* 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. [00:00:04] SWEET. NICE WONDER. I GIVE IT NOW. I YOU THAT IS TRUE. THAT FOR ME AND FOR YOU, THE WORLD IS A GET, DON'T YOU KNOW? YEAH, THAT IS TRUE. THAT FOR ME AND FOR YOU AND FOR YOU WORLD IS A DON'T YOU? THAT IS TRUE. THAT FOR ME AND FOR YOU. THE WORLD. YOU. THAT IS TRUE. THAT FOR AND FOR YOU. AND IT, I WAS BORN, MY MOTHER DIED, BUT DADDY GOT ROAD, TOBACCO ROAD ROAD GROWTH, GREW IT RUSTY. ALL I HAVE OWN BED WAS HANGING ON MY BED LOAD. HOW MUCH I LOAD PLACE GO TOBACCO FOOD. BUT IT'S HARD. YEAH. THE ONLY LIGHT, AH, EVER. NO, NO, NO. TOBACCO. ROLL, ROLL, ROLL ROAD. WELL, I'M GOING AND GET MYSELF A JOB WITH NO HAIR AND A BRIDGE FROM IF IT'S ON, AND I'LL AND I'LL BLOW IT ALL, TAKE IT DOWN, DOWN AND OVER. AND I, I'LL BE PROUD TO SHOW AND I'LL KEEP THE, AND I'LL THE, THE, BUT I LOVE YOU. YOU WANT MY YOU? YES. YOU. YEAH. [00:05:01] THE ONLY LIGHT EVER. NO, NO, NO, NO. AT THE TOBACCO ROLL. YEAH. TOBACCO ROLL. YEAH. YEAH. DIRTY. A MOTORCYCLE ON MY TAIL. ON MY TAIL. WAIT UNITS BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A BLACK CARLEY CHOPPER, CALIFORNIA LICENSE 19 4 5 5 6 FOR FOUR A AND COUNTLESS TO THE TRAFFIC VIOLATION. HELLO, EV. EVERYONE COULD TAKE THEIR SEATS. WE'RE GONNA START THE 2025 KEY TO THE CITY. ALRIGHT, WELL THANKS EVERYBODY AND WELCOME TO THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL. WE HAVE SOME GREAT HONOREES RECOGNIZED TONIGHT. LET'S HEAR IT FOR OUR [ KEY TO THE CITY] 2025 KEY TO THE CITY HONOREES. LET'S TURN OFF THAT PHONE PLEASE. STEVE. I, I SEE YOU. UH, LET'S START OFF, UH, LIKE WE DO AT ALL OF OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. AND IF YOU ARE ABLE, PLEASE RISE AND JOIN ME TO SALUTE OUR NATION'S FLAG. READY? BEGIN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO REPUBLIC, WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER INDIVISIBLE LIBERTY. I JUSTICE OF ALL. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. PLEASE BE SEATED. WELL, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH THE ROLL CALL OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL. PLEASE CONDUCT ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. HERE. COUNCILMAN SUBINA. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN KERR. PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT VICE MAYOR RGA. PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN THH AND TUCK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK OTI. HERE. MAYOR RICHARDSON. I AM HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR JOINING US [00:10:01] THIS EVENING. IT'S MY GREAT PRIVILEGE AS MAYOR EVERY YEAR TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE, UH, INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUALS WITH OUR KEY TO THE CITY. IT'S A SYMBOL OF TRUST. IT'S A SYMBOL OF HONOR. IT'S A SYMBOL OF GRATITUDE, UH, ON, UH, AND DEEP RESPECT ON BEHALF OF OUR LONG BEACH COMMUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO DEMONSTRATE SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP AND CULTURAL IMPACT AND GO ON TO SHAPE, UH, OUR OUR CITY SHAPE, OUR REGION, SHAPE OUR NATION, SHAPE THE WORLD. AND WE HAVE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE IN LONG BEACH WHO HAVE DONE SO. UH, AND TO BE ABLE TO NARROW IT DOWN AND JUST TO JUST A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE IS ALMOST AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK EVERY SINGLE YEAR. UH, BUT THIS YEAR I HAD A LOT OF FUN SELECTING SOME REALLY INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUALS, UH, TO RECOGNIZE EACH OF TONIGHT'S HONOREES EMBODIES THE VERY BEST OF WHO WE ARE AS A CITY. THEY'VE LIVED LIVES OF PURPOSE AND OF SERVICE, AND THEIR WORK HAS STRENGTHENED OUR COMMUNITY IN MANY WAYS THAT WILL ENDURE FOR GENERATIONS TO OFTEN THE PEOPLE AMONG US GO UNRECOGNIZED FOR THEIR SERVICE AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS. AND THIS EVENING WE GET A CHANCE TO CHANGE THAT AND WE GET TO RECOGNIZE SOME VERY SPECIAL INDIVIDUALS. WE HONOR FOUR EXCEPTIONAL RESIDENTS WHOSE LIVES REFLECT THE SPIRIT, THE RESILIENCE, THE VALUES OF LONG BEACH, THEIR LEADERS, INNOVATORS, PROTECTORS, THEIR CULTURAL AMBASSADORS WHO'VE UPLIFTED OUR NEIGHBORS AND INSPIRED PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE GLOBE. SO WE'RE GONNA BEGIN. LET'S START WITH WILLIAM JACK MCDONALD AND HIS WIFE BRENDA MCDONALD JACKS. THAT'S RIGHT. I WANNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THESE INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUALS, UH, WHO I CONSIDER, UH, DEAR FRIENDS AND JUST, JUST INCREDIBLE LONG BEACH RESIDENTS. LET'S BEGIN WITH, UH, WILLIAM JACK MCDOWELL. UH, WE'LL START WITH JACK. HIS STORY IS A TESTAMENT TO COURAGE, TO PERSEVERANCE, AND TO SERVICE AS APORT MARINE. HE WILL. HE WAS AMONGST THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICANS TO SERVE IN THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS. SO HE HELPED INTEGRATE THE ACTUAL UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS. BROKE BARRIERS IN THE FACE OF SEGREGATION, HELPED INTEGRATE OUR NATION'S MILITARY. OVER THE COURSE OF A DISTINGUISHED CAREER, JACK SERVED IN WORLD WAR II. JACK SERVED IN THE KOREAN WAR, JACK SERVED IN VIETNAM. HE EARNED THREE PURPLE HEARTS. HE LEARNED HE EARNED THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL AND NUMEROUS OTHER COMMENDATIONS THROUGHOUT HIS SERVICE. BUT HIS SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY WAS ONLY A PART OF THE STORY. HERE IN LONG BEACH, JACK AND BRENDA HAVE DEDICATED DECADES TO UPLIFTING OUR CITY, CHAMPIONING EDUCATION, SUPPORTING YOUTH PROGRAMS, STRENGTHENING NONPROFITS, BUILDING STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS. THEIR COMMITMENT RUNS DEEP HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. DR. BRENDA MCDOWELL IS A LEADER IN HER OWN RIGHT, AN IMPRESSIVE 45 YEAR CAREER IN EDUCATION, IN HOSPITALITY, A DOCTORATE, EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP. SHE'S BEEN A VITAL FORCE IN SHAPING MINDS AND LIVES OF COUNTLESS STUDENTS AND LEADERS. SHE'S BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN LEADERSHIP LONG BEACH AND OTHER DISTINGUISHED, DISTINGUISHED ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS PRECIOUS LAMB. SHE'S MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON OUR CITY. TOGETHER JACK AND BRENDA EMBODY GENEROSITY, COMPASSION, AND AN UNSHAKABLE BELIEF IN THE POWER OF COMMUNITY. LONG BEACH IS UNDENIABLY BETTER. AMERICA IS UNDENIABLY BETTER BECAUSE OF JACK AND BRENDA MCDOWELL. LET'S HEAR, HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT JACK AND BRENDA. BRENDA IS SOMEBODY THAT DRAWS PEOPLE TO HER. SHE HAS A HUGE HEART OF LOVE AND IT COMES ACROSS VERY GENUINELY. JACK'S. A 97-YEAR-OLD MAN THAT YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW IS 97. THE GUY STILL CAN CRACK A JOKE WITH THE BEST OF ANYBODY, AND HE'S ABLE TO TALK TO ANYBODY AT ANY SOCIAL STRATA. JACK IS ONE OF THOSE RARE MARINES THAT ACTUALLY SERVED DURING WORLD WAR II TOWARDS THE END, UH, SERVED IN BATTLE IN KOREA AND SERVED IN BATTLE IN VIETNAM. HE'S EARNED A COUPLE OF PURPLE HEARTS, UH, THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL. UM, HIS WIFE BRENDA IS WELL KNOWN. SHE'S INVOLVED IN A LOT OF COMMUNITY, UH, EVENTS IN AND AROUND THE LONG BEACH LOS ANGELES AREA. ABOUT 14 YEARS AGO, I MET BRENDA AT PRECIOUS LAND PRESCHOOL, WHICH IS A SPECIAL SCHOOL FOR KIDS THAT HAVE PARENTS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH SUBSTANCE ABUSE OR THEY LIVE IN THE SHELTERS. SHE REALLY HAD A SENSE AND A FEEL AND A SENSITIVITY FOR THAT, AND I THINK JACK DID TOO, RIGHT ALONGSIDE OF HER. JACK AND BRENDA, BOTH. THEY'RE VERY GENEROUS. THEY'RE VERY GENEROUS WITH THEIR TIME, WITH THEIR MONEY, WITH THEIR ATTENTION. SO I THINK THAT THAT'S ONE BIG REASON WHY SHE IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, BECAUSE SHE OFTEN WOULD DO WHAT I CALL CONNECT THE DOTS. SHE WOULD LISTEN AND FIND THE RESOURCES THAT WOULD HELP MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE THAT SHE CARED SO MUCH ABOUT. SO [00:15:01] JACK, UH, IS DESERVING, UH, OF ANY HONORS THAT CAN COME HIS WAY. UH, WE ALWAYS SAY GIVE FOLKS THEIR FLOWERS WHILE THEY'RE LIVING. UH, THIS IS ANOTHER FLOWER WITH HIS BOUQUET. AND THE KEY TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH WILL BE ONE GREAT HONOR. I BELIEVE THAT THEY DESERVE THE KEYS TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH BECAUSE THEY HAVE GIVEN OUT SO MUCH AND CONTINUE TO GIVE. JACK. I DO HAVE ON SPECIAL ORDER YOUR FAVORITE CABERNET BLANC. IT SHOULD BE IN, IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS. AND I THINK I'VE LEARNED ALL THE CHORDS ON THE PIANO TO THE SONG ROUTE 66 SO THAT YOU AND I CAN ACTUALLY SING A DUET AND GOING FORWARD. YEAH, LOVE TO SEE JACK SITTING IN HIS FAVORITE SPOT AT MY WINE BAR WITH BRENDA NEXT TO HIM, AND CRACKING JOKES AND TELLING STORIES. ALL RIGHT. UH, JACK AND BRENDA, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND RECEIVE YOUR KEY TO THE CITY, FIRST OF ALL, BEFORE WE GIVE HIM THE KEY TO THE CITY. LOOK HOW HANDSOME THIS COUPLE IS. FIRST OF ALL RIGHT? I DARE NOT, I DARE NOT SAY BRENDA'S AGE, BUT THIS BROTHER IS 97 YEARS OLD, NOT AS MUCH AS A CAN, RIGHT? HE SERVED THROUGH 16, I THINK, 16 PRESIDENTS. I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING, WELL COME ON FORWARD. LET'S GO AHEAD AND RECOGNIZE, UH, YOU WITH THE KEY TO THE CITY. OKAY. THAT'S OUR SPOT. WELL, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, IT IS MY HONOR, AS MAYOR OF LONG BEACH TO BESTOW UPON YOU THE KEY TO OUR CITY. CONGRATULATIONS. ANY REMARKS? I THINK WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SAY SOMETHING. . UM, MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO KNOW, WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE KEY? WHAT DOES, WHAT DOES IT OPEN? WHAT CAN OPEN? WE CAN'T SAY IT THEN. EVERYBODY'S GONNA WANNA KEEP OH, OKAY. DARN IT. UM, THIS IS REALLY AN INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE HONOR, UH, FOR BOTH OF US. UM, LONG BEACH HAS BEEN, UM, SUCH A GIVING, GIVING COMMUNITY AND, UH, WE LOVE IT. UH, JACK TOLD ME I ONLY HAD A FEW MINUTES TO TALK BECAUSE HE'S GONNA TALK A LOT. SO I JUST WANNA THANK THE COMMITTEE, UH, THAT PUT THIS TOGETHER. UH, THEY WORKED SO HARD AND, UH, JUST TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH US AND YEAH, THIS IS AWESOME. AND, UM, WORDS, I JUST DON'T HAVE ALL THE WORDS TO SAY THAT. UH, YEAH. SO I'M GONNA GIVE IT TO HIM. COME ON HIM. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT. UM, I JOINED THE MARINE CORPS OUTTA BROOKLYN, NEW YORK IN 1945. AND, UM, EVENTUALLY, UH, MADE MY WAY OUT TO THE WEST COAST. AND WHILE I WAS ON THE WEST COAST AT CAMP PEN AND THEY TOLD ME TO AVOID LONG BEACH , IT WAS A NAVY TOWN, YOU KNOW, MARINES AND NAVY GUYS, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE WATER AND OIL . ANYHOW, UH, I AVOIDED, UH, LONG BEACH, BUT AS, AS THINGS GO IN 1992, UM, I WAS, UH, RECRUITED TO COME OUT HERE TO WORK FOR MTA AND I SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORKING ON THE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE, UH, RAIL LINES IN THE, IN THE SUBWAYS. AND, UM, I DID THAT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. I WORKED IN RAIL TRANSPORTATION AFTER I RETIRED OUTTA MARINE CORPS FOR, UH, 30 SOME YEARS. AND THEN I DID CONSULTING WORK FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS. AND I FINALLY QUIT AT 90 BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAD ENOUGH OF ME . UM, SO ANYHOW, UH, I CAME OUT TO LONG BEACH, WE AND FAMILY, AND I CAME OUT LONG AND SOME OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS ARE HERE FROM NEW YORK. AND, UH, WHERE ARE THEY? ATLANTA, MY, UH, SON. ALL THE MCDOWELL FAMILY GUYS. STAND UP. COME ON. COME ON, BRANDON. WOOHOO. BRANDON WAS A FORMER MARINE TOO, BUT HE COULDN'T HANDLE IT FOR MORE THAN A FEW YEARS . BUT, UM, I TEND TO MAKE IT SHORT. WE'VE ENJOYED LONG BEACH VERY, VERY MUCH. IT'S ONE OF THE NICEST CITIES I'VE LIVED IN, AND I'VE LIVED IN NINE, UH, CITIES, [00:20:01] UH, DURING MY LIFETIME, UH, THREE AS A CIVILIAN. AND, UM, WE CAME HERE IN 92. IT IS THE BEST CITY THAT I'VE EVER LIVED IN, IN MY LIFE. AND I, I, I LOVE IT VERY MUCH. AND, UM, SO I WE'RE PLEASED TO BE HERE. HAPPY TO RECEIVE SOME RECOGNITION WITH THE KEY. I HOPE IT OPENS THE KIND OF DOORS THAT I WANNA OPEN. . WE FIGURE WE'RE GONNA FIGURE THAT OUT. YEAH, WE'RE GONNA FIGURE THAT ONE OUT. UM, , UH, I'M A MEMBER OF THE MULFORD POINT MARINE ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN PRO, LARGER THAN AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, VETERANS ORGANIZATION WITH ABOUT 38, 40 CHAPTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. UM, I'M A MEMBER OF THE LOS ANGELES CHAPTER. WE GOT, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF THE LA CHAPTER, CHARLES SERGEANT MAJOR CHARLES COOK, UNITED STATES MARINE. MARINE CORPS, RETIRED, AND HIS LOVELY WIFE, YOU KNOW, MAJOR THOMAS, COLONEL THREAT, ALL MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION. UH, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO DONATE TO THE ORGANIZATION, FEEL FREE TO SEE SERGEANT AND MAJOR COOK . I HAVE NO SHAME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PEOPLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANKS A LOT. OF COURSE, JACK'S GOT MANY MORE YEARS TO OPEN DOORS, SO USE THAT KEY JACK. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT HONOREE IS DR. JANE CLOSE CONNOLLY. DR. CONNOLLY HAS DEDICATED 50 YEARS TO EDUCATION, CULMINATING IN HER REMARKABLE TENURE AS THE FIRST WOMAN OF APPOINTED TO THE PERMANENT, THE ROLE OF PERMANENT PRESIDENT OF CAL STATE UNIVERSITY LONG BEACH, OUR FLAGSHIP OF THE CSU AND OUR UNIVERSITY HERE IN LONG BEACH, WHERE SHE HELD THAT POST FOR 11 YEARS. THAT'S RIGHT HERE IN LONG BEACH. IT HAS BEEN A TRUE PLEASURE. I'VE KNOWN HER AS A COUNCIL PERSON AND I'VE KNOWN HER AS A MAYOR, AND SHE'S AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER. IT'S BEEN A TRUE PLEASURE WORKING ALONGSIDE DR. CONNOLLY. TOGETHER, WE'VE PARTNERED ON IMPORTANT INITIATIVES, PUBLIC SERVICE CORPS, GETTING YOUNG PEOPLE FROM LONG BEACH STATE JOBS AT CITY HALL LONG BEACH HOUSING PROMISE. THIS PRESIDENT BELIEVES IN HOUSING SO MUCH SHOWS. SHE INVITED ME, THE CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE TO COME AND PUSH FOR MORE HOUSING AT LONG BEACH STATE. WE'RE NOW COLLABORATING ON NEW OPPORTUNITIES AT BLAIR FIELD. EVEN THOUGH SHE'S RETIRING, SHE'S TEASING UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FUTURE BEFORE SHE GOES. THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT SHARE, UH, THAT REFLECT OUR SHARED COMMITMENTS TO COMMUNITY AND TO OPPORTUNITY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. UNDER HER VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, THE BEACH HAS GROWN INTO A POWERFUL ENGINE OF OPPORTUNITY. SHE'S EXPANDED ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION. SHE'S LAUNCHED INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS THAT PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE. SHE'S STRENGTHENED THE UNIVERSITY'S ROLE AS A VITAL ANCHOR FOR THE CITY. SHE'S A STEADFAST ADVOCATE FOR STUDENT SUCCESS. ENSURING THAT GRADUATES DON'T, DON'T ONLY LEAVE WITH A DEGREE, BUT ALSO WITH THE SKILLS, THE CONFIDENCE, THE LEADERSHIP QUALITY, AND THE CONNECTIONS TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN THE WORLD. UH, WE COULD NOT LET HER RETIRE WITHOUT SENDING HER OFF. RIGHT? SHE HAS EARNED THIS KEY TO THE CITY. UH, HER IMPACT WILL BE FELT WELL BEYOND THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, THROUGH THE LIVES OF THE COUNTLESS YOUTH WHO GO ON AROUND THE WORLD AND MAKE AN IMPACT. UH, AND SHE HAS HELPED BUILD A MORE STRONGER, A STRONGER AND A MORE VIBRANT LONG BEACH. SO WE THANK YOU. AND LET'S HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT DR. CONLEY. I, I WOULD DESCRIBE DR. JANE CONLEY IN TWO WAYS. ONE RESPECT TO FUN. 'CAUSE SHE HAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESPECT FOR THE STUDENTS, FOR THE FACULTY, FOR THE STAFF, AND FOR THE INSTITUTION. AND AS FAR AS FUN GOES, YOU CAN SEE HER AT EVERY SINGLE EVENT ON CAMPUS AND A LOT OFF CAMPUS. JUST MINGLING WITH THE STUDENTS AND JUST HAVING FUN. SHE BECAME PART OF THE CITY. SHE'S PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY, BUT SHE'S A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY. AND WHAT SHE BROUGHT TO IT HAS TOUCHED MANY, MANY PEOPLE AND WILL CONTINUE TO, AND THERE'S SOMETHING MAGICAL ABOUT HER. I MET PRESIDENT CONNOLLY 11 YEARS AGO WHEN I STARTED AS A STUDENT ASSISTANT IN THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE. I WAS THE STUDENT ASSISTANT THAT GOT TO MOVE HER INTO HER OFFICE WHEN SHE STARTED AT THE SCHOOL. AND SO I MET HER FROM DAY ONE. SHE HAS BEEN, UM, AN INSTITUTION FOR THE LAST 11 YEARS IN LONG BEACH, JUST GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, HELPING TO LEAD STUDENTS TO BE LEADERS IN THE CITY. AND, UM, HAD A REALLY DIRECT HAND IN THAT. UH, JANE IS SMART BUT HUMBLE. SHE NEVER PORTRAYS HERSELF AS THE SMARTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM, BUT MOST OF THE TIME SHE IS. UM, SHE'S VERY THOUGHTFUL AND VERY CREATIVE, BUT YOU DON'T NECESSARILY SEE THAT UNTIL YOU START ENGAGING WITH HER. JANE, WE'RE GOING [00:25:01] TO HAVE MANY, MANY MEMORIES THAT WE WILL HOLD ONTO FOREVER. WE'RE GOING TO MISS YOU, BUT WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE TIME THAT YOU DID GIVE US. SO I APPLAUD OUR MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR GIVING HER THIS HONOR. IT COULDN'T BE MORE WELL DESERVED. I THINK GIVING HER THE KEYS TO THE CITY MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD. UM, SHE HAD SUCH A BIG IMPACT AND WILL GO BEYOND HER RETIREMENT. SO SHE'LL ALWAYS BE PART OF THE BEACH. I I THINK HER LEGACY IS ESTABLISHED WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WONDERFUL STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING OUT OF THAT UNIVERSITY. AND THE FACT THAT SHE GOES TO EVERY GRADUATION AND SHAKES THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF HANDS IS REMARKABLE. BUT I THINK HER LEGACY IS NOT JANE. HER LEGACY IS LEFT WITH HER STUDENTS. ALL RIGHT. WELL, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND RECEIVE YOUR KEY TO THE CITY. WOW. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S THE SPOT. ALRIGHT, GO FOR IT. I'LL THANK YOU. I'LL HOLD IT FOR YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. WELL, THAT, UM, WHO, THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO PUT THAT TOGETHER, YOU'VE MADE ME CRY. SO WE, WE'LL HAVE TO TALK LATER ABOUT THAT . SO, THANK YOU. UM, MR. MAYOR AND COUN, CITY COUNCIL, PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND CERTAINLY THE COMMITTEE WHO PUT ALL THIS TOGETHER, IT'S SUCH AN HONOR TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE GREAT CITY OF LONG BEACH COLLIE. AND I HAVE LOVED OUR NOW OVER 11 YEARS AND I'M STILL PRESIDENT, STILL TRYING TO RETIRE. UM, , UH, UH, LIVING HERE, GETTING TO KNOW THE PEOPLE AND ENJOYING ALL THAT LONG BEACH AMENITIES OF NATURE, CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT. BUT MOSTLY THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE AT THE UNIVERSITY, OUR FACULTY, OUR STAFF, OUR STUDENTS, AND THEN ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT I'VE MET THROUGH ROTARY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ARTS COUNCIL, OUR POLICE, OUR FIRE, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, CITY OFFICIALS, AND ON AND ON. ALL THOSE GROUPS HAVE BEEN SO WELCOMING, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERSHIP, SPECIAL PARTNERSHIP WITH LB UNIFIED AND, UM, LBCC SOME YEARS AGO WHEN YOUR UNIVERSITY WAS LOOKING TO DISTINGUISH ITSELF ON THE CROWDED FIELD OF REGIONAL UCS AND CSUS. OUR SURVEY, UH, TEAM, UH, UH, FOUND OUT THAT OUR LOCATION IN LONG BEACH WAS A SINGULAR FACTOR IN STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES FINDING LONG BEACH STATE, A DESIRABLE UNIVERSITY TO, TO ATTEND. NOW, OF COURSE, OUR LONG BEACH COLLEGE PROMISE STUDENTS VERY MUCH WANNA STAY HERE. BUT THIS, UH, FACT WAS TRUE FOR OUT-OF-STATE STUDENTS AND STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE. AS OUR, UM, FORMER CHANCELLOR. TIM WHITE USED TO SAY TO ME, HAVING BEACH IN YOUR NAME IS A GREAT MARKETING STRATEGY. AND, AND HE WAS AB ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I THINK WE HAD A HUNDRED AND OVER 120,000 APPLICATIONS THIS YEAR. IN FACT, IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE PRESENCE OF FAMILY IN SAN FRANCISCO, WE WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE CHOSEN LONG BEACH AS OUR RETIREMENT COMMUNITY. WHILE WE WON'T BE HERE FULL TIME, YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE US AROUND AS WE MAINTAIN VALUED FRIENDSHIPS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ME TO WEAR MY FAVORITE GOLD AND BLACK GO BEACH SHOES AS I GO TO, UH, BEACH ATHLETIC AND OTHER EVENTS. AND NOW AT THE KEYS TO THE CITY, I GUESS WE'LL JUST GO ANYWHERE AND STAY JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE. I HAVE APPRECIATED THE CITY'S EMBRACE OF THE UNIVERSITY AND BY EXTENSION OF ME AND COLLIE. AND IN RETURN, THE UNIVERSITY HAS TRIED TO ADD VALUE TO THE CITY THROUGH THE LONG BEACH PROMISE PROGRAM, RAISING THE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF THE REGION, AND BY OFFERING HUNDREDS OF PROGRAMS FOR CITY RESIDENTS AND HEALTH LITERACY, CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION, MENTAL HEALTH, CHILDCARE, WORKFORCE, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ATHLETICS AND THE ARTS. JUST TO NAME A FEW. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU GOT IT? I'M NOT GONNA DROP THIS ON THE WAY THAT WOULD BE, LET ME HOLD, LET ME JUST, OH, YOU GOT IT. I GOT IT. I GOT IT. I GOT IT. I GOT IT. ALL RIGHT. SHE SAYS SHE GOT IT. GOT IT. I KNOW WHERE TO GET THOSE IN CASE YOU LOSE IT. LET'S HEAR IT ONE MORE TIME. GO BEACH. LET'S HEAR IT ONE MORE TIME, DR. CONNOLLY. ALRIGHT. OUR NEXT HONOREE IS MY DEAR FRIEND, SOMEONE WHO I'VE LEARNED FROM, UH, AND LOOKED UP TO SINCE I WAS A, A CITY EMPLOYEE AT [00:30:01] 26, WHO I'VE SEEN GROW, WHO'S WATCHED ME GROW, UH, AND IS NOW THE SHERIFF OF LA COUNTY, ROBERT LUNA. SHERIFF LUNA IS A TRUE SON OF LONG BEACH, WHOSE LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO SERVICE BEGAN RIGHT HERE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, BORN AND RAISED IN THIS COMMUNITY. SHERIFF LUNA STARTED HIS CAREER WITH THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 1988 WHEN HE ENTERED THE ACADEMY. YOU MIGHT SEE A PHOTO OF THAT OVER MORE THAN THREE DECADES. HE ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS, BREAKING BARRIERS AS LONG BEACH'S FIRST LATINO POLICE CHIEF. THIS WAS A MILESTONE, NOT ONLY FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, IT'S A MILESTONE FOR OUR CITY. AND THROUGH HIS LEADERSHIP AS CHIEF OF POLICE, UH, HE WAS EXEMPLARY. WE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO PROPERLY RECOGNIZE HIM. AFTER HIS LONG TENURE AND CAREER WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, HE WENT ON TO BECOME ELECTED COUNTYWIDE. SO WE NEVER EVEN REALLY HAD A RETIREMENT PARTY FOR HIM HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG CITY OF LONG BEACH, TO RECOGNIZE THE WAY THAT HE LED WITH INTEGRITY AND FAIRNESS, AND DEMONSTRATED THIS DEEP COMMITMENT TO OUR LONG BEACH COMMUNITY. THE LARGEST, UH, THE, WHAT ARE WE, THE SECOND LARGE, THIRD LARGEST LAW ENFORCEMENT, SECOND LARGEST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN OUR COUNTY AND IN OUR REGION. SO TONIGHT WE GET TO FIX THAT. TONIGHT WE GET TO RECOGNIZE, UH, OUR FRIEND SHERIFF AND CHIEF LUNA. HE ACTUALLY CORRECTED ME 'CAUSE I WAS CALLING HIM CHIEF. WELL BE BEYOND SHERIFF. HE WAS LIKE, ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER. OKAY, I GOT YOU . BUT WE PAUSED TO RECOGNIZE YOU. REMEMBER THAT IT WAS WITH FLUFFY. YOU REMEMBER THAT THAT WAS WHEN WE HAD FLUFFY. UM, BUT WE PAUSED TO RECOGNIZE SHERIFF LUNA'S REMARKABLE CAREER, HONORING THE DEDICATION AND LEADERSHIP SHOWN TO THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH, UH, THE LEADERSHIP, UH, THAT HE'S DEMONSTRATED OVER DECADES OF SERVICE WORK THAT'S LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR HIS CONTINUED SERVICE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. HIS APPROACH TO PUBLIC SAFETY HAS ALWAYS BEEN ROOTED IN ONE, UH, CLEAR BELIEF. SAFETY IS BUILT ON TRUST. THAT GUIDING PRINCIPLE HAS SHAPED EVERY ROLE HE HAS HELD, AND IT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE THOSE AROUND HIM. TODAY, LET'S HEAR MORE ABOUT SHERIFF LUNA. IN A CITY OF OVER 450,000 CITIZENS, IT'S EASY TO FIND A GOOD COP, BUT I WASN'T LOOKING FOR JUST A GOOD COP. NO, I WAS LOOKING FOR ONE WORTHY OF THE KEYS TO THE FERRY CITY ITSELF. DURING MY INVESTIGATION, ONE NAME KEPT POPPING UP ROBERT LUNA. BUT WHO WAS THIS MAN? I NEED TO FIND OUT MORE. ROBERT LUNA IS ONE OF THOSE REAR PUBLIC FIGURES WHO IS ABSOLUTELY WHAT HE APPEARS TO BE. I CAN TELL YOU, HE IS A MAN WHO LEADS WITH HIS HEART, HUH? I THINK I'M BEGINNING TO GET A CLEAR PICTURE OF HIM. HE IS A, A VERY DOWN TO EARTH, UH, COMMON SENSE KIND OF A GUY. HE IS A MAN THAT, UH, PUTS HIGH PRIORITIES ON HIS FAMILY AND HIS FAITH. HE'S, UH, A HARDWORKING LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONAL. THAT IS WHO HE IS. THAT IS WHO HE IS AS NOT ONLY A LAW ENFORCEMENT LEADER, BUT AS A PERSON. UH, I'VE SEEN IT FIRSTHAND. THIS LEAD SEEMS PROMISING, BUT I HAVE TO DIG DEEPER STILL. IT PUTS A TREMENDOUS VALUE ON, UH, RESPONSIBILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, TRUTHFULNESS, UH, AND OPENNESS TO INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE IDEAS. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING ALONGSIDE AND SO CLOSELY WITH, WITH THE SHERIFF FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, DECADES. AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT STANDS OUT TO ME IS HIS INVESTMENT, UM, APPRECIATION AND COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY POLICING, TO ENGAGING AND DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE WE SERVE. I SEE IT EVERY DAY WITH THE OFFICERS THAT, THAT WORK HERE AND OUR, OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF THAT WORK FOR THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT MEANT A GREAT DEAL TO HIM. IT MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO ME. AND I THINK IT IS, IT IS ESSENTIAL. IT'S THE FOUNDATION FOR POLICING IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT. CHIEF LUNA PROVIDED A BODY OF WORK FOR 36 YEARS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, UH, TO MAKE LONG BEACH A BETTER AND SAFER PLACE. UH, HE'S RAISED A FAMILY, UH, AND AND DONE AN AMAZING JOB, UH, WITH A, THE FAMILY LIVES IN LONG BEACH DAUGHTER'S, A BERKELEY GRAD AND AN ATTORNEY. THE SON IS NOW A LONG BEACH POLICE OFFICER. HE, UH, RESPECTED SO MUCH WHAT HIS FATHER WAS DOING, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY, AND FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT HE CHOSE TO FOLLOW IN THOSE FOOTSTEPS. THAT SAYS A HECK OF A LOT ABOUT, UH, THE INDIVIDUAL. IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOTALITY OF HIS CAREER THAT HE SPENT, NOT ONLY IN THE POLICING PROFESSION, BUT AS A MEMBER OF THE CITY, UH, AS OF THE COMMUNITY OF LONG BEACH, UH, LIVING AND, AND SERVING IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, [00:35:01] COUNTLESS YEARS OF SERVICE, THE THE UPS AND DOWNS THAT WE FACED AS A, AS A CITY IN A COMMUNITY. I CAN'T THINK OF SOMEONE MORE DESERVING, UM, FROM A LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE. AND, UH, BEYOND THAT FOR ME AS A PERSON, WELL, IT SEEMS I FOUND THE RIGHT GUY. SO WITH THAT, I CLOSE THE CASE OF THE KEYS TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. ALL RIGHT, WELL, SHERIFF LUNA, PLEASE COME FORWARD. FEEL FREE TO BRING YOUR, YOUR WIFE, YOUR LOVELY FAMILY, WHOEVER YOU WANNA BRING, BRING, UH, WE ARE PROUD OF YOU, NOT JUST AS A SON OF THE CITY, UH, BUT AS SHERIFF, AS A HISTORIC, UH, UH, CHIEF, CHIEF OF POLICE. WE'RE JUST SO PROUD OF YOU ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. THANK YOU, MAYOR, PLEASE RECEIVE YOUR KEYS TO CITY. YOU'RE NOT ON THE SPOT. COME ON. ALRIGHT, ONE, TWO, HOLD IT WHILE YOU, WELL, GOOD EVENING TO, UH, ALL OF YOU. AND BEFORE I START MY REMARKS, UH, JUST MORE ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, UH, I LOST THREE DEPUTIES IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. UH, IT WENT TO THE LAST OF THREE FUNERALS THIS WEEK. UH, SO I JUST WANT TO TAKE A SECOND TO HONOR BILL JOSHUA AND VICTOR, UH, WHO WE LAID TO REST, 16 CHILDREN BETWEEN ALL THREE, UM, UH, FLAGS GIVEN TO THEIR WIVES AND MOTHERS. AND, AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, UM, AS I START MY REMARKS AND I LOOK AROUND THIS ROOM AND I SEE THE OTHER POLICE OFFICERS HERE WHO I GREW UP WITH, UH, WILL YOU PLEASE GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE SACRIFICES THEY MAKE? THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT MEANS THE WORLD TO THEM. AND HONESTLY, I, I WOULDN'T BE UP HERE RECEIVING THIS KEY, UH, IF IT WASN'T FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. UH, I SPENT 36 YEARS OF MY LIFE, UH, WITH THEM, UH, GROWING UP WITH THEM, WATCHING THEM AT WORK, UH, SACRIFICE THEIR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLBEING, UH, REALLY LAYING IT ALL ON THE LINE, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN LONG BEACH. UH, AND YES, IT'S A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE OF EMOTIONS BECAUSE POLICING IS THE TOUGHEST JOB IN AMERICA FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS. UH, BUT I GOTTA TELL YOU, YOU HAVE AN AMAZING POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE, AND I'M VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT I SERVED HERE FOR 36 YEARS, UH, AS A PART OF IT, AND KNOW THIS, THAT I, AS I'M SITTING HERE IN FRONT OF YOU, THERE'S, UH, A GREAT DEAL OF OF, OF A MAN WHO'S VERY HUMBLE. BECAUSE MY JOURNEY WASN'T EASY INTO POLICING AS A KID GROWING UP IN EAST LOS ANGELES FROM IMMIGRANT FAMILIES. THE THE LAST PLACE I THOUGHT I'D END UP WAS IN POLICING. BUT IT JUST TELLS YOU, YOU CAN DO IT. UH, AND THAT'S WHAT I TELL THE KIDS THAT I RUN INTO, UH, EVERY DAY, THAT YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY DO THIS. SO WHEN I STAND UP HERE IN FRONT OF YOU WITH A LOT OF PRIDE, IT'S BECAUSE THIS CITY ALLOWED ME TO FULFILL MY DREAM OF BECOMING A POLICE OFFICER SO MANY YEARS AGO. AND AS I SAY THIS, IT'S KIND OF IRONIC BECAUSE THE GUY WHO RECRUITED ME, UH, TO THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SITTING OVER HERE TO MY RIGHT, ROBERTO YANGA, WHEN HE WORKED FOR CIVIL SERVICE. IT'S AMAZING WHERE YOU'RE SITTING NOW, WHERE I'M STANDING HERE. UH, WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT FROM THAT CONVERSATION AT LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE BACK IN 1985, THAT WE WOULD BE HERE SO MANY YEARS LATER? SO, THANK YOU ROBERTO, FOR, FOR ALL THAT. AND THEN WHEN I TALK ABOUT SACRIFICE, UH, MY FAMILY, MY WIFE, MY DAUGHTER, MY SON, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH THEY'VE SACRIFICED OVER THE YEARS. UH, SO THANK YOU TO THE FOUR OF YOU, UM, IN THIS JOB. AND AS ANYONE IN UNIFORM CAN TELL YOU HERE, EITHER FROM POLICING OR THE FIRE SERVICE, IT'S NOT LIKE ANY OTHER JOB. UM, MY WIFE STILL TELLS ME, HEY, YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES WHEN YOU WERE ON SWAT, YOU WERE CALLED OUT WHEN ON MY BIRTHDAY? UM, YEAH, I WAS, I'M SORRY, SWEETHEART, I WAS. UM, BUT THOSE ARE THE SACRIFICES THAT WE MAKE BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO WE CALL WHEN WE CALL. SO THIS KEY IS FOR ALL OF [00:40:01] YOU AS WELL, THE SACRIFICES YOU MADE, UH, FOR ME TO ARRIVE, UH, WHERE I'M AT. AND JUST AS I, UH, CONCLUDE, UM, THE PARTNERSHIP WE'VE ALWAYS HAD TO MAKE THIS COMMUNITY SAFE, I ALWAYS GO AROUND, YES, I'M THE SHERIFF OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, LARGEST SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTRY, BUT MY ROOTS ARE HERE IN LONG BEACH. EVERYTHING I LEARNED CAME FROM THIS CITY. GOOD, BAD, OR INDIFFERENT. UH, WORKING WITH A LOT OF YOU IN THIS COMMUNITY, LIKE JESSICA AND MANY OTHERS, UH, REVEREND WOOD, UH, WE'VE GONE THROUGH SOME UPS AND DOWNS HERE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? LOOK WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY BECAUSE OF ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE TOGETHER. UH, AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT. SO I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE, THE NEXT CHAPTER. UH, I STILL LIVE HERE IN THE CITY. I'M GOING TO, UH, DISPLAY THIS IN MY OFFICE VERY PROUDLY. UH, AND, UH, WE WILL SEE WHAT IT DOES OPEN UP NEXT. SO, THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. THE LARGEST SHERIFF AGENCY ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, LET ME SAY THAT, RIGHT? IT'S HERE FOR SHERIFF LUNA. ONE MORE TIME. AND FINALLY, WE HONOR WAR, A LEGENDARY GROUP FROM DEEP ROOTS RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH FOR MORE THAN FIVE DECADES SINCE THEY STARTED IN THE EARLY 1970S. WAR HAS SHAPED THE MUSICAL LANDSCAPE CARRYING THE SPIRIT OF OUR CITY ACROSS THE WORLD. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LONG BEACH'S RICH MUSIC HISTORY, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WEST COAST HIP HOP. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT PUNK ROCK. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT SUBLIME SNOOP DOGG. NONE OF THAT WOULD'VE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE CONTRIBUTION TO THE LEGACY OF WAR FROM LONG BEACH. SO THIS IS A BAND, UH, THAT, THAT WAS A JAM BAND. THEY COULD JAM, THEY COULD JAM, UH, TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF MUSIC, UH, WITH LONG BEACH ROOTS. AND THAT HELPED DEFINE OUR CITY'S SOUND AND OUR CITY'S SOUL. AND MOST RECENTLY, WE WATCHED AS THEY WERE HONORED WITH THE STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME. AND IT STRUCK ME IN THAT MOMENT THAT THEY HAVE A STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME. AND WE TALK ABOUT 'EM ALL THE TIME, BUT THEY HADN'T GOT THE KEY TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. WELL, IT WAS TIME TO FIX THAT. SO TONIGHT WE GET TO FIX THAT. UH, WE RECOGNIZE, UH, FROM THEIR EARLIEST DAYS THAT WAR IS MUCH MORE THAN A BAND. THEY'VE BEEN CULTURAL STAR STORYTELLERS. THEY'VE BEEN BRIDGE BRIDGE BUILDERS ACROSS CULTURES. UH, THEY'VE BEEN, UH, UH, MUSICAL INFLUENCES AND TRADITIONS THAT CREATE SONGS TO SPEAK TO UNITY, TO SPEAK TO RESILIENCE, SPEAK TO COMMUNITY. THEY'VE BEEN CELEBRATED ON STAGES ALL AROUND THE GLOBE, HONORED WITH NATIONAL ACCOLA ACCOLADES. BUT THEIR STORY BEGAN, BEGAN RIGHT HERE IN LONG BEACH. AND, AND, UH, AND ONE OF THEIR FOUNDERS ACTUALLY STILL LIVES RIGHT HERE. UH, HAROLD BROWN STILL LIVES RIGHT HERE. AND SO, UH, LONG BEACH WILL ALWAYS BE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF WHO THEY ARE. UH, LONNIE AND THE TEAM, AND THEY ALL STILL PERFORM, BY THE WAY. THEY'RE STILL OUT JAMMING, BY THE WAY. AND SO, UH, WE ARE HONORED TO REPRESENT THEM. LET'S HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THEIR STORY. I'VE BEEN WITH WAR SINCE THE BEGINNING, SINCE 1969. THEY HAVE THEIR ROOTS HERE IN LONG BEACH. YOU KNOW, UH, MOST OF THEM CAME FROM HERE AS THEY BECAME MUSICIANS AND AS THEY BECAME A BAND, I THINK THEY WERE CALLED THE CREATIVES ORIGINALLY. UM, THEY WOULD PLAY LOCAL CLUBS IN LONG BEACH AND, AND AROUND THE AREA, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE UNDER AGE, SOMEHOW THEY MANAGED TO DO IT. AND WE ALL SORT OF WORKED TOGETHER IN THE STUDIO. AND THEY WERE LIKE THE ORIGINAL JAM BAND. THEY REALLY LIKED TO CREATE MUSIC ON THE SPOT. AND IT WAS WHAT THEY LEARNED WHILE THEY WERE GROWING UP HERE, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT THEY HEARD FROM THE DIFFERENT MUSIC GENRES. AND WE WATCH AND LEARN ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD AND WE JUST WRITE SONGS ABOUT IT. LIKE THE WORLD IS A GHETTO. AND WE REHEARSED FOR THAT, FOR THAT ALBUM AT A, UH, LITTLE WAREHOUSE THAT WE HAD IN LONG BEACH. AND THEN WE WENT TO THE STUDIO AND CUT THE ALBUM IN 29 DAYS FROM BEGINNING TO END. SO THEIR ROOTS ARE HERE. LOW RIDER, IT'S BEEN IN MOVIES, IT'S BEEN IN VIDEO GAMES. IT WAS THE THEME SONG TO THE CHI CHONG UP IN SMOKE MOVIE. THE SONG HAS, IT IS THE LIFE OF ITS OWN. OUR AUDIENCE IS AS DIVERSE AS THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN LONG BEACH. AND IT'S, AND THE MUSIC REFLECTS IT. OUR MUSIC IS FOR EVERYBODY. EVERYBODY IS PART OF OUR MUSIC. WE GET DIFFERENT PARTS FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT WE ALL PUT IT TOGETHER IN THE BIG MELTING POT. AND OUT AND OUT COMES THE, OUR MUSIC. [00:45:03] IT'S BEEN A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT PART OF ALL OF THEIR LIVES. AND OF COURSE, NOW MY LIFE, BECAUSE THEY CAME FROM AT LONG, LONG BEACH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ADOPTED THAT IN THE STYLE THAT WE PRESENT THEM TO THE WORLD. AND I THINK IT'S VERY FITTING THAT THEY SHOULD GET THE KEY TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH BECAUSE THEY CAME FROM HERE. AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ACTS EVER COME OUTTA HERE BASICALLY. ALRIGHT, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE HAVE MEMBERS OF WAR, SOME OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS. AND JERRY, YOU COME UP TO THE ORIGINAL MANAGER. COME ON UP, COME ON FORWARD. LONNIE, HAROLD, JERRY, ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BAND HERE, PLEASE COME FORWARD. PLEASE COME FORWARD. ALL RIGHT, MY BIG BROTHER RIGHT HERE. GOOD. COME ON. COME ON IN, GENTLEMEN. OKAY, GOOD. WE GET YOUR COMMENTS OUT FOR THE PHOTO. I COME THIS WAY. ALRIGHT, WE GOT A FEW OF THESE KEYS, RIGHT? WE HAVE LONNIE AS AN ORIGINAL MEMBER YOU RECEIVED FROM THE CITY. HAROLD ORIGINAL MEMBER. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WE GOT ONE MORE. JERRY, THIS REPRESENTS YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS AS WELL. THESE REPRESENT THE WHOLE BAND, BUT WE HAVE SOME LIVING LEGENDS, SOME LONG BEACH LEGENDS HERE. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS SOMETHING TO TAKE HOME. LET'S HEAR FOR, FOR WAR. ALRIGHT, I'LL JUMP RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE. PERFECT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. LINE. LINE. OH, ME? YES, SIR. THERE YOU GO. OKAY. . I'M NOT A VERY GOOD SPEECH TELLER, BUT I CAN SING, UH, . BUT, UH, UH, YOU MAY GET MAD AT ME RIGHT NOW. I HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, HAROLD BROWN IS THE ONE WHO GREW UP IN LONG BEACH. I GREW UP IN COMPTON RIGHT NEXT DOOR. BUT ALL TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WAS, UH, UH, JOINING IN FROM THE SURROUNDING CITIES LIKE HARBOR CITY, UH, LONG BEACH, COMPTON, UH, ANYWHERE IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS, WATTS AND, UH, BUT WE MIGRATED IN LONG BEACH WHEN WE DID ALL OF OUR REHEARSALS. LIKE JERRY SAID, WE CREATED A LOT OF MUSIC IN LONG BEACH. UM, THE WORLD IS TOGETHER WAS ONE OF THE QUICKEST RECORDS WE EVER MADE. AND WE MADE IT FROM A TRUCK, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. AND, UH, I JUST REMEMBER A LOT OF KIDS COMING AROUND ENJOYING US RECORDING, UH, SOME OF THOSE KIDS. I DON'T WANNA MENTION ANY NAMES, BUT, UH, SNOOP DOGG, UM, , HE'S ON A TRICYCLE LINE. YEAH, THEY WERE ALL KIDS THEN. AND, UH, THEY WERE JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT WE WERE DOING. WE WERE MAKING RACKETS AND WE'D TAKE A BREAK, GO DOWN TO THE LIQUOR STORE AND BUY THE KIDS SOME CANDY. 'CAUSE THEY WERE BEING GOOD. UH, THEY WERE. AND, AND WE APPRECIATED THAT, THAT THEY WANTED TO LEARN, UH, HOW YOU RECORD. AND SO WE GAVE 'EM A LITTLE BIT OF LESSON AND SOME ICE CREAM AND CANDY AND, AND, UH, THEY LOVED IT. AND THEY CAME LIKE EVERY DAY. THAT WAS THEIR SCHOOL, YOU KNOW? AND WE FELT LIKE BIG BROTHERS, TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, WE LOVED IT. SO, BUT THAT BEING SAID, UH, I HAVE TO ALSO GIVE IT UP FOR MARCO'S WRIST, UH, MY NEW PERCUSSIONIST IN THE BAND. SO, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW, I MIGHT HAVE TO LIKE CUT A LITTLE PIECE OUT AND GIVE HIM SOME, BECAUSE MARCOS HAS BEEN WITH ME FOR HOW MANY YEARS NOW? ALMOST 28. ALMOST 28 YEARS NOW. YOU KNOW, I WAS THREE YEARS OLD WHEN I GOT HER HIRED . BUT, BUT ENOUGH FOR ME. I'M GONNA GIVE IT UP TO YOUR LONG BEACH FINEST HAROLD BROWN. OKAY, . OKAY, I'LL TRY TO KEEP IT SHORT AND TO THE POINT. I'M REALLY HAPPY I GOT MY BIG BROTHER SITTING OVER THERE. WE'D GO THERE AND THEN A, A CHIEF RIGHT THERE. AND WE ALL LIKE HOME AND ALL OF OUR PEOPLE. I WAS, UH, BORN HERE IN 1946. MY MOTHER WAS ON THE ROLLERCOASTER RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET THERE. MARCH 17TH, 1946, HER BAG BURST AND THEY RUSHED OVER HERE TO 14TH AND MAGNOLIA. AND I WAS BORN DOWN THE STREET. I WAS NAMED AFTER THE MAN THAT SAVED MY FATHER'S LIFE IN WORLD WAR II, LIEUTENANT HAROLD RAY JAMESON AT THAT POINT. UH, ALSO FIRST LUTHERAN, MY BIG BROTHER DOWN THERE. I GOT THE, MY [00:50:01] FIRST AWARD IS BACK OVER THERE SOMEWHERE. BUT I GOT MY FIRST AWARD IN 1957 FROM FIRST LUTHERAN WHERE I LEARNED HOW TO PLAY DRUMS. IN 1957. I WENT TO BURNETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OVER ON ATLANTIC AND HILL STREET. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE ZOOT SUIT RIOTS, BUT I GREW UP WITH THE GEORGE W SHIVEY FAMILY THAT REPRESENTED ALL THE LATINOS AT THAT TIME POINT. AND THEN IT'S BEEN A BLESSING FOR ME. THEN I WENT TO FIRST LUTHERAN. WE WERE THE FIRST BLACK FAMILY TO ATTEND, FIRST LUTHERAN DOWN ON 10TH AND LINDEN. I LEARNED TO PLAY DRUMS THERE IN 1957. AND THEN AFTER THAT I WENT TO LONG BEACH POLY WHAT RABBITS AT . SO I WENT TO LONG BEACH POLY, AND I WAS ONE OF THE TOP DISTANCE RUNNERS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO VALPARAISO IN 64. BUT I TURNED IT DOWN, STARTED MY FIRST BUSINESS AT 3 33 EAST BROADWAY IN 1964. WE JOINED THE MUSICIANS UNION IN 1964, WORKING WITH VINCE BERRY, LUCILLE BALL, AND ALL OF THEM, THAT'S WHERE LONNIE AND ALL OF US STARTED BEING ONE OF THE FIRST BLACK BANDS BOOKED UP ON THE SUNSET STRIP. AND THEN I WAS DOWN IN MY LAST $7. I STILL KEEP SEVEN ON ME WHEN GOD CHANGED EVERYTHING. AND THAT'S WHEN WE GOT BACK, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A CHANCE TO HOOK UP WITH OUR PRODUCER, AND BUDDY BIG BRO. JERRY, WHY DON'T YOU COME ON UP HERE AND TAKE IT OVER. I'LL SAY SOMETHING, PLEASE. , I'M FROM BROOKLYN ALSO, BY THE WAY. SO, UM, YEAH, THESE GUYS CAME TO ME. I FOUND THEM AT, BY ALMOST BY ACCIDENT. I HAD A GUY IN MY COMPANY. WE HAD THIS BIG POSTER COMPANY BACK IN THE DAY. WE SOLD POSTERS ON THE ROAD WITH ALL THE MAJOR STARS LIKE THE ROLLING STONES AND LED ZEPPELIN, ET CETERA. ONE OF MY POSTER GUYS KEPT TELLING ME ABOUT THIS BAND THAT HE HAS, THAT YOU GOTTA HEAR MY BAND, YOU GOTTA HEAR MY BAND, YOU GOTTA HEAR MY BAND. SO I SAID, OKAY, I'LL SET UP A REHEARSAL AT STUDIO INSTRUMENT RENTALS IN HOLLYWOOD AND WE'LL WE'LL HEAR YOU BAND. OKAY? SO I GO TO THE BAND, I GO TO HEAR THEM, AND I WAS LIKE, SHOCKED. OKAY, HERE'S A BUNCH OF GUYS THAT COULD PLAY LATIN, FUNK, ROCK, BLUES, JAZZ, EVERYTHING. YOU KNOW, I SAID, AND THEN THE FIRST THING I SAID IS LIKE, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU DO WITH A GROUP LIKE THIS? YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY CAN PLAY ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, BUT I SAID, OKAY, LET ME THINK ABOUT THIS. AND THEN THEY PLAYED ME A LATIN VERSION OF PAINTED BLACK THAT JUST TORE ME UP, JUST THREW, JUST BLEW ME AWAY. AND I WENT, WOW, THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING. YOU KNOW? AND SO I JUST LEFT IT AND THEY SAID THERE WERE PLAYING OF LAS VEGAS SHOW IN, UM, NORTHERN, YOU KNOW, NORTH HOLLYWOOD AT A PLACE CALLED THE, THE RAGDOLL. SO, AND IT'S NEXT WEEK. I SAID, YEAH, I'LL COME, I'LL SEE YOU. THEY WERE PLAYING BEHIND DEACON JONES, THE FOOTBALL PLAYER. LOVE. HE'S DOING LIKE ONE HAND IN PUSHUPS, SINGING OLD BABY, DON'T LEAVE ME. YOU KNOW? AND IT WAS A VERY INTERESTING SHOW ACTUALLY. BUT ANYWAY, AT THE SAME TIME I'M IN MY OFFICE AND ERIC BURDEN SHOWS UP. HE'S THE LEAD SINGER OF THE ANIMALS. HE'S HAD 20 HIT RECORDS AND, YOU KNOW, VERY DESPONDENT ABOUT THE RECORD BUSINESS. EVERYBODY TOOK EVERYTHING. HIS MANAGERS TOOK ALL THE MONEY AND HE'S GOING BACK TO NEW CASTLE. AND I WENT, YOU KNOW, TONIGHT THIS GROUP THAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH IS PLAYING THE , THIS CLUB IN THE VALLEY. YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU COME MEET ME THERE AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT. I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING LIKE THEM, YOU KNOW. SO WE GO, WE GO TO THE VALLEY AND HE, WE SIT THERE AND HE BRINGS HIS SON MONICA PLAYOFF IN DENMARK, WHO'D BARELY SPEAKS ENGLISH, BY THE WAY. AND HE, HE'S LIVING WITH HIM AND YOU KNOW, COME. SO WE WATCH THE SHOW AND IT WAS INTERESTING. AND THEN THEY JAMMED AND LEE GOT UP AND JAMMED. AND OF COURSE THESE GUYS THOUGHT LEE WAS ERIC BURTON, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHO ERIC, HE WAS AT ALL, YOU KNOW. AND SO I CALLED NEXT DAY WE GO HOME, I GO HOME, I CALL ERIC ON THE PHONE. I SAID, SO WHAT'D YOU THINK OF THE BAND? HE SAID, WE'RE REHEARSING AT FOUR O'CLOCK. THEY REHEARSED FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS, UM, DID SOME LOCAL GIGS HERE. OKAY, LOCAL, MAYBE EVEN ONE IN LONG BEACH AND ONE IN, YOU KNOW, UH, SAN BERNARDINO I THINK OR SOMETHING. AND SO WE WERE KIND OF READY, THEY WERE LIKE JUST REHEARSALS. AND THEN WE PLAYED THE DAMAGE TO DOWNS POP FESTIVAL WITH A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE WAS THE FIRST GIG ON ERIC VERDEN AND WAR BY THE WAY. AND WE FOLLOWED THIS SMALL LITTLE ACT CALLED CREDENCE CLEARWATER, WHO HAD LIKE 20 HITS OR WHATEVER, AND BLEW THE PLACE AWAY ON OUR FIRST GIG. AND I WENT, WOW, THIS IS, THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, THIS IS [00:55:01] REAL. AND OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, IT BECAME MORE REAL AND MORE REAL. AND MY GUYS WHO COULD PLAY ANYTHING, MADE RECORDS, MADE HIT RECORDS IN EVERY DIRECTION, YOU KNOW? AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THEM AND THIS IS REALLY FANTASTIC THING FOR US. AND WE THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, STAY UP. STAY UP HERE. ALRIGHT FOLKS, UH, LET'S HEAR FOR ALL OF OUR RECIPIENTS OF 2025 KEY TO THE CITY, THESE PEOPLE HAVE OPENED DOORS. THEY HAVE, UH, BLAZED PATH AND TRAILS AND WE HONOR THEM IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. NOW WE INVITE ALL THE KEY TO CITY KEY TO THE CITY RECIPIENTS AND OUR CITY COUNCIL FORWARD TO TAKE A FINAL PHOTO. NO PROBLEM. STEP BACK. YOU DID, YOU DID ASK ARE IN BETWEEN THEM. YOU DID ASK. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ON THIS SIDE TOO. ALRIGHT, LET'S TRY TO GET, ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, UH, TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS WHILE THE ROOM CLEARS. WE'LL BE BACK IN FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU. [01:05:14] ALL [01:05:15] RIGHT, LET'S RECONVENE THE COUNCIL. WE'LL CALL ROLAND 60 SECONDS. ALL RIGHT. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS, IT'S ON ROLL CALLS TODAY. PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. HERE. COUNCILMAN SABRINA? HERE. COUNCILWOMAN [ROLL CALL] KERR. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT VICE MAYOR ANG COUNCILWOMAN THRASH AND TUCK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK OTI. HERE. MAYOR RICHARDSON. HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. ALRIGHT, UH, WELL THANK YOU, UH, ALL FOR RETURNING AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, PARTICIPATING TONIGHT. WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON IN THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA TONIGHT, BUT I WANNA START OFF BY WISHING A HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY. SO OUR VICE MAYOR, ROBERTO YANGA, HE IS TURNING 28 . HE'S, HE'S, HE'S, UH, HE'S MY BIRTHDAY TWIN. WE'RE BIRTHDAY TWINS. OUR BIRTHDAY'S A WEEK APART, UM, 30 YEARS APART, BUT BIRTHDAY TWINS, UM, HAPPY BIRTHDAY VICE MAYOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THRASH INTO IS PARTICIPATING REMOTELY. WE HAVE A LOT TO DO TODAY. WE ALREADY HAD THE KEY TO THE CITY PRESENTATION. WE HAVE ONE BRIEF PRESENTATION. UH, WE, WE WILL TAP TO TAKE UP CONSENT CALENDAR FIRST, BECAUSE THAT HAS A TIME SET, TIME CERTAIN, SO WE'LL DO THAT. THERE'S TWO ORDINANCES. WE'LL GET OUTTA THE WAY AND THEN WE JUMP RIGHT INTO, UH, THE BUDGET HEARING, WHICH GOES FIRST. AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO, I KNOW FOLKS ARE HERE FOR, UH, UH, THE HEARINGS HEARING 24 AND HERE IN 20, HERE IN 25, AND HERE IN 2026. WE'LL GET INTO THOSE. UH, AND THEN WE HAVE ADDITIONAL ITEMS AFTER THAT. SO THIS IS A REALLY BUSY NIGHT. SO LET'S START OFF, UH, LET'S TAKE UP, UH, THE REPORT OUT FROM CITY COUNCIL. FIRST. CLOSE. YEAH, I MEAN FROM CLOSED SESSION. THANK YOU MARY. WE HAVE NO REPORT FROM CLOSED SESSION. FANTASTIC. THANK YOU. UH, NEXT WE WILL DO, UH, CONSENT CALENDAR. SO WE WE'RE GONNA NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND. YEAH, I SEE THE MOTION. SECOND COME IN. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I SEE MOTION, RICK SODI AND, UM, ANDHAS, WE HAVE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. KATHLEEN ADAMS. MM-HMM . WHAT IS THE PRESENTATION TODAY, MIKE? THE, JUST MAKE SURE A MICROPHONE'S ON. OKAY, GO AHEAD. CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVING THAT IN THE CONSENT CALENDAR. ITEMS 18 AND 19 TO, FOR THE ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENT OF SUPPLYING OUR POLICE OFFICERS WITH HIGH QUALITY EQUIPMENT, SOME OF WHICH IS RIGHT HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND RITOS [CONSENT CALENDAR (1. – 23, 28)] AND ALSO IN MINNESOTA. AND I'M SURE, UM, THE BEST QUALITY MUST BE FROM MINNESOTA. AND I, UH, IT'S FOR THROUGH 28. 2028. SO FOR THREE YEARS WE'RE GOING TO BE, UH, SEEING HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS FOR POLICE OFFICERS. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE ALREADY APPROVED 4 MILLION FOR TASERS AND CAMERAS. AND I JUST WANNA COMMEND EVERYONE, UM, THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING OUR POLICE OFFICERS AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MEMBERS, UH, ROLL CALL. VOTE PLEASE. YES, MAYOR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO PULL ITEM NUMBER SEVEN? I DON'T SEE IT ON CONSENT ITEM. I REQUEST TO PULL ITEM 27. YES, ITEM SEVEN. SO WE'LL DO, OH, I DO SEE THAT. OKAY. YEAH. WE'LL, SEPARATE ITEM SEVEN, PLEASE. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE? AYE. COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO? AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FOUR? AYE. DISTRICT FIVE? AYE. DISTRICT SIX? AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN, AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT, AYE. DISTRICT NINE? AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ITEM SEVEN, PLEASE REPORT FROM FIRE DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT AND ANY NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING ANY NECESSARY SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS WITH TRAUMA INTERVENTION PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE VICTIM SUPPORT [7. 25-56007 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, to provide victim support services for the Fire Department in an annual amount not to exceed $25,000, for year one, and authorize a 3 percent annual cost increase for each subsequent year. The initial contract period would be two years and provide for an option to renew for three additional one-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager. (Citywide) Levine Act: Yes       Office or Department: Fire Department         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] SERVICES FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN AN ANNUAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $25,000. CITYWIDE. I NEED A VERBAL MOTION [01:10:01] AND A SECOND. MOTION SECOND. OKAY, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, UH, DUGGAN COMMENTS. I JUST WANTED TO PULL THIS ITEM TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR WORKING AND INVESTING IN TIP. THE TRAUMA INTERVENTION PROGRAM. PD CURRENTLY, UH, SUPPORTS THEM, BUT TIP TRAINS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO RESPOND WITHIN 20 MINUTES TO TRAUMATIC INCIDENTS, PROVIDING EMOTIONAL FIRST AID SUPPORT AND REFERRALS TO VICTIMS AND FAMILIES. THEY'RE AVAILABLE 24 7 AND RESPOND AS VOLUNTEERS WITHIN 20 MINUTES TO DEATHS, FIRES, MEDICAL EMERGENCIES, AND ACCIDENTS, MAKING SURE NO ONE IS LEFT ALONE DURING THE MOST VULNERABLE MOMENTS. THEIR PRESENCE NOT ONLY HELPS SURVIVORS, BUT IT ALSO EASES THE BURDEN ON FIRST RESPONDERS, IMPROVING THE OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS AND COMPASSION OF THE CITY'S CRISIS RESPONSE. I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THEIR WORK AND THE IMPACT THAT YOU HAVE ON YOUR COMMITTEE COMMUNITY. AND THANK YOU TO FIRE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? ROLL CALL, VOTE PLEASE. DISTRICT ONE AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FOUR? AYE. DISTRICT FIVE? AYE. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN, AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT, AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA QUICKLY TAKE CARE OF ITEMS 29 AND 30. LET'S DO 29. PLEASE REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY RECOMMENDATION TO DECLARE ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 10 IN THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL [29. 25-56047 Recommendation to declare ordinance amending Title 10 in the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending Chapter 32.110 relating to the Preferential Parking District “U”, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Attorney         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] CODE RELATING TO PREFERENTIAL PARKING DISTRICT U READ AND ADOPTED AS RED CITYWIDE. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, IS, DO WE NEED AVO VOICE MOTION AND SECOND? YES. A VOICE MOTION AND A SECOND. SO MOVED. OKAY, SECOND DARRY MOVE. COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN, MOVE CD TWO SECOND. CD FOUR. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? NO PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. ROLL CALL. VOTE PLEASE. COUNCIL, DISTRICT ONE? AYE. COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO? AYE. COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE? AYE. COUNCIL DISTRICT FOUR. AYE. COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE. AYE. COUNCIL DISTRICT SIX. AYE. COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN. AYE. COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. 30. PLEASE REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY. [30. 25-56049 Recommendation to declare ordinance of the City Council of the City of Long Beach amending Title 5 of the Long Beach Municipal Code by adding Chapter 5.93, relating to establishing staffing requirements for self-service checkout stations at grocery and drug stores to advance public safety and prevent retail theft, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Attorney         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] RECOMMENDATION TO DECLARE ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH RELATING TO ESTABLISHING STAFFING REQUIREMENTS FOR SELF-SERVICE CHECKOUT STATIONS AT GROCERY AND DRUG STORES TO ADVANCE PUBLIC SAFETY AND PREVENT RETAIL THEFT. RED. RED AND ADOPTED AS RED CITYWIDE. ALL RIGHT, WE NEED A MOTION. AND SECOND. VERBALLY. SO MOVED. ALL RIGHT. MOVED. ONE AND SECOND. SEVEN. UH, I SEE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED TO SPEAK. DAVE SHUKLA. IS DAVE IN THE HOUSE? OKAY. SEEING NO FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT, ROLL CALL, VOTE PLEASE. DISTRICT, IS HE HERE? MM-HMM . DAVE, YOU'RE CALLED, YOU GOTTA BE IN THE ROOM. PUBLIC COMMENT. TAKE YOUR TIME. IT'S ALL GOOD. OH, I'M GOOD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ROLL CALL. VOTE PLEASE. DISTRICT ONE. AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE NAY. DISTRICT FOUR. NAY. DISTRICT FIVE. AYE. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN. AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WE NOW WILL GO TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP PROGRAM PRESENTATION. CONGRATULATIONS. THAT'S DONE. UM, WE'LL GO TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP PROGRAM CLASS OF 2025. PRESENTATION CITY MANAGER. YES, WE HAVE MARGARET MADDEN [ NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP PROGRAM CLASS OF 2025] HERE TO, UH, PROVIDE THAT UPDATE ON BEHALF OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU CHRISTOPHER. HEY MARGARET. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. UH, HONORABLE MAYOR RICHARDSON AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. IT IS MY HONOR TO RECOGNIZE THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP PROGRAM CLASS OF 2025 BEFORE YOU. TONIGHT, SINCE 1992, OVER 800 DEDICATED, THOUGHTFUL LONG BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS REPRESENTING THE DIVERSITY AND THE BEST OF OUR CITY AND OUR COUNTRY HAVE COMPLETED OUR FIVE MONTH CURRICULUM AND ARE ACTIVATING THEIR LOVE AND COMMITMENT TO LONG BEACH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR CITY. IT'S MY PLEASURE TONIGHT TO INTRODUCE AMY BAUER FROM THIS YEAR'S CLASS. A SECOND, A SECOND DISTRICT RESIDENT. AMY WAS SELECTED BY HER CLASSMATES TO REPRESENT THE CLASS BEFORE YOU TONIGHT. THANK YOU. WELCOME AMY. THANK YOU. [01:15:01] GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. FOR ME, JOINING THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP PROGRAM WAS TO NETWORK WITH MY COMMUNITY. I ALREADY AM A CITY GRANTEE TO CLIMATE LB GRANTS . AND SO MY GRANT RESOURCES THAT THE CLASSMATES WERE VERY INTERESTED IN WAS NOT AS IMPORTANT TO ME. MY INTEREST WAS TO MAKE DIRECT CONTACT WITH RESIDENTS AND CITY EMPLOYEES. WHAT I WAS NOT EXPECTING WAS THE DIVERSITY OF MY CLASSMATES, YET AN UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE ALL CONNECTED AND WANNA MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR EVERYONE IN LONG BEACH, SAYING THAT IT WAS NOT ALWAYS EASY WORKING TOGETHER, WE WERE LIKE A GROUP OF STUDENTS THROWN TOGETHER WITH NO ONE WANTING TO TAKE LEAD. WE HAD STUMBLING MOMENTS FROM THE TIME WE FIRST MET. WE DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME VALUES FOR OUR PROJECT. WE LOST GROUP MEMBERS, WE CHANGED DATES. WE HAD TO REWRITE OUR GRANT AND OUR BUDGET NUMEROUS TIMES AND WE COULD NEVER MEET ALL IN PERSON, WHICH MY GROUP AT OUR LARGEST WAS ONLY SIX PEOPLE. YEAH, WE LEARNED QUICKLY WHAT EACH OTHER'S SKILLS WERE AND LEANED INTO THAT ON THE DAY ONE, I WALKED INTO ORIENTATION KNOWING NO ONE, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. AN ICEBREAKER MATCHED ME UP WITH A PERSON, SOMEONE THAT WOULD BECOME SOMEONE I JOKE WITH ALMOST DAILY. SOMEONE WHO IS INVALUABLE TO OUR GROUP PROJECT SUCCEEDING. AND SOMEONE I WOULD ADD TO MY LIST OF PEOPLE THAT I CAN CALL BEFORE 7:00 AM I'LL BE TAKING AWAY NEW FRIENDSHIPS WITH BOTH NLP CLASSMATES AND CITY EMPLOYEES. NLP SOLIDIFIED THE INTERSECTION OF MY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES WITH MANY OTHER PEOPLE IN LONG BEACH. AND YOU WILL SEE MORE OF ME AS I CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH ALL THE PEOPLE I'VE MET DURING THESE PAST FIVE MONTHS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY NLP CLASSMATES FOR TRUSTING IN ME TO RE REPRESENT US ALL. THANK YOU. AND GOODNIGHT. ALRIGHT, WELL THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IS AN INCREDIBLE PROGRAM. IT'S A TRADITION IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY, A CITY SPONSOR PROGRAM WHERE WE TRAIN NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS ON HOW TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. WE HAVE GRADUATED SOME INCREDIBLE LEADERS, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS NEW CLASS. UH, WE WISH YOU THE VERY BEST. WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE AND ALWAYS LOOKING FOR FRESH BLOOD. SO, UH, WE WILL, WE WILL CERTAINLY BE PUTTING YOU ALL TO WORK. UH, PUBLIC SERVICE, PUBLIC SERVICE IS A THANKLESS JOB, BUT, BUT WE TRY TO THANK AND RECOGNIZE OUR SERVANTS HERE IN LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. SO LET'S HAVE ALL OF YOU STAND UP THE CLASS OF 2025. THESE ARE LONG BEACH LEADERS. THESE ARE LONG BEACH RESIDENTS AND LEADERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CONGRATULATIONS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SOTE. YES. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO, AGAIN, RECOGNIZE ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK. UH, I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY GIVING OF YOUR TIME AND YOUR TALENT AND, UH, AND, AND TIME IS PRECIOUS THESE DAYS. SO I REALLY WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE CITY. UM, I'VE PERSONALLY SEEN A LOT OF VALUE COME OUT OF THIS AS A FORMER NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, AS A NEIGHBORHOOD LEADER. UH, A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES, UH, WHO WERE ALSO NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS HAD DONE THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. UM, AND MY VERY OWN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COORDINATOR IS ACTUALLY A GRADUATE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. SO I CAN DEFINITELY SEE THE PATH THAT IT LEADS TO. UM, BUT I, I'D ALSO WANT TO, UH, JUST GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE THREE OUTSTANDING GRADUATES FROM DISTRICT NINE. UM, I WANNA CONGRATULATE EACH OF YOU. I SEE BRENDA ROBERTS, UH, ROBERTSON COVINGTON BACK THERE, UH, JENNIFER TRUO, MACKENZIE M UM, ON COMPLETING. I WANNA CONGRATULATE YOU ON COMPLETING THIS JOURNEY AND COMMEND YOU ON YOUR DEDICATION AND PASSION YOU'VE SHOWN FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE PUT IN. UM, I HAVE CERTIFICATES FROM MY OFFICE TO YOU ALL CONGRATULATING YOU ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. AND I ALSO WANT YOU TO KNOW AS DISTRICT NINE RESIDENTS, YOUR JOURNEY DOES NOT, UH, END HERE IN OCTOBER, MY TEAM WILL BE HOSTING OUR OWN UPTOWN LEAD ACADEMY, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ON THE MOMENTUM YOU CREATED AND EXPAND YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND WAYS THAT YOU CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR, IN OUR DISTRICT. AND SO, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU AND I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY THAT WAS IN THE CLASS. AGAIN, THIS IS A, A GREAT MILESTONE. UM, AND LEADERSHIP DOESN'T STOP HERE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. YES. I WANNA ADD MY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2025. I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY WHEN YOU ALL COME TOGETHER, UH, AS YOU GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND WORK TOGETHER. AND THIS IS WHAT IT, THE PROGRAM IS REALLY ABOUT. IT'S BUILDING COMMUNITY AND IT'S, IT'S STRENGTHENING OUR NEIGHBORS THROUGH YOU. SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO TWO GRADUATES FROM DISTRICT SIX. VERONICA, VERONICA MARTINEZ. YES. AND LAURA AS WELL. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU TOO. WE LOOK FORWARD IN HOSTING [01:20:01] FUTURE EVENTS AND NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVITIES TOGETHER. SO PLEASE, MY OFFICE WILL MAKE SURE WE'RE GONNA REACH OUT TO YOU AND PUT YOUR SKILLS INTO ACTION. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER. IT'S CALLED BEING VOLUNTOLD COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ZENDEJAS, THANK YOU. AS A VERY PROUD, PROUD NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP, UM, GRADUATE MYSELF, UM, FROM BACK ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO. I JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2025 AND ALSO AMY, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THOSE WONDERFUL WORDS AND BELIEVE YOU NOT, THAT'S EXACTLY HOW MY CLASS WAS AT THAT TIME. AND A LOT, A LOT, A LOT OF MY, UM, COLLEAGUES AT THE TIME WERE JUST, IT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING FOR US. SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING FOR YOU AND WHAT A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL REFLECTION OF WHAT OUR CITY, OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY OF LONG BEACH IS. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF US. ALRIGHT, WELL CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL AND WE HAVE, UH, SOME RECOGNITION FOR OUR OFFICE THAT WE'LL SHARE WITH MARGARET. THANKS A LOT. UH, LET'S, UH, CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO CLASS OF 2025. ALRIGHT. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE JUST KNOCKED OUT LIKE 29 ITEMS THAT QUICK. WE WILL NOW BEGIN THE BUDGET HEARING. SO LET'S HAVE HEARING 24. PLEASE REPORT FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATION TO CONDUCT A BUDGET HEARING TO RECEIVE AND DISCUSS [24. 25-56027 Recommendation to conduct a Budget Hearing to receive and discuss an overview of the Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Budget for the departments of Police and Fire. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Financial Management         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF POLICE AND FIRE CITYWIDE. ALRIGHT, THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF OUR BUDGET HEARING. WE BEGAN AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING. UH, TONIGHT WE'RE HERE TWO DEPARTMENTS, UH, POLICE AND FIRE. UH, AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC TO ASK THEIR QUESTIONS AS A PART OF OUR CONTINUED BUDGET HEARING PROCESS. WE'LL NOW PASS IT TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UH, WALKER. YES, MAYOR. UM, WE HAVE FIRST UP OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT LED BY, UH, CHIEF ISH AND BUREAU CHIEF, UH, JULISSA, JOSE MARI, THE ONE THING I WANTED TO ASK IS IF WE WANNA DO PD THEN QUESTION? YES. OKAY, GREAT. AND ONE PERIOD FOR QUESTIONS. PERFECT. THAT'S HOW WE'LL MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND MS. WALKER. I'M EXCITED TO PRESENT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSED FY 26 BUDGET AND THEN SHARE SOME SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS. THIS BUDGET REFLECTS OUR RESPONSE TO EMERGING CHALLENGES AND ALSO REPRESENTS OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY. I'D LIKE TO START BY RECOGNIZING THE OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEES THAT MAKE UP THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT. WHEN I SAY LONG BEACH HAS THE BEST POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE NATION, I MEAN IT. AND WORDS ALONE DON'T CAPTURE WHAT WE DO. IT'S DEMONSTRATED IN THE ACTIONS WHICH OUR EMPLOYEES TAKE EACH DAY, WHETHER RISKING THEIR LIVES TO RESCUE SUSPECTS FROM A BURNING STOLEN VEHICLE, BRAVELY RUSHING INTO A HOUSE SET ABLAZE BY AN ARMED MURDER SUSPECT, INVESTIGATING, IDENTIFYING AND ARRESTING A MAN FOR VIOLENTLY ABUSING A HELPLESS DOG, OR ACTIVATING OUR ENTIRE DEPARTMENT AND MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO RETURN A CHILD SAFELY BACK INTO THE ARMS OF HER MOTHER. THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOWS UP EACH DAY BECAUSE IT'S WHO WE ARE AND WHO WILL CONTINUE TO BE. AND I'M HONORED TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS ORGANIZATION, AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S MODERN AND FORWARD THINKING. WITH OVER 1200 EMPLOYEES SWORN IN CIVILIAN, EACH PLAYING A VITAL ROLE IN THE SAFETY AND STABILITY OF OUR CITY. PATROL OFFICERS RESPOND TO CALLS AND PROVIDE CRITICAL ASSISTANCE AT MOMENTS WHEN IT MATTERS. MOST DETECTIVES WORK RELENTLESSLY TO SOLVE CRIMES, SUPPORT VICTIMS, AND BRING RESOLUTION TO FAMILIES IMPACTED BY VIOLENCE. SPECIALIZED UNITS, INCLUDING THE HIGH CRIME FOCUS TEAM, NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY, BIKE TEAM, QUALITY OF LIFE TEAM, AND A VARIETY OF OTHERS CONTRIBUTE TO BRINGING MEANINGFUL STRATEGIES TO THE CITY'S MOST COMPLEX CHALLENGES. BEHIND THE SCENES, OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF KEEPS THE DEPARTMENT RUNNING 24 7, MANAGING COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES, FLEET RECORDS, PAYROLL AND FINANCE WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND PRECISION. OUR SPECIAL SERVICES OFFICERS HELP STAFF OUR JAIL, OUR CIVIC CENTER, OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES, OUR CITY COLLEGE, AND THE LONG BEACH AIRPORT. OUR YOUTH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION HAS GROWN INTO A NATIONAL MODEL AND TOGETHER OUR EMPLOYEES FORM A RESPONSIVE, RESILIENT, AND DEEPLY COMMITTED ORGANIZATION. AND DESPITE UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES, FROM STAFFING SHORTAGES TO SHIFTING LEGAL MANDATES, WE REMAINED AGILE SOLUTION FOCUSED AND GROUNDED IN OUR VALUES, [01:25:01] RESPECT, COMPASSION, SERVICE, INTEGRITY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THE FY 26 BUDGET PRO PROMOTE PROPOSAL PROMOTES A VISION WHICH PRIORITIZES FUTURE PROOFING THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT SO WE CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF A GROWING AND THRIVING CITY. A STRATEGIC FORWARD-LOOKING PLAN BASED ON OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY, WORKFORCE, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND INNOVATIVE AND MODERNIZED SERVICE DELIVERY. WE'RE NOT LIMITED TO ONLY ASSESSING OUR CURRENT NEEDS. WE'RE SETTING AMBITIOUS GOALS TO PLAN AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS THROUGH FOUR KEY SERVICE AREAS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND CALLS FOR SERVICE, INCLUDING RAPID COORDINATED RESPONSES TO 9 1 1 CALLS, CRITICAL INCIDENTS AND THE PROTECTION OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND KEY RESOURCE LOCATIONS SUCH AS THE PORT AIRPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS AND CIVIC FACILITIES, CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON CASE RESOLUTION SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS AND DATA-DRIVEN APPROACHES TO VIOLENT AND PROPERTY CRIME, OPERATIONAL SUPPORT, TECHNOLOGY AND TRAINING, WHICH ENSURES CONTINUITY ACROSS ALL FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING TRAINING CURRENT AND FUTURE OFFICERS AND COMMUNITY AND DEPARTMENT TRUST AND ENGAGEMENT, WHICH FOSTERS STRONG POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, AND EMPLOYEES THROUGH TRANSPARENCY, OUTREACH, AND PARTNERSHIPS. AS OF JULY, 2025, OUR OFFICERS HAVE RESPONDED TO TO NEARLY 100,000 CALLS FOR SERVICE, AVERAGING ABOUT 547 CALLS PER DAY. IN ADDITION, WE ALSO STAFF AND SUPPORT A VARIETY OF ANCILLARY SERVICES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. AND DESPITE CURRENT VACANCIES AND AN UNPRECEDENTED STAFFING SHORTAGE, WE'RE STILL MAINTAINING BASE OFFICER STAFFING LEVELS IN THE FIELD IN ORDER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PUBLIC. OUR OFFICERS ARE WORKING MANDATORY OVERTIME, SO WE CAN DO THIS AND YET OUR PRIORITY ONE RESPONSE TIMES REMAIN WELL WITHIN THE OPTIMAL NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR EMERGENCY POLICE RESPONSE TIMES. CURRENTLY WE'RE AVERAGING 5.6 MINUTES FOR PRIORITY ONES. IN ADDITION, OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE ASSISTANTS SUPPORT OUR PATROL OPERATIONS BY RESPONDING TO OVER 4,500 PRIORITY THREE CALLS, ALLOWING OFFICERS TO FOCUS ON HIGHER PRIORITY CALLS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSES. AS WITH ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, CRIME AND SAFETY ARE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF OUR MISSION AND WE'RE PROUD TO SHARE SOME SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN CRIME REDUCTION THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2025. PROPERTY CRIME DOWN 23.6%, MURDERS DOWN 27.8%, ROBBERIES DOWN 18.9%. SHOOTINGS CONTINUE TO TREND DOWNWARD FOR THE THIRD YEAR WITH A 29.2% DECREASE YEAR TO DATE S STATISTICS ARE NOT THE ONLY TOOL WE USE TO EVALUATE OURSELVES. WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO NOT ONLY BE SAFE, BUT FEEL SAFE, WHICH IS WHY OUR POLICE OFFICERS HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO IMPACT GUN VIOLENCE THIS YEAR ALONE. RECOVERING OVER 500 FIREARMS, MANY TAKEN FROM VIOLENT OFFENDERS, WILLING TO VICTIMIZE OTHERS. THESE OUTCOMES ARE THE RESULT OF FOCUSED PATROL DEPLOYMENTS, INVESTIGATIVE EXPERTISE, AND THOUGHTFUL RESOURCE ALLOCATION. WE DON'T JUST TRACK EMERGING CRIME TRENDS AND PURSUE HIGH RISK OFFENDERS. WE WORK DILIGENTLY TO STRENGTHEN TRUST WITHIN THE COMMUNITY'S MOST AFFECTED BY VIOLENCE. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES IMPLEMENTING FORWARD THINKING STRATEGIES THAT ENHANCE HOW WE SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. BY SUPPLEMENTING PATROL OPERATIONS, INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF OUR WORKFORCE AND MODERNIZING SERVICES, SUPPLEMENTING PATROL OPERATIONS, WE'VE ENHANCED PATROL OPERATIONS THROUGH THE DEPLOYMENT OF SPECIALIZED UNITS TASKED WITH IMPLEMENTING ENFORCEMENT STRATEGIES. COUPLED WITH AN INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY, OUR HIGH CRIME FOCUS TEAM PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR NEIGHBORHOODS EXPERIENCING PERSISTENT VIOLENCE OR HIGH CRIME TRENDS. THEY BALANCE PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT WITH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL INFORMATION SHARING AND ENGAGEMENT. OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE HIGH CRIME FOCUS TEAMS MADE 89 FELONY ARRESTS, RECOVERED 58 ILLEGAL FIREARMS, AND PARTICIPATED IN OVER 100 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY BIKE TEAM PROVIDES VISIBILITY AND SERVICE AND PARKS, LIBRARIES AND BUSINESS CORRIDORS. AND 2024, THE NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY BIKE TEAM LOGGED 4,542 COMMUNITY CONTACTS AND MADE 402 BUSINESS VISITS, STRENGTHENING OUR PRESENCE AND RESPONSIVENESS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY. OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND MENTAL EVALUATION TEAM, WHICH IS A CO RESPONSE MODEL, PAIRING A COUNTY CLINICIAN WITH A POLICE OFFICER, CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR RESPONSE TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES. OVER THE PAST YEAR, THEY'VE MADE 9,500 CONTACTS HELPING 393 INDIVIDUALS ACCESS TEMPORARY HOUSING AND 48 INDIVIDUALS SECURE PERMANENT HOUSING. WE CONTINUE INVESTING IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PERSONNEL BY [01:30:01] CREATING NEW TRAINING PATHWAYS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. IN JULY, WE LAUNCHED THE RECRUIT READINESS PROGRAM, A VOLUNTARY INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE AN ACA TO PROVIDE ACADEMY BOUND POLICE CANDIDATES WITH SKILLS THAT RECRUITS OFTEN STRUGGLE WITHIN THE ACADEMY. JUST TODAY WE ADDED ANOTHER 18 NON-CAREER RECRUITS, BRINGING OUR TOTAL UP TO 36. WE ALSO IMPLEMENTED THE MOST ROBUST TRAINING PROGRAM FOR NEW POLICE SERGEANTS IN OUR DEPARTMENT'S HISTORY. THIS TRAINING PROGRAM EQUIPS NEWLY PROMOTED SERGEANTS WITH PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP TOOLS, LEGAL AND PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE AND SCENARIO-BASED TRAINING TO PREPARE THEM FOR THE COMPLEXITIES OF FRONTLINE SUPERVISION. TO MEET EVER-CHANGING PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS, WE CONTINUALLY EXAMINE HOW BEST TO MODERNIZE OPERATIONS AND IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY, ALLOWING PATROL OFFICERS TO FOCUS ON EMERGENCIES AND CALL FOR SERVICE PRIORITIES. WE'VE LAUNCHED A TELEPHONIC REPORTING UNIT TO FURTHER IMPACT THE GROWING WORKLOAD FOR OFFICERS LAUNCHED IN AUGUST OF 2024. THE TRU HAS COMPLETED 969 REPORTS ON LOWER PRIORITY INCIDENTS SUCH AS PETTY THEFT AND VANDALISM. OUR RAPID BOOKING JAIL PILOT PROGRAM HAS STREAMLINED BOOKING PROCESSES, REDUCING OFFICER WAIT TIMES, AND INCREASING PATROL AVAILABILITY WHILE MAINTAINING COMPLIANCE AND SECURITY PROTOCOLS. THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER HAS HELPED WITH OVER 225 INVESTIGATIONS, IMPROVING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND INVESTIGATIVE TURNAROUND TIMES WE'RE EQUALLY COMMITTED TO A RELATIONSHIP-BASED MODEL OF PUBLIC SAFETY. AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE DEEPENED OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUTH, FAMILIES, CRIME VICTIMS, AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. THE LBPD YOUTH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION HAS REDEFINED HOW WE CONNECT WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE BROADER LONG BEACH COMMUNITY. THEY'VE GUIDED OUR ORGANIZATION IN AREAS OF OUTREACH, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND PARTNERSHIPS SERVING AS A TRUE MODEL FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PREPARING TOMORROW'S GENERATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED OUR CORE YOUTH PROGRAMS, BOTH THE EXPLORER AND CADET PROGRAMS, GROWING PARTICIPATION BY MORE THAN 600% AND ENGAGING OVER 65 YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ROUTINELY VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME IN SUPPORT OF EMERGENCY OPERATIONS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND PUBLIC SERVICE. THESE PROGRAMS TRANSCEND SIMPLY PREPARING YOUNG ADULTS FOR A CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. THESE PROGRAMS SERVE TO PROVIDE MENTORSHIP GUIDANCE IN THE TOOLS TO LEAD AND SUCCESSFULLY NAVI NAVIGATE TURBULENT TIMES. OUR YOUTH LEADERSHIP ACADEMY HAS TRAINED OVER 100 TEENS IN LEADERSHIP, FUNDAMENTALS, COMMUNICATION, AND CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY. MANY OF THESE YOUNG ADULTS ARE NOW TEACHING THEIR PEERS ABOUT VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND DECISION MAKING PROGRAMS AT TEEN CENTERS AND COMMUNITY SITES ACROSS LONG BEACH. WE'VE ALSO CONTINUED TO EXPAND OUR TRAUMA INFORMED APPROACH TO SAFETY THROUGH INCREASED COLLABORATION WITH THE TRAUMA INTERVENTION PROGRAM, ENSURING TIMELY COMPASSIONATE CRISIS SUPPORT TO RESIDENTS IN NEED. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, EARLIER, I DEEPLY BELIEVE IN THE IMPORTANCE OF FUTURE PROOFING OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. IN FY 26. WE SEEK TO ALIGN RESOURCES AND POSITION OURSELVES FOR A SAFE LONG BEACH TODAY, TOMORROW AND BEYOND. A KEY STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS THE REORGANIZATION OF DETAILS WITHIN OUR SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION TO CREATE CONSOLIDATED SOCIETAL CRIME SECTION. THIS SECTION WILL CONCENTRATE ON QUALITY OF LIFE CONCERNS SUCH AS VANDALISM AND BUSINESS DISTRICT COMPLAINTS, AS WELL AS CRIMES NOW CLASSIFIED AS SOCIETAL, SUCH AS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND PROSTITUTION WEAPON LAW VIOLATIONS, ANIMAL ABUSE AND NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS. COMBINING THESE RESOURCES INTO A SINGLE FOCUS SECTION WILL ALLOW FOR A MORE UNIFIED AND DIRECTED APPROACH TO THESE COMPLEX AND OFTEN INTERCONNECTED ISSUES. WE'RE ALSO EXPANDING OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BY ADDING EIGHT FULL-TIME POSITIONS. THESE POSITIONS WILL HANDLE LOW PRIORITY CALLS FOR SERVICE STAFF, CERTAIN SPECIAL EVENT ROLES, AND FURTHER SUPPORT PATROL BY ALLOWING US TO STRATEGICALLY DEPLOY SWORN OFFICERS TO HIGHER PRIORITY INCIDENTS WHILE MAINTAINING A STRONG VISIBLE PUBLIC SAFETY PRESENCE AT MAJOR EVENTS. OUR BUDGET ALSO REFLECTS THE CONCLUSION OF THE CONTRACT WITH LA METRO, ALLOWING US TO REDEPLOY EIGHT METRO OFFICERS AND THREE SUPERVISORS TO SUPPORT PATROL FIELD OPERATIONS IN CRITICAL AREAS. IN FY 26, WE'RE INVESTING IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE FOUNDATION THAT SUPPORTS OUR CRITICAL PUBLIC SAFETY OPERATIONS, ENHANCING COMPLIANCE, OPERATIONAL READINESS AND OVERSIGHT TO REINFORCE OUR TRAINING, FIELD SUPERVISION AND JAIL OPERATIONS. WE'RE ADDING ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY AUDIT AND REPORTING COMPLIANCE AND PROGRAM PERFORMANCE TRACKING. [01:35:01] WITHIN OUR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES BUREAU, WE'RE EXPANDING ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO OVERSEE DEPARTMENT-WIDE TECHNOLOGY EFFORTS, STREAMLINING PROJECT PLANNING AND TRACKING AND IMPROVING INTERNAL COORDINATION ACROSS TECHNOLOGY RELATED FUNCTIONS. IN OUR FINANCE AND PAYROLL SECTIONS, WE'RE UPGRADING KEY POSITIONS TO IMPROVE LABOR COMPLIANCE, STREAMLINED ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES, AND ENHANCE FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY. THE FY 26 BUDGET EXPANDS OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUTH LEADERSHIP, MENTORSHIP, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. WE'RE REALLOCATING ADMINISTRATIVE INTERN POSITIONS TO FOCUS ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS, PROVIDING PAID LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG ADULTS AND CREATING A PATHWAY TO A SUCCESSFUL LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER. WE'RE ALSO SEEKING TO EXPAND OUR YOUTH LEADERSHIP ACADEMY WITH ONE TIME FUNDS. WE'LL BE ABLE TO HOST A COED ACADEMY FOCUSED ON MENTORSHIP, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND SKILL BUILDING, AND A YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY DESIGNED TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS TO INCREASE AND GROW THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN THE POLICING PROFESSION IN THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT. I'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS HAVE SIGNED ON FOR THE 30 BY 30 INITIATIVE AND I STAND BEHIND THAT COMMITMENT, UH, WHETHER SUPPORTED OR SCRUTINIZED. AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMAND STAFF HERE TODAY CONSIST OF A FEMALE DEPUTY CHIEF, TWO FEMALE BUREAU CHIEFS, A FEMALE CHIEF OF STAFF, AND SEVERAL FEMALES REPRESENTING COMMAND POSITIONS WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION. SO I'D LIKE TO GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR EVERYTHING THEY DO AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT THEM IN WHAT THEY DO. AND THEY'RE GONNA BE UPSET THAT I CALLED THEM OUT TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF TODAY'S PUBLIC SAFETY LANDSCAPE AND PREPARE FOR THE GLOBAL EVENTS ON THE HORIZON, INCLUDING LA 28 AND THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP, AND THE NUMEROUS LARGE SCALE EVENTS BEING HELD IN OUR CITY. WE'RE PROPOSING SEVERAL O ONE TIME FORWARD THINKING INVESTMENTS THAT WILL EXPAND OUR CAPABILITIES IN THE FIELD AND DELIVER SMARTER AND SAFER SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY. 1.3 MILLION TO MAINTAIN THE HIGH CRIME FOCUS TEAM'S ABILITY TO ADDRESS VIOLENT CRIME AND HIGH CRIME TRENDS CITYWIDE AND STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. 1.5 MILLION TO BUILD OUT THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER INTO A CENTRALIZED HUB THAT ENHANCES COORDINATION, SECURITY, AND THREAT RESPONSE, INCLUDING INFORMATION ASSESSMENTS, ANALYSIS, AND THE DISSEMINATION OF PRODUCTS TO OUR OFFICERS IN THE FIELD. 1.5 MILLION TO REPLACE OBSOLETE HELICOPTER CAMERA SYSTEMS. IMPROVING EVIDENCE GATHERING OFFICER SAFETY AND SUPPORT OF SEARCH AND SEIZURE EFFORTS, OR SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS. 300,000 TO LAUNCH A DRONE FOR PATROL PILOT PROGRAM, WHICH WILL TEST THE USE OF DRONE TECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE AERIAL SUPPORT, IMPROVE OFFICER AND COMMUNITY SAFETY, AND INCREASE RESPONSE TIMES FOR FIELD UNITS. AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO FY 26, WE UNDERSTAND THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE'RE OPERATING. THERE'S A GROWING MISMATCH BETWEEN AN INCREASED WORKLOAD AND THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO MEET EXPECTATIONS. AND WHILE THE DEMANDS HAVE INCREASED, OUR STAFFING LEVELS AND INTERNAL CAPACITY HAVE STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP. THERE ARE A VARIETY OF FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHALLENGES AHEAD, INCLUDING VIOLENT CRIME WHILE WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS IN REDUCING SHOOTINGS AND HOMICIDES. VIOLENT CRIME IS A DYNAMIC CHALLENGE IN OUR REGION. ALL THE WHILE INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC THREATS REMAIN EVER PRESENT IN OUR COUNTRY. LEGISLATIVE MANDATES EVERY YEAR BRINGS NEW POLICIES AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS THAT RESHAPE HOW WE OPERATE, OFTENTIMES WITHOUT THE FUNDING OR STAFFING REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THEM EFFECTIVELY. TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT AND DEPARTMENTAL NEEDS. PUBLIC SAFETY TECHNOLOGY AND EXPECTATIONS ARE RAPIDLY EVOLVING. HOWEVER, IT'S DI DIFFICULT TO KEEP PACE WITH THE STAFFING AND FUNDING NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THESE ADVANCEMENTS. RECRUITMENT AND HIRING CONSTRAINTS. ALTHOUGH WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS, WE'RE STILL WORKING TO OVERCOME A HISTORIC STAFFING SHORTAGE, WHICH HAS LED TO SIGNIFICANT MANDATORY OVERTIME REQUIREMENTS FOR POLICE OFFICERS. THIS IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE MODEL AND CAN CONTRIBUTE TO FATIGUE AND STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE. SPECIAL EVENT DEMANDS AND COMMUNITY IMPACT AS LONG BEACH BECOMES A REGIONAL DESTINATION FOR LARGE SCALE SPECIAL EVENTS, WE FACE CHALLENGES, STAFFING AND MANAGING THESE EVENTS. THIS INCLUDES INCREASED DEMANDS TO SAFEGUARD THE PUBLIC BOTH DURING AND AFTER EVENTS WHEN CROWDS DISPERSE INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS. EMPLOYEE WELLNESS AND RETENTION, THE WEIGHT OF THESE CHALLENGES IS FELT MOST ACUTELY BY OUR EMPLOYEES AND WE MUST CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THE ASSOCIATED IMPACTS ON OUR STAFF. AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WORKFORCE WHICH WILL HELP CONTRIBUTE TO MAINTAINING A HEALTHY COMMUNITY. WHILE CHALLENGES WILL ALWAYS EXIST, WE'LL CONTINUE RESPONDING [01:40:01] BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE REALITY OF WHAT WE'RE FACING AND USING THESE CHALLENGES TO HELP GUIDE OUR DECISIONS AND REVEAL NEW OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS OPPORTUNITIES TO MODERNIZE OUR SYSTEMS, INNOVATE HOW WE DELIVER SAFETY AND DEEPEN TRUST WITHIN THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE. WE'RE INVESTING IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND INSTITUTIONS THAT WILL SHAPE THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN LONG BEACH. AND FY 26 WILL WELCOME CLASS 100 AS OUR FIRST CLASS TAKING PLACE IN OUR LONG AWAITED REBUILT LONG BEACH TRAINING FACILITY. AND I'D LIKE TO EX EXTEND OUR SINCERE THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS IN PUBLIC WORKS FOR THEIR COMMITMENT IN HELPING BRING THIS VISION TO LIFE. THE REALTIME CRIME CENTER, WE'LL EXPAND INTO A DEDICATED OPERATIONS HUB, INTEGRATING VIDEO DATA AND FIELD COORDINATION TO SUPPORT OFFICERS IN REAL TIME IN THE NEW CRIME LAB. PLANNED FOR A HUN FOR 1 25 L WILL ELEVATE OUR INVESTIGATIVE CAPACITY AND IMPROVE CUTTING EDGE FORENSICS TO LONG BEACH AND OUR REGION, WHICH AS YOU KNOW, WILL BE ON THE WORLD STAGE IN THE COMING YEARS, WE'RE EMBRACING INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY THAT EMPOWERS OUR WORKFORCE, STREAMLINES OPERATIONS, AND STRENGTHEN SAFETY OUTCOMES. THE DRONE FOR PATROL PILOT PROGRAM WILL ENHANCE COMMUNITY AND OFFICER SAFETY WHILE IMPROVING SITU SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON THE GROUND. OUR SCHEDULING UNIT, WHICH WE LAUNCHED TWO YEARS AGO, AND OUR NEW ELECTRONIC TIMEKEEPING PLATFORM WILL HELP OPTIMIZE STAFFING ESSENTIAL IN A RESOURCE CONSTRAINED ENVIRONMENT. AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CITY'S CAD AND RMS SYSTEMS WILL IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY, INTEROPERABILITY, AND FIELD OPERATIONS. TRUST SERVES AS A FOUNDATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY PRINCIPLE. OUR COMMUNITY POLICING PHILOSOPHIES AND STRATEGIES ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND SHARED PROBLEM SOLVING. OUR YOUTH INITIATIVES ARE CREATING PATHWAYS TO SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. AND OUR EXPANDED VICTIM SUPPORT DEMONSTRATES A COMPASSIONATE APPROACH TO PUBLIC SAFETY. IN CLOSING, I'D LIKE TO ADD THAT I BELIEVE OUR DEPARTMENT HAS MOVED THE NEEDLE FORWARD ON PUBLIC SAFETY, AND I HAVE NO DOUBT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. AND ALTHOUGH WE'RE STEPPING TOWARD THE FUTURE WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY, WE'RE DOING SO WITH OUR VALUES AT THE CENTER OF ALL THAT WE DO. THE FY 26 PROPOSED BUDGET IS NOT JUST ABOUT FUNDING OPERATIONS, IT'S ABOUT BUILDING APARTMENT THAT REFLECTS A STRENGTH, RESILIENCE, AND DIVERSITY OF LONG BEACH. IT'S ABOUT PROTECTING THE PEOPLE WE SERVE WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE CHARGED WITH THIS DUTY MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED TRUST, PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT. I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK OUR LONG BEACH COMMUNITY FOR THEIR VOICE, VIGILANCE AND VISION FOR A SAFER CITY. AND LASTLY, I HAVE TO THANK THE EMPLOYEES OF THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR IMMENSE PASSION, INTEGRITY, AND UNBELIEVABLE COMMITMENT. THEY SHOW UP EVERY DAY DEMONSTRATING BOTH COURAGE AND COMPASSION AND A BELIEF IN THE REALITY OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OUR COMMUNITY. WE'RE CREATING A FUTURE THAT LONG BEACH CAN BE PROUD OF AND I'M HONORED TO BE HERE WITH, WITH YOU EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. AND I STAND READY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. ALRIGHT, THANKS CHIEF. UH, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE NEXT PRESENTATION. UH, BEFORE YOU DO, JUST WANT TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AND THANK YOU WHAT YOUR DEPARTMENTS HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO THESE LAST FEW YEARS, DESPITE THE CHALLENGES COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC AND STAFFING. IT SHOULD BE A, IT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED. IT'S INCREDIBLE. UH, THE FACT THAT WE'RE AT A SIX MONTH AND THANK YOU FOR SHOWING WHERE WE ARE SIX, SIX MONTHS INTO EVERY YEAR, THE LAST THREE YEARS. WE HAVE SOME REAL MOMENTUM IN THE CITY IN TERMS OF, UH, SEEING REAL REDUCTIONS IN CRIME THAT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED WITHOUT, UH, HIGH CRIME FOCUS TEAM PATROL OFFICERS WHO'VE WORKED OVERTIME AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. AND, UH, THE HEART FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS STEPPING UP THAT SHOULD BE CERTAINLY BE RECOGNIZED. WE THANK YOU. AND WE ALSO KNOW HOW HARD YOU'VE WORKED FOUR ACADEMIES IN TWO YEARS. I MEAN, THAT'S UNHEARD OF FOUR ACADEMIES IN TWO YEARS. I KNOW. 'CAUSE I SPEAK AT EVERY ONE OF THE GRADUATIONS AND I GOTTA COME UP WITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO SAY. THAT'S RIGHT BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE DOING IT SO MUCH. BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO THIS YEAR FINALLY OPENING THE NEW ACADEMY. SO THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE QUESTIONS IN A MOMENT. WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH, UH, THE NEXT PRESENTATION. JUST WANTED TO OFFER OUR THANKS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO NOW WE HAVE OUR FIRE CHIEF DENNIS BUCHANAN WITH BUREAU CHIEF MARA VENTURA. IS IT? VELASCO VENTURA. VENTURA. THANK YOU. WELL, GOOD EVENING, OLIVER MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY FOR ALLOWING ME TO HIGHLIGHT THE GREAT WORK BEING DONE BY THE LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT. [01:45:02] I'M EXCITED TO SHARE AN OVERVIEW OF THE VITAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, A DE A TEAM THAT'S DEEPLY COMMITTED TO PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY FOR PROFESSIONALISM, PREPAREDNESS, AND PRIDE. LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT DELIVERS COMPREHENSIVE 9 1 1 FRONTLINE COMMUNITY SERVICES ACROSS THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, INCLUDING THE PORT OF LONG BEACH, THE LONG BEACH AIRPORT, AND THE ALONG THE COASTLINE. AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS A HIGHLY COMPLEX AND MULTIFACETED OPERATION ACROSS OUR CITY. WE STAFF 18 GENERAL CITY FIRE STATIONS WITH ADDITIONAL SPECIALIZED COVERAGE SUCH AS FOUR DEDICATED PORT FIRE STATIONS AND ONE AT THE LONG BEACH AIRPORT TO SUPPORT MARINE AND COASTAL OPERATIONS. WE OPERATE TWO PORT FIREBOATS AND SIX FIRE AND LIFEGUARD RESCUE BOATS, ALONG WITH 2022 LIFEGUARD TOWERS AND EIGHT LIFEGUARD FACILITIES TO KEEP OUR BEACHES SAFE YEAR ROUND. IN TERMS OF APPRE AND PERSONNEL DEPLOYMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OPERATES A WIDE RANGE OF RESOURCES, INCLUDING 10 GENERAL FIRE ENGINES AND FOUR GENERAL FIRE TRUCKS, EIGHT GENERAL PARAMEDIC ENGINES, FOUR DEDICATED PORT PARAMEDIC ENGINES, AND THREE AIRPORT SPECIFIC FIRE APPARATUS. MECHI MEDICAL SERVICES ARE A CORNERSTONE OF OUR WORK AND OUR EMS COVERAGE INCLUDES NINE FULL-TIME, 24 7 PARAMEDIC AMBULANCES, ONE PEAK LOAD PARAMEDIC AMBULANCE, AND FIVE BASIC LIFE SUPPORT AMBULANCES. THESE ASSETS, THESE ASSETS REFLECT FUNDING INVESTMENTS TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SO THAT WE CAN DELIVER RAPID RESPONSE AND TAILOR SERVICE DELIVERY FOR A DYNAMIC AND BUSY CITY. WHETHER IT'S, WHETHER IT'S A FIRE EMERGENCY, A MEDICAL CRISIS, OR A MARINE RESCUE. THE LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDS EQUIPPED, TRAINED AND RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S MORE THAN JUST FIRE, FIRE ENGINES AND TRUCKS. WE'RE A MISSION DRIVEN TEAM COMMITTED TO DELIVERING COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES THAT PROTECT AND SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. THIS WORK IS POWERED BY OVER 400 FIRE SWORN PERSONNEL AS, AS WELL AS A COMMITTED TEAM OF AMAZON OPERATORS, MARINE SAFETY STAFF, AND 175 SEASONAL LIFEGUARDS. BEHIND THE SCENES ARE PROFESSIONAL STAFF WHO ARE EXPERTS IN FIRE PREVENTION, ANALYTICS, FINANCE, COMPLIANCE, AND OPERATIONS. THEY MAKE SURE EVERY PIECE OF THE SYSTEM RUNS EFFICIENTLY. OUR SERVICES ARE STRONG BECAUSE OUR STAFF ARE INCREDIBLY PASSIONATE AND COMMITTED TO SERVING EVERYONE IN THE CITY WHO REQUESTS OUR HELP. THE DEDICATION, SKILL AND HEART FOR THIS CITY ARE TRULY WHAT MAKES THE LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL. AS WE HAVE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL IN PRIOR PRESENTATIONS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES COMPOSED A LARGE PORTION OF OUR 9 1 1 CALLS IN MANY NEIGHBORHOODS, PARTICULARLY IN CENTRAL WEST AND NORTH LONG BEACH, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS THE FIRST AND ONLY POINT OF CONTACT FOR URGENT MEDICAL CARE. THESE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHEST NEED AREAS IN THE CITY, AND OUR EMS PERSONNEL RESPOND TO THOUSANDS OF CALLS ANNUALLY, OFTEN UNDER INTENSE AND COMPLEX CIRCUMSTANCES. IF YOU REFER TO THE GRAPH ON THIS SLIDE, WE'VE SEEN A CONSISTENT YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE IN PATIENT TRANSPORT, A CLEAR INDICATION THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS RELYING ON US MORE THAN EVER SINCE FISCAL YEAR 2020, ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT TRANSPORTS HAVE RISEN FROM APPROXIMATELY 15,000 TO NEARLY 20,000 THAT REPRESENTED 30% INCREASE AND BASIC LIFE SUPPORT. AB TRANSPORTS HAVE ALSO STEADY INCREASE. THIS DEMONSTRATES A GROWING DEMAND FOR EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE THAT UNDERSCORES THE LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT'S POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO PATIENT HEALTH OUTCOMES AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM TO MEET THIS TO, TO MEET THIS DEMAND, WE CONTINUE TO CENTER OUR BUDGET AROUND EMS FUNDING TO SUPPORT ENHANCED SERVICE DELIVERY AND COMMUNITIES THAT NEED IT MOST. NOW THAT WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED OUR KEY SERVICES, I'D NOW LIKE TO SHARE SOME KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS WE'VE MADE OVER THE PAST YEAR. FIRST, THE SCALE OF OUR SERVICE SPEAKS VOLUMES. IN FISCAL YEAR 2024 LOAN, WE RESPOND TO OVER 84,000 CALLS FOR SERVICE RESULTING IN MORE THAN 162,000 UNIT RESPONSES. THAT'S AN AVERAGE OF 230 CALLS PER DAY, SPREAD ACROSS 23 FIRE STATIONS, AND AMONG OUR MARINE SAFETY PERSONNEL TO BETTER SUPPORT OUR FAST PACED WORK ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT, WE'VE MADE GREAT STRIDES IN OUR HIRING AND ONBOARDING PROCESS, BRINGING OUR VAC VACANCY RATE DOWN TO JUST 3% AS OF JULY OF 2025. THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF STREAMLINING INTERNAL PROCESS AND STRAINING OUR RECRUITMENT PIPELINES. WE ALSO TOOK AN IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD IN ACCOUNTABILITY AND LEADERSHIP BY LAUNCHING A PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS DIVISION, INCLUDING HIRING A DEDICATED DIVISION OFFICER AND AN ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYSTS FOCUS ON INVESTIGATIONS AND OVERSIGHT. AND WHEN IT COMES TO TECHNOLOGY AND SAFETY, WE'VE COMPLETED A FULL PROCUREMENT INSTALLATION TRAINING AND TRANSITION TO A CLOUD-BASED NOX BOX SYSTEM, WHICH ENHANCES SECURITY FOR BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ACROSS THE CITY. THIS EFFORT IMPROVES EMERGENCY FIRE RESPONSE, BUT [01:50:01] ALSO OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH PROPERTY OWNERS AND BUSINESSES. AND FINALLY, WE WELCOME THE LARGEST FIRE RECRUIT CLASS. IN RECENT HISTORY TO OUR FIRE ACADEMY, WE STARTED WITH 50 RECRUITS AND I'M PROUD TO REPORT THAT 37 PROBATIONARY FIREFIGHTERS SUCCESSFULLY GRADUATE HELPING US REACH FIRE WO STAFFING ABOVE AND BEYOND OUR BUDGETED STAFFING LEVELS. THIS IS A MAJOR WIN FOR SERVICE CONTINUITY AND COMMUNITY SAFETY. IN ADDITION TO ADVANCING OUR DEPARTMENT WIDE GOALS, I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL HIGH IMPACT AREAS OF SERVICE, WHICH IS OUR 9 1 1 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, EMERGENCY MEDICAL CALLS MADE UP TO 78% OF OUR SERVICE CALLS TOTALING NERDY 30 65,000 EMS INCIDENTS. THAT'S AN AVERAGE OF 178 MEDICAL CALLS EVERY SINGLE DAY. THIS HIGHLIGHTS THE COMMUNITY'S RELIANCE ON OUR FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS AND AMBULANCE OPERATORS TO ENSURE PATIENT HEALTH AND SAFETY. OF THOSE 9 1 1 CALLS, 46% RESULT IN HOSPITAL TRANSPORT WITH NEARLY 20,000 PATIENTS TRANSPORTED BY OUR A LS PARAMEDIC UNITS AND MORE THAN 10,000 BY OUR BLS UNITS. THESE TRANSFER, THESE TRANSPORTS ARE JUST STATISTICS. THEY REPRESENT REAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR HEALTH ISSUES STABILIZED, EMERGENCIES RESOLVED AND CRITICAL CARE DELIVERED TO TAKE CARE OF PATIENTS WHO LIVE OR OR ARE VISITING THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. OUR EMS TEAMS ALSO CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE EQUITY AND COMPASSION, SERVING AS A LIFELINE TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS. OVER A THIRD OF EMS CALLS, SUPPORTED VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, INCLUDING MORE THAN 16,000 SENIORS, 4,200 UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS, 3,950 VETERANS, AND OVER 3,600 SENIOR NURSING FACILITY RESIDENTS. AS I CLOSE OUT THIS SLIDE, I WANT TO SHARE A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS. NOT ONLY ARE THEY READY TO FIGHT FIRES, BUT THEY'RE ALSO TRAINED TO HANDLE COMPLEX MEDICAL EMERGENCIES OF SKILL AND CARE. AND LET'S NOT FORGET OUR INCREDIBLE EMT FIRE SWORN STAFF, OUR MS OPERATORS AND LIFEGUARDS WHO PROVIDE EMT AND FIRST AID CARE TO RESIDENTS AND VISITORS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE OF THE LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT, ONE THING IS CLEAR. OUR ABILITY TO DELIVER HIGH QUALITY FIRE EMS AND LIFEGUARD SERVICES DEPENDS ON A STRONG HOMEGROWN WORKFORCE. WE RESPONDING TO STRUCTURED FIRES, MEDICAL EMERGENCIES, OR RESCUES ALONG OUR SHORELINE. OUR DEPARTMENT NEEDS INDIVIDUALS WHO NOT ONLY HAVE THE SKILLS BUT THE HEART TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHY WE'RE INVESTING IN RECRUITMENT PROGRAMS TO ENGAGE LOCAL YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS EARLY IN THEIR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEYS. THROUGH INITIATIVES LIKE THE DARREN ROCKET ACADEMY AND THE JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL LEAPS PROGRAM WE'RE PLANTED THE SEEDS OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. OVER 850 YOUTH PARTICIPATED IN THE JUNIOR LIFEGUARD PROGRAM JUST THIS PAST SUMMER. WE ALSO SUPPORT SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS, OUR YOUTH CERT VOLUNTEERS AND EMS RIDE ALONGS OF LOCAL SCHOOLS, INCLUDING THE LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE, AND CAL STATE UNIVERSITY LONG BEACH, GIVING YOUNG PEOPLE REAL WORLD LOOK INTO CAREERS IN PUBLIC SAFETY. AND THE RESULTS ARE PAYING OFF OF THE 2025 A FIRE RECRUIT CLASS FIRE ACADEMY CLASS. 76% OF OUR GRADUATED RECRUITS CAME THROUGH ONE OR MORE OF OUR PATHWAY PROGRAMS. THIS IS A WIN FOR OUR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS AS WELL AS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE'RE NOT JUST HIRING EMPLOYEES, WE'RE BUILDING A DEPARTMENT THAT REFLECTS AND REPRESENTS THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE. AND WHEN OUR PARAMEDICS, LIFEGUARDS, AND FIREFIGHTERS NO LONG BEACH, AS YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS, THEY BRING A PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO THE CITY. BY CONTINUING TO NURTURE THESE LOCAL PATHWAYS, WE'RE ENSURING THAT THE FUTURE OF EMERGING RESPONSE IN LONG BEACH IS NOT ONLY SKILL BUT ROOTED IN THE CITY IT SERVES WITH THESE PATHWAYS. WITH THESE PATHWAYS BUILDING UP OUR LOCAL TALENT PIPELINE, LET'S TURN TO FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET PROPOSALS THAT WILL SUSTAIN AND EXPAND THIS WORK. AS PART OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TEAM, OUR DEPARTMENT'S COMMITTED TO STRONG FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP AND COST RECOVERY EFFORTS. IN FISCAL YEAR 26, WE PROJECT TO RECEIVE OVER $5 MILLION IN ADDED REVENUE FROM STATE PROGRAMS, UPDATED AMBIT FEES AND AIRPORT COST RECOVERY. THESE FUNDS DIRECTLY SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY FACING SERVICES AND HELP OFFSET ESSENTIAL EXPONENTIAL. SPECIFICALLY, WE ARE FORECASTED TO RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL 2.5 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE FROM THE STATE'S P-P-G-M-T PROGRAM BASED ON THE INCREASE OF TRANSPORTS AND THE PER PATIENT REIMBURSEMENT AMOUNT. WE'RE ALSO UPDATING OUR PATIENT TRANSPORT FEES TO LA COUNTY RATES THAT WENT INTO EFFECT ON JULY 1ST, 2025. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS BASE ITS FEES TO MATCH LA COUNTY FOR MUCH OF ITS HISTORY. AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ALSO WORKED FOR OUR PARTNERS AT THE AIRPORT DEPARTMENT TO RIGHTSIZE OUR INTERDEPARTMENTAL MOU FOR COST RECOVERY RELATED TO FIRE STATION 16, WHICH IS A HUNDRED PERCENT DEDICATED TO LONG BEACH AIRPORT'S SERVICE NEEDS. AND FINALLY, WE ARE ADDING ONE FIRE INSPECTOR TO, TO THE FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU, WHO WILL BE DEDICATED TO PERFORMING FIRE INSPECTIONS FOR ALL LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOLS, [01:55:01] PRESCHOOLS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS. THIS POSITION IS FULLY OFFSET BY THE INSPECTION REVENUE FOR THESE FACILITIES. MOVING ON, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS GRATEFUL FOR THE PROPOSED INVESTMENTS INTO OUR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY PRESENTED THE BENEFIT OF THE PEAK LOAD, A LS AMBULANCE UNIT, WHICH OPERATES ON A 12 SEVEN MODEL OUTTA THE FIRE STATION. TWO, WE PROPOSE TO MAKE THIS UNIT STRUCTURAL, WHICH WILL ADD FOUR FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET. THAT 1.3 MILLION COSTS IS OFFSET BY P-P-G-M-T REVENUE, WHICH I HIGHLIGHTED IN MY LAST SLIDE. WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING 500,000 TO REPLACE OUTDATED PATIENT CARE EQUIPMENT. ITEMS LIKE HYDRAULIC PATIENT, PATIENT STRETCHERS, STAIR CHAIRS, AND CPR DEVICES, ENSURING OUR PATIENTS RECEIVE THE BEST CARE DURING THEIR PERSONAL EMERGENCY. AND TO KEEP OUR WORKFORCE TRAINED AND READY. WE'RE PROPOSING THAT 400,000 IN MEASURE A ONE-TIME FUNDS TO COST TO COVER THE COST OF SENDING OUR FIREFIGHTERS TO A NINE MONTH STATE REQUIRED PARAMEDIC TRAINING PROGRAM TO ENSURE FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC VACANCIES ARE FILLED. AND WE'RE REQUESTING THAT ANOTHER 360,001 TIME MEASURE, EIGHT FUNDS COVER ONBOARDING, BACKGROUND CHECKS, AND ADMINS OPERATOR TRAINING ACADEMIES. THIS WILL CONTINUE THE SUCCESS OF OUR STABILIZED ADMINS OPERATING STAFFING PROGRAM. LOOKING TO FISCAL YEAR 26, WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE KEY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS TO ENSURE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO OPERATE EFFICIENTLY AND EQUITABLY ACROSS ALL FACILITIES. FIRST, WE'RE EXCEEDING THE LEASE FOR OUR TEMPORARY FIRE STATION NINE THROUGH MARCH OF 2026. THIS GIVES US A TEMPORARY FIRE STATION NINE AT ITS CURRENT LOCATION TO MAINTAIN SERVICE COVERAGE IN THE AREA WHERE THE NEW AND PERMIT STATION IS BEING CONSTRUCTED. WE'RE ALSO INCREASING FUNDING TO COVER UTILITY MAINTENANCE AT THE CAPTAIN DAVE ROSA REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER, SUPPORTING THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS ESSENTIAL RESOURCE. IN ADDITION, ONE-TIME FUNDING WILL ENHANCE OUR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PRACTICES WITH A FOCUS ON GENDER AND UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS. AND BECAUSE OUR PEOPLE DESERVE WORKSPACES THAT REFLECT OUR VALUES, WE'RE INVESTING IN ONE TIME IMPROVEMENTS AT FIRE STATION 19 AND 22 TO ENHANCE DORMITORY PRIVACY AND CREATE MORE INCLUSIVE, RESPECTFUL ENVIRONMENTS FOR ALL PERSONNEL. THESE INVESTMENT, THESE INVESTMENTS MAY SEEM BEHIND THE SCENE, BUT THEY MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE IN SAFETY, COMFORT, AND READINESS FOR OUR DEPARTMENT MEMBERS. AS WE LOOK AHEAD, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXTERNAL FACTORS THAT COULD POSE A CHALLENGE TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S SUPPORTIVE OF THE USE OF NEW ALTERNATIVE FUELS IN OUR CITY. HOWEVER, NEW TECHNOLOGIES BRING NEW RISK. THE GROWING USE OF LIFTING ION BATTERIES AND HYDROGEN FUEL MEANS WE NEED SPECIALIZED TRAINING AND TOOLS TO HANDLE MORE COMPLEX FIRE THREATS. THERE'S ONGOING UNCERTAINTY AROUND FEDERAL FUNDING. GRANTS FROM HOMELAND SECURITY HELP US PREPARE FOR HIGH RISK EMERGENCIES AND ANY CHANGE TO THAT FUNDING COULD LEAVE US, COULD LEAVE, CAN LEAVE US WITH CRITICAL GAPS. SHIFTS IN HEALTHCARE FUNDING ARE ALSO A CONCERN. CUTS TO MEDICAID OR MEDICARE, ESPECIALLY IN PREVENTIVE CARE, MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT COULD PUSH MORE PEOPLE TO CALL 9 1 1 OR RELY ON EMERGENCY ROOMS ADDING TO THE WORKLOAD OF OUR EMS TEAMS. AND WE'RE SEEING A RISING COST FOR ESSENTIAL FIRE SUPPRESSION TOOLS AND MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, WHICH ARE FUNDAMENTAL TOOLS FOR OUR FRONTLINE PERSONNEL. AND AT THE SAME TIME, MANY OF OUR FIRE STATIONS AND MARINE SAFETY FACILITIES REMAIN UNDER-RESOURCED, EVEN AS OPERATIONAL DEMANDS AND FACILITY COSTS CONTINUE TO GROW. BUT I HAVE MENTIONED INFRASTRUCTURE A FEW TIMES TODAY, AND FOR GOOD REASON, OUR FIRE STATIONS ARE SOME OF THE MOST UNIQUE FACILITIES IN THE CITY. THEY'RE IN USE 24 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR. THEY HOUSE NOT ONLY OUR EMERGENCY VEHICLES, BUT ALSO OUR CREWS OFTEN IN TIGHT QUARTERS. AND SOME OF THESE STATIONS ARE NOW OVER 60 YEARS OLD. KEEPING THESE FACILITIES IN GOOD CONDITION IS CRITICAL. THEY ARE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE. AND WHEN THEY START TO BREAK DOWN, IT DIRECTLY AFFECTS OUR ABILITY TO SERVE THE PUBLIC. MANY OF OUR STATIONS FACE SERIOUS ISSUES FROM LEAKING ROOFS AND FAULTING HVAC SYSTEMS TO OUTDATED PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. BUT I WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR PARTNERS. PARTNERS IN PUBLIC WORKS FOR THEIR QUICK RESPONSE TO URGENT REPAIRS. THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT ALLIES, BUT THE LIST OF LONG-TERM FACILITY NEEDS IS GROWING AND IT'S, AND IT'S OUTPACING OUR CURRENT FUNDING AND STAFFING CAPACITY. WE NEED TO PLAN AHEAD AND INVEST IN THESE SPACES TO ENSURE OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE SAFE, FUNCTIONAL ENVIRONMENTS TO WORK IN. BUT DESPITE THESE CHALLENGES AS YOUR FIRE CHIEF, I FIND THAT THERE ARE MANY REASONS TO FEEL HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE'RE BUILDING STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS MORE THAN EVER BEFORE WITH PEER FIRE AGENCIES, CAL OES, OUR LOCAL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, AND EVEN MAJOR UNIVERSITIES LIKE UCLA. THESE COLLABORATIONS ARE EXPANDING CAREER PATHWAYS TO SHARING AND RESOURCES AND STRAIGHTENING OUR CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY. WE'RE ALSO FOCUSED ON BUILDING RESILIENCY FROM WITHIN. THAT MEANS INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE THROUGH WELLNESS PROGRAMS, TEAM BUILDING AND EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION. WE'RE ACTIVELY PREPARING OUR, OUR OPERATIONS [02:00:01] FOR THE FUTURE. WITH THE 2028 SUMMER OLYMPICS ON THE HORIZON AND OUR STRATEGIC VISION 2030 GUIDING US, WE'RE WORKING TO MODERNIZE SYSTEMS AND STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE. AND BY EMBRACING CHANGE, SUPPORTING OUR WORKFORCE AND CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE ACROSS SECTORS, WE'RE POSITIONING THE LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT TO GROW STRONGER, MORE ADAPTABLE, AND MORE CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUOUS SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIP. IT'S WHAT ALLOWS US TO RISE TO EVERY CHALLENGE AND TO SERVE OUR CITY WITH PRIDE, COMPASSION, AND EXCELLENCE. I STAND READY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND I SEE BOTH CHIEFS ARE COMING UP NOW. ALL RIGHT. SO AS, AS WE, UM, UH, TRANSITION INTO QUESTIONS, UM, UH, CHIEF BUCHANAN, I JUST, I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE JOB OUR LONG BEACH FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUE TO DO. UH, AND YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MORE LIKE THE INCREASE IN COST TO SERVE FOR SERVICE DOES NOT STOP EVERY SINGLE YEAR. IT GROWS, UH, EVERY SINGLE YEAR. YOU ALL SHOW UP AND STEP UP AND RESPOND. UM, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, UM, THE RESOURCES HAVEN'T NECESSARILY KEPT UP SO THAT, THAT KEEPS, UM, THAT'S NOT LOST ON US. HOW HARD, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR FIREFIGHTERS, YOUR PARAMEDICS ARE WORKING TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY. AND WHILE OUR POPULATION GROWTH HASN'T REALLY, OUR POPULATION'S GROWTH BEEN VERY SMALL, THE BUT OUR NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY HAS GROWN, RIGHT? AND THE DENSITY IN OUR DOWNTOWN HAS INCREASED, AND THE AMOUNT OF LARGE SCALE EVENTS HAS INCREASED. AND SO THERE'S CERTAINLY MORE, MORE DEMAND BEING PLACED. AND OUR FACILITIES, YOU MENTIONED, THANK FOR YOUR HIGHLIGHTING OUR FACILITIES. UM, THERE ARE, THERE, WE, WE, WE DO ONE FIRE STATION AT A TIME, RIGHT? WE DID, YOU KNOW, STATION 12, AND WE JUST WRAPPED UP, I THINK IN, UH, THE THIRD DISTRICT OF FIRE STATION. AND, UM, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING ONE IN THE FIFTH DISTRICT, UM, BUT WE DO ONE AT A TIME, BUT WE SHOULD, NEXT TIME WE THINK INFRASTRUCTURE, WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT WHAT'S ACTUALLY REQUIRED TO UPDATE ALL OF OUR SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, MEETING MODERN STANDARDS, GENDER EQUITY STANDARDS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR GROWING FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY, UM, THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE COUNCIL, IS, UM, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE JOB, UH, YOU'VE DONE ON RECRUITMENT. LIKE I SAID, WITH, WITH, UH, THE POLICE CHIEF, UM, CONSISTENT ACADEMIES, OVERSIZED ACADEMIES, TO HAVE A VACANCY RATE, UH, SUB 3% IS INCREDIBLE. AND THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT IN MORE PEOPLE, AT TIMES, MORE PEOPLE THROUGH THE AC ACADEMY THAN YOU NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE WE CAN ACCOUNT FOR ATTRITION IN BETWEEN ACADEMIES IS SMART. AND WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO GET THERE IN BOTH OF OUR DEPARTMENTS. SO THAT SAID, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS QUEUED UP. WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL. IT'S FIVE MINUTE LIMIT. IF YOU WANNA QUEUE UP AGAIN, UH, QUEUE UP AGAIN FOR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. AFTER ALL, NINE MEMBERS HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY. WE'RE GONNA START OFF. THE MAKER OF THE MOTION WAS ME, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. AND THEN AFTER THAT IS COUNCIL MEMBER SUBINA. THANK YOU. UH, WE MADE A MOTION OVER HERE JUST BECAUSE STAFF WAS FLAGGING FLAGGING US DOWN FOR A VERBAL MOTION. SO THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU CHIEFS BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. UM, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO CEASE COMMAND STAFF OUT, UM, HERE, UM, SUPPORTING THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND SUPPORTING THE WORK THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN, UM, WHO ARE CURRENTLY OUT THERE ON THE JOB ARE DOING FOR US. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE ON THEIR BEHALF TONIGHT. UM, SO I'LL START WITH CHIEF ISH. UH, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT YOU LAID OUT. UM, THE HARD WORK OVER THE YEAR. I THINK IT'S FITTING THAT WE HAVE THIS PRESENTATION AFTER NATIONAL NIGHT OUT LAST WEEK WHEN MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO SEE AND INTERACT WITH, UM, FOLKS FROM ALL ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT, FROM MOTORS TO OUR BICYCLE SAFETY OFFICERS, TO OUR NON, UM, TO OUR NON-UNIFORM PERSONNEL, UM, AS A WAY TO REMIND US THAT EVEN WHEN WE SEE YOU A LOT IN REALLY HARD MOMENTS, THAT THE, THE COMMUNITY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE AND INTERACT WITH YOU, UM, ON THOSE. SO KUDOS TO YOUR TEAM FOR THAT LAST WEEK, JUST AS AN ASIDE, I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THE MAYOR'S RECOMMENDATION ALLOCATION OF THE 1.3 MILLION FOR THE HIGH CRIMES FOCUS TO PROACTIVELY ADDRESS VIOLENT CRIME IN THE INCREASE, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. WE APPRECIATE, UM, THE THREE DIVISIONS THAT REPRESENT DISTRICT FIVE. WE HAVE NORTH, UH, EAST AND WEST, UM, FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO TO ENGAGE, UH, WITH BUSINESSES ESPECIALLY WHO HAVE, UM, LUCKILY SEEN A DECREASE IN THOSE PROPERTY CRIMES, BUT ALSO, UM, DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY EASIER WHEN IT HAPPENS TO THEM. SO WE APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK WHEN THE TEAMS GO OUT, UM, TO THE BIKE TEAMS WHO ARE MAKING FOLKS, UM, IN OUR PARKING LOT. OUR BUSINESS CORRIDORS FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE WORK, UM, AND SEEING THEM IN THERE, UM, AND ESPECIALLY TO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE OFFICERS WHOSE WORK, UM, IS OFTEN UNSEEN. IT IS A VERY SMALL BUT [02:05:01] MIGHTY CREW WHO MAKE AN INCREDIBLE DIFFERENCE, UM, IN THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO ARE MOST IN NEED. UM, THE REORGANIZATION PIECES, KIND OF THAT BELT TIGHTENING AND EFFICIENCIES PIECE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. I APPRECIATE THE CRITICAL EYE THAT YOU TAKE, UH, WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT IN FINDING WAYS TO IMPROVE, UM, RESPONSE TIMES AND FINDING THOSE SPACES WITHIN THE TRENDS TO SUPPORT WHERE IT'S NEEDED AT THOSE TIMES. WE KNOW, UM, YOU'VE BEEN REALLY RESPONSIVE TO, TO MOVING PERSONNEL AROUND TO MEET THE, THE CURRENT TRENDS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CITY. UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS BALANCING YOUR CONSTRAINED RESOURCES AND EMPLOYEE WELLNESS AND RETENTION WITH THE HIGH DEMAND AND INCREASED CALLS FOR SERVICE. AND WE KNOW THAT ENSURING EFFICIENCY AMONG THE EMPLOYEES, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN BEST SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITIES IS REALLY CRITICAL TO ME. UM, PERSONALLY, AND I THINK OVERALL FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS THIS INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO GET FOLKS TO, TO COME AND JOIN US IN LBPD FROM OTHER AGENCIES. UM, I KNOW WE HAVE A REALLY COMPETITIVE AND ATTRACTIVE INCENTIVE PROGRAM. I'M JUST CURIOUS. UM, I KNOW WE HAVEN'T HAD AS MANY OFFICERS LATERAL OVER AS WE, AS MANY AS WE'D LIKE. IF THERE'S PLANS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, UM, AS WELL AS WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO KIND OF INCREASE THAT OUTREACH. UM, I KNOW I, UM, FRUSTRATINGLY SEE ADS FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS SOMETIMES ON OUR CITY BILLBOARD. SO, UH, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, UM, WITH THAT INCENTIVE PACKAGE TO TRY AND, UM, IN ADDITION TO GROWING OUR OWN, THROUGH OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS, UH, REALLY TAKE, HAVE PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT LATERAL PROGRAM THAT WE'VE INCENTIVE PACKAGE? YES, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND IF YOU WANT TO SEE OUR BILLBOARD, JUST DRIVE DOWN THE 4 0 5 AND YOU'LL SEE WE'RE HIRING FOR LONG BEACH PD. UM, SO WE'RE DOING, UH, EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ATTRACT LATERALS TO THIS DEPARTMENT. I THINK OUR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PACKAGE IS, UH, IT, IT INCLUDES LATERAL INCENTIVES AND I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE IN THE REGION. UM, WE ALSO, UH, HAVE A VERY ACTIVE RECRUITMENT TEAM THAT GOES OUT AND TRIES TO, UM, UH, SHARE THE, THE DEPARTMENT'S STORY, WHO WE ARE AS AN ORGANIZATION BECAUSE, UM, MY BELIEF IS THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES, IT'S ABOUT THE VALUE YOU PLACE IN THE ORGANIZATION AND THE PEOPLE THAT WORK WITHIN THAT ORGANIZATION. THAT'S HELPED US TO INCREASE THE LATERAL CANDIDATES AND HIRES WE'VE HAD SO FAR THIS YEAR, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT I BELIEVE WE'RE BETWEEN, UH, 10 AND 15 IN THE PIPELINE NOW. AND WE'VE ALREADY HIRED, UH, UP TO FOUR LATERALS FOR CLASS 100. IT'LL BE EARLY CLASS 100, BUT, UH, WE HAVE A RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION FOCUS TEAM THAT, UH, MEETS ON A REGULAR BASIS TO DISCUSS STRATEGIES THAT, UM, UH, THAT I DON'T GIVE TO MY PARTNERS AND OTHER AGENCIES SO WE CAN RECRUIT LATERALS INTO THIS, THIS ORGANIZATION. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I KNOW, UM, WHEN WE'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, THERE'S ALWAYS THE CONVERSATION ABOUT INCREASING THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT, I THINK, FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO HEAR THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS ACTIVELY WORKING ON THAT. UM, AND THAT IT ISN'T, THAT FOLKS AREN'T TRYING. SO I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION ON THAT. UH, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS ALSO WITH L-B-U-S-D. UM, AND THE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM HAS BEEN REALLY WONDERFUL TO SEE. WE SEE THEM A LOT, UM, IN EAST DIVISION BECAUSE, UM, WE KNOW THEY'RE STATIONED ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN, UH, BUT WE SEE THOSE YOUNG FOLKS IN THEIR BLUE SHIRTS AT COMMUNITY EVENTS ALL ACROSS THE CITY. UM, AND THAT IDEA OF TAKING THE FOLKS WE ALL, YOU KNOW, THOSE OF US WHO WERE BORN AND RAISED HERE, TAKE A SPECIAL PRIDE IN THAT. AND THOSE WHO COME AND CALL CITY HOME FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE, TAKE PRIDE IN THAT. UM, AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ADVANCE UP INTO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY POSITIONS IS REALLY CRITICAL. SO I KNOW IT'S HAPPENING IN PD, I KNOW IT'S HAPPENING IN FIRE AND, AND JUNIOR LIFEGUARDS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. SO A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT FOR THE CONTINUED YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, UM, AND THE WAY THAT I THINK IT MAKES EVEN YOUNGER FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY FEEL SEEN IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY SPACE IN A WAY THAT THEY HADN'T BEFORE. SO, UM, KUDOS TO THE BUDGET INCREASE FOR, UM, YOUTH ENGAGEMENT. AND I DON'T SEE THE TIMER ANYMORE, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THAT'S GOTTA BE FIVE MINUTES. OKAY. IT'S BROKEN. OKAY. , FLAG US DOWN. I WAS FEELING THAT THAT WAS TOO LONG. WE DIDN'T WANNA INTERRUPT. THANK YOU. OH, ALWAYS INTERRUPT. OKAY. WHO MADE THE SECOND? OKAY. YEAH, THANK YOU. UM, UH, TO BOTH CHIEFS, GREAT PRESENTATIONS. THANK YOU. AND, UM, I'M GONNA, I'M BIG SHOCK. I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE FOURTH DISTRICT TONIGHT. YEAH. UM, BUT, UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS OCCURRED TO ME ON SATURDAY. I WAS IN, AT AN EVENT AT EL DODODO PARK, UM, COPS AND BOBBERS. IT WAS A FISHING EVENT, AND I THOUGHT I KNEW EVERYTHING THERE WAS TO KNOW ABOUT BOTH DEPARTMENTS, BUT I LEARNED SOMETHING ON SATURDAY, AND THAT WAS, UM, UM, SOMEONE UNRELATED TO OUR EVENT WANTED A FULL CARDIAC ARREST. AND, UM, [02:10:01] I SAW OUR POLICE IN ACTION AND OUR FIREFIGHTERS IN INION. UM, AND WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING AN A ED IN EVERY PATROL CAR, IF WE CAN DO THAT SOMEDAY. AND I NEVER WOULD'VE THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE SATURDAY, BUT IT WAS CRITICAL. AND, UM, IT, YOU KNOW, A FAMILY HAS A LOVED ONE WITH THEM STILL BECAUSE OF THOSE, UH, QUICK ACTIONS. AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MEMBERS HERE TONIGHT. UH, COMMANDER BENSON IS IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT WHO WERE THERE ON SATURDAY, AND ALSO SOMEONE WHO HERE WITH US EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT. SERGEANT MCCORT WAS RIGHT THERE. AND WHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DO WAS, UH, APPLY, UM, RESUSCITATION TO THE INDIVIDUAL UNTIL, UM, ACTUALLY ENGINE NINE, WHICH IS A PARAMEDIC ASSESSMENT ENGINE, I'M, I'M SORRY, ENGINE FIVE, WHICH IS A PARAMEDIC ASSESSMENT ENGINE COMPANY. AND I REALIZE HOW CRITICAL THAT IS IN EL DORADO PARK HERE. THE FACT THAT THEY'RE LOCATED IN ELRA PARK CAN GET TO A PATIENT RIGHT AWAY. SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THOSE THINGS OUT. WE'RE USUALLY TALKING GENERALITIES ABOUT THE BUDGET, BUT HERE'S SOMETHING NEW I LEARNED, UM, OF THE IMPORTANCE, IMPORTANCE OF THE PERSONNEL AND, UM, HOW MUCH POLICE CAN BE INVOLVED IN THESE SITUATIONS. TYPICALLY, THEY, THEY WOULD BE THERE, UH, FIRST ON SCENE. SO, UM, UH, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE TONIGHT IS THESE THINGS THAT KIND OF, THE LITTLE THINGS THAT WE DON'T THINK OF, BUT, UH, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, FUNDING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WITH THREE MINUTES TO SPARE, COUNCIL MEMBER. SUPER. NOW I'LL SEE YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SORROWS NEXT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THANK YOU TO BOTH CHIEF FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. SO I WANTED TO, UM, FIRST JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS DEFINITELY NOT WHAT IT IS WITHOUT THE PEOPLE IN IT AND ALL THE HARD WORK BY THE LEADERS AND THE DIFFERENT STAFF, UM, MEMBERS THAT WORK VERY HARD EVERY DAY TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE, UH, WE HAVE A SAFE AND PROTECTED CITY. AND SO WITH THAT, I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK EVERYONE. AND THE, THE NEXT SLIDE I ACTUALLY WANNA PULL UP, UM, WHICH I THINK I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GIVE CREDIT TO. WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO DEMONSTRATE ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE IS SLIDE FIVE. I KNOW THAT IT'S ALWAYS, WE HEAR A LOT WHEN CRIMES ARE HIGH, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE, UH, NOT GOING WELL. AND SO IT'S GOOD TO UPLIFT WHAT IS BEING DONE WELL, WHICH IS TO DECREASE IN CRIME, RIGHT? I THINK IT'S GREAT TO SEE, UM, AS IT PULLS UP IN 2003 AND 2004, HOW IT'S BEEN PRETTY HIGH, BUT IN THIS YEAR IT'S DECREASED. SO I REALLY LOVE TO HEAR, UM, WHAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE, YOU'VE HAD LESS STAFFING, YOU'VE HAD TO BE CREATIVE WITH THE WAY THAT YOU'VE DONE MODELING. OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HEARD THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH STAFFING AND THAT PEOPLE ARE WORKING OVERTIME, BUT I'D LIKE TO MAYBE WE CAN DIG A LITTLE BIT MORE, SEE TO SEE WHAT WAS DONE DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR THAN OTHER YEARS CHIEF, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. UH, WELL, I THINK FOR THE DEPARTMENT TODAY, WE DON'T LOOK AT, UM, ISSUES AS PROBLEMS. WE LOOK AT HOW WE CAN COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS SO WE DON'T, UH, JUST STOP WITH WHAT WE'VE USED TO, WHAT WE USED TO DO, WHAT WORKED IN THE PAST. WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS TODAY AND WHAT WORKS TODAY IS ENFORCEMENT ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATION, COLLABORATION, PARTNERSHIPS, WORKING WITH, UH, ALL OF OUR OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO SHARE IN THE PROBLEM SOLVING. AND WHEN WE SEE A SPECIFIC CRIME TREND, UH, WE MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS TO STRATEGIZE ON HOW BEST TO ADDRESS THAT TREND IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT, BECAUSE IT'S MUCH DIFFERENT TODAY THAN IT WAS WHEN I STARTED IN 1994. YOU HAVE TO APPROACH THINGS DIFFERENTLY. AND EVEN WITH OUR HIGH CRIME FOCUS TEAM, THEY'RE FOCUSED ON VIOLENT CRIME AND HIGH CRIME TRENDS, BUT THERE'S ALSO AN UNDERLYING COMMUNITY POLICING FOUNDATION TO WHAT THEY DO. THEY GO INTO NEIGHBORHOODS BEFORE AND AFTER ISSUES HAPPEN. WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW WHO WE ARE. WE WANNA BE ABLE TO SHARE INFORMATION AND WE WANT, WANNA BE ABLE TO BE VERY STRATEGIC AND SPECIFIC ON HOW WE ATTRACT, UH, HOW WE ATTACK VARIOUS ISSUES. UM, I THINK ALL OF THOSE THINGS WORKING TOGETHER CONTRIBUTE TO THIS REDUCTION THAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY. BUT I ALSO SAY THAT, UH, CRIME STATISTICS DON'T TELL THE ONLY STORY. THERE'S MUCH MORE TO THAT, AND I'M EXTREMELY HAPPY ABOUT THE STATS TODAY, BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN THOSE STATS CHANGE, WHEN CRIME STATS GO UP, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW THE COMMUNITY FEELS. SO IT'S NOT THE ONLY WAY WE MEASURE OUR SUCCESS. WE MEASURE OUR SUCCESS THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, FEEDBACK, TESTIMONIALS, AND THE WORK THAT OUR EMPLOYEES DO EVERY DAY. AND, UH, AND REALLY, UM, IT'S IMPRESSIVE. AND, AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE HERE TODAY. THANK, THANK YOU CHIEF. AND IT'S ALSO YOUR LEADERSHIP [02:15:01] AS WELL. AND SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS, I DO KNOW THAT YOU'VE DEMONSTRATED REQUEST FOR BUDGET FOR DIFFERENT LEVEL KIND OF DELIVERY SERVICE, WHICH IS REALLY GREAT BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO EXPLORE, UM, HOW TO BETTER EFFICIENTLY USE OUR SWORN OFFICERS TIME. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND IT'S ALSO MAKING SURE, UH, WE INVEST IN STAFF'S DEVELOPMENT, WHICH I'M SEEING SOME OF, BUT IT'S ALSO, I WAS WONDERING, UH, I DIDN'T SEE MUCH ABOUT MAKING SURE WE RETAIN THE OFFICERS. WE DO WHAT IS BEING, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M NOT SEEING IT HERE, BUT WHAT'S BEING DONE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE BOOSTING MORALE AND MAKING SURE TO MAINTAIN HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF OUR EXISTING OFFICERS AND PEOPLE ON THE GROUND BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY. THEY NEED DIFFERENT SKILLS OR SUPPORT AS THEY'RE IN THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? ENGAGEMENT IS VERY IMPORTANT. I AGREE. AND THAT'S DEFINITELY IMPROVED OVER TIME AND I LOVE TO SEE MORE OF THAT. YES. UH, COUNCILWOMAN, SO YOU'RE NOT SEEING EVERYTHING IN HERE, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING HAVEN'T COME BEFORE COUNCIL. LIKE THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PACKAGE THAT CAME BEFORE COUNCIL, UH, A BIG PART OF THAT RETENTION PACKAGE WAS TO RETAIN EMPLOYEES HERE, TO KEEP RETIREMENT ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES, UH, ON FOR A LITTLE LONGER WHILE WE OVERCOME THE, THE STAFFING CRISIS THAT WE'RE FACING. BUT THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO DO AS WELL, AND THAT'S PRIORITIZING THE WELLNESS AND THE HEALTH OF YOUR EMPLOYEES. THAT'S BY DEMONSTRATING THE VALUE THAT, THAT, UH, THAT THEY HAVE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION. AND YOU DO THAT THROUGH, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THROUGH ACTIONS, NOT JUST TALK, BUT WE'VE LAUNCHED A WELLNESS DIVISION THAT IS SPECIFIC TO ADDRESS THE WELLNESS OF OUR EMPLOYEES. WE HAVE PROBABLY THE LARGEST GROUP OF PEER SUPPORT EMPLOYEES THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE HISTORY OF THIS DEPARTMENT. WE JUST LAUNCHED ANOTHER CLASS. UM, WE CONTINUE TO TRY TO FIND NEW AND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO ADDRESS EMPLOYEE WELLNESS, TO ADDRESS THE STIGMA THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH POLICE TRAUMA AND TO MAKE IT OKAY TO GET HELP. OBVIOUSLY WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE COUNSELING THAT, THAT WE PROVIDE, THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE TO EMPLOYEES TO DEAL WITH THAT INHERENT TRAUMA IN THE POLICE, UH, PROFESSION. AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THOSE THINGS. UM, ALSO REALLY THE, THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE THAT WORK HERE, THE COMMAND STAFF THAT YOU SEE HERE TODAY. UH, A, A DIRECTED FOCUSED, INTENTIONAL EFFORT ON BUILDING MORALE, SUPPORTING EMPLOYEES, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROGRESSING IN THE RIGHT WAY, UH, FOR THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY IN 2025 AND BEYOND. THANK YOU, CHIEF. I KNOW I'M GONNA QUEUE UP AGAIN FOR MY QUESTION FOR OUR FIRE CHIEF, BUT I DO WANNA THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE CAN'T HAVE COMMUNITIES FEELING AS YOU SHARED IT IS IMPORTANT THAT IT'S NOT JUST STATS WE SEE, BUT ALSO THE RELATIONSHIP AND HOW PEOPLE FEEL AND THEY CAN'T HAVE THAT IF WE ARE NOT OUR, OUR STAFF IS NOT TAKING CARE OF AND THAT THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE GETTING THE SUPPORT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE DOING THEIR JOB WELL BEING IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. LET'S SEE, ALAN. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME TO DO BOTH QUESTIONS, SO I'LL START WITH THE FIRE CHIEF AND THEN I'LL COME BACK, UH, TO YOU, CHIEF USH. UM, SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, UH, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THE WORK ON THIS AND, AND, AND ALL OF, OF THE CHANGES. UM, AN ITEM THAT REALLY STOOD OUT FOR ME, UM, WAS THE FUNDING FOR THE GENDER DIVERSITY AND RECRUITMENT. UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS AT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AND YOU HAD SOME OF YOUR FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE THERE AS WELL, AND I HAD THIS LITTLE 9-YEAR-OLD GIRL SCOUT. UM, SHE WAS SMART MAYOR, SHE'S PROBABLY COMING AFTER YOUR JOB. SHE WAS REALLY SMART AND SHE WAS JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, SHE GOES, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, UM, MORE WOMEN IN, 'CAUSE SHE DIDN'T SEE ANY WOMEN THERE. AND I TOLD HER, I SAID, TRUST ME, WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE, THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF WOMEN, UM, DOING MANY THINGS. BUT NOW WE HAVE WOMEN IN THE MILITARY THAT ARE IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AND A LOT OF THAT STUFF IS GONNA SPILL OVER AND BY THE TIME YOU GROW UP, YOU'RE GONNA SEE WOMEN, YOU'RE GONNA SEE MORE WOMEN, UM, IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND SO IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY PRECIOUS. AND SO I THINK THAT WHAT, THAT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR FUTURE, FUTURE GENERATIONS. SO, UM, THANK YOU. UM, THEN, UM, I WANNA EMPHASIZE AGAIN, UM, HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE, UH, THE FY 26 BUDGET, UM, THAT PROVIDES ONGOING STRUCTURAL FUNDING FOR RESCUE TWO, UH, TO OPERATE 12 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, UM, OUT AT FIRE STATION TWO. UM, I THINK THIS IS A STEP FORWARD, UM, BUT OUR COMMUNITY, UM, REALLY DOES DESERVE A 24 7 FULL-TIME LIFESAVING, UH, RESPONSE. UM, NOT JUST A PARTIAL SOLUTION. AND I KNOW THAT DOWNTOWN AND CENTRAL LONG BEACH ARE HIGH DEMAND AREAS AND FULL-TIME COVERAGE IS ESSENTIAL TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS, ESSENTIAL TO [02:20:01] MEET THE NEEDS OF THE BUSINESSES AND DEFINITELY, UM, UM, OUR VISITORS. UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, WHEN WE, WE HEARD EVERY COUNCIL PERSON SAY HOW IMPORTANT, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY IS, AND HAVING A 24 7 RESCUE UNIT, I BELIEVE IS IMPERATIVE FOR OUR, OUR COMMUNITY. AND I TELL YOU, IT'S NOT LOST ON ME WHEN I NEVER HAVE, I, I'VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS COME INTO OUR CITY AND STAND IN THIS LINE AND TELL THEIR VERY PASSIONATE STORIES ABOUT SAVING LIVES. IN FACT, WE'VE HAD, THEY, THEY, THEY WERE CRYING. THEY WEREN'T, THEY WEREN'T ASKING FOR RAISES, THEY WERE ASKING FOR EQUIPMENT TO DO THEIR JOB. AND SO THAT'S NOT, THAT'S, THAT WAS NOT LOST ON ME. AND I'LL REMEMBER THAT THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST, UH, MEMORABLE TIMES THAT I'VE HAD SINCE I'VE BEEN SITTING UP HERE ON THIS DIOCESE, SENIOR GUYS AND LADIES, GET A PARENT TELL THE, TELL THE STORY ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS. UM, I DO WANNA ASK, UM, CAN YOU PROVIDE THE EXACT, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, NUMBER OF TIMES THAT WE'VE BEEN OUT OF A RESCUE? I THINK IT WAS MARCH 4TH, UM, SINCE WE WERE, UM, THAT WE ASKED THAT RESCUE, UH, TWO MOVE TO A SEVEN DAY STAFFING. AND WE WERE, WE'RE, UH, DISPATCH WAS GONNA BE TRACKING THAT. UM, CHIEF DO YOU HAVE ANY OF THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU COULD SHARE AS FAR AS LIKE HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE BEEN OUT OF A RESCUE? I SURE DO. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HIGHLIGHTING, UH, PARAMEDIC RESCUE TWO AND I APPRECIATE THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO PUT IN THAT PEAK LOW UNIT TO PROVIDE, UH, ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY. UM, YES. UM, THE STATS I HAVE IS BASICALLY FROM JANUARY 1ST, 2025 TO JULY 31ST OF THIS YEAR. UH, WE'VE BEEN OUT OF RESCUES FOR OVER GREATER THAN ONE MINUTE, 207 TIMES AND OUT OF RESCUES FOR GREATER THAN FIVE MINUTES, 75 TIMES. BUT WE ARE SEEING IMPROVEMENT, BUT WE ARE STILL RUNNING OUTTA RESCUES. UM, AND THAT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE ADDRESS THAT, THAT THE DEMAND IS EXCEEDING MY CAPACITY. UM, I'LL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, BUT I WILL LEAVE IT UP TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DECIDE HOW YOU WANNA PRIORITIZE THAT FUNDING. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU CHIEF, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING, 'CAUSE I KNOW WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THIS AHEAD OF TIME, SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING THAT INFORMATION. UM, AND UM, I APPRECIATE ALSO, UM, DISPATCHERS, SO THERE ARE UNSUNG UNSUNG HEROES AS TOO THAT ANSWERING ALL THESE CALLS FOR TRACKING, UM, HOW, UH, HOW HOW MUCH WE'RE, UM, WE'RE OUTTA SERVICE. UM, AND I DEFINITELY, UM, WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS. HOW WE, HOW WE ALSO ARE GONNA INVEST. YOU KNOW, I DO SIT ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE WITH CHAIR, UH, JONI, RICK SOTE, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO, UM, TO TALK ABOUT THAT. HOW AM I ON MY TIME ON? OKAY. I WILL QUEUE BACK UP. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER, RICK SOGI. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR, UH, ALWAYS GREAT PRESENTATIONS. UM, I ALSO LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. I'M GONNA GO IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. UM, I'M GONNA GIVE CHIEF P BISHOP A BREAK SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO, TO GO FIRST THIS TIME. . GIVE, TAKE A SIP OF WATER, SIR. UM, SO ONE THING I WANTED TO, TO JUST, UM, UPLIFT, I KNOW WE'RE ALL GONNA KIND OF MENTION DIFFERENT THINGS, UH, CHIEF BUCHANAN, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY STRUCK OUT TO ME WAS, UM, THE SLIDE 22 WHERE YOU TALKED ABOUT ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THE PATHWAYS PROGRAMS. UM, I DID A LITTLE MATH HERE AND I WAS REALIZING THAT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOU, I LOVE THIS GRAPH WHERE YOU TALKED ABOUT LIKE THE DIFFERENT PATHWAYS AND HOW PEOPLE FOUND THEMSELVES, UH, AS RECRUITS TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. UM, AND WHEN I DID THE MATH, I REALIZED THAT 75% OF OUR RECRUITS FELL INTO ONE OF THESE, ONE OR MORE OF THE PATHWAYS, RIGHT? SO REALLY THINKING ABOUT LIKE HOW THIS IS REALLY ALLOWING US TO RECRUIT FROM, UH, FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, RIGHT? UM, HAVING PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE THAT ARE VESTED IN HERE, CARE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT? AND THEN WANTING TO SERVE IT AND PROVIDING A CORRIDOR AND A PATHWAY FOR THEM TO DO THAT. UH, PUN INTENDED. SO, UM, I, I LOVE THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUING TO INVEST. UM, AND OBVIOUSLY I REPRESENT THE DISTRICT NINE, SO I'M GONNA GO GO JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL. UM, UH, SO, SO THANK YOU. SO I JUST WANTED TO UPLIFT THAT IF PEOPLE HADN'T SEEN THIS REALLY FANTASTIC WORK. UM, AND THEN ONE THING, AND THEN ONE THING I WANTED TO, UM, LIFT UP 'CAUSE I DID NOT SEE IT AND MENTIONED, UM, IN THE BUDGET, AND MAYBE I MISSED IT, BUT I KNOW LAST YEAR, UM, ONE OF OUR BUDGET OVERSIGHT, UM, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS AROUND THE PARAMEDIC ASSESSMENT UNIT, RIGHT? AND HAVING THE PILOT FOR THE SIX MONTH PILOT PROGRAM. AND I KNOW THAT BACK IN DECEMBER WE GOT A TFF FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, THOSE ARE MEMOS TO COUNCIL CALLED A TWO FROM FOUR. UM, THAT TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE BUDGET ALLOCATION THAT WE HAD PUT FOR THE 115,000 TO START THAT. UM, AND THAT THEN THERE'S GONNA BE SIX MONTHS AND THEN IT'S GONNA RETURN BACK TO COUNCIL FOR A MEMO RELATED TO THAT. AND I WAS A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED TO NOT SEE [02:25:01] THAT PART OF THE BUDGET CONVERSATION, UH, FOR THIS PARTICULAR YEAR. 'CAUSE YOU, SO COULD YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE ON THE STATUS OF THAT PILOT AND THEN FOLLOW UP DATA AROUND ITS IMPACTS? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION, DR. JOANIE. RICK. UM, YES, WE DID A-P-A-P-A-U PILOT PROGRAM THE, THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR. UM, AND, UM, THAT'S BEEN CHALLENGING TO GET ALL THE, THE, THE DATA. THE REASON IS WE HAVE TWO PILOT PROGRAMS RUNNING SIMULTANEOUSLY. YOU HAVE A PEAK LOAD UNIT RESCUE TWO, AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE A PAU PILOT PROGRAM. UH, THE TEAM IS WORKING ON THAT MEMO. UM, YOU'LL GET IT IN IN THE COMING WEEKS WITH THE ALL THE DATA. UM, THERE WAS A DECREASE IN RESPONSE TIMES WITH A LS BEING ON SCENE QUICKER. AND WE SAW THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT WITH THE, UM, STORY THAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SUPER KNOWLEDGES SHARED WITH YOU THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A LS ON SCENE QUICK TO PROVIDE THAT ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT. YOU SAW YOU WITNESSED THAT AT ELDORA PARK. SO WE'LL BE GIVING YOU THAT, THAT MEMO, UH, LIKE I SAID IN THE COMING WEEKS. UH, BUT THAT IS A PAU PILOT PROGRAM. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR EVERYBODY HERE THAT YOU SAW IN SLIDE FOUR THAT OUR TRANSPORTATIONS CONTINUE TO INCREASE. SO IN 2020, WE'RE LOOKING AT AROUND 15,000 A LS TRANSPORTS. FIVE YEARS LATER WE'RE AT 20,000. AND IN THE COMING YEARS, IT JUST CONTINUES TO INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR. A PAU PILOT PROGRAM IS OUTSTANDING, BUT THAT DOES NOT ADDRESS OUR TRANSPORTATION RELATED CHALLENGES. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT. I'LL BE ESTABLISHING A, A SERVICE DELIVERY EVALUATION COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT DATA ANALYZE AND RESEARCH AND EVALUATE DIFFERENT DELIVERY MODELS. BUT WE NEED TO ADDRESS OUR TRANSPORTATIONS AND WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO PROVIDE A LS AND BLS TRANSPORTATION IN ADDITION TO PROBABLY LOOKING AT PAU AND EXPANDING THAT PROGRAM. OKAY. UH, SO QUESTION, UM, BECAUSE I THINK WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, I THINK A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING UP HERE RIGHT, IS AROUND, UM, WHAT ARE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT KIND OF MODELS THAT WE CAN THEN USE RIGHT. TO ADDRESS, UH, TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. SO YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU'RE GONNA PUT TOGETHER KIND OF LIKE A TASK FORCE RELATED TO INVESTIGATING SOME OF THESE. LIKE WHAT ARE THE OTHER POTENTIAL KIND OF MODELS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SOME OF THE OTHER MODELS THEY'RE LOOKING AT IS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE REGION, YOU DO HAVE MODELS IN REGARDS TO PARAMEDIC ENGINES. SO WHERE YOU HAVE, UM, TWO PARAMEDICS ASSIGNED TO EVERY ENGINE COMPANY THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND THEN YOU HAVE, UM, JUST AN AMBULANCE. WE JUST HAVE EMT AMBULANCES AND THEY WOULD TRANSPORT A LS AND BLS PATIENTS, UM, WITH, TO SEE IF THAT IS, UH, SUSTAINABLE. UM, ANOTHER ONE WOULD BE, UM, JUST TO EXPAND ALL OUR ENGINES TO PAU PROGRAM TO PA UNITS. SO WE ALWAYS HAVE A PARAMEDIC ON SCENE QUICK TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE JUST LIKE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SUPERAL EXPRESS. AND THEN, AND ALSO MAYBE WE'RE GONNA NEED TO EXPAND SOME OF OUR A LS AND BLS AMBULANCES. WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS YEAR AFTER YEAR, THERE'S AN INCREASE OF PATIENTS THAT NEED TO BE TRANSPORTED. SO EVERY CALL THAT WE GO AROUND 40, 46% OF OUR EMS CALLS RESULT IN THE TRANSPORTATION. SO AS, AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE SPECIAL LARGE EVENTS, JUST LIKE CHIEF ISH STATED IN HIS PRESENTATION, YOU HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE COMING INTO THE CITY ATTENDING EVENTS AND THEN LEAVE THE CITY. THAT THAT IMPACTS OUR, OUR, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IMPACTS PUBLIC SAFETY. AND SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WAYS TO INCREASE OUR RESOURCES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, AND THEN LOOK AT OUR, OUR STAFFING AND SEE IF WE, WE COULD BE, UM, INNOVATIVE IN USING ADDITIONAL PARAMEDICS THAT ALREADY HAVE A PARAMEDIC LICENSE. SO THESE CAPTAINS AND ENGINEERS, THEY ALREADY HAVE A PARAMEDIC LICENSE TO USE THEM BETTER, AND SO THEY CAN PROVIDE THE A LS TRANSPORTATION, UM, FOR A LARGE METROPOLITAN CITY LIKE THIS. YES. UM, THE DEMAND IS EXCEEDING THE CAPACITY. SO THAT'S WHY I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND, AND, UH, ESTABLISH THIS SERVICE DELIVERY EVALUATION COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT WAYS AND BEST PRACTICES AND INDUSTRY STANDARDS SO WE CAN PROVIDE THE BEST SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. UH, THANK YOU CHIEF ALA. UM, I'LL CUE BACK UP. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS VICE MAYOR, YOUR HONOR. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OTHER THAN OBSERVATIONS TO GIVE TO MOST OF YOU. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH. EXCUSE ME, FOR, UH, ALL THE EFFORT YOU'RE DOING IN RECRUITMENT. I'VE ALWAYS SAID, YOU BRING 'EM TO THE FRONT END, YOU'RE GONNA GIG IN THE BACK END. SO YOU'RE DOING THAT AND THOSE EFFORTS, AND THAT'S GREAT. AND I ALSO WANNA COME BOTH OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY FOR YOUR PERSONAL EFFORTS AND GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, BEING VISIBLE, SHAKING HANDS, BEING A PART, THE [02:30:03] EXCUSE ME, PART OF THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE SEE YOU AND SAY THAT YOU'RE APPROACHABLE, YOU'RE ACCESSIBLE, AND I WANNA BE LIKE YOU. SO THANK YOU FOR VERY MUCH FOR THAT, AND THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. APPRECIATE. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH TOOK VIRTUALLY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. AND, UH, BEFORE MY TIME STARTS, I JUST WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES SO MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR PATIENCE WITH ME THIS EVENING AS I AM OFFSITE. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR VERBAL MOTIONS, SECONDS AS WELL AS YOUR RESPONSES TO EACH OF THE MOTIONS. I APPRECIATE IT. UM, SO AS I AM HERE, UH, PARTICIPATING VIRTUALLY, I JUST WANNA THANK BOTH OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY LEADERS FOR THOSE, UH, REALLY EXCELLENT PRESENTATIONS. UH, I WILL SAY CHIEF ISH, CHIEF BUCHANAN, UH, BOTH OF YOU REPRESENT OUR CITY ALSO VERY WELL. UM, AND I AM SO PROUD THAT BOTH OF YOU HAVE REPRESENTED US AS WELL AS YOU HAVE, UM, AND CONTINUE TO DO SO. UM, LET ME JUST SAY, WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, THE REPORT THAT YOU GAVE CHIEF ISH, UM, I WANNA, UH, LET YOU KNOW THAT I AM ALWAYS AND CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT A NUMBER OF ISSUES, BUT I'M REALLY, REALLY PLEASED AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HIGHLIGHTED IN THE BUDGET AND ARE LOOKING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. UM, I WILL ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE USE OF FORCE, UH, PLEASED TO SEE THE QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, ALIGNMENT, UM, AND ELEVATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING AS PART OF THAT, UH, ELEVATING, UH, ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERS. WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT ONE AND AN EXCELLENT TEAM THAT SERVES OUR NORTH. SO WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND, UH, NOT IN THIS FORMAT, BUT IN OTHER FORMATS. I WILL BE IN TOUCH AS I WANT TO DISCUSS WHAT ELSE WE CAN BE DOING FROM A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, UH, TO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE, I THINK THE, THE GOOD WORK THAT, UH, YOU AND, UH, THE OFFICERS ARE DOING, UH, THROUGHOUT OUR PD. I'D LIKE TO THEN MOVE TO OUR CHIEF BUCHANAN, UM, CHIEF BUCHANAN. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AROUND THE VERY UNIQUE ASSET THAT WE HAVE IN THE NORTH, INCLUDING OUR RAILWAY, UM, AND SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE WILL NEED TO WORK ON TOGETHER IN ORDER TO ADDRESS, UM, THAT ISSUE. BUT LET ME, UH, TALK ABOUT THE MATTER OF THE DAY, AND I AM SO GLAD THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SUPER KNOCK WAS ABLE TO SHARE THE STORY THAT HE DID SHARE. UM, THAT STORY ACTUALLY REITERATES THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT I WANTED TO CHAT WITH YOU ABOUT, AND THAT IS THAT, AND MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN RICKS OTI ALSO MENTIONED IT IS THE PARAMEDIC ASSESSMENT UNIT. SO FROM, UH, ALL THAT'S BEEN SAID TONIGHT, I THINK THE PUBLIC IS CLEAR THAT THERE WAS A SIX MONTH PROGRAM FOR, UH, ENGINE 11 WHERE THERE WAS A PARAMEDIC RESCUE THAT WAS, UH, ON THAT PARTICULAR, UM, ENGINE, UM, THAT ALLOWED, UH, THE, OUR, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT TO RESPOND VERY QUICKLY, UM, SPECIFICALLY NOT ONLY TO, UH, CARDIAC ARREST, BUT OTHER THINGS, UM, THAT ENSURED THAT WE HAD, UH, RESIDENTS WHO WERE ABLE TO HAVE, UH, LIFE SAVING ACTIVITIES RIGHT AWAY. UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT THAT WAS A PILOT. AND SO AT THIS VERY MOMENT, UM, THERE'S CURRENTLY NO PAU PILOT HAPPENING IN ENGINE 11, WHICH MEANS THAT WE ARE UNCOVERED AND ALL OF THAT GREAT LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT THE NORTH HAD BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE PREVIOUSLY IS NOT THERE. UM, AND I CAN SAY, AND YOU PLEASE, PLEASE DO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG HERE, UM, THAT I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NO PAU UH, PILOT HAPPENING, OR NO PAU HAPPENING NOW. UM, ENGINE ENGINE 11, UM, AND THERE IS NO NOTHING HAPPENING AT A PARK. SO THERE'S NO PARK IN THE NORTH THAT HAS A PAU UH, TAKING PLACE. UM, AND SO WE ARE UNCOVERED, UH, THE LAST, UH, FEW MONTHS. I KNOW CERTAINLY I HAVE STOOD WITH MY COLLEAGUES, UH, REGARDING RESCUE TWO, WHICH WAS MENTIONED HERE, UH, THIS EVENING, AND ENSURING THAT THAT WAS FULL-TIME, THAT WE CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT AND ITS ABILITY TO MOVE ABOUT THE CITY. BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT HAS, CAN STILL HAVE DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS ON THE NORTH PART OF THE CITY, UH, WHERE IT MIGHT TAKE LONGER FOR RESCUE TWO TO GET TO US. SO CHIEF BUCHANAN, THAT BRINGS ME TO JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE FOR YOU, UH, REGARDING, UH, THE PAU, ITS SUCCESS AND MOVING FORWARD. UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT SETTING UP THE COMMITTEE. I WANNA KNOW THE TIMING REGARDING THAT. 'CAUSE I AM VERY INTERESTED IN THE QUANTITY OF CALLS, THE NUMBER OF CALLS, AND ANY LIFESAVING INTERVENTIONS THAT WERE, UH, CONDUCTED AS A RESULT OF THAT PA U'S OPERATION. THAT'S THE FIRST STEP [02:35:01] OF QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. YEAH, SO THE PAU AND FOR EVERYBODY, THAT'S A PARAMEDIC ASSESSMENT UNIT, AND THAT'S A PARAMEDIC THAT'S ASSIGNED TO A, A FIRE ENGINE OR TO A FIRETRUCK IN THIS CASE HERE, UM, IN ENGINE 11 OUT OF NORTH LONG BEACH, UM, WAS A PAU UNIT DURING THAT PILOT PROGRAM. UM, SO YOU ARE CORRECT IN NORTH LONG BEACH. WE DO NOT HAVE A PAU PROGRAM. UH, BUT YOUR FIRE STATION NINE, YOUR FIRE STATION 11, AND YOUR FIRE STATION 12 ALL HAVE A PARAMEDIC AMBULANCE THERE. UM, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE THAT YOU DO HAVE PARAMEDIC SERVICES THERE. UM, THE, THE COMMITTEE WILL BE, UH, GETTING TOGETHER THE COMMITTEE'S COMPRISED OF, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT STAFF AND FFA, WHICH IS OUR FIREFIGHTER ASSOCIATION. WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING TOGETHER FOR MEDICAL DIRECTOR. THEY'LL BE MEETING THIS SUMMER, AND THEY'RE, UH, EXPECTED TO PROVIDE A REPORT BY THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR ON WHAT IS PROBABLY THE BEST DELIVERY MODEL FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. SO, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THAT CERTAINLY CONCERNS ME IN TERMS OF THE TIMING THERE AND WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET. UM, I'D LOVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU COULD SPEND SOME TIME EVEN DURING THIS SEASON, UH, TO GIVE US SOME SENSE OF WHAT THAT COST WOULD BE, UH, FOR A PAU, UH, IN THE NORTH, ESPECIALLY, UH, IN ENGINE 11 WHERE THE PILOT, UH, TOOK PLACE, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE I THINK PART OF BEING ABLE TO PLAN FOR AND HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT LEVEL OF RESOURCE WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UH, BEGINS WITH HAVING, UH, THAT NUMBER, UH, IN HAND SO THAT WE CAN WORK TOWARDS THAT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND FEEL FREE TO QUEUE BACK UP IF YOU'D LIKE. COUNCIL MEMBERS, ZENDEJAS IS NEXT. THANK YOU, FIRST OF ALL, CHIEFS, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU BOTH DO. UM, THANK YOU TO ALL OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, CHIEFS. YOUR LEADERSHIP CRITICALLY TRANSLATES INTO MAKING OUR CITY SAFER TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY FOR ALL LONG BEACH, UH, RESIDENTS. AND WE ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, CHIEF ISH, I APPRECIATE THAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT'S PRIORITIES EMPHASIZE MODERNIZATION, MODERNIZATION THAT IMPLEMENTS INNOVATION STRATEGIES AND STRENGTHS AND STRENGTHENS PUBLIC TRUST. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AS A CITY THAT RECOGNIZES THIS NEED AND INTENTIONALLY INVOLVES BEST SERVE OUR, UM, COMMUNITY. UM, ESPECIALLY, UH, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT, UM, THE FACT THAT CRIME IS DOWN RIGHT NOW IN OUR CITY, UM, IS DUE TO, UH, THE COLLABORATION THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, AND OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN DOING TOGETHER, WORKING TOGETHER. I THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS HAVING AN OPEN MIND, ALWAYS BEING WELCOMING OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE IDEAS, THAT HAVE SUGGESTIONS, UM, AND ALWAYS TRYING TO DO PREVENTATIVE WORK WITH THEM. I KNOW THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS MORE OF A, UM, RESPONSE TO SOMETHING THAT'S GOING ON, BUT I, IN OUR DEPARTMENT, I SEE A LOT OF PREVENTATIVE WORK BEING DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR ORGANIZATION. SO I THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, ESPECIALLY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF DENSITY AND AS WELL, WE HAD A LOT, A LOT OF ACTIVITIES GOING ON. I FULLY SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH ENGAGEMENT COMPONENT THAT BUILDS BRIDGES OF SUPPORT BETWEEN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY TEAMS. THERE ARE A FEW ITEMS I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT. YOUR REPORT REFLECTS IN FY 25, THEREFORE WAS AN EXPANSION OF THE 6 0 2 NO TRESPASSING PROGRAM, UM, WHICH IS GREAT. AND I'M GONNA ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND I'LL JUST ASK, UH, BOTH OF YOU CHIEFS, IF YOU COULD ANSWER THEM AFTER I DO MY STATEMENT. HOPEFULLY MY STATEMENT IS UNDER FIVE MINUTES. UM, SO WITH THAT, WITH THE 6 0 2 NO TRESPASSING PROGRAMS, MAY YOU PLEASE SPEAK MORE ON THIS EXPANSION AND ITS IMPORTANCE. UM, CHIEF ISH, MAY YOU ALSO ELABORATE ON THE NEED, UH, FOR HELICOPTER CAMERAS AND THE DRONE PROGRAM. UM, ALSO, MAY YOU ALSO SHARE YOUR INFORMATION ON THE WORK YOUR DEPARTMENT DOES FOR CRIME PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT AND NUISANCE ABATEMENT. SO I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT, UM, AFTER MY STATEMENT, PLEASE. UM, [02:40:01] I ALSO WANT, I ALSO FIND IT IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE PUBLIC, THAT IN PUBLIC THAT ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IS AN INTER DEPARTMENTAL EFFORT FOR OUR CITY. WE ARE ALL FOCUSING ON THAT. ALL OF OUR SERVICES OUTLINE AND HIGHLIGHT THE UNDENIABLE COMMUNITY COMPONENT OF POLICING THE NSBT DETAIL TEAM BEING FUNDED AS PART OF THOSE EFFORTS. AND I NEED TO NOTE THAT MY RESIDENTS SHARE THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN AS VISIBLE IN THE COMMUNITY AS SOME MAY LIKE THEM TO BE. UM, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE, THE MOST NEEDED AREAS LIKE THE EAST VILLAGE OR 14TH STREET PARK AND LINCOLN PARK. ALSO, I THINK THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OFFICERS ON BIKES TO ENHANCE SAFETY, I'M SORRY, SAFE PASSAGE PROGRAMS THAT ENSURE STUDENTS, UM, ARE SAFE GOING TO AND FROM SCHOOL. UM, MOVING ON TO CHIEF BUCHANAN. I'M VERY PLEASED TO SEE THE PROPOSAL. HEY, COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT IS YOUR TIME, BUT FEEL FREE TO CREEP BACK UP FOR CHIEF. OKAY, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. CAN I HAVE, UM, CHIEF ISH ANSWER THOSE TWO? YEAH, YOU CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS, ANDHAS AND, AND MAYOR. SO, UH, LET ME START WITH THE 6 0 2 PROGRAM, WHICH IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, UH, TO BRING OUR BUSINESSES FORWARD TO, UM, TO, UH, HAVE NOTARIZED, UM, REPORTING THAT WE CAN KEEP WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO IF THERE IS A TRESPASSING CALL WHEN THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE, THEY'VE ALREADY SIGNED ON, UH, TO BE A WILLING PARTICIPANT IN THE PROSECUTION OF THAT. AND SO WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR WAS, UH, WE HELD SO FAR TWO DIFFERENT EVENTS, UH, WHERE WE'VE CONDUCTED AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, UM, OPENED UP THE STATIONS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUSINESS MEMBERS TO COME IN, LEARN ABOUT THE PROGRAM, SIGN UP FOR THE PROGRAM, AND I BELIEVE OUR SOUTH DIVISION EVENT HAD OVER 40, UH, DIFFERENT BUSINESSES SIGN UP. WE RECENTLY, UH, HOSTED ONE IN EAST DIVISION. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, GOING IN EVERY DIVISION. THE CITY PROSECUTOR HAS BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO PROVIDE A NOTARY FROM HIS OFFICE. WE'RE LOOKING AT INCREASING THAT TO TWO NOTARIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO, UH, SUPPORT PD STAFF AS WE SIGN UP, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY IN, INTO THE PROGRAM. SO IT'S BEEN QUITE A SUCCESS. WE'RE HAPPY WITH IT AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WITH IT. WONDERFUL. THAT'S A 6 0 2 PROGRAM. AWESOME. THE OTHER QUESTION WAS HELICOPTERS . SO, UM, THE, THE SUPPORT PROVIDED BY OUR AIR SUPPORT UNIT IS CRITICAL IN, UM, GATHERING INFORMATION QUICKLY FOR OFFICERS ON THE GROUND. UH, HELICOPTERS CAN PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE AND ASSISTANCE TO PATROL OFFICERS DURING CRITICAL SITUATIONS. THEY'RE ALSO ABLE TO CLEAR CALLS, UH, THAT MAYBE DON'T WARRANT A POLICE OFFICER IN THE FIELD TO RESPOND TO. UM, THEY ASSIST US IN PURSUITS IN, UH, HIGH PROFILE INCIDENTS. THEY ARE ALSO ABLE TO VIDEO RECORD AND CAPTURE EVIDENCE THAT'S CRITICAL IN THE PROSECUTION, UH, ON, ON CERTAIN CASES. UM, HOWEVER, THAT UNIT HAS DECREASED IN RECENT YEARS. SO IT'S LIMITED IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT CAN SPEND IN THE AIR. WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT, UM, DRONES AS A REPLACEMENT FOR THE AIR SUPPORT UNIT. WE'RE LOOKING AT DRONES AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE AIR SUPPORT UNIT TO PROVIDE ANOTHER LAYER OF REAL TIME INFORMATION SHARING FOR THE PATROL OFFICERS ON THE GROUND IN THE FIELD. UM, SO THEY CAN, UH, FREE UP, UH, RESOURCES TO HANDLE EMERGENCIES, CALLS FOR SERVICE PRIORITIES. YOU KNOW, IF YOU DEPLOY A DRONE TO A CALL, UH, THAT EVERYBODY'S LEFT AT, THEN YOU DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO SEND AN OFFICER TO THAT CALL. THEREFORE, THEY HAVE MORE TIME TO RESPOND TO ANOTHER CALL WHERE SOMEBODY MAY BE WAITING FOR A, UH, A POLICE RESPONSE. SO ALL OF THESE THINGS WORK TOGETHER, UH, TO BETTER, TO BETTER PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND I THINK THE LAST ONE YOU ASKED WAS ABOUT NUISANCE ABATEMENT. AND SO WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THAT IS, YOU, YOU KIND OF COVERED IT IN YOUR QUESTION IN TERMS OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM AND THE CITY'S COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO SOME OF THE NUISANCE ABATEMENT ISSUES, WE MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, PUBLIC WORKS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ALL OF THE CITY, UH, DEPARTMENTS TO TALK ABOUT ISSUES RELATED TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, IF THAT'S THE, THE PARTICULAR ISSUE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. UM, WE ALSO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, TO COORDINATE CLEANUPS OR TO COORDINATE RESPONSES THAT MAYBE GO BEYOND WHAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS CAPABLE OR RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING. FOR INSTANCE, CODE ENFORCEMENT MAY BE ASKED TO ASSIST WITH A, UH, A CALL THAT WE, OR INFORMATION WE RECEIVE WHILE WE'RE OUT IN THE FIELD. SO, UM, THAT IS AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT'S DEPENDENT ON THE TYPE OF NUISANCE THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ADDRESS. THANK YOU. [02:45:02] THANK YOU, CHIEF. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. ALRIGHT. WELL THANK YOU TO BOTH CHIEF ISH AND CHIEF BUCHANAN FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS. KEEPING OUR RESIDENTS SAFE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT JOBS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY AS A CITY. AND I'M HAPPY TO HAVE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT IN GREAT HANDS. AND I THINK THE EXAMPLE THAT COUNCILMAN SUPER NOT BROUGHT UP, IT'S A GREAT HIGHLIGHT TONIGHT ON THE WORK THAT BOTH YOUR AGENCIES HAVE DONE. SO I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE ALSO THE SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN CRIME THAT WE'VE SEEN SO FAR THIS YEAR. IT'S REALLY, UM, PROPERTY CRIME IS DOWN NEARLY 24%, ROBBERIES DOWN ALMOST 19%. AND SHOOTINGS ARE DOWN NEARLY 28%. THIS ALL COMPARED TO 2024. I THINK PUBLIC SAFETY IS OFTEN SHAPED BY PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES AND THEIR PERCEPTIONS. BUT THESE NUMBERS ARE SUCH PROMISING TRENDS THAT I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS THIS. WE'RE INVESTING IN HIRING MORE OFFICERS AND GIVING THEM THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHEN THEY HARM OUR COMMUNITIES. AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS MAKING MAJOR PROGRESS, AMAZING THAT WE'RE AT, UH, LESS THAN 3% VACANCIES. IT REALLY IS GREAT TO SEE THAT WE'RE HIRING NEW FIREFIGHTERS AND EXPANDING OUR EMS CAPACITIES. I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION THAT COUNCILWOMAN ALAN BROUGHT UP ABOUT RESCUE TWO CHIEF BUCHANAN. YOU AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK. I THINK WE NEED TO DIVE INTO THAT, UH, MORE, BUT ALL IN ALL, THIS IS HOW WE MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SAFER. SO I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR OUR CHIEFS. UM, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE HAD GREAT QUESTIONS AND I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD A LOT MORE, BUT CHIEF ISH, SO WE TALKED ABOUT NUISANCE CRIMES, WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT THAT. VANDALISM, OPEN DRUG USE, PUBLIC DRINKING NUDITY, WELL INDECENT EXPOSURE, I SUPPOSE. UM, I KNOW WE'RE STARTING THE SOCIETAL CRIMES UNIT UNDER THE INVESTIGATIONS BUREAU. CORRECT. I HOPE THAT THIS IS GOING TO HELP ADDRESS, UM, THE INCREASE IN ALL OF THESE ISSUES WHICH PEOPLE ARE CALLING ABOUT OFTEN. CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH HOW THIS BUDGET IS GOING TO ADDRESS THE NUISANCE ITEMS? CERTAINLY COUNCILWOMAN. THE, UH, THE, WELL, FIRST WE'LL START WITH THE SOCIETAL CRIMES SECTION, WHICH IS REALLY A CONSOLIDATION OF UNITS THAT WE WERE UN UH, DETAILS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO FILL FOR, FOR STAFFING, UH, BECAUSE OF STAFFING ISSUES. UM, CONNECTING THESE UNITS WITHIN THE INVESTIGATIONS BUREAU WILL ALLOW THEM TO FOCUS, AS I MENTIONED, ON ON DIRECTED AND SPECIFIC ENFORCEMENT AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS RELATED TO A VARIETY OF ISSUES. BUT THEY DON'T DO THAT ALONE. UM, THAT'S IN SUPPORT OF TEAMS LIKE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND MENTAL EVALUATION TEAM GOING TO HANDLE CALLS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF EMERGENCIES OR CALLS FOR SERVICE RESPONSES. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PART OF THE REASON THAT WE WANNA EXPAND THE CSA PROGRAM. CSAS ARE ABLE TO RESPOND TO LOWER LEVEL CALLS, UH, FREEING UP TIME FOR PATROL OFFICERS TO HANDLE EMERGENCIES AND CALLS FOR SERVICE PRIORITIES. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, EARLIER, OUR DRONE PILOT PROGRAM WILL ALSO ASSIST WITH THIS BECAUSE IF THEY CAN CLEAR CALLS THAT DON'T REQUIRE A POLICE RESPONSE, THAT MEANS A POLICE OFFICER CAN RESPOND TO THESE CALLS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AS WELL. SO IT'S A A AGAIN, UM, THIS IS ABOUT FINDING MODERN WAYS TO FUTURE-PROOF OUR ORGANIZATION AND ALLOW US TO OPERATE WITHIN, UH, THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE FACING TODAY, AND TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE ANYTHING WE CAN TO HELP ASSIST THE OFFICERS WHO ARE CURRENTLY WORKING MANDATORY OVERTIME TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. AND WE HAVE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ADDING EIGHT CSAS CORRECT. TO HELP WITH THIS? THAT'S CORRECT. COUNCIL MEMBER. GREAT. THIS IS, THAT'S REALLY GOOD. SECOND QUESTION. AND, UM, I, I WOULD ASK THE SAME QUESTION OF CHIEF BUCHANAN. UM, IN MY COMMUNITY, WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT RESPONSE TIMES. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY FOR BOTH PRIORITY ONE CALLS AND NON-EMERGENCY CALLS CHIEF ISH. CAN YOU GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE FACTORS THAT IMPACT THE RESPONSE TIMES? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER, AND THERE ARE A VARIETY OF FACTORS. SO I CAN SPEND AN HOUR TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT IMPACT [02:50:01] RESPONSE TIMES GOING. IT, IT, IT CAN BE SOMETHING, UH, AS OBVIOUS AS STAFFING AND THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS IN THE FIELD, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE SOMETHING, UH, UH, LIKE WORKLOAD, INCREASED WORKLOAD. YOU KNOW, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHICH IS JUST BETWEEN FIVE AND SIX MINUTES. AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT THIS DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WITHIN THAT FOR PRIORITY ONES FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS. UH, AND WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT. UM, BUT OFTENTIMES LEGISLATIVE CHANGES AND, UH, UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES CAN IMPACT, UH, A RESPONSE TIME. FOR EXAMPLE, FIVE YEARS AGO, OFFICERS DIDN'T HAVE TO, UM, ENTER RATE RACIAL, UH, INFORMATION RIPA DATA ON EVERY CALL THEY DO. NOW, THAT CAN TAKE MORE TIME TO DO, WE DIDN'T HAVE BODY-WORN CAMERAS IN 2019. NOW WE HAVE BODY-WORN CAMERAS THAT REQUIRE AN UNDERSTANDING AND AN ACTIVATION ON CALLS FOR SERVICE WHEN OFFICERS RESPOND IN THE FIELD. UM, UH, WE DON'T HAVE THE AVAILABILITY OF AIR SUPPORT IN THE MANNER THAT WE DID IN YEARS AGO. SO THAT CAN ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO, UM, UH, RESPONSE TIMES. BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THINGS, I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THE RESPONSE TIMES. I'M ALREADY SEEING A DECREASE THIS YEAR IN PRIORITY ONE, TWO, AND THREE RESPONSES AS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR. AND I THINK THAT IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE MODERNIZING AND INNOVATION THAT WE'VE INCLUDED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AND, AND, AND PRIOR BUDGETS, INCLUDING CSAS, INCLUDING OUR TELEPHONIC REPORTING UNIT, INCLUDING THE ONLINE REPORTING PORTAL THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY REPORT WITHOUT HAVING TO CALL AN OFFICER OUT. SO I THINK WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT RESPONSE TIMES, UM, IT'S NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE. SO WE LOOK AT THAT, WE EVALUATE THAT AT EVERY CRIME MEETING. WE TALK ABOUT, UH, OUR PRIORITY ONE, TWO, AND THREE RESPONSE TIMES, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED OR IF WE NEED TO CHANGE REALLOCATE, UH, RESOURCES OR CHANGE THE WAY WE DEPLOY THOSE RESOURCES TO ENSURE, UH, THAT WE'RE STILL, UM, UH, MEETING THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AND GETTING, UH, TO OUR COMMUNITY WHEN THEY NEED US MOST. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, I'LL QUEUE UP AGAIN. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, GOING TO THE SECOND ROUND. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR, THEN SORROW. YES. UH, THANK YOU CHIEFS. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE ON THIS IMPORTANT SUBJECT. I'M NOT GONNA BELABOR THE POINTS THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD. UH, COUNCILMAN ALLEN, UH, COUNCILMAN THR TOOK, AND COUNCILMAN RICKS ODI HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE, UM, PARAMEDIC ASSESSMENT UNIT PILOT. CLEARLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, IS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION FOR. SO ALL I'LL SAY WITH THAT IS I LOOK FORWARD TO THE REPORT THAT COMES OUT, UM, CHIEF BUCHANAN AND THANK YOU TO YOUR TEAM, UH, FOR DOING THAT WORK. I THINK HAVING, UM, AN UNDERSTANDING AND WHAT THOSE METRICS LOOK LIKE, UM, AS YOU, AS YOU WRAP UP THE DATA, UH, WILL BE CRITICAL TO DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE. AND THAT IF, AS WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITHIN THIS BUDGET CYCLE, UM, IF THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO OR TALK ABOUT, UM, MOST EFFECTIVELY NOW, THAT AS WE CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION IN THE COMING MONTHS, UM, IN MID-YEAR REVIEWS AND ALL OF THOSE TO REALLY KEEP THOSE PILOT PROGRAMS AND THE RESULTS THAT YOU BRING FORWARD, UH, INTO OUR MIND. SO, UM, THAT'S ALL I'LL SAY ABOUT THAT, BUT I WANNA THANK YOU AND THE TEAM WHO ARE ALL HERE AGAIN, UH, TO ALL OF THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS WHO HAVE REACHED OUT, WHO COME BEFORE US, WHO, UM, GIVE US FORMAL PUBLIC TESTIMONY, WHO TALK TO US WHEN THEY'RE ON THE JOB. UM, I JUST WANNA THANK THEM FOR THEIR CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT, UH, WITH OUR RESIDENTS IN OUR OFFICES, UM, AS THEY'RE OUT THERE DOING INCREDIBLE WORK EVERY DAY. SO THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. UM, HI AGAIN. SO I'M, I'M IN AGREEMENT. I APPRECIATE WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SHARED AND ASKED HERE. I'M NOT GONNA ASK THEM AGAIN TO BE REPETITIVE. UM, SO I'LL GO BACK TO YOU, CHIEF BUCHANAN. UM, I'LL JUST ASK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, UM, THAT I HAD ON MY LIST. UM, IT, IT'S REALLY AROUND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS, WE DO HAVE ONGOINGLY HAD TO DO MORE WITH LESS, AS WE HEARD EARLIER IN THE POLICE AS WELL AS IN FIRE. UM, AND I ALWAYS AM CONCERNED BACK TO, WELL, HOW IS OUR FIREFIGHTERS, PARAMEDICS RIGHT DOING, SO I WANTED TO JUST FOLLOW UP ON, I SEE A LITTLE BIT OF FUNDING HERE IN INCLUSIVE HIRING AND SOME LEVEL RETENTION PRACTICES, BUT I'M WONDERING, UH, WHAT MAYBE I'M NOT SEEING AGAIN HERE, WHAT ARE BEING DONE TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF IS, UM, MENTALLY AND ALSO MORALE WISE, UM, SUPPORTED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILWOMAN. YES. WELLNESS IS, IT'S, IT'S A TOP PRIORITY FOR ME. AND THIS YEAR, WORKING AND PARTNERING WITH THE FFA, WE HAVE, IT'S THE YEAR OF WELLNESS. SO WE ARE EXPANDING THE RESOURCES TO OUR EMPLOYEES. UM, WE'RE ENGAGING WITH THEM, WE'RE LEADING BY EXAMPLE. UH, COMMAND STAFF MEMBERS AND MEMBERS FROM FFA ARE ENGAGING IN WORKOUTS. WE'RE PROMOTING OUR, UH, COUNSELING TEAM INTERNATIONAL FOR MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS. AND WE EXPECT TO CONTINUE TO, UH, TO EXPAND ON THIS. UM, WE [02:55:01] LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING SURE THAT, UM, THEY HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES SO THEY COULD DO A SUCCESSFUL 30 YEAR CAREER. UM, YES, IT IS A, IT IS A, IT'S A, IT'S A BURDEN ON OUR FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS RIGHT NOW, HEAVY WORKLOAD. AND, UM, THAT IS MY NUMBER ONE CONCERN RIGHT NOW. AND MY, AND MY TOP PRIORITY IS TO INCREASE RESOURCES SO WE COULD SPREAD THAT WORKLOAD. YEAH. AND I'M WONDERING HOW, HOW CAN WE DO THAT GRADUALLY, RIGHT? MAYBE, UH, AS FAR AS LIKE WITHIN THIS BUDGET AND, YOU KNOW, INVESTING IN THOSE RESOURCES, WHETHER IT'S NOT A LOT, BUT WHAT ARE THE STEPS THAT YOU KNOW IS BEING DONE THAT WE COULD ADDRESS THEM, RIGHT? IS IT, I DON'T KNOW, DIFFERENT MODEL OF SERVICES SO THAT THEIR STAFF COULD HAVE MORE REST OR, I'M NOT SURE. RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M JUST WONDERING IS IF THERE ARE SOME IDEAS MAYBE BEING EXPLORED RIGHT NOW. YEAH, AND THOSE ARE IDEAS THAT I EXPECT FROM OUR, UM, THE COMMITTEE THAT'S GONNA BE LOOKING AT THAT SERVICE DELIVERY EVALUATION COMMITTEE. UM, THAT'S WHAT I EXPECT TO COME BACK IN THAT REPORT, TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT MODELS THAT WILL ADDRESS WELLNESS AND THEN ALSO ADDRESS THE WORKLOAD THAT'S PLACED ON MY MEN AND WOMEN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I, I'M GONNA FOLLOW, UH, THE LEAD OF, UH, MY COUNCIL, WOMEN'S KERR AND SORROW. 'CAUSE I DO HAVE A LOT OF, UH, I DID HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UH, REGARDING THE PARAMEDIC, UH, PARAMEDIC ASSESSMENT UNITS AS WELL. BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THESE QUESTIONS, THEY'RE KIND OF UNFAIR BECAUSE, UM, I THINK AT, AT THE END OF THE DAY AT COUNCIL, WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT IF THIS IS A PRIORITY, UM, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN? AND SO, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE TO STILL BALANCE A BUDGET. SO I THINK THAT THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, INTERNALLY. SO I'M GONNA GO OVER TO CHIEF ISH, BUT THANK YOU CHIEF BUCHANAN FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, YOU ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS I PREVIOUSLY. UM, OKAY. SO, UM, I'M GONNA GO TO CHIEF. YOU WISH. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND, UM, AND THEN ALL THE WORK THAT I KNOW HAS WENT INTO ALL THESE INVESTMENTS. UM, SOME CHANGES THAT I'M PLEASED TO SEE IS 150,000 AND THE ONE ONE-TIME FUNDING FOR, UH, THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND, UH, MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS. I'M ALSO PLEASED TO SEE THE 1.3 MILLION ONE-TIME FUNDING FOR YOUR HIGH, UM, CRIME FOCUS TEAM. UM, I LOVE THE DRONES. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. I THINK THAT COULD BE A REALLY A GREAT CRIME FIGHTING TOOL. SO I SUPPORT THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU KNOW, HEARING YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE SHORTAGES THAT YOU STILL MANAGE TO, UH, MEET NATIONAL NUMBERS WITH REGARDS, UH, TO AVERAGES OF ARRIVING ON FOR, UH, PRIORITY ONE CALLS IS JUST INCREDIBLE THAT YOU'RE DOING THIS WITH, WITH LESS. I DO ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF THE OFFICERS, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ASK SOMEONE TO WORK SO HARD FOR SO LONG AND THEN YOU JUST BURN PEOPLE OUT. UM, AND ALSO LIKE HEAVY ON ME HEARING OUR PREVIOUS CHIEF AND SHERIFF LUNA SAY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BEARING THREE OFFICERS, YOU KNOW, JUST IN THE LAST MONTH. AND, AND I JUST KNOW THIS IS A REALLY, REALLY TOUGH, TOUGH JOB AND TOUGH, YOU KNOW, SITUATION. SO I SURE HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE JUST TO LOOK AFTER THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR, UM, MEN AND WOMEN THAT, THAT SERVE US SO WELL, UM, IN THE CITY. AND ALSO, UM, I DO APPRECIATE YOU, UM, POINTING OUT YOUR WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP. AND I KNOW IT MAY BE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR WOMEN TO BE POINTED OUT AND YOU'RE LIKE, I'M, I'M JUST DOING MY JOB. I GET ALL THAT. BUT I HOPE YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND THAT THE WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP, HOW IMPORTANT IT'S THAT HE DOES THAT AND, UM, HOW IMPORTANT IT'S THAT PEOPLE KNOW AND SEE YOUR LEADERSHIP. I'M TELLING YOU, THESE YOUNG WOMEN ARE LOOKING AT YOU AND, UM, AND SO I KNOW IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT I REALLY DO APPRECIATE, UM, YOU SHARING AND AS MUCH AS AS, UM, AS YOU GUYS CAN GET OUT THERE AND MENTOR OTHER YOUNG LADIES, I THINK, UM, THAT IS, THAT IS REALLY GOOD. BUT, UM, BUT THAT WAS JUST MY ONLY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, IS HOW, HOW ARE THE OFFICERS DOING? HOW'S MORALE? THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN, THE, THE OFFICERS ARE, ARE DOING THE WORK THAT THEY, THEY CHOOSE TO DO AND, AND THEY'RE DOING IT, UM, WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND RESPECT AND, AND THEY'RE SERVING THIS COMMUNITY VERY WELL AND THEY'RE SERVING, UH, AND WE SHOULD BE PROUD TO HAVE THEM AS, AS POLICE OFFICERS IN OUR CITY. UM, BUT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKES ME THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I TALK TO COMMAND STAFF ABOUT IS SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM OURSELVES. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE SO DEEPLY INVESTED IN THE WELLNESS OF OFFICERS AND CHECKING IN ON THEM AND, UM, ENSURING THAT WE'RE BUILDING INTO SERGEANT TRAINING AND UNDERSTANDING OF, OF WELLNESS AND HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND BEING ABLE TO SENSE WHETHER OR NOT SOMETHING'S IMPACTING AN OFFICER. THAT'S ALSO WHY WE CREATED AN, AND YOU MAY RECALL THIS, WE, THE, THE, WE NEVER HAD A REAL SCHEDULING UNIT. NOW WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT SCHEDULING UNIT WITH [03:00:01] TECHNOLOGY TO HELP US BETTER SCHEDULE AND STAFF, UH, OFFICERS IN THE FIELD AND BETTER USE THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHETHER OR NOT SOMEBODY NEEDS SOME TIME OFF. AND SO, UH, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT WE'RE, A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO HELP, UM, SUPPORT OFFICERS TO BUILD MORALE IN THE ORGANIZATION. UH, AND, AND YOU DO THAT, UM, FROM THE TOP DOWN, IT STARTS WITH ME. IT STARTS WITH SHOWING APPRECIATION AND SUPPORT AND BEING VOCAL ABOUT THAT SUPPORT, UH, RECOGNIZING OFFICERS FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO. AND I SAY OFFICERS, BUT I'M ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE AMAZING PROFESSIONAL STAFF WE HAVE IN THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, OVER 300 CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES THAT WORK EVERY DAY TO SUPPORT THE POLICE OFFICERS, THE SWORN PERSONNEL IN WHAT WE DO. SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS WORK TOGETHER. THIS COMMAND STAFF IS SO COMMITTED, UH, TO THE EMPLOYEES AND TO THE COMMUNITY. UM, UH, AND YOU SEE THEM ALL HERE TODAY. UH, BUT I'M, I'M PROUD OF THAT. I'M PROUD OF THE, THE WORK THAT THEY DO. I'M PROUD OF THE COMMITMENT AND THE CONCERN THEY HAVE FOR, FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT. IT'S, UH, IT'S BEEN A LONG CAREER AND TO SEE WHERE WE ARE TODAY, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT ALL OF US WHO HAVE EVER, YOU KNOW, WORN A BADGER A UNIFORM SHOULD TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN. WELL, I THANK YOU CHIEF FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UM, ONE, UM, ONE LAST QUESTION. SO I'VE SEEN, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT THERE'S BEEN MORE, UH, MOD MOTOR OFFICERS, UH, I'VE SEEN LATELY. AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST BY CHANCE, BUT, UM, HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO BEEF UP THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UM, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITY WANTING MORE MOTOR OFFICERS. AND THEN MY LAST IS, UM, ON YOUR BIKE PATROL. UM, HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE? ARE WE BEEFING THAT UP OR IS THAT, IS THAT STEADY? YEAH, SO BOTH THE MOTOR, UH, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT SECTION AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY BIKE TEAM, UM, ARE, ARE NOT FULLY STAFFED. THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, SAFETY BIKE TEAM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE EIGHT OFFICERS RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE ANOTHER EIGHT TO STAFF WHEN WE, WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, AND THE TRAFFIC UNIT AS WELL. TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT SECTION. SO YOU'RE SEEING MORE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, MOTOR OFFICERS BECAUSE OF VERY STRATEGIC DEPLOYMENT AND USING THE LIMITED NUMBER OF OFFICERS WE HAVE IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY WE CAN. SO NOW WE'RE INCLUDING THE DEPLOYMENT OF MOTOR OFFICERS IN OUR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CRIME AND SAFETY STRATEGIES. AND SO USING THOSE OFFICERS WHERE, WHERE WE NEED THEM MOST, UM, I'M OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE AND THE ABILITY TO FILL THOSE VACANCIES. AND, UM, THAT IS ALL CONNECTED TO THE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, HIRING ACADEMIES, UH, HISTORIC CLASS 100, WHICH WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE OUR LARGEST CLASS. UH, AND ONCE WE START GETTING MORE OFFICERS IN THE FIELD, WE CAN START FILLING SOME OF THESE ANCILLARY FUNCTIONS AS WELL. ALRIGHT. AND HOW MANY MOTOR OFFICERS DO WE HAVE? THAT'S MY LAST QUESTION. I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON EXACTLY HOW MANY WE HAVE, BUT I, I EIGHT. THERE YOU GO. SEE FEMALE RIGHT HERE. OH, YOU LISTEN KNOW EIGHT. WELL THANK YOU CHIEF, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. ALRIGHT, UH, COUNCILMAN B RICK SODI. THANK YOU. UM, CHIEF ISH, UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. SO ONE WAS, I WAS TAKING A LOOK AT THE BUDGET RELATED TO THE DIFFERENT, UM, THE DIFFERENT BUREAUS. AND I HAD A QUICK QUESTION. UM, UNDER THE SUPPORT SERVICES, THE SUPPORT BUREAU, UM, I CAN SEE THAT THE, THE NUMBER OF, UM, FTES FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 AND FISCAL YEAR 26, IT WENT DOWN FOR ABOUT ABOUT 30. SO I'M ASSUMING THOSE GOT ALLOCATED SOMEWHERE ELSE. COULD YOU KIND OF WALK US THROUGH WHERE THOSE GOT ALLOCATED? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER, I BELIEVE THAT'S CONNECTED TO THE, UH, METRO CONTRACT AND THE CONCLUSION OF THAT CONTRACT. AND SO THE FTES THAT YOU'RE SEEING, THE BUDGET FTES WERE BASED ON AN OVERTIME MODEL. SO THEY WEREN'T ACTUAL FTES. THE NUMBER OF OF ACTUAL FTES THAT WENT BACK INTO CRITICAL PATROL POSITIONS, UH, WERE EIGHT OFFICERS AND THREE SUPERVISORS. SO THE 30 THAT YOU'RE SEEING WAS, UM, WAS FILLED ON OVERTIME. WE NEVER WERE ABLE TO GROW INTO THOSE NUMBERS. UNDERSTOOD. OKAY. THAT'S GREAT. UM, AND THEN I HAD A QUESTION, A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND DEJAS ABOUT THE, THE DRONES. SO WHEN I, I WAS ACTUALLY VERY INTERESTED IN THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM AND KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT A LOT FROM A VARIETY OF, OF AS ASPECTS. AND WHEN I WAS GO, WHEN I WAS LIKE DOING MY KIND OF LIKE ONLINE SEARCHES OF LIKE WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, I NOTICED WE HAVE AS A, AS A CITY HAVE PURCHASED DRONES IN THE PAST. SO YOU CAN TALK ABOUT, AND I KNOW WE'RE GONNA BE PURCHASING MORE, SO CAN YOU KIND OF TALK ABOUT LIKE WHAT THOSE DRONES HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN USED FOR AND THEN WHAT THE PLAN IS FOR THEM, UH, MOVING FORWARD, AND THEN HOW MANY WE'RE PLANNING TO PURCHASE? YES, SURE. SO AS A CITY, THERE'S, THERE'S DRONES THAT ARE IN THE, IN THE, UH, PORT THAT DO NOT BELONG TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE PORTS ACQUIRED AND THEY USE FOR THEIR PURPOSES. HOWEVER, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DRONES THAT WE'VE PURCHASED HAVE BEEN USED, UH, UNDER THE SWAT CAPACITY. SO WE'VE USED THEM FOR SWAT OPERATIONS AND FOR CROWD MANAGEMENT SITUATIONS. THE DRONE FOR PATROL PROGRAM THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ONBOARD, UH, WILL BE, I BELIEVE WE'RE PURCHASING FOUR DRONES, UM, AS A PILOT PROGRAM. UH, WE'RE GOING TO USE THOSE TO ASSIST PATROL OFFICERS IN RESPONDING TO CALLS FOR SERVICE AND PROVIDING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IN THE FIELD. AND SO, UH, THAT'S WHAT THIS BUDGET WILL HELP US DO IS LAUNCH THAT PILOT PROGRAM. UNDERSTOOD. UM, NOW WILL THAT PROGRAM [03:05:01] REQUIRE SPECIAL TRAINING FOR OUR PATROL OFFICERS THAT OPERATE THEM? YES, MA'AM. AND WE'VE ALREADY DONE IT. OH, WELL, WELL, AMEN. UM, AND THEN, UH, LAST THING, AS PART OF THIS IMPLEMENTATION, UM, DO WE CURRENTLY HAVE A KIND OF LIKE POLICY? BECAUSE I, I IMAGINE LIKE AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE THINGS, THERE'S LIKE CONCERNS AROUND SURVEILLANCE AND ALL OF THAT. SO YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT JUST AROUND LIKE, THE POLICIES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE CURRENTLY RELATED TO THE USAGE OF DRONES. CERTAINLY WE HAVE POLICIES FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. ANY TECHNOLOGY THAT WE ONBOARD, WE'LL HAVE AN ASSOCIATED POLICY THAT CONSIDERS THE, UH, LAWFUL LEGAL, ETHICAL USE OF THAT TECHNOLOGY. UH, THE DRONE PROGRAM IS NO EXCEPTION, SO WE HAVE A POLICY THAT THAT, UM, UH, GUIDES DRONE OPERATIONS FOR THE SWAT UH, DETAIL. BUT WE HAVE A SPECIAL ORDER RIGHT NOW THAT IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO EXPAND THIS PILOT PROGRAM AND WE'LL COVER THE USES THAT ARE, UH, THAT WE'RE USING DRONES FOR IN THE, UH, DRONE FOR PATROL PILOT THAT WE'RE LAUNCHING. OKAY. SO, SO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL ORDER AND THEN WITH THAT SPECIAL, SO IF WE DECIDE TO THEN CONTINUE, WOULD THAT SPECIAL ORDER CONTINUE TO, TO, TO BE IN EFFECT OR WE DIDN'T HAVE TO CREATE A SEPARATE POLICY THEN IF WE DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH MAKING THAT PRO THAT PROGRAM PERMANENT? NO, THAT, YEAH. IF IT'S GONNA BE PERMANENT, YES. WELL, THAT SPECIAL ORDER WILL BECOME POLICY, BUT THAT SPECIAL ORDER IS WHAT WE'RE UTILIZING TO GET THE PILOT LAUNCHED. SO ONCE WE'RE READY TO GO, UM, UH, WE HAVE A SPECIAL ORDER IN PLACE THAT SERVES AS POLICY AS WE'RE ASSESSING THE PILOT, UM, WE MAKE CHANGES TO THE ORDER, REVISE IT, ADD THINGS THAT WE MAYBE NEED TO ADD, AND THEN CREATE THE PERMANENT, UH, POLICY FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO GUIDE OUR OPERATIONS. EXCELLENT. AND I'LL TELL MY STAFF TO FOLLOW UP 'CAUSE I'D ACTUALLY BE REALLY INTERESTED TO, TO READ THE SPECIAL ORDER. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION WAS ALSO A FOLLOW UP ABOUT THE BIKE PATROL. UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LIKE HOW THEY'RE DEPLOYED, WHERE THEY'RE DEPLOYED, LIKE ALL OF THAT? CERTAINLY. UH, THEY ARE DEPLOYED STRATEGICALLY THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WE HAVE EIGHT OF THEM. UH, THEIR FOCUS IS, UH, PARKS, CORRIDORS, UH, BUSINESS DISTRICTS, NEIGHBORHOODS, WHEREVER WE NEED THEM, WHEREVER WE FEEL THAT WE WANNA INCREASE OUR PRESENCE, OUR VISIBILITY, OUR ACCESSIBILITY, OUR COMMUNITY POLICING ENGAGEMENT. UH, WE UTILIZE THE NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY BIKE TEAM. UH, THAT'S WHY IT WAS CREATED. UM, WE HOPE TO, TO, UH, FULLY STAFF THAT UNIT TO ALLOW US TO SPEND MORE TIME IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE CITY. BUT THEY CAN BE IN NORTH DIVISION TODAY AND SOUTH DIVISION TOMORROW, UH, OR SEPARATE AND HAVE TWO IN EACH DIVISION, UH, DEPENDING ON THE NEEDS. AND SO WE'VE REALLY, UM, UTILIZED THEM TO SUPPLEMENT AND SUPPORT, UH, THE NEEDS IN PATROL, UM, ANYTHING RELATED FROM, UH, SPECIAL, LARGE SCALE, UH, LARGE SCALE SPECIAL EVENTS, UM, TO CRIME AND SAFETY ISSUES. AND SO IT'S ABOUT BEING VISIBLE, ACCESSIBLE AND, UM, AND APPROACHABLE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE HELPED US DO THAT. EXCELLENT. UM, AND THEN WITH MY REMAINING TIME, I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, THANK YOU FOR CREATION OF THAT SOCIETAL CRIME SECTION. I READ THROUGH IT AND REALLY TALKED, SAW HOW YOU WERE GOING TO BE REALLY WORKING TO ADDRESS THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING ISSUES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH AND TOOK, THANK YOU SO MUCH MAYOR. AND THANK YOU TO, UH, ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, RICK ODI. I TOO WANNA JUST DOUBLE DOWN ON THE, UH, THE BIKE PATROL, UM, CHIEF HABI, WE ARE HIGHLY INTERESTED IN DOING ALL WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO FULLY STAFF THAT DIVISION. SO, UM, PLEASE DO LET US KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD NEED TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. 'CAUSE I THINK THAT THAT IS CRITICAL, UH, FOR A NUMBER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, AND THEN I DO WANNA PUT A VERY, VERY FINE POINT ON, UH, WHAT HAS BEEN, UH, STATED BY A NUMBER OF MY COLLEAGUES. AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR LIFTING UP, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PAU, UH, PILOT THAT WAS HAP THAT HAPPENED, UH, IN THE NORTH. UM, AND I COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER, UH, STORY THIS EVENING. UM, SO I WANNA THANK COUNCILMAN SUPER FOR THAT. UH, AND WE'RE SO GLAD THAT THAT FAMILY WAS ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO LIFE SAVING EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS TRAINED PERSONNEL. AND I KNOW WE ALL WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR ENTIRE CITY IS COVERED IN SUCH A WAY. SO CHIEF, UM, BUCHANAN, I'M ASKING FOR A LEVEL OF URGENCY AROUND THE COMMITTEE THAT YOU INTEND TO PUT FORWARD, UM, AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FINANCIALLY, UM, AND SOME OF THE OUTCOMES AROUND, UH, HAVING, UM, THAT KIND OF SUPPORT IN THE NORTH PART OF OUR CITY. AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE EMPHASIS ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE NEED TO INVEST, UM, CHIEF BUCHANAN IN OUR FACILITIES, OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES, THAT HOUSE, UM, ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE CONDUCTING OUR WORK THROUGH THE LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT. UM, AND I'M SPECIFICALLY NOTED THAT YOU HAD, UH, STATION 11 THERE. UM, AND IT IS ONE THAT IS ABSOLUTELY DUE FOR SOME INVESTMENT, UM, GIVEN THE KINDS OF INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING, UH, AROUND AND ACROSS THE CITY. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, UNDERSTANDING MORE HOW WE, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE, UH, INVESTMENTS THAT ARE ON A MULTIPLE SCALE, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU MOVE FORWARD [03:10:01] WITH YOUR, UH, THOUGHTS REGARDING THAT. SO HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU ON EITHER ONE OF THOSE MATTERS. I KNOW I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO, UM, LET YOU ANSWER MY QUESTION THE LAST TIME AROUND, SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. THAT WAS FOR CHIEF BUCHANAN INFRASTRUCTURE QUESTION, CHIEF BUCHANAN, COUNCILMAN, CAN YOU REPEAT, PLEASE REPEAT THAT QUESTION. SO ON ONE OF YOUR SLIDES, YOU CAPTURED A SERIES OF, UH, STATIONS THAT YOU NOTED WERE SOME OF THE OLDER 60 YEARS OLD AND PLUS, UM, YOU TALKED A BIT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN THOSE, UM, THOSE FIRE STATIONS. SO JUST WANTED TO, I NOTED THAT FIRE STATION 11 IS ON THAT LIST. UM, SO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNEW HOW I WAS WATCHING THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT AND WANTED TO GET ANY SENSE OF YOUR, UM, DIRECTION REGARDING, UM, HOW YOU WOULD WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE INVEST IN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILWOMAN? YEAH, INFRASTRUCTURE IS ONE OF MY TOP PRIORITIES. UM, I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT SINCE 2018 WE HAVE REPLACED FIVE FIRE STATIONS AND I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. THREE IN THE PORT OF LONG BEACH AND IN, IN NORTH LONG BEACH WE REPLACED STATION 12 AND, UM, BY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR, WE'LL BE RESPONDING AT A NEW FIRE STATION NINE. UM, I HIGHLIGHTED STATION 11 THERE. THAT'S THE LAST STATION THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IN NORTH LONG BEACH. UM, AT THAT IS, UH, WE'LL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIND THE FUNDING IN THE PROPER LOCATION. UM, AS YOU KNOW THAT THE STATION'S OVER 60 YEARS OLD, UH, IT DOES NOT PROVIDE THE RIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS FOR, UH, MY MEN AND WOMEN AND THE EQUIPMENT AS WE START GOING TO A GREEN FLEET. UM, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE SOME PARAMETERS AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME ISSUES IN REGARDS TO HAVING NEW FIRE ENGINES AND TRUCKS BE ABLE TO FIT IN SOME OF THESE OLD FIRE STATIONS. AND WE ADDRESS WELLNESS. UH, SOME OF THESE STATIONS DO NOT PROVIDE FOR THE PROPER WELLNESS OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN DUE TO THE FUMES COMING INTO THEIR LIVING QUARTERS. SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS, UM, WITH THE IDENTIFY FUNDING SOURCE IN THE, IN THE RIGHT LOCATION. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND, AND, AND ALL COUNCIL AND MAYOR AND TRYING TO FIND NOT ONLY LOCATION, BUT A FUNDING SOURCE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SUPERAL. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I'LL BE BRIEF AND THANKS FOR MENTIONING IT. I ONLY TOOK THREE MINUTES THE FIRST TIME, SO I'LL, I'LL GIVE MYSELF TWO MINUTES NOW. UM, I, I FORGOT TO MENTION IN MY EL DORADO PARK STORY THAT IT ALL STARTED WITH A SYSTEM-WIDE, UH, FIRST AID TRAINING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DID. I DON'T THINK THAT TOOK COUNCIL DIRECTION CHIEF FOR YOU TO DO THAT, BUT, UH, I WAS VERY IMPRESSED THAT THAT WAS ROLLED OUT AND, UH, LET'S, LET'S KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK THERE. THAT WAS PHENOMENAL. UM, ALSO, UM, I FORGOT TO MENTION, UH, RESCUE 18, THEY'RE NOT IN MY DISTRICT, BUT THEY'RE CLOSE ENOUGH. SO, UH, SO IMAGINE THAT SOMEONE HAS A CARDIAC ARREST IN A REMOTE AREA, YOU HAVE POLICE THERE, UH, TO, UH, RESUSCITATE AND, UM, PARAMEDIC ASSESSMENT ENGINE COMPANY FIVE, AND THEN RESCUE 19. WHICH GETS ME TO MY POINT ABOUT TRANSPORTING PATIENTS CHIEF. I, I THINK THAT NUMBER, UM, IS STAGGERING THAT HOW MANY OF OF THE CALLS END UP BEING IN TRANSPORT. AND THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A VERY SERIOUS LOOK AT. AND, UM, I, I THINK, UM, IF THAT CAN BE HANDLED BY A BLS UNIT, I, I THINK THE THEORY WAS THAT OKAY, THAT FREES UP THAT RESCUE TO NOT DO THE TRANSPORT. SO, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE YOU SOME, SOME HELP ON THAT. UM, I THINK THAT'S IT, BUT, UM, OH, ALSO WANNA MENTION SINCE I MENTIONED COMMANDER VINCENT, I SHOULD JUST HAD HER UP AT THE PODIUM TO DO MY PART FOR ME HERE. BUT, UH, NO, I KNOW I WON'T, I'LL NEVER DO THAT TO YOU. BUT, UH, SHE IS HOSTING A FORUM ON THURSDAY NIGHT AT THE EAST DIVISION AND UM, THE 6 0 2 PROGRAM WAS MENTIONED. UM, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE SIGNUPS THERE FOR THAT. THAT'S FROM FOUR TO SEVEN ON THURSDAY. I'VE BEEN A FAN OF THE 6 0 2 PROGRAM SINCE WE USED TO CALL IT, UH, WHAT WAS THE OLD TERM FOR IT? STANDING NO TRESPASS ORDER. IT'S MUCH MORE DESCRIPTIVE. UM, BUT UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE IN THE EAST DIVISION, PLEASE STOP BY AND YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN THIS. YOU'RE A BUSINESS OWNER. UM, UH, THE COMMANDER WELCOMES YOU THERE, SIR, THERE'S UNITED. OKAY, DID I MAKE IT IN TWO MINUTES? THANK YOU. LESS THAN TWO MINUTES. COUNCIL MEMBER. ALRIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS, THANK YOU. UM, I WILL START WHERE I LEFT OFF. UM, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN, CHIEF BUCHANAN FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR OUR CITY. UM, I AM VERY, VERY PLEASED TO SEE THE PROPOSAL FOR FUNDING OF THE PEAK LOAD RESCUE TWO, WHICH I THINK HAS BEEN MENTIONED BY MOST OF US HERE. UM, ALSO WANTED TO, UM, WANTED TO ASK YOU A QUICK QUESTION. I KNOW WE'RE ALL ASKING ABOUT THIS, BUT WHAT WILL IT REALLY [03:15:01] TAKE? LIKE WHAT IS THE FUNDS THAT ARE NEEDED TO, UM, TO PROVIDE A FULL-TIME 24 HOUR RESCUE AS OPPOSED TO MAYBE THE 12 HOUR BASIS? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. UH, COUNCILWOMAN SIN DEJAS. SO IF YOU'RE REFERRING TO PARENT PARAMEDIC RESCUE TWO, UM, WE HAVE STRUCTURAL FUNDING FOR FOUR FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS, THAT'S 1.3, AND THEY'LL BE OPERATING FOR 12, UM, 12 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK TO MOVE THAT TO 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND BE JUST LIKE THE OTHER RESCUES, IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL $600,000 FOR A TOTAL OF 1.9 MILLION. OKAY, 1.9 MILLION WILL, UH, MOVE RESCUE TWO TO BE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, CHIEF, UM, LASTLY, I WANNA NOTE THAT I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE PARTNERSHIP WITH LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OUR SENIOR COMMUNITIES TO EDUCATE THEM ON FIRE SAFETY. UM, I SUPPORT THE CONTINUATION OF EXPANSIONS LIKE THAT AND I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, STEALING ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES' EVENTS, THE FIRE AND ICE THAT I'VE, UM, TALKED TO COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SODI ABOUT STEALING THAT ONE. THANK YOU FOR THE CONTINUED, UM, COMMITMENT AND COLLABORATIONS, UM, WITH OUR COMMUNITY. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT AND I KNOW THAT, UM, WE'LL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH YOU AS WELL. I'M GONNA GO REAL, UM, BACK TO CHIEF ISH. UM, FOR A MINUTE I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO COUNCILWOMAN RICK SODI ON THE FOLLOW UP ON THE DRUMS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, THAT WAS GONNA BE ONE OF MY FOLLOW UPS AS I QUEUED UP AGAIN, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE, UH, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IT WAS. UM, THIS PAST TUESDAY. I WAS SO GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE, UH, MAKE IT OUT. I WANTED TO, UM, THANK YOU. I WENT TO TWO OF THEM. ONE AT CRAFTSMAN'S VILLAGE, UM, WHICH MY RESIDENTS WERE, UM, SO THRILLED TO HAVE OUR OFFICERS THERE. UM, AND EATING HOT DOGS, SHARING LAUGHS. I MEAN, IT WAS JUST A REALLY GREAT EVENT. UM, THEN I MADE MY WAY OVER TO DRAKE PARK, UM, WHERE WE HAD SO MANY RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND THAT WAS JUST SPEC SPECTACULAR TO SEE. UM, I WAS ABLE TO MEET UP WITH THE TIP PROGRAM THAT YOU GUYS WORK VERY CLOSELY UP WITH, AND THAT EARLIER IN THE MEETING, UM, COUNCILWOMAN DUGGAN, UM, RECOGNIZE AND RECOGNIZE THEIR EFFORTS. THAT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE THAT PARTNERSHIP EXPAND ALSO INTO, UM, OUR, UM, OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AVENUES THAT, THAT WE HAVE. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE A QUICK, QUICK STORY ABOUT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT ON TOP OF ME. IT BRINGING ME SO MUCH JOY TO SEE A FIVE-YEAR-OLD LITTLE BOY COMING UP TO, UH, POLICE OFFICERS AND DOING BUBBLES WITH THEM AND STUFF, AND JUST PLAYING AROUND AND BEING KIDS AROUND THE POLICE OFFICERS REALLY, REALLY FILLED MY HEART WITH JOY. BUT ONE THING THAT REALLY OVERWHELMED MY HEART AT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IS WHEN I TALKED TO TWO AMAZING YOUNG LADIES FROM THE EXPLORERS AND THEY WERE TALKING TO ME ABOUT THEIR PROGRAM AND WHAT THEY WERE DOING, AND I ASKED THEM, DO YOU WANNA BE A POLICE OFFICER WHEN YOU GROW UP? GROW? AND THE WAY THAT THEY ANSWERED YES, WAS OVERWHELMING. SO TO TOUCH ON COUNCILWOMAN ALAN, UM, HIS REMARKS EARLIER THERE ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE FEMALE, UH, OFFICERS IN BOTH FIRE AND UH, POLICE IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND THE SPARKLE THAT I SAW IN THEIR EYES, I KNOW THEY'RE GONNA BE GREAT POLICE OFFICERS, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE MENTORSHIP THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, . THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN. AND LASTLY, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, CHIEF BUCHANAN. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU AND THEN, UM, ONE MORE FOR EACH OF YOU. SO WHAT FACTORS ARE IMPACTING YOUR DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSE TIMES? WHAT FACTORS ARE RES ARE, UH, IMPACTING OUR RESPONSE TIMES? WELL, UM, WHEN WE'RE OUT OF UNITS, SO WHEN WE'RE OUTTA UNITS, UM, WE'RE RELYING ON, UH, AUTOMATIC AID FROM A DIFFERENT CITY. SO THAT IMPACTS OUR RESPONSE TIMES. UM, AND THEN JUST THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, AS YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE, UH, IN THE AREA WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, IT'S A HIGH RISE DISTRICT. UM, SO THE INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE, UM, TO GET INTO UPPER FLOORS OF THESE HIGH RISES, [03:20:01] THAT IMPACTS OUR RESPONSE TIMES. UM, BUT MOSTLY IS BASICALLY NOT HAVING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF RESOURCES, EMS RESOURCES TO HAVE, UH, TO REDUCE OUR RESPONSE TIMES. AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST IMPACT RIGHT THERE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S PART OF OUR DISCUSSION TONIGHT. SO FOR BOTH OF YOU AND CHIEF BUCHANAN, YOU CAN ANSWER THIS FIRST. WHAT CAN WE AS A CITY COUNCIL DO TO GIVE YOU THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO BRING THESE RESPONSE TIMES DOWN? I THINK THAT MORE DISCUSSION AND TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED WITH INCREASED RESOURCES, BUT PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTION. YEAH. THANKS FOR THE QUESTION. AS YOUR FIRE CHIEF, I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO FOLLOW OUR, OUR, OUR BEER PROGRAM, OUR OUR BUDGET PROCESS. AND I'LL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR FUNDING TO ADDRESS MY, UH, STAFFING AND RESOURCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES FOR STAFFING. I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS. UM, YOU'VE PROVIDED ME A LOT OF FUNDS TO HAVE TWO LARGE FIRE ACADEMIES. THAT IS WHY I HAVE A 3% VACANCY, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AND, UM, I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT INNOVATIVE WAYS YOU'VE PROVIDED FUNDS FOR, I COULD HAVE A PILOT PROGRAM. UH, THIS YEAR I HAD THE PAU PILOT PROGRAM. I ALSO HAD THE RESCUE TWO PILOT PROGRAM. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT INNOVATIVE WAYS TO, UH, PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT THAT IT'S GONNA REQUIRE FUNDING. AND I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT, BUT I'LL ALLOW YOU TO MAKE THAT DECISION. AND THE BIG FUNDING IS, LIKE I STATED, IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, WE, YOU SAW THE FOUR THREE FIRE, I MEAN TWO FIRE STATIONS ON THAT SLIDE. YOU SAW OUR LIFEGUARD HEADQUARTERS, THAT'S ALSO OLD. AND THEN YOU SAW OUR TRAINING CENTER. OUR TRAINING CENTER IS FROM THE 1960S. IT WAS DESIGNED FOR 24 RECRUITS AND AROUND SEVEN OR EIGHT INSTRUCTORS, ALL MALE FIREFIGHTERS AND INSTRUCTORS. NOW I'M, I'M DOUBLING THE SIZE RIGHT? I HAVE 50 RECRUITS AND AROUND 13 TO 14 INSTRUCTORS, MALE AND FEMALE. AND I WANT TO HAVE THE RIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS FOR EVERYBODY COMING INTO THIS ACADEMY. SO THESE ARE ARE BIG DISCUSSIONS HOW WE TRY TO IDENTIFY FUNDING TO ADDRESS THOSE CHALLENGES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. CHIEF ISH. CAN YOU CLARIFY THE QUESTION FOR ME, COUNCILWOMAN, IF YOU DON'T MIND? UH, JUST WHAT IS, WHAT CAN WE AS A CITY COUNCIL DO TO GIVE YOU THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO BRING RESPONSE TIMES DOWN? SURE. UM, CONTINUE TO PARTNER, UH, WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. I APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT, THE ONGOING SUPPORT. UM, AND IT'S NOT JUST A FUNDING ISSUE, IT IS AN AN ISSUE OF SHOWING AND DEMONSTRATING, UM, UH, THE APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE WE HAVE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT COME INTO THIS PROFESSION BECAUSE IT'S FELT THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND BEYOND. AND IT HELPS WITH RECRUITMENT. AND SO RECRUITMENT ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, IT'S EVERYBODY IN THE CITY AND WE TRY TO SHARE THAT MESSAGE. WE TRY TO, UH, SHARE THE MESSAGE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO WORK IN THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, THE TYPE OF CITY YOU'LL BE WORKING FOR AND WITH. AND SO, UM, I WOULD SAY WHAT YOU CAN DO IS TO CONTINUE TO, TO PARTNER WITH US, CONTINUE TO SUPPORT US, CONTINUE TO TRUST, UH, THAT WE ARE DOING WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. UM, I THINK THAT IS PROBABLY FIRST AND FOREMOST BECAUSE IT HELPS BUILD THIS ORGANIZATION, THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, IN A MANNER THAT, THAT, UH, THE CITY NEEDS, UH, MOVING FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO, UH, PROVIDE A SAFE AND THRIVING, UH, LONG BEACH FOR EVERYONE. THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU. I THINK THE DISCUSSION TONIGHT HAS BEEN GREAT AND OUR CONTINUED, UH, DISCUSSION ON WHAT IS NEEDED. BUT I WANNA FINISH KIND OF LIGHTLY WITH, UM, SUPPORT OF THE COPS AND BOBBERS, WHICH BRINGS COMMUNITY TOGETHER. IT'S SUCH A GREAT NAME AND OUR, OUR GRILL AND CHILL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'VE HEARD OF COPS AND ROBBERS. I DON'T THINK I'VE HEARD OF COPS AND BOBBERS. THAT'S A NEW ONE. IT'S A FISHING TREE. IS THAT A EAST LONG BEACH THING? THAT MUST BE AN EAST LONG BEACH THING. WE'LL SAY THAT IN NORTH LONG BEACH. UM, ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, TO OUR CHIEFS, THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL. I KNOW WE HAVE A FEW MORE, A COUPLE MORE BIG ITEMS, UH, TO GET TO. WE HAVE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS HEARING. UH, DENISE, DANIELLA SUAREZ, SOPHIA BARINA, UH, ANNA MARCIA AND JOSH DELEON. IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT. I'M GONNA READ IT ONE MORE TIME. IF NO ONE MAKES THEIR WAY, WE WILL MOVE ON. DENISE, DANIELLA, SOPHIA BARINAS, ANNA MARCIA AND JOSH DEION. ALRIGHT. PLEASE COME FORWARD. YOU WENT OUT TO THE BATHROOM, THEY'VE BEEN WAITING A WHILE. DO YOU MIND IF, OH, WE ARE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO STEP OUT? WAIT, IS SOME IS THAT JOSH? [03:25:01] PLEASE COME FORWARD. JOSH. ALRIGHT, . YEAH, JUST, JUST TAKE YOUR TIME. JUST TAKE YOUR TIME. YOU WAITED FOR US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE GOT SOME SNACKS IN THE BACK, SO I'M READY FOR THAT AS WELL. ALRIGHT. UH, GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS JOSH DE LEON. I AM A LONG BEACH RESIDENT AND THE LEAD ORGANIZER WITH LONG BEACH FOR JUST ECONOMY. UH, AND YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, I'M HERE TO BE ADDITIVE TO THAT. UM, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT AS PART OF THIS BUDGET HEARING, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE IMPACTING PUBLIC SAFETY THAT HAVE NOT BEEN MENTIONED HERE. IN PARTICULAR, I'M THINKING ABOUT THE ANTI-IMMIGRANT AND ILLEGAL FEDERAL OVERREACH THAT WE'VE SEEN SO HEAVILY IN OUR REGION. CRIME IS DOWN IN LONG BEACH EXCEPT CRIME DONE BY ICE. WHEN MASKED AGENTS WITHOUT WARRANTS ARREST OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BOTH LEGAL RESIDENTS AND UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS, BOTH WITH AND WITHOUT CRIMINAL HISTORY THAT INFRINGES ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRUST. WHEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS AVOID CALLING AND PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES LIKE THE AGENCIES THAT SHARE TODAY, OR WHEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE FEAR AND DON'T GO TO MEDICAL FACILITIES 'CAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA GET ARRESTED WHILE TAKING CARE OF THEIR NEEDS, THAT IS A GAP IN ACCESS TO EMERGENCY SERVICES. THE POINT HERE IS THAT PUBLIC SAFETY COMES IN MANY FORMS AND THAT INCLUDES PROTECTING OUR RIGHTS AS IMMIGRANTS AND ITS TENANTS. THAT'S WHY WE AND OUR COALITION ARE CALLING FOR STRONGER STRUCTURAL INVESTMENTS IN PROGRAMS LIKE THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND, AS WELL AS THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AND TENANT RIGHTS TO COUNCIL THAT HELP PROTECT RES RESIDENTS FROM A HOUSING INSTABILITY. UH, AND THAT'S WHY WE WANT LONG BEACH TO LEAD IN ITS IMMIGRATION PROTECTION POLICIES BY FURTHER STRETCHING THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, WHICH THE COMMUNITY WILL SHARE, UH, LATER IN THE AGENDA. UH, THE POINT HERE IS THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS NOT THE JOB OF TWO AGENCIES ALONE. IT IS A CITYWIDE COMMITMENT AND IT INCLUDES PROTECTING ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS FROM ALL THREATS, INCLUDING THE VIOLATION OF THEIR RIGHTS TO RESIDE HERE, TO MAKE A LIFE HERE, TO LIVE AND WORK AND RENT WITH DIGNITY HERE IN THE CITY BUILT BY IMMIGRANTS, WORKERS AND RENTERS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. DENISE, DANIELLA. SOPHIA OR ANNA? UH, DENISE. DENISE. ALL RIGHT. UM, MY NAME'S DENISE. I AM A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH ORLE AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO. UM, I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR 2.2 MILLION FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND. UM, I JUST WANNA STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROGRAM, GETTING NEW MONEY, UM, TO BE ABLE TO HELP THE MOST, UH, PEOPLE THAT IT POSSIBLY CAN. UM, I KNOW THIS COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR CARE FOR IMMIGRANTS AND YOU'VE MADE GREAT EFFORT TO ALLOCATE, UH, BUDGET TO THIS COMMUNITY. UM, THE JUSTICE FUND IS ONE OF THE MANY ITEMS THAT WAS FUNDED, UM, IN THE MAYOR'S DEFENDING LONG BEACH VALUES PACKAGE. UM, BUT I ASK THAT IT BE A PRIORITY AND THAT IT BE FUNDED THE 2.2 MILLION, UM, BEFORE OTHER NEW PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED. UM, THIS IS A FUND THAT WILL HAVE THE MOST IMPACT AND IT'S A PROGRAM THAT CAN SERVE COMMUNITY TODAY, UH, THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED AND INVESTED IN. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, AND MY THREE OTHER FOLKS, THEY WILL COME BACK. UM, I'D APPRECIATE IF THEY HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK. THEY'VE BEEN HERE ALL NIGHT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA CALL, I'M GONNA CALL HIM ONE MORE TIME. DANIELLA, SOPHIA OR ANNA? IMA, IMA NO, I HAVE ANNA. SOPHIA OR DANIELLA? ANNA. ANNA, ARE YOU ANNA? YES, YES, PLEASE PROCEED. SONA. CIA. HI, I AM ANNA CIA FROM DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN. I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE, UM, JUSTICE FUNDS AND I ASK YOU TO GO TO STRENGTHEN THE VALUES, UH, ACT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITIES. AND THANKS FOR LISTENING. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IS DANIELLA OR SOPHIA? DANIELLA? DANIELLA. AH, DANIELLA, PLEASE COME FORWARD. HELLO, GOODNIGHT. MY NAME IS DANIELLA SUAREZ. I'M HERE WITH TODAY. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FOUR TODAY I AM HERE AS A MOTHER OF A YOUNG CHILD, AS AN EDUCATOR, AND ALSO AS A PROUD IMMIGRANT. I AM HERE TO, AS THE CITY COUNCIL TO INCREASE PROTECTIONS FOR OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY AND INVEST 2.2 MILLION IN THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND TO ENSURE ACCESS TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION. DURING THE PAST MONTHS, WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE BEING KIDNAPPED IN DAYLIGHT, UM, WHILE GOING TO WORK TO CHURCH TO PICK UP THEIR CHILDREN FROM SCHOOL. THE VIOLENCE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ANYWHERE, AND IT SHOULD NOT, IT SHOULD CERTAINLY NOT HAPPEN IN OUR CITY, ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE IN THE COUNTRY. AS SUCH, I ALSO WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR STRENGTHENING THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AND GO BEYOND SB 54 TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY DOES NOT SHARE INFORMATION WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AGENCIES, [03:30:01] AND THAT IT DOES NOT WORK WITH COMPANIES THAT PROFIT FROM SEPARATING FAMILIES. EVERY LONG BEACH RESIDENT SHOULD HAVE THE PEACE OF MIND THAT THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE USED AND ABUSED TO PERSECUTE THEM. WHILE THE LONG BEACH VALUE VALUE VALUES ACT IS CERTAINLY VALUED OR URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO COMMIT TO, TO STRONGER, TO THE STRONGER PROTECTIONS OF OUR THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS AND DESERVES. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SOPHIA. BACK. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT, WE'LL NOW VOTE TO CONTINUE THE HEARING. UH, ROLL CALL VOTE PLEASE. DISTRICT ONE AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FOUR? AYE. DISTRICT FIVE? AYE. DISTRICT SIX? AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. STILL A COUPLE MORE THINGS TO DO. UH, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER ONE. AND THEN WE HAVE HEARING 25 PACIFIC PLACE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. I SEE THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. CORDLESS LEE AND CHRISTOPHER WELSH IS CORDLESS HERE? RAISE YOUR HAND. YES. OKAY. CORDLESS, YOU'RE UP. AND IS CHRISTOPHER HERE? OKAY. START MAKING YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT. CHRISTOPHER. THANK YOU. HI. UM, I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT A BILL GOING THROUGH THE STATE LEGISLATURE SB 79. I HAD SENT YOU ALL, UH, AN EMAIL A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO ABOUT IT. IT'S, UH, UH, THE SUPPOSEDLY THE WORST LAND USE BILL OF THE YEAR. UM, IT'S ABOUT A MASSIVE UPZONING, IT USURPS CITY CONTROLS ON ZONING AND BUILDING REQUIREMENTS. UM, LET'S SEE. WHAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE IS TO HAVE OUR COUNCIL WRITE A LETTER OF OP OPPOSITION. AND I HAD SENT YOU THE LIST OF ALL THE CITIES THAT HAVE ALREADY DONE THAT, AND IT'S A MASSIVE LIST. IT'S FIVE PAGES LONG. IT'S ALMOST ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES HAVE DONE THAT. AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT SITTING HERE TONIGHT, AND I DON'T REMEMBER OUR CITY EVER DOING A LETTER OF OPPOSITION TO ANY BILL. SO I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S JUST, WE DON'T WANNA OFFEND SACRAMENTO. BUT THIS PARTICULAR BILL IS, UM, REALLY EGREGIOUS AND YOU KNOW, THAT THE COMMUNITY CARES ABOUT ZONING. YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE AROUND FOR THE LAND USE ELEMENT BACK IN 20 17, 20 18, THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP AT THOSE MEETINGS WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT REZONING THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO, UM, THIS BILL WOULD OVERRIDE OUR ZONING AND ALLOW FIVE TO SEVEN STORY BUILDINGS AND MORE. AND IF YOU READ THE BILL, IT STARTS OUT LOOKING LIKE IT'S JUST AROUND, UH, THE BLUE LINE. BUT IF YOU READ IT MORE CAREFULLY AND YOU SEE THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE THEIR HOMEWORK, IT REALLY GOES OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. AND THERE ARE SITES ONLINE WHERE YOU CAN GO IN AND LOOK AT WHAT IT WOULD AFFECT IN LONG BEACH. AND IT'S MOST OF LONG BEACH. UM, LIVABLE CALIFORNIA IS A NONPROFIT THAT I FOLLOW THAT MEETS ON LAND USE BILLS ONCE A MONTH. UM, THEY FAVOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THEY IDENTIFY THE BILLS THAT THEY THINK ARE EGREGIOUS. AND IN THIS CASE, THIS IS THE TOP OF THE LIST THIS YEAR. SO I JUST, I'D LIKE TO SEE OUR LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, UM, GET ON THE BALL WITH THIS BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY APPROPRIATIONS. YOU KNOW, IT'S ALREADY SO FAR DOWN THE LINE THAT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BUT LONG BEACH IS A BIG FORCE. WE'RE A BIG CITY THAT SHOULD HAVE A VOICE. SO I'M PLEADING WITH YOU TO, TO GET ON THAT. AND I, I SENT, UH, I, I GAVE OUR LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE A A BINDER ON THIS AND TRIED TO DO ALL YOUR HOMEWORK FOR YOU. SO, UM, PLEASE DO SOMETHING THIS YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS MR. WELCH. UH, HI. PLEASURE TO MEET YOU. PLEASURE TO MEET ALL OF YOU. LOOKING FOR MY PHONE. UM, FIRST, UH, IS A PROPOSAL AND ASK, UH, THAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TAKE ON THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, UH, ACROSS AGENCY MANDATE, UM, AND IMPLEMENT, UH, A LOCAL MUNICIPAL, UH, POWER, UH, FOR SUCH GOVERNMENTAL OFFICE, UH, AND PICK UP, UH, WHERE THEY LEFT OFF BEFORE, UH, HERITAGE FOUNDATION, USURPED. UH, [03:35:01] ANOTHER, YOU HAVE AN, UM, AN EMAIL FROM ME, UH, IN YOUR EMAIL WITH, UH, A FEW ACTS, SEVERAL ACTS AND, UH, SOME 40 PLUS PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT ARE COMMON SENSE. UH, WHAT ELSE? SORRY. UM, TWO MINUTES. UH, IQ AIR, UH, PHENOMENAL WOMAN, CEO. SHE WOULD LOVE, UH, A PHONE CALL FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TO DO, UH, UH, A, UH, AIR FILTRATION WITHIN LOCAL LONG BEACH TRANSIT. UH, AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUSH AND TAKE THE CHALLENGE, UH, THE A LINE, UH, FOR THE US EPAS CROSS AGENCY ASK, UH, FOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY, UH, UH, LA FIRE ABOUT THE RESPONSE TIME, UH, UH, UH, AN EV UH, RETROFIT BY, UH, 2030. YOU COULD START THAT NOW. UM, PROBABLY THE, THE GAW WOULD PROBABLY, OR THE GAB WOULD BE, UH, WELL CHARGED TIMES. SO YOU CAN DO A, A, A QUICK BATTERY CHANGE STATION AT EVERY, UH, FIRE STATION. AND THEN, UH, TAKE ON SHINZHEN CHINA'S, UH, SURVEILLANCE DOCTRINE OR, UH, CULTURE, UH, HAVING, UH, 1,500 CAMERAS AND 700 SENSORS, ALL HIGH DEFINITION, UH, WITH FACIAL RECOGNITION. UH, AND THEN HAVE THAT, UH, BACKED BY X AIS ROC, UH, AS A OPERATING SYSTEM. THAT'S IT FOR NOW. THANK YOU KINDLY. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'RE NOT GONNA GO TO HEARING ITEM 25, PLEASE REPORT FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD. CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC [25. 25-56023 Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing and consider two third-party appeals from Benjamin Harris for Los Angeles Waterkeeper (APL25-004) and Sunjana Supekar with Carstens, Black & Minteer LLP for the Riverpark Coalition (APL25-005);  Adopt resolution certifying the InSite Self Storage Project Environmental Impact Report (EIR-02-23, State Clearinghouse [SCH] Number 2023060250), making findings of fact related thereto and approving a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP);       Office or Department:         Suggested Action: ] HEARING AND CONSIDER TWO THIRD PARTY APPEALS FROM BENJAMIN HARRIS FOR LOS ANGELES WATERKEEPER AND SAN PECKER WITH CARSON BLACK MONTIER, LLP FOR THE RIVER PARK COALITION. ADOPT RESOLUTION CERTIFYING THE INSIDE SELF STORAGE PROJECT, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, MAKING FINDINGS OF FACT RELATED THERETO AND APPROVING A MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM. ADOPT RESOLUTION, APPROVING A GENERAL PLAN MAP AMENDMENT, AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED FINDINGS RELATED THERETO TO CHANGE LAND USE PLACE TYPE FROM NEO INDUSTRIAL 40 FEET TO COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL, FIVE STORIES, 50 FEET PLACE TYPE ADOPT ORDINANCE APPROVING A ZONING CODE AMENDMENT OF THE ZONING REGULATIONS IN THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED FINDINGS RELATED THERETO TO ALLOW THE COMMERCIAL STORAGE ZONING DISTRICT TO UTILIZE HEIGHTS. HEIGHT OVERLAYS PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 21.39 OF THE ZONING REGULATIONS. READ THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING. ADOPT ORDINANCE, APPROVING A ZONING MAP, CHANGE REQUEST, AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED FINDINGS RELATED THERETO TO AMEND THE ZONING DESIGNATION FROM LIGHT INDUSTRIAL TO COMMERCIAL STORAGE, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES A HIGH RISE OVERLAY DESIGNATION OF 50 FEET, FIVE STORIES AND HEIGHT. READ THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING. DENY THE APPEALS AND UPHOLD THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OF SITE PLAN, REVIEW AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED FINDINGS AND CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL THERETO AND DENY THE APPEALS AND UPHOLD THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S APPROVAL OF CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED FINDINGS AND CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL THERETO TO ALLOW THE OPERATION OF THE SOUTH STORAGE FACILITY. RECREATIONAL VEHICLE STORAGE AND PRIVATE OUTDOOR CAR WASH IN THE COMMERCIAL STORAGE ZONING DISTRICT LOCATED AT 37 0 1 PACIFIC PLACE, DISTRICT FIVE. ALL RIGHT, I BELIEVE THERE'S AN OATH REQUIRED. WE NEED A MOTION. PLEASE STAND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE GOING TO TESTIFY ON THIS ITEM. OKAY, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. DO YOU, AND EACH OF YOU DO SOLEMNLY STATE THAT THE TESTIMONY YOU MAY GIVE IN THE CAUSE NOW IMP PENDING BEFORE THIS BODY SHALL BE THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, SO HELP YOU GOD, [03:40:02] YOU MAY BE SEATED. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO THIS IS A HEARING OF, UH, GREAT INTEREST. I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS BECAUSE, UH, HEARINGS FOLLOW A VERY SPECIFIC, UH, PROCESS AND WE WANT, WE INTEND TO DO IT CORRECTLY. SO IT STARTS WITH A STAFF PRESENTATION THAT SHOULD NOT EXCEED 20 MINUTES. APPELLANT, UH, COMMENTS WILL THEN FOLLOW, THOUGH EACH APPELLANT HAS 10 MINUTES AND THERE ARE TWO APPELLANTS, RIVER PARK AND WATER KEEPERS, AND THEN THE APPLICANT HAS A 10 MINUTE REBUTTAL. AFTER THAT WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THERE ARE 21 PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. UH, NEITHER THE APPELLANTS OR THE APPLICANTS CAN SUPPLEMENT THEIR ARGUMENT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT. AFTER THAT, WE WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. WE WILL TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL FOR CITY COUNCIL DELIBERATION AND ACTION. THIS ACTION HAS TO BE SEPARATED INTO SEVER SEPARATE VOTES, UH, TO ACCOUNT FOR EACH ACTION TAKEN. ADDITIONALLY, BECAUSE THIS IS A VIRTUAL MEETING, EACH VOTE WILL BE, UH, A VOICE VOTE. SO THIS IS, UH, UM, VERY PROCEDURAL. WE WILL FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE FOR THIS HEARING AND IT BEGINS WITH THE STAFF PRESENTATION. UH, MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND PLEASE? LET'S GET A, A MOTION TO START THE DEBATE. DO YOU NEED THAT VERBAL OR CAN YOU HIT THE BUTTON? WE NEED A VERBAL. OKAY. WE NEED A MOTION IN SECOND. I'LL MAKE THE FIRST. OKAY. SECOND. UH, OKAY. NINE AND SIX. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, LET'S PROCEED. MR. MAYOR, BEFORE WE BEGIN WITH THE STAFF PRESENTATION, JUST VERY QUICKLY, I'M PRINCIPAL DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY AARON WEISNER MCKINLEY. AND BEFORE WE MOVE BACK TO STAFF, WE JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY ADDRESS THE RECORD ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE. THE RIVER PARK COALITION APPEAL LETTER, WHICH WAS DATED JUNE 11TH, 2025, WHAT IS INCLUDED AS AN EXHIBIT TO THIS HEARING ITEM ON THE MEETING AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING, WHICH WAS POSTED ON MONDAY, AUGUST 4TH, THE RIVER PARK COALITION APPEAL LETTER WAS INADVERTENTLY DROPPED FROM THE ITEM LATE ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, AND IT WAS PUT BACK ON THE AGENDA DOCUMENTS EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON. ALL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THEY RECEIVED AND REVIEWED THE RIVER PARK COALITION APPEAL IN ADVANCE OF TONIGHT'S HEARING, UM, THEREBY RESULTING IN NO PREJUDICE TO ANY PARTY TO THE APPEAL. ADDITIONALLY, THE ARGUMENTS SET FORTH IN THE RIVER PARK COALITION APPEAL ARE WORKED FOR AN ATTACHMENT FOR ATTACHMENT THE SAME AS THE APPEAL FOLLOWED BY, FILED BY THE LOS ANGELES WATER KEEPERS WITH THE WA WITH A COUPLE EXCEPTIONS, THE WATER KEEPERS APPEAL, UM, DIFFERED IN THE SENSE THAT IT INCLUDED A PARAGRAPH OF ARGUMENT AROUND THE PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING. UM, AND THEY ALSO HAD SOME DIFFERENT CONTENT AND LANGUAGE AROUND, UM, ERRONEOUS INFORMATION AND, BUT THEY BOTH CONTAINED THE SAME ARGUMENT. UM, THE WATERKEEPER APPEAL WAS POSTED WITH THE ORIGINAL AGENDA ITEM ON AUGUST 4TH, AND IT REMAINED A PART OF THE ITEM FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE TIME PERIOD THAT THE HEARING AGENDA WAS POSTED. UM, WE NOW HAVE THE APPEAL ONLINE AND IT'S AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AND WE ALSO HAVE A HARD COPY OF THE RIVER PARK APPEALS, UH, THE RIVER PARK COALITION'S APPEAL HERE IN CHAMBERS IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU FOR UPDATING THAT FOR THE RECORD. UH, WE'LL NOW MOVE INTO THE STAFF PRESENTATION. GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. MAYOR. SO, UM, WE, UH, HAVE A FAIRLY EXTENSIVE PRESENTATION. AS YOU SAID, THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX PROJECT, UH, LOTS OF INFORMATION. SO I WILL TURN THAT OVER TO OUR TEAM. UH, PRIMARILY IT'LL BE GIVEN BY OUR PROJECT PLANNER WHO'S REALLY BEEN IN THE, IN THE DETAILS ON THIS. QUENTIN JACKSON, ALSO SUPPORTED BY ALLISON SPINDLER REESE, OUR PLANNING BUREAU MANAGER, AND CHRISTOPHER KONZ, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. SO I'LL TURN TO THE TEAM. GREAT. SO, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, THIS PROJECT DOES HAVE, UH, MANY YEARS OF HISTORY AND THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN HEARD BEFORE. SO QUENTIN AND ALLISON ARE GONNA GIVE YOU THAT, UM, DETAILED TECHNICAL PRESENTATION. AND I JUST WANNA STRESS THE REASON IT'S A DETAILED TECHNICAL PRESENTATION, SOMETIMES NOT THE MOST EXCITING IS BECAUSE THE WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO, UM, WHEN WE RECEIVE AN APPLICATION LIKE THIS THAT'S A PIECE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY, UM, THAT PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER DOES HAVE EXTENSIVE RIGHTS. UM, THE CITY HAS A REGULATORY ROLE, UM, BUT OUR, OUR ROLE IS LIMITED. SO, UM, WHEN WE MAKE DECISIONS, IT'S BASED ON THE FACTUAL INFORMATION IN FRONT OF US. UH, PUBLIC INPUT IS PART OF THAT INFORMATION GATHERING. UM, BUT IT'S NOT A POPULARITY CONTEST, IT'S AN EVALUATION OF THE INFORMATION AND APPLYING IT TO OUR WRITTEN ZONING CODE AND, UH, UPHOLDING, UH, THE APPLICANT'S RIGHT, AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC AND THE CITY'S RIGHTS. SO ALLISON AND QUENTIN ARE GONNA, UM, WALK YOU THROUGH THAT AND THEN WE'RE GLAD TO ANSWER, UM, ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS, UM, AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. ALLISON QUENTIN, THANK YOU, CHRIS. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. UH, THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS A REQUEST TO DENY TWO APPEALS AND UPHOLD THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S JUNE 5TH APPROVAL AND TO APPROVE A GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT ZONING, CODE, AMENDMENT, AND A ZONE CHANGE FOR THE SITE. LOCATED AT 37 0 1 NORTH PACIFIC PLACE. THIS PROJECT WAS ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED ON, UH, IN 2020 AND ON [03:45:01] DECEMBER 17TH OF THAT YEAR, THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVED THE SITE PLAN REVIEW. THREE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS, A STANDARDS VARIANCE AND A LOT MERGER, AND ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE A ZONE CHANGE REQUEST. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S APPROVAL WAS APPEALED TO CITY COUNCIL WHO HEARD THE ITEM IN APRIL OF 2021 AND UPHELD THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S APPROVAL, UH, THE FOLLOWING YEAR IN 2022, A LAWSUIT WAS, WAS FILED AGAINST THE CITY BY THE RIVER PARK COALITION AND LA WATERKEEPER CITING SEVERAL REASONS FOR OPPOSITION, UH, INCLUDING AN INSUFFICIENT LEVEL OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW. AND SO IN, UH, JUNE OF 2022, THE UH, COURTS RULED IN FAVOR OF THE PLAINTIFFS DETERMINING THAT A FULL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT WOULD BE REQUIRED, WHICH EFFECTIVELY NULLIFIED ALL PREVIOUS APPROVALS PERTAINING TO THIS PROJECT. UH, AS A RESULT, THE PROJECT WAS RESUBMITTED IN 2023 AND THE FULL EIR HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE CITY. UH, THE RESUBMITTED PROJECT INCLUDED A SITE PLAN REVIEW AND THREE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON JUNE 5TH, 2025. THE PROJECT SITE IS LOCATED AT 37 0 1 NORTH PACIFIC PLACE AND IS CURRENTLY COMPRISED OF A 14 ACRE VACANT PROPERTY. UH, IT HAS A CURRENT ZONING DESIGNATION OF LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AND A GENERAL PLAN PLACE TYPE DESIGNATION OF NEO INDUSTRIAL. UH, THE SITE IS BOUNDED TO THE NORTH BY THE METRO, A LINE AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES TO THE SOUTH BY THE 4 0 5 FREEWAY TO THE EAST BY A SCHOOL PARK AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES INTO THE WEST BY MORE VACANT LAND AND THE LA RIVER. AND SO THIS, UH, THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS THE BUFFERING AND ISOLATION OF THE SITE IN TERMS OF ITS IMMEDIATE BORDERS. AND IT, UH, FURTHER DETAILS THE FACT THAT THE SITE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE FROM A SINGLE POINT OF ENTRY FROM PACIFIC PLACE. UH, THE SITE IS PARTICULARLY HARD TO ACCESS FROM NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, TO THE WEST AND TO THE SOUTH. IN TERMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT HISTORY OF THE PROJECT SITE. UH, PREVIOUS ACTIVITIES HAVE RESULTED IN A CONTAMINATED PROPERTY. UH, DURING THE 1920S, THE SITE WAS ESTABLISHED AS AN OIL BRINE TREATMENT FACILITY. DURING THE 1930S, OIL DRILLING ACTIVITIES COMMENCED WITH THE OPERATION OF 13 OIL WELLS. DURING THE 1950S, THE OIL TREATMENT FACILITY WAS DISCONTINUED, AND IN THE 1970S, THE SITE WAS FILLED WITH IMPORTED SOIL. BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 1961 AND 2014, ALL OF THE OIL WELLS WERE EVENTUALLY ABANDONED AND A GOLF DRIVING RANGE WAS ESTABLISHED AND OPERATED FROM 1997 UNTIL 2007. AND AFTER ITS CLOSURE, UH, GOLF RELATED RETAIL AND EQUIPMENT RENTAL CONTINUED UNTIL 2015. THE PROPOSED PROJECT CONSISTS OF A SELF STORAGE FACILITY, A CAR WASH, AND AN RV PARKING LOT. THE SELF STORAGE FACILITY WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 206,000 SQUARE FEET SPREAD AMONG FOUR STORIES WITH 1,681 SELF STORAGE UNITS. THE CAR WASH WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 1,450 SQUARE FEET AND EXCLUSIVE TO TENANTS OF THE PROPERTY AND THE RV PARKING LOT WOULD CONSIST OF 551 COVERED PARKING SPACES. THE PLANNING ENTITLEMENTS REQUIRED FOR THIS PROJECT INCLUDE A ZONE CHANGE, A GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT, A ZONING CODE AMENDMENT, A SITE PLAN REVIEW, AND THREE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS. THE ZONE CHANGE, GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT, AND ZONING CODE AMENDMENT ARE ALL SUBJECT TO CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL WHILE THE SITE PLAN REVIEW AND CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS WERE APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON JUNE 5TH, 2025, BUT ARE BEING HEARD ON APPEAL TONIGHT. ALSO, SUBJECT TO CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL TONIGHT IS THE CERTIFICATION OF THE AFOREMENTIONED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT. THE ZONE CHANGE IS REQUESTED TO CONVERT THE PROJECT SITE FROM LIGHT INDUSTRIAL TO COMMERCIAL STORAGE IN ORDER TO ALLOW THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SELF STORAGE FACILITY AND RV PARKING LOT. THE REQUESTED ZONE CHANGE WOULD ALSO INCLUDE A BUILDING HEIGHT OVERLAY OF 50 FEET AND FIVE STORIES, WHICH IS INDICATED ON THE SCREEN WITH THE ZONING CODE HR DASH 50 SLASH FIVE. THE COMMERCIAL STORAGE DISTRICT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE ZONING TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT BECAUSE IT ENCOURAGES STORAGE USES IN AREAS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO USE BECAUSE OF PARCEL SHAPE, LIMITED ACCESS OR ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, UH, ALL OF WHICH ARE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROJECT SITE. GIVEN THE UNIQUE NATURE OF THE PROJECT SITE IN TERMS OF IRREGULAR SHAPE, NATURAL ISOLATION, LIMITED ACCESS, AND ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, THE SITE IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE COMMERCIAL STORAGE DISTRICT, WHICH IS A SIMILAR BUT LESS INTENSIVE ZONE THAN THE EXISTING IL ZONE. THE PROJECT ALSO INCLUDES A GENERAL PLANNED AMENDMENT, WHICH WHICH WORKS IN TANDEM WITH THE PROPOSED ZONE CHANGE BEFORE YOU. CURRENTLY THE PROJECT SITE HAS A GENERAL PLAN PLACE TYPE DESIGNATION OF NEO INDUSTRIAL, WHICH IS MORE IN LINE WITH ADVANCED MANUFACTURING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER LIGHT INDUSTRIAL USES WITHIN THE LAND USE ELEMENT OF THE GENERAL PLAN. THE COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL PLACE TYPE IS INDICATED AS BEING CONSISTENT WITH THE COMMERCIAL STORAGE ZONING DISTRICT. THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPOSED GENERAL PLAN CHANGES PERTAIN SPECIFICALLY TO THE PLACE TYPE CHANGE FROM NEO INDUSTRIAL TO COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL, BUT THERE'S ALSO A CHANGE TO LAND USE MAP NUMBER EIGHT, WHICH WOULD CHANGE THE HEIGHT ALLOWANCE FROM 40 FEET TO 50 FEET AND FIVE STORIES CONSISTENT WITH THE PROPOSED HEIGHT OVERLAY FOR THE ZONE CHANGE REQUEST, THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOUND THAT THE [03:50:01] PROPOSED GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT WILL BENEFIT PUBLIC INTEREST AS THE PROJECT'S SITE AND ITS CURRENT CONDITION IS A VACANT, UNDERUTILIZED, AND BLIGHTED PROPERTY WITH LIMITED DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL. AND THE SITE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO ATTRACT NUISANCE ACTIVITY ON A CONTINUAL BASIS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WOULD CONVERT THE SITE INTO AN ECONOMICALLY BENEFICIAL, SAFE, AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE SITE THAT WILL IMPROVE PUBLIC ACCESS IN THE FORM OF NEWLY PAVED ROADS, NEW SIDEWALKS, AND ONSITE ACCESS TO THE ADJACENT LA RIVER BIKE PATH. THE ENTITLEMENT PACKAGE ALSO INCLUDES A REQUEST FOR A ZONING CODE AMENDMENT TO ALLOW THE COMMERCIAL STORAGE DISTRICT TO UTILIZE THE HEIGHT OVERLAY AVAILABLE IN THE CODE. THE ZONING CODE AMENDMENT WOULD BE NEEDED TO ALLOW UP TO 50 FEET IN HEIGHT. THE PROPOSED HEIGHT OVERLAY IS MEANT TO PROVIDE CASE BY CASE RELIEF FROM THE 28 FOOT HEIGHT LIMIT WITHIN THE COMMERCIAL STORAGE DISTRICT, UH, WHICH IN THIS CASE WOULD ALSO ALLOW THE PROJECT TO BE BUILT AT 44 FEET IN HEIGHT. STAFF HAS MADE FINDINGS AS TO WHY THIS ZONING CODE AMENDMENT IS APPROPRIATE IN ORDER TO ALLOW FOR MODERN SELF STORAGE USES, WHICH ARE TYPICALLY THREE TO FOUR STORIES IN HEIGHT. IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALLOW SELF STORAGE IN SOME LOCATIONS IN CONSIDERATION OF BROADER GENERAL PLAN POLICIES AND STRATEGIES AS DESCRIBED IN THE FINDINGS, THIS CODE AMENDMENT FACILITATES A VARIETY OF POLICIES SUPPORTING NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. UH, THE CITY HAS ISSUED PERMITS FOR MORE THAN 7,000 DWELL DWELLING UNITS, UH, SINCE THE 2019 YEAR OF THE THE LUE ADOPTION. MANY OF THESE UNITS WERE SMALLER INFILL APARTMENT UNITS OR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS. SOME PORTION OF THESE UNITS, AS WELL AS THE POPULATION AS A WHOLE, REQUIRES STORAGE, INCLUDING OFFSITE SELF STORAGE. THE ABILITY FOR THE CITY TO ACCOMMODATE URBAN LIVING AND SMALLER UNITS AROUND THE CITY REQUIRES THAT THE CITY ALSO CONSIDER FACILITATING A LIMITED NUMBER OF APPROPRIATE PROPERTIES, INCLUDING THE SUBJECT PROPERTY FOR HIGH QUALITY STORAGE USES. THE PROJECT SITE IS WITHIN A LARGER AREA IDENTIFIED IN THE LOS ANGELES RIVER MASTER PLAN, WHICH IS A VISION DOCUMENT, IDENTIFYING LONG-TERM GOALS FOR INCREASING OPEN SPACE ALONG THE LA RIVER. THE LA RIVER MASTER PLAN IS LED BY THE LA COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND ALTHOUGH IT IDENTIFIES THE SUBJECT SITE AS BEING WITHIN A POTENTIAL OPEN SPACE AREA, THE SUBJECT SITE ITSELF IS PRIVATE PROPERTY AND THE PLAN ACKNOWLEDGES ACQUISITION LIMITATIONS. AS SUCH, THE COUNTY OWNS AND MANAGES THE RIVER CHANNEL ITSELF AND SOME OF THE LAND THAT IS ADJACENT TO THE RIVER CHANNEL, WHICH IN THIS CASE ALSO HAPPENS TO BE ADJACENT TO THE PROJECT SITE. THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT PROJECT HAS BEEN CONDITIONED TO REQUIRE THE APPLICANT TO WORK WITH THE ENTITY RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING THE ADJACENT COUNTY OWNED LAND. THIS REQUIREMENT INCLUDES DEVELOPMENT OF A HALF ACRE SECTION OF NATIVE PLANT PRESERVE IN THE NORTH PORTION OF THE PROJECT SITE. TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE LA RIVER MASTER PLAN, THE APPLICANT WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED TO HOLD AND MAINTAIN AN ACCESS POINT AND ONSITE TRAIL EASEMENT THAT CONNECTS THE ENTRANCE OF THE PROJECT SITE FROM PACIFIC PLACE TO A TRAIL HEAD LEADING TO THE LA RIVER BIKE PATH. THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES A MORE DETAILED VIEW OF THE ACCESS POINT AND TRAIL EASEMENT THAT THE APPLICANT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR. SHOULD THIS DEVELOPMENT BE APPROVED, THE NEW PATHWAY WILL ALLOW A NEW PUBLIC ACCESS WAY FROM THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE SITE TO THE COUNTY PROPERTY THAT IS DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE LA RIVER BIKE PATH, WHICH THIS SITE IS NOT A PART OF. THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON JUNE 5TH INCLUDE APPROVAL OF A SITE PLAN REVIEW AND THREE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS FOR THE SELF STORAGE FACILITY, THE RV PARKING LOT, AND THE ACCESSORY CAR WASH. THESE APPROVALS AS WELL AS THE RECOMMENDED LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS WERE GRANTED BASED ON ALL LEGAL FINDINGS OF FACT MADE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE REGARDING THE SITE PLAN REVIEW APPROVAL, THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOUND THAT THE PROJECT IS HARMONIOUS AND CONSISTENT WITHIN ITSELF AND COMPATIBLE WITH THE COMMUNITY. THEY ALSO FOUND THAT THE PROJECT REPRESENTS THE MOST COMPATIBLE USE, GIVEN THE SITE CONTEXT AND PREVIOUS SITE CONTAMINATION ACTIVITIES ON THE PROPERTY. THE PROJECT SITE IS LOCATED ALONG THE NORTHEAST INTERSECTION OF THE 4 0 5 FREEWAY AND LA RIVER, AND IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE VIA PACIFIC PLACE. UH, SO SITE ORIENTATION IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE THE MOST VISIBILITY OF THE NEW BUILDING FROM ITS ENTRANCE ALONG PACIFIC PLACE. WITH THIS ORIENTATION, THE SELF STORAGE BUILDING PROVIDES A VISUAL BUFFER BETWEEN THE SITE ENTRANCE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE RV PARKING LOT. THE BUILDING ITSELF USES A CONTEMPORARY STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION BELIEVES IS OF A HIGHER QUALITY THAN THE TYPICAL SELF STORAGE DEVELOPMENT. ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE URBAN DESIGN ELEMENT IS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE REMOVAL OF URBAN BLIGHT, WHICH HAS PLAGUED THE PROJECT SITE FOR MANY YEARS. UH, THE PROPOSED PROJECT HAS BEEN DEEMED TO SUFFICIENTLY SATISFY THIS PARTICULAR GOAL OF THE URBAN DESIGN ELEMENT REGARDING THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPROVALS, UH, FINDINGS INCLUDE SEVERAL SPECIAL CONDITIONS THAT GOVERN THE OPERATION OF THE PROPOSED USE. ONE OF THOSE CONDITIONS IS THAT THE USE ONLY BE PERMITTED IF NO OTHER REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES EXIST. OTHER CONDITIONS INCLUDE NO DISRUPTION OR NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON PEDESTRIAN OR TRAFFIC CIRCULATION, NO DISRUPTION TO THE CONCENTRATION OF HIGH INTENSITY ACTIVITIES, PROHIBITION OF HUMAN HABITATION [03:55:01] WITHIN STORAGE UNITS, REQUIREMENTS FOR SECURITY PLANS, AND SEVERAL OTHER CONDITIONS THAT PERTAIN TO ALL THREE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS. THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOUND THAT THE PROJECT WILL NOT BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY BASED ON THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE, OF THE SITE IN TERMS OF ACCESS AND CONTAMINATION. AND THE FACT THAT IT'S AN AUTO ORIENTED PROPERTY THAT LACKS PEDESTRIAN COMPAT COMPATIBILITY, UH, FOR THE SAKE OF REDUNDANCY. THE PROJECT REPRESENTS A LOW INTENSITY USE, UH, THAT'S DEEMED APPROPRIATE DUE TO THE HEAVY SITE CONTAMINATION. THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS INCORPORATED SEVERAL CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL TO SAFEGUARD AGAINST ADVERSE IMPACTS OF THE PROJECT, INCLUDING HOURS OF OPERATION, PROHIBITION OF IDLING VEHICLES, PROHIBITION OF IN OPERABLE VEHICLES, PROHIBITION OF ONSITE VEHICLE REPAIR, PROPER LOADING AREAS, AND MANY MORE CONDITIONS. UH, THEREFORE, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL UPHOLD THE SITE PLAN REVIEW AND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPROVALS GIVEN BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON JUNE 5TH. AND WITH THAT, I'LL NOW TURN THIS, UH, PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION OVER TO, UH, ALLISON SPINDLER RUIZ. THANK YOU. THANKS QUENTIN. SO, UM, TWO APPEALS WERE FILED, UM, ON BY LEGAL FIRMS ON BEHALF OF LA WATERKEEPER AND THE RIVER PARK COALITION. AFTER THE PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING, THIS SLIDE SUMMARIZES THE ASSERTIONS MADE IN BOTH APPEALS. THE APPEALS PURPORT THAT THE EIR WAS SOMEHOW INSUFFICIENT, OR THAT ENVIRONMENTAL AND LAND USE PLANNING TOPICS WERE NOT FULLY ADDRESSED. THAT'S SIMPLY NOT TRUE. SQA REQUIRES ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND DISCLOSURE, AND THE EIR FULLY ANALYZED ALL RELEVANT TOPICS AND IDENTIFIED ALL FEASIBLE MITIGATION MEASURES THAT ARE NOW REQUIREMENTS OF PROJECT APPROVAL TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ARE ACTUALLY BELOW SIGNIFICANT LEVELS. THE OTHER APPEAL ASSERTIONS RELATE TO WHETHER THE REQUESTED ENTITLEMENT APPROVALS WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH OUR PLANS AND ZONING AND WHETHER FUTURE, UM, POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF NEARBY PROPERTY FOR PARK SPACE OR POTENTIAL EXTERNAL FUNDING FOR PARK DEVELOPMENT, BOTH OF WHICH ARE SPECULATIVE OUR REASONS TO DENY THE PROPOSED PROJECT IN ORDER TO PURSUE ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE AS A PARK STAFF HAS FOUND THESE CLAIMS TO BE WITHOUT MERIT AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE AND REFUTE EVERY COMPONENT OF THE LENGTHY APPEALS. BUT ATTACHMENT P TO THE COUNCIL EVER LETTER PROVIDES, UH, AN EXTENSIVE WRITTEN RESPONSE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. MUCH OF THE APPEAL GROUNDS, UM, MUCH OF THE APPEAL GROUNDS INVOLVE THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONCERNS, PARK EQUITY, AND THE LEGAL CONSTRAINTS OF REGULATORY TAKINGS ASSOCIATED WITH DENYING A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL ON PRIVATE PROPERTY SO THAT IT COULD BE ALTERNATIVELY DEVELOPED AS PARK SPACE. EXTENSIVE REGIONAL VISIONING HAS BEEN DONE TO REIMAGINE THE LA RIVER AND ITS SURROUNDINGS, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT PLANNING EXERCISE. HOWEVER, THE DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES NOTE THE LEGAL, FINANCIAL AND PRACTICAL CONSTRAINTS THAT LIMIT THE ABILITY TO ACQUIRE PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTIES NEAR THE RIVER, SUCH AS THE SITE. THE APPELLANTS CONTEND THAT THE CITY SHOULD DENY THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PRIVATE PROPERTY SO THAT IT CAN INSTEAD BE DEVELOPED AS PARK SPACE. HOWEVER, DOING SO COULD BE CONSIDERED A REGULATORY TAKINGS BY DENYING THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER THEIR RIGHTS TO DEVELOP. AND IN FACT, IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE PAST TO ACQUIRE THE SITE TO BE DEVELOPED AS PARK SPACE. CURRENTLY, THIS PROPERTY CANNOT BE ACQUIRED BECAUSE IT IS NOT FOR SALE. AND EVEN IF IT WERE, THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO ACQUIRE IT. IN FACT, THE CITY HAS AN EXISTING LIST OF SITES PRIORITIZED FOR PARK DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENTS. AS THE COUNCIL IS AWARE FROM YOUR BUDGET OVERSIGHT ROLE, AND BASED ON THE LATEST ANALYSIS OF FUNDS AVAILABLE, MANY OF OUR PRIORITY PARK DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ALREADY IDENTIFIED ARE NOT FULLY FUNDED, AND THE SITE IS NOT ON THAT PRIORITIZED LIST. THE APPELLANTS HAVE IDENTIFIED POTENTIAL EXTERNAL FUNDING SOURCES, BUT IN OUR RESOURCE CONSTRAINED ENVIRONMENT, USING LIMITED STAFF TIME AND RESOURCES TO PURSUE SUCH COMPETITIVE FUNDING COULD FUNCTIONALLY DEPRIORITIZE SITES AND OTHER AREAS OF GREATER PARK NEED GIVEN THE SITE'S LOCATION ACROSS FROM LOS CERRITOS PARK, THE APPELLANT SITE GENERAL PLAN POLICIES RELATED TO PARK EQUITY AND DEVELOPING PARK SPACE AND AREAS UNDERSERVED, BUT THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH POLICIES DO NOT SUPERSEDE THE PROPERTY RIGHTS OF A PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT IS NOT DESIGNATED OR ZONED FOR OPEN SPACE. AGAIN, NO REGULATORY LAND USE DOCUMENT IDENTIFIES THIS AS PARK OR OPEN SPACE. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IS EMBEDDED IN OUR PLANNING FRAMEWORK AND REQUIRES US TO CONSIDER POTENTIAL PROJECT IMPACTS IN THE CONTEXT OF CUMULATIVE POLLUTION BURDEN IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES. IN THIS CASE, THE SELF-STORAGE FACILITY IS PROJECTED TO HAVE A LOW EMISSIONS PROFILE COMPARED TO MOST LIGHT INDUSTRIAL OR COMMERCIAL USES THAT COULD EXIST ON THE SITE. THE PROJECT IS ALSO PROJECTED TO GENERATE FEWER VEHICLE AND TRUCK TRIPS COMPARED TO MOST OTHER POTENTIAL LAND USES. ADDITIONALLY, THIS IS A VERY DIRTY SITE AND THE REMEDIATION IS ESTIMATED TO COST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WOULD NOT ONLY ENSURE PRIVATE FUNDING FOR THE EXPENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP OF THE SITE, BUT THE NORTHERN PORTION PORTION OF THE SITE WOULD BE TURNED INTO A NATIVE PLANT PRESERVE AND A SOUTHERN AREA OF THE PROPERTY WOULD BE GIVEN FOR PUBLIC USE THROUGH AN ACCESS EASEMENT, UH, TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE LA COUNTY PROPERTY THAT IS ADJACENT TO THE RIVER TRAIL WHEN IT [04:00:01] COMES TO PARK EQUITY. THIS COUNCIL HAS DELIBERATED ON THE DEFINITION AND IMPLEMENTATION PRIORITIES OF PARK EQUITY, WHICH HAS HELPED LEAD TO THE PARKS, UH, REC AND MARINE STRATEGIC PLAN, AN AWARD-WINNING PLANNING DOCUMENT, UM, WHICH TALKS ABOUT A PRIMARY EQUITY GOAL THAT EVERY LONG BEACH RESIDENT HAS WALKABLE AND BIKEABLE ACCESS TO A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK PARK, WHICH IS AN EXISTING CONDITION FOR THE SITE. IN THIS CASE, THE SITE IS LOCATED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD ALREADY SERVED WITH ACCESS TO A PARK IN A 10 MINUTE WALK AND NOT JUST ANY PARK. LOS CERRITOS PARK IS A 7.24 ACRE PARK AND HAS BEEN THE SITE OF THE WEEKLY MUNICIPAL BAND CONCERTS. MANY OF US HAVE ENJOYED THIS SUMMER AND FOR MANY SUMMERS IN THE PAST. ADDITIONALLY, THE GENERAL PLAN IDENTIFIES THE PARCEL SURROUNDING THE PROJECT SITE AS FULLY SERVED BY EXISTING PARKS. TAKING AN EQUITY LENS REQUIRES US TO FOCUS RESOURCES WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED THE MOST. THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE A MINUTE TO ANALYZE THIS SITE IN CONTEXT ON THE MAP. THE CENSUS TRACKS ON THE LEFT, WHICH ARE WEST OF THE LA RIVER, ARE THE DEEPEST COLOR RED MEANING THEY HAVE THE HIGHEST CUMULATIVE DISADVANTAGE ON A RANGE OF INDICATORS RELATED TO SOCIOECONOMICS AND POLLUTION BURDEN. ACCORDING TO THE TOOL, CALLUM BIO SCREEN, CITY AND STATE POLICIES ENCOURAGE US TO FOCUS THOSE RESOURCES IN THOSE DEEPEST RED AREAS WITH THE GREATEST NEEDS. ACROSS A SPECTRUM OF INDICATORS, YOU CAN SEE THE CLEAR DISTINCTION OF AREAS WEST OF THE LA RIVER AND SOUTH OF THE 4 0 5. THE SITE IS INCLUDED IN A CENSUS TRACT, MOSTLY COMPRISED OF AREAS SOUTH OF THE 4 0 5, BUT THE SITE ITSELF IS IN THE LOS CERRITOS NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED BY MIDDLE AND HIGH INCOME RESIDENTS SERVED BY LOW CERRITOS PARK, LOS CERRITOS ELEMENTARY, AND THE NEARBY RANCHO. THIS AREA SCORES NOTABLY BETTER THAN MA THAN NEIGHBORING AREAS WEST AND SOUTH, AND THE SITE IS SUBSTANTIALLY BUFFERED AND HARD TO ACCESS TO THE SOUTH AND WEST FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST DUE TO MULTIPLE FREEWAYS. THIS IS DUE TO THE LEGACY OF URBAN RENEWAL THROUGH WHICH FREEWAYS AND OTHER HARD INFRASTRUCTURE DIVIDED COMMUNITIES, THEREBY DIVIDING THE PROJECT SITE FROM THE LOWER INCOME COMMUNITIES OF COLOR FURTHER WEST AND SOUTH. IN SUMMARY, STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE COUNCIL DENY APPEALS, HOLD THE PLANNING COMMISSION ACTIONS, UPHOLD THEM AND APPROVE THE REQUESTED LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS. THIS PROJECT FIT WOULD FACILITATE A PRIVATELY FUNDED ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION OF THE SITE, A HIGH QUALITY PROJECT, AND A LAND USE THAT IS LESS IMPACTING WITH FEWER VEHICLE TRIPS COMPARED TO OTHER POTENTIAL USES OF THE SITE. THE PROJECT IS CONSISTENT WITH PLANNING REGULATIONS, GOALS, AND REQUIREMENTS. THIS CONCLUDES STAFF PRESENTATION. WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. DOES THAT COMPLETE STAFF'S PRESENTATION? YEAH, WE WENT, UH, A MINUTE UNDER WE'RE DONE AND I THINK WE'LL PROCEED, UM, TO THE PRESENTATION FROM THE APPELLANTS. ALRIGHT, NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE APPELLANT COM UH, COMMENTS. WE'LL START WITH RIVER PARK, 10 MINUTES AVAILABLE AND WATER KEEPERS WILL FOLLOW. 10 MINUTES AVAILABLE. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS SANJANA SUPA AND I'M AN ATTORNEY AT CARSON'S BLACKMAN TIER. UM, I'D LIKE TO RESERVE THREE MINUTES FOR REBUTTAL. UM, IF, IF I MAY, IS THAT ALLOWABLE? THAT'S ALLOWABLE. MAY. OKAY, GREAT. YOU ALLOW, YOU CAN GO SEVEN NOW AND THEN WE'LL SAVE THREE. THANK YOU. I, I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE RIVER PARK COALITION OR RPCA COMMUNITY COALITION THAT WORKS TO PROMOTE PUBLIC SERVING OPEN SPACE IN NATURE DEPRIVED AREAS OF WESTERN LONG BEACH. ALONG WITH OUR COLLEAGUE ELLIE WATERKEEPER, WHO WILL PRESENT SEPARATELY, WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO VOTE NO ON THE PACIFIC PLACE PROJECT. THIS PROJECT IS A SELF STORAGE AND RECREATIONAL VEHICLE FACILITIES CITED ON ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING UNDEVELOPED PARCELS, UH, IN WESTERN LONG BEACH ABUTTING THE LOS ANGELES RIVER. WE'VE SUBMITTED SEVERAL LETTERS TO THE CITY THAT DEMONSTRATE THE INADEQUACY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PREPARED FOR THE PROJECT IN VIOLATION OF CQA. AND AS AN INITIAL MATTER, UH, WE REQUESTED A CONTINUANCE OF THIS ITEM, UM, NOTWITHSTANDING, UH, THE, THE ISSUE BROUGHT UP BY THE CITY ATTORNEY, UM, THIS EVENING. UH, DUE TO THE CITY'S LATE REVISIONS OF APPEAL RESPONSES, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S ATTACHMENT, UH, P UM, ADDRESSING CA ISSUES AS WELL AS A, UM, ERRATIC, UH, REGARDING, UH, BEES, UM, THAT WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF THOSE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE INITIALLY UPLOADED WITH A STAFF REPORT. UM, WE DON'T THINK IT'S PROPER TO MAKE SUBSTANTIVE REVISIONS, UM, OF THESE ATTACHMENTS AFTER THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN DISSEMINATED TO THE PUBLIC, UM, AND BELIEVE THAT THESE RESULT IN VIOLATIONS OF THE INFORMATIONAL MANDATE OF CQA AND POTENTIAL BROWN ACT VIOLATIONS AS WELL. AND WE, UH, WE DISAGREE THAT, UH, THERE WAS NO PREJUDICE, [04:05:01] UH, UH, IN THIS MATTER. UM, UM, OH, OKAY. UM, SO I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SITE. UM, DESPITE WHAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, UH, THE SITE IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY IN PARKOUR WEST SIDE LONG BEACH. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PROJECT SITE IS ADJACENT TO THE ALLEY RIVER AND LOCATED AT THE SEVEN 10 AND 4 0 5 FREEWAYS. IT'S SURROUNDED BY RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES AND SENSITIVE RECEPTORS, INCLUDING AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE SITE'S DESIGNATED AS AN SB 5 35 DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY. AND ALSO IT IS WITHIN THE AB 6 1 7 WILMINGTON CARSON WEST LONG BEACH COMMUNITY AIR MONITORING PROGRAM AREA. UM, THE STAFF REPORT ATTEMPTS TO DIMINISH THE SENSITIVITY OF THE SITE, BUT CALEN VIRUS SCREEN DATA SHOW THAT THE SITE IS AT THE 92ND PERCENTILE FOR ASTHMA, UH, AND LOW BIRTH WEIGHT, UM, AT THE, UH, 87 PERCENTILE FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. 99TH PERCENTILE FOR EXPOSURE TO TOXIC RELEASES, 98TH PERCENTILE FOR EXPOSURE TO TRAFFIC, 95TH PERCENTILE FOR DIESEL PARTICULATE MATTER EXPOSURE AND 89TH PERCENTILE FOR OVERALL POLLUTION BURDEN. THIS IS CLEARLY A SITE ALREADY BURDENED BY ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS. RPC, ALONG WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AT LA WATERKEEPER, HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR PROPER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR THIS SITE FOR AT LEAST HALF A DECADE. WE FILED A SUCCESSFUL LAWSUIT IN 2021 AFTER THE CITY APPROVED AN M AND D FOR A PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE PROJECT, DESPITE ITS POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO LAND USE, BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES, AIR QUALITY AND TRANSPORTATION. UM, THE COURT'S FINDINGS ARE LISTED ON THE SLIDE, UM, AND THE COURT FOUND THAT THE CITY VIOLATED CQA ON EACH OF THESE GROUNDS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE EIR PREPARED FOR THE PROJECT, UH, CONTINUES TO BE INSUFFICIENT. WE'VE SUBMITTED SEVERAL LETTERS. DETAILING THE E I'S MANY FLAWS SUPPORTED BY EXPERT ANALYSES. I'LL NOW DISCUSS SOME OF THESE ISSUES. SO FIRST, WE'VE IDENTIFIED CONFLICTS WITH NUMEROUS LAND USE PLANS ADOPTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF AVOIDING OR MITIGATING SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IMPACTS. THESE INCLUDE THE GENERAL PLAN, LAND USE ELEMENT, OPEN SPACE, AND RECREATIONAL ELEMENT, UM, RIVERLINK PLAN, UM, AS WELL AS OTHERS. UM, THESE CONFLICTS MUST BE ADDRESSED AND MITIGATED IN THE EIR, UM, BUT THEY WERE NOT. UM, ADDITIONALLY, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LOWER LA RIVER REVITALIZATION PLAN IDENTIFIED THIS SITE AS PART OF AN OPPORTUNITY AREA FOR THE WRIGLEY HEIGHTS RIVER PARK WITH A OPPORTUNITY POTENTIAL SCORE OF 98 OUT OF 100. ANOTHER LOCATION IN THIS OPPORTUNITY AREA, WHICH IS AN ADJACENT TO THE PROJECT SITE, WAS RECENTLY GRANTED OVER 16 MILLION BY THE RIVERS AND MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY FOR PARK ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT. AND WE REQUESTED THAT THE EIR BE RECIRCULATED, UM, TO ADDRESS THE, UH, IMPACTS OF THIS, UM, THIS, THIS, UH, PARK ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT. UM, BUT, UH, THE CITY DECLINED TO TO RECIRCULATE THE AR. UM, OUR LETTERS HAVE DISCUSSED SEVERAL BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES IMPACTS, BUT I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS, UH, ONE IN PARTICULAR, UH, ALMOST 1300 PROTECTED RARE SOUTHERN TAR PLANTS WERE DESTROYED DURING PRE-DEVELOPMENT GRADING ACTIVITIES ON THE SITE. UM, THE EIR R IS IMPOSING ONLY A ONE-TO-ONE MITIGATION RATIO FOR THESE LOST PLANTS, WHICH IS INS SUFFICIENT TO MITIGATE THE LOSS OF TAR PLANT. UM, THIS REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND THE MITIGATION IS USING EXPERIMENTAL METHODS WITH A POOR TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS. UM, OUR LETTERS HAVE ALSO ADDRESSED, UH, SEVERAL CONCERNS WITH THE AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS. UM, THIS PROJECT IS WITHIN WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE DIESEL DEATH ZONE, UM, LOCATED AT, YOU KNOW, THE INTERSECTION OF THE SEVEN 10 AND 4 0 5 FREEWAYS. AND WE SUBMITTED EXPERT DATA SHOWING THAT CONCENTRATIONS OF CONSTRUCTION RELATED NOX EMISSIONS WOULD EXCEED AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS. UM, AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, UM, THERE'S A CONTOUR LABELED I BELIEVE 180 8. UM, AND THERE ARE SENSITIVE RECEPTORS INCLUDING, UM, RESIDENCES, UH, WITHIN THAT CONTOUR. OUR LETTERS ALSO DEMONSTRATED, UH, NUMEROUS TRAFFIC IMPACTS, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARDS TO TRAFFIC SAFETY AND FAILURE TO ANALYZE CUMULATIVE BMT IMPACTS WHEN COMPARED WITH THE OTHER LARGE DEVELOPMENTS NEAR THIS BUSY INTERCHANGE. UM, THE PHOTO HERE SHOWS ONE OF THESE DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS, UM, AT THE FREEWAY ON RAMP HEADING SOUTH FROM THE PROJECT SITE. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A CAR, UM, ENTERING THE FREEWAY ON RAMP. UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S OPPOSING, UM, UH, THE OPPOSING TRAFFIC. AND WE ALSO HAVE CONCERNS WITH THE ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS, PARTICULARLY WITH THE FAILURE TO [04:10:01] EVALUATE A PARK ALTERNATIVE OR OFFSITE ALTERNATIVE. THE RANGE OF ALTERNATIVES WAS INADEQUATE, MISLEADING, UM, WITH AN IMPER PERMISSIBLY VAGUE ALTERNATIVE THAT IS ESSENTIALLY JUST THE EXISTING LAND USE DESIGNATIONS, UM, ON THE SITE. THESE INADEQUATE ALTERNATIVES FAIL THE SUBSTANTIVE MANDATE OF SE A SEVEN MINUTES HAVE CONCLUDED. OH, UH, THANK YOU. UM, I'LL RESERVE THE REST OF MY TIME FOR, UH, REBUTTAL. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. NEXT ARE THE WATERKEEPERS APPEAL. THIS SLIDE. OKAY. RIGHT THERE. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. PROCEED. THANK YOU. UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG NIGHT. THANK YOU FOR STICKING WITH US. MY NAME IS BENJAMIN HARRIS, I'M THE SENIOR STAFF ATTORNEY AT LOS ANGELES WATERKEEPER. I'D LIKE TO RESERVE ONE MINUTE FOR REBUTTAL, IF I MAY. GOT IT. IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF OUR ORGANIZATION, LA WATERKEEPER HAS SERVED AS LA'S WATER WATCHDOG FOR OVER 30 YEARS, SAFEGUARDING OUR INLAND AND COASTAL WATERWAYS USING THE LAW, SCIENCE AND COMMUNITY ACTION. LA WATERKEEPER ALONGSIDE OUR PARTNERS AT THE RIVER PARK COALITION URGES THE CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE NO ON THIS PROPOSED PROJECT. AND I JUST WANTED TO COVER THE AGENDA REALLY QUICK SO YOU CAN SEE. MY GOAL HERE IS TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE BROADLY ABOUT HOW THIS SITE IS SO IMPORTANT AS IT RELATES TO THE LA RIVER AND WESTERN LONG BEACH COMMUNITY. IT'S REALLY HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY LA WATERKEEPER WOULD BE SO INTERESTED IN THIS ONE SITE IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF THE LA RIVER. AND I'LL BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THAT TO THOSE WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR. THE RIVER HISTORICALLY SUPPORTED A REALLY DIVERSE RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEM THAT HAD MARSHES AND WETLANDS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WATERSHED. AND THERE WAS A FLASH FLOOD HYDROLOGY SYSTEM WITH WATER COMING DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAINS THAT MEANT EVERY TIME IT RAINS, THE RIVER WOULD FLOOD VERY DRAMATICALLY IT WOULD CHANGE COURSE. SO UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT WE THEN DID IN THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY IS WE DEVELOPED REAL ESTATE AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES RIGHT NEXT TO THE RIVER CHANNEL. SO THESE BAD DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS LED TO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT, WHICH IS CATASTROPHIC FLOODING THAT HAPPENED IN THE 1920S AND 1930S. WHAT WAS THE RESULT OF THAT? THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAD TO COME IN, IN THE 1940S TO CHANNELIZE THE LA RIVER. THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS SPENT OVER 20 YEARS TO DEVELOP ABOUT 278 MILES OF RIVER CHANNEL EVERYWHERE THEY COULD, INCLUDING THE TRIBUTARIES. AND THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES OF DOING THIS. THE RIPARIAN HABITAT AND ECOSYSTEM WAS OBVIOUSLY DESTROYED WHEN YOU COVER IT IN CONCRETE. WE'VE NOW LOST THE HYDROLOGIC CONNECTION BETWEEN THE RIVER AND THE FLOODPLAIN AND THE GROUNDWATER THAT WAS FEEDING INTO THE RIVER IN SOME PARTS OF THE RIVER. YEAR ROUND, UH, COMMUNITIES WERE ALSO NOW DISCONNECTED FROM THE RIVER AND DISCONNECTED FROM EACH OTHER. SO WHAT DOES THE RIVER LOOK LIKE? NOW? YOU CAN SEE IN THIS PICTURE, IT'S BASICALLY JUST A SUPER HIGHWAY FOR STORM WATER. EVERY TIME IT RAINS, IT CARRIES POLLUTED URBAN RUNOFF FROM THE SURROUNDING WATERSHED, MANY HUNDREDS OF MILES OF WATERSHED OUT TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN THROUGH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AS FAST AS IT POSSIBLY CAN. ANOTHER CONSEQUENCE OF CHANNELIZING THE RIVER WAS HARM TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES THAT LIVE ALONGSIDE THE RIVER BY CHANNELIZING THE RIVER, IT BROUGHT MORE DEVELOPMENT, MORE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT RIGHT ALONG THE RIVER, WHICH THEN OF COURSE BROUGHT BLIGHT TO OUR COMMUNITIES. NOW YOU CAN LITERALLY TRACK ON CALLEN VIRUS SCREEN ON THE LEFT. YOU CAN TRACK THE WORST COMMUNITIES IN OUR REGION IN TERMS OF POLLUTION BURDENS ALONG THE PATH OF THE RIVER ALMOST DIRECTLY THAT IS APPALLING. NORMALLY YOU THINK OF RIVERFRONT PROPERTY AS HIGHLY DESIRABLE. IN LA IT'S NOT THAT CASE. SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR LA? OR EXCUSE ME, FOR LONG BEACH RESIDENTS NEAR THE RIVER, THAT MEANS THAT THEY'RE ALREADY PLAGUED BY HIGH DIESEL DEATH ZONE, YOU KNOW, AIR EMISSIONS AND OTHER HUMAN HEALTH IMPACTS. BUT NOW THERE'S A LACK OF GREEN SPACE ALONG THE RIVER FOR THESE COMMUNITIES THAT RESULTS IN PERSISTENT EXPOSURE TO THESE TOXIC POLLUTANTS, AIR QUALITY ISSUES, RESPIRATORY IMPACTS, OTHER HUMAN HEALTH IMPACTS, AND THEY HAVE NO RESPITE FROM ALL OF THAT. THERE'S NO GREEN SPACE OR OUTDOOR AREAS THEY CAN GO TO ESCAPE IT. SO WE THINK TO ADDRESS THE ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE THAT WESTERN LONG BEACH IS EXPERIENCING, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE LA RIVER. THE LA RIVER IS A CENTRAL OPPORTUNITY TO MEET OUR REGIONAL GOALS FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE, FOR RESTORING HABITAT CONNECTIVITY, AND TO ACHIEVE THE CITY'S OWN GOALS FOR OPEN SPACE. SO NOW I WANT TO JUST TURN QUICKLY TO, UH, WATER QUALITY AND HYDROLOGY. BECAUSE RIVER CHANNELIZATION DOESN'T ONLY IMPACT OUR HUMAN COMMUNITIES, IT IMPACTS THE RIVER ITSELF. WITHOUT GOING INTO MUCH DETAIL, YOU COULD SEE SOME POINTS ON THE SLIDES HERE. WE BELIEVE THE EIR FAILED TO PROPERLY ACCOUNT FOR THESE IMPACTS IN NUMEROUS WAYS, BOTH STORMWATER RUNOFF IN THE PRE-DEVELOPMENT SURCHARGE AND POST-DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS, INCLUDING ALSO THE FLOODING COMPONENT THAT AS WE BUILD UP MORE AND MORE IN THE WATERSHED, WE'RE NOW CONTRIBUTING MORE RUNOFF TO THE RIVER, MORE POLLUTANTS FROM ALL THAT IMPERVIOUS SURFACE INTO THE RIVER. NONE OF THIS WAS ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED IN [04:15:01] THE EIR. ALSO, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT OUR CONSULTANT DOES BELIEVE THAT THE ARMY CORPS LIKELY HAS JURISDICTION OVER THE SUBJECT PRIVATE PARCEL UNDER SECTION 4 0 8 OF THE RIVERS AND HARBORS ACT OF 1899. YOU HEARD SECTION 4 0 4 BEFORE, THAT'S THE CLEAN WATER ACT. WE BELIEVE THERE IS DIFFERENT AUTHORITY UNDER SECTION 4 0 8. AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT HERE IS THAT THE APPLICANT AND THE CITY DID NOT EVEN CONSULT WITH THE ARMY CORPS. THEY JUST MADE THEIR OWN DETERMINATION AND MOVED ALONG. THAT EXPOSES THE CITY TO LIABILITY IF THE ARMY CORPS DETERMINES THEY ARE WRONG. SO AGAIN, YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHY THIS PARTICULAR SITE IS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE LA RIVER. AND THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. THERE ARE MANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES POTENTIALLY TO ACHIEVE OUR GOAL, TO SEE MORE GREENING ALONG THE RIVER AND TRY TO MOVE TOWARD RESTORATION. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS SITE IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST. WE'VE SEEN THE SAME MISTAKES OF BUILDING TOO CLOSE TO THE RIVER. THEN WE HAVE TO BUILD MORE CONCRETE INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROTECT AGAINST FLOODING. AND THEN THAT CONCRETE INFRASTRUCTURE NOW BRINGS MORE DEVELOPMENT AND MORE BLIGHT. WE'RE MOVING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. IT'S A CYCLE THAT WE'VE REPEATED FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AND WE VIEW THIS AS A DEATH OF A THOUSAND CUTS. EVERY TIME WE DO THIS TO THE RIVER, WE'RE HURTING IT MORE AND WE'RE LOSING OPPORTUNITIES TO HEAL THE RIVER AND HEAL OUR COMMUNITIES. AND LA WATERKEEPER RECOGNIZES WE CAN'T JUST TOMORROW RESTORE 51 MILES OF THE LA RIVER. THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE. BUT WE HAVE TO TAKE EVERY POSSIBLE ADVANTAGE WE HAVE HERE. WE CANNOT LET THESE OPPORTUNITIES SLIP BECAUSE WE WILL CONTINUE TO GO DOWN THE WRONG PATH TO THE POINT THAT IT IS COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE TO RECOVER FROM. WE DON'T WANT TO GET THERE. WE DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE NOW, BUT ADDING THESE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS NEXT TO THE RIVER DOUBLES DOWN ON THOSE MISTAKES WE'VE MADE IN THE PAST. FORTUNATELY, AS YOU COULD SEE IN THIS SLIDE, LONG BEACH WAS AHEAD OF ITS TIME. YOU ALL REPRESENTING THE CITY ARE, YOU KNOW, TAKING OVER A, A CITY THAT HAS FOR OVER 15 YEARS PLANNED FOR GREEN SPACE ALONG THE LA RIVER IN THE RIVERLINK PLAN. THIS WAS A VISIONARY PLAN THAT REALLY INSPIRED PROMISE FOR ALL OF THESE COMMUNITIES ALONG THE RIVER, WHICH THE RIVERLINK ITSELF IDENTIFIES AS WESTERN LONG BEACH COMMUNITIES THAT LACK PARK EQUITY. SO THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PLAN TO START MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. RIVERLINK IS THE EXACT KIND OF PROJECT AND PLAN WE WANT TO SEE FOR OTHER PARTS OF THE RIVER. CONNECTING THOSE GREENWAYS AND CREATING THESE UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY AWESOME RESTORATION OPPORTUNITIES THAT ALSO BRING RECREATION AND GREEN SPACE TO COMMUNITIES THAT NEED IT. AND NOW I ALSO JUST WANNA QUICKLY MENTION OTHER REGIONAL PLANS HAVE DOUBLED DOWN AND REAFFIRMED THAT THIS IS A REALLY GOOD IDEA FOR THIS PARTICULAR SITE. WE HAVE THE RIVERS AND MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY'S LOWER LA RIVER REVITALIZATION PLAN IN 2018. AND IMAGINE THE ENTIRE SITE OF THE WRIGLEY HEIGHTS RIVER PARK, INCLUDING THE PRIVATE PARCEL AS A PLACE WITH OPEN SPACE FOR COMMUNITIES TO CONNECT TOGETHER, INCLUDING BETWEEN THE WEST AND EAST SIDES OF THE LA RIVER. AND AS, UH, MY COLLEAGUE SANJANA PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, RMC IS WORKING ON ACQUIRING SOME GRANT FUNDING TO TRY TO ACQUIRE PRIVATE PARCELS TO THE EAST OF THE PROJECT SITE. THEN IN 2022, WE HAVE THE LA RIVER MASTER PLAN FROM LA COUNTY THAT ONCE AGAIN REAFFIRMED WRIGLEY HEIGHTS RIVER PARK AS A KEY OPPORTUNITY SITE FOR GREEN SPACE. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR OUR PURPOSES, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH'S OWN OPEN SPACE ELEMENT IN THE GENERAL PLAN HAS SHOWN HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO EXPAND GREEN SPACE IN THIS PART OF THE CITY. IF YOU LOOK AT THIS MAP, THERE IS PLENTY OF GREEN SPACE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CITY, ABOUT 17 ACRES PER 1000 RESIDENTS ON THE WEST SIDE, WHICH DOES INCLUDE THIS PARCEL. THERE'S ONLY ONE ACRE PER 1000 RESIDENTS. THAT IS A MASSIVE PARK EQUITY. AND OVERALL THE CITY IS NOT MEETING ITS GOALS OF OPEN SPACE FOR THE ENTIRE CITY. EVEN IF YOU COUNT 500 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE, WHICH IS GOLF COURSES, THE CITY IS LOGGING BEHIND, RIGHT? SO PAVING OVER THIS SITE WILL ONLY MAKE IT HARDER. IT'LL ONLY MAKE IT HARDER TO FIND ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. AND THE CITY HAS EVEN RECENTLY AGREED TO TWO DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ON OTHER OPEN PARCELS NEXT TO THE LA RIVER IN SEVEN 12 BAKER STREET AND THE INTEX PROPERTY ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE RIVER. SO I ASK IF THERE'S NO OPEN SPACE TO BE PRIORITIZED HERE AT A PLACE THAT'S BEEN PLANNED SINCE 2007, WHERE IN WESTERN LONG BEACH ARE WE GOING TO EXPAND OPEN SPACE FOR THESE COMMUNITIES? WHERE ARE WE GONNA DO IT? NO MATTER WHAT, THIS IS JUST THE WRONG LOCATION FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT. THERE'S NO REASON IT HAS TO BE BUILT ALONG THE LA RIVER. WE HAVE SUBMITTED A SIGN-ON LETTER WITH 11 ORGANIZATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT AGREE THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT SITE FOR THIS PROJECT. THE APPLICANT'S OWN ANALYSIS OF THE MARKET DEMAND SHOWS THAT THERE'S MORE DEMAND FURTHER OUT FROM THE SITE BECAUSE OF AVAILABILITY OF OTHER. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED. I'M SORRY, YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED. OH, THANK YOU. I WILL SAVE THE REST FOR REBUTTAL. YES. ALRIGHT. THANK [04:20:01] YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL NOW GO TO THE APPLICANT REBUTTAL STAFF. YOU HAVE, UH, 10 MINUTES TO RESPOND. OH. SO THIS MR. MAYOR, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE APPLICANT ACTUALLY GIVE THE REBUTTAL OUT THE APPLICANT REBUTT. YES, YOU GET TO REBUT . ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. AND CAN WE ACTUALLY RESERVE ONE ADDITIONAL MINUTE AT THE END FOR FURTHER REBUTTAL? YES. THANK YOU. I'M BRIAN SORENSON WITH INSIGHT PROPERTY GROUP. I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS DEVELOPMENT HERE, 37 0 1 PACIFIC PLACE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. REAL QUICKLY HERE, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THE FIRST FEW SLIDES AND THEN LINDSAY TABBA WITH ALAN MACKINS. WE'LL TAKE THE BULK OF THE PRESENTATION. THE STAR THERE IS OUR CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS. IT'S IN REDONDO BEACH. WE DRIVE BY THIS PROPERTY EVERY DAY TO WORK. WE HAVE WORKERS THAT LIVE IN LONG BEACH AND LIVE IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. THIS TRULY IS OUR BACKYARD. THE ORANGE IS REPRESENTED OF THE DEVELOPMENTS, THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE OPEN AND UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AND WE LOVE THE LOS ANGELES REGION. THIS IS A QUICK ZOOMED OUT VERSION OF WHAT QUENTIN SHOWED IN HIS STAFF, UH, PRESENTATION OF THE SITE IN, UH, WHITE THERE. AND THEN ADJACENT TO US IS THE COUNTY FLOOD PROPERTY. IT'S 10 ACRES. IT'S BETWEEN OUR PROPERTY AND THE LA RIVER. AND THEN YOU COULD SEE THE MAJOR TRANSPORTATION INCLUDING A METRO LINE AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL GREEN SPACE. THE LOS CERRITOS PARK, THE DOMINGUEZ WETLANDS, AS WELL AS THE VIRGINIA COUNTRY CLUB. THIS IMAGE IS JUST, UH, SHOWS THE QUALITY OF, OF WHAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT THERE. IT'S CLASS A. THIS DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOUR TYPICAL SELF STORAGE BIG GREEN OR RED OR LOUD BOX THAT'S DRAWING ATTENTION. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN THE ARCHITECTURE AND THE DESIGN AND WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH, UH, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TO DESIGN IT. ONE MORE CLOSER UP IMAGE, UM, OF THE BUILDING THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF AND LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING MANY PEOPLE DRIVE BY IT. AND I'LL, UH, PASS THE REST OFF TO LINDSAY TOBIN. THANKS, BRIAN. UM, OKAY. UH, SO AS NOTED BY STAFF, THIS PROJECT WAS APPROVED BACK IN 2021. UM, THE APPELLANTS FILED A LAWSUIT CHALLENGING THE PROJECT IN 2022. AND THAT WAS ON THE BASIS THAT THE, AND THE ARGUMENT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE PREPARED AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT. AND WE HAVE SPENT THE LAST THREE YEARS DOING JUST THAT. UM, PREPARING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT THAT IS THE CADILLAC OF ALL, UH, CE QA ANALYSES AND EXHAUSTIVELY ANALYZES ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED REQUIRED UNDER CE QA AND IDENTIFIED IN THE TWO PRESENTATIONS. UH, SINCE I HAVE LIMITED TIME, I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND TIME RESPONDING POINT BY POINT TO THE ARGUMENTS THAT WERE RAISED IN THE PRIOR PRESENTATIONS. BUT AT A HIGH LEVEL, I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED AND PROVI PROVIDED DETAILED RESPONSES TO ALL COMMUNITY INPUT ON THE PROJECT. AND THAT INCLUDED DETAILED RESPONSES TO EACH AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID BY BOTH OF THE APPELLANT PRESENTATIONS THAT WORK WAS DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY. AND THOSE RESPONSES ARE INCLUDED IN THE PROJECT DIR IN THE FINAL RESPONSES TO COMMENTS TO THE PROJECT DIR AND IN THE APPELLATE RESPONSE MATRIX THAT IS INCLUDED AS ATTACHMENT P TO THE STAFF REPORT. SO THAT CONTAINS RESPONSES TO ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE RAISED IN THE APPELLATE PRESENTATIONS PATIENTS. AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE THE FULL EXPERT TEAM HERE TONIGHT ON ALL DISCIPLINES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE PRESENTATION. SO IF THE COUNCIL HAS QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THE MORE SPECIFIC ISSUES RAISED, WE HAVE THE PEOPLE HERE AND AVAILABLE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. UM, SO IN THE SIX YEARS THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE AGENCIES THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE SLIDE TO DESIGN, UM, TO TO PLAN THE SITE CLEANUP, DESIGN MITIGATION, AND THE PROJECT BENEFITS THAT ARE PROPOSED TO YOU TODAY. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THOSE AGENCIES, WE ARE PRESENTING A PROJECT THAT WILL CONVERT THE CURRENT CONDITION OF THE PROPERTY FROM AN UNDERUTILIZED BLIGHTED SITE WITH LIMITED DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL THAT HAS REMAINED VACANT AND UNMANAGED SINCE 2007, CLOSE TO 20 YEARS, TO A SAFE, SUSTAINABLE, AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT. THIS SLIDE SHOWS A SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON OF THE DESIGN THAT WAS APPROVED BY THIS COUNCIL IN 2021 AS COMPARED TO THE CURRENTLY PROPOSED DESIGN. THE KEY POINTS TO NOTE HERE IS THAT WHILE WE HAVE ADDED A BIT OF STORAGE SPACE, THE PROJECT IS THE SAME BOX AS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED. IT'S THE SAME HEIGHT, THE SAME DEVELOPMENT FOOTPRINT, THE SAME GENERAL LAYOUT OF THE SITE. NOTHING HAS CHANGED. THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS THAT THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY ZONED FOR INDUSTRIAL AND WAREHOUSE USES THAT ARE MUCH MORE IMPACTFUL THAN THE PROPOSED PROJECT. THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS TOUCHED ON IN STAFF'S PRESENTATION BRIEFLY AS WELL. SO THE IMAGE ON THE LEFT SHOWS SITE DEVELOPMENT UNDER THE EXISTING IL ZONING, WHICH INCLUDES MUCH MORE IMPACTFUL USES LIKE TRUCKING, INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING, WAREHOUSES AND REPAIR SERVICES. UH, THE [04:25:01] RED BOX ON THE LEFT SHOWS WHAT COULD BE DEVELOPED UNDER THAT EXISTING ZONING. AND THAT SCENARIO WAS ACTUALLY EXHAUSTIVELY ANALYZED IN OUR ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS IN THE EIR AS ALTERNATIVE ONE DEVELOPMENT UNDER EXISTING ZONING. BY COMPARISON, THE IMAGE ON THE LEFT ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSAL, WHICH IS MUCH SMALLER, ABOUT ONE THIRD THE SIZE AND A LESS IMPACTFUL SELF-STORAGE USE. AS I MENTIONED, THE EIR DID A FULL ANALYSIS OF THE PROJECT ON THE LEFT AND DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD HAVE MORE IMPACTS THAN THE PROPOSED PROJECT ON NINE DIFFERENT SQA CATEGORIES AND THE PROJECT ON THE RIGHT. OUR PROJECT IS MUCH LESS IMPACTFUL THAN WHAT THE SITE IS CURRENTLY ZONED FOR. UM, THESE AS SHOWN ON THESE SLIDES AND MENTIONED IN STAFF'S PRESENTATION, THE SITE IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION HAS BEEN CLOSE TO IMPOSSIBLE TO MANAGE SINCE WE ACQUIRED THE PROPERTY IN 2019. WE'VE FENCED IT AND ADDED SECURITY AND HAVE STILL ENCOUNTERED SUBSTANTIAL SECURITY ISSUES. UM, THIS HERE SHOWS A PIPE FIRE, WHICH WAS ONE OF TWO ARSON EVENTS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS AT THE SITE. THIS SHOWS TRASH FROM VARIOUS HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS THAT POP UP ON THE SITE REGULARLY, DESPITE R AND PDS BEST EFFORTS TO MANAGE THEM. AND HERE'S MORE GRAFFITI AND BREAKING INTO THE POWER BOX FROM THOSE ENCAMPMENTS, WE ARE PROPOSING TO REDEVELOP THE SITE FROM THIS ATTRACTIVE NUISANCE STATE INTO A SECURITY FOCUSED USE THAT WILL BENEFIT OTHER PROPERTIES ON THIS DEAD END CORRIDOR. THOSE, SOME OF THOSE SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS ARE HIGHLIGHTED ON THE SLIDE AND INCLUDE LIGHTING, FENCING, AI ENABLED SECURITY CAMERAS, KEYPAD CONTROL ACCESS, UM, AND ONSITE SECURITY GUARDS AND ROBOTICS. UH, THIS AREA REALLY WHAT I WANNA EMPHASIZE HERE IS THAT THIS AREA REALLY NEEDS AN ACTIVE AND SECURE BUSINESS IN ORDER FOR THE REST OF THE AREA TO BE SAFE FOR SURROUNDING RESIDENTS. UM, SITE CLEANUP IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT, UH, BENEFIT THAT THIS PROJECT OFFERS TO THE CITY. UH, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S, IT IS SAT UNDEVELOPED AND UNUSED FOR CLOSE TO 20 YEARS BECAUSE IT IS SUCH AN IMPACTED SITE. UM, A COUPLE THINGS TO NOTE ON THIS SLIDE ARE ONE, THE, THE SHADED AREA IS THE FOOTPRINT OF THE FORMER TREATMENT SUMPS FROM THE OIL USE, WHICH COMPRISES ALMOST THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROJECT SITE, BUT DOES NOT EXTEND ONTO THE LA COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL PARCEL TO THE WEST OR JEANIE MCDONALD'S PROPERTY TO THE EAST. UM, ALSO THE NUMEROUS CIRCLES ON THIS IMAGE ARE THE BORINGS THAT WERE TAKEN DURING THE EXTENSIVE TESTING AND SAMPLING OF THIS PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH DTSC AND THE CITY. AND THAT TESTING ALLOWED US TO CONFIDENTLY DELINEATE AND CHARACTERIZE THE CAM CONTAMINATION ON SITE AND TO ESTABLISH AN APPROPRIATE REMEDY IN COLLABORATION WITH DTSC. THE A SUMMARY OF THE REMEDY THAT HAS WAS PROPOSED AN APPROVED IN 2021 AND REMAINS UNCHANGED. AND THE CURRENT DRAFT RESPONSE PLAN IS LISTED ON THE SLIDE. AND WE HAVE OUR EXPERTS HERE. UM, AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT SITE CLEANUP OR THE PROPOSED REMEDY. UH, THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE DTSC PORTION OF THE ACTIONS IS THAT DTSC WILL STILL NEED TO APPROVE THAT RESPONSE PLAN BEFORE WORK CAN BEGIN. AND THEY WILL HAVE 180 DAYS FROM THE CITY'S FINAL ACTION TO TAKE THAT FINAL ACTION. NOTHING CAN HAPPEN UNTIL DTSC APPROVES IT. UH, THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THE PROJECT BENEFITS THAT WAS FLAGGED IN THE STAFF REPORTS, UH, STAFF'S PRESENTATION. SO I WON'T SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON IT, BUT I, I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT BACK IN 2021, THE PUBLIC ASKED US FOR A TRAIL CONNECTION FROM PACIFIC PLACE TO THE COUNTY PROPERTY. AND OUR PROJECT IS DOING WHAT THE COMMUNITY ASKED FOR IN TERMS OF CONNECTIVITY BY PROVIDING THIS EASEMENT AND THE THE RELATED TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS. ALSO, UM, THE PROJECT WILL OFFER A TAR PLANT MITIGATION AREA THAT WILL BE PRESERVED FOR ONSITE MITIGATION OF SOUTHERN TAR PLANT AT THE NORTHWESTERN HALF ACRE OF THE PROJECT SITE. THIS IS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT OUR EIR ANALYZED IN GREAT DETAIL, AND WE WORKED HAND IN HAND WITH CDFW TO BOTH DESIGN THIS AREA, WHICH WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM. AND ON ALL OTHER BIOLOGICAL MITIGATION, CDFW IS FULLY SIGNED OFF ON THIS TAR PLANT MITIGATION AND ON ALL OTHER BIOLOGICAL MITIGATION MEASURES. UM, AND AS I AS NOTED, THE TAR PLANT MITIGATION AREA WILL ABUT THE COUNTY PROPERTY AND CROSS-POLLINATE WITH THE, YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED TAR PLANT POPULATION THERE. ALRIGHT, WELL THAT CONCLUDES, UM, YOUR APPLICANT COMMENTS, REBUTTAL COMMENTS. WE WILL NOW GO BACK TO RIVER PARK, WHO HAS THREE MINUTES. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, SO JUST WANNA ADDRESS A FEW POINTS. UM, NUMBER ONE, UH, WE DON'T BELIEVE BLIGHT IS A REASON TO APPROVE THE [04:30:01] PROJECT. REGARDLESS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT ON THE SITE, IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROPERTY OWNER TO MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY. UM, NUMBER TWO, UH, THE EASEMENT, UH, DOES NOT ADDRESS THE CONFLICT WITH, UM, SORRY, THE TRAIL EASEMENT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE CONFLICTS, UM, WITH THE RIVERLINK PLAN AND OTHER LAND USE PLANS, UM, THE, THIS IS, UH, A CONDITION OF APPROVAL. UM, IT, IT COULD BE POTENTIAL MITIGATION FOR THE LAND USE CONFLICT, BUT CQA DOESN'T ALLOW COMPRESSION OF AN ANALYSIS IN MITIGATION IN THIS WAY. UM, SO THE EIR NEEDED TO DISCLOSE THE LAND USE CONFLICT. UM, ADDITIONALLY WE WANTED TO ADDRESS THE TAKINGS POINT. UM, THERE, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DENY THE PROJECT ON THE BASIS THAT WE'VE PRESENTED THE, UM, INADEQUACIES OF THE EIR, THE, UM, UH, LACK OF POTENTIAL EVIDENCE FOR THE CITY'S FINDINGS FOR THE REQUESTED ENTITLEMENTS. UM, THE, YOU KNOW, UH, SUPREME COURT PRECEDENT DOESN'T SUPPORT, UH, REGULATORY TAKINGS, UM, UNDER THESE FACTS. UM, MANY OF THE LAND USE PLANS, FOR INSTANCE, THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED WERE, UM, UH, IN PLACE BEFORE THE APPLICANT, UM, ACQUIRED THE PROPERTY. UM, SO THEY DON'T HAVE A REASONABLE INVESTMENT BACK EXPECTATION TO CONFLICT WITH THOSE, UM, THOSE REQUIREMENTS. UM, AND THERE'S NO DEPRIVATION OF, UH, ALL ECONOMICALLY VIABLE USES. UM, THIS IS MADE CLEAR BY THE, UM, THE ALTERNATIVE ONE, WHICH SHOWS AN ALTERNATIVE PROJECT. UM, IF THIS PROJECT WERE DENIED, WANT TO ADDRESS THE, UH, LOS CERRITOS, UM, PARK AND, UH, THE QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, PARKS NEARBY TO THIS SITE. UM, WE REALLY WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT. UH, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A REGIONAL PARK DEFICIENCY, UM, IN THE WEST SIDE OF LONG BEACH. THAT ENTIRE REGION, AGAIN, THAT'S ONE ACRE PER THOUSAND RESIDENTS, UM, THAT FALLS BELOW THE CITYWIDE GOAL, WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL PLAN OF EIGHT ACRES PER RESIDENT. SO, UM, IT'S THE REGIONAL, UH, UH, GOAL IS IMPORTANT. IT'S, IT'S IRRELEVANT, UM, THE, THE PROXIMITY OF THE LOS CERRITOS PARK, UM, UH, REGARDING THE ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS. UM, CQA DOES NOT PERMIT AN AGENCY OR AN APPLICANT TO PRESENT A MUCH MORE IMPACTFUL PROJECT, UM, AND THEN SAY THAT THE ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS WAS ADEQUATE. UM, ALTERNATIVES MUST AVOID OR SUBSTANTIALLY LESSEN IMPACTS. UM, DISCUSSING THE DTSC PROCESS, UM, WE'VE RAISED IN OUR LETTERS THAT, UM, MUCH OF THE ANALYSIS, UH, WAS IMPROPERLY DEFERRED AS WELL AS LITIGATION YOUR TIME HAVE CONCLUDED. UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. UH, WE APPRECIATE IT. AND UM, AGAIN, WE, WE HOPE, UH, THAT YOU VOTE NO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. RIGHT. OUR FINAL REBUTTAL, UH, WATER KEEPERS. ONE MINUTE. THANK YOU. WOULD I BE ABLE TO PULL THE PRESENTATION AGAIN? SURE. JUST WANNA SHOW THE LAST SLIDE. WE'RE ASKING FOR THE WATERKEEPERS PRESENTATION WE'RE WORKING ON. SORRY ABOUT THAT. APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. IS THIS THE LAST, THIS CORRECT SLIDE? YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE PROCEED WITH YOUR ONE MINUTE. I APPRECIATE THE TIME TO CONCLUDE HERE. UM, I JUST WANNA CUT TO THE CHASE FIRST. DON'T BE SWAYED BY THE APPLICANT'S THREATS OF REGULATORY TAKING. THOSE ARE BASELESS AS WE'VE EXPLAINED IN WRITING, BUT JUST CUTTING TO THE CHASE. THE APPLICANT CAN PURCHASE OR LEASE OTHER PLACES TO BUILD THIS PROJECT. THEY CANNOT, WE CANNOT DO THAT FOR OPEN SPACE AS EASILY. WE HAVE OPEN SPACE HERE. WE WANNA HELP WORK WITH THE APPLICANT TO TRY TO FIND A DIFFERENT PLACE TO PUT ITS PROJECT WHILE PRESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY HERE. IF YOU LOOK AT THIS SLIDE, OTHER CITIES ALONG THE RIVER ARE DOING WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING. THEY'RE TURNING INDUSTRIAL FORMER INDUSTRIAL SITES INTO GREENWAYS. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT HERE AND IMPLEMENT THE LONG, UH, PLANNED VISIONARY RIVERLINK PROJECT NO MATTER WHAT. THE CITY STILL HAS AN OBLIGATION TO WESTERN LONG BEACH COMMUNITIES TO FIX THE PARK EQUITY ISSUES THAT THEY'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING. WE ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO HELP FIND GRANT FUNDING. THERE'S PLENTY OF PUBLIC GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR ACQUISITION REMEDIATION AND PARK DEVELOPMENT. JUST LET US WORK WITH YOU. WE CAN WORK WITH A DEVELOPER AND FIND A DIFFERENT PLACE FOR THE PROJECT. BUT YOU HAVE TO SAY NO TO THIS ONE. PLEASE TO VOTE. TIME HAS INCLUDED. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO, ALRIGHT. SO NOW THAT CONCLUDES PRESENTATION, APPELLANT COMMENTS, [04:35:01] APPLICANT COMMENTS. WE NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. MR. MAYOR, YOU HAVE ONE MORE REBUTTAL TO REBUTTAL. THEY RESERVED ONE MINUTE. I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HELD OFF TO HIM. GO AHEAD. SORRY. SORRY. UM, I'LL KEEP IT SHORT. HARD TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THIS. PLEASE PROCEED. UM, SO WITH REGARD TO THE COMMENTS THAT WERE JUST RAISED IN REBUTTALS, THE EIR ANALYZES IN DETAIL THAT THERE IS NOT A CONFLICT WITH APPLICABLE LAND USE PLANS AND ALSO CONTAINS A COMPLIANT ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS. WITH REGARD TO THE ISSUE OF TAKINGS I'LL, I WILL DEFER TO THE PRESENTATION ALREADY PROVIDED BY CITY STAFF ON THAT ISSUE. UM, I ALSO FINALLY NOTE AS I GOT CUT OFF ON THE LAST SLIDE OF THE PRESENTATION THAT THE PROJECT HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO INCLUDE MULTIPLE SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES, WHICH WILL MAKE IT, UM, OFFSET ELECTRICAL DEMAND, UM, AND MANAGE WATER ON SITE CONTRARY TO SOME OF THE, THE ITEMS THAT WERE CONTAINED IN THE PRESENTATION. SO WE WOULD REQUEST THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE PROJECT. AND WE ARE AGAIN HERE TO ANSWER ANY MORE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. THANKS. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S THE LAST REBUTTAL. IT IS. I'M PRETTY SURE. I'M JUST GONNA CONFIRM. RETAL, WE GOT YOUR PRESENTATION CONFIRMED. WE GOT THE APPEAL CONFIRMS. YEAH. AND WE GOT THE REBUTTAL. AND THEN WE GOT THE REBUTTAL TO THE REBUTTAL AND THEN WE GOT THE REBUTTAL TO THE REBUTTALS OF THE REBUTTAL. IT'S THE LAST ONE. THAT'S TRICKY THAT YOU, THAT WAS THE LAST ONE. YOU GOT 'EM ALL. ALRIGHT, WE NAILED IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL NOW, UH, CL CLOSE THAT PORTION DOWN AND OPEN UP GENERAL PUBLIC PUBLIC COMMENT. SO AGAIN, YOU CANNOT BUILD ON THE APPLICANT'S AND THE APPELLANTS CANNOT BUILD ON THEIR CASE. THIS HAS TO BE PUBLIC. UH, PUBLIC COMMENT. THERE ARE 21 PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UH, UNDER OUR COUNCIL RULES. THAT IS 90 SECONDS, UH, PER PUBLIC COMMENTER. I'M GONNA CALL THE FIRST 10. WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE LINE UP DAVE HALL, LESLIE GARSON, DAVID POLZER, RAY LAWSON, CORDLESS LEE CHARITY, CASTRO, AURORA GUTIERREZ, RENEE LAWLER, AND LYNETTE CY AND MIKE LARA. SO THE VERY FIRST IS DAVE HALL, FOLLOWED BY LESLIE GARRISON. I'M GONNA PASS THIS TO THE VICE MAYOR 'CAUSE I NEED TO TAKE A RESTROOM BREAK, BUT PLEASE PROCEED MR. HALL. OKAY. UH, MR. MAYOR AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SAN DEJAS, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME'S DAVE HALL. I LIVE AT 10 47 CHESTNUT AND I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE DO NOT CERTIFY THIS EIR AND I WILL BE FOCUSING ON ONE THING AND THAT'S THE WESTERN AL AND ENDANGERED SPECIES. AND THIS PROJECT WILL WIPE OUT THE ENDANGERED BOROUGH INAL AND THE EIR IS NOT SUFFICIENT. FIRST OF ALL, THE CALIFORNIA FISH AND WILDLIFE, UH, DEPARTMENT NAMED THE WESTERN BURING AL AS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES IN SPRING OF 2025. AND THAT HAS NOT BEEN MENTIONED IN THE EIR SECOND, THE CALIFORNIA MIGRATORY BIRD PROTECTION ACT SPRING OF 2025, UH, PROTECTS THE BURROWING AL AMONG OTHERS. AND THAT IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE EIR. FURTHERMORE, IN THE EIR, THE MITIGATION FOR THE BURROWING AL IS THAT THE WAIT UNTIL THE BIRDS LAY THEIR EGGS AND THEN THEY'LL BUILD ON THEIR HABITAT. THAT IS NOT MITIGATION, THAT IS A DEATH SENTENCE FOR THIS ENDANGERED SPECIES. FINALLY, A MITIGATION WOULD BE ARTIFICIAL NESTING BURROWS. AND THAT WOULD BE A MITIGATION IS NOT PROVIDED BEYOND WAITING UNTIL THE, THE EGGS HATCH AND THEN BUILDING THEIR, THAT'S THE ONLY MITIGATION AND IT'S NOT SUFFICIENT ARTIFICIAL NESTING BURROWS WOULD GO, UH, FAR IN PROTECTING THIS ENDANGERED BIRD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD EVENING CITY LEADERS. MY NAME IS LESLIE GARSON. I AM A VOTER, A RESIDENCE, AND A CONCERNED COMMUNITY MEMBER IN THE LOS CERRITOS COMMUNITY. I ACTUALLY LIVE WITHIN THE CIRCLE THAT YOU SAW. SO I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROJECT. I'M ASKING YOU TODAY OUR CITY LEADERS TO REJECT THE CURRENT PROPOSAL AT 37 0 1 PACIFIC PARK PLACE. BY VOTING NO ON THE FINAL EIR AS WELL AS THE GENERAL PLAN. ALL OF THOSE, UH, SEVEN, UH, ITEMS THAT WERE MENTIONED BY MAYOR RICHARDSON. I WON'T LIST THEM ALL OUT 'CAUSE I'M GONNA RUN OUTTA TIME. GIVEN THE HISTORY OF THE LAND AND ITS PROXIMITY OF TO RESIDENTIALS RESIDENTIAL AREAS OF MINE, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF THE RISKS FOR THIS PROJECT. I THEN BECAME AN ADVOCATE. I STARTED LEARNING ABOUT WHAT IS CQA. I'D NEVER HEARD OF SE A I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT AN MND WAS. I DO NOW, OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS THROUGH SOME OF THE ADVOCACY THAT I'VE BEEN DOING, I'VE LEARNED [04:40:01] EXACTLY WHAT THOSE ARE. AND CQA, WHICH IS, UM, MADE TO PREVENT HARM, REALLY IS MANAGED BY OUR CITY TO PROTECT THE RESIDENTS. THIS PROJECT DOES NOT MEET THOSE STANDARDS. I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY, I'M NOT AN EXPERT, BUT I, IT WAS, I WAS EASY ENOUGH FOR ME TO GO THROUGH THAT AND READ IT. SO I'M ASKING YOU, PLEASE, FOR YOUR RESIDENTS, SAY NO THANK YOU. UH, NA ZEER PULITZER. THANK YOU. UM, GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS DAVID PULITZER. I'M A CONCERNED COMMUNITY MEMBER. I LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE ONTARIO LYNN PLACE, AND I SEE THE SITE THAT THIS IS ABOUT. TONIGHT, I'M URGING YOU TO REJECT THE CURRENT PROPOSAL FOR 3 7 0 1 PACIFIC PLACE. UM, AND SPECIFICALLY THE, UM, FINAL EIR. THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY THE COUNCIL SHOULD REJECT THIS. UM, AND YOU'VE HEARD LOTS OF THINGS AND NOTHING'S BEEN SENT IN. I'M GONNA FOCUS TODAY ON TRAFFIC AS THE EIR TRAFFIC ANALYSIS IS INCOMPLETE AND DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR PAST DEVELOPMENTS OR APPROVE APPROVED FUTURE PROJECTS. A COMPLETE AND CUMULATIVE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS IS A SQA REQUIREMENT. SO THE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, INCOMPLETE AND DANGEROUS PAST DEVELOPMENT AND APPROVED FUTURE PROJECTS AREN'T INCLUDED IN A CUMULATIVE IMPACT ANALYSIS AS SQA REQUIRES. THE WARDLOW WARDLOW CORRIDOR AND INTERSECTIONS AT PACIFIC AND WARDLOW AND SANTA FE AND WARDLOW ALREADY HAVE PORT LEVELS OF SERVICE RATINGS OF DE E AND F FOR DECADES. UM, THE 4 0 5 AND SEVEN 10 FREEWAYS OPERATE AT 97% CAPACITY DURING NON-PEAK HOURS BEFORE THIS PROJECT ADDS MORE TRAFFIC. THERE'S NO MITIGATION FOR THIS CUMULATIVE NEGATIVE IMPACT TO REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS AND THE ERR IN RURALLY CLAIMS PROXIMITY TO FREEWAY INTERCHANGES PREVENT SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, BUT THOSE FREEWAYS ARE ALREADY MAXED OUT. THE 4,000 VIA AURA PROJECT IMPACTS WERE ANALYZED. TIME IS OUT. SO AGAIN, THE IRR SHOULD NOT BE APPROVED. THERE'S NO MITIGATION PROVIDED TO OFFSET THIS FREE TIME HAS CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. HI, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. UM, MY NAME IS CHARITY CASTRO. I'M A RESIDENT OF COUNCIL MEMBER RU ANGAS, UH, DISTRICT. AND I LIVE IN ONE OF THE RED AREAS THAT YOUR MAP POINTED OUT. AND THE REASON I'M HERE TODAY IS BECAUSE THE, UH, AREA THAT YOU'RE ALL DISCUSSING IS AN AREA THAT I DRIVE OR I RIDE MY BIKE PAST EVERY DAY. THAT'S HOW I LEARNED ABOUT IT BECAUSE THERE ARE NO PARKS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I'M IN THAT AREA, THAT RED AREA THAT YOU ALL POINTED OUT. AND THIS IER, THIS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT WILL HAVE YOU BELIEVE THAT THAT PARK MEANS NOTHING ELSE TO ANYONE ELSE OUTSIDE OF THE EL CERRITO AREA. BUT THAT'S NOT TRUE. I HAVE NO GREEN SPACES TO GO TO. AND THE ONES THAT I DO HAVE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD ARE FEW FAR IN BETWEEN AND DEEPLY, DEEPLY UNDER KEPT. I DESERVE AND MY COMMUNITY DESERVES A PARK, NOT A SMALL ALLOTMENT OF NATURAL PLANTS OR A WALKWAY THAT'S CONVENIENT FOR YOUR PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO CONTINUE TO PROFIT FROM US. I'M YOUR CONSTITUENT. I CAME HERE AND I SPOKE UP TODAY BECAUSE I FIRMLY BELIEVE MY SIDE OF THE CITY HAS NO GREEN SPACE. WE'RE STARVED FOR IT. I HAVE TO RIDE MY BIKE TO THE LAGOON BECAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE ELSE THAT I CAN GO WHERE I CAN SAFELY EXPERIENCE GREENERY IN NATURE. UNLESS YOU EXPECT ME TO TRAVEL ALL THE WAY TO THE EAST SIDE OF LONG BEACH BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S THE BEST WE CAN DO. SOME OF YOU RAN ON REALLY PROGRESSIVE STANCES. WE'RE HERE ASKING YOU TO REPRESENT US. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED, NOT PRIVATE DEVELOPERS, CONSTITUENTS. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. UH, MAYOR. UH, MY NAME IS RAY LAWSON. UH, LOCAL 5 6 2, UH, CARPENTER'S UNION. OUR LOCAL IS RIGHT IN THAT RED AREA ALSO. OUR LOCAL IS ON WARDLOW AND LONG BEACH BOULEVARD. THREE YEARS AGO, OUR LO UH, WE WERE GETTING PREPARED FOR A, UH, PICNIC AND THE ATTICS IN THAT AREA BROKE INTO A TRAILER THAT WE HAD STAGED TO TAKE TO THE PARK. UM, THEY STOLE ABOUT $5,000 WORTH OF TOOLS, POWER TOOLS, THE TRAIL OF THEM RIPPING THEIR TOOL, THE TOOL BOXES OPEN LED STRAIGHT TO WHERE THIS AREA THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THIS BLIGHTED AREA THAT'S FULL OF CRIME. WE GOT PICTURES THAT CAN, WE CAN SHOW YOU THAT WERE FULLISH SYRINGE NEEDLES, UM, THAT THEY HAD BEEN USING THE WHOLE TIME THAT THEY WENT AND SOLD THE TOOLS AND WENT AND BOUGHT DRUGS. IT, IT'S ON RECORD WITH THE LONG BEACH POLICE. IF YOU WANT TO CHECK, CHECK IT OUT. UM, WE'RE, WE [04:45:01] ARE THE CARPENTERS UNION. WE OFFER HOPE. UM, WE'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT GUITAR, FLOWERS AND AISLES. WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE. WE, WE REBUILD PEOPLE. WE GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES. AND THIS IS A CHANCE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROJECT TO MAYBE ONE DAY, GET SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE ADDICTED ON THOSE DRUGS. GET 'EM A CAREER, GET 'EM A ALIVE, GET 'EM A FUTURE. UM, LET'S BE MORE IMPORTANT. MUST CARE MORE ABOUT PEOPLE THAN WE DO ABOUT, UH, FLOWERS AND AISLES. LET, LET'S TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION IN APPROVING THIS PROJECT, APPROVING WHAT THE STAFF RECOMMENDS AND APPROVING THIS PROJECT. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS RENEE LAWLER. I'M A NATIVE TO, UH, LONG BEACH AND I AM A STAKEHOLDER IN, UH, REFERENCE TO THIS PROJECT. I OWN EQUESTRIAN PROPERTY, UH, ADJACENT TO THE LA RIVER. AND OUR COMMUNITY, UH, DEPENDS AS, UH, ON THE RIVER AND THE EQUESTRIAN TRAIL AND THE EQUESTRIAN ZONES THAT ARE ALONG THE RIVER. UH, AS LIFELINES TO OUR COMMUNITY, THE EIR FAILS TO IDENTIFY CORRECTLY ALL THE IMPACTS THAT THIS PROJECT WILL HAVE ON THE EQUESTRIAN COMMUNITY. THE EQUESTRIANS, UH, FOR INSTANCE, HAD A, A CONNECTIVITY ACROSS TO THE WEST SIDE PRIOR TO CHANNELIZATION. THE LA RIVER REVITALIZATION PLAN IDENTIFIES THIS PARCEL AS BEING THE CORNERSTONE FOR RE CONNECTIVITY FOR THOSE LANDLOCKED COMMUNITIES AND RESTORING TRAIL ACCESS AND GREEN SPACE ACCESS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER. UM, AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THERE BE MORE ANALYSIS, PROPER ANALYSIS FOR THE IMPACTS THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS CUMULATIVELY HAD. YOU'VE GOT THE SEVEN 12 BAKER PROJECT THAT WAS PRIOR APPROVED IN THIS SAME EQUESTRIAN ZONE. AND SO NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER CUMULATIVE IMPACT STAFF IDENTIFIED, UH, CHRIS KON SAID IN PLANNING COMMISSION THAT EQUESTRIANS ARE IRRELEVANT. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY, ANY POPULATION IN THIS CITY THAT IS IRRELEVANT AND FOR THAT TYPE OF ATTITUDE SHOWS A LACK OF CONCERN AND INTEREST IN A VERY SIGNIFICANT, CULTURALLY IMPACTFUL, CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC COMMUNITY. THEREFORE, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU DENY THIS EIR AND THE UPHOLD, THE APPEALS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO THAT WAS RENEE. RENEE LAWLER. OKAY, GREAT. NEXT I HAVE CORLESS AFTER CORLESS IS AURORA AND THEN LYNETTE. OKAY. SO I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, UM, SOMETHING I NOTICED GOING THROUGH THE MAPS FROM WHEN WE WERE BACK IN THE ERA OF THE LAND USE ELEMENT IN 20 17 20 18. THOSE MAPS SHOWED THIS AS OPEN SPACE. THIS CITY TROTTED THOSE MAPS OUT IN FRONT OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SHOWING THIS AS OPEN SPACE. THEN JUST BEFORE THE VOTE, WHEN THAT BECAME FINAL, WHEN THE LUE BECAME FINAL, THERE WAS A CHANGE. THIS WAS ACTUALLY LISTED ON A DOCUMENT THAT SAID SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE LUE. AND THIS WAS THEN CHANGED TO THAT, WHAT IS IT? LIGHT INDUSTRIAL. NOW I HAVE TO WONDER WHAT WENT ON IN THAT TIMEFRAME. THAT WAS JUST A SHORT COUPLE OF MONTHS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THESE PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. THEY'D SEEN THE OTHER MAPS. NOW THE RUG HAS BEEN PULLED OUT FROM UNDER THEM. AND YOU TELL ME, WOULD INSIGHT HAVE PURCHASED THIS PROPERTY WITH AN AN OPEN SPACE AND PARKLAND DESIGNATION? THEY WOULD NOT. SO SOMETHING WENT ON BEHIND THE SCENES. IF YOU ASK ME. I FEEL LIKE THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BETRAYED BY THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER. AND ARE YOU GONNA DO IT AGAIN TODAY? THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS AURORA, THEN LYNETTE, THEN MIKE. IS IS AURORA HERE? NEVER. OKAY, LYNETTE. ALRIGHT. UM, GOOD EVENING. I'M OPPOSED TO THE APPROVAL OF THE EIR AND PROJECT ENTITLEMENTS. IF THE COUNCIL APPROVES THIS PROJECT, THAT MEANS THAT THE CITY DOES NOT FOLLOW ITS OWN PLANS AND POLICIES. THE COUNCIL APPROVED ALL ELEMENTS OF THE GENERAL PLAN, INCLUDING THE OPEN SPACE, ELEMENT, PARKS, A REC MARINE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND OTHER POLICY DOCUMENTS SUCH AS THE WEST SIDE PROMISE IN THE WEST LONG BEACH LIVABILITY PLAN, WHICH ALL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS INSUFFICIENT OPEN SPACE AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN CENTRAL AND WEST LONG BEACH. THE PROJECT IS INCONSISTENT WITH ALL THE PLANS, INCLUDING ACHIEVING A RATIO OF EIGHT ACRES OF OPEN SPACE PER A THOUSAND RESIDENTS ADDING OPEN SPACE IN AREAS OF THE CITY THAT ARE MOST UNDERSERVED, INCREASED PUBLIC ACCESS AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ALONG THE LA RIVER AND ESTABLISHED PARK EQUITY GUIDELINES FOR SECURITY LAND FOR NEW PARKS AND PARK POOR COMMUNITIES. SO IF YOU APPROVE THIS PROJECT, [04:50:01] I GUESS THE MESSAGE IS YOU'RE SENDING THAT THE GENERAL PLAN IS REALLY IRRELEVANT AND THERE'S NO NEED TO FOLLOW IT. CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE LUE AND PLACED THE VAST MAJORITY OF NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN DOWNTOWN AND ALONG THE A LINE. THUS, OUR DENSITY IS DRASTICALLY INCREASED IN CENTRAL LONG BEACH. AND NOW THE CITY DOES NOT WANNA PROVIDE THE REQUIRED OPEN SPACE AND RECREATIONAL AMENITIES THAT ARE NEEDED FOR ALL THE NEW RESIDENTS. AS YOU KNOW, THE LAST OPEN PARCEL OF LAND NEXT TO THE LA RIVER WAS APPROVED FOR 226 UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON BAKER STREET. IN ADDITION TO ALL THE EIR ANALYSIS, APPROVAL MEANS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS AND HEALTH ISSUES ARE BEING IGNORED AS THEY'VE BEEN FOR MANY YEARS. INCREASES AND INCREASES THE OPEN SPACE INEQUITIES OF THE CITY. LONG BEACH HAS ABOUT 25 SELF STORAGE FACILITIES. THEY DO NOT ADD TO THE LIABILITY OF THE NEIGHBOR, OCCUPY A LARGE AMOUNT OF LAND, PROVIDE VERY FEW LOW PAYING JOBS. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED ADD SUBSTANTIAL TRAFFIC TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE DE DIESEL DEATH ZONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU LYNETTE. SO MIKE, BEFORE YOU GO, I'M GONNA READ THE NEXT, UH, NEXT 10 OR SO DO YOUR THING, UH, SO YOU CAN LINE UP WHILE MIKE IS SPEAKING. JASON BAYES, EDDIE RIVERA, KELLI PINI, UH, MARIELLA LOPEZ, DONNA BERGERON, BURGE, UM, TORI JAMIE'S, JOSE GARCIA, ALINA T UH, HEATHER RILEY, SUSAN NON TAIZ, AND DAVID DE PRINT. OKAY. IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME, PLEASE LINE UP. MIKE, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. MIKE LARA, 2 9 2 6 EUCALYPTUS AVENUE, MAYOR RICHARDSON AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. I'M HERE TO REQUEST THAT YOU REJECT THE CIR. OTHERS WILL AND HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THE INADEQUACIES OF THE REPORT. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GO ON RECORD AS STATING THAT THIS IS THE WRONG USAGE FOR THE LAST OPEN SPACE IN OUR PART OF LONG BEACH. IN LIGHT OF THE LARGE HOUSING PROJECT SCHEDULED FOR SEVEN 12 BAKER STREET, IF THE PLAN BEFORE YOU IS APPROVED, WE'LL LOSE ALL HOPE OF ADDITIONAL PARK SPACE ON THE WEST SIDE. AS A CODA TO YEARS OF IGNORED PROPOSALS AND BROKEN PROMISES TO CREATE LINKED PUBLIC OPEN SPACE ALONG THE LA RIVER, THE CITY'S QUICK TO EMPHASIZE A FAVORABLE PARKLAND OR RESIDENT RATIO, WHILE GLOSSING OVER THE REALITY THAT THE VAST PREPONDERANCE OF SUCH SPACES AROUND THE EAST SIDE AS DENSITY CONTINUES TO INCREASE ALONG THE ALINE CORRIDOR, THIS IMBALANCE WILL ONLY WORSEN A NECESSARY FIRST STEP TOWARDS ADDRESSING THIS INEQUITY IS FOR THIS EIR AND PROJECT TO BE DENIED, AFTER WHICH RESIDENTS CENTERED ALTERNATIVES CAN BE CONSIDERED, FUTURE GENERATIONS WON'T KNOW OR CARE ABOUT. WHO FOUND SPACE FOR ONE MORE STORAGE FACILITY. LET REJECTION OF THIS DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWED BY A PLAN THAT IMPROVES RESIDENT QUALITY OF LIFE, SERVE AS A LEGACY FOR YOUR TERMS OF OFFICE. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, JASON, HONORABLE COUNSEL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. JASON BIAS WITH LABOR'S INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA HERE TO FULLY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT MOVING FORWARD AND SUPPORT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS. THIS PROJECT WILL BRING A WHOLE LIST OF GOOD BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE AND WE ARE EAGER TO BUILD THIS. AND ONE LAST FACT, ACCORDING TO GOOGLE, THERE ARE 171 PARKS AND 3,100 ACRES OF RECREATIONAL AREA IN LONG BEACH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT IS EDDIE, AND THEN KAM. UH, GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU. UM, MY NAME IS EDDIE RIVERA AND I AM A MEMBER OF THE LABOR'S INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT. UM, AS CONSTRUCTION WORKERS LOOK FOR WORK, THEY LOOK FOR PROJECTS WHEREVER THEY'RE AT, NEAR THE RIVER, NEAR THE CITY, AWAY FROM THE CITY IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY. WHEREVER THEY'RE AT, THEY GO. AND THAT'S WHAT OUR MEMBERS WANT TO DO, IS WORK A LOT OF 'EM HERE IN SOUTH LA. OVER 4,000 MEMBERS HERE IN, IN THE LONG BEACH AREA. WOULD LOVE TO WORK ON A PROJECT LIKE THIS CLOSE TO HOME. STAYING OFF THE 4 0 5, STAYING OFF THE 91 AND WORKING CLOSE TO HOME, GIVING THEMSELVES A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM AS AS FAMILIES. RIGHT. PARTICIPATING WITH THE CHILDREN IN LITTLE LEAGUE SOCCER, WHATEVER IT MAY BE. UM, THIS DEVELOPER IS DECIDED TO DO THE JOB WITH UNION HANDS UNION CONTRACTORS UNION MEMBERS, WHICH IS A BIG PLUS BECAUSE IT PROVIDES BENEFITS, PENSION PLANS, APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES, GOOD DEVELOPER, GOOD CONTRACTORS, GOOD WORKERS, MAKES FOR A GOOD PROJECT. UM, PRIVATE MONEY, PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT. IT'S HIS PROPERTY. HE HAS THE RIGHT TO DO WHAT HE WANTS. [04:55:01] I DON'T SEE WHY THE CITY'S GONNA STOP HIM FROM IMPROVING SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN ABANDONED HERE. TIME HAVE CONCLUDED, ABANDONED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND IS SEVERELY ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. NEXT IS ELLI AND THEN MARIELLA. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, MY NAME IS, UH, KA NEY. I WORK FOR, UH, INSIDE PROPERTY. I AM THE, I, UH, WORK FOR A SECURITY COMPANY CALLED FIRST CLASS PROTECTION. AND I ENCOUNTERED THESE, UH, THIS PROPERTY FOR FIVE YEARS NOW AND WE'VE BEEN SECURING IT EVER SINCE. AND TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A, A SITE FOR ANY KIND OF PARK OR RECREATIONAL CENTER. UM, FROM THE FIRST DAY WE WERE ON SITE, WE HAD TO DEAL WITH A LOT OF ISSUES, A LOT OF DRUGS. I'M SURE THEY HAVE THAT IN THE POLICE, UH, REPORTS. UM, THAT CORNER RIGHT THERE ITSELF IS JUST A MAGNET FOR, FOR ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES TILL TODAY WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH IT. AND I THINK THIS PROJECT WOULD BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY AS FAR AS THE UNION WORKERS AND, AND, UH, UH, HOW CAN I SAY IT? UM, PUTTING PEOPLE TO WORK AND THAT CORNER ITSELF, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT OFF THE BAT, IF THERE IS A PARK, I WILL NOT BRING MY KIDS THERE. 'CAUSE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE NIGHT I HEAR THE POLICE CHIEF TALKING ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY AND THAT CORNER THERE. AND THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN SECURE THAT IS BY PUTTING SOMETHING THERE THAT HAS SECURITY. AS FAR AS I KNOW, WE'LL BE THERE TO SECURE THAT PROPERTY. BUT IF YOU PUT A PARK THERE, I CAN GUARANTEE YOU YOU'RE NOT ATTRACTING THE, THE BEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. YOU'RE ATTRACTING ALL THE CHAOTIC THE DRUGS AND THE GANGS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS MARIELLA. AFTER MISS MARIELLA IS DONNA MARIELLA. UM, HAD TO GO HOME. OKAY, NEXT IS DONNA. AND THEN TORI. DONNA IS BACK. HER, SHE HAD TO GO. OKAY. NEXT IS TORI TORY AND THEN JOSE. HI. THANK YOU FOR, UM, LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY. MY NAME IS TORY HYMES AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE. I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY SOUTH COAST CHAPTER. I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF NATURE BECAUSE NATURE CAN'T SPEAK FOR ITSELF TODAY. UM, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE CNPS, WE BELIEVE THE FINAL IMPACT REPORT IS NOT ADEQUATE. AN INDEPENDENT SITE SURVEY IN JULY OF FOUND 774 SOUTHERN TARP PLANTS ON SITE. SOUTHERN TARP PLANT HOLDS A CALIFORNIA RARE PLANT RANK OF ONE B ONE AND IMPACTS TO IT MUST BE PROPERLY CONSIDERED IN A SQUA ANALYSIS. THE CURRENT FEIR BEING APPEALED TO LONG BEACH CITY DOES NOT INCLUDE THIS INFORMATION. BELIEVED THAT THIS REPRESENTS SUBSTANTIAL INFORMATION THAT SHOULD REQUIRE THE PREPARATION OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL EIR. WE ALSO, UM, BELIEVE THAT THE AMOUNT OF MITIGATION IS NOT ADEQUATE AND ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE'S MANY OTHER, UM, SPECIES ON THE SITE THAT ARE, UM, INCLUDING THE COULTER, SALTBUSH PARISHES, BRITTLE SCALE, LUCKY MORNING GLORY, UM, DEUM, GOLDEN BUSH, AND THESE ARE ALL PLANTS THAT ARE RARE SPECIES AND NEED TO BE PROTECTED AS WELL. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS JOSE AND THEN ALINA. GOOD EVENING, HONOR MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME'S JOSE GARCIA. I'M A 34 YEAR LIUNA MEMBER. LABORERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA. UM, I TRULY LOVE THIS AREA AND WE KNOW WHAT, WHAT SHAPE IT'S IN RIGHT NOW. THE REASON, THE PEOPLE THAT LEFT THE AREA, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO CLEAN UP THIS CAN, THE CONTAMINATION THERE. INSIGHT HAS SAID THAT THEY ARE GOING TO CLEAN UP OUR AREA. THAT'LL MAKE IT GOOD FOR ALL THE ANIMALS, FOR ALL THE PLANTS. WE'RE NOT, WE'RE FORGETTING IT TAKES SUPER FUN MONEY TO CLEAN UP THESE PLACES. WE DON'T HAVE THAT MONEY. THIS DEVELOPER HERE IS HELPING OUR CITY, OUR COMMUNITY BE A SAFER PLACE TO LIVE IN. BY TAKING THIS CONTAMINATION AWAY, MY GRANDDAUGHTER WILL BE ABLE TO COME AROUND HERE RIGHT NOW. SHE'S NOT. PEOPLE HAVE SAID THE REASONS WHY NOT. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE CONTAMINATION IS THE MOST WORST THING DOWN THERE. THEY HAVE PLEDGED TO CLEAN THIS PLACE UP. PLEASE, PLEASE SUPPORT STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AND MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD TO BRING A CLEANER COMMUNITY, A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT TO ALL IN THIS AREA. PLEASE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS ALINA, THEN HEATHER, AND THEN SUSAN. I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT CONCRETE CAPPING ISN'T CLEANING UP STUFF. IT'S JUST KIND OF BEARING THE BODY IN THE BACKYARD. UM, I ENCOURAGE COUNSEL TO REJECT [05:00:02] THE RESOLUTION CERTIFYING THE PROPOSED INSIGHT PROJECT. THIS PROJECT MAY HAVE ITS MERITS AND OFFER JOBS TO LOCAL HARDWORKING UNION MEMBERS, BUT IT'S LOCATED IN THE WRONG PLACE. I CAN THINK OF AT LEAST THREE DIFFERENT SITES IN THE LBC THAT ARE MORE APPROPRIATE. BACKDOOR BLACK BOX DECISION MAKING GOT US INTO THIS. AND THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY ON YOU GUYS, UM, BUT IT IS UP TO YOU TO EXTRICATE US FROM THE SPOON. DOGGLE THE SI. THE ERR AS IT STANDS FAILS TO CONSIDER THE PROJECTS, UH, CUMULATIVE IMPACTS. HOLISTICALLY, IT IGNORES HAZARDS AND RISKS TO PUBLIC SAFETY, PROXIMITY TO FAULT LINES, ANDACTION RISK FLOODING, STORM WATER AND POLLUTION RUNOFF, MULTIMODAL CONFLICT MITIGATION. AND GIVEN ITS GIVEN ITS PROXIMITY TO EXISTING TRAILS AND AND PROPANE VOLATILITY, IT ELIMINATES A BIOLOGICAL NODE AND INTERRUPTS AN IMPORTANT SOCIAL USE AND WILDLIFE CORRIDOR IN AN INCREASINGLY ENCROACHED UPON URBAN ENVIRONMENT. IT IGNORES DECADES OF LOCAL COUNTY AND REGIONAL PLANNING AND FUNDING EFFORTS TO INCREASE LA RIVER REVITALIZATION, PUBLIC PLACEMAKING AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, BIODIVERSITY PROTECTIONS AND POLLUTE POLLUTION. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS HEATHER, AND THEN SUSAN AND THEN DAVID. UH, MY NAME IS HEATHER RILEY AND I WAIVE MY TIME THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS SUSAN AND THEN DAVE NASE. YEAH. HI, MY NAME IS SUSAN NASE. I LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE. I LIVE ON COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE. I AM NOT FAR FROM THE PROPOSED PACIFIC PLACE PROJECT AND I'M RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM CERRITO PARK. I'M HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT THE CITY COUNCIL'S APPROVAL OF THE PACIFIC PLACE PROJECT. AND I SEE IT AS A WIN-WIN FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. ITS RESIDENTS AND ITS TAXPAYERS. I DON'T AGREE WITH THE RIVER PARK'S ARGUMENT THAT WE NEED ANOTHER PARK BILL ON THIS PRIVATE PROPERTY. AND I KNOW THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO MONEY IN THE CITY'S BUDGET TO SUPPORT IT. WE HAVE A DOZEN PARKS AND TWO WETLANDS BORDERING, UH, THE PACIFIC PLA PLACE PAR, UH, PROPERTY RUNNING FROM DEL LAMO TO OCEAN BOULEVARD. UH, STARTING WITH THE DOMINGUEZ GAP WETLANDS. THERE'S 32 ACRES RUNNING ALONGSIDE THE LA RIVER FROM DEL LAMO TO WARDLOW. ACROSS WARDLOW. YOU HAVE THE WRIGLEY GREEN BELT, UH, STARTS 9.8 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE BIKING AND WALKING TRAILS ALL THE WAY TO OCEAN BOULEVARD. WE ALL KNOW THE PACIFIC PARK PROJECTS LAND IS SITTING UNDERNEATH TOXIC CONTAMINATED SOIL AND IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY DANGEROUS, IRRESPONSIBLE, AND RISKY TO US LOCAL RESIDENTS THAT LIVE CLOSE TO IT TO TRY TO GR TO TRY TO CLEAN THE SOIL. IT'S ONE THING TO BUILD ABOVE IT, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET IN THERE AND TRY TO CLEAN THAT SOIL, IT'S GOING TO RELEASE TOXIC FUMES. IT'S GONNA RELEASE CONTAMINATION FOR US THAT LIVE AROUND THERE TO BREATHE. SO I'M ABSOLUTELY 100% AGAINST IT. AND THAT IS WHY THREE TIME MANY OF US INCLUDED. I'M SORRY. OKAY. THAT'S WHY MANY OF US TO BELIEVE THAT, UH, THEY SHOULD BUILD THE R SELF SWORD. THAT WOULD BE THE SAFEST THING TO DO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OUR FINAL SPEAKER DAVID DE PRINT THE PRIEST. THE OKAY. PRIEST. I GOT SOMETHING D HERE. DAVID, YOU'RE COME ON. ANYWAY, IT'S ALL GOOD. UM, I LIVE WITH COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE ALSO. UM, AND I HAVE THREE DAUGHTERS AND I MUST SAY THAT TWICE WE'VE BEEN, UH, WE'VE HAD THE HOMELESS FROM THAT AREA TRY TO BREAK INTO OUR BACK DOOR. SO, UH, AND WE'VE ALSO HAVE HAD PEOPLE WITH RINGING OUR DOORBELL AT TWO IN THE MORNING AND THEY'RE, WE'VE TRACED THEM BACK WITH THE POLICE GOING DOWN THAT SAME GULLY GOING TO THIS PROPERTY. SO THE CO THE POLICE WOULD CUT ACROSS THE PARK, CHASE THEM DOWN THERE, LONG BEACH POLICE CAME IMMEDIATELY AND THEY WOULD CHASE THEM DOWN TO THAT PARK, THAT AREA. IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S JUST A BAD SPOT. THERE'S A LOT OF BAD PEOPLE OVER THERE. AND THE, THE OTHER THING I WANNA SAY IS THIS INSIDE GROUP, THEY'VE DONE A GOOD JOB ON ONE THING. THEY DIDN'T TRY TO MAX THIS PROPERTY OUT. THEY'VE KIND OF TRIED ALL DEVELOPERS, THEY TRY TO MAX IT OUT, GET WHATEVER THEY CAN GET AND THEY CAN SELL IT LATER ON. BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BRING SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA LOOK REALLY GOOD, PRETTY TIGHT, PRETTY CLASSY, AND IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE A, A HOUSE IN LIKE A BUILDING IN MANHATTAN BEACH. SO I DON'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE GUYS ARE JUST OUT, JUST TRYING TO MAKE MONEY. THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT GOOD FOR EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THERE WAS ONE PERSON WHO WAS AT THE RESTROOM. ARE THEY BACK? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. WE WILL NOW TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL BEFORE WE, UH, GO TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, I, I DON'T ENVY YOUR POSITION. I'VE SERVED ON THE CITY COUNCIL EIGHT YEARS AND THAT'S BECAUSE THESE HEARINGS [05:05:01] ARE VERY, THERE'S A PROCESS HERE. AND BEFORE YOU GET INTO YOUR DELIBERATION, I'M GONNA ASK, UH, OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO WALK THE COUNCIL THROUGH BOTH THEIR OPTIONS AND THE GUARDRAILS BE BEFORE WE BEGIN THIS DISCUSSION, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CONDUCT THIS HEARING CORRECTLY. I HAVE SEEN WHEN WE'VE HAD TO REDO HEARINGS, BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT HAVE TAKEN A STEP CORRECTLY. AND SO I'M GONNA ASK, UH, THE ATTORNEY TO MAKE SURE THE COUNSEL UNDERSTANDS WHAT THEIR GUARDRAILS ARE AND WHAT THEIR OPTIONS ARE HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SO IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT IS THE RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF, WHICH IS TO APPROVE THE NECESSARY, UH, LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS, UM, TO OVERTURN THE APPEAL, UH, TO APPROVE THE SITE PLAN REVIEW AND THE C PS BOTH THE SITE PLAN REVIEW AND THE CS WERE APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THE LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS WERE RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT THEY REQUIRE YOUR ACTION HERE TODAY. ALL OF THOSE ACTIONS ARE UNDERLIED BY FINDINGS. SO YOU MAKE DETERMINATIONS THAT THE FINDINGS TO TAKE YOU TO THOSE ACTIONS ARE UPHELD. THOSE WERE INCLUDED AS PART OF YOUR AGENDA PACKETS. YOU'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THEM. UM, IF YOU'VE DETERMINED THAT THERE ARE NOT FINDINGS THAT CAN BE MET, UM, THAT WOULD BE A BASIS TO NOT GO WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION. UM, AND TO DIRECT US TO COME BACK AND BRING BACK FINDINGS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR A DIFFERENT CHOICE ON THAT PROJECT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. AND FEEL FREE TO ASK ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS IF ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HA NEED MORE CLARITY ON THE PROCESS. WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER OTI. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU STAFF FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PROVIDED PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, THE, UH, THE APPLICANTS, THE APPELLANTS, UH, AND THOSE WHO DID THE RE WHAT IS IT? THE REBUTTAL. THE REBUTTAL TO THE REBUTTAL AND THEN THE REBUTTAL TO THE REBUTTAL TO THE REBUTTAL. SO THANK YOU. UM, I'M GONNA PUT ON MY FORMER PLANNING COMMISSIONER HAT AND JUST ASK A FEW CLARIFYING QUESTIONS JUST TO MAKE SURE. 'CAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION I THINK THROWN AT EVERYONE, UH, TONIGHT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE KIND OF, UH, ALL ON THE SAME BASIS HERE. SO CAN WE REVISIT THE HISTORY OF THIS SITE, UM, AND JUST WHAT WERE THE USES OF THIS SITE PRIOR TO THE, TO TODAY'S DISCUSSION? THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. SO, YEAH, IN THE PAST, THE PROPERTY WAS USED, UH, AS AN OIL BRINE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY FROM 1926 TO ABOUT THE MID 1950S. UM, AND THEN BETWEEN 1937 AND 1981, UM, OIL WELLS WERE ACTUALLY DRILLED ON SITE. SO NOT ONLY DID YOU HAVE OIL DRILLING, UM, BUT AN OIL BRINE FACILITY WHERE ESSENTIALLY THAT WASTEWATER, YOU KNOW, SITS, UM, AND IS A, IS A BYPRODUCT OF, UH, THE OIL DRILLING PROCESS. UM, AND THEN, UH, THERE WAS A, A PARTIAL CLEANUP IN THE SEVENTIES, UM, UH, AND THE SITE WAS OPERATED AS A GOLF DRIVING RANGE, UM, UNTIL ABOUT 2007. UM, AND THEN WAS, UH, VACANT, UM, EXCEPT FOR THE PARTIAL, UH, RETAIL SHOP THAT REMAINED UNTIL 2015. UM, SO THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE SITE HISTORY. EXCELLENT, THANK YOU. UM, SO TONIGHT WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE ERR. UM, WHAT DID THE AR EIR SPECIFICALLY SAY ABOUT THE CURRENT CONDITION OF THE SOIL IN THAT PARCEL? SURE. SO I CAN GIVE A BROAD OVERVIEW. WE HAVE, UM, MANY TECHNICAL, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS THAT CAN GET INTO MORE DETAIL, UM, IF THAT'S HELPFUL. BUT IN TERMS OF THE SOIL, I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE WAS A, A PARTIAL CLEANUP DONE IN THE 1970S, UH, WHICH INCLUDED BASICALLY REMOVAL TREATMENT AND REPLACEMENT OF A PORTION OF THE SUMP MATERIALS. BUT THERE'S NOT GREAT DOCUMENTATION ON THE FULL EXTENT OF HOW MUCH THAT WAS CLEANED UP. UM, AND, UH, UH, MUCH, UH, DETAILED TESTING HAS BEEN DONE AS PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND DISCLOSURE PROCESS, UM, AS PART OF THE EIR. SO THERE ARE REMAINING CHEMICALS OF POTENTIAL CONCERN AS THEY'RE CALLED, INCLUDING VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS OR VOCS. THERE'S TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS OR TPS, UM, POLYCYCLIC, AROMATIC HYDRO HYDROCARBONS, AND METHANE. UM, AND SO AS YOU HEARD THROUGH THE VARIOUS PRESENTATIONS, UM, THIS PROJECT HAS REQUIRED EXTENSIVE COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TOXIC SUBSTANCE CONTROL OR, UH, DTSC ON REMEDIATION FOR THIS TYPE OF USE. UH, WHICH AGAIN IS, UH, EX EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE, UM, EVEN FOR JUST A SELF-STORAGE FACILITY. UM, UH, BECAUSE REMEDIATION IS REQUIRED AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF USE OF THE LAND, YOU WOULD NEED AN EVEN GREATER, UM, REMEDIATION POTENTIALLY FOR SOMETHING THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UH, SENSITIVE RECEPTORS. UNDERSTOOD. UM, AND THEN CAN YOU CLARIFY WHAT IS THE ZONING CURRENTLY ON THAT PARTICULAR PARCEL? AND IF WE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, WHAT OTHER USES, UM, COULD POTENTIALLY BE THERE? SURE, YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. SO, UM, UNDER THE ZONING CODE TODAY, THE SITE IS ACTUALLY ZONED IL, WHICH STANDS FOR LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AND HAS A CONSISTENT NEO INDUSTRIAL PLACE TYPE. SO TODAY YOU COULD ACTUALLY DO A GENERAL WAREHOUSING SITE BY [05:10:01] RIGHT WITHOUT A CUP. IT WOULD ONLY REQUIRE SORT OF THE DESIGN REVIEW THAT COMES UNDER THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS. YOU COULD ALSO HAVE A MANUFACTURING, UH, FOR EXAMPLE OF LEATHER PRODUCTS, APPAREL, DRUGS, FURNITURE, UM, TRANSPORTATION EQUIPMENT. AND THEN YOU COULD DO MORE INTENSIVE USES LIKE A, A TRUCKING USE WITH A CUP OR A RECYCLING USE WITH A CUP. UM, IT WOULD ALSO ALLOW FOR GREATER LOT COVERAGE, UM, UH, AND POTENTIALLY HEIGHT AS WELL. OKAY. UM, NOW I UNDERSTAND THE CITY STAFF IS RECOMMENDING WE DENY THE, THE APPEAL. UM, IF WE WERE TO UPHOLD THE APPEAL AND DENY THE PROJECT, WHAT FINDINGS WOULD WE NEED TO DO THAT? SURE. SO WE HEARD A LOT OF, UH, PUBLIC TESTIMONY ABOUT A POTENTIAL PARK USE. UM, AND THAT'S, UH, NO ONE AT THIS TABLE IS HERE TO SAY WE DON'T NEED MORE PARKS IN LONG BEACH, BUT THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY A QUESTION, UM, BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, IT'S THE ADEQUACY OF THE DOCUMENTS FOR THIS PROJECT ENTITLEMENT. UM, SO, UH, COUNCIL COULD, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, DETERMINE THAT THE ZONE CHANGE WAS INAPPROPRIATE BECAUSE THE, UH, STORAGE USE DOES NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH EMPLOYMENT AND YOU WOULD PREFER TO SEE THE LARGER WAREHOUSE, UM, PROJECT ON SITE. UM, YOU COULD DETERMINE, UM, THAT THERE'S SOME SORT OF OBJECTIVE ISSUE, UH, WITH THE DESIGN OR THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE STREETS. UM, BUT THAT WOULD NOT PRECLUDE THE DEVELOPER FROM, UM, PURSUING A SIMILAR PROJECT OR A DIFFERENT PROJECT THAT'S ALLOWED UNDER THE ZONING, AS ALLISON JUST DESCRIBED. SO, UM, IT IS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN COUNCIL'S DISCRETION TO MAKE WHATEVER DECISION THEY'RE GONNA MAKE, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GIVE US A FACTUAL, UM, BASIS, UH, FOR THAT DECISION. AND THEN WE WOULD COME BACK AS WE BEST UNDERSTAND YOUR, UH, DIRECTION AND, AND PROVIDE YOU WRITTEN FINDINGS TO THAT EFFECT. AND COUNCILWOMAN THE DETERMINATIONS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THE RECOMMENDATION ON THE SPR AND ON THE CS WERE CONDITIONED UPON THE, UM, COUNCIL TAKING THESE LEGISLATIVE ACT ACTIONS. SO THAT KIND OF, IF THERE'S NOT AN ABILITY TO TAKE THOSE LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS, THAT WOULD BE A BASIS ON THE APPEAL. EXCELLENT. UH, AND THEN MAYOR, CAN I ASK ONE LAST QUESTION? UH, AND THEN THE FINAL QUESTION TO THIS IS, I, I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY. UM, I THINK MANY OF US UNDERSTAND THE NEED, UH, IN THE CITY FOR MORE OPEN SPACE. UH, I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT LIVING IN NORTH LONG BEACH. UM, CAN STAFF TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT TO OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR OPEN SPACE ALONG THE LA RIVER HERE IN LONG BEACH? YEAH, SO WE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH THE COUNTY, UM, RMC AND OTHER PARTNERS TO PURSUE, UM, PARK SPACE ALONG, UM, THE LA RIVER. I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE, UM, I GUESS DIFFERENT IN, UH, IN DESCRIPTION. SO THE PARCEL THAT'S ACTUALLY ADJACENT TO THE LA RIVER IS OWNED BY THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES. UM, WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS WHO CURRENTLY USES THAT FACILITY, BUT WHETHER THAT COULD BE TRANSITIONED, UM, TO A PARK USE IN THE FUTURE. WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, SUPERVISOR HAN'S OFFICE IN TERMS OF PROVIDING RIVER ADJACENCY. THAT'S THE PARCEL THAT HOLDS THE KEY. UM, AND THERE WAS DESCRIPTION THAT THERE'S ALL THIS MONEY AVAILABLE. WE DO PURSUE GRANT FUNDING, BUT THE COUNTY, UM, HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO SECURE FUNDING EVEN TO TRANSFORM THAT COUNTY OWNED PARCEL INTO PARKLAND. UM, WE HAVE, UM, ACQUIRED PROPERTY AND STRATEGICALLY ADDED OPEN SPACE INCLUDING, UM, FURTHER NORTH AT THE, UM, DEFOREST WETLANDS. UM, AND WE LOOK, UM, ALL THE TIME AT ACQUIRING, UH, PROPERTY STRATEGICALLY THAT COULD BE, UH, DEFAULTED PROPERTIES. SO, UM, WHEN SOMEONE DOESN'T PAY THEIR PROPERTY TAX FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, THAT PROPERTY, UM, BECOMES AVAILABLE AND THAT'S A KEY WAY THAT, UM, OPEN SPACE IS ACQUIRED. AND THEN IT'S ALSO THROUGH, UM, PARTNERSHIPS. SO THERE WAS A NEGATIVE COMMENT ABOUT SEVEN 12 BAKER, BUT I WILL JUST SAY THAT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, UM, THAT WE WORKED WITH, UH, COUNCIL, UH, VICE MAYOR URANGA ON, UM, INCLUDES A SUBSTANTIAL PRIVATE OPEN SPACE AS WELL AS ENHANCEMENTS TO THE ADJACENT CITY PARK. UM, WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO COME TO AGREEMENTS LIKE THAT WHERE PROJECTS PROCEED FORWARD AND THERE'S A PUBLIC BENEFIT, INCLUDING NEW OPEN SPACE, WE SEE THAT AS POSITIVE. UM, SO IN OUR MIND, THIS PROJECT'S NOT IN THE WEST SIDE, UM, BUT IN THE WEST SIDE WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE NOT JUST ACQUIRE NEW PROPERTIES, BUT HOW CAN WE ENHANCE PLACES LIKE SILVERADO AND ADMIRAL KIDD? UM, AND OUR DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH PARKS, REC AND MARINE RIGHT NOW TO UPDATE WHAT'S CALLED THE PARK AND REC, UM, RECREATION OPEN SPACE ELEMENT. UM, AND THAT WORK WILL BE HAPPENING IN ALL NINE COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND, UH, PARKS EVERYWHERE IS IMPORTANT, BUT WHAT WE PRIORITIZE IS LOCATIONS WHERE THERE IS NO PARK WITHIN A 10 MINUTE WALK TODAY. UM, THE, THE PARCEL IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY IS NOT, YOU CAN'T [05:15:01] WALK THERE. YOU'D HAVE TO DRIVE THERE. UM, AND THERE IS THE, THE LOS CERRITOS PARK. SO IT'S NOT THAT WE AREN'T INTERESTED IN ACQUIRING OPEN SPACE, BUT THIS WOULD NOT BE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY. OKAY. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO I WANNA, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE THE DESIRE FROM RESIDENTS TO HAVING PARK SPACE MORE GREEN SPACE. UM, AS SOMEBODY WHO REPRESENTS CENTRAL LONG BEACH WITH LIMITED GREEN PARK SPACE, I AM A REGULAR ADVOCATE, UH, FOR IT. UM, AND SO WITH THAT SAID, I WANNA ALSO ADD AS SOMEBODY WHO'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY PROFESSIONAL WHO ACTUALLY FORMALLY WORK FOR RMC WHO ACTUALLY DELIVERED GRANTS TO PROJECT AND WORKED ON THE LOWER LA RIVER RECREATION PLAN, UM, THERE HASN'T BEEN, SO ON A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DESIRE FOR DECADES TO ACQUIRE THIS PROPERTY AND TURN IT INTO PARK SPACE, UH, PER PROFESSIONALLY CAN SPEAK TO EFFORTS IN ACQUIRING. IT WAS A CHALLENGE, BUT EVEN IF IT WAS ACQUIRED, REMEDIATION WAS AN EVEN BIGGER OBSTACLE THAT WAS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN ACQUIRING THE PROPERTY BY THE CONSERVANCY. SO I WOULD SAY UNFORTUNATELY THERE CONTINUES TO BE A TEMP MADE, BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY PROJECT THE STATE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO WHERE THEY HAVE ACQUIRED PROPERTY AND BE ABLE TO ALSO FIND FUNDING TO REMEDIATE A PROPERTY FOR PARK SPACE. IT TAKES PARTNERSHIP AND A LOT OF DOLLARS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT SUCCESSFULLY WHEN IT'S COSTING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. SO I'M JUST SPEAKING FROM THAT FROM A PROFESSIONAL LENS IN MY EXPERIENCE. RIGHT. AND AS SOMEBODY WHO WORKS IN RENEWABLES, I DEFINITELY HERE ON THE PROTECTIONS OF SPECIES AND I'M 99% SURE THERE AREN'T BURROWING OWLS IN THIS REGION. CAN I GET A CLARIFICATION ON THAT? WELL, THERE'S BURROWING OWLS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. WE DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S BURROWING OWLS ON THIS SITE, BUT THAT'S NOT FOR ME OR ALLISON OR QUENTIN TO DETERMINE. WE WORK WITH THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE AND THEY'VE BEEN TO THE SITE, THEY'VE WORKED EXTENSIVELY ON THIS EIR, THEY'RE WHAT'S CALLED A RESPONSIBLE AGENCY. UM, IT'S ACTUALLY OUR OBLIGATION TO TAKE THEIR EXPERT ADVICE. THEY ARE THE EXPERTS IN BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES. THEY'VE SIGNED OFF ON THE MITIGATION APPROACH, BUT, UM, THEY WILL ALSO BE OUT ON SITE AND THEY, UM, THE OPEN SPACE AREA THAT'S PART OF THE TAR PLANT MITIGATION, THERE'S AN ENDOWMENT AND A REQUIREMENT FOR THAT TO BE MONITORED IN PERPETUITY. SO THE BIOLOGICAL CONCERNS HAVE BEEN, UM, ADDRESSED BY THE EXPERTS AT CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE. THANK YOU. AND I'M ALSO A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED WITH SOME OF THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE THERE WAS A SLIDE, UM, THAT STATED THE OUTDATED DATA FOR PARK ACQUISITION PLAN WAS LISTED AS A BULLET POINT, BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF REFERENCES MADE TO THE LOWER LA RIVER RECREATION PLAN, THE RIVER LINK PLAN. SO IT'S KIND OF HARD FOR ME TO FOLLOW, UM, THE LOGIC ON WHY, YOU KNOW, THESE PLANS WOULDN'T WORK, BUT YET THERE'S A DESIRE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN. SO I WILL JUST GO AND SAY THAT THERE IS A VISION. THERE CONTINUES TO BE A VISION TO REVITALIZE THE RIVER AND AS STATED, THERE'S A LA COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL PROPERTY TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, FUNDING CONTINUES TO BE A CHALLENGE AND IT REQUIRES THE PARTNERSHIP OF PUBLIC WORKS TO BE ABLE TO ALSO PUT IN THE DOLLAR WITH STATE FUNDING AS WELL AS I THINK LOCAL FUNDING, WHICH WE MADE COMMITMENTS TO. SO IT REQUIRES ALL OF THESE LEVEL, AND I THINK THE CITY'S VALUE IS THERE. WE HAVE A CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLAN, WHICH CLEARLY STATES ARE, YOU KNOW, COMMITMENT TO REDUCING CARBON, UM, GREENHOUSE CARBON EMISSION. UM, AND WE CONTINUE TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO REDUCE CARBON AND CARBON. SEQUESTER SE I ALWAYS HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THIS WORD SEQUESTRATION, RIGHT? SO THAT I, I, I, YOU KNOW, WANNA STATE LIKE HOW MUCH WE AS A CITY HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO ENSURING THAT WE DO IDENTIFY GREEN SPACE. THAT'S THE V FEASIBILITY PLAN. UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT FELT LIKE IT'S A PROMISE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT'S BEEN A VISION AND A COMMITMENT THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DELIVER BEYOND THIS PROJECT. AND I THINK THAT THIS PROJECT HAS SHOWN THAT THEY'VE CHANGED OVER TIME TO BE, UM, TO MITIGATE IMPACTS. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS THE BEST NEXT STEP WHEN YOU DO HAVE A PROJECT, WHICH I THINK THE COMPANY HAS DONE, TO BE ABLE TO HEAR WHAT RESIDENTS NEED AND TO BE ABLE TO ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO THE RIVER AND TO BE ABLE TO BIKE UP AND DOWN. SO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I DON'T, I'M TRYING TO UNDER [05:20:01] AND, AND UNDERSTAND AND HEAR THE EVIDENCE TO REJECT THE E-I-R-I-I, I CAN'T SEE IT, WHICH IS THE REASON WHY I WILL APPROVE, RECOMMEND APPROVAL, BECAUSE BASED ON TODAY'S DECISION, IT'S ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE REJECT OR OPPOSE THE EIR AND I HAVEN'T HEARD EVIDENCE TO OTHERWISE. SO THAT IS FOR THAT REASON, UH, WILL BE APPROVING THE RECOMMENDATIONS. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. THANK YOU. UM, JUST A QUICK CLARIFYING QUESTION. FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY WHO CAME TO COMMENT AND WHO'S BEEN HERE THE WHOLE NIGHT. THANK YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL, UM, SIDES. UM, AND ALSO A QUICK QUESTION FOR STAFF. UM, IT SAID HERE THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS COME UP THROUGH ALL THE REMARKS IS THAT, UM, THERE'S A DESIRE TO HAVE A PARK HERE. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF THAT'S EVEN FEASIBLE? I KNOW THAT THERE WAS CONTAMINATION THAT WAS HAD, I'M ASSUMING THAT WE WOULDN'T BUILD A PARK ON CONTAMINATED LAND. SO HOW WOULD WE, IF, UM, WHAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO, UM, TO EVEN THINK ABOUT GOING IN THAT DIRECTION? SURE. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION COUNCIL MEMBERS INDE HAS. SO, UM, THIS COUNCIL COULD APPROVE THIS PROJECT AND ON ANY OTHER GIVEN TUESDAY DIRECT STAFF TO, YOU KNOW, PURSUE ACQUIRING THIS SITE. UM, A ACQUIRING THE PIECE OF REAL ESTATE WOULD BE THE EASY PART. WE WOULD PAY WHATEVER THE PURCHASE PRICE IS, SOME NUMBER OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, BUT THEN WE OWN IT, INCLUDING THE LIABILITY FOR, UM, THE, THE SOIL. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO APPROACH THE DEPARTMENT OF TOXIC SUBSTANCE CONTROL AND PROPOSE WHAT'S CALLED A REMEDIATION PLAN. A REMEDIAL ACTION PLAN. UM, AND WE WOULD HAVE TO REMEDIATE THE SOIL TO A HIGHER LEVEL THAN IN THIS PROJECT, BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE PARKS, YOU HAVE VERY YOUNG FOLKS, VERY OLD FOLKS, UM, PEOPLE GO, THEY ENJOY AND THEY ROLL AROUND ON THE GRASS. THEY'RE EXPOSED, UM, TO THE SOIL IN A WAY THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN STORING, UM, YOUR THINGS AND YOUR RV THERE. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO, UH, REMEDIATE IT TO THAT HIGHER LEVEL. WE WOULD SUBMIT A PROPOSED PLAN. THE STATE DTSC, UH, WOULD REVIEW IT. AND ONCE WE CAME TO AN AGREEMENT, THEN WE WOULD START, UM, THE REMEDIATION, WHICH IN THIS CASE, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO WAY TO PHYSICALLY CURE, UM, THE SOIL. A LARGE AMOUNT OF SOIL WOULD HAVE TO BE BASICALLY EXTRACTED, HAULED AWAY FROM THE SITE, UM, INCINERATED OFFSITE AND NEW FILL BROUGHT IN. SO THAT WOULD BE AT THE CITY'S EXPENSE. AND THEN ONCE WE START DIGGING, YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO KEEP GOING UNTIL YOU HIT CLEAN DIRT THAT DTSC WILL SIGN OFF ON. SO EVEN IF THAT INCLUDES MORE WORK THAN YOU ANTICIPATED, MORE WORK THAN YOU BUDGETED TO, ONCE YOU START, YOU HAVE TO FINISH. SO THAT WOULD BE ON THE CITY. UM, YOU KNOW, WE ESTIMATE THAT THOSE COSTS WOULD BE IN THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. UM, ON THE LOW END, I THINK THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM WOULD BE IN AROUND $5 MILLION. BUT WE EXPECT IT TO BE IN THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. AND THEN ALL WE HAVE IS A PILE OF DIRT, THEN WE HAVE TO BUILD THE PARK. WE NEED TO GO THROUGH A COMMUNITY PROCESS TO DESIGN THE PARK. UM, AND THEN, UM, PARK SPACE, TOM'S GONNA CORRECT ME, IS I THINK $2 MILLION AN ACRE ON AVERAGE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT COSTS. SO WE WOULD NEED TO FIND THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO DO THAT AS WELL. WE COULD, UM, PURSUE GRANTS. UH, WE'RE NOT SAYING WE CAN'T DO THAT. UH, COST EFFICIENCY IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE STATE OR OTHER GRANTING ENTITIES LOOK AT. SO THIS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE MOST EXPENSIVE PER ACRE, UM, PARK PROJECT DONE BY THE CITY. SO THAT WOULD NOT MAKE US SUPER COMPETITIVE, UM, FOR GRANTS. UM, AND I THINK WHAT WE WORRY MOST ABOUT IS ONCE YOU START, YOU JUST HAVE TO KEEP GOING NO MATTER WHAT IT COSTS, BECAUSE IT'S NOW IS NOW YOUR LAND. SO I THINK WE WOULD PURSUE THAT WITH PARTNERS ON THE STAFF TABLE. WE DON'T HAVE ANY WAY, UM, TO COME UP WITH THOSE KIND OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES. YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING A BUDGET DISCUSSION WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS WE CAN'T FUND THAT COST $15,000. I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA FIND 40, $50 MILLION. BUT, UM, THAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS THAT WE WOULD GO THROUGH. THANK YOU DIRECTOR KUNZ FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR URANGA. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. BEFORE I BEGAN, I WANT TO, UH, PLEASE BEAR WITH ME. I HAD MY VOICE SOMETIMES COMES AND GOES AND I HAVE A CALL. UH, [05:25:01] DURING THE COURSE OF THE HEARING AND THE PUBLIC COMMENT, I HEARD A NUMBER OF, UH, COMMENTS THAT WERE A LITTLE INACCURATE. FIRST, LET'S GET SOME CLARIFICATION. WHAT I HEARD YOU IN THE BEGINNING, YOU SAID THAT THIS PROPERTY IS NOT ON THE WEST SIDE YET THE APPEAL SAYS WEST SIDE LONG BEACH. AND THEN AS YOU WERE SPEAKING, THEY CALL IT WESTERN LONG BEACH. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? YEAH, SO COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I CAN'T DEFINE FOR SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHAT THEY CALL WEST LONG BEACH, BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON HERE AT THE CITY IN TERMS OF THE WEST SIDE PROMISE. UM, AND THE WEST SIDE OF LONG BEACH, WHICH WE THINK OF AS WEST OF THE RIVER, UM, THAT IS AN AREA THAT OVER THE YEARS HAS EXPERIENCED DISPROPORTIONAL IMPACTS FROM TRUCKING AND LOGISTICS USES FROM THE PORT, AS WELL AS AIR QUALITY DIRECTLY FROM THE PORT. WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO, BUT THE, THAT AREA HAS BECOME MUCH CLEANER OVER THE LAST DECADE DUE TO CLEAN TRUCKS RULE, UM, AT THE PORT. BUT THAT OVER THE YEARS IT'S EXPERIENCED DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS. THOSE IMPACTS HAVE BEEN, FELT, FELT PRIMARILY BY LOW INCOME PERSONS OF COLOR. IT'S ALSO AN AREA THAT WAS DISINVESTED BY THE CITY AND OTHERS, UM, THAT HAD INADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT DOES HAVE LESS PARK SPACE, UM, ACRES PER RESIDENT, AS WELL AS, UM, PARK SPACE THAT'S ACCESSIBLE IN A 10 MINUTE WALK. SO THAT'S WHY WE, UH, PUT TOGETHER ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, UM, THE INVESTMENT PLAN, WHICH LATER UNDER THE, THE CURRENT MAYOR AND YOURSELF, UM, WE PUT TOGETHER, UM, THE WEST SIDE PROMISE AND ALL AREAS OF THE CITY MATTER. BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN OVER DECADES, UM, DISINVESTMENT AND IMPACTS ON THAT COMMUNITY. AND WE PUT A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ADDRESSING THOSE. SO THAT MEANS SPECIALIZED STAFFING THAT CONNECTS PEOPLE WITH RESOURCES. THAT MEANS LOOKING AT PRIORITIZING PARK PROJECTS, PRIORITIZING WORK ON SANTA FE AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE AREA. UM, SO THAT'S THE WEST SIDE PROMISE. THAT'S HOW WE THINK ABOUT THE WEST SIDE. THAT DOESN'T MEAN SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE IS WRONG, BUT IN TERMS OF THE CITY AND THE CITY'S PROGRAMS AND REGULATIONS, THAT'S HOW WE THINK ABOUT WHAT IS THE WEST SIDE. YEAH. THAT, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE WEST SIDE IS THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD WEST OF THE RIVER AND WEST OF THE FREEWAY. CORRECT? CORRECT. WHERE DOES THIS NOT STAND THIS PARCEL? WHERE, WHERE DOES THIS STAND IN RELATION TO THAT? YEAH, SO THIS PARCEL'S EAST OF THE RIVER, UM, AND NORTH OF THE 4 0 5. SO WE CONSIDER THAT DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT, UM, THAN THE WEST SIDE AND ADDRESSING THE WEST SIDE PROMISE, UM, IN ALLISON'S PRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS, UM, NORTH OF THE SITE, AND, AND THOSE DO, UH, TEND TO BE MORE ADVANTAGED OR, OR NOT DISADVANTAGED, WHICH IS FINE. EVERYONE DESERVES PARKS. UM, BUT IT, IT WOULD NOT BE A SITE THAT WOULD BE A PRIORITY FROM AN EQUITY LENS. WOULD, UH, NOW THIS WOULD BE A NEW, NEW ONE ABOUT ME. IF WE WERE TO SAY WESTERN LONG BEACH WOULD NOT CHANGE THE, THE, UH, PARK RATIO THAT WE, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE. I MEAN, WEST LONG BEACH TO ME IS WESTERN CHERRY. YEAH. YEAH. WESTERN CHERRY IS WEST LONG BEACH. WEST LONG BEACH DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO US FROM A REGULATORY STANDPOINT. I'M SURE IT, IT MIGHT MEAN TO SOMETHING, TO SOMEONE, UH, WHO SAID IT. BUT I CAN TELL YOU, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT PARK SPACE, WE LOOK AT TWO DIFFERENT FACTORS. THE TOTAL ACRES, THAT'S IMPORTANT. BUT WE ALSO LOOK AT, AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN MOVING TO MORE IS, IS THERE PARK SPACE AT ALL WITHIN A 10 MINUTE WALK OF YOUR HOME? NOT EVERYONE CAN DRIVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE THINK ABOUT KIDS AND SENIORS. UM, AND IN, IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, WEST OF THE RIVER. THAT IS A REAL CHALLENGE. UM, IN THE, IN THE AREA. APPROXIMATE TO THIS SITE, UM, IT IS WELL SERVED BY THE EXISTING LOS CERRITOS PARK. OKAY. ALSO, I GUESS IN BETTER BACKGROUND, I WAS PART OF THE, UH, COUNCIL WHEN THE APPLICATION FIRST CAME THROUGH AND THERE WAS A NEGATIVE DECLARATION MADE. I WAS THE ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER AT THAT TIME THAT VOTED AGAINST HIM. 'CAUSE I FOUND THAT NEGATIVE DECLARATIONS DON'T TELL, WON'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY. YOU NEED TO HAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND FAMILY PORN. SO IT LOST, BUT [05:30:01] BASED ON A LAWSUIT AND IT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND FAMILY PORN WAS DECLARED AND PAID FOREIGN AND THEN WHAT WE HAVE TODAY. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. I REMEMBERED THAT. UM, HEARING, UM, AND I BELIEVE YOU DISCUSSED JUST THE NEED, UM, FOR FULL DISCLOSURE, THAT WOULD COME IN THE FORM OF AN EIR. YOUR COLLEAGUES, UH, DIDN'T SUPPORT YOU THAT NIGHT, BUT ULTIMATELY THE COURT, UM, INVALIDATED THAT M AND D ON SOME TECHNICAL, UM, CRITERIA. UM, WE WENT BACK WITH THE APPLICANT TEAM. WE DID NOT APPEAL THAT DECISION. WE SAID, FINE, WE'RE GONNA DO THAT. WE'RE GONNA DO A COMPREHENSIVE EIR. WE SPENT YEARS, UH, DOING THAT. UM, AND WE DID THE FULL DISCLOSURE, UM, WHICH BROUGHT US, UH, TO TODAY. OKAY. UH, ALSO, UH, I GO AHEAD AND SAY IT. UH, THERE WAS A COMMENT THAT ME, MY COLLEAGUES OR MY PREDECESSORS WERE READING SOMETHING ON THIS PROPERTY DECLARING IT OPEN SPACE. AND NOW LOOKING AT DEVELOPMENT, HAS THIS PROPERTY, THIS PARCEL, EVER BEEN DECLARED OPEN SPACE? UH, THIS PROPERTY'S NEVER BEEN DECLARED OPEN SPACE. THEY WERE REFERRING TO A DRAFT LUE MAP, UM, THAT NOTED THERE WAS PRIVATE RECREATION HERE, THE FORMER GOLF COURSE. UM, AND THAT WAS A MAPPING ERROR. AND THAT WAS PRIVATE. THAT WAS PRIVATE. AND WE CORRECTED IT IN DAYLIGHT THROUGH THE PUBLIC PROCESS, INCLUDING PUTTING OUT THE, THE LIST THAT MS. UH, LEE REFERRED TO IN TERMS OF CHANGES WE MADE TO THE MAP. UM, WE DID THAT TO CORRECT THAT ISSUE WITH THE MAP. NO COUNCIL MEMBER OR MAYOR ASKED ME TO DO ANYTHING SPECIAL FOR THIS PROPERTY OWNER. WHAT WE DID WAS PART OF OUR NORMAL PLANNING PROCESS, WHICH WAS TO GET THE MAP AS CORRECT AS POSSIBLE TO SHARE EVERYTHING WITH THE PUBLIC, AND THEN ULTIMATELY TO BRING IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL. OKAY. YOU ALSO MENTIONED THE BEGINNING. HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE, MAYOR? WELL, YOU, YOU ARE OUT OF TIME, BUT, UH, THERE'S ONLY A FEW COMMENTS LEFT SO YOU CAN CONCLUDE YOUR THOUGHT. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, THERE WAS, UH, A, UH, ANOTHER IN YOUR BEGINNING WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU OPENED UP, YOU SAID IT WAS A PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT WAS NOT FOR SALE. IS THAT TRUE STILL? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. SO THE PROPERTY NOT FOR SALE. SO IN ORDER FOR US TO LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY OF PURCHASING THIS PROPERTY LAND, THEY WOULD'VE TO AGREE TO SELL? YEAH, I THINK AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, DR. SORROW REFERRED TO THERE HAVE BEEN PAST EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE THIS PROPERTY FROM THE CITY, FROM THE TRUST, FROM PUBLIC LAND, FROM THE COUNTY, UM, FROM RIVERS AND MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY. UM, THOSE HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL. UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES. NUMBER ONE, THE NOT WILLING SELLER, BUT ALSO THE PRICE. NUMBER THREE, THE CONTAMINATION ON SITE. SO IT'S NOT THAT THERE HASN'T, UM, BEEN EFFORT, UM, BUT A PRIVATE, UH, PROPERTY OWNER, UM, DOES HAVE THE RIGHT TO NOT SELL THEIR PROPERTY. SO THAT, THAT HAS BEEN THE HISTORY ON THE SITE AND ACQUISITION. OKAY. FINALLY, MY LAST COMMENT, BUT THE ISSUE OF ACCESS, THERE WAS A, A COMMON MAIN THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO GO AWAY TO THE WEST, EAST LONG BEACH OR TRAVEL FAR TO GET TO THE PARK. AND THIS WOULD BE, UH, PARCEL WITHOUT BEING CLOSER TO THEM. HOW ACCESSIBLE WOULD THIS PARCEL OF BE FOR WEST SANDERS? YEAH. SO TO TO, TO, TO, UH, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. YEAH. DUE TO THE SEVEN 10 FREEWAY AND THE VARIOUS RAMPS THERE, AS WELL AS THE A LINE TRACKS, UM, THIS, UH, PARCEL IS REALLY ONLY ACCESSIBLE BY VEHICLE. SO MANY RESIDENTS IN THE WEST SIDE HAVE VEHICLE, AND I'M SURE THEY COULD DRIVE HERE. UM, BUT SOME RESIDENTS, INCLUDING SOME THAT ARE, ARE MOST VULNERABLE AND WE NEED TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO, DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A VEHICLE. THEY MAY NOT BE OLD ENOUGH, OR THEY MAY BE SENIORS OR THEY CAN'T DRIVE, OR THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO DRIVE. UM, SO I DON'T, YOU KNOW, BASED ON OUR ANALYSIS FROM THE STAFF TABLE, THIS WOULD NOT HELP THOSE FOLKS. I THINK WHAT WOULD HELP THEM IS CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR PROPERTIES, UM, CLOSER, UH, TO THEIR HOMES IN THE WEST SIDE. UM, PURSUING THOSE, UH, STRATEGICALLY FOR NEW PARK SITES, AS WELL AS ENHANCING THE PARKS THAT DO EXIST ON THE WEST SIDE, LIKE SILVERADO, ADMIRAL KIDD AND HUDSON, UM, TO MAKE THOSE AS WELCOMING AS POSSIBLE AND HAVE AS MANY AMENITIES AS POSSIBLE, UM, SO THEY CAN BE ENJOYED BY THE RESIDENTS THAT CAN WALK TO THEM. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I HAVE BEEN ON COUNCIL LONG ENOUGH [05:35:01] NOW TO, TO BE, UH, PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROJECT AND, UM, OVER THE, UH, YEARS WE'VE HEARD, UM, FROM MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, LIKE WE HAVE TONIGHT THE SAME. UH, WE'VE HEARD THIS, THAT, UM, THEY WANT THE PARCEL DEVELOPED INTO A PUBLIC OPEN SPACE. HOWEVER, THIS IS A PRIVATE PROPERTY AND THE OWNER INTENDS TO DEVELOP IT FOR THE USE THAT IT IS ZONED FOR, UM, WITH SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS. UM, CAN THIS COUNCIL LEGALLY REJECT THE EIR FOR A PRIVATE PROPERTY PROJECT? SOLELY BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY HAS A PREFERENCE FOR IT TO BE OPEN SPACE. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. COUNCIL MEMBER. THERE'S NOT AN ABILITY TO REJECT AN EIR WITHOUT A BASIS WITHIN THE EIR. RIGHT? THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING DEFICIENT INSIDE OF THE EIR. IT HAS TO FAIL IN SOME WAY. UM, THERE THE BASIS FOR REJECTION CAN'T BE BECAUSE THERE'S A DIFFERENT DESIRED USE WHEN THE EIR ITSELF IS LEGALLY SUFFICIENT AND YOU CAN MAKE ALL REQUISITE FINDINGS TO ADOPT THAT EIR. OKAY. UM, WE ALSO HEARD CONCERNS ABOUT THE SITE AND ITS CURRENT, UH, CONDITION BEING AN EYESORE WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES, UM, RELATED TO ENCAMPMENTS AND OTHER ACTIVITY. SO THIS IS PROBABLY FOR YOU, DIRECTOR KONZ. UM, WHAT KIND OF CODE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN AT THIS, UH, PROPERTY, UM, IN ITS CURRENT STATE? SURE. SO THERE'S A PRETTY EXTENSIVE CODE ENFORCEMENT, UM, HISTORY AT THE SITE. I WILL SAY, UH, THE CURRENT OWNER IN SITE, WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ISSUES, WHEN WE CONTACT THEM, THEY WILL GO OUT AND THEY WILL UPDATE THE FENCING, THEY WILL DO CLEANING. UM, BUT IT IS A RECURRING ISSUE EVERY TIME THEY CLEAN IT UP. IT'S, IT'S A MATTER OF DAYS UNTIL, UM, THERE IS NEW, UH, NUISANCE ACTIVITY ON THE SITE. UM, I WOULD EXPECT AS WE EXPERIENCE MANY CHALLENGES UP AND DOWN THE RIVER ON BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY, UM, FOR THAT, UM, CONDITION TO CONTINUE, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT RUN. UM, THERE'S ALSO AN ADJACENT PROPERTY, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS THE MCDONALD PROPERTY. THAT'S A PROPERTY RMC HAS BEEN TRYING, UH, TO ACQUIRE, BUT, UH, HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL. UM, AND THERE IS AN OPEN CODE ENFORCEMENT CASE THERE, UM, FOR WHAT WE CALL OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE, WHICH IS NOT TAKING ACTIVE EFFORTS TO PREVENT, UM, IT COULD BE UNHOUSED, IT COULD BE HOUSED PEOPLE THAT ARE COMMITTING CRIMES OR DUMPING ITEMS OR RIDING MOTORCYCLES OFF ROAD ON THESE PRIVATE PROPERTIES. SO, UH, THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS NOT RESPO, THEY CAN'T FULLY CONTROL A THIRD PARTY THAT TRESPASSES ON THEIR PROPERTY, BUT WHAT WE REQUIRE IS THAT THEY TAKE ACTIVE MEASURES TO CONTROL ACCESS TO THE PROPERTY AND THAT THEY CLEAN UP ANY ITEMS THAT ARE LEFT ON THE PROPERTY. UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO, UM, WARN AND AS NECESSARY ISSUE CITATIONS ON, ON THOSE TWO PROPERTIES. BUT I WOULD EXPECT BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE EVERYWHERE ALONG THE RIVER FOR, FOR THAT ACTIVITY TO, UM, CONTINUE UN UNLESS THERE WAS SOME SORT OF ACTIVE USE THERE, WHETHER IT'S THE, THE PROJECT IN FRONT OF COUNCIL OR A DIFFERENT USE, SOME USE THAT WOULD HAVE, UM, ACTIVITY AND PERSONNEL, UM, THERE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND NIGHT. THANK YOU. I HAVE NO FURTHER, UH, QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SONO. UH, THANK YOU. UM, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF THAT'S REALLY, UH, OFF TOPIC. SO, UM, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE USE OF THE PROPERTY. UM, IT WAS PROBABLY IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT CAN YOU TELL US THE CAPACITY OF RV STORAGE AT THE, AT THE NEW FACILITY? THE CURRENT PROPOSAL IS FOR 551 RV SPACES. OKAY, THANK YOU. THAT'S GREAT. UM, SO, UM, I HAD A CONVERSATION TODAY WITH, UH, SUMMER TEMPLE. SHE'S THE OWNER OPERATOR OF DON TEMPLE STORAGE. SHE HAPPENS TO BE A FIFTH DISTRICT RESIDENT, BUT SHE CONTACTED ME BECAUSE, UH, HER BUSINESS IS IN THE FOURTH DISTRICT. AND, UM, SHE WAS SAYING THAT OVER THE YEARS, UH, SHE HAS COMMISSIONED TWO DIFFERENT STUDIES ON THE NEED FOR RV STORAGE. UH, ONE WAS IN 2017 AND THE LAST ONE WAS IN 2021. AND THOSE RESULTS WHILE OUTDATED, UM, SHOWED THAT 1,538 RV OWNERS IN THE CITY HAVE NO PLACE TO STORE THEIR, UH, RV. SO, UM, SHE WANTED ME TO BRING THAT FACT FORWARD AND I GUESS IT WAS PERTINENT 'CAUSE THAT WAS NOT COVERED TONIGHT. UM, ALSO SHE AS A PRIVATE BUSINESS OWNER, UM, REALLY QUESTIONED THE MESSAGE WE'RE GIVING TO PRIVATE BUSINESS OWNERS OUT THERE THAT, UM, IF THE CITY WERE TO ACT ON THIS, UM, WOULD THERE, WOULD IT CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE OF, UM, OF INVESTORS NOT TRUSTING THE CITY? [05:40:01] SO, UH, THOSE ARE HER COMMENTS AND I WANTED TO SHARE THEM HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR? YES. UH, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. SO THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN TOP OF MIND FOR RESIDENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY. UM, FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR MORE, I WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR CONTINUING TO ENGAGE WITH ME AND MY OFFICE AND MY TEAM. SINCE I WAS SWORN IN JUST OVER TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, I'VE MET WITH, LISTENED TO, RECEIVED EMAILS AND CORRESPONDENCE FROM YOU EXPRESSING A DESIRE TO MAINTAIN OPEN SPACE TO SERVE THE GREATER LONG BEACH COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THOSE WHO STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT. UM, I RECEIVED MORE THAN 140 EMAILS IN THE LAST FIVE DAYS ALONE. I WANNA EXTEND MY APPRECIATION TO THE APPELLANTS AND THE APPLICANTS FOR BEING HERE. I WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR ROBUST QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS ON THIS MATTER. MANY OF WHOM HAVE A LONGER OFFICIAL HISTORY WITH THIS PROJECT, UH, THAN I DO IN MY TWO AND A HALF YEARS. UH, I WANNA THANK THE CITY TEAM FOR THEIR THOROUGHNESS AND CARE IN THE PRESENTATION OF THIS REPORT AND FOR BEING PREPARED TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER IN DEPTH AND ANSWER QUESTIONS. AND I PARTICULARLY WANNA THANK THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS WELL FOR THEIR DUE DILIGENCE AND HARD WORK LEADING UP TO THIS POINT. THEY HAD NEARLY 700 PAGES OF DOCUMENTATION AND AN OVER THREE HOUR MEETING HELD IN JUNE. UM, TO HEAR BOTH FROM, UH, THE DEVELOPERS AS WELL AS ANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WANTED TO SPEAK, I RE-WATCH THAT MEETING FOUR TIMES THIS WEEKEND. I WANNA THANK THE APPLICANTS FOR MOVING THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND MAINTAINING A WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO INTEGRATE SUGGESTIONS INTO THIS PROJECT. THE PROJECT IN FRONT OF US MAY BE REQUIREMENTS, BUT FALL SHORT OF THE VISION OF MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT THEY HOLD FOR OPEN SPACE. FOR THIS REASON, I WILL BE VOTING NO AND I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY IN GOOD FAITH ON A PATH FORWARD TO INCREASE OPEN SPACE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WELL THAT WAS THE FINAL COUNCIL, UH, UH, COMMENT. I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING. UH, AGAIN, IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING A LOT OF GREAT POINTS RAISED TODAY. UH, WE CERTAINLY KNOW THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR OPEN SPACE ALL OVER THE WEST SIDE AND NORTH LONG BEACH WHERE WE LIVE, AND WE FOCUSED ON THAT. IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. UM, AS THE ATTORNEY NAMED, UH, THIS IS A SPECIFIC HEARING ABOUT THE MERITS OF THE EIR. AND SO THE DECISION MADE NOW HAS TO BE SOLELY BASED ON WHAT IS PRESENTED IN FRONT OF US. DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU CANNOT ENGAGE IN ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS SEPARATELY FROM THIS ABOUT WAYS TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON OPEN SPACE EXPANSION, UH, LIKE WE'VE DONE IN NORTH LONG BEACH WITH THE FOREST WETLANDS, WHICH IS THE PROJECT WE WORKED ON THAT BROUGHT 40 ACRES THERE. AND SO THOSE ARE THINGS WE DO WANNA SEE CONTINUE. THAT SAID, THERE ARE SEVEN VOTES. WE ARE, WE NEED TO READ THROUGH EACH MOTION AND DO A VOICE VOTE ON EACH MOTION. SO, MADAM CLERK, LET'S BEGIN. SO, UH, FOR THE FIRST ONE WE'RE GONNA DO, UM, WE HAVE A MOTION OF NINE AND SIX. AND FOR COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE, THIS IS A VOTE, A VERBAL VOTE. THANK YOU. AND THIS FIRST VOTE, SORRY, JUST TO CLARIFY, IS RECEIVING THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION? YES. CONCLUDING THE HEARING AND THEN CONSIDERING THE APPEALS. ALRIGHT, SO THAT'S THE FIRST VOTE WE GO THROUGH, UH, DISTRICT, EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT, YES OR NO? DISTRICT ONE I UPON POINT OF WATER, PLEASE GO AHEAD. CAN YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID, ERIN, PLEASE? I ABSOLUTELY CAN. AND I'LL, I'LL JUST MAKE SURE THAT, JUST FOR SIGNALING, 'CAUSE WE HAVE SEVEN, I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW WHICH ONE WE'RE ON RIGHT IN THE RECOMMENDATION. BUT THIS FIRST VOTE IS TO RECEIVE THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD TO CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND TO CONSIDER THE TWO APPEALS THAT WERE FILED. ALRIGHT, LET'S BEGIN. DISTRICT ONE. AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FOUR. AYE. DISTRICT FIVE? NO. DISTRICT SIX. OH, SORRY. AYE. . DISTRICT SEVEN. AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT. PLEASE READ THE SECOND MOTION. SO THE SECOND VOTE WILL BE ON THE, I THINK WE NEED A MOTION. A SECOND. I THINK WE'RE CARRY THE SAME MOTION. AND SECOND ON ALL ON ALL OF THESE. OKAY. DISTRICT TWO. SORRY, JUST SO I CAN CLARIFY. THE, THE, YEAH, READ THE MOTION. WE'LL CARRY THE FIRST AND SECOND AND THE MOTION HERE. THE VOTE HERE IS TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION CERTIFYING THE EIR MAKING THE FINDINGS AND APPROVING A MITIGATION AND MONITORING, MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM. DISTRICT ONE. AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE. AYE. DISTRICT FOUR. AYE. DISTRICT FIVE? NO. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. PLEASE PROCEED WITH THE THIRD VOTE. THE THIRD VOTE IS TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING [05:45:01] THE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS AND ALL NECESSARY FINDINGS RELATED THERE TOO. DISTRICT ONE? AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FOUR? AYE. DISTRICT FIVE? NO. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. NEXT VOTE. THE NEXT VOTE IS VOTE FIVE. AND THAT'S, SORRY. VOTE FOUR, WHICH IS TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE ZONING CODE, AMENDMENT AND ALL RELATED FINDINGS THERE TOO. DISTRICT ONE? AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FOUR. AYE. DISTRICT FIVE? NO. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. NEXT VOTE. THE FIFTH VOTE IS TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE ZONING CODE CHANGE AND ALL FINDINGS RELATED THERE TO DISTRICT ONE. AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FOUR. AYE. DISTRICT FIVE? NO. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. I THINK WE'RE ON THE SIXTH VOTE. SIXTH VOTE. MR. MAYOR, WHICH IS TO DENY THE APPEAL AND UPHOLD THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OF THE SITE PANEL REVIEW AND MAKE ALL NECESSARY FINDINGS. RELATION THERE TOO. DISTRICT ONE? AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FOUR? AYE. DISTRICT FIVE? NO. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. AND THE FINAL VOTE? THE FINAL VOTE IS TO DENY THE APPEAL AND UPHOLD THE PLANNING COMMISSION COMMISSION'S APPROVAL OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS FOR THE PROJECT AND THE NECESSARY FINDINGS RELATED THERETO. DISTRICT ONE? AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FOUR? AYE. DISTRICT FIVE? NO. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, SO I BELIEVE THAT'S THE FINAL VOTE, CORRECT? YEAH. CORRECT. OKAY. SO THAT CONCLUDES THIS HEARING. UH, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA. WE WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR STAYING LATE. UM, AND WE'RE GONNA GO TO ITEM 27. I KNOW THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FOLKS, UH, WAITING ON THIS ITEM. PLEASE FORGIVE US THIS HEARING, UH, HAVE TO TAKE, UH, PRIORITY IN TERMS OF THE ORDER. SO LET'S READ ITEM 27. PLEASE COMMUNICATE. ACTUALLY STAY, LET'S GIVE [27. 25-56080 Recommendation to strengthen the Long Beach’s Values Act and reaffirm the City’s commitment to protecting families, uplifting dignity, and honoring the contributions of Long Beach’s diverse immigrant communities with the immediate adoption of the policy recommendations and actions set forth in this City Council Letter and in accordance with the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget recommendations.       Office or Department: Roberto Uranga, Vice Mayor, Seventh District; Mary Zendejas, Councilwoman, First District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] IT A MOMENT. I THINK WE'RE, WE HAVE SOME FOLKS LEAVING. ALL RIGHT FOLKS, WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE MEETING. IF YOU COULD CONTINUE YOUR CONVERSATIONS IN THE, IN THE LOBBY. THE LOBBY IS STILL OPEN. THANKS SO MUCH. UH, WHAT TIME IS IT? IT'S ALMOST 11. ALRIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND READ ITEM 27 PLEASE. COMMUNICATION FROM VICE MAYOR ORANGA COUNCILWOMAN AND THE HAS RECOMMENDATION TO STRENGTHEN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AND REAFFIRM THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING FAMILIES, UPLIFTING DIGNITY, AND HONORING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF LONG BEACH DIVERSE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES WITH THE IMMEDIATE ADOPTION OF THE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTIONS SET FORTH IN THE CITY COUNCIL LETTER AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MAYOR'S FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UM, I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR, FOR WAITING PATIENTLY, UH, THAT HEARING AND BUDGET HEARING. IT'S A LOT IN AUGUST. IT ALWAYS IS. UH, SO IN JANUARY UPON LEARNING ABOUT, UH, THE PENDING INAUGURATION OF THE PRESIDENT, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, TOOK TIME WORKING WITH, UH, MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, TOOK TIME TO UPDATE THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT IN ADVANCE OF THE TRANSITION. WHEN WE DID THAT, WE ASKED FOR A SIX MONTH STATUS REPORT ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE IT FURTHER. [05:50:01] OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST SIX MONTHS, A LOT HAS HAPPENED. THE LAST TWO MONTHS, WE'VE SEEN INCREASED IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES, ICE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, MASSED INDIVIDUALS, UNMARKED VEHICLES, A LOT OF FEAR AND TERROR TAKING PLACE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, ESCALATION OF, UM, MILITARY. AND NOW WE'RE SEEING, UH, ESCALATION OF MILITARY TAKING PLACE IN OTHER CITIES. UM, AND SO, UH, THE CIRCUMSTANCE HAS NOT NECESSARILY GOTTEN BETTER, UH, BUT THE CITY COUNCIL IS CONTINUING TO REVIEW AND LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO STRENGTHEN OUR ABILITY TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS. UM, MOST RECENTLY, UH, A FEW ACTIONS TOOK PLACE. ONE, UH, WHEN WE INTRODUCED OUR BUDGET, WE PROPOSED A DEFENDING LONG BEACH VALUES PLAN THAT INCLUDED $5 MILLION AVAILABLE AND FLEXIBLE SUPPORT FOR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES, NEWLY IMPACTED BY FEDERAL, THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION, WHICH COULD BE PEOPLE LOSE, YOU KNOW, AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR HOUSING VOUCHERS AND OTHER THINGS. AS A PART OF THAT, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THAT, UH, MY STAFF, CITY STAFF AND CITY ATTORNEY REVIEWED THAT, UH, CAN HELP STRENGTHEN THE VALUES ACT. SINCE THEN, UH, WE'VE JOINED THE FEDERAL LAWSUIT, UH, WHICH, YOU KNOW, NOW WE KNOW THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS ACTUALLY THE, THE ADMIT PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION IS ADVOCATING FOR A STAY, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY, AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY ARGUING FOR THE LEGAL ABILITY TO PROFILE, UH, IN, IN THIS REGION, UH, BASED ON RACE, GIVEN THAT STATISTICALLY ONE IN 10 RESIDENTS IN THE REGION COULD BE UNDOCUMENTED, WHICH IS A PROBLEM, AND WE DON'T SUPPORT THAT. AND SO, UH, WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US, THE CITY COUNCIL, VICE MAYOR, YANGA, COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS HAVE TAKEN, HAVE TAKEN THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THIS BATCH OF RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH IS A PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, AND SAID, WE DON'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY WAIT UNTIL, UM, UH, OCTOBER FOR THESE TO GO INTO EFFECT. BRING THESE FORWARD NOW FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION, WHICH IS WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU. UM, NOW I WILL SAY THINGS CHANGE ALL THE TIME. THIS ADMINISTRA THE LEGAL REALITIES CHANGE. THIS ADMINISTRATION CHANGES TACTICS. THE LE WE WILL CONTINUE TO REVIEW WHAT OUR TACTICS ARE. THAT IS MY COMMITMENT. WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, JUST TODAY WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL CLOSED SESSION JUST GETTING AN UPDATE ON WHAT THE LEGAL CIRCUMSTANCES ARE. SO THIS WILL NOT BE OUR ONLY TIME TAKING A LOOK AT THE STEPS THAT WE MAY NEED TO TAKE DURING THIS ADMINISTRATION TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS. YOU HAVE OUR COMMITMENT, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS EVERYTHING IN THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN VETTED BY OUR CITY STAFF AND CITY ATTORNEY IS READY TO GO TODAY. UH, THAT SAID, WE'RE GONNA START, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS A PRESENTATION FROM STAFF ON THE SIX MONTH UPDATE. UH, THEN WE'RE GONNA WALK THROUGH SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO VICE MAYOR AND THEN TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ZENDEJAS. AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO ACTUALLY AFTER PRESENTATION, THE PEOPLE IN THE WAIT. AND IF YOU GUYS DON'T MIND, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC AND THEN WE'LL GO TO VICE MAYOR URANGA, COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS AND GO THROUGH, UH, THE REST OF, UH, THE COUNCIL. SO LET'S START WITH STAFF'S PRESENTATION. MAYOR, MAY WE HAVE A MOTION? UH, AND A SECOND VERBAL. OKAY, GREAT. I THOUGHT VICE MAYOR URANGA MADE A MOTION. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER I SECOND. OKAY, THANK YOU. CORRECT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. LET PROCEED WITH STAFF PRESENTATION. WELL SAID. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK, UH, OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS. UM, AND SO THIS TEAM HAS REALLY BEEN ACTIVATED ON THIS AREA, AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AND CONTINUE TO MOVE THESE THINGS FORWARD. I WILL TURN TO THERESA CHANDLER, OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, AND ALLOW ON A GRANT, GRANT OUR EQUITY OFFICER, TO GO THROUGH, UH, SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. UH, GOOD EVENING, HONOR ROLL, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO PROVIDING THIS SIX MONTH UPDATE TO YOU THIS EVENING. SO IN LONG BEACH, LIKE MANY OTHER CITIES, IMMIGRANTS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR CITY'S SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND ECONOMIC LIFE. IN 2018, THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AS A CLEAR RESPONSE TO THE NEED FOR STRONGER PROTECTIONS FOR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. THE ACT WAS CREATED TO SAFEGUARD THE RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF IMMIGRANTS BY ENSURING THE CITY DOES NOT PARTICIPATE IN FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES. MAINTAIN PUBLIC TRUST IN CITY GOVERNMENT AND ENSURE THE CITY DOES NOT PARTICIPATE IN FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. SO, TO PROVIDE A BRIEF TIMELINE OF THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT IN 2017, THE CALIFORNIA VALUES ACT, ALSO KNOWN AS SB 54, WAS SIGNED INTO LAW PREVENTING STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM TAKING ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT DUTIES, AFFIRMING THAT SUCH ENFORCEMENT FALLS UNDER FEDERAL AUTHORITY. ONLY THE ALIGNMENT WITH SB 54 IN ALIGNMENT, THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF TO DEVELOP LOCAL POLICIES THAT REFLECT THE CITY'S VALUES OF INCLUSION, SAFETY, AND COMMUNITY TRUST. IN 2018, THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT WAS ADOPTED THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION AND FORMALIZED IN ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION 8 33, ESTABLISHING CITYWIDE PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING, COLLECTING AND MAINTAINING OF SENSITIVE PERSONAL INFORMATION AND [05:55:01] PROHIBITING CITY COOPERATION WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. MOST RECENTLY, IN 2025, CITY COUNCIL REAFFIRMED AND STRENGTHENED ITS COMMITMENT TO THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, AS I JUST MENTIONED, ON JANUARY 7TH, 2025 IS WHEN COUNCIL PASSED A MOTION DIRECTING CITY STAFF TO STRENGTHEN AND REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT. THE MOTION CONSISTED OF MULTIPLE COORDINATED ACTIONS TO ENHANCE LEGAL PROTECTIONS, DATA SECURITY, AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION FOR IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS, WHILE WORKING CLOSELY WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO MAINTAIN TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY. KEY ACTIONS INCLUDED REQUESTING FORMAL COMMITMENTS FROM APPOINTING AUTHORITIES AND ELECTED OFFICIALS. THIS WAS COORDINATED BY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE INTEGRATING DATA PRIVACY GUIDELINES INTO CONTRACTS AND IMPLEMENTING FORMAL DATA TRANSFER AND TRANSFER AND USE AGREEMENTS. THIS WAS PREPARED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EXPANDING FUNDING FOR REMOVAL DEFENSE SERVICES THROUGH THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND, DEVELOPING INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS, RESOURCES, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, AND EVALUATING THE FEASIBILITY, FEASIBILITY OF ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY REQUESTS. THIS WAS LED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AS WELL. THE COUNCIL'S ACTION WAS A CLEAR STATEMENT THAT THE CITY WILL NOT ONLY MAINTAIN ITS COMMITMENTS, BUT WILL TAKE PROACTIVE STEPS TO REINFORCE THEM IN, IN EVERY DEPARTMENT AND FACILITY. THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS THE KEY DEPARTMENTS APPOINTING AUTHORITIES AND EDUCATION PARTNERS INVOLVED IN IMPLEMENTING AND SUPPORTING OUR EFFORTS. AS PART OF THE RE REAFFIRMATION PROCESS, WE ASK THESE PARTNERS TO PROVIDE FORMAL LETTERS OF SUPPORT TO ACCOMPANY AND STRENGTHEN THE WORK. SO YOU CAN SEE HERE, UH, THE CITY DEPARTMENTS INCLUDE THE CITY ATTORNEY, CITY CLERK, CITY PROSECUTOR, UM, THE APPOINTING AUTHORITIES, UH, COVERS THE PORT OF LONG BEACH, LONG BEACH TRANSIT, AND LONG BEACH UTILITIES. AND OUR EDUCATION PARTNERS INCLUDE CITY COLLEGE AND LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. TOGETHER THESE GROUPS FORM A BROAD NETWORK OF PARTNERS WHO HELP REINFORCE CITY COMMITMENTS, IMPLEMENT POLICIES, AND COORDINATE ACTIONS ACROSS MULTIPLE SECTORS. ON APRIL 1ST, 2025, CITY COUNCIL ALLOCATED $150,000 FROM THE FISCAL YEAR, 24 YEAR END SURPLUS FUNDS TO EXPAND THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND AND RESTORE INTERIM REMOVAL DEFENSE SERVICES, MAKING POLICY EXCEPTIONS FOR TWO KEY PARTNERS. THESE AGREEMENTS WERE FUNDED THROUGH THE COUNCIL APPROVED MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT AND OTHER AVAILABLE JUSTICE FUND RESOURCES. SO WESTERN STATE COLLEGE, UM, OF LAW RECEIVED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO SUPPORT LEGAL EDUCATION AND SERVICES. AND ESPERANZA IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT RECEIVED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO EXPAND LEGAL SUPPORT FOR IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS. ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE JUSTICE FUNDS HERE. SO THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2018 FOLLOWING THE ADOPTION OF THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT TO PROVIDE LEGAL, UH, FREE LEGAL REPRESENTATION TO LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE OR WORK IN LONG BEACH, OR WHO HAVE STRONG TIES TO THE CITY AND NEED LEGAL REPRESENTATION TO ASSERT VALID LEGAL CLAIMS TO REMAIN. IN THE UNITED STATES, MANY INDIVIDUALS FACE COMPLEX IMMIGRATION PROCEEDINGS, UM, WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO AFFORD COUNSEL AND MUST NAVIGATE AN EVER-CHANGING LEGAL SYSTEM ALONE. AS THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL DOES NOT EXTEND IMMIGRATION RELATED CASES, THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND HELPS FILL THIS CRITICAL GAP, ENABLING COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO DEFEND THEIR RIGHTS AND REMAIN WITH THEIR FAMILIES. IN 2021, THE PROGRAM TRANSITIONED FROM THE VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE TO THE LONG BEACH OFFICE OF EQUITY IN 2022, THE JUSTICE FUND EXPANDED ITS SCOPE TO INCLUDE COMMUNITY CONNECTION SERVICES AS PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE OUTREACH, EDUCATION AND REFERRALS TO CONNECT COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH IMMIGRATION SUPPORT AND LEGAL SERVICES. IN 2023, THE JUSTICE FUND EXPANDED ITS SCOPE OF SERVICES, AGAIN TO INCLUDE AFFIRMATIVE AND, UH, APPELLATE LEGAL REPRESENTATION. IN 2024, THE CITY AWARDED CONTRACTS TO FOUR VENDORS TO SUPPORT AND EXPAND SERVICE CAPACITY. AND THIS YEAR THE CITY MANAGER APPROVED TWO POLICY EXCEPTIONS FOR INTERIM REMOVAL DEFENSE SERVICES. AND OUR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS CLOSED EARLIER TODAY. THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND CONTINUES TO DELIVER MEASURABLE IMPACT IN PROVIDING LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN COMMUNITY EDUCATION. SINCE 20 19 89 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REPRESENTED IN REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS. IN TOTAL, MORE THAN 130 PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED LEGAL REPRESENTATION THROUGH THE JUSTICE FUND. IN 2025 SERVICES SPAN COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS, REMOVAL DEFENSE, AFFIRMATIVE LEGAL REPRESENTATION, AND APPELLATE LEGAL SERVICES, OUR COMMUNITY CONNECTORS CONDUCTED A TOTAL OF 12 WORKSHOPS COVERING INFORMATION ON THE JUSTICE FUND AND KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. OUR REMOVAL DEFENSE LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS REPRESENTED 16 INDIVIDUALS FACING DEPORTATION PROCEEDINGS. 36 PEOPLE WERE ASSISTED IN SEEKING LEGAL STATUS THROUGH THE AFFIRMATIVE LEGAL SERVICES. AND FIVE INDIVIDUALS IN APPEALS PROCEEDINGS WERE REPRESENTED THROUGH THE APP [06:00:01] APP APPELLATE LEGAL SERVICES. SO AS YOU'VE SEEN, THE JUSTICE FUNDS IMPACT IS MEASURED NOT ONLY IN LEGAL CASES, ONE OR WORKSHOPS DELIVERED, BUT IN THE SUSTAINED SUPPORT PROVIDED TO INDIVIDUALS NAVIGATING COMPLEX IMMIGRATION SYSTEMS OVER MULTIPLE YEARS. THIS WORK IS ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WE'VE BUILT. WE'VE BUILT WITH COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE DEEPLY CONNECTED TO THE PEOPLE WE SERVE. THE OFFICE OF EQUITY PARTNERS WITH IMMIGRANT SERVING COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO STRENGTHEN THE JUSTICE FUND AT EVERY STAGE. FROM PROGRAM DESIGN TO IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION. TOGETHER, WE SHAPE PROGRAM DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION REVIEW PROPOSALS, IDENTIFY EMERGING COMMUNITY NEEDS, AND RECOMMEND TAILORED SERVICES PARTNERS ALSO LEAD OUTREACH TO PROVIDERS AND, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS HELPING EXPAND THE IMMIGRANT SUPPORT NETWORK AND CONNECT RESIDENTS WITH LEGAL AND SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES. I'M NOW GONNA TURN THE MIC OVER TO ALANA, WHO'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THE INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS AND PROTOCOLS AND TRAINING MATERIALS THAT WE'VE CREATED FOR STAFF AND COMMUNITY. THANKS THERESA. SO, IN RESPONSE TO CITY COUNCIL'S DIRECTION TO EXPAND COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND THE GROWING NEED FOR CLEAR STAFF GUIDANCE, THIS NEXT SECTION WILL PREVIEW OUR SUITE OF INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES, UH, MATERIALS AND HOW THEY WILL SUPPORT BOTH OUR COMMUNITY AND WORKFORCE. UM, SPEAK. SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY ON OUR RESIDENT, UH, RESOURCES, UH, THE OFFICE OF EQUITY DEVELOPED LONG BEACH VALUES ACT RESOURCE GUIDE, AND A CONCISE ONE PAGER TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY MEMBERS SEEKING IMMIGRATION RELATED ASSISTANCE. UH, THE RESOURCE GUIDE INCLUDES KNOW YOUR RIGHTS INFORMATION AND PRACTICAL TIPS ON HOW TO BE PREPARED IF APPROACHED, OR QUESTIONED BY IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT. THE RESOURCE GUIDE ALSO DIRECTS COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO TRUSTED LEGAL AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. AND THE GUIDE IS AVAILABLE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES TO ENSURE ACCESSIBILITY TO OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING SPANISH, TAGALOG, KAMAI, ARABIC, ARMENIAN, CHINESE, FARSI, KOREAN, RUSSIAN, AND VIETNAMESE. UH, THIS ONE PAGER ALSO PROVIDES JUST A QUICK REFERENCE AND, UH, WILL BE AVAILABLE IN PRINTED FORM AT COMMUNITY HUBS SUCH AS OUR LIBRARIES, OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS AND PUBLIC FACILITIES. UM, DIGITAL, UH, VERSIONS WILL ALSO BE ACCESSIBLE ONLINE AND ALLOW RESIDENTS, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST TO ACCESS THAT VIA DOWNLOAD. NEXT SLIDE. ALRIGHT. SO, UM, TO EQUIP STAFF WITH TOOLS AND RESOURCES, UM, WE FORMED A TASK FORCE THAT EMERGED OUT OF THE CITY MANAGER'S AD HOC COMMITTEE, UM, TO ENSURE WE WERE GIVING TIMELY GUIDANCE TO, UH, CITY STAFF. AND SO WE CREATED A TASK FORCE KNOWN AS THE EQUITY AND POLICY PRACTICE AND PROTOCOL TASK FORCE, ALSO KNOWN AS EP THREE. UM, AND THIS CONSISTS OF VOLUNTEER STAFF FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, A REALLY SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAM THAT'S HELPING TO FUNCTION AS A RAPID RESPONSE TEAM AND A LONG-TERM PLANNING BODY THAT HELPS OUR DEPARTMENTS NAVIGATE THE SHIFTING LEGAL AND POLICY LANDSCAPE WHILE SAFEGUARDING EQUITY AND COMMUNITY TRUST. SO THE EP THREE DEVELOPS AN ISSUES TIMELY EQUITY CENTERED GUIDANCE PROTOCOLS AND RESOURCES FOR CITY DEPARTMENTS, ENABLING THEM TO ADAPT POLICIES AND OPERATIONS WHILE MAINTAINING PUBLIC TRUST. OUR TASK FORCE FOCUSES ON TWO PRIMARY AREAS, UM, WHICH WOULD BE OUR, UH, OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE FOR DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION AS WE'RE NAVIGATING VERY SHIFTING LANGUAGE AND RHETORIC. AND THEN, UH, IMMIGRATION RESPONSE AND COMMUNITY TRUST. UH, AND SO AS WE GO THROUGH THESE NEXT FEW SLIDES, THESE ARE JUST SOME SAMPLES OF THE RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR CITY STAFF. MANY OF THEM ARE IN REVIEW, UM, BUT, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING THEM, UH, DISTRIBUTING THEM TO CITY DEPARTMENTS VERY SOON. SO THIS FIRST RESOURCE IS OUR PRIVATE AREA SIGNAGE, UH, AND CHECKLIST. AND I DO WANNA JUST MAKE THE CORRECTION THAT WE ARE REFERRING TO THIS AS NON-PUBLIC, UH, AREA SIGNAGE AND SO TO DEC TO CLEARLY DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PUBLIC AND NON-PUBLIC AREAS WITHIN CITY FACILITIES. UM, AND THIS WILL ALSO, THE SIGNAGE IS INTENDED TO HELP STAFF AND VISITORS UNDERSTAND WHERE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MAY NOT ENTER WITHOUT A VALID JUDICIAL WARRANT OR EXPLICIT PERMISSION. AND SO THE ACCOMPANYING CHECKLIST GUIDES FACILITY MANAGERS, UH, AND PROPERLY DESIGNATING AND MAINTAINING THESE NON-PUBLIC AREAS. WE'LL HAVE DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL COPIES OF THAT PACKET, UH, THAT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO CITY DEPARTMENTS UPON APPROVAL. NEXT RESOURCE, UH, NEXT UP WILL BE OUR, UH, COMMITMENT TO IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES BANNER. AND SO THIS BANNER IS, UM, A PUBLIC AFFIRMATION OF THE CITY'S DEDICATION TO PROTECTING THE RIGHTS, DIGNITY, AND SAFETY OF IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. IT SERVES AS A VISIBLE DECLARATION OF OUR VALUES AND WILL HELP BUILD TRUST, UM, BETWEEN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND CITY GOVERNMENT. AND SO WE INTEND TO HAVE THIS AVAILABLE IN ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY [06:05:01] FACING FACILITIES. UH, THE, THIS BANNER HAS BEEN TRANSLATED IN SPANISH, KAMAYA AND TAGALOG, AND WILL BE DISTRIBUTED IN, UH, THE LARGER PACKET THAT I PREVIOUSLY REFERENCED. ALL RIGHT, TO PROVIDE CLEAR PROTOCOLS FOR CITY STAFF RESPONDING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY AT CITY FACILITIES. UH, WE'VE CREATED A PACKET THAT INCLUDES STEP-BY-STEP GUIDANCE, WORKPLACE SCRIPTS AND FAQS TO PROMOTE CONSISTENT RIGHTS, PROTECTIVE RESPONSES AND COMPLIANCE WITH THAT, WITH THE LAW. AND SO THIS DOCUMENT, UH, IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING UPDATED BY OUR, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. UM, AND, UH, THEY'VE ASSISTED US WITH PROVIDING, UM, EVEN MORE SPECIFIC DIRECTION FOR CITY EMPLOYEES, UM, JUST GIVEN LATE, UH, RECENT COURT DECISIONS. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN FINALLY, OF COURSE, TO ACCOMPANY ALL OF THOSE RESOURCES, UH, WE'VE CREATED A SUITE OF TRAININGS, UH, THAT WILL EQUIP STAFF WITH, UH, THE KNOWLEDGE AND PROTOCOLS AND RESOURCES NEEDED TO UPHOLD THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AND, AND RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, UM, AT CITY FACILITIES. AND SO THAT INCLUDES THE TRAINING ON THE VALUES ACT, UH, TRAINING ON THOSE PROTOCOLS, AND JUST THE TRAINING ON, UH, EMPLOYEES RIGHTS. AND SO THOSE WILL BE PRERECORDED MODULES THAT ARE GONNA BE AVAILABLE TO CITY STAFF THROUGH THE INTRANET. UM, LOOKING AHEAD AS WE GO THROUGH THE LEGAL AND EXECUTIVE APPROVAL ROUTE, UM, WE, UH, OUR NEXT STEPS INCLUDE TRAINING OUR CITY EMPLOYEES TO UPHOLD THE VALUES ACT AND PROTOCOLS FOR RESPONDING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY DISTRIBUTING, UM, LONG BEACH VALUES ACT RESOURCES TO ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS FOR CONSISTENT APPLICATION, INSTALLING MULTILINGUAL SIGNAGE IN PUBLIC AREAS, UH, OF OUR CITY FACILITIES TO INCREASE AWARENESS, PROVIDE COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND PUBLIC SPACES, AND CONNECTING RESIDENTS WITH THOSE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. AND OF COURSE, COLLABORATING WITH ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS TO ALIGN OUR MESSAGING AND STRENGTHEN THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE VALUES ACT AND RELATED PROTOCOLS. SO THIS CONCLUDES OUR PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION, BUT I'M HAPPY TO HAND THINGS OVER TO PAUL FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. ALRIGHT, SO THANK YOU. UH, INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK HAS TAKEN PLACE. NO ONE ANTICIPATED ANY OF THIS, BUT I'M PROUD OF HOW YOU ALL, UH, IN THE OFFICE OF EQUITY IS STEPPING UP. UH, IN THIS MOMENT. I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER CITY THAT HAS DEDICATED AN OFFICE OF EQUITY TO, TO FOCUS ON THIS IN THIS MOMENT. WE'RE PROUD THAT WE'VE BUILT UP THAT CAPACITY AND THAT WE MADE THESE HARD CHOICES DURING THE 20 22, 20 20 EXPERIENCES BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S TO COME NEXT. AND SO, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO COUNT ON YOU, BE ENCOURAGED, BECAUSE THINGS WILL CHANGE. ALL RIGHT, NEXT, I'M GONNA ASK PAUL TO WALK THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS TODAY THAT IN THE DEFENDING OUR LONG BEACH VALUES PLAN, I'M ASKING PAUL TO WALK US THROUGH IT, FRANKLY, BECAUSE PAUL, LIKE, CHAMPION THE PROCESS OF COORDINATING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY STAFF TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WHAT WE CAN DO NOW. AND SO, PAUL, PLEASE WALK US THROUGH WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US TODAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS PAUL BARQUE, UH, HERE WITH THE MAYOR'S TEAM TO OFFER A HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF THE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS OUTLINED AS A PART OF MAYOR RICHARDSON'S FY 26 BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE RECEIVED FROM LONG BEACH'S LEADING IMMIGRANT AND CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES ACROSS JURISDICTIONS IN CALIFORNIA AND IN IN OTHER STATES AND LOCAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS. THIS CURRENT LIST OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS PREPARED BY THE MAYOR AIMS TO ENHANCE PROTECTIONS FOR OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES UNDER THE VALUES ACT, WHICH IN TURN WILL HELP ENSURE THAT ALL RESIDENTS IN OUR CITY CAN FULLY AND MEANINGFULLY PARTICIPATE IN OUR CITY'S CIVIC LIFE. EACH OF THESE POLICY REPRESENTATIONS REPRESENTS A LEGITIMATE AND CONSTITUTIONAL EXERCISE OF THE CITY'S AUTHORITY TO ENGAGE IN LAWFUL NON NON-COOPERATION WITH FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES, AND PROVIDES TANGIBLE ACTIONS THAT THE CITY CAN TAKE NOW TO STRENGTHEN THE VALUES ACT IN PREPARATION FOR FUTURE ESCALATIONS OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES IN LONG BEACH, AS WELL AS ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. SO FIRST, THE CITY CAN MOVE TO RESTRICT ACCESS WITHIN CITY OWNED PROPERTY AND DESIGNATE NON-PUBLIC SECURE LOCATIONS BY IMPLEMENTING CLEAR WARRANT REVIEW PROCEDURES ACROSS ALL NON-PUBLIC AREAS WITHIN CITY OWNED BUILDINGS AND PROPERTIES INTENDED FOR CITY BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND LIMITING ENTRY INTO, INTO THESE AREAS WHERE NO WARRANT IS PRODUCED FOR DECADES. THE PHRASE, UH, SHOW ME YOUR PAPERS HAS BEEN USED BY IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AGENTS TO TARGET IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND QUESTION THEIR RIGHT TO BELONG. UH, BUT THROUGH THESE NEW REVIEW PROTOCOLS, WE WILL BE TURNING THAT STATEMENT AROUND AND ASKING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS TO SHOW THEIR PAPERS AND PRODUCE THE REQUIRED JUDICIAL WARRANTS AND COURT ORDERS REQUIRED UNDER STATE AND FEDERAL LAW. UH, THE CITY CAN INTRODUCE VISIBLE SIGNAGE ON DOORS AND ENTRYWAYS, UH, CLEARLY DEMARCATING NON-PUBLIC AREAS WHERE ENTRY BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS, UM, IS RESTRICTED. UH, AS YOU SAW FROM, UH, THE EARLIER PRESENTATION FROM THERESA ALANA, THERE'S ALREADY BEEN A LOT OF EFFORT IN THAT DIRECTION. UH, AND WE, WE, UH, THERE'S A LOT, A LOT OF WORK UNDERWAY IN THAT REGARD. UH, THE CITY CAN ENSURE THE, THAT CITY STAFF ARE TRAINED ON RESPONSE PROTOCOLS SO THAT EVERY CITY AND WORK SITE CAN VERIFY THE EXISTENCE OF A VALID, UH, WAR AND OR JUDICIAL ORDER, [06:10:01] AND ALSO ENSURE THAT ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS SUBMIT PREPAREDNESS PLANS IN ORDER TO REFLECT THE ENACTMENT OF THESE TRAININGS AND RESPO RESPONSE PROTOCOLS ACCORDINGLY. SECOND, THE CITY CAN STRENGTHEN ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS TO PROMOTE STAFF COMPLIANCE WITH THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, APPLYING ALL AVAILABLE DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES AND VIOLATIONS OF THE VALUE. UM, ALL OF THE VALUES ACT BY CITY EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING PATHWAYS TO ENFORCE DISCIPLINARY CONSEQUENCES SUCH AS WARNINGS, SUSPENSIONS, DEMOTIONS, OR DISMISSALS. IN ORDER TO DETER POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS OF THE VALUES ACT, THE CITY CAN ALSO DEVELOP A CENTRALIZED RESIDENT COMPLAINT PORTAL AS A NEW PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM WHERE RESIDENTS CAN SUBMIT OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS IN A SECURE, UH, FASHION IN ORDER TO INITIATE THE APPROPRIATE INVESTIGATIONS AND DISCIPLINARY MEASURES. UH, UH, ANOTHER STEP THE CITY CAN TAKE IS ASSIGNING IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS LIAISONS WITHIN EACH CITY DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO REPORT ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES ON CITY PROPERTIES. AND ALSO TO SUPPORT IN THE DISSEMINATION OF EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING MATERIALS, UH, FOR THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT. THIRD, THE CITY CAN PROMOTE GREATER COMPLIANCE WITH THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AMONG ITS EXTERNAL CITY CONTRACTORS BY INCORPORATING LANGUAGE INTO THE CITY CONTRACTS PROCESS, EDUCATING VE VENDORS ABOUT THE VALUES ACT AS WELL AS ADVISING THEM THAT THE CITY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH VENDORS WHOSE BUSINESS PRACTICES VIOLATE OR PRESENT A SUBSTANTIAL CONFLICT WITH THE VALUES ACT. NEXT, THE CITY CAN ENGAGE IN LEGAL ADVOCACY TO MITIGATE DISRUPTIONS AND, UH, PUBLIC HARM CAUSED BY EXTERNAL AGENCY LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES, BY OBTAINING PUBLIC RECORDS ON FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES IN LONG BEACH, PURSUING LEGAL REMEDIES FOR DAMAGES TO CITY PROPERTIES, PROGRAMS OR REVENUES THAT RESULT FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, ACTIVITIES OR PRESENCE ON OR NEAR CITY OWNED, UH, PROPERTIES ALL FALLING WITHIN THE, UH, THE, THE 10TH AMENDMENT PROTECTIONS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. UH, AND FINALLY, THE CITY CAN ESTABLISH A NEW SAFE PLACE BUSINESS CERTIFICATE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM BY WORKING IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH EXPERIENCED LOCAL COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS TO HELP PROMOTE AND EXPAND KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAININGS, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE IN LONG GAME, LONG BEACH, BUT THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP BRING TO SCALE ACROSS THE CITY, AS WELL AS PROVIDING INFORMATION, INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS TO HELP EDUCATE LOCAL BUSINESSES, STREET VENDORS ON WHAT TO DO IF LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACE AT OR NEAR THEIR BUSINESS OPERATIONS. NOW IN CLOSING, AS MAYOR RICHARDSON HIGHLIGHTED, OUR CITIES AND OUR COMMUNITIES ARE DEALING WITH UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS OF FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS ACROSS OUR REGION. AS THE FEDERAL POLICY LANDSCAPE CONTINUES TO EVOLVE, AND AS ENFORCEMENT ACT ACTIONS ESCALATE IN THE FUTURE, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT LONG, THAT THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT POLICY REMAINS FLEXIBLE, REMAINS ADAPTIVE, AND RESPONSIVE TO THE CHANGING NEEDS OF OUR DIVERSE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU COUNCIL. RIGHT. THANK YOU, PAUL. UM, YOU KNOW, I I I LOVE WHAT YOU SAID WHEN YOU ENDED IS THAT THIS POLICY WAS DESIGNED INITIALLY, AND I WAS THERE AND A PART OF THIS, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, VICE MAYOR YANG WAS A PART OF THIS. IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE ADAPTABLE BECAUSE THE SITUATION CHANGES AND THIS ISN'T. AND THESE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, ADAPTATIONS WE'RE MAKING WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST OR EIGHT MONTHS OF THE FIRST ACT, SEVEN MONTHS OF THE FIRST ACTION. AND, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT ALSO, AND I WANNA THANK YOU ALSO YOU AND MY POLICY TEAM AND EVERYONE FOR, UH, WORKING REALLY HARD TO GET US, GET US, UH, TO THIS PLACE. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, IT IS, THIS IS A SITUATION WHERE IT'S MANY JURISDICTIONS. OTHER PEOPLE MAY SAY, WHAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE CAN'T DO. I LIKE THAT YOU'VE GONE APPROACH ABOUT THIS APPROACH THAT WE'RE GOING ABOUT THIS APPROACH, FIGURING OUT WHAT CAN WE DO AND WHAT WE CAN WE DO NOW AN ASSET BASED FRAME, AN ACTION BASED FRAME, RATHER THAN DEBATE, UM, WHAT CAN'T HAPPEN. LET'S FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN DO AND CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT. AND THAT WAY YOU ARRIVE AT THE MOST IMMEDIATE ACTIONS TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES TODAY. AND SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR RESPONDING TO THAT CALL TO ACTION THAT ARE ISSUED WHERE WE SAW MEMOS AND THE THINGS SAYING WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE, LOOKING AT READING BETWEEN THOSE LINES TO FIGURE OUT WHERE ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES, HOW CAN WE, WE INVERT, UH, THE, THE FRAMING. AND I LOVE THE SHOW US YOUR PAPERS, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S GOT HISTORY FROM, I MEAN, GOING BACK TO SLAVE CATCHERS AND, AND ALL OF THAT. YEAH. THAT CAN BE INVERTED. AND I APPRECIATE YOU THINKING, THINKING ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN USE OUR POWER TO ASK QUESTIONS IN A FORMAL WAY, TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE NOT ONLY SAYING THAT WE'RE DEFENDING OUR VALUES, BUT WE'RE TAKING STEPS AND MAKING IN A WAY THAT OUR IS VERY CLEAR FOR OUR STAFF ON HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS. BECAUSE THIS IS ALSO CHALLENGING AND CONFUSING IN MANY WAYS TO, TO THE 6,000 EMPLOYEES WE HAVE IN THE CITY WHO ARE ASKING TO STEP UP. SO I WANNA THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA GO TO PUBLIC CO PUBLIC COMMENT. I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF NAMES TO READ AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TO GO HOME, SO WE ARE SORRY ABOUT THAT. BUT, UH, WE'RE GONNA READ ALL [06:15:01] THESE NAMES. IF YOU ARE HERE, PLEASE COME FORWARD. UM, IVANA NET, MACHADO, ELI GOMEZ, PEREZ, ITZEL PEREZ, JOHNNY ARGUETA, UH, ARIANA SAGOON, UM, LILIAN, LILIA OCAMPO, DIANA NORMAN, ROMEO HARAN, UH, RADO, CHRISTOPHER WELCH, SOPHIA BARINAS, UH, DANIELLA SUAREZ, IRMA, GAO, ANNA MARCIA, DAVE SHUKLA, PAUL ABBA, UM, FERNANDO ACEVEDO, SAM WALDOCK, UH, KIKI, LIZA, MIA, HERAND, HERNANDEZ MIRABELL, GABBY HERNANDEZ, VERONICA BINOS, UH, NAYELI, SHIA MING CHEER, CARLOS, ANA, UH, DENISE AND MARIA, IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME FORWARD. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE ORDER. OH, GREAT. THANK YOU. WELL, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK TONIGHT ON ALL OF THESE ITEMS. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. UH, MY NAME IS KIKI LGA. I'M PRESIDENT OF THE LONG BEACH LATINO DEMOCRATIC CLUB. UH, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OUR MEMBERS AND EXPRESS OUR DEEP CONCERN OVER THESE ONGOING ICE RAID THAT YOU MENTIONED ACROSS THE CITY, WHICH ARE SOWING, FEAR AND INSTABILITY. UH, DESPITE THE CRITICAL REFORMS PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE ARE ALARMED TO HEAR CONSISTENT REPORTS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS, OR LE LONG BEACH, THAT ICE OPERATIONS ARE CONTINUING IN NEIGHBORHOODS, NEAR WORKPLACES, AND EVEN OUTSIDE OF SCHOOLS. UH, AS WE ALL KNOW, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND LONG BEACH CANNOT BE A SANCTUARY CITY AND NAME ONLY. SO WE URGE A CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO ENSURE THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT. AND THIS INCLUDES AFFIRMING THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY BY PUBLISHING ALL ICE RELATED REQUESTS AND RESPONSES, SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE'S EFFORTS WITH SUFFICIENT RESOURCES, VISIBILITY AND COLLABORATION, INVESTIGATING ANY REPORTS OF CITY DEPARTMENT NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE UPDATED VALUES ACT, AND TAKING APPROPRIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION. AND SO, UH, AS ELECTED LEADERS OF THE CITY, WE KNOW YOU SHARE OUR BELIEF IN JUSTICE, DIGNITY, AND SAFETY FOR ALL RESIDENTS, REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS. AND WE ASK THAT YOU SWIFTLY AND DECISIVELY, UH, UPHOLD THESE VALUES AND RESTORE TRUST IN OUR CITY'S PROMISES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MIA. HELLO, GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS MIA HERNANDEZ AND I'LL BE READING A STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF STATE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER LENA GONZALEZ. FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK VICE MAYOR RUO RANGA AND COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS IMPORTANT ITEM. AS A STATE SENATE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WE ARE HONORED TO WORK ALONGSIDE YOU IN ENSURING THAT LONG BEACH REMAINS A WELCOMING, SAFE, AND INCLUSIVE HOME FOR ALL RESIDENTS IN THAT SHARED SPIRIT, WE JOIN THE COMMUNITY IN SUPPORTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT THROUGH STRONGER PROTECTIONS FOR IMMIGRANT DATA, STRONG ENFORCEMENT, AND PROTECTIONS FOR ALL IMMIGRANTS. THIS MOMENT PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO AFF AFFIRM OUR SHARED COMMITMENT TO THE PEOPLE WE SERVE. AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK, YOUR DUE DILIGENCE, AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR WORK TOGETHER TO PROTECT AND UPLIFT EVERY MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. UH, GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS SAM WALDOCK. I'M A LONG BEACH RESIDENT AND FIELD REPRESENTATIVE FOR STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER JOSH LOWENTHAL. UH, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE MEMBER IN SUPPORT OF STRENGTHENING THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT. UH, I FIRST WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND DEJAS AND VICE MAYOR URANGA FOR BRINGING THIS IMPORTANT ITEM FORWARD. UH, AS THE STATE ASSEMBLY REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WE ARE SO PRIVILEGED TO WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH YOU ALL TO BUILD UP OUR CITY'S VALUES OF INCLUSION AND SAFETY. AND WE BELIEVE THAT STRENGTHENING THE VALUES ACT WOULD REAFFIRM OUR CITY'S COMMITMENT TO EQUITY. UH, AS WE FACE THIS CRITICAL MOMENT IN OUR HISTORY, IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE BOLDLY SHOW OUR SUPPORT FOR OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. AND STRENGTHENING THE VALUES ACT WILL DO JUST THAT. SO FOR THESE REASONS, I WOULD URGE THE COUNCIL TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HI EVERYONE, MY NAME IS MARI CRUZ, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR WITH RELE JUST WANTED, UM, TO UPLIFT THE FACT THAT A LOT OF OUR FOLKS HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE IT IS 1123 AND PEOPLE HAVE TO DO THINGS. AND IT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE. I AM HERE BECAUSE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN, IN OUR COMMUNITIES IS NOT NORMAL. DESPITE A RECENT COURT DECISION TO STOP THE RACIAL PROFILING OF IMMIGRANTS IN OUR REGION, PEOPLE ARE STILL BEING TAKEN OFF THE STREETS. ICE CONTINUES TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO INCREASE THEIR DAILY QUOTAS, SEPARATE FAMILIES, AND DESTROY PEOPLE'S LIVES. WHAT IS HAPPENING IS NOT NORMAL. AND AS A CITY, WE MUST FIND CREATIVE AND BOLD WAYS TO PROTECT IMMIGRANTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT IS A POWERFUL POLICY THAT [06:20:01] CAN TRULY PROVIDE CONCRETE PROTECTIONS, BUT THE POLICY AS IT STAND, IT'S NOT ENOUGH. WE NEED THE CITY TO ELIMINATE HARMFUL SB 54 CARVE OUTS, PROTECT THE DATA OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH VENDOR CERTIFICATIONS, ENSURING THEY HAVE NO CONTRACTS TO SHARE DATA WITH AGENCIES INVOLVED IN FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, AND INCLUDE CONTRACT LANGUAGE EXPRESSLY FORBIDDING DATA SHARING WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES. ABSENT A JUDICIAL WARRANT, WE ALSO NEED A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION INSTEAD OF INTERNAL DISCIPLINARY MEASURES AND A COMPLAINT PORTAL. LONG BEACH CHASIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE A LEADER AND EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THE REGION, WE CAN SHOW THE COMMUNITY THAT LONG BEACH IS WILLING TO FIGHT FOR THE END OF FAMILY SEPARATION. AND LONG BEACH CAN BE BOLD AND PROVIDE CONCRETE PROTECTIONS BY STRENGTHENING THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HI EVERYONE. GOOD EVENING. AND I THINK IT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE THAT WE CAN'T HAVE A REAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, GIVEN THAT IT'S SO LATE. UM, I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FRAMING AND ALL OF YOUR WORK, PAUL, UM, AND EVERYONE AT THE CITY. BUT AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, I THINK THERE'S SO MUCH REALLY WE CAN DO. UM, MY NAME IS GABRIEL HERNANDEZ AND I SERVE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR . AND I JUST WANNA ALSO TO GIVE A CORRECTION, VERA, THE VERA INSTITUTE ONLY MANAGED THE FUND FOR A YEAR. SO THE OFFICE OF EQUITY STARTED MANAGING THE FUND, UM, IN 20 19, 20 20, NOT IN 2021. UH, WE UNDERSTAND THAT TRAININGS WERE SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN AFTER THE JANUARY REVISIONS. AND WILL WOULD THOSE TRAININGS BE AVAILABLE? TRULY, THAT WAS NEEDED YESTERDAY. UM, THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY IS BEING TARGETED BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MORE AGGRESSIVELY THAN EVER. AND WE NEED REAL IMMEDIATE ACTION FROM ALL OF YOU TODAY TO BE SINCERE. BASED ON OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS, I WAS HOPING THAT WHAT CAME TO COUNCIL TODAY INCLUDED STRONGER LANGUAGE AND REAL PROTECTIONS THAT ACTUALLY BENEFIT THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. RIGHT NOW, AS I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, WE ALREADY DISCUSSED HOW THIS CURRENT AMENDMENTS TO THE VALUE ACT ARE NOT SUFFICIENT. THE PORTAL YOU'RE RECOMMENDING WILL FALL, WILL FALL UNDER THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, WHICH IS ALREADY SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED. ADDITIONALLY, YOUR LANGUAGE AROUND THE FUTURE CONTRACTS DOES NOT ADDRESS THE EXISTING CONTRACTS. SO I HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT. WHILE IT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, UH, THAT THE LONG BEACH VALUE ACT IS BEING REVISED TODAY, UH, WE NEED MUCH STRONGER PROTECTIONS TO CONFRONT THE SYSTEMIC INJUSTICES THAT WE'RE UP AGAINST RIGHT NOW. WE ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO STOP WAITING TO FOLLOW OTHER CITIES, STEP UP AND LEAD. BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR OTHER EXAMPLES, HUNTINGTON PARK HAS THE STRONGEST SANCTUARY POLICY IN THE REGION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS FERNANDO VEDO, AND I'M ORES COMMUNITY LAWYER. UM, WE THANK THE CITY FOR THE DISCUSSED AMENDMENTS FOR THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, AS WE SEE IT AS A POSITIVE INITIAL STEP TOWARDS STRENGTHENING OUR, OUR LOCAL POLICY TO PROTECT OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY NEEDS MORE PROTECTIONS AS THEY CONTINUE TO BE VIOLENTLY TARGETED, UM, BY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION. UM, MAYOR, YOU TALKED ABOUT APPRECIATING THE CURRENT POLICY, UM, AND CON CONSIDERING WHAT WE CAN DO, RIGHT? UM, BUT WHAT WE CAN DO AND WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IS LISTENING TO COMMUNITY AND IMPLEMENTING STRONGER PROTECTIONS IN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED. UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S POSSIBLE AND IS ALLOWED UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. AND I THINK IF IT'S VIABLE, LET'S GO FOR IT. RIGHT? LET'S PROTECT OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. SO WE ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO CONSIDER REMOVING THE HARMFUL SB 54 CARVE OUTS TO ENSURE ALL IMMIGRANTS ARE PROTECTED, FURTHER PROTECTIONS ON, ON DATA PRIVACY, AND A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION. UM, AND AGAIN, UM, ECHOING THOUGHTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SHARED, UM, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT DUE TO LATENESS OF THIS MEETING, A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE THEIR PUBLIC COMMENTS AND SO WANTED TO, UM, CREATE SPACE FOR, UM, FOR THEM WHO COULDN'T BE HERE. UM, AND LASTLY, UM, ECHOING OUR CONTINUED ASK OF 2.2 MILLION IN STRUCTURAL FUNDING, UM, FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND WITH NEW CITY DOLLARS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, DAVE SHUKLA. I'M A RESIDENT OF, UH, THE THIRD DISTRICT, AND I'D JUST LIKE TO, UH, UPLIFT EVERYTHING THAT, UH, ORLEY IS A LAWYER, JUST, UH, SAID AND IN SPECIFIC, UH, THE DATA PROTECTIONS. AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A SUBSTANTIAL HOUSING IMPACT AND THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WHEN VERONICA VALDO. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS VERONICA VALINO. I'M A COMMUNITY LEADER WITH ORLE AND HAVE BEEN LIVING FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS IN DISTRICT GATE [06:25:14] AS A RESIDENT OF THE CITY. I FEEL THE SAME WAY AS MY CHILDREN AND COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY LIVE IN FEAR, KNOWING THAT IN SOME WAY OUR DATA AND INFORMATION COULD BE SHARED WITH ICE. I'VE BEEN NOTICING THAT TO THEM. IT'S IRRELEVANT IF WE ARE PERMANENT RESIDENTS OR CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY. PARA WE ASK FOR YOUR HELP TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES AND ELIMINATE EXCLUSIONS FROM SB 54. WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN THE INITIAL STEPS BY ESTABLISHING THE LB VALUES ACT, BUT WE ARE IN NEED OF SOMETHING MORE SOLID. I'M ALSO HERE TO ASK YOU TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE $2.2 MILLION TOWARDS THE JUSTICE FUND AND $2 MILLION TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE FACING EVICTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WELL, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. I WANT TO THANK, UM, UNITED CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY FOR THEIR LETTER OF SUPPORT. OH, GO AHEAD. I, I I DIDN'T SEE YOU STANDING IN LINE. GO FOR IT. UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, MY NAME IS MARIA AUTONOMOUS TENANT ORGANIZER WITH THE LONG BEACH TENNIS UNION DISTRICT ONE RESIDENT AND SELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND. IN A TIME WHEN MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE LIVING IN DEEP FEAR, WE LOOK TO YOU THE ONES WHO LIKE TO BE CALLED LEADERS TO BE MOST COURAGEOUS AND PASS THE STRONGEST LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, WHICH IS WHAT IMMIGRANTS WANT IN OUR COMMUNITIES TRULY DESERVE. AND I MUST UPLIFT THE 2.2 MILLION ASKS FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND. IT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO TELL US WE SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS. YOU MUST ELIMINATE OUR CARVE OUTS. IT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO TELL US WE SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS. YOU MUST PROTECT OUR DATA. IT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO TELL US WE SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS. YOU MUST ALLOW US TO HOLD UP ACCOUNTABILITY AND INCLUDE A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION. IT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO TELL US WE SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS AND YOU CONTINUE, UH, WITHOUT YOU CONTINUING TO PASS 2.2 MILLION FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND. IT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO TELL US WE SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS. IF YOU WANT US TO TRULY BELIEVE THIS, YOU NEED TO SERVE IMMIGRANT FAMILIES IN THESE MOST UNSTABLE, VIOLENT TIMES BY TRUE ACTION, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN THESE THREE DEMANDS. TO REMOVE THE CARVE OUTS, TO PROTECT OUR DATA AND ALLOW US ACCOUNTABILITY. I'VE HEARD INCLUSION, SAFETY, AND COMMUNITY TRUST. AND WHAT BEGINS AND ENDS WITH THAT IS A STRONG LONG BEACH VALUES ACT. WE CANNOT LEAVE TODAY AND NONE OF THESE DEMANDS BE MET. THIS IS NOT WHAT IMMIGRANTS WANT. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. ALRIGHT. UH, HELLO. MY NAME IS CARLOS ANA AND I AM A COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER WITH AND A DISTRICT EIGHT RESIDENT. LET ME FIX THAT REAL QUICK. UH, I'M ALSO HERE TO UPLIFT THE NEED FOR A STRONGER LONG BEACH VALUES ACT BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITIES ARE UNDER ATTACK, AS WE ALL KNOW, RIGHT BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, BY ICE. AND WE MUST STEP UP TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE. WHILE IT'S GREAT THAT WE HAVE THE VALUES ACT AS IT IS AND AS IT WAS STRENGTHENED EARLIER THIS YEAR, UH, OUR LOCAL POLICY CAN AND SHOULD DO MORE. WE CAN DO THIS FOR ONE BY ELIMINATING THE HARMFUL S SP 54 CARVE OUTS FROM OUR LOCAL POLICY AND PROTECTING IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS DATA THROUGH METHODS LIKE DISQUALIFYING VENDORS WHO VIOLATE OUR ACT FROM FUTURE CITY CONTRACTS. UH, ONE OTHER METHOD WE CAN DO THIS IS BY INCLUDING A PRIVATE REG TO ACTION IN OUR POLICY, LEAVING EXCEPTIONS THAT ALLOW FAMILIES TO BE SEPARATED AND SURVEILLED IS NOT COMMUNITY SAFETY. UH, PROTECTING THEM IS, AND WE DO THIS BY STRENGTHENING OUR LOCAL ACT WITH THESE MEASURES AS WELL AS BY INVESTING IN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS LIKE THE 2.2 MILLION FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THESE THREE LETTERS? UH, WE RECEIVED UNITED CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY, UH, SUPERVISOR JANICE HAHN AND, UM, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN NETTE BARON. THANK YOU FOR THESE LETTERS OF SUPPORT. THAT SAID, WE'RE GONNA HAND IT BACK, UH, HAND IT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. LET'S START WITH VICE MAYOR, YOUR HONOR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, I WANT TO THANK START BY THANKING CUSTOMER MR. FOR JOINING ME AND THE CO-SIGNER ON THIS, UH, ITEM HERE. I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU PUT IN YOUR STAFF, BUT I WANT TO WORK AND HELPING US PUT THIS TOGETHER. I ONLY WANNA THANK OUR SENIOR ATTORNEY AND OUR SENIOR MANAGER FOR THE AIRPORT. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WANNA THANK , [06:30:01] THE FILIPINO MIGRANT CENTER TO MY GIRLS IN ACTION FOR THEIR ADVOCACY AND FOR THEIR WORK. THEN THEY DO THE COMMUNITY EVERY DAY AS ELECTED OFFICIALS. IT'S OUR JOB TO DEFEND OUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY. BUT BEFORE WE CONTINUE, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE CITY MANAGER REGARDING THIS ISSUE. AND BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, ONE, CAN THE CITY LEGALLY REMOVE SB 54 CARVE OUTS? WHAT WOULD BE THE RISK TO THE CITY? AND WE KNEW. SO, UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. I'LL ASK, UH, DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY NICK MACERO TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION. THANK YOU, DON. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. UH, THE CURRENT VALUES ACT AS IT RELATES TO THE SB THE CARVE-OUTS MAXIMIZES THE CITY'S RIGHTS UNDER THE 10TH AMENDMENT. THIS WAS SO MUCH SO THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CHALLENGED THESE KINDS OF PROVISIONS THROUGH FEDERAL LITIGATION, AND THIS STATE PREVAILED WITH THOSE CARVE-OUTS. THE CARVE-OUTS ARE EXTREMELY NARROW AND RELATE ONLY TO CERTAIN VIOLENT CRIMINALS, FELONS. AND WHERE FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES THE LBVA AS WRITTEN WAS DESIGNED TO BE MAXIMALLY EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW, REMOVING THE CARVE-OUTS WITH SUBJECT TO THE CITY'S REGULATION TO ADDITIONAL LEGAL CHALLENGES IN JUDICIAL SCRUTINY, WHICH IT MIGHT NOT SURVIVE. TWO, UM, WHAT RISK EXISTS IF WE TERMINATE A CONTRACT FOR THE LAW BEACH VALUES ACT, UH, VIOLATIONS AND WHEN WE KNOW NEW AND WHEN WE NEED NEW CONTRACT LANGUAGE TO WITHSTAND CHALLENGES. DO YOU UNDERSTAND MY QUESTION? UH, A LITTLE SHAKING THERE. NO, I, I BELIEVE I DO. COUNCIL MEMBER, IF MY ANSWER DOESN'T PROVE INFORMATIVE OR HELPFUL FOR YOU, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. UM, SO, UM, WE DO HAVE IN MANY OF OUR CONTRACTS WHERE WE CAN NEGOTIATE IT AN OPPORTUNITY TO TERMINATE THE CONTRACT FOR CONVENIENCE. THAT MEANS FOR ANY REASON OR NO REASON AT ALL. SO IF WE FIND THAT A CITY VENDOR IS ACTING IN A MANNER THAT'S INCONSISTENT WITH OUR VALUES AS A CITY, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO END THAT CONTRACT FOR ANY REASON OR NO REASON AT ALL, ESSENTIALLY WITHOUT AN ABILITY FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO CHALLENGE THAT TERMINATION UPON A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF NOTICE TIME. WE HAVE UPDATED OUR CONTRACTS TO INCLUDE STRONG DATA PROTECTIONS. ANYTIME ANY VENDOR IS RECEIVING ANY INFORMATION FROM THE CITY, IT MUST BE TREATED AS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. UH, AS IT RELATES TO INCORPORATING OTHER TERMS INTO THE CONTRACT, THERE ARE A FEW CONCERNS. UH, WE LACK THE ABILITY TO DICTATE THE TERMS OF MANY CONTRACTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT RELATE TO CYBERSECURITY ARE WITH MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS LIKE WE USE FOR WORD PROCESSING AND PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE AND SUITES, UH, WHERE WE ARE PIGGYBACKING CONTRACTS OFF OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS, WHICH IS A FREQUENT PRACTICE IN THE CITY WHERE WE HAVE SOLE SOURCE AGREEMENTS, UM, OR WE'RE SEEKING HIGHLY SPECIALIZED GOODS AND SERVICES LIKE IN THE INSTANCE OF FIRE TRUCKS. UM, SO ADDING MORE SPECIFIC OBLIGATIONS TO ADOPT OR ABIDE BY THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT CREATES A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY FOR VENDORS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT BE INTERESTED IN CONTRACTING WITH THE CITY AND WOULD HAVE THE LIKELY EFFECT OF DETERRING QUALIFIED VENDORS WHO ARE ACTING CONSISTENTLY WITH OUR VALUES FROM SEEKING COMPETITION BASED ON THAT AMBIGUITY OR UNCERTAINTY. OKAY. WHY DO YOU ADVISE THE CITY, UH, AGAINST CHANGING THE CONTRACTS? UH, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN, SIR? LEMME REPHRASE IT. UH, YOU HAVE CONCERNS REGARDING THE CON LANGUAGE REGARDING CONTACTING LANGUAGE. SO WHY DO YOU ADVISE AGAINST CHANGING THE LANGUAGE, THE CONTRACTING LANGUAGE? STILL THAT NUMBER ONE, OKAY, WHAT RISK IS THIS? IF WE CAN RETURN ANY CONTRACT WITH VIOLATIONS, WE, FOR BEAR MIND, HOLD ON A SECOND. WHAT ARE THE RISK INVOLVED WITH PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION? THERE GO. LET'S GIVE IT TO HIM. YES, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. I HAVE, UM, A NUMBER OF CONCERNS TO REPORT REGARDING THE POSSIBILITY OF A PRIVATE RIGHT, RIGHT OF ACTION. UM, A NEW RIGHT OF ACTION PARTICULARLY WOULD REQUIRE OR INVOLVE THE WAIVER OF A LOT OF IMMUNITIES THAT WOULD ALL TOGETHER PRESENT A SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF NEW, EXPENSIVE AND MERITLESS LITIGATION THAT WOULD BE DIFFICULT AND SLOW TO EXTRACT OURSELVES FROM AND DIVERT RESOURCES TOWARDS THOSE EFFORTS. A NEW RIGHT OF ACTION MAY ALLOW ANY PERSON OR ORGANIZATION, EVEN PERSONS WHO ARE WHOLLY UNAFFECTED BY AN ALLEGED VIOLATION TO SUE FOR MONETARY AND INJUNCTIVE [06:35:01] RELIEF. NORMALLY, SUCH INDIVIDUALS WOULDN'T HAVE STANDING TO FILE A SUIT, AND MUNICIPAL AND MUNICIPALITIES ARE GENERALLY IMMUNE FROM THOSE ALLEGATIONS. LITIGATION EXPOSURE WOULD BE CREATED BASED ON A PERCEPTION THAT A CITY PROGRAM POLICY OR ACTION IS NOT SUFFICIENTLY ALIGNED WITH THE LBVA. EVEN IF THAT IS NOT THE CASE OR IF THE ACTION, POLICY OR PROGRAM IS REQUIRED BY STATE OR FEDERAL LAW. THERE IS ALSO A SUBSTANTIAL LIKELIHOOD OF A SIGNIFICANT, IF NOT OVERWHELMING UPTICK IN CPRA REQUESTS TO EXPLORE SUSPECTED WRONGDOING. EVEN WHEN THERE IS NO MERIT TO ANY SUSPICION OF WRONGDOING, IT COULD CRIPPLE CITY PROCESSES AS EMPLOYEES ACTING IN GOOD FAITH, FEAR MAKING DECISIONS OUT OF CONCERN THAT THEY MAY BE SUED BASED ON A SUSPICION THAT SOME ACT IS NOT FULLY CONSISTENT WITH THE LBVA. THE CITY WOULD BE OBLIGATED UNDER CALIFORNIA LAW TO DEFEND AN INDEMNIFY INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES SUED ON A BASIS OF SUSPICION OF NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE LBVA, THIS EXPOSES ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE AND EMPLOYEE WORKLOAD HARDSHIPS. UH, THE CITY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO LEGALLY WAIVE IMMUNITIES ON BEHALF OF AN EMPLOYEE. WE'VE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND ANY LEGAL BASIS FOR ALLOWING THE CITY TO WAIVE AN EMPLOYEE'S LEGAL IMMUNITIES, UH, BY ADOPTING A REGULATION. AND ALSO DOING SO MAY VIOLATE CURRENT AGREEMENTS WITH EMPLOYEES AND MOUS AS WELL AS STATE AND FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PROTECTIONS WAIVER WOULD FRUSTRATE THE CITY'S ABILITY TO PROMPTLY ADJUDICATE. MERITLESS CLAIMS WAIVER WOULD EXPOSE THE CITY TO LIABILITY IT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE FACE IN RELATED CASES SUCH AS THOSE WHERE CERTAIN IMMUNITIES APPLY AS THEY RELATE TO PERSONS IN CUSTODY, THIS COULD BE AN ADDITIONAL SOURCE OF SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE IN VINDICATING VALID, LAWFUL AND JUST CITY ACTIONS. UNDERMINING WORKPLACE PROTECTIONS FOR CITY EMPLOYEES AGAINST MERITLESS CLAIMS AND CONSTITUTE A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN THE WORKING CONDITIONS FOR EMPLOYEES THAT COULD HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON HIRING AND RETENTION IN THESE KEY POSITIONS. UH, FINALLY, A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION WOULD CREATE A DISPARITY WITH HOW THE CITY GENERALLY HANDLES ALLEGATIONS OF EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCT. THE CURRENT INCARNATION OF THE LBVA IS CONSISTENT WITH HOW THE CITY HANDLES ALLEGATIONS OF EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCT. THAT'S INCONSISTENT WITH REGULATIONS. WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR EMPLOYEES ABOUT RECENT ICE ACTIVITY IS THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED AND SCARED FOR THEMSELVES, FOR THE FAMILY MEMBERS, FOR THEIR FRIENDS, AND FOR THEIR COMMUNITY. AND THEY WANT TO HELP ASKING FOR GUIDANCE ON HOW TO ENSURE THEY COMPLY WITH THE VALUES ACT. AS A RESULT, WE HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY WITH THE CMS OFFICE AND THE EQUITY OFFICE IN PARTICULAR TO PROVIDE THAT GUIDANCE AND ARE GOING FURTHER BY HOLDING A TOWN HALL LATER THIS WEEK FOR ALL CITY EMPLOYEES TO ASK QUESTIONS AND RECEIVE INFORMATION. AND, AND, UH, MR. VICE MAYOR, IF I MAY, SO I THINK THE, WHAT WE'VE HEARD VERY CLEARLY FROM THE COMMUNITY IS THERE NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNTABILITY. IF SOMEBODY IS VIOLATING THE VALUES ACT, WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES? AND SO, UH, THAT IS REALLY WHAT'S IN THE MOTION IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT. WE HAVE THOSE SYSTEMS IN PLACE. I THINK WE NEED TO BETTER EXPLAIN THEM. UH, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, LAWS THAT PREDICT, UM, CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CONFIDENTIALITY, UM, FOR, UM, UH, FOR EMPLOYEES. BUT WE CAN EXPLAIN WHAT WE DO. UM, WE DO THIS ALL THE TIME. WE GET WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINTS. THEY COME IN THROUGH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, THEY COME IN THROUGH THE ETHICS HOTLINE, WE INVESTIGATE THOSE AND WE TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION. AND SO, UH, BEING ABLE TO HELP EXPLAIN THAT THAT'S WHAT'S IN THE MOTION. THERE WAS A COMMENT THAT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY IS NOT SET UP TO DO THAT. I AGREE. UH, THAT'S NOT REALLY THEIR FUNCTION. UH, THEY CAN HELP US SET UP THE PORTAL AND SET UP A WAY TO GATHER THAT INFORMATION, EITHER USING EXISTING SYSTEMS OR NEW SYSTEMS. AND THEN WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST HR STRUCTURE. EVERY DEPARTMENT'S GONNA HAVE, UH, AN, UH, AN IMMIGRATION LIAISON. THEY'LL ALSO HAVE, UH, AOS OR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS THAT'LL HELP US TAKE THAT ACTION. AND THEN, UM, ULTIMATELY IT COMES UP THROUGH, THROUGH ME. AND THEN I REPORT OUT TO YOU. AND YOU DO GET CONFIDENTIAL UPDATES FROM TIME TO TIME ON EGREGIOUS CASES WHERE WE TAKE ACTION AGAINST PEOPLE WHO, UH, VIOLATE OUR POLICIES AND VIOLATE OUR LAWS. THANK YOU. UH, DEAR COLLEAGUES, I, YOU CAN JOIN ME IN MEETING STRENGTHENING THE , EXCUSE ME. RIGHT. UH, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. UH, NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS. A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE STILL HERE IN THE AUDIENCE. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A VERY LONG NIGHT, UM, BUT YOUR WORK AND YOUR ADVOCACY IS VERY IMPORTANT. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE, VICE MAYOR RGA, FOR SIGNING ON TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT ITEM OR FOR INVITING ME TO SIGN ON TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT ITEM. I'M PROUD TO, UH, PRESENT THIS ITEM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU, UM, VICE MAYOR AND IN STRONG SOLIDARITY WITH OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH, IN OUR CITY'S CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY. I THANK OUR CITY STAFF FOR, UM, REALLY WORKING HARD. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, BUT I REALLY [06:40:01] WANNA THANK, UM, CITY STAFF, PAUL, UM, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. UM, YOU, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE, UH, THE VISION THAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO, UM, WITH THIS, UM, WITH OUR LONG BEACH VALUES ACT. AND YOU HAVE REALLY DONE YOUR HOMEWORK AND BROUGHT BACK WHAT THINGS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO. SO I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH VICE MAYOR FOR ASKING THOSE CLARIFYING QUESTIONS. AND, UM, THANK YOU CITY, UH, ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU, TOM, FOR CLARIFYING THAT AS WELL. REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, THIS IS OUR SECOND UPDATE TO THE LONG BEACH VALUES APP THIS YEAR, WHICH IS GOOD. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR IDENTIFYING THAT THIS, UM, THAT THIS POLICY WAS MADE TO BE ADAPTABLE. AND SO WE ARE DOING, UM, THAT TONIGHT. SO I'M REALLY PROUD OF THAT. UM, THIS IS OUR SECOND ONE THIS YEAR. AND AS MENTIONED, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO STRENGTHEN THIS POLICY AS AN IMMIGRANT, MYSELF, AS A PROUD DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS, AS SOMEONE WHO ONCE WAS UNDOCUMENTED. AND AS SOMEONE WHO KNOWS TOO WELL WHAT FEARING ICE CAN DO TO OUR COMMUNITY. I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS POLICY DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH. HOWEVER, THE ALTERNATIVE OF DOING NOTHING DURING THIS TIME OF CRISIS AMONG OUR IMMIGRANT FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. I IMPLORE THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH US, TO FIND LEGALLY JUSTIFIABLE WAYS TO STRENGTHEN THIS POLICY AND TO CONTINUE ORGANIZING AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. I APPRECIATE THE FRAMEWORK SET FORWARD AT THIS TIME AND ASK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. NEXT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH AND TU, I THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. UM, SO THIS MOMENT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE IN CALLS FOR US TO REALLY DO ENHANCEMENTS TO THE VALUES ACT. RECENT IMMIGRANTS IMMIGRATION SWEEPS ACROSS THE REGION HAVE NOT ONLY DISRUPTED HOUSEHOLDS, BUT HAVE CREATED RIPPLE EFFECTS THAT ENDANGERED THE WELLBEING OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THIS IS WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE BRING FORTH THESE KINDS OF ACTIONS. I WANNA THANK VICE MAYOR YANGA, COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD. I WANNA THANK, UH, THE MAYOR. I WANNA THANK, UM, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, SPECIFICALLY PAUL, UH, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. AND I WANNA THANK THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR REMAINING THIS EVENING TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON THESE POLICIES. UM, AS, UH, COUNCILWOMAN AND DEHA SAID, THEY MAY NOT GO FAR ENOUGH, UM, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE MUST CONTINUE TO KEEP TAKING ADDITIONAL STEPS, UM, AS WE PREPARE FOR WHAT I ANTICIPATE TO BE FUTURE ESCALATIONS. UM, I TOO BELIEVE THAT THE INCLUSION OF VENDORS IS KEY, UM, BECAUSE CONTRACTS THAT WE ENTER IN AS A CITY, UH, REFLECT WHO WE ARE. AND I KNOW THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS GONE THROUGH SOME DETAILS REGARDING THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND SOME POTENTIAL IMPACTS, UH, ON OUR CITY ACCORDINGLY. BUT I THINK HAVING OUR VENDORS BE AWARE OF THE VALUES ACT CONTINUE TO ADD ADDITIONAL LAYERS OF SECURITY AND PROTECTION. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, CITY MANAGER'S, OFFICE MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES TO IDENTIFY OTHER STRATEGIES TO ENSURE THAT FROM A VENDING STANDPOINT, REGARDLESS OF THE MONOPOLY A BUSINESS MIGHT HAVE OVER AN INDUSTRY, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO EXTEND THE VALUES ACT. I AM DELIGHTED THAT WE HAVE THE SAFE BUSINESS CERTIFICATION PROGRAM COMING. I THINK THAT THAT IS SO CRITICAL AND SUCH A PRACTICAL STEP, UH, FOR BUSINESSES TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES ARE, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO KEEP THEIR EMPLOYEES, THEIR CUSTOMERS, AND THEIR COMMUNITY SAFE AS WELL. I KNOW WE PROMOTED RECENT KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, UH, WORKSHOPS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, AND YOU, WE COULD SEE THAT BUSINESSES WERE REALLY INTERESTED AND RESPONDED WELL, UH, TO UNDERSTANDING THIS INFORMATION IN SUCH CRITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES. SO, UH, FOR THIS EVENING, I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING, UM, THIS, UH, MOTION COMING FORWARD. AND AGAIN, THANK MY COLLEAGUES IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THEIR TIME AND ATTENTION ON THIS MATTER. IF I DIDN'T THANK THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AS WELL, I WANNA ADD THEM TO MY LIST. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THIS. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU [06:45:01] FOR BEING UP AT 3:00 AM WHERE YOU ARE AND BEING A DEDICATED COUNCIL MEMBER. WE APPRECIATE YOU. YEAH. COUNCIL MEMBER. SUPER NA UM, THANK YOU. AND, UM, THANKS EVERYONE FOR STAYING LATE. I THINK IT'S, UM, IS IT 11:48 PM RIGHT NOW? MIDNIGHT? MM-HMM . CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT. AND THE TEMPERATURE AT THE DEUS IS 61 DEGREES, AND IT'S BEEN THAT ALL NIGHT. UH, AND OUR POLICE CHIEF IS STILL HERE. THANKS, CHIEF. REALLY ABOVE AND BEYOND. UM, SO I STAND IN SUPPORT HERE, BUT I JUST HAVE A COMMENT AND A QUESTION JUST TO ADD MAYBE SOME TRANSPARENCY AND CLARITY, UH, TO THE ITEM. AND THAT IS, UH, THE POINT THAT THERE'S NO FISCAL IMPACT. IT SAYS NO FISCAL IMPACT REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED DUE TO THE URGENCY OF THIS ITEM. UM, SO I'M GONNA GO TO THE CITY MANAGER'S MEMO THAT WAS WRITTEN FOUR DAYS AGO, AND THERE'S A SECTION THERE ON OUR NEXT STEPS. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, HE'S HERE. TOM MOCA IS HERE. SO I JUST WANNA SAY THERE IS A NEXUS BETWEEN THE CITY MANAGER'S MEMO AND THE FISCAL IMPACT. I THINK IT'S A ONE-TO-ONE RATIO, BUT, UM, MR. MOCA IS, IS THAT, WOULD THAT BE YOUR, UH, IMPRESSION HERE? THAT, THAT THE FISCAL IMPACT IS WHAT YOU'VE STATED HERE IN YOUR MEMO ON, ON PAGE NINE AND THAT, UH, DO YOU WANT ME TO READ IT OR ARE YOU FAMILIAR? I'M LOOKING IT UP RIGHT NOW. PAGE NINE. REMIND ME WHAT I WROTE , UM, THAT NEXT STEPS OR, UM, THERE, THERE'S A NEXUS BETWEEN THIS ITEM, THE MAYOR'S BUDGET PROPOSAL, AND WE COULD PROBABLY USE THAT AS A GUIDELINE FOR THE FISCAL IMPACT. YEAH. SO, UM, UH, A COUPLE THINGS. YES, WE WE'RE CERTAINLY TALKING ABOUT THE FISCAL IMPACTS, UH, AND THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. SO THE MAYOR'S RECOMMENDATION ACTUALLY TALKS ABOUT DOLLARS. UM, THAT'S REALLY NOT WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT. SO IT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT, IS THE POLICY LANGUAGE. UH, UM, A LOT OF THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN WORKED ON WITH EXISTING STAFF. YES, IT TAKES STAFF TIME. UH, WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD SAY THIS IS PROBABLY IN THE MEDIUM OR MODERATE, UM, UH, UM, UH, DIVERSION OF, OF OTHER PRIORITIES. BUT THIS, THE COUNCIL'S BEEN VERY CLEAR. THIS IS A PRIORITY. SO, UH, I, I'M MANAGING THAT WORKLOAD WITH THE TEAM. THEY'RE DOING THE WORK. UH, WE, UM, ARE USING LIAISONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT ALREADY DO THIS TYPE OF WORK. AND YEAH, ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL WORK TO THEIR PLATES, BUT IT'S WORK THAT THEY'RE ALREADY DOING ANYWAY. AND SO I DO THINK THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MANAGE THE FISCAL IMPACT, BUT THEN THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNTS YOU'RE GONNA BE CONSIDERING LATER AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, THAT'S NOT WHAT'S ON THE TABLE TONIGHT. OKAY. PERFECT. APPRECIATE THAT EXPLANATION. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SOTE. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, THANK YOU TO, UM, ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT, THAT STAYED HERE WITH US TO, UM, TO, TO SPEAK YOUR MIND AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU HEARD. I ALSO WANNA LIFT UP, I LOOKED AT THE LIST HERE OF THE 26 FOLKS WHO DID, UH, SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AROUND THIS. SO WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, RIGHT? AND YOU GUYS ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS. AND SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR, FOR, FOR COMING OUT AND FOR MAKING SURE YOU'RE SHARING, UM, YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF HOW WE MOVE FORWARD AS A CITY. THANK YOU TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES WHO BROUGHT THIS FORWARD, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, AND OF COURSE ALL THE CITY STAFF. UM, I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AROUND KIND OF THE, THE PROCESS AND IMPLEMENTATION. UM, AND I KNOW YOU SHARED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, UH, JUST NOW, TOM, 'CAUSE SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE SPECIFICALLY, THE CITY HAS ALREADY EMBARKED IN. AND SO I WANTED TO JUST LIFT UP TWO ELEMENTS, WHICH IS THE, THE ASPECT ABOUT, UM, THE STRENGTH AND ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS TO ENSURE FULL STAFF COMPLIANCE. UM, AND THEN ALSO THE, UM, COMPLIANCE WITH THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT BY EXTERNAL CITY CONTRACTORS. COULD YOU WALK US THROUGH JUST SOME MORE DETAILS, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN GETTING SOME QUESTIONS FROM, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNERS AROUND JUST IMPLEMENTATION. LIKE WHAT WILL THAT LOOK LIKE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT HOW THE CITY'S ACTUALLY GOING TO IMPLEMENT THESE? WE'LL HAVE THERESA AND ALANA TAKE THE FIRST CRACK AT THAT. OKAY. AND THEN, UH, I THINK DON WANTS TO JUMP IN ON THE CONTRACT LANGUAGE. MAYBE YOU DO THAT WHILE THE TEAM'S GETTING READY. SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD A LITTLE BIT ON THE, UH, CONTRACTS WITH VENDORS. SO, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF IT REALLY CAME ACROSS, BUT THERE IS MORE BEING DONE IN THAT REGARD. THE FIRST THING THAT'S BEING DONE IS, UH, ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE IS BEING ADDED TO ALL OF OUR CONTRACTS. IT MAKES IT VERY CLEAR THAT ANY DATA THAT HAS TO BE SHARED WITH ANY OF THE VENDORS IS CITY DATA. CITY OWNS THE DATA. THEY CANNOT USE IT FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN WHAT IS REQUIRED IN THE CONTRACT. AT THE END OF THAT CONTRACT, WE GET ALL THE DATA BACK. THEY DO NOT KEEP ANY OF THAT DATA. IT IS OUR DATA THAT ALSO GIVES US THE RIGHT TO BRING IN ACTION AGAINST ANY OF THEM FOR BREACHING THE CONTRACT AND USING THAT DATA FOR ANY POSSIBLE WAY. SO THAT IS BEING ADDED TO ALL OF OUR CONTRACTS, UM, AS WE SPEAK. SO THAT'S ONE IMPORTANT POINT. ANOTHER POINT IS MANY OF OUR CONTRACTS HAVE LANGUAGE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO CANCEL THOSE CONTRACTS IF WE FIND THAT A VENDOR IS VIOLATING THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT. UH, UH, DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY NICK RO WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT, THAT WE ALREADY HAVE THAT LANGUAGE IN THE CONTRACTS, SO THOSE CONTRACTS DON'T [06:50:01] NEED ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE. AND THEN FINALLY, OUR PROCUREMENT OFFICE IS ALSO GOING TO BE MAKING SURE THAT ANYBODY WHO CONTRACTS WITH US UNDERSTANDS THAT WE HAVE THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, AND THAT'S HOW WE OPERATE AS A CITY. IF THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING BUSINESS WITH US, THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS HOW WE OPERATE AS A CITY. SO I THINK WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO POINT OUT IS THERE ARE CERTAIN CONTRACTS THAT ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO PUT LANGUAGE INTO. YOU CAN'T PUT LANGUAGE INTO A CONTRACT WITH MICROSOFT. THEY DON'T LET YOU ADD TERMS. THERE'S OTHER TYPES OF CONTRACTS WE CAN'T PUT LANGUAGE INTO, BUT TO THE EXTENT WE CAN, WE ARE DOING IT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN, UM, OPERATE WITH VENDORS, UH, BASED ON OUR EXISTING LANGUAGE OR BASED ON SHARING OUR VALUES. WE'RE ABSOLUTELY DOING THAT. SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD WITH STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING THIS, UH, VERY SERIOUSLY WITH OUR CONTRACTING. JUST, AND WE'LL, DON'T WORRY ABOUT YOUR TIME, BUT I THINK A, A PART OF THIS IS THE VERNACULAR AND HOW WE FRAME IT. WE'RE ADDING, WE'RE ADDING THIS LANGUAGE, ADDING THIS EXPECTATION TO CONTRACTS WHEREVER WE LEGALLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND WE CAN'T SAY UNIVERSALLY IT'S IN EVERY CONTRACT, BECAUSE LEGALLY YOU DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SO. BUT WE'RE DOING EVERY, WE'RE DOING THIS NOW WHERE WE CAN AND MOVING FORWARD DOING EDUCATION ON ANY FUTURE VENDOR OPPORTUNITIES. ABSOLUTELY. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. KEEP CONTINUE. SO WITH REGARD TO STAFF COMPLIANCE, UH, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A TRAINING THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO CITY STAFF INFORMING THEM OF THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN EX IN EXISTENCE SINCE, UH, 2018. UM, GIVING THEM A OVERVIEW OF THE POLICY'S HISTORY, WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT DO, AS WELL AS A CLEAR REPORTING, UM, UH, UH, PATHWAY FOR ANY POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS OF THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT. AND SO THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO STAFF, UH, THAT BOTH THE TRAINING, UH, WILL LIVE, UH, ON THE INTERNET WITH, UM, COMP COMPLIMENTARY STAFF RESOURCES AS WELL. JUST SO LIKE A FACT SHEET THAT'S MORE ACCESSIBLE IN POLICY LANGUAGE FOR SOME FOLKS. AND, UM, UH, THEN WE HAVE DIRECT CONTACTS AND CONTACTS IN HR, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, MYSELF AND, UM, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT WILL ALSO ASSIST FOR, UM, ANY STAFF, STAFF QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE VALUES ACT. AND I JUST WANNA GIVE A COUNCIL A SENSE OF THE MAGNITUDE. WE DO POLICY CHANGES FOR EMPLOYEES ALL THE TIME. UM, EMPLOYEES GET SOMETHING PROBABLY ONCE A MONTH, MAYBE EVERY OTHER MONTH. HERE'S SOMETHING NEW YOU HAVE TO DO. WE THERE THAT'S PRETTY REGULAR. WE'RE GOING TO A WHOLE NOTHER LEVEL WITH THIS. THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE NEVER REALLY EXPERIENCED BEFORE. THIS IS NEW. AND SO, UH, WE'VE GOT A WHOLE WORKFORCE AND A TEAM THAT IS WORKING ON HOW DO WE GET THIS MESSAGE ACROSS? WE'RE DOING ACTUAL TOWN HALLS WHERE WE BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER THAT CAN MAKE IT AND, AND DO THAT. WE'RE, YOU KNOW, FINDING OTHER WAYS TO TRAIN THEM. I'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING PERSONALLY WITH EMPLOYEES ALL 6,500 SAYING, THIS IS WHY WE'RE DOING THESE THINGS. SO WE'VE GONE TO A, A HIGHER LEVEL ON THIS BECAUSE OF THE URGENCY, BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE AND BECAUSE IT'S UNUSUAL. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH IN THE PAST. YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIAL FOR MASKED AGENTS WITH WEAPONS TO SHOW UP, YOU KNOW, AT YOUR WORKPLACE, UM, ASKING TO DETAIN PEOPLE. AND SO IT IS, UH, IS SOMETHING WE'RE TAKING VERY SERIOUSLY AND GOING TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF TRAINING THAN, THAN WE HAVE, UM, FROM, FROM MOST POLICY UPDATES. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN A FOLLOW UP TO THAT IS, SO IN HERE IT SAYS, RECOMMEND THE CITY MANAGER TO WORK WITH OFFICE EQUITY TO DEVELOP A FORMAL CENTRALIZED RESIDENT COMPLAINT PORTAL AS A NEW PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM. OR RESIDENTS COULD SUBMIT AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT WITH EVIDENCE THAT THE CITY EMPLOYEES VIOLATED THE VALUES ACT TO INITIATE THE APPROPRIATE INVESTIGATION AND DISCIPLINARY MEASURES. SO I GUESS MY KIND OF QUESTION WAS REALLY AROUND THAT. SO LIKE, IF A, A COMMUNITY MEMBER GOES AND THEY SUBMIT SOMETHING, LIKE WHAT HAPPENS? LIKE, WHAT IS THE PROCESS THAT THEN KIND OF CASCADES AROUND THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND INVESTIGATION THAT HAPPENS WITH THAT? SURE. UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE A COMPLAINT AGAINST ALMOST ANYTHING THAT IS RELATED TO THE CITY. WE GET THOSE ALL THE TIME. UH, THEY COME IN THROUGH OUR PUBLIC EMAIL, UH, BOXES. THEY COME TO USE OFTENTIMES AS MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WHEN YOU GET THEM TO US, THEY GO TO HR, THEY GO TO OUR AUDITOR. SHE HAS A COMPLETELY, UM, ANONYMOUS, UM, COMPLAINT LINE THAT SHE CAN USE. OUR, OUR ETHICS OFFICE HAS ONE AS WELL. SO IF YOU WANTED TO DO THAT TODAY, YOU CAN DO THAT TODAY. WHAT THIS IS ASKING US TO DO IS ALSO SET ONE UP, MAYBE SPECIFIC FOR THAT. WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT DO WE USE ONE OF THOSE EXISTING SYSTEMS AND HAVE A DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, UM, FRONT END, BUT IT'S THE SAME BACK END. THAT'S THE WORK WE'RE GONNA DO. BUT WE BASICALLY, HOWEVER IT COMES IN, WE TAKE THAT COMPLAINT. UM, THE MORE INFORMATION SOMEONE CAN GIVE, THE BETTER YOU CAN SUBMIT ANONYMOUSLY. I WILL SAY IT'S IT, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP. WE WANNA BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS. SO WE DO HAVE A HISTORY OF KEEPING THOSE COMPLAINTS ANONYMOUS, UM, OR, UM, WE'RE NOT DIVULGING WHAT IT IS. BUT THE MORE YOU CAN GIVE US, AND THE MORE YOU CAN GIVE US SPECIFICS AND A WAY TO CONTACT YOU, THE, THE BETTER THAT INVESTIGATION IS GONNA BE. UM, UH, THE, THE, THE MORE THAT WE CAN DO TO INVESTIGATE THAT, UM, WE HAVE OFFICERS THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE TRAINED IN INVESTIGATIONS, AND IF NOT, THEY CAN BRING ON OUTSIDE INVESTIGATORS THROUGH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. WE'VE GOT HR THAT DOES THOSE. UH, AND THEN THERE ARE ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES [06:55:01] BACK THROUGH HR, BACK THROUGH CITY MANAGEMENT AND, AND DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP AS WELL, UH, TO, UM, DO FINDINGS. AND THEN ULTIMATELY DISCIPLINE HAPPENS. UM, DISCIPLINE CAN BE AS, AS, UH, IF IT'S REALLY A LOW LEVEL, IF IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS COMPLETELY UNINTENTIONAL, IT COULD BE A RETRAINING, IT COULD BE, UH, A LETTER OF REPRIMAND, IT COULD BE A SUSPENSION, IT CAN ALSO BE A TERMINATION ALL THE WAY UP. IF THERE IS A VI, IF THERE IS A, A, A POLICY WHERE SOMEBODY WILLINGLY, MALICIOUSLY, UM, UH, UH, DISOBEYED PE PEOPLE GET FIRED IN THE CITY FOR THAT. UM, THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE POLICY IS. AND, AND THIS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT. SO, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF THOSE ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES. WE OFTEN, I WILL SAY, CAN'T TELL THE PUBLIC EXACTLY WHO IT WAS, EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO 'EM. WE DO OUR BEST TO SAY, THESE ARE THE STEPS WE'RE TAKING AND, AND THAT WE'RE TAKING APPROPRIATE ACTION. UM, SO, AND THEN WE, WE WORK THAT THROUGH OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND DIVULGE AS MUCH AS WE CAN. OKAY. EXCELLENT. YEAH, I THINK MY, MY REAL CONCERN KIND OF ASKING 'EM ALL THESE IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT, I MEAN, I, I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN THE LEVEL OF LIKE, MISTRUST WITH GOVERNMENT AROUND SO MANY THINGS. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE AS WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THIS, THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE IT AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE SO THAT RES SO THAT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY COULD AT LEAST FEEL LIKE THEY CAN TRUST THEIR CITY TO DO BITE BY THEM, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THESE COMPLAINTS AND WHAT THEY'RE FLAGGING. UM, ONE INITIAL FOLLOW UP TO THAT TOO IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD FROM SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF OUR, UM, OUR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS COALITION WAS AROUND THE IMPLEMENTATION. 'CAUSE THEY SAID THEY, THEY TALKED ABOUT LIKE THE BENEFITS OF THIS, WHAT THEY REALLY LIKED, BUT THEY ALSO TALKED ABOUT KIND OF THE DEVILS IN THE DETAILS. SO LIKE, THINGS CAN BE REALLY GREAT ON PAPER AND THEN YOU GO TO IMPLEMENT THEM AND THEY DON'T GET IMPLEMENTED IN WAYS THAT ACTUALLY SERVE COMMUNITY. SO WE CAN KIND OF TALK ABOUT, AND I THINK TOM AND YOU AND I DISCUSSED THIS A LITTLE BIT, LIKE WHAT ARE THE WAYS FOR US TO HAVE SOME OP, UM, OVERSIGHT OVER IMPLEMENTATION AND BRING AND ALLOW SOME OF THESE GROUPS THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN ENGAGED WITH, UM, TO HELP US IMPLEMENT IT IN WAYS THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SERVING THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ACTUALLY WANT TO. SURE, WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE FEEDBACK IF THERE'S THINGS, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE A BIG ORGANIZATION, WE DO OUR BEST TO SET SYSTEMS AND CONTROLS AND PUT IT OUT, BUT IF THERE'S GAPS, WE ADAPT, UM, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOT CLEAR THAT EMPLOYEES DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING OR NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, CERTAINLY WILLING TO TAKE THAT INPUT. ALANA, IN THE EQUITY OFFICE, UM, HAVE, UM, MECHANISMS ALREADY TO TAKE A LOT OF INPUT FROM OUR, UH, IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS GROUPS AND, UH, THROUGH THE JUSTICE FUND. AND WE CONTINUE, UH, THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO GET INPUT AND SAY, OKAY, HERE'S THINGS WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY. UM, MY EMPLOYEES ARE NOT SHY EITHER. SO, UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY OPENED UP AND, AND ASKED THEM, WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE IN THIS AREA? AND THEY'RE STARTING TO GIVE US FEEDBACK DURING THOSE TRAININGS. THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AS WELL. UM, AND THEN WE CAN, WE CAN ADAPT TO THAT AS WELL AS LIKE, WHAT, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE HEARING AS AN EMPLOYEE? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PAIN POINTS? UH, AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO GET THAT INFORMATION AS WELL. SO BOTH FROM THE ON THE GROUND IMPLEMENTERS, BUT ALSO FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHO CAN, UH, GIVE US INPUT THROUGH OUR EQUITY OFFICE. OKAY. EXCELLENT. YEAH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR STAKEHOLDERS HERE, UM, THEY REALLY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE AN OPEN DOOR TO, TO, TO GIVE US, UM, REAL HONEST FEEDBACK AROUND HOW WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THIS AND THAT WE ARE NIMBLE AS A CITY, UM, TO PIVOT IF NECESSARY TO, TO MODIFY OUR, OUR IMPLEMENTATION. UM, SO I THINK THAT RUNS OUT MY COMMENTS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. GREAT, GREAT QUESTIONS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. YES. I JUST WANNA ALSO SAY THANK YOU ESPECIALLY TO ALL OF YOU GUYS THAT HAVE JUST WAITED HERE SO, SO LATE. WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT. UM, I WANNA THANK, UM, VICE MAYOR URANGA AND COUNCILMAN ZENDEJAS FOR BRINGING THE ITEM FORWARD. UM, I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT STRENGTHENING OUR VALUES ACT. AND NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO PROJECT OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, UH, HERE IN LONG BEACH. AND, UM, AND I, I THANK YOU FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE, THE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER, ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE ADDRESSING HOW WE'RE GONNA IMPLEMENT THIS AND TRANSPARENCY. UM, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, WE ADDRESS ALL THE POLICY ISSUE AND MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING WHAT'S BEST, UM, FOR, UH, THE COMMUNITY. AND AS WE ALL KNOW, THAT LONG BEACH HAS A VERY LONG HISTORY OF STANDING UP FOR, UM, DIGNITY, SAFETY AND, UH, THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR, UH, IMMIGRANT, UH, COMMUNITIES. AND, UM, BY STRENGTHENING THIS VALUES ACT, I THINK IT WILL ENSURE THAT OUR LOCAL POLICIES CONTINUE TO PROTECT FAMILIES AND UPHOLD OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY INCLUSION, UM, REGARDLESS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THEIR FEDERAL LEVEL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SORO. YES, THANK YOU MAYOR. APPRECIATE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT OUR RESIDENT HAD BEEN VERY VOCAL IN SHARING, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION [07:00:01] AS WELL AS THE POLICY AND HOW WE ARE ALWAYS ANALYZING HOW WE COULD DO BETTER AS A CITY, UH, HOW WE COULD STRENGTHEN OUR VALUES ACT. AND, AND WE HAVE DONE THAT, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANNA STRENGTHEN IT FOR JUST STRENGTHENING IT FOR FACE VALUE, RIGHT? I DON'T WANT IT TO BE AN INSULAR PROCESS WHERE WE ARE SO BUSY CAUGHT UP IN MAKING SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING THE POLICY THAT WE'RE ALSO NOT MEASURING. IS IT ACTUALLY HELPING RESIDENTS FEEL SAFER AND MORE PROTECTED? SO WHERE I AM, I HAVE SOME, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A POLICY, IT'S BEING INTRODUCED SEPARATE FROM A BUDGET PROCESS. SO AS WE'RE CARVING OUT THE POLICY, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE BUDGET PART OF THE DISCUSSION ON THIS IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS BECAUSE WHILE IT WAS TAKES STAFF TIME, IT ALSO KIND OF REQUIRES A LITTLE BIT MORE DESIGN. I HEAR YOU SAYING THAT, YEAH, WE'VE DONE SOMETHING SIMILAR IN IMPLEMENTING POLICIES AND TRAINING, BUT WE'VE NEVER BEEN IN THIS SITUATION BEFORE. WE'VE NEVER HAD A FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION OUTRIGHTLY ATTACKING OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CITY THIS WAY. SO ABSOLUTELY AGREE IN FIGURING OUT HOW TO BETTER PROTECT AND MAKE OUR RESIDENT FEEL SAFER AND UPLIFTING OUR VALUES. SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE QUESTION I AM CONCERNED ABOUT IS IF WE DO GET COMPLAINTS, YOU KNOW, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A DIFFERENT COMPLAINT PROCESS, RIGHT? SO IF THEY'RE DIRECTED AT POLICE, DOES IT GO THROUGH A DIFFERENT PROCESS VERSUS WITH OTHER DEPARTMENT STAFF, RIGHT? SO THOSE ARE DETAILS THAT I, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU HAVE AN ANSWER TONIGHT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE UNTIL IT'S IMPLEMENTED ON THE GROUND. SO WHAT I LOVE TO SEE IS BECAUSE WE'RE IN THIS UNPRECEDENTED TIME AND DIFFERENT SITUATION, IF THERE COULD BE A FEEDBACK LOOP WHERE YES, WE CAN IMPLEMENT THE PROCESS, BUT ALSO FIGURING OUT AN EVALUATION PROCESS FOR FEEDBACK WITH OUR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS COALITION GROUP, BUT ALSO OTHER RESIDENTS RANDOMLY, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT US TO EVALUATE THINGS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF IN THIS PROCESS WHERE WE'RE JUST THINKING ABOUT IT AND WHERE WE THINK AS A CITY OR PEOPLE IN THESE POSITION, WHAT'S RIGHT, WE ALSO NEED TO GET A PULSE ON, WELL, IS IT ACTUALLY WORKING WITH ALL THE WORK THAT THE CITY STAFF IS GONNA DO? RIGHT? YEAH. I I THINK FEEDBACK'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT THROUGH THIS. AND, UH, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, YES, PD HAS, UM, YOU KNOW, ITS PROCESS, IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST ROBUST IN THE CITY FROM AN INVESTIGATION STANDPOINT BECAUSE OF THE WORK THEY DO. IA HAS TREMENDOUS RESOURCES, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO THOSE LEVELS OF INVESTIGATION AGAINST POLICE OFFICER MISCONDUCT, UM, UM, COMPLAINTS. UH, BUT THEY, THEY'RE STILL TIED INTO US POLICE CHIEF REPORTS THOSE THINGS IN AND SAYS, HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF COMPLAINTS THAT WE'RE GETTING. AND, UH, THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR POLICE OVERSIGHT ABILITY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE THROUGH, THROUGH THEIR KIND OF, UH, AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS. WE'VE GOT HR THAT LOOKS AT IT, WE'VE GOT US. SO, YEAH. UM, BUT IT IS SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON. THIS IS WHEN WE'RE ASKING ALL DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING PORT AND UTILITIES AND OTHERS AND EVERYONE TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE ON, AND THEY'VE ALL SUBMITTED LETTERS. AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CONSTANTLY HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM. AND IF WE FIND AREAS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK AND IMPROVE ON, WE'LL DO THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KERR? YES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, I'LL BE BRIEF. I WANNA THANK, UM, THE TEAM FOR THEIR HARD WORK ON THIS, UH, FOR THE OFFICE EQUITY FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS, UM, SCOURED WHAT WE DO AND, AND FOUND THOSE PLACES WHERE WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO BETTER. I THINK THE QUESTION AROUND ALL OF THIS FOR A LONG TIME IS, IS CAN WE MEET THE MOMENT, UM, FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND FOR, UM, FOR OUR CITY IN A TIME WHEN WE CAN'T PREDICT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TOMORROW? AND SO I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK BEING DONE TO, UM, GET US TO THAT POINT WHERE WE CAN CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THIS AND HOW WE LOOK AT HOW WE DO THINGS AND, UH, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS THEY COME. I WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR REALLY IMPORTANT AND ROBUST QUESTIONS AROUND IMPLEMENTATION AND TRANSPARENCY AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. UM, AND AS ALWAYS, FOR BEING OPEN TO, UM, ALWAYS READY TO DO MORE. SO, UH, THANK YOU TO THE TEAM, UH, THANK YOU TO COUNCILMAN THRASH UNTUCK FOR CONTINUING TO, TO BE WITH US ON THE CALL FOR THIS REALLY IMPORTANT ITEM. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I WANNA THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR, UH, THEIR, UH, REALLY IMPORTANT LINE OF QUESTIONING. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UH, ANY OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS STAND UP TO THE QUE YOU KNOW, WHATEVER QUESTIONS OR PUBLIC SCRUTINY YOU MIGHT HAVE, I THINK YOU SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON, UM, IMPLEMENTATION. I THINK I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGE YOU, IF YOU SEE OPPORTUNITIES TO GO FURTHER, RUN THROUGH THE PROCESS, TAKE IT TO STAFF, VET IT, EXPLORE IT, RIGHT? YOU WON'T GET RESISTANCE. I THINK YOU NEED TO, YOU, YOU SHOULD FIND, LIKE, GO THROUGH THAT, UM, THAT, UH, EXERCISE OF [07:05:01] MAKING SURE THAT WORKS FOR, FOR OUR JURISDICTION IS SOMETHING WE CAN ACTUALLY DELIVER. UM, AND IF YOU FIND SOMETHING THAT OTHER JURISDICTIONS HAVE DONE, UM, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE WATCHING WHAT SAN FRANCISCO OTHER, OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE DOING, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY OR MAY NOT WORK FOR LONG BEACH. SOME CITIES HAVE INDEPENDENT POLICE, SOME CONTRACT WITH THE SHERIFF, SOME CITIES HAVE, YOU KNOW, ROBUST CITY ATTORNEYS, SOME CONTRACT THEIR CITY ATTORNEYS. SO JUST MAKE SURE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DELIVER IN OUR CITY. SO I WANNA THANK, UH, ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE BRING THIS UP. AND, AND WE WILL ALSO WANNA, UM, SAY THAT THE STATE ALSO HAS ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT. THE STATE CAN ACTUALLY EXPAND, UM, EXPAND THEIR PROTECTIONS, WHICH PROVIDES MORE COVER TO CITIES. AND SO WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, WE WELCOME A DISCUSSION WITH STATE AND FEDERAL REPS ABOUT PROVIDING MORE COVER TO CITY CITIES. THE REALITY IS LIKE, WE WOULDN'T BE IN THIS SITUATION IF WERE NOT FOR FEDERAL HOSTILITY TOWARDS CITIES. AND, YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN I HEAR, UH, FROM THE DAAS, I, I I HEAR A LITTLE BIT OF, HEY, WE WANT TO DO MORE. WE WISH THIS WAS ENOUGH. I JUST WISH THAT OUR COUNCIL WOULD SAY, WE WISH THIS, THIS, UH, WAS ENOUGH. UM, UM, DUE TO WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PLACE A FOCUS ON WHY WE'RE IN THIS SITUATION IS BECAUSE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND WE HAVE FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES AND THERE IS A LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND THERE'S POLITICAL PROCESS. AND, UM, AND WE HAVE TO BE ENGAGED IN THAT PROCESS AS WELL, BECAUSE THIS IS A SITUATION THAT WAS BROUGHT UPON US, NOT SOMETHING THAT WE, WE WELCOME. SO I THANK YOU. UM, UH, AND MEMBERS, OH, WE GOTTA DO ROLL CALL VOTE, ROLL CALL, VOTE. AND IT IS LATE. AND WE GOT ONE MORE ITEM AFTER THIS DISTRICT ROLL CALL. VOTE PLEASE. DISTRICT ONE AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE. AYE. DISTRICT FOUR, DISTRICT FIVE. AYE. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN, AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT, AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, WE HAVE ONE FINAL ITEM. THIS IS HEARING ITEM 26. PLEASE REPORT FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO [26. 25-56021 Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, and determine that the amendments to the Long Beach Buildings Standards Code are categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15305 (Class 5 – Minor Alterations to Land Use Limitations) of the CEQA Guidelines and none of the exceptions in Section 15300.2 apply, and that the Project is further exempt pursuant to Section 15308 (Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment) and Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption), as the actions will not result directly or indirectly in significant environmental impacts (CE25-083); Adopt resolution making express findings and determinations relating to the adoption of more restrictive code provisions where appropriate;       Office or Department:         Suggested Action: ] RECEIVE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD. CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND DETERMINE THAT THE AMENDMENTS TO THE LONG BEACH BUILDING STANDARDS CODE ARE CATEGORICALLY EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT OF THE SQA GUIDELINES AND NONE OF THE EX EXCEPTIONS IN SECTION 1 5 3 0 0 0.2 APPLY AND THAT THE PROJECT IS FURTHER EXEMPT AS THE ACTIONS WILL NOT RESULT DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. ADOPT RESOLUTION, MAKING EXPRESS FINDINGS AND DETERMINATIONS RELATING TO THE ADOPTION OF MORE RESTRICTIVE CODE PROVISIONS WERE APPROPRIATE. DECLARE ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO ENHANCED DROWNING PREVENTION MEASURES FOR PRIVATE SWIMMING POOLS. READ FOR THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING. DECLARE ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO DESIGN REQUIREMENTS CONSIDERING FUTURE SEA LEVEL FOR BUILDINGS IN COASTAL FLOOD HAZARD AREAS. READ FOR THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING AND DECLARE ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO CLARIFYING REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBGRADE ELECTRICAL WORK IN AREAS WITH POTENTIAL METHANE GAS READ FOR THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING CITYWIDE. ALRIGHT, UM, UH, WE HAVE OATH, CORRECT? YES. WE HAVE A NOTE. PLEASE STAND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE GOING TO TESTIFY ON THE, ON THIS ITEM, DO YOU, AND EACH OF YOU DO SOLEMNLY STATE THAT THE TESTIMONY YOU MAY GIVE IN THE CAUSE NOW AND PENDING BEFORE THIS BODY SHALL BE THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. SO HELP YOU GOD. YOU MAY BE SEATED. MAY WE HAVE A MOTION? SECOND. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEED A MOTION? A SECOND. SO MOVED. OKAY. I HEARD, UH, I THINK, UM, DISTRICT TWO AND DISTRICT FIVE. ALRIGHT. UM, HOW LONG IS THIS PRESENTATION? YEAH, SO MAYOR, I REALIZE IT'S MIDNIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO DO THIS PRESENTATION IN A MINUTE. IT WAS SCHEDULED TO BE ABOUT 20 MINUTES LONG. SO, UH, WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS WE UPDATE THE BUILDING CODE FROM TIME TO TIME. STATE LAW CHANGED, WHICH REQUIRES US TO DO THIS TONIGHT. UH, WE HAVE BRIEFED EACH COUNCIL MEMBER INDIVIDUALLY, AND GREG BOWSER, [07:10:01] BRILLIANT ENGINEER, IS GONNA GIVE US THE HIGHLY, UH, COMPACTED, UM, VERSION OF THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU CHRISTOPHER. UH, MAYOR RICHARDSON AND MEMBERS OF THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL. GOOD MORNING NOW. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY. UM, SO THIS PRESENTATION, IT'S REALLY, IT'S A SUMMARY OF THREE ORDINANCES, WHICH ARE PROPOSED TO AMEND THE, UH, CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS CODES, UM, FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE SUBMITTED. UM, AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ORDINANCE, UH, THE PRO PROPOSED ORDINANCES FOCUS ON THREE ITEMS PERTAINING TO SPECIFIC CONDITIONS AND EMERGING RISKS IN LONG BEACH. THESE ITEMS INCLUDE DESIGN, UM, REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSTRUCTION IN COASTAL SEA, UH, COASTAL FLOOD ZONES WITH CONSIDERATION FOR SEA LEVEL RISE. UM, THE ENHANCEMENT OF DROWNING PREVENTION MEASURES FOR PRIVATE POOLS AND SPAS. AND CLARIFICATION FOR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF SUB-GRADE ELECTRICAL WORK IN AREAS WHERE METHANE GAS IS PRESENT. UH, OUR GOAL WITH THESE AMENDMENTS IS TO PREVENT TRAGEDY, ADAPT TO FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES, AND ENSURE SAFE, UH, CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES. SO, UM, I WILL MENTION, UM, WE WILL HAVE A, A FORMAL, UM, PRESENTATION. UH, I BELIEVE WE'RE TARGETING OCTOBER 21ST FOR OUR FIRST READ OF OUR FORMAL TRI-ANNUAL CODE ADOPTION WHERE WE, WE, UH, WILL ADOPT THE, UH, STATE CODES, WHICH ARE, UH, AMENDED EVERY THREE YEARS, UH, THAT WILL BE HAPPENING. THIS, THESE ARE THREE SEPARATE ITEMS AS CHRISTOPHER MENTIONED, UM, THAT WERE PULLED OUT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN MEET SOME STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS. SO, UH, WE ARE, WE ARE HERE, UM, TO ANSWER ANY, UM, QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. UM, BUT OTHERWISE I WILL, UH, CONCLUDE WITH THAT. HEY, UH, YOU'RE TERMINATED YOUR FACE. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL EZ ATIVE, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. OH NO. FULLY SUPPORT. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US, UH, IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE REGULATIONS. OKAY. UH, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? NO, NO PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. NEXT THING. I'M VOICE VOTE. OKAY. SO THE FIRST THING WE'RE VOTING ON IS RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD AND CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC HEARING. DISTRICT ONE AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE. AYE. DISTRICT FOUR, DISTRICT FIVE. AYE. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. SECOND VOTE WOULD BE ADOPT RESOLUTION, MAKING EXPRESS FINDINGS AND DETERMINATIONS RELATING TO THE ADOPTION OF MORE RESTRICTIVE CODE PROVISIONS WHERE? APPROPRIATE. DISTRICT ONE. AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE. AYE. DISTRICT FOUR, DISTRICT FIVE. AYE. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. CARRIED. THE NEXT VOTE IS DECLARE ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO ENHANCED DROWNING PREVENTION MEASURES FOR PRIVATE SWIMMING POOLS. DISTRICT ONE. AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FOUR, DISTRICT FIVE. AYE. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. NEXT VOTE IS DECLARE ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO DESIGN REQUIREMENTS CONSIDERING FUTURE SEA LEVEL FOR BUILDINGS AND COASTAL FLOOD HAZARD AREAS. DISTRICT ONE. AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE. AYE. DISTRICT FOUR. DISTRICT FIVE. AYE. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THIS IS THE LAST VOTE. DECLARE ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO CLARIFYING REQUIREMENTS. FIRST UPGRADE ELECTRICAL WORK IN AREAS WITH POTENTIAL METHANE GAS. DISTRICT ONE. AYE. DISTRICT TWO? AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FOUR. AYE. OH WAIT, SORRY. . DISTRICT FIVE. AYE. DISTRICT SIX. AYE. DISTRICT SEVEN. AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. [07:15:08] NUMBER. MICROPHONE. WE'RE AT THE, YOU KNOW, PULLING COMMON NUMBER TWO. THERE'S AND THEM CROWN ROARS. THERE'S NO, [ 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. ] WE HAVE WHAT'S THERE ONE, THERE'S SEVERAL, THERE'S, THERE'S TWO PEOPLE STILL. WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. DAVID SHUKLA AND LESLIE SANDERS. UH, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. UH, CITY CLERK AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, I REALIZE THAT IT'S THE NEXT MORNING. UM, I WON'T BE HERE NEXT WEEK. OH, THERE SHE WENT. UM, I WAS ABOUT TO THANK, UH, MY COUNCILWOMAN FOR BRINGING ITEM, UH, 18 FORWARD ON THE TIDELANDS REVENUE. AND I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY I MAY OR MAY NOT BOTHER TO TYPE ALL THIS UP THAT I WROTE AND PLAN TO SPEAK ON, BUT, UH, THE TITLES FUNDS BOTH BY THE STATE AND THE CITY CAN'T CONTINUE TO BE USED AS AN ATM. WE HAVE TO START THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT OIL WELL ABANDONMENT. I THINK THE STATE HAS AN OBLIGATION TO CREATE THE JOBS TO NOT ONLY DEAL WITH, UH, OIL WELL ABANDONMENT, BUT SOME OF THE ONGOING COSTS FROM, UH, COASTAL OIL FIELDS. NOT JUST IN LONG BEACH, BUT THROUGHOUT THE STATE. UH, AS WELL AS TO LEAD ON MEETING OR EXCEEDING OUR 2035 AND 2045 DECARBONIZATION TARGETS AS A STATE. UM, AND THEN AGAIN, BECAUSE I WON'T BE HERE NEXT WEEK TO SPEAK, UH, ON THE ITEM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, CALL ON COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, TO, UH, ASK FOR AN UPDATE TO THE, UH, MEMO, UH, CITY MANAGER MEMO TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, FROM, UH, THE 25TH OF OCTOBER OF 2021, UH, WHICH IS ON REDUCING RELIANCE ON, ON THESE OIL MONIES. AND FINALLY, FOR THE RECORD, JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT FIVE YEARS AGO I WAS SOMEONE WHO DID HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR HOW TO NOT ONLY REDUCE, BUT REPLACE SOME OF THOSE MONIES AND IT STILL WRINKLES ME THAT WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO, UH, TO EVEN, UH, PRESENT IT IN PUBLIC, LET ALONE, UH, VOTE ON IT OR BUILD IT. THANK YOU LESLIE SANDERS. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT, [ANNOUNCEMENTS] I GUESS. SO I'LL DO ONE TOO. , I WON'T FORGO, I WON'T FORGO MINE UNTIL NEXT WEEK. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, JUST A QUICK ONE. UH, UH, SO TODAY, AUGUST 13TH, YOU CAN JOIN YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AT LOS CERRITOS PARK AT 6:00 PM UH, TO HEAR MOTOWN AND R AND B CLASSICS IN A FREE CONCERT HOSTED BY THE LOS CERRITOS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. AND THEN ON FRIDAY, WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT LBCC FOR ANOTHER FREE CONCERT FROM FIVE TO EIGHT FOR OUR THIRD ANNUAL DISCOVER LBCC CONCERT HOSTED BY MY OFFICE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LBCC. UH, COME ON OUT, WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. UH, I'D JUST LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ENCOURAGE ALL LONG BEACH PRESIDENTS TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET. ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS TO DO THIS BY COMPLETING THE CITY'S DIGITAL COMMENT CARD, WHICH IS AVAILABLE NOW THROUGH THURSDAY, AUGUST 21ST. UH, IN ADDITION THE ON TO THE ONLINE COMMENT CARD, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO ATTEND ONE OF OUR UPCOMING CITYWIDE COMMUNITY BUDGET MEETINGS. UH, THERE IS ONE TODAY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13TH AT BROWNIE HIGH SCHOOL FROM SIX TO SEVEN 30, UH, SATURDAY, AUGUST 16TH AT WARDLOW COMMUNITY CENTER FROM 10 TO 1130 MONDAY, AUGUST 18TH AT MICHELLE OBAMA LIBRARY FROM SIX TO SEVEN 30, UH, AND WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20TH AT THE BILLIE JEAN KING LIBRARY FROM SIX TO SEVEN 30. AGAIN, YOUR FEEDBACK PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN ENSURING OUR BUDGET REFLECTS THE PRIORITIES AND NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS. UM, LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO, UH, JUST MAKE A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS. I'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYBODY OUT TO THE DEFOREST PARK ASSOCIATION'S LUNCH WITH THE COP ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 16TH FROM 11:00 AM TO 2:00 PM THIS EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE AT PRESS BROOKE PARKWAY AT THE CORNER OF SOUTH STREET AND JAY MILLS. UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO INVITE EVERYBODY OUT AGAIN TO OUR COMMUNITY BUDGET MEETING IN THE DISTRICT. THAT'S GONNA BE ON MONDAY, AUGUST 18TH FROM SIX TO 7:30 PM THAT WILL EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE MICHELLE OBAMA LIBRARY. UH, AND LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE OUT TO THE PHOENIX RISE PROJECTS. THE PHOENIX RISE PROJECTS RISE IN THRIVE EVENT ON SATURDAY, AUGUST THIR 23RD FROM 10:00 AM TO 8:00 PM THIS EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE AT RAMONA PARK, 33 0 1 EAST 65TH STREET. ENJOY FREE FOOD, WELLNESS AND SELF-CARE WORKSHOPS AND LIVE PERFORMANCES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN ALWAYS CONTACT MY OFFICE AT 5 6 2 5 7 0 6 1 3 7 OR DISTRICT9@LONGBEACH.GOV. THANK YOU. UH, [07:20:01] MICHELLE. GOOD, GOOD MOR EARLY MORNING. I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE A FEW EVENTS IN DISTRICT SIX. UM, SO WE ARE GONNA BE HAVING OUR QUEEN MARY COMMUNITY DAY THIS THURSDAY, AUGUST 14TH FROM FIVE TO 8:00 PM UH, EMAIL MY OFFICE TO REGISTER AT DISTRICT6@LONGBEACH.GOV. UH, AOC SEVEN'S HAVING THEIR CLEANUP DAY COMMUNITY CARES CLEANUP THIS SATURDAY, 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM ON 1200 GABBY OTA. SO, UH, PLEASE JOIN US TO KEEP OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. ANY, UH, OTHER GOOD? YES. WELL, MARY ALSO HAPPENING TODAY, UM, THIS EVENING, A WEDNESDAY, UM, AUGUST 13TH IS OUR QUEEN MARY DAY FOR, UM, OUR DISTRICT ONE RESIDENTS. I HOPE THAT YOU, UM, COME OUT AND ENJOY THE QUEEN MARY. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, REGISTER THROUGH MY OFFICE ALSO THIS WEEKEND, SEPTE, UM, NOT IN SEPTEMBER YET, UM, THIS WEEKEND, AUGUST 16TH, TASTE OF DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH IN OUR BEAUTIFUL WATERFRONT. HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE OUT. THIS COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEMBER. ANYBODY ELSE? NO. COUNCILWOMAN TH OH, OKAY. I'LL BE QUICK. UM, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HANGING IN THERE WITH ME. UH, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE COMMUNITY OUT ON MONDAY, AUGUST 18TH, AS WAS NOTED FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET MEETING AT THE MICHELLE OBAMA LIBRARY. UH, WE WANT TO THANK THE NORTH, UH, THE NORTH VILLAGE ASSOCIATION, ALONG WITH THE RIDGEWOOD TRIANGLE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UM, AS WELL AS THE LONG BEACH PD, NORTH DIVISION AND COMMANDER FOR COMING OUT FOR COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND EVENTS LAST WEEK. AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE ANNUAL CD EIGHT BACKPACK GIVEAWAY IS BACK FOR 2025. WE HOPE YOU'LL COME OUT ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 23RD AT SHEAR PARK FROM 10:00 AM TO TWO B, 2:00 PM UH, LOTS OF COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, GIVEAWAYS. UM, AND WE HOPE THAT OUR, OUR KIDDOS ARE READY FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, MIRANDA. HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. I KNOW YOU'RE PROBABLY SLEEPING BY NOW. UM, YEAH. AMAZING. THAT STILL UP? WHAT A, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? NO, NO. HEARING NONE. THIS MEETING'S ADJOURNED. GOOD. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU. [ADJOURNMENT] MY CAR, MY CAR HAD LIKE 42 MILES ON IT WHEN I PULLED SHARP. * 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.