
SO SCOTT ALVIN'S GONNA GO THROUGH AND BRIEF YOU AND THEN WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD MEMBERS.
THE VACANT LOT REGISTRY ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 10TH, 2017.
THE ORDINANCE, UH, LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 18.29 WAS DRAFTED AT THE REQUEST OF COUNSEL AND REGULATES THE MAINTENANCE AND THE USE OF VACANT LOTS IN THE CITY.
VACANT LOTS CAN BECOME A NUISANCE IN THE COMMUNITY, IF NOT PROPERLY MONITORED AND MAINTAINED.
THIS ORDINANCE REQUIRES THAT THE OWNERS OF LOTS THAT MEET THE DEFINITION OF A VACANT LOT AS DEFINED IN L VMC 18.29070 REGISTER THE LOCK WITH THE CITY AND PAY A MONITORING FEE.
THE VACANT LOT REGISTRY FEE, WHICH IS CURRENTLY $804, WHICH IS WAS ESTABLISHED BY COUNCIL AND ENTERED INTO THE CITY'S MASTER FEE CHARGES SCHEDULED DURING THE ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS, WHICH WENT TO EFFECT FOLLOWING THE ADOPTION OF THIS ORDINANCE IN 2017.
THE FEE IS CALCULATED ONLY TO RECOVER THE COST OF STAFF TIME THAT MUST BE EXPENDED IN ORDER
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TO MAINTAIN THE VACANT LOT MONITORING PROGRAM AS WELL AS SERVICES AND SUPPLIES NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM.FACTORS THAT DETERMINE THIS FEE MAY, UH, AMOUNT INCLUDE SITE INSPECTIONS, THE COST TO PREPARE AND SEND THE BILLS VIA MAIL PERSONNEL TIME TO UPDATE AND MAINTAIN THE DATABASE AND OVERSEE THE PROGRAM PROPERTY MAINTENANCE COST AT FULLY NON-COMPLIANT SITES AMONG OTHER COSTS.
I STATES THAT A PROPERTY OWNER MUST DEMAND A HEARING AS TO THE REASONABLENESS OF THE FEES OR CHARGES IMPOSED.
THE MAN MUST INCLUDE THE PROPERTY INVOLVED AND THE REASON FOR OBJECTING AT THIS HEARING, THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS APPEALS AND CONDEMNATION WILL HEAR THE EVIDENCE REGARDING THE REASONABLENESS OF THE FEES AND CHARGES AND EITHER CONFIRM OR MODIFY THE CHARGES.
THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE FULL FEE EXEMPTIONS WHEN THE PROPERTY IS BEING USED AND OPERATED FOR A SPECIFIC COMMUNITY SERVING USE SUCH AS URBAN AGRICULTURE.
BUT THE VACANT LOT REGISTRY FEE IS OF $804 IS APPEALABLE.
IN LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS ONE, THE FEE AMOUNT MAY BE APPEALED IF THE LOT WAS NOT IN FACT VACANT FOR THE ENTIRE 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
TWO, THE FEE MAY BE APPEALED IF THE PROPERTY OWNERSHIP HAS CHANGED AND THE INDIVIDUAL MAILED THAT THE NOTICE IS NO LONGER THE CURRENT OWNER.
THREE, THE FEE MAY BE TEMPORARILY WAIVED IF A PROPERTY OWNER IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF MERGING TWO LOTS AND AGREES TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS WITHIN ONE YEAR.
FOUR, THE FEE MAY ALSO BE WAIVED IF A LOT IS DEEMED TO BE UNABLE TO BE DEVELOPED BY THE PLANNING BUREAU.
UH, FIVE, DEVELOP THE PARCEL SITE, DEVELOP THE PARCEL SITE, THE PLANNING ENTITLEMENT PROCESS, AND OBTAIN BUILDING PERMITS.
PROPERTY OWNER ALLOWS TEMPORARY URBAN AGRICULTURE OR OTHER URBAN GREENS, SUCH AS POCKET PARKS AND COMMUNITY GARDENS FOR A MINIMUM OF FIVE YEARS.
SEVEN, PLANNING APPROVES TEMPORARY ACTIVATING USES FOR EVENTS SUCH AS CULTURAL OR COMMUNITY EVENTS.
HOWEVER, SINCE THE CITY COUNCIL HAS SET THE FEE AMOUNT OF $804 AFTER A PUBLIC HEARING AND AFTER DUE CONSIDERATION OF THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF THE FEE NEEDED TO AFFECT COST RECOVERY FOR THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STAFF, THE B ACT DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CHANGE THIS BASE AMOUNT UNLESS ONE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED EXISTS AT A PARTICULAR LOCATION SUCH AS A CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, OR IF THE PROPERTY OWNER DEMONSTRATES THAT THE PARCEL IS BEING USED FOR COMMUNITY SERVING PURPOSE OR IF THE PARTICULAR LOT HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE UNDERDEVELOPED, UNDEVELOPED AT SUBSEQUENT VX MEETINGS.
IN ADDITION TO COUNCIL ESTABLISHED YEARLY MONITORING FEE CODE, ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE FEES OR CHARGES MAY BE APPEALED.
CODE ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE FEES CAN BE APPEALED IF A PROPERTY OWNER FEELS THEY ARE UNREASONABLE UNDER THE PARTICULAR FACTUAL SITUATION FOR INDIVIDUAL VACANT LOTS.
SUBSEQUENTLY, THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS APPEALS IN COMBINATION WITH THEIR EVIDENCE ON THIS MATTER AND DETERMINE WHETHER TO CONFIRM OR MODIFY THESE CHARGES.
AS THOSE TYPES OF APPEAL CASES ARE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD, STAFF WILL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION AS TO THE NATURE OF EACH APPEAL AND THE PRECISE PROCESS TO BE FOLLOWED.
THIS CONCLUDES THE BRIEF AND STAFF IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 2 15 0 8 ORANGE AVENUE, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA MARSHALL, TOBIAS, VIVIAN TOBIAS, THE OWNERS CE CASE NUMBER CEVL 2 9 5 5 A EIGHT, UM, VACANT LOT FEES APPEAL CASE.
UM, THE BUREAU MANAGER, PLEASE READ THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, RECOMMENDATION TO CONCLUDE THE HEARING AND DETERMINE THAT THE SUBJECT PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1508 ORANGE AVENUE LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA MEETS THE DEFINITION OF A VACANT LOT AS STATED IN THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE.
THE APPELLANT IS THE PROP IS THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY AND UPHOLD THE ANNUAL ADMINIS DURING FEE.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO HEAR THIS ITEM? SO MOVED.
IT HAS BEEN, IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED BY AARON TO, AND STEVE, ASK HIM TO HEAR THE ITEM.
I WILL TURN THINGS OVER TO THE STAFF FOR THEIR REPORT.
GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MY NAME IS VAN RIVAS AND I'M THE SUPERVISOR FOR THE VACANT LOT MONITORING PROGRAM.
ON OCTOBER 12TH, 2017, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE AMENDING OF THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL
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BY ADDING CHAPTER 18 22 9 MAINTENANCE OF VACANT LOCKS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ANNUAL ADMINISTERING TO ON AUGUST 14TH, 2018, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, COURT ENFORCEMENT BUREAU, MAIL NOTIFICATION LETTERS TO PROPERTY OWNERS OF ALL KNOWN VACANT LOTS AS LISTED ON THE LONG LOS ANGELES COUNTY TAX ACCESS RECORD.THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1508 ORANGE AVENUE, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA IS A VACANT LOT FOR THE TIME BETWEEN 2018 AND 2025 AND IS OWNED BY THE APPELLANT.
NO EXEMPTIONS TO THE ANNUAL, UH, ADMINISTERING FEE APPLIED TO THIS FOR THIS PROPERTY ON FEBRUARY 25TH, 2025, THE LETTER WAS SENT INDICATING THAT THE SUBJECT PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1508 ORANGE AVENUE VACANT LAW IS SUBJECT TO THE VACANT LAW PROGRAM PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 18.29 OF THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE.
AND THAT THE FEES ASSOCIATED WITH AUDITING THE SUBJECT PROPERTIES WOULD BE ASSESSED AND BILLED ANNUALLY.
ON MARCH 27TH, 2025, THE VACANT LAW ADMINISTRATIVE FEE BILLING LETTERS WERE SENT TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS LISTED ON THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY TAX ASSESS REPORT.
ON APRIL 17TH, 2025, STAFF RECEIVED A REQUEST TO APPEAL THE VACANT LAW PROGRAM AND FEES.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF PROPERTY OWNERS? DO YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION? I CERTAINLY DO.
UM, ONE OF MY FELLOW PROPERTY OWNERS UPLOADED ON HIS COMPUTER.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE CAN BE TIED IN SO YOU GUYS CAN SEE WHAT I WAS GONNA PRESENT.
I SENT AROUND COPIES OF PICTURES, BUT I ACTUALLY HAVE SOME VERBIAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, CUT TO THE CHASE PICTURES, CUT TO THE CHASE.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF HE LOAD IT TO THE SCREEN OR, SO I'VE GOT HMII DON'T, I WOULDN'T, CAN'T JUST USE THAT.
SO USBC DO YOU HAVE? IT'S HDMI SHOULD BE A STRAIGHT PLUGIN IF SHE WANTS TO PLUG IN.
AND WHILE WE'RE WAITING, CAN WE HAVE YOU SAY YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE? YES, I'M SORRY.
MY NAME IS VIVIAN TOBIAS AND MY ADDRESS IS 1504 ORANGE AVENUE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY NEXT DOOR, UH, TO THIS
UM, SO ANYWAY, IN THE, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, MR. WISE, I'M GONNA ASK ONE OTHER THING.
IF YOU CAN PRESS SO WE CAN HEAR YOU BETTER.
PRESS THE LITTLE, JUST PRESS IT ONCE AND YOU'LL HAVE TO, THERE YOU GO.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, MAYBE I SHOULD JUST
ANYWAY, I DID SEND AROUND, UM, A PACKET OF PHOTOS AND SO JUST TO GO OVER THE HISTORY, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN LONG BEACH.
THIS LOCATION IS ACTUALLY, I GREW UP HERE.
UM, MY FAMILY BOUGHT THE PROPERTY NEXT DOOR.
UM, MY PARENTS CAME HERE TO LONG BEACH IN THE 1950S AS PART OF THE SOUTHERN MIGRATION OF BLACK PEOPLE.
UM, HISTORICALLY THIS PART OF LONG BEACH WAS THE ONLY AREA WHERE THEY COULD BUY HOMES BECAUSE OF RESTRICTED COVENANTS AND SEGREGATION.
SO I'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME.
UM, THE FIRST PICTURE, AND, AND THE REASON I INCLUDED THIS, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE, IS YOU SEE THE, THE DATE OF THE PICTURE, 2004.
UM, I WORKED WITH THE COUNCILWOMAN VERY, I USED TO BE VERY INVOLVED IN CITY, IN THE CITY.
I WAS ON THE CITIZENS POLICE COMPLAINT COMMISSION.
I WAS THE PRESIDENT, I WAS ON THE RDA BOARD.
I WAS IN THE CENTRAL PROJECT AREA COMMITTEE.
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IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.I WORKED WITH MAYOR BEVERLY O'NEILL AND I WORKED CLOSELY WITH COUNCILWOMAN LAURA RICHARDSON BASS TO HAVE A CITY BUY THIS PROPERTY.
THIS WAS A, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVING GROCERY STORE.
AND THROUGH HER EFFORTS, THE CITY ACTUALLY PURCHASED THIS LAND.
THIS IS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE.
THE BUILDING ON THE CORNER IS STILL THERE.
THAT BUILDING NEXT TO IT IS ACTUALLY 1506, WHICH IS WHERE I GREW UP.
I ACTUALLY LIVE IN THE BACK, WHICH IS 1504.
SO AGAIN, UM, THIS IS KIND OF HOW THIS STARTED.
NOW THE SECOND PHOTO IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY DESIGNATED WHERE YOU REFER TO AS A VACANT LOT, 1508.
AND I BROUGHT THE PLAQUE SO YOU DON'T THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PHOTOSHOPPED.
UH, AND AS YOU CAN SEE THE DATE ON THE PHOTO IN 2010.
AND IF YOU'RE WONDERING, WELL, WHY WOULD THEY SAY THIS IS A VIVIAN TOBIAS PARK? WELL, I INCLUDED PHOTOS.
IT SORT OF GIVE YOU A LITTLE PICTURE OF WHAT YOU CONSIDER THE VACANT LOT.
WHAT YOU SEE NEXT TO IT, THIS BUILDING IS THAT FRONT HOUSE, 1506.
SO THIS LOT HAS NEVER BEEN TREATED OR CONSIDERED BY ME OR MY FAMILY AS A VACANT LOT.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THESE DAYS, IT'S 2015.
IT IS VERY GREEN BECAUSE I USED TO WATER IT.
I DON'T HAVE A SPRINKLER SYSTEM.
SO THIS IS ME GOT GETTING OUT THERE IN THE EVENINGS WITH MY LITTLE SWOOSHY SPRINKLER TO KEEP IT GREEN.
UM, AND, AND THESE DAYS, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THE NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS WOULD PLAY THERE BECAUSE BACK IN THE DAY IN THE NINETIES AND THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, THERE WERE A LOT OF GANG ACTIVITY, A LOT OF CRACK ACTIVITY.
MACARTHUR PARK, WHICH IS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, WAS NOT REALLY SAFE.
SO A LOT OF THE KIDS WOULD COME IN MY YARD AND PLAY.
COULD I ASK YOU A CLARIFYING QUESTION? YES.
THE SIGN YOU BROUGHT, IS THAT ON THE VACANT LOTTERY, WHAT IS CALLED A VACANT LOT OR IS THAT ACROSS THE STREET, SEPARATE PROPERTY? NO, THIS WAS GIVEN TO ME.
THE CITY OFFERED TO HAVE INSTALLED IT ON THIS PROPERTY AND I DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT
I HAD TO INSTALL A RING SECURITY SYSTEM, SOMEONE I'VE HAD A COUPLE ATTEMPTS TO BREAK IN MY HOME.
I'VE GOTTEN IN ARGUMENTS WITH PEOPLE, UNHOUSED PEOPLE, BUT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE PROPERTY TO STORE PROPERTY ON MY PROPERTY.
UM, EVEN THOUGH IT'S FENCED IN
SO WHAT I, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS, UM, ADVISED ME TO DO, WHICH I HAVE DONE, AND I THINK YOU CAN SEE IN ONE OF THE PICTURES, IS PUT DOWN NO TRESPASSING SIGNS.
UM, AND THAT HAS DONE SOME DETERRENT.
I THINK THE RING SYSTEM, CAMERA SYSTEM, UM, HAS DONE MORE DETERRENCE BECAUSE I HAVE A A, IT'S WHERE, HI, YOU ARE CURRENTLY BEING FILLED.
SO THAT HAS DETERRED PEOPLE FROM WANDERING, UM, ON MY PROPERTY AND, AND LEAVING, UH, THEIR OWN PERSONAL PROPERTY ON MY LAND.
UM, THE PICTURE DATED JULY 30TH, THAT'S THE FENCE THAT'S THERE.
THIS FENCE WAS PUT THERE AS PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
WE ACTUALLY SECURED THE FUNDING TO REPLACE A CHAIN LINK FENCE.
MY PARENTS, UH, PURCHASED THE LOT, PROBABLY BACK IN 1970.
AND, UM, MY DAD PUT A CHAIN LINK FENCE, A FOUR FOOT CHAIN LINK FENCE AROUND BOTH PROPERTIES AND THEN A SIX FOOT FENCE AROUND THE WHOLE THING.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE PROPERTY, THIS IS ALONG THE FRONT BECAUSE THE CITY SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED A, YOU KNOW, NICER FENCE.
SO THIS FENCE HAS BEEN THERE SINCE PROBABLY 1990 AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN FENCED IN.
UM, AT ONE POINT THERE WAS A, IT WAS A GARDEN TOWARD THE BACK PART OF THE LOT.
THERE WAS A GARDEN, THERE WERE FRUIT TREES, PEACH TREES, ORANGE TREES, APPLE TREES, A HUGE GARDEN.
UM, WE HAD NEIGHBORS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE GARDEN.
THIS WAS PROBABLY IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES PRIMARILY, AND THEN INTO THE NINETIES.
BUT AS WE GOT INTO THE DROUGHT SITUATION AND THE CITY WENT THROUGH A PROGRAM WHERE THEY SAID, YOU'RE RESTRICTED FROM WATERING YOUR LAWNS TO CERTAIN HOURS, UM, THEY PUT THE SMART METERS IN THE WATER BILL, UH, BECAME COST PROHIBITIVE.
SO WE LET THE GARDEN KIND OF DIE AND JUST LET THE GRASS GROW AND TAKE IT OVER.
UM, IF YOU SEE THE CURRENT PICTURES OF THE, WHICH I JUST TOOK THE OTHER DAY, THURSDAY, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT IS NOT THAT GREEN BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY WATER IT BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, EXCESS WATER USAGE,
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THIS IS A LOT OF GRASSAND, UM, YEARS AGO I APPLIED FOR A PROGRAM TO TAKE OUT YOUR GRASS AND PUT IN DROP TROT TOLER LANDSCAPING.
I JUST KIND OF LET IT GET GROUND.
BUT IF THE GARDENER STILL COMES, AS YOU CAN SEE, THESE ARE VERY LARGE TREES.
I HAVE A TREE SERVICE THAT COMES AND TRIMS THE TREES, UM, TO KEEP THEM KIND OF UNDER CONTROL.
ONE OF THE LARGER TREES ACTUALLY FELL DOWN IN 2017 AND THAT DARK PICTURE FEBRUARY 17TH, 2017, WHEN I CAME FROM HOME FROM WORK, I WAS LUCKY THE TREE FELL DOWN.
UM, AND IT FELL DOWN ACROSS THE LOT.
'CAUSE IF IT HAD FALLEN THE OTHER WAY, I WOULD'VE HAD A REAL PROBLEM, UH, IN TERMS OF MY HOUSE AND THE CARPORT.
AND SO I INCLUDED THAT BECAUSE THAT I HAD TO PAY, YOU KNOW, $700 TO GET THAT REMOVED AND, AND TAKEN AWAY, UM, BACK IN 2017.
SO THE PICTURES IN THE BACK AGAIN ARE, ARE PRETTY MUCH WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WILDLIFE, SQUIRRELS AND POSSES AND
A LOT OF DIFFERENT SPECIES OF BIRDS.
WE STILL HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, FUNCTIONS, SOMETIMES BARBECUE.
UM, SOME OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS, THEY HAVE, THEIR KIDS HAVE BONFIRES ON IT, SO WE STILL USE IT.
UM, AND I TRY TO KEEP MY PROPERTY VERY WELL MAINTAINED.
AGAIN, I'VE HAD A GARDENER COME EVERY OTHER WEEK FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS.
HE'S BEEN THERE SINCE THE NINETIES, KEEPING THE GRASS CUT.
I'VE NEVER HAD A CITY COME UP ON MY PROPERTY TO DO ANYTHING.
UM, BUT I WISH THE CITY WOULD COME TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND BE A LITTLE BIT MORE VIGILANT.
THIS PICTURE IS OF THE CITY INSTALL ROUNDABOUT AT 15TH AND ORANGE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S OVERGROWN WITH WEEDS.
SO I WAS VERY EXCITED WHEN WE GOT THE ROUNDABOUT BECAUSE I THOUGHT, OKAY, THIS WILL CUT DOWN ON SPEEDING.
IT'LL MAKE IT A LITTLE SAFER BECAUSE THERE'S A PARK RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, KIDS GOING BACK AND FORTH, AND IT HAS CUT DOWN ON SPEEDING, BUT IT'S NOT BEING MAINTAINED.
SO NOW THIS IS ADDING, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DRIVE INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU SEE THIS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, YOU'RE GONNA THINK A CERTAIN THING ABOUT THE NEIGHBOR.
AND THIS KIND OF THING LEADS TO WHAT YOU SEE IN THE BACKGROUND, WHICH IS A VACANT DOLLAR TREE STORE THAT IS BEING NOW USED AS A DUMPING GROUND.
WHEN I WAS COMING HERE, THERE WAS A BIG MATTRESS ON THE SIDE OF IT.
THERE WAS SOME OFFICE FURNITURE ON THE SIDE OF IT.
SO IT'S KIND OF A NEVER ENDING PROBLEM WITH THE BLIGHT.
BUT MY PROPERTY HAS NEVER BEEN PART OF THAT BLIGHT.
AND SO AGAIN, I'M, I'M KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE FEES ARE REALLY FOR.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEY'RE MONITORING.
UM, THIS LAST PICTURE IS WHAT I TOOK THIS, UH, THUR THURSDAY.
I'VE HAD HOMELESS PEOPLE CAMPING OUT IN THE PARK FOR FOUR WEEKS.
THIS IS SOME OF THE TRASH THAT THEY LEAVE.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE WHEN THE WIND COMES UP, A LOT OF THIS ENDS UP ON MY PROPERTY AND MY FENCE.
AND I'M OUT THERE USUALLY TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK PICKING UP TRASH SWEEPING TO KEEP THE AREA CLEAN.
SO I KNOW NOW IT'S, IT IS NOT A CONSIDERED A PARK FOR SOME REASON.
AND I THINK THE REASON THIS GOT DESIGNATED BECAUSE AT, AT ONE POINT IN TIME, BACK IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, UM, WE WERE LOOKING IN OUR HIGHLY POPUL DENSELY POPULATED NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE MINE TO ADD MORE GREEN SPACE BECAUSE MY ZIP CODE 9 0 8 1 3 HAD HAD THE HIGHEST POPULATION OF CHILDREN AND THE LOWEST POPULATION OF AVAILABLE GREEN AND PARK SPACE FOR THEM TO PLAY.
AND SO MY YARD, IN ADDITION TO ROSA PARKS, UH, PARK GAVE YOUNG PEOPLE MORE OPTIONS, UM, FOR GREEN SPACE.
I READ THE ORDINANCE AND, UM, IT TALKED ABOUT YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, MAKE, USE IT AS AN A DU.
I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT ADDING AN A DU OR ADDING PROPERTY, A HOUSE OR SOMETHING TO THAT SPACE BECAUSE ALREADY THERE'S NO PARKING.
UM, IF YOU CHECK WITH THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, I'M A FREQUENT CALLER BECAUSE I HAVE PEOPLE CONSTANTLY BLOCKING MY DRIVEWAY WHERE I CAN'T GET IN AND OUT.
SO EVEN IF YOU ADD, IF I WERE TO ADD SOME PRO UNITS THERE ON THE LAND, I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE PEOPLE WILL PA PARK.
THERE'S JUST NO PARKING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND AGAIN, UM, USING IT AS A COMMUNITY GARDEN TO OPEN IT UP WHEN WE HAVE RECORD HOMELESSNESS WOULD JUST CAUSE ME SOME CONCERN, UM, WITH
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SECURITY.'CAUSE I'VE ALREADY HAD SOME VERBAL EXCHANGES WITH SOME OF THE UNHOUSED PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO WHILE I UNDERSTAND THE, AND I'M CONGRATULATE THE CITY ON BEING VIGILANT TO ELIMINATE BLIGHT AND REDUCE BLIGHT, BUT I WOULD LIKE YOU GUYS TO START WITH YOUR PROPERTY FIRST.
I DON'T KNOW WHY NO ONE HAS MAINTAINED THE ROUNDABOUT THAT YOU GUYS HAD SAW.
IT LOOKED BEAUTIFUL FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS.
IT WAS THERE, THERE WAS FLOWERS AND I THOUGHT, OH, THIS IS GONNA REALLY ADD VALUE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT NOW IT'S JUST, YEAH, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF MY CONCERN IS THE MAINTENANCE.
UM, I'LL GO THROUGH BRIEFLY SOME OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE ABOUT THE FEES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BASIS OF THE FEES ARE, UM, FROM WHAT I READ, I READ THE ORDINANCE.
I WOULD LIKE TO GET A COPY OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED IN TERMS OF GIVING BACKGROUND ON WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE COST.
BUT I HAVE MY PROPERTY TAX BILLS FROM THAT LAND.
AND PRIOR TO THE IMPOSITION OF THE FEES, MY PROPERTY TAXES FOR THAT PARCEL WERE $150 A YEAR.
UM, NOW THE FIRST YEAR OF THE FEES I WAS TOLD IN THE LETTER I HAD SENT WAS $660 BACK IN 2018.
AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT $660 IS BASED ON.
IF IT IS A PERCENTAGE OF THE ASSESSED CURRENT ASSESSED VALUE OF THE PROPERTY, IF IT'S, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S BASED ON.
I JUST HEARD THAT IT IS BASED ON STAFF TIME AND SERVICES.
SO I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD GET A COPY OF HOW MUCH TIME THE STAFF HAS SPENT MONITORING MY LOT.
WHAT SERVICES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED? YOU TALK ABOUT INSPECTIONS? AS FAR AS I KNOW, OTHER THAN DRIVING BY, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYBODY, UM, WALKING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD INSPECTING ANYTHING BECAUSE IF I HAD SEEN THEM, I WOULD ASK THEM, WHAT'S UP WITH THE ROUNDABOUT AND THE TRASH BEING DUMPED AT DOLLAR TREE? SO I LET ME KNOW WHEN SOMEBODY COMES OUT TO INSPECT.
YOU TALK ABOUT THE DATABASE AND MAINTAIN THE DATABASE.
WELL, THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE'S JOB DESCRIPTION.
UM, YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN CODE ENFORCEMENT, I THINK THEY HAVE A JOB TO DO.
SO IF THEY'RE ALREADY GETTING PAID, AND THAT'S PART OF THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION, IS TO GO AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND MAINTAIN DATABASES AND DO INSPECTIONS, AND THEY GET A SALARY BASED ON THE TAXES I ALREADY PAY AND WE ALL PAY.
WHY ARE THEY GETTING EXTRA FEES IF THEY'RE NOT DOING EXTRA WORK OR IF IT'S WORK THAT'S WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THEIR DOING THEIR DUTIES.
HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY CHARGING PEOPLE FOR WHAT YOU HIRE THEM TO DO? AND THAT'S PART OF THEIR NORMAL JOB DESCRIPTION.
I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, AND THEN HOW THE FEES HAVE BEEN APPLIED.
I'VE NOT GOTTEN THE NOTICES CONSISTENTLY.
I RECEIVED THE FIRST NOTICE NOVEMBER 15TH, 2018.
I DIDN'T GET ANY FEES ASSESSED ON MY 2019 TAX APPEAL.
BUT IN 2020 ON MY 2020 TAX BILL, UM, THERE WAS A FEE OF $1,180 AND 96 CENTS FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
ON MY TAX BILL FOR 2021, THERE WAS A FEE OF $1,167 AND 67 CENTS.
I DIDN'T GET A NOTICE THAT YEAR FROM THE CITY ABOUT A FEE FOR 2021.
I DIDN'T GET A NOTICE OR ANY FEES ASSESSED IN 2022.
I HAD A NOTICE DATED JANUARY 18TH, 2020 FEE WHERE THE FEE FOR HAD GONE UP TO SEVEN 80.
THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THERE WAS A 19% INCREASE OF THE FEE.
IT JUST SAID, THIS IS THE FEE FOR THIS YEAR.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IT MAY, YOU MADE IT SOUND AS IF THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES THESE FEES EACH YEAR.
SO MAYBE THAT'S WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM.
IT'S PRESENTED, OR WE NEED TO INCREASE THE FEE.
BUT THAT WASN'T EXPLAINED IN ANY OF THE LETTERS I RECEIVED.
SO AGAIN, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT FEE IS BASED ON OR WHY IT WENT UP.
UM, BUT MY TAX BILL FOR 2023 HAD A FEE OF $1,244 AND 90 CENTS FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
I HAD A NOTICE DATED ONE JANUARY 17TH, 2024.
IT SAID THE ANNUAL FEE AGAIN WAS AT SEVEN 80.
AND MY TAX BILL THAT YEAR HAD A FEE OF $1,256 AND 2 CENTS.
AGAIN, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE THESE NUMBERS ARE COMING FROM.
I HAD A NOTICE THE MOST RECENT NOTICE, 3 25 25, THE FEE HAS GONE UP AGAIN FROM SEVEN 80 TO 8 0 4.
AGAIN, NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE FEE IS INCREASING.
IS THERE MORE WORK BEING DONE? WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE REASON FOR THE FEE? SO FROM $660
[00:30:01]
TO $804, THAT'S A 22% INCREASE.SINCE THE PROGRAM WAS INITIATED, MY CURRENT PROPERTY TAX BILL, MINUS THE LONG CITY OF LONG BEACH, VACANT LOT FEES IS $198.
UM, SINCE IMPLEMENTING THESE FEES, THE ACTUAL BLIGHT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS INCREASED.
SO I'M SUPPOSED TO BE PAYING FEES TO MONITOR AND REDUCE BLIGHT, BUT AS I'VE SHOWN YOU, THE BLIGHT HAS ACTUALLY INCREASED.
UM, AND THE INTERESTING PART ABOUT THIS ROUNDABOUT, BY THE WAY, IT SITS RIGHT OUTSIDE THE DOOR.
IT'S ON THE CORNER, IT'S 15TH AND ORANGE.
THIS APARTMENT, THE WHITE APARTMENT BUILDING, THE APARTMENT 1500 ORANGE IS NOW BEING RENTED.
IT'S ON ZILLOW FOR 2,500 A MONTH.
SO WHOEVER RENTS THAT APARTMENT, THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE GONNA SEE WHEN THEY LOOK OUT THEIR FRONT WINDOW, THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE GONNA SEE WHEN THEY WALK OUT OF THEIR FRONT DOOR.
THIS IS RIGHT ACROSS FROM THEM.
SO AGAIN, THERE SEEMS TO BE MIXED MESSAGES, AND THAT'S MY CONCERN WITH OUR GOVERNMENT.
RIGHT NOW, ON THE ONE HAND, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE CONCERNED WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL WARMING, BUT YET WHEN YOU HAVE A PROPERTY THAT HAS OLD GROWTH TREES THAT PROVIDE SHAPE THESE TREES, WHEN THE, WHEN WE GET HEAVY RAINS, I DIDN'T INCLUDE A PICTURE, BUT THE BACK HALF OF THAT LOT FLOODS, THESE TREES ABSORB THAT WATER.
THESE TREES PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET.
WE HAVE TO SHARE THIS PLANET WITH OTHER SPECIES.
SO I HAVE THOUSANDS, WELL, NOT THOUSANDS, HUNDREDS OF BIRDS IN MY YARD.
WE HAVE BIRD FEEDERS, I HAVE SQUIRRELS.
WE FEED THE SQUIRRELS, WE HAVE PASTAS, WE HAVE RACCOONS, AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO BECAUSE INCREASINGLY AS PEOPLE AROUND ME ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO MAKE MORE MONEY, THEY'RE BUILDING MORE AND MORE ADUS AND BUILDINGS.
THERE'S NO PLACE FOR THESE CREATURES TO GO.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY I HAVE NOT, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE BEEN APPROACHED BY A LOT OF REALTORS AND DEVELOPERS OVER THE YEARS, UH, WANTING TO BUY THE PROPERTY.
UM, BUT I, I THINK THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE CITY NEEDS, ESPECIALLY IN MY PART OF TOWN, WE NEED GREEN SPACE.
SO I, I AM NOT INCLINED TO DO ANYTHING BUT KEEP THE SPACE GREEN.
BUT I DON'T THINK, I THINK THESE FEES ARE PUNISHING ME FOR TRYING TO BE A GOOD GLOBAL CITIZEN, UM, BY NOT CONCRETE EVERYTHING IN AND BRINGING A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST GONNA CAUSE MORE TRASH AND GARBAGE AND, YOU KNOW, AND POSSIBLY EVEN CREATE MORE LIFE.
SO THAT'S ALL ALL I WANTED TO REALLY SAY.
I JUST WANTED TO, HOPEFULLY THE STAFF CAN GET ME INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THESE FEES ARE BASED ON A BREAKDOWN YEAR BY YEAR OF HOW MUCH OF CITY STAFF TIME HAS BEEN SPENT MONITORING MY VACANT LOT.
UM, WHAT FEES AND EXPENSES YOU HAVE INCURRED, BECAUSE AS FAR AS I KNOW, ALL THE FEES AND EXPENSES THAT HAVE BEEN INCURRED ON THIS LOT FOR THE PAST 50 PLUS YEARS HAS BEEN PAID BY MY FAMILY.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO HOLD OFF FOR JUST A SECOND.
ARE, ARE YOU DONE WITH YOUR PRESENTATION, MS. TOBIAS? MM-HMM
AND THE NEXT THING WE WILL DO IS ASK FOR BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS FOR MS. TOBIAS.
BUT THE OTHER THING I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO DO, IF IT'S OKAY, IS I BELIEVE THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS FOR STAFF AS WELL.
IS IT OKAY TO INCLUDE THAT NOW THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM, OKAY.
SO BOARD MEMBERS CAN ASK QUESTIONS OF EITHER MS. TOBIAS, PROPERTY OWNER OR STAFF.
SO I DO WANT TO THANK YOU MS. TOBIAS FOR AGE, THOUGHTFUL.
OH, HOW DID I TURN ON MY MIC? LET'S DO IT.
SO THANK YOU FOR A THOUGHTFUL PRESENTATION.
I WANT TO TRY TO FIRST MAKE A COMMENT THAT NARROWS THE ISSUES HERE BECAUSE YOU'VE RAISED SOME ISSUES THAT MAYBE WITHIN OUR PURVIEW AND OTHERS THAT AREN'T.
AND THEN I WANT TO TURN TO STAFF, FOLLOWED BY YOU WITH SOME CLARIFYING QUESTIONS.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WHATEVER CONCERNS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF THE FEE ARE NOT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THIS COMMISSION.
THIS IS, I THINK, BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD ABOUT THE REGULATIONS, UM, YOU'VE MENTIONED SOME OTHER PROPERTIES WHICH ARE IN VERY POOR CONDITION.
THAT IS, I, I HOPE AND IMAGINE THAT STAFF WILL LOOK AT THOSE PROPERTIES.
BUT AGAIN, THE FACT THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING A BEING BAD STEWARDS IS NOT RELEVANT TO THIS.
WHAT I DO WANT TO UNDERSTAND IS FROM STAFF, WHETHER OR NOT,
[00:35:02]
WHETHER OR NOT IT IS ACCURATE IN GENERAL OR IN SPECIFIC, THAT THIS PROPERTY IS WELL MAINTAINED IN THE MATTER THAT MS. TOBIAS SAYS, BECAUSE THAT WOULD SEEM TO NARROW.IF YES, THAT WOULD SEEM TO NARROW THE QUESTION TO THE OBLIGATION OF ANY OWNER OF A VACANT PROPERTY TO PAY THE FEE, WHATEVER THE CONDITION OF THE PROPERTY.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING WHERE I'M HOPING, AGAIN, BECAUSE WE HAVE A CONCERNED MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY, WE HAVE, UM, A STAFF WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT MAINTAINING GOOD ORDER IN OUR COMMUNITY, ASSUMING THAT IT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED WELL, I'M CURIOUS, I KNOW I'M ASKING SEVERAL QUESTIONS WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S STEPS THAT MS. TOBIAS COULD TAKE THAT WOULD BRING IT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF SOME OF THE PUBLIC USES THAT SEEM TO ALLOW A PROPERTY OWNER TO NOT PAY THE FEE.
THAT'S A LOT, BUT I THINK IT MAY MOVE OUR CONVERSATION FORWARD.
I'LL TRY TO ADDRESS SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS SO I DON'T HAVE 'EM IN ORDER.
BUT IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY, UH, HER, UH, PARCEL THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO HER WHERE SHE CURRENTLY, UH, RESIDES AT IS A CONSIDERING A VACANT LOT.
UH, BUT SHE DOESN'T MAINTAIN IT.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, PROPERTY MAINTENANCE ISSUES.
IT IS A REQUIREMENT BASED ON THE, UH, MUNICIPAL CODE FOR PROPERTY OWNERS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR VACANT LOTS OR, UH, DEVELOPED PROPERTIES TO MAINTAIN THEM.
UH, HER PARTICULAR VACANT LOT IS MAINTAINED.
WE HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT.
OTHERWISE, SHE WOULD GET A, A CITATION WARNING NOTICE FROM ONE OF OUR INSPECTORS TO, UH, TAKE CARE OF THE PROPERTY.
WE HAVE NOT HAD ANYTHING RECENTLY, AS FAR AS I CAN REMEMBER, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A NOTIFICATION TO HER THAT SHE'S NOT MAINTAINING IT.
IS THERE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION? UM, WELL TURNING MAYBE TO MS. TOBIAS AND ALSO TO YOU, SINCE IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS A WELL-MAINTAINED PROPERTY THAT MORE OR LESS FITS THE CIRCUMSTANCES SHE'S DESCRIBED, BUT THERE'S AN ABSOLUTE OBLIGATION TO PAY THE FEE.
HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH THE CITY ABOUT THE VARIOUS OPTIONS THAT SOMEBODY HAS? YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THEM TO TURN THIS EITHER INTO A RECOGNIZED PUBLIC USE OR PERHAPS EVEN TO INCORPORATE IT IF THIS IS POSSIBLE, INTO YOUR EXISTING HOME PROPERTY.
UM, INITIALLY WHEN I GOT THE FIRST NOTICE, BECAUSE I WASN'T AWARE THAT THIS WAS EVEN ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA, AS I PROBABLY WOULD'VE COME DOWN, EVEN THOUGH I WAS WORKING TO SPEAK, UM, I WAS TOLD I COULD EITHER PUT SOMETHING ON THE PROPERTY, I COULD BUILD SOMETHING ON THERE IN RESIDENCE, OR I COULD USE IT AS A COMMUNITY GARDEN OPENING IT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I ADDRESSED MY CONCERNS ABOUT SECURITY AGAINST, ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THAT I'VE HAD WITH SOMEONE TRYING TO BREAK INTO MY HOME ABOUT THE ARGUMENTS THAT I'VE GOTTEN INTO WITH SOME OF OUR UNHOUSED CITIZENS WHO FEEL THAT THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO, UH, THE PROPERTY THAT I'VE ACTUALLY COME HOME AND HAD BAGS, UH, BIG 33 GALLON BAGS STORED JUST ON MY PROPERTY.
LIKE, AND THEN SOME PERSON WOULD COME ALONG LATER AND TAKE THEM.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN A TIME WHERE, YOU KNOW, AS, AS A, AS A SINGLE WOMAN, I HAVE TO BE CONCERNED WITH MY SECURITY.
AND I HAD, THAT'S WHY I PUT IN A RING.
I MEAN, I'VE LIVED THERE ALL MY LIFE.
I NEVER HAD A CONCERN ABOUT SECURITY UNTIL SOMEONE TRIED TO BREAK IN MY HOME.
AND IT WAS AN UNHOUSED PERSON.
AND HE TRIED TO BREAK INTO MY BEDROOM WINDOW WHEN I WAS THERE.
SO I GOT, I HAVE RING CAMERAS NOW IN THE FRONT HOUSE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S VACANT, BY THE WAY.
UM, THE FRONT HOUSE, THAT 1506 HAS BEEN VACANT SINCE 2012.
SO
BUT AGAIN, I THINK THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AS A WHOLE, AS SOMEONE WHO GREW UP HERE, WAS BORN HERE AT ST.
MARY'S HOSPITAL AND, AND RODE BICYCLES AND WALKED TO THE BEACH.
UM, BUT QUALITY OF LIFE IN LONG BEACH HAS GREATLY DECLINED BECAUSE WE'RE NOT NEW YORK.
WE'RE NOT, WE CAN'T HANDLE THE DENSITY.
LONG BEACH BOULEVARD IS THE SAME SIZE.
PACIFIC AVENUE IS THE SAME SIZE.
BUT YET WE HAVE HUGE APARTMENT BUILDINGS TRY GOING DOWN OCEAN.
I USED TO BE ABLE TO, I LIVE ON ORANGE.
I USED TO TAKE DRIVE DOWN ORANGE TO OCEAN.
I COULD BE IN BELMONT STORE PROBABLY IN 10 MINUTES, EVEN IF I GET ALL THE LIGHTS NOW, THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND I MADE THIS POINT WHEN I WAS ON THE RDA BOARD WHEN WE WERE APPROVING A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS, UM, BECAUSE WE TOOK AWAY OLDER HOUSING, THAT HOUSE OLD, UM, MORE, MOST OF OUR LOW INCOME PEOPLE, A LOT OF OUR LOW INCOME SENIOR PEOPLE, WHICH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE HOMELESSNESS.
[00:40:01]
AND WE'RE NOT GONNA SOLVE IT NOW BY TRYING TO CRAM EVERY INCH OF LIVING SPACE OR EVERY INCH OF DIRT BUILDING A HOUSE ON IT.WHICH AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAINTAIN.
IF THERE WAS ADEQUATE PARKING ON THE STREET, I WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM.
BUT RIGHT NOW, LITERALLY I HAVE, I CALL THE POLICE AT LEAST TWICE A MONTH.
AND THIS IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT A GOOD NEIGHBOR TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT I'VE HAD TO HAVE PEOPLE'S CARS TOWED AWAY BECAUSE I COULDN'T GET OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY.
I'VE HAD TO HAVE PEOPLE'S CARS TICKETED BECAUSE I COULDN'T GET OUTTA MY DRIVEWAY.
I ACTUALLY HAVE AN EMAIL I SENT TO THE CITY ENGINEERS LAST OCTOBER SAYING, HEY, CAN YOU DO SOMETHING? CAN YOU HELP US? I DON'T, I, I AM TIRED OF CALLING PEOPLE, CALLING THE POLICE, HAVING THEM COME OUT AND INTO CARS.
YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOMETHING YOU CAN RECOMMEND FOR THE STREET? IT'S A ONE-WAY STREET, BY THE WAY.
UM, AND IT IS NARROWED WHEN THEY PUT THE PARK IN.
SO IT'S, IT USED TO BE A TWO-WAY STREET, AND IT'S HARD FOR ME TO GET OUT THERE.
MY DRIVEWAY, OF COURSE, NEVER GOT A RESPONSE.
I HAVE EMAILS HERE FROM THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER.
SO THE CITY WANTS TO DETERMINE WHAT WE DO WITH OUR PROPERTY, BUT THEN WHEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM AND WE GO TO THE CITY, IT'S KIND OF LIKE, EH, WELL, SO IF I CREATE A COMMUNITY GARDEN AND OPEN IT UP, IT'S LIKE, AM I GONNA, AND THE PERSON I TALKED TO AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS YEARS AGO, I DIDN'T WRITE THEIR NAME NOW.
I SAID, IS THE CITY GONNA GIMME A DISCOUNT ON THE WATER BILL? I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY IN HERE, BUT I'M A GARDENER.
MY PARENTS WERE GARDENERS, FRUIT TREES, TAKE A LOT OF WATER, VEGETABLES, TAKE A LOT OF WATER.
I DON'T WANT TO PAY $500 A MONTH FOR A WATER BILL OR GET PENALIZED BECAUSE OF I'M USING EXCESS WATER.
SO AGAIN, I I, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, ARE WE CONSERVING WATER BECAUSE WE'RE IN A DROUGHT OR DO WE WANT COMMUNITY GARDENS WHERE YOU GOTTA USE MORE WATER? ARE WE CONCERNED ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN GREEN SPACE AND LARGE OLD GROWTH TREES THAT PROVIDE SHADE AND OF ABSORB WATER? OR ARE WE JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, CUT ALL DOWN ALL THE TREES AND BUILD CONCRETE IN THE DRIVEWAYS AND HOUSE THE, I I I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS ON THAT ONE, AND THAT GOES A LITTLE BEYOND WHAT THIS BOARD IS ABLE TO DO.
BUT THERE'S A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU, MS.
UH, MR. RIVAS, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY EVIDENCE OF THE VACANT LOT? UH, LIKE YOU SAID, IT IS NOT, IT'S BEING MAINTAINED, RIGHT? BUT, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY MATERIAL OR ANY KIND OF REFERENCE IMAGES THAT KIDS, I'M LOOKING AT THE ORDINANCE, RIGHT, AND THAT IT GOES AGAINST THE ORDINANCE, UM, FOR THE PURPOSE TO MAINTAIN NOT BEING EYESORE.
UH, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, WELL, PREVIOUS CASES, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN THE NEED FOR MAINTENANCE, THE NEED FOR WEED AND OVERGROWN TRASH COLLECTIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND, UM, WE BELIEVE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, AGAINST WHAT THIS ORDINANCE IS STARTING TO ESTABLISH AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, WHY PROPERTY VALUES AND STATUS.
AND IF, LET ME, LET ME MAKE SURE THAT CORRECTLY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PERMISSION THAT WE CAN SEE? NOT ON ME AS FAR AS, UH, FOR, FOR US TO PRESENT TO, UH, THE BOARD, BUT WHEN THIS ORDINANCE WAS, UH, ESTABLISHED, IT WAS BASED ON, UM, CITYWIDE, UM, CONDITIONS OF ALL THE, UH, VACANT LAWS.
AND I KNOW THAT FOR, FOR MANY, THEY PROBABLY THINK MINE IS NOT A VACANT LAW THAT IS NOT MAINTAINED.
SO THEY HAVE, YOU HAVE TO BE EQUAL TO EVERYONE, RIGHT? YOU CAN'T JUST SAY YOU OR HER OR NOT, OR HIM.
IT'S, IT'S JUST A, UH, CITYWIDE, UH, ORDINANCE.
UH, SO THE MAJORITY OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN THIS PROGRAM MAKE AN EFFORT TO MAINTAIN IT.
UM, SO THE WAY THAT THE CITY ALLOWS THEM TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT ADEQUATE PROGRAM IS WHAT RIGHT OUT IN BEGINNING AS TO THE BRIEFING, THAT'S WHAT INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE THESE VACANT LOTS, BECAUSE THEY ARE SEPARATE PARCELS FROM, UH, IF THEY HAVE AN ADJACENT LOG, UM, TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THEM.
UM, IT'S NOT JUST BASED ON BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT MAINTAINED.
IT'S JUST THEY ARE DESIGNATED AS THEY CAN LOGS BY THE, UH, COUNTY ASSESSOR AND BY THE STATE.
UM, SO ONCE A LOT, WHETHER IT'S MAINTAINED OR DESIGNATED, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE DESCRIPTION HERE, UM, ON THE ORDINANCE IS, THEY ARE ASSESSED $900, UM, ANNUAL FEE BECAUSE THEY ARE VACANT LOSS, NOT BECAUSE WE ARE HELPING THEM MAINTAIN THE LOSS, NOT BECAUSE SOMEBODY IS OUT THERE GOING AND CUTTING THE GRASS FOR THEM.
UM, IS THAT, YEAH, THEY'RE ALL ASSESSED THIS, THIS AMOUNT
[00:45:01]
A ANNUAL AMOUNT.AARON, DID YOU GO AHEAD, HONOR.
SO I HEARD MS. DEVA SAY THAT THERE ARE NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS THAT PLAY HERE, UM, BUT OF COURSE SHE'S CONCERNED ABOUT TURNING IT OR POSTING THE SIGN BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, VAGRANT.
SO I'M CURIOUS, CAN STAFF ANSWER WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A POCKET PARK? DOES IT NEED TO BE OPEN TO VAGRANT OR CAN IT JUST BE OPEN TO NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS? DOES IT HAVE TO BE OPEN FOR EVERYBODY OR CAN IT BE, YOU KNOW, WHEN SHE SAYS YES, YOU CAN PLAY HERE? THAT WOULD LIKELY BE TO BE DEFINED BY, UH, PLANNING.
'CAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT WOULD, UH, DESIGNATE A SPECIFIC PARCEL FOR A SPECIFIC USE.
SO WE WOULD NEED TO CONTACT BY AND SAY, WOULD THIS, WHAT ARE THE PARAMETERS FOR IT TO BE CONSIDERED A POCKET PARK? AND VERY LIKELY WE HAVE TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION TO USE, UH, SUCH A PLACE.
COULD IT HAVE A LOCK AT CERTAIN TIMES OF DAY? I WOULD THINK SO, BUT I, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A DIRECT ANSWER.
DID YOU HAVE, UM, I HAVE ANOTHER, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GET BACK TO AARON.
I HAVE A, A QUESTION FOR YOU AS WELL.
AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ORDINANCE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE OF VACANT LOTS, WHICH STARTS WITH THE IDEA THAT THEY MAY WELL BE A BLIGHT AND THAT THE IDEA IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE MAINTAINED.
IS THERE ANY QUESTION THAT THIS VACANT LOT IS NOT BEING MAINTAINED AT THE MOMENT? THERE'S NO QUESTION.
THAT'S A REQUIREMENT FOR, FOR ANY, ANY VACANT LAW.
THEY'RE REQUIRED TO BE MAINTAINED.
IF THEY'RE NOT MAINTAINED, THEN WE WOULD, UH, SEND 'EM A CITATION WARNING NOTICE OR POST A, A, LET'S SAY IT'S OVERGROWN NEEDS AND AGREE, WE'LL POST A NOTICE TO CLEAN AND THEY HAVE, UH, 20 DAYS TO CLEAN THAT PROPERTY.
AND IF THEY DON'T CLEAN, THEN WE WOULD BE THE ONES THAT WOULD, UH, CONTRACT SOMEONE TO CLEAN IT.
AND MY, MY SECOND QUESTION ON THAT ONE IS, IN TERMS OF THE MAINTENANCE OF VACANT BOX THERE ON, ON, UH, ARTICLE C VACANT LOG, IT SAYS IT WILL NOT INCLUDE ANY LOT BEING LAWFULLY UTILIZED FOR SMALL SCALE AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES.
A LOT OF OLD GROWTH TREES THAT ARE HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT, COULD THAT COUNT AS AGRICULTURE OR THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE FRUIT BEARING OR GROWING SOMETHING? IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FRUIT BEARING.
AND, UM, YOU COULD LOOK IT UP ON THE, UH, CITY WEBSITE WHERE IT HAS THE, UH, SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM THAT WILL LET THEM KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT'S THAT THEY ARE.
AND FINAL QUESTION ON THIS ONE IS, WERE THERE ANY, UM, VACANT LOTS THAT WERE GRANDFATHERED IN WHERE THEY BEEN VACANT AND MAINTAINED? AND SINCE THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO STOP THE BLIGHT AND THERE SEEMS TO BE GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT THIS IS NOT A CASE OF BLIGHT, COULD THERE BE, OR WERE THERE ANY LOTS THAT WERE GRANDFATHERED IN WHERE THEY DO NOT NEED TO PAY THIS FEE? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
MR. AKIN, YOU HAD QUESTIONS? YOU DID? YES.
CAN WE HEAR FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY FIRST? OH, YEAH, YEAH.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS THERE WAS A QUESTION OF INTERPRETING THE STATUTE HERE.
I MAY BE READING A LITTLE BIT INTO IT, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT SECTION 18, 29, 0 8 OH, EACH OF THESE ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR VACANT PROPERTIES.
AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE SUBSECTION A, WHICH REQUIRES THEM TO BE MAINTAINED, AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE SUBSECTION B AND SUBSEQUENT, WHICH REQUIRES REGISTRATION IN THE VACANT PROPERTY PROGRAM, INCLUDING PAYMENT OF THE FEES, PENALTIES THAT MAY BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A LOT WOULD BE SEPARATELY ASSESSED.
UH, WERE, WERE THOSE
DOES THE CITY, DO THEY GO OFF COUNTY RECORDS FOR VACANT LOTS? IS THAT HOW YOU COME UP WITH WHICH LOTS ARE CONSIDERED VACANT IN THE CITY? I MEAN, I'M WONDERING WHY I I DIDN'T ASK.
THE STATUTE ISN'T SPECIFIC, SO IT WOULD JUST REQUIRE ESTABLISHING THAT IT'S VACANT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR THIS COMMITTEE, WHETHER IT'S VACANT.
AND IT'S WHEN THE STUDY WAS DONE, IT WAS FROM THE, UH, COUNTY ASSESS RECORD AND THEN, UH, CONFIRMED BY STAFF.
YES, I'M GOING TO TAKE US BACK TO 18.2 9.070 C.
THIS IS ON PAGE THREE OF THE ORDINANCE, JUST WHERE YOU WERE.
IT'S ABOUT EIGHT LINES ABOVE IS WHERE MY QUESTION IS.
UM, WHICH GOES THE DEFINITION OF A VACANT LOT, WHICH ACTUALLY SEEMS UNFORTUNATELY VAGUE HERE.
SO PART OF THE DEFINITION IS THAT IT IS A PROPERTY LOT OR PARCEL
[00:50:01]
THAT IS EITHER UNDEVELOPED OR ET CETERA, ET CETERA.THE ARGUMENT I'M HEARING FROM MS. TOBIAS, AND I'M INTERESTED IN HOW THE CITY WOULD VIEW THIS, SEEMS TO BE THAT SHE HAS, THOUGH SHE'S NOT PUT A HOUSE ON IT, SHE HAS NOT PUT AN AGRICULTURAL INSTALLATION ON IT.
SHE SEEMS TO BE MAKING THE ARGUMENT THAT THIS PROPERTY IS NOT UNDEVELOPED BECAUSE SHE'S MAINTAINING IT, UM, AS SOMETHING THAT IS, HAS A POSITIVE VIEW FOR THE CITY AND IT HAS OLD GROWTH TREES ON IT, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO THE QUESTION THAT COMES UP, AND THIS IS OLD NARROW QUESTIONS, THIS IS THE REALLY THE MOST COMPLICATED CASE THAT WE'VE HEARD HERE, I THINK, UM, IS WHETHER OR NOT THE ACTIVITIES THAT SHE'S ENGAGED IN WOULD MAKE THIS POTENTIALLY NO LONGER AN UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY.
AND IF SO, IS THAT A QUESTION FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT OR IS THAT A QUESTION THAT YOU MIGHT GO BACK TO PLANNING FOR? I'M GONNA TAKE JUST A MOMENT BEFORE I THINK, 'CAUSE WE'RE ON THE RECORD HERE AND THESE OPINIONS MATTER.
WHILE YOU'RE THINKING, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. BIAS, WHICH IS ABOUT ONE OF THE PHOTOS OF THE HOME ON THURSDAY.
WHAT IS THE SIGN? SAY? IT'S IN THE MIDDLE THERE.
THERE'S A LITTLE WHITE AND RED.
THAT'S THE, THE LONG BEACH POLICE THAT I TOLD YOU I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH.
UNHOUSED COMING ON MY PROPERTY AND USING IT, WANTED TO USE IT FOR STORAGE AND SOMETIMES FOR RESTROOM PURPOSES, THEY SUGGESTED THAT I POST, UH, NO, NO TRESPASSING PRIVATE PROPERTY SIGNS PROMINENTLY.
SO I BOUGHT TWO, ONE THAT'S ON, I DIDN'T TAKE A PICTURE OF IT, BUT IT'S IN THE FRONT OF 1506, WHICH IS THE FRONT HOUSE.
AND IT, IT'S ALSO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LOT.
UM, BUT IF YOU DRIVE BY THE HOUSE, WHICH I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO, IT'S ALL IN ONE FENCING.
THERE'S NO FENCE THAT SEPARATES THE PROPERTY.
I COULDN'T EVEN TELL YOU OFFICIALLY WHERE THE PROPERTY LINE IS, UM, BECAUSE IT'S ALL ONE YARD.
AND SO IT'S ALWAYS BEEN CONSIDERED.
UM, AND THAT'S ALWAYS HOW I'VE TREATED IT.
THE, THE PICTURE WITH A LARGE TREE THAT FELL DOWN.
WE USED TO ACTUALLY, UH, RENT EQUIPMENT AND HAVE PUT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON IT AND HAVE THE DEER AROUND IT.
IT WAS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WOULD COME BY AND DRIVE BY AND LOOK AT IT, LOOK AT IT BECAUSE IT WAS, IT'S THE SAME TYPE OF TREE, A CHRISTMAS TREE.
SO I'VE NEVER CONSIDERED IT, UM, A VACANT LOT.
LIKE I SAID, I'VE GOTTEN, YOU KNOW, YEARS PAST OFFERS FROM REAL ESTATE AND I STILL GET LETTERS WANTING TO BUY IT.
AND AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, IT'S ALL ONE PROPERTY.
UM, I'VE NEVER CONSIDERED, THERE'S NO DIVISION.
YOU CAN'T TELL WHERE ONE PROPERTY ENDS AND ONE PROPERTY BEGINS.
LIKE I SAID, IF YOU DRIVE BY, YOU'LL SEE, OH, SHE'S GOT A HUGE YARD
AND THAT'S WHAT MOST PEOPLE THINK.
AND THAT'S HOW I'VE ALWAYS TREATED MR. ATTORNEY.
AND IT WAS ENOUGH FOR ME TO THINK OF, UH, GOOD LAW TO ANALOGIZE TO, THERE IS A QUESTION OF WHETHER PROPERTY IS DEVELOPED OR NOT AS IT COMES TO PUBLIC LIABILITY WHEN IT RELATES TO CONDITIONS IN PARKS.
SO THE CITY HAS DIFFERENT OBLIGATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS AS IT COMES TO MAINTAINING CONDITIONS FOR SAFETY, WHETHER, WHETHER A PARK IS MAINTAINED IN MORE OR LESS ITS NATURAL CONDITION OR DEVELOPED FOR SOME USE OR PURPOSE.
THE DESCRIPTION I'VE HEARD OF THE ACTIVITIES OCCURRING AT THE PARK.
THE, THE, THE LOT I DO NOT BELIEVE WOULD COUNT AS DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY SO MUCH AS MAINTAINING IT IN ITS UNDEVELOPED STATE FOR USES IN KINDS OF WAYS THAT WE WOULD USE AREAS AT, AT, UH, EL DORADO PARK OR REC PARK OR AT OTHER PUBLIC OPEN FACILITIES FOR SEASONAL EVENTS AND OCCASIONS.
THOSE KIND OF TEMPORARY STANDING USES, I DON'T BELIEVE WOULD CONSTITUTE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH SPEAKS TO, UM, A PRIMARY PURPOSE FOR WHICH THE CONDITIONS OF THE LAND HAVE BEEN ALTERED.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER MR. RODRIGUEZ.
UM, THIS QUESTION FOR STAFF TOO.
WELL, UM, FOLLOWING OUT, UM, UH, ONE OF THE COMMENTS,
SO THERE'S THAT AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SEEN AS THIS, UH, TWO LOTS ARE PUT TOGETHER.
[00:55:01]
IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF IT WAS A SEPARATE LOT, BUT THEN THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE YARD.WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YEAH, SO I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS IS TWO DISTINCT PARCELS ON THE ASSESSOR RECORDS.
THE QUESTION I THINK IS IF THE LOT LINES WERE CHANGED, SO THAT THIS WAS ONE DISTINCT PARCEL IN THE ASSESSOR'S RECORDS, THE PRESENCE OF THE TWO DWELLINGS ON WHAT IS CURRENTLY ONE OF THE PARCELS WOULD MEAN THAT THE NOW NEW JOINED PARCEL WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM INCLUSION IN THE VACANT PROPERTY PROGRAM.
DO ANY COMMISSIONERS HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR FOR MR. BANKS? I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FOR STAFF.
UH, RELATING TO COMMUNITY GARDENS.
UH, SO IN SOME COMMUNITY GARDENS IN LONG BEACH, IN FACT, I GUESS THE TWO THAT I KNOW OF THERE, UH, THEY, THERE ARE FENCES WITH GATES THAT HAVE LOCKS AND ONLY THE PEOPLE WHO BELONG TO THE GARDEN HAVE THE KEY.
UM, IS THAT, UH, SOMETHING THAT COULD BE USED IN THIS CASE? LIKE, DOES THAT COUNTER IS NOT VACANT ANYMORE, USING IT AS A COMMUNITY GARDEN? UH, CORRECT.
A COMMUNITY GARDEN WITH A FENCED AND LOCKED GATE, YEAH.
AS FAR AS I'M, I'M AWARE IF IT'S USED AS A COMMUNITY GARDEN AND IT'S APPROVED AS A COMMUNITY GARDEN, YES.
THEY, THEY, THEY WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM, UH,
THEY, THEY WOULD BE EXEMPT FOR FIVE YEARS.
THERE'S A FIVE YEAR LIMIT ON THAT, SO IT CAN'T BE PERPETUALLY A COMMUNITY GARDEN.
SCOTT, DO WE HAVE ANY PRECEDENT FOR, YOU KNOW, THE LAST SENTENCE THERE IN SUBSECTION C, WHICH SAYS VACANT LOT SHALL NOT INCLUDE ANY LOT BEING LAWFULLY UTILIZED FOR SMALL SCALE AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES? THE QUESTION YOU WOULD HAVE TO REFER TO THE, UM, THE, UH, URBAN, UH, UTILIZATION PROGRAM THAT IS, UH, EXCUSE ME, THAT THE CITY HAS, I AM NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT FAMILIAR WITH.
I JUST USUALLY WILL REFER THEM TO THE WEBSITE.
SO THERE'S SOME PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS THAT WOULD BE MET THERE TO BE COUNTED IN THAT EXCEPTION AS WELL.
IF THERE ARE NO, IF THERE ARE FURTHER QUESTIONS, LET THEM GO AHEAD.
I HAVE A, MAYBE A RECOMMENDATION FOR HANDLING THIS UNUSUALLY.
A RECOMMENDATION FOR MAYBE HANDLING THIS UNUSUALLY COMPLEX AND BORDERLINE CASE, WHICH I THINK IS THE SENSE OF EVERYBODY HERE, IT SOUNDS LIKE, WELL, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SCOPE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE SOME ISSUES HAVE BEEN RAISED THAT IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE TO ADDRESS WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDE THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THIS COULD BE CONSIDERED ONE PROPERTY INSTEAD OF TWO.
THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY WOULD CONSIDER ON HAVING A MORE RESTRICTED KIND OF, UM, COMMUNITY GARDEN.
THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT PRESERVING TREES, WHICH ARE NOT BEARING FRUIT IS A, UM, AGRICULTURAL USE.
ALL OF THESE ARE BORDERLINE QUESTIONS, BUT MY RECOMMENDATION IS, AND UM, MAISHA, YOU CAN TELL US HOW WE DO THIS, IS THAT WE HOLD THIS CASE OVER AND OFFER THE PROPERTY OWNER AND THE CITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER DISCUSS OPTIONS THAT MIGHT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FACT THAT THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF BLIGHTED PROPERTY THAT WAS CONSIDERED THE ORDINANCE.
IT IS SUBJECT TO THE ORDINANCE.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY DOUBT ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HOLD THIS OVER AND SEE IF THE PROPERTY OWNER AND APPROPRIATE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COULD COME TO A BASIS FOR THE HANDLING OF THIS PERHAPS, BUT PERHAPS NOT.
AGAIN, NOT IN OUR PURVIEW WITHOUT THE REQUIRED FEE.
I'M WONDERING IF CITY STAFF HAS A THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NOTION OF HOLDING ITS OWN TO THAT KIND OF DISCUSSION.
UM, THERE COULD BE A MOTION TO TABLE THE ITEM.
IS THAT WHAT I THINK I MIGHT BE HEARING? UM, THE QUESTION BEFORE THE COMMISSION IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN I HEARD YOU SAY IT, WHICH IS REALLY JUST, IS THIS A VACANT PROPERTY? HAS THAT BEEN STANDARD? AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE DELIBERATION ON IT, UM, BUT YOU COULD TABLE A VOTE ON THAT ISSUE, UM, FOR A REASONABLE TIME.
I WILL MOVE THAT WE TABLE AGAIN, BASED PARTICULARLY ON THE FACT THAT THE DEFINITION OF VACANT LOT IS A BIT HARD FOR US TO INTERPRET IT THIS TIME AND I CAN FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY.
[01:00:01]
I SECOND.SO THE ORIGINAL, THE ORIGINAL MAKER WAS BOTH ASKING AND HOT HOOPS.
SO WE CAN POSE THIS AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, UH, TO UPDATE, TO LAY OVER THE ITEM INSTEAD OF MAKING A SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
SO IF THE ORIGINAL MAKER MOTION OR APPROVE, WHICH THEY DID, IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN AMENDED MOTION TO LAY OVER THE ITEM.
SO THEN WE WILL NOW VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT TO LAY OVER THE ITEM, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO THEN ONCE WE TAKE A VOTE AND IF IT CARRIES THE, THE ITEM IS CLOSED.
SO IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION OR IF YOU WOULD CONTINUE DISCUSSION, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON MR. MIKE.
EVEN THOUGH, UM,
I DID APPLY FOR THE CITY'S A DU LOAN PROGRAM FOR THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION, AND I WAS, MY APPLICATION WAS DENIED.
SO
UM, BUT I DO REALIZE THAT
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I, I LOOKED INTO THAT AND THEY DID NOT, UH, APPROVE MY APPLICATION.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OF TABLING THIS ITEM? ALRIGHT, BOARD MEMBERS, OH NO, I THINK AS MADAM CLERK PLEASE CALL FOR THE, I MIGHT RECOMMEND A SETTING A TIMEFRAME FOR IT TO COME BACK.
ALRIGHT, SO THE ITEM NOW INCLUDES THAT IT WILL BE TABLED FOR 60 DAYS.
MR. ASTON, YOU'RE OKAY THAT? YES.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MADAME CLERK, PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE BEFORE I MOVE TO THE VOTE.
CAN WE JUST CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? JUST FOR THE RECORD, I DON'T BELIEVE WE, WE CALL FOR COMMENT.
I'M, WE'LL NOT TAKE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE LINE UP IN FRONT OF THE MICROPHONE.
I KNOW MR. BIAS YOU WOULD PUT IN A REQUEST, BUT ARE YOU OKAY? YEAH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 3 15 45 AND 1551 SANTA FE AVENUE, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA NAVY, JAWAR AND CHRIS JAWAR.
OWNERS CE CASE NUMBER CEVL 2 9 5 7 2 5.
APPEAL CASE YOUR MANAGER, PLEASE, UM, READ THE RECOMMENDATION.
IS THIS FOR 3M FOUR OR JUST THREE? THREE.
RECOMMENDATION TO CONCLUDE THE HEARING AND DETERMINE THAT THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 1545 AND 1551 SANTA FE AVENUE.
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA MEET THE DEFINITION OF VACANT LOT AS STATED IN THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE.
THE APPELLANT IS THE OWNER AND THE, UH, OF THE PROPERTIES AND UPHOLD THE ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE.
THE SUGGESTED ACTION AND PROVE RECOMMENDATION.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION.
AND THAT WAS A, A MOTION FROM MEMBER ENRIQUEZ, ENRIQUE.
AND A SECOND FROM MEMBER HOOPS.
AND I'LL NOW TURN THINGS OVER TO STAFF FOR THE REPORT.
GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN, MEMBERS THE BOARD.
CITY COUNCIL APPROVED ON LENDING OF THE LOBBY TO MISS CODE BY ADDING CHAPTER 1829, MAINTENANCE OF VACANT LOTS AND ESTABLISHMENT OF ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE
THE PROPERTY AT 1545 AND 1551 SANTA FE AVENUE.
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA IS A VACANT LAW FOR THE TIME BETWEEN 2018 AND 2025 AND IS OWNED BY THE APPELLANT, NO EXEMPTIONS TO THE ANNUAL ADMINISTERING FEE OF FIVE FOR THESE PROPERTIES.
THE LETTER WAS SENT INDICATING THAT THE SUBJECT PROPERTIES ARE LOCATED AT 1545 AND 1551 SANTA FE AVENUE.
VACANT LOTS ARE SUBJECT TO THE VACANT LAW PROGRAM
[01:05:01]
PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 1829 OF THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE.AND THAT FEES ASSOCIATED WITH MONETARY, THE CIRCUIT PROPERTIES WOULD BE ASSESSED AND BILLED ANNUALLY, MARCH 27TH, 2025.
THEY CANNOT ADMINISTERING FEE.
BILLING LETTERS WERE SENT TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS LISTED ON THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR RECORD.
AND ON APRIL 10TH, 2025, STAFF RECEIVED A REQUEST TO APPEAL THE VACANT LAW PROGRAM TO
UM, DOES ANYONE ON THE BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? ALRIGHT.
DO YOU HAVE PROPERTY ORDERS? DO YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION? YEAH, UH, UH, QUITE SIMPLY, WE, UH, WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
UH, THE, UH, SUBJECT ADDRESSES ARE 1545 AND 1565 SANTA FE AVENUE, EAST OF LONG BEACH.
UH, PURCHASED THE PROPERTIES FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, A REDEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, WITH THE INTENT OF BUILDING ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, AFTER PURCHASING THE PROPERTIES, UM, WE, UH, HIRED PAUL COLLINS, WHO'S A LOCAL LONG BEACH ARCHITECT, BUT THAT'S BEEN SERVING THE COMMUNITY FOR SOME TIME.
UH, WE APPLIED FOR A BUILDING PERMIT AND WE'VE BEEN JUST CHASING OUR TAIL IN TERMS OF, UH, GETTING A BUILDING PERMIT.
UM, HAD I HAD A BUILDING PERMIT IN A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME, WE WOULD HAVE A BUILDING ON THIS PROPERTY.
THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE DON'T HAVE A, A PARCEL, UH, PROPERTY ON THIS PROPERTY EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT, UM, WE'VE BEEN GETTING DELAYS.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TODAY.
I'M THE ARCHITECT FOR THE PROJECT.
UM, MY BUSINESS IS AT 1415 CODA AVENUE OVER IN THE WEST SIDE INDUSTRIAL AREA.
UM, I'VE DONE ABOUT 150 PROJECTS IN THE AREA, SO I'M WELL AWARE OF THE BLIGHT AND THE CONDITION OF VACANT LOTS AND, AND BUILDINGS THAT ARE IN DILAPIDATED AND BLIGHT.
UM, ONE TIME WHEN WE HAD REDEVELOPMENT, WE WERE FIXING UP A LOT OF THE PROPERTIES AND SINCE THEN A LOT OF THEM HAVE GONE DOWN.
AND EVER SINCE YOU'VE MOVED INTO THE NEW BUILDING, MANY OF THE HOMELESSNESS HOME HOMELESS PEOPLE HAVE MOVED INTO THE WEST SIDE.
SO WE HAVE A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKING BAD.
AND I NOTICED WHEN IN DRIVING PAST THE PROPERTY ON SANTA FE, I'M ALWAYS SEEING THEM CAMPING OUT THERE, THROWING THEIR TRASH.
THERE'S, THERE'S PARTIES THAT HAPPEN ABOUT ONCE A MONTH OF A CAR CLUB, A LOW RIDER CAR CLUB THAT COME UP AND DOWN THE STREET SANTA FE ON SATURDAY NIGHT.
AND THEY LEAVE LOTS OF TRASH ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, WE ORIGINALLY APPLIED FOR LOT MERGERS AND I WAS REALLY SURPRISED WHEN HE GAVE ME THE INFORMATION ON THE LOTS.
'CAUSE THE REDEVELOPMENT SOLD THEM THE LOTS AS INDIVIDUAL LOTS.
THERE'S THREE LOTS AND THEN TWO LOTS, BUT ONE LOT IN THE MIDDLE.
AND, UH, THEIR REQUIREMENTS FOR LOTS, I THINK ARE 5,000 SQUARE FEET FOR A DEVELOPABLE LOT.
AND THE SINK LOTS WOULDN'T BE, THAT WOULDN'T COME TO 5,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO WE HAD TO GO THROUGH A LOT MERGER.
WE ORIGINALLY APPLIED FOR THE LOT MERGER IN AUG, AUGUST 8TH, 1922 OR 2022.
UM, WE JUST RECENTLY, UH, GOT THE FINAL DOCUMENTS AND APPROVED ON, UH, APRIL 2ND 25.
SO IT TOOK US THREE YEARS ALMOST TO GET A LOT MERGER DONE.
PRIMARILY THIS WAS CAUSED BY A DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN SOMEONE IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND MY CIVIL ENGINEER IS ALSO A LICENSED SURVEYOR AND ALSO HAS A LEGAL DEGREE.
AND THEY WENT BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH, ARGUING OVER IT.
AND I TRIED TO GET INVOLVED, BUT I WASN'T, IT'S NOT MY EXPERTISE.
I'M AN ARCHITECT, I'M NOT A CIVIL ENGINEER.
WE FINALLY GOT IT SOLVED 'CAUSE WE WENT TO THAT PERSON'S, UH, SUPERIOR AND THEY FINALLY ACCEPTED THE LOT MERGERS.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IN THE, IN THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
WE WERE DELAYED DURING AND, AND THE, AND THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AS WELL BECAUSE OF COVID-19 BECAUSE DURING THAT PERIOD OF ABOUT TWO YEARS, UH, PLAN CHECKS WENT REALLY SLOW THROUGH THE DEPARTMENTS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE AT HOME AND A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY GOT SICK.
SO WE HAD A LOT OF DELAYS ON AND ON AND ON.
AND IT'S BEEN VERY FRUSTRATING, UM, TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, CHRIS, I'VE KNOWN FOR QUITE A WHILE AND I'VE WORKED ON HIM WITH OTHER PROPERTIES OF HIS, AND HE'S, HE BUILDS VERY GOOD BUILDINGS AND HE'S A GOOD BUSINESSMAN.
HE JUST WANTS TO BUILD HIS BUILDING.
SO WHEN HE, I THINK WHEN HE GOT THE NOTICE FROM THE CITY THAT IS,
[01:10:01]
IS BEING FINED BECAUSE HIS LAW WAS VACANT, HE'S LIKE, WELL, WHY ARE THEY FINDING ME? THEY'RE HOLDING ME BACK.AND IT'S, IT'S JUST BEEN FRUSTRATING EVER SINCE.
I THINK WE'RE IN THE PROCESS NOW WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY VERY, WE'RE ACTUALLY QUITE CLOSE TO HIM GETTING HIS PERMITS.
UM, WE STILL HAVE ONE, ONE, UH, WELL, A COUPLE LITTLE HURDLES TO GO WITH THE WATER DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
HE HAS TO BRING A FIRE LINE ACROSS SANTA FE, WHICH IS A HUNDRED WIDE MAJOR STREET.
AND THAT STREET HAS ALL KINDS OF UNDERGROUND PIPES AND THINGS IN IT.
SO THAT'S BEEN A BIG BATTLE IN PUBLIC WORKS IS HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THE WATER ACROSS THE STREET.
THERE'S HYDRANTS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE STREET.
EVERY TWO STREETS ON HIS SIDE, THERE'S NONE, THERE'S NOT ONE.
AND THEY'RE REQUIRING HIM TO PUT ONE IN FRONT OF HIS TWO NEW BUILDINGS.
'CAUSE THEY DON'T WANT, IF, IF ONE OF THESE NEW BUILDINGS SHOULD CATCH FIRE, THEY DON'T WANT TO PULL A LINE ACROSS SANTA.
IT'S TOO MUCH OF A THOROUGHFARE.
AND SO WE'VE HAD TO WORK ON THAT HURDLE WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE WATER DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS.
PUBLIC WORKS HAS BASICALLY APPROVED IT.
AND NOW WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO AGREE TO NOT CHARGE HIM FOR THE PERMIT UNTIL HE GETS EVERYTHING APPROVED.
HE'S PAID FOR A LOT OF PERMIT FEES UP TO NOW.
AND SOME OF 'EM WE HAVE TO GET RENEWED BECAUSE THEY HAVE ACTUALLY EXPIRED BECAUSE HE DIDN'T, HE WASN'T ABLE TO PULL THE PERMITS.
SO IF HE GETS, IF HE'S ABLE TO PULL THE PERMITS AND WE CAN GET THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE OF HURDLES, WHICH ARE MINOR COMPARED TO WHAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH, AND I FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT HE WILL BE ABLE TO MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS AND BE ABLE TO KEEP THE LOTS CLEAN.
AND WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE APPROVED, THEY'RE GONNA BE VERY NICE.
LOTS HAVE TWO REALLY GOOD BUILDINGS.
THEY'RE GONNA BE BLOCK BUILDINGS, TWO STORIES HIGH AND THEY'LL BE GOOD FOR A LOT OF INDUSTRIAL, A LOT OF DIFFERENT INDUSTRIAL USES TO GO INTO.
THAT'S LINDA, MY PRESENTATION BOARD MEMBERS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE PROPERTY OWNERS OR FOR STAFF MS. HOOPS.
SO I SEE THAT, UH, A VACANT LOT SHALL NOT INCLUDE LOTS FOR WHICH CONSTRUCTION ON THE LOT IS PROCEEDING DILIGENTLY TO COMPLETION AND COMPLIANCE WITH TITLE 18 OF THIS CODE.
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT TITLE 18 IS? THAT'S THIS WHOLE SECTION, UH, THIS WHOLE TITLE OF THE CODE IN WHICH THIS IS ENLISTED.
UH, IT INCLUDES A GREAT NUMBER OF SUBSECTIONS.
SO I ASSUME LIKE GETTING PERMITS AND STUFF IS PROCEEDING DILIGENTLY.
THEY'RE TRYING, I THINK THAT'S, IS THAT, IS THAT THE, LIKE DOES THAT, I GUESS THAT'S UP FOR US TO DECIDE.
YEAH, SO WHAT YOU CAN LOOK AT IS WHETHER IT FITS INTO ANY OF THESE EXCEPTIONS HERE BASED ON THE INFORMATION YOU PRESENTED BY EITHER SIDE.
UM, COULD YOU PLEASE, UH, WALK ME BRIEFLY, UM, AGAIN, THROUGH THE STEPS THAT YOU'VE TAKEN THROUGHOUT THE YEARS TO GET A PERMIT FOR, UH, A NOT SO LARGE TWO BUILDING PROJECT, UH, MADE OUT OF CMU AND AN INDUSTRIAL ZONE WHERE ALTHOUGH THERE'S A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, OTHER WEEKEND.
SO CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH YOUR, THE STEPS TO GET TO THIS POINT AND HOW MUCH DO YOU HAVE LEFT TO GET THE PERMIT? UM, I'LL DEFER THAT TO FALL PROBABLY MORE.
BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PERMIT PROCESS? YEAH.
THAT TELL ME WHEN YOU APPROACH PLANNING A YEAR, HOW LONG DID THAT TAKE? AND ALSO THE BUILDING PERMIT, RIGHT? DO YOU NEED TO TITLE OR DO A PIPELINE REVIEW? UM, AND GIMME THE YEARS SO I CAN KIND LET YOU YEAH, I CAN.
UH, THE PLANNING PLANNING APPROVED IT IN EIGHT, UH, AUGUST OF 23.
UH, BUILDING APPROVAL IS PENDING THE LOT MERGER.
SO NOW THE LOT MERGERS WERE DONE THIS LAST MONTH.
SO THAT'S BUILDING DEPARTMENT, WE'LL SIGN OFF ON THAT NOW.
FIRE APPROVAL APPROVED IT IN SEPTEMBER OF 23.
HEALTH APPROVED IT IN 10 OF 21.
THEY WERE THE EASIEST BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NOT A, IT'S NOT A RESTAURANT OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD REQUIRE ALL LOT OF HEALTH GROUP, YOU KNOW, ELECTRO APPROVED IT IN JULY OF 22.
MECHANICAL APPROVED IN JANUARY OF 23 AND THE LOT MERGERS JUST APPROVED IT JUST LAST MONTH, END OF LAST MONTH.
UM, ARE YOU GOING TO, HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE UNTIL THIS APPROVALS? UH, THEY'RE, THEY'VE ALREADY RUN OUT.
WHEN WE, I HAD ALREADY MADE AN AGREEMENT WITH, UM, WITH DAVID KORA, UH, IN, BACK IN SEPTEMBER.
I, I MET, MET WITH HIM AND WE DISCUSSED THE PROJECT BECAUSE I TOLD HIM WE WERE, THESE THINGS WERE, THESE DATES WERE RUNNING OUT, THEY WERE PAST THE TWO YEAR LIMIT.
[01:15:01]
SOON AS I GOT THE OTHER THINGS, THE LAST THREE OR FOUR THINGS LINED UP, HE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THAT WOULD HAPPEN.HE WOULD TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE WITHIN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY COULD EXTEND THEIR PERMITS.
WHEN DID YOU PURCHASE, UH, WHEN DID YOU GET THE LAND? UM, FROM THE CITY OF MON BEACH? YEAH, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH REDEVELOPMENT, UH, DEPARTMENT.
AND ONE OF THE REALLY FRUSTRATING THINGS ABOUT THE UH, UH, UH, THE PURCHASE, THE BIGGEST, ONE OF THE BIGGEST HURDLES IS THE, THE LOT MERGER.
THEY SOLD ME FIVE INDIVIDUAL LOTS ON TWO PARCELS.
AND SO I HAD TO SPEND 10 OR $15,000 IN MERGE LOTS AND PAY THE CITY TO ME THESE LOTS, WHICH I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT, MERGED TO BEGIN WITH.
WHEN, WHEN WAS THAT TRANSACTION? UM, UH, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
EITHER 2019 OR 20, PROBABLY THE LATE 2000.
YEAH, HE BOUGHT THE PROPERTIES.
I THINK ABOUT THE TIME THAT REDEVELOPMENT WENT AWAY.
I THINK FOR THE CITY, THE FIRST IS NOT DETERMINATIVE, WHICH IS SIMPLY WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS BEING WELL MAINTAINED.
AND I THINK THE PROPERTY OWNERS UNDERSTAND THAT THE FEE IS STILL DUE EVEN IF IT'S BEING WELL MAINTAINED.
BUT THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION.
THE SECOND AND MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THE OWNER, WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY HAS A VIEW THAT THE OWNER IS OR IS NOT PROCEEDING DILIGENTLY.
WE'VE HEARD AN ARGUMENT THAT THEY ARE PROCEEDING DILIGENTLY.
WE ALSO HEAR THAT IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, UNDER SECTION C OF 18.29070, WHERE IT SAYS THAT VACANT LOTS SHALL NOT INCLUDE LOTS FOR WHICH CONSTRUCTION ON A LOT IS PROCEEDING DILIGENTLY, THERE'S NO CONSTRUCTION GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE, UH, PORTION THAT WE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND THEN IT CONTINUES SAYING IN COMPLIANCES WITH TITLE EIGHT OF THIS CODE OR ABILITY TO AN ISSUE THAT HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED YET.
SO THAT'S WHY HE'S STILL IN THE PROGRAM.
EVEN THOUGH HE'S WORKING AS FAR AS THROUGH THE PROCESS, UM, THERE'S STILL NO CONSTRUCTION ON THE PROPERTY 'CAUSE THERE'S A BUILDING PERMIT THAT HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED.
SO YOU, I THINK YOU'VE, YOU'VE MADE THE CASE HERE, WHICH UM, SEEMS TO BE IN THE LANGUAGE THAT EVERYTHING THEY'RE DOING DOES NOT CONSTITUTE PRECEDING DILIGENTLY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ORDINANCE.
EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE DOING, THEY'RE DOING AS MUCH AS THEY CAN TO TRY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
UM, I HOPE I OVERHEARD THE CITY ATTORNEY WHEN HE WAS DESCRIBING THE, UH, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, ONE OF THE ALLOWANCES WAS LOT MAKERS WE'VE BEEN IN, IN THE COURSE OF TRYING TO MERGE THIS LOT FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
AM I INCORRECT WHEN I HEARD THAT OR THE YEAH, SO FOR, FOR CLARIFYING, SHE HAD ONE LOT WITH BUILDING ON IT, ONE LOT WITHOUT A BUILDING ON IT, LOT WITHOUT A BUILDING ON IT WITH ONE THAT WAS SUBJECT TO THE VACANT LOT, UH, ENROLLMENT PROGRAM.
IF THE LOTS WERE MERGED, SHE WOULD HAVE ONE PARCEL WITH A BUILDING ON IT AND THEN IT WOULDN'T BE INCLUDED THERE.
BUT I THINK, I THINK THAT WHEN YOU WAS READ, UH, BEFORE SHE EVEN SAT DOWN, IT WAS, THERE WAS SOME SORT OF A PROVISION THAT THAT WAS READ STATED ABOUT SOMETHING.
THAT YOU HAVE THAT SAME, OH, SORRY, I MISSED NO WORRIES.
THAT CHUNK ABOUT DIFFERENT CONDITIONS.
WHICH ONE? IT TAKES ABOUT NUMBERS.
THEY CAN, YOU WANT ME, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO READ THOSE AGAIN? YEAH, SURE.
UH, LET'S SEE THE, WELL, I'LL SKIP THE FIRST ONES 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO.
BUT, UH, THE FEE MAY, UH, TEMPORARY TEMPORARILY BE WAIVED IF THE PROPERTY OWNER IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF MERGING THE LOTS AND COMPLETE THE PROCESS WITHIN ONE YEAR.
THE FEE MAY ALSO BE WAIVED IF A LOT IS DEEMED UNABLE TO BE DEVELOPED BY THE PLANNING BUREAU.
UM, DEVELOP THE PARCEL, START THE PLANNING ENTITLEMENT PROCESS AND OBTAIN BUILDING PERMITS.
UH, PROPERTY OWNER ALLOWS TEMPORARY URBAN AGRICULTURE OR OTHER URBAN GREENS SUCH AS POCKET PARKS AND COMMUNITY GARDENS FOR A MINIMUM OF FIVE YEARS.
PLANNING IMPROVES TEMPORARY ACTIVATING USES FOR EVENTS SUCH AS CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY EVENTS.
I THINK IT WAS ITEMS ONE AND ONE AND THREE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN USE IN MY CASE TO THIS CASE.
DO ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS? UH, I HAVE QUESTION FOR YOU.
UM, IT A LOT BY ALSO HOLDING FROM DEMO PERMIT OR A FOUNDATION PERMIT OR A GRADING PERMIT THAT THERE'S NOTHING ON PROPERTY THAT HAVE STARTED YOUR CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
THEN PLACE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH THAT YOU ARE NOT, UM, CREATING LIGHT
[01:20:01]
BY JUST KEEPING AN EMPTY LEVEL, RIGHT? NO, THE INTENT IS TO BUILD, BUILD TWO BUILDINGS.HAVE YOU CONSIDER OR STARTED TO OH, LIKE DO A GRADING PERMIT TO GRADE THE LAND OR DEMO PERMIT DEMO ANY KIND OF, THERE'S NO DEMOLITION, THERE'S GRADING FOR, SO, UH, WE SENT THE GRADING IN A LONG TIME AGO.
PUBLIC WORKS APPROVED IT A LONG TIME AGO.
BUILDING IS WAITING FOR THESE WAS WAITING FOR THE LOT MERGERS AS WELL.
I MEAN, THE LOT MERGER IS WHAT REALLY TIED THE WHOLE THING UP.
ALL THE OTHER TYPICALLY, I MEAN, WE, WE HAD EVERYTHING READY FOR THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE THAT WAS BEING HELD UP BY THE LAW MERGER.
SO EVERY, EVEN A, UH, A GRADING, EVEN THE GRADING IS BEING HELD UP, SO.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE PROPERTY HONOR.
THAT IS, HAS THERE BEEN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND THE COUNTY DEPARTMENT TO SHOW YOUR INTENTION THAT YOU DO PLAN TO BUILD ON THIS LAW? OH YEAH.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE LONGEST PERIOD OF TIME WHEN YOU WERE NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE CITY? OH, WHAT DO YOU THINK? MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, A MONTH OR A MONTH AND A HALF.
I MEAN, WE WERE CALLING, UH, AT FIRST WE WERE CALLING ALL THE TIME AND SENDING BACK AND FORTH AND THEN IT BECAME A BATTLE BETWEEN ONE OF THE PLANNERS AND MY ENGINEER.
AND THE ENGINEER FINALLY GOT SO FRUSTRATED THAT HE ASKED FOR THE, THE PLANNER'S BOSS.
'CAUSE HE WANTED TO TALK TO THE BOSS OF THE PLANNER THAT WAS CAUSING HIM SO MUCH GRIEF AND HE WOULDN'T GIVE IT TO HIM.
SO WE COULDN'T EVEN, WE COULDN'T EVEN REALLY GO, YOU KNOW, TO THE HEAD OF THE, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND, AND TALK TO HIM ABOUT IT.
I GUESS WE WERE STUCK WITH THE PLAN AND WE GOT NO, IT WAS A SAME SITUATION WHERE A, A CLERK, UM, ACTUALLY WAS ARGUING WITH A, AN ATTORNEY AND A LICENSE SURVEYOR AND A CIVIL ENGINEER THAT HE WAS DOING HIS JOB ON.
YOU KNOW, AND THAT, AND THAT A 1923 MAP MADE BY THE CITY WAS, HAD MORE PRECEDENCE OVER A CURRENTLY MEASURED A PLOT PLAN.
AND I HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF AND THAT IS, WERE YOU, HAVE YOU BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND HAVE THEY AGREED THAT THERE HAS BEEN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION IN TRYING TO GET THIS LAW DEVELOPED? NOT RECENTLY.
I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE LOT HAD BEEN MERGED.
UM, WHEN I SENT, WHEN WE SENT THE BILL OUT, UH, WHEN I HAD, UH, VERIFIED OUR STATE RECORDS DATE, THERE WAS NOTHING, UH, FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO VERIFY.
UH, THIS IS A SURPRISE TO ME HERE THAT IT WAS, THAT THE, THE MERGER HADN'T BEEN DONE.
MS IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT THERE WAS A MERGER IN PROGRESS? BECAUSE WHEN YOU, UH, ISSUED THE CITATIONS THEY WERE INDIVIDUAL AND NOW THEY ARE NOT.
NO, WE DIDN'T ISSUE A CITATION WITHOUT THOSE.
WHEN THIS, WHEN YOU FOUND IT ADDED THEM TO THE PROGRAM, THEY WERE INDIVIDUAL LOTS.
SO THE MERGER WAS IN PROGRESS.
UM, WHEN THEY WERE INITIALLY PUT IN THE PROGRAM WAS BACK IN 2018, SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW.
THAT WAS BEFORE YOU OWNED IT? YEAH.
SO IT WAS INITIALLY WHEN IT WAS INITIALLY PLACED IN THE PROGRAM, UH, WE WERE NOT AWARE THAT THERE WAS A, UH, SOMETHING IN PROGRESS.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? YEAH, I'M, I'M GONNA ASK A QUESTION OF STAFF AND I WILL COMMENT IN MY SEVERAL YEARS NOW ON THIS COMMISSION, THIS IS THE FIRST DAY THAT I HAVE ACTUALLY HEARD CREDIBLE ARGUMENTS FROM APPELLANTS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE DISCRETION TO DO WHAT YOU WANT.
SO IN THE PREVIOUS CASE, MY VIEW WAS THAT THERE WAS SOME AMBIGUITY THAT THE APPELLANT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, NEGOTIATE WITH THE CITY ABOUT.
IN THIS CASE, IT LOOKS TO ME THAT WHATEVER THE ATTEMPTS OF THE OWNER, THE ORDINANCE DOES NOT GIVE, UM, THE DEPARTMENT THE OPTION OF WAIVING THE FEE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR BASED PARTICULARLY ON WHAT YOU SAID, THAT THE FEE IS AN ORDER HERE.
AND SO THE QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE WE HAVE AN APPELLANT WHO ISN'T FULLY IN COMPLIANCE IN TERMS OF THE FEE, BUT SEEMS TO HAVE SHOWN A CERTAIN MEASURE OF GOOD FAITH, DO WE HAVE THE OPTION AS THIS COMMISSION TO TABLE IT AS WE DID WITH THE PREVIOUS CASE? AGAIN, I'M GONNA TAKE JUST A MOMENT.
AM I ALLOWED TO COMMENT IN THAT? JUST
[01:25:01]
SO DO YOU DISAGREE THAT THERE, THAT THERE WAS A MERGER IN PROGRESS? CAN I ASK A QUESTION? ARE THESE TWO LOTS NOW THE 1545 AND 1551 ADDRESS, ARE THEY NOW MERGED? THAT'S MERGED TO GET, HAS THOSE THREE LOTS ARE MERGED? THERE WAS TWO, TWO LOTS AT ONE OF THOSE ADDRESSES AND ONE AT THE OTHER.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS 1565, WHICH IS TWO LOTS.
SO THERE'S A TOTAL OF FIVE LOTS.
TWO OF 'EM ARE MERGED INTO ONE REAR, MERGED INTO THE OTHER, AND THERE'S ONE SINGLE LOT IN BETWEEN THAT IS NO.
AND ARE 1545 AND THE 1551 ADJACENT? YES, THEY'RE MERGE.
SO AT THE TIME OF THESE CITATIONS WERE ISSUED IN FEBRUARY, THEY WERE SEPARATE, CORRECT? MM-HMM
THE TIME IT WAS IN ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM, I SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL WITH MY WORDS.
UH, THEY WERE, UH, SEPARATE, WHICH WAS 18 AND EVEN WHEN THE NOTICE WAS SENT OUT IN FEBRUARY, THEY WERE STILL SEPARATE.
UH, AND SINCE THEN THEY HAVE BEEN MERGED.
THAT'S WHAT I FOUND OUT TODAY.
AND WE HEARD SCOTT SAY SOMETHING ABOUT FEES BEING WAIVED IF THERE WAS A MERGER IN PROGRESS AND IT'S COMPLETED WITHIN ONE YEAR.
DOES THAT HELP? YEAH, BUT COMPLETED, BUT IT'S COMPLETED NOW.
SO IT'S BEEN MISSING THERE NOW.
THE MERGER? YEAH, JUST THE MERGER.
WELL, I THINK, AND IT DEPENDS ON YOUR MEASURING DATE.
SO LIKE WHEN THEY STARTED THE MERGER, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY YOU CAN CONSIDER STARTING FROM WHEN THEY'RE NOTIFIED, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN FEBRUARY HERE AND IT WAS COMPLETELY FITTING YEAR THAT NINTH.
WHAT IS THE MOTION HERE? CAN YOU READ THE MOTION BACK TO US? YOU MEAN THE RECOMMEND, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE RECOMMENDATION? MM-HMM
THE RECOMMENDATION TO CONCLUDE THE HEARING AND DETERMINE THAT THE SUBJECT PROPERTY LOCATED AT 14 15 45 AND 1551 SANTA FE AVENUE, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA MEET THE DEFINITION OF VACANT LOTS AS STATED IN THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 18.2 9.070, SECTION C, THE APPELLANT IS THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTIES AND UPHOLD THE ANNUAL ADMINISTERING FEE.
I HAVE ACTUALLY ONE MORE QUESTION TO CLARIFY.
SO THE MOTION IS CITING THESE TWO SEPARATE PROPERTIES WHICH ARE NOW DONE.
IS THAT CORRECT? NOT CITING THE MO I'M SORRY.
YOU, YOU, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? YES.
SO, AND THE QUESTION I'M ASKING IS ONE THAT YOU CAME CLOSE TO, WHICH IS WHETHER OR NOT THE CITATION WAS FOR TWO SEPARATE LOTS, WHICH ARE NOW ONE LOT CREATES A CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE WE MIGHT EVEN FEEL OBLIGED TO SAY THAT THE MOTION IS NO LONGER ACCURATE AND CANNOT BE ACCEPTED.
THE, OKAY, SO THE QUESTION YOU'RE ANSWERING TODAY IS WHETHER THEY HAVE BEEN PROPERLY ENROLLED IN THIS PROGRAM BY THE CITY BUILDING OFFICIAL OR DESIGNATE YES OR NO.
AND THEN, I'M SORRY, MR. ASKING YOUR QUESTION.
AND IF THE CITATION IS FOR THE TWO SEPARATE LOCKS AND THEY ARE NOW ONE, I'M SORRY.
IF IT IS FOR TWO SEPARATE LOCKS, THEN NOW ONE, UM, WHAT EFFECT DOES THAT HAVE ON THE VALIDITY OF THE, UM, CLAIM TO BAIL MONEY? SO AS BEFORE, AND I'LL ASK MR. BALDWIN TO READ IT ONE MORE TIME, BUT THERE WAS A PROVISION IN THERE ABOUT IF THE MERGER IS, UH, COMPLETED WITHIN ONE YEAR OF A DATE, UNSPECIFIED AS THE INITIAL MEASURING DATE, UH, THE FEES MAY BE WAIVED.
SO ONCE MORE, IT'S, UH, THE FEE MAY BE TEMPORARILY WAIVED IF A PROPERTY OWNER IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF MERGING TWO LOTS AND AGREES TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS WITHIN ONE YEAR.
AND IN THIS CASE, I THINK THE UNDISPUTED FACTS, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, ARE THAT THE PROPERTIES WERE UNMARKED AT THE TIME THE NOTICE WAS SENT SUBSEQUENTLY MERGED IN LESS THAN A YEAR.
MS UH, MADAM, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT TOO AS WELL, FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER, FOR THEM TO GET THE FEE WAIVED FOR THE PROGRAM FEE, UH, THEY'LL HAVE TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION TO US PROVING FROM THE COUNTY THAT IT'S OFFICIALLY MERGED LEGALLY.
WE'LL TAKE THAT FROM YOU AFTER, BUT I
[01:30:01]
JUST WANT HIGHLIGHT THAT SO THAT WON'T, THAT WON'T BE AN ISSUE FOR YOU IF THAT'S THE CASE ONCE WE CONFIRM.UM, SO BASED, UM, THE NEW FROM EVIDENCE, UM, THAT THE LAW HAVE TIED, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION TO CONCLUDE THE HEARING AND DETERMINE THAT THE SUBJECT LOCATED AT 50 45 AND 50 51 SANTA FE, CALIFORNIA LEADERSHIP DEFINITION OF BASED CITY CODE 29 12 7 0.
UH, PARAGRAPH C, UH, WE, I, I MOVE TO MAKE A MOTION TO DENY, DENY.
IS THERE A SECOND IN THE MOTION? I'M SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT THE LAST WORD OF THE MOTION? DENY THE MOTION TO DENY THE CITY'S ATTEMPT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE.
CHAIRMAN LIPSON? YES, THAT MEANS I'M DENYING IT.
IT TOOK ME A MINUTE TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD.
THE MOTION IS CARRIED THAT IT'S DENIED
UM, BUT WE WILL HAVE YOU STAY THERE FOR THE NEXT YEAH, FOR THE SAME.
PLEASE READ THE COURT AGENDA ITEM 1565 SANTA FE AVENUE, NUM ONE AND FOUR, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, UH, NAVY JAWAR AND CHRIS JAWAR OWNERS, UM, CE CASE NUMBER CE VL 2 9 5 8 1 3 VACANT LOT FEES APPEAL CASE, UH, BUREAU MANAGER, PLEASE READ THE RECOMMENDATION, RE RECOMMENDATION TO CONCLUDE THE HEARING AND DETERMINE THAT THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 1565 SANTA FE AVENUE, NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER FOUR OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.
MEET THE DEFINITION OF VACANT LOTS AS STATED IN THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE 18 89 7 C.
THE APPELLANT IS THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTIES AND UPHOLD THE ANNUAL AND ADMINIS STRING FEE OF SUGGESTED ACTION AND APPROVED RECOMMENDATION.
OKAY, SO NOW I NEED A MOTION ON THIS ITEM.
DO I JUST, WE CAN START WITH A MOTION TO HEAR THE ITEM AND THEN WE CAN DECIDE IF WE'LL APPROVE OR DENY.
SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO HEAR THE ITEM? I, UH, I MOTION TO HEAR DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.
I WILL NOW TURN THINGS OVER TO STAFF FOR THEIR REPORT.
DID, DID YOU GUYS HEAR WHO MADE THE MOTION IN? OKAY.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS MANNY REVIS AND I SUPERVISE THE UH, VACANT MONITORING PROGRAM.
ON OCTOBER 12TH, 2017, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE AMENDING OF THE LONG MEETING MISSPOKE CODE BY ADDING CHAPTER 18 22 9 MAINTENANCE OF VACANT LAWS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MANUAL ADMINISTERING FEE.
AUGUST 14TH, 2018 A DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, CODE ENFORCEMENT BUREAU MAIL NOTIFICATION LETTERS TO PROPERTY OWNERS OF UNKNOWN VACANT LOTS AS LISTED ON THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR RECORD.
THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1565 SANTA FE AVENUE, NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER FOUR, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA IS A VACANT LOCK FOR THE TIME BETWEEN 20 18 25 AND IS OWNED BY THE APPELLANT.
NO EXCEPTIONS TO THE ANNUAL ADMINISTERING FEE APPLIED FOR THIS PROPERTY ON FEBRUARY 21ST, 2025.
LETTER WAS SENT INDICATING THAT THE SUBJECT PROPERTIES ARE LOCATED AT 1565 SANTA FE AVENUE, NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER FOUR.
VACANT LOTS ARE SUBJECT TO THE VACANT LOT PROGRAM PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 18.29 OF THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE.
AND THAT FEES ASSOCIATED WITH MONITORING THE SUBJECT PROPERTY WOULD BE ASSESSED IN BILL ANNUALLY ON MARCH 27TH, 2025.
VACANT LOT ADMINISTERING FEE BILLING LETTERS WERE SENT TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS LISTED ON THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR RECORD ON APRIL 10TH, 2025, STAFF RECEIVE A REQUEST TO APPEAL THE VACANT LAB PROGRAM AND FEES.
THIS CONCLUDES MY REPORT AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
DO ANNUAL THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF.
ALRIGHT, THEN PROPERTY ORDERS.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO PRESENT? BASICALLY THE SAME CASE AS THE LAST ONE WE JUST HAD
[01:35:01]
TO GET A BUILDING PERMIT, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO SO, AND UH, WE JUST GOT A LOT MERGER COMPLETED.UM, AND IT WAS, UH, YOU SENT US A NOTICE SAYING TO WE JUST, UM, I'M GONNA INTERRUPT YOU FOR JUST A MINUTE.
SO THIS ONE AT 15 65, 1 AND FOUR ARE NOW ALSO MERGED, IS THAT CORRECT? YES.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR PROPERTY ORDERS OR STAFF, MR. ATKINS? NO.
UM, WERE THEY MERGED AT THE SAME TIME, TIME IDENTICAL CASE? SAME TIME.
AND DOES STAFF AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FACT THAT THE SEQUENCE OF FENCES IDENTICAL? THE PREVIOUS ONE? I MAY ALSO ASK SOMETHING.
THERE ARE SOME PENDING CASES ON, ON BOTH ALL THESE PROPERTIES.
UH, SO I THINK LIKE TO MENTION ON THE PREVIOUS PORTION, SO WE WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE ISSUES AS WELL.
AND, AND THEY ARE, WERE THOSE ISSUES IN THE REPORTS THAT YOU GAVE US? NO, I'M JUST MENTIONING SO THAT THEY CAN BE AWARE OF THAT.
AND SO, AND THERE'S AGREEMENT THAT THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF THOSE AS WELL? YOU WILL TAKE YEAH, WE ARE OF AS WELL.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS? ALL RIGHT.
SO RECOMMENDATION TO CONCLUDE THE HEARING AND DETERMINE THAT THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 1565 SANTA FE AVENUE, NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER FOUR, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.
MEET THE DEFINITION OF VACANT LAWS AS STATED IN THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE 18 29 0 7 0 C, THE APPELLANT IS THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY AN UPHOLD THE ANNUAL ADMINISTERING FEE.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? SECOND.
MR. AKIN AKIN SECONDS THE MOTION DISCUSSION.
ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE MOTION? MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL FOR THE VOTE.
OKAY, THE MOTION IS PASSED TO DENY THE MOTION
SO WE'RE NOW MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE FIFTH AGENDA ITEM.
AND, AND BEFORE THAT GOES, UM, I THINK WE HAVE SOME COMMISSION MEMBERS WHO ARE, HAVE SOME TIME CONSTRAINTS.
SO DO WE KNOW ABOUT HOW LONG IT'LL TAKE TO GO OVER THE CODE ADOPTION? UM, THIS, THIS, YEAH, THIS WILL BE ABOUT 30 MINUTES.
UM, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, THE AL CODE ADOPTION PRESENTATION RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE TRIENNIAL CODE ADOPTION PRESENTATION.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? SO, EXCELLENT HOOPS, I'M ASKING I OVER TO THE STAFF TO REPORT.
SO, GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, BEFORE WE BEGIN, FIRST I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUE INVOLVEMENT, DEDICATION AT THE VOLUNTARY TIME YOU INVEST IN SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, YOUR INVOLVEMENT PLAYS BY THE IMPORTANT ROLE IN SHAPING OUR COMMUNITY IN A SAFER, MORE INCLUSIVE AND RESILIENT LANGUAGE.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR ONGOING COMMITMENT.
WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO FIRST RECAP WHAT WE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD, UH, LAST MEETING ON MAY 17TH.
TALK ABOUT THE, UH, CODE ADOPTION PROCESS CONFIRMING CODE AND, UH, STATE AND LOCAL AMENDMENTS.
AND WE ALSO TALK ABOUT THE ALL WE CAN TO YOU, UH, NOTICE PUBLIC BY, UH, OUR WEBSITE INFORMATION FLYER AT THE COUNTER AND, UH, PRESS RELEASE AND EMAILS.
[01:40:01]
ALSO, UM, WE TALK ABOUT HOW YOU DO OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY BY WORKSHOP AND THE MEETINGS.SO INTERNALLY WE'LL TRAIN OUR STAFF, UPDATE OUR CHECKLIST AND THE INFORMATION BOARD, AND WE ALSO TALK ABOUT THE EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATIVE.
WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA JUST TALK ABOUT TODAY'S, UH,
OKAY? SO AGAIN, UH, TIMING, ADOPTION OF CALIFORNIA CODE IS THE FIVE THREE REPORT.
SO, UH, WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT PROPOSED REVISION TO, FOR AS HEARING.
AND THIS PROCESS ALSO USE AS THE CONVENIENT TIME TO UPDATE ON IMPROVED TITLE 18 OF THE LONG BEACH MEDICAL CODE.
ALRIGHT, SO WE AMENDMENT MAY CLARIFY LANGUAGE UPDATE A REQUIREMENT OR ADD A NEW REQUIREMENT.
SO, UM, THIS IS THE FUTURE MEETINGS FOR THE NEXT ONE TENTATIVELY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT CHAPTERS INVOLVED, THE PERMIT SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS, RESIDENTIAL CODE, AND TWO CHAPTERS INVOLVED ABUNDANT OIL WELL AND THE MASON GAS MITIGATION.
AND, UH, WE ARE GOING TO ADD A NEW CHAPTER FOR SEA LEVEL, RIGHT? AND ALSO IF THAT THE 83 0 7 IS APPROVED BY THE DOMINANT, WE MAY HAVE TO SPEND MORE TIME ABOUT THAT.
BUT FUTURE MEETINGS, UH, WILL HAVE OUR FOURTH
WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A SENIOR START ENGINEER, GREG, TALK MORE ABOUT THE DETAILS.
I THANK YOU ALL, UH, SEE YOU ALL AGAIN.
UM, SO WE ARE AGAINST THE TIME CRUNCH, SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA PRESENT A HANDFUL OF, UM, POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
UH, TODAY YOU DO HAVE QUESTIONS I'M GONNA ASK THAT WE HOLD 'EM TO THE END JUST SO WE CAN GET THROUGH THEM.
UM, SO THE PRESENTATION TODAY IS GONNA FOCUS ON SOME SPECIFIC CHANGES, UM, AND THE REASONS BEHIND THOSE CHANGES, UH, THOSE CHANGES.
UM, I KNOW I THINK LAST TIME I PROMISED MORE, UH, SUBSTANTIAL, THEY ARE MORE SUBSTANTIAL, BUT THERE'S STILL EDITORIAL, UH, FOR A HANDFUL OF 'EM OR ADMINISTRATIVE.
SO THESE ARE ADMINIS MINISTERIAL CHANGES.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT COVERS HOW HOW WE GOVERN AS A DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, COULD, COULD, UH, DETERMINE HOW WE ISSUE PERMITS, UH, TIMEFRAMES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL GET INTO THAT.
UH, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY CHANGE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS, UM, BUT IT DOES CLARIFY SOME OF ITEMS AND SOME OF THE PROCESSES THAT WE USE.
UM, AS I SAID, MAY CLARIFY THE LANGUAGE OR UPDATE A REQUIREMENT, BUT REITERATE, THESE ARE NOT NECESSARILY TECHNICAL CHANGES.
AND WHEN I SAY TECHNICAL CHANGES, I BASICALLY REFER TO CODE CHANGES, SO CHANGES TO THE CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE, TO THE, UH, RESIDENTIAL CODE, ENERGY CODE, ET CETERA.
UM, SO, UH, JUST AS A RECAP, UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TODAY IS TITLE 18.
I KNOW IN, IN THE LAST HEARING THE QUESTION CAME UP ABOUT TITLE 18.
TITLE 18 IS ACTUALLY, UH, TITLED THE LONG BEACH BUILDING STANDARDS CODE.
SO THAT COVERS, UM, ALL, ALL THAT BUILDING SAFETY DOES.
IT ALSO, UH, INVOLVES, UM, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT AS WELL.
UM, THE AMENDMENTS THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE TODAY ARE PROPOSED BY BUILDING AND SAFETY.
UM, IN, IN THE FUTURE YOU'LL SEE MORE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES.
I'M SORRY, THESE WILL BE MORE SUBSTANTIAL, BUT, UM, AS I SAID, THERE'S STILL, STILL EDITORIAL OR ADMINISTRATIVE.
UM, IN THE FUTURE, YOU'LL RECEIVE SOME ADDITIONAL CHANGES.
UM, AND THOSE, THOSE CHANGES MAY ALSO NOT JUST COME FROM BUILDING SAFETY.
THEY MAY INCLUDE, UM, FIRE PREVENTION, UM, CODE ENFORCEMENT, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, I ADD THIS AS, AS, UH, INFORMATION, EVERYTHING THAT I'M PRESENTING TODAY, INCLUDING THE, UM, THE HANDOUTS, UM, AND THE DOCUMENTATION ARE, UH, ARE GOING TO BE POSTED THIS CASE, THIS MEETING IS DONE.
SO AGAIN, EARLY, EARLY THIS WEEK, THEY'LL BE POSTED TO THIS WEBSITE.
UM, AND THEN, UM, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, ANY, ANY CODE CHANGES.
UM, SO CHANGES TO THE BUILDING CODE, TO THOSE VARIOUS CODES THAT WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME, THEY NEED TO BE, UM, THEY NEED TO BE FOUNDED UPON ONE OF THESE THREE THINGS.
SO EITHER GEOLOGIC OR TELEGRAPHIC, CLIMACTIC OR, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL.
SO IN THIS CASE, THE, AS I SAID NOW, THREE OR FOUR TIMES, THESE ARE ADMINISTRATIVE EDITORIAL.
SO THOSE THREE REQUIREMENTS DO NOT APPLY BECAUSE THESE ARE, THESE ARE INTERNAL POLICIES, ADMINISTERIAL CHANGES, BUT, UM, I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT.
UM, SO IF YOU, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF EDITORIAL, ADMINISTRATIVE, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, THAT HOPEFULLY AND JUST CONTINUE ON.
FIRST ITEM, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT,
[01:45:10]
I'M ACTUALLY GONNA PULL THIS SLIDE OUT BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A CHANGE.IT WASN'T, IT WAS GOING TO BE A CHANGE, BUT WE REALIZED IT WAS CORRECT.
SO FIRST CHUNK, THERE'S FOUR, UM, SECTIONS.
1802 POINT 20 18, 0 3 POINT 20 18, 0 6 0.0 2 5, 18 0.7 5.010.
UH, THESE ARE ALL, UH, EDITORIAL CHANGES.
THEY'RE BASICALLY, UH, UPDATES TO REFERENCES.
SO AS WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME, UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE ADOPTED THE 20, THE 2022 CALIFORNIA CODES.
THEY ARE GOING TO BE, UM, ADOPTED AS THE 2025 CODES.
SO WE FOUND A COUPLE MORE INSTANCES WHERE SOME REFERENCES WERE INCORRECT.
SO THE ONE I'M SHOWING ON THE SCREEN, UH, IT USED TO BE AN R 3 22, WHICH IS THE SECTION OF THE RESIDENTIAL CODE.
SO, SO WE HAVE THAT, THE LANGUAGE OF EACH OF THESE IS PROVIDED IN THE DOCUMENTATION, WHICH I MENTIONED ON PAGE THREE AND PAGE EIGHT, UM, BUT I'M NOT SHOWING 'EM HERE FOR
UM, THE NEXT SECTION IS 1801 0.051.
UH, THIS IS A, IT'S JUST A REFERENCE TO THE, UH, THE NEW
THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE CODE DISCUSSED THIS LAST TIME.
THIS IS, UH, RELATED TO CONSTRUCTION AND, UM, FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES AND THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE AREAS, WHICH AS I ALSO MENTIONED LAST TIME, LONG BEACH DOES NOT HAVE.
UM, SO, BUT IT'S STILL, IT'S A PORTION OF THE CODE THAT WE HAVE TO THE TOP.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE REFERENCING THAT CODE THAT WAS INCLUDED.
NEXT ITEM HERE, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE SUBSTANTIAL.
IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE A LOT OF RED.
UM, BUT BASICALLY WE HAVE, WE HAVE LANGUAGE IN THE ADMISSIBLE CODE THAT, UH, WAS PUT IN PLACE BASED ON STATUTE LANGUAGE.
AND IT, THE STATUTES BASICALLY SAID, YOU KNOW, STARTING ON SUCH AND SUCH DATE, THIS REQUIREMENT WILL APPLY FOR A CERTAIN SET OF PROJECTS.
UM, THEN ON A A SUBSEQUENT DATE, IT'LL APPLY TO ANOTHER SET OF REQUIREMENTS.
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY RELATED TO, UM, UH, WASTE MANAGEMENT, UH, PLANS.
SO CONSTRUCTION, DEMOLITION, DEMOLITION FEES.
UM, ALL OF THESE DEADLINES HAVE PASSED THESE TIMELINES.
SO AT THIS TIMEFRAME IT APPLIES TO ALL PROJECTS.
SO WE WENT AHEAD AND ELIMINATED THOSE, UM, THOSE, UM, KIND OF TRIGGERING INFORMATION.
SO YOU SEE WE'VE SHOWN THAT THEY'RE EXCLUDED HERE.
SO NOW WE JUST GO RIGHT BACK AND IT SAYS ALL, UH, NEWLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS AND TRUCTURE, I'M SORRY.
WE ARE LOSING QUORUM RIGHT NOW.
CAN WE HAVE A ROLL CALL? JUST TO CONFIRM, WE HAVE QUORUM AGAIN FROM THE COURT.
SIR, DO WE NEED TO TAKE OFF? YEAH, WE'LL TAKE ROLL.
ALRIGHT, SO TAKING ON, UM, THERE WERE STAGES THAT THIS WAS IMPLEMENTED, UH, OVER VARIOUS PERIOD OF TIME FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROJECTS AND AT DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF WASTE, UM, UH, THAT HAD TO BE, UM, PUSHED TO TOWARDS RECYCLING.
SO AT THIS POINT, WE ARE NOW CAUGHT UP WHERE EVERY PROJECT HAS TO HAVE 65% OF THEIR WASTE, UM, UH, DIVERTED TOWARDS RECYCLING.
SO THIS IS JUST KIND OF CATCHING UP WITH CURRENT, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AND ALSO ON, IN THE SAME, SAME, UH, CHAPTER, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A, UM, REQUIREMENT THAT YOU HAVE 30 DAYS ONCE YOU COMPLETE A PROJECT TO PROVIDE A REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION, UM, IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A, YOUR DEPOSIT BACK.
SO AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM, YOU PAY A DEPOSIT, IT'S, UH, WE PULLED THAT DEPOSIT.
ONCE YOU'VE SHOWN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROGRAM, THOSE FEES ARE RETURNED.
UM, CURRENTLY HAVE 30 DAYS, WHICH IS SHOWN TO BE PRETTY CUMBERSOME FOR APPLICANT TO TRY TO GET ALL THAT PAPERWORK TOGETHER AND TAKE CARE OF.
SO, UM, WE HAVE, UH, WE ARE LOOKING TO EXTEND THAT TO 90 DAYS.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT THE EXTENSION HERE IS.
AND WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED AN EXCEPTION, UM, THAT WILL ALLOW FOR, UH, THE GRANTING AN EXTENSION BEYOND THAT CERTAIN UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
IT'S JUST LIKE, AND USUALLY ANYTHING, EITHER THE FOLLOWING SECTION, AGAIN, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF RED, IT LOOKS LIKE WE CHANGED A LOT, BUT WHAT WE REALLY HAVE DONE IS THIS SECTION WAS, WAS WRITTEN IN A WAY THAT WASN'T CONSISTENT WITH, WITH HOW
[01:50:01]
THE MAJORITY OF, OF TITLE 18 HAS WRITTEN.UM, TYPICALLY WE HAVE ANOTHER PURPOSE FOR THE SECTION.
WE SAY WHAT IT'S APPLICABLE FOR, UM, WE SHOW ANY EXCEPTIONS, AND THEN WE SHOW THE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, THIS ONE WAS WRITTEN WHERE THE REQUIREMENTS APPLICABILITY AND, UM, EXEMPTIONS WERE KIND OF IN PLACE WITH ONE REQUIREMENT.
SO WE WENT THROUGH AND ACTUALLY KIND OF REWROTE THIS.
SO NOW IT'S SPLIT UP TO SAY THAT, UH, THIS IS APPLICABLE TO THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS.
UM, AGAIN, WE REMOVED SOME LANGUAGE, UH, CITING, UH, SOME OUTDATED TIMEFRAMES WE'RE CLEARLY PAST 2015.
UM, AND THEN HERE, WE, WE BASICALLY REORGANIZED, IT'S THE SAME, SAME, UH, EXEMPTIONS THAT WERE BUILT INTO IT BEFORE, BUT NOW IT'S CLEARLY STATED IN ITS OWN, UH, SECTION.
AND THEN GOING HAND IN HAND WITH THAT, UM, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF, OF KIND OF CONFUSION AS FAR AS, UM, THERE IS CURRENTLY, OR THERE IS THE ABILITY TO, UM, BE EXEMPT FROM LID REQUIREMENTS AND LID FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T AWARE, THEY'RE LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT, BASICALLY, UH, THE COLLECT, UH, CAPTURE, REUSE, INFILTRATION, ET CETERA, STORM WATER ON A PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO WHEN WE DO CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, ANY WATER THAT FALLS UNDER THE SITE, WE DON'T WANT IT JUST TO RUN OUT OF THE STREET.
THE INTENT IS TO TRY TO EITHER REUSE IT, INFILTRATE IT BACK INTO THE WATER, UH, SUPPLY, ET CETERA.
SO THE, THE CURRENT, UM, UH, ABILITY TO PAY AN OFFSITE MITIGATION FEE, BASICALLY, INSTEAD OF COLLECTING THAT WATER OR TREATING IT OR DOING THINGS ONSITE, THAT FEE GOES, AND THEN IT BECOMES A KIND OF, UH, COMMUNITY PROJECT.
AND SO THAT FEE GOES TOWARDS, UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
THE FEE WAS KIND OF INTERSPERSED WITH WHEN, WHEN IT CAN BE APPLIED, HOW IT'S APPLIED, ET CETERA.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE IS WE DIDN'T CHANGE THE ACTUAL INTENT OF THE REQUIREMENT, BUT WE HAVE CLEARLY STATED THAT YOU NEED TO SHOW THAT IT'S TECHNICALLY INFEASIBLE TO DO, UM, TO DO THESE KINDS OF MITIGATION FEATURES ON THE SITE.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE A SITE THAT IS BUILT PROPERTY LINE OR PROPERTY LINE.
YOU CAN'T PUT, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF PLANTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU'VE GOT A SITE THAT HAS A REALLY HIGH WATER TABLE, I CAN'T INFILTRATE, UH, WATER INTO IT, OR IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BROWNFIELD SITE, SO THERE'S POTENTIAL CONTAMINATIONS IN THE SOIL.
SO WE CAN'T, WE DON'T WANT TO INFILTRATE WATER IN THOSE.
SO WE WE'RE SHOWING THAT, OKAY, YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT IT'S INFEASIBLE, THEN WE'LL ALLOW THE, THE, UM, THE ABILITY TO HAVE THE SPEED.
SO AGAIN, THE, THE REQUIREMENT HASN'T CHANGED.
WE'VE JUST CLEARLY STATED THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF SHOW THAT IT'S INFEASIBLE.
THEN YOU CAN APPLY WITH FEE, UM, THE MITIGATION FEE.
AND THEN THE THIRD PART OF IT IS, IS THAT YOU CAN ASK TO DO A RE UH, REDUCTION TO THAT FEE.
SO IF YOU'RE ABLE TO PARTIALLY COMPLY, THEN THERE ARE SOME REDUCTIONS TO THE AMOUNT OF FEE YOU WOULD, UM, THIS DEPARTMENT.
AND, AND AGAIN, THIS CLARIFIES WHEN IT CAN BE PAID.
UM, SO IT JUST CLARIFIED THERE WERE SOME REQUIREMENTS THAT, THAT WERE NOT CLEAR, BUT WE'VE CLARIFIED AT TO SAY THAT IT, IT APPLIES, WE CANNOT FULLY COMPLY.
UM, AND THAT YOU DEMONSTRATED THAT, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, HERE'S WHERE WE'VE RELOCATED THE, UM, INFORMATION REGARDING THE, UH, PRODUCED, UH, FEE REDUCTION WHEN YOU HAVE PARTIAL.
UH, NEXT SECTION WE'RE DEALING WITH DEALS WITH, UH, GRADING BONDS.
UM, THESE ARE GENERALLY INTENDED FOR LARGE, UM, SCALE GRADING PROJECTS WHERE, UH, YOU, YOU CAN CREATE A HAZARDOUS CONDITION.
AND THE BOND, THE PURPOSE OF IT IS IF A PROJECT WERE TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROJECT, UM, THERE IS A FUND PUT IN PLACE THAT WILL ALLOW FOR THE, THE SITE TO BE RETURNED TO ITS EXISTING DIVISION.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A LARGE EXCAVATION THAT HAPPENS AND THEN FUNDING RUNS OUT AND WE'RE LEFT WITH A BIG HOLE IN THE GROUND.
THE INTENT IS TO HAVE THIS BOND IN PLACE WHERE, UM, THEN THE SITE CAN BE RETURNED BACK TO A LEVEL SITE AND, AND MITIGATE THAT HAZARD.
UM, THE, IT WAS FOUND OVER THE YEARS THAT THE REQUIREMENTS WERE WERE A LITTLE RESTRICTIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS FOR ANY SITE THERE WAS 250 CUBIC YARDS, UM, OF EXCAVATION, OR IF IT WAS 50 CUBIC YARDS AND A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITION, 50 CUBIC YARDS IS NOT A VERY LARGE AMOUNT, NOR IS EVEN TWO 50.
SO WHAT WE'VE LOOKED AT IS, IS, UM, STILL HAVING THE INTENT BE THERE, UH, WHICH IS THAT IF THERE IS A HAZARDOUS CONDITION THAT YOU CAN DO IT, BUT WE'VE, WE'VE INCREASED THE, THE INITIAL TRIGGER, WHICH IS 500 CUBIC YARDS.
UM, AND WE'VE, WE'VE ADDED, AND OR SO IT CAN BE, IF IT'S 500 CUBIC YARDS AND HAS A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITION, THEN A BOND WOULD REQUIRE, OR
[01:55:01]
AT ANY VALUE, IF IT POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITION, THE BOND COULD BE REQUIRED.SO, SO JUST CLARIFIED THAT REQUIREMENT A BIT AND, AND MADE IT LESS, UM, LESS RESTRICTIVE AND LESS ONEROUS FOR, UH, PROPERTY DEVELOPERS.
UM, AS PART OF THIS, WE ALSO ADDED AN EXCEPTION FOR LIMITED WORK.
UM, THINGS THAT COME UP THAT WILL EXCEED THIS.
IF WE WERE DOING AN UNDERGROUND TANK REMOVAL, BUT OLD GAS STATION SITE OR REMOVING A TANK THAT'S REALLY LIKE SAME DAY THEY DIG IT OUT, THEY FILL IT BACK IN, OR THERE'S CONTAMINATED SOIL, THEY DIG IT OUT, FILL IT BACK IN.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT SOMETHING TO BE LEFT OPEN.
SO THE, THE RISK OF, OF THIS HAZARDOUS CONDITION IS NOT THERE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE INCLUDED, UM, AN EXCEPTION TO THAT SCOPE.
IN ADDITION, UM, CURRENTLY BONDS ARE REQUIRED TO BE IN PLACE FOR THE LENGTH OF A PROJECT.
UM, WHAT'S TYPICALLY DONE IN THE INDUSTRY IS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY ISSUED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
SO WHETHER IT'S A ONE YEAR PERIOD, TWO YEAR PERIOD.
SO WE'VE ADDED LANGUAGE, UH, TO ADDRESS THE EXPIRATION OF BONDS, BASICALLY STATING THAT IF YOUR BOND EXPIRES, YOU HAVE 90 DAYS TO, UM, TO REINSTATE THAT BOND OR TO OBTAIN A NEW BOND.
UM, OTHERWISE THE, THE PERMIT WILL BE EXPIRED.
SO CURRENTLY THAT LANGUAGE ISN'T THERE.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD SOMETHING IN PLACE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO BOND.
UM, AS I SAID, CURRENTLY THE LANGUAGE STATES THAT IT SHALL BE IN PLACE FOR THE LENGTH OF A PROJECT, BUT IT JUST DOESN'T ALIGN WITH INDUSTRY PROCESS.
UM, SIMILAR TO THIS, WE'VE ADDED SOME LANGUAGE REGARDING REDUCTION OF BOND AMOUNTS, UH, FOR LARGER PROJECTS.
UM, THE BOND IS OFTEN, IT CAN BE A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY, IT CAN BE FOR, FOR A LOT OF WORK.
ONCE A PROJECT IS, IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO HOLD A LARGE BOND IN PLACE BECAUSE THE WORK REQUIRED TO COMPLETE IT IS MUCH LESS NOW.
SO, UM, THE PRACTICE IS THAT, UH, YOU CAN HAVE, YOU CAN ACTUALLY COME UP WITH A SECONDARY BOND OR A WRITER ON THE BOND.
THAT REDUCES THE AMOUNT, IT REDUCES THE PREMIUMS OF THE OWNER PAYS.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN IN PRACTICE, UM, IN POLICY, BUT IT'S NOW BEING DOCUMENTED HERE, UM, IN, IN THE, UH, MUNICIPAL CODE LANGUAGE.
ALRIGHT, AND THE, I BELIEVE THIS IS THE FINAL ITEMS I HAVE, UM, I MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT LAST TIME.
UM, AND THIS IS, THIS IS STRICTLY, UM, DOCUMENTING A PROCESS.
SO STATUTE, UM, IN THE PAST REQUIRED A STREAMLINED PERMITTING PROCESS FOR, UH, ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS.
UM, A SUBSEQUENT, UM, ASSEMBLY BILL HAS PUSHED FOR THAT SAME PROCESS, BUT FOR HYDROGEN FUELING STATIONS.
UM, SO THE, ITS AMENDMENTS TO THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE, IT BASICALLY SAYS ANYWHERE THAT IT WOULD'VE SET ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND CHARGING STATION OR CHARGING STATION, THERE'S NOW AN AND HYDROGEN FUELING STATION.
SO, UH, IT'S BEEN INCLUDED HERE AND I SHOW YOU VARIOUS SECTIONS THAT IT APPLIES TO.
SO 1870 6.010, UM, AND YOU SEE THROUGH THE SECTIONS, IT'S JUST, AND HYDROGEN FUELING STATION.
UM, IT ALSO INCLUDES SOME EFFECTIVE DATES.
UM, SO AS OF 20, UH, SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2016, ALL ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS HAVE TO COMPLY OR SHALL COMPLY WITH THIS.
UM, AND THEN FOR THE, UM, HYDROGEN FUELING STATIONS ON OR AFTER SEPTEMBER 30TH, UM, THIS WILL APPLY.
UM, INCLUDED IN THAT, THERE'S AN ADDITION OF A DEFINITION FOR HYDROGEN FUELING STATION.
AND THEN THE FINAL PIECE OF THAT IS, UM, THERE ARE TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS THAT WE PUT TOGETHER.
UM, AS FAR AS A, UM, SORRY, YEAH, SORRY, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANYTHING HERE.
WE'RE JUST ADDING REFERENCE TO THE, UH, HYDROGEN FUELING STATIONS.
UM, THIS, THE LAST PIECE IS, IT, IT PROVIDES REFERENCE BEFORE, UH, WE PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION AND CHECKLISTS AS A BUILDING DEPARTMENT THAT ARE, UM, THAT SUBSTANTIALLY CONFORM WITH THIS DOCUMENT THAT, UM, THE, UH, GOVERNOR'S OFFICE PUT OUT.
IT'S CALLED THE ZERO MISSION VEHICLES IN CALIFORNIA, CALIFORNIA READINESS GUIDEBOOK.
UM, THERE'S A, AN ADDITIONAL GUIDEBOOK, WHICH IS THE HYDROGEN STATION PERMITTING GUIDEBOOK.
UM, SO WE'RE JUST ADDING THAT REFERENCE AS WELL.
SO THOSE ARE THE, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS I HAVE TO TALK THROUGH TODAY BECAUSE IT'S A LOT.
I'M NOT TRYING TO DO HAND WAVING.
IT'S REALLY NOT SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES AS FAR AS AS CONTENT.
UM, BUT I THINK THEY DO IMPROVE HOW THINGS READ.
IT INCREASES, UM, OR IMPROVES THE ACCURACY OF WHAT'S BEING ASKED FOR.
UM, AND ALSO I THINK IT HELPS, UM, HELPS OUR, OUR,
[02:00:01]
UH, APPLICANTS WITH, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING OWNER REQUIREMENTS, UM, MOVING FORWARD.UM, AS PHILLIP MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING, UH, SOME CHANGES IN, UH, 1804, WHICH DEALS WITH PERMITS.
UH, SPECIFICALLY WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT EXPIRATIONS AND EXTENSIONS.
UM, THIS IS A, A PERMITS AND OF, UH, PLAN REVIEWS.
WE HAVE, UH, CERTAIN TIMELINES THAT THINGS HAVE TO OCCUR.
CURRENTLY WE'RE LOOKING AT WHETHER THOSE MAKE SENSE, COORDINATING THOSE WITH OTHER, UM, ENTITLEMENT TIMELINES AND, AND YOU KNOW, OTHER STATE AGENCIES, OTHER CITY ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE RESIDENTIAL CODE TO ADD A REQUIREMENT FOR A, FOR POOL ENCLOSURES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GET INTO THAT.
THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION
SO, UM, AND THEN, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO IMPROVE OUR CURRENT, UM, UH, CONSTRUCTION IN VICINITY DEMAND AND OIL WELLS SUB SECTION.
UM, IT, IT NEEDS SOME TLC, SO WE WILL, UM, BE REVISITING A LOT OF THE LANGUAGE IN THAT.
AND THEN THE METHANE GAS MITIGATION.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BE ADDRESSING REQUIREMENTS FOR NON BUILDING SCOPE.
SO THIS IS LIKE, I'M NOT NECESSARILY BUILDING A, A SITE OR BUILDING A BUILDING, BUT MAYBE I'M PUTTING SOME ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT IN.
SO THERE'S SOME IMPLICATIONS THERE.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE ADDRESSING THAT WORK.
UM, ADDITIONALLY THE SEA LEVEL RISE, UM, SOMETHING WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING INTO, UH, WE'RE AWARE OF IT AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO, TO SEE WHAT CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE TO START TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE AB 3 0 6, THIS IS ONE THAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT EVEN DISCUSS.
UM, IT'S A POTENTIAL ASSEMBLY BILL THAT IS IN PLACE.
UM, IT HAS THE, THE INTENT WAS TO ASSIST HOMEOWNERS IN REBUILDING AFTER THE WILDFIRES, BUT IT HAS THE, UM, A LOT OF UNINTENTIONAL CONSEQUENCES.
SO IT'S, IT'S BEING, UM, LOOKED AT IN SACRAMENTO.
UM, A LOT OF, UH, INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS ARE, UM, ARE DISCUSSING IT, UM, TO SEE HOW IT MOVES FORWARD.
IT COULD HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO WHAT WE ADOPT, HOW WE ADOPT IT, ET CETERA.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE GET THERE.
UM, BUT I, BUT I MENTIONED IT JUST IN CASE.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL GO INTO THE DETAILS OF THESE NEXT, UM, PRESENTATIONS.
SO TENTATIVE DATES, WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND THEN AS I THINK I MENTIONED IN THE LAST MEETING, ONCE WE GET THROUGH ALL OF OUR PRESENTATIONS, ULTIMATELY WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR A, UH, UH, APPROVAL OF A STAFF REPORT BY THE, BY THE BOARD, UM, BASICALLY AGREEING WITH OUR PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
UM, AND THAT WAY WE CAN TAKE THAT TO CITY COUNCIL, WHICH AS BILL MENTIONED, WILL BE, UH, OCTOBER 21ST, OR END NOVEMBER 11TH.
I KNOW THAT WAS A LOT QUICKLY, SO IF YOU DO HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS TO THE STAFF? MR. KINS, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OH, I'LL JUST RAISE SOMETHING GOING FORWARD, WHICH IS, I'LL SAY THAT 18.78, 18.79 AND C LEVEL RISE ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES.
I'M PERSONALLY INTERESTED AND OTHERS MAY BE INTERESTED AS WELL IN SEEING THE DOCUMENTATION RELATED TO THOSE AS FAR IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING AS IS FEASIBLE.
THOSE, THOSE REQUIRE A LOT OF THOUGHT, ESPECIALLY FROM YOU, BUT REALLY FROM EVERYTHING.
AND I, I THINK, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE FOR THE SEA LEVEL RISE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIAL ITEMS RIGHT NOW.
DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, IN ON PAPER YET.
SO, UM, IT MAY BE THAT THERE'S DISCUSSION IN THAT.
UH, THE, UM, I WILL MENTION FOR THE, FOR THE OIL WELL ITEMS, AGAIN, IT, IT IS GONNA BE ONE SIMILAR TO LIKE WITH THE, UH, LID WHERE THERE'S A, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF CHANGES, BUT IT'S REALLY JUST A LOT OF REORGANIZATION.
SO THE, THE REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT GOING TO NECESSARILY CHANGE.
UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN PLACE.
UM, BUT, BUT JUST CLARIFYING THE LANGUAGE AND DOING THAT.
SO THAT, THAT'S MORE THE INTENT ON THIS.
BUT, BUT OF COURSE, YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL GET THOSE AS, AS EARLY NOW AS WE CAN.
AND I BELIEVE MS ALSO HAS A QUESTION ONLY ONE THIS TIME.
UM, SO I'M LOOKING AT THE EXCEPTIONS FOR THE LID EXEMPTS.
UM, I NOTICED THAT THE, IS THIS DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT OF EXISTING PARKING LOTS, UM, SHOULD THAT NOT INCLUDE THE WORD DEVELOPMENT? UM, IF IT'S EXISTING, I JUST DON'T WANT US TO GET TRIPPED ON THE UP ON THIS IN THE FUTURE OF SOMEONE TRYING TO PUT IN A NEW PARKING LOT.
AND WE'RE SAYING THAT THEY'RE EXEMPT 'CAUSE THEY'RE DEVELOPING A PARKING LOT.
UM, I ALSO, YOU KNOW, I'M CURIOUS WHY WE EXEMPT THIS AT ALL, BECAUSE THE TOP ONE IS ANYTHING LESS THAN 500 SQUARE FEET.
[02:05:01]
GIANT PARKING LOTS, MORE THAN 500 SQUARE FEET THAT ARE GETTING REPAVED.YOU DON'T HAVE TO INFILTRATE ANY WATER.
SO THE, THE INTENT ON, ON THESE, UH, ON THAT EXEMPTION IS THERE, IT IS TWOFOLD.
SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT IN TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
ONE IS YOU'VE GOT SUCH A SMALL PIECE OF PROPERTY, SO 500 SQUARE FEET THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, NO, I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT THAT ONE, THE BIG ONE.
SO, SO FOR THE PARKING LOT, THE INTENT IS, UM, THESE ARE PROPERTIES WHERE YOU'RE NOT DOING SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THOSE.
SO I'LL, I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT LANGUAGE, UM, AND THAT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE SOMETHING, UM, IT WAS CHANGED.
UM, SO MAYBE INADVERTENTLY WE DID THAT, SO WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
I, I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO, TO ADD WATER INFILTRATION IF THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND TIME REPAVING THEIR YEAH, YEAH.
AND JUST, SO THE INTENT OF THAT IS THAT, UM, IF IF SOMEONE'S DOING SOMETHING WE'RE JUST RESURFACING OR RE-PIPING OR DOING THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE THEY'RE NOT DIGGING OUT ALL THE, THE THING, THEN WE'RE NOT GONNA ASK THEM TO GO TO THE ADDITION OF, OF DOING THIS WORK.
IF THEY'RE STARTING TO DIG ALL THAT UP AND, AND THIS EXPOSE YOU, YES, WE WANT YOU TO DO THAT.
SO I'LL, I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
SOMETHING IS THAT ONCE THEY CHANGE THE CLINIC PATTERN, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA TELL.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WITH STAFF? WE WILL NOW TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT, SIGN UP IN FRONT OF THE MICROPHONE, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSIONS? MADAM CLERK, DO WE NEED TO CALL FOR THE VOTE? YES.
WHAT ARE WE VOTING ON? YOU GUYS HAVE TO, TO RECEIVE A FILE TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE, THE PRESENTATION TODAY? YES.
WE WILL NOW TAKE PUBLIC, PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE LINE UP IN FRONT OF THE MICROPHONE.
DO YOU WANNA SAY ABOUT THE RECRUITING PEOPLE? YES.
NOW WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GO WITH ANNOUNCEMENTS.
SO LET'S CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST AND THEN MOVE ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS.
AND THEN IS THERE A MANAGER'S REPORT? NO MATTERS REPORT.
WHICH MEANS WE NOW CAN GO ALONG TO, WHAT DID WE CALL IT? ANNOUNCEMENTS.
AND THE FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT THAT I HAVE IS THAT WE ARE, I AM AT LEAST TRYING TO ACTIVELY RECRUIT MORE MEMBERS TO THE COMMISSION.
UH, CURRENTLY THERE ARE SEVEN MEMBERS.
THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO VACANCIES.
SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE WHO YOU THINK, AND GO AHEAD.
UH, ARE THERE ANY LIKE QUALIFICATIONS BESIDES BEING A LONG BEACH RESIDENT? YES, I BELIEVE THE QUALIFICATION IS TO HAVE A FAMILIARITY WITH INSTRUCTION.
YOU CAN DO THAT VIA REAL ESTATE, VIA WORKING IN THE FIELD, BEING AN ARCHITECT, HAVING SOMETHING.
AND, AND IS THERE MORE TO IT? THINK THERE CAN BE CLARIFY OR MADAM, YOU HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS.
IT, IT'S JUST, UH, A BACKGROUND, GENERAL BACKGROUND WHAT? SOME UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT, A LITTLE BIT OF CONSTRUCTION, MAYBE SOME ENFORCEMENT WORKING WITH CODES FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR BUILDING PRIMARILY.
BUT LIKE, AS THE MADAM CHAIR MENTIONED, UH, ARCHITECTURE BACKGROUND ALSO WOULD BE NICE.
UM, ACTUAL HANDS-ON AND THE TRADES WOULD BE NICE.
SO IF YOU KNOW ANYONE, JUST RECOMMEND THEM AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT, UH, THE RESUME AND SEE IF THEY'LL BE A GREAT CANDIDATE.
ON THIS, DO WE, I THINK WE ALSO MAY CURRENTLY HAVE VACANCIES FOR THE POSITION OR POSITIONS FOR DISABLED PERSONS.
IS THAT CORRECT? IS THAT ME? I BELIEVE THAT'S, OH, YOU ARE, YOU DISABLED? I DUNNO.
I BELIEVE YOU GUYS WOULD, THEY WOULD NEED TO CHECK WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WHEN THEY APPLY AND THEY'LL LET THEM KNOW.
AND DID YOU WANNA MAKE
MARY, BROAD, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? I BELIEVE THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.