Nov 05, 2025 Economic Development Commission

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SO FOR THE RECORD, COMMISSIONER MATOYA AND COMMISSIONER SMITH ARE EXCUSED FROM THE MEETING.

AND ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? SEEING NONE.

WE MISSED THEM, BUT NO, THAT'S .

ITEM ONE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, 2025.

UM, WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND READ OUT THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION.

[1. 25-56765 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Economic Development Commission meeting of Wednesday, October 1, 2025. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

COULD I HAVE A MOTION TO HEAR THIS ITEM? OKAY.

I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER SANDOVAL AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER NOVIN.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR CORRECTIONS ON THE MINUTES? OKAY.

SEEING NONE, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE MISS ON THE MINUTES? IF THERE IS ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE COME UP TO THE PODIUM.

UH, SEEING NONE.

WHY DON'T WE CALL FOR THE VOTE? WHY? JUST A REMINDER, IF YOU'D MISSED THE LAST MEETING, BUT YOU REVIEWED THE MINUTES, THE PACKET AND THE VIDEO, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE AS WELL.

JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT.

SO, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE BRIEF COMMENT, UM, TO NOT ONLY WELCOME EVERYBODY, BUT MONDAY WAS A REALLY GLORIOUS DAY BECAUSE OUR DODGERS WON.

SO GO DODGERS.

AND YESTERDAY WAS ELECTION DAY.

VOTING DAY.

SO HOPE EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO VOTE.

ITEM TWO IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE AN UPDATE ON THE GROW LONG BEACH ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES RELATING TO THE BLUEPRINT.

UM, WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND READ ITEM NUMBER TWO.

[2. 25-56766 Recommendation to receive and file an update on the Grow Long Beach Economic Blueprint and Economic Development Department activities relating to the Blueprint. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

COULD I HAVE A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? OKAY.

I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER NORDIC AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER THOMAS.

UH, SO WE'RE EXCITED TO GIVE YOU GUYS, UH, MORE UPDATES ON THIS AS WE KIND OF CONTINUE TO, TO DESIGN THE SPECIFICS OF THIS PROGRAM, THE RESOURCES, A GOOD OLD REVOLVING LOAN FUND, YOU KNOW, UP AND GOING SINCE THE, UH, EARLY NINETIES, MID NINETIES, I BELIEVE, I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE COOLEST PROGRAMS WE HAVE, BECAUSE ACCESS TO CAP, EVERYBODY HAS DREAMS, BUSINESS DREAMS, BUT EVERYBODY NEEDS CAPITALS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

SO THE STAFF.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR.

LEMME MAKE SURE THIS, UH, WORKS REALLY QUICKLY.

THERE WE GO.

ALRIGHT, PERFECT.

SO, I WILL, UH, BE PRESENTING ON THIS ITEM.

UM, WE'RE BRINGING BACK THIS ITEM.

AS WE RECALL, IT'S AN UPDATE, IT'S ON THE GROW LONG BEACH ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT.

SO THIS IS OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR GUIDING, UH, KIND OF, UM, OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR GUIDING, UM, DELIVERABLES AND FOCUS AREAS AS I ARE ABOUT TO GO OVER HERE.

SO, UM, THIS ITEM, UH, WAS SUPPOSED TO, WAS, WE HAD IT COME BACK IN SEPTEMBER, BUT WE HAD TO RESCHEDULE.

UH, SO WE'RE BRINGING IT BACK NOW FOR, UM, YOU GUYS TO REVIEW.

SO WHAT WE'LL DO NEXT IS WE'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH AN OVERVIEW AND UPDATE ON, UH, THE PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES AND ACTIVITIES THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN DOING THESE PAST FEW MONTHS SINCE THE PREVIOUS UPDATE, EARLIER THIS YEAR.

UM, JUST TO KEEP YOU ABREAST.

AND THEN, UH, WE'LL ALSO BE AFTER THIS, UM, WE, WE'LL BE WORKING TOWARDS, UM, METRIC, UH, MEASURE METRIC DEVELOPMENT AND, AND SELECTION OF THAT PIECE.

SO LET'S GET US GOING HERE.

YOU HAVE A COPY AS WELL.

UH, CARL PROVIDED

[00:15:01]

YOU A COPY OF THIS.

SO THIS IS, THESE ARE THE FOCUS AREAS ALONG WITH THE CHAMPIONS.

SO THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO, YOU MAY RECALL, WE ASKED YOU GUYS TO SELECT THE FOCUS AREAS THAT YOU WANTED TO WORK ON, UH, AS A COMMISSIONER.

AND, UM, THIS IS WHERE WE'VE BLENDED BASED ON YOUR RANKINGS.

UM, YOU NOTICE THAT WE DID NOT INCREASE ALL, INCLUDE ALL FOCUS AREAS.

AND THAT IS JUST BECAUSE IF WE HAD, UH, TO INCLUDE THEM ALL, THEN THERE WOULD BE AN ISSUE WITH LIKE WHAT'S CALLED A SERIAL MEETING, WHICH KIND OF VIOLATES THE BROWN ACT.

MEANING THAT IF, UM, ENOUGH COMMISSIONERS, YOU KNOW, START TO BEGIN TO DISCUSS SOMETHING, UH, OUTSIDE THE PUBLIC, IN THE PUBLIC, UH, ARENA, THEN THAT IS, YOU KNOW, NOT, UM, IN COMPLIANT WITH THE BROWN ACT, WHICH IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THE, UM, THAT'S ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND MAKING SURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF WHAT, UH, PUBLIC COMMISSIONS AND PUBLIC BODIES ARE DISCUSSING.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE SETTLED ON.

FOUR, UH, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADHERE TO THAT.

BUT WE ALSO PRIORITIZE THE TOP FOUR THAT AS A, AS A TEAM YOU GUYS WANTED TO ADDRESS.

SO THOSE ARE THE FOUR IS THE BUSINESS, BUSINESS, EXPANSION, ATTRACTION AND RETENTION, ENGINES OF GROWTH, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND THEN YOUR ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIPS.

SO JUST AS A QUICK REMINDER, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW SOME OF US ARE NEWER THAN OTHERS.

SO THE REASON OF HOW WE LANDED AND WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE, MEANING THE FOCUS AREAS AND THEN THE, UM, DELIVERABLES AND THE OBJECTIVES ASSOCIATED WITH THESE IS, UM, IS THROUGH A PROCESS THAT I THINK WE STARTED OVER A YEAR AGO AND WE FINISHED UP EARLY THIS YEAR, UM, OF PRIORITIZING, UH, ASSOCIATING THE CORRECT OBJECTIVES AND THEN PRIORITIZING THOSE FOR EACH OF THE FOCUS AREAS.

UM, SO NOW THAT WE'VE COMPLETED THAT, WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE FOCUS AREAS, THE TOP FOUR THAT WE'VE ALL, UH, AS A COMMISSION AND STAFF, UH, LANDED ON.

SO NOW WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING THOSE FOCUS AREAS.

NOW, I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THE CHAIR HAS BEEN VERY EXCITING TO DO.

SO WE ARE, WE'RE HERE, THANK GOODNESS.

UM, AND JUST AS A REMINDER, UH, ALSO JUST, UH, OF WHY, HOW WE'VE NESTED THE VARIOUS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE GROW LONG BEACH BLUEPRINT PLUS, UH, THE, THE MAYOR'S GROW LONG BEACH INITIATIVE, AND THEN ALSO THE 52 UPDATES THAT, UM, BO BO MARTINEZ, OUR DIRECTOR, PRESENTED TO YOU GUYS LAST MONTH.

UH, CARLA GAVE YOU GUYS THIS VERY ODDLY WEIRD LONG, BIG SHEET.

UM, AND THAT'S JUST OUR, FOR YOU GUYS TO HAVE AS REFERENCE.

UH, BUT THAT IS BASICALLY TO LET YOU KNOW, SO WE'VE TAKEN THE FOCUS AREAS, WHICH ARE LIKE THE BIG UMBRELLAS, AND THEN INSIDE THOSE, WE, UH, YOU HAVE YOUR OBJECTIVES, OF COURSE, THAT ARE FOR EACH OF THE BLUEPRINT THAT ARE FROM THE ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT.

AND THEN INSIDE EACH OF THOSE FOCUS AREAS, WE ALSO ALIGNED THE, UH, GROW LONG BEACH.

UM, THE, UH, MAYOR'S GROW LONG BEACH INITIATIVE DELIVERABLES, THE NINE THAT WE HAVE THAT RELATED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND THEN NESTED FURTHER IN THAT ARE THE 52 STRATEGIES THAT BO UM, WENT OVER WITH YOU GUYS LAST WEEK, SORRY, LAST MONTH.

AND SO NOW WE'RE AT THE POINT TO WE CAN DO A GOOD REVIEW, GIVE YOU AN UPDATE OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING PROGRAMMATICALLY, AND THEN, UM, WITH THESE CHAMPIONS, THESE GROUPS, WE CAN START TO LOOK AT THE METRICS DEVELOPMENT.

YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE KNOW THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, GOING ON THE RIGHT TRACK.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL COME NEXT.

SO HERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST FOCUS AREA, BUSINESS ATTRACTION, BUSINESS EXPANSION, ATTRACTION RETENTION.

YOU GUYS HAVE COPIES.

SO YOU KNOW, I WON'T FOCUS ON THE MISSIONS OF EACH OF THEM AND THE OBJECTIVES, YOU HAVE 'EM AS REFERENCE.

UM, WHAT I WILL FOCUS ON IS JUST THE, THE PROGRAMMATIC UPDATES THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO AS A DEPARTMENT.

SO HERE'S OUR PRIORITY OBJECTIVES THAT WERE, UM, OH, DEAN, THAT WASN'T ME, I PROMISE.

ONE MOMENT, PLEASE.

YEAH, WE'LL WAIT AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY, BUT WE DO, WE HAVE PAPER COPIES TOO, SO IN CASE WE NEED TO CONTINUE, WE'RE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THE DISPLAY.

MADAM CITY CLERK, DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE WAIT OR SHOULD WE KEEP GOING? UM, SINCE EVERYONE HAS COPIES OF THE POWERPOINT, WE CAN, AND WE'VE UPLOADED IT ONLINE.

YOU CAN CONTINUE WITH YOUR PRESENTATION, IF YOU DON'T MIND.

IS THAT, IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU CHAIR? OKAY, THAT'S FINE.

YEAH, THAT'S FINE.

THAT'S GOOD.

ALRIGHTY, WE WILL DO THAT.

SO LET'S SEE HERE, GOING OVER THE MISSION AND THEN THE, AS I WAS POINTING OUT, THE PRIORITY OBJECTIVES THAT WERE, UH, DONE THROUGH THE PRIORITIZATION EXERCISE THAT WE DID IN TWO PARTS.

MOVING ON TO SLIDE NUMBER, UH, FIVE IS THE GROW LONG BEACH DELIVERABLES, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE SEEING THERE, THE FOCUS YOU'RE SEEING THERE, THE FOCUS AREA, THE OBJECTIVES, THE GROW LONG BEACH DELIVERABLES ARE NESTED INSIDE

[00:20:01]

THE, UH, FOCUS AREAS.

AND NOW YOU'RE MOVING INTO PAGE, UH, SLIDE NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS THE GROW, UH, NOW WHERE YOU START SEEING SOME OF THAT LIKE, UH, PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITY THAT WE'RE DOING AS A DEPARTMENT.

SO YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT SLIDE NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS ON, UH, GROW LONG BEACH DELIVERABLE NUMBER TWO, NUMBER THREE.

UH, AND THIS IS A, UM, AN UPDATE ON OUR BUSINESS LIAISON.

SO YOU MIGHT RECALL ALSO EARLIER THIS, THIS, UH, YEAR, UH, THIS IS A NEW POSITION FOR THE DEPARTMENT, UH, THE BUSINESS LIAISON.

YOU CAN SEE THE POSITION DESCRIPTION THERE ON YOUR LEFT HAND SIDE.

UH, OVER THIS, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OVER A ACTUALLY, UH, JUST ABOUT A YEAR.

SO THE BUSINESS LIAISON, WHAT ARE THEY WORKING ON, RIGHT? THEY'RE FOCUSING ON NETWORKING BUILD, UM, CON, YOU KNOW, CONNECTING WITH BUSINESS OWNERS HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING THE SERVICES AND HAVE THAT INTERNAL CONTACT, UH, IN THE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, IN THE DEPARTMENT, BUT THEN ALSO WITHIN THE CITY STRUCTURE.

SO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT IS ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF THE BUSINESS O OWNER, UH, INTERNALLY, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, TROUBLESHOOTING ANY PERMITTING, LICENSING ISSUES THAT MAY BE EXPERIENCING THE BUSINESS LIAISON WORKS INTERNALLY WITH, YOU KNOW, THEIR EQUIVALENCE ACROSS THE DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, ANY ISSUES OR CHALLENGES ARE BEING TROUBLESHOOTED.

UM, YOU KNOW, ON, ON OUR END, UM, ALSO IN, UH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS, UH, THAT'S MORE OF THE CASES.

SO OVER 300, UH, BUSINESS BUSINESS RELATED CASES HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED ON, ON THAT END.

MOVING BACK TO THE, THE NETWORKING RIGHT NOW, AS, AS YOU KNOW, UH, WE WE'RE PREPARING FOR THE OLYMPICS.

SO WHAT IS HAPPENING IS WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF, UM, INTEREST FROM COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.

AND, UM, THEY'RE VISITING THE CITY, UM, TO UNDERSTAND IF THERE IS A, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO HAVE OLYMPIC HOUSES, THOSE CULTURAL HOUSES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, EARLIER.

UM, WE'RE BACK ONLINE.

GET US, THERE WE GO.

UH, SO AS OF, UM, AND THESE HAVE MORE OCCURRED OVER THE PAST, I WOULD SAY, TWO TO THREE MONTHS.

SO WE'VE HAD, WE'VE BEEN PART OF 11 OLYMPIC HOUSES AND DELEGATION, AND THIS HAS BEEN IN COORDINATE, UH, COORDINATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.

UM, THE PROTOCOL OFFICER, UM, BARRELL VILLE HAS BEEN WORKING TO COORDINATE THOSE EVENTS.

AND THEN WE, UH, FACILITATE, UH, ALSO DURING THOSE EVENTS SO THAT THE DELEGATIONS, UM, KIND OF UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASPECT OF THE CITY.

AND THEN, UH, OTHER AT THE BOTTOM IS SOME OF THE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT BUSINESS LIAISON, UH, JULIO MIRANDA HAS BEEN WORKING ON.

SO, BUSINESS ATTRACTION TOURS, RIGHT? SITE SELECTION, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PORT OF LONG BEACH GO BIZ AND WITH THE STATE, OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS, AND ALSO OUR, YOU KNOW, UH, RESEARCH TO INFORM OUR PROGRAM DESIGN AND OTHER INITIATIVES.

MOVING ON TO SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN HERE, STAFF ACTIVITIES AND UPDATE, UH, GROW LONG BEACH LEVEL NUMBER THREE, THE VA, UH, VACANCY TO VIBRANCY REAL ESTATE PROPERTY TOOL.

UM, THAT IS A FREE TOOL FOR, UH, THE PUBLIC AND ENTREPRENEURS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, REALLY ANYONE, UH, TO DO SOME, UH, IT BASICALLY HELPS TO DEMOCRATIZE DATA, WHICH WE'RE A BIG, UH, FAN OF HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE AN ENTREPRENEUR'S LOOKING TO START UP A STOREFRONT DOESN'T HAVE TO PAY, YOU KNOW, A CONSULTANT PER SE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

SO THEY CAN DO A REALLY GOOD AMOUNT OF PRELIMINARY RESEARCH TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, DO SOME SITE SELECTION HERE ON THEIR OWN BEFORE THEY NEED TO ENGAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, A, A A BROKER OR SOMEONE THAT NEEDS TO REPRESENT THEM FURTHER ALONG.

SO THAT'S A REALLY COOL, UM, REAL ESTATE TOOL HERE.

MOVING ON TO NUMBER EIGHT, UH, TAX SHARING AGREEMENTS.

SO WE NOW, WE HAVE THE CITY OF, UH, WE HAVE FOUR TOTAL AGREEMENTS RIGHT NOW, UH, AND TOTALING AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, A TOTAL OF $10 MILLION.

SO THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF LIKE OUR INCENTIVES TOOLS THAT WE HAVE, UM, IN THE PAST AND CURRENT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, SOME, YOU KNOW, AUTOMOTIVE DEALERSHIPS AS WELL, BUT THEY ALSO CAN BE USED FOR, TO ATTRACT OTHER TYPES OF INDUSTRIES.

UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR SHOP HERE, CARLA HANDLES.

UH, AND THE, YOU KNOW, JUST THE HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THIS IS BECAUSE THEY, THIS IS A POINT OF SALE SERVICE THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING, OR, OR DELIVERABLE, UM, THAT'S A VEHICLE, LET'S SAY IN THIS SITUATION.

THEN THE CITY IS IN A TAXING AGREEMENT, MEANING THAT WE, WE, UM, SHARE THE TAX REVENUE, UH, WITH THE DEALERSHIP.

UM, AND THAT IS BOUNDED BY A CONTRACT THAT IS, UM, BASED ON, UH, AN OVER AMOUNT OF YEARS, A NUMBER OF YEARS, SORRY, OR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF, OF, UH, TAX SHARING AGREEMENT VALUE.

AND THESE ARE AVAILABLE, UH, ALSO, UH, HERE ON OUR WEBSITE IF YOU WANNA EXPLORE THOSE FURTHER.

OR ANYONE ELSE IN THE PUBLIC WANTS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE.

AND THAT IS PER A CALIFORNIA LAW THAT WE, UM, DO THAT.

ALRIGHT, THIS IS MOVING ON TO OUR BUSINESS WALKS HERE ALSO IN THEIR, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS EXPANSION, ATTRACTION RETENTION.

YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT'S THE BULK OF THE UPDATES HERE DURING THAT FOCUS HERE.

IT'S A BIG FOCUS AREA, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE BUSINESS ATTRACTION, EXPANSION AND RETENTION IS BIG FOR INCOME DEVELOPMENT.

SO, UM, WITH OUR, UM, OUR NEW TEAM, UH, TEAM MEMBER, SPECIAL PROJECTS OFFICER, UH, MELANIE, SHE'S BEEN COORDINATING THESE PAST FEW MONTHS, UM, BUSINESS WALKS.

SO WE'VE DONE THREE OF THOSE

[00:25:01]

SO FAR.

AND, UH, WE'RE WORKING TO CALENDAR, UH, THE, THE REMAINING DISTRICT BUSINESS WALKS, UH, NEXT YEAR, MAYBE EVEN LATE LATE DISTRICT.

WE MAY BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE ANOTHER ONE IN.

BUT IT'S JUST AN OVERVIEW OF, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS WALK OUTCOMES.

UM, WHAT THEY ARE IS EXACTLY WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'RE CALLED.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR COORDINATED BY OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT WE BRING IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND, AND WE WORK WITH THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S REPRESENTATION ON ANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.

AND WE WALK THAT CORRIDOR, RIGHT? SO WE WALK SANTA FE, WE WALK, UH, ATLANTIC AND, AND OTHER AND OTHER, UM, BUSINESS CORRIDORS, AND WE STOP BY THOSE STOREFRONTS TO TALK TO THE, THE MANAGERS OR THE BUSINESS OWNERS TO DO TWO THINGS.

ONE IS TO SHARE THE RESOURCES, RIGHT? THAT WE HAVE, LIKE THE VISUAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH HELPS COVER ANY COST INCURRED FOR VANDALISM.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE LEVEL UP BUSINESS PROGRAM, WHENEVER THAT'S UP AND GOING, AND ANY OTHER RESOURCES THAT WE MAY ALSO HAVE TECH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

AND THEN THE SECOND PIECE IS REALLY JUST TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE BUSINESS OWNERS OR WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING CURRENTLY.

AND YOU'LL SEE SOME OF KIND OF THE KEY THEMES WE, WE HEAR, WE HEARD, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THOSE COME UP.

RIGHT NOW.

YOU'RE SEEING A LOT, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, A LOT OF CONCERNING DECREASE IN FOOT TRAFFIC, UH, DUE TO THE, YOU KNOW, FEDERAL DECISIONS, IMMIGRATIONS RATES, FOR EXAMPLE.

UM, A LOT OF, UM, MORE, UH, CLEANLINESS ISSUE, HOMELESSNESS ISSUES.

ALSO SOME, UH, RENT ISSUES LIKE INCREASING RENT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT BEING, UH, DIFFICULT TO COVER.

SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE BIG TAKEAWAYS THAT, THAT WE'RE LEARNING.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE OF COURSE TAKE THAT AND HELP TO DESIGN THE PRO THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FUNDING FOR TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE MEETING AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH THE, THE FUNDING AND RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, THE NEEDS OF THE, THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS HERE, UH, IN THE CITY SOON AS DISTRICT EIGHT TAKEAWAYS HERE AS WELL.

SO YOU SEE, WE HIT ABOUT 20 TO 30 BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, UM, EVERY TIME WE GO OUT, YOU SEE RECURRING CONCERNS.

THERE ARE LIMITED, YOU KNOW, LIMITED CUSTOMER PARKING.

UM, WAS WAS ONE THAT WAS EXPERIENCED, UH, SEEN IN, IN CD EIGHT THERE, GOING TO COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE HERE AT THE LONG BEACH, UH, BOULEVARD CORRIDOR.

YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THEY HAVE OVERVIEW, CONDUCTED VISITS, UH, BORDER ABOUT ANOTHER 20 BUSINESSES THERE.

THE FOCUS WAS ON BUILDING TRUST, AGAIN, BECAUSE ESPECIALLY IN THESE CORRIDORS, YOU KNOW, NORTH LONG BEACH, CENTRAL LONG BEACH, UM, IT MAY BE THE VERY FIRST TIME THAT A BUSINESS OWNER HAS HAD AN INTERACTION WITH THE CITY STAFF.

SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE SHARE INFORMATION THAT IS ACTUALLY HELPFUL, YOU KNOW, FOR THEM.

AND, UH, THAT THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING TO US, UH, THAT TO BUILD THAT RAPPORT AND THAT TRUST OVER TIME.

YOU KNOW, WITH THIS ONE, IT WAS A, YOU KNOW, IT IS A CHALLENGING DISTRICT.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, CONCERNS ON, UH, PROSTITUTION AND PUBLIC SAFETY.

UH, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG, YOU KNOW, BIG CONCERNS.

AND THERE'S ACTUALLY HAPPY TO SEND THIS ALONG AS WELL.

BUT THERE IS A TASK FORCE THAT IS MEETING, UH, ON THAT TO SEE HOW WE CAN COORDINATE BETTER WITH POLICE DEPARTMENT, US HEALTH AS WELL, RIGHT? UM, AND THEN ALSO OUR NEIGHBORING, UM, CITY PARTNERS, UH, TOO.

SO THE NEXT STEPS, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'LL CONTINUE TO COORDINATE, UH, WITH OUR PEER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL, WITH OUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO VISIT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR MAJOR BUSINESS CORRIDORS ALONG, UH, AROUND THE CITY.

AND THEN, UH, OFTENTIMES THERE'S A LOT OF FOLLOW UP WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, RIGHT? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, MAKING SURE THAT IF THEY'RE, UM, LOOKING FOR WORKFORCE ASSISTANCE, THAT THEN WE GO, UH, OUT THROUGH OUR BIZ CARE TEAM OR BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT TEAM TO, UM, A SYSTEM IN ANY KIND OF APPLICATION OR FOLLOW UP THAT IS INVOLVED, UH, TO, SO THEY CAN JOIN THAT PROGRAM AND ACCESS THOSE RESOURCES.

ANOTHER COOL, UH, PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE, I BELIEVE WE MENTIONED THIS ONE BEFORE, IS OUR LEGACY BUSINESS PROGRAM.

SO THIS IS ONE WE DID IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, UH, LONG BEACH HERITAGE HERE.

UH, WE'VE TAKE, SINCE TAKEN OVER THAT PROGRAM EARLIER THIS YEAR, UH, WE CELEBRATED ADDING 20 NEWLY CERTIFIED LONG BEACH LEGACY BUSINESS, UM, UH, PARTICIPANTS OR BUSINESSES BRINGING A TOTAL TO 60.

SO WHAT THIS DOES IS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE FUNDING THROUGH, UH, THE COUNCIL, THE FISCAL YEAR BUDGET, 25 AND 26, UH, AND RIGHT NOW OUR STAFF IS CANVASSING THOSE 60 BUSINESSES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.

AND THEN WE'LL BE USING THOSE, THAT FUNDING TO CREATE, UH, RESOURCES SPECIFIC TO LEGACY BUSINESSES, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND BE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

UH, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE INITIAL 20.

SO THE INITIAL 40 WAS, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THE DIGITAL PRESENCE AND HOW IT IS IMPORTANT THAT, UM, OLDER BUSINESSES HAVE THE DIGITAL PRESENCE BECAUSE CONSUMER, UM, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING AND, AND HABITS CONSUMING CONSUMER HABITS ARE CHANGING.

AND THE BUSINESSES THAT TRADITIONALLY HAVE BEEN HERE WHILE LACK THAT DIGITAL PRESENCE.

SO IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE BRING THEM ONLINE, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT DIGITAL STOREFRONT SO THAT CONSUMERS CAN SEE THAT THEY'RE THERE AND CAN ACTUALLY SHOW UP TO VISIT THEM IN THE STOREFRONT.

[00:30:01]

SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO PRIDE, UM, TO HAVE THIS, THIS PROGRAM HERE, UH, IN OUR DEPARTMENT AND, AND FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.

SO HERE YOU'LL SEE THERE'S JUST, UH, SOME, SOME GOOD, UH, DATA HERE FOR YOU.

AND THEN, UH, AS OF TODAY, WE CAN ADD A COUPLE MORE LOANS THERE.

UH, WE'VE, UH, WE, THE SUBCOMMITTEE JUST A FEW MOMENTS AGO APPROVED A $20,000 LOAN FOR A PHENOMENAL BEAUTY FOR ALL, UH, LOCATED AT 1813 TERMINAL AVENUE, AND THEN ALSO A $50,000 LOAN FOR S**C AND SPAN SERVICES, UH, LOCATED OVER ON SEVEN ONE, WELL WILL BE LOCATED OVER A 1 1 7, 1 7 PINE AVENUE UNIT TWO.

SO, VERY EXCITED TO SEE THOSE GOING.

UH, AND THEN WE WILL, UH, HAVE TO CELEBRATE THAT.

OH, ONE LAST BIT THAT I THINK IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT.

SO, UM, THE ROBBING LOAN FUND, IT, YOU KNOW, IT PROVIDES COMPETITIVE INTEREST RATES, AND IT ALSO, FOR US, IT'S REALLY TIED TO JOB CREATION, RIGHT? MORE SO THAN THE ROI ON THE INTEREST ITSELF.

SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT GOOD JOBS ARE CREATED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR OUR RESIDENTS.

SO JUST KNOW THAT THIS PROGRAM REALLY FOCUSES ON THE JOB CREATION PIECE OF IT AS WELL.

HERE'S OUR GIRL LONG BEACH, UH, FUND AS WELL, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY A, A COMPLIMENTARY PROGRAM FOR THE REVOLVING LOAN FUND.

THIS ONE HAS MORE LARGER DOLLAR AMOUNTS, AS YOU CAN SEE.

AND THERE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF JOB CRE CREATION, UH, TIED TO THIS ONE.

SINCE THIS, IT IS A BIGGER BUCKET OF DOLLARS.

MOVING ON TO, UH, ENGINES OF GROWTH.

EXCUSE ME, JUST ONE SECOND.

SO, UM, THIS IS JUST A SUGGESTION IS BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA GO THROUGH EXTENSIVELY THESE OTHER SECTIONS, 'CAUSE MAYBE WE CAN HAVE, HAVE YOU DO EACH ONE OF THE MAJOR FOCUS AREAS AND THEN HAVE THE COMMISSIONERS GIVE YOU EITHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

AND THEN, UM, AND THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH YEAH, BECAUSE THAT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION BECAUSE IT'LL, I THINK IT'LL BE EASIER FOR YOU TOO.

THE OTHER THING I JUST WANTED TO NOTE TO EVERYBODY IS WHERE YOU SEE THE GROW GROW LB INITIATIVES IS WHAT, UM, JULIAN AND THE TEAM HAVE DONE, IS THEY HAVE THE FOCUS AREAS, WHICH ARE THE FIVE KEY FOCUS AREAS, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THE INITIATIVE NUMBERS UNDER THAT, SO YOU CAN TAG IT BACK TO THE BLUEPRINT.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SO AT LEAST IF, IF YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN SOME OF THOSE OTHER INITIATIVE AREAS, JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND.

'CAUSE YOU CAN STILL BE ENGAGED IN THAT PARTICULAR FOCUS AREA.

UM, I, YEAH, THAT'S IT.

SO HOW ABOUT, UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT FIRST SECTION, WHICH IS BUSINESS EXPANSION, ATTRACTION AND RETENTION? VICE CHAIR, THOMAS.

UM, SO ITEM NUMBER, OR SORRY, SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN FOR, UM, VACANCY TO VIBRANCY.

I'M SORRY.

IT'S OKAY.

IS IT SEVEN? MM-HMM .

UM, HOW DO BROKERS, COMMERCIAL BROKERS LEARN OF THE, THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DOWNLOAD OR SHARE THEIR VACANT PROPERTIES? SO WHEN WE FIRST LAUNCHED IT, WE DID A PRESS RELEASE.

WELL, I GUESS I'LL, UM, LITTLE BACKGROUND ON HOW IT WORKS.

SO, UM, EVERY, EVERY NIGHT THIS, UM, PLATFORM WILL ESSENTIALLY SCRAPE THE LISTINGS OFF OF THE INTERNET, UH, THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEING PROMOTED.

SO IT'S PART OF IT IS DONE AUTOMATICALLY, I BELIEVE OUR, THE, UM, THE, OUR, OUR REPRESENTATIVES FROM, FROM THE, UH, PLATFORM THAT, UH, THE COMPANY THAT WE USE SAYS THEY, THE SYSTEMS MANAGE TO SCRAPE BETWEEN 85 TO 90% OF THE LISTINGS.

AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE IS RIGHT, LIKE, OKAY, NOW WE KNOW THAT THERE'S 10% GAPS, SO TO SPEAK.

SO THEN THAT'S ON HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE THAT, RIGHT? SO WE DO IT THROUGH OUR BUSINESS NEWS BRIEFS, THROUGH OUR MEETINGS THAT ARE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS.

PARTNERS HAVE, JUST GETTING THE WORD OUT THERE, THIS IS A FAIRLY NEW TOOL.

UH, SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD, IMA I WOULD SAY THAT MOST PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC ARE NOT YET, UH, AWARE OF THIS TOOL.

SO IT'S REALLY GETTING THAT OUT THERE THROUGH OUR, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, CONTINUING TO DO PRESS RELEASES HERE, UM, THROUGH OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE WORD OUT THROUGH OUR BID, OUR BID PROGRAMS, AND THEN ALSO JUST OTHER EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE CITY WHERE, LIKE, THE BROKERS AT THE BEACH, FOR EXAMPLE, AS WELL, JUST TALKING ABOUT IT AND PROMOTING THAT.

BECAUSE IF, IF, UH, IF THEIR LISTING IS NOT SCRAPED AUTOMATICALLY, THEN STAFF HAS THE ABILITY TO THEN UPLOAD THAT.

SO WHAT WE ASK FOR IS LIKE THEIR ADDRESS AND THEN ANY PHOTOS AND INFORMATION THEY WANT HAVE ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR LISTING.

GOTCHA.

AND THEN ON, UH, SLIDE EIGHT, REGARDING, UM,

[00:35:01]

TAX SHARING AGREEMENTS.

UM, CAN YOU, UH, CLARIFY, IS THIS AN ANOTHER TAX, UH, ON TOP OF THE EXISTING SALES TAX? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

UH, NO, IT IS THE EXISTING SALES TAX, RIGHT? THAT IS THEN SHARED.

UH, TYPICALLY 50 50 50, YEAH.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC, WHEN THEY SEE THIS, UNDERSTANDS THAT.

NO, GREAT, GREAT CLARIFYING QUESTION.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? OKAY, I THINK WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.

I ONLY HAVE ONE QUESTION.

ON PAGE NUMBER EIGHT, WITH THE AGREEMENTS, IT SAYS FOUR AGREEMENTS TOTALING 10 MILLION MM-HMM .

SO IS, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THERE WERE, CAN YOU TELL US WHO THE COMPANIES ARE OR ORGANIZATIONS ARE THAT THOSE FOUR AGREEMENTS ARE WITH? YEAH, WE'LL PROBABLY GET TWO OF THEM, BUT CARL, CARL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO COME UP HERE AND, AND SHARE THOSE WITH US, BUT I KNOW IT IS, SO THEY'RE ALL DEALERSHIPS, AUTOMOTIVE DEALERSHIPS.

SO I KNOW WE HAVE A, A LOT IS ONE OF THEM.

WE HAVE THE, UH, TOYOTA GABE TOYOTA, AND THEN I BELIEVE THERE'S A FORD ONE AS WELL.

SO THE FORD SALES TAX AGREEMENTS, IT STARTED OFF WITH A LOT, A LOT WAS SOLD.

NOW THAT IS, UH, FLETCHER JONES.

SO THAT'S ONE, THE OTHER ONE IS K BROTHERS.

YEAH, THAT'S A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP.

UH, AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, IT USED TO BE WORTHINGTON FOR WORTHINGTON FORD, BUT NOW IT'S CALLED, UM, LONG BEACH FORD.

AND WE HAVE HTL AUTOMOTIVE.

THOSE ARE THE FOUR AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE.

SO IN, UM, THOSE COMPANIES COME INTO THE CITY, THEY'VE NEGOTIATED TO GET A PORTION OF THE SALES TAX.

AND FOR RIGHT NOW, IT'S TYPICALLY BEEN AUTOMOTIVE COMPANIES.

THAT'S IT.

CORRECT.

THE ONES THAT WE, THE ONES THAT WE DEAL WITH, WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE FOUR, BUT THROUGHOUT OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THERE ARE OTHER AGREEMENTS AS WELL.

OH, OKAY.

THAT'S A GOOD TO KNOW.

OKAY, THANKS.

AND THEN JUST FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO KNOW IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THANKS TO THE STAFF FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THIS, THIS INFORMATION BECAUSE WHEN YOU WORK YOUR COMMITTEES, AND AT LEAST YOU'LL HAVE LIKE A BASELINE FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN PLACE.

AND THERE'S MORE THAT CAN BE DONE RIGHT FROM THE BLUEPRINT, BUT YOU'LL HAVE SOME BASIC INFORMATION THEN.

HAVE? OR HOW DO WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, UM, ANY ASSETS THAT THE CITY HAS OR EVEN, UH, YOU KNOW, PRIVATELY OWNED COMPANY TO ACTIVATE THOSE FOR REVENUE GENERATION.

WHY DON'T YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM.

ALRIGHT, SO NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO ENGINES OF GROWTH.

HERE'S A MISSION, AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE FOLLOWED BY YOUR PRIORITY OBJECTIVES HERE, ONE THROUGH FOUR.

GIVE YOU GUYS A SECOND THERE.

ALRIGHT.

SO THESE ARE THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE, THE, THE RULE NUMBER ONE HERE.

SO THE FIRST ONE HERE IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WATER, UH, THE WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT BUREAU.

SO THIS IS A NEW BUREAU.

UM, I THINK IT'S JUST CROSSING ITS CREATION ON THE FIRST YEAR THERE.

SO YOU CAN SEE, YEAH, APRIL, 2025, NOT EVEN ITS FIRST YEAR GOING TO, ITS FIRST YEAR THERE.

UM, RIGHT.

SO WE'RE LOOKING THIS, UH, THE CREATION OF THIS BUREAU WAS REALLY STEERED TOWARDS THINKING ABOUT OUR WATERFRONT ACTIVATING AND DEVELOPING IT TO INCREASE OUR REVENUE.

YOU GUYS MAY RECALL THAT THE REASON WHY, YOU KNOW, LIKE OUR, UM, OUR, THE MAYOR'S GIRL LONG BEACH INITIATIVE THAT IS FOCUSED ON MOVING US AWAY FROM OIL REVENUE AND, YOU KNOW, UM, TASKING US AS A DEPARTMENT AND AS A CITY TO BE CREATIVE IN, UH, CREATING NEW REVENUE STREAMS THAT THEN, YOU KNOW, TAKE OVER, UH, THE, THE REVENUE THAT IS COMING FROM OIL.

SO THE WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT BUREAU WAS CREATED TO THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT THE WATERFRONT AS A MECHANISM TO CREATE REVENUE, UH, FOR THE CITY.

UM, SO I KNOW WE, UH, WE'VE HAD JOHNNY, JOHNNY VALLEJO WRIGHT AND ERIC ROMERO, OUR DEPUTY, UH, DIRECTOR, AND THEN BUREAU MANAGER OF THE WATERFRONT, UH, DEVELOPMENT BUREAU.

THEY CAME TO PRESENT ON THE QUEEN MARY AND ON THE AMPHITHEATER, RIGHT? SO THAT'S DIRECTLY RELATED.

THOSE ARE TWO OF THE BIG PROJECTS THAT THE, THAT THIS NEW BUREAU, UM, IS HANDLING AND, AND MOVING FORWARD.

SO THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER, UM, JUST UPDATES.

THEY RELEASE IN OUR FP TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO DEVELOP THE ENTERTAINMENT AND STRATEGIC PLAN.

THIS IS, AGAIN, CONTINUES TO, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT NARRATIVE OF HOW DO WE ACTIVATE OUR WATERFRONT.

SO THERE'S A STRATEGIC, UM, PLAN, UH, RFP THERE TO SEE WHO'S INTERESTED IN HELPING US TO DEVELOP THAT.

UH, THIS PROJECT IS, UH, EXPECTED TO DEVELOP, TO START, SORRY, IN JANUARY OF 26.

AND THEN WE'RE ALSO, UM, WORKING WITH MEET LONG BEACH.

THERE ARE PREVIOUSLY, UH, CBB THE, UH, CONVENTIONS, UH, VISITORS BUREAU, UH, TO DEVELOP A BRANDING AND MARKETING STRATEGY THAT, YOU KNOW, TO POSITION THE CITY AS A PREMIER DESTINATION FOR MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT, TOURISM, AND SPORTS.

UH, AND WE'RE, UH, LOOKING AT, UH, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE TO BRING THAT IN OCTOBER, BUT I THINK IT'S BEEN PUSHED, UM, FORWARD BY ANOTHER MONTH OR TWO.

UH, BUT THAT IS, UH, TO ANOTHER JUST, UH, PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.

AND AGAIN, IT'S, UM, THE IMPORTANT ONE, UH, TO KEEP IN MIND ABOUT THIS IS JUST ACTIVATING THE WATERFRONT, RIGHT? HOW DO WE LEVERAGE A 16 ASSET ASSETS THAT WE

[00:40:01]

SO HERE WE HAVE, UH, MOVING ON TO OUR, OUR OTHER BUREAU, UH, LONG BEACH WORKFORCE INNOVATION NETWORK, WORKFORCE INVESTMENTS HERE, INDIVIDUAL TRAINING ACCOUNT, UH, TO FUND INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CREDENTIALS, RIGHT? SO, CERTIFICATIONS, CREDENTIALS FOR OUR WORKFORCE HERE IN LONG BEACH ON THE JOB TRAINING, UH, OJT, WAGE REIMBURSEMENTS AT EASE HIRING COSTS.

SO THIS IS A REALLY COOL PROGRAM, UM, WHERE WE, UM, REIMBURSE PART OF THE, UM, TRAINING COSTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED ON BRINGING SOMEBODY ON BOARD.

UH, IT COULD BE A SMALL BUSINESS, LARGE, LARGE BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT TEAM WORKS WITH.

UH, AND, AND THEN LB WIN ALSO WORKS WITH ANYONE THAT IS INTERESTED, UH, IN ONBOARDING THEM, AND THEN ACTUALLY, UH, WORKING TO, UH, GET THE REIMBURSEMENT THERE.

AND THEN INCUMBENT WORK AND TRAINING THAT HELPS EMPLOYEES, UPSCALE AND RETAIN STAFF.

THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, VERY SIMILAR.

UH, WE JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF POTS AND FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE.

AND THEN, UM, WE'RE TO IDENTIFY THE, THE PROGRAM THAT IS, UH, MOST APPROPRIATE.

HERE'S SOME MORE OF, UH, MORE SPECIFICS ON, UH, LB ONE WORKFORCE INVESTMENTS, RIGHT? SO, UH, IDENTIFYING CITY PRIORITIES.

YOU WE'RE LOOKING AT AEROSPACE FIRMS TO EXPAND LOCAL TALENT.

YOU KNOW, BO UH, OUR DIRECTORS ALWAYS LIKE TALENT, TALENT, TALENT, RIGHT? SO IT'S LIKE, HOW DO WE CREATE A MORE ROBUST TALENT POOL THAT ATTRACTS THE, YOU KNOW, THE HIGH PAYING JOBS, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE AEROSPACE AND OTHER INDUSTRIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO, TO BRING HERE, OF COURSE, RIGHT? FOCUSING, AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEXT, UH, PRESENTATION, FOCUSING ON OUR NATURAL, UH, ASSETS.

SO THE PORT LOGISTICS GOODS MOVEMENT, FOCUSING ON THAT, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A, A, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, ABLE TO EASILY ENTER THAT INDUSTRY SECTOR.

UH, AND THEN THIS NEW, YOU KNOW, MORE EMERGING PIECE IS ENTERTAINMENT AND, AND HOSPITALITY, RIGHT? CONFERENCES, TOURISM, THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A PIECE OF, OF, UH, LENO LONG BEACH, UH, INDUSTRY.

BUT NOW WE'RE REALLY WORKING TO AMP THAT UP THROUGH OUR WATERFORD DEVELOPMENT, UH, AREA.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HEALTHCARE, RIGHT? HOSPITAL AND HEALTHCARE IS TO PROVIDE, UM, AND ADDRESS CRITICAL WORKFORCE, UH, SHORTAGES THERE.

HERE'S SOME INVE, UH, ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS AS WELL.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS, YOU KNOW, INCREASE THE, YOU KNOW, RESIDENT COMPETITIVENESS FOR THESE JOBS THAT ARE EMERGING AND THEY'RE ALREADY GAPS FOR.

AND THEN ALSO, UH, LOOKING AT THE LONG TERM SUCCESS OF THE INDUSTRY ITSELF.

UM, UH, MOVING ON HERE TO STA UH, THIS IS ON THE GROW LONG BEACH LEVEL.

NUMBER ONE, ENGINES OF GROWTH.

SO THE NEIGHBORHOOD MARKETPLACE PROFILES.

UM, THIS IS A PROJECT HANDLED BY OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER.

SO SHE'S BEEN WORKING WITH OUR CONSULTANTS TO, UM, CREATE THESE, UH, PROFILES AND YOU'LL SEE THERE.

BUT THE, UH, THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY DESIGNED FOR THE CITY TO USE AS, UM, AS A MARKETING AND BRANDING TOOL TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES, UM, FOR, TO INVEST, EITHER RELOCATE HERE OR INVEST IN OUR CORRIDORS IN THE CITY, RIGHT? BY HIGHLIGHTING, UM, IMPORTANT, UH, DATA, RIGHT? FOR EXAMPLE, FOOT TRAFFIC, AUTO TRAFFIC, THAT'S GOING THROUGH A CORRIDOR, UH, LOOKING AT EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT.

UM, ALSO, UM, INCOME, YOU KNOW, IN HOUSEHOLD INCOME.

UH, SO SHARING KEY INFORMATION POINTS AS WELL AS REALLY HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND WHY THE CORRIDOR IS SPECIAL, WHY THESE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SPECIAL, RIGHT? AND BECAUSE YOU'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE MOVING TO WORK THERE.

SO WE'RE, UM, I KNOW MY TEAM IS VERY EXCITED TO GET THOSE ROLLED OUT BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE USING THOSE A LOT.

AND, UH, DEFINITELY GONNA SHARE THOSE WITH YOU GUYS AS WELL.

LOOKING, UH, NEXT HERE, UH, INTERNAL PARTNERS, DEPARTMENTAL AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

SO, SOMETHING WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO DO MORE IS TALKING TO OUR PEER DEPARTMENTS TO SEE HOW WE CAN, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PIECE OF, YOU KNOW, LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THAT.

FOR EXAMPLE, I DUNNO, A FEW MONTHS AGO WE HAD, UM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HERE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A HUGE PROJECT AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE OUTCOME SHOULD BE THAT IT'S A BETTER CUSTOMER, UM, SERVICE EXPERIENCE FOR, UM, FOR THE ENTREPRENEUR, FOR THE BUSINESS OWNER.

UM, ANOTHER COOL, UH, COOL THING TO SHARE WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS THAT THEY ALSO KIND OF HAVE THEIR EQUIVALENT BUSINESS LIAISON.

UH, THEY'RE CALLING THEIR, THEIR, THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER.

SO SHE'S DEDICATED TO BASICALLY ENSURING THAT, UM, THE NEEDS AND CONCERNS OF THE BUSINESSES, UM, AND ANY CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED IN THE, UH, COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT SHE'S ABLE TO FACILITATE THOSE ALONG THE WAY.

AND THEN S CONFERENCE, RIGHT.

FOR ENGINES OF GROWTH THERE, UH, WHICH WE HAVE A PRESENTATION COMING UP AS WELL.

ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT ONE? AND THAT, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE GOT IT, IS THE ENGINES OF GROWTH.

ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS

[00:45:01]

ON ENGINES OF GROWTH? OKAY, JUST A POINT.

CLARIFICATION.

YES, COMMISSIONER? SO GOING BACK TO, UM, THE RFP THAT'S ALREADY CLOSED, CORRECT? 'CAUSE THAT WAS DURING SEPTEMBER, LET'S SEE, I BELIEVE SO.

THE WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT BUREAU.

AND I, SORRY, I, UM, THIS WAS LIKE THE SEPTEMBER VERSION OF, OF THE, UH, THE UPDATES.

SO YES, IT IS CLOSED, AND I ACTUALLY BELIEVE THERE ARE, UH, NO REVIEWING SUBMITTALS.

BUT IT'S YOUR THOMAS.

UH, JUST GOING BACK TO SLIDE 20, REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WATERFRONT, I THINK WE'VE ALL HEARD ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES ON THE QUEEN MARY PROPERTY.

HOW ABOUT SHORELINE VILLAGE AND THE PIKE? IS THAT GONNA BE INCLUDED IN TERMS OF THE VISIONING FOR REFRESHMENT OF THOSE AREAS? YES.

COMMISSIONER NOVIN, I HAVE A QUESTION, MAYBE WE HOLD IT TO THE END, BUT THIS IS MY PARTICULAR AREA, SO I'M GONNA ASK IT NOW.

WHEN I LOOK AT THE PRIORITY OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVES AND THE STRATEGIES, BESIDES WHAT WE DO IN THESE MEETINGS WHERE WE GIVE ADVICE AND COUNCIL, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU AND YOUR TEAM DRIVE THESE STRATEGIES AND THESE INITIATIVES? SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REDUCED REGULATIONS, TAXES, AND FEES, IS THAT ULTIMATELY US GIVING A RECOMMENDATION FOR STAFF TO LOOK INTO, IS IT MAKING PROPOSALS TO THE CITY AUDITOR TO LOOK AT BENCHMARKING AGAINST OTHER CITIES? LIKE HOW, HOW CAN WE BEST HELP YOU WITHIN KIND OF THE, THE CHARTER OF THIS COMMISSION? YEAH, NO, GREAT QUESTION.

UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING, THAT'S SOMETHING THE, YOU KNOW, CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND, AND US AND STAFF HAVE, HAVE BEEN KIND OF DISCUSSING, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THIS.

UM, SO I, YEAH.

WHAT IT CAN LOOK LIKE, RIGHT? AND IT CAN LOOK LIKE MANY THINGS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE INCENTIVES OR, UH, IN GENERAL IS YOU GUYS BEING A PARTNER WITH US AS STAFF, OR, YOU KNOW, IN DOING RESEARCH, LIKE DISCUSSING THAT TOGETHER, CREATING A RECOMMENDATION, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, IN, IN THIS EXAMPLE YOU GAVE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LOOK AT THAT, CLEAN IT UP, MAKE SURE THAT IT LOOKS NICE, AND THEN YOU AS A COMMISSION, UM, CAN THEN SUBMIT IT TO US TO SHARE WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND OTHER RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION.

AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE, UM, FOR THE FY 26 BUDGET, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES WHERE I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LOVE TO GET YOUR INPUT ON SOME OF THE PROGRAM DESIGN AS WELL.

UH, THAT ONE WOULD MOVE A LITTLE BIT QUICKER, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CREATE THE PROGRAM.

SO IT WOULD JUST BE GETTING, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE TO AND FOLDING THAT INTO THE PROGRAM DESIGN TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT HITS AND IT HAS THAT IMPACT THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UH, IN THE, IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE, THE BUSINESS WORLD.

UM, I THINK THE ONLY THING I'D ADD TO THAT IS, IS THAT, UM, WHILE PEOPLE WILL BE WORKING IN COMMITTEES IS WHATEVER HAPPENS IN THE COMMITTEE, IT WOULD BE ELEVATED TO THE COMMISSION SO THAT IT'S PUBLIC, THE INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT TO REQUEST ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR IF YOU WANNA ELEVATE SOMETHING TO MOVE FORWARD TO WORK ON.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL BE A PROCESS THAT WE'LL WORK THROUGH.

I'M PERSONALLY REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PART BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE YOU KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN LAYING THE GROUNDWORK, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE MONTHS, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS NOW ESSENTIALLY.

SO NOW THAT WE HAVE A GOOD, YOU KNOW, ABOUT, OF BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE, WE CAN START TO, TO GET, GET WORKING ON, ON SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I KNOW SOME HAVE BEEN WAITING LONGER THAN OTHERS TO, TO SEE THROUGH.

SO, AND AS, UM, JULIA MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, THE REASON WHY ALL THESE COMMITTEES HAVE LESS THAN THREE, THREE OR LESS PEOPLE ON IS, UH, BECAUSE OF THE BROWN ACT.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE VERY AWARE OF.

UM, BUT ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT BRINGS IT TO, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA ELEVATE THAT AS A COMMITTEE, THEN WE JUST BRING IT TO THE FULL COMMISSION.

I JUST HAD A, A QUESTION ON PAGE NUMBER 25 IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THESE PROFILES, UH, 'CAUSE I REALLY THINK IT'S GONNA HELP US FOR, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY FOR THE ATTRACTION SIDE.

UM, BUT HOW DOES THE WORK, HOW DOES THE DATA FOR, UH, SKILLED WORKERS WORK IN WITH THESE PROFILES? IS THAT JUST SOMETHING THAT'S OVERALL FOR THE CITY? OR DO YOU HAVE DATA THAT'S RELATED TO, FOR SKILLED WORKERS RELATED TO THIS MARKETPLACE? YEAH, MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'LL BE RELATED TO THAT MARKETPLACE.

SO IT'LL BE IN, I THINK, A HALF MILE AND A ONE MILE RADIUS.

SO THEN IT'LL CAPTURE THE DATA ON, ON THAT, UM, ON THOSE, UH, RADIUS RADIO, I GUESS.

THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL.

'CAUSE MANY OF THE FORUMS I SEE IS, YOU KNOW, CITYWIDE COMPANIES, THEY REALLY WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE WORKFORCE.

UM, AND THERE IS SOME DATA THAT ACTUALLY THE CITY DOESN'T.

IT'S BECAUSE OUR CITY DOESN'T REPRESENT WELL ON EDUCATION LEVEL MM-HMM.

FOR THE, UM, FOR THE DATA THAT COULD BE PRESENTED.

SO IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW IT'S PRESENTED.

AND THEY'LL BE COMING OUT IN BATCHES.

SO, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS THE FIRST, YOU KNOW, FIVE OR SO ARE, ARE DONE, I WILL SHARE THOSE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SO YOU GUYS HAVE THOSE, UM, TO LOOK AT.

SEE NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS WHILE WE MOVE TO THE NEXT SECTION.

OWNERS HAVE MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND SERVICES TO ACHIEVE THEIR HIGHEST POTENTIAL ACROSS ALL ASPECTS OF CIVIC LIFE.

OF COURSE.

ALRIGHT, HERE WE GO.

SO, NEXT IS QUALITY OF LIFE.

HELP ALL RESIDENTS AS BUSINESS

[00:50:01]

PRIORITY OBJECTIVES HERE, ONE THROUGH FOUR THAT WE PRIORITIZE TOGETHER THE GROW LONG BEACH DELIVERABLES ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

AND THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GOT THAT BIG PIECE OF PAPER HERE, BECAUSE THAT SHOWS YOU ALL THAT, UH, THAT ALIGNMENT, RIGHT? THAT HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT THERE WE'RE LOOKING AT QUALITY OF LIFE.

SO HERE'S SOME STAFF ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES FOR GROWING LONG BEACH.

LITTLE DELIVERABLE NUMBER FOUR, UM, THE LEVEL UP LONG BEACH, UH, EXTREME SMALL BUSINESS MAKEOVER AND GRANT PROGRAM.

YOU GUYS ARE VERY WELL AWARE OF THIS ONE.

I THINK THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF A REALLY COOL AND IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS HERE THAT WE HAVE.

UM, THERE'S SOME UPDATES RIGHT THERE.

WE RECEIVED 229 APPLICATIONS.

UH, IT GREW EVEN FROM THE FIRST YEAR, SO THAT'S REALLY EXCITING.

THAT MEANS AWARDS GETTING OUT.

UH, I KNOW THE VICE, UH, THE CHAIR HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE GRADUATION CEREMONY, THE CULMINATION CEREMONY.

EXCUSE ME.

UM, SO JUST, AGAIN, AN OVERVIEW IS THEY GO THROUGH A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS ON FINANCES, YOU KNOW, PROFIT AND LOSS SHEETS, LOOKING AT THEIR MARKETING AND BRANDING, SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST EVEN PRODUCT PLACEMENT, ALL THAT GOOD STUFF, UM, WITH OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN THAT FIELD, OUR PARTNERS.

AND, AND AT THE END, UM, THEY RECEIVE, UH, $10,000 GRANTS.

AND THAT GRANT, THOSE GRANT DOLLARS GO TOWARDS THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE HES, UH, OF THE GAPS THAT THEY FOUND THROUGHOUT DOING THE WORKSHOPS, RIGHT? SO THAT CAN LOOK LIKE BUYING NEW FURNITURE COULD LOOK LIKE BUYING A REFRIGERATOR.

UM, DO, YOU KNOW, HIRING A CONSULTANT TO HELP THEM DO MARKETING AND BRANDING.

SO IT CAN LOOK LIKE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS.

UH, AND I WILL SAY THAT THE NUMBER ONE, UH, KIND OF, UH, PRI YOU KNOW, KIND OF A TAKEAWAY THAT, THAT WE HEAR FROM THE BUSINESS OWNERS.

YOU KNOW, THEY OF COURSE, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE THE GRANT DOLLARS, BUT WHAT THEY REALLY APPRECIATE IS THAT KNOWLEDGE THAT IS IMPARTED THROUGH ALL THOSE WEEKS AND ALL THOSE WORKSHOPS.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT THAT IS THE ONE THING THAT WE KEEP HEARING.

SO WE'RE GOT FORTUNATE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE RECEIVED, UH, FUNDING FROM, FOR THIS, UH, PROGRAM FOR, UH, IN 2026.

SO STARTING IN DECEMBER, WE'LL BE STARTING TO, YOU KNOW, GO BACK AT IT AGAIN AND, AND GETTING THE WORD OUT FOR, UM, APPLICATIONS TO COME THROUGH.

AGAIN, HERE'S JUST A OVERVIEW OF THAT.

ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO OUR BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS HERE, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THE, THESE, UH, THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, AND THE DIRECTORS AND THE BOARD MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, THEY DO A REALLY GOOD JOB AT MAKING SURE THAT OUR CORRIDORS, YOU KNOW, UH, RECEIVE THE ATTENTION THAT, THAT THEY, UH, THAT THEY DESERVE, AND MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR STOREFRONTS ARE ACTIVATED, OUR BUSINESS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE HEARD.

AND THEN THAT THOSE, UM, SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES ARE COMMUNICATED TO US AS STAFFED SO THAT WE ARE GOOD PARTNERS AND, YOU KNOW, ARE RESPONSIVE TO THAT VISUAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM HERE.

OBVIOUSLY, REALLY IMPORTANT, RIGHT? I MENTIONED IT EARLY, JUST ALLOWS FOR, UM, SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS GRANT SO THAT THEY CAN MITIGATE, UH, YOU KNOW, BROKEN WINDOWS, GRAFFITI, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST OTHER, UH, VANDALISM, UH, AS WELL.

I KNOW WE ALWAYS SAY WE HATE THAT IT EXISTS, BUT WE KNOW THAT IT'S A PROBLEM.

AND THIS, YOU KNOW, IS IT'S REALLY ABOUT GETTING THAT STOREFRONT, THAT BUSINESS BACK UP AND RUNNING, RIGHT? BECAUSE EVERY TIME THAT, EVERY DAY THAT THEIR DOOR SHUT, THAT'S REVENUE BEING LOST, UH, FROM, AND THEN, UH, FROM THEM AND WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OPEN AND DOING BUSINESS AND PEOPLE CAN WALK INTO THE STOREFRONTS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, SHOP LOCALLY FOR SOME, UH, PROGRAMS, UH, PROGRAM AS WELL, UH, WITH LB WIN.

AND A NONPROFIT HERE.

SO EQUIPPING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS WITH CULTURAL RESPONSIVE TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND PERSONALIZED CASE MANAGEMENT, RIGHT? SO HERE WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON MICRO ENTREPRENEURSHIP, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE UNDERSTANDING THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PROCESS TO CREATING A BUSINESS AND STARTING A BRI A BUSINESS.

UH, SO OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE PROGRAM HAS SUPPORTED 75 IMMIGRANT ENTREPRENEURS IN LAUNCHING AND FORMALIZING BUSINESSES ACROSS DIVERSE INDUSTRY, FOOD, WELLNESS, UH, EVENT SERVICES AND FASHION.

SO THESE ARE, THIS IS REALLY COOL.

UM, IF YOU GUYS HAVE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE CURIOUS ON THAT PROGRAM, I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.

HERE'S THE ECONOMIC LIBERATION PROJECT CONTINUED, RIGHT? SO, BE CREATIVE CAKES, DESSERTS, LOOKING AT AUTHENTIC MEXICAN STREET SNACKS, PERSONALIZED HAIR SERVICES, AND TRADITIONAL CHILEAN EMPANADAS AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND MUCH MORE.

SO JUST SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF THE MICRO ENTREPRENEURS THAT WE ASSISTED THROUGH THE LIBERATION PROJECT.

NOW, THINK OF THAT LAST BULLET'S REALLY IMPORTANT TOO.

SO THE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, IT IS DESIGNED TO, TO, YOU KNOW, TO FOSTER ECONOMIC MOBILITY, BUILD THAT GENERATIONAL WEALTH AND STRENGTHEN THE LONG BEACH LOCAL ECONOMY.

UM, BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, RIGHT, LIKE HAVING AN INTERCONNECTED HYPER LOCAL ECOSYSTEM IS THE WAY TO, TO CREATE RESILIENT LOCAL ECONOMIES.

YOU KNOW, EVEN

[00:55:01]

WHEN THOSE, YOU KNOW, MORE MACRO CHALLENGES COME ABOUT, LIKE RECESSIONS GOING ON HERE, THE WEST SIDE PROMISE.

SO IT WAS LAUNCHED IN 2023.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE COVERED THIS AS WELL.

UM, FOCUS ON INVESTMENTS TO IMPROVE THE, YOU KNOW, HOUSING SUPPLY, PUBLIC HEALTH, CLIMATE RESILIENCE, RESILIENCY, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND MORE.

HERE ARE THE WEST SIDE PROMISE, KIND OF THE, THE AREAS, THE COMMITMENTS HERE, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE AS A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY DEPARTMENT HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY THERE.

SO WE ARE PART AS DEPARTMENT, UH, CARLA HERE.

UH, CARLA IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE STEERING COMMITTEE.

SO EVERY MONTH, UH, WE MEET WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, MAYOR'S OFFICE, UH, COUNCIL, DISTRICT SEVEN, AND OTHERS TO PROVIDE UPDATES ON WHAT ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WORK WE'VE BEEN UP TO THAT'S RELATED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THAT'S RELATED TO HEALTH, THAT'S RELATING TO PLANNING, ET CETERA.

UH, TO HAVE A COORDINATED EFFORT.

UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE WEST SIDE, UM, EVEN I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK, WE HAD OUR, UH, UM, OUR BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT, UM, DISTRICT MANAGER, CARLA AND BIZ CARE AND OTHERS.

WE'VE BEEN WALKING THE CORRIDOR FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS, UH, ALL TO CULMINATE AROUND A BUSINESS BREAKFAST MEETING, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE SANTA FE AND WILLOW CORRIDOR.

SO, HAPPY REPORT THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT HARD WORK PAID OFF.

WE HAD ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OVER 30 BUSINESSES SHOW UP TO THAT BREAKFAST TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS, UH, OF HAVING A BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, RIGHT? HAVING AN ORGANIZED VOICE SO THAT THEY CAN COMMUNICATE THEIR CONCERNS TO THE CITY AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

UH, IT WAS A, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, A BIG SUCCESS, GREAT TURNOUT.

UH, BLAIR COHEN, OUR, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, BIXBY KNOWLES, CAME TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, EXPLAIN HOW BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS CAN BE LEVERAGED TO, UH, TO COORDINATE AND ELEVATE A CORRIDOR, MAKE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE, MORE, UH, YOU KNOW, GET, UH, MORE EYES FROM CONSUMERS, UH, TO BE THERE.

AND THEN FIRST, YOU KNOW, STARTING ON THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, BEING ORGANIZED, ORGANIZING, RIGHT? AS BUSINESS OWNERS AND LOOKING AT THE CREATION OF A, UM, OF A BUSINESS ASSOCIATION FIRST.

SO THAT'S WHERE AT RIGHT NOW, AND WE'LL BE PRIDING YOU WITH UPDATES, UH, ON THAT MOVING FORWARD.

IT'S A VERY MUCH A LIFE PROJECT.

SO WE'RE EXCITED, UH, TO SEE WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE BUSINESS OWNERS DECIDE TO TAKE THAT.

AND THEN THIS, UH, THIS OCCURRED ALREADY, BUT, UM, I THINK CARLA ATTENDED IT AND SHE SAID IT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS.

SO IT WAS THE WEST SIDE PROMISE.

UM, IT WAS A FESTIVAL.

SO, UH, WE HAD GREAT TURNOUT THERE.

SO, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS LET YOU KNOW, STAFF AND, AND THE CONS, THE BUSINESS OWNERS KNOW RIGHT NOW, THERE'S, THERE IS THAT ATTENTION BEING SHINED ON THE WEST SIDE.

SO I, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE IN AN AMAZING WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ADVANCE, YOU KNOW, OUR LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR, UH, ENTREPRENEURS AND BUSINESS OWNERS THERE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THE ATTENTION AND THE VOICE THEY, THEY, UH, THEY DESERVE.

JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.

HERE'S, UH, UPDATE ON THE PUBLIC THIS.

SO MOVING ON TO NUMBER SEVEN, UH, HERE, DIGITAL NUMBER SEVEN, INTERNAL PARTNERS, LIBRARY SERVICES HERE.

THIS IS, WE'RE MOVING AND STARTING TO PULL FROM, UH, OUR PEER, UH, DEPARTMENTS HERE.

SO YOU'LL SEE THIS MOVING ON IN THE FUTURE UPDATES NOW THAT WE'VE KIND OF GOT OUR INTERNAL DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, UH, REPORTING UPDATES IN ORDER, WE'RE GONNA START REACHING OUT TO OTHER, UH, PEER DEPARTMENTS TO, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, ALTHOUGH IT IS A KIND OF DIVINE FOCUS, IT'S, WE ALL KNOW THAT NOTHING FUNCTIONS IN A VACUUM.

SO WE'RE GONNA BE LEANING ON HEALTH DEPART, FOR EXAMPLE, LIBRARY SERVICES TO PROVIDE US, UH, WITH FEEDBACKS AND BE UPDATING, UH, THIS MATRIX THAT WE HAVE HERE, PUBLIC SERVICE COURSE RIGHT HERE.

THIS IS, I THINK OUR, WE'RE GOING TO OUR SECOND YEAR.

SO THAT'S WAS ALSO REALLY EXCITING.

WE'RE ABLE, YOU GUYS MET OUR PREVIOUS COHORT, RIGHT? AND WITH ALL THEIR, UH, THEIR, UM, BRANDING AND MARKING THAT THEY DID AND THEIR STRATEGIC PLANNING, THEY HELPED US DO.

SO THIS IS THAT PROGRAM RIGHT THERE.

SO, AS I WAS MENTIONING EARLIER, NEXT STEP IS TO IDENTIFY THE BLUEPRINT LIAISONS WITHIN THE INTERNAL DEPARTMENTS TO WORK WITH ED STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN UPDATED BLUEPRINT FOR, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC AND, AND YOURSELVES AND EVERYONE ELSE.

GREEN BUSINESS PROGRAM, SEVEN NEW CERTIFICATIONS, NINE, OH, SORRY, SEVEN CERTIFICATIONS, NINE RE-CERTIFICATIONS.

WE'RE UP TO 93 RECOGNIZED BUSINESSES HERE.

WE RECENTLY HAD A, UH, MIXER TO CELEBRATE, UH, THE GREEN BUSINESS PROGRAM, I THINK A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, SO THAT, THAT WENT, UH, THAT WAS REALLY GOOD AND WELL ATTENDED, AND THEN REDUCED THEIR, UH, GREENHOUSE UH, EMISSIONS THERE.

I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE NUMBER.

NOT BAD.

ALRIGHT, THAT ENDS OUR QUALITY OF LIFE THERE.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR THE COMMISSIONERS? I DO.

THAT'S OKAY.

PAGE 35, SO THAT'S GREAT.

UM, SO REALLY FOCUSING ON ALL OF IT.

THIS ONE, MOST IMPORTANTLY, UM, PAGE TWO, IF THAT'S, IF YOU'RE REFERRING TO MYSELF, MY NAME'S SPELLED WITH THE C IN CASE YOU WANNA CHANGE THAT.

UH, GOING BACK TO

[01:00:02]

ABOUT THE ECONOMIC LIBERATION PROJECT, UH, THE PARTICIPANTS, ARE YOU DOING ANYTHING WITH THE PARTICIPANTS? ARE THEY DOING LIKE A, A CAMPAIGN? ARE THEY OUT THERE TALKING ABOUT THE PROJECT? ARE THEY, IS THERE A WAY THAT THEY'RE PROMOTING, UM, THE, THE, THE PROGRAM AND, AND SO CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS TO ASK QUESTIONS? OR IS THAT, SO, UM, HAPPENING, THE PROGRAM, WHAT IT ARE YOU ASKING KINDA LIKE WHAT THE MAKEUP OF THE PROGRAM, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE? NO, IT'S LIKE, SO THESE ARE THE, THE, UM, LIKE BE CREATIVE CAKES, UHHUH, SO THEY WENT THROUGH THE PROGRAM OR THEY, OKAY.

SO ARE THEY A FACE OF THIS PROGRAM? ARE THEY OUT AT MEETINGS TALKING ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, UM, WITH THE CITY, WORKING ON THESE, ON THESE PROJECTS? GOTCHA.

UM, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY SPECIFIC TIME THAT THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO, TO DO, UH, IN RECRUITING MORE, MORE MICRO ENTREPRENEURS, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.

UM, IT'S VERY SIMILAR MODELED FOR THE LEVEL UP VERY TO THE, TO THE LEVEL UP BUSINESS PROGRAM.

SO WE DO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A, AN APPLICATION WINDOW AND PEER FOR THAT.

BUT, AND THEN COURTNEY, FEEL FREE IF YOU WANNA ADD MORE INFORMATION, BUT WE DO LEAN ON ORLE, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT THAT KIND OF SPEARHEADS THAT, THAT PROGRAM, UH, FOR US.

BUT CORN KNOWS WAY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS THAN I DO.

UM, YEP.

ORLE IS ACTUALLY THE LEAD ON THIS PROGRAM, AND WE ARE SUBCONTRACTING WITH THEM TO PROVIDE SUPPORT.

UM, SO THEY RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE IRVINE, JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION THAT SUPPORTS THIS PROGRAM.

AND IT'S MEANT TO CREATE MORE SYSTEMIC CHANGE IN HOW ALSO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT RESOURCES CAN SUPPORT UNDOCUMENTED ENTREPRENEURS.

UM, THAT'S THEIR, THEIR END GOAL.

SO, UM, WE'RE REALLY APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP ON THIS PROGRAM.

AND THEY ARE THE LEAD ON RECRUITMENT.

I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT METHODS THEY'VE USED TO REACH ALL THE DIFFERENT ENTREPRENEURS THAT THEY'VE RECRUITED INTO THE PROGRAM, BUT, UM, THEY'VE HAD SOME REALLY AWESOME SUCCESSES SO FAR.

GREAT.

I JUST WAS THINKING IT'S JUST, UM, THEY'RE GOOD SPOKES, SPOKESPEOPLE FOR OUR PROJECT AND TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THEIR FACE.

THIS IS BECAUSE WHEN YOU SEE PROGRAMS LIKE THIS, PEOPLE DON'T MAKE THE CONNECTION 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HEAR BACK.

UM, AND SO IT'S, I, I'VE WORKED ON, UM, GRANTS IN THE PAST AND I'VE HAD PEOPLE SAY, DOES ANYBODY ACTUALLY EVER GET, GET THE GRANT? DOES ANY? AND SO IT'S THAT STORY OF, YES, I DID GET IT, AND THIS IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT FOR THE NEXT ROUND.

SO AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S ONE THING, HEARING IT FROM A BUREAUCRATS, ANOTHER FROM LISTENING IT FROM ACTUALLY SOMEBODY THAT THEY CAN LEARN FROM LOCALLY, PEER TO PEER.

IT'S ALSO, IT'S VERY POWERFUL.

THEN ALSO FOCUSING ON THE ISSUE OF, UM, NEXT SUBJECT IS VANDALISM THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED.

UM, CURTAILING THE ISSUE OF VANDALISM.

ONE OF THE THINGS I'M, I'M REALLY FOCUSED ON RIGHT NOW IS THE ISSUE OF COPPER THEFT, UM, AND IT'S DIRECT IMPACT TO SAFETY FOR COMMUNITIES.

AND SO JUST WANTED THAT TO ALSO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, BROUGHT INTO THAT FOLD IN THAT DISCUSSION.

I ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER IDEAS, UM, AND DISCUSSIONS FOR QUALITY OF LIFE.

UM, THAT'S NOT IN THIS PRESENTATION, SO I'M NOT SURE IF I SHOULD HOLD THOSE POINTS UNTIL AFTER THE PRESENTATION.

YOU CAN GO AHEAD.

SO A COUPLE THINGS IS ONE, UM, HOW DO YOU IMPACT QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES COMING UP FOR THE WORLD CUP, UH, FAN FEST, YOU KNOW, IS A CITY GONNA DO SOMETHING AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES TYPICALLY CAN'T, YOU KNOW, PURCHASE A TICKET.

UH, HOW CAN WE CELEBRATE IN SUCH A DIVERSE CITY? HOW CAN WE CELEBRATE EACH COMMUNITY, UM, DURING THIS PROCESS? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? UM, TWO, THERE'S ALSO THE OLYMPICS ARE COMING.

UM, YOU CAN VOLUNTEER AS AN ENTITY.

SO CITY OF LONG BEACH COULD, UM, VOLUNTEER.

AND WITH THAT YOU CAN HAVE YOUR, UM, YOUR STUDENT VOLUNTEERS, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR INTERNS, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE PIPELINE THE YOUTH, UM, AND THE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE TO GO INTO DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTEER AND LEARN MORE.

ALSO FOCUSING ON APPRENTICE OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER SUBSET.

MY THIRD POINT IS, UM, REVENUE.

WE STARTED LOOKING AT AS FAR AS WHAT THE REVENUES COMING INTO THE CITY FOR THE WATER, TAXIS GOING AERIAL, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH TRANSPORTATION MEANS, HAVE WE STARTED LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE GONNA GENERATE INCOME TO HELP SUBSET THE DIFFERENT, UM, COSTS THAT ARE GONNA COME INCURRED WITH THESE, UM, ACTIVITIES COMING UP.

'CAUSE YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, WORLD CUP, YOU'VE GOT SUPER BOWL AND YOU'VE GOT OLYMPICS BACK TO BACK TO BACK, AND HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY STAYS IN LONG BEACH.

YES, YES.

GREAT QUESTIONS.

UH, AND, AND COMMENTS.

IS MORE WITH EXTERNAL PARTNERS.

THANK YOU FOR THOSE.

UM, RIGHT NOW, UM, WHERE WE'RE AT IN GENERAL WITH PLANNING AND, AND I'LL, I'LL JUST SAY I WOULD SAY WORLD CUP AND OLYMPICS IS, UM, WE HAVE AN OLYMPICS STEERING COMMITTEE THAT THE, UH, REALLY WE HAVE TWO, ONE IS MORE OF INTERNAL TO DEPARTMENTS, AND WE'RE UNDERSTANDING LIKE WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES INTERNALLY THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAPITALIZE ON THIS OPPORTUNITY.

AND THEN, UM, I BELIEVE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS ALSO LEADING ANOTHER STEERING COMMITTEE, WHICH

[01:05:01]

UH, AND THEY'RE, I BELIEVE, ARE CHARGED WITH A VERY SIMILAR, UH, LIKE GOAL, RIGHT? TO MAKING, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE, YOU KNOW, THE WORLD CUP, THE OLYMPICS.

THE OLYMPICS, RIGHT? AND THEN ENSURE THAT THIS IS AN OLYMPIC GAMES FOR, FOR EVERYONE, RIGHT? SO LIKE, WATCH PARTIES RIGHT AT THE PARKS.

'CAUSE WE KNOW NOT EVERYONE'S GONNA BE ABLE TO COME TO THE WATER, TO, TO THE WATERFRONT.

SO, UH, DEMOCRATIZING THE GAMES FOR OUR RESIDENTS IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY MUCH IN THE FOREFRONT OF, UH, THE CITY AND THE STAFF.

UH, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S REFLECTED ON THE, UM, THE ROADMAP TO THE OLYMPICS 2028 THAT THE CITY, UM, PUBLISHED A FEW MONTHS AGO.

AND I, I CAN SHARE THAT TOO.

UM, BUT IT, IT, UH, IT IS DEFINITELY, UH, YOU KNOW, GOAL AND MILESTONE THERE FOR THE 2020 OLYMPICS.

AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE WILL UTILIZE THE WORLD CUP AS A, YOU KNOW, AS A, AND AS A TRAINING GROUND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THAT.

UM, I KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, I THINK LIKE THE WORLD CUP ORGANIZATION OFFICIALS TO SEE IF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH CUP, LIKE AN OFFICIAL ROLE, RIGHT.

UH, TO BE DEEMED LIKE A DESIGNATION TO HELP CELEBRATE AND, UH, THE, THE WORLD CUP.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE, THAT THE CITY IS WORKING ON.

UH, AND AGAIN, THIS ALL KIND OF ROLLS UP TO JUST THE BIG, THE BIG OLYMPICS 2028.

SO, UM, AND OF COURSE THERE'S A PROCESS, SO, YOU KNOW, THESE IDEAS ARE REALLY GOOD, SO BRING 'EM MY WAY AND THEN WE AS STAFF CAN TAKE THEM TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE, UH, WHERE WE MEET WITH OTHER STAFF TO, TO SEE WHERE IT'S, BUT WE'RE VERY MUCH IN THE PLANNING PHASE RIGHT NOW, SO THIS IS AN EXCELLENT TIME, UH, TO SHARE ANY KIND OF, UH, FEEDBACK INPUT THAT, THAT YOU HAVE.

GREAT.

AND FOLLOW UP, JUST, UM, AS FAR AS LOOKING AT REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES IS BRANDING EVERYTHING, OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S GONNA BE METRO, WHETHER IT'S GONNA BE MM-HMM .

SIDES OF BUILDINGS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST HOW WORLD CUP IS.

IT'S A VERY, UM, ANYWAYS, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO SECURE ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

GOING BACK TO THE VANDALISM AND, UM, GRAFFITI.

HAVE WE LOOKED AT, SINCE THE WORLD IS COMING TO LONG BEACH, HOW CAN WE DIFFERENTIATE THE CITY AND MAKE IT KNOWN AS LONG BEACH? ARE WE LOOKING TO MURALS STUFF THAT WE CAN HAVE OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR YOUTH ARTISTS WHO CAN, OR OUR ARTISTS, LOCAL ARTISTS.

UM, HOW CAN WE SHOW, SHOW AND EMBRACE, UM, LONG BEACH TO ALL THE VISITORS COMING IN SO THAT THEY ICONIC, UM, VISIONS ARE MM-HMM.

ARE, ARE THERE PLUS ALSO AS A DETERRENT TO AS, AS GRAFFITI ON THESE BUSINESSES? MM-HMM.

SO, YOU KNOW, THE TERMS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALWAYS LIKE TRY TO ADDRESS, RIGHT.

JUST BECAUSE IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.

UM, I KNOW, SO PART OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE, THERE ARE UNSURPRISINGLY, SUBCOMMITTEES, YOU KNOW, TO THAT.

AND SO ONE OF, THERE, ACTUALLY, IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU, UM, WE'RE SPENDING TIME TALKING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE SUBCOMMITTEE MIRROR THE, UM, THE FOCUS AREAS OF THE BLUEPRINT, WHICH I THINK SAYS THAT WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING SOME ALIGNMENT THERE, WHICH IS NICE TO SEE.

UH, SO THESE ARE SOME OF THOSE AREAS, UH, I WOULDN'T SAY, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THEM THAT YOU MENTIONED, BUT, UM, I'D SAY THE MAJORITY THAT YOU MENTIONED ARE SLATED FOR CONVERSATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN THOSE SUBCOMMITTEES.

UM, AND THEN THE, THE REVENUE POINT.

APOLOGIES FOR MISSING THAT ONE.

UM, WITH THE, WHEN IT COMES TO THE LA 28, UM, OF THE OLYMPICS, THE LA 28 ORGANIZATION KIND OF A, IT'S CALLED A GAMES AGREEMENT THAT THEY ENTER WITH, WITH ALL THE CITIES.

SO THAT TYPICALLY INCLUDES, UH, ESSENTIALLY LIKE EXCLUSIVITY WHEN IT COMES TO THE BRANDING AND MARKETING OVER THE, THE ARENAS AND THAT AREA.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY KIND OF HANDLE.

BUT THERE ARE, I THINK, OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR MARKETING, BRANDING, YOU KNOW, PARALLEL TO THAT, THAT THE CITY AND OUR BUSINESSES CAN ENGAGE IN.

ANOTHER, I THINK REALLY COOL PIECE THAT YOU'LL APPRECIATE, UH, COMMISSIONER, IS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON CREATING LIKE A, A MARKETING DISTRICT, UM, IN DOWNTOWN TO, TO USE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CITY ASSETS AND DOWNTOWN SPACES TO CREATE THAT REVENUE, UH, AS WELL.

SO, UM, I'LL MARK THAT DOWN AS, AS A NOTE AND THEN, UH, STAY UPDATED AND WHEN WE HAVE, UH, MORE UPDATES ON THAT, HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH, WITH THE COMMISSION.

DO, DO YOU HAVE, GO AHEAD.

UM, I HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS ON THE OLYMPICS, AND I WILL MAKE THEM AFTER, BUT WHY DON'T WE GO, COMMISSIONER NOR.

UH, FOR QUALITY OF LIFE? UM, THERE'S SO MANY.

UM, SO I, UH, I I, I REALLY LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT QUANTITATIVE METRICS IN HERE.

UM, I'M STILL STRUGGLING TO GET CONTEXT AROUND.

SO WHAT DOES GREAT LOOK LIKE IN, IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR CITY? SO I, I SEE, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES, THE NUMBER OF ENTREPRENEURS OR THE SIZE OF GRANTS, AND, UM, AND TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT DOES SUCCESS ON THESE PROGRAMS LOOK LIKE? WHAT DO WE ASPIRE TO ACHIEVE? BECAUSE THERE'S CLEARLY GOOD ACTIONS BEING TAKEN.

AND, UM, AND SO UNDERSTANDING, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE GOAL WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR, AND, AND SO ON.

AND THEN THE, THE, THE SECOND COMMENT, AND MAYBE A QUESTION IS JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, WHICH OF THESE DO WE THINK IS THE HIGHEST LEVERAGE,

[01:10:01]

IT'S SO LIKE, FRAGMENT.

IT'S NOT FRAGMENTED IN A DIS DISORGANIZED WAY.

IT'S FRAGMENTED IN JUST A VAST SET OF ACTIONS WAY.

UM, BUT UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIVE IMPACT OF THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS SO THAT WHEN WE SEE SUCCESS IN THE OUTCOMES, WE CAN REINVEST INTO, UM, REALLY, REALLY MAXIMIZING THE IMPACT THAT OUR RESOURCES GET.

AND THAT IS SOME OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE WORK THAT I'M EXCITED TO SEE DONE.

ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS ON COMMENTS? OKAY.

I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTION COMMENTS ON PAGE NUMBER 34 WITH THE, UM, ECONOMIC LIBERATION PROJECT.

IS THAT FUNDED AGAIN? AND SO IT'S GONNA CONTINUE.

THAT SOUNDS REALLY GREAT.

UM, AND I DO HAVE, 'CAUSE I, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT.

I HAVE A, A PROGRAM THAT'S RELATED TO TECHNOLOGY AND WANNA SEE IF WE COULD PIPELINE SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE INTO THAT.

UM, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS, IS I DID WANNA MAKE SOME, OH, UM, ARE THERE OTHER BID NEW BID PROGRAMS OTHER THAN THE WEST SIDE THAT ARE IN PROGRESS? YES, THERE WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, OVER THE, OVER THE LONG, THE LONG TERM HORIZON, WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY, UM, CREATING A BID ON THE SANTA FE AND WILLOW, UH, ON THE WEST SIDE.

AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WILL BE, UM, IN THE WRIGLEY NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UM, PACIFIC AND WILLOW, UH, AS WELL.

THAT ONE IS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ALONG.

SO WE'VE, UM, WE'VE DONE A FEASIBILITY STUDY, UH, AND THEN WE HAD A BUSINESS MEETING EARLIER THIS YEAR AS WELL TO PRES, UH, TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND AS PART OF THAT FEASIBILITY STUDY, WHAT THE PRIORITIES OF THE, OF THE CORRIDOR BUSINESS OWNERS WERE, ARE.

SO NOW THAT STUDY, UH, THAT INFORMATION, UM, THROUGH OUR CONSULTANTS WAS CREATED INTO WHAT'S CALLED LIKE A, A MANAGER MANAGEMENT PLAN, UH, WHICH, UH, CULMINATES ALL THE FINDINGS AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE THE STRUCTURE OF WHAT THE BID WOULD, COULD EVENTUALLY BECOME.

SO NOW THAT IS BEING, UH, WORKSHOP BY A STEERING COMMITTEE MADE UP OF LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS IN THAT AREA TO KIND OF GIVE THE FINAL FEEDBACK BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ACTUAL PETITION PROCESS.

AND THE PETITION PROCESS.

UH, WHAT THAT IS, IS ESSENTIALLY GATHERING SIGNATURES OF, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE CORRIDOR THAT ARE IN FAVOR OF CREATING THAT BID.

ONCE WE, UM, REACH, I THINK, UH, 50%, UH, OF, OF, UH, SIGNATURES OF THE TOTAL BUSINESSES IN, IN, UH, THAT CORRIDOR, THEN WE CAN BRING THE ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION, UH, TO COUNSEL, UH, VIA A HEARING.

OH, OKAY.

SO IT'S A PROCESS, BUT IT, UH, YEAH, NO, THANKS FOR EXPLAINING THE PROCESS BECAUSE, UH, WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK YOU IS, IS THAT, IS WHO DETERMINES WHETHER IT'S A PROPERTY OWNER BUS BID OR A BUSINESS OWNER BID? IS THAT THE RESEARCH THAT'S DONE THAT DOES THAT MM-HMM .

AND THEN IT'S BROUGHT TO THE VOTE TO THE BUSINESSES IN THAT AREA.

SO THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A GOOD OVERVIEW BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BIDS DON'T JUST HAPPEN.

THEY I WISH THEY DID.

YES, THAT'S RIGHT.

AND THIS ONE'S LIKE A QUASI EXISTING NEW IS THE INDUSTRIAL BID.

UM, SO, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF TAKING THE MAGNOLIA INDUSTRIAL, UM, DISTRICT NORTH OF ANAHEIM, AND THEN, UM, COMBINING THAT WITH THE WEST SIDE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT.

THEY'RE BASICALLY RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, SEPARATE BY THE, BY THE RIVER.

AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOOKING AT, UM, UM, COMBINING THOSE, THE RESOURCES AND THE NEEDS TO CREATE A, A BIG ONE, BIG INDUSTRIAL BID, UH, IN THE AREA.

SO THAT IS THE THIRD ONE.

UH, AND THEN POTENTIAL, UM, EXPANSION, NOT THIS YEAR, BUT, BUT MAYBE NEXT YEAR FOR THE, UM, BIXBY, UH, THE BIXBY KNOLLS, UH, BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.

SO RIGHT NOW, IT'S A VERY EXCITING TIME WITHIN THE BID WORLD.

UH, YOU KNOW, NEW, NEW DISTRICTS EXPANDED DISTRICTS, CONSOLIDATED, EXPANDED DISTRICTS.

UM, SO YEAH, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING.

AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IT, THEY DO NOT JUST HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.

BID IS A, YOU KNOW, ASSUMING, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS OWNERS ARE SUPER COORDINATED AND SHOWING UP, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AN 18 TO 24 MONTH PROCESS, UH, AND THEN IT IS AN INVESTMENT ON BEHALF OF THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WITH JUST THOSE TWO REPORTS BEING GENERATED, UH, TO SEE IF THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT AT THE END OF THE DAY FOR OFFICIAL, UM, CREATION OF THE BID.

IN THE BEING ABLE TO ATTEND THE OLYMPICS, BUT ALSO IN THE PROCESS ONCE THE OLYMPICS ARE DONE.

UM, SO WE'LL TAKE THAT AS AN ACTION ITEM TO HAVE THE, THE OVERALL BID PROCESS MAYBE BROUGHT TO THE COMMISSION.

UM, OKAY.

AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I, I HAD WAS, OR ACTUALLY JUST COMMENTS IS I HAD IS, IS AROUND THE OLYMPICS, IS I SIT ON THE, UM, MAYOR'S OFFICE, OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, AND, UM, WE JUST HAD A MEETING ON MONDAY, SO, UM, COMMISSIONER HAWAS, A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS YOU ASKED WE'RE WORKING ON, ON THE COMMITTEE.

SO ONE OF THEM IS, IS THAT IN THE SPRING OF NEXT YEAR, WE WILL HAVE PLANS FOR EACH ONE OF, THERE'S FOUR DIFFERENT AREAS.

THERE'S YOUTH, WHICH IS HOW DO WE ENGAGE THE YOUTH, NOT ONLY

[01:15:01]

YOU KNOW, THERE'S LEGACY PROJECTS TO KEEP THE YOUTH ENGAGED.

THE OTHER ONE IS, IS WE SMALL BUSINESS.

I'M A CO-CHAIR ON THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE.

SO HOW DO WE ENGAGE OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY? WE HAVE A FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO THE BRANDING WORK? A LOT OF THAT BRANDING WORKS WITH THE LA 2028 FOLKS WHERE THEY GET ALL THE FUNDING.

UM, BUT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO SOME BRANDING THROUGH THE CITY, UM, WHICH IS A NEGOTIATION WITH LA UM, THE OTHER ONE'S, ARTS AND CULTURE.

SO THE IDEA WOULD BE IS, IS ONCE AGAIN, WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE BEFORE THE OLYMPICS? UM, NOW BEFORE THE OLYMPICS, RIGHT? BEFORE THE OLYMPICS, AND THEN, UH, AFTER THE OLYMPICS, WHICH WOULD BE THE LEGACY PROJECTS AGAIN.

UM, SO, UM, AND I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, A LONG BEACH, A CITY OF LONG BEACH HAS BEEN COMMENDED NOT ONLY FOR HAVING AN INTERNAL TEAM, WHICH PROBABLY HAS OVER 90 PEOPLE INVOLVED IN IT, BUT THEN WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL THE COMMUNITY CO-CHAIRS FOR THE VARIOUS AREAS.

AND WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS, IS WE WILL, BETWEEN NOW AND SPRING OF NEXT YEAR, BE REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY WITH PUBLIC FORUMS TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND THEN ALSO START TO DISSEMINATE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION ABOUT HOW PEOPLE CAN GET INVOLVED.

SO IT, WE DO WANNA SEE IT AS A COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.

UM, AND THEN THE OTHER, UH, PIECE OF PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW IS TICKETS ARE PROBABLY GONNA GO ON SALE STARTING IN JANUARY OF 2026.

SO WE WANNA FIGURE OUT KIND OF SOME KIND OF METHOD OF FIGURING OUT, LIKE, HOW DOES OUR COMMUNITY GET ENGAGED IN BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE TICKETS? OR HOW DO WE SPONSOR TICKETS FOR YOUTH? SO THERE'S A LOT OF THESE KINDS OF CONSIDERATIONS, I THINK THAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAS REALLY, UM, PUT FORWARD AS FAR AS WHAT WE CAN DO.

AND THEN THE FINAL THING ON THE OLYMPICS IS WE HAVE THE OLYMPICS, AND WE HAVE THE PARALYMPICS TOO, WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY EXCITING FOR OUR CITY.

SO, UM, THERE'S, UM, WE'VE MET WITH THE LA 2028 COMMITTEE, WHICH IS NOT ONLY THE OLYMPICS, BUT THE PARALYMPICS COMMITTEE.

AND, UM, SO WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM TO REALLY FIND OUT MORE WAYS TO ENGAGE, NOT JUST OUR CITY.

'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY CITIES THAT ARE, BUT OUR CITY IN THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING WITH LA 2028.

SO THEY'VE INVITED US TO VARIOUS FORUMS. UM, AND THEN THE WORLD CUP, WHICH IS NEXT YEAR, IS, AS JULIAN MENTIONED, KIND OF A TESTING GROUND FOR US, BECAUSE THERE'LL BE PEOPLE COMING IN FROM AROUND THE WORLD FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, JUST LIKE THE OLYMPICS.

SO WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO? AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S SOME THINGS TO DO.

UM, I THINK THE ONLY FINAL THING IS, IS FOR ALL OF US TO BE REALLY AWARE OF IS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN ELECTION YEAR TOO, UH, 2028, AND WHAT THE LA 2028 FOLKS HAVE TOLD US IS MOST OF WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WILL HAPPEN 18 MONTHS IN ADVANCE, BUT WE'RE DOING ALL THE, THE GROUNDWORK WHERE WE COULD REALLY ENGAGE OTHER COUNTRIES IN OUR CITY.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.

BUT THERE IS A HEAVY, HEAVY FOCUS ON SECURITY AND, UM, ZONES THAT WILL BE CLOSED OFF BECAUSE THEY'RE SO CLOSE TO THE OLYMPIC, UM, EVENTS, AS WELL AS, UM, THE POTENTIAL FOR HAVING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ATHLETES BE IN OUR, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, IN OUR AREAS.

SO IT'S REALLY, REALLY EXCITING FOR OUR CITY.

IT'S JUST SO EXCITING FOR OUR CITY BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF EVENTS.

AND I ALSO THINK BECAUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP THAT THE CITY HAS TAKEN IN, UH, ROLLING THIS OUT.

SO PLEASE KEEP ASKING THE QUESTIONS.

AND ALSO WE WILL BRING IN, WE CAN BRING TYLER IN WITH JORGE, UM, TO DO KIND OF SOME UPDATES REGULARLY SO THAT PEOPLE CAN, THE COMMISSIONERS CAN BE ABLE TO GIVE INPUT TO WHAT COULD HAPPEN, ESPECIALLY ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SIDE.

UM, THE ONLY ON THING ON QUALITY OF LIFE TOO, IS AS AUSTIN, I THINK MAYBE WITH THE, FOR THE PEOPLE ON THIS COMMITTEE, IF YOU CAN INVOLVE AUSTIN ON THE BIDS AND THEN ALSO ON QUALITY LIFE FOR SOME REASON, THE, UH, THE NUMBER EIGHT INITIATIVE IS IN THERE.

UH, THE, AND THERE'S A PIECE IN NUMBER EIGHT THAT I'M VERY INTERESTED IN, WHICH IS THE CHILDCARE, UM, PRIORITY.

SO, YOU KNOW, I'M MENTIONING THESE THINGS TOO.

'CAUSE AS COMMISSIONERS, YOU MAY SEE ONE OF THE INITIATIVES A PRIORITY THAT YOU SEE.

IT'S NOT YOUR COMMITTEE, BUT YOU REALLY WANT TO CHAMPION THAT.

SO, UM, PLEASE LET US KNOW AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ALSO TALK WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE COMMITTEE SO THAT THEY CAN ENGAGE YOU IN THOSE MEETINGS.

UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY.

WHY DON'T WE MOVE THEN TO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIPS? THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UH, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION I CHOSE WAS REALLY GOOD ON THE, THE OLYMPICS SIDE OF THINGS.

I KNOW THAT, I KNOW THEY WERE GETTING THE, YOU KNOW, GETTING IT GOING, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW EXACT.

I DIDN'T, I KNEW IT WAS SOON, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD JUST MISSED.

SO IT'S GREAT.

PERFECT TIMING.

AND PROVIDE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO REGIONAL AND NATIONAL ECONOMIC CHALLENGES.

AND THE OTHER THING TO ADD IS, IS THEY JUST HIRED SOMEONE TO DO THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

HE WAS JUST, HE'S TWO WEEKS IN, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE GONNA START SEEING MORE.

ALRIGHT, SO YOU'RE MOVING ON TO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIPS HERE, SUPPORTING THE EXPANSION OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO ACCELERATE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH

[01:20:01]

OUR PRIORITY OBJECTIVES RIGHT HERE, ONE THROUGH FOUR GIRL ON BEACH DELIVERABLES, GOT NUMBER TWO AND NUMBER NINE, THE OLYMPICS.

SO, UM, WE WON'T SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THIS ONE RIGHT NOW SINCE WE HAVE A WHOLE PRESENTATION, UH, ON IT SHORTLY.

BUT UNDER THIS ONE, RIGHT, ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIPS, LEVERAGING, YOU KNOW, FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT, OTHER INVESTMENTS FROM OTHER STATES REGIONS.

THIS IS KIND OF, UM, SOME OF THE WORK THAT IS, THAT YOU'LL SEE, UM, GOING THROUGH THROUGH THE TEST CONFERENCE HERE.

FOR THE RULE NUMBER NINE, WE'RE LOOKING AT LONG BEACH, UH, WORKFORCE INNOVATION NETWORK AT LB WIN PARTNERSHIP WITH LBCC.

SO HERE'S OUR EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, RIGHT TO FUND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED IN INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING PARTNERSHIPS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH WAGE CAREERS OR, UM, FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH, UM, FROM LOW TO MODERATE INCOME OPPORTUNITIES.

HERE'S SOME, SOME NUMBERS HERE FOR YOU.

AGAIN, 200 INDIVIDUAL TRAININGS TO ITS TOLLING OVER 980,000 WERE ISSUED THROUGH THE STATE'S ELIGIBLE TRAINING PROVIDER.

AND THEN ALSO EQUIPPING CUSTOMERS WITH 41 TYPES OF INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATIONS ACROSS, YOU KNOW, OUR FIVE, UM, INDUSTRY CLUSTERS, HEALTHCARE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

THAT ONE'S NOT, UH, EXACTLY ONE PER SE.

UH, BUT IT'S, I WOULD, UH, KIND OF SEE THAT ONE AS MORE JUST EMBEDDED THROUGHOUT THE, YOU KNOW, OUR FIVE INDUSTRY CLUSTERS THERE, SKILLED TRADES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, GOODS, MOVEMENT, LOGISTICS THERE, PORT AND THEN EMER, UH, EMERGING SECTORS, AEROSPACE AND LOGISTICS AVIATION.

SO MORE INFORMATION ON THE PARTNERSHIP HERE.

SO YOU CAN SEE THERE'S BEEN A, A SHIFT, YOU KNOW, NOT A, I WOULD SAY AN ENHANCEMENT ON THE FOCUS ON APPRENTICESHIPS, UH, IS REALLY, IT'S REALLY KIND OF WHAT, UM, THE WORKFORCE, UM, INNOVATION NETWORK AND OTHER, UM, ORGANIZATIONS ARE, ARE KIND OF MOVING TOWARDS.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND TO BE, YOU KNOW, JUST IT'S VERY TRANSPARENT HERE RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE ARE KIND OF WAITING TO SEE ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF FUNDING, YOU KNOW, MAY OR MAY NOT COME OUR WAY JU JUST KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF IS VERY, YOU KNOW, ATTENTIVE TO THAT.

AND THERE IS A HIGH DEGREE RIGHT NOW OF KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UNDER UNCERTAINTY ON THE FUNDING AND THEN WHAT IT WILL BE STEERED TOWARDS.

BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE STAYING, YOU KNOW, ABREAST OF, OF THAT ISSUE HERE TO UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT WHAT COMES OF THAT, THOSE, UM, DISCUSSIONS AND, AND NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

THERE'S AGAIN, MORE SIMILAR PROGRAMS, RIGHT? DEMONSTRATING OUR, OUR WORKFORCE INNOVATION THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING, UH, AND RETAINING SKILLED WORKFORCE, ALIGNED WITH THE CITY'S GROW LONG BEACH BLUEPRINT AND THE BROADER GROWTH OF BUILDING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY CAREERS.

MORE OF THE COLLABORATION, RIGHT? AS YOU'VE NOTICED THIS IS, WE'RE BUILDING THAT, THAT PIPELINE, RIGHT? THE EDUCATION TO WORKFORCE PIPELINE AND, AND OBVIOUSLY OUR, OUR, UM, LB WIN HAS A HUGE PART TO PLAY ON THAT PIECE.

MOVING ON TO THE STAFF ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES FOR THE LONG GROW LONG BEACH DELIVERABLES, RIGHT? SO, UM, THIS, THE PREVIOUS ONE WAS ALSO NUMBER NINE.

IT MAY NOT LOOK LIKE THAT AT FIRST, RIGHT? BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL COME WITH THE OLYMPICS, RIGHT? BOTH PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY.

SO IT'S HOW DO WE PREPARE OUR RESIDENTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE JOBS THAT ARE COMING, THAT WE KNOW ARE COMING, RIGHT? SO WE KNOW THIS IS HAPPENING NOW.

WE JUST HAVE TO ALIGN AND PREPARE OUR WORKFORCE FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, THAT IS RELATED TO THE OLYMPICS.

THE OTHER PIECE I THINK THAT IS MORE, YOU KNOW, I THINK PEOPLE KIND OF SEE MORE DIRECTLY RELATED TO IS JUST THE, THE DE YOU KNOW, THE, UH, ENGAGEMENT WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND COUNTRIES.

LIKE THAT ONE'S EASIER TO SEE, BUT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE REAL WORK IS, IS COMING IN ON THE WORKFORCE SIDE TOO, AND THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

UM, BUT ON THIS SIDE, MORE OF THE, YOU KNOW, HOSTING THE OLYMPIC HOUSE DELEGATION VISITS AND TOURS, LIKE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT GOES BACK TO THAT POINT, THE COMMISSIONER HAWKES SAID EARLIER ABOUT THE BRANDING AND THE MARKETING.

YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE WANT THE CITY TO BE PERCEIVED AND UNDERSTOOD FROM AN INTERNATIONAL LENS, RIGHT? AND THEN EVEN OUR, OUR NATIONAL, UH, LENS AS WELL.

SO WE'VE BEEN, UH, IN COORDINATION WITH THE, WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, UH, PROTOCOL OFFICER, UH, JORGE, TYLER WRIGHT, THAT TEAM, UM, WHEN THEY COME, WE, UH, WE JOIN THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT LONG BEACH IS A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT, IS A GREAT PLACE TO HAVE YOUR OLYMPIC HOUSE.

UM, OFTENTIMES THAT DELEGATION, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'LL COME WITH, UH, YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ARE TIED TO THE OLYMPICS IN, IN THOSE NATIONS.

AND THEN, UM, BUT THEY'LL ALSO BRING, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, BUSINESS ON, YOU KNOW, ENTREPRENEURS, UH, DELEGATION OF BUSINESSES.

AND THAT'S WHEN, THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE THEIR PRESIDENT AS WELL, SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SHARE

[01:25:01]

THE LONG BEACH HAS A GREAT PLACE FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES TO COME VISIT, BUT IT'S THAT LEGACY, RIGHT? WHAT COMES AFTER MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CAPITALIZE ON THEIR VISITS HERE TO PROMOTE, UH, LONG BEACH AS A BUSINESS FRIENDLY CITY, RIGHT? AS A CITY, THAT IS A GREAT TO HAVE, UH, A PRESENCE HERE IN THE, IN THE UNITED STATES IF BUSINESS IS, WANTS TO BE CON, YOU KNOW, NEEDS TO BE CONDUCTED HERE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, RIGHT? MAKING SURE, AND, YOU KNOW, ALSO PROMOTING OUR DIVERSITY.

IT'S LIKE, THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO BE BECAUSE WE'RE BUSINESS FRIENDLY.

IT'S COMPETITIVE, RIGHT? IT'S CALIFORNIA A HUGE MARKET HERE.

THERE'S A LOT OF DEFENSE AND AEROSPACE GOING ON.

AND THEN ALSO IT'S A DIVERSE PLACE, UH, YOU KNOW, BOTH IN, UH, INDUSTRY AND, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITIES HERE.

SO THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.

, WE'VE HOSTED 11 SINCE JUNE, 2025.

THERE'S A, A LIST OF THEM THERE WHERE IT'S ONLY GROWING.

AND THEN HERE'S SOME, UH, UH, THIS IS WHERE, UH, ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES WHERE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS SAW, YOU KNOW, HAD EYES ON THESE, MAKE SURE THEY WERE HAPPENING.

UM, THEY DIDN'T FIT SO NEATLY INTO THE FOUR, BUT WE WANT, YOU KNOW, UM, WE THOUGHT THEY WERE IMPORTANT TO RAISE TO, TO THE LEVEL OF BEING PRESENTED TO YOU.

SO WE HAVE OUR 2025 SPACE BEACH CAMP.

WE'VE KIND OF PROVIDED SOME INFORMATION ON THIS BEFORE.

BUT AGAIN, VERY COOL, VERY EXCITED.

IT PROVIDES A TWO WEEK FREE IMMERSIVE CAREER EXPLORATION PROGRAM, UH, COMBINING INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT AND FACILITY TOURS AND HANDS-ON LEARNING.

SO WE TAKE, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE YOUTH FROM, UH, FROM ACROSS SCHOOL, DIS UH, OUR SCHOOLS, AND THEN THEY GO AND VISIT SOME OF OUR SPACE COMPANIES, RIGHT? THEY MEET THOSE ENGINEERS, THEY TALK TO THOSE ENGINEERS, SO THEY SEE THAT THEY TOO, CAN BE AN ENGINEER THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH REALLY INTERESTING METAL COMBINATIONS.

SO THAT ONE DAY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SEND UP A SPACE STATION, A SPACE ROCKET UP IN SPACE, OR, YOU KNOW, WORK, WORK HERE LOCALLY.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO SPACE TO GET A GOOD JOB, RIGHT? SO, SO LEARNING THAT, UH, FOR THEM TOO, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, HELPING OUR YOUTH REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIAL THROUGH, THROUGH WORKFORCE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, HERE IN LONG BEACH CAN BE ACHIEVED.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND SPACE SPEECH CAMP.

HERE'S THE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS HERE.

OH, I SEE SOMEBODY'S, UH, COMMISSIONER NAME THERE.

I RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, WONDER WHO THAT IS, .

BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOU KNOW, FOR COLLABORATING WITH US.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

RIGHT? SO IT'S ALL ABOUT CAREER EXPLORATION.

SO NOW WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE THE, THE AEROSPACE AVIATION, RIGHT? WE'RE LOOKING AT MORE TRADITIONAL, BUT STILL ALSO, YOU KNOW, VERY IMPORTANT SECTORS THAT PROVIDE A GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.

FINANCE, HEALTHCARE, HOSPITALITY, PUBLIC SERVICE, RIGHT THERE.

SO, SO, PEAK ENGAGEMENT FACILITY TOURS ACTUALLY HAD, UH, WAS A, UM, A CHAPERONE FOR THE ONE ON FINANCE.

WE VISITED ONE OF THE LOCAL BANKS HERE, YOU KNOW, THEY GOT A WHOLE TOUR.

THEY WENT INSIDE THE VAULT.

GOT TO LOOK AT THIS VERY OLD $500 BILL FROM, I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER THE TIME.

RICE WAS JUST GETTING YOUTH EXCITED.

I MEAN, I WAS EXCITED, I GUESS.

SO, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT THEY WERE, I THINK THEY WERE TOO, BUT GETTING 'EM EXCITED ABOUT THESE CAREER PATHS THAT EXIST, YOU KNOW, RIGHT IN THEIR, IN THEIR FRONT YARD, IN THEIR FRONT YARDS, OR THE BACK DOORS, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT.

BUT IT'S HERE IN LONG BEACH, AND IT'S JUST EXPOSURE, RIGHT? EXPOSING THEM TO THAT.

SO, YEAH, IT WAS MORE LIKE A DAY IN THE LIFE OF, UM, AND IF YOU GUYS EVER WANNA BE CHAPERONES, LET ME KNOW.

UH, I'D LOVE TO, UH, GET YOU GUYS FOLDED IN THERE JUST TO KIND OF SEE WHAT THAT PROGRAM LOOKS LIKE.

I THINK WE CAN DO THAT.

AND THERE WE GO.

THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CLEAR EXPLORATION DAYS.

HERE'S SOME HIGHLIGHTS FOR SKER TEAM.

JUST AS A REMINDER, SKER TEAM IS A TEAM THAT HELPS, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO OUR BUSINESS LIAISON, BUT THEY HELP, UH, BUSINESSES, ENTREPRENEURS, UH, HELP TO NAVIGATE, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR SYSTEMS HERE, UH, CONNECT THEM TO THE RIGHT RESOURCES, WHETHER IT'S INTERNAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH THE EXTERNAL, WITH SOME OF OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS, RIGHT? LIKE SBDC, FOR EXAMPLE.

UM, OR SOME OF OUR, UM, EVEN, UM, OUR, OUR BUSINESS NAVIGATOR PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE HERE, VISIT OVER A THOUSAND LOCATIONS PROVIDED OVER, UM, ASSISTANCE IN-PERSON ASSISTANCE OVER 15 BUSINESSES, ATTENDANCE, SEVEN, EIGHT COMMUNITY EVENTS.

SO WE'RE GETTING OUT THERE, RIGHT? WE'RE GETTING THE WORD OUT THERE, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT, LETTING OUR BUSINESS OWNERS KNOW THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO SHUT THEIR DOORS TO GET OUR HELP.

WE CAN GO VISIT THEM IN PERSON IN THEIR STOREFRONT.

THAT WAY, THEY'RE NOT MISSING OUT ON CUSTOMERS COMING THROUGH THEIR DOOR.

SO, HERE'S SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS THAT WE HAVE WRAPPING UP WITH THE PRESENTATION.

YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN, UH, HITTING ON, UH, THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION, SO CONNECTING WITH THE CHAMPIONS, UH, TO ADVANCE THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? THESE SUBCOMMITTEES, UH, WORKING ON DEVELOPING AND TRACKING METRICS OUTCOMES, UM, LIKE COMMISSIONER AKR SAID THERE, WE NEED TO REALLY START REFINING THAT PIECE.

UH, INVITE, UM, INVITE THEM TO ATTEND THE BUSINESS WALKS.

YOU GUYS ARE WELCOME TO GO TO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT, THAT I MENTIONED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM, YOU KNOW, LET US KNOW.

WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE THE WORK THAT THAT IS BEING DONE.

JOIN US ON THOSE BUSINESS WALKS.

UM, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, REALLY INTERESTING AND COOL AND INFORMATIVE FOR US.

AND, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD DARE SAY HELPFUL TO THE BUSINESS OWNER AS WELL AS WHEN IT COMES TO RESOURCE SHARING, AND THEN DEVELOP THE LOOK AT THE SUBCOMMITTEES TO DEVELOP THE METRICS THERE,

[01:30:01]

UM, AS WELL.

AND THAT SUMS US UP.

I KNOW WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE LAST ONE, AND COMMENTS.

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FOR THE LAST COMMISSIONER HAWAS.

UM, UH, AGAIN, GREAT PRESENTATION.

UH, FIRST QUESTION I HAVE IS ON THE INTERNATIONAL HOUSES.

I KNOW, I THANK YOU FOR BEING HELPFUL.

I WAS, UM, I PITCHED AT LONG BEACH TO SPAIN, AND SO I JUST NEEDED THAT CONNECTION.

SO I'M, HOPEFULLY THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE GONNA SETTLE ALL OVER HERE.

I'M JUST CURIOUS, HAVE WE FIGURED OUT WHICH LIST OF THOSE COUNTRIES ARE GONNA SET UP SHOP AND IN LONG BEACH YET? SO RIGHT NOW, THE DELEGATIONS ARE REALLY, LIKE IN THE SCOPING PHASE.

THEY'RE LOOKING AROUND, THEY'RE VISITING CITIES, YOU KNOW, IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, LA, LONG BEACH, AND ANYTHING IN BETWEEN TO SEE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER, RIGHT? AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS IN LOCATING IN LONG BEACH, FOR EXAMPLE? I KNOW, UH, GREECE RECENTLY, A FEW WEEKS AGO, ANNOUNCED, UH, THAT THEY'LL, THEY DECIDE THEY'VE CHOSEN LONG BEACH TO HAVE THEIR CULTURE HOUSE HERE.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING REALLY EXCITING.

UM, BUT RIGHT NOW THAT, THAT'S A VERY EARLY, UH, DETERMINATION, TYPICALLY, UM, YOU'LL START SEEING THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS MORE, I WOULD SAY NEXT, NEXT YEAR FOR SURE.

BUT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE VISITING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SENDING KIND OF LEADS TO SCOPE OUT, UH, WHAT THE SITUATION IS.

AND THEN THEY'LL BE SENDING, YOU KNOW, WE EXPECT TO SEE MORE VISITATIONS COMING THROUGH AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE OLYMPICS.

SO THERE WON'T BE A, UM, YOU KNOW, A FULL LIST AT ONCE.

IT'LL BE MORE OF LIKE, UH, AS THE COUNTRIES DETERMINE WHERE THEY WILL BE LOCATED, UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT BEING COORDINATED WITH THEM TO VIA, VIA PRESS RELEASE, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, TO INFORM THE PUBLIC.

NOW, I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME OTHER COUNTRIES ALREADY SETTLING, LIKE ONCE IN, UM, MANHATTAN BEACH, YOU KNOW, AND MY BIGGEST PUSH IS TO FOLKS AND INTERNATIONAL SPACE, IS THAT YOU, WE HAVE, WE'VE GOT WHAT, 12, 13 GAMES HERE.

SO THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ABLE FOR THEIR ATHLETES TO TRAIN AND THE CONDITIONS THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE COMPETING IN IS, IS IT'S THE WAY I, I MIGHT KEEP PUSHING.

PLEASE DO THE ISSUE AS FAR AS UNDERSTANDING THAT, THAT THAT ADVANTAGE.

UM, OKAY.

SO MY SECOND QUESTION GOES TO PAIGE, UM, UH, 55, UM, SPACE BEACH CAMP.

I THINK IT'S GREAT.

UM, JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THE, THOSE, THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE CHOSEN, DO THEY ALSO GET PREFERENTIAL POINTS BY BEING, UH, LONG BEACH RESIDENTS, LIKE ALSO MARRYING WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, UM, AT LONG BEACH? UM, JOB OPPORTUNITIES? SO RIGHT NOW, NO PREFERENTIAL, UM, LIKE CONSIDERATION, UH, IN THE PROGRAM.

BUT I WILL SHARE SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.

IS THAT THE CITY THROUGH, UH, ONE OF THE RECENTLY PASSED MEASURES FOR THE CITY ITSELF, FOR LIKE, CITY RELATED JOBS, THERE IS NOW AN, UM, BASICALLY A BONUS PROVIDED FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS.

SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THE YOUTH SPACE CAMP MIRRORS THAT NEW INITIATIVE.

NO, NO.

THIS IS MORE OF LIKE A CAREER EXPLORATION.

UM, SO THERE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD BE, I'M NOT READY FOR EMPLOYMENT, FULL UNEMPLOYMENT.

NOW, AS FAR AS THE, YOU HAD A HUGE, YOU HAD A APPLICANT, 186 MM-HMM .

FOR 36 SLOTS.

SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, I SEE BERKELEY ON THERE, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE KIDS FROM LONG BEACH HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.

JUST KIND OF LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH A NEW INITIATIVE.

SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THAT'S IN COMING INTO PLAY, IF THEY'RE A, YOU KNOW, CAL STATE LONG BEACH STUDENT, IF THEY'RE LBCC STUDENT, LONG BEACH RESIDENTS, WHAT, WHAT HAVE YOU.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THERE WAS A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT THAT IN THE SELECTION.

YEAH, I'M NOT TOO SURE.

WE'RE NOT SURE ON THE SELECTION PROCESS, BUT LET'S, I'LL LOOK INTO THAT AND THEN DEFINITELY, UH, SEND THAT INFORMATION OVER TO YOU.

AND THEN ONE LAST THING IS, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE, UM, THESE MAJOR EVENTS COMING ON, PLUS ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE DAY-TO-DAY ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING.

UM, I KNOW PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WORLD CUP AS BEING A, A TRIAL, BUT THAT'S NOT A TRIAL.

THAT'S, THAT'S IT.

SO, I MEAN, JUST CONSIDERING THE DODGER PARADE WAS 25,000, UH, YOU'RE LOOKING AT, I THINK IT'S THAT EVERY DAY OF A, AN OLYMPICS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF, OR WORLD CUP IS EQUIVALENT OF OLYMPIC EVERY DAY.

IT'S, IT'S INTENSE.

SO JUST LOOKING AT THAT AHEAD OF TIME, HOW CAN WE, LOOKING TO THE YOUTH, UM, I KEEP GOING BACK TO THE YOUTH ARE FOCUSING ON AI, AI'S GONNA BE A HUGE, WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY WITH AI AND WHAT IT'S GONNA BE LIKE WHEN THE, THE OLYMPICS COME, OR BE NIGHT AND DAY.

SO HOW CAN WE CREATE THOSE RFPS WITH THE LOCAL LBCC, WITH CAL STATE LONG BEACH, WITH A COMPANY.

HERE'S THE PROBLEM.

WE HAVE 25,000 PEOPLE TRYING TO GET IN HERE AND, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU COME UP WITH SOME KIND, LIKE, SOME KIND OF CREATIVE SOLUTION? BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR POPULATION NOW IS THEY'RE GRADUATING AND GETTING CLOSE TO GRADUATING, AND THEY HAVE NO WORK EXPERIENCE.

THEY HAVE NOTHING THEY CAN POINT TO, TO SELL WHY THAT THEY ARE, THEY SHOULD BE HIRED AMONGST THEIR PEERS.

SO IF WE CAN GIVE THEM SOME KIND OF OPPORTUNITY, LIKE, NO, I ACTUALLY CREATED A SOLUTION FOR THE OLYMPICS.

YOU KNOW, I WAS PART OF AN RFP THAT DID X, Y, AND Z TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN WE PROVIDE TANGIBLE OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY WITH AI COMING IN.

AND, UM, THEIR GRASP A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF 'EM, UM, THEIR GRASP ON HOW IT, HOW TO UTILIZE IT.

[01:35:02]

OTHER COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER NOVIN, REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.

JULIAN, AS ALWAYS.

UM, THINK ABOUT THE, THE CHILDCARE THING THAT THE CHAIR MENTIONED.

UM, AND LOOKING AT THE OUTER SCOPE AREAS, AND I KNOW A LOT OF WHAT WE DO WILL IMPACT AREAS LIKE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, FOR EXAMPLE.

'CAUSE IT'S AN ENGINE OF GROWTH, RIGHT? SO THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP ON THESE DIFFERENT AREAS.

UM, HAVING HAD THE PRESENTATION A FEW WEEKS AGO ON, SPECIFICALLY ON THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND THE NEW PROJECTS COMING IN AND WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, I WOULD JUST ASK THE COMMISSIONERS, I DON'T THINK WE'VE DIRECTLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT OR MENTIONED IT, BUT HOW DO WE PROMOTE HOME OWNERSHIP IN THE CITY? I THINK WOULD BE A BIG IMPACT ON A LOT OF THESE DIFFERENT AREAS, ESPECIALLY QUALITY OF LIFE AND DRIVERS OF GROWTH.

SO, YOU KNOW, AS WE THINK ABOUT IT, HOW DO WE BUILD PROGRAMS? HOW DO WE INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO OWN VERSUS RENT? I THINK LONG BEACH IS OVER 60% NOW WITH THE RENTERS.

AND I THINK THINKING ABOUT HOW DO THESE NEW PROJECTS, UM, PRESENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS OR, YOU KNOW, WORKING CLASS FOLKS, TEACHERS, FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE IN THE COMMUNITY, TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BUY AND LIVE IN THE CITY THAT THEY WORK IN WOULD BE A GREAT THING FOR US TO CONSIDER ACROSS THE BOARD.

AND THERE'S PROBABLY OTHER AREAS THAT WE COULD MAYBE IDENTIFY AS, YOU KNOW, THE SILVER LININGS THAT GO THROUGH ALL THESE AREAS THAT WE DO WORK ON.

SO I DON'T WANNA LOSE TRACK OF THAT, ESPECIALLY AS REAL ESTATE IS PROBABLY A FOCUS ON BY CITY STAFF, BUT WE'LL FOCUS ON IT ON OUR AREAS, OR AT LEAST I WILL.

I HAVE, UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

JUST ONE QUESTION ON THE SPACE BEACH CAMP IS THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD FOLLOW UP.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS, 'CAUSE I MET SOME OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THIS PROGRAM.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY REACH OUT TO THE LOCAL SCHOOLS.

THEY'RE YOUNG, THEY'RE UNDER THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TYPICALLY.

SO, SO, UM, ANYWAY, IT'D BE GREAT FOR US TO YOU TO BRING THAT BACK AS FAR AS WHAT IS THAT SELECTION CRITERIA ABOUT THAT.

UH, THE OTHER THING IS, IS THE, UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, TAG ONTO SOMETHING THAT COMMISSIONER NORDIC SAID ABOUT WHAT DOES GREAT LOOK LIKE, UM, ASPIRE TO ACHIEVE BY YEAR ONE BY YEAR, WHATEVER THAT IS.

SO WHAT WE WILL DO IS WE WILL PUT TOGETHER SOME OVERARCHING QUESTIONS FOR EACH ONE OF THE COMMITTEES TO COME BACK AND ANSWER.

IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T, YOU ONLY LIMITED TO THOSE.

BUT I THINK IT'LL BE EASIER FOR THE STAFF TO THEN SUMMARIZE FOR ALL OF US AS WE'RE WORKING ON OUR COMMITTEES, TO HAVE LIKE MAYBE FIVE KEY QUESTIONS.

SO IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANNA, AS A BURNING QUESTION THAT YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE COMMITTEES ANSWER, THEN JUST EMAIL IT OVER TO, UH, JULIAN.

AND WE'LL MAKE SURE WE GET THAT IN THE FORMAT.

UM, THE OTHER ONE IS, IS THE, I DID WANNA, UM, WE CAN GET MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU, COMMISSIONER HAWKES, BUT THEY, UM, THE GETTING SOME OF THE, UH, COUNTRIES TO HAVE THEIR, NOT ONLY THEIR ATHLETE ATHLETES, BUT THEIR DELEGATIONS TO BE IN A PARTICULAR CITY.

UM, SOME OF IT IS TAGGED TO, 'CAUSE WE HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, IT IS TAGGED TO WHERE THE EVENTS ARE.

UM, AND IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT ALSO THAT THEY HAVE AN ONE OLYMPIC VILLAGE, WHICH WILL BE HIGHLY SECURED AS WELL AS THE IOC PAYS FOR THE ATHLETES TO BE AT THAT VILLAGE.

AND SO IF THEY CHOOSE ANOTHER LOCATION, UM, THEY WOULD HAVE SECURITY CONCERNS, BUT THEY CAN, THEY CAN GET OVER THAT.

IT'S JUST THAT THEY AS A COUNTRY WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT HOUSING FOR THEIR DELEGATION.

SO ANYWAY, JUST SOME, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL EXTRA THINGS THAT ARE COMING TO ALL OF US MM-HMM .

AND AS, AS YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE YOU'RE WORKING IN THAT ARENA OF INTERNATIONAL AND HOW TO DRAW PEOPLE IS IT'D BE GOOD FOR US TO GET IN THIS KIND OF INFORMATION TO EVERYBODY.

RIGHT? AND JUST THE LUBBOCK VILLAGE IS GONNA BE AT, UH, UCLA.

SO IF YOU TRAFFIC, SO TRYING TO FIGURE HOW DO YOU GET THE ATHLETES AND YES.

EVERYBODY TOGETHER, IT'S, AND REALIZE IT'S NOT GONNA TAKE TIME.

THEY RECOGNIZE THE FACT THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING WITH THE LANES ON THE FREEWAYS, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC FOR THE ATHLETES, THE DISTANCES THEY RECOGNIZE.

WE WOULD REALLY LOVE TO HAVE MANY OF THE ATHLETES AND THEY WANT TO BE CLOSER MM-HMM .

TO THEIR VENUES SO THEY HAVE MORE TIME TO PRACTICE AND NOT TO BE ON THE ROAD.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS.

UM, KEEP GIVING US BRINGING THEM FORWARD BECAUSE I THINK EVEN NOT JUST THROUGH THE PUBLIC FORUMS, WHAT WE CAN DO IS HELP TO INFORM THE COMMITTEES AS WELL AS THE, UM, THE LA 2028 PEOPLE, WHAT WE WANNA GET AHEAD OF.

UM, I WANTED TO, UH, COMMISSIONER NOVIN, THANKS FOR THE HOME OWNERSHIP PIECE.

ANYONE ELSE THAT SEES ANYTHING ON HERE, YOU KNOW, THESE, THIS WAS, UM, I APPRECIATE JULIAN SUMMARIZING EVERYTHING AS FAR AS LIKE A BASELINE OF INFORMATION FOR YOU.

'CAUSE NOW WHEN YOU WON'T GO INTO YOUR COMMITTEES, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THIS BASELINE OF INFORMATION.

BUT YOU CAN TAKE THE REPORT THAT WE HAVE,

[01:40:01]

YOU CAN TAKE THIS CHART.

THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU SEE SUCH AS, UM, WHAT COMMISSIONER NOVIN MENTIONED, HOME OWNERSHIP, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA REALLY PUSH ON THE CHILDCARE SIDE.

THERE MAY BE SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU SEE THAT NEEDS TO BE ELEVATED, UM, AND ALSO, UH, THAT YOUR COMMITTEE WOULD WANT TO, OR YOU WANT ANOTHER COMMITTEE TO WORK ON.

BRING THAT TO US.

'CAUSE WE CAN DO THAT.

THE PROCESS BEFORE WAS, WHICH SOME OF YOU WERE NOT INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS, IS WE DID GO THROUGH AND WE DID THAT, BUT WAS WITH A DIFFERENT GROUP OF COMMISSIONERS.

SO THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT YOU WANNA ELEVATE OKAY.

AS CHAMPIONS.

GO AHEAD.

COMMISSIONER SANDOVAL.

THANK YOU, VIVIAN.

AND JUST TO COMMENT ON HOUSING, UM, HOUSING IS, IS, IS A, IS A CHALLENGE ACROSS A LOT OF DIFFERENT CITIES.

I KNOW IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE IN LONG BEACH, UH, BUT IT KIND OF, SINCE WE'RE ON THE OLYMPICS TOPIC, UM, YOU KNOW, WE AIM TO ATTRACT A HUGE WORKFORCE, UM, CURRENTLY AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF HOUSING, A SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

I WAS JUST BARELY ABLE TO BUY MY HOUSE IN RIGLEY.

SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT BID, UH, TO COME TRUE.

FINALLY, .

UH, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, UM, BE ATTUNED TO IS LIKE WHAT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE JOBS THAT ARE GONNA BE CREATED TEMPORARILY AND THEN, UH, PERMANENTLY THEREAFTER.

YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE THEY GOING? WHERE ARE THEY GONNA STAY? LUCKILY, WE LIVE REALLY CLOSE TO ORANGE COUNTY AND LA BUT YOU KNOW, THE, THE SUPERBOWL TIMES 10, UH, YOU KNOW, INFLUX OF, OF HUMANS COMING INTO LONG BEACH IS GONNA REQUIRE, UM, MORE, MORE, MORE SOLUTIONS.

UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T RELY ON OUR EXISTING HOTELS OR EXISTING AIRBNBS.

UH, 'CAUSE THERE'S STILL NOT ENOUGH.

I THINK WE JUST GOT THE FAIRMONT BREAKERS AND WE HAVEN'T HAD A NEW HOTEL FOR, I DON'T KNOW, ALMOST A DECADE BEFORE THAT.

THE WHOLE, UH, THE HARD ROCK, WHO KNOWS IF THAT'S GONNA GET BUILT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF IN LIMBO AT THE MOMENT AND THAT WE WOULD RELY ON, ON THOSE UNITS AS WELL FOR THE OLYMPICS.

UM, I'D LIKE TO TO KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE CITY OR PRIVATE DEVELOPERS PLAN TO BUILD, UH, AND PREP.

I KNOW WE CALL IT THE NO BUILD OLYMPICS, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO KIND OF, UH, SUPPORT THAT INFRAS, YOU KNOW, BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THE VOLUME THAT WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE IF WE'RE TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

RIGHT.

UM, SO HOUSING IS ONE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS, IS ANOTHER.

UM, AND THEN, UM, PATHWAYS TO, TO HOME BUYING FOR, ALSO FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT KIND OF ARE IN THE MIDDLE, THEY MAKE TOO MUCH OR THEY MAKE TOO LITTLE TO, TO QUALIFY FOR PROGRAMS. MM-HMM.

THERE'S A LOT OF US, YOU KNOW, IN THAT, IN THAT, IN THAT GAP.

AND SO THERE'S NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR TECH COMPANIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE MAKING GOOD SALARIES, BUT THERE'S JUST NOT, NOT ENOUGH STOCK, RIGHT.

FOR HOUSING POTENTIALLY.

SO THERE'S A LOT AROUND HOUSING, I THINK, UH, AND, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, TEMPORARY AND LONG TERM THAT, THAT MAYBE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION.

UM, AND MAYBE THAT'S A, A CONVERSATION WITH PLANNING, UM, ALONG WITH THE OLYMPICS COMMITTEES AND, AND WHO'S KIND OF RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING THAT.

UH, BUT IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD, WHETHER IT BE TEMPORARY UNITS RIGHT, TO SUPPORT A WORKFORCE, UM, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S A CONSTRUCTION ELEMENT ATTACHED TO THAT.

AGAIN, WE'RE LUCKY IN THAT WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF LOCATED NEAR A LOT OF GOOD RESOURCES.

BUT LONG BEACH ON ITS OWN SHOULD STAND, JUST STAND STRONG, SHOULD STANDALONE AND NOT RELY ON THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO RECEIVE THAT POUR OVER.

VICE CHAIR THOMAS.

JUST, JUST, UH, THANK YOU.

JUST, UH, FOR FOCUS AREA NUMBER ONE, I'D LIKE TO BE ADDED PLEASE.

I THINK I FELL OFF THE BUSINESS RETENTION AND ATTRACTION AND, UH, ON THAT, ON THE TEMPORARY HOUSING QUESTION SPECIFICALLY FOR THE, UM, THE TEAMS, THERE'S BEEN CHATTER, AND I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY MENTIONED HERE A WHILE BACK, THAT CONVERSATIONS ARE, MAY BE ONGOING WITH THE CRUISE SHIP INDUSTRY.

YOU REMEMBER DURING COVID, WE HAD ABOUT 15 CRUISE SHIPS OUT HERE, AND YOU COULD ALMOST WALK FROM ONE TO ONE TO ONE TO ANOTHER.

UM, AND THEY WERE REPATRIATING THEIR STAFF AND CREWS THROUGH LAX TO SEND THEM BACK HOME UNTIL THE CRUISE INDUSTRY COULD, UM, REASSESS ITSELF.

SO BETWEEN SAN PEDRO HARBOR, OUR HARBOR, AND OTHER SMALLER VESSELS THAT COULD COMM, UH, COMMUTE TO TEAM PLAYERS, THAT SHOULD BE PROBABLY ONE ASSET.

WE LOOK AT, UM, WITH OUR, WITH OUR CAR, WITH OUR CARNIVAL AND OUR OTHER CRUISE PARTNERS DOWN THE ROAD, IT'S POP UP, IT'S NO INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, IN THE ACCESSIBLE AND IT RELIEVES OF TRAFFIC ON NORMAL DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS FOR OUR CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES OF LONG BEACH.

SO, JUST FYI ON ON THAT COMMENT.

GREAT REPORT.

I WANNA, I THANK JULIAN FOR THAT REALLY GOOD REPORT AND FOR CARL AND COURTNEY, UM, ADDING TO

[01:45:01]

THAT.

IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT QUESTIONS? PUBLIC COMMENT? IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, UH, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM.

SEEING NONE, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.

CAN WE TAKE A VOTE TO RECEIVE AND FILE THIS REPORT? MS. WENCH? WE CAN TAKE A VERBAL.

BRENDA, TAKE A VERBAL FROM ME.

BRENDA, SHE'LL TAKE A VERBAL.

OKAY, WHY DON'T WE READ OUT ITEM NUMBER THREE, THE SITE SELECTORS.

I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU BEFORE WE GO TO THAT, JULIAN.

IS, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S CRITICAL FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT THAT YOU WANT? YOU WANNA MOVE THAT AHEAD OF THE SITE? SELECTORS? NO, NO, NOTHING CRITICAL.

JUST ONE UPDATE.

ITEM THREE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION ON THE 2025 SITE SELECTORS CONFERENCE.

WHY DON'T WE MOVE TO THE REC, UH, TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.

[3. 25-56767 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation on the 2025 Site Selectors Conference. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

CAN I HAVE A MOTION FOR THAT? OKAY.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER SANDOVAL AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER NOVIN.

SO LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT THE SITE SELECTORS CONFERENCE.

APPROACH TO THEIR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN OUR OCEAN FRONT DEVELOPMENT, UH, AS WELL.

AND I'LL BE MINDFUL OF TIME, SO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT.

ALRIGHT, SO LET'S GET US STARTED HERE.

SO JUST A, AS A REMINDER, THIS WAS ALSO AN ITEM FROM, UH, BACK IN SEPTEMBER, BUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, NOTHING, UH, TIME, UH, NO TIME, UH, ISSUES HERE.

UPDATES LIKE THE OTHER ONE.

UH, SO VERY QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS A SITE SELECTION CONFERENCE? THIS IS SOMETHING, UH, THAT WE STARTED, UH, TWO YEARS AGO.

SO WE WRAP, WE DID IT THIS YEAR IN 2025.

AND THIS IS AN UPDATE, UM, TO THAT OF, UH, OF THE SITE SELECTION CONFERENCE ITSELF.

SO, WHAT IS IT? IT WAS A THREE DAY EVENT, UH, HERE AT THE, UH, AND IT WAS OUR, THE CITY'S KIND OF LARGEST BUSINESS ATTRACTION CONFERENCE.

IT'S A CONFERENCE THAT FEATURED FIVE LEADING SITE SELECTORS OR SITE SELECTION CONSULTANTS.

UH, AND WHAT THEY DID IS THEY TOURED, UH, LONG BEACH, UH, STOPPED AT, YOU KNOW, KEY INDUSTRY SECTOR COMPANIES, LEARN ABOUT SOME QUALITY OF LIFE.

UH, AND THEN AT THE END GAVE US SOME FEEDBACK ON HOW TO ATTRACT THE DESIRED BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, THAT WE TALK ABOUT HERE ALL THE TIME, RIGHT? OUR FIVE INDUSTRY, UH, SECTORS, UH, THAT YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE.

AVIATION, AEROSPACE EDUCATION, TOURISM, HOSPITALITY, ARTS AND CULTURE, AND THEN LOGISTICS, GOOD MOVEMENT SUPPORT THERE.

AND THEN HEALTHCARE.

SO JUST AN OVERVIEW ON, UH, WHO IT WAS THAT, THAT WE BROUGHT.

WE HAVE ANN KU.

SHE HAS, YOU KNOW, THEY ALL ARE VERY EXPERIENCED IN THIS AREA OF SITE SELECTION.

UH, YOU CAN LOOK AT THEIR, THEIR LITTLE, THEIR BRIEF PROFILES, UH, THERE, BUT JUST TO, UM, GONNA PULL KIND OF SOME, UH, THERE ARE HIGHLIGHTS THERE.

SO, AND SHE FOCUSED ON TAX AND INCENTIVE CONSULTANT THERE.

WE HAVE PAIGE, UH, HE'D BEEN IN, IN THE BUSINESS FOR A GOOD BIT.

SO HE'S LOOKING AT, UM, AEROSPACE, BPOS OR BUSINESS PROCESS, YOU KNOW, OUTSTANDING OUTSOURCES, SORRY, BIOTECH, UM, RENEWABLES MANUFACTURING AND THEN RELOCATION OF CORPORATE CENTERS.

MOVING ON TO JEFF OR JEFFREY.

UH, HE FOCUSED ON REAL ESTATE SITE SELECTION AND ALSO LEASE NEGOTIATION.

UH, THEN YOU HAVE LAUREN THERE, UH, WHO ALSO FOCUSED ON SITE SELECTION, UH, AND THEN INCENTIVE NEGOTIATIONS.

AND THEN LASTLY HERE, LOOKING AT, UH, SEAN FERGUSON WITH FIRE TIGER TECHNOLOGIES.

UH, HE'S, UH, MORE FOCUSED ON LIKE, UH, ORGANIZATIONAL CONSULTANTS.

SO MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT, INCLUDING FINANCE STRATEGY, AND THEN OPERATION SERVICES.

SO COMBINED THESE FIVE SITE SELECTORS, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY, UH, HIT OUR FIVE, UH, OUR FIVE INDUSTRY CLUSTERS THAT WE WANTED TO FOCUS HERE, UH, IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.

SO OVER THE COURSE OF THOSE THREE DAYS, THEY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ESSENTIALLY HAD A VERY AGGRESSIVE AGENDA TO, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE LONG BEACH, FAST AND FURIOUS TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT WE HAD TO OFFER, AND THEN GIVE, AND THEN HAVE THEM GIVE US FEEDBACK ON WHAT, YOU KNOW, AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT, WHAT ARE WE DOING WELL, WHAT COULD BE DOING BETTER, UH, COORDINATING, UH, YOU KNOW, INTERNALLY AS A CITY COORDINATING WITH OUR PARTNERS.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INFORMATION AND I'M, YOU KNOW, HAPPY TO SHARE, UH, THAT WITH YOU ALL HERE TODAY.

SO THE FIRST KIND OF, UH, SECTION FOR THEM WAS, YOU KNOW, LONG BEACH IS NOW JUST REALLY LOOKING, PROVIDING THEM WITH SOME, UM, FOUNDATION, UNDERSTANDING OUR ECONOMIC OVERVIEW, COLLABORATIVE

[01:50:01]

THE SECOND, UM, KIND OF, UH, AREA OF FOCUS IS THE GATEWAY TO THE PACIFIC, RIGHT? SO HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND THAT LONG BEACH, YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE THAT LONG BEACH PLAYS A VERY CRITICAL, UNIQUE ROLE AS IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, HAVING, BEING THE, YOU KNOW, THE GATEWAY TO THE ASIAN TO ASIAN MARKETS.

UH, AND THEN ALSO BEING A GATEWAY HERE TO OUR DOMESTIC MARKET.

SO, YOU KNOW, HIGHLIGHTING THE PORT OF LONG BEACH AS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IS LIKE, UH, AND, AND CLEAN ENERGY LOOKING AT THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND ASIAN TRADING PARTNERS, AND THEN ALSO OUR INTERNATIONAL TRADE.

UH, THE IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY, .

NEXT, WE FOCUSED, UH, YOU KNOW, ON SOME OF THE, UM, SOME OF THE FIVE INDUSTRY CLUSTERS HERE, OBVIOUSLY FROM AEROSPACE TO OUTER SPACE.

SO, UM, WE TOURED THEM, UH, WE GAVE 'EM A TOUR OF THE FEATURED, UH, LONG BEACH AIRPORT, WHICH IS THE COOLEST AIRPORT TRADEMARK, BY THE WAY.

UM, ALSO OUR AEROSPACE SECTOR EVOLUTION, RIGHT? UH, AND THEN GAVE THEM TOURS OF, LIKE I MENTIONED, THE AIRPORT, UH, VAST AND JET ZERO, UH, LOCATED NEAR, UH, THE AIRPORT.

UH, THERE.

NEXT WE MOVED TO OUR, OUR OTHER INDUSTRY, UH, CLUSTER OF TOURISM, HOSPITALITY, MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT.

SO THERE, WE KNOW, WE, UM, WENT OVER OUR BIG EVENTS THAT WE HOST HERE AT THE CITY, THE GRAND PRIX, THE WARP TOUR THAT WE JUST HOSTED, AND IS COMING BACK AGAIN NEXT YEAR, BY THE WAY.

UH, AND THEN MORE MUSIC FESTIVALS THAT WE HAVE, RIGHT? THE QUEEN MARY, UH, WITH INSOMNIAC, FOR EXAMPLE.

UM, WE LOOKED AT THE EXISTING UPCOMING CITY ASSETS, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE WATERFRONT, RIGHT? AND THE BUREAU, ALL THAT WORK THAT'S BEING DONE THERE, YOU KNOW, HELPING THEM LEARN ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE THERE, THE QUEEN MARY, THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE AMPHITHEATER THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, AND THEN THE KNOW HOTEL SPACE, THE BEDDINGS, HOW MANY ARE AVAILABLE, THE IMPORTANCE TO THAT, OUR ABILITY TO ATTRACT, UM, YOU KNOW, LARGE AND LARGER, UM, EVENTS, UM, AS IT'S AS TIED TO OUR, UM, HOTEL, UH, AVAILABILITY THERE.

SO THOSE BIG OVERVIEW ON LIKE WHAT HAPPENED IN THE THREE DAYS, UH, WHAT WE FOCUSED ON AND, AND THE INFORMATION THAT WE EXPOSED THEM, UM, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LONG BEACH FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND, AND SITE SELECTION, UH, ANGLE.

SO NOW LOOKING HERE AT THE TAKEAWAYS, UM, WHAT HAPPENED NEXT IS, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE, UM, GOT THIS FAST TOUR, IN DEPTH TOUR, UH, OF LONG BEACH AND OUR ASSETS, UH, THINGS WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON, AND THEN THEY PROVIDE US FEEDBACK, UH, TO STAFF AND OUR PARTNERS, UH, OF, OF, OF, IN THE CITY.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THEY SAID IS, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON THE STRENGTHS, LEAN ON THE HISTORY AND EXISTING TALENT IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, RIGHT? SO AS, AS YOU GUYS, I'M SURE YOU KNOW, LONG BEACH HAS A LONG HISTORY IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, GOING BACK BEFORE SPACE AND AVIATION, RIGHT? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE VESSELS, LIKE YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE PORT.

SO WE HAVE A TRADITION OF RESIDENTS HERE THAT ARE USED TO WORKING WITH THEIR HANDS AND VERY ADVANCED METALS, RIGHT? VERY ADVANCED, UM, SKILLS IN MANUFACTURING, WORKING WITH YOUR HANDS, WORKING WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, CREATING LARGE VESSELS, WHETHER IT'S SHIPS OR, OR, UM, AIRPLANES, RIGHT? BOTH IN DEFENSE AND, AND COMMERCIALS.

SO, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY SAW THAT THROUGH THOSE THREE DAYS THAT WE HAD THEM.

AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE BASICALLY SAYING LIKE, LEAN ON THE HISTORY AND THE EXISTING TIME THAT IS ALREADY HERE.

UM, AND TO, TO MOVE THAT ADVANCED MANUFACTURING THAT IS HAPPENING NOW ON, YOU KNOW, ON DEFENSE, ON IN AVIATION, IN SPACE.

UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOME OF THE THINGS THEY REALLY FOCUSED ON.

UM, THE OTHER THING THAT, THAT THEY SAW WAS VERY BENEFICIAL IS THAT WE ARE A FULL SERVICE CITY, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T CON REALLY CONTRACT ANY WORK OUT WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR UTILITIES, WATER, SEWER, UH, SEWER REFUGE.

WE HAVE OUR OWN AIRPORT, WE HAVE OUR OWN HEALTH DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? ONE OF TWO OR THREE CITIES IN THE STATE, AND WE HAVE OUR OWN PORT.

YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL VERY UNIQUE ASSETS THAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAS.

SO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IN-HOUSE SO TO SPEAK, THEY'RE SAYING LEVERAGE EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW, COLLABORATE ON A HYPERLOCAL, YOU KNOW, VERY CONNECTED LEVEL BECAUSE THAT IN ITSELF IS A BENEFIT, UM, AND AN ADVANTAGE THAT THE CITY HAS OVER OTHER CITIES, RIGHT? WE CAN COORDINATE WITH THE AIRPORT IF WE NEED TO, RIGHT? IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AV, AEROSPACE AND AVIATION, THERE'S AN INTEREST, UM, A LOT OF THE TIMES ON HAVING ACCESS TO THE AIRPORT TO SOME DEGREE.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABLE TO FACILITATE THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO CONNECT COMPANIES, UH, ENTREPRENEURS AND INVESTORS TO THE RIGHT, UM, CONTACTS THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR QUESTIONS ARE BEING, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSED IN A TIMELY MANNER.

UM, THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT, RIGHT? HEALTH, AGAIN, WE'RE ABLE TO LEAN ON OUR, OUR, OUR, UM, PEER STAFF IN, IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR, YOU KNOW, INSPECTIONS,

[01:55:01]

WHATEVER IT MAY BE.

THE SAME THING WITH FIRE, RIGHT? INSPECTIONS.

UM, MAKING SURE THAT THE FIRE MARSHAL'S ABLE TO GET OUT THERE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY TIMELY ON THEIR END, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S CONCERNING SPEED TO MARKET, FOR EXAMPLE.

UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE PORT, RIGHT? LIKE HAVING, UH, ACCESS TO THE, TO THE WORLD.

I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF THE CITY.

SO AGAIN, JUST, YOU KNOW, LEVERAGING AND TELLING THAT STORY THAT WE ARE YOUR FULL SERVICE CITY AND CAN THEREFORE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE A LEVEL OF SERVICE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT MAY NOT, YOU KNOW, IS NOT EASILY REPLICATED BY OTHER CITIES.

UM, THE SECOND, UH, THIRD BIG TAKEAWAY HERE, UM, LONG BEACH IS A CITY WHERE PEOPLE CAN, YOU KNOW, PICK UP THE PHONE.

THAT KIND OF TIES INTO THE FIRST ONE IS, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY FELT THAT THE CITY WAS GENUINELY BUSINESS FRIENDLY, UH, BECAUSE OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION, RIGHT? WE'RE ABLE TO PICK UP THE PHONE, THEIR BUSINESSES ARE ABLE TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND GET AHOLD OF, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF, RIGHT? OR, UM, UH, THE STEPHAN ROAD DEPARTMENT, AND WE WILL ANSWER THE PHONE AND A HUMAN BEING WILL ANSWER THE PHONE AND THEN HELP THEM THROUGH WHATEVER CHALLENGE AND PROCESS THEY HAVE.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT DOES HAPPEN, RIGHT? IT'S A BIG, IT'S A BIG ORGANIZATION.

HERE'S A BIG BUREAUCRACY.

SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE KINKS AND THERE ARE, UH, CHALLENGES THAT HAPPEN WITH LICENSING AND PERMITTING INSPECTIONS.

SO THE GOOD THING IS THAT THEY SAID IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS, WE CAN TELL THAT THERE'S A SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION HERE, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, AND YOU SHOULD, YOU KNOW, PROMOTE AND TELL THAT STORY.

UM, YOU KNOW, FOR AS FAR AS IT COMES TO SITE SELECTION AND ATTRACTION, UM, HERE'S SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS AS WELL.

THEY SAID, LEAN MORE ON DATA.

YOU KNOW, LIKE TELL THAT STORY.

USE THAT DATA TO TELL THAT STORY THAT THE OF THOSE BULLET POINTS THAT I PREVIOUSLY COVERED, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, GIVE US COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF LOCATING TO, UH, INSTATE VERSUS OUTSTATE IN GENERAL.

YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH MORE MIGHT IT COST FOR A COMPANY TO LOCATE TO, LET'S SAY A STATE IN A STATE IN THE SOUTHEAST VERSUS HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, PARTICULARLY LONG BEACH, RIGHT? OKAY, YES, IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TALENT THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO BY LOCATING HERE? YOU KNOW, SO LIKE SHOW US, SHOW, UH, COMPANIES AND INVESTORS DATA IN THAT WAY, RIGHT? YES.

KIND OF LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS MORE COSTLY TO DO BUSINESS HERE IN DOLLARS, BUT THEN YOU'RE ALSO GETTING ACCESS TO SOME OF THE MOST TALENTED, YOU KNOW, POOL OF RESIDENTS IN, IN THE WORLD AND IN THE COUNTRY.

SO IT'S SELLING THAT STORY AND THEN SHOWING THAT DATA TO DO THAT, RIGHT? AGAIN, LOOKING AT LONG BEACH VERSUS IN-STATE, EVEN WITHIN, THEY'RE, OKAY, THEY'RE LOOKING AT LONG BEACH VERSUS ANOTHER CITY, RIGHT? WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES? WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES? HOW DO WE MITIGATE THOSE CHALLENGES? SO IT'S TELLING THAT, THAT STORY, UM, LOOKING AT QUALITY OF LIFE VERSUS LIVING EXPENSES, RIGHT? WHAT ARE YOU ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS WITH IN HERE? YES, IT'S GONNA COST US.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE HOUSING FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT? TRANSPORTATION.

THOSE ARE CHALLENGES.

WHAT ARE WE CURRENTLY DOING TO ADDRESS THOSE? BUT THEN ALSO, WHAT ARE THE EXISTING BENEFITS ALREADY HERE, RIGHT? UM, LOOKING AT COMMERCIAL, THEY ASKED FOR US TO LOOK AT COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DATA AND TO HAVE THAT MORE READILY, READILY AVAILABLE FOR, UM, UM, OUR, YOU KNOW, INVESTORS AND, AND BUSINESS OWNERS AND ENTREPRENEURS.

SAME THING WITH WORKFORCE DATA, RIGHT? HAVING THAT MORE READILY AVAILABLE.

AND SO YOU KIND OF SEE WHY LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD MARKETPLACE, UH, PROFILES BECOME SUDDENLY, YOU KNOW, EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S, WE'RE HEARING THESE FROM THE SITE SELECTORS THAT HAVE COME NOW AND THEY'RE SAYING, HEY, THESE ARE SOME GAPS THAT YOU WANT TO FILL TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, THE DATA IS READILY AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT THAT NARRATIVE OF BUSINESS FRIENDLY CITY THAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE WORKING TO TELL ALREADY THE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT DATA ALSO, RIGHT? UM, WHAT ARE THE NON-COLLEGE EDUCATION, UH, NUMBERS, THE VOCATIONAL TRADE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO OTHER AREAS? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO FILL THAT GAP AGAIN, RIGHT? SO WE CAN TELL THE STORY ABOUT HAVING OUR LONG, UH, LONG BEACH WORKFORCE INNOVATION NETWORK AND ALL THE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, RIGHT? SO IT'S TYING THIS STORY, THIS NARRATIVE TOGETHER, UM, IS KIND OF THE, THOSE TAKEAWAYS THAT THEY WERE TELLING US TO, TO REALLY FOCUS ON.

UM, THE SECOND BIG BULLET THERE, LEVERAGE STRONG CITY IDENTITY MARKETING AND BRANDING, LEVERAGING EXISTING STRENGTH, RIGHT? SO TELLING THAT STORY THROUGH MARKETING AND BRANDING THERE, YOU KNOW, EVEN HERE IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY DEPARTMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FOR THE FIRST TIME A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER THAT'S BIG FOR US, RIGHT? WE CAN SPOTLIGHT, UM, UM, SMALL BUSINESS, UM, SMALL BUSINESSES AND, AND THEIR STORIES, RIGHT? HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE A ROBBING LOAN FUND GRANT TO HIRE A NEW PERSON AND CREATE NEW PRODUCT, RIGHT? SO IT'S TELLING THAT STORY OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SAYING, YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB, BUT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.

SO MAKE SURE YOU BASICALLY SCREAM IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS, RIGHT? IS WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.

SO HERE'S SOME OF THE, UM, C CURRENT CURRENT EFFORTS, RIGHT? SO WE, WE'VE HEARD THESE, THESE KEY TAKEAWAYS A YEAR AND,

[02:00:01]

AND LAST YEAR, AND THIS YEAR, SORRY.

SO NOW I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE, SHINE SOME LIGHT ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE, UH, DOING CURRENTLY.

UH, SO ONE IS FOCUSING ON EXISTING TALENT AND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, RIGHT? UM, THAT, THOSE UPDATES THAT I JUST PROVIDED, IF HE'S DIRECTLY INTO THIS, THE SPACE SPEECH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYMPOSIUM, SPACE SPEECH CAMP THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, RIGHT? THE, UM, CAREER EXPLORATION DAYS, THE AEROSPACE, UH, AND THEN COMPANY ATTRACTION PIECE THAT WE WE'RE FOCUSING ON RIGHT NOW, HELPING THEM DO SITE SELECTION, HELPING 'EM UNDERSTAND THE PERMITTING PROCESS, UH, THOSE AREAS, AGAIN, WHEN IT COMES TO BEING A FULL SERVICE CITY.

SO, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AND I BELIEVE, UH, TRONG, UH, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, WHEN HE PRESENTED, PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY COOL THAT WE DO.

NOT EVERY CITY PROVIDES A PRE-PLANNING MEETING, RIGHT? WE'RE ABLE TO BRING IN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BROKER, THE DEVELOPERS, THE RENDERINGS, THE, THE BLUEPRINTS WITH, AND, UM, WITH STAFF, THE, THE PLANNING STAFF, RIGHT? THE PLANNERS, UM, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHOEVER IS, NEEDS TO BE ON THE TABLE TO PROVIDE THAT PRELIMINARY, UH, FEEDBACK SO THAT WHEN THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BROKER THAT COMPANY PROVIDES THE, THE, THE DRAWINGS FOR, LET'S SAY THAT STRUCTURE THEY WANT TO BUILD, YOU'RE ALREADY, UH, GETTING AHEAD OF THE GAME BY IDENTIFYING THOSE PAIN POINTS BEFORE THEY EVEN ENTER THE OFFICIAL, UH, APPROVAL PROCESS, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT, THEY'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, REALLY TALK THOSE THINGS UP, UM, IN THAT, THEIR RESPONSIVENESS, RIGHT? SO, UM, WORKING IN COLLABORATIVELY INTERDEPARTMENTALLY WITH OUR PARTNERS TO, UM, TO RESPOND TO STATE AND COMPANY SOLICITATIONS, RIGHT? SO WE GET RFPS FROM COMPANIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE LOOKING FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, A PLACE TO CALL HOME, WHETHER IT'S ADVANCED MANUFACTURING HEADQUARTERS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.

YOU KNOW, BE RESPONSIVE, UH, BEING RESPONSIVE TO THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE SO THEY CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ON LOCATING HERE TO LONG BEACH.

UM, THIRD, UH, POINT THERE UNDER, UH, BEING A FULL SERVICE CITY, IDENTIFYING INTER DEPARTMENTAL EFFICIENCIES AND, UH, EFFICIENCIES AND, AND THEN IMPLEMENTING THOSE.

SO EFFICIENCIES, AND I THINK, I BELIEVE THAT PROBABLY MEANT TO SAY INEFFICIENCIES, RIGHT? SO LOOKING AT THINGS THAT WE CAN BE DOING BETTER, AND THEN WORKING TO, TO TROUBLESHOOT THOSE, TO MOVE THOSE ALONG FASTER.

UM, AGAIN, IT'S VERY, BEING VERY CUSTOMER SERVICE FOCUSED, ESPECIALLY AS A FULL SERVICE CITY.

UM, THEN LASTLY, HOW ARE WE LEVERAGING DATA, RIGHT? MOVING FROM THAT, UH, POINT OF INSIGHT THERE, THAT KEY TAKEAWAY.

UH, SO WE AS A TEAM, UM, WE'VE RECENTLY BEEN USING BLUE DOT IMPLEMENTATION, RIGHT? SO THAT ALLOWS US TO REALLY CAPTURE THE IMPACT THAT WE'RE HAVING IN THE BUSINESS CORRIDORS, UH, THE SERVICES WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RENDERING THE KIND OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WE'RE PROVIDING.

SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I THINK WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T EVEN A YEAR INTO, UH, USING THE, THE BLUE DOT, UH, SOFTWARE, BUT IT'S, IT'S ALLOWING US TO TELL THAT STORY FROM A DATA PERSPECTIVE THAT, YOU KNOW, IN ALL HONESTY, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO DO PREVIOUSLY.

UM, THE OTHER, UH, THING TOO THAT I REFERENCED ALREADY A COUPLE TIMES TODAY IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD MARKETPLACE PROFILES, RIGHT? HAVING THOSE TO, AND SHOWING THE INVESTORS, SHOWING THE BUSINESS OWNERS, LIKE, HEY, YES, IT'S A FUN PLACE TO LIVE, BUT GUESS WHAT? THE NUMBERS ALSO BACK A DIS AND, AND, AND A WISE INFORMED DECISION FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY LOCATE HERE, BECAUSE HERE'S YOUR CONSUMER BASE.

HERE'S THEIR HOUSEHOLD INCOME, RIGHT? HERE'S A DISCRETIONARY INCOME.

HERE'S HOW MANY, UH, PEOPLE YOU HAVE IN A HALF MILE RADIUS.

IN A ONE MILE RADIUS, RIGHT? SO NOW WE'RE BEING A, WITH THIS INFORMATION, WE'RE ABLE TO ESSENTIALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, SUPPORT THE NARRATIVE WITH, UH, QUANTITATIVE DATA.

UM, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT INCENTIVES.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? SO TAX RATE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE LEVERAGE, UM, FOR, UM, FOR BUSINESSES TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES.

AND THEN THAT GENERAL LARGER BULLET THERE.

BUSINESS ATTRACTION, RETENTION, SITE SELECTION, ASSISTANCE.

THIS IS SOMETHING WE CURRENTLY DO, RIGHT? WE HAVE THAT, THAT, UH, VACANCY OF VIBRANCY, UH, REAL ESTATE TOOL, LOOKING AT COMMERCIAL, RETAIL, INDUSTRIAL, LEVERAGING THE, UH, THE, UH, ESTATE PLATFORMS, OTHERS ONES THAT WE MAY, WE HAVE ACCESS TO AS WELL.

UH, LEVERAGING RETAIL AND RESTAURANT TENANT DATABASE.

SEEING, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO SEE WHAT, UM, FRANCHISES, WHAT RESTAURANTS, WHAT, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND.

AND THEN BASICALLY BEING A BAT A MATCHMAKER, RIGHT? SO, OKAY, THESE ARE THE STOREFRONTS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE EMPTY.

THESE ARE THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND.

HOW CAN WE GET THEM TO TALK TO EACH OTHER, RIGHT? TO FILL THOSE VACANCIES.

SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S, IT IS A MORE HIGHER LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION, YOU KNOW, I THINK FROM A TEAM PERSPECTIVE, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THAT WE'RE UPSKILLING OURSELVES AS A TEAM, UH, AS A BUREAU AND A DEPARTMENT, UH, TO WORK ON, ON DOING THAT PIECE.

AND THEN THE LAST, UH, SUB-BULLET THERE IS THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS ATTRACTION COORDINATION, SITE SELECTION ASSISTANTS.

WE HAVE, THEY HAVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS.

THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THE HOUSE, RIGHT? THE CORRIDOR.

SO IT'S WORKING ON WITH THEM ON A VERY INTIMATE LEVEL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING THOSE VACANT STOREFRONTS THAT THEY HAVE, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF THE RESOURCES THAT, THAT THE CITY HAS, SO THAT IT'S NOT A BUREAUCRAT

[02:05:01]

THAT'S TELLING THEM, YOU KNOW, ALL THE TIME ABOUT THE RESOURCES.

BUT AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WHO, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY HAS A BUSINESS THERE OR KNOWS THE COMMUNITY REALLY, REALLY WELL TO GET THAT BALL ROLLING FOR THEM.

AND THEN, UH, THE OTHER THING TO HIGHLIGHT HERE IS RIGHT, A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER.

UH, SO THIS IS OUTDATED, BUT, UH, EVEN BY SEPTEMBER, ISSUING 40 PRESS RELEASES, BOOSTED BUSINESS BRIEF NEWSLETTER.

SO THAT IS OUR, UH, OUR, OUR BASICALLY OUR, UM, NEWSLETTER THAT WE RELEASE, UH, I BELIEVE EVERY COUPLE WEEKS.

SO WE HAVE OVER 35,000 SUBSCRIBERS THERE.

WE'VE LED EIGHT EVENTS HIGHLIGHTED MORE THAN 110 SMALL BUSINESSES SO FAR, AND WE HAVE MORE THAN 600,000 IMPRESSIONS AND OVER 425 VIEWS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES.

SO THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, AND SHE'S BEEN HERE FOR LESS THAN A YEAR.

SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A CHELSEA HERE, AND YOU MAY HAVE MET HER A FEW WEEKS AGO.

SO VERY HARD WORKER, AND HE IS REALLY, UM, GIVING US THAT VISIBILITY.

LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT, HAVING THE LEGACY BUSINESS, WE UNDERSTAND THAT AS A DEPARTMENT IN OUR WORK FOR THE SMALL BUSINESSES, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A DIGITAL PRESENCE TOO, SO THAT WE'RE SEEING, UM, HERE IN THE CITY AND BEYOND.

SO THAT BEING SAID, I KNOW IT WAS VERY QUICK.

UM, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS.

AND IT, NOT LEAVE IT UP TO US TO JUST DO WHAT WE'RE DOING CORRECTLY, YOU KNOW, KEEP KEEPING THEIR THUMBS UP.

SO THANKS FOR THAT REPORT.

COMMISSIONER SANDOVAL, UH, BEAR WITH ME.

I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS KIND OF JUST SCATTERED THROUGHOUT MY, MY NOTES HERE.

UM, SO, UM, I WAS THERE FOR LIKE, THE LAST BIT OF THE SITE SELECTION, UH, EVENTS AND CONFERENCES, AND I ACTUALLY DID HAVE FOLLOW UP CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF THE SITE SELECTORS, UH, FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES AND, AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, AND JUST KIND OF ALSO LEARN HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH THEM SINCE THEY HAVE BROADER NETWORKS.

AND, BUT WHAT I'M REALLY HEARING WITH SITE SELECTORS IS THAT PRETTY MUCH THEY JUST GAVE US A THUMBS UP AND SAID, KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, RIGHT? UM, AND THAT'S, IT'S WORKING.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I TOOK AWAY FROM THAT.

UM, BUT, UM, THE, THE, THE KIND OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE HERE IS THAT I, I, I THINK THE IMPRESSION WAS TO ENGAGE SITE SELECTORS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A BROADER NETWORK AND THEY'RE THE ONES PITCHING AND PROMOTING LONG BEACH.

AND I, MY, THE OTHER RESPONSES THAT I GOT WAS THAT NO ONE REALLY WANTS TO RELOCATE TO CALIFORNIA BECAUSE OF HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS, AND THE NUMBERS DON'T SHAKE OUT.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF HAVE THIS THING, IT'S LIKE , YOU KNOW WHICH ONE'S GONNA COME FIRST, RIGHT? DO YOU, DO YOU, DO YOU CHOOSE A CITY? BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF MICRO LOANS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE LAST THING THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT.

IT'S LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, CAN I AFFORD TO RELOCATE TO THIS, YOU KNOW, TO THE CITY.

THAT'S ONE.

AND SO MY QUESTION IS, WHO'S, WHO'S IN, WHO'S THE LEAD ON ENGAGING WITH THE SITE SELECTORS, AND WHO'S PACKAGING THIS UP? IS THERE A PROGRAM THAT THEN THEY THEN TAKE THAT PACKAGE THEY TAKE AND THEN PITCH TO OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, COMPANIES DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY? BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR JOB IS TO PUT THIS TOGETHER, MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK, BUT ALSO PROMOTE THESE CITIES.

AND SO WHO, WHO'S THE LEAD ON THAT? AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, IS IT THE CITY? IS IT THE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP? IS IT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER? AND WHAT'S THE WORLD TRADE CENTER'S ROLE IN THIS TOO? BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THEY KIND OF HOLD A PIECE OF THAT AS WELL TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION.

AND THEN THE, UH, THE OTHER PIECE OF, UM, THE OUTCOMES IS, UM, THIS RECRUITMENT PROGRAM, RIGHT? HOW, HOW ARE WE PACKAGING THIS UP TO SO THAT THE SITE SELECTORS, SO TO MAKE THEIR JOB EASIER, RIGHT? TO BRING THEM OVER AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE TERMS, ARE THERE NUMBERS, UM, THAT, THAT WE CAN PROPOSE? AND THEN IS THAT ALSO PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL FROM THAT POINT ON? UM, AND THEN ALSO, WHAT ARE THE LEADS THAT WE GOT FROM THESE EVENTS? LIKE, DID WE GET ANY INTEREST? ARE THEY ACTIVELY PROMOTING THE CITY? THAT'S A BIG QUESTION ABOUT WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES ABOUT ALL THIS ACTIVITY THAT WE DID? BECAUSE I THINK WE HIRED THEM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A FREE EVENT FOR THEM, BUT WE BROUGHT, WE DRAGGED THEM ALONG, AND ALSO THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO KIND OF GO OUT INTO THE ETHER AND ALSO KIND OF, UH, KIND OF CREATE A BIT MORE NOISE.

SO DID WE GET ANY LEADS FROM THE SITE THIS LAST TWO SITE SELECTIONS, OR IS THIS THE FIRST ONE TOO? YEAH, THE OLYMPICS MIGHT CHANGE THAT, RIGHT? BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE LEADS FROM THESE EVENTS? UM, AND THEN WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT FOLLOW UP? AND THEN NURTURING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AS WELL THROUGH SITE SELECTION, AND THEN DIRECTLY WITH THESE COMPANIES THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN RELOCATING IT TO CALIFORNIA SPECIFICALLY LONG BEACH.

UM, AND THEN, UM, AND THEN ALSO THE QUESTION OF LIKE, WHAT IS THE DOMESTIC OR INTERNATIONAL OR CORPORATE COMPANY TRULY CARE ABOUT? LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD FRAME OUR, OUR MATERIALS AROUND WHAT THEY ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT.

AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL INTEREST IS, CAN I AFFORD THIS? YOU KNOW, CAN I RELOCATE TO CALIFORNIA? IS THAT REALLY A, YOU KNOW, IS THAT A REALISTIC DREAM FOR A COMPANY? EVERYONE LOVES CALIFORNIA, BUT THEY CAN'T AFFORD CALIFORNIA.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUTSIDE OF JUST NOT, WE'RE OUTSIDE OF LONG BEACH NOW, BUT IT'S THE, THE GREATER CALIFORNIA.

SO WHAT DO THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT? AND I THINK THE SITE SELECTOR SHOULD REALLY HELP US FRAME THAT MATERIAL

[02:10:01]

AND THEN THE LAST THING I WOULD DO, UH, SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, CALIFORNIA HAS, UH, A VISITOR'S BUREAU VISIT CALIFORNIA.

ARE WE ENGAGING WITH THEM TO CROSS PROMOTE, TO, TO NURTURE THOSE LEADS, TO CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE ANOTHER STEP OUTSIDE OF THE SITE SELECTS, WHICH I IMAGINE THEY ALSO ENGAGE WITH AS WELL AT THE STATE LEVEL.

SO, YOU KNOW, ARE WE TAKING IT BEYOND JUST, YOU KNOW, THE CITY? UM, AGAIN, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF GREAT THINGS, AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT.

BUT TO A COMPANY THAT'S GROWING, SCALING, AND NEEDS TO EXPAND, THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, THE SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, IT'S 'CAUSE THEY, THEY NEED TO BUY INTO THE, JUST THE INITIAL INTEREST OF BEING ABLE TO BE, BEING ABLE TO RELOCATE HERE, AND THEN ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS MATTER, RIGHT? UM, SO THERE'S THAT EXTRA STEP, THE THE INITIAL STEP OF, YOU KNOW, CAN I DO THIS? CAN I, AND THEN, OH, LONG BEACH IS FANTASTIC, NO DOUBT, RIGHT? , SO THEN IT'S, IT'S SOLD.

UH, BUT YEAH, THOSE ARE KIND OF THIS, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE JUST FLOATING AROUND.

UM, THANKS COMMISSIONER SANDAL.

SO I GOT EIGHT QUESTIONS THERE.

SO YOU WANNA GO THROUGH THAT? JULIAN , I WROTE 'EM DOWN, SO IF YOU NEED 'EM, REPEAT 'EM.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S SEE.

I'LL TRY TO PACKAGE THEM INTO ABOUT FOUR, FOUR TO FIVE QUESTIONS.

UH, SO WHO IS, WHO, WHO, YOU KNOW, WHO IS DOING THE PACKAGING? UM, THAT WILL BE OUR TEAM.

YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY DEPARTMENT, BUT MORE SO IN THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BUREAU, YOU KNOW, SO RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO DO IS BUILD, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFY THAT DATA PR PRIMARILY THROUGH THE MARKETPLACE PROFILES, RIGHT? SO THAT'S GONNA BE, THAT IS OUR STEP ONE IS, IS ACCESS, YOU KNOW, HAVING ACCESS TO THAT DATA SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT DATA.

AND THEN ALSO THE NARRATIVE THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT PIECE.

SO THAT IS VERY MUCH AS YOU SAW, IT'S, IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT THAT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, AT THE SAME TIME THERE IS, UM, THERE IS, UH, GENUINE INTEREST IN RELOCATING OR, YOU KNOW, CREATING BUSINESS HERE IN LONG BEACH.

YOU KNOW, A BULK OF MY TIME AND, AND, AND OTHER, UH, STAFF IN, AND, UH, MY TEAM I WAS WITH IN THE, IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, IS SPENT ON GENUINE, UH, YOU KNOW, SITE SELECTION AND UNDERSTANDING LONG BEACH AS A PLACE TO CONDUCT BUSINESS.

UM, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT IT, YOU KNOW, UH, CALIFORNIA, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, YOU KNOW, IS NOT FOR EVERY BUSINESS BECAUSE IT IS EXPENSIVE.

UM, WHERE WHAT WE'RE FINDING A LOT OF, UM, PROGRESS AND WINS ARE IN WITH BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOOKING TO LO, YOU KNOW, TO LOCATE THEIR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ARMS FOR EXAM, YOU KNOW, THEIR HIGH TECH, YOU KNOW, UM, VERY ENGINEER, DESIGN, RESEARCH DRIVEN AREA.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE, RIGHT, LIKE FORD FOR EXAMPLE, JUST RELOC, YOU KNOW, IT STARTED THEIR SKUNKS WORKS, THEIR R AND D DIVISION WHEN IT COMES TO RENEWABLE ELECTRIC ELECTRIFICATION OF VEHICLES HERE, YOU KNOW, THEY DID IT BECAUSE OF THE TALENT THAT WE HAVE ACCESSIBLE HERE IN LONG BEACH.

BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHIC, UM, GEOGRAPHIC, GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GETTING ACCESS TO THE LA MARKET, AND THEN THE ORANGE COUNTY MARKET HERE IN THE CENTER, UH, THEY'RE ABLE TO PULL FROM THAT OTIS AVIATION, IT'S ANOTHER SPACE, UH, DEFENSE, UH, SPACE AND DEFENSE COMPANY THAT RECENTLY LOCATED HERE, RIGHT? TRUE ANOMALY.

THEY'RE DOING, THEY DID A 90,000 SQUARE FOOT, UH, LEASE HERE FROM DENVER.

AND THEY SPECIFICALLY SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE TALENT, UH, THAT WE HAVE HERE EXISTING ALREADY, RIGHT? SO, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY IS HERE.

IT IS NOT FOR EVERY BUSINESS, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE, MY MY TIME BEING HERE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS A LOT OF THE R AND D ARMS OF COMPANIES, AND THEN THE PROTOTYPING TOO, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WORKING THE ADVANCED METALS TO THEN, YOU KNOW, DO PROTOTYPE.

YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE THE ASSEMBLY LINE HERE BECAUSE LAND IS VERY VALUABLE, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY RELOCATE SOMEWHERE ELSE.

BUT, UM, I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT AND COMFORTABLE IN SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, OF THE JOBS THAT ARE NEEDED IN, IN A PRODUCTION LINE FROM R AND D, YOU KNOW, CONCEPTUAL DESIGN TO ROLLING OUT OF THE, THE ASSEMBLY LINE, LONG BEACH STANDS TO AND IS DOING A VERY GOOD JOB AT CAPTURING THOSE HIGHER TIER JOBS, YOU KNOW, WHICH IN A PLACE WHERE THERE IS A HIGH COST OF, OF LIVING, YOU DO NEED TO BE ATTRACTING THOSE.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE DOING A GOOD JOB THERE.

SO THAT'S WHO IS A PACKAGING, WHO IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHO IS THE PROFILE OF THE COMPANY THAT WE'RE AIMING TOWARDS TO, TO ATTRACT PIECE THERE THROUGH DATA.

YES.

FEDERAL DIRECT INVESTMENT AND INTER, YOU KNOW, OUT-OF-STATE INVESTMENT AND, AND REGIONAL INVESTMENT.

UM, YOU KNOW, I DO SEE, YOU KNOW, LBP, RIGHT? AND THEN, UH, THE WORLD TRADE CENTER PLAYING A BIGGER ROLE IN THAT BECAUSE AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO DO IT, AND WE REALLY WOULD ENJOY TO DO THAT, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LIMITED BANDWIDTH.

SO I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE FOCUS ON WHAT WE KNOW, WHICH IS TO BE AMAZING INTERNAL CHAMPIONS FOR OUR BUSINESSES HERE IN THE INTERNAL BUREAUCRACY WITH

[02:15:01]

OUR PARTNERS, AND THEN LOOKING TO OUR PARTNERS EXTERNALLY TO HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, HELP BRING, YOU KNOW, THAT ATTENTION FROM AN INTERNATIONAL, UM, LEVEL AND, AND, AND OUT AND OUT OF STATE LEVEL INTO THE CITY.

YOU KNOW? AND I THINK THAT IS HAPPENING, FOR EXAMPLE, THROUGH THE OLYMPICS, RIGHT? THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.

UH, SO YES, IT IS PART OF THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE PLAYBOOK, SO TO SPEAK.

AND I, AND, AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT OUR LEADERSHIP IN THE DEPARTMENT DOES SEE THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, LBP AND THE POOR, YOU KNOW, AND OTHER, UM, EXCUSE ME, PARTNERS HAVING THAT ROLE, UH, HERE BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO IT ALL.

AND, AND NO ONE ORGANIZATION SHOULD, UM, LET'S SEE, THAT'S THE DIRECT INVESTMENT, UM, DOMESTIC, INTERNATIONAL, CORPORATE, UM, YEAH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH AND DEVELOP ENGINEERING.

AND THEN YES, VISIT CALIFORNIA.

SO I MET WITH, UM, I FORGET HER NAME RIGHT NOW, BUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.

SO WE'RE WORKING TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THAT AND THEN TRULY LEVERAGING THEM, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST BECOME A MEMBER AND THEN SEND THEM FLYERS, BUT THEN ACTUALLY SEEING HOW WE SHOW UP AT THEIR EVENT, MAKING SURE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT US AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY, THEY SHINE A LINE, UH, A LIGHT HERE, HERE ON US.

UM, I DON'T KNOW.

I'M SURE I MISSED, UH, ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS, HUH? NO, THAT, THAT, THAT ANSWERS, UH, THE QUESTIONS.

UH, AND I THINK TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC IS LIKE THE VALUE OF THE SITE SELECTORS.

DO YOU, IS THE VALUE FOR THEM TO BRING MORE RESEARCH COMPANIES, LIKE THE ONES YOU MENTIONED, BECAUSE THAT'S ORGANIC GROWTH THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON, BUT THE SITE SELECTORS, WE SHOULD RELY ON THEM MORE.

YES.

RIGHT? CORRECT.

TO, TO BRING IN MORE BEYOND THAT BROAD, A BROADER SCOPE.

SO IS A VALUE FOR THEM TO DO THE SAME OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING? OR ARE YOU, ARE THERE METRICS AROUND YES.

THE OUTCOMES OF THEM PARTICIPATING IN THIS SITE SELECTION? SO, YOU KNOW, I, I MEAN I, I, UH, I THINK WE'RE OF MORE OF THE MIND OF, HEY, IF THIS IS ALREADY WORKING OUT REALLY WELL, LET'S JUST FEED THAT, RIGHT? SO I WOULD, I THINK, UH, THE WAY THAT WE CAN AND SHOULD LEVERAGE THEM WOULD BE TO LEAN ON THE STRENGTHS, RIGHT? LIKE THEY ALREADY SAID.

SO IF WE ARE, YOU KNOW, SEEING A LOT OF SUCCESS IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, SPACE AVIATION, ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, LET'S KEEP THAT GOING.

LET'S PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN HELP TO SPREAD THAT WORD, THAT LONG BEACH IS A GOOD PLACE, IS A VERY GOOD PLACE TO DO BUSINESS WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE, UH, THAT INDUSTRY SECTOR.

SO, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE VERY MUCH, YOU KNOW, TO BE TRANSPARENT, CREATING THAT INFOR THO THAT MARK THAT MARKETING AND INFORMATION TO THEN SHARE, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR PARTNERS, NOT JUST THE SIZE LECTURES, BUT YOU KNOW, OUR PARTNERS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE A STAKE AND WANT TO SEE LONG BEACH BE, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE SUCCESSFUL IN, IN THOSE AREAS.

SO, UM, YES, WE'LL PLAN TO CONTINUE TO, TO LEVERAGE THEM AND THEY TELL US, HEY, SHARE US INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, AND WE'LL, WE'LL SEND IT OUT.

SO WE HAVE GOTTEN SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME WARM INTRODUCTIONS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE OF THAT.

AS A, A SEMI FOCUSED SECTOR AND WE SHOULDN'T FORSAKE IT BECAUSE IT DOES PROVIDE A JOB BASE AND RETAIL SALES TAX.

OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? VICE CHAIR THOMAS, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.

UM, JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

UM, I'VE DEALT WITH SITE SELECTORS FOR 35 YEARS, MY FORMER LIFE IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AND THEY ALMOST ALWAYS ASK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.

THEY WANNA SEE NUMBERS AND THERE'S NOT A MENTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY BEING AN A TOPIC, OR I'M SURE IT WAS MAYBE DISCUSSED, BUT THERE'S NOT A MENTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY BEING AN ELEMENT OUT OF CONCERN, BUT JUST OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT? ACTUALLY, FROM WHAT I CAN RECALL, I DO NOT, I DON'T THINK THEY BROUGHT UP A PUBLIC SAFETY.

UM, WELL, WE SHOULD REALLY EVALUATE, REEVALUATE OUR PUBLIC, OUR SELECTION FOLKS, BECAUSE THAT IS AN CRITICAL ELEMENT.

MAY NOT BE INTERESTING FOR THEM, BUT THEIR CLIENTS THAT ARE FARMING, TO YOUR POINT THAT ARE FARMING LONG BEACH, ARE GONNA ASK THAT QUESTION.

SO NOT TO BE PREPARED WITH THAT KIND OF INFORMATION, I THINK IS UNSETTLING.

UM, THE OTHER IS RETAIL.

I KNOW WE HAVE FIVE FOCUS, UH, SECTORS, BUT RETAIL IS STILL A VERY BIG SECTOR.

AND I KNOW I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT BIG BOT NECESSARILY 'CAUSE WE ALL KNOW WHERE THAT'S GOING, BUT RETAIL IS A SECTOR THAT STAY AT HOME.

MOMS AND DADS CAN GO TO AND GET WORK.

FOLKS THAT AREN'T GOING TO COLLEGES YET OR MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO FIND EMPLOYMENT, UH, CREATES A RETAIL SALES TAX.

AND WE LEARNED HERE IN LONG BEACH IN THE EARLY NINETIES, WE LEARNED A VERY CRITICAL POINT WHEN WE LOST A NAVY AND WE GOT THE NAVAL HOSPITAL PROPERTY, WHICH IS NOW THE TOWN CENTER, WHICH JUST SOLD FOR $48 MILLION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

WE REALIZED THAT, THAT THE MAYOR THEN MAYOR O'NEILL WAS, UH, HER THREE TS AND OUR TRADE TECHNOLOGY, TOURISM AND RETAIL.

AND THAT SUSTAINED US THROUGH THE RECESSION IN THE EARLY NINETIES.

LOSING THE PORT, I'M SORRY, LOSING THE NAVY AND SOME OTHER CRITICAL FACTORS.

SO I'D LIKE US TO KEEP RETAIL UP THERE

[02:20:01]

AND I THINK THAT'S I IMPORTANT TO A LOT OF FOLKS.

UM, SO, UM, I'D LIKE, I LIKE WHAT I HEARD, BUT I, I'M DISAPPOINTED IF PUBLIC SAFETY WASN'T AN ITEM FOR DISCUSSION BECAUSE I, I KNOW WHAT THESE FOLKS GET FROM THE CLIENTS THEY SERVE.

TELL US ABOUT LONG BEACH.

WE WANT NO NUMBERS, JUST LIKE THEY WANNA SEE, THEY KNOW THEY WANT NO VOCATIONAL WORK OPPORTUNITIES PARTICULARLY TIED TO THEIR INDUSTRY.

ALWAYS HAVE THE SAME QUESTIONS.

SO, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

APPRECIATE IT.

I JUST HAVE, UM, TWO COMMENTS.

IS IS ONE IS, I JUST WANTED TO TACK ONTO A QUESTION THAT COMMISSIONER SAND ASKED IS, SO CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE LEADS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE SITE SELECTORS FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS AND, YOU KNOW, TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW YOU WORK THOSE LEADS THEN TOO.

HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? YEAH, SO WE TAKE THAT, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THAT COULD WE DO, UM, BUSINESS ATTRACTION WITH, WITH ANY OTHER CHANNEL? SO WHAT ARE THE LEADS THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED? THERE WERE IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING YEAH.

IN THE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, UH, SECTOR.

AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER, THERE WAS ANOTHER LEAD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST DIDN'T THINK IT WAS THE RIGHT FIT JUST BECAUSE OF, UH, THE TYPE OF JOBS THAT WERE, WE DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WAGES WERE, WERE HIGH ENOUGH.

SO, UM, THAT ONE WE, WE LET GO, BUT THEN WE DID PURSUE THE, THE OTHER TWO.

UH, AND KIND OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS, YOU KNOW, THEY HAND OVER THE WOMAN INTRODUCTION, THE CONTACT, DEPENDING IF THEY'RE LOCAL, IF THEY'RE REGIONAL, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO OUR BEST TO AND PREFER TO MEET WITH THEM IN PERSON, RIGHT.

HOPEFUL, YOU KNOW, BRING THEM DOWN TO LONG BEACH TO KIND OF SHOW THEM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY IF THEY'VE NEVER BEEN.

UH, BUT FIRST IT'S JUST, UM, DOING A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT.

YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS? ARE THEY LOOKING FOR LOCATION? WHAT'S THE SQUARE FOOTAGE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL YOU'RE LOOKING FOR INDUSTRIAL.

IF IT'S INDUSTRIALS AT LIGHT, DO YOU NEED SOME OFFICE SPACE? RIGHT? SO JUST UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND THEN IF THEY WANNA DO PRELIMINARY SITE SELECTION, THEN UM, THEN WE GO AND, AND LEVERAGE THOSE, UH, REAL ESTATE PLATFORMS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET RIGHT NOW AND CREATE, YOU KNOW, TRY TO CREATE A SHORT LIST FOR THEM TO SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE.

AND WE CAN EVEN, IF THEY WANNA PURSUE THAT FURTHER, THEN WE CONNECT TO THE BROKER, RIGHT.

OR DEVELOPER, WHATEVER CASE IT MAY BE.

UM, AND THEN LOOKING, YOU KNOW, ONCE FROM THERE, IT'S KIND OF THE BALL'S ON THEIR COURT, SO TO SPEAK.

SO WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF GAUGE HOW INTENSELY THEIR, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR TIMELINE LOOK LIKE MM-HMM .

UM, RIGHT.

IF IF THEY'RE ALREADY MOVING ALONG IN A PROCESS AND, AND WANNA BE MORE AGGRESSIVE, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WILL CONNECT THEM TO OUR, THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND MORE OF THE TIMELINE PIECE, THE ASSOCIATED COST FOR PERMITTING, UH, PIECES LIKE THAT.

UM, OFTENTIMES THEY DO ASK ABOUT INCENTIVES, RIGHT? AND IN, IN CALIFORNIA, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK TOWARDS, UH, TO GOBI, SO THE STATE.

SO WE CAN, WE CONNECT THEM TO THE, TO OUR STATE, UH, CONTACTS AT GOBI TO SEE, TO GIVE THEM ALSO AN ASSESSMENT.

YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT INCENTIVES MIGHT THERE BE, UH, LOOKING AT THEIR POWER USE, WATER USE, THINGS LIKE THAT, RIGHT? UH, CONNECTING THEM WITH, UH, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON TO SEE IF THERE ARE INCENTIVES FOR THEM FOR, IN, IN THAT WAY.

SO IT'S JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THEIR NEEDS AND THEN HOW CAN WE BEST, YOU KNOW, IMPROVE THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEM TAKING AT US, LOOKING AT US SERIOUSLY.

UM, SO I'M, I'M JUST, UM, JUST FROM WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU IS, YOU KNOW, HAVE DONE SITE SELECTORS FOR TWO YEARS.

WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR A REPORT.

'CAUSE TYPICALLY IT'S JUST OBSERVATIONS FROM THEM MM-HMM .

THAT ARE REPORTED OUT.

UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE GET THIS PRESENTATION, WHICH IS GOOD.

UM, AND I THINK MAYBE A NEXT STEP IS TO DO SOME METRICS AROUND THIS.

YOU KNOW, WHAT RESULTS FROM THE SITE SELECTORS THAT COME OUT.

YOU KNOW, DO WE GET LEADS? UM, ARE THERE COMPANIES THAT ARE THINKING OF COMING HERE AND CAN THEY DO A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN OBSERVATIONS? 'CAUSE ONE OF THE, UM, OBSERVATIONS THAT'S IN HERE IS ABOUT THE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING.

AND YOU KNOW, I I WOULD SAY COMMISSIONER NORK BETTER COMMENTS ON THIS THAN I WILL, BUT THOSE JOBS ARE VERY DIFFERENT.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU MADE THAT COMMENT THAT, THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE THINGS SKILLED WITH THEIR HANDS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE THINGS ARE MADE WITH NOW THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND THROUGH MACHINES.

SO I WOULD SAY BOTH.

OR SEVERAL DAYS LONG WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT EVENTS.

YOU KNOW, ARE THEY SEEING THIS IN THE SAME WAY? BECAUSE WHEN I HEARD THEIR OBSERVATIONS, I ALSO HEARD THEM SAY A LOT ABOUT, UM, THE MANUFACTURING SIDE.

AND WE HAVE OTHER INDUSTRIES IN OUR CITY THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THE SITE SELECTORS WERE PROMOTING THOSE ALSO.

SO A LITTLE BIT MORE MAYBE ON THE OBSERVATION SIDE FOR, FROM THEM AS FAR AS WHAT THEY MAY BE PUTTING OUT THERE ABOUT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.

YOUR INFORMATION HERE THOUGH, ON THE, ON THE, WHAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY DOING IS ALWAYS, I MEAN, YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE REALLY GREAT FOLLOW UP AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM AND DEPARTMENT.

IT'S JUST THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE OBSERVATIONS THAT ARE MADE.

UM, MAYBE IT COULD BE A LITTLE MORE FORMALIZED.

UM, 'CAUSE I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE CITY INVESTED IN THE PAST TWO YEARS IN HAVING THESE, BECAUSE IT'S ALMOST A WEEK LONG

[02:25:01]

SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT COST THE CITY, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF THAT? MM-HMM .

WE DID DISCUSS, UM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD DOING A SURVEY, MORE IN DEPTH SURVEY AS A FOLLOW UP WITH THEM, UH, TO KIND OF BE, GET MORE CONCRETE TAKEAWAYS.

I MEAN, IS THERE A, AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS CHARGED WITH WRITING A REPORT? WERE THE PEOPLE OR THE SITE SELECTORS CHARGED WITH WRITING A REPORT? OR WAS IT PARTNERED? JUST OBSERVATIONS? WE PARTNERED WITH, UH, LONG BEACH ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP.

UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THERE WAS, THERE HAS BEEN LEADERSHIP CHANGE, SO WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT SECOND REPORT.

SO, BUT GREAT REPORT.

THANKS AND THANKS FOR BRINGING IT TO US.

OF COURSE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.

HEARING NONE.

UM, DO YOU WANNA GO? OH, OH, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER.

NOR SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAY BE HELPFUL, AND I THINK WE DO THIS AD HOC, BUT MAYBE A FORMAL WAY, IS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ALWAYS INTERVIEW A NEW EMPLOYEE WHO MIGHT WANT TO JOIN THE COMPANY AND SAY, WELL, WHY MIGHT YOU WANT TO COME IN? OR YOU CAN INTERVIEW YOUR EXISTING EMPLOYEES AND SAY, WHY ARE YOU HERE? FROM A SITE SELECTOR STANDPOINT, IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO LOOK AT OUR CITY, LOOK AT THE, THE COMPANIES THAT EMBODY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN THE NEXT GENERATION, AND REALLY THOUGHTFULLY ENGAGE AND REPORT OUT WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY DROVE THEM TO MAKE A DECISION.

'CAUSE I, I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN IS IT AN AIRPORT I CAN FLY TO? DOES IT HAVE THE POWER I NEED? AND AM I CENTRAL TO THE PEOPLE WHO I CAN HIRE? I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE.

AND THE OTHER PEOPLE PROBABLY ARE THINKING ABOUT OTHER THINGS.

BUT TO TALK TO AND DO THAT STAY INTERVIEW, LIKE, WHY ARE YOU, WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BE HERE? AND WHY ARE YOU, WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO STAY? UM, MIGHT THEN INFORM US SOMEWHAT LIKE A SITE SELECTION COMMITTEE ON, ON THOSE CORE FACTORS, THE DECISION MAKING FACTORS.

THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF PERIPHERAL THAT MATTERS, BUT THERE ARE PROBABLY TWO OR THREE KEY MUST HAVES THAT ACTUALLY DRIVE THE DECISION.

AND, UH, WE MIGHT LEARN A LOT FROM OUR EXISTING, UH, BUSINESSES.

THANKS, COMMISSIONER.

NOR, OKAY.

WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND RECEIVE AND FILE, OH, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS.

THERE ARE NO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND, UM, RECEIVE AND FILE THIS REPORT.

COMMISSIONER WENCH? YES, THANK YOU.

MOTION IS CARRIED.

IT THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT? HE JUDGE PASSED .

SO WE HAVE OUR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

[4. 25-56768 Recommendation to receive and file Executive Director’s Report. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

I'LL JUST HAVE ONE LITTLE THING.

UH, WELL, TWO, UH, JUST WANNA LET EVERYBODY KNOW, EXCUSE ME, MAY WE PLEASE TAKE A MOTION? CAN, CAN WE HAVE A MOTION? THANK YOU.

IT'S MOVED BY COMMISSIONER SANDOVAL AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER THOMAS.

REPORT.

ALRIGHT.

MY, UH, THE TOP ONE IS JUST VERY QUICKLY, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IN THE NEWS THAT JPL IS DOING A LOT OF LAYOFFS.

UH, SO WE ARE COORDINATING, UH, IN CONJUN BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT TEAM AND WORKFORCE, UH, DEVELOPMENT, UH, UM, WE'RE WORKING WELL.

WE HAVE SCHEDULED A, UH, SPACE SPEED JOB FAIR ON THE THIR 11, UH, 11, 13, 20, 25.

SO NEXT WEEK.

UM, AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, REALLY PROMOTING THAT EVENT, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, BEING IMPACTED BY THE, THE LAYOFFS KNOW ABOUT THE EVENT.

AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE REALLY GREAT REPRESENTATION FROM, UH, LOCAL AND THEN SURROUNDING, UH, COMPANIES IN SPACE AND AVIATION.

SO I JUST REALLY WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, AND I'LL SHARE THE PRESS RELEASE IF YOU GUYS HAVEN'T COME ACROSS IT, BUT JUST WANNA REALLY POINT THAT OUT.

UH, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY LIKE THE BIGGEST HIGHLIGHT RIGHT NOW.

UH, AND A LOT OF WORK GOING ON BEHALF OF STAFF AND, YOU KNOW, THE COMPANIES TO, TO SHOW UP, UH, FOR PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ISN'T A GAP IN THEIR EMPLOYMENT.

RIGHT.

AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO AGAIN, JUST INCREASE OUR, OUR, OUR WORKFORCE AND OUR TALENT HERE.

UH, THAT AND JUST A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO CARLA AND THE TEAM FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THE, UM, UH, THE, UH, BLUEPRINT UPDATE THAT TAKES A LOT OF WORK, UH, FROM ALL OF OUR STAFF.

'CAUSE IT TOUCHES, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL THESE AREAS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK THEM PUBLICLY, UH, FOR THAT.

THAT'S ALL.

ANY COMMENTS FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS? OKAY.

I WOULD ECHO THAT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JULIAN, FOR ALL THOSE REPORTS.

CARLA AND COURTNEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.

COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? THERE ARE NO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

ANY

[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Economic Development Commission on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]

COMMISSIONER LUNCH? YES, THANK YOU.

WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND TAKE VOTE.

[02:30:05]

MOTION IS CARRIED.

JUST THANKS TO EVERYBODY, UM, WISHING EVERYBODY A HAPPY THANKSGIVING THAT'S COMING UP, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, GO DODGERS, .

MOTION'S CARRIED.

OKAY, SO, UM, BEFORE WE ADJOURN,

[ANNOUNCEMENTS]

AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, IS DECEMBER 3RD, WE WILL NOT BE HAVING A MEETING, BUT WE WILL BE CONVENING TOGETHER FOR A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION.

SO JUST KNOW THAT WE WERE DOING THAT.

UH, AND BY THAT DATE WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF NEW COMMISSIONERS ON THE COMMISSION.

UM, THE MAYOR WILL BE MAKING SOME APPOINTMENTS SOON.

UM, AND THEN IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, HAPPENING WITH OUR COMMITTEES AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THEN PLEASE EMAIL THE INFORMATION TO MYSELF AND TO JULIAN AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT GETS ON THE AGENDA FOR JANUARY.

WE READY? CAN WE ADJOURN THEN? OKAY.

ANY FINAL COMMENTS FROM ANYONE? OKAY.

EXCUSE ME.

EEMA? YES.

UM, THERE ARE NO, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR NON AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT.

[ADJOURNMENT]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS SOON.