[00:09:48]
[00:09:48]
RIGHT, MIL MADAM CLERK, LET'S CALL ROLL FOR THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL[CALL TO ORDER]
MEETING.[00:10:02]
PRESENT.[ROLL CALL]
PRESENT VICE MAYOR URANGA.ALRIGHT, WELL THANKS EVERYONE FOR JOINING US FOR THE, UH, OCTOBER 7TH MEETING OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, RICKS OIE IS NOT WITH US THIS EVENING.
WE'RE GONNA ASK VICE MAYOR YANGA TO LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
PLEASE STAND IF YOU'RE ABLE MO AND WHILE WE'RE STANDING, LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO CONSIDER THAT WE LIVE IN A VERY COMPLEX WORLD AND THERE ARE MANY ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.AND LET'S OPEN THAT DURING THAT TIME THAT WE REFLECT ON THE ONE, A WONDERFUL COUNTRY WE LIVE IN.
LAY YOUR HAND OVER YOUR HEART.
I PLEASURE TO USE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC ONE NATION UNDER INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY TWO.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR.
SO TODAY MARKS TWO YEARS SINCE THE OCTOBER 7TH HAMAS ATTACKS THAT CLAIM THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN ISRAEL AND SET OFF A DEVASTATING CONFLICT THAT CONTINUES TO BRING DEEP PAIN AND SUFFERING TO BOTH ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS FELT ALL AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING HERE IN LONG BEACH.
REMEMBER, THE INNOCENT LIVES LOST THAT DAY.
THE THOUSANDS MORE LOST IN THE MONTHS OF VIOLENCE THAT FOLLOWED, UH, FAMILIES TO APART, COMMUNITIES DISPLACED, COUNTLESS CIVILIANS CAUGHT IN UNIMAGINABLE HARDSHIP.
AS A CITY THAT VALUES PEACE, COMPASSION, AND HUMAN DIGNITY, WE STAND WITH ALL THOSE MOURNING LOVED ONES AND THOSE STILL LONGING FOR SAFETY AND RESOLUTION.
SO THIS DAY STANDS AS A REMINDER OF OUR SHARED HUMANITY AND, UH, WE MUST AFFIRM OUR COLLECTIVE HOPE, UH, FOR LASTING PEACE FOR ALL PEOPLE IN THE REGION.
UH, WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH OUR PRESENTATIONS.
UH, WE HAVE FREE THIS EVENING.
THE FIRST IS ON BAND BOOKS WEEK.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS PRESENTATION EVERY YEAR.
LET'S PASS IT OFF TO COUNCIL MEMBER
[ RECOGNIZING BANNED BOOKS WEEK, OCT. 5 – 11, 2025]
KERR.UH, THIS WEEK, OCTOBER 5TH THROUGH 11TH BAND BOOKS WEEKS IS CELEBRATED ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN AN EFFORT TO PROMOTE FREE AND OPEN ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND TO RAISE AWARENESS AGAINST THE HARMS OF CENSORSHIP.
THIS IS NOW THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW.
WE'RE PARTICIPATING IN AND CELEBRATING BAN BOOK WEEKS HERE IN LONG BEACH.
AT COUNCIL WITH US THIS EVENING ARE TWO ORGANIZATIONS DOING THE WORK TO RAISE AWARENESS AND STAND AGAINST BOOK BANNING.
HERE AT HOME, WE'RE JOINED BY THE FRIENDS OF THE LONG BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY WHO DO MUCH OF THE GRASSROOTS OUTREACH IT TAKES TO HIGHLIGHT AND STAND AGAINST BOOK BANNING IN LONG BEACH AND BEYOND.
THEY HAVE SEVERAL EVENTS COMING UP THAT I'M SURE THEY'LL SHARE WITH YOU THAT YOU CAN JOIN THEM.
WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY THE LONG BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION WHO WILL SHARE ABOUT THEIR WORK AND THE FUNDRAISING THEY'RE DOING FOR LONG BEACH PARTICIPATION IN BOOKS UN BAND.
I WANNA THANK BOTH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS FOR TAKING THE LEAD ON OUR LOCAL PARTICIPATION IN THIS NATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST CENSORSHIP.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO WITH OUR LIBRARIES EVERY DAY.
UH, WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT TO ELLEN BUTLER, CHAIR OF OUR BAND BOOKS COMMITTEE FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE LONG BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY TO BRING THE BEGIN THE PRESENTATION, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTIAN HERNANDEZ, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS FOR THE FOUNDATION.
AND THANK YOU WHOLE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR.
I'M HERE BECAUSE OUR PRESIDENT WASN'T ABLE TO BE, AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE.
SO, UM, I'VE BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN THESE ACTIVITIES.
I HOPE YOU CAN READ THE DATES.
WE STILL HAVE TWO EVENTS COMING UP THAT YOU'RE WELCOME.
ANYBODY HERE IS WELCOME TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN, UH, MANY OF YOU KNOW HOW THE FRIENDS WAS ORIGINATED IN 19 62, 20 YEARS BEFORE THE NATIONAL BAN BOOK MOVEMENT BEGAN HOW HEAD LIBRARIAN BLANCHE COLLINS SUCCESSFULLY FOUGHT THE CITY COUNCIL FROM BANNING, UH, NICHOLAS, I'M SORRY, NICO'S COUSIN AKA'S NOVEL, THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST.
WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW IS THAT THE INSTIGATOR OF THAT REQUEST CAME FROM A PASADENA RESIDENT AFFILIATED WITH THE JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY WHO TRIED TO DO THE SAME THING IN MULTIPLE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES.
LONG BEACH ONE AND THE FRIENDS OF THE LONG BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY WAS BORN.
A GRASSROOTS ALL VOLUNTEER BOOTS ON THE GROUND, ORGANIZATION OF DEVOTED MEMBERS WHO IN ARE IN THE LIBRARIES EVERY DAY PERFORMING A MYRIAD OF SUPPORT ACTIVITIES AND ADVOCATING YEAR ROUND FOR THE FREEDOM TO READ.
WE LUCKILY LIVE IN A VERY TOLERANT COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF THAT.
MANY PEOPLE WHO VISIT OUR TABLES AT EVERY EVENT ARE SURPRISED AT THE BOOKS BANNED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
BUT BECAUSE OF OUR HISTORY AND HOW WE WERE FOUNDED, WE KNOW THE FIGHT AGAINST CENSORSHIP COMES FROM ALL SIDES AND IS NEVER ENDING.
[00:15:01]
SO WHAT WE DO IS SPREAD AWARENESS OF THE THREAT AND WE SUPPORT THE LIBRARY.WE ALSO BELIEVE IT HAS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO INFORM CITIZENS OF LONG BEACH ABOUT THE CENSORSHIP HAPPENING, EXCUSE ME, BOTH CLOSE TO HOME AND AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AT THIS TIME, THE UNPRECEDENTED ATTACKS ON OUR CONSTITUTIONALLY GUARANTEED RIGHTS OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION CANNOT BE IGNORED.
THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION TRACKS THE STATISTICS FOR CENSORSHIP AND BOOK BANNING ATTEMPTS IN THE NATION THIS YEAR.
THEIR OFFICE OF INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM REPORTS THAT THE MAJORITY OF BOOK CENSORSHIP ATTEMPTS ARE NOW ORIGINATING FROM ORGANIZED MOVEMENTS.
72% OF THE DEMANDS TO CENSOR BOOKS IN SCHOOL AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES WERE INITIATED BY PRESSURE GROUPS AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES THAT INCLUDE ELECTED OFFICIALS, BOARD MEMBERS AND ADMINISTRATORS.
PARENTS ONLY ACCOUNTED FOR 16% OF DEMANDS TO CENSOR BOOKS.
UH, WHILE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WERE BOUGHT BY INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE, IT'S BECOME EASIER TO BEGIN A BOOK BANNING CAMPAIGN.
120 TITLES MOST FREQUENTLY TARGETED FOR CENSORSHIP DURING 2024 ARE NOW ALL IDENTIFIED ON PARTISAN BOOK RATING WEBSITES.
AND THOSE SITES PROVIDE TOOLS FOR ACTIVISTS TO DEMAND THE CENSORSHIP OF LIBRARY BOOKS.
THE FRIENDS HAVE ONLY TWO MISSIONS TO PREVENT CENSORSHIP IN THE CITY AND TO SUPPORT THE LIBRARY.
WE THINK YOU'D BE INTERESTED, NO.
SINCE 2008, THERE HAVE BEEN ONLY THREE CHALLENGES IN THE LIBRARY INTO THE LONG BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND I THINK THESE ARE KIND OF INTERESTING.
IN 2008, A BOOK CALLED FALLEN ANGELS BY WALTER DEAN MEYERS, WHICH IS A BOOK ABOUT A 17-YEAR-OLD BOY RICHIE PERRY, JUST OUT OF HIS HARLEM HIGH SCHOOL, WHO ENLIST IN THE ARMY IN THE SUMMER OF 1967 AND SPENDS A DEVASTATING YEAR ON ACTIVE DUTY IN VIETNAM.
THE SECOND BOOK WAS IN 2013, KIND OF A FUN TITLE, A QUEER AND PLEASANT DANGER IS A MEMOIR BY KATE BERNSTEIN.
IT'S A TRUE STORY OF A NICE JEWISH BOY WHO JOINS THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY AND LEAVES 12 YEARS LATER TO BECOME THE LOVELY LADY SHE IS TODAY.
AND THEN THE THIRD ONE WAS IN 2016, AND IT'S CALLED THE TEXTBOOK.
THE STUFF YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT, THE STUFF YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW BY CRACK.COM.
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SUMMARIZE IT, BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, ROGER BERT, ACTUALLY, ELLEN, CAN WE LEAVE THAT AS A LITTLE BIT OF SUSPENSE FOR FOLKS TO RESEARCH THAT ONE THEMSELVES AND GO CHECK IT OUT? YEAH, I, I WAS GONNA QUOTE TWO PEOPLE.
'CAUSE WE WANT THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK AS WELL IN THE MAYOR'S PRESS ME ON TIME.
SO STOP, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? ONE MORE LAST SENTENCE TO TELL US WHAT YOU REALLY WANNA TELL US AND WE'LL BRING UP THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION TO TALK ABOUT THEIR PART IN IT AS WELL.
UM, I WOULD URGE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE TO ATTEND THE EVENTS, THE LAST TWO EVENTS THAT WE HAVE.
WE GIVE AWAY ALL THE STUFF WE GAVE YOU GUYS PLUS MORE PLUS LOTS OF INFORMATION AND IT'S JUST INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE TO SUPPORT THE LIBRARY.
AND WE'LL HAVE KRISTEN COME UP FROM THE FOUNDATION REAL QUICK AND THEN WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE.
WE'VE GOT A RESOLUTION FOR YOU.
HELLO, I AM KRISTEN HERNANDEZ.
UH, I AM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT THE LONG BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION.
I'M HERE IN THE STUDY OF OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CEO VERONICA GARCIA DAVALOS.
UM, I WILL JUST TALK REAL QUICKLY ABOUT, UH, BOOKS UNBOUND, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT WAS JUST THIS WEEK LAUNCHED AT THE LONG BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY.
IT ALLOWS YOUNG ADULTS, UM, MOST TEENAGERS AGED 13 THROUGH 19, WHO LIVE OUTSIDE OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
AND SPECIFICALLY IN AREAS WHERE BOOK BANDS ARE A PROBLEM, UH, IN TO ACCESS LONG BEACH LIBRARIES DIGITAL CATALOG BY GIVING THEM, UH, ELIB CARDS.
AND SO THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS OUR, OUR FRIENDS AT THE LIBRARY POINTED OUT, WE WANT TO PROTECT THE FREEDOM TO READ, UH, FIGHT AGAINST CENSORSHIP.
AND SO THIS IS LONG BEACH'S WAY OF DOING OUR PART TO HELP ENSURE THAT TEENS ACROSS THE COUNTRY CAN ALSO ACCESS THE SAME BOOKS THAT OUR TEENAGERS AND STUDENTS ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO ACCESS.
UM, AND SO WE WOULD LOVE YOUR HELP FUNDING IT.
UM, THIS ALSO BENEFITS LONG BEACH RESIDENTS BECAUSE A LOT OF THE FUNDING WILL GO TOWARDS EXPANDING OUR EBOOK LIBRARY.
SO FOR ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN ON A LIBBY WAIT LIST, THAT'S BEEN A LONG TIME, THIS CAN HELP REDUCE SOME OF THAT WAITING TIME.
ALRIGHT, JUST, JUST ONE QUICK THING FOR, FOR FOLKS.
WE'RE FIGHTING THIS FRONT AT A NATIONAL LEVEL.
WE KNOW THAT, BUT WE'RE ALSO FIGHTING IT VERY LOCALLY.
UM, AND HUNTINGTON BEACH JUST WENT THROUGH SOME REALLY SIMILAR, UM, CENSORSHIP, UH, FIGHTS AND, UH, WON AND CAME OUT VICTORIOUS, BUT WE KNOW THAT IT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER.
AND IF YOU WONDER WHAT KINDS OF BOOKS ARE ON THE LIST THAT PEOPLE WANT BANNED, YOU CAN WALK INTO ANY OF OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES, TALK TO OUR AMAZING LIBRARY STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.
UM, THESE WERE FOUR THAT I PICKED UP TODAY FROM THE RUTH BACH LIBRARY THAT I WILL BE RETURNING,
[00:20:01]
SO YOU CAN CHECK THEM OUT.UM, BUT THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, BELOVED IS RIGHT HERE, TONY MORRISON IN FRONT OF ME.
SO THESE ARE BOOKS THAT WE KNOW WELL AS WELL AS NEW BOOKS.
AND WE AT THE CITY, I'M SO PROUD OF THE HISTORY THAT WE HAVE SINCE 1962, UM, THAT WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE A LIGHT FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES ON HOW TO DO THIS WELL.
SO, UH, WE'VE GOT A PROCLAMATION AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE A QUICK PICTURE AND I'LL TURN IT BACK TO THE MAYOR.
WELL, IT'S HERE FOR OUR LIBRARY AND ADVOCATES FOR LITERACY.
AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS AND CONTINUING TO BRING THIS, UH, THIS, UH, PRESENTATION EVERY YEAR.
WE'LL MEET YOU DOWN FRONT FOR THE PHOTO.
NEXT, WE HAVE OUR PRESENTATION.
I WANNA REMIND FOLKS, UH, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
WE SET, UM, A HALF HOUR TO GET ASIDE FOR PRESENTATIONS.
SO IF THERE'S THREE PRESENTATIONS, IT GETS DIVIDED BY THREE, THERE'S 10 MINUTES.
IF THERE'S TWO, SOMETIMES IT GOES TO 15 MINUTES.
AND SO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO TO VICE MAYOR URANGA FOR FILIPINO HERITAGE MONTH.
[ FILIPINO HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION]
UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.AND AS IS WELL KNOWN IN LONG BEACH, WE ARE HOST TO OUR GREATEST REPRESENTATION OF, UH, FILIPINOS IN THE WEST PALM BEACH AREA IN MY DISTRICT.
AND TODAY WE'RE CELEBRATING THE FILIPINO HERITAGE MONTH, AND WE HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION.
SO PLEASE STEP FORWARD AND, AND, UH, WE'LL TAKE IT FROM THERE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
MY NAME IS JESSICA OBOR GILLETTE.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
IT'S MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE ROMEO O GARCIA AS OUR KEYNOTE FOR THIS YEAR'S FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION.
UH, HE'S A FAMILIAR FACE HERE IN LONG BEACH, A PROUD RESIDENT AND BUSINESS OWNER.
HE'S BEEN A VITAL PART OF OUR CITY, SMALL BUSINESS AND CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
MANY KNOW HIM THROUGH HIS SMALL BUSINESS, ROMEO CHOCOLATES, WHICH OPERATED IN DISTRICTS ONE, TWO, AND FIVE.
HE WAS A COHORT MEMBER OF THE DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH ALLIANCE SMALL BUSINESS TRAINING SERIES, A RECIPIENT OF THE 2019 MAYOR'S AWARD FOR SMALL BUSINESS AND A GRADUATE OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE IN GOLDMAN SACHS 10,000 SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM.
BEYOND BUSINESS, ROMEO'S HARTFORD COMMUNITY IS EVIDENT.
HE HAS SERVED ON THE BOARD OF THE CENTER LONG BEACH CONTRIBUTED TO THE HISTORIC OLD PINE AVENUE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMITTEE AND AT LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE LED BOTH THE HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND AND THE UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM SUPPORTING FIRST GENERATION LOW INCOME STUDENTS TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION.
ROMEO'S COMMUNITY IMPACT ALSO SHINES THROUGH HIS CULTURAL INITIATIVES.
HE'S THE FOUNDER OF THE ANNUAL LONG BEACH PARA LANTERN FESTIVAL, FOUNDER OF THE CUBO ORGANIZING PROJECT, NONPROFIT CO-FOUNDER OF CUBO RETAIL AND COMMUNITY SPACE, AND CO-RESEARCHER OF THE LONG BEACH PHILIPPINE X COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND
[00:25:01]
PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.AND NOW ROMEO'S LEADERSHIP HAS REACHED THE NATIONAL STAGE AFTER AN EXTENSIVE NATIONWIDE SEARCH, HE HAS BEEN APPOINTED AS THE INAUGURAL DIRECTOR OF THE FILIPINO AMERICAN NATIONAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY, WHICH IT'S THE ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBLE FOR WHY WE CELEBRATE OCTOBER AS FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO ROMEO.
ALRIGHT, WELL MAG, GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MAYOR REX RICHARDSON, VICE MAYOR ROBERT URANGA, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND TO OUR BELOVED LONG BEACH COMMUNITY.
ON BEHALF OF THE FILIPINO AMERICAN NATIONAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY FUNDS AND OUR FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DR.
DOROTHY LAGO CORDOVA, AS WE AFFECTIONATELY CALL HER ANTI DOROTHY, I EXTEND MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND THE ESTEEM COUNCIL FOR RECOGNIZING OCTOBER AS FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH.
YOUR SUPPORT IS NOT MERELY SYMBOLIC.
IT IS A GESTURE THAT ILLUMINATES OUR SHARED HISTORY AS LONG BEACH RESIDENTS THAT HONORS GENERATIONS OF FILIPINO AMERICANS WHO BUILT LIVES, FAMILIES, AND MOVEMENTS HERE IN THIS VERY CITY.
THE CITY STANDS WITH COMMUNITY PROGRESS AND IT SHOWS THAT IT'S NOT ONLY POSSIBLE, BUT IT IS ALSO POWERFUL FOR OVER A CENTURY.
FILIPINOS CALL CALLED LONG BEACH HOME.
WE HAVE SERVED IN THE US NAVY AND OTHER BRANCHES, CARED FOR PATIENTS IN LONG BEACH HOSPITALS, TAUGHT IN CLASSROOMS AND BUILT SMALL BUSINESSES FROM THE SHIPYARDS OF WEST LONG BEACH TO THE MARKETS OF BIXBY KNOWLES.
OUR PRESENCE IS WRITTEN IN THE RHYTHM OF LONG BEACH IN THE ROMA LUMPIA FROM JAMAY BAKE SHOP IN THE SONGS THAT RISE AT OUR FESTIVALS AND PER LANTERNS THAT LIGHT UP PINE AVENUE AND ATLANTIC AVENUE.
FILIPINOS HAVE BEEN ON TURTLE ISLAND OR THE AMERICAS FOR NEARLY FIVE CENTURIES.
FROM THE FIRST RECORDED LANDING IN MORRO BAY TO THE COASTAL AND BAYOU VILLAGES IN LOUISIANA.
WE HAVE BEEN HERE CONTRIBUTING, SURVIVING, AND THRIVING.
OUR ROOTS RUN DEEP HERE IN THE US SOIL.
OUR FILIPINO AMERICAN STORY, OUR AMERICAN STORY.
THIS YEAR'S FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH FROM QUOTAS TO COMMUNITIES IS OUR THEME.
FILIPINO AMERICAN MIGRATION AND MOVEMENT.
WE HAVE HAD OUR SHARE OF LAWS THAT ONCE DIVIDED FAMILIES, YET THROUGH COURAGE AND KAWA, WE TRANSFORM QUOTAS INTO VIBRANT COMMUNITIES.
MY OWN FAMILY STORY IS ONE THREAD IN THIS LARGER TAPESTRY.
MY UNCLE VIC OBOR SERVED IN THE US NAVY AND WAS EVEN STATIONED HERE IN LONG BEACH.
HIS SPONSORSHIP OF MY PARENTS, NORMA AND EDUARDO GARCIA OVER HERE, UH, GAVE THEM THE COURAGE TO BRING ALL SIX OF US CHILDREN HERE SO WE HAVE A FUTURE WORTHY OF THEIR SACRIFICE.
AS I STAND HERE TODAY, I SEE THAT LEGACY LIVES ON IN LONG BEACH.
FROM EDUCATORS TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, ARTISTS AND ELDERS, OUR SHARED STORIES REMIND US THAT FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY IS NOT JUST NOSTALGIC, IT'S ALIVE, IT'S BREATHING, AND IT'S UNFOLDING WITH EVERY NEW GENERATION IN LONG BEACH.
NOT ONLY A CITY OF PORTS AND PASSAGE, IT IS A CITY OF POSSIBILITY.
I WANNA CLOSE WITH A LA A FEW LAST THOUGHTS.
AS THE INAUGURAL NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF FONS, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF HEARING STORIES FROM ALASKA TO HAWAII, STOCKTON TO NEW YORK.
AND I'M ALWAYS HONORED TO BE ABLE TO JOIN LONG BEACH, A PLACE WHERE I RESIDED, STARTED A SMALL BUSINESS AND VOLUNTEERED FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS.
WE REMEMBER WE'RE NOT ONLY THE CHILDREN'S OF HISTORY, BUT WE'RE THE ACTIVE AUTHORS OF HISTORY.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO ESTABLISH A FILIPINO CULTURAL DISTRICT HERE IN LONG BEACH, A LIVING LANDMARK, HONORING THE RESILIENCE, ARTISTRY, AND COLLECTIVE SPIRIT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND LET'S BE SPEAK INTO EXISTENCE.
LET'S STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH OTHER IMMIGRANTS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AS OUR STRUGGLES AND SUCCESS ARE ALWAYS DEEPLY INTERCONNECTED.
LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAFF AND GUESTS.
MADAM SALAMA POP LONG LIVE LONG BEACH.
LONG LIVE LONG BEACH FAN MABU FANS AND MABU LAHA.
ALRIGHT, WELL, WE WANNA, WE WANNA, UH, THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
EVERYONE THAT WE SEE HERE, UH, YOU ALL, I MEAN, THE COLLECTION OF FOLKS YOU HAVE HERE DEMONSTRATE JUST A SMALL, JUST A SMALL SAMPLE OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY HERE IN LONG BEACH.
IT'S ACTUALLY THE LARGEST API POPULATION IN OUR CITY IS FILIPINOS AND MANY, AND, AND VICE MAYOR, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE, YOU HAVE A, A SIGNIFICANT CON UH, UH, CON CONCENTRATION ON THE WEST SIDE.
UM, SO IT IS SORT OF LITTLE FILIPINO, LITTLE MANILA OVER THERE.
WE'VE, WE'VE SEEN IN RECENT YEARS MORE RECOGNITION, MORE FESTIVALS TAKE PLACE AT THE CHURCHES AND OTHER THINGS.
AND IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE RECOGNIZED THIS, UH, FILIPINO AMERICAN, UM, UH, CULTURAL MONTH AT CITY, AT CITY COUNCIL.
WE STARTED THIS A FEW YEARS AGO TOGETHER.
UM, I WASN'T ABLE TO JOIN YOU EARLIER.
I CAME FROM A SCHOOL EVENT WITH MY LITTLE ONES, BUT I WAS THERE WITH YOU IN SPIRIT, UM, AND
[00:30:01]
PROUD THAT YOU WERE WORKING WITH VICE MAYOR URANGA AND THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONTINUE THIS TRADITION.UH, WE DON'T, WE, THIS WASN'T ON THE SCHEDULE, BUT, BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO, UH, FOR YOU TO COME FORWARD SO WE CAN TAKE A PICTURE, UH, TO CELEBRATE THIS MOMENT.
WE'LL NOW GO TO OUR LAST PRESENTATION.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.
[ BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH]
YOU MAYOR.AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL MY COLLEAGUES FOR ROCKING YOUR PINK AND WEARING YOUR YOUR BREAST CANCER PINS.
UM, BECAUSE THIS IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, AND YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS, UH, CAUSES, IT'S VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART.
UM, AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN PERSONALLY, UH, AFFECTED, I TRULY APPRECIATE THE MEMORIAL CARE FOR THEIR COMPASSION, EXPERTISE AND ONGOING EFFORTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER.
MAYA SARNO, A BOARD CERTIFIED, BOARD CERTIFIED RADIOLOGIST AT MEMORIAL CARE BREAST CENTER AT LONG BEACH MEDICAL CENTER.
SARNO EARNED HER MEDICAL MEDICAL DEGREE FROM THE KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT USC AND COMPLETED HER RESIDENCY IN RADIOLOGY AT MAMA NUNES MEDICAL CENTER IN BROOKLYN.
AND THEN WENT ON TO COMPETE A, UH, TO COMPLETE A FELLOWSHIP IN BREAST IMAGING AT UC, IRVINE.
SHE'S PASSIONATE, PASSIONATE ABOUT WOMEN'S HEALTH AND EARLY DETECTION THROUGH HER ADVANCED IMAGING.
AND, UH, THE DOCTOR'S GONNA COME UP AND SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN AND, UM, RESPECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BREAST CANCER AWARENESS.
IT IS A CAUSE THAT'S VERY DEAR TO MYSELF AS WELL, BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY.
AND SO I'M HONORED TO SHARE SOME INSIGHTS FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.
SO WORLDWIDE BREAST CANCER ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 12% OF ALL NEW CANCER CASES EVERY YEAR.
AND IN THE UNITED STATES, UM, FOR US WOMEN, IT'S ABOUT 30% OF ALL NEW CANCERS.
UM, ABOUT 12.5%, ABOUT ONE IN EIGHT US WOMEN WILL DEVELOP AN INVASIVE BREAST CANCER AT SOME POINT OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR LIVES.
AND SO, CURRENTLY IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE ABOUT 4 MILLION WOMEN WHO HAVE, WHO HAVE HAD BREAST CANCER AND HAVE BEEN TREATED OR CURRENTLY HAVE BREAST CANCER.
SO SOME OF THE, UM, RISK FACTORS FOR BREAST CANCER, UM, APPROXIMATELY 12.5 RISK, UH, UM, 12.5% TO LIFETIME RISK FOR THE AVERAGE WOMAN.
THAT CAN NEARLY DOUBLE IF THE WOMAN HAS A FIRST DEGREE RELATIVE, LIKE A MOTHER, SISTER, OR DAUGHTER WHO HAS HAD, UM, A DIAGNOSIS OF BREAST CANCER.
ABOUT FIVE TO 10% OF BREAST CANCERS ARE
[00:35:01]
RELATED TO A GENETIC MUTATION.AND THE MOST COMMON ONES, AND THE MOST, UM, WELL-KNOWN ONES ARE THE BRCA GENES, BRCA ONE AND TWO, ALTHOUGH WE NOW, UM, THERE ARE SEVERAL MORE, UM, GENES THAT ARE LESS COMMON, UM, BUT CAN BE, CAN BE DETECTED WITH GENETIC TESTING AND CAN CONFER AN INCREASED LIFETIME RISK.
WE KNOW THAT, UM, BREAST CANCER IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER RELATED DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES FOR BLACK AND HISPANIC WOMEN.
WOMEN WHO ARE OF ASHKENAZI JEWISH HERITAGE HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF BREAST CANCER, UM, DUE TO A HIGHER RATE OF THE BRCA GENE.
AND ONE POINT TO REMEMBER IS THAT ABOUT 70 TO 80% OF WOMEN WHO ARE DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER DO NOT HAVE ANYONE IN THEIR FAMILY WHO HAS HAD THE DISEASE.
SO THAT'S ONE COMMON MISCONCEPTION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY, THAT YOUR RISK IS LOWER.
BUT IN FACT, MOST OF THE WOMEN THAT WE DIAGNOSE DON'T HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY.
SO, ADDITIONAL RISK FACTORS, SOME OBVIOUSLY WE CANNOT CHANGE, THEY'RE, THEY JUST ARE.
UM, SOME THAT WE CAN CHANGE ARE LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, UM, HORMONE REPLACEMENT TREATMENT.
AND I WANNA SPECIFY THAT WITH HORMONES, IT'S NOT JUST A YES OR NO.
UM, DO YOU TAKE HORMONES, DO YOU NOT? IT'S A VERY NUANCED, UM, NUANCED RISK FACTOR.
THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF HORMONE REPLACEMENT.
UM, IF YOU TAKE HORMONES, YOUR RISK, YOU KNOW, INCREASES.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY NUANCED, UM, FACTOR.
MINIMIZING ALCOHOL INTAKE, UM, CAN ALSO LOWER OUR RISK.
THERE ARE TWO, UM, LANDMARK STUDIES THAT SHOWED THAT SCREENING MAMMOGRAPHY, UM, CAN REDUCE MORTALITY FROM BREAST CANCER.
UM, ONE STUDY CALLED THE HIP STUDY SHOWED A 30% DECREASE IN MORTALITY FROM BREAST CANCER.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE WELL-KNOWN ONES IS THE SWEDISH TWO COUNTY TRIAL THAT SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN MORTALITY FROM BREAST CANCER.
AND FOR THESE STUDIES, THEY WERE FOCUSED ON SCREENING MAMMOGRAPHY.
THERE ARE OTHER MODALITIES THAT WE USE TO IMAGE THE BREAST, SUCH AS ULTRASOUND AND MRI, BUT MAMMOGRAPHY REMAINS THE, UM, MODALITY THAT HAS BEEN STUDIED, UM, WITH, UM, THESE LARGE STUDIES THAT SHOW, UM, A DECREASE IN MORTALITY.
SO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCREENING MAMMOGRAPHY, UM, ONE THING THAT'S, UM, RELATIVELY NEW IS A RECOMMENDATION THAT WOMEN GET ASSESSED FOR THEIR RISK SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 25 TO 30.
SO THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, MEETING WITH THEIR PRIMARY DOCTOR, TAKING A FAMILY HISTORY, A MEDICAL HISTORY, UM, POTENTIALLY TALKING ABOUT GENETIC COUNSELING, IF THAT APPLIES.
AND, UM, THAT CAN HELP DETERMINE IF SOMEBODY REQUIRES SUPPLEMENTAL SCREENING, IF THEY'RE AT HIGHER RISK.
YEARLY SCREENING MAMMOGRAMS BEGIN AT AGE 40.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU ARE ASSESSED TO HAVE A HIGHER THAN AVERAGE RISK, THEN YOU MAY, UM, START THAT EARLIER, A REGULAR SELF-BREAST EXAM.
AND WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, UM, WOMEN KNOW TO CHECK FOR LUMPS, BUT THERE ARE OTHER CHANGES IN THE BREAST, CHANGES IN THE NIPPLE THAT YOU MIGHT NOTICE, UM, FROM ONE MONTH TO THE NEXT.
UM, SO THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL KIND OF SECONDARY THINGS TO LOOK FOR ON A, UH, SELF-BREAST EXAM.
AND THEN, UM, A YEARLY CLINICAL BREAST EXAM, PHYSICAL EXAM BY A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL.
AND IF SOMEONE IS, UM, AT A HIGHER RISK FOR BREAST CANCER, THEN THEY MAY START EARLIER WITH MAMMOGRAMS AND THEY ALSO MAY QUALIFY OR BE ELIGIBLE FOR SUPPLEMENTAL SCREENING.
SO FOR US AT THE TODD CANCER PAVILION, UM, WE ARE HONORED AND PRIVILEGED AND PROUD TO SERVE OUR LONG BEACH COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE, UM, TWO SCREENING LOCATIONS, LONG BEACH, UM, TODD CANCER INSTITUTE, AND A SATELLITE CENTER AT LOS ALAMITOS.
UM, WE HAVE 3D MAMMOGRAPHY, ULTRASOUND, MRI, UM, ALL OF THOSE AT LONG BEACH, THE SAME AT LOS ALAMITOS, EXCEPT FOR MRI IS NOT AVAILABLE.
UM, AT LOSAL WE PERFORMED ABOUT 24,000 SCREENING MAMMOGRAMS LAST YEAR.
OUR TEAM, MY TEAM, THE BREAST RADIOLOGIST TEAM IS, UM, SUB-SPECIALIZED.
UM, WE ONLY DO BREAST RADIOLOGY.
AND, UM, COMBINED WE HAVE PROBABLY MORE THAN 60 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE NOW, COLLECTIVELY, UH, WE WORK WITH A WONDERFUL TEAM OF DEDICATED BREAST SURGEONS, ONCOLOGISTS, RADIATION ONCOLOGISTS, NURSE NAVIGATORS.
OUR SUPPORTIVE CARE INCLUDES, UM, ONCOLOGY REHABILITATION, SUCH AS PHYSICAL THERAPISTS.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT, UM, AVAILABLE AS WELL.
ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT, UM, ONE OF OUR SUPPORT, UM, RESOURCES IS OUR PEER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM WHERE, UM, A PATIENT IS PAIRED UP WITH A MENTOR WHO HAS KIND OF WALKED THIS PATH BEFORE THEM, AND THEY ARE PAIRED TO
[00:40:01]
KIND OF JUST HELP PROVIDE SUPPORT, KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, UM, THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.AND I WANNA STOP FOR AT, UM, BEAT THE ODDS, UM, IS A PROGRAM THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY DOCTORS MARIUS AND ALEXANDRA VIRGA.
THEY ARE, UM, THEIR EXPERTISE IS IN PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY.
UM, AND THEY'VE DEVELOPED THIS PROGRAM FOR PATIENTS AND FOR CAREGIVERS THAT FOCUSES ON MIND BODY MEDICINE AND WELLNESS.
AND, UM, THEY TEACH SKILLS THAT ARE APPLICABLE THROUGHOUT THE, THE CANCER EXPERIENCE.
AND YOU KNOW, WHAT, FOR TIME MM-HMM.
UM, SAKE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO OKAY.
I'M JUST WRAPPING UP ACTUALLY.
UM, AND SO, YES, UM, WE'RE PROUD TO SERVE THIS LONG BEACH COMMUNITY.
WE ARE ACCREDITED BY, UM, A FEW, UM, NATIONAL, UM, BOARDS.
AND, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND SPEAK WITH YOU ALL.
WELL, THANK YOU, DOCTOR FOR COMING.
UM, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR MEMORIAL CARE FOR BEING HERE.
I KNOW YOU ALL VERY WELL, AND, UM, I HAVE GIFTED ALL MY, UH, COLLEAGUES WITH THE PINK ROSE.
AND IF I COULD KINDLY ASK IF YOU WOULD, UH, COME DOWN, UM, TO THE FLOOR AND WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE.
UM, AND, UH, JUST FOR REMEMBRANCE OF EVERYONE THAT'S STRUGGLING WITH BREAST CANCER, SORRY.
WELL, THAT CONCLUDES OUR FINAL PRESENTATION.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN LONG BEACH MEMORIAL.
ALL THE SPEAKERS, UH, FOR THAT IMPORTANT PRESENTATION.
WE'RE GONNA ASK OUR CITY ATTORNEY FOR THE, UH, REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION.
WE HAVE A REPORT TONIGHT FROM CLOSED SESSION.
UH, WE HAVE SETTLED THE MATTER OF, UM, BARRIOS VERSUS CITY OF LONG BEACH, UH, FOR $250,000.
WE HAVE SETTLED THE MATTER OF LOGAN VERSUS CITY OF LONG BEACH FOR THE AMOUNT OF $125,000.
AND WE'VE SETTLED THE AMOUNT, UH, THE CASE OF PINK VERSUS THE CITY OF LONG BEACH FOR THE AMOUNT OF $369,000.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP CONSENT CALENDAR.
[CONSENT CALENDAR (1. – 23.)]
OKAY.IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT? NO.
MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
WE'RE GONNA GO STRAIGHT TO ITEM 25, COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN, VICE MAYOR IRANA, COUNCILWOMAN INDE HESS.
RECOMMENDATION TO REQUEST CITY ATTORNEY TO AGENDIZE AN
[25. 25-56613 Recommendation to request City Attorney to agendize an ordinance to regulate the sale and use of CA State Fire Marshall-approved ground-based sparkling devices (a legal form of firework that does not leave the ground, does not explode, and meets all state regulations for noise), that includes: Incorporation of 7 percent fee on the sale of ground-based sparkling devices in accordance with AB1403 for funding a robust, dangerous firework community education and enforcement plan; Incorporate that 4 percent of post-cost revenue be designated to the Nonprofit Partnership to support grants for Long Beach community needs, determined by the City Council annually; and Incorporate a selection process where 501(c) 3 organizations can apply for permits to operate up to 10 stands spread across the city (excluding the coastal zone). The application should score for articulation of how the funds raised support Long Beach residents. A lottery is being utilized when more than 10 applicants are qualify. Office or Department: Cindy Allen, Councilwoman, Second District; Roberto Uranga, Vice Mayor, Seventh District; Mary Zendejas, Councilwoman, First District Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ORDINANCE TO REGULATE THE SALE AND USE OF CALIFORNIA STATE FIRE MARSHAL APPROVED GROUND-BASED SPARKLING DEVICES THAT INCLUDES INCORPORATION OF 7% ON THE SALE OF GROUND-BASED SPARKLING DEVICES FOR FUNDING A ROBUST, DANGEROUS FIREWORK COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND ENFORCEMENT PLAN.INCORPORATE THAT 4% OF POST COST REVENUE, BE DESIGNATED TO THE NONPROFIT PARTNERSHIP TO SUPPORT GRANTS FOR LONG BEACH COMMUNITY NEEDS, AND INCORPORATE A SELECTION PROCESS WHERE ORGANIZATIONS CAN APPLY FOR PERMITS TO OPERATE UP TO 10 STANDS SPREAD ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, UH, MAYOR, COULD I REQUEST THAT WE DO OUR PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE, MAKE COMMENTS? ABSOLUTELY.
[00:45:01]
SO, I SEE SEVEN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY FORWARD.
BILL NASH, JOHN KELLY LILIA, JOEY NOTCH, RICKY BARRY COGER, AND CATHERINE.
ARE ANY OF THESE PEOPLE HERE? COME ON DOWN.
UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR RICHARDSON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF BASEBALL OPERATIONS, UM, FOR THE DIRT BAGS OF LONG BEACH STATE.
UH, I'M HERE TO BE, UH, TO SPEAK ON OUR BEHALF OF OUR NONPROFIT, THE DIRT BAG COLLECTIVE.
UM, WE FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY AND HOPE, UM, HOPE YOU GUYS PASS THIS ORDINANCE.
UM, IT'S A VERY UNIQUE FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY, UM, THAT NOT MANY UNIVERSITIES AND ATHLETIC PROGRAM PROGRAMS HAVE.
UM, THE MARKET FOR GALAS AND EVENTS AND DINNERS, UM, BECOME INCREDIBLY SATURATED.
EVERY UNIVERSITY DOES IT, EVERYBODY HAS IT.
UM, SO WE FEEL ANOTHER AVENUE OF FUNDRAISING LIKE THIS, UM, WOULD GREATLY BENEFIT US, UM, AND WOULD WOULD BE A WAY FOR, TO CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE FOR THIS ITEM AND HOPE THAT THIS, THIS, THIS ORDINANCE PASSES.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF.
I'M VICE PRESIDENT WITH TNT FIREWORKS JOINING ME THIS EVENING IN THE AUDIENCE FOR, UH, RICK POE CASSIDY OF SALGUERO AND MARIA ORTIZ.
WE'RE A WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTOR OF STATE APPROVED FIREWORKS TO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHO SELL THEM AS A FUNDRAISING MECHANISM.
WE'VE BEEN IN CALIFORNIA SINCE 1989, SERVING OVER 250 COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
AND WE'RE IN 49 STATES THROUGHOUT THE US.
UH, WE'RE HERE THIS EVENING JUST TO LISTEN TO YOUR DISCUSSION AND, UH, INTRODUCE OURSELVES.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE IN SUPPORT OF, UH, UH, THIS IDEA.
UH, WE BELIEVE IT'S A GREAT FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY.
AND BASED ON YOUR STAFF REPORT, UH, THE FACT THAT IT, UH, PUTS IN A CONSISTENT SUSTAINING, UH, REVENUE SOURCE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY OVER AND ABOVE WHAT'S ALREADY BUDGETED.
FIREWORKS ARE REGULATED BY THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL, UH, TESTED EACH YEAR.
THEY CAN'T GO ANY HIGHER THAN 10 FEET, ANY WIDER THAN 10 FEET.
THEY CANNOT DART UNCONTROLLABLY.
THE BOX THAT THEY'RE SHIPPED IN IS REGULATED THE FUSES, THE PYROTECHNIC COMPOSITION, NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH ILLEGAL FIREWORKS, WHICH ARE PRIMARILY MORTARS, UH, AND, AND PROBABLY A LOT MORE POPULAR THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
SO, SHOULD COUNCIL, UH, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, UH, IF STAFF DESIRES, UH, WE HAVE STATISTICS FROM, UH, LA COUNTY FIRE, UM, SHOWING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INJURIES AND, UH, PROPERTY DAMAGE, UH, ATTRIBUTED TO SAFE AND SANE, UH, VERSUS ILLEGAL FIRES GOING BACK TO 2010.
AND, UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION AND ANY INFORMATION ABOUT, UH, ORDINANCE DEVELOPMENT, UH, ONCE YOU GET PAST THE MORAL AND ETHICAL, UH, DISCUSSION THAT INEVITABLY WILL TAKE PLACE HERE.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF LOGISTICS IN PULLING THIS OFF CORRECTLY.
AND IF IT IS THE COUNCIL'S DESIRE TO GIVE THIS A TRY FOR AMERICA'S 250TH, UH, ANNIVERSARY NEXT YEAR, UH, WE WOULD HAPPY TO PARTNER WITH YOU.
UH, IN CLOSING, I JUST WANNA INVITE EVERYBODY, UM, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE, UH, SOME MORE QUESTIONS, WE'RE HERE.
UH, BUT WE'LL ALSO BE PARTICIPATING IN A BOOTH AT LEAGUE OF CITIES TOMORROW, BOOTH 10 55 IF YOU WANT TO COME BY FOR MORE INFORMAL DISCUSSION.
UM, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, MY NAME IS LILIA OCAMPO AND I AM A LONG TIME RESIDENT, UM, DISTRICT ONE WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARI DEJAS.
AND, UM, I AM, I'M ALSO A PROMOTORA, THE, THE SALUD FROM CENTRO CHA.
AND, UM, RO CHA IS A NONPROFIT HERE IN LONG BEACH THAT FOR OVER 25 YEARS HAS BEEN PROVIDING, UM, COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, REENTRY AND IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES.
UH, WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE ORDINANCE, AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A COMMUNITY CENTER APPROACH FOR THE SALES OF SPARKLING DEVICES THAT, UM,
[00:50:02]
REBEL WILL SUPPORT FUNDING FOR RO CHA TO SUPPORT CULTURAL AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE OUTREACH AND EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING.UH, THE MEASURE NOT ONLY OFFER REVENUE REVENUE, SORRY, BUT ALSO PRIORITIZE SAFETY AND EQUITY FOR THE COMMUNITY ACROSS OUR CITY.
UM, AND I'M SURE, UH, THE COMMUNITY WILL APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE EVERY YEAR WE HAVE, UH, VERY NOISY AND, UH, THAT EVERYBODY COMPLAINS ABOUT.
SO I THINK WHAT YOU ARE, UM, TRYING TO DO HERE IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE, COMMUNITY, PETS, AND, UH, OH, ESPECIALLY THE COMMUNITY IF YOU DECIDE TO, UH, SET ASIDE ON, UH, OF THE REVENUE TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY, EH? YES.
I AM A RESIDENT OF COUNCIL DISTRICT FOUR, AND I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO COME BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY
UM, AND THEY LOOK AT THIS AS A REVENUE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEIR MISSION DRIVEN PROGRAMS, UH, THAT FEED THE MIND, BODY, AND SOUL AND WELCOME TO ALL IN GREATER LONG BEACH, AS WELL AS THEY WOULD USE THE FUNDS TO FURTHER, UH, THEIR FREE AND REDUCED SENIOR AND COMMUNITY FACING PROGRAMS. ADDITIONALLY, AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FOUR, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT THERE WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF MANAGEMENT OF WHAT GOES ON WITH THE FIREWORKS.
I'VE LIVED HERE MOST OF MY LIFE AND THE ILLEGAL FIREWORKS GO ON ALL THE TIME.
AND UNLESS THE OFFICER CAN SEE IT HAPPENING, NOTHING HAPPENS.
SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY TO SUPPORT NONPROFITS AND DO SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR THEM, BUT ALSO TO MAYBE GET SOME THINGS UNDER CONTROL OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT NOT ONLY DO WE DEAL WITH THIS DURING THE 4TH OF JULY, BUT NEW YEARS AND OTHER HOLIDAYS AS WELL.
SO, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONSIDERATION.
I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 1994, BOUGHT A HOUSE IN 1997 AND ROSE PARK AND RAISED MY FOUR KIDS HERE.
ONE OF THEM, AS THE PEOPLE ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT HOW DANGEROUS ILLEGAL FIREWORKS ARE AND HOW THEY'RE NOT ENFORCED.
UM, PRIMARILY BECAUSE, UM, AS THEY NOTICED WHEN MY KIDS WERE YOUNG, THEY WOULD RUN AROUND, UM, ENFORCING CHILDREN USING LEGAL FIREWORKS WHILE IGNORING THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ONES THAT ARE BEING SHOT OFF ONLY A FEW BLOCKS AWAY FROM US.
SO I DO SEE THIS AS A WAY OF GETTING THAT UNDER CONTROL.
UM, I'M ALSO RETIRED AND I'VE BEEN VOLUNTEERING FOR PAWS IN THE SAND.
WE ARE A SMALL NONPROFIT RESCUE.
WE HAVE RESCUED, UM, THE THREE OF US, ABOUT 300 CATS SINCE NOVEMBER.
WE DO THIS WITH OUR OWN MONEY.
WE HAVE NO GRANTS OR FUNDING, AND THIS WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO FUNDRAISE AND PROVIDE SOME OF THE MUCH NEEDED MEDICAL CARE THAT WE DO WE NEED WHEN WE GET THESE CATS IN OFF THE STREET.
UM, SO BETWEEN WANTING TO HAVE SAFE FIREWORKS AND BE WANTING TO HAVE SOME FUNDING, UM, WE ALSO HOPE TO, UM, PARTNER, WHICH WE CURRENTLY DO WITH, UM, LITTLE LIONS AND OTHER CAT AND ANIMAL RESCUES TO STAFF THE BOOTH.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL PE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M BARRY COGER, DISTRICT FIVE.
UM, JAZZ ANGELS ARE CURRENTLY BEING ASKED TO PROVIDE OUR SERVICES IN MORE AND MORE UNDERSERVED, UNDERSERVED AREAS OF LONG BEACH.
WE ARE ONLY LACKING FUNDS WHICH ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE CHALLENGING TO SECURE EVERY DAY.
ALLOWING US TO RUN A FIREWORK STAND WOULD HELP, HELP RAISE THE SUPPORT WE NEED TO MEET THE INCREASING NEED FOR OUR PROGRAMS. WHILE THEY ARE STILL FIREWORKS SAFE AND SANE.
FIREWORKS ARE WAY LESS HARMFUL THAN THE ILLEGAL FIREWORKS PEOPLE GO OUTTA STATE TO PURCHASE, AND IT DOES HAPPEN.
YOU CAN COUNT ON JAZZ ANGELS TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE WHO BUYS BUYS FROM OUR STAND WILL BE INFORMED ABOUT THE HAZARDS AND SAFETY AND SAFETY STANDARDS OF, UH, FIREWORKS.
AND OUR FINAL SPEAKER PLEASE? YEAH.
HELLO, I'M BILL NASH FROM DISTRICT FOUR.
UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I'M STRONGLY OPPOSED TO, UH, SAFE AND SANE FIREWORKS.
I DON'T THINK THEY ARE SAFE OR SANE.
UM, IN FACT, THE CALIFORNIA FIRE MARSHAL SAYS
[00:55:01]
THEY SHOULD BE USED WITH EXTREME CAUTION.UH, EVERY YEAR, UH, THIS CITY PUTS OUT A LOT OF MONEY FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY, KEEPING CITIZENS SAFE.
AND EVERY YEAR AT NEW YEARS AND 4TH OF JULY, THERE'S A SPIKE IN FIRST RESPONDERS GOING OUT AND RESPONDING TO ACCIDENTS, FIRES, UH, ALL SORTS OF ISSUES THAT RESULT FROM FIREWORKS.
UH, FIREWORKS COMING IN SAFE AND SANE AREN'T REALLY SAFE AND SANE.
BUT WITH THAT BEING ALLOWED, OTHER FIREWORKS ARE GONNA BE COMING IN.
I LIVE IN A RELATIVELY QUIET DISTRICT OR QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT ON 4TH OF JULY AND ON NEW YEAR'S, IT'S LIKE A WAR ZONE.
THERE'S FIREWORKS ALL OVER THE PLACE, AND I KNOW I DON'T CALL THE CITY.
THEY ARE BUSY WITH OTHER AREAS.
UM, SO ANYWAY, THAT'S MY, UH, MY OPINION.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE'LL NOT TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL.
UM, I DO THINK THIS IS A IMPORTANT ISSUE AND, UM, AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, I THINK WE ALL CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A NEED TO, UH, REEVALUATE OUR CURRENT, UH, FIREWORK ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY.
AND I THINK THE, UH, PROPOSAL TODAY, UM, IS GOOD THAT IT DEDICATES DOLLARS FOR EDUCATION AND ENFORCEMENT ISSUES.
AND, UM, AND OBVIOUSLY AS WE HEARD, JUST THE DOLLARS THAT IT WOULD PROVIDE FOR, UH, THE NONPROFITS AND SO MANY OF THE COMMUNITY EVENTS.
UM, HOWEVER, UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS, UM, CONCERNS AND, UM, I LIKE TO HEAR FROM CHIEF BUCHANAN, IF YOU WILL, ON JUST, UM, SO YOU CAN WALK US THROUGH YOUR THOUGHTS.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN FOR, UH, GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT FIREWORKS.
YES, AS A, AS YOUR FIRE CHIEF, UM, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT I AM AGAINST THE SALE AND USE OF FIREWORKS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UM, LEGAL FIREWORKS STILL CARRY SIGNIFICANT RISK TO PERSONAL INJURIES AND, AND PROPERTY DAMAGE.
IT HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON PUBLIC SAFETY, SPECIFICALLY THE FIRE DANGER, THE SERIOUS MEDICAL INJURIES THAT COME FROM FIREWORKS, AIR POLLUTION, NOISE DISTURBANCE.
JUST LAST YEAR IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA IN 2024, WE HAD OVER 1200 FIRES THAT WERE CAUSED BY FIREWORKS THAT RESULTED AROUND $35 MILLION.
FIREWORKS BEING LEGAL OR ILLEGAL, OR IGNITION SOURCE TO FIRES.
AND AS WE SEE IN THE NEWS, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW BRUSH FIRES THAT ARE CAUSED BY FIREWORKS.
I'M GLAD THAT I DON'T HAVE A BRUSH HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, BUT WE DO HAVE THE NATURE CENTER AND WE DO HAVE THE FOREST PARK.
WE DO HAVE VEGETATIONS ALONG OUR FREEWAYS AND WATERWAYS, AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
PERSONAL INJURIES, THE US PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REPORTED OVER CLOSE TO 15,000 PEOPLE WERE INJURED BY FIREWORKS ALONE.
AND AROUND 1700 OF THOSE INJURIES CAME FROM SPARKLERS.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED LAST YEAR THAT 90% OF THEIR FIREWORK RELATED INJURIES ARE FROM LEGAL, FIREWORKS, AIR POLLUTION.
WE, WE LOOK AT FIREWORKS, UM, THEY'RE FULL OF METALS.
THAT'S WHAT CREATES THE COLORS IN THE FIREWORKS.
METALS LIKE MAGNESIUM AND BARIUM.
AND THEN WE KNOW ABOUT THE NOISE DISTURBANCE, THE IMPACT THAT HAS ON OUR VETERANS THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM PTSD AND OUR PETS.
SO THESE ARE THE REASONS WHY I'M AGAINST FIREWORKS.
AND I'VE HAD, UM, OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS WORKING FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, I'VE SEEN A DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT ON OUR ENFORCEMENT AND OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND NOT TO USE FIREWORKS FIRSTHAND AS A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC, I COULDN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE I'VE TRANSPORTED YOUNG KIDS WITH FIREWORK INJURIES.
AND I'LL NEVER FORGET THE YOUNG HISPANIC GIRL THAT TRANSPORTED FROM OUR COASTLINE HERE, HER ENTIRE BACK WAS PEELING FULL SECOND DEGREE BURNS, RUSHING HER TO ST.
MARY'S TO STABILIZE HER SO I COULD GET OVER TO, TO TORRANCE BURN CENTER.
AND JUST RECENTLY, AROUND TWO YEARS AGO, I WAS IN LOS ANGELES WITH ALL THE OTHER REGIONAL FIRE CHIEFS ADVOCATING FOR THE COMMUNITIES TO NOT USE FIREWORKS AND TO SHAKE A HAND OF A YOUNG GIRL FROM LOS ANGELES COUNTY THAT'S MISSING FINGERS DOES NOT GO GOOD.
THOSE ARE THE REASONS WHY I'M NOT, UH, I'M AGAINST FIREWORKS AND I DON'T WANNA SEE FIREWORKS BEING SOLD OR USED HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
[01:00:01]
UH, THANK YOU CHIEF.AND, UM, I, I THINK AS A LEADER OF OUR DEFAR, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, I KNOW THAT, UM, THAT UH, THAT REALLY, UH, IS IMPORTANT TO, UM, TO HEAR FROM YOU.
UM, AND, AND, UH, CHIEF WALLY ISH, DO YOU HAVE ANY, ANY, UM, ANY CONCERNS? THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
I, I MEAN, I, I DEFER TO OUR FIRE CHIEF AS THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT AS IT RELATES TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF, OF FIREWORKS.
UH, IF YOU WANT MY SPECIFIC CONCERNS AROUND THIS ITEM, IT'S, UH, FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, IT'S RELATED TO WORKLOAD EXPECTATIONS, CAPACITY, THINGS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ALREADY FOCUSING ON, UM, AND, AND NAVIGATING, UH, UH, AN A VACANCY RATE, UM, THAT, UM, WE NEED TO ADDRESS TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES AND, AND CALLS FOR SERVICE.
UM, AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, MAYBE THIS IS, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHO WOULD ANSWER THIS, BUT, UM, DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF WHETHER, UM, THIS WOULD BE A COST OFFSET AND IF THE ENFORCEMENT FEE WOULD COVER THE ENFORCEMENT COST? SO, NOT YET.
SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE MOTION, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY, ANY ESTIMATE.
WE'VE NOT DONE ANY STUDIES ON WHETHER OR NOT THAT COVERS IT.
IS, IS MORE THAN THAT OR LESS THAN THAT.
UH, THAT WOULD BE A LOT OF, UH, UH, STUDIES THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO.
UM, HAS A FIRE AND, UH, POLICE REVIEWED ANY DATA FROM OTHER COMPARABLE CITIES TO, UH, DETERMINE WHAT THE POTENTIAL IMPACT WOULD BE, UM, ON LONG BEACH, WHETHER IT'S POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE? I CAN GO FIRST ON THAT.
COUNCILWOMAN, THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS NOT REVIEWED THAT.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING I'M INTERESTED IN THE CALLS FOR SERVICE AND, AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE WOULD BE A, UH, A REDUCTION IN WORKLOAD FOR POLICE OFFICERS.
AND I HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.
IF AND FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TOO, THAT WOULD BE LIKEWISE.
WE HAVE NOT, I'M SORRY, CHIEF, I DIDN'T MEAN TO TALK.
SAY THAT AGAIN? JUST WITH, JUST WITH, UH, CHIEF HUBBERT STATED, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS NOT LOOKED INTO THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, ALSO, I ALSO, HAS THE STAFF DONE ANY WORK TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF FIREWORK STANDS, UM, IN THE, IN THE CITY FOR A CITY OF OUR, OF OUR SIZE, UM, COMPARED TO ANY OF THIS, UH, THE OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE ALLOWED, ALLOWED THIS? NO, WE HAVE NOT.
SO, UH, THE ITEM THAT WE SAW THAT IS, UM, BEFORE US, UH, TONIGHT, UH, I THINK HAS THE NUMBER OF 10 FOR CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UH, JUST, UH, TO PUT OUT IN PERSPECTIVE, UH, THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD HAS 25.
SO WE WOULD HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF NUMBERS IF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO GO THIS ROUTE, UH, AND THEN HOW WE WOULD DO THAT WITH OUR NONPROFITS, WHO ALL WOULD BE VERY, VERY INTERESTED IN THAT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO I'M, AS THERE, THERE DEFINITELY IS A POTENTIAL HERE TO GENERATE, UH, MONEY FOR, FROM THE CITY AND NONPROFITS.
HAS THIS STAFF DONE ANYTHING TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH EACH NONPROFIT WOULD RECEIVE FROM THE CELL OF, OF FIREWORKS? NOT BEYOND THE INFORMATION THAT THE COMPANY'S PROVIDED A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION OF THAT.
THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE THINGS WE'D HAVE TO FOLLOW UP ON.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, SO SOME OF THE CITIES HAVE RESTRICTED, UM, THIS IN CERTAIN AREAS DUE TO THE FIRE HAZARD.
HAS A FIRE DEPARTMENT PERFORMED ANY ANALYSIS ON THE RISK TO OUR CITY? THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS NOT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER AND WE WILL DO THAT.
SO, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, SO A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT, UM, WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS I'M GONNA MAKE, UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS MAKE A MOTION, UM, TO, UM, ASK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND, UM, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO EVALUATE, UM, THE, THIS PROPOSAL, MAYBE GET A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS, UM, THAT, THAT I ASKED, YOU KNOW, ANSWERED AND, AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, REPORT BACK WITH ANY, UM, POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND REPORT BACK WITH ANY POTENTIAL REVENUES ENFORCEMENT.
AND, UM, THEN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON ALLOWING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL, UH, MARSHAL APPROVED GROUND-BASED, UH, SPARKLING DEVICES BASED ON ALL THE DATA, UM, THAT YOU HAVE, UH, COLLECTED, UM, ON THE ISSUE.
AND, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME, 'CAUSE I DID ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
I DUNNO IF THAT, IF THIS IS APPROPRIATE TO SAY, IF YOU CAN GET A REPORT BACK IN LIKE 60 DAYS ON, ON ALL THIS STUFF, I THINK WE CAN DO OUR BEST.
SO LET'S, UH, SEE WHERE WE ARE IN 60 DAYS AND IF SOME THINGS GO A LITTLE BIT LONGER, WE WILL, UH, WE'LL GET YOU WHAT CAN IN 60 DAYS AND THEN, UH, AND ANSWER THE REST AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT'S COMING.
AND NOW THO THOSE, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO TO THE SECONDER OF THE MOTION.
AND I WANNA THANK COUNCILOR MORALE ALLEN FOR INCLUDING ME IN THIS MOTION.
AS MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW, I WAS A MEMBER OF THE COASTAL COMMISSION AND AS A MEMBER OF THE COASTAL COMMISSION, I
[01:05:01]
SUPPORTED THE M BANG OF THE MAY, WHICH WAS, UH, MAJOR EVENT HERE IN BEACH.THAT WAS, THAT PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR NON-PROFITS TO GET TO BENEFIT FROM THE BIG BANG AND THE MAY.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I SUPPORTED, BECAUSE IT PROVIDED NON-PROFITS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE MONEY THAT HAS NOW BEEN TAKEN AWAY, UH, NO LONGER, UH, THAT'S NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN NOR BEACH.
THEY, THEY'RE SUGGESTING WE HAVE A LIGHT SHOW, WE JUST FINE WITH ME.
BUT THEY IS STILL, THEY'RE, THERE'S QUESTIONS REGARDING THE, UH, THE, UH, THE DATA REGARDING INJURIES.
UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND OR FROM WHAT I CAN JUST A LAYMAN'S OBSERVATION IS THAT A LOT OF THOSE INJURIES ARE CAUSED BY EXPLOSIVE TYPES OF, OF, UM, FIREWORKS.
THOSE THAT ARE NOT WITHIN THE, THE SCOPE OF WHAT I HEARD TODAY, 10, 10 YARDS UP, 10 FEET, 10 FEET UP, 10 FEET UP THE SIDES, WHICH I THINK IS A, A VERY COMMENDABLE BARRIER FOR THESE FIREWORKS.
UH, SO IF I, THE COUNSELOR DOESN'T MIND, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A, AN ADDITION TO THAT, THAT THAT BE INCLUDED.
AND, UH, WHENEVER THE STUDY COMES RESULTS FROM THIS IN TERMS OF INJURIES THAT COME FROM EXPLOSIVE DEVICES OR ILLEGAL FIREWORKS AND THOSE THAT COME FROM QUOTE UNQUOTE SAFE AND INSANE, I AGREE THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A SAFE AND INSANE FIREWORK, BUT THERE ARE THOSE THAT GRIND LESS HARM THAN OTHERS.
AND WITH GOOD EDUCATION, I THINK THEY MAKE CAN MAKE IT EVEN SAFER.
THE OTHER THING THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN I WAS ON THE, ON THE COAST OF COMMISSION IS THAT FIREWORKS ON THE BEACH, FIREWORKS THAT AREN'T CLOSE TO THE OCEAN, UH, THAT'S ALWAYS A MAJOR CONCERN ABOUT THE DEBRIS THAT GOES INTO THE OCEAN, THAT ARMS OUR, NOT ONLY OUR, OUR, UH, FISH AND OUR, OUR WATERWAYS, BUT ALSO THE SAND.
SO THE, IF THE, ALSO, IF THE MAKING THE MOTION MAY SAY THAT WE, UH, AMEND, UH, THE MOTION TO INCLUDE THAT NO FIREWORKS BE BE AVAILABLE, WHETHER THERE'S SAN OR CITY OR ANY KIND ON THE BEACH WHERE THERE'S SAND.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP OUR BEACHES CLEAN AND WITH FIREWORKS AWAY FROM THE, FROM THE BEACHES, I THINK WE WOULD BE, UH, REMISS IF WE DID INCLUDE THAT.
YES, I'M FINE WITH ALL OF THAT.
AND, UH, SO HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I'D SUPPORT THE MOTION ALL PRETTY SURE.
UH, THEY'RE BANNED ON THE BEACH RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY.
I'M PRETTY SURE THEY'RE BANNED ON THE BEACH RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY.
UM, NEXT IS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS ZENDEJAS.
UM, THANK YOU AGAIN, COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN FOR, UM, INVITING ME ON THIS.
THE THING THAT INTERESTS ME THE MOST ABOUT THIS ITEM IS THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING MORE RESOURCES TO COMBAT ILLEGAL FIREWORKS.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE ISSUE IN MY DISTRICT AND MY RESIDENTS HAVE CONTINUOUSLY ASKED FOR MORE AGGRESSIVE MEASURES FOR ENFORCEMENT.
IN ADDITION, WE AS COUNSEL ARE TASKED WITH THINKING CREATIVELY ABOUT HOW WE CAN ENSURE CORE CITY SERVICES THAT SUPPORT AND SUSTAIN FAMILIES, AS WELL AS SUSTAINING OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT THOSE SERVICES ARE KEPT.
UM, THIS COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHIFT THE CITYWIDE PROBLEM INTO A CITYWIDE SOLUTION.
UM, I SEE, UM, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSITION FROM THE USE OF DANGEROUS FIREWORKS TO SAFE AND SANE FIREWORKS.
SO, UM, I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASKED, UM, COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF, UM, BUCHANAN AND CHIEF, UM, ISH FOR YOUR INPUT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE ALSO HEAR FROM BOTH OF YOU BEING OUR MAIN LEADERS, UM, OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND BEING IN CHARGE OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, UM, WE HEAR YOUR SIDE AND YOUR CONCERNS AS WELL.
I FEEL THAT, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING BACK ON THE REPORT.
UM, I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN, IF YOU WOULD ACCEPT THIS, IS THAT IF WE COULD ALSO, UM, CONSIDER EXCLUDING
[01:10:01]
THE P BIDS, THE BUSINESS COMMERCIAL AREAS FROM UM, SELLING FIREWORKS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD.AS A FRIENDLY, THAT IS ACCEPTABLE.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU CHIEF BUCHANAN FOR YOUR INPUT ON, UH, YOUR DIRECT INPUT ON NOT SUPPORTING EITHER LEGAL OR NON-LEGAL FIREWORKS.
YOU AND I HAD A LONG DISCUSSION YESTERDAY ABOUT CONCERNS WITH RESIDENTIAL FIRES, PERSONAL INJURIES FROM FIREWORKS, WHETHER THEY BE SAFE AND SANE OR ILLEGAL FIREWORKS, AND ESPECIALLY TO CHILDREN AS YOU RELATED TONIGHT.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT NOISE DISTURBANCES TO OUR VETERANS.
THIS IS A BIG IMPACT AND EVEN AND TO OUR PETS.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE TALKED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF FIREWORKS, WHETHER THEY'RE LEGAL OR WHETHER THEY'RE SAFE AND SANE.
THEY ARE EMITTING CHEMICALS, METALS, UH, I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE CARVE OUT FOR THE COAST.
UM, BUT THAT IS IMPACTING WHAT WE BREATHE, WHAT'S GOING INTO OUR WATERWAYS, INTO OUR STORM DRAINS, INTO OUR OCEAN.
I WANNA REITERATE A STAGGERING STATISTIC THAT, UM, CHIEF BUCHANAN SHARED WITH ME YESTERDAY.
LA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THAT 90% OF ALL FIREWORKS RELATED FIREWORKS RELATED INJURIES ARE CAUSED BY LEGAL FIREWORKS.
LEGAL FIREWORKS ARE CAUSING 90% OF INJURIES.
I'LL LET YOU SIT WITH THAT FOR A SECOND.
UM, BUT REMEMBER THAT IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, LA COUNTY EXPERIENCED SOME OF THE LARGEST FIRES IN RECENT HISTORY.
THE LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUR CITY TEAMS MOBILIZED TO SEND MUTUAL AID UP TO THE PALISADES.
EVEN THOUGH THOSE FIRES WERE MILES AWAY.
IT WAS SOBERING FOR OUR RESIDENTS IN MY DISTRICT.
MY PHONE WAS RINGING OFF THE HOOK.
UM, RESIDENTS NEAR THE WETLANDS WERE WORRIED ABOUT VEGETATION THAT HADN'T BEEN CLEARED.
ONE SPARK AND FIRES ARE AT THEIR DOORSTEP.
SO I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE VOTE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO LEGALLY SET THINGS ON FIRE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE NAME OF IMPROVING SAFETY.
THE PHRASE SAFE AND SANE, JUST DOESN'T SEEM REASONABLE.
CHIEF, WOULD YOU SAY ANY FIREWORK IS SAFE? TO MY EXPERIENCE, NO.
THERE, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO FIREWORKS.
SAFE FIREWORKS ARE, ARE AN IGNITION SOURCE.
AND THAT COULD CAUSE FIRES AND LIKE I SAID, PERSONAL INJURIES.
BUT I, I, UM, UH, THERE'S OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN CELEBRATE AND, UH, WE SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM FIREWORKS.
I KNOW, UH, VICE MAYOR ORANGA, HE MENTIONED BIG BANG ON THE BAY.
OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, I HAVE CLOSELY FOLLOWED BIG BANG ON THE BAY.
I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE LEVEL OF SCRUTINY IT UNDERGOES TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE AND CONTROLLED SHOW FOR THE PUBLIC.
JOHN MORRISON AND HIS TEAM SPENDS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, TENS OF THOUSANDS TO PUT ON AN EXCELLENT SHOW THAT HAS EVERYTHING.
THEY'RE, THEY ARE FOLLOWING LEGAL, UM, THEY'RE FOLLOWING SAFETY PROTOCOLS AND IT ENFORCES THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SAFETY.
THIS ALSO MAKES IT EASIER FOR WE CAN, WE HAVE THE QUEEN MARY, WE HAVE BIG BANG ON THE BAY.
THESE ARE SHOWS THAT MAKE IT EASY FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE WHAT, UM, SEE FIREWORKS AND NOT BE TRYING TO LIGHT FIREWORKS BY THEMSELVES.
AS FAR AS, UM, THE NONPROFITS, I CAN'T ADVOCATE FOR A NONPROFIT RAISING MONEY BASED ON THE SALE OF SOMETHING THAT COULD BE HARMFUL TO OUR PUBLIC.
IN ADDITION, UM, I THINK THAT CHIEF ISH HAS SPOKEN ABOUT THE STAFFING, UM, ISSUES THAT CAN COME UP WITH HAVING TO ENFORCE
[01:15:01]
FIREWORKS, WHETHER IT'S LEGAL OR ILLEGAL.AND IN OPINION WE COULD MAKE A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE CITY IF WE WOULD JUST ENFORCE AND HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE STAFF TO ENFORCE ILLEGAL FIREWORKS.
AND, UM, ONE FINAL QUESTION FOR CHIEF ISH.
SO YOU SUPPORT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THEIR, UM, BELIEF THAT THIS SHOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD.
WE HAVEN'T DONE FORMAL, UH, REPORTING ON FIREWORKS FOR EITHER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR THE IMPACTS ON PD, BUT YOU WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOUR STAFF, YOUR OFFICERS, THEY'RE ALREADY HAVING TO TRY TO ENFORCE SOMETHING, THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ADDED BURDEN TO THEM.
IS THAT RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW, COUNCILWOMAN.
THAT IS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD NEED TO RESEARCH.
I WOULD NEED MORE INFORMATION ON IT.
I, WHEN I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HEALTH AND SAFETY AND, AND SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO FIRE, THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT FOR OUR CITY IS SITTING NEXT TO ME.
AND, AND, UH, I RESPECT HIS OPINION AND, AND HIS POSITION ON THIS, BUT I THINK, UM, UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS OF THIS IS IMPORTANT.
BEFORE I MAKE THAT STATEMENT, UH, MY CONCERN IS ALWAYS THE WORKLOAD AND THE CAPACITY FOR THE POLICE OFFICERS THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREET SERVING OUR COMMUNITY AND THE EXPECTATIONS ON, UH, WHAT WOULD COME FROM AN ITEM LIKE THIS.
SO SHOULD IT MOVE FORWARD, I WOULD EVALUATE HOW IT WOULD IMPACT, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND IF IT DOESN'T, UM, SO BE IT.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I WOULD WANNA RESEARCH AND REPORT BACK TO.
I APPRECI APPRECIATE BOTH OF YOUR, UH, INPUT ON THIS.
UM, MAYOR, JUST A POINT OF ORDER.
UM, SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE NOT VOTING TODAY ON SAFE AND SAFE FIREWORKS.
WE'RE VOTING ON A MOTION TO DO A REPORT BACK.
SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR ON THAT AND WE'LL, WE'LL WE CLARIFY RIGHT AT THE RIGHT AT THE END.
SO I NEED TO GO THROUGH THE MOTION AGAIN.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH.
AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, MAYOR AND THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO'VE BROUGHT THIS FORWARD.
AND THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION AT THIS VERY MOMENT.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT IT'LL, UH, GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHY I'M GOING THE DIRECTION I AM WITH THE COMMENTS THAT I HAVE REGARDING, UM, THIS, THAT YOU, UH, THIS MATTER THAT YOU ALL HAVE BROUGHT BEFORE US.
SO, UM, MOST CERTAINLY MY COLLEAGUES HAVE POINTED OUT THAT, UH, THERE IS MUCH WORK TO BE DONE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AROUND WHAT IS NEEDED, UH, WHEN WE ARE, UH, SOME ARE CELEBRATING AND WHEN IT COMES TO FIREWORKS AND WHAT THAT MEANS AND HOW OVERRUN OUR COMMUNITIES ARE WITH ILLEGAL FIREWORKS, WITH SOUND, UH, WITH UNSAFE CONDITIONS.
AND SO SOMETHING MUST BE DONE.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY BE A SOLUTION, BUT THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, UM, IN BEING ABLE TO MAKE THAT FINAL DETERMINATION.
SO I THINK THAT THIS MOTION GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE HAD, UH, PROPONENTS SAY IS THAT, UH, HAVING THIS KIND OF POLICY, UH, WILL DECREASE, UH, A FIREWORKS AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SHOW THAT THAT'S THE CASE.
SO PART OF MY QUESTION FOR OUR TEAM, NOT TO ANSWER HERE TODAY, BUT I THINK IN, YOU KNOW, AS YOU DO THE ANALYSIS, CITY MANAGER, I'D LOVE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH OTHER CITIES AND HOW AND WHY HAVE THEY DECREASED, UM, ILLEGAL FIREWORK ACTIVITY AS A RESULT OF HAVING, UM, THIS KIND OF, UH, COMMODITY AVAILABLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
UM, THANK YOU FOR TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE UNIQUENESS OF LONG BEACH IN COMPARISON TO, UH, CITIES THAT ARE NEARBY.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THINKING ABOUT HOW THESE FIREWORKS WOULD BE SOLD, AND THE FACT THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY, IN OUR CITY, AS NOTED IN THE MOTION, WOULD HAVE A NONPROFIT LED MODEL, UM, I'D WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FROM A SIZE PERSPECTIVE, WE WERE SIZING IT RIGHT TO THE SIZE OF OUR CITY.
UM, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW HOW MANY, UH, BOOTHS SHOULD WE HAVE MAY BE DEPENDENT UPON WHAT THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE.
BECAUSE PART OF, IF THE WHOLE POINT IS TO TRY AND, UM, DECREASE THE NUMBER OF ILLEGAL FIREWORKS, IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH BOOTHS, DOES THAT HAVE AN IMPACT ON WHETHER WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE RESULTS OF THE DECREASE? UM, I'D ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOME TIME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SOME OPTIONS MIGHT BE AROUND HAVING A NONPROFIT, UH, LED MODEL WHERE THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN OPERATING THE STANDS.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT I'M CONVINCED WITH MY COLLEAGUES JUST YET, UH, THAT CERTAIN NONPROFITS SHOULD BE EXCLUDED, BUT I DO THINK WE SHOULD HAVE SOME PRIORITIES AS A COUNCIL.
SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, AS THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE.
UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, THE REPORT BACK SHARING SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT IDENTIFY, UH, THOSE PRIORITIES AND THE RIGHT KINDS OF ORGANIZATIONS TO RUN THESE, UH, FACILITIES.
UM, I WAS GLAD THAT THE CONCEPT OF NOISE, UH, CAME UP.
'CAUSE THAT IS ONE MAJOR, UH, POLLUTION ITEM THAT I HEAR IN MY COMMUNITY IS THE SOUND.
UM, SO REALLY UNDERSTANDING HOW THESE PRODUCTS
[01:20:01]
FARE IN TERMS OF, UH, QUIETNESS AND BEING ABLE TO REALLY BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE NOISE, UH, COMPLAINTS THAT WE RECEIVE.AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I HAVE, UH, BEEN INFORMED, UM, THAT SELLING THESE KIND OF PRODUCTS CAN CURB ILLEGAL FIREWORKS.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, UM, AS WE CONDUCT THE REPORT BACK, I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SEE HOW WE INTEND TO TRACK THAT DATA SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND IS IT YEAR OVER YEAR? ARE WE EVALUATING THE CALLS WE GET, THE KIND OF CALLS, WHAT THE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN, UM, IN THE PAST SO THAT WE CAN DETERMINE WHETHER THIS IS ACTUALLY HAVING THE IMPACT THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, GOING FORWARD, UM, TO, UH, THE MATTER REGARDING FISCAL, UM, IMPACT.
UM, IT WAS VERY, YOU KNOW, CLEAR FROM THE, UH, MOTION THAT WAS PUT FORTH, THAT THERE WAS CLEARLY GOING TO BE SOME LEVEL OF FISCAL IMPACT.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THE CITY MANAGERS ALREADY NOTED THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE, UM, ADDITIONAL TIME AND ANALYSIS TO FIGURE OUT, UH, EXACTLY HOW MUCH THAT WOULD BE AND WHETHER THE ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES FROM THIS ACTIVITY WOULD BE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO, UM, COVER THAT, LET ALONE BE ABLE TO USE BEYOND THOSE RESOURCES TO TRY AND, UH, HAVE MORE OF AN ENFORCEMENT SET OF ACTIONS.
SO THOSE ARE, UH, BY AND LARGE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF MY THOUGHTS AROUND WHAT I'D LOVE TO SEE IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING BETTER, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE GO WITH THIS PARTICULAR POLICY.
UM, WHILE, YOU KNOW, IT IS A PRIORITY AT A SPECIFIC TIME OF YEAR, I WOULD SAY FOR ME, I, I'D LIKE TO GIVE THE CITY MANAGER IN THAT DIVISION AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE TIME THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS ANALYSIS.
MEANING I'M NOT AS CONVINCED THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A 60 DAY REPORT BACK, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY PRIORITIES THAT I KNOW I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, OUR CITY MANAGER WORK ON AS WELL.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UH, THAT WILL BE MY COMMENTS, UH, AND ITEMS I WOULD SHARE FOR TODAY.
UM, AND THANK YOU TO, UM, COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN FOR CLARIFYING YOUR MOTION.
AND I, UH, APPRECIATE, UM, ALSO THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, BUT I ALSO WANNA CLARIFY WHAT THEY WERE.
WAS IT FOR YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA, YOU WANTED TO EXCLUDE BEACHES AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBERS ZENDAYA, DID YOU WANNA EXCLUDE P BITS AND BITS IN THIS FROM BEING ABLE TO USE SAFE AND SANE FROM SELLING, SELLING BOOTH? OH, OKAY.
UH, AS WHEN WAS TOLD BEFORE, UM, THE, UH, MY EFFORT IN, IN SAYING THAT, NO, NO FIREWORKS ARE THE BEACHES, WHETHER THEY'RE JUST SAFE AND SANE OR, OR ILLEGAL.
WE KNOW THAT THE ILLEGAL FIREWORKS ARE GONNA HAPPEN.
AND THE DIFFICULTY IN THAT IS ENFORCEMENT.
BUT THAT WILL CONTINUE NO MATTER WHAT I THINK.
I SHOULD, BUT FOR THIS, UH, UH, MOTION IS THAT SAFE, SAFE HOURS MEALS KEPT AWAY FROM THE COASTAL ZONE.
OKAY, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS ON THE TABLE SO THAT I CAN JUST THEN RAISE JUST GENERAL QUESTIONS, UM, THAT CAN BE INCLUDED TO BE ANSWERED IN THIS FEASIBILITY REPORT.
I FELT THAT MAKES MORE SENSE, COUNCILWOMAN, JUST BECAUSE I FELT LIKE IT WAS A LITTLE TOO SOON TO AGENDA AS AN ORDINANCE.
I THINK, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A DISCUSSION.
UM, I, I DO HAVE CONCERNS AROUND, UM, REALLY HOW, HOW I, I AM HEARING THAT BY HAVING SAFE AND SANE FIREWORK WOULD DECREASE THE ILLEGAL USE OF FIREWORKS, BUT I'M NOT QUITE SURE, UH, WHAT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ALSO MEAN THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH WHAT IS LEGAL AND ILLEGAL, UM, AS WELL.
LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, I'LL SHARE A PERSONAL STORY WHERE I'M PERSONALLY NOT A FAN, JUST BECAUSE I'VE EXPERIENCED THAT PERSONAL INJURY AS A CHILD WHERE I WAS AT A PARK, I BELIEVE IT WAS LEGAL, SOMEBODY THREW A FIRE, A LITTLE FIRECRACKER IN MY FACE RIGHT NEXT TO MY EAR, AND I COULDN'T HEAR FOR A DAY OR TWO.
OBVIOUSLY IT WAS TRAUMATIZING TO MY PARENTS.
THEY GOT THOUGHT I GOT SHOT BY A GUN.
NEVER BEEN ABLE TO GO TO AN EVENT LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN BECAUSE OF THAT EXPERIENCE.
UM, LUCKILY THERE WAS NO FLESH WOUND OPEN, BUT IT CERTAINLY HAS TRAUMATIZED ME, UM, AROUND FIREWORKS.
SO I'M, I'M, SO THAT'S WHERE I'M JUST, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCREASED PERSONNEL INJURY.
UM, AND I'M INTERESTED IN ALSO UNDERSTANDING HOW WE WOULD MANAGE THOSE CALLS BETWEEN CONCERN ABOUT FIRE, BUT ALSO THE INJURIES
[01:25:01]
THAT MIGHT BE DONE TO OTHERS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU HAVE SO MANY THINGS GOING ON, THINGS BEING, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S SUPPOSEDLY THE IDEAL IS THAT PEOPLE WOULD JUST PLAY IT IN THEIR DRIVEWAY, BUT NOT EVERY DISTRICT HAS SINGLE FAMILY HOMES WHERE YOU CAN PLAY IT.SOMETIMES THEY'RE IN GARAGES, IN FRONT OF GARAGES UNDER TREES.
SO, UM, MY QUESTION WOULD BE TO LIKE, HOW, WHAT DOES THAT, I, I HAVE A HARD TIME IMAGINING WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, UM, MANAGE THESE CALLS.
SO, UH, THAT'S ONE QUESTION I HAVE.
THE OTHER IS, UM, I'M, YOU KNOW, IN THE REPORT IT SAYS SIGNIFICANT STAFFING IMPACT BEYOND THE NORMAL BUDGET SCOPE OF DUTIES.
UH, DO WE THINK THAT THE PROJECTED, PER SE WHAT'S PROPOSED HERE IS A 7% FEE REVENUE WOULD COVER THE EXPECTED COST, RIGHT? OF ALL OF THESE POSSIBLE NEW ENFORCEMENT PUBLIC EDUCATION THAT'S NEEDED AROUND IT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THERE WAS A COST THAT'S NEEDED, HOW MUCH WOULD THAT ACTUALLY BE VERSUS WHAT'S PROPOSED HERE.
UM, AND I'M REALLY CONCERNED, NOT IN ADDITION TO POLLUTION AND NOISE, BUT THE TRASH LEFT BEHIND BECAUSE THERE'S ALREADY A LOT OF TRASH RESULTING FROM, AND POLLUTION FROM THE ILLEGAL FIREWORK.
UM, I LIKE TO THINK TOO, THAT RESIDENTS WOULD PICK UP AFTER THEMSELVES, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES PEOPLE COME TO OTHER AREAS AND, YOU KNOW, LIGHT THINGS UP.
SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE WHEN WE'RE ALREADY JUST ROLLING OUT OUR ORGANICS PROGRAM? AND THEN A LOT OF RESIDENTS ARE, I THINK, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MANAGE THEIR DIFFERENT TRASHES.
THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE, I KNOW I'M ALMOST TIME IS, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR NONPROFITS TO GENERATE REVENUE, AND I REALLY THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA FOR NONPROFITS TO BENEFIT, OBVIOUSLY.
BUT THE THING IS, I LOVE TO ALSO ASSESS HOW MANY NONPROFITS WE HAVE IN THE CITY.
IF WE CAN ONLY HAVE 10 SLOT AND AFTER 10 IT BECOMES A LOTTERY.
UM, IT WAS STATED THAT THIS HELPS TO ADDRESS THE, I GUESS, ENSURE THAT THERE'S SOME LEVEL EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF SUPPORT FOR NONPROFITS, BUT HOW IS THEIR EQUITY WHEN IT BECOMES A LOTTERY? UM, AND THEN WHO'S GONNA BE ADMINISTERING, KIND OF, WHO'S GONNA DECIDE HOW WE WOULD CHOOSE, YOU KNOW, THE CRITERIA ON WHO WOULD BE FIT, RIGHT? IT WOULD BE THE COMPANY.
UM, SO I, I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE CLEAR THAT IT WASN'T THE CITY, RIGHT? THERE'S CITY'S ROLE, BUT VERSUS THE COMPANY ROLES, CHOOSING THAT AND MAKING IT DISTINCT, WHO GOT SELECTED, RIGHT? UM, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT US TO COME OFF AS A CITY THAT SELECTED SOME NONPROFITS AND NOT OTHER, WHEN WE OBVIOUSLY BELIEVE ALL NONPROFITS ARE DOING GREAT WORK.
SO I LOVE TO HAVE AN EQUITY LENS IN HOW THESE NONPROFITS WOULD GET CHOSEN TO MAKE SURE.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE ALL HAVE OUR FAVORITES ON COUNCIL, SO WE'LL WANNA ROOT FOR THE ONES THAT WE LIKE.
BUT AGAIN, UH, IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE IT'S A PROCUREMENT PROCESS, UH, TO SOME LEVEL WHERE SOME NONPROFITS BECOME A BUSINESS THAT GETS TO BENEFIT FROM THIS.
SO CAN WE HAVE A LENS ON LOOKING AT IT THAT WAY TOO? RIGHT.
WE'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE, SO I'M JUST RAISING A LOT OF JUST GENERAL QUESTION AND, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WONDERING ABOUT ALL OF THIS.
UH, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR ALL OF THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND NECESSARY QUESTIONS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE ANY TO ADD TO THOSE.
I THINK WE'VE COVERED WHAT THE THINGS THAT WE'RE CURIOUS ABOUT, BUT I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A COMPLICATED CONVERSATION.
THIS ISN'T JUST A YES OR NO QUESTION.
I THINK IF WE ASK OUR CONSTITUENCIES, I HAVE GOTTEN VARYING RESPONSES FROM PEOPLE WILDLY AND SUPPORT OF THIS AND WILDLY OPPOSED TO THIS, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.
AND SO FOR ME, NEEDING TO LISTEN TO THE FOLKS, UM, WHO HAVE A STAKE IN THIS, WHETHER IT'S THE NONPROFITS, IT'S OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS, BUT IT'S A NUANCED CONVERSATION THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE AND TO HAVE AS A REPORT BACK.
UM, I THINK ONE THING THAT MANY PEOPLE WOULD AGREE ON WHO HAVE SPOKEN TO ME IS THAT WHAT WE'RE ABLE, WHAT OUR CAPACITY IS CURRENTLY ON HIGH FIREWORK EVENT NIGHTS, WHETHER IT'S THE FOURTH OR RIGHT AROUND THE FOURTH, WE KNOW EVERYBODY'S ON DUTY THOSE DAYS ALREADY, AND WE KNOW WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH ENFORCEMENT.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE COMPLICATED COMES IN, IS FOR MANY YEARS IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE WHAT WE HAVE IS WORKING, WHETHER SAFE AND SANE IS THE RESPONSE OR THE ANSWER TO THAT, TO BE ABLE TO MITIGATE, UM, THE LOAD OF PD, NOT HAVING TO RESPOND TO SOME CALLS AND PRIORITIZING OTHERS BECAUSE EVERYONE'S CALLING.
WE KNOW DISPATCH IS OVERWHELMED THAT NIGHT.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT ISN'T AN EASILY FIXABLE THING, BUT THE SITUATION WE'RE IN IS REALLY DIFFICULT AS WELL.
AND OUR CONSTITUENCIES, UM, ARE FRUSTRATED, UM, ON THAT NIGHT FOR MULTIPLE
[01:30:01]
REASONS.SO I APPRECIATE, UH, THE THOUGHTFULNESS IN THE COMING BACK WITH A REPORT BACK AND THAT MOVING FORWARD, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO REALLY HEAR FROM OTHER CITIES WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO MAKE THIS CHANGE, WHO HAVE EITHER GONE FROM A BAN TO GOING TO SAFE AND INSANE TO SEE WHAT THE REALITIES ON THE GROUND HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR THEIR PUBLIC SAFETY, FOR BOTH POLICE AND FIRE.
UM, AND TO TALKING WITH FOLKS WHO HAVE, HAVE MADE THESE HARD DECISIONS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT AS WE'RE REPAIR, PREPARING A REPORT BACK THAT WE ARE DOING OUTREACH TO, TO CITIES WHO HAVE DONE THE WORK, WHO HAVE MADE HARD DECISIONS, WHO HAVE THINGS, UM, THAT MAY BE BENEFICIAL TO ONE SIDE, BUT ALSO BENEFICIAL TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT AND BEING REALLY, REALLY FAIR IN HOW WE PRESENT THE INFORMATION COMING BACK.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL MY COLLEAGUES.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE A DATABASE DECISION AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE IN INJURIES, YOU KNOW, CHIEF, I'VE TOLD YOU, CHRIS, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CONCERNS AS A LEADER.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I ASK WHAT NINE QUESTIONS AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE DATA.
SO I THINK THIS GIVES US A CHANCE TO, UH, GET THIS INFORMATION AND THEN WE CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION, UM, BASED ON, UM, THAT, UM, REPORT BACK.
UM, THEN, UM, I AM ALSO WANT TO, I KNOW THAT, UH, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM T AND T AND SO CAN WE ALSO INCLUDE, I KNOW THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF THEIR OWN RESEARCH, AND SO COULD I ASK THE STAFF ALSO, BUT THE REPORT BACK INCLUDE ALL OF THEIR, UH, INFORMATION, UM, IN THAT AS WELL.
WELL, I WANNA THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN, FOR KICKING OFF, UH, THIS DISCUSSION.
IT'S A BIG CONVERSATION AND YOU HAVE TO TREAT IT WITH CARE.
UH, AND I THINK THIS IS, I WANNA THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR RAISING THEIR DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS.
WE HAVE NINE DISTRICTS, AND THEY'RE NOT ALL THE SAME.
AND PEOPLE MAY HAVE FEEDBACK ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THAT CONVERSATION.
THAT'S WHAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, I, I'LL TELL YOU, I LIVE ON THE BORDER LITERAL INTERSECTION OF BELLFLOWER AND LAKEWOOD, AND YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I, YOU KNOW, I QUESTION, IS THIS SOUND COMING FROM THERE? IS THIS FROM BELLFLOWER? IS IT COMING FROM FROM LAKEWOOD? I'M NOT QUITE SURE.
BUT, BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THEY'RE SELLING SAFE AND INSANE ON OUR, ON OUR BORDERS, AND WE PICK UP THAT TRASH.
AND WE ALSO KNOW THE 250TH BIRTHDAY IS COMING OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF FIREWORKS.
SO THERE'S ANY TIME TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT ENFORCEMENT OR REGULATION OR WHAT IS LEGAL AND WHAT IS NOT.
NOW'S THE APPROPRIATE TIME FOR THE CONVERSATION.
IN TERMS OF THE 60 DAYS, A LOT OF QUESTIONS WERE THROWN ON YOU ON 60 DAYS.
I THINK 60 DAYS IS GOOD, BUT, BUT ALSO I THINK WHAT THE COUNCIL'S ASKING FOR IS TAKE THE TIME TO ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS SO THEY CAN MAKE A DECISION IN ADVANCE OF NEXT FIREWORK SEASON SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE AN ANSWER YES OR AN ANSWER NO.
SO THE COUNCIL CAN BE IN A POSITION IN ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE A DECISION.
IF THEY CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD, YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO SO IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, THAT IS ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOU TO PROVIDE THOROUGH DATA, SO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE, YOU, YOU KEEP US INFORMED ON WHAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
BUT, UH, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER, I THINK YOUR MOTION IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO ABOUT IT.
GET LET THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ASK THEIR QUESTIONS, LET STAFF DO THEIR DILIGENCE AND MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
SO THAT SAID, UM, UH, I'M GO MANAGER, RESPOND.
MAYOR, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
'CAUSE WE STARTED OUT WITH A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT RIGHT, WE THINK WE COULD DO IN 60 DAYS, AND THEN WE GOT A LOT MORE ADDED.
LIKE, WORKING BACK, WHAT, WHAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN IF YOU WANNA MAKE A DECISION FOR NEXT YEAR? WHAT ARE THOSE TIMELINES? AND THEN, UH, BE ABLE TO, TO TIME THE, UM, THE RESULTS TO, TO MAKE SURE YOU, UH, CAN MAKE THAT DECISION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
AND SEP SEPARATELY, BUT KIND OF RELATED.
IS THERE ANY WAY, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING LIKE A ISSUE WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, UPSTREAM COMMUNITIES, LIKE DUMPING STUFF AND ENDED UP ALONG OUR COASTLINE.
IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN, LIKE, HOLD CITIES ACCOUNTABLE WHO SELL IN OUR REGION, UM, WHETHER WE SELL OR NOT, BUT ANY WAY WE CAN BILL THEM, I DON'T KNOW, BILL THEM FOR, FOR THE TRASH THAT COMES INTO LONG BEACH? YEAH, IT ALL ENDS UP IN LONG BEACH.
I'M CURIOUS AT IF THERE'S ANY LEGAL STRATEGY YEAH, STRATEGY THERE.
THAT'LL BE MY, NO, I DON'T WANT TO ADD IT TO THE MOTION.
JUST SOMETHING, JUST KNOW WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT PROTECTING THAT COASTLINE.
UH, THANKS A LOT, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
WE WILL NOW GO TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
I THINK WE HAVE SEVEN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT: OBTAIN SPEAKER CARD FROM THE CITY CLERK Opportunity to address the City Council (on non-agenda items) is given to the first 10 persons who submit Speaker Cards to the City Clerk beginning at 15 minutes prior to the commencement of the meeting. Each speaker is allowed three minutes to make their comments. ]
READ YOUR NAMES.A HOLMES PAUL SHARP, NICOLE MOONEY,
[01:35:02]
UH, NINA RENI, JENNIFER CAREY, AND DARREN MITCHELL.IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME, JUST COME FORWARD.
WE CAN TAKE 'EM OUTTA ORDER OUT OF ORDER.
I THINK I HAVE A HANDOUT THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO YOU GUYS.
DID YOU GET A HANDOUT IF YOU GAVE IT TO THE CLERK? WE HAVE IT.
I THINK A PICTURE EXPLAINS A THOUSAND WORDS.
LAST WEEKEND'S MARATHON WAS A GREAT SUCCESS FOR LONG BEACH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN.
BESIDES SEEING THE MARATHON RUNNERS ON LIVINGSTON DRIVE IN BELMONT SHORE, ONE STREET DOWN ON SECOND STREET BY THE UPS STORE, THERE WERE NON-RUNNERS SLEEPING OR PASSED OUT ON THE SIDEWALK.
IN YOUR HANDOUT, THERE ARE THREE DAYS OF PICTURES, FRIDAY, SUNDAY, AND YESTERDAY.
FIRST THE FRIDAY PERSON WAS THERE OVER FOUR HOURS, NAKED FROM THE WAIST DOWN IN YOUR PICTURE.
I TOOK THE LIBERTY TO PHOTOSHOP OVER HER EXPOSED VAGINA.
WHEN THE EMTS CAME AND CHECKED HER OUT, I ASKED WHAT COULD BE DONE.
THEY REPLIED, SHE IS A REGULAR AND LEFT.
THE SUNDAY SLEEPER WAS FULLY DRESSED WITH MULTIPLE BRUISES ON HIS ARMS, BUT ALL OF HIS, UH, LIGHTERS WERE NEATLY LINED UP.
LASTLY, YESTERDAY'S SLEEPER WAS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH HIS BLANKET.
I KNEW IT WAS A HE BECAUSE AT ONE POINT HE POKED HIS HEAD OUT WHILE GETTING MORE COMFORTABLE.
EVIDENTLY, I FOUND OUT IT IS TOTALLY LAWFUL TO SLEEP ON OUR SIDEWALKS.
AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT BLOCKING PEDESTRIANS, IT IS CERTAINLY SAFER THAN ALLEYS AND PARKS AND BEACHES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR LONG BEACH, BUT I FEEL BETTER, YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON.
MY NAME IS JENNIFER AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX.
I'M ALSO HERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GAVITA HEIGHTS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
I MOVED TO LONG BEACH IN 2021.
I'VE INVESTED IN THE COMMUNITY.
I LOVE ITS QUIRKS, ITS CURIOSITY, ITS GRIT, AND ITS BEAUTY.
HOWEVER, I ALSO KNOW THAT THE CITY CAN BE BETTER.
I HAVE SOME VERY SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THE CITY ADDRESSES ITS CHALLENGES, THE POCKETS OF CRIME, CONCENTRATED AREAS OF HOMELESSNESS, OPEN AIR, DRUG MARKETS, VISIBLE SEX WORK, OFTEN IN FRONT OF CHILDCARE FACILITIES AND PEOPLE'S HOMES, AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE TO PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO ON VIEWING THIS, I DID WHAT ANY CONCERNED AND ENGAGED CITIZEN OUGHT TO DO.
I REACHED OUT TO MY LOCAL CITY GOVERNMENT, SPECIFICALLY, I REACHED OUT TO MY CITY COUNCILMAN'S OFFICE.
HOWEVER, I WAS QUICKLY DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT THE OFFICE DID REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO ENGAGE WITH ME OR ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THAT MATTER.
MOST OF MY PHONE CALLS WENT UNANSWERED.
I LEFT MESSAGES, THEY WERE UNRETURNED.
WHEN SOMEONE DID PICK UP THE PHONE, I WAS SOMETIMES PROMISED FOLLOW UP CALLS, WHICH NEVER CAME.
OCCASIONALLY, I WAS EXPLICITLY TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSURE ME THAT I WOULD GET ANY FOLLOW UP CALL.
THEY ALL RECOMMENDED I SIMPLY SEND AN EMAIL.
AND THOSE EMAILS ALSO REGULARLY WENT UNANSWERED.
INSTEAD OF SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSING MY CONCERNS.
AND I HAVE MANY WITH THE DISTRICT AND CITY, I REALLY WANNA EXPRESS MY DISAPPOINTMENT ABOUT THE LACK OF ENGAGEMENT FROM YOU AND YOUR OFFICE.
I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO REVIEW MY PHONE RECORDS FOR THE UNRETURNED PHONE CALLS, BUT I HAVE ASSEMBLED A LIST OF ALL THE EMAILS I SENT TO YOUR OFFICE THAT WENT UNANSWERED OR WHERE I WAS PROMISED A FOLLOW UP AND RECEIVED NONE.
SO, AS I SAID, I MOVED TO LONG BEACH IN THE FALL OF 2021.
I SENT TWO EMAILS THAT WERE NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED OR RESPONDED TO ON DECEMBER 2ND AND DECEMBER 26, UH, DECEMBER 16TH IN 2022.
JANUARY 13TH, JANUARY 19TH, FEBRUARY 2ND.
I DID RECEIVE A RESPONSE WHERE I WAS PROMISED TO FOLLOW UP, BUT I NEVER RECEIVED ONE.
FEBRUARY 14TH, FEBRUARY 15TH, FEBRUARY 17TH, FEBRUARY 18TH, FEBRUARY 22ND, MARCH 23RD.
MARCH 25TH, I WAS ASKED FOR MORE INFORMATION, BUT I RECEIVED NO FOLLOW UP OF MY CONCERNS.
APRIL 4TH, APRIL 21ST, MAY 10TH, MAY 17TH, AUGUST 22ND, SEPTEMBER 2ND, I RECEIVED A REQUEST FOR A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL ME.
I NEVER RECEIVED A PHONE CALL.
SEPTEMBER 6TH, SEPTEMBER 12TH, SEPTEMBER 15TH, OCTOBER 6TH, I WAS TOLD I WOULD GET A FOLLOW-UP.
OCTOBER 14TH, OCTOBER 20TH, OCTOBER 21ST.
[01:40:01]
I WAS PROMISED AN UPDATE AND NO UPDATE.NOVEMBER 9TH, SKIPPING AHEAD, 'CAUSE I KNOW I'M GOING OUT OF TIME.
I DO WANNA CALL OUT THAT ON DECEMBER 16TH, I WAS TOLD IT WAS BURDENSOME TO LIVE IN A DISINVESTED AREA.
I RESPONDED, REQUESTED WHAT YOUR PLAN WAS TO REINVEST IN THE AREA.
I HOPE THAT YOUR OFFICE WILL RECONSIDER YOUR PRACTICE OF NOT ENGAGING WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE POWER TO THE PEOPLE.
I CAME TO SPEAK ABOUT THE GREEN WASTE ROLLOUT.
AGAIN, TOM IKA, IT'S LIKE YOU GUYS KEEP EXPERIMENT EXPERIMENTING WITH THE GREEN WASTE, THE WASTE MANAGEMENT, NOT WASTE MANAGEMENT WITH THE REFUGE DEPARTMENT.
UM, ON 9 18 25, YOU BUMPED INTO ONE OF MY COWORKERS OUT IN THE FIELD.
HE ASKED YOU, HOW LONG DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THE GREEN WASTE ROLLOUT? YOU TOLD HIM, OH, WE KNEW A VERY LONG TIME.
A VERY LONG TIME, WOULD YOU SAY, SINCE 2016.
SO I WANNA KNOW WHY WE DON'T GET PAID TO PICK UP GREEN WASTE.
IT WAS NEVER NEGOTIATED IN OUR CONTRACT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS ROLLOUT WAS COMING OUT WAY IN 2016.
YOU SHOULD HAVE NEGOTIATED THAT IN OUR CONTRACT.
SO RIGHT NOW YOU GOT MEN AND WOMEN IN OUR DEPARTMENT PICKING UP GREEN WASTE FOR FREE, AND IT'S GREEN WASTE GETTING LEFT OVER EVERY OTHER DAY.
SO WE HAVE ANGRY CUSTOMERS COMING TO US, RUNNING UP TO US, TELLING US, OH, YOU GUYS ARE ONLY DOING 50% OF YOUR SERVICE WHEN THEY SUPPOSED TO GET A HUNDRED PERCENT OF SERVICE.
AND I'M EXPLAINING TO THEM LIKE, WE DON'T GET PAID TO PICK UP GREEN WASTE.
BUT I KNOW WHAT YOU GOING TO TELL REX AND THE COUNCIL DAD, Y'ALL DID A MEETING AND CONFER IN 2021 WITH RUSS FLICKER, HOW HE NEVER KNEW HOW THE GREEN WASTE WAS GOING TO GET LAID OUT.
UM, I ALSO CAME TO ADDRESS, UM, ZENDEJAS.
YOU KNOW, I CANNOT STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH NO RACE THAT FOLLOW THE SAME POWER STRUCTURE AS WHITE, AS WHITE SUPREMACY.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF NAMES THAT I WANNA MENTION TO YOU.
N RODRIGUEZ RAMON GARCIA, THE INCOMPETENT ANTI-BLACKNESS.
UM, I ALSO LIKE TO THROW WHO ELSE UP IN THERE? JACQUELINE CANALES, WHICH WHICH HAPPENED TO BE ALL OF DON HENDERSON MINIONS EXCEPT ERICA RODRIGUEZ.
ERICA RODRIGUEZ MESSED UP WHEN SHE SHOWED ME ANTI-BLACKNESS WHEN SHE TRIED TO JUSTIFY SOMETHING FOR BEZO CANTU.
I ALSO LIKE TO ADDRESS THE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED WITH THE L-G-B-T-Q VANDALISM.
SO YOU GUYS ALL PUT OUT A STATEMENT ABOUT THE L-G-B-T-Q BUILDING, GETTING VANDALIZED, BUT WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED WITH THE LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE BLACK HEAD THAT HAD THE ANCHOR MONITOR, ONLY THREE PEOPLE PUT A STATEMENT OUT.
AND THAT WAS YOU REX UA AND JOANIE.
NONE OF Y'ALL PUT NOTHING OUT.
SO I WANT Y'ALL TO SHOW MY COMMUNITY, THE BLACK COMMUNITY, BLACK PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS CITY, THE SAME RESPECT THAT Y'ALL GIVE L-G-B-T-Q, STOP DOING S**T FOR YOUR OWN POLITICAL MOVE.
AND RECS WHITE SUPREMACY DON'T SLEEP.
I OWN CO-OWNER OF SHORE DOGS, UM, IN DOWNTOWN AND I RESIDE IN DISTRICT FOUR.
UM, LAST MONTH I ADDRESSED THIS COUNCIL EXPRESSING THE CHALLENGES THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN FACING REGARDING THE HOMELESS POPULATION DOWNTOWN.
I SHARED HOW IT HAS CREATED DAILY CHALLENGES FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE.
THESE CHALLENGES ARE NOT ONLY PHYSICAL ATTACKS, BUT ALSO CREATE HEALTH HAZARDS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
THE ONLY RESPONSES I RECEIVED HAVE BEEN FROM COMMANDER ERIC FERNANDEZ AND SERGEANT LISA MCCOURT FROM SOUTH DIVISION.
WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE ARE INADEQUATE POLICE RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES.
THEREFORE, AGAIN, I BRING THE ISSUE BEFORE THIS COUNCIL, AS IT IS YOURS AND THE MAYOR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PRIORITIZE RESOURCES OR FIND SOLUTIONS FACING THE CITY'S PROBLEMS, PLEASE DON'T SEND US TO THE POLICE FOR SOLUTIONS.
IF WE ARE ONLY GOING TO BE TOLD IT IS OUT OF THEIR HANDS.
THIS REALLY ISN'T A PROBLEM FOR THE POLICE TO SOLVE.
IT SHOULD FALL ON YOUR SHOULDERS.
BUT IF WE HAVE A LAW ENFORCEMENT SITUATION THAT EXCEEDS THE CITY'S RESOURCES, WE HAVE MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS WHERE RESOURCES FROM WITHIN OTHER AGENCIES IN THE COUNTY, THE REGION OR STATE CAN BE CALLED TO ASSIST.
SO WE FIND OURSELVES IN SITUATIONS REQUIRING RESOURCES BEYOND OUR MEANS, BUT WE CAN HOPE TO RECEIVE HELP FROM OUR NEIGHBORS OR LARGER STATE ENTITIES OUTSIDE OF
[01:45:01]
OFFICIAL CHANNELS.WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE COUNTY AND STATE FOR THE LA SHERIFF OR HIGHWAY PATROL SUPPORT AND HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THEY ALSO HAVE INADEQUATE RESOURCES.
SO NOW WE FIND OURSELVES IN THIS DILEMMA.
IF WE CONTINUE TO APPROACH HOMELESSNESS AS A PROBLEM FOR THE POLICE TO SOLVE, WE EITHER NEED TO COME UP WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR MORE POLICE OFFICERS, OR WE COULD ADMIT THAT THE PROBLEM IS BEYOND OUR ABILITY TO SOLVE AND REQUEST THE STATE TO SEND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
WITH THE TALK I HEAR OF THE REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH, I WONDER HOW IT WILL EVER BE POSSIBLE IN THIS STATE OF DISARRAY.
I'M ALSO CONCERNED WHERE THE RESOURCES ARE GOING AND THE MISMANAGEMENT OF THOSE RESOURCES GIVEN TO COMBAT THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA HAVE MY, MY TEAM FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
YOU KNOW, THE STATE CUT HALF THE HOMELESS FUNDING IN THE MOST RECENT BUDGET.
SO THE STATE, IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE'VE ASKED THE STATE FOR MORE RESOURCES, I THINK YOU SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THEY ACTUALLY CUT HALF OF THE FLEXIBLE HOMELESS DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE.
THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'VE JUST ALLOCATED BRAND NEW DOLLARS LOCALLY THAT THE VOTERS JUST APPROVED IN THE LAST ELECTION TO BRING NEW DOLLARS FOR HOMELESS PREVENTION AND OUTREACH.
UH, THAT WAS JUST APPROVED BY THIS COUNCIL.
16 MILLION NEW DOLLARS NOT SUPPLANTED BY WHAT THE STATE HAS DONE.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A MORE FULL CONVERSATION WITH YOU ON THIS AS A STAKEHOLDER DOWNTOWN.
I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO COME TO MY SHOP ON ATLANTIC AND WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION.
THIS IS MY HUSBAND, UH, ERIC KONG.
UM, BEEN A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH SINCE 2009.
UH, WE HAVE THREE CHILDREN, UH, WHO ATTEND LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, WE RELY ON THE SERVICE, UH, THAT OUR CITY PROVIDES, AS WELL AS THE LONG BEACH TRANSIT, WHICH MY OLDEST CHILD DEPENDS ON EVERY DAY TO REACH POLY HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, WHEN WE DECIDED TO LET HER RIDE THE BUS, BECAUSE WE BOTH WORK, UM, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY SHE CAN GET THERE.
UM, ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, MY DAUGHTER BOARDED ROUTE 1 73 EARLY IN THE MORNING, AS SHE DOES EVERY MORNING.
DURING THE RIDE, A WOMAN BOARDED THE BUS AND QUICKLY SPIRALED INTO ERRATIC AND THREATENING BEHAVIOR.
SHE SCREAMED, SHE SPIT TOWARDS THE PASSENGERS, SCREAMED OBSCENITIES, INCLUDING SEXUALLY EXPLICIT LANGUAGE THAT NO CHILD OR PASSENGER SHOULD HEAR.
MY DAUGHTER, UH, SAID SHE COULDN'T REPEAT WHAT SHE HAD SAID.
UM, THEN THIS ESCALATED TO THREATS DIRECTLY AT PASSENGERS AS WELL AS DIRECTLY TO MY CHILD.
THE DRIVER DID HER BEST, BUT SHE WAS ALONE AND THE CHILDREN WERE TRAPPED IN A MOVING BUS.
SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS TOO AFRAID TO MOVE.
WORRIED THAT ANY ACTION COULD PROVOKE AN ATTACK.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER DETAILS, BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR IT TONIGHT.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT WAS MORE THAN ANYONE AND ESPECIALLY A CHILD SHOULD EXPERIENCE.
WHEN THE DRIVER FINALLY STOPPED THE BUS, THE PASSENGERS RAN OUT.
BUT MOMENTS LATER, A GROUP OF OTHER CHILDREN UNKNOWINGLY BOARDED THE BUS.
AT THIS POINT, SHE BEGAN DISROBING IN FRONT OF 'EM.
IT TOOK MANY MINUTES FOR HELP TO ARRIVE, ALTHOUGH THE LONG BEACH TRANSIT OFFICERS EVENTUALLY ARRIVED.
THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE, AND WE ALL KNOW THIS.
MY CHILD WAS TRAPPED ON A BUS WITH SOMEONE WHO'S THREATENING AND ACTING ERRATIC EVEN TOWARDS CHILDREN.
THE LINE BETWEEN THIS INCIDENT AND ONE THAT ENDS IN TRAGEDY IS VERY THIN.
THERE IS NO ISSUE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PUBLIC SAFETY ABOVE ALL ELSE, OUR CHILDREN MUST BE SAFE.
BUS AND TRANSPORTATION IS ESPECIALLY CRUCIAL AS THE PASSENGERS ARE ESSENTIALLY TRAPPED IN A SMALL CONFINED SPACE WITH LIMITED ESCAPE ROUTE.
THE STUDENTS WERE JUST TRYING GET TO GET TO SCHOOL.
THE REST OF THE PASSENGERS WERE PEOPLE WHO MAKE OUR CITY RUN GROCERY WORKERS, HOSPITAL WORKERS SECURITY GUARDS.
THEY WERE TRYING TO GET TO WORK.
MY DAUGHTER TELLS ME EVERY MORNING WHO'S ON THE BUS.
I'M ASKING FOR THIS SPECIFIC INCIDENT TO BE FULLY INVESTIGATED BY THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE LONG BEACH TRANSIT IMMEDIATELY STRONGER SAFETY MEASURES, WHETHER THROUGH INCREASED SECURITY PRESENCE AND RAPID PROTOCOLS WHEN CHILDREN ARE IN DANGER DURING STUDENT RIDERSHIP HOURS, WE NEED ADDITIONAL POLI POLICE OFFICERS DEVOTED TO OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM.
I'M ASKING OUR CITY COUNCIL WORK WITH OUR, WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ENSURE THE SAFE, RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION FOR ALL STUDENTS.
[01:50:01]
FAMILIAR WITH THE SITUATION AND THANKS FOR REACHING OUT TO OUR OFFICE.WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND LONG BEACH TRANSIT.
UM, IT'S AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY, BUT WE DO HAVE A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M VERY SORRY THAT YOUR CHILD HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT.
I, I RODE PUBLIC BUSES GOING BACK AND FORTH TO SCHOOL AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS INVESTIGATED.
THANK YOU TO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KER FOR YOUR, UM, OFFICER'S EMAIL TO ME.
ALRIGHT, OUR FINAL SPEAKER, DAN DARREN.
HOW YOU DOING? WELL, I'LL GET YOUR NAME AFTER.
UM, SO, UH, I'M A NEW RESIDENT TO LONG BEACH.
UH, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
UM, AND FOR THE MOST PART, MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN, UH, PRETTY GOOD.
YOU KNOW, I LIKE THE AREA THAT I LIVE IN AND EVERYTHING.
UH, ONE OF MY MAJOR CONCERNS IS LIKE, UH, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
UM, YOU HAVE A LOT OF SITUATIONS, PARTICULARLY ON SEVENTH AND PINE WHERE I LIVE.
UM, THERE, UH, A LOT OF LIKE THE RECKLESS DRIVING.
THERE'S A LOT OF RECKLESS DRIVING TO WHERE WHEN PEDESTRIANS HAVE THE, THE RIGHTS ACROSS THE STREET DRIVERS ARE, YOU KNOW, DRIVING AROUND THEM.
AND, UM, IT'S BEEN SITUATIONS WHERE ONE IN PARTICULAR WHERE I WAS WALKING MY DOG AND I ALMOST GOT STRUCK BY A CAR, LIKE WITHIN FEET, AWAY FROM, FROM ME.
AND, UM, THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
WHEN I LOOKED INTO THE CAR, THE DRIVER WAS ON THEIR PHONE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND DIDN'T APOLOGIZE.
DIDN'T HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY SYMPATHY OR ANYTHING JUST DROVE AROUND ME.
AND I'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN, UM, NOT JUST WITH ME, BUT WITH OTHER PEDESTRIANS AS WELL.
SO, UM, I'M JUST BRINGING IT TO YOU, YOU KNOW, YOUR ATTENTION TO SEE IF WE CAN ADDRESS IT.
UM, AND POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE RECTIFY IT, MAYBE IMPLEMENT, UH, SOME TRAFFIC LAWS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY.
THE LIGHT IS GREEN AND WE'RE WALKING ACROSS THE STREET AND CARS ARE IGNORING TRAFFIC LAWS.
YEAH, THANK, THANKS FOR RAISING THAT.
AND IT'S, UM, JUST SO YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIG DISCUSSION AT THE, UH, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE PORTS MOBILITY COMMITTEE ABOUT NEW TECHNOLOGY.
WE'RE DEPLOYING AROUND, UM, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
WHEN IS THE COMMITTEE MEETING TAKING PLACE? WE HAD IT TODAY.
UH, IT'S GONNA COME BACK TO COUNCIL WITH MORE, MORE DETAILS, BUT THANKS FOR COMING.
ALL RIGHT, MA'AM, I DIDN'T HAVE YOU ON THE LI WHAT IS YOUR NAME? DR.
YOU SAID, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? THE CRITICAL TRUTH BAY.
WAS SHE ON THE LIST FOR A SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT? OH, THAT'S FOR SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT.
WHY WOULD THEY PUT ME SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT? WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU SIGNED UP FOR.
NO, I SIGNED UP BEFORE 5:00 PM SO HOW CAN IT BE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT? IT'S FINE.
DO YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK NOW? YEAH, I DON'T WANNA WAIT FIVE HOURS.
ALRIGHT, YOU GOT THREE MINUTES RIGHT NOW TO MAKE AN IMPORTANT POINT CONCERNING HOMELESSNESS.
I'M A POLICY ANALYST, UH, FOR THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL FAMILIES THAT NEED HOUSING, PERMANENT HOUSING.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A REALLOCATION OF FUNDING.
EVEN THOUGH THE STATE CUT, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WASTED FUNDING.
YOU HAVE SOME CHARACTER PLAYERS.
AND I REMEMBER I, A YEAR OR TWO YEARS AGO, I, I MADE THE SAME STATEMENT OF THERESA CHANDLER, WHO, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S HERE TODAY OR IF ANY HOMELESS DEPUTY IS HERE TODAY, BUT THERESA CHANDLER PROBABLY DOING AS MUCH AS SHE CAN.
BUT PAUL DUNCAN, WHO USED TO BE A EMPLOYEE OF LASA IS NOW I HEAR IN THE DIRECTOR SEAT FOR HOMELESSNESS.
THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE TO HELP OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF EMPTY PROPERTIES, YOU HAVE A LOT OF FUNDING THAT'S SITTING THERE.
UM, EVEN THOUGH AGAIN, YOU HAVE STATE CUTS, YOU STILL HAVE FUNDING TO HOUSE AT LEAST FAMILIES.
I HAVE TWO FAMILIES, ONE PARTICULAR, UH, MOTHER WITH SIX CHILDREN.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO GO THROUGH PATH.
OKAY? I AM GONNA TELL YOU SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PATH.
THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE MONEY IS BLEEDING BECAUSE IT'S WASTED TO CASE MANAGERS WHO ARE INCOMPETENT, WHO DON'T FOLLOW UP, WHO DON'T COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR CLIENTS, AND YET THEY'RE GETTING PAID HAND OVER FOOT.
AND THEN WE WANT TO TRICKLE THE SERVICES OF FUNDING TO FAMILIES.
I'M ASKING TODAY AND SHOUT OUT TO WEST ANGELES.
MISS TENA GREW UP, UH, BISHOP BLAKE LOVE 'EM TO DEATH.
I WANT LONG BEACH TO PLEASE OPEN THEIR EYES.
BE A SEPARATE ENTITY AND ACTUALLY EXCEL IN HOMELESS OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF BROKEN PIECES.
AGAIN, WE DON'T WANNA KEEP REPEATING THE SAME THING.
SO I'M ASKING AFTER TONIGHT TO PLEASE LET'S VERIFY HOME, UH, HOUSING FOR AT LEAST CERTAIN FAMILIES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE, UH, PRESENTING, EMAILING, UH, AND WE DO NOT FOR THE LIFE OF US WANT TO DEAL WITH ANYTHING.
[01:55:01]
HAS ANYTHING TO BE A PART OF.I DON'T KNOW HOW HE GOT HERE THIS FAR, BUT YOU NEED TO HAVE A CHANGE OF FACE OF EXPERIENCED PEOPLE THAT KNOW HOW TO HOUSE PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S ALL I REALLY WANT TO POINT OUT.
APPRECIATE YOU MAYOR REX RICHARDSON.
BUT, UM, PLEASE DON'T LET THIS FALL ON DEAF EARS.
AGAIN, FIRST TO SERVE, NEED SOME HELP, BUT PATH, DEFINITELY YOU NEED AN ALTERNATIVE OF HOUSING AGENCY FOR LONG BEACH.
OKAY? THE TRAIN STATIONS, AS WE KNOW, IS FILLED WITH TRANSIENT BECAUSE AGAIN, THE PEOPLE ARE NOT BEING HOUSED PROPERLY.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF EMPTY FACILITIES THAT YOU COULD USE FOR SAFE REHABILITATION CENTERS.
UH, UH, DROP IN CENTERS, PLENTY.
SO LET'S DO OUR JOB SO WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK BAD LONG BEACH.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
EXCUSE ME, I'M SORRY, BUT I SIGNED UP BEFORE SHE DID.
SO SHE SAID SHE SIGNED UP AT FIVE AND I, MY, I'M CLEAR, MY COMMENTS ARE VERY PERTINENT TO WHAT HAS BEEN STATED.
SO IF YOU WOULD GIVE DEFERENCE, I WOULD APPRECIATE COMMENT.
THEY SIGNED UP AFTER THE DEADLINE.
SO THE CUTOFF FOR JUST BEFORE THIS WOMAN DID, WHO JUST SPOKE.
AND SO YOU WANNA SPEAK NOW, BUT NOT LATER.
I'M FINE WITH BECAUSE GET OUTTA THE WAY NOW.
YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE LISTENED TO, UM, THE BUSINESS OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT HOMELESSNESS.
OH, MY NAME'S RENEE HERNANDEZ.
I'M A FORMER ICU TRAUMA, ER RN WHO IS HOMELESS ON YOUR STREETS.
AND OH MY, I ALSO EXPERIENCED A PEDESTRIAN HIT AND RUN BY ONE OF THE LOVELY DRIVERS HERE WHO CONTINUALLY THINK IT'S A GAME TO HIT HOMELESS PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO CROSS THE STREET.
I'VE, I WAS NOT TREATED BY MEDICS.
I HAVE A BROKEN TOE ON MY LEFT FOOT.
I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS OTHER FOOT.
THIS HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 6TH.
YOUR POLICE FORCE HAS BEEN NEGLIGENT.
BY THE WAY, I AM PUTTING IN A, FOR A, AN INFORMATION REQUEST.
I WANT THE POLICE CAM VIDEO OF WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BEACH THIS MORNING NEAR, UH, THE LIFEGUARD STATION BY UNI PERRO BEACH.
BECAUSE I WAS NOT TREATED QUITE WELL.
I AM, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I WANDER AROUND THESE STREETS AND I HAVE TO DEAL WITH, UM, MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE ILL MENTALLY, MANY DRUG ADDICTS AND, BUT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING MISTREATED DAILY.
ALSO, I WANT THE LONG BEACH TRANSIT BUS COMPANY INVESTIGATED.
I WAS ASSAULTED ON THAT LOVELY BUS BY A BUS DRIVER AND BY TWO WHITE PASSENGERS.
HE'S A FOOL FOR THINKING THAT THE BUS DRIVER WAS TELLING HIM THE TRUTH BECAUSE THE BUS DRIVER WAS STANDING THERE LAUGHING AT THE TWO WHITE MEN WHO WERE TRYING TO KNOCK ME OFF THE BUS WHERE THEY HAD THROWN MY WHEELCHAIR.
I DON'T APPRECIATE BEING TREATED LIKE THAT.
I DON'T APPRECIATE SEEING A ELDERLY BLACK MALE IN A WHEELCHAIR TRYING TO GET ON THE BUS.
AND THE BUS, UH, DRIVER IS YELLING AT THEM, I'M NOT HELPING YOU.
I'M TOLD EVERY, EVERY DAY BY THESE BUS DRIVERS, YOU ARE, I'M NOT HELPING YOU.
I WAS SITTING IN MY WHEELCHAIR THIS PAST FRIDAY TRYING TO GET TO THE DMV ONLY THE SIXTH TIME I'VE BEEN ROBBED TRYING TO GET THERE SO I CAN GET MY ID.
WHEN I ASKED THE BUS DRIVER, COULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME GET ON THE BUS? I'M A BIT IMPAIRED.
WHEN A DISABLED PERSON ASKS FOR HELP, IT IS LITERALLY THEIR JOB.
SO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SEE MORE RESOURCES PUT TO HOMELESSNESS, ESPECIALLY TO ELDERLY PEOPLE LIKE ME.
I MAY NOT LOOK ELDERLY, BUT BELIEVE ME, I FEEL IT.
UH, THAT CONCLUDES OPENING PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE'RE NOW GONNA GO BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA.
UH, I THINK WE'RE GONNA GO TO ITEM 24, COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILMAN SUPERAL.
RECOMMENDATION TO REQUEST CITY MANAGER TO
[24. 25-56605 Recommendation to request City Manager to return to Long Beach City Council by the October 21, 2025, City Council meeting with a status update presentation on the residential organics (green cart) collection program and a detailed plan to address the ongoing constituent concerns related to missed collections, availability of carts for exchange requests, and customer service satisfaction. Office or Department: Daryl Supernaw, Councilman, Fourth District Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
RETURN TO CITY COUNCIL BY THE OCTOBER 21ST, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING WITH A STATUS UPDATE PRESENTATION ON THE RESIDENTIAL ORGANICS COLLECTION PROGRAM.AND A DETAILED PLAN TO ADDRESS THE ONGOING CONSTITUENT CONCERNS RELATED TO MISSED COLLECTIONS, AVAILABILITY OF CARTS FOR EXCHANGE REQUESTS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE SATISFACTION.
[02:00:01]
MEMBER SUPERMAN.AND, UH, THANK YOU MADAM CLERK FOR THE EXCELLENT READING.
UM, I DO HAVE A POINT OF CLARIFICATION ON MY MOTION, AND THAT IS, I INCLUDED THE WORD PRESENTATION IN THERE, BUT IT REFERRED TO A PRESENTATION WE'RE ASKING FOR ON OCTOBER 21ST.
THAT WAS MISQUOTED IN, UH, THE NEWS MEDIA.
AND, UH, THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
SO MY, MY APOLOGIES FOR THOSE WHO MISUNDERSTOOD.
UM, THE OTHER POINT I'D LIKE TO MEET IS, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL CALL ON, UM, UH, SOME ANSWERS FROM OUR ACTING DIRECTOR OF, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, UH, TONIGHT.
AND, UM, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT HE'S BEEN ON THE JOB, HE'S HELD THIS POSITION FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
I THINK HE'LL GIVE US EXACT NUMBER OF DAYS, BUT I, I WANTED TO, UM, UH, STRESS THAT POINT BECAUSE, UH, HE'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB WITH A MEMO THAT WAS SENT TO US.
AND, UM, IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION TO ABSORB OVER A, A CLOSE, QUICK PERIOD OF TIME.
THE OTHER POINT IS, UM, THE WAY ITEMS ARE SUBMITTED, UM, THIS ITEM TONIGHT WAS SUBMITTED EIGHT DAYS AGO, SO THAT WOULD'VE BEEN SUBMITTED BY OUR OFFICE TO THE CLERK ON MONDAY THE 28TH, UM, BY NOON, UH, THE FOLLOWING DAY ON, UH, SEPTEMBER 29TH.
DO I HAVE THOSE DATES RIGHT? OR THAT WAS THE 30TH, WHATEVER.
UM, THE POINT BEING, AFTER THE ITEM WAS SUBMITTED, WE GOT OUR FIRST COMPLAINTS ABOUT INSPECTIONS THAT ARE GOING ON WITH THE BINS.
AND, UM, THAT WAS UNKNOWN TO ME, UH, PRIOR TO SUBMITTING THIS ITEM.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING, UM, THAT WE WILL DEFINITELY WANT TO COVER ON, UH, OCTOBER 21ST AND ALSO WAS IN TODAY'S MEMO THAT CAME IN IN THE AFTERNOON THAT HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION IN IT, BUT I DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS FAIR TO REFERENCE IT TODAY BECAUSE MY COLLEAGUES LIKELY HAVEN'T READ IT YET AND CERTAINLY HAVEN'T STUDIED IT.
SO, UM, WE'LL JUST GO OVER A COUPLE OF QUICK POINTS THERE.
BUT THE NATURE OF THE COMPLAINTS, AND I HAVE A LETTER THAT I'LL PARAPHRASE FROM A RESIDENT OF THE FOURTH, AND SHE MAKES A POINT THAT SHE'S HAD FOUR INSPECTIONS OF HER BINS SO FAR, AND SHE'S WONDERING, I'LL PARAPHRASE, HOW DO YOU GET TO 118,000 CUSTOMERS IF YOU SPEND FOUR VISITS AT ONE RESIDENT RESIDENCE, UH, IN THE FOURTH DISTRICT? UH, THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, HER C COMPLAINTS INVOLVED, UH, WHERE SHE HAD NO IDEA THEY WERE INSPECTING ALL THREE BINS AND NO IDEA THAT THEY WERE TAKING PHOTOS.
THAT IS, THEY WORK WITH AN IPAD, THEY TAKE PICTURES OF YOUR TRASH IN ALL THREE BINS, AND THEN THERE'S A KNOCK AT THE DOOR.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A FIRST, SECOND, THIRD OR FOURTH VISIT, UH, GOING OVER, UM, WHAT, WHAT THEY FOUND IN, UH, I GUESS IT'S AN EDUCATION PIECE AND IT'S DONE BY A THIRD PARTY VENDOR.
UM, THE OTHER POINT I THINK ON THAT, AND, AND I, IF, IF YOU WILL, AND I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS, BUT I JUST WANNA BE VERY BRIEF BECAUSE, UH, MY STAFF HANDLES, YOU KNOW, ALL THE CALLS DAILY.
AND THEY HAD A COMMENT ON TODAY'S, UH, MEMO THAT CAME OUT.
AND, UH, I'D JUST LIKE TO READ THESE ON BEHALF OF MY STAFF.
SO THERE'S A STATEMENT THAT THE REFUSE OPERATOR POSITION TYPICALLY HAS A HIGH RATE OF ATTRITION AND WE'RE QUESTIONING, OKAY, THAT'S SORT OF ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE.
AND IS THERE A DIFFERENT MODEL WE CAN USE, FOR INSTANCE, SOME, SOME TYPE OF ON-CALL LIST OR WHATEVER TO, TO FILL THESE GAPS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO MISSED COLLECTIONS MAY BE REPORTED AFTER 6:00 PM VIA THE ONLINE FORM.
AND OUR QUESTION IS THEN HOW DO YOU REGROUP OVERNIGHT? ARE THERE PEOPLE, UM, WORKING THOSE LINES THAT WOULD GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION FIRST THING THE NEXT MORNING? AND ALL THESE QUESTIONS ARE FOR OUR PRESENTATION COMING BACK TO US ON THE 21ST.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, IN THE, UH, UH, MEMO IT STATED THAT, UM, ONE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE FOR ONLINE REQUEST AND CALLBACKS, UM, WE'RE NOT SURE.
MY STAFF DOESN'T FEEL THAT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT BASED ON THE VOLUME COMING TO, UM, OUR OFFICE.
AND IS THERE A WAY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SPECIALISTS THERE? AND WE ARE ALSO WONDERING WHERE IS THE DATA FROM MONTHS PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER, 2025? UM, THAT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW ABOUT THE MIST, UM, PICKUPS, AND I SHOULD CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE I THINK WE HAD KIND OF A, A DISCONNECT.
SO TO US, A MISSED PICKUP IS WHEN IT'S NOT PICKED UP THAT DAY.
NOW, I CAN TELL YOU FOR THE FOURTH DISTRICT UNTIL LAST WEEK, THEY HAD NEVER BEEN PICKED UP ON THE DAY OF PICKUP.
IT WAS ALWAYS DELAYED BY ONE DAY, IT CAME BACK THE FOLLOWING DAY.
AND FOR OUR OFFICE, THE COMPLAINTS DIDN'T COME IN AS TIME OF DAY.
UH, NO ONE SEEMED TO CARE IF YOU PICKED IT UP AT EIGHT IN THE MORNING OR SIX AT NIGHT.
UM, BUT THE, THE QUESTIONS WERE ABOUT DAYS BEING MISSED.
[02:05:01]
THINK ABOUT THIS FOR THE RESIDENT, THEY DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST BEEN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME, IT DIDN'T GET PICKED UP THAT DAY OR IT WAS MISSED.UM, ALSO, UM, WE NOTICED THAT FOR PHASE FOUR, WHICH WOULD HAVE THE GREATEST VOLUME, THERE IS NO INCREASE IN CSRS FOR PHASE FOUR.
YOU WOULD THINK YOU WOULD HAVE LOTS MORE COMPLAINTS AT THAT POINT.
IN FACT, THERE ARE FEWER PEOPLE IN THE CSR POSITION IN PHASE FOUR THAN THERE WERE IN PHASE ONE.
AND WE, UH, WOULD LIKE TO, UM, GET AN EXPLANATION ON THAT, UH, WHEN THE ITEM COMES BACK.
SO, UH, I APPRECIATE, UM, THE, UM, THE SESSION WE'RE GONNA HA HAVE ON OCTOBER 21ST AND LOOK FORWARD TO A REPORT AT THAT POINT TIME.
WELL, I WANNA THANK COUNCILMAN SONO FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD.
I KNOW FOR MY OFFICE, UH, IT'S BEEN THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT DAY AFTER DAY FOR ABSOLUTE WEEKS.
AND I DO UNDERSTAND RESIDENTS FRUSTRATION.
THERE ARE A FEW BASIC CITY SERVICES THAT DEFINE WHETHER A RESIDENT TRUSTS THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
RESIDENTS EXPECT CLEAN WATER WORKING SEWERS.
THEY EXPECT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL TO RESPOND WHEN THEY CALL 9 1 1.
THEY EXPECT THEIR TRASH TO BE PICKED UP ON SCHEDULE.
IN MY NEARLY THREE YEARS ON COUNCIL, THIS IS THE SECOND ISSUE, MAJOR ISSUE WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH REGARDING REGULAR TRASH COLLECTION.
AND THIS IS DUE TO STAFFING SHORTAGES.
NOW WE, UH, HAVE A NEW SYSTEM WITH ORGANIC WASTE WASTE MANDATED BY THE STATE, AND WE'RE FACING SOME MAJOR CHALLENGES WITH THE WASTE ORGANIC WASTE PICKUP.
NOW, I, WE HAVEN'T HEARD COMPLAINTS ABOUT RECYCLING NOT BEING PICKED UP.
RECYCLING IS, UH, AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WE HAVE AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR WHO DOES OUR RECYCLING PICKUP.
IS THAT RIGHT, JOSH? THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
ALRIGHT, SO WITH THE CHALLENGES WITH ORGANIC WASTE PICKUP, WE THEN HAVE A REGULAR TRASH, EITHER A BROWN OR A BLACK BIN NOT BEING PICKED UP ON A REGULAR BASIS EITHER.
THAT'S IN, IN MY DISTRICT, THAT IS WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM RESIDENTS AND I'M EXPERIENCING IT ALSO.
I KNOW RESIDENTS ARE REALLY FRUSTRATED WITH THE STATE OVER THIS UNFUNDED MANDATE.
THEY PUT THIS ON THE CITY AND, BUT WE HAVE HAD YEARS TO PLAN FOR THIS WASTE COLLECTION PROGRAM.
AND MY CONCERN IS WE'RE NOT TREATING THIS WITH THE URGENCY THAT WE NEED TO.
THIS, THIS IS A BASIC SERVICE.
AND WHEN THOSE BINS AREN'T PICKED UP FOR SEVERAL DAYS, IT ATTRACTS FLIES, IT ATTRACTS RODENTS AND OTHER SCAVENGERS.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU LIVE, WHEN THERE ARE MANY TRASH CANS, ORGANIC WASTE BINS ALTOGETHER.
WHEN YOU HAVE TRASH CANS AND WASTE BINS NOT PICKED UP, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, HAVING THIS ITEM COME BACK IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW HOW, HOW THINGS ARE BEING PICKED UP.
DO WE HAVE SEPARATE STAFF PICKING UP ORGANICS VERSUS TRASH? WE HAVE RECYCLING PICKED UP BY A SEPARATE CONTRACTOR.
UM, I JUST THINK THAT THIS ISN'T A MINOR CONVENIENCE FOR RESIDENTS.
THIS IS A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE AND IT'S A BREAKDOWN IN OUR CORE SERVICES ON TOP OF THAT, AND WE'VE HEARD THIS COMPLAINT OVER AND OVER, AND THE REQUESTS RESIDENTS ARE PAYING FOR A SERVICE THAT'S NOT BEING DELIVERED.
THEY'RE NOT PAYING FOR A TAX, UH, A TRASH TAX.
THAT'S WHAT A RESIDENT CALLED IT FOR US, QUOTE UNQUOTE, A TRASH TAX.
THEY'RE PAYING FOR WEEKLY TRASH ORGANICS AND RECYCLING PICKUP.
AND WHEN THE CITY ISN'T DELIVERING THAT SERVICE, I, I JUST DON'T THINK RESIDENTS SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
IF THEY MISS TWO, THREE WEEKS IN A ROW, I KNOW CONSISTENTLY TWO WEEKS IN A ROW HAVE BEEN MISSED.
I STRONGLY BELIEVE THE CITY SHOULD COME BACK WITH A PROPOSAL TO REFUND THESE HOUSEHOLDS FOR MISSED WEEKLY PICKUPS.
UM, SORRY, THIS IS A BIG ITEM BECAUSE IT'S TAKEN UP SO MUCH OF OUR STAFF TIME AND IT'S, AGAIN, BASIC
[02:10:01]
SERVICE QUALITY OF LIFE.SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT CITY LEADERSHIP IS GONNA COME BACK, EXPLAIN HOW THINGS ARE HAPPENING, MAYBE CHANGE THE PROCESS.
AND JOSH, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE COME FROM THIS POSITION.
YOU ARE PUT IN PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR INTERIM, NOW YOU'RE BACK AT THIS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS THOUGHTFUL PROCESS ON HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK IN THE TIME RIGHT NOW, THIS NEXT MONTH.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT, MAYOR.
UM, SO WHAT I WANTED TO GO TO AND CITY MANAGER AND DIRECTOR HICKMAN, I'LL, I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHO I THINK THIS MIGHT BE DIRECTED TO.
UM, SO AS I LOOK AT THIS, UH, MOTION AS PUT FORTH BY MY COLLEAGUES, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE IS REGARDING, UH, POTENTIAL COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT, THIS HAS, UH, DID THIS MATTER, THE ORGANICS WASTE GO BEFORE ANY OF THE COUNCIL COMMITTEES, UH, BEFORE ROLLING OUT AND COMING TO THE COUNCIL AS WELL? I THINK IT DID.
I THINK BACK, UH, WHEN WE WERE DOING OUR INITIAL ROLLOUT PLAN IN THE LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE IT DID GO TO ONE OF THE COMMISSIONS, MAYBE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
DO YOU REMEMBER? COMMITTEE? OKAY.
WE CERTAINLY, I THINK WE ACTUALLY DID IT AT THE FULL CITY COUNCIL, BUT, UM, WE MIGHT HAVE DONE IT AT A COMMITTEE AS WELL.
WE CAN GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.
BUT, UH, 'CAUSE REMEMBER, UH, WE DID THE PILOT LAST YEAR WITH 8,000, UH, AND THEN WE LEARNED FROM THAT, AND THEN WE CAME AND REPORTED ON THE FULL RESULTS KNOWING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO RATE INCREASES AND BRING ON ALL THESE TRUCKS.
WE'VE BEEN BRINGING ON TEAMS FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS.
UH, THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE CAN EXPLAIN NEXT WEEK.
UM, SO WE DID, JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU'RE GETTING CALLS, WE WANTED TO PUT THAT MEMO OUT TODAY, UM, IN RESPONSE BOTH TO THE ITEM FROM, FROM THE COUNCIL, BUT ALSO GETTING PREPARED TO SEE WHAT DATA WE HAVE AND THEN BE ABLE TO ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS.
SO WE ARE GONNA BE COMING BACK IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS TO GIVE THAT FULL PRESENTATION.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THINGS, UH, IN, IN THE, IN THE WORKS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
I, I WAS JUST CHECKING BECAUSE AS I THOUGHT ABOUT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE HERE, I THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, TAKING IT BACK TO COMMITTEE, HAVING CONVERSATION AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, I THINK COULD HELP, UH, BE ABLE TO MOVE THROUGH SOME OF THESE MATTERS AS OPPOSED TO BRINGING THEM HERE TO COUNCIL MOST IMMEDIATELY.
AND I WASN'T ON THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME, SO THANK YOU FOR INDULGING ME IN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT COMMITTEE IT MIGHT HAVE GONE TO AND THE TIMING, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UM, I DO WANNA THANK THE CITY THOUGH IN THE INTERIM, UH, OVER THE LAST YEAR, AS YOU HAVE CONTINUED TO ROLL OUT THE PROGRAM, UH, I HAVE ONE PARTICIPATED IN, UH, SOME OF THE GREEN PALE ACTIVITIES, UM, ENGAGED IN EDUCATION ACTIVITIES WITH MY NEIGHBORS ACCORDINGLY, UH, WITHIN DISTRICT.
UM, AND I, I RECALL THAT THERE WERE STAFF MEMBERS WHO MIGHT BE AVAILABLE, UH, FROM EITHER PUBLIC WORKS OR FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL DIVISION THAT COULD BE AVAILABLE FOR BRIEFINGS.
IS THAT THE CASE? UH, DIRECTOR HICKMAN? YES.
THAT, THAT IS CERTAINLY THE CASE.
WE HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST EDUCATION PROCESS THAT KICKED OFF PRIOR TO THE FIRST PHASE.
THAT'S CONTINUED THROUGH THE CURRENT PHASE.
IT'LL CONTINUE THROUGH 2026, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S EDUCATED UP.
BUT YEAH, WE'VE GOT STAFF THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO COME TABLE AT EVENTS, SHOW UP TO A COMMUNITY EVENT, DO A PRESENTATION, WHATEVER IT MAY TAKE TO HELP GET THE WORD OUT AS TO HOW WE COULD ROLL OUT THIS PROGRAM MORE EFFECTIVELY.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THAT RESOURCE IS AVAILABLE.
SO I NOTED IN THE MOTION THAT THERE IS A 30 DAY REPORT BACK, AND I ALSO NOTED THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED A MEMO, UH, FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, UH, JUST TODAY REGARDING ORGANICS WASTE.
UM, PART OF MY CONCERN HERE, COLLEAGUES, IS THAT I, I JUST, I FIND THAT TO BE SO QUICK, UM, TO REQUEST AND OR DEMAND A TWO WEEK REPORT BACK, I WAS NOT AS INCLINED TO SUPPORT THE MATTER ACCORDINGLY AND THOUGHT AT LEAST A 30 DAY REPORT BACK WOULD BE A MORE REASONABLE TIMELINE TO ALLOW THE CITY, UH, TO RESPOND ACCORDINGLY.
UM, SO THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST RESERVATION THAT I HAVE.
I'M CERTAINLY INTERESTED IN A NUMBER OF THESE QUESTIONS.
I KNOW THAT THE ROLLOUT OF THIS IS, YOU KNOW, NEW FOR US AND IT'S A MANDATE THAT WE HAVE TO DO BASED ON WHAT THE STATE HAS ASKED WITH LITTLE RESOURCES TO DO IT.
UM, AND SO I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THAT CAN BE, BUT MY, MY ONLY CONCERN, AND IF ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF THE MOTION WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND TO THAT IS THE, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST A 30 DAY REPORT BACK ON THIS MATTER.
AM I BEING ASKED TO RESPOND HERE? OKAY.
UM, CITY STAFF GAVE US THIS DATE, SO THEY'VE ALREADY AGREED UPON IT.
THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR AND GLAD THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO MEET IT THEN.
UM, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK THE CITY MANAGER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES BUREAU FOR THE WORK THEY'VE BEEN DOING TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THROUGHOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION
[02:15:01]
OF THIS PROGRAM.UH, WE HAVE TALKED A LOT OVER THE LAST SIX OR EIGHT WEEKS, UM, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING PERSONALLY RESPONSIVE.
WE HAD ESB COME OUT TO OUR MEETING IN JUNE TO KIND OF TALK TO PEOPLE AND GIVE OUT THE SMALL BUCKETS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN ANTICIPATE, BUT WE KNOW THAT WHEN IT'S DIFFERENT, WHEN THE BINS ARRIVE, AND SO WE'RE ALL STILL LEARNING THIS TOGETHER.
UM, I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE VERY HARDWORKING WOMEN AND MEN WHO ARE DOING THIS LABOR INTENSIVE AND OFTEN PHYSICAL WORK SIX DAYS A WEEK.
I APPRECIATE THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE WORK AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHILE WE'RE SEEING CHALLENGES WITHIN THE SYSTEM, I WANT TO UPLIFT OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE WORKING HARD EVERY DAY.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CLEAR.
UM, I WANNA THANK, UH, TOM FOR TAKING QUESTIONS.
SO WE HAD ESB IN JUNE AND WE HAD TOM AT OUR COMMUNITY MEETING LAST MONTH TO TAKE QUESTIONS FROM SOME FRUSTRATED RESIDENTS.
AND WE KNOW THAT NOT EVERYBODY CALLS IN TO SAY THAT THERE BEEN, DIDN'T GET PICKED UP.
SO, BUT WE KNOW IT'S HAPPENING PRETTY FREQUENTLY.
I APPRECIATE THE MEMO THAT CAME OUT TODAY.
I SAW IT DROP WITHIN A MINUTE.
IT WAS, I HAD MY STAFF PRINT IT SO WE COULD HAVE SOME INFORMATION UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOU FILLING IN THE GAPS IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT I WANTED, UH, TO MAKE SURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, THE RESPONSIVENESS THAT YOU'RE HAVING WHEN WE HAVE REACHED OUT, AND ESPECIALLY THE WOMEN AND MEN WHO ARE DOING THE WORK EVERY DAY.
ALRIGHT, WELL, I WANNA THANK, UH, OKAY.
I, I DO WANNA APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, SUPER NAS ITEM FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST GOT MY GREEN, GREEN BIN YESTERDAY, SO, UM, I, AND SOME OF MY RESIDENTS ARE JUST GETTING THEM TOO, SO THEY'RE ALL COMING AT DIFFERENT TIME.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT IS A CHALLENGE WITH, AND I THINK THIS WAS A CONCERN THAT WAS RAISED WHEN THE ITEM CAME FORWARD AROUND HOW WE WERE GONNA BE MOVING, IMPLEMENTING A STATE MANDATE, UH, WITH LITTLE SUPPORT.
UM, AND, AND, AND, AND JUST, I THINK TRYING TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW COULD YOU BEST INSTRUCT PEOPLE TO, 'CAUSE PEOPLE HAVE A HARD TIME ALREADY.
I WOULD SAY RECYCLING, WELL, I'LL JUST START WITH IT.
NUMBER ONE, PUTTING THINGS IN THEIR TRASH CAN, RIGHT? LIKE PEEPING THEM IN THE TRASH CAN AND THEN DOING THE RECYCLING.
SO I, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE, I KNOW THAT THE TEAM IS WORKING VERY HARD.
IT'S A LOT TO DO AND APPRECIATE THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE BEING ASKED HERE AS WE ARE ABOUT TO PROBABLY START EXPERIENCING SOME, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THEY GET RESOLVED, BUT, UM, APPRECIATE LIKE THE WAYS THAT WE CAN BE RESPONSIVE TO RESIDENTS, UM, WITH THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS ZENDEJAS, UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, SUPER NOW FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD.
UM, LIKE MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK INTO THIS.
UM, I ESPECIALLY WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH AND PUT YOUR COMMENTS AND I ECHO THOSE COMMENTS AS WELL.
UM, IT, THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR OUR RESIDENTS, UM, IN, IN GENERAL TO GET USED TO SOMETHING NEW.
SO I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE, WE AS A CITY DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN AS A CITY TO BE ABLE TO, UM, MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM.
UM, SO REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID.
AND I ALSO WANT TO ECHO, UM, JUST, UH, THANKING COUNCIL MAN AS
I KNOW I, I TALK WITH, UH, TOM THIS WEEK BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN SO MANY, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT THIS.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
IS THAT EVERYONE? I THINK THAT'S EVERYONE.
YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE.
TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, UM, WE WERE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME PICKING UP ANY TRASH IN THE CITY BECAUSE WE WERE AT 46% STAFFED AND BEING, YOU KNOW, YES, AS THE MAYOR, BUT AS A COUNCIL MEMBER IN NORTH LONG BEACH, THOSE AREAS AROUND THE FRINGES.
AND, AND I THINK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE BORDERS WITH OTHER CITIES WILL TELL YOU SOMETIMES THE TRASH DIDN'T GET COLLECTED UNTIL THE NEXT DAY.
AND WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT, UM, IN STAFFING.
WE'VE GONE FROM 46% UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT STAFFING IN THAT DEPARTMENT PRIOR TO THE FULL ROLLOUT OF THIS PROGRAM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, A LOT OF OUR REFUSE WORKERS WERE NOT, THEY WEREN'T BEING PAID WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY DESERVE.
AND WE WENT INTO BARGAINING WITH THEM AND WE, WE NEGOTIATED EQUITY RAISES FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT PAID THEM, YOU KNOW, A, A, A DIGNIFIED WAGE.
AND WE SAW, WE SAW A LOT BEGIN TO CHANGE IN TERMS OF MORALE.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR, FOR ME TO AS MAYOR REMIND FOLKS THAT THE TRASH DOESN'T COLLECT ITSELF.
THESE ARE PEOPLE THEY'RE TAKING ON A NEW PROGRAM.
[02:20:01]
I WAS A PART OF THE PILOT GROUP AND OCCASIONALLY MY TRASH WILL GET, MY GREEN BIN WOULD BE COLLECTED THE NEXT DAY.BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE IN GROWING PAINS, WE'RE GOING THROUGH A TRANSITION, ONE THAT WAS FORCED ON US BY THE STATE.
ONE THAT WE DIDN'T, WE PROBABLY WOULD'VE GOTTEN THERE, BUT MAYBE ON OUR OWN TIME IN OUR OWN TERMS. BUT THIS WAS FORCED ON US BY THE STATE, AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS, UM, THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND IT'S GOING TO GET REFINED AND IT'S GONNA DO BETTER.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY CONTINUING TO HIGHER UP AND STAFF UP.
SO I WANNA GIVE ENCOURAGEMENT.
I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE REAL CONCERNS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE RAISING.
UH, CERTAINLY IMPORTANT, BUT I ALSO WANT THE RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THE TRANSITION THE CITY IS GOING THROUGH AND HOW FAR WE HAVE COME OVER THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS ON THIS ISSUE.
SO I'M GONNA ASK TOM, TOM, UM, BEFORE YOU WRAP UP, JUST WALK US THROUGH WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS.
JUST SO FOR ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING, THEY UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE.
SO, UM, I WANNA THANK THE COUNCIL, UH, FOR GIVING US THE FEEDBACK AND FOR THE CHANCE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
UH, YEAH, IT'S A BRAND NEW PROGRAM.
THERE'S 86,000 CARTS THAT WE'RE ROLLING OUT THERE.
WE'VE BEEN PRETTY PURPOSEFUL ABOUT HOW WE DO THIS IN PHASES.
UH, STARTED WITH THE, THE FIRST PHASE THAT WE'LL, UH, WE'LL, UH, AND WE'LL REVISIT ALL THIS REALLY IN DETAIL WITH THE TEAM NEXT IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
BUT WE STARTED THIS IN PHASES.
WE LEARNED FROM THOSE AND WE'VE BEEN ITERATING AS WE GO.
UH, SO, UH, I'VE HEARD SOME OF THE RUMORS OUT THERE.
WE DIDN'T ADD ANY STAFF AND TRYING TO PICK UP A WHOLE NOTHER ROUTE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY TODAY AT 98% STAFFING EVEN WITH THE HIGHER NUMBERS.
UM, WHEN WE WERE DEALING WITH ISSUES TWO YEARS AGO, THAT WAS ABOUT 46%, AS YOU MENTIONED, MAYOR.
UM, BUT WHAT WE'RE ALSO SEEING IS, YEAH, IT'S A HARD JOB.
THERE'S LOTS OF WORK OUT THERE.
UH, WE'RE SEEING INJURIES, UM, BY THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DOING THIS HARD WORK.
UH, AND WE'RE ALSO SEEING SOME PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO, UH, TO COME TO WORK EVERY DAY.
AND SO, UH, ON AVERAGE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE FULLY STAFFED, ABOUT 25% OF OUR STAFFING AREN'T ABLE TO WORK THAT PARTICULAR DAY.
AND SO EVERY DAY WE'RE ADAPTING.
SOME DAYS IT'S HIGHER, SOME DAYS IT'S LOWER.
UM, AND, UH, WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE SOME, UM, SOME THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN CHANGING THE ROUTES.
UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT ROUTES, THERE'S DIFFERENT TONNAGES.
SO PEOPLE SOMETIMES ARE CALLING US 'CAUSE THE, THEIR TRASH NORMALLY GETS PICKED UP AT EIGHT IN THE MORNING.
IF IT'S STILL THERE AT NOON, THEY'RE SAYING, YOU MISSED MY ROUTE TODAY.
UM, BUT REALLY YOU MIGHT NOW BE IN THE AFTERNOON.
UM, AND THOSE ROUTES ARE STILL GETTING, GETTING REFINED.
UM, BUT UM, IN SOME CASES THEY ARE GETTING LEFT OUT OR NOT GETTING TO THE, THAT DAY, UM, AND, UH, GET PICKED UP THE NEXT DAY.
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME WHERE THEY GET MISSED.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO KNOW, UH, WHERE DID THE WORKER LEAVE OFF THE NEXT DAY? AND SO, UM, WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW FROM THE DATA, UM, AND THE DATA IS THE, IS WHAT WE TRACK, UM, FROM THINGS COMING IN THE CALL-IN LINES AND, AND, UM, AND THE, UM, EMAILS AND STUFF IS, RIGHT NOW IT'S UP, UM, FROM MISSED COLLECTIONS, BUT IT'S STILL UNDER 1%.
UH, IT'S POSSIBLE NOT EVERYONE'S CALLING ON THOSE.
SO EVEN IF, WHEN THOSE DON'T GO THROUGH, THAT COULD BE MAYBE A COUPLE OR MORE PERCENT, UH, BUT WE'RE NOT LIKE IN THE 30 OR 40 OR 50% RANGE, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT IF THE PEOPLE WHOSE TRASH IS MISSED, THAT'S A VERY BIG DEAL.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THEY EXPECT THEY RELY ON.
WE GET THAT WE'RE VERY EMPATHETIC.
SO PART OF THE REASON WHY, UM, YOU KNOW, DARRELL ASKED US TO COME BACK IN TWO WEEKS IS WE CAN COME BACK IN TWO WEEKS.
'CAUSE WE STUDY THIS EVERY DAY.
UH, WE'RE ON THE PHONE EVERY DAY TALKING ABOUT THIS EVERY DAY.
UH, WE'VE GOT SOLUTIONS THAT ARE IN THE MIX.
UM, WE ARE ALREADY DOUBLING THE SIZE OF OUR CALL CENTER STAFF.
UH, WE ARE BRINGING ON 20 ADDITIONAL, UM, UH, REFUGE WORKERS.
AND, AND WE HAVE AN OPEN LIST RIGHT NOW FOR ANYONE THAT'S, THAT'S INTERESTED IN BECOMING REFUSE.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT STUFF.
SO I APPRECIATE THE ABILITY TO, TO REPORT THAT OUT IN TWO WEEKS.
AND, UH, THE LAST THING I WANTED TO SAY IS WE DID GO TO COMMITTEE, OUR CLERK HELPED US FIND THIS, AND IT WAS IN DECEMBER OF, UH, 2024.
SO DECEMBER 12TH, 2024, WE WENT TO THE CLIMATE RESILIENT COMMISSION.
UM, AT THE TIME, UH, THE COMMISSION, I'M SORRY, UM, UH, THEY HEARD IT RATHER THAN COMMITTEE.
UM, UH, AGAIN, THE DATA THAT WAS PUT OUT TODAY DOESN'T ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS.
WE KNOW THAT WE HEARD FROM, UH, FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBER AND FROM OTHERS ON THE COMMITTEE OR ON THE COUNCIL.
UH, BUT A PLAN WAS TO GET OUT INFORMATION, DATA, AND THEN COME BACK IN TWO WEEKS AND, AND GO THROUGH THE REST OF IT WITH YOU.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, IF WE CALL THE GREEN BIN SAFE AND SANE, WILL THEY ROLL OUT FASTER OR GET COLLECTED QUICKER? UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, THANK UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, SUPER NA AND DUGGAN FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD.
UH, I SUPPORT THE ITEM I CAN STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT MY STREET, UH, ELLIOT STREET AND DISTRICT THREE, UH, HAS ALSO EXPERIENCED DELAYS OF SERVICE AND MISSED COLLECTIONS OF THE GREEN BINS.
I ALSO SUPPORT THE LIST OF QUESTIONS ON PAGE TWO OF THE STAFFER REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED PRESENTATION THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN TWO WEEKS.
I HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, UH, FOR SUCH A PRESENTATION.
UH, FIRST, UH, SB 1383 WAS SIGNED INTO LAW IN 2016 WITH A LONG LEAD TIME.
IT GAVE CALIFORNIA CITIES OVER SIX YEARS TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE.
SO HOW COME LONG BEACH HAS YET TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM? SECOND, UH,
[02:25:01]
HOW LONG HAS FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GREEN BIN PROGRAM ORGANICS COLLECTION PROGRAM BEEN DELAYED IN LONG BEACH BY THE CITY OF LONG BEACH? ATTEMPTING TO KEEP THE SURF FACILITY OPEN, IE CALIFORNIA'S LAST TRASH INCINERATOR.THIRD, UH, AS FAR AS ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC IS CONCERNED, UH, THE GREEN BINS PROGRAM DOES NOT INVOLVE ANYTHING.
THE CITY OF LONG BEACH DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO DO CONTRACT WITH COLLECTION SITES, PROCURE TRUCKS, HIRE OPERATORS TO PICK THINGS UP, PERHAPS ALSO INCREASE LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES TO COLLECT AND UTILIZE COMPOST.
I HAVE PERSONALLY WITNESSED MORE THAN ONE TIME IN THIS VERY CHAMBERS, MORE THAN ONE ORGANIZATION PROPOSED SUCH TO THIS COUNCIL TO DEAF EARS.
SO WHAT EXPLAINS THE ANTIPATHY? WHY HAS THE CITY OF LONG BEACH BEEN SO SLOW ON THE UPTAKE, PARTICULARLY WITH ITS OWN MUNICIPAL FACILITIES WITH LBSD SCHOOLS AND WITH CITY PARKS? FOURTH AND FINALLY, IF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS HAVING SUCH DIFFICULTIES IN SOMETHING THAT IT KNOWS HOW TO DO, YOU KNOW, PICK THINGS UP ON TIME, UM, HOW CAN THE PUBLIC TRUST THIS CITY'S LEADERSHIP, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THINGS THE CITY DOES NOT YET KNOW HOW TO DO, LIKE GET OFF THE NARCOTIC OF MUNICIPAL OIL DRILLING REVENUES.
MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
26 COMMUNICATION FROM VICE MAYOR URANGA, CHAIR OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
RECOMMENDATION TO REQUEST CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF
[26. 25-56609 Recommendation to request City Council approval of edits to the 2025 Legislative Agenda as recommended by the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. Office or Department: Roberto Uranga, Vice Mayor, Seventh District, Chair, Intergovernmental Affairs Committee Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
EDITS TO THE 2025 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AS RECOMMENDED BY THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.I HOPE THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, REVIEW THE REPORT AND AGREE WITH THE WHAT WAS BEING SUBMITTED.
WE'LL GO TO SECONDER OF THE MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, I'M GLAD TO BE ON THIS COMMITTEE AND HAVE THIS MOVE FORWARD.
AND I JUST WANNA, UM, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR AND THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR UPDATING THIS AGENDA, UH, TO MAKE SURE IT REFLECT SOME OF OUR, OUR CURRENT PRIORITIES, UH, IN SACRAMENTO AND AND AND OTHER LOCATIONS.
WE GOT SOME WORK TO DO TO CLEAN UP OUR, OUR COASTLINE AND, AND FIND SOME SOLUTIONS TO THE CHANGING, UH, REVENUE MIX DUE TO, UH, THE, UH, THE COMMITMENTS AROUND, UM, THE REDUCTION OF OIL PRODUCTION IN OUR CITY STATE'S COMMITMENTS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS, UH, THAT COULD BE SAID ABOUT THIS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
THERE'S ONLY ONE THING THAT I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON, UH, AND THAT IS THERE'S NOT A SINGLE MEASURE, UH, MENTION OF ROOFTOP SOLAR OR PROMOTING IT IN LONG BEACH.
LONG BEACH HAS ONE OF THE LOWEST CONCENTRATIONS IN THE STATE, DESPITE HAVING ONE OF THE HIGHEST POTENTIALS FOR IN THE STATE IN TERMS OF, UH, AGGREGATE, UH, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, UH, FOR ROOFTOP SOLAR.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS WHY, UH, THAT WE COULD, WE COULD GET INTO IF WE WANTED TO BE, UH, UH, MORE EXACT.
BUT, UH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, I I THINK IT'S AN INCREDIBLE MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
UM, YOU CAN PUT THINGS LIKE ON PAGE 17 ABOUT SUPPORTING POLICIES, LEGISLATION, AND FUNDING TO CONTINUE THE OPTION FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ENTER INTO COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATE AGREEMENTS.
YOU CAN PUT THINGS LIKE THAT IN THERE AND MAYBE IT'LL HAPPEN, MAYBE IT WON'T.
BUT ROOFTOP SOLAR RIGHT NOW LOWERS PEOPLE'S ELECTRICITY COSTS.
IT LOWERS THE AMOUNT OF MISSIONS TO IN TOTAL THAT A CITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, AND IT'S ONE OF THE QUICKEST AND EASIEST WAYS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE CITY.
MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
THERE ARE NO MORE PRESENTATIONS ON THE REMAINING ITEMS. LET'S HEAR.
ITEM 27, REPORT FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT AND ANY NECESSARY
[27. 25-56566 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with South Coast Fire Equipment, Inc., a distributor of Pierce Manufacturing, of Ontario, CA, for the purchase of a Pierce Enforcer aerial ladder truck, with related equipment and accessories, on the same terms and conditions afforded to Sourcewell (Contract No. 113021-OKC), in a total amount not to exceed $2,011,449, inclusive of taxes and fees; until the Sourcewell contract expires on February 10, 2026, with the option to renew for as long as the Sourcewell contract is in effect, at the discretion of the City Manager; and Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute a lease-purchase agreement, and related financing documents with Banc of America Public Capital Corp, of San Francisco, CA, for the financing of a Pierce Enforcer Rear Mount Aerial truck, payable over a 10-year period at an interest rate to be determined when the agreement is executed. (Citywide) Office or Department: Financial Management Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
DOCUMENTS WITH SOUTH COAST FIRE EQUIPMENT FOR THE PURCHASE OF A PIERCE ENFORCER AERIAL LADDER TRUCK WITH RELATED EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES IN A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 2,011,449 AND EXECUTE A LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENT AND RELATED FINANCING DOCUMENTS WITH BANK OF AMERICA PUBLIC CAPITAL CORP FOR THE FINANCING OF PIERCE ENFORCER.REAR MOUNT AERIAL TRUCK CITYWIDE.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
[02:30:01]
REPORT FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT SPECIFICATIONS AND AWARD CONTRACTS TO VARIOUS CONTRACTORS TO PROVIDE[28. 25-56567 Recommendation to adopt specifications No. RFP HE-24-498 and award contracts to First to Serve, of Los Angeles, CA, Helpline Youth Counseling, Inc., of Whittier, CA, Interval House, of Long Beach, CA, and Jovenes, Inc. of Los Angeles, CA, to provide operation and supportive services for the Rapid Rehousing Program supporting participants experiencing homelessness in the City of Long Beach, in a total annual aggregate amount not to exceed $3,258,200, for a period of one year, with the option to renew for one additional one-year period, at the discretion of the City Manager; and authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary documents to enter into the contract, including any necessary amendments. (Citywide) Office or Department: Health and Human Services Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
OPERATION AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR THE RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM.SUPPORTING PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IN A TOTAL AGGREGATE AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED 3,258,200 AND EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO ENTER INTO THE CONTRACT CITYWIDE.
SEE TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK DR.
CRITICAL TRUTH BAY AND RENEE HERNANDEZ GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE.
MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
PLEASE REPORT FROM TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO AMEND CONTRACT WITH A VI SYSTEMS,
[29. 25-56568 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Contract No. 37180 with AVI Systems, of San Diego, CA; Contract No. 37028 with Triton Technology Solutions, Inc., of San Juan Capistrano, CA; and Contract No. 37059 with Western A/V, of Orange, CA, for providing as-needed audio-visual support services, to increase the annual aggregate contract amount by $3,000,000 to $4,000,000, with a 15 percent contingency in the amount of $600,000, for a revised total annual aggregate amount not to exceed $4,600,000. (Citywide) Office or Department: Technology and Innovation Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
TRITON TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, AND WESTERN AV FOR PROVIDING AS NEEDED AUDIO VISUAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR A REVISED TOTAL ANNUAL AGGREGATE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 4,600,000 CITYWIDE.IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
LET'S GO TO OUR FINAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
I SEE, UH, TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC,
[ 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. ]
UM, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK CARINA GUERRERO.UH, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND DAVE SHUKLA.
ALL DURING THE FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH.
I HOPE YOU CAN SUPPORT OUR HISTORY OF RESISTANCE AND SUPPORT FOR KAIZEN AS A FILIPINO AMERICAN IN THE CITY.
I'M THE MOTHER OF KAIZEN GUERRERO.
I SPOKE HERE IN THE CITY COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 9TH AND SHARED ABOUT MY SON'S MENTAL ILLNESS AND HE WAS ARRESTED BY THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT IN DISTRICT ONE.
DURING THIS MEETING, I WAS TOLD THAT PEOPLE WOULD HELP HELP ME LOCATE MY SON, BUT NO ONE DID.
WHEN I, WHEN I TALKED TO THE LONG BEACH POLICE OVERSIGHT DEPARTMENT ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, THEY SAID, QUOTE, IT'S OUT OF THEIR JURISDICTION, UNQUOTE, EVERYONE IS JUST PASSING THE BUCK AND GIVING ME THE RUNAROUND.
MY FAMILY AND I WANT ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
HE WAS ARRESTED IN THE CITY AND NOW I'M BEING TOLD HE IS OUT OF LONG BEACH.
JURISDICTION ISN'T LONG BEACH PART OF LA COUNTY? IT IS.
HOW LONG IS THIS GONNA GO ON FOR SO FAR, PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION WAS AT HIS MENTAL HEALTH COURT DATE IN MID-SEPTEMBER.
THIS IS UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP ON HIS LIFE.
BECAUSE OF THE DECISION OF LBPD, HE HAS PUT IN A POSITION WHERE HIS CONDITION IS DETERIORATING, WHERE, WHERE HIS CONDITION IS DETERIORATING AND THE SYSTEM MISHANDLING OF MENTAL ILLNESS, LONG BEACH SERIOUSLY NEEDS TO REVISIT AND TRAIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE STAFF TO RESPOND TO MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
IF YOU DON'T DO THIS, THE SAME CRISIS SITUATION WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN OVER AND OVER.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'D JUST LIKE TO STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT, UH, I, FOR ONE OPPOSE THE, UH, DEPLOYMENT OF THE NATIONAL GUARD TO AMERICAN CITIES FOR WHAT ARE OSTENSIBLY WAR GAMES AGAINST THE AMERICAN POPULATION.
[02:35:01]
ALL RIGHT, SO THAT'S CLOSING PUBLIC COMMENT.[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
OUR, UM, UH, CLOSING ANNOUNCEMENTS.DON'T, DON'T PUSH THE BUTTON UNTIL YOU GET ONTO ANNOUNCEMENTS.
NO, I THINK YOU'RE FINE THIS TIME.
I'M GONNA ADJOURN IN MEMORY OF RALPH ELBERT AND DEBORAH CHENEY, UH, FATHER AND DAUGHTER, MEMBERS OF THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY.
THIS EVENING WE ADJOURN IN MEMORY OF RALPH ELVER AND HIS DAUGHTER DEBORAH CHENEY, WHO PASSED AWAY JUST A FEW WEEKS APART.
RALPH IS REMEMBERED FOR A LIFE RICH IN FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP AND SERVICE, UH, AND HE HAS AN INCREDIBLE SENSE OF HUMOR.
AND DEBORAH HAS REMEMBERED FOR HER KINDNESS, HER STRENGTH, AND HER DEVOTION TO OTHERS TOGETHER THAT THEY NOW JOIN THEIR MOTHER, DORIS TOPSY OVER MORE.
THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO SERVE ON THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL.
UH, DEBORAH HAS SURVIVED BY HER HUSBAND, WAYNE CHENEY SR.
WHO FAITHFULLY SERVED LONG BEACH, UH, FOR MANY YEARS AS A FIREFIGHTER WAYNE CALLED DEBORAH HIS QUEEN.
A WOMAN WHO ACCEPTED HIM WITH ALL HIS FLAWS, SHAPED HIS LIFE AND STOOD TALL WITH HIM THROUGH EVERY CHALLENGE.
AFTER FIVE YEARS OF COURAGEOUSLY BATTLING CANCER, DEBORAH WAS SURROUNDED BY HER FAMILY.
AS SHE TRANSITIONED, THE ELVER AND CHAN CHENEY FAMILY HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH TO LONG BEACH THROUGH THEIR LEADERSHIP, SERVICE, AND LOVE.
ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY FAMILY, WE EXTEND OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES AND GRATITUDE FOR THEIR LASTING LEGACY.
NEXT, WE WILL GO TO COUNCILWOMAN SORROW, WHO IS REQUESTED TO ALSO CLOSE, UH, IN MEMORY OF A LONG BEACH, UH, RESIDENT.
UM, TONIGHT WE ADJOURN IN MEMORY OF MICHAEL BORA.
MICHAEL WAS A DEDICATED 35 YEARS, UM, CITY EMPLOYEE.
HE BEGAN IN THE PUBLIC POLICE DEPARTMENT FROM 1989 TO 1996, AND THEN SERVING IN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FROM 1996 UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN MARCH OF 2024.
THROUGHOUT HIS DISTINGUISHED CAREER, MICHAEL WAS KNOWN AS A DEPENDABLE AND QUIET SPOKEN COLLEAGUE WHO CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED KINDNESS AND HELPFULNESS TO ANYONE, TO EVERYONE HE ENCOUNTERED.
MICHAEL WILL ALWAYS ALSO REMEMBER HIM AS A DEVOTED FAMILY MAN WHO WAS EXTREMELY PROUD OF HIS DAUGHTER AND SON.
HE LIKED TO TELL JOKES WITH A STRAIGHT FACE THAT YOU DIDN'T ALWAYS KNOW IF HE WAS JOKING UNTIL HE BURST INTO A BIG SMILE AND LAUGHTER.
HE LOVED SINGING, KARAOKE, SINGING, AND KARAOKE.
I DO TOO ENJOY HIS DAILY STARBUCKS AND TREASURE TIME, UH, WITH HIS WIFE AND FAMILY.
HIS, UH, CELEBRATION OF LIFE AND LEGACY WILL BE THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11TH AT NINE 8:00 AM AT KAMARA BICA CAMARA, UH, TEMPLE, ALSO AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS WAT WILLOW ON 2100 WILLOW LONG BEACH.
UM, SO YOU CAN CON FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN CONTACT 5 6 2 3 0 5 6 9 2 3.
AND NOW WE'RE GONNA GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN, WHO ALSO HAS REQUESTED TO CLOSE THE MEETING IN HONOR OF RESIDENT.
UM, I'D LIKE, UM, TO CLOSE TONIGHT'S MEETING IN HONOR OF JOHN HANNER, WHO WAS, UM, THE, UM, ORIGINAL OWNER OF, UH, THE SILVER FOX.
AND, UM, AND I TELL YOU, IF YOU, UM, IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE SILVER FOX IN DISTRICT TWO, IT'S A BIG DEAL FOR THE LGBTQ PLUS, UH, COMMUNITY.
UM, IT'S A PLACE WHERE, UH, SO MANY HAVE HAD, UH, THEIR, THEIR FIRST EXPERIENCES WITH REGARDS TO A SAFE PLACE, UH, TO CONGREGATE.
AND, UH, AND I KNOW HE'LL BE MISSED SO MUCH.
THERE WAS A HUGE, UM, CELEBRATION, UH, FOR HIM, UM, THIS LAST WEEKEND.
AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE CAME OUT, UM, TO CELEBRATE, UH, TO CELEBRATE HIM.
AND SO OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES GO OUT TO JOHN BARNES, WHO IS NOW THE OWNER OF SILVER BOX FOX AND, AND HIS FAMILY AND JUST EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT LOVED HIM.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH AND TOOK.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU AS WELL FOR ALL THE COLLEAGUES WHO CLOSED IN HONOR OF NOTABLE LONG BEACH RESIDENTS AND MY DEEPEST SYMPATHIES TO THE L BOARD AND CHENEY FAMILY AT THIS TIME.
SO IT'S BEEN A BUSY AND EXCITING TIME IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT A RECENT SET OF EVENTS AS WELL AS LOOK AHEAD.
FIRST, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO JOINED US FOR THE DISTRICT EIGHT AQUARIUM NIGHT IN SEPTEMBER.
IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENING OF LEARNING AND CONNECTION.
WE HAD OVER 1600 RESIDENTS WHO WERE ABLE TO APPRECIATE THE AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC AND CONTINUING THIS BELOVED LONG BEACH TRADITION.
[02:40:01]
I ALSO ENJOYED JOINING THE NORTH DIVISION POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE NATIONAL COFFEE WITH A COP DAY THAT WAS LAST WEEK, WHERE WE HAD A CHANCE TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS AND ENCOURAGE DIALOGUE BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND OFFICERS.WE'VE HAD GOT SOME EVENTS THAT ARE COMING UP THIS SATURDAY.
THE RIDGEWOOD TRIANGLE NEIGHBORHOOD WILL HOST THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP AT 8:30 AM BRIGHT AND EARLY AT 4 5 5 5 ORANGE AVENUE.
AND LATER THAT DAY, THE NORTH VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD WILL GO ON A GO LONG BEACH WALK AT 10:00 AM STARTING AT THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER ON ATLANTIC AVENUE.
THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEIGHBORS TO COME TOGETHER AND HELP US IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS LOCAL ISSUES AS WE MOVE THROUGH OCTOBER.
I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH.
TOO MANY FAMILIES CONTINUE TO FACE THE DEVASTATING IMPACTS OF VIOLENCE IN THE HOME.
SO THIS MONTH REMINDS US TO STAND UNITED SUPPORT SURVIVORS AND FOSTER A COMMUNITY WHERE SAFETY AND RESPECT ARE THE NORM.
THE SAME COMMITMENT TO SAFETY, SAFETY AND HEALING EXTENDS TO OUR EFFORTS TO PREVENT HUMAN TRAFFICKING ON OUR LONG BEACH STREETS.
AS THESE ISSUES ARE CONNECTED BOTH IN COMPASSION AND ACCOUNTABILITY, I INVITE YOU TO JOIN MYSELF AND COUNCILWOMAN RICK OTI FOR TWO IMPORTANT COMMUNITY EVENTS THIS MONTH AS WE CONTINUE OUR WORK TOGETHER ON THIS TOPIC.
FIRST, THERE'LL BE A VIGIL AND COMMUNITY WALK ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17TH FROM 6:00 PM TO 8:00 PM THERE WE WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO WALK TOWARDS THE OPENING OF A NEW PROJECT HOME KEY SITE WHERE WE WILL RECLAIM A SPACE THAT WAS ONCE MARKED BY EXPLOITATION AND REDEDICATED AS A SPACE OF HEALING AND RENEWAL.
THE EVENING WILL INCLUDE SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES, A MOMENT OF SILENCE, AND A SHARED PLEDGE TO CONTINUE THIS CRUCIAL WORK.
THE ADDRESS IS 5 9 5 0 LONG BEACH BOULEVARD, THE VERY NEXT DAY.
IN THIS OF SERIES OF EVENTS, WE WILL HOST A COMMUNITY TOWN HALL THAT WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18TH FROM 9:30 AM TO 12:00 PM AT STAR KING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THIS GATHERING WILL BRING TOGETHER RESIDENTS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND LOCAL LEADERS FOR A DISCUSSION ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ALONG LONG BEACH BOULEVARD.
I HOPE TO SEE MANY OF YOU OUT THERE AS WELL AS WE CONTINUE TO CREATE A SAFER AND MORE COMPASSIONATE LONG BEACH.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, OCTOBER IS ARTS MONTH AND THIS WEEK THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS TO CELEBRATE LOCAL ARTISTS OF ALL KINDS THROUGHOUT DISTRICT FIVE.
FIRST, I INVITE YOU TO SUPPORT LOCAL PERFORMING ARTISTS AT THE LONG BEACH SHAKESPEARE COMPANY.
THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10TH, IT'S OPENING NIGHT OF THE CLASSIC COMEDY, ARSENIC AND OLD LACE AT 7:00 PM AT THE HELEN BORGER THEATER.
IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT OPENING NIGHT, THE COMPANY WILL, UH, HAVE PERFORMANCES RUNNING THROUGH THIS WEEKEND.
AND NEXT, YOU CAN ALSO CHOOSE TO SUPPORT LOCAL PERFORMING ARTS STUDENTS AS LBCC IS HOSTING, HOLDING TWO MUSICAL PERFORMANCES THIS WEEKEND ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7TH AT 7:00 PM THE LBCC WIND ENSEMBLE, THEIR BIG BAND AND THEIR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WILL JOIN TOGETHER TO PERFORM AT THE LIBERAL ARTS CAMPUS AUDITORIUM.
AND THEN ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12TH AT 2:00 PM THE VIKING SINGERS AND VIKING CORRAL WILL BE FORMING VOICES OF ROCK AT THE BOB AND BARBARA ELLIS AUDITORIUM.
ANOTHER SPECIAL LOCAL PERFORMANCE CAN BE FOUND THIS SUNDAY, UH, OCTOBER 12TH AT 3:00 PM AT WILLOW SPRINGS PARK FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF FRIENDS OF WILLOW SPRINGS FALL.
EXPERIENCES YOU CAN ENJOY VIOLINS IN THE PARK TO CONNECT WITH MUSIC AND THE OUTDOORS IN ONE OF OUR CITY'S MOST NATURAL SPACES.
UH, I INVITE YOU TO JOIN NEIGHBORS AND SMALL BUSINESSES AT VILLAGE ROAD AND VIKING WAY AT PARKVIEW VILLAGE FOR THIS MONTH'S SECOND SATURDAY CELEBRATION.
IT'S A HALLOWEEN BLOCK PARTY ON SATURDAY FROM 11:00 AM TO 3:00 PM AND FINALLY, SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR NEXT FIFTH DISTRICT COMMUNITY MEETING, WHICH WILL BE ON OCTOBER 23RD AT THE EXPO CENTER IN BIXBY KNOWLES, WHERE WE WILL BE JOINED BY, UH, THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OUR DISPATCH DEPARTMENT.
THANKS AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN THE COMMUNITY.
THIS SATURDAY IS GONNA BE A VERY, VERY BUSY SATURDAY IN DISTRICT ONE.
UM, WE HAVE OUR CRAFTSMAN'S VILLAGE HISTORIC DISTRICT'S MONTHLY NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP, UM, AT 8:30 AM TO 11:30 AM AT 1445 EAST NINTH STREET.
THEN WE HAVE THE FRIENDS OF LINCOLN PARK MONTHLY CLEANUP FROM 10:00 AM TO 11:00 AM THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE WILMORE TREE PLANTING EVENT NEXT SATURDAY, UM, OCTOBER 18TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 10 9:00 AM ON ON 10TH AND CHESTNUT.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE RO CHAS HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION AT CAESAR CHAVEZ PARK THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11TH
[02:45:01]
FROM 12 NOON TO 4:00 PM ALSO THE DTLB ALLIANCE ART WALK AND DESIGN WALK ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 11TH, AGAIN FROM TWO TO SEVEN.SO THERE'S PLENTY OF THINGS FOR YOU TO DO IN THE FIRST DISTRICT.
ALSO, I WANNA, UM, RECOGNIZE THAT OCTOBER IS DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH, NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH, AND UM, I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY IS CELEBRATING, UM, THAT OCCASION TOO.
UH, THANK YOU MAYOR RICHARDSON.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE UNITED STATES TENNIS ASSOCIATION, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR SELECTING THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AS THE NEXT RECIPIENT OF THEIR TENNIS TOWN.
HONOR, UH, THIS AWARD CELEBRATES ALL THE GREAT TENNIS HAPPENING IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH ON MONDAY.
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, APRIL WALKER AND I WERE AT THE EL DORADO TENNIS CENTER TO ACCEPT THE AWARD ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
UM, ALSO WANNA MENTION MITCH BRIDGE AND HIS SON COOPER OF BRIDGE THE GAP TENNIS WHO OPERATE BOTH THE EL DORADO PARK TENNIS FACILITY AND BILLY JEAN KING TENNIS FACILITY IN THE THIRD DISTRICT.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
UH, THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.