* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:02:27] , [CALL TO ORDER] THE TIME IS 3 0 2. DO A ROLL CALL. COMMISSIONER GILL. COMMISSIONER GILL HERE. COMMISSIONER D BENEDICTUS. HERE. COMMISSIONER NOVE HERE. VICE CHAIR COLEMAN. HERE. CHAIR P*****K HERE. WE HAVE QUORUM. [ROLL CALL] UM, AND BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE AGENDA, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO HAVE COMMISSIONER GILL INTRODUCE HIMSELF. TELL UH, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIMSELF FOR THE RECORD. HI, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS BOB, GO BY BOB. BOB GILL. AND I, UH, AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT JOINING THE ETHICS COMMISSION. I AM A FORMER PORT EMPLOYEE. I WORKED ACROSS THE BREEZEWAY THERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE IN THE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS OF THE PORT, MOSTLY IN THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AREA AND CYBERSECURITY AT ONE POINT IN TIME, LED CYBERSECURITY FOR THE PORT. UH, I ALSO HAVE A BACKGROUND IN COMPLIANCE IN BUSINESS, UH, FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE. AND I WAS MANY YEARS AGO IN A DIFFERENT CAREER, WAS ALSO A HIPAA COMPLIANCE OFFICER. SO I'M, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, BEING PART OF THIS COMMISSION AND HELP, UH, WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE SOME GREAT EXPERIENCE IN, WHICH IS, UH, WORKING FOR IN A PUBLIC AGENCY SUCH AS THE CITY OF LONG BEACH FOR EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS. AND, UH, THAT'S, UH, AND I DO LIVE IN LONG BEACH AND LIVE IN LONG BEACH SHOW FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS. THANK YOU. UM, FIRST AGENDA ITEM RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE ETHICS COMMISSION MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2025. [1. 25-56672 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Ethics Commission meeting of Wednesday, September 10, 2025.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] AND I HAD, DO I HAVE A, UH, MOVED BY COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, VICE CHAIR COLEMAN . IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM FROM THE COMMISSION? IS THERE ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO'D LIKE TO BE HEARD ON THIS MATTER? THIS ITEM? JUST A QUICK POINT THAT MY SCREEN IS NOT UPDATING. OH, IT, YEAH. UH, [00:05:01] GIVE US ONE SECOND. WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. YOU'LL JUST DO A VOTE AND TURN ON YOUR MIC AND SAY, I'M AN AYE, OR I'M A YES. OKAY. BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED TO, THAT'S FINE. THANK YOU. YEAH. OKAY. EVERYONE ELSE BUT YOU. SORRY. IF THERE ARE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS, WE CAN MOVE TO A VOTE. AND BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, WE'LL TAKE A VERBAL FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER GILL. I, I THINK IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE, OH, HE IS ABSTAINING. YES. LIKE IT'S WORKING AND HE'S OKAY. CLICKED ON ABSTAINING BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T HERE. UH, COMMISSIONER GID. UM, IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE PACKET, YOU ARE, UM, UH, UH, ALLOWED TO, TO VOTE ON THIS ITEM IF YOU LIKE. UH, NOT BEING IN ATTENDANCE, I PREFER TO ABSTAIN. VERY WELL. THE MOTION CARRIES. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS RECOMMENDATIONS [2. 25-56673 Recommendation to discuss recommendations of the May 2025 report from the Ad Hoc Committee on Commission Responsibilities.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] OF THE MAY, 2025 REPORT FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON COMMISSION RESPONSIBILITIES. I, I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS, SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR COLEMAN. UM, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO INTRODUCE THIS FOR COMMISSIONER GILL AND ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE HISTORY ON THIS ITEM. UM, WE RECENTLY HAD THREE, UH, THREE OF THE FOUR ORIGINAL COMMISSIONERS ON THE INAUGURAL ETHICS COMMISSION. TURNED OUT, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, FOUR HAD LEFT EARLIER. SO THESE WERE THE THREE REMAINING FOUNDING COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU WILL. BEFORE THEY LEFT, WE WANTED TO GET THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE COMMISSION'S EARLY YEARS, AND WHERE WE OUGHT TO MOVE FROM HERE. UM, HOW THEY FELT THE COMMISSION, UM, STRUCTURE WORKED AND DIDN'T WORK. AND THAT WAS PART OF THE AGENDA. PACKAGE WAS THEIR FINAL REPORT. UH, THEY DID RECOMMEND THAT THE FULL COMMISSION WITH THE NEW COMMISSIONERS CONSIDER A NUMBER OF POTENTIAL CHANGES IN CATEGORIES, SOME OF WHICH REQUIRED A CHARTER AMENDMENT, SOME REQUIRED CITY COUNCIL. WE ARE, UH, LOOKING AT THOSE, WHICH WE CAN DO ON OUR OWN OR WITH DEPARTMENTAL SUPPORT FIRST BEFORE WE LOOK AT THOSE THAT REQUIRE COUNSEL, UM, OR CHARTER CHANGE. UM, WHEN WE SET UP THE AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING, I HAD HOPED WE WOULD HAVE ALL THREE OF THE NEW COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE. UM, AND TO BE HONEST, ALSO, WE HAVE A SHORT AGENDA. 'CAUSE I THOUGHT WE WOULD CONVENE A LITTLE GET TO KNOW YOU SESSION AFTERWARDS. UM, BUT LIFE IS WHAT IT IS. SO WE WILL HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ON THIS TODAY. UM, IT WILL APPEAR AGAIN ON THE AGENDA EITHER IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER, DEPENDING ON WHEN WE GET FULLY POPULATED. UM, WITH THAT, I OPEN TO DISCUSSION COMMISSIONER GILL. UH, JUST A A, MY FIRST MEETING, AND I, I DID READ IT. UM, I SAW A COMPLETELY INCONSEQUENTIAL TYPO. UH, DOES IT MATTER TO BRING IT UP? OR HOW DO WE BRING UP WHEN WE SEE A TYPO IN SOMETHING? HOPE, I, HOPEFULLY WHEN WE SEE A TYPO, IT'S BEFORE THE REPORT, BEFORE THE AD HOC COMMITTEE IS DISSOLVED. , SINCE THEY'VE BEEN DISSOLVED, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. OKAY. EXCEPT IF IT'S A, SOMETHING LIKE A NOT MISSING OR A, UH, UH, WE WILL OR WILL NOT DO SOMETHING. UM, WE OUGHT TO TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT WE CAN'T GET IT CHANGED 'CAUSE THEY'RE GONE. OKAY. OKAY. THANKS, , VICE CHAIR COLEMAN. SURE. AND, AND I DO THINK IT DOES MAKE SENSE TO, UH, PERHAPS DISCUSS SOME OF THESE, UM, TOPICS AT A, IN A LARGER SCALE WHEN WE HAVE THE FULL COMMISSION SEATED. HOWEVER, UH, [00:10:01] YOU KNOW, I, I HAD, UM, PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED WANTING TO IMPROVE PUBLIC TRUST BY HAVING A MEETING, PERHAPS NOT ON THE DIOCESE, NOT IN THE, UH, THE, THE CHAMBERS. UM, THAT IS A PART OF, YOU KNOW, UH, CHANGES ONLY REQUIRING COMMISSION APPROVAL. UM, I DO THINK, AND I JUST WANTED TO PUT IT BACK OUT THERE JUST FOR, SO THAT WE CAN START THINKING ABOUT IT. I DO THINK THAT WITH NEW MEMBERS JOINING, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD START EXPLORING THAT POSSIBILITY OF HAVING A PUBLIC MEETING AGAIN. UM, JUST SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S MAYBE IN A MORE INFORMAL SPACE WE CAN TALK OVER WITH OUR COUNCIL AND HOW WE CAN MAKE IT A, PERHAPS A A BIT MORE CONVERSATIONAL. UM, BUT I DO THINK FROM TIME TO TIME, IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET OUT OF THIS SETTING, UM, AND JUST TALK ABOUT ISSUES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY MEMBERS MIGHT BE FACING AT, YOU KNOW, AT A TIME THAT'S PERHAPS MORE CONVENIENT FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. AND, AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT DOING THAT AT NIGHT. YES. YES. WHEN IT'S ALSO MORE CONVENIENT FOR MORE PEOPLE TO MAKE IT TO THE MEETING. YES. YEAH, I AGREE. COMMISSIONER NOVE. THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, I AGREE WITH VICE CHAIR COLEMAN. UM, I THINK THE COMMISSION SHOULD MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO WORK WITH STAFF, UH, ON PUBLIC OUTREACH. WHETHER IT'S THROUGH SURVEYS, NEWSLETTERS, SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, TOWN HALLS, OR LIKE WE'VE BEEN TALKING SOME SORT OF CONVERSATION BACK AND FORTH. UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. UM, AND I THINK THE VICE CHAIR EXPRESSED, UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR, UH, HE WAS PRETTY EMPHATIC ABOUT HOW IT'S NECESSARY, UH, AND DI AND IMPORTANT TO DIRECTLY, UH, HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC. UM, SO THAT'S MY OPINION ON THAT. IN TERMS OF THE OTHER ITEMS, I WAS PREPARED TO, UH, SUGGEST THAT WE WORK ON THE SMALLER PROCEDURAL OR, UM, UH, OPERATIONAL, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT IF WE WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE FULL WILLFULLY, WE HAVE A FULL COMMISSION, I AM OKAY WITH THAT, UH, TO DISCUSS NEXT MONTH OR THE FOLLOWING MONTH. THANK YOU. UM, ONE OF THE OPERATIONAL ISSUES WAS RELATING TO INVESTIGATIONS. UM, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE SEEING THE INVESTIGATIONS PROTOCOL BACK BEFORE US IT, BUT THIS WOULD BE EXPANDED BEYOND WHAT WAS IN THE, BUT I THINK MAYBE WE LUMP TOGETHER THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN HERE ON INVESTIGATIONS WITH THE INVESTIGATION PROTOCOL WHEN, IF, AND WHEN WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON THAT. OKAY. I WAS ALSO REFERRING TO THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT MEETING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY AND HR ON A SOMEWHAT REGULAR BASIS, WHICH I THINK, UM, THIS BODY AGREED THAT IT CAN MOVE FORWARD ON THAT, UM, ON ITS OWN WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF APPROVAL OR ENDORSEMENT FROM THE CITY MANAGER OR COUNCIL OR THE MAYOR. BUT I AM OKAY. WAITING TO, TO NEXT MONTH OR THE FOLLOWING MONTH TO DISCUSS. UM, JUST ONE QUESTION. IN TERMS OF MEETING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY AND HR, BOTH OF THE, WELL, THE HR PRESENT, IT WILL BE PRESENTING BEFORE US. OKAY. UM, THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR MEET WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT A PUBLIC MEETING WITH THE FULL COMMISSION? I INTERPRETED THE MEMO THAT, UH, THAT THE FULL COMMISSION WOULD HEAR FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY. YEAH. UM, BUT IF THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR THINK DEEMS IT'S MORE, UM, IT'S EASIER AND MORE FEASIBLE, UM, ON THEIR OWN TIME WITH A SMALLER GROUP, THAT'S FINE TOO. BUT YEAH, I, I INTERPRET THE MEMO AS A CITY ATTORNEY, UH, JOINING US ON A, I DON'T KNOW, SEMI-MONTHLY BASIS OR BI-ANNUALLY. AND, UH, REPORT TO US ON THE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE QUESTIONS ON. MM-HMM . YEAH. NO, I, I DON'T THINK THAT THOSE ARE TWO MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE THINGS. I THINK THAT BOTH CAN HAPPEN. AND MILLICENT, THE VICE CHAIR JUST REMINDED ME THAT WE HAVE A NEW ATTORNEY SUPPORTING US. WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF AT THIS TIME AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? I AM MILLICENT USRO. I'M THE NEW DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY, UM, THAT WILL STAFF THIS COMMISSION. I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE. I CAME FROM PRIVATE PRACTICE REPRESENTING PUBLIC ENTITIES, UM, BUT HAPPY TO BE IN HOUSE AND NOT BILL. SO, , UM, THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE RECOGNITION WELCOME. [00:15:03] UM, AND, UH, DITTO. I I DREAM OF THE DAY WHEN I WON'T BILL. UM, BUT THE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THAT END, UH, COMMISSIONER NORWAY, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE HAVE A WONDERFUL REPRESENT, UH, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY HERE. UM, PERHAPS IF THERE ARE, I KNOW THE MEMO TALKS ABOUT, UM, MUNICIPAL ELECTION VIOLATIONS, CAMPAIGN REQUIREMENTS, UM, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD ABOUT PERHAPS EXPANDING SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE BEFORE US, ESPECIALLY DURING CAMPAIGN SEASONS. PERHAPS IF THERE IS, YOU KNOW, A HOT BUTTON ISSUE THAT DOES REQUIRE THE CITY ATTORNEY, WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT THEN. BUT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE FAITH IN OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE OFFICE, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CONVERSATIONS, THE CHAIR AND I, UM, ARE EFFICIENT, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, PUT THOSE CONCERNS IN FRONT. THAT'S FINE. THANK YOU. ANY ADDITIONAL INPUT ON THIS ITEM FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION? AND IS THERE PUBLIC COMMENT? UH, THIS IS, UH, LET'S TAKE A VOTE. MOTION CARRIES, AND AGAIN, THIS WILL BE BACK IN A MONTH OR TWO. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE THE OFFICE OF ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCIES, [3. 25-56674 Recommendation to receive the Office of Ethics and Transparency’s updated communications and training calendar, and if necessary, provide feedback and recommended changes.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] UPDATED COMMUNICATIONS AND TRAINING CALENDAR. AND IF NECESSARY, PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND RECOMMENDED CHANGES. I HAVE A MOTION FROM, UM, VICE CHAIR COLEMAN, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER NOVE. AND, UH, DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? HI, CHAIR. SO, YES, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED, UM, THIS MASTER COMMUNICATIONS CALENDAR. UH, WE WORKED WITH A CONSULTANT, UH, FOR ABOUT SIX WEEKS. THEY CAME IN, MET WITH STAFF, UM, HELD A COUPLE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, UH, WENT THROUGH A LOT OF, UM, OUR RESOURCES AND MATERIALS THAT OET, UH, HAS BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO PULL TOGETHER AND PUSH OUT. UM, SO WITH ALL OF THAT CAME, UM, THE FINAL PRODUCT, WHICH IS WHAT I'M CALLING THE MASTER ETHICS TRAINING AND COMMUNICATIONS CALENDAR. SO THIS IS, UH, DIVIDED INTO FOUR QUARTERS. IT IS A LIVING DOCUMENT THAT WE CAN CHANGE, UM, ANNUALLY, MONTHLY, AS WE SEE FIT. UM, IT'S REALLY, THE WAY I SEE IT IS THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS OUR WHAT AND WHEN IN THIS CALENDAR. UM, OR SORRY, WHAT AND WHY IN THIS CALENDAR IS OUR WHEN AND HOW. UM, SO I'M HAPPY WITH THE PRODUCT. IT'S, THERE'S, IT'S VERY ROBUST. THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, SUGGESTIONS ON THERE, SOME OF WHICH WE WON'T BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT AS QUICKLY AS OTHERS. UM, BUT IT'S REALLY THE NEXT STEP IN OUR EFFORTS TO CONTINUE, UH, BUILDING OUR ETHICAL CULTURE. UM, IT OPERATIONALIZES THE STRATEGY FOR EDUCATION AND OUTREACH IS THE WAY I LOOK AT IT. SO I'M HAPPY, OR I'M GOOD WITH, IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A DRAFT IN MY MIND, BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION, SOMETHING THAT YOU WANNA HIGHLIGHT FOR ME TO MAKE NOTE OF, TO INCLUDE, UM, IN A CERTAIN PART OF THE YEAR, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR BACK DISCUSSION. ANY MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION? COMMISSIONER GILL. SO, QUESTION, UM, IS THIS BUDGETED OR AVAILABLE IN THE BUDGET? IS THERE FUNDING FOR IT? NO, NO. SOME OF IT, I MEAN, THERE, WE DO HAVE A BUDGET, SO WE'LL HAVE TO STRATEGIZE HOW WE USE THAT BUDGET. UM, WHICH IS WHY I SAID SOME OF IT CAN BE DONE A LITTLE BIT EASIER THAN OTHER THINGS. ARE THERE SOME ESTIMATES OF EACH OF HOW MUCH EACH QUARTER WOULD COST OR SOME OF THE COLUMNS WOULD COST? NOT YET. NO. JUST LOOKING AT IT NOW AND LOOKING AT THE RESOURCES WE HAVE, WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO QUICKLY, AND THEN OTHER THINGS ARE GONNA TAKE A DEEPER ANALYSIS. UM, THIS [00:20:01] JUST ISN'T THE YEAR THAT, THAT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF EXTRA RESOURCES. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION? COMMISSIONER NOVE. THANK YOU CHAIR. HEATHER, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT IN THE PRESENTATION. UM, BEAR WITH ME. I HAVE MADE TINY NOTES HERE. SO, UM, I APPRECIATE CERTAIN THINGS ABOUT, UM, YOUR PRESENTATION. UH, THE FLOW CHARTS, THE FAQS. I ALSO LIKE THE EVIDENCE-BASED TACTICS DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE STAFF FEEDBACK. AND, UM, I ALSO APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC FACING MESSAGING MESSAGING. UH, TO ME, THEY JUST REINFORCE ACCOUNTABILITY. UM, HOWEVER, I, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS. UM, TAKE THEM AT FACE VALUE, UH, PROCESS THEM AND IF THEY MAKE ANY SENSE TO YOU, PLEASE USE THEM. OR IF NOT, THAT'S FINE TOO. IT'S JUST WHAT I GOT OUT OF IT ON MY FIRST OR SECOND READ. OKAY. UM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE SCOPE OF ALL THIS. I THINK, UM, IT'S PRETTY AMBITIOUS AND I'M JUST, UH, UH, NERVOUS THAT IT MAY STRETCH, STRETCH YOU AND OET AND THE DEPARTMENT RESOURCES. UM, PERHAPS MOVING DOWN THE LINE, WE CAN CLARIFY PRIORITIES OR DO LIKE A ROLLOUT, IF YOU WILL. UM, ANOTHER THING THAT, UM, COMES TO MIND IS I INTERPRETED THIS DOCUMENT. UM, IT HAS A VERY HIGH RELIANCE ON AND PLACES A LOT OF WEIGHT ON COUNCIL, THE MAYOR AND DEPARTMENT HEADS FOR THE MESSAGING COMPONENT. AND I JUST THINK IT MIGHT CREATE EXECUTION RISKS IF THEIR ENGAGEMENT LACKS OR THEY DON'T PARTICIPATE. UH, ANOTHER THING THAT COMES TO MIND, UM, IN RESPECT TO THE NOTION OF FOLLOW UP AND REPORTING OUTCOMES, I WONDER IF THIS BODY MAY FACE POSSIBLE LEGAL OR PRIVACY LIMITS ON WHAT CAN BE SHARED. UH, PERHAPS WE CAN SPELL OUT ANY BOUNDARIES UPFRONT. UM, THE FINAL THING THAT, UH, CAUGHT MY ATTENTION IS IN TERMS OF COORDINATION EFFORTS ACROSS OFFICES OR EVERYONE INVOLVED, INCLUDING OET, THE BODY, THIS BODY, THE AUDITOR HR, AND THE CLERK'S OFFICE. UM, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE AN AGREEMENT IN ADVANCE ON THEIR ROLE TO AVOID OVERLAP OR FIND A BALANCE OF ROLES AND CROSS COORDINATION SO THAT EVERYTHING'S MANAGED WELL. UM, BUT OVERALL, UM, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S VERY ROBUST, UH, COMPREHENSIVE, BUT IT'S A PROMISING STRATEGY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND YES, I DO SHARE MOST OF THOSE CONCERNS AS WELL. OKAY. UM, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE APPROACHING IT WITH IT. OKAY. GOOD. OKAY. LET'S DO WHAT WE CAN NOW. OKAY. BUT YES, IT IS VERY ROBUST AND SOME THINGS WILL BE PRIORITIZED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. OKAY. BUT I APPRECIATE THAT. YEAH. THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR COLEMAN. UM, PERHAPS I MISSED THIS ON MY READ LAST, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST NOW. AND, AND, AND PRIOR, UM, HOW DOES THE, THE QUARTERLY FOCUS INTERTWINE? AND WHEN I SAY THE QUARTERLY FOCUS, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S BUY-IN AS COMMISSIONER NORWAY SAYS FROM, UM, THE ELECTEDS, UM, AS WELL AS OFFICES. HOW DOES THAT QUARTERLY FOCUS ALSO, UM, UH, MESH WITH THE PUBLIC FACING COMMUNICATION STRATEGY THAT WE MAY HAVE? RIGHT. I'M THINKING, OR ALTHOUGH THE ETHICAL ELEPHANT ISN'T NECESSARILY PUBLIC FACING YET, UM, AND AS WELL AS THE ROAD SHOWS. RIGHT. ARE THEY KIND OF INTERTWINED OR ARE THEY SEPARATE? JUST SO I CAN KIND OF WRAP MY HEAD AROUND IT? NO, I LOOK AT IT AS INTERTWINED. I MEAN, QUARTERLY, IT COULD BE SUBJECTIVE REALLY SOMETIMES. UM, BUT YEAH, IT, IT, EVERYTHING IS WEAVED TOGETHER WHERE IT MAKES SENSE. UM, AND QUARTERLY, IT'S JUST REALLY HELPING US BREAK IT UP INTO SMALLER PIECES. UM, BUT SOME THINGS WHERE WE WANNA DO IN THE FIRST QUARTER MAY NOT GET DONE UNTIL THE THIRD QUARTER TYPE OF THING. SO I THINK, UH, THERE ARE NO STRAIGHT LINES WHEN IT COMES TO THE QUARTERS. I THINK WE'RE FLEXIBLE, BUT YEAH, THE IDEA IS TO WEAVE. AND WITH THE, THE PUBLIC FACING FACING COMMUNICATIONS CALENDAR, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET. MY, MY PRIORITY AND MY EFFORTS ARE STILL REALLY FOCUSED [00:25:01] INTERNALLY. UM, SO AS WE BUILD OUT THE PUBLIC FACING RESOURCES MORE, I THINK THAT THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER DISCUSSION ON, ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND MAYBE STRATEGIZE. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU. AS COMMISSIONER NORWAY SAID, I THOUGHT THIS WAS VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT. UM, IT IS QUITE AMBITIOUS. UM, AND I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICE, UH, RESOURCES ARE STARTING TO BE A LITTLE STRETCHED. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT, UM, ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MISSING, UM, UH, THE, SOME OF THE INTERNS EXTERNS THAT WE WOULD HAVE MM-HMM . UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, ANY WAY THAT WE CAN ALSO HELP SUPPORT, UM, THESE, THIS AMBITIOUS, UH, GOALS, I, I KNOW THAT WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP AS WELL. WELL, I'M LOOKING AT APPOINTED LEADERS, SO I'M PRETTY SURE THAT ETHICS COMMISSIONERS WILL HELP ME DO MY VIDEOS AND, AND ALL OF THAT STUFF. SO, BUT THANK YOU. AFTER MY PERFORMANCE LAST TIME, I THINK YOU WON'T BE CALLING ON ME TO DO VIDEOS, BUT I MAY CALL THE VICE CHAIR CERTAINLY AVAILABLE. , I'M JUST KIDDING. THERE ARE TWO MEMBERS ON THIS COMMISSION WHO LOVE BEING IN FRONT OF A CAMERA, SO MAYBE THEY CAN COMMISSIONER GILL. I'M, I'M CURIOUS OF THE, WHAT IS THE 20 OR 21 DEPARTMENTS, THE AOS? WHAT, WHAT HEADCOUNT DID YOU GET PARTICIPATING? DID ALMOST ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT AOS OR HR TYPES PARTICIPATE IN THIS, OR NO, WE JUST HAD A GOOD HANDFUL, BUT NOT EVERY AO WAS THERE. UM, WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO INCLUDE 20 TO 30 VOICES IN THIS SMALL, UH, PROCESS. UM, BUT NOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK FROM DIFFERENT AOS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. AND SO THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO PRESENT ALL OF IT, THE WHOLE THING TO THE AOS AND KIND OF LAY OUT, UM, WHAT MY HOPE IS WITH THEIR SUPPORT, ET CETERA. GOTCHA. UM, I DO HAVE JUST ONE NUTS AND BOLTS KIND OF QUESTION. SO, Q1, JANUARY TO MARCH, THE Q1 TOPIC IS FRAUD PREVENTION AND REPORTING, UM, UNDER LEADERSHIP TOP TACTICS. BUT I, I THINK THAT'S THE, THE Q1 FOCUS. UM, ARE, ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO SOME TRAINING OR MESSAGING IN Q1 OF 2026 ON FRAUD? OKAY. YEAH. THAT, YEAH, THESE ARE, SO THOSE TOPICS, THESE ARE OUR GOALS, THE, THE TOPIC. BUT AGAIN, IF WE DECIDE THERE'S ANOTHER TOPIC THAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON, THEN THAT'S OKAY TOO. BUT, AND, AND WITHIN FRAUD, YOU WOULD INCLUDE TIMECARD FRAUD, TIMECARD ACCURACY. ABSOLUTELY. IT'S ON MY LIST. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . ANY OTHER INPUT FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? UH, DOES ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WANNA ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? MOTION CARRIES AGENDA ITEM NUMBER [4. 25-56675 Recommendation to receive and file monthly update from the Ad Hoc on Policies Review.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] FOUR, RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A MONTHLY UPDATE FROM THE AD HOC ON POLICIES REVIEW. AND WHO WILL BE DOING THAT UPDATE? OH, I HAVE TO WAIT. LET'S, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS, SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR COLEMAN, WHO WILL BE DOING THAT UPDATE. UM, I WILL SPEAK FOR OUR AD HOC. I THINK, UM, WE, WE ACTUALLY, WE HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT NEW, UH, IF YOU RECALL LAST MONTH, WE WANTED TO AWAIT, UM, THE ARRIVAL OF SOME COMMISSIONERS TO, UH, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT IS AN AD HOC OF ONE ALONG WITH STAFF, WHICH IS GREAT. UM, UH, VICE CHAIR HAS HELPED US OUT. WE DO HAVE A GIFT AND GRATUITY, UM, POLICY AND DRAFT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH STAFF. UH, BUT I RECALL THAT THE NEW, UM, PRIORITY IS SOCIAL MEDIA, SO THAT MIGHT BE IN SOMEBODY'S BACKYARD [00:30:01] IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING, UH, THAT ALONG WITH, UH, USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THAT WAS ANOTHER AREA THAT WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON. UM, ONE THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO ME, AND READY TO HATCH WOULD BE CONFLICT OF INTEREST. SO, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT WE TAKE A PAUSE UNTIL WE GET, UM, MORE, OR WE CAN MOVE FORWARD, YOU KNOW, TAKING A LOOK AT, UH, PEOPLE'S BANDWIDTH TO SEE IF WE WANT TO ADD TO THE AD HOC TO GET SOME MOMENTUM. SO RIGHT NOW, THE AD HOC IS COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICT AND COMMISSIONER COLEMAN. CORRECT. OKAY. CORRECT. AND YOU WANT TO STAY ON THE AD HOC? I WAS ON THE AD HOC, JUST IN CASE FORMER COMMISSIONER SHOTWELL WENT OFF, UM, AS, AS NECESSARY. I WILL. SO WHEN WE GET TO THAT AGENDA ITEM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT ALL COMMISSIONERS ARE IN THE AD HOC TO AN EXTENT, , , BECAUSE YOU WILL ALL HAVE YOUR AN HOC MOMENT. WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL RECEIVE THE REPORTS, BUT AN AD HOC BY DEFINITION IS BELOW QUORA. EXACTLY. WE ARE, WE ARE, UH, I THINK AT THIS POINT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, UH, NEW IDEAS AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT LEGACY AND NEW MATERIALS THAT ARE, THAT EXIST. UH, SOCIAL MEDIA BEING, WE HAVE A COUPLE YEARS THAT I KNOW OF, OF, OF MISSIVES THAT HAVE GONE OUT THAT PROBABLY ALL NEED TO BE CAPTURED AND, UH, TO WORK WITH STAFF ON OUR THOUGHTS, UM, TO PROPOSE TO THE STAFF ABOUT A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY. AND I THINK THAT, UH, WE'RE READY FOR THAT. UH, IT'S REALLY A MATTER OF, UM, DON'T WANT TO HIT, UH, COMMISSIONER GILL SO SOON, BUT I KNOW THAT WE'LL HAVE TWO OTHERS THAT'LL BE JOINING US, AND IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE, UH, I, IDEALLY, I THINK THREE. UM, SO WE WILL, UH, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S THE CURRENT REPORT. AND, UH, OPEN TO WHATEVER HEATHER MIGHT SAY OR ADD. NO, YOU DID GOOD. THANK YOU. . ANY OTHER INPUT FROM THE COMMISSION? IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? NO. WE MOVE TO A VOTE. MOTION CARRIES RECOMMEND. UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, [5. 25-56676 Recommendation to discuss anticipated Ad Hoc Committees for upcoming projects; and, if appropriate, take action to dissolve, create or reauthorize Ad Hoc Committees.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS ANTICIPATED AD HOC COMMITTEES FOR UPCOMING PROJECTS. AND IF APPROPRIATE, TAKE ACTION TO DISSOLVE, CREATE OR REAUTHORIZE AD HOC COMMITTEES. UH, UH, UH, I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS, SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR COLEMAN. AND AGAIN, ALTHOUGH THIS ITEM IS A STANDING ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, I THINK THAT AS FAR AS THE CREATION OF ANY NEW AD HOCS OR ADDING PEOPLE TO ANY AD HOCS, WE SHOULD AWAIT OUR REMAINING TWO COMMISSIONERS. IS ANOTHER MONTH A PROBLEM RELATIVE TO THE ELECTION REVIEW PROCESS? THE ELECTION FILINGS? WE'VE HAD ONE ALREADY, RIGHT? FOR THE NEXT ELECTION. UH, SO THERE IS ACTUALLY NO FILINGS FOR THIS UPCOMING, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SPECIAL STATEWIDE? NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S. YEAH. SO THEN, UH, FOR THE JUNE 2ND, UH, THE NEXT FILING WILL BE DUE JANUARY, 2026. OKAY. SO WE'LL HAVE AN AD HOC IN PLACE BEFORE JANUARY IF WE, IF WE DECIDE TO PUT ONE IN PLACE. OKAY. ANY INPUT FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? LET'S MOVE TO A VOTE. MOTION CARRIES AGENDA. ITEM NUMBER SIX, [6. 25-56677 Recommendation to receive and file a monthly update from the Ethics Officer.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A MONTHLY UPDATE FROM THE ETHICS OFFICER. I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICTUS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GALE. HEATHER, THANK YOU, CHAIR. JUST A FEW THINGS THIS MONTH. UM, I WANTED TO SHARE, UM, THAT LA COUNTY HAS THEIR BALLOT DROP BOXES OUT, 400 PLUS LOCATIONS FOR THE SPECIAL ELECTION COMING UP ON NOVEMBER 4TH. AND THERE ARE 20 OF THOSE DROP BOXES IN LONG BEACH AT, UH, VARIOUS LIBRARIES, PARKS, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS. UM, OET WE HOSTED A TRAINING FOR COMMISSION STAFF ON THE 17TH OF SEPTEMBER, AND THAT WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MAYOR CLERK IN HR THAT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED. UH, [00:35:01] I ALSO MADE A PRESENTATION TO OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. UH, THAT WAS QUITE A LARGE MEETING AND A GOOD PRESENTATION AS WELL. I'VE ALREADY SHARED THAT WE'VE BEGUN THE VISIONING PROCESS FOR QUARTER ONE OF 2026 IN, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, STARTING TO WRAP UP 2025. AND THEN I DID WANNA SHARE, I KNOW I IMAGINE AS LONG BEACH RESIDENTS, YOU'RE FOLLOWING THIS A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, THE CITY, UH, REGARDING THE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ISSUES, UM, AND ICE ISSUES THAT THE CITY HAS HOSTED. TWO NOW, VIRTUAL EMPLOYEE TOWN HALLS ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IMPACTS, UH, WITH A FOCUS ON EMPLOYEE TRAINING, UH, FOR POTENTIAL FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ACTIVITY IN THE WORKPLACE THAT'S BEEN ATTENDED BY HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES. UM, SO THE CITY IS REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT, MAKING SURE EMPLOYEES UNDERSTAND WHAT TO DO OR WHAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO. UM, SO I JUST THOUGHT YOU'D, YOU WOULD WANT TO KNOW THAT. AND THEN, UH, THE CITY DID MAKE AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON OCTOBER 1ST REGARDING THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. UM, SO IF YOU'VE NOT SEEN THAT THERE IS AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT OUT, AND THEN THE MAYOR'S ETHICS PACKAGE, THAT CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD. UM, AND WITH THAT, THAT IS MY UPDATE. THANK YOU. UM, MOVES FORWARD WITH A POSSIBLE DATE POSSIBLE, BUT I'LL, I'LL CIRCLE BACK WITH THE COMMISSION ON THAT. OKAY. I DON'T WANNA THROW SPECIFIC DATES OUT THERE, BUT IT IS STILL MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. ANY INPUT FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? IT'S MOVED TO A VOTE. MOTION CARRIES AGENDA. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, RECOMMENDATION [7. 25-56678 Recommendation to discuss potential agenda items for future Commission meetings.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] TO DISCUSS POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEMS FOR FUTURE COMMISSION MEETINGS. DO I HAVE A MOTION MOVED BY COMMISSIONER DE BENEDICT, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GILL? WELL, MOST OF THE AGENDA FROM TODAY IS ALSO GONNA APPEAR ON FUTURE AGENDAS. UM, BUT, UH, ANY OTHER IDEAS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? UH, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK TO LAST MONTH WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, COMMISSION CHARTERS. UH, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, WE'VE RECEIVED SOME PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY. I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING MORE, UH, BUT I THINK, UM, I'LL, I'LL WITHHOLD MY COMMENTS TILL TILL THAT'S HEARD. BUT I DO THINK WE HAVE, UM, POSSIBLY A ROLE. SO I'D, UH, I, I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COMES UP FREQUENTLY AND MAYBE HOW WE, UM, WHAT IS OUR ROLE IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH OTHER COMMISSIONS AND OTHER, UM, OFFICIALS AND, UH, OTHER ITEMS THAT MIGHT COME BEFORE THE CITY THAT THE PUBLIC WANTS US TO REVIEW. AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY THE, THE VICE CHAIR AND THE CHAIR SHOULD TAKE UNDER ADVISEMENT. TAKE A, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. BUT IF YOU FEEL THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION SHOULD TALK BROADLY ABOUT AND MAYBE HAVE A PROTOCOL AROUND SOME THINGS, OR HOW WE ADDRESS THINGS, UM, I, I, I THINK IT WOULD HELP US BE MORE EFFICIENT, UH, ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS THAT WE'RE LISTENING AND, UH, UH, THAT WE OBVIOUSLY WANNA RESPOND. OR IF THERE IS NO RESPONSE, I, I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE A ROLE. OKAY. I, I GUESS I'D LIKE INPUT NOT ON THE SPOT, BUT, UH, DOWN, MOVING FORWARD FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. UM, CERTAINLY IN OUR, UH, FOUNDING DOCUMENTS AND IN OUR CHARTER, WE ARE ADVISING THE, THE MAYOR, THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, CITY EMPLOYEES. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OUR CHARTER ENCOMPASSES THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE ADVISORY COMMENTS TO OTHER COMMISSIONS. AND I'D, I'D LIKE TO [00:40:01] KNOW THAT FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE. THAT'D BE GREAT. COMMISSIONER NOVE. THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT AT SOME POINT, UH, BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, THE MEETING CALENDAR FOR 2026, IF THIS BODY RECALLS. UH, I MADE A MOTION TO HAVE A, TO SKIP A MEETING IN DECEMBER OF 2024 TO ALLOW, UH, THE BODY AND STAFF TO HAVE A BREAK FROM, UH, THE 12 MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE A YEAR. UM, THIS YEAR WE HAPPENED TO HAVE A, A BREAK IN AUGUST, AND, UH, I FELT A LOT OF GLEE AND I WAS ABLE TO TAKE A BREATH. AND, UM, AND I APPRECIATED THAT. AND I KNOW STAFF ALSO, UH, WAS ABLE TO TAKE A BREATH, UH, FROM ALL THEIR OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES. SO I WOULD LIKE TO BRING THAT MOTION BACK UP, UH, BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR SO WE CAN LOOK AT, UH, A POSSIBLE, UH, DATE IN 2026. THANK YOU. THANKS. WE'LL HAVE NEW COMMISSIONERS, SO MIGHT BE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS. OKAY. ANY OTHER INPUT FROM THE COMMISSION? UH, COM, VICE CHAIR COLEMAN, UM, TO THE POINT THAT I MADE EARLIER ABOUT, UM, UH, UH, HAVING THAT, UH, PUBLIC MEETING, UM, I THINK TO GET THE BALL MOVEMENT MOVING, MAYBE WE START CONSIDERING DATES, VENUES, UH, PERHAPS METHODS TO HAVE. UM, I KNOW WE HAD PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED, UH, SENDING OUT A SURVEY. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE NEXT MEETING. UM, BUT DO WANT TO START THE PROCESS, UM, AS I KNOW PROBABLY WILL TAKE SOME TIME. UM, SO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT ON A FUTURE AGENDA. UM, A SURVEY ON WOULD PEOPLE COME AND WHAT IS THE MOST CONVENIENT THAT COULD BE A PART OF IT. UM, AND MY THOUGHTS WERE, UM, JUST BECAUSE OUR MEETINGS DO NEED TO BE PUBLICLY, PUBLICLY NOTICED WITH TOPICS. SO TOPICS, TOPICS, OKAY. UM, THAT THE PUBLIC MAY FIND, UM, YOU KNOW, USEFUL FOR THAT SESSION. AND THERE WAS A SURVEY THAT WAS DONE, I BELIEVE, BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUGAN ON, UH, THE ABILITY OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND COUNCIL MEETINGS. UM, AND IMPEDIMENTS TO THAT, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I EVER SAW ANY RESULTS FROM THAT. UH, MAYBE IF WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, WE CAN GET THE RESULTS FROM THAT SURVEY TOO. I, I WELCOME THAT. ANY OTHER INPUT FROM THE COMMISSION ON THIS ITEM? I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA. WE NEED A PLAN AHEAD OF TIME SO WE KNOW, UH, MAYBE ONE IN THE SPRING AND ONE IN THE FALL. I LIKE THAT IDEA. ANY OTHER INPUT FROM THE COMMISSION? IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? LET'S MOVE TO A VOTE. OH, I'M SORRY. . I AM SORRY. I WAS, OH, NO, I, I DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY. AND I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD BE SPEAKING ON THIS AGENDA ITEM OR ON NON-AG AGENDA ITEMS. SO IF I'M INCORRECT, TELL ME TO SIT DOWN. UM, I SPEAK TODAY IN THE MERIT OF EAD KASIER. IT'S A PHRASE IN JUDAISM THAT MEANS TO HONOR HIS SOUL AND HIS LEGACY, THAT HIS MEMORY BE A BLESSING, AND THAT PEACE AND COMPASSION COULD GUIDE ALL OUR EFFORTS TO PREVENT SUCH SUFFERING IN THE FUTURE. UP UNTIL APRIL, 2024, I WORE THIS BRACELET BECAUSE HE WAS TAKEN HOSTAGE ON OCTOBER 3RD, JUST IN RECOGNITION THAT HE WAS BEING HELD HOSTAGE AND HOPING FOR SAFE RETURN. BUT IT WAS CONFIRMED IN APRIL, 2024 THAT HE WAS KILLED. EAD WAS A 47-YEAR-OLD FARMER AND DEVOTED MEMBER OF HIS KIBBUTZ AND A CLOSE KNIT COMMUNITY THAT WAS NEAR THE, THE HAMAS NEAR THE GAZA BORDER ON OCTOBER 7TH, 2023. HE WAS TAKEN HOSTAGE BY HAMAS AND HELD IN GAZA FOR MONTHS BEFORE BEING TRAGICALLY MURDERED IN CAPTIVITY. HIS BODY WAS RECOVERED BY ISRAELI FORCES IN 2024. HE WAS KNOWN FOR HIS WARMTH, HIS LOVE FOR THE LAND, AND HIS DEEP COMMITMENT TO HIS COMMUNITY. REMEMBERING HIM TODAY BEFORE I SPEAK, IS NOT ONLY AN ACT OF MOURNING, BUT A REAFFIRMATION OF OUR SHARED HUMANITY. A CALL TO PURSUE COMPASSION, [00:45:01] JUSTICE, AND PEACE SO THAT NO FAMILY ANYWHERE EVER ENDURES THAT KIND OF PAIN AGAIN. SO I WANT TO SPEAK TODAY, ACTUALLY. I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT THE TROUBLING DISCONNECT THAT I BELIEVE AND WHAT I'VE EXPERIENCED BETWEEN THE CITY STATED VALUES AND THE RECENT ACTIONS OF THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED AND MUCH OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY HAS EXPERIENCED IN PRINCIPLE, THIS ETHICS COMMISSION ME THIS ETHICS COMMISSION AND THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION SHOULD BE THE MOST ALIGNED COMMISSIONS IN OUR CITY. ONE EXISTS TO HOLD UP THE CITY'S VALUE STATEMENT, ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND PUBLIC TRUST. THE OTHER, THE EQUITY COMMISSION EXISTS TO PROMOTE EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION, AND TO FOSTER POSITIVE HUMAN RELATIONS, THESE TWO BODIES SHOULD COMPLIMENT AND REINFORCE EACH OTHER. AND YET, FOR ALMOST THE PAST TWO YEARS, AND I THINK IT'S WHEN CHIEF COLEMAN FIRST BECAME A COMMISSIONER SINCE THE HAMAS MASSACRE, I APOLOGIZE, BUT YOUR TIME HAS ELAPSED. PLEASE WRAP UP YOUR COMMENT. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT I COULD REQUEST ADDITIONAL TIME SINCE I'M THE ONLY SPEAKER? YES. THANK YOU. I I WON'T BE TOO LONG. I KNOW. OCTOBER 7TH, 2023, EVERY CONCERN, I'M SORRY, I BROUGHT BEFORE THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN ABOUT MY LOSS OF TRUST, GIVEN THE ONGOING CONDUCT OF THE COMMISSIONERS ON THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION. THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE WAS THE DECISION TO SCHEDULE A VOTE ON WHAT REALLY APPEARS TO BE A BDS INSPIRED CIVIL AND HUMAN RELATIONS INVESTMENT SCREENING PO POLICY BEING PROPOSED BY THE LONG BEACH PEACE AREA NETWORK, WHICH ITSELF ADVOCATES FOR BOYCOTTING ISRAEL AND HAS POSTED SOME OF THE MOST VIRAL VIDEO REELS ON ITS FACEBOOK PAGE. AND THEY WERE ASKED TO PRESENT A POLICY AT THE SEPTEMBER 3RD EQUITY COMMISSION. UM, AND THEN BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY HAD PUT IT ON THEIR AGENDA, THEY HAD TO RESCHEDULE TO HAVE IT VOTED AT THEIR NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING, WHICH ENDED UP BEING ON A OF YAM KIPPUR, WHICH IS PERHAPS THE MOST HOLY, HOLY DAY FOR ANY OBSERVANT JEWISH COMMUNITY MEMBER. I WAS AT THAT MEETING. I WAS PERSONALLY CALLED DISHONEST BY ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS PUBLICLY BECAUSE I FELT THE BILL WAS BIASED, AND I THOUGHT THERE WASN'T A MUCH ENOUGH NOTICE. AND SHE ALSO CITED STATISTICS FROM A GROUP ALIGNED WHEN THE US PALESTINIAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION THAT YESTERDAY ENGAGED IN ADVOCATING FOR A RAGE MARCH. UM, ANYHOW, I ASKED SEPTEMBER 4TH, COULD THERE BE AN ACCOMMODATION? COULD THEY EITHER PUT THAT AGENDA ITEM ON THEIR NOVEMBER AGENDA OR RESCHEDULE A MEETING? I STARTED ON SEPTEMBER 4TH. UM, POOR TYLER KNOWS BECAUSE I I, EVERY EMAIL WENT TO HIM ASKING, WILL THEY ACCOMMODATE? WILL THEY ACCOMMODATE NOTHING EXCEPT FOR AT THE VERY END OF SEPTEMBER WHEN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CALLED OUT TO THE MAYOR IN SO MANY WAYS TO PLEASE INTERVENE. AND AT THAT POINT, AT THE LAST MINUTE, IT WAS CANCELED. AND SO IF THE REASON FOR NOT RESCHEDULING, BECAUSE IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE, I DO WONDER HOW SHORTLY THEREAFTER, TWO, I THINK THREE DAYS LATER, UM, WHEN THIS BARRIER TO PAR PARTICIPATION WAS POINTED OUT, THE COMMISSION REFUSED TO CHANGE THE DATE. SORRY, I WENT OFF SCRIPT ONLY AT THE LAST MINUTE WHEN THE CITY INTERVENED. WAS THE MEETING CANCELED FOR ME. THAT WAS THE MOMENT THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION CROSSED THE PROVERBIAL RUBICON NO LONGER COULD THEIR CLAIMS THAT ANTI-ZIONISM DOES NOT MEAN THE COMMISSIONERS ARE NOT ANTI-SEMITIC, BECAUSE YOM KIPPUR IS A JEWISH HOLIDAY. IT'S NOT AN ISRAELI HOLIDAY. AT THAT MOMENT, IT STOPPED FUNCTIONING AS A BODY COMMITTED TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION, AND INSTEAD ACTED [00:50:01] IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE CITY'S OWN VALUE STATEMENT. THE CODE OF CONDUCT, THE COMMISSIONER'S HANDBOOK PICK WHATEVER YOU WANT, WHICH REQUIRES FAIRNESS, TRANSPARENCY, AND THE ELIMINATION OF BARRIERS TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. I ASK THAT THIS COMMISSION IF YOU CAN, TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT HAPPENED HERE IS NOT JUST A SCHEDULING PROBLEM OR A POLICY DISAGREEMENT. IT IS AN ETHICS ISSUE. AND IT STRIKES AT THE VERY HEART OF WHETHER THIS CITY CAN AND IS WILLING TO LIVE UP TO ITS OWN PRINCIPLES OF EQUITY, ETHICS, AND PUBLIC TRUST. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME, UH, THE EXTRA TIME, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR JUST SWARMING YOU GUYS WITH ATTACHMENTS LAST MEETING AND NOT SHOWING UP. AND I ALSO WANNA THANK BOTH HEATHER AND TYLER WHO HAVE BEEN SO PATIENT WITH ME AND ALL MY PESTERING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, TAKE A VOTE ON THIS AGENDA ITEM. COMMISSIONER NOVA, COMMISSIONER DE BEES. ARE YOU STILL DECIDING CHAIR, IF YOU DON'T MIND? I DO HAVE A QUESTION. OKAY. BEFORE, YEAH. THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. UM, THIS BRINGS UP, UH, A QUESTION, A CONCERN. UM, WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION FOR SOME TIME NOW. WE'VE ALSO BEEN RECEIVING, UH, COMMENTS AND I BELIEVE THERE ARE ACCUSATIONS ABOUT A SITTING COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FROM A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS BODY HAS DONE ANYTHING, BUT WE HAVE NOT, AS LONG AS, AS FAR AS I KNOW, WE HAVE NOT AS A BODY RESPONDED, UH, TO THOSE, UH, ACCUSATIONS OR COMMENTS OR, YEAH. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED THESE COMMENTS, THESE ACCUSATIONS. I KNOW FOR ME, IF I GO SOMEWHERE AND I BRING UP AN ISSUE AND I FEEL LIKE I'M NOT BEING LISTENED TO, IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING. AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S HOW WE WORK HERE IN THE CITY. I THINK HERE IN THE CITY, WE ACKNOWLEDGE PEOPLE'S COMMENTS WHETHER WE AGREE WITH THEM OR NOT. AND I THINK THIS BODY, AT LEAST AT THE MINIMUM, NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED ABOUT THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION AND ALSO ABOUT THE, UH, SITTING COUNCIL MEMBER BECAUSE IT'S BEEN MONTHS AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING ON THE AGENDA AND THERE HASN'T BEEN A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, UM, A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT. SO I WOULD ASK THAT THIS BODY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. COMMISSIONER, DO YOU I HAVE THE SAME PASSION. UH, I FEEL THAT THIS HAS BEEN A REPEAT. UM, AND WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT IT, WHAT ARE OUR DUTIES AND WHAT, WHERE IS OUR, OUR CHARTER. UH, THE OTHER THING THAT CONCERNS ME BEYOND THE SCHEDULING ISSUE OR, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO WATCH THE TAPE. I NEED TO LISTEN AND READ, BUT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE, UH, THE INFORMATION THAT'S DISSEMINATED. IT APPEARS TO BE BIASED, AND THAT'S PROBLEMATIC IF, UH, IF, IF MATERIALS ARE PRESENTED TO THAT, TO PORTRAY WHAT THE CITY'S ROLE IS, WHERE OUR MONIES GO, AND WHAT IS OUR POSITION THAT CANNOT BE, UM, THAT HAS TO BE IMPARTIAL AND FREE OF BIAS. AND I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. I THINK THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THE EXAMINATION IN ADDITION TO THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED TODAY. UH, 'CAUSE UM, WE'VE, WE ALL WORKED VERY HARD ON OUR CODE OF CONDUCT AND, UM, WE HAVE TO KEEP AN OPEN ENVIRONMENT. SO THOSE ARE MY 2 CENTS. THANK YOU. UM, I, I I DO THINK WHEN A COMPLAINT ON AN ACTUAL ALLEGATION OF AN ETHICS VIOLATION IS RECEIVED, YOUR OFFICE ACKNOWLEDGES IT. RIGHT? YEAH. SO THERE WOULD BE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OKAY. IF WE'RE, BUT, BUT FOR US TO DISCUSS IT, RIGHT. WE NEED TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA. OKAY. UH, OTHERWISE BROWN ACT PROBLEMS. UH, SO I, I, I'VE, I'VE MADE A NOTE OF THE DESIRE AND I DO NEED TO HEAR BACK FROM CITY ATTORNEY ON, [00:55:01] UH, A, A CONSTRAINTS, IF ANY, ON OUR ROLE. AND THOSE ARE THE STEPS WE TOOK WITH THE MATTER WE DISCUSSED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO WITH SOCIAL MEDIA POSTING, ET CETERA. OKAY. WELL, I WOULD, OKAY. THANK YOU. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE FUTURE. UM, DO YOU, ARE YOU PROPOSING A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM, SUBJECT OF COURSE, TO ADVICE FROM CITY ATTORNEY ON, UH, WHAT OUR WHAT OUR ROLE IS? I WOULD LIKE TO DO ONE MORE READ THROUGH OF ALL THE DOCUMENTS, UH, RECEIVED. AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, NOT ONLY ABOUT THE, THE ISSUES THAT WAS RAISED HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT ALSO ABOUT THE SITTING COUNCIL MEMBER BEFORE I MAKE A MOTION. BUT I KNOW IT'S LEANING IN THAT DIRECTION. I JUST WANNA BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, SPECIFIC MM-HMM . SO THIS ITEM IS, IS A CONTINUING ITEM YES. ON THE AGENDA. SO, ALRIGHT. THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE NOVEMBER MEETING OKAY. TO PROPOSE AN AGENDA ITEM. OKAY. THANK YOU CHAIR. NO PROBLEM. SO SINCE WE HAD MORE VOTE DISCUSSION, SO IS STILL OPEN. SO I THINK ALL WE NEED IS, UH, AN, UH, COMMISSIONER, NOVE AND, UH, DE BENES TO VOTE. OKAY. TO CAST THEIR VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. AND DO WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT [PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Ethics Commission on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.] ON ANY NON-AG AGENDA ITEM? AND DO WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? [ANNOUNCEMENTS] I GUESS I MADE MY ANNOUNCEMENTS OUT OF ORDER. UM, BUT , SOMEBODY SLAPPED MY HAND. UH, ARE THERE ANY MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS? UH, I THINK WE'RE ADJOURNED. [ADJOURNMENT] THE TIME IS 3 57. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.