* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:04:55] YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU DON'T HAVE GOOD INFORMATION FOR ME EITHER. [00:22:11] ALL [00:22:12] RIGHT, [00:22:12] FOLKS, [00:22:13] LET'S GO AHEAD AND CHECK, CHECK, CHECK, CHECK, CHECK, CHECK. ALL RIGHT, FOLKS, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GRAB YOUR SEATS. WE'RE GONNA BEGIN THE MEETING OF LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL, CALLING ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO THE DIOCESE. ALL RIGHT, LET'S START WITH ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. PRESENT. COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. [CALL TO ORDER] HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER OG. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN KERR. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT. VICE MAYOR URANGA. YES. HERE. RECEIVED COUNCILWOMAN THRASH OOK. HERE. [ROLL CALL] RECEIVED. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SODI. MAYOR RICHARDSON. I AM HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO I'M GONNA ASK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN TO LEAD US IN THE MOMENT OF SILENCE AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. GOOD EVENING. THANKS FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. LET'S ALL TAKE A MOMENT TO BOW OUR HEADS. THINK OF THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED BEFORE US, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] PLEASE STAND IF YOU'RE ABLE AND FACE THE FLAG FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER. WELL, WELCOME TO THE JANUARY 20TH MEETING OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL. WE HAVE A FULL AGENDA THIS EVENING. I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH THE ORDER. WE HAVE THREE PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING. OUR FIRST IS, UH, ANIMAL CARE CENTER, UH, PET ADOPTIONS. THEN WE HAVE OUR MLK GRAND MARSHALS AND PEACEMAKER AWARDS LED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. THAT'S RIGHT. AND WE HAVE OUR CITY PROSECUTOR WITH A PRESENTATION ON NATIONAL MENTORSHIP MONTH. WE'LL THEN HANDLE OUR, UH, CONSENT CALENDARS, UH, AND THEN WE HAVE ITEM 30 ON NORTH LONG BEACH HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER. THEN WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE WITH THE REST OF THE AGENDA. UH, AGAIN, A FULL, UH, FULL AGENDA THIS EVENING. SO LET'S START OFF, UM, WITH OUR PRESENTATION ON ANIMAL CARE CENTER PET ADOPTION. AND AS THEY SET UP, UH, WE DO THIS ONCE A MONTH, WE HIGHLIGHT A PET, UH, A POTENTIAL RESCUE FOR THAT'S IN OUR CARE. AND IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL SINCE WE BROUGHT THIS PROGRAM. EVERY ONE OF THE PETS THAT WE'VE BROUGHT FORWARD, UH, HAS BEEN, HAS GONE [ ACS PET ADOPTION] HOME WITH A FAMILY. ALL RIGHT. NOW WHO'S THIS? THIS IS MONA. SHE IS EIGHT [00:25:01] YEARS OLD AND SHE'S A GERMAN SHEPHERD MIX. ALRIGHT, MONA. GOOD AFTERNOON. HELLO, IS STEAM CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND HONORABLE MAYOR. MY NAME IS IMA FROM LONG BEACH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. TODAY WE ARE JOINED BY OUR AWESOME VOLUNTEER CALLIE, AND OF COURSE, MONA. PLEASE MEET MONA. SHE'S AN 8-YEAR-OLD DRIVEN SHEPHERD WITH A CALM, CONFIDENT, AND GENTLE PERSONALITY. SHE ARRIVED AT LBAS LONG BEACH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES IN EARLY DECEMBER AND IS NOW WAITING FOR HER LOVING HOME WHERE SHE CAN SHARE HER LOYALTY AND HER AFFECTION. COME AND VISIT HER AND A DOCTOR. WE'RE OPEN WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, STARTING AT 10:00 AM CALIFORNIA AND LONG BEACH LAW REQUIRES ALL CATS AND DOGS OVER FOUR MONTHS TO BE LICENSED FOR, LICENSED FOR RABIES CONTROL. LICENSED PETS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE REUNITED WITH THEIR OWNERS. IF YOUR PET ISN'T LICENSED YET, GETTING THEIR LICENSE IS NOW EASIER THAN EVER. WITH DOCU PET ARE OFFICIAL ONLINE PARTNER, MAKING THE PROCESS FASTER AND MORE CONVENIENT. LONG BEACH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES ARE OUR ALBAS AND COMMUNITY ANIMAL MEDICINE PROJECT, ALSO CALLED CAMP, UH, OFFER LOW COST VACCINE SERVICES FOR PETS, MAKING IT AFFORDABLE FOR OWNERS TO PROTECT THEIR PET'S HEALTH. THESE CLINICS HAPPEN EVERY MONTH AT THE ALBAS PARKING LOT. EACH CLINIC SERVES THE FIRST 60 PETS AND NO APPOINTMENT IS NEEDED FOR PRICING AND MORE INFORMATION, JUST SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT CAMP LA.ORG. VOLUNTEERS ARE THE HEART OF ALBAS. WHETHER IT'S HELPING ANIMALS EVENTS OR BEHIND THE SCENES LIKE TODAY, UH, VOLUNTEERS CAN MAKE A REAL IMPACT. TAKE A STEP INTO MAKING A DIFFERENCE THAT MATTERS AND APPLY ONLINE OR SCAN THE QR CODE ON THE SLIDE HERE. END TO END. UH, THESE ARE OUR LO THIS IS OUR LOCATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME DOWN TO THE SHELTER AND MEET THE VERY, VERY MANY AMAZING ANIMALS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION. WE ARE OPEN WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM 10 TO FIVE 30, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FROM 10 TO FOUR. THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYONE. SO, WHILE MONA, SO WHILE MONA'S STILL MAKING A LITTLE TOUR, UH, WHY DON'T YOU TELL US HOW EASY IS IT TO, HOW SIMPLE IS IT? THE PROCESS OF TAKING HOME OR TESTING OUT OR FOSTERING OR ADOPTING A PET IN LONG BEACH? ALL THE, ALL THOSE PROCESSES ARE SUPER EASY. COME ON DOWN TO OUR SHELTER. WE HAVE MANY, MANY CATS, MANY, MANY DOGS. UM, ALL YOU REALLY REQUIRE, ALL WE REALLY REQUIRE AT THIS POINT TO ADOPT IS A GOVERNMENT ISSUED. ID FILL OUT A QUICK APPLICATION. OF COURSE YOU WANNA MEET THE PET THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN FOSTERING AND OR ADOPTING. UH, OUR STAFF MAKES IT AS SIMPLE AS EASY. COME ON DOWN ANYTIME WE'RE OPEN AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT FOSTERING, ADOPTING OR VOLUNTEERING. NOW, ISN'T THERE A RABBIT, UH, A BUNNY ADOPTION SITUATION THERE? WE DO. ACTUALLY. LAST YEAR WE WERE DEALING WITH A BIT OF A BUNNY HOARDING SITUATION. MM-HMM . WE PULLED ABOUT 46 BUNNIES FROM A, FROM A HOARDING SITUATION, 46 BUNNIES, UHHUH . UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A COUPLE, UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF BUNNIES RIGHT NOW AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION FOR SURE. BUT MOSTLY WHAT WE DEAL WITH IS DOGS AND CATS. AND LUCKILY RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT KITTEN SEASONS, SO MM-HMM . UH, AND KNOCK ON WOOD , WE HAVE A FEW CATS AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION. ALWAYS LOTS OF BIG DOGS AVAILABLE. UH, BUT CURRENTLY, YES, PLEASE COME ON DOWN TO THE SHELTER AND YOU CAN MEET LOTS OF AMAZING, UM, DOGS, CATS, AND BUNNIES. WELL, UH, TODAY IS MONA'S BIG DAY, SO LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE MONA, UH, HER ATTENTION AND THAT MONA'S ABLE TO GO HOME. EVERY PET I'VE EVER HAD HAS BEEN A RESCUE AND THE, THEY'RE GREAT, UH, COMPANIONS AND WE HAVE GREAT STAFF AT LONG BEACH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. SO LET'S HEAR IT AGAIN FOR ALL OF THEM. AND, UH, IF YOU, UH, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A PET, MONA'S HERE, SHE'S CHRISTINA AND DOUG. OKAY. SO CHRISTINA AND DOUG, UH, MONA'S COMING FOR YOU. YES, PLEASE. SHE'S WONDERFUL. SHE'S VERY CALM AND JUST AN AMAZING DOG. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NOW IT IS TIME FOR THE MLK GRAND MARSHALLS AND PEACE MAKE PEACEMAKER AWARDS. UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, BEFORE I HAND IT TO YOU, I JUST WANNA WISH YOU A CONGRATULATIONS ON A VERY SUCCESSFUL, UH, KING DAY PARADE AND CELEBRATION AND FESTIVAL. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, THE WHOLE COMMITTEE. WE HAD A GREAT TIME THE WHOLE TIME, AND [ DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. GRAND MARSHALS AND PEACE MAKERS] THE COMMUNITY WAS OUT. IT, THIS WAS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, BUT IT FELT REALLY SPECIAL THIS YEAR. SO, CONGRATULATIONS. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. WELL, DEFINITELY COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT ALONE. IT WAS DONE WITH THE COMMUNITY, OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE THIS YEAR THAT HELPED MAKE IT SPECIAL. UM, BUT GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. UH, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AS WE CONTINUE TO HONOR THE LIFE, LEGACY AND ENDURING VISION OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WHILE WE COMMEMORATE MLK DAY YES. JUST YESTERDAY AND HAD OUR CELEBRATION ON SATURDAY. THE CALL TO LIVE OUT DR. KING'S VALUE DOES NOT END WITH ONE [00:30:01] DAY OF REMEMBRANCE. IT'S A RESPONSIBILITY WE CARRY FORWARD TOGETHER. AND SO THIS PAST SATURDAY ON JANUARY 17TH, FAMILIES, NEIGHBORS, COMMUNITY LEADERS FROM ACROSS LONG BEACH, GATHERED FOR THE 2026 DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. PARADE AND CELEBRATION, THIS ANNUAL EVENT KEEPS DR. KING'S VISION ALIVE THROUGH ARTS, REMEMBRANCE, SERVICE, AND MEANINGFUL PERSPECTIVE. IT HONORS ENDURING BLACK HISTORY AND STRENGTH OF CENTRAL LONG BEACH, WHILE AFFIRMING OUR CITY'S ONGOING COMMITMENT TO EQUITY INCLUSION AND THE VALUES THAT DR. KING STANDS FOR. SO THIS YEAR'S THEME, RISE UP, STAND UP FOR HIS DREAM SERVICE, A REMINDER THAT DR. KING'S WORK IS UNFINISHED AND THAT EACH OF US HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN PROTECTING, ADVANCING, AND LIVING OUT HIS DREAM IN OUR COMMUNITIES TODAY. SO, UH, I'M GONNA, UH, THERE'S GONNA BE 15 HONOREES, SO I'M SORRY WE WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE TIME FOR YOU TO SPEAK. THE MAYOR HA HAS REMINDED ME WE HAVE A A LOT ON THE AGENDA. SO WE'LL START OUT WITH THE PEACEMAKER HONOREES, AND THEN, UH, WE WILL THEN GO ONTO THE GRAND MARSHAL AND THEN DO SEPARATE PICTURES RIGHT AFTER. SO I'LL DO MY BEST TO KEEP WITHIN TIME. UM, THE FIRST PEACEMAKER HONOREE IS MARCUS HOBBS. MARCUS, COULD YOU PLEASE SIGN UP AS I READ OUT YOUR BIO? MARCUS IS A LONG BEACH BA UH, IS PART OF A, IS A LONG BEACH BASED LEADER, EDUCATOR, AND THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OR PROJECT X LB, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE AND CREATING PATHWAYS TOWARDS HEAL, HEALING, DIGNITY, AND BELONGING. PROJECT XL BEGAN WITH THE LOAD LOAD LOADS OF KINDNESS INITIATIVE, PROVIDING FREE LOOK COMMUNITY LAUNDRY SERVICES TO FAMILIES EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. WHAT BEGAN AS A SIMPLE ACT OF CARE GREW INTO AN ENTRY POINT FOR TRUST BUILDING AS WELL AS DEEPER CONNECTION AND ADDRESSING UNMET NEED. SO, UM, MARCUS IS A GRADUATE OF CAL STATE LONG BEACH, BUT IT'S GETTING HIS MASTERS OF SOCIAL WORK AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY, WHERE HIS TRAINING IS GROUNDED IN THE BLACK PERSPECTIVE, EMPHASIZING CULTURAL WISDOM, COLLECTIVE CARE, AND COMMUNITY LED SOLUTION. HIS LEADERSHIP REFLECTS DR. KING'S CALL TO MEET PEOPLE WITH COMPASSION, DIGNITY AND JUSTICE. CONGRATULATIONS MARCUS. SO OUR NEXT HONOREE IS DAN KNAPP. DAN, PLEASE STAND UP. SOME OF YOU MIGHT KNOW HIM BECAUSE HE'S DEDICATED MORE THAN A DECADE OF SERVICE TO THE CONSERVATION CORAL OF LONG BEACH AND CURRENTLY SERVES AS HIS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GUIDED BY A DEEP COMMITMENT TO EQUITY SERVICE AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT. DAN LEADS A DIVERSE AND EXPERIENCED TEAM THAT ENSURES THE ORGANIZATION REMAINS MISSION DRIVEN AND RESPONSIVE TO COMMUNITY NEEDS. WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE ACROSS CONSERVATION CORE PROGRAMS NATIONWIDE, DAN'S LEADERSHIP HAS HELPED THE CONSERVATION CORE LONG BEACH REACHES AND DEEP IN ITS IMPACT, PARTICULARLY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE FROM COMMUNITIES THAT REALLY NEED SUPPORT AND CARE TO BE ON A PATHWAY FOR SUCCESS. AND HIS WORK REFLECTS DR. KING'S BELIEF IN SERVICE AS A PASS PATHWAY TO PEACE, OPPORTUNITY AND COLLECTIVE PROGRESS. CONGRATULATIONS DAN. THAT THIRD HONOREE IS VENERABLE SAL KA. PLEASE STAND VENERABLE. HE HAS RESIDED AT WA SINCE 2019 AND IS A HIGHLY RESPECTED BUDDHIST MONK AND COMMUNITY LEADER WHOSE LIFELONG DEDICATION TO SPIRITUAL PRACTICE EXEMPLIFY PEACE, COMPASSION, AND SERVICE. THROUGH DISCIPLINE MONSTA LEADERSHIP, HE HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO UPLIFT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILY WHILE FOSTERING HARMONY, JUSTICE, AND MUTUAL RESPECT. DEEPLY COMMITTED TO PRESERVING THE KAMAI BUDDHIST TRADITION, VENERABLE SOME KIND, EXTENSIVE SERVICE BEYOND CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS BOUNDARIES BY PROMOTING V NON-VIOLENCE, INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING AND RECONCILIATION. HIS TEACHING EMPHASIZED COMPASSION, ETHICAL CONDUCTS AND WISDOM, AND OFFERING GUIDANCE AND HOPE DURING TIMES OF JOY AND HARDSHIP ALIKE. HIS LIFE'S WORK REFLECTS A SHARED LEGACY WITH DR. KING, ROOTED IN MORAL LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE TO HUMANITY. CONGRATULATIONS, UH, VENERABLE SOME K AND THE FOURTH HONOREE PEACEMAKER HONOREE IS PATRICIA DIXON. PATRICIA, IF YOU CAN STAND, WHO BRINGS MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE NONPROFIT AND PRIVATE FOUNDATION SECTOR AND HAS SERVED FOR 27 YEARS AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CALIFORNIA AQUATIC THERAPY AND WELLNESS CENTER, ALSO KNOWN AS POOL OF HOPE. UNDER HER LEADERSHIP, THE ORGANIZATION'S REVENUE HAS INCREASED BY MORE THAN 500%. WHILE CLINTON CLIENTS' PARTICIPATION HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY BEYOND THERAPEUTIC AQUATIC PROGRAMS. PU POOLS OF HOPE NOW OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF WELLNESS SERVICES, INCLUDING A WEEKLY PANTRY, UH, FOOD PANTRY, SERVING MORE THAN 20,000 RESIDENTS [00:35:01] ANNUALLY, ASTHMA SCREENING AND EDUCATION FOR THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN, AND A LARGE SCALE BACK TO SCHOOL AND HOLIDAY EVENTS, UH, GIVEAWAY EVENTS. MS. DIXON'S LEADERSHIP HAS POSITIONED POOLS OF HOPE AS A PREMIER PROVIDER OF WELLNESS SERVICE FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY, ADVANCING HEALTH, DIGNITY, AND ACCESS FOR ALL. CONGRATULATIONS MS. DIXON. OKAY. CATCHING MY BREATH. HERE ON OUR LAST PEACEMAKER HONOREE IS JAMES SUAZO. JAMES IS A READER, WRITER, ORGANIZER, AND ABOLITIONIST WHO LIVE IN LONG BEACH SINCE 2011 AND HAS DEDICATED MORE THAN A DECADE TO GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING AND COMMUNITY POWER BUILDING. JAMES BEGAN ORGANIZING AT THE AGE OF 18 ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ACCESS AND HAS SINCE WORKED ACROSS, UH, ISSUES INCLUDING HOUSING, EDUCATION, RACIAL EQUITY, UH, RACIAL JUSTICE, UH, TRANSIT JUSTICE AND JUSTICE REFORM. FOR MORE THAN 11 YEARS, JAMES HAS ORGANIZED WITH LONG BEACH FORD, A MULTICULTURAL AND A MULTI-GENERATIONAL GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON ADVANCING RACIAL, SPATIAL ECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL JUSTICE. SINCE 28 21, JAMES HAS SERVED AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LEADING COMMUNITY CENTERED FUNDRAISING, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, STRATEGIC PLANNING. JAMES WORKS REFLECT DR. KING'S BELIEF IN COLLECTIVE ACTION, MORAL COURAGE, AND THE POWER OF ORGANIZED COMMUNITY TO CREATE CHANGE. CONGRATULATIONS, JAMES. PLEASE JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING OUR 2026 MLK PEACEMAKER HONOREES. OKAY. SO, UM, OUR NEXT GROUP IS GONNA BE OUR GRAND MARSHALL. UM, I'M GONNA KEEP IT AS BRIEF BECAUSE WE DID HAVE THEIR BIO LISTED AND THEY, WE WERE HONORED THEM SATURDAY, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE ALSO HONORED THEM HERE, UM, TODAY AS WELL IN OUR COUNCIL CHAMBER. SO, IN ADDITION TO OUR PEACEMAKER, UM, WE ARE HONORED TO RECOGNIZE OUR 2026 DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. GRAND MARSHALL. THESE INDIVIDUALS REPRESENT LEADERSHIP SERVICE IMPACT ACROSS OUR CITY AND AND EXEMPLIFY DR. KING'S VISION THROUGH THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO COMMUNITY LIFE. I WANT TO EXTEND MY SINCERE GRATITUDE, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SUBMITTED THOUGHTFUL NOMINATIONS AND TO THE MLK ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP CARE AND DEDICATION IN SELECTING THIS YEAR'S AWARDEE. SO TONIGHT WE RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS WHO SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP REFLECT DR. KING'S VALUE ACROSS YOUTH RECOGNITION, PHILANTHROPY, ARTS, SPORTS AND CULTURE, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND SERVICE, SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCACY, AND COMMUNICATE ENGAGEMENT, SORRY, COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENT. SO FOR YOUTH RECOGNITION, WE HONOR BRUCE BROWN. PLEASE STAND, BRUCE WHO'S, WHO'S MORE THAN 31 YEARS OF DEDICATION TO MENTORING AND UPLIFTING YOUNG PEOPLE AT MLK JUNIOR PARK HAVE SHAPED GENERATIONS AND STRENGTHENED LONG BEACH COMMUNITY. CONGRATULATIONS, BRUCE. FOR PHILANTHROPY, WE RECOGNIZE TITO RODRIGUEZ, TITO, ARE YOU HERE? HE'S PROBABLY DRIVING HIS LOCAL HEART'S, UH, FOUNDATION VAN DELIVERING FOOD RIGHT NOW. BUT WE WANNA HONOR HIM WHOSE GENEROSITY AND COMMITMENT TO GIVING BACK REFLECT THE SPIRIT OF SERVICE AND CARE THAT DR. KING CALLED ON US TO ALL US ALL TO EMBODY, UH, FOR OUR SPORTS AND CULTURE, WE HONOR KIMBERLY BNO. UM, I BUTCHERED HER NAME AT THE STAGE AND I WANNA MAKE SURE I SAID IT MORE CORRECTLY. BENO AND WHOSE WORK ENRICHES OUR CULTURAL LANDSCAPE AND HIGHLIGHTS THE POWER OF CREATIVITY, EXPRESSION, AND REPRESENTATION. CONGRATULATIONS FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND SERVICE, WE RECOGNIZE ERROL PARKER. MR. PARKER, ARE YOU HERE? PLEASE STAND, SIR, WHOSE CONSISTENT LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY EXEMPLIFY PER PUBLIC SERVICE AT ITS BEST? CONGRATULATIONS. AND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCACY, WE HONOR ROBBIE N BUTLER, WHOSE WORK? ROBBIE, ARE YOU HERE? COMMISSIONER BUTLER, THERE YOU GO. WHOSE WORK ADVANCES EQUITY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND JUSTICE FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY? CON CONGRATULATIONS COMMISSIONER BUTLER FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. WE RECOGNIZE THE SIX LONG BEACH POST COLLECTIVE EFFORTS HAVE MADE A LASTING AND MEANINGFUL IMPACT THROUGHOUT CENTRAL LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. AND OUR AT LARGE GRAND MARSHALL, WHICH JUST DIDN'T HAVE A SPECIFIC CATEGORY, IS OUR VERY OWN VICE MAYOR ROBERTO YANGA. SO HE, HE HAS SERVED ON THE COUNCIL, BUT PREVIOUS, THIS IS HIS 12TH YEAR. AND PREVIOUSLY HE WAS A SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE FOR LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE FOR MANY YEARS, BUT FOR BEFORE THAT HAS SERVED THE CITY AND SO MANY OTHER CAPACITY FOR HIS LIFELONG, REALLY LIFELONG SERVICE. I'M ON , YOU'RE [00:40:01] EL, YOU'RE OUR ELDER. UM, AND THEN, UM, ALSO ALONG WITH HIS LIFE PARTNER, HONORABLE TONYA REYES ANG, WHO IS A RESPECTED COMMUNITY LEADER AND A FORMER LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO REPRESENTED THE SEVENTH DISTRICT FROM 2002 TO 2010. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH. THANK YOU. AND FOR, UH, OUR, OUR NEXT AT LARGE GRAND MARSHALL IS DEREK J SIMPSON. IS HE HERE? UH, BUT LET'S GIVE HIM A ROUND APPLAUSE. HE IS A RESPECTED NONPROFIT EXECUTIVE AND COMMUNITY LEADER SERVING AS PRESIDENT OF THE EARL B AND LORRAINE H MILLER FOUNDATION. SINCE 2019, HE HAS LED THE FOUNDATION AND COMMITTING MORE THAN $6 MILLION TO ORGANIZATION. BUT PRIOR TO THAT, HAVE DONE SERVICE IN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOR MANY YEARS. CONGRATULATIONS, DEREK. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UH, MATT KHAN. OUR LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UH, AT LARGE GRAND MARSHALL, WHO IS A VISIONARY LEADER IN ADVANCING MENTAL HEALTH EQUITY FOR ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITIES. FOR 16 YEARS, SHE SERVED AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PACIFIC ASIAN COUNSELING SERVICE. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL. OKAY. SO EACH, EACH OF TONIGHT'S SORORITY REPRESENTS THE LIVING LEGACY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. THROUGH THEIR ACTIONS, THEIR LEADERSHIP, AND THEIR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO UNITY, JUSTICE AND SERVICE. SO, CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. AND IF WE WILL, FIRST, COULD WE FIRST HAVE THE PEACEMAKER AWARDEES COME UP AND WE'LL TAKE A PHOTO WITH OUR COUNCIL AND THEN SECOND WE'LL DO IT WITH THE GRAND MARSHAL WITH YOUR AWARD, PLEASE BRING UP YOUR PLAQUE. EVERYONE MOVE THAT WAY. THERE YOU GO. NICE. ALRIGHT. COOL. ALRIGHT. OVER HERE. 1, 2, 3. NOPE. GOOD. ALRIGHT. OVER HERE PLEASE. 1, 2, 3. [00:45:41] ALL RIGHT, FOLKS, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, TAKE OUR SEATS SO WE CAN CONTINUE THE COUNCIL MEETING. YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND HAVE OUR REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THE CITY HAS REACHED A SETTLEMENT IN THE MATTER OF FABIOLA LAGUNA VERSUS COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, ET ALL IN THE AMOUNT OF $175,000. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. OKAY, OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, UH, IS NATIONAL MENTORSHIP MONK MONTH. LET'S WELCOME UP CITY PROSECUTOR DOUG HAL WOO, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, A THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH, WHICH IS JANUARY. UH, I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU A COUPLE OF THINGS. I'M VERY EXCITED AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T GET EXCITED VERY OFTEN, [ NATIONAL MENTORSHIP MONTH] , BUT I'M EXCITED BECAUSE, UH, BEFORE CID, THE, UH, LARGE YOUTH MENTORING GROUPS IN LONG BEACH GOT TOGETHER ON A MONTHLY BASIS, WOULD SHARE BEST PRACTICES, AND IT KIND OF DIED WITH COVID, BUT WE'RE RESTARTING IT. IT'S CALLED MENTOR CONNECTION. AND SO TODAY WE'RE JOINED BY, UH, SIX OF, OF THE MOST ACTIVE YOUTH MENTORING ORGANIZATIONS. I'LL READ THEM, UH, ONE AT A TIME REAL QUICK. WE HAVE OPERATION JUMPSTART, LB BLASTS, CATHOLIC BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS, 100 BLACK MEN OF LONG BEACH CAMEO, WHICH IS AN ASSISTANCE LEAGUE MENTORING PROGRAM. BIG BROTHERS, BIG SISTERS OF GREATER LA UH, AND I THINK THEY'RE SEATED IN THE SECOND, THE SECOND AND THIRD ROW TO MY LEFT. SO THEY'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS, UH, AS WELL. WE'RE GOING TO RESTART THE MENTORING EFFORT HERE IN LONG BEACH WITH A, AN EVENT ON JANUARY THE 31ST, WE'RE CALLING IT MENTOR CON, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN LEARN ABOUT MENTORING AND WE CAN CELEBRATE MENTORING HERE IN LONG BEACH. IT'S GONNA BE SATURDAY, UH, JANUARY 31ST FROM 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM AT BROWNING HIGH SCHOOL AT 2120 OBISPO AVENUE. IN FACT, THERE'S A QR CODE ON THE SCREEN WHERE YOU CAN GET INFORMATION. IT'S A FREE BREAKFAST. WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE, UH, BREAKFAST TO PEOPLE SO THEY CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES. UH, AND IF YOU DON'T GET THE QR CODE, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO ONTO OUR WEBSITE, UH, CITY PROSECUTOR DOUG HALBERT SLASH MENTOR, AND LEARN ABOUT THE MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES AND THE EVENT ON THE 31ST. THIS EVENT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY A GENEROUS GRANT FROM THE MILLER FOUNDATION, WHICH WE JUST GOT NEWS OF THE OTHER DAY. SO THANK YOU TO THE MILLER FOUNDATION FOR MAKING THIS EVENT, UH, HAPPEN. UM, I SUSPECT THAT IF I ASKED EVERY PERSON IN THIS ROOM WHO MENTORED YOU, YOU'LL HAVE A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO ALL MADE AN IMPACT IN YOUR LIFE, WHO PREPARED YOU FOR WHAT WAS TO COME NEXT, WHO GROUNDED YOU, GAVE YOU TIPS, GAVE YOU ADVICE, AND YOU IN THIS ROOM, MANY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM HAVE ALSO MENTORED OTHERS YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY. I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE THAT AND TO REDOUBLE YOUR EFFORTS IN 2026. THIS IS A GREAT TIME. AS WE'RE COMING OUT OF, UH, THE PANDEMIC WHERE THERE WAS REALLY A LOT OF, UH, LOST CONNECTIONS THROUGH SCHOOL AND THROUGH SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS. THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME TO ENGAGE IN YOUTH MENTORING. UH, HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, 55% OF THOSE WHO ARE MENTORED ARE MORE LIKELY TO, OR THEY'RE 55% MORE LIKELY TO BE ENROLLED IN COLLEGE. THOSE WHO ARE MENTORED ARE 81% MORE LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN REGULAR SPORTS OR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, AND THEY'RE 78% MORE LIKELY TO VOLUNTEER REGULARLY IN THEIR COMMUNITY. I WILL TELL YOU, AS AN ADULT MENTOR WHO'S ALSO BEEN A MENTOR TO A YOUNG, UH, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, YOU BENEFIT MORE AS A MENTOR, I THINK, THAN THE KIDS DO SOMETIMES. I'VE LEARNED A LOT BY ENGAGING WITH MY MENTOR, AND I HOPE EVERY MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL CAN JOIN US ON THAT DAY. UH, I'LL SEND YOU INFORMATION YOU CAN SHARE IN YOUR NEWSLETTERS. LET'S REALLY RESTART THE MENTOR CONNECTION HERE IN LONG BEACH AND MAKE SURE EVERY KID, UH, HAS AN ADULT MENTOR IF THEY WANT ONE. SO WITH THAT, I'D LOVE THE THE MENTORS TO STAND UP AND I DID THE MAYOR WANNA SAY ANYTHING BEFORE WE BRING THEM UP FOR A PHOTO? [00:50:01] UH, YEAH. WELL, MENTORING'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. UH, OUR CITY PROSECUTOR, UH, HIGHLIGHTED THAT, BUT THESE ORGANIZATIONS, WE KNOW YOUR WORK. WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE. WE'VE SEEN YOU. I'M A MEMBER OF 100 BLACK MAN, AND WE ALL KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, UH, WE ALL CAN ATTRIBUTE, UH, UH, MANY OF OUR, MUCH OF OUR SUCCESS TO THE ADVICE, UH, AND THE GUIDANCE FROM MENTORS. AND WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY IT FORWARD, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. SO WE ARE, ARE INCREDIBLY EXCITED THAT THE NETWORK AND THE COALITION IS COMING BACK TOGETHER AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, THE LAUNCH ON THE 31ST. AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS EFFORT. ALRIGHT, WELL, LET'S BRING EVERYBODY DOWN. LET'S TAKE A PHOTO. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WHILE WE ARE RESETTLING, LET'S, UH, HEAR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 17, PLEASE. OKAY. AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE NEED A SECOND. [CONSENT CALENDAR (1. – 17.)] OKAY. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT? NO. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. SUE AND I WERE DOING ROLL CALL VOTES DURING I KNOW WE ARE, WE'RE SO USED TO IT. VICE URANGA MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, WE'RE NOW GONNA GO TO ITEM 30. UH, LET'S HEAR ITEM 30, PLEASE REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY RECOMMENDATION TO ACCEPT CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION, EXECUTE ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY, INCLUDING PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT AND ESCROW INSTRUCTIONS WITH THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT FOR THE SALE OF CITY ON EXEMPT SURPLUS PROPERTY, LOCATED AT 58 70 ATLANTIC AVENUE, 58 85 LYME AVENUE AND 58 95 LYME AVENUE [30. 26-54088 Recommendation to accept Categorical Exemption CE 26-004; Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute any and all documents necessary, including a Purchase and Sale Agreement and Escrow Instructions with the Long Beach Community College District, a California public community college district, for the sale of City-owned exempt surplus property located at 5870 Atlantic Avenue (portion), 5885 Lime Avenue and 5895 Lime Avenue, Assessor Parcel Numbers 7124-032-900 (portion), 7124-032-912 and 7124-032-914, in the amount $1,435,000; Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary, including an Agreement for Use of Long Beach Community College District Parking Areas with the Long Beach Community College District, a California public community college district, for a total of ten City-use days at the Liberal Arts Campus and Trades, Technology, and Community Learning Campus parking lots over a term of ten years; and Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary for a First Amendment to Facilities Use Agreement No. 36663 with the Long Beach Community College District, a California public community college district memorializing contribution for operational expenses at City-leased property located at 635 South Street, commonly known as the North Long Beach Higher Education Center, Assessor Parcel Number 7241-020-904. (District 9)       Office or Department: Economic Development and Opportunity         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] IN AN AMOUNT OF 1,435,000. EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY, INCLUDING AN AGREEMENT FOR USE OF LONG BEACH COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT PARKING AREAS FOR A TOTAL OF 10 CITY USE DAYS AT THE LIBERAL ARTS CAMPUS AND TRADES TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNITY LEARNING CAMPUS PARKING LOTS FOR A TERM OF 10 YEARS. AND EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR A FIRST AMENDMENT TO FACILITIES USE AGREEMENT FOR OPERATIONAL EXPENSES AT CITY LEASED PROPERTY. LOCATED AT 6 3 5 SOUTH STREET, COMMONLY KNOWN AS NORTH LONG BEACH HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER, DISTRICT NINE. ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH INTO FOR RECUSAL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCILWOMAN THRASH INTO HERE. I'LL BE RECUSING MYSELF ON ITEM 30 DUE TO A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. UH, WELL THIS IS, UH, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ITEM AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD, UH, TO BE BRINGING THIS FORWARD. AND I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, DR. MUNOZ, DR. MIKE MUNOZ, PRESIDENT OF LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE, WHO WAS HERE WITH US, UH, NOT, DON'T SPEAK YET, DON'T SPEAK YET. UH, WHO'S HERE WITH US, WHO'S A TREMENDOUS PARTNER. AND FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER ON [00:55:01] AN INITIATIVE CALLED THE LONG BEACH HOUSING PROMISE, WHERE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE, LONG BEACH STATE, LONG BEACH UNIFIED, MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS ON WAYS TO PARTNER TO EXPAND HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES. BECAUSE WE ALL, WE ALL NEED HOUSING. EVERY STUDENT COLLEGE STUDENTS, WORKERS, WE ALL NEED HOUSING. AND SO THIS IS WHERE OUR INTERESTS ALIGN. AND SO, UH, WE'RE PROUD TONIGHT TO BE MOVING FORWARD WITH A, WITH, UH, A TRANSACTION THAT WILL ALLOW US TO, TO SEE THAT ONE OF THE VERY FIRST PROJECTS, UH, TO BEAR FRUIT FROM THAT, UH, THAT PARTNERSHIP. SO THAT SAID, I'M GONNA PASS IT ON TO CITY STAFF TO BEGIN THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SO, YEAH, WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO DO THIS. THIS IS A NEW, UH, PARTNERSHIP. WE'VE ALWAYS HAD AN AMAZING RELATIONSHIP WITH LBCC, AND THIS IS A NEW PROJECT THAT WE GET TO CREATE HERE. SO, UH, UH, WE'LL GIVE YOU THE STAFF REPORT, BUT THIS IS ESSENTIALLY SUCCESSOR AGENCY PROPERTY THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR, UH, UH, GOOD FUTURE USE. UH, AND SO, UH, REALLY DOING A PARTNERSHIP, UH, WHERE WE'RE NOT ONLY GONNA GET SOME CLASSROOM SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO GET, UM, YOU KNOW, HOUSING FOR, FOR STUDENTS FOR LBCC, WHICH IS ONE OF THE, UH, FIRST KIND OF PROJECTS OF A KIND AND THEN A MUTUAL AGREEMENT TO BE ABLE TO, UH, HAVE THAT PROPERTY, UM, UH, BE PAID FULL MARKET VALUE AND ALLOW US TO ACTUALLY, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, GET SOME ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES THAT CAN HELP CREATE, UH, UM, SOME ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN THE AREA, UH, FOR GOVERNMENT USE. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, MARY TO WALK THROUGH BO AND MARY TO WALK THROUGH THE DETAILS OF THIS TRANSACTION AND WE'RE EXCITED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER MOCA, BEAU MARTINEZ, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY DEPARTMENT. UM, AS, UH, UH, CITY MANAGER MENTIONED THAT THIS IS A REALLY, A GREAT PROJECT AND ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT HOW WE CONTINUE TO REVITALIZE THE ATLANTA AF ATLANTIC ATLANTIC AVENUE CORRIDOR IN NORTH LONG BEACH. SO THIS WILL BE ONE OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT WE BRING FORWARD, UH, NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE. AND DEFINITELY EXCITED TO, UH, SEE THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE. CONTINUE AND LOOK FOR FUTURE INVESTMENT AND OPPORTUNITY IN NORTH LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. HONORABLE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS REQUESTING APPROVAL OF TWO AGREEMENTS AND AN AMENDMENT TO A CURRENT AGREEMENT WITH LONG BEACH COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT, OR BETTER KNOWN AS LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE. THE FIRST AGREEMENT IS A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT FOR THE SALE OF CITY OWNED EXEMPT SURPLUS PROPERTY LOCATED JUST NORTH OF THE MICHELLE OBAMA LIBRARY. THE PROPERTY WAS ACCESS TO THE LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT AND THE LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE HAS REQUESTED TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 22 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE STUDENT POPULATION AND ATTENDANCE AT LBCC. THE PROPOSED CONCEPT IS A MIX OF STUDIO ONE AND TWO BEDROOM UNITS WITH FLEXIBLE MULTI-PURPOSE SPACES AND RESIDENT AMENITIES ON THE GROUND FLOOR. UH, THE PURCHASE PRICE WILL BE ONE POINT OR 1,435,000 AND ESCROW CLO WILL CLOSE IN APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MONTHS. UH, THERE WILL BE A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT RECORDED ON THE PROPERTY REQUIRING THE PROPERTY BE USED FOR STUDENT HOUSING FOR NO LESS THAN 15 YEARS. THE SECOND AGREEMENT IS A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE COLLEGE AND THE CITY, ALLOWING THE CITY TO USE THE PARKING LOTS LOCATED AT THE LIBERAL ARTS CAMPUS AND THE TRADES TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNITY LEARNING CAMPUS TO SUPPORT CITY PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES THAT BENEFIT RESIDENTS AND THE PUBLIC. THE CITY WILL HAVE USE OF THE PARKING LOTS FOR 10 CITY USE DAYS OVER 10 YEARS, OR UNTIL ALL 10 DAYS HAVE BEEN UTILIZED. THESE CITY USE DAYS MAY NOT BE SCHEDULED DURING THE 2028 OLYMPIC GAMES PERIOD ANTICIPATED A RUN FROM JULY 14TH THROUGH JULY 30TH, 2028. HOWEVER, LBCC HAS AGREED TO REVIEW AND IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION, MAY AGREE TO ALLOW UTILIZATION TO OCCUR BASED ON A SIGNIFICANT AND COMPELLING NEED OF THE CITY. THE CITY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL TRAFFIC CONTROL AND ANY MAINTENANCE DURING ITS USE, INCLUDING PORTABLE RESTROOMS. THE FINAL ACTION UNDER CONSIDERATION IS APPROVAL OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE FACILITIES USE AGREEMENT FOR CITY LEASE PROPERTY AT 6 35 SOUTH STREET, ALSO KNOWN AS THE NORTH LONG BEACH HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER. ONGOING COST TO OPERATE THE FACILITY HAVE INCREASED AND BEEN BORN LARGELY BY THE CITY, UH, TO ASSIST THE CITY WITH KEEPING THE CENTER OPEN. LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE HAS AGREED TO CONTRIBUTE $40,000 TOWARDS OPERATIONAL COSTS PAYABLE AND TWO PAYMENTS ONCE ON JULY 1ST, 2026, AND THE SECOND ON JANUARY 1ST, 2027. THIS CONCLUDES THE STAFF REPORT. I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. AND SO FOLKS KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. WE'RE TALKING THE VACANT LOTS AROUND THE OBAMA LIBRARY, FINALLY PARTNERING TO DEVELOP ON THAT SITE TO BRING STUDENT HOUSING, UH, TO BE A PART OF THAT, UH, THAT COMPLEX. SO IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP. WE'RE NOT GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE MEMBER OF ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP SPEAK. DR. MUNOZ, WELCOME. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, CITY MANAGER AND STAFF. UM, MY NAME IS DR. MIKE OZ AND I HAVE THE GREAT PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS SUPERINTENDENT PRESIDENT AT LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE. ON BEHALF OF OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES, FACULTY, STAFF, AND THE NEARLY 40,000 STUDENTS THAT ENROLL AT LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE EACH YEAR, WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE FOR YOUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP. UM, [01:00:01] JUST A LITTLE CONTEXT AND PURPOSE FOR US. YOU KNOW, I'M HERE TO BRIEFLY HIGHLIGHT THIS IMPORTANT HOUSING INVESTMENT, WHICH IS ALIGNED IN SHARED COMMITMENT TO AFFORDABILITY, STABILITY, AND STUDENT SUCCESS. I WANNA SPECIFICALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE MAYOR AND THE CITY FOR ITS LEADERSHIP THROUGH THE LONG BEACH PROMISE HOUSING PROMISE, EXCUSE ME, WHICH CONTINUES TO BE A MODEL FOR COLLABORATIVE SOLUTIONS. UM, THROUGH THIS HISTORIC AGREEMENT, LBCC WILL BE INVESTING $55 MILLION OF MEASURE AC AND MEASURE LB FUNDS FOR 22 AFFORDABLE STUDENT HOUSING UNITS, SUBTERRANEAN PARKING TO TWO CLASSROOMS THAT WILL ALLOW US TO EXPAND OUR EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS IN NORTH LONG BEACH LAUNDRY, AS WELL AS ESSENTIAL HOUSING AMENITIES. THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS BOTH HOUSING STABILITY AND EDUCATIONAL ACCESS TO PRIORITIES THAT ARE INSEPARABLE FOR TODAY'S STUDENTS. SO AGAIN, I WANNA THANK, UM, BEAU MARTINEZ, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY, MARY TORRES, REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT BUREAU MANAGER, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR THEIR DILIGENCE AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND WORKING THROUGH EVERY ASPECT OF THIS PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT. I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE MEMBERS OF MY OWN TEAM, ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, JEFF CONNELL FOR HIS WORK, AS WELL AS VICE PRESIDENT CANDACE JONES, WHO'S HERE WITH US IN THE AUDIENCE. LET'S, YOU WANNA GIVE AWAY THAT CANDACE, YOU KNOW, YOUR WORK REALLY MADE THIS POSSIBLE. SO JUST IN CLOSING, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I DEEPLY VALUE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MAYOR AND THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. AND TOGETHER WE'RE ADDRESSING REAL NEEDS WITH REAL SOLUTIONS AND CREATING PATHWAYS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY TO THRIVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND CONTINUED COLLABORATION, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT. AND MANY OTHERS. GO LBCC. ALL RIGHT, GO. LBCC VIKINGS. WELL, THANK YOU DR. MUNOZ. AND PLEASE SEND OUR REGARDS TO THE ENTIRE BOARD. WE'RE GONNA, UH, TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES, THANK YOU. IT'S, UH, AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THIS ON BEHALF OF DR. RICKS ODI, WHO REPRESENTS THE AREA BUT ISN'T WITH US TONIGHT. UM, AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER WHO REPRESENTED THAT AREA WITH L-W-U-S-D, UH, BEGINNING IN 2014, THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE BRING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY AND FACILITIES THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE LONG OVERDUE AND DESERVING TO THE NORTH LONG BEACH AREA HAS BEEN A CONVERSATION FOR A LOT OF US. UH, I WANNA THANK, UH, THE COLLEGE FOR CONTINUING TO ENGAGE WITH ALL OF US HERE AT THE CITY ON A VISION, UM, THAT HAS TAKEN DIFFERENT TURNS OVER THE LAST MANY YEARS AS THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE EMERGED IN DIFFERENT WAYS. UH, SO THANK YOU TO THE CITY TEAM FOR BEING FLEXIBLE AND TO THE COLLEGE FOR LOOKING FORWARD TO HOW WE BEST SERVE, UH, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES, UM, AND YOUNG ADULTS IN OUR NORTH LONG BEACH COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU. IT'S AN HONOR TO SEE THIS MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. VICE MAYOR URANGA. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, AS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD, TRUSTEES AND NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, I GOT TO SEE NATIONWIDE AS WELL NOFO THE IMPORTANCE OF HOUSING FOR STUDENTS. AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT LU CITY COLLEGE HAS JOINED THE RANKS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR OUR STUDENTS. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. YES. I JUST WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS ON THE PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE I THINK THAT WITH A LOT THAT'S UNDERUTILIZED AND VACANT, THERE'S NO BETTER PARTNER THAN LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE THAT'S GONNA BE BUILDING HOUSING THAT'S GONNA BE RIGHT NEXT TO THE MICHELLE OBAMA LIBRARY. WHAT A COMPLIMENTARY, COMPLIMENTARY, UH, FACILITY RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER THAT JUST TELLS A STORY ABOUT HOW UPTOWN IS COMING AROUND. IT'S THE UPTOWN RENAISSANCE. YES. UPTOWN'S COME AROUND A LOT. I KNOW. I DON'T KNOW. I THOUGHT I MADE SOMETHING NEW. I KNOW. IT'S UPTOWN RENAISSANCE UPTOWN'S COME AROUND. CONGRATULATIONS. WE'LL SEE WHAT THE UPTOWN COUNCILMEN MEMBERS THINK ABOUT THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER ZENDEJAS, I WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. I WANNA CONGRATULATE BOTH STAFF AND LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE FOR THIS GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND ALSO FOR ALWAYS, ALWAYS, UM, PUTTING THE STUDENTS FIRST, UH, LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO. AND THIS IS GONNA ENHANCE AND, AND MAKE SO MANY LIVES SO MUCH BETTER AND SET THEM ON THE RIGHT TRACK FOR SUCCESS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS WORK ON THIS PARTNERSHIP. ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER KERRIGAN. YES, JUST ONE MORE THING I THOUGHT OF. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR NOT ONLY THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH LA BEACH UNIFIED AND THE CITY, UM, BUT I'D LOVE TO SEE OUR PARTNER AGENCIES LIKE LONG BEACH TRANSIT, UH, GET INTO THE MIX AROUND HOW DO WE GET STUDENTS EFFECTIVELY FROM NORTH LONG BEACH TO OUR CAMPUSES IN A WAY THAT IS EFFICIENT AND SAFE, UM, AND DIRECTED SPECIFICALLY FOR THEIR WORK. SO, UH, WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT KIND OF CONVERSATION AS WELL. ALL RIGHT, WELL, UH, GREAT PROGRESS. UH, YOU KNOW, UM, THIS IS, THIS IS EXCITING CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE PARTNERING, SHOWING WHAT'S POSSIBLE. IT'S A FUTURE BUILT BY ALL OF US MEMBERS. PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. [01:05:04] MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW GO TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER ONE. I WILL READ THE NAMES OF WHO'S SPOKE, UH, SIGNED UP. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE SEVEN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. UH, NICOLE FERRIS, BILL SIEVE, FORREST BRASS, JENNIFER, TATIANA WILLIAMS, AND FRANCESCA C AND NOEMI. UH, SO FIRST IS NICOLE. HAVE YOU HEARD YOUR NAME? START MAKING YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT? IS THAT NON AGENDA? [ PUBLIC COMMENT: OBTAIN SPEAKER CARD FROM THE CITY CLERK Opportunity to address the City Council (on non-agenda items) is given to the first 10 persons who submit Speaker Cards to the City Clerk beginning at 15 minutes prior to the commencement of the meeting. Each speaker is allowed three minutes to make their comments. ] UH, YEAH, THIS IS NON AGENDA. I SIGNED UP. THERE IS AN EIGHTH SPEAKER, UH, FRED ZELMER. OKAY. I DON'T SEE IT ON HERE, SO LET'S JUST UPDATE IT. THANK YOU. WE GOT YOU, FRED. YOU'LL BE, YOU'LL BE EIGHT. OKAY. HI THERE. I AM YOUR FRIENDLY RAPID RESPONDER. WE OBSERVE ICE ACTIVITY, PATROL OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND DISTRIBUTE MUTUAL AID TO THE CITIZENS OF LONG BEACH. I CORDIALLY INVITE EVERY CITIZEN OF LONG BEACH TO PARTICIPATE AND JOIN A RAPID RESPONSE TEAM, UM, TO PATROL THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, HONESTLY, WE HAVE A BIG HOMELESS PROBLEM. YOU GUYS KNOW THAT, UM, THIS COULD ACTUALLY HELP THAT. UM, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND HELPS VULNERABLE THE VULNERABLE DURING THESE DARK TIMES. UM, THE CITY HAS BEEN DISHING OUT SOME MAJOR CASH ON IMPROVEMENTS PRIOR TO THE OLYMPICS COMING IN 2028 FROM THE BELMONT POOL, THE AMPHITHEATER, THE NEW POLICE TRAINING FACILITY, THE FANCY YACHT CLUB MAKEOVER SO MUCH, I CAN'T EVEN KEEP TRACK. BUT LET'S BE SERIOUS. THE MARKET IS TANKING. WE ARE INVADING COUNTRIES. OUR PRESIDENT HAS BUILT HIS OWN PERSONAL MILITARY TO USE AGAINST US. IF WE DO NOT COMPLY, PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED HERE FOR DECADES ARE BEING ROUNDED UP, PLACED INTO DETENTION FACILITIES. PEOPLE ARE GETTING HURT. I'M GOING TO LEVEL YOU WITH YOU. THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO WATCH ALL OF THIS UNFOLD. AND OUR CITY OFFICIALS SIT WITH ROSE COLORED GLASSES ON. THINGS ARE BECOMING LESS AFFORDABLE. MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE BECOMING UNHOUSED. PEOPLE ARE BECOMING DESPERATE. MANY MARCHED IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE LEGACY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. OVER THIS LAST WEEKEND. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER HOW HE WOULD'VE RESPONDED. TODAY, I KEEP HEARING PEOPLE SAY THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO. WE CAN'T WISH DR. KING A HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND THEN IGNORE THAT ICE IS APPREHENDING AND TERRORIZING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. TODAY, TWO PEOPLE WERE STOLEN, STOLEN. WE CAN'T SIMPLY FOCUS ON A FEW LINES OF HIS. I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH AND IGNORE THE RADICAL CRITIQUES OF AMERICAN SOCIETY AND ECONOMIC INEQUITY. DR. KING WAS ARRESTED FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE OVER TWO DOZEN TIMES. FAILURE TO COMPLY TO, UH, 61 YEARS AGO WHEN JOHN LEWIS AND OTHERS MARCHED ACROSS THE EDMUND PETTUS BRIDGE. THEY WERE ASSAULTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY IF ONLY THEY HAD COMPLIED. COMPLIED WITH WHAT? SITTING AT A LUNCH COUNTER OR AT THE BACK OF A BUS COMPLIED WITH GETTING OUR VEHICLE OR, OR GETTING OUT OF A VEHICLE OR OPENING A DOOR TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NO RIGHT TO ENTER IT. WE ARE WATCHING WHAT IS HAPPENING UNFOLD ON OUR PHONES IN MINNESOTA. RENEE, GOOD. WE'VE HEARD SHE DISOBEYED ORDERS. SHE DESERVED TO BE DETAINED. SHE DESERVED TO BE ACCOSTED. SHE DESERVED TO BE SHOT. SHE DESERVED TO BE KILLED. SHE DESERVED NO IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION. SHE DID NOT COMPLY. OUR RESPONDERS NEED YOUR HELP. I URGE THE CITY TO EDUCATE THE CITIZENS ON WHAT IS HAPPENING ON OUR STREETS. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS BILL STEVE. UH, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS MAYOR RICHARDSON, ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS. BILL SI. COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE. GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN REAL QUICKLY. 2026 IS THE ANN OF THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF DEPENDENCE. DEPENDING ON YOUR LENS, THAT'S 250 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE AND FREEDOM OR 250 YEARS OF GENOCIDE AND OPPRESSION. AND, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, REPRESENTING THE SPEAKER. THE ONLY VOICE SOMETIMES OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY HERE WE'VE CONTRIBUTED TO DURING THOSE 250 YEARS IN MANY, MANY WAYS. UM, YOU'RE HA BEING HANDED A PACKET RIGHT NOW. UM, THE FIRST ONE IS FROM THE ALL COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. UM, THE Q4 STAKEHOLDER NEWSLETTER. UM, SOMETIMES I THINK I'M THE ONLY VOICE SOMETIMES FROM LONG BEACH. I SUBMITTED AN ESSAY THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE NEWSLETTER AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THE FLIP SIDE. AND ALSO, UM, THE COMMUNITY DO AT ST. MATTHEWS CHURCH AND THE LGBT CAUCUS AT THE UNITARIAN CHURCH, [01:10:01] UM, ARE LETTING ME HOST BLACK HISTORY MONTH. AND FOR THAT, IT'S PROJECT GRE LA IT'S A DOCUMENTARY FUNDED BY THE LA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH TO HELP DE-STIGMATIZE MENTAL HEALTH. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S A DOCUMENTARY OF THE BLACK VOICES OF L-G-B-T-Q, OLDER ADULTS AND YOUNGER ADULTS IN LA COUNTY. SO WE CAN LIKE, HEAR FROM THEM. AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. IT'S ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF COVID WAS THOSE LISTENING SESSIONS WHEN ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE WERE SPEAKING ON THOSE REPARATION MEETINGS. UM, AND I THINK THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXTENSION OF THAT. UM, ALSO UPCOMING, UH, THAT I HAVE PLANNED OUT IS, UM, EARTH DAY AT THE UNITARIAN CHURCH. WE'LL BE DOING A FAITH STEWARDSHIP AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS, BUT ALSO HOW NATIVE AMERICANS AND L-G-B-T-Q PEOPLE ARE ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO SOLVING THOSE ISSUES. ALSO IN JUNE, DURING PRIDE MONTH, UM, SACRED OUTSIDER, HOW LGBT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LIKE, REJECTED BY VARIOUS FAITHS, BUT ALSO HOW THE PERSPECTIVE THAT THEY BRING BY BEING THE OUTSIDER AND WHAT THEY BRING TO THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. UM, ALSO, UM, IN MARCH I'LL BE BRINGING A 1927 FILM. UM, NOT ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR, BUT ALSO JUST SHOWING THE DYNAMICS OF RELATIONSHIPS, UM, IN THIS, UM, SILENT FILM. AND YOU KNOW, WHAT'S REALLY NICE ABOUT THESE FILMS THAT I DO, ESPECIALLY AT THE UNITARIAN CHURCH, IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ONCE A MONTH, PEOPLE TOLD ME IT'S DATE NIGHT. AND THAT'S REALLY CUTE. I MEAN, IT'S LIKE THEY HAVE A PLACE TO GO. IT'S NO CHARGE, IT'S A SOCIAL TIME, THAT KIND OF THING. AND THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'M DOING FOR L-G-B-T-Q, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE VOICE, YOU KNOW, OUR VOICES ARE HEARD AND THAT WE'RE VISIBLE AND HAVE MORE THINGS TO PLANNED. AND THANK YOU FOR THE TREMENDOUS SUPPORT IN THE PAST FROM YOUR OFFICE. MAYOR RICHARDSON, UH, PAUL MUNGY, I'VE BEEN COORDINATING WITH CHRISTINA DUGGAN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. CINDY ALLEN, THANK YOU FOR SUPPORT. THANK YOU ALL. THANKS SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. FRED ZELMER AFTER FRED, IT'LL BE FORESTS BRASS. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO. YOU GUYS HAVE ALL HAVE A COPY OF THE LIGHTHOUSE BUNCH 2028 OLYMPIC SAFETY AMBASSADORS. I HAVE A BIT OF HISTORY HERE IN THE CITY AND I WAS RECENTLY HIT BY A CAR, RAN ME OVER WHILE I WAS ON MY BIKE AND IT BROKE MY BACK. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS MATTERS, BUT I'M BACK AT IT. THE REASON I'M HERE IS BECAUSE ON SECOND STREET AND IN OUR DISTRICT WE'VE HAD FIVE SHOOTINGS, 17 STABBINGS AND THREE DEAD. AND IT WAS MY NEIGHBOR'S NEPHEW SHOT AND KILLED IN FRONT OF GEORGE'S GREEK RESTAURANT THAT I BUILT MY TEAM IN 2005. I'LL BE SHARING THAT REGARDING THE BELMONT POOL HERE IN A BIT. SO WE ARE THE OLYMPIC SAFETY AMBASSADORS WORKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO WE'RE OUT THERE HELPING AND YOU CAN CATCH US ONLINE AT OUR WEBSITE, THE LIGHTHOUSE BUNCH.COM. NOW IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, I'M A GENERAL CONTRACTOR, RETIRED. I WORKED FOR THE STATE, THE CITY. AND PART OF MY RESUME IS I BUILT GEORGE'S OH FIVE. I BUILT BAR WINKLES D PIAZZA. WHEN I SAY I MY TEAM, ALRIGHT. EXCUSE ME. AND UH, THE FIRST COMPUTER LABS AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH BUILT THE MILLER HOUSE IN PARK ESTATES FOR THE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT TO LIVE IN. DID A GOOD JOB, INVITED TO CAL STATE LONG BEACH AND IT WAS MY COMPANY PARTNERED WITH THE LANDSCAPE DEPARTMENT, CAL STATE LONG BEACH, BUILT THE JAPANESE GARDENS, THEN FIBER OPTICS WAS INVENTED. FIRST TIME ON THE PLANET, INSTALLED AT THE VA IN SADDLEBACK MOUNTAIN. MY COMPANY AS THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR WORKING WITH THE AA CONTRACTORS ON THE FREEWAYS AND ALL. WE DELIVERED IT TO CAL STATE LONG BEACH, BUILT K JAZZ. TOOK IT UP LAKEWOOD BOULEVARD TO THE AIRPORT, LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE, BOEING, DOWN WILLOW SEVEN 10. AND WE BROUGHT TRUNK LINE FIBER, WHICH WAS RECENTLY, UH, INSPECTED BY, UH, FRONTIER TO THE AQUAQUARIUM CITY OF LONG BEACH STATE CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE EDISON. WE WENT UP THERE TO THE 1 0 5 LA COUNTY NORWALK DOWN ONE 10 USC CITY, LA COUNTY LA DOWN TO 1 0 5 TO LAX, UP TO ONE OH UP TO 4 0 5 TO THE UCLA. HAD TO GET TO BURBANK, COULDN'T GO THROUGH GIFF PARK DOWN THE HILL. HUNG A RIGHT TIME. WARNER BURBANK. THEN I GOT THE CALL, HAD TO GET THE NAVY WEAPON [01:15:01] STATION IN BOEING, IN HUNTINGTON AND EDISON OVER HERE. AND THEN WE GOT THE CALL BROUGHT DOWN TO UCI AND FOR ALL THE RICH GUYS IN PALM SPRINGS. JOB WELL DONE IT CREATED THE TEMPLATE FOR COUNTY INSTALLATIONS WORLDWIDE WHILE THEY DID IN NEW YORK. YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. NOT RIGHT. THANKS. JUST APPRECIATE IT. LET YOU KNOW WHAT I'VE DONE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS FOREST AND THEN JENNIFER IS FOREST HERE GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE. OKAY. UH, OKAY. GIVE US JUST ONE MOMENT. I GET TO STILL, UH, PRACTICE MY FIRST AMENDMENT WHILE I STILL HAVE MS. . SORRY, ONE SECOND. WE'RE TRYING TO, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE MIC LIVE. THANK YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? GIVE US JUST ONE MOMENT. SORRY FOR THE WAIT. THERE'S NOT WORKING MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR ALL THE DEATH THERE. OH, THAT'S IT. OUT THERE. THERE. THANK YOU. IT YEP. ALRIGHT. I WAS SAYING THAT I AM GLAD I GOT TO SPEAK TODAY BECAUSE THAT MEANS OUR FIRST AMENDMENT STILL WORKS. THIS IS A POEM I WROTE, IT'S CALLED YE, WHICH MEANS FREEDOM IN ARABIC, FOOD AND WATER FOR MY PEOPLE. A HOME TO HOUSE THE HOMELESS AND DEFEAT THE COWARDICE EVIL THE WHOLE WORLD SEES WHILE THE PALESTINIAN STARVES AND BLEEDS AND STILL NO BREAD. WHILE PALESTINE IS SHOWERED WITH BOMBS AND LEAD, STAND UP FOR THIS HUMAN FLESH. STAND UP FOR THIS UNHOLY DEATH. THE BLIND MAN CAN SEE THAT PALESTINE MUST BE FREE. PRAYER CAN ONLY REACH SO FAR WHILE THOUSANDS ARE BEING SLAUGHTERED AND HELD CAPTIVE IN THE GAZA JAR. UNCLE SAM ALWAYS PAYS THE TAB, FIGHTING FOR A DEMOCRACY THAT WAS NEVER HAD. YOU CAN LIE TO YOURSELF AND LIE TO YOUR NEIGHBOR. FREEDOM IS A COSTLY ITEM. YOU GOSSIP A FIRM AND CLEAR VOICE BELLOWS DOWN AND SAYS, YOU FOOLS COWARDS. FREEDOM WAS GIVEN TO US AT NO CHARGE BY THE CREATOR. AND TO QUOTE BROTHER MALCOLM X PALESTINE IS THE SOUL OF HUMANITY. TO DIMINISH IT IS TO DIMINISH HUMANITY ITSELF. AND IT LOOKS LIKE I GOT SOME TIME, WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND OVER A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE DEATH THAT IS IN PALESTINE AND THE WEST BANK AND IN GAZA FOR THE DEATH THAT'S ON THE STREET, BOTH IN MINNESOTA LONG BEACH, WHEREVER THESE FASCIST NAZIS ARE, WE ALL STILL HAVE OUR FIRST AMENDMENT. WE CAN STILL USE IT. IF YOU'RE LISTENING TO MY VOICE, WE STILL HAVE OUR FIRST AMENDMENT. PLEASE USE IT. AND I'M USING IT HOPEFULLY TO CONTINUE THIS FREEDOM THAT AMERICA HAS PROMISED ALL OF ITS CITIZENS AND PERSONS THE REST OF MY TIME, I WILL LEAVE FOR SILENCE. FREE AMERICA, FREE PALESTINE, AND FOR GOD'S SAKES, FREE YOURSELVES. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. DO MORE ABOUT ICE REX. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, NEXT IS JENNIFER AND THEN TATIANA. AFTER TATIANA IS FRANCESCA, THEN NOEMI IS LAST ICE. KIDNAPPED TWO PEOPLE TODAY IN EAST LONG BEACH. AND AFTER THAT THEY BRUTALIZED WESTMINSTER ANAHEIM AND GARDEN GROVE. THESE ARE THE SAME AGENTS THAT ARE STILL LIVING HERE IN LONG BEACH. I WITNESSED [01:20:01] RECKLESS, TERRIFYING DRIVING OF THESE THUGS CARS WITH PLATE SWITCH, FRONT AND BACK PLATES, NOT MATCHING, NO PLATES AT ALL, ALL THE CARS THAT ARE STAYING HERE IN THE HOTELS, CARS THAT DRIVE ALL OVER LONG BEACH. AND I KNOW ALL TOO WELL THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE THIS INFORMATION. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S THE MOST FRUSTRATING PART IS THAT ALL OF YOU KNOW ALL THIS. YOU'VE BEEN HANDED ALL THIS INFORMATION BY YOUR OWN COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO DO MORE FOR EACH OTHER THAN ANY ONE OF YOU HAVE EVER DONE FOR ANYONE. THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THIS THAT YOU AREN'T AWARE OF. AND YET, HERE WE ARE AGAIN TODAY. SEVERAL MORE PEOPLE WERE TAKEN RIGHT HERE IN YOUR CITY. DID ANY OF YOU MAKE A STATEMENT? DID YOU DO ANYTHING? WHAT WERE YOU DOING WHEN THAT HAPPENED? I KNOW WHERE I WAS, I WAS HELPING PEOPLE AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW AT THIS POINT WHAT I'M ASKING BECAUSE IT'S CLEAR NOTHING WILL BE DONE. I HAVE NO FAITH IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ANYMORE. DO WE JUST WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE GETS SHOT? IS THAT THE GOAL? WE'LL JUST WAIT TILL THAT HAPPENS AND THEN WE'LL DO SOMETHING. I THINK LITERALLY THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE. UNTIL THEN. I HAVE NO CHOICE TO BE A BROKEN RECORD UNTIL ONE OF YOU CLAIMS TO SERVE THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY DOES SOMETHING TO HELP THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS TATIANA, AND THEN FRANCESCA AND I MEANT TO WRITE RUBY ARRINGTON. WE'RE TOGETHER. SO I'M JUST GONNA, I'M GONNA SPEAK FIRST AND THEN RUBY WILL SPEAK. UM, THANK YOU HONORABLE MAYOR AND DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. I'D LIKE TO READ A COUPLE OF STATISTICS. THIS IS REGARDING PUBLIC SAFETY. THIS WAS A STUDY THAT WAS DONE IN PENNSYLVANIA IN 2023 TALKING ABOUT, UM, BY UPGRADING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF STREETLIGHTS TO LED FIXTURES, IT INCREASED BOTH THE VOLUME AND CLARITY OF THE LIGHTING. OUTDOOR STREET CRIME AT NIGHT DECLINE BY 15%. THIS INCLUDES 21% DROP IN OUTDOOR NIGHTTIME GUN VIOLENCE AND AFFECTED NEIGHBORS DURING A 10 MONTH PERIOD, WHICH, UM, THE UPGRADES ALSO OCCURRED A MONTH IN 5% OF A NATIONWIDE DROP. I CAN SHARE THE LINK WHERE THIS INFORMATION CAME FROM. THIS IS REGARDING AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED ON, UM, JANUARY 12TH, APPROXIMATELY AT 7:00 PM THIS IS INCIDENT NUMBER 1502 A WATER, UM, DUE TO WATER, DUE A WATER LEAK DUE TO VANDALISM AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00 PM AT 3 0 3 EAST DAMON STREET. AN INDIVIDUAL WITH AN ELECTRIC SAW CAME TO OUR PROPERTY ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE GATE AND BEGAN TO SAW THE PIPE, UM, THAT IS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SPLITTING IT AND MAKING WATER SPEW OUT. THE POLICE WERE CALLED AND CAME AND REPORTED THAT THERE WAS QUOTE UNQUOTE NO DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE. WE ASKED OUR, THEY ASKED ME TO, UM, CONTACT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ASKED ME TO CONTACT THE WATER DEPARTMENT. THE WATER DEPARTMENT CALLED ME BACK, BACK TO SAY THAT THE LA THAT THE, I'M SORRY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT THE WATER DEPARTMENT NEEDED TO, UM, HANDLE IT. AND THEN THEY CALLED ME BACK TO SAY THAT OUR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT HAD TO HANDLE IT. OUR PROPERTY MANAGER SAID THAT THEY HAD, UH, UM, THEY HAD THE PLUMBER COME OUT. THE PLUMBER SAID THAT IT WILL COST ROUGHLY A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL THEY SHUT OFF THE WATER FOR THE CITY. SO IT WILL NEED TO BE COORDINATED WITH THE WATER DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THIS IS ALL DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE OUTSIDE OUR PROPERTY. IT'S NOT WELL LIT. WE'VE ASKED MULTIPLE TIMES FOR LIGHTING HELP AND WE NEED MORE SUPPORT FROM THE CITY DIRECTLY BECAUSE IT'S AFFECTING NOT JUST OUR OC OWNERS. IT'S GONNA AFFECT EVERYBODY JUST TO FIX THIS ONE INCIDENT BECAUSE SOMEONE WAS ABLE TO WALK UP WITH A CIRCULAR SAW AND DO THIS DAMAGE AT NIGHT. I'LL TURN THE REST OF MY TIME OVER TO RUBY QUICKLY. SO THE CIRCULAR SAW INCIDENT ESCALATED FROM AN OCTOBER 2ND INCIDENT. WE HAD OUR, WE HAD A HYDRANT THAT WAS VANDALIZED AND WE HAD TO TURN OFF THE WATER. IT WAS AN EMERGENCY TURN OFF. I HAD TO NOTIFY NEIGHBORS, UM, FROM WORK THAT THEIR, THEIR WATER WAS BEING TURNED OFF, OFF THE SAME DAY. AND THIS HAPPENED, THIS OCCURRED, OCCURRED ABOUT, I SAY 4:00 AM IN THE MORNING. AND YOU COULD HEAR IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS RAINING, BUT THEN WHEN YOU WENT AFTER GOING OUTSIDE, IT WAS, IT WAS LIKE A MINI, UH, SWIMMING POOL THAT ALL YOU WANNA SHARE. AND, UM, ALSO WE WERE CURIOUS TO KNOW ABOUT INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE CAGES OR PROTECTING OUR, UM, MAINS, OUR I OUR HYDRANTS BECAUSE OUR HYDRANTS ARE EXPOSED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO LET'S HAVE YOU CONNECT WITH OUR CITY MANAGER ON DUTY TONIGHT. WHO'S THAT? IT'S TYLER LY, OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. YEAH. MIGHT BE SOME UTILITIES QUESTIONS OR, UH, PD, BUT LET'S, LET'S FIGURE THAT OUT. ALRIGHT, NEXT [01:25:01] IS FRANCESCA. HI, GOOD EVENING. UM, BEFORE I BEGIN, I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT TWO COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN LONG BEACH WE'RE KIDNAPPED BY ICE AGENTS, AS YOU'VE HEARD TONIGHT. UM, AND JUST TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE PROACTIVE RESPONSE TO THE TERROR AND THE VIOLENCE THAT IS HARMING OUR COMMUNITIES ONGOING. IT DOES NOT JUST IMPACT THE IMMEDIATE PERSON WHO'S KIDNAPPED. IT IMPACTS THEIR FAMILIES, IT IMPACTS THEIR COMMUNITIES, IT IMPACTS US AS A WHOLE. UM, SO I ASK THAT WE ARE JUST MORE PROACTIVE IN THE WAYS THAT WE PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES DURING THIS TIME, THAT OF THIS ONGOING IZATION. UM, I'M ALSO HERE TO ADVOCATE TO CITY COUNCIL TO AGENDIZE AND ADOPT THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS SCREENING POLICY, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE THE SCREENING OF ALL INVESTMENTS TO ENSURE THAT OUR INVESTMENTS ALIGN WITH OUR VALUES AND REINFORCE THE CITY STANDINGS COMMITMENT TO ETHICAL GOVERNANCE. THIS POLICY IS ABOUT INTEGRITY, TRANSPARENCY, EQUITY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. AND THIS POLICY ALIGNS WITH THE EXISTING EQUITABLE CITY INITIATIVES LIKE THE GROW LONG BEACH ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT, LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, AND THE RACIAL EQUITY AND RECONCILIATION INITIATIVE. IN SHORT, THIS ALIGNS WITH THE COMMITMENTS THE CITY ALREADY ESTABLISHED. AND IN, UM, ADVOCATING FOR THIS POLICY, THERE'S A NUMBER OF US WHO HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK IN THE COMMUNITY TALKING TO FOLKS, UM, WORKING WITH VARIOUS COALITIONS, AND THEY ALL MENTION THAT THEY ARE BEGGING FOR GOVERNMENT TO DO MORE. WHAT CAN, WHAT KIND OF POLICIES CAN BE ESTABLISHED THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR VALUES AND THAT PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS? THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HEAR OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. UM, IT'S ABOUT HUMANITY. IT'S ABOUT STANDING UP FOR WHAT WE KNOW IS RIGHT AND ALSO WHAT, WHY WE LOVE LONG BEACH. WE KNOW THAT WE LIVE HERE BECAUSE THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT THE CITY IS COMMITTED TO. NOT JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, NOT VERBALLY JUST SAYING, BUT WHAT THE CITY IS ACTIVELY COMMITTED TO. AND SO RESIDENTS, WE HEAR IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT RESIDENTS WANT THIS TYPE OF POLICY AND NOT JUST WANT IT. THEY ARE LITERALLY BEGGING FOR IT. WHAT MORE CAN OUR GOVERNMENTS DO? AND SO WE JUST ASK THAT YOU AGENDIZE THIS AND ESPECIALLY AS WE REFLECT ON THE LEGACY OF DR. KING, I ALSO HOPE THAT WE REMEMBER THAT HE ADVOCATED FOR HUMANITY BEFORE PROPHETS AND HE WAS CRITICAL OF SILENCE AND NEUTRALITY. DR. KING WAS CRITICAL OF PASSIVE WORDS, BUT CALLED FOR URGENT ACTIONS. SO TO HONOR DR. KING, I ASK YOU TO RESPOND URGENTLY TO ICE RATES AND THINK INNOVATIVE INNOVATIVELY ABOUT POLICY BY GENDERIZING THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS SCREENING POLICY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NOEMI, OUR FINAL SPEAKER. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. UH, MY NAME IS NOEMI AND I'M A LOCAL RAPID RESPONSE VOLUNTEER. UH, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME, UM, MAYOR REX RICHARDSON AND HIS TEAM A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO TO MEET WITH US. UM, I WOULD SPECIFICALLY LIKE TO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE WITH ALANA AND TONY OF THE OFFICE OF EQUITY WHO WERE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO IS CURRENTLY AT, UM, THE DESERT ANNEX DETENTION CENTER HAD LEGAL SUPPORT BE BEFORE HIS FIRST HEARING. I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS. THE FIRST BEING THE THREE MEN, ONE WHO REMAINS UNACCOUNTED FOR, WHO ARE RACIALLY PROFILED AND KIDNAPPED BY CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL THIS MORNING, MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH THEIR FAMILIES. THE VEHICLE USED TO KIDNAP THESE MEN WITH SEEN LEAVING TERMINAL ISLAND ALONG WITH TWO OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME EXACT PAPER PLATE. SO THREE VEHICLES HAVE THE SAME EXACT PAPER PLATE. I'M GONNA CUT TO THE CHASE. I'M REQUESTING A CITY LEVEL CIVIL INVESTIGATION INTO THE REPEATED USE OF FALSIFIED OR IMPROPER LICENSE PLATES BY INDIVIDUALS CLAIMING FEDERAL AUTHORITY, WHICH REPRESENTS A FA, A SAFETY RISK, A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK, AND POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS OF CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE AND CONSUMER PROTECTION LOSS. UM, I AM ASKING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY COUNCIL TO DIRECT THE CITY ATTORNEY TO INVESTIGATE DOCUMENTED CASES OF FALSIFIED OR CONCEALED LICENSE PLATES USED BY INDIVIDUALS ASSERTING FEDERAL AUTHORITY WITHIN LONG BEACH, ALLOWING UNIDENTIFIED OR FALSELY IDENT IDENTIFIED PUBLIC VEHICLES OR VEHICLES TO OPERATE WITH IMPUNITY, CREATES A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK AND EXPOSES THE CITY TO CIVIL LIABILITY IF HARM OCCURS, WHICH WE ALL KNOW IT HAS ALREADY, WE'RE FAR BEYOND THAT. I WOULD LIKE NOW TO READ A LETTER FROM AN INCREDIBLY BRAVE YOUNG WOMAN AND AN EMPLOYEE OF ONE OF OUR LOCAL LONG BEACH BUSINESSES WHO WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTING FOR THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS. SHE COULDN'T MAKE IT BECAUSE HE, SHE WAS STILL AT WORK. SO THESE ARE HER WORDS. I'M EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED. I'M BORN AND RAISED IN LONG BEACH AND I LOVE MY CITY. BEING A MINORITY, I HAVE ALWAYS FELT SAFE IN A CITY WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES AND NEVER QUESTIONED IT. IF I BELONG, I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE OR WELCOME IN MY OWN CITY. EVER SINCE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAS ALLOWED FOR ICE TO STAY IN OUR HOTELS AND TERRORIZE OR COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY, NOTHING FEELS THE SAME. I ALSO NOW HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE TRAUMATIZING IMAGES OF ICE KIDNAPPING, [01:30:01] MULTIPLE HARDWORKING PEOPLE I HAVE KNOWN FOR YEARS. THEY WERE TAKEN AND GONE JUST LIKE THAT. I DIDN'T GET TO SAY GOODBYE. IT FEELS LIKE THEY DIED. I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE WHAT THEIR FAMILIES FEEL. WHAT HURTS THE MOST IS HOW THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAS NOT HELPED AT ALL. WE ALL CONTINUE HEARING THAT THERE ARE FUNDS FOR THE FAMILIES LEFT BEHIND OF THOSE TAKEN, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THEM. THE MAYOR CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON OTHER ACTIVITIES LIKE THE WORLD CUP OR THE OLYMPICS WHEN OUR COMMUNITY IS DISAPPEARING, KNOWING ICE IS FREE TO ROAM THE STREETS AND STAY IN OUR CITY AND EAT IN A RESTAURANTS, AND THIS CITY DOES NOT, DOES NOTHING, BREAKS MY HEART. AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TO RENEE NICOLE? GOOD. KEITH PORTER, I'M AFRAID WE WILL BE NEXT. PLEASE STAND BY YOUR WORD RACKS AND GET ICE OUT OF HER BELOVED LONG BEACH CITY. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MY OWN WORDS, ICE DOESN'T JUST KILL, THEY ARE ALTERING THE EVERY, EVERY FABRIC OF OUR GENETICS THAT WILL PASS THE TRAUMA FOR ON, FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. SO YOU GUYS NEED TO ACT QUICKER. YEP. ALRIGHT, WELL THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. THIS IS THE ONE TIME, UH, WHEN YOU GET THREE MINUTES TO, UH, SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT. IT'S FIR FIRST AMENDMENT. UH, NOMI, I'M GLAD YOU CONNECTED WITH, UH, OFFICE OF EQUITY. WHEN YOU MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS, OUR CITY STAFF CAN SHOW UP, SHOW UP AND HELP. SO I'M GLAD, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT. PLEASE KEEP THAT CONVERSATION GOING. IF THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN IMPACTED AND YOU REACH OUT TO FAMILIES AND THEY NEED THAT SUPPORT, PLEASE, PLEASE SEND THEM OUR WAY BECAUSE WE DO HAVE RESOURCES TO HELP FROM A LEGAL DEFENSE AND AFFIRMATIVE STANDPOINT. AND THEN HOUSING AND OTHER ASSISTANCE THAT'S LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT, FUNDED AND ROLLING OUT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THAT UP. ALRIGHT, SO NOW WE'RE GONNA GO TO ITEM 26. PLEASE REPORT FROM PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS, AND AWARD A CONTRACT TO BERNARD BROS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BELMONT BEACH IN AQUATIC CENTER FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED 59,823,170, AND EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO ENTER INTO THE CONTRACT, INCLUDING ANY [26. 26-54022 Recommendation to adopt Plans and Specifications No. R-7274 and award a contract to Bernards Bros., Inc., of San Fernando, CA, for the construction of the Belmont Beach and Aquatics Center, in the amount of $54,384,700, for the Base Bid and Bid Alternative No. 01, and authorize a 10 percent contingency in the amount of $5,438,470, for a total contract amount not to exceed $59,823,170; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into the contract, including any necessary subsequent amendments; Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute the Third Amendment to Contract No. 36324 with Arcadis U.S., Inc., of Los Angeles, CA, for construction management and inspection services for the Belmont Beach and Aquatics Center, and extend the term of the contract to August 13, 2028, with an option to renew for two (2) additional one-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager; Increase appropriations in the Tidelands Operating Fund Group in the Public Works Department by $24,560,000, offset by future bond proceeds; Increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Public Works Department by $1,000,000, offset by Park Impact Fees (PIF); and Increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Public Works Department by $1,000,000, to allow for the transfer of PIF funds to the Capital Project Fund, where the project will be managed. (District 3)                                  Office or Department: Public Works; Parks, Recreation and Marine         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] NECESSARY SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS, AND EXECUTE THE THIRD AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT WITH ARC FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION SERVICES, DISTRICT THREE. ALRIGHT, SO I'LL JUST GIVE SOME BRIEF COMMENTS AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO STAFF PRESENTATION. UH, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO AND, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC CLIMATE LINED UP, SO WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR BEING HERE. UH, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE. I DON'T KNOW. UH, I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY 15 YEARS. UM, THIS IS BE THE 16TH YEAR SINCE I STARTED BACK IN 2010 AS A STAFF MEMBER FOR A COUNCIL MEMBER IN NORTH LONG BEACH. AND FOR ALL THAT TIME, THE BELMONT POOL HAS BEEN, HAS DEALT WITH PLANNING AND FUNDING CHALLENGES AND DRAMA. IS IT BIG ENOUGH? IS IT SMALL ENOUGH? SHOULD IT BE LOCATED IN THIS LOCATION? WHAT DOES THE COASTAL COMMISSION HAVE TO SAY? HOW ARE YOU GONNA PAY FOR IT? OIL MONEY'S GOING AWAY. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE UPS AND THE DOWNS ON THIS PROJECT. AND AS MAYOR, SOMETIMES YOU INHERIT PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT PERFECT, AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION. ARE YOU GOING TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD AND FIND A WAY? ARE YOU GOING TO, UM, UM, PASS THE BUCK, UH, ONTO THE NEXT GENERATION? UH, OR SAY THIS'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. UH, I WILL TELL YOU, UM, THIS PROJECT HA IT, IT'S GOT A LOT OF, UH, POTENTIAL, A LOT OF GREAT UPSIDE. UH, THIS IS A PROJECT I BELIEVE WE HAVE TO DO AND WE HAVE TO DO IT NOW, OR IT BECOMES LESS FEASIBLE TO DO IT, UH, IN THE FUTURE. UM, I WANNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE THIRD DISTRICT WHO'S BEEN, UH, JUST AN ADVOCATE FOR FINDING CREATIVE WAYS, UH, TO, TO SOLVE THE CHALLENGES OF THIS PROJECT. I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR CITY MANAGER, UH, TOM MOCA. HE KNOWS THAT THESE ARE, UH, DI CHALLENGING TIMES IN TIGHTS, AND, UM, WE HAVE TO BE CREATIVE IN FINDING NEW RE NEW WAYS TO FUND, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE. UH, SO WHILE, UH, THIS PROJECT HAS GONE ON FOR A LONG TIME, LOTS OF DISCUSSION, WE'RE PROUD THAT THE CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT IS A POSITION IN A POSITION TO MAKE A DECISION TO MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD, WHICH I SUPPORT. UH, SO THAT SAID, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET INTO THE PRESENTATION, TOM. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UH, SO YES, UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME, UH, IN THE PLANNING. AND SO, UH, TONIGHT REALLY IS THE, THE LAST STEP, UH, THAT WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD TO YOU TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT OR NOT. UH, AND SO, UH, THIS WILL BE A FAIRLY LENGTHY PRESENTATION. THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY HERE. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WHERE WE'VE BEEN. WE'VE HAD CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WHO'VE BEEN ON THIS ALMOST FROM THE BEGINNING, AND WE HAVE SOME WHO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME REVIEWING THIS. SO, UM, IT'S BEEN THAT LONG. SO, UH, WE, UH, ARE GONNA SPEND SOME TIME FOR THE AUDIENCE AND EVERYONE GOING THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. WE'LL LOOK AT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, UM, OPTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES. UH, WE GET ASKED OFTEN, WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG? SO WE'RE GONNA BE, MAKE SURE WE GO THROUGH THAT HISTORY AS WELL. AND THEN IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO HOW DO WE FUND IT? HOW DO WE MAKE SURE IT'S SUSTAINABLE? WE HAVE A PLAN TO PRESENT TO YOU TONIGHT, UH, AND BE ABLE TO ANSWER YOUR [01:35:01] QUESTIONS. AND WE'VE GOT ALL OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS HERE WHO'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT. UH, AND WE'LL ALL BE TAKING PARTS OF THIS PRESENTATION. SO I WILL GO THROUGH THE BACKGROUND, THE HISTORY, THE PROJECT OVERVIEW, THE FINANCING, THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS, AND THE NEXT STEPS. SO WHERE DID WE BEGIN? UH, SO THE ORIGINAL BELMONT POOL WAS OPENED IN 1968, AND TO PUT THAT IN CONTEXT, IT, UH, PREDATES THE COASTAL COMMISSION. SO BEFORE, UH, THE COASTAL COMMISSION WAS EVEN CREATED, UH, WE HAD THE BELMONT POOL THAT WAS ALREADY THERE. AND SO IT WAS AN AQUATIC CENTER THAT FEATURED A 50 BY 75 METER POOL, HAD A DIVING PLATFORM, COULD, UH, HOST 2,500 SEATS. AND AT THE TIME, IT HAD A STATE-OF-THE-ART ELECTRONIC TOUCH PAD, UH, ALL WITHIN, UH, AN ENCLOSED BUILDING, WHICH WE CALLED A NATATORIUM. UH, AND, UH, THE ELECTRONIC TIMEKEEPING WAS ACTUALLY FIRST USED IN 1968 AS WE HOSTED THE 1968 OLYMPIC TRIALS. THE FACILITY SERVED ABOUT 200,000 VISITORS ANNUALLY. UH, IT HOSTED, UH, SOME OF THE BIGGEST COMPETITIONS OUT THERE, INCLUDING THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 74 AND 78. AND IT WOULD, UH, GO ON TO HOST THE 76 US SWIM TRIAL. AND, UH, A NUMBER OF RECORDS, UH, WERE, WERE SET IN THAT FACILITY AS ATHLETES BROKE RECORDS AND SET RECORDS AT THE FORMER BELMONT PLAZA POOL. SO A LOT, ALL THAT CHANGED IN JANUARY OF 2013. WE WERE PREPARING FOR AN EVENT THERE AND, UH, WE'RE DOING A WALKTHROUGH, AND WE SAW SOME VERY CONCERNING CRACKS, UH, IN THE, IN THE FOUNDATION AND IN THE COLUMNS. AND SO, UH, THE BUILDING ENGINEER DEEMED IT STRUCTURALLY AND SEISMICALLY UNSAFE, AND IT WAS RED TAGGED AND EVERYONE MOVED OUT AND WITH ABOUT 24 HOURS NOTICE AND WAS CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC. THAT WAS A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR SWIMMING COMMUNITY. WE ARE A, A HUGE AQUATICS COMMUNITY. AND SO VERY QUICKLY, WITHIN A MONTH, WE BROUGHT TO THE COUNCIL A PLAN TO AUTHORIZE THE INSTALLATION OF A TEMPORARY POOL FACILITY TO GET WATER BACK WHILE WE PLANNED, UH, FOR THE NEXT ITERATION OF THE POOL. UM, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE, UM, POOL STARTED ON THE TEMPORARY POOL IN AUGUST. SO SIX MONTHS LATER, IT STARTED IN RECORD TIME AND OPENED IN DECEMBER, ABOUT 10 MONTHS, UH, FROM START TO FINISH. AND THEN, UH, LATER THE BELMONT POOL WAS DEMOLISHED IN 2014. ON THAT SAME DAY THAT WE CAME, UH, TO THE COUNCIL TO SAY, HERE'S THE TEMPORARY POOL, WE ALSO BROUGHT FORWARD A RECOMMENDED PLAN ON HOW TO START, UH, MOVING IT FORWARD IN A WAY THAT WAS, UH, FUNDED, UH, WITH DOLLARS THAT WERE AVAILABLE. SO IT WAS ABOUT A $60 MILLION PROJECT AT THE TIME. WASN'T QUITE AS, AS GRAND AS THE OLD POOL, BUT IT HAD AN INDOOR POOL AND AN OUTDOOR POOL. IT HAD MOST OF THE COMPONENTS, BUT NOT ALL. AND, UH, THAT WAS A MEETING, UH, WHERE WE HAD A PACKED AUDIENCE. AND, UH, AND WE HAD CALLS FOR MAKING IT BIGGER AND LARGER, UH, AND DOING A LARGER INVESTMENT. UH, AND SO THE COUNCIL, UH, MADE SOME CHANGES TO THAT, UH, PLAN. AND IT WENT FROM ABOUT A $60 MILLION PROJECT TO A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS PROJECT THAT NIGHT. UH, AND WE WERE DIRECTED TO GO BACK AND WORK WITH THE STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WITHIN THAT EXTRA $40 MILLION HOW TO ADD ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS DESIRING. AND WE ALSO BROUGHT ON, UH, A LITTLE BIT LATER, HARLEY EV, UM, ELLIS DEVERO, HED IS OUR ARCHITECT ON THE PROJECT, AND THEY'VE BEEN WITH US EVER SINCE. SO, UH, WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THE TIME, UH, FINANCIALLY, WE WERE IN A MUCH DIFFERENT PLACE. UH, SO RIGHT AROUND 20 13, 20 14 OIL, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT FUNDS, UH, THE MAJOR PROJECTS ALONG THE COAST, UH, WAS AVERAGING ABOUT 120 TO $125 A BARREL. PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT $60 A BARREL, 55 TO 60. SO IT WAS ABOUT DOUBLE WHERE IT WAS TODAY. AND AT THAT LEVEL, UM, THAT WOULD'VE GENERATED IN A, IN A SINGLE YEAR, 35 TO $40 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT COULD BE PUT TOWARDS PROJECTS LIKE THIS ALONG THE COAST. AS SOON AS THAT VOTE HAPPENED, THOSE PRICES DROPPED, UH, AND NEVER REALLY RETURNED TO THAT LEVEL. SAVED FOR ONE, UH, COUPLE MONTHS, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN, UH, WHEN SUPPLY WENT VERY, VERY HIGH, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE CHART. AND SO WE STARTED WORKING WITH OUR STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY GROUP, UH, MANY OF WHICH, UH, ARE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY, UH, TO REALLY LOOK AT THAT BALANCE BETWEEN COM COMPETITION AND RECREATION, AND ALL THE DIFFERENT, UH, USERS OF THE POOL, OF WHICH THERE ARE VERY, VERY MANY. UH, WE, UH, INCLUDED EXPERTS FROM USA SWIMMING AND DIVING AND THE AQUATICS CAPITAL OF AMERICA, BUT ALSO LOCALS AND BUSINESS INTERESTS AND NEIGHBORS, UH, ON THIS GROUP. AND, AND THEY ENDED UP COMING UP WITH SOME SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT SPECTATOR SEATING, MAKING THE DOOR, UH, POOL, AN INDOOR POOL, AND AN OLD DEEP WATER POOL. AND SO IN JUNE, UH, WE HELD A STUDY SESSION WHERE WE PRESENTED, UM, SOME DESIGN OPTIONS AND, UH, UH, GOT APPROVAL ON THAT $99 MILLION BUDGET. WENT BACK TO THE STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE, AND AFTER A COUPLE OF TWEAKS AND NEGOTIATIONS CAME UP WITH A COUPLE MILLION DOLLARS MORE TO BE ABLE TO DO THE PROJECT THAT WAS, UH, UM, BEFORE YOU ON THE RIGHT. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT DESIGN WAS THEN DEVELOPED IN 2015, AND WE RELEASED, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT. UH, A COUPLE YEARS LATER, ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER, IT WENT TO PLANNING COMMISSION ONCE YOU GO THROUGH THESE LENGTHY, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTS, AND IT WAS CERTIFIED. AND THEN THE CERTIFY, THE PROJECT WAS, UH, CERTIFIED, UM, BY THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, AND THE EIR IN MAY, 2017. UH, THERE WAS THEN A LAWSUIT. UM, [01:40:01] UH, THERE WAS A GROUP THAT, UH, CITIZENS ABOUT RESPONSIBLE PLANNING FILED A LAWSUIT, CONTENDING THAT IT WAS, UH, ILLEGAL UNDER, UNDER CA AND INCONSISTENT WITH THE LOCAL COASTAL PLAN AND OR PROGRAM AND COASTAL ACT. UH, THAT PROCESS TOOK ABOUT A YEAR TO GO THROUGH, WENT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE COURTS, AND, UH, JUDGE CHANT, UH, ISSUED A RULING IN THE CITY'S FAVOR, UH, THAT THE PROJECT DID NOT VIOLATE CQA AND THAT WE HAD APPROPRIATELY, UH, PERMITTED THE BUILDING. SO AFTER THAT, UH, WENT TO THE COASTAL COMMISSION. SO WHILE THE CITY CAN PLAN AND PROPOSE THINGS, IT IS REALLY THE COASTAL COMMISSION THAT MAKES THOSE, UH, PLANNING APPROVALS HAPPEN ON THE COAST. AND SO I WENT TO, UH, A COASTAL COMMISSION IN 2018. UH, WE GOT SOME SIGNIFICANT FEEDBACK FROM THE COASTAL COMMISSION. OUR COASTAL COMMISSIONER AT THE TIME WAS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ROBERTO YANGA. AND HE POINTED OUT, UM, SOME THINGS ON THE VOTE, UH, THAT HE HAD ADDRESSED SOME CONCERNS WITH. AND, AND THAT, UH, IS, IS WHERE THE COASTAL COMMISSION WENT AS WELL. AND SO THE, SOME OF THE, UM, THE PROJECT WENT THROUGH ANOTHER REDESIGN. AND, UH, WE HAD TO DO THINGS LIKE INCREASE THE RECREATIONAL COMPONENTS. WE HAD TO INCREASE THE CONNECTION TO DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. UH, WE HAD TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO ADDRESS SEA LEVEL RISE, UH, NEEDED TO REDUCE THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING, HAD TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PARKING AND SITE ANALYSIS. AND ALSO, AT THAT TIME, THAT 2014 DESIGN, WHICH WAS AT ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION, HAD GROWN TO ABOUT 145. AND SO WE HAD TO ADDRESS COST ESCALATION DURING THIS PROCESS, TOO, WITH COASTAL AND WITH THE EIR. WE WERE ASKED, AND BY THE COUNCIL AS WELL, TO LOOK AT WHAT'S THE BEST SITE. UM, THE SITES REALLY WERE CONSTRAINED TO THE COASTAL AREA 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE THESE DOLLARS COME FROM. THESE DOLLARS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE SPENT ANYWHERE OUTSIDE THE COASTAL AREA. SO IF WE HAD LOOKED IN THE GENERAL FUND OR OTHERS, WE WOULD'VE STARTED WITH THE BUDGET OF ZERO. AND SO, UH, WE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COASTAL SITES. UH, WE LOOKED AT, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, HARRY BRIDGES PARK OVER BY THE QUEEN MARY. WE LOOKED AT THE QUEEN MARY SITE ITSELF, UM, BOTH OF WHICH HAD RESTRICTIONS AND WERE UNDER LEASES, LONG-TERM LEASES. WE LOOKED AT THE ELEPHANT LOT AS THERE'S A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT. UH, AND FOUND THAT IT HAD SIM, UH, SIMILAR LEVELS OF SEA LEVEL RISE CONCERN, AND WAS ALSO UNDER CONTRACT TILL 2030. UH, AND SO, UH, REALLY THE ULTIMATE SITE AND THE APPROVED SITE, UH, AND WE'LL GET TO THE SEA LEVEL, UH, RISE ANALYSIS IN A LITTLE BIT, WAS AT THE, UM, THE CURRENT SITE, THE BELMONT POOL SITE. SO THE PROJECT WENT THROUGH ANOTHER REVISION IN 2019, AND SO WE ELIMINATED THE NATATORIUM NATATORIUM, WHICH IS THE, UH, THE ENCLOSED BUILDING. AND THERE WAS A BEACH CAFE THAT WAS ALSO REDUCED. WE MAINTAINED A TEMPORARY EXISTING FACILITY. WE HAD TO REDUCE THE BUILDING HEIGHT DOWN TO 30 FEET. UH, WE THEN PROPOSED A NEW PERIMETER GLASS ENCLOSURE, HAD TO RECONFIGURE THE DIVE, WELL, UH, INCREASE THE OPEN SPACE, INCREASE SPECTATOR SEATING. AND AT THIS POINT, UH, THERE WAS, UH, AN ESTIMATED PROJECT COST OF AROUND $85 MILLION. UH, THEN ON, UM, UH, IN 2020, WE CAME TO YOU, UH, WITH A REVISED DESIGN, UH, AND BROUGHT THAT FORWARD. AND WE SUBMITTED A NEW PERMIT TO THE COASTAL COMMISSION, AND THEY CAME UP WITH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SPECIAL COMMISSION, UH, CONDITIONS. AND WE RECEIVED OUR PROJECT APPROVAL IN 2021 BY THE COASTAL COMMISSION WITH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CONDITIONS, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY OR, UH, LATER TODAY, A LOT OF WHICH HAD TO DO TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ACCESS FOR THIS, UH, THIS AWESOME FACILITY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY OF LONG BEACH. AND SO COASTAL COMMISSION THEN, UH, MADE THOSE APPROVALS. WE STARTED MOVING FORWARD WITH ARCHITECTURAL PLANS. WE PUT OUT, UH, WHAT'S CALLED A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS TO GET A, A QUALIFIED BIDDER POOL. UH, WE THEN, UM, AWARDED A SOLICITATION FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT FOR SERVICES. UH, THEN, UH, AT THAT TIME, THE PROJECT THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THE CITY COUNCIL HAD, AGAIN, THROUGH COVID AND, AND, AND COST ESCALATION AND BUILDING SUPPLIES GROWN TO ABOUT 130 MILLION. UH, AND SO WE STILL HAD ABOUT A $50 MILLION PROJECT GAP. AND AT THAT SAME TIME, UH, THE PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE FOR THIS PROJECT, PROJECT, WHICH WAS OIL, UH, HAD A MAJOR, MAJOR CHANGE. UH, 11, UH, SB 1137 WAS PASSED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE, AND THAT DRAMATICALLY REDUCES THE ABILITY IN THE FUTURE TO GENERATE OIL REVENUE, WHICH, UH, WAS THE PRIMARY UNDERPINNING FOR THIS PROJECT. AND SO WE NEEDED TO COME UP WITH A NEW STRATEGY. SO NOW WE'RE UP TO 2023. UH, AND THAT PROJECT TEAM, UH, BEGAN TO LOOK AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES. AND WITH THE GOALS OF REDUCING THAT CAPITAL COSTS, UH, FROM 130 TO SOMETHING SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER, UH, TO, UH, LOWER THE OPERATING COSTS, IT WAS ESTIMATED AT AN ADDITIONAL $6 MILLION ANNUALLY THAT, UH, DID NOT HAVE A FUNDING SOURCE. WE HAD TO LOOK AT COMBINING BOTTLES OF WATER, REDUCE THE SPECTATOR SEATING, SUPPORT SPACES, AND OVERALL FOOTPRINT. AND IN JUNE OF 2023, WE WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY AND PRESENTED THREE DIFFERENT DESIGN ALTERNATIVES. AND THEN WITH THE COMMUNITY'S INPUT, BROUGHT A PREFERRED DESIGN ALTERNATIVE, UH, TO, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, WHICH, UH, THIS, THIS SLIDE HAS A LITTLE BIT OF A TYPO, WAS ESTIMATED AT THAT TIME AT 75 MILLION PLUS A COUPLE MILLION DOLLARS OF, OF, UH, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CURRENT FACILITY. SO THIS IS THE CURRENT DESIGN. I WILL TURN IT OVER TO JOSH, UH, HICKMAN, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, TO GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THE DESIGN CAN DO, UH, [01:45:01] AND, AND WHAT IS, UH, WHAT IS THE PROJECT WE'RE PRO UH, PROPOSING. CHARLENE WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ACCESS PLANS, AND THEN I'LL BE BACK TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE FINANCING AND STEPS FORWARD. RIGHT? GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE TONIGHT. AND I GET TO FLIP THROUGH SOME OF THE PRETTY PICTURES OF THE, THE NEW DESIGN, THE CURRENT DESIGN. SO I'LL BREEZE THROUGH THEM SOMEWHAT FAST. UM, BUT WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU HAD THE LOOK AND FEEL FOR THE FACILITY AS IT'S CURRENTLY DESIGNED. SO WHAT YOU SEE ON THIS SLIDE IS THE MAIN BUILDING. THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE TOWARDS THE LEFT SIDE, OF COURSE, THE, THE BODIES OF WATER BEHIND THAT, A MECHANICAL FACILITY TO THE RIGHT. AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACKGROUND SOME DUNE SCAPE THAT IS BEING ADDED TO HELP, UM, INSTALL SOME NEW HABITAT IN THE AREA. SO THE DESIGN INSPIRATION FOR THE BUILDING, UH, TAKES ITS IN ITS ROOF LINE, REALLY TAKES ITS CUE FROM THE BUTTERFLY STROKE. SO YOU CAN SEE HERE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. UM, IT PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE ORIGINAL BELMONT POOL FACILITY, AS WELL AS THAT UNIQUE MODERN TOUCH. UH, WE HAVE A, A MUTED TYPE COLOR TO REALLY HELP, UM, YOU KNOW, CREATE A WARM, WELCOMING, INVITING SPACE. THIS IMAGE HIGHLIGHTS THE 50 METER ALL DEEP POOL AND THE MOVABLE BULKHEADS. UH, JUST AT THE TOP LEFT OF THE SCREEN ARE THE SPRINGBOARDS, YOU CAN SEE IN THE CENTER, UH, THE SEATING IN THE SHADE STRUCTURE, AND THEN THE MECHANICAL FACILITY WITH, UM, SOLAR PANELS ON TOP. SO THE 50 MILLI METER POOL HAS A MOVABLE BULKHEAD, WHICH ALLOWS FOR DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS, WHICH WE'LL GET TO IN A COUPLE FUTURE SLIDES. THE INSTRUCTIONAL POOL IS, IS, UH, COMBINED WITH THE RECREATIONAL POOL, AND IT PROVIDES A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SWIM LESSONS, WATER, EXERCISE, THERAPY, UH, AND OTHER PROGRAMMING, WHICH AGAIN, WE'LL GET INTO IN A COUPLE FUTURE SLIDES. AND ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, UH, OF THIS FACILITY, WE'VE GOT THE RECREATIONAL POOL. IT FEATURES A ZERO DEPTH POOL ENTRY AND AN ACTIVITY TOWER, ALONG WITH SPLASH PADS AND OTHER FEATURES TO, FOR PLAY IN ADDITION TO AQUATICS. UH, WE ALSO HAVE A COUPLE ELEMENTS OF ART THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING. UH, WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS A UNIQUE PIECE, PIECE OF ART, UH, USING THE GLASS FEATURES THAT WE'RE ALREADY USING AS A, AS A SOUND WALL AND PROTECTIVE BARRIER. UH, AND THIS PAYS HOMAGE TO THE COASTAL SETTING AN UP CLOSE VERSION OF THE ARTWORK, AND TO LIVEN UP AND BRING WARMTH AND VIBRANCY TO THE INTERIOR SPACE. THERE'S ANOTHER PIECE OF ART OR A MURAL TITLED TWO SUNS. AND THEN TO DIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY INTO THE BODIES OF WATER AND HOW THEY CAN BE USED. WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF BOTH THE 50 METER POOL AND THE COMBINED, UM, INSTRUCTIONAL AND RECREATIONAL POOL. SO THE 50 METER POOL AS NOTED, UH, PROVIDES A LOT OF FLEXIBLE PROGRAMMING. UH, THE BULKHEAD DOES MOVE AND ALLOWS FOR, UM, MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMMING TO HAPPEN SIMULTANEOUSLY. UH, THERE'S ALSO FOUR SPRINGBOARDS THERE TO ALLOW FOR SOME, SOME DIVING AND, UH, REMOVABLE ELEMENTS SUCH AS ZIP LINES AND CLIMBING WALLS. AND OTHER FUN ELEMENTS, UH, WILL BE, WILL BE INSTALLED IF WE CAN GET THE NECESSARY PERMITS AND APPROVALS TO GET THOSE IN PLACE. SO THE, THE PROJECT INCLUDES SEATING AND BLEACHERS, UH, WHICH YOU SEE HERE AT THE CENTER OF THE IMAGE, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 544 SEATS, WHICH IS 70 MORE THAN THE LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE PROJECT. UH, WE ALSO INCLUDED THE RESTROOMS NECESSARY, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE ADDITIONAL SEATS. SO THE, THE FLEXIBLE PROGRAMMING I HAD NOTED, THESE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS FOR THE 50 METER POOL. YOU CAN SEE IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU'VE GOT THE 25 YARD, UH, SWIMMING AND WARMUP TYPE PROGRAM OPTION. AND THE UPPER RIGHT YOU CAN SEE A COMPETITIVE SWIMMING AT 25 YARDS, UM, AND A OR A 25 METER COM COMPETITION, AS WELL AS A 25 YARD WARMUP. IF YOU WANTED TO CONFIGURE THIS MORE IN A DIVING TYPE OPTION, YOU SEE ON THE LOWER LEFT, THE FOUR SPRINGBOARDS ALLOW FOR DIVING PRACTICE OR COMPETITION, AS WELL AS 25 YARD SWIMMING. AND THEN THE FINAL OPTION HERE IS THE FULL 50 METER SWIMMING OR COMPETITION PRACTICE. IF YOU SLIDE THE BULK, THE BULKHEAD ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE RIGHT, SIMILAR, A COUPLE MORE OPTIONS HERE. IF YOU WANTED TO CONFIGURE THE PROGRAMMING MORE FOR WATER POLO. UH, YOU CAN HAVE WATER POLO COMPETITION IN THE UPPER LEFT. UH, THE LOWER LEFT, [01:50:01] YOU COULD SEE THE WATER POLO PRACTICE. UH, YOU COULD SET THAT UP. SO YOU'D HAVE TWO PRACTICE COURTS, UM, OR OPEN RECREATION AND DIVING RECREATION. THE COMBINED INSTRUCTIONAL AND RECREATIONAL POOL ALLOWS, UH, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS. SO YOU'VE GOT THE SHALLOW THERAPY AND LEARNING POOL. WE'VE GOT SPLASH PADS AND SPRAY ZONES, THE VORTEX AREA, WHICH IS A UNIQUE FEATURE THAT ALLOWS THE WATER TO SWIRL AROUND AND CREATE A FUN LITTLE PLACE. WE CAN ALSO DEPLOY VOLLEYBALL AND OTHER FLOATABLE FEATURES TO CREATE, UH, UNIQUE DYNAMIC SPACES. UM, AND THIS IS REALLY INTENDED TO BE OPEN, UM, 95% OR, OR MORE. THE, THE RECREATIONAL POOL ITSELF. IT INCLUDES, UH, THE ZERO ENTRY OPTION, WHICH ALLOWS CHILDREN OF ALL AGES TO, TO USE THIS SPACE AND REALLY GET INTO THE WATER AND, AND, UM, TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE RECREATIONAL COMPONENTS THAT ARE IN THERE. UH, THERE'S ALSO SEATING FOR ADULTS OR FOLKS THAT MIGHT BE BRINGING THE, THE KIDS TO PLAY IN THE AREA, AS WELL AS SHADE AND TABLES. THE INSTRUCTIONAL POOL ALLOWS FOR SWIM LESSONS, THERAPY, WATER AEROBICS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. AND THEN, UH, AGAIN, DEPLOYABLE FEATURES SUCH AS WATER VOLLEYBALL THAT REALLY ADD ANOTHER ELEMENT TO PLAY TO THE, TO THE WATER BODY. SO WE WON'T DIVE TOO DEEP INTO THE, THE FLOOR PLANS FOR EACH OF THESE, BUT WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THERE IS BOTH A LARGE MEN'S LOCKER ROOM AND A LARGE WOMEN'S LOCKER ROOM, AS WELL AS MULTIPURPOSE SPACE AND TWO SMALLER, UH, LOCKER ROOMS, THAT AS WELL AS ALL OF THE ACCOMPANYING SPACES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO OPERATE A FACILITY SUCH AS THIS. AND YOU CAN'T HAVE AN AQUATICS CENTER WITHOUT A MECHANICAL BUILDING. SO THIS IS A FLOOR PLAN OF THE MECHANICAL BUILDING. UM, A LOT OF THE, THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF WHAT IT TAKES TO, TO RUN THIS FACILITY, AS WELL AS THE ADDITIONAL RESTROOMS I HAD NOTED PREVIOUSLY TO ACCOMMODATE FOLKS SITTING OUT IN THE BLEACHERS, UM, AS WELL AS RESTROOMS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE FROM THE ADJACENT PARKING AREA. I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO CHARLENE AND ZUKO, OUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICER. THANK YOU, JOSH. UM, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, CHARLENE WITH PROJECT MANAGEMENT, UH, BUREAU, UM, THE CITY MANAGER WALKED THROUGH SORT OF THE HISTORY AND I'LL WALK, WALK THROUGH THE CURRENT STATUS AND THE PROJECT DELIVERY ASPECTS OF THE WORK. UM, AFTER COUNCIL APPROVAL IN 2023 TO PROCEED WITH THE REVISED DESIGN, UH, THE TEAM IN 2024 BEGAN A COMPLETE REDESIGN PROCESS. BASED ON THIS UPDATED DIRECTION THE PROJECT TEAMS PREPARED. UH, THE REQUIRED REVISED REPORTS, ALL THE TECHNICAL STUDIES, UM, TO ALIGN WITH THE NEW DESIGN AND PROGRAM, UM, INCLUDING FEASIBILITY STUDIES FOR FINANCIAL PROFORMAS, UH, CONCURRENT TO DETAILED ENGINEERING, UH, AND DESIGN. THE CITY SUBMITTED ITS COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT APPLICATION. AND WHILE COASTAL COMMISSION WAS REVIEWING THE REVISED PROJECT AND ITS ELEMENTS, THE CITY COMPLETED, UM, ALL THE ENGINEERING DESIGNS, ESSENTIALLY 100% PLANS TO GET THE PROJECT READY FOR BIDDING AND ADVERTISING AND, AND FOR PLAN CHECK AS WELL. UM, IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, THE COASTAL COMMISSION APPROVED THE PROJECT WITH, UH, REVISED AND ADDITIONAL SPECIAL CONDITIONS. UM, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE CITY BID THE PROJECT. UM, THE CURRENT STATUS IS WE HAVE THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT TEAM ON BOARD, UM, AND RECEIVED VIABLE BIDS. AND I'LL KIND OF GO THROUGH, UM, SOME OF THE KEY ASPECTS, UH, OF THAT EFFORT. UM, BEFORE I DO THAT, I DID WANNA TOUCH UPON SEA LEVEL RISE, WHICH WAS A COASTAL COMMISSION, UM, REQUIREMENT TO BE REVIEWED AND LOOKED AT BASED ON CURRENT, UH, STANDARDS AND GUIDANCE. UM, SO WITH THE REVISED FACILITY, THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT ACTUALLY MOVED INLAND OR FURTHER NORTH. UM, THE FUTURE SHORELINE IN THIS GRAPHIC IS DENOTED FOR THE YEAR 2100, AND THAT REPRESENTS WHERE THE MEAN HIGH WATER TIDE LINE WOULD HIT, UM, WITH A PRESUMED 5.7 FEET OF SEA LEVEL RISE BASED ON THE OCEAN PROTECTION COUNCIL'S, UM, 2018 GUIDANCE DATA, UH, FURTHER THE 75 YEAR LINE CORRELATES TO THE COUNCIL'S PREDICTED 3.5 FEET OF SEA SEA LEVEL RISE FOR THE YEAR 2075. THE BLUE LINE REPRESENTS A SCENARIO WHERE SEA LEVEL RISE PROJECTIONS FROM 2100 IS COUPLED WITH A 100 YEAR STORM EVENT. AND IN THAT OCCURRENCE, THE FACILITY REMAINS OUTSIDE OF THESE PROJECTED SEA LEVEL RISE IMPACT ZONES. UM, ANOTHER KEY, UM, CONSIDERATION FROM THE COASTAL COMMISSION. WHAT WE HAD TO BRING BEFORE THEM WAS, UM, AN EQUITABLE, UM, PUBLIC ACCESS PROGRAM. UM, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, UM, [01:55:01] AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS A LEADER IN EQUITABLE PARKS PROGRAMMING IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT'S STRATEGIC PLAN. UM, THE PROJECT IS PUTTING FORWARD AN EQUITY AND PUBLIC ACCESS PROGRAM, OR AN EAP, WHICH INTENDS TO ENSURE THE FACILITY AND ITS PROGRAMMING AND OPERATIONS ARE INCLUSIVE, ACCESSIBLE, AND WELCOMING FOR ALL USERS AND RESIDENTS. UM, JOSH DISCUSSED THE PROGRAMMING OF THESE POLLS A BIT EARLIER, BUT UNDERLYING THIS WHOLE PROJECT IS AN AQUATIC CENTER THAT IS FAMILY FRIENDLY CATERING TO ALL AGES AND ALL ABILITIES. THERE ARE ACTUALLY FOUR ACTIONS IN THE CITY'S, UM, PARKS DEPARTMENT STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2022 TO 2032, AND I'LL READ SOME OF THESE OFF. UM, THESE ALL CHAMPION EQUITY INCLUSION AND ACCESS, UM, WHICH WILL BECOME FUNDAMENTAL IN, IN THE FOUNDATION OF THE EAP. SO THE FIRST, UM, ACTION THAT'S IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE, UH, THE PROJECT IS INCREASING PROGRAMS THAT ALLOW YOUTH TO ACCESS THE BEACH, THE OCEAN AND WATER RELATED ACTIVITIES. THE SECOND, INCREASING THE NUMBER OF YOUTH WHO KNOW HOW TO SWIM THROUGH FREE OR LOW COST SWIM LESSONS, INCREASING SCHOLARSHIPS TO LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, REMOVING BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION, AND ENSURING A WIDE ARRAY OF PROGRAMS AND SPACES ARE AVAILABLE TO OLDER ADULTS AND SENIORS AT ACCESSIBLE LOCATIONS. SO AGAIN, THIS PROJECT IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT HAS AN EAP, UH, TO INFORM THAT DOCUMENT. THE CITY ONBOARDED IN 2021 SGA MARKETING TO CONDUCT ADDITIONAL OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, INCLUDING INTERCEPT SURVEYS, UM, ONLINE SURVEYS. UM, AND THESE SURVEYS WERE PRIMARILY FOCUSED, UM, IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL LONG BEACH AREAS. UH, THE BROADER TONE OF THE OUTREACH WAS TO UNDERSTAND PEOPLE'S FEELINGS AND OPINIONS ABOUT PROGRAMMING POOL ACCESS AND GENERAL BARRIERS TO AQUATICS ACCESS. UH, THE FINDINGS WERE MIXED. SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS EXPRESSED THE NEED TO INVEST IN LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS. OTHERS INDICATED THEY WOULD USE THE BELMONT POOL IF IT WERE MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE, OR THAT THEY WOULD, WOULD USE THE BELMONT POOL BASED ON THE TYPE OF AVAILABLE PROGRAMMING AND TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THE CITY. COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO RESPOND TO THE SURVEY AND WHO SPOKE WITH OUR OUTREACH CONSULTANTS IDENTIFIED SEVERAL BARRIERS TO ACCESSING THE BELMONT POOL, INCLUDING FEELING UNWELCOME DUE TO STEREOTYPING OR LANGUAGE BARRIERS, TIME COST AND SAFETY OF TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, NOT KNOWING HOW TO SWIM, AND THAT EVEN IF TRANSPORTATION WERE FREE, THE LENGTH OF TIME TO GET TO THE POOL WAS EXPRESSED AS A BARRIER. WE ALSO HEARD FACTORS THAT WOULD DRAW INDIVIDUALS TO THE POOL, AND THOSE INCLUDE CLEANLINESS, SANITATION, AND AMENITIES. UH, THE FACILITIES RANGE OF OPERATING HOURS. AND SO THOSE ARE HOURS SPECIFICALLY OUTSIDE OF WORK HOURS AND WEEKEND. AND THE COST OF COST AND FEE OF ENTRY, UH, CULTURAL SENSITIVE SENSITIVITY, TRAINING OF EMPLOYEES OPERATING AND PROGRAMMING THE FACILITY AND OVERALL SWIMMING LESSONS. THE CITY'S PUBLIC ACCESS PROGRAM INCLUDES, UM, EIGHT KEY INITIATIVES OR COMPONENTS, UH, WHICH DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE CONCERNS ADDRESSED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDES. SO THE FIRST ONE IS AFTER SCHOOL LEARN TO SWIM PROGRAMS. UM, THE AMERICAN RED CROSS FOUND THAT 61% OF CHILDREN'S AND TEENS CAN'T SWIM, UM, SWIMMING AND I THINK THE CITY, UM, CITY COUNCIL AND THE EAP, I THINK WE WOULD ALL AGREE THAT SWIMMING IS A IMPORTANT LIFE AND SAFETY SKILL THAT SHOULD BE OFFERED TO ALL YOUTH AFTER SCHOOL LEARN TO SWIM PROGRAMS, WHICH ALREADY EXIST ARE PROPOSED TO BE EXPANDED AT THE BELMONT POOL. THESE PROGRAMS HAVE SUPPORTED OVER 800 FAMILIES IN THE PAST, AND PROGRAM PARTICIPANT INCLUDES KIDS WHO RESIDE OR ARE NEAR THE FOLLOWING 11 PARKS LISTED ON THE SLIDE WEEKEND PROGRAMS. THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER LOW COST WEEKEND RECREATION, SWIM SESSION, SWIM SESSIONS AT THE POOL, AND RECREATIONAL PLAY AS WELL, UH, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO OFFER FLEXIBILITY. UM, THE CITY'S PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT OFFER SWIM LESSONS WHERE A CHILD CAN START, UM, SWIM LESSONS AS EARLY AS NINE MONTHS WITH THEIR PARENT AND PROGRESS THROUGH SIX DISTINCT LEVELS OF SWIM, UH, LEVEL ONE THROUGH SIX SUMMER DAY CAMP PROGRAMS. THE CITY WILL CONTINUE AND IS COMMITTED TO EXPANDING SUMMER DAY CAMP PROGRAMS TO LOCAL YOUTH. THESE ARE SUPERVISED PROGRAMS, ACCESS TO RECREATIONAL SWIM AT BELMONT POOL, AND THE WATER PLAYGROUND WILL CONTINUE TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. THIS PROGRAM IS SUBSIDIZED AND CURRENTLY CDBG AND REGISTRATION AND PROGRAM FEES ARE VARIABLE. SCHOLARSHIPS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE THROUGH THE CITY'S NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED TO BUILD BASIC LIFE SKILLS, BUILD CONFIDENCE AROUND POLLS AND AQUATICS, AND ULTIMATELY BUILD CONFIDENCE TO PARTAKE IN A VARIETY OF WATER AND BEACH RELATED ACTIVITIES. FOUR. AN LA [02:00:01] 84 FOUNDATION SUBSIDY PROGRAM. THE CITY PROPOSES TO CONTINUE WITH THIS PROGRAM, OR A VARIATION OF IT AS IT ALIGNS WITH THE DESIRE TO GIVE YOUTH ACCESS TO TEAM SPORTS SUCH AS WATER POLO, ARTISTIC SWIMMING, OR SWIM TEAMS. THE LA 84 SPECIFIC SUBSIDY PROGRAM WAS DISCONTINUED IN 2018, BUT THE CITY INTENDS TO PROVIDE SIMILAR RESOURCES TO SUPPORT PARTNERSHIPS WITH SWIM CLUBS. YOUTH OFTEN START WITH, UH, CITY PROGRAMS OR RECREATION PROGRAMS, UM, AND MATRICULATE TO COMPETITIVE TEAMS. AND THEN FIVE DIVE IN MOVIES AT THE POOL. UM, THE PROPOSED PROJECT, UH, IS, IS ESTABLISHED TO ACCOMMODATE OR DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE DIVE IN MOVIES AT THE POOL POOL, WHICH WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN COORDINATION WITH THE CITY'S, UM, MOVIES IN THE PARK SUMMER PROGRAMMING TO PROVIDE FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES AND STRENGTH AND SOCIAL CONNECTIONS. SIX, PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, AND OTHER CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS IN UNDERSERVED AREAS TO BUILD AWARENESS, SORRY, TO BUILD AWARENESS AND ENGENDER TRUST. THE CITY INTENDS TO PARTNER WITH SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS AND DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO UNDERSTAND RECREATIONAL NEEDS RELATED TO AQUATIC FACILITIES, AND ALSO TO INFORM NONPROFIT PARTNERS OF EXISTING PROGRAMS. AS PART OF THIS PROPOSAL, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WILL IDENTIFY AND WORK WITH A CBO VOLUNTEER FROM EACH OF THE TARGET COMMUNITIES, SORRY, EACH OF THE TARGET COMMUNITIES, UM, IDENTIFIED IN THE EQUITY AND PUBLIC ACCESS PROGRAM TO FOSTER PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. PRM STAFF WILL COORDINATE WITH THE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, LOCAL CHURCH SPONSORS, SCHOOLS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, AND CBOS FOR ADDITIONAL OUTREACH COORDINATION. AND THEN SEVEN ACCESS FOR SENIORS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT STRATEGIC PLAN FOR OLDER, OLDER ADULTS TO IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH AND ENHANCE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. THE CITY MADE WATER EXERCISES, EXERCISE CLASSES FREE FOR INDIVIDUALS 50 YEARS AND OLDER. THESE DROP-IN CLASSES ARE HELD DAILY AND REQUIRE NO REGISTRATION. IN 2024 ALONE, OVER 27,000 PARTICIPATED IN FREE WATER EXERCISES, CLASSES OF WHICH 81% ATTENDED THE CLASSES AT BELMONT POOL. THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER FREE WATER EXERCISES, CL EXERCISE CLASSES, AND DISCOUNTED LAB AND RECREATIONAL SWIM, SWIM, SWIMMING SESSIONS AND MECHANISMS TO IMPROVE ACCESS. INCLUDE LOW COST SWIM LESSONS FOR YOUTH TRANSPORTATION VOUCHERS TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED TRANSPORTATION OR MOBILITY OPTIONS. TARGETED OUTREACH MARKETING EFFORTS TO EXPAND AWARENESS, UM, AND SUBSIDIZED ADMISSIONS AND CLASS FEES. SO, INITIATIVE EIGHT CENTERS ON ESSENTIALLY BETTER COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING AND OUTREACH, UM, LEVERAGING PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, AND OTHER CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS. THE CITY WILL OFFER TARGET OUTREACH MATERIALS IN THE FOUR LANGUAGES, UM, IN OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS POLICY. UM, AND THIS AQUATICS FOCUSED MARKETING OUTREACH PROGRAM, UM, WILL ESSENTIALLY COMMUNICATE ALL THAT HAS TO ALL THE, UM, EQUITABLE FUN, UM, PROGRAMMING, UM, SCHOLARSHIPS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. AND LASTLY, TO ADDRESS COMMENTS RELATED TO THE FEAR OF BEING OTHER PRMS COMMUNITY RECREATION SERVICES BUREAU WHEN MAINTAIN THEIR JEDI TRAINING PROGRAM. AND TO CONTINUE TO IMPORT, INCORPORATE DEI INITIATIVES AND ITS ONGOING TRAINING PROGRAMS. UM, FUNDING HAS BEEN SET ASIDE AS PART OF THE ANNUAL ONM TO SUPPORT THESE INITIATIVES. UM, CURRENTLY THROUGH THE EAP, UH, PROP A FUNDS ARE PROPOSED TO FUND TRANSIT VOUCHERS THAT WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST THOSE WITH LIMITED TRANSPORTATION OR MOBILITY OPTIONS TO ACCESS THE BELMONT POOL. UM, WHILE THE CITY'S LARGE AND BLESSED WITH HAVING A MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION OP OPTIONS IN THE CITY TRANSIT METRO, UM, CIRCUIT, AND EVEN BIKE SHARE ACCESS TO THE SHORELINE WITHOUT A VEHICLE CAN REMAIN CHALLENGING FOR THOSE WITHOUT A PERSONAL AUTOMOBILE OR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES OR MOBILITY ISSUES AS PART OF ITS OPERATIONAL, UM, UH, PROGRAMMING AND AS PART OF THE EAP AS WELL. UM, THE DOCUMENT ESTABLISHES A MECHANISM TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE INITIATIVES AS WELL AS THE TRANSIT VOUCHER PROGRAM. AND SO THROUGH THE EAP, ADDITIONAL OUTREACH AND METRICS, UM, WILL BE CONDUCTED TO IN, TO BETTER INFORM, UH, THE PROGRAM AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND WILL BE ADJUSTED AS ADJUSTED AS NECESSARY. SO THAT, UM, SO THAT CONCLUDES WITH THE EAP. DID YOU WANNA GO OVER THIS? THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHARLENE. SO I'LL ROUND US OUT HERE AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, WHAT THE PROJECT IS BEFORE YOU AND WHAT THE FINANCIAL PLAN IS. AND SO, UH, IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024, WE WENT OUT TO GO FIND, UH, POTENTIAL GENERAL CONTRACTORS. THIS IS A REALLY BIG, REALLY COMPLEX PROJECT. WE WANTED TO PRE-QUALIFY SOME OF THOSE, AND WE FOUND FIVE GCS THAT WERE PRE-QUALIFIED AND DETERMINED ELIGIBLE. UH, WE WENT AHEAD AND ISSUED OUR BID [02:05:01] IN FEBRUARY OF 2025 AND RECEIVED BIDS IN MAY. UH, BUT THOSE BIDS EXCEEDED THE PROJECT ESTIMATE AND, UH, WAS NOT AFFORDABLE AT THE TIME. UH, WE REJECTED ALL THE BIDS AND ELECTED TO BASICALLY SIMPLIFY, UH, AND, AND UPDATE THE PLANS, TRY TO BE MORE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, REDUCE UNCERTAINTY, UH, AND PROVIDE CLARITY AND CONSISTENCY. SO WE REBID THE PROJECT IN SEPTEMBER OF 2025, UH, AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL. UH, WE RECEIVED THREE RESPONSIVE BIDS, UH, AND THROUGH THAT, UH, REBIDDING PROCESS, WE ACTUALLY, UH, SAW INCREASED BIDDER PARTICIPATION AND A TOTAL PROJECT COST SAVINGS OF FIVE AND A HALF MILLION. UH, SO WHILE IT DID TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER, IT WAS DEFINITELY WORTH THE WAIT. UH, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONSTRAINTS OUT THERE IN THE INDUSTRY? THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS GOING ON RIGHT NOW. UM, THERE'S AIRPORT IMPROVEMENTS, HOSPITALS, MEDICAL FACILITIES, SCHOOL, UH, SCHOOL PROJECTS FUNDED BY BONDS, TRANSIT PROJECTS, ALL OF WHICH WITH ALL THAT BUILDING, UH, UH, IS RESULTS IN, IN, UH, KIND OF FEWER CONTRACTORS AVAILABLE. AND, UH, AND CONTRACTORS WITH LOTS OF PROJECTS ON THEIR HANDS. UH, THERE'S BEEN MARKET VOLATILITY AND REGIONAL CONDITIONS HAVE IMPACTED OUR OVERALL CONSTRUCTION LANDSCAPE. UH, THESE INCLUDE THINGS LIKE THE COST OF MATERIALS, GLOBAL TRADE UNCERTAINTY, UH, CAUSED BY TARIFF, UH, POLICY, UH, AND CONSTRAINED LABOR MARKET. AND WE'RE EXPERIENCING LARGE VOLUMES OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR CON UH, CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW. AND SO, UH, WE'RE, UH, SEEING A SHRINKING LABOR SUPPLY ALSO DUE TO INCREASED, UH, FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. SO, WHERE'S THE PROJECT RIGHT NOW? THERE'S TWO NUMBERS THAT WE LOOK AT. UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROJECT COST, WE LOOK AT THE OVERALL PROJECT COSTS, AND THAT REALLY IS SOUP TO NUTS. SO THINK OF ANY DOLLAR THAT WAS SPENT FROM, UH, ALL THE WAY BACK IN 2013 ALL THE WAY TO TODAY. IT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE THE DEMOLITION COST, WHICH WAS SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS. IT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, LAWYERS FOR, FOR LAWSUITS. IT INCLUDES, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY OF OUR DESIGN OR OUTREACH, OR IT ALSO INCLUDES INVESTMENT IN THE TEMPORARY POOL. SO THAT IS REALLY THE ALL IN COST. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ACTUAL PROJECT THAT WE'RE BRINGING TO YOU TODAY IS ABOUT $59 MILLION. AND SO, UH, WE HAD ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED THAT WE'D HOPED THE PROJECT WOULD BE IN THE 90 MILLION RANGE. IT WAS COMING IN AT THE REJECTED BID AT 109. AND THE CURRENT BID WITH ALL IN COSTS, THE, THE COST PLUS ALL OF THE, UH, THE PROJECT DELIVERY COSTS, UH, ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2013, UH, IS 103.6. AND SO, UH, WE HAVE BEEN SETTING ASIDE MONEY. THIS PROJECT IS MOSTLY CASH FUNDED, WHICH IS KIND OF, UH, UH, UNIQUE FOR A PROJECT. THIS SIZES, UH, WE HAVE IN THE, IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, PUT ASIDE AN ADDITIONAL $16 MILLION. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO CLARIFY, THESE ARE NOT PRO DOLLARS THAT CAN GO TO STREETS AND SIDEWALKS AND, AND PARKS IN, IN THE WHOLE CITY. THEY HAVE TO BE RESTRICTED DOWN TO THE, UH, PROJECTS ALONG THE COAST. AND SO WITH ANOTHER 16 MILLION, IT HAD A BUDGET OF 77.1 MILLION. WE ARE RECOMMENDING A VERY SMALL, UM, UH, UH, UM, CONTINGENCY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, OF ONE AND A HALF MILLION, UH, THAT IS PRETTY SMALL ON A PROJECT LIKE THIS, BUT TRYING TO KEEP COSTS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE. AND SO THE OVERALL TO, UH, TOTAL PROJECT COST WITH THAT RESERVE IS 105 MILLION. AND SO REALLY WHAT'S NEEDED IS TO FIND THAT GAP OF 28 MILLION BETWEEN WHAT THE PROJECT'S GONNA COST. AND THE 77 WE SET ASIDE. SO WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT 28 MILLION RIGHT NOW. UH, FIRST WE'RE LOOKING TO REDUCE THAT WITH ANY TYPES OF ELIGIBLE GRANTS THAT THIS PROJECT MAY BE, UH, UM, ELIGIBLE FOR ONE, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED PARK IMPACT FEES FOR OUR AUDIENCE. SO THIS IS WHEN NEW DEVELOPMENT COMES. THEY PAY A PORTION OF NEW PARK FACILITIES. THERE'S A LOT OF NEW DEVELOPMENT, UH, RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER AT SECOND AND PCH, SEVERAL HUNDRED UNITS, WELL OVER A THOUSAND THAT ARE PAYING THOSE DOLLARS, UM, FOR PARK IMPACT FEES. AND SO WE THINK THIS WOULD BE A GOOD NEXUS FOR A MILLION DOLLARS OF THOSE. UH, THERE IS SOME COUNTY MEASURE A MONEY WE'RE GONNA BE BRINGING BACK TO YOU, UH, LATER THIS YEAR, A LARGE PLAN ABOUT HOW TO SPEND THAT, UH, COUNTY MEASURE AID DOLLARS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY. BUT THERE'S A SMALL PORTION, UH, AVAILABLE IN THE SOUTH STUDY AREA OF 940,000. WE HAVE ACCESS TO ABOUT, UH, A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY DOLLARS. UH, WE WORK WITH OUR, UH, UTILITIES DEPARTMENT ON THOSE. UH, BUT, UH, IN THE PAST, EVERY PROJECT WE BROUGHT TO THEM HAS BEEN APPROVED. UH, AND SO THIS WOULD, UH, FUND THE SOLAR PANELS AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY. WE'LL BE APPLYING FOR A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR GRANT AS PART OF NATIVE DUNE AND HABITAT, UH, GRANTS OUTTA PROP FOUR. AND SO THAT LEAVES ABOUT 24 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO BE OFFSET BY BOND PROCEEDS. THE OTHER BIG PART OF THE EXPENSE OF THIS IS THE OPERATING EXPENSE. SO YOU PAY FOR THE CAPITAL, BUT THEN YOU ALSO HAVE TO PAY FOR, UH, THE STAFFING THAT'S THERE. AND SO IT IS A LARGER FACILITY, IT IS, THAN WHAT WE HAVE TODAY. IT IS SMALLER THOUGH THAN, UH, WHAT WE HAD HAD BEFORE AND DEFINITELY SMALLER THAN WHAT HAD BEEN PLANNED. SO IF YOU REMEMBER, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT A $6 MILLION OPERATING UNDER THE LARGER PROJECT THAT IS NOW DOWN TO ABOUT, UH, $2.3 MILLION, UH, GAP. AND SO, UH, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THE COST OF THE LIFEGUARDS, THE COST OF THE POOL SUPPLIES, AND OUR REGULATORY OBLIGATIONS LIKE THE EQUITY PLAN. AND SO, UH, UH, IN ORDER TO, UH, GAIN THAT 24.5 MILLION TO HAVE THE PROJECT FULLY FUNDED, UH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING DEBT FINANCING. UH, IT IS A 75 YEAR LIFE OF A PROJECT, AND WE WOULD ISSUE [02:10:01] DEBT FOR THE FIRST 30 YEARS OF THAT, ESSENTIALLY. UH, SO WE WOULD, UH, PAY ABOUT $1.48 MILLION IN ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE FOR THE DURATION OF THAT REPAYMENT AND THEN COME UP WITH $2.3 MILLION. UH, AND SO THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF NEW REVENUE, UH, AND NEW SOLUTIONS WE NEED TO FIND IS 3.78 MILLION ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. AND SO IT WOULD EITHER NEED TO COME AS THE TIDELANDS GENERATES MORE MONEY, OR WE'D HAVE TO CUT FROM TIDELANDS, OR THE OTHER OPTION IS TO HAVE THE GENERAL FUND PAY FOR IT. AND THAT IS NOT SOMETHING I'M RECOMMENDING. WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS WITHIN TIDELANDS, UH, AND NEW REVENUE TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THAT. AND SO, UH, WHAT ARE THOSE IDEAS? UH, THERE'S REALLY FOUR, UH, FOUR MAJOR IDEAS. ONE IS SPONSORSHIP AND ADVERTISING. UH, WE HAVE DONE SOME INITIAL WORK AND BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE ADVERTISING AND, AND NAMING RIGHTS OPPORTUNITIES THERE. WE'RE BEING CONSERVATIVE, BUT ESTIMATING THAT AT ABOUT $250,000 A YEAR FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS, UH, WE, UH, THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY APPROVED SOME PARKING STRUCTURE, UM, REVENUE INCREASES IN PRIOR BUDGETS. THAT HAS NOT GONE INTO EFFECT YET AS WE WORK WITH COASTAL. SO YOU'VE ALREADY APPROVED THAT. UM, AND, UH, THAT WOULD BE ABOUT 300,000 THAT WOULD SUPPORT THE TIDELANDS FUND. WE DID GO BACK AND LOOK AT SOME FEE INCREASES. UH, SO, UH, POOLS DO NOT PAY FOR THEMSELVES. IT'S, YOU DON'T DO THIS AS A REVENUE GENERATING ASSET. YOU DO THIS SO THAT KIDS LIKE WHAT WE SEE IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, CAN, CAN COME AND, AND DO THAT AFFORDABLY, BUT WE DO BELIEVE SOME FEE INCREASES ARE POSSIBLE. AND THE BIGGEST ONE IS REALLY LOOKING, UH, TO THE ALAMEDA BAY MARINA PARKING AREA, UH, THAT'S BEEN LOOKED AT FOR A LONG TIME. THERE'S 1800 SPACES OVER THERE, ALL OF WHICH ARE FREE, UH, WHICH IS VERY UNIQUE IN A, IN A COASTAL ENVIRONMENT. UH, IT IS VERY COMMON TO PAY A NOMINAL FEE FOR PARKING. IT ALSO ENCOURAGES TURNOVER AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SPOTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR LOTS OF PEOPLE TO COME TO THE COAST. WE'VE DONE SOME ESTIMATES AND BELIEVE THAT EVEN AT 20% OCCUPANCY, UH, WE WOULD GENERATE ABOUT $3 MILLION, UH, WHICH WOULD BE THE BULK OF THIS PROJECT, AND THAT WOULD BE NEW REVENUE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, TO HELP FUND THIS. WE GET ASKED SOMETIMES, WHAT DOES, UH, TIDELANDS LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE? UH, IT IS A, A HIGHLY VARIABLE FUND THAT GOES UP AND DOWN, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE IN 24 AND 25, UH, EXPECTING SOME, UH, SOME LARGER SURPLUSES. THE NEXT TWO YEARS ARE FAIRLY FLAT, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME, UM, SOME DEFICITS IN FUTURE YEARS. UH, MOSTLY AS, AS, UH, UH, PRIOR DEBT COMES OFF THE BOOKS. UH, BUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU NOW IS IF WE WERE TO DO THE PLAN, WE'RE RECOMMENDING AND WE WOULD, UM, IN THE FUTURE, LOOK FOR ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF SAVINGS. UH, ESSENTIALLY TIDELANDS GOES FROM BEING IN THE NEGATIVE TO BEING, UH, FLAT OR IN THE POSITIVE. UH, SO THIS IS DEFINITELY A VERY MANAGEABLE SITUATION, UH, FOR THE OUTLOOK. SO THIS PROJECT IS NOT EXPECTED, UH, WITH THE RECOMMENDED, RECOMMENDED, UM, ACTIONS, UH, TO CAUSE ANY ISSUES IN TIDELANDS. SO THAT'S A LONG PRESENTATION. WE'RE AT THE END. UH, SO WHAT ARE WE ASKING FOR TONIGHT? UH, WE ARE ASKING BASICALLY TO APPROVE, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT. UH, THE, THE BIDS FOR THIS, UM, UH, EXPIRE AT THE END OF THE MONTH. SO THIS IS A TIMELY ITEM. WE DO NEED SOME DIRECTION TONIGHT, UH, ABOUT WHETHER TO MOVE FORWARD OR NOT. UH, THAT IS A, A CONTRACT COST OF ABOUT $59 MILLION. WE'RE ALSO ASKING YOU TO APPROVE OUR CONTRACT WITH ARC. WHO DOES OUR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT? UH, WE ARE LOOKING, UH, FOR THE TIDELANDS OPERATING FUND GROUP, UH, TO BE INCREASED WITH THE, UH, FUTURE BOND PROCEEDS AND TO ACCEPT, UH, INCREASES, UH, FOR THE, THE GRANT, UH, UH, ITEMS THAT WE, UM, OUTLINED. AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU FOR A FUTURE CONSIDERATION. UH, UH, WE FOUND SOME MONEY TO WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON THE MHA POOL BY LOOKING THROUGH A PIGGYBACK CONTRACT. AND SO WE'LL BRING THAT TO YOU, UH, AND THEN INCREASE THE APPROPRIATIONS AS WE RECEIVE THOSE, UH, COUNTY GRANTS AND THE FUTURE AB 32 FUNDING. UH, AND, UH, THOSE WOULD BE OUR ACTIONS. SO THE LAST THING IS THE NEXT STEP IN SCHEDULE. UM, SO WE'RE ASKING FOR SOME DECISIONS TONIGHT. UH, WE WOULD THEN, UH, UH, VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER, UH, GET DONE WITH THE CONTRACTING AND THE PRE-CONSTRUCTION WORK. WE EXPECT, UH, SHOVELS TO BE ABLE TO START MOVING DIRT IN, IN SUMMER OF 2026. AND THEN WE EXPECT, UM, UH, IT TO BE, UM, COMPLETED RIGHT AROUND SPRING 2028, SPRING TO SUMMER, UH, DEFINITELY BEFORE THE OLYMPICS, UH, WOULD NOT BE OLYMPICS VENUE, BUT IT WOULD BE RIGHT IN THE HEART OF ALL THE OLYMPICS ACTIVITY THAT IS THERE. AND WE'D BE ABLE TO SHOW OFF THAT FACILITY. AND THEN WE GET ASKED QUESTIONS. A LOT OF WHAT HAPPENS TO THE TEMPORARY POOL. OUR PLAN IS TO KEEP THAT POOL OPERATING DURING CONSTRUCTION SO WE DON'T LOSE ACCESS TO THE WATER. AND THEN OUR PERMIT SAYS, ONCE WE GET OUR C CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, WE HAVE THREE YEARS TO COME BACK TO THE COASTAL COMMISSION AND TALK THROUGH THE PLAN. DOES IT GO AWAY? DOES IT HAVE, UH, AND YOU KNOW, IS THERE AT THAT TIME ABLE TO LOOK AT, AT A DIFFERENT WAY WITH THE COASTAL COMMISSION? I THINK THEIR INTENT AT THIS MOMENT IS THAT THAT WOULD GO AWAY AND NOT BE A TEMPORARY POOL ANYMORE. AND THEN WE WOULD, UH, TRANSITION, UH, TO THE NEW FACILITY. SO, BUT WE'LL HAVE THREE YEARS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND, AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I KNOW THAT WAS A LOT. WE, UH, WILL PREPARE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH THIS, TO TELL THE WHOLE STORY. YOU ALL GET ASKED QUESTIONS. WHERE'S THE POOL? WHAT IS IT? WHERE SHOULD IT GO? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? I HOPE YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THIS. UH, AND WE HAVE NOW A, A SOLID PLAN [02:15:01] THAT DOES NOT TAKE FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND, UH, IS, IS ABLE TO PAY FOR ITSELF AND MOVE FORWARD. GOOD JOB. IT ONLY TOOK, IT ONLY TOOK 10 YEARS AND ABOUT A 45 MINUTE COUNCIL PRESENTATION. BUT WE FINALLY GOT, WE FINALLY GOT THERE. SEE, TOM, WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THE STATE OF THE CITY, IT TOOK ME LIKE 60 SECONDS. ONE SLIDE'S, MAYBE TWO . ALRIGHT, WELL THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE, UH, WHO ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS AND THEY'VE WAITED A WHOLE LONG TIME. SO WE'RE GONNA GO WRITE IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE'LL SAVE THE COUNCIL DELIBERATION AFTER YOU GET A CHANCE TO TALK. I'M GONNA READ THE FIRST 10. THE TOTAL I SEE ARE 23. UH, THE FIRST 10 ARE LUCY JOHNSON, FRED ZELMER, JR. CLAIRE BULLISH. IF YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, START MAKING WAY TO THE FRONT. UH, CAROL LIN HANSEY, SEAN OTI, UH, HAWK WISE, DAVE SHUKLA, SAGE KOUTS, AND IVANA ANTON LUCY IS FIRST FOLLOWED BY FRED. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, IT'S MY PLEASURE AT THIS TIME TO STAND BEFORE YOU FOR NOT, NOT THE FIRST TIME. UM, NOT THE FIRST TIME, NOT THE FIRST TIME. UH, BEEN STANDING HERE FOR SOME OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T SEEN ME BEFORE. BUT, UH, 'CAUSE YOU'RE NEWER ON THE COUNCIL, BUT IT'S, UM, I'M HERE TO ONCE AGAIN REQUEST YOUR APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM. THE PROJECT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING OVER THE PAST 12, NEARLY WE'RE ONE MONTH SHORT OF 13 YEARS. UM, I'VE STOOD BEFORE YOU SEVERAL TIMES SEEKING YOUR APPROVAL FOR THE PROJECT, AND IT'S VERY ENCOURAGING TO SEE THIS ITEM COME FORWARD TONIGHT. I ESPECIALLY WANTED TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER YANG FOR SUPPORTING THIS PROJECT IN ROLE AS THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSIONER. I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE'RE FINALLY APPROACHING THE POINT WHERE SHOVELS WILL BE IN THE GROUND AND CONSTRUCTION BEGINS. WHILE I'M PLEASED THAT THIS EVENING WE'RE SEEKING YOUR, THAT YOUR APPROVAL FOR THIS ITEM, I DO HAVE TO THROW THE LITTLE DIGGY IN. IT'S DISAPPOINTING THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO BRING TO FRUITION THE WORLD CLASS FACILITY THAT WAS ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED AND APPROVED IN FISCAL YEAR 2014. UNFORTUNATELY, CIRCUMSTANCES BEHIND BEYOND ALL OF OUR CONTROL AFFECTING THE TIDES FUNDS HAVE REQUIRED THAT PROJECT TO BE DOWNSIZED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS AS SOMEBODY WHO WAS SWIMMING IN THAT POOL WHEN IT VERY FIRST OPENED IN 1968, AND WHO MOVED TO LONG BEACH TO CONTINUE TRAINING IN THE POOL IN 1980 AND THROUGHOUT EVER SINCE. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED. IT'S JUST, THANKS LUCY. LONG LINE TONIGHT. SO I HOPE YOU, THIS REPRESENTS THE FINAL ITERATION OF THE PROJECT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. THANKS. IT WILL. IF WE DON'T GROW THE PROJECT, WE CAN GET THIS PROJECT DELIVERED. PARDON? THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. FRED ZELMER. I ALSO BUILT GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE AT THE AIRPORT. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN, UH, IN TOUCH WITH MY BUDDY RICARDO. HE'LL BE BACK ON THE 12TH AND IT WAS MY DAUGHTER, ABBY RICARDO ACEVEDO'S SON, TONY AND MISTY MAY WON THE CENTURION AWARD, ATHLETES OF THE YEAR CITY LONG BEACH 2000, AND IT WAS MAYOR BEVERLY THAT GAVE THEM THEIR AWARD. I AM HERE TO OFFER MY SERVICES AS AN INDEPENDENT CONSTRUCTION ADVISORY AND ETHICS OVERSIGHT REGARDING THE CONSTRUCTION, THE POOL, AND THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE OF THE COST, THE EXPEDIENCY OF IT. I'M GOOD AT GETTING JOBS DONE QUICK AND AS BELTS AND ALL GO WITH IT. SO YOU GOT ME NERVOUS WITH MY TIME HERE. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE NAME THE PIER, THE BELMONT VETERANS MEMORIAL POOL. THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD REALLY PAY GOOD TRIBUTE TO THOSE THAT SERVED AND EVEN GAVE US OUR COUNTRY TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY. ALSO, WE DELIVERED OPTION THREE. I'M WITH TODD LELAND. WE'RE NOW DESIGNING A MEANS TO PROTECT OUR INNER HARBOR RIGHT AWAY. IT'LL BE DONE BY THE END OF THE MONTH. AND WE ALSO SAVED THE BELMONT PIER WHEN I PROPOSED THIS. SO THE CALIFORNIA COAST COMMISSION THANK YOU MONEY ON OIL. YOUR TIME IS CONCLUDED. WHO ARE THEY TO TELL US WE CAN'T PROTECT OUR OWN. THANKS CAPTAIN. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS CLAIRE AND THEN CAROL. HELLO, MY NAME IS CLAIRE BULLISH AND I PLAY FOR NINE OH EIGHT WATER POLO CLUB. I'M BORN AND RAISED IN LONG BEACH AND I LOVE WATER POLO. IT HAS ALLOWED ME TO TRAVEL THE WORLD LIKE BARU, BRAZIL FOR THE PANAM GAMES. I RECENTLY GOT BACK TAKING HOME THE GOLD IN MV [02:20:01] MVP FOR THE QUARTERFINAL AND CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. LONG BEACH DESERVES AN ELITE AQUATIC CENTER TO GIVE MORE POOL TIME FOR KIDS TO PLAY WATER POLO AND OTHER AQUATIC SPORTS. ALSO, IT WILL SUPPORT THE AQUATIC CAPITAL. I PERSONALLY HAVE BEEN TRAINING AT BELMONT SINCE AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER AND IT WOULD BE AMAZING TO SEE THIS GREAT OF AN UPGRADE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEE THIS POOL BE BUILT TO INSPIRE MANY MORE GENERATIONS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, IT'S CAROL HERE. I HAVE CAROL AND THEN SEAN AFTER SEAN IS HAWK. UH, GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND DISTINGUISHED COUNCIL MEMBERS. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THIS GREAT CITY OF LONG BEACH AND THANK YOU TO YOUR, UH, CITY STAFF FOR A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION. UH, I'M A LONG BEACH NATIVE, BORN AND RAISED, LIVED IN THE 9 0 8 0 3 MY ENTIRE LIFE. AND THAT POOL IS WHERE I LEARNED HOW TO SWIM BY MY FATHER, WHO WAS A LONG BEACH LIFEGUARD BEFORE THE BREAKWATER IN THE THIRTIES AND THE FORTIES. AND I WENT ON TO, UH, BE A COMPETITIVE SWIMMER AND A SWIM COACH AT WILSON HIGH AND AT LONG BEACH STATE. AND I CONTINUE TO SWIM TODAY AND, UH, ALONG I SWAM ALONGSIDE OLYMPIANS AND I SWAM. I WATCHED KIDS, UH, LEARN HOW TO SWIM AND COMPETE FROM ALL AGES. AND TODAY, UM, I'M SO THRILLED AND GRATEFUL THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO REBUILD THAT POOL. IT IS A PART OF, AND IT TRULY IS A KEY PART OF THE AQUATIC CAPITAL OF AMERICA, WHICH WE ARE. UM, I FREQUENT THE POOL AND IT, THOSE, UH, WATER AEROBIC CLASSES ARE AMAZING. KIDS LEARNING HOW TO SWIM, UM, COMPETITIONS. THERE'S SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND THE PLANS ARE WONDERFUL TO HAVE INCLUSION OF SO MANY PEOPLE. AND I'M SO GLAD TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN A CITY THAT WILL CONTINUE THIS GREAT LEGACY OF AQUATICS. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS SEAN, AND THEN HAWK, MR. MAYOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UH, AQUATIC SUPPORTERS. I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR KEEPING THIS PROGRAM ALIVE, UM, THROUGH ALL THESE YEARS. AND A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND TEAM FOR REALLY DOING SOME HEAVY LIFTING DURING THE LAST 10 PLUS YEARS ON THIS. UM, IT, IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO GET THIS KIND OF STUFF DONE. AND I'LL JUST SAY, AS AN AQUATIC SUPPORTER OF LONG BEACH NATIVE AND SOMEONE WHO USES THE POOL AND KIDS USE THE POOL, MY KIDS USE THE POOL. UH, QUITE OFTEN IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY, WE WILL HAVE RECREATIONAL SWIMMERS, WE WILL HAVE MASTER SWIMMERS, WE WILL HAVE YOUTH PROGRAMS, WE WILL HAVE HIGH SCHOOL WATER POLO BEING PLAYED IN THIS POOL THIS WEEKEND ALONE. WE'LL HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL WATER POLO, UH, TOURNAMENT BEING PLAYED AT THE POOL. AND THIS IS JANUARY. THAT DOESN'T EVEN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE THERE. THE TRAININGS THAT GO ON WITH OUR, UH, LIFEGUARDS AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. IT'S JUST A GREAT ASSET FOR THE, FOR THE CITY. AND IT'S IN A BEAUTIFUL LOCATION, WHICH SPEAKS WELL OF SOME OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT THE, UH, COUNCIL HAS BEEN, UH, BUILDING AND WORKING ON. SO THANK YOU. AND, UH, LET'S BUILD THE POOL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT IS HAWK AND THEN DAVE SHUKLA. ALRIGHT. HELLO COUNCIL MEMBERS. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS HANK WISE AND, UH, OH'S. HANK NOT HAWK. YEAH, CLOSE. OKAY. I, IT SAYS HAWK ITERATION. IT'S KIND OF NICE. ALL RIGHT. I, IT KIND OF WORKS. , UM, YOU KNOW, SHE, EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY'S MENTIONING SO MANY APPROPRIATE THINGS. SEAN'S TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT ARE THERE. CAROL'S TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THE THANK YOUS. AND I, I WANNA REITERATE ALL THOSE THINGS. I WON'T HAVE THE TIME TO DO IT, BUT ONE THING IS JUST YOUR PRESENTATION. YOU GUYS GET AN A PLUS IN THAT HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT, SERIOUSLY. UM, NO, BUT IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE DAYS OF PAT WEST, THE DAYS OF SUSIE PRICE, YOU KNOW, REX, HE TALKS ABOUT YOUR 15 YEARS HERE AND IT'S BEEN A PART OF IT, EVERY ONE OF THOSE 15 YEARS. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MR. OREN, HE, HE BROUGHT UP, UH, SO MANY GOOD POINTS AND NOW THOSE POINTS ARE COMING TO FRUITION IN, UH, THE LATEST ITERATION. UM, MY TAKE HOME MESSAGE HERE IS THAT IT'S KIND OF LIKE A, IT'S AN ORGANISM. BELMONT PLAZA IS LIKE AN ORGANIC ORGANISM THAT JUST GROWS ORGANICALLY IN SO MANY DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SIZES AND, UM, WHETHER IT'S AS MENTIONED, WATER AEROBICS, YOUTH SWIMMING, ADULT SWIMMING, WATER POLO, YOU, IT JUST, THE SOCIAL FABRIC, THE COMPETITIVE FABRIC. IT'S JUST SO BEAUTIFUL. AND, UM, THERE'S MANY TIMES WHEN I'M DOWN THERE, WHICH I WISH YOU GUYS COULD COME DOWN AND CHECK US OUT. SO I'VE INVITED TOM AND CREW TO COME. I INVITE ALL OF YOU GUYS TO COME WHEN IT'S BUILT. THANK YOU FOR BUILDING A POOL. [02:25:01] ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GET IT DONE. DAVE, WAIT, HANG ON. WHO ARE THESE CHILDREN? WHAT ARE YOUR NAMES? MY NAME'S SAGE KZ. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. JUST GO AHEAD. I DON'T HAVE YOU ON MY LIST, BUT YOU'RE HERE. HELLO, MY NAME IS SAGE KOUTS AND I JUST WANNA SAY HOW MUCH THE POOL MEANS TO ME, MY TEAM, AND JUST SO MANY MORE. UH, THE VNU POOL WILL HELP OPEN SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE YOUNG AND THE ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO NEVER EVEN TOOK AN INTEREST OR EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT SWIMMING MIGHT FIND IT ENJOYABLE. AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SWIMMING FOR YEARS WILL BE ABLE TO FURTHER FIND AND IMPROVE, IMPROVE THEIR CAPABILITIES IN SWIMMING AND MORE, UM, AND I HOPE THE NEW POOL WILL, WILL BENEFIT MORE AND PEOPLE AND THE COMMON WAIT. AND IT, AND I HOPE IT WILL HELP THE COMMUNITY GROW AND THRIVE AS A WHOLE. AND I HOPE THAT NOT ONLY ME, BUT ALSO SO MANY MORE PEOPLE WILL HELP AND THE POOL WILL HELP THEM STAY FIT AND HEALTHY AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE GETS ENOUGH LIKE STRENGTH AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS WATER SAFE. THE POOL WILL NOT ONLY HELP ME LEARN TO BE WATER SAFE, BUT IT ALSO HELPED ME FIND THE SPORT THAT I NOW LOVE AND I CAN, AND I ONLY CAN ONLY HOPE THAT IT WILL HELP SO MANY MORE AS WELL. UH, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, GOOD JOB. LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE ROCKET FISH. ALRIGHT. OH, WE GOT ONE MORE. GO AHEAD. LET'S JUST HEAR ALL THE ROCKET FISH. LET'S GO. HI. SO GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS IVANA ANTON AND I'M A PART OF THE ROCKET FISH SWIM TEAM. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT WHY A NEW POOL WOULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE FOR OUR SWIM TEAM AND OUR COMMUNITY. RIGHT NOW OUR TEAM TRAINS IN A SPACE THAT LIMITS OUR POTENTIAL. WITH A NEW POOL, WE WOULD HAVE MORE LANE SPACE, SAFER CONDITIONS AND BETTER TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. THIS MEANS SWIMMERS COULD PRACTICE MORE EFFICIENTLY, IMPROVE THEIR TECHNIQUE AND REDUCE OVERCROWDING THAT OFTEN LEADS TO INJURIES OR SHORTENED PRACTICES. A NEW POOL WOULD ALL WOULD ALSO ALLOW US TO HOST MEETS AND EVENTS, BRINGING OUR SWIM TEAM AND OUR FAMILIES TOGETHER WHILE SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. IT WOULD ENCOURAGE MORE KIDS AND YOUNG ADULTS TO JOIN THIS, THE SWIM TEAM, PROMOTE HEALTHY LIFESTYLES AND GIVE OUR ATHLETES A CHANCE TO COMPETE AT A HIGHER LEVEL. INVESTING IN A NEW POOL ISN'T JUST ABOUT SWIMMING, IT'S ABOUT TEAMWORK, DISCIPLINE, AND GIVING YOUNG ATHLETES THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO SUCCEED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO DAVE, BEFORE YOU GO, I'M GONNA READ THE NEXT 10, UH, FOX, Y-X-Y-O-L-A. I'M NOT GONNA TRY IT. ZOLA. ZOLA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, CHARLIE MCCRORY, ROONEY HARPER, LUCAS, CORA, EISENBERG, VIVIAN, THOMAS, RO ROGELIO MARTINEZ. KIARA, UH, ANNA CHRISTENSEN. OKAY, YOU'RE UP DAVE. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, I GREW UP SWIMMING IN THE BELMONT OLYMPIC POOL, SWIMMING AND COMPETING IN IT. UH, THIS IS A GOOD STAFF PRESENTATION, UH, BUT IT MUST BE SAID THAT IT'S A BIT BITTERSWEET. THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAD HAD THE POLITICAL WILL TO GET AHEAD OF FORESEEABLE ISSUES WITH, UH, THE TIDELANDS FUNDING BACK WHEN, UH, THE 2015 DESIGN, UH, HAD BEEN APPROVED. PERHAPS WE COULD HAVE HAD THAT FOR 20, THE 2028 OLYMPICS AND NOT BEEN UNDERBID BY USC. UH, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, I THINK, UH, EVERY EXPENDITURE OF TIDELANDS FUNDING TODAY IN 2026 SHOULD INCLUDE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE DEDICATED TO OIL WELL ABANDONMENT AND THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE COME FROM RELYING ON THAT SOURCE OF REVENUE. UM, TAKE A LOOK AT THE AUDIENCE. THERE ARE DOZENS OF CHILDREN HERE, DOZENS OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE REALITIES OF THAT LACK OF FORESIGHT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A POOL FOR EVERYONE IN THE CITY AND NOT JUST FOR FOLKS ON THE EAST SIDE LIKE MYSELF. UH, COUNCILMAN URANGA. I THINK, UH, ALL PARKING BY, UH, THE COASTAL ZONE, INCLUDING THE PARKING THAT'S CURRENTLY FREE SHOULD REMAIN FREE. I THINK WE SHOULD TAP THAT FOR REVENUE AND UH, FINALLY, UM, IT WOULD BE A HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE THING TO HAVE THE WHOLE WORLD COME TO SEE THIS POOL IN ACTION IN A COUPLE OF YEARS AND SEE THE REALITIES OF THANK YOU. WHAT WAS DONE TIME, WHAT WAS TO FIGHT OVER TIDELANDS FUNDING FOR IT. THANKS. DAVE FOX AFTER FOX IS ZOLA. HI, I'M FOX WISE. I SWIM FOR HI WILSON HIGH [02:30:01] SCHOOL AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN LONG BEACH AQUATICS MY WHOLE LIFE. I'VE SWAM IN THE BELMONT PLAZA TEMPORARY POOL AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER AND HAVE CREATED MANY GREAT MEMORIES THERE. WHETHER IT'S SWIMMING, WATER, POLO, COMPETING OR JUST HANGING WITH MY FRIENDS. I SPEND MANY HOURS AT THE BELMONT PLAZA POOL EVERY SINGLE WEEK. BY REBUILDING THE BELMONT POOL, SWIMMERS AND WATER POLO PLAYERS OF ALL AGES WILL HAVE AN EVEN GREATER EXPERIENCE IN A NEW FULLY FUNCTIONING FACILITY. THE BELMONT POOL IS NOT JUST A PLACE TO PRACTICE AND COMPETE IN AQUATICS. IT IS A PLACE THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER AND CREATES LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS. I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THE REBUILDING OF THE POOL AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR EVERYONE THAT IS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. THANK YOU. ZOLA. THERE'S MORE ROCKET FISH. I SEE. YEAH. HELLO, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M ZOLA. BEFORE I START TALKING, I JUST WANNA SAY WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO BE SPEAKING IN FRONT OF YOU ALL AND I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING A GREAT DAY. NOW LET'S GET INTO THE SPECIFICS. I THINK THIS POOL WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN LONG BEACH AND OTHER CITIES BECAUSE IN THIS DAY AND AGE, ALMOST EVERYONE IS ON SCREENS. WE NEED A PLACE LIKE THIS TO ESCAPE FROM THAT, A PLACE TO GET HEALTHY, TO HAVE FUN, AND TO BE IN A LOVING COMMUNITY. SWIMMING HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. IN SECOND GRADE, I HAD NO CLUE HOW TO SWIM. I WAS ALWAYS THE LAST KID TO FINISH OUR LAPS IN THE POOL AT SCHOOL, BUT I'M NOT A QUITTER. SO I KEPT PRACTICING SWIMMING AND LOOK WHERE I AM NOW. SWIMMING ON A FUN AND LOVING SWIM TEAM. ROCKET FISH. THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING TO MY SPEECH. HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR DAY. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. CHARLIE. HI, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? HI, MY NAME IS CHARLIE MACQUARIE. CHARLIE, GREAT. GO FOR IT. AND I BELONG TO ROCKET FISH AND SHORE AQUATICS WATER POLO. AND WE HAVE IN LONG BEACH WE HAVE A RICH COMMUNITY OF SWIMMING AND WATER POLO. AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE A PART OF THE RICH HISTORY OF THE NEW POOL. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB AND GREAT TIPPY TOES. LET'S BRING THAT MICROPHONE DOWN. THERE YOU GO. I'M GONNA LOWER THIS TOO. OH, OKAY. THERE'S A POLL ON THAT SIDE. YEAH, YEAH. JUST WATCH THE POLL. YOU GUYS CAN ADJUST THE MICROPHONE. GOOD. ALRIGHT. YOU GOT IT. HI, MY NAME IS ROONEY AND I WANT TO VOTE FOR THE NEW POOL BECAUSE SWIMMING IS VERY IMPORTANT IN OUR LIVES. AND A NEW POOL COULD UPGRADE OUR SWIMMING AND MAKE EVERYONE FEEL LIKE A, LIKE IT'S A FRESH START. AND I KNOW SWIMMING IS VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR COACH AND MAKING HIM FEEL HAPPY IS ALL I WANT. ALSO HAVING NICER FACILITIES. GOOD JOB COACH MAKES MORE PEOPLE WANT TO LEARN TO SWIM AND THAT MAKES OUR COMMUNITY SAFER. I HOPE YOU VOTE FOR THE NEW POOL AND SEE HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO US. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. NEXT UP. HI, I AM CORA EISENBERG AND I AND I SWIM FOR ROCKET FISH AND I'VE WON AND I VOTE FOR THIS NEW POOL BECAUSE I LOVE TO SWIM. AND I STARTED ROCKET FISH A YEAR AGO AND IT WOULD JUST BE A DREAM TO HAVE A NEW POOL TO SWIM IN 'CAUSE WE HAVE LOTS OF SWIMMERS THAT ARE FROM PLACES AND WE WANT THEM TO SWIM AND HAVE A NEW EXPERIENCE. SO I VOTE ON THIS POOL. GOOD JOB. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS LUCAS LIND AND I'M HERE BECAUSE I LOVE SWIMMING. I LOVE SWIMMING BECAUSE I GET TO BOND WITH MY TEAMMATES, CONNECT WITH MY COACHES, AND COMPETE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. SWIMMING IS ABOUT COMMUNITY AND THIS COMMUNITY COMMUNITY LOVES OUR SWIMMERS. WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE NEED YOUR HELP. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO GROW THIS COMMUNITY, TO ESTABLISH A HOME FOR AQUATICS AND TO LEAVE A LEGACY THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF, ESPECIALLY FROM TEAM ROCKET FISH. PLEASE VOTE YES FOR THE NEW BELMONT POOL. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, GREAT JOB. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. HI, MY NAME IS HARPER AND I SUPPORT THE NEW POOL BECAUSE IT GIVES OTHERS THE CHANCE TO ENJOY. ENJOY THE WONDERFUL SPORT OF SWIM. SWIMMING HAS HELPED ME GAIN STRENGTH BECAUSE IT SHOWED ME THAT I CAN DO HARD THINGS WITH PRACTICE AND CONFIDENCE. SWIMMING IS A FUN ACTIVITY THAT SHOULD BE SHARED WITH OTHERS. WHEN I'M IN THE POOL, I FEEL LIKE I CAN DO ANYTHING. BEING ON A TEAM IS MORE THAN JUST SWIMMING. IT'S ABOUT BEING WITH YOUR FRIENDS, MAKING NEW FRIENDS, AND [02:35:01] GROWING STRONGER THROUGH SWIM. THAT IS WHY I THINK THE NEW POOL IS A GREAT IDEA. WOO. I DO TOO. GOOD JOB. WOO. ALL RIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. I'M NOT EVEN LOOKING AT THE LIST ANYMORE. JUST COME ON IN. COME ON UP. HI, MY NAME IS KIARA. THE NEW POOL WILL GIVE ME A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO SWIM IN THE TOP OF THE LINE POOL. I THINK ROCKET FISH WILL BENEFIT FROM IT. IMAGINE ME, US SWIMMING IN A POOL THAT CAN POSSIBLY BE SWAM BY OLYMPIANS IN 20 IN LA 2028. THANK YOU. MAYBE PRACTICE, BUT NOT COMPETITION. ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. HELLO AND GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS VIVIAN THOMAS AND I THINK HAVING A NEW POOL IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE VERY NICE TO HAVE LOCKER ROOMS AND ALSO PROPER BATHROOMS. ALSO HAVING A BIGGER POOL WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL FOR HOSTING SWIM MEETS. FURTHERMORE, HAVING A SMALL PLAY POOL INSIDE THE OLYMPIC POOL IS GREAT FOR YOUNGER KIDS TO LEARN, HAVE FUN AND SWIM. SWIM. CURRENTLY WE HAVE A BIG POOL FOR SWIMMERS AND WATER POLO AND THEN A SMALLER POOL OUTSIDE FOR BEGINNERS. THE NEW POOL THAT WE ARE GOING TO BUILD WILL BRING SWIMMERS TOGETHER BY PUTTING US IN A UNIFIED AREA AND TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE THIS PLAN A REALITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. HI, MY NAME IS DELANEY AND THIS IS MY FRIEND ADDIE. AND WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT WHY THE NEW POOL WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO US AND OUR TEAM. SWIMMING IS NOT JUST A SPORT FOR US, IT KEEPS US STRONG, CONFIDENT, AND IT'S REALLY FUN. A NEW POOL WOULD GIVE OUR TEAM MORE SPACE TO SWIM AND PRACTICE. I THINK A NEW POOL WOULD HELP ROCKET FISH IMPROVE, HELP BRING THE COMMUNITY CLOSER AND HELP NEW GENERATIONS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. WAS THAT ALL THE REST OF THE ROCKING FISH? I THINK THAT'S THE REST OF THE ROCKET FISH. LET'S HEAR IT. FOR ALL THE COACHES AND PARENTS OF THESE INCREDIBLE READERS AND SPEAKERS AND ATHLETES, I AM PRETTY CONFIDENT ONE OF THEM, THOSE CHILDREN WILL BE COMPETING IN THE OLYMPICS SOMEDAY. ALRIGHT, ROGELIO, YOU'RE UP. ROGELIO MARTINEZ, CANDIDATE FOR LONG BEACH CITY MAYOR. SO AS I WENT THROUGH THE VERY INSIGHTFUL PRESENTATION, UM, ONE THING THAT I DID NOT HEAR IS WHO WOULD BE PROVIDING THE ART. WE HAVE MANY LOCAL ARTISTS IN THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF LONG BEACH. HOPEFULLY YOU'LL CONSIDER A LOCAL ARTIST TO PROVIDE THE ART. THERE IS A 1900 SEAT DEFICIT BETWEEN THE ALMOST PROPOSED 600 SEAT VERSUS THE 2,500 THAT THE ORIGINAL POOL HAD. SO THAT MAKES NO FISCAL SENSE WHATSOEVER THAT WE'RE MISSING 1900 SEATS. UM, THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WAS FOR FIVE GENERAL CONTRACTORS, HOPEFULLY OF THOSE FIVE, IT WAS A LONG BEACH CONTRACTOR OF THE THREE REBUILDS, THREE REBIDS, OBVIOUSLY A LONG BEACH CONTRACTOR WAS NOT AWARDED THE BID, WHICH IS TERRIBLE. UH, YOU'LL BE UTILIZING MEASURE A FUNDS, WHICH IS CRAZY IN ITSELF TOO. AND THEN, UM, WE ARE GONNA BE IN DEBT FOR 30 YEARS. AND THEN THE OPTICS, WHICH WILL BE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY LIFEGUARDS YOU CH YOU INTEND TO HIRE, BUT I DON'T THINK LIFEGUARDS ARE AT A TUNE OF A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR PER LIFEGUARD. THERE'S 1800 SPACES, SO THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE STILL AT A DEFICIT OF ABOUT 1200. IF ONE SINGLE DRIVER DROVE A VEHICLE THERE, I RECOMMEND A NO VOTE. UNFORTUNATELY, I RECOMMEND A NO VOTE. BUT THE WAY THIS WORKS, THIS WILL PASS TODAY. MY NAME IS ROGELIO MARTINEZ. YOU'RE A LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS CITY MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. UH, NEXT IS ANNA CHRISTENSEN. I'M SPEAKING FOR BOTH THE LONG BEACH AREA PEACE NETWORK AND SIERRA CLUB LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS. UM, TASK FORCE RECOMMENDING A NO VOTE. LET ME READ THIS. THE BIG REVEAL OF THE CITY'S LATEST PROPOSAL IS THAT THE PROJECT WILL STILL COST $105 MILLION EXCEEDING ALL CURRENT AND PROJECTED TIDELANDS FUNDING AND REQUIRING THAT ADDITIONAL MONIES BE SECURE, SECURED, UH, INCLUDING A DEBT SERVING TOTALING 44 POINT A HALF MILLION. GIVEN THAT WE HAVE BEEN ASSURED THAT NO GENERAL FUNDS WOULD BE SPENT ON THE PROJECT, GIVEN THAT OUR CITY HAS YET TO PROVIDE EQUITABLE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES TO HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED RESIDENTS. AND GIVEN THAT HOMELESSNESS AND FOOD INSECURITY REMAIN A CONSTANT AND THAT UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS' LIVES ARE IN JEOPARDY, SHOULD WE OBLIGATE CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS TO FINANCE A BOUTIQUE PROJECT WITH MONIES THAT COULD AND SHOULD BE SPENT ON FACILITIES [02:40:01] AND SERVICES FOR THE UNDERSERVED IN UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS? A COMMUNITY POOL COULD BE BUILT IN A FAR MORE DESERVING LOCATION FOR LESS THAN THE COST OF THE BOND ALONE. THIS WOULD LEAD THE $61 MILLION IN TIDELAND MONIES AVAILABLE TO REPAIR EXISTING STRUCTURES LIKE THE PIER AND THE SEA WALLS AND MAINTAIN SERVICES AND LIFEGUARDS. THE STATED GOAL OF THE PROJECT HAS BEEN TO CELEBRATE AND CONTINUE THE OLYMPIC MEDAL WINNING HISTORY OF THE FORMER BELMONT OLYMPIC POOL. WE WOULD ARGUE THAT AS DESIGNED AND CONDITION THIS PROJECT MAY OR MAY NOT PRODUCE OLYMPIC MEDAL WINNERS. WHAT IT WILL DO FOR SURE IS CONTINUE AND EXACERBATE THE RACE AND CLASS PRIVILEGE. THAT IS ALSO PART PART. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS CONCLUDED. LONG BEACH AQUATIC LEGACY. YEAH, MAKE A MAKE A NOISE LIKE THAT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WE HAVE TWO MORE SPEAKERS. KAREN HARPER AND SAMANTHA SIMMONS MATTER. WHO GOES FIRST? UH, JUST COME ON UP. OKAY. YEP. HI EVERYBODY, MY NAME'S SAM SIMMONS. UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK THAT EVERYBODY DOES. I'VE BEEN ON THIS, ARE ATTENDING THESE MEETINGS AND THE PROJECT SINCE ITS INCEPTION. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU ALSO VERY MUCH FOR, UM, TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY AND BEING REALLY CLEAR ABOUT ALL OF THE, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN VERY COMMUNICATED VERY CLEARLY TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT, AND I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, I'M TOWARD THE, THE BUILDERS OF THE POOL. I BELIEVE THAT THE BUILDERS CONTRACTED ARE THE SAME ONES WHO DID THE, THE WILSON HIGH SCHOOL POOL RECENTLY. AND I'M A COMMUNITY MEMBER NEAR THAT AREA. AND I JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT THEY DID A, AN EXCELLENT JOB DRIVING BY THAT FACILITY EVERY DAY. UM, I, I THINK THAT THEY DID A GREAT JOB. SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT. AND THEN THAT SWIMMING IS AN AMAZING SPORT. IT BUILDS COMMUNITY, UM, ALL AROUND. AND I KNOW THAT WITH THIS POOL, THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL HAPPEN THROUGH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR MAKING SUCH A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY AND I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND OUR FINAL SPEAKER PLEASE. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR PATIENCE AND THE WONDERFUL KIDS' SPEECHES. MY NAME IS KAREN HARPER AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT THREE. I WANNA SAY THAT I LOVE THE OLD OLYMPIC POOL. I'VE BEEN SWIMMING IN IT SINCE 1975 AND INCLUDING GOING TO THE OPERA THERE. AND I LOVE THE TEMPORARY POOL. IT'S A SALT WATER HEALTHY POOL AND IT'S KEPT AT 82 DEGREES. BUT SADLY, I RECOMMEND NOT VOTING FOR THIS PROJECT FOR TWO MAIN REASONS. THE COST, WHICH MEANS MONEY IS NOT AVAILABLE TO BUILD A POOL IN NORTH LONG BEACH WHERE WE HAVE A POOL DESERT. AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE USING TIDELANDS MONEY TO BUILD A POOL THAT'S GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE RISING OCEAN, IT'S GONNA MAKE IT UNUSABLE. EVENTUALLY, ALL THAT OIL SHOULD BE LEFT IN THE GROUND SO THAT WE HAVE A LIVING PLANET FOR OUR CHILDREN. SO THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT ON ALL SIDES OF THE MATTER. UH, UH, WE, WE, WE ARE GONNA GET TO A DECISION TONIGHT ON THIS. UM, JUST A FEW POINTS AND THEN I'M GONNA GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN AND THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL. SO, UM, I MENTIONED EARLIER I'VE SEEN DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF THIS PROJECT. I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THERE WERE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE, THE LARGER PROJECT, EVEN BACK THEN. I WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER IN NORTH LONG BEACH WHEN THESE DECISIONS WERE MADE. AND THERE ARE CHALLENGES WITH RESPECT TO OPTICS AND EQUITY AND THE FACT THAT CERTAIN COMMUNITIES HAVE NOT HAD, UH, ACCESS TO POOLS. AND I REPRESENTED THE DISTRICT FURTHEST AWAY FROM, UH, THE COASTLINE. HOWEVER, THERE IS, YOU KNOW, THERE IS THE FACT THAT, UH, TIDELANDS DOLLARS CAN ONLY BE SPENT IN THAT AREA. AND WE SHOULD INVEST IN ASSETS THAT ACCENTUATE AND IMPROVE OUR COASTLINE BECAUSE IN A HUNDRED YEARS WE'RE STILL GONNA BE A COASTAL CITY. THE COASTLINE MAY LOOK DIFFERENT, WE'RE STILL GONNA BE A COASTAL CITY. WE HAVE TO INVEST IN ASSETS. IT HELPS THE WHOLE CITY WHEN WE DO THAT. UH, THE SECOND POINT, UM, IS, UM, THE PROJECT, I DIDN'T BELIEVE WAS FEASIBLE BACK THEN. IT WAS WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. AND IF WE HAD MORE PRIVATE PARTICIPATION, WHICH WAS EXPECTED EARLIER, THERE WOULD BE MORE PRIVATE DO DOLLARS CORPORATE, UM, UH, PARTNERSHIPS THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD MANIFEST THEN MAYBE IT COULD LOOK DIFFERENT. BUT THE WAY THAT THEY'VE DESIGNED THIS PROJECT, IT'S NOT TOO LATE FOR CORPORATE PARTNERS AND NAMING RIGHTS AND OTHER PARTI PARTICIPANTS TO STEP UP AND ADD ADDITIONAL SEATING AND ADD, UH, THE SH THE SHADE STRUCTURE OVER THE TOP. SO THEY'VE BUILT IT, THEY'RE DESIGNING IN A WAY THAT IS FLEXIBLE. AND I THINK, UH, THE CITY THAT WE WERE FIVE YEARS AGO AND 10 YEARS AGO WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE [02:45:01] TYPE OF INTEREST THAT WE'RE GARNERING TODAY. UH, YOU, MANY OF YOU, UH, PARTICIPATED AND SOLVED THE STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT INTEREST, UH, IN THE WORLD. AND, UM, PARTNERS LIKE SPEEDO MOVING THEIR NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS HERE AND, AND EVEN MORE TO COME. THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT REAL STRATEGIC CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL. CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS ARE NOT NECESSARILY LIMIT TO ONE AREA OF TOWN EITHER. I THINK WE HAVE ASSETS ALL AROUND TOWN THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, UH, TO DELIVER MORE ASSETS. ALSO WANNA SAY TO THE POINT ABOUT THERE ARE, UM, THERE'S AREAS POOL DESERTS. IT'S TRUE. I COINED THAT TERM WHEN I WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER IN NORTH LONG BEACH. BUT JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, WE'RE TAKING REAL STEPS TOWARD, UH, A A BUILDING A POOL IN THE FURTHEST AREA OF TOWN IN RAMONA PARK AND OUR ELEVATE 28 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN. WE INVESTED A MILLION BUCKS INTO GETTING THE DESIGN GOING. YOU DESIGN THAT DESIGN, UH, HELPS YOU GET IT SHOVEL READY, AND THEN YOU BEGIN TO SECURE THE FUNDS. MISS CITY MANAGER, WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEPS ON DELIVERING THAT POOL UP IN NORTH LONG BEACH? YES. SO WHILE WE WERE DEVELOPING THIS PROJECT THERE, THIS WAS THE ONLY POOL PROJECT WE WERE LOOKING AT AT, UH, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO. UM, YOU AND, AND SOME OF THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TALKED ABOUT INCREASING POOL EQUITY. AND SO, UH, UH, THAT BECAME AN ACTUAL PROJECT. UM, IT'S, UH, PART OF OUR MEASURE A PLAN. IT'S RIGHT NOW AT THE STAGE OF HIGH LEVEL FEASIBILITY. SO WE HAVE, UH, DONE SOME WORK. WE'VE LOOKED AT, UH, DIFFERENT SITES AND DETERMINED THAT RAMONA WOULD BE THE BEST ONE. WE'VE LOOKED AT SOME IDEAS ON HOW IT COULD FIT IN THAT PARK. UH, AS, AS YOU CAN TELL, POOL PROJECTS ARE COMPLEX. THEY TAKE SOME TIME. UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WORK ON THOSE EVERY YEAR. AND SO THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE LOOKING AT GETTING SOME HIGH LEVEL CONCEPTUAL DESIGN MONEY TO START REALLY FLUSHING OUT WHAT THOSE COSTS ARE. IT'S PROBABLY IN THE 25 TO $30 MILLION RANGE. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU START SOMEWHERE AND YOU START LOOKING FOR GRANTS AND YOU START LOOKING, UH, FOR DOLLARS. AND SO I DO EXPECT THAT, UH, TO BE PART OF OUR NEXT, UM, CAPITAL PLAN, UH, AS WE LOOK AT SOME GRANTS, UH, UM, AS WE DO OUR NEW, OUR NEW CAPITAL PLANNING OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. WHAT, WHAT'S THE NAME OF OUR CAPITAL PLAN? TOM, I THINK YOU'VE RECENTLY DUBBED IT. RENEW 32. RENEW 32, REMEMBER, RIGHT. I HEARD THAT IN THE SPEECH SOMEWHERE. . SO, SO THE WAY THAT THESE PROJECTS ARE, ARE, ARE DEVELOPED, UM, IS LAYERED FUNDING IT ALL ISN'T LIKE THE CITY JUST COUGHS UP, YOU KNOW, $20 MILLION TO DEVELOP A PROJECT. IT, IT TAKES TIME. BUT THE FIRST STEP IS DEVELOPING A SHOVEL-READY PLAN. AND THEN YOU LAYER THE FUNDING TOGETHER. WE'VE SEEN THIS TAKE PLACE. WE DID THAT WITH THE MICHELLE OBAMA NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY. THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE, UM, DOORSTOPS OVER COMMUNITY CENTER, THE UH, UH, YOU KNOW, DIVORCE PARK ASSOCIATION, THE DIVORCE PARK CLUBHOUSE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER. SO WE KNOW HOW TO DELIVER PROJECTS LIKE THIS, BUT IT STARTS WITH THE STEPS WE'VE TAKEN. SO THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. SECOND PART, UM, UH, TO NOTE IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS PROJECT IS GONNA BE BUILT UNION, WHICH CREATES IMPORTANT JOBS. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE NOTE, UH, WE HAVE A CITYWIDE PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT, WHICH QUALIFY MAKES, WHICH ENSURES BOTH LOCAL HIRE AND, UM, UH, PREVAILING WAGE JOB CREATION THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE. THE LAST THING THAT I'LL I'LL SAY IS, UM, WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT WAS THAT LAST SLIDE YOU SHOWED TOM, THAT SHOWED THE REVENUE PICTURE IN TITLES WE'RE BEING INCREDIBLY RESPONSIBLE IN HOW WE ARE, UH, THINKING ABOUT ADDRESSING, UM, THE CHALLENGES IN TIDELANDS. THIS CHALLENGE IN TIDELANDS ISN'T BECAUSE WE'RE NOT, UM, UH, INVE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT INVESTING IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE CORRECTLY. IT'S A REVENUE PROBLEM. TITANS IS LARGELY FUNDED BY OIL. RECENT STATE LAW HAS CHANGED THE PICTURE, WHETHER NO MATTER WHAT SIDE YOU FALL ON, THE REALITY IS IT'S NOT A SMART BET FOR OUR CITY ANYMORE. 'CAUSE WE CAN'T COUNT ON IT ANYMORE. SO ONE BIG PART OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IF WE WANNA SEE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES IN THE TITANS IS DIVERSIFY THE REVENUE COMING IN THE TIDELANDS. IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY NEED TO ALL BE OIL BASED. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT NEW WAYS TO BRING REVENUE INTO TIDELANDS. THE GOOD THING, THE SMART THING ABOUT THIS PLAN IS THAT IT'S LOOKING AT A MODEST PLAN TO CAPTURE PARKING REVENUE. I MEAN, IT'S UNHEARD OF TO HAVE THE KIND OF COASTLINE THAT WE HAVE AND FREE PARKING IN THIS COASTLINE WHEN YOU CAN USE IT TO GENERATE REVENUE TO DO PROJECTS. AND SO I WANT TO THANK THE CITY MANAGER FOR LOOKING AT WAYS TO DIVERSIFY REVENUE AND ACTUALLY PUT TITANS IN A STRONGER FISCAL POSITION. AND IT WAS THIS PROJECT THAT HELPED PUSH, UH, PUSH US TO FIGURE OUT AN INNOVATIVE WAY TO DO SO. NOW THERE'S OTHER THINGS WE STILL HAVE TO DO. THERE'S DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE. THERE'S LEASES THAT, YOU KNOW, LEASES THAT WERE SIGNED YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE FLUSH AND BUYING QUEEN MARY'S AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS YEARS AGO THAT WE CAN'T AFFORD ANYMORE. WE HAVE TO BRING THOSE THINGS UP TO MARKET RATE IF WE REALLY WANNA DO THINGS LIKE PROTECT THE COASTLINE AND SEA WALLS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE DOWNTOWN WATERFRONT IS BEAUTIFUL AND SAFE AND THERE'S ENOUGH, UH, RESOURCES TO KEEP OUR SAND CLEAN AND TO CLEAN UP THE THINGS THAT ARE, THAT COME DOWN DOWN RIVER WHEN IT RAINS. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS. WE ALSO HAVE TO INVEST NOT ONLY [02:50:01] IN, UM, UH, ASSETS LIKE THE POOL, WE HAVE TO INVEST IN REVENUE GENERATING ASSETS LIKE THE LONG BEACH AMPHITHEATER, LIKE OUR CONVENTION CENTER, LIKE OUR ARENA. ALL OF THESE ARE INLAND'S AREAS. WE HAVE NOT INVESTED IN THEM. AND THE REALITY IS TOURISM IS MORE SUSTAINABLE, UH, MORE SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF REVENUE THAT ACTUALLY HELPS OUR ECONOMY AND OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND HELPS CREATE A REVENUE PICTURE THAT'S STRONGER AND IT'S MORE SUSTAINABLE THAN OIL. SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE THINGS WE'RE INVESTING IN, IN THE TIGHTS AREA. SO IT, IT MAY NOT BE, YOU KNOW, IT MAY NOT BE THE PROJECTS OR THE EXPECTATIONS THAT FOLKS HAVE HAD BEFORE. UH, IT MAY BE BEING A BIT MORE ENTREPRENEURIAL IN OUR CITY WHILE WE STILL HAVE TITLES 'CAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA BE THERE FOREVER. SO THOSE ARE MY MY THOUGHTS. AGAIN, I SUPPORT THIS PROJECT. UH, I DIDN'T ALWAYS SUPPORT THIS PROJECT. IT WASN'T A PROJECT. AND TOM, YOU REMEMBER I WASN'T A BIG FAN OF THIS PROJECT. UM, BUT I THINK IT'S COME A LONG WAY AND I'M READY TO, I'M, I'M READY TO SUPPORT. I ENCOURAGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO, TO ADOPT IT. SO WE'RE GONNA GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. ALL RIGHT. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR YOUR CLARIFICATIONS AND YOUR SUPPORTIVE COMMENTS ON THIS. UM, LOOKING OUT AT, UM, EVERYONE WHO'S COME TONIGHT IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT, ROCKET FISH SWIMMERS FROM WILSON ROCKET FISH, UM, COACHES, GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME HERE TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT. I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND I DO THINK WE WILL HAVE SOME FUTURE OLYMPIANS. UM, AND I WANNA MENTION THAT JESSICA HARDY MIKE TREE EMAILED THE CITY CLERK AND ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. SHE'S A GOLD MEDAL OLYMPIAN SWIMMER, AND SHE WROTE A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT. ALRIGHT, UH, CITY MANAGER MOCA, I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE WITH YOUR TEAM. AND THIS IS 15 YEARS. I'VE ONLY BEEN A PART OF THIS FOR THREE YEARS. I, I LOVE AQUATICS, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN A PART OF THIS AS LONG AS YOU HAVE. UM, AND YOUR PRESENTATION WAS EXCEPTIONAL, REALLY DETAILED, UH, WITH THE, YOU KNOW, YOU WENT OVER THE ORIGINAL BELMONT POOL BEING OPEN IN 1968 WHEN WE WERE FLUSH WITH TIDELANDS MONEY. UM, THIS POOL SERVED MILLIONS OF RESIDENTS AND VISITORS OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS, SOME OF THEM BEING HERE IN THE AUDIENCE. SO FOR GENERATIONS, MANY LONG BEACH RESIDENTS HAVE LEARNED HOW TO SWIM AT THIS POOL, OFTEN AS THEIR FIRST INTRODUCTION TO WATER. FOR MYSELF, I HAVE A 21-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHO I TOOK TO MOMMY AND ME CLASSES WHEN SHE WAS AN INFANT IN THE BELMONT OLYMPIC POOL. UH, AND MY SON AND DAUGHTER BOTH COMPETED THERE AT A VERY YOUNG AGE WITH ROCKET FISH. UM, THIS IS A DAILY GATHERING PLACE FOR FAMILY, SENIORS, STUDENTS AND ATHLETES ACROSS THE REGION. WE HEARD KIDS TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT IT IS SOCIALLY. THIS MAKES ATHLETES MAKE STRONGER, UM, SELF-ESTEEM. AND THIS IS PART OF THE PROGRAMMING THAT WE WANT TO OFFER THROUGH THIS POOL. UM, SO SUPPORTING SWIM LESSONS, SCHOOL PROGRAMS, RECREATIONAL SWIMMING ELITE COMPETITIONS. AND THIS IS THE ONLY ONE ALONG THE SOUTHEAST LA LOS ANGELES. SO BEING ON THE BEACH, THE POOL OFFERS A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH THE OCEAN IN A SAFE AND WELCOMING SETTING. AND FOR MANY PEOPLE, IT WAS SOMETIMES THE ONLY RELIABLE AND SAFE WAY TO SWIM NEAR THE COAST, REGARDLESS OF AGE OR ABILITY. TODAY, MORE PEOPLE ENGAGE WITH THE COASTLINE THROUGH THE TEMPORARY POOL THAN BY SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN. ALONG THIS PARTICULAR STRETCH OF THE SHORELINE. OCEAN WATER QUALITY CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE, PREDICT, PARTICULARLY AFTER STORM EVENTS OR INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURES. WITHIN THE LAST MONTH, THERE HAVE BEEN TWO SEWAGE SPILLS THAT HAVE AFFECTED CONFIDENCE IN OCEAN SWIMMING. AND EVEN WHEN MONITORING SHOWS THE WATER IS CLEAN, MANY RESIDENTS DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH TURNING TO THE OCEAN FOR MONTHS AFTER A SEWAGE SPILL. THANKFULLY, THE CITY IS LOOKING AT BOTH SEWAGE SPILLS AND RESPONSIBILITY UPSTREAM, AS WELL AS THE AMOUNT OF TRASH THAT ENDS UP ON OUR BEACHES. UM, AND SOMETIMES THE TRASH DOES LIMIT ACCESS TO OUR SWIMMERS IN THE OCEAN. WITH ABOUT A MILLION POUNDS OF DEBRIS HITTING OUR COLLECTED FROM OUR BEACHES IN THE LAST QUARTER OF 2025, WE SAW IN THE PRESENTATION THE HISTORY OF THE ORIGINAL POOL AND THE REASONS IT WAS CLOSED. SO WHEN THE OLD POOL WAS DEMOLISHED IN 2014, THE CITY DID BUILD A TEMPORARY POOL, AS YOU HEARD, WITH [02:55:01] THE PROMISE OF DELIVERING A NEW BELMONT POOL. NOW, THE, THE TEMPORARY POOL STILL OFFERS A CONTROLLED, ACCESSIBLE WAY FOR RESIDENTS TO ENGAGE WITH THE COAST. WHEN OCEAN CONDITIONS ARE UNCERTAIN, IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR PEOPLE TO SWIM. UM, TO TONIGHT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER THAT REPLACEMENT THAT HAS BEEN WORKED ON SINCE 2013. AT THE ORIGINAL, UH, TIME WHEN IT WAS A SEISMIC, SEISMIC ISSUES WERE IDENTIFIED AND THAT'S BEFORE US TONIGHT. SO I'VE HEARD A COUPLE OF THINGS FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT I JUST WANNA POINT OUT. UH, SEA LEVEL RISE. THIS HAS BEEN A CENTRAL CONSIDERATION IN THE DESIGN AND LOCATION OF THE NEW BELMONT POOL. IT'S BEING BUILT ON ONE OF THE HIGHER ELEVATION POINTS IN THE AREA. SO FROM THE POOL SITE, THE LAND SLOPES ACTUALLY DOWNHILL TOWARDS OCEAN AND SECOND STREET. CURRENT SEA LEVEL RISE PROJECTIONS SHOW THE FACILITY WILL REMAIN VIABLE THROUGHOUT THE NEXT 75 YEARS. I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT THE LEVEL OF INVESTMENT REQUIRED TO REBUILD THIS POOL. BUILDING A POOL ON THE BEACH IS EXPENSIVE, AND MEETING STATE AND COASTAL REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS HAS REQUIRED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BEFORE CONSTRUCTION COULD MOVE FORWARD. AT THE SAME TIME, IT DOES MATTER WHERE THIS FUNDING COMES FROM. THE BELMONT POOL IS BEING BUILT LARGELY WITH OIL REVENUE GENERATED FROM DRILLING IN THE SAME COMMUNITY ALONG OUR COASTLINE WHERE THE POOL IS LOCATED. AND THIS OIL MONEY, AS THE MAYOR RE REMINDED US ALL, IT'S RESTRICTED TO THE TIDELANDS. IT CAN'T BE SPENT ANYWHERE ELSE BUT ALONG OUR SHORELINE. SO OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, OUR, OUR OFFSHORE OIL PRODUCTION HAS GENERATED MORE THAN $6 BILLION FROM OIL DRILLING JUST LAST YEAR. OIL DRILLING ALONG OUR SHORELINE PRODUCED 123 MILLION IN REVENUE. DRILLING IS STILL EXPECTED OVER THE LIFETIME OF THIS POOL. WHEN A COMMUNITY BEARS THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF OIL EXTRACTION, LOCAL IMPACT SHOULD MEAN LOCAL BENEFIT. AND I THINK IT'S IMP APPROPRIATE THAT THE IMPACTED COMMUNITY SEE TANGIBLE LONG-TERM BENEFITS THROUGH A HIGH QUALITY PUBLIC RECREATION SPACE WHERE RESIDENTS ACROSS THE REGION CAN ENGAGE WITH THE COASTLINE IN A SAFE, ACCESSIBLE, AND AS WE HEARD TONIGHT, A FUN WAY THROUGH ALL OF THE PROGRAMMING THAT WAS LISTED TONIGHT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, YEAH. ALRIGHT, I'LL WRAP IT UP. THIS POOL HAS SERVED MANY GENERATIONS OF LONG BEACH RESIDENTS AND IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO SO IN THE YEARS AHEAD. IT'S CONSISTENTLY PROVIDED A MEANINGFUL WAY FOR PEOPLE TO ENGAGE WITH OUR SHORELINE IN A SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE SETTING. AND AS TRUSTEES OF THE TIDELAND, ONE OF OUR CORE RESPONSIBILITIES IS TO ENCOURAGE THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA TO USE AND ENJOY THIS COASTLINE. THE HISTORY OF THE BELMONT POOL SHOWS THAT THIS SITE HAS FULFILLED THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR DECADES. REBUILDING THE POOL HONORS THAT PURPOSE, WHILE RESPONDING TO TODAY'S NEEDS AND REALITIES. I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS PROJECT TONIGHT AND I'M ASKING MY COLLEAGUES TO DO THE SAME. THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU CUSTOMER REBELLION FOR, UH, FOR YOUR CLARITY IN YOUR, IN YOUR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. AND I GOTTA SAY THAT WHEN I WAS A MEMBER OF THE POSTAL COMMISSION BACK IN 20 15, 20 14, I SAW THIS PROJECT COME HO AT THAT TIME I SAID, IT'S TOO BIG, TOO TALL AND TOO EXPENSIVE, BUT THERE'S A PROJECT HERE, JUST NOT THIS ONE. I SAID THAT AT THAT TIME. I ALSO BROUGHT UP CONCERNS REGARDING ACCESSIBILITY AND THERE'S STILL ISSUES REGARDING ACCESSIBILITY. ACCESS SOMEWHERE FROM THE WEST SIDE, NORTH OR CENTRAL CANNOT GET TO THE POOL. THERE ARE NO BUS LINES THAT GO TO THE MONT SHORE AREA. THAT IS STILL, ALTHOUGH THAT IS STILL A CONCERN OF MINE, I NEED'S GONNA BE ADDRESS BECAUSE IT IS, IT IS ADDRESSED IN THIS REPORT. AND I WANNA THANK YOU, UH, CITY MANAGER FOR LOOKING INTO THAT. I KNOW WE HAD SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS, UH, ABOUT THIS PROJECT OVER THE YEARS AND ABOUT THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SEE HAPPENING AND IMPORTANT TO ME, ONE BEING IMPORTANT TO ME AND IMPORTANT TO THE COMMISSION. ACCESSIBILITY, BEING ABLE TO GET THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. FROM [03:00:01] WHAT I SAW TONIGHT, FROM WHAT I HEARD, THIS PROJECT IS MUCH MORE PALATABLE THAN WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE AND IS RIGHT IN THE RIGHT SIZE. THE FUNDING, IT WAS ALWAYS GONNA BE AN ISSUE, BUT I THINK THAT WE ARE ABLE TO WORK SOMETHING OUT WHERE THE FUNDING WILL BE THERE. WE KNOW THAT TIME CAN'T DO IT. THERE ARE WISHES IF THERE'S A WISH LIST, OF COURSE, ABOUT FOOL AND OTHER AREAS IN THE CITY. BUT THE QUESTION ALWAYS REMAINS, HOW ARE WE GONNA PAY FOR IT? SO THIS PROJECT HERE, WE KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA PAY FOR IT. WE HAVE THE FUNDING, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH IT. AND THAT'S CERTAINLY SUPPORTED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH. AND TOOK. ALL RIGHT, SO GOOD EVENING. I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK OUR SWIMMING ENTHUSIASTS AS WELL AS THE COMPETITORS FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT. UM, AND FOR OUR YOUNGEST, UH, SWIMMERS FOR, UH, SHARING AND BEING SO WELL PREPARED AND CONFIDENT IN ACTIVELY ENGAGING, UH, THIS EVENING. SO I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED BEING HERE AND I APPRECIATE SEEING YOU ALL. UM, I WANNA SAY TO THE STAFF, UM, THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION. UH, TOM, I KNOW YOU SAID IT WAS GONNA TAKE A WHILE AND GO THROUGH THE HISTORY, UM, BUT I DID THINK IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT, UH, GIVEN WHAT WE'RE ASKING, UH, OF THE, OF THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC TONIGHT, UH, IN MOVING FORWARD. SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DO THAT AND FOR THE ENTIRE TEAM, UM, INCLUDING MR. HICKMAN'S STAFF AS WELL, UH, FOR YOUR SUPPORT. SO AS FAR AS WHERE I AM THIS EVENING, UM, I DO SUPPORT THIS PARTICULAR MOTION. UM, BUT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, AS SOMEONE WHO REPRESENTS THE NORTH, UH, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE ARE HEARD, UH, IN TONIGHT'S CONVERSATION. SO I'LL START OUT WITH, AND I MAY END UP WITH IT AS WELL. UM, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CONSIDER HOW WE CAN PUT A POOL IN OTHER PARTS OF OUR CITY AND IN PARTICULAR IN THE NORTH, UM, SO THAT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE POOL. BOTH YOUR SURVEY AS WELL AS, UH, SOME OF THE COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES HERE DENOTE THAT ACCESSIBILITY AND EQUITY ARE AN ISSUE IN BEING ABLE TO ACCESS THE BELMONT SHORE AREA POOL. SO WITH THAT, LET'S GO INTO A COUPLE OF MY THOUGHTS AND QUESTIONS, UH, AND COMMENTS ABOUT TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS PLEASED ABOUT IS THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS DIVISION, STRATEGIC PLAN 2022 TO 2032 INCLUDES AN EMPHASIS ON ENSURING THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED WAYS TO INCREASE WATER RELATED ACTIVITIES, UH, WITHIN OUR CITY THAT ARE EQUITABLY, UM, INTRODUCED. UM, AND IT WAS PRESENTED HERE TONIGHT, THAT PORTION OF, UM, OF THE PLAN. MY QUESTION, UH, FOR THIS EVENING, I'M NOT SURE IF, IF DIRECTOR STEVEN CAN COME OVER, BUT DO WE DO ANY LEVEL OF EVALUATION OF THAT PLAN TO ENSURE THAT WITH THE ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED HERE AS ASPIRATIONAL, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, US TO CONSIDER HOW WELL WE'RE DOING AND BEING ABLE TO ENSURE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO SWIMMING RESOURCES WITHIN THE CITY? THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. I'M GONNA HAVE, UH, KAITLYN CRUZ, OUR RECREATIONAL SUPERINTENDENT WHO'S VERY, VERY INVOLVED WITH THE DAY-TO-DAY PROGRAMMING AND, AND WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT PARKS, ESPECIALLY ON AQUATICS. ANSWER THAT QUESTION. THANK YOU ALL. MEMBER, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, SO WE ARE STARTING OFF WITH A BASELINE, UH, TO SEE WHERE WE ARE, UH, STARTING FROM WHEN IT COMES TO OUR ACCESS TO OUR AQUATIC PROGRAMS. AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, METRICS THAT WE WANNA MEET. SO, UH, PROVIDING PERCENTAGES EACH YEAR, UH, TO INCREASE THAT ACCESS TO OUR COMMUNITY. SO YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT IT'S A 2022 STARTED PLAN, BUT WE HAVE NOT COME UP WITH A BASELINE JUST YET. AND THIS YEAR, 2026 IS THE BASELINE. SO, UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY, UM, WORKING ON OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. SO WE'RE ALREADY, UM, INCORPORATING, UM, ADDITIONAL AQUATIC ACTIVITIES. UH, I KNOW THIS PAST, UH, 2025 OUR POOLS INCORPORATED A WATER SAFETY DAY. UH, IT WAS A FIRST EVENT THAT WE'VE HELD. UM, AND SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT MEETING THE STRATEGIC PLAN CURRENTLY, UM, AS WELL AS GOING FORWARD WITH MEETING THOSE DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES. OKAY. SO THIS MAY BE SOMETHING WE CAN COME BACK IN CONVERSATION ON. 'CAUSE I THINK WE DO NEED A LEVEL OF BASELINE, UH, ANALYSIS SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE WITHIN OUR CITY REGARDING ACCESS TO, UH, POOLS SWIMMING, UH, ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY. UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PARTICULAR ASSET THAT I ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL BE BRINGING ONLINE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I CONSIDERED IS THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE AN OPERATIONAL SURVEY TO GET A SENSE AS TO WHAT ZIP CODES RESIDENTS ARE COMING FROM WHO USE THE BELMONT UH, POOL. THAT WAY WE'LL HAVE A SENSE FROM A BASELINE PERSPECTIVE THERE. UM, AND THEN, UH, REALLY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, COMING BACK ON A REGULAR BASIS, DOING SOME BASELINE AND UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE ARE [03:05:01] IN THE CITY REGARDING, UH, OUR GOALS, UH, THAT ARE ALREADY FROM WHAT I UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE DEPARTMENT PARK PARKS AND RECS, UM, CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN GOING FORWARD. SO I WAS PLEASED TO HEAR THE MAYOR SAY THAT THIS PROJECT, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS PROJECT, UH, WAS GOING TO BE BUILT BY, UH, UNION LABOR. SO THAT'S EXCITING TO HEAR, UM, AND IS SOMETHING THAT IS STANDARD WITHIN OUR CITY. UM, I WAS WONDERING, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, UH, SUBCONTRACTORS THAT OUR CONTRACTOR HAS TO, UH, ENGAGE WITH, DO WE HAVE ANY LOCAL OR DIVERSE SUBCONTRACTING GOALS OR STRATEGIES FOR THE CURRENT, UM, GC THAT'LL BE ON THE PROJECT? GOOD EVENING. UM, I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION. SO CURRENTLY BECAUSE OF THE SOURCE OF FUNDS, IT'S TIDE LENS, IT, THE HIRING GOALS FOR THE PROJECT EXPANDS, UM, COVERAGE AS, UM, AND DEFINES LOCAL WORKER AS THOSE LIVING IN ORANGE AND LA COUNTIES. SO BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF FUNDS THOSE ARE, SO THAT, THAT DESCRIBES THE WORKERS. BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT, I'M THINKING ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, SOME OF THE SMALL CONTRACTORS WHO MIGHT BE SUBS TO THE GC. NO, THERE'S NO SPECIFIC GOALS WITH THIS PARTICULAR SET OF FUNDS. I, YEAH, SO LEMME JUMP IN THERE A LITTLE BIT. SO IN OUR PROJECT, LABOR LABOR AGREEMENT, IN ORDER TO GET THAT PASSED, UM, WHEN YOU'RE IN THAILANDS, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED BY THE STATE CONSTITUTION TO HAVE ANY SORT OF LOCAL PREFERENCE. SO, UH, OUR PLA HAS DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. WHEN WE USE OUR CITY DOLLARS WITH OUR CITY FUNDS, WE DO HAVE, UM, SPECIFIC OUTREACH GOALS THAT WE SET IN THE PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT, BUT WE'RE REQUIRED ANYTHING IN TIDELANDS TO BASICALLY HAVE NO LOCAL PREFERENCE, WHICH IS CONSIDERED ORANGE AND LA COUNTY. UH, THAT SAID, WE CAN STILL DO OUTREACH, WE CAN STILL, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH OUR, OUR CONTRACTORS AND TRY TO GET AS MANY LOCAL SUBS AND HAVE THEM HIRE THROUGH WORKFORCE. WE JUST CAN'T REQUIRE IT AS PART OF THE PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT. THANK YOU FOR THAT, TOM. I WOULD HOPE THAT THE GC HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO EXPANSIVE OUTREACH AND ENSURES THAT AS MANY LOCAL CONTRACTORS IN THE AREA, CERTAINLY LA AND ORANGE COUNTY, ARE AWARE AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON THIS PROJECT. UM, THE OTHER AREA THAT I JUST WANTED TO JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE TERM EAP CAME UP. SO THE PUBLIC ACCESS PROGRAM, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE DETAILS REGARDING WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS POOL IS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE. UM, COUPLE THINGS AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE OUTLINE WITH ALL THE ORGANIZATION, THE DIVE IN, UH, EVENTS, ALL THAT SOUNDS GREAT. UM, I DO, I WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER THAT THERE ARE STILL SOME PARTS OF OUR CITY THAT ARE PARK PORT, LIKE WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF PARKS. SO IF THE, UH, OUTREACH, A LOT OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED WAS THROUGH PARKS. AND FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE PARKS, WE MISS WHOLE SWATHS OF THE CITY, UM, THAT DON'T HAVE THOSE PARKS AND YET HAVE A LOT OF YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE WE CONSIDERED HOW WE MIGHT CONNECT WITH, UH, LOCAL SCHOOLS OR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE PARTS OF THE CITY, UH, WHERE WE'RE STILL DEVELOPING GREEN SPACE AND PARKS. UM, YES. SO WE, UH, WORK WITH OUR LOCAL, UH, SCHOOLS AND, UM, PROVIDE INFORMATION ON OUR UPCOMING EVENTS, OUR PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR YOUTH. I, WE UTILIZE, UH, PEACHTREE WITH L-B-U-S-D SO THAT PARENTS CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION. UM, AND THEN ALSO THROUGHOUT THE CITY WE PROVIDE, UM, UH, FINANCIAL AID, UM, WORKSHOPS. AND SO WE BRING THE INFORMATION THAT PARKS, UH, HAS TO OFFER TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, THROUGH THOSE WORKSHOPS. UM, AND THEN ALSO WE ALSO WORK WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION GROUPS TO BRING INFORMATION TO THEM AS WELL. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT THE EAP, ONE THING WE MIGHT CONSIDER IS ENSURING THAT WE HAVE, UH, A CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE RESPONSE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO REALLY WANT TO USE THE POOL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. SO WE MIGHT CONSIDER THAT SOME COMMUNITIES DON'T HAVE SWIM CLOTHING, THEY DON'T HAVE SWIM CAPS, UM, AND MAY NEED SUPPORT IN BEING ABLE TO HAVE PROTECTIVE HAIRSTYLES IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN, UH, SWIMMING AND OTHER WATER SPORT ACTIVITIES. SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I NOTICED WAS NOT IN THE THE EAP, BUT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE'D WANNA CONSIDER TO MAKE SURE WE'RE WORKING WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO NEED ACCESS, UH, TO THOSE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT CAN HAVE THAT IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE. ALRIGHT, GREAT POINTS. UM, WITH THAT I WILL, UH, YIELD MY TIME. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, UH, BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT ONE, I WANNA RECOGNIZE FIVE TIME OLYMPIAN TONY ACEVEDOS IN THE HOUSE WITH US, A LONG BEACH LEGEND. THANKS FOR BEING HERE, TONY. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. WOW, LONG BEACH LEGEND IN THE HOUSE. THAT'S AWESOME. UM, GOOD TO SEE YOU. HEY, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE LITTLE ROCKET FISH THAT CAME OUT. UM, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE FUTURE OLYMPIANS HERE, BUT I THINK WE JUST MIGHT HAVE, UH, SOME FUTURE, UH, CITY LEADERS BECAUSE YOU GUYS [03:10:01] WERE AWESOME IN YOUR ADVOCACY. AND SO IT MEANT A LOT TO ME AND I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES, UH, TO HEAR, UM, WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY AND HOW PASSIONATE YOU ARE ABOUT THIS POOL. UM, I KNOW THERE WAS ONE THAT SAID HE, THAT, UH, SHE WANTED TO MAKE THE COACH HAPPY. I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S STILL HERE, RIGHT THERE. ALRIGHT, WELL LISTEN, I WANNA MAKE YOUR COACH HAPPY TOO. SO I'M GONNA BE SUPPORTING THIS . UM, YOU KNOW, I ALSO, UH, WAS A SWIMMER BACK IN THE EIGHTIES AND, UH, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME, UM, I WASN'T AN OLYMPIAN, BUT I DID BREAK SOME RECORDS BACK IN THE DAY AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THE BELMONT POOL. I THINK MEGAN KERR'S THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS, WHO KNOWS THAT BECAUSE HER DAUGHTER ALSO SWAM AT LONG BEACH POLY. AND SO WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT, BUT IT WAS REAL IMPORTANT TO ME AND I LIVED ON THE WEST SIDE. IT WAS ALWAYS HARD, YOU KNOW, TO GET OVER TO THE POOL. UM, I START, I STARTED THINKING LIKE, HOW DID I GET THERE? BUT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE HELPED ME ALONG THE WAY, COACHES AND OTHER PARENTS BECAUSE WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE A CAR. SO I LOVE HOW WE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT EQUITY AND HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THESE KIDS FROM ALL OVER THE CITY THERE, UM, TO, UM, TO, TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS. UM, SO I'M PERSONALLY ATTACHED TO THE POLL AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THIS MOVING FORWARD. AND ALSO, I HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU COUNCILMAN VICE MAYOR URANGA FOR YOUR ADVOCACY AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE. YOU'VE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME. UM, YOU DID A LOT OF IMPORTANT STUFF AND SOME CHANGES THAT YOU MAKE. SO I'M VERY THANKFUL, UM, FOR YOU. AND THEN LASTLY, I WANNA SAY I'M THANKFUL TO STAFF BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED REALLY CLEARLY ABOUT SEA LEVEL RISE. UM, MY DISTRICT CARES ABOUT THAT. WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY, UM, ABOUT EQUITY AND I THINK YOU DID A REALLY GREAT JOB TONIGHT EXPLAINING ALL OF THAT. THE PRESENTATION WAS FANTASTIC. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR GREAT WORK AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS MOVE FORWARD. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. UH, I WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS SO FAR. AND, AND AGAIN, TO ECHO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN, THANK YOU TO THE TEAM FOR BEING SO THOUGHTFUL AND THOROUGH IN THE PRESENTATION. UM, WE DON'T OFTEN HAVE 59, 60 PAGE PRESENTATIONS, BUT I APPRECIATE, UM, THE WAY YOU METHODICALLY TOLD THE HISTORY, THE COMPLICATIONS, THE NUANCES OF THIS PROJECT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. UM, I TOO, AS SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN THE CITY, HAVE A CONNECTION TO THE POOL, MY DAD WORKED DOWNTOWN. UH, WE DIDN'T LIVE NEAR THE POOL WHEN I WAS A KID, AND SO, UH, WE WOULD GET DROPPED OFF BY SOMEONE AND A COUPLE HOURS LATER WE GET PICKED UP BY SOMEBODY ELSE'S PARENT. UH, I WILL SAY LONG BEACH TRANSIT DOES CURRENTLY HAVE A BUS LINE THAT GOES FROM THE WARDLOW STATION, UH, DOWN BY THE POOL AND HAS AN EXIT THERE FOR FOLKS WHO ARE LOOKING TO GET THERE. UH, BUT I HAD ONE KID WHO WAS A SWIMMER AT VIKING AQUATICS AND SHE STARTED AT EIGHT AND I REMEMBER WHEN LITTLE ROCKET FISH KIDS WOULD COME INTO TO ANY OF THOSE COMPETITIONS. UM, SO WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THE POOL DECK. MY SON WAS A DIVER FOR MCCORMICK DIVERS. UM, SO FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE AN EMOTIONAL HISTORY, I TOLD THE CITY MANAGER EARLIER, I LOOKED AT THOSE PICTURES AND I HADN'T SEEN PICTURES OF THE POOL IN A WHILE. AND SO ALL OF THOSE MOMMY AND ME CLASSES COME RUSHING BACK ALL THE TIME, SPENDING THERE WITH MY PARENTS AND WITH MY KIDS. UM, AND IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT PLACE TO BUILD COMMUNITY AGAIN, I DIDN'T GROW UP AROUND IN THAT AREA. I GREW UP ALL THE WAY IN BIXBY HIGHLANDS OFF OF ORANGE AND CARSON IN THE BIXBY OLDS AREA. UM, AND WE MADE OUR WAY THERE AND WE MADE FRIENDS AND HAD COMMUNITY WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE CITY. PEOPLE FOUND THEIR WAY TO THAT POOL, UM, TO RECREATE, UM, AND TO BE TOGETHER AND TO SPEND TIME. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD, UH, TO ANOTHER GENERATION OF KIDS AND FAMILIES AND FOLKS OF ALL AGES TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT IN MORE THAN WHAT IS CURRENTLY THERE IN THE TEMPORARY POOL. WE KNOW THAT THERE IS SO MUCH DEMAND FOR THE HOURS IN THAT POOL JUST FROM SWIM TEAMS AND WATER POLO TEAMS ALONE, THAT WE COULD, WE COULD PROGRAM THAT POOL EXCLUSIVELY FOR PEOPLE WHO SWIM COMPETITIVELY. AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT THIS DESIGN IS THAT THERE IS VERY SPECIFIC PLACE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO RECREATE IN THE WATER, WHO DON'T WANNA SWIM, WHO MAY NOT BE CONFIDENT SWIMMERS, WHO MAY LEARN TO LOVE THE WATER IN A DIFFERENT WAY BECAUSE THEY PLAYED ON A SPLASH PAD OR THEY WERE SAFE IN A ONE FOOT AREA OF THE DESIGN. SO I WANNA THANK THE TEAM FOR CONSIDERING ALL AGES AND ALL ABILITIES. UM, DIRECTOR SCOTT, I KNOW YOU ALL SPOKE TO, UM, PRMS HISTORY, STRONG HISTORY OF SCHOLARSHIP, INTENTIONALITY. I SAID A LOT OF THINGS WHEN THE YACHT CLUB EXPANSION CONVERSATION WAS HERE ABOUT WE KNOW HOW TO DO THIS WELL. THERE ARE MODELS IN THE CITY FOR GETTING KIDS FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY TO THE SHORE. AND I HOPE WE WILL EMPLOY EXAMPLES THAT WE ALREADY KNOW EXIST TO LEAN ON AS WE LEARN NEXT INTO THAT STRATEGIC PLAN. UM, AND I WANNA THANK, UM, THE SWIMMING COMMUNITY WHO COMES OUT IN FORCE, UM, TO SHARE THE LESSONS THEY'VE LEARNED AS PER AS SWIMMERS IN AS LITTLE BITTIES. MY ONE STARTED WHEN SHE WAS EIGHT AND SWAM ALL THE WAY THROUGH LONG BEACH POLY, UH, WITH A, WITH A MORE [03:15:01] LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP A COUPLE OF TIMES WHILE SHE WAS THERE. UM, WE KNOW IT'S AN IMPORTANT SPORT FOR KIDS WHO ATTEND ALL OF THE SCHOOLS. I'M GRATEFUL TO LONG BEACH UNIFIED FOR THEIR CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN POOL, NEW POOLS ACROSS THE CITY. JORDAN'S IS CURRENTLY BEING WORKED ON. WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT, UH, FOR THE NORTH PART OF THE CITY THAT WILL HAVE SOME COMMUNITY ACCESS AS WELL. UM, SO AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR FOOTPRINT OF AQUATICS IN THIS CITY, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THIS PROJECT MOVING FORWARD AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS WHO ARE DOING THAT WORK. SO HAPPY TO SUPPORT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. SUPER NA UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND UH, THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING OLYMPIAN, TONY ACEVEDO IN THE AUDIENCE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. TONY, I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT HE GREW UP IN THE FOURTH COUNCIL DISTRICT. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU THERE. GO FOR IT. UM, I'LL BE VERY BRIEF. UH, I JUST WANNA THANK ALL THE SPEAKERS HERE TONIGHT AND ESPECIALLY THE YOUNG PEOPLE. YOU DID A GREAT JOB AND THERE'S PROBABLY NO BETTER WAY TO LEARN ABOUT HOW DEMOCRACY WORKS THAN PARTICIPATING IN IT. AND YOU DID FANTASTIC. I STAND IN SUPPORT. ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. UH, YES, THANKS MAYOR AND THANKS STAFF FOR THE REALLY DETAILED IN DEPTH PRESENTATION AND REALLY A HISTORY AND TIME, UH, WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A DREAM. UH, JUST LIKE SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE A DREAM HOME AND THEY HAVE TO KIND OF SCALE DOWN THAT DREAM, BUT IT COMES TO A PLACE WHERE REALISTICALLY WANTING SOMETHING THAT IS NICE, UH, AFFORDABLE, BUT ALSO IS GONNA BE, UM, THAT RESONATES WITH THE COMMUNITY. UH, I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE AND ALSO THE PARENTS FOR BRINGING THE KIDS OUT AND THE, THE YOUNG ROCKET FISH. SOME OF THESE, THE DREAM IS MAYBE BE A LITTLE BIT OLDER THAN YOU, OR AS LONG AS HOW OLD I THINK. YEAH, IF NOT OLDER, RIGHT? AND I THINK IT JUST GOES TO SHOW, UM, WHO LONG BEACH IS, IS THAT WE DON'T GIVE UP. WE KEEP COMING BACK. AND I THINK THAT WE'RE AT A PLACE WHERE, UH, ALL OF US ARE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SOME LEVEL OF SACRIFICE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SOMETHING FOR OUR CITY AS WE DO. YOU KNOW, KING PARK IS IN MY DISTRICT, WE SPENT A MILLION DOLLARS TO RENOVATE THAT, THE POOL, AND IT LOOKS AMAZING. AND I KNOW THAT PEOPLE FROM ALL ACROSS THE CITY COMES AND SWIM, LEARN TO SWIM PRACTICE THERE. AND, AND I THINK WHAT'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT WITH THIS NEW BELMONT SHERE POOL THAT I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED AND A LITTLE SAD WITH IS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO START CHARGING PEOPLE. UM, YOU KNOW, BELMONT, UH, POOL HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GENERATE THE REVENUE IN THAT WAY, AND I KNOW IT'S NEEDED, BUT FOR ME IT'S A SHIFT IN WHERE WE'RE GOING THAT IF WE WANT NICE THINGS, WE ALL COLLECTIVELY DO NEED TO PAY FOR IT. AND THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY. THAT CAN BE A DETOUR AS WELL. BUT I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL PITCHING IN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING OF A FACILITY THAT'S GONNA BE FOR EVERYONE. AND EVEN IF AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, I KNOW AS A COMMUNITY WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ACCESSIBLE TO ALL SCHOOLS ARE GONNA WORK TOGETHER, PARENTS ARE GONNA WORK TOGETHER, UH, IN, IN ORDER TO HAVE THAT, UH, HAPPEN. I MEAN, WE HAD THAT IN DEPTH CONVERSATION JUST A WEEK AGO ABOUT THE YACHT CLIPS BEING ACCESSIBLE, SAILING BEING ACCESSIBLE. SO I THINK WITH THAT ENERGY AND SPIRIT, UM, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT IT IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL. AND I THINK A LOT OF GOOD POINTS HAVE BEEN RAISED. SO I AM SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, JUST THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SHIFT IN CULTURE A BIT ABOUT WHERE, YOU KNOW, S SILVERADO AND I THINK I'M OKAY, IT'S ALL FREE PARKING. UM, BUT AS LONG AS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AWARE OF THAT AND THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT PAYS FOR THE FACILITY AND THE MAINTENANCE OF IT. UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S KIND OF, OF WHAT EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF. SO, UM, OTHERWISE VERY SUPPORTIVE. UM, AND HAPPY TO SEE IT MOVING FORWARD AFTER MORE THAN 10, 10 YEARS OF THIS. SO THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. TWO, TWO THINGS TO CLARIFY. SO ONE, UM, WHILE WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME PARKING REVENUE, IT'S NOT AT THE AREA RIGHT WHERE THE POOL IS. IT ALREADY DOES HAVE, UM, SOME PARKING, UH, CHARGES THAT ARE THERE. THAT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR A LONG TIME. THIS IS OVER BY BALLAST POINT OVER TO SECOND AND PCH, WHERE THAT IS THAT AREA. AND THEN WE DO HAVE IN OUR PROPOSAL SOME FEE INCREASES. UM, PRETTY, PRETTY MINIMAL. THOSE ARE MORE FOR LIKE THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE, OF THE FACILITY. WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT LIKE RAISING, YOU KNOW, GENERAL ADMISSION AND THERE'S EVEN TIMES, AND CAITLIN CAN EXPLAIN WHERE WE HAVE FREE ADMISSION, UH, FOR CERTAIN GROUPS AND KIDS AND OTHERS. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO KEEP THAT AS LOW AND AFFORDABLE, IF NOT FREE, UH, WHEREVER POSSIBLE. AND THEN IT'S MORE OF THE EXCLUSIVE USES, UH, THAT WE CAN, UH, ADJUST THOSE, UH, KIND OF MINIMALLY. UH, THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT BECAUSE I MIGHT HAVE BEEN TO A MAYBE, ANYWAY, THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT. THERE IS ALREADY A FEE, BUT IT'S A S VERY SMALL ONE RIGHT, RIGHT NOW. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT, GREAT. COUNCILMAN COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS. THANK [03:20:01] YOU. I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE, UM, STAFF, UM, COUNCILWOMAN DUGGAN FOR THIS GREAT, GREAT NEW ASSET, UM, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING, UM, IN THE THIRD DISTRICT. AND ALSO THANK YOU TO THE CITY STAFF FOR ALL YOUR DILIGENCE AND MAKING SURE THAT IT'S ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE CITYWIDE AND REALLY PROMOTING THAT AND PLANNING WITH THAT IN MIND. I THINK THAT'S GONNA MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I THINK ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES RAISED GREAT POINTS TODAY. I ALSO WANNA THANK EVERYBODY WHO CAME OUT, ALL OF THE STUDENTS, ALL OF THE SWIMMERS, THIS LITTLE GENTLEMAN RIGHT HERE THAT HAS BEEN GIVING US THUMBS UP, ALL, ALL, ALL, UH, ALL ITEM LONG AND HE JUST KEEPS ENERGIZING ME. THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING AND I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, SUPPORTING THIS ITEM AFTER SO MANY, SO MANY, SO MANY YEARS IN THE MAKING. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, LET'S VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT. LET'S PROVE WE'RE BUILDING A POOL. GOOD JOB. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE. IT WAS, IT WAS THEIR TESTIMONY TO TURN THIS WHOLE THING AROUND . IT WAS TANKING UNTIL WE HEARD FROM THE FISH, THE ROCKET FISH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOLKS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NOT YET. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA TAKE, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK. WE'LL BE BACK. FINISH THE MEETING. [03:27:33] IF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN RETURN TO THE DIOCESE, SO WE MAY RESUME THE COUNCIL MEETING, CALLING ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS BACK TO THE DAIS. NO THEY DIDN'T. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT, LET'S RECONVENE THE MEETING OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS PRESENT. COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. HERE. COUNCILMAN AUGH? HERE. COUNCILWOMAN KERR. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT. VICE MAYOR URANGA. PRESENTER. COUNCILWOMAN THRASH OOK. HERE. MAYOR RICHARDSON. I AM HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. ALRIGHT, SO, UH, WE STILL HAVE A NUMBER OF ITEMS TO GET THROUGH. GONNA BANG THROUGH A QUICK ONE AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO ITEM 21, THE PRESENTATION ON THE LGBTQIA TWOS PLUS COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT. UH, SO LET'S CALL 22. PLEASE REPORT FROM HUMAN RESOURCES RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE 2025 THROUGH 2028 MOU WITH THE LONG BEACH POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION CITYWIDE. ALL [03:30:01] RIGHT, WE HAVE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK RICH CHAMBERS, IF WE CAN GET A MOTION AND A SECOND PLEASE PUSH THE BUTTON. ALRIGHT, RICH, YOU'RE UP. [22. 26-54017 Recommendation to adopt resolution approving the 2025-2028 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Long Beach Police Officers Association. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Human Resources         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] PROBABLY. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. I'M HERE TONIGHT WITH OUR VICE PRESIDENT OF THE POA, GARRETT YOUNG AND MYSELF, RICH CHAMBERS. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF LONG BEACH POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION AND WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TONIGHT WITH A MESSAGE OF THANK YOU. WE'RE HERE TO EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION TO ALL WHO WORKED WITH US THROUGHOUT THIS CONTRACT PROCESS TO REACH THIS AGREEMENT. ONE THAT WE THINK REFLECTS THE STAFFING REALITIES. OUR DEPARTMENT IS WORKING THROUGH A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF THAT REALITY. AND WHILE WE ARE STARTING TO SEE IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR POLICE OFFICER HIRING, THE DEPARTMENT IS STILL OPERATING FAR BELOW WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. WITH OUR STAFFING AND RETAINING OFFICERS AND REBUILDING OUR STAFFING HAS TO BE THE NUMBER ONE GOAL. TO ACCOMPLISH THAT GOAL, WE'LL NEED TO SEE SUSTAINED FOCUS ON RETENTION AND CONTINUED HIRING. AND AS WE WERE NEGOTIATING THIS CONTRACT, IT WAS CLEAR THAT BOTH SIDES CAME TO THE TABLE WITH THAT GOAL IN MIND. THE POA TEAM AND THE CITY TEAM BOTH PUT SIGNIFICANT EFFORT INTO REACHING A CONTRACT DEAL THAT WE THINK IS FAIR AND RE RESPONSIBLE, AND ONE THAT RECOGNIZES THE PROFESSIONALISM AND DEDICATION OF OUR LONG BEACH POLICE OFFICERS WHO PROTECT THIS COMMUNITY EVERY DAY. WE BELIEVE THIS AGREEMENT HELPS LONG BEACH TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL IF WE'RE GONNA MAINTAIN OUR HIRING MOMENTUM AND CONTINUE MOVING OUR STAFFING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, IT PROVIDES STABILITY FOR OUR CURRENT POLICE OFFICERS. FAIR AND COMPETITIVE PAY IS MANDATORY FOR RETAINING OUR EXPERIENCED OFFICERS WHILE THE DEPARTMENT WORKS TO REBUILD OUR STAFFING NUMBERS. SO, ON BEHALF OF OUR POA MEMBERSHIP WHO APPROVED THIS AGREEMENT BY A STRONG MAJORITY, I'VE COME TO THANK YOU, MAYOR RICHARDSON, AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DID TO GET US TO THIS POINT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, CITY MANAGER TOM MOCA AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE WORK BEHIND THE SCENES. AND THEN I'LL, I'LL, UH, EXTEND MY THANKS TO HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR BRYCE TYLER AND YOUR LABOR RELATIONS TEAM, SARAH GREEN, UH, SHERRY VAL DORIA, SANDRA AGUILAR, AND SUNITA MARTIN, WHO SPENT A LOT OF LONG HOURS WITH US, SET THE TABLE WORKING THROUGH THESE ISSUES. AND I, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE PEOPLE BY NAME BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT THIS WORK IS AND TO DO IT WITH SUCH A HIGH LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM AND COLLABORATION WORKING, UH, BOTH SIDES OF THE TABLE WORKING TOWARDS A SHARED GOAL. VERY ADMIRABLE. I WAS PROUD TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS ON OUR DEPARTMENT SIDE. CHIEF ISH'S TEAM, UH, WAS REPRESENTED BY DEPUTY CHIEF MEGAN ZABEL AND BUREAU CHIEF JULISSA, JOSE, MIRO MURRAY, AND ADMINISTRATOR ELSA LAW, ALL OF WHOM WORKED VERY HARD BEHIND THE SCENES TO GET US HERE. SO THAT'S MY MESSAGE OF THANKS AND APPRECIATION FOR YOUR SUPPORT. YOU HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. ALL RIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU, UH, RICH AND YOUR MEMBERS, UH, AND OUR CITY TEAM FOR NEGOTIATING AND BARGAINING, UH, A CONTRACT THAT, UH, PRIORITIZES, UH, RETENTION AND CONTINUES TO LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO CONTINUE TO RECRUIT THE NEXT GENERATION OF, UM, POLICE OFFICERS. WE'VE SENT SOME MOMENTUM IN RECENT YEARS AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA STOP CONTINUING TO, UH, BUILD, UH, BUILD THIS DEPARTMENT. AND, YOU KNOW, FOLKS NEED TO REMEMBER, LIKE, YOU KNOW, OUR POLICE OFFICERS, THEY ARE OUR EMPLOYEES AND WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, AS WE DO SO, WE THINK ABOUT HEALTH AND SAFETY AND THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELLBEING. AND THEY'RE A UNION. THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO NEGOTIATE WAGES AND WORKING CONDITIONS AND BENEFITS AND GOOD FAITH, UH, WITH THE CITY. AND THAT'S WHAT JUST TOOK PLACE. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. UH, IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE SUPPORTED, UH, THIS CONTRACT AND, UM, AND WE ENCOURAGE SUPPORT FROM OUR CITY COUNCIL. UH, NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. YES, YES. UH, THANK YOU RICH AND YOUR TEAM AND, UM, ALL THE LEADERSHIP, UH, AND ALL THE PARTIES THAT CAME TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. I'M JUST GLAD WE'RE HERE TONIGHT. UH, VOTING ON THIS. MOU THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT WE HAVE, UH, COME TO THIS AND FOR THIS, UH, CONTRACT, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WITH OUR FOCUS ON STAFFING, UM, THIS CONTRACT REALLY SUPPORTS OUR EFFORTS. WE CAN SEE IT WITH THE ACADEMY, BUT THIS REALLY SUPPORTS CONTINUED EFFORT, UH, WITH OUR OFFICERS BECAUSE OUR NUMBER ONE CHALLENGE IS OUR VACANCIES. SO, UM, FROM TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT TO CRIMES THAT MAJOR CRIMES, OUR ABILITY TO, UM, OUR, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMES DOWN TO HAVING ENOUGH OFFICERS ON THE GROUND. AND I BELIEVE THIS AGREEMENT HELPS BETTER SUPPORT THE OFFICERS WHO ARE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY TODAY, AND IT STRENGTHENS OUR ABILITY TO RECRUIT ADDITIONAL OFFICERS MOVING FORWARD. GLAD TO SUPPORT THIS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. UH, UH, TH [03:35:01] THANK YOU MADAM CLERK. I'M HAVING, UH, TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES HERE. THANK YOU. UM, SO I DO WANNA EXPRESS MY STRONG SUPPORT AS WELL FOR ITEM 22. MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID IT. UM, THIS, UH, REPRESENTS A, UH, POSITIVE PROCESS OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BETWEEN THE CITY AND OUR POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION. AND GLAD TO SEE THAT IT WAS SO PRODUCTIVE. UH, WE TALK ABOUT SAFETY AS OUR TOP PRIORITY, AND THIS AGREEMENT PUTS THOSE WORDS INTO ACTION. UM, AND IT'S BEEN STATED HERE, UH, YOU KNOW, OFFICERS HANDLE PRETTY COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS SITUATIONS EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND THIS CONTRACT REFLECTS, UM, AND RECOGNIZES THE PROFESSIONALISM THAT WE KNOW THAT OUR POLICE OFFICERS SHOW TO OUR COMMUNITY AND WAS ALREADY, UH, STATED BY MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL AS OUR POH HERE. UH, THIS IS AN AGREEMENT THAT CREATES A GREAT TOOL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT AS WELL AS RETAIN, UM, THOSE OFFICERS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ARE COMPETITIVE AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN LONG BEACH'S HIGH STANDARDS, UH, FOR OUR OFFICERS. SO WITH THAT, UH, I'M PROUD TO SUPPORT THIS AGREEMENT. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, ZENDEJAS, JUST VERY QUICKLY ECHOING, ECHOING THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, THE PARTNERSHIP HERE. UM, WE ARE JUST SO PROUD OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND WHAT THEY DO, UH, FOR OUR CITY DAY IN AND DAY OUT, ESPECIALLY IN DOWNTOWN. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PARTNERSHIP AND, UM, THE WILLINGNESS TO ALWAYS TRY TO DO THE BEST FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO KEEP LONG BEACH SAFE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. UH, WELL NOW MOVE TO ITEM 21. REPORT FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, LGBTQIA TWO S PLUS COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY DATA COLLECTION, BEST PRACTICES CITYWIDE. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. WELL, I WANNA RECOGNIZE EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS, UH, NEEDS ASSESSMENT. I [21. 26-54024 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation regarding the City of Long Beach LGBTQIA2S+ Community Health Needs Assessment and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data Collection Best Practices. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Health and Human Services         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT. UH, AND I WANT TO, UH, ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT WAS IN 2023. IT WAS MY FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE THAT WE BROUGHT FORWARD A MOTION, UH, ASKING OUR STAFF TO BEGIN TO COLLECT SOGI DATA, SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY DATA TO HELP US MAKE, UH, BETTER DECISIONS. AND WE ARE PROUD TO SEE THAT THAT IS, UH, NOW COMING FORWARD HERE, UM, THREE YEARS LATER, UH, WITH A, UH, COMPREHENSIVE, UH, NEEDS ASSESSMENT. I KNOW A LOT OF WORK HAS GONE INTO THIS, SO LET'S JUMP INTO THE REPORT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, AND GOOD EVENING TO ALL OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M EXCITED AND HONORED TO PRESENT TO YOU, UH, AN OVERVIEW OF OUR LONG BEACH LGBTQIA TWOS PLUS COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SO G DATA COLLECTION BEST PRACTICES. THIS WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, INCLUDING THOSE REPRESENTED ON THE SLIDE, AND MORE COMMUNITY PARTNERS INCLUDED REPRESENTATIVES FROM A PLA HEALTH, MELISSA MARQUETTE, EARTH LODGE CENTER FOR TRANSFORMATION. CYNTHIA RUFFIN, LONG BEACH FORWARD, JAMES SUSO, PETER MADSON, AND DIANE BERKHOLDER, KUBO ORGANIZING PROJECT, ROMEO GARCIA AND JALYN PASTOR, AND THE L-G-B-T-Q CENTER, LONG BEACH, VIOLET RODRIGUEZ AND PETER BECK TO SUPPORT DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS WAS YOUNG PEOPLE TO THE FRONT, INCLUDING DR. JEREMY GIBBS, DR. ROBIN PETERING, AND FAT IT HADU. AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INVITE TO THE PODIUM ELLIE PEREZ, MELISSA MARQUETTE, AND JAMES SUSO. THIS PROJECT HAS FOUR MAIN GOALS, THAT GUIDED IMPLEMENTATION. THE FOUR GOALS WERE TO ASSESS HEALTH NEEDS AND FACTORS IMPACTING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR LGBTQIA TWO S PLUS INDIVIDUALS IN LONG BEACH TO IDENTIFY CURRENT RESOURCES AND ASSETS AVAILABLE INDIVIDUALS IN LONG BEACH THAT PROMOTE HEALTH AND SUPPORT WELLBEING IN THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND BEST PRACTICES IN COLLECTING DEMOGRAPHIC DATA RELATED TO SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AND GENDER IDENTITY. COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS SOG, TO FACILITATE A COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROPOSAL THAT LEVERAGES THE STRENGTHS OF THE COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY FOR [03:40:01] LGBTQIA TWOS PLUS INDIVIDUALS. AT THIS TIME, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO OUR COORDINATOR, RYAN. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND FELLOW CITY STAFF. MY NAME IS RYAN MAGINI. MY PRONOUNS ARE HE, HIM, AND I'M THE B-T-Q-I-A TWO S PLUS HEALTH EQUITY COORDINATOR WITH A HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. THIS PROJECT CONSISTED OF THREE MAJOR COMPONENTS THAT YOU'LL SEE ON THE SCREEN LISTENING SESSIONS, A COMMUNITY SURVEY AND COMMUNITY EVENTS. THE LISTENING SESSIONS THAT OCCURRED LAST FALL WERE TO GARNER PRIORITY TOPIC AREAS FROM COMMUNITY WITH THE INTENTION OF CAPTURING PERSPECTIVES FROM VARIOUS SUBPOPULATIONS. THE COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT OCCURRED THIS PAST SPRING AND SUMMER GATHERED MORE QUANTITATIVE DATA ON THE PRIORITIZED HEALTH TOPICS AMONG A WIDER AUDIENCE. AND THE COMMUNITY EVENTS HELP PROVIDE REAL TIME FEEDBACK INTO THE DATA AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT. FEEDBACK ON THE BEST PRACTICES FOR COLLECTING. SO, OG DATA WAS GATHERED FROM COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT EACH TOUCH POINT OF THE PROJECT. INCLUDED IN THE FINAL REPORT IS AN OVERVIEW OF SAMPLE QUESTIONS AS WELL AS SUGGESTED IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES, CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TRANSLATION RECOMMENDATIONS. COLLECTING SOGI DATA WHENEVER DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS ARE ASKED IS ESSENTIAL IN UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT NEEDS AND EXPERIENCES OF THE LGBTQIA TWOS PLUS COMMUNITY. IT ALLOWS CITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE DIVERSE LGBTQIA TWOS PLUS COMMUNITY IN LONG BEACH. SIMPLY PUT, IF WE DON'T ASK, WE DON'T KNOW. IN ADDITION TO THE BEST PRACTICES OUTLINED IN THE REPORT, A STANDARD OF PRACTICE FOR COLLECTING AND REPORTING SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY IS IN DEVELOPMENT FOR CONSISTENT DATA COLLECTION ACROSS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BEST PRACTICES THAT ARE OUTLINED, PLEASE REACH OUT TO MYSELF AND I'M HAPPY TO DISCUSS FURTHER. THIS WAS A PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE PROJECT THAT WAS MODELED AFTER A COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH FRAMEWORK WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. TOPICS OF ANALYSIS ARE PRIORITIZED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS. KNOWLEDGE AND INSIGHTS ARE COMBINED WITH ACTION. AND THERE IS SHARED LEADERSHIP IMPLE IMPLEMENTATION. THE PROJECT USED CONVENIENCE SAMPLING WITH COMMUNITY OUTREACH CONDUCTED BY COMMUNITY PARTNERS, PRIMARILY RECRUITING INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE IN LONG BEACH, WHO ARE OVER 18 AND WHO ARE PART OF THE LGBTQI TWOS PLUS COMMUNITY. UH, ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE COMPENSATED WITH A GROCERY GIFT CARD FOR PARTICIPATING. EIGHT ONE HOUR LISTING SESSIONS WERE CONDUCTED WITH THE FOLLOWING SUBPOPULATION, LATINX FOLKS, BLACK FOLKS, INE X FOLKS, CAMBODIAN FOLKS, UH, TRANSGENDER, GENDER EXPANSIVE AND INTERSEX, OR TGI FOLKS, YOUTH, OLDER ADULTS, AND FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES. THE LISTENING SESSIONS PROVIDED PRIORITY THEMES THAT GUIDE THE SURVEY DEVELOPMENT AND WHICH CONSISTED OF 61 HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE RELATED QUESTIONS. AND NOW I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO ELLIE PEREZ. THANK YOU, RYAN. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY STAFF. MY NAME IS ELLIE PEREZ. MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE HER AYA, AND I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE L-G-B-T-Q CENTER LONG BEACH. AND TODAY I'LL BE PRESENTING TO YOU THE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT. THERE WERE 447 PARTICIPANTS, ALMOST 70% ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR. 47% OF THE PARTICIPANTS ARE TGI. 31% OF PARTICIPANTS HAVE AN INCOME OF 20 K OR LESS. 60% WERE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 25 AND 44. 17% OF THE PARTICIPANTS' HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION IS A GAD, AND 40% OF THEM ARE SINGLE AND 17, 18% LIVE ALONE. SAFETY, VIOLENCE AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT EMERGED AS A CENTRAL THEME ACROSS MANY SUBPOPULATIONS. DURING THE LISTENING SESSIONS. WHEN ASKED ABOUT CONFIDENCE IN GOING TO THE POLICE FOR HELP IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, 59% OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED NOT FEELING CONFIDENT EVEN HIGHER AMONG TGI FOLKS AT 77%. MOREOVER, OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCED VIOLENCE OR A HATE INCIDENT, ONLY 21.3% REPORTED THE INCIDENT SUGGESTING A RELUCTANCE TO ENGAGE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED A GREAT DEAL OF SUPPORT. WELL, FORTUNATELY, PARTICIPANTS RE REPORTED A GREAT DEAL OF SUPPORT FROM COMMUNITY WITH 82% OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTING, [03:45:01] HAVING PLACES THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE SOCIALIZING IN 84% REPORTING FRIENDS AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT THEY CAN TURN TO FOR SUPPORT. JAMES IS NEXT. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. UM, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME'S JAMES SUO. MY PRONOUNS ARE HE AND HIM, AND I'M ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH LONG BEACH FORWARD. FUN FACT, I DUNNO HOW TO SWIM. SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE EQUITY FOCUSED PROGRAMS. NOW I KNOW. SO THIS IS AWESOME. SO, UM, ACROSS THE DATA, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR FINDINGS IN HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND WERE THAT INCOME DISPARITIES WERE PREVALENT, PARTICULARLY IN HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS. ONE IN FOUR PEOPLE REPORTED EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE PAST YEAR, WHETHER THIS WAS STAYING AT SOMEONE ELSE'S HOME IN SHELTERS OUTSIDE OR IN MOTELS. ONLY 6% OF PEOPLE SURVEYED SPENT MOST NIGHTS IN A SHELTER, WHILE 64% REPORTED COUCH SURFING WITH SOMEONE THAT THEY KNEW. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THEIR EMERGENCY SHELTER EXPERIENCES, 50% OF TRANS GENDER DIVERSE AND INTERSEX PARTICIPANTS FELT THAT SHELTERS WERE AFFIRMING TO THEIR GENDER OVERALL, 76% OF THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR. FOR PEOPLE WITH PERMANENT HOUSING, RENT COSTS ARE STILL A CHALLENGE. 74.2% OF PEOPLE REPORTED SPENDING 30% OR MORE OF THEIR INCOME ON RENT, WHILE 22.2% REPORTED SPENDING 60% OR MORE OF THEIR INCOME ON RENT. AND OF THE 60%, 31% IDENTIFIED AS TGI AS COMPARED TO 14% WHO ARE CISGENDER, 30% REPORTED TO BE UNEMPLOYED. AMONG THOSE WHO ARE EMPLOYED, 57.6% REPORTED ADDITIONAL INCOME. THE MOST FREQUENT SOURCES WERE FROM WELFARE AGENCIES, MONIES FROM FRIENDS OR RELATIVES AS MUTUAL AID AND VENDING, 44% OF CISGENDER PARTICIPANTS WERE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE REPORTED ADDITIONAL IN SOURCES OF INCOME BEYOND EMPLOYMENT. WHILE 83% OF TGI FOLKS RELIED ON ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INCOME. AND NOW I'LL PASS IT TO MY COLLEAGUE, MELISSA. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS MELISSA MARQUETTE. MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE, HER, HERS, AND I'M THE GENDER SERVICES PROGRAM MANAGER AT A PLA HEALTH, UH, RIGHT OVER ON 10TH AND ELM. UM, I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE PROJECT ADV ADVISORY COMMUNITY COMMITTEE, AND I'M GONNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, MENTAL HEALTH. UH, 64% OF THE RESPONDENTS REPORTED DIAGNOSED WITH A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION IN THEIR LIFETIME. LOOKING AT THIS FIGURE BY GENDER, THERE IS A DISPARITY BETWEEN TGI AND CISGENDER PARTICIPANTS WITH 80% OF TGI PARTICIPANTS COMPARED TO 51 CISGENDER PARTICIPANTS WHO INDICATED HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION. A QUARTER OF ALL PARTICIPANTS ACCESSED MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS SERVICES IN THE LAST YEAR. IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, WE ASKED PARTICIPANTS ABOUT BARRIERS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE, GENDER AFFIRMING CARE, AND SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES. TOP BARRIERS TO ACCESSING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES INCLUDED DIFFICULTY FINDING AN L GT, L-G-B-T-Q-I-S AFFIRMING PROVIDER DIFFICULTY GETTING AN APPOINTMENT, DIFFICULT PAYING FOR SERVICES, AND NOT KNOWING WHERE TO CARE. THANK YOU. I'LL PASS IT BACK TO RYAN. BASED ON THE DATA THAT WAS COLLECTED, THERE ARE SOME KEY AREAS WHERE SUPPORT FOR THE COMMUNITY IS NEEDED. HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS EMERGES A TOP PRIORITY FOR PARTICIPANTS, SPECIFICALLY TGI. FOLKS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FACE UNIQUE BARRIERS BECAUSE OF THEIR GENDER AND EXPERIENCES AND EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS. THAT A DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGHER RATE RENT BURDEN IS ANOTHER STRESSOR FOR PARTICIPANTS AS, AS MORE THAN HALF OF THE PARTICIPANTS ARE SPENDING 30% OR MORE OF THEIR INCOME ON RENT. DESPITE SEVERAL AFFIRMING AND SUPPORTIVE LGBT FOCUSED HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN LONG BEACH THAT WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE ACCESS TO CARE REMAINS CHALLENGING AND WAS ANOTHER TOP PRIORITY FOR PARTICIPANTS. FINALLY, VIOLENCE AND COMMUNITY SAFETY EMERGE AS A SIGNIFICANT THEME. OVER HALF OF RESPONDENTS SPOKE OF NOT FEELING COMFORTABLE ENGAGING WITH THE POLICE. THEREFORE, SUPPORT IS NEEDED FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME, RELUCTANT TO ENGAGE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT TO REPORT OR TO SEEK SUPPORT SERVICES. OKAY, REGARDING NEXT STEPS, WE ARE PLANNING A HEALTH SUMMIT, WHICH IS BEING LED BY LONG BEACH FORWARD. UM, JAMES WAZO IN COLLABORATION WITH THE RACIAL HEALTH EQUITY TEAM, LBCC AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS AT THIS SUMMIT WE'RE WE'LL BE PRESENTING A MORE COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF THIS PROJECT, THE REPORT AND THE FINDINGS. SO WE WOULD LOVE IF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY COULD ATTEND TO LEARN MORE. ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON DISSEMINATING THE RESULTS OF TO THE COMMUNITY AND ACTION PLANNING COLLABORATIVELY WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS. THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PARTNER AGENCIES THAT WERE PART OF THIS [03:50:01] INITIATIVE AND JOINED US THIS EVENING. TAKE CARE. AND GOODNIGHT. OOPS, GO BACK. ALRIGHT, WE'RE CHECK. OKAY. ALRIGHT, WELL, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION. LET'S HEAR IT. FOR THE COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO PARTICIPATED AND PRESENTED TONIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. IT'S A LATE NIGHT AND YOU ARE HANGING OUT WITH US, SO THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU. UH, WE'RE GONNA NOW GO TO GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR REMARKS. WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE ON EVERYONE, UH, THAT PRESENTED. I ALSO WANT TO, UH, SINCERELY THANK THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, ESPECIALLY THE, UH, RA UH, RACIAL HEALTH EQUITY TEAM, UM, FOR THEIR TIME CARE AND EFFORT. UM, THAT, UH, WENT INTO ALL OF THIS RESEARCH. UM, THIS IMPORTANT WORK REFLECTS A REAL COMMITMENT TO UNDERSTANDING OUR COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THROUGH DATA, BUT THROUGH, UH, REAL LIVED, UH, EXPERIENCES. I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE HOW THE INTERSECTION INTERSECTIONALITY WAS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. UM, THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. THE ASSESSMENT RECOGNIZES THAT PEOPLE DO NOT EXPERIENCE HEALTH SAFETY OR ACCESS IN ISOLATION. AND THAT OVERLAPPING IDENTITIES SHAPE REAL OUTCOMES IN, UH, MEANINGFUL WAYS. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EFFORT THAT IT TAKES TO BUILD TRUST. UM, PARTICULARLY WHEN COMMUNITIES PARTI, PARTICULARLY WITH COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED HISTORICALLY MAR HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED, MARGINALIZED, UM, AND OR OVERLOOKED. UM, THE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING IS CRITICAL AND IS CLEARLY STRENGTHENED. UM, WHICH, WHICH CLEARLY STRENGTHEN THE WORK. AND THIS RESEARCH MATTERS BECAUSE LONG BEACH IS A CITY THAT ABSOLUTELY STRIVES FOR, UM, DIVERSITY, UM, AND EQUITY. AND SO EFFORTS LIKE THIS HELP TO ENSURE OUR POLICIES AND DECISIONS REFLECT THOSE VALUES AND MOVE US CLOSER TO BEING AN INCLUSIVE CITY. UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE ALL AIM TO BE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE PRESENTERS AND I THANK YOU FOR ALL THE RESEARCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KERR. YES. UH, I WANNA THANK, UM, THE COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO WERE ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS AND TO OUR CITY TEAM FOR BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER. UM, JUST TO ECHO COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN'S PROCESS, THIS IS ABOUT DATA, BUT IT'S NOT ABOUT DATA AND THE ABILITY TO BRING COMMUNITY MEMBERS INTO A FORMAL PROCESS THAT IS FACILITATED ALONGSIDE, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE CITY CAN DO SOME REAL RESTORATIVE AND REPAIR AND REPARATIVE WORK FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST FAITH IN THE CITY'S ABILITY TO SEE THEM, TO FIND SERVICES FOR THEM AND TO SUPPORT AND UPLIFT THEM. UM, AND WE HAVE A LONG ROAD WITH SOME OF OUR COMMUNITIES TO DO THAT. AND SO I'M THANKFUL FOR EVERYONE COMING TOGETHER TO GIVE US THE CHANCE TO REBUILD RELATIONSHIPS, UM, THAT WE'VE LOST OVER TIME FOR NOT BEING RESPONSIVE, UM, AND BEING HARMFUL AT TIMES IN OUR HISTORY. SO, UH, THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE FOR THAT CONTINUED WORK, FOR YOUR CONTINUED, UM, OR GROWING FAITH IN US AND TRUST IN US, UH, TO STAND BY AND DO RIGHT AND SUPPORT OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, UM, AND TO BUILD BACK SOME OF THAT TRUST WITH OUR INSTITUTIONS. SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE WHAT'S NEXT? UM, HEALTH SUMMITS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS CONTINUE TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THE FOLD WHO FOR A LONG TIME FELT LIKE THEY DIDN'T HAVE A SPACE WITH US. SO THANK YOU FOR INVITING US INTO THE PROCESS ALONGSIDE COMMUNITY AND KEEP US INFORMED OF HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE COUNCILMAN SORROW. YES, THANK YOU. I WANNA ALSO ADD MY GRATITUDE, UH, TO MS. KING, THE HEALTH EQUITY, RACIAL AND HEALTH EQUITY TEAM, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ALL THOSE WORKING HARD TO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE, UM, SURVEY PARTICIPANT BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO BE CONSIDERATE OF THE HISTORIES OF WHERE ALL THE INDIVIDUALS COME FROM BECAUSE IT'S, THERE ARE TRAUMAS THAT'S BEEN SET UP, UH, YOU KNOW, AND ADDED TO THAT THE SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND IDENTITY AND HOW DO YOU EVEN HAVE LANGUAGE TO EVEN TALK ABOUT IT. UH, IT'S ONE THING IF YOU CAN DO IT IN ENGLISH, ANOTHER WHEN YOU HAVE, YOU DON'T HAVE THE LANGUAGE FOR IT. I'LL SHARE A STORY IN THAT. UM, I HAVE A COUSIN THAT JUST, UH, THAT CAME OUT AS TRANSGENDER AND I THINK FOR THE LONGEST TIME IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR MY UNCLE AND AUNT TO EVEN LET US KNOW BECAUSE THEY WERE MOURNING THE LOSS OF ERIC AND FIGURING OUT WHO THE HECK ERICA IS. UM, BUT IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR THEM TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TELL FAMILY MEMBERS. 'CAUSE THERE'S NO SPECIFIC TERMS FOR IT. UH, I CAN'T IMAGINE THE AMOUNT OF, YOU KNOW, PRO UH, MENTAL PROCESS. THEY HAD TO GO THROUGH AN [03:55:01] EMOTIONAL PROCESS. AND I THINK THAT THIS REPORT REALLY JUST DEMONSTRATE VALIDATING THAT IT'S VERY REAL, ALL OF THESE LEVEL OF IDENTITY AND DIFFERENT LEVELS OF, UH, TRAUMA THAT EXISTS IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY THE CORRECT RESOURCES TO DO SO AND CONSIDER HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT WE ARE ADVOCATES AND CHAMPIONS TO MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T JUST HAVE THESE VERY JUST GENERAL HEALTH ACCESS. THERE IS A REASON WHY IT'S VERY SPECIFIC TO, UM, THE LGBTQ I A TWO S PLUS COMMUNITY OR THE BLACK COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE DATA IS SHOWING THAT THERE IS MAJOR DISPARITY AND NEED. AND SO THANK YOU. THIS JUST IS A, I LIKE TO SEE THIS AS A START FOR US TO CONTINUE BUILDING AND HAVING CONVERSATION AND MAKING SURE STORY, MAKING SURE THAT STORIES ARE AT THE FOREFRONT, UM, TO ACTUALLY GETTING INVESTMENTS IN PLACE TO SERVING THOSE IN NEEDS. SO, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THS TOOK. ALRIGHT. YES. THANK YOU. UM, SO I TOO WANNA THANK, UH, DIRECTOR KING AS WELL AS TEAM MEMBER RYAN MAGANINI FOR PULLING, BRINGING THIS PRESENTATION FORWARD, UM, THIS EVENING. I BELIEVE THAT THIS COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS AN AFFIRMATION TO OUR LGBTQ IAS TWO PLUS COMMUNITY. UM, AND REALLY SHOWS THAT WE'RE COMMITTING OURSELVES TO UNDERSTANDING, UH, HOW THE COMMUNITY IS FEELING WITHIN OUR CITY AND WHAT WE CAN DO, UH, TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY BETTER. I REALLY TRULY APPRECIATE THAT ALL OF THESE HEALTH ASSESSMENTS THAT YOU'VE DONE HAVE CENTERED THE PEOPLE WITH THE LIVED EXPERIENCE. UM, SO NOT ONLY HAVE YOU CENTERED THEM IN THE QUESTIONS, BUT YOU HAVE ENGAGED, UH, THE LEADERS ALONG THE WAY. AND ALWAYS TO HAVE, UM, THE COMMUNITY COME AND PRESENT TO US ALONGSIDE YOU IS SO IMPACTFUL. AND THE FACT THAT THE COMMUNITIES HAVE ALL BEEN WILLING, UH, TO DO SO AND TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES IN MEETING WITH OTHERS, UM, FROM THE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES, I THINK JUST SPEAKS TO HOW WELL THE STAFF HAS BEEN ABLE TO ENGAGE AND GET REALLY GOOD INFORMATION, UM, FROM ALL COMMUNITIES WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PARTICULAR, UH, HEALTH ASSESSMENT THAT'S, UH, BEEN BROUGHT BEFORE US. I DO WANT TO, UM, MAKE SURE AS SOMEONE WHO'S CONCERNED ABOUT HOUSING AND ACCESS TO IT, UM, THAT WE LIFT THAT UP AND, AND SPEND A LITTLE TIME ON THAT. UM, I NOTICED THAT 31% OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS STATED THAT THEY HAVE LESS THAN 20,000 IN INCOME OR LESS EVEN. AND ONE IN FOUR HAS ALREADY BEEN NOTED, UM, JAMES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. UM, AND SO L-G-B-T-Q-I-A FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY REALLY NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN THIS AREA. AND WE KNOW THAT ONCE YOU HAVE HOUSING, THEN YOU HAVE HEALTH SERVICES SECURITY. WE SAW THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS, JOB SECURITY AND OVERALL WELLBEING. SO GIVEN THAT, UM, JUST WANTED TO SEE DIRECTOR KING, UM, MAYBE THE REST OF THE STAFF, IF YOU'VE GIVEN SOME CONSIDERATION AS TO WHAT WE CAN DO FROM A HOMELESS OUTREACH PERSPECTIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING OUR TRANSGENDER GENDER EXPANSIVE AND INTERSEX, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO MAY BE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR MAYBE JUST EVEN RENT BURDEN. SO, UM, THROUGH OUR HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU, WE DO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, STAFF WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE WHO ARE ABLE TO GO OUT AND GO INTO THE COMMUNITIES TO SUPPORT, UM, THE COMMUNITY IN WAYS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THEIR NEEDS. UM, WE HAVE A VERY DIVERSE, UM, STAFF WITHIN ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND WE WORK WITHIN EACH OF OUR BUREAUS TO COLLABORATIVELY SUPPORT ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT, UM, GROUPS. AS YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGE OF HOMELESSNESS IS PERVASIVE THROUGHOUT. AND, UM, WE DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO PLACES WHERE THEY FEEL SAFE. ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT PIECES THAT CAME FROM THIS IS THAT THERE IS GENDER AFFIRMING SERVICE RENDERED IN OUR SHELTERS AND, UM, BEYOND EVEN THOSE THAT ARE CITY OPERATED. SO WE AS A CITY ARE DOING ALL THAT WE CAN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY. UM, WE'VE ALSO ENGAGED WITH PD AND THERE MAY BE AN INTEREST IN LOOKING TO ENGAGE PARTICIPANTS IN UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY MIGHT FEEL SAFER IN REPORTING SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED IN THIS REPORT SO THAT THEY ARE ADDRESSED. SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK IN ALL AREAS, UM, OF THE REPORT AND THE FINDINGS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT AND I HAVE A, A LOT OF CONFIDENCE AND, AND BELIEVE THAT WE ARE DOING ALL WE CAN. AND CERTAINLY I WOULD ENCOURAGE, UH, WHATEVER ELSE WE CAN DO TO ENSURE THAT [04:00:01] THERE'S LGBT QIA A PLUS TWO COMMUNITY, UH, SENSITIVITY TRAINING THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE WORK, UM, THAT WE DO THAT IS PUBLIC FACING. UM, AND I WANNA THANK, UH, THE LEADERS FOR COMING UP HERE AGAIN TODAY FOR SHARING THAT THERE IS AN UPCOMING HEALTH FAIR. UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S SO CRITICAL TO BE RESPONSIVE TO WHAT WAS IN THE REPORT. UM, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO DETAILS ON WHEN THAT MIGHT BE, UM, IN CASE WE'RE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN UPCOMING ACTIVITIES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, DEJAS, THANK YOU. THANK YOU DIRECTOR KING FOR, FOR THAT GREAT PRESENTATION. RYAN, THAT WAS AMAZING TO OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS. UM, ELLIOT JAMES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT WAS DONE. I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT WENT INTO IT AND, UM, AGREEING WITH ALL THE POINTS THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BROUGHT UP. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SEE IN THIS, UM, PRESENTATION TODAY IS, UM, THAT WE REALLY HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED. UM, AS ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAS POINTED OUT, THIS IS THE START THAT WE NEEDED SO THAT WE CAN MOVE OUR CITY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I FEEL LIKE, UM, IT'S BEEN WAY OVERDUE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, BUT THANKS TO THIS WE HAVE A START AND I LOOK FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING. I LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING WITH OUR COMMUNITY, WITH OUR CITY STAFF TO REALLY ADDRESS ALL OF THE, UH, INTERSECTIONAL INTERSECTIONALITY POINTS THAT ARE BROUGHT UP IN THIS PRESENTATION TODAY. SO GREAT WORK. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WE NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED TO SPEAK, UH, BILL SIV, ELLIE PEREZ, AND CHICHI, AN TANYA MARTIN TOO. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR RICHARDSON. AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I DON'T THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, AS MUCH AS I'VE BEEN UP HERE IN THE PAST, I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SHARED THE FACT THAT, UH, DURING COV WHEN I GOT LAID OFF MY JOB WITH MILLIONS OF OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY, UM, I ACTUALLY GOT CERTIFIED AS A COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKER. SO IN LA COUNTY, I AM AN OUT INVISIBLE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKER. AND FORTUNATELY FOR ME, I DON'T HAVE ANY GUARDRAILS. SO I CAN TALK ABOUT ITEMS THAT AREN'T REALLY DISCUSSED WITHIN THE STRUCTURED COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKER FRAMEWORK WITHIN LA COUNTY. THEY DON'T COVER SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE DO HERE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ONE OF THE RESPONDENTS TO THE SURVEY AND DEFINITELY WILL BE, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THE UPCOMING SUMMIT. UM, BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT, UM, SOME OF OUR COUNTERPARTS OR THAT I ENCOUNTER ARE YOUNGER AND THEY DON'T HAVE THAT OLDER PERSPECTIVE. UM, FOR INSTANCE, UM, I KNOW OF A 70-YEAR-OLD TRANS MALE, BUT WHO GREW UP AS A LESBIAN, A BABY D**E, A D**E, A BUTCH LESBIAN, AND AT 70 YEARS OLD CAME OUT AS A TRANS MALE, DEFINITELY AFRAID OF ACTUALLY HER, HIS SENIOR HOUSING. FINDING OUT THAT NOW IDENTIFYING AS TRANSGENDER AT 70 YEARS OLD, THE NAME, THAT KIND OF STUFF, ALL THESE FEARS THAT THE OLDER SIDE HAVE AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, ARE LONG-TERM SURVIVORS OF HIV AND AIDS. AND WHAT I PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEYS THAT JAMES HELD, I HAD THAT OLDER PERSPECTIVE THAT I WAS BRINGING INTO IT. AND I'M IN SPACES THAT OUR CITY IS NOT. FOR INSTANCE, THERE IS A ROTATING L-G-B-T-Q HEALTH CONFERENCE THAT ROTATES BETWEEN U-C-L-A-U-S-C, UC, IRVINE, UM, SAN DIEGO STATE WESTERN UNIVERSITY, ALL OF THE MEDICAL TEACHING UNIVERSITIES. THEY ROTATE THIS HEALTH L-G-B-T-Q HEALTHCARE. I'M IN THOSE SPACES. I'M TE TALKING TO THE EDUCATORS OR THE DES PROGRAM DESIGNERS. AND THAT'S ALSO WHERE I GET EDUCATED. A LOT OF TRANSGENDER ISSUES AND A LOT OF INTERSEX ISSUES. SO I GET MY OWN EDUCATION THERE. PLUS I HAVE A GLOBAL NETWORK WHICH I CAN PULL FROM. IN FACT, I JUST GOT SOME NEW STUFF FROM IRELAND. BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, I GET TO SEE LIKE WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH TRANSGENDER OLDER ADULTS AND YOUNGER PEOPLE AND AUSTRALIA AND ALSO IN INDIA. SO I GET TO PULL ALL THESE RESOURCES AND I PLAN TO, YOU KNOW, I'VE SHARED THEM WITH RYAN IN THE PAST. UM, JAMES IS VERY AWARE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I ATTEND. AND SO I'M GLAD THAT THE CITY'S MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS, BUT I'M ALSO GLAD THAT I'M IN A POSITION WHERE I CAN BRING THAT PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE I'M COME FROM THAT AGE WHERE WE WERE FIGHTING AGAINST AIDS AND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND THAT KIND OF STUFF. AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I CAN BRING UP, AND THAT'LL BE MY LAST POINT, IS THAT THE NUMBER OF OLDER ADULTS THAT ARE IN SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, THAT [04:05:01] CAN BE, YOU KNOW, AS THE CONTRACTS EXPIRE, MAY THEY BECOME HOMELESS AND WE NEED TO PREVENT THAT. SO WE'LL BE SHARING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS ELLIE. AFTER ELLIE IS CHICHI. HELLO AGAIN. JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH FORMS LIKE THIS. AND AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD TO DELIVER ON WHAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS, WE'RE REALLY GONNA NEED YOUR SUPPORT. UM, AND WE'RE GONNA BE COMING AND WE'RE GONNA BE ASKING, UH, A LOT OF WHAT WE NEED IS FINANCIAL SUPPORT. AS YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL CUTS TO THE CENTER HAVE BEEN ATROCIOUS AND WE ARE DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN. UM, WE DID GET FINALLY APPROVED FOR MEDI-CAL BILLING, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED FOR THAT. BUT WE STILL NEED THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY. UM, WE'RE AT THE SUBJECT EXPERTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT. SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR, BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE WORK TO BE DONE AND IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OF YOU AND ALL OF US. SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU. THANKS, ELLIE CHICHI. OKAY, TANYA, I , CITY COUNCIL AND HARDWORKING STAFF. UH, MY NAME IS TONYA MARTIN. UH, TONIGHT I'M GONNA BE WEARING TWO DIFFERENT HATS. UH, THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE L-G-B-T-Q REPRESENTATIVE FOR, UM, CALIFORNIA STATE INSURANCE COMMISSIONER RICARDO LAURA, ON BEHALF OF INSURANCE COMMISSIONER RICARDO. LAURA, THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH FOR EV EVALUATING THE HEALTH NEEDS OF THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY THROUGH THIS ASSESSMENT. AS A FORMER STATE SENATOR REPRESENTING IN LONG BEACH AND THE FIRST OPENLY GAY PERSON ELECTED TO STATEWIDE OFFICE IN CALIFORNIA'S HISTORY, THIS WORK IS DEEPLY PERSONAL TO HIM. THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, COMMISSIONER LAURA HAS BEEN RELENTLESS, UH, RELENTLESS ADVOCATE FOR THE L-G-B-T-Q CALIFORNIANS FIGHTING DISCRIMINATION, EXPANDING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND HOLDING INSURANCE COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE UNDER THE LAW FOR PRO, FROM PROTECTING COVERAGE FOR GENDER AFFIRMING CARE AND HIV PREVENTION TO STRENGTHENING NON-DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS DURING EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS. HE HAS WORKED TO ENSURE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITIES ARE SEEN, PROTECTED AND TREATED WITH DIGNITY. THIS COMMUNITY MATTERS TO HIM AND THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE REMAINS COMMITTED TO ADVANCING EQUITY, ENFORCING CONSUMER PROTECTIONS, AND PARTNERING WITH LOCAL LEADERS IN LONG BEACH TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE. MY OTHER HAT IS, UH, PRESIDENT OF LONG BEACH GAY PRIDE. IT'S HONORED TO BE HERE AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, MS. KING RYAN, AND OF COURSE OUR PARTNERS HERE. ELLIE, SHE DID A GREAT JOB, LONG BEACH FORD, AND OF COURSE, UH, A-P-L-A-I. I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WATCHING OVER OUR COMMUNITY AS, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF LONG BEACH PRIDE. I'M SURE THAT MANY OF YOU HEARD ABOUT OUR RECENT HATE CRIME INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED THIS LAST YEAR. UH, THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO FACE EVERY DAY WHEN WE WALK OUT THE DOOR. AS A MOTHER OF FOUR BOYS, IT'S DIFFICULT. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT, AND IT'S SCARY AT TIMES. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I SAW A STUDY TODAY THAT 50% OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE NOW BLOCKING THEMSELVES AWAY BECAUSE THEY'RE SO FRIGHTENED. SO THIS STUDY IS THE BEGINNING AND IT'S SOCHI. REMEMBER THE NAME BECAUSE YOU'LL HEAR IT A LOT. UM, SOCHI IS A GREAT THING TO COME TO LONG BEACH, AND I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF IT. AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WITH ALL THESE FEAR AND ALL THE THINGS THAT GOES ON IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THE DRUG ABUSE FROM THE FEAR, UH, SUICIDE SUICIDES HAVE GONE UP TREMENDOUSLY. AND I'M NOT JUST SAYING THIS AND TALKING TO YOU ABOUT PEOPLE OUT THERE EMOTIONALLY. I WANT YOU TO HEAR THIS. I'M RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. THIS IS ME. THESE ARE THINGS THAT I GO THROUGH AND WE NEED YOU AND WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT. AND AS PRESIDENT OF LONG BEACH PRIDE, WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH HELPING TO PROVIDE ALL THE SERVICES NEEDED FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO SURVIVE. 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR CENTURIES, AND WE'RE FEARLESS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL SEE IT FOR ALL OUR SPEAKERS, PUBLIC COMMENTERS. UM, DARL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SUBINA. [04:10:01] UH, THANK YOU. JUST BRIEFLY, UH, TO STAFF, UM, ON THE POWERPOINT, PAGE SEVEN, THERE APPEARS TO BE AN ERROR AND THEN IT'S ON THE MAP, UM, FOR THE FOURTH COUNCIL DISTRICT WHERE IT SHOULD READ 9 0 8 1 5, IT READS 9 0 8 0 9. SO IF THAT, UH, CORRECTION COULD BE MADE, WE'D, UH, APPRECIATE IT AND MAKE SURE THAT THE, UH, THE NUMBERS, THE STATS REFLECT 9 0 8 1 5. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, AND BEFORE WE GO TO OUR VOTE, JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE WHAT EVERYBODY SAID. YOU KNOW, WE HEAR YOU. IT'S, YOU KNOW, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS A FULL FLEDGE ATTACK ON L-G-B-T-Q, OUR Q OUR QUEER RESIDENTS, AND ALL OF OUR, UH, COMMUNITIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE OPPRESSED. AND, UM, WHAT THIS REPRESENTS HERE, IT IT'S NOT SYMBOLIC. THIS IS A COMMITMENT AND IT'S, UH, LONG BEACH IS LEADING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF WHERE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS GOING. AND, UM, AND I KNOW OUR CITY COUNCIL'S GONNA DO THE RIGHT THING, OBVIOUSLY SUPPORT THIS, BUT I THINK WHAT WE DO IT IS, IS, IS WHAT ULTIMATELY MATTERS. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, HEARING ITEM 18, PLEASE REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD, CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION. CONTINUING THE ZARIA PARKING AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA ASSESSMENT LEVY FOR THE PERIOD OF OCTOBER 1ST, 2025 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026. DISTRICTS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NO OATH IS REQUIRED. WE'LL PASS IT TO STAFF FOR THE PRESENTATION. [18. 26-54013 Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, and adopt resolution continuing the Zaferia Parking and Business Improvement Area assessment levy for the period of October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to extend the agreement with the Zaferia Business Association for a one-year term. (Districts 2, 3, 4)       Office or Department: Economic Development and Opportunity         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] YES. FOR THIS ITEM, WE HAVE JULIAN SARINA, BUSINESS MANAGER FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AN OPPORTUNITY, GOOD EVENING, ADMIR MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. THE SA PARKING AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA, ALSO KNOWN AS THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, WAS ESTABLISHED BY CITY COUNCIL IN 2010. THIS ALLOWS FOR THE LEVY OF AN ANNUAL ASSESSMENT TO BE PAID BY THE BUSINESS LOCATED IN THIS DISTRICT. THE CITY CONTRACTS WITH THE SYA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION TO MANAGE THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, AND THE ARIA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION'S BOARD OF DIRECTOR SERVES AS THE ADVISORY BOARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON MATTERS RELATED TO THE DISTRICT STATE LAW GOVERNING THIS DISTRICT REQUIRES THAT AN ANNUAL REPORT BE APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL. THE ANNUAL REPORT DOES CROSS BOUNDARIES, PROPOSE ACTIVITIES AND BUDGETARY INFORMATION, AS WELL AS THE METHOD AND BASIS FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE ASSESSMENT. DANIEL REPORT THIS YEAR PROPOSED NO CHANGES TO THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES ASSESSMENTS, OR SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES. STATE LAW ALSO REQUIRES THAT A PUBLIC HEARING BE HELD ON THE PROPOSED PROGRAM AND ASSESSMENT. AT ITS DECEMBER 9TH MEETING, 2025, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A RESOLUTION GRANTING APPROVAL OF THE ANNUAL REPORT TO CURRENT, THE INTENTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO LEVY THE ASSESSMENT AND SET TODAY AS A DATE OF PUBLIC HEARING, STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HEAR AND CONSIDER ALL PROTESTS AGAINST THE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM, BOUNDARIES OF THE AREA, AND OR ANY BENEFIT ZONE AS PROPOSED IN THE ANNUAL REPORT. THIS CONCLUDES MY STAFF REPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL GO TO THE MAKER OF THE MOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. YEAH. I WANNA THANK THE, UH, ZACHARIA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION FOR THEIR CONTINUED WORK AND SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ACTIVATING THE, UH, CORRIDOR. UM, I KNOW THAT THE BID, UH, PLAYS A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN KEEPING THE AREA VIBRANT, CLEAN, AND, UM, JUST CONNECTED TO THE, UH, BROADER COMMUNITY. AND I APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP, UH, WITH THE BID AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE WORK TOGETHER IN THE COMING YEAR TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES, THE NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS, AND ONGOING IMPROVEMENTS IN ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. THANK YOU. UM, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS FOR THE ZEPHYR, UH, BID AND I CONCUR WITH COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN'S COMMENT. ALL RIGHT, GREAT. WELL, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ZARIA BID. I, I I THE FOOD AND ZARIA JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER. YOU KNOW, THE LAST PLACE I WENT WAS SILVA OFF THE HOOK. SO GOOD OFF THE HOOK. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? YES. YEAH. SO, SO YEAH, WE, WE DEFINITELY WANNA SUPPORT OUR BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, BUT ZACHARY HAS GOT SOME GREAT, SOME GREAT FOOD MEMBERS. PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. AND CHANG RYE. OH MY GOSH. IT'S JUST OFF THE HOOK OVER THERE. AND GOOD TIME COFFEE. ALRIGHT. UM, WHAT'S NEXT? ITEM 19, PLEASE REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT TO NEGOTIATE EXCLUSIVELY WITH UNITED CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY [04:15:01] AND LTSC COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO COMMENCE NEGOTIATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE DISPOSITION AND DEVELOPMENT OF CITY OWNED SURPLUS LAND. LOCATED AT 1-858-ATLANTIC AVENUE, DISTRICT SIX. COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. [19. 26-54016 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into an Agreement to Negotiate Exclusively (ENA) with United Cambodian Community, a California non-profit corporation, and LTSC Community Development Corporation, a California non-profit corporation, to commence negotiations in connection with the disposition and development of City-owned Surplus Land located at 1858 Atlantic Avenue (Subject Property). (District 6) Levine Act: Yes       Office or Department: Economic Development and Opportunity         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, SO I, I'M PR PROUD TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM FOR A PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE HEART OF MY DISTRICT. IT'S AT THE SITE AT 1858. ATLANTIC AVENUE HAS SAT VACANT, UH, FOR MANY YEARS AND IT HAS GONE THROUGH DIFFERENT VISIONING. BUT TONIGHT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE IT TOWARDS MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY USE. AND IT'S GONNA BE DELIVERING 50 AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOMES AS WELL AS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WHICH IS A CRITICAL NEED NOT ONLY IN THE DISTRICT, BUT IN THE CITY. SO, UM, BEYOND HOUSING, THIS PROJECT BRINGS COMMUNITY VALUE THROUGH A BUSINESS INCUBATOR, THE CAMBODIA TOWN BUSINESS CENTER PROGRAM, AND IS DEDICATED TO YOUTH PROGRAMMING AND ENSURING THE SITE IS BOTH PROVIDES ECONOMIC AS OPPORTUNITY AS WELL AS INTERGENERATIONAL INVESTMENT. I'M EXCITED THAT UCC IS PARTNERING WITH LTSC, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WHO HAS A KNOWN AND VERY, UM, GREAT HISTORY OF AFFORDABLE DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS, UH, CREATING COMMUNITY, UH, SPACES. AND SO I ASKED MY COLLEAGUE TO SUPPORT, BECAUSE TONIGHT'S VOTE IS TO COMMIT THE CITY TO A FINAL AGREEMENT, A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, AND IT JUST ALLOWS THE CITY AND THE DEVELOPER THE TIME TO CONDUCT ITS DUE DILIGENCE, ENGAGED TO PUBLIC THROUGH VISIONING MEETINGS, AND ENSURE THE PROJECT IS FEASIBLE AND COMMUNITY INFORMED. UH, THANK YOU. SO I HOPE YOU'LL SUPPORT THIS. AND I ALSO SUPPORT THE TEMPORARY ACTIVATION OF THE SITE, UM, WHILE DURING THE ENA PERIOD, WHICH IS GONNA ALLOW COMMUNITY EVENTS AS WELL AS OTHER ACTIVITY, UM, THAT'S GONNA BRING LIFE SAFETY AND VITALITY BACK TO THE SPACE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. UH, SUSANNA SNI, HONOR BOARD MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY STAFF AND CITY MANAGER. MY NAME IS SUSANNA SNM. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UNITED CAMBODIA COMMUNITY. JIM DIPOLE AND UCC HAS BEEN SERVING THE CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY FOR OVER 49 YEARS. OUR MISSION IS TO ELEVATE THE CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY THROUGH LOCAL ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP THAT EMBODIES CAMBODIAN CULTURAL VALUES. AND WE DO DO THAT THROUGH HEALTH EQUITY, COMMUNITY INTEGRATION, YOUTH ENRICHMENT AND ECONOMIC INCLUSION. UCC IS THE LEADING CAMBODIAN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION PROVIDING DIRECT SERVICES, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND ADVOCACY AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY IN ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING SMALL BUSINESS COUNSELING, CAMBODIA TOWN THRIVES COALITION BUILDING, HOUSING COUNSELING, AND YOUTH WORK FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN ORDER TO PROTECT AND INVEST IN SMALL BUSINESSES, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. UCC IS GOING COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP OF LAND BY DEVELOPING 1858 ATLANTIC AVENUE FOR COMMUNITY BENEFIT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LITTLE TOKYO SERVICE CENTER, A RENOWNED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AGENCY IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY THAT HAS A DEEP HISTORY AND EXPERIENCE IN DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE IN LITTLE TOKYO NEIGHBORHOOD. UCC SEEKS TO DEVELOP A MIXED USE BUILDING WITH A BUSINESS INCUBATOR AND A YOUTH SPACE ON THE GROUND FLOOR AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING ABOVE. I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT AND APPROVE THE ENA. SO UCC CAN MOVE FORWARD IN THE NEXT STEPS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND TO FOSTER SMALL BUSINESS INVESTMENT, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR CITY. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU. SO HANG ON JUST A MINUTE. SO, SO THIS PROJECT, SO YOU'RE DOING 50 UNITS. WHO, YOUR PARTNER, WHO'S YOUR PARTNER ON THIS LITTLE TOKYO SERVICE CENTER? HEARD ABOUT THIS? YOU GUYS ARE TALKING TO LA CASA? YES. THIS IS AN EXCITING PROJECT. IT IS. IT, THIS IS AN EXCITING PROJECT. GOOD, GOOD WORK. LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, YOUR CONTINUED SUCCESS HERE, BUT YEAH, I HEARD ABOUT THIS ALL THE WAY ON THE REGIONAL LEVEL. OKAY. THIS IS PRETTY INCREDIBLE. I'M EXCITED YOU I CHAIR THAT BOARD. YES. ALL RIGHT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH TOOK ANYTHING. YES. YOU KNOW, I SERVE AS YOUR ALTERNATE ON THAT BOARD. YES, YOU DO. YES. WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND HAPPY TO SECOND IT. UM, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE JUST HAD A PRESENTATION AND WE'RE REMINDED OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND THE PROSPERITY OF OUR CITY. AND THIS PROJECT NOT ONLY ADDRESSES THE NEED FOR MIXED USE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT ALSO THE NEED FOR BUILDING BUSINESS AND CULTURAL CENTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, SUSANNA, WE ARE JUST SO PROUD OF THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING AT UCC, THE UNITED CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY FOR ALL THESE YEARS. UM, AND JUST AS EXCITED TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE PARTNERED WITH THE LITTLE TOKYO SERVICE CENTER. NOT ONLY ARE THEY KNOWN REGIONALLY FOR THEIR WORK IN PLACEMAKING, CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ENSURING THAT [04:20:01] ALL OF THEIR PROJECTS HAVE A CULTURAL COMPONENT. THEY'RE NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED, UH, FOR THEIR EFFORTS. AND SO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR, UH, TALK SUZUKI, UH, I KNOW YOU ALL WILL BRING FORTH A PROJECT THAT THE COMMUNITY FROM A PUBLIC VISIONING STANDPOINT, UH, WE'LL BE PROUD OF. AND SO WITH THAT, I AM ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS DYNAMIC DUO AND WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS MOTION. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY, MOVING ON. NEXT WE HAVE ITEM 20. YES. ITEM 20, REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE A GRANT AGREEMENT WITH THE LONG BEACH ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS THAT PRIORITIZE BUSINESS ATTRACTION, RETENTION, AND MARKETING TO ATTRACT NEW DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT, CREATE JOBS AND GENERATE LOCAL ECONOMIC GROWTH IN A TOTAL AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED 1,200,000 [20. 26-54050 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute a grant agreement, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Long Beach Economic Partnership, of Long Beach, CA, for the development and implementation of economic development programs that prioritize business attraction, retention, and marketing to attract new domestic and international investment, create jobs, and generate local economic growth, in a total amount not to exceed $1,200,000, for the three year period from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2028; and Increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Economic Development and Opportunity Department by $100,000, offset by a transfer from the Airport Fund Group in the Airport Department. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Economic Development and Opportunity         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] CITYWIDE. OKAY. ON THIS ITEM, UH, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'VE BEEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION FOR A WHILE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THIS PRESENTATION, UH, TO OUR CITY TEAM. UH, THIS WAS, UH, AN EFFORT THAT, UH, WAS REALLY CODIFIED IN THE MOST RECENT BUDGET, THE BACK TO BUSINESS, UH, SMALL BUSINESS ACTIVATION PLAN. AND THE IDEA HERE IS, UH, THERE ARE SOME VERY STRATEGIC THINGS WE NEED TO DO, UM, FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT STANDPOINT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. ONE OF THE ONE OF THEM IS OUR ACCELERATE BY 28 EFFORT. WE KNOW WE'VE SEEN JOBS, UH, CREATED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ACCELERATE IT AND DOUBLE OUR JOB CREATION EFFORTS FROM 4,008,000 IN THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS. THAT MEANS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE THE WORKFORCE PARTNERS IN PLACE AND THE PARTNERS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE LONG BEACH IS READY TO ASSUME THOSE JOBS. THE DEMAND IS COMING. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITIES ARE PREPARED, UH, TO MEET THAT DEMAND. ALSO, ANCHOR LB, WHICH WE JUST ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK, A STRATEGY TO CALL ON THE PORT OF LONG BEACH TO PLAY A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN HELPING TO BOOST, UM, THE RECOVERY YARD DOWNTOWN BY, UM, UH, WORKING TO BRING MORE OF OUR PARTNERS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND THE TRADE AND LOGISTICS COMMUNITY TO NOT JUST SHIP THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT MAKE DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH A CENTER FOR DECISION MAKING, WHICH WILL HELP SP SPUR AND BOOST OUR RECOVERY IN DOWNTOWN. ALL OF THOSE, UH, EFFORTS, UH, UH, WILL REQUIRE US TO HAVE, UH, PARTNERS, UH, THAT ARE ABLE TO ENGAGE, UH, ON THE OUTSIDE AND SO LONG BEACH ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP. WE WANT TO THANK THEM FOR COMING TO THE TABLE AND WORKING WITH US AND THE PORT AND OUR AIRPORT AND EVERYONE, UH, TO HELP BRING US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. SO THAT'S IT. LET'S, UH, LET'S GET INTO THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. I'M GONNA TURN TO BILL MARTINEZ AND HIS TEAM TO WALK THROUGH, UH, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE AND WHAT THOSE, UH, PERFORMANCE METRICS ARE AND, UH, HOW WE'RE GONNA MEASURE SUCCESS. THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER, UH, HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. UM, THIS PRESENTATION PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF A PROPOSED NEW GRANT AGREEMENT WITH LONG BEACH ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP. WE'LL POSITION THE ORGANIZATION TO STRENGTHEN ITS PROGRAMS TO ATTRACT, EXPAND, AND RETAIN BUSINESSES, LONG BEACH THAT WILL RESULT IN NEW JOBS AND INCREASED INVESTMENT. CITYWIDE. LBEP IS A 5 0 1 C NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2019 TO SUPPORT THE CITY. IN IMPLEMENTING THE BLUEPRINT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE ORGANIZATION AUGMENTS, UH, THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESS SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF EMERGENCY INDUSTRIES, CONDUCT ECONOMIC RESEARCH AND ADVANCE, UH, RELATED INITIATIVES. THE BOARD AND MEMBERSHIP BASE HAVE HISTORICALLY INCLUDED LEADERS FROM BUSINESS, COMMUNITY, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, LOCAL ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS CALIFORNIA STATE, UNIVERSITY OF LONG BEACH, LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE, AND THE PORT OF LONG BEACH AND OTHERS. THIS, THIS SLIDE PROVIDES EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITIES STANFORD BY LONG BEACH ECONOMIC PARTNERS, WHO HAS FOCUS ON, SINCE ITS FOUNDING, COMPLETING ECONOMIC RESEARCH, ORGANIZING ANNUAL ECONOMIC ECONOMIC FORUMS, FOCUSING LONG BEACH'S ECONOMY, AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTMENT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND JOBS. IT ALSO SUPPORTS THE EFFORT TO DEVELOP NEW INDUSTRIES IN LONG BEACH, SUPPORTING BUSINESS TRACK EFFORTS THROUGH THE HOSTING, THE ANNUAL SITE SELECTION CONFERENCE AND HOSTING FORWARD DIG DIGNITARIES AND COMPANIES AND WORKING ON SPECIAL PROJECTS. THIS ORGANIZATION'S GOING UNDERGOING BOARD MEMBER AND STAFFING CHANGES, WHICH CREATES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO REFINE THE ORGANIZATION'S GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, BUSINESS MODEL, AND SCOPE OF WORK. THE AGREEMENT ON LABEL LBB TWO UPDATED ITS SCOPE OF WORK. HIRE A NEW CEO AND STAFF, IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE FUND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND STRENGTHEN ITS OPERATIONS. LBP WILL WORK WITH THE CITY AIRPORT PORT [04:25:01] AND ITS NEW BOARD AND MEMBERSHIP TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A WORK PLAN THAT PRIOR PRIORITIZE THE FOLLOWING FOCUS AREAS, BUSINESS ATTRACTION, EXPANSION AND TRACTION, FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT, INTERNATIONAL TRADE VIA WORLD TRADE CENTER, LONG BEACH STATE AND FEDERAL ADVOCACY, ECONOMIC RESEARCH, AND MOST IMPORTANT MEMBERSHIP GROWTH AND RETENTION TO LEVERAGE THE CITY, PORT AND AIRPORT INVESTMENT. THIS SLIDE L THREES THE SAMPLE OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES FOR ONE OF LPS FOCUS AREAS. OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR EACH OF THE FOCUS AREAS HIGHLIGHTED ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. TOGETHER, THESE OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES ARE INTENDED TO GUIDE L BP'S WORK AND INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT MORE DETAILED AND ACTUAL WORK ANNUAL WORK PLAN, INCLUDING DEFINED PRIORITIES, ACTIVITIES, TIMELINES, BUDGETS, AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES. LBP WILL, UH, TRY REGULARLY TRACK AND REPORT ON A SET OF ECONOMIC AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS. THIS LIST IS NOT EXHAUSTED AND MAY EVOLVE OVER TIME. INITIALLY, THE ORGANIZATION'S KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS WILL FOCUS ON OUTPUTS SUCH AS A NUMBER OF SITE VISITS, PROSPECT MEETINGS CONDUCTED WITH COMPANIES TARGETED FOR ATTRACTION TO LONG BEACH. OVER TIME, IT'S EXPECTED THAT LONG BEACH ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP INCORPORATE MORE OUTCOME ORIENTED PERFORMANCE MEASURES, INCLUDING CONVERSION RATE OF SITE VISITS, PROSPECT MEETINGS, AS WELL AS YEAR, YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH IN THOSE CONVERSION RATES. UH, THE NEW GRANT AGREEMENT THIS TO SUPPORT AND COLLABORATION A ALIGN WITH LAB BPS IS CITY AIRPORT AND THE PORT OF LONG BEACH. THE CITY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY DEPARTMENT AIRPORT AND THE PORT WILL EACH HOLD EX OFFICE SEAL, UH, PHYSIO, UH, UH, SEAT ON LONG BEACH ECONOMIC PARTNERS GOVERNING BOARD. THESE SEATS WILL BE ADVISORY IN NATURE AND NOT VOTING AND NON-VOTING. THE CONTRACT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED AND MANAGED BY THE CITY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY DEPARTMENT. AND AS PREVIOUS NOTED, A KEY FOLKS OF THE ORGANIZATION WILL BE TO FUND THE DEVELOPMENT TO EQUITY TO ACHIEVE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY. ABOVE AND BEYOND THE INVESTMENT FROM THE PORT OF LONG BEACH, THE AIRPORT AND THE CITY. THE EXPECTATION IS THAT LONG BEACH ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP WILL ULTIMATELY ESTABLISH A RELIABLE STREAM OF MEMBERSHIP DUES AND GRANT REVENUE SUPPORT. ITS ONGOING OPERATIONS FUNDING FOR THE GRANT AGREEMENT WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE AIRPORT EDO DEPARTMENT IN THE PORT. AS MENTIONED, A MAXIMUM OF $1.2 MILLION IS EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE ORGANIZATION OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD. THE AIRPORT EDO DEPARTMENT ALREADY HAVE FUNDING APPROPRIATE FOR THE GRANT AGREEMENT. IF THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES THIS ITEM, THE CITY STAFF WILL SUBMIT A FORMAL REQUEST TO THE PORT LEADERSHIP FOR THE BOARD OF HARBOR COMMISSION TO APPROPRIATE FUNDING TO SUPPORT THIS AGREEMENT. THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'LL TAKE IT BEHIND THE RAIL. COUNCILMAN BROWN? YES. UH, THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR. UM, AS SCAG PRESIDENT, I WAS IN, UM, LA UH, THIS MORNING AND I GOT TO, UM, I GOT TO, UM, I WAS A GUEST SPEAKER AT THE, UM, LA VIS FED, UH, 2026 BOARD INSULATION. AND I GOT TO SEE, UM, THE FOUNDING, UH, UH, UH, BOARD CHAIRMAN RANDALL HERNANDEZ, UM, WHO, UH, WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL, UH, IN STARTING THIS IN, IN 2009, 2019. SO HE GAVE ME A SHOUT OUT, BUT I'M GIVING HIM ONE HERE. I MEAN, WHERE THIS ORGANIZATION HAS GONE AND, AND BEING INVOLVED WITH IT FROM THE BEGINNING AND WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY, IT'S JUST ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. AND, UM, I'M HAPPY, ABSOLUTELY HAPPY TO, UH, SUPPORT, UM, THIS PARTNERSHIP. AND, UH, JUST MAINLY BECAUSE IT'S GONNA STRENGTHEN A, THE LONG BEACH, OUR ABILITY, UH, TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN, UH, BUSINESSES. AND IT ALSO, UM, JUST ALIGNS THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND REGIONAL PARTNERS AND IT CREATES JOB GROWTH AND INVESTMENT IN INDUSTRIES THAT LONG BEACH ALREADY HAS A STRONG HOLE IN. SO I'M JUST SO HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS. UM, IT ALSO IS, IT ALSO EXCITES ME THAT IT SUPPORTS, UH, LOCAL BUSINESSES AND IT BRINGS NEW EMPLOYERS TO THE CITY AND OPENS PATHWAYS FOR RESIDENTS TO, UH, HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR JUST GOOD PAYING JOBS. SO, JUST HAPPY TO WHOLEHEARTEDLY, UH, SUPPORT THIS. AND, UM, JUST THANK YOU, UH, RANDALL FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE. UM, AND, UH, WITH THIS ORGANIZATION AND, AND ALL OF THE, THE, THE BOARD CHAIRMAN THAT HAVE COME ALONG OVER THE YEARS THAT MADE IT WHAT IT'S TODAY. SO HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. THRASH. INTU. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, SO THIS IS GREAT. I DO WANNA COMMEND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT FOR THE PLAN TO BOOST THE PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, OBEP. UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE PROVEN TO BE A LEADER SINCE 2018 AND GETTING STARTED. UH, I HAVE SEEN RANDALL HERNANDEZ, YOU KNOW, REALLY FOCUS ON MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S HAPPENING. AND WITH THE APPROVAL OF THIS $1.2 MILLION GRANT, UH, NOT ONLY WILL WE CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO SEE, UH, LONG BEACH AS A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO INVEST IN, BUT I'M ALSO VERY HOPEFUL THAT IT WILL TURN INTO INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE HERE IN OUR CORRIDORS AND SPUR LOCAL [04:30:01] ECONOMIC GROWTH. UM, COUPLE THINGS THAT I JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, SHARE TODAY AND, AND I'M HOPING THAT THE, THE STAFF WILL, UM, CONSIDER DIRECTION ON. SO IN THE STAFF REPORT THAT WAS PRESENTED, IT GENERALLY WENT OVER SOME OF THE BROAD STROKES AND AREAS THAT LBEP WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR AS IT RELATES TO THIS PARTICULAR GRANT. UH, WHAT I WAS PLEASED WITH, AT LEAST THOUGH, IS THAT THERE WAS, UM, THE PLAN THAT WAS ATTACHED AS AN ATTACHMENT, UM, TO THE STAFF REPORT. AND I AM VERY HOPEFUL THAT THAT PLAN, UH, WILL BE THE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE BENCHMARK, UM, THAT THE CITY WILL USE IN BEING ABLE TO DETERMINE HOW WELL WE'RE, WE'RE DOING, UH, WITH OUR INVESTMENT WITH L WITH LBEP. SO I'D LOVE TO SEE IF THE STAFF WAS PLANNING TO DO JUST AN ANNUAL REPORT OUT OR GET AN UPDATE, UM, THAT COULD BE SHARED WITH, UH, THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC REGARDING, UM, THAT PLAN. IS THAT THE CASE? UH, DIRECTOR MARTINEZ, UH, COUNCILWOMAN THR, UM, YES, THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PROVIDE AN ANNUAL REPORT TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT ALL THE ACTIVITIES AND, UM, ACCOMPLISHMENTS ORGANIZATION, BUT AS WELL AS THE PERFORMING MET PERFORMANCE METRICS AS WELL AS LEVERAGING THE CITY IMPORT AND AIRPORTS INVESTMENT. GREAT. 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE THE DETAILS THAT THEY PROVIDED IN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE OBJECTIVES WERE REALLY GREAT AND I'D LOVE TO SEE HOW WE'RE DOING IN THOSE AREAS. SO WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT OF THINKING ABOUT NOT ONLY HOW DO WE ATTRACT BUSINESSES HERE, AS YOU KNOW, UH, DIRECTOR MARTINEZ, I SPEND A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, UM, THAT NEED SOME INVIGORATION AS WELL. AND I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A VERY INTERESTING AND GREAT STRATEGY FOR OUR CITY, UM, IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO ATTRACT BUSINESS. BUT I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HERE, JUST USE THIS MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE INVEST IN THE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS THAT NEEDED MOST. SO I THOUGHT THAT THE FRAMEWORK THAT, UM, WAS PRESENTED IN THE STAFF MEMO, UH, WAS A GREAT WAY TO CONSIDER WHAT WE MIGHT DO WITHIN OUR CORRIDORS. SO THE FIRST ONE, UM, COULD, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS FROM A COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR STANDPOINT, I'D LOVE TO SEE IF THERE WAS AN ORGANIZATION THAT COULD HELP US WITH BUSINESS ATTRACTION EXPANSION, MAYBE SOMEBODY THAT'S DOING BUSINESS IN LONG BEACH ALREADY, UM, AND RETENTION OF BUSINESSES WITHIN THOSE UNDER INVESTED COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS. SO THAT WOULD BE, UM, HOW WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, SWITCH THAT FOR A LOCAL STRATEGY. UM, AND THEN, UH, THE SECOND AREA IS A BIT ABOUT, UH, POLICY TO SOME EXTENT. UM, AND IF WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS FROM A COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR STANDPOINT, UH, I'D LOVE TO IDENTIFY AN ORGANIZATION THAT COULD STRENGTHEN LONG BEACH'S POSITION AS CONTINUE TO BE BUSINESS FRIENDLY, UM, AND AS A PLACE TO DO BUSINESS AND REALLY PROMOTE THAT. UM, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE LBEP DOING AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, WE COULD HAVE AN ORGANIZATION, UH, THAT WAS FOCUSED AT THE COUNTY, STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, ADVOCATING FOR RESOURCES AND POLICIES THAT STRENGTHEN LONG BEACH'S COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR, UM, ACTIVITY. SO ALLOWING US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE EITHER MORE POLICIES, UM, THAT STRENGTHEN OUR ABILITY TO ACTIVATE THOSE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS. AND THEN, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE LBEP LOOKING AT ECONOMIC RESEARCH. UM, IT'D BE GREAT TO HAVE SOME RESEARCH THAT LOOKED AT ACTIONABLE ITEMS WHERE THAT WOULD DRIVE INVESTMENT IN COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS. UM, AGAIN, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE UNDER INVESTED IN. AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE LBEP LOOKING AT HOW TO LEVERAGE, UH, OTHER INVESTMENTS WITH, UH, OTHER INSTITUTIONS. UH, WE COULD CERTAINLY DO THE SAME. SO LOOKING AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE CITY COLLEGE TRANSIT, THE PORT AND OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AND HOW THE, UH, IN INVEST THEIR INVESTMENTS COULD BE INVESTED IN THOSE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS. UM, AND I WOULD SPECIFICALLY BE INTERESTED IN AN ORGANIZATION THAT COULD HELP US, UH, REALLY, UH, MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE BIDS ARE TRAINED IN THE SAME WAY ACROSS THE CITY AND ARE SHARING BEST PRACTICES. I KNOW WE HAVE A REGULAR MEETING, UM, BUT I'D LOVE TO SEE, UM, THAT ORGANIZATION PUT TOGETHER A, UM, STRATEGIC HELP WITH A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AND PLAN FOR EACH OF THE BIDS SO THAT THE RESOURCE THAT WE HAVE IN THOSE BIDS THAT ARE DOING VERY WELL, GET SHARED WITH THOSE, UM, THAT MIGHT NEED SOME ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT. SO, YOU KNOW, FOR FUTURE, UH, CONVERSATIONS, I'D LOVE TO SEE HOW WE TAKE THIS FRAMEWORK, UM, AND MOVE IT INTO LOOKING AT COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS IN UNDERSERVED AREAS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THANK YOU DIRECTOR MARTINEZ FOR, UM, THIS OVERVIEW OF THIS PROPOSED ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL FOR L-B-E-P-I. UM, APPRECIATE, UM, COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN'S AND ALSO COUNCILWOMAN THRASH COMMENTS IN QUESTION. I DO AGREE WITH HER, UH, WITH THIS KIND OF NEWLY [04:35:01] FORMED ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL, IT'D BE GOOD TO GET AN ANNUAL UPDATE ON HOW WE'RE MEETING OUR, OUR MILESTONES OR OBJECTIVES, BECAUSE THIS IS A LARGE SUM OF MONEY BEING INVESTED INTO THIS ORGANIZATION. AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ARE HITTING OUR PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND ENSURING THAT IF IT'S, IF WE'RE NOT, WHAT IS BEING DONE TO DO SO. BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I, I LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND HEAR FROM IS AROUND THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS ENTITY BEYOND CITY'S, UH, CONTRIBUTION. I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT ITS FUND DEVELOPMENT, UM, OUTSIDE OF ITS MEMBERSHIP STRUCTURE, WHAT OTHER MODELS OR STRATEGIES IT'S GONNA TAKE IN ORDER TO GROW? BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT LOOKING GOOD FOR US. UH, THE FORECAST IS SHOWING THAT, UM, WE ARE IN A, GONNA BE IN A DEFICIT, RIGHT? SO I THINK WE'RE LOOKING TO COUNT ON LBAP TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE AND ENHANCE, UH, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP US GROW, UM, OUR GENERAL FUND IN SOME WAY. UH, SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IF THERE ARE ALSO, UM, SO THOSE ARE, THAT'S ONE OF THE AREA I, I DIDN'T SEE TOO MUCH OF. AND I, I WANNA LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE AND MAYBE AS CHAIR OF THE ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE, I LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING THIS, UH, TO THE COMMITTEE TO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON HOW IT GETS ROLLED OUT AS OUR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ORIENTATES INTO HIS ROLE. UM, SO, UM, BUT THOSE ARE MY JUST GENERAL OVERALL COMMENT. THESE ARE GREAT OBJECTIVES AND, UH, ECONOMIC INDICATORS AND PERFORMANCE METRICS TO WORK FOR, BUT WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME NUMBERS AS WELL. IT'S VERY GENERAL. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT OUR BASELINE NUMBERS ARE AND, AND WHAT EXACTLY IT IS WE'RE TRYING TO HIT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. UM, THAT WOULD HELP ME UNDERSTAND IF WE'RE EVEN MEETING THEM OR WE'RE FALLING SHORT. UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S IT FOR NOW, BUT LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WELL, HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT I REALLY SEE ABOUT THIS. UM, WHAT THIS REALLY IS, IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY SHARPEN THE PENCIL ON WHAT L-B-P-E-L-B-E-P ACTUALLY DOES FOR THE CITY. UM, IT MAY NOT BE THAT WE NEED BIG ECONOMIC FORUMS EVERY QUARTER. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NECESSARILY NEED THAT OR BIG PARTIES OR WHATEVER, WHAT WE ACTUALLY NEED, YOU KNOW, NOT, UH, JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO, DENVER SENT THEIR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM AND THEIR ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP TO LONG BEACH, TO, TO INTERVIEW AND POACH SOME OF OUR SPACE COMPANIES TO DENVER. WE NEED TO BE IN DENVER POACHING THOSE BUSINESSES IN SAN FRANCISCO AND SAN JOSE. WELL, I'M NOT GONNA SAY SAN FRANCISCO, JOSE, THOSE ARE OUR FRIENDS, BUT WE SHOULD BE TALKING TO AUSTIN AND DENVER AND ALL OF THOSE CITIES AND SAYING, YEAH, PHOENIX, YOU MIGHT BE HOT, BUT LONG BEACH IS COOL. LET'S GET YOU HERE. SO THAT'S ONE THING WE NEED TO BE DOING. THE OTHER THING THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IS BETTER DEFINING WHAT, HOW THE PORT DOES BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY. THAT WAS ALWAYS AN EXPECTATION FOR WORLD TRADE CENTER, BUT IT NEVER REALLY CAME TOGETHER. THIS WAS A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY SHARPEN THAT. AND SO THE STEPS WE TOOK IN THE BUDGET, THE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT STATE OF THE CITY, THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PORT HAVE NOW ALIGNED. AND NOW THIS PARTNERSHIP, UH, THIS INVESTMENT HAS NOW ALIGNED US TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL, SPECIFIC ABOUT GETTING, UM, THE LARGER INTERNATIONAL TRADING COMMUNITY THAT PLAY A LARGER ROLE IN LONG BEACH AS IT RELATES TO OUR, OUR, UM, OUR INVESTMENTS AND OUR DEVELOP OUR, OUR RECOVERY. AND SO THIS IN MANY WAYS, CLARIFIES AND SHARPENS THE PENCIL. WE DON'T NEED A LOT OF POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE. WHAT WE NEED IS PUTTING POINTS ON THE BOARD. UH, WE DON'T NEED A BOARD, A BOARD MADE UP OF EVERY BUSINESS IN THE CITY WITH AN OPINION. YOU NEED FOLKS WHO ARE GONNA BE HELPING US GROW OUR CITY AND GROW OUR BOTTOM LINE AND GROW REVENUE. AND, AND SO THAT MEANS A MEMBERSHIP MODEL THAT, UM, THAT INCENTIVIZE INVESTMENT, RIGHT? PEOPLE WHO ARE INVESTED IN OUR CITY. THE OTHER THING IS WE LOOKED AT OTHER MODELS LIKE SAN FRANCISCO, IT'S CALLED THE PARTNERSHIP FOR SAN FRANCISCO. AND IT'S A GREAT MODEL. ATLANTA'S CALLED INVEST A TL, AND IT'S A GREAT MODEL AND THE RIGHT, AND THEY'RE ALL FOCUSED ON GROWTH. SO THIS IS TAKING THE MOMENTUM WE'VE DEVELOPED, WE GROW LONG BEACH AND NOW REALLY MOBILIZING AND MAKING SURE THERE'S AN EXTERNAL ENTITY TO PUT THE WORK IN TO HELP DEVELOP THESE RELATIONSHIPS AND BRING THIS, UH, INVESTMENT TO OUR COMMUNITIES. AND THAT COULD, THAT COULD LAND IN NORTH LONG BEACH. THAT COULD LAND IN CENTRAL LONG BEACH. THAT CAN LAND ON THE WEST SIDE, IT CAN LAND IN DOUGLAS PARK, IT CAN LAND IN DOWNTOWN, RIGHT? BUT, BUT THIS IS ABOUT BEING VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT WE NEED THIS ORGANIZATION [04:40:01] TO DO. AND I'M GLAD THAT THEY, UH, THEY'LL BE ANNOUNCING THEIR NEW CEO SOON. I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT, AND THAT THEY'RE CHANGING THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR BOARD. I WELCOME ALL OF THOSE CHANGES. UM, BUT THOSE ARE, THAT'S MY FEEDBACK THERE. UM, WE'RE NOW GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE ONE ROGELIO MARTINEZ. SO, UM, I'M JUST GONNA ADD TO THE, UH, PUBLIC RECORD THAT, UM, SO AS PART OF MY PLAN IS I WILL BE BRINGING THREE OF THE LARGEST MUSIC FESTIVALS TO THE WORLD, UH, FROM THE WORLD INTO LONG BEACH. SO IN 2027, I WILL BE BRINGING BUENA VIDA BEACH THAT IS THE LARGEST ELECTRONIC MUSIC FESTIVAL FROM CARIA COLUMBIA. IN 2028, I WILL BE BRINGING THE LARGEST MUSIC FESTIVAL FROM SERBIA CALLED EXIT. CURRENTLY SERBIA IS EXPANDING INTO CROATIA, MACEDONIA, MALTA, EGYPT, INDIA, AND LONG BEACH. IN 2028, IN 2029, I'LL BE BRINGING THE LARGEST MUSIC FESTIVAL FROM MEXICO, WHICH IS SAMANA. CURRENTLY SAMANA OPERATES IN MALTA, LONDON, THAILAND, EGYPT, CYPRUS, TURKEY, MEXICO, AND IN 2020, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. AND LASTLY IN, OH, NEVERMIND. UH, THE, THE, THE LAST THING WITH, WITH REGARDS TO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIPS FROM A WORLD STAGE IS I WILL BE WORKING WITH LIBERTY MEDIA ON THE EXPANSION OF THE FORMULA ONE INTO INE COLUMBIA. SO I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING UPWARDS OF EITHER $400,000 ANNUALLY, OR 1.2 ANNUALLY, DEPENDING ON HOW I READ THIS, OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD, UH, FOR THIS, UH, 5 0 1 C3, UM, I'M ALONE IN MY EFFORTS, ARE GOING TO BRING MORE ECONOMIC REVENUE AND CREATE MORE JOBS THAN THIS OBSCENE AMOUNT OF MONEY. SO THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY. WE HAVE TO BE, WE HAVE TO START RESPONSIBLY SPENDING MONEY. I JUST TOLD YOU, I'M BRINGING THREE OF THE LARGEST MUSIC FESTIVALS TO LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA AND WORKING WITH LIBERTY MEDIA. AND THE REASON WHY I'M WORKING WITH LIBERTY MEDIA IN MEINE COLUMBIA IS BECAUSE I HAVE PLANS FOR LIBERTY MEDIA. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO LIBERTY MEDIA IS, THEY OWN FORMULA ONE. I USED TO WORK FOR THE PENSKE FAMILY, ROGER AND GREG PENSKE AT LONGO TOYOTA. OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE BECAUSE ROGER PENSKE, MY BOSS, OWNS THE LONG BEACH GRAND PRIX, THE INDIANAPOLIS 500, AND THE INDIAN INDIE RACING LEAGUE. AGAIN, MY NAME IS ROGELIO MARTINEZ, THE LONG BEACH CITY MAYOR, STARTING IN 2026. AND THIS IS THE WAY THAT I'M GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT, WELL, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. GREAT PRESENTATION BO COUNCILWOMAN RO MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO 23 REPORT FROM PUBLIC WORKS RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT SPECIFICATIONS AND AWARD A CONTRACT TO NEXT TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS TO PROCURE RECTANGULAR RAPID FLASHING BEACONS IN A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 1 MILLION CITYWIDE. OKAY, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. I SEE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP SPEAK ROHELIO MARTINEZ. SO WHAT I WANTED TO ADD TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT IS [23. 26-54018 Recommendation to adopt Specifications No. ITB PW-25-624 and award a contract to NexTechnology Systems, LLC, of Irvine, CA, to procure Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, in a total amount not to exceed $1,000,000, for an initial period of two (2) years, with the option to renew for up to three (3) additional one-year periods in an amount not to exceed $500,000, each renewal year, at the discretion of the City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into the contract, including any necessary subsequent amendments. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Public Works         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] PROCURE RECTANGULAR RAPID FLASHING BEACONS. SO YOU WANNA BUY FLASHING LIGHTS, UM, FOR $1 MILLION FOR A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS. DOES THAT SOUND LIKE RESPONSIBLE? SPENDING $1 MILLION FOR FLASHING LIGHTS? AND THE BIGGEST THING IS NEXT TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY OF IRVINE, CALIFORNIA. WHEN I MAYOR, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE SPENDING OUTSIDE THE CITY. WE'RE NOT, WE'RE GONNA KEEP THE MONEY IN THE CITY. THAT IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO DRIVE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DOWN. THAT IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO START REDUCING SALES TAXES IN THE CITY, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT [04:45:01] FISCAL RESPONSIBLE SPENDING 1 MILLION, $1 MILLION FOR FLASHING LIGHTS. COME ON. THINK ABOUT THAT. THAT MILLION DOLLARS SHOULD BE SPENT TO FIXING ALL OF OUR HIGHWAYS, OUR ROADWAYS, FOR THE UPCOMING 2028 OLYMPICS. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT AGENDA ITEM FELL OFF OF THIS. HOPEFULLY THAT'S ON A PLAN SOMEWHERE TO FIX OUR ROADS. WE'RE LITERALLY KNOWN AS POTHOLE CAPITAL OF AMERICA. WE HAVE MORE POTHOLES THAN ANY OTHER CITY OF ITS SIZE. YES, WE HAVE A WEBSITE WHERE SOMEBODY CAN PUT IN THE ADDRESS, BUT THAT DOES NOT WORK. SO I WOULD URGE COUNCIL, AGAIN, EVERYTHING PASSES HERE. THIS IS THE WAY CITY COUNCIL WORKS. SOMEBODY BRINGS A MOTION TO THE CITY AND YOU GUYS JUST UNANIMOUSLY PASS IT. THAT'S HOW YOU CALL RESPONSIBLE SPENDING. SO WE'RE GONNA SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS ON FLASHING LIGHTS TO A CITY IN ORANGE COUNTY, NOT EVEN LA COUNTY. I GUARANTEE THAT IF WE'RE GONNA SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS ON FLASHING LIGHTS, WE COULD PROBABLY FIND A COMPANY THAT'LL DO A BETTER JOB IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA FOR A LOT LESS MONEY. AGAIN, MY NAME IS ROGELIO MARTINEZ. YOUR 2026 TO 2030 LONG BEACH CITY MAYOR MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE COUNCILS MEMBER. SUPER. OH, COUNCILS MEMBER. SUPER. NOW YOU GOT SOMETHING? YEAH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND STAFF FOR PUTTING THIS DEAL TOGETHER. UH, MY HISTORY WITH THIS PRODUCT GOES WAY BACK TO 2016 WHEN WE FIRST PUT THEM ON ATHERTON, IF, YOU KNOW, UH, BACK IN THE DAY, UH, FROM THE VON STORE TO THE APARTMENTS USED TO BE THE BIGGEST JAYWALKING AREA IN THE, AND IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS. BUT I DO RECALL AT THAT TIME THAT WE HAD TO ORDER THOSE INDIVIDUALLY, AND THAT TOOK FOREVER. HUGE, HUGE DELAYS. AND THIS IS GREAT TO SEE THESE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING THESE IN STOCK. UM, ALSO, WE RECENTLY PUT THEM, UH, FURTHER EAST ON ATHERTON. AND, UH, THE RESIDENTS JUST LOVE THIS. AND, UH, WHAT IT DOES FOR PEDESTRIAN, UH, SAFETY IS HUGE. VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT THEY'RE PART OF OUR, UM, BELLFLOWER REHAB PROJECT. AGAIN, A VERY NOTORIOUS, UH, CROSSWALK. WE CALL, CALL IT THE SEAS CANDY CROSSWALK, RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE LOS STO SHOPPING CENTER. LOTS OF CLOSE CALLS THERE. AND, UH, PEDESTRIANS HIT IN THAT, UH, CROSSWALK. SO WE'RE REALLY, REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THIS ITEM AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THIS JOB DONE. ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, SO FOR THE NEXT THREE ITEMS, 24, 25 AND 27, UH, NICK, NICK, I WANNA READ, HAVE THEM READ ALL THREE. WE DO ONE PRESENTATION AND ONE PUBLIC COMMENT. AS LONG AS YOU'RE GOOD WITH THAT, THEY'RE ALL RELATED. YEAH, SO IT'S, UH, THE NEXT TWO. SO IT WOULD BE, IT WAS 23, 24, AND 25, I BELIEVE. OKAY, THE NEXT TWO. SO LET'S READ THE NEXT TWO. THAT'S, UH, 24 AND 25 REPORT FROM PUBLIC WORKS. RECOMMENDATION TO REQUEST CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO REPEAL OR REISE CERTAIN SPEED LIMITS. AND ADD A NEW SECTION AUTHORIZING A 25 MILE PER HOUR SPEED LIMIT ON STREETS ADJACENT TO PUBLIC PARKS WITH CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUNDS. WHEN CHILDREN ARE EXPECTED TO USE THE FACILITIES AND DIRECT CITY MANAGER OR DESIGNEE TO INSTALL AND MAIN, MAINTAIN NEW SPEED LIMIT SIGNS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC NOTICE OF THE CHANGE. CITYWIDE. ITEM 25, REPORT FROM PUBLIC WORKS RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT IN ANY NECESSARY DOCUMENTS WITH TRAFFIC LOGIC CORPORATION FOR AS NEEDED TRAFFIC DEVICES AND SERVICES TO SUPPORT THE CITY'S TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAM IN AN AMOUNT OF 5 MILLION CITYWIDE. ALL RIGHT, WELL, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO TO STAFF PRESENTATION. WE SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE THE LAST ITEM, 'CAUSE ALL THOSE THREE WERE RELATED. BUT I WILL SAY, UH, THIS IS A LOT OF GREAT WORK THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING TONIGHT. WE'RE REDUCING SPEED LIMITS AROUND SCHOOLS, AND WE'RE PLAYGROUNDS. WE'RE INVESTING IN NEW INTERVENTIONS AND RAPID FLASHERS. UM, AND THIS IS ALL A PART OF A LARGER STRATEGY TO GET TO VISION ZERO. IT REQUIRES INVESTMENT IN ORDER TO DO SO. AND SO THAT SAID, LET'S HAVE THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SO, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING WE HEAR FROM EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT. WE KNOW YOU GET REQUESTS FOR, YOU KNOW, UM, REDUCING SPEEDS [04:50:01] AND, AND PUTTING IN CERTAIN, UH, DEVICES. EVERY ONE OF THOSE GOES THROUGH A PROCESS AND GETS STUDIED. UH, AND, UH, WE'VE REALLY BEEN WORKING HARD OVER THE LAST YEAR, UH, TO ACCELERATE THAT WORK. WE GOT A, I HAD A LONG PRESENTATION TODAY AT, UM, MOBILITY, SO WE'RE GONNA SPEED THROUGH THIS FAIRLY QUICKLY. UM, TRY TO DO IT IN FIVE TO SEVEN MINUTES. UM, BUT IF YOU NEED US TO SLOW DOWN, WE CAN. UH, BUT GIVEN THE HOUR, UH, WE DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU SEE SOME OF THIS PRESENTATION, 'CAUSE A LOT OF GOOD WORK HAS GONE IN HERE. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO JOSH HICKMAN, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, HAPPY TO BE HERE TONIGHT AND GOT, GOT THE MARCHING ORDERS. WE'RE GONNA KEEP THIS, UH, SHORT AND SWEET. THERE IS A TFF MEMO THAT HAD GONE OUT ON DECEMBER 30TH. THAT COVERS A LOT OF THE DETAILS. A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S WITHIN THE SLIDE DECK, INCLUDING THE SLIDE DECK ITSELF WAS ATTACHED TO THAT MEMO. UM, AND THEN AS THE CITY MANAGER HAD NOTED, WE DID DO A, A PRETTY ROBUST, UM, PRESENTATION EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON AT THE MOBILITY PORTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE. SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING UPDATE. UM, I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. THE, THE, UM, PUBLIC WORKS IS COMPOSED OF SIX DIFFERENT BUREAUS WITHIN, UM, OUR DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE THE BUREAU OF ENGINEERING. WITHIN THE ENGINEERING, WE HAVE OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DIVISION, WHICH IS, UM, UH, REALLY WHAT'S BEFORE YOU TONIGHT. ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS FALL UNDER THAT, THAT TEAM. SO, SAFE STREETS, LONG BEACH. I THINK WE'RE ALL PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROGRAM. UH, WE'VE DEDICATED STAFF AND WE'RE ACTIVELY LOOKING AT LOWERING VEHICLE SPEEDS AND IMPLEMENTING VARIOUS STREET DESIGNS. THE CHART ON THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU THE TOTAL NUMBER OF OPEN ITEMS. UH, WE ARE ACTIVELY CLOSING ALL AS MANY OF THESE OUT AS WE CAN. UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE 20 BIKE RACKS THAT ARE SHOWN OPEN AS OF THE DATE OF THIS REPORT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CLOSED. SO ALL 54 THAT WERE OPEN, UM, HAVE NOW BEEN CLOSED. AND TONIGHT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY THE 220 ITEMS UNDER THE TRAFFIC CALMING EVALUATION SECTION SECTION. THIS IS A HEAT MAP OF THE 180 LOCATIONS MOST RECENTLY EVALUATED BY OUR TEAM. THIS IS A LOT OF WORK TO GET OUT THERE INTO THE FIELD TO EVALUATE ALL 180 LOCATIONS. UH, THIS GIVES YOU A, A GOOD HEAT MAP OF WHERE THEY ALL ARE. OF THOSE 180 LOCATIONS, 17 HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITY BASED ON THE TRAFFIC CALMING PRIORITY INDEX. AND THAT MEANS VEHICLE SPEEDING AT LEAST ONE CRASH PER YEAR, AND REALLY FOCUSING IN ON STREET SEGMENTS THAT HAVE A HIGH VOLUME OF VEHICLES. AS PART OF THIS, UH, EVALUATION PROCESS, WE DID ALSO STAND UP A NEW WEBSITE. WE ALSO STOOD UP A NEW PROCESS WHERE, UM, THESE REQUESTS CAN BE SUBMITTED. SO CHECK OUT LONG BEACH.GOV/TRAFFIC SAFETY. UH, ONCE WE GET THOSE REQUESTS IN, WE'LL BUNDLE 'EM, GET THE TEAM OUT THERE, ANALYZE. UM, AND THEN IF A COUNTERMEASURE IS APPROPRIATE, WE'LL GO AHEAD DESIGN AND INSTALL THAT COUNTERMEASURE. IF IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE, UH, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO NOTIFY THE, UH, THE SUBMITTER. AS NOTED, NEW WEBPAGE HAS NOT ONLY, UH, THE MEANS TO SUBMIT, BUT ALSO A, UH, A LOT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE PROGRAM AND WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE. SO WE WON'T DIVE TOO DEEP INTO, INTO THIS SLIDE. BUT REALLY WHAT THE, THE MESSAGE IS TRYING TO CONVEY HERE IS THAT THE 17 STREET SEGMENTS REALLY RANKED HIGH WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER LOCATIONS. AND THE AVERAGE LOCAL STREET, THE 17 LOCATIONS ARE IDENTIFIED ON THIS SLIDE, UH, AS WELL AS THEIR EXCEPTIONAL CONDITIONS, THE REASON FOR THEM RANKING HIGH, UM, AS WELL AS THE RECOMMENDED SAFETY MEASURES. SO YOU CAN SEE, UM, DAYLIGHTING, RED CURBS, SPEED LIMITS, BALL BELTS, TRAFFIC CIRCLES, UH, DIRECTED ENFORCEMENT. THOSE ARE ALL ON THE NEXT FEW SLIDES. I'LL FLICK THROUGH THEM PRETTY QUICK, UH, TO, TO MEET OUR TIME COMMITMENT HERE. SO, TRAFFIC CIRCLES, THE FOCUS HERE IS ON QUICK BUILDS. SO WHAT ARE WE DOING AS PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAM? WE'RE DOING THINGS AS YOU SEE HERE WITH THE FLEXIBLE POSTS. THE STRIPING A REALLY MEANS TO GET OUT THERE, DO SOMETHING QUICKLY. IF IT WORKS, GREAT, WE'LL ADD IT TO A FUTURE CIP PROGRAM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. IF IT DOESN'T WORK SO WELL, IT'S VERY EASY TO REMOVE AND MOVE ON. SO, PAINTED BUBBLES, ANOTHER GREAT QUICK BUILD OPTION THAT ALSO ADDS SOME ARTISTIC ELEMENT. ADDING RED CURBS TO INCREASE VISIBILITY, UPGRADING SIGNAGE AND MARKINGS, WORKING WITH OUR COLLEAGUES IN PD ON DIRECTED ENFORCEMENT FOR AREAS THAT HAVE HIGH RATES OF SPEEDING. FLEXIBLE DELINEATORS TO HELP REINFORCE, UH, DIFFERENT AREAS AND WHERE WE WANT PEOPLE TO SLOW DOWN REFUGE MEDIANS TO ALLOW PEDESTRIANS, UM, A, A SAFER REFUGE WHILE THEY'RE CROSSING. SO IN ADDITION TO THOSE ELEMENTS, WE DO ALSO HAVE, UH, SPEED LIMIT REDUCTIONS. SO WE TOOK A HOLISTIC APPROACH, LOOKED AT ALL THE [04:55:01] DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND, UH, DETERMINE A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE REDUCED, OR THE SPEED LIMIT COULD BE REDUCED, EITHER BASED ON STATE STANDARDS, UM, OR WHERE WE COULD REDUCE BASED ON THE EVALUATIONS OF THOSE 180 LOCATIONS THAT WERE MENTIONED, OR IF THEY'RE ADJACENT OR NEARBY A PLAYGROUND. SO YOU CAN SEE THE MAP HERE THAT HIGHLIGHTS THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS. SO 42 ARE BEING, UH, RECOMMENDED TO REDUCE BASED ON THE STATE STANDARDS, 23, UH, BASED ON THE EVALUATIONS THAT WERE CONDUCTED. AND THEN 12 WITHIN, UM, PROXIMITY OF PARKS. UH, YOU HEARD EARLIER ABOUT THE RAPID FLASHING BEACONS. UH, THESE ARE A BIT MORE THAN, THAN SIMPLY FLASHING LIGHTS. THEY ARE A MEANS TO HELP PROTECT, UH, FOLKS THAT ARE CROSSING ACROSS CROSS ROCKS. HERE'S A MAP. SO AS THE, UH, COUNCILMAN HAD NOTED, WE DO HAVE A FEW ALREADY DEPLOYED OUT THERE IN [25. 26-54021 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Traffic Logix Corporation dba Logix ITS, of Spring Valley, New York, for as-needed traffic devices and services to support the City’s traffic calming program in on the same terms and conditions afforded to Sourcewell, in the amount of $5,000,000, until the Sourcewell contract expires on June 27, 2029, with the option to renew for as long as the Sourcewell contract is in effect, at the discretion of the City Manager. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Public Works         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] THE FIELD. YOU CAN SEE THE EXISTING AS WELL AS THE, UH, FUTURE RFPS THAT WILL BE INSTALLED, AND THEN THE FUTURE RFPS THAT WILL BE SOLVED IN ADDITION TO A NEW CROSSWALK, 25 LOCATIONS. AND THEN 14 NEW CROSSWALKS ALL HIGHLIGHTED ON THIS SLIDE. SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT TIME-WISE? UM, EVALUATION AND DESIGN IS COMPLETE, AT LEAST FOR THOSE 180 LOCATIONS. WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE EVALUATING AS OTHER LOCATIONS ARE SUBMITTED. UM, IF ALL GETS APPROVED HERE TONIGHT, WE'LL BE PROCURING THE VARIOUS MATERIALS THAT WE NEED TO. UM, AS, UM, THE, THE COUNCILMAN HAD ALSO NOTED THE RAPID FLASHING BEACONS ARE NO LONGER AN OFF THE SHELF KIND OF ITEM. THEY ARE A LONG LEAD. SO WE'RE WANNA MAKE SURE TO, TO GET THE ORDER IN, UH, QUICKLY. WE'LL THEN BE INSTALLING THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS AS LONG AS THE SIGNAGE AND EVALUATING EFFECTIVENESS, UH, OVER THE SUMMER SO WE CAN COME BACK WITH, UM, REVISED PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS NEXT FALL. QUICK BUILD. WE HAVE 1000001.25 MILLION AVAILABLE TO FUND ALL THESE PROJECTS. SO WE HAVE A LOT TO DO, UH, WITH, WITH THAT FUNDING. BUT WE FEEL PRETTY STRONGLY THAT WE CAN DELIVER ON ALL THESE PROMISES OUTLINED WITHIN THE SLIDE DECK. AND OF COURSE, THIS IS JUST ONE PROGRAM. AND THE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS SLIDE IS THAT WE, WE ACTIVELY LOOK AT CALMING DOWN TRAFFIC AS PART OF OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. AND THIS MAP IS REALLY INTENDED TO SHOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE CITY, ALONG VARIOUS STREET SEGMENTS AND INTERSECTIONS. THAT CONCLUDES THE REPORT. I THINK I'M PRETTY CLOSE TO FIVE MINUTES AND AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. GOOD JOB. ALRIGHT, UM, MAKE OF THE MOTION. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION DIRECTOR. UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR, FOR A LONG TIME, SO I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THIS COMING FORWARD AND DOING INCREDIBLE WORK THAT IT TAKES TO GET THIS DONE. SO THANK YOU. VERY SUPPORTIVE OF BOTH ITEMS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU FOR THE LONGER PRESENTATION THAT WE HAD AT THE MPI COMMITTEE EARLIER TODAY. SO IF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS, THEY CAN GO BACK TO THAT RECORDING AND SEE ADDITIONAL SLIDES AND MORE INFORMATION. I AM GONNA TO MAKE TWO POINTS THAT WE MADE THIS AFTERNOON, UM, JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW LOTS OF RESIDENTS, UM, ASK, SO MANY OF OUR OFFICES HAVE BEEN GIVING YOU THESE REQUESTS EITHER BECAUSE WE GOT A PHONE CALL OR SOMEONE EMAILED US. AND SO THANK YOU FOR CREATING A PORTAL THAT WILL ALLOW FOLKS, UM, TO REPORT THEMSELVES. WE KNOW THAT THEY CAN ALWAYS STILL USE OUR, OUR COUNCIL OFFICES AS LIAISONS AND, AND OTHER METHODS. UM, BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE CLOSING THE LOOP PIECE WITH, WITH RESIDENTS. SO IF A RESIDENT DOES SUBMIT SOMETHING, UM, AND MONTHLY YOU'RE GONNA BUNDLE THEM AND YOU'RE GONNA DO THE WORK, WHAT COULD A RESIDENT EXPECT POTENTIALLY TO HEAR? YEAH, GREAT QUESTION. SO I DID BREEZE OVER THAT SLIDE AND GONNA GO, OOPS, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO IT HERE. SO THIS IS THE, THE PROCESS, UM, AS, AS OUTLINED, AND REALLY THE, THE GOAL HERE IS THAT SOMEBODY CAN SUBMIT A REQUEST ONLINE. WE'LL THEN ACTIVELY BUNDLE THOSE AND GET OUR TEAMS OUT INTO THE FIELD, TRY TO MOBILIZE THEM RATHER THAN ONE OFF. WE'LL PACKAGE 'EM TOGETHER, GET FOLKS OUT THERE INTO THE FIELD, GATHER ALL THAT DATA, AND THEN MAKE QUARTERLY UPDATES ON OUR WEBSITE THAT HAVE THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR, UH, WHAT WAS DONE, WHAT IS BEING RECOMMENDED. SO ANYBODY THAT'S INTERESTED, THEY CAN THEN REFERENCE BACK. SO MAYBE YOU DIDN'T SUBMIT A REQUEST PREVIOUSLY, BUT MAYBE YOUR, YOUR NEIGHBOR OR SOMEBODY ELSE DID. IT'S A MEANS TO BE ABLE TO STORE AND ACCESS THAT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP TO THAT, SO WHEN YOU GO OUT AND YOU DO THAT SURVEY INFORMATION WITH VARIOUS MEANS, HOW LONG DO YOU, HOW LONG DO YOU CONSIDER THAT INFORMATION OF THAT, UM, DATA THAT YOU'VE COLLECTED [05:00:01] AS VALID INFORMATION? ALRIGHT, I LOVE THE SOFTBALL QUESTIONS THAT WE ALREADY ANSWERED EARLIER THIS TODAY. SO , THANK YOU. UM, THE, IT'S A GREAT POINT AND THE, THE DATA IS GENERALLY AVAILABLE FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS. OKAY. UM, AND, AND ASKING JUST SOME OF THESE QUICK ONES JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S, THEY'RE KIND OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS THAT WE GET IF SOMETHING WERE TO CHANGE. SO YOU GO OUT, YOU TAKE A DATA COLLECTION, YOU REALIZE THAT THERE EVENTUALLY, THERE'S NO RECOMMENDATION FOR CHANGES AT THIS TIME. IT DIDN'T MEET THE DATA REQUIREMENTS TO DO THAT. IF SOMETHING WERE TO CHANGE IN THE AREA, UM, A NEW BUILDING GETS BUILT, A NEW BUSINESS COMES IN WITH MULTIPLE, WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH 200 EMPLOYEES. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD TRIGGER AN ADDITIONAL SURVEY TO ADJUST TO THE CHANGE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD? SHORT ANSWER, YES. OKAY. THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO GO BACK OUT, ADDRESS WHAT HAS HAPPENED, UH, WITHIN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD OR COMMUNITY AND THEN WE, WE WOULD POTENTIALLY REEVALUATE OR REVISE THAT, UM, UH, REVISE THAT PREVIOUS STUDY. GREAT. AND UM, PAUL, THIS NEXT ONE'S FOR YOU. 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S, UM, YOU'RE VERY WELL VERSED AT ANSWERING IT BECAUSE WE HEAR IT, IT IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST REQUEST THAT WE GET WHEN PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR, UM, SLOW DOWN MEASURES AND SPEED MODIFICATIONS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT INSTALLING SPEED HUMPS THAT IS COME PUT SPEED HUMPS, HERE IS THE INFORMATION THAT WE GET. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STANDARD THAT'S USED FOR THOSE SPECIFICALLY AND, UM, OTHER MEASURES? YOU TOUCHED ON 'EM BRIEFLY THAT THE CITY USES AS WELL. THANK YOU. YEAH. UH, REALLY WE APPRECIATE THE, THE SOLUTION ORIENTED MINDSET THAT THE PUBLIC PRESENTS TO US. THEY, THEY BRING THE SOLUTION TO US. UM, AND SO REALLY A LOT OF THE REASONING BEHIND THIS NEW PORTAL IS TO GET MORE INFORMATION OUT OF PEOPLE. UM, WHAT, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT YOU'RE SEEING? WE HEAR THAT YOU WANT SPEED HUMPS, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO BE, UM, IM IMPLEMENTING THESE MATERIALS, SPENDING PUBLIC DOLLARS, THAT IT'S ACTUALLY RESOLVING THE ISSUE AT HAND. SO, UM, SPEED HUMPS ARE, ARE POPULAR FOLKS KNOW WHAT THEY ARE, UM, BUT THEY HAVE A SOMEWHAT LIMITED USE CASE. UM, THEY'RE MOST EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING FOLKS FROM GOING VERY FAST, UH, DOWN THE STREET. UM, IF FOLKS ARE GOING IN THE 25, 30 MILE AN HOUR RANGE, IT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE BEHAVIOR AS MUCH AS SOME OF OUR OTHER DEVICES. SO, UM, THE PROCUREMENT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR, YOUR, UM, APPROVAL ON, UM, UNLOCKS A LOT MORE DEVICES BESIDES JUST SPEED HUMPS, THAT'S STILL PART OF OUR PORTFOLIO. UM, BUT WE TRIED TO HIGHLIGHT DURING THE PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE OTHER THINGS IN OUR TOOLBOX. WE'VE GOT TRAFFIC CIRCLES, WE'VE GOT DIVERTERS, UM, WE HAVE OTHER FEATURES THAT CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN SPEED HUMPS. UM, SO WE AGAIN, UM, PRIORITIZE BASED ON AREAS THAT HAVE HIGH RATES OF SPEEDING, HIGH RATES OF CRASHES, UM, HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES, AND WE TRY TO TAILOR THAT APPROACH, UM, TO ADDRESS THE PRIMARY CONCERN. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INFORMATION. AND I WOULD JUST, UH, ADD COUNCILWOMAN AS WELL THAT WE, AS PART OF OUR STANDING UP OUR, OUR NEW WEBSITE, WE'RE ALSO ADDING ALL THAT INFORMATION TO OUR WEBSITE AS WELL. SO IF FOLKS ARE INTERESTED, THEY CAN FIND OUT ABOUT SPEED HUMPS OR OUR OTHER DEVICES. COUNCIL MEMBER THRASS TO THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, THIS HAS CERTAINLY BEEN A TOPIC THAT MY RESIDENTS, UH, HAVE HAD A LOT TO SAY ABOUT. UM, AND I WANNA THANK, UH, THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM FOR COMING OUT AND ENGAGING, UH, WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE SEEING, WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING AND WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH AS FAR AS SOLUTIONS. UM, COUPLE THINGS THAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT ARE RELATED TO THE DATA, UM, AND THE TIMELINE THAT GET US TO THIS POINT. SO, UH, FOR, UH, THE COMMUNITY THAT I REPRESENT, MANY OF THE STREETS ARE NARROW, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME STREETS, UM, THAT, UH, HAVE THE ABILITY, FOR EXAMPLE, TO, UH, TAKE IN A ROUNDABOUT. UM, BUT YET WE SEE SOME DISPARITY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN, UH, MY DISTRICT AND MAYBE EVEN OTHER PARTS OF THE NORTH. UM, SO I NOTICED THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE VERTICAL DEFLECTION MEASURES SUCH AS TRAFFIC CIRCLES, UM, BUT THE REALITY IS DISTRICT EIGHT DOES NOT HAVE A SINGLE ONE. WE HAVE NO, UM, SUCH INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN OUR DISTRICT, AND YET WE EXPERIENCE, UH, DONUTS AND STREET TAKEOVERS, UM, THAT SEEM TO BE, YOU KNOW, UH, WELCOMING TO THAT KIND OF ACTIVITY, BUT YET NOT BE CONSIDERED A COMMUNITY THAT SHOULD RECEIVE, UM, THE INVESTMENT REALLY OF A ROUNDABOUT THAT I THINK ALSO BEAUTIFIES COMMUNITIES. SO HOW CAN I HELP MY RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING, THESE STREET TAKEOVERS LATE NIGHT, UH, SPEEDING. HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THAT GETS INCORPORATED INTO THE PRIORITY INDEX AS WELL, UM, SO THAT, UH, THESE CORRIDORS CAN BE CONSIDERED THE KIND OF PLACE WHERE THAT INVESTMENT TAKES PLACE. YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD START BY SAYING THIS IS REALLY KIND OF THE FIRST PHASE, IF YOU WILL, OF THE PROGRAM ROLLOUT AND WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO FIRST UP, WE WANTED TO GET THROUGH THE BACKLOG THAT WE HAD. SO OF THE 220 LOCATIONS, [05:05:01] I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE EVALUATED THE, THE 180 OR SO THAT WERE REMAINING. THERE ARE STILL A FEW MORE IN THE QUEUE. I THINK IT'S 13 THAT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO YET, BUT WE'D ENCOURAGE ALL, ALL THE RESIDENTS TO SUBMIT THE INFORMATION SO WE CAN THEN GET THOSE INTO THE NEXT ROUND OF REVIEW AND THEN, UM, ALLOCATE FUNDS TO THOSE OTHER PRIORITY AREAS AS WELL. SO WE KNOW THERE'S OTHER, OTHER LOCATIONS THAT WE, WE NEED TO GET TO, UH, BUT WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE GOT THROUGH THROUGH THIS BACKLOG FIRST. YEAH. BUT YOU DO RECOGNIZE THAT MY NEIGHBORS ARE LOOKING AT OTHER COMMUNITIES AND SEEING THESE INVESTMENTS ALREADY THERE AND WONDERING WHY THEY HAVE TO NOW WAIT IN LINE WITH EVERYONE ELSE, UM, WHEN THEY HAVEN'T THAT THAT INVESTMENT HASN'T BEEN MADE IN OUR AREA. PAUL, YOU LOOK LIKE YOU WANTED TO GET IN ON THIS. SORRY. YEAH, TOO MUCH SUSTAINED EYE CONTACT, I GUESS. UH, REALLY, UM, THE REASON WHY WE'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM IS IT REFLECTS A SHIFT IN POSTURE FROM BEING REACTIONARY IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC CALMING REQUESTS TO BEING MORE PROACTIVE AND USING THE LARGE AMOUNT OF DATA THAT THE CITY HAS, UH, TO MAKE MORE INFORMED DECISIONS. SO EARLIER ON IN THE PRESENTATION, THERE WAS A HEAT MAP AND THE HEAT MAP SHOWED THE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE WERE CALLING OR THEY KNEW TO USE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA OR THEIR SMARTPHONE TO REQUEST THESE TYPES OF SERVICES. UM, BUT THAT HEAT MAP ALSO IDENTIFIED AREAS WHERE THE HEAT WASN'T SHOWING UP. UM, AND WHAT THAT REALLY DEMONSTRATES TO US IS THESE ARE AREAS WHERE WE NEED TO BE MORE PROACTIVE IN COLLECTING DATA. UM, WHEN WE, NOW THAT WE'VE BUILT, UM, OUR DATABASE OF TRAFFIC FIGURES, UM, WE HAVE A BASELINE ESTABLISHED AND NOW WE CAN COMPARE THAT TO THE OTHER AREAS THAT AREN'T REPRESENTED ON THE HEAT MAP AND BE MORE HOLISTIC ABOUT WHERE WE'RE COLLECTING INFORMATION. UM, AND THE DEVICES THAT ARE UNDER THIS CONTRACT, I MENTIONED THAT WE ARE DOING MORE THAN JUST SPEED HUMPS. THE DEVICES AVAILABLE TO US WILL BE THE ONES THAT SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES IN OUR AREA ARE USING TO COMBAT STREET TAKEOVERS, DONUTS. UM, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING TO EMULATE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING, UM, BY ADDRESSING, UM, A LOT OF THE TRAFFIC CALMING CONCERNS USING THESE NEWER DEVICES AS WELL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, MORE DETAILS ON THAT. AND I JUST WANNA LIFT UP, UH, THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT EIGHT SCHOOLS. UH, WE DON'T HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL IN MY DISTRICT, BUT WE'VE GOT, UH, ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS, UM, AND HAVE TOO FEW, ALMOST NONE OF THE FLASHING, UM, BEACONS. UM, SO I'M PLEASED TO SEE A COUPLE BEING INSTALLED, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT IS ENOUGH. UM, AND AGAIN, NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT WE SEE ACROSS THE CITY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO CHALLENGE, UH, THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM. I'M AT A POINT WHERE I CANNOT FIND A SINGLE SPEED HUMP IN MY ENTIRE DISTRICT, SO HELP ME FIND ONE. UM, AND THAT TO ME WOULD BE INDICATIVE OF HOW MY COMMUNITY IS FEELING ABOUT THE LEVEL OF INVESTMENT THAT HAPPENS ACROSS THE CITY VERSUS WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, IN THE EIGHTH DISTRICT AND, AND MAYBE OTHER PARTS OF NORTH LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. ROGELIO MARTINEZ. THERE IS ALSO ONE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM 24. YEAH, SAME, SAME PUBLIC COMMENT. NO, THERE'S WHAT WELL, WE'LL CALL WHOEVER'S NEXT ON THE NEXT ONE. OKAY, THANKS. ALRIGHT, SO THIS IS ON ITEM 25. UM, SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE IT'S NOT CLEAR, BUT TRAFFIC LOGIC CORPORATION DOING BUSINESS AS LOGICS ITS OF SPRING VALLEY, NEW YORK IS MENTIONED, AND THEN IN THE SAME SUMMARY SOURCE WELL IS MENTIONED HAVING AN A CONTRACT THAT EXPIRES ON JUNE 27TH, 2029. THIS IS FOR $5 MILLION. I UNDERSTAND TRAFFIC CALMING REQUESTS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THEM AND THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD TIED IN, UH, ITEMS. I'LL BE QUIET, I'LL WAIT FOR YOU. NO, YOU DON'T NEED TO WAIT. THIS IS YOUR TIME. YOU GOT TWO MINUTES AND 15 SECONDS. YOU GUYS ARE TALKING THOUGH, SO YOU'RE DISRUPTING MY TIME. LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED. THANK YOU. SO $5 MILLION AND THERE'S ANOTHER MILLION UP HERE, MEANING IT JUST DOES NOT MAKE FISCAL SENSE RESPONSIBLE SPENDING. AND WE'RE SPENDING AN OBSCENE AMOUNT OF MONEY OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY THAT MAKES NO SENSE WHATSOEVER. NO ONE IN LONG BEACH CAN PROVIDE FLASHING LIGHTS, NO ONE. AND THEN WHAT IS SOURCE WELL OR TRAFFIC LOGIC AND HOW ARE THEY TIED IN? WHY ARE TWO SEPARATE COMPANIES MENTIONED [05:10:01] IN THIS SUMMARY? THAT MAKES NO SENSE. AND THAT'S $5 MILLION TRAFFIC. CALMING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. PUBLIC SAFETY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. SO WHAT THESE THREE ARE DOING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, BUT AT THAT RATE THAT MAKES NO SENSE WHATSOEVER. AND WHEN I BECOME MAYOR, YOU WILL BE CHALLENGED MORE TO PROVE TO ME WHY WE'RE SPENDING THAT MUCH MONEY ON FLASHING LIGHTS, ON REDUCING THE SPEED LIMIT AT SCHOOLS. AND THEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT 25 DOES. I REALLY DON'T. YOUR PRESENTATION DID NOT SPELL OUT WHAT TRAFFIC LOGICS DOES AND WHAT SOURCE WELL DOES IT DOES NOT. WE'RE LITERALLY FUNDING ACCOMPANYING ALL THE WAY IN NEW YORK CITY. SO NO ONE IN LONG BEACH AGAIN HAS FLASHING LIGHTS. ONCE AGAIN, MY NAME IS ROGELIO MARTINEZ, YOUR LONG BEACH CITY MAYOR, AND I'M GONNA HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHERE WE'RE SPENDING THIS MONEY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. THERE IS ONE MORE PUBLIC COMMENT. OH YEAH. SPEAKER FOR ITEM 24. CANDY BEAR. CANDY, THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT CANDY. SURE, NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. I JUST, UM, WANTED TO MENTION THAT I LIVE ON WALNUT AND, UM, AS HERE. OKAY. SO, UM, AS PART OF THE CITY'S ONGOING SAFETY STREETS AND VISION ZERO EFFORTS, I RESPECTIVELY REQUEST THAT THE COUNCIL CONSIDER INCLUDING WALNUT AVENUE FROM FOURTH TO SEVENTH STREET FOR SAFETY, UM, IMPROVEMENTS. THIS STRETCH OF WALNUT IS PARTICULARLY CONCERNING BECAUSE IT'S NARROW WITH AND TWO WAVE TRAFFIC FLOW. MANY RESIDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO EXIT THEIR DRIVEWAYS WITH LIMITED VISIBILITY AND OFTEN HAVE TO PULL OUT BLINDLY INTO THE STREET, WHICH I, AND UM, IT'S ALSO HEAVILY IMPACTED BY THE CARS AND THE PARKING. WE HAVE A LOT, IT'S ALWAYS CARS CONSTANTLY PARKED ON THE STREET. AND SO, UM, WHEN YOU'RE, MAYBE YOU COULD CLUE THAT IN ONE OF YOUR STUDIES. UM, ALSO BECAUSE THERE'S NO STOP SIGNS BETWEEN SEVENTH AND FOURTH PEOPLE SPEED EXCESSIVELY ON THAT STREET. REST OF WALNUT HAS, UM, STOP SIGNS OR SIGNALS AT INTERSECTIONS, BUT THAT ONE PART DOESN'T. SO, UM, THAT'S ALL. I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU GUYS TO INCLUDE THAT IN YOUR STUDY. SO THANK YOU. AND YEAH, I GUESS DISTRICT TWO IS LIKE A, A TEST FOR THIS TO BE AS I READ, LIKE THEY'RE DOING A TEST IN SECOND DISTRICT, SO THIS ISN'T A BACK AND FORTH. OH. OH, OKAY. OKAY. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO BE INCLUDED, MAYBE. GOT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. SURE. THEIR STAFF IS THERE. THEY CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. PARDON? SOMEONE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH. RAHUL WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. THANK YOU. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ITEM 27, PLEASE REPORT FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT ORDINANCE AMENDING LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE MODIFYING CODE ENFORCEMENT DEFINITIONS, PROCEDURES, AND FEES TO STRENGTHEN ENFORCEMENT TOOLS AND IMPROVE COMPLIANCE AND ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY. READ THE FIRST TIME AND LATER THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING. CITYWIDE. THANK YOU. TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. ELLEN MATTHEWS [27. 26-54048 Recommendation to adopt ordinance amending Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) Titles 5, 8, 9, and 18, modifying code enforcement definitions, procedures, and fees to strengthen enforcement tools, improve compliance, and enhance public safety, read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Community Development         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] AND MS. EVANS, ARE YOU HERE? THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT. YOU'RE BEING HERE ALL NIGHT. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. CHRISTINE DUGGAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MY NAME IS ELLEN MATTHEWS. I WORK FOR THE CITY OF PUBLIC WORKS. I'M A CROSSING GUARD. I WAS REMOVED FROM FOURTH AND ROSWELL. UM, THEY HAVE THIS LETTER THAT'S REDACTED. THERE IS NO NAME AS TO WHO MADE THE COMPLAINT ABOUT ME, BUT IT STATES ON MY DRIVE TO CITY HALL THIS MORNING, I HAD A NEAR MISS COLLISION WITH ANOTHER DRIVER BECAUSE THE CROSSING GUARD AT FREMONT EL DIARY WAS DIRECTING TRAFFIC. THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AROUND 8 35 AT THE INTERSECTION OF FOURTH STREET ON ROSWELL. I WAS DRIVING WESTBOUND ON FOURTH STREET AND I WAS APPROACHING ROSWELL AVENUE. I SAW THE CROSSING GUARD WAVE TO THE DRIVER OF A BLACK TESLA FOR A RIGHT HAND TURN FROM ROSWELL ONTO FOURTH. THE DRIVER OF THE BLACK TESLA FOLLOWED THE HAND COMMAND OF THE CROSSING GUARD AND BEGAN MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN ONTO FOURTH. AT THE SAME TIME, I WAS ALREADY DRIVING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. I HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY, THERE WAS NO ONE ON THE CROSSWALK, AND THE CROSSING GUARD DID NOT HAVE HER HANDHELD STOP SIGN TO A STOP TRAFFIC ON FOURTH STREET. I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY BREAK TO AVOID A COLLISION. AND SO DID THE DRIVER OF THE BLACK TESLA. THE DRIVER OF THE BLACK TESLA [05:15:01] LOOKED AT THE CROSSING GUARD, CONFUSED AS TO WHY SHE GAVE THE COMMAND TO DRIVE THROUGH. THE CROSSING GUARD IS DIRECTING TRAFFIC FOR NO REASON AND MAKING CONDITIONS UNSAFE, CONFUSING FOR DRIVERS AT THIS INTERSECTION. I WANT IT PD D KNOWN RIGHT NOW THAT I DID NOT DO THAT. MY, UM, THE FOURTH AND ROSWELL IS A INVISIBLE INTERSECTION. IF YOU'RE GOING NORTH AND SOUTH ON ROSSWELL, YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO SEE ONCOMING VEHICLES. AND CHRISTINA, YOU WERE AWARE OF THIS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN YOU TRIED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN BECAUSE EXAMINE O HAD CONSTRUCTION. YOU WERE KIND ENOUGH TO CALL PUBLIC WORKS. I ASKED YOU PLEASE IF YOU COULD GET THE CROSS LIGHT ON EXAMINE O TO MATCH THE CROSSING LIGHT FOR TERMINAL. SO THEY WOULD BE RIGHT AT THE SAME TIME. GENTLEMEN AND LADIES, I DO HAVE A PICTURE OF WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. IF YOU NEED TO SEE IT, I BROUGHT IT. DO YOU NEED IT AT THIS TIME? NO, I'M MORE THAN WELCOME TO SHOW IT TO YOU. UM, WHAT, WHAT I RECOMMEND IS YOU, YOU TALK WITH OUR CITY MANAGER ON DUTY. UH, TYLER. YES. OKAY. AND TYLER CAN HANDLE THAT ALSO. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MAY BE SENSITIVE. I ALSO BROUGHT AN ACCOMMODATION FROM GABRIEL DOBY. HE'S A SERGEANT WITH THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS EMAIL IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE OUTSTANDING JOB. I BELIEVE YOUR EMPLOYEE, ELLEN MATTHEWS, HAS BEEN ON FOURTH STREET ROSSVILLE INTERSECTION. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL INTERACTIONS WITH, WITH MATTHEWS, WHO IS, IN MY OPINION, IS AN OUTSTANDING WORKER. SHE IS ALWAYS CHEERFUL, RESPECTFUL, PROFESSIONAL, AND APPEARS TO HAVE AN OUTSTANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY. THE INTERSECTION AT FOURTH STREET AND ROSSVILLE, AS YOU KNOW, IS A VERY CHALLENGING AND DANGEROUS INTERSECTION. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS TIMES THAT I MYSELF HAVE PARKED MY PART PATROL VEHICLE. THEY'RE THERE TO ASSIST HER WITH SAFETY DUE TO UNRULY AND UNSAFE DRIVERS. MATTHEW WAS ALWAYS AT WORK AND IS ALWAYS THERE TO HELP CREATE A SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR, FOR HAVING SUCH AN AMAZING EMPLOYEE STATIONED AT THAT CON LOCATION TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE. ONLY A SUPERVISOR WITH A CHIEF. MA'AM, YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED WOULD, I'M SORRY IF YOU CAN WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS PLEASE. I WANNA GO BACK TO ROSWELL AND FOREST STREET. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? CAN YOU READ, DID YOU HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER? MA'AM? MY CHIEF OF STAFF IS COMING OUT. NICK WILL COME AND TALK WITH YOU. ALRIGHT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. SHE, OH, YOU WANTED ME TO READ A LETTER? ANOTHER COMBINATION LETTER, BUT IF SOMEONE IS GONNA COME AND TALK TO YOU, I CAN TALK TO YOU. YEAH. SOMEONE'S COMING OUT RIGHT NOW TO TALK WITH YOU GUYS. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING PATIENT AND COMING DOWN TONIGHT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. WAIT, WAIT. WE HAVEN'T PRESENTED ON THIS ITEM. I THINK I CALLED FOR THE VOTE. THEY WERE TALKING ON THE TRAFFIC ONE. WAIT, NO, I'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING. OKAY, GO. LET'S SEE WHO THE MAKER OF THE MOTION IS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS. YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I AM VERY PLEASED TO SEE THIS ITEM COME BACK AS A RESPONSE TO AN ITEM THAT, UM, I LED ON ALONGSIDE COUNCILWOMAN KERR AND COUNCILWOMAN COUNCIL MEMBER AUSTIN AT THE TIME, UH, FOR AN ORDINANCE TO ENHANCE CODE ENFORCEMENT BLIGHT REDUCTION AND REVITALIZATION OF VACANT LOTS AND STOREFRONTS. THE ITEM INTENDED TODAY INTENDED TO CREATE A, A STRATEGY THAT THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT WITH THE PRESERVATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY BY COMBINING BOTH INCENTIVES AND ENFORCEMENT. WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US TODAY IS INFORMED BY THE BALANCE CREATED WITH STAFF INPUT WHO SERVE AS THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND ARE REALLY IN THE BEST POSITION TO RECOMMEND SUCH CHANGES. THESE CHANGES INCLUDE SEVERAL WAYS TO COMPEL PROPERTY OWNERS TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR VACANT OR ABANDONED STOREFRONTS AND LOTS SUCH AS REMOVING AND STREAMLINING PARTS OF THE APPEAL PROCESS. STRICTER PENALTIES THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED BEFORE A PROPERTY CAN BE SOLD. AND ALLOWING BUILDING AND HEALTH OFFICIALS TO MAKE EMERGENCY ABATEMENT ORDERS AMONGST OTHER SUGGESTIONS. I AM IN FULL SUPPORT OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. I AM ALSO REALLY FOCUSED ON RESULT ORIENTED AND REALLY AM LOOKING TO SEE IT HOW THIS IS GONNA HELP OUR, UM, OUR BUSINESSES, OUR LOCAL, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO I [05:20:01] WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE COULD ADD TO THIS MOTION THAT WE RECEIVE, UM, REPORT BACK. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, HEAR FROM STAFF TO SEE WHAT A, A GOOD TIME TO REPORT BACK, UM, WITH GOOD RESULTS ON HOW THIS IS WORKING OUT FOR US. WHAT DO YOU THINK MR. K? SIX MONTHS, A YEAR? A YEAR WOULD BE BEST. IT'S GONNA TAKE, UM, SOME TIME TO SEE THE RESULTS AND, UM, HAVE ALL THE DATA. UM, SO WE'LL DO THE FORMAL REPORT TO COUNCIL ONE YEAR LATER AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO BRIEF, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS AND OTHERS, UH, DURING OUR MONTHLY BRIEFINGS. THAT SOUNDS GREAT. HOW ABOUT YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER? THANK YOU. THAT SOUNDS PERFECT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW? YES. JUST TO ADD TO COUNCILWOMAN ZENDAYA'S COMMENTS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK TO BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I THINK THAT IT'S JUST ALWAYS BEEN A DEEP CONCERN OF RESIDENTS. I THINK MAYORS HEARING HOW PASSIONATE WE ARE ABOUT THIS BECAUSE OUR RESIDENTS ARE ALSO JUST HAVE BEEN EXPRESSING CONCERNS AROUND JUST VACANT BUILDINGS, UNSECURED STOREFRONTS, NEGLECTED LOTS, WHICH ARE NOT JUST A QUALITY LIFE ISSUE, THEY'RE REAL SAFETY HAZARDS, RIGHT? WE HAVE SEEN UNSECURED STRUCTURE THAT HAVE BECOME SITES OF FIRE, VIOLENCE, DRUG ACTIVITY, AND IN SAFE LIVING CONDITION. SO THIS IS HOPEFULLY GONNA BE AN ITEM THAT'S GONNA BE A TOOL THAT HELPS US ADDRESS THE CONDITION AND ALSO MORE THAN ANYTHING, PREVENT ANYONE FROM SERIOUSLY BEING HEARD OR KILLED. UM, SO APPRECIATE THAT THIS IS MAKING IT CLEAR AND MORE OF A TOOL THAT WE CAN USE TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES, THANK YOU. UM, I WANNA THANK THE TEAM AND, UM, I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME SLIDES HERE. WE'LL MAKE THEM AVAILABLE FOR OUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN HEARING MORE ABOUT THE DETAILS. UM, BUT WHEN THIS ITEM WAS BROUGHT FORWARD, IT WAS BECAUSE, UM, WE KNOW THAT THE ISSUE WITH VACANT LOTS AND VACANT STOREFRONT WAS REALLY TECHNICAL AND THAT THE CODE WAS OUTDATED. SO I APPRECIATE THE EXHAUSTIVE LOOK THAT YOU WENT THROUGH LINE BY LINE TO BE ABLE TO FIND WAYS, UH, TO SECURE CIVIL REMEDIES AND HOLD PROPERTY OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR, FOR PROPERTIES THAT, UM, FOR A LOT IN OUR COMMUNITY BECOME UNSAFE. UM, DEFINITELY UNSIGHTLY, UM, BUT HAVE CAUSED PROBLEMS IN TERMS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO I APPRECIATE, UM, THE THOROUGHNESS WITH WHICH YOU WENT THROUGH. UM, AGAIN, THE CODE LINE BY LINE TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO WORK FOR YOUR STAFF MORE EFFICIENTLY ALSO, UH, INCLUDING THE 6 0 2 PROGRAM WITH PD AND REALLY STREAMLINING, UH, THE, THE PUBLIC'S AVAILABILITY OR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THERE ARE WAYS TO REMEDY THE PROPERTIES THAT, UM, THAT EXIST. AND I WOULD IMAGINE MOST OF OUR DISTRICTS, IF NOT ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS, UM, SOME MUCH MORE PROBLEMATIC THAN OTHERS. SO TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE TAKING DILIGENT CARE OF THEIR VACANT SPACES AND ACTIVELY TRYING TO MARKET THEM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, AND FOR THE REST OF YOU, IT'S, UM, WE WANNA PARTNER WITH YOU IN NEW WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, ALL PROPERTIES, UM, ARE UTILIZED TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY AND IF NOT, KEEPING THEM SAFE AND HEALTHY FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU TO THE TEAM. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER TH THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CODE ENFORCEMENT ARE KEY COMPONENTS, UM, TO, UH, PROTECTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE CITY. UM, AND EVER SINCE I WAS SWORN IN, DR. UH, DIRECTOR KUNTZ, YOUR TEAM HAS BEEN AN ESSENTIAL, UH, PARTNER IN THAT WORK SHOWING UP CONSISTENTLY TO ADDRESS CONCERNS, IMPROVE CONDITIONS, AND KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE COLLABORATIVE APPROACH YOU BRING AND I WANNA THANK YOU, UM, AND YOUR TEAM FOR GOING THROUGH AND MAKING THIS HAPPEN HERE TODAY. I KNOW THIS IS NO ONE-TIME EFFORT, SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T JUST UPDATE THE CODE HERE AND IN, AND IT'LL AUTOMATICALLY, UH, MEAN THAT THERE WILL BE CHANGE ON THE GROUND. UM, BUT I'M ENCOURAGED BY THE STRENGTHENING OF THE LEGAL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PROPERTY OWNERS, THE CLEAR AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY STANDARDS, AND THE EXPANDED DEFINITION OF COMMERCIAL BLIGHT, ALL OF WHICH GIVE THE CITY A MORE EFFECTIVE AND PROACTIVE FRAMEWORK, UH, TO ADDRESS PROBLEM PROPERTIES. SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO, UH, SHARE WITH YOU A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS. UM, I'LL, I'LL CHANGE THEM INTO, UH, TO COMMENTS AND, AND HOPEFULLY OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE CONVERSATIONS AS OPPOSED TO QUESTIONS. SO THE FIRST IS RELATED TO THE FACT THAT, UH, VACANT LOTS CAN BE USED TEMPORARILY AS COMMUNITY SPACE, UM, EVEN PARK, PARK PARKS OR EVENT SPACE. I'D LOVE TO SEE, UH, SOME SORT OF, UM, SOME MATERIALS THAT WE COULD SHARE WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS SO THAT THEY COULD LEARN ABOUT THAT PROCESS AND WHAT THEY MIGHT, UH, BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO ACTIVATE SOME OF THOSE SPACES, UH, IN COMMUNITY. UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, THE OTHER ASPECTS, THE LEGAL ACCOUNTABILITY THAT YOU'VE ADDED, OTHER ENFORCEMENT TOOLS, UM, I HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE OPEN TO OUR OFFICE, UH, COMING AND MEETING WITH YOUR TEAM TO MAKE [05:25:01] SURE WE KNOW AND UNDERSTAND AND HOW WE CAN USE THESE TOOLS. BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, THANK YOU FOR SOME OF THE MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED, BUT I'D LOVE SOME ADDITIONAL MATERIALS THAT WE CAN USE FROM A POWERPOINT STANDPOINT THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH SOME OF OUR, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. UM, SO THAT AS WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE GROUPS, UM, AND THOSE QUESTIONS GET RAISED, WE CAN SHARE, UM, THOSE MATERIALS AND WALK THROUGH THAT WITH STAFF. UM, CERTAINLY IN ADDITION TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM COMING OUT, BUT WE'D LOVE TO BE AMBASSADORS IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL. SO THAT'S WHAT I'D LOVE TO SEE, UH, GOING FORWARD AND HOPE THAT COULD BE ASSIGNED, UH, TO A TEAM MEMBER, UH, TO HELP US PROLIFERATE THESE NEW, UH, CODES THAT WE CAN USE TO ACTIVATE OUR CORRIDORS. THANK YOU. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTES. MOTION IS CARRIED. LET'S GO TO, UH, ITEM 28. PLEASE REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY RECOMMENDATION. DECLARE ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE 2025 MILITARY EQUIPMENT SPECIAL ORDER OF THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, CREATING A POLICY FOR THE FUNDING ACQUISITION USE AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR MILITARY EQUIPMENT AS MANDATED BY ASSEMBLY. BILL 4 81, READ THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING. CITYWIDE, I AM PROUD TO SEE THAT OUR CITY OF LONG BEACH CONTINUES [28. 26-54099 Recommendation to declare ordinance of the City Council of the City of Long Beach adopting the 2025 Military Equipment Special Order of the Long Beach Police Department creating a policy for the funding, acquisition, use and reporting requirements for military equipment as mandated by Assembly Bill 481, read for the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Attorney         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] TO COMPLY WITH, UH, ASSEMBLY BILL 4 81 TO ADD TRANSPARENCY TO, UH, PROCUREMENT THAT TAKES PLACE IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT MEMBERS, PLEASE. CASH OR VOTE? MOTION IS CARRIED. 29. PLEASE REPORT FROM CITY CLERK RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION PROCLAIMING CALLING AND GIVING NOTICE OF A PRIMARY NOMINATING ELECTION AND GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH ON TUESDAY, THE SECOND DAY OF JUNE, 2026, AND THE THIRD DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2026, RESPECTIVELY FOR THE NOMINATION AND OR ELECTION OF CANDIDATES FOR FIVE OFFICES OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL. FOUR CITY OFFICIALS AND THREE OFFICES OF THE LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL [29. 26-54086 Recommendation to adopt resolution proclaiming, calling and giving notice of a Primary Nominating Election and a General Municipal Election in the City of Long Beach, on Tuesday, the 2nd day of June, 2026 and the 3rd day of November, 2026, respectively, for the nomination and/or election of candidates for five (5) offices of the Long Beach City Council, four (4) City Officials, and three (3) offices of the Long Beach Unified School District; and       Office or Department: City Clerk         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] DISTRICT AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES TO CONSOLIDATE THE CITY'S PRIMARY NOMINATING ELECTION AND THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION WITH THE CALIFORNIA STATEWIDE ELECTIONS TO BE HELD BY THE SAME DATES AND REQUESTING SPECIFIED ELECTION SERVICES TO THE CITY FROM THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY. REGISTRAR RECORDER. COUNTY CLERK CITYWIDE. ALRIGHT, AND, AND I SAY THIS WITH ALL SERIOUSNESS, I'M VERY PROUD THAT OUR CITY CONTINUES, UH, TO HAVE A DEMOCRACY. UH, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO AN ELECTION THIS YEAR. UH, WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED ALL. NOW WE'LL GO TO OUR CLOSING PUBLIC COMMENT. IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE, UH, I'LL READ ALL THE NAMES. IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME, MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT. FOREST BRASS, KAREN HARPER, RO ROGELIO MARTINEZ, ELLIE AND DAVE SHUKLA. I KNOW AT LEAST TWO OF THE NAMES I SAID, AND NO ONE IS STANDING UP. ALRIGHT. YEAH, THAT'S YOU. ROGELIO, YOU'RE UP. [ PUBLIC COMMENT: IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT Opportunity is given to those members of the public who have not addressed the City Council on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes unless extended by the City Council. ] SO, AS OF DECEMBER 12TH OF THIS YEAR OF 2025, I'VE BEEN LIVING HOMELESS AND I'VE BEEN LIVING HOMELESS BECAUSE I WANTED TO FIND OUT WHAT IS BROKEN WITH THE SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS THAT ARE AIDING OUR HOMELESS POPULATION. CURRENTLY, I'VE TRANSITIONED INTO LIVING OUT OF MY CAR BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD DO WHEN THINGS START TO IMPROVE. SO I'M GONNA BRIEFLY READ JUST THE NEGATIVES AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE THE REALITY IS THAT NOBODY CARES ABOUT THE POSITIVES. SO I'M JUST GONNA GET TO THAT NOTES, BUT IT IS ALL ON. UM, 10% OF MY EXPERIENCES WERE DOCUMENTED ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA. SO APOLOGIES. I THOUGHT OTHER PEOPLE WERE GONNA SPEAK BEFORE ME, SO I WAS NOT PREPARED. OKAY, HERE WE GO AGAIN. THIS IS HOW I'VE BEEN LIVING TO IDENTIFY WHAT IS BROKEN AND HOW I CAN FIX IT. AS THE NEW MAYOR, HOW I'VE [05:30:01] SURVIVED BEING HOMELESS SINCE DECEMBER 12TH IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, I WAS A SEX WORKER, RECEIVED ORAL SEX FROM A MALE IN EXCHANGE FOR MONEY. I WAS A DRUG USER. I ABUSED SCHEDULED ONE, SCHEDULE TWO AND SCHEDULE THREE DRUGS. I TRESPASSED. I ENTERED TWO RESIDENTIAL GARAGES TO SHELTER FROM THE RAIN. I LIED. I WITHHELD HOW I WAS ACTUALLY LIVING TO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY. I WAS A THIEF. I FOUND $40 ON THE FLOOR OF AN AFTER HOURS, BUT DID NOT SEEK TO FIND THE OWNER. I DEFAULTED. I BORROWED MONEY FROM FRIENDS, BUT HAVE NOT PAID THEM BACK YET. I BEGGED HER FOOD WHEN MY EBT CASH AND EBT SNAP WERE EXHAUSTED. I WAS HOSPITALIZED. I CONCLUDED BEING HOMELESS WHEN I WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL. SO THAT'S WHEN I TRANSITIONED FROM THE STREETS TO A FRIEND'S COUCH. CRUELTY. I CAN NEVER UNSEE WHAT I WITNESSED WHILE I WAS LIVING ON THE STREETS. AND LASTLY, LONELINESS. I MISSED CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS WITH MY GRANDSONS. SO I'M NOT A POLITICIAN. I'VE NEVER RUN FOR ANY PUBLIC OFFICE. I NEED TO BE ABLE TO EARN PEOPLE'S VOTES. SO I'M DOING THINGS BEFORE JUNE 2ND, AND THIS IS WHAT I'M CURRENTLY DOING. THE PROGRAM HAS NOT ENDED. THANKS, MAN. BUT MY TIME HAS. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. GOD BLESS YOU, DAVE. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UH, THE GENERAL PUBLIC. UH, I, UH, WAS NOT GONNA SHOW UP TODAY TO CITY COUNCIL AS, UH, TODAY WAS THE, UH, NATIONAL WALKOUT DAY TO FREE AMERICA. AND AMERICA DOES NEED TO BE FREED AS, UH, DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PUT IT FROM THE THREE EVILS OF RACISM, MATERIALISM, AND, UH, MILITARISM. BUT THIS MORNING, THE FASCISM OF THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION CAME TO MY FRONT DOOR. I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO READ, UH, THE LONG BEACH POST THIS EVENING. UH, WHICH THIS AFTERNOON POSTED A STORY ON HOW TWO GARDENERS, UH, TWO OF OUR GARDENERS WERE ABDUCTED OUTSIDE OF OUR FRONT DOOR. UH, ONE OF THE GARDENERS WAS, UH, ON OUR PROPERTY WHEN MASS ICE AGENTS CAME TO ABDUCT THEM. NOW, WHATEVER THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS, UH, THESE WERE MEN, THESE GOOD MEN, HARDWORKING DECENT MEN FOR OVER A DECADE. EVERY SINGLE WEEK, THESE MEN WORKED ON TIME LIKE CLOCKWORK ON OUR YARD AND SEVERAL OTHERS THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY, NUMBER ONE, ASKED FOR A RAISE. IN FACT, WE HAD TO ASK THEM TO TAKE A RAISE. THESE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE NOW THE VICTIMS OF STATE TERRORISM. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHY OR WHAT THE KAZOO STREETS FOR THIS, THESE ACTIONS ARE. IT'S TERRORISM, STATE TERRORISM. IT'S ALSO THEFT FROM THE PRESENT. AND IT'S JUST A TASTE OF WHAT $140 BILLION BUDGET FOR THIS CRIMINAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL ICE THUGGERY WILL WREAK IN THE LEAD UP TO THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS THIS YEAR. IT'S ALSO THEFT FROM THE FUTURE. AND, UH, PERHAPS, UH, IT FINDS ITS, UH, FULLEST MACRO EXPRESSION IN THE CALL FOR A $1.5 TRILLION FEDERAL BUDGET FOR THE MILITARY IN FISCAL YEAR 27. SOME QUICK STATS, UH, ON THAT MACRO, UH, THAT 50% INCREASE $500 BILLION, UH, WOULD BE TWO TO FIVE TIMES THE PURPORTED MONETARY SAVINGS FROM DOGE TO DOGGY. UH, HOOVERING UP EVERY AMERICAN'S PRIVATE DATA. IT'S ALSO TWO TO FIVE TIMES THE AMOUNT THAT, UH, AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS HAVE GENERATED FOR TRUMP'S TARIFFS JUST THIS PAST YEAR. UH, IT'S DOUBLE OF WHAT THE FISCAL YEAR 25 MILITARY BUDGET WAS, AND IT WOULD ADD $5.8 TRILLION TO THE NATIONAL DEBT BY 2037. AND DON'T FORGET, THE PENTAGON HAS NEVER ONCE, UH, PASSED AN AUDIT STEP FROM THE FUTURE, AND I COULD RAIL ON IT FURTHER. BUT, UH, MR. MAYOR, [05:35:01] MR. CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, MISS MADAM CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, APOLOGIES, UH, COUNCILWOMAN DUGGAN, UH, I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA BE DONE ABOUT THIS. UH, IT CAN'T STAND. WE CAN'T LET IT STAND. AND I'M GONNA GONNA BE IN CONTACT WITH YOU AND I'M GONNA NEED A RESPONSE. THANK YOU. THANKS DAVE. ALL RIGHT. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR JOINING US. WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR CLOSING, UH, COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. UH, FIRST I WANNA THANK, UH, I KNOW NO ONE'S, NO ONE'S HERE ANYMORE. DAVE, YOU'RE HERE. YOU GUYS ARE HERE. WE SEE YOU. UH, BUT FOR FOLKS WHO MAY WATCH IT, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, UH, SUPPORTING LONG BEACH STATE OF THE CITY LAST WEEK. IT'S A MAJOR PRODUCTION [ANNOUNCEMENTS] THAT TAKES A LOT OF, UH, TIME AND PRODUCTION AND THOUGHT. SO I JUST WANNA TAKE A MINUTE AND JUST ACKNOWLEDGE MY TEAM WHO DID A REALLY GOOD JOB AT ORGANIZING AND HELPING DEVELOP THE SPEECH AND ALL THE CONTENT. THE CITY MANAGERS TEAM WHO HELPS SUPPORT THAT PROCESS. UH, MAKING SURE THAT WHATEVER WE SAY IS ACCURATE AND WE CAN ACTUALLY DELIVER IT. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. WE DON'T WANNA WRITE CHECKS THAT WE CAN'T CASH. UH, WE ALSO WANNA REC RECOGNIZE ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AND THE YOUTH. THOSE PERFORMERS AT THE BE AT THE BEGINNING, THEY ANSWERED THE ARTIST CALL. THEY WERE LOCAL YOUTH AND DRUMMERS, AND, AND THEY STEPPED UP AND DID A REALLY, REALLY GOOD JOB. ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE OPENINGS OF ANY STATE OF THE CITY I'VE EVER, I'VE EVER SEEN. I WAS REALLY MOVED BY IT MYSELF WHEN, UM, IN FACT I WANTED TO, I WAS SO EXCITED TO SEE THE OPENING THAT I WENT UP TO THE TOP OF THE BALCONY. I WAS HIDING SO PEOPLE COULDN'T SEE ME. AND I WATCHED IT MYSELF, WATCHED PEOPLE COME UP OUT OF THE CROWD. I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE MY FAMILY, UH, MY WIFE NINA, AND MY LITTLE ONES, ALINA AND MILA, WHO DID A REALLY GOOD JOB HELPING PRODUCE, UH, THE IN FUND STRUCTURE VIDEO AND GIVE A SPEECH. SO THE CHARTER SAYS WE HAVE TO DO THIS ONCE A YEAR. YOU KNOW, THAT MEANS WE WORK THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS. UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S TOUGH ON A TEAM. WE WANNA RECOGNIZE 'EM, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT IT HAS TO BE DELIVERED RIGHT AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO WE GET TO START OFF THE YEAR CLEAR MESSAGING, CLEAR VISION, CLEAR FOCUS, AND THAT HELPS US ARTICULATE A VISION THAT OUR HO WHOLE CITY CAN RALLY BEHIND. SO, SO WE ARE GLAD THAT WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO DO THAT AND WE WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT AND SUPPORTING. UH, LET'S MOVE ON TO, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH AND TOOK, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, YESTERDAY WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY, AND I HOPE EVERYONE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON DR. KING'S ENDURING LEGACY. WE CERTAINLY HEARD HIS NAME SEVERAL TIMES TONIGHT. LONG BEACH CONTINUES TO EMBODY THE LEGACY THROUGH OUR SHARED HISTORY AND STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY. A POWERFUL EXAMPLE IS LEADERSHIP LONG BEACH, AND I WANNA THANK THOSE WHO WERE DEDICATED, UH, TO ENSURING THAT THERE WAS AN MLK DAY OF SERVICE YESTERDAY. UM, AS A RESULT OF LEADERSHIP LONG BEACH'S LEADERSHIP. I WANNA THANK THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARK GUILLO FOR HIS LEADERSHIP, ALONG WITH THE MLK DAY OF SERVICE CHAIR SUSAN JACOBS. IT WAS A WONDERFUL CELEBRATION AND TO ALL THOSE VOLUNTEERS OUT IN OUR CITY, ACROSS, I BELIEVE MORE THAN 15 PROJECTS, UH, ALL OVER THE CITY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. MAYOR, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT LAST WEEK WE MARKED THE STATE OF THE CITY AND I WANNA CONGRATULATE MAYOR REX RICHARDSON AND HIS TEAM FOR ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL ADDRESS. IT WAS ENERGIZING TO REFLECT ON THE PAST YEAR AND HEAR ABOUT INITIATIVES AHEAD. A HIGHLIGHT AMONG MANY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE EVENING WAS THE NAME REVEAL OF THE LONG BEACH BASEBALL CLUB, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CHEERING ON THE LONG BEACH COAST, EXCUSE ME, THE LONG BEACH REGULATORS AT THEIR FIRST GAME IN JUNE ON ELECTION DAY. ON ELECTION DAY THIS JUNE, 2026. SO LOOKING AHEAD IN DISTRICT EIGHT, UH, THE NORTH VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WILL BE HOSTING A COMMUNITY MEET MEETING FOCUSED ON EVERYTHING WE TALKED ABOUT HERE TONIGHT. NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC, CALMING MEASURES, UM, AND UPCOMING IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE. SO PUBLIC WORKS GET READY, IT'LL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 24TH, STARTING AT 10:30 AM AT THE LOCAL SUPER MIX AT 5 6 6 0 ATLANTIC AVENUE. I ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO ATTEND, ASK QUESTIONS, AND SHARE THEIR FEEDBACK. TO CLOSE OUT THE MONTH, WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US TO ATTEND A JOB FAIR ON JANUARY 30TH AT THE LONG BEACH SCHOOL FOR ADULTS. IT'LL BE FROM 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM MY OFFICE WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE ALONG WITH MORE THAN 50 ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE LOOKING TO GROW THEIR TEAMS. WE LOOK TO WELCOME L-B-U-S-D, MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS, TRADE ORGANIZATIONS, AND JOB CORPS. THE SCHOOL IS LOCATED AT 1 7 1 WEST BOARD AVENUE. UH, FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS OR CONTACT MY OFFICE DIRECTLY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THIS WEEKEND I INVITE YOU ALL TO VISIT THE HANGAR AT LBX TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR AND ROAR INTO [05:40:01] 2026. WITH THIS WEEK'S DINOSAUR THEMED POPUP MARKET FROM 11:00 AM TO 6:00 PM YOU CAN ENJOY DINO THEMED SHOPPING, ENTERTAINMENT, AND ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING A LIVE REPTILE SHOW. UH, AS WE LOOK AHEAD, I ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS TO SAVE THE DATE AS MY TEAM AND I WILL HOST THE FIRST CD FIVE COMMUNITY MEETING OF 2026. NEXT THURSDAY, JANUARY 29TH AT 6:00 PM AT THE WARDLOW PARK COMMUNITY CENTER. JOIN US AS WE GATHER TO DISCUSS UPDATES, TOPICS OF LOCAL CONCERN, AND ANSWER COMMUNITY QUESTIONS ALONG WITH OUR GUEST SPEAKER. AND WHILE NOT REQUIRED, I ASK THOSE INTERESTED TO PLEASE RSVP SO WE CAN HAVE SOME, UH, SEATING ESTIMATES SO THE TEAM CAN SET UP THE ROOM APPROPRIATELY. YOU CAN FIND, UH, MORE INFORMATION ON OUR CD FIVE WEBPAGE AT LONG BEACH.GOV/DISTRICT FIVE. AND LASTLY, I ENCOURAGE ALL TO MARK THEIR CALENDARS FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH AS THE B-K-B-I-A RETURNS WITH THEIR MONTHLY FIRST FRIDAYS ART, WALK ALONG ATLANTIC AVENUE AND BUSINESS CORRIDOR FROM SIX 30 TO NINE 30. FIND ART MUSIC DEALS AND SPECIALS FROM LOCAL ARTISTS, VENDORS, AND SMALL BUSINESSES WHILE CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH THE COMMUNITY. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. UH, YES. UM, I, UH, JUST WANNA CONGRATULATE, UH, COUNCILMAN SORROW AND, AND ALL THE TEAM AND ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT MADE, UM, ALL THE MLK EVENTS AND PARADES SO SUCCESSFUL. UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE EVENTS GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT THIS WEEK AND I WANNA INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN US AND GET INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. ON WEDNESDAY EVENING, BLOOD PARK RESIDENTS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THE BLOOD PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY MEETING AT 6 37 AT THE BIXBY PARK SOCIAL HALL. IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR UPDATES ON LOCAL ISSUES AND CONNECT WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS. AND THEN ON SATURDAY MORNING, RESIDENTS CAN TAKE PART IN THE ZAPPIA HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP HAPPENING FROM 8:00 AM TO 12:00 PM MEETING AT FOUR 14TH STREET AND ORA. AND THIS IS THE CHANCE FOR YOU TO GIVE BACK TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THEN LATER THAT MORNING, COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN EXPLORE LOCAL HISTORY, UM, ON THE LOST RAILWAY RAILWAY TOUR, WHICH IS HOSTED BY THE BLUFF HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. AND THAT IS FROM 10:00 AM TO 12:00 PM FOLLOWED BY A PICNIC LUNCH IN BIXBY PARK. AND TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE@BLUFFHEIGHTS.ORG. WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE AND BE PART OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS. THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE ALL OF YOU TO OUR ATTEND THE WILMAR CITY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MEETING TOMORROW, UM, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21ST AT 7:00 PM AT THE HISTORIC BENBRIDGE HOUSE. IN ADDITION, THE FESTIVAL OF HUMAN ABILITIES IS TAKING PLACE THIS WEEKEND, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, JANUARY 24TH AND 25TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 5:00 PM AT OUR VERY OWN AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UH, WELL THANKS EVERYBODY. I, YOU KNOW, I DO WANNA SAY I ACTUALLY APPRECIATED ALL THE DRAMA WITH THE TWO BASEBALL NAMES. IT WAS COVERED BY ALL THE MEDIA. EVERYONE'S TALKING. IF WE CAME OUT WITH JUST ONE NAME AND NO DRAMA, HOW MUCH MEDIA DO YOU THINK WE WOULD'VE GOTTEN? SO, I LIKE 'EM BOTH. I LIKE THE LOGO. THE LOGO IS FIRE. THE LBC LOGO IS FIRE. I LIKE, I LIKE THE REGULATORS. I LIKE IT ALL. IT'S GONNA BE GREAT. AND IT'S NOT LIKE WE DON'T HAVE A HISTORY WITH NICKNAMES IN THE CITY. DIRT BAGS WAS A NICKNAME THAT'S LONG BEACH STATE'S BASEBALL TEAM. STARTED OFF AS A NICKNAME. THE DIRT BAGS. IT WAS NOT THE DIRT BAGS, IT WAS THE 49 ERS AND THE NICKNAME WAS ORGANIC AND IT TOOK OFF. THAT'S WHAT REGULATORS IS. SO I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT. LOOK FORWARD TO OPENING DAY. I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S ON ELECTION DAY. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ME. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH ME. BUT I WILL NEED TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE ON ELECTION DAY, UH, OVER TO, UH, OPENING DAY. THANKS A LOT. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. GOODNIGHT. I'LL GO WITH YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.