Dec 16, 2025 Economic Development and Opportunity Committee

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UH, WE SHOULD BE, WE SHOULD HAVE, UM, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN LOGGED IN WITHIN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

CHAIR COUNCILWOMAN IS, IS LOGGED IN NOW.

YOU CAN START WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I WOULD LIKE TO CALL, I CALL EVERYONE.

OH, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AN OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE MEETING TO ORDER FOR DECEMBER 16TH, 2025.

[CALL TO ORDER]

AND WE ARE HAVING A MENORAH LIGHTING RIGHT

[REGULAR AGENDA]

UH, AS WE SPEAK, UH, WE WOULD BE THERE, UH, BUT WE HAD THIS, UH, EDO COMMITTEE PLAN, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, MADE THE LIGHT, UM,

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SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND TO, UH, SEND OUR WARM, UM, THOUGHTS TO, UH, GIVEN IN LIGHT OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED TODAY, UH, THIS RECENT WEEK.

UM, SO WITH THAT, UH, MADAM CLERK, IF YOU CAN CALL THE ROLE, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, UM, STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT VICE CHAIR ALLEN IS PARTICIPATING REMOTELY.

AND SO THAT MEANS WE'LL BE TAKING, UH, MOTIONS AND VOTES, UH, VERBALLY FOR THIS MEETING.

OKAY.

[ROLL CALL]

AND I AM PRESENT.

WE HAVE A QUORUM.

THANK YOU.

COULD YOU PLEASE, UH, READ THE FIRST ITEM? ITEM ONE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE MEETING OF TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2025.

AND CAN I GET A MOTION?

[1. 25-57273 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Economic Development and Opportunity Committee meeting of Tuesday, September 23, 2025.         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

IS THERE, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NO PUBLIC COMMENT, CHAIR, THANK YOU.

PLEASE CALL, UH, THE VOTE.

COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS.

AYE.

VICE CHAIR ALLEN VICE CHAIR.

ALLEN CHAIR.

SORROW.

AYE.

VICE CHAIR.

ALLEN, CAN YOU HEAR US? MOTION CARRIES.

THANK YOU.

COULD YOU PLEASE READ THE NEXT ITEM? ITEM NUMBER TWO IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE AN UPDATE ON THE ENHANCED INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING DISTRICT'S PROGRAM.

AND CAN I GET A MOTION AND A SECOND BEFORE WE BEGIN ON THIS ITEM? SO MOVED.

AND

[2. 25-57274 Recommendation to receive and file an update on the Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts Program.         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

SO I WANTED TO JUST, UM, MAKE SURE TO JUST PROVIDE SOME FRAMING ON THIS, UH, PRESENTATION ON THE ENHANCED INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING DISTRICT PRESENTATION.

THIS IS PART OF A BROADER ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT ZONE WORK, AND IT'S BEEN FOCUSED ON FINDING FINDINGS RELATED TO USE OF A ENHANCED INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING DISTRICT, OR E-I-F-D-A AS IT MIGHT BE REFERRED TO.

IT'S A STATE AUTHORIZED FINANCING TOOL THAT'S ALLOWED CITY TO REINVEST A PO PORTION OF FUTURE PROPERTY TAX GROWTH FROM NEW DEVELOPMENT INTO INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENTS.

AND I WILL SAY THE REASON WHY THIS HAS JUST BEEN SO LONG, LONGLY, UH, ANTICIPATED AND, AND EXCITING TO HEAR, UM, AND PRESENTATION ON IT, IS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY A POWERFUL TOOL FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO BE ABLE TO FUND LARGE SCALE OR REGIONAL, UH, UM, BENEFICIAL PROJECTS, UH, INFRASTRUCTURES, UH, PROJECT LIKE ROADS, CLEAN WATER, HOUSING PARKS, OR, UM, OTHER, THE, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S DECIDED BY THE, THE BODY, THE VOTING BODY, UM, BY USING FUTURE PROPERTY TAX GROWTH WITHOUT RAISING TAXES ON RESIDENTS, AND ALSO HELPING COMMUNITY GROW SUSTAINABLY AS WELL AS MEETING AND DEVELOPMENT GOALS, ESPECIALLY WHEN TRADITIONAL FUNDING FALLS SHORT.

SO TONIGHT IS INFORMATIONAL, UH, AND THE GOAL IS TO BUILD UNDERSTANDING OF HOW IT WORKS AND ALSO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND START TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE GET COMMUNITY INPUT ON SHAPING THIS DECISION.

SO THIS IS THE FIRST OF MANY PROCESS.

UM, AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR MARTINEZ.

THANK YOU CHAIR, UH, SORROW AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, BEAU MARTINEZ, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY.

UM, WE ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT TO YOU THE UPDATE ON THE, UH, WHAT WAS KNOWN AS THE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT ZONE PROGRAM.

UM, SO THIS CONVERSATION WAS SPURRED IN 2019 BY CITY COUNCIL THROUGH A MOTION, AND IN 2 22 20 21, UH, FUNDING ALLOCATION FROM THE LONG BEACH RECOVERY ACT FUNDING TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN EVALUATE AND USE SPECIAL DISTRICT AS SPECIAL DISTRICTS AS A FINANCING TOOL AND STRATEGY TO, TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN DESIGNATED IN TARGET AREAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

AND THIS INCLUDED AREAS SUCH AS WEST LONG BEACH, CENTRAL LONG BEACH, AND NORTH LONG BEACH.

UM, AND WITH THE APPROVAL OF THIS FUNDING, WE THEN, UM, WENT TO OUR ON-CALL CONTRACTS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AND

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AND FROM THERE, WE, UM, THEN ENGAGED WITH A LOT OF OUR OTHER, UH, CITY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC WORKS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, PARKS, REC AND MARINE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND REALLY START TO LOOK AT HOW WE ESTABLISH THESE DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, START TO PRIORITIZE WHAT TYPE OF FUNDING THAT COULD BE CREATED THROUGH TAX INCOME FINANCING, AND THEN WHAT PROJECTS WOULD BE FUNDED BY THAT.

AND AS YOU STATED EARLIER, THAT THERE IS NO, UM, UH, NEW PROPERTY TAXES THAT WOULD BE, UH, THAT WOULD IMPACT WHETHER YOU'RE RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO LEVERAGE THE, UH, TIF, I MEAN THE E ECONOMIC INFRAS INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING DISTRICT PROGRAM WITH THE, UM, LA COUNTY.

AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BE WORTH PURSUING, UM, POST THIS PRESENTATION.

AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO, UM, INTRODUCE BOTH JOSEPH AND FERNANDO, WHO WILL BE GIVING YOU AN OVERVIEW AND PRESENTATION ON WHAT AN ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE DISTRICT PROGRAM IS.

THANK YOU.

DIRECTOR MARTINEZ.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

DR.

SORO AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, JOE DIEGO WITH COSMO COMPANIES.

PLEASED TO BE WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON.

UH, AS WAS LAID OUT, THIS IS A CONVERSATION ABOUT A POTENTIAL TOOL IN THE CITY'S TOOLKIT, A TOOL THAT IS MEANT TO INVEST IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, THINGS LIKE WATER, SEWER, PARKS, PUBLIC FACILITIES, AND DO SO IN A WAY THAT, UH, REALLY ACCOMPLISHES TWO THINGS.

NUMBER ONE, DELIVER SOME COMMUNITY BENEFIT, AND TWO, ALSO CATALYZES PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT INVESTMENT THAT OTHERWISE WOULDN'T COME OR COME AS QUICKLY OR COME AS INTENSELY.

AND, AND WITH THAT INVESTMENT COMES MORE, UH, COMMUNITY BENEFIT, THINGS LIKE TAX REVENUES FOR THE CITY AND OTHER TAXING ENTITIES, AS WELL AS JOBS, WAGES, AND OTHER METRICS THAT WE'LL COVER.

THIS TOOL, THIS ENHANCED INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING DISTRICT, OR EIFD, UH, IT'S A FORM OF WHAT IS KNOWN AS TAX INCREMENT FINANCING OR TIFF.

IT'S NOT A NEW TOOL.

IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT 75 YEARS IN CALIFORNIA, IT USED TO BE IN THE FORM OF WHAT WAS KNOWN AS, UH, REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES UNTIL, UH, 2012 WHEN THOSE WERE DISSOLVED.

AND, UH, VERY IMPORTANTLY, IT IS A MEASURE OF, UH, OF RAISING DOLLARS WITHOUT ADDING ANY NEW TAXES.

PROPERTY OWNERS, RENTERS BUSINESSES, THEY, THEY SEE NO CHANGE ON THEIR TAX BILL.

IT'S NOT HOW THIS WORKS.

AND WE'LL COVER THE MECHANICS.

THIS IS A TOOL THAT THE CITY COULD CHOOSE TO IMPLEMENT ON ITS OWN, UH, BUT IT'S ALSO A TOOL THAT, UH, CAN ATTRACT PARTNERS SUCH AS THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES TO JOIN AND PARTICIPATE WITH THE CITY IN ITS IMPLEMENTATION, REALLY BRINGING NET NEW DOLLARS FOR PROJECTS WITHIN LONG BEACH THAT OTHERWISE WOULDN'T BE AVAILABLE TO THE CITY.

AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT PARTNERSHIP LOOKS LIKE.

UH, AFTER TODAY, AS DIRECTOR MARTINEZ LAID OUT, THE IDEA IS TO CONTINUE WITH THE OUTREACH.

A LOT OF THIS CONVERSATION IS FIRST AND FOREMOST ABOUT EDUCATION.

WHAT THIS IS, WHAT IT ISN'T.

IT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY, UH, SPECIFIC AND NUANCED.

AND THEN A POTENTIAL NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY ABOUT BEING A POTENTIAL PARTNER TO THE CITY.

SO IN THIS, UH, SOMEWHAT BRIEF PRESENTATION, WE'RE GONNA COVER, AGAIN, HIGH LEVEL 1 0 1, WHAT, THIS IS WHAT IT ISN'T.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE BOUNDARY EVALUATIONS SPECIFIC TO LONG BEACH.

WE WILL TALK ABOUT NUMBERS.

WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN IN TERMS OF DOLLARS OVER WHAT TIME PERIOD? NUMBER FOUR, WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT'S THAT SORT OF COMMUNITY RETURN ON INVESTMENT, WHAT, WHY DO THIS, WHAT DO YOU GET FOR DOING THIS? AND LASTLY, NUMBER FIVE IS, UH, WHAT COULD THE ROADMAP FORWARD LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF TIMING AND ACTIONS? SO WE'VE SAID THIS ONCE, ACTUALLY, WE'VE SAID IT TWICE AND WE WILL SAY IT AGAIN.

NONE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS ANY FORM OF NEW TAX OR INCREASED TAX.

IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT.

THE WAY THIS WORK IS, UH, A BOUNDARY IS DESIGNATED WITHIN THE CITY, AND IT CAN BE A BOUNDARY THAT'S NOT CONTIGUOUS, NOT CONNECTED.

AND WE WILL SHOW A MAP.

AND THE WAY IT WORKS IS WITHIN THAT SPECIFIC BOUNDARY.

AS PROPERTY VALUE GROWS OVER TIME FROM NEW INVESTMENT BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR, OR FROM REHABILITATION OF UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTY, THAT BRINGS WITH, IT INCREASES IN PROPERTY VALUE.

SO WITHIN THAT BOUNDARY, WHAT THESE TOOLS ALLOW THE CITY TO DO IS PUT ASIDE ALMOST LIKE A RETIREMENT ACCOUNT, SOME PIECE OF THE FUTURE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE THAT THE CITY WOULD RECEIVE AND PUT IT IN A SPECIAL FUND SEPARATE FROM THE GENERAL FUND.

AND THOSE DOLLARS WOULD BE SPECIFICALLY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.

A KEY BENEFIT FOR CITIES THAT DO THIS IS ALMOST LIKE AN EMPLOYER MATCHING AN EMPLOYEE'S RETIREMENT ACCOUNT ALLOCATION.

THE COUNTY COULD MATCH WHAT THE CITY IS WILLING TO SET ASIDE IN THIS SPECIAL FUND.

SO IF THE CITY'S

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AND ALL OF THAT IS FOR A SPECIFIC PERIOD OF TIME, YOU HAVE TO SAY HOW LONG IT'S GONNA BE.

AND AFTER THAT TIME, UH, IS OVER, THINGS SORT OF GO BACK TO NORMAL IN TERMS OF THE WAY THE PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS GET ALLOCATED.

THERE ARE RULES FOR HOW THESE DISTRICTS WORK AS, AS, UH, AS CHAIR DR.

SAR YOU MENTIONED.

IT'S A STATE AUTHORIZED TOOL.

THE STATE LEGISLATION LAYS OUT, UM, SOME KEY TERMS. THESE ARE LONG TERM IN NATURE.

THEY CAN BE UP TO 45 YEARS, SOMETIMES 50 YEARS IN DURATION.

A NEW ENTITY DOES GET SET UP TO GOVERN THEM.

IT'S CALLED A PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY.

AND, UH, THE COMPOSITION OF THAT BODY, THAT PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY, IT DEPENDS ON, ON WHO'S ALLOCATING DOLLARS.

IN A SCENARIO WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES IS A PARTNER TO THE CITY.

IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS TOOL, THAT GOVERNING PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY WOULD INCLUDE MEMBERS OF BOTH THE CITY COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

AND INTERESTINGLY, AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT THAT'S NEW IN CALIFORNIA COMPARED TO THE OLD REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES.

SO YOU HAVE AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT SIT ALONGSIDE THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR THE GOVERNANCE OF THESE DISTRICTS.

AND THIS, UH, THIS BOARD, THIS PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY IS CHARGED TO IMPLEMENT A SPECIFIC, UH, IT'S A, IT'S A PLAN, SORT OF LIKE A BUSINESS PLAN, AND IT'S CALLED AN INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING PLAN.

AND THAT PLAN HAS TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA PAY FOR? HOW MANY DOLLARS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT OVER WHAT TIME HORIZON? WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS FOR THE CITY GENERAL FUND? IF THE COUNTY'S A PARTNER, WHAT'S THE IMPACT TO THE COUNTY GENERAL FUND? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN TERMS OF JOBS AND WAGES AND, AND OTHER METRICS? SO THAT PLAN IS REALLY MEANT TO LAY IT ALL OUT THERE FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW, PROVIDE, COMMENT ON, EVEN OBJECT TO IF THERE ARE ANY OBJECTIONS, AND TO DO SO REPETITIVELY.

THERE ARE A SERIES OF PUBLIC MEETINGS AND HEARINGS FOR THE FORMATION OF ONE OF THESE.

AND THOSE MEETINGS HAVE TO BE SPACED OUT AT LEAST 30 DAYS APART.

THEY'VE GOT TO BE NOTICED BY MAIL, BY NEWSPAPER, BY WEBSITE.

AND THE IDEA IS TO SORT OF KNOW WHERE TO HIDE.

YOU'VE GOTTA BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHATCHA GONNA DO WITH THE MONEY, ALL THOSE TERMS, AND GIVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC A CHANCE TO SEE THAT MULTIPLE TIMES SO THAT IT CAN TRULY BE UNDERSTOOD.

AND BECAUSE THERE'S NO CHANGE IN ANYBODY'S TAX BILL, THERE'S ACTUALLY NO VOTE OF THE PUBLIC TO FORM ONE OF THESE.

BUT WHAT THERE IS IN ITS PLACE IS THAT THAT LAST PUBLIC HEARING THAT'S REQUIRED, THERE IS STILL AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PROPERTY OWNERS AND RESIDENTS WITHIN THE BOUNDARY TO OBJECT.

SO NO ONE HAS TO COME OUT AND VOTE YES, BUT IF THEY DON'T LIKE ANY PART OF THIS, THEY CAN COME OUT AND ESSENTIALLY VOTE NO AND OBJECT AND, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CAN OBJECT TO ANYTHING TO THE TOOL, TO THE SPECIFIC FINANCING PLAN, TO THE WAY THE PROCESS WAS CARRIED OUT.

REALLY, ANY OF THAT CAN BE OBJECTED BY A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AND THAT, AND THAT'S DELIBERATE IN THE LAW, SO THAT THIS CAN BE A VERY TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE PROCESS.

THE LAW LAYS OUT WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THE MONEY? IT'S A BULLET POINT LIST IN THE LAW OF ABOUT 20 THINGS.

UM, SOME EXAMPLES WERE MENTIONED EARLIER, I'LL JUST EXPAND A BIT.

WATER, SEWER, TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, PARKS, LIBRARIES, CHILDCARE FACILITIES, CLEANUP OF CONTAMINATED LAND, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BROADBAND, INTERNET INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ADDRESSES CLIMATE CHANGE, WHETHER IT'S WILDFIRE PREVENTION, SEA LEVEL RISE, FLOOD CONTROL, EXTREME HEAT, DROUGHT.

THERE'S A WHOLE, A WHOLE CATEGORY IN THE LAW ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.

AND THEN, UH, TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT, A CATEGORY THAT WAS ADDED ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO WAS IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF SMALL BUSINESSES.

AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS ARE THINGS LIKE FACADE IMPROVEMENT GRANTS OR, UM, FACILITIES FOR SOCIAL SERVICES LIKE HOMELESS PREVENTION OR, OR, UH, PERHAPS WORKFORCE TRAINING, OTHER SORTS OF NONPROFIT FACILITIES.

SO THOSE WERE ADDED.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT'S IN PLAY HERE.

IT'S THE, IT'S THE FACILITIES AND IT'S THE INITIAL CAPITAL TO BUILD THOSE FACILITIES, BUT IT'S ALSO THE MAINTENANCE OF THOSE FACILITIES THAT'S ELIGIBLE UNDER THE LAW.

UH, IN OUR EXPERIENCE AT COSMO, UH, WHILE WE'RE SEEING CITIES AND COUNTIES GO DOWN THIS PATH, A LOT, A LOT OF IT IS NUMBER ONE ON THIS PAGE.

IT'S JUST FOR TURN ON INVESTMENT THAT BY INVESTING IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE CATALYZING THE INVESTMENT BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR INTO NEW DEVELOPMENT OR, OR REHAB OF UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTY AND BRINGING WITH IT, YOU KNOW, NEW REVENUES TO THE PUBLIC AGENCY AND THINGS LIKE JOBS AND WAGES THAT, THAT HAVE A SORT OF NET POSITIVE RETURN FOR THE CITY.

AND IF THERE'S NOT THAT, THAT KEY COMPONENT, THAT NUMBER ONE ON THIS PAGE, UH, TYPICALLY THE CONVERSATION DOESN'T GO ANY FURTHER.

BUT BEYOND THAT, NUMBER ONE, WE THINK A LITTLE LESS OBVIOUS IS NUMBER TWO ON THIS PAGE.

IT'S THE FACT THAT CITIES AND COUNTIES THAT GO DOWN THIS PATH, THEY'RE NOT ONLY SETTING UP THIS, THIS KIND OF ONGOING REVENUE STREAM, BUT THEY'RE ALSO INCREASING THE COMMUNITY'S ABILITY TO ATTRACT YET OTHER PUBLIC MONEY, ESPECIALLY STATE GRANTS.

AND SO YOU'RE HAVING A

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SO AGAIN, IT'S CREATING LOCAL FUNDING, BUT ALSO IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY'S ABILITY TO ATTRACT OTHER DOLLARS FROM EXTERNAL SOURCES.

THERE ARE ABOUT 35, UH, 36 OF THESE FORMED ACROSS THE STATE.

ALL SHAPES AND SIZES, CITIES, COUNTIES, CITIES AND COUNTIES WORKING TOGETHER.

UM, LOS ANGELES COUNTY IS, IS SOMEWHAT OF A HUB.

UM, A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT LOS ANGELES COUNTY HAS, UH, A POLICY ADOPTED SINCE 2018 THAT LAYS OUT WHAT DOES A, UH, A CITY NEED TO TRY TO DO WITH ONE OF THESE DISTRICTS IN ORDER TO GET THE COUNTY AS A PARTNER TO THE CITY.

AND HAVING THAT POLICY HAS HELPED A LOT OF THE CITIES WITHIN THIS COUNTY, LIKE LAVERNE CARSON, PALMDALE, LAKEWOOD, NORWALK, UM, TO PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSED USE FOR THESE TYPES OF TOOLS AND HAVE THE COUNTY JOIN THEM AGAIN, BRINGING NET NEW DOLLARS INTO THOSE CITIES JUST LIKE LONG BEACH CAN DO HERE LOCALLY.

AND, UM, THAT'S A TEMPLATE THAT COULD BE FOLLOWED HERE.

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT LONG BEACH.

SO, UM, THESE, YOU KNOW, A CITY CAN PUT THE WHOLE CITY INTO ONE OF THESE FINANCING DISTRICTS.

UM, OUR FIRM USUALLY DOES NOT ADVISE TO DO THAT.

UM, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE SETTING ASIDE A PIECE OF FUTURE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, UM, THESE ARE DOLLARS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO IN THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND.

AND SO IT IS CONSTANT BALANCING ACT AND HOW YOU DRAW THESE BOUNDARIES.

YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY, LET'S INVEST DOLLARS IN AN INTELLIGENT WAY, A WAY THAT WILL CREATE NET NEW POSITIVE REVENUES TO THE CITY, BUT LET'S FOCUS THEM ON AREAS OF GROWTH.

SO IN DRAWING THE BOUNDARIES OF, OF THESE TYPES OF DISTRICTS IN LONG BEACH, THERE WAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT METRICS COMBINED FROM GENERAL PLANNED LAND USE DESIGNATION.

SO, SO WHERE IS THERE GROWTH ALLOWED BY THE CITY'S GENERAL PLAN? YOU KNOW, PERHAPS IT'S HIGHER INTENSITY MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, OR THERE HIGH INTENSITY USES THAT BRING WITH IT TAXABLE ASSESSED PROPERTY VALUE.

OTHERWISE, WE LOOKED AT UNDERUTILIZED COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, WE LOOKED AT DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY CENSUS TRACKS, AREAS THAT, UM, MAYBE THEY'RE JUST NOT EXPECTING ALL THE PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT ON THEIR OWN.

MAYBE THEY NEED SOME HELP WITH THINGS LIKE INVESTMENT INTO INFRASTRUCTURE TO GET THOSE PRIVATE SECTOR DOLLARS MOVING.

LOOKED AT VARIOUS MEASURES OF DEMOGRAPHICS FROM, AGAIN, INCOME EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT DENSITY, SCAG PRIORITY GROWTH AREAS, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS.

SO SCAG HAS PRIORITY GROWTH AREAS, OPPORTUNITY ZONES.

SO LAYERING ALL THESE DIFFERENT METRICS IN A WAY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT COULD BOUNDARIES LOOK LIKE IN LONG BEACH.

AND, AND I'LL MAKE THIS POINT AT LEAST ONCE TODAY, VERY IMPORTANTLY, THESE DISTRICTS ARE NOT, UH, ONLY ABLE TO INVEST THE DOLLARS WITHIN THE FINANCING DISTRICT BOUNDARY.

SO I'LL SAY THAT AGAIN.

WHEN WE DRAW BOUNDARIES FOR THESE, YOU'RE NOT ONLY ABLE TO SPEND DOLLARS WITHIN THE BOUNDARY.

RATHER MUCH OF THE EMPHASIS ON HOW YOU DRAW THE BOUNDARY IS ABOUT WHERE CAN GROWTH BE FACILITATED.

AND THE DOLLARS CAN BE INVESTED WITHIN THAT BOUNDARY, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE INVESTED OUTSIDE OF THEIR BOUNDARY AS LONG AS THERE'S SOME BENEFIT TO THE PROPERTIES WITHIN THE BOUNDARY.

SO BEEN SORT OF AN ITERATIVE ROAD OVER THE PAST PROBABLY TWO YEARS ON HOW BOUNDARIES CAN LOOK WITHIN LONG BEACH.

I'LL KEEP THIS SLIDE UP FOR A MINUTE.

AND THEN, UM, AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION IN THE APPENDICES ARE, ARE DETAILED, SORT OF ZOOMED IN MAPS FOR EACH OF THESE AREAS.

AND WE'RE LOOKING AT LIKE FIVE NON-CONTIGUOUS AREAS IN THE, IN THE GREEN, THE PURPLE, THE ORANGE, THE DARKER GREEN.

UM, AND THERE'RE ZOOMED IN MAPS FOR EACH OF THESE AREAS IN THE PRESENTATION.

WHEN WE LOOK AT EACH OF THESE, THEY ADD UP TO ABOUT 4,900 ACRES IN TOTAL AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE ENTIRE CITY.

THAT'S ABOUT 9.6% TODAY.

THE VALUE WITHIN THESE BOUNDARIES IS ABOUT $8.66 BILLION.

THAT'S ABOUT 12% OF THE CITY.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE SORT OF AT COSMAN WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS ACROSS THE STATE, WE, WE TRY TO DO THAT BALANCING ACT THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.

WE NEVER WANT TO HAVE SO MUCH OF A CITY WITHIN ONE OF THESE DISTRICTS BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO REACH THIS, UM, BALANCE BETWEEN FUNDING CAPACITY FOR THIS DISTRICT.

SO GIVING IT ENOUGH PROPERTY TAX INCREMENT REVENUE SO THAT IT CAN ACTUALLY SPEND DOLLARS AND INVEST IN MEANINGFUL PROJECTS WHILE ON THE OTHER HAND, NOT TAKING AWAY TOO MUCH FROM WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE IN THE GENERAL FUND.

SO I'M JUST GONNA RETURN TO THAT RETIREMENT ACCOUNT ANALOGY.

IT'S LIKE, IT'S GREAT IF I CAN PUT ASIDE HALF MY PAYCHECK AND HAVE MY EMPLOYER MATCH IT, THAT'S GREAT.

MY EMPLOYER IS MATCHING HALF OF IT.

BUT THE QUESTION I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IS, CAN I STILL STILL LIVE WITH ONLY HALF OF MY, MY PAYCHECK THAT'S NOT IN MY RETIREMENT ACCOUNT.

SO THAT'S THIS BALANCING ACT.

HOW MUCH CAN I AFFORD TO PUT AWAY TO MAXIMIZE THAT MATCH FROM ANOTHER PARTY, BUT STILL LEAVE MYSELF ENOUGH DOLLARS IN THE CITY'S CASE JUST TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, TO KEEP MUNICIPAL SERVICES GOING ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS? THAT'S THIS BALANCING ACT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

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UH, THE LAW ASKS YOU TO BE MORE SPECIFIC THAN THAT.

WHAT SPECIFICALLY IN LONG BEACH WOULD ONE OF THESE FINANCING DISTRICTS SEEK TO ACCOMPLISH? AND, UH, AND PRIMARILY WITH DISCUSSIONS ACROSS STAFF DEPARTMENTS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS OR SO, MORE INTENSELY OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO IDENTIFY AT LEAST THE STARTER LIST OF CATEGORIES OF INVESTMENT ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THIS PAGE, BUT ALSO SOME SPECIFIC POTENTIAL INVESTMENTS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS PAGE.

SO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDEWALK, STORM DRAIN PUMP STATIONS, WE CALL THESE SORT OF NUTS AND BOLTS INFRASTRUCTURE.

THESE ARE THE SORTS OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE THERE IF A PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPER IS GONNA GET SHOVELS IN THE GROUND AND, YOU KNOW, BUILD NEW HOUSING OR COMMERCIAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING GAP FINANCING SOMEWHAT.

SOME MEASURES HERE, 11 THROUGH 14 ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE PAGE, PULLED DIRECTLY OUT OF THE, THE GROW LONG BEACH INITIATIVE.

ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.

SOME SPECIFICS, AGAIN, THIS IS THE STARTER LIST.

NONE OF THIS IS BINDING, ESPECIALLY NOT AT THIS STAGE OF THE CONVERSATION.

THINGS LIKE CULTURAL CENTER IMPROVEMENTS, NORTH LONG BEACH, AQUATICS CENTER, WASHINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH CENTER PARK IMPROVEMENTS, SIGNAGE GATEWAYS, PARKING ASSETS, SIDEWAYS ROAD SIDEWALK ROADWAY, LONG BEACH ARENA AREA, UM, LONGER TERM TRANSITION FROM OIL AND REUSE OF PROPERTIES TO SPUR ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH, UPGRADED STORM PROTECTION.

AND SO THIS STARTER LIST, WHEN WE SORT OF ADD IT ALL UP, IT'S A BIT OVER 5 BILLION IN TOTAL UNFUNDED COSTS, COSTS THAT ARE NOT ALREADY ADDRESSED WITH OTHER GENERAL FUND SOURCES OR GRANT FUNDING OR LA COUNTY, UM, LOCAL RETURN SOURCES.

AND SO THERE'S CLEARLY A NEED FOR ANOTHER TOOL IN THE TOOLKIT.

AND, AND THIS IS ONE TOOL THAT CAN REALLY HELP ADDRESS SOME OF THESE UNFUNDED NEEDS.

AND IT'S NOT GONNA ADDRESS ALL OF IT.

THAT'S AN EXPECTATION WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO LAY OUT.

THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE MORE NEED THAN FUNDING SOURCES, BUT IT, IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A TOOL THAT CAN HELP IN THE TOOLKIT.

SO GETTING INTO THE NUMBERS NOW, UH, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE A POINT THAT IS LESS OBVIOUS, UH, TO, TO MOST MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

WE WAS, AND IT MAY BE FAMILIAR TO SOME, OFTENTIMES FOLKS THINK IF I PAY PROPERTY TAX IN LONG BEACH, THE CITY GETS ALL THAT PROPERTY TAX.

UM, DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE.

MOST OF THE PROPERTY TAX PAID IN LONG BEACH AND ELSEWHERE WITHIN CALIFORNIA, IT GOES TO THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

AND A SMALLER PIECE OF THAT PIE, UH, GOES TO THE CITY AND SLIGHTLY MORE THAN THE CITY, UM, THAT GOES TO THE COUNTY.

SO FOR EVERY DOLLAR OF PROPERTY TAX IN THESE AREAS, THAT'S PAID BY A PROPERTY OWNER, THE CITY GETS ABOUT 21% OF THAT.

AND THAT'S THE PIECE OF THE PIE THAT THE CITY CONTROLS IN ONE OF THESE FINANCING DISTRICTS.

SO WE CAN CHOOSE TO PUT ASIDE ONE, YOU KNOW, SOME PIECE OF IT'S 21% AND IDEALLY CAN GET THE COUNTY TO GIVE SOME PIECE OF ITS 27% TO MATCH YOU.

THAT'S THAT MATCH CONCEPT.

SO JUST AN IMPORTANT POINT WE ALWAYS MAKE.

IT'S JUST THE CITY'S PORTION OF THE PIE THAT'S, UH, IN PLAY HERE.

AND IDEALLY INCLUDING A PIECE OF THE, THE COUNTY'S PIECE OF THE PIE TO MATCH YOU.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS, FOR THE RECORD, THEY COULDN'T EVEN PARTICIPATE IF THEY WANTED TO.

THIS WAS ONE OF THE REASON WHY THOSE OLD REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES WERE DISSOLVED.

UM, SO SCHOOLS, AGAIN, THEY GET MOST OF THE PIE OF THE PROPERTY TAX PIE, BUT THEY COULD NOT PARTICIPATE EVEN IF THEY WANTED TO, SO THAT WE'RE NOT MESSING AT ALL WITH ANY SORT OF SCHOOL OR EDUCATION FUNDING.

SO WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT JUST IN TERMS OF DOLLARS AS TALK ORDER OF MAGNITUDE, UM, WITH THESE DISTRICTS WHO ACTUALLY NEED THE ASSESSED PROPERTY VALUE TO GROW OVER TIME BEFORE THERE ARE ANY DOLLARS TO SPEND, UM, ORDER OF MAGNITUDE WITHIN FIVE YEARS, ESTIMATES ARE IN THE RANGE OF 30 TO $66 MILLION.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF AVAILABLE DOLLARS.

AND A LOT OF THAT DEPENDS ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT PORTION OF THE CITY'S FUTURE PROPERTY TAX, IS IT EVEN WILLING TO SET ASIDE AND IS THE COUNTY GONNA PARTICIPATE WITH YOU OR NOT? THOSE ARE ALL WELL BEYOND, YOU KNOW, DECISIONS BEING MADE TODAY, BUT THOSE ARE DECISIONS THAT WOULD BE MADE IN THE FUTURE AS THAT INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING PLAN GETS DRAFTED.

IS THE CITY PUTTING ASIDE 25% OF ITS SHARE OF THE FUTURE PROPERTY TAX WITHIN THAT BOUNDARY? IS IT PUTTING ASIDE 50% OF IT? AND AGAIN, IS THE COUNTY MATCHING OR NOT? UM, AGAIN, THIS COUNTY HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER TO OTHER CITIES.

WE THINK THE CITY WOULD HAVE A GREAT CHANCE, BUT IT, IT'S A PROCESS THAT HAS TO BE UNDERGONE AND, UM, IT'S NEVER A GUARANTEE.

SO ANYWAY, BEYOND FIVE YEARS, THE REVENUES CONTINUE TO GROW.

SO WITHIN 10 YEARS, ESTIMATES ARE BETWEEN $85 MILLION, $171.7 MILLION, AND IT CONTINUES TO GROW BEYOND THAT.

AGAIN, AS ASSESSED VALUE GROWS OVER TIME, THIS DISTRICT CAN DO THINGS LIKE ISSUE BONDS, DOESN'T HAVE TO, BUT IT COULD ISSUE BONDS OFF THIS REVENUE STREAM.

IT CAN PLEDGE SOME OF THAT REVENUE FOR REIMBURSEMENT PERHAPS TO OTHER SOURCES LIKE THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAT ACTUALLY ADVANCE DOLLARS AND PAY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THEN GET REIMBURSED FROM THESE REVENUES.

SO OVER THE LONG TERM, AGAIN, 45, 50 YEAR

[00:35:01]

SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE OVER THE LONG TERM.

AS MENTIONED, THE COUNTY, UM, WE THINK WOULD BE A POTENTIAL PARTNER FOR THE CITY.

IT'S NEVER A GUARANTEE, BUT AT LEAST THEY HAVE A POLICY THAT SAYS, WHAT DO, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO AS A CITY IF YOU WANT THE PART, UH, THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES TO BE A PARTNER TO YOU? AND SO THERE ARE VARIOUS BOXES THAT NEED TO GET CHECKED.

THINGS LIKE THEY WANT A NET NET POSITIVE RETURN TO THEIR GENERAL FUND, JUST LIKE YOU AT THE CITY WOULD WANT A NET POSITIVE RETURN TO YOUR GENERAL FUND.

THEY WANNA SUPPORT THINGS LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOMELESS PREVENTION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, SUSTAINABILITY.

UM, THERE ARE OTHER QUALITATIVE MEASURES.

THEY WANT A PRIORITY ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS BEYOND THE STATE LAW.

THIS IS SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES WANTS TO SEE THESE FINANCING DISTRICTS DO, IF THE COUNTY IS GONNA BE A PARTNER TO A CITY.

AND SO THEY WANNA SEE THAT AT LEAST SOME NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS ARE MADE AFFORDABLE, OR AT LEAST THAT A CERTAIN LEVEL OF DOLLARS ARE BEING SET ASIDE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING USES WITHIN THE CITY.

SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT, UM, BOX THAT THE COUNTY NEEDS CHECKED IF THEY'RE GONNA BE A CITY'S PARTNER.

AND THAT LAST ONE, THE SO-CALLED BUT FOR TEST, THEY WANT, THE COUNTY WANTS TO SEE THAT THIS TOOL'S ACTUALLY NEEDED AND THAT THE CITY ACTUALLY NEEDS THE COUNTY'S HELP, UH, TO MAKE THIS DISTRICT, UH, BE IMPACTFUL AND MEANINGFUL.

SO THERE'S A WAY TO NAVIGATE THESE.

FORTUNATELY, OTHER CITIES HAVE NAVIGATED IT AND, AND WE THINK THERE'S A ROADMAP THAT LONG BEACH CAN FOLLOW IF THE CITY GOES DOWN THIS PATH.

SO RETURN ON INVESTMENT, WE'VE MENTIONED THAT WORD SEVERAL TIMES NOW.

PART OF, UH, OUR FIRM'S SCOPE OF WORK TO WHAT IS, TO PUT NUMBERS ON THAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF HOUSING UNITS, IN TERMS OF JOBS, IN TERMS OF WAGES? UM, SO WE'RE SEEING IN THE THOUSANDS OF JOBS, BOTH ON A PERMANENT BASIS FROM NEW DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS JUST ON A CONTEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION RELATED BASIS FROM ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, BUILDING NEW BUILDINGS AND BUILDING NEW FACILITIES AND UH, AND INTO THE BILLIONS IN TERMS OF THE WAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE JOBS OVER TIME.

AND THEN VERY IMPORTANTLY, WE'RE NOT SEEING AGAINST CITIES AND COUNTIES GO DOWN THIS PATH IF IT'S NOT A GENERAL FUND, JUST DOLLARS AND CENTS POSITIVE RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE ANALYSIS IS SHOWING THAT, THAT THIS COULD BE A, A REVENUE WINNER, A A POSITIVE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR THE CITY IF IT WERE TO GO DOWN THIS PATH.

AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.

AND ALL OF THAT IS ASIDE FROM THE LAST POINT ON THIS PAGE, WHICH IS AGAIN, ADDITIONALLY MAKING THE CITY MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR THIRD PARTY FUNDING, ESPECIALLY STATE GRANTS.

AND IT'S JUST A BIT MORE DETAIL ON, ON WHAT DOES THAT MEAN GENERAL FUND POSITIVE RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

I'M JUST, WE'RE JUST SHOWING THAT THIS IS MEANT TO BE OVER TIME.

IT'S NOT, IT'S GREAT IF IN ONE YEAR IT'S POSITIVE, THAT'S FINE, BUT WE THINK IT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAT IT'S SORT OF A CONTINUAL POSITIVE RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND FRANKLY THAT IT GETS BETTER, NOT WORSE OVER TIME.

SO THERE'S JUST ADDITIONAL DETAIL AVAILABLE ON HOW DOES THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT ANALYSIS, LOOK FOR THE CITY OVER TIME.

SO THERE'S A ROADMAP WE WON'T GO, UM, UH, IN THE WEEDS AT THIS POINT, BUT HAPPY TO DO SO IN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

BUT THE, THE STATE LAW AGAIN, PRESCRIBES A VERY SPECIFIC PROCESS FOR HOW A CITY WOULD GO ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THIS.

THE EMPHASIS IS ON PUBLIC MEETINGS, HEARINGS, TRANSPARENCY, AGAIN, NOTICING VIA THINGS LIKE MAIL, NEWSPAPER, WEBSITE, GIVING FOLKS MULTIPLE CHANCES TO HEAR IT SO THAT IT'S CLEAR WHAT IS THIS THING EVEN ABOUT? WHAT ARE YOU PAYING FOR? WHAT'S THE IMPACT TO ME AS A PROPERTY OWNER OR A RESIDENT? AND AGAIN, HAVING THE CHANCE TO HEAR THAT MULTIPLE TIMES.

'CAUSE IT'S OBVIOUSLY A VERY SPECIFIC WORLD AND A VERY SPECIFIC TOOL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

IF THE CITY WERE TO GO DOWN THIS PATH, WE THINK IT IS FEASIBLE THAT THE SORT OF FINISH LINE OF DISTRICT FORMATION COULD BE REACHED BY YEAR, END CALENDAR YEAR 2026.

AGAIN, THE CITY WOULD BE IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF THAT TIMING.

UM, BUT WHEN WE FORECAST FORWARD, WE THINK IT IS REASONABLE TO ASSUME YOU CAN GET THERE BY THE END OF NEXT CALENDAR YEAR.

SO THAT REALLY DOES CONCLUDE OUR PRESENTATION.

WE'VE GOT SOME MORE DETAIL ON THE APPENDIX THAT WE CAN REFERENCE FOR THINGS LIKE ZOOMED UH, PHOTOS OF THE BOUNDARIES, UM, AND OTHER TECHNICAL DETAIL.

IF THE CONVERSATION ADVANCES TODAY, FIRST AND FOREMOST, AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT EDUCATION, ANSWERING QUESTIONS OF THIS COMMITTEE OF THE PUBLIC, AND THEN AGAIN, COULD BE OUTREACH TO THE COUNTY TO GET MORE INTO THAT POTENTIAL NEGOTIATION, THAT THEIR LEVEL OF INTEREST IN BEING A PARTNER TO THE CITY AND THEN POTENTIALLY ALL THOSE OTHER STEPS IN THAT ROADMAP I JUST WALKED THROUGH, UM, WITH PUBLIC AGENCY ACTIONS, PUBLIC HEARINGS AND SO FORTH.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

WE'D BE VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UH, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT THINK THAT WAS VERY EXCITING, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS, SO MAYBE ONE OF THE FEW, BUT I, I AM SURE EVERYBODY'S THRILLED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF THIS, UH, ENHANCED INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING

[00:40:01]

BUT BEFORE I, UM, UH, I, I'D LIKE TO GO TO PUBLIC COMMENTS BEFORE BRINGING IT AMONGST MY COLLEAGUES TO MAKE COMMENT.

SO IF WE CAN GO TO A PUBLIC COMMENT, IS THERE ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

YEAH, IT'S NOT LIKE THE COUNCIL MEETING WHERE, BUT YOU JUST COME FORWARD.

ALSO, CAN I JUST ASK, UM, IF WE CAN HAVE EVERYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO PLEASE STAND AND FORM A LINE NOW SO WE CAN DETERMINE HOW MANY SPEAKERS WE'LL BE PARTICIPATING.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

HELLO, MY NAME IS SHARON DIGS JACKSON AND I DID SUBMIT A WRITTEN DOCUMENT.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, I THINK IT HAS BEEN CIRCULATED.

YES.

OKAY.

UM, AND I THINK THE GENTLEMAN SAID THAT THERE WAS A, A MORE DETAILED MAP.

'CAUSE MY COMMENTS KIND OF SPEAK TO THE MAP.

SO IF YOU'RE ABLE TO PULL THAT UP AND I CAN GET MY 15 SECONDS BACK.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO, I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MAP, SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO ALONG THE ANAHEIM CORRIDOR AND THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY CORRIDOR.

UM, WHY THERE'S THAT DISTINCT EXCLUSION, AND I KNOW THEY DON'T HAVE TO ALL BE CONTIGUOUS, BUT IT JUST SEEMS TO ME MISSING THAT WE PICKED THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY AND ANAHEIM, AND THEN WE LEAVE THE WHOLE SWATCH OF THE RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY SORT OF BREAKING UP.

SO WANTING TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THAT.

THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION.

AND THEN SECONDLY, I HAVE A REAL CONCERN IN TERMS OF THE LABELING, THE USE OF CAMBODIA TOWN AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WHOSE PARENTS STAYED BACK TO THE 1920S HERE IN THAT AREA, AND SPECIFICALLY IN AN AREA THAT WAS THE ONLY PLACE THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS COULD LIVE.

CAMBODIA TOWN WAS PASSED IN, I THINK 2007 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND THERE ARE SPECIFIC BOUNDARIES, BUT TO NOW, AND THERE SEEMS TO BE AN INTENTIONAL EFFORT TO TRY TO GROW CAMBODIA TOWN BEYOND WHAT IT WAS PRESCRIBED TO BE.

AND IN DOING THAT, IT'S SOMEWHAT DISMISSIVE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

I ALSO DON'T UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO HAVE A NAME THAT IN SOME WAYS, TO ME CAN BE DIVISIVE FOR PROJECTS SUCH AS THIS.

WE USE THE AIRPORT AREA, WE USE THE SANTA FE CORRIDOR WE USED DOWNTOWN.

WHY WAS THERE A NEED OR WHY DID THEY FEEL THERE WAS A NEED TO CALL OUT THIS AS CAMBODIA TOWN WHEN IT EXTENDS BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF EVEN THE DEFINED BOUNDARIES? SO I'M MAKING A SPECIFIC REQUEST THAT WE START, AND THIS IS IN MY MEMO, BUT I DIDN'T PRINT MYSELF A COPY, SO LET ME FIND IT AND PUT MY GLASSES ON.

SO MAKING A SPECIFIC REQUEST, AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE HISTORICALLY BLACK CULTURAL DISTRICT COMMITTEE THAT WE REDRAW THE EIF BOUNDARIES TO INCLUDE THE FULL NEIGHBORHOOD AND NOT JUST ANAHEIM STREET AND PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, THAT WE ADOPT A GEOGRAPHICALLY NEUTRAL AND INCLUSIVE DISTRICT NAME, NOT CAMBODIA TOWN.

AND THAT WE ENGAGE MEANING MEANINGFULLY WITH ALL RESIDENTS AND OTHER IMPACT STAKEHOLDERS PRIOR TO FINALIZING THIS AREA OF LONG BEACH IS DEFINED BY LAYERED HISTORIES, SHARED STRUGGLES, AND COLLECTIVE RESILIENCE AND E-I-F-E-D THAT DOES NOT REFLECT THAT REALITY THROUGH ITS NAME OR BOUNDARIES DOES NOT ALIGN WITH THE CITY'S STATED COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

NEXT SPEAKER.

HELLO EVERYONE.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

JESSICA ANA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ROCHA, ALSO LONGTIME RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH FOR 61 YEARS, LIVE AND WORK IN THIS WONDERFUL CITY.

AND ACTUALLY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW.

I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE PRESENTATION.

I WAS EXCITED JUST LIKE YOU.

OKAY.

BECAUSE THIS ACTUALLY BRINGS POTENTIAL DOLLARS TO, TO OUR CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IS LONG TIME OVERDUE.

AND SO IT'S EXCITING TO KNOW THAT THE POSSIBILITIES THAT CULTURAL DISTRICTS, UM, SMALL BUSINESSES, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INFRASTRUCTURE CAN BE SUPPORTED.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, ALSO, WE JUST ALSO LIKE TO MAKE THE REQUEST IN REGARDS TO THE MAP, IF WE CAN GO BACK TO THE MAP.

UM, WE NOTICED THAT, UH, WHERE CESAR CHAVEZ PARK IS, UH, THERE'S ACTUALLY A PARK EXPANSION HAPPENING FROM CESAR CHAVEZ TO DRAKE.

UM, THAT'S A, UH, HIGH NEEDS AREA.

UM, ALSO, IT'S BEEN A, A GENTRIFIED AREA, UM, GENTRIFYING A LOT OF COMMUNITIES FROM THAT AREA, UM, BUT WILL BE, UH, THE FUTURE, UH, UM, LATINO CULTURAL CENTER.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REQUESTING THAT THAT WOULD BE LOOKED AT AND BE INCLUSIVE OF A CULTURAL CENTER AS PART OF THIS, UM, E-F-I-F-D INITIATIVE.

UM, JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SO MANY RESIDENTS, UM, IN THAT AREA THAT ARE UNDERSERVED, UM, CAN BENEFIT FROM THE PARK EXPANSION, BUT ALSO THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER, THE PROGRAMMING, THE SERVICES, JOB CREATION, THERE'S GONNA BE A MERCADO IN THAT SPACE.

AND THAT WHAT THAT

[00:45:01]

SO I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME.

THANK YOU YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT.

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

THIS IS, THIS IS GREAT.

THIS IS AWESOME.

AND I COULD DEFINITELY COULD SEE THE COUNTY BEING A PARTNER.

THANK YOU.

WOULD BE EXCITED.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

GLAD YOU SHARE MY EXCITEMENT.

NEXT SPEAKER.

HI, COUNCIL MEMBER DR.

SORO.

I ALSO AM EXCITED AND GOOD TO SEE YOU.

COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN.

UH, MY NAME IS TRACY LANGA.

FOR THE RECORD, I'M A PROUD RESIDENT OF THE FIFTH COUNCIL DISTRICT.

I'M HERE TODAY AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, A PARENT, AND A CIVIC LEADER WHO DEEPLY BELIEVES IN LONG BEACH'S FUTURE.

I'M HERE TO RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY PROCEED WITH THE EIFD USING A COMMUNITY SELECTED APPROACH THAT INTENTIONALLY INCLUDES A LATINO CULTURAL DISTRICT, AN AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL DISTRICT, A CAMBODIAN CULTURAL DISTRICT, AN LGBT DISTRICT, AND OF COURSE, INCLUDING THE WEST SIDE PROMISE ALONG THE SANTA FE CORRIDOR.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT CREATING SILOS, THIS IS ABOUT REPAIRING HISTORICAL UNDERINVESTMENT AND ENSURING THAT GROWTH BENEFITS THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SHAPED THE CITY FOR MANY GENERATIONS, LONG BEACH IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE CITIES IN THE NATION, YET MANY OF OUR CULTURAL COMMUNITIES HAVE POWERED THE ECONOMY, THE ARTS AND WORKFORCE WITHOUT RECEIVING PROPORTIONAL LONG-TERM INVESTMENT.

AND EIFD GIVES US A SMART, FLEXIBLE, LOCALLY CONTROLLED TOOL TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT WITHOUT RAISING TAXES, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A GREAT PART OF THE PRESENTATION.

A COMMUNITY SELECTED EIFD ALLOWS US TO INVEST IN CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH WE KNOW IS VERY IMPORTANT.

SMALL BUSINESSES AND PUBLIC SPACES SUPPORT LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESS AND CREATIVE ECONOMIES PROTECT NEIGHBORHOODS FROM DISPLACEMENT, WHICH I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IN THIS INVESTMENT.

AND ALSO ALIGNING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH IDENTITY HISTORY AND BELONGING.

THE SANTA FE CORRIDOR AND WEST LONG BEACHES OF PARTICULAR IN INTEREST BECAUSE WE HAVE WORKING FAMILIES, VETERANS, ARTISTS, AND SMALL BUSINESSES.

WE ALSO RECENTLY THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND CENTRAL CHA SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION TO THE STATE FOR A LATINO CULTURAL DISTRICT.

WE ALREADY HAVE A PROPOSED SET OF BOUNDARIES FOR THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

AND UPON APPROVAL THAT STATE FUNDING CAN ALSO BE A COMPLIMENT TO THE EIFD INVESTMENT BY ADVANCING AN EIFD THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THESE CULTURAL DISTRICTS.

LONG BEACH CAN LEAD CALIFORNIA, AND SHOWING WHAT INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRULY LOOKS LIKE.

I RESPECTFULLY URGE COUNSEL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN EFD THAT'S COMMUNITY DRIVEN, EQUITY CENTERED, AND BECOMES A VISION FOR THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS ARIANA SAGUN.

I AM THE COMMUNITY HEALTH JUSTICE MANAGER AT CENTRO CHA.

AND I'M ALSO HERE REPRESENTING OUR PROMOT PROMOT TORES OF THE ORGANIZATION WHO WORK, UM, WITH CENTRO CHA IN SUPPORTING LATINO FAMILIES, YOUTH, AND, AND, AND PROVIDING WELLNESS PROGRAMS. UM, I'M HERE IN STRONG SUPPORTIVE, MOVING FORWARD WITH THE ENHANCED INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY FOR LIKE THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND LIKE THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER.

UM, THIS RECOMMENDATION IS DEEPLY ALIGNED, RIGHT, WITH YEARS OF COMMUNITY INPUT PLANNING AND ADVOCACY, FOCUSING ON THAT IMPROVEMENT IN ACTIVATING SPACES LIKE THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER, UM, PARTICULARLY THROUGH LONG OVERDUE BUILDING UPGRADES AND PUBLIC SPACE INVESTMENTS.

CENTRO CHA WORKS EVERY DAY WITH THESE FAMILIES WHO LIVE IN THE LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, ADJACENT TO LIKE DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH.

AND THESE COMMUNITIES ARE RICH IN CULTURE AND HISTORY AND RESILIENCE, BUT ARE OFTEN EXCLUDED FROM PUBLIC INVESTMENTS.

UM, AND EI D UM, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR LIKE THE LATINO CULTURAL DISTRICT OR IN CENTER, UH, PROVIDES A PRACTIC PRACTICAL EQUITABLE TOOL TO CHANGE, RIGHT? THAT, RIGHT THIS WILL ALLOW THE CITY TO REINVEST LOCALLY, UM, GENERATED RESOURCES BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.

IT'LL IMPROVE AGING FACILITIES AND CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, SUPPORT YOUTH PROGRAMS, TOURISM, SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, PROVIDE INTERGENERATIONAL ACTIVITIES, RIGHT, THAT WILL BE REINVESTED IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

UM, SO ON BEHALF OF SAN CHA AND THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE, UM, I RESPECTFULLY URGE FOR CITY COUNCIL TO ADVANCE WITH THE EIFD FOR THE LATINO CULTURAL DISTRICT AS A BROADER COMMUNITY SELECTED APPROACH FOR AN EQUITABLE, UH, DEVELOPMENT IN LONG BEACH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND LISTENING TO OUR COMMUNITY VOICES.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENT.

ALL RIGHT, I'LL TAKE IT TO THE DAIS HERE.

I WANNA THANK THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE PROCESS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

IT'S TO BE ABLE TO

[00:50:01]

I DID GET A FEELING OF REDISTRICTING, UM, YOU KNOW, VIBE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WHENEVER WE TALK ABOUT DRAWING BOUNDARIES, IT DOES RAISE QUESTION ABOUT, WELL, HOW DO THESE LINES GET DRAWN? WHAT CRITERIA ARE USED? UM, SO I'LL START OUT WITH THAT.

UM, BUT I, I DID WANNA ALSO ADD HOW, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I DID ALSO NOTICE WHEN I LOOKED AT THE MAP TOO, THAT THERE WAS A DISTINCT KIND OF CULTURAL DESIGNATION LISTED OUT COMPARED TO ALL OF THE OTHERS.

SO I, I WOULD ASK THAT THEY BE I FOLLOWING THE SAME GUIDELINE.

IF THEY ARE BASED ON REGION LIKE CENTRAL, THEN I THINK WE SHOULD DO THAT AS WELL.

THANK YOU.

SO, YES, IF YOU COULD ANSWER MY, MY QUESTION ABOUT HOW THE BOUNDARY GOT DRAWN.

YOU KIND OF ALLUDED TO IT, UH, UH, TO A SLIDE ON DESIGNATION, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, HOW THESE BOUNDARIES GOT DRAWN.

OF COURSE.

THANK YOU CHAIR, DR.

SORROW, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR THE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS.

UM, SO WE WENT THROUGH VARIOUS METRICS.

I'LL, I'LL JUST PROVIDE SOME MORE COLOR.

AGAIN, SOME OF THOSE METRICS WERE THINGS LIKE, UH, LAND USE ZONING.

UM, THE ZONING WAS PRETTY IMPORTANT.

SO GENERAL PLAN, LAND USE, DESIGNATION, UH, WHAT OFTEN GETS EXCLUDED.

CAN YOU PULL THAT SLIDE UP AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT? 'CAUSE THAT'S KIND OF, UM, SLIDE NINE.

THAT'S, THAT'S HOW YOU USE THIS IS WHAT WAS USED TO DRAW THE BOUNDARY, RIGHT? I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT, BUT NO PROBLEM.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD IT PULLED UP SO THAT THERE WAS JUST, UM, IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? IT IS.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

SO, UM, IT, IT'S A COMBINATION OF THESE MULTIPLE FACTORS.

UH, THE GENERAL PLAN LAND USE ONE WILL EXPLAIN A LOT OF THE, KIND OF THE WEIRD JOGS AND CARVE OUTS THAT WERE DONE IN THE BOUNDARIES.

SO A LOT OF IT IS, UM, TO EXCLUDE THE, THE, THE LEAST DENSE RESIDENTIAL.