* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:05:35] . [00:05:36] OKAY. I'D [CALL TO ORDER] LIKE TO CALL THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO ORDER. WELCOME, EVERYONE. IT'S GREAT TO SEE EVERYONE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, AS ALWAYS, WITH OUR COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE A FULL HOUSE HERE. SO, UM, WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND [ROLL CALL] TAKE THE ROLL CALL. COMMISSIONER HAAS. COMMISSIONER MATOYA. HERE. COMMISSIONER NEVIN. HERE. COMMISSIONER NORDIC. HERE. COMMISSIONER NOVIN? HERE. COMMISSIONER PEREZ. HERE. COMMISSIONER SANDOVAL? HERE. COMMISSIONER SMITH. HERE. COMMISSIONER LUNCH HERE. VICE CHAIR THOMAS. HERE. CHAIR SHEMA. HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. OKAY. THANKS EVERYONE. OKAY. UM, SO WE HAVE A LOT TO GO OVER TODAY AND, UM, A COUPLE OF PRESENTATIONS AND A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS. SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF US BEING HERE. AND WHY DON'T WE KICK IT OFF HERE ON OUR APRIL 1ST, UM, WITH ITEM NUMBER ONE ON THE AGENDA. ITEM ONE, [1. 26-54401 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Economic Development Commission meeting of Wednesday, February 4, 2026.       Suggested Action:  Approve recommendation. ] RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH, 2026. GREAT. CAN I HAVE A MOTION FOR THIS ITEM? SO, A MOTION. OKAY. I HAVE A, A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER FROM VICE CHAIR THOMAS, AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER SMITH. GREAT. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR CORRECTIONS ON THE MINUTES? OKAY. SEEING AND HEARING NONE, UM, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE, PLEASE LINE UP TO THE PODIUM. SEEING NONE, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. UM, WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE VOTE. ARE YOU ABLE TO SEE THE VOTING ON YOUR SCREENS? IT SAYS VOTING NOT AVAILABLE. IT SEEMS LIKE THE SYSTEM IS STUCK. NO PROBLEM. I CAN DO A VERBAL COMMISSIONER. NEVIN. YAY. COMMISSIONER MATOYER? YES. COMMISSIONER NORDIC? YES. COMMISSIONER NOVIN? YES. COMMISSIONER PEREZ? YES. COMMISSIONER SANDOVAL? YES. COMMISSIONER SMITH? YES. COMMISSIONER NCH? YES. VICE THOMAS? YES. CHAIR SHEMA? YES. MOTION IS CORRECTION. MOTION IS CARRIED. GREAT, THANK YOU. WHY DON'T WE MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO THEN. COULD YOU PLEASE READ THAT OUT? ITEM [2. 26-54708 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation on the Port of Long Beach, including an overview of the Department and its initiatives.       Suggested Action:  Approve recommendation. ] TWO. RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION ON THE LONG BEACH PORT. CORRECTION ON THE PORT OF LONG BEACH, INCLUDING AN OVERVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT AND ITS INITIATIVES. OKAY. COULD I GET A MOTION? MOVE? CAN TAKE A VER I CAN TAKE A VERBAL SECOND. MOVED BY CHAIR, MOVED BY COMMISSIONER. IT WAS MOVED BY COMMISSIONER SANDOVAL AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER NORCO. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, ADAM CHAIR. COMMISSIONERS A PLEASURE TO STAND BEFORE YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I'VE KNOWN SOME OF YOU FOR MANY YEARS. WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES. IT'S GREAT TO BE BEFORE YOU. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY AS WELL. I PUT TOGETHER A FEW SLIDES, UH, IN THE HOPES THAT THIS WOULD PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL UPDATE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE PORT AND MORE BROADLY, WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN AND HOW THIS COULD, UH, IMPACT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE IN OUR CITY AND REGIONALLY COMING INTO MY ROLE. SO I'M, I'M ABOUT 90 DAYS INTO MY NEW ROLE AS CEO OF THE PORT OF LONG BEACH, WHICH IS A TREMENDOUS HONOR. I KNEW COMING IN I WANTED TO DO THREE THINGS TO PUT OUR ORGANIZATION AND THIS MASSIVE ECONOMIC [00:10:01] ENGINE ON A TRACK, UH, FOR GREATER PROSPERITY AND GREATER POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT. ONE OF 'EM WAS TO CLARIFY OUR VISION. I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE A VISION THAT GAVE US ALL SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO, AND ALSO BROUGHT IN THE ALIGNMENT THAT WE NEEDED, NOT JUST INTERNALLY INSIDE THE HARBOR DEPARTMENT, BUT WITH ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS THE SUPPLY CHAIN. THE SECOND THING WAS TO SIMPLIFY OUR MISSION. MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT OUR CORE MISSION IS, WHAT THE ASSIGNMENT IS AND, AND HOW WE'RE GONNA PURSUE IT. AND THEN THIRDLY, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT EXCITES ME, AND THAT IS TO AMPLIFY OUR IMPACT. CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE THIS ECONOMIC ENGINE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAKE THAT POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO OUR CITY, OUR REGION, AND THE NATION. PURPOSE IS WHAT GUIDES US. MISSION IS WHAT DRIVES US. AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW THE, THESE PIECES GO TOGETHER, THE VISION BECOMES THAT GOAL LINE, THAT TARGET, BUT IT'S REALLY ALL ABOUT THE IMPACT. IT'S NOT ABOUT STANDINGS OR RANKINGS OR REPUTATION AS MUCH AS THE GOOD THAT WE'RE DOING FOR THOSE AROUND US. IF YOU LOOK AT THE PORT OF LONG BEACH TODAY, UH, THE POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT BASED ON OUR LATEST IMPACT STUDY IS TREMENDOUS. ABOUT ONE IN 17 JOBS IN LA AND ORANGE COUNTY ARE SUPPORTED AND GENERATED BY THE PORT OF LONG BEACH. THAT'S ABOUT 700,000 JOBS IN THE FIVE COUNTY REGION. THAT'S OVER A MILLION JOBS ACROSS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND ALMOST 3 MILLION JOBS ACROSS THE NATION. SO YOU COULD SAY THAT OUR JOB HERE AT THE PORT OF LONG BEACH IS TO MAKE SURE THAT 2.7 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES KEEP THEIRS. SO HOW ARE WE DOING FROM A VOLUME STANDPOINT? LAST YEAR WAS A RECORD YEAR FOR THE PORT OF LONG BEACH, WHICH IS REMARKABLE WHEN YOU CONSIDER WHAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH AS A, A GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN. IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR, THERE WAS A LOT OF ANTICIPATION AND UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDING, UH, SHIFTING TRADE POLICIES, AS WELL AS NEW TARIFFS THAT WERE ANNOUNCED ON ONE DAY ON APRIL 2ND, LI LIBERATION DAY. UH, THERE WERE NEW TARIFFS THAT WERE ANNOUNCED AGAINST EVERY, VIRTUALLY EVERY TRADING PARTNER OF THE UNITED STATES. AND SO THAT CREATED A LOT OF ANGST, CREATED A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY, YET BECAUSE THE SHIPPERS RESPONDED BY FRONTLOADING THEIR CARGO, THAT CATAPULTED US TO A OUR STRONGEST YEAR ON RECORD. AND SO WE ENDED THE YEAR ABOUT 9.9 MILLION T USE. SO WE WERE ABOUT SIX, SEVEN SHIPS AWAY FROM 10 MILLION. THE CLOSEST WE'VE EVER GOTTEN TO THAT MARK FOR THIS YEAR. THE UNCERTAINTY CONTINUES. UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE CARGO VOLUMES FOR THE MONTHS OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, WE'RE AT ABOUT 1.6 MILLION TUS. THAT'S ABOUT SIX PERCENTAGE POINTS, UH, AWAY FROM WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR. BUT IT'S STILL STRONG. AND IF YOU CONSIDER THE BASELINE LAST YEAR, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, WERE VERY STRONG FOR US BECAUSE OF ALL THE FRONT LOADING OF CARGO AS SHIPPERS TRY TO GET AHEAD OF THE TARIFFS. SO NOTWITHSTANDING THE CONTINUED UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDING TARIFFS AND TRADE POLICIES, WHAT IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WE'RE STILL SEEING SOLID NUMBERS HERE IN OUR PORT. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT A COUPLE MAJOR EVENTS THAT HAVE EMERGED JUST IN THE LA PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. IN FEBRUARY, THE SUPREME COURT RULED ON THE LEGALITY OF THE IEPA TARIFFS. THESE WERE TARIFFS THAT WERE PUT INTO PLACE BY THE ADMINISTRATION LAST YEAR. IT COVERS ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF ALL THE TARIFFS THAT WENT INTO EFFECT LAST YEAR BY RULING THESE ILLEGAL THAT ESSENTIALLY OPENED THE DOOR FOR A LOT OF THESE SHIPPERS WHO ALREADY MADE THE PAYMENTS TO GET REFUNDS. BUT EVEN THOUGH THEY RULED ON THE LEGALITY OF THESE TARIFFS, IT DID VERY LITTLE TO REMOVE THE UNCERTAINTY. THE UNCERTAINTY PRETTY MUCH CONTINUES THROUGHOUT. RIGHT NOW, THE SHIPPERS ARE ENJOYING A RESPITE BECAUSE THE 20 TO 30% TERRORISTS ARE DOWN TO ABOUT 10 TO 15%. AND OF COURSE, THE OTHER REASON WHY IT'S NOT BEING DISCUSSED AS BROADLY TODAY IS BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE MIDDLE EAST RIGHT NOW. SO THE CONFLICT IN IRAN IN THAT REGION HAS CREATED ANOTHER LAYER OF UNCERTAINTY AND COMPLEXITY FOR THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN. NOW, THANKFULLY FOR US, THERE'S BEEN NO DIRECT IMPACT SO FAR. WE'RE IN A VERY DIFFERENT TRADE LANE. MOST OF OUR TRADE IS WITH ASIA, PRINCIPALLY CHINA, SOUTHEAST ASIA. BUT WE ARE BEGINNING TO FEEL THE EFFECTS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN IRAN. AND THAT IS LARGELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE STRAIGHT OF HORUS, WHICH YOU SEE THERE ON THE CHART, UH, EVERY YEAR CAPTURES ABOUT 20% OF THE WORLD'S OIL SUPPLY. AND WITH THAT STRAIGHT OF HORUS EFFECTIVELY SHUT DOWN, IT'S ALREADY SENT, UH, OIL PRICES, UH, ESSENTIALLY TO HIGHS. IT'S FOR THE FIRST TIME ECLIPSED THE A HUNDRED DOLLARS PER BARREL MARK IN THE FIRST TIME IN FOUR YEARS. AND WE'RE BEGINNING TO FEEL IT AT THE PUMP. AND NORMALLY THE WAY IT WORKS IS THAT WHEN THE PRICE OF OIL GOES UP, IT CASCADES ACROSS THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND IT'S BEGINNING TO SEE THE EFFECTS. IF THE CONFLICT CONTINUES AND IT CONTINUES TO ESCALATE, THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE, UH, INFLATION, [00:15:01] WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE PRICES ACROSS THE BOARD CONTINUE TO GO UP. SO WE ARE KEEPING A VERY CLOSE EYE ON THAT. WE'RE IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH OUR SHIPPERS, THE OCEAN CARRIERS. SOME OF THEM HAVE ALREADY ANNOUNCED SURCHARGES TO TRY TO HEDGE AND MITIGATE AGAINST THESE ADDITIONAL INCREASES, BUT WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM. AND WHAT I LIKE TO SAY IS THAT THE PORT OF LONG BEACH REMAINS A SAFE HARBOR IN THE SEA OF TRADE AND GEOPOLITICAL INSTABILITY AND, AND UNCERTAINTY. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE, RIGHT? THIS VISION, IT'S BOLD, IT'S NEW, GIVES US ALL SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO, PROVIDES THAT ALIGNMENT THAT WE DESPERATELY NEED. AND IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. OUR GOAL IS TO DOUBLE OUR THROUGHPUT TO 20 MILLION CONTAINER UNITS BY 2050. WHY 2050? IN ADDITION TO BEING A NICE ROUND NUMBER, THAT'S THE YEAR THAT OUR LATEST CARGO FORECASTS PROJECTS, WE'LL GET THAT TO THAT MARK. SECONDLY, THAT'S THE YEAR THAT THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION, THE IMO, UH, HAS SELECTED AS A YEAR FOR A NET ZERO SHIPPING INDUSTRY ACROSS THE GLOBE. SO IT MAKES SENSE. ALONG THE WAY, WE'RE GONNA BE SHAPING AND WE'RE GONNA BE BUILDING THE PORT OF THE FUTURE. HAVE YOU ALL SEEN THE PORT OF THE FUTURE? I BROUGHT A PHOTO TO SHOW YOU. OKAY. CAN YOU GUESS WHERE THIS IS? I'VE ASKED MY TEAM. I'VE HEARD EVERYTHING FROM SAUDI ARABIA TO SINGAPORE, AND ACTUALLY, I GOT THIS FROM GOOGLE, RIGHT? AND THE REASON I SHOW THIS IS BECAUSE THE EXCITING PART ABOUT OUR NEW VISION IS NOT JUST THAT WE'RE DOUBLING OUR THROUGHPUT, BUT WE GET TO SHAPE, WE GET TO DEFINE WHAT THAT PORT OF THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE. AND MY HOPE THAT IN THE YEARS AHEAD, ANYTIME ANYONE GOOGLES THE PORT OF THE FUTURE, IT'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE PORT OF LONG BEACH. AND IT'S VERY EXCITING. UH, AND IT'S GOT OUR, OUR, OUR STAFF VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROSPECTS, ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, THE SHIPPING LINES, THE TERMINAL OPERATORS, THE SHIPPERS, THE IMPORTERS, EXPORTERS, ALL EXCITED ABOUT THIS VISION AND HOW THEY CAN BE A PART OF THAT CAN ALSO BENEFIT. HOW ARE WE GONNA GET THERE? WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO INVEST AGGRESSIVELY IN OUR CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE. WE HAVE A $3.2 BILLION CAPEX PROGRAM OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS. THAT'S THE SINGLE LARGEST CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM OF ANY PORT, UH, IN NORTH AMERICA. AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE PIE CHART, THE CENTERPIECE OF THIS IS ON RAIL. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY GONNA DOUBLE OUR REAL ESTATE. IT WOULD BE TOO EXPENSIVE. IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG. 24 YEARS IS NOT, IS NOT A LONG TIME IN OUR SPACE. THE WAY WE GET THERE IS BY SHIFTING MORE CONTAINERS FROM TRUCK TO TRAIN. RIGHT NOW, ON AVERAGE, IT TAKES FOUR DAYS TO GET A CONTAINER OFF OF A SHIP, PUT IT ON A TRAIN, AND GET THAT CONTAINER TO THE INTER THE HINTERLAND, THE, THE, THE, THE INTERIOR PART OF THE UNITED STATES. WITH PB, WHICH IS JUST ONE OF OUR RAIL PROJECTS, WE CAN GET THAT DOWN TO 24 HOURS. AND THE REASON THAT'S IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE FROM 2019 TO THE PRESENT DAY, WE HAVE SEEN A SEISMIC SHIFT IN TRADE COMING FROM CHINA. IN 2019, CHINA ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT 70% OF OUR BUSINESS. THAT SOUNDED 60%. UH, YOU JUST HEARD ME SAY A MOMENT AGO THAT LAST YEAR WAS A RECORD YEAR, SO THAT CARGO WAS COMING FROM SOME OTHER PLACE. AND THOSE COUNTRIES ARE NOW VIETNAM, THAILAND, CAMBODIA, MALAYSIA, INDONESIA. WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US IS WHEN CARGO COMES FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA VERSUS CHINA, IT'S ON THE WATER TWO TO THREE DAYS LONGER. SO WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE UP FOR THAT. PRB IS A GAME CHANGER. IT HELPS US REDUCE THAT TRANSACTION FROM SHIP TO TRAIN FROM FOUR DAYS TO ONE DAY, MAKING US MORE COMPETITIVE. AND THIS IS WHY I SAY THAT SPEED TO MARKET IS A KEY TO OUR SUCCESS. AND RAIL CONNECTIVITY IS A KEY TO OUR FUTURE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE THERE ON THE MAP, ALL THE CONTAINERS THAT CROSS OUR DOCKS ANNUALLY REACH EVERY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, EVERY MAJOR MARKET. CHICAGO, COLUMBUS, KANSAS CITY, MEMPHIS, DALLAS. AND SO OUR PORT REALLY IS THE CONNECTION POINT BETWEEN THE WORLD AND EVERY MAJOR CITY, EVERY MAJOR INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR. WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS LIKE ITS, UH, WHO'S BOOSTING, UH, THEIR CAPACITY BY ABOUT 50% BY FILLING IN 19 ACRES OF WATER. WE'RE ALSO INVESTING IN DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE. WE JUST LAUNCHED THIS CARGO NAV APP SHORT FOR CARGO NAVIGATOR. AND THIS IS ALL INTENDED TO HELP OUR PORT USERS AND CUSTOMERS GAIN BETTER VISIBILITY SO THAT THEY KNOW WHERE THAT CONTAINER IS FROM THE TIME IT LEAVES THE PORT OF ORIGIN, TO THE TIME IT REACHES THE WAREHOUSE AND THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER, SO THAT THEY CAN TRACK AND TRACE AND OPTIMIZE OUR OPERATIONS. WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH OUR TERMINALS, OUR MOTOR CARRIERS, OUR TRUCKING COMPANIES, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE OPTIMIZING AND MAXIMIZING THEIR TRANSACTIONS. THE MORE TRANSACTIONS A MOTOR CARRIER CAN ACCOMPLISH IN A DAY, THE BETTER THEY ARE ECONOMICALLY. AND SO PART [00:20:01] OF THIS IS LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY, PAIRING IT WITH INVESTMENTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE MORE TURNS AND THEY CAN MOVE MORE CARGO MORE SAFELY. AND, AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS ALL HAPPENING AT A TIME THAT WE CONTINUE TO LEAD THE WAY ON ZERO EMISSIONS. WE WOULD LIKE AS PART OF OUR NEW 20 20 50 VISION AS WE ASPIRE TO BECOME THE WORLD'S FIRST ZERO EMISSION SPORT. AND WE'RE ALREADY LEADING THE WAY. LAST YEAR, WE CELEBRATED THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR GROUNDBREAKING GREENPORT POLICY, AND WE'RE MAKING TREMENDOUS PROGRESS, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE CHART. AT DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD THAT OUR CARGO VOLUMES HAVE GROWN 44%, WE'VE MANAGED TO REDUCE OUR EVERY CATEGORY OF ADMISSION TO THE TUNE OF 98%, WHICH IS REMARKABLE THANKS TO THE PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR PARTNERS. WE'RE ALSO LEADING THE WAY WHEN IT COMES TO ZERO EMISSIONS TRUCKS ALREADY. THERE'S ABOUT 617 TRUCKS THAT ARE ZERO EMISSIONS. WE'VE GOT THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF TRUCK CHARGING STATIONS THROUGHOUT OUR PORT, THANKS TO PARTNERSHIPS WITH PRIVATE SECTOR COMPANIES THAT ARE BRINGING THIS ONLINE AS WELL AS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON. AND THEN FINALLY, AGAIN, LANDING WITH IMPACT. WHY DO WE WANT TO GROW OUR PORT? WHY DO WE WANT TO GROW OUR CONTAINER VOLUMES? BECAUSE OF THE POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT? NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE JOBS THAT WE GENERATE, THE COMPANIES THAT WE SUPPORT, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING PARTNERING WITH, UH, LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, LBCC, CAL STATE LONG BEACH, WE'RE ALSO PREPARING THE WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE. AND THAT'S WHAT EXCITES US, RIGHT? WE GET TO BE A PART OF THAT. AND SO WE'RE PARTNERING WITH LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE. WE ARE ONE OF 32 FEDERALLY DESIGNATED MARITIME CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE. AND WE'RE WORKING WITH A ADMINISTRATION CURRENTLY ON HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE THAT PARTNERSHIP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FILLING THE GAPS AND TRAINING THOSE WORKERS THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED FOR TOMORROW. AND LASTLY, THE THE THIRD THING I SAID I WANTED TO DO COMING INTO THIS ROLE IS TO AMPLIFY OUR IMPACT. EVERY YEAR, THE PORT LONG BEACH INVEST $3 MILLION IN OUR NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY. AND WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF PARTNERS THAT WE SUPPORT. I WOULD LIKE TO DO MORE. OUR BOARD WOULD LIKE TO DO MORE. IN ADDITION, WE OFFER TREMENDOUS CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES TO VENDORS AND CONTRACTORS. WE'D LIKE TO CAST A NET MORE BROADLY AND MORE WIDELY TO, TO SMALL BUSINESSES, VERY SMALL BUSINESSES, MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES. SO LATER THIS YEAR, WE'RE GONNA BE ROLLING OUT A CAMPAIGN TO MAKE SURE THAT BUSINESSES ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR REGION BECOME AWARE, UH, OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND THEY CAN JOIN IN SOME OF THAT ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. AND WITH THAT, COMMISSIONERS, I, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A, A GOOD OPPORTUNE TIME TO GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE. AND OF COURSE, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. OKAY. I WANNA THANK YOU, DR. NOEL HASI, GABA IS OUR NEW CEO OF THE PORT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE TODAY. MY PLEASURE. AND SPEAKING WITH OUR COMMISSIONERS. UM, SO COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? DISCUSSION? OKAY. OKAY. COMMISSIONER SANDOVAL. UH, THANK YOU PIAN, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR APPOINTMENT. UM, THANK YOU. YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR LEADERSHIP AND WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE PORT. UM, NO QUESTIONS. I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PORT BRINGS AND, AND ITS INVOLVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY. I'VE SEEN THE PORT PARTICIPATE AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT EVENTS AND, UH, BE A PARTNER TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE NONPROFIT AND THROUGH THAT PHILANTHR PHILANTHROPIC GIVING. SO, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE PORT AT MORE OF, YOU KNOW, THOSE ACTIVITIES, BUT ALSO JUST WHAT'S AHEAD, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING, UM, INVOLVED OR, OR WORKING FOR THE STATE SENATE AT SOME POINT, UH, IN MY CAREER. AND ALSO SEEING KIND OF THE, THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE STATE AND THE PORT, UH, WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE IN SEEING KIND OF THE, THE SCALE AND GROWTH, UH, OF THE RAIL AND, AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS THERE. SO, JUST EXCITED FOR WHAT'S AHEAD. SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MUCH APPRECIATED. OKAY. PLEASE CHAIR THOMAS. YES, THANK YOU. VERY INFORMATIVE IN A BRIEF AMOUNT OF TIME. PERFECT FOR A COMMISSION. I APPRECIATE IT, . UM, SO LET'S START WITH THE OBVIOUS SECURITY THREATS. YEAH. UH, AND THAT WASN'T MENTIONED, AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO GIVE AWAY ANY OF OUR GREAT SECRETS, OBVIOUSLY. BUT, UM, WHAT'S YOUR OVERALL FEELING ABOUT OUR CONTINUITY WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN TERMS OF MAKING THE PORT SAFE AND, UH, LISTENING TO ANY KIND OF POTENTIAL THREATS THAT COULD BE FOUND LEGITIMATE? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. THAT IS CERTAINLY ONE AREA WHERE WE AND THE ADMINISTRATION ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT ALIGNED, RIGHT? PORTS ARE SO VITAL, THEY'RE SO IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL ECONOMY. IT'S IN, IN OUR COLLECTIVE INTEREST THAT WE KEEP THEM SAFE. AND SO RESILIENCE BECOMES AN IMPORTANT WORD, ESPECIALLY IN THESE TIMES. UH, WE HAVE BEEN FOR YEARS INVESTING IN OUR SECURITY, UM, APPARATUS. AND WITHOUT DIVULGING [00:25:01] WHAT WE'RE DOING SPECIFICALLY, UH, WE'RE LEVERAGING THE MOST, UH, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE DOMAIN AWARENESS. WE'RE PART OF A MULTI-LAYERED APPROACH, WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE US COAST GUARD DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND ALL THE FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE EYES AND VISIBILITY ON EVERY ASSET. UM, AT THE PORT. WE ALSO HAVE INTELLIGENCE. UH, WE'RE PART OF, UH, SEVERAL INTELLIGENCE NETWORKS AND COMMUNITIES TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE EXCHANGING THE INFORMATION THAT WE ALL NEED TO KEEP OUR PORTS SAFE. I WILL TELL YOU THIS, UH, COMMISSIONER THAT DURING THE SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS, I LIKE TO SAY THAT PORTS WENT FROM BEING HISTORICALLY INVISIBLE TO BEING, UH, INFAMOUS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, THEY WERE BLAMING US FOR WHY THEY COULDN'T GET THEIR PRODUCT ON THE STORE SHELF. BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN WE BECAME IMPORTANT. SO IMPORTANT THAT, UH, STATE OF CALIFORNIA FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AMASSED A RECORD NUMBER OF GRANTS TO SUPPORT GOODS MOVEMENT AND TO SUPPORT, UM, INSTITUTIONS LIKE OURS. AND SO SECURITY WILL ALWAYS CONTINUE TO BE A BIG PART OF THAT. GREAT. ON THE RAIL SERVICE SIDE, UM, MY ASSUMPTION IS YOU'LL BUILD THE CAPACITY THE RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE WITHOUT IMPACTING TRUCK TRAFFIC. UM, THAT WOULD BE MY ASSUMPTION. SO WE DON'T HAVE SEVERAL COGS. I, THE CORRIDOR WAS THE SILVER BULLET, IF YOU WILL, AND WORKING WITH THE COG AND OTHER LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS TO GET THINGS OUT TO SAN BERNARDINO, TO THE HUB OUT THERE. UM, IT WAS A HARD SELL. SO WILL THE NEW RAIL STRUCTURE, UM, IMPACT EXISTING OR, OR POSITIVELY IMPACT EXISTING RAIL THAT WE HAVE TO GET THE STUFF OUT OF TOWN AND THROUGH LA? I BELIEVE SO, COMMISSIONER, THAT'S CERTAINLY OUR, THAT'S OUR WORKING ASSUMPTION. THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE INVESTING SO AGGRESSIVELY IN RAIL CONNECTIVITY. AND IF YOU LOOK AT HOW THE CLASS ONES ARE ALREADY RESPONDING, BNSF RAILWAY IS DEVELOPING THE BAR. SO INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY, JUST WITHIN A HUNDRED MILES OF OUR PORT COMPLEX, THAT'S GONNA BE A 4,000 ACRE SITE THAT WILL ENABLE US HERE AT THE PORT TO PUSH ALL THOSE CONTAINERS DIRECTLY FROM THE PORT TERMINAL ALL THE WAY TO THAT, UH, THAT RAIL YARD. AND WHAT THAT WILL DO FOR US HERE LOCALLY IS IT WILL SHIFT THE RATIO BETWEEN TRUCKS AND TRAINS. UH, RAIL OPERATIONS MOVING, UH, CARGO ON, ON A TRAIN IS MORE EFFICIENT. IT'S FASTER, IT'S MORE SUSTAINABLE. SO OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR REGION WILL FEEL THE BENEFITS IMMEDIATELY. UNION PACIFIC IS ALSO, HAS ALSO PROPOSED, UH, ESTABLISHING THE FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD. AND IF YOU TALK TO THE CLASS ONES, THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE INVESTMENTS WE'RE MAKING HERE, AND THEY'RE MAKING INVESTMENTS IN THEIR OWN SUPPLY CHAINS TO TRY TO SYNERGIZE THOSE INVESTMENTS. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE BY SHIFTING MORE CONTAINER MOVES FROM TRUCK TO RAIL, WE'LL BRING IMMEDIATE BENEFITS TO OUR COMMUNITY. BUT WILL, IT WILL ALSO ALLOW US TO CAPTURE MORE OF THE MARKET, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE INTEND TO DO AS A SHIFT FROM CHINA TO SOUTHEAST ASIA CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO MAKE UP FOR THAT TRANSIT TIME THAT THAT ADDS ON THE WATER, MAKE UP FOR IT HERE. UM, ONCE IT ARRIVES AT THE PORT AND RAIL CONNECTIVITY WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY, COMMISSIONER NOVIN, UH, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, AND SPECIFICALLY DRAW ON THE IMPACT THAT YOU MAKE FOR THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY. I THINK EVERY MEMBER OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH THAT IS INVOLVED WITH A NONPROFIT KNOWS A PORT SPONSORED EVENT WHERE YOU'VE COME IN EITHER THROUGH SPACE OR TIME OR FUNDING OR EXPERTISE AND HELP THE COMMUNITY. SO IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPACTFUL. YOU, YOURSELF HAS SPOKEN AT OUR LEADERSHIP LONG BEACH EVENTS AND WITH THE YOUTH, IT, IT LETS 'EM UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE PORT, BUT ALSO GIVES THEM, UM, A VISION INTO A JOB OR A CAREER THAT THEY COULD GROW INTO, WHICH I THINK IS INCREDIBLY IMPACTFUL. AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, I'VE SEEN CAL STATE LONG BEACH STUDENTS GO ON A PORT TOUR, AND YOU DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND IT UNTIL YOU'RE ON A BOAT BELOW ONE OF THOSE CONTAINER SHIPS TO UNDERSTAND THE LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES AND JUST THAT GREAT EFFORT THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM DO. SO JUST LAYERING ON YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM IS INCREDIBLE AND ALWAYS RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. VERY KIND. AND I'LL TAKE THAT BACK TO THE TEAM. AND AGAIN, TO OUR BOARD. THE BOARD AND I ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT ALIGNED. WE WANT TO AMPLIFY OUR IMPACT AND DO MORE. COMMISSIONER MATOYER, THANK YOU. AND, UH, THANK YOU NOEL FOR BEING HERE. AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR APPOINTMENT. TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH POSITION. UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK A QUICK QUESTION ON, ON ONE OF THE LAST POINTS YOU TOUCHED UPON WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WANTING TO, TO DO MORE IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE PORT GRANTS THAT PROVIDE FOR NONPROFITS, BUT REALLY TRYING TO REACH OUT TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY PARTICULARLY. UM, ONE THING THAT I'VE HEARD IN MY EXPERIENCE FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IS IT ALWAYS SEEMS DAUNTING TO WORK WITH THE PORT. IT CAN SEEM A LITTLE CUMBERSOME. THEY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY LIKE WHAT THE CONNECTION POINT IS FOR THEM, UM, UNLESS THEY ACTUALLY DO [00:30:01] A LOT OF TRADE ALREADY. AND SO, IS YOUR, IS YOUR TEAM THINKING ABOUT STRATEGIES OF HOW THEY, UM, ARE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THOSE BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY HELPING TO MAYBE, UM, MAKE SOMETHING THAT SEEMS COMPLICATED, VERY SIMPLE? WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS THINKING ABOUT, UM, AS YOU TRY TO, TO, UM, IMPLEMENT THAT STRATEGY? YEAH, THANKS FOR THAT, UH, QUESTION. THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MORE ON THAT. UH, COMMISSIONER, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AMPLIFYING OUR IMPACT, AND THIS, THIS LATEST INITIATIVE THAT I, THAT I MENTIONED WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO CAST THE, THE, THE WEB, YOU KNOW, BROAD MORE BROADLY, IS WE DO WANT TO SHARE THAT ECONOMIC PROSPERITY THAT COMES IN THE FORM OF CONTRACTS, UH, WITH MORE BUSINESSES, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES PRIMARILY. AND SO PART OF THAT CAMPAIGN WILL BE AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, JUST CREATING AWARENESS ABOUT WHAT THOSE CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES ARE AND ALSO WHAT THAT PROCESS IS TO SUBMIT BIDS AND, AND, AND TO PUT IN FOR SOME OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES. SO IT'LL BE A FULL COURT PRESS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THAT. AND IN THE COMING MONTHS, UM, I'LL BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE ONCE WE FLESH IT ALL OUT, HAVE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL TO SHARE. BECAUSE AT THAT POINT WE WANNA GO TO EVERY FORUM POSSIBLE TO GET THE WORD OUT AS BROADLY AS WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAPTURE, UH, THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY COMMISSIONER. NOR THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, THE PRESENTATION. SO WHEN YOU'RE AFFECTING SO MANY PEOPLE IN SUCH BROAD SPREAD WORK, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, MILLIONS OF JOBS AND PEOPLE AFFECTED, UH, I CAN SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF CLARIFYING THE, UH, THE VISION AND SIMPLIFYING THE MISSION. I'M CURIOUS TO HEAR WHAT WERE THE PARTS OF THE VISIONS THAT NEEDED ADDITIONAL CLARITY, AND WHERE DID THE MISSION NEED TO BE FOCUSED? UM, THAT, UH, AND AND WHAT WERE THE, THE DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE INTERIM TO, UH, TO, TO REALLY DRIVE HOME THE, UH, THE IMPACT THAT WAS, UH, THAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO CREATE? YEAH. THANKS FOR THOSE QUESTIONS. I'LL ANSWER WHAT I CAN RIGHT NOW. 'CAUSE SOME OF IT IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT IN, IN TERMS OF THE VISION, LIKE EVERY ORGANIZATION, RIGHT? WE GET SO BUSY SOMETIMES, UM, WE GET DISTRACTED BY THE DAY TO DAY. I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT COMING INTO THIS ROLE TO RESET THE GOAL LINE, UM, TO USE A FOOTBALL METAPHOR. AND FOR THE PAST 12, 14 YEARS, THE GOAL LINE WAS 20 30, 20 35. AND THOSE WERE THE TWO YEARS BY WHICH THE PORT COMPLEX HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WOULD GET TO ZERO EMISSIONS, CARGO HANDLING EQUIPMENT, ZERO EMISSIONS TRUCKS, 2030 AROUND THE CORNER. 2035 IS JUST A FEW YEARS AWAY. I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND REALLY INTRODUCE A NEW BOLD VISION THAT BROUGHT THE ENTIRE PORT ECOSYSTEM TOGETHER TO DO MORE THAN JUST MEET OUR ZERO EMISSIONS GOALS, BUT TO ACTUALLY GROW THE MARKET, CAPTURE MORE CARGO, DRIVE OUR VALUE PROPOSITION. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON FOR THE VISION IN TERMS OF THE MISSION. LIKE EVERY ORGANIZATION, WHEN WE MEAN SO MUCH TO SO MANY DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, IT'S EASY TO GET DISTRACTED FROM OUR CORE MISSION. BUT AS I LIKE TO REMIND OUR TEAM, WE'RE A PORT, WE'RE A GATEWAY, WE MOVE CARGO. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS WE ASPIRE TO REACH OUR 2050 VISION, THAT WE STICK TO OUR CORE MISSION AND WE BUILD AROUND IT AND CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THOSE INVESTMENTS THAT WOULD DRIVE VALUE, UH, TO OUR SUPPLY CHAIN. OKAY. OKAY. MY TURN FOR QUESTION. UM, SO, UH, THANKS SO MUCH. YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THE COMMISSIONERS ALWAYS LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO THE FOLLOW UP AND GET INTO THE DISCUSSIONS, SO THANKS FOR YOUR RESPONSE TO THESE. A COUPLE THINGS I WANTED TO FIND OUT IS, I SAW YOUR STATE OF THE PORT AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE ZERO EMISSIONS FOR THE PORT. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OFTEN WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE PORT OF LONG BEACH, TWO LARGEST PORTS IN THE WORLD, AND I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY THE WORLD'S FIRST ZERO EMISSIONS. SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AS FAR AS SOME OF THE WAYS THAT MAYBE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY OR THE COMMUNITY CAN BE IN SUPPORT OF THAT? WHAT WILL WE BE LOOKING TOWARDS? IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER. THERE'S A LINE THAT I LIKE TO BORROW FROM JOHN MAXWELL. TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK. AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GREENING THE ECONOMY, GREENING PORT OPERATIONS, WE, IT REALLY IS NEXT LEVEL COLLABORATION, WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS, EVERY SEGMENT OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN, WORKING WITH TECHNOLOGY, UH, DEVELOPERS TO MAKE SURE THAT TECHNOLOGY IS, IS AVAILABLE. IT'S COMMERCIALLY VIABLE RIGHT NOW. JUST TO GIVE YOU ALL A SENSE, ABOUT 20% OF ALL THE CARGO HANDLING EQUIPMENT AT THE PORT OF LONG BEACH'S, ZERO EMISSIONS, MOST OF IT, VIRTUALLY ALL OF IT IS ELECTRIC. ON THE TRUCK SIDE, WE HAVE ABOUT 617 TRUCKS OUT OF A UNIVERSE OF APPROXIMATELY 16,000 THAT DO WORK IN AND AROUND THE PORT OF LA AND PORT OF LONG BEACH. SO WE'VE GOT A, A WASTE TO GO. HOWEVER, THERE'S SOME ENCOURAGEMENT, UH, JUST IN THE, IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN ADVANCEMENTS ON THE TECHNOLOGY FRONT, BOTH ON THE CARGO HANDLING SIDE AS WELL AS THE TRUCK SIDE, UH, THAT CAN HELP US GET THERE FASTER. [00:35:01] WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, AS AT THE PORT OF LONG BEACH, IS LOOKING AT THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE TO SUPPORT IT AND, AND LOOKING, UH, FOR CREATIVE INNOVATIVE WAYS TO ACCELERATE IT. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, A FEW YEARS BACK WHEN WE WERE NOT TA GETTING AS MANY TAKERS ON THE VOUCHERS TO BUY THESE TRUCKS BECAUSE THEY WERE SO EXPENSIVE, WE DECIDED TO INVEST MORE OF THAT IN CHARGING STATIONS. THE CHARGING STATIONS THEN INCENTIVIZED THE DEPLOYING OF THESE ZERO EMISSIONS TRUCKS. SO WE'RE AT A POINT NOW WHERE WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO INCENTIVIZE THE USE OF THESE ZERO EMISSIONS TRUCKS. WE MADE $10 MILLION AVAILABLE FOR COMPANIES THAT HAVE ALREADY INVESTED IN HYDROGEN POWER TRUCKS SO THAT THEY CAN, UH, USE THOSE TRUCKS AND NOT LEAVE THEM PARKED BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST OF HYDROGEN, FOR EXAMPLE. AND JUST RECENTLY, OUR STAFF PRESENTED TO OUR HARBOR COMMISSION WAYS TO INCENTIVIZE FINANCIALLY, UH, THE USE AND ADOPTION OF SOME OF THESE TRUCKS. SO WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING A, A VERY CREATIVE APPROACH. WE'RE REMAINING VERY NIMBLE AND VERY FLEXIBLE BECAUSE OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO GET TO ZERO EMISSIONS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. UM, SO THE, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT THEN ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM TWO, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM. SEEING NONE, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. I WANT THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON THE AGENDA ITEM TO RECEIVE AND FILE THIS REPORT. MY APOLOGIES. I AM GOING TO TAKE VERBALS. UH, COMMISSIONER MATOYA? YES. COMMISSIONER NEVIN? YES. COMMISSIONER NORDIC? YES. COMMISSIONER NOVIN? YES. COMMISSIONER PEREZ? YES. COMMISSIONER SANDOVAL? YES. COMMISSIONER SMITH? YES. COMMISSIONER NCH? YES. VICE CHAIR THOMAS? YES. AND CHAIR? SHE MIAMA? YES. MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY, GREAT. I WANNA THANK DR. NOEL HASE, GABA, AND THE PORT OF LONG BEACH. UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE SOME FOLLOW UP ITEMS THAT WE'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT, AND WE'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. OKAY. UM, THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, COULD YOU PLEASE READ THAT OUT? [3. 26-54710 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation on the Long Beach Council of Business Associations (COBA) and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs).       Suggested Action:  Approve recommendation. ] ITEM THREE, RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE PRESENTATION ON THE LONG BEACH COUNCIL OF BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS. OKAY. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? OKAY. YEP. CAN COMMISSIONER, UH, NOVIN MOVED AND COMMISSIONER MATOYA SECONDED. SECOND. OH, CAN I, CAN I RECUSE MYSELF ON THAT? OH, COMMISSIONER MATOYA IS GOING TO RECUSE HIMSELF ON THE SECOND, SO CAN I HAVE ANOTHER SECOND? COMMISSIONER NOTER AS A SECOND. THANK YOU. OKAY. UM, IS A PRESENTATION. THIS IS THE PRESENTATION I WAS, UH, WAITING FOR, UH, JULIAN TO INTRODUCE ME, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I CAN DO THAT. SORRY, I'LL DO IT MYSELF MAKING SURE, UH, COMMISSIONER MATOYA RECUSED HIMSELF APPROPRIATELY. UH, NO. SO, UM, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I KNOW WE HAD THIS PLANNED, UH, LAST MONTH, SO, UM, JUST DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES AND HOW TO CHANGE IT UP, BUT WANTED TO GET IT BACK TO YOU, UH, IN FRONT OF THE COMMISSION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT, UH, MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUE, UH, KYLE SMITH, WHO IS THE BID MANAGER, AS WELL AS BLAIR CO. COHEN COHEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF, UM, THE BIXBY K KNOWLES, UH, BID HERE. AND THEN ALSO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHERS WHO WILL, UM, PRESENT, UH, AS WELL. UH, BUT REALLY EXCITED TO PRESENT THIS, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO YOU GUYS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. I KNOW JUST A FEW, UH, COMMISSIONERS EARLIER TODAY. GOT TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. UM, BUT FROM THE CITY SIDE, UH, JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, UM, COMMEND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS BEHIND ME HERE AND THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS BECAUSE REALLY, UM, IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DO THE WORK THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, TASKED TO DO IN OUR BUSINESS CORRIDORS. AND AS YOU'RE GONNA SEE IT REALLY, IT REALLY IS ALL ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS AND THERE IS A HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT, UH, THAT THESE CORRIDORS REALLY CONTRIBUTE, UH, TO THE CITY. SO, [00:40:02] WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, I'LL HAVE KYLE TAKE IT AWAY. THANK YOU, JULIAN. GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT ON THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT PROGRAM. MY NAME IS KYLE AND I'M THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT PROGRAM MANAGER. I'LL BE PROVIDING YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE BEFORE PASSING IT OFF TO SOME FAMILIAR FACES TO DIVE DEEPER INTO THE AWESOME WORK THAT OUR BIDS DO FOR THE CITY. FIRST, A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF WHAT A BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT OR BID IS. BIDS OFFER THE CHANCE FOR PROPERTY OR BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, IN A DETERMINED BOUNDARY TO JOIN TOGETHER AND POOL FUNDING FOR AGREED UPON IMPROVEMENTS. WHEN A BID IS ESTABLISHED, THEY ACT AS A CREATIVE FINANCING TOOL USED TO REVITALIZE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND IMPROVE LOCAL ECONOMIES. SO BIDS ARE GENERALLY, OR BIDS ARE GENERALLY LIMITED TO, UH, CERTAIN TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS OR ACTIVITIES THAT WERE SPECIFIED DURING THE FORMATION PROCESS. SOME OF THOSE SERVICES ARE RETAIL RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT ACTIVATION, BEAUTIFICATION, ADDITIONAL STREET AND SIDEWALK CLEANING AND SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY. IN OUR CITY, THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF BIDS, MOST OF WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO TWO STATE LAWS. THERE ARE FIVE PARKING AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREAS, THREE, PROPERTY AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, AND ONE TOURISM AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA. EACH TYPE HAS A DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT STRUCTURE. PBIA ASSESSMENTS ARE LEVIED THROUGH A BUSINESS LICENSE TAX. P BID ASSESSMENTS ARE LEVIED ON PROPERTIES THROUGH THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES AND THE TBIA ASSESSMENT IS LEVIED ON HOTELS WITH 30 OR MORE ROOMS BASED ON 3% OF THE GROSS SHORT-TERM ROOM RENTAL REVENUE. THESE ASSESSMENTS ARE COLLECTED BY THE CITY, ARE PASSED ON TO OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. BIMONTHLY. THE CITY ALSO HAS AN OVERSIGHT ROLE AND REQUIRES AN ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH IS PROVIDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL. THESE REPORTS INCLUDE THE BID FINANCIALS, COST OF SERVICES, PROPOSED, CHANGES TO THE BOUNDARIES, THE METHOD OF ASSESSMENT, AND ANY PLANNED ACTIVATIONS. STAFF IS ALSO WORKING ON A MIDYEAR PROGRESS REPORT THAT WILL HELP COMMUNICATE THE COLLECTIVE BENEFIT OF ALL THE BIDS PROVIDED TOGETHER. BEGINNING IN FISCAL YEAR 24, THE, UH, THE CITY PROVIDED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT THROUGH ONE-TIME GRANT DOLLARS. IN FISCAL YEAR 24 AND 25, THE CITY PROVIDED $250,000 TO THE BIDS IN FISCAL YEAR 24. THESE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS HELP FUND NEW MURALS, BANNERS, SECURITY PATROLS, AND ADDITIONAL PORTER SERVICES. IN THE MOST RECENT BUDGET ADOPTION, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AN ADDITIONAL $500,000 FOR ONE-TIME SUPPORT TO BE DISPERSED OVER FISCAL YEAR 26 AND FISCAL YEAR 27. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH OUR BID PARTNERS TO DISPERSE THAT FUNDING FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, SOME CURRENT EFFORTS. UM, BEFORE I HAND OFF THIS BID PRESENTATION, UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH SEVERAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO RENEW AND FORM NEW BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS IN THE WRIGLEY NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE WEST SIDE, THROUGH THE CREATION OF A NEW BUSINESS ASSOCIATION ALONG SANTA FE, AND WITH THE WEST SIDE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION OF LONG BEACH TO RENEW AND POTENTIALLY EXPAND THE CITY'S INDUSTRIAL BID. THANK YOU. AND I'LL HAND THE PRESENT PRESENTATION OFF TO COMMISSIONER MATOYA. ALRIGHT, UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. UH, I, I MUST, UH, AT THE START OF THIS, UH, LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT I AM PRESENTING TO MY CAPACITY AS PRESIDENT AND CEO FOR THE DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH ALLIANCE AND CO-CHAIR OF COBA. UH, AND NOT IN MY CAPACITY AS A COMMISSIONER. UM, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE, UH, AN UPDATE ON, UH, THE COUNCIL OF BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS AND OUR COLLECTIVE BIDS YOU ALL HAVE ON YOUR DESK, UH, OUR STATE OF THE BID REPORT, WHICH IS, UH, FRESHLY MADE, UH, FOR THIS YEAR. UM, AND I ALSO WANNA THANK MY COLLEAGUES AND COBA FOR BEING HERE, WHO WILL SPEAK AS WELL, UH, AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION. YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. SO SOME OF THIS STUFF WILL, WILL REALLY KIND OF BUILD ON WHAT KYLE HAS ALREADY SPOKE, SPOKEN UPON. BUT, UM, REALLY WE SEE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS AS, UM, PARTS OF, UH, OF GENERATING THE ECONOMIC ENGINE OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. UM, OUR SERVICES GO ABOVE AND BEYOND THE BASELINE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT THE CITY, UH, PROVIDES. UM, AND WE PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS, BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, AND PROPERTY OWNERS TO CONNECT AND HELP SHAPE THEIR COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT, UH, ALIGNS WITH THEIR, THEIR NEEDS AND DESIRES. UM, COBA AS A WHOLE IS COMPRISED OF ALL OF THE FORMAL BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, AS WELL AS THE INFORMAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS. SO, UH, THE ONES THAT KYLE SPOKE OF, THE, THE, THE PROPERTY BASED IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, THE MERCHANT BASED DISTRICTS, BUT AS WELL AS, UH, INFORMAL, UH, BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS LIKE THE NAPLES BUSINESS ASSOCIATION AND SO FORTH. UM, AND IN TERMS OF COLLECTIVE [00:45:01] IMPACT, UH, WE'LL GET INTO THE NUMBERS, BUT THE CHART BEFORE YOU HIGHLIGHTS THE AREAS OF THE BIDS AND THE OVERALL TOTAL, UH, RETAIL SALES IS ABOUT $17 MILLION FOR THE BIDS AS A WHOLE. IN TERMS OF, UH, ITS, UM, PERCENTAGE IN THE CITY. IT'S ABOUT 24% OF THE OVERALL CITY RETAIL SALES. SO THE BIDS WITHIN EACH OF THEIR CORRIDORS COLLECTIVELY GENERATES ABOUT 24% OF THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES WITHIN THE CITY. AND IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE BIDS. SO WHEN IT COMES TO BIA, THE, THE MERCHANT BASED DISTRICTS, FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT IS INVESTED WITHIN THOSE DISTRICTS, THEY GENERATE ANOTHER $2 AND 62 CENTS IN TERMS OF OVERALL SALES. AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE PROPERTY BASED DISTRICTS, WHICH CAN HAVE A MIXTURE OF BOTH INDUSTRIAL OFFICE AND RETAIL USES, TYPICALLY WE FIND ON AVERAGE THE VACANCY RATES ARE MUCH LOWER IN THOSE DISTRICTS THAN THEY ARE, UH, OUTSIDE OF THOSE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS. UM, AGAIN, THOSE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF DISTRICTS KIND OF HAVE DIFFERENT MANDATES, BUT OVERALL, UH, WHAT WE SEE IS, UH, CORRIDORS THAT HAVE A BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT IN PLACE IS SEEING A RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENT FOR THE DOLLARS THAT ARE SPENT THERE. NEXT SLIDE. SO GOING BACK TO THIS DATA POINT I SAID EARLIER, UH, I NOTED THAT, UH, OF THE, THE RETAIL SALES, IT'S ABOUT 24% OF THE OVERALL CITY. UM, TOTAL ASSESSMENTS COLLECTED BY THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS IS ABOUT 6.4 MILLION. UM, WE ANTICIPATE, UH, ABOUT, UH, A GROWTH OF 50 MILLION BY THE TIME OF 2031. UM, AND THE BIDS REPRESENT NO MORE THAN 6% OF THE OVERALL CITY'S LAND MASS. SO, UM, AGAIN, WHILE THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF US, WE ARE NOT BIG. UM, BUT WE DO GENERATE QUITE A BIT FOR THE CITY IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. NEXT SLIDE. AND SO I, I WANTED TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE WORK OF OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR BID DIRECTORS. UM, NOT EVERY BID IS CREATED THE SAME, UM, AND EACH ONE IS UNIQUE TO THE CORRIDOR THAT THEY MANAGE. SO, UH, TODAY WE HAVE WITH US, UH, MARI, UH, PFEIFFER FOR RIA, ASSOCI ZARIA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION. SO I WANNA ALLOW, UH, HER THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT RIA. HI AND HELLO. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. UM, SO AGAIN, YES, MARISA PFEIFFER WITH THE ZARIA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION. IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR, UH, WITH ZAIA, IT IS THE AREA THAT STARTS AT HUNA PERRO AND GOES ALONG ANAHEIM, UM, SPECIFICALLY ALL THE WAY TO PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY. UM, AND THEN AS FAR AS 14TH AND 11TH ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CORRIDOR, UM, OUR DISTRICT ALONG ANAHEIM IS NEARLY TWO MILES LONG, AND WE HAVE ABOUT 500 MEMBERS IN OUR, UH, DISTRICT. SO, UM, I THINK OF SAFFIA AS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE, UM, OF THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS IN LONG BEACH. WE HAVE THREE RESTAURANTS IN THE MICHELIN GUIDE. WE HAVE AUTOBODY SHOPS, WE HAVE MUSIC VENUES, UM, AND WE HAVE ALL SORTS OF OTHER THINGS, INCLUDING LEGACY BUSINESSES LIKE JOE JOSS AND ACE HARDWARE AND THE LONG BEACH PLAYHOUSE. UM, OUR CORE FOCUS IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH MAINTENANCE OF OUR DISTRICT. SO PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT OUR MEMBERS, ACTIVATIONS AND PLACEMAKING. UH, WE HAVE ONGOING PROJECTS, AND THESE ARE JUST THINGS THAT ARE ALWAYS OCCURRING IN OUR DISTRICT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. UM, SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE SIDEWALK POWER WASHING. WE ALSO HAVE A DAY PORTER THAT PICKS UP TRASH AND DOES GRAFFITI REMOVAL, WEED ABATEMENT. UH, WE HAVE AN OUTREACH COORDINATOR, HER NAME IS TRACY. UM, AND SHE DOES IN-PERSON VISITS WITH OUR BUSINESSES. SHE REPORTS ISSUES. SHE UTILIZES THE LONG BEACH GO APP, UM, AND SHE BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR MEMBERS AND SHE CONNECTS THEM TO RESOURCES, CITY RESOURCES, RESOURCES WE PROVIDE. UM, AND IT JUST IS A HUB OF INFORMATION FOR THEM. AND, UM, SHE WALKS THE DISTRICT MOSTLY THAT'S HOW SHE COMMUNICATES WITH OUR MEMBERS, UH, WITH HER DOG DOMINO. AND THEY'VE BECOME A REAL FIXTURE IN THE COMMUNITY. EVERYBODY KNOWS HER IN WAVES TO HER. UM, SO DISTRICT PROMOTION IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US. WE WANNA GET THE WORD OUT, UH, ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND, AND OUR BUSINESSES. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO, UH, TO PROMOTE OURSELVES IS THAT WE HAVE ALMOST A HUNDRED STREET BANNERS AND WE MAINTAIN THOSE YEAR ROUND. SO OUR CURRENT DESIGNS INCLUDE ART FROM OUR PLACEMAKING MURALS. IN FACT, YOU CAN SEE ONE UP HERE, IT'S RIA. UM, AND, UH, THAT ART IS INCORPORATED INTO ONE OF OUR, UH, BANNERS. AND THEN WE ALSO JUST HAVE BANNERS THAT JUST SAY ZARIA DISTRICT, BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THEY'RE AT WHEN THEY'RE DRIVING THROUGH. IT IS A VERY HEAVILY TRAFFICKED CORRIDOR. SO WE GET A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DRIVE THROUGH, BUT WE WANNA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STOP AS WELL. UH, WE HAVE ACTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS. WE HIGHLIGHT BUSINESSES, EVENTS, OPENINGS. UM, WE SEND OUT WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS. WE HIGHLIGHT AS MUCH AS WE CAN ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AND GOING ON [00:50:01] IN THE DISTRICT. BUT OUR GOAL IS REALLY TO PROMOTE OUR BUSINESSES, BUT ALSO CREATE A FEELING OF A WELL-ROUNDED DISTRICT THAT MEETS A DYNAMIC BUSTLING NEIGHBORHOOD. SO WE WANNA EMPHASIZE ALL THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT EXIST IN ZEPHYR THAT MAKE IT FEEL LIKE A COMPLETE COMMUNITY. UM, SO LIKE GROCERY STORES, PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS, MEDICAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, ANIMAL CARE LIBRARIES, EVENT SPACES. UH, BUT ALSO WE WANNA PROMOTE OUR RESTAURANTS AND OUR BARS, UM, AND OUR THIRD PLACES LIKE COFFEE HOUSES AND WINE BARS AND YOGA STUDIOS, UM, AND OTHER SPOTS THAT REALLY BUILD SOCIAL CAPITAL AND A SENSE OF BELONGING. UM, AND THAT'S WHAT DRIVES REPEAT TRAFFIC TO OUR DISTRICT BUSINESSES AND BUILDS COMMUNITY TRUST. WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN OUR DISTRICT TO LEAVE OUR DISTRICT AND GO OTHER PLACES. WE WANT THEM TO FEEL LIKE THIS DISTRICT BELONGS TO THEM. SO SOME, UM, OF OUR NEWER ACTIVATIONS AND EVENTS. SO ONE OF OUR EVENTS THAT WE JUST STARTED A COUPLE YEARS AGO IS CALLED VIA ZARIA. WE DO THIS THREE TIMES A YEAR. UM, IT'S A DISTRICT-WIDE EVENT. ALL THE BUSINESSES CAN PARTICIPATE, UH, AND IF WE CAN, WE ALSO GIVE THEM SPONSORSHIP SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE, UM, LIVE MUSIC OR DJS OR SOMETHING FOR KIDS. UM, AND WE JUST, UH, WE HAVE FREE TRANSPORTATION THAT GOES AROUND THE DISTRICT 'CAUSE IT'S A BIG DISTRICT AND IT'S, UM, UH, AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY DURING THE EVENT. AND PEOPLE CAN JUST VISIT THE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES AND LISTEN TO LIVE MUSIC, HAVE FOOD SPECIALS. UM, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT EVERY TIME WE DO IT. WE DID OUR FIRST WINTER WONDERLAND, UM, IN DECEMBER. UH, AND THAT WAS A BIG HIT. WE WANNA DO MORE THINGS THAT ENCOURAGE THE FAMILIES WHO LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE WITH OUR BUSINESSES AND ENGAGE WITH OUR BUSINESSES. EXCUSE ME. I THINK I HAVE ONE MORE PAGE HERE, BUT IF NOT, I CAN JUST WRAP THIS UP BECAUSE I DO KNOW KIND OF WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS. BUT, UM, ON, ON THE WHOLE, WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING IS TRYING TO, WE'RE KEEPING OUR DISTRICT CLEAN. WE'RE TRYING TO, TO CREATE A PLA A PLACE OF SPACE, A SENSE OF SPACE, UM, AND REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO NOT JUST COME AND DRIVE THROUGH OUR DISTRICT OR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN OUR DISTRICT TO LEAVE, TO GO TO OTHER PLACES, BUT TO SAY, HEY, THERE'S THIS REALLY COOL COFFEE SHOP OR RESTAURANT OR, OR BAR. AND I, I FEEL COMFORTABLE IN MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD AND I WANNA GO TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTS. UM, AND BY DOING THAT, OUR BUSINESSES NOT JUST, UH, DON'T JUST SEE THAT ONE TIME ENGAGEMENT, BUT THEY SEE REPEAT VISITORS, THEY DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR COMMUNITY, UH, AND OUR BUSINESSES THRIVE. THANK YOU. SO AS, AS STATED, OUR BID DIRECTORS ARE REALLY PLACE MAKERS, PLACE MANAGERS. THEY CREATE THESE SPACES THAT PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO STAY, UM, AND VISIT. UH, AND, AND WE DID WANNA HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ULTIMATE PLACE MAKER, PLACE MANAGER, FORMER COMMISSIONER BLAIR CONE OF BIXBY KNOWLES TO, TO KIND OF TALK A LITTLE BIT IN DEPTH ABOUT THE DAY-TO-DAY OF A BID DIRECTOR AND MANAGING THEIR SPACE AND PLACE. GOOD AFTERNOON. IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND, UM, BOY, I MISS YOU ALL. VIVIAN, YOU DON'T CALL, YOU DON'T WRITE. WE MISS YOU. , UH, EJECT THIS BAND THOUGH, RIGHT HERE. WOULD YOU PLEASE? BUT THANK YOU AUSTIN FOR, UH, DOING THE HEAVY LIFTING FOR US AND, AND, AND HAVING US HERE TODAY. SO I'LL JUST DRILL DOWN A LITTLE BIT, KIND OF IN THE DAY OF THE LIFE OF WHAT WE DO AND, AND ECHO WHAT MARISSA HAD SAID, AND MULTIPLY THIS ACROSS THE CITY OF, OF ALL THE BIDS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TO UPLIFT THE CITY. UM, OKAY, LET ME DO MY TECH HERE. OKAY. SO IN BIG SPEED HOMES, WE, WE SAY WE SIT IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROULETTE WHEEL BECAUSE IT'S A SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAM. AND, AND THAT ROULETTE WHEEL SPENDS ALL DAY LONG. AND EVERY LITTLE SQUARE AND EVERY ROW IS ONE OF THESE ISSUES HERE THAT'S LISTED, UH, FROM, AGAIN, MEMBER OUTREACH, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE IN TOUCH WITH THE 927 BUSINESSES THAT WE HAVE. BUT, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THE DISTRICT IS CLEAN AND SAFE. YOU CAN HEAR THAT OVER AND OVER AS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY THAT WE'RE ACTIVATING. AND ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE, THE ONGOING EVENTS OF PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, PLUS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WHAT'S NEW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S INTERESTING AND WHAT OTHER NOOK AND CRANNY CAN WE ACTIVATE AND TAKE AN ALLEY AND TURN IT INTO A GALLERY SPACE OR A PARKING LOT TURNED INTO A CONCERT SPACE. WHAT BUSINESS OWNER NEEDS A LITTLE HELP. SO WE BRING THEM IN AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE PLAY THE ROLE NOT JUST AS A BID DIRECTOR, AS A GENERIC TITLE, BUT IT'S A LOT OF BEING A PSYCHOLOGIST, COUNSELOR, A THERAPIST, UM, CHEERLEADER. AND WE DO ALL OF THAT. WE'VE GOT A BIG, BIG BOX OF KLEENEX SOMETIMES FOR THOSE THAT NEED IT. BUT WE SIT AND SAY, OKAY, RIGHT, YOU NEED A LITTLE HELP. SO LET'S BRAINSTORM. LET'S GET YOU, UH, SOME IDEAS. BUT IN THIS DAY, IN THE LIFE, YOU COULD SEE HERE, UM, FOR US IT'S HOW DO WE CONNECT THIS BETTER COMMUNITY THAT SURROUNDS ATLANTIC AND LONG BEACH BOULEVARD [00:55:01] TO THE BUSINESS CORRIDORS? HOW WOULD, HOW DO WE DO THAT? AND SO WE CREATED, YOU KNOW, THE WALKING CLUB, THE BOOK CLUB, OUR SUPPER CLUB, OUR KIDS' BIKE RIDE AT THE SUMMER, CONCERTS FIRST FRIDAYS. WE TOOK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I CAME IN, IT WAS JUST REALLY AT FOUR BUSINESSES THAT WERE DOING IT, JUST HOSTING AN ARTIST. AND NOW IT'S GROWN TO WHAT IT'S, AND IT'S, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT'S 19 YEARS OLD. AND, UH, SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE STAPLE AND IT'S REALLY OUR ECONOMIC DRIVER. IT KICKS OFF THE MONTH BECAUSE BUSINESSES STAY OPEN LATE. WE HAVE THE, THE HEAVY FOOT TRAFFIC. PEOPLE ARE PAYING THE RENT BECAUSE OF THE SALES ARE GETTING THAT. AND THEN FROM THAT COME ALL THE OTHER EVENTS. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE, THIS LIST, SOME PEOPLE COME TO, EH, I'M JUST GONNA COME TO FIRST FRIDAYS. SOME WALK EVERY SATURDAY WITH US. SOME ONLY COME TO THE BOOK CLUB. BUT WHEN I STITCH ALL THESE EVENTS TOGETHER, IT'S THE WHOLE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE REACHING. AND THE MESSAGE REALLY IS SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS. AND WE EMPHASIZE THE WORD YOUR, IT'S NOT OUR, IT'S YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THESE ARE YOUR BUSINESSES. YOU HAVE TO PARTICIPATE. YOU CANNOT DRIVE UP AND DOWN YOUR CORRIDORS AND SAY, WOW, IT LOOKS SO GREAT. I DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT, OH MAN, LOOK AT THE VACANCIES, LOOK AT THIS AND THAT. I DON'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING NOW. WELL, WE CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. SO WE SAY, IN ORDER TO KEEP THINGS THRIVING AND THE WAY YOU WANT THEM, YOU MUST PARTICIPATE. THAT MEANS SPEND SOME MONEY. AND WE HAVE A NONPROFIT, THE BIXBY OILS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BECOME VERY GENEROUS IN DONATING TO THAT, WHICH ALL THAT GOES RIGHT BACK INTO THESE PROGRAMS TO KEEP, KEEP THINGS FLOWING. SO AGAIN, WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES? JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE NOWADAYS, THE CLEAN AND SAFE, IT'S NOT JUST A PRIORITY, BUT IT'S REALLY 50% OF THE TIME. AND, AND WHAT I MEAN IS, UH, AND IT'S NO SURPRISE TO ANYBODY, THE HOMELESSNESS SLASH ADDICTION SLASH MENTAL ILLNESS THAT WE SEE ON IN OUR STREETS TAKES THE TIME OF ALL OF US TO ADDRESS THIS. BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE NEED RESOURCES. SOME PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO TAKE THEM. SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO, AT THAT MOMENT UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING WHILE CAUSING DISTURBANCE AT A BUSINESS. AND OUR JOB HAS TO BE SOMETIMES THE SHIELD. AND, UM, WE HAVE TO JUMP IN AND SAY, WE, WE, WE CAN'T HAVE THIS. YOU, YOU CAN'T SLEEP HERE, OR YOU'RE NOT GONNA COME IN AND THREATEN ANYBODY. AND THAT'S PART OF THE JOB IS, IS MAKING SURE THAT, AGAIN, THE FAMILIES THAT ARE WALKING THROUGH DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA OF ANY OF THESE ISSUES. THAT WE ARE THE ONES THAT SAY WE ARE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S KEPT, KEPT CLEAN AND SAFE. SO YOU SEE IN THE PICTURE, UH, WE HAVE PRIVATE SECURITY THAT PATROLS, UM, UH, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, A DAYTIME SHIFT. DURING THE HOLIDAYS, WE DOUBLE IT. WE DO ALSO AN OVERNIGHT SHIFT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S WHEN THERE'S ALWAYS AN UPTICK IN, IN PETTY CRIMES. SO WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT WE AT LEAST HAVE A PRESENCE AND IT'S A GO-TO, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA CALL THE POLICE IF SOMEBODY IS SLEEPY ON THE SIDEWALK OR OR BLOCKING A BUSINESS. WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT CAN SAY, EXCUSE ME, WE HAVE TO HAVE YOU PACK UP AND MOVE ON. BUT WE ALL HAVE A CLEAN TEAM. WE HAVE A GENTLEMAN WHO'S OUT THERE EVERY DAY PICKING UP TRASH, REMOVING GRAFFITI STICKERS, EVERYTHING MARISSA TALKED ABOUT. WE WORK WITH CARE CLOSET, LBC. IF THERE ARE ILLEGALLY DUMPED ITEMS, THINGS THAT ARE BIGGER THAN OUR TEAM, UH, DUKE GIS AND HIS CREW WILL COME TAKE IT AWAY. AND IT'S CONSTANT. AND IT'S ALL THE TIME THE PHONE'S BUZZING. SO THIS IS HOW WE WANNA MAKE THE DISTRICT LOOK ITS BEST AND BE ITS BEST AND IMPORTANT. DOWN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF COMMUNITY ACTIVATION, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US, FOR US TO COMMUNICATE TO OUR MEMBERS, WHICH WE DO ALL THE TIME. SO LAST YEAR WE SENT 'EM 113 EMAILS, AND THIS IS REALLY ANYTIME WE GET ANYTHING FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IT GOES RIGHT STRAIGHT TO THE MEMBERSHIP. UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRANTS, UH, MEETINGS FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER. ANY COUNSELING, UH, AUSTIN WILL SAY, HEY, INVITE YOUR, YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO COME DOWN TO ANY OF EVENTS. UH, DOWN DOWNTOWN IS HAVING. SO WE WANTED TO TELL THEM WHAT'S HAPPENING, HOW TO GET INVOLVED, HOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH US. 'CAUSE YOU SAY, LOOK, THERE'S THREE OF US IN THAT OFFICE, BUT THERE'S 927 OF YOU. HELP US HELP YOU BY COMMUNICATING. SO WE GO BACK AND FORTH AND GO OLD SCHOOL, WE SEND 'EM LETTERS, SAME TYPE OF THING. INVITE 'EM TO OUR BUSINESS BREAKFAST, OUR ANNUAL MEETINGS, AND TO OTHER THINGS. UH, WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WE HAVE SOME DIRECT MAIL THAT GOES IN THE MAILBOX IS NOT THROWN ON THE GRASS, BUT GOES IN THE MAILBOXES. SO BIG SPEED NEIGHBORS IS HYPERLOCAL. WE GET A PAGE TO WRITE ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS NEXT MONTH. UM, LOOK FOR THIS. DO A BUSINESS RECOMMENDATION, SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS. THERE'S THAT MESSAGE. SAME THING GOES FOR THE CAL HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY HAVE A GREAT NEWSLETTER THAT GETS HAND DELIVERED TO EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD OR EVERY, EXCUSE ME, EVERY HOUSE IN CAL HEIGHTS. SO NOW WE HAVE THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD OF CAL HEIGHTS, LOS CERRITOS, [01:00:01] VIRGINIA, AND BIXBY KNOWLES COVERED WITH OUR MESSAGE DIRECT BESIDES ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING. BIG THING, BIG THING FOR US IS TO BRING THE MEMBERSHIP TOGETHER. SO QUARTERLY WE'LL HAVE THEM COME FOR BREAKFAST. SO IT'S A MIXER. SO EVERY COME, THEY COME AT EIGHT O'CLOCK, THEY EAT. THEY, I ALWAYS SAY ONE RULE, CAN'T SIT ALONE. YOU HAVE TO SIT WITH SOMEBODY YOU DON'T KNOW. SO GET TO KNOW YOUR BUSINESS NEIGHBORS. THEN WE TAKE 'EM INTO THE THEATER SPACE AND WE TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH US. WE HAVE PRESENTATIONS FROM, FROM THE MAYOR'S BEEN THERE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPEND, THEIR SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER, UH, YOU NAME IT, ANY KINDA RESOURCE. AND WE ALSO HAVE PURE TESTIMONIALS. SO IF WE THINK SOMEBODY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR IN THE DISTRICT IS THE NUMBER ONE IN SOCIAL MEDIA, THIS IS HOW YOU SHOULD BE DOING WHAT THEY DO TO BE FOUND. SO WE'RE ALWAYS SHARING THESE RESOURCES. IT'S, UH, AND IT'S GREAT BECAUSE WE USED TO DO MEMBER MIXERS, YOU KNOW, EXCUSE ME, AFTER WORK, MAYBE GET SEVEN PEOPLE THERE. BUT NOW WE'RE AVERAGING 80 TO A HUNDRED BUSINESS OWNERS COMING, WHICH IS SPECTACULAR. AND WE DON'T DO IT ALONE. AND WE HAVE A WHOLE TEAM. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S US, BUT IT'S, IT'S A COMMUNITY. BUT AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE TO WORK WITH ALL THESE OTHER FOLKS, UH, OUR COUNCIL VERY CLOSELY ON ANY ISSUES. UH, CAN YOU REPAINT THE, THE GET THE, THE, THE RED ZONES REPAINTED FOR SAFETY? CAN YOU ADDRESS THIS AND THAT. OUR SECURITY CARE CLOSET, OF COURSE, ALL THE BUSINESS DISTRICTS WORKING TOGETHER, COLLABORATING, UM, AND THE CITY'S RAPID RESPONSE TEAM, WHICH HAS BEEN A BLESSING FOR US. SO AGAIN, THAT'S REALLY THE DAY IN THE LIFE DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES TO HELP OUR BUSINESS MEMBERS AND MAKE THE DISTRICT THRIVE. THANK YOU, BLAIR. IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. SO AS, AS PART OF COBA, UH, UH, ONE OF OUR INITIATIVES IS, IS TO HELP, UM, AND SUPPORT THE FORMATION OF NEW BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM. UM, AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE EXPANSION OPPORTUNITIES WITH TWO, UM, DISTRICTS CURRENTLY. ONE IN, IN THE WRIGLEY NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE OTHER ONE ON THE WEST SIDE, BUT ALSO, UM, IN INCORPORATING WHAT WAS, UH, THE MAGNOLIA INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT. CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? SO, UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON, ON THESE TWO DISTRICTS. UM, THEY'VE HISTORICALLY HAD SOME LEVEL OF REPRESENTATION. THERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WITHIN, UH, THE WRIGLEY NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, BUT THEY'VE NEVER HAD A FORMAL BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT TO HELP SUPPORT AND CHAMPION THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, TO CREATE A SENSE OF PLACE AND SPACE. UM, AND, AND RECENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS, UH, TO, TO HELP FORMALIZE THAT PROCESS. AND I'M GONNA HAVE, UH, CELESTE WILSON, UH, WHO IS THE, THE DIRECTOR FOR THE WRIGLEY BUSINESS COLLABORATIVE. UH, SPEAK ON THAT, UH, RIGHT NOW. SO, UH, OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CELESTE WILSON. UM, I AM SERVING AS THE ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WRIGLEY BUSINESS COLLABORATIVE, OR WRIGLEY'S, HOPEFULLY NEWEST BID. UM, SO WE DELIVERED PETITIONS IN FEBRUARY. UM, SO THEY WERE SENT TO ALL OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, WHICH IS THE STRETCH OF WILLOW, UM, AND PACIFIC. SO WE ARE AT 53 RETURNED PETITIONS RIGHT NOW. UM, 37. 37 OF THEM BEING POSITIVE. THANK YOU, KYLE , UM, 37 OF THEM BEING IN FAVOR OF THE BID. UM, YOU KNOW, SO THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, UM, HAPPENED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN A YEAR OF BUILDING THE ASSESSMENT STRUCTURE, UM, WHAT THAT'S GONNA KIND OF LOOK LIKE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEN WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE PETITION GATHERING PHASE, RIGHT NOW WE'RE KIND OF DOING A, WE ARE HAVING TO DO KIND OF A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH, UM, WHICH IS BOTH AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN ON WHAT A BID IS, UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE CONVERSATION, ULTIMATELY ASKING THAT BUSINESS OWNER FOR THEIR SIGNATURE. UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT GOING INTO THIS WAS THAT WE WERE GONNA RECEIVE SOME PUSHBACK FROM SOME OF OUR HISTORIC BUSINESSES. UM, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO SURVIVE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF A BID THUS FAR. UM, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT WHAT WE'RE SEEING. WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF EXCITEMENT FROM OUR HISTORIC BUSINESSES. THEY SEE THE VALUE THAT THIS COULD ADD TO THE COMMUNITY. UM, YOU KNOW, AND TO THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT, ONE OF THE MORE EXCITING THINGS THAT I'M SEEING TOO, WHEN WE HAVE OUR MEMBER MEETINGS OR, YOU KNOW, KIND OF OUR KICKOFF CAMPAIGNS AND STUFF, IS THAT WE'RE HAVING BUSINESSES IN WRIGLEY THAT ARE NOT TECHNICALLY IN THE BID, WANT TO TURN IN THEIR PETITION. SO WHILE WE APPRECIATE THEIR EXCITEMENT, UM, , WE DO NOT HAVE A PETITION FOR THEM. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, YEAH, LIKE I SAID, I MEAN, WE'RE HOPING TO BE LONG BEACH'S NEWEST BID. I THINK WHEN WE KIND OF LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF WHAT THE WRIGLEY BUSINESS COLLABORATIVE IS GOING TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR ASSESSMENT IS STILL PRETTY SMALL, SO OUR, OUR BUDGET IS NOT GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE MILLIONS IN TERMS OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET. [01:05:01] SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE BIGGEST GAP THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE FOR THE BIGGEST HURDLE THAT WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE IS HAVING PART-TIME STAFF, UM, THAT NEED TO BE ABLE TO RUN AN ENTIRE OPERATION THAT BUSINESSES CAN FEEL THE EFFECTS FROM, UM, AND A VOLUNTEER BOARD. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WORKING WITH THOSE TWO, UM, THOSE TWO REALITIES CAN DEFINITELY MAKE THINGS A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WAYS THAT WE CAN, CAN LOOK TO BOLSTERING THE BID WOULD BE PROBABLY, UH, WHAT WE WANNA SEE. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT ME TO ADD, AUSTIN? NO. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU CELESTE. SO, YEAH, A LOT OF GREAT EXCITEMENT ABOUT, UH, OR A LOT OF MOMENTUM AROUND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS INTO NEW CORRIDORS. UM, THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO THE FORMATION OF THESE DISTRICTS. UH, IT'S NOT ONLY GETTING THE BUY-IN OF THE BUSINESSES AND OR PROPERTY OWNERS, IT DOES REQUIRE FEASIBILITY STUDIES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE OVERALL, UM, UH, IMPROVEMENTS WOULD BE IF A DISTRICT WAS TO BE PUT INTO PLACE, UH, AND WHAT THAT, UH, ASSESSMENT MAY LOOK LIKE. UM, AND THEN DETERMINING THE PROGRAMMING. AND SO, UH, IT'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK, UH, AND A LONG TIME COMING, I THINK, FOR THE WRIGLEY ASSOCIATION. THAT GOES BACK TO 2017, 2015 PERHAPS, IN TERMS OF REALLY BEGINNING TO BUILD THAT AWARENESS AND CAPACITY AND, AND NEARING KIND OF THIS FINISH LINE FOR THE ORGANIZATION TO BE SET UP. CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? SO, UH, FOR COBA AND FOR ALL THE BIDS, WE, WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE KIND OF SEE, UH, LOOKING FORWARD SOME OF THE, THE CHALLENGES AND THEN ALSO SOME OF THE SUCCESSES THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST, UH, FIVE OR SO YEARS. SO, O ON THE SUCCESS SIDE, I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE A HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO, TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND BRINGING ON A DEDICATED BID MANAGER, WHICH IS KYLE. UM, BECAUSE, UH, THESE BIDS, UM, YOU HAVE ANYWHERE FROM FULL-TIME, PART-TIME VOLUNTEER STAFF. UM, AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT THAT, UH, IS SOMETIMES REQUIRED IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S CAPACITY AROUND THE WORK THAT THEY DO, THAT THERE'S CONNECTIONS HAPPENING WITHIN THE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE, ARE HERE, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S IN PUBLIC WORKS OR IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. AND HAVING A DEDICATED STAFF PERSON ONLY, UH, ONLY ENSURES THE SUCCESS OF, UH, THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. UM, UH, THE OTHER PIECE, AND, AND KYLE TALKED ABOUT THIS WAS ON THE STANDARDIZATION OF CONTRACTS, RIGHT? JUST, UH, THE REPORTING STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, FOR, FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, WHEN THOSE REPORTS ARE DUE, WHAT ARE THE METRICS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR TO IDENTIFY SUCCESS? YOU KNOW, UH, I WOULD SAY 2020, UH, YEAH, 20 YEARS AGO IT WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE, AND NOW WE ALL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE WANNA BE ABLE TO DO, AND THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF LIKE WITH THE HELP OF KYLE KIND OF NARROW IN ON. AND THEN I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR COVID AS A WHOLE COMING OUT OF CO UH, COVID, UM, THERE'S BEEN AN UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF COORDINATION THAT HAS HAPPENED, UH, SINCE THEN IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH WE RELY ON EACH OTHER, HOW MUCH BEST PRACTICES ARE SHARED, UM, HOW WE LOOK AT ADVOCACY EFFORTS FOR BOTH OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND OUR CORRIDORS. UM, THAT, UH, HAS REALLY KIND OF STRENGTHENED OUR OVERALL BID PROGRAMS. UM, AND AS THESE, THESE, UH, NEW BIDS BEGIN TO POP UP, UM, BEING ABLE, OUR EXISTING BIDS, BEING ABLE TO BE A RESOURCE TO THEM AND BEING ABLE TO HELP MENTOR, UH, NEW DIRECTORS. UM, IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE HEADWINDS, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HEARD IT, I THINK FROM BOTH BLAIR AND MARISSA IN TERMS OF, UM, RESOURCE STRAIN, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED ISSUES THAT BIDS ARE EXPERIENCING. UM, I THINK THAT IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE, BUT THOSE ARE CHALLENGES THAT WE AS DISTRICTS ARE FACING. UM, ON THE CITY RESPONSIVENESS SIDE, WE, WE ARE BEGINNING TO SEE THAT TICK UP AS CITY HIRING CONTINUES TO IMPROVE AS PEOPLE KIND OF GET PUT AS PEOPLE, UM, KIND OF SOLIDIFY IN THEIR ROLES. BUT OUR JOBS ONLY WORK IF WE ARE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE WITHIN CITY DEPARTMENTS TO GET THOSE REQUESTS FULFILLED. UH, AND WHEN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY COMMUNICATION BACK OR, OR THERE MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT PERSON IN THE ROLE, IT MAKES US DIFFICULT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, UM, DUMPED ITEMS IN FRONT OF A BUSINESS OR GETTING A STREETLIGHT FIXED OR WHAT HAVE YOU. AND SO WE REALLY DON'T SUCCEED UNLESS WE HAVE GREAT COORDINATION WITH THE CITY. AND SO ENSURING THAT THAT CONTINUES ON. UM, AND, AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE, UH, THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT IS REALLY JUST THE UNCERTAINTY AROUND THE ECONOMY. I THINK EVER SINCE COVID, UH, WHAT WE CALL THE, THE EXIT OF COVID, UM, THE MARKET HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT UNCERTAIN. UM, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS CONTINUE TO SUFFER. UM, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY YEAR THERE IS A NEW, UM, THING THAT HAPPENS , UH, AND SOMETIMES EVERY MONTH, UH, SOMETHING NEW, UH, THAT THROWS ANOTHER, UM, WRENCH INTO, UH, THE SUCCESS, UH, OF OUR BUSINESSES. BUT, UH, AS BIDS, WE CONTINUE TO, TO BEAT THE POSITIVE MESSAGE, AS BLAIR SAYS, TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE, UH, [01:10:01] OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR VISITORS TO VISIT THEIR BUSINESSES, THEIR SMALL BUSINESSES, THEIR COMMUNITY BUSINESSES, AND TO SUPPORT THEM. AND, AND BIDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE THAT CHAMPION AND, UH, DESPITE THE UNCERTAINTY THAT WE SEE AHEAD. NEXT SLIDE. UH, SO, UH, AS COBO, WE'VE COME UP WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS. THEY'RE ALSO OUTLINED IN THE STATE OF THE BID REPORT. UM, BUT THESE ARE LIKELY ONGOING RECOMMENDATIONS AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND EXPAND. UM, SO, SO THE FIRST ONE IS OPERATIONAL ALIGNMENT. I, I THINK, YES, AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE, UH, DEPARTMENT SIDE FROM THE CITIES BEGIN TO HAVE TO, TO FILL THE ROLES THAT ARE, ARE VACATED, VACANT, UM, WE'D LOVE TO CONTINUE TO SEE, UM, RESPONSIVENESS FROM THE CITY SIDE IN THOSE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS CONTINUE TO GROW AND, AND TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE BUS, THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO EXECUTE THEIR MISSION, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. I THINK THERE ARE INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT'S AHEAD ON, UM, PLACEMAKING, PEDESTRIAN RELATED, UM, ACTIVE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT CAN HAPPEN WITHIN A BID CORRIDOR THAT BIDS CAN, CAN, UM, PARTNER WITH CITI AS WELL AS OTHER, UM, UH, PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS, UH, TO BRING THOSE PROJECTS INTO THOSE AREAS. AS WE PREPARE FOR THE OLYMPICS. UM, UH, REMOVAL OF FRICTION, I THINK, UH, WE LIKE TO CALL OURSELVES TRUSTED PARTNERS OF THE CITY. AND, UH, WE ARE TASKED WITH ACTIVATING SPACES WITHIN THE CITY PARKS, SIDEWALKS, PUBLIC SPACES IN GENERAL, BUT ALSO HELPING TO ENSURE THAT BUSINESSES CAN GET INTO VACANT SPACES. AND SO SOMETIMES, UH, IN, IN DOING THAT, THERE MAY BE DELAYS, THERE MAY BE BURDENSOME PERMITTING PROCESSES. AND, AND I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A WAY OF CONSIDERING HOW DO YOU STREAMLINE, HOW DO YOU REDUCE, UM, HOW DO YOU MAKE IT SO THAT BIDS CAN EFFECTIVELY DO THEIR JOB WITHOUT ADDING ANOTHER LAYER INTO IT? UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS IS THE GOAL OF EVERYBODY TO ACTIVATE VACANT SPACES. UM, AND THEN THE LAST BIT, LAST PIECE GOES BACK TO, UH, UH, CAPACITY BUILDING AND BEING ABLE TO ENSURE THE FACT THAT, UM, ONE, WHEN BIDS ARE FORMED, UM, THAT THEY'RE FORMED, UH, WITH THE NECESSARY RESOURCES IN MIND TO ENSURE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE, UH, A PART-TIME OR VOLUNTEERED, UM, INDIVIDUAL, BECAUSE IT DOES MAKE IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, UM, FOR THOSE DIRECTORS TO EXECUTE THE MISSION AND, UH, THE VISION THAT THE BOARD THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS EXPECT. UM, BUT THEN TWO, FOR YOUR EXISTING BIDS, TRYING TO THINK CREATIVELY ABOUT WHAT ELSE CAN, UH, BE PROVIDED IN ORDER TO HELP SUPPORT THEM FOR THE LONG TERM. UM, WE, KYLE DID NOTE, UH, ABOUT THE, UM, ONE TIME FUNDING THAT THE CITY HAS APPROVED FOR 25, 20, 26, 27. UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S ONE TIME FUNDING. SO HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THERE'S A SUSTAINABLE FUNDING MODEL FOR EACH OF THE BIDS THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE JUST, UM, CITY FUNDING FOR, FOR THESE ONE-OFF ISSUES, RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE, UM, THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR THE BIDS COBA, UH, TO WORK WITH BOTH THIS COMMISSION TO WORK WITH OUR, OUR CITY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO, TO REALLY KIND OF LEAN INTO THAT. UM, AND I BELIEVE IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, I WANNA LEAVE YOU ALL WITH A QUOTE FROM ONE OF OUR OTHER DIRECTORS, UH, SIERRA OVER AT FOURTH STREET. UH, WHETHER WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR, UH, PROVIDING RESOURCES, CREATING COHESIVE MARKETING PROMOTIONS, WE'RE COORDINATING EVENTS, THESE COLLECTIVE EFFORTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO ENSURING THAT OUR CORRIDORS STAY LIVELY, VISIBLE, AND FULL OF OPPORTUNITY. UH, AND WITH THAT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OKAY. I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS AND, UM, HOPEFULLY YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME QUESTIONS FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS 'CAUSE I LIKE TO BE IN DISCUSSION. SO DO I HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER NOVIN, THANKS AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION. UH, THE, THE WORK, ALL THE BIDS DO IS GREAT. UM, I LIKE THE ROULETTE WHEEL KIND OF ANALOGY, BLAIR, AND YOU'VE, YOU PRESENTED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AS WELL. I THINK IT'S GREAT 'CAUSE EACH BID'S GONNA HAVE THEIR AREAS WHERE THEY KNOW THE BALL'S GONNA LAND A LOT MORE THAN THE OTHER BIDS, RIGHT? SO IT'S A BIG BENEFIT TO THE CITY AND OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO GET THE FUNDING AS CLOSE TO THOSE BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS AND CUSTOMERS AS POSSIBLE SO THAT YOU ALL KNOW HOW TO DEPLOY IT THE MOST EFFICIENTLY. UM, CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE LEVERS YOU ALL HAVE AROUND PUBLIC SAFETY? YOU TALKED ABOUT SAFE, CLEAN AND ACTIVE. AND ACTIVE IS GREAT BECAUSE IT DRIVES THE REVENUE TO KEEP IT CLEAN AND TO KEEP IT SAFE. UM, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT PRIVATE SECURITY AND HOW YOU ENGAGE WITH LONG BEACH POLICE? UM, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF LIKE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING RECENTLY. I THINK WE LOSE A LOT OF REVENUE WHEN WE'RE REACTIVE TO SITUATIONS AND HOW CAN WE GET YOU ALL MORE RESOURCES TO KIND OF, UM, PROVIDE SAFETY PROACTIVELY, UM, ESPECIALLY IN A WORLD WHERE IT'S LIKE, IT'S HARD TO JUSTIFY THAT 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T PROVE SOMETHING DIDN'T HAPPEN. BUT HOW DO WE GET YOU ALL MORE RESOURCES TO KEEP THOSE AREAS SAFE? I'LL JUMP IN FIRST. I'LL SPEAK VERY CANDIDLY ABOUT IT. UM, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND LIMITATIONS [01:15:01] WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, CURRENTLY AND, AND LOOKING FOR THE BIGGER ISSUES AND MAYBE SOME OF THE STUFF IS NOT A PRIORITY ONE CALL THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, BUT IT'S A NUMBER ONE PRIORITY CALL FOR THE BUSINESS OWNER OR THE RESIDENT THAT'S AFFECTED BY, YOU KNOW, WHAT MAY BE HAPPENING. SO I'LL SPEAK JUST FOR US. THIS WAS YEARS AND YEARS AGO. WE'VE BEEN WITH OUR SECURITY COMPANY, WELL OVER 10 YEARS. MORE THAN THAT, IT WAS WHEN OUR BUSINESS, WHEN OUR OFFICE GOT BROKEN INTO, UH, I SAID, UH, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MORE THAN CLOSE TO HOME, SO WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. THEN WE, WE FOUND OUT WHO IT WAS AND, AND, UH, WHO HAD HIT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. I SAID, WELL, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING THAT IF HAVE EYES AND EARS SAYS WE'RE TRYING TO GROW THIS, THIS DISTRICT AND GET THE ENERGY GOING AND, AND, UH, REVITALIZE, YOU KNOW, BIG SPIN'S AREA. ONE THING WE CAN'T HAVE IS INTERLOPERS, UH, KNOCKING DOWN THE PIECES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD UP. SO IT WAS CRITICAL TO, TO SWITCH GEARS. SO AT THE TIME, WE DID HAVE REDEVELOPMENT MONEY AND THAT HELPED US, UH, GET INTO A, A CONTRACT WITH, UH, A BIXIE KNOWS BUSINESS, WHICH IS A SECURITY COMPANY. SAY, HEY, WILL YOU MONITOR HOME BASE HERE FOR US? AND SO THEY DID. AND WE, WE'VE DONE THAT, UH, AGAIN FOR MORE THAN A DECADE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO NOW WE WILL CUT ANY OTHER PROGRAM OR FIND OTHER WAYS TO MAKE OTHER PROGRAMS HAPPEN, BUT WE WON'T CUT SECURITY. IT'S JUST THAT IMPORTANT. AND I TRY TO PREACH, YOU KNOW, TO THE CITY, BUT ALSO TO THE BID DIRECTORS. WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY THAT EVERYBODY CAN FIND SECURITY BECAUSE WE NEED A FRONTLINE. WE NEED A FIRST POINT OF CONTACT, HONESTLY, UH, WHEN POLICE MAY BE OUT ON OTHER CALLS OR OTHER PRIORITIES. BUT AGAIN, THE PERSON AT THE COFFEE SHOP WHO MAY HAVE JUST BEEN VERBALLY ACCOSTED, UM, OR A WINDOW WAS BROKEN OR SOMETHING ELSE HAD HAPPENED, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT CONTACT FOR US. NOW, UH, AND I'LL TELL YOU HONESTLY, I COULD SEE OUT MY WINDOW. I COULD SEE WHO'S WALKING UP AND DOWN THE STREET, AND IF I GET A CALL FROM A BUSINESS OWNER ABOUT SOMEBODY, THERE'S BEEN TIMES WHEN I'VE, YOU KNOW, RUN OUT AND, AND GONE LOOKING FOR THE PERSON MYSELF TO MAKE CONTACT THEN TO CALL SECURITY AND THEN TO CALL THE POLICE IF IT ESCALATES. MOSTLY I WANNA KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE STREET AND MAKE SOME PEOPLE AWARE OF, HEY, UH, YOU'RE NOT, YOU DON'T GET TO DO THAT HERE. UH, YOU, YOU'RE NOT GONNA COME TO THIS PLACE AND CONTINUE TO HARASS SOMEBODY OR YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, PACK YOUR STUFF UP, CLEAN UP AND, AND HEAD OUT. IT'S JUST THAT IT'S THAT INTENSE. LIKE THAT'S OUR PRIORITY. AND AGAIN, WE WILL NOT DO ONE OFF EVENTS. WE WON'T DO WHATEVER BECAUSE WE'LL PUT THE MONEY INTO SECURITY. SO WE'VE, WE'VE BUDGETED TO MAKE SURE WE COULD, WE COULD DO IT. AND WE WE'RE FORTUNATE BECAUSE THE SECURITY COMPANY WILL WORK WITH US IF, UH, IF I NEED SOME FAVORS, HEY, COULD YOU ADD A COUPLE MORE HOURS? NO PROBLEM. IF YOU CAN HAVE ALL YOUR GUYS THAT ARE COMING BACK TO THE OFFICE, JUST MAKE ONE SWEEP OF THE DISTRICT BEFORE THEY COME BACK OR GOING OUT ON THE NEXT JOB, CAN YOU HAVE 'EM TAKE A LOOK? THEY DO IT FOR US. SO IT'S CRITICAL. UM, AND THE NEIGHBORS KNOW THAT. THE NEIGHBORS SEE IT. THEY HEAR IT. AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IS LIKE CREATE THIS CYCLE THAT THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE PUTTING THE EFFORTS TO MAKE THEIR AREA SAFE. THEY'RE DONATING TO US TO PAY FOR SECURITY. THEY SEE SECURITY AND IT GOES LIKE THIS. THEN I GO BACK TO, I SAY, JULIAN, WE NEED SOME MORE MONEY. UH, MR. RICHARDSON, WE NEED SOME MONEY. AND KNOCK ON WOOD, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TO, TO GET SOME SUPPORT. BUT AS AUSTIN SAID, IT HAS TO BE SUSTAINABLE. LIKE THE ONE OFFICE IS IS GREAT, BUT WE COULD BURN THROUGH IT PRETTY QUICKLY. YEAH. 'CAUSE I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE SALES TAX NUMBERS IN HERE AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE HIGHEST SALES TAX YOU COULD POSSIBLY HAVE. RIGHT? BUT IF PEOPLE FEEL SAFE, I THINK THEY'RE MORE COMFORTABLE GOING TO RESTAURANTS AND, YOU KNOW, FREQUENTLY THOSE BUSINESSES. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT. AND I APPRECIATE IT AND I THINK YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. IT'S, IT'S HOW CAN WE DO MORE? HOW CAN THIS COMMISSION HELP DO MORE? SO MAKING SURE THE PARKING REVENUE STAYS IN THE AREA. THE SALES TAX GOES BACK TO THE BUSINESSES PERMITTING'S DONE QUICKLY. IT'S ALL STUFF THAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON AND THAT GROW, GROW LONG BEACH 2.0. COMMISSIONER WATCH. YEAH, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'M IN A, A KIND OF GO OFF OF THAT WITH THE SAFETY ISSUE. I'M IN THE SHORE, I LIVE IN THE SHORE. I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES ON SECOND STREET AND UH, WE DID, I DID GO TO ONE MEETING THAT WE HAD AT THE PIER, 'CAUSE ALSO THE HOMELESS ISSUE ESCALATED AS WELL. UM, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD THEM TALK ABOUT PRIVATE SECURITY AND I DON'T KNOW THAT. AND I THINK THAT IF THEY DON'T HAVE IT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE BROUGHT UP. AND I KNOW OUR OWN COMMUNITY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW. IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE. SO I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ARE WE GONNA GET ON BOARD ON IT OR NOT? WE'RE IN THE DISCUSSIONS IN OUR AREA, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SECURITY AND WHO WOULD YOU CALL? 'CAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU CAN'T CALL THE POLICE ON THIS. IT TAKES, I KNOW WE'VE HAD ISSUES. IT'S TAKEN A COUPLE [01:20:01] HOURS FOR 'EM TO GET THERE AND THEY JUST, THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE MANPOWER FOR IT. AND THEY DID COME AND TALK TO US ABOUT THAT. BUT IS THERE SOME CENTRAL PLACE LIKE ON, YOU KNOW, VIOLENT HOMELESSNESS OR, UM, WE'RE SEEING BREAKING AND ENTERING OF OTHER THAN THE POLICE THAT THERE'S A SEPARATE PLACE YOU CAN CALL AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON WITH HOMELESSNESS. WELL, UM, THE DIRECTOR THERE, HEATHER CURIN, SHE'S ACTUALLY ON A WALKTHROUGH RIGHT NOW IN, ON, ON SECOND STREET WITH THE, THE COUNCIL OFFICE AND, AND, UM, WITH POLICE PROBABLY ADDRESSING SOME OF THESE, THESE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO I CAN'T, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR HER, BUT I DO KNOW THAT I DO BELIEVE SHE HAS HIRED SECURITY, UH, FOR SECOND STREET, WHATEVER HOURS THEY CAN AFFORD TO DO. SO, UH, I WOULD TALK TO HEATHER KERN AND GET, YEAH, SHE COULD TELL YOU THE WHOLE STORY. UH, JULIAN, I DUNNO IF YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT. YEAH, I'LL ADD A LITTLE BIT. UM, THE BELMONT SHORE BID IS A, KIND OF, HAS A MORE OF A UNIQUE SETUP BECAUSE, UH, IN THAT AREA IS ALSO THE, UM, BELMONT SHORE PARKING COMMISSION. SO, UM, TYPICALLY THE, THE BID BUDGET ITSELF IS, UM, REALLY FOCUS MORE ON, UH, ACTIVATION EVENTS, WHY? AND THEN THE FUNDING THAT COMES FROM THE BELMONT PARKING COMMISSION IS INSTILLED MORE TOWARDS MORE LIKE PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS. AND THEN I BELIEVE ALSO SOME SAFETY. UM, HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU GUYS MORE INFORMATION ON THAT ONE. THAT ONE WAS JUST AN INTERESTING JUST HOW THE HISTORY UNFOLDED, UH, IN THAT PART OF, OF THE CITY. UM, THE SECOND PIECE, UH, ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IS THAT THE CITY DOES HAVE A COUPLE OF TEAMS, UH, DEDICATED TO, UH, ADDRESSING, UM, HOMELESSNESS ISSUES, UH, IN THE CITY. UM, SO I WOULD RECOMMEND, UM, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT TO TO THEM FOR THAT. AND I CAN ALSO, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW UP WITH THAT INFORMATION. THE LAST BIT I'LL SAY, AND UM, UH, I KNOW IS THAT THIS IS KINDA LIKE THE, THE ADVICE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THERE, IT'S, UM, THEY CANNOT GET TO YOU LATER ON, UH, YOU KNOW, IMMEDIATELY IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO STILL CALL IN THAT INCIDENT BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY DATA DRIVEN. SO WHAT THEY BASICALLY TELL US, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, FROM, YOU KNOW, OUR TEAM TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE BUSINESS OWNERS AND RESIDENTS IS TO CALL IT IN REGARDLESS, UH, BECAUSE THAT HELPS THEM MAKE THE CASE FOR ALLOCATING RESOURCES BASED ON THE DATA, THE PHONE CALLS THAT THEY RECEIVE. SO I KNOW IT'S FRUSTRATING. IT IS NOT AN IMMEDIATE RELIEF THAT ANY OF US ARE LOOKING FOR, BUT LONG TERM IT IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL TO THEN STEER THE RESOURCES TO WHERE THE, THE VOLUME OF THE PHONE CALLS, THE INCIDENTS ARE, ARE BEING CALLED. I KNOW THAT IS NOT THE ANSWER THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO HEAR, BUT THAT IS THE ANSWER THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TOLD MAKES A DIFFERENCE LONG TERM. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. YEAH. SO, AND, AND COMMISSIONER, I JUST WANTED TO ADD ON, ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY NOTE. UM, I, I BELIEVE KYLE SAID IT AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS PRESENTATION, I THINK I SAID IT AS WELL, THE, THE, UM, BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS OR DESIGN TO PROVIDE A SERVICE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE BASELINE SERVICE THAT THE CITY IS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE. CITY IS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE SAFETY, WHICH IS LAW ENFORCEMENT, HEALTH, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THOSE OTHER ACTIVITIES, UM, THE LIGHTS THAT YOU SEE ON THE STREET AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPLEMENT SOME OF THAT, ENHANCE IT WHERE THEY CAN'T, UM, THEY DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ARREST PEOPLE. WE ARE NOT POLICE DEPARTMENTS. NONE OF OUR SECURITY TEAMS HAVE THAT AUTHORITY. AND SO THERE IS A LINE THAT WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT, UM, YOU SHOULD NOT EXPECT BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS TO PRIVATIZE EVERYTHING WITH PRIVATE SECURITY AND TAKE ON WHAT WE ARE DOING. WHILE WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A GAP IN THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT WE HAVE, WE'RE KIND OF FILLING THAT ROLE, BUT THAT WHERE WE SHOULD REALLY BE AS ORGANIZATIONS IS IN THE IDEA OF ACTIVATING MARKETING, GETTING PEOPLE TO WANT TO COME OUT, NOT THE SAFETY, BUT TO BLAIR'S POINT, THE MAJORITY OF OUR TIME IS NOW BEING DEDICATED TO THAT BECAUSE THERE IS THIS GAP. SO I THINK TO, TO COMMISSIONER NINA'S POINT IS HOW DO WE GET TO, HOW DO YOU GET THE RESOURCES NECESSARY? I THINK AT, REALLY ON THE CITY SIDE, IT'S GETTING THE OFFICERS IN PLACE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO CONTINUE TO HIRE MULTIPLE SECURITY TEAMS TO, TO DO SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE HANDLED BY PD. SO, SORRY, JUST QUICKLY GONNA ADD TO THAT TOO. SO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TO WHAT COMMISSIONER MATOYA WAS SAYING IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COST OF PRIVATE SECURITY. PRIVATE SECURITY IS VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE. UM, AND IT IS STILL TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, MORE OF A REACTIVE MEASURE THAN IT IS A PROACTIVE ONE. SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BIDS AND OUR BUDGETS, YOU KNOW, THE BEST PLACE THAT WE CAN DO PROACTIVE SECURITY IS BEAUTIFICATION AND VACANCY RATES. SO MAKING SURE THAT OUR CORRIDORS ARE BEAUTIFUL AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE WALKABLE, UM, BECAUSE THAT IN AND OF ITSELF DETERS CRIME AND HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, AND THEN IT ALSO GETS PEOPLE TO COME IN AND RENT THE STOREFRONTS, WHICH ALSO PREVENTS PEOPLE FROM COMING IN AND, AND DOING CRIME. SO, YOU KNOW, IN, IN [01:25:01] TERMS OF THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE, PROACTIVE WAY TO INCREASE SECURITY, IT'S JUST MAKE OUR STREETS PRETTY. DID YOU HAVE DIGITAL COMMENT? NO, NOT AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY, GREAT. OKAY, COMMISSIONER SMITH AND THEN COMMISSIONER SANDOVAL. I JUST WANNA SAY AUSTIN AND BLAIR SEEING YOU IN WORK OVER THE YEARS, IT'S, IT'S VERY AMICABLE AND ADMIRABLE TO SEE THE ACTIVATION. IT'S MY HOPE FOR ME THAT LIVES ON THE WEST SIDE TO HOPE THIS COMES INTO PARTITION. 'CAUSE IT DESPERATELY NEEDS ACTIVATION AND WRIGLEY AND IN THE WEST SIDE. SO I'M LOOKING VERY FORWARD TO SEEING THIS HAPPEN. HELLO. UH, THREE QUESTIONS. UM, SO, UH, THIS ONE'S MORE FOR THE CITY, BUT, UM, JUST LOOKING AT LIKE THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES AND THE GRANTS THAT GO OUT, AND THEY'RE PRETTY KIND OF EVEN ACROSS THE BOARD. DOES THE CITY, ARE THESE UNRESTRICTED FUNDS THAT GO TO THE BIDS? OR IS THERE AN EXPECTATION? ARE THERE STANDARDS? ARE THERE SOME KPIS THAT THE CITY IS LOOKING FROM THIS, THE FUNDS GOING TO THE BIDS? UM, AND JUST LOOKING AT KIND OF THE, THE CHARGE ON EXPENDITURES. SOME HAVE HEAVY MANAGEMENT IN SOME VERY LITTLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WHERE OTHERS HAVE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY EVEN CLEAN AND SAFE PERCENTAGES ACROSS THE BOARD. I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT YOUR APPROACH IS THERE. UH, VERY GOOD QUESTION. UM, SO THE, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL APPROVES ESSENTIALLY A, A LARGE SUM OF A, A LARGE SUM, UH, A BUCKET OF FUNDS. AND THEN WE HAVE A FORMULA, UH, THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE NUMBER OF, UM, BUSINESSES IN, YOU KNOW, OF ACTIVE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES WITH ACTIVE BUSINESS LICENSE INTO THE FORMULA. SO WE DO LIKE A PER DOOR, ESSENTIALLY, UM, A GRANT AMOUNT. AND THEN BASED ON THE SIZE OF THAT, OF THE NUMBER OF THAT IS THE TOTAL OF THE GRANT DOLLARS. SO ONCE THAT FORMULA IS LANDED ON FOR EACH OF THE BIDS, UH, WE THEN THE CITY ESSENTIALLY ENTERS INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH EACH OF THE BIDS ON THE BACKEND. UM, BUT THOSE, UM, FUNDS ARE LIMITED TO ESSENTIALLY THE CORE, UH, RESPONSES OF THE BID, LIKE THE, THE ONES THAT COMMISSION INVENTORY MENTIONED. SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE THEM PROVIDE US WITH A SCOPE OF WORK THAT IS BASED ON SAFETY AND SECURITY, CLEANLINESS AND THEN ACTIVATION, AND THEN ALSO SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES LIKE TREE PLANTING OR, YOU KNOW, WATERING, UH, SERVICES, THINGS LIKE THAT FOR, UH, FOR LANDSCAPING. UM, AND THEN THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WE, THE SCOPE OF WORK WE DO RECEIVE, UM, UH, BASICALLY LIKE THE METRICS, RIGHT? SO WE LOOK TO PROVIDE, AT THE END, THEY PROVIDE US WITH, IT'S A SIMPLE REPORT, UH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT TOO BURDENSOME, BUT A SIMPLE REPORT THAT, UM, HELPS US, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND AND THEN DEMONSTRATE TO COUNCIL RIGHT TO THE COMMISSION OF WHAT THE IMPACT IS. SO, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, TRANSLATING THE DOLLARS TO NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL SECURITY, UH, PROVIDED, UM, NUMBER OF TRASH COLLECTED, ANYTHING THAT CAN HELP US QUANTIFY THE IMPACT OF THOSE ONE TIME FUNDS IS VERY HELPFUL FOR US TO THEN TURN AROUND AND BE ADVOCATES AND GOOD PARTNERS ON OUR BEHALF, YOU KNOW, TO SAY LIKE, HEY, THESE ONE TIME, UH, FUNDS ARE CRITICAL AND THIS IS BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THE BIDS HAVE DONE WITH THOSE. UM, SO WE KIND OF LEAVE IN, UM, OPEN TO THOSE THREE GENERAL AREAS, AND THEN WE LOOK TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS AND, AND THEIR STAFF AND THE BUSINESS OWNERS TO REALLY DETERMINE THE BEST USE OF THOSE WITHIN THOSE THREE OR FOUR BUCKETS. MM-HMM . THANK YOU. UH, THE OTHER QUESTION IS, UM, HOW DOES, HOW DOES THE BID, HOW DO, DO, I KNOW THE BIDS HAVE, THEIR PLATES ARE FULL, I UNDERSTAND THAT. I'VE SEEN BLAIR BEND OVER, YOU KNOW, FIVE WAYS BACKWARDS, , AND I SEE 'EM IN THE MORNING, I SEE 'EM AT NIGHT RUNNING AROUND THE STREETS DOING A LOT OF STUFF. AND SO SAME WITH OTHER BID LEADERS, BUT, UM, HOW ARE THE BIDS WORKING WITH THE CITY, WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE CHAMBER, THE SBAS? HOW ARE THEY COLLABORATING? HOW ARE THEY KIND OF MAYBE, YOU KNOW, DIVIDING WHERE THEY CAN SO THAT MORE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO BIDS IF, IF AT ALL? ? UH, I CAN ACTUALLY ANSWER THAT. SO MY FULL-TIME JOB IS THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER FOR THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. UM, SO THE BIDS AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WORK TOGETHER VERY CLOSELY IN TERMS OF CITYWIDE COORDINATION EFFORTS. UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, KIND OF BEYOND, UM, BEYOND THAT, I KNOW THAT COBA KIND OF EXISTS TO BE THE UNIFIED VOICES OF THE BIDS, WHICH EXIST TO BE THE UNIFIED VOICES OF BUSINESSES WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH THE CITY. SO, I, I COULDN'T SAY THE, THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE COULD BE BETTER, HONESTLY. THANK YOU. AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, WE RECENTLY HAD A, A PRESENTATION ON EIFS, WHICH IS SPECIAL TAX DISTRICTS. UM, I'D BE CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW, AND THAT'S MORE KIND OF A LONG-TERM PLAN, BUT I'D BE CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW THE BIDS CAN INCORPORATE WITH THE EIF FDS, ESPECIALLY AS REDEVELOPMENT FUNDS WORK ARE, ARE GONE, HAVE BEEN GONE, BUT EIFS IN, IN A SENSE, CAN [01:30:01] REPLACE THOSE REDEVELOPMENT FUNDS TO FURTHER ENHANCE DEVELOPMENT IN THESE SMALL COMMUNITIES. YEAH, THAT, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. UM, AND AS WE WORK TO FINALIZE, YOU MIGHT RECALL A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, THE, THE MAPS THAT WERE PROPOSED, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE STILL LOOKING TO GET SOME FEEDBACK. UM, SO ONCE AS ARE FINALIZED, UM, WE CAN BRING THAT ITEM BACK TO SEE, YOU KNOW, JUST THE PROJECTIONS, RIGHT? LIKE YOU SAID, THIS IS OVER DECADES. UM, BUT, UH, I THINK IT'S WORTH BRINGING BACK TO SEE WHAT AT LEAST WE ANTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, WILL HAPPEN. GREAT QUESTION. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, VICE CHAIR THOMAS. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT. APPRECIATE IT. VERY INFORMATIVE. UM, AT THIS POINT, I MEAN, I'M FLASHING BACK TO SECOND STREET OR BELMONT SHORE WHEN IT FIRST BEGAN AND GOT SOME TRACTION AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE WAS THAT THE, THEY WERE SO SUCCESSFUL WITH BUSINESS RETENTION THAT PROPERTY OWNERS RAISED THE RATES, THE MONTHLY RATES, WHICH DROVE A LOT OF THE MOM AND POPS OUT, WHICH WAS THE UNIQUENESS, UH, CONNECTIVITY OF SECOND STREET. DO YOU, UH, HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH PROPERTY OWNERS ON A REGULAR BASIS ABOUT MAINTAINING PROPERTY VALUE OR PROPERTY, UH, INSURANCE AND PROPERTY RENTAL RATES TO SECURE THOSE AND RETAIN THOSE BUSINESSES? IS THAT PART OF YOUR, THE AGENDA, I SHOULD SAY? UM, YEAH, SURE. I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION. SO ZACHARIA IS, UH, BOTH MERCHANT AND PROPERTY BASE. SO WE DO HAVE PROPERTY OWNERS ON OUR BOARD, AND WE ALSO HAVE MERCHANTS. SO WE SEE BOTH SIDES OF IT. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S HARD. ZEPHYR, FOR INSTANCE, IT DOES HAVE SOME CHAINS IN THERE. I KNOW THAT BELMONT SHORE, UM, HAS RECENTLY GOTTEN MORE CHAINS. UM, AND THERE'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE OPPOSITION TO THAT FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD. PEOPLE, UH, REALLY ENJOY GOING TO DISTRICTS THAT FEEL LIKE THEY'RE AUTHENTIC. UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF PREVENTING THAT, BUT WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF CREATING A CULTURE AND AN ATMOSPHERE THAT IS REALLY WELCOMING TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND TO ENTREPRENEURS. AND WE HAVE ONGOING, AT LEAST I KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PROPERTY OWNERS ABOUT, UM, WHO THEY ARE IDENTIFYING AS, UM, THE BEST TENANTS FOR THEIR, THEIR PROPERTIES, UM, AND HOW WE CAN HELP THEM TO, UH, ATTRACT THOSE TENANTS AND, UM, HOW WE CAN KIND OF WORK TOGETHER WITH THEM TO CREATE LITTLE POCKETS OF ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS THAT, UH, ARE, ARE, ARE REALLY, UM, REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT WE FEEL IS AN ECLECTIC AND DIVERSE DISTRICT. AND SO WHILE WE CAN'T NECESSARILY PREVENT LARGER STORES FROM COMING IN AND CHAIN, UH, CHAINS FROM COMING IN, WE DO WANNA DIRECT OUR, OUR, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO THINK ABOUT THE OVERALL COMMUNITY AND ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT ARE ACTIVE WITH THE BIDS TO THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT THAT HAS. DOES THAT KIND OF ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES, IT DOES. AND I THINK WHAT, WHAT BIDS DO, UM, BEST ON THE LIST OF POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES IS THAT IT SECURES THE PROPERTY VALUES TO THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, IF YOU LOOK EITHER SIDE OF ATLANTIC AND CAL HEIGHTS, IT BEING A HISTORIC DISTRICT, THAT'S ALL LED, THAT STABILIZATION HAS ALL LED TO PROPERTY VALUES BE MAINTAIN AND OFTEN EXCEEDING, UH, UH, OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY. UM, LAST QUESTION. THE HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN ADVANCED PROACTIVE PUBLIC POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE MATTERS? DOES COBRA MONITOR THINGS THAT ARE COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE IN TERMS OF SMALL BUSINESS IMPACTS? MOST RECENTLY IT WAS THE STREET VENDORS. UM, AND OBVIOUSLY WHEN IT COMES FROM SACRAMENTO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T, YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ROOM TO WIGGLE, BUT LOCALLY HERE WITH COUNCIL AND MAYOR DRIVEN PUBLIC POLICY, ESPECIALLY DEALING WITH LAND MANAGEMENT, UH, LAND USE MANAGEMENT, I SHOULD SAY. UM, DO YOU OFTEN GET ENGAGED WITH THE CITY ON THOSE, ON THOSE EFFORTS AS WELL? UH, SO ZEPHYR HAS THREE DIFFERENT COUNCIL DISTRICTS WITHIN, UH, THE CORRIDOR. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, AND I KNOW THAT I, I HAVE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, ALL OF THEIR OFFICES ABOUT, UM, THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP IN THE COMMUNITY, THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP IN THE STATE, WHAT THEY WANT FOR US TO ADVOCATE FOR, UM, AND AS A UNIT, UH, FOR COBOT. THESE ARE ALSO DISCUSSION POINTS THAT WE HAVE. WE MEET TWICE, UH, A MONTH AND TALK ABOUT THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT IMPACT OUR, OUR BUSINESSES, IMPACT OUR PROPERTIES, UH, AND SO WE ARE KIND OF ALWAYS IN A STATE OF EDUCATION ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON. GREAT. THANKS. YEAH. JUST TO ADD TO THAT A LITTLE BIT, BIT, UH, IT'S, IT'S NECESSARY TO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS [01:35:01] WITH, WITH EVERYBODY AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY LOOK AT US AS QUARTERBACKS OF THE TEAM. SO WE GET THE PLAYS, THE PLAY LIKE CELESTE AND THE CHAMBER, UH, WILL KINDA LAY THE LAND FOR US TO SAY, HERE'S THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AND WHATNOT, AND THIS IS WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM. AND CONSIDER THIS, UH, THE CALIFORNIA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION TO THE LONG BEACH RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, UM, TO WHOMEVER IT'S FROM, THE COUNCIL OFFICES TALKING TO US, TO EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW, WHAT'D YOU HEAR? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS, UM, TO FOLKS LIKE, UM, SUNSTONE, UH, MAYBE WHO, WHO HAS INSIGHT TO WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE? UH, IT'S, IT'S JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY. SO WE AS PLAY CALLERS, IN A SENSE, HAVE TO HEAR FROM WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND US BEFORE WE CAN REACT AND, AND APPLY THAT TO THE STREETS. SO WE'RE ALWAYS AWARE OUR EARS AND EYES OPEN ALL THE TIME. UH, IT'S BEEN A, AS AUSTIN SAID, THE LANDSCAPE HAS MOVED AND IT'S CONSTANTLY MOVING, ESPECIALLY SINCE 2020. AND WE HAVE TO ADAPT AND WE HAVE TO BE THE ONES IN FRONT, UH, TO EITHER PROTECT OR ADVOCATE FOR OR EXPLAIN TO OUR MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING AND HOW DO WE ALL, UM, WORK WITH IT AND DEAL WITH IT. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THEN I'LL JUST ADD REALLY QUICKLY, UM, SO, UH, IN THE CITY MANAGER OFFICE, WE HAVE THE, UH, THE, THE TEAM THAT'S INTER, UH, INTERDEPARTMENTAL, UH, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM, SORRY, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS TEAM. SO WE AS A CITY ALSO, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT TEAM BASICALLY KEEPS A TAB ON LEGISLATION, FEDERAL AND STATE THAT IS MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. AND IF IT'S, LET'S SAY, PERTAINING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THEN THEY WILL PING US TO REVIEW THE LEGISLATION AND THEN PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE BE IN SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION, UH, OF THAT. AND THEN IF WE ARE, LET'S SAY, IN SUPPORT OF A CERTAIN LEGISLATION PIECE, THEN WE'LL DRAFT UP, UM, A LETTER, YOU KNOW, UM, FORMALIZING, UH, THE, UM, APPROVAL OR ENDORSEMENT OF A PIECE OF LEGISLATION. THE OTHER PIECE TOO, UM, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED TO LEARN MORE, WE CAN DEFINITELY, UM, SCHEDULE SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE. UH, BUT WE HAVE, UM, BASICALLY THE STATE AND LEGISLATIVE AGENDAS, WHICH IS OUR FORMAL DOCUMENT WHERE WE AS A CITY, UH, ENDORSE, UH, CERTAIN ISSUE AREAS, YOU KNOW, ENDORSE AN ISSUE AREA IN A CERTAIN WAY. UM, SO THAT'S ALSO, UH, SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING TO TAKE A LOOK AT AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, UH, LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE, BUT THAT'S ALSO JUST KIND OF THE, THE FORMAL TWO KIND OF FORMAL PROCESS THAT, THAT WE LOOK TO AS A CITY ENDORSE LEGISLATION. GREAT. THANK YOU. THANKS TO EVERYONE. OKAY. UM, I HAVE ONE QUESTION IS YOU DID, YOU HAD THE CITYWIDE IMPACT DASHBOARD AND YOU HAD 50 MILLION ON THERE PER, FOR PROJECTED REINVESTMENT. SO CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT'S IN THAT NUMBER? THAT'S A, THAT'S A ME NUMBER. UM, SO, UH, HAPPY TO ADDRESS THAT ONE. THAT IS LOOKING AT BOTH, UH, OVERALL RETAIL SALES AS WELL AS, UM, PROPERTY VALUE INCREASES WITHIN THE DISTRICTS AS THEY, UM, BEGIN TO GO UP. OKAY. THAT'S GREAT. UM, AND I, I THINK WHEN I LOOKED AT THE NUMBER I WAS THINKING, YOU KNOW, OF SOME OF THOSE, UM, METRICS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, I, I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, ESPECIALLY OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS, OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITIES, SO THAT WE CAN WORK TOWARDS THAT WITH EVERYBODY. YEAH, I THINK O ONE THING AS COBA AND, AND I THINK THE SIG OF THE BIDS REPORT IS, IS, UM, A FIRST ATTEMPT AT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION, BUT CREATING A VERY, UM, SIMPLE ONE PAGER TYPE OF DOCUMENT THAT HIGHLIGHTS, UM, THE OVERALL POSITIVE IMPACTS OF BIDS ON THEIR COMMUNITIES THAT INCLUDE SOME OF THESE DATA POINTS, AND THEN, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER PIECES AS WELL. UM, AND SOME OF THE ANCILLARY BENEFITS FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT EVEN BE IN A DISTRICT, BUT BENEFIT FROM HAVING THE BID NEARBY. RIGHT. UH, COMMISSIONER THOMAS MENTIONED, UH, IF YOU'RE ON ONE SIDE OF ATLANTIC, YOUR PROPERTY VALUES MAY HAVE GONE UP BECAUSE THE BID WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT IT, IT PROVIDED. EXCUSE ME. YEAH. UM, SO THANKS, THANKS A LOT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UM, I HAVE SEEN THROUGH THE WORK OF THE BIDS AND COBA, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS AND ALSO IT ISN'T ABOUT PROVIDING THE CITY SERVICE. IT'S, IT'S REALLY GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND. AND I DO BELIEVE STRONGLY IT'S HAS TO DO WITH A LOT OF THE LEADERSHIP OF EACH ONE OF THE BIDS AND COBA BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, EACH ONE OF THE DIRECTORS, THEY PUT IN SO MUCH TIME, BUT THEY ALSO CONNECT WITH MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND THEY CONNECT WITH SO MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY. WHETHER YOU BE A RESIDENT OR WHETHER YOU'LL BE A BUSINESS, THEY'RE ON THE SPOT. SO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER YOU COULD DO TO COMMUNICATE TO US HOW WE COULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT WORK THAT YOU DO WOULD BE GREAT. OKAY. OKAY. SO, UM, WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND, UH, TAKE A VOTE ON RECEIVING AN OH, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM THREE, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM. [01:40:02] SEE, NONE THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. WHY DON'T WE TAKE A VOTE TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE REPORT FROM COBA, AS WELL AS THE REPORT FROM ABOUT THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS? I WON MY THING. COMMISSIONER PEREZ. COMMISSIONER SANDOVAL? YES. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU. MOTION. MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIED. SO I WANNA THANK KYLE, OUR BID MANAGER WITH THE CITY, UM, ALSO AUSTIN AND BLAIR, WHO, YOU KNOW, MANY OF YOU KNOW, BLAIR WAS ONE OF OUR FORMER COMMISSIONERS, SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK, BLAIR, AND ALWAYS LEADING IN THE CITY. UM, MARISSA AND CELESTE, AND AM I MISSING, AND I KNOW THAT SIERRA, SIERRA IS HERE AND BOB WAS HERE TOO. SO PLEASE TAKE OUR THANKS BACK TO ALL OF YOUR BID LEADERS, UM, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION TO US. OKAY. UM, WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, THE, THE LAST ONE, ITEM NUMBER FOUR. ITEM FOUR, RECOMMENDATION [4. 26-54711 Recommendation to receive and file Executive Director’s Report.       Suggested Action:  Approve recommendation. ] TO RECEIVE AND FILE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT. I CAN TAKE A VERBAL FOR A MOTION AND A SECONDER. OKAY. QUEEN OF A MOTION. I MOVE. OKAY. MOVED BY COMMISSIONER PEREZ AND SECONDED. THOMAS, VICE CHAIR. THOMAS. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. OKAY. OKAY. DO WE HAVE A REPORT ON THIS ? YES, WE DO. CHAIR. UM, ALRIGHT, SO JUST A FEW UPDATES. UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU ALL FOR, UM, COMPLETING YOUR FORM 700. I KNOW WE BOTHERED YOU, UH, TO GET THAT TURNED IN AND, AND BY THE APRIL ONE DEADLINE, SO CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH. UH, I KNOW THE CITY CLERK IS ALSO, UH, VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR PART AND MAKING SURE THAT WE, UH, STAY ABOVE BOARD AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO, TO SERVE AS COMMISSIONERS. UM, JUST A COUPLE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED, UH, HERE, JUST I GUESS WORTH NOTING SINCE WE'RE PRESENTING ON, ON BIDS, UM, COUNCIL DID APPROVE THE LATEST, UH, ONE TIME, UH, DISBURSEMENTS FOR FY 26 AND FY 27. SO, UM, NEXT STEPS ON THAT IS, UH, KIND OF THE PROCESS I DESCRIBED EARLIER. SO WORKING WITH EACH OF THE BIDS, UH, ARRIVE AT A SCOPE OF WORK AND, AND, UM, GET THE, THE AGREEMENT, UH, SIGNED AND THEN WE'LL DISPERSE THE FUNDS THERE. AND THEN THEY'LL DO A, UM, REPORT, UH, AFTER THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN UTILIZED TO RECEIVE THEIR SECOND, UM, TRANCHE OF, OF DOLLARS, WHICH WOULD BE FOR FY 27. UM, WE'VE ALSO RECENTLY TOOK, UH, AN ITEM TO COUNSEL ON THE FOOD DELIVERY SERVICE ORDINANCE WITH, UH, TO HERE OUR CITY ATTORNEY ASSISTED WITH, UH, REQUESTING THAT THE, THIS ORDINANCE IS, UM, BASICALLY THE FOOD DELIVERY SERVICE FEE ORDINANCE. UH, WHAT IT DID, IT WAS A COVID, UH, ERA ORDINANCE THAT LIMITED THE, UH, SERVICE FEE, DELIVERY SERVICE FEE, UH, FOR SMALL RESTAURANTS. I BELIEVE IT WAS 15%. UM, AND IT WAS ESSENTIALLY AN, UH, DONE THROUGH AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE, SO IT NEEDED TO BE SUNSET GIVEN THAT THE EMERGENCY, UH, HAD ALSO CONCLUDED. UH, SO IT WAS JUST KIND OF A, A, A CLEANUP THERE. UM, BUT WE, UH, THAT WAS, UH, LAST MONTH AND THE STATE ATTORNEY WILL RETURN WITH ESSENTIALLY A, A REPLACEMENT ORDINANCE THAT KEEPS THE DELIVERY CAP AT 15%, BUT ALSO ALLOWS FOR, UH, ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY FOR THE RESTAURANT, FOR EXAMPLE, TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE FOOD DELIVERY, UH, COMPANY PLATFORM TO GET ADDITIONAL SERVICE, WHETHER IT'S LIKE PROMOTIONS OR ANY KIND OF, UH, UH, ADDITIONAL SERVICES THAT THEY MAY, YOU KNOW, WANT TO ENGAGE IN. SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAD BEEN LONG ON OUR, OUR LIST TO CLEAN UP AND, AND HAPPY REPORT THAT, UM, WE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, NEARING, UH, THE END OF COMPLETION OF THAT ONE. UH, WHAT ELSE WE HAVE HERE. UM, WE ARE ALSO RECEIVE REALLY GOOD NEWS. WE STILL HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, FORMALIZE THIS, BUT I, I WILL SHARE, UM, UH, CARLA AND, AND, UM, HAS BEEN WORKING AND, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TEAM, INCLUDING, UM, COURTNEY, UH, AS WELL, UM, HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE EDA TO RECEIVE A GRANT TO SUPPORT THE REVOLVING LOAN FUND. UH, SO WE ARE VERY CLOSE, UH, TO ACCEPTING THAT ONE. I'LL PROVIDE MORE UPDATES, UH, WHEN IT'S FINALIZED, BUT IT IS ONE THAT IS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS IN THE MAKING, SO VERY, VERY CLOSE. UH, VERY GOOD NEWS. JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU. UH, THANK YOU ALSO ON THAT NOTE TO THE COMMISSIONERS IN THE REVOLVING LOAN FUND, UH, FOR REVIEWING THE CREDIT MEMOS AND THEN APPROVING, UH, TO OUR, UH, REVOLVING LOAN FUNDS, UH, TO SUPPORT OUR SMALL BUSINESS HERE AND ENTREPRENEURS, UH, AS WELL. UH, LASTLY, I KNOW WE, UH, HAD ALSO, UH, WE HAD [01:45:01] A FEW OF THE COMMISSIONERS DO, UH, QUICK JUST ONBOARDING SESSION WITH, UH, CARL CARLIN MYSELF. SO IF YOU, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE NEW, UH, YOU CAN, IF YOU WANT TO, I'M HAPPY TO, TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU GUYS TO JUST GO OVER, UH, THE, THIS ONBOARDING, UH, BINDER THAT, UH, YOU WILL SOON RECEIVE. UM, DON'T WORRY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CLAIM IT ON YOUR GIFTS DISCLOSURE. IT'S VALUED AT, YOU KNOW, UNDER 20 BUCKS WORTH OF PAPER PRINTING. UH, ALSO AVAILABLE IN DIGITAL FORM, BY THE WAY. SO, UM, WE'LL, UH, LEAVE THAT GIFT WITH YOU THERE. UH, AND THE GOAL OF THE ONBOARDING BINDER IS REALLY JUST, IT PROVIDES, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE, UH, KIND OF SEE AS FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CITY. SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE THINGS LIKE THE MUNICIPAL CODE AND WHERE IT DELINEATES THE CREATION OF THE COMMISSION AND THE, UM, IN THE INDUSTRY AREAS OF WHERE, WHERE THE COMMISSIONERS ARE TO REPRESENT. YOU'RE GONNA SEE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, LIKE THEIR ANNUAL, UH, REPORTS, UH, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. ALSO, INFORMATION ON THE, UM, STRATEGIC VISION 2030 PLAN, WHICH IS LIKE OUR, OUR BIG KIND OF GUIDING DOCUMENTS IN THE CITY INCLUDES, UH, YOU KNOW, HIGH, UM, KIND OF GUIDANCE ON HOMELESSNESS, SAFETY AND SECURITY, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEN ALSO KIND OF DEVELOPMENT AND, AND A TON OF OTHER THINGS. SO REALLY JUST AS, AS YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS, IF, IF YOU RESIDE HERE IN LONG BEACH OR JUST BUSINESS OWNERS OR PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY AND, AND THE CITY OF LONG BEACH EFFORTS, IT IS A GREAT DOCUMENT TO REVIEW. A LOT OF TIME HAVE GONE, HAS GONE INTO THAT. UH, AND, UH, THE LAST ONE, I'LL, I'LL NOTE ON THERE, UH, AMONG THE SPRINKLING OF DOCUMENTS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THE OLYMPICS ARE COMING UP. SO IN THAT IS THE, BASICALLY THE, UH, ROADMAP TO THE OLYMPICS TO PREPARING, UH, FOR THAT. SO IT'S ALL ABOUT KIND OF WHAT THE CITY IS UP TO, UH, AS WELL. AND THEN I KNOW THAT A COMMISSIONER OR TWO IS, UH, ARE INVOLVED IN THE CITYWIDE COMMITTEE TO HELP, UM, PREPARE FOR THAT. SO REALLY GOOD, UH, READ IN YOUR SPARE TIME. UH, SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT THERE. AND THEN JUST WANNA MAKE SURE HERE THAT I HAVE, UH, SOME FOLLOW-UPS CORRECTLY HERE. UM, COMMISSIONER WENCH, UH, HOMELESSNESS CONTACT INFORMATION. UH, ALSO INFORMATION ON THE, UH, PARKING COMMISSION, THE BELMONT SHORE PARKING COMMISSION, AND KIND OF HOW THAT WORKS WITH, UM, HEATHER KERN, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BELMONT SHORE BID. AND THEN ALSO, UH, JUST A NOTE ON, UM, POTENTIALLY BRINGING FORWARD THE INFORMATION OR A PRESENTATION ON THE STATE AND FEDERAL, UH, LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. THAT CONCLUDES MY, UM, UPDATES. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? WELL, JULIAN , YOU LOOKED OUT ONE OTHER, ONE OTHER ITEM I THINK WITH THE PORT WAS PEOPLE WANTED TO FIND OUT MORE WHEN THEY ROLL OUT THE NEW PROGRAM FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS. IF YOU COULD ADD THAT TO THERE. OKAY. UM, AND A REALLY, A BIG SPECIAL THANK YOU TO JULIAN AND TO CARLA. YOU KNOW, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, AS WE HAVE, I'M USING UNIVERSAL, WE, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE ORIENTATION. SOME OF US CAME ON THE COMMISSION, WE KIND OF LEARNED EVERYTHING THROUGH OSMOSIS, YOU KNOW, , WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT. UM, BUT WE ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE AN ONBOARDING PROCESS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU TO THE TWO OF YOU. YOU PUT NOT ONLY THIS VERY LIGHT BINDER THAT EVERYONE WILL RECEIVE, UM, IT ALSO WILL BE AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL. UM, AND SO IF YOU'VE GOT ANY QUESTIONS, COME BACK TO US, THEY WILL DO ANOTHER ONBOARDING SESSION FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD, WOULD LIKE TO GO THROUGH THAT. BUT KUDOS AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, CARLA AND JULIAN. THANK YOU. UM, THE OTHER THING IS, IS I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW IS, YOU KNOW, I WAS REMINDED THAT THERE ARE 10 SEATS UP HERE. THERE'S 11 OF US, SO WHOEVER COMES IN LAST GETS THAT SEAT OVER THERE. SO . SO JUST KEEP, KEEP THAT IN MIND IF YOU WANNA RUN HERE REALLY FAST AND GET YOUR SEAT , THAT'S ALL. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO PUT ANYBODY OFF TO THE SIDE, IT'S JUST THAT THE, IT ONLY ACCOMMODATES 10. OKAY. UM, AND THEN A THANK YOU TWO TO THE PEOPLE ON THE REVOLVING LOAN FUND. FOR THOSE OF YOU DON'T KNOW, IT'S HIRO, IT'S AUSTIN, AND IT'S BRENDA. AND THEY SPEND NO KUDOS OF HOURS REVIEWING, UH, WITH CARLA, THE, THE LOAN. SO THANKS FOR BEING ON, ON THOSE COMMITTEES. UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NEW, UM, PLEASE CONSIDER SIGNING UP FOR THE COMMITTEES AFTER YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BIG BINDER, . OKAY? OKAY. UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER, OH, IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE BEFORE I MOVE TO THE END? NO. OKAY. SO ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT REPORT, IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM FOUR, PLEASE SIGN UP AT THE PODIUM. SEE NONE THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT. WHAT, COMMISSIONER PEREZ? YES. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER SMITH? YES, THANK YOU. [01:50:02] MOTION IS CARRIED. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY, ED, DO ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS, ANYTHING THEY WANNA SHARE WITH US TO DOMA? MAY WE DO PUBLIC COMMENT? OH, I'M SORRY FOR NON AGENDA. THANK YOU. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PROBLEM. IF [PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Economic Development Commission on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.] THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE, OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON NON AGENDA ITEMS, PLEASE SIGN UP AT THE PODIUM. SCENE NONE. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE DON'T SKIP THAT. OKAY. HOW ABOUT COMMISSIONERS? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING [ANNOUNCEMENTS] YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US? UPDATES, ANYTHING YOU WANT US TO DO? UM, ANY AGENDA ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR THE FUTURE? OKAY, WELL I SEE COMMISSIONER PEREZ IS PACKED UP AND READY TO GO. , . OKAY, WELL THE [ADJOURNMENT] MEETING IS ADJOURNED THEN. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU EVERYONE. . * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.