* 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. [00:12:56] ALL [00:12:56] RIGHT [00:12:57] EVERYONE. IT IS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD. I WANNA WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE MEETING OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILWOMAN INDE HOUSE. COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. HERE. RECEIVED HERE. RECEIVED COUNCILMAN SUPER NA COUNCILWOMAN KERR. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT VICE MAYOR URANGA. [ROLL CALL] COUNCILMAN THRASH ENUK. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS OTI. HERE. MAYOR RICHARDSON. I AM HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SUPER NA UH, IS OUT AND WILL BE JOINING US THIS EVENING. WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. WE DOING A MOMENT OF SILENCE? MOMENT OF SILENCE IN THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE LED BY MI COUNCIL MEMBER CARR. THANK YOU. IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH ALL OF YOU TONIGHT. I ASK, UH, FOR ALL THAT IS GOING ON IN OUR WORLD, OUR CITY, AND YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR FAMILIES, UH, JUST TO TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] THANK YOU. PLEASE STAND IF YOU'RE ABLE AND JOIN US FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. OKAY, THANKS COUNCIL MEMBER. ALRIGHT, THANKS EVERYONE FOR JOINING US. WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS AND THEN WE'LL TAKE ON CONSENT CALENDAR. WE'LL REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION. UH, THEN WE'LL HANDLE PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE'LL GO ON WITH THE REST OF THE AGENDA. UH, SO LET'S START WITH NATIONAL CHILDREN'S DENTAL HEALTH MONTH. ALRIGHT. AND WE'RE GONNA INVITE, UM, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT FORWARD FOR A PRESENTATION. THINK SHE'S READY. [ NATIONAL CHILDREN’S DENTAL HEALTH MONTH] [00:15:01] I THINK SOMEONE'S GONNA INTRODUCE YOU. MAYBE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS NOT OH, I CAN DO THAT MYSELF. GO FOR IT. I HAD A PROBLEM. ALRIGHT. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT. UM, I'M, UH, HERE TO, UH, REPRESENT THE LONG BEACH ORAL HEALTH. UM, IT'S A COMMITTEE THAT, UH, TRIES AND ATTEMPTS TO IMPROVE THE ORAL HEALTH OF OUR CITIZENS HERE IN LONG BEACH. AND, UM, SO I THANK YOU. I'M GONNA TAKE A COUPLE MINUTES TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. UM, IN THE US WE CELEBRATE NATIONAL CHILDREN'S DENTAL HEALTH MONTH, UH, IN FEBRUARY. AND I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT. I'M DR. SANTOS CORTEZ. I'M A PEDIATRIC DENTIST HERE IN LONG BEACH. I RECOGNIZE SOME OF YOU, UH, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE HERE AT THE CITY COUNCIL. I'VE BEEN SERVING THIS COMMUNITY FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, UH, SINCE 1982, SO THAT'S A FEW DECADES. AND IN THOSE FOUR DECADES AND MORE, UH, A LOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN HEALTHCARE AND PARTICULAR IN OUR PROFESSION. UH, ONE CONSTANT THOUGH THAT I HAVE SEEN IS THAT THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL AND OTHER CITY AGENCIES HAVE SUPPORTED THE INITIATIVE OF PROVIDING THE OPTIMAL AMOUNT OF FLUORIDE IN THE, UH, WATER. AND THAT HAS BEEN, UM, A GREAT, UH, HEALTH EVENT FOR OUR CITY, ESPECIALLY FOR THE CHILDREN, UM, OF LONG BEACH. FOR THAT, I THANK YOU. I THANK THE CITY COUNCIL AND MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN SERVING FOR MANY YEARS. I APPRECIATE THAT. THE DECISION TO FLORIDA DATE WAS, UH, MADE IN 1971 AND, UH, LONG BEACH WAS ONE OF THE EARLY ADOPTERS OF FLUORIDE IN THE WATER. BUT OVER 80 YEARS OF SCIENCE-BASED RESEARCH HAS PROVEN THAT THIS WOULD BE A GREAT HEALTH BENEFIT FOR CITIZENS AND ESPECIALLY FOR OUR CHILDREN. AND AGAIN, FOR THAT, I THANK YOU. AS WE CELEBRATE NATIONAL CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH MONTH, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT OUR SPECIALTY ORGANIZATION, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY HIGHLY RECOMMENDS THE CONCEPT OF AGE ONE SPECIALTY ORGANIZATION AND DENTAL VISIT, UM, FOR ALL CHILDREN. AND THAT'S CORRECT. I SAID AGE ONE. UM, MR. , I THINK KNOWS BECAUSE, UH, WE'VE HAD THAT LONG STANDING RELATIONSHIP AND HE KNOWS ABOUT THE, THE BENEFITS OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD, UH, EXAMINATION. UH, THIS IS COLLABORATED AND, UH, AND THIS CONCEPT IS FULLY SUPPORTED BY THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS. AND THE HALLMARK OF BOTH ORGANIZATIONS IS THAT WE STRIVE TO EDUCATE AND, UM, DO PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD ORAL HEALTH, WHICH IS PART OF OVERALL HEALTH, AND TO HELP PARENTS AND CARETAKERS AS WELL INSTITUTE ORAL HEALTH HABITS FOR THEIR CHILDREN THAT WILL BENEFIT THEM FOR A LIFETIME. UH, THIS POLICY HAS ALSO SHOWN THAT COST SAVINGS FOR FAMILIES AS WELL AS GOVERNMENT SPONSORED DENTAL PROGRAMS MAY BE REALIZED THROUGH PREVENTIVE SERVICES AT A VERY EARLY AGE. AND THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE AND I SEE THAT IN MY PRACTICE EVERY DAY. STUDIES SHOW THAT EXTENSIVE AND MORE COSTLY DENTAL SERVICES CAN BE PREVENTED FOR CHILDREN. IF CONDITIONS CAN BE IDENTIFIED IN THE EARLY STAGES, NEEDLESS PAIN AND SUFFERING MAY BE PREVENTED, AND THE NEED FOR INVASIVE DENTAL TREATMENT AND GENERAL ANESTHESIA SERVICES MAY BE MITIGATED. THE LITERATURE SHOWS THAT FOR EVERY DOLLAR WE SPEND IN PREVENTIVE SERVICES, $50 OF COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL SERVICES COSTS ARE SAVED. THIS IS VERY SIGNIFICANT. I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION HOW FORTUNATE THE CHILDREN IN OUR CITY ARE TO LIVE IN A CITY THAT HAS SUCH A UNIQUE AND GREAT INFRASTRUCTURE, SUCH AS THE MILLER CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, THE CHILDREN'S DENTAL HEALTH CLINIC, THE ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF LONG BEACH, THE LONG BEACH HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND SO MANY DEDICATED MEDICAL AND DENTAL PROFESSIONALS IN OUR CITY. AND WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD. I FEEL SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE ESTABLISHED MY PRACTICE IN THIS CITY SO MANY YEARS AGO, AND YET THERE IS SO MUCH UNMET NEED, SO WE CONTINUE OUR WORK. MUCH OF THIS WORK COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT THE DEDICATION OF MANY VOLUNTEERS AND THE LEADERSHIP OF THE ORAL HEALTH LONG BEACH ADVISORY COMMITTEE. APPROXIMATELY EIGHT YEARS AGO, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THROUGH THE OFFICE OF ORAL HEALTH IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, PROVIDED EACH CITY A GRANT FUNDED BY PROP 56 FUNDS TO HELP IMPROVE THE ORAL HEALTH OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. DIRECTIVES AND DELIVERABLES WERE INSTITUTED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND [00:20:01] PERIODIC REPORTING ON THE PROGRESS OF THE INITIATIVES WERE, UH, SENT TO THE STATE. AND THAT WAS A REQUIREMENT IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS. THE INITIATIVE HAS SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE ORAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN. AND THIS IS KEY. WE HAVE COLLABORATED WITH MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE CITY TO ACCOMPLISH OUR GOALS. AND I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK OUR FEARLESS LEADERS AT THE RISK OF EMBARRASSING THEM TONIGHT. UM, NANCY RIHANNA, RIANO, A REGISTERED NURSE AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, SPEARHEADED AND MANAGED THE GRANT AND THE INITIATIVE. MARIA SANCHEZ, MASTER PUBLIC HEALTH IS OUR PROJECT DIRECTOR AND MANAGES THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS. AND MS. LESLIE SMITH FROM MCCORMICK LA MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR HER DIS DIRECTION AS FACILITATOR AND CHAIR OF OUR MEETINGS. AND THAT'S A CRITICAL ROLE SHE PLAYS. I'D LIKE TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE JEAN PETRILLO REGISTERED DENTAL HYGIENIST AT THE CHILDREN'S DENTAL HEALTH CLINIC FOR HER CONTINUED ENERGETIC WORK IN OUR SCHOOLS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. THESE FOLKS HAVE LED AND CONTINUED TO LEAD OUR ADVOCACY AND OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN ACCOMPLISHING OUR GOALS AND HAVE FACILITATED A MYRIAD OF MEETINGS, SCHOOL SCREENINGS, HEALTH FAIR EVENTS, SCHOOL-BASED ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION PROJECTS, PROGRESS REPORTING TO THE STATE, AND SO MUCH MORE. AND OF COURSE TO SO MANY VOLUNTEERS BOTH FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS WELL AS MANY OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IN CLOSING TO THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL, I COMMEND YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP IN HELPING US AND TO HELPING OUR CITIZENS BE SAFE AND WITH IMPROVED ORAL HEALTH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'LL JOIN YOU DOWN FRONT, UH, WITH A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING NATIONAL CHILDREN'S DENTAL HEALTH MONTH. WELL, I'M A MAYOR WORKING HIS WAY DOWN. I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE DR. SANTO CORTEZ. WE WENT TO TONIGHT. HE'S BEEN WELL ON MY, UH, PEDIATRIC THAT IS FOR MY KIDS WHEN THEY WERE GROWING UP 30 YEARS, 30 PLUS YEARS AGO. NOT TO SEE YOU SAFE AND YOU'RE HEALTHY. GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU. I CONGRATULATIONS. DO YOU MIND IF I TAKE THE PICTURE? HOLD ON. YEAH. OH, NEED TWO? YES. ALL RIGHT. LET'S HEAR IT FOR, UH, AMERICA'S BEST HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE LONG BEACH PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH. UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, IN DISTRICT EIGHT AND DISTRICT NINE ARE LEADING AN INCREDIBLE EFFORT ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING. I WANNA, UH, HAND IT OFF TO COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH INTO, TO LEAD [ HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH] THIS PRESENTATION FOR THE NEXT 10 MINUTES. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, MAYOR AND YES, MYSELF AND COUNCILWOMAN RICK ODI OUR WORKING, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE ADDRESS HUMAN TRAFFICKING THROUGHOUT OUR CITY, BUT MOST CERTAINLY IN THE NORTH PART OF LONG BEACH. SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE TO THE PODIUM. THE TASK FORCE IS A COLLABORATION OF SERVICE PROVIDERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE FOCUSED ON PREVENTING EXPLOITATION AND SUPPORTING SURVIVORS. THEY HAVE BEEN A CRITICAL PARTNER IN THIS WORK FOR OVER 14 YEARS. AND TODAY THEY WILL SHARE AN OVERVIEW OF THEIR ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING ITS HISTORY AND EFFORTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY. THEY'RE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING SUMMIT, UH, THAT WE HELD LAST OCTOBER. UM, AND THEIR PRESENTATION SHOULD PROVIDE IMPORTANT CONTEXT AND REFLECT ON THE ONGOING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY SERVICE PROVIDERS AND THE COMMUNITY. I WANNA EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO MARIA MARIAH SEAWEE, PAMELA SEPULVEDA, AND MARY ANN SILVA STREET FROM THE TASK FORCE, UH, WHO WILL BE PRESENTING TODAY ON THE WORK THAT THEY DO. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE [00:25:01] TODAY TO CONTINUE TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE. AND I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO PAMELA, WHO I BELIEVE WILL BEGIN TODAY'S PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. YES, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND GOOD EVENING. UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, OUR COMMUNITY PRESENT AS WELL. AND THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS EVENING. WHAT IS CURRENTLY GOING ON IN LONG BEACH AND THE EFFORTS BEING MADE TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A SAFER SPACE. THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE IS A MULTIDISCIPLINARY COMMUNITY-BASED COLLABORATION THAT HAS BEEN GOING STRONG SINCE 2012. WE ARE ENTIRELY, I WILL REPEAT ENTIRELY VOLUNTEER LED AND OUR MISSION IS SIMPLE AND CRITICAL TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING THROUGH PREVENTION, PROTECTION, PROSECUTION, AND PARTNERSHIP. MOST IMPORTANTLY, PARTNERSHIP. OUR VISION IS TO ENSURE THAT SURVIVORS HERE IN LONG BEACH HAVE ACCESS TO COORDINATED, EFFECTIVE, AND COMPASSIONATE SERVICES. AND THIS IS MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE COLLABORATION ACROSS THE SECTORS. I STAND HERE TODAY AS A LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER. I'VE BEEN PRACTICING FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND A CORE MEMBER WITH THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE FOR WELL OVER 12 OR 13 YEARS. AND I'M PROUD, PROUD HERE TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT IS GOING ON WITH OUR TASK FORCE. WE FOLLOW THE FEDERAL TRAFFICKING VICTIM PROTECTION ACT. THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE FOUR PS. THE FOUR PS WOULD BE PREVENTION, PROTECTION, PROSECUTION, AND PARTNERSHIP. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE WORD PARTNERSHIP. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. NONE OF THESE OTHER PS WILL WORK IN ISOLATION. PREVENTION FAILS WITHOUT CITY ENGAGEMENT. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO ENGAGE. THIS EVENING PROTECTION FAILS WITHOUT SERVICE COORDINATION. PROSECUTION FAILS WITHOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT AND TRUST AND PARTNERSHIP IS THE THREAD THAT HOLDS ALL OF THIS TOGETHER. OUR WHERE OUR WORK HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY STATE LEADERSHIP AND HOMELAND SECURITY FOR EXEMPLARY PARTNERSHIP, THAT RECOGNITION REFLECTS WHAT'S ALREADY WORKING IN LONG BEACH WHEN AGENCIES COLLABORATE OUTCOMES IMPROVE. I WANNA POINT OUT ON THIS SLIDE, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF OUR OUTREACH AND AWARENESS THAT I'M GONNA BE SPEAKING OF. AND I WANNA CALL SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF THE SCREEN. THIS WAS PRE COVID, BUT COULD ALSO BE NEXT YEAR. AND THIS IS WHERE THE TASK FORCE IS HOSTING AN OUTREACH TABLING EVENT TO EDUCATE COMMUNITY ON THE DANGERS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING. ALLOW ME TO, TO ALSO SAY THE REASON WE NEED TO BE AT EVENTS LIKE THIS IS THE LONG BEACH GRAND PRIX, IS BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE AS A PROUD CITY EVENTS THAT INVITE MANY PEOPLE, WE HAVE MANY PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN OUR CITY, AND THEY ARE HERE TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY. AND THEN YOU FIND MEN IN BRIGHT YELLOW SHIRTS LIKE YOU SEE IN THE PHOTO THAT SAYS, GIRLS DIRECT TO YOUR ROOM. THIS WAS A CROSS FIVE, 10 FEET FROM OUR HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS TABLE. SO THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE CONDUCTS YEAR-ROUND OUTREACH, OUTREACH FROM CONVENIENT STORES TO EDUCATE WITH LITERATURE IN THE CONVENIENCE STORES FOR FOLKS TO EITHER CALL IN CONCERNS OR FOR VICTIMS TO CALL IN FOR SUPPORT, AS WELL AS CITYWIDE EVENTS. AS I MENTIONED, LIKE THE LONG BEACH GRAND PRIX. WE ALSO HOST AN ANNUAL EVENT CALLED THE YOUTH EMPOWERMENT SAFETY SYMPOSIUM, ALSO KNOWN AS YES. AND THIS IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. THIS IS THE PREVENTION AT ITS ROOT. THIS YES EVENT WHERE WE ARE EDUCATING THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH BEFORE THE TRAFFICKERS HAVE ACCESS. HOW DO YOU SKIP IT? THANK YOU. I'M MARIAH SAYWE. I AM WITH THE CORE MEMBER TEAM FOR THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE. UM, HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A COMPLEX AND INDUCTIVE CRIME. IT HAPPENS IN PLAIN SIGHT, BUT REMAINS LARGELY INVISIBLE. IT'S FACILITATED BY SOCIAL MEDIA, PRIVATE CHAT ROOMS, CRYPTOCURRENCY, AND A LACK OF CONSISTENT CONSEQUENCES FOR THE BUYERS. DATA COLLECTION REMAINS FRAGMENTED. EACH AGENCY TRACKS DIFFERENTLY, MEANING WE DON'T YET HAVE A FULL PICTURE OF THE SCOPE IN LONG BEACH. THIS IS NOT A LACK OF EFFORT, IT'S A LACK OF COORDINATED SYSTEMS. WHEN WE COMPARE LAW ENFORCEMENT ARREST DATA, PUBLIC RECORDS, AND SURVIVOR SERVICE DATA, WE SEE VERY DIFFERENT NUMBERS. THAT TELLS [00:30:01] US SOMETHING IMPORTANT. SURVIVORS ARE ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITY PROVIDERS FAR MORE OFTEN THAN THEY APPEAR IN ARREST AND PROSECUTION DATA. THIS TYPE OF GAP DEMONSTRATES THE CONTINUAL NEED FOR EDUCATION AWARENESS, PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ALL CITIES, NONPROFIT AND LOCAL COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS. WITHOUT SHARED DATA SYSTEMS AND COLLABORATIONS, SURVIVORS FALL THROUGH THE GAPS LEADING TO RE-VICTIMIZATION AND MIS INTERVENTION OPPORTUNITIES. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THAT THE MODEL WORKS. CITY LEADERSHIP, LAW ENFORCEMENT, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, COMMUNITY PROVIDERS, AND THE TASK FORCE WORKING TOGETHER NOT IN SILOS. NEXT, WHEN COLLABORATION IS INTENTIONAL, SURVIVORS DON'T HAVE TO NAVIGATE DISCONNECTED SYSTEMS ON THEIR OWN. THE SYSTEM MOVES AROUND THEM. I WANNA POINT OUT THAT IT IS NO, UM, COINCIDENCE THAT THIS IS A OLYMPIC IMAGE BECAUSE WE ARE PREPARING FOR THE 2028 OLYMPICS WHERE WE FORESEE A LOT OF, UM, HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO GO ON. AND WE ARE IN THE STEPS OF A PREVENTION, AND THAT IS WHERE WE AIM TO BE. THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS WHAT COLLABORATION LOOKS LIKE IN ACTION LONG BEACH. THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE IS ALREADY WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY LEADERSHIP, INCLUDING COUNCILWOMAN TENA THRASH AND TOOK, AND COUNCIL MEMBER JONI RICKS OTI TO MOVE BEYOND CONVERSATION AND INTO COORDINATED PLANNING. AS PART OF THIS PARTNERSHIP, WE ARE ALIGNING AROUND A CLEAR TIMELINE IN APRIL, 2025, STRATEGIC PLAN, FOLLOWED BY AN AUGUST PROGRESS REPORT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS IN OCTOBER. THE STRUCTURE ALLOWS US TO REMAIN ACCOUNTABLE, TRANSPARENT, AND RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS THE KEY OF CROSS SECTOR'S COLLABORATION. THE STRENGTHENS PREVENTION IMPROVES RESPONSE AND ENSURES SURVIVORS ARE SUPPORTED THROUGH SYSTEMS THAT ARE, THAT ARE ALIGNED AND NOT FRAGMENTED. THIS IS A LIST OF ALL OF OUR, UM, SERVICE PROVIDERS THROUGHOUT THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE. I WANNA CLOSE, I WANNA SAY THIS, WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT, HUMAN TRAFFICKING THRIVES IN GAPS. GAPS BETWEEN AGENCIES, BETWEEN DATA SYSTEMS, AND BETWEEN RESPONSIBILITY. LONG BEACH HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE LEADING BY STRENGTHENING COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN CITY DEPARTMENTS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS. YOUR SUPPORT HELPS US MOVE FROM REACTION TO PREVENTION, FROM FRAGMENTATION TO COORDINATION, AND FROM SURVIVAL TO LONG-TERM STABILITY FOR VICTIMS. AND LASTLY, I WANNA CLOSE BY SHARING THIS PERS FROM PERSPECTIVE OF A SURVIVOR WHO WAS TRAFFICKED RIGHT HERE IN LONG BEACH. AT 16, I WAS PREYED UPON. AT 17, I WAS FULLY GROOMED, AND BY 18, I WAS TAKEN FROM LONG BEACH. BEFORE I WAS 19, I WAS CO SOLD ACROSS STATE LINES ALMOST 15 YEARS LATER. AND WE STILL SEE THE SAME PROBLEM IN OUR COMMUNITY. WHAT SAVED MY LIFE WASN'T ONE AGENCY, ONE PROGRAM, OR ONE MOMENT. IT WAS WHEN SYSTEMS FINALLY WORKED TOGETHER. I DIDN'T NEED MORE DOORS TO OPEN. I NEEDED THE RIGHT ONES TO OPEN AT THE SAME TIME. COORDINATED SYSTEMS AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES ARE NOT ABSTRACT CONCEPTS. THEY ARE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONTINUED EXPLOITATION AND A REAL CHANCE AT SAFETY, STABILITY, AND RECOVERY. TODAY WE ARE ASKING YOU TO JOIN FORCES WITH THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE. THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION TO STRENGTHEN COLLABORATION, ALIGN SYSTEMS, AND ENSURE NO SURVIVOR IS LEFT NAVIGATING THIS ALONE. TOGETHER WE CAN CLOSE THE GAPS, TRAFFICKERS, EXPLOIT, AND BUILD A SAFER, MORE ACCOUNTABLE LONG BEACH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR STANDING WITH US TO PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, CAN I SAY ONE MORE THING? SURE, PLEASE. UM, WE ALSO WILL BE HANDING OUT FLYERS. WE ARE DOING, UM, FREE HT 1 0 1 TRAINING, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THAT IS REALLY NEEDED IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, IT IS FREE, SO PLEASE TAKE TIME TO SCAN THE FLYERS, SEE IF YOU GUYS HAVE THE TIME TO SIGN UP TO HELP US COME BACK. IS THAT THIS HUMAN TRAFFICKING? YES. FROM HUMAN SAFE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO WE'LL SUBMIT THIS TO THE CLERK SO IT CAN BE ADDED TO THE RECORD SO PEOPLE CAN GET ACCESS TO THE FLYER. THANK YOU. LET'S HEAR FROM THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE. WE'RE GONNA MEET YOU DOWN FRONT AND TAKE A PHOTO WITH THE COUNCILWOMAN AND THERE'S A, AN ACCOMPANYING ITEM WE'LL GET TO SHORTLY RELATED TO THIS ISSUE. [00:35:37] ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'LL NOW MOVE TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR. ITEMS ONE THROUGH 16. OKAY, I SEE A MOTION AND A SECOND. I SEE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UH, ROGELIO MARTINEZ. GOING ONCE, [CONSENT CALENDAR (1. – 16.)] GOING TWICE. ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE ON CONSENT CALENDAR. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT. REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION PLEASE. THANK YOU, MAYOR, WE HAVE NO REPORT FROM CLOSED SESSION, RIVETING REPORT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, NOW WE'LL GO TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. I'LL CALL THE LIST OF NAMES. JUST A MOMENT. ALRIGHT. ANTHONY BRYSON, ANTHONY HOLMES, FRANCESCA C FOREST, MILO, NELSON, RENEE HERNANDEZ, LISA DE SCHMIDT, GTFO, [ 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, MICHAEL VENA AND ANTHONY FORMENTO. ALL RIGHT. ANTHONY BRYSON UP FIRST. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL. I HAVE THIS TO GIVE TO COUNCIL. IT'S 14, MAYBE 16 LITTLE EXTRA THERE. UM, TODAY, NON AGENDA ITEM. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT WHAT I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO ABOUT, UM, WE'VE CAME AS A COLLECTIVE GROUP OF ORGANIZERS TO COMMITTEES, AND WE HAVE ASKED, UM, THAT THERE BE A CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING AND POLICY IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT, UH, LONG BEACH IS A CITY THAT IS, UH, HOLDING THEIR INVESTMENTS ACCOUNTABLE. WE KNOW THAT AS WE EXPAND IN AERO SPACE AND OTHER REALMS OF, UH, INDUSTRY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE COMPANIES WE'RE BRINGING INTO OUR CITY REPRESENT THE VALUES OF OUR CITY BEING SUCH A DIVERSE CITY. UM, I ALSO, UH, WANTED TO BRING UP THE INTERESTING, UM, FACT THAT, UH, A LOT OF YOU GUYS KNOW THAT I GO OUT AND I PROTEST IN THESE STREETS IN IN LONG BEACH. UH, CURIOSITY TO ME IS, UH, WHY WE'RE SEEING SO MUCH OF A A, A POLICE RESPONSE, A MILITARIZED POLICE RESPONSE. IT FEELS LIKE THE CITY IS ACTIVELY SUPPRESSING AND REPRESSING OUR FIRST AMENDMENT. RIGHT? RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. SO WHAT I, WHAT I WANT TO ASK CITY COUNCIL IS TO BE MORE IN LINE WITH THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY. ONE, THIS, THIS INVESTMENT IN THE CITY REPRESENTS US AT LARGE AND SAYS THAT WE WON'T DO BUSINESS WITH SHADY COMPANIES. WE WON'T DO BUSINESS WITH COMPANIES THAT WORK WITH ICE. WE WON'T DO BUSINESS WITH COMPANIES THAT ARE ACTIVELY SUPPRESSING RIGHT ON. AND ALSO, UM, WE WANT TO SEE LONG BEACH ALLOW US TO EXERCISE OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. WE CAME HERE TODAY AND WE SAW A WHOLE SHEET OF, UH, HOW TO CONDUCT OURSELVES OR HOW TO SPEAK TO CITY COUNCIL. THAT SEEMS WITHIN ITSELF A FORM OF REPRESSION, UH, AS WE'VE BEEN PROTESTING. AND IT, IF IT'S SOMETHING ABOUT ICE OR IF IT'S SOMETHING RELATED TO, TO, TO WHAT WE'RE FACING AS RESIDENTS, WE SEE THAT, UH, THE MEN IN BLUE COME OUT WITH RIOT GEAR TO UNARMED CIVILIANS, UNARMED RESIDENTS IN LONG BEACH. WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THAT CITY COUNCIL? HOW CAN WE ALLOW US TO EXERCISE OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT AND GUARANTEE SAFETY FOR LONG BEACH RESIDENTS AT THE SAME TIME? THAT'S WHAT I'M BRINGING TO YOU TODAY. SO, PLEASE, UH, CLERK, IF YOU CAN PASS THESE OUT, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU GUYS SEE THE INFORMATION ON HERE, AS WELL AS IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU ALLOW US TO EXERCISE OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT WITHOUT SUPPRESSION AND REPRESSION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT IS ANTHONY HOLMES. AFTER ANTHONY. IS FRANCESCA HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH? NAH, NAH, I TAKE THAT BACK. HAPPY BLACK HISTORY YEAR. 365 DAYS. UM, JONIE RICKS, I WANT TO EXPRESS SOMETHING TO YOU. AND I LIKE YOU, JONIE, BUT I NEED TO EXPRESS THIS TO YOU. YOU KNOW, YOU'VE BEEN SITTING UP THERE FOR FOUR YEARS AND I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN LIVING [00:40:01] THIS NIGHTMARE. AND I WOULD'VE THOUGHT THAT YOU AS A AFRICAN AMERICAN, AS A BLACK AMERICAN WOULD'VE CAME TO THE FOREFRONT AND SPOKE UP FOR ME INSIDE THIS WHITE SUPREMACY CITY OF LONG BEACH LOCAL GOVERNMENT. UM, I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE THIS WOMAN FAMOUS, BUT SHE BEEN, SHE BEEN BEGGING FOR IT. I'M TELLING YOU, SHE BE GILES. KEEP MY NAME OUT YOUR MOUTH. I DON'T KNOW YOU, YOU DON'T KNOW ME. AND WE GONNA LEAVE IT LIKE THAT. REX, YOU TOLD ME TO COME DOWN HERE AND YOU WILL, YOU WILL, YOU WILL ANSWER WHAT I ASKED YOU AT THE STATE OF THE CITY. WHEN ARE YOU GONNA PROTECT BLACK WORKERS? I'M HERE NOW. I'M NOT GONNA DO IT. OKAY, LET ME GO ANOTHER ROUTE. TOM IKA, CAN YOU DO ME A FAVOR? SINCE REX LIKE VALIDATION FOR WHITE AMERICAN, CAN YOU TELL HIM THAT IT'S OKAY TO BE A BLACK MAN IN AMERICA? YEAH. UM, AND YOU KNOW, I BROUGHT SOMEBODY WITH ME THAT, YOU KNOW, REX, A BLACK WOMAN CITY EMPLOYEE, BEEN HERE FOR 24 YEARS, BEEN HARASSED, RETALIATED AGAINST. YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS IN 2020. NOW IT'S RESURFACING AGAIN. SHE CAME DOWN HERE, I'M NOT GONNA SAY HER NAME, BUT SHE'S IN A CROWD. FOR YOU TO HAVE TWO BLACK, BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS AND LET BLACK WOMEN, BLACK CITY WORKER, WOMEN GET TREATED. HOW THEY GET TREATED IS JUST DISRESPECTFUL AND DISGUSTING. UM, ZENDEJAS, I GOTTA BRING SOMETHING TO YOUR ATTENTION TOO. YOU KNOW, I SEE YOUR PEOPLE OUT THERE PROTESTING. I'M ALL, I'M ALL FOR PROTESTING. YES. F**K ICE. IT'S F**K ANYTHING. LAW ENFORCEMENT ON THE BLACK SIDE. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT. BUT I THINK YOU SHOULD BE OUT THERE WITH 'EM INSTEAD OF SITTING ON, SITTING ON SITTING AT THE BENCH AND NOT DOING NOTHING. JUST COMING HERE TALKING. AND I GET A LOT OF, I GET A LOT OF MESSAGES IN MY INBOX OF ANTHONY HOLMES SINCE YOU SO PRO-BLACK AND YOU, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT SO OPPRESSED. WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY? I'M NOT OUT THERE? BECAUSE THE BLACK COMMUNITY, WELL, BLACK PEOPLE AND MEXICAN, THE MEXICAN COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO HAVE A SIT DOWN ABOUT THE ANTI-BLACKNESS. ONCE WE HAVE THAT AND WE PUT THAT ON THE TABLE AND Y'ALL STOP SWEEPING THAT S**T UNDER THE RUG, WE GOING, WE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE AT ODDS. SO BRING IT TO THE TABLE. ALL THE HIERARCHY. UM, CITY LEADERS, NOT CITY LEADER, BUT HIERARCHY LEADERS ON THE BLACK SIDE IN THE MEXICAN SIDE. WE CAN DO THIS. WE DON'T NEED THEM. IT'S, IT'S US. IT'S US VERSUS THEM. YOU GUYS, STAY UP. STAY BLACK, BLACK AMERICA AND STAND UP. YES. ALRIGHT, FRANCESCA, I, UH, HANDED OUT TWO HANDOUTS TO THE CLERK. WHO, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? RENEE HERNANDEZ. UHHUH. . OKAY, WE GONNA TAKE IT OUTTA ORDER. SO, UH, OKAY. RENEE, I GOT YOU. GO AHEAD. I HANDED OUT TWO HANDOUTS AND SHE SAID SHE ENTERED THEM. I'D LIKE YOU TO, UH, MAYBE IF YOU CAN PULL IT UP ON YOUR COMPUTER. IF NOT, I'LL READ THIS. THIS KIND OF DESCRIBES THE SUFFERING THAT I GO THROUGH. AND THEN WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS POLICE BRUTALITY. 'CAUSE I'M MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE. SO I SUFFER FROM A RARE NERVOUS SYSTEM DISORDER. I AM 71 YEARS OLD, HOMELESS IN A TENT, TRYING TO SAVE MY LIFE. AND THIS DESCRIPTION, UH, THAT SOMEONE WROTE IN A REDDIT POST, I THINK IT'S REDDIT, UM, KIND OF DESCRIBES WHAT I SUFFER A LITTLE BIT. I'VE RAILED AGAINST THE CRPS. THEY RENAMED IT COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME. AND, UH, IT'S SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. SO MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING A DISTURBING NUMBER OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, THINK THAT IT STANDS FOR CHRONIC PAIN. I KNOW THAT OUR PAIN IS CHRONIC, BUT SO IS TENDONITIS AND WE ARE NOT THE SAME AS FAR AS DESCRIBING MY PAIN. I START BY SAYING, IMAGINE YOUR, INSERT YOUR LIMB HERE. ACTUALLY, IT'S ALL IN MY, THROUGHOUT MY BODY. NOW IT'S FROZEN. THEN POUR GASOLINE ON IT AND SET IT ON FIRE. THEN ATTACH WIRES TO IT AND ENDLESSLY SHOCK IT. THIS IS THE KIND OF PAIN THAT I SUFFER FROM. IT'S ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M IN A FLARE, WHICH IS NOW. NOW LET'S GET BACK TO POLICE BRUTALITY. ON JANUARY 23RD, I WAS ARRESTED BY A FEMALE OFFICER QUINONES, WHO HURT ME. I HAVE WITNESSES WHO OBSERVED HER THROWING ME ON THE PAVEMENT. AND, OH, LET'S GET INTO WHAT I SUFFERED AT YOUR LOVELY FACILITY DOWNTOWN. I WAS IN THE BOOKING AREA FOR A WHILE. I HAVE ANOTHER DISORDER CALLED INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS, [00:45:01] YET ANOTHER VERY PAINFUL DISORDER. I STATED, I NEED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM SEVERAL TIMES. I STATED, I HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION. OH, THEN ABOUT FOUR TO SIX OF YOUR LOVELY MEN IN BLUE GRABBED ME, THREW ME INTO THE ELEVATOR, INTO A CORNER WITH THEIR KNEES IN MY BACK. I'M NOT SURE WHAT FLOOR I WENT ON, BUT THEN THEY, THEY THREW ME INTO A CELL. THEY THREW ME AGAINST THE COUNTER, AND THEN THEY THREW ME INTO A CELL, WHICH MERELY HAD A HOLE IN THE FLOOR TO P**S IN AND I MISSED IT. AND CONSEQUENTLY, THE FLOOR GOT WET. THEY DIDN'T GIVE US ANY WATER EXCEPT MAYBE A THIMBLE FULL P**S GOT ALL OVER THE FLOOR. I DESPAIRED. I WAS LIKE, I WANT TO DIE. YOU KNOW WHY? I'VE BEEN BRUTALIZED BY COPS BEFORE IN WEST VIRGINIA. THEY ALMOST, MA'AM, WHILE THEY WERE GOUGING MY EYE OUT, YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. ABUSE ME. ABUSE ME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. NO, YOU NEED TO INVESTIGATE THIS, THAT THANK ME FOR MY TESTIMONY. ALRIGHT, I FRANCESCA THAT AS HELL. IT'S GONNA STOP. SHANE. SHANE, SHANE. SO AFTER IS FRANCESCA, THEN FOREST IS FRANCESCA HERE. AND THEN WHERE'S FORREST? OKAY. ALRIGHT. GOOD EVENING. UM, I AM HERE TO THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS' AGENDA IS THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY THAT ALIGNS CITY INVESTMENTS WITH EQUITY VALUES AND HUMAN RIGHTS WHILE STRENGTHENING PUBLIC TRUST THROUGH ETHICAL INVESTMENT PRACTICES. LONG BEACH ALREADY HAS A STRONG ETHICAL FOUNDATION AS SEEN IN OUR CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS. HERE WE CAN SEE OUR CITY'S VALUE STATEMENT THAT READS THAT THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH DEPEND ON A CITY GOVERNMENT THAT OPERATES EQUITABLY, ETHICALLY, AND THAT WORKS TO PROMOTE AND PRESERVE PUBLIC TRUST AND CONFIDENCE. THESE ARE OPERATIONAL COMMITMENTS AND THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY OPERATIONALIZES THAT DUTY BY SCREENING INVESTMENTS AGAINST WELL-DEFINED HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUITY STANDARDS. THIS POLICY ALIGNS WITH EXISTING EQUITABLE CITY INITIATIVES LIKE THE GROW LONG BEACH ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT, LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, AND THE RACIAL EQUITY AND RECONCILIATION INITIATIVE. THIS POLICY PROMOTES SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH, WHILE ALSO STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND TRUST. THIS ALSO ENDS CONTRADICTORY INVESTMENTS MISALIGNED WITH OUR CITY'S VALUES. FOR EXAMPLE, IF OUR CITY IS COM COMMITTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, THEN OUR INVESTMENTS SHOULD ALSO BE A REFLECTION OF THAT. IT IS CONTRADICTORY FOR OUR CITY TO TAKE A STANCE VERBALLY, BUT TO ACT DIFFERENTLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR INVESTMENTS. WE KNOW THIS IS POSSIBLE AS OTHER CITIES HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ADOPTED SIMILAR POLICIES AND THAT THIS IS GROUNDED IN LEGAL POLICY. UM, I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT WE, IN DEVELOPING THIS POLICY, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE CITY ALREADY GOES THROUGH A PROCESS. AND SO WE'RE JUST ASKING THAT THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL LAYER TO THAT SCREENING AND THAT THIS OPENS THE DOOR FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY IS ASKING FOR MORE AND MORE THAT RESIDENTS ARE ASKING FOR MORE AND MORE TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ROOTED IN. UM, AND IS, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, AGAIN, ROOTED IN THE COMMITMENTS THAT THE CITY IS ALREADY, UM, HAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED. UM, I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT IN ADVOCATING FOR THIS POLICY, WE GROUNDED THIS ADVOCACY IN THE WORDS OF AUDREY LORDE, WHOSE QUOTE WAS ACTUALLY ALSO INCLUDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE RACIAL AND EQUITY RECONCILIATION INITIATIVE. IT READS, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE ME IN ORDER FOR US TO FIGHT ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER. I DO NOT HAVE TO BE YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT OUR WARS ARE THE SAME. WHAT WE MUST DO IS COMMIT OURSELVES TO SOME FUTURE THAT CAN INCLUDE EACH OTHER AND TO WORK TOWARD THE FUTURE WITH THE PARTICULAR STRENGTHS OF OUR INDIVIDUAL IDENTITIES. AND IN ORDER FOR US TO DO THIS, WE MUST ALLOW EACH OTHER OUR DIFFERENCES AT THE SAME TIME AS YOU RECOGNIZE OUR SAMENESS. SO IN THE SPIRIT OF THIS QUOTE THAT THE CITY, THE CITY ITSELF PUT ON ITS CITY DOCUMENTS AND HAS COMMITTED TO, I ASK THAT YOU EMBRACE THE SPIRIT IN OUR POLICIES AND THINK INNOVATIVELY ABOUT OUR INVESTMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, FOREST. AND THEN MILO. WHERE'S MILO? RIGHT HERE. OKAY, GREAT. OKAY. GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. UM, I COME HERE NOW ALMOST EVERY TUESDAY. AND, UM, THE REASON I'M UP HERE TONIGHT IS I KNOW THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM ARE HERE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT ICE IS STILL ROAMING AROUND KIDNAPPING, TORTURING, AND INFRINGING UPON OUR BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. UM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT ICE IS THE SYMPTOM. THE PROBLEM STILL LIES WITH THE GENOCIDE THAT IS HAPPENING IN PALESTINE. [00:50:03] ICE IS A SYMPTOM OF THE PROBLEM. THE IDF, THE THERE ARE PARALLEL VIOLATIONS THAT THE ICE GESTAPO AND THE IDF NAZIS COMMIT ON REGULAR HUMAN BEINGS. UM, THERE IS AN ARBITRARY AND INDEFINITE DEF, UH, DETENTION. BOTH THE IDF AND ICE ENTITIES ARE CRITICIZED FOR DETAINING INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT CLEAR DUE PROCESS OR TRIAL. WHILE THE IDF USES ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, DETENTION FOR PALESTINIANS BASED ON SECRET EVIDENCE, ICE HAS REACHED RECORD DETENTION LEVELS, HOLDING, UH, HOLDING PEOPLE OVER WITH, WITH CHARGES WITHOUT CRIM, UH, ANY CRIMINAL CHARGES. DEHUMANIZING CONDITIONS, REPORTS FROM HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH DETAIL, ICE IES BEING HELD IN FREEZING CELLS, FORCED TO SLEEP ON CONCRETE FLOORS AND DENIED BASIC HYGIENE AND MEDICAL CARE. THESE MIRROR ACCOUNTS FROM THE ISRAELI FACULTIES, LIKE SDA TIMON, WHERE THAT'S THE ISRAELI DISCUSSING AS PRISON THAT'S HOLDING ALL OF THESE INNOCENT PALESTINIANS HOSTAGE, UH, FACE STARVATION AND PHYSICAL ABUSE PREVENTION, UH, PREVENTABLE DEATHS IN CUSTODY. BOTH THE IDF AND ICE HAVE FACED SECURITY FOR HIGH MORALITY RATES. MORTALITY RATES DUE TO MEDICAL NEGLECT 2025 WAS RECORDED AS THE DEADLIEST YEAR FOR ICE CUSTODY IN DECADES. WHILE HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS REPORT DOZENS OF DEATH DEATHS IN ISRAELI PRISONS SINCE OCTOBER, 2023. RACIAL PROFILING AND HARASSMENT, BOTH, BOTH, UH, ENTITIES, ICE AND THE IDF HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF USING APPEARANCE BASED STOPS. ICE HAS FACED LAWSUITS FOR RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST BLACK AND BROWN INDIVIDUALS AND THE US SIMILAR TO THE IDEA OF ROUTINE HARASSMENT AND RACIAL PROFILING OF PALESTINIANS IN THE CHECKPOINT. THE CURRENT ISRAELI GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO GET, UH, SODOM AS A, AS A, A, A, A TACTIC, A TORTURE TACTIC AGAINST PALESTINIAN HOSTAGES. NOW, I ONLY GOT A FEW SECONDS LEFT. I WANNA SAY THIS IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE OUT HERE THAT ARE DYING ON THE STREETS. AND NOW WHITE PEOPLE ARE DYING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. WE'RE TIRED OF IT. WE ARE SO TIRED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED. THIS IS NOT A SHOW. ALRIGHT. IT'S NOT. SHOW PEOPLE. NEXT IS DYING. GET F*****G GET REAL, GET REAL. NEXT IS MILO, AND THEN LISA. WHERE'S LISA? OKAY, GREAT. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, MILO. THANK YOU COUNSEL MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. UM, I WILL BE SPEAKING LATER ON IN THE NIGHT, UH, FOR AGENDA 25, BUT RIGHT NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS, UM, IN LONG BEACH, SPECIFICALLY SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS, SPECIFICALLY LGBTQ PLUS YOUTH. I MYSELF AM A 17-YEAR-OLD TRANSGENDER MALE, AND I HAVE BEEN, OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE YEARS, ADMITTED TO MORE THAN FOUR PSYCHIATRIC STAYS IN DIFFERENT HOSPITALS. MULTIPLE HOURS AND DAYS FROM THOSE STAYS HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY BLOTTED FROM MY MEMORY DUE TO THE TRAUMA OF THINGS I HAVE WITNESSED IN THERE. I AND MANY OTHER KIDS, NOT ONLY IN AMERICA OR LONG, NOT ONLY IN CALIFORNIA OR LONG BEACH, BUT AROUND AMERICA, CAN TESTIFY TO SEEING CHILDREN BEING TACKLED TO THE GROUND DURING A MENTAL BREAKDOWN OR PANIC ATTACK, AND FORCIBLY INJECTED WITH SEDATIVES INTO THE BACK OF THEIR LEG, WHICH IS COLLOQUIALLY KNOWN AS BOOTY JUICING. THIS IS DISTURBING TO WITNESS. AND EVEN THOUGH I MYSELF HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED IT, IT IS ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING TO IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST FEEL LIKE TO HAVE PEOPLE TWICE YOUR SIZE, PINNING YOU TO THE GROUND WHEN ALL YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS HELP. AND SAYING THIS, I AM NOT INSULTING THE HEALTHCARE WORKERS THAT ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO HELP THESE CHILDREN. I HAVE SEEN 8, 9, 10 YEAR OLDS IN THESE PLACES SAYING THAT THEY TRIED TO HARM THEMSELVES. AND THAT IS HEARTBREAKING TO SEE. I MYSELF WASN'T THAT MUCH OLDER. I WAS REALLY ONLY 12 OR 13 AT THE TIME. BUT ALL I AM ASKING NOW IS THAT WE FOCUS MORE ON ASSISTING THE L-G-B-T-Q YOUTH AND THE MENTALLY ILL YOUTH OF OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO EXPECT THE NEXT GENERATION TO TAKE OVER THE MANTLE OF WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE BUILT? IF THEY CAN'T EVEN PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THEIR OWN MINDS? HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO EXPECT THEM TO TAKE THE WORLD AROUND THE SERIOUSLY WHEN THEY CAN'T EVEN FIND THE ABILITY TO WAKE UP IN THE MORNING WHEN THEY CAN'T FIND THE ABILITY TO GET OUT OF BED, BRUSH THEIR TEETH, TAKE A SHOWER, EAT A MEAL, WHEN EVERYTHING AROUND THEM IS SO HARD THAT THEY CAN'T EVEN, THEY CAN'T EVEN BEAR. AND AGAIN, I AM NOT HERE TO YELL OR GET MAD, EVEN THOUGH I AM UPSET AND I AM MAD. BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT YELLING AND GETTING MAD WILL NOT HELP THE [00:55:01] SITUATION. ALL I AM HERE TO ASK IS THAT YOU REDIRECT FUNDING AND YOU REDIRECT TRAINING, AND YOU REDIRECT YOUR TIME AND YOUR ENERGY TO SUPPORTING THE L-G-B-T-Q TEENS AND THE MENTALLY ILL TEENS IN YOUTH OF CALIFORNIA BECAUSE THEY NEED IT MORE. THEY NEED IT THE MOST OF SOME OF OUR, OF SOME OF OUR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AS AN L-G-B-T-Q TEEN. AND AS A MENTALLY ILL TEEN WITH MANY DIAGNOSED MENTAL ILLNESSES, I KNOW THAT IF I HAD A BETTER SUPPORT SYSTEM WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, THINGS WOULD'VE BEEN DIFFERENT. I WOULDN'T HAVE GONE TO THOSE MENTAL HOSPITAL STAYS. I WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO STAY WITH MY FAMILY. I WOULD'VE BEEN A MORE HEALTHY, HAPPY PERSON. AND NOW I'M 17 AND I AM DOING BETTER, BUT I AM STILL NOT THERE YET. AND I DON'T WANNA SEE KIDS WHO STARTED WHERE I AM. GET TO WHERE I AM NOW. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GREAT TESTIMONY, MILO. ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS LISA. AFTER LISA IS GTFO. LISA, YOU'RE UP. GOOD EVENING. UM, MR. MAYOR AND, UM, MEMBERS OF THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL. I'M NOT LISA DE SCHMIDT, BUT I GET THE, UH, PRIVILEGE OF INTRODUCING HER TO YOU. LISA DE SCHMIDT IS RECENTLY BEEN APPOINTED THE INTERIM PRESIDENT OF THE ARTS COUNCIL FOR LONG BEACH. UH, LISA DE SCHMIDT IS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO BE FILLING THE POSITION FOR GRISEL DE SUAREZ, WHO WILL BE TAKING THE POSITION, UH, WITH THE LIBRARY'S, UH, CULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICER. UM, I AM VERY HAPPY TO HAVE LISA NOW STEP UP AND INTRODUCE HERSELF TO YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ANNE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR RICHARDSON, CITY COUNCIL, TOM MOCA. UM, I'M, IT'S AN ABSOLUTE HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY. I HAVE BEEN WITH THE ARTS COUNCIL FOR, UH, ALMOST A LITTLE OVER A DECADE NOW. AND I'VE SEEN THE TRANSFORMATION THAT WE'VE GONE TO, GONE THROUGH UNDER GDAS LEADERSHIP. AND IT'S AN HONOR TO BE SELECTED BY THE BOARD TO CONTINUE THAT LEGACY AND TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TAKE THIS ORGANIZATION THROUGH THIS TRANSITION PERIOD. SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME UP HERE. UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME. LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN WITH THE ARTS COUNCIL FOR ALMOST 11 YEARS NOW, UM, IN VARIOUS POSITIONS, BUT MOST RECENTLY AS DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS. SO I KNOW THE ORGANIZATION INSIDE AND OUT. I'VE MANAGED OUR GRANT PROGRAMS, SO I HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL OF OUR GRANTEES, PARTNERS, ARTISTS. UM, SO IT'S A SEAMLESS TRANSITION. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN GOING WONDERFUL. THE ARTS COUNCIL IS STRONG. I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE TO STAY. WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS ON OUR DOCKET. WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE TEAM BEHIND ME. IT'S NOT JUST ME. IT'S OUR BOARD AND TEAM. AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR EVERYBODY. UM, AND WE'RE HERE. I'D LOVE TO MEET WITH EACH OF YOU AND LEARN WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE FOR THE YEAR AND HOW THE ARTS COUNCIL CAN SUPPORT THOSE. IT'S A BIG MILESTONE YEAR FOR US. IT'S OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY, SO WE'LL BE CELEBRATING THAT. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING. SO THANK YOU. I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE IN THIS POSITION. I'M HONORED AND I WILL BE DEDICATED TO THIS POSITION. ALL RIGHT, LISA, WELL, WELCOME TO THE CITY, CITY, CITY FAMILY, LISA, AND, UH, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF US, UH, CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP AND SUPPORT YOU IN THIS NEW ROLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. UM, I, UH, UH, MY INTENT ISN'T TO DOWNPLAY THE, UH, PREVIOUS, UM, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING. BUT I WAS REALLY CURIOUS, UH, TO KNOW ABOUT A, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHAT THEY'RE DOING, BUT HOW IS IT THAT THEY GOT UP TO SPEAK AND TO MAKE A PRESENTATION BEFORE CITY COUNCIL WHEN, UH, THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN, UH, FIGHTING FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, UH, DON'T GET INVITED? HOW DO WE GET INVITED TO COME HERE AND MAKE A PRESENTATION? BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS ARE FAR GREATER. AND IT'S NOT JUST THE PERSON WHO IS OUT ON THE STREET, IT'S THEIR FAMILIES WHO WE AS, UH, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, LONG BEACH RAPID RESPONSE ARE SUPPORTING OUT OF OUR OWN POCKET. SO, UH, CURIOUSLY, UH, YOU KNOW, THE T-SHIRTS SAY, I AM NOT FOR SALE. I ALMOST DIDN'T GET UP TO SPEAK BECAUSE I THOUGHT, YEAH, OTHER PEOPLE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT ICE. BUT I FIND THAT SO IRONIC BECAUSE EACH ONE OF YOU IS FOR SALE. EACH ONE OF YOU IS SOLD. IF YOU LOOK AT WHO FINANCED YOU, OIL COMPANIES, DEVELOPERS, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL SORTS OF SHADY CHARACTERS WHO THEN YOU GO AND THEN YOU VOTE FOR THESE PEOPLE FOR THEIR PROJECTS, UH, THAT HARM THE ENVIRONMENT AND THAT HARM THE PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, THE WAR INDUSTRY, THE ENERGY INDUSTRY, UH, [01:00:01] YOU KNOW, UM, IT'S JUST REALLY DISGUSTING. ANYWAY, UH, ONTO THE SPEECH. UH, MAYOR, YOU RECENTLY SPOKE ABOUT ICE. WE'D LIKE TO BELIEVE YOU, BUT OUR MEMORY IS FRESH UNDER YOUR WATCH. THE LBPD SHARED INFO WITH ICE. IT HAS BEEN, AND IT WAS AND IS PROTECTING ICE. IT ARRESTS, ANTI-ICE PROTESTS. YOU VOTED TO CREATE A CHILD DETENTION CENTER FOR IMMIGRANT CHILDREN. IN OTHER WORDS, CAGES, YOU VOTED TO INCREASE CITIZEN SURVEILLANCE AND VOTED TO DESTROY 23 YEARS OF POLICE MISCONDUCT. RECORD. YOU CAN ATONE BY PASSING THE ICE OUT OF LONG BEACH PETITION THAT CONSISTS OF 10 ACTIONABLE ITEMS. WE WE'RE AT OVER 2000 SIGNATURES BY NOW. WHEN WE STARTED THE PETITION, SAID LONG BEACH COULD BE A LEADER BY PASSING AN ORDINANCE THAT REFLECTS THIS PETITION. OUR STATE IS THE FIFTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD. OUR CITY IS HOME TO HALF OF THE LARGEST PORT ON THE WEST COAST PLAYING A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE US ECONOMY. THE, THE LONG BEACH FREEWAY IS A LIFELINE FOR GOODS COMING TO AND FROM THE PORT SERVING THE ENTIRE WESTERN UNITED STATES. THE OPPORTUNITY FOR LONG BEACH LEADERSHIP CAME AND WENT. OTHER CITIES HAVE TAKEN THE LEADERSHIP TO DEFEND THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION. OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR FAMILIES, CITIES WITH FEARLESS, PRINCIPLED, AND RIGHTEOUS LEADERSHIP HAVE PASSED MANY OF THE POINTS WE'VE BROUGHT UP. YOU CAN'T USE THE EXCUSE THAT IT HASN'T BEEN TESTED OR IT ISN'T LEGAL. WE, THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR YOU DEMAND THAT YOU STAND UP AGAINST FASCISM. WE DEMAND THAT YOU TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION. YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED, SIR. I, I, ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. I, I, I, I, ALRIGHT, SO, THANK YOU, UH, UH, CARLOS, THAT IS YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. WE HAVE TWO MORE SPEAKERS. MICHAEL IS NEXT. AND THEN, AND THEN, UH, I HAVE ANTHONY FORMENTO. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. I WROTE THESE NOTES. UM, MY NAME'S MICHAEL. I REPRESENT THE STARBURST WORKERS UNITED AT SEVENTH OF REDONDO IN LONG BEACH. UM, WE ASKED THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, THE CITY COUNCIL AND EVERYONE'S FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO STAND IN SALARY WITH US WHILE WE'RE, WHILE WE'RE ON STRIKE, UM, WE'VE BEEN ON STRIKE FOR MORE THAN 80 DAYS, UH, DURING OUR UNFAIR PLA UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE STRIKE. WE NOT ONLY FOUGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS, BUT FOR THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS. WE'VE BEEN SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT ICE. WE'VE BEEN SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR WORKERS' RIGHTS. WE'RE ASKING FOR A FAIR CONTRACT. WE'RE ASKING FOR BETTER TAKE HOME PAY. WE'RE ASKING FOR SAFETY WITHIN THE WORKPLACE, GUARANTEED HOURS. AND FOR STARBUCKS TO RESOLVE THE THOUSANDS OF UNFAIR PRACTICE STRIKES, VIOLATIONS THAT THEY'VE MADE. THEY ARE THE MOST UNFAIR. THEY HAVE HAD THE MOST UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE VIOLATIONS IN MODERN, OUR MODERN HISTORY. UM, SO WHAT YOU CAN DO IS DO NOT CROSS A PICKET LINE IN ANY STARBUCKS. DO NOT GO INTO STARBUCKS AT ALL. UM, SPREAD AWARENESS. DELETE THE STARBUCKS APP. LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR UNION, YOUR WORK, YOUR, YOUR RIGHTS WITHIN THE WORKPLACE, AND FOLLOW THE, UH, INSTAGRAM FOR THE UNION. UM, WE'RE GOING OUT THERE TOMORROW. WE'RE STILL STILL STRIKING. UM, YOU CAN JOIN US AND SUPPORT US. UM, AGAIN, OUR FIGHT IS THE SAME. WE'RE ALL IN THIS FIGHT TOGETHER AND I BELIEVE THAT WE'RE GONNA WIN BECAUSE LONG BEACH IS UNION STRONG. AND THAT'S IT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. AND OUR NEXT SPEAKER, UH, ANTHONY. YEP. HI. UM, I LIVE AT 26.2 APARTMENTS, THE, UH, NEW PUBLIC HOUSING BUILDING RIGHT ABOVE THE LONG BEACH TRAFFIC CIRCLE. AND I KNOW YOU, MAYOR REX KNOW OF THAT BUILDING BECAUSE YOU GAVE A SPEECH THERE WHEN THEY FIRST OPENED IT. I'VE BEEN THERE FOR TWO YEARS. THE ENTIRE TIME IT'S BEEN OPEN. I WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL RESIDENTS THAT MOVED IN, AND I'VE BEEN HARASSED THE ENTIRE TIME I'VE BEEN THERE. UM, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THREE GUYS AT OUR FRONT DESK. THE FIRST GUY MADE UP BASELESS CLAIMS ABOUT ME, LEFT A 10 DAY NOTICE ON MY DOOR FULL OF LIES. THINGS THAT I NEVER DID. I'VE HAD GANG MEMBERS COME TO MY DOOR AND THREATEN ME. I'VE HAD GANG MEMBERS THREATEN ME IN THE LOBBY. I I, LAST AUGUST, MY NEIGHBOR UPSTAIRS, WHO WAS ALWAYS MAKING NOISE, PEPPER SPRAYED ME WHEN I KNOCKED ON HER DOOR TO QUIET HER DOWN. AND THE, THE POLICE SHOW UP AND THEY SAY, OH YEAH, WE'LL MAKE AN ARREST. I NEVER GOT A SUMMONS IN THE MAIL. I HAD TO OPEN UP A, UH, INTERNAL AFFAIRS CASE. I CAN'T GET AHOLD OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. WHEN I WAS AT THE SHELTER, I GOT ATTACKED AT A RESTAURANT DOWN THE STREET FROM THE SHELTER ON SANTA FE AVENUE. AND THE POLICE SHOWED UP, PUT THE GUY IN RESTRAINTS, AND, UH, I WAS TOLD HE, THEY LATER RELEASED HIM. I NEVER GOT A, A SUMMONS IN THE MAIL. AND SO I DON'T, I DON'T FEEL SAFE LIVING HERE ANYMORE. I CAME HERE FROM SANTA MONICA. I COULDN'T GET INTO A PROGRAM IN SANTA MONICA. THEY ACTUALLY TRIED TO MOVE ME BACK TO THE WEST SIDE. AND I, YOU KNOW, BUT AT THIS POINT, I DON'T WANNA GO BACK TO SANTA MONICA, BUT I WANNA BE IN LOS ANGELES. I'VE, [01:05:01] I'VE TRIED TO TRANSFER. I CAN'T GET THE, THE, YOU KNOW, HELP FROM THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T, DON'T ACCEPT VOUCHERS. THEY DON'T WANT HOUSING VOUCHERS, PERIOD. AND SO I DON'T WANNA BE STUCK HERE FOR ANOTHER YEAR WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN WHEN I HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, JUNKIES AND GANG MEMBERS AND PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE DRUG TRADE AND STUFF THAT LIVE IN MY BUILDING. AND IT'S JUST LIKE, IT'S SOMETHING WAITING TO HAPPEN. AND AT THIS POINT, I EVEN GET HARASSED RIDING THE BUS. YOU KNOW, I CAN HEAR IT FROM THE, THE POLICE ON THE, ON THE, ON THE BUS THROUGH THE RADIO, YOU KNOW, AND I CAN HEAR THEM USING RACIAL EXPLETIVES. AND I'VE EVEN HEARD IT FROM CHIEF WALLY. AND LIKE, I DON'T, I DON'T FEEL SAFE LIVING IN THIS CITY ANYMORE. I'VE HAD TO CALL THE FBI AND TELL THEM ABOUT IT. AND I'VE HAD TO OPEN A CASE WITH THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. BUT IT SEEMS LIKE ALL THOSE FEDERAL AGENCIES ARE BEING RUN BY TRUMP RIGHT NOW. YEP. AND SO IT'S LIKE, I'M NOT GETTING, I'M NOT GETTING HELP FROM ANYBODY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND I JUST, I WANT TO BE TRANSFERRED OUT OF LONG BEACH. I WANNA GO BACK TO LA 'CAUSE THERE'S NOTHING FOR ME HERE. I CAN'T MAKE MONEY HERE. I CAN'T WORK HERE. OUR ROOMS ARE FULLY FURNISHED. THEY DON'T WANT YOU BRINGING STUFF IN THE ROOM. I HAVE TOOLS IN STORAGE 'CAUSE I'M A LUTHER HERE, I'M A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT TECHNICIAN AND ALL MY TOOLS ARE IN STORAGE IN VENICE BEACH. AND I CAN'T, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING. IT'S JUST LIKE I'M STUCK DOWN HERE HANGING OUT WITH A BUNCH OF RATS, , YOU KNOW, JUST WAITING TO GET ATTACKED BASICALLY. AND I, I FEEL LIKE IF I CALL THE POLICE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING. SO I, I JUST FEEL LIKE I'M, I'M, UH, I'M STUCK UP A CREEK RIGHT NOW. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GONNA BE DONE. I WANNA BE TRANSFERRED BACK TO LA. ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT AGAIN, EVERY WEEK, UH, YOU GET, UH, THREE MINUTES TO SAY WHATEVER IT IS YOU WANNA SAY. UH, MILO, MAKE SURE YOU CONNECT WITH MONTSERRAT ON THE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES. GREAT. UH, ANTHONY MAKE SOME TIME. LET'S TALK ABOUT, UH, THE SCREENING POLICY, THE BUDGET PROCESS. THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WAS A MEMO CAME OUT IN DEC IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER THAT SAID THAT'S THE APPROPRIATE PROCESS. SO THAT'S WHAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. SO HAPPY TO MAKE SOME TIME ON THAT. AND THEN, UH, AND MICHAEL LEFT, BUT I WAS GONNA CONNECT HIM WITH CITY STAFF TO, I I COULDN'T TRACK ALL OF THAT, BUT, OKAY. MICHAEL. OH, MICHAEL STARBUCKS. THAT'S RIGHT. WE GOT YOU BACK. WE GOT YOU BACK. I'LL BE ON THE LINE. ALRIGHT, THANKS A LOT. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, WE'RE NOW GONNA GO TO HEARING ITEM 17, REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD, CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION. [17. 26-54123 Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, and adopt resolution continuing the Fourth Street 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 Fourth Street Business Improvement Association for a one-year term. (District 2)       Office or Department: Economic Development and Opportunity         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] CONTINUING THE FOURTH STREET PARKING AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA ASSESSMENT LEVY DISTRICT TWO. ALRIGHT, SO THERE'S NO HEARING, UH, REQUESTED HERE. WE'RE GONNA GO TO STAFF FOR THE STAFF REPORT. I MEAN, NO OATH REQUESTED, RATHER. YES, WE HAVE JULIAN , BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BUREAU MANAGER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY, UH, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. THE FOURTH STREET PARKING AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA, ALSO KNOWN AS A BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN 2007. THIS ALLOWS FOR THE LEVY OF AN ANNUAL BA, UH, BUSINESS LICENSE ASSESSMENT TO BE PAID BY BUSINESSES LOCATED IN THE DISTRICT. THE CITY CONTRACTS WITH THE FOURTH STREET BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION TO MANAGE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. AND THE ASSOCIATION'S BOARD 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 DESCRIBES BOUNDARIES, PROPOSED ACTIVITIES, AND BUDGETARY INFORMATION, AS WELL AS THE METHOD AND BASIS FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE ASSESSMENT. ANNUAL REPORT PROPOSES NO CHANGES TO THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES METHOD OF ASSESSMENT, AND NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES. STATE LAW ALSO REQUIRES THAT A PUBLIC HEARING BE HELD ON THE PROPOSED PROGRAM AND ASSESSMENT. AT ITS JANUARY 20TH, 2026, MEETING CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THEIR RESOLUTION, GRANTING APPROVAL OF THE ANNUAL REPORT, DECLARING THE INTENTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO LIVE THE ASSESSMENT AND SET TODAY AS A DATE OF PUBLIC HEARING, THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL HEAR AND CONSIDER ALL PROTESTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE FOURTH STREET PARKING AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA AGAINST THE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM AND BOUNDARIES OF THE AREA AS PROPOSED IN THE ANNUAL REPORT. THIS CONCLUDES MY STAFF REPORT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UH, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NONE, TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN? YES. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANNA SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONTINUED LEADERSHIP OF THE FOREST STREET BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION AND SUPPORTING THE LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ACTIVATING, UM, THAT CORRIDOR. UM, I'M ALSO, UH, VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE DID TOGETHER ON THE FARMER'S MARKET. UM, IT'S HUGELY SUCCESSFUL. UM, THE BID IS ESSENTIAL IN KEEPING FOREST STREET CLEAN, VIBRANT, AND, UH, CAN CONTINUING TO CONNECT, UM, WITH THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP AS WE WORK TOGETHER TO STRENGTHEN SMALL BUSINESS NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMMING AND JUST ONGOING IMPROVEMENTS [01:10:01] IN THE CORRIDOR. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE ITEM. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NOW OFFER MY CONGRATULATIONS TO RIA. I CERTAINLY SUPPORT THIS. UH, IT IS HOME TO SOME OF, UH, THE BEST FOOD PLACES IN THE CITY, UH, SELVA AND, UH, GOOD TIME COFFEE AND A NUMBER OF INCREDIBLE CHANG RYE. CHANG RYE IS FIRE. UM, NO, THIS IS ZIA. YEAH, NO, THIS IS ZIA HEARING ITEM 17. OH, SO WE GOT TWO OF THEM TONIGHT. WE'RE DOING BOTH. SO WE GOT 18 IS ONE FOURTH AND, OKAY. ZACHARY IS NEXT. FOURTH STREET IS FIRE TOO. FOURTH STREET IS FIRE TOO. I WAS JUST OUT ON FOURTH STREET. ALL RIGHT. UH, THE COFFEE SPOT THAT YOU HAD. THE COFFEE. OH NO, THE, UH, THE PRESS JUICE PLACE. SALUDE FIRE. ALL RIGHT. WE GOT IT RIGHT. UH, MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, NOW LET'S DO ZAPHY MUCH BELMONT SHORE. BELMONT SHORE REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION UNDER THE RECORD, CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION. CONTINUING THE BELMONT SHORE [18. 26-54122 Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, and adopt resolution continuing the Belmont Shore 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 Belmont Shore Business Association for a one-year term. (District 3)       Office or Department: Economic Development and Opportunity         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] PARKING AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA ASSESSMENT DISTRICT THREE. ALRIGHT, UH, LET'S, UH, THERE'S NO OATH REQUIRED. LET'S GO TO STAFF REPORT. I'M ROLE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. THE BELMONT SHORE PARKING AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA, ALSO KNOWN AS A BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, WAS ESTABLISHED BY CITY COUNCIL IN 1983. THIS ALLOWS FOR THE LEVY OF AN ANNUAL ASSESSMENT TO BE PAID BY BUSINESSES LOCATED IN THE DISTRICT. THE CITY CONTRACTS WITH BELMONT SHORE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION TO MANAGE THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. AND THE ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS SERVES AS AN ADVISORY BOARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON MATTERS RELATED TO THE DISTRICT STATE LAW GOVERNING THIS DISTRICT REQUIRES THAT AN ANNUAL REPORT BE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL BY THE ADVISORY BOARD. ANNUAL REPORT DESCRIBES BOUNDARIES, PROPOSED ACTIVITIES, AND BUDGETARY INFORMATION. THE ANNUAL REPORT PROPOSES NO CHANGES TO THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES METHOD OF ASSESSMENT, AND NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES. STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT A PUBLIC HEARING BE HELD ON THE PROPOSED PROGRAM AND ASSESSMENT. AT ITS JANUARY 6TH, 2026, MEETING CITY COUNCIL APPROVE A RESOLUTION, GRANTING APPROVAL OF THE ANNUAL REPORT, DECLARING THE INTENTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO LEVY THE ASSESSMENT AND SET TODAY AS A DATE OF PUBLIC HEARING. THIS CONCLUDES MY STAFF REPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. UH, ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. ROGELIO MARTINEZ. HELLO EVERYONE. MIKE DE MAYOR JUST SAID, MY NAME IS ROGELIO MARTINEZ. UM, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON REGARDS TO THIS AGENDA ITEM. UM, SO BELMONT SHORE HAS BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEWS AS FAR AS PUBLIC SAFETY. SO WHEN I HEAR THE WORDS LEVY, ANNUAL REPORTS AND AUTHORIZED CITY MANAGER, I NEED TO ASK THE QUESTION, UM, OF THE REPORT. AND I KNOW IT'S NOT A BACK AND FORTH, SO I'M JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD. BUT HOPEFULLY THERE'S BUDGETED MONEY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE VISITING OUR BELMONT SHORE AREA TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR BUSINESS OPERATORS THAT ARE OPERATING IN THE BELMONT SHORE AREA. AND, AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE I HOPE THAT THAT'S MADE IT INTO THE BUDGET, THAT THAT'S WHY WE'RE CHARGED THIS. WHY, THAT'S WHY WE'RE IMPOSING THIS LEVEE. UM, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I CONSIDER THIS AREA SIMILAR TO THE WEST HOLLYWOOD, UH, SUNSET PLAZA. I CALL THIS SPECIFIC AREA OUR SUNSET PLAZA SOUTH. UM, AND IT'S, AS YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE AWARE, IT'S A LOT OF TOURISM, UM, COMES TO THAT AREA TO SHOP, TO DINE, TO BE WITH FRIENDS, TO BE WITH FAMILY. AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT COME AND VISIT OUR CITY AND FOR THE PEOPLE THAT DO BUSINESS IN OUR CITY. SO, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE UP THE ENTIRE TIME WITH THAT. I JUST WANTED TO GET THAT ON THE RECORD. AGAIN, MY NAME IS ROGELIO MARTINEZ, YOUR 2026 LONG BEACH MAYORAL CANDIDATE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOD BLESS. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL NOW TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND OPPORTUNITY. AND I JUST WANT TO, UM, SUPPORT BELMONT SHORE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION. THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB WITH OVER 200 BUSINESSES ON SECOND STREET. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN, UH, YES, I SUPPORT. AND THERE'S ALSO LOTS OF GOOD RESTAURANTS ON SECOND STREET. UH, YOU KNOW, UH, NICK'S, YOU KNOW, ONE [01:15:01] OF MY FAVORITE, JUST SAYING . THAT'S RIGHT. AND I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD PARADE. I THINK WE UNOFFICIALLY BROKE THE PAJAMA PARTY RECORD AT THE BELMONT SHORE PARADE. ALL RIGHT, GOOD. UH, WELL CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BELMONT SHORE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION. WE CERTAINLY SUPPORT THIS, UH, ANOTHER GREAT YEAR OF PROGRESS. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW GO TO AGENDA ITEM 20, PLEASE. COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILWOMAN THRASH TU COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS OTI RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT THE REACT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AS THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO ENHANCE [20. 26-54194 Recommendation to adopt the R.E.A.C.T. Strategic Framework as the City's comprehensive strategy to enhance public health, safety, and human trafficking response along the Long Beach Boulevard corridor in North Long Beach; and Upon adoption, request City Manager to report back to the City Council within 45 days on the high-level implementation of the R.E.A.C.T. Strategic Framework based on current staff efforts, including initial assessments of regional partnership viability, corridor investment priorities, community engagement mechanisms, and resource gaps or needs that may be addressed as a part of the FY 27 budget process.       Office or Department: Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, Councilwoman, Eighth District; Joni Ricks-Oddie, Councilmember, Ninth District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESPONSE ALONG THE LONG BEACH BOULEVARD CORRIDOR IN NORTH LONG BEACH. AND UPON ADOPTION REPORT BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL WITHIN 45 DAYS ON THE HIGH LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REACT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK BASED ON CURRENT STAFF EFFORTS, INCLUDING INITIAL ASSESSMENTS OF REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP, VIABILITY, CORRIDOR INVESTMENT PRIORITIES, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MECHANISMS AND RESOURCE GAPS OR NEEDS THAT MAY BE ADDRESSED AS PART OF THE FY 27 BUDGET PROCESS. ALRIGHT, UH, I WANNA AGAIN, UH, CONGRATULATE AND THANK THE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THIS, UH, CONTINUATION OF THE PRE PRESENTATION EARLIER. I'LL PASS IT TO COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THRASHING TOOK TO GET STARTED. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, SO, AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL WHO HAVE BEEN ON THIS JOURNEY WITH US. UH, SO TODAY, COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS OTI AND MYSELF ARE BRINGING FORTH THE ADOPTION OF R-E-A-C-T REACT, WHICH IS A STRATEGIC F FRAMEWORK, SO THAT WE CAN COORDINATE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND HUMAN TRAFFICK AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE A HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESPONSE ALONG LONG BEACH BOULEVARD, UH, THAT CORRIDOR IN NORTH LONG BEACH. I WANNA THANK THE CITY TEAM, UH, WHO HAVE ASSISTED US ON THIS ISSUE AND AS WELL AS THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE FOR THEIR PRESENTATION EARLIER TODAY. WE HEARD A POWERFUL STORY HERE TONIGHT, AND I WANNA THANK MARIAH FOR SHARING, UM, HERE THIS EVENING. THIS FRAMEWORK MATTERS AND THIS WORK MATTERS. AND WE DO THAT TO ENSURE THAT NO ONE IN OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE TO SUFFER IN THAT WAY. I WANNA THANK ALL THE TASK FORCE PARTNERSHIP MEMBERS. I WANNA THANK THOSE WHO'VE SUBMITTED LETTERS OF SUPPORT. ALL OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, INCLUDING ASSEMBLY MEMBER MIKE GIBSON, ASSEMBLY MEMBER JOSH LOWENTHAL, AND SENATOR GONZALEZ, THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN, HAVE ALSO LENT THEIR SUPPORT. THE ITEM, UH, THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US TODAY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, IS REALLY TO ADDRESS THE CONDITIONS ALONG LONG BEACH BOULEVARD THAT CONTINUE TO IMPACT RESIDENTS, SURVIVORS, BUSINESSES, AND THE OVERALL NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY OF LIFE. THE COMMUNITY HAS CONSISTENTLY ASKED FOR A RESPONSE THAT IS COORDINATED, TRANSPARENT, AND DATA-DRIVEN, NOT FRAGMENTED. IN RESPONSE, THIS ITEM PROVIDES A POLICY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TO ADDRESS THE GAPS IDENTIFIED IN THE CITY'S ASSESSMENT AND RESPOND DIRECTLY TO THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS. SO, UH, OUR BACKGROUND HERE. SO ITEM 20 BUILDS UP ON, UH, A NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPENED, UH, NOT ONLY THIS LAST YEAR, BUT PREVIOUSLY. SO LAST SPRING, THE COUNCIL APPROVED AN ITEM DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO ANALYZE THE CITY'S EFFORTS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING THAT DIRECTION RESULTED IN A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT THAT WAS RELEASED IN AUGUST, DETAILING THE SCOPE OF WORK, UH, ISSUES, EXISTING EFFORTS, LIMITATIONS, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT. IN OCTOBER, WE THEN EMBARKED ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WHERE WE HELD A TOWN HALL AS WELL AS A SUMMIT AT THE TOWN HALL, UH, WHICH ALLOWED US TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM RESIDENTS. PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO SHARE THEIR DEEP CONCERNS ABOUT PERS PERSISTENT NEIGHBORHOOD CONDITIONS, A LACK OF SAFETY, CHILDREN WITNESSING ILLICIT ACTIVITY AND SEX WORK, AND FEELING AS IF THEIR VOICES WERE UNHEARD. WHILE AT THE SUMMIT, STAKEHOLDERS PROVIDED CRITICAL INSIGHT ON EFFECTIVE RESPONSES, RESPONSES. UH, WE EMPHASIZE A COORDINATED CROSS-SECTOR EFFORTS THAT ARE NEEDED AS WELL AS A PUBLIC HEALTH LENS, SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT NO ONE IS EXPLOITED OR TRAFFICKED. SERVICE CALLS ARE. FINDINGS HAVE SHOWED THAT SERVICE CALLS ALONG THE CORRIDOR HAVE INCREASED. ENFORCEMENT TOOLS HAVE BECOME MORE LIMITED FOLLOWING THE CHANGES IN STATE LAW. AND SO DEPARTMENTS FACE REAL CAPACITY AND CONSTRAINTS IN BEING ABLE TO APPROACH FOLKS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE ASSESSMENT HIGHLIGHTED GAPS IN REGIONAL COORDINATION AND DATA SHARING, GIVEN THAT THE CORRIDOR SPANS NOT ONLY THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, BUT COMPTON AND LINWOOD AND IMPACTS VERY SENSITIVE AREAS IN OUR COMMUNITY, MOST NOTABLY SCHOOLS, PARKS, AND CHILDCARE CENTERS. SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, A GREAT DEAL OF WORK HAS BEEN DONE, AND THIS ITEM, R-E-A-C-T, IS A UNIFIED FRAMEWORK THAT STRENGTHENS THE COORDINATION AND IDENTIFIES CLEAR [01:20:01] MECHANISMS FOR SUSTAINED AND EFFECTIVE CHANGE. REACT ORGANIZES THE CITY'S RESPONSE INTO FIVE INTERCONNECTED PILLARS THAT ADVANCE PUBLIC SAFETY WITH A FOCUS ON COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. THE FIRST PILLAR, R IS FOR REPORT. WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY HEARD FROM RESIDENTS, SURVIVORS, ACADEMICS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT DATA AND REPORTING ARE FOUNDATIONAL TO AN EFFECTIVE RESPONSE. THIS PILLAR FOCUSES ON IMPROVING DATA COLLECTION, REPORTING TOOLS AND INFORMATION SO THE CITY CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND PATTERNS OF ACTIVITY, MEASURE WHAT IS WORKING AND GUIDE EVIDENCE-BASED RESOURCE ALLOCATION ACCORDINGLY. IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS WHAT IS NEEDED, UM, AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO LET, UH, OUR, UH, OFFICIALS KNOW WHEN THEY CALL FOR SERVICE. THE NEXT SLIDE, PILLAR, UH, IS FOR, IS E FOR ECONOMIC INVESTMENT. THIS PILLAR RECOGNIZES THAT CORRIDOR VITALITY AND BUSINESS RESILIENCE ARE CRITICAL TO LONG-TERM SAFETY. THIS, UH, E FOCUSES ON LEVERAGING EX EXISTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND ZONING STRATEGIES TO TRANSFORM CONDITIONS THAT ENABLE ILLICIT ACTIVITY WHILE SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS AND IN, UH, SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES AND ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY SERVICES ALONG THE CORRIDOR. NEXT IS A FOR ADVOCATE. THIS IS THE THIRD PILLAR. TRAFFICKING PREVENTION IS INFLUENCED BY STATE AND FEDERAL POLICY MAKING, LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL ENGAGEMENT ESSENTIAL. THIS PILLAR POSITIONS LONG BEACH TO CONTIN, CONTINUE ADVANCING POLICIES THAT STRENGTHEN LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TOOLS, EXPAND SURVIVOR RESOURCES, AND ENSURE THAT THE STATE AND FEDERAL DECISIONS REFLECT LOCAL EXPERIENCE AND DATA, WHAT PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING EVERY DAY OUTSIDE OF THEIR OWN HOMES. C IS FOR COMMUNITY BUDGET. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ALIGN AROUND WHAT RESIDENTS HAVE EXPRESSED AND FELT AND SAID THAT THEY HAVE FELT, WHICH IS LEFT OUT OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECT RESOURCES, UH, INTO THE AREAS THAT ARE NEEDED MOST. SO WE WANT TO NOW ENGAGE IN A COMMUNITY PROCESS, UH, LIKE THE TOWN HALL, TO CREATE A SPACE FOR STAKEHOLDERS TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THEIR CONCERNS AND IDEAS, UM, AS WELL AS PROVIDE, UH, DIRECTION ON HOW WE MIGHT, UH, PUT FORTH RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY. THIS STRENGTHENS PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND CAN GUIDE HOW ANTI-TRAFFICKING RESOURCES SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED. SO WITH THIS, WE SPECIFICALLY REQUEST THAT A PORTION OF THE 150,000 THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED TO ANTI-TRAFFICKING BE RESERVED FOR COMMUNITY DIRECTED SPENDING THROUGH STRUCTURED COMMUNITY MEETINGS. THIS REFLECTS A COMMITMENT TO EQUITABLE GOVERNANCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THOSE WHO ARE MOST IMPACTED. WE'RE ALSO ASKING THAT THE CITY MANAGER PROVIDE A 45 DAY REPORT BACK, UM, AND INCLUDE THIS IN THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET PROCESS. AND THEN THE FINAL PILLAR IS T FOR TRI CITY PARTNERSHIP ALONG WITH LA COUNTY. I'VE MENTIONED THAT THIS PILLAR, WE HOPE, WILL FORMALIZE OUR COORDINATION WITH COMPTON, LINWOOD, AND LA COUNTY TO ALIGN OUR STRATEGIES, UH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT TRAFFICKING DOES NOT STOP AT CITY BOUNDARIES. REGIONAL COORDINATION IS NECESSARY AND ESSENTIAL FOR LONG-TERM EFFECTIVENESS. SO, AS I CONCLUDE, THIS FRAMEWORK MATTERS BECAUSE THE IMPACTS ON VICTIMS AND COMMUNITY ARE REAL TODAY. UH, SOME OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE IMP IMPORTANCE OF HAVING MULTIFACETED APPROACHES AND PARTNERSHIPS IN ORDER TO GET THAT DONE. SO COLLEAGUES, I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THE ACTION REQUEST IS HERE FOR TODAY. THE ADOPTION OF R-E-A-C-T ESTABLISHES A CITY FRAMEWORK AND DIRECTS THE CITY MANAGER TO REPORT BACK IN 45 DAYS ON HIGH LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION EFFORTS THAT THE STAFF ARE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN THE REPORT BACK WILL IDENTIFY GAPS, PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET. THIS ACTION DOES NOT AUTHORIZE NEW STAFFING OR NEW FUNDING TODAY, ANY FUTURE RESOURCES WOULD NEED TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE ADOPTION OF R-E-A-C-T-A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK, UM, THAT REFLECTS COMMUNITY INPUT, INPUT, BUILDS ON EXISTING CITY WORK, AND PROVIDES A CLEAR PATHWAY FORWARD FOR ADDRESSING SUCH A COMPLEX AND INTERCONNECTED ISSUE ALONG THE NORTH LONG BEACH BOULEVARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SOTE. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN FOR THAT EXCELLENT OVERVIEW OF THE REACT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK. SO I'D [01:25:01] LIKE TO ADD, UM, ALSO ADD, UH, MY PERSPECTIVE ON WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. UM, IT'S NOT JUST A POLICY ACTION, BUT AS A COMMITMENT TO HOW WE AS A CITY APPROACH HUMAN HUMAN TRAFFICKING WITH THE SERIOUSNESS IT DESERVES. AT ITS CORE, THIS FRAMEWORK HELPS DISTILL AND CLARIFY HOW WE ASSESS AND ADDRESS HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACROSS LONG BEACH. IT PROVIDES GUIDANCE BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY ON WHAT THE CITY IS DOING NOW AND WHAT WE WILL BE DOING MOVING FORWARD AND HOW THESE ACTIONS CONNECT TO ONE ANOTHER. WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS ENHANCEMENTS, LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY, SURVIVOR-CENTERED SERVICES, OR ECONOMIC INVESTMENTS, THIS FRAMEWORK CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES HOW THOSE EFFORTS FIT INTO A COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE. JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, REACT BECOMES THE FRAMEWORK THROUGH WHICH WE COMMUNICATE WITH OUR RESIDENTS. IT GIVES US A SHARED STRUCTURE FOR EXPLAINING OUR WORK, ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY, AND ENSURING TRANSPARENCY. THIS IS ABOUT BEING INTENTIONAL, INTENTIONAL IN HOW WE COMMUNICATE, INTENTIONAL IN HOW WE ORGANIZE OUR RESPONSE, AND INTENTIONAL IN HOW WE ALIGN CITY OPERATIONS UNDER A COMMON STRATEGY. ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF THIS FRAMEWORK IS VISIBILITY. IT HIGHLIGHTS THE WORK THAT IS ALREADY OCCURRING ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND HELPS US KEEP THIS ISSUE AT THE FOREFRONT, NOT EPISODIC, NOT REACTIVE, BUT CONSISTENTLY TOP OF MIND. BY GROUNDING OUR ACTIONS WITHIN THE REACT FRAMEWORK, WE ARE BETTER ABLE TO SHOW RESIDENTS HOW SPECIFIC CITY RESPONSES FALL INTO CLEAR CATEGORIES OR BUCKETS, AND HOW THESE EFFORTS WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS SHARED OUTCOMES. CONSISTENCY ALSO MATTERS BEYOND OUR CITY BOUNDARIES. USING A FRAMEWORK WITH CLEAR, CONSISTENT LANGUAGE ALLOWS US TO ENGAGE MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH REGIONAL PARTNERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND STAKEHOLDERS OUTSIDE OF LONG BEACH. WHEN WE ARE ALL OPERATING FROM THE SAME VOCABULARY AND STRUCTURE, IT CREATES CLARITY, ALIGNMENT, AND ACCOUNTABILITY, ESPECIALLY FOR AN ISSUE THAT DOES NOT STOP AT CITY LIMITS. THIS FRAMEWORK ALSO IS A DIRECT RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY FEEDBACK IS, COUNCILWOMAN SAID. IT REFLECTS WHAT WE'VE HEARD REPEATEDLY THROUGH CONTINUAL ENGAGEMENT WITH RESIDENTS, SURVIVORS, AND BUSINESS OWNERS IN NORTH LONG BEACH. THEIR INPUT DID NOT END WITH A MEETING OR REPORT. IT INFORMS EVERY STEP WE TAKE. AS PUBLIC SERVANTS, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO APPROACH THIS ISSUE HOLISTICALLY AND COMPREHENSIVELY AND TO ENSURE ACTIONS REFLECT THE LIVED REALITIES OF THE PEOPLE MOST IMPACTED. NOW THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING HUMAN TRAFFICKING AS ONE OF THE CITY'S TOP LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE ALSO HAVE A CLEAR ACTION PLAN TO GUIDE THAT WORK. REACT PROVIDES THAT STRUCTURE. IT ENSURES WE ARE NOT JUST NAMING PRIORITIES, BUT OPERATIONALIZING THEM. FINALLY, THIS FRAMEWORK HELPS US NAVIGATE THE CRITICAL SPACE BETWEEN THE CITY AGENDA AND COMMUNITY NEED. IT CREATES A MECHANISM TO ENSURE EXPECTATIONS ARE BEING MET, VOICES CONTINUE TO BE HEARD, AND TRUST IS MAINTAINED. THAT ALIGNMENT BETWEEN WHAT THE CITY SAYS IT WILL DO AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES IS THE CRUX OF THIS WORK. I ASK THAT OUR, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES SUPPORT THIS ITEM SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD TO COMBAT THIS, UM, EVER PRESENT ISSUE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. YES, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANNA THANK COUNCILWOMAN THRASH AND TOOK AND COUNCILWOMAN RICK OTI FOR YOUR STEADFAST LEADERSHIP IN TAKING A VERY STRATEGIC APPROACH TO ADDRESSING HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND CONSIDERATION OF ITS IMPACT ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH WHILE FOCUS IN NORTH LONG BEACH. I AGREE IT AFFECTS OUR WHOLE CITY, AND I THINK THAT YOU, YOU BOTH HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB IN NOT ENSURING THAT THERE'S JUST A FRAMEWORK, BUT THERE ARE ENGAGEMENT WITH RESIDENTS, SURVIVORS, UH, OTHER STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THE WORK, UM, AND DOING IT IN PARTNERSHIP, UH, WITH THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY IMPACTED AND THAT ARE THOSE WHO ARE THOSE SURVIVORS. SO I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, I WANT TO JUST OFFER MY WORDS OF SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT. NOT AN EASY ISSUE TO TAKE ON, UH, LOTS OF HISTORY OVER THE LAST PROBABLY 60 YEARS ALONG THAT CORRIDOR, BUT I WANNA OFFER MY ENCOURAGEMENT BECAUSE, UM, I THINK YOU HAVE IT RIGHT. IT'S ONE THING TO BE A PRIORITY, BUT IT'S ANOTHER THING TO SAY, HEY, WE WANNA OPERATIONALIZE, UH, THIS PRIORITY. IF YOU SEE THE SAME OUTCOME TAKE PLACE FOR 30, 40, 50 YEARS, THAT'S CALLED PRECISION. THE SYSTEM IS, THE SYSTEM IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT IT'S DESIGNED TO DO, WHICH IS ALLOW THIS CORRIDOR TO BE A HAVEN FOR, UM, THIS UNDERGROUND OPERATION BECAUSE IT'S VERY LUCRATIVE AND PROFITABLE, BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. THE CORRECTION WON'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THE HOTELS, THE HOUSING, THE LAND, USE THE, THE VERY WAYS THAT, UM, THAT CORRIDOR HAS BEEN FAILED, AND YOU HAVE TO INVEST IN THAT CORRIDOR. AND SO IT TAKES TIME. UH, TWO OF YOU ARE BOTH VERY EARLY IN YOUR CAREERS, AND SO, [01:30:01] UM, IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT YOU'VE BOTH ALIGNED AS A PRIORITY, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. I'M ALSO PROUD TO SEE THAT YOU'RE WORKING INTENTIONALLY WITH COMPTON AND LINWOOD, BECAUSE HISTORICALLY IT'S BEEN LIKE A WATER BALLOON. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BOTH, THEY BOTH HAVE THE SHERIFF'S. WE HAVE LONG BEACH PD WHEN THE SHERIFF'S CRACKED DOWN, IT POPS UP IN LONG BEACH. WHEN LONG BEACH PD CRACKED DOWN, IT POPS UP IN LAKEWOOD AND IN IN LINWOOD AND COMPTON. AND SO TO SEE YOU ALL WORKING WITH MAYOR SHARIF AND WORKING ALL THE WAY UP THE CORRIDOR THAT GIVES THE COURT OF THE BEST SHOT HAS HAD IN A LONG TIME THAT ONE COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION. SO YOU HAVE MY FULL SUPPORT. I'LL JUST MAKE SURE THAT THIS, THIS HAPPENS. COUNCIL MEMBER ZENDEJAS. THANK YOU. I ALSO WANNA, UM, EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR BOTH, UM, COUNCILWOMAN THRASH AND, AND DR. UH, RICK SODI. I AM, THIS IS NOT AN EASY TOPIC TO DISCUSS, BUT ALSO IT IS NOT EASY WHAT, UM, THE SURVIVORS OR WHAT, UM, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THIS, UM, HAVE BEEN GOING TO. SO YOU BRINGING THIS TO THE LIGHT, UM, SAYS SO MUCH ABOUT, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING LIGHT AND BRINGING ATTENTION TO, UM, SUCH A HISTORIC, HISTORIC TRAUMATIZING, UM, I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE WORDS, I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE WORDS TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS HOW, HOW DIFFICULT THIS, UM, THIS IS. BUT I'M VERY THANKFUL AND VERY, UH, PROUD OF ALL OF THE WAYS THAT YOU'VE INCORPORATED INTO THIS ITEM, INTO THIS, UM, THIS ITEM, ALL OF THAT YOU, ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE INTENDING TO DO AND HAVE DONE, AND REALLY KEEPING IT SURVIVAL CENTER FOCUSED AND USING, UM, THE WHAT YOU LEARN FROM THE SURVIVORS TO HELP YOU SHAPE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING MOVING FORWARD. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE WORK, FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS, AND I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES. I WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES, UM, FOR THEIR DILIGENT WORK ON THIS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. UM, AS THE MAYOR SAID, IT'S A DECADES OLD ISSUE THAT MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH. I WANNA THANK THE LONG BEACH HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE. I REMEMBER WHEN IT FIRST GOT UP AND RUNNING IN LONG BEACH COUNCIL, PTA AND OUR PTAS WERE INVOLVED IN THE BEGINNING, UM, FOR THE WAY THAT YOU ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE, TO TEACH OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE THAT OFTENTIMES AS ADULTS, WE, WE WANT TO WARN, HELP EDUCATE YOUNG PEOPLE, AND OUR VOICES AREN'T HEARD AS EFFECTIVELY AS YOUNG PEOPLE. SO THE WAY THAT YOU ARE ALL ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE PROCESS, UM, AND THE FORMATION IS REALLY IM IMPORTANT AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT. ALSO, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE CLARITY THAT THIS GIVES THE PUBLIC ON THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, UM, TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UM, SOME OF THIS WORK IS WORK THAT IS ALREADY HAPPENING. SOME OF IT WILL BE FUTURE WORK EVENTUALLY, BUT BEING ABLE TO PUT IT INTO ONE PLACE WHERE WHEN PEOPLE ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO FOUR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO GET THE ANSWER OF THE THING THAT THEY'RE DOING. WE GET TO PUT IT IN ONE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THE WAYS THAT WE ARE WORKING HARD TO COLLABORATE, THE WAYS WE NEED TO WORK HARDER, TO BE BETTER AT COLLABORATING, UM, AND WHAT'S NECESSARY FOR THE FUTURE. SO I'M SUPER SUPPORTIVE. UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD WORK. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. ROGELIO MARTINEZ AND DAVE SHUKLA. DAVE, YOU WANNA START MAKING WEIGHT IN THE FRONT? ROGELIO, YOU'RE UP. ALL RIGHT. I'D LIKE TO TAKE THE FIRST MINUTE AS A MOMENT OF SILENCE BECAUSE THIS WOMAN JUST SHARED WHAT SHE HAD GONE THROUGH, AND I DON'T THINK THAT IT GOT THE RESPECT THAT IT DESERVED. SO, ONE MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE. . THANK YOU FOR THAT ONE MINUTE OF SILENCE. UM, SO ADDRESSING THE CORRIDOR ISSUE BETWEEN THE CORRIDOR THAT ACTUALLY BRIDGES LONG [01:35:01] BEACH WITH COMPTON AND, AND LINWOOD IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. UM, ONE OF THE COUNCIL WOMEN SPOKE ABOUT BOUNDARIES. UM, NOW AT LEAST A START IS A START. HOWEVER, ANOTHER COUNCIL PERSON TALKED ABOUT LIGHT, SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANY OF YOU, BUT WHERE I COME FROM, LIGHTS SHINE BRIGHT, AND FOR SOME REASON TO TALK ABOUT LIGHT, WHEN I JUST ASKED THIS WOMAN, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ON THE TASK FORCE? AND SHE TELLS ME THAT SHE'S BEEN ON THE TASK FORCE SINCE 2013. SO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT A LIGHT HAS SHINED FOR 13 YEARS AND NOW WE'RE FINALLY F*****G DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. HISTORIC, YEAH. WHICH SHOULD BE HISTORIC IS HOW F*****G LONG IT TOOK TO GET THIS WOMAN SOME HELP. THAT SHOULD BE HISTORIC. WE ALL KNOW THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR, AND RIGHT NOW WHAT I SAW WAS JUST ADVERTISING YOU. . WELL SAID . ALL RIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. UH, DAVE SHUKLA. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH. UM, A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO THIS R-E-A-C-T FRAMEWORK, AND I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCILWOMAN, UH, NATO AND RICK SODI FOR, UH, THEIR EFFORTS TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THIS. IT'S BEEN A LONG PROCESS. UM, IT'S ONE I SUPPORT. UM, IN FACT, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ANY LEGITIMATE LAW ENFORCEMENT. UM, YOU KNOW, I, UH, SINCE THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD, I'VE SAID A LOT OF THINGS AT A LOT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, UM, SOMETIMES WITH CONSEQUENCES. ALSO NOT SAID A LOT OF THINGS, UH, TO AVOID OTHER CONSEQUENCES. I DON'T THINK WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY IS GOING TO BE NEWS TO ANY OF THE, THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY TRAFFIC HUMAN BEINGS IN LONG, LONG BEACH. MM-HMM . BUT I'D JUST LIKE TO ASK FOR THE RECORD AS WELL AS FOR THE BENEFIT AND IMPROVEMENT OF THIS EFFORT. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE TRAFFICKERS DECIDE THEY'RE GONNA DRESS UP LIKE ICE AGENTS? MMM. THANK YOU. FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS, THE THING, SINCE TWO GARDENERS OF OURS WERE TAKEN OFF OF OUR FRONT LAWN, THE THING THAT I KEEP THINKING ABOUT, AND I KEEP, I, I CAN'T QUITE SHAKE, IS THE FACT THAT IN OUR LEAFY GREEN, YOU KNOW, EAST LONG BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD, A BUNCH OF GUYS IN A, IN A COUPLE OF TRUCK, UH, SUVS JUST SHOWED UP AND JUST TOOK PEOPLE. AND WHAT'S TO STOP SOMEONE FROM PUTTING ON A MASK AND DECIDING THEY'RE GOING TO DO THE SAME THING THEY'VE ALREADY DONE? SO, YEP. NOW I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS LOGICAL BLACK HOLE, THIS, THIS TRUMP SIZED LACUNA, UH, IS ONE OF THE MORE PERVERSE ASPECTS OF WHAT, UH, ICE HAS DONE TO OUR COMMUNITIES. AND WHEN I SAY OUR COMMUNITIES, I MEAN SPECIFICALLY THOSE THAT HAVE A ROLE IN THE 2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS. IF THERE'S ONE CINON, IF THERE'S ONE THREAD THAT CONNECTS ALL THE ACTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS WHERE, WHEN, AND WHY. UM, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE GO THROUGH A LOT OF THINGS, UM, AND THEY DON'T NEED POLITICIANS OR ACTIVISTS LIKE ME TRYING TO USE THEM FOR THEIR SUFFERING. BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY, THEY NEED PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY RESPOND EFFECTIVELY. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ACT ACTUALLY TRIES TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY. UM, IT SHOULD BE COMMENDED, BUT NONETHELESS, THROUGH EVERY LEGITIMATE LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION, THERE'S THIS QUESTION NOW, WELL, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN A GROUP OF PEOPLE ARE BEING TOLD THEY CAN KILL? THEY CAN ABDUCT. THEY CAN TERRORIZE, THEY CAN ACT WITH COMPLETE IMPUNITY. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR THE RECORD AND JUST AGAIN, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THIS R-E-A-C-T FRAMEWORK, I'D LIKE TO ASK, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THEY PEOPLE DECIDE THEY THEY'RE GONNA DRESS UP LIKE ICE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'RE NOT GONNA GO TO ITEM 25, COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILWOMAN THRESH TU VICE MAYOR [01:40:01] ROBERTO YANGA, COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS RECOMMENDATION TO DRAFT A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ACCOUNTABILITY, EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE IMPEACHMENT OR REMOVAL OF THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, [25. 26-54282 Recommendation to request City Attorney draft a resolution calling for federal immigration accountability, expressing support for the impeachment or removal of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, urging an end to federal policies and enforcement operations that subject local communities to violence and harm, and affirming the City’s commitment to protecting civil rights, community trust, and the dignity of all residents; and  Upon adoption, direct City Manager to take all necessary administrative actions to transmit copies of this resolution to members of the California Congressional delegation, California’s Federal Senators, and other appropriate federal, state, and local entities, in recognition of the need for collaborative policy reform that protects civil rights, upholds public safety and community policing principles, and the dignity of all members of our communities.         Office or Department: Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, Councilwoman, Eighth District; Roberto Uranga, Vice Mayor, Seventh District; Mary Zendejas, Councilwoman, First District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] URGING AN END TO FEDERAL POLICIES AND ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS THAT SUBJECT LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO VIOLENCE AND HARM, AND AFFIRMING THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING CIVIL RIGHTS, COMMUNITY TRUST, AND THE DIGNITY OF ALL RESIDENTS. AND UPON ADOPTION, TAKE ALL NECESSARY ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS TO TRANSMIT COPIES OF THIS RESOLUTION TO MEMBERS OF THE CALIFORNIA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, CALIFORNIA'S FEDERAL SENATORS AND OTHER APPROPRIATE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL ENTITIES IN RECOGNITION OF THE NEED FOR COLLABORATIVE POLICY REFORM THAT PROTECTS CIVIL RIGHTS, UPHOLDS PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMMUNITY POLICING PRINCIPLES, AND THE DIGNITY OF ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO THIS ACTION TONIGHT, UH, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH WILL TAKE STEPS TO FORMALLY JOIN MAYORS AND CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO ARE SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE HARMFUL ACTIONS UNDER THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND IMPACTS, UH, FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IS HAVING ON LOCAL COMMUNITIES, NOT ONLY IN MINNEAPOLIS, BUT HERE IN LONG BEACH AND ALL ACROSS OUR COUNTRY. AND FURTHERMORE, CALL FOR THE IMP IMPEACHMENT AND REMOVAL OF SEC, THE SECRETARY OF DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. THIS ACTION IS ESSENTIALLY, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL IN LONG BEACH, UH, CASTING A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN THE LEADERSHIP, UH, COMMUNITIES SMALL AND LARGE ACROSS, UH, THE STATE ARE WEIGHING IN AND CALLING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. UH, LONG BEACH WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO FORMALLY TAKE THIS STEP, UH, IN JOINING, UM, THIS, IN JOINING, UH, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND OTHERS WHO ARE NOW FORMALLY BEGINNING THIS PROCESS. SO NOW IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO ADD OUR NAME AND HELP CREATE THE GROUNDSWELL OF PRESSURE, UH, TO HELP MAKE THIS HAPPEN. BY DRAFTING THIS RESOLUTION, LONG BEACH CAN ADD HIS VOICE, UH, TO CALLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF DHS, INCLUDING CALLS FOR THE RESIGNATION OF SECRETARY CHRISTINE, NO, PORTER LEADER. POOR LEADERSHIP AT DHS HAS REAL LOCAL CONSEQUENCES, ERODING TRUST, DESTABILIZING FAMILIES, AND MAKING IT HARDER FOR CITIES LIKE LONG BEACH TO KEEP ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS SAFE AND SUPPORTED. LONG BEACH STANDS WITH OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES HERE ACROSS THE NATION, WE AFFIRM THAT NO ONE IS ABOVE ACCOUNTABILITY, ESPECIALLY THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATROCITIES AND HORRORS THAT WE'VE WITNESSED THE LAST FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS, NOT ONLY IN MINNEAPOLIS, BUT ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. LEADERSHIP THAT CAUSES HARM MUST BE HELD TO ACCOUNT. SO THAT CHANGE CAN FOLLOW. WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, THEN WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC, AND THEN WE'LL CAST THE VOTE, AND THEN THE RESOLUTION WILL COME BACK FOR A FINAL, UH, FINAL APPROVAL. WE'LL START WITH COUNCILWOMAN AND DEJAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THESE TIMES ASK THAT WE, WE, THE PEOPLE DEMAND MORE OF OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THIS ITEM SAYS IT LOUD AND CLEAR. NO MORE, NO MORE KIDNAPPINGS, NO MORE FEAR, NO MORE RACISM, NO MORE DEATHS, NO MORE UNCONSTITUTIONAL ACTIONS, UNCONSTITUTIONAL ACTIONS BY OUR FEDERAL AGENTS. SO I AM GLAD THAT WE ARE JOINING OTHER CITIES IN SAYING, NO, NO MORE, NO MORE. UM, AND CALLING FOR THE IMPEACHMENT OF CHRISTIE GNOMES. THANK YOU. THIS IS VERY HARD. ONE, ONE MORE THING, ONE MORE THING, MAYOR. THIS IS VERY HARD FOR ALL OF US HERE IN THE CITY. AND I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYBODY WHO HAS STEPPED UP TO PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORS. AND, UM, IT IS VERY HARD ON ALL OF US, AND I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE WEEK AFTER WEEK, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER. WE ARE. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THANK YOU. OH, ONE MORE THING. F**K ICE. ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS, COUNCIL MEMBER THRASHING TOOK. ALL RIGHT. UM, UH, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN IN DEJAS. SO, COLLEAGUES, UH, AND FRIENDS THAT ARE HERE IN THE CHAMBERS, YOU KNOW THAT WE SIT UP HERE, WE TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, BUDGET, ZONING, BUT TONIGHT THE CONVERSATION IS DIFFERENT. TONIGHT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN EXIST WITHOUT [01:45:01] TERROR. RIGHT NOW IN OUR CITY AND ACROSS THE REGION, FAMILIES ARE LIVING IN A STATE OF SIEGE. WE ARE SEEING FATHERS, MOTHERS, BROTHERS, SISTERS, COUSINS, NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS LEAVE THEIR HOME IN THE MORNING, TERRIFIED THAT A ROUTINE SHIFT AT WORK WILL BE THEIR LAST MOMENT OF FREEDOM. WE ARE SEEING PEOPLE SNATCHED UP FROM THEIR WORKPLACES, STRIPPED OF THEIR COMMUNITIES, NEVER KNOWING IF OR WHEN THEY WILL EVER SEE LOVED ONES AGAIN. THIS IS NOT HYPERBOLE. THIS IS THE REALITY OF THE CURRENT FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY. AND IT IS THE REALITY THAT HAS TURNED FATAL. WE HAVE SEEN THE ULTIMATE TRAGEDY UNFOLD HERE IN OUR REGION. WE HAVE LOST NEIGHBORS. WE HAVE LOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THESE ARE NOT STATISTICS. IN A FEDERAL REPORT, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS. THE LOSS IS A GRIM TESTAMENT TO A SYSTEM THAT PUTS ENFORCEMENT OBJECTIVES ABOVE THAT OF LIFE AND DIGNITY. BUT IN LONG BEACH, WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CLEAR ABOUT WHO WE ARE. IN 20 25, 1 OF MY VERY FIRST ACTS WAS TO STRENGTHEN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT. WE'RE COMMITTED TO OUR STRATEGIC VISION OF 2030, TO BE AN INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE CITY. AND JUST THIS LAST YEAR, WE HAVE DEDICATED MILLIONS AND OUR CITY BUDGET TO PROTECT IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. BUT WE CANNOT CLAIM TO BE A SAFE COMMUNITY IF WE REMAIN SILENT. WHILE FEDERAL AGENTS OPERATE WITH IMPUNITY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WE, WE CANNOT CLAIM TO PROTECT CIVIL RIGHTS IF WE LOOK AWAY, WHEN DUE PROCESS IS VIOLATED. AND OVERSIGHT IS OBSTRUCTED THE RESOLUTION BEFORE US. TONIGHT ISN'T JUST A PIECE OF PAPER, IT IS A SHIELD. IT IS A FORMAL DEMAND FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. IT IS A DECLARATION OF THE PATTERNS OF MEDICAL NEGLECT, EXCESSIVE FORCE, AND SYSTEMATIC FAILURE. WE ARE SEEING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, AND IT IS UNACCEPTABLE. AND YES, TONIGHT'S RES, UH, CALL RESOLUTION CALLS FOR CONSEQUENCES. WE'RE JOINING THE GROWING NUMBER OF FEDERAL AND LOCAL LAWMAKERS AND CALLING FOR THE IMPEACHMENT OF DHS SECRETARY CHRISTIE NOME. NOT OUT PARTISANSHIP, BUT OUT OF NECESSITY. WHEN LEADERSHIP FAILS AND LOSS OF LIFE HAPPENS, THE EROSION OF PUBLIC TRUST LEADERS MUST BE REMOVED. AND WE HAVE TO TAKE ACTION. SO FINALLY, TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE EIGHTH DISTRICT, TO ALL WHO ARE IN LONG BEACH. NOW, I KNOW YOU ARE TIRED. I KNOW THAT YOU ARE SCARED, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW WE STAND WITH YOU, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT DELAYS ARE DANGEROUS. I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TONIGHT TO SUPPORT THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATION. LET US DIRECT OUR CITY MANAGER TO SEND THIS MESSAGE TO WASHINGTON, AND LET US BE CLEAR THAT WE REFUSE TO ALLOW FEAR TO WIN. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERY PERSON IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WHO CALLS IT HOME, CAN LIVE IN DIGNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR URANGA. THANK YOU. AND, UM, I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES. WE'VE SPOKEN SO FAR. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN THE FACT THAT ACCOUNTABILITY MATTERS. WHEN WE, ALL OF US HERE IN THE DAYS, EVERYBODY IN THE, UH, TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, WE ALL TAKE AN OATH TO PROTECT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION. WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY WHEN CHRISTIAN HOME AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION IS THAT THAT OATH IS BEING DISOBEYED, IS BEING IANS IS BEING MINIMIZED BY PEOPLE WHO DON'T CARE ABOUT CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, WHO DON'T CARE ABOUT PEOPLE OF COLOR, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION. DEI, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A CUSTOMER NOWADAYS, BUT IT'S NOT. IT IS WHO WE ARE. IT IS WHO WE DEFEND, AND WE ALWAYS CONTINUE TO DO SO. I ENJOY MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD TO SIGN WITH THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE I'M, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE ARE BEING BETRAYED BY OUR GOVERNMENT. WE ARE BEING BETRAYED TO A LEVEL NEVER BEFORE AND SEEN EVER BEFORE. SO I THINK THAT WITH THIS, WE'RE SENDING A MESSAGE, NOT IN LONG BEACH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SOTE. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I CO-SIGN EVERYTHING THAT MY COUNCIL, UM, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID TONIGHT. UM, I WANNA BEGIN BY THANKING THE ADVOCATES, THE ORGANIZERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO [01:50:01] HAVE CONTINUED TO SPEAK OUT AND COME TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS EACH AND EVERY WEEK. UM, AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR PLACING THIS ITEM ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA. THIS CONVERSATION IS HAPPENING BECAUSE RESIDENTS DEMANDED ACCOUNTABILITY AND REFUSED TO ACCEPT, DELAY OR SILENCE THAT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT MATTERS, AND EXACTLY HOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD WORK. THE ITEM BEFORE US CALLS FOR GREATER FEDERAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND AN END TO ENFORCEMENT PRACTICES THAT ARE CAUSING HARM IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THAT IS SO HIGH, IT IS DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY FOR MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS, THIS IS NOT AN ABSTRACT POLICY DEBATE. IT IS A DAILY REALITY THAT AFFECTS THEIR SAFETY, STABILITY, SENSE OF BELONGING, THEIR WELLNESS, THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, AND THEIR PHYSICAL WELLBEING. I REPRESENT A COUNCIL DISTRICT OF ONE OF THE LARGEST IMMIGRANT POPULATIONS IN OUR CITY. FAMILIES IN MY DISTRICT ARE LIVING IN UNCERTAINTY AND FEAR. PARENTS WORRY ABOUT BEING SEPARATED FROM THEIR CHILDREN. WORKERS WORRY ABOUT WHETHER THEY WILL COME HOME AT NIGHT. THE LEVEL OF FEAR WORLDS TRUST IN GOVERNMENT AND UNDERMINES PUBLIC SAFETY FOR EVERYONE. WE CANNOT ALLOW FEAR TO GUIDE OUR DECISION MAKING. OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO LEAD WITH CLARITY, COMPASSION, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. WHAT WE ARE WITNESSING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AGGRESSIVE WA RAIDS, FAMILY SEPARATIONS, AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS CARRIED OUT WITHOUT TRANSPARENCY OR DUE PROCESS, REFLECTS A SYSTEM THAT PRIORITIZES PUNISHMENT OVER PROTECTION. THESE PRACTICES DESTABILIZE FAMILIES, WEAKEN NEIGHBORHOODS, AND MAKE COMMUNITIES LESS SAFE. NOT MORE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IMPACTS OUR FELT LOCALLY. THAT MEANS WE HAVE A LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT. THE ITEM IS AN IMPORTANT STEP, BUT IT CANNOT BE THE LAST. LONG BEACH MUST CONTINUE IDENTIFYING WAYS TO STRENGTHEN OUR OWN POLICIES, TO PROTECT OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, EXPAND ACCESS TO LEGAL DEFENSE AND RAPID RESPONSE RESOURCES, AND ENSURE OUR RESIDENTS KNOW THAT OUR CITY IS SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE TO THEM REGARDLESS OF THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS. OUR ROLE IS NOT TO CREATE FEAR. OUR ROLE IS TO PROTECT PEOPLE, UPHOLD DIGNITY, AND ENSURE THAT EVERY RESIDENT CAN PARTICIPATE FULLY, UM, IN CIVIC LIFE TO THE ADVOCATES WHO PUSH FORWARD. AND I KNOW MANY OF YOU HERE ARE HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND TO OUR IMMIGRANT FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN MY DISTRICT. YOU ARE A VALUED MEMBER OF THIS CITY. YOU ARE A VALUED MEMBER TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT REPRESENTS YOU. LONG BEACH STANDS WITH YOU, AND WE WILL CONTINUE WORKING TO ENSURE YOUR SAFETY, STABILITY, AND OPPORTUNITY IN EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE. I FULLY SUPPORT THIS ITEM AND ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO DO SO. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. THANK YOU. YES, I TOO. I I WANNA THANK, UH, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE COUNCILWOMAN, UM, MARY SINJA, COUNCILWOMAN THRASH TOOK, AND VICE MAYOR ROBERTO URANGA FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD AND ALL THE ADVOCATES THAT CONTINUE TO SHOW UP FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR NEIGHBORS. I AM IN STRONG SUPPORT OF THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE WE HAVE, AND WE ARE SEEING ICE AND FEDERAL AGENT ENFORCEMENT CAUSING DEEP HARM IN OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR LIVES, AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE IN GENERAL. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE, WE'VE MADE STATEMENTS ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE AND OUR NEWSLETTERS ON HOW WE FEEL. AND, AND WE'VE SAID THIS, I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE AND I WILL KEEP SAYING IT, THAT ICE DOES NOT MAKE OUR STREET SAFE AND ICE NEEDS TO LEAVE LONG BEACH ICE OUT OF LONG BEACH. I AM, I AM FURIOUS ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH YOU BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS CAUSING VIOLENCE, TRAUMA, AND DEATH. AND RAIDS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WORKPLACE DO NOT MAKE ANY OF US FEEL SAFER. IT'S TRAUMATIZING OUR CHILDREN. AND MOST RECENTLY, DURING A THANKSGIVING, UM, FOOD GIVEAWAY BY LOCAL HEARTS FOUNDATION, THEY DROVE AROUND AND PROVIDE IN A TIME WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN NEED FOR FOOD, WHEN, UH, SNAP BENEFITS WERE CUT. AND THEY'VE SHOWED UP IN MY DAUGHTER'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SO IT IS HERE, IT'S IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S IN MY LIFE, AND IT'S PART OF, UM, AND THAT IS WHY PUBLIC SAFETY IS BUILT ON TRUST. AND WHEN FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT TERRORIZES OUR NEIGHBORS AND NEIGHBORHOODS, THAT TRUST IS DESTROYED. AND AS A CITY, WE HAVE TO PICK UP THE PIECES WHILE RESIDENTS ARE LEFT FEELING ABANDONED AND TARGETED. AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PUT IN FOR INVESTMENTS, WE'VE PUT FORWARD, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMMING THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY. BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT YOU WANNA HEAR FROM US WHERE WE STAND AND WE ARE MAKING IT VERY CLEAR THAT NO AGENCY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO OPERATE WITHOUT OVERSIGHT. ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE ARE DOCUMENTED PATTERNS OF EXCESSIVE FORCE, CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATION, AND LOSS OF LIFE. WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SPEAK UP WHEN FEDERAL ACTIONS PUT OUR RESIDENTS IN DANGER. SO SUPPORTING THIS RESOLUTION IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR VALUES AND WITH THE REALITY THAT ENFORCEMENT ROOTED IN PUNISHMENT AND FEAR DOES NOT CREATE SAFE OR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES. SO I STAND WITH YOU, MY DISTRICT SIX RESIDENTS AND ALL THOSE THROUGHOUT LONG BEACH AND MY COLLEAGUES, UM, IN SUPPORTING, UM, YOU AS I MEAN, AND IN MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS ACCOUNTABILITY AND THAT [01:55:01] WE DEMAND BETTER AND I FULLY SUPPORT THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. I WANNA START BY SAYING THAT I SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND I ALSO SUPPORT THE RULE OF LAW THAT SUPPORT IS NOT BLIND OR UNCONSTITUTIONAL. IT'S GROUNDED IN TRUST, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND A CLEAR COMMITMENT TO KEEPING ON. LET'S LET HER FINISH HER, HER STATEMENT, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HANG SAFE ON COUNCIL MEMBER. JUST, JUST A MOMENT. ALRIGHT FOLKS, LET'S LET HER FINISH HER STATEMENT. YOU MAY CHEER FOR WHAT SHE'S SAYING. JUST LET'S LET, LET HER FINISH HER STATEMENT. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE TACTICS WE ARE SEEING FROM ICE AGENTS, THE CONVERSATION OFTEN MOVES QUICKLY TO IDEOLOGY AND THAT CAN DISTRACT FROM WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING ON THE GROUND. AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THE GOVERNMENT IS RAPIDLY EXPANDING ICE. TO DO THAT, IT LOWERS ITS LOWERING STANDARDS, REDUCING TRAINING TO AS LITTLE AS 50 DAYS, AND DEPLOYING NEW NEWLY HIRED AGENTS TO PART OF THE COUNTRY THAT MAYBE THEY ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH. AT THE SAME TIME, ICE AGENTS ARE BEING ALLOWED TO SEARCH PEOPLE, HOMES AND BUSINESSES WITHOUT JUDICIAL WARRANTS. IF YOU LOOK AT THIS THROUGH THE LENS OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, THIS WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE IN LONG BEACH. POLICE OFFICERS GO THROUGH EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND CHECKS. THEY RECEIVE ROUGHLY 18 MONTHS OF TRAINING BEFORE BEING DEPLOYED IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THEY'RE ACCOUNTABLE THROUGH BODY-WORN CAMERAS, CLEAR IDENTIFICATION, AND MULTIPLE LAYERS OF REVIEW. WHEN AN INCIDENT OCCURS, VERY FEW PEOPLE WOULD SUPPORT CUTTING BACKGROUND CHECKS AND REDUCING TRAINING TO A MATTER OF WEEKS BEFORE DEPLOYING OFFICERS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. SIMILARLY, VERY FEW PEOPLE WOULD SUPPORT ALLOWING LONG BEACH OFFICERS TO SEARCH RESIDENCE HOMES OR BUSINESSES BASED ON A WARRANT SIGNED BY A POLICE COMMANDER OR AN ADMINISTRATOR IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE INSTEAD OF A JUDGE. WHEN WE STEP BACK FROM IDEOLOGY AND LOOK HOW POWER IS ACTUALLY BEING EXERCISED, IT BECOMES CLEAR WHY THESE PRACTICES HAVE CREATED SERIOUS SAFETY AND CIVIL RIGHTS CONCERNS. WHEN THAT REALITY IS PAIRED WITH RHETORIC FROM SOME FEDERAL LEADERS THAT BLURS CONSTITUTIONAL BOUNDARIES, IT CREATES RISK. I SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE RULE OF LAW. I ALSO SUPPORT LAWS THAT PROTECT PEOPLE'S RIGHTS TO MOVE THROUGH THEIR COMMUNITIES WITHOUT FEDERAL INTERFERENCE WHEN THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THEY HAVE COMMITTED A CRIME. REGARDLESS OF IDEOLOGY, THE PRACTICES ACTUALLY BEING IMPLEMENTED HAVE OPENED THE DOORS FOR ANYONE, INCLUDING US CITIZENS TO BE HARMED BY AGENTS WITH MINIMAL TRAINING AND LIMITED OVERSIGHT. OUR STANDARDS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS SHOULD NOT BE LOWER SIMPLY BECAUSE THE BADGE IS FEDERAL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THIS ITEM. IT'S BOTH TIMELY AND APPROPRIATE AND I SUPPORT THIS ITEM. I ABSOLUTELY CONDEMN ANY ANTI, ANTI-DEMOCRATIC AUTHORITARIAN OR VIOLENT ACTIONS OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION. AND I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE IMPEACHMENT OF CHRISTIE NOS. WE NEED IMMEDIATE LEADERSHIP CHANGE AT THE DA SET DHS. WE ARE LIVING IN DANGEROUS TIMES AND WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF CHANGE. FAMILIES SHOULD NOT CALLOUSLY BE TORN APART, PROTESTORS SHOULD NOT BE KILLED. AND THE RULE OF LAW SHOULD BE RESPECTED AND UPHELD AT ALL TIMES. UH, NO ONE SHOULD BE KILLED. YOU'RE RIGHT. I AM EAGERLY AWAITING THE DAY WHEN THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE ATROCITIES WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY OUR LAWS. AND EVERYONE HERE CAN LIVE FREE. AGAIN, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE. VICE MAYOR. WE HAVE BEEN BETRAYED BY OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES, UM, FOR SAYING THE THINGS THAT MANY OF US SHARE SO ELOQUENTLY. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO FORMALLY ADD OUR VOICE TO OTHER CITIES, STATES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, PEOPLE ACROSS COMMUNITIES IN THIS NATION, CALLING ON OUR FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES TO HOLD THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THESE AGENCIES ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR VIOLENT AND INHUMANE ACTIONS. THESE ACTIONS ARE TAKING PLACE IN EVERY DISTRICT IN OUR CITY, AND WE NEED A UNIFIED VOICE FROM [02:00:01] OUR CITY TO LEAD WITH COMPASSION AND EMPATHY. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO CONTINUE TO RAISE YOUR VOICE IN THESE CHAMBERS ON OUR STREETS, IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY REQUIRES ALL OF US IN ALL THE WAYS THAT WE CAN EACH PARTICIPATE TO CALL FOR AN END TO THESE HORRIFIC POLICIES AND VIOLENT ACTIONS. I STRONGLY SUPPORT. ALRIGHT, WELL, UH, THANK YOU. WE'RE NOW GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. UH, WE HAVE 16 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. WE'RE GONNA PUT 90 SECONDS ON THE CLOCK. I'LL READ THE FIRST. I'LL READ 'EM ALL. UH, FOREST FRANCESCA FORESTS IS FIRST. FRANCESCA, ANTHONY, BRYSON, MI MILO. MILO, EXCUSE ME. UH, MARLON, UM, DAVE SHUKLA, RENEE LUANE, NETTI. PETER INGER, SAMANTHA G ROGELIO, MARTINEZ, LEXI WYNN. SASHA MADU MAR. EXCUSE ME, SASHA RED, FORGIVE ME, IT'S NOT SPELLED ON HERE, RIGHT? UH, NOEMI, UH, LOU ROSEN. RACHEL W AND LESLIE. ALL RIGHT FOR DROP. I I PUT MY NAME ON THE LIST. ALL RIGHT. I AM BACK AGAIN. UM, WE TALKED ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND EACH ONE OF YOU HAD A BEAUTIFUL AND ELOQUENT SPEECH TONIGHT, BUT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT F*****G ICE AND F**K, ICE AND F**K ICE SINCE THEY F*****G CAME HERE. JUST 'CAUSE IT'S POPULAR TO SAY ZENDEJAS. JUST 'CAUSE IT'S POPULAR TO SAY F**K ICE. WE'VE BEEN TELLING THAT S**T TO YOU GUYS MANY F*****G MONTHS. OKAY? ALL OF US HAVE BEEN COMING HERE FOR F*****G MONTHS AND NOW ONE OF YOU, UNTIL THIS CAME UP ON THE AGENDA, ARE TALKING ABOUT IT NOW. WHAT KIND OF F*****G LEADERSHIP ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN, THIS SHOULD BE NOW A TEST THAT YOU ARE THANKING EACH OTHER FOR SPEECHES. THANK THESE BEAUTIFUL F*****G PEOPLE THAT ARE PROTECTING OUR NEIGHBORS AND CHILDREN THANKING YOURSELVES. SHAME ON YOU. AND THE B******T YOU GUYS PUT US THROUGH AND THE B******T THAT LBPD DUSTED THIS COMMUNITY ZEN F**K ICE. I'M GONNA KEEP SAYING IT LOUD SO THEN YOU CAN F*****G HEAR IT IN YOUR, WHEN YOU GO HOME TONIGHT AND REALIZE, OH, I SHOULDA SAID THAT S**T MONTHS AGO WHEN IT F*****G MATTERED. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU. SHAME. WE HAVE A DOCTOR HERE. WE GOT ALL THIS EDUCATION AND NOTHING TO F*****G SHOW FOR IT. SHAME ON EVERYBODY. FREE SIGN. F**K ICE. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THAT SPEAKER, GUYS, M***********S. FRANCESCA, FRANCESCA, AND THEN ANTHONY. UM, THIS RESOLUTION IS A VERY, VERY SMALL PIECE AND FIRST STEP TO RECOGNIZING THE ESCALATING VIOLENCE FOR OVER A YEAR NOW IN TERROR FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. UM, AND I HEARD A LOT ABOUT HOW THE SYSTEM IN LEADERSHIP IS FAILING, BUT I WANNA NOTE THAT IT IS NOT FAILING. IT IS FUNCTIONING EXACTLY THE WAY IT WAS BUILT. THANK YOU. WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, IF WE LOOK AT WE REPATRIATION OF MEXICANS IN THE 1920S AND 1930S, LOOK UP THE NATURALIZATION ACT OF 1790 THAT DENIED, UH, IMMIGRANTS OF COLOR, THE ACCESS TO CITIZENSHIP. WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE 18 HUNDREDS WHEN HAITIANS WERE DENIED ACCESS TO IMMIGRATION. WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT OF 1882. SO THIS IS NOT ABOUT FAILED LEADERSHIP. THIS IS A SYSTEM FUNCTIONING EXACTLY THE F*****G WAY IT WAS BUILT. THAT IS WHY THIS IS A, A GOOD FIRST STEP, SMALL STEP. BUT WE NEED TO ABOLISH ICE. ABOLISH ABOLISH ICE IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD. CONGRESSMAN ROBERT GARCIA, HE'S BEEN SAYING IT. SO LET'S JUMP ON THAT TRAIN TOO. LET'S GET THE PHOTO OPS FOR THAT AS WELL. ABOLISH ICE IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HEARING TO OUR RAPID RESPONSE LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY SINCE JANUARY OF 2025, SUPPORTING AND PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES WITH ZERO SUPPORT FROM THIS GOVERNMENT. SO WE ASK THAT YOU LISTEN TO THE LEADERS, THEY ARE ASKING FOR YOUR HELP BEYOND JUST PHOTO OPS. GIVE THEM THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED. ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS ANTHONY. ALRIGHT, MILO. THANK YOU COUNCIL PEOPLE. BUT I HAVE TO SAY, IF I MAY BE SO BOLD, I FIND IT EXTREMELY DISHEARTENING AND SADDENING AND INSANE THAT I A 17-YEAR-OLD HAVE TO STAND BEFORE YOU AND TRY TO CONVINCE YOU TO PASS SOMETHING LIKE THIS. AND AS FORREST SAID, I CAN TELL BY THE WAY SOME OF YOU SPEAK WITH ALL DUE RESPECT THAT THIS IS A NEW IDEA FOR YOU. THE IDEA THAT MAYBE ICE ISN'T SERVING OUR COMMUNITY IS NEW TO YOU. OR MAYBE YOU JUST DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT HARD ENOUGH. SO HERE ME AND MANY OTHERS HAVE SIMPLE DEMANDS. ABOLISH ICE BROADCAST WHENEVER AND [02:05:01] WHEREVER ICE IS MOBILIZING OFFICIALLY DOCUMENT CONFIRMED ICE ACTIVITY AND ALL THEIR ILLEGAL ACTIONS, INCLUDING KIDNAPPINGS. CONFIRM NO LBPD COOPERATION WITH ICE. CONFIRM IMMEDIATE POLICE RESPONSE TO ILLEGAL ACTIONS COMMITTED BY ICE, INCLUDING KIDNAPPINGS, DISAPPEARS AND WARRANTLESS ACTION PRESSURE IN ANY WAY YOU CAN TO STOP HOTELS IN LONG BEACH. FROM ALLOWING ICE DHS AND CBP FROM STAYING IN LONG BEACH, I AND THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WHO ARE AFRAID BUT STILL FIGHT, URGE YOU TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. TELL US ICE. ANTHONY, YOU'RE UP. F**K ICE. F**K ICE F**K ICE. ALRIGHT, COUNSEL , CITY COUNCIL, I'LL START OFF BY SAYING, F**K ICE, NOT ENDING MY STATEMENT WITH F**K ICE. WELL, AS I LISTENED TO ALL OF YOU GUYS, I WAS, UH, REMINDED BY THE DIFFERENCE HERE IN THIS CITY OF LONG BEACH AS I'M OUT IN THE STREETS DOING THE WORK, WHAT I HEAR FROM LIKE OUR CAUCASIAN RESIDENTS HERE IS, OH, MY GARDENER COULDN'T COME TO WORK TODAY. BUT WHAT I HEAR FROM OUR HISPANIC SIBLINGS IN THIS CITY IS MY MOM, MY DAD, MY BROTHER CAN'T GO OUT TODAY, THEY'RE STAYING AT HOME. SO THE DIFFERENCES THAT WE'RE FACING WITHIN THIS CITY HAS BEEN ON DISPLAY HERE TODAY. WE SPENT OVER A YEAR COMING TO CITY COUNCIL ASKING FOR YOU GUYS TO BE PROACTIVE AND NOT BE ONE OF THE CITIES JOINING OTHER CITIES, BUT THE CITY LEADING THE INITIATIVE TO GET ICE OUT OF OUR CITY IN THE CITY OF A, IN THE, IN THE STATE OF CITY ADDRESS. YOU SAID ICE HAS NO PLACE HERE IN LONG BEACH. I'M GONNA HOLD YOU TO THAT REX. AND I'M NOT COMING UP HERE AS A POTENTIAL CANDIDATE TO TAKE YOUR SEAT, MARY, BUT I'M COMING UP HERE AS A RESIDENT WHO'S CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING EVERY DAY IN THIS CITY. AND THIS IS NOT THE ONLY CITY COUNCIL THAT I'VE BEEN AT. AND IT'S NOT THE ONLY ONE I'LL BE AT UNTIL WE GET ICE OUT. I'LL BE HERE GOING TO COMMISSIONS, I'LL BE HERE GOING TO CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE WE ARE ONE PEOPLE AND I'VE HEARD THAT DELAYS ARE DANGEROUS THEN WHAT TOOK SO F*****G LONG TO GET A RESOLUTION. YES, YESS ARE DANGEROUS. NEXT IS MARLON RENEE LTI, DISTRICT FOUR. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. HOLD ON. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? RENEE LTI. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, RENEE, UH, AFTER RENEE, LET'S MAKE SURE, IS MARLON HERE? RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE HERE. OKAY, MARLON'S NEXT. GREAT. THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL, WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE DOWN YOUR T-SHIRT SO WE CAN SEE YOUR NAME? YEAH, WE WANNA SEE YOUR NAME EVEN THOUGH WE ALREADY KNOW NOW WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE. OKAY, THANK YOU. WE DEMAND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL AND YOU MAYOR AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT STAND FIRM AND DO NOT ALLOW ICE TO COME INTO THIS CITY. DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO MAKE STAND TOGETHER AND LOAD UP AT TARGET HOME DEPOT, ALL THESE PLACES. ABSOLUTELY NOT. ABSOLUTELY NOT. DO THEY EVER STAY AT A RESIDENT, A HOTEL, ANYTHING HERE? WE WILL NOT FEED THEM. WE DO NOT NEED THEM HERE. THIS IS COMPLETELY OUTTA CONTROL. AND IF YOU REALLY, REALLY BACK UP YOUR WORD ABOUT CHRISTY NOME, THEN YOU WILL MAKE SURE AS MAYOR, THAT YOU'LL PROTECT THE CITY AND DEMAND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT NOT TO WORK WITH THEM. HAVE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT SCAN AND BLOCK THEIR ASSES. I DON'T CARE. BUT YOU HAVE OUR CITY OFFICIALS THAT WE PAY OUR TAXES, PAY ALL OF YOU, STAND UP FOR US AND PROTECT OUR CITY. WE SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN LA RIGHT NOW. ICE HAS JUST STEPPED THEIR STUPID ASS PROGRAM TO A WHOLE OTHER EVIL LEVEL AND THEY'RE COMING HERE NEXT. AND I DEMAND ALL OF YOU STEP UP, PUT A GUARD UP, GET OUR PD AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EVERY SINGLE RESOURCE YOU HAVE TO STAND AND BLOCK THEIR ASSES FROM COMING INTO OUR CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALRIGHT, NEXT IS MARLON AND DAVE. GOOD EVENING. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME. HI MAYOR. I WORKED WITH YOU, YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER ME. PROBABLY NOT. ALSO MS. SNDA HAS COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN. I HAVEN'T BEEN AS ACTIVE AS I USED TO BE WHEN WE WERE AT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. I'M ASHAMED TO SAY THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN AS ACTIVE IN THE LAST YEAR. I LIVE IN YOUR DISTRICT. CHRISTINA, THEY, SOME PEOPLE IN YOUR DISTRICT LOOK LIKE ME WITH PRIVILEGE. ASK ME HOW MANY TIMES ICE HAS COME DOWN OUR STREETS. ZERO. WE LIVE, WE'RE NEIGHBORS. I KNOW, RIGHT? AND THE FIRST WORDS WERE, I SUPPORT LOPD. ASK HIM HOW MANY TIMES I'VE WALKED THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND DIDN'T FEEL SAFE. RIGHT. WHILE WALKING MY DOG. I'M NOT THAT OUTSPOKEN ANYMORE BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL SAFE IN MY STREETS. IN BELMONT HEIGHTS. A BUNCH OF RACES IN DISTRICT THREE. WHAT THEY WANT, [02:10:01] I THINK THE COMMUNITY WANTS IS TO BE MORE VISIBLE. HMM. HOW CAN WE FIND, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU BE MORE VISIBLE? INVITE US TO THE TABLE. I'M HERE AS A LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER AND HIGHLY EDUCATED PERSON. I ASK YOU, CHRISTINA, OUT OF YOUR WORDS, COUNCILWOMAN, NOT THE FIRST THING. POLICE ASK ME HOW MANY TIMES I'VE BEEN HARASSED BY SOME OF THOSE NEIGHBORS AND I'VE CALLED THE POLICE AND DID NOT THINK YOU FEEL LIKE I WAS PRO GONNA BE PROTECTED. SHAY YOU AGAIN, INVITE US. GIMME ONE MOMENT. JUST INVITE US, TELL US HOW WE CAN JOIN YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT, UH, DAVE AND THEN PETER AFTER PETER IS SAMANTHA, HANG ON JUST A MINUTE WHILE THEY GET THE MIC ON. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING, JUST HANG TIGHT. CAN'T FIX IT. TALKING UNTIL UP OVER HERE. TWO SAYS LEFT WING THING. WE GO. OH, THERE WE GO. ALL UH, ALL THANK YOU CITY CLERK. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. UM, TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, IN THE THIRD DISTRICT, UH, ICE SHOWED UP AT OUR DOORSTEP. AND THERE'S ONE THING I'D LIKE TO CORRECT FOR THE RECORD. UM, ICE STATED THAT THEY WERE THERE BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD BEEN VIOLENT TOWARDS THEM. COUNCILMAN DUGGAN, I'M SURE YOU KNOW OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. I'M SURE YOU KNOW OUR STREET. THERE'S NO WAY YOU END UP AT THE END OF ELLIOT STREET AT THE EXACT MOMENT THAT PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO WORK. UNLESS YOU MEAN TO BE THERE. YOU HAVE TO CROSS THE FORMER CITY ATTORNEY'S HOUSE TO GET THERE. NOW I DON'T THINK MR. PARKIN CALLED, TO BE HONEST. I DON'T THINK THAT'S IN HIM. UM, BUT IT COULD BE IN SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS. AND THE FACT IS, HANG ON, WE'LL WE'LL PAUSE THE TIME RIGHT NOW. JUST HANG TIGHT. SWITCH THESE WITH THE THREATS. . I DON'T THINK ANYONE HERE WANTS THAT. I DON'T THINK ANYONE HERE WANTS ME TO BE THEIR MAYOR. GREAT. TELL UH, CONGRESSMAN GARCIA HOW PROUD WE ARE. HOW MUCH WE'LL PASS THE MESSAGE. THANKS. YEAH, IT'S OKAY. ONLY HAD DONE THAT WITH CLIMATE CHANGE EIGHT YEARS AGO. IF ONLY HAD PUT THAT KIND OF EFFORT TOWARDS CLIMATE CHANGE EIGHT YEARS AGO. HEY, FOCUS, WE'RE HERE FOR SOMETHING. FOCUS, FOCUS. HANG TIGHT. WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY. TOUCH IT. TAP IT. YEAH, THERE YOU GO. YOU GOT IT. OKAY. SEE IF I CAN ORGANIZE MY THOUGHTS HERE. SO, UM, COUNCILWOMAN DUGGAN, I I I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO BE POLITIC WITH ONE'S WORDS AND I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO, TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO ALIENATE, UH, A CORE GROUP OF YOUR CONSTITUENCY, WHICH IS LAW ENFORCEMENT. BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, UM, THERE'S NO REFORMING ICE. LIKE IF WE WERE TO APPLY LONG BEACH'S STANDARDS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ICE TO MAKE IT BETTER, IT WOULDN'T MAKE IT BETTER. JUST MAKE IT MORE EFFECTIVE. THE ENTIRE SYSTEM HAS TO BE ABOLISHED. AND I THINK ONE OF THE, THE THINGS THAT EVERYONE ON THIS DAY SHOULD REALLY KEEP IN MIND IS SPRING OF 2024. THIS TIME, THREE YEARS, TWO YEARS AGO, AT THAT TIME, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY COULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE YOUTH AND DONE SOMETHING ABOUT THE GENOCIDE AND GAZA. IT DIDN'T, IT LOST THE ELECTION. YEP. AMEN. ALRIGHT, OUTSIDE, UH, PETER, YOU'RE UP NEXT, SIR. THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS PETER INGER, LONG BEACH RESIDENT IN DISTRICT TWO AND AN EMPLOYEE OF THE LONG BEACH CITY BUSINESS. I'M HERE TO CALL FOR MORE ACTION FROM CITY LEADERSHIP IN OUR EFFORTS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE FROM ICE. THE AGENDA ITEM TONIGHT IS A SYMBOLIC ACTION. SYMBOLIC ACTIONS [02:15:01] CAN HAVE VALUE, SO SURE, PLEASE APPROVE IT. BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH. THE CITY MUST DO MORE. IT CAN INFORM THE PUBLIC. WHEN ICE RAIDS OCCUR, IT CAN DOCUMENT AND COMMUNICATE ICE ACTIVITY MOVEMENTS AND THE KIDNAPPINGS OF OUR NEIGHBORS. IT CAN REASSERT THAT LONG BEACH PD WILL NOT COOPERATE WITH ICE BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL SEEN LBPD DOING CROWD CONTROL SO THAT ICE CAN GET IN AND OUT AND INTIMIDATING COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT PROTESTS INCLUDING INTIMIDATING COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF HOTEL PROTESTS WHERE ICE IS STAYING SO THAT THESE MODERN DAY SLAVE CATCHERS CAN SLEEP IN PEACE. AND THIS COUNCIL CAN ENACT PENALTIES AND CONSEQUENCES FOR BUSINESSES THAT WORK WITH ICE, LIKE THE HOTELS WHERE THEY ARE STAYING. YOU HAVE THIS POWER, PLEASE USE IT. AND LASTLY, I WANT TO CALL OUT THE HYPOCRISY OF THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL STATE AT OPPOSITION TO MILITARIZED IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. BECAUSE THE SAME COUNCIL ROUTINELY APPROVES LBPD REQUESTS TO PURCHASE MILITARY EQUIPMENT FOR THE SAME LBPD THAT MURDERED BRANDON BOYD ON THE STEPS OF A CHURCH. WE ALREADY HAVE A MILITARY AMONG US AND ITS UNIFORM IS BLUE. I YIELD MY TIME. SAMANTHA BOYD. SAMANTHA. HI. I MOVED TO LONG BEACH WHEN I STARTED HIGH SCHOOL AND I'VE LIVED HERE EVER SINCE. UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET CHRISTIE NOMAN IMPEACHED FROM HER POSITION AS SECRETARY OF DHS AS I THINK IT'LL SEND A PROFOUND MESSAGE THAT HER INHUMANE ATTITUDE REGARDING THE WAY PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY ARE BEING ROUNDED UP AND DISAPPEARED AS UNACCEPTABLE. I HOPE IT SENDS THE MESSAGE TO ANYONE WHO MAY HOPE TO FILL THAT POSITION, THAT TO SUGGEST THAT ICE OFFICERS ACT MORE BRUTALLY AND THAT THEY WILL NOT HAVE TO OFFER ANY PROOF THAT THEY ARE IN FACT FIELD OFFICERS OR PROVIDE A WARRANT BEFORE ENTERING PEOPLE'S PROPERTY IS NOT ONLY RECKLESS, BUT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT. ICE AGENTS ARE NOT CARRYING OUT THEIR DUTIES WHILE KEEPING PEOPLE'S CIVIL RIGHTS IN MIND. AND EVERY TIME THIS IS BROUGHT UP, THEY'RE DEFENSE IS THAT IT WOULD BE INCONVENIENT FOR THEM TO DO SO. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY ROOM IN THIS COUNTRY FOR STATE ARMED MASS THUGS AND SECRETARIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY THAT THINK THAT HONORING CIVIL LIBERTIES IS TOO INCONVENIENT TO PRACTICE. I'VE ALWAYS SEEN LONG BEACH AS COMMUNITY ORIENTED AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS A CITY THAT WAS SYMPATHETIC TO IMMIGRANTS AND THAT IT WAS A SAFE PLACE FOR THEM TO LIVE AS THEY NAVIGATE THE ALL TOO DIFFICULT PROCESS OF BECOMING LEGAL CITIZENS. AND I WOULD BE GLAD IF THIS CITY TAKES A STAND AGAINST ICE. 'CAUSE IF NOT, I WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE THIS CITY AS A SAFE OR CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY. AND HONESTLY, THIS CITY NEEDS TO DO A LOT MORE TO STOP COLLABORATING WITH ICE. BUT AT THE VERY LEAST, THE CITY ATTORNEY SHOULD DRAFT A RESOLUTION. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS CONCLUDED. HOME AND HOLD ICE OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE. THANK YOU. ROGELIO MARTINEZ. SO RECENTLY I HAD DID THAT. IS THAT WORKING? OH, IS IT WORKING? YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO RECENTLY I HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH A BUNCH OF AGENCIES BECAUSE OF THE VIDEO THAT I PUT OUT. SO I HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH THE FBI AND ANOTHER AGENCY, WHICH AT THIS TIME I DO NOT WANT TO NAME. BUT SO THAT VIDEO DID SERVE ITS PURPOSE. IT WAS TO P**S PEOPLE OFF AND I P****D A LOT OF F*****G PEOPLE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT REX, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU ARE NOT THE ONE THAT'S ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I MEAN, YOU'RE JUST SITTING THERE QUIETLY. ROBERT GARCIA'S NOT POPULAR AMONGST THE CROWD, BUT HE'S ACTUALLY MORE VOCAL THAN YOU ARE. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT. YOU ARE OUR LEADER, YOU'RE OUR CITY LEADER. I ONCE BELIEVED IN YOU, BUT YOUR INACTION TOWARDS THIS SPECIFIC PRO PROBLEM IS NOT EXCUSABLE. YOU ARE THE REASON WHY I AM RUNNING FOR MAYOR BECAUSE YOU DO NOT ACT. YOU JUST SPEAK BUT WITH NO ACTION. SO IT'S JUST WORDS THAT IT'S LIKE A FART, YOU KNOW? SO ANYWAYS, I JUST URGE EVERYONE IN HERE LISTENING TO THE SOUND OF MY VOICE. I DON'T WANT TO BE MAYOR. I DON'T. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT THANK YOU. YOUR TIME, MR. TO ALSO PUT YOUR NAME IN THE HAT. SO PUT YOUR NAME IN THE HAT BECAUSE IF NOT, THANK YOU. I WILL TAKE THE CITY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT IS, UH, LEXI WYNN. [02:20:01] AFTER LEXI IS SASHI, THEN NO ME. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME'S LEXI WYNN. I'M ACTUALLY A RESIDENT IN CHRISTINA DUGAN'S DISTRICT. UH, WHEN I FIRST CAME, THEY CAME TO PARAMOUNT AND LOS ANGELES. I WENT STRAIGHT TO THAT HOME DEPOT WHERE THEY WERE ABDUCTING PEOPLE IN THE PARKING LOTS. IT IS NOW FEBRUARY, 2026. THAT WAS IN JUNE, 2025. WE ARE EIGHT MONTHS OUT ASKING FOR A RESOLUTION TO ENCOURAGE A CITY ATTORNEY TO DRAFT SOMETHING AND JOIN OTHER CITIES WHEN IT'S BECOME POLITICALLY CONVENIENT AND POPULAR FOR YOU. NOW, SHANE, 30 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TAKEN WHEN COVID WAS TAKING OVER THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD, MAYOR REX, RICHARD, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, THE CITY PUT OUT AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE CITY WAS ENTERING A STATE OF EMERGENCY FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE FIRST CASE. WHY ARE WE NOT BEING PROACTIVE? THIS IS THE LEAST WE CAN DO. WE ARE IN A CITY EMERGENCY. WE NEED IT FORMALLY ANNOUNCED SO THAT WE CAN STREAMLINE THOSE RESOURCES AND MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. WE NEED TO SUPPORT PEACE PATROLS. AND I'M ASKING WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM THAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY GOING TO COME ABOUT SINCE JULY. WE NEED ICE OUT. WE NEED YOU TO DO MORE. BE BOLD. BE BOLD. THANK YOU SASHI. AND THEN NOMI. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. UH, WE'RE HERE TO SU WE SUPPORT THE REVOLUTION, BUT WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A SOFTBALL. WE'RE CALLING ON YOU TO TAKE AN IMMEDIATE ACTION AND REPUDIATION OF DHS AND ALL ITS BUREAUS TO SUPPORT A GROUP OF OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR MEMBERS THAT ARE ABOUT TO BE, UH, PUT AT, AT FORCED EXPOSURE TO DHS AT 3 0 1 EAST OCEAN BOULEVARD. UH, THE, THE, UH, THE, THE CITY IS, UH, THERE'S A NEW DEPARTMENT CREATED IN THE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES. A SEGMENT OF THAT POPULATION IS GONNA BE RELOCATED TO THAT ADDRESS, WHICH IS, UH, THERE'S ALSO A SUITE OF DHS IN THERE. NOW I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TOLD IT'S CBP WELL GUESS WHAT? CBP ARE THE ALLEGED MURDERERS OF RENEE GOOD AND ALEX PREDDY. SO IN THE TODAY'S CLIMATE, IT IS CAUSING STRESS, ANXIETY, AND PUTTING THEM AT RISK BECAUSE WE KNOW THESE LAWBREAKERS DHS ARE TERRORISTS. THEY DON'T FOLLOW THE RULE LAW. YEP. SO WE'RE AT, WE'RE AT THE EASY ASK, UH, UH, IS TO ASK YOU TO IMMEDIATELY TO SAY THE DEPARTMENT FROM RELOCATING THOSE EMPLOYEES UNTIL AN ALTERNATIVE AND SAFE LOCATION CAN BE FOUND TO HOUSE THEM. THEY CAN TELECOMMUTE A HUNDRED PERCENT. IT'S NOT GONNA INTERRUPT THE OPERATIONS. SO WE DO HAVE A MEET AND CONFER ON THAT. BUT THE WAY THE DEPARTMENT IS GOING, IT'S ALREADY A DONE DEAL THAT THEY'RE GONNA MOVE INTO THERE, WHICH MIGHT'VE BEEN OKAY WHEN THEY STARTED THIS PROCESS. PROBABLY 12 OR 24, 12 TO 24 MONTHS AGO. BUT NOW THE CLIMATE, IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE. SO WE'RE CALLING FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE SUPPORT TO TALK TO THE DEPARTMENT TO ATE. THANK YOU. MOVING THE, THE SO YOUR TIME CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NOMI AND THEN LOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, WE HAVE CONTINUOUSLY ASKED FOR LEADERSHIP TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY. AT THIS POINT, IF ANY CITY IS NOT DOING THIS, YOU CAN CONSIDER YOURSELF A FAILURE. UM, IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT TRAFFICKING, I AM CURRENTLY HELPING A MOTHER WITH AN OPEN ASYLUM CASE WHO HAD AN OPEN ASYLUM CASE AND HER THREE CHILDREN, INCLUDING AN EIGHT MONTH OLD THAT WAS KIDNAPPED AT HER CHECK-IN APPOINTMENT LAST WEEK, UH, DEPRIVED OF HER DUE PROCESS. SHE TOLD ME ABOUT BEING FLOWN TO COMMERCIAL ON TWO COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS, UH, FLOWN BY DELTA AND FORCED TO LET HER CHILDREN ONE BY ONE BE TAKEN, UM, BY TO THE BATHROOM BY STRANGERS WHO THEY'VE NEVER MET BEFORE. UH, SHE WAS DUMPED IN GUATEMALA WITH NOTHING BUT THE CLOTHES ON HER BACK. NO MONEY, NO NOTHING. SEVEN HOURS AWAY FROM HER CLOSEST TOWN. I READ HER APPLICATION FOR ASYLUM AND IT WAS STOMACH CHURNING. SHE CAME TO SEEK REFUGE AND WAS MET WITH PERSECUTION. I WANT YOU TO STAND BY YOUR WORD AND I WANT YOU TO DROP EVERYTHING ON YOUR AGENDAS BEYOND THIS AND FOCUS ON PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY WHILE WE WORK TO DISMANTLE THE GESTAPO. YOU SHOULD BE OUT THERE ON THE STREETS. UNLESS YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE ON THE GROUND, YOU CANNOT PRETEND TO KNOW OR UNDERSTAND THE HARM THAT ICE HAS CAUSED. D-H-S-C-P-B, ALL THOSE M***********S IN OUR, TO OUR COMMUNITIES PROACTIVELY AND PUBLICLY, REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY TOMORROW. LET THEM KNOW IN THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGES AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY CAN [02:25:01] HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXERCISE THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT. GIVE THEM THE PHONE NUMBER TO CALL. AND YOU YOURSELF SHOULD EDUCATE YOURSELF EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PERSON IS KIDNAPPED. YEP. LASTLY, LBPD. CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED. ANYTHING ROOTED IN THE OPPRESSION OF THE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES SHOULD BE ABOLISHED. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, UH, LOU AND THEN RACHEL, IF YOU'LL THINK PASSING THIS RESOLUTION, WE'LL GET CHRISTIE NOME REMOVED FROM OFFICE AND THAT TRUMP IS GONNA NOMINATE THE DEI FERRY AS HER REPLACEMENT, THEN GO AHEAD. BUT YOU KNOW BY NOW THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS WANT. Y'ALL SAID SO MANY WORDS JUST NOW. YOU COULDN'T SAY THE TWO WORDS THAT WE ACTUALLY WANT TO HEAR, WHICH ARE ABOLISH ICE ABOLISH DHS THE PROBLEM ISN'T TRUMP THE PROBLEM ISN'T A LACK OF OVERSIGHT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THESE AGENCIES HAVE BEEN CREATED BY THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX SO THAT THEY CAN FEED OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS INTO THAT SYSTEM. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE WANNA SEE THESE CONCRETE ACTIONS FROM THE CITY REVOKE BUSINESS LICENSES FOR HOTELS, HOUSING, ICE AGENTS, CLOSE THEM DOWN. USE THE CITY EMERGENCY BROADCAST CHANNELS TO IMMEDIATELY INFORM RESIDENTS WHEN KIDNAPPINGS OCCUR. REVOKE THE CITY'S SUPPORT FOR ANDEL, A COMPANY WHICH IS IN DIRECT COLLABORATION WITH BOTH PALANTIR AND DHS TO CONDUCT SURVEILLANCE ON BOTH IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND LEGAL OBSERVERS. DENY THEIR PROPOSED CAMPUS IN LONG BEACH. DO NOT LET THAT BE BUILT. LASTLY, I HEARD COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS OTI TALK ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE SCARED IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS. OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS BEEN SCARED IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE THEY'RE ROUTINELY TERRORIZED BY LONG BEACH POLICE. L-B-P-D-K-K-K. Y'ALL KNOW THIS ONE. Y'ALL KNOW THIS ONE. THEY'RE IOF ICE. THEY'RE ALL THE SAME. YEAH. Y'ALL WANT TO TALK ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY? LET'S START WITH SOME ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE CITY THAT YOU WERE ELECTED TO SERVE. WOO. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS RACHEL AND THEN LESLIE. HI. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. AND I APPRECIATE THE, UH, AMENDMENT THAT YOU ARE. WHATEVER'S ON THE AGENDA GETTING RID OF. NO. YES. BUT I HAVE SOME CONCERNS. JUST LIKE MANY OF MY FELLOW LONG BEACH RESIDENTS ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF LONG BEACH PD WITH WHAT SEEMS TO BE ASSISTING ICE. I MEAN, HERE THEY ARE, RIGHT HERE PROTECTING, UH, ICE AGENTS AS THEY GET COME OUT OF THEIR HOTEL AT THE HOMEWOOD SUITE. AND WHY? UM, AND WHILE I, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND, I FEEL LIKE BACK, I FOUND THIS ARTICLE FROM AUGUST WHERE IT SPOKE ABOUT WHEN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT WAS PASSED, AND IT SAID, DESPITE THE STRENGTHS, THE UPDATE STILL STOPS. TWO CRUCIAL STEPS, ENSURING THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT PROTECT THE LAWFUL EXERCISE OF FREE SPEECH DURING PROTESTS, UM, AND EMPOWERING AND REQUIRING LONG BEACH PD TO INVESTIGATE, ARREST AND PRESENT FOR PROSECUTION. FEDERAL OFFICERS. THANK YOU. ESPECIALLY IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOM ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. NOW, THIS WAS IN AUGUST, AND IF THE LAST TUESDAY, UH, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL ROB BONTA PUT OUT A STATEMENT WHERE HE REMINDED, UH, BASICALLY I LAW ENFORCEMENT IN CALIFORNIA THAT THEY CAN ARREST AND AGENTS, FEDERAL AGENTS CAN BE PROSECUTED. THEY ARE VIOLATING THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF PEOPLE LEFT AND RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD SHOW HIS PICTURE, BUT MA'AM, YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED. I GOT IT RIGHT HERE. PARDON? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. YOUR TIME CONCLUDED. SHOW TO FEEL FREE TO LEAVE IT WITH, UH, THE CLERK. . ALRIGHT. RACHEL W JOB IS RACHEL HERE. IS RACHEL W HERE? YEAH. OKAY. IS RACHEL W HERE? THAT WAS ME. THAT'S YOU. SHE'S IS LESLIE HERE? YES. OKAY. LESLIE UP. DIDN'T THEY CALL RACHEL? OKAY. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE TESTIMONY. AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO, WALKING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD FEELS LIKE A THREAT. MY NEIGHBORS ARE DISAPPEARING AND NO ONE KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT THEM. STREET VENDORS ARE NO LONGER ARRIVING TO LOCAL SCHOOLS TO SELL DUE TO FEAR OF DETAINMENT PEOPLE I'VE KNOWN MY WHOLE LIFE. I LOOK AROUND AND MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS EMPTY. UM, I LIVE NEXT TO . I SEE KIDS WALKING TO SCHOOL ALONE OUT OF FEAR OF DETENTION. MY SISTER, WHO ATTENDS W HIGH SCHOOL, TOLD ME THAT STUDENTS DON'T FEEL SAFE IN ENGAGING IN SCHOOL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS WINTER FORMAL OUT OF FEAR OF ENCOUNTERS WITH ICE. MY MOM WORKS AT THE HILTON DOWNTOWN. SHE'S WORKED THERE FOR 35 YEARS, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, SHE'D FEEL SCARED TO GO TO WORK. HER COWORKERS HAVE STOPPED SHOWING UP TO WORK BECAUSE SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN DETAINED. THE LEVEL OF FEAR AND TRAUMA BEING INFLICTED INTO OUR COMMUNITY CANNOT BE UNDER MAYOR REX, [02:30:01] I AM ASKING YOU TO TAKE A REAL STANCE AGAINST ICE. PLEASE DON'T BE LIKE ROBERT GARCIA AND COME TO LONG BEACH WITH FALSE PROMISES THAT ULTIMATELY ONLY SERVE THEIR OWN POLITICAL FUTURES AND PROVE THE LIFE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS. THIS IS A LIVED EXPERIENCE, BUT YOU'RE NOT LIVING IT. I AM HERE SPEAKING FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T. YES. ALRIGHT. I SEE TWO ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS. I'LL ALLOW YOU TO SPEAK. YOU'RE NOT ON OUR LIST, BUT IT'S FINE. I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE IT, BUT YOU CAN. WE'RE GONNA ALLOW YOU TO SPEAK. ALL RIGHT. MY NAME IS CARRIE. I HAVE A BUSINESS IN DISTRICT THREE, AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT SIX. AND I WANNA KNOW WHY. THE ONLY INCIDENCES WHEN IT COMES TO ICE SITUATIONS HERE IN LONG BEACH ARE THE ONES THAT ARE AT POLLY'S PIES AND THE SIGHTING ON SECOND OF BAYSHORE AND THE TAKING OF THE GARDENERS IN THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD. WHAT ABOUT THE KID? THE PEOPLE FROM 10TH AND CHERRY OR MAGNOLIA AND WILLOW? WHY ARE WE NOT HAVING IMMEDIATE, OR WHY DO YOU GUYS HAVE IMMEDIATE MEETINGS ABOUT THE SHOOTINGS ON SECOND STREET, YET? BROWN FAMILIES ARE BEING DETAINED, SEPARATED, DEPORTED ACROSS THE CITY WITHIN 24 HOURS? WHAT QUALIFIES AS KIDNAPPING IN THIS CITY? AND WHO DECIDES WHO'S NEWSWORTHY? WHAT ABOUT KEITH PORTER? WHAT ABOUT AVARIO GONZALEZ AND THE DOZENS, COUNTLESS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN KILLED AT THE HANDS OF ICE? I WANNA KNOW IF THE CITY COUNCIL KNOWS WHAT THE KAVANAUGH STOP IS, WHERE THEY ALLOW ICE AGENTS TO RACIALLY PROFILE AND PICK UP WHETHER YOU'RE UNDOCUMENTED BASED ON THE LANGUAGE YOU SPEAK. DO YOU GUYS KNOW THAT ICE HAS BEEN BY LAFAYETTE KETTERING HUGHES, LONGFELLOW MAN IN JORDAN SCHOOLS, THAT MOMS ARE MESSAGING ON SIGNAL APPS AND PATROLLING THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT BORDER PATROLS UNIFORMS ARE NEARLY IDENTICAL TO LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SAFETY OFFICERS AND KIDS CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE. SHANE, SHANE. VOLUNTEERS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE TERRIFIED. MA'AM, YOUR TIMES CONCLUDED. AND THESE ARE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HOLDING UP THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. MY NAME IS BRITTANY MARTIN, AND YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING WHY I AM DRESSED AS SUPERGIRL, BECAUSE SUPERGIRL IS A REFUGEE ON THIS PLANET. SHE CAME HERE WHEN SHE HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO GO. SHE EMBODIES EVERYTHING. OUR IMMIGRANTS STAND FOR HARD WORK, DETERMINATION, COMMUNITY, AND A DREAM FOR A BETTER LIFE. JUST AS SUPERGIRL IMMIGRANTS GIVE FAR MORE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR TAX DOLLARS THAN THEY TAKE. IT'S EXTREMELY FUNNY THAT Y'ALL HAVE SAID TONIGHT THAT NO ONE IS ABOVE ACCOUNTABILITY. THAT ACCOUNTABILITY MATTERS THAT YOU ARE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT BETRAYING US. WHAT ABOUT LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY? I'VE ALREADY PUT THE CITY ATTORNEY ON NOTICE THAT THE LPD IS ACTIVELY VIOLATING SB 54 20 17 AND, AND THE CONSTITUTION FOR COORDINATING WITH ICE, WHICH OPENS UP THE DOOR. MY NOTICE JUST DID THIS FOR ALL OF THE LAWSUITS THAT THE CITY WILL HAVE TO PAY THE CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUITS. YEAH, I AM SURE THAT YOU ARE MORE THAN AWARE OF ALL THE RIGHTS THAT ARE BEING VIOLATED, BUT I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU IN PARTICULAR ABOUT EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW. LONG BEACH IS FAR MORE CONCERNED PROTECTING ICE CRIMINALS THAN PEACEFUL PROTESTORS. AND THAT'S ILLEGAL. I'M HERE TO SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TODAY. MARK MY WORDS. WE, THE PEOPLE WILL BE REMOVING ANY AND ALL FORMS OF POLITICAL IMMUNITY AND RETROACTIVELY PROSECUTING EVERY SINGLE POLITICIAN WHO WAS COMPLACENT. BECAUSE COMPLACENCY IS A CRIME AT THIS POINT AND TANTAMOUNT TO TREASON. MY MESSAGE IS SIMPLE. STEP UP, STEP OUT OR BE STEPPED ON FOR JUSTICE BECAUSE I WILL ENSURE THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU IS THAT NER BONE 2.0 SAID BALL BEACH. ALRIGHT, UH, THANKS EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT. THERE WASN'T A PERFORMANCE. THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE. I, I APPRECIATE IT. S**T STRAIGHT. NOW IT'S OUR TURN NOW. THANK YOU. YO. NO, IT'S BEEN YOUR F*****G TURN. F**K ALL YOU GUYS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO, UH, THANKS EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT. UH, WE HEAR YOU. UM, YOU KNOW WHAT I'LL TELL YOU IS FOR YOU TO HEAR US, RIGHT? SO LET'S BE CLEAR ON A FEW THINGS. SO FIRST, FOR THOSE WHO SAID THAT WE'RE JOINING CITIES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JOINING CITIES NATIONALLY. I'M GONNA ASK, UM, FINISHED GUYS. 3000. THANK YOU. FREE YOURSELF. ALRIGHT. [02:35:02] ALRIGHT, THANKS. SO LET'S, LET'S BE CLEAR ON A FEW THINGS. THIS IS US JOINING NATIONAL VOICES, OUR RESEARCH. WE HAVEN'T SEEN A SINGLE CITY IN CALIFORNIA WHO'S FORMERLY CALLED FOR CHRISTINE. NO NO'S RESIGNATION. WE'RE JOINING CITIES LIKE, UH, THIS, WE'RE JOINING CITIES LIKE MINNEAPOLIS, CITIES, LIKE, UH, PHILADELPHIA. UH, WE'RE TALKING WITH OTHER CITIES IN CALIFORNIA. THERE ARE LEGISLATORS IN THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO ARE NOW CALLING FOR BOTH, UM, UH, UH, IMPEACHMENT OR RESIGNATION. SO WE ARE JOINING THAT LARGER EFFORT. BUT TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE AMONGST THE FIRST IN CALIFORNIA TO DO THAT. JUST SO WE ARE CLEAR ON THAT. UH, THE SECOND PIECE, NORMALLY IF FOLKS ARE ON PUBLIC COMMENT, YOU CAN'T REALLY DISCUSS WHAT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA. IT'S ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT. THAT'S WHY WHEN PEOPLE, UH, BRING UP THESE ISSUES, WE CAN ACTUALLY CLARIFY. WE HEAR SO MANY THINGS AND I'M SITTING HERE LIKE, DUDE, IT'S RIGHT HERE ON THE WEBSITE. YOU WOULD KNOW THAT WE TOOK THIS ACTION A YEAR AGO OR SIX MONTHS AGO. SO WE GET TO ACTUALLY CLARIFY BECAUSE IT'S ON THE AGENDA. MR. CITY MANAGER OR MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, HEY, THIS IS HOW WE GET CLARITY. LET'S BE CLEAR. THIS IS HOW WE GET CLARITY. YOU CAN GO TO THE RALLY. OKAY. WHO WANTS TO HEAR WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY OR CITY MANAGER MIGHT HAVE TO SAY ABOUT YOUR QUESTIONS? IF NOT, WE'LL LET YOU KEEP SHOUTING. IT'S GOTTA BE A TWO-WAY THING. UNLESS WE LISTEN TO YOU. YOU GOTTA LISTEN TO US. OKAY, FINE. CONVERSATION. ARE WE GONNA DO THIS? GO THE CLARIFICATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO EXCHANGE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LISTEN HERE. MR. CITY MANAGER, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE RAISED THE QUESTION OF LONG BEACH POLICE COLLABORATING OR ASSISTING IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS. ARE LONG BEACH POLICE OFFICERS ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS? NO, WE DO NOT DO COM UH, THOSE TYPES OF ACTIONS AS A CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT OR USING ANY CITY RESOURCES, WHETHER IT'S IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR IN THE CITY. IT'S ACTUALLY A POLICY THAT WE LED ON AND STARTED BACK IN, UH, IN 2018. IN FACT, IT WAS MARCH 13TH, 2018, THAT, THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THE COUNCIL, ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES TO HAVE A VALUES ACT. UH, AND THEN, UH, WE ALSO FOLLOW SB 54, WHICH IS THE STATE, UH, UH, ACT AS WELL. AND THEN WE'VE ADJUSTED THAT ACT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AS WE'VE HEARD, UH, INPUT FROM COMMUNITY ABOUT THINGS THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, WHETHER IT APPLIED TO ALL AGENCIES IN IN LONG BEACH. AND SO, UH, THAT WAS TAKEN UP, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR IN JANUARY, UH, TO FULLY CLARIFY THAT. ALRIGHT, SO, SO WE RECENTLY EXPANDED THAT TO CITY CONTRACTORS, CORRECT? YES. SO, UM, WE NOW HAVE LANGUAGE ALSO IN OUR CONTRACT SAYING THAT YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE ANY CITY RESOURCES. UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE'RE IN CONTRACT WITH THAT WE HAVE CONTROL OVER, UH, TO, UH, SHARE ANY INFORMATION THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. GREAT. AND SO, UH, ANY CONTRACTS MOVING FORWARD? 'CAUSE WE HEAR INJURE CONTRACTS WITH HOTELS. DO WE HAVE ANY CONTRACTS WITH HOTELS? AND WOULD THEY ACTUALLY, UH, VIOLATE THE VALUES ACT BUSINESS? YEAH. SO DO WE DO NOT HAVE ANY CONTRACTS WHERE WE'RE SUPPORTING HOTELS, WHERE WE'RE BUYING ROOMS OR ANY OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS? UH, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE A PERMIT TO BE ABLE TO SHOW UP AT THE AIRPORT. THOSE ARE VERY STANDARD THINGS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IMMIGRATION. UH, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE ANY CONTRACTS THAT, YOU KNOW, OR ABILITY TO, UH, TO, UH, INFLUENCE WHAT A HOTEL DOES IN THE CITY. OKAY. IF FOLKS WANTED TO HAVE A REAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THESE POLICIES, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO REQUEST MEETINGS WITH MY OFFICE, THE COUNCIL OFFICES, BUT HOW COULD THEY REQUEST A MEETING THEY HAVE, LET'S SAY, A LEGAL QUESTION OR A QUESTION FOR THE OFFICE OF EQUITY? HOW COULD THEY REQUEST THAT MEETING TO GET THAT INFORMATION? UH, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY THROUGH THE, UH, OFFICE OF EQUITY TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS. UM, WE CAN, UH, UH, THEY CAN EMAIL US AT CITY MANAGER@LONGBEACH.GOV AND WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT GETS TO THE OFFICE OF EQUITY OF EQUITY. MM-HMM . AND MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, IF THERE ARE LEGAL QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF MULTIPLE OF IS MULTITUDE OF ISSUES THAT COMES UP IN PUBLIC COMMENT, HOW WOULD ONE GET THE APPROPRIATE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION? LIKE, COULD YOU PULL A BUS BUSINESS LICENSE FROM A HOTEL WHO SERVES ICE? UH, THERE ARE EMAILS THAT WE RECEIVE AT THE CITY ATTORNEY MAILBOX ASKING EXACTLY THOSE QUESTIONS. WE'VE GOTTEN SEVERAL THIS WEEK AND WE ALWAYS ANSWER THOSE EMAILS. GREAT. SO HERE'S WHAT I'D LIKE, HERE'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO, TO SAY TONIGHT IS A VERY SPECIFIC ACTION GOING ON. RECORD FORMALLY CA AS A MAJOR TOP 10 CITY IN [02:40:01] CALIFORNIA, ADDING OUR VOICE TO A GROUND GROUNDSWELL, ASKING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY LEGALLY, THERE ARE TWO INDIVIDUALS IN AMERICA WHO HAVE THE ABILITY TO STOP ICE IMMEDIATELY. DIRECT ACTION. THAT'S THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THAT'S SECRETARY NOME. THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN THROUGH THAT STRATEGY IS THROUGH WHAT YOU ALL ARE VERY WELL DOING, PUBLIC PROTEST, BUT ALSO CITIES FORMALLY DEMANDING THIS. SO IT'S A PART OF AN INSIDE OUTSIDE STRATEGY. THEY BOTH HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER. SO THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN. CONGRESS HAS A ROLE. THE PURSE STRING IS OWNED BY CONGRESS, BOTH SIDES. YOU HAVE TO MAIN MAINTAIN PRESSURE, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS. CITIES CAN COMMUNICATE OUR POSITIONS TO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AS WELL AS A PART OF THIS MOTION IS COMMUNICATE THIS POSITION DIRECTLY TO CONGRESS ON BOTH SIDES. AND THEN THERE'S THE OUTSIDE STRATEGY. VOTING, VOTING MATTERS. ELECTIONS MATTER. WE ARE NOT GONNA WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER. WE'RE GONNA TAKE EVERY ACTION WE CAN HERE. IF FOLKS REALLY TRULY WANT TO STOP ICE, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERY LEGAL ABILITY, INCLUDING TAKE LIKE DIRECT ACTION TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE SECRETARY. LEGAL ACTION, SUPREME COURT LAWSUITS, LITIGATION, ALL STEPS. THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAS TAKEN IS CONTINUING TO TAKE. IF TRULY WHAT PEOPLE TRULY WANT TO SEE IS TO STOP ICE IN OUR CITIES. THESE ARE ESSENTIAL STEPS. THIS IS JUST ONE BY NO MEAN. IS THIS ALL THE STEPS? THIS IS ONE IMPORTANT STEP THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE. WE THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE THANK THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. WE CAN, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO ITEM 19. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'RE MOVING ON TO ITEM 19, COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN, COUNCILWOMAN KERR. RECOMMENDATION [19. 26-54192 Recommendation to request City Manager to work with relevant City staff for a Council presentation on the dog park designation municipal process, including an evaluation of current inventory of off-leash areas and needs for additional locations within 120 days.       Office or Department: Mary Zendejas, Councilwoman, First District; Cindy Allen, Councilwoman, Second District; Megan Kerr, Councilwoman, Fifth District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] TO WORK WITH THE RELEVANT CITY STAFF FOR A COUNCIL PRESENTATION ON THE DOG PARK DESIGNATION, MUNICIPAL PROCESS, INCLUDING AN EVALUATION OF CURRENT INVENTORY OF OFF LEASH AREAS AND NEEDS FOR ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS WITHIN 120 DAYS. ALL RIGHT, UM, THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND INVITE. ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS. YOU'RE AWESOME. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, IT'S NO SECRET THAT, UM, LONG BEACH IS A DOG CITY. WE VALUE OUR DOGS AND SEE THEM AS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. A LOT OF PEOPLE DEPEND ON EMOTIONAL SUPPORT THAT DOGS BRING TO THEM. HAVING SPACES WHERE THEY CAN EXERCISE, PLAY, AND SOCIALIZE IS IMPORTANT. I CONTINUE TO HOST, UM, MY ANNUAL INDEPENDENCE DOG PARADE THAT IS WELL ATTENDED BY MANY CARING DOG PARENTS WHO WISH TO SHOWCASE THEIR PETS AND ALSO MEET OTHER DOG OWNERS IN THE AREA. DOGS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE CULTURE OF MY DISTRICT, IN THE LIVES OF MY RESIDENTS, AND IN OUR CITY AS A HOME. AS WE ALL KNOW, DOG OWNERSHIP COMES WITH GREAT RESPONSIBILITIES TO ENSURE THAT OUR DOGS ARE UP TO DATE WITH VACCINES WELL FED AND WELL EXERCISED. UNFORTUNATELY, FOR A LONG TIME, OUR CITY HAS EXPERIENCED CHALLENGES IN URBAN GREEN SPACE PLANNING. IN DISTRICT ONE, SPECIFICALLY, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS LACK GREEN SPACE SPACES FOR RECREATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PURPOSES. THAT MEANS THAT FOR MANY YEARS, DOG PARKS HAVE BEEN AN AFTERTHOUGHT IN THE PLANNING PROCESS. IT HAS BEEN OVER A DECADE SINCE THE CITY HAS ADDRESSED A COMPREHENSIVE POLICY REGARDING THE OPENING AND OPERATION OF DOG PARKS. FROM THIS, MANY OF OUR EXISTING OFF-LEASH CITY REGULATIONS CAME ABOUT. RECENT TRENDS POINT TO A GROWING DEMAND AND NEED FOR DOG PARKS. LESS PEOPLE ARE CHOOSING TO HAVE KIDS, BUT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE CHOOSING TO HAVE PETS. IN MY DISTRICT ALONE, THERE IS A STRONG DOG OWNER COMMUNITY THAT HAS COME TOGETHER TO ADVOCATE FOR, FOR IMPORTANT CITY AMENITIES. AND IT IS AN IMPORTANT, AND [02:45:01] IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS THAT ARE REFLECTED IN THE CITYWIDE PLANNING AND THAT THEY ARE CONSIDERED AS A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF LONG BEACH. MY INTENT WITH THIS ITEM IS TO BRING LIGHT TO THE NEED AND TO RECEIVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DOG PARK DESIGNATION PROCESS, UM, OUR CURRENT STOCK AND EXISTING OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN MEET THE NEEDS. I WANT TO THANK PARKS REX AND MARINES DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR STRONG PARTNERSHIP ON THIS. AND I WANT TO, UM, AND I WANT TO URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS. AND I ALSO WANNA THANK ALL OF MY DISTRICT ONE RESIDENTS, DOG PARENTS WHO HAVE BROUGHT THIS FORWARD TO MY ATTENTION AND WHO ADVOCATE FOR OUR DOGS HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DONALD KIRK. YES. UH, THANK YOU. UM, MR. VICE MAYOR. UM, WE HEAR A LOT, I THINK ALL OF US ABOUT WE NEED MORE DOG PARKS AND I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES FOR ASKING ME TO SIGN ON TO THIS ITEM. IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT NEW DOG PARKS IN LONG BEACH. UM, WE'VE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN DISTRICT FIVE IN THE PAST THREE YEARS ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE. AND I THINK THE THING I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT WITH THIS ITEM IS TO COME UP WITH PARAMETERS THAT WORK FOR ALL DISTRICTS AND COMING UP WITH, UH, PLANS OF, IS IT JUST FENCING? IS IT UTILITIES? ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE A DOG PARK. I THINK THERE ARE SPACES ACROSS THE CITY OF VARYING SIZES THAT WOULD FIT THAT DESCRIPTION, BUT HAVING A RUBRIC OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. SO, AS COUNCIL OFFICES AND, UH, THE PRM DEPARTMENT LOOK TO MAKE PLANS, WE CAN ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITY AROUND COSTS, AROUND FUNDRAISING, AROUND FRIEND GROUPS THAT HELP MAINTAIN THOSE AND ANSWER ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS. UH, DISTRICT FIVE DOES NOT HAVE ANY DOG PARKS. I DON'T THINK DISTRICT SIX OR DISTRICT NINE DO EITHER. UM, SO I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, UM, FORMALIZE ACROSS THE CITY THE PROCEDURE FOR REQUESTS, UH, FOR LOCATIONS, AS WELL AS, UM, COMING UP WITH A RUBRIC AROUND COSTS SO THAT WE CAN EFFECTIVELY ADVOCATE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. UM, YEAH, I I, IT, THIS SEEMS LIKE A BASIC ONE THAT I THINK WHEN WE'VE ASKED IN THE PAST, IT'S LIKE, OH, WE HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT. SO, UH, HAVING SOMETHING REPORTED BACK THAT WE CAN MAKE STRONG DECISIONS ON BOTH FISCALLY AND FOR COMMUNITY WILL BE SUPER HELPFUL. AGAIN, THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR THIS ITEM AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR REPORT BACK. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. YEAH. UM, I WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCILMAN ZENDEJAS FOR ASKING ME TO SIGN ON. UM, I'M ESPECIALLY EXCITED TO SUPPORT THE ITEM BECAUSE IT BUILDS ON THE WORK THAT I PREVIOUSLY, UH, BROUGHT FORWARD ON CREATING A NEW, UH, DOG BEACH. SO TOGETHER THESE EFFORTS HELP MOVE THE CONVERSATION FROM INDIVIDUAL, UH, LOCATIONS TO A BROADER, MORE THOUGHTFUL STRATEGY. UM, CREATING SPACE TO REVIEW OUR CURRENT INVENTORY AND IDENTIFY FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, ALLOWING US TO BETTER ALIGN PUBLIC SPACES WITH HOW RESIDENTS ACTUALLY USE THEM TODAY, ESPECIALLY AS PET OWNERSHIP WITHIN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH HAS JUST CONTINUED TO GROW. WE SEE PETS EVERYWHERE. AND, UM, AS WE LOOK AHEAD, I WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO SEE MORE GREEN SPACE AND MORE, UM, ACCESSIBILITY TO OFF LEASH SPACES, UM, THAT ARE INTEGRATED TO ALL OF OUR, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS. YOU KNOW, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I REALIZE IS THAT DOG PARKS OR DOG BEACHES ARE NOT JUST AMENITIES, BUT THEY ARE SHARED COMMUNITY SPACES THAT SUPPORT CONNECTION, UH, RECREATION AND JUST A QUALITY OF LIFE. SO, ONE THING I'M GONNA ASK AS WHEN THE CITY DOES BRING THIS REPORT BACK, I HOPE THAT STAFF WILL RECOGNIZE, UM, THE USEFULNESS OF LOW, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE OPTIONS, UM, FOR ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS SO THAT WE COULD EXPAND IN A PRACTICAL, EFFICIENT AND EQUITABLE WAY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS ITEM. HAPPY TO SUPPORT. THANK YOU CAST MEMBER. UH, WE HAVE THREE YOUNG PEOPLE LINED UP FOR, FOR THE COMMENT. UH, MAN LATINO AND RYAN WOLF, PLEASE LINE UP, MAKE COMMENTS. NICE TO SEE. GOOD EVENING. THIS SAYS MAYOR RICHARDSON. HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HEAR ME AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS BEN FISHER. I'M A DISTRICT ONE RESIDENT. I'M HERE TONIGHT FOR MY DOG, NONI, A FEMALE GERMAN [02:50:01] SHEPHERD MAL. OUR MIX WE RESCUED RIGHT OFF THE STREET. IF YOU KNOW THAT BREED, YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE DOGS WITH HIGH PHYSICAL NEEDS. WITHOUT SAFE OUTDOOR SPACE TO RUN OUR HOUSEHOLD SIMPLY DOES NOT DO WELL. NONI WOULD'VE BEEN A NIGHTMARE AT OUR LOCAL SHELTER, WHICH IS ALREADY AT A BREAKING POINT BY FOSTERING HER FOR 30 DAYS BEFORE ACTUALLY ADOPTING. WE SAVE THE CITY OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS IN BOARDING COSTS. WE ARE DOING OUR PART TO SOLVE THE SHELTER CRISIS, BUT THE CITY IS NOT PROVIDING THE BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE WE NEED TO SUCCEED AS PET OWNERS. PUBLIC WORKS' OWN PRESENTATION OCTOBER 16TH, DELIVERED BY CHRISTINA NGUYEN CONFIRMS THAT A DOG PARK HAS BEEN THE NUMBER ONE DOWNTOWN PARK REQUEST IN EVERY SURVEY SINCE 2019. DESPITE THIS, OUR OPTIONS ARE DISAPPEARING. THE DOG PARK HERE AT LINCOLN PARK WAS ONCE THE SIZE OF THE WHOLE MAIN LIBRARY. YOU CAN WELCOME ME TO GO OVER THERE. YOU'LL FIND HUMAN FECES AND YOU CAN NOT EVEN UNDERHAND A BALL THERE. RIGHT NOW THE CITY'S ELEVATE 28 WEBSITE LISTS THE LA COUNTY REGIONAL PARKS AND OPEN SPACE DISTRICT MEASURE A PARK FUNDS AS A FUNDING SOURCE FOR A MERCADO IN OUR DOWNTOWN PARK SPACE. WHERE'S THE COMMUNITY DATA SHOWING THAT A MARKET IS THE PRIORITY OVER A DOG PARK WE HAVE BEEN BEGGING FOR SINCE 2019? WE ARE TOLD THERE IS NO MONEY THAT IS FACTUALLY INCORRECT. IT MIGHT BE EARMARKED ON PAPER SOMEWHERE, BUT SINCE THE LA COUNTY MEASURE A PARK FUNDS BEGAN IN 2018, THE CITY HAS ALLOWED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO ACCRUE THAT ARE SITTING IDLE TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. HERE, I WANT YOU TO HEAR THE CURRENT UNSPENT BALANCES IN YOUR DISTRICTS FOR PARK SPACE. DISTRICTS ONE AND TWO. YOU HAVE $8 MILLION IN THE SOUTH ACCOUNT DISTRICTS EIGHT AND NINE. YOU HAVE OVER 3 MILLION DISTRICT SEVEN, ALMOST 3 MILLION, AND FOUR AND FIVE. YOU HAVE 2 MILLION ACROSS THE CITY. WE HAVE $17 MILLION IN PARK MONEY SITTING IN A BANK WHERE EXISTING PARKS DETERIORATE. THE CITY MIGHT CLAIM THESE FUNDS ARE EARMARKED FOR MERCADO OR OTHER FUNCTIONS ON THEIR WEBSITE. BUT I SPOKE WITH CHRISTINA ANGELS, WHO IS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE COUNTY PROGRAM. I'M NOT MAKING ANY OF THIS UP. THIS CAN COME OFF OF THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE. ALL OF THESE NUMBERS ARE OFF OF THEIR WEBSITE. CONFIRM THIS WEEK THAT THE CITY HAS ZERO APPROVALS AND ZERO PENDING APPLICATIONS FOR MERCADO AND SHE PROVIDED ME ALL THE DATA. FURTHERMORE, MEASURE A FUNDS ARE LEGALLY RESTRICTED TO ACTIVE USE RECREATIONAL AREA AND A DOG PARK IS A HUNDRED PERCENT ACTIVE USE. UNLIKE A MEDA WOULD BE MEASURE A ALSO RECRUIT REQUIRES PROOF OF A MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO UNLOCK THESE FUNDS, YOU HAVE THE MONEY, YOU HAVE THE SPACE, YOU HAVE THE DEMAND FOR A DOG PARK, STOP ACCRUING, ACCRUING MILLIONS IN COUNTY MONEY FOR ACTIVE PARK SPACE AND BUILD WITH THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT ONE OF ASKED FOR, FOR SIX YEARS A DOG PARK. PLEASE DON'T TELL US THERE IS A DOG PARK. IF YOU WANT TO GO TO PIKE PARK, IF YOU WANT TO GO TO LINCOLN PARK HERE, FEEL FREE TO GO AND SEE FOR YOURSELF. THAT IS NOT A PLACE ANYONE CAN POSSIBLY HAVE AN ANIMAL RUN AROUND AND THANK YOU FOR THIS ITEM, COUNCIL MEMBER. ALRIGHT, THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENT. NEXT SPEAKER IS MCKAYLA. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. MY NAME IS MIKAELA AND I RESIDE IN DISTRICT ONE. BEFORE I BEGIN ABOLISH ICE, I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS HERE TODAY ADVOCATING FOR OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS. I TOO AM AN IMMIGRANT AND VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ALL THAT IS GOING ON. I'M CURRENTLY ON ORDER LIST RAPID RESPONSE TEAM AND TRYING TO SUPPORT IN WHATEVER WAY I CAN. I WANNA ECHO THE COMMENTS SHARED EARLIER AND EXPRESS TO YOU ALL ON CITY COUNCIL HOW CRUCIAL IT IS THAT OUR CITY TAKES STEPS TO PROTECT THE SAFETY, DIGNITY, AND WELLBEING OF ALL WHO LIVE IN LONG BEACH, WHO CALL THIS PLACE HOME BUREAUCRACY MOVES TOO SLOWLY. WE'RE SEEING THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT DELAY RIGHT NOW WHEN SYSTEMS FAIL TO RESPOND, COMMUNITIES STEP IN AND BUILD THEIR OWN SOLUTIONS. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THE CITY WILL LEAD THAT WORK OR BE FORCED TO CATCH UP TO IT. NOW, REGARDING ITEM 19, THANK YOU MARY FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT, UH, THING TO PAY ATTENTION TO AND ARE PART OF LONG BEACH. THERE IS A CLEAR DEMONSTRATED NEED FOR A SUBSTANTIAL DOG PARK THAT IS BETWEEN, THAT SHOULD BE BETWEEN ONE TO FIVE ACRES WHERE DOGS HAVE, UH, SPACE TO RUN, BE SAFE, AND EXERCISE AND SOCIALIZE. SMALL DOG AREAS TUCKED INTO A CORNER OF A PARK, DO NOT MEET. COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE UNSANITARY AND OFTEN CREATE CONFLICT. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT DOG PARKS ARE NOT JUST FOR DOGS, LIKE CINDY SAID, THANK YOU. THEY ARE A POWERFUL COMMUNITY BUILDING SPACE WHERE NEIGHBORS MEET CONSISTENTLY, BUILD TRUST, SHARE INFORMATION, AND LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER IN TIMES OF EMERGENCIES. ICE CRISIS OR NEIGHBORHOOD CHALLENGES. THESE INFORMAL RELATIONSHIPS ARE OFTEN WOULD CREATE REAL RESILIENCE ON THE TOPIC OF EQUITY. WE LIVE IN A HIGHLY IMPACTED AREA WITH LIMITED PARKING, WHERE WALKABLE ACCESS TO GREEN SPACE IS ESSENTIAL. MANY RESIDENTS LIVE IN APARTMENTS, DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO BACKYARDS AND CANNOT REALISTICALLY DRIVE ACROSS TOWN DURING THE WEEK TO A DOG PARK IN EAST LONG BEACH THAT IS OF A SUBSTANTIAL SIZE LIKE REC PARK OR EL DORADO. SOME DON'T EVEN HAVE ACCESS TO A [02:55:01] CAR. THIS NEED IS NOT NEW AND IS FOREVER GROWING. SINCE AT LEAST 2019, THE NUMBER ONE COMMUNITY REQUEST IN THE DRAKE CHAVEZ EXPANSION MEETINGS HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN FOR A DOG PARK. AT THE SAME TIME, NEW DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENTS CONTINUE TO ATTRACT FAMILIES WITH DOGS WHO RELY ON PUBLIC SPACE FOR DAILY EXERCISE AND WELLBEING. AS THE COUNCIL CONSIDERS THIS IN FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS, I URGE YOU TO PRIORITIZE APPROPRIATELY SIZED DOG PARKS, NOT TOKEN SPACES. TREAT DOG PARKS AS CRITICAL SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT OPTIONAL AMENITIES, AND INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY EARLY AND MEANINGFULLY. MEANINGFULLY. INSIGHT, SELECTION AND DESIGN. THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT DOGS RUNNING OFF LEASH, IT'S ABOUT HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS, SAFER PARKS, AND A MORE CONNECTED LONG BEACH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE, RYAN. UH, GOOD EVENING ALL. JUST BEFORE STARTING, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS A LITTLE BIT TRIVIAL IN SOME WAYS TO BE TALKING ABOUT A DOG PARK WHEN WE'RE, YOU KNOW, HAD THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ICE EARLIER. UM, I CERTAINLY WHEN I JOINED IN THE NAVY DID NOT JOIN TO HAVE PEOPLE TURNED LOOSE AGAINST IMMIGRANTS. SO IT'S HARD TO WATCH. UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT THE DOG PARK. YOU KNOW, DOG PARKS ARE A CRUCIAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN NOTED MORE AND MORE PEOPLE OWN DOG PARKS. IF YOU LOOK AT DISTRICT ONE, UH, OUR TWO ZIP CODES, 9 0 8 0 2, AND 9 0 8 1 3 HAVE ABOUT 43,000 HOUSING UNITS. AND OVER AROUND 86% OF THOSE ARE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING UNITS. SO THIS MEANS PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE YARDS, UH, THAT IS MUCH HIGHER THAN YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER PART OF THE CITY. UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT A, A PLACE LIKE EL DORADO PARK, WHICH IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE GOLD STANDARDS IN OUR CITY FOR WHAT A DOG PARK SHOULD BE IN TERMS OF SCALE AND BEING USABLE. DOG PARK, YOU KNOW, THAT CONTRAST WITH 15,000 HOUSING UNITS IN THAT AREA AND 71% OF THOSE ARE SINGLE FAMILY UNITS. SO YOU WOULD ASSUME THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE PEOPLE AT LEAST HAVE A YARD. THEY HAVE MORE OPEN SPACE WITH WHICH THEY CAN EXERCISE THEIR DOGS. SO I THINK EQUITY IS LIKE A REALLY CRITICAL ISSUE HERE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED, THE FEW DOG PARKS WHICH ARE IN DOWNTOWN OR JUST SIMPLY NOT ADEQUATE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. UM, THEY WEREN'T REALLY DESIGNED WITH THE THOUGHT OF WHAT YOU WOULD NEED TO SUPPORT A POPULATION THAT YOU KNOW IS GOING TO PLACE GREAT DEMANDS ON THOSE FACILITIES. UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK FORWARD, UH, HOW WE CREATE A COHESIVE COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME DOG PARKS MIGHT SEEM LIKE A A FAIRLY MINOR THING, BUT GIVEN THE WAY OUR SOCIETY'S GOING IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVING FEWER KIDS, UH, PEOPLE LOOKING FOR COMPANIONSHIP, ALL OF THESE THINGS, DOGS ARE IMPORTANT. AND THEY'RE ALSO ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY ACTIVATE OUR GREEN AND PUBLIC SPACES IN WAYS WHICH WE'RE STRUGGLING TO IN A WAY WHICH KEEPS THE RIGHT ELEMENTS IN OUR PLACES. UH, ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO MAKE VIBRANT PUBLIC SPACES IS TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE IN THEM AND MORE PEOPLE USING THEM AT ALL HOURS OF THE DAY. DOG PARKS WILL CERTAINLY DO THAT. UM, PEOPLE WILL COME, UH, FOR EXAMPLE OVER IN CHAVEZ PARK. ONE OF THE MAJOR ISSUES WE HAVE IN THAT AREA IS THAT IS IS CRIME BASICALLY RIGHT NEAR THE SIXTH STREET BRIDGE RIGHT THERE. UM, IT IS VERY UNSAFE AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH THE LBPD PATROLS IT, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO USE THAT PARK. I THINK IF WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE BRINGING THEIR DOGS TO PARKS LIKE THAT AT ALL HOURS, THEN IT IS GOING TO GO A LONG WAYS TOWARD HELPING US MAKE THESE PLACES SAFE, SECURE, AND DESIRABLE PLACES AND STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY. SO WITH THAT, JUST WANNA SUMMARIZE. I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE FACILITIES, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S EQUITY IN TERMS OF ENOUGH FOR THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE, ENOUGH OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN THE TYPE OF HOUSING STOCK, WHICH IS MULTIFAMILY AND, UH, AND, AND AN ADEQUATE SPACE. SO THAT, SO THAT THEY CAN, THEY CAN ACTUALLY USE IT AND IT AND IT SERVES THEIR NEEDS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. I WASN'T ON THE LIST. CAN I SPEAK TO THIS AS WELL? COME ON. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. JUST MAKE SURE YOU STATE YOUR NAME. MY NAME IS IRENE CONFORTI AND I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE. I MOVED HERE ABOUT A YEAR AGO, SPECIFICALLY TO LONG BEACH BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A DOG FRIENDLY AREA. THIS HAS GOT A LOT OF COMMUNITY, I HAVE FOUND A LOT OF COMMUNITY AT THE CAESAR CHAVEZ PARK. AND I AM ALSO DISAPPOINTED AT SOME OF OUR LOCAL DOG PARKS THAT REALLY AREN'T, UM, GOING TO SUFFICE FOR MY BEAGLE, WHO ALSO DOES NEED A LOT OF SPACE TO ROAM AROUND. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP THIS IDEA OF HAVING MORE GREEN SPACES FOR OUR DOGS TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY. AND I ALSO NOTICE THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING THAT IS GOING UP RIGHT ACROSS FROM CAESAR CHAVEZ, THAT WILL IMPACT THE NEED EVEN GREATER. SO I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN. UM, AND THANK YOU MARY ANDEE HAS FOR DOING THIS. ALL RIGHT, THANKS FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. STAY ENGAGED A YEAR IN THE CITY ALREADY AT COUNCIL MEETINGS. GOOD JOB. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. UH, [03:00:01] YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK THAT THIS, UM, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ITEM TO OUR RESIDENTS JUST TO LEARN WHAT THE PROCESS IS. WHAT, WHAT THE, HOW DOES IT LOOK? HOW DO WE GET MORE DOG PARKS? UM, AS WAS MENTIONED IN PUBLIC COMMENT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A VERY DENSE DISTRICT. UM, OUR COMMUNITY IS LIKE, LIKE IT WAS STATED, PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DENSE, UM, DISTRICTS IN THE CITY. UM, AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DOG PARTS. SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO BRING THIS UP. UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, CITY STAFF OR TOM, IF YOU COULD ADDRESS MAYBE SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT WERE MENTIONED TODAY, IF YOU, UM, COULD HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THAT THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH US, PLEASE. I, I'M SORRY, WHAT NUMBERS ARE YOU REFERRING TO? UM, NUMBERS THAT, UM, MY RESIDENT BEN HAD MENTIONED IN REGARDS TO HAVING, UH, FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR, UM, FOR PARKS OR GREEN SPACE. UH, UH, YES, THERE ARE SOME, UH, REGIONAL PARK DOLLARS, UH, THAT WE HAVE ORIGINALLY, UH, OR RECENTLY, RECENTLY, UM, QUALIFIED FOR AGAIN. AND SO, UH, WE ARE PLANNING TO BRING, UH, THE COUNSELOR LATER THIS YEAR. UH, PART OF YEAR DIRECTION WAS TO CREATE A NEW FIVE YEAR INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN. UH, AND PART OF THAT WILL BE PARKS AND THERE ARE SOME PARK GRANT MONIES TO BE BRING INTO THAT. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR NEEDS. GONNA BRING THAT TO THE COUNCIL, UH, LATER THIS YEAR. UH, AND THOSE WILL BE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT, UH, AT PROGRAMS LIKE THIS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. ITEM 21, REPORT FROM ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES. RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT AND ANY NECESSARY DOCUMENTS WITH PACIFIC, UH, RIG PACIFIC COMPANY FOR SOLID [21. 26-54125 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any subsequent amendments, with Rehrig Pacific Company, of Monterey Park, CA, for solid waste containers with related technology solutions, on the same terms and conditions afforded to Sourcewell, in a total annual amount not to exceed $1,500,000, with a 20 percent contingency in the amount of $300,000, for a total annual contract amount not to exceed $1,800,000, until the Sourcewell contract expires on April 4, 2029, with the option to renew for as long as Sourcewell contract is in effect, at the discretion of the City Manager. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Energy and Environmental Services         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] WASTE CONTAINERS RELATED TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS ON THE SAME TERMS AND CONDITIONS AFFORDED TO SOURCE WELL FOR THE TOTAL ANNUAL CONTRACT AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED 1,800,000 CITYWIDE. ALRIGHT, ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ROGELIO MARTINEZ. OKAY, UH, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ITEM 23, REPORT FROM CITY ATTORNEY. RECOMMENDATION TO 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 FROM MILITARY EQUIPMENT [23. 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 and adopted as read. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Attorney         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] AS MANDATED BY ASSEMBLY BILL 4 81 RED AND ADOPTED IS RED CITYWIDE. ALL RIGHT, SEVEN MEMBERS OF PUBLIC SIGN UP TO SPEAK. UH, CAROL, CAROLYN ESSEX IS FIRST, THEN ROGELIO MARTINEZ, ANTHONY BRYSON, LOU ROSEN, SAMANTHA G FORREST, AND PETER E. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. LET ME SEE. SO HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH FROM THE DIRT. NO GROUP OF PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN MORE FOR THE FREEDOMS OF WHITE SUPREMACY, RACISM, AND DEATH UNDER THE COVER OF LAW. THIS MAY BE THE STOLEN LAND OF THE FREE, BUT IT IS THE HOME OF THE INDIGENOUS BRAVE. I WANNA SAY THAT, UM, PHILADELPHIA INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO LIMIT ICE AGENTS. CAN'T BE MASKED CHECKED, WE CAN CHECK THAT OFF FOR LONG BEACH. THEY MUST SHOW ID AND CAN ONLY OPERATE ON WARRANTS SIGNED BY A JUDGE. IF THEY ATTACK BYSTANDERS, THEY SHOULD BE ARRESTED. ARREST THE KIDNAPPERS. I SUPPORT LAW AND ORDER, BUT WHEN THERE IS NO ORDER, THERE'S NO LAW. ICE IS OUT OF CONTROL. AND DISPLAYING LAW THIS EVERY DAY, KEITH MOR, KEITH PORTER'S MURDERER, HAS NOT BEEN ARRESTED. AND WHAT WE HEAR IS FEAR. UH, LIKE THE TRAYVON MARTIN TRAGEDY, BLACK BOYS RESOLVED, THEY WERE NEXT IMPEACH DONALD TRUMP AND HIS ENTIRE CABINET, WE SEE MASK ICE. AND I'M GETTING TO TO ITEM NUMBER 23. WE SHOULD SEE EL WE SHOULD SEE AT LONG BEACH PD SURROUNDING THEM ASKING FOR WARRANT PAPERS AND ARRESTING THEM, DETAINING THEM, WHATEVER THEY WANT TO CALL IT. THEY ARE ILLEGAL. ADDITIONALLY, ADDITIONALLY, WHEN RESIDENCY MILITARY EQUIPMENT POLICIES ON THE AGENDA IN THE SAME TIME AS A RESOLUTION CONDEMNING HARMFUL FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, IT CAN FEEL LIKE THE CITY IS BRACING FOR WAR, UH, AGAINST THE RESIDENTS. HISTORY HAS SHOWN THAT TO BE THE CASE. BUT I THINK WE ARE MAKING CONNECTIONS HERE TONIGHT. AND THE KEY IS TRANSPARENCY AND EASILY [03:05:01] ACCESSIBLE FACTS. WE ARE MISSING FACTS. WE ARE MISSING THE ACTIONS THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY MAKING. UM, UH, SO THANK YOU FOR ITEM 25, RESOLUTION IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS AND MRS. BRIEF BRIEF, UH, FROM A FEW WEEKS AGO. AND I THINK PEOPLE DID NOT SEE THAT, UM, AND, UH, THAT THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED. UM, WHAT, AND I DID CALL FOR THAT IN PUBLIC COMMENTS ON DECEMBER NINE, SO I'M ACTUALLY GLAD THAT HAPPENED. UM, WHAT IS NOT, UM, AUTOMATIC? UM, BECAUSE WITHOUT TIGHT RULES REPORTING AND COMMUNITY OVERSIGHT, THESE TOOLS, MILITARIZED TOOLS CAN BE USED IN WAYS THAT ESCA ESCALATE ROUTINE SITUATIONS, DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTING BLACK AND BROWN NEIGHBORHOODS. SO WE WANT TO DEMAND NARROW DEFINITIONS OF WHEN EQUIPMENT CAN BE USED. MM-HMM . WE WANT PUBLIC QUARTERLY REPORTING ON DEPLOYMENTS. WE WANT MANDATORY DEESCALATION TRAINING TIED TO ANY EQUIPMENT USE. AND WE JUST WANT OVERSIGHT. WE WANT OVERSIGHT. HISTORY SHOWS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY, OFTEN TRAILS MA'AM INCLUDED, ESPECIALLY IN BLACK AND BROWN AND I WILL FINISH IN THE CITY. WE WANNA ADOPT INDEPENDENT CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT WITH THESE MILITARIZED TOOLS. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS ROGELIO. SO MILITARY EQUIPMENT SPECIAL ORDER. SO, UH, TYPICALLY YOU RAISE A MILITARY TO FIGHT AGAINST SOMEONE. SO WHO ARE WE FIGHTING AGAINST? LIKE WHY ARE WE BRINGING MORE MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO OUR LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT? THAT MAKES NO SENSE. FUNDING ACQUISITION, USE AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR MILITARY EQUIPMENT AS MANDATED BY ASSEMBLY. BILL 4 81, LIKE SHE JUST SAID, SHE BROUGHT UP A REALLY GOOD POINT, WHICH IS WHY IS THIS AGENDA ITEM ALSO, WHEN WE JUST TALKED ABOUT 25, IT'S LIKE CONTRADICTION. I MEAN, IF WE'RE BUYING EQUIPMENT TO FIGHT ICE, THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE. BUT WHY ARE WE BUYING EQUIPMENT TO MILITARIZE OUR LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT? WHO ARE WE FIGHTING AGAINST? MAKES NO SENSE. AND NOT ONLY THAT, THIS IS WRITTEN IN GENERIC NATURE AND WE ALREADY KNOW HOW ALL THIS IS GONNA GO. EVERYONE IS GONNA UNANIMOUSLY SAY, AGREE, AGREE, AGREE, AGREE. BUT THIS IS WRITTEN IN NATURE. WHERE HOW MUCH IS THIS GONNA COST US? HOW MUCH IT'S SO GENERIC. AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT HOW MUCH OF THE GENERAL FUND ARE WE GONNA AWARD TO OUTSIDE COMPANIES? 'CAUSE WE NEVER AWARD ANY MONEY TO ANY COMPANY WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS. IT'S ALWAYS SOMEONE IN IRVINE OR SOMEONE IN NEW YORK OR THAT WE JUST CONTINUOUSLY GIVE OUR MONEY TO. SO YOU'RE GONNA VOTE ON SOMETHING UNANIMOUSLY IT'S GONNA COST US AN OBSCENE AMOUNT OF MONEY BECAUSE MILITARY EQUIPMENT IS NOT CHEAP. AND ONLY THAT, BUT MILITARY EQUIPMENT, I MEAN, ARE WE TALKING HANDGUNS? ARE WE TALKING TANKS, PLANES, SHIPS? WHAT ARE WE TALKING? IT'S SO GENERIC IN NATURE. WHAT MILITARY ARE WE EQUIPPING? DO WE HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT OR WE DO, OR WE DO HAVE AN, OR DO WE HAVE AN INTERNAL MILITARY? I MEAN, WHICH ONE? YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T GET THIS AT ALL. IT MAKES NO SENSE. BUT AGAIN, YOU'RE GONNA VOTE UNANIMOUSLY LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO FOR EVERYTHING HERE. I MEAN, WHEN IT SAYS APPROVE RECOMMENDATION, IT JUST MEANS UNANIMOUSLY. ONE DAY I WOULD LIKE TO COME TO A MEETING WHERE SOMEBODY DISAGREES AND SOMEBODY RAISES AN OPPOSITION AND SAY, THIS IS NOT RIGHT. BUT THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING MORE MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. NEXT SPEAKER IS ANTHONY BRYSON. UH, GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. THIS AGENDA ITEM I KNOW IS GONNA PASS, BUT THE ISSUE IS THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT AS A CITY WE PUT, UH, STOP GUARD MEASURES IN TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS. WE KNOW THAT LONG BEACH [03:10:01] ALREADY HAS TANKS AND IT HAS MILITARIZED EQUIPMENT. UH, WE SEE THEM ON THESE STREETS WHILE WE'RE EXERCISING OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT, AND WE SEE THEM UTILIZE AGAINST US, UH, TO REPRESS AND SUPPRESS OUR FIRST AMENDMENT. RIGHT? SO CITY COUNCIL, I'M, I'M URGING YOU IF YOU'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND, AND DO THIS ACQUISITION FROM NEARLY $700,000, WHERE OF MONEY CAN BE BETTER SPENT SERVICING OUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE CITY? IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S STOP GUARDS IN PLACE. THAT THESE MILITARIZED WEAPONS ARE NOT USED TO CONTINUE THE KILLING OF BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE IN THIS CITY. LONG BEACH PD SHOULD NOT BE AWARDED. THEY SCORE 28%, UM, ON COLLECTED DATA. SO THEY'RE ONE OF THE LOWEST RANKING POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. I HEARD ANOTHER PERSON COME UP HERE AND SPEAK AND SAID, JUST FOR SPEAKING TO CITY COUNCIL, THEY'VE FACED RETRIBUTION AND RETALIATION BY PEOPLE. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT ANYONE IN OUR CITY SHOULD FACE, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GIVING MORE MILITARY, MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO OUR POLICE FORCES. WE WERE JUST UP HERE TELLING YOU THAT ICE IS AN UNWANTED MILITARY FORCE IN OUR CITIES INVADING OUR HOMES. WHY ARE WE GONNA TAKE THAT STEP AS A CITY TO CONTINUE TO MILITARIZE POLICE FORCES THAT HAVE ACTIVELY SUPPRESSED BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE? THROUGHOUT AMERICAN HISTORY, THE POLICE STARTED AS A SLAVE CATCHING BRIGADE AND PERPETUATES HATE DISCRIMINATION FROM CITY TO CITY. GEORGE FLOYD WASN'T AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. KEITH PORTER WASN'T AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. BRANDON BOYD HERE IN LONG BEACH IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. SO AS THIS BODY BEGINS TO CAST ITS VOTES IN ITS BALLOT TOWARDS MILITARIZING POLICE, THINK OF THE THE ASSETS THEY ALREADY HAVE. AND THINK OF THE STA THE THE SAFEGUARDS THAT WE CAN PUT IN PLACE TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE WHO LOOK JUST LIKE YOU. SITTING UP HERE AS YOU IGNORE ME, THERE ARE A API INDIVIDUALS BEING SLAUGHTERED BY POLICE. THERE ARE BLACK MEN AND WOMEN BEING SLAUGHTERED BY POLICE. THERE ARE INADEQUACIES, INADEQUACIES WITHIN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BEFORE THEY'RE AWARDED $700,000 WORTH OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TOWARDS, YEAH. ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. LOU ROSEN. HELLO. I, I DID, DID SAID, I LOOKED AT WHAT RESOURCES ARE ALREADY AVAILABLE TO US TO HELP UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON. I WENT TO THE, THE, I ATTACHED ITEMS FOR THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA. AND I SCROLLED WAY, WAY DOWN TO THE BOTTOM TO, UH, TO THE, UH, AB 4 81 REQUIRED, UH, MILITARY EQUIPMENT ANNUAL REPORT. AND IT HAD ALL OF THE PROJECTED ACQUISITIONS LISTED FOR THE YEAR. NICE, NICE NEATLY. SO AT LEAST THERE IS SOME TRANSPARENCY ON THAT. ONE THING THAT WASN'T TRANSPARENT WAS THE TOTAL COST OF ALL THE PROJECTED ACQUISITIONS. UM, SO I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF CALCULATING THAT ALL MYSELF. IT CAME OUT TO $712,776 AND 95 CENTS GOING TOWARDS, UH, EQUIPMENT TO MILITARILY POLICE OUR COMMUNITIES. I KNOW, I, I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SAY. THAT MONEY IS ALREADY IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET. WE CAN'T SHUFFLE AROUND THE BUDGET. WE'RE HAVING THE BUDGET HEARING MEETINGS YOU LIKE, I KNOW, I KNOW ALL OF THE THINGS, BUT I STILL THINK THAT WE SHOULD LIKE, TAKE A SECOND AND SAY LIKE, DOES OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT NEED TO BE SPENDING THIS MONEY FOR THIS? I I KNOW EE EVER, EVERYONE ELSE IS GOING WITH THE LINE OF LIKE, Y'ALL ARE JUST AUTOMATICALLY GONNA APPROVE IT. AND I LIKE TO THINK LIKE, FOR AT LEAST SOME OF Y'ALL I SEE HERE, I LIKE TO HAVE A SENSE OF A LITTLE MORE HOPE AND OPTIMISM THAT MAYBE YOU, MAYBE YOU SEE HOW THIS EQUIPMENT IS INEVITABLY GONNA BE USED. MAYBE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE IN THE POSITION, YOU'RE IN FOR A REASON AND WE DON'T JUST NEED TO APPROVE THIS. WE CAN, I I WASN'T ABLE TO CALCULATE THE, THE PART OF THE, THE COLUMN WHERE IT SAYS HOW MUCH THEY ALREADY HAVE, [03:15:01] BUT THEY ALREADY HAVE A LOT. LIKE MAYBE WE CAN JUST TAKE A SECOND RIGHT NOW. SAY THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO WITH WHAT THEY'VE GOT FOR, FOR ONE YEAR AND WE CAN TAKE A YEAR AND, YOU KNOW, DECIDE WHERE WE GO FROM THERE. BUT JUST FOR ONE YEAR, WE VOTE NO AND WE SAY NO MORE MILITARY EQUIPMENT ACQUISITIONS, AND WE LET THEM DEAL WITH THE, THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THEY ALREADY HAVE. AND I DON'T KNOW, I WANT, I WANNA HAVE A, I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT, THAT WE ARE HERE AND WE CAN ACTUALLY INSPIRE SOME CHANGE HERE. SO MAKE ME BELIEVE. THANK YOU SAMANTHA. AND THEN FOREST. UH, I DON'T SEE WHY THE LONG BEACH POLICE NEED MORE MILITARY EQUIPMENT. WHO IS THEIR ENEMY HERE BESIDES LONG BEACH CITIZENS? LONG BEACH PD HAS ALREADY LOST CREDIBILITY AND COMMUNITY TRUST BY COLLABORATING WITH ICE. AND NOW THEY GET MORE MONEY AND MORE WEAPONS. LIKE HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AND IN A TIME WHERE PROTESTORS HAVE BEEN INJURED BY INCORRECT USE OF USE OF RUBBER BULLETS, INCLUDING LOSS OF EYESIGHT AND ORGAN DAMAGE, WHAT POSSIBLE GOOD DOES IT DO TO GIVE QUOTE UNQUOTE MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO POLICE? BUT SINCE THERE'S PROBABLY NO WAY FOR US HUMBLE CITIZENS AT THIS MEETING TO STOP THIS IRRESPONSIBLE MISUSE OF MONEY, WE JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT GUARANTEES ARE GOING TO BE MADE THAT THESE WEAPONS WON'T BE USED TO MITIGATE AND INTIMIDATE PEACEFUL PROTESTORS TRYING TO PROTECT MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. IS LONG BEACH PD GONNA BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANY HARM, INJURY OR DEATH THEY MAY CAUSE? AND IF SO, HOW WILL THEY BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE? BECAUSE PAID LEAVE AND SLAPS ON THE WRIST ARE NOT ENOUGH. I YIELD MY TIME. THANK YOU FORREST. I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT MY CONCERN IS NOT ABOUT OFFICER SAFETY BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY WELL ENDOWED. THEY HAVE THEIR EQUIPMENT, THEIR GUNS, OUR TAX MONIES, UM, OUR CHILDREN'S BLOOD ON THEIR EQUIPMENT. MY CONCERN IS ABOUT PREVENTING THE MILITARIZATION OF POLI POLICING AND ENSURING THAT MILITARY GRADE EQUIPMENT IS NEVER WEAPONIZED AGAINST THE RESIDENTS OF THIS BEAUTIFUL LONG BEACH CITY THAT BELONGS TO ALL OF US. AND NOT JUST THE PEOPLE HERE WITH NAMES ON THEIR IN FRONT OF THEM UNDER CALIFORNIA AB 4 81. THE CITY COUNCIL HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL OVERSIGHT, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, FARTING OUT OF OUR ASSES AND SAYING THAT WE'RE DOING THE BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND CITY. WE NEED MEANINGFUL OVERSIGHT, TRANSPARENCY, AND CLEAR LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT THAT INCLUDES ENSURING THIS EQUIPMENT IS NEVER, AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND SAY THAT AGAIN. IT IS F*****G NEVER USED ON THE CROWDS OF THIS LONG BEACH CITY. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE THAT S**T WAS PUT ON, THAT WAS PUT ON ME AND MANY, MANY PEOPLE HERE WHEN ICE FIRST CAME, WHEN AT THAT, THAT HOME DEPOT IN PARAMOUNT, THE, UH, THE TYPE OF EQUIPMENT THEY WERE USING AGAINST PROTESTORS. ALL OF YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED FOR EVEN THINKING ABOUT SAYING YES TO THIS G*****N F*****G AGENDA ITEM. OKAY? YOU MAY NOT THINK IT'S PROFESSIONAL THAT I'M CURSING RIGHT NOW, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE F*****G TIME. WE DON'T HAVE TIME. I WITNESSED IN THIS PROTEST WHERE THIS MILITARY GRADE EQUIPMENT THAT WAS USED AGAINST US PROTESTORS WHO ARE USING THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT, STILL, I SAW A 9-YEAR-OLD BOY GET HIT WITH ONE OF THEIR, UH, PIECES OF EQUIPMENT AND HE HAD BLOOD ALL OVER HIS FACE. AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY. I MEAN, YOU GUYS, YOU THINK TONIGHT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST COME HERE, YOU LISTEN TO US. BUT I REALLY HOPE YOU KNOW THAT THIS THIRD DIMENSION ONLY REQUIRES YOUR BODY'S PHYSICAL MOVEMENT TO GO UP AND DOWN. BUT OUR ANCESTORS, ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DIED FOR OUR RIGHTS, YOU DISRESPECT THEM BY HAVING SUCH A DISGUSTING AGENDA ITEM RIGHT AFTER ZENDEJAS. UH, UH, ITEM 25, WHAT THE F**K IS GOING ON OVER HERE? ARE YOU F*****G KIDDING YOURSELVES? I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SAY IT. YOU GUYS ARE PIECES OF S**T. AND UNTIL YOU F*****G START DOING WHAT THE CONSTITUENTS WANTS YOU TO DO, YOU [03:20:01] WILL REMAIN THAT WAY. THAT'S WHY. THANK YOU MA'AM. YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED. F**K YOU. ALL RIGHT, PETER. OKAY. JUST, JUST GIVE US ONE MOMENT. WE'RE GONNA HAND YOU A MIC TEST, TEST. WE'RE TRYING TO GET THAT MIC TURNED ON. GIVE US JUST ONE SECOND. LOOKS LIKE I'M BACK. ALL RIGHT, GO AHEAD AND PROCEED. LET'S START THE CLOCK BACK AT THREE. GO FOR IT. THANK YOU. IT LOOKS LIKE THE, UM, UNDERLYING ORDINANCE. ARE WE, WE OUT AGAIN? TEST. JUST HANG TIGHT UNTIL THEY TELL US TEST. ALL RIGHT. ALRIGHT, LET'S TRY IT AGAIN. THANK YOU. THE UNDERLYING ORDINANCE HAS, UM, 2025 DASH FIVE AS THE TITLE. AND SO THE QUESTION I WANTED TO ASK IS, IS THIS THE FIFTH ONE FOR THAT YEAR OR IS THIS LIKE A ONCE ANNUAL THING? I I'LL ADDRESS IT AFTER YOU AFTER YOU'RE DONE AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT CLOSED. YEAH. IT'S, IT'S A STRIKING CONTRAST THAT I SOUGHT TO MAKE IN MY COMMENT EARLIER THAT I DIDN'T EXPECT TO ACTUALLY BE WITNESSING IN REAL TIME AS WE CONDEMN MILITARIZED FEDERAL POLICING AND THEN FUND ON MILITARIZED LOCAL POLICING. 'CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IN THIS 2025 DASH FIVE WE'VE GOT ORDERS FOR 808 LESS LETHAL, LIGHTWEIGHT PLASTIC AND FOAM PROJECTILES. WE'VE GOT PATROL RIFLES AND AMMUNITION, INCLUDING WINCHESTER 2 23 AMMUNITION BALLISTICS, WHICH FEATURE A SPECIALLY DESIGNED BULLET THAT WILL RELIABLY EXPAND WHILE PASSING THROUGH A VARIETY OF BARRIERS. IMAGINE WHAT THAT DOES TO FLESH IMAGE INTENSIFIER, NIGHT VISION GOGGLES. UM, WE'VE GOT THE SEA BOTOX REMOTE OPERATED VEHICLE. A VERY COMPACT, EASILY DEPLOYABLE ELECTRIC OBSERVATION CLASS USED ON DIVE OPERATIONS. UM, CURRENT QUANTITY ONE QUANTITY SOUGHT ONE. SO I GUESS THIS IS YOUR SECOND ONE. UM, WE'VE GOT THE OCEAN BOTOX, SRV EIGHT, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF REMOTE OPERATED, DEPLOYABLE, BATTERY OPERATED THING FOR DIVING OPERATIONS. CURRENT QUANTITY, ZERO QUANTITY. SO ONE, SO NOW I GUESS WE'LL HAVE THREE OF THESE THINGS WHILE PEOPLE ARE DYING HOMELESS ON THE STREET. LIKE IT'S CRAZY. IT'S CRAZY. UM, THE LIST IS LONG. THERE'S LIKE, IT'S, WE'VE GOT FUSED TIP BULLETS THAT HAVE BETTER PERFORMANCE, WHATEVER THAT MEANS. PRESUMABLY MORE LETHAL. THERE'S IS LIKE MOTOR LINCO, BEAR ARMORED VEHICLES THAT SEAT 12 TO 16 PERSONNEL WITH AN OPEN FLOOR. LIKE WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THIS, Y'ALL? ANYWAY, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU CAN. ALL RIGHT, SO THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO BEFORE I ASK FOR A VOTE, THIS IS AN ANNUAL REPORT. SO WHAT'S REQUIRED BY AB 1481, UH, 4 81 IS THAT YOU PUBLISH AN INVENTORY AND A REPORT FOR THE PUBLIC'S SAKE OF WHAT IS IN THE INVENTORY IN THE CITY STOCK AND DEFINE WHAT MILITARY GRADE EQUIPMENT IS AND HOW IT'S PLANNED TO BE USED. ALL OF THAT HAS TO BE DISCLOSED. PREVIOUS TO THIS LAW, IT DID NOT. SO ONCE A YEAR, THIS HAS TO BE PRESENTED IN OPEN SESSION. IT WAS NOT LIKE THIS BEFORE. SO A FEW YEARS AGO, A NEW LAW PASSED BY OUR, ONE OF OUR LOCAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, MIKE GIBSON. AND WE SUPPORTED THIS EFFORT TO ADD TRANSPARENCY. YOU THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS IS TO ALLOW YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME SEE WHAT IT IS, COMMENT ON IT. BUT THIS [03:25:01] IS NOT A BUDGET ACTION. THIS IS NOT AN ACQUISITION OF EQUIPMENT. THIS IS A DISCLOSURE AND TRANSPARENCY. ANYTHING. UH, CITY MANAGER? DID I MISS ANYTHING OR CITY ATTORNEY? NO, I THINK THAT'S ACCURATE AND UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT IS HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. GREAT. THANK YOU. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, SO NEXT IS ITEM 24, REPORT FROM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT ORDINANCE AMENDING LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE MODIFYING CODE ENFORCEMENT DEFINITIONS, PROCEDURES AND FEES TO STRENGTHEN ENFORCEMENT TOOLS, [24. 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 and adopted as read. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Community Development         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] IMPROVE COMPLIANCE AND ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY. RED AND ADOPTED IS RED CITYWIDE. THANK YOU. THERE'S ONE, ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. MR. ROGELIO. OH, MARTIN ROGELIO, YOU'RE UP. YOU KNOW WHAT I, AS I PUT MY NAME IN THE HAT TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM BECAUSE IT WAS WRITTEN IN SO GENERIC IN NATURE THAT I, I REALLY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE TOPIC IS GONNA BE. SO I GUESS I'LL READ IT AND THEN IN BABY AND READING IT, IT'LL MAKE MORE SENSE TO ME OR SOMEBODY ELSE. RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT ORDINANCE AMENDING LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TITLES 5, 8, 9, AND 18. MODIFYING CODE ENFORCEMENT DEFINITIONS, PROCEDURES AND FEES TO STRENGTHEN ENFORCEMENT TOOLS, IMPROVE COMPLIANCE AND ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY. READ AND ADOPT IT AS READ. SO A BUNCH OF WORDS. IT'S VERY GENERIC AND YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING MORE FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY TO TALK ABOUT, BUT OBVIOUSLY SHE'S NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW TO CLARIFY IT. BUT I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ITEM 25 THEN WE JUST TALKED ABOUT MILITARIZING OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND NOW THE WORDS THAT I JUST READ, ENFORCEMENT DEFINITIONS, PROCEDURES AND FEES TO STRENGTHEN ENFORCEMENT TOOLS. IT'S LIKE, WHAT THE F**K? SERIOUSLY, IT'S LIKE A THIRD LAYER NOW OF, YOU KNOW WHAT F ICE AND THEN MILITARIZE THE POLICE AND NOW WE GOTTA ENFORCE SOMETHING EVEN STRONGER. NONE OF THIS IS MAKING SENSE. SO IS THIS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE ANNUALIZED, UM, THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO BECAUSE ASSEM, BECAUSE, UH, ANOTHER ASSEMBLY PERSON SAID THAT WE MUST DO, I MEAN, I DON'T GET IT. I MEAN, SURE, I CAN GO DEEPER, DIVE INTO EACH ITEM. I DIDN'T DO IT IN THIS CASE, SO I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M READING 'CAUSE IT'S JUST GENERIC IN NATURE. I'M GONNA YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME. THANK YOU MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES, UH, THE AGENDA. WE'LL NOW GO TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER TWO. LET'S SEE. WE HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, NINE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. CARRIE, CAROLYN, DAVE, AMY, [ 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. ] H ROGELIO, LORDES DIXON, UH, BART LEVINSON, BRITTANY MARTIN AND MARLON G CARRIE IS FIRST. SHOULD I TALK IN THIS OR THIS? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, BASICALLY I'M JUST UP HERE TO DO A REDO BECAUSE I THINK THE REASON WHY PEOPLE ARE SO FRUSTRATED IS THE COMMUNICATION IS ZILCH IN THIS CITY REGARDING ICE AND BORDER PATROL, I'M FROM MINNEAPOLIS. MY FAMILY IS CURRENTLY FIGHTING THE CRAZINESS OVER THERE. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS CITY IS SO FAR BEHIND CONSIDERING THEY HIT US FIRST ON JANUARY 28TH WHEN THEY HIT THE CITRUS FIELDS IN CALIFORNIA. AND THEN WE GOT HIT HARDCORE IN JUNE, AND THEN WE FINALLY MADE THE NEWS. BUT THEN GUESS WHAT? IT WASN'T ABOUT ICE BEING HERE. IT WAS ABOUT RIOTS IN DOWNTOWN LA WHICH P****S ME OFF. I THINK THAT THE COMMUNICATION IS REALLY POOR IN DISTRICT THREE BECAUSE IT'S NOT AFFECTING DISTRICT THREE UNLESS THEY TOOK THOSE TWO GARDENERS IN THE HOLE. I THINK THERE'S ICE, UH, [03:30:01] ACTIVITY ALL ACROSS THE CITY. AND IF YOU'RE NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU HAVE NO CLUE WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON. I THINK IT'S FRUSTRATING THAT A GOOD PORTION OF LONG BEACH DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE KAVANAUGH STOP IS, WHICH IS RACIAL PROFILING BASED ON SKIN COLOR AND LANGUAGE NAMED AFTER JUDGE BRETT KAVANAUGH. I THINK IT'S BS THAT PEOPLE ARE DISCUSSING THINGS IN SIGNAL CHATS AND PARENTS ARE GETTING THEIR OWN GROUPS TOGETHER TO COVER KETTERING, LAFAYETTE, LONGFELLOW MAN IN JORDAN SCHOOLS. I MEAN, IT'S CRAZY THAT WE'RE USING ENCRYPTED APPS TO DISCUSS THINGS, THINGS IN THIS CITY, AND THAT OUR BORDER PATROL UNIFORMS ARE BASICALLY THE SAME AS LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL SECURITY UNIFORMS. I ACTUALLY WENT OVER TO WILSON AND TALKED TO A SECURITY OFFICER, AND I WALKED UP TO THIS WOMAN AND I SAID, KIDS PARENTS ARE MESSAGING ME SAYING, OH MY GOD, ICE WAS IN OUR SCHOOL. 'CAUSE NOBODY SAT DOWN WITH THE STUDENTS AND SAID, THIS PERSON'S HERE TO PROTECT YOU. ICE CANNOT COME IN THE SCHOOL. HERE'S HOW YOU IDENTIFY THE SECURITY OFFICER WITH A PATCH. THEY'VE GOT GUNS, THEY'VE GOT RADIOS. LIKE THAT'S TERRIFYING FOR LITTLE KIDS. I THINK THAT IT'S FRUSTRATING KNOWING THAT LOCAL PEOPLE AND LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE RISKING THEIR OWN SAFETY BY COLLECTING FOOD AND MONEY AND SUPPLIES FOR IMMIGRANT FAMILIES. THEY ARE SCARED TO DEATH TO GO TO HOME DEPOT BECAUSE OF FLOCK CAMERAS AND SURVEILLANCE MEASURES THAT ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE. IT'S TERRIFYING. AND SO I CAN SAY FIRSTHAND THAT NO COUNCIL MEMBER IS OFFERED A TOWN HALL OR A DISTRICT MEETING, WHICH WOULD'VE SUBSIDED SOME OF THIS YELLING THAT WE HAVE GOING ON HERE EVERY WEEK. LIKE NOBODY'S BEING HEARD. I THINK THAT, I DON'T EVEN THINK THE PEOPLE IN THE COUNCIL, CERTAIN DISTRICTS EVEN HAVE A CLUE WHAT'S GOING ON, WHICH IS WHY I SPEAK OUT FOR PEOPLE IN DISTRICT THREE BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE ME HAVE NO CLUE WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON. AND IT'S JUST REALLY, REALLY MADDENING. THREE. YES. THANK YOU CAROLYN. UH, CAROLYN? GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE. OKAY. NEXT IS DAVE. OKAY, AFTER DAVE IS AMY, WHICH OF THESE SHOULD I USE? OKAY. IT'S FUNNY HOW THAT DOESN'T GO OUT FOR, UH, THE LOBBYISTS OF THE, UH, BUSINESS JOURNAL OR THE HOTELS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO IT'S CERTAIN PEOPLE, UM, THIS IS SECOND PUBLIC, UH, COMMENT, NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT. UH, I'D JUST LIKE TO FIRST SAY MR. MAYOR, THAT, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN THINGS HAPPENED, UH, ON OUR LAWN, I DID WHAT I DID, CAME TO CITY COUNCIL AND I SAID I WOULD BE IN CONTACT WITH YOUR OFFICE, WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, WITH MY COUNCIL WOMAN'S OFFICE. AND I HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN KIND OF WAITING TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AND WHAT YOU WOULD DO. AND I'M ACTUALLY PROUD GIVEN THE INSTITUTIONAL CONSTRAINTS, HAVING WORKED IN THE CITY KNOWING, UH, HOW HARD IT'S TO GET THINGS MOVING FAST. UH, SOMETIMES YOU MISS THE MOMENT. SOMETIMES, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT YOU P**S OFF EVERYONE AND YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED ANYTHING. I THINK YOU DID ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING HERE TODAY, AND I, I THANK YOU FOR IT. UM, I THINK THAT THAT VOTE WASN'T JUST SYMBOLIC. I THINK IT'S PART OF AN OVERALL STRATEGY TO HEM THESE PEOPLE IN. UM, I'VE BEEN STRUGGLING, YOU KNOW, UH, FRANKLY FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS BECAUSE, UH, THE REPORT, AND I'D LIKE TO STATE IT AGAIN FOR THE RECORD, UH, BECAUSE OF THE PATTERN THAT IT BETRAYS THE REPORT WAS THOSE ICE AGENTS HAPPENED TO BE ON OUR STREET BECAUSE THEY HAD HEARD THERE WAS VIOLENCE AGAINST FEDERAL AGENTS, WHICH IS SOME REAL BLAMING THE VICTIM STUFF. UM, FOR THE RECORD, IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO END UP AT THE END OF ELLIOTT STREET UNLESS YOU MEAN TO BE THERE AND UNLESS YOU MEAN TO BE THERE AT A CERTAIN TIME FOR A CERTAIN PURPOSE. UM, THE LEVEL OF PLANNING AS WE HAVE LEARNED IN THE HOURS AND DAYS SINCE IS THAT THESE ICE AGENTS DROVE DOWN QUEEN WAY, MADE A RIGHT ON OCEAN BOULEVARD, AND THEN DROVE DIRECTLY TO OUR HOUSE ON THEIR WAY TO ORANGE COUNTY. THEY HAD THOSE MEN SIGN SELF DEPORTATION PAPERS IN THE CAR BEFORE THEY EVEN GOT TO SAN THE SANTA ANA PROCESSING FACILITY. THOSE MEN ARE GONE. THEY'RE, THEY MAY NEVER SEE THEIR FAMILIES HERE AGAIN. [03:35:01] THEY WERE DEPORTED WITHIN THE WEEK, EVEN FOR A STATS GAME, WHICH IS MEANT TO PORTRAY TO PLACES WHERE ICE, YOU KNOW, TYSON FOODS IN, UH, IN IOWA OR KANSAS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, TO, TO PORTRAY TO CERTAIN CONSTITUENCIES THAT, HEY, WE'RE DOING ALL WE CAN ABOUT THESE CRIME RIDDEN DEMOCRATIC CITIES, EVEN FOR A STATS GAME. IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT THESE TWO MEN WOULD BE COUNTED AMONGST LEGITIMATE ACTIVITIES FOR THAT AGENCY. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP SAYING THAT ON THE RECORD AND SAYING IT WITH A CLEAR VOICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AMY ROGELIO, YOU'RE NEXT. HI, MY NAME IS AMY AND I WOULD LIKE TO START THIS OFF BY SAYING A FEW THINGS. FIRST OFF, I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS LIST OF HOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SPEAK TO CITY COUNCIL, SO LET ME GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY BECAUSE I'M NOT HERE TO FOLLOW DECORUM. SECOND OFF. WHILE PREPARING FOR WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY THIS EVENING, I WAS LOVINGLY, LOVINGLY TOLD BY A FRIEND THAT IT'S NORMAL TO FEEL INTIMIDATED WHEN COMING UP TO THIS PODIUM TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS. BUT AS I STAND UP HERE, I DON'T FEEL INTIMIDATED. NOT EVEN ONE MINUTE, ONE BIT, BECAUSE WHAT I SEE IN FRONT OF ME IS A BUNCH OF COWARDS. AGENDA ITEM 25, THE RESOLUTION TO IMPEACH THE PUPPY MURDERER, KRISTY NOAM IS NOT ENOUGH. NOW ON TO THE REST OF WHAT I CAME HERE TO SAY. I AM A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH DISTRICT TOO, AND I'M HERE AS A FELLOW NEIGHBOR AND COMMUNITY MEMBER TO DEMAND THAT THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL, YOU GUYS ENSURE IT'S ESTABLISHING MEASURES TO PROTECT ALL RESIDENTS OF LONG BEACH, REGARDLESS OF STATUS AGAINST ICE'S REIGN OF TERROR IN THIS COUNTRY. NOT ONLY HAVE THERE BEEN SEVERAL MIGRANT DEATHS IN THESE DETENTION CENTERS, INCLUDING CHILDREN THAT GO BACK BEYOND THIS CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, THERE HAVE ALSO NOW BEEN TWO EXECUTIONS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS AT THE HOUSE OF THE, AT THE HANDS OF THESE LAWLESS MASS AGENTS WITHIN THE PAST 30 DAYS AND THREE EXECUTIONS. IF YOU INCLUDE THE MURDER OF KEITH PORTER JR BY AN OFF-DUTY ICE AGENT 33 DAYS AGO, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, REX? DOES A LONG BEACH CONSTITUENT NEED TO BE EXECUTED IN OUR STREETS FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY BE MOVED TO DO SOMETHING? OR WILL YOU JUST USE IT AS ANOTHER VIDEO OP TO SAY ICE OUT OF LONG BEACH? AND THIS IS DEEPLY DISTURBING ENOUGH WITH YOUR WEAK ASS TOUGH GUY ACT ALREADY. YOUR LACK OF URGENCY IS GOING TO LEAD TO MORE VIOLENCE AND IT WILL ALL BE ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR HANDS. AS YOU ALL HAVE MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY, DELAYS ARE DANGEROUS AND WE ARE NOW ONE YEAR INTO THIS. THE CITY COUNCIL MUST IMMEDIATELY DO EVERYTHING IN ITS POWER TO PREVENT A LONG BEACH RESIDENT FROM BEING THEIR NEXT VICTIM. ICE IS ALREADY RAMPING UP THEIR ATTACKS ON AMERICAN CITIZEN COMMUNITY PATROLLERS HERE IN LA COUNTY AND HAVE BEEN ASSISTED BY LOCAL PDS ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. ON 1 22, BELL PD ARRESTED A LOCAL AND KNOWN COMMUNITY PATROLLER AT THE REQUEST OF ICE ON 1 27 ICE, BE AN ARRESTED A LOCAL AND KNOWN COMMUNITY PATROLLER IN COMPTON ON 1 30 26 ICE POINTED THEIR GUNS AT AND SMASHED THE DRIVER WINDOW OF A LOCAL KNOWN COMMUNITY PATROLLER OR BEFORE ARRESTING HER IN EL MONTE PD IN EL MONTE. WHEN THE COMMUNITY PATROLLER CALLED EL MONTE PD, AFTER REPEATEDLY STATING SHE DID NOT TRUST THESE MASKED AGENTS, EL MONTEA PD STOOD BY AND ALLOWED ICE TO PROCEED WITH SMASHING HER WINDOW IN AND ARRESTING HER. NOW TO BRING IT BACK TO LONG BEACH ON 1 25 26 LBPD WAS SEEN STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE HAMPTON INN PROTECTING A HOTEL WHERE IT IS KNOWN THAT ICE AGENTS HAVE BEEN STAYING. THERE WERE AT LEAST EIGHT PLUS PATROL CARS AND MORE THAN 10 OFFICERS STAYING AROUND. I WONDER HOW MUCH TAXPAYER MONEY WENT INTO PAYING THOSE OFFICERS TO STAND AROUND AND WHAT THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME TO DISPATCH CALLS DURING THAT TIME WHERE THAT THESE OFFICERS WERE STANDING AROUND. IS THIS WHAT LBPD $344 MILLION BUDGET IS FOR? TO PAY FOR LBPD TO STAND AROUND? THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS ROGELIO. AND THEN LOURDES. I KNOW THIS IS NOT A BACK AND FORTH, BUT I DO NEED HELP WITH SOMETHING AND NOT, IT'S NOT FOR ME, IT'S FOR THE PEOPLE. BUT WHEN IS THE ACTUAL DEADLINE TO FILE FOR THE, UM, THE ODD NUMBER DISTRICTS, THE MAYOR SPOT, AND ANY OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS? WHEN IS THAT DEADLINE? BECAUSE I WOULD WANT OTHER PEOPLE TO SIGN UP. CAN SOMEBODY JUST PLEASE JUST TELL ME THAT WHEN IS THE DEADLINE TO FILE FI FORM 5 0 1? IT'S NOT A BACK AND FORTH, BUT FEEL FREE TO TALK TO THE CLERK. SHE ADMINISTERS ELECTION INFORMATION AFTERWARD. OKAY. AFTER YOUR COMMENTS, YOU CAN COME AND SPEAK TO ME. PERFECT. THANK YOU. AND THEN THE NEXT THING IS, UM, SO, UM, I DIDN'T GET THAT MUCH PRESS ON A LOCAL LEVEL, AND I'M TRYING TO FIND THE INDIVIDUAL'S NAME, BUT SOMETHING EXTREMELY HISTORIC HAPPENED AND THE DATE IS RECENTLY, BUT, UM, [03:40:01] HIS NAME IS CHAIRMAN PAUL, ORIGINALLY FROM THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY AND NOW FROM THE BLACK LION PARTY. HE LIVES IN, I BELIEVE, NEW YORK CITY. AND THERE'S A VIDEO THAT I SAW TODAY THAT JUST BLEW ME AWAY. AND THAT'S BECAUSE I GUESS AN ORIGINAL MEMBER OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY SAID, YOU NO LONGER CAN USE THAT NAME ON THIS INDIVIDUAL. SO THIS INDIVIDUAL SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? TIMES HAVE CHANGED. SO CHANGE IS HERE. SO NOW THIS INDIVIDUAL AND HIS GROUP ARE NOW CALLED THE BLACK LION PARTY FOR INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY. THE REASON WHY THAT'S A BIG DEAL IS BECAUSE THIS IS ACTUALLY THE FIRST TIME THAT I HEAR ON A NATIONAL LEVEL THAT SOMEBODY IS ACTUALLY COMING TOGETHER WHERE BLACK AND BROWN ARE GONNA COME TOGETHER. NO DIFFERENT THAN WHEN THE BLACK PANTHERS AND THE BROWN BERETS CAME TOGETHER LONG BEFORE WERE LIVING IN THE HISTORIC TIMES, THE TIMES THAT WE'RE LIVING. THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE HERE THAT HAVE LITERALLY SAID, YOU'RE DISCONNECTED FROM REALITY. THE ONLY WAY TO CONNECT WITH REALITY IS TO BE OUT ON THE STREET TO DEMONSTRATE PEACEFULLY TO, TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING. AND I DON'T SEE YOUR FACES ANYWHERE AT ALL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD HOPE TO HAVE GOTTEN IS A PHONE CALL WHEN I PUT THAT VIDEO OUT JUST TO SAY, HEY ROGELIO, YOU'RE F*****G CRAZY. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? NOT ONE INDIVIDUAL CALLED ME AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I HAD A BUNCH OF OTHER PEOPLE P****D OFF CALLING ME, BUT NONE OF YOU DID. ANYWAYS, THANK YOU. NEXT IS LOURDES. AFTER LOURDES IS, BART WAS NOT JUST MR. UM, MAYOR REX. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR REX AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS LOURDES NAVARRO DIXON. THE TE THE TOPIC OR COMMENT, UH, OF THE PROBLEM IS THE SNOW CONE VENDORS THAT ARE ON THE AREA OF AQUARIUM WAY, PEOPLE LANDING PARKING LOT PEOPLE LANDING PARKING LOT, ALFREDO'S BEACH IN ALFREDO'S BEACH. WE'VE HAD MORE SNOW CONE VENDORS SINCE A YEAR AGO WHEN WE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM THAT IS NEGATIVELY AFFECTING ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS AND BUSINESSES. UM, IN THE AQUARIUM WAY IN SHORELINE, IN THE AREA OF AQUARIUM WAY IN SHORELINE, IT STARTED WITH TWO SNOW COEN TRUCKS. NOW THERE'S SEVEN PACIFIC AND THEY PARK ALONG THE AREA OF THE AQUARIUM AND SPECIFIC SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE FOUNTAIN WITH THE DOLPHINS, THERE'S FOUR OF THEM THERE. MM-HMM . UM, THEY ALWAYS PARK IN THE RED ON THE CURB OR WHERE IT'S WHITE, NO STOPPING ANYTIME OR WHERE IT SAYS NO STOPPING ANYTIME IN THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE PARKING LOT, TO THE AQUARIUM. THEY'RE ALWAYS THERE ON WEEKENDS AND ON HOLIDAYS. OTHERS ARE THERE EVERY DAY. THEY'RE SELLING CHEAP CHEAPLY OR MY BUSINESS, WHICH IS THE TRAMPOLINES. MY BUSINESS IS LOSING 50% MORE FOR OVER AND OVER BECAUSE OF THESE SNOW CONE VENDORS WHO DON'T EVEN HAVE PERMITS FROM YOU, FROM THE CITY. LONG BEACH CENT HEALTH DEPART FROM THE, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH OR, UH, LICENSE FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. MM-HMM . OR INSPECTION FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DEL AND SAVING MONEY ON THE RENT. MM-HMM . MARIO HERNANDEZ, MR. MARIO HERNANDEZ AND HIS WIFE HAVE FIVE SNOW TRUCKS, SNOW CONE TRUCKS, [03:45:02] HERNANDEZ, AND THERE IS ANOTHER ONE FROM HIS BROTHER HERNANDEZ, AND THEN ANOTHER ONE WHO BELONGS TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT PERSON. IN TOTAL, THERE ARE SEVEN. OKAY? OKAY. YOU'RE WORKING ON THIS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR OVER A YEAR, MAYBE TWO. AND I KNOW YOU HAVE ALL THE RULES FOR ALL OF THESE VENDORS. UH, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU ALL MARIO, THAT MR. MARIO AND HIS WIFE REPEAT OFFENDERS ARE REPEATERS OF LIKE, HOW DO YOU SAY IT? REPEAT OFFENDERS. THEY DON'T RESPECT POLICE OR PARKING ENFORCEMENT, LET ALONE US PARKING ENFORCEMENT. WE CALL PARKING INFORMANTS. ENFORCEMENT COMES AND IT'S FLASHING. THEY LEAVE AND THEY COME BACK IN 10 OR MAYBE 30 MINUTES THIS SUNDAY, CALLED THE POLICE AND REPORTED ALL THE FOUR TRUCKS THAT ARE AROUND THE AQUARIUM, AROUND THE FOUNTAIN WITH THE DOLPHINS, PARKING ENFORCEMENT, PARKING ENFORCEMENT, CAME KNOWLEDGE OF TICKET AND DIDN'T GIVE THEM A TICKET. I CALLED THE POLICE A SECOND TIME TO REPORT ANOTHER, THE PARKING PEOPLE LANDING, PARKING, ANOTHER THREE THAT WERE PARKED BEHIND IN PIER PORT LANDING PARKING. THAT LADY IS ALWAYS IN THE RED. MM-HMM . AND ON THE CURB ALFREDO BEACH. NOW I DISCOVER THAT THEY'RE IN ALFREDO BEACH. THERE'S NO PARKING THERE FOR THAT MUCH LESS PERMISSION VILLAGE. THE OTHER ONE IS IN SHORELINE VILLAGE RESTAURANT. FAMOUS DAVES CLOSE TO THE RESTAURANT CALLED FAMOUS DAVE'S. MR. MAYOR, MR. MAYOR AND EVERYONE ELSE ON THE COUNCIL. I'M GETTING SICK WHEN I'M GETTING FRUSTRATION. MY HUSBAND HAS, UH, NO ACCIDENT, BUT I FELL DOWN TWICE. BROKEN RIBS, ARM. HE NEEDS TO BE SURGERY AND HAVE PROBLEM WITH MY, YOU KNOW, USED SEE ME WEARING WALKING. I WAS NOT ABLE TO COME IN HERE, BUT I TELL MY HUSBAND I HAD TO GO. I HAD TO GO. AND ALSO, UH, PLEASE DO SOMETHING BECAUSE THIS LADY IS FIGHTING WITH EVERYBODY. I TELL YOU BEFORE SHE WAS FIGHTING WITH THE OTHER LADY, UH, SHE SELLING LUCAS NEXT TO OUR, YOU KNOW, THE ANCE WITH THE PARKING LOT, SELLING WIGS. PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE THIS LADY DO A CRIME BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY INTIMIDATING US WITH A, UH, WHO SPOKE TO MY SON THAT WE NOT BOTHER THIS LADY WHO'S SELLING THE SNOW CONES. SHE WAS WORKING IN THE PIER PORT LANDING PARKING LOT WHILE THEY WERE FILMING A MOVIE. AND THE TEAM OF THE, HOW DO YOU CALL IT, THE FILM CREW TIMES CONCLUDED THERE SHE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF THE TRUCKS OF THE FILM CREW. MM-HMM . THANK YOU TOM. LET'S HAVE HIM LOOK INTO THE PEERPOINT LANDING QUESTION. THANKS A LOT. ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS BART. AND THEN BRITTANY. IS BART HERE? OKAY. IS BRITTANY HERE? NO. BRITTANY. OKAY. THEN WE'LL GO TO MARLON. AND I SEE CAROLYN HAS COME BACK. CAROLYN, YOU GO AFTER MARLEY. HI. GOOD EVENING BEING HERE ALL NIGHT. I HAVE, ALL RIGHT, I'M COMING BACK. I WANNA BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. I THINK WHAT I GATHERED FROM EVERYTHING THAT I SEE AND HAVE WITNESSED IS THAT THEY WANNA BE HEARD AND THEY DON'T FEEL HEARD. MAYOR REX, I WORKED HARD FOR YOU THAT DAY. I REMEMBER HOW PASSIONATE YOU WERE AT THAT DEMOCRATIC PARTY WHEN SOMEBODY WAS TRYING TO CHEAT YOU OUT OF THAT VOTE TO GET DURING YOUR ELECTION. AND I SPOKE UP, RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER, BUT I VIVIDLY REMEMBER. I ALSO SPOKE TO YOU COUNCILWOMAN AND TO YOU MISS COUNCILWOMAN. I WORKED HARD FOR YOU GUYS IN THE BACKGROUND, RIGHT? I WAS ALSO PART OF, UH, DISTRICT THREE. I WORKED WITH HER, RIGHT? NOT WITH CHRISTINA, BUT THE OTHER COUNCILWOMAN PIERCE WHO WAS VERY PASSIONATE BRIEFLY. 'CAUSE I KNEW THAT WORKING ON THAT SIDE WAS NOT FOR ME. I THINK THEY WANT TO BE HEARD. THEY DON'T [03:50:01] FEEL HEARD IN THE LAST YEAR. PEOPLE ARE DYING. PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE ME AND YOU AND YOU AND YOU WOMEN, WHY WOMEN ARE NOT BEING KILLED. RIGHT? MS. CHRISTINA, I AM SPEAKING. I WOULD LOVE IF YOU CAN JUST SEE ME 'CAUSE I AM ONE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS, MS. CHRISTINA CAN'T EVEN DO HER F*****G JOB. AND LOOK AT, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, ALL I ASK. AND THAT'S FINE. SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO LOOK AT ME. I DON'T REPRESENT HER SO SHE CAN'T SEE ME. AND THAT'S OKAY. I'M TALKING TO THOSE WHO DO WANNA SEE ME OPEN A COMMISSION BOARD. I WAS PART OF THE VETERANS COMMISSION BOARD AND I HELPED THEM. I WASN'T ONE OF THE PEOPLE UP FRONT, BUT I WENT TO THEIR MEETINGS AND HELPED, RIGHT? MAYBE OPEN THAT INSTEAD OF JUST TELLING THEM, OH, HERE'S AN EMAIL, HERE'S A PHONE NUMBER CALL WHERE AN INTERN MIGHT ANSWER. I WAS THAT INTERN WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE. AND SOMETIMES THEY GOT THROWN IN, SOMETIMES THEY DIDN'T. MOST OF THE TIME THEY DID OPEN SOMETHING WHERE THEY CAN COME IN AND BE PART WITH YOU. MAYBE OPEN UP AN ADVISOR. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT. GET ONE OF THEM TO BE YOUR ADVISOR. BOOTS ON THE GROUND JUST TO SHOW. I MEAN, NO DISRESPECT TO ANY OF YOU, INCLUDING THE ONE WHO REPRESENTS ME. I JUST WISH HE SHOULD WOULD LOOK AT ME BECAUSE I REPRESENT YOU TOO. NOT JUST THE OTHER WHITE PEOPLE THAT SURROUND ME, THAT I CAN'T EVEN WALK IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD SOMETIMES AND NOT FEEL SAFE. THEY WANNA BE HEARD. AND I HOPE THIS IS THE START. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE ON LONG BEACH.GOV/MAYOR. THERE'S PLENTY OPEN. ALL RIGHT. UH, CAROLYN, YOU'RE THE FINAL SPEAKER. OH, OH, THIS SHOULD BE FUN. UM, I'M, I'M HERE ABOUT MARCH 1ST. UM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ON MARCH 1ST? THE OPENING OF MARATHON BURGER, WHICH WHEN I HEARD THAT THEY WERE COMING HERE, I WAS LIKE, GOD MUST LOVE ME BECAUSE I LOVE MARATHON BURGER AND I'M SO GLAD THAT THEY ARE COMING TO LONG BEACH RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM WHERE I LIVE. I'M HAPPY, BUT I'M AFRAID THAT THE CROWD THAT IS GOING TO COME TO THE OPENING OF THAT IS GOING TO BE HUMONGOUS. I WANT TO KNOW HOW WE ARE GOING TO CONTROL THAT, BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA GET STOPPED FROM GETTING MY BURGER THAT DAY. LIKE SERIOUSLY, I'M BEING PETTY RIGHT NOW. BUT THOSE BURGERS ARE SO GOOD. SO I, I, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, UM, IF WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE A PLAN FOR THAT DAY, UM, AND HOW THAT IS GOING TO TRANSPIRE. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PINE AND THIRD IS A VERY NARROW CORRIDOR, AND I WAS AT THE OPENING IN MELROSE WHEN THEY OPENED ON MELROSE, AND IT, IT WAS BANANAS. AND ALSO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, THE POLICE NOT UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURE. UM, WHAT I WANNA SAY IS THAT DAY IS GONNA BE LIKE NIGHTTIME IN LONG BEACH DURING THE DAY, IF YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING. UM, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? YOU CAN NOD . BUT, UM, SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TALKING ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE I WANT THAT TO BE AN ABSOLUTELY JOYOUS OCCASION IN OUR DISTRICT. MARY. I WANT THAT TO BE A ABSOLUTELY CELEBRATED OCCASION FOR THAT FAMILY, UM, THAT IS BRINGING SUCH A WONDERFUL BUSINESS INTO OUR, OUR COMMUNITY. UM, AND, AND SO, UM, LET ME KNOW WHO I'M SUPPOSED TO REACH OUT TO SO I I CAN BE PART OF THAT DAY, EVEN IF I HAVE TO VOLUNTEER TO HELP. YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT THAT NOT TO BE LIKE LA BECAUSE THAT TURNED INTO SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT COOL. AND, UM, AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF, OF THE CULTURE AND, AND, AND WHAT WAS BROUGHT, UM, TO THAT JOYOUS DAY. SO I HOPE I'M MAKING SENSE ABOUT THAT, AND I DO NEED DIRECTION TOWARDS WHO I SHOULD TALK TO. AND THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES, UH, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT [03:55:01] AND SPEAKING. WE'LL NOW GO TO CLOSING COM COMMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. YOUR SEAT IS UP AND YOU'RE DUG IN. AND YOU TWO REX AS WELL AS SEVERAL. SO TONIGHT I WANNA CLOSE IN MEMORY [ANNOUNCEMENTS] OF SHIRLEY RAINS. UH, SHIRLEY WAS A LONG BEACH RESIDENT WHOSE COMPASSION AND SERVICE CHANGED COUNTLESS LIVES. I KNEW SHIRLEY, I WORKED WITH HER WHEN I WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, IN DISTRICT NINE. SHE WAS THE FOUNDER OF BEAUTY TO THE STREETS, THROUGH WHICH SHE SERVED UNHOUSED WOMEN ON SKID ROW WITH DIGNITY AND CARE AND DEEP HUMANITY RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY AS THE 2021 CNN HERO OF THE YEAR. SHIRLEY REMAINED GROUNDED IN SERVICE, QUIETLY COOKING HUNDRED FOR HUNDREDS WHILE LIFTING THEM UP HERE IN LONG BEACH. SHE WAS ALSO A BELOVED COMMUNITY MEMBER AND PROUDLY SERVED AS THE GRAND MARSHALL OF THE LONG BEACH PRIDE PARADE. REPRESENTING THE LOVE, INCLUSION, AND COMPASSION THAT DEFINE HER SPIRIT. WE EXTEND OUR DEEP CONDOLENCES TO OUR FAMILY, LOVED ONES, AND THE BEAUTY TO THE STREETS COMMUNITY. HER LEGACY WILL CONTINUE TO INSPIRE OTHERS TO LEAD WITH EMPATHY AND CARE. NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES, THANK YOU. I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MR. SHIRLEY. UM, I'D LIKE TO INVITE ALL OF YOU TO ATTEND THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH KICKOFF CELEBRATION, STARTING AT 6:00 PM THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH AT THE EXPO ART CENTER. THE EVENT IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY FORGOTTEN IMAGES IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER OF LONG BEACH AND PROMISES TO BE A NIGHT OF CULTURAL PROGRAMMING AND LOCAL VENDOR SHOWCASING UNIQUE ARTISTS MADE GOODS AND INTERACTIVE ART EXPERIENCES. AND YOU CAN STICK AROUND FOR THE FIRST FRIDAY'S ART WALK ALONG ATLANTIC AFTERWARDS. ALSO THIS WEEKEND, I INVITE YOU TO VISIT RANCHO CERRITOS FOR THE OPENING WEEKEND OF THEIR NEWEST E EXHIBIT SEEDS OF RESILIENCE BARRIO AMERICANO. YOU CAN ATTEND THE OPENING CELEBRATION ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH FROM THREE TO 6:00 PM COMPLETE WITH CRAFTS ACTIVITIES AND REFRESHMENTS. YOU CAN ENJOY THE EXTENDED OPERATING HOURS ON SUNDAY FROM 10 TO 5:00 PM FEBRUARY 8TH, AS YOU EXPLORE THE EXHIBIT AND THE BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC GROUNDS. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU OUT IN THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SODI. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE OUT TO ATTEND THE 2026 STATE OF THE DISTRICT TO OFFER DISTRICT NINE ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH FROM 10:00 AM TO 12:00 PM JOIN US TO HEAR ABOUT RECENT PROGRESS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UPCOMING INITIATIVES, AND A VISION FOR DISTRICT NINE. AND TO CONNECT WITH YOUR LOCAL LEADERSHIP. CHECK-IN WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 9:30 AM TO 10:00 AM. UM, WE WILL HAVE FOOD. WE'LL HAVE A KIDS' TABLE, SO PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE FAMILIES, FEEL FREE TO BRING YOUR KIDS. UM, I BRING MY CHILDREN EVERY SINGLE YEAR. UH, THIS EVENT WILL BE HELD AT H PARK 63 0 1 MYRTLE AVENUE. UM, PLEASE, UH, IF YOU CAN R-S-V-R-S-V-P IN ADVANCE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN CONTACT MY OFFICE. UH, AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO JOINED US FOR FEB, THE FEBRUARY 2ND CITYWIDE COMMUNITY MEETING AT H PARK LAST NIGHT. RESIDENTS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FINAL BUDGET CONVERSATION OF THE SERIES ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH, FROM SIX TO 7:00 PM AT THE BILLIE JEAN KING LIBRARY, LOCATED AT 200 WEST BROADWAY. UM, PLEASE VISIT THE LONG BEACH, UM, FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET CONVERSATION WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO RSEP AND TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD. AND AGAIN, YOU CAN CONTACT MY OFFICE, UH, FOR ANY OF THESE EVENTS. UH, 5 6 2 5 7 0 6 1 3 7 OR DISTRICT9@LONGBEACH.GOV. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH AND TOOK. THANK YOU. WELL, GOOD EVENING. I TOO WOULD LIKE TO START OUT BY WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH. UM, EACH FEBRUARY WE CELEBRATE THE CITY OF LONG BEACH'S BLACK COMMUNITY, AND I'LL INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN US NEXT TUESDAY AT 3:00 PM FOR THE FLAG RAISING OF THE PAN-AFRICAN NATIONAL FLAG OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL. LAST SATURDAY, I HAD A CHANCE TO HOST BLACK HISTORY MONTH KICKOFF RESOURCE FAIR AT LINDBERGH MIDDLE SCHOOL. I WAS JOINED BY A HUNDRED BLACK MEN OF LONG BEACH BOSS AND DEMO CHICKS, AMONG A FEW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT DEDICATED THEIR SATURDAY TO SHARING RESOURCES TO BLACK STUDENTS IN OUR K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS. TODAY, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHAIR OUR HOUSING AND PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE. HOUSING, AS YOU KNOW, REMAINS AN URGENT ISSUE HERE IN LONG BEACH. THAT'S WHY I'M GRATEFUL TO OUR CITY FAMILY AND FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE AGAIN IN OUR TIME ENDPOINT HOMELESS COUNT THIS YEAR IN 2026, MEETING AND TALKING WITH UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS, UH, AROUND OUR CITY, UM, IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO CONTINUING TO GROUND OUR WORK HERE AT CITY HALL. THANK YOU TO OUR OUTREACH TEAM, THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, AND THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR YOUR COMPASSION AND HARD WORK. YESTERDAY, I TOO ATTENDED THE COMMUNITY BUDGET MEETING AT HOWTON PARK, WHERE I HAD A CHANCE TO HEAR FROM NORTH LONG BEACH RESIDENTS ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES FOR FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET. I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THE RESULTS FROM THE SURVEYS. LOOKING AHEAD THIS WEEK, THE EDGEWOOD PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WILL BE MEETING TOMORROW AT [04:00:01] 6:00 PM THESE ARE SOME OF OUR NEWER, UH, FACILITIES, THE EDGEWOOD PARK APARTMENTS LOCATED OFF LONG BEACH BOULEVARD. I INVITE RESIDENTS TO ATTEND, SHARE THEIR COMMENTS, AND CONNECT WITH NEIGHBORS THIS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH, FROM 10 TO 12:00 PM THE FAIRFIELD YMCA IS HOSTING THEIR SUMMER SIGNUP DAY. RESIDENTS CAN GET A SNEAK PEEK INTO THE SUMMER PROGRAMMING AND PARTICIPATE IN FUN, FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES. AND NEXT MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH, FROM FIVE TO 8:00 PM IS THE DISTRICT EIGHT QUEEN MARY COMMUNITY DAY. WE WILL HAVE, UH, AN OPEN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE EXHIBITS, LIVE, MUSIC, FOOD, AND BEVERAGES FOR PURCHASE. TO RESERVE YOUR TICKET, COMPLIMENTARY TICKET, PLEASE VISIT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES OR CONTACT MY OFFICE DIRECTLY. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. YES. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR, UM, FOR CLOSING. UM, IN THE MEMORY OF SHIRLEY, YOU KNOW, SHE STARTED A CAMPAIGN, UM, MANY YEARS AGO FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH. UH, SHE WAS A GRAND MARSHALL FOR, UH, PRIDE PARADE. UM, JUST AN ICON AND A LEGEND IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I APPRECIATE, UH, THOSE KIND WORDS, MAYOR, THAT YOU SAID EARLIER. UM, SINCE WE WERE DARK LAST TUESDAY, UM, I JUST, UH, IT WAS, UM, HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY, WHICH IS A TIME, UM, TO PAUSE AND REMEMBER THE MILLIONS OF LIVES LOST DURING THE HOLOCAUST. AND TO HONOR THE SURVIVORS AND, UM, THEIR FAMILIES, THE STATE REMINDS US OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF INTOLERANCE AND DISCRIMINATION, AND OF THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING FROM HISTORY. IT SERVES AS A REMINDER OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO LEAD WITH COMPASSION, INCLUSION AND A RESPECT FOR EVERYONE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS THANK YOU THIS WEEKEND. OH, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO THE CRAFTSMAN'S VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH, NEXT WEEKEND AT 8:30 AM LOCATED AT 1203 EAST EIGHTH STREET. CONTACT MY OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION. ALSO, WE HAVE ON THAT DAY, THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH RESOURCE FAIR HERE IN DISTRICT ONE ON SATURDAY, AGAIN, FEBRUARY 14TH FROM 2:00 PM TO 7:00 PM IN THE DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH PROMENADE AREA. UM, SO HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING THIS EVENING. UH, THIS COUNCIL MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. TAKE CARE. * 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.