* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:18:11] [00:23:00] HEY, [00:23:00] EVERYBODY, [00:23:01] WE'RE [00:23:02] GONNA CALL ROLAND. ONE MINUTE. ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE'RE NOW GONNA, UH, CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL. UH, TODAY IS MAY 20TH, AND LET'S START WITH THE ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COUNCILWOMAN SANDE HAS PRESENT. [CALL TO ORDER] COUNCILWOMAN ELLEN. COUNCIL MEMBER [ROLL CALL] DUGGAN. COUNCILMAN ANA COUNCILWOMAN KERR. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT VICE MAYOR URANGA. PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN THRASH AND TUCK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK OTI. HERE. MAYOR RICHARDSON. I [00:25:01] AM HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. UH, I'M GONNA ASK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KER TO LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. WELCOME. IF YOU COULD ALL JOIN ME IN A MOMENT [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] OF SILENCE, PLEASE. THANK YOU. PLEASE STAND IF YOU'RE ABLE AND JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. READY? BEGIN. ALL RIGHT, LET'S JUMP IN. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN IS PARTICIPATING IN AN ADVOCACY TRIP IN WASHINGTON DC SO SHE WON'T BE ABLE TO JOIN US TONIGHT. UH, AND, UH, AND A REMINDER ANNOUNCEMENT, UH, THIS IS THE MONTH OF MAY, IS SPRING CLEANING. UH, SO WE'RE INVITING YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUPS ALL MONTH LONG, UH, AS WE PREPARE FOR SUMMER IN THE LBC. SO, TO FIND A NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP OR TO HOST YOUR OWN ON THE CALENDAR, VISIT LONG BEACH.GOV.GOV/SPRING CLEANING. WE HAVE THREE PRESENTATIONS TODAY. WE HAVE A PRESENTATION RECOGNIZING, UH, 1 0 2 0.3 KJLH FOR 60 YEARS OF SERVICE. WE HAVE ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH, AND WE HAVE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, PET ADOPTION. I THINK WE'RE GONNA START WITH KJLH. SO, UM, LET'S, UH, I WANT TO PASS IT OFF TO COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH TOOK TO SHARE SOME BRIEF REMARK REMARKS. [ RECOGNIZING 102.3 KJLH FOR 60 YEARS OF SERVICE] THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. MAYOR. UH, THIS EVENING WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE LEGACY OF A RADIO AND AUDIO, UH, ORGANIZATION THAT HAS FOR SO MANY YEARS ENSURED THAT OUR COMMUNITY WAS NOT ONLY ENTERTAINED, UH, BUT INFORMED OF IMPORTANT TOPICS AND MATTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. UH, FOR THIS EVENING, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME CURRENT AND FORMER KGLA STAFF MEMBERS, AND WE HAVE, AMONG THEM, CAMERON GREEN, WHO HAS SERVED AT THE RADIO STATION IN A NUMBER OF POSITIONS. SHE IS A LONG BEACH RESIDENT AND SOMEONE WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE SHARE IN COMMON THE FACT THAT WE BOTH ATTENDED UC, BERKELEY GO BEARS. UH, SO IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO SEE YOU HERE TONIGHT AND TO CELEBRATE ALL OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON BEHALF OF KGLH RADIO. UH, AT THIS TIME, WE'D LOVE TO SEE IF YOU OR YOUR FAMILY WOULD LIKE TO COME AND SHARE A FEW WORDS REGARDING, UH, YOUR ANNIVERSARY AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO AS A LONG BEACH HERO HERE AT OUR, AT THAT STATION. ALRIGHT. I THINK, I THINK, UH, WHO'S COMING UP? GREGORY, OR, ALRIGHT. OH, OKAY. WE'VE GOT GREG JOHNSON'S COMING UP. HE IS A VETERAN. KGLH RADIO. SO GREG, LET'S, UH, AND I SEE KAREN SLATE THERE. WELCOME. YES, WELCOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MAYOR, EVERYBODY. UH, I AM A, A LONG BEACH RESIDENT, UH, BUSINESS OWNER HERE IN LONG BEACH, AND STILL A BOARD MEMBER OF THE, UH, ARTS COUNCIL FOR LONG BEACH. AND THIS TIME TODAY, I'M HERE TO SHARE THE LEGACY OF 1 0 2 0.3 RADIO FREE K ATION. WE DO HAVE A BRIEF, UH, POWERPOINT THAT WE'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU AND THE COMMUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE HERITAGE OF THE RADIO STATION. WHY IS KJLH SO IMPORTANT? AND I THINK THAT, UH, WHEN WE BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT VOICES AND REPRESENTATION, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1965, THIS RADIO STATION HAS BEEN THE VOICE OF A, OF A COMMUNITY. I THINK THIS, IF YOU ARE IN, IF YOU ENJOY, UH, R AND B MUSIC AND THE R AND B UH, LIFESTYLE, THEN YOU ARE LISTENING TO 1 0 2 0.3. UH, IF, AND CERTAINLY THE EPICENTER WOULD BE DISTRICT EIGHT, DISTRICT SIX, DISTRICT NINE, THIS IS WHERE, UH, OUR, THAT MOST OF OUR LISTENERS ARE ORIGINATING FROM IN THIS, IN THIS REGION. UM, WE'RE GONNA JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH OUR, UH, POWERPOINT REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY. HERE. I BROUGHT WITH ME, UH, SHE'S THE IMMEDIATE PAST GENERAL MANAGER AND VICE PRESIDENT AFTER 30 PLUS YEARS IN THAT ROLE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MOSTLY WOMEN ON OUR, UH, CITY COUNCIL. AND I WOULD LIKE TO JUST TELL Y'ALL THAT, UH, I WORKED IN SUPPORT OF THIS WOMAN FOR, UH, MORE THAN 20 YEARS. THIS IS, UH, I SEE THE POWER OF THE SISTERHOOD IN LEADERSHIP IN BUSINESS. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN SAYS, KAREN SLADE HERE. . WELL, THAT'S A NICE INTRO. , THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MAYOR REX RICHARDSON. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU, UH, SO [00:30:01] MUCH THAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE YEARS. BUT IT ALL BEGAN IN THE 1920S WITH KO, WHICH WAS LICENSED TO LONG BEACH. JOHN LAMAR HILL BOUGHT IT IN 1965. HE WAS LOOKING FOR A WAY TO CONNECT AND ADDRESS THE CIVIL RIGHTS ON INJUSTICES IN THE SIXTIES. THE FCC COMMISSIONERS ALLOWED HIM TO GET THE LICENSE. HE ACQUIRED IT, AND ONE OF HIS CONDITIONS WAS THAT HE WOULD REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE COMMUNITY. SO IT FLIPPED FROM K, FOX AND COUNTRY AND WESTERN MUSIC ON, WAS IT LONG BEACH BOULEVARD IN ANAHEIM? YEP. UH, HE BROUGHT IT TO, UH, CRENSHAW BOULEVARD WHERE IT REMAINED TO 1994, WHICH WAS ADJACENT TO HIS PRIMARY BUSINESS. UH, ANGELA'S FUNERAL HOME. JOHN KEPT THE BUSINESS ABOUT 14 YEARS, WAS NOT PROFITABLE. SO AFTER ABOUT 11, 12 YEARS, IT BECAME PROFITABLE AND HE WAS READY TO GET OUT AND FOCUS ON ANGELA'S FUNERAL HOME. HE WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE THAT WOULD BE COMMITTED TO THE COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE. 1979, STEVIE WONDER BOUGHT THE STATION. HE'S BEEN OWNER, BUSINESS OWNER, MUSICIAN AND COMMUNITY ACTIVIST WITH KGLH SINCE 19 60, 19 79. HE STILL OWNS IT. TODAY, ONE OF HIS PRIMARY PRINCIPLES IS THAT WE PLAY GOOD MUSIC, WE SERVE THE COMMUNITY, AND WE GIVE BACK AT EVERY CHANCE WE CAN. HE KEPT KGLH, JOHN LAMAR HILL, JLH IN HONOR AND RECOGNITION OF HIS PREDECESSOR, JOHN LAMAR HILL. SO IT REMAINS KGLH TO THIS DAY. AND THANKS TO MANY PARTNERS, PRI PRINCIPALLY MAYOR X RICHARDSON, ALLOWING US TO HAVE LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTER FOR OUR 25TH WOMEN'S HEALTH EXPO, WHERE WE FOCUS ON ALL THINGS WOMEN HEALTH RELATED INFORMATION SCREENINGS BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT OF OUR SPONSORS LIKE BLACK INFANT HEALTHCARE, UH, DR. KAREN MCBRIDE OF CMK CIRCLE , RIGHT HERE IN LONG BEACH. THEY SPONSOR THE EVENT SO THAT WE CAN KEEP IT FREE TO THE PUBLIC SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO GET THEIR SUPPORT. WE'VE BEEN PARTNERING WITH RAINBOW PROMOTIONS, WHICH IS LONG BEACH JAZZ FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. SO BECAUSE OF OUR STRONG PARTNERSHIP, WE THANK YOU. WE THANK YOU. WE THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION BECAUSE WE CAN ALL DO GOOD TOGETHER. WE DON'T NEED TO DO BAD BY OURSELVES. RIGHT? WE CAN DO GOOD TOGETHER. AND BECAUSE OF YOUR SUPPORT, KGH REMAINS THRIVING AFTER 60 YEARS AND 25 YEARS WITH THE WOMEN'S HEALTH EXPO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OH, I DIDN'T EVEN MENTION MY FOLKS. . I'M SORRY. I GOT SO CAUGHT UP. UH, I HAVE KGLH STAFF HERE WITH ME AND SPONSOR DR. KAREN MCBRIDE AND CAMERON, WHO IS ALSO GETTING RECOGNITION TODAY. SHE'S BEEN WITH US ABOUT 25 YEARS WITH, UH, WORKING WITH ANDRE RUSSELL, WITH SPREAD THE WORD. MM-HMM . CAMERON, YOU WANNA SAY? I DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN TO MAYOR RICH RICHARDSON AND TO THE ENTIRE, UH, CABINET HERE, UH, TO MY COLLEAGUES AND TO FAMILY. I APPRECIATE THE HONOR. IT IS, UH, JUST FALLS AND HITS DIFFERENTLY WHEN YOUR CITY, A CITY THAT HAS CARRIED YOU. I AM BORN AND RAISED HERE. WENT TO LONGFELLOW ELEMENTARY, WENT TO MARSHALL, WENT TO LONG BEACH POLY HIGH, WENT TO UC, BERKELEY WITH TENA. UH, AND YOU KNOW, IT IS JUST A REALLY A SPECIAL HONOR TO HAVE THIS CITY THAT I ADORE, SEE ME AND CONTINUE TO ELEVATE AND STAND BEHIND ME. AND SO ANYTHING I CAN CONTINUE TO DO FOR THIS FANTASTIC CITY TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, I WILL DO, UH, I'LL CONTINUE TO BE AN AMBASSADOR AND INFORMAL AMBASSADOR FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY. BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU. MY GRATITUDE RUNS VERY DEEP TO YOU ALL AND TO GREG FOR THINKING OF ME ENOUGH TO WANT TO HONOR ME TODAY. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. I APPRECIATE IT. ALRIGHT. WELL, BEFORE YOU GO, JUST A FEW COMMENTS AND THEN WE WANT TO ACTUALLY COME DOWN AND RECOGNIZE YOU. SO, SO FIRST OF ALL, UM, WE HAVE HAD, UH, AN INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND KJLH FOR MANY YEARS. AND, UH, WE'VE HOSTED THE WOMEN'S HEALTH EXPO TOGETHER, UH, UH, YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM. AND A DAY IS IN LONG BEACH. EVERY SINGLE TIME, UH, YOU HAVE, UH, PARTNERED WITH US ON COMMUNITY, GREAT EVENTS LIKE UP IN NORTH LONG BEACH, THE UPTOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL, THE LONG BEACH JAZZ FESTIVAL. BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL, UM, SHARON DIGS JACKSON, WHO'S SITTING BACK THERE, SHE HOSTED SHARON, UH, HOSTED, UM, UH, IT WAS A MUSIC HISTORY, BLACK HISTORY EXHIBIT AT KING PARK. AND I REMEMBER SEEING A, IT WAS A PHOTO ON THE WALL THAT [00:35:01] SAID THAT KJLH STARTED IN LONG BEACH. IT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO. AND DESPITE ALL, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR HISTORY AND, AND KAREN, YOU'VE BEEN INCREDIBLE. UH, IT'S BEEN GREAT TO SUPPORT YOU AND TO RECEIVE YOUR SUPPORT. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THIS THING STARTED HERE, . I I'VE LEARNED THAT MAYBE FIVE YEARS AGO. RIGHT? SO WE ARE JUST SO PROUD THAT THIS OF, OF YOUR INCREDIBLE LEGACY THAT STARTED RIGHT HERE, LONG BEACH HAS, UH, REAL MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT ROOTS. YES, IT DOES. UM, YOU KNOW, THE ORIGINS OF OF, OF WEST COAST HIP HOP WITH VIP RECORDS AND WARREN G SNOOP DOGG, NATE DOGG TO, YOU KNOW, SUBLIME, WHICH IS PUNK ROCK AND HIP HOP PUT TOGETHER. YOU GOT FOLKS LIKE JENNY RIVERA AND WAR. AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, UM, NO DOUBT PERFORMED FOR THE FIRST TIME AT FENDER'S BRAWLROOM IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WE'RE A CITY THAT HAS INVESTED IN MUSIC SINCE WE WERE FOUNDED. THE LONGEST RUNNING, UH, MUNICIPAL BAND IN AMERICA IS IN LONG BEACH. THAT'S WHEN WE PAID FULL-TIME CITY EMPLOYEES TO PLAY MUSIC ON THE BEACH. SO IT'S IN OUR VERY FABRIC, BUT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT ENOUGH. THAT'S RIGHT. RIGHT. WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT ENOUGH. WE DON'T RECOGNIZE IT ENOUGH. UH, SO MUCH SO THAT MANY OF OUR FAVORITE RADIO STATION, STEVIE WONDERS, KJLH, WAS STARTED RIGHT HERE. AND WE DON'T EVEN TALK ABOUT IT ENOUGH. AND SO, UH, I WANT TO INVITE, UH, YOU FORWARD. UH, I WANNA INVITE THE CITY COUNCIL DOWN. UM, UH, AND WE HAVE A, A, A PROCLAMATION TO RECOGNIZE, UH, YOUR 60TH ANNIVERSARY, UM, OF SERVING, UH, OUR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA. OH, WELL BE THEN. BY THE WAY, CONGRATULATIONS SON. ON 16 YEARS, WELL BE THINGS THAT'S NOT MENTIONED. WE KNOW YOUR MUSIC. UH, I LOVE YOUR MUSIC. I DIDN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME, OR AT LEAST I USED TO, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S NOT MENTIONED IS YOUR COMMUNITY SERVICE ON SUNDAY. WAS IT SUNDAYS, SUNDAY MORNINGS YOU USED TO HAVE A COMMUNITY OH, FORUM MM-HMM . MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. YES. YEAH. AND YOU DO COMMUNITY. YES. UH, TALKS YOU WITH WELL KNOWN PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON. MM-HMM . I HAD THE OUTER, I'LL MEET THEM, A PARTICIPANT IN THAT BACK IN THE DAY WHEN I WAS THE CITY'S RECRUITMENT OFFICER. AND I WAS INVITED TO GO TO YOUR STATION AND TALK ABOUT PEOPLE FROM MEN COMMUNITIES BECOMING COPS, AFRICAN AMERICANS, LATINO ASIANS, WOMEN. AND YOU GUYS WERE SO RECEPTIVE TO ME BE ON THAT SHOW. I BROUGHT AN AFRICAN AMERICAN OFFICER WITH ME AND WE TALKED ABOUT CAREERS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. SO THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL PLUS THAT YOU RADIO, RADIO STATION BROUGHT TO THE AIRWAVES AND TO LONG BEACH. I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I, I THINK WE OUGHT TO WORK TO GET 'EM BACK TO LONG BEACH . THAT'S RIGHT. ISN'T THAT A MOTION? I SECOND IT. DO YOU? MAYBE WE HAVE A STAFF. YEAH, OF COURSE. CENTER. MM-HMM . CAN YOU TAKE MINE? YEAH, GO AHEAD. OPEN CAMERA IN HERE. YOU'LL NEED TO UNLOCK YOUR EYE. HOLD ON. THERE YOU GO. [00:40:51] ALRIGHT. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL NOW GO TO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES PET ADOPTION TIME. AND WHILE WE GET, UH, SET UP, UH, THIS IS GROMMET, CHECK OUT [ ACS PET ADOPTION] GROMMET. WE HAVE PUPPIES. TODAY WE HAVE TWO PUPPIES. I HAVE GROMMET GROMMET'S A BOY, AND GROMMET'S TWIN WILLA. WILLA AND GROMMET. LET'S HEAR THE PRESENTATION FROM ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. OH MY GOD. CAN WE STAY FOR THE, IS IT ON? HELLO? OH, HI. HELLO. ESTEEMED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND HONORABLE MAYOR. MY NAME IS MAY VILLANUEVA FROM LONG BEACH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. TODAY WE ARE JOINED BY OUR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR, MATT EZ. AND OUR TWO SHELTER PUPPIES, GROMMET AND WILLA. SO ME WILL AND GROMMET. UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF PUPPY, UM, ENERGY HERE THEY ARE. WE BELIEVE THEY'RE TWO BURMESE, BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG MIXED PUPPIES. UM, THEY WERE BROUGHT INTO OUR SHELTER BY A POLICE OFFICER WHO FOUND THEM ABANDONED NEAR A RIVER BED. THEY'RE GENTLE AND SHY, AND THEY'LL MOST LIKELY BLOSSOM INTO PLAYFUL PUPPIES ONCE THEY'RE SETTLED IN THEIR NEW HOMES WITH THEIR FOREVER FAMILIES. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO TAKE ON THE REWARDING CHALLENGE OF RAISING A PUPPY, COME VISIT OUR SHELTER TO VISIT WILLA OR GROMMET. OH, SORRY, I DIDN'T CHANGE THE, THOSE ARE THE WILLA AND GROMMET. THEY'RE ABOUT SEVEN WEEKS. UM, THEY'RE DEFINITELY MORE THAN SIX POUNDS NOW. THEY'RE DEFINITELY GROWING BIGGER AND BIGGER EACH DAY. UM, AND THEY ARE UP FOR ADOPTION. SO THIS MONTH WE ARE, UM, HAVING A MAYDAY FOR STRAYS ADOPTION SPECIAL HAPPENING NOW THROUGH JUNE. FIRST, YOU CAN ADOPT ANY LBAS DOG THAT IS 30 POUNDS OR OVER FOR JUST $25. AS ALWAYS, UH, LONG BEACH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES AND COMMUNITY ANIMAL MEDICINE PROJECT OR CAMP ARE TEAMING UP AGAIN TO BRING YOU LOW COST VACCINE CLINICS EVERY, BECAUSE EVERY PET DESERVES TO BE HAPPY AND HEALTHY. THIS CLINIC IS AN ONGOING EVENT, AND IT HAPPENS EVERY MONDAY, SECOND FRIDAY AND FOURTH FRIDAY OF THE MONTH. UH, EACH CLINIC IS OPEN TO THE FIRST 60 PETS AND NO APPOINTMENT IS NECESSARY. SO FOR MORE INFORMATION OR FOR OUR FULL SCHEDULE, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE, LONG BEACH.GOV/ACS, CALIFORNIA AND LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL LAW REQUIRES THAT ALL CATS AND DOGS OVER THE AGE OF FOUR MONTHS BE LICENSED AS A RAISE RABIES CONTROL MEASURE. IF YOUR PET ISN'T LICENSED YET, GET YOUR LICENSE. GETTING YOUR LICENSE IS SIMPLE. YOU CAN APPLY EITHER ONLINE OR IN PERSON AT LBAS, AND ALL YOU NEED IS A PROOF OF RABIES AND A SPAY NEUTER CERTIFICATE. THERE ARE, THERE ARE SENIOR DISCOUNTS. UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE 60 AND ABOVE, UH, FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN VISIT US AT OUR SHELTER AT 7,700 EAST SPRING STREET IN LONG BEACH, NEAR THE EL DORADO NATURE CENTER. UM, AND YOU CAN VISIT US EVERY WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRI THROUGH SUNDAY, STARTING AT 10:00 AM THANK YOU. BEFORE YOU LEAVE, YOU WANNA SAY THE, UH, OUTTA TIME, HOW BIG DOGS DO YOU WANNA SAY? HOW, HOW BIG DO GROW? THEY GROW HOW EVERYTHING GET, HOW BIG DO THEY GROW? UM, WE BELIEVE THEY'RE BURMESE, UH, BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOGS. SO THEY'RE UP TO, THEY COULD WEIGH UP TO 80 TO 110 POUNDS. WHOA. WOW. BUT THEY ARE MIXES. SO WE ESTIMATE AT LEAST 70 POUNDS. YEAH. WANNA MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW YEAH. WHAT THEY'RE GETTING INTO. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. ALRIGHT. SORRY ABOUT THAT. IT GOT A LITTLE CARRIED AWAY. UH, [00:45:01] SO, SO LET'S HEAR IT. FOR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, WILLA AND GROMMET ARE AVAILABLE. UH, VISIT OUR WEBSITE. THE INFORMATION'S UP ON THE SCREEN. NOW, THESE ARE TWO INCREDIBLE PUPPIES, BUT GUESS WHAT? THERE ARE SO MANY PETS AT LONG BEACH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. THE RIGHT ONE MAY BE FOR YOU. EVERY PET THAT'S COME BEFORE THIS COUNCIL HAS FOUND A HOME, FOUND A FOREVER HOME. SO LET'S KEEP THE STREET GOING. LET'S MAKE SURE WILLA AND I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM FINDING A HOME. I MEAN, THEY ALMOST FOUND ONE RIGHT NOW WITH THE MAYOR. I DON'T MAKE ALL THESE DECISIONS BY MYSELF. UH, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR FINAL PRESENTATION, ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH. UH, AND WE'RE GONNA GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, [ ASIAN AMERICAN NATIVE HAWAIIAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION] YES, IT'S MAY NOT, IN ADDITION TO SPRING CLEANING, IT IS ALSO ASIAN AMERICAN NATIVE HAWAIIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH. WE HA UM, IT WAS WONDERFUL TO PARTNER WITH THE ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION, ALONG WITH VICE MAYOR URANGA AND COUNCILWOMAN, UH, RICKS OTI, UM, IN THE LOBBY EARLIER TO RECOGNIZE THIS SPECIAL MONTH. BUT BEFORE WE HEAR THE PRESENTATION FROM THE API EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION, I JUST WANNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY OF, UH, A A AND HPI MONTH AND ITS HISTORY HERE IN LONG BEACH AS WELL. SO, A-A-N-H-P-I HERITAGE MONTH IS CELEBRATED IN MAY TO HONOR TWO KEY MILESTONES IN US HISTORY. UH, THE FIRST IS THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST JAPANESE IMMIGRANTS ON MAY 7TH, 1843, AND THE COMPLETION OF THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD ON MAY 10TH, 1869, WHICH WAS MADE POSSIBLE IN LARGE PART BY CHINESE IMMIGRANT LABOR. SO THE CELEBRATION BEGAN AS ASIAN PACIFIC HERITAGE WEEK AND WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY CONGRESS IN 1979. IT WAS EXPANDED TO A MONTH LONG OBSERVANCE IN 1992. AND IN 19, IN 2009, NOT TOO LONG AGO, IT WAS OFFICIALLY NAMED ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH. I ADDED IN NATIVE HAWAIIAN, UH, FOR TODAY, JUST INCLUSIVE TO BE, TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE. UH, AND IN 2021, THE TERM WAS UPDATED TO A A AND HPI HERITAGE MONTH TO MORE FULLY RECOGNIZED THE DISTINCT HISTORIES AND THE IDENTITIES OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN, ASIAN AMERICAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS. UH, SO WE HAD A WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE EARLIER TODAY, UM, BY ABELLA LE ALOHA CARROLL, WHO DID SOME HULA AND EDUCATION FOR US. UM, EVEN EXPLAINING TO US THE TERM A WHAT ALOHA MEAN THAT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL. AND WE THANK HER FOR BEING HERE AS WELL AS YUGEN. UH, TKO WAS HERE AS WELL, UH, TO SHOWCASE SOME CULTURAL, UH, PERFORMANCES. UM, SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO SHARE THAT. BUT SPECIFICALLY, UM, IN LONG BEACH, ASIAN AMERICANS, SPECIFICALLY JAPANESE, HAVE A LONG HISTORY HERE. IN 1907, NEARLY 200 JAPANESE HAD ESTABLISHED A SMALL BUSINESSES, SMALL BUSINESSES AND FARMS HERE. HOWEVER, IN 1942, PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT AUTHORIZED EXECUTIVE ORDER 90 66, WHICH LED TO THE INTERNMENT OF JAPANESE NATIONAL. AND JAPANESE AMERICANS MOST DID NOT RETURN TO THE CITY AFTER THE RELEASE FROM THE CAMP. AND THAT IS WHY ALONGSIDE OTHER FACTORS, JAPANESE AMERICAN MAKE UP LESS THAN 1% OF THE LONG BEACH POPULATION. BUT THE JAPANESE COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE CHURCH REMAINS ACTIVE TO THIS DAY. AND ACCORDING TO THE US CENSUS BUREAU DATA, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF FILIPINOS SETTLED IN WEST LONG BEACH, LARGELY DUE TO THEIR ENLISTMENT IN THE US NAVY, WHICH WAS BASED AT THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SHIPYARD AT THE 1950 SAW AN INFLUX OF NATIVE HAWAIIANS IN PACIFIC ISLANDER INTO CALIFORNIA POST WORLD WAR II. MANY WERE DRAWN HERE THROUGH MILITARY SERVICE COMING FROM US TERRITORY SUCH AS AMERICA, SAMOA AND GUAM AND, UH, CAMBODIANS HAVE HAD A CONNECTION TO LONG BEACH IN THE EARLY 1960S WHEN STUDENT ATTENDED CAL STATE LONG BEACH THROUGH A PROGRAM FUNDED BY US EIGHT LARGE NUMBERS OF CAMBODIANS, INCLUDING MYSELF AND MY FAMILY, RESETTLED IN LONG BEACH, BEGINNING WITH AC EVACUEES FOLLOWING THE FALL OF CAMBODIA TO THE KAHMA ROUGE IN 1975, MAKING LONG BEACH HOME TO THE LARGEST CAMBODIAN POPULATION IN OUTSIDE OF CAMBODIA. SO I SHARE THIS BECAUSE IT'S JUST SO IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE GROUNDED OUR IN HISTORY, UM, AND AS A CITY THAT IS VERY PROUD OF BEING DIVERSE, UM, AND REALLY A CITY, UH, THAT'S MADE UP OF SO MANY PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR WORLD. UM, AND WHY ASIAN AMERICANS, NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HAVE COME HERE THROUGH IMMIGRATION OR RESETTLEMENT. SO NOW IT IS MY PLEASURE, UH, [00:50:01] TO INTRODUCE ANTHONY LIM, BERLIN MAOA, AS WELL AS FERN, UH, NE UNO, MEMBERS OF THE ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION. SORRY, FERN, IF I BUTCHERED YOUR LAST NAME. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR. UM, AS WE'VE ALREADY BEEN INTRODUCED, UH, WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CELEBRATE, UH, ASIAN AMERICAN NATIVE HAWAIIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH HERE AT THE CITY. UM, AND WE KIND OF WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ASSOCIATION. UM, I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF API HERITAGE. JUST LIFT UP THE MIC A LITTLE BIT. UH, IN LONG BEACH, THIS IS ESPECIALLY SIGNIFICANT FOR US LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, UM, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HISTORY AND CELEBRATE THE CULTURE. UH, AND THIS MONTH, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. UM, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TO REFLECT THE DIVERSE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE. SO LONG BEACH IS HOME TO MANY A-A-N-H-P-I COMMUNITIES WITH A LONG HISTORY, BOTH IN THE CITY AND IN THE REGION. 13.1% OF LONG BEACH RESIDENTS IDENTIFY AS ASIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER. THESE COMMUNITIES ARE WELL-REPRESENTED AMONGST CITY STAFF WITH 16.1% OF ALL CITY EMPLOYEES IDENTIFYING AS ASIAN OR NATIVE AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER. AND A PIA EMPLOYEES PROUDLY SERVE IN EACH OF THE CITY'S 22 DEPARTMENTS. JUST TO SHARE, UH, SOME BACKGROUND ON THE ORGANIZATION, THE ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION WAS FORMED IN 2021. WE ARE AN INCLUSIVE GROUP FOCUSED ON BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO SUPPORT A-A-N-H-P-I EMPLOYEES THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, NETWORKING, AND SOCIAL EVENTS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT. WE ALSO PROVIDE A SAFE SPACE TO HAVE ROBUST AND RELEVANT DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS. AT OUR INITIAL MEETING IN SPRING OF 2021, WE HAD OVER 50 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE. AND SINCE THEN, WE'VE GROWN OUR ORGANIZATION TO 189 MEMBERS. THANK YOU. SO TO KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES ENGAGED, WE DO HOST LUNCH VIRTUAL MEETINGS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND WE HOST EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ALSO. SO WE'VE HAD DIFFERENT EVENTS LIKE A SUMMER MIXER AT THE BEACH. WE'VE HOSTED DINNERS AND DIFFERENT SOCIAL NETWORKING EVENTS, HOLIDAY PARTIES, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. UM, IN ORDER TO REACH OUT TO OUR OUR EMPLOYEES, WE TABLE AT A LOT OF THE EVENTS. WE'VE BEEN AT THEIR, UH, WE'VE BEEN AT RECENT EVENTS SUCH AS THE EMPLOYEE RESOURCES FAIR, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT EMPLOYEES KNOW THAT WE'RE THERE AND AVAILABLE. WE ALSO ARE JUST ONE OF SEVERAL AFFINITY GROUPS IN THE CITY. AND SO WE PARTNER WITH THEM AND DO SEVERAL MIXERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR JUST SO THAT WE CAN GET TOGETHER AND SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER. UM, OUR UPCOMING EVENTS, WE HAVE A DINNER AT A LOCAL CAMBODIAN RESTAURANT COMING UP IN JUNE, AND THEN WE'LL BE HAVING OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PANEL AND OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENT LATER THIS YEAR ALSO. SO, ANY EMPLOYEES WHO ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING, YOU KNOW, YOU HEARD WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT, WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT OUR API EMPLOYEES. EVERYONE IS WELCOME. UH, WE'RE A VERY INCLUSIVE GROUP AND WE REALLY JUST WANNA BE HERE TO SUPPORT THROUGH OUR, OUR EVENTS AND TRAINING AND DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES. AND SO LP LB API A.ORG SIGN UP THERE. UM, WE'RE, WE'RE HERE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO CREATE CONNECTIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITY. SO ANY LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS, WE WILL BE COLLABORATING WITH THEM IN THE FUTURE ALSO. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR, UH, INVITING US HERE. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR EMPLOYEES AND THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT WE ARE AN ORGANIZATION THAT EXISTS AND WHAT OUR PURPOSE IS TO SUPPORT. AND IN CLOSING, UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOMETHING WE HAVE, UH, LOST A COMMUNITY MEMBER RECENTLY. DR. LEONARDO PANOC WAS A COMMUNITY LEADER AND A TIRELESS ADVOCATE FOR THE FILIPINO AMERICAN COMMUNITY. HE DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO UPLIFTING OTHERS, LEAVING AN INDELIBLE LEGACY OF SERVICE, LEADERSHIP AND FRIENDSHIP. HE PLAYED KEY ROLES IN NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE FILIPINO AMERICAN NETWORK ADVOCACY, THE ANNUAL LOTUS FESTIVAL, CPA, FILIPINO AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, LA LONG BEACH BACCALA ASSOCIATION, THE FEDERAL FILIPINO AMERICAN ASSOCIATION, ROTARY CLUB OF HISTORIC FILIPINO TOWN, AND THE LONG BEACH DEPARTMENT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, FILIPINO COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, HE'S DONE A LOT WITH OUR COMMUNITY. LEO IS SURVIVED BY HIS BELOVED FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COLLEAGUES WHO WILL FOREVER CHERISH HIS LEGACY OF COMPASSION, SERVICE AND DEDICATION TO UPLIFTING OTHERS. HIS MEMORY WILL LIVE ON IN THE LIVES HE TOUCHED IN THE COMMUNITIES HE HELPED BUILD, AND THE COUNTLESS LIVES HE IMPROVED THROUGH HIS WORK AND HIS ADVOCACY. AND IF, UH, SOME OF DR. PANDA'S FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE HERE, PLEASE COME [00:55:01] UP, UH, FOR OUR PROCLAMATION. THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE. YEAH. UM, WELL, MAYOR, UH, WHAT'S GONNA COME DOWN OR WE'LL ALL GO DOWN? NO. YEAH, LET'S GO, LET'S GO DOWN AND, AND TAKE A PHOTO TOGETHER. LET, WE'LL BE GOING ON THAT. OKAY. ASK YOU. NO, NO, NO, NO. I WAS JUST GONNA RECEIVE IT ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILY. TOTALLY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. GOOD. AND THIS IS, WE HAVE TWO, LET'S GO NEXT TO EACH OTHER. THIS IS THE MIDDLE, THIS IS THE MIDDLE RIGHT HERE. I, I WANTED TO JUST CHECK IF, UM, VICE MAYOR URANGA, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS ODI, IF YOU WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS AS CO-SPONSORS OF THE, UH, HERITAGE MONTH EVENT. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SORO, UH, I KNEW LEO FOR A LONG TIME AND HE WAS A GREAT, GREAT, UH, PERSON, A GREAT COMMUNITY MEMBER AND A FRIEND. AND I REALLY, I REALLY DO BUSINESS COMPANY HERE, HIM AND, UH, UM, HE CAME MY MIND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE FILIPINO AMERICANS, HE WAS ALSO REMEMBER MUCH ALONG WITH THAT. AND, UH, PAUL KO. THERE YOU GO. GOT IT. GAVE ME THIS SHIRT. AND I WORE TODAY IN THEIR HONOR AND AN HONOR OF THE MONTH FOR VERY NICE TO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND GETTING THIS ORGANIZATION TOGETHER. AND, YOU KNOW, THE CITY COUNCIL LIKES TO RECOGNIZE OUR DIVERSITY AND, UH, GET A GREAT PROGRAM TODAY. UH, WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR, BUT THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING HERE AND CONGRATULATIONS. UM, AND I WAS JUST GONNA TACK ON AND JUST SAY, UH, I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UH, YOU ALL AND YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE YOURS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY RIGHT. REALLY WORK TO, TO FOSTER A SENSE OF BELONGING, UM, IN OUR CITY IN THE TIME THAT WE REALLY NEED IT. UH, AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR PARTNERING WITH US, CONTINUING THE WORK, UM, HERE IN THE CITY AND GIVING UP YOUR TIME, UM, AS EMPLOYEES TO MAKE SURE THAT UM, WE, LIKE I SAID AGAIN, FOSTER SENSE OF BELONGING AND THAT WE CAN LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY AND THE CULTURE OF THE REALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITY WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, LET'S HEAR IT FOR OUR, UH, FOR A API HERITAGE MONTH AND OUR EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, WE'LL NOW TAKE CONSENT CALENDAR MINUS ITEM 16. [CONSENT CALENDAR (1. – 17.)] WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT? WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS. ALL RIGHT. KATHLEEN ADAMS. DESIREE CORTEZ, PLEASE COME FORWARD. HI. I GUESS KATHLEEN ADAMS WILL GO FIRST. SURE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH CITY COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY. I AM, UM, SPEAKING FOR NUMBER THREE. I WANNA COMMEND THE CITY COUNCIL FOR INCREASING AND PRIORITIZING FUNDING FOR EVENTS THAT SUPPORT COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER, BUILDING A FOUNDATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH POSITIVE COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS. THESE INVESTMENTS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS SUCH AS PRIDE AND, UH, CULTURAL EVENTS, UM, INVEST IN A RESILIENCE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. IT CREATES POSITIVE COMMUNITY MEMORIES AND ENVIRONMENT AND RELATIONS, [01:00:01] AND THAT WILL HELP BUFFER US WHEN WE HAVE TO MEET AGAIN WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AND COLLEAGUES FOR TOUGH DISCUSSIONS ARE REQUIRED. SO THANK YOU. AND ON ITEM 12, UM, I NOTICED THERE WERE $850,000 FOR EXECUTIVE HEALTH PHYSICALS. THAT WAS A SURPRISE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, UH, WHY NORMAL HEALTH COVERAGE THAT NORMAL PEOPLE GET THROUGH INSURANCE IS NOT ADEQUATE. AND I REQUEST SOME KIND OF PRESS RELEASE OR STATEMENT FROM THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL OR THE PROPER DEPARTMENT THAT IS PUBLIC AND TRANSPARENT TO EXPLAIN. UM, IN THE PAST, FOR OTHER, UH, ITEMS, I HAVE REACHED OUT FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SEVERAL TIMES, AND I HAVE ATTRIBUTED NO RESPONSE TO THE WONDERFUL SPRING AND EVERYONE BEING ON VACATION AND BEING VERY BUSY AND MEMORIAL DAY COMING UP. BUT I WILL PURSUE FURTHER. BUT AFTER MEMORIAL DAY, NO EXCUSE, WOULD YOU PLEASE ANSWER OR HAVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ANSWER THE QUESTION. THANK YOU. AND THEN ON THAT, ITEM 16, UM, I WANNA COMMEND ANY INVESTMENT TRAUMA SERVICES. UM, THIS INVESTMENT, AGAIN IS TOWARD THE RESILIENT COMMUNITY AND HOW DO WE EXPAND SERVICES? I PARTICIPATE WITH MULTIPLE COALITIONS AND WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW WE CAN DO SOMETHING TO EXPAND THE TRAUMA SERVICES. SO PLEASE, IF THERE'S ANY POSSIBILITY OF CREATING A COALITION WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, MAYBE A ROUND TABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN GET MORE SUPPORT FOR EXPANDED SERVICES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THE NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. HELLO EVERYBODY. UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 12, ALSO FOR THE EXCESSIVE OF 850,000 FOR A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS FOR THE LONG BEACH CITY EMPLOYEES FROM, UH, LONG BEACH MEMORIAL MEDICAL CARE CENTER. UM, I'M ASKING TODAY JUST TO VOTE NO UNTIL WE GET A MORE CLEARER PICTURE EXACTLY OF HOW YOU WANT TO SPEND THIS MONEY AND ALSO ASKING TO ALLOCATE SOME OF THIS MONEY INTO REHIRING SOME OF THE FIRED NURSES, SOME OF THE FIRED PHARMACISTS, AND, UH, A LOT OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE GOTTEN FIRED OVER THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, UM, BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REACH A, A NEGOTIATION WITH THE STRIKING, WITH THE STRIKE, UM, CONTRACTING PEOPLE, I'M SORRY. UM, THEY'RE OFFERING SCAB CONTRACTS FOR FIVE EXECUTIVE SHIFTS WHILE THE LOCKOUT HAPPENS FROM MAY 23RD TO 26 FOR A TOTAL OF 6,000 FOR HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR EACH EMPLOYEE. AND THAT IS FOR THE TRAVEL NURSES. UM, THE TRAVEL NURSES THERE AREN'T PROTECTED UNDERNEATH THE UNION HOW THEY SHOULD BE. AND SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE BEING FLOWN IN FROM ALL AROUND THE NATION JUST TO FILL IN THESE, UH, NURSES THAT HAVE BEEN FIRED, THAT STAND AGAINST THE UNION OR STAND AGAINST THE HOSPITAL. I'M JUST HERE TODAY AGAIN TO ASK TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THE STRIKE IS HAPPENING ON THE 22ND. THEY HAVE CANCELED APPOINTMENTS, THEY HAVE CANCELED PROCEDURES FOR, FOR BABIES ALL THE WAY UP TO OLD FOLKS. AND THERE IS NO NEW DATE AND SIGHT OF FOR ANY OF THESE, UM, APPOINTMENTS. I'M COMING HERE TODAY AS A MOTHER FOR MY SON MANUEL, WHO HAS A DISABILITY, WHO HAS CEREBRAL PALSY AND EPILEPSY WITH THEM CLOSING DOWN THE PHARMACY AT THE CHILDREN'S VILLAGE HAS MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO GET HIS MEDICATIONS THAT KEEP HIM ALIVE. AND THAT ALSO GOES WITH THE NURSING STAFF THAT IS THERE BECAUSE THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN THERE DAY IN AND DAY OUT. UM, I JUST WANTED TO BRING ATTENTION AGAIN TO THE, TO YOU GUYS TO LET YOU KNOW THAT NOT SO DID THEY CLOSE THE CHILDREN'S VILLAGE PHARMACY. THEY ALSO FIRED SOME GENERAL PEDS NURSES THEOLOGY, UH, THEOLOGY DIAGNOSTICS DEPARTMENT, AND THE BLOOD DONOR CENTER HAS ALL BEEN CLOSED DUE TO THIS NEGOTIATION, NOT COMING TO AN AGREEMENT. UM, AGAIN, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT YOU KIND OF JUST COULD EXPLAIN WITH THE REST OF MY TIME, I ONLY HAVE 42 SECONDS THOUGH. UH, EXACTLY WHAT YOU GUYS MEAN ABOUT HOW YOU GUYS ARE GONNA SPEND THIS MONEY, BECAUSE IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IT'S SAYING THAT LONG BEACH WANTS TO PLAY FOR PHYSICALS FOR YOUR CITY EMPLOYEES WHEN I THOUGHT THE CITY OFFERED INSURANCE THROUGH A DIFFERENT WAY. SO THAT IS ALL. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR TIME AND I HOPE YOU GUYS TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION. AGAIN, THE STRIKEOUT IS HAPPENING ON THE 22ND FOR ANYBODY THAT HAS THAT CAN BE THERE. PLEASE COME OUT AND SHOW SUPPORT BECAUSE THESE ARE THE NURSES THAT ARE HERE FROM DAY ONE WITH OUR PATIENTS AND WITH THEIR PATIENTS WITH MY CHILD SINCE HE WAS IN THE NICU UNTIL HE GOT OUT. AND I STILL GO THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR HIS APPOINTMENTS AND ANYTHING THAT HE NEEDS. THAT'S HIS, HIS BACKBONE OF, OF HIS CARE. AND IT'S A GREAT HOSPITAL AND WE'RE A GREAT CITY AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE CAN'T JUST ALL COME AS ONE AND SUPPORT THEM. THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME. I APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST A VOTE ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR. [01:05:04] MOTION IS CARRIED. MS. READ ITEM 16, PLEASE REPORT FROM POLICE DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT AND ANY NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING ANY NE NECESSARY SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS WITH TRAUMA INTERVENTION PROGRAMS INC. FOR PROVIDING VICTIM SUPPORT SERVICES [16. 25-55265 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Trauma Intervention Programs, Inc., a non-profit organization, of Vista, CA, for providing victim support services, in an annual amount not to exceed $60,000, for a period of two years, with the option to renew for three additional one-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager. Levine Act: Yes       Office or Department: Police Department         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] IN AN ANNUAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $60,000. THANK YOU. I THINK THE COUNCIL JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, THIS ITEM. SO LET'S HAVE JUST A BRIEF STAFF REPORT, PLEASE. YEAH, DEPUTY CHIEF MEGAN ZABEL CAN TALK TO THIS GREAT ITEM. GOOD EVENING HONOR ROLL MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. TIP IS A NONPROFIT 5 0 1 C3 ORGANIZATION FOUNDED IN, IN 1985 AND HAS 15 AFFILIATES SERVING OVER 250 CITIES ACROSS THE NATION. TIP IS A PROGRAM MADE UP OF SPECIALLY TRAINED COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS. FOLLOWING A TRAUMATIC EVENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CONTACTS TIP TO PROVIDE EMOTIONAL AID AND PRACTICAL SUPPORT TO VICTIMS, THEIR FAMILIES, WITNESSES, AND BYSTANDERS. TRAUMATIC EVENTS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO NATURAL AND UNEXPECTED DEATHS. VICTIMS OF SERIOUS VIOLENT CRIME, DISORIENTED OR LONELY SENIORS AND PEOPLE INVOLVED IN SERIOUS VEHICLE COLLISIONS. TIP VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES SUCH AS PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING, PEER SUPPORT, AND HELP ARRANGE FOR SHELTER, FOOD, CLOTHING, AND RESOURCE GUIDES. THESE VOLUNTEERS MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE 24 7 TO ASSIST PEOPLE IN NEED. TIP VOLUNTEERS ARE MEMBERS OF THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY, REPRESENTING A WIDE RANGE OF AGES AND BACKGROUNDS. ALL VOLUNTEERS UNDERGO A COMPREHENSIVE BACKGROUND CHECK AND COMPLETE AN INTENSIVE 55 HOUR TRAINING ACADEMY FACILITATED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. TIP HAS PROVIDED A 100% RESPONSE RATE WHEN CALLED UPON. THEY ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS THEY ENSURE VICTIMS RECEIVE IMMEDIATE CARE THAT IMPROVES THE OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSE AND PROVIDES A CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR THOSE INVOLVED IN A TRAUMATIC EVENT. WE WOULD LIKE TO PUBLICLY THANK OUR TIP VOLUNTEERS FOR BEING A GREAT PARTNER AND PROVIDING SUCH AN IMPORTANT SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY BRIEF PRESENTATION. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS ZENDEJAS. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT REPORT. DEPUTY CHIEF, I THINK THAT TIP IS AN AMAZING ORGANIZATION THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, AND I FEEL THAT, UM, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO PULL IT OFF A CONSENT AND GIVE IT THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES. I ALSO WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS, UH, THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY WELL TRAINED IN BEING ABLE TO RESPOND TO TRAUMA EVENTS LIKE YOU JUST INDICATED. I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF GETTING TO KNOW A LOT OF THE VOLUNTEERS AND ACTUALLY FINDING OUT THAT SOME OF MY FRIENDS THAT, UM, I DIDN'T KNOW ARE ACTUALLY VOLUNTEERS, UM, FOR TIP. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT THAT PROGRAM AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE BRINGING A PRESENTATION FORWARD IN AUGUST, UM, TO BE ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT THE PROGRAM. BUT THANK YOU TO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR PARTNERING WITH, UM, TIP. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE INCREDIBLE VOLUNTEERS THAT, UM, ARE AVAILABLE 24 7. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN DUGGAN. THANK YOU, UH, FOR THAT DEPUTY CHIEF ZABEL. THIS IS SUCH A GOOD PROGRAM. THE TRAUMA INTERVENTION PROGRAM. VOLUNTEERS DO SO MUCH. I KNOW SEVERAL OF THEM AND I'VE GOTTEN THE FIRSTHAND, UM, STORIES ABOUT WHAT THEY DO AND I THINK THAT IT SUPPORTS PUBLIC SAFETY ALSO. AND I JUST WANNA VERBALLY, UH, PUBLICLY SAY WHAT A GREAT SUPPORT THEY ARE AND I WANNA SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. KATHLEEN ADAMS AND SU SUSAN TANAKA. HI. I SPOKE EARLIER ON THIS. AND JUST, WE WANNA, UM, COMMEND THIS IS A BRILLIANT RESILIENCE EFFORT AND HOW TO HELP US, UH, SUPPORT THAT AND INCREASE THE POSSIBILITIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. HI, I AM SUSAN TANAKA. I'M THE ASSISTANT PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR TIP OF LONG BEACH. AND I WANTED TO COME HERE AND THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING, UM, THE, THE POWER OF HUMAN CONNECTION DURING A CRISIS AND FOR, FOR ALSO BEING A PARTNERSHIP WITH TIP AND FOR SUPPORTING US. SO THANK YOU TO ALL THE CONGRESS, THE COUNCIL PEOPLE, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT IN LONG BEACH. THANKS. ALL RIGHT. WHAT A GREAT PROGRAM. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT AND SPEAKING MEMBERS. PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. UH, LET'S HAVE OUR REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION, PLEASE. [01:10:02] UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. WE HAVE NO REPORT FROM CLOSED SESSION. MY FAVORITE KIND OF REPORT. LET'S NOW GO TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER ONE. IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. GINA KIM AND JOSE NAVARRO. PLEASE COME FORWARD. [ PUBLIC COMMENT: OBTAIN SPEAKER CARD FROM THE CITY CLERK Opportunity to address the City Council (on non-agenda items) is given to the first 10 persons who submit Speaker Cards to the City Clerk beginning at 15 minutes prior to the commencement of the meeting. Each speaker is allowed three minutes to make their comments. ] HELLO, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I'VE BEEN HERE DISCUSSING THE SAME TOPIC. MY NAME IS GINA. I'VE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH EPILEPSY AND APL ANEMIA FOR AROUND 10 YEARS. I'VE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH HOMELESSNESS FOR AROUND FIVE YEARS. THIS IS SECOND, FIRST SERVE, FIRST TO SERVE SHELTER. I'VE BEEN IN. FIRST ONE I WAS HARASSED BY A STAFF MEMBER AND I WAS THROWN OUT FOR THAT REASON. I WAS THREATENED BY ANOTHER, UH, CLIENT THAT LIVED THERE AND ALSO SLAPPED ACROSS THE FACE, WHICH I GOT PUT OUT OF THE HOME. THE SHELTER, NOT HER, SORRY. I'M SORRY. THE ANYBODY THAT HAS ANY RIGHT TO TRY TO STAND UP FOR ME, THEY END UP GETTING ASSAULTED. THEY END UP GETTING THREATENED. IT'S JUST A NONSTOP THREATENING SITUATION. UM, I HAVE TWO PEOPLE RIGHT NOW THAT WHEN I CAME HERE AND SPOKE THE FIRST TIME SHE TOLD ME THE WHOLE STORY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO HER. AND SHE WAS ASSAULTED BY A MALE CLIENT AT THE SHELTER. ANOTHER PERSON IS JOSE. HE WAS ASSAULTED LAST NIGHT TRYING TO GO AND GET ME HELP TO GET WITH MY SEIZURES AND GET ME TO THE HOSPITAL. IT DIDN'T MAKE IT THAT FAR. HE'S BEAT UP PRETTY BADLY. I REPORTED ALL THIS STUFF TO THE, THE NEW DIRECTOR. I'VE DONE GRIEVANCE AFTER GRIEVANCE AFTER GRIEVANCE, GETTING NOWHERE. I'M AT A POINT RIGHT NOW WHERE I'M SO DEPRESSED, I DON'T EVEN GET UP IN THE MORNING. I DON'T EVEN WANT TO DEAL WITH ALL THE THREATS AND ALL THE NONSENSE I'M GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT DAY. IT'S JUST WAY OUTTA CONTROL RIGHT NOW. MY MEDICATION GOES MISSING, MY PROPERTY GOES MISSING, AND NOBODY SAYS IT DOES ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I GO AND REPORT IT. WELL, WE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. WE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. LAST WEEK I WAS HAD ANOTHER CLIENT SLAM THE DOOR IN MY ARM. ANOTHER CLIENT WENT AND TOLD STEPH, THEY CAME RUNNING OUT WHEN SHE TOLD HIM. STILL, NO, NO, THERE'S NO BEEN NO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR HER ACTIONS. IT JUST SEEMS THERE'S A CERTAIN GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT CAN SAY AND DO IT AND GO WHEREVER THEY WANT AND DO WHATEVER THEY WANT. THE PERSON THAT ASSAULTED HIM, WHO'S ACTUALLY THE PERSON WHO SEXUALLY ASSAULTED ME AND HE'S STILL ON THE PROPERTY, HE'LL COME UP BEHIND ME, MAKE THREATS, COME UP BEHIND ME AND SAY, IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER SEIZURE, YOU'RE GONNA GET RAPED AGAIN. I'M, I'M AT, AT MY WIT'S END RIGHT NOW. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO GO WITH THIS. I'M JUST REALLY FRUSTRATED. AND THAT'S THE POINT WHERE, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE I'LL GO ON 51 50 HOLD. 'CAUSE I CAN'T TAKE TOO MUCH MORE OF ALL THIS VERBAL AND PHYSICAL BATTERY. AND ANYBODY THAT TRIES TO HELP ME, THEY, THEY CAN'T, NOBODY WANTS TO HELP ME BECAUSE THEY CAN SEE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT, NOTHING. THE STAFF, THEY TAKE PRO SUPPLIES. THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FOR US. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE JUST PLAYING AROUND THE GAME, DOING DRUGS, GETTING HIGH, WHATEVER. BUT I'M THERE TO TRY TO BETTER MYSELF. I'M TRYING TO GET MY SEIZURES AND MY EPILEPSY UNDER CONTROL. I'M HAVING SEIZURES EVERY DAY. I'VE LOSE TIME. MY MEMORY IS JUST SHOCK. AND THE MORE STRESS I, AND IT'S ONTO THAT, THE WORSE I GET. IT'S JUST, IT'S AWFUL. I I KNOW IT'S NOT ANYBODY'S FAULT THAT I'M HOMELESS NOW, BUT MINE. BUT I CAN'T CONTROL THE FACT THAT I CANNOT GET A JOB. I CAN'T CONTROL THAT. I'M WAITING FOR SSII CRY EVERY DAY RIGHT NOW. I'M SHAKING. IT'S 'CAUSE I KNOW I'VE GOTTA GO BACK TO THAT PLACE. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR PUBLIC HEALTH TEAM IS HERE. IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA TALK WITH HIM. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HI, MY NAME IS JOSE NAVARRO AND, UM, I'M HERE TELLING TO, UH, SEE THE SITUATION. I, I GREW UP IN LONG BEACH, LIKE, UH, UM, AND THEY DIDN'T SHOW ME HOW TO BE RACIST, BUT THE FACILITY THAT I AM, I MEAN, APPARENTLY THAT THEY'RE ALL BLACKS, BUT THEY ACT DIFFERENT TOWARDS OTHER HUMANKIND. AND FOR THAT TO BE GOING ON, THAT'S NOT COOL. UM, I GOT BEAT UP LIKE GINA SAID, 'CAUSE A INDIVIDUAL OUT THERE THAT SEXUAL WAS HARASSMENT AND I WAS THERE WHEN HE SAID THAT FACE TO FACE WITH HIM. WE WERE THERE AND HE'S STILL IN THERE. LIKE, IF IT'S A THING TO DO, THAT'S NOT COOL. SORRY. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. ALL RIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO ITEM 18, REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO THE GRANT'S PASS VERSUS JOHNSON DECISION [18. 25-55260 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation regarding an update on the City’s response to the Grants Pass v. Johnson Decision. (Citywide)        Office or Department: City Manager         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] CITYWIDE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO, SO A FEW MONTHS BACK, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, THE CITY MANAGEMENT, UH, THE CITY OF [01:15:01] LONG BEACH, PUT FORWARD A MEMO OUTLINING HOW WE WOULD RESPOND, UH, TO NEW, THE NEW REALITY OF, OF GRANTS PASS. UH, COUPLED WITH OUR, OUR COMMITMENT TO, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH AND, UM, OUR, OUR RESOURCES AS IT RELATES TO, UM, ADDRESSING HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS IN OUR CITY. UH, WE REQUESTED AN UPDATE. THE CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS AN UPDATE AT ABOUT THE SIX MONTH POINT. THAT UPDATE IS HERE TODAY. UH, I WANNA, UM, AS WE GET INTO THIS PRESENTATION, I WANNA THANK OUR CITY TEAM AND OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM, OUR CITY MANAGER, UH, REALLY FOR WORKING REALLY HARD AND, UH, BRINGING US TO A POINT WHERE, UH, WE NOW CAN REPORT ON OUR PROGRESS. UH, I'LL SAY, AS MAYOR, I'VE SEEN A VERY VISIBLE, UH, IMPACT ON STREET, UH, HOMELESSNESS. WE HAVE BEEN IN A PLACE WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BUILT THE SHELTER WHEN, WHEN THE RULES WERE BUILT, SHELTER IN ORDER TO ENFORCE YOUR LAWS. WE FOCUSED ON BUILDING SHELTER FROM VIRTUALLY NO CITY RUN SHELTER FIVE YEARS AGO TO TODAY HAVING HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF NEW CITY RUN, UH, BEDS IN ORDER TO ADDRESS, UH, THIS ONGOING CHALLENGE. UM, BUT, UH, IN MANY WAYS WE'VE BEEN LIMITED. AND SO NOW WE HAVE NEW GUIDANCE AND WE'VE, UH, PILOTED THAT GUIDANCE ON HOW WE REALLY HAVE A BALANCED APPROACH. WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY DO WHAT ONE JURISDICTION DID OR ANOTHER JURISDICTION. WE REALLY DID WHAT WAS RIGHT FOR LONG BEACH TO ADDRESS PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, WHILE ALSO CONTINUING TO LEAD WITH SERVICES AND BUILDING MORE SHELTER AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE RESOURCES TO OFFER. AND SO, UH, CITY MANAGER PLEASE, UH, COMMENCE THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. MAYOR, FOR THAT. GOOD SUMMARY. SO I ALSO WANNA SAY A COUPLE WORDS JUST BEFORE WE GET STARTED. SO, UM, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO REALLY GO THROUGH SOME OF THE DATA AND TALK ABOUT THIS. UM, UH, WHEN THIS CAME OUT, UH, WE IMMEDIATELY WANTED TO CREATE A BALANCED STRATEGY, UH, TO REALLY ADD THIS TO THE TOOLBOX. UM, SOME SODI CITIES CHOSE NOT TO. UM, SOME CITIES VERY PUBLICLY SAID, WE ARE NOT GONNA MAKE ANYTHING, UH, DIFFERENT, UM, FROM MARTIN V BOISE THAN WHAT WE WERE DOING BEFORE IN GRANTS PASS. UH, LONG BEACH SHOULD NOT TAKE THAT APPROACH. WE DECIDED TO, TO ADD THIS IN. WE LEAD WITH SERVICES. UM, WE KNOW THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET PEOPLE HOUSED, BUT THEN WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THESE ADDITIONAL TOOLS AVAILABLE TO US. UH, WE'VE HEARD BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN. WE'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, YOU DO NOTHING BUT ENFORCE AGAINST HOMELESS. AND THAT'S NOT RIGHT. AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE APPROACH IT. WE'VE ALSO HEARD PEOPLE SAY, YOU NEVER TAKE ANY ENFORCEMENT ACTION. THAT IS ALSO NOT CORRECT AS YOU'RE GONNA SEE IN THE DATA TONIGHT. UM, SO, UH, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, THAT CAME OUT JUST RECENTLY IS THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR MAKING SOME STATEMENTS ABOUT ADDING THESE TOOLS. UH, WE DO HAVE ENFORCEMENT TOOLS ON THE BOOKS, AND YOU'LL SEE TONIGHT THAT WE USE THEM. IN FACT, UH, THE NEW YORK TIMES ACTUALLY CAME OUT WITH A BIG ARTICLE ABOUT THAT. UH, 'CAUSE THAT WAS, UH, KIND OF A, A NATIONWIDE STORY. AND IT ACTUALLY SAYS THAT LONG BEACH, UH, CAME OUT AS AN EARLY ADOPTER AND HIGHLIGHTED, UH, A LOT OF OUR BALANCED APPROACH THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE TONIGHT. UH, YOU'RE GONNA SEE TONIGHT THAT, UH, NOT ONLY DO WE DO THIS WITHIN FOCUSED AREAS, WE ALSO DO IT CITYWIDE. SO YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THAT DATA AND YOU ALSO SEE THAT WE ADDRESS, UH, LOTS AND LOTS OF ENCAMPMENTS AND, AND DON'T NEED TO USE ENFORCEMENT TOOLS. UH, WE CAN USE SOME OF THE EXISTING TOOLS THAT WE HAVE AS, UH, BUT THEN WE HAVE THOSE ENFORCEMENT TOOLS AS NE AS NECESSARY. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, THERESA CHANDLER, OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER TO HELP LEAD THE TEAM, UH, TO GO THROUGH THE REPORT. THANK YOU, TOM. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. I'M HERE TONIGHT WITH PAUL DUNCAN FROM THE HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU AND DEPUTY CHIEF MIKE SOLADA FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO SHARE OUR UPDATE WITH YOU ALL. UM, OUR PRESENTATION WILL HIGHLIGHT HOW LONG BEACH CONTINUES TO LEAD WITH SERVICE FIRST HOUSING FOCUSED APPROACHES, UM, WHILE ALSO BALANCING PUBLIC HEALTH SAFETY AND ACCESS TO SHARED COMMUNITY SPACES. SO ON, JUST AS A REMINDER, UH, ABOUT THE GRANTS PASS, UH, VERSUS JOHNSON DECISION. SO ON JUNE 28TH, 2024, THE US SUPREME COURT REVERSED THE NINTH CIRCUIT'S RULING IN JOHNSON VERSUS GRANTS PASS. THIS DECISION OVERTURNS THE PRESIDENT SET BY MARTIN V BOISE, WHICH WAS IN 2019, WHICH PROHIBITED ENFORCEMENT OF ANTI CAMPING ORDINANCES WITHOUT FIRST OFFERING ADEQUATE SHELTER. THE COURT'S DECISION GIVES A LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEW DISCRETION. CITIES AND COUNTIES CAN NOW ENFORCE LAWS AGAINST CAMPING OR SLEEPING IN PUBLIC SPACES, EVEN IF NO SHELTER BEDS ARE AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS DOES NOT MANDATE THAT CITIES TAKE ANY ACTION, AND IT DOES NOT COME WITH ANY FUNDING OR RESOURCES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. DESPITE THIS SHIFT IN EIGHT EIGHTH A AMEND AMENDMENT INTERPRETATION, THE CITY MUST STILL COMPLY WITH OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS UNDER THE FOURTH AND 15TH AMENDMENTS. WE ARE STILL REQUIRED TO POST NOTICE BEFORE ENCAMPMENT, CLEANUPS, AND TO HANDLE PERSONAL BELONGINGS APPROPRIATELY. IN SHORT, WHILE THE RULING CHANGES WHAT IS LEGALLY PERMISSIBLE, IT DOES NOT CHANGE OUR CORE APPROACH. LONG BEACH REMAINS COMMITTED TO BALANCING PUBLIC SAFETY WITH COMPASSIONATE SERVICE-LED STRATEGIES THAT PRIORITIZE LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS TO HOMELESSNESS. [01:20:01] OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE IN LONG BEACH IS GROUNDED IN A HUMAN-CENTERED APPROACH. THIS MEANS PRIORITIZING COMPASSIONATE, DATA DRIVEN AND LONG TERM SOLUTIONS. OVER SHORT TERM OR PUNITIVE MEASURES. WE FOCUS ON OUTREACH AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, CONNECTING PEOPLE TO SHELTER AND ULTIMATELY AFFORD AFFORDABLE PERMANENT HOUSING. THESE ARE THE INTERVENTIONS THAT RESEARCH AND LOCAL OUTCOMES HAVE SHOWN OUR MOST EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING HOMELESSNESS AND SUSTAINA HOMELESSNESS, SUSTAINABILITY. WE ARE ACTIVELY INVESTING IN NEW SHELTER OPTIONS AND EXPANDING PERMANENT HOUSING RESOURCES. THESE INVESTMENTS ALLOW US TO OFFER MORE MEANINGFUL PATHWAYS OFF THE STREET FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. ISSUING CITATIONS OR MAKING ARRESTS IS NOT VIEWED AS A LONG-TERM SOLUTION. ENFORCEMENT OF THE ANTI CAMPING ORDINANCE IS USED WHEN THERE IS A CLEAR AND IMMEDIATE THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH OR SAFETY. IT'S A LIMITED TOOL, NOT A STRATEGY, AND IT'S APPLIED WITH DISCRETION AND IN COORDINATION WITH OUTREACH EFFORTS. THE GOAL IS NOT JUST TO MANAGE HOMELESSNESS, BUT TO RESOLVE IT PERSON BY PERSON, USING APPROACHES THAT RESPECT, DIGNITY, AND BUILD STABILITY FOR THE LONG TERM. OUR TOP PRIORITY IS ADDRESSING ENCAMPMENTS THAT SIGNIFICANTLY AND PERSISTENTLY OBSTRUCT PUBLIC SPACES SUCH AS PARKS AND SIDEWALKS AND TRANSIT AREAS. THESE ARE AREAS WHERE THE PUBLIC'S ABILITY TO SAFELY ACCESS SHARED RESOURCES IS COMPROMISED. WE LEAD WITH A COMPASSIONATE AND STRUCTURED APPROACH. WE FOCUS ON INTENSIFIED OUTREACH, WHICH IS INCLUDING REPEATED CONTACT BY OUR OUTREACH TEAMS. TRUST BUILDING, WHICH IS KEY TO LONG-TERM ENGAGEMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF SERVICES, OFFERS OF SHELTER AND RESOURCES WHICH ARE TAILORED TO THE INDIVIDUAL'S NEEDS. ADVANCED NOTIFICATION BEFORE ANY CLEARING TAKES PLACE TO GIVE PEOPLE TIME TO PREPARE AND CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES. ENFORCEMENT OF THE ANTI CAMPING ORDINANCE IS INCORPORATED, BUT IS NOT THE FIRST STEP TYPICALLY USED ONLY AFTER MULTIPLE OUTREACH ATTEMPTS AND ALWAYS WITH DISCRETION BY THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OFFICERS. THIS ENSURES A MEASURED, RESPECTFUL APPROACH THAT BALANCES COMPASSION WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AND SPACE ACCESS. OUR GOAL IS NOT TO JUST CLEAR SPACES, BUT TO RESOLVE ENCAMPMENTS THROUGH CONNECTION TO SERVICES AND HOUSING, WHILE MAINTAINING SAFE ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC AREAS FOR EVERYBODY IN THE CITY. WHEN SELECTING PRIORITY FOCUSED AREAS FOR ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION, WE RELY ON DATA INFORMED CRITERIA. WE FOCUS ON AREAS WHERE ENCAMPMENTS ARE BLOCKING ACCESS TO CRITICAL PUBLIC SPACES LIKE PARKS AND LIBRARIES AND BEACHES, OR OUR ADJACENT TO SENSITIVE AREAS SUCH AS PLAYGROUNDS OR YOUTH FACILITIES. WE ALSO CONSIDER PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKS, INCLUDING REPORTS OF FIRES, VIOLENCE, DISEASE, OR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IS ANOTHER KEY FACTOR. SIZE MATTERS TOO. SO ENCAMPMENTS THAT OCCUPY A LARGE PORTION OF AVAILABLE SPACE MAY BE BY PRIORITIZED. AND FINALLY, WE WEIGH OUTREACH AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE DATA, AS WELL AS ONGOING INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY AND ALL OF YOU AND THE COUNCIL OFFICES. UM, ESPECIALLY IN LOCATIONS WHERE PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS HAVE NOT BEEN RES, HAVE NOT RESOLVED THE ISSUE. FOLLOWING THE RECENT SUPREME COURT RULING, LONG BEACH POLICE OFFICERS NOW HAVE DISCRETION TO ENFORCE THE ANTI CAMPING ORDINANCE. THIS DISCRETION ALLOWS FOR CASE BY CASE ASSESSMENT WITH ENFORCEMENT USED THOUGHTFULLY AND STRATEGICALLY. LONG BEACH PD REMAINS COMMITTED TO ENFORCING AGAINST CRIMINAL, CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, NOT HOMELESSNESS ITSELF. A PERSON'S HOUSING STATUS IS NOT A, IT IS NOT A BASIS FOR ENFORCEMENT. THE FOCUS REMAINS ON SAFETY. PUBLIC ACCESS AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. CITATIONS OR ARRESTS FOR VIOLATING THE ANTI CAMPING ORDINANCE ARE TYPICALLY COORDINATED WITH THE CITY'S INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM. THESE ACTIONS USUALLY OCCUR ONLY AFTER MULTIPLE OFFERS OR SERVICES AND SHELTER HAVE BEEN MADE REINFORCING OUR OUTREACH FIRST MODEL. IF ADDITIONAL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IS UNCOVERED DURING A RESPONSE SUCH AS THREATS TO PUBLIC SAFETY, THOSE CRIMES WILL BE ADDRESSED ACCORDINGLY. THIS ENSURES COMPREHENSIVE ENFORCEMENT WHEN SERIOUS RISKS ARE IDENTIFIED IN CASES INVOLVING SIGNIFICANT RISKS TO PHYSICAL SAFETY, ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT MEASURES MAY BE USED TO PROTECT INDIVIDUALS AND THE COMMUNITY. THESE ARE HANDLED WITH URGENCY AND SENSITIVITY. THE SUPREME SUPREME COURT RULING DOES NOT CHANGE THE CITY'S ESTABLISHED ENCAMPMENT CLEANUP PROCESS. WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW 48 HOUR NOTICE REQUIREMENTS AND, UH, AND STORAGE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE FOURTH AND 14TH AMENDMENT PROTECTIONS. CRIMINALIZING LOW LEVEL OFFENSES TIED TO HOMELESSNESS, SUCH AS CAMPING OR LOITERING, DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS. AT BEST. THIS LEADS TO TEMPORARY RELOCATION, NOT LONG-TERM STABILITY OR HOUSING. IT CAN ALSO INTERRUPT CARE DISRUPTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CASE MANAGERS OR ACCESS TO CRITICAL TREATMENT. THE CORE OF THIS CRISIS IS A NATIONAL AND REGIONAL [01:25:01] SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHOUT SUFFICIENT HOUSING STOCK. EVEN WELL-INTENDED, INTENDED INTERVENTIONS CAN'T SOLVE HOMELESSNESS ON A SUSTAINABLE SCALE. MANY INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FACE MENTAL ILLNESS, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, DISABILITIES AND TRAUMA. THESE CONDITIONS MAKE IT EVEN HARDER TO ACCESS AND MAINTAIN HOUSING AND OFTEN REQUIRE INTEGRATED SUPPORT, NOT PUNISHMENT. FREQUENT CITATIONS CAN CREATE A RECORD THAT HINDERS ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, AND SERVICES. WHAT BEGINS AS A MINOR OFFENSE CAN SNOWBALL INTO MAJOR OBSTACLES IN SOMEONE'S PATH OUT OF HOMELESSNESS. INCREASED INCARCERATION IS NOT ONLY COSTLY FOR THE CITY, BUT ALSO ADDS BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY. LIKE CITATIONS, A CRIMINAL RECORD FROM INCARCERATION CAN LOCK INDIVIDUALS OUT OF THE VERY OPPORTUNITIES THEY NEED TO GET BACK ON TRACK. OUR POLICY SHOULD FOCUS TO STABILIZE PEOPLE VERSUS CYCLING THEM THROUGH THE SYSTEM. SO NOW I'M GONNA PASS THE THE MIC OVER TO PAUL AND MIKE, WHO WILL WALK US THROUGH THE CITYWIDE AND PRIORITY LOCATION REVIEW. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. SO WE'RE GONNA GIVE A, UH, OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE, UH, ENGAGEMENT AND OUTCOMES OVER THE PAST, UH, PAST 10 MONTHS NOW. UH, POST THE GRANTS PASS RULING BY THE SUPREME COURT, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA FOCUS IN ON THE PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS. UH, CURRENTLY WITHIN THE CITY. THE CORE APPROACH OF THE HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU REMAINS FOCUSED ON CONNECTING PEOPLE, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT HOUSING SOLUTIONS AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. MOBILIZATION AFTER THE SUPREME COURT DECISION PROVIDED ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION, BUILDING UPON, UH, WHAT ALREADY EXISTED PRIOR TO THE RULING. UH, LASTING IMPROVEMENTS AND PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS OFTEN RESULTED FROM LEVERAGING STATE AND COUNTY HOUSING RE RESOURCES, INCLUDING MOTEL VOUCHERS, HOUSING VOUCHERS, AND OTHER PROGRAMS VITAL FOR FOR PEOPLE MOVING FORWARD. THE HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU FIELD-BASED TEAMS RECEIVED 3,954 REQUESTS FOR OUTREACH SINCE THE RULING AND PROVIDED 2,717 PEOPLE, UH, WITH SERVICES THROUGH FEBRUARY OF, OF THIS YEAR. UH, DURING THAT TIME, 1,422 PEOPLE ENROLLED IN EMERGENCY SHELTER AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAMS, AND 416 PEOPLE MOVED INTO PERMANENT HOUSING PROGRAMS. UH, THOSE ARE WHAT WE KNOW ULTIMATELY REDUCES OUR UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, UH, AND ALLOWS US TO, UH, MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS REDUCING THIS ISSUE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. PUBLIC WORKS AND PS AND REG, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AS WELL AS PARKS, RECS AND MARINE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WASTE DISPOSAL AND SANITATION ASSOCIATED WITH ENCAMPMENTS. CLEANUPS ARE CONDUCTED IN COORDINATION WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT POLICE DEPARTMENT AND RELEVANT CITY AND REGIONAL PARTNERS TO ENSURE ACCESS TO SERVICES AND OUR RESOURCES ARE PROVIDED IN CONJUNCTION. THE GRANTS PASS DECISION DOES, DID NOT, DOES NOT OVERHAUL, IMPACT THE OPERATIONS AND PROTOCOLS ASSOCIATED WITH ENCAMPMENT AND CLEANUPS, INCLUDING, UH, THE REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE ADVANCED NOTICE AND STORAGE OF BELONGINGS. UH, OUR CURRENT PRACTICE, UH, IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH PREVIOUS COURT RULINGS WITH A 48 HOUR NOTICE THAT WE WILL BE PROVIDING CLEANING PRIORITY FOCUS AREA, UH, APPROACH HAS RESULTED IN MARKED IMPROVEMENTS AND CLEANLINESS AND EXCEL ACCESSIBILITY IN THE FOUR PARK AREAS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR, UM, PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS. THE PUBLIC WORKS CLEAN TEAM CONDUCTED 2019 CLEANUPS, REMOVING 580 TONS OF GARBAGE AND DEBRIS, UH, AND PARKS, WRECKS AND MARINE MAINTENANCE CONDUCTED 359, UH, CLEANUPS ASSOCIATED WITH ENCAMPMENTS, REMOVING 250 TONS OF DEBRIS THROUGH FEBRUARY OF, OF THIS YEAR. AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA PASS IT TO, UH, DC SOTA. THANK YOU. AS WAS PREVIOUS, PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, LONG BEACH POLICE OFFICERS EXERCISE DISCRETION AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO REDUCE CRIME AND ENHANCE SAFETY. WHETHER THEY'RE WORKING AS PART OF THE COLLABORATIVE INTERDEPARTMENTAL RESPONSE, OR AS AN OFFICER DISPATCHED TO FIND SOLUTION TO UNSAFE AND UNLAWFUL BEHAVIORS CREATING PROBLEMATIC LOCATIONS WITHIN OUR CITY. SINCE THE GRADS PASSED DECISION, LONG BEACH POLICE OFFICERS HAVE ENFORCED APPLICABLE LAWS [01:30:01] AGAINST INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE NOT ENGAGED IN SERVICES. DURING ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS CARRIED OUT BY THE CITY'S CLEAN TEAM, THE ISSUANCE OF A CITATION CREATES ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH SERVICES. THROUGH DIVERSION PROGRAMS OFFERED BY THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, AN INCREASED AWARENESS AMONGST PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS REGARDING AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND ENFORCEMENT STRATEGIES HAVE LED TO GREATER COOPERATION DURING CLEANUP OPERATIONS WITH ENFORCEMENT OF THE ORDINANCE. NOW AN OPTION, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT INDIVIDUALS MAY BE WILLING TO ACCEPT SERVICES RATHER THAN HAVING TO FACE ENFORCEMENT ACTION. BETWEEN JUNE, 2024 AND FEBRUARY, 2025, LONG BEACH POLICE OFFICERS ISSUED 346 CITATIONS FOR CAMPING OR LOITERING AFTER HOURS IN PARKS OR BEACHES. CITYWIDE OF THESE 161 WERE ISSUED IN THE PRIORITY AREAS, AND 185 WERE ISSUED IN ALL OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY. I THINK YOU HAVE THE NEXT ONE, RIGHT? YEAH. SO THIS SLIDE TAKES THE LAST SEVERAL SLIDES AND PUTS IT INTO A ONE PAGE SNAPSHOT OF THE ACTIONS, UH, AND SERVICES PROVIDED OVER THE, THE PERIOD. UM, BEING DISCUSSED, UH, ON THE SERVICE AND CLEANUP SIDE. UM, JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE REQUEST FOR OUTREACH, AS WELL AS RESPONSES COMES OUTSIDE OF OUR PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS. SO, UH, ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE LOCATIONS THAT ARE NOT OUR PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS, WE ARE STILL ACTIVELY ENGAGING AND FOLLOWING UP WITH PEOPLE AND PROVIDING CLEANUP THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH, UH, EACH OF OUR PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS AND HIGHLIGHTING THAT AS WELL. BUT THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING CITYWIDE. AND THEN AS IF YOU FOCUS THE BOTTOM OF THE TABLE THERE, UM, THAT'S THE ENFORCEMENT PORTION OF IT. AND AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THIS HIGHLIGHTS THE NUMBER OF, UH, CITATIONS THAT WERE ISSUED BY OFFICERS. SO THE GRANTS PASS DECISION ENABLES ENFORCEMENT OF ANTI CAMPING ORDINANCE, UH, ACTIONS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY. AS YOU SEE, STAFF IS FOCUSED ON IMPLEMENTING A BALANCED APPROACH TO ENFORCEMENT AND CITATIONS. THIS THIRD POINT HERE, AGAIN, HIGHLIGHTS THE NUMBER OF CITATIONS THAT WERE ISSUED, HOW THEY WERE ISSUED THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND HOW THEY WERE BROKEN DOWN IN, INTO PERCENTAGES IN THE PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS, UM, AS WELL AS ACROSS THE, UH, OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY. ALRIGHT, UH, WE'RE NOW GONNA GO OVER OUR PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS AND THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENED WITHIN THOSE. UH, AS A REMINDER, WE HAVE FOUR PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN OUR RESPONSE TO GRANT'S PASS, THOSE BEING, UH, BILLIE JEAN KING LIBRARY IN LINCOLN PARK, WHICH WE HAVE, UH, GROUPED AS A SINGLE RESPONSE AREA, VETERANS PARK, GUM PARK, AND THEN JENNY RIVERA MEMORIAL PARK, ALONG WITH THE NAACP PARK, WHICH RUN IN CONJUNCTION WITH EACH OTHER. EACH AREA, UM, WAS IDENTIFIED AND PRIORITIZED DUE TO THE HEAVY IMPACTS WITHIN THE PUBLIC SPACE. UH, AND OUR RESPONSE INCLUDED INTENSIFIED OUTREACH, TRUST BUILDING, ASSESSMENT OF BASIC NEEDS, OFFERS OF SHELTER AND RESOURCES, ALONG WITH SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AND CONNECTIONS TO PERMANENT HOUSING, UH, THE IDENTIF IDENTIFICATION OF APPLICABLE LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND STATE RESOURCES AND PARTNERSHIPS TO OFFER LONG-TERM INTERIM AND PERMANENT HOUSING OPTIONS. AND WE'LL GO OVER A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THOSE HAVE COME TO BE AND HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE PROGRESS IN THOSE AREAS. AND THEN INCREASE FREQUENCY OF CLEANUPS TO ENSURE PUBLIC HEALTH AND ACCESS, UH, UM, EH, TO THE SPACE ALONG WITH ENFORCEMENT OF THE CITY CITY'S ANTI CAMPING ORDINANCE UTILIZED AS APPROPRIATE AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS OF OUTREACH AND OFFERS A SHELTER AND SERVICES, UH, HAVE PROVED TO BE INEFFECTIVE IN, IN MOVING PEOPLE FORWARD. SO THE FIRST AREA THAT, UH, WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE [01:35:01] BILLY JEAN KING LIBRARY AND LINCOLN PARK AREA. UM, SORRY, I SKIPPED A SLIDE. UH, SO LOOKING AT OUR ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTIONS STRATEGIES DESIGNED BY AREAS, UH, THE WAY THAT WE RESPOND TO OUR PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS STARTS WITH CREATING A SERVICE PLAN, UH, FOR THE AREAS ALONG WITH THE ALIGNMENT OF RESOURCES TO BEST UNDERSTAND THE RE, UM, TO BEST UNDERSTAND THE RESOURCES THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT AND RESOLVING AN ENCAMPMENT. THE INITIAL FOCUS STARTS WITH OUTREACH AND GETTING TO KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE ENCAMPMENT, UH, ENSURING THAT ALL PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THE RESOURCES AND HOUSING SUPPORTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND LEARNING WHAT THEY ARE AND ARE NOT OPEN TO AS FAR AS SOLUTIONS. FROM THERE, THE LEADERSHIP BEGINS TO LOOK AT WHAT RESOURCES ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITY OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY BE FORTHCOMING. THIS LOOKS AT BOTH INTERIM AND PERMANENT HOUSING SOLUTIONS. AS WITHOUT THOSE, UH, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS AND THEN ENGAGE IN ENFORCEMENT. UH, THAT IS LIKE WITHOUT LIKELY SHIFT, UH, SHIFTING THAT ENCAMPMENT FROM ONE AREA TO ANOTHER. SO, UH, WE ARE VERY CONSCIOUS OF ACCOMPLISHING, CLEARING, AND REDUCING ENCAMPMENTS IN A PRIORITY FOCUS AREA SHOULD NOT COME AT THE EXPENSE OF JUST SHIFTING PEOPLE TO A NEW AREA WHERE THEY'RE NOW EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. UH, THE EFFORTS ARE ONGOING WITHIN THE PRIORITY FOCUS AREA. THERE IS AN INCREASE IN THE FREQUENCY OF CLEANUPS THAT WILL OCCUR. THIS IS DONE TO ENSURE THAT THE SPACE REMAINS ACCESSIBLE, UH, TO THE FULL PUBLIC THROUGH ENSURING THAT REFUSE AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH RELATED ITEMS ARE BEING DISPOSED OF. IN SOME CASES, WE'VE, UH, INVOLVED PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES IN RESPONDING TO COMMUNICABLE DISEASE, UH, IN SOME SITUATIONS WHERE THAT HAS COME UP AS WELL. WHEN IT COMES TO ENFORCEMENT OF ANTI CAMPING ORDINANCES WITHIN THE PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS, UH, THERE IS A MULTIPLE FACT, MULTIPLE FACTORS WEIGHED WITHIN THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL SPACE. THE TEAM LOOKS AT AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES, LENGTH OF ENGAGEMENT, AND ARE PEOPLE OPEN TO HOUSING SOLUTIONS. OVER THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, WE HAVE INFORMATION ON OUR PRIOR FOR PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS THAT WERE SELECTED. UH, FOR TIME WE'LL BE GIVING HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INFORMATION AND NOT GOING POINT BY POINT AS FAR AS SERVICES AND, UH, OUTCOMES. SO OUR FIRST, UH, LOCATION IS THE VILLAGE AND KING LIBRARY AND LINCOLN PARK. IT'S ONE OF OUR LONGEST, UH, LARGEST AS WELL AS, UH, MOST LONG RUNNING ENCAMPMENTS WITHIN THE CITY. AS IT IS ADJACENT TO DOWNTOWN THE METRO LINE, AND HAS RESOURCES PROVIDED THROUGH THE LIBRARY, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING WITHIN THE ENCAMPMENT BY PROVIDING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THROUGH THE STATE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION FUND PROGRAM. THE GRANT RECEIVED BY THE STATE WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY MOVE 60 PEOPLE INTO INTERIM HOUSING FROM THE ENCAMPMENT WHILE CONTINUING TO ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE REMAINING IN THE AREA. STAFF CONTINUE TO ENGAGE PEOPLE THROUGH INCREASED SERVICES AND RESOURCES IN THE AREA. WITH THE NATURE OF THIS LOCATION, UH, AND THE COMMUNITY RESOURCES AVAILABLE, UH, THIS IS A SPACE THAT, UH, CONTINUES TO SEE UTILIZATION FROM PEOPLE OF ALL HOUSING STATUSES, HOWEVER, WILL NOT RETURN TO LARGE, UH, A LARGE ENCAMPMENT IN THE WAY THAT IT WAS PREVIOUSLY THROUGH CONTINUED AND PROLONGED ENGAGEMENT AND FOCUS IN THE AREA, AS WELL AS, UH, TOOLS WITH ALLOWING FOREIGN ENFORCEMENT WHEN NEEDED. THIS SLIDE GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF THE NUMBERS ACROSS OF THE RESPONSE. UH, WE WANT TO TAKE A SECOND TO HIGHLIGHT THE 173 PEOPLE ENROLLING INTO INTERIM IMPROVEMENT HOUSING PROGRAMS, UH, SINCE THE GRANTS PASS RULING, WHICH, UH, IS BEEN MASSIVE FOR THIS AREA, AND THEN 27 PEOPLE HAVING MOVED INTO PERMANENT HOUSING, UH, IN THE TIME SINCE THE GRANTS PASS RULING. THE NEXT, UH, PRIORITY FOCUS AREA IS VETERANS PARK, WHICH IS AN ADJACENT TO A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES, INCLUDING THE METRO, A LINE TWO HOSPITALS, AND AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. UH, MUCH OF THE PROGRESS RELATED TO VETERANS PARK WAS FOUND THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE LA COUNTY PATHWAY HOME PROJECT, WHICH HAS UTILIZED MEASURE H FUNDING FOR A LOCAL ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROGRAM. WE WORKED WITH THE COUNTY TO PRIORITIZE ROOMS, UH, THAT WERE TURNING OVER AT THEIR SITES FOR PEOPLE. UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WERE LIVING IN VETERANS PARK. UH, WE ARE NOW IN A MAINTENANCE APPROACH REGARDING VETERANS PARK AND CONTINUE TO ENGAGE PEOPLE [01:40:01] AS THEY'RE ENCOUNTERED. UH, THIS LOCATION, WE HAVE SEEN A HIGHER UTILIZATION OF CITATIONS, UH, THAN SOME OF OUR OTHER PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS. UM, AND I THINK THAT COMES AROUND JUST SOME OF THE, UH, PROLONGED ENGAGEMENT IN WHAT WE ARE SEEING AT THAT SITE. UM, DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE SITE'S PRO PROXIMITY TO THE A LINE, WE SEE SIGNIFICANT ENGAGEMENT AND MOVEMENT THROUGHOUT THE PARK AREA. IT ALSO INCLUDES ENGAGEMENT THROUGH OUR MOBILE ACCESS CENTER. UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE SEE A HIGHER LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT. UH, THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY PEOPLE THAT WERE ALWAYS LIVING WITHIN THE PARK DURING THAT PERIOD. OF THE 22 PEOPLE THAT ACCESSED INTERIM HOUS, UM, OF THE 22 PEOPLE THAT ACCESSED INTERIM HOUSING, 19 OF THOSE WENT TO THE PATHWAY HOME PROJECTS THROUGH THE COUNTY. SO WITHOUT THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY, UH, WE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE RESOURCES TO REALLY MAKE THE IMPACT THAT WE HAVE AT VETERANS PARK. UH, OUR NEXT SITE IS GUM BIN PARK. FOR THOSE LESS FAMILIAR, UH, GUM, BIN PARK IS A POCKET PARK NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF ALAMEDAS AND SEVENTH STREET. DUE TO THE SIZE OF THE PARK WITH ENCAMPMENTS, IT HAD GOTTEN TO A STATE WHERE THE PARK WAS NOT BEING UTILIZED BY THE PUBLIC AS A WHOLE. OUR ENGAGEMENT NUMBERS FOR GUM BIN PARK INCLUDE, UH, BOTH THE PARK AS WELL AS THE STREETS THAT ARE SURROUNDING GUM BINARY PARK. UH, DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE REPAIRS THAT WERE NEEDED AT GUM PARK, THE PARK WAS FENCED OFF FOR A PERIOD OF APPROXIMATELY, UH, FIVE MONTHS, AND OPENED AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, UH, WITH REFURBISHMENTS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE IMPACTS THAT HAD BEEN SEEN. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE CURRENT LIVING, UH, CURRENTLY LIVING IN AND AROUND GOVERNOR GUMBY PARK HAS BEEN MINIMAL OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, UH, AND THE MAJORITY OF DATA WITHIN THE PRESENTATION WITH SERVICES, ENGAGEMENTS, AND CALENDAR YEAR 2024. AND THE LAST PRIORITY FOCUS AREA, UH, IS JENNY RIVERA MEMORIAL PARK, ALONG WITH THE NAACP, UH, WHICH STRETCHES BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORHOODS BORDERING THE CITY OF SIGNAL HILL, UH, RUNNING, UM, AROUND ORANGE AND WALNUT AS THE MOST MAJOR STREETS. UH, THIS IS THE ENCAMPMENT WITHIN OUR PRIORITY FOCUS AREA WHERE WE HAVE SEEN THE LONGEST ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS, ALONG WITH SOME CHALLENGES AROUND ENGAGEMENT THAT WE DIDN'T ENCOUNTER AT SOME OF OUR OTHER FOCUS AREAS. HOWEVER, PERSISTENCE HAS, UH, MADE AN IMPACT OVERALL. UH, THIS IS LIKELY DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE PARK LOCATION, UH, AS WELL AS HOW IT'S SET UP. THE PROGRESS IN REDUCING THE ENCAMPMENT AT THE PRIORITY FA FOCUS AREA, UH, HAS LARGELY COME OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS WITH INCREASED RESOURCE AVAILABILITY. AND AGAIN, WITH THAT PERSISTENT ENGAGEMENT APPROACH. UH, AROUND TWO MONTHS AGO, WE WERE ABLE TO PRIORITIZE SOME ADDITIONAL TURNOVER ROOMS WITHIN THE COUNTY PATHWAY HOME SITES, UH, FOR THIS LOCATION, WHICH WAS ABLE TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE MA REMAINING AT THE PARK AT THAT TIME. UH, SO HIGH ENGAGEMENT NUMBERS DO STEM FROM THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE MOBILE ACCESS CENTER, ALONG WITH THE MOBILE SHOWER PROGRAM THAT IS ADJACENT TO THE PARK ONCE A WEEK. UH, THE PARK HAS SEEN SOME FLUCTUATION WITH ABOUT 10 TO 30 PEOPLE LIVING IN THE PARK, UH, SINCE WE, WE BEGAN OUR EFFORT, UM, WITH OTHERS LIVING IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS THAT OFTEN ENGAGE WITH THE TEAM IN THE ENCAMPMENT. SO, UH, THAT IS ALSO WHY WE SEE HIGH ENGAGEMENT NUMBERS, UH, WITHIN THIS PARK. WE'VE NOT, AT ANY POINT SEEING 140 PEOPLE LIVING IN THE PARKS, BUT WE HAVE SEEN SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS, UH, AND HAVE SEEN REDUCTIONS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, UH, WHICH ARE BEING, UH, MAINTAINED OVER TIME. ALL RIGHT, SO WE CERTAINLY HAVE LEARNED A LOT OF LESSONS ALONG THE WAY. UM, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BUILD ON OUR INTERDEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION, ENSURING THAT OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE WORKING IN SYNC AS THEY HAVE BEEN. THIS COORDINATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR A COMPREHENSIVE, UNIFIED RESPONSE TO HOMELESSNESS THAT LEVERAGES EACH DEPARTMENT'S STRENGTHS. AND I WILL SAY I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR INTERDEPARTMENTAL, UH, PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS. THE TEAM WORKS REALLY WELL TOGETHER AND IN SYNC, AND WE WANNA CONTINUE THAT. OUR STRATEGY REMAINS FOCUSED ON LASTING CHANGE, NOT TEMPORARY FIXES. THAT MEANS MAINTAINING OUR INVESTMENTS IN HOUSING SERVICES AND CASE MANAGEMENT, EVEN AS WE RESPOND TO IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY CONCERNS. WE RECOGNIZE THAT NOT ALL INDIVIDUALS CAN OR WILL USE TRADITIONAL CONGREGATE SHELTERS. SO, EXPANDING NON CONGREGATE OPTIONS LIKE MOTEL CONVERSIONS, UH, PROVIDES MORE ACCESSIBLE AND [01:45:01] DIGNIFIED PATHWAYS OFF THE STREETS. RE UH, RESOLVING ENCAMPMENTS, UM, THE RIGHT WAY TAKES TIME. AND WE'VE LEARNED THAT ALONG THE WAY. RUSHING THESE EFFORTS CAN UNDERMINE TRUST, IT REDUCES SERVICE UPTAKE AND LEADS TO ENCAMPMENTS, UH, IN OTHER PLACES IN THE CITY. WE ASK FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT IN GIVING OUTREACH TEAMS THE TIME AND SPACE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND OFFER SOLUTIONS. UM, THIS IS A MOMENT TO DOUBLE DOWN ON COLLABORATION, COMPASSION, AND PROVEN STRATEGIES. WITH SUSTAINED EFFORT, WE CAN MAKE REAL PROGRESS FOR BOTH OUR UNHOUSED RESIDENTS AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY. OF COURSE, THERE ARE ONGOING CHALLENGES. WE ALSO, UH, WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THOSE AS A TEAM. ALL DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED IN OUR HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE ARE OPERATING UNDER LIMITED STAFFING AND RESOURCES. THIS AFFECTS OUR CAPACITY TO RESPOND QUICKLY AND COMPREHENSIVELY. THOUGH WE DO TRY OUR BEST, ESPECIALLY AS THE SCALE AND COMPLEXITY OF THE CRISIS GETS LARGER, OUR SHELTER SYSTEM IS CONSISTENTLY AT, AT OR NEAR CAPACITY. EVEN WITH RECENT, RECENT EXPANSIONS, THERE IS MORE DEMAND THAN WE CAN CURRENTLY MEET, WHICH LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO OFFER ALTERNATIVES WHEN ENFORCING ANTI CAMPING ORDINANCES. THE SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE PERMANENT HOUSING CONTINUES TO BE A MAJOR BARRIER TO LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS. WITHOUT MORE UNITS AND RENT SUPPORTIVE OPTIONS, SHELTER BECOMES A BOTTLENECK RATHER THAN A BRIDGE TO PERMANENT STABILITY. WE'RE ALSO SEEING A RISE IN A NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING IN VEHICLES, UH, WHICH BRINGS ITS OWN SET OF SAFETY, SANITATION, AND POLICY CHALLENGES. THIS FORM OF HOMELESSNESS OFTEN FALLS OUTSIDE TRADITIONAL OUTREACH AND SHELTER MODELS AND REQUIRES TAILORED SOLUTIONS. THERE IS A CONSIDERABLE, THERE IS CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY AT THE STATE, REGIONAL, AND FEDERAL LEVELS, BOTH IN TERMS OF FUNDING STREAMS AND POLICY DIRECTION THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO PLAN LONG-TERM INITIATIVES OR SCALE SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS WITH CONFIDENCE. THESE CHALLENGES UNDERSCORE THE NEED FOR FLEXIBILITY, INNOVATION, AND SUSTAINED LOCAL INVESTMENT. EVEN AS WE NAVIGATE EXTERNAL PRESSURES, WE MUST STAY COMMITTED TO MEETING URGENT NEEDS AND EXPANDING LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS. IN REGARDS TO NEXT STEPS, SO STAFF WILL CONTINUE ON BUILDING ON THE CURRENT STRATEGIES, APPLYING, APPLYING WHAT WE'VE LEARNED TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES. AS WE REDUCE ENCAMPMENTS IN OUR PRIORITY FOCUSED AREAS, WE'LL PUT MAINTENANCE PLANS IN PLACE AND KEEP THOSE SPACES CLEAR AND ACCESSIBLE FOR THE PUBLIC. AT THE SAME TIME, WE'LL ASSESS NEW POTENTIAL FOCUS AREAS BASED ON OBSTRUCTION OF KEY PUBLIC SPACES, HISTORY OF OUTREACH, AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES. AND WHILE THESE TARGETED ZONES REMAIN A KEY TACTIC, WE'RE ALSO COMMITTED TO A CITYWIDE RESPONSE ADDRESSING PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLAINTS AND ENCAMPMENTS WHEREVER THEY ARISE, NOT JUST IN DESIGNATED AREAS. CITY STAFF REMAIN FOCUSED ON LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS AND HOMELESSNESS. I CAN'T STRESS THAT ENOUGH. THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, WE'RE ACTIVELY SEEKING NEW RESOURCES TO EXPAND SHELTER CAPACITY SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AND AFFORDABLE PERMANENT HOUSING, WHILE ALSO STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS WITH REGIONAL AND STATE AGENCIES. THIS SUMMER, WE'LL LAUNCH ROUND THREE OF THE LA RIVER ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROGRAM USING AN $11 MILLION STATE GRANT TO PROVIDE INTENSIFIED OUTREACH ALONG THE LA RIVER BED. THIS INCLUDES NON-CON CONGREGATE SHELTER IN A MASTER LEASED MOTEL IN CONNECTIONS TO PERMANENT HOUSING, AS WITH THE VETERANS VETERAN PARK AND JENNY RIVERA PARK ENCAMPMENTS. THE COUNTY WILL ALSO BE SETTING ASIDE TURNOVER ROOMS WITHIN THEIR PATHWAY HOME PROJECTS FOR THE LA RIVER BED ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROGRAM. WE'RE ALSO MAKING REAL PROGRESS ON OUR SHELTER INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES TO THE HOME KEY SITE AT 1725 LONG BEACH BOULEVARD ARE EXPECTED THIS SPRING, UH, RIBBON CUTTING COMING VERY SOON WITH A NEW USE SHELTER AND NAVIGATION CENTER COMING THIS SUMMER, WHICH WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT TO BE OPENING. AND A SECOND HOME KEY SITE AT 59, 50 LONG BEACH BOULEVARD THAT'S OPENING IN THE FALL. SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION, AND WE'RE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I, I WANT TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT AND, UH, AGAIN, THANK AND, UM, UH, THANK OUR INTER INTER INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM FOR, UH, THEIR HARD WORK OVER THE, THESE PAST FEW MONTHS, THESE RESULTS ARE, ARE ASTOUNDING. 2,700 PEOPLE ENGAGED. THAT'S AFTER THOUSANDS OF OUTRE OUTREACH REQUESTS. 2,700 PEOPLE ENGAGED ABOUT HALF OF THAT AMOUNT ACTIVELY ENROLLED IN SOME KIND OF HOUSING SERVICES, INTERIM HOUSING SERVICES, AND 400 OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS TRANSITION TO PERMANENT HOUSING. THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK. UH, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE ENGAGEMENTS REQUIRES A CONVERSATION. IT REQUIRES SOMEONE TAKING AND STEP RESPONDING TO A CALL, AND SOMETHING HAPPENED IN THAT CONVERSATION, AND WE'RE JUST SO FORTUNATE THAT WE HAD THE RESOURCES TO INTERVENE IN THAT MOMENT AND, AND, AND, UM, PROVIDE THAT SERVICE TO THOSE, UH, THOSE FAMILIES. UM, THE AMOUNT OF CLEANUPS, AND I, I'M GLAD THAT YOU BROKE IT OUT BETWEEN PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS, [01:50:01] UH, THAT'S TWO ADDITIONAL DEPARTMENTS HAVE DONE INCREDIBLE WORK. NEARLY 2,500 CLEANUPS IN THAT SPAN OF TIME, LESS THAN A YEAR. THAT'S, THAT, THAT IS AN OUTSTANDING AMOUNT OF WORK IN AND OF ITSELF. SO TO SEE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS WORKING TOGETHER ON RESOLVING ENCAMPMENTS AND CLEANING UP IS INCREDIBLE. NOW WE HAVE THIS NEW TOOL WHERE, UH, IT'S NOT THE ONLY TOOL, BUT NOW WE'RE SEEING OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHO IT, IT WAS UNCLEAR HOW THEY COULD, UH, SERVE A ROLE AND HOW ENFORCEMENT COULD SERVE A ROLE. BUT TO SEE, UH, THAT IT'S BEEN BALANCED, 161 CITATIONS TARGETED AT THE PRIORITY AREAS, AND 185 SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE CI, THE, THE, THE CITY SHOWS THAT THERE HAS BEEN ATTENTION GIVEN TO RESPONDING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS ACROSS OUR WHOLE CITY, BUT ALSO ADDRESSING THOSE REAL CHRONIC ENCAMPMENTS THAT HAVE MADE SOME OF OUR PARKS AND SOME OF OUR OPEN SPACES, UM, INACCESSIBLE TO THE BROADER PUBLIC, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SEE. UM, LINCOLN PARK, I CAN SEE THAT FROM MY OFFICE, AND I SEE IT EVERY SINGLE DAY GO FROM 40 50 TENTS. WE WOULD COUNT TWO YEARS AGO TO TODAY. YOU'RE LUCKY IF YOU SEE ONE TENT AND I WALK THROUGH THE PARK, UH, QUITE FREQUENTLY, AND, UH, YOU SURE YOU'LL GET PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING OUTTA THE SHADE. THERE'S NOTHING ILLEGAL ABOUT GETTING OUTTA THE SHADE AND GOING TO, YOU KNOW, SITTING ON A STEP. UH, BUT WHAT WE DON'T SEE IS LONG TERM ENCAMPMENTS AND WASTE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS TAKING PLACE AT THE PARK ANYMORE. THERE IS A NOTICEABLE IMPROVEMENT RIGHT HERE AT LINCOLN PARK. UH, I'M GLAD TO SEE, UH, VETERANS PARK AND RIVERA PARK. I DON'T FREQUENT THEM AS MUCH, UM, BUT I DO GET THE CALLS AND I TALK WITH THE COUNCILS, EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER EVERY MONTH ABOUT THEIR CHRONIC ISSUES. AND I AM HEARING THE PROGRESS THERE. I DID SEE THE TRANSFORMATION AT GUMBY PARK. HOWEVER, GUMBY PARK, WE RECEIVED A LOT OF CALLS AND WE HAVE RESTORED GUM BY PARK. AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE AT A PLACE WE'VE FINALLY ADDRESSED THIS LONGSTANDING ENCAMPMENT, AND NOW WE'RE IN A MAINTENANCE POSITION IS A GREAT PLACE TO BE. SO IF WE CAN CONTINUE THAT EFFORT, THAT'S INCREDIBLE. I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS, AGAIN, THE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH WE TAKE IN OUR CITY. WE BELIEVE IN HOUSING. WE ARE BREAKING RECORD, WE'RE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN HOUSING. WE'VE GOT RECORD BREAKING HOUSING STARTS THE LAST TWO YEARS OUTREACH. WE'VE INCREASED OUR OUTREACH IN OUR CITY SERVICES AND CASE MANAGEMENT HAVE TO BE A BIG PART OF THE PROCESS, UH, AN EYE TOWARD LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS, NOT JUST ADDRESSING, UH, PLAYING WHACK-A-MOLE OR SQUEEZING DOWN ON A WATER BALLOON ON ONE SIDE, JUST SO THAT THE OTHER BALLOON SIZE OF THE BALLOON GETS FATTER. REALLY THINKING ABOUT LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS IN OUR REGION AND ENFORCEMENT AS A PART OF THAT, UH, THAT THAT COLLECTION, UM, MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO ME. UH, JUST A FEW FEW THINGS I WANT. I JUST WANT TO, UM, TALK ABOUT. UM, SO I KNOW WE'VE SEEN SOME SUCCESS WITH THE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROGRAMS, AND WE SAW THE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROGRAM AT MACARTHUR PARK DOWNTOWN SAW A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE. AND WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE RECEIVE THE STATE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, UH, FOR THE LA RIVER. I WANNA BE ABLE TO MANAGE EXPECTATIONS FOR FOLKS. THE LA RIVER, IT'S GONNA BE A BIG UNDERTAKING. THIS IS NOT A PROJECT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST A SIMPLE AMOUNT OF MONEY IS GONNA SOLVE. BUT WE CAN TAKE WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM THIS APPROACH AND MAYBE ADDRESS SOME OF THE HOTSPOTS ALONG THE RIVER AND GET IT TO A PLACE OF MAINTENANCE. WHAT, WHAT'S GONNA BE OUR APPROACH THERE WITH THE LA RIVER? I, I, I DON'T WANT THE IMPRESSION THAT SOMEHOW WE'RE GONNA SOLVE HOMELESSNESS IN ONE YEAR ON IN AN AREA THAT'S REALLY BEEN, UH, CHRONICALLY DEALT WITH CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS FOR DECADES, WELL BEFORE THE CURRENT EMERGENCY. SO HOW ARE WE THINKING ABOUT, UH, THE ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROGRAM ALONG THE RIVER? YEAH, SO OBVIOUSLY, AS YOU SAID, , I THINK MANAGING EXPECTATIONS AS IT IS SUCH A LONG RUNNING LOCATION, UM, AND IS BROKEN INTO A LOT OF DIFFERENT SECTIONS AS FAR AS ENCAMPMENTS THAT EXIST. UH, SO OUR PLAN IS TO LOOK AT IT IN SEGMENTS, UH, PRIORITIZING THE AREAS WHERE WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS THE LONGEST, AS WELL AS WHERE WE'RE SEEING, UH, SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS. SO WE'RE GONNA USE SIMILAR LENSES THAT WE, I IDENTIFIED WITHIN HOW WE IDENTIFY OUR PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS, UH, AND START WITH THAT APPROACH. SO, YOU KNOW, AS WE GET GOING, THERE'LL BE A VISIBLE DIFFERENCE AS YOU LOOK AT THE RIVERBED AS A WHOLE. UH, BUT RESOLVING THAT QUICKLY RIGHT OFF THE BAT, UH, WE'RE TALKING 200 ISH PEOPLE LIVING ON THE RIVERBED AT ANY GIVEN POINT, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY MOVE 200 PEOPLE OFF THE RIVERBED. UH, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS AS A TWO YEAR PROJECT AND EFFORT THAT'S GONNA TAKE ITS SUSTAINED EFFORT, UH, AND TRYING TO ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE, UH, [01:55:01] AS THEY COME INTO THE ENCAMPMENT ZOOM, TRYING TO, UH, REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING IN. UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE LEARNED OVER TIME, ESPECIALLY IF PEOPLE THINK ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE. UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT AND MONITORING. AND THEN REALLY JUST WORKING OUR WAY ACROSS THE RIVER BOARD WITH SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. AND AS YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY MOVES INTO PERMANENT HOUSING THAT'LL OPENS UP A NEW BED, AND WE JUST CONTINUE IN DILIGENCE. WE'LL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE COUNTY AROUND, UH, THE RESOURCES THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO BRING IN ADDITION TO THE FUNDING THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THE STATE. UH, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT IT THIS AS A TWO YEAR EFFORT AND NOT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST GONNA BE IMMEDIATE. THE DIFFERENCE WILL BE HOPEFULLY NOTICEABLE IMMEDIATELY, BUT, UH, BE, IT'S NOT GONNA BE THE WHOLE RIVER BED ON DAY ONE. THANK YOU. UH, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO, TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT THE HOT SPOTS ARE, WHAT, WHERE DO THE AREAS THAT REALLY ARE CREATING PUBLIC NUISANCES, UH, FOR THE ADJACENT RA RESIDENTS. SO I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT. TWO OTHER POINTS I JUST WANT, I WANNA TOUCH ON, WE BEGAN THIS, I MEAN, WHEN DID, WHEN DID IT START LAST SUMMER, WHEN, WHEN DID WE, THE GRANTS PASS MEMO COME OUT? IT WAS LIKE MIDSUMMER, RIGHT? END OF JUNE OF LAST YEAR, END OF JUNE, RIGHT? IT WAS, IT WAS AROUND SUMMERTIME, AND IT TOOK SOME TIME TO RAMP UP. I MEAN, YOU'VE SHOWN SOME REAL RESULTS, BUT I MEAN, THE REALITY IS, UM, THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT IMPACTED OUR REGION IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS, AND I'M JUST WONDERING, UM, BECAUSE WE SAW MORE FOLKS IN CARS THAT WERE DISPLACED FROM THE FIRES, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AT THE BEGINNING OF, OF THIS YEAR. SO I JUST WONDER, LIKE, WHAT DID YOU SEE, UH, WHILE WHY, LIKE, WHAT DID YOU SEE WHILE YOU WERE OUT THERE? AND TOM, MAYBE YOU WANT TO ADD SOME PERSPECTIVE? YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AS WE SEE THROUGHOUT HOMELESSNESS, THERE IS SOME REGIONAL MOVEMENT. UH, WE HAVE THE, A LINE DURING THE FIRES, UH, THE METRO WAS FREE FOR PEOPLE TO GET ON. UH, WE ALSO OPENED THE INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER THROUGHOUT THE FIRE EMERGENCY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COUNTY. UM, SO THE COUNTY PROVIDED ADDITIONAL FUNDING. IT WAS AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE REGION. UM, SO WE DEFINITELY SAW SOME INCREASED MOVEMENT AS WELL AS PEOPLE, UH, ENGAGING IN SERVICES THAT, YOU KNOW, MAY HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS SOMEWHERE ELSE WITHIN THE COUNTY. UM, SO THAT WAS ONE THING THAT WE LOOKED AT. AND, UH, WE'LL BE PROVIDING SOME ADDITIONAL DATA, UH, WITHIN THE COMING WEEKS AROUND THAT. BUT, UH, THERE WAS AN IMPACT WITH SEEING SOME PEOPLE WITHIN THE AREA, UH, THAT WERE SPECIFICALLY LOOKING TO GET OUT OF AREAS THAT WERE MORE IMPACTED THAN DOWN HERE IN LONG BEACH. SO, SO I, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE. SO, SO FOLKS UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE COMPASSIONATE APPROACH OF SERVICES FIRST BEFORE A CITATION WON'T LEAD WITH THE CITATION BECAUSE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND FOLKS' CIRCUMSTANCE. AND IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT TAKES PLACE IN ALTADENA OR, OR PALISADES, BUT BECAUSE WE WERE FAR AWAY, ALL OF OUR HOTELS WERE FULL IN THAT MOMENT, AND WE SAW FOLKS GET ON THE TRAIN AND GET ON, JUMP IN THEIR CAR AND JUST DRIVE TO LONG BEACH. SO WE, WE DID SEE AN INCREASE, AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO LEAD WITH COMPASSION IN THAT MOMENT. I THINK SOME OF THAT HAS SLOWED DOWN NOW, UH, AS FOLKS HAVE SORT OF SETTLED IN, BUT THAT WAS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT HAPPENED DURING THIS PERIOD. LAST THING I'LL JUST SAY IS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL BE A QUESTION OR MORE OF A COMMENT, BUT, UM, TOM, I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING, UM, THE GOVERNOR'S RECENT, UM, STATEMENTS AND, UM, UH, ORDERS REGARDING, UM, THE ORDINANCES. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT WAS COUCHED TOGETHER. GOVERNOR'S, UH, STATEMENT AROUND ORDINANCES WAS PACKAGED TOGETHER WITH AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW FUNDING FROM PROPOSITION ONE, WHICH WAS, UH, FUNDING THAT, UH, WAS DESIGNED TO BUILD MORE HOUSING, UM, PERMANENT, UH, SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, MENTAL HEALTH HOUSING TO HELP INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. AND SO WHEN THE DOLLARS CAME OUT, IT WAS, HEY, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THESE ORDINANCES ON YOUR BOOKS, DON'T JUST TAKE MONEY. ALSO DO SOME DEGREE OF ENFORCEMENT. THERE WAS NO ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR LONG BEACH. WE DID APPLY FOR $60 MILLION, AND WE ARE GONNA APPLY IN, UH, APPLY IN FUTURE ROUNDS. BUT THERE WAS NO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES GIVEN TO LONG BEACH. AND SO A SAMPLE ORDINANCE TO A CITY LIKE LONG BEACH, WHO WE'VE GOT A GREAT, WELL ESTABLISHED, ROBUST CITY ATTORNEY, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT WITH A HISTORY OF DEALING WITH THIS. WE ALREADY HAVE THE LAWS ON THE BOOKS. SO OFFERING US A SAMPLE ORDINANCE ADDED NO SI, NO ADDITIONAL TOOL TO ACTUALLY DELIVER THE RESULTS, WAS DELIVERING RESULTS, IS HOUSING OUTREACH, SHELTER SERVICES, CASE MANAGEMENT, [02:00:01] UH, AND A LONG RANGE VIEW COUPLED WITH ENFORCEMENT. SO I KNOW THAT WHEN THE STATEMENT CAME OUT AND THE PRESS CONFERENCE CAME OUT, THERE WAS A LOT OF, HEY, DO WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S SAYING. WELL, AS NOTED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, LONG BEACH IS THE LEADER AND IS DOING BOTH SERVICES AND ENFORCEMENT. SO, SO TOM, I'M JUST GONNA ASK, AS I WRAP THIS UP, THAT ORDINANCE, WAS THERE ANYTHING NEW OR ANYTHING WE HADN'T CONSIDERED IN THAT ORDINANCE THAT, THAT, UH, THAT WE DON'T, ANY TOOLS THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE? NOT REALLY. SO, UH, THAT ORDINANCE, UH, OBVIOUSLY IT'S WORDED DIFFERENTLY THAN OURS, UH, BUT IT TALKS ABOUT OUR 48 HOUR RESPONSE. UH, WE USED TO BE AT SEVEN TWO HOUR FOR CLEANUPS. UM, A RECOMMENDED 48. WE'RE AT 48, UM, READY. WE MADE THAT CHANGE SEVERAL YEARS AGO. UM, UH, OURS IS ACTUALLY EVEN A LITTLE BIT BROADER IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO ENFORCE CITYWIDE. WE DON'T PICK ZONES. WE DON'T SAY, YOU KNOW, NEAR A SCHOOL OR NEAR AN AREA. IT ALLOWS US TO ENFORCE, YOU KNOW, CAMPING THROUGHOUT, UH, THE, UM, THE CITY AND, AND ALSO DEAL WITH SOME OF THE A DA, UH, THE, UM, IT, IT CODIFIES, UM, HOW TO DO ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS AND WHAT YOU CAN THROW AWAY, WHAT YOU CAN'T, THAT'S NOT IN OUR ORDINANCE, BUT THAT'S ALL IN OUR POLICIES AND PRACTICES. WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS SO THAT WE'RE NOT THROWING AWAY PEOPLE'S IMPORTANT BELONGINGS. THOSE GET STORED AND BAGGED AND TAGGED, AND THEN TRASH WE DON'T KEEP, UM, IT DID HAVE SOME SECTIONS, UM, THAT WERE VERY HARD TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY WOULD BE ENFORCED ABOUT, UM, UH, REPEAT COMING BACK TO THE SAME AREA. UM, AND SO, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING WE'VE LOOKED AT IN THE PAST. IT IS NOT IN OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE. UM, WE HAVE THE TOOLS, IF SOMEBODY IS CONSTANTLY COMING BACK, WE HAVE THE TOOLS UNDER THE CURRENT ORDINANCE TO DEAL WITH THAT. ORDINANCE DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY IF YOU'RE THIS MANY TIMES IN THIS SPECIFIC LOCATION, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, THAT'D BE VERY DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE. PLUS WE HAVE THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, RIGHT? IF, IF THAT REALLY IS A CHRONIC ENCAMPMENT. SO, NO, WE'RE NOT SEEING ANYTHING IN THERE THAT IS, THAT WOULD BE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING. IN FACT, OUR, OUR ORDINANCE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY IS, IS, IS PRETTY WELL, UM, MANAGEABLE. AND IT'S, AS YOU'VE SEEN TONIGHT, IT'S BEING USED. I DO WANNA REITERATE THOUGH, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, 2100 ENCAMPMENTS, UM, ADDRESSED IN CLEANUPS AND 346, YOU KNOW, ENFORCEMENT, WE ARE DOING THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK WITHOUT NEEDING TO ENFORCE. WE POST THE SITE, WE COME, WE ADDRESS IT, WE REMOVE THE BELONGINGS THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE BEHIND. WE CA CATALOG AND TAG THEM, AND WE OFFER SERVICES. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR ENFORCEMENT TOOLS FOR WHEN, UH, SOMEONE SAYS, NO, YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T ADDRESS MY ENCAMPMENT. WE SAY, YES, WE ARE ABLE TO, AND WE DO THAT COMPASSIONATELY, BUT WE DO HAVE THE ENFORCEMENT TOOLS THEN. WELL, THANK YOU. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO JUST PULL THAT OUT BEFORE WE EVEN GET INTO THE COUNCIL DISCUSSION. THERE WAS NOTHING NEW IN THE MEMO. THERE WERE NEW, NEW DOLLARS. WE PUT GREAT APPLICATIONS FORWARD. WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO. UH, BUT WHAT WE NEED IS MORE, MORE CAPACITY. IF THERE ARE MORE BEDS, IF THERE ARE MORE OUTREACH WORKERS, WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO MORE WORK AND, AND HELP MORE PEOPLE AND DELIVER A, A SAFER AND CLEANER COMMUNITY. UM, WE ARE IN BUDGET SEASON RIGHT NOW, AND CURRENTLY THE HAP FUNDING, WHICH LONG BEACH, UH, HAS RECEIVED FUNDING IN EVERY SINGLE ROUND. CURRENTLY, IT IS ZEROED OUT IN THE STATES BUDGET. THAT'S A BILLION DOLLARS DEDICATED TO HOMELESSNESS, OUTREACH, VOUCHERS, UH, THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY PAIRED WITH OUR, OUR POLICIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND CURRENTLY IN THE STATE BUDGET, IT IS AT ZERO. AND SO WHILE WE APPRECIATE SAMPLE ORDINANCES, WE NEED SOME MONEY AND WE NEED FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO COME TOGETHER AND RESTORE THE HAP DOLLARS. THESE ARE DOLLARS THAT LONG BEACH HAS USED, UM, UH, TO DO THINGS LIKE OUR NEW YOUTH NAVIGATION CENTER. THOSE WERE HAP DOLLARS. WE'VE, WE'VE SAVED HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUALS FROM THE STREET AND BROUGHT THEM INSIDE FROM HAP DOLLARS. AND SO, UH, THIS IS A MOMENT WHERE THE STATE CAN TAKE ACTION AND HELP MAKE A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE ON THIS ISSUE AND IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR COMMUNITY IF THEY, UH, RESTORE THOSE DOLLARS. BECAUSE IT'S NOT TIME TO TURN BACK WHEN WE SEE THE DATA THAT IT IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE. AND WE ARE BRINGING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AND OUT OUTREACHING TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, UH, WHO ARE, WHO NEED THAT HELP TODAY. SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. UH, WE'LL NOW TAKE IT BEHIND THE RAIL. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. WE'LL GO TO THE MAKER OF THE MOTION, COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST, PLEASE, IF THERE'S ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, THERE IS PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT. UH, DOES THE REST OF THE COUNCIL WANNA DO THAT? HEADS YOU GUYS GOOD WITH THAT? YEAH. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO I'M GONNA TEE UP PUBLIC COMMENT. THERE ARE, LOOKS LIKE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. UM, TESS DUNH, KATHLEEN ADAMS, KEITH MASON, OLGA MICHAELS, AND BRAD MICHAELS. PLEASE [02:05:01] COME FORWARD VERSUS TESS. IS TESS HERE? OH, HI TESS. HI. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO ADDRESS YOU GUYS. ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU. UM, I AM HERE BECAUSE I LOVE THE LEAD WITH SERVICES THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR CITY. I SUPPORT JOHNSON VERSUS GRANT PASS, UM, AND THE CITY'S INTENT, UM, FOR IMPLEMENTATION. BUT I WANNA TELL MY STORY. IMAGINE LIVING WITH LOUD VOICES IN YOUR HEAD, SEEKING OUT COMMUNITY WITH DRUGS TO QUIET THEM. EATING FROM DUMPSTERS, FINDING LOCKED BATHROOMS, SLEEPING ON THE STREETS OR IN STRANGER'S, CARS, THIEVES AROUND EVERY CORNER AND IN SHELTERS. IMAGINE BEING TOLD TO GO TO AN AGENCY A MILE OR THREE MILES AWAY TO GET HELP. KNOWING THAT THAT AGENCY IS ONLY ONE OF THE MANY. YOU NEED TO APPROACH IMAGINE FEELING SO INHUMAN THAT YOU CAN'T BE AROUND YOUR FAMILY. YOU'VE BEEN SPIT ON, THREATENED AND WORSE. IMAGINE GOING TO THE MSC AND BEING TOLD THERE ARE NO BEDS. COME BACK TOMORROW. SO MANY TIMES THAT YOU STOPPED GOING. THIS WAS MY SON'S STORY IN LONG BEACH. HIS ABILITY TO GET BY, GET HELP BY HIMSELF LED HIM TO ASK ME TO BE HIS ADVOCATE. ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, OUR EXPERIENCES WITH THE MSC BEARS NO RESEMBLANCE TO THE PERSONAL TWO DAY APPROACH DESCRIBED IN THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT. PAGES ONE TO THREE, IT TOOK MY SON THREE MONTHS AND THREE VISITS TO THE MOBILE OUTREACH VAN, AN HSAC MEETING, AND THREE VISITS TO THE MSC BEFORE BEING ASSIGNED A CASE MANAGER. HIS THICK FILE WAS INACTIVE AND FIVE YEARS OLD AFTER GETTING A CASEWORKER, IT TOOK AN ADDITIONAL SIX MONTHS TO GET A PROOF OF DISABILITY FORM TO TAKE TO HIS DOCTOR FOR SIGNATURE, WHICH ENABLED HIM FOR HUD. I DROVE HIM TO SANTA FE SPRINGS, WHERE HIS DOCTOR IS, BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE ONE IN LONG BEACH. I ASKED THIS GROUP TO ASK THE MSC TO GIVE REPORTS THAT STATE NAMES OR FILE NUMBERS OF THE PEOPLE BEING SERVED AND WHERE EXACTLY THEY'RE GOING. I DO NOT SEE WHAT THEY'RE DESCRIBING, WHICH HOMELESS PERSONS ARE OFFERED. TRANSPORTATION HOME, WHICH RECEIVE REFERRAL TO OVERNIGHT SERVICES, OR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, OR PERMANENT HOUSING OR REHAB OR MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. HOW MANY WERE EXPECTING, UM, HOW WERE THEY BEING EXPECTED THERE? YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED THERE. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER IS KATHLEEN. AFTER KATHLEEN IS KEITH. HI. THANKS FOR THE WONDERFUL PRESENTATION AND THE ASPIRATIONAL ASPECTS OF IT, UM, REFLECTED TODAY. AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE THUNDER BOLT. AND IT TALKS, IT REFLECTS THE INNER REFLECTION OF THE, SOME OF THE BATTLES MENTAL HEALTH PEOPLE. AND IT'S A REALLY, 'CAUSE WE DON'T TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, AND IT'S HARD TO TALK MENTAL HEALTH. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, PLEASE SEE IT. AND IT'S A TOUCHSTONE TO HAVE THOSE DIALOGUES. UH, IT'S A SAFE WAY TO TALK ABOUT IT. PEOPLE GET SECOND CHANCES. PEOPLE BECOME SUPERHEROES THAT YOU WOULD THINK, UM, COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. AND WE DO HAVE THOSE SUPERHEROES HERE IN LONG BEACH. AND EVERYONE HERE, I COMMEND YOU FOR THE EFFORTS HERE. SO HOW DO WE RESPOND TO, UH, HOMELESSNESS? HOW WE RESPOND TO HOMELESSNESS REFLECTS THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. UH, THIS PAST TWO WEEKS, I MADE AN ATTEMPT TO DO SOMETHING FOR A HOMELESS PERSON. ONE WAS ON THE STREET LYING THERE. HE WANTED TO SLEEP, BUT CLEARLY HE WAS IN THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THE MOM, MOMA OUT, UM, OUTLET THERE ON LINDEN. SO I WENT TO MY SMARTPHONE AND I WAS SO PROUD. OH, I KNOW WHAT TO DO. I'M GONNA CALL THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. AND I WENT TO THE SERVICES WEBSITE. THERE'S NOTHING ON THE CITY OF LONG BEACH SERVICES WEBSITE THAT TELLS ME WHAT TO DO. SO MY FIRST ASK, PLEASE, PLEASE, AT LEAST JUST UPLOAD LIKE TOMORROW WHAT THE COFFEE AT THE COP. THEY HAVE A HANDOUT OF A PDF AND PUT [02:10:01] THAT ON THE WEBSITE, PLEASE. I CALLED THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. I CALLED, UM, THREE DEPARTMENTS, AND I WAS LIKE, THIS IS SO STRANGE BECAUSE I KNOW HOW HARD THIS COMMUNITY'S BEEN WORKING SINCE FOR NOT JUST THE LAST YEAR, BUT BEFORE THAT. UM, SO THANK YOU. THAT'S SOMETHING REALLY EASY WE CAN DO TOMORROW. LUCKILY, A, A DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE PERSON CAME BY. I SAID, HEY, WILL YOU GO CHECK ON THIS GUY? UM, I SAW HIM AND, AND WILL YOU OFFER HIM SERVICES? AND HERE'S MY CARD. WILL YOU PLEASE TELL ME THE NUMBER TO CALL THE NEXT TIME I SEE THIS? WELL, I NEVER GOTTA CALL BACK, AND I'M JUST HOPING AND PRAYING, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE. AT LEAST HE WAS THERE AND I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO SOMEONE. AND THEN I LEARNED THAT THEY DO NOT GIVE THE NUMBER OUT FOR THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE. AND THEN I LEARNED THAT I HAD TO CALL A NON-EMERGENCY POLICE A NUMBER, BUT I ALSO HAVE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO ASK FOR, WHICH IS WHY THAT PDF OF WHAT TO DO IS SO IMPORTANT. UM, AND I ALSO LEARNED THAT THE COMMUNITY CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM, I CALLED FOR ANOTHER GUY WHO WAS HOLDING UP HIS PANTS AND RUNNING IN THE STREET DOWN BY CAL STATE LONG BEACH. I CALLED AND I SAID, CAN YOU PLEASE SEND A CRISIS RESPONSE COMMUNITY CRISIS RESPONSE PERSON? THIS MAN NEEDS HELP. I NEVER GOT A CALL BACK. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. AND I LEARNED THERE'S NOTHING THERE FOR US. THANK YOU FOR DOING MORE. AND I KNOW YOU'RE DOING A LOT, BUT PLEASE, WE CAN DO MORE. THANK YOU. AND SOME OF THAT, I, MOST OF THAT IS ON THE WEBSITE, SO WE'LL MAKE SURE WE, NOW WE SHOW YOU WHERE THAT IS SO YOU CAN FIND IT. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. YOU'RE NEXT. UH, HELLO, MAYOR AND FELLOW COUNCILMAN OR, UH, PEOPLE, UH, LET'S SEE, A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. UM, I RECENTLY VISITED, OR NOT RECENTLY, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, THE MSC, UM, IT'S REALLY CLEAR TO ME AND COMPLIMENTS TO PAUL. IT'S A VERY PASSIONATE STAFF THERE THAT'S WORKING WITH, UM, WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS REALLY LIMITED RESOURCES CONSIDERING THE DEPTH OF THE PROBLEM THAT'S, THAT'S GOING ON THERE. UH, I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE 12 TO 18 MONTHS TO GET SOMEBODY INTO PERMANENT HOUSING, WHICH JUST SEEMS LIKE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO HAVE, TO HAVE SOMEBODY CONTINUING WITH THAT. UM, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN I DIDN'T SEE IN THE PRESENTATION WAS ACTUALLY SOMETHING YOU SAID, REX, WHICH WAS, I SAW 40 TENS. NOW I SEE, YOU KNOW, ONE OR SO. SO IT, IT'S WONDERFUL TO HEAR ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE IMPACTING. WHAT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO HEAR IS H HOW HAS THAT FACILITY OR THAT THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION BEEN POSITIVELY IMPACTED? YOU KNOW, I JUST, I WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN, WE USED TO HAVE 50 TENTS. NOW WE HAVE ONE. OKAY, GREAT. THAT, THAT REALLY TALKS TO THE IMPACT THAT YOU'RE HAVING IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. UM, UH, THE, THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, I KNOW THAT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ARE ACTUALLY PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY. I'D BE REALLY INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT ARE WE DOING TO BETTER ENGAGE THE COUNTY TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES. UM, IT'S, IT'S MY OPINION, AND I'VE SEEN AN DATA TO SAY THERE'S A GOOD PERCENTAGE OF THAT POPULATION THAT'S HOMELESS THAT, UH, OH, IT'S MY TIME UP. IT'S OKAY. I THINK THEY, THEY, YEAH. UM, THAT THERE'S A, UH, THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF THE PEOPLE ON THE STREET THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM HEALTH, FROM MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, AND KNOWING THAT, THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PULL MORE OF THOSE FROM THE, THE COUNTY WOULD BE GREAT. UM, LAST COMMENT I'LL MAKE IS, UH, I, I HEARD IT TALKED ABOUT, AND AS PEOPLE USING THEIR CARS MORE, UM, I LIVE DOWN IN THE THIRD DISTRICT, AND SO I SEE A LOT OF VEHICLES IN GRANADA, THE PARKING LOT THERE, SHIFTING THEM AROUND. UM, I HAVE A PERSONAL CONCERN FOR JUST THE SANITATION ISSUES RELATED TO THAT. UM, AND IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SEE THE NEXT TIME THIS IS UPDATED MORE, A MORE COMPREHENSIVE SORT OF, WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE IN THE CITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT'S GREAT FEEDBACK. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT. OLGA? YES. UM, THANK YOU COUNSEL FOR HAVING THIS TOPIC IN THE AGENDA. ARE WE NOT IN DEBT IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA? 12 BILLION TO BE EXACT. I CAN CONFIDENCE SAY CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT MANY, MOST CALIFORNIANS AND HARDWORKING CITIZENS IN LONG BEACH ARE TIRED OF SEEING THE FILTH, UNHEALTHY AND UNSANITARY CONDITIONS, HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS, STREET RVS, AND CARS. WHEN ARE WE GOING TO STOP BEING A NANNY STATE ON THE BACKS OF TAXPAYERS? ALLOWING THE FIELD TO CONTINUE WAS, HAS NOT IMPROVED THE HOMELESS SITUATION, BUT MAKES IT WORSE. I'M REFERRING TO THE ABLE POTTY PEOPLE. I'M NOT IN, I'M NOT CONS, YOU KNOW, I'M, THIS ISN'T RE NOT FOR THE MENTALLY ILL. UM, SOME PEOPLE ARE ABLE BODIED, UH, UH, ABLE BODIED WITH THE CAPACITY TO WORK AS WE ALL DO. YOU. YET THE PERPETUAL FREE HANDOUTS, [02:15:01] WELFARE, FOOD STAMPS, MEDICAID, KEEP PERPETUATING THE PERPETUATING THE PROBLEM AND THE ICING IS ALLOWING THESE ABLE-BODIED PEOPLE TO LIVE ANYWHERE. WE JUST DROVE BY THE SEVEN 10 WASH. AND DESPITE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS BEING AGAINST THE LAW, THERE ARE MULTIPLE TENTS THERE. ORANGE COUNTY, BY THE WAY, GOT RID OF THEIR ENCAMPMENTS OVER THE RIVER BED IN ONE DAY. NOW, IN REGARDS TO UNHEALTHY CONDITIONS, THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WHERE, WHERE DO YOU THINK THEIR BODY SECRETIONS, SUCH AS URINE AND FECES GO INFECTED WITH PERHAPS HIV AND HEPATITIS? THEY'RE THROWN EVERYWHERE IN OUR CITIES, DOWN SEWERS INTO THE WASH, AND ULTIMATELY INTO OUR NEARBY OCEANS. THROWING MONEY AT AT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM, BUT MADE IT WORSE. 580 TONS OF TRASH. WHO PAYS FOR THIS? WE DO. WHO PAYS FOR THE PERMANENT HOUSING? WE DO. ALLIE COUNTY BUILT HOMELESS SHELTERS, BUT TOOK THEM DOWN DUE TO THE LACK OF, UH, PARTICIPATION. MANY DID NOT WANT TO, UM, WENT, MANY FELT RESTRAINED, BUT I ALSO FEEL RESTRAINT HAVING TO PAY THE HIGH TAXES IN THIS COUNTRY, UH, THE HIGHEST TAXES IN THIS COUNTRY, AND SEE NOTHING IN RETURN. PLEASE PUT AN END TO THIS AND GET SOMEHOW SCREEN THESE ABLE-BODIED PEOPLE AND GET THEM TO WORK LIKE ALL OF US. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY CITY AS A, AGAIN, AS A TAXPAYER MYSELF TOO. WE HAVE A COUPLE PROPERTIES HERE IN LONG BEACH. IT'S FRUSTRATING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME RENTALS AND WE HAVE SOME, UH, SHORT TERM RENTAL. AND I DON'T, I'M TRYING TO INVITE PEOPLE TO COME TO OUR CITY, AND YET, AS MY WIFE JUST EXPLAINED, JUST DRIVING DOWN THE SEVEN 10, WE STILL SEE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS. WHY CAN'T WE JUST START TAKING CARE OF THIS AND BEING A LITTLE BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE FOLKS? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT COMES FIRST, THE CARROT OR THE STICK? WELL, I DON'T, I THINK WE HAVE TOO MUCH CARROT GOING ON RIGHT NOW, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE STICK, BECAUSE WHEN I GREW UP AS A LITTLE GUY, YOU, YOU WERE NOT GIVEN A FISH. YOU WERE TAUGHT TO FISH. AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE PERSPECTIVES THAT WE'RE MISSING OUT ON HERE. UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT IS, I, I ASKED, ACTUALLY, I HAVE A QUESTION TOO. FROM ALL THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE ASSIST, HOW MANY ARE REPEAT OFFENDERS? HOW MANY ARE HOMELESS STILL AFTER WE GIVE THEM HOUSING OR WE TRY TO GIVE THEM A CITATION OR WHATEVER. IS THERE ANY FOLLOW UP WITH HER AT THAT REGARD? AND ALSO, IS THERE LIKE A JOBS PROGRAM WHERE THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, CLEAN UP THEIR OWN TRASH, CLEAN UP OTHER HOMELESS TRASH, AND ACTUALLY START BECOMING A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY? I MEAN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE START TO NEED TO LOOK AT, BECAUSE IF YOU KEEP THROWING MONEY AT A PROBLEM, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR LIKE A DECADE NOW, AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S, IT'S MOVING SLOWLY, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, I THINK IT'S TOO SLOW FOR A LOT OF RESIDENTS BECAUSE I CAN'T EVEN WALK TO SEVEN 11 AND FEEL SAFE SOMETIMES AT NIGHT. AND I LIVE, UM, IN AREA THREE, UM, DISTRICT THREE, AND WITHOUT SOME HOMELESS MAN TRYING TO PANDER OFF ME. AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN HE'S KIND OF DRUGGED UP. AND IT'S, IT'S STILL HAPPENING, FOLKS. I KNOW YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S IMPROVEMENTS, BUT I STILL FEEL UNSAFE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WELL, NOW, UH, TAKE IT BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ZENDEJAS. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU CITY STAFF FOR THAT, UM, PRESENTATION AND THAT UPDATE ON THIS ONGOING ISSUE. I, UH, I APPLAUD THE FACT THAT WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON REALISTIC PATHWAY TO PERMANENT HOUSING FOR THOSE, UM, FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. UM, WE HAVE DEFINITELY MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS AND A NOTICEABLE REDUCTION ON ENCAMPMENTS, UM, ESPECIALLY IN MY DISTRICT, DISTRICT ONE, WHICH, UM, WHICH IS ALSO, UM, OUR DOWNTOWN AREA. UH, WITH THAT SAID, STILL THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER ONE CONCERN THAT I HEAR FROM MY RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN MY DISTRICT AND IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, CONTINUES TO BE ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE CONTINUOUSLY FACE REGARDING HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS AND PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, SLEEPING IN OUR SIDEWALKS AND IN OUR BUSINESS CORRIDORS. UM, LET ME BE CLEAR, MY RESIDENTS DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT FALL INTO HOMELESSNESS DUE TO REASONS BEYOND THEIR CONTROL. BUT MY RESIDENTS ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH ENCAMPMENTS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WHO ARE, UM, GOING THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH [02:20:02] CHALLENGES AND CRISIS AND, AND DRUG ADDICTION. PRIOR TO GRAND RAPIDS PASS VERSUS JOHNSON SUPREME COURT DECISION, WE WERE LIMITED ON THE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AVAILABLE TO US. ONCE THAT DECISION CAME DOWN, WE REVAMPED OUR STR STRATEGY TO ADDRESS AND PRIORITIZE FOCUSED AREAS, WHICH I HAVE DEFINITELY SEEN RESULTS IN. THE MAJORITY OF THOSE AREAS HAVE BEEN IN DISTRICT ONE, AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE RESULTS AND I KNOW THAT THE WORK CONTINUES. I, I DO WANNA SAY, UM, THANK YOU, UM, THERESA FOR POINTING OUT THAT, UM, WE HAVE AN IMMENSE, IMMENSE DEMAND FROM WHAT WE CAN HANDLE AS A CITY. AND, UM, AND THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT. 'CAUSE I DO FEEL THAT, UH, WE DO HAVE A BIG, BIG DEMAND, UM, BIGGER THAN WHAT WE CAN, UM, ADDRESS, BUT WE STILL CONTINUE TO DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN AS A CITY. I, I AM PROUD THAT WE HAVE A HOUSING FIRST MODEL HERE IN OUR CITY. AND I HAVE SUPPORTED INCREASING OUR SHELTER CAPACITY BY WELCOMING A NEW ASSET INTO THE DISTRICT, SUPPORTING ZONING CHANGES LIKE INCLUSIONARY HOUSING AND THE MANY OTHER EFFORTS WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN AS A COUNCIL TO APPROACH THIS, UM, ISSUE CITYWIDE. OUR APPROACH HAS BEEN HOLISTIC AND FOCUSED, RESULTING IN THE FIRST REDUCTION OF HOMELESSNESS IN OVER A DECADE. AND THAT HAS TO BE RECOGNIZED AND ACKNOWLEDGED AND APPLAUDED. AND IT IS BECAUSE OF THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT WE HAVE, WE MUST CONTINUE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY. AND I'VE HEARD THAT WORD IN THE PRESENTATION MANY TIMES, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE PART OF THAT COLLABORATION AND THAT WE HEAR THEM, THAT WHEN THEY CALL MY OFFICE, WE HEAR THEM, WE'RE LISTENING TO THEM. AND AS YOU KNOW, UM, THERESA AND PAUL AND TOM, UM, YOU'RE ALWAYS GETTING, UM, MY PHONE CALLS, UM, REGARDING THIS ISSUE. AND YOU'RE, WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING TOGETHER TO FIND SOLUTIONS. AND FOR THAT, I THANK YOU. UM, I WANT MY RESIDENTS TO KNOW THAT I AM IN CONTINUOUS CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS AND THAT WE ARE ALSO TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION ALL THAT OUR, UH, RESIDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING. UM, THOSE WANTING HOUSING, AS WE ALL KNOW, HAVE OPTIONS. THOSE SEEKING HELP WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH, UH, ALSO HAVE OPTIONS. UM, AND WE ARE THERE TO PROVIDE THOSE AVENUES AND THOSE PATHWAYS TO THOSE OPTIONS. AND FOR THAT, I'M THANKFUL. UM, WE NOW NEED TO FOCUS ON THOSE WHO REFUSE HELP AND THOSE WHO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SYSTEM. WE, WITH TARGETED ENFORCEMENT, OFTENTIMES WE KNOW WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE. WE HAVE THEM IN OUR CONTACT, UM, AND WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THEM FOR YEARS. AND WE MUST BEGIN TO TAKE A TOUGH LOVE APPROACH TO COMPEL INDIVIDUALS TO ASSESS ACCESS SERVICES AND SHELTERS AND FOR THEIR OWN GOOD TO DO THIS. THE, UM, ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS ESTABLISHED BY THE GRANT PASS DECISION AND OUTLINED IN THE MEMO MUST CONTINUE TO BE REFINED AND REINFORCED. UM, PER THE MEMO, THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS NOTED CHALLENGES WITH STAFFING AND RESOURCES AND CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO SECURING FUNDING TO ALLOW FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE APPROACH. WE SHOULD ENSURE THIS IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET CYCLE. WE HAVE MANY TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOX. IT'S TIME TO SHARPEN THE TOOLBOX OF ENFORCEMENT. LOOKING AT THE NEXT STEPS, I WOULD LIKE TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING ON THE HOMELESSNESS. UM, CAN STAFF CLARIFY WHAT LAWS AND SPECIFIC LANGUAGE, UM, NEEDS TO BE UPDATED TO ENHANCE ENFORCEMENT, UM, EFFORTS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS RESIDING IN VEHICLES IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH? OR MAYBE [02:25:01] TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THAT EFFORT TO PROVIDE, UM, PATHWAY TO PERMANENT HOUSING. DR. RIVER? YES. UH, YOU'VE GOT OVERTIME, BUT YOU CAN RECU AND, OH, I'M DONE. IF THEY COULD JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION. OKAY. IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, I'LL RECU, BUT I'LL, I'LL TALK, I'LL START WITH THE SERVICE SIDE AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN PASS IT TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AROUND ORDINANCES AS THAT'S LESS MY EXPERTISE. UH, BUT YOU KNOW, OUR OUTREACH TEAM DOES PROVIDE SERVICES TO PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING WITHIN VEHICLES. UH, AND AS WE'RE ENGAGING, WE KIND OF DIFFERENTIATE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. ONE BEING VEHICLES VERSUS RVS, UM, AND OUR ENGAGEMENT. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK SUCCESS LARGELY VARY BETWEEN THE TWO. UM, SO WE DO HAVE SAFE PARKING, UH, THAT IS AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE LIVING IN THEIR VEHICLES. HOWEVER, WE STILL SEE PEOPLE LIVING IN THEIR VEHICLES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. UH, WE ARE OFTEN ENGAGING. WE DO SEE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING IN THEIR VEHICLE THAT DO TAKE SHELTER, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, ARE TYPICALLY MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN PERMANENT HOUSING RESOURCES AND BEING WILLING TO PAY SOME OF THEIR INCOME TOWARDS RENT. UM, FOR THOSE LIVING IN RVS, UH, OUR ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN MUCH MORE CHALLENGED. UH, MANY PEOPLE LIVING IN RVS DO SEE THAT RV AS THEIR FORM OF HOUSING. UH, AND SOME ARE INTERESTED IN WANTING TO FIND PERMANENT HOUSING AND ARE WILLING TO TAKE SOME OF THEIR INCOME TO PAY TOWARDS RENT WHILE OTHERS SEE THAT RV, UH, AS THEIR, THEIR DWELLING UNIT THAT THEY'RE PLANNING TO LIVE IN FOR AS LONG AS THEY CAN. UH, SO OUR ENGAGEMENT NEEDS TO BE VARIED ON THOSE TWO. WE HAVE SOME PRETTY GOOD JA, UH, STRATEGIES FOR VEHICLES. LESS SO ON RVS. WE ARE SEEING SOME MODELS THROUGHOUT THE STATE THAT ARE LOOKING AT RVS AND APPROACHES AND LOOKING AT SOME NEW WAYS OF PROVIDING INCENTIVES AND RESOURCES, UH, TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE LIVING IN RVS TO PERMANENT HOUSING. SO WE HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES. BERKELEY HAS A PRETTY, UH, INTERESTING PILOT GOING AROUND RVS. SO, UH, WE'RE CONTINUING TO ENGAGE AND LOOK AT, UH, OPPORTUNITIES ON THE SERVICE SIDE. AND I'LL PASS IT OVER TO, UH, OUR CITY ATTORNEY AROUND ORDINANCES. UH, GOOD EVENING. UM, THE, THE, OUR ORDINANCES ALREADY HAVE, UM, THE ABILITY TO, UH, CONTROL PEOPLE, UH, USING THEIR VEHICLES TO, TO CAMP OUT AS A, BASICALLY AS A SHELTER. UM, THE ORDINANCES ALREADY, UH, PROHIBIT OVERNIGHT CAMPING, UH, USE OR OVERNIGHT PARKING IN A LOT OF, UH, UH, OF A LOT OF OUR AREAS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, USING THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THOSE CARS AS A PERMANENT SHELTER IS ALSO, UH, NOT ALLOWED. NOW, OF COURSE, IT GOES BACK TO NORDEN SAYS THAT, BUT IT'S A PART OF, UH, ENFORCEMENT IS JUST A PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO, UM, AS A PART OF AN OVERALL STRATEGY. BUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ALREADY DOES HAVE THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO STOP THAT FROM HAPPENING. AND THEN I JUST ADD OPERATIONALLY, THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT, DIFFICULT ISSUE FOR US. SO IF YOU'VE GOT SOMEONE LIVING IN AN RV AND WE ENGAGE THEM AND THEY DON'T WANNA MOVE, THEY DON'T WANNA GO ANYWHERE, THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY LIVING ON THE STREET, BUT THEY'RE LIVING IN THEIR RV. IF WE, IF WE TICKET, WHICH WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO, AND WE'VE DONE AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PAY THOSE TICKETS, UM, AT SOME POINT, THEN WE ARE IMPOUNDING THAT VEHICLE AND REMOVING, YOU KNOW, THAT PERSON FROM THEIR HOME AND, AND BRINGING THAT VEHICLE IN. UH, VEHICLES NEED A LOT OF SPACE. OUR CITY TOW YARDS ARE PRETTY FULL. UM, AND SO WE NEED TO THEN STORE THAT VEHICLE. AND THEN OFTENTIMES THEN WE NEED TO THEN DISPOSE OF THAT VEHICLE IF THAT PERSON CANNOT COME AND GET AND CLAIM THEIR VEHICLE. UH, WHICH OFTENTIMES WE SEE THAT COST BEING IN THE $10,000 OR MORE RANGE, UM, IN ORDER TO DO THAT. AND SO, AND AT THAT TIME NOW, THAT PERSON IS OBVIOUSLY NOT HOUSED, NOT IN THEIR VEHICLE ANYMORE. NOW THEY'RE ON THE STREET AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT SYSTEM AGAIN. SO A LOT OF THIS IS SPACE AS WELL. UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE ONE SUCCESSFUL SAFE PARKING PROGRAM. IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. IT'S WORKING WELL. NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO USE IT IN THAT ONE PART OF TOWN. AND SO WE COULD CERTAINLY USE MORE PARTNERSHIPS WITH CHURCHES OR PRIVATE INDUSTRY OR, OR ANY OTHER SPACE. UH, SOME CITIES HAVE BIG AREAS THAT THEY CAN DO BIG, LARGE, UM, SAFE PARKING PROGRAMS, AND THAT'S BEEN, WE'VE BEEN VERY ST SPACE, UM, CONSTRAINT ON THAT. SO IF THERE ARE MORE SPACES, WE DO HAVE SOME PROGRAMS TO EXPAND OUR SAFE PARKING, BUT FINDING THE LOCATION HAS BEEN DIFFICULT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER RICK MOODY. UH, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. I JUST [02:30:01] HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. UM, UH, BY THE WAY, THANK YOU FOR, UM, A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE, UM, REPORT BACK, UM, ON ALL THE DIFFERENT EFFORTS THAT THE CITY, THE CITY IS DOING. AND I, I, UH, LIKE OUR STAFF HERE, AND I THINK OUR, OUR MAYOR POINTED OUT, I REALLY APPRECIATED, UM, HIGHLIGHTING ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND WHAT THE, THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM THAT'S NECESSARY TO REALLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE. UM, JUST A COUPLE OF CLARIFICATIONS. SO ONE WAS, UM, I KNOW, AND I HEAR THIS FROM MY CONSTITUENTS SOMETIMES, IS THAT WHEN THEY LOOK AT, SAY ON SLIDE 13 WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AND WE'LL SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, 1400 PEOPLE WERE ENROLLED IN EMERGENCY SHELTER AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING. AND I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT ENROLLMENT MEANS, RIGHT? DOES THAT MEAN THEY'RE IMMEDIATELY PUT INTO HOUSING, UM, OR THEY PUT ON A LIST FOR HOUSING? COULD YOU KIND OF WALK THE, UM, COMMUNITY THROUGH WHAT THAT MEANS AND WHAT THE PROCESS IS? SURE. UM, AND IT'D BE PROBABLY GOOD TO BIFURCATE THIS A LITTLE BIT, IS ENROLLMENT IN THE INTERIM HOUSING EMERGENCY SHELTER PROGRAM VERSUS ENROLLMENT IN A PERMANENT HOUSING PROGRAM LOOK SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT. UH, SO AN ENROLLMENT INTO AN EMERGENCY SHELTER PROGRAM MEANS THAT PERSON'S MOVING INTO A BED. UH, SO IT IS A PRETTY DEFINITIVE, THE PERSON'S GONE FROM UNSHELTERED TO NOW, UH, THEY'RE IN A SHELTER BED FOR PERMANENT HOUSING ENROLLMENTS. UH, THAT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AND DEPENDS PROGRAM TO PROGRAM. SO, UH, FOR SOMETHING THAT IS A NEW PROJECT, UH, SUCH AS OUR NEXT PROJECT THAT WILL OPEN WILL BE, UH, ZEPHYR, WHICH WAS FORMERLY THE HOLIDAY INN THAT THE COUNTY BOUGHT THROUGH PROJECT HOME KEY, THAT ONE, WHEN SOMEBODY ENROLLS, IT'S A PRETTY MUCH A GIVEN THAT THEY'RE ABOUT TO MOVE INTO PERMANENT HOUSING BECAUSE IT'S A DESIGNATED UNIT FOR THEM. HOWEVER, WE HAVE OTHER PROGRAMS WHERE YOU'RE ENROLLED INTO OUR PROGRAM AND YOU'RE GIVEN A VOUCHER OR YOU'RE GIVEN, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF GUARANTEE OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE. UH, BUT FROM THAT POINT, YOU'RE STILL NEEDING TO GO AND FIND SOMEWHERE THAT'S WILLING TO TAKE YOUR RENT. SO, UM, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT DO ENROLL INTO PERMANENT HOUSING THAT DO NOT GET TO A POINT OF PERMANENT HOUSING MOVE-IN. SO, UH, THERE IS SOME VARIANCE WITHIN THAT. UH, FOR A SIMPLE DATA SHEET, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT, MORE DIFFICULT TO GET INTO, BUT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN BREAK OUT, UH, AND SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT AND DO TRACK ENROLLMENTS VERSUS MOVE-IN DATES. OKAY, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. UM, AND THEN, UH, ON SLIDE 30, UM, UH, DEPUTY MANAGER, UH, THERESA CHANDLER, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING, IT WASN'T ON THE SLIDE, BUT YOU HAD MADE A MENTION WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LA RIVER ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION FUNDING PROGRAM. AND I HEARD YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT, I THINK IT WAS CALLED TURNOVER ROOM TURNOVER ROOMS, UM, IN YOUR STATEMENTS. AND I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT A TURNOVER ROOM WAS. IT IS TEMPORARY. OKAY. SO USING THE MOTEL ROOMS AS A TEMPORARY SHELTER SPACE. SO IT COULD BE MOSTLY EMERGENCY AMOUNT OF TIME FOR A MONTH OR TWO UNTIL MAYBE THEY GO INTO THE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING THAT'S A BIT LONGER. OR IT COULD BE A TRANSITIONAL SPACE THAT COULD BE, THEY COULD BE THERE FOR A LITTLE BIT LONGER, BUT IT'S THE MOTEL ROOMS THAT WE USE. YEAH. OKAY. AND JUST TO ELABORATE ON THAT, SO WE HAVE MOTELS THAT WE HAVE PURCHASED, AND THEN THOSE BECOME, YOU KNOW, YOUR ACTUAL SHELTER AND, AND THOSE WE OWN, AND THOSE, YOU KNOW, STAY. UM, BUT THEN WE ALSO LEASE MOTELS. LIKE, UH, WE'VE HEARD A LOT IN THE PAST ABOUT THE VAGABOND INN. THAT WAS A BIG, UM, PART OF OUR SUCCESS AND GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF DOWNTOWN INTO THE VAGABOND INN. WE'RE ACTUALLY TRANSITIONING OUT THIS MONTH OUT OF THE VAGABOND INN. SO IT'LL BE DONE, UH, OUT OF THE VAGABOND AND THEN THAT RESOURCE WILL GO AWAY. BUT THEN WHEN WE BRING ON THE LA RIVER, WE'RE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL HOTELS THAT WE CAN BRING ON FOR THOSE, THOSE TEMPORARY SPACES. YEAH, GREAT. AND THE GOAL OF, OH, I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. YEAH, THE GOAL OF PEOPLE GOING INTO THOSE ROOMS IS THAT THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS PERMANENT HOUSING. SO WHEN WE SAY TURNOVER, SOMEBODY MOVES INTO PERMANENT HOUSING, WE HAVE A LONGER TERM LEASER OWN THOSE ROOMS, WE'RE THEN FILLING THOSE TURNOVERS UNITS THAT ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO SOMEBODY ADDITIONAL. SO IT'S NOT LIKE A ONE TIME THIS PERSON HAS IT FOR THIS PERIOD OF TIME. UH, WE DO SEE PEOPLE MOVE THROUGH, THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND WE BACKFILL THOSE ROOMS. OKAY. EXCELLENT. UM, AND THEN LAST QUESTION WAS, OR COMMENT WAS I, I HEARD ONE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTERS TALK ABOUT, UM, THE NEED FOR TRANSPORTATION TO LIKE THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, ET CETERA. UM, AND I KNOW WE HAD AN ITEM A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO THAT ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT. COULD YOU JUST ELABORATE SO PEOPLE KNOW, LIKE WHAT THE, WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE WITHIN THE CITY FOR PEOPLE WHO POTENTIALLY NEED SERVICES, SAY FOR MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, MAYBE GO TO EACH DOCTOR APPOINTMENT, WHAT THEY, WHAT, WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM? YEAH. TRANSPORTATION IS A TOUGH ONE. UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, VERSUS LIMITED CAPACITY WITHIN OUR TRANSPORTATION. SO WE'VE HAD A SHUTTLE. OUR GOAL IS TO BRING THAT IN HOUSE FOR INCREASED FLEXIBILITY. SO WE'RE WORKING WITH FLEET ON PURCHASING THAT VEHICLE AND THEN, UH, BRINGING SOMEBODY ON BOARD. UH, STAFF [02:35:01] HAVE CITY VEHICLES THAT, UH, ARE GOING OUT THROUGH OUTREACH, SO THEY'RE NEEDING TO TRANSPORT SOMEBODY THAT THEY'RE ENGAGING ON OUTREACH, THEY'RE ABLE TO DO SO, UM, ON OCCASION WE'RE ABLE TO GO PICK SOMEBODY UP TO GET THEM, YOU KNOW, TO THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, TO A SHELTER. HOWEVER, OUR ABILITY TO DO THAT ON, YOU KNOW, A FREQUENT BASIS IS CHALLENGED HAVING ONE SHUTTLE AND HAVING THE TEAM OUT RESPONDING TO CALLS AND OTHER NEEDS. UM, SO THAT IS ONE AREA WHERE WE COULD USE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS. UH, IT'S PART OF THE THOUGHT AROUND OUR MOBILE ACCESS CENTERS IS TRYING TO REDUCE, UH, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AROUND TRANSPORTATION. KNOWING THAT IF YOU'RE, SAY, OVER BY EL DORADO PARK AND YOU NEED TO GET OVER TO THE MSC, THAT'S A PRETTY FAR JOURNEY ON PUBLIC TRANSIT. SO TRYING TO FIND SPOTS THROUGHOUT THE, THE CITY WHERE WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE THAT WE CAN LOCATE A LOCATE SERVICES THAT ARE EASIER TO GET TO. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, I'M SORRY IF I, IF I MAY PLEASE, UH, INTRODUCE MYSELF. MY NAME IS, UH, ELLIE BEMAN. I'M DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY. UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS VERY QUICKLY ABOUT THE ORDINANCE. I WAS BEFORE RESPONDING. VERY SPECIFICALLY, THERE IS A PORTION IN OUR ORDINANCE THAT MAKES CAMPING INSIDE OF A CAR ILLEGAL CURRENTLY. BUT THERE ARE OTHER OR ISSUES THAT WE DO HAVE WITH OUR, UH, ORDINANCES, UM, HAVING TO DO WITH SEIZURES OF CARS AND THAT WE DO HAVE TO UPDATE. THEY CURRENTLY ARE, UM, UH, HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE AT LEAST UNCONSTITUTIONAL BY, NOT WITH OUR CITY, BUT, UH, THE, UH, CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO. THEIR CAR PROGRAM WAS FOUND TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL BECAUSE YOU, UH, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THEY WERE DOING IT. UM, WE ARE GONNA NEED TO UPDATE OUR ORDINANCE IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT OUR ORDINANCE CONSTITUTIONAL PER THAT DECISION. UM, AND, UH, THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE, THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED GOING FORWARD. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. UM, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. I, UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT REALLY COMPREHENSIVE REPORT. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I KNOW THAT THE TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING SO HARD, UM, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE'VE HAD GRANTS PASS VERSUS JOHNSON'S DECISION. UH, I KNOW THAT MANY PEOPLE FELT THAT ENFORCEMENT WAS GONNA BE AN ANSWER, BUT I THINK THAT IT WAS, IT'S BEEN GREAT FOR US TO SEE IT AS A TOOL IN ADDITION TO THE SERVICES THAT WE ALWAYS OFFER AND CONTINUE TO DO SO. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK LOOKING AT PRIORITY AREAS TO UTILIZE MORE ENFORCEMENT IS HELPFUL, I THINK, TO SEE HOW IT'S WORKING AND NOT. UM, BECAUSE YES, WE HAVE RESOURCES, UM, THAT WE'RE SPENDING ON THIS, BUT EITHER IT'LL GO INTO SERVICES OR ENFORCEMENT, AND I THINK THAT WE, WE KNOW IT'S, THERE'S NO ONE CLEAR ANSWER. UM, SO I WANTED TO JUST FOLLOW UP SOME QUESTION ABOUT, 'CAUSE JENNY RIVERA HAS BEEN AN OUTSTANDING AREA IN MY DISTRICT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, AS YOU SHARED, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER PRIORITY SITES. AND I, I, I WONDER IF YOU CAN SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHY IT IS, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT MANY PEOPLE REALIZE IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT PEOPLE ARE REFUSING, BUT THEY, THAT STAFF ARE IN THESE SITUATION WHERE, UM, THEN THOSE MEMBER, THE, THE MEMBERS OF THE UNHOUSED ARE NOT, ARE ALSO HOSTILE AT TIMES. RIGHT. SO IF YOU COULD JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT HAS MADE IT CHALLENGING. 'CAUSE I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT WHY YOU BROKE DOWN THESE TEMPORARY SERVICES, THESE VARIOUS SERVICES, WHEREAS THE OTHER SITES, IT HAD LIKE, IT, THEY TOOK TEMPORARY HOUSING, YOU BROKE IT DOWN A LITTLE FURTHER AND THERE WAS A LOT LESS THAT TOOK PERMANENT HOUSING. YEAH. UM, SO AGAIN, EACH SITE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. I MEAN, WHAT WE SEE IS SOMEBODY THAT IS IN DOWNTOWN VILLAGE IN KING OR LINCOLN PARK, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TYPICALLY A LITTLE MORE WILLING TO ENGAGE OR IN AN AREA WHERE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SERVICES, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ENCOUNTERING PEOPLE ON A FREQUENT BASIS. VERSUS THERE ARE SOME AREAS AND ENCAMPMENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY WHERE IT IS A LITTLE MORE TUCKED AWAY AND A LITTLE MORE PRIVATE. SAY THE RIVER BED. JENNY RIVERA HAS SOME OF THOSE ASPECTS WHERE, YOU KNOW, HOW THE PARK IS SET UP AND THE, YOU KNOW, WHERE PEOPLE ARE OFTEN ENCAMPED IS KIND OF TUCKED BACK AWAY IN THE CORNER THERE. UH, YOU'RE CLOSE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THERE'S IS A FAIR AMOUNT OF DIFFERENCE IN LIKE, MOVEMENT THROUGH THAT PARK AND HOW IT'S SITUATED. UH, SO I THINK WHO WE END UP SEEING IN THAT PARK LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN SOMEBODY THAT WE SEE IN DOWNTOWN AT GUM COMBINE OR, UH, AND EVEN VETERANS PARK, UM, AND PEOPLE [02:40:01] THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR LONGER PERIODS. NOT THAT WE DON'T SEE THAT SOME WITHIN THE OTHER PARKS, BUT WE SAW PEOPLE THAT WERE, ARE THERE FOR SIGNIFICANT PERIODS OF TIME. UH, AND THEN AGAIN, I THINK YOU ALLUDED TO IT LIKE WE HAVE HAD SOME CHALLENGES WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME HOSTILE BEHAVIOR FROM A FEW PEOPLE WITHIN THAT PARK. THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT'S THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE, BUT THAT DOES MAKE IT CHALLENGING WHEN WE ARE, ARE FACING SOME OF THAT. AND I APPRECIATE THAT RESPONSE. UM, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHY I'M WONDERING, YOU KNOW, BACK TO THIS OPPOR OBVIOUSLY TOOL OF ENFORCEMENT IS WITH, YOU KNOW, CITATIONS AND ARRESTS MADE. HOW MANY, HOW, HOW DOES THAT REALLY HELP ADDRESS KIND OF THE ROOT ISSUE, RIGHT? OR WHY THEY DIDN'T CONTINUE TO REMAIN OR COME BACK BECAUSE, UM, AND WHAT IS WORKING INSTEAD OR WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED TO DO? BECAUSE IT STILL CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE MORE CHALLENGING AREA, WHICH I DO RECOGNIZE. UM, AND I KNOW WE'VE DONE EVERY KIND USE, UTILIZE INTERAGENCY TOOLS AND CREATING LIMITED PARKING TIMES AT THE PARK. SO IF YOU CAN SHARE HOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT MAKES THIS, YOU KNOW, DECISION DIFFERENT COMPARED TO WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, OTHER OP I MEAN, IS IT REALLY WORKING RIGHT? DOES IT HELP? YEAH. LET ME ADD A LITTLE BIT AND THEN I'LL TURN TO THE TEAM, UM, ESPECIALLY TO OUR DEPUTY CHIEF TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE. UM, BUT, UM, JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY GETS A CITATION DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'VE LEFT THE PARK EITHER. SO, UM, THESE TEND TO BE CITATIONS. UM, AND SO YOU CAN GET A CITATION AND THEN THAT IS SOMETHING THAT GOES THROUGH THE COURTS, BUT IT DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY, UH, RESULT IN ARREST IF THERE'S VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, DANGEROUS ACTIVITY THAT CAN RESULT IN ARREST. BUT JUST CAMPING DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN YOU ARE ARRESTING THAT PERSON. UH, LA COUNTY JAIL DOES NOT ACCEPT PEOPLE, UM, FOR THOSE TYPES OF, OF MISDEMEANORS, UH, MISDEMEANOR ARRESTS AND THE CHIEF CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE. UM, THIS SITE, IT IS A CHALLENGING SITE. YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF SCHOOL CHILDREN THAT USE THAT TO GO BACK AND FORTH. SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL METHODS THAT WE HAVE USED IN, IN OTHER AREAS AND SMALL LONG PARKS IS YOU CAN, UH, FENCE OFF THE PARK, YOU CAN DO SOME MAINTENANCE OF THE PARK, RESTORE IT BACK UP. AND, AND THAT HELPS TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO CLEAR THAT, THAT IT'S BEEN ONE OF OUR SUCCESSES AT GUM COMBINER THAT DOESN'T WORK HERE. UM, WE'VE ALSO HAD A VERY RESISTANT POPULATION WHERE WE'VE PUT UP SOME, SOME BARRICADES INTO AREAS THAT THEY REALLY SHOULDN'T BE IN, AND THEY CUT THEM DOWN THE VERY NEXT DAY. SO YOU COME OUT, YOU DO THE WORK, YOU SPEND THE MONEY, AND IT'S CUT THE VERY NEXT DAY. UH, EVEN SOME REALLY THICK, YOU KNOW, LIKE ONE INCH, ONE INCH STEEL BARS IN SOME AREAS TO, UH, 'CAUSE THERE'S SOME UNDERPASSES AND STUFF BACK THERE. SO, UH, TURN IT BACK TO THE TEAM. BUT THE, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING SITE. WE HAVE SEEN IT GET IMPROVED. UH, WE'VE HEARD SPECIFICALLY FROM THE CITY OF SIGNAL HILL THAT THEY HAVE NOTICED OUR EFFORTS AND IT IS IMPROVING, BUT IT CONTINUES TO BE AN AREA WE NEED TO WORK ON. YEAH. AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SPEND, WE GO OUT THERE WITH OUR QUALITY OF LIFE OFFICERS TWO TO THREE TIMES A WEEK, ALONG WITH THE INTER INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM. UM, NOT ONLY OFFERING SERVICES, BUT IN SOME CASES ISSUING CITATIONS. UH, BUT JUST LIKE MR. MOCA SAID, IT'S NOT THE END ALL BE ALL. IT'S, IT'S AN OP, IT'S AN OPTION, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SOMETIMES USE SOME LEVERAGE TO HELP PEOPLE MOVE IN A DIRECTION. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, AND AGAIN, WHEN WE DO ISSUE THOSE CITATIONS, IT ADDS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, UM, FOR DIVERSION. SO IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S LAYERS OF THE ONION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADD ON TOP OF IT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. ALL YOUR RESPONSE, BECAUSE IT JUST SHOWS HOW COMPLICATED AND LAYERED, UM, YOU KNOW, A PARTNERSHIP HAS TO BE AND HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING IT, AND THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE FIGURING OUT WAYS. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE OUR RESIDENT KNEW THAT NOW WE HAVE THE DATA TO SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE IS WORK BEING DONE ALMOST EVERY DAY IN SOME SHAPE OR FORM AT THIS PARK. SO THANK YOU. UH, I THANK YOU. UM, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU BROUGHT THIS ITEM BACK, AND I KNOW A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO THIS PRESENTATION AND GATHERING ALL THIS DATA TO SHARE. SO WHEN GRANT'S PASS WAS OVERTURNED, I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THE CITY TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN CALIFORNIA IN SAYING THAT WE ARE GONNA STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN COMPASSION AND ENFORCEMENT, BUT WE ARE PUTTING ENFORCEMENT BACK ON THE TABLE. UH, I APPRECIATE WE TAKE A HUMAN CENTERED APPROACH, UM, TO OUR OUTREACH, BUT I THINK COMMUNITIES WERE FEELING LIKE COM COMPASSION WAS, UM, IT WAS KIND OF HEADED IN ONE DIRECTION, RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES AND, AND KIDS WEREN'T FEELING THE COMPASSION WHEN THEY WERE SCARED TO WALK PAST ENCAMPMENTS ON THEIR WAY TO SCHOOL WHEN THEY LOST SAFE ACCESS TO THEIR LOCAL PARKS AS THE PARKS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. NOW. [02:45:02] I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE ACCEPTING SERVICES MORE OFTEN WITH ENFORCEMENT. I THINK COMMANDER SOLADA JUST SPOKE TO THAT, UM, AND MAKING THAT AN OPTION. BUT WE'RE ALSO GETTING, UH, PEOPLE HELP THROUGH DIVERSION PROGRAMS THROUGH OUR CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE WITH LEADS OR OUR HOMELESS COURT. SO I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE NOT FOCUSING ON ENFORCEMENT, UM, JUST FOCUSING ON ENFORCEMENT IN THE FOUR PRIORITY AREAS, BUT I CAN SEE WE'RE USING IT THROUGHOUT THE CITY. FOLLOWING COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW'S QUESTIONS AND SOME OF THE ANSWERS I HAVE, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR COMMANDER SOLADA. IT'S ON SLIDE SEVEN, WHICH SAYS THAT ENFORCEMENT WOULD LEAD TO INCREASED INCARCERATION. AND AS, UM, CITY MANAGER MOCA SAID, WELL, I THINK HE WAS ALLUDING TO THIS, UH, SHERIFF LUNA SAID THAT THE COUNTY WILL NOT JAIL PEOPLE FOR MOST MISDEMEANORS, INCLUDING SLEEPING IN, UH, PUBLIC CITATIONS. I UNDERSTAND THESE CITATIONS CAN BE WAIVED IF THE INDIVIDUAL WORKS WITH OUR PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE TO GET CONNECTED WITH CASE WORK. THAT'S A GREAT OPTION. UM, COMMANDER, CAN YOU GO INTO SOME DETAIL ABOUT THE TYPICAL OUTCOMES OF THESE CITATIONS? YOU DISCUSSED IT A LITTLE BIT, AND HAS ANYONE EVER BEEN INCARCERATED IN LONG BEACH FOR A SLEEPING IN PUBLIC CITATION? YES. THANK YOU. DEPUTY. DEPUTY. OH, DEPUTY CHIEF. I AM SO SORRY. OH, NO, I KNEW THAT. NO PROBLEM. BUT I THANK YOU. SORRY ABOUT THAT. UM, SO YOUR FIRST QUESTION WAS, WELL, I'LL ANSWER YOUR LAST QUESTION FIRST. AND, AND YOU ASKED IF ANYBODY HAS EVER BEEN INCARCERATED FOR CAMPING. I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT. UM, ANECDOTALLY, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY NOT, NOT FOR ANY LONG LENGTH OF TIME. UM, TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ISSUE CITATIONS IS, UM, THOSE CITATIONS REQUIRE A, UM, A COURT DATE. THEY'LL SHOW UP FOR THE COURT DATE, OR THEY WON'T, UH, THEY MAY PAY A FINE, IT MAY GO TO A WARRANT. UM, BUT EVEN, EVEN IF IT DOES GO TO A WARRANT AND WE MAKE THE ARREST, THE THE POSSIBILITY OF INCARCERATION IS, IS VERY MINIMAL. IT'S SLIM. UM, AND SO I THINK WHAT YOU SEE THE OUTCOME BEING IS THERE, UH, IT'S A COMPLICATED PROBLEM. THEY'RE BEING AS AS MUCH OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND SERVICES AS POSSIBLE, UH, BECAUSE THE REALITY OF INCARCERATION AND THEN THAT BEING AN OUTCOME OF, UM, SOLVING THE PROBLEM IS IT'S NOT VERY EFFECTIVE. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH, IT'S ALL VERY COMPLICATED. I MEAN, THE FACT THAT WE PUT IN THE SLIDE THAT, UM, ENFORCEMENT LEADS TO INCREASED INCARCERATIONS, I THINK THAT'S A, I I THINK YOU SAID IT AGAIN, DEPUTY CHIEF, IT'S LEVERAGED TO HELP PEOPLE, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHY THAT'S REALLY IN THE SLIDE. UM, BECAUSE I DON'T SEE THAT, I SEE THAT AS HELPING PEOPLE MOVE TO SOLUTIONS THAT THE CITY IS OFFERING. ANY OTHER COMMENTS, PAUL OR THEREA? SURE. AND I, AND I DO WANNA ADD SOME OF THE DATA FROM THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE. SO IT WAS A BIG REPORT AND WE HAD IT IN THE REPORT. WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE IT IN THE SLIDE, BUT, UH, PART OF THIS IS, UH, THE PROSECUTOR DOES HAVE THAT DISCRETION THAT ONCE THOSE CITATIONS HAPPEN, THEY COME TO HIM AND THEN HE CAN, UH, TO WORK WITH THOSE. AND SO BEFORE THE GRANTS, GRANT'S PAST DECISION, UH, THERE'S KIND OF BEEN THIS RUMOR OUT THERE THAT WE NEVER DID ANY ENFORCEMENT. THAT'S NOT TRUE. UH, WE DID ENFORCEMENT, BUT WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS A BED AVAILABLE IN ORDER TO DO THE ENFORCEMENT. SO WE WERE STILL DOING ENFORCEMENT. UM, BUT IN THE 12 MONTHS PRIOR, ABOUT 27 PEOPLE WENT THROUGH THE PROSECUTOR PROCESS AND WERE CONNECTED TO CASE MANAGEMENT, AND SIX WERE PLACED IN SHELTER HOUSING. IN THE SEVEN MONTHS SINCE GRANT PASS, 89 PEOPLE WERE CONNECTED TO CASE MANAGEMENT. SO THAT'S ALMOST FOUR TIMES HIGHER. UH, 37 PEOPLE WERE PLACED IN SHELTER, UM, AND HOUSING. SO, UH, THE PROSECUTOR THEN DOES HAVE THOSE TOOLS IS, UM, YOU GET THOSE CITATIONS AND THEN THEY CAN, UH, WORK WITH A JUDGE TO DECIDE, UH, WHETHER THE, UH, CITATIONS ARE REMOVED, UM, IF PEOPLE ARE ACCEPTING SERVICES. AND I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO OUR THOUGHT WITHIN THE SLIDE. UH, IT'S NOT SPEAKING NECESSARILY DIRECTLY TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN LONG BEACH, BUT LOOKING AT A MORE UNIVERSAL, UH, ASPECT TO, UM, CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT, UM, A [02:50:01] A BROADER VIEW AND LOOKING AT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES. SO THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY WHERE, UH, JURISDICTIONS HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE NINTH DISTRICT, THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO. BUT WE ARE NOW SEEING JURISDICTIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA THAT ARE PUTTING ON ORDINANCES THAT SPEAK TO, UH, INCARCERATION FOR, UH, REFUSING SERVICES OR BEING UNSHELTERED AND SLEEPING IN PUBLIC SPACE. SO, UH, AS WE LOOK AT THAT, WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE COST, THE EFFECTIVENESS, UH, AND THE OVERALL IMPACT. UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SEEING THAT PROVIDING SOMEBODY SHELTER THROUGH A JAIL CELL IS QUITE COSTLY, UH, AS WELL AS CAN PUT ADDITIONAL BARRIERS VERSUS A CITATION, WHICH IS NOT GONNA NECESSARILY SHOW UP ON SOMEBODY'S, UH, RECORD AND IS EASILY EXPUNGED VERSUS A LONGER STAY IN JAIL THAT, UH, MAY SHOW UP ON SOMEBODY'S, UH, RECORD WITH A, A MORE SIGNIFICANT CHARGE, UH, COULD CREATE BARRIERS. SO, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT. WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT, UH, DIFFERENT APPROACHES THAT ARE BEING TAKEN. AND SOME COMMUNITIES ARE, UH, UTILIZING JAIL AS A TOOL FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT, UH, ENGAGED IN SERVICES WITH MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS, UH, AND UTILIZING JAIL AS A POTENTIAL, UM, POTENTIAL ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM. ALL RIGHT. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE EXPLANATION. UM, AND I THINK THAT STAFF IS DOING GREAT JOB USING DISCRETION AND ENFORCEMENT. UM, JUST ONE MORE THING TO ADD TO WHAT OUR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY WAS TALKING ABOUT, UH, REGARDING CITING FOR SLEEPING IN PUBLIC. I THINK THIS IS ANOTHER TOUGH AREA THAT WE'RE ALL SEEING THROUGHOUT EVERY DISTRICT. UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THIS RECEIVING FILE AND REQUEST STAFF TO RETURN TO THE CITY COUNCIL WITHIN 45 DAYS WITH OPTIONS TO UPDATE THE SLEEPING AND VEHICLES ORDINANCE TO BE ENFORCEABLE. IS THAT AN APPROPRIATE MOTION? UH, VICE MAYOR, I THINK WHAT, UH, I'M HEARING COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN IS SAY IS THAT WHILE THIS IS A RECEIVING FILE, SHE'D LIKE, UH, THE TEAM TO COME BACK WITH THAT, UM, AT A FUTURE TIME. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY AN AMENDMENT SO MUCH AS A REQUEST FOR THAT TO BE BROUGHT BACK AS PART OF THIS ITEM, WHICH IS APPROPRIATE. SO IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE A FRIENDLY, I'M JUST ASKING FOR INFORMATION OPTIONS FOR THE SLEEPING IN VEHICLES ORDINANCE SO WE CAN DISCUSS IT MORE. YEAH. SO I THINK, UH, STAFF JUST NEEDS SOME DIRECTION ON WHAT YOU'D LIKE THEM, ALL OF US TO BE BRINGING BACK, UM, AS SORT OF A FOLLOW UP FROM THIS ITEM. IN OTHER WORDS, AMMO IS NOT REQUIRED. YOU READ AN INQUIRY, YOU'D NEED MORE INFORMATION. I THINK STAFF WILL BE PROVIDING THAT. THANK YOU, YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS. WELL, THAT IS SOMETHING I DO WANT TO GET A SENSE OF THE COUNCIL THAT IS TAKING US IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. SO, UM, THAT'S FINE. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. BUT WE WOULD LIKE SOME DIRECTION THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT OF THE COUNCIL TO, TO DO THAT AND TO BRING THAT BACK. IF THAT'S WHERE YOU'D LIKE TO GO. MAYBE, MAYBE I CAN JUMP IN. COUNCILWOMAN, I AM, THIS IS AN ISSUE. YOU YEP. THIS IS AN ISSUE YOU WANT TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK ON. I DO. I COME BACK WITH OPTIONS ON, ON THIS ORDINANCE. THE WAY I, THE, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, IS THIS, THIS ISN'T AN ORDINANCE, RIGHT? THIS, UM, IS WE'RE PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON OUR POLICY MEMO ON HOW WE ADDRESSED RANCH'S PAST, WHICH EXISTS IN MULTIPLE ORDINANCES. I THINK SHE'S ASKING FOR SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC, COME BACK, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THIS SPECIFIC AREA ENFORCEMENT AROUND VEHICLES AND TELL US WHAT COULD BE DONE, WHETHER IT'S PROGRAMMATIC OR POLICY-WISE ON THAT ISSUE. SO COME BACK WHAT'S POSSIBLE. I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S BEING ASKED, WHICH COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH A TWO FROM FOUR. DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT? BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY IS THE UPDATE ON, UM, ABSOLUTELY. WE'RE, WE'RE DISCUSSING SOMETHING DIFFERENT. RIGHT. BUT I THINK THIS TIES INTO DISCUSSIONS THAT EVERYONE HAS SPOKEN ABOUT. IT CAME OUT OF THIS CONVERSATION. EXACTLY. SO COMING BACK, I THINK IT SHOULD COME TO COUNCIL AS SOME OPTIONS FOR THE SLEEPING IN VEHICLES ORDINANCE. I WOULD, I WOULD SAY, UH, YOU, THE COUNCIL CAN DISCUSS THAT, BUT I THINK IT NEEDS A LITTLE BIT. I THINK YOU PROBABLY NEED TO DO A LITTLE MORE WORK ON THIS OKAY. BEFORE IT'S READY FOR PRIME TIME. BUT I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE, WHERE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING [02:55:01] THIS SPECIFIC ELEMENT YOU WANNA DO A LITTLE MORE WORK ON. SURE. AND SEE WHAT'S POSSIBLE. OKAY. WELL, I'LL TALK WITH TOM AND I GUESS SPEAK WITH OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS. YEAH, I I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD, TOM, YOU UNDERSTAND THE DIRECTION. YEAH, I UNDERSTAND. UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I NEED. UM, IF WE GOT CONSENTS TO THE COUNCIL ON THAT, WE CAN, WE CAN SPEND SOME TIME. 45 DAYS IS KIND OF SHORT. UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE ATTORNEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO DURING THAT TIME. BUT I THINK WE UNDERSTAND, CREATE SOME OPTIONS AND, AND COME BACK. UM, AND I THINK FROM OUR OFFICE, IF YOU'RE REFERRING TO SPECIFICALLY FROM OUR OFFICE, I KNOW THAT WE MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL THAT WE CAN REVISE SO THAT IT IS CONSTITUTIONAL. SO WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO WAYS TO DO THAT AND BRING THAT EXACTLY. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M REFERRING TO. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I THINK WE'RE MEETING EVERYONE'S NEEDS HERE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH INTO, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, SO FIRST I JUST WANNA THANK, UH, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AS WELL AS THE CITY STAFF FOR TAKING SO MUCH TIME ON SUCH A CRITICAL ISSUE. I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF TIME, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AS IT IS A MATTER THAT IS OF HEIGHTENED INTEREST, UM, FOR A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY. UM, JUST A FEW COMMENTS. MANY OF THEM HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE TIME. I PROBABLY WON'T ASK QUESTIONS. I JUST WANNA RUN THROUGH A FEW THINGS THAT I THINK I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DOUBLE CLICK ON. UM, SO I AM JUST QUITE PLEASED AT THE INTERDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF THE TEAM THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT TOGETHER IN ORDER TO, UM, ADDRESS THESE MATTERS. UM, NOT JUST INTERDEPARTMENTAL, BUT YOU CAN HEAR AND SEE THE VARIOUS EXPERTISE, UM, THAT EACH DEPARTMENT BRINGS. AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. UH, WHEN GRANTS PASS, UH, VS. JOHNSON CAME DOWN, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS QUITE A DELICATE MATTER FOR I THINK ADVOCATES AS WELL AS THOSE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE IMPLEMENT THIS, UM, WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WANNA ENSURE THAT THERE IS ACCESS TO PUBLIC SPACES, THE PARKS WE WORK SO HARD TO MAKE AVAILABLE FOR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES, UM, OUR PUBLIC, UH, OTHER FACILITIES, WHILE ALSO SEPARATING CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AND ACTIVITY. AND THAT IS REALLY, REALLY, YOU KNOW, AT THE CRUX OF HOW I FEEL LIKE, UH, LONG BEACH HAS MOVED FORWARD, UM, I BELIEVE IN THE OUTREACH FIRST METHOD. SO I WANNA THANK, UM, THE CITY STAFF FOR PRIORITIZING CARE AND COMPASSION OVER CRIMINALIZATION AND THE EFFORT AND THE CARE THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN, UH, TO MEET WITH OUR UNHOUSED, UM, NEIGHBORS IN OUR COMMUNITY. I DO WANT TO, AND THIS IS AN AREA WHERE HOPEFULLY YOU'LL TAKE A, JUST A COUPLE OF NOTES. UM, ONE OF THE AREAS WE'VE FOCUSED ON SO FAR, UM, SITES THAT ARE SQUARELY WITHIN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND ARE HIGH PROFILED AND ARE VERY CRITICAL, UM, TO BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'VE STARTED WITH THOSE AREAS. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL AREAS, UM, THAT WE ARE CONNECTED TO, SO THAT BE MAYBE THE WESTERN, UH, BORDER OF OUR, UM, OF OUR CITY WHERE THE RIVERBED, UM, MAY BE INVOLVED OR THE RAILROAD TRACKS, THESE ARE AREAS THAT ALSO HAVE PERSISTENT LEVELS OF ENCAMPMENT, UM, THAT NEED ATTENTION AS WELL. BUT I KNOW BECAUSE OF THE MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL, UM, NATURE OF THEM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT. UM, BUT AS THE MAYOR HAS POINTED OUT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M HOPEFUL BY IS THAT THE STATE RESOURCES THAT WE DID RECEIVE, UM, THAT WILL ALLOW US TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE RIVERBED, UM, GIVE US A CHANCE TO TEST OUT THE MUSCLES OF JURIS MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL ACTION AND ACTIVITY. UM, SO THAT WE LEARN HOW TO DO THAT, UM, IN A EVEN MORE. UM, AND YOU'VE ALREADY OUTLINED SOME FANTASTIC LESSONS LEARNED THAT I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE, UM, TO THE RIVERBED AND THE WORK THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING THERE. SO ALL OF THESE POLICIES, UM, AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE IN TERMS OF INTERVENTION, WE KNOW IT WORKS. UM, IT'S BEEN OUTLINED HERE AND WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE TRUST ONGOING, UH, OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT. BUT IN THE END, WE ALSO NEED ACCESS TO NOT ONLY TEMPORARY BUT PERMANENT, UH, HOUSING SOLUTIONS. AND THAT IS THE CRITICAL PIECE THAT, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY HAS STEPPED UP TO DO. AND SO WE WILL HAVE SOME RESOURCES, UM, BUT AS WAS ELEVATED HERE, WE EXPECT THE STATE TO DO THE SAME THING AS WELL, ESPECIALLY IF THE STATE EXPECTS US TO GO OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEARING THESE ENCAMPMENTS. SO WHILE WE DO OUR WORK HERE AT THE CITY, WE ARE ALSO EXPECTING THAT WE HAVE REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE PARTNERS TO ASSIST WITH THAT. UM, SO WITH THAT, I WILL, UM, YIELD MY TIME IF YOU WANNA SHARE SOMETHING. PAUL, YOU LOOKED EXCITED ABOUT MY MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL, UH, CONVERSATION. YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO SO. UM, BUT I WANNA THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR, UM, JUST ENGAGEMENT AT THIS HOUR ON THIS TOPIC IN [03:00:01] THIS WAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CARR. YES, THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR RAISING PAUL. HAD SOMETHING APPRECIATE. YEAH. OH, I'M SORRY. I WAS JUST GONNA SAY INNER JURISDICTIONAL, WE HAVE SOME GOOD PARTNERS AND WE HAVE SOME PARTNERS THAT COULD BE MORE ENGAGED IN THAT SPACE. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT AND CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE ENGAGED IN. SO WE ALL KNOW WHO WE KNOW, WE KNOW WHO WE'RE NOT GONNA NAME NO NEEDS. YEAH. WE ALL KNOW . THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR, UM, REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS AND CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT WE'VE SAID MULTIPLE TIMES IS A COMPLICATED AND MULTI-LAYERED ISSUE THAT ALL OF OUR, THAT ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS ARE FACING. UM, I APPRECIATE THE DEDICATED WORK OF THE TEAM. UM, THE DEEP CARE THAT YOU SHOW TO OUR UNHOUSED RESIDENTS AS WELL AS THE FOLKS WHO ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THEM IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT. FROM, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, FROM HOMELESS SERVICES, FROM OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR QUALITY OF LIFE OFFICERS, THE WHOLE TEAM, UM, REALLY IS UNIFORM IN STEP WITH CARE AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. UM, AND MUCH HAS BEEN SAID, SO I'LL JUST MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS. UM, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE IN TARGETED AREAS. WE KNOW THAT THOSE ENTRENCHED ENCAMPMENTS AND LONG-TERM SITES, AND SOME OF THE FIRST VOLUNTEER WORK I DID AS A MIDDLE SCHOOLER IN THE CITY WAS WORKING WITH UNHOUSED FOLKS AND BRINGING MEALS TO LINCOLN PARK WAY BACK IN THE DAY. SO WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A DECADES LONG PROBLEM THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH. UM, CIRCUMSTANCES MAY BE DIFFERENT, BUT WE KNOW THAT FOLKS ARE UNIFORMLY EXPERIENCING SOME OF THE SAME TRAUMAS AND EXPERIENCES AS THEY DID ALL OF THOSE YEARS AGO. UM, SO I THANK YOU FOR THE COMMITTED WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE. UM, AND WE KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN IMPROVEMENT IN SOME OF THOSE TARGETED AREAS AND HAS, BUT BEEN MUCH NEEDED. UM, BUT THE THING THAT WE TALK ABOUT A LOT IS THAT THE REAL SOLUTION IS HOUSING, ALL TYPES OF HOUSING, EMERGENCY HOUSING, TEMPORARY HOUSING, LONG-TERM HOUSING, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, AND PERMANENT HOUSING TO DO THIS. SO WHEN WE WORK IN SOME AREAS AND WE GET SOME FOLKS HOUSED, WE KNOW THAT OTHER PARTS OF TOWN ARE THEN IMPACTED BY FOLKS WHO GET MOVED AROUND BECAUSE THERE AREN'T BED, THERE AREN'T ENOUGH BEDS AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK EVERY COUNCIL OFFICE CAN SAY, WE GET CALLS FROM CONSTITUENTS OF, THERE'S AN UNHOUSED PERSON HERE, CAN THEY GO SOMEWHERE? AND THE BIG QUESTION IS, WHERE'S THE SOMEWHERE AND HOW ARE WE DOING ALL OF THAT WORK IN A JURISDICTIONALLY IS THE COUNTY, IS THE STATE HA MONEY GOING AWAY? LIKE ALL OF THESE FACTORS THAT IMP IMPACT, UM, WHAT PEOPLE REALLY WANT IS THAT PEOPLE ARE CARED FOR. AND SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, ESPECIALLY IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES AROUND POLICY AND, UM, FUNDING. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, WE TALK ABOUT THOSE IMPACTED AREAS. I I REPRESENT A DISTRICT THAT HAS TWO RIVER BEDS AND RAILROAD TRACKS AND PARKS, UM, AND FLOOD CONTROL AREAS. SO WHEN WE THINK OF THE, OF WHO'S IMPACTED, WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE IMPACTED ACROSS THE CITY, AND I APPRECIATE, UM, THE NUMBERS YOU GAVE ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING OUTSIDE OF THE TARGET AREAS AS WELL, UM, AND CARING FOR FOLKS ACROSS THE CITY. AND THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT. UM, I, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT FOLKS SLEEPING IN THEIR VEHICLES. YOU KNOW, MY TEAM PARTICIPATED IN THE HOMELESS COUNT THIS YEAR AND WE COUNTED A LOT OF FOLKS LIVING IN THEIR CARS WHO HAVE THE FINANCES TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR CAR, THEIR CAR REGISTRATION, THEIR GYM MEMBERSHIP SO THAT THEY CAN WAKE UP AND GO TO WORK IN THE MORNING AND THEN FIND A SAFE PLACE TO SLEEP. AND SO THAT TOO IS A COMPLICATED AND LAYERED CONVERSATION ABOUT WHO IS SLEEPING IN THEIR CAR AND WHY IS IT A STUDENT? IS IT SOMEONE WITH A REALLY GOOD JOB, JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD RENT? SO I LOOK FORWARD TO A CONVERSATION THAT IS ALSO CENTERED IN CARE WHEN WE HAVE THAT. SO I APPRECIATE THAT AND JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE AND THE WORK. UM, IT'S BEEN A LONG, UM, 10 MONTHS OF GATHERING DATA AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE ENGAGEMENT TONIGHT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WELL I WANNA THANK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THEIR QUESTIONS. I WANNA THANK STAFF AGAIN FOR ALL OF, UH, THIS BODY OF WORK, UH, AND THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR, UH, UH, WORKING TOGETHER WITH US AS WE NAVIGATE THIS. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS EVOLVING AND SHIFTING LANDSCAPE AROUND ACCOUNTABILITY AND HOMELESSNESS, WHICH IS A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE. A LOT OF DISCUSSION TONIGHT ON WHAT RESOURCES AND WHAT REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE COLLABORATION IS THERE. UH, TOMORROW I'LL BE JOINING, UM, THE BIG CITY MAYORS, UH, IN SACRAMENTO FOR A PRESS CONFERENCE CALLING FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE HAP DOLLARS. UH, AS WE ENGAGE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, UH, WISH US LUCK, WE'RE GOING TO BAT TO TRY TO BRING HOME, UM, RESOURCES. UM, I WANNA ALSO LIFT UP COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN'S REQUEST. WE WANNA DO MORE WORK AND FIND OUT WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE AROUND, UM, THE, THE CAR ISSUE. SO, YOU KNOW, MAKE [03:05:01] SURE YOU, YOU KNOW, TAKE SOME TIME AND SEE WHAT, WHAT'S POSSIBLE IN CASE THE COUNCIL WANTS TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME, UM, SOME SHARPENING TO DO IN THAT POINT. THAT SAID, THIS CONCLUDES THIS DISCUSSION. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTIONS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW GO TO ITEM 19. PLEASE REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION, PROVIDING A SECOND UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY'S SIDEWALK VENDING ORDINANCE [19. 25-55261 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation from City Manager, Financial Management, and Health and Human Services Departments providing a second update on the implementation of the City’s Sidewalk Vending Ordinance. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Manager; Financial Management; Health and Human Services         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] CITYWIDE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, WE'LL GO TO STAFF. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US A LITTLE TIME TO SWITCH OUT. UM, SO THIS IS ANOTHER BIG UPDATE. THIS IS SOMETHING THE COUNCIL ASKED US TO LOOK AT ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO. UH, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON SIDEWALK, UH, VENDING AND SO, UH, THE ISSUES HERE WON'T BE NEW TO ANYBODY HERE, BUT YOU ASKED US TO THEN, UH, UH, COME BACK ABOUT SIX MONTHS LATER AND SEE WHERE ARE WE. SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DATA TO SHOW WITH YOU, UH, TONIGHT. UH, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THAT AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS WE CAN. UH, BUT, UH, THE LAST TIME WE'RE IN FRONT OF YOU, WE WERE JUST STARTING SOME OF OUR ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS AND DIDN'T HAVE, UH, ALL THE PIECES KIND OF WORKED OUT. WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS IN SIX MONTHS, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT, UH, WE ALSO, UH, AT THAT TIME DIDN'T HAVE MANY PEOPLE APPROVED THROUGH A HEALTH PERMIT. AND, UH, WE'VE MADE PROGRESS ON THAT AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE SOME OF THE STORIES, UH, FOR THOSE THAT HAVE GOTTEN LEGAL AND GONE THROUGH OUR PROCESS. UH, SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO GRACE YOON, OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND HER TEAM TO, UH, KICK US OFF ON THE PROCESS. AND, UH, THEN WE'LL TAKE COUNCIL QUESTIONS AND COMMUNITY INPUT. GREAT, THANK YOU TOM. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. TODAY'S PRESENTATION IS A FOLLOW-UP TO THE UPDATE WE SHARED IN OCTOBER ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SIDEWALK FENDING ORDINANCE IMPLEMENTATION. SO A, AS TOM MENTIONED, AS WITH COUNCIL'S REQUEST, WE'RE PROVIDING THIS SECOND UPDATE TO SHARE PROGRESS, ONGOING CHALLENGES AND NEXT STEPS. I'LL BE WALKING YOU THROUGH THE PRESENTATION THIS EVENING, AND I'M JOINED BY TARA MORTENSON, OUR, UH, BUREAU MANAGER OF BUSINESS RELATIONS AND JUDITH LONG BUREAU MANAGER OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. WE ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, ALONG WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM WHO ARE ALSO PRESENT HERE TONIGHT. WE'LL BE PROVIDING A BRIEF BACKGROUND ON THE ORDINANCE AS A REVIEW, AND THEN WE'LL WALK THROUGH THE UPDATES IN THE FOLLOWING KEY AREAS, EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION EFFORTS, PERMITTING IN THE SIDEWALK TO SUCCESS PROGRAM ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES. AND FINALLY, WE'LL CLOSE WITH NEXT STEPS. SO LET'S START WITH A QUICK REMINDER ON THE BACKGROUND OF THE ORDINANCE. AS DISCUSSED DURING THE PREVIOUS OCTOBER PRESENTATION, CALIFORNIA'S SAFE SIDEWALK VENDING ACT OR SB 9 46 WENT INTO EFFECT IN 2019 AND DECRIMINALIZED SIDEWALK VENDING. IN RESPONSE, THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED A LOCAL ORDINANCE WITH A GOAL OF CREATING A CLEAR PATHWAY FOR VENDORS TO OPERATE LEGALLY SUPPORTING AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, WHILE ALSO PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE. A BUSINESS LICENSE AND SIDEWALK VENDING PERMIT AND INSURANCE ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL VENDORS. MOST VENDORS SELLING FOOD ITEMS WILL ALSO NEED A CITY HEALTH PERMIT DEPENDENT UPON THE TYPE OF BUSINESS. THE ORDINANCE ALSO OUTLINES RULES TO PROTECT THE SIDEWALK RIGHT OF WAY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND ENSURE A DA ACCESSIBILITY FOOD VENDORS MUST FOLLOW STATE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODES TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY AND ENFORCEMENT TOOLS. ALSO INCLUDE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS AND STATE AUTHORIZED FOOD SAFETY ACTIONS IF THERE IS A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK. HERE IS A QUICK TIMELINE TO SHOW HOW THINGS HAVE ROLLED OUT. THE ORDINANCE TOOK EFFECT ON FEBRUARY 29TH, 2024, ALONG WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE SIDEWALK TO SUCCESS PROGRAM, WHICH COVERED PERMITS, LICENSE AND INSURANCE COSTS FOR VENDORS. WE ALSO KICKED OFF THE EDUCATION FIRST CAMPAIGN, FOCUSING ON OUTREACH BEFORE ANY ENFORCEMENT BEGAN. ENFORCEMENT STARTED IN JULY, 2024. THE FREE CART PROGRAM LAUNCHED IN AUGUST, 2024, AND WE GAVE OUR FIRST IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE IN OCTOBER. THEN IN JANUARY, WE PILOTED THE COMPLAINT RESPONSE TEAM, AND SINCE THEN, A FEW MEMOS HAVE GONE OUT ON THE PROPOSED EXTENSION AND ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SIDEWALK TO SUCCESS PROGRAM. AND THAT BRINGS US TO TODAY OUR SECOND UPDATE. SO WE'D LIKE TO START OUR UPDATES TALKING ABOUT THE EDUCATION, COMMUNICATION, AND ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS WITH VENDORS AND THE COMMUNITY PER COUNCIL DIRECTION. STAFF LAUNCHED A ROBUST EDUCATION CAMPAIGN EARLY ON, FOCUSED ON HELPING VENDORS UNDERSTAND THE NEW REQUIREMENTS AND REDUCING BARRIERS TO COMPLIANCE. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT [03:10:01] WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO COUNCIL. WHEN WE FIRST IMPLEMENTED THE ORDINANCE, REDUCING THE BARRIERS TO COMPLIANCE, WE HOSTED A SERIES OF IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS, PARTNERED WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS AND HELD, HELD STAKEHOLDER ROUND TABLES TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND HEAR FEEDBACK. STAFF ALSO DID DIRECT OUTREACH IN THE FIELD, ENGAGING VENDORS WHERE THEY OPERATE AND STAYED AVAILABLE BY PHONE, EMAIL, AND IN PERSON ALTOGETHER. WE HAVE HAD HUNDREDS OF ONE-ON-ONE INTERACTIONS THROUGH THIS EFFORT DURING THIS EARLY PERIOD. AS PART OF THE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, STAFF DEVELOPED A FULL SET OF MATERIALS TO SUPPORT VENDORS. THIS INCLUDED TRANSLATED VIDEO PRESENTATIONS, ILLUSTRATED GUIDES, FLYERS, FAQS, AND OTHER RESOURCES, ALL AVAILABLE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGE LANGUAGES TO ENSURE ACCESSIBILITY. WE'VE CONTINUED TO PRIORITIZE BEING ACCESSIBLE AND SUPPORTIVE TO VENDORS IN THE COMMUNITY. SINCE LAST OCTOBER, HEALTH HAS ESTABLISHED WEEKLY OFFICE HOURS WHERE VENDORS CAN WALK IN AND RECEIVE ASSISTANCE. WE HAVE 19 APPLICANTS USE THIS RESOURCE SO FAR, AND IT'S SHOWING POSITIVE RESULTS AS FOUR OF THESE 19 HAVE GONE ON TO RECEIVE A FREE CART THROUGH THE CITY. BUSINESS LICENSE STAFF ARE ALSO AVAILABLE IN PERSON MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, AND OUR INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM HAS CONTINUED MEETING WITH VARIOUS STAKEHOLDER GROUPS TO LISTEN, ANSWER QUESTIONS AND SHARE INFORMATION. AND OUR BUSINESS NAVIGATOR PARTNERS ARE STILL ACTIVELY PROVIDING WORKSHOPS AND ONE-ON-ONE HELP FOR VENDORS. SINCE OCTOBER, WE'VE ALSO FINALIZED AND RELEASED A NEW INFORMATIONAL BOOKLET FOR SIDEWALK VENDING. IT INCLUDES VISUAL ILLUSTRATIONS TO HELP EXPLAIN LOCATION AND DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS, MAKING IT EASIER FOR VENDORS TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO STAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SAFETY RULES. WE'RE ALSO GETTING READY TO LAUNCH AN INTERACTIVE MAP THAT HIGHLIGHTS AREAS ACROSS LONG BEACH WHERE VENDING IS ALLOWED LIMITED OR RESTRICTED. THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT PROJECT LED BY OUR MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT, ADRIANA OCHOA, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION TEAM. AND WE'RE EXCITED TO KEEP BUILDING TOOLS THAT SUPPORT BOTH COMPLIANCE AND A THRIVING VENDOR ECONOMY. SINCE OCTOBER, WE'VE FORMED AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL DATA TEAM TO IMPROVE HOW WE COLLECT, ANALYZE, AND MANAGE SIDEWALK VENDING DATA ACROSS DEPARTMENTS. AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON KEY PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS LIKE BUILDING PUBLIC DASHBOARDS, AND WE'VE STILL MADE SURE WHILE WE ARE WORKING ON THIS TO KEEP KEY STATS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. WE'VE BEEN UPDATING THE SIDEWALK VENDING WEBSITE MONTHLY WITH DATA ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PERMITS, COMPLAINTS, AND ENFORCEMENT STATS. WE'VE ALSO IMPROVED THE SIDEWALK VENDING WEBSITE TO MAKE IT MORE USER FRIENDLY AND BETTER ORGANIZED WITH MORE RESOURCES AND CLEAR INFORMATION SO IT CAN SERVE AND CONTINUE TO SERVE AS A ONE STOP SHOP FOR EVERYTHING VENDORS NEED. WE'VE ALSO STAYED ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WORKING WITH OUR PIO TEAMS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS TO SHARE UPDATES, PROMOTE RESOURCES, AND KEEP ENGAGEMENT GOING ON WITH THE COMMUNITY. WE'VE ALSO CONTINUED ENGAGING WITH THE MEDIA THROUGH NEWS MENTIONS, BROADCAST SEGMENTS, AND BY RESPONDING TO INCOMING MEDIA INQUIRIES TO HELP KEEP THE PUBLIC INFORMED. HERE'S A QUOTE FROM ONE OF OUR FREE CART RECIPIENTS, THE CITY, THE STAFF, THEY WERE COMMUNICATING WITH ME. THEY WERE VERY DILIGENT WITH TALKING AND WORKING WITH US. THIS PROGRAM IS AWESOME, AND HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHEN WE WERE FEATURED ON GOOD DAY LA AND I HAVE A CLIP FOR YOU ALL HERE. LA COUNTY CITY CHAMPIONS. IT'S SIDEWALK VENDORS WITH A FREE FOOD CARD GIVEAWAY FOR ELIGIBLE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. COCO MACA BOY IS LIVE IN LONG BEACH WITH MORE ON SIDEWALK FOR SUCCESS. GOOD MORNING. HEY THERE. THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAS A LOT OF GREAT INITIATIVES AND THIS IS REALLY ONE OF THEM BECAUSE IT DOES HELP THOSE MICRO BUSINESSES IN LONG BEACH TO SUCCEED WITH THE FREE FOOD CARTS. AND I'M HERE WITH JENNIFER RICE EPSTEIN, THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. TELL US ALL ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO LAST YEAR WE LAUNCHED OUR SIDEWALKS A SUCCESS PROGRAM, WHICH IS REALLY, AS YOU SAID, IT'S ABOUT SUPPORTING MICRO BUSINESSES AND MAKING SURE THAT FOOD-BASED BUSINESSES THAT WANNA OPERATE A SIDEWALK VENDORS CAN DO SO LEGALLY AND SAFELY. UM, AND SINCE WE'VE STARTED, WE'VE GIVEN AWAY, UH, FOUR CARTS SO FAR. WE'VE GOT ANOTHER 40 APPLICATIONS IN THE QUEUE, AND IT'S JUST BEEN, IT'S BEEN VERY POPULAR AND JUST SUCH A, SUCH A GREAT BOON TO OUR, TO OUR CITY. YES, AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE WHY IT'S SO POPULAR. I'M SO EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT ASHLEY ARNOLD HERE, THE OWNER OF LADY CAKES. I LOVE YOUR CART. TELL US ALL ABOUT LADY CAKES. SO LADY CAKES STARTED AS [03:15:01] A HOBBY, A PASSION PROJECT, AND THEN IT BLOSSOMED INTO MY BUSINESS. SO I OFFER A LOT OF, UM, DIFFERENT TREATS, OF COURSE, CAKES, COOKIES, BROWNIES, MY LITTLE LADY CAKES HERE, WHICH ARE MY SIGNATURE ITEM. AND THEN MY NEW DESSERT CART ALLOWS ME TO OFFER WARM COOKIES AND BROWNIES ALL OVER THE CITY. YES, I LOVE THAT. ALL RIGHT, SO THAT'S A GREAT SEGUE INTO OUR NEXT UPDATE CATEGORY, THE SIDEWALK WELL BEFORE YOU, BEFORE YOU MOVE ON. YES. WHY DIDN'T YOU BRING THE CAKES HERE TONIGHT, , THAT WOULD WOULD'VE BEEN A BETTER EFFECT. THAT WAS A, A FATAL MISSED CALL ON OUR PART. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. FORGIVE ME. ALL RIGHT. SO ONWARD TO THE SIDEWALK TO SUCCESS PROGRAM. AS A REMINDER, THE SIDEWALK TO SUCCESS PROGRAM IS A SUPPORT PROGRAM DESIGNED TO EASE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN FOR VENDORS AND AGAIN, REDUCE THE BARRIERS OF ENTRY INTO COMPLIANCE. THE FIRST PHASE OF THAT PROGRAM COVERS THE COST OF BUSINESS LICENSE AND HEALTH PERMIT FEES AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENTS FOR INSURANCE IN THE FIRST YEAR. AND THAT SUPPORT HAS NOW BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH FEBRUARY, 2026. THE SECOND PHASE WAS THE FREE CART PROGRAM LAUNCHED LAST AUGUST, WHICH PROVIDES ELIGIBLE VENDORS WITH FULLY COMPLIANT VENDING CARTS AT NO COST. AND MOST RECENTLY, IN A MEMO RELEASED ON MAY 13TH, STAFF PROPOSED EXPANDING THE PROGRAM TO ALSO OFFER GRANTS SO ELIGIBLE VENDORS CAN COVER ELIGIBLE COSTS NEEDED TO MEET ALL PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS AND SUCCESSFULLY COMMIT THE PERMITTING PROCESS. SO I'LL SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. HOW WOULD THE GRANT PROGRAM WORK VENDORS COULD RECEIVE UP TO 3000 IF THEY ARE GETTING A FREE CART THROUGH THE CITY'S CART PROGRAM OR UP TO 8,000 IF THEY'RE PURSUING A HEALTH PERMIT ON THEIR OWN OUTSIDE OF THE CART. PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY WOULD GENERALLY FOLLOW THE SAME CRITERIA AS THE FREE CART PROGRAM. THINGS LIKE LIVING AND OPERATING IN LONG BEACH, BEING A SMALL BUSINESS OPERATING ONE CART, HAVING A COMPLETED BUSINESS LICENSE AND HEALTH APPLICATION BEING IN GOOD STANDING AND GRANTS WOULD BE LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON OR BUSINESS. AND THE GRANTS COULD GO TOWARDS EXPENSES LIKE TRAILER TO TRANSPORT A CART, A COMMISSARY KITCHEN DEPOSIT, OR OTHER ELIGIBLE ITEMS SHOWN ON THE SLIDE. SO THIS PROGRAM REALLY AIMS TO EXPAND THE ALLOWABLE USES OF THIS CURRENT SIDEWALK TO SUCCESS PROGRAM FUND. SO IT'S NOT ADDING ANY MONEY TO THE BUDGET, IT'S JUST ALLOWING THE USES OF THE CURRENT BUDGET THAT WE HAVE TO BE EXPANDED TO SUPPORT SOME OF THESE FOOD VENDORS THAT WE'VE ENCOUNTERED. AND, AND ONE EXAMPLE I CAN GIVE IS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD A VENDOR WHO WAS ALMOST READY TO GET A FREE CART. THEY HAD REACHED THAT POINT IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS WHERE THEY HAVE SHOWN BUSINESS READINESS, BUT THE ONE PIECE THAT THEY WERE MISSING WAS THAT THEY COULDN'T AFFORD TO PURCHASE A TRAILER TO TRANSPORT THEIR CART, WHICH IS A REQUIREMENT. SO THEY WERE STUCK AND WE WERE STUCK. IF THEY WERE ABLE TO SHOW US THAT THEY HAD A TRAILER, WE WERE READY TO GIVE THEM A CART AND PERMIT THEM. BUT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS A, A, A STOPPING POINT AT THAT TIME. HERE ARE SOME OF THE KEY UPDATES ON THE SIDEWALK TO SUCCESS PROGRAM. WE'VE APPROVED 33 BUSINESS LICENSE TO DATE, BUSINESS LICENSES TO DATE, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE THAT SINCE LA LAST OCTOBER WHERE THERE WERE ZERO APPROVED HEALTH PERMITS, WE'VE NOW SUCCESSFULLY APPROVED EIGHT HEALTH PERMITS. WE'VE FULLY DISTRIBUTED FIVE FREE CARTS TO ELIGIBLE VENDORS, AND ALL OF THESE VENDORS HAVE HAD THEIR FEES AND INSURANCE COSTS COVERED THROUGH THE PROGRAM. AND LASTLY, WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT THROUGH OUR INCLUSIVE BUSINESS NAVIGATOR AND BIZ CARE TEAMS. AND AGAIN, AS WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT VENDORS COMING INTO COMPLIANCE, AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS TRAJECTORY, WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE ENTREPRENEURS CONTRIBUTING TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. UM, THESE ARE THE VENDORS BEHIND THE NUMBERS. WE HAVE BRENDAN MCGOWAN, OWNER OF WHALE FACE MISSUMI. HE LEARNED ABOUT THE PROGRAM THROUGH LONG BEACH POST, AND HE HOPES TO GROW HIS GRILL CART INTO A BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESS. ONE DAY. WE HAVE JUANA MARILLO, OWNER OF PALETA MARILLO CONNECTED WITH THROUGH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OUTREACH, AND NOW BRINGS REFRESHING PTAS TO LONG BEACH NEIGHBORHOODS USING A NEW CITY PROVIDED ICE CREAM CART. AND OPHELIA IS INSPIRED BY HER LOVE OF NATURAL JUICES, DISCOVERED THE PROGRAM THROUGH A FRIEND, AND SEES IT AS A LIFELINE FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES OR CAREGIVING RESPONSIBILITIES, SEEKING MEANINGFUL WORK. SO WE'RE PROUD TO SUPPORT VENDORS LIKE THESE WHO ARE COMING INTO COMPLIANCE AS PART OF OUR MICRO BUSINESS ECONOMY IN LONG BEACH. AND STAFF ARE CONTINUING TO SEEK OUT WHAT WE CAN DO ON OUR END TO SUPPORT VENDORS THROUGH THE PROCESS TO GET SUCCESSFULLY PERMITTED. [03:20:03] ALL RIGHT, SO TURNING TO OUR ENFORCEMENT UPDATE AS A REMINDER, SB 9 46 BROADLY DEFINES WHO QUALIFIES AS A SIDEWALK VENDOR AND LIMITS ENFORCEMENTS TO ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDIES ONLY. THE ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS FOR SIDEWALK VENDING ARE LED BY TWO KEY KEY DEPARTMENTS IN LONG BEACH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH BUREAU, WHO ENFORCES THE STATE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE IN THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT'S BUSINESS LICENSE DIVISION, WHO ENFORCES THE SIDEWALK VENDING ORDINANCE. AND WE HAVE MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SUPPORT. AS LISTED ON THE SLIDE, WE CURRENTLY USE AN ESCALATING ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY THAT BEGINS WITH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, GRADUALLY MOVING TOWARDS MORE SERIOUS ACTIONS AS NEEDED. THIS SLIDE OUTLINES THE RANGE OF ENFORCEMENT TOOLS AVAILABLE TO BUSINESS LICENSE AND HEALTH STAFF, STARTING WITH WARNINGS AND NOTICES AND POTENTIALLY ESCALATING TO IMPOUNDING EQUIPMENT OR DISCARDING FOOD WHEN NECESSARY. AND ANOTHER ELEVATED ENFORCEMENT TOOL LISTED HERE IS PURSUING A CIVIL NUISANCE ACTION CLAIM THROUGH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WHICH I'LL TOUCH UPON LATER IN A LATER SLIDE. BASED ON OUR AVAILABLE RESOURCES, ENFORCEMENT IS CARRIED OUT USING A COMPLAINT BASED MODEL. THIS MEANS WE MONITOR ALL INCOMING SIDEWALK VENDING COMPLAINTS AND PRIORITIZE ENFORCEMENT IN AREAS WITH THE HIGHEST COMPLAINT VOLUME. SINCE THE ORDINANCE TOOK EFFECT, WE'VE TRACKED APPROXIMATELY AN AVERAGE OF 600 COMPLAINTS, BOTH FOR BUSINESS LICENSE AND HEALTH. WE'RE ALSO IN THE FINAL STAGES OF DEVELOPING A NEW INTERNAL COMPLAINT TRACKING SYSTEM, WHICH INCLUDES PROCESS UPDATES ACROSS BOTH DEPARTMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GO LONG BEACH APP PLATFORM. THESE UPDATES WILL ALLOW US TO BETTER CATEGORIZE AND TRACK THE TYPE OF COMPLAINTS, IDENTIFY WHICH DEPARTMENT EACH COMPLAINT APPLIES TO, OR BOTH IF BOTH ARE INVOLVED AND MORE EASILY MAP COMPLAINT LOCATIONS. WE ANTICIPATE LAUNCHING THIS UPDATED SYSTEM AND MAP IN JUNE FOR NOW, WHILE WE ARE WAITING TO LAUNCH THE NEW COMPLAINT TRACKING PROCESS. UM, FOR TODAY'S PRESENTATION, WE'VE INCLUDED A MANUALLY CREATED MAP THAT SHOWS THE LOCATIONS OF COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY THE BUSINESS LICENSE TEAM. SINCE THE ORDINANCE WENT INTO EFFECT, HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS ISSUED 137 CEASE AND DESIST ORDERS, AND ALSO ISSUED THREE NOTICES OF VIOLATIONS, WHICH ARE TIED TO AN OFFICE HEARING REQUEST. HOWEVER, THE USE OF THIS ENFORCEMENT TOOL, THE NVS, THE NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND OFFICE HEARING HAS BEEN LIMITED AS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS, UM, ASSESSING ITS EFFECTIVENESS, PARTICULARLY SINCE THE ABILITY TO FORWARD CASES TO THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE IS NO LONGER AN OPTION. AND I'LL SPEAK ON THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE PRESENTATION FOR BUSINESS LICENSE. SINCE THE ENFORCEMENT BEGAN IN JULY, THEY HAVE ISSUED 91 NOTICES OF VIOLATION. AND SINCE OUR LAST OCTO UPDATE IN OCTOBER, THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FINALIZE OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR ADMINISTRATING ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS, WHICH WAS A NEW PROCESS FOR THE DIVISION AND HAVE NOW ISSUED 51 ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS. ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT ENFORCEMENT UPDATE IS THE LAUNCH OF THE PILOT COMPLAINT RESPONSE TEAM, OR CRT OPERATIONS LED BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THE CRT IS AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM RESPONSIBLE FOR ELEVATED ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS, SPECIFICALLY DISCARDING FOOD AND IMPOUNDING EQUIPMENT. THESE COORDINATED OPERATIONS ARE RESERVED FOR LARGER SCALE VENDING SETUPS. THOSE INVOLVING EXTENSIVE MENUS, SIZABLE EQUIPMENT, AND POTENTIALLY LARGE CUSTOMER GATHERINGS. CRT OPERATIONS HAD BEEN PAUSED DUE TO AN ACTIVE MEET AND CONFER PROCESS REGARDING STAFF SAFETY CONCERNS THAT HAD BEEN INITIATED APRIL, 2024. SINCE THEN, STAFF HAVE DEVELOPED AND FINALIZED STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES THROUGH THE MEET AND CONFER PROCESS. AND IN JANUARY, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCH PILOT CRT OPERATIONS USING SMALLER SELECT SUBSET OF STAFF. SO FROM JANUARY TO THE PRESENT, WE'VE CONDUCTED SEVEN CRT OPERATIONS. THESE PILOTS HAVE BEEN REALLY VALUABLE IN GAINING LESSONS LEARNED AND IDENTIFYING AREAS TO IMPROVE IN OUR PROTOCOLS, LOGISTICS, SAFETY MEASURES, AND HOW TO MAKE IT OVERALL MORE EFFECTIVE. WE'VE ALSO CONTINUED TO NAVIGATE SEVERAL ONGOING CHALLENGES, INCLUDING LEARNING HOW TO MANAGE BYSTANDERS OR CUSTOMERS WHO BECOME UPSET WHEN OBSERVING CRT OPERATIONS IN ACTION HANDLING PUBLIC INQUIRIES OR CROWD ACTIVITY IN REAL TIME, ESPECIALLY IN WAYS THAT DON'T INTERFERE WITH STAFF WHO ARE WORKING WITH HOT FOOD OR HEAVY EQUIPMENT. UM, WE'VE NOTED THAT IN SOME CASES [03:25:01] SOME VENDORS ARE ABLE TO RETURN AND RESUME OPERATIONS EVEN AFTER THEIR EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN EMBARGOED. WE'RE DETERMINING THE BEST PRACTICES FOR TRANSPORTING, STORING, AND MANAGING DIFFICULT MATERIALS LIKE GREASE OIL AND LARGE EQUIPMENT, LEARNING HOW TO COORDINATE ACROSS MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, WHICH REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT SCHEDULING AND COMMUNICATION EFFORTS IN ADJUSTING FOR UNCONTROLLABLE FACTORS SUCH AS WEATHER OR TRAFFIC CONDITIONS THAT MAY DISRUPT PLANNED CRT DATES. THESE INSIGHTS ARE HELPING TO SHAPE FUTURE CRT OPERATIONS AND AGAIN, IMPROVE OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS AND READINESS. THIS SLIDE SHOWS AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE HANDOUTS THE TEAM HAS CREATED TO USE DOING DURING CRT OPERATIONS. THESE CARDS PROVIDE INFORMATION AND EDUCATION TO THE VENDOR, BUT ALSO INFORMATION FOR BYSTANDERS SO THEY, THEY KNOW WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE ARE DOING. ADDITIONALLY, UM, LAST WEEK THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN COORDINATION WITH THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM CONDUCTED A LARGE GROUP CRT TRAINING. YOU CAN SEE THAT SMALL PICTURE IN THE RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE SLIDE, LARGE GROUP TRAINING TO BRING MORE STAFF INTO THE LOOP ON CRT PROCEDURES AND PROTOCOLS. THIS TRAINING IS IN RESPONSE TO ONE OF THE KEY REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED DURING THE MEET AND CONFER PROCESS AND EXPANDS THE POOL OF TRAINED PERSONNEL AVAILABLE FOR CRT OPERATIONS MOVING FORWARD. SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO BUILDING ON THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH THE PILOTS AND TO CONTINUE REFINING OUR APPROACHES AS THE EFFORT EVOLVES. WHILE THESE LARGER SCALE CRT OPERATIONS ARE CURRENTLY UNBUDGETED, THEY WILL BE PART OF DISCUSSIONS DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FY 26 BUDGET. SO HERE ARE A FEW KEY STATS RELATED TO CRT EFFORTS. TO DATE. WE'VE CONDUCTED TWO PILOT TRAININGS AND ONE LARGE GROUP TRAINING THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT TO EXPAND STAFF KNOWLEDGE, COORDINATION, AND READINESS. UM, WE HAVE, UH, SCHEDULED 10 OPERATIONS, UM, BUT SEVEN OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY CARRIED OUT DUE TO SCHEDULING ACROSS THESE OPERATIONS. STAFF HAS DISCARDED FOOD AND IMPOUNDED EQUIPMENT 21 TIMES, AND IN SEVERAL CASES, CRT TEAMS ALSO ENGAGED WITH VENDORS WHOSE EQUIPMENT WAS NOT EMBARGOED EITHER BECAUSE THEY LEFT VOLUNTARILY OR WERE NO LONGER PRESENT WHEN THE TEAMS ARRIVED. SO OVER THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, I WILL HIGHLIGHT KEY OBSERVATIONS, CHALLENGES, AND COMPLEXITIES AS WE CONTINUE TO ENCOUNTER, UM, AND ENGAGE WITH ENFORCEMENT. FIRST, THERE ARE REAL LIMITATIONS IN THE ENFORCEMENT TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US. AS NOTED EARLIER, STATE LAW HAS DECRIMINALIZED SIDEWALK VENDING, WHICH MEANS CERTAIN TOOLS WE PREVIOUSLY RELIED ON, SUCH AS REFERRING UNRESOLVED CASES TO THE CITY PROSECUTOR OR ISSUING MISDEMEANOR CITATIONS ARE NO LONGER OPTIONS. WE'VE ALSO OBSERVED THAT SOME VENDORS ARE ABLE TO RETURN AND REESTABLISH OPERATIONS EVEN AFTER CRT. AND WHILE OUR COMPLAINT BASED MODEL HELPS US PRIORITIZE AND ALLOCATE OUR LIMITED RESOURCES IN A REALISTIC WAY, IT ALSO MEANS THAT NOT ALL AREAS RECEIVE TIMELY ATTENTION, EVEN IF MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED. THERE ARE ALSO ONGOING CHALLENGES RELATED TO PERCEPTION AND COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE. ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS ARE OFTEN INTERPRETED IN VASTLY DIFFERENT WAYS. SOME STAKEHOLDERS FEEL THAT THE CITY IS DOING TOO MUCH, WHILE OTHERS BELIEVE WE'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH. BECAUSE OF THE LEGAL LIMITATIONS ON ENFORCEMENT, THERE'S A COMMON PERCEPTION THAT THE CITY IS TAKING NO ACTION EVEN THOUGH ENFORCEMENT IS ACTIVELY INCUR OCCURRING WITHIN THE SCOPE OF AVAILABLE TOOLS AND RESOURCES. THE STRUCTURE OF OUR ESCALATING COMPLAINT BASED ENFORCEMENT FRAMEWORK CAN ALSO BE FRUSTRATING TO THOSE SUBMITTING COMPLAINTS WHO EXPECT MORE IMMEDIATE RESULTS. IN ADDITION, CITATIONS ISSUED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR UNRELATED VIOLATIONS MAY BE PERCEIVED AS CONTRADICTING THE INTENT OF SB 9 46. AND FINALLY, CRT OPERATIONS OFTEN ELICIT STRONG PUBLIC REACTIONS. STAFF AS HAVE EXPERIENCED BYSTANDERS AND CUSTOMERS YELLING, EXPRESSING CONCERNS THAT WE'RE TARGETING SPECIFIC POPULATIONS OR FOCUSING ON THE WRONG ENFORCEMENT PRIORITIES. PRIORITIES, THERE ARE ALSO BROADER SOCIETAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES AS WELL. WE'VE OBSERVED PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR UNPERMITTED VENDORS, INCLUDING FEATURES FROM CREDIBLE MEDIA OUTLETS, HIGHLIGHTING THEM AS TOP DINING SPOTS MANY INDIVIDUALS ENCOUNTERED DURING ENFORCEMENT DO NOT APPEAR TO BE THE ACTUAL BUSINESS OWNERS AS WELL, WHICH RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL LABOR TRAFFICKING OR WAGE THEFT. ACCURATE IDENTIFICATION OF VEN VENDORS REMAIN A PERSISTENT CHALLENGE. AND THERE ARE ALSO INFRASTRUCTURE IMPACTS, PARTICULARLY GREASE SPILLS AND STAINS LEFT BEHIND BY UNPERMITTED VENDORS. WHEN SPILLS DON'T POSE A DIRECT STORM DRAIN RISK, THEY'RE ASSESSED BY OUR INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS TO DETERMINE STR THE STRATEGIC BENEFIT AND [03:30:01] TIMING OF CLEANUP. PART OF THAT ASSESSMENT INCLUDES WHETHER THE VENDOR IS LIKELY TO RETURN, WHICH MAY CREATE A REPETITIVE CYCLE UNLESS THE ROOT ISSUE OF PERMITTING OF UNPERMITTED VENDORING IS RESOLVED. FIRST. AS SUCH, OUR PRIMARY FOCUS HAS BEEN BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM RATHER THAN ONE CENTERED ON PROACTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE REMEDIATION. THAT SAID, RIGHT NOW WE ARE CURRENTLY RESEARCHING SOLUTIONS FOR SIDEWALK STAINS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, CAUSED BY REPEATED GREASE SPILLS AND EVALUATING POTENTIAL APPROACHES AND COSTS. THERE'S NO DEDICATED BUDGET FOR GREASE SPILL CLEANUP, BUT WE ARE EXPLORING OPTIONS FOR COST RECOVERY AND THIS REMAINS A COMPLEX ISSUE, REFIN REQUIRING FURTHER ANALYSIS. AND LASTLY, I WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT LONG BEACH IS NOT ALONE IN NAVIGATING THESE CHALLENGES, SIDEWALK VENDING ENFORCEMENT HAS PROVEN TO BE A REGIONWIDE ISSUE AND NO CITY HAS FOUND PERFECT OR COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION. WE HAVE BEEN IN ACTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER JURISDICTION AND THE CONSENSUS IS VERY, VERY CLEAR. EVERYONE IS WORKING THROUGH THE SAME COMPLEXITIES. ONE AGENCY HAS, UM, BROUGHT MANY CITIES TOGETHER, INCLUDING US TO TALK ABOUT SHARED APPROACHES. UM, ANOTHER AGENCY SAW ITS CITY COUNCIL DOUBLE THE ORIGINAL ENFORCEMENT BUDGET, SPECIFICALLY JUST FOR SIDEWALK FENDING. AND, AND THEN ANOTHER AGENCY HAS MADE A DECISION NOT TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES TO SIDEWALK FENDING AT ALL ENFORCEMENT AT ALL. AGAIN, ALL OF THIS TO SAY THESE CHALLENGES ARE NOT UNIQUE TO LONG BEACH. THEY REFLECT BROADER DYNAMICS ACROSS THE REGION AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO LEARN FROM OUR COLLEAGUES WHILE REFINING AND IMPROVING OUR OWN APPROACH. IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ALL OF THE WORK DESCRIBED IN THIS PRESENTATION IS BEING CARRIED OUT BY STAFF WHO HAVE PRIMARY OTHER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. THERE ARE NO POSITIONS SOLELY DEDICATED TO SIDEWALK VENDING, PERMITTING AND ENFORCEMENT, WHICH MAKES STAFFING CAPACITY SOMETHING THAT IS IMPORTANT. WE CONTINUE TO MANAGE STRATEGICALLY. WE'VE ALSO BEEN ACTIVELY WORKING TO ADDRESS VACANCIES AS THOSE FURTHER STRAIN OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY. AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO SHARE THAT DURING OUR LAST UPDATE. UH, BUSINESS LICENSE HAD THREE VACANCIES OUT OF THE FIVE TOTAL POSITIONS THEY HAVE. AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAD SIX VACANCIES OUT OF THE 11, BUT SINCE THEN, WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS. BUSINESS LICENSE IS NOW NEARLY COMPLETE WITH ONBOARDING ALL OF THEIR PREVIOUS VACANT POSITIONS. AND HEALTH IS CLOSE TO COMPLETING ONBOARDING FOUR OF ITS VACANCIES. IT WILL STILL TAKE ABOUT A YEAR FOR THESE STAFF TO COMPLETE TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION BEFORE BEING FULLY DEPLOYED, BUT THIS MARKS A VERY POSITIVE STEP FORWARD IN BUILDING LONG-TERM CAPACITY. AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'RE CONTINUING TO REFINE AND STRENGTHEN OUR INFOR ENFORCEMENT APPROACH. AND ONE OF THE KEY SHIFTS WE'RE EXPLORING IS STREAMLINING THE PROCESS FOR REFERRING VENDORS TO CRT OPERATIONS. WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO AN EDUCATION FIRST APPROACH WHERE WE WANNA ENSURE THAT VENDORS WHO MAY BE UNAWARE OF THE ORDINANCE ARE FIRST PROVIDED WITH EDUCATION AND CONNECTED TO THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO BECOME PERMITTED. HOWEVER, WE ARE ALSO DISCUSSING DEPRIORITIZING SOME OF THE MULTIPLE STEPS CURRENTLY INCLUDED BEFORE A VENDOR IS REFERRED TO CRT. WE'RE ALSO IN DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL USE OF CIVIL NUISANCE CLAIM. THIS IS AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH AS THERE ARE FEW PRECEDENTS OR CLEAR CASE STUDIES ABOUT HOW COURTS WILL RESPOND, BUT WE STILL THINK THAT THIS IS WORTH EXPLORING FOR VENDORS WHO CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITHOUT A PERMIT DESPITE MULTIPLE ENFORCEMENT ENCOUNTERS. THESE STEPS REFLECT OUR INTENT TO MAKE ENFORCEMENT MORE EFFECTIVE WHILE STILL GROUNDING OUR APPROACH IN THE THOUGHTFUL USE OF CITY RESOURCES. FROM A DATA TRANSPARENCY PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE WILL SOON BE LAUNCHING A PUBLIC DASHBOARD SHOWING ALL ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS TAKEN UNDER THE ORDINANCE. THIS DASHBOARD INCLUDES AN INTERACTIVE MAP DISPLAYING THE LOCATIONS OF ALL OF OUR ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES. SO YOU CAN DRILL DOWN AND PICK A DOT AND SEE WHAT WAS THE DATE AND THE ENFORCEMENT ACTION TAKEN IN THAT LOCATION AND, AND BY, UM, WHICH DEPARTMENT OR CRT. THIS DEVELOPMENT IS A RESULT OF CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION DEPARTMENT, WHO HAS ALSO HELPED US ESTABLISH A NEW STREAMLINED METHOD FOR COLLECTING ENFORCEMENT INSPECTION DATA ACROSS BOTH DEPARTMENTS. THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO CONSOLIDATE INFOR INFORMATION ACROSS BOTH HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND BUSINESS LICENSE DIVISION, COVERING THEIR INDIVIDUAL ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS, AS WELL AS THE JOINT CRT OPERATIONS. AND OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY WITH CLEARER, MORE ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION ABOUT ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES AND DEMONSTRATE THE CITY'S ONGOING COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY. ALSO, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE WILL ALSO BE LAUNCHING THE UPDATED CONTENT [03:35:01] WITHIN THE GO LONG BEACH APP TO IMPROVE HOW WE TRACK AND REPORT COMPLAINTS. AND AGAIN, ONCE LIVE, THE PUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS A MAP SHOWING THE LOCATION WHERE COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED, ENHANCING TRANSPARENCY, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. ALL RIGHT, NEXT STEPS. WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND SUPPORT VENDOR TO SUPPORT TO VENDORS TO ENCOURAGE COMPLIANCE WITH THE ORDINANCE AND HELP THEM OPERATE AS LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES. WE WILL MAINTAIN OUR PROMOTION AND SUPPORT OF THE FREE CART PROGRAM, AND WE'LL ALSO BE LAUNCHING THE NEW GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR VENDORS. AGAIN, WE WANT TO HAVE MORE VENDORS IN COMPLIANCE THAN THAT COULD HELP. UM, ALSO HELP WITH THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE. WE'LL CONTINUE TO STRIVE FOR TRANSPARENCY BY LAUNCHING THE VARIOUS DASHBOARDS DISCUSSED IN THE PRESENTATION. WE'RE WORKING WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO EXPLORE PARTNERSHIPS THAT SUPPORT COMPLIANCE, INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF PARTNERING WITH LOCAL RESTAURANTS TO SERVE AS COMMISSARIES, WHICH WILL HELP EXPAND ACCESS IN LONG BEACH. AND ADDITIONALLY, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS FINALIZING THE MECO FEASIBILITY STUDY, WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL IN JUNE AND COULD EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, INCLUDING SIDEWALK VENDORS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFINE OUR CURRENT ENFORCEMENT TOOLS AND EXPLORE ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES, INCLUDING WHAT I MENTIONED, STREAMLINING OF THE REFERRAL PROCESS TO CRT OPERATIONS, PURSUING CIVIL NUISANCE CLAIMS IN COURT, UM, OTHER BEST PRACTICES, COLLABORATING WITH THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE ON WAGE THEFT ISSUES, AND, AND OTHER AREAS, INCLUDING PROVIDING SPECIALIZED TRAINING FOR STAFF, UH, INCLUDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS. AS I CLOSE, I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXTENSIVE EFFORT OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM WORKING ON SIDEWALK VENDING IMPLEMENTATION. THIS WORK IS INHERENTLY COMPLEX AND CANNOT BE CARRIED OUT BY A SINGLE DEPARTMENT IN ISOLATION. IT HAS REQUIRED SUSTAINED COLLABORATION, COORDINATION, AND COMMUNICATION ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS FROM DRAFTING THE ORDINANCE TO ROLLING OUT PUBLIC EDUCATION, BUILDING OUT ENFORCEMENT PROTOCOLS, SUPPORTING VENDORS THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS, AND CONTINUALLY REFINING OUR OPERATIONS AND DATA SYSTEMS, ANSWERING MULTIPLE QUESTIONS FROM NUMEROUS STAKEHOLDERS. THIS TEAM HAS TAKEN ON A CONSIDERABLE WORKLOAD, ALL WHILE BALANCING OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES. AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF THIS TEAM. THEIR COMMITMENT REFLECTS WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN DEPARTMENTS WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS A SHARED GOAL. AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND RECOGNIZE THEIR PROFESSIONALISM, PERSISTENCE, AND PROBLEM SOLVING, UM, THAT THEY CONTINUE TO BRING TO THIS TABLE AS WE NAVIGATE THIS EVOLVING LANDSCAPE. AND WITH THAT, THIS CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION, AND THE TEAM IS AVAILABLE HERE FOR YOUR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. WHAT A THOROUGH PRESENTATION WILL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE, UH, EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGN UP TO SPEAK. KEITH MASON, JENNIFER CUEVAS, KAREN OK. ITEL, UH, JOHNNY A. AUSTIN MATO, ZA N AND ANGELICA, FIRST UP IS KEITH. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, I'LL JUST START OFF WITH, I, I, I REALIZE THAT A LOT OF THIS DOES FALLS ONTO THE CITY BECAUSE THE STATE PASSED A LOT OF THAT, MADE THIS, UH, CREATED THE PROBLEM. UM, THIS CERTAINLY TO ME LOOKS LIKE THE DEFINITION OF WHACK-A-MOLE. UH, I, I, I, I THINK IT WAS INTERESTING IF, IF, IF I READ THIS RIGHT, 33 BUSINESS LICENSES ARE APPROVED IN THE CITY. I, I'VE DRIVEN BY MORE THAN 33 STREET VENDORS, SO WE'RE NOT EVEN SCRATCHING THE SURFACE THERE. UH, I FIND IT REALLY FRUSTRATING. UM, I'VE NOW WALKED THROUGH TWO OIL SPILLS, ONE ON SECOND STREET, ONE IN GRANADA, THAT WERE A RESULT OF VENDORS, AND IT'S MY TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT ARE GOING TO CLEAN THAT UP. AND I FIND THAT REALLY, REALLY FRUSTRATING. I DON'T REALLY HAVE A SUGGESTION, , OTHER THAN I JUST WANNA REALLY EXPRESS MY FRUSTRATION AS A RESIDENT THAT THIS JUST IS, SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM. I, I, I WAS DRIVING BY, I DROVE BY TWO OF THEM TODAY. THEY WERE 10 BY 20 OR 10 BY 30 SIZED, UH, OPERATIONS. CLEARLY, IF I UNDERSTOOD THE ORDINANCE CORRECTLY, TWO TO THREE TIMES THE SIZE THAT THEY'RE LEGALLY ALLOWED TO BE. AND I FIND THAT JUST A REALLY FRUSTRATING THING. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW BUSINESS OWNERS MUST BE FRUSTRATED BY THIS. UH, HERE YOU'RE ON SECOND STREET AND YOU'RE WALKING BY PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING WHAT I, I HAVE TO BELIEVE ARE REALLY HIGH RENTS THE EXPENSE OF HAVING A RESTAURANT STAFF. AND THEN THEY HAVE SOMEBODY OUT IN FRONT OF THEIR, THEIR ESTABLISHMENT WHO'S ILLEGALLY [03:40:01] THERE SELLING, UH, FOOD PRODUCTS. SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. THANK YOU. REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. MY NAME IS JENNIFER CUEVAS. I OWN A SMALL MEXICAN RESTAURANT RIGHT HERE IN OUR CITY. AND TODAY I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT AFFECTS NOT JUST MY BUSINESS, BUT EVERY SMALL BUSINESS HERE. THE STREET VENDORS, WHICH ARE REALLY NOT STREET VENDORS. THESE ARE RESTAURANTS ON THE STREET. 'CAUSE THEY SELL WATERS, THEY HAVE CHAIRS, THEY HAVE PLACES PEOPLE TO SIT AND THEY DO NOT GET TREATED THE SAME WAY THAT I GET TREATED IN THIS PLACE. AND IT'S NOT FAIR. I PAY $1,600 FOR BUSINESS LICENSE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, $1,500 ALARM BACKFLOW WATER INSPECTION THAT YOU GUYS DECIDE THAT WE NEED TO PAY. SO WE PAID ELECTRICITY, $2,000 GAS, WATER WORKERS' COMPENSATION, $10,000 INSURANCE, $8,000 PAYROLL, TAXES, RENT. JUST KEEP GOING. WE PAY YOU ALL. WE JUST DON'T SAY NO BECAUSE AS SOON AS I CALL AND SAY, WHY AM I PAYING? THEY SAY, YOU HAVE TO PAY BECAUSE I HAVE A PLACE. SO I RECENTLY GOT MY SIDEWALK DINING BILL, WHICH IT WAS $600, NOW IT'S $1,200. IT DOUBLED THE PRICE. I WONDER IF THESE GUYS ARE PAYING ANYTHING TO THE CITY FOR BEING ON THE CITY JUST BY HAVING THEIR LITTLE CARD ON THE CITY, WHICH IS NO CAR. ONCE AGAIN, IT'S A RESTAURANT. IT'S LIKE TELLING YOUR, JUST LIKE HAVING TWO CHILD AND ONE OF THEM. GO AHEAD. IT'S FREE. AND THE OTHER ONE JUST KEEP PAYING. IT'S NOT FAIR. AS A PROUD MINORITY BUSINESS OWNER, I'M AN IMMIGRANT AS WELL. THIS SITUATION IS REALLY HARD FOR ME. I KNOW THE STRUGGLES IN FIRSTHAND. I HAVE, I HAVE APPLIED FOR THE FREE CARD GIVEN BY THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH THESE VENDORS, ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT ONLY THE NORTH LAWN BEACH COULD ACTUALLY APPLY FOR IT. THEY CHANGED THE RULES AND NOW THEY SAY, ONLY IF YOU HAVE TWO EMPLOYEES. SO ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE OUT OF THE GAME. SO THEIR FAVORITISM, JUST THESE ONES, BUT NOT THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN PAIN AND EMPLOYING, EMPLOYING ALL THESE PEOPLE. EVERY TIME I RAISED AN ISSUE, THE THE CITY JUST SAY, SORRY, YOU HAVE TO PAY. IT'S NOT COOL. WHILE MY RESTAURANT FOLLOWS HEALTH PROTOCOLS, I SEE VENDORS BY LEARNING BASIC HYGIENE RULES WITHOUT ANY CONSEQUENCES. I'M CONSIDERING CLOSING MY DOORS AFTER BEING THERE FOREVER. I JUST GOT THE LEGACY BUSINESS LAST WEEK, AND I'M CONSIDERING CLOSING BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD IT. I CANNOT COMPETE WITH THESE PEOPLE. I CANNOT COMPETE WITH THE CLASS OF MEAT THAT THEY'RE GIVING YOU. AND I'M ACTUALLY JUST HAVING TO MAKE GOOD QUALITY FOOD. IF LONG BEACH WANTS A BUS, THEIR BUSINESS TO THRIVE, WE NEED THE SUPPORT THAT IT HAS TO BE FAIR FOR ALL. WE ALL DESERVE OUR FIRST SHOT ON OF SUCCESS. I CAME TO THIS COUNTRY TO PURSUE THE AMERICAN DREAM. BELIEVING IN FAIRNESS AND PROMISES HARD WORK AND FOLLOWING THE RULES WILL LEAD ME TO SUCCEED IN MY HOME COUNTRY. MEXICO REGULATIONS ARE NEVER ENFORCED, AND LIVING IN THIS COUNTRY HAS TAUGHT ME THAT HAVING THE SYSTEM BUILT ON RULES, YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO HAVE A BETTER THAN SAFE COMMUNITY. SO PLEASE HELP US, HELP US SURVIVE. NEXT SPEAKER IS KAREN NYAN. OKAY, AFTER THAT'S ITEL. YES. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ITEL PEREZ AND I'M A, I'M THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT NAVIGATOR AT RO CHA. RO CHA HAS BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND THE LONG BEACH HEALTH DEPARTMENT. SINCE THE ROLLOUT OF THE SIDEWALK BENDING ORDINANCE, OUR GOAL HAS BEEN TO CONDUCT OUTREACH TO LOCAL SIDEWALK VENDORS AND ENSURE THEY ARE EDUCATED ABOUT THE REGULATIONS. WE ARE TRULY GRATEFUL FOR THE CITY'S PARTNERSHIP, AND WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THIS COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS CONTINUE. SINCE THE ORDINANCE TOOK EFFECT IN FEBRUARY, 2024, WE HAVE OUTREACH AND PROVIDED RESOURCES AND EDUCATION TO OVER 100 ENTREPRENEURS. TO DATE, NINE OF OUR CLIENTS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY OBTAINED THEIR SIDEWALK VENING PERMITS. SIX OF THOSE PERMITS ARE FOR MERCHANDISE, AND THREE, THREE OF THOSE ARE FOR FOOD. WHILE THAT NUMBER MAY SEEM MODEST, IT REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT TO US. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR VENDORS AND UNDERSTAND FIRSTHAND THE FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS, DOCUMENTATION, CHALLENGES, AND SYSTEMIC BARRIERS THEY FACE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. THIS YEAR, WE LAUNCHED A SERIES OF SIDEWALK BENDING WORKSHOPS. I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT EARLIER TODAY, WE HELD A SUCCESSFUL TOWN HALL MEETING WITH BOTH THE LICENSING AND HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO JUNI AND MONICA AND THEIR TEAMS FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIP. WE HAD A GREAT TURNOUT AND IT WAS CLEAR THAT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE EAGER TO ENGAGE, ASK [03:45:01] QUESTIONS, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT SIDEWALK VENDING REGULATIONS. HOWEVER, THERE'S SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE. MANY VENDORS FACE LANGUAGE BARRIERS AND LIMITED DIGITAL LITERACY, MAKING THE PROCESS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE. FOR THIS REASON, WE ASK FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM THE CITY TO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS, SO WE CAN KEEP EMPOWERING AND GUIDING OUR LOCAL VENDORS. AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO HAND IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE JOHNNY, WHO WILL SHARE MORE ABOUT THE WORK WE WE'RE DOING WITH OUR SIDEWALK BENDING COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS JOHNNY. HELLO AND GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. UM, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I'M ANOTHER BUSINESS NAVIGATOR AT CENTRO CHA. SO JUST TO TOUCH ON WHAT WE DO AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE HELP ALL THESE SIDEWALK VENDORS FROM START TO FINISH WITH THEIR PROCESS FROM, UM, GETTING THEIR LICENSES AND PERMITS AND GETTING, UH, PERMITTED BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AS WELL. UM, ALSO, AS IS AS STATED, THEY HAVE TROUBLE WITH DIGITAL LITERACY. SO WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT HELPS 'EM WITH DIGITAL MARKETING. UM, WE ORIENT THEM ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOW TO PROMOTE THEMSELVES ALONG WITH, UM, CREATE DIGITAL CREATIONS SUCH AS, UM, FLYERS, BUSINESS CARDS, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE SO THAT THEY CAN BETTER MARKET THEMSELVES AND BE OUT ON THE STREET AS A FUNCTIONING BUSINESS. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY ARE MICRO BUSINESSES AND THEY DO HAVE A PLACE IN THE CITY, WHICH IS WHY WE DO APPRECIATE THE PROGRAM. AND WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM THE CITY AND PARTNERSHIP SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO GET THESE VENDORS LICENSED. THANK YOU. FANTASTIC. THANK YOU, AUSTIN. ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING, HONOR, WORLD MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS AUSTIN MONTO WITH THE DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH ALLIANCE. UH, FIRST OFF, I, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO STAFF. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO GRACE TARA AND JUDITH. I KNOW THIS, UH, ISSUE REGARDING SIDEWALK VENDING IS COMPLEX AND CHALLENGING, AND YOU HAVE LISTENED, UH, INTENTLY TO THE CONCERNS OF BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESSES WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN. ALSO. THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS FOR YOUR LISTENING SESSIONS. UM, WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO TODAY IS ASK, UH, CITY COUNCIL, UH, TO CONSIDER ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND BUSINESS LICENSING DEPARTMENT FOR ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS. UM, LET IT BE CLEAR, THE ALLIANCE DOES NOT, UH, BELIEVE IN BANNING SIDEWALK VENDING. WE BELIEVE IT'S A PIPELINE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP. MANY BUSINESSES HAVE STARTED OUT AS EITHER, UH, COTTAGE BASED BUSINESSES WORKING AT THEIR HOMES OR IN POPUPS. AND WE BELIEVE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MANY OF THOSE LIKE ASHLEY ARNOLD WITH LADY CAKES TO PROGRESS THROUGH THE PROCESS. BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS AN UNEQUAL ENFORCEMENT OF THE ORDINANCE CURRENTLY ON, ON THE BOOKS. UH, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PINE AVENUE, WE HAVE THREE SIDEWALK VENDORS WITH THREE 10 BY 10 TENTS POPPED UP RIGHT ON THE CORNER AS A BID WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO CLEAN, UH, AND PROVIDE, UH, PRESSURE WASHING SERVICES. WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEANING UP THAT GREASE, UH, THAT HAPPENS ON PINE AVENUE. WE HAVE ONE SIDEWALK VENDOR THAT HAS NOW STARTED TO POP UP IN A PARKING SPACE ON BROADWAY. UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE PIKE AND SHORELINE VILLAGE, THERE ARE, UH, TENTS THAT ARE CHAINED TO PARKING METERS AND OTHER POLES AS WELL AS PARKING STRUCTURES. AND SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS EQUAL ENFORCEMENT UNDER THE EXISTING ORDINANCE. NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS, UM, BECAUSE WE DO BELIEVE SIDEWALK VENDORS HAVE A PLACE IN THE CITY AND A PART OF THE ECOSYSTEM FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP. UM, BUT IT'S UNFAIR TO THOSE BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESSES AND UNFAIR TO THOSE, UH, SIDEWALK VENDORS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING PERMITTED, UH, AS WELL AS RECEIVING A CART. UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE ASK FOR YOU TO DO TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS ZAP. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. SORRY, MY THROAT IS DRY. . UM, I'M GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT SCATTERED BECAUSE I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THE, UM, MEMO YESTERDAY, SO I DIDN'T REALLY GET A CHANCE TO, UM, GO OVER IT AS THOROUGHLY AS I WOULD LIKE TO. BUT, UM, LISTENING TO THE REPORT, AND THANK YOU STAFF. I'VE WORKED WITH SOME OF YOU AND I KNOW HOW HARD YOU WORK. I KNOW THAT YOU'RE, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH OF YOU. UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR DEDICATION, UM, FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE TO TRY TO MAKE THIS A CLEAR PATHWAY FOR VENDORS. UM, JUST TO REMIND YOU, I MYSELF AM A FOOD VENDOR, EXCUSE ME, IN LONG BEACH AND LA I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO, UM, GENERATE ANY MONEY IN LONG BEACH, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET CLEARED AS A FOOD VENDOR, UM, HERE IN LONG BEACH. BUT I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF SPEAK TO SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, UM, FROM A FOOD VENDOR'S PERSPECTIVE, AND HOPEFULLY I WON'T RUN OUTTA TIME. UM, THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT REALLY STAND OUT TO ME, AND I DON'T WANNA COME UP HERE AND JUST COMPLAIN BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK INVOLVED IN THIS, AND I DON'T WANNA SOUND LIKE, OH, IT'S JUST NOT, IT'S ALL FOR NOTHING. BUT I DID KIND OF WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UM, IF YOU'RE A FOOD VENDOR IN THIS SYSTEM, AND, AND TO BE REALLY TRANSPARENT, I HAVE NOT ENTERED THE SYSTEM BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT ONCE I ENTER THE SYSTEM, I WON'T BE ABLE TO WORK IN LONG BEACH. SO I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE OPTIONS AND I'M JUST BEING COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT. OKAY? SO, UM, TO MAKE SURE I HAVE OPTIONS, [03:50:01] I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SOME OF THE KINKS TO FALL OUT OF THE SYSTEM, AND THERE'S STILL SOME KINKS, BUT I'M STILL ENCOURAGING PEOPLE WHO ARE FOOD VENDORS SUCH AS MYSELF TO, UM, PAY ATTENTION TO THE PROCESS AND BE WILLING, BECAUSE NONE OF US WANT TO SERVE UNSAFE FOOD. I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE ON THAT. NONE OF US WANT TO BE OUT OF COMPLIANCE IF WE COULD BE IN COMPLIANCE. SO MY SUGGESTION IS THAT IN, IN TO, IF YOU WANT TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO COMPLY, THEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE COMPLE THE, THE COMPLIANCE EASIER THAN NOT COMPLIANT. AND BY THAT I MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, EVEN WITH THE $3,000, AND I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA. SOME CITIES HAVE NOT SUGGESTED ANY TYPE OF HELP AT ALL. BUT EVEN WITH THE BUSINESS LICENSE BEING WAIVED, EVEN WITH THE INSURANCE BEING REIMBURSED, EVEN WITH ALL THE OTHER CONCESSIONS, EVEN IF YOU GIVE $3,000, IF I WAS A TAMALE VENDOR, THE PLACE THAT WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO BECAUSE THERE'S NO MCOS, I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN $35 AN HOUR, LET'S SAY IT'S ON SALE. THEY GIVE ME $30 AN HOUR. I SPEND ONE HOUR PREPARING THREE HOURS MAKING TAMALES. ON AVERAGE, YOU MAKE 25 TAMALES IN AN HOUR. THAT'S 75 TAMALES. IT'S $360 THAT I'VE SPENT TO GET THE KITCHEN, AND I'M SELLING 25, UH, 75 TAMALES. IF WE DO THE MATH, I MUST CHARGE AT LEAST $4.40 AND 50 CENTS PER TAMALE, WHICH IS TOO EXPENSIVE IF I'M DOING IT BY MYSELF. I, I CAN'T MAKE ANY MONEY THAT WAY. SO I WANTED TO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO REALLY CONSIDER THESE PARTNERSHIPS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH OTHER RESOURCES, MAYBE CHURCHES, UM, PARK KITCHENS, WHOEVER HELP THEM, COMPLIANCE SOME TIME HAS INCLUDED. THANK YOU. SO THAT THEY CAN BE USED BY THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, OUR FINAL SPEAKER, PLEASE. UH, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. UM, I'M ANGELICA, I'M PART OF THE VENDORS JUSTICE COMMITTEE, BUT ALSO THE FOUNDER, UH, CO-FOUNDER OF THE CBA CULTURAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION. I WANNA FOCUS THIS CONVERSATION TONIGHT ON THE VENDORS THAT ACTUALLY ARE HEALTH PERMITABLE, RIGHT? WE HAVE OVER A HUNDRED VENDORS THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED HEALTH PERMITS UNDER THE TFF PARAMETERS THAT HAVE TRIED TO NAVIGATE INTO THE SIDEWALK VENDING ORDINANCE. ONE OF THE MAJOR ROADBLOCKS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ADDRESSED. AND WE SEE, UM, SOME OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT TONIGHT. UM, ALLOCATING FUNDS TO HELP THEM WITH COMMISSARY, UH, UPGRADING THEIR VEHICLES TO BE ABLE TO TRANSPORT THEIR CARTS, ALLOCATING FUNDS TO HELP THEM. PURCHASING CARTS ARE WONDERFUL IDEAS, RIGHT? BUT WHEN YOU REALLY LOOK AT THE NUMBERS OF WHAT IT COSTS TO BE AN OP, UH, OPERATING VENDOR UNDER ALL THE PARAMETERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ASKED FOR THEM TO DO IS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH. IT'S LIKE PUTTING A BANDAID ON, RIGHT? THE MAJOR ISSUE THAT'S, AND THE WAY FOR MANY OF THOSE VENDORS IS THE USE OF COMMISSARY KITCHENS. IT'S VERY LIMITED IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. IT'S NOT COST EFFICIENT AT ALL, RIGHT? SO WE ARE REALLY RECOMMENDING THAT YOU GUYS LOOK INTO THOSE PARTNERSHIPS THAT MANY OF, OF HAVE SPOKEN TO OR SPOKEN TO YOU GUYS ABOUT PREVIOUSLY, CREATING MORE SPACES, KITCHEN SPACES THAT THE VENDORS CAN USE, RIGHT? THE VENDOR WHO SPOKE ON THE, THE LADY WHO OWNS THE RESTAURANT EARLIER, THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT? SHE CAN BE A PARTNER WITH A SIDEWALK VENDOR. SHE HAS FUNDS ALLOCATED TO HER BUSINESS, RIGHT? SHARED KITCHEN SPACE. NOW SHE CAN MAKE UP FOR MAYBE THAT LOSS THAT SHE'S EXPERIENCING BEFORE, RIGHT? SHE CAN ALSO BECOME A SIDEWALK VENDOR AS WELL, RIGHT? THOSE ARE WAYS THAT WE THINK THAT WE CAN HELP CREATE MORE PARTNERSHIPS TO MAKE THIS MORE ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE THE STRESS SIDEWALK VENDORS ARE NOT GONNA GO ANYWHERE, RIGHT? AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR THE ONES THAT ARE, ARE YOUR FESTIVALS THAT ARE AT YOUR CITY EVENTS THAT SERVE AT PRIVATE EVENTS THAT RECEIVE HEALTH PERMITS ALL THE TIME. BUT NAVIGATING INTO A CARD SYSTEM IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BUSINESS MODEL THAT COST, UH, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY. TWO OF OUR VENDORS PREVIOUSLY THAT I CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF. ONE IS A CURRENT VENDOR AT EVERY EVENT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN AT THIS YEAR, RIGHT? PRIDE, ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, NAVIGATING HIS BUSINESS INTO A CART WILL REQUIRE AT LEAST $20,000, RIGHT? OFFERING HIM $8,000 TO GET A CUSTOM CART DOESN'T HELP HIM, RIGHT? WE HAVE ANOTHER VENDOR WHO QUALIFIED FOR A CART, BUT HE CAN'T AFFORD THE COST OF COMMISSARY AND WHAT COMES TO THAT, RIGHT? SO OFFERING THESE DIFFERENT TYPE OF STIPENDS CAN HELP THEM NAVIGATE SUCCESSFULLY INTO THE SYSTEM, BUT ALSO SUPPORT THE OTHER BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. SO I'M REALLY GONNA ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO LOOK MORE INTO BUILDING THOSE PARTNERSHIPS AND CREATING COMMUNITY. YOUR TIME HAS INCLUDED. THANK YOU. THE KITCHENS THAT WE ALL CAN UTILIZE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, I WANNA THANK THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'LL NOW TAKE IT BACK, UH, BEHIND THE [03:55:01] RAIL. UH, COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. THANK YOU MI HERE AND THANK YOU STAFF. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN PUTTING INTO THIS ITEM AND INTO THIS POLICY, UH, FOR MANY YEARS NOW. AND I, I SEE SO MANY OF YOU SITTING OUT THERE, SITTING RIGHT THERE, UM, THAT HAVE REALLY INVESTED YOUR TIME AND REALLY HAVE BEEN OPEN TO, UM, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, BOTH THAT, UH, AND EXPLAINING TO THE COMMUNITY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. UM, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK WITH STAFF ON THIS ISSUE, AND I APPRECIATE THE ATTENTION AND THE INSIGHT. UM, AND THE, UM, JUST THE WILLINGNESS TO MY REQUEST, UM, FROM ALL OF YOU. THE HISTORIC CONTEXT OF THIS IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ORDINANCE IS IMPORTANT. WE PROVIDED EDUCATION, RESOURCES AND EVEN INCENTIVES TO ASSIST WITH THE PERMITTING PROCESS. OUR EDUCATION APPROACH MUST ALSO BE FORTIFIED BY ENFORCEMENT. WITHOUT ENFORCEMENT. WE LACK THE ABILITY TO COMPEL COMPLIANCE. WE NEED RAMPED UP ENFORCEMENT TO PREVENT UNPERMITTED VENDORS FROM OPERATING AND NEGATIVELY IMPACTING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS AND THEMSELVES. I AM ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN EXPLORE IN EXPLORATION OF ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT TOOLS, ESPECIALLY THE NUISANCE CLAIM OUTCOME IN THE CIVIC COURT'S AND WAGE THEFT COLLABORATIONS WITH THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE. BASED ON THE TIMELINE OF, OF THE PRESENTATION, I KNOW THAT THIS IS THE SECOND UPDATE, UM, TO, TO OUR COUNCIL. AND IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY TO OUR PUBLIC, UM, TO OUR PUBLIC AND OUR COMMUNITY AND THE EFFORTS THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO ON THIS ISSUE, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT WE, UM, HAVE ANOTHER UPDATE TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, TO SEE WHERE WE ARE THERE. UM, ALSO, UM, I ALSO WANT STAFF TO HELP ME WITH SOME CLARIFICATIONS. UM, AND I ALSO WANNA THANK EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO CAME HERE TO, UH, PROVIDE PROB UM, PUBLIC COMMENT, ALSO TO, UM, ROCHA WHO HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER WITH US IN TRYING TO GET, UM, THE EDUCATION OUT THERE AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THIS EXISTS, THAT THERE'S A PATHWAY TO A PERMITTED VENDORS, UH, PERMIT. AND SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, BUT FOR CLARIFICATION STAFF, IF WE COULD GO BACK, UM, AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE, UM, THE BILL SB 9 46. NOW, UM, I KNOW THESE ANSWERS, BUT I WANT TO REITERATE THESE ANSWERS AND I WOULD LIKE STAFF TO CONFIRM THESE ANSWERS FOR ME. UM, SB 99 46 IS, UM, AN A LEGISLATIVE ITEM THAT ASKS FOR CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS, AND IT IS CO IT COMES FROM THE STATE. AND SO, UM, IF YOU CAN CONFIRM THAT FOR, FOR ME, PLEASE. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT IS CORRECT. SB 9 46 OR OTHERWISE COINED AS THE SAFE SIDEWALK VENDING ACT. IT DID A NUMBER OF THINGS, BUT ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE'VE EMPHASIZED, UM, MANY TIMES HERE IS THAT IT DECRIMINALIZED THE ACT OF SIDEWALK VENDING, AND IT ALSO DEFINED SIDEWALK VENDING IN A PRETTY BROAD STROKE, UM, DIFFERENT THAN THE STATE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT SECTION, BUT SB 9 46 DEFINED, UH, SIDEWALK VENDING REALLY AS ANY SALE OF MERCHANDISE OR FOOD FROM VARIOUS DIFFERENT CARTS OR CONVEYANCES ON A SIDEWALK. SO THAT'S PRETTY BROAD UMBRELLA. UM, IT ALSO OUTLINES THE TYPE OF REGULATIONS THAT A CITY MAY IMPOSE ON FOOD MERCHANDISE AND SIDEWALK VENDORS THAT IT SAYS, UM, NOT JUST DECRIMINALIZING IT, BUT REGULATIONS MUST BE FOR HEALTH, SAFETY OR WELFARE REASONS. SO ECONOMIC COMPETITION OR PERCEIVED COMPETITION IS NOT AN ALLOWABLE AREA FOR ENFORCEMENT. AND, UM, UH, THAT IS SORT OF THE BROADER IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON THE CITY. SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT, MS. GRACE. UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, THAT I'D ALSO HEARD [04:00:01] FROM YOU IS THAT, UM, THIS IS A STATE MANDATE, WHICH MEANS THAT WE DON'T SET THE REGULATIONS. THIS STATE SETS THE REGULATIONS ON, UH, WHAT A, A SIDEWALK VENDOR IS, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU. UM, OUR ORDINANCE ALIGNS WITH OUR STATE, UM, MANDATE. UM, AND IT ACTUALLY GOES A LITTLE BIT, UM, ABOVE BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO HELP AND CREATE A PATHWAY TO, UH, BE ABLE FOR OUR SIDEWALK VENDORS TO GET A PERMIT FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND FROM THE BUSINESS LICENSING, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU. UM, I REALLY WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS INCREDIBLE PRESENTATION. UM, YOU'VE REALLY OUTLINED EVERY STEP THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH. I REALLY ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE ENFORCEMENT PART AND THE COMPLAINTS PART THAT YOU SO, UM, GRACEFULLY, UM, DESCRIBED TO ME, AND I, I KNOW, NO PUN INTENDED, UM, BUT, UM, DESCRIBE TO ME AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT I BRING TO YOU. UM, AND SO I THINK THAT, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE THAT IF THEY SEE UNPERMITTED VENDORS TO REPORT IT THROUGH, UM, THROUGH THE CITY BECAUSE IF THEY ARE REPORTED, THEY ARE LOOKED AT A HIGH PRIORITY AREA. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. WITH OUR COMPLAINT BASED SYSTEM, THE CITY STAFF LOOKS AT ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT COME IN THROUGH OUR BUSINESS LICENSE HEALTH, UH, WHETHER BY EMAIL, PHONE CALL, OR THROUGH THE GO LONG BEACH APP. AND WE'LL PRIORITIZE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS BASED ON THE AREAS WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF COMPLAINTS. THANK YOU. AND MAY YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE NUISANCE, UM, THAT YOU WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT, PLEASE. YEAH, CERTAINLY I CAN START AND THEN, UM, IF OUR CITY ATTORNEY A TOY, HE CAN, UH, FILL IN SOME OF THE GAPS. BUT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT AS OUR INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM WERE DISCUSSING, OUR ENFORCEMENT OPTIONS AND THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE, AS I MENTIONED, THE TOOLS THAT ARE LIMITED BY THE NEW STATE LAW WITH, UM, NOT BEING ABLE TO, UH, WITH SIDEWALK VENDING BECOMING DECRIMINALIZED, ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE STARTED TO EXPLORE WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS NOT PURSUING, UM, A, A VIOLATION BECAUSE OF SIDEWALK VENDING ITSELF, BUT BUILDING UP A CASE TO BE ABLE TO SUBMIT TO COURT THAT THESE, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO HAPPEN TO BE SIDEWALK FENDERS ARE CREATING A PUBLIC NUISANCE. SO THAT WOULD BE, IT COULD INCLUDE NOISE, IT COULD INCLUDE INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE, IT COULD INCLUDE CONTINUOUSLY VIOLATING CITY REQUIREMENTS OR ENFORCEMENT ASK, OR NOT PAYING ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS. ALL OF THOSE THINGS COULD BE ACCUMULATED INTO A CASE TO MAKE A CLAIM INTO THE COURT THAT IT'S NOT BECAUSE YOU ARE A SIDEWALK VENDOR THAT YOU'RE GETTING THIS, UH, CLAIM. IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE CREATING A PUBLIC NUISANCE. UH, THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD CALL EXPERIMENTAL BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH CASE STUDY ON A LOT OF EXAMPLES OF, UM, UH, MUNICIPALITIES PURSUING THIS. BUT WE DO, WE ARE AWARE OF ONE AND WE'RE STILL WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THAT IS IN COURT, AND WE'RE GONNA, UM, CONTINUE TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IN THAT AREA. ALRIGHT. UH, COUNCILWOMAN, THAT'S YOUR FIVE MINUTES, I THINK. UH, YES. I THINK ATTORNEY WAS GONNA CHIME IN REALLY QUICKLY. MAYOR. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. I THINK, UH, GRACE DID A REALLY NICE SUMMARY OF, OF WHAT THE PUBLIC, UH, NUISANCE ACTION, UH, CONSISTS OF. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO, TO REALLY MAKE THAT DISTINCTION THAT THE PUBLIC NUISANCE ACTION ALLOWS THE CITY TO GO AFTER. UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE, THOSE BAD ACTORS, IF, IF YOU WANT TO CALL 'EM THAT FOR CREATING THAT PUBLIC NUISANCE, BUT IT'S NOT, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S OUTSIDE THAT SB 9 46 PROTECTION. SO IT'S NOT GOING AFTER THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE A SIDEWALK VENDOR. HOWEVER, UH, BECAUSE SOME OF THEIR OPERATIONS MAY RESULT IN, IN A PUBLIC NUISANCE, WHAT WE, WE DE TO BE A PUBLIC NUISANCE, THAT WOULD ALLOW US STILL TO HAVE GROUNDS TO GO AFTER THEM CIVILLY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER THRASS. THANK YOU MAYOR. ALRIGHT. SO I'M REALLY PLEASED, UM, TO SEE THE CITY MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF EXTENDING PATHWAYS FOR THOSE WHO MAKE A LIVING IN MICRO ENTERPRISES, SPECIFICALLY IN SIDEWALK VENDING. UM, THE HOPE FOR THIS ORDINANCE IS THAT IT CONTINUES TO CREATE, UH, [04:05:01] ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES WHILE PROMOTING PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE. BUT WE KNOW, AS YOU HAVE NOTED HERE, THAT IT TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT, UM, IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. SO I WANNA RELAY MY APPRECIATION FOR ALL OF THE STAFF AS WELL AS THE ENTREPRENEURS WHO'VE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE, UH, IN, IN THE PROGRAM TO DATE AND ARE LOOKING TO, TO ENTER. UM, SO WHAT I'LL DO IS I'VE JUST GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS RELATED TO A FEW TOPICS, AND THE FIRST TOPIC, WE'LL I'LL START WITH IS REALLY AROUND VENDOR SUPPORT AND THE VENDOR EXPERIENCE. SO I'VE HAD A FEW CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, VENDOR ADVOCATES, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UM, THAT THERE, THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF, UM, CARTS AS WE SAW IN THE PRESENTATION, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT PEDAL DRIVEN CARTS, UH, MIGHT BE ONES THAT ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE, UM, IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE A VENDOR WHOSE BUSINESS MODEL MOVES THEM ABOUT A BIT. UM, OUR PEDAL MOBILE, UH, CARTS ALLOWED, WE HAVE JUDITH WITH OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH THAT CAN HELP ANSWER THAT AS THEY, UM, DO PERMITTING FOR CARTS IF IT'S RELATED TO FOOD. UM, IN TERMS OF THE MERCHANDISE VEHICLES, I THINK THEY ALSO GET CHECKED, BUT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JUDITH. YEAH. PEDAL DRIVEN CARTS ARE CATEGORIZED DIFFERENTLY THAN THE SIDEWALK VENDOR UNDER THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE. AND SO WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THOSE PLANS SUBMITTED THE TYPE OF OPERATIONS THAT'S BEING SET BY THESE PEDAL DRIVEN CARTS TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF PERMIT IS ACCURATE FOR ISSUING THAT. OKAY. SO IT'S POSSIBLE TO HAVE ONE, BUT IT MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT, UH, PERMIT THAT MAY NEED TO BE OBTAINED. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. AND THEN I SPECIFICALLY HEARD REPORTS THAT THOSE WHO, UM, ARE LOOKING TO VEN ON THE ITEM OF CORN ARE HAVING A REAL DIFFICULTY WITH IDENTIFYING A CART THAT CAN MEET OUR PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS. TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, WE DON'T, WE WE'RE NOT MANUFACTURERS OR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNERS. AND DEPENDING ON HOW THAT CORN OPERATION IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, WE RECOMMEND THAT OUR SIDEWALK VENDORS CONSULT WITH A DESIGNER. AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS ONE OF THE REASON WHY WE'RE ATTENDING, UM, PUTTING AN AMENDMENT TO OUR GRANT, UM, PROGRAM, IS TO HELP MANY OF OUR SIDEWALK VENDORS, UM, FIND A LOCAL ARCHITECT OR A NEIGHBORING ARCHITECT TO HELP THEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THOSE CARTS. OKAY. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BARRIER TO ME. AND ONE WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE AND TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO SUPPORT YES, THOSE VENDORS. UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MAYBE LA COUNTY MIGHT HAVE SOME RESOURCES IN THAT AREA, UM, AS WELL AND MAY HAVE DESIGNED A CART FOR, UM, FOR, FOR THAT KIND OF PRODUCT. I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM LA COUNTY, BUT I DO HAVE A MEETING WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIRECTORS TOMORROW ACROSS THE SOUTHERN REGION, SO I WILL DEFINITELY BRING THAT UP. SO THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION THERE, IS THAT WE LOOK TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO TRY AND IDENTIFY WHAT THE RESOURCE IS FOR, UM, THAT VENDOR TYPE AS IT'S PRETTY COMMON, I THINK, IN TOWN. OKAY. I WANTED TO MOVE US THEN TO REGULATIONS. UM, I HAD IT IN MY NOTES AND THEN I NOTICED THAT IT WAS IN PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL. UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, UH, SIDEWALK VENDING WEBSITE SAYS THAT YOU, THE DAILY PRACTICE IS THAT FOOD VENDORS MUST USE COMMISSARIES. UM, AND FROM LOOKING AT THE LIST OF COMMISSARIES THAT WE PROVIDE, NONE OF THEM ARE LOCATED IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. UM, THE CLOSEST ARE IN CARSON IN PARAMOUNT. SO I CAN IMAGINE THAT THE COST OF NOT ONLY GOING TO THE, UH, COMMISSARY MOVING YOUR MATERIALS AND, AND FOOD ACCORDINGLY, AND THEN TRYING TO MOVE IT BACK CAN BE QUITE DIFFICULT FOR A VENDOR. UM, I ALSO NOTED THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BYPASS THIS REQUIREMENT THAT THERE ARE ALTERNATIVE FACILITY OPTIONS. CAN WE, CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE OPTIONS MIGHT BE? YES, AND I DO HAVE SOME GREAT NEWS. WE RECENTLY JUST APPROVED A LARGE COMMISSARY HERE IN LONG BEACH, UM, PARTAKE. AND SO THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF THE SUPPORT THAT'S NEEDED FOR MANY OF OUR LOCAL SIDEWALK FOOD VENDORS. WE HAVE A FEW COMMISSARIES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HELP THE SMALLER SCALE OPERATIONS, BUT MANY ARE, UH, PERMITTED COMMISSARIES ARE PERMITTED IN LONG BEACH. WE ARE EXPLORING SOME PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL RESTAURANTS TO HELP, UM, BUILD THIS INTEGRATION OF, OR THAT PARTNERSHIP WHERE A SIDEWALK VENDOR CAN WORK WITH A LOCAL RESTAURANT, UM, TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT FACILITY AS A COMMISSARY. WE ALSO HAVE MIKO, THE MICRO ENTERPRISE HOME KITCHEN OPERATION THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY PREPARING FOR. AND WE'LL BE BACK IN A FEW WEEKS [04:10:01] TO COME TO YOU AND PRESENT OUR VISIBILITY STUDY AND OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THAT. THAT SOUNDS FANTASTIC. THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE AND GOOD NEWS. I'M GLAD TO KNOW WE HAVE A PARTAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, HERE IN LONG BEACH, UM, AND ARE LOOKING FOR OTHER, UH, OPTIONS WITH OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE BRICK AND MORTAR, UM, WHO COULD SERVE AS A COMMISSARY. AND THEN FINALLY, I'LL JUST SAY THAT I AM DELIGHTED TO SEE THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY, UM, WITH THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE OR WITH THIS PARTICULAR POLICY, UM, AND LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO PREVIEW THAT IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL, UM, SO THAT IT CAN BE A RESOURCE NOT ONLY FOR OUR OFFICES, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. I'LL ADD MY, MY COMMENTS HERE. UH, I KNOW A LOT OF WORK, UH, HAS, UM, UM, BEEN UNDERTAKEN TO PUT FORWARD A REASONABLE, UM, PATHWAY FOR THOSE VENDORS WHO WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OR TO BE LEGALLY PERMITTED. UH, A LOT OF WORK HAS GONE INTO ALLOWING THAT TO TAKE PLACE. SURE, IT COULD BE REFINED, BUT I MEAN, THAT IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE NOT A LOT OF JURISDICTIONS WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS THAT NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE TO ADDRESS MANY OF THE NUISANCES THAT WE, THAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR ABOUT. UM, SOME OF THE STREET VENDORS, UH, QUAL QUALITY OF LIFE IMPACTS GREASE ON THE GREASE ON SIDEWALKS, STORM DRAINS LITTER, A DA ACCESS. AND WHEN WE ORIGINALLY BROUGHT THIS UP THERE, WE EXPLAINED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IF SOMEONE LEGITIMATELY WANTS TO, UM, HAVE A, UH, VENDOR BUSINESS, A STREET VENDOR BUSINESS, WE WANNA OPEN UP THE PATHWAY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, WE SELDOM HAVE PEOPLE WHO LINE UP AND HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THE CORN MAN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, OR, YOU KNOW, THE ICE CREAM VENDOR IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE CART THAT IS TRYING TO CONVERT FROM DOING JUST SPECIAL EVENTS TO FIGURING OUT HOW TO BE A BIT MORE MOBILE IN THE COMMUNITY. THE COM THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR ARE ABOUT THE NUISANCES AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE. AND SO, UM, SO MY COMMENTS HERE ARE, UH, I, I IMAGINE AS NOW THAT THE PATHWAY HAS OPENED UP, WE, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING MORE PUBLICLY ABOUT WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR ENFORCEMENT STRATEGIES LOOK LIKE ON THOSE WHO HAVE NOT EXPRESSED OR TAKING STEPS TO FIND THE LEGAL PATHWAY AND FOLKS WHO CONTINUE TO BE BAD NEIGHBORS SETTING UP SHOP ON THE SIDEWALK AND NOT WORKING TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT WE'VE, WE'VE OUTLINED AS THE LEGAL WAY TO DO IT, AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW. AND SO, UM, I WANT TO EMPATHIZE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE CONCERNS THAT WE ALL HEAR, UH, FROM RESIDENTS, FROM SMALL BUSINESSES, FROM PEOPLE WHO JUST SIMPLY WANT, UM, WANT A CLEAN AND A HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD AND DON'T, AND, AND, AND WANT OUR CITY TO CREATE A LEGAL PATHWAY FOR THOSE THINGS TO HAPPEN, BUT ARE BE BECOMING FED UP WITH SOME OF THOSE NUISANCES. SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND JUST GIVE YOU ENCOURAGEMENT TO CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE. UH, NOW THAT THIS PATHWAY IS UP, YOU KNOW, OUR ATTENTION NOW SHOULD MOSTLY BE FOCUSED ON HOW WE BRING FOLKS INTO COMPLIANCE AND HOW WE, UM, ADDRESS THE QUALITY OF LIFE CHALLENGES. UH, I KNOW YOU'RE, I KNOW YOU'RE, UM, YOU'RE WORKING ON THAT AND YOU'RE FOCUSED ON THAT, BUT I WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS. I THINK THERE, IF SOMEONE WANTS TO HAVE THE ABILITY, UM, TO HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE BUSINESS, WE SUPPORT THAT THIS IS A PATHWAY TO MAKE MONEY. IT'S A PATHWAY TO, YOU KNOW, GROW INTO A RESTAURANT IF THEY WANT TO GROW A RESTAURANT. BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT BALANCE WITH, UM, THE CHALLENGES OF SOME OF THE NUISANCES THAT ARE BEING CREATED, UM, UM, WHERE WE'RE IN A PLACE WHERE OUR PUBLIC WORKS CREWS ARE, ARE BUSY PAVING STREETS AND CLEANING OUR OWN STREETS AND DON'T NEED, DON'T NEED MORE WORK ON, ON, ON THEIR BEHALF, UH, TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY CLEAN. SO I WANNA JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A CHALLENGE, A CHALLENGE, BUT OUR CITY IS TAKING THE RIGHT STEPS, UH, STEPS THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE NOT YET TAKEN TO CREATE A LEGAL PATHWAY, BUT WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, ENFORCEMENT NEED DOES NEED TO TAKE PLACE. SO WE'LL KEEP GOING DOWN THE LIST. NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SOTE. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. EVEN THOUGH YOU BUDGE ME IN LINE, BUT IT'S FINE. UM, I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. UH, AND REALLY THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE, THE DATA TRANSPARENCY ON SLIDE 46. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING AROUND, UM, LAUNCHING THE MAP ABOUT WHERE YOU THEN, 'CAUSE I GET A, WE GET A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS, UM, FROM RESIDENTS, UM, AND BUSINESS OWNERS ALIKE, RIGHT? ASKING, YOU KNOW, HOW DO I TELL UH, WHERE VENDOR IS ALLOWED? I WAS LIKE, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S RESIDENTIAL, IS IT MIXED USE? SO THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION OUT THERE. SO I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY HELPFUL. UM, THE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AND THE MAP AND THE DASHBOARD AND THEN AS WELL AS THE UPDATES TO THE GO ON BEACH APP. IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO GO THROUGH, FOR YOU TO [04:15:01] GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THOSE AND JUST KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE CONTEXT OF WHY, UM, WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THIS DATA TRANSPARENCY AND WHAT IS OUR HOPE? WHAT'S THE GOAL WITH EACH OF THESE? YES, ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THE SIDEWALK IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ORDINANCE, UM, WE WERE CREATING A LOT OF THINGS FROM SCRATCH. IT'S A NEW ORDINANCE, A LOT OF THE OPERATIONS, ESPECIALLY ON THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE, THE COMPLAINT DRIVEN SIDE, THE PERMITTING SIDE, THE EDUCATION, EVERYTHING WAS NEW. SO AS WE WERE ENGAGING WITH THE SUBJECT, WE WERE GETTING A LOT MORE QUESTIONS THAN I THINK THE TEAMS HAD EVER GOTTEN BEFORE, ESPECIALLY AS SIDEWALK VENDING AS A PRACTICE HAS STARTED TO BECOME MORE AND MORE PREVALENT. AND WE FOUND THAT IT WAS A CHALLENGE TO GATHER ALL OF THE DATA PIECES WITH THE SYSTEMS THAT WE HAD IN PLACE BEFORE. SO ALONG WITH THE, THE OLD SYSTEMS THAT WE HAD, PLUS THE DEMAND FOR MORE DATA AND OUR DESIRE TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH WHERE WE'RE AT BECAUSE STAFF'S DESIRE HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO BE TRANSPARENT AS TO WHERE WE'RE AT. IT MAY BE, UM, NOT AS, UH, A PROGRESSIVE AS SOME PEOPLE WANT OR MAYBE IT IS TOO MUCH, BUT WE AT LEAST JUST WANT IT TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND THEN HAVE A CONVERSATION FROM THAT STARTING POINT. SO THE FIRST MAP THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, COUNCILWOMAN, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BUFFER ZONES OR WHERE CAN YOU VENT? PART OF THAT STARTED EARLY ON WHEN WE GOT FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL, WHEN THE ORDINANCE VERY, FOR THE FIRST TIME CAME TO COUNCIL, I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION AS TO WHAT IS ALLOWED, WHAT'S NOT ALLOWED. THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL. AND SO THERE WAS THAT ASK FROM COUNCIL TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO CREATE MATERIALS THAT'S MORE VISUAL. SO WE'VE DONE THAT IN BOOKLET AND PAMPHLET FORM AS WELL. THE TEAM HAS SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOING THAT. AND THIS MAP WAS JUST ANOTHER EXTENSION OF THAT. CAN WE FIND SOMETHING INTERACTIVE USING TECHNOLOGY THAT SHOWS THE LIVE MAP OF LONG BEACH WHERE PEOPLE CAN ZOOM AROUND, ENTER IN AN ADDRESS, AND THEN GET UM, UH, INFORMATION AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THERE. IS THIS ONE BLOCK NEAR RADIUS NEAR A SCHOOL? IS THIS 500 FEET WITHIN THE ON-RAMP OF A HIGHWAY? SO, UH, THAT'S WHAT THAT MAP IS. AND THEN ON THE ENFORCEMENT DATA TRANSPARENCY SIDE, WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS COMING TO US ABOUT WHERE ARE MY COMPLAINTS GOING? I'VE COMPLAINED WHAT'S HAPPENING, NOTHING SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING. WE TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THOSE FRUSTRATIONS. UM, IT'S AGAIN, AS WE EXPLAINED PART OF OUR ESCALATING ENFORCEMENT AND OUR ENFORCEMENT TOOLS, BUT WE WANT TO AT LEAST BE TRANSPARENT THAT WE ARE GETTING YOUR COMPLAINTS AND WHERE ARE THOSE COMPLAINTS ABOUT AND WHAT LOCATION ARE THE COMPLAINTS, UM, CONGREGATED AROUND ONE AREA OF THE CITY MORE THAN ANOTHER OR IS IT SHIFTING OVER TIME? SO THAT'S WHERE WE'VE ENGAGED IN THAT CONVERSATION WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT AS PARTNERS. AND ALSO THAT OPENED UP THE CONVERSATION OF HOW CAN WE BETTER, UM, ADJUST SOME OF THE TOOLS TO COM AND ADJUST SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE ASKED ON GO LONG BEACH TO BE ABLE TO COMPL TO COMPILE THE COMPLAINTS IN A WAY THAT WE CAN TRACK ACROSS BOTH DEPARTMENTS. BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS A NEW OPERATION THAT'S NOW BOTH HEALTH AND BUSINESS LICENSE, NOT JUST ONE. AND WE WANNA BE ABLE TO TRACK ACROSS BOTH DEPARTMENTS AND NOT HAVE DUPLICATIVE COUNTS WHEN WE'RE ASKED FOR DATA. AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS REALLY ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS THAT WE ARE TAKING. AGAIN, A LOT OF THE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS THAT WE'VE TAKEN EARLY ON WAS NOT VISIBLE. SO THAT COULD BE FRUSTRATING TO THE PUBLIC. THEY'RE SUBMITTING COMPLAINTS, THEY STILL SEE THE SIDEWALK VENDORS, THE CITY'S DOING NOTHING. THAT COULD BE THE TAKEAWAY. AND WE WANNA JUST BE TRANSPARENT. WHAT IS THE CITY'S DOING? THE CITY HAS GONE OUT AND DONE NVS, THE CITY DID AN ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION AND NOW THAT WE HAVE THE CRT PILOT PROGRAM UP AND RUNNING, HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO MORE OF THOSE OPERATIONS AND DIRECTLY IMPACT THOSE VENDORS THAT ARE UN PERMITTED AND HAVE BEEN EDUCATED, BUT JUST CONTINUE TO OPERATE IN AN UNPERMITTED STATUS. WE WANNA BE ABLE TO SHOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING AND THEN FROM THERE WE CAN TALK ABOUT DO WE WANNA DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT? DO WE NEED TO BE DOING SOMETHING MORE? DO WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR RESOURCES? BUT AT LEAST AS STARTING FROM AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD OF WHAT DOES THE DATA SHOW AND WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY DOING? CAN I JUST ALSO ADD THAT, UM, THIS DATA TOOLS ARE A GREAT MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR US. IT HELPS US ORGANIZE, IT HELPS US PRIORITIZE THE AREAS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SCRAMBLING LIKE WE DID BEFORE. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT IT'S MADE US EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE. AND JUST THE VISUAL THAT IT PRESENTS TO US, IT ILLUSTRATES THE CONCERTED EFFORTS THAT MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS AND THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, IT DISPLAYS ALL OF THAT. AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR TEAM MEMBERS TO KNOW AND REALIZE AND RECOGNIZE THAT THEIR WORK IS MAKING AN IMPACT. [04:20:02] ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. RIGHT. NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. YEAH, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, DEPUTY, UH, CITY MANAGER, GRACE YOON, UM, FOR THAT PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE THOROUGH, UM, UPDATE. I MEAN SIX MONTHS. UM, SO I JUST WANNA, I KNOW THAT IT WASN'T GONNA BE, UM, PERFECT JUST BECAUSE WE'RE DOING SOMETHING NEW AND WE, THERE'S BEEN SO MANY FEEDBACK AND A WIDE ARRAY OF APPROACH TO HOW, WHERE DO YOU BEGIN, WHAT DO YOU TACKLE, RIGHT? SO I DO WANNA JUST COMMEND YOU AND THE TEAM FOR, UM, BRINGING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, A GREAT EFFORT IN ROLLING IT OUT. I FEEL LIKE YOU ALSO LISTENED TO A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK WE GAVE WHEN YOU DID PRESENT TO US ABOUT MAKING THE BOOKLET MUCH MORE VISUAL. 'CAUSE I STILL, YOU KNOW, IT HELPS TO REALLY BE ABLE TO SEE, UM, HOW IT'S LAID OUT, UM, AND FOR HOW MANY FEET AND HOW FAR AWAY AND WHAT DISTANT. UH, I, I THINK IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A DASHBOARD TO JUST SEE WHERE THE COMPLAINTS ARE OCCURRING, CITATIONS IN WHICH PARTS, BECAUSE THEN IT'S, IT GIVES US A SENSE ON, BECAUSE WE DO KNOW SOME OF THE, THE USUAL PLACES THAT PEOPLE VENT AND OKAY. IS THAT ANOTHER ONE? SO THEN WE ARE NOT BOMBARDING, UM, THE TEAM AS WELL. LIKE, HEY, GIMME AN UPDATE, WHAT'S GOING ON? SO IT REALLY, I THINK CREATES AN EFFICIENT UPDATING PROCESS, NOT JUST FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT RESIDENTS AS WELL WHO THEN DON'T HAVE TO CONTACT US, RIGHT? IF THEY COULD LOOK AT IT, UM, GO LONG BEACH APP ALSO, UM, AS IT'S BEING DEVELOPED. AND I DO HEAR A LOT ABOUT, UM, LEARNING AS WE GO BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T THINK AHEAD, UM, AND, AND US TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A RESPONSE TO IT. AND I DO APPRECIATE THE PROCESS AND WHERE WE CAN TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADDRESS WHAT COULD BE PERMISSIBLE TO PERMITTING IT. UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I THINK I WANNA EMPHASIZE AGAIN, THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE COULD EXPLORE BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS, RIGHT? UM, I KNOW THAT THE MECO FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT WILL COME IN JUNE, BUT I THINK THAT DOESN'T STILL LIMIT US TO EXPLORE, UM, PARTNERSHIPS WITH RESTAURANTS OR OTHER ENTITIES. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ALSO A GOOD PHASE FOR THE NEXT REPORT BACK, IF THERE IS AN INTEREST. UM, I LIKE TO PRO, YOU KNOW, REQUEST THAT WE COULD GET, UM, WE'RE ALREADY WORKING WITH EXISTING BUSINESSES, MAYBE HAVE THEM DO A SURVEY, WOULD THEY BE INTERESTED? AND WHAT WOULD ACTUALLY INCENTIVIZE THEM TO ALLOW, UH, OTHER, UM, VENDORS TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO PREPARE THEIR FOOD? UM, WHAT WOULD BE THEIR CONCERNS JUST SO THAT WE KNOW WELL, IS IT EVEN FEASIBLE WITH SOME OF THESE BASIC QUESTIONS WE COULD ASK EARLY ON? SO I LOVE TO SEE IF WE CAN, IF THAT'S A POSSIBILITY TO DO, UM, WITH EXISTING BUSINESSES THAT WE MAY ALREADY HAVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT'S EVEN OPEN EXPRESS, UM, OPENNESS TO DOING THAT. UM, AND, AND I, I DO, I, I WONDER TOO IF, IF YOU'RE FINDING OUT, WELL WHAT ARE THESE WIDE ARRAY OF VENDORS WE'RE SEEING BEYOND THE, THE ONE THAT WE GET SO MUCH COMPLAINT AND ATTENTION ABOUT IS THE TACOS, THE FOOD BEING, THE MEAT BEING PREPARED ON SITE. BUT WE'RE HEARING THAT THERE ARE WIDE ARRAYS AND UM, I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN CATEGORIZE, UM, OR BETTER PROVIDE GUIDANCE IN THE WAY THEY CAN SET UP PERMISSIBLE VENDING. UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY VENDING. UM, UM, I THINK MECHANISM WHERE IT, IT CAN BE FEASIBLE. SO, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I'M STILL HAVING A HARD TIME GRAPPLING. I DO UNDERSTAND THE CARTS THAT NEEDS TO HAVE A KITCHEN AND A SINK AND THOSE THAT NEED TO BE REFRIGERATED, BUT WHAT ARE ALL THE OTHER TYPES THAT THEY DON'T HA THAT, THAT ARE PERMISSIBLE TOO? UM, JUST LIKE THE EXAMPLE COUNCILWOMAN THRASH INTO PROVIDED WAS AROUND THE CORN, BUT WHAT ABOUT SOME OF THESE OTHER LIKE TAMALES AS WELL? YOU HAVE TO KIND OF HAVE 'EM HEAT IT. UM, SIMILAR TO CORN TOO. SO, UM, IF WE CAN KIND OF COME BACK AND MAYBE CATEGORIZE THESE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF VENDING AND THEY'RE REALLY MICRO ENTREPRENEUR WHERE, I MEAN THEY'RE NOT, UM, AND, AND IN SOME WAY I DO WANNA THINK ABOUT ADDING TO THIS CONVERSATION IS THAT YES, I THINK ONE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO OPEN A BRICK AND MORTAR, BUT YOU KNOW, CAPITAL AND ALL OF THESE ARE BARRIERS. AND I DO AGREE WITH THE MAYOR THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WE CREATE THESE MICROENTERPRISE PATHWAYS. THEY'RE, THAT THAT REALLY LEADS UP TO A PLACE WHERE WE ARE ADDRESSING THE VIBRANT TO THE VACANCY, THE VIBRANCY PLAN THAT, [04:25:01] YOU KNOW, DIRECTOR MARTINEZ BROUGHT UP. SO I FEEL LIKE IF WE CAN JUST LINK THESE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY WITH, UM, THE VENDING OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW, IF THERE COULD BE A CONVERSATION TO SEE WHERE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES LIES. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WELL LOOK, I FINISHED RIGHT ON TIME, RIGHT ON TIME. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. ALRIGHT, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND GRACE, I WANT TO DO A GREAT SHOUT OUT FOR YOU. YOU'VE DONE SO MUCH WORK. YOU'VE BEEN REALLY OPEN TO A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND I APPRECIATE, UH, HOW YOU WORK WITH HOW YOU'VE WORKED WITH MY OFFICE. SO I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK. UH, AND THIS HAS BEEN SUCH A LONG ROAD FROM REACTING TO A STATE LAW THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2023 TO CREATING A CITY COMPLIANT ORDINANCE, A HUGE ORDINANCE, TO NOW HAVING THE PROGRAM FULLY IMPLEMENTED. UM, I APPRECIATE THAT WE STARTED OFF SLOW, BUILT OUR FRAMEWORK AROUND EDUCATION, AND NOW WE'RE PICKING UP SPEED WITH ENFORCEMENT WITH THE CRTS. AND I UNDERSTAND THIS PHILOSOPHY AND THAT WE'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT A STATE LAW THAT REALLY IS HANDCUFFED OUR CITY IN SO MANY CITIES. UM, BUT I JUST DON'T THINK OUR OUTREACH AND ENFORCEMENT IS WORKING. WE HAVE GIVEN THESE BUSINESSES OVER A YEAR TO BE COMPLIANT AND LEARN THE RULES. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE A SHIFT. UM, OUR FOCUS MORE TOWARDS ENFORCEMENT SEVEN COMMUNITY RESPONSE TEAM OPERATIONS OVER SEVERAL MONTHS AREN'T ENOUGH TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE TO HAVE THEM FEEL LIKE, UM, THEY NEED TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR. SO I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT AREAS. I'D LIKE TO SEE OUR ENFORCEMENT FOCUSED ON WAGE THEFT OPERATIONS THAT DAMAGE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT AND THE LARGER COMMISSARY OPERATIONS. AND WE'VE DISCUSSED, UH, ALL OF THESE. SO THE FIRST ISSUE I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS WAGE THEFT. AND AS RELATED TO SIDEWALK VENDING BUSINESSES, THE CHANGES TO THE SIDEWALK VENDING ORDINANCE WERE MEANT TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO BECOME ENTREPRENEURS. BUT DURING SOME OF OUR INSPECTIONS, VENDORS HAVE TOLD STAFF THAT THEY ARE NOT THE BUSINESS OWNERS AND THAT THEY'RE BEING PAID BELOW MINIMUM WAGE. IN, IN DISTRICT THREE IN MY DISTRICT, AN INSPECTOR WAS TOLD THAT AN EMPLOYEE WAS BEING PAID UNDER $8 AN HOUR AND ANOTHER EMPLOYEE OF A DIFFERENT VENDOR WAS BEING PAID UNDER $12 AN HOUR. I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT THESE TWO SENATE BILLS INTENDED TO PROTECT VENDING BUSINESSES WHO AREN'T PAYING THEIR EMPLOYEES MINIMUM WAGE. IT JUST, IT'S DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO HELP THEM BUILD A BUSINESS. THE OWNERS AREN'T THERE AND PEOPLE, IT'S, IT'S WAGE THEFT. UM, AND WE'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN, THE SAME VENDOR LOCATION OVER AND OVER, UH, AND THE SAME PEOPLE COME BACK AND THEY CONTINUE TO WORK. SO CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH WHAT THE CITY'S PROCESS IS WHEN WE IDENTIFY THAT SOMEONE IS WORKING AT A VENDING OPERATION AND THEY'RE BEING PAID UNDER MINIMUM WAGE? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER, I CAN, UM, SHARE THAT WE HAVE STARTED CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE AS THAT IS AN AREA THAT THEY HAVE NOTED THAT THEY CAN PURSUE. UM, AND THAT THEY HAVE PRELIMINARILY STATED THAT WAGE THEFT IS SEPARATE, AS YOU MENTIONED FROM SB 9 46. AND THE INTENT, SO THE INTENT, AS WE WERE SAYING SIDEWALK VENDING, THE ACT OF SIDEWALK VENDING IS PROTECTED FROM CRIMINALIZATION, BUT THERE ARE OTHER CRIMES SUCH AS WAGE THEFT THAT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE, BE BLANKETED AND PROTECTED BY SB 9 46. RIGHT NOW, STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING FROM THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE, FROM A BUSINESS LICENSE AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT SIDE, AND THE TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR ENFORCEMENT TEAM OF THE ORDINANCE, IT IS LIMITED TO EVERYTHING THAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE PRESENTATION. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE TO ESTABLISH WHAT ARE THE PROCESSES AND PROTOCOLS FOR BEING ABLE TO PURSUE, UM, CRIMINAL ACTION AS A RESULT OF WAGE THEFT. SO WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MANY DETAILS, JUST SOME OF THE EARLY CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD ARE QUESTIONS SUCH AS WHAT LEVEL OF EVIDENCE OR INFORMATION IS NEEDED [04:30:01] FOR THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE TO FEEL LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD PURSUE. IS IT JUST A CONVERSATION THAT MIGHT NOT BE SUBSTANTIVE ENOUGH? UM, HOWEVER, UH, WE ARE TALKING WITH THEM, IT MAY BE THINGS THAT CITY PROSECUTORS' STAFF THEMSELVES HAVE TO GO OUT AND INVESTIGATE, WHICH DOES RAISE SOME QUESTIONS OF HOW WOULD WE COORDINATE THAT LOGISTICALLY? WOULD IT BE COORDINATED TOGETHER OR NOT? SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO, UM, PURSUE AS WE ARE NOW ESTABLISHED IN MORE OF OUR BASE ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES. AS THE MAYOR WAS SAYING, NOW WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO START TO BRANCH OUT AND HAVE THE CAPACITY AND THE TIME TO REALLY HAMMER OUT SOME OF THESE DETAILS. I'M SO GLAD YOU'VE ALREADY SPOKEN WITH HIM. YOU'RE GETTING A PROCESS TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THIS. I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY, UM, THAT'S REALLY GOOD MOVING FORWARD REGARDING WAGE THEFT, WHICH PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT. THE SECOND ITEM I WANNA TALK ABOUT, UM, HAS TO DO WITH GREASE SPILLS AND INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE. SO DISTRICT THREE HAS BEEN STRUGGLING WITH SIDEWALK VENDING BUSINESSES THAT ARE SPILLING COOKING GREASE AND DAMAGING OUR SIDEWALKS. AND THEY'RE ALSO THREATENING OUR STORM WATER SYSTEM WITH GREASE GOING INTO THE STORM WATER DRAINS. UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF PICTURES HERE YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT. GREASE BUILDS FROM SIDEWALK VENDING BUSINESSES. SO THIS WAS SECOND STREET. UM, I BELIEVE ONE OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS WAS REFERRING TO THIS AREA. UM, BUT THIS WAS WHEN IT WAS CLEAN AND FRESH. LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE. UM, THIS IS SOME OF THE VENDING THAT HAPPENS ON THE SIDEWALK AND IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN OVER AND OVER. THIS IS THE SAME BACKUP ONE. THIS IS THE SAME SIDEWALK THAT WE SAW, UH, WITH THE CLEAN SIDEWALKS PREVIOUSLY. OKAY, MOVE FORWARD. YOU CAN SEE THE GREASE AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DRAINS. YOU CAN SEE WHERE GREASE IS. IT'S CALLED FOG. WHEN IT GOES INTO THE GUTTER, IT COAGULATES IT GOES INTO OUR STORM DRAIN. UM, GO AHEAD AND GO FORWARD. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS POST CLEANING. SO THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AFTER THE SIDEWALK HAS BEEN CLEANED, THE CITY GOES OUT, THEY, I BELIEVE THEY TAKE OCEAN BLUE. IS THAT RIGHT? GRACE? YES. IT COULD BE OCEAN BLUE OR PUBLIC WORK STAFF, BUT IF IT IS PUBLIC WORK STAFF THAT DOES DIVERT RESOURCES FROM, UM, OTHER PRIORITIES. SO MY OFFICE CALLS THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO NOTIFY THEM. THEY CONTRACT WITH OPEN BLUE AND THEN THEY CLEAN UP THE GREASE BUILD AND IT'S BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM OTHER AREAS. AND I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO CONTINUE CLEANING SIDEWALKS. AND THERE ISN'T A PROCESS FOR ACTUALLY CLEANING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO DO WE SANDBLAST IT? DO WE HAVE TO, THIS CHANGES THE WAY A BUSINESS DISTRICT LOOKS AS WE CONTINUE TO ADD THIS, UM, TO OUR SIDEWALKS. SO, UM, I DON'T THINK SB 9 72 AND 46 INTENDED TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN TO OUR SIDEWALKS. I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THEIR INTENT. UM, SO WHAT CHANGES ARE WE MAKING TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING OR TO TAKE ENFORCEMENT ACTION? AND IF WE HAVE THE NAME, THE PHONE NUMBER, THE INSTAGRAM HANDLE, WE HAVE EVERY WAY TO CONTACT THESE VENDORS WHO ARE DOING THIS REPEATEDLY. ARE WE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND RECOUP THE COST? I MEAN, THEY SHOULD BE PAYING FOR THIS. WE SHOULDN'T BE TAKING OUR BUDGET FOR ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS TO CLEAN UP GREASE AND POLLUTING OUR STORM DRAINS. YES, COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. THE ISSUE OF GREECE, WHICH IS A VERY CONCERNING ONE AND DAMAGE TO CITY INFRASTRUCTURE IS VERY CONCERNING. IT IS VERY TIED UP TO THE OVERALL ISSUE OF SIDEWALK VENDING ENFORCEMENT. SO AS YOU WERE ALSO ALLUDING, WHAT IS THE EFFICIENT WAY TO CLEAN GREASE IT? IT CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM THE LARGER SIDEWALK VENDING CONVERSATION OF UNPERMITTED VENDORS BECAUSE [04:35:01] AS YOU SAID, SB 9 46 AND THE CITY'S ORDINANCE IS NOT PRESUMING THAT WE HAVE UNPERMITTED VENDORS. IT'S SET UP TO SAY THIS IS WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A PERMITTED VENDOR? AND AS A PERMITTED VENDOR, YOU SHOULD NOT BE SPILLING GREASE, YOU SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF YOUR WASTE. YOU SHOULD NOT BE DAMAGING INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THE WHOLE SCENARIO, WHETHER IT'S A GREASE SPILL OR ANOTHER VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE IS WRAPPED UP INTO THIS LARGER COMPLEX AND NUANCED CHALLENGE OF SIDEWALK VENDING ENFORCEMENT. AND IT DOES POSE A CHALLENGE, AND I THINK YOU WERE ALLUDING TO THIS, IS WE HAVE HAD STAFF EITHER GO OUT DIRECTLY OR, UH, WE CONTRACT WITH OCEAN BLUE AND THEY CLEAN THE GREASE. BUT UNTIL WE CAN GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS THE SIDEWALK VENDOR UNPERMITTED SIDEWALK VENDOR RETURNING, THEY COULD SPILL GREASE AGAIN. SO IS IT JUST THAT, WHEN IS THAT THE BEST USE OF RESOURCES TO CONTINUE TO CLEAN VENDOR RETURN, CLEAN VENDOR RETURN? SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE ARE NAVIGATING THROUGH. WE'RE ALSO RIGHT NOW JUST DOING SOME RESEARCH ON WHAT IT COSTS AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE METHODS TO DO GRACE STAIN REMOVAL. WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS OUT THERE? SO WE ARE CURRENTLY IN CONVERSATIONS WITH OCEAN BLUE ABOUT CERTAIN METHODS OR CHEMICALS OR PROCESSES TO TEST. THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE HAVE A ONGOING PROCESS YET, BUT RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE DOING IS JUST DETERMINING WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE, WHAT ARE THE COSTS, WHAT'S THE FEASIBILITY, AND THEN FROM THERE HAVE A CONVERSATION ON, UM, WHAT WE MIGHT DO MOVING FORWARD. BUT ULTIMATELY IN TERMS OF THE CHARGING OF THE VENDOR, IT IS AGAIN TIED TO THE SAME CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WITH SIDEWALK VENDING ENFORCEMENT IN GENERAL. WE CAN ISSUE CITATIONS TO THAT SIDEWALK VENDOR. ABSOLUTELY. AND WE HAVE, I THINK WE'VE MENTIONED 51 ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS DOING CRTS. THOSE ARE ALL THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW THAT WE'VE JUST BUILT UP AND REALLY WANT TO REALLY LEAN INTO MORE TO ADDRESS VENDORS THAT ARE VIOLATING THE PARAMETERS OF THE ORDINANCE, INCLUDING SPILL INCREASE. AND WE DO RUN INTO SOME CHALLENGES WITH WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL RECOUP COSTS WHEN WE ISSUE THE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS. UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE CONTINUING TO DISCUSS AND LOOK INTO. UM, AND, AND IF THAT IS CHALLENGING, THEN LOOKING INTO SOME OTHER ENFORCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL. IS IT A CHALLENGE? ALL RIGHT, THAT'S, THAT'S TIME. OKAY. NOW QUEUE BACK UP IS ANY, IF SOMEONE ELSE IS YES. QUEUE UP COUNCIL MEMBERS AND DEJAS. GOT IT. THANK YOU. UM, AND THANK YOU AGAIN, TEAM, FOR CONTINUING THIS CONVERSATION. UM, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ADDRESS ALL THE ISSUES. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR YOUR WORDS AS WELL. UM, WE HAVE DONE, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK IN TRYING TO GET OUR FOOD VENDORS, UM, PERMITTED. AND I DO AGREE THAT NOW IS THE TIME TO REALLY FOCUS ON ENFORCEMENT. UM, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, I WANNA SHARE THIS WITH, WITH YOU GUYS, ESPECIALLY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAD RECENTLY HAD A LOT OF, UM, UM, STAKEHOLDERS THAT CAME TO, TO US, UM, TALKING ABOUT HOW HARD IT IS FOR THEM TO EVEN COMMUNICATE WITH SOME OF THIS, UH, UNPERMITTED SIDEWALK VENDORS AND HOW THEY'RE CREATING NOT ONLY A NUISANCE, UM, IN THE AREA, BUT UM, REALLY BEING AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS OTHER BUSINESSES IN A NEGATIVE WAY. AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS THAT AS WELL. AND I THINK THAT ENFORCEMENT IS, UM, IS, IS OUR WAY TO DO THAT. I ALSO WANNA SHARE REAL QUICKLY THAT THIS, UM, THIS WEEKEND, AND MAYBE YOU CAN REMIND ME, GRACE, UH, OUR ORDINANCE SAYS THAT THERE'S, UM, THAT THERE CAN BE VENDING, BUT IT HAS TO BE CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FEET OR YARDS, UM, AWAY FROM A SPECIAL EVENT, RIGHT? OR OUTSIDE OF A SPECIAL EVENT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THAT. UM, THERE ARE DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS FROM A SPECIAL EVENT. IT DEPENDS ON HOW LARGE THE SPECIAL EVENT IS. UM, BUT YES, THERE IS, UH, A REQUIREMENT TO BE, UM, SPECIFIC DISTANCE AWAY ON, UM, EGRESS AND INGRESS. THANK YOU. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WAS MY EXPERIENCE, UM, THIS WEEKEND AT THE PRIDE FESTIVAL. UM, WE, I WAS WALKING INTO THE PRIDE FESTIVAL AND SAW THAT THERE WAS A LOT, A LOT OF FOOD VENDORS [04:40:01] AT THE ENTRANCE, LIKE LITERALLY ALMOST AT THE TICKET BOOTH OF THE PRIDE FESTIVAL. UM, AND THEY WERE UNPERMITTED STREET VENDORS. UH, BUT WHAT I REALLY LIKED IT WAS THE FACT THAT OUR, UH, POLICE OFFICERS WERE THERE AND WERE VERY KIND, UM, AND, AND APPROACHING THE VENDORS AND TELLING THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU CAN'T BE HERE. AND I REALLY ADMIRED THE VENDORS BECAUSE THEY WERE LIKE, OH, THEY SAY WE CAN'T BE HERE. LET'S, YOU KNOW, LET'S MOVE FROM HERE. AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS SUCH A GREAT, BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T, THE POLICE OFFICERS WON'T, WERE NOT MAKING A BIG SCENE ABOUT IT. THEY WERE JUST SOFTLY TELLING THEM THAT THEY COULDN'T BE THERE. AND THE VENDORS WERE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND MOVING AWAY FROM, FROM WHERE THIS WAS. AND I JUST THOUGHT LIKE, IF WE COULD HAVE, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT, UM, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT, NOT HERE. AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE, WE'VE DONE THAT, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT ALSO, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, I WANTED TO SEE, SEE IF WE COULD ALSO TAKE INTO, UH, CONSIDERATION SOME SOLUTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, UM, OUR LONG BEACH MERCADO THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE COMING TO OUR CAESAR CHAVEZ, UH, PARK. THAT'S GONNA BE A GREAT PLACE FOR US TO DO VENDOR TRAINING FOR US TO HOST, UM, SIDEWALK VENDING AND TO BOOST OUR E ECONOMIC, UM, DEVELOPMENT IN THAT AREA. AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I'D LIKE TO, UH, FOR US TO KEEP THAT IN MIND TOO. SO THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. AS WE'RE GOING AROUND TO OUR SECOND ROUND, WE'RE GONNA MIND FOLKS, THIS IS OUR SECOND AGENDA ITEM. IT'S 10 O'CLOCK AND WE STILL HAVE A FULL COUNCIL MEETING AFTER THIS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. SO I JUST WANNA FINISH MY LAST POINT. JUST, UH, TO CLARIFY, YOU SAID YOU WEREN'T SURE IF THERE WAS A WAY TO ACTUALLY, I, I THIS IS CLARIFICATION. GOING BACK TO COLLECT FOR THE COST TO RECUPERATE THE COSTS FOR SIDEWALK CLEANING, YOU WEREN'T SURE IF YOU WERE ABLE TO, YOU'D BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY CHARGE THEM BECAUSE IT'S NOT PART OF THE, THEY'RE NOT, UM, PERMITTED SIDEWALK VENDORS. EXPLAIN THAT AGAIN, PLEASE. YES, FOR SURE. UH, WHAT I MEANT TO SAY WAS, IT IS PART OF SAME CHALLENGES WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL THAT WE'RE FACING WITH UNPERMITTED SIDEWALK VENDORS AND ISSUING, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS IN GENERAL, UH, BECAUSE IT IS DECRIMINALIZED, WE CAN ISSUE THE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS. AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE NEXT STEPS AFTER THAT, SOME OF THE TOOLS THAT WE'VE HAD BEFORE ARE NO LONGER THERE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU GRACE. UM, MY THIRD POINT, AND IF YOU COULD JUST ADD TO THAT ALSO. OH. UM, SO WHEN WE'RE GOING TO CHARGE THEM, UM, THE INTERACTION THAT WE'RE HAVING, AS YOU BROUGHT UP ABOUT WAGE THEFT, WE'RE WE'RE INTERACTING WITH THE EMPLOYEE WHO'S THERE. AND SO WE'RE LEAVING IT UP TO THEM TO, IN SOME CASES TELL US WHO IS THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY. SO CLEARLY YOU WOULDN'T WANT US TO CHARGE THE EMPLOYEE WHO'S THERE, WHO WE ALREADY THINK IS A VICTIM OF RIGHT. UM, OF OTHER ISSUES. AND SO WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY FIND WHO'S THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY THAT WE WOULD BE BILLING FOR, WHAT IS HAPPENING TO YOUR STREET. AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS WHEN GRACE TALKS ABOUT HOW WE'RE WORKING TO IDENTIFY WHAT'S NEXT AND HOW DO WE GET THERE, THAT'S PART OF THE, UM, THE, THE VERY DIFFICULT, UH, QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO ASK AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE ANSWERS ARE. SO MAYBE THIS NEXT QUESTION, UH, IT HAS, IT'S VERY RELATED TO THAT. UM, SO I'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH, UM, OUR CITY MANAGER ABOUT THIS FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT I WANNA BRING IT TO COUNCIL FOR FULL CONSIDERATION. AND I KNOW GRACE A TOY, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT IT. UM, WITH THE CITY'S ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON SIDEWALK VENDORS THEMSELVES, WHO ARE AGAIN, HEAVILY PROTECTED BY SB 9 46 AND 9 72. UM, WE'RE EDUCATING, TAKING ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE VENDING THROUGH THE CRT. WE'RE DOUBLING DOWN ON CONFISCATING EQUIPMENT FOOD. UM, BUT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR, AND IT'S BEEN REFERENCED, UM, HERE, ABOUT THE LARGER OPERATIONS THAT ARE ABLE TO RESTOCK WITHIN HOURS. THIS APPROACH MAY DETTER SMALL SCALE VIOLATORS, BUT FOR [04:45:01] THE LARGER, MORE PROBLEMATIC BUSINESSES THAT ARE WILLFULLY DISREGARDING THE LAW, IT'S JUST A LITTLE SPEED BUMP. THEY CAN COME BACK OUT, DELIVER FOOD, DELIVER EQUIPMENT AFTER YOU'VE BEEN OUT WITH YOUR TEAM. SO AS ANY BUSINESS OWNER KNOWS, THERE'S A SUPPLY CHAIN BEHIND EVERY OPERATION AND THE FOOD DOESN'T JUST APPEAR AT THE VENDING LOCATION. I'D LIKE TO SEE US SHIFT SOME ENFORCEMENT UPSTREAM TOWARDS THE COMMISSARIES AND THE MOBILE SUPPORT UNITS THAT ARE SUPPORTING THESE LARGE SCALE OPERATIONS. BECAUSE THESE OPERATIONS OFTEN ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GENERATING THE LOW WAGE JOBS AND UNDERMINING THE SPIRIT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP. IT'S THE REASON WE ARE OFFERING THE SIDEWALK TO SUCCESS PROGRAM. THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF OUR ORDINANCE. AND THESE LARGER OPERATIONS ARE BYPASSING OUR LAWS AND THEY'RE DOMINATING THE MARKET. WHILE THE SMALLER LOCAL VENDORS WHO WANT TO DO GOOD AND BE ENTREPRENEURS ARE TELLING US THE PROCESS IS TOO DIFFICULT. SO UNDER THE STATE HEALTH CODE, VENDORS WHO SERVE FOOD MUST WORK WITH AN APPROVED COMMISSARY. AND THE MOBILE SUPPORT UNITS, WHICH ARE THE VEHICLES THAT DELIVER THE FOOD, ARE TIED TO THOSE COMMISSARIES AND MUST BE HEALTH INSPECTED. THESE VEHICLES HAVE LICENSE PLATES THAT CAN BE IDENTIFIED WITHOUT ENGAGING IN THE VENDORS THEMSELVES. IT MAKES IT EASIER TO ACTUALLY FIND OUT AND, AND HOLD ACCOUNTABLE. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, ARE, UM, ACTUALLY DOING THESE LARGER BUSINESSES THAT ARE PART OF THE BROADER SUPPLY CHAIN. AND THEY SHOULD BE MONITORED. MONITORED BECAUSE THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SAFETY OF FOOD BEING SERVED TO THE PUBLIC. WE NEED TO WATCH WHERE IT'S COMING FROM. AND THESE ILLEGAL COMMISSARIES AND THEIR MOBILE SUPPORT UNITS ARE OFTEN BASED OUTSIDE OF LONG BEACH AND DON'T SUPPORT OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. I'D LIKE TO SEE STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF THESE ILLEGAL COMMISSARY OPERATIONS AND THE ASSOCIATED MOBILE SUPPORT UNITS THAT ARE ENTERING LONG BEACH AND WILLFULLY IGNORING OUR LAWS. I'M ALMOST DONE THERE, . I THINK, I THINK YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE UH, I KNOW, BUT I'M BRINGING THIS TO THEM BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR MONTHS AND I KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO, I, I'M, I'M CONFIDENT GRACE AND A TOY, A TOY ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THIS. SO ALL THE, THOUGH THESE SENATE BILLS DIDN'T ALTER THE HEALTH CODE RELATED TO COMMISSARIES OR MOBILE SUPPORT UNITS, STATE LAW DOES NOT PREVENT US FROM TAKING ENFORCEMENT ACTION ON THESE AREAS. SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, YOU'RE GONNA WORK ON IT. IS THERE A REASON WE AREN'T DOING THIS OTHER THAN YOU HAVE TO LOOK INTO IT SO WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE THAT QUESTION. IF YOU WANT TO ADD THAT QUESTION, YOU SHOULD CUE I WILL DO SO. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YEAH, I JUST WANNA THANK THE TEAM FOR THE REPORT, UH, FOR THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE. WE KNOW THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. I THINK A LOT OF ALL OF THE QUESTIONS I THINK HAVE BEEN ASKED THAT I HAD AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU. WE HAVE A COUPLE CHRONIC PLACES IN DISTRICT FIVE, UM, AND THE TEAM HAS BEEN RESPONSIVE AND HELPFUL. UM, IT'S NOT PERFECT, UM, BUT WE'VE SEEN AN IMPROVEMENT. I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. OKAY. OKAY. THERE'S NO MORE CUES. GREAT. ALRIGHT. WE'RE GOOD. MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. DID WE DO PUBLIC COMMENT? WE DID, RIGHT? YES WE DID. ALRIGHT, WE'RE GOOD. PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTES. YOU'RE LUCKY I MISSED IT. MOTION IS CARRIED. . YOU GUYS ARE WAY TOO NICE. THE COUNCIL LAW WAS ON. WE WOULD'VE CALLED THE QUESTION A LONG TIME AGO. UM, UM, ALL RIGHT. WHERE ARE WE? ITEM 20, PLEASE REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR A FIRST AMENDMENT TO SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION [20. 25-55262 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary for a First Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions with Mamo LBMP Investors I, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and CP VI Marketplace, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, related to City-owned property, Assessor Parcel Number 7237-020-904, located adjacent to 6615 – 6695 East Pacific Coast Highway within Marketplace Long Beach; Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary for a Parking Permit with CP VI Marketplace, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company for the non-exclusive use of 75 parking spaces within City-owned property, Assessor Parcel Number 7237-020-904, located adjacent to 6615 – 6695 East Pacific Coast Highway within Marketplace Long Beach, for a period of 55 years; and Determine the project is within the scope of the project previously analyzed as part of the Southeast Area Specific Plan Program Environmental Impact Report (State Clearinghouse No. 2015101075) (PECC 03-23) and subject to the Southeast Area Specific Plan Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program and making certain findings and determinations related thereto and warrants no further environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Sections 15162, 15168, and 15183. (District 3) Levine Act: Yes       Office or Department: Economic Development         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] OF COVENANTS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS WITH MAMMAL LB MP INVESTORS ONE LLC AND CP SIX MARKETPLACE LLC RELATED TO CITY OWNED PROPERTY LOCATED ADJACENT TO 6 6 1 5 THROUGH 6 6 9 5 EAST PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY. EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR PARKING PERMIT WITH CP SIX SIX MARKETPLACE LLC FOR THE NON-EXCLUSIVE USE OF 75 PARKING SPACES LOCATED ADJACENT TO 6 6 1 5 THROUGH 6 6 9 5 EAST PACIFIC HOST HIGHWAY AND DETERMINED THE PROJECT IS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT PREVIOUSLY ANALYZED AS PART OF THE SOUTHEAST AREA SPECIFIC PLAN PROGRAM, ENVIRONMENTAL [04:50:01] IMPACT REPORT AND SUBJECT TO THE SOUTHEAST AREA SPECIFIC PLAN MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM AND WARRANTS. NO FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PURSUANT TO THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT GUIDELINES. DISTRICT THREE. ALRIGHT, IS THERE A STAFF REPORT HERE? DOES THERE HAVE TO? ONLY IF YOU'D LIKE ONE. NO, I WOULD NOT LIKE ONE. IF THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ONE. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE COUNCIL THEN. UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TI ANYTHING WE CAN VOTE? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH UH, PROCEED. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. I SUPPORT THIS. GREAT. FANTASTIC. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? ALRIGHT. NO PUBLIC COMMENT. ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. 21. PLEASE REPORT FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2025. SECOND [21. 25-55263 Recommendation to approve the Fiscal Year 2025 second departmental and fund budget appropriation adjustments in accordance with existing City Council policy. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Financial Management         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] DEPARTMENTAL AND FUND BUDGET APPROPRIATION ADJUSTMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH EXISTING CITY COUNCIL POLICY. CITYWIDE. THANK YOU. I SEE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. KATHLEEN ADAMS. THANK YOU. AND YOUR STAMINA IS VERY IMPRESSIVE TONIGHT. THANK YOU. UM, REGARDING AGENDA ITEM 21, I'M COMMENTING LINE 11 AND LISTENING TO THE PRIOR COMMENTER WHO DOES NOT FEEL SAFE IN LONG BEACH, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UM, AN APPROVAL TO SPEND 4 MILLION PLUS DOLLARS ON, UH, SUPPLYING OUR POLICE, INCLUDING TASERS, UM, HOPEFULLY WILL HELP THE COMMUNITY FEEL SAFER. BUT WHAT I DON'T SEE IN THIS, UH, POLICY IS A WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD TRUST WITH THE USE OF THE EQUIPMENT. UM, IN ADDITION TO APPROVING THE 4 MILLION, WHICH I ASSUME WILL HAPPEN BECAUSE WE DO CARE ABOUT OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ALL OF OUR SAFETY PEOPLE AND EVERYONE HERE. UH, AND ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME OF THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, WHILE WE'RE HONORING OUR LOST LOVED ONES WHO WILL PROTECT US IN OUR COUNTRY AND ALL THE POLICE THAT HELP US AND, UM, WHO I CAN RELIABLY WALK UP TO AND FEEL SAFE TO TALK TO, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE COFFEE WITH A COP, WHICH IS INVESTING IN BUILDING TRUST, I STILL WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT THERE'S TRANSPARENCY IN HOW THE FUNDS ARE BEING SPENT, THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN PROPER TRAINING TO ENSURE THAT OUR POLICE, UM, HAVE AN, UH, DEESCALATION TRAINING AND THEY CAN DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO MAKE IT A LAST RESORT RESORT TO USE VIOLENCE. SORRY. I'D LIKE TO SEE A FEEDBACK LOOP WITH A CAMERA FOOTAGE COLLECTED IF A TASER IS USED TO ALLOW OUR COMMUNITY TO LEARN FROM LESSONS AND TO FURTHER DEESCALATE IN OUR TRAINING WITH POLICE. AND I CAN'T READ THE REST OF MY NOTES 'CAUSE I'M JUST VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR BUILDING TRUST AMONGST OURSELVES IN THE COMMUNITY. AND I JUST THANK EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY OUR POLICE, FOR HELPING US KEEP US SAFE AND PUTTING YOUR LIVES ON THE LINE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. 22 REPORT FROM PUBLIC WORKS RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT SPECIFICATIONS AND AWARD CONTRACTS WITH VARIOUS CONTRACTORS FOR AS NEEDED CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, TESTING, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, TESTING, AND SPECIAL INSPECTION [22. 25-55299 Recommendation to adopt Specifications No. RFQ PW23-269 and award contracts to Kleinfelder, Inc., of Cerritos, CA, Group Delta Consultants, Inc., of Irvine, CA, RMA Group, Inc. of Carson, CA, Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical & Environmental Sciences Consultants of Irvine, CA, Twining, Inc., of Long Beach, CA, GMU Geotechnical, Inc., of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, Willdan Engineering of Anaheim, CA, S2 Engineering, Inc., of Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Citadel Environmental Services, Inc., dba Citadel EHS of Signal Hill, CA, and Terracon Consultants, Inc., of Carson, CA, for as-needed construction materials testing, hazardous materials testing, and special inspection services in a total aggregate amount not to exceed $36,000,000, for a period of three years, with the option to renew for two additional one-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into the contract, including any necessary subsequent amendments. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Public Works         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] SERVICES IN A TOTAL AGGREGATE AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED $36 MILLION AND EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO ENTER INTO THE CONTRACT CITYWIDE. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. 23 REPORT FROM PUBLIC WORKS RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION APPROVING A LIST OF PROJECTS FOR REPAVING AND RESURFACING THAT ARE PROPOSED TO RECEIVE ROTE MAINTENANCE AND REHABILITATION ACCOUNT FUNDING TOTALING AN [23. 25-55200 Recommendation to adopt resolution approving a list of projects citywide for repaving and resurfacing that are proposed to receive Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account funding totaling an estimated $13,300,000, in the Fiscal Year 2026 Paving Program. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Public Works         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] ESTIMATED $13,300,000 IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 PAVING PROGRAM CITYWIDE. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. [04:55:05] MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. WELL, NOW I'LL HAVE OUR SECOND GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE NO SPEAKERS. WE HAVE NO SPEAKERS SIGNED UP. WHAT? I'LL COME SPEAK AGAIN, . NO, IT'S OKAY. WE, WE, WE GOT [ PUBLIC COMMENT: IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT Opportunity is given to those members of the public who have not addressed the City Council on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes unless extended by the City Council. ] IT. WE GOT IT . UM, WELL THANK YOU. UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ADJOURNMENT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. [ANNOUNCEMENTS] YES, I WANTED TO SHARE THAT THIS SATURDAY I'M HAVING A SMALL BUSINESS AND PUBLIC SAFETY ROUND TABLE, UM, UH, FROM 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM AT TACO ECO LA FUENTE AT 900 EAST ANAHEIM. AND THIS IS, UH, HOSTED IN COLLABORATION WITH LONG BEACH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LATINOS IN ACTION IN THE LAW OFFICE OF SALVADOR SANCHEZ. UM, AND THE OTHER THING IS I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE IN LIGHT OF, UH, IT BEING ASIAN AMERICAN NATIVE HAWAIIAN PACIFIC UNDER MONTH. THIS IS, UH, CAMBODIAN RESTAURANT WEEK AND I WANTED TO, AND IT STARTED ON MAY 18 AND RUNS THROUGH MAY 25TH. UM, SO IT'S AN EIGHT DAY EVENT CELEBRATING UNIQUE FOOD. SO PLEASE COME OUT AND, AND TRY OUT THE FOOD IF YOU HAVEN'T OR GO TO YOUR FAVORITE SPOT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. UH, THIS WEEKEND I INVITE ALL RESIDENTS TO CONTINUE THEIR CELEBRATIONS IN SUPPORT OF OF OUR LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. UM, AT A PRIDE PARTY THIS SATURDAY AT STEEL CRAFT ON THE 24TH FROM ONE 30 TO NINE, THERE'LL BE DJ SETS, DRAG BINGO, ALL THE WHILE SUPPORTING LOCAL VENDORS AT STEEL CRAFT. ON SUNDAY, MAY 25TH, YOU CAN HEAD OVER TO WILLOW SPRINGS PARK FOR THE NEXT WILLOW SPRINGS EXPERIENCE AND A SOUND BATH IN THE PARK STARTING AT 3:00 PM UH, LOOKING AHEAD, I INVITE ALL RESIDENTS TO JOIN CAMPFIRE LONG BEACH AT THEIR FREE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION IN OPEN HOUSE FRIDAY, MAY 30TH, STARTING AT 4:00 PM COMPLETE WITH FOOD CRAFTS, A BEER GARDEN, LIVE MUSIC AND INFO ON CAMPFIRE PROGRAMS. I HOPE YOU'LL STOP BY TO SEE CAMPFIRE AND CELEBRATE THEIR A HUNDRED YEARS IN LONG BEACH. UH, DISTRICT FIVE, WE'RE HOSTING ANOTHER BLOOD DRIVE. IF YOU MISS THE LAST ONE. UH, FRIDAY, MAY 30TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 3:00 PM AT WARDLOW PARK COMMUNITY CENTER. YOU CAN SIGN UP@REDCROSSBLOOD.ORG. ENTERING CD FIVE IS A SPONSOR CODE. AND FINALLY, I INVITE YOU ALL TO SAVE THE DATE FOR BK B'S RETRO RO COMING UP ON SUNDAY, JUNE 1ST FROM NOON TO FOUR, JOIN NEIGHBORS DRESSED IN MRS. ROPER APPROVED RETRO GRANDMA, GRANDPA COSTUMES FOR A LIVELY BAR AND BUSINESS CRAWL, COMPLETE WITH FOOD, DRINK SPECIALS, UM, AND ENTERTAINMENT ALL ALONG THE BIXBY KNOWLES AVENUE CORRIDOR. SEE YOU OUT THERE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SODI. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, I'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE OUT TO, UM, THE NORTH LONG BEACH COMMUNITY CARNIVAL, UM, ON SATURDAY, MAY 24TH FROM 10:30 AM TO 1:00 PM UH, ENJOY A DAY OF CAMPUS TOURS, FREE GAMES, ACTIVITIES AND SCHOOL EXHIBIT. THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD AT JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL AT 60 50 ATLANTIC LONG BEACH, UH, UM, IN MY DISTRICT. UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO, UH, INVITE EVERYONE OUT TO ATTEND THE GREAT ARTESIA BOULEVARD RIBBON CUTTING ON SATURDAY, MAY 31ST FROM 9:00 AM TO 10:30 AM OH WOW. TIME IT THAT. LOOK, SOMEBODY HAD TO TAKE IT OVER THE FINISH LINE. YOU SEE . THIS EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE INTERSECTION OF ARTESIA AND LIME. THERE'LL BE VENDORS, WE'LL BE OUT THERE ON BIKES, ENJOYING OUR WONDERFUL NEW BIKE LANES, UM, AND SEEING THE, THE FANTASTIC RE UH, REIMAGINING AND REVISIONING OF OUR ARTESIA CORRIDOR. UM, AND IF YOU, IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED, YOU CAN RIDE ALL THE WAY FROM THE COMPTON BORDER TO THE BELLFLOWER BORDER. WILL WE HAVE PALM TREES? HMM. UH, NO. THERE WILL BE NO PALM TREES BECAUSE WE HAVE TREES, UM, THAT ARE NATIVE TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO ENLIGHTEN YOUR WAY AS YOU DRIVE DOWN ART BOULEVARD AT THE REQUEST OF MY ILLUSTRIOUS RESIDENCE. UH, AND THEN LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE EVERYBODY OUT TO ATTEND THE, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE TOWN HALL ON MONDAY, JUNE 16TH FROM FIVE 30 TO 7:30 PM THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD AT MCKINLEY ELEMENTARY, LOCATED AT 68 22 PARAMOUNT BOULEVARD. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ANY OF THESE EVENTS, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE AT 5 6 2 5 7 0 6 1 3 7 OR DISTRICT9@LONGBEACH.GOV. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS AND DEJAS. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, JOIN US, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR AND I WILL BE HAVING OUR HARVEY MILK BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION ON THURSDAY, MAY 22ND AT 6:00 PM TO 8:00 PM LOCATED AT HARVEY MILK PROMENADE PARK AT 1 8 5 EAST THIRD STREET. ALSO, THE WESTGATE [05:00:01] NEIGHBORHOOD MIXER WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 21ST FROM 5:00 PM TO 7:00 PM LOCATED AT 100 OCEAN GATE, SUITE P 200. ALSO, DON'T FORGET TO ATTEND FRIDAY OR SATURDAY MAY 23RD OR 24TH OR BOTH DAYS FOR OUR ANNUAL SECOND ANNUAL BBQ FESTIVAL BEING HELD IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH. INTU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT I HAD A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN MY FIRST PRIDE PARADE AS COUNCILWOMAN THIS PAST WEEKEND. UM, IT'S A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL EVENT AND A POWERFUL REMINDER OF INCLUSION IN OUR CITY. UM, DISTRICT EIGHT WAS ACTIVATED THIS PAST WEEKEND AS MY TEAM AND I ATTENDED MORE THAN SEVEN EVENTS. UH, MAYOR, WE ARE DOING ALL KINDS OF CLEANUPS ACROSS THE NORTH IN THE EIGHTH DISTRICT, UM, INCLUDING WE ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A SPRING HEALTH FAIR, AS WELL AS OTHER WELLNESS FOCUSED EVENTS IN THE, IN THE DISTRICT. UM, LOOKING AHEAD, I LOOK FORWARD TO INVITING ALL OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES TO A ROUND TABLE CONVERSATION ON MAY 29TH. UH, WE'LL BE HOSTING DINNER AT THE FAMILY OF FAITH CHRISTIAN CHURCH, SO WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE FOLKS OUT AND WE ARE STILL CLEANING UP. SO ON MAY 31ST, UH, FROM 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM STARTING AT OUR COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER, UH, WE'LL BE THERE TO CONTINUE OUR SPRING CLEANING FOR THIS SEASON. I INVITE YOU ALL TO ATTEND. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR WATCHING. THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. DON'T FORGET. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.