[00:00:01]
RIGHT.WELCOME RANK CHOICE VOTING COALITION.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US, UH, AND EVERYONE ONLINE WHO'S HERE ON TIME AS WELL.
I'M GOING TO OFFICIALLY CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
[ROLL CALL]
MAY WE PLEASE HAVE ROLL CALL.COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER SHA MALONE HERE, VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ PRESENT.
UM, WE'RE NOW GONNA GO INTO CHAIR REMARKS.
BEFORE WE DO, JUST FOR THE RECORD, COMMISSIONER BUTLER AND COMMISSIONER DE LARA ARE EXCUSED FROM THE MEETINGS.
ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? NO.
SEEING NONE IS IS JOSH ON? YES, HE'S ON VIRTUALLY UM, COM.
COMMISSIONER DE LEON IS JOINING US VIRTUALLY, UH, VIA TRADITIONAL TELECONFERENCING.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DE LEON.
[CHAIR REMARKS]
SO WITH THAT, UM, BEFORE WE GET INTO CHAIR REMARKS, I'M GONNA ASK OUR VICE CHAIR TO READ OFF OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.TONIGHT, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I'M SPEAKING TO YOU FROM THE TRADITIONAL ANCESTRAL AND UNSEATED TERRITORY OF THE GABRIELINO TONGVA PEOPLES TRADIT, THE TRADITIONAL TAKE CARETAKERS OF THIS LAND, WHO WERE DE DEEP POSSESSED OF THEIR LAND, AND YET CONTINUE TO STEWARD THIS LAND TODAY.
SO I JUST WANNA INVITE FOLKS IN TO PAUSE AND HONOR THEIR CULTURE, HISTORY, AND IDENTITY AND ANCESTORS, AS WELL AS THE LIVING ELDERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND WHEREVER YOU ARE TODAY, I INVITE YOU TO PAUSE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE PEOPLE WHOSE LANDS YOU ARE ON AND LET THEIR ENDURANCE AND STRENGTH INSPIRE YOU.
WE ALSO PAUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON THE FREE LABOR OF ENSLAVED AFRICANS, AND CONTINUE CONTINUES TO FUNCTION FROM THE LABOR OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR EVERY DAY.
LET'S TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO PAUSE AND ACKNOWLEDGE OUR PAST AND GIVE HONOR TO THOSE WHOSE LANDS AND SHOULDERS WE STAND ON TODAY.
THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, UH, EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING IN THAT.
UM, BEFORE WE GET INTO THE MEAT AND THE POTATOES OF THE MEETING, UM, WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE, UM, FOLKS IN THE PUBLIC A REMINDER ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, AS A REMINDER, OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION DURING PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS LISTED ON THE AGENDA SHOULD BE RELATED TO THE AGENDA ITEM AND NON-AGENDA.
PUBLIC COMMENT SHOULD BE ON TOPICS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION.
THIS BODY CANNOT ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE OR TAKE ACTION ON ITEMS RAISED DURING NON AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT.
PLEASE NOTE THAT TIMET SANDERS CAN BE MODIFIED BASED OFF THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC COMMENTERS.
IT IS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR MYSELF.
UM, AND THIS IS, UH, BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND ICE, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND SO IF YOU ARE HERE TO BE SPEAKING ABOUT ICE, PLEASE MAKE SURE IT'S ON THE AGENDA OR UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF EQUITY, HUMAN RELATIONS, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.
UM, AND ON THAT TOPIC OF ICE, UM, WE ARE STILL LIVING IN INCREASED, UH, ATTACKS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, JUST TWO WEEKS AGO, A STUDENT IN LOS ANGELES, UM, A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN LOS ANGELES, UM, WAS BEATEN ATTACK AND ARRESTED AND NOW CHARGED FOR OBSTRUCTION, UH, WHILE HE WAS PARTICIPATING IN A PROTEST, UH, AS ATTACKS FROM ICE, UH, INCREASE.
UM, I WANT TO REMIND FOLKS TO PLEASE STAY SAFE.
UM, IF YOU'RE GONNA PROTEST, PROTEST IN GROUPS, UH, IF YOU'RE GONNA TAKE ACTION, MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT ALONE, UH, AND, UM, MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A SAFETY PLAN.
UH, IT IS MY PERSONAL BELIEF THAT I SHOULD BE ABOLISHED, AND I REALLY HOPE THAT OTHER COMMISSIONS AND CITY LEADERSHIP TAKE THAT STANCE.
AND, UH, TODAY'S CONVERSATION THAT WE'LL HAVE LATER TODAY IS ONE STEP TO BROADEN OUR HORIZONS AND MAKE IDEAS INTO POLICY.
[00:05:01]
YOU ALL FOR, FOR JOINING AND, UH, ENTERTAINING MY COMMENTS.UM, WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO THE FIRST ITEM.
MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE READ IT?
[1. 26-54277 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Equity and Human Relations Commission meeting of Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ITEM NUMBER ONE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7TH, 2026.MAY I HAVE A SECOND PLEASE? SECOND, THANK YOU FROM COMMISSIONER SHA MALONE.
UM, TODAY Y'ALL IS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UH, WE'RE NOT GONNA USE OUR TABLETS.
UM, SO, UH, IT WILL PROBABLY MAKE IT EASY IF YOU CAN JUST COME OFF MUTE TO MOTION.
UH, AND SECOND, UH, IF THAT BECOMES THE WILD, WILD WEST, UH, WE'LL PROBABLY DO LIKE RAISE HANDS.
UM, BUT IF SOMEONE COMES OFF FIRST BEFORE, JUST LET THE PERSON DO THE MOTION IN A SECOND.
UM, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
UM, FOR THE MINUTES, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.
NOW, SEEING NONE, BOTH IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE.
UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION IN REGARDS TO THE MINUTES? OKAY.
AND AS A REMINDER FOR COMMISSIONERS, AS LONG AS YOU, UH, READ UP ON THE LAST MEETING OR YOU WATCHED THE VIDEO, UH, YOU CAN DEFINITELY VOTE, UH, IN FAVOR OR AGAINST.
UM, SO MAY WE HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE PLEASE.
COMMISSIONER LIZETTE FLORES? YES.
COMMISSIONER, UM, MONTGOMERY? YES.
UH, BEFORE WE MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, I WANTED TO JUST GAUGE THE AUDIENCE.
IS THERE ANYBODY HERE WHO'S GOING TO BE SPEAKING NOT ON AGENDA ITEMS? UM, TYPICALLY PUBLIC COMMENT, NON AGENDA ITEMS IS AT THE VERY END, UH, BUT SOMETIMES WE MOVE IT UP.
UM, JUST FOR THE SAKE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAY HERE FOR TWO HOURS, UH, SO YOU CAN GET HOME TOO.
UH, ARE YOU WILLING TO STAY IN UNTIL LATE OR IS UP? OKAY, COOL.
I'M, I'M HERE FOR THAT AS WELL, BUT I WANTED YOU GUYS MIGHT ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO ACTION OFF.
UM, BECAUSE DURING THAT DISCUSSION WE'RE GONNA BE DOING ALL OF THE IDEAS.
UM, LET'S MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO.
[2. 26-54278 Recommendation to review, discuss, and approve transmittal of a letter from the Ranked Choice Voting Ad Hoc Committee to City Council outlining specific policy recommendations to adopt Ranked Choice Voting in Long Beach. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
NUMBER TWO IS A RECOMMENDATION TO REVIEW.DISCUSS AN APPROVED TRANSMITTAL OF A LETTER FROM THE RANK CHOICE VOTING AD HOC COMMITTEE TO CITY COUNCIL OUTLINING, OUTLINING SPECIFIC POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADOPT RANK CHOICE VOTING IN LONG BEACH.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND? MOTION SECOND.
AND COMMISSIONER SAMUEL WILD SECOND.
IS, UM, THE MOTION? ALRIGHT, UM, WE'RE NOW GONNA GO INTO THE PRESENTATION.
SO, UH, MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER COLE ARE GONNA ATTACK TEAM THIS, UM, AS BEST AS POSSIBLE
UM, ALL COMMISSIONERS SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AND REVIEWED THE LETTER THAT WAS PROVIDED TO FOLKS.
UM, IT GOES OVER THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION FOR CITY COUNCIL TO SPECIFICALLY, UH, DEVELOP A COMMITTEE, UH, TO DEVELOP OUT THE ORDINANCE NECESSARY FOR RANK CHOICE VOTING.
UH, AND THE GOAL OF THIS IS TO HAPPEN ON NOVEMBER, 2026 BALLOT THAT'S COMING FOR VOTE FOR THE RESIDENTS.
UM, IN THE LETTER ITSELF, WE HAVE THE BACKGROUND, SO THE ENGAGEMENT FROM THE RANK CHOICE VOTING COALITION, UH, SOME OF THE HISTORY BEHIND RANK CHOICE VOTING, UH, AS WELL AS SOME AMENDMENTS, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, UM, ADDITIONS TO THE SPECIFIC LETTER ITSELF.
SO WITHIN IT, UH, IT GOES OVER ADDITIONAL RESEARCH.
IT GOES OVER HOW IT WILL IMPACT
[00:10:01]
CANDIDATES, UH, FOR THE POSITIVE.UH, IT ALSO INCLUDES, UH, HOW, UM, RANK CHOICE VOTING REDUCES THE IMPACT FOR I INCOMEY BIAS.
IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT, UM, MAXIMIZING TURNOUT WITH SAVING MONEY FOR THE CITY.
AND THEN IT GOES OVER HOW SOME CITIES IN DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS HAVE IMPLEMENTED IT.
UM, AND WITH SOME SPECIFIC FINDINGS OF, UH, INCREASED VOTER TURNOUT WITH SOME DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THE RESEARCH AND DATA, UM, THERE ARE SOME LETTERS OF SUPPORT, UH, FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IN THE LONG BEACH AREA, UH, AS WELL AS THE LONG BEACH LATINO DEMOCRATIC CLUB AND THE COALITIONS THAT ARE A PART OF THIS MOVEMENT.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, WE HAVE SOME, UH, ADDITIONS, WHICH JUST GOES INTO A SAMPLE LANGUAGE, UH, THAT CAN BE USED IN THE ORDINANCE.
UH, ONCE SAID, UM, COMMITTEE IS CREATED.
SO, UH, FOR THE SAKE OF CLARITY, UH, ON THE, THE RECOMMENDATION IS AS FOLLOWED ON THE BEHALF OF THE EQUITY HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, WE RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT THE RECOMMENDATION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ACTION.
THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION RECOMMENDS TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR AGENDAS AN ITEM DIRECTLY IN THE CITY MANAGER OFFICE TO ESTABLISH A, THE CHARTER AMENDMENT COMMITTEE PER GOVERNMENT CODE 3 4 4 5 8.
WE FURTHER RECOMMEND THAT THE COMMITTEE REVIEW AND FINALIZE LANGUAGE TO BE PLACED, UH, TO PLACE A RANK CHOICE VOTING TRIGGER AMENDMENT TO THE CITY CHARTER ON NOVEMBER 20, 26 BALLOT.
THIS REVIEW SHOULD INCLUDE PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT LANGUAGE, UH, THE REMOVAL OF THE PRIMARY ELECTION IN FAVOR OF A CINCO GENERAL ELECTION AND THE NECESSARY IMPLEMENTING ORDINANCE AND BALLOT LANGUAGE.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE SHOULD ADD? NO.
WE REVIEWED IT AND IT WAS A GROUP EFFORT TO PUT TOGETHER, IT REALLY FEELS LIKE A SOLID AND COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE THAT'S BACKED BY THIS RESEARCH AND LETTERS, AND IT DIRECTLY ALIGNS WITH THE MISSION AND, UM, VISION OF THE EQUITY HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER COLE.
UH, AND ALSO THANK YOU TO THE COALITION, UH, FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN THIS.
UM, THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO INTO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL HAVE COMMISSIONER DISCUSSION AFTERWARDS.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO WRITE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM TWO, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE NOW TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM TWO.
UH, YOU MAY RECOGNIZE MY FACE AS I AM ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT DID THE PRESENTATION LAST TIME.
MY NAME IS RENEE, I'M ONE OF THE STEERING MEMBERS OF RCV AND THE LBC, AND I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST OF AMERICA HERE IN LONG BEACH.
UH, I JUST WANNA SAY, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR REALLY DOING YOUR DUE DILIGENCE TO LOOK INTO THIS.
UM, NOT JUST TAKING US AT OUR WORD, BUT LOOKING INTO IT FOR YOURSELVES.
I REALLY APPRECIATED ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAD LAST TIME, UH, THE WAYS YOU WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH US AND EVEN THE CHALLENGES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE SORT OF PREPARED FOR THIS TO GO FORWARD.
UH, I WANNA THANK THE CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER COLE AS WELL FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT IN MOVING THIS FORWARD IN A REALLY TIMELY FASHION.
UH, I REALLY BELIEVE IN THE SPIRITS OF THIS COMMISSION, UM, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, MOVE WITH US FORWARD ON THIS.
I THINK THIS IS REALLY GOOD FOR LONG BEACH.
UH, AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT THE VERY FIRST TO ADOPT RANKED CHOICE VOTING, I THINK WE CAN STILL CALL OURSELVES ONE OF THE PIONEERS IF WE GET THIS GOING.
WITH THAT, I'LL YIELD MY TIME.
HEY, GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN.
I'M ONE OF THE CO-CHAIRS WITH RENEE AND A COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR WITH POKEMON GO LONG BEACH.
AND I WORK WITH OUR CITY'S, UH, COLAB WHERE WE'RE WORKING ON TRYING TO IMPROVE OUR VACANT LOTS.
UM, AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU.
UM, NOT JUST FOR WHAT IT MEANS FOR RCV, BUT WHAT IT MEANS FOR BELIEVING THAT GOVERNMENT CAN WORK.
[00:15:01]
NO SECRET TO ANY OF US THAT TIMES ARE HARD RIGHT NOW, AND THERE'S A LOT OF CYNICISM AND THERE'S A LOT OF BELIEF THAT GOVERNMENT CAN'T HELP AND GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO ANYTHING, AND THAT WE'RE POWERLESS.AND THIS CAMPAIGN IS FLIPPING THAT ON ITS HEAD.
A YEAR AGO THERE WAS A SMALL HANDFUL OF US AND, YOU KNOW, WHO HAD AN IDEA OF LET, LET'S CHANGE THE WAY WE VOTE IN LONG BEACH AND MAKE IT MORE EQUITABLE AND, AND BRING MORE PEOPLE TO THE TABLE AND, UH, AND OPEN UP THE PLAYING FIELD.
AND, UH, WE STARTED TALKING WITH OUR FRIENDS AND OUR NEIGHBORS AND THAT GROUP STARTED TO GROW AND THEN WE STARTED GOING OUT TO FARMER'S MARKETS AND EVENTS AND REACHING OUT TO DIFFERENT COALITIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND STARTED BRINGING THEM ON BOARD.
AND THE WAY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TAKEN THIS UP AND ACTED SO DECISIVELY, UH, AND PROVIDING A PATHWAY TO THE OTHER COMMISSIONS AND TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, IT'S INSPIRING, TRULY.
UM, THIS IS A BIG DEAL AND, AND I HOPE THAT, UH, I HOPE THAT IT'S RECOGNIZES THAT BECAUSE WE'RE WATCHING, UH, A REAL GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT TONIGHT TRANSFORM FROM A GRASS MOVEMENT MOVEMENT TO ACTUAL POLICY, TO ACTUAL POLICY DISCUSSIONS.
AND, UH, THAT'S REALLY EXCITING.
AND, UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING PART OF IT WITH US.
HI, MY NAME IS BRITTANY MARTIN AND I HAVE FRANKLY BEEN RAISING A LOT OF HELL PAST COUPLE WEEKS AT A LOT OF THESE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS.
AND I JUST HAVE TO ONE SAY THAT THE ENERGY IN THIS ROOM FROM YOU GUYS IS PALPABLE.
I CAN FEEL THAT YOU ARE ALL GENUINELY GOOD PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE TO DO YOUR DUTY.
I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE ALL AWARE OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT BE AWARE OF IS THAT RIGHT NOW, UM, THROUGHOUT DONALD TRUMP'S NONSENSE, HE'S TRYING TO PASS THE SAVE ACT, WHICH YOU GUYS ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH A LOT OF THE ISSUES WITH WOMEN'S VOTING AND WHATNOT.
BUT WHAT'S HIDDEN IN THERE IS ACTUALLY A BAN ON RANK CHOICE VOTING.
AND THAT SHOULD SCARE A LOT OF US BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, THAT IS ONE OF THE KEYSTONE ISSUES THAT CAN ACTUALLY GIVE POWER BACK TO THE PEOPLE.
SO I WANNA LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT BY VOTING FOR THIS AND TAKING A STAND ON THIS, YOU GUYS ARE ACTUALLY DOING YOUR PART AGAINST THE AUTHORITARIAN REGIME THAT IS CURRENTLY OPERATING IN OUR COUNTRY.
I DON'T THINK I NEED TO WARN ANY OF YOU GUYS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE REMOVING ALL OF THIS IMMUNITY AND WHATNOT AND GOING AFTER ALL THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T DOING THEIR JOBS BECAUSE YOU GUYS WILL DO YOUR JOBS AND DO THEM EFFECTIVELY AND BE FOR THE PEOPLE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GETTING THIS DONE.
AND AS SOMEONE WHO IN 2019 WAS IN THE ROOM WITH THE PEOPLE WHO STARTED RANKED CHOICE VOTING AT THE UN RIGGED SUMMIT, TO SEE THAT IT IS NOW IN 52 DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS AND THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING TO MAKE IT 53 IS AMAZING.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU GUYS.
ARE THERE ANY MORE PERSON IN PER ANY MORE PEOPLE IN PERSON? SEEING NONE.
DO WE HAVE ANY FOLKS ONLINE? NONE IN THE ZOOM.
ALRIGHT, UH, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO COMMISSIONER DISCUSSION.
UM, SO IN, IN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HIGHLIGHTED IS, UM, THERE IS A CLAUSE THAT SAYS TRIGGER CLAUSE THAT ACT ACTIVATES, UM, ONCE THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY RECORDER CLERK, UM, HAS THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE CAPABILITY TO SUPPORT RANK CHOICE VOTING.
HAS ANYBODY CONTACTED THEM AND ASKED THEM IF THEY HAVE THAT CAPABILITY? AT THIS POINT IN TIME DURING OUR LAST PRESENTATION, UH, THE COUNTY IS CONSIDERING IT.
UM, BUT THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY.
UM, WE DID ASK ABOUT THE COST OF MOVING EVERYTHING OVER AND LIKE CHANGING A NEW SYSTEM.
AND THE OVERALL COST SAVING BENEFIT, UM, WORKS ITS WAY OUT IN THE LONG RUN, UM, TO HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY NEEDED IN ORDER TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO, SO IF I MAY, SO WE DON'T KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY
[00:20:02]
TO DO THIS AT THE CURRENT TIME.UM, AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD IS, UM, AND AGAIN, I WAS NOT, UM, IN ATTENDANCE TO THE LAST BOARD MEETING, BUT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO READ THROUGH ALL THIS STUFF.
UM, AND, UM, THE, THE COST SAVINGS, WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO PRINT A BALLOT, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE HAVE ASSEMBLY RACES, WE HAVE CONGRESSIONAL RACES THAT ENCOMPASS OTHER CITIES IN THIS CITY.
SO WE'RE REALLY NOT GONNA SAVE MONEY RIGHT.
BY BY NOT HAVING TO PRINT A PRIMARY BALLOT.
'CAUSE THERE STILL HAS TO BE A PRIMARY BALLOT DONE.
CORRECT? UH, WITH RANK CHOICE VOTING, IT CONSOLIDATES INTO ONE VOTING.
UM, SO ONE BALLOT FOR THAT PARTICULAR RACE, THERE'S NO A PRIMARY.
AND THEN, UH, THE ACTUAL VOTING FOR THE DAY.
SO LIKE IN THE, AND I'M JUST GOING TO USE AN EXAMPLE.
SO LIKE CONGRESSMAN GARCIA, WHO REPRESENTS LONG BEACH AND NOW IS GONNA REPRESENT HUNTINGTON BEACH AFTER THE COURT RULED TODAY THAT OUR, OUR NEW REDISTRICTING, HOW IS THAT GONNA WORK ON THE BALLOT IF IT'S, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IF IT'S PERTAINING TO LONG BEACH, ANY ELECTION RELATED TO LONG BEACH WOULD BE DONE ON THE ONE PARTICULAR DAY, EVEN IF LIKE A CONGRESS MEMBER HAS DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS.
SO IF ON LONG BEACH WE HAVE JUNE 6TH AS THE VOTING DAY FOR CONGRESSMAN ROBERT GARCIA, IT'S GOING TO BE JUST ONE VOTING DAY ON THAT DAY.
NOW, HOW HUNTINGTON BEACH DOES IT, THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT AND THEY'LL HAVE TO COUNT IT DIFFERENTLY, BUT IT'S ALL GOING TO BE COUNTED TOWARDS THE LAST DAY OF THE VOTING SESSION.
AND THEN OUR ASSEM, OUR STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS AND OUR STATE, UM, UM, SENATORS WHO REPRESENT MORE THAN ONE DISTRICT IN, IN LONG BEACH AND OTHER CITIES.
UM, SO EACH OF THOSE CITIES THEN WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HOLDING THEIR, THEIR OWN SEPARATE ELECTION.
CAN I ASK FOR THEM TO COME UP AND POTENTIALLY ANSWER SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS? NO.
NO, BECAUSE YEAH, IT WASN'T AGENDIZED AS A, AS A PRESENTATION FROM RCV.
SO THE BASE, BASED OFF OF YOUR QUESTION, RIGHT, SO IN LONG BEACH WE HAVE THE PRIMARY MARCH, AND THEN THE FINAL VOTING DAY IS IN JUNE.
EVERY, I WOULD ASSUME THAT, SO OUR PRIMARY NOMINATING ELECTION IS IN JUNE, AND THEN OUR, UM, NOVEMBER RUNOFF WOULD BE NOVEMBER, RIGHT? THANK YOU, SIR.
IT'S IN, IT'S IN JUNE AND NOVEMBER.
YOU'RE SAYING, FOR INSTANCE, IF IT WERE TWO SEPARATE, IT GETS RID OF JUNE AND EVERYBODY WILL JUST VOTE IN NOVEMBER.
AND EVERY, ALL OF THOSE FOLKS WILL BE ON THE SAME BALLOT, BUT, BUT ONLY IN NOVEMBER.
IT SAVES THE CITY MONEY, BUT THERE STILL HAS TO BE A CITY BALLOT MELD OUT TO ALL RESIDENTS TO VOTE IN OTHER RACES LIKE CONGRESSIONAL RACES, ASSEMBLY RACES, SENATE RACES, THERE'S STILL GONNA BE A BALLOT MAILED OUT, RIGHT? CORRECT.
BUT INSTEAD OF TWO TIMES IN THE YEAR, IT'S ONLY GONNA BE ONE.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY.
NO, REGARDLESS, IT SAVES MONEY NO MATTER WHAT.
IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S LIKE A REDUCTION.
A QUICK STREAMLINED IS EFFICIENT, IT SAVES MONEY.
I'M PUBLIC COMMENT IS OVER SO QUICK, CAN WE HAVE A DISCUSSION BEHIND THE RAIL QUICK, QUICK, UH, QUESTION FOR MAYBE I CAN CLEAR IF I ASK, UH, SO YOU ATTORNEY A TOY, UM, THE PRIMARY FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, WOULD THAT STILL TAKE PLACE OR WOULD THAT FALL? WOULD THAT HAPPEN? HOW DO YOU GET A, A PRIMARY CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE ELECTION IN NOVEMBER? HOW DOES CALIFORNIA HAVE A SAY OUT OF 50 STATES? WHO THE, WHO, THE, UM,
[00:25:02]
WHO THE NOMINEE IS? I MEAN, THE NOMINEES FIGURED OUT WELL BEFORE ELECTION DAY.AND UNLESS YOU'RE DOING RANK CHOICE VOTING IN 50 STATES, HOW DOES THE PRESIDENT, UH, HOW DO WE KNOW WHO THE DEMOCRATIC AND, AND REPUBLICAN NOMINEES ARE FOR PRESIDENT? SO MY UNDERSTANDING FROM OUR DISCUSSION IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS THAT IT WOULD BE JUST, UH, PREVALENT OR PERTAINING TO THE, THE LONG BEACH LOCAL, LOCAL ELECTIONS.
SO THAT, SO, AND I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THE, THE PREMISE AND, AND, AND THIS IS, AGAIN, I, I COULD BE INCORRECT COMMISSIONER, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT'S WHY, UH, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ONE THING ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO I THINK HERE, FOR OUR PURPOSES, FOR LONG BEACH, IF RCV WAS HERE, THEN IT WOULD JUST BE CONSIDERING LIKE WHAT THE LOCAL, UM, YOU KNOW, BALLOT MEASURES WOULD BE.
THAT, THAT, UH, SORRY FOR GETTING SO INTO THE WEEDS.
SO, UH, UH, THIS PERTAINS TO PERTAINS JUST TO, PERTAINS TO JUST LONG BEACH, UM, ELECTIONS, NOT STATE, NOT, UH, NOT NATIONAL.
DOES THAT HELP? UH, IT RAISES MORE QUESTIONS IN MY HEAD BECAUSE WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO PAY THE COUNTY REGISTER'S OFFICE AND THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES TO ADMINISTER OUR ELECTIONS AND MAIL OUT BALLOTS.
SO I GUESS IF THEY HAVE TO MAIL OUT BALLOTS IN JUNE FOR ALL THE OTHER ELECTIONS, AND THEY HAVE TO MAIL OUT BALLOTS IN NOVEMBER FOR ALL THE OTHER ELECTIONS, I GUESS I'M KIND OF LIKE NOT SURE WHERE WE'RE REALLY GONNA SAVE MONEY BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE, THE CITY STILL HAS TO PAY THE, THE COUNTY TO THE COUNTY RECORDER'S OFFICE AND THE COUNTY CLERK TO ADMINISTER THESE ELECTIONS.
COULD YOU TURN ON YOUR MICROPHONE AND SAY THAT AGAIN? YEAH.
WE ALSO HAVE COMMISSIONER DELEON.
IS THERE A WAY TO FIGURE OUT IF HIS HAND IS RAISED OR NOT? LIKE HOW DOES HE HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS? UH, YES.
SO COMMISSIONER DELEON IS A PANELIST, SO HE CAN GO AHEAD AND UNMUTE HIMSELF, UH, WHEN HE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
Y'ALL, UH, WE'RE FREE OUT THE ZOOM THINGS, BUT HELLO FROM 21 DEGREE CHICAGO.
I WANNA CHIME ON THIS QUESTION 'CAUSE I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT HERE, IS THAT, UH, THIS, THIS PUSH IS REALLY AROUND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.
AND SO I THINK, UH, ATTORNEY YTO REALLY, UH, DUG INTO THIS A MOMENT AGO.
BUT, UH, THIS POLICY WOULD APPLY SPECIFICALLY TO MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.
SO, UH, ELECTIONS LIKE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR, UH, CITY ATTORNEY, UH, THOSE ARE THE POSITIONS THAT WOULD BE, UH, INVOLVED.
AND SO THERE WOULD STILL BE, UH, PRIMARY ELECTIONS IN JUNE FOR, UH, CANDIDATES WHO ARE RUNNING FOR, UH, ASSEMBLY, UH, OR STATE SENATE STATEWIDE RACES WHERE THEIR JURISDICTIONS GO BEYOND LONG BEACH ITSELF.
UH, AND THEN CONGRESSIONAL RACES LIKE ROBERT GARCIA'S CURRENT, UH, SEAT WHERE, UH, CUTS ACROSS MULTIPLE, UH, CITIES.
AND SO THAT'S SORT OF WHAT IS ON THE BALLOT RIGHT NOW, OR ON THE, ON THE, UH, DIA FOR TO CONSIDER TODAY IS SIMPLY MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.
NOW THAT SAID, UM, WHILE, UH, THERE WILL STILL BE PRIMARY ELECTION BALLOTS PRINTED, THERE ARE COST SAVINGS INVOLVED, UH, WITH THE RANK CHOICE VOTING PROCESS BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO PRINT THE PAPER FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY'S RACE, FOR THE MAYOR'S RACE FOR THE NINE DIFFERENT CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
UH, AND SO THERE ARE SAVINGS, EVEN IF THERE IS PRINTING HAPPENING, UH, IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION.
SO THAT'S ONE BENEFIT, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T FULLY REMOVE IT, I THINK THAT IF, UH, THERE WAS SORT OF LIKE A REGIONWIDE OR A STATEWIDE IMPLEMENTATION OF RANK CHOICE VOTING, UH, WHERE THAT, UH, ELIMINATED PRIMARIES ACROSS THE BOARD AT THAT POINT, EVERYONE WOULD SHIFT TO THAT.
BUT ON THE TABLE FOR US TODAY IS SIMPLY A MUNICIPAL, UH, RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOR LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL RACES TO SHIFT TO RANK CHOICE VOTING AS SOON AS LA COUNTY IS ABLE TO MEET THOSE TECHNICAL NEEDS.
UH, AND SO THAT'S US, WE HAVE ON THE TABLE TODAY.
I ACTUALLY DO WANNA LIVE IN A WORLD IN WHICH THE ENTIRE STATE IS USING RIGHT CHOICE VOTING AND WHERE ALL OF THESE CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS ARE, ARE USING THAT AS WELL.
BUT, UH, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US TODAY.
I HOPE THAT HELPS CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DE YOUNG.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? I APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE WORDING, THE TRIGGER CLAUSE.
UH, SO MEANING THAT THIS'LL BE READY TO GO IF AND WHEN, UH, LOS ANGELES IS READY TO GO.
[00:30:01]
ASKED IF THEY'RE READY TO GO.I DON'T KNOW THEIR THEIR PROGRESS IN THAT, BUT, UH, WE'LL BE READY TO GO WHEN THEY'RE READY TO GO.
UM, UH, AND, UH, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY WITH A PURPLE SHIRT, UH, HERE TODAY.
UH, I WISH MY, UH, MY KID WAS AS EXCITED TO SEE ME AS YOU GUYS, UH, SEEM TO BE WHEN I COME HOME.
HE JUST KIND OF LOOKS UP AND I SHOULD INSTALL ONE OF THOSE, UH, PODIUMS AT THE HOUSE SO HE CAN GREET ME WHEN I COME HOME,
BUT, UH, UH, I, I, I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING HERE.
UH, UH, SORRY FOR THE, THE SLIGHT CONFUSION ON THE NATIONAL AND STATE.
OF COURSE, IT'S JUST FOR MUNICIPAL, UH, UH, AND I WAS JUST PRETENDING, UH, UH, TO BE DUMB.
UH, SO
BUT, UH, UM, CHAIR COVINGTON, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
AND BEFORE WE GO TO THE QUESTION, UM, I WANNA JUST CIRCLE BACK THAT THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'RE MAKING TODAY IS SO THAT THE CITY MANAGER CAN ADD, EXCUSE ME, THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR CAN AGENDIZE AN ITEM DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGERS TO ESTABLISH A CHARTER AMENDMENT COMMITTEE.
UM, SO WITHIN THAT COMMITTEE, A LOT OF THESE FINE QUESTIONS OR THESE LIKE MORE CHALLENGING, UM, QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE, UM, WE CAN DIRECT THEM TO THAT COMMITTEE, AND AT THAT TIME THEY CAN IRON THOSE OUT, UM, SO THAT IT BECOMES LEGAL.
I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS.
I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, MY CITY COUNCIL OFFICE AND, AND OTHER PEOPLE.
HERE'S A QUESTION, AND THIS GETS A LITTLE POLITICAL, AND I HOPE I DON'T STEP ON ANYBODY'S TOES, BUT IN, IN THIS, IT SAYS, ULTIMATELY LEADS TO MORE CIVICAL AND LESS PARTISAN ELECTIONS.
UM, THUS IMPROVING, YOU KNOW, UM, THE SENTIMENT TOWARDS POLITICS AND POLITICIANS AND VOTING AS A VERY LIBERAL DEMOCRAT, UM, WHICH KNOW EVERYBODY KNOWS.
UM, COULD THIS BACKFIRE WITH, WITH PEOPLE WHO MAY BE LIKE, SO, LIKE, CONSERVATIVE, CONSERVATIVE OR, AND, AND NOT CONSERVATIVE, JUST RADICAL COULD, IS THIS OPENING THE DOOR FOR THAT? AND MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY COUNCIL CAN ADDRESS.
'CAUSE UM, IF THIS MOVES FORWARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THEY FORM THE COMMITTEE, BELIEVE ME, I'M GONNA BE AT THAT TABLE.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION, UH, FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO, TO DISCUSS.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.
CAN I JOIN THE STACK ON THAT? WAIT, WHAT? OH, UH, JOSH HERE.
CAN I JOIN THE, THE STACK HERE? YES, YES.
UH, WE'RE GONNA GO COLE, AND THEN YOU GOT IT.
UM, WE MIGHT BE SAYING SOME OF THE SAME THINGS 'CAUSE
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS, AND I CAN'T REFERENCE SPECIFIC RESEARCH RIGHT NOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS TYPE OF VOTING EXPANDS THE BASE, THE BASE OF VOTERS.
AND THERE ARE ALWAYS GONNA BE RADICALS ON EVERY SIDE.
BUT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE ON ONE END OF A PENDULUM RIGHT NOW, OR WHEREVER IT MAY BE IN ANY HISTORY OF TIME, THEY HAVE ALL OF THE MONEY TO SPEND, TO SPEND EVERYONE OUT SO THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN EVEN GET ONTO THE BALLOT.
SO THAT IN AND OF ITSELF IS MORE DEMOCRATIC, IN MY MIND, IF I'M ARTICULATING THAT PROPERLY, IT MAKES THE PROCESS MORE EQUITABLE.
THE PROCESS ITSELF IS MORE EQUITABLE, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE THOSE RADICALS.
AND, AND SO NOTHING'S PERFECT IN DEMOCRACY.
I, I UNDERSTAND, AND I, I RESPECT YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTS.
WOULD IT BE MORE PALATABLE? AND NOT THAT THIS IS EVER GONNA HAPPEN IN OUR COUNTRY, BUT IT'S WISHFUL THINKING THAT WE JUST PUT SOME FINANCE, CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ONLY SPEND A CERTAIN AMOUNT AND CORPORATIONS CAN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO YOUR CAMPAIGN.
UM, I, I'M, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THIS HAS JUST BEEN A ONGOING, I HAVE READ THROUGH THIS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND I STILL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I AM REALLY, UH,
[00:35:01]
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE DIALOGUE AND, AND PEOPLE LISTENING TO MY, MY THOUGHTS AND, AND AND WHATNOT.AND AGAIN, HAVING TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE, UM, IT, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS STILL THAT ARE, ARE I, I STILL NEED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF, AND MAYBE THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT I WILL MAKE SURE THAT IF THIS GOES TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WILL ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS.
AND THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT I WILL PUT TOGETHER AGAIN, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO ME AND ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS.
AND ONE THING THAT WE CAN ALSO DO IS WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH THE COALITION, JUST IN THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS.
WE CAN'T INVITE THEM TO THE CONVERSATION.
SO IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU CAN, UM, WRITE THE QUESTIONS OUT IN AN EMAIL, UM, WE CAN FORWARD IT OVER AND THEN ASK, REQUEST THAT THEY ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT IT WOULD BE AFTER THE FACT, AFTER THE VOTING.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER DEION WAS, OH, YES, SORRY.
I APOLOGIZE, COMMISSIONER DEION.
AND, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING ME DIVE IN AND ACCIDENTALLY INTERRUPT PEOPLE.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT MAKING IT WORK.
UM, I MEAN, I THINK COMMISSIONER DOCKER, I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR POINTS HERE.
AND I, I THINK THAT IT IS, UM, IT IS AN, IT IS A IMPORTANT QUESTION OF, WELL, WHAT ARE THE ACTUAL OUTCOMES OF POLICIES THAT ARE IMPLEMENTED? UM, THERE'S RESEARCH THAT I'VE, UH, PULLED OUT, UM, FROM THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION THAT CAME OUT IN, UH, MARCH OF 2025, WHICH I THINK ACTUALLY, I, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, UH, HEALTH COMMISSIONERS TAKE A LOOK, UM, BECAUSE I THINK IT DOES ACTUALLY ANSWER A LOT OF THESE QUESTIONS, UH, AROUND OUTCOMES AND IMPACT.
UM, THIS IS A, A RESEARCH PAPER THAT WAS PUT OUT BY THE A BA TASK FORCE FOR AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, UH, WHICH IS A NON-PARTISAN, UH, UH, RESEARCH, UH, FOCUS WITHIN THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION.
SO BY NO MEANS, UH, A, UM, HYPER-PARTISAN POLITICAL, UM, GROUP, BUT REALLY I THINK ONE THAT, UM, IS A GOOD MIDDLE GROUND FOR US, UH, AS WE LOOK AT, UH, THE IMPACTS OF R CV AND REALLY WHAT IT, WHAT IT, UH, UM, SEEMS TO POINT TO IS ACTUALLY, IF ANYTHING, UM, IT'S MORE LIKELY TO GENERATE, UH, CANDIDATES THAT ARE, ARE, ARE MORE MODERATE OR MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DISTRICTS THAT THEY'RE IN, UH, THAN, UH, PUSHING TOWARDS THE POLLS.
AND I THINK THE REASON FOR THAT IS, UM, THAT, UH, IT INCENTIVIZES A LOT MORE, UH, COALITIONAL BEHAVIOR IN THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, RIGHT? AND SO I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN THIS HAVING WORKED, UH, WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION IN OAKLAND, UM, WHERE, UH, I WAS WORKING WITH THEM WHEN THE MOST RECENT MAYORAL ELECTION HAPPENED.
AND SO YOU HAD BARBARA LEE, UM, WHO, UH, ENDED UP WINNING, UM, PRETTY HANDILY.
UM, BUT WHAT WAS INTERESTING IS THAT SHE DIDN'T JUST WIN, UH, KIND OF ON THE FIRST BALLOT.
SHE ALSO WON A LOT OF THE SECOND CHOICE VOTES, UM, FROM FOLKS.
AND SO I THINK WHAT WAS STRIKING WAS THE FACT THAT THERE WAS THIS, UM, SORT OF, UH, CROSS ENDORSEMENT PHENOMENA THAT WAS HAPPENING WHERE, UH, CANDIDATES THAT, THAT SHARED THE MAJORITY OF THEIR VALUES AND MAJORITY OF THEIR POLICIES, UH, ENDED UP ACTUALLY ENDORSING EACH OTHER.
AND SO THE OUTCOME ENDS UP BEING THAT RATHER THAN PUSHING TO THE POLLS, GIVING YOU THE MOST EXTREME CANDIDATES IN ANY DIRECTION, INSTEAD OFTENTIMES IT'S FINDING SOMEONE WHO BUILDS THE BIGGEST COALITION.
AND I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY POWERFUL THING, UM, IN A MOMENT WHEN WE HAVE SO LITTLE, UH, PATHWAYS TOWARDS COALITION AND LINE SPACE POLITICS, UM, THAT RANK CHOICE VOTING HAS BEEN SEEN AND MEANS TESTED AS A WAY TO GET THERE.
AND SO I RECOMMEND TAKING A LOOK AT THAT RESEARCH.
UM, JUST A COUPLE ASSUAGE, SOME OF THESE CONCERNS THAT I THINK ARE, ARE REALLY VALID QUESTIONS TO RAISE.
AND I THINK THAT THE A BA RESEARCH REALLY SHOWS THAT RCV IS, UH, ADDITIVE, NOT SUBTRACTIVE, UH, TO THE WORK OF, UH, CREATING CANDIDATES THAT ARE MORE REFLECTIVE OF, UH, AND MORE SUPPORTED BY THE, THE BROAD BASE OF THE ELECTORATE.
UM, THE ONLY THING I WANNA FLAG REALLY QUICKLY IS THAT, UM, WHEN WE, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT, UH, LONG DISPOSITION WITHIN ALL, WITHIN ALL OF THIS, I THINK THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER DOCKERY REALLY GETS, IT GETS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD THAT WE ARE, UH, PART OF THE PROCESS AND THE CONVERSATION O OF RCV, AND THAT THE GO, UH, MOMENT WHEN IT GOES IN FRONT OF COUNCIL IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT FLASHPOINT.
AND, AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE ENGAGED NOT JUST IN THIS MOMENT.
UM, BUT THEN I THINK THE FUNCTION OF THIS COMMISSION IS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY HELP SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON POLICIES THAT JUST MAY NOT MAKE IT ON THE RADAR OR MAY NOT END UP ON, UH, THE COUNCIL DIOCESE IMMEDIATELY.
UM, WE CAN BE A WAY TO, UH, ACCELERATE THAT PROCESS, REALLY SHINE A SPOTLIGHT.
AND SO I THINK THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT I'M EXCITED FOR CITY COUNCIL TO HAVE.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD, UH, UH, VOTE TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
UH, AND A LOT OF THE RESEARCH AND ALL THE, UH, THE, THE ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF RCV REALLY DO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE, UM, REALLY VALID CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT ARE THE ELECTORAL OUTCOMES, UH, THAT COME OUT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF DEMOCRACY BASED REFORMS. UM, THIS ONE SEEMS BASED ON MOST EVIDENCE TO BE, UM, MORE NOT LESS DEMOCRATIC, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT IMPACTS IT HAS ON, ON WHO GETS TO REPRESENT COMMUNITIES AND WHO RUNS FROM IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
[00:40:02]
YES, COMMISSIONER DOCKERY.I DID NOT ASK THIS QUESTION BEFORE.
UM, I'M JUST READING THROUGH THIS TEXT AND I'VE HIGHLIGHTED SO MANY THINGS ON HERE, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING SO MUCH TIME ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, UM, IN, IN ONE OF THE SECTIONS, IT'S, UM, GOSH, UM, SO I HIGHLIGHTED, UH, AN ITEM THAT SAYS VOTING EQUIPMENT.
IF THE EQUIPMENT CANNOT FEASIBLY ACCOMMODATE, IT, ACCOMMODATE ALL THE PROCEDURES IN THE SUBSECTION FIVE POINT 10 ABOVE.
THE CITY CLERK MAY CHANGE THOSE PROCEDURES, PROVIDED THAT THE RANK CHOICE VOTING SHALL BE STILL USED AND THE SMALLEST FEASIBLE NUMBER OF CHANGES MADE UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT THE VOTING EQUIPMENT CAN BE USED TO THOSE PROCEDURES IN THEIR ENTIRETY.
UM, SO IF WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL IS TO GIVE, UM, THE CITY CLERK THE AUTHORIZATION TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES AS, AS THE CITY CLERK SEES FIT, IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT I'M READING CORRECTLY? UH, AND FOR FOLKS WHO ARE TRYING TO FOLLOW ALONG, THIS IS WITHIN THE DRAFT AMENDMENT LANGUAGE, RIGHT? FOR THE ORDINANCE, RIGHT? I, YES.
UH, IT IS GOING TO BE SECTION, SECTION SEVEN, UH, NUMBER 11 POINT B.
SO THIS IS UNDER CHANGE OF PROCEDURES AND, UH, IT'S VOTING EQUIPMENT.
AND THE QUESTION IS THAT THE CITY CLERK WILL HAVE DISCRETION TO CHANGE THE PROCESS AS NEEDED TO FIT THE NEED OF THE ELECTION, CORRECT? CORRECT.
IT'S SEC UM, SECTION SEVEN, SECTION 1908.
HE'S ASKING IF IT'S, WHAT'S YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION? YEAH, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
MY QUESTION IS, SO THAT THE WAY THIS IS WRITTEN, THE CITY CLERK REALLY HAS THE ULTIMATE OF CHANGING THE WAY THIS IS IMPLEMENTED OR, OR DEALT WITH.
IF THE EQUIPMENT DOESN'T WORK, I'D ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY.
COMMISSIONER COLE, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT EXPERTS IN LIKE, HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE.
WE DON'T KNOW THE EXACT TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE REQUIRED.
AND IF THERE ARE CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE PROCESS THAT MAY NEED TO CHANGE, BUT DON'T DISRUPT THE INTENTION AND METHODOLOGY OF THIS VOTE THAT THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO IT, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN SO THAT THERE'S SOME LEVEL OF FLEXIBILITY THAT THIS COULD BE IMPLEMENTED.
'CAUSE SOMEONE NEEDS THAT AUTHORITY YEAH.
AND IS THERE SOMEWHERE IN, BECAUSE I DON'T SEE ANYWHERE IN HERE WHERE THAT FLEXIBILITY MAY BE LIMITED.
IT IS LIMITED BECAUSE IT ONLY PERTAINS TO THE SUBSECTIONS FIVE THROUGH 10 ABOVE MM-HMM
UH, AND THEN THE PARTICULAR SECTION SEVEN FIVE, UH, IT READS TIES IN THE EVENT THAT TWO OR MORE, UH, CANDIDATES TIE FOR THE SMALLEST NUMBER OF VOTES, THE CANDIDATE, UM, THE CANDIDATE TO ELIMINATE SHALL BE CHOSEN BY LOT.
UM, SIX IS THE ELIMINATION OF ONE OR MORE CANDIDATES.
UM, SEVEN IS SKIPPING RANKING.
UM, EIGHT IS UNDER VOTES, OVER VOTES, EXHAUSTED BALLOTS.
UH, NINE IS REPORTS, AND 10 IS CONTINUING TO TALLY TO TWO CANDIDATES.
SO IN THE CASE THAT THE EQUIPMENT CANNOT HANDLE, UM, THESE PARTICULAR FIVE ITEMS, WHICH IS TIES ELIMINATING, UM, ELIMINATION OF ONE OF THE CANDIDATES, SKIP RANKINGS UNDER VOTES REPORTS, UM, AND CONTINUING TO TALLY TO CANDIDATES.
[00:45:01]
AT THAT POINT, THE CITY CLERK WILL HAVE, UM, THE DISCRETION TO MAKE THE CHANGES NECESSARY, UM, TO, UM, HAVE THE, THE CHANGES NECESSARY, UH, TO CONTINUE WITH RANK CHOICE AND HAVE THE SMALLEST FEASIBLE NUMBER OF CHANGES MADE UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE VOTING EQUIPMENT CAN ACCOMMODATE THOSE PROCEDURES.UM, SO I'M READING IT AS LIKE IT'S FIXED WITH UNDER THOSE FIVE.
UM, BUT IT'S ONLY IN THE CASE SOMETHING MESSES UP IN EQUIPMENT.
SO I WOULD SEE THAT THIS POTENTIALLY HAPPENING, LIKE THE FIRST GO AROUND OR THE SECOND GO AROUND UNTIL THEY FIX ALL THE, ALL THE, THE KINKS IN THE SYSTEM.
AND IF I MAY, THE KEY WORD HERE IS SMALLEST FEASIBLE, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY'RE, THE CONTROL AND THE CHANGES THEY CAN MAKE ARE VERY LIMITED.
AND THEN FOR THIS CASE, UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE COUNTY REGISTERS OFFICE, UM, OR EXCUSE ME, THE COUNTY VOTES THIS PROCESS IN.
SO THE ACCOUNTABILITY BODY TO OUR CITY CLERK WILL THEN BE THE LA COUNTY REGISTER'S OFFICE.
SO THERE'S MULTIPLE LAYERS OF, OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND MAKING SURE IT'S DONE FAIRLY.
I THINK THAT WRAPS UP OUR QUESTIONS.
UH, I'M GONNA CALL FOR A VOTE.
COMMISSIONER LIZETTE FLORES? YES.
COMMISSIONER SHA MALILLO? YES.
UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND ALSO COMMISSIONERS, UH, FOR DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE, UH, AND, UM, MEETING OUR ROLES, UH, WITH INTEGRITY.
UH, WE NOT ONLY REPRESENT OURSELVES, WE REPRESENT OUR DISTRICTS.
AND, UH, WE ALL HAVE HARD JOBS AS COMMISSIONERS, UH, TO COME AND MAKE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL.
SO I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S WORK IN, IN, UM, FORMULATING THEIR DECISION TONIGHT.
UM, SO WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM.
[3. 26-54279 Recommendation to discuss recent federal immigration enforcement and the impact on equity and human relations in the City of Long Beach. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
NUMBER THREE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS RECENT FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND THE IMPACT ON EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND? UM, AND DE LEONE, IF YOU WANT A MOTION, COME OFF MUTE.
AND COMMISSIONER FLORES IS A SECOND.
UM, BEFORE WE GET, THERE IS NO DISCUSSION.
THERE IS NO PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM.
UM, THINK OF IT AS A BRAINSTORM, THINK OF IT AS, UM, PEER SHARE, ET CETERA.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE OVER TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'RE GONNA START OUR DISCUSSION AFTERWARDS.
UM, MAYBE CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON, UM, THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM THREE, PLEASE LIGHT UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE NOW, OR DIAL STAR NINE IF CALLING IN, I SEE NONE IN THE ZOOM, BUT WE HAVE THREE IN PERSON.
UM, I'VE BEEN TO A LOT OF THESE MEETINGS, LIKE I SAID, RAISING ISSUES ABOUT ICE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I DID PUT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ON NOTICE.
I UNDERSTAND THEY STILL BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE FOLLOWING THE LAW WITH SB 54 OR 2017.
WHAT I WANNA BRING TO YOU GUYS IS THEY ARE VIOLATING THE CONSTITUTION SPECIFICALLY UNDER EQUAL PROTECTION, UNDER THE LAW.
OKAY? THERE'S SO MUCH EVIDENCE THAT I CAN SEND YOU GUYS THAT I FORWARDED TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AS WELL, WHERE OUR COPS ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH PROTECTING ICE AGENTS THAN THEY ARE WITH PROTECTING OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AS PROTESTORS OR IMMIGRANTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT IS NOT OKAY WHEN YOU HAVE LBPD POLICE OFFICERS GETTING ON TOP OF
[00:50:01]
HOTELS AND POINTING SNIPERS AT PROTESTORS WHO ARE PEACEFULLY STANDING ON THE SIDEWALK, MAKING SURE THAT THEY DON'T GET SLEEP.WHAT, WHAT ARE WE EVEN TALKING ABOUT HERE WHEN IT'S BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT THEY ARE LITERALLY SWAPPING LICENSE PLATES LEFT AND RIGHT, THEY DON'T HAVE CURRENT LICENSE PLATES ON, THEY DON'T HAVE FRONT LICENSE PLATES.
YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF COPS SITTING IN THESE HOTEL PARKING LOTS SEEING ALL OF THESE LICENSE PLATE CHANGES AND ALL DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT.
THEY'RE NOT EVEN LOOKING INTO IT.
MEANWHILE, THEY'RE COMPLETELY POSTED UP IN FULL RIOT GEAR, FULL RIOT GEAR, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO BLOCK US FOR I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT THEY'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO BLOCK US FROM GOING OFF DOWN TO THE PIKE.
THEY'RE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT THAN ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS ABSOLUTELY DESPICABLE.
AND IT SHOULDN'T EVEN BE HAPPENING.
AND LET'S TALK ABOUT EQUITY BECAUSE AS, AS A CITIZEN, I HAVE CALLED OVER 13 TIMES TO THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THIS PAST YEAR.
MY BROTHER HAD A MEDICAL EPISODE AND WAS SITTING IN HIS CAR AND HE SAT AND BAKED IN HIS CAR FOR DAYS BECAUSE THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT COULDN'T HELP ME BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO BUSY.
WHAT ARE THEY TOO BUSY DOING? THEY'RE TOO, THEY'RE BUSY STEPPING ON OUR RIGHTS AND THAT IS NOT OKAY.
WHEN I HAD TO GO OUT OF MY WAY, THERE'S A NEW LAW THAT THEY PASSED ABOUT THE FIREWORKS, $50,000 A POP, FANTASTIC.
I HANDED THEM A CASE ON A LADDER.
THEY DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WITH IT.
AND WHEN I CALLED SAYING, HEY, THIS MAN IS NOW CHASING ME DOWN THE STREET AND THREATENING ME, AND THAT ONE WAS THE ONLY TIME I CALLED 9 1 1, THEY DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP.
AND NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY, BECAUSE THEY ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH ABUSING REGULAR CITIZENS ON THE STREET, HOMELESS PEOPLE, UH, JUST LETTING ALL THIS STUFF SLIDE AND NOT ACTUALLY DOING THEIR JOB.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO STOP THIS BECAUSE THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS AND THIS IS VIOLATING THE CONSTITUTION.
I'M GIVING YOU ONE EXAMPLE, BUT THERE'S MANY OTHERS.
SO PLEASE LOOK INTO IT BECAUSE THEY ARE VIOLATING THE CONSTITUTION IF THEY'RE NOT VIOLATING SB 54.
I'M RENEE AND I'M NOT A SINGLE ISSUE VOTER.
THIS DEEPLY IMPACTS ME AND MY COMMUNITY.
I, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M WITH GROUPS THAT MAKE SURE THAT ICE IS NOT BREAKING THE LAW EVERY TURN WITH THE RECKLESS TRAINING THAT THEY ARE GIVEN AND THE IMPUNITY CULTURALLY SPEAKING IN WHICH THEY FEEL LIKE THEY CAN ACT.
LONG BEACH IS BY DEFINITION AND ON PAPER A SANCTUARY CITY.
BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, IT DOES NOT FEEL THAT WAY.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS FOR YOU.
I KNOW THAT, UH, MINNESOTA JUST SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER.
MAYBE WE WILL LOOK TO THEM TO SEE WHAT ACTIONS THEY HAVE TAKEN TO LIMIT ICE.
MAYBE WE PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE PRESSURE ON OUR HOTEL CONTRACTS TO MAKE THEM STOP HOSTING ICE OVER HERE.
MAYBE THE POLICE CAN SPEND MORE TIME LOOKING AT THE EGREGIOUS CRIMES OF ICE, RATHER THAN THE PROTESTORS THAT ARE REALLY SCARED TO PROTEST KIND OF FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
I'VE MET MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREETS FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME BECAUSE THEY SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AND NOTHING HAS MOTIVATED THEM BEFORE THIS.
AND NOW THEY ARE MOTIVATED AND THEY ARE ALSO SCARED.
UH, I WILL NOT DELUDE MYSELF TO ASSUME THAT THE POLICE ARE GOING TO SAVE US BY ANY MEANS.
UM, BUT THEY HAVE A LETTER OF THE LAW THAT THEY MUST UPHOLD.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO FOCUS MORE ON THAT AND ABOUT THE TERROR THAT ICE IS INFLICTING UPON OUR CITY RATHER THAN THE CITIZENS THAT ARE SPEAKING UP, THAT ARE SPEAKING OUT AND ARE DOING ALL OF, UH, WHAT LEGAL CAPACITY THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN IN OUR CITY.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE AN IMMIGRANT CITY.
SHE MOVED HERE BACK IN THE NINETIES.
I'M A FIRST GENERATION IMMIGRANT HERE.
AND SO THIS DEEPLY IMPACTS ME.
IT IMPACTS THE WEST SIDE IN WHICH I GREW UP ON.
IT IMPACTS CAMBODIA TOWN IN WHICH I NOW RESIDE.
UH, EVEN JUST A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, THERE WAS A RAID JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM WHERE I LIVE.
AND SO IT'S VERY SCARY TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I KNOW THAT LONG BEACH ONTO PAPER SUPPORTS US AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT MORE ON THE STREETS.
UM, I'VE BEEN GOING DOOR TO DOOR SINCE OUR GARDENERS WHO HAPPEN TO BE CITIZENS WERE KIDNAPPED AND DETAINED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE A MASKED.
AND I'M ASSUMING THEY'RE IMPERSONATING
[00:55:01]
ICE BECAUSE THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT I'VE SEEN THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY ICE.I REQUEST A FORUM WITH OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND PERHAPS THIS COMMUNITY HERE TO TALK ABOUT A, I BELIEVE IT'S ICE BOUNTY HUNTERS.
I SAW TESTIMONY AT ANOTHER CITY COUNCIL IN ANOTHER CITY THAT THEY'RE BEING OFFERED BOUNTIES TO KIDNAP PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE THEY'RE IMMIGRANTS.
AND, UH, I ALSO HEARD COMPLAINTS THEY'RE NOT GETTING PAID, UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IMMIGRANTS, THEY'RE CITIZENS.
SO, UM, I DID PROPOSE AT CITY COUNCIL THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE POLICE, UH, BLOCK OFF THE ENTRANCES TO ALL OF THE CITY AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE WHO HAVE MASKS ARE WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE.
AND, AND PUT THEM IN JAIL IF THEY'RE IMPERSONATORS.
'CAUSE THAT IS A CRIME TO IMPERSONATE LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.
UM, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE I TALKED TO A NEIGHBOR AND HE SAID THAT THERE IS A PROTOCOL THEY HAVE BEEN EDUCATED ON AND HE CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT.
SO SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE IS TELLING THE POLICE TO NOT ENFORCE THE LAWS ON THE BOOKS.
UM, SO CAN WE HAVE A FORUM WITH THE EQUITY GROUP AND THE POLICE UNION AND FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON AND WHAT ARE, ARE THEY, ARE THEY BEING OBSTRUCTED? AND WHO IS OBSTRUCTING THEM? ARE WE BEING COERCED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT WE WON'T GET THE FUNDING IF THEY DO ANYTHING? WHAT IS THE REAL ANGLE THAT'S HAPPENING HERE? I DON'T THINK WE'RE GETTING ALL THE INFORMATION.
I DO HONOR OUR POLICE WHO DO STEP UP AND PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I'VE HAD TO CALL THEM WHEN THERE WERE GUNSHOTS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY CAME.
SO I JUST WANT, YOU KNOW, I DO HONOR THE POLICE DOING THEIR JOBS AND I ASK TO FIND OUT WHY THEY'RE BEING OBSTRUCTED FROM DOING THEIR JOBS.
DO WE HAVE ANY FOLKS ONLINE? NO.
UH, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM THREE.
ALRIGHT, JUST CLOSING THIS 'CAUSE IT'S A JAR.
UH, SO WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO COMMISSIONER DISCUSSION.
UM, SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, UM, SHARE OUR FEELINGS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, ALSO, UM, TO BE ACTION ORIENTED.
UM, IF THERE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT FOLKS, UH, WANT TO SHARE, UH, IN REGARDS TO WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ICE RATES, UH, NOW IS THE TIME TO DO SO.
UM, I AND, UH, COMMISSIONER DEON HAVE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS.
UH, WE HAVE, UM, SOME SPECIFIC ITEMS, UH, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE IN DISCUSSION WITH FOLKS.
UM, SO WE'LL BE DOING THAT TODAY.
UH, AND IN ADDITION, EVERYBODY RECEIVED PENS.
UM, SO IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL PAPER, BUT PLEASE SAVE PAPER.
THERE'S ACTUALLY A PAPER THAT HAS A LOT OF SPACE ON IT AND IS BLANK ON THE BACK.
PLEASE USE THAT FOR TAKING NOTES AS WE'RE DISCUSSING SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CONSIDER.
CAN I RECOMMEND THAT YOU AND COMMISSIONER DA LEONE START FIRST? I FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS ARE GONNA HAVE A LOT TO SAY AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE UP A LOT OF TIME, SO I'D RATHER JUST GET IT STARTED.
UM, DEION, WOULD YOU LIKE TO START US OFF OR YOU WANT ME TO START? UM, LET ME SAY A COUPLE THINGS JUST TO FRAME THE CONVERSATION AND THEN IF YOU'D LIKE, YOU CAN, YOU CAN THEN, UH, START A TALK WITH SOME POTENTIAL PATHS FORWARD.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT FOR A LOT OF FOLKS, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING FROM CHURCH BASEMENTS, COMMUNITY CENTER ROOMS, HEARING HOW FOLKS HAVE BEEN REACTING TO THE LAST WEEKS, MONTHS, YEAR, RIGHT? AND TOO OFTEN THERE'S THAT SENSE OF HOPELESSNESS THAT LIKE, GETS RAISED, RIGHT? AND, AND I THINK THAT, UH, FOR US, WE'RE ON THIS COMMISSION, WE HAVE SOMETHING VERY EXCITING, RIGHT? THE POWER TO, UH, GO WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB THROUGH WHAT THE CITY DOES AND WHAT IT COULD DO.
AND THROUGH IT ALL, TRY TO FIND A PATH FORWARD THAT IS, UH, CAN CREATE AS MANY GUARDRAILS
[01:00:01]
AND PROTECTIONS AS POSSIBLE.NOW, WE KNOW THAT IN THIS POLITICAL MOMENT, UM, WITH THE WAY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS OPERATIONALIZING, UH, ITS FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT POLICIES, UH, THERE'S NO ONE WAY FOR LONG BEACH TO GUARANTEE AND SECURE EVERY SINGLE PERSON REGARDLESS OF CITIZEN STATUS HERE IN THE CITY.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN DO, UH, AND WE'RE NOT DOING EVERYTHING YET, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK FOR TODAY, AT LEAST IN MY MIND, THIS IS A SPACE FOR US TO LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX THAT WE HAVE IN PROXIMITY TO CITY GOVERNANCE, UH, AND, AND DEPLOY AS MANY AS WE CAN, RIGHT? UM, THAT THIS IS A MOMENT WHERE, UH, WHEN WE SEE UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS OF, UH, WHAT I WOULD ARGUE TO BE OVERZEALOUS, UH, VIOLENT, DISTURBING ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY IN THE NAME OF FEDERAL POLICY, THAT WE ON THE LOCAL LEVEL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN, UH, TO CARRY OUR VALUES, RIGHT? AND I THINK THERE'S A WHOLE SUITE OF POLICIES THAT WE CAN DO A LOT OF THINGS WE'VE ALREADY DONE RIGHT? AND THIS IS THE SPACE TOGETHER TODAY, UM, FOR US TO BE THE, THE TIP OF THE SPEAR AND CONTINUE TO PUSH THE CITY FORWARD.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE ALL SIGNED UP TO DO.
THAT'S WHERE THIS COMMISSION WAS CREATED TO BE RIGHT, IS, UH, ON THE, ON, ON THE, THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE NECESSARY IN A TIME WHEN SO MUCH INEQUITY EXISTS.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THIS CONVERSATION.
I'M EXCITED FOR THE COMMISSIONERS ALSO TO WEIGH IN, UH, TO, TO REACT TO KIND OF THE INITIAL THINKING THAT CHAIR COVINGTON AND I HAVE PUT TOGETHER IN PARTICULAR CHAIR COVINGTON, WHO'S COME UP WITH A LOT OF THESE IDEAS, THE MO MAJORITY OF THESE IDEAS, UH, AND, AND, AND SEE WHAT WE CAN USE, RIGHT? ALL TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOX.
I THINK THESE ARE THE MOMENTS THAT USE THEM.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER DE LEON.
UM, IN FOR ADDITIONAL CONTEXT, UH, WE'RE ALL IMPACTED BY WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UH, BUSINESSES ARE LOSING DOLLARS, UH, FAMILIES ARE LOSING THEIR LOVED ONES.
UH, MY STEPDAD WAS ACTUALLY PICKED UP BY ICE, NOT IN THIS YEAR, NOT IN THE YEAR BEFORE, BUT, UH, THREE YEARS AGO.
UH, AND LUCKILY THROUGH THE HELP OF OUR CONGRESS MEMBER, HE WAS RELEASED ON CHRISTMAS DAY, UM, IN 2020, I THINK IT WAS 2021.
AND TO KNOW THE FEELING OF A LOVED ONE, AND YOU CAN'T FIND THEM.
IT IS, UM, IT IMPACTS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.
IT IMPACTS YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH.
UH, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, MANY FOLKS, UH, IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO ACTUALLY ADJUST AFTERWARDS.
UM, AND, UH, NO ONE IS ILLEGAL ON STOLEN LAND.
UM, WE ALL HAVE, WE ALL DESERVE DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
UM, AND THE WAY THAT FOLKS ARE BEING TREATED IS, UM, DISGUSTING IN MY OPINION.
UM, SO AS A CHAIR OF A COMMISSION AND OUR EQUITY HUMAN RELAT COMMISSION AS COMMISSION DEION HAS SHARED, OUR MAIN PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL, UM, AS AN ORG COMMUNITY ORGANIZER.
AS SOMEONE WHO LOVES POLICY, UM, I LOVE THE CONVERSATIONS, BUT I'M LIKE, OKAY, BUT WHAT ACTUAL LANGUAGE, WHAT POLICY, WHAT FORMAT CAN WE ACTUALLY UTILIZE TO GET THINGS DONE? UM, AND SO, UH, PRIOR TO TODAY'S AGENDA, AGENDA ITEM, UM, I STARTED TO DO RESEARCH.
UH, THERE'S A CURRENT, UH, PETITION THAT IS FLOWING AROUND COMMUNITY THAT'S CALLED ICE OUT OF LONG BEACH.
UM, IT HAS SOME SPECIFIC, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THEY, UM, BASED OFF MY RESEARCH, THEY GO A LITTLE ABOVE THE LAW, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT JURISDICTIONS CAN AND CANNOT DO.
UH, AND SO WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH TO SEE WHAT CAN WE DO WITHIN THE LAW.
UH, AND I'M HOPING AT, UH, MY GOAL IS THIS IS THE STEP ONE TO A CONVERSATION.
AND THEN NEXT MONTH, UH, I WILL BE BRINGING A LETTER, UH, WITH THE SUPPORT OF COMMISSIONER DELEON FOR US TO CONSIDER, TO SEND TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, SO AT THAT POINT, WE'LL HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE,
UM, SO THE PETITION WAS, UM, SOME SPECIFIC RESEARCH.
UM, THE LA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAVE MADE SOME SPECIFIC MOTIONS.
UM, CHICAGO HAS ACTUALLY NAMED ICE FREE ZONES.
UM, SO SOME OF THE POLICY THAT GOES INTO IT, UM, I UTILIZED IN SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS HERE TODAY.
UM, IN L-A-U-S-D, UH, THEY ARE, UM, ACTUALLY CONSIDERING, UH, TO CUT TIES WITH VENDORS WHO ARE VOLUNTARILY, UM, WORKING WITH
[01:05:01]
ICE.UM, SO SOME OF THAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS LANGUAGE.
UM, AND, UM, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN THE CITY DO MORE, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH.
UM, THERE ARE COMMUNITY EFFORTS, UH, THAT ARE ACTUALLY SOMETIMES STOPPING RAIDS OR DETERRING RAIDS.
UH, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE AS AN INSTITUTION SHOULD BE INVESTING IN, IN MY OPINION.
UH, HOW DO WE KEEP OUR RESIDENTS SAFE, UH, AND HOW DO THEY HAVE DUE PROCESS, UM, IN, IN, UM, THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS? AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT MANY, UM, CITIZENS ARE ACTUALLY BEING, UM, DETAINED, ARRESTED, UH, AND THEN DISAPPEARED, UH, FOR MANY MONTHS AND THEN, UH, RELEASED.
BUT JUST BECAUSE IF YOU'RE A CITIZEN OR NOT, THAT SHOULD NOT BE THE EXPERIENCE OF ANYBODY, ANY RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, ANY RESIDENT ON THIS LAND.
UM, NO ONE SHOULD BE TREATED THAT WAY.
UM, SO, UM, IN REGARDS TO SOME OF THE, THE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, TO STRENGTHEN OUR VALUES ACT, UH, AND STRENGTHEN HOW WE CAN SUPPORT OUR RESIDENTS, UM, THE FIRST THING, UM, TO CONSIDER, UH, IS ACTUALLY DECLARING A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY, UM, TO BRING THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TOGETHER, UH, TO SPECIFICALLY WORK ON IMPLEMENTING, UM, THE IMMEDIATE PROTECTIONS OF, UH, OUR RESIDENCES.
UM, IN ADDITION TO, UH, DECLARING A, A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS IS, UH, MAKING THE VALUES ACT, UH, MORE ENFORCEABLE CITYWIDE.
SO A LOT OF THE LANGUAGE WITHIN THE VALUES ACT IS SOFT LANGUAGE, IN MY OPINION.
UM, AND SO, UM, SOME OF THE LANGUAGE UTILIZED IN THE VALUES ACT IS REQUESTED.
UM, SO WE WANT TO AMEND A LOT OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN PLEASE DO AND ACTUALLY MAKE IT ENFORCEABLE BY MANDATES.
UM, SO ENFORCING THAT, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE SECURITY SERVICES, FACILITY MAINTENANCE, IT DATA, UH, VENDORS, CASE MANAGEMENT, OUTREACH, UM, PROVIDERS, MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE, UM, NOT LIKE OPENING THE DOORS OR, UH, NOT WORKING WITH ICE.
IF THEY ARE, UM, IF THEY ARE DOING A RAID, UH, THERE ARE LIMITATIONS.
IF THEY HAVE A COURT ORDER THAT'S SIGNED BY A JUDGE, UM, BY LAW, UM, FOLKS DO HAVE TO COMPLY.
UM, BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT PROCESS IS DONE SMOOTHLY.
SO, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL WAYS TO MAKE THAT PROCESS MORE SMOOTH.
UM, UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY KIND OF LONG, BUT, UH, I'M GONNA MOVE OVER.
I'M GONNA COME BACK TO IT IN A SECOND, BUT I WANT TO ADDRESS THE CONTRACTORS AND VENDORS ACCOUNTABILITIES.
UM, COUNCIL SHOULD DIRECT THAT NO CITY CONTRACT GRANT OR AGREEMENT BE MAINTAINED BY ANY OF THE PROVIDER OR VENDOR THAT VOLUNTARILY COLLABORATES WITH FEDERAL CIVIL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IN VIOLATION TO THE CITY POLICY, UH, INCLUDING AR 8 33 AND THE VALUES ACT.
UM, SO WHAT THAT ESSENTIALLY MEANS IS IF YOU COLLABORATE WITH ICE, YOU WILL LOSE CITY CONTRACTS.
UM, AND THERE'S SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE TO, UH, EXPLORE THAT.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, THAT WOULD, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE ADOPTING A NON-PUBLIC FACILITIES ACCESS ORDINANCE.
UM, SO REQUIRING JUDICIAL WARRANTS FOR NON-PUBLIC CITY PROPERTY COUNCIL SHOULD ADOPT AN ORDINANCE REQUIRING THAT A JUDICIAL WARRANT OR COURT ORDER FOR FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES TO ACCESS NON-PUBLIC AREAS OF CITY CONTROLLED FACILITIES, INCLUDING LIBRARIES, PARKS, RECREATIONS FACILITIES, HEALTHCARE CLINIC SHELTERS, UH, CITY OFFICES, ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDINGS, UH, OFFICE AUTHORITIES, AND TENANT SERVICES OFFICES.
UM, SO WHAT THAT ESSENTIALLY MEANS IS THAT ICE LEGALLY CAN GO INTO PUBLIC PLACES, BUT THERE'S A THRESHOLD.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UH, THE PUBLIC CAN GO UP JUST UNTIL THAT POINT, BUT BEHIND THERE, THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED, RIGHT? SO, BY HAVING THIS ORDINANCE IN PLACE, WHAT IT SAYS IS THAT ICE IS NOT ALLOWED TO GO BEHIND THE PUBLIC
[01:10:01]
ZONE, UH, WITHIN PUBLIC PROPERTIES.SO THEY CAN'T GO TO THE BACK OFFICE.
THEY CAN'T HOLD THEIR MEETINGS IN CITY PROPERTIES.
UH, THEY CANNOT, UM, DO INTERVIEWS, UH, IN THE, BEHIND THE BEHIND PUBLIC DOORS OF CITY PROPERTIES.
UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO, UH, EXPLORE.
UM, OTHER COUNCIL ACTIONS IS, UH, ESTABLISHED A UNIFORM FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ENCOUNTER PRO PROTOCOL.
UM, SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS CREATE A CITYWIDE AUDITED, UH, ENCOUNTER.
PROTOCOL COUNCIL SHOULD DIRECT CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT A SINGLE MANDATORY, UH, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE, APPLICABLE TO ALL DEPARTMENTS AND ITS FACILITIES, INCLUDING A STANDARDIZED FRONT DESK RESPONSE SCRIPT, A SUPERVISOR AND CITY ATTORNEY ESCALATION FLOW CHART, A CLEAR JUDICIAL VERSUS ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT VERIFICATION CHECKLIST, MANDATORY LOGGING OF EVERY FEDERAL IMMIGRATION REQUEST, UH, OR ENCOUNTER, INCLUDING DAY AND TIME LOCATION, AGENCY INVOLVED, DOCUMENTS PRESENTED, AND THE OUTCOME OF THAT PARTICULAR, UH, ENCOUNTER.
SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE ALREADY BEING IMPLEMENTED BY THE CITY, BUT, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT JUST GOES TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
UH, ADDITIONAL, UH, COUNCIL ACTION INCLUDES STRENGTHENING DATA MINIMIZATION AND PRIVACY PROTECTIONS.
UH, SO ADOPT A CITYWIDE, COLLECT LESS, KEEP LESS, UH, DATA POLICY, UH, FOR COUNCIL, UM, SHOULD DIRECT ALL DEPARTMENTS TO STOP COLLECTING IMMIGRATION STATUS.
UM, ADJACENT DATA, UNLESS LEGALLY REQUIRED, CONDUCT A DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT DATA INVENTORY, IDENTIFYING WHAT SENSITIVE DATA IS COLLECTED, WHO ACCESSES IT, AND RETENTION PERIODS, SHORTEN RETENTION PERIODS FOR SENSITIVE PERSONAL DATA, WHEREVER, UM, PERMITTED, UH, TIGHTEN MOUS, UH, WITH GOVERNING DATA SHARING REQUIRE PRIVACY BY DESIGN STANDARDS IN ALL TECHNOLOGY.
PROCUREMENT, INCLUDING ROLE-BASED ACCESS CONTROLS, AUDIT TRAILS ENCRYPTION, EXPLICIT PROHIBIT, UM, PROHIBITIONS OF DATA RESELL AND SHARING DHS, UM, AND ITS CONTRACTORS WITHOUT LEGAL, UM, COMPULSION PROHIBIT THE USE OF CITY SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGIES, UM, WHICH INCLUDE FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, UH, COUNTER ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES AND TARGETING OF, UM, OF, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UH, ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO EXPLORE IS EXPAND, UH, THE JUSTICE FUND.
UH, RIGHT NOW, THE JUSTICE FUND IS, UM, FUNDED FROM, I THINK MY UNDERSTANDING IS A LOT OF THE JUSTICE FUND IS FUNDED THROUGH ONE TIME FUNDS.
UM, SO MAKING SURE THAT THERE ARE LONG-TERM FUNDING TOWARDS THE JUSTICE FUND.
UH, SO ESTABLISH A UNIVERSAL REPRESENTATION AND PREVENTION MODEL.
UH, COUNCIL SHOULD APPROVE A MULTI-YEAR FUNDING COMMITMENT TO EXPAND THE JUSTICE FUND, TO INCLUDE, UH, NON, UH, DETAINED REMOVAL DEFENSE, UH, AFFIRMATIVE LEGAL SERVICES, FAMILY PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY PLANNING CLINICS, WRAPAROUND SUPPORTS, UH, WHICH INCLUDE CASE NAVIGATION, INTERPRETATION, MENTAL HEALTH REFERRALS.
UH, ADDITIONAL ACTIONS, UH, ARE REQUIRED TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY.
UH, ES ESTABLISH A FEDERAL IMMIGRATION REQUEST TRANSPARENCY REPORT.
COUNSEL SHOULD REQUIRE QUARTERLY PUBLIC DASHBOARD REPORTING, UH, IN AGGREGATE THE NUMBER AND TYPE OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION REQUEST BY DEPARTMENT TYPE OF DOCUMENT PRESENTED.
IS IT A JUDICIAL WARRANT SUBPOENA REQUEST? UH, WHAT DATA IS BEING REQUESTED AND WHAT IS BEING DISCLOSED? HIGH LEVEL ONLY, UH, COMP, UH, COMPLAINTS RECEIVED AND HOW THEY WERE RESOLVED.
STAFF AND CONTRACTOR TRAINING, UM, COMPLETION RATES, UH, AND THE REPORTS SHOULD BE PUBLISHED, UH, IN MULTIPLE COMMUNITY LANGUAGES.
SO, IF THE CITY IS THE CITY AND THE POLICE GET TONS OF REQUESTS FROM ICE, UH, IT SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE, UH, TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
UM, SO WE KNOW WHEN, WHERE, HOW, HOW MANY TIMES, UM, THAT, THAT IT'S HAPPENING.
UH, FUND A LAWFUL RESPONSE, RAPID RESPONSE AND FAMILY SUPPORT ECOSYSTEM.
SO, INVEST IN DOCUMENTATION, RIGHT? PROTECTIONS, FAMILY STABILITY.
UH, COUNCIL SHOULD ALLOCATE FUNDING FOR, UH, CITY SUPPORTED HOTLINE, ROOTING FAMILIES TO VETTED LEGAL PROVIDERS,
[01:15:01]
UH, FAMILY LOCATOR ASSISTANCE, CASE NAVIGATION AND INTERPRETATION.UH, EMERGENCY HARDSHIP ASSISTANCE.
SO A LOT OF FOLKS WHEN, UH, THEY ARE, UH, BEING KIDNAPPED, UH, THEIR CARS, WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR CARS.
SO, UH, VEHICLE RECOVERY, CHILDCARE AND STAB, UH, STABILIZATION ADMINISTERED, UH, NEUTRALLY, UH, LEGAL OBSERVERS AND KNOW YOUR RIGHTS EDUCATION GRANTS.
UH, CLEAR CITY SERVICES FOR SAFE USE MESSAGING TO REDUCE, UM, CHILLING EFFECTS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF FOLKS REMEMBER, UH, DURING SOME OF THE UPRISINGS IN 2020, UH, EVERYBODY, UH, RECEIVED TEXT MESSAGES ABOUT CURFEWS.
UM, WHEN WE HAD THE HURRICANE, UH, COME THROUGH LONG BEACH, UH, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UH, WE ALL RECEIVED NOTICE ABOUT THE HURRICANE COMING.
UH, THAT SAME SYSTEM, UM, COULD BE UTILIZED FOR EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT RIGHTS THEY HAVE AND WHAT SERVICES WE HAVE, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE RATES THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UM, BY LAW, WE CANNOT SAY, HEY, ICE READS ARE HAPPENING.
IT CAUSES A LOT OF CONFUSION AND FEAR.
BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS SAY, HEY, HERE ARE SOME RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU.
UM, PROTECT FIRST AMENDMENT ACTIVITY.
UM, SO AFFIRM THE RIGHT TO OBSERVE AND RECORD, UH, SEVER VOLUNTARY CITY INVOLVEMENT IN ICE.
UM, COUNCIL SHOULD AFFIRM THAT CITY.
THE CITY WILL NOT HONOR ICE DETAINERS WITHOUT JUDICIAL WARRANTS.
UH, ALLOW ICE INTERVIEWS WITHOUT INFORMED WRITTEN CONSENT, SHARE NON-REQUIRED PERSONAL DATA, PROVIDE RELEASE NOTIFICATION, ADDRESSES, UH, LOGICAL SUPPORT, USE OF CITY STAFF, FUNDS, EQUIPMENTS, OR FACILITIES FOR IMMIGRANT, UH, CIVIL IMMIGRATION, IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, UM, AND ENTER IN STRONGER ENFORCED AGREEMENTS.
UM, SOME OF THAT STUFF IS ALREADY HAPPENING, UM, BUT WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S MORE ENFORCEABLE.
UM, I'M ALMOST TOWARDS THE END HERE, SO THANK YOU FOR BEARING WITH ME.
UM, USE CITY AUTHORITY TO ADVANCE FEDERAL REFORM.
UM, YOU ALL SAW THAT ON TUESDAY, UH, WHERE THE CITY COUNCIL ACTUALLY VOTED TO, UH, IMPEACH, UH, THE SECRETARY OF, UH, HOMELAND AND DEFENSE.
UM, SO WHAT WAYS CAN THEY INCREASE THAT, UM, IN DIFFERENT LEVELS? UM, SO, UH, PUSH FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGES BEYOND THE CITY.
UM, SO THAT CAN BE THROUGH THE STATE AND, UM, THROUGH THE FEDERAL COMMITTEES.
UM, SURPASS FORMAL RESOLUTIONS, CALLING FOR STRUCTURAL REFORM, DEFUNDING AND ABOLISHING ICE, JOIN MULTI-STATE LIT LITIGATION, CHALLENGING UNLAWFUL FEDERAL PRACTICES.
UH, OUR MAYOR ACTUALLY WENT AND SPOKE IN FRONT OF CONGRESS, UH, INTO, IN SUPPORT OF SOME OF THESE LITIGATIONS.
UM, SO INCREASING THAT, THOSE EFFORTS, UH, REFUSING TO LEASE CITY LAND OR BUILDINGS TO ICE, OR DC UH, DHS, UH, COORDINATE WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS TO FORM REGIONAL NON CORPORATION BLOCKS, UH, LOBBY CO CONGRESS TO DEFUND ICE, UM, SHIFT IMMIGRATION FUNCTIONS TO NON CLERICAL SYSTEMS, UH, AND DETENTION BASED ENFORCEMENT MODELS.
UM, I BELIEVE I COVERED, UM, MOST OF EVERYTHING.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THESE ASK, I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT WHAT THE CITY IS ALREADY DOING.
UM, SO THE CITY HAS ADOPTED THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, HAS IMPLEMENTED ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS IN REGARDS TO, UM, A 8 33, UM, ESTABLISH WARRANT REVIEW PRACTICES FOR ACCESS OF NON-PUBLIC CITY FACILITIES, TRAINED CITY STAFF, AND ENFORCE COMPLIANCE EXPECTATIONS, EMBEDDED DATA PRIVACY LANGUAGES INTO CITY CONTRACTS.
UH, CREATED AND FUNDED THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND, UM, PUBLISHED MULTILINGUAL KNOW YOUR RIGHTS RESOURCES, ESTABLISHED COMPLAINT AND ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS. UM, SO WHILE THE CITY IS DOING, UM, A GREAT JOB, UM, SO FAR, THERE IS MORE WORK TO BE DONE BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITIES ARE STILL BEING HARMED THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND WE KNOW THAT NO PROCESS IS A WATERPROOF.
UM, THERE ARE ALWAYS CRACKS, UM, IN EVERY PROCESS.
SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN, UH, THE FOUNDATION THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN PLACED, AND WE WANT TO APPRECIATE THE MANY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO FOUGHT AND MADE THOSE, UM, POLICIES AND PROGRAMS ACTUALLY, UM, BE, UH,
[01:20:01]
FUNCTIONS OF THE CITY TODAY, AS WELL AS CITY STAFF WHO ARE CURRENTLY DAY IN AND DAY OUT, UM, TRYING TO MAINTAIN, UH, THOSE SERVICES.UH, SO THOSE ARE A LOT OF OPTIONS.
UM, I'M UNABLE TO ACTUALLY SHARE SOME OF THESE NOTES BECAUSE TODAY'S THE DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT I'M HOPING AT OUR NEXT, UM, COMMISSION MEETING, I'LL BE ABLE TO DO SO IN A FORMAL MANNER.
COMMISSIONER SHAMA, I THINK YOU HAD A PLETHORA OF EXCELLENT IDEAS.
THERE'S SOME THINGS I FEEL WE CAN DO, UH, AS WE KNOW, THIS ADMINISTRATION TOTALLY IGNORES ANYTHING THAT IS LAWFUL OR NOT LAWFUL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, CAN I, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, ARE THEY REALLY ADHERING TO ICE FREE ZONES IN CHICAGO? I DOUBT IT.
UM, THE C CLEARING A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY, THERE ARE SOME THINGS I FEEL WE CAN DO.
LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, CONTRACTOR AND VENDORS THAT COLLABORATE WITH ICE SHOULD LOSE THEIR CONTRACTS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, UH, ACTUALLY INCORPORATE.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD, UM, WE SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY CAN DO, BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, THIS ADMINISTRATION AND, AND, UH, DOG KILLER KNOWN, UM, THEY TOTALLY IGNORE.
I MEAN, SOME OF THESE THINGS SOUND GOOD ON PAPER, BUT WHEN, UH, THE, FOR INSTANCE, UM, HAVING TO HAVE A WARRANT, THEY DON'T CARE IF THEY CAN BULLDOZE A DOOR DOWN, DRAG A SENIOR CITIZEN OUT IN HIS UNDERWEAR, AND THEN HE TURNS OUT TO BE A US CITIZEN, DROP HIM OFF ALMOST A DAY LATER AND NEVER SAY ANYTHING.
THEY ARE TOTALLY, THESE GOONS ARE ACTING LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, THE NAZIS.
SO PUTTING HIM IN WRITING THAT, OKAY, WE WANT THEM TO ESTABLISH, YOU KNOW, HAVING A WARRANT, THEY, THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO? WE CAN, AS I SHARED, LOSE THE CONTRACTS OF PEOPLE AND VENDORS THAT ARE ACTUALLY PARTICIPATING AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH ICE, WE CAN ALSO, UM, MAKE IT PUBLIC, THOSE HOTELS, RESTAURANTS THAT THEY ARE LETTING THEM IN.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LETTING THEM STAY.
THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS WE CAN DO.
AND IN MY OPINION, I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD STICK TO WHAT WE CAN DO AND MAKE IT ENFORCEABLE.
YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS JUST, I MEAN, IT'S, I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPRESS IT.
IT'S, I'VE, I'VE NEVER, I'VE NEVER SEEN IT LIKE THIS BEFORE.
AND, AND I'M, I'M AN OLD BIRD.
YOU KNOW, I'M A BABY BOOMER, BUT I HAVE NEVER EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN MY LIFE.
SO, WHAT CAN WE DO? SOMEBODY ALSO SAID, UH, IF WE CAN GET THE POLICE BUY-IN, WE CAN CONTROL, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, LIMITS, THE OUTER LIMITS OF THE CITY, BUT HOW DO WE GET THE POLICE BUY-IN? BECAUSE THERE'S SOME OF THEM THAT ARE WITH ICE.
I COULD, I COULD GO ON, BUT I'M, I THINK I'M GONNA STOP RIGHT NOW 'CAUSE I'M, I'M SORRY.
IT'S, YEAH, IT IS REALLY HITTING HOME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER SHAONE.
UM, I WANNA PASS THE MIC TO COMMISSIONER DE LEONE, UM, FOR ANY ADDITION, UM, ON SOME OF THE, THE PROPOSALS OR, UM, SOME OF THE PERSONAL NOTES, UM, AND RESEARCH AND SOURCES THAT YOU'VE BEEN, UM, REFLECTING ON.
AND, AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT THERE IN THE ROOM PHYSICALLY, BUT I, I, I FEEL THE, THE SPIRIT THAT WE'RE ALL BRINGING TO THIS CONVERSATION AND, AND THE RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE TO, TO DO WHAT WE CAN WITH THE ROLE THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND I WANT TO GIVE A HUG TO COMMISSIONER SHA MALONE, BUT SETTLE THROUGH IT FROM ZOOM, UM, BECAUSE I FEEL YOU'RE RIGHT THERE.
UH, AND, AND THERE'S, THERE'S RAGE AND GRIEF AND ALL THESE THINGS COMBINED EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, I THINK, UM, ONE THING I WANNA PULL OUT THAT I THINK MIGHT BE HELPFUL AS WELL IS THAT LONG BEACH WOULD NOT BE MOVING ALONE, UM, IN WHATEVER SUITE OF POLICIES WE ADVANCE, THERE'S SEVERAL OTHER THINGS THAT ARE UNFOLDING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND I WANNA PULL OUT IN PARTICULAR, UH, TWO, UH, NEW, UM, UH, EXECUTIVE ORDERS THAT HAVE COME OUT FROM, I THINK CITIES THAT ARE, HAVE
[01:25:01]
A LOT OF PARALLELS TO OURS, RIGHT? UM, OAKLAND, UM, BEING ANOTHER CALIFORNIA PORT CITY OF A SIMILAR SIZE, AND THEN CHICAGO, WHICH, UH, LIKE LA AND LIKE SOCAL HAS BEEN ONE OF THE, UH, PRIMARY TARGETS OF ENHANCED IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.AND IN BOTH OF THESE PLACES, THERE'S BEEN NEW EXECUTIVE ORDERS PASSED IN THE LAST WEEK THAT I THINK HELP, UH, FURTHER DEMONSTRATE THAT CITIES CAN CONTINUE TO DO MORE AND DO MORE, UH, ON THIS WORK.
UM, SO ON JANUARY 29 IN THE CITY OF OAKLAND, MAYOR BARBARA LEE SIGNED TWO EXECUTIVE ORDERS, UH, TO, TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN.
AND THERE'S SOME PIECES THAT OVERLAP WITH SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD TODAY.
UM, ONE FOR EXECUTIVE ORDERS, UM, IS AROUND THE, UH, CITY PROPERTY, UH, LIMBING CITY PROPERTY USE TO ONLY CITY PURPOSES.
UM, REALLY TRYING TO ESTABLISH THOSE GUARDRAILS, AT LEAST ON THE LEGAL SIDE.
UM, WITH IMMIGRATION TACTICS BEING USED ON CITY GROUNDS.
UM, AGREE CERTAINLY THAT, UH, THE ENFORCEMENT IS, IS DIFFICULT ON THESE, BUT I CAN IMAGINE SCENARIOS WHERE, UM, FOLKS ARE AT LEAST SOMEWHAT SAFER, RIGHT? UM, WHEN WE GET THE LOW HANGING FRUIT OF BANNING SOME OF THESE ACTIVITIES ON, ON PUBLIC SPACE, EVEN IF WE KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE TIMES IT'LL BE VIOLATED, UH, BY FEDERAL AGENTS.
AND THEN THE OTHER, UM, EXECUTIVE ORDER SHE PASSED, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY INTERESTING, IS, UM, ACTUALLY LOOKING AT, UH, CREATING A, UH, UH, LIKE BASICALLY PUSHING, UH, INTERAGENCY INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION WITHIN, UH, THE CITY GOVERNMENT ON ACTUALLY, UH, MITIGATING, UH, WHAT THEY'RE CALLING THE PROTECT THE TOWN TASK FORCE, BUT REALLY TRYING TO MITIGATE, UH, NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT.
SO ACTUALLY HAVE A TASK FORCE THAT'S LOOKING AT THIS DAY IN, DAY OUT, AND TRYING TO FIND A WAYS TO OPTIMIZE, UH, PROTECTED POLICIES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S IN THAT IS ACTUALLY, UH, SOME POLICIES AROUND THEIR APPROACH TO OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, UH, REITERATING LACK OF, UH, UH, REITERATING A BAN ON ENFORCEMENT, UH, OR COOPERATION WITH ICE ACTIVITIES AND IMMIGRATION VIOL VIOLATIONS.
UH, AND THIS ACTUALLY BROUGHT ME THEN TO LOOKING AT, UH, THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND, UH, ME, BEN JOHNSON ACTUALLY JUST RELEASED A FEW DAYS AGO, A PRETTY ROBUST, UM, POLICY THAT, UM, HE CALLS THE ICE ON NOTICE EXECUTIVE ORDER, WHICH I THINK IS CLEVER AND PUNCHY, BUT, UM, REALLY WHAT IT DOES IS IT ACTUALLY CREATES, UH, SPECIFIC, UH, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR HOW POLICE PERSONNEL INTERACT WITH ICE.
AND SO IT ACTUALLY REQUIRES CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT TO, UH, DOCUMENT FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES TO PROVIDE BODY CAMERA, BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE, UM, PRESERVE THAT, UH, UH, TO DOCUMENT ANY SORT OF, UH, INTERACTIONS WITH ICE AGENTS AND ACTUALLY CHARGES THEM WITH TRYING TO IDENTIFY, UM, WHO ARE THE FEDERAL AGENTS AND WHO'S THEIR SUPERVISOR ON SCENE, UM, REPORT ON ANY VIOLATIONS THAT THEY SEE.
AND ALSO IMMEDIATELY SUMMON EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AND RENDER AID INJURED PEOPLE ON THE SCENE.
AS, AS, AS WE SAW IN MINNEAPOLIS, UH, THERE WERE MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, THERE, UM, FOR BOTH RENEE GOOD AND ALEX PRETI, AND THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED, UH, TO GO AND ACTUALLY PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE.
UH, AND, UH, FOR ALL WE KNOW, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE DIFFERENT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PRECEDENT AROUND THE COUNTRY OF CITIES, UH, TAKING ON THIS CHALLENGE OF, OF CARRYING OUT VARIOUS POLICIES.
AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, LONG BEACH, UH, CAN FOLLOW THE LEAD IN AND, AND, AND JOIN IN LOCKSTEP WITH, WITH SOME OF THE WORK THAT IS HAPPENING IN CITIES LIKE OAKLAND, CITIES LIKE CHICAGO, TO CREATE SOME MORE OF THESE PROTECTIONS.
THE OTHER THING THAT I'LL FLAG REALLY QUICKLY, AND THEN I DO REALLY WANNA HEAR FROM THE FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ON THIS, UM, IS, UH, REALLY THINKING ABOUT, UH, MAKING SURE THAT LVPD ALSO ON THE OTHER END, UH, DOESN'T PARTICIPATE IN FEDERAL TASK FORCES, RIGHT? UM, ONE THING THAT OFTEN HAPPENS IS THAT, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITIES OFTEN GET ASKED TO PARTICIPATE, UM, BEYOND THEIR LOCALITY INTO THESE LARGER FEDERAL TASK FORCES.
UH, AND I THINK THAT'S AN EASY LOW HANGING FRUIT AS WELL, IS TO BASICALLY SAY THAT LBPD WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN FEDERAL TASK FORCE AS CONNECTED TO IMMIGRATION.
AND I THINK THESE ARE LOGICAL GUARDRAILS WE CAN, CAN IMPLEMENT.
UM, I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER CONVERSATION AROUND, UH, THE KIND OF STRATEGIC, UM, UH, PROCESS OF US MOVING FORWARD, RIGHT? DO WE DO THE 10, 11, 12, UH, RECOMMENDATION, UH, PUSH ALL AT ONCE? DO WE SELECT A FEW TO FOCUS ON? I THINK THAT'S A, LIKE A STRATEGIC QUESTION.
UM, BUT REALLY WANNA EMPHASIZE THE, UM, THE FACT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOX AND OUR WORK AS A COMMISSION, I THINK IS, IS TO REALLY CHALLENGE, ASK EMBOLDEN THE REST OF OUR CITY, RIGHT? UM, TO, TO THINK SERIOUSLY ABOUT AS MANY OF THESE AS THEY CAN.
UM, BOTH THE ONES THAT WE KNOW WILL BE MOST EFFECTIVE, AND ALSO SOME OF THE ONES THAT MAY BE SPEAKING TO AN ASPIRATION OF HOW OUR SPACES ARE USED BY FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT.
SOME OF THESE THINGS LIKE THESE ICE OUT ZONES, UM, EVEN IF WE KNOW THEY'LL BE VIOLATED AT TIMES, THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE ARE SAYING THAT ICE IS, IS VIOLATING OUR POLICIES TOO, RIGHT? SO, UM, REALLY APPRECIATE THIS DISCUSSION.
I REALLY DO, UM, AM CURIOUS ABOUT OTHER COMMISSIONERS'
[01:30:01]
REACTIONS, RESPONSES TO THE SUITE OF POLICIES WE HAVE HERE, AS WELL AS TO THE PROCESS MOVING FORWARD OF WHAT MOST EFFECTIVE FOR US TO USE OUR POWER AS COMMISSIONERS AND AS A COMMISSION, UH, TO MAKE THIS GO BEYOND A DISCUSSION AND INTO WHAT RECOMMENDATION AND HOPEFULLY INTO IMPLEMENTATION.COMMISSIONER SHA MALONE, COMMISSIONER FLORES, COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER SAMUEL.
ONE THING I DO WANNA SAY IS, AS, AS I SHARED, WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATION THAT IS BLATANTLY IGNORING ANY KIND OF POLICY OR RULE OF THOUGHT, A LAW, EXCUSE ME, RULE OF LAW, THAT WE HAVE AN EFFECT.
THEY TOTALLY IGNORE IT, SAYING THAT THEY NEED A WARRANT, THEY DON'T CARE.
SO IN MY, UM, HUMBLE OPINION, THEY DON'T CARE HOW MANY PEOPLE PROTEST.
THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU SAYING, OH, YOU CAN'T COME INTO OUR CITY, IN MY OPINION.
WE NEED TO THINK OF A WAY OF WHERE WE CAN HIT 'EM, LIKE WHERE IT HURTS.
LIKE IN INSTANCE, LIKE YOU SAID, THE CONTRACTOR AND VENDOR THAT COLLABORATE WITH, I LOSE CONTRACTS.
WE NEED TO THINK OF WAYS THAT WE CAN HIT THEM ECONOMICALLY.
THAT'S, IN MY OPINION, IS WHAT REALLY WORKS WITH SOMEONE THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO CONSCIENCE WHATSOEVER AT ALL.
I RECENTLY SAW, UM, THERE'S, UH, THERE'S A JURISDICTION THAT IS CURRENTLY LOOKING AT, UM, CHARGING, UM, AND SUING BOTH ICE AND ICE AGENTS, UM, FOR THEIR, UH, WRONGDOINGS, UH, AND, AND IMPACTS TO CITIES, BUT ALSO, UM, REFERRING THEM FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, UM, CHARGES AS WELL.
UM, SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN INCLUDE.
AND THAT GOES ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE.
I THINK IN THE LA TIMES TODAY, THEY SAID THAT ICE CAN BE SUED NOW FOR WEARING MASKS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S PART OF THE VERBIAGE IN ICE OUT, BUT IF WE COULD ADD SOMETHING TO THAT EXTENT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND THEN, UM, IN LA UM, THE LA CHIEF, UH, WHO IS JIM MCDONALD? YEAH, YEAH.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT NAME IS FAMILIAR, BUT HE WAS OUR CHIEF MM-HMM
AT ONE POINT, A GREAT TEAM MEMBER.
WELL SEE, Y'ALL ARE SAYING HE'S A GREAT CHIEF.
HE SAID HE'S NOT GOING TO ENFORCE THE FEDERAL, THE STATE MANDATE, UM, FOR NO MASKS.
BECAUSE IT CAUSES, UM, IT CAUSES, UM, A RIFT AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND IT, UM, CAN CONTRIBUTE TO ADDITIONAL HARM.
SO THE QUESTION IS HARM FOR WHO, RIGHT? UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH OUR CHIEF ABOUT ENFORCING THAT POLICY.
UM, FIRST I WANNA START BY SAYING, BEFORE I MAKE THE REST OF MY COMMENTS, THAT I AM NOT A SUPPORTER OF ICE.
I DO THINK THAT ICE SHOULD BE OUT OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UM, I DON'T LIKE WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS DOING IS LIKE BEYOND MY REACH.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK THIS AGENDA ITEM IS BEYOND OUR SCOPE AS A COMMISSION.
UM, LIKE ONE, LIKE THE CITY COUNCIL ISN'T AWARE.
LIKE, I THINK THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.
I THINK THAT THIS IS JUST TRUTHFULLY BEYOND OUR SCOPE.
UM, ONE, ALSO, IF YOU'RE GONNA PRESENT US THIS MANY OPTIONS, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE IT IN PAPER.
LIKE YOU SAID, YOU GAVE US PENS.
LIKE, I CAN ONLY WRITE SO FAST.
LIKE, AND I ALSO LIKE, JUST SPACEY.
LIKE, IT NEEDS TO BE, WE NEED NOTES, WE NEED THIS WRITTEN DOWN.
LIKE, I CAN'T COMMENT ON ANYTHING.
'CAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAID, LIKE, SO THERE'S NO DISCUSSION FROM ME, LIKE, ON THAT PART.
LIKE, I DON'T HAVE A PAPER IN FRONT OF ME.
LIKE, WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY? ALSO, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU AND COMMISSIONER DE LEON WORKED ON THIS.
LIKE, AS AN ASIDE, IF IT WAS REALLY A DISCUSSION, I THINK YOU WOULD'VE INCLUDED US ON THAT PROCESS OF LIKE, COMING UP WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL.
I THINK I SEE AN ISSUE WITH THAT.
UM, ALSO, AGAIN, LIKE SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING, I JUST DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY'RE FEASIBLE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, UM, I DON'T KNOW, A TOY, I DON'T WANNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
LIKE, IF YOU CAN REMEMBER WHAT CHAIR COVINGTON AND COMMISSIONER DE LEON SAID, IF LIKE US AS A COMMISSION, CAN WE EVEN DO ANY OF THIS, WHETHER IT'S AS A COMMISSION, AS AN AD HOC, AND OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN RECOMMEND, LIKE WHAT CAN THE CITY COUNCIL ACTUALLY DO IN THIS INSTANCE? COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY?
[01:35:01]
I THINK THAT WAS A, A REALLY GOOD, UM, UH, QUESTION.AND I THINK YOU, YOU ALREADY SAID, MY FIRST INITIAL REACTION WAS I PROBABLY DO NEED TO SEE SOMETHING.
WHAT, WHAT CHAIR COVINGTON, WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT.
UM, I WOULD NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT THAT AND, AND, AND HAVE MY OFFICE LIKE DELVE INTO IT TO, TO FIND IT, UH, WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO TO STAY WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE LAW.
UH, AND I DO MENTION THAT BECAUSE I, I FEEL SOME OF THEM DO IMPACT DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS.
SO, AND OBVIOUSLY WHEN I, WHEN I LOOK AT IT, ACTUALLY, MY INTENT WOULD PROBABLY BE TO, TO REACH OUT TO CERTAIN STAFF IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA BE EXPERTISE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN, IN THEIR OWN, UM, AREAS.
BUT I DO THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY, JUST TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REALLY DELVE INTO AND THEN GET BACK TO THE COMMISSION AS TO, UH, HEY, COMMISSIONERS, YOU KNOW, A, B AND C ARE FINE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN DO, THOSE ARE WITHIN THE E HRCS PURVIEW.
HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, THESE, THIS LIST IS SOMETHING THAT JUST WE CANNOT DO FOR WHATEVER REASON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE FEEDBACK.
UH, AND ALSO THE RESPONSE, UM, A TOY, UM, BEFORE THE AGENDA TODAY, I WANTED TO SHARE ALL OF THIS WITH THE WHOLE COMMISSION.
UM, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LANGUAGE OF OUR ITEM BEING A DISCUSSION, UH, WITH NO PRESENTATION, UM, UNDER BROWN ACT, I'M NOT ALLOWED TO ACTUALLY SHARE MY NOTES WITH YOU ALL BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE A DISCUSSION.
UM, AND, UH, IN REGARDS TO COMMISSIONER DELEON AND I, UM, MUCH LIKE ANYONE HERE, UM, WE COMMUNICATE ON A LOT OF ISSUES IN THE CITY.
UM, AND, UM, PRIOR TO TODAY, WE PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER.
UM, THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT ANY COMMISSIONER IS OPEN TO DO, UH, UNDER BROWN ACT.
WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH ANY COMMISSIONER, UH, IN REGARDS TO ANY ITEM.
UH, AND IF WE WANT TO COME PREPARED WITH SOMETHING TO SHARE, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO DO.
UM, SO I ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO, UM, PRIOR TO AGENDA ITEMS, LIKE WE LITERALLY TALKED TODAY, I CAME UP WITH SOME OF THESE IDEAS, UH, YESTERDAY, AND I DID MY RESEARCH ON SUNDAY.
SO I JUST PREPARE FOR TODAY'S MEETING, UM, WITH, WITH THAT IN MIND.
UM, SO I ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO PREPARE WITH OTHER COMMISSIONERS IF NECESSARY.
IF YOU WANT TO PRESENT, UM, AND I AM AN OPEN DOOR POLICY, IF THERE ARE AGENDA ITEMS THAT FOLKS WANT TO, TO INCLUDE, PLEASE DO SUBMIT THEM AND VICE CHAIR AND I WILL CONSIDER THEM AND ADD THEM TO THE AGENDA AS NECESSARY.
UH, FOR THE COMMISSIONER, FOR THE COMMISSION TO, UM, CONSIDER CHAIR, I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT IF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, OR WHATEVER YOU'VE BEEN READING OFF OF WERE PREPARED PRIOR TO THE AGENDA BEING PUBLISHED, IT WOULD'VE BEEN SHARED WITH THE COMMISSION AND THE PUBLIC THE WAY THAT ANY OTHER ATTACHMENT TO AN AGENDA ITEM IS.
SO IT WASN'T THE WAY, NECESSARILY THE ISSUE OF HOW THE AGENDA ITEM WAS WORDED, IT WAS THE ISSUE OF THE TIMING.
SO YOU'RE SAYING BEFORE TODAY, BUT WE FOUND OUT ABOUT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TODAY.
AND IF THAT'S NOT FAIR TO ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO MIGHT HAVE WANTED TO ENGAGE IN THIS ITEM, IF THEY DID NOT GET TO SEE THAT LIST, UM, AND MAYBE COME OUT OR DECIDE TO PARTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS.
SO THAT'S THE DISCREPANCY HERE, UM, REGARDING THIS ITEM AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU'RE SHARING WITH THE COMMISSION VERBALLY.
I HAVE A COMMENT, UM, DULY NOTED TO SEND ANYTHING, UH, WRITTEN, UH, 72 HOURS BEFORE, WHICH OUR CUTOFF TIME IS END OF DAY THURSDAY.
UM, THERE'S SOME WIGGLE ROOM, BUT END OF DAY THURSDAY IS, IS THE KEY.
UM, SO I TRIED, UH, BUT STILL IT'S MY BAD.
UM, AND BECAUSE OF OUR RULES, UM, IT WAS NOT ABLE TO BE SHARED.
I HAVE A COMMENT AND YES, AND THANK YOU, UM, FOR YOUR COMMENT.
UM, THAT WAS A VERY LONG PRESENTATION, AND FOR, AND I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY, THAT WAS A VERY LONG PRESENTATION, AND FOR US TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT LONG PRESENTATION, IT JUST SEEMS LOST IN THE WEEDS.
I, I CAN'T, I MEAN, AND NOT HAVING A COPY OF IT, OR NOT KNOWING, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING ABOUT IT, UM, I DO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT, THAT THE CHAIR, THE CHAIRMAN HAS DONE, UM, AND, UM, AND, AND STUFF.
BUT I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE NOTES.
AND SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THAT NEXT MONTH SO THAT I CAN READ THROUGH THAT.
UM, AS, YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO READ
[01:40:01]
UM, DEFINITELY HEARING BEFORE YOU GO, COMMISSIONER DEION, DEFINITELY HEARING THE FEEDBACK ABOUT HOW THE INFORMATION WAS PRESENTED.
UM, SO WE WILL DEFINITELY DO OUR BEST TO IMPROVE THAT MOVING FORWARD.
AND ALSO, UM, UH, WITH HEARING THE FEEDBACK, I DO WANNA ENCOURAGE IF ON THE TOPIC, UH, OF, UH, IMMIGRATION WITHIN OUR CITY, UM, IF THERE ARE OTHER IDEAS OR JUST FEELINGS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY, UH, NOW'S THE TIME TO SHARE THAT.
UM, THE ITEM IS RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS RECENT FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND THE IMPACT OF EQUITY, HUMAN RELATIONS.
UM, SO THIS IS MY WAY OF HAVING THAT DISCUSSION WITH YOU ALL.
UM, AND, UH, I DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE, UM, IF FOLKS HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, UH, IF IT'S FEEDBACK ON THE PRESENTATION HEARD, BUT IF THERE ARE OTHER IDEAS OR, UM, TOPICS PERTAINING TO THE AGENDA ITEM, UM, IF THOSE CAN BE SHARED, I'D APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER, STOP ME WHILE, THANK YOU.
UM, SO I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO JUST SAY THANK YOU TO, YOU KNOW, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SHARED THEIR, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH ICE.
UM, BUT I ALSO, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF WE'RE, I FEEL THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF DISCOVERY IN THIS PROCESS IF WE ARE GOING TO BE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU HAD, UM, YOU AND COMMISSIONER DE I'M RECOMMENDED.
UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, RIGHT, UM, IS THE IMPERSONATION OF, UH, OF FEDERAL AGENTS.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A HUGE ISSUE.
UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE I DON'T, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY'RE EVEN TRACKING IT, RIGHT? HOW ARE THEY, HOW DO WE KNOW IF THEY ARE ACTUALLY ICE AGENTS? UM, IF WE CAN'T IDENTIFY THEM PROPERLY? UM, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IF, IF THERE ARE ANY PROVISIONS OR IF YOU KNOW, THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS DOING ANYTHING IN REGARDS TO, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPERSONATING, UH, FEDERAL AGENTS.
UM, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL WHO SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THE RESPONSIVENESS, RESPONSIVENESS OF THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT TO A PHONE CALL TO SOMEBODY WHO'S EXPERIENCING AN EMERGENCY WAS LEFT IN THEIR VEHICLE FOR DAYS.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S, I, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT OKAY.
UM, AND, UM, IF THERE IS A, UM, AN, YOU KNOW, A, A DECREASE IN RESPONSIVENESS BY OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT DUE TO THE ICE ACTIVATION IN OUR CITY, THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD KNOW.
UM, AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? SO IF WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, I THINK WE NEED TO FIND OUT THE FACTS, UM, HOW IT'S ALL NOT ONLY AFFECTED US AS A COMMUNITY, UH, THROUGH VIDEOS THAT WE'VE SEEN THROUGH PROTESTS ON TIKTOK OR SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT ALSO WHAT ARE THE FACTUAL DATA THAT IS, UM, THAT WE CAN USE, UM, FOR OUR ARGUMENT.
UM, WHAT ELSE? UM, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT A VIDEO THAT I SAW OF, UM, ONLINE ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TRUE OR NOT, BUT IT'S A MAYORAL CANDIDATE WHO IS REACHING OUT TO, UM, I GUESS THE 55 GANGS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, UM, TO, UH, AS PART OF THE ICE HOUSE MOVEMENT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, UH, WHAT WE CAN OR CANNOT DO IN REGARDS TO WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN, IN THE COMING, YOU KNOW, WEEKS, MONTHS YEAR.
UM, SO TO ME, BEING, YOU KNOW, UH, A BROWN PERSON, THIS HAS PUT ME IN FEAR, UM, AND I HEAR MY, HEAR MY COMMUNITY, I FEEL MY COMMUNITY, AND IT'S, UM, I THINK IT'S, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS, BUT ALSO, UM, DO IT WITH TACT AND WITH, UH, FACTS.
COMMISSIONER DOCKERY? YEAH, COMMISSIONER BROWN, AND THEN DENA, I APOLOGIZE.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER SAMMY WISE, UM, SAID, THIS IS AFFECTING SO MUCH.
THIS IS NOT JUST AFFECTING PEOPLE IN CERTAIN COUNCIL DISTRICTS OR CERTAIN AREAS OF TOWN MM-HMM
THIS IS AFFECTING PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY AND ACROSS LOS ANGELES
[01:45:01]
COUNTY.AND THIS IS REALLY DISTURBING.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WILL GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, MY, MY, MY COMMISSIONER WHO SAID, THERE'S NO LAW BE, THE CONSTITUTION IS JUST BEING AVOIDED IN THIS SITUATION, AND THERE'S NO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THIS.
AND, BUT I DO THINK, AND I AGREE WITH HER, THAT WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE ADOPT SOMETHING THAT HAS TEETH IN IT.
AND, AND, AND BECAUSE IT'S AFFECTING EVERYBODY IN THIS CITY, WHETHER YOU, WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT, IT'S AFFECTING PEOPLE THAT ARE IN YOUR LIFE, WHETHER IT'S A RESTAURANT YOU GO TO, WHETHER IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, IT'S, AND IT'S NOT JUST IN, IN CERTAIN AREAS OF TOWN.
I LIVE IN A VERY NICE PART OF THE THIRD DISTRICT, AND IT HAPPENED RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE, AND IT WAS JUST HORRIBLE.
AND, UM, AND I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO WAKE UP AND REALIZE THIS, AND, AND HOPEFULLY COME NOVEMBER, WE WILL HAVE A CHANGE.
COMMISSIONER DOCKERY, COMMISSIONER BROWN.
I, UM, I JUST WANNA COMMENT ON A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.
IT WAS WAY TOO MUCH INFORMATION.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE TO HAVE THAT.
I DON'T WANNA SEE THIS GO TO AN AD HOC COMMITTEE AND MORE RECOMMENDATIONS, MORE RECOMMENDATIONS.
IF PERSONALLY, IF, IF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA CALL THIS OVER TO THE NEXT MONTH, YOU NEED TO PICK FIVE THINGS, ACTIONABLE ITEMS, FIVE ACTIONABLE ITEMS THAT YOU CAN GIVE TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND SAY, HEY, CAN WE DO THESE THINGS? BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GONNA TAKE A LOT OF TIME TO IMPLEMENT IN YOUR LIST, AND WE NEED TO DO ACTION NOW.
I MEAN, THIS ISN'T GONNA BE OVER NEXT MONTH.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE OVER NEXT YEAR.
IT PROBABLY WON'T BE OVER UNTIL THE NEXT ELECTION.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS STUFF.
BUT TO CONTINUE TO ALL TALK AND NO ACTION DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM ACTIONABLE ITEMS AND SAY, OKAY, HERE'S WHAT WE THINK YOU NEED TO ADDRESS.
BECAUSE THIS IS STUFF THAT WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW, NOT IN AN AD HOC COMMITTEE THAT TAKES SIX MONTHS TO ENACT ANYTHING.
WE CAN'T WAIT SIX MONTHS TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL AND SAY, HEY, CAN WE DO THIS? AND HERE'S WHAT WE THINK WE SHOULD DO.
BUT BY THEN, HOW MUCH MORE DAMAGE IS ALREADY GONNA BE DONE? AND TO COMMISSIONER, UM, SANEL THAT, THAT THING WITH THE GANGS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MONDAY, AND IT DIDN'T GET ANY PRESS THAT I SAW, AND I KEEP TRACK OF MOST SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO I THINK THAT THAT WAS JUST A PUBLICITY STUNT TO GET THIS GUY'S NAMES ON PEOPLE'S MINDS BE TO CHALLENGE REX.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S ANYTHING THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT.
I DON'T SEE THE GANGS ALL WORKING TOGETHER ANYWAY, SO THANK YOU.
WELL, I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF, UH, WHAT EVERYONE'S BROUGHT IN TODAY.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE A DELIBERATIVE MONTHLY ADVISORY BODY, AND SO WE'RE CONSTRUCTED IN A WAY THAT IS VERY METHODICAL.
UH, AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE SPEED THAT CHERRY COVINGTON ACT WITH, TO, TO BRING THIS IN THE AGENDA.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THE WEEKEND, UH, UH, JUST OVER A WEEK AGO, UH, WHEN ALEX FREDDY WAS MURDERED, UH, THE AMOUNT OF TIME BETWEEN THAT AND WHEN AGENDA HAS TO BE FINALIZED, UH, FOR A MEETING ON FEBRUARY FOUR IS PRETTY SHORT.
RIGHT? AND SO I THINK, UM, I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE GOT A SPACE TO TALK ABOUT THIS AT ALL TOGETHER, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH BROWN ACT, UH, WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE THINGS ON THE AGENDA TO TALK ABOUT IT.
AND SO I THINK IT WAS MEETING THE MOMENT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AT ALL, RIGHT? TOGETHER TODAY, UH, AT THIS STAGE OF, OF, UH, I IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ESCALATION.
AND ALSO ABSOLUTELY HERE, THE, THE CHALLENGE WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, ENTERING INTO THE DISCUSSION AND ALSO TALKING THROUGH, UH, AN EXTENSIVE LIST OF POLICY PATHWAYS FORWARD.
UM, AND I THINK, UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR COVINGTON'S, UH, UH, LIKE EFFORT OF REALLY GOING THROUGH ALL THESE OPTIONS BECAUSE IT SHOWS HOW MUCH DISCRETIONARY TIME FOLKS ARE WILLING TO PUT IN TO FIGURE OUT EVERY POSSIBLE WAY TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT? AND SO, I KNOW IT WAS A LOT, I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE BEST FORMAT, UM, FROM A PURE, LIKE, PEDAGOGICAL STANDPOINT, BUT IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS WE HAVE, I'M GLAD THAT WE HAD HA A CHANCE TO BRING IT TOGETHER TODAY, AND THAT WE'VE LEARNED SOME BETTER WAYS TO DO IT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, I THINK LOOKING AHEAD, UM, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER BROWN THAT, UM, WE DON'T WANT A SIX MONTH TO A YEAR AD HOC.
UM, HOW MIGHT WE MOVE THESE TOWARDS RECOMMENDATIONS? I THINK ONE POSSIBILITY IS, UH, THAT WE, UH, FORM A, A VERY TIME BOUND AD HOC TO PREPARE FOR MARCH, UM, WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, TAKE SOME OF THIS FEEDBACK TO THESE CONVERSATIONS, DO ADDITIONAL RESEARCH WITH THE ADDITIONAL
[01:50:01]
RUNWAY THAT A MONTH GIVES US, UH, TO, TO BRING THAT MORE HONED, UH, SET OF POLICIES IN FRONT OF US ALL.UH, I THINK THAT COULD BE ONE WAY WHERE WE DO THAT, WHERE, UM, UH, WITH ADVANCE NOTICE, YOU ALL WILL GET, UM, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, THAT WE'LL LOOK AT, WE'LL SEE THE DATA, WE'LL SEE THE, UH, YOU KNOW, LINE ITEMS THAT, THAT FOLLOWED IN THAT.
UH, AND I THINK FOR EVERYONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN THIS, LIKE, YOU CAN ALSO BE A PART OF THAT AD HOC IF YOU WERE TO FORM IT.
I THINK THAT WE WANT A LOT OF VOICES IN IT.
UH, AND THE OTHER THOUGHT IS, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE ALL THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION, I THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE THAT THAT MARCH MEETING IS ALSO A SPACE TO INVITE SOME OF THESE CITY STAKEHOLDERS, RIGHT? IF WE HAVE THESE DIFFERENT PLANKS RELATED TO HOW LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT INTERACTS WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, PERHAPS THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE ALSO SEEK TO HAVE IS, IS TO INVITE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM LBPD, UH, TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, UH, IN REAL TIME AFTER OUR PRESENTATION ON POTENTIAL POLICY CHOICES, SO THAT WE CAN THEN, YOU KNOW, UH, ASK THEM WHAT IS, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN THE GROUND IN PRACTICE, RIGHT? HAVE THE CITY ATTORNEY HERE BEING ABLE TO TALK WITH SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND DISCUSS FEASIBILITY.
UH, I DO THINK THAT, AND, AND OF COURSE, TO SEE WHICH THINGS FALL WITHIN OUR PURVIEW AND WHICH ONES DON'T, I THINK THAT PROBABLY MANY OF THESE WILL, PERHAPS SOME WON'T.
UM, BUT IT'S, I THINK THAT GIVES US MORE RUNAWAY TO REALLY TALK ABOUT IT.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M THINKING IN TERMS OF PATH FORWARD THAT WE, WE MEET THE SPEED THAT WE NEED WHILE RECOGNIZING THE METHODICAL NATURE OF THE COMMISSION WE HAVE.
UM, AND, AND TO PERHAPS SET A GOAL FOR MARCH TO BE A TIME WHERE WE COME AWAY, UM, WITH SOME STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COUNCIL.
I THINK TODAY WAS DISCUSSION ON OPTIONS, AND PERHAPS NEXT TIME IS PUSHING FORWARD RECOMMENDATIONS IF WE DEEM IT FIT.
SO I HOPE THAT'S HELPFUL FOR MAYBE REFRAMING THIS SPACE, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S
UM, SO I'M GLAD THEY'RE DOING IT NOW AS FAST AS WE CAN, AND THAT WE'VE GOT ONE MONTH TO DO IT EVEN BETTER.
COMMISSIONER, VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ.
I GOT SO MANY NOTES HERE, AND I, I CAN NEVER READ MY NOTES.
BUT I, I WANT TO JUST SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S MY BAD, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED A DEBRIEF.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE HAD, UH, AS CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR WITH, UH, WITH STAFF.
AND, UH, AND WE HAD IT LATER THAN, THAN USUAL.
UH, I THINK IT WAS LIKE LAST WEEK.
AND IT WAS MY, I DON'T KNOW, JUST TO READ THE NEWS EVERY DAY.
I GO BETWEEN DEPRESSION AND ANGER OF WHAT'S GOING ON, AND I SAID, WHAT CAN WE DO? WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING.
WE'RE, WE'RE THE HUMAN RELATIONS AND EQUITY COMMISSION, AND CAN, CAN WE PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA? AND I THINK IT WENT ON KIND OF LAST MINUTE AT MY REQUEST, AND, UH, UH, CHRIS, BUT WITH ALL THE, THE GREAT INTENTIONS, UM, GOT, GOT, GOT TO WORK, GOT TO WORK ON IT, MAYBE A LITTLE PREMATURELY, MAYBE NOT THE EXACT WAY THAT WE'D ALL LIKE HIM TO.
UM, BUT I WANNA POINT SOMETHING OUT, UH, UM, THAT, THAT ANGER, OR AT LEAST FRUSTRATION, UH, IS, IS FOCUSED MANY TIMES ON THE WRONG PERSON, THE WRONG PARTY.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY MENTION THE ORANGE KING'S NAME TODAY AND THE STUFF HE'S UP TO.
UH, I, I HEAR PEOPLE ANGRY AT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I HEAR PEOPLE, UH, ANGRY AT OUR COMMISSIONER OR FRUSTRATED.
UM, I GET THE FRUSTRATION, OH, IT'S JUST EVERY DAY.
THIS ADMINISTRATION JUST SEEMS TO BE LIKE EVERY DAY'S NEWS CYCLE.
LIKE NO OTHER PRESIDENT EVER IN HISTORY, NO OTHER ADMINISTRATION EVER IN HISTORY.
UM, BUT, UH, FO FOCUS, YOUR, YOUR ANGER AND FRUSTRATION AND AT, AT THE, AT THE, AT THE, AT THE, AT THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO DESERVE IT.
I WAS MAKING NOTES ABOUT FACTS, ABOUT WARRANTS AND IGNORING WARRANTS AND IGNORING LAWS.
THE FACT IS, THERE WAS A MEMO THAT WAS PUT OUT BY THE GOVERNMENT SAYING, IGNORE THE FOURTH AMENDMENT.
YOU, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FOLLOW THE FOURTH AMENDMENT.
YOU MAY ENTER, UH, UH, BUILDINGS WITH.
THAT'S JUST A FACT THAT, THAT'S NOT MY OPINION.
THAT'S NOT, I'M NOT, BUT, BUT THAT'S THE FACT.
THERE WAS A MEMO PUT OUT SAYING TO IGNORE THE FOURTH AMENDMENT.
SO LET'S, LET'S GET THAT FACT STRAIGHT, UM, MINNEAPOLIS, IT'S JUST, IT'S TERRIBLE.
WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? COULD YOU IMAGINE THAT HAPPENING IN LONG BEACH? I, I, I JUST, I JUST, I DID SOME, SOME LITTLE, UH, UH, RESEARCH ON MY PHONE HERE.
[01:55:01]
ARE MINNEAPOLIS IS THE SAME SIZE AS LONG BEACH, WITHIN ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE, THAT'VE GOT ABOUT 428,000 PEOPLE.THEY HAVE ABOUT 600 POLICE OFFICERS, WHICH I THINK IS ABOUT 200 LESS THAN US.
UNTIL TODAY WHEN HOLMAN MAGNANIMOUSLY DREW DOWN TO 700, THEY STILL HAVE MORE AGENTS THAN POLICE OFFICERS THERE.
WHAT CAN THE POLICE BE EXPECTED TO DO? I'M NOT DEFENDING THE POLICE.
THAT'S CHIEF'S JOB, WHO I'VE HEARD PERSONALLY SAY HE'S NOT DOWN WITH ICE.
UH, UM, UH, IT HASN'T BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT OUR, OUR POLICE ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE DOWN WITH EYES.
UH, BUT I, I, I HOPE TO GOODNESS, THE 2300 AGENTS THAT ARE BEING SENT SOMEWHERE ELSE OTHER THAN MINNEAPOLIS TODAY, DON'T WIND UP HERE.
'CAUSE THE GUY WHO MURDERED GOOD IS SUPPOSEDLY STAYING IN LONG BEACH.
THEY HAVE HIM HIDDEN OUT HERE.
UM, BINO HAS BEEN SET TO CALIFORNIA ORDER.
UM, IF, UH, IF, IF, IF NOT JUST BEING MEAN OR LACK OF HUMANITY, OR AT LEAST JUST, MAYBE THEY'RE JUST GROSSLY MISINFORMED, PEOPLE SAY THEY SHOULD COME HERE LEGALLY.
UH, UH, UH, NOT ONLY, UH, UH, HAVE THEY MADE IT HARD TO DO THAT.
UH, UH, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ILLEGALLY IN MID ASYLUM, MID UH, UH, MID, UH, TEMPORARY STATUS, UH, THEY GO TO COURT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SHOWING UP TO THEIR COURT DATES, AND THEY'RE HAVING THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE GOVERNMENT, THE PEOPLE'S SIDE, UM, DISMISS THE CASE.
THEN THEY'RE IN LIMBO UNTIL THEY WALK OUT THE DOOR.
THEN THEY'RE ARRESTED AND TAKEN IN FOR COMING IN AND DOING IT LEGALLY.
UH, IF, IF, IF, IF, IF THE GOVERNMENT DHSI MEAN, CUSTOMS WAS MY, MY MOM, MY, MY, WELL, MY COME FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT FAMILY.
MY MOM WAS A SENIOR CUSTOMS INSPECTOR, STABBING PASSPORTS, AND INSPECTING CARGO WAS NOTHING LIKE THIS 20 YEARS AGO.
UH, UH, IF, IF, IF THE GOVERNMENT, IF, IF DHS WOULD SPEND JUST A QUARTER OF THE TIME AND EFFORT WORKING ON PROCESSING CITIZENSHIP AND ASYLUM CLAIMS, DOING INTERVIEWS, BACKGROUND CHECKS, UH, UH, UH, AND ASSIMILATING OR TRANSITIONING PEOPLE INTO CITIZENSHIP, WE, WE JUST, WE, WE'D GET RID OF ALL THE BACKLOG OF, OF, OF UNDOCUMENTED CASES AND ASSEMBLY SEEK.
IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST FRUSTRATING THAT, THAT, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, WE'VE COME TO THIS AND I, AND I HOPE, AND I THANK YOU FOR DOING RESEARCH, AND, AND I HOPE THAT WE GET TO SEE YOUR NOTES AND, AND, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE ORGANIZED, UH, UM, THING TO FOCUS ON.
UH, UH, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR, UH, UH, FOR NOT FOLLOWING THE, THE PATH AND, AND BEING THERE WITH YOU AND DE LEON, UH, IN, IN TRYING TO STRUCTURE HOW WE PRESENT THIS TODAY.
ON, ON MY, UH, PRESENTED, UH, MY SUGGESTED AGENDA ITEM.
UM, AND, UH, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT, I, I'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION THE LONGEST, EXCEPT FOR, FOR FLORES.
AND I'VE NEVER SEEN, UH, UH, EVEN HALF OF THE COMMISSION SPEAK ON ANY SUBJECT.
SO I THINK THE SUBJECT NEEDED TO BE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, AND I THINK, UH, UH, AND I HOPE WE HEAR FROM EVERY SINGLE COMMISSIONER HERE TODAY ON THIS.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD MAKE IT A RECORD.
I JUST, I, I LOVE HEARING IT FROM, FROM EVERYBODY AND HEARING YOUR IDEAS AND SHARING THE AIR WITH YOU GUYS.
UM, SO CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING THE FIRST, UH, THE BIGGEST IN, IN RECENT HISTORY.
AND DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR ASKING QUESTIONS.
UH, DOCKERY, UH, YEAH, YOU CAN BE ANNOYING SOMETIMES.
OH, BECAUSE HONEY, YOU KNOW, IT, I, I, YOU'VE, YOU'VE BEEN A PART OF, YOU'RE NOT THE FIRST PERSON.
YOU WERE ON ONE OF THE EAR EARLIER ITERATIONS OF THIS COMMISSION, AND YOUR QUESTIONS ARE THOUGHT, THOUGHT TO, THOUGHT PROVOKING AND, AND NEED TO BE ANSWERED.
AND YOUR VOICE IS, IS ONE, UH, 15TH, 21.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HAVE ON THIS COMMISSION? I DON'T
[02:00:01]
KNOW.BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ONE 13TH OF THIS COMMISSION.
AND, AND JUST AS IMPORTANT, YOU'RE THE NEWEST AND, AND JUST AS IMPORTANT AS AS ANYBODY ELSE, I'M, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS AND, AND, AND MAKE US THINK.
VICE CHAIR, UH, COMMISSIONER COLE, AND THEN I'M GONNA WRAP US UP.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE ARE ON THE BROAD, SAME PAGE, JUST TO GENERALIZE, NOT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ANYONE AND THE DISCUSSION'S REALLY USEFUL.
UM, BUT IT'S VERY EMOTIONAL AND IT'S IMPORTANT.
SO HOW CAN WE MOVE FORWARD IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO TO WRAP IT UP? LIKE WHAT WOULD OUR NEXT ACTION ITEMS BE THAT, WHERE WE CAN MOVE QUICKLY AND STILL FOLLOW THE RULES? 'CAUSE WE DO HAVE TO FOLLOW 'EM.
UM, SO JUST IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, WHAT I'VE HEARD TODAY, UM, MY COMPUTER WOULD DO THIS.
CHAIR COVINGTON, CAN I, I, I JUST WANNA FOLLOW, I'M TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF MY HEAD WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I KNOW WE WANT TO DO, CONTINUE THIS IN THE NEXT, UM, COMMISSIONER MEETING, BUT IF MY MEMORY RECALLS, UNLESS IT'S, SOMETHING'S CHANGED, THE NEXT MEETING IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE COMMUNITY TALK FORUM.
THE LISTENING SESSION IS IN APRIL.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT BOOKING THINGS ON TOP OF THINGS.
UM, SO JUST IN TERMS OF THE NOTES, UM, DEFINITELY HEARD ABOUT THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I DEFINITELY HEARD ON INCLUDING OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UH, IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS, UM, DEFINITELY HEARD ON IMPERSONATION OF ICE AGENTS, THE IMPACTS ON ICE ON OUR COMMUNITY AND THE DATA THAT BACKS IT UP.
UM, THE ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, ADOPTING SOMETHING WITH TEETH, UH, FIVE ACTIONABLE ITEMS. UH, THE NEED FOR AN AD HOC, UH, AND INVITING CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, TO OUR MARCH MEETING, UH, A TOY.
UM, 'CAUSE I'M GONNA BE MAKING A, A RECOMMENDATION, UM, TO FORM AN AD HOC ON THIS ITEM.
UM, ARE, IS THE CITY ATTORNEY ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN AD HOCS? NO.
WE, YEAH, WE, WE, WE CAN'T PARTICIPATE, UH, IN ANY AD HOCS TO, TO LIKE, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, WE, WE CAN IF, IF, IF, IF, IF, IF COMMISSIONERS HAVE INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS AS A WHOLE, BUT WE, I CAN'T BE LIKE A OFFICIAL PART OF THE AD HOC, BUT THE, THE AD HOC CAN DEFINITELY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS OR IF, IF YOU NEED SOME INTERPRETATION OR JUST TO FIND OUT ANYTHING, ANY LEGAL ASPECTS, DEFINITELY I COULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THAT.
SO MAINLY THROUGH LIKE EMAIL? YEAH.
OR ASK QUESTION EVEN A LITTLE BIT.
OR WE COULD, WE COULD ENTERTAIN IF, IF THERE'S LIKE A CONVENIENT TIME.
IF, IF, IF THE COMMISSION WOULD PREFER TO DO IT IN PERSON.
UM, SO TODAY IS DISCUSSION DAY, UH, TO UPLIFT, UNEARTH, UH, BRAINSTORM.
UM, THE GOAL, UM, AND I SHARED THIS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE AGENDA ITEM, IS TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION UNEARTH AND THEN FORMULATE, FORMULATE IT INTO AN ACTION PLAN.
UM, SO THE WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE ACTION IS TO FORM, IS TO FORM AN AD HOC, UH, WHICH WE CAN DO, UH, IN THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS THE AD HOC ITEM.
UH, AND THEN AT THAT POINT, THE AD HOCS ROLE, UM, WE CAN MEET ON A WEEKLY BASIS IF NECESSARY.
UM, WE'LL ACTUALLY FORMULATE, UM, THE LETTER TO COME BACK WITH, UM, CLEAN, CLEAR, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO SEND TO CITY COUNCIL.
AT THAT POINT, UH, WE AS A COMMISSION WILL HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON THE LETTER.
IF THE LETTER IS READY TO MOVE UP TO CITY COUNCIL, WE WILL VOTE TO SEND IT UP OR, UM, ASK THE AD HOC TO COME BACK WITH ADDITIONAL, UM, CHANGES.
UM, IF THAT HAPPENS, WE WILL TABLE THE DISCUSSION WE TO MAY, UH, BECAUSE APRIL IS OUR AT, UM, IS OUR LISTENING SESSION.
UM, SO THAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR US TO TAKE ACTION, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
UM, ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, THERE'S NO NEED FOR A FRIENDLY OR A MOTION, UH, BECAUSE WE'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO CREATE THE AD HOC, UH, IN THE NEXT ITEM.
UH, TO CLOSE OUT THIS ITEM, CAN WE GET A ROLL CALL VOTE TO END THE DISCUSSION.
COMMISSIONER LIZETTE FLORES? YES.
COMMISSIONER VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ? YES.
[02:05:01]
YES.MAY WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM READ? AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE EIGHT COMING UP TO EIGHT 30.
SO THE NEXT TWO IS GONNA BE FAIRLY QUICKLY.
[4. 26-54280 Recommendation to receive and file a report from current Ad Hoc Committees; discuss anticipated Ad Hoc Committees for upcoming projects; and, if appropriate, take action to dissolve or create Ad Hoc Committees. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A REPORT FROM CURRENT AD HOC COMMITTEES.DISCUSS ANTICIPATED AD HOC COMMITTEES FOR UPCOMING PROJECTS, AND IF APPROPRIATE, TAKE ACTION TO DISSOLVE OR CREATE AD HOC COMMITTEES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TABLE THEM.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND? I MOVE MONTGOMERY MOVES TO MOTION.
I JUST HEARD THE VOICE THAT WAY AND THEN I TURNED OVER.
SECOND, UH, COMMISSIONER BROWN A SECOND.
UM, ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO PRESENTATIONS.
UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE.
SUSTAINABILITY, I HAPPY TO JUMP, WHICH IS ACTUALLY THE, UH, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AD HOC.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO JUMP IN UNLESS, UM, COMMISSIONER COLE, COMMISSIONER DOCKERTY COMMISSIONER, UH, OR NO, SORRY.
OTHERWISE, I'M HAPPY TO CHIME IN.
I WAS GONNA DO A, JUST A BRIEF, UH, SUMMARY, BUT IF YOU, UH, UH, HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO ADD, I'LL SHARE THE AIR WITH YOU.
NO, WE MET, WE, WE AGREED TO, UM, TO REACH OUT TO, UH, TO PEOPLE.
IT WAS, IT WAS MY JOB TO REACH OUT TO THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND I DID.
UH, AND I'LL HAVE THAT UPDATE, UH, AT OUR NEXT AD HOC MEETING.
I ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, HAVE A LITTLE FACE TIME WITH, UH, OUR POLICE CHIEF, UH, ISH.
AND, UH, I'LL HAVE AN UPDATE IN OUR, UH, NEXT AD HOC FOR THAT.
AND, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER DILON, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD YEAH.
IN, IN TERMS OF PROCESS, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE, UH, HAVE MONTHLY, UH, MEETINGS EVERY THIRD FRIDAY OF THE MONTH.
AND WE'RE USING THAT AS A SPACE TO BRING TOGETHER, UH, THESE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS LIKE, UH, WHO VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ MENTIONED.
UH, AND SO WE'LL HAVE, UH, SOME FOLKS THERE, UH, TO REALLY GO THROUGH, UH, A QUESTION SET THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED TOGETHER, REALLY TO TRY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND BOTH THE, UH, LIKE SHINING EXAMPLE.
YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER, THIS IS THIS, UH, DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY, JUST TO, I HATE TO INTERJECT.
I DO KNOW BECAUSE YOU ARE REMOTE.
WE ACTUALLY, WITH THE, THE TWO, UH, COMMISSIONERS THAT PHYSICALLY JUST LEFT, WE ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE QUORUM RIGHT NOW.
QUORUM IS EIGHT AND WE HAVE EIGHT.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO HAVE EIGHT PHYSICALLY HERE.
YEAH, WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT TO TAKE A, A COUPLE MINUTES.
JUST WAIT UNTIL AT LEAST ONE OF 'EM COMES BACK.
DO I HAVE TO CALL FOR A RECESS? YES, OFFICIALLY.
HOW DO I DO THAT? YEAH, THAT, THAT QUALIFIES AS A CALL FOR RECESS.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE A RECESS, UM, FOR THREE MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL RETURN.
[02:10:57]
ALL RIGHT.WE'RE GONNA RECONVENE THE MEETING.
CAN I TAKE A ROLL CALL? JUST TO CONFIRM, WE HAVE QUORUM.
COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY? HERE.
UM, THE AD HOC MET DEION ADDITIONS.
UH, I THINK I, I THINK I GOT THROUGH MOST OF IT.
REALLY JUST THAT WE ARE USING, UM, EVERY THROUGH FRIDAY OF THE MONTH AS OUR SPACE TO, TO MEET AND ALSO TO BRING IN SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
UH, AND SO EACH OF US HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT TO BRING FOLKS IN OUR TIMELINE IS THAT WE'LL LIKELY BE ABLE TO BRING MORE SUBSTANTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, BACK TO THIS COMMISSION IN THE SPRING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER DELEON.
AND ON THE AD HOC FOR THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
UH, NEXT UP IS OUR AD HOC ON RANK CHOICE VOTING.
COMMISSIONER COLE, I MOTION TO DISBAND THIS AD HOC BECAUSE WE HAVE PASSED, VOTED TO PASS OUR LETTER ON THE NEXT STEP.
OKAY, SO WE'LL BE VOTING ON THAT AT THE END.
UH, AND THEN NEXT UP IS GOING TO BE OUR AD HOC FOR, UM, THE BIPOC.
WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE LETTER, BUT IT IS IN PROGRESS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS OUT TO THE ART COUNCIL, SO AS SOON AS WE HEAR BACK FROM THEM, WE WILL FINALIZE A LETTER AND BRING IT TO OUR MARCH MEETING.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU GUYS WANNA ADD? NOPE.
UH, THE NEXT AD HOC IS GOING TO BE, UM, THE LISTENING SESSIONS AD HOC.
THE LISTENING SESSIONS AD HOC.
WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO CONFIRMING A MEETING, OUR FIRST MEETING NEXT WEEK, AND WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION IN MARCH.
BUT, UH, I KNOW THAT THAT AD HOC, OR I'M SORRY, THAT LISTENING SESSION WILL HAPPEN IN APRIL FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT THOUGHT IT WAS IN MARCH.
JUST A REMINDER, SORRY, JUST WITH THAT AD HOC, IT CURRENTLY ONLY HAS TWO MEMBERS, WHICH IS LIZETTE AND, AND KIANA.
UM, AND, UH, PART OF THE CONVERSATION YOU HAD DURING YOUR RETREAT, I KNOW THAT BOTH THE DOCKERY AND ION WERE ALSO INTERESTED IN THAT AD HOC, SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD THEM TO THE, THE AD HOOK IF THEY WOULD LIKE.
UH, DOCKERY IS STILL IN THE RESTROOM, SO ASK DOCKERY, UH, WHEN WE COME BACK.
UM, YOU WERE SIGNED UP TO SUPPORT, UH, THE LISTENING SESSION FOR APRIL.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN THE AD HOC? UH, SURE.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY GONNA ADD COMMISSIONER DOCKERY, UH, AND THEN THEY'LL SHARE OUT THE MEETING DATES WITH YOU SOON.
UH, COMMISSIONER DELEON, UH, WILL YOU BE JOINING THIS AD HOC AS WELL? AND AS A REMINDER, COMM COMMISSIONERS ARE ASKED AND HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO ONLY SIT ON TWO AD HOCS AT A TIME.
BUT IF YOU NEED TO DO MORE, YOU COULD ASK FOR PERMISSION AND MAYBE IT WILL BE GRANTED.
YEAH, I WAS THINKING, I MEAN, ONE OPTION IS 'CAUSE I, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, SHORTLY WE'LL ALSO ADD ONTO THIS MOTION, UH, CREATING AN AD HOC TO WORK ON, UH, THE IMMIGRANT IMMIGRANT PROTECTION POLICIES.
ONE VERSION COULD BE THAT, UM, I DON'T JOIN THE LISTING SESSION AD HOC FOR THIS MONTH AND THEN JOIN AT THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, IF WE HAVE ENOUGH IN THAT GROUP TO, TO MOVE IT FORWARD MEANINGFULLY.
OTHERWISE, I AM VERY OPEN TO, TO BEING IN BOTH IF FOLKS ARE COMFORTABLE WITH ME BEING IN MULTIPLE.
UM, SO THERE'S A, WHAT IF, UH, FOR DELEON,
[02:15:01]
UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING, UH, WHO AREN'T CURRENTLY ON A COMMISSION SERVING IN THE LISTENING AD HOC COMMITTEE? ALRIGHT, UH, SEEING NONE, UH, DELE ON THE DECISION IS IS ON YOU REALLY.UH, WE ARE GONNA FORM THE ADDITIONAL AD HOC TONIGHT.
UM, SO THE DISCRETION IS YOURS.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO BE IN MULTIPLE.
UH, SO YOU, UM, CITY ATTORNEY, WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR A COMMISSIONER TO SERVE ON MULTIPLE AD HOCS? MORE THAN TWO? SO, UH, CHAIR, PURSUANT TO THE BYLAWS, IT WOULD JUST NEED TO, UH, GET APPROVAL FROM OUR OFFICE.
SO THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE FINE.
AND AGAIN, IT'S COMMISSIONER DE LEON IS REQUESTING WHAT, WHAT ARE THE TWO AD HOCS? UH, IT'S GOING TO BE THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ONE THAT'S WORKING ON THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, UH, IMPACTS AND EQUITY.
AND THEN THE LISTENING SESSION, UH, IT WOULD BE THE SECOND AND THEN POSSIBLY THE THIRD ONE, UM, IS THE IMMIGRATION, UM, IMMIGRATION.
AND I GUESS FOR THE, THE AD HOC, THOSE THREE AD HOCS, UM, JUST, ARE THEY, WILL COMMISSIONER DE LEON, WILL YOU BE ABLE TO BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT DURING THE TIME THAT THE AD HOCS HOCS ARE CHOOSE TO MEET? UH, YES.
ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE WE'VE BEEN MEETING ON ZOOM, UH, IF THAT STILL QUALIFIES.
YEAH, ALTHOUGH THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.
I THINK AS LONG AS YOU'RE, YOU'RE AVAILABLE TO, TO, TO MEET.
I I I STILL WOULD PROBABLY ONLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU STILL LIMITED TO TWO, UM, AD HOCS AND, AND NOT DO THREE.
HOW ABOUT, UH, IF FOLKS ARE OKAY WITH THIS, AND I, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE GOING TO BE IN THE, UH, LISTENING TO AD HOC, WOULD YOU ALL BE COMFORTABLE KICKING THE, KICKING IT OFF WITHOUT ME FOR THIS MONTH AND THEN, UH, NEXT MONTH, I, IT'S MOST LIKELY WE'RE GOING TO DISSOLVE THE IMMIGRATION AD HOC AT THE CONCLUSION OF THAT MEETING.
UM, AND SO MAYBE WE CAN PLAN FOR ME TO TRY TO JOIN THE LISTENING SESSION AD HOC ONCE THAT ONE DISSOLVES.
IF, IF THE COMMISSION ARE FINE WITH THAT.
I, I THINK LEGALLY THAT'S, THAT'S TOTALLY FINE.
THIS IS FOR THE LISTENING SESSION IN APRIL.
SO YOU WOULD ONLY BE ON THE AD HOC FOR ONE MONTH.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA DO THAT.
LIKE, I MEAN, IT'S YOUR TIME, NOT MINE, BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME IF YOU'RE JUST GONNA BE ON IT FOR ONE MONTH.
AND THAT WAS TO COMMISSIONER DE LEON LEON, AND, AND IT'S YOUR DECISION.
SO YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE THE, THE BLESSING.
WELL, I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME.
IF WE ARE, IF I HAVE THE BLESSING TO BE IN ALL THREE, UH, I WOULD RATHER BE IN ALL THREE.
WE'RE ADDING COMMISSIONER DELEON TO THE LIST, UH, FOR THE, THE, THE LISTENING SESSION AD HOC, UH, CURRENTLY.
SO THE NEXT, UH, ALL THE AD HOCS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED.
UM, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO CREATE AN AD HOC TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS COMMISSION TO CONSIDER TO MOVE UP TO CITY COUNCIL IN REGARDS TO THE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON EQUITY HUMAN RELATIONS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU, UM, DO YOU WANT TO SUGGEST, UH, A TIMELINE FOR THAT AD HOC TO BE COMPLETED BY THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING ABOUT THAT CITY CLERK? YOU GOT THAT? UH, YES.
SO THIS WOULD STILL BE CONSIDERED AN AMENDED MOTION IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER ACTIONS THAT WE ARE GOING TO TAKE.
UM, SO JUST TO LIST OFF DISSOLVING THE RANK CHOICE VOTING AD HOC AT, UH, COMMISSIONER DOCKERY AND COMMISSIONER DELEON TO THE LISTENING SESSION AD HOC AND NOW CREATE THE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AD HOC COMMITTEE.
SO NEXT WOULD JUST BE TO IDENTIFY WHICH MEMBERS WILL BE FOR THAT, UM, FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AD HOC.
UM, SO WHO IS INTERESTED IN SERVING? I WILL BE ONE OF THEM.
DE LEONE HAS ALREADY SHARED INTEREST.
DID I HEAR CORRECTLY THAT WE WERE PLANNING TO DISSOLVE IT IN MARCH OR WAS THAT THE OTHER ONE? YEAH, 'CAUSE THE GOAL IS TO GET EVERYTHING READY TO SUBMIT THE LETTER TO THE COMMISSION AND THEN DISSOLVE.
IT'S A VERY SHORT AD HOC
[02:20:01]
I WANT TO DO IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GONNA BE, I THINK, I FEEL I'M GONNA BE REALLY BUSY IN THIS NEXT MONTH.THAT'S GONNA, I'M TRYING TO GO THAT FAST.
UM, FOLKS WILL ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THE DAY OF, UM, IT'S JUST GETTING EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND FORMULATING INTO, UH, A GOOD PRESENTATION FOR EVERYBODY.
COMMISSIONER, UH, SO THAT COMPLETES, UH, THE AD HOC.
IT WILL BE COMMISSIONER DE LEON COVINGTON AND COMMISSIONER SHAMONE.
SO NOW THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED ALL OF THE AMENDED MOTIONS, UM, DO WE ACCEPT THOSE, UH, BY THE MOER COMMISSIONER, LIZETTE FLORES AND THE SECONDER COMMISSIONER BROWN? YES.
UH, NOW THAT WE'VE HAD THE PRESENTATION, WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.
AND IF IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.
NOW SEEING NONE, BOTH IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM THAT CONCLUDES, OH, GO AHEAD AND LINE UP AT THE PODIUM.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW.
SO THIS WOULD JUST BE IN REGARDS TO THE AD HOC COMMITTEE'S DISCUSSION.
HOW MUCH FURTHER DO WE HAVE TO GO? UH, IT COMES RIGHT AFTER, UM, 'CAUSE WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA, YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK YOU YOUR OFFER EARLIER TO MOVE IT UP IF YOU CAN, BECAUSE I THOUGHT I TALK, I GOTTA GET BACK.
SO THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR THEN.
UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GO FOR, UH, VO, UNLESS THERE'S DISCUSSION NEEDED SEEING NONE VO YES.
COMMISSIONER LIZETTE FLORES? YES.
[5. 26-54281 Recommendation to receive and file a monthly update from the Office of Equity. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
UH, IN REGARDS TO ITEM FIVE, UH, IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, WE'RE GONNA TABLE THAT UNTIL NEXT MONTH.YOU CAN GO, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND WITHDRAW THIS ITEM SINCE IT'S A STANDING ITEM.
UM, SO ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS WITHDRAWN.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS WITHDRAWN.
[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Equity and Human Relations Commission on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]
UH, NEXT WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT IS IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE NON AGENDA, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.AND IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.
UH, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GOING THROUGH ALL OF THAT TODAY.
UH, I HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO SAY.
ONE, IN TERMS OF THAT PETITION THAT YOU WERE READING OFF, I ACTUALLY KNOW THE AUTHOR IF YOU WANT TO.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT, HOW THIS ALL WORKS, BUT IF YOU GUYS WANT INPUT FROM THAT COALITION, PLEASE, I'M HAPPY TO CONNECT YOU WITH THEM.
UM, I TOTALLY AGREE THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE CERTAIN ACTION ACTIONABLE POINTS.
I THINK THE BIG THINGS IS THAT THE POLICE ARE REALLY MORE FOCUSED ON PROTESTERS AND IMMIGRANTS THAN ACTUAL CITIZEN PROBLEMS. AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU GUYS CAN DO WITH THAT.
UM, BUT IN ADDITION, I REALLY WANNA POINT OUT RESOURCES BECAUSE THE RAPID RESPONSE, I DUNNO IF YOU GUYS ARE AWARE OF THIS, BUT THEY'VE BEEN TRACKING FOR OVER 200 DAYS THE CARS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING OUTTA THE PORTS.
LIKE WE'VE ESSENTIALLY HAVE OUR OWN POLICING IN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY.
AND THAT SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING.
SO SOME WAY FOR YOU GUYS TO, YOU KNOW, EITHER PUT FUNDS TOWARDS THAT, HAVE THEM TEAM UP WITH THE COPS AND HAVE THEM JOIN RAPID RESPONSE, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES WOULD REALLY BE HELPFUL.
IN ADDITION TO THAT MUTUAL AID, AND I WANNA THROW IT OUT THERE THAT ALL OF US WANT TO SHUT DOWN.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GENERAL STRIKE, BUT WE CANNOT DO THAT BECAUSE THE BENEFITS RIGHT NOW OF UNEMPLOYMENT, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS, THEY DON'T EVEN COVER THE RENT IN LONG BEACH RIGHT NOW.
SO WE DO NOT HAVE THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE TO DO WHAT WE CAN.
SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU GUYS CAN DO IN THAT CAPACITY TO HELP GET US RESOURCES SO WE CAN GENERAL STRIKE, THAT WOULD BE HUGE.
SO REALLY PLEASE FOCUS ON THOSE FEW AREAS AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU SAID THAT YOU WANTED SOME FACTS ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
I'VE HAD A LOT OF CRAZY STUFF HAPPEN.
EVEN IN MY BUILDING THE OTHER DAY.
SOMEONE HAD A MENTAL HEALTH EPISODE, THEY HAD AN AK 47.
I HAD COPS SWARM INTO MY BUILDING INTO THE COURTYARD, THEN I, THEY COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED.
I THOUGHT I WAS OKAY TO EXIT THE BUILDING.
I TURNED LEFT AND I HAD A BUNCH OF COPS POINTING GUNS AT ME.
THEY DID NOT EVACUATE ANY OF THE SURROUNDING UNITS AT ALL.
WE LEARNED NOTHING FROM BREONNA TAYLOR.
AND THEN WHEN I ACTUALLY GO OUT THERE AND I'M STANDING OUT THERE WITH MY DOG, I TESTED THEM.
I WAS P****D, BUT I TESTED THEM A LITTLE BIT AND HALF OF THEM WERE JUST SHOOTING THE S**T.
AND I EVEN GAVE THEM, I WAS LIKE, HEY, DO YOU GUYS WANT THE PROPERTY MANAGER'S INFORMATION SO YOU CAN LIKE, CONTACT THE BUILDING AND LET US KNOW WHEN WE'RE SAFE? LIKE, SO WHICH WAS IT? THE SITUATION WASN'T SERIOUS ENOUGH.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, I'M PUT
[02:25:01]
IN AN ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION FOR NO RHYME OR REASON AND HALF THE COPS ARE JUST JERKING AROUND AND THIS WAS A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.WHAT IS GOING ON? I ACTUALLY WAS AT THE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION AND THEY BASICALLY SAID, OUR HANDS ARE TIED.
WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT NOW.
SO ANYTHING YOU GUYS CAN DO TO SUPPORT THAT COMMISSION WOULD BE GREAT.
THEY'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN TO GET MORE POWER, BUT THEY JUST CAN'T.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND LET ME KNOW I CAN HELP.
UM, ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SPEAKERS, PUBLIC COMMENT SPEAKERS.
SEEING NONE, SEEING NONE IN THE ZOOM AS WELL.
THAT CONCLUDES A NON AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT.
[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
WE HAVE A QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT, UM, FROM, WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO ANNOUNCEMENTS.SO QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT FROM VICE CHAIR ABOUT OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS AND THEN ANNOUNCEMENT AND ABOUT ANNOUNCEMENTS.
SO, UM, UH, UH, UH, AS I SAID EARLIER, UH, I'M SUPER EXCITED TO SEE SO MANY VOICES AND SO MANY GREEN LIGHTS ON, ON MICROPHONES TODAY.
UH, THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING IN OUR DEBRIEF.
UH, UH, OUR, OUR, OUR MEETING.
UM, I I HAD SAID, UH, I'D, I'D SURE LIKE TO HEAR MORE PEOPLE SPEAK AND I'D, I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM EVERYBODY EVERY MONTH, UH, AT THE END OF EVERY CITY COUNCIL MEETING, IF YOU WA IF I'VE WATCHED THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
EACH COUNCILPERSON WILL TALK ABOUT THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE GREAT THING OR UPCOMING EVENT IN THEIR DISTRICT.
AND, UH, I WOULD, UH, ENCOURAGE OR OR CHALLENGE ALL OF YOU TO HAVE, UH, UH, AN ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END, UM, UH, BRAG ABOUT SOMETHING IN YOUR DISTRICT OR SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE INVOLVED IN AN UPCOMING EVENT.
UH, I WANT TO HEAR FROM, FROM, I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM, FROM EACH OF YOU, UH, AT THE NEXT MEETING.
AND IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING BRIEF HERE, AN UPCOMING EVENT OR SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, 30 SECONDS OR LESS, LET'S HEAR IT.
YEAH, THIS IS, THIS IS THE, THAT'S ANNOUNCEMENTS ON THE WHAT? NOTHING.
SEEING NONE, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WELL, THE ANNOUNCEMENTS, UH, PLEASE COME PREPARED NEXT MONTH WITH YOUR COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS, WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR DISTRICT.
IF YOU NEED HELP, SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH THE STAFF OF YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT.
UH, OR, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND COME PREPARED.
UM, WITH THAT, I AM NOT GONNA ADJOURN.
[ADJOURNMENT]
UH, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA ASK OUR VICE CHAIR TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.HI EVERYBODY, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I'D LIKE TO ADJOURN TONIGHT'S MEETING IN HONOR OF, UM, ALEX PRTY, RENEE GOODE AND KEITH PORTER JR.
THERE WAS NO, THERE WAS NO REASON FOR US TO HAVE TO ADJOURN FOR THEM, BUT WE DO NONETHELESS, UH, IN THEIR HONOR.
WE ARE OFFICIALLY CONCLUDING OUR MEETING AND IT IS 8 33.