* 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. [00:13:48] OH [00:13:48] MY [00:13:48] GOD. ALL RIGHT FOLKS. THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING. UH, IT IS MAY 12TH. WELCOME TO THE MEETING OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL. UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN ALLEN. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. HERE. COUNCILMAN [CALL TO ORDER] SUPERMAN. HERE. COUNCILMAN KERR. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN SORROW. VICE MAYOR URANGA. WHAT DOES COUNCILMAN THRASH INTU? HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SOTE. HERE. MAYOR RICHARDSON. I AM HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH INTU TO LEAD US IN THE MOMENT OF SILENCE IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. MAYOR. I JUST MADE MY WAY TO MY SEAT. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON ALL. AS WE LOOK AT THE MONTH OF MAY, THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT WE COULD BE CELEBRATING, BUT ONE ITEM THAT I WANTED TO ELEVATE IS THAT MAY IS OLDER AMERICAN MONTH. SO AS WE TAKE OUR MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE CONSIDER THOSE [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] WHO ARE OLDER AMERICANS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THEIR MEANING FOR YOU. [00:15:03] FOR THOSE THAT ARE ABLE, PLEASE STAND AND FACE THE FLAG. PLACE YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART. READY? BEGIN. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, UH, WE, UH, THIS MORNING, UH, RECOGNIZED OUR, UM, POLICE AND FIRE MEMORIAL, OUR ANNUAL MEMORIAL SERVICE. SO WE WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. UH, WE ALSO RAISED THE PRIDE FLAG. HAPPY PRIDE. EVERYBODY IS PRIDE MONTH, UH, HERE IN LONG BEACH. SO WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE PARADE THIS SUNDAY. AND ALSO, COUNCILWOMAN SORROW WON'T BE ABLE TO JOIN US. SHE'S, UH, EXPERIENCED A FAMILY, UH, AN URGENT FAMILY MATTER. UH, SO OUR THOUGHTS ARE CERTAINLY WITH HER IN HER ABSENCE. WE HAVE THREE PRESENTATIONS, UH, TO START WITH. UH, THERE IS A PUPPY NAMED GULLIVER BACKSTAGE, AND WE NEED TO GET THAT PUPPY OUT HERE 'CAUSE IT IS ANIMAL CARE SERVICES PET ADOPTION TIME. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A TOUGH TIME GETTING GULLIVER ADOPTED. WHEN YOU ALL SEE GULLIVER GULLIVER LITTLE DOG IN A BIG WORLD. HE'S OUT FOR TOMORROW. MM-HMM . SEE? WHAT'D I TELL YOU? . [ ACS Pet Adoption ] ALL RIGHT. HELLO, ESTEEM CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND HONORABLE MAYOR. MY NAME IS LAURA FROM LONG BEACH. LONG BEACH ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, AND TODAY WE'RE JOINED BY BRIT AND OUR SHELTER PET OF THE MONTH. MEET GULLIVER, A THREE MONTH OLD, UH, TERRIER WITH A GENTLE HEART AND PLAYFUL PUPPY SPIRIT. GULLIVER IS CURIOUS ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND HIM. DESPITE BEING SO YOUNG, HE ALREADY SHOWS AN EASYGOING PERSONALITY AND ENJOYS ATTENTION, PLAYTIME AND AFFECTION. LIKE MANY PUPPIES IN OUR CARE, GULLIVER IS LOOKING FOR A LOVING FOREVER FAMILY WHERE HE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW, LEARN, AND THRIVE. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO ADOPT GULLIVER AND MANY OTHER WONDERFUL PETS AT OUR SHELTER, WE'RE OPEN TOMORROW MORNING AT 10, UH, STARTING AT 10:00 AM SO IF ANYBODY WANTS TO ADOPT HIM, STOP BY TOMORROW. WITH KITTEN SEASON HERE, HOMES ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. DURING THIS TIME, MANY KITS COME INTO OUR CARE NEEDING ROUND THE CLOCK, FEEDING AND EXTRA ATTENTION. ESPECIALLY BOTTLE BABIES WHO ARE TOO YOUNG TO EAT ON THEIR OWN FOSTER HOMES HELP US PROVIDE THE ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT THAT ALLOWS THESE KIDS TO THRIVE AND GROW STRONG ENOUGH FOR ADOPTION. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A FOSTER, YOU CAN APPLY ON OUR WEBSITE OR SCAN THE QR CODE UP ON THE TOP. WE ALSO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY ANIMAL, UH, MEDICINE PROJECT KNOWN AS CAMP. THEY OFFER AFFORDABLE SERVICES LIKE VACCINES, MICROCHIPS, DEWORMING, NAIL TRIMS, AND FLEA TICK PREVENTIONS. CLINIC, UH, VACCINE CLINICS ARE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED FOR UP TO 60 PETS AND THERE'S NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY. THESE CLINICS ARE HELD MONTHLY IN OUR PARKING LOT, AND YOU CAN CHECK THEIR SCHEDULE AND MORE INFORMATION, UH, WITH THE QR CODE. OR YOU CAN ALSO REFER BACK TO OUR WEBSITE. ALRIGHT? MM-HMM . GO CHECK THIS. YEAH, YOU GUYS JUST KEEP GOING. OKAY. , . I GUESS HE'S GOING. YOU DON'T WANNA GO THAT FAR TOO MANY. UM, WE KNOW THAT 4TH OF JULY IS COMING UP. SO PET LICENSING IS REALLY IMPORTANT. UH, FIREWORKS OFTEN LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN LOST PETS AND A CURRENT LICENSE HELPS US QUICKLY CONNECT THEM BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES. IF YOUR PET ISN'T LICENSED YET, IT'S NOW EASIER THAN EVER TO GET ONE THROUGH DOCU PET. SIMPLY SCAN THE QR CODE AND YOU CAN LEARN MORE INFORMATION ON THERE AS WELL. FULL PRESENTATION? YEP. WE'RE GOOD. KEEP GOING. ALRIGHT, . UM, LASTLY, HERE'S OUR INFORMATION. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADOPTING BECOMING A VOLUNTEER FOSTER, OR DONATE. SO WE HAVE OUR PHONE NUMBER AND ALL OF OUR QUICK LINKS. I THINK WE'RE GONNA LEAVE, GO OVER HERE. . HE'S VERY CUTE. HE'S AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED. KITTEN. OH, WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF KITTENS. . [00:20:06] OH, I SHOULD GOER. DESERVE WORLD TOUR TOGETHER. . THANK YOU. READY BUDDY? ALL? YEP. YOU'RE STILL INTERESTED? MM-HMM . HE'S AVAILABLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO GULLIVER'S THREE MONTHS OLD AND HE IS READY FOR A HOME. WE HAVE TO TAKE HIM ON THE WORLD TOUR. GU GULLIVER'S TRAVELS. COME BACK HERE AND MEET ALL NINE OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS. UH, SO YOU CAN SUPPORT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. WE DO ANIMAL PET ADOPTIONS ONCE A MONTH. EVERY ANIMAL THAT'S EVER COMING FROM OF THE CITY COUNCIL ENDS UP GOING HOME WITH A HOME. SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE KEEP THIS STREAK AND THAT SOMEBODY TAKES HOME. GULLIVER. DOES ANYBODY HERE INTERESTED IN GULLIVER? I SAW SOME HEADS NODDING OVER THERE. MAYBE I SAW SOME HEADS NODDING. I SAW YOU . HE MIGHT BE INTERESTED. WELL, YOU CAN, UH, CHECK OUT THE CITY'S WEB WEBSITE. GULLIVER IS AVAILABLE STARTING TOMORROW. THANKS A LOT. ALL RIGHT. NEXT WE HAVE CYSTIC FIBROSIS AWARENESS MONTH. UH, AND WE'RE GONNA GO TO COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. I'M HONORED TO BE INTRODUCING THIS PRESENTATION AND PROCLAMATION TO FORMALLY RECOGNIZE MAY AS CYSTIC FIBROSIS AWARENESS MONTH IN LONG BEACH. CYSTIC FIBROSIS OR CF IS A PROGRESSIVE GENETIC CONDITION THAT AFFECTS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS ACROSS THE US. HOWEVER, MANY OF US DO NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT [ Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month] THE DISEASE IMPACTS THE ONGOING RESEARCH OR THE SUPPORT WE CAN GIVE TO THOSE AFFECTED. IN FACT, THERE'S MANY MISCONCEPTIONS THAT CONTINUE TO EXIST AROUND CF AND RAISING AWARENESS OF THE REALITIES OF THE DISEASE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. AS RESEARCH AND SUPPORTIVE EFFORTS CONTINUE TO GROW. I'M PROUD TO WELCOME AND INTRODUCE SHAYNA LESSER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER, WHO WILL SHARE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT CF AND THE ONGOING WORK OF THE FOUNDATION. THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN KERR AND THANK YOU, UH, TO THE ESTEEMED CITY COUNCIL AND THEIR HONORABLE MAYOR FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE ABOUT THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION. SO, UM, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SHANA LESSER AND I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OUR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER OF THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION. AND I'M SO EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT OF MORE ABOUT MAY BEING CYSTIC FIBRO FIBROSIS AWARENESS MONTH, WHAT CF IS AND WHAT WE DO AT THE CF FOUNDATION. I'M SORRY, I'M ASSUMING THIS IS MY, IS THIS MY CLICKER? GREAT. THANK YOU, . SO, OUR MISSION AT THE CF FOUNDATION IS CLEAR. WE WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A CURE FOR 100% OF ALL INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS. AND WE WANT TO PROVIDE ALL OF THEM TODAY THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD LONG FULFILLING LIVES WHILE WE SEARCH FOR THAT CURE IN THE FUTURE. ULTIMATELY, WE WANT TO TREAT THE SYMPTOMS OF CF TODAY, BUT IN THE LONG RUN, FIND THAT CURE FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON. CYSTIC FIBROSIS IS A COMPLEX DISEASE. IT'S COMPLEX, IT'S EXPENSIVE, IT'S TIME CONSUMING, AND IT'S CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE GENE THAT CAUSES A REALLY THICK, STICKY MUCUS TO BUILD UP IN THE LUNGS, THE PANCREAS, AND OTHER ORGANS WITHIN THE BODY. WHILE IT IS PRIMARILY ASSOCIATED WITH A LUNG DISEASE, IT, IT DOES AFFECT THE ENTIRE BODY FROM THE SINUSES TO EVERY ORGAN IN THE GI TRACT TO THE LUNGS, TO, UM, MENTAL HEALTH, AS WELL AS THE PHYSICAL HEALTH ASPECT OF IT. IN THE LUNGS, THE MUCUS CLOGS, THE AIRWAYS AND TRAPS. BACTERIA, WHICH LEADS TO THAT STICKY MUCUS, LEADS TO INFECTIONS, UH, EXTENSIVE LUNG DAMAGE AND RESPIRATORY FAILURE. IN MANY CASES IN THE MOST INDIVIDUALS WITH CF HAVE TO TAKE ENZYMES WITH EVERY MEAL UP. COULD BE UPWARDS OF 40 TO 50 PILLS A DAY JUST TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS AND DIGEST THEIR FOOD, TO GAIN THE RIGHT NUTRIENTS THEY NEED TO KEEP THEM HEALTHY. IN ADDITION TO DOING AIRWAY CLEARANCE TREATMENTS, WHICH MIGHT INVOLVE THEM WEARING A VEST THAT SHAKES THE MUCUS LOOSE FROM THEIR BODY, UM, TO MANY OTHER TREATMENTS JUST TO BE ABLE TO STAY HEALTHY ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. WE WANT THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR ALL THOSE LIVING WITH CF TODAY. AGAIN, WHILE WE SEARCH FOR THAT CURE IN THE FUTURE. JUST TO SHARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS WITH YOU, THERE ARE NOW MORE THAN 40,000 PEOPLE WITH CF IN THE UNITED STATES UP FROM ABOUT 30,000 PEOPLE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. AND THAT NUMBER HAS GROWN AND WILL CONTINUE TO GROW BECAUSE OF THE ADVANCEMENTS OF NEW THERAPIES THAT ARE ALLOWING THOSE WITH CF TO LIVE LONGER LIVES. BACK IN THE DAY, CF USED TO BE A CHILDHOOD DISEASE. MOST INDIVIDUALS WITH CF WOULD NOT LIVE TO SEE ADULTHOOD. FAMILIES WERE TOLD TO TAKE YOUR CHILD HOME, LOVE THEM, CARE FOR THEM, BUT THEY, BUT DON'T EXPECT THEM TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL OR GO TO COLLEGE OR HAVE A LIFE BEYOND THAT. BUT I'M VERY EXCITED TO SAY THAT AS OF THIS YEAR, MORE THAN 60% OF ALL THOSE LIVING WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS ARE AGED 18 OR OLDER. AND THAT IS DUE TO THE ADVANCEMENTS IN RESEARCH [00:25:01] AND CARE THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FUND THROUGH OUR WORK AT THE CF FOUNDATION. CF IS A VERY PERSONALIZED DISEASE. THERE ARE MORE THAN 1700 MUTATIONS. SO EVERY PERSON LIVING WITH CF IS AFFECTED DIFFERENTLY BASED ON THE MUTATIONS THEY HAVE. THEY HAVE DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT CARE NEEDS. AND SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE DEDICATED CARE CENTERS. AND A FUN, FUN FACT, OUR ONLY ADULT CARE CENTER, ACCREDITED CARE CENTER IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY IS ACTUALLY RIGHT HERE IN LONG BEACH. OUR LONG BEACH MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. WE DO HAVE, UM, AROUND 10 CARE CENTERS BY OUR, OUR LONG BEACH CARE CENTER IS FOR OUR ADULT POPULATION. AND AGAIN, CF INDIVIDUALS NEED TO SEE A DEDICATED CARE TEAM AND SPECIALIZED CARE TEAM BECAUSE CF AFFECTS EVERYONE SO DIFFERENTLY. AND CF TOUCHES MORE LIVES THAN ONE MIGHT REALIZE. ONE IN EVERY 38 INDIVIDUALS IN THE UNITED STATES IS A CF CARRIER AND CARRIER OF THE CF GENE, AND THERE'S ABOUT A THOUSAND NEW CASES OF CF DIAGNOSED EVERY SINGLE YEAR. AND AGAIN, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, OUR VISION IS A CURE FOR CF, NOT JUST TO TREAT THE SYMPTOMS DAY TO DAY. AND WE, WHILE WE HAVE MADE TREMENDOUS PROGRESS, THERE'S ABOUT 10% OF OUR CF POPULATION NATIONWIDE WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CURRENT THERAPIES ON THE MARKET BECAUSE OF THEIR SPECIFIC MUTATIONS. OR THEY MAY HAVE FACED A LOT OF CHALLENGING COMPLICATIONS WITH THOSE MEDICATIONS. AND SO THEY ARE NOW NO LONGER ABLE TO TAKE THEM. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE OBVIOUSLY CONTINUING, UH, TO FIND, AGAIN, TREATMENTS FOR 100% OF THE POPULATION UNTIL WE HAVE THAT CURE. BUT WE ARE MAKING AN IMPACT BY ANY DATA POINT. WE DO HAVE DEMONSTRATED RESULTS. WE CAN SAY. AS OF A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WE HAVE 14 PLUS GENETIC THERAPIES IN OUR CLINICAL RESEARCH PIPELINE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FASTEST MOVING AREAS OF SCIENCE FUNDED BY THE CF FOUNDATION. IN ADDITION TO OUR WORK IN THE INFECTION RESEARCH SPACE, UH, LUNG TRANSPLANT SPACE, UM, GI SPACE, AND OTHER DAY-TO-DAY, WHAT WE CALL MODULATOR THERAPIES TO TREAT THE DAY-TO-DAY. AND WE ARE TRAILBLAZERS. OUR LEADERSHIP IN THE GENETICS RESEARCH SPACE IN THE INFECTION RESEARCH AND LUNG TRANSPLANT SPACE HAS REAL TRANSFERABLE APPLICATIONS TO OTHER RARE DISEASE COMMUNITIES AS WELL. WE HAVE LED THE WAY SO FAR IN WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD THE WAY UNTIL WE FIND THAT CURE AND AGAIN, BE ABLE TO PROVIDE WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED THROUGH OUR RESEARCH TO HELP OTHER RARE DISEASE COMMUNITIES. ALL OF OUR PROGRESS TO DATE HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BY THE MANY VOLUNTEERS AND DONORS, UH, ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS THROUGHOUT OUR CHAPTERS, OUR OTHER 47 CHAPTERS THROUGHOUT THE NATION. AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AHEAD TO TOWARD A CURE AND TO CONTINUE SPREADING AWARENESS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE MONTH OF MAY, I WANTED TO SHARE A FEW WAYS THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN GET INVOLVED WITH OUR LOCAL CHAPTER. WE HAVE NUMEROUS LOCAL EVENTS RANGING FROM OUR SIGNATURE WALK-A-THON CALLED GREAT STRIDES, UH, TO GALAS, GOLF TOURNAMENTS, UH, SURFING EVENTS, A BEER TASTING EVENT, A HIKING EVENT, AND MANY MORE THAT WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SUPPORT WITH. UM, YOU CAN BECOME AN ADVOCATE FOR THE CF FOUNDATION AND OUR CF COMMUNITY BY ATTENDING ONE OF OUR ADVOCACY EVENTS, EITHER LOCALLY OR NATIONALLY. AND A VERY SIMPLE ASK IS TO SIGN UP FOR ADVOCACY ALERTS BY TEXTING FIGHT CF TO 9 6 3 8 7. AND OF COURSE, WE ARE ALSO ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS. WHETHER THOSE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LOOKING TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT OUR MISSION AND FUND OUR RESEARCH, OR THOSE WHO WANT TO SHOW UP ON THE DAY OF AN EVENT AND HELP US SET UP A REGISTRATION TABLE AND HELP US PUT ON AN AMAZING EVENT. OR ANYONE WHO HAS ANOTHER CREATIVE WAY TO HELP US RAISE AWARENESS. WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THOSE TO JOIN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, IF YOU'D LIKE TO GET INVOLVED, MY CONTACT INFORMATION IS ON THE SCREEN. WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU INVOLVED WITH OUR LOCAL, OUR LOCAL SOCAL CHAPTER, WHICH DOES COVER THE ORANGE COUNTY AND THE LOS ANGELES COUNTIES, UM, ALL THE WAY UP TO SANTA BARBARA. AND AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME THE TIME TO SHARE MORE ABOUT CYSTIC FIBROSIS AND OUR, OUR MISSION TO FIND A QR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SHAYNA, FOR SHARING WITH US TODAY. AND EVERYTHING YOU AND FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION ARE DOING ON A DAILY BASIS TO TREAT, SUPPORT AND IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THOSE LIVING WITH CF. AS SHARED CYSTIC FIBROSIS IS NO LONGER A PEDIATRIC DISEASE. AND WITH ADVANCES IN TREATMENT AND RESEARCH, PEOPLE WITH CF ARE EXPECTED TO LIVE WELL INTO ADULTHOOD IN LONG BEACH. WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE AN AMAZING TRANSITIONAL CARE TEAM AT LONG BEACH MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER AND MILLER CHILDREN'S AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL, WHERE PATIENTS TREATED FOR CF ARE TREATED WITH OUTSTANDING CARE BECAUSE OF THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM OF RENOWNED PULMONOLOGISTS, GASTROENTEROLOGISTS, ALLERGISTS, IMMUNOLOGISTS, RESPIRATORY THERAPISTS, PHYSICAL THERAPISTS, DIETICIANS, SOCIAL WORKERS AND NURSES. AND WE KNOW MANY FAMILIES AND CF PATIENTS MOVE TO LONG BEACH SPECIFICALLY TO EXPERIENCE THIS CARE. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU TO YOU AND TO THE WORK OF THE FOUNDATION. UH, WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE YOU HERE TONIGHT, AND WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR YOU AND THE MAYOR, AND I'LL COME DOWN AND TAKE A PICTURE. ALL RIGHT, LET'S HEAR FOR THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS FIBROSIS FOUNDATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. [00:30:38] ALL RIGHT. IN OUR FINAL PRESENTATION, NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK, WE'LL HAND IT TO UH, UH, JOSH HICKMAN, UH, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MA. UH, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE THIS EVENING. UH, WE INVITE YOU TO COME AND CELEBRATE WITH US THE VITAL ROLE THAT PUBLIC WORKS PLAYS IN THE, IN THE EVERYDAY LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY, AND RECOGNIZE THE DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS WHO PLAN, BUILD, MANAGE, AND MAINTAIN THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE. SO AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT SUPPORTS PROFESSIONALS IN THE PUBLIC WORKS INDUSTRY, OF WHICH LONG BEACH IS A MEMBER. THIS YEAR, THE A PWA THEME FOR PUBLIC WORKS WEEK IS ROOTED IN SERVICE POWERED BY COMMUNITY. AND THAT ACKNOWLEDGES THE, THE ROOT OF SERVICE RUNS DEEP IN PUBLIC WORKS. SO HERE IN LONG BEACH, WE MAINTAIN ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, WE PLAN, [ National Public Works Week] CONSTRUCT AND MAINTAIN, UM, PUBLIC FACILITIES. WE RESPOND TO SERVICE REQUESTS AND EMERGENCIES. WE ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND WE SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY'S WELLBEING. SO WE HAVE SIX BUREAUS IN PUBLIC WORKS. SO THREE OF 'EM ARE ON THIS SLIDE. AND I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO ALL THE SPECIFICS, BUT REALLY JUST WANTED TO UPLIFT ALL THE HARD WORK OF, UH, MANY OF OUR DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS ON THE TEAM. SO SOME OF OUR WORK IS HIGHLY VISIBLE, AS YOU CAN SEE WITH ROADS, BRIDGES, AND OUR CIP PROJECTS. AND SOME OF IT IS REALLY BEHIND THE SCENES, A LITTLE LESS VISIBLE. SO THE REMAINING THREE BUREAUS, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR STREET MAINTENANCE, REHAB AND TRANSPORTATION SERVICES. SO WE HAVE A TEAM OF OVER 500 INDIVIDUALS AND MANY OF 'EM, OR SOME OF 'EM ARE HERE TODAY. SO IF YOU'RE A PUBLIC WORKS PERSON, WOULD YOU MIND STANDING UP OR A PAST PUBLIC WORKS FOLKS? SO WE'VE GOT A GREAT TEAM. I HAD MENTIONED OVER 500. WE HAVE A FEW OF 'EM HERE TODAY, UH, THAT MANAGE EVERYTHING THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT. SO NEXT WEEK, UH, SATURDAY OFFICIALLY KICKS OFF OUR PUBLIC WORKS WEEK. UH, WE'RE GONNA BE STARTING OFF WITH TOUCH A TRUCK ON SATURDAY THE 16TH. WE'D LOVE TO SEE ANY OF YOU THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO JOIN US THERE. BRING YOUR KIDS, THEY LOVE THE TRUCKS. UH, WE'LL BE DOING AN APPRECIATION BREAKFAST NEXT TUESDAY. UH, WE START EARLY IN PUBLIC WORKS. SO WE'LL BE THERE AT SIX 30 AND THEN WE'LL BE DOING A PUBLIC WORKS PIT STOP, UH, LUNCH ON MAY 20TH. SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TODAY. PLEASE JOIN US IN CELEBRATING ALL THE HARD WORK THAT OUR PUBLIC WORKS PROFESSIONALS DO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, WELL, UH, JOSH, DO YOU AND YOUR TEAM, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO. YOU ARE THE FRONTLINE OF PUBLIC SERVICES IN OUR CITY, WHETHER IT'S, UH, A POTHOLE TO A STREET RE PAVEMENT, AN 80 A CURB, A TREE BRANCH, STORM PREPARATION, STORM RESPONSE, STORM RECOVERY. OUR CITY COUNTS ON PUBLIC WORKS. AND ALL OF THAT WORK IS DONE BY THE PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP EVERY SINGLE DAY WHO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO WORK REMOTELY DURING COVID, WHO CONTINUE TO, UH, KEEP OUR CITY CLEAN AND WELL MAINTAINED AND SAFE. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE AND HAPPY PUBLIC WORKS WEEK. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE DONE WITH, WE ARE FINISHED WITH OUR PRESENTATIONS. WE'LL NOW TAKE CONSENT. CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH 25. OKAY. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT? I DON'T SEE ANY ON MINE. MY SCREEN. THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT. ALRIGHT, IS THERE A MOTION? AND SECOND, THIS COMPUTER'S NOT SHOWING ME ANYTHING. UH, WE DON'T SEE ANY BUTTONS. WE'LL TAKE A VO VOICE MOTION. AND SECOND. YEAH. OKAY. UH, VICE MAYOR, UH, MOTION. SECOND. COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT. UH, MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. DISTRICT ONE. [00:35:02] WE'LL BE DOING A VERBAL ON THIS ONE. DISTRICT ONE AYE. DISTRICT TWO AYE. DISTRICT THREE? AYE. DISTRICT FOUR. AYE. DISTRICT FIVE. AYE. DISTRICT SIX. DISTRICT SEVEN. AYE. DISTRICT EIGHT. AYE. DISTRICT NINE. AYE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, GREAT. THANK YOU. WE'RE NOW GONNA GO TO ITEM NUMBER 29. REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE RECOMMENDATION TO AMAN AMEND THE FACILITY USE PERMIT WITH CENTRO CHU TO OPERATE THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER AT THE JENNY ZA COMMUNITY CENTER AT 4 0 1 GOLDEN AVENUE AND EXECUTE ANY NECESSARY AMENDMENTS DISTRICT ONE. ALRIGHT, THIS IS, UH, A BIG HISTORIC MOMENT. MOMENT, MANY YEARS IN THE MAKING. WE ARE TAKING FORMAL STEPS NOW TO ESTABLISH OUR LATINO CULTURAL DISTRICT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CENTRAL CHA AT THE GENERAL OA COMMUNITY CENTER. UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE JUST A FEW, UH, COMMENTS FROM STAFF, BUT A LOT [29. 26-55016 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to amend the Facility Use Permit with Centro C.H.A., Inc., a nonprofit corporation, to operate the Latino Cultural Center at the Jenny Oropeza Community Center at 401 Golden Avenue, for a three-year period, with the option to renew for two additional three-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager, and execute any necessary amendments or related documents to support the operation and programming of the Latino Cultural Center. (District 1) Levine Act: Yes       Office or Department: City Manager; Parks, Recreation and Marine         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] OF PEOPLE ARE HERE IN SUPPORT. I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE STEVEN SCOTT, UH, FOR HIS WORK IN HELPING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. UH, TYLER CUR CURLY DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, UH, RON ARIA, WHO'S ADVOCATED FOR THIS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. UH, UH, AND, UH, WE, WE HAVE TO LIFT UP AND RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK OF JESSICA KATANA AND CENTRO CHA WHO'VE BEEN, UH, AT THE TABLE KEEPING ME ABREAST, KEEPING THE CITY COUNCIL MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OF CITY COUNCILS AND MAYORS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS, UH, CERTAINLY HAPPENS. AND THEN FINALLY, COUNCILWOMAN MARRIES IN DEJAS AND VICE MAYOR URANGA, WHO BOTH HAVE BEEN ADVOCATES, UH, FOR THIS LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. TIMING IS VERY KEY. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF IMP IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE, ARE PLANNED TO TAKE PLACE TO HAVE THIS UP AND RUNNING AND OPEN. UH, SO WHEN WE OPEN UP, WELCOME, OPEN UP OUR ARMS AND WELCOME THE WORLD IN 2028, WE CAN HIGHLIGHT A NUMBER OF CULTURAL LANDMARKS, DISTRICTS, UM, AND CENTERS ACROSS OUR CITY THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHT OUR DIVERSE POPULATION, UH, AND THE LARGEST POPULATION IN OUR CITY, OUR LATINO COMMUNITY, ONE OF THE LARGEST POPULATIONS IN THE REGION, ACTUALLY. SO THAT SAID, WE'RE GONNA GO TO STAFF FIRST. UM, TYLER, ANY ANY COMMENTS? YES, AND I WILL, UH, TRY TO BE BRIEF, BUT I DID WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND AND HISTORY OF HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE. 'CAUSE THIS IS DEFINITELY AN EXCITING ITEM. UM, JUST FOR SOME CONTEXT, WE, UM, CENTRAL TRIAL IS CURRENTLY AT THE JENNY OROPEZA COMMUNITY CENTER AND THEY ALREADY HAVE A FACILITY USE PERMIT. UH, WE WERE WORKING WITH THEM TO FIND A TEMPORARY SPACE TO HELP EXPAND THEIR CAPACITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING IN THE CITY. AND WHAT THIS ITEM IS DOING IS AMENDING THAT EXISTING FACILITY USE PERMIT TO REALLY FOCUS THE WORK OF CENTRO CHA AT THAT CENTER, UM, ON THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. SO PROVIDING SPECIFICALLY, UH, ARTS AND CULTURAL EXHIBITS, PROGRAMMING, AND A VARIETY OF ACTIVATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. SO THIS IS MULTIPLE YEARS IN THE MAKING. UM, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD WITH CENTRO CHA AND OTHERS TO, TO MAKE THIS, UM, HAPPEN. BUT STARTING IN 2019, CITY COUNCIL PROVIDED FUNDING TO CENTRO CHA, UH, CENTRO CHA TO DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND TO REALLY DEVELOP A VISION FOR THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER HERE IN LONG BEACH. UM, THEY ACTUALLY LED A 50 MEMBER STEERING COMMITTEE THAT, UM, REALLY SHAPED THAT VISION AND DEVELOPED A DRAFT BUSINESS PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL IN 2021, WHERE CITY COUNCIL IDENTIFIED CENTRO CHA AS THE LEAD NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOR THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. AND EVER SINCE THEN, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH JESSICA AND THE TEAM REALLY TO IDENTIFY THE RIGHT LOCATION AND PLAN TO, UM, BRING THAT VISION TO LIFE. SO WE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, BUT IDENTIFIED GENE PESA COMMUNITY CENTER AS THE BEST LOCATION GIVEN, UH, THE PHYSICAL SPACE. THERE WAS AN INTEREST IN USING BOTH THE IN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR AMPHITHEATER, UM, SPACES, THE KITCHEN, A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT ARE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO DEVELOP A, A NEW FACILITY WITHIN THE CITY. UM, AND ONE THING TO NOTE ABOUT THIS AGREEMENT IS THAT IT'S REALLY A SHARED USE MODEL. SO AGAIN, CENTRAL CHA IS CURRENTLY IN THE SPACE. THEY'LL BE FOCUSING THEIR EFFORTS ON THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER MOVING FORWARD. UM, BUT PARKS AND RECREATION IS ALSO AT THIS SPACE. AND SO WHAT THIS AGREEMENT DOES IS ALLOW FOR THE SHARED USE OF THAT SPACE TO CONTINUE PARKS AND REC PROGRAMMING, CONTINUE TO HAVE STAFF SPACE THERE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER ALONGSIDE, UH, THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. UM, YOU'LL SEE IN THE COUNCIL LETTER, THE AGREEMENT REALLY PROVIDES SPECIFICS AROUND CITY OVERSIGHT, UM, FINANCIAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, AND, UH, CREATING DIFFERENT ACCOUNTING MECHANISMS BETWEEN THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER AND CENTRAL CHA, UH, AND THEIR OTHER OPERATIONS. AND REALLY ANY EARNED REVENUES THAT COME THROUGH. UM, THE LATINO [00:40:01] CULTURAL CENTER WILL BE REINVESTED IN THE PROGRAMMING AND ACTIVATIONS AT THE SITE. UM, AND AGAIN, THIS WILL BE FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, COMMUNITY GATHERING, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CULTURAL EXHIBITS AND PROGRAMMING MOVING FORWARD. LAST THING I'LL SAY IS, UM, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE OVER MULTIPLE BUDGET CYCLES, WE'VE IDENTIFIED AND SET ASIDE ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS IN THE FACILITY. SO THE NEXT STEP AFTER, UM, MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PERMIT IS TO, UM, CONTINUE WORKING THROUGH THE PLAN FOR THOSE INVESTMENTS IN THE SITE. UH, RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT INVESTMENTS IN SIGNAGE TO REALLY COMMEMORATE THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH CENTRO CHA. UM, AND THEN ALSO STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED AT THE SITE AND UPDATES TO THE RESTROOMS AS WELL. SO THAT WILL TAKE PLACE, UM, ONCE WE GET THE PERMIT, UM, APPROVED AND THEN BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE NEXT STEPS WITH CENTRO CHA. SO I'LL, I'LL END MY COMMENTS THERE. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS HERE IN SUPPORT AND EXCITED ABOUT THIS PARTNERSHIP, BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANNA GIVE A FULL, UM, THANKS TO, TO CITY STAFF FOR, UM, ALL THE HARD WORK THAT WE'VE DONE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, INCLUDING, UM, THE PAST COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DISTRICT ONE WHO ALSO LED ON THIS, AND OF COURSE, OUR VICE MAYOR. UM, ANG IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE HARD WORK AND YEARS OF DEDICATION THAT IT HAS TAKEN. UM, SO I DO WANNA THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, TYLER, YOU'VE BEEN DRIVING US THROUGH THIS AND IT, WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT. APRIL, YOU'VE BEEN THERE FOR US TOO, UM, HELPING US THROUGH THIS. AND TOM, WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT AS WELL AS, UH, OUR CITY, OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR HELPING US, YOU KNOW, NAVIGATE THROUGH ALL OF THE, UM, JUST HURDLES THAT WE HAVE FACED ALONG THE WAY. AND IT'S JUST BEEN A REALLY A TEAM EFFORT. UM, BUT I CANNOT THANK ENOUGH CENTRO CHA IN OUR LATINO COMMUNITY FOR ALL THE PATIENTS, ALL THE IDEAS, ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO IT. UM, OUR PROMOT THAT ARE HERE. THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THE LATINO COMMUNITY IS REPRESENTED. THIS IS BEAUTIFUL. TODAY IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH A PRIVATE, PUBLIC, UH, PARTNERSHIP TO BE ABLE TO COLLABORATE. AND IF YOU WERE HERE A LITTLE BIT BEFORE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, YOU HAD A LITTLE TASTE OF WHAT OUR LATINO CULTURAL CENTER WILL BE OFFERING TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY IN THE ENTIRE CITY OF LONG BEACH. AND I GOTTA SAY, UM, THOSE AZTEC DANCERS WERE AMAZING. YOU FELT THE RHYTHM IN YOUR SOUL AND I JUST, I WAS SO IMPRESSED. AND THOSE LITTLE ONES DANCING, FLO RICO, ESPECIALLY THE LITTLE BOY IN BLUE, HE WAS SO AWESOME, . UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S MOMENTS LIKE THIS THAT WE HAVE TO STAND STRONG AS A CITY, AS A COMMUNITY, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UPLIFT ONE OF OUR, YOU KNOW, MOST SPECIAL MOMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF OUR CITY. SO THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE TO MAKE THIS PARTNERSHIP WORK. AND, UM, I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT ARE GONNA COME OF THIS. SO THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. AND WE HAD A SWITCH ON THE SECONDED, UM, VICE MAYOR URANGA WILL BE SECOND ON THIS MOTION. VICE MAYOR URANGA YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND I WANT TO ECHO EVERYTHING THAT, UH, CUSTOMER SAID FOR ME. IT'S A LONG TIME JOURNEY. UM, I HAVE BLACK HAIR SHORTER, I HAD A BLACK MUSTACHE, , I LOOK BETTER. SO THIS STARTED, WENT BACK IN 1990S AND WE, WE KEPT ADDING, ADDING, KEEP ADDING, KEEP MOVING FORWARD, KEEP MOVE FORWARD, CAN MOVE FORWARD. AND A VERY PROUD DAY TODAY TO BE HERE, TO TAKE THIS BOAT BECAUSE IT WAS, I WASN'T CIVILIAN BACK IN THOSE DAYS AND I WAS, I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE, UH, THE POWER OF THE VOICE. I DIDN'T HAVE THE POWER OF THE BOAT. AND THERE WAS AT THE TIME, MOST, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT DID NOT SUPPORT THIS. AND HERE BRINGING TO MY COLLEAGUES, WE HAVE A COUNCIL THAT IS MUCH MORE SENSITIVE TO THE [00:45:01] DIVERSITY OF LONG BEACH. MUCH MORE ATTUNED TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY. AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT AND BEING PART OF IT. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING FORWARD ANTE WITH THIS. AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THE PLAN INCLUDES, UH, PERPETUAL FUNDING THAT WE CAN CONTINUE INTO THE FUTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CENTER CONTINUES WELL BEYOND ME. SO THANK YOU TO STAFF, THANK YOU TO CHU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS MARY, YOUR WORK ON THIS AS WELL AND ALL MY COUNCIL MEMBERS LOOKING FORWARD FOR. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE 20 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. UH, 90 SECONDS ON THE CLOCK, I'LL READ THE FIRST 10. WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME FORWARD. LILIA OCAMPO, ARIANA SAGOON, UH, JENNY AGIRI, JOEL GOMEZ, ELI GOMEZ, PEREZ, ITZEL, KAREEM, JESSICA, TANA, THERESA MORENO, AND ROSARIO RODAN. SO FIRST UP IS LILIA AND ARIANA IS NEXT. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A COMMENT. UM, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND UM, MY NAME IS LILIA OCAMPO, A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE. UH, AND I, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK A CONS WOMAN, MAR DE HAS AND VICE PRESIDENT YANGA FOR SUPPORTING OUR, UM, THE CREATION OF THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. EH, ESPECIALLY THAT IS BEEN A, UM, LONG TIME EFFORT AND I THINK FINALLY IT SEEMS THAT IT'S GONNA COME TRUE. SO THANK YOU BECAUSE, UH, THIS, UH, THE CENTRAL ITY NO IS GONNA GONNA, UM, IS IT IS GONNA HIGHLIGHT AND TO GIVE A BIGGER SPACE FOR OUR CULTURE, FOR OUR TRADITIONS, UH, TO BE, UH, REMEMBER AND TO BE LEARNED TO THE NEW GENERATIONS. AND ALSO TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY WITH A, THE PROGRAMMING, THE, THE PROMOTOR AS I AM ONE WITH CENTRO CHA, WE HAVING BEEN, UM, CREATING WORKSHOPS TO, UH, SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY, GIVING INFORMATION VERY IMPORTANT FOR THEM THAT, UH, SUPPORTS EDUCATION TO OUR OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND UM, ALSO THE, UH, FEEL, THE FEEL ALL BELONGING. OH, YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED. THAT IS A, A LATINO PLACE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS ARIANA, THEN JENNY. HELLO, UH, UH, MAYOR AND OVERALL COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ARIANA S I'M THE COMMUNITY HEALTH JUSTICE MANAGER AT CENTRO CHA. AND I CURRENTLY LIVE IN DISTRICT EIGHT, BUT I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. I'M A PROUD FIRST GENERATION LATINA OF MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS AND I'M HERE TASK FOR SUPPORT FOR THE AMENDMENT OF THE, UM, FACILITY AGREEMENT FOR THE LONG BEACH LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. UH, YOU KNOW, LATINOS MAKE UP 44% OF OUR POPULATION HERE IN LONG BEACH, AND WE HAVE MANY BARRIERS THAT AFFECT OUR FAMILIES. THEREFORE, LIKE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LATINO CULTURAL CENTER CAN SUPPORT AND CREATE A, A SPACE IN PLACE FOR LATINOS TO FEEL SAFE, TO FEEL CONNECTED AND REPRESENTED. THIS FIRST EVER LONG BEACH LATINO CULTURAL CENTER WILL HELP PRESERVE LANGUAGE, TRADITION, MUSIC, DANCE, FOOD AND HISTORY FOR OUR LATINOS THAT WILL STRENGTHEN THEIR SELF-ESTEEM, CREATE A SENSE OF PRIDE AND BELONGING, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR IMMIGRANTS, OUR SENIORS, OUR YOUTH AND FAMILIES. TODAY MORE THAN EVER, LONG BEACH NEEDS TO PRIORITIZE A LONG BEACH LATINO CULTURAL CENTER THAT WILL BRING TO TOGETHER OUR COMMUNITY AND DEFINITELY STRENGTHENED RESILIENCE. YOU KNOW, I WAS STANDING OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW, SEEING EVERYONE WITH SMILES ON THEIR FACES AS THEY WATCHED ADDITIONAL AZTEC PERFORMANCES AND THE AND WHAT WAS EMBODIED OUTSIDE FOR AN HOUR IN CITY HALL, UM, IS WHAT THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER COULD BE FOR LATINO COMMUNITY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE IN THEIR, UM, HARD WORK IN THIS INITIATIVE AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. THANK YOU. UH, I HAVE JENNY AND THEN JOEL IS JENNY AGUIRE HERE? OKAY, AFTER JENNY IS JOEL, THEN ELI. OKAY, GOOD EVENING. UM, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JENNIFER GEARY AND I'M A CIW AT CARRILLO HIGH SCHOOL. IN MY WORK WITH LATINO HISPANIC YOUTH AND FAMILIES, I SEE HOW MANY YOUNG PEOPLE FEEL DISCONNECTED FROM THEIR CULTURE AND WHERE THEY COME FROM. MANY OF OUR YOUTH DO NOT HAVE SPACES WHERE THEY CAN LEARN ABOUT THEIR, UM, HISTORY, CELEBRATE THEIR CULTURE, OR FEEL PROUD OF THEIR IDENTITY. RIGHT NOW THIS MATTERS EVEN MORE. OUR LATINO COMMUNITIES ARE FACING [00:50:01] FEAR, SORRY, FEAR AND ATTACKS. I'VE SEEN HOW THIS AFFECTS OUR YOUTH AND FAMILIES. I WORRY FOR MY OWN FAMILY AND OUR FUTURE TO LONG BEACH NEEDS TO STAND WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT SPACES THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND MAKE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE AND SUPPORTED. THIS IS MORE THAN JUST THE BUILDING, IT'S ABOUT SUPPORTING OUR YOUTH AND OUR FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITY. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT AGENDA ITEM 29. THANK YOU. YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT IS JOEL, THEN ELI, THEN ITEL. HELLO HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY, MY NAME IS JOEL GOMEZ AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT EIGHT. I ATTEND CAL STATE LONG BEACH AND GRADUATED FROM JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL. I'M HERE TO TODAY TO SUPPORT THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER BECAUSE I BELIEVE IS, IT IS A DETRIMENTAL FOR THE YOUNG VOICES OF LONG BEACH TO HAVE SOMEWHERE THEY CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY I BELONG HERE. UM, AS A YOUNG PERSON IN LONG BEACH, I BELIEVE THE CENTER WOULD HELP IN AIDING OUR COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING A SPACE WHICH NOT ONLY REMINDS US OF OUR CULTURAL ROOTS, BUT EDUCATES US ON THEM. BEYOND PROVIDING A ESSENTIAL LOCATION FOR LATINO CULTURE AND IDENTITY TO THRIVE, THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER WILL, WILL SERVE AS A FOUNDATION FOR CULTIVATION AND TALENT. SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT, SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO ME ABOUT THE LATINO UH, CHAMELEON CULTURE IS GROWING UP AS A LATINO IN LONG BEACH. BESIDES CENTRAL CHA, THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOCATION SOLELY MADE FOR THE PURPOSE OF LATINO CULTURAL RESTORATION AND UPBRINGING. HOWEVER, TODAY CAN MARK THE DAY OF A MONUMENTAL CHANGE WHERE THE FOLLOWING GENERATIONS OF LONG BEACH WILL FINALLY HAVE US HAVE A CENTER OF TRUE EARTH REPRESENTATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION JOB. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. UH, ELI, THEN ITEL, THEN KAREEM. HELLO, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ELLIE GOMEZ PEREZ AND I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT EIGHT. I ATTEND JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL IN NORTH LONG BEACH. I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER BECAUSE IT ALLOWS LATIN CULTURE TO BE CELEBRATED, HONORED, AND EMBRACED, WHICH IS NOT ONLY LEAVES AN IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH, BUT IT TELLS THE STORY OF WHO LONG BEACH IS AS A CITY AND THE THINGS THAT STANDS FOR, IN THIS CASE, PRIORITIZING THE PRESERVATION OF LATIN CULTURE DURING DIFFICULT TIMES. AS A YOUNG PERSON IN LONG BEACH, I BELIEVE THE CENTER WOULD HELP CULTIVATE, STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY, ALLOWING LATINOS TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE THEY FEEL SENSE OF BELONGING, SHARE THE TRADITIONS PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATIONS AND EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCES BEING A LATINO IN THE US. FURTHERMORE, IT NOT ONLY ALLOWS THIS COMMUNITY OF LATINOS TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN CALL THEIRS, IT ALLOWS FOR THE CHANCE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO KNOW THEIR ROOTS MATTER. SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO ME ABOUT THE LATINO CULTURE, COMING FROM A MEXICAN AMERICAN FAMILY, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE WHAT IT TRULY MEANS TO BE A PROUD LATINO. WE DEEPLY VALUE FAMILY UNITY AND TRADITION. OUR CULTURE IDENTIFIES WHO WE ARE AND TEACHES AS RESILIENCE, HARD WORK, AND PRIDE. WE DO NOT ONLY SETTLE FOR LESS, WE DO NOT SETTLE FOR LESS AND WORK TOWARDS OUR GOALS AND DREAMS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT OTHERS MIGHT SAY IN THE LIMITATIONS. THANK YOU JOB. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT IS ITEL, THEN KARIMA, THEN UH, JESSICA. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ITEL PEREZ AND I AM A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT NAVIGATOR AT CENTRO CHA. I AM HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF AGENDA ITEM 29 REGARDING THE FACILITY USE PERMIT FOR LATINO CULTURAL CENTER AT THE GENA COMMUNITY CENTER. THE CITY OF LONG BEACH PRIDES ITSELF ON BEING A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE, AND LATINOS MAKE UP NEARLY 44% OF ITS POPULATION. A DEDICATED LATINO CULTURAL CENTER IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT ENSURES OUR COMMUNITY HAS A WELCOMING SPACE TO ACCESS RESOURCES, CELEBRATE CULTURE, AND BUILD ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. THIS CENTER HAS BECOME A VITAL HUB FOR LATINO BUSINESS OWNERS, ENTREPRENEURS, AND SIDEWALK VENDORS. THROUGH OUR PROGRAMMING, WE PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS ON SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND SIDEWALK VENDING, ONE-ON-ONE BUSINESS COUNSELING SUPPORT WITH LICENSING AND PERMITTING, DIGITAL MARKETING AND ACCESS TO GRANT OPPORTUNITIES. WE ALSO CONDUCT OUTREACH TO CONNECT WITH SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WITH CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, RESOURCES AND EDUCATION. THIS WORK IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THAT OFTEN FACE BARRIERS TO, UM, ACCESSING CLEAR AND PRACTICAL INFORMATION NEEDED TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES SUSTAINABLY. HAVING A DEDICATED SPACE LIKE THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE EMPOWERING OUR COMMUNITY, UPLIFTING ENTREPRENEURS, AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECO ECONOMIC GROWTH AND STABILITY. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SHARE THAT WE ARE HOSTING OUR NEXT KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WORKSHOP IN SPANISH ON JUNE 1ST. AND I ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY TO STAY CONNECTED WITH US BY VISITING US ON INSTAGRAM AT CENTRO CHA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT KA MAVIN. JESSICA, THEN THERESA. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS KARIME AND I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SEVEN. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN WEST LONG BEACH. I AM PARENT OF, I AM A CHILD OF IMMIGRANTS AND I AM NOW A PARENT TO A LITTLE 8-YEAR-OLD GIRL. I'M HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES [00:55:01] A SPACE THAT REPRESENTS OUR CULTURE AND ALLOWS EVERYONE TO COME TOGETHER AS A PARENT IN LONG BEACH. I BELIEVE THE CENTER WILL HELP SUPPORT AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME. IT WILL PROVIDE SAFE SPACES FOR FAMILIES TO COME TOGETHER AND ENJOY OUR HISTORY AND CULTURE. UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO ALSO SUPPORT THIS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, JESSICA, BEFORE YOU GO, I'M GONNA BRING UP THE NEXT LIST. UH, SO AFTER JESSICA IS THERESA MARINO, ROSARIO, RODAN, CARINA, MENDOZA, LAURA MOZO, DIANA NORMAN, LUCIA, I DON'T KNOW THIS LAST NAME. AVILA, MEGAN ANAYA. WILBER GOLAN, UH, CHRISTINE LAURE, LORENA ELLOS, AND THERESA MARINO AGAIN. SO I KNOW IT'S ON THERE TWICE. UM, SO IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME, PLEASE LINE UP, UH, IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME. OKAY. JESSICA, YOU'RE UP. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. UM, JESSICA QUINTANA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CENTRO CHA, LONGTIME, UH, RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH FOR OVER 54 YEARS. AND, UM, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR THOSE KIND WORDS IN OPEN STATEMENT. THAT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL. UM, ON BEHALF OF RO CHA AND OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UM, WE JUST WANT TO THANK, UM, THE, THE CITY FOR THIS PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. WE ARE MAKING HISTORY TODAY, FOLKS HISTORY AND JUST BECAUSE WE'RE THE FIRST TO COME DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE THE LAST TO COME SO MANY MORE BEFORE US. UM, LONG BEACH IS THE SECOND LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTY AND WE DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY ARE DOING THINGS INNOVATIVELY HERE. SO THANK YOU MAYOR SO MUCH. THANK YOU TOM. MONICA, WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR SUPPORT. ON BEHALF OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, WE APPRECIATE TYLER CURLEY AND I KNOW HE'S HAD TO SIT IN MEETINGS WITH US. IT'S BEEN YEARS AND TYLER, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB. AND SO ROBERTO, WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT HAVING, YOU KNOW, GRAY HAIR, TYLER WAS ALL BLACK BEFORE HE STARTED . HIS HAIR WAS BLACK BEFORE HE STARTED HAVING TO MEET WITH US ON A MONTHLY BASE. SO TYLER, THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU. I KNOW WE HAD, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF HEAVY DISCUSSIONS AND, AND TYLER HAS BEEN GREAT. SO THANK YOU TOM SO MUCH FOR, FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. AND THEN WE ALSO JUST WANNA THANK PARKS AND RECREATION. STEVEN, YOUR TEAM HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE. STEVEN HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE IN HIS LEADERSHIP WITH PARKS AND RECREATION. SO AGAIN, THIS IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. UM, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS AND, UM, WE'VE SERVED OVER A THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU JESSICA. CONGRATULATIONS. ALRIGHT, THERESA, AFTER THERESA'S ROSARIO, THEN KARINA. THANK YOU MAYOR. GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, I AM THERESA, AKA ESA MARINO. UM, I LIVE IN THE SECOND DISTRICT AND I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH SINCE 1972. UM, I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT IS OVER 50 YEARS IN THE MAKING. THERE WERE MANY OF US WHO WERE PART OF THE FIRST CENTRO HERE IN LONG, IN LONG BEACH, THE CENTRO DE LAA AND MANY OF US AT WERE COLLEGE STUDENTS AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FROM, UM, CAL STATE LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE AND ALSO DOMINGUEZ HILLS. AND WE WERE WORK STUDY STUDENTS AND INTERNS WHO WORKED ON MANY PROJECTS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF, UM, POVERTY AND BLIGHT AND ILLITERACY IN AN AREA OF LONG BEACH THAT WAS THE EAST LONG BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER. AND THROUGH THAT PROGRAM WE BROUGHT LATINO CULTURE, LATINO STUDIES, LATINOS, TO LONG BEACH. AND AT THAT TIME, 50 YEARS AGO, MANY OF US, UH, CAME TO THE CITY AND ASKED THE CITY, AND IT WAS MAY OF 1976, WE ASKED THE CITY IF WE COULD HAVE A MOTHER'S DAY CULTURAL, LATINO CULTURAL, CULTURAL EVENT AT THE MUSEUM OF ART, WHICH WAS, WHICH WAS UNDER THE CITY AT THAT TIME. YOUR TIMES CONCLUDED. WE WERE TOLD NO THANK YOU FOR THIS AND HERE WE ARE. THANKS TERESA BEING ABLE TO DO IT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, ROSARIO, THEN KARINA, THEN LAURA ROSARIO. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ROSARIO AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE. MY REPRESENTATIVE IS COUNCIL MEMBER MEGAN [01:00:11] LATINO. I BELONG TO, UH, THE RO CHA. AND TODAY I'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING BIGGER THAN A BUILDING. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A LATINO CULTURAL CENTER OF LONG BEACH THAT WILL REPRESENT UNITY, IDENTITY, AND HOPE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. UBI STR FAMILIAS IS RUDO. I HAVE INTENTLY OBSERVED FAMILIES ENJOYING THEMSELVES IN THESE CULTURAL SPACES, BUT THE BEAUTIFUL ASPECT OF IT ALL IS SEEING PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS AND CULTURES SHARING FOOD, MUSIC, LATIN TRADITIONS WITH JOY AND RESPECT. IN THESE MOMENTS LIKE THIS, DIFFERENCES DISAPPEAR IN SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT, EMERGES COMMUNITY. I'VE ALSO, UH, OBSERVED KIDS SMILING, LEARNING ABOUT THEIR ROOTS, AND ADULTS FINDING A PLACE IN WHICH THEY CAN FEEL, UH, PROUD OF WHO THEY ARE. THIS IS TREMEND HAS TREMENDOUS WORTH, UH, BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE FEEL SEEN AND CONNECTED, A CITY GROWS STRONGER. AND IN UNITY, INVESTING IN A LATINO CULTURAL CENTER WILL NOT ONLY BENEFIT, UH, THE ECONOMY AND LOCAL BUSINESSES. IT'LL ALSO BENEFIT, UH, THE HEART OF LONG BEACH. IT'LL ALSO BE AN INVESTMENT OF INCLUSION AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR YOUTH AND KEEP ALIVE OUR ROOTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, UH, CARINA LAURA, DIANA CARINA, MENDOZA BEACH S GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CARINA MENDOZA. I'M A MEMBER OF, UH, I'M A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH, UH, BELONGING TO DISTRICT NUMBER TWO LATINO IN LONG BEACH. THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER OF LONG BEACH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY. SINCE WE'LL OFFER ECONOMIC SUPPORT, HEALTH RESOURCES AND GUIDANCE, UH, TO MANY FAMILIES, THIS SPACE CAN ASSIST PEOPLE TO FIND INFORMATION, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE WELLBEING OF THE LATINO COMMUNITY. MOREOVER, THE CENTER WILL STRAIGHTEN THE BOND BETWEEN FAMILIES. IT WILL PROMOTE, UH, EDUCATION AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT MORE PEOPLE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THE NECESSARY, UH, RESOURCES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE, IT WOULD ALSO REPRESENT A SAFE PLACE IN WHICH THE COMMUNITY CAN FEEL SUPPORTED, HEARD, IN, ACCOMPANIED, WHILE HAVING DIFFERENT NEEDS AND GOING THROUGH DAILY CHALLENGES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS LAURA, THEN DIANA. [01:05:16] GOOD AFTERNOON. MEMBERS OF, UH, CITY, CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS LAURA AND I'M A PROMOTER OF CENTRO CHA AND I'M CONVINCED THAT, UH, SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF, UH, LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. UH, AND I'M IN SUPPORTIVE, UH, AND I'M CONVINCED OF THE CREATION OF THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. SINCE IT WILL PROVIDE, UH, MANY FAMILIES, UH, THEIR HAPPINESS AND WILL HAVE DIFFERENT SPACES IN WHICH TRADITIONS, CULTURE, AND, UH, VALUES CAN CONTINUE ON, UH, BEING CELEBRATED AND SHARED ALONG WITH OTHER NEW GENERATIONS. AND, UH, AMONGST OUR YOUTH, WE CAN SEE A LOT OF TALENT ARTISTS AND FUTURE PROFESSIONALS THAT WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR TIME TO BECOME BETTER, UH, CITIZENS. LEARNING AND SHARING DIFFERENT CULTURES, LANGUAGES, AND TRADITIONS. UH, HAVING A CULTURAL CENTER WILL ALLOW THEM TO, UH, SHARE A, A SAFE SPACE, A SAFE AND POS POSITIVE SPACE IN WHICH THEY CAN DEVELOP THEIR ABILITIES, FEEL, UH, PROUD OF THEIR, UH, ROOTS, AND, UH, STRENGTHEN THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY. UH, CULTURAL LATINO CENTER WILL NOT ONLY BENEFIT, UH, THE FA UH, LATINO FAMILIES, UH, BUT ALSO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT WILL PROMOTE UNITY OF RESPECT AND, UH, LEARNING, UH, CULTURAL LEARNING AND, UH, COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION. IT'S AN INVESTMENT, UH, FOR OUR YOUTH AND FOR OUR FAMILIES, AND ALSO FOR, UH, THE FUTURE OF OUR, UH, CITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING, UH, ALL OF OUR VOICES AND CONSIDERING THE IMPORTANCE OF COUNTING WITH A SPACE THAT WILL PRESERVE AND CELEBRATE OUR CULTURE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT IS DIANA, THEN LUCIA, DIANA, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS PRESENT. MY NAME IS DIANA NORMAN, A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO IN LONG BEACH. AND TODAY I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY FULL SUPPORT FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER OF LONG BEACH. SENT, CREATED BY RO, OUR CITY IS DIVERSE, MULTICULTURAL, AND FIELD WITH STORIES THAT SERVE TO BE HONORED. THE LATINO COMMUNITY HAS BEEN A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF THE GROWTH, ECONOMY, CULTURE, AND HEART OF LONG BEACH FOR GENERATIONS. HOWEVER, WE STILL NEED MORE SPACES WHERE OUR FAMILIES, YOUTH, AND ELDERS CAN BE, FEEL, SEEN, HEARD, AND REPRESENTED UN LATINO SOON. A LATINO CULTURAL CENTER IS NOT ONLY A BUILDING, IT IS A SPACE FOR EDUCATION, ART, HISTORY, HEALING, AND COMMUNITY UNITY. IT IS A PLACE WHERE FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN LEARN ABOUT THEIR ROOTS WITH PRIDE, [01:10:01] WHERE ARTISTS CAN EXPRESS THEMSELVES, WHERE FAMILIES CAN GATHER, AND WHERE OUR CULTURAL CAN CONTINUE TO FLOURISH. IN TIMES WHEN COMMUNITIES ARE EXPERIENCING UNCERTAINTY, FEAR, AND DIVISION, WE NEED TO INVEST IN SPACES THAT BUILD IDENTITY, BELONGING, AND HOPE. AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THE CENTER WILL BENEFIT NOT ONLY LATINOS, BUT THE ENTIRE CITY OF LONG BEACH. BECAUSE WHEN ONE COMMUNITY IS SUPPORTED, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY GROWS STRONGER, MORE COMPASSIONATE, AND MORE UNITED. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. LUCIA Q FAT. VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT. HI. I TRIED IT. I TRIED IT. MY, AND THEN AFTER THAT IS, UH, WEST SIDE. OKAY. MY NAME IS LUCIA AND I LIVE ON THE WEST SIDE OF LONG BEACH. BORN AND RAISED IN LONG BEACH. I LIVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. I THINK IT'S A POSITIVE FOR LONG BEACH. IT'S A POSITIVE FOR FAMILIES, FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. AND I, UH, I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION. IT IS A PLUS ALL THE WAY AROUND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, JERRY, THEN MEGAN. GOOD EVENING. UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, HONORABLE MAYOR. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO TELL EVERYBODY THEY'RE SO BRAVE. THEY COME UP HERE AND SPEAK ON BEHALF A OF A GREAT, UH, UH, WHAT DO WE WANNA SAY? HISTORICAL, UH, MOMENT. THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER IS LONG OVERDUE. UH, ROBERTO, THERESA, MARY, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, TOM TAYLOR. STEVE, I JUST WANT TO HEAR IN SUPPORT, UM, LET'S MAKE HISTORY. THESE CHILDREN NEED A FUTURE, NEED A PLACE TO GO SOMEWHERE TO THAT THEY COULD TAKE PRIDE AND GET 'EM OFF THE STREETS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, MEGAN AND THEN WILBUR. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR RICHARDSON. AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS MEGAN AYA AND I AM A RESIDENT OF COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT. I AM ALSO A COMMUNITY PARTNER AS WELL AS A PARTNER OF CENTRO CHA. I'M A PRO, I'M A PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AT CAL STATE UNIVERSITY OF LONG BEACH, AND I'M ALSO THE DAUGHTER OF AN IMMIGRANT. SO I'M HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF AGENDA ITEM 29 AND THE RECOMMENDATION TO SUPPORT THE AUTHORIZATION OF CENTRO CHA TO OPERATE THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER AND ED MERCADO DE LONG BEACH. SO I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT THIS MOMENT DID NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. IT REFLECTS YEARS OF COMMUNITY ADVOCACY, CULTURAL PRESERVATION, TIRELESS ORGANIZING BY CENTRO CHA, ALONGSIDE COMMUNITY LEADERS AND A CITY WHO IS WILLING TO LISTEN, UM, ABOUT THE INVESTMENT THAT'S NEEDED FOR THE CULTURAL FUTURE OF LONG BEACH. SO, AS SOMEONE WHO STUDIES AND ANALYZES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY OUTCOMES, I BELIEVE THAT CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE. AND SO AS LATINOS MAKE UP NEARLY 44% OF LONG BEACH'S POPULATION, OUR CITY STILL LACKS A PERMANENT CULTURAL CENTER DEDICATED TO PRESERVING, CELEBRATING, AND INVESTING IN LATINO HISTORY, IDENTITY AND OPPORTUNITY. SO THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT CULTURAL IN A SYMBOLIC SENSE, SPACES LIKE THIS CREATE REAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACT SUPPORTING LOCAL ARTISTS, ENTREPRENEURS, YOUTH PROGRAMS, SENIOR PROGRAMS, SMALL BUSINESSES, EDUCATION, AND NEW, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION. SO I BELIEVE CENTRAL CHA IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO WORK, UM, TO DO THIS WORK BECAUSE OF THEIR LONGSTANDING HISTORY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ADVOCACY SERVICE WITHIN LONG BEACH. AND APPROVING THIS ITEM IS AN INVESTMENT IN REPRESENTATION, BELONGING, AND LONG-TERM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT, WILBUR. GOOD EVENING MAYOR. GOOD EVENING. DISTRICT MEMBERS. MY NAME IS WILBER LAN FLORES. I AM THE FOUNDER AND CHURCH PERSON OF THE BOARD OF CASA GUERRERO IN CALIFORNIA NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH A MISSION, THE EMPOWER INDIVIDUAL STROKE, LIVE LONG LEARNING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. AND WE BELIEVE THE LATINO CULTURE CENTER WILL GREATLY BENEFIT, BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY BY CREATING SAFE SPACE, THEY GAIN BETTER ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND ECONOMY OPPORTUNITIES. THIS, THIS PROJECT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR, WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE, UH, CENTRAL CHA CASA GUERRERO AND OTHERS ORGANIZATION BECAUSE IT'S MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY. LATINO. THIS PROJECT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR COMMUNITY LATINO, THIS PROJECT BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY IS THE HALF COMMUNITY IN THE [01:15:01] CITY OF LONG BEACH. BUT LATINO COMMUNITY IS A GREAT PROJECT. IS, THANK YOU FOR ALL. YES, THANK YOU WILBUR. ALRIGHT, I HAVE TWO MORE. CHRISTINE RE AND LORENA BUNUELO. SORRY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS EL BORDO AND I AM THE LATINO AND LEGAL DIRECTOR OF INTERVAL HOUSE, WHICH IS, UH, HAS BEEN PROVIDED SERVICE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS AND HOUSING. AND, UM, AS A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH FOR OVER 50 YEARS. UM, I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE OUR CITY SUPPORT THE CENTER, THE, UM, I JUST, UM, FEEL THAT THE CENTER WILL BE, UM, AN INTERESTED AND FUN PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND, AND, AND APPRECIATE THE LATINO CULTURE, THE COLOR FOR THE FOOD, THE MUSIC. AND UH, I THINK THIS IS A DREAM FOR THE LATINO COMMUNITY TO, UM, HAVE THIS, UM, CULTURAL CENTER. THANK YOU. HI, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS C LAB. I'M THE DIRECTOR AMAD, A DIRECTOR OF INTERVAL HOUSE AND A LONG TIME LONG BEACH RESIDENT. WE ARE VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. BUT FIRST, UM, I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW HOW INTERVAL HOUSE IS WHO HAS PROBABLY SERVED THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS. AND THROUGHOUT THAT TIME, THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL LIKE JESSICA ANA, NOR ANOTHER ORGANIZATION LIKE CENTRAL CHA THAT WE WILL HOLD IN HIGHER REGARDS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, THE, IN THE COUNTY, IN THE STATE, EVEN INTO THE COUNTRY. THIS IS TRULY, THERE IS TRULY AN ORGANIZATION OR GROUP OF PEOPLE MORE SPECIAL, CAPABLE AND PREPARED TO LEAD THIS VISION THAN CENTRAL CHILD. SO WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO SUPPORT, UM, THE IM NUMBER 29 BECAUSE WE REALLY THINK THAT THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER IS, SHOULD TO BE A VERY POPULAR MEETING PLACE FOR EVERYONE. AND WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS A, A REALITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UH, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? LORENA PANS. OKAY, LORENA, OUR FINAL SPEAKER. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS LORENA PANS AND I AM A COMMUNITY EDUCATOR AT INTERVAL HOUSE. TONIGHT I STAND BE BEFORE YOU, UM, WITH IMMENSE PRIDE AND VERY MUCH HOPE, UM, TO SUPPORT THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. I GREW UP IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY OF LONG BEACH. I NOW LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE AND I'VE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND, UM, HOW ORGANIZATIONS LIKE CENTRO CHA TRANSFORM LIVES AND HOW THEY STRAIGHTEN OUR COMMUNITY. INTERVAL HEALTH IS INCREDIBLY PROUD, LONGTIME PARTNER AND SUPPORTER OF CENTRO CHA. WE HAVE WORKED SIDE BY SIDE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND THAT PARTNERSHIP HAS MADE US BOTH MUCH STRONGER. THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER REPRESENTS MORE THAN JUST A BUILDING. IT REPRESENTS OUR STORIES, IT REPRESENTS OUR HERITAGE, AND IT REPRESENTS OUR FUTURE DREAMS. WE HAVE NO DOUBT THAT IT WILL BECOME A VIBRANT CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND ECONOMIC ECONOMIC HEART HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE REMARKABLE LEADERSHIP FROM CENTRO CHA. CENTRO CHA HAS STOOD AS A POWERFUL ADVOCATE, NOT JUST FOR LATINOS, BUT FOR EVERYONE. ALL CULTURES, ALL PEOPLE WHO CALL THIS CITY HOME ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE FROM INTERVAL HOUSE. WE DON'T JUST SUPPORT THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER. WE BELIEVE IN IT. WE CELEBRATE IT, AND WE ARE HONORED TO STAND SIDE BY SIDE, UH, WITH CENTRO CHA TO MAKE THIS VISION A REALITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. UH, WE, WE HAVE A FEW MORE COUNCIL COMMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH INTU. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. UM, AND I WANNA THANK THE PUBLIC FOR COMING OUT THIS EVENING. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, THOSE RESIDENTS FROM ACROSS THE CITY AND CERTAINLY THOSE FROM THE EIGHTH DISTRICT, THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER REPRESENTS A VITAL INVESTMENT IN CULTURAL PRESERVATION AND IS AN INCLUSIVE STANDS TO BE AN INCLUSIVE PLACE WITHIN OUR CITY. UM, I TOO WANNA THANK THE STAFF. THEY'VE ALL BEEN NAMED, UH, ACCORDINGLY, UH, FOR ALL OF YOUR LEADERSHIP AND PERSEVERANCE TO OUR RESIDENTS, UM, AND TO CENTRAL CHA FOR SERVING AS SUCH A COLLABORATOR, UH, IN BRINGING THIS MOMENT FORWARD. I WANNA THANK YOU JESSICA CANTANA FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, IN BRINGING FORWARD IN THE WORK FOR TODAY. AS WELL AS I SEE YOUR BOARD CHAIR IS HERE, JERRY AVILA, AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER BOARD MEMBERS FOR CENTRAL CHA ARE HERE. UM, ALL OF YOU WHO ARE HERE TODAY, 'CAUSE YOU'VE SEEN THE WORK THE CENTRAL CHILD HAS DONE IN OUR COMMUNITY, FROM IMMIGRATION, LEGAL SUPPORT [01:20:01] AND ASSISTANCE TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A, HAD ACCESS TO QUALITY JOBS. UH, YOU'VE BEEN AN EXCEPTIONAL STEWARD OF THE VIOLENCE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION WORK, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU BACK HERE, UH, QUITE SOON, WHERE I WILL WELCOME YOU TO SHARE A PRESENTATION ON THAT WORK, EXPANDING OUR PARTNERSHIP, UH, TODAY WITH THE LATINO CULTURAL CENTER, BUILDS ON THAT FOUNDATION AND CREATES A PERMANENT HOME, UH, FOR LATINOS AROUND ARTS, HISTORY, CULTURE, AND CONTINUING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE JENNY OROPEZA COMMUNITY CENTER. SO I WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCILWOMAN AND DEJAS, UH, FOR HER MOTION. AND IT MAKES ME SO, SO VERY PROUD TO SIT ALONGSIDE VICE MAYOR ANG AND BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM. I DO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE TAKING THE RIGHT STRIP TOWARDS ENSURING THAT PUBLIC SPACES TRULY REFLECT THE DIVERSITY AND THE RICHNESS OF OUR CITY. THANK YOU. GREAT COMMENTS. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. SUPER KN THANK YOU. I I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL THE SPEAKERS HERE TONIGHT AND GIVE A PARTICULAR SHOUT OUT TO CASARO. I THINK IT'S BEEN ABOUT A DECADE SINCE WE HAD YOUR GRADUATION CEREMONY AT ARIZONA, UH, ORZO PARK. BUT IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT HONOR FOR ME TO SUPPORT YOUR ORGANIZATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES, I WANNA THANK, UH, EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT AND CONTINUING TO BE IN SUPPORT OF THIS WORK FOR DECADES, UH, TO CITY STAFF AND TO CENTRAL CHA FOR ALWAYS SHOWING UP. UM, I WANNA THANK THE ORIGINAL CENTRO DE LA RAA CREW FOR STARTING THIS WORK DECADES AGO, 50 YEARS AGO, UM, AND CARRYING US THROUGH AND BEING HERE TODAY, UH, TO SAY YES AND SEEING, UH, PART OF THAT VISION THAT YOU STARTED AS COLLEGE STUDENTS COME TO FRUITION IN THIS PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT TODAY. AND WE KNOW THIS IS JUST ONE MORE STEP IN THE JOURNEY OF THE WORK. UM, PROUD TO BE A PART OF IT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO IN OUR CITY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. AND COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SOTE. UM, I THINK MY, UH, COUNCIL COLLEAGUE SAID IT, UH, SAID EVERYTHING, BUT I'LL JUST ADD IN ALSO MY CONGRATULATIONS. UM, ADDITIONALLY, I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN WE, WE, WE DO THESE KIND OF EVENTS AT CITY HALL, RIGHT? SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE IT'S A VERY CITY DRIVEN INITIATIVE, RIGHT? BUT I THINK WHAT YOU ALL DID IN THEIR PUBLIC COMMENTS IS REALLY UPLIFT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZING THAT WE'RE AT THE CENTER OF THIS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND THE DECADES OF ENGAGEMENT, RIGHT? THE DECADES OF PURSUING AND TALKING ABOUT FUNDING AND ADVOCATING OVER AND OVER, RIGHT? AND I THINK THIS IS JUST A TESTAMENT TO THE POWER AND THE VOICE OF THE LATINO COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO THE POWER AND THE VOICE OF GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING WHEN YOU KNOW SOMETHING IS SO IMPORTANT. AND YOU NEED TO UPLIFT A COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE THAT THEIR CUL THEIR CULTURE IS REPRESENTED, THEIR COMMUNITY IS REPRESENTED RIGHT. AND THAT WE ARE PRESERVING THAT HISTORY. AND SO IT'S, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL FOR GETTING TO THIS PLACE. ALRIGHT, WELL CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE. LOTS OF GREAT WORK. MORE WORK TO DO. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. CONGRATULATIONS. ALRIGHT, WE ARE NOW GOING TO, UH, UM, I KNOW, UH, FOLKS WANNA WANT TO EXIT BEFORE I TEE UP, TEE UP, PUBLIC COMMENT AND VIDEO. ANYBODY WANTS TO START THAT TRANSITION BEFORE I CALL UP SPEAKERS. WE GOT 10 SPEAKERS. [ PUBLIC COMMENT: Obtain speaker card from the City Clerk Opportunity to address the City Council (on non-agenda items) is given to the first 10 persons who submit Speaker Cards to the City Clerk beginning at 15 minutes prior to the commencement of the meeting. Each speaker is allowed three minutes to make their comments. ] OKAY. I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA, UM, UH, CALL UP, UH, THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE START MAKING YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT. MICHAEL FEINSTEIN, CARLOS, TATIANA WILLIAMS, ANTHONY HOLMES, DAVE SHUKLA. IS THAT IT? I THOUGHT WE HAD MORE. THAT'S IT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO, MICHAEL, MICHAEL, CARLOS, TATIANA, ANTHONY, AND DAVE MICHAEL, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. GOOD EVENING. UH, MICHAEL FEINSTEIN. I'M A FORMER MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBER IN SANTA MONICA. UH, CO-FOUNDER OF THE GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA, AND A 2026 CANDIDATE FOR CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE. AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT REPRESENTATION FOR YOUR CITY ON THE STATE LEVEL, PARTICULARLY IN THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE HAVE A RACE TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT NOW ON ELECT ELECTION INTEGRITY AROUND THE COUNTRY. YOU MAY REMEMBER A FEW MONTHS AGO THAT [01:25:01] TEXAS GERRYMANDERED IN ORDER TO FAVOR REPUBLICANS, AND THEN CALIFORNIA WENT AHEAD AND GERRYMANDERED TO FAVOR DEMOCRATS. AND NOW THE SUPREME COURT HAS KILLED THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. SO WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM ALL OF THAT? WHAT WE LEARN IS THAT AN EXCLUSIVE RELIANCE UPON WINNER TAKE ALL WINNER TAKE ALL SINGLE SEAT DISTRICTS MEANS THAT INEVITABLY, HOWEVER WE DRAW THE LINES, MEANS SOME PEOPLE GET REPRESENTATION AND OTHER PEOPLES DON'T. BUT DEMOCRACY WORKS BEST WHEN EVERYBODY HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE OF THE DEMOCRACY. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE, YOU'RE ON THE MENU INSTEAD. SO WHAT I AM RECOMMENDING FOR OUR STATE IS TO CHANGE FROM A RELIANCE ONLY ON SINGLE SEAT DISTRICTS TO A STATE LEGISLATURE ELECTED BY PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION, SIMILAR TO HOW THEY DO IN NEW ZEALAND AND GERMANY, WHERE HALF THE SEATS ARE ELECTED FROM SMALLER SINGLE SEAT DISTRICTS, AND HALF OF THEM ARE ELECTED BY PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION, UNLIKE OUR CURRENT SYSTEM, MEANS YOU ELECT SEVERAL PEOPLE AT ONCE IN A GEOGRAPHIC AREA, AND IF ONE PARTY GETS 30% OF THE VOTE, THEY WIN 30% OF THE SEATS, ANOTHER PARTY WINS 20% OF THE VOTE, THEY GET THAT PERCENTAGE OF THE SEATS. WHEN WE DO THAT, WE DON'T JUST HAVE SOMEBODY FROM ONE PARTY REPRESENTING AN AREA. WE MIGHT HAVE SOME DEMOCRATS, SOME REPUBLICANS, SOME GREENS LIKE MYSELF, SOME LIBERTARIANS, AND MAYBE SOME PEOPLE FROM OTHER PARTIES THAT WILL DEVELOP MORE UNDER SUCH A SYSTEM. THE PROPORTIONAL SIDE, SPECIFICALLY THAT I'M RECOMMENDING IS THAT INSTEAD OF JUST DOING A STATEWIDE PROPORTIONAL ELECTION, THAT WE WOULD ELECT PEOPLE FROM REGIONAL MULTI-COUNTY DISTRICTS. WHY? BECAUSE AS A NATION STATE AND A STATE OF REGIONS, OUR ECONOMIES, OUR LAND USE PATTERNS ARE MORE REGIONAL THAN THEY ARE JUST LOCAL. BUT WE DO NOT HAVE REGIONAL PUBLIC POLICY DEBATES AND ELECTIONS WHERE WE INVOLVE VOTERS IN THAT MANNER AND SEND THEM TO SACRAMENTO. SO WE WOULD BE BETTER INFORMED, IN MY OPINION, IN A PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM IF WE ACTUALLY INCORPORATED THE REGIONAL NATURE OF WHO WE ARE. THE FINAL THING IS THAT IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT TOP TWO ELECTIONS, UH, ARE GONNA BE OVERTURNED IN THIS STATE. THE JUNGLE PRIMARY IS PROBABLY GONNA GO AFTER THE FIASCO WITH ALL THE DEMOCRATS VOTE SPLITTING IN THE GOVERNOR'S RACE. AND RATHER THAN JUST GOING BACK TO THE SYSTEM WE HAD BEFORE, IT WOULD HELP US TO START THINKING MORE ABOUT PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. THANKS A LOT. OKAY. THANK YOU, MICHAEL. UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE CARLOS. UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANTED TO ASK YOU GUYS TO PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF THE SPEAKERS. UH, IN PARTICULAR OUR TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS THERE, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN OTHERS IN THE PAST AND DIFFERENT MEETINGS IN DIFFERENT SUBJECTS. YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE PUBLIC WHO IS HERE. UH, WE ARE YOUR BOSS. WE PAY YOUR SALARY. PLEASE RESPECT AND PAY ATTENTION TO US. UH, I WANNA TALK ABOUT, UM, A YEAR AGO, I ATTENDED THE SOUTH COAST, UH, AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, UM, PRESENTATION ABOUT F AVIATION FACILITIES RELEASING HIGHLY TOXIC METHYL BROMIDE IN THE WEST SIDE, UH, LONG BEACH NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, THE A QMD HAD A FAMILIAR MESSAGE, UH, THAT SAID, UM, UH, THEY SAID, UM, UH, THIS, UH, METHYL BROMIDE, UH, SUBSTANCE, UH, PESTICIDE IS NOT, IT, IT'S REALLY NOT THAT BAD. IT, IT, IT DOESN'T REALLY CAUSE CANCER AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT REALLY THAT BAD. AND WE HAVE SOME MITIGATION MEASURES THAT WE'RE GONNA, THAT WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT. AND THAT REALLY REMINDED ME OF, YOU KNOW, TOBACCO IS SAFE, OPIOIDS ARE SAFE, ROUNDUP IS SAFE. UM, THIS, UH, HIGHLY TOXIC CHEMICAL, UH, ACTUALLY DOESN'T CAUSE CANCER. THEY'RE RIGHT. IT CAUSES, UH, BRAIN DISORDERS, IT CAUSES RESPIRATORY DISORDERS, REPRODUCTIVE DISORDERS, ENDOCRINOLOGY DISORDERS. AND THEN ONE WONDERS, WHY IS IT THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON THE WEST SIDE, MOSTLY LATINOS AND BLACKS, HAVE A SHORTER LIFESPAN? WE SACRIFICE NORMALLY 10 YEARS OF OUR LIFE FOR THE PROFITS OF THE IMPORTERS, UH, OF THIS MATERIAL THAT HAS TO BE FUMIGATED BEFORE IT GETS DISTRIBUTED. THE SOLUTIONS THAT WERE PROPOSED BY A QMD WERE, UH, THERE'S NO OTHER WORD, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE STUPID. THEY WANTED TO INSTALL A, A TALLER SMOKE STACK TO EXPEL THIS STUFF THAT THEY [01:30:01] ADMITTED GOES UP AND THEN IT SETTLES DOWN. SO THEY'RE GONNA SPREAD IT FROM JUST THAT ONE SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE A SCHOOL WAS FORCED TO CLOSE THE SCHOOL WITH THE HIGHEST ABSENTEEISM RATE IN BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS SO THAT THE REST OF US COULD SHARE IT. THE REST OF US WHO HAVE TO LIVE WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND ENDOCRINOLOGY DISORDERS AND UH, UH, AND, UH, UH, RESPIRATORY DISORDERS LIKE MYSELF. SO ANYWAY, NOTABLY ABSENT IN ALL THE MEETINGS THAT I'VE ATTENDED ON THIS SUBJECT, IS ANY OF YOU OR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU, CARLOS. NEXT UP WE HAVE TATIANA. UH, YES, THANK YOU. UM, TO THE MAYOR AND TO THE CITY COUNCIL, I AM HERE TODAY TO REPRESENT ALL OF THE PEOPLE, THE VETS AND THE PETS THAT ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED ON THE 4TH OF JULY. EVERYONE SEEMS TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAY DURING THE DAYTIME, UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN THE FIREWORKS START, AND SOMETIMES THAT'S 30 DAYS BEFORE, 30 DAYS AFTER. THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF NOISES. IN PARTICULAR ON THE HOLIDAY DATE, 4TH OF JULY, UM, JUST A FEW STATISTICS. THERE ARE ROUGHLY, UM, 460,000 RESIDENTS. OF THOSE RESIDENTS, ABOUT 5% OF PEOPLE SUFFER FROM PTSD. SO THAT MEANS ABOUT 23,000 PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING FROM PTSD AND HAVE ALL SORTS OF NOISE, UH, FROM EXPLOSIONS FROM THE 4TH OF JULY THAT NIGHT. AND AS WE KNOW, WE LIKE OUR FUR BABIES. UH, GULLIVER'S TRAVELS WAS HERE EARLIER TODAY, SO WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF PETS AS WELL. I TWO, I HAVE TWO PETS OF MY OWN. WE TYPICALLY SHUT THE WINDOWS AND, YOU KNOW, TRY TO DROWN OUT THE NOISE AND JUST SHELTER IN PLACE. SO, UM, NOT ONLY THAT, THERE'S ABOUT 125% INCREASE IN OUTSIDE FIRE CALLS AND, AND FIRE RESPONSES BY OUR, UH, LOCAL LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ABOUT $10 MILLION OF OUTSIDE AND, AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE FROM FIREWORKS THAT HAVE GONE AWRY. I SAID ALL OF THAT TO IMPLORE YOU AND TO ASK FOR PROACTIVE RESPONSES. I HAVE A COUPLE OF SOLUTIONS. NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE A BILLBOARD THAT IS SOUTHBOUND WHEN YOU'RE GOING SOUTHBOUND RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A SNOOP DOGG BILLBOARD FOR THE JUNE 6TH, UH, AMPHITHEATER CONCERT. THAT'S A PERFECT PLACE, I THINK, TO PUT A BILLBOARD THAT SAYS THAT FIREWORKS ARE ILLEGAL IN LONG BEACH. AND I SUGGESTED TO ONE OF OUR LOCAL OFFICERS THAT WE COULD ALSO HAVE A BILLBOARD. MAYBE NOT WITH EVERYONE'S PICTURE ON IT, BUT JUST WITH SILHOUETTES OF THEIR FACES. IF THERE'S PEOPLE THAT HAVE RECEIVED TICKETS, MAYBE YOU CAN, WE CAN SAY THIS IS WHAT THEY GOT FOR THIS ILLEGAL FIREWORK. THIS IS WHAT THEY GOT FOR THAT ILLEGAL FIREWORK. AND WORK TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO MAKE IT SO THAT IT'S FUN FOR PEOPLE AND NOT FEELING LIKE WE'RE IN A WAR ZONE ON THE 4TH OF JULY. THAT IS ALL. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, NEXT WE HAVE ANTHONY HOLMES. Y'ALL CAN START MY TIME. THIS IS MY SIGN I WAS GONNA SHOW Y'ALL LAST WEEK WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED. UNSUBSTANTIATED. THIS IS WHAT EVERY BLACK WORKER IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH GET WHEN THEY GO TO THE EEO DEPARTMENT TO FILE CLAIMS. HOW DO I KNOW? YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T ARGUE FACTS. WE DON'T HAVE TO GO SEARCH FOR THE DATA. EVERY BLACK WORKER, ANYTHING THAT GO ON WITH BLACK WORKERS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, I KNOW ABOUT IT 'CAUSE THEY ALL CALL ME. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY GET MY NUMBER, BUT THEY CALL ME. THEY DON'T WANT TO COME TO Y'ALL. THEY DON'T WANNA GO TO THE EO. THEY DON'T WANNA GO TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, THE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENTS, THE SUPERINTENDENTS, THE SUPERVISORS. 'CAUSE YOU GUYS DON'T DO NOTHING. YOU GUYS ARE THE DEFINITION OF POOR LEADERSHIP. PLAIN AND SIMPLE AND YANGA. HE'S NOT HERE. HE WAS HERE. COVID, ORANGA SON. YOU KNOW, I WORKED ON A TRUCK WITH HIM MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT HIS SON TOLD ME, UM, WHEN COVID COME, I'M NOT WORKING. SO YANGA MADE SURE HIS SON STAYED HOME. WHILE EVERY BLACK WORKER, EVERY BLACK MAN AND BLACK WOMAN PUT, THEY LIVES ON THE LINE TO GO TO GO OUT AND WORK. SHAME. SHAME. YEAH, SHAME. IT'S JUST, IT'S UPSETTING. AND EVERYBODY IN THE EO DEPARTMENT ARE ALL ASHLEY GONZALEZ'S. THEY ALL NEED TO BE FIRED. AND IF BRYCE TAYLOR CAN'T GET DO HIS JOB, HE NEED TO GET THE HELL UP OUTTA HERE TOO. STRAIGHT UP. I DON'T CARE IF HE BLACK, WE NEED THE HOLD, BLACK LEADERSHIP ACCOUNTABLE. I CAN COME IN HERE AND TALK ABOUT JEWS AND DEHA EVERY DAY. SIDNEY ALLEN, CHRISTINA DUGGANS, MEGAN KERR, OF COURSE, REX, UM, ROBERT YANGA. [01:35:01] BUT WHY YOU GUYS ARE DOING WHAT Y'ALL WAS TRAINED TO DO, WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS, WHICH, WHAT IS Y'ALL EXCUSES TO NEW? I UNDERSTAND YOU KNEW, BUT IF ME AND YOU CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION, IF I NEED TO SIGN AN NDA, YOU CAN SIGN ONE. AND WHATEVER WE TALK ABOUT INSIDE THAT ROOM, DON'T GET OUT. SO BE IT. LET'S DO IT. LET'S MAKE A CHANGE. I'M TIRED COMING DOWN HERE. I'M TIRED TALKING. AND YOU GUYS MAKE DON HENDERSON DEPUTY DIRECTOR OVER PUBLIC WORKS, ALL THE COMPLAINTS SHE HAD BEEN. YOU GUYS DID A DIS YOU GUYS DID A DISSERVICE TO EVERY BLACK WORKER IN THIS CITY WHEN Y'ALL DID THIS. AND NOT TO SAY HER BOSS, JOSH HICKMAN, PROTECT WHITE SUPREMACY. THE ONLY THING I WANT FOR WHITE PEOPLE IS Y'ALL PRIVILEGE. THAT'S IT. I DON'T WANT NOTHING ELSE. AND SOMEHOW AMERICA THINK THAT BLACK MEN CANNOT, BLACK MEN CANNOT FACE, CANNOT GET FRUSTRATED IN PUBLIC LIKE WE SUPPOSED TO GO HOME, SCREAM, SWING AT THE AIR AND CUSS. THAT'S NOT HAPPENING WITH ME. UM, I JUST WANT YOU TO RESPECT ME, REX. AND LIKE I SAID AT THE COMMISSION MEETING, YOU WASN'T THERE, BUT I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN IT. BLACK PEOPLE, BLACK POLICY, STATE BLACK. THANKS, ANTHONY. ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS DAVE SHUKLA. YOUR TIME IS TICKING. REX. YOU GOOD, DAVE? THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, LAST WEEK I SPOKE ON THE ROBERTS COURT GUTTING OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT AND AT 63 REPUBLICAN SUPERMAJORITY VOTE IN LOUISIANA VERSUS KALAY. YESTERDAY, MONDAY THE 11TH, THE SAME SIX RIGHT-WING FUNCTIONARIES, UH, MASQUERADING AS SUPREME COURT JUSTICES, UH, OVERTURNED THEIR OWN 2023 DECISION IN ALLEN V MULLIGAN ABOUT GERRYMANDERING IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA. AND, UH, GERRYMANDERING, STATE ELECTORAL MAPS GENERALLY, UH, THIS SUPREME RUSHED THIS ORDER OUT ON THE SHADOW DOCKET, UH, ON A MONDAY EVENING SO THAT ALABAMA COULD OPENLY GERRYMANDER ITS BLACK CITIZENS, ALL OF ITS BLACK CITIZENS OUT OF ANY POLITICAL REPRESENTATION IN THE STATE. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'RE NOW IN A NEW ERA OF JIM CROW, UH, DECIDED UPON BY NINE, WELL, REALLY SIX PEOPLE. UH, LAST WEEK. I LAID THE, THESE DECISIONS AT THEIR FEET AND AT AN ILLEGITIMATE AND POLITICALLY IMPOTENT REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT HAS NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO RIG THE GAME BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS WHAT THEY'RE SELLING. UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I TOOK SOME AIM AT THIS FICTION OF AN REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION OF WHITE RACIAL INNOCENCE. WHENEVER WHITE LEGISLATORS WILLFULLY DISMANTLE BLACK POLITICAL REPRESENTATION ANALYTICALLY THAT THAT'S REALLY LOW HANGING FRUIT BECAUSE IT'S BLATANT AND DEMONSTRABLE THAT THESE ACTIONS WILL RESULT IN THE DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF THOSE VOTERS. UH, PARTICULARLY IN THE CASE OF VIRGINIA, UH, WHERE THE COURT LITERALLY OVERTURNED, UH, THE DULY EXERCISE AND DEMONSTRATED WILL OF THE PEOPLE. PURCELL PRINCIPLES ARE NOT, UH, THIS WEEK, UH, I'D LIKE, UH, TO TURN OUR ATTENTION, UH, MR. MAYOR, UH, TO YOUR PARTY, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AND ASK WHY SHOULD ANY YOUNG VOTER OF COLOR EVER STAND BY YOU PEOPLE AGAIN, EVER THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, PARTICULARLY IN THE PAST 40 YEARS UNDER THE CLINTONITE D-L-C-D-F-C-D-C-C, HAVE CONSISTENTLY BARRED PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATES, PREVENTED ELECTION REFORM FROM GETTING MONEY OUTTA POLITICS, AND PARTICULARLY IN THE PRIMARIES. AND THEY BLOCKED OBVIOUS REFORMS TO PARTISAN JUDICIAL OVERREACH, NAMELY, UH, ADDING NEW SUPREME COURT JUSTICES AND CHANGING THE THRESHOLD FOR IMPEACH IMPEACHMENT OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICES. IF THEY ACT TO DEPRIVE PEOPLE OF THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. LIKE THE 80,000 PEOPLE IN LOUISIANA WHO HAD ALREADY VOTED BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT IMPROPERLY INSERTED THEMSELVES INTO THE PROCESS. THIS ISN'T JUST WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY? IT'S WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? WHAT IS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY GOING TO DO WHEN THESE RADICAL PARTISAN HACKS TAKE A CHAINSAW AS THEY HAVE BEEN TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND TO OUR DEMOCRACY OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS? JUDICIAL REFORM HAS TO BE THE QUA NON THE BASELINE FOR ANY DEMOCRATIC POLITICIAN. OTHERWISE, NONE OF US SHOULD EVER VOTE FOR YOU AGAIN. WOO. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. WE'RE NOW GONNA GO TO ITEM 26, REPORT FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD, CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND GRANT AN ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT WITH CONDITIONS FOR ENTERTAINMENT WITH DANCING TO HEY GIRL DBA MEN'S ROOM BAR AT 1 7 4 4 [01:40:01] EAST BROADWAY DISTRICT TWO. THIS ITEM DOES REQUIRE AN OATH. ALL RIGHT, PLEASE ADMINISTER THE OATH. [26. 26-55012 Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, and grant an Entertainment Permit with conditions for entertainment with dancing to Hey Gurl LLC DBA Men's Room Bar 1744 East Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802. (District 2) Levine Act: Yes       Office or Department: Financial Management         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] PLEASE STAND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE GOING TO TESTIFY ON THIS ITEM. DO YOU SOLEMNLY STATE THAT THE TESTIMONY YOU MAY GIVE AND THE CAUSE NOW PENDING BEFORE THIS BODY SHALL BE THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, SO HELP YOU GOD. , YOU'RE GONNA TALK? YES. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. YOU MAY BE SEATED. THIS IS A REAL HEARING. I HOPE YOU'RE TELLING THE TRUTH, . ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA START WITH A STAFF PRESENTATION, THEN WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT, THEN WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL DELIBERATION. STAFF, PLEASE. YES. FOR STAFF PRESENTATION, WE HAVE TARA MORTENSON, MANAGER OF BUSINESS RELATIONS FROM THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL BEFORE YOU. TONIGHT IS AN APPLICATION FOR AN ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT, UH, FOR ENTERTAINMENT WITH DANCING FOR HEY GIRL, L-L-C-D-B-A, THE MEN'S ROOM BAR. THE ESTABLISHMENT IS LOCATED AT 1744 EAST BROADWAY AND OPERATES AS A BAR TAVERN LOUNGE. THIS LOCATION HAS BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE JANUARY OF 2025, UNDER THE CURRENT OWNERSHIP AND WITH A TEMPORARY ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT. UM, BUT IT HAS BEEN A, A SIMILAR ESTABLISHMENT SINCE 2014. ALL APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, POLICE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT HAVE REVIEWED THE APPLICATION AND HAVE PROVIDED THEIR RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS AS CONTAINED IN THE HEARING PACKET. THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS AND ATTACHMENT A SHOULD BE NOTED FROM THE ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS SECTION. UH, ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES SHALL BE RESTRICTED TO FRIDAY AND SATURDAY FROM 6:00 PM TO 1:00 AM AND SUNDAY FROM 6:00 PM TO 10:00 PM SO MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THERE'LL BE NO ENTERTAINMENT. THERE'S ALSO NO, UM, OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT OR AMPLIFIED MUSIC AT ALL PERMITTED OUTSIDE. I, ALONG WITH COMMANDER BENSON FROM THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY STAFF REPORT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE, LET'S SEE, SEVEN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. WHEN I READ YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME FORWARD. SCOTT RUIZ, JEFF CENA, JOSIAH DAVIS, KEITH ROS, TOM HERZOG, ROGELIO, AND DAVID BALES. ALRIGHT, ARE YOU SCOTT? YES. YOU'RE UP FIRST. ALRIGHT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR RICHARDSON, DISTINCT AND DISTINGUISHED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS SCOTT RUIZ. I'M A PROUD LONG BEACH RESIDENT, COMMUNITY MEMBER, MUSIC EDUCATOR, AND INTERNATIONAL DJ WHO HAS SPENT YEARS WORKING IN SUPPORTING LGBTQ PLUS EVENTS HERE IN CALIFORNIA AND AROUND THE WORLD FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO STRONGLY SUPPORT THE GRANTING OF THE ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT FOR THE MEN'S ROOM BAR. PLACES LIKE THE MEN'S ROOM BAR ARE MORE THAN JUST BARS OR NIGHTLIFE VENUES. THEY ARE SAFE SPACES. UM, THEY'RE GATHERING PLACES WHERE PEOPLE, UH, ESPECIALLY THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY AND QUEER ADULTS, MAY NOT ALWAYS FEEL ACCEPTED. WE CAN COME TOGETHER, BUILD COMMUNITY, EXPRESS OURSELVES FREELY, AND FEEL SEEN AND PROTECTED IN A TIME WHERE OUR COMMUNITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS FACING AN INCREASED HOSTILITY, ISOLATION, AND ATTACKS AND VISIBILITY. SPACES LIKE THIS MATTER MORE THAN EVER, LONG BEACH HAS ALWAYS PROVIDED ITS, UH, PRO, EXCUSE ME, PRIDE IN ITSELF ON BEING INCLUSIVE, WELCOMING, AND CULTURALLY VIBRANT. SUPPORTING BUSINESSES THAT FOSTER COMMUNITY CONNECTION AND SAFE ENTERTAINMENT DIRECTLY REFLECTS THOSE VALUES. MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT, AND DANCING, UM, ARE NOT NEW, NEW NUISANCES TO OUR COMMUNITY. THEY'RE PART OF OUR CULTURE, OUR JOY AND MENTAL WELLBEING. THE MEN'S ROOM BAR CONTRIBUTES TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY, SUPPORTS ARTISTS AND DJS LIKE MYSELF, UM, CREATES JOBS AND PROVIDES CONSISTENT POSITIVE GATHERING SPACES IN THE HISTORIC BROADWAY CORRIDOR. ON A PERSONAL NOTE, BEING A DJ FOR MY LOCAL COMMUNITY IS MORE ABOUT MAKING MORE, MORE ABOUT THEM MAKING MONEY. IT IS A WAY TO SPREAD MESSAGES OF LOVE, INCLUSION AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION THROUGH THE POWER OF MUSIC IN OUR OWN BACKYARD. THESE SPACES AND EXPERIENCES MATTER DEEPLY, AND THEY BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN A WORLD WHERE MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR PLACES TO FEEL SAFE, SEEN AND CELEBRATED. I GOTTA TAKE A BREATH. . I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE COUNCIL TO APPROVE THIS PERMIT AND CONTINUE SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES, BUSINESSES THAT MAKE LONG BEACH A SPECIAL PLACE WHERE THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY CAN SAFELY GATHER, CELEBRATE, AND BELONG. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT IS JEFF. JEFF, YES, YOU'RE UP. UH, I'M WITH OLIN DAVIS, SO WE'LL PRESENT TOGETHER IF THAT'S OKAY. YOU'RE WITH WHO? OH, JOSIAH OLIN DAVIS. OLIN'S, MY MIDDLE NAME. SORRY. JOSIAH DAVIS. YES. ME. OKAY, SO YOU'RE GONNA SPEAK TOGETHER? CORRECT. OKAY, GO FOR IT. OKAY. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. MY NAME IS [01:45:01] OLIN DAVIS HERE FROM HAGAR, LLC, AND I'M HERE WITH MY PARTNER, DR. JEFFREY SANG. WE RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT LICENSE. THE MEN'S ROOM BAR HAS BEEN A FIXTURE ON EAST BROADWAY FOR OVER 40 YEARS. ACTUALLY, IT'S BEEN A GAY BAR AND IT'S HAD A MEN'S ROOM ANYWAY. UH, THIS CORRIDOR LOVINGLY KNOWN AS LONG BEACH'S GAY CORRIDOR REPRESENTS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CITY'S DIVERSITY. IT IS A HOME FOR PEOPLE WHO SHARE COMMON EXPERIENCES. FOR MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY, THIS BAR IS MORE THAN JUST A BUSINESS. IT'S A VITAL SPACE TO COMBAT LONELINESS, OPPRESSION, AND PERSECUTION. IT PROVIDES SAFETY, CONNECTION, AND A GENUINE SENSE OF BELONGING BEYOND THE WALLS OF OUR HOMES. VENUES LIKE OURS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE VERY, FOR THE WELLBEING OF THIS IMPORTANT PART OF LONG BEACH'S POPULATION. AFTER COVID CREATED SERIOUS FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, WE PURCHASED BOTH THE BUILDING AND EVENTUALLY THE BUSINESS WITH THE COMMITMENT TO PRESERVE THIS HISTORIC VENUE. SINCE TAKING OVER, WE HAVE TAKEN MAJOR STEPS TO ADDRESS NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS WHILE SERVING THE COMMUNITY. WE INVESTED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS RECENTLY WORKING WITH A PROFESSIONAL SOUND ENGINEER TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE NOISE. WE'VE ALSO WORKED CLOSELY WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, REPEATEDLY, THE CITY'S ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT, THE A BC OFFICE, AND OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, TO STAY IN FULL COMPLIANCE. WE ARE DETERMINED TO REMAIN A GOOD NEIGHBOR WHILE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE THIS IMPORTANT GATHERING PLACE. WE'RE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED, AND WE APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT. SO MANY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO KEEPING THIS A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, STRONG AND THRIVING, INCLUDING EVERYONE WHO'S COME HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT US. UM, LET'S SEE. OH, AND ALSO JEFF AND I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR OVER 14 OR 15 YEARS NOW, IN DISTRICT TWO. IN DISTRICT TWO. UH, SO THE APPROVAL OF THIS PERMIT WILL SEND A STRONG STATEMENT OF SUPPORT TO THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY WITH LONG BEACH PRIDE THIS WEEKEND. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, GOOD, GOOD. THANK YOU. JOSIAH OWEN AND JEFF. ALRIGHT, UH, NEXT IS KEITH AND THEN TOM. IS KEITH HERE? OKAY. HOW ABOUT TOM HERZOG? SURE. OKAY. AND THEN AFTER THAT IS ROGELIO, THEN DAVID. HI, I'M TOM HERZOG. I'M A PROPERTY OWNER AT 1 7 2 5 EAST SECOND STREET IN LONG BEACH. UH, OUR PROPERTY GOES THROUGH AND IS ONE OF THE UNFORTUNATE WEIRD ZONINGS. UH, WE HAVE 1724 EAST BROADWAY. WE ARE BOUND BY MINESHAFT BAR TO OUR WEST AND THEN THE MEN'S ROOM TO THE, UH, EAST BY TWO PROPERTIES. WE HAVE LIVED THERE SINCE 1994, SO 32 YEARS. THE HOUSE IS 115 YEARS OLD. UM, WE KNOWINGLY MOVED IN NEXT TO THE BAR AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD WITH THE BARS AND MANAGERS FOR THE PAST THREE DECADES. UM, WE'VE BEEN OPPOSED TO THE, UM, ENTERTAINMENT PERMIT, ODDLY ENOUGH, EVEN THOUGH I'VE WORKED IN BARS, UM, I KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF GAY BARS. I LIKE GAY BARS. I EVEN, YOU KNOW, DO ENJOY THE MUSIC. BUT WE HAVE A PROBLEM. THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS ZONED POORLY ON THE BROADWAY CORRIDOR. YOU HAVE RESIDENTIAL BOUNDING, FOUR SIDES OF THE ESTABLISHMENT. THERE'S CONDOS ACROSS THE STREET, THERE APARTMENTS ON THE SIDES OF RESIDENTS BEHIND THEM. WE WORKED WITH THE BRIT BAR HARD AND THEY STILL GOT THEIR, UM, SPECIAL USE PERMIT. IT GOT TRANSFERRED TO THE MEN'S ROOM. WE UNDERSTAND THERE'S A PATIO. WE UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE WANT TO GO OUTSIDE. WE GET TIRED OF THE HACK, THE CACKLING, THE NOISE, PEOPLE SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS. UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS THAT NO DANCING AT 8:00 PM UM, THAT 1:00 PM ISN'T THAT BAD, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE A SOUND METER PUT IN. KEEP THE BASE DOWN. UM, GET SOME SECURITY OUT ON THE STREET. WE DON'T WANT BECOMING MORE DANGEROUS. UM, MISS DUGAN, UH, THE WHOLE, UH, BELMONT SHORE ISSUES. WE DON'T WANT WANT MURDERS. WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE DRUNK OUT IN THE STREET JUST ROAMING DOWN THE STREETS. THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM. THE NOISE IS AMAZING. WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO ATTENUATE OUR NOISE. BUT THE BAR COULD PUT UP CURTAINS, THEY COULD PUT BLOCK THE CORRIDOR. I SENT AN EMAIL. I'VE TALKED TO THE BAR OWNER SAID, HEY, YEAH, WE'LL DO IT. WE'LL DO IT. IT HASN'T BEEN DONE. IT'S BEEN A YEAR. WE CALL AND WE DON'T GET A RESPONSE. UM, AND ONE THING OF INTEREST TO NOTE, AS MUCH AS WE ARE A COMMUNITY AND WE WANT THAT, I WAS THERE ONE NIGHT ENJOYING MYSELF. THERE WAS A GUY SO DRUNK, HIS DOG WAS OUT RUNNING ON THE STREET OUT ON BROADWAY. PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO CATCH IT. I WENT INTO THE BARTENDER, SAID, HEY, THAT GUY'S SO DRUNK, HE CAN'T TAKE CARE OF THE DOG. THE BARTENDER LOOKED AT ME, HE SAID, NOT MY PROBLEM. I'M NOT A DOG CATCHER. [01:50:01] I'VE CALLED THE BAR THREE TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. USUALLY IT'S NOT TOO BAD, BUT I CALL AND I DON'T GET A RESPONSE. I HAVE TO GO OVER TO THE BARS KNOCK, AND THEN I BECOME THE JERK. I HAVE TO GO AND SAY, HEY, TURN IT DOWN. THEY TELL ME, OH, THE BAR'S BEEN HERE. WELL, I'VE BEEN HERE 32 YEARS. I'VE TAKEN A HOUSE WHERE I'VE HAD DRUG NEEDLES, PEOPLE PANHANDLING ON MY HOUSE AND MADE IT INTO A NICE COMMUNITY. WE WANT A BAR. WE WANT A VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOOD. I JUST DON'T WANT MORE NOISE. I WANT YOU TO ENFORCE THE NOISE ORDINANCE. I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THE POLICE REPORTS AND REALLY CHECK FOR NOISE COMPLAINTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. AND LIO LONG BEACH MAYORAL CANDIDATE, ROGELIO MARTINEZ. I JUST WANTED TO COME HERE TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR THIS AGENDA ITEM. UM, I INTENTIONALLY WORE THIS BOMBER JACKET, WHICH HAS TWO OF MY FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC. AND SO RESPECTFULLY, I HOPE THAT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE PUTTING ON THE EVENTS SPECIFICALLY PLAY THIS TYPE OF MUSIC. YEAH, WE HEAR YOU. WE HEAR IT'S OUR CULTURE . UM, AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, 'CAUSE I ALWAYS CONTINUOUSLY SPEAK TO ONLY THE RESIDENTS OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, NOT THESE INDIVIDUALS. 'CAUSE YOU'LL SEE, IF YOU SEE THE OTHER VIDEOS, YOU'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHY. BUT HOUSE MUSIC HAS ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF LIKE THE MUSIC THAT HAS MOVED, THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DANCE IN PUBLIC SPACES. UM, IT WAS SPECIFICALLY BLACK GAY MALES IN CHICAGO THAT BIRTH THE HOUSE, MOVES THE HOUSE MUSIC MOVEMENT IN WAREHOUSES, WHICH IS WHY IT'S CALLED HOUSE MUSIC. THE FIRST RECORD WAS, WAS, WAS PRESSED IN 1984. UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT LONG BEACH MAINTAINS ITS INCLUSIVITY. IT'S WHAT MAKES LONG BEACH SPECIAL. IT'S ACTUALLY THE FIRST THING OF A LIST OF THINGS THAT MAKES LONG BEACH SPECIAL. AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW THIS, THE ONLY CITY IN NORTH AMERICA, ACTUALLY, THERE'S TWO OTHER CITIES, I'LL I'LL SAY, I'LL NAME 'EM QUICKLY, BUT ONLY TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, AND PUERTO ATA, MEXICO. COMPARE TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. WE NEED TO MAINTAIN OUR INCLUSIVITY. RIGHT? AND YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU JUST HEARD A GENTLEMAN, UM, THAT WANTS THE MUSIC TO STOP AT EIGHT. THAT IS WAY TOO EARLY. WAY TOO EARLY. WE NEED TO KEEP THE MUSIC GOING JUST LIKE THE PERMIT SAID. HE MENTIONED THE POLICE, BUT GUESS WHAT? THE POLICE FIRE, THEY'RE ALL IN FAVOR. THIS IS GOING TO PASS. AND THE MUSIC IS, AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE HOUSE MUSIC IS NOT MUSIC THAT YOU JUST TURN OFF LIKE A SWITCH. IT PLAYS 24 HOURS A DAY, RIGHT? JUST LIKE THE GROOVE AND THE VINYL RECORD. ANYWAYS, WITH THAT, MY NAME IS ROGELIO MARTINEZ, YOUR LONG BEACH CITY MAYOR, AND I COMPLETELY, 100% WHOLEHEARTEDLY ENDORSE AND APPROVE THIS AGENDA ITEM. AND AGAIN, WE HAVE PRIDE WEEK, UH, PRIDE, THE PRIDE RUN COMING UP, UH, MAY 17TH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. OUR FINAL SPEAKER, DAVID BALES. HELLO MAYOR. HELLO STEVE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME'S DAVID BALES. I'M HERE TO THROW MY SUPPORT TOWARDS THE PERMIT FOR THE, UH, MEN'S ROOM. I LIVE IN DISTRICT FOUR. I'VE SUPPORTED THE MAYOR AS WELL AS DARRELL IN YOUR ELECTION. SO I'M HOPING YOU GUYS WILL, THE COUNCIL WILL UNANIMOUSLY UNANIMOUSLY VOTE TO APPROVE THIS, UH, PERMIT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'LL NOW TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL. WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. UH, YES. UM, THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU FOR THOSE THAT THAT CAME OUT. UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THOSE THAT SENT IN, UH, LETTERS. UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION, UM, AS, UH, OWEN AND, AND DR. UH, JEFFREY SAYINGS THAT I DID, YOU KNOW, MEET, UH, WITH YOU GUYS. AND, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE NEWER OWNERS AND, UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN POSSIBLY DO, UM, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE BEING, UH, A GOOD NEIGHBOR. AND I'LL CONTINUE TO ASK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS TECHNOLOGIES IMPROVE AND ANYTHING [01:55:01] THAT YOU CAN DO, BECAUSE THE WAY THAT YOU ARE, YOU ARE AROUND NEIGHBORHOODS, AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS JUST TO BE CONSCIENTIOUS THAT, UM, YOU ARE LIVING AROUND FOLKS THAT, THAT, UM, UH, UH, ARE, ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT BEHIND YOU. AND, UM, AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN VERY RECEPTIVE, UM, TO, TO MEETINGS AND TO CONVERSATIONS. AND I HOPE WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE, THESE CONVERSATIONS. AND, UM, BUT I DO, UM, I DO WANNA SEE YOU GUYS, UH, SUCCEED AND, UM, JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING ALL, ALL THE RULES. UM, CAN I ASK HARRI, AS FAR AS, UM, I DID GET A, UH, A QUESTION TODAY FROM A LETTER THAT, THAT THERE'S BEEN ANY, HAS THERE BEEN ANY VIOLATIONS REGARDS TO THEIR BUSINESS PERMIT OR ANYTHING THEY, THEY VIOLATED? CAN YOU, UM, I JUST WANNA PUBLICLY CLARIFY THAT. IS THERE ANYTHING WHATSOEVER ON THEIR BUSINESS FROM THE BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE THAT THEY HAVE ANY VIOLATIONS? NO, NOT ANY CURRENT, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE SITES OR MISDEMEANOR CITATIONS, UM, HAVE BEEN ISSUED. SO JUST TO CONFIRM, THERE HAS BEEN NO CITATIONS. NO, MA'AM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO, UM, I KNOW THAT I, I DID GET THOSE, THOSE COMMENTS AND I JUST WANT TO, UM, TO, UH, REITERATE, UM, THAT THAT IS JUST NOT THE, THE CASE. UM, I KNOW LAST TIME THAT I SPOKE WITH YOU, THEY ALSO HAVE METERS THERE, UM, IN YOUR BUSINESS AND YOU STILL HAVE YOUR METERS UP, STILL HAVE 'EM FULLY CHARGED, FULLY UP. SO, UM, BUT I JUST, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I KNOW THIS IS, HASN'T BEEN THE EASIEST ROAD, UM, BUT WE ARE A REALLY TIGHT COMMUNITY IN DISTRICT TWO. UM, AND, UM, I KNOW YOU GUYS JUST CONTINUE TO BE GOOD FRIENDS, GOOD NEIGHBORS, AND UM, AND I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE A REALLY SUCCESSFUL, UH, PRIDE WEEK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ZENDEJAS. THANK YOU. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE, UM, BUSINESS OWNERS TO HAVE COMMUNITY IN THEIR ESTABLISHMENT. AND I THINK THAT YOU GUYS ARE TRYING YOUR BEST, LIKE COUNCILWOMAN SAID, AND YOU'RE IN VERY GOOD HANDS WITH COUNCILWOMAN. I DO, UH, THINK THAT, UM, GOING FORWARD THAT THIS IS GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES TO KEEP THE TRADITION THERE, UH, IN THE SECOND DISTRICT IN THAT VERY SPECIAL CORE OF THE, UH, SECOND DISTRICT. AND I THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU WORK, LOVE AND TEARS AND SWEAT THAT YOU HAVE PUT INTO IT. SO SUPPORTIVE. ALRIGHT, WELL, UH, CONGRATULATIONS AND, UH, WE WANT YOU TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS. WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF CONTINUING OUR DIVERSITY, OUR LONG BEACH CULTURE AND OUR VIBE. AND I THINK YOU'LL CONTRIBUTE TO THE VIBE MEMBERS. PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, ITEM 27, PLEASE. A REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION ON THE CITY'S E-BIKE SAFETY INITIATIVE AND REQUEST CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE AMENDMENTS TO THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO CLARIFY THAT ELECTRIC BICYCLES ARE INCLUDED IN THE DEFINITION OF BICYCLES. PROHIBIT CLASS THREE ELECTRIC BICYCLES ON SIDEWALKS AND MULTI-USE PATHS [27. 26-55013 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation on the City’s E-Bike Safety Initiative; and Request City Attorney to prepare amendments to the Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC), Title 10, Chapter 10.48, to clarify that electric bicycles are included in the definition of bicycles, prohibit Class 3 electric –bicycles on sidewalks and multiuse paths, and remove an outdated provision no longer applicable as outlined in this City Council Letter and the attached memorandum. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Manager         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] AND REMOVE AN OUTDATED PROVISION CITYWIDE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. YOU, UH, I WANT TO, UH, THANK COUNCILMAN BERNO FOR PARTNERING WITH US TOGETHER, UH, ON THIS ISSUE. HE'S, UH, HIS CONSTITUENTS HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE E-BIKE ISSUES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND SO, SO DO I HEAR THAT AS MAYOR. AND SO, UH, WE WANNA HEAR FROM STAFF ON SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT WE CAN DO. UH, SO WE'LL HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION AND WE'LL TAKE IT FROM THERE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UH, YES, THIS ABSOLUTELY DID COME, UH, FROM THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UH, TO ASK US TO REALLY LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE. THIS IS SOMETHING WE HEAR FROM ALL OF YOU, FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT WHAT ARE THE RULES, WHAT IS ALLOWED UNDER STATE LAW AND NOT ALLOWED UNDER STATE LAW. WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO LOCALLY? WHAT CAN WE DO? SO WE DO HAVE A, A LONGER PRESENTATION FOR YOU TO REALLY KIND OF GO INTO THAT, UNDERSTAND THIS ITEM. AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, FOR OUR OWN MUNICIPAL CODE. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM AND, UH, UH, GRACE YOU AS WELL, WHO'S BEEN HELPING TO PULL THIS TOGETHER. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, TOM. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. THIS PRESENTATION HAS BEEN RESPONSE TO CITY COUNCIL'S REQUEST FOR STAFF TO DEVELOP A PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE RELATED TO ELECTRIC BIKE OR E-BIKE USAGE. OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM HAS BEEN CONVENING TOGETHER TO WORK ON THIS ISSUE INVOLVING THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. AS THE TOPIC OF E-BIKE IS MULTIFACETED AND IMPACTS DIFFERENT OPERATIONAL [02:00:01] AREAS OF THE CITY, THESE DEPARTMENTS ARE ALL HERE TODAY AND WILL BE TAKING US THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION AFTERWARDS. SO TODAY WE'LL BE PROVIDING A BACKGROUND ON E-BIKES, GOING OVER CONSIDERATIONS WITH REGARDS TO OUR ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY, DISCUSSING HOW A PUBLIC EDUCATION APPROACH WILL BE KEY IN THE SAFETY INITIATIVE, LEGISLATIVE BILLS THAT HAVE PASSED AND BEING DISCUSSED CURRENTLY, POTENTIAL AT LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL AMENDMENT, MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENTS, AND FINALLY, A SUMMARY OF STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS. SO BEFORE I PASS IT OVER TO THE TEAM, AS A REMINDER, CITY COUNCIL FIRST DIRECTED STAFF TO DEVELOP THIS PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE. LAST OCTOBER IN DECEMBER, STAFF ISSUED AN INTERIM STATUS MEMO THAT HIGHLIGHTED EARLY REVIEW AND RESEARCH, AND THEN IN EARLY APRIL, A FINAL COMPREHENSIVE MEMO WAS RELEASED. THAT INCLUDES MUCH OF THE CONTENT THAT THE TEAM WILL BE GOING OVER IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION. AND WITH THAT, I'LL PASS IT OVER TO WILLIE WALKER TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANT CONTEXT FOR UNDERSTANDING OUR APPROACH TO E-BIKES. THANK YOU, GRACE. AS GRACE SAID, I'M WILLIE WALKER. I'M THE PARKING AND MOBILITY OFFICER IN PUBLIC WORKS. UH, TO SET THE STAGE FOR WHY WE ARE PRESENTING TONIGHT, THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER, UH, A GROWING NUMBER OF CONCERNS ABOUT RIDING BEHAVIOR IN LONG BEACH. AND AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE NEWS LATELY ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY, OUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT IS FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING THE BEHAVIORS LISTED HERE, WHICH WE HAVE SEEN ON BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL ELECTRIC VEHICLES AROUND THE CITY, INCLUDING SPEEDING, FLOCKING, AND ILLEGAL MODIFICATIONS TO INCREASE THE SPEED OF E-BIKES. THE CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE ALREADY SETS LAWS FOR WHAT IS CONSIDERED AN E-BIKE AND WHAT IS NOT AS WELL AS REGULATIONS FOR HELMET USE. LOCAL, UH, LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES CAN ADOPT ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS THAT DICTATE WHERE E-BIKES CAN TRAVEL AND STRICTER LAWS ON HELMET USE. THE UNSAFE BEHAVIORS THAT HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTED RECENTLY IN LONG BEACH ARE ALREADY CITABLE UNDER CURRENT STATE AND LOCAL LAWS. THIS INCLUDES UNDERAGE RIDERS, FLOCKING AND SPEED OF VEHICLES ON BIKE LANES AND BIKE PATHS. ONE OF THE CORE CHALLENGES WITH ENFORCEMENT IS BEING ABLE TO TELL WHAT IS A LEGAL E-BIKE VERSUS WHAT IS AN ILLEGAL EMOTO. YOU GUYS ARE GONNA HEAR US USE EMOTO A LOT. THEY'RE NOT BIKES, THEY'RE DIFFERENT OR ILLEGALLY MODIFIED E-BIKES. MANY EMOS ARE SOLD WITH SETTINGS THAT CAN ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO OPERATE IN A STREET LEGAL MODE, CAUSING CONFUSION FOR PARENTS AND ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES ALIKE. ANYTHING LABELED AND SOLD AS AN E-BIKE MUST BE 750 WATTS OR LESS AND HAVE SPEED RESTRICTIONS OF 28 MILES PER HOUR. IF AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE GOES ABOVE EITHER OF THESE METRICS, IT IS NOT AN E-BIKE AND IS LIKELY AN EMOTO, WHICH REQUIRES A DRIVER'S LICENSE AND REGISTRATION AND CANNOT BE RIDDEN IN BIKE LANES OR ON BIKE PATHS. THE SAFEST OPTION FOR ANYONE NEW TO AN E-BIKE IS A CLASS ONE, WHICH REQUIRES PEDALING JUST LIKE AN ACOUSTIC BIKE AND THE MOTOR RESTRICT SPEEDS TO 20 MILES PER HOUR. CLASS TWO E-BIKES HAVE A THROTTLE, WHICH ALLOWS RIDERS TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT ANY EFFORT OF PEDALING AND MAY NOT BE SAFE FOR YOUNGER RIDERS. A CLASS THREE E BIKE IS BEST FOR COMMUTING AS THEY CAN GO UP TO 28 MILES PER HOUR. RIDERS MUST BE 16 YEARS, 16 OR OLDER, AND A HELMET IS REQUIRED FOR ANYONE RIDING ONE. THE CITY HAS FOUND THAT MOST COMPLAINTS AND UNSAFE RIDING BEHAVIOR IS EXHIBITED BY PEOPLE ON EMOTO'S AND MODIFIED E-BIKES THAT ARE NOT STREET LEGAL. REMOVING E-BIKE SPEED RESTRICTOR OR CUTTING THE SPEED GOVERNOR CAN ALLOW VEHICLES TO TRAVEL AT HIGHER SPEEDS. TAMPERING WITH E-BIKES TO MAKE THEM GO FASTER IS A MISDEMEANOR. AS WE WAIT FOR MORE MORE ROBUST LEGISLATION FROM THE STATE, SOME MUNICIPALITIES AND TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES HAVE LAUNCHED THEIR OWN ENFORCEMENT STRATEGIES. FOR EXAMPLE, MARIN AND SAN DIEGO COUNTIES HAVE IMPLEMENTED STRICTER AGE REQUIREMENTS FOR E-BIKES THROUGH STATE AUTHORIZED PILOT PROGRAMS. SEVERAL, SEVERAL AGENCIES HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO BEGIN EDUCATION AROUND E-BIKE SAFETY SCHOOL DISTRICTS LIKE PALO VERUS AND REDONDO BEACH REQUIRE ATTENDANCE AT AN E-BIKE SAFETY TRAINING COURSE TO PARK BIKES ON SCHOOL PROPERTY. SAN DIEGO COUNTY HAS USED FEDERAL CMAC FUNDS TO PROVIDE FREE E-BIKE EDUCATION CLASSES TO SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS. SOME CITIES HAVE BEGUN HIGH VISIBILITY ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS, INCLUDING VENTURA, AND MOST MORE RECENTLY IRVINE. IRVINE HAS CONDUCTED OPERATIONS AROUND SCHOOLS OR OTHER AREAS OF CONCERN WHERE LOCAL PD HAS ISSUED CITATIONS AND IMPOUNDED A SMALL NUMBER OF VEHICLES. OTHER CITIES HAVE BEGUN DIVERGENT PROGRAMS SIMILAR TO TRAFFIC SCHOOL, WHERE MINORS MUST COMPLETE A E-BIKE SAFETY EDUCATION COURSE IF GIVEN A CITATION OR WARNING. ORANGE COUNTY HAS BEEN A LEADER IN TAKING INITIATIVE AROUND E-BIKE SAFETY AS THE ORANGE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AGENCY HAS COMPILED A [02:05:01] COMPREHENSIVE E-BIKE SAFETY PLAN THAT OUTLINES GOALS AND STRATEGIES FOR ALL ASPECTS OF E-BIKE SAFETY, INCLUDING INFRASTRUCTURE, EDUCATION, DATA COLLECTION AND ENFORCEMENT. AND NOW WE HAVE COMMANDER BENSON TO TALK ABOUT OUR ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY. WHICH ONE? THANK YOU. I'M DO THIS FOR ME. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. UM, I'M COMMANDER SHALINA BENSON AND REPRESENTING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THIS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. SO AS WE BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY IN OUR APPROACH, UM, I WANT TO REITERATE THAT WE HAVE MANY OF THE EXISTING STATE LAWS, UM, AND THAT WE FOLLOW THOSE AND APPLY THOSE WHEN APPLICABLE THROUGH OUR REGULAR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS. PAIRING THIS WITH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH IS GONNA SUPPORT VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE, WHICH IS OUR HOPE, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT ENFORCEMENT ALONE CAN NOT RESOLVE THE CONFUSION ABOUT DEVICE TYPES, WHICH WE SEE ON A DAILY BASIS, NOT ONLY IN LONG BEACH, BUT THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. UH, WE NEED TO ALSO, UH, REQUIRE COORDINATION ACROSS MANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE REPRESENTED HERE TODAY AND OTHERS LIKE PARK RECS AND MARINE WOULD BE A VITAL SUPPORT WITH US AND OUR PARTNERING AGENCIES SUCH AS LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, CAL STATE LONG BEACH, AND EVEN SOME OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS LIKE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL, AND, UM, EVEN SOME OF OUR, UH, BUSINESSES WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THAT SELL E-BIKES ARE PARTNERS WITH US. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY IS THE NEED FOR A YOUTH-FOCUSED STRATEGY THAT ARE ESSENTIAL DUE TO THE HIGH RIDERSHIP NEAR SCHOOLS. SO, AS YOU PREVIOUSLY STATED, THERE ARE A LOT OF STATE LAWS THAT ALREADY COVER A LOT OF THE VIOLATIONS THAT WE'RE SEEING ON A DAILY BASIS, EITHER ON THE ROADWAYS OR ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS. UM, THREE 12.5 ALREADY DEFINES WHAT AN E-BIKE IS BY THREE CLASSIFICATIONS, AND IT SPECIFICALLY SETS SPEED LIMITS AND WATTAGE THRESHOLDS. AS WILLIE STATED, 750 WATTS. THAT'S THE MAXIMUM ON ALL THREE CLASSIFICATIONS, AND IT ALSO SETS THE SPEED OF EITHER 20 MILES AN HOUR OR 28 MILES AN HOUR AS SUCH AS ON THE CLASS THREE. UH, CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE 4 3 6 0.1 DEFINES AN EMOTO OR AN E MOTORCYCLE. AND BY DEFINITION, THEY ARE OFF HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND THEY ARE DEFINED AS MOTOR VEHICLES, WHICH COULD IN TURN REQUIRE LICENSING AND AGES. UM, AGE REQUIRES FOR A DRIVER'S LICENSE, SUCH AS AN M1 OR AN M TWO DRIVER'S LICENSE. AND THEN AS WE GO THROUGH, WE CAN SEE OTHER LAWS THAT ARE ALREADY APPLY. UH, E-BIKE RIDERS MUST FOLLOW THE SAME RULES AS A MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATOR, WHICH MEANS THEY NEED TO STOP AT THE STOP SIGNS, THEY NEED TO STOP AT THE STOPLIGHTS, THEY EVEN NEED TO USE THE HAND SIGNALS FOR TURNING AND STOPPING. UM, AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR RIDERS UNDER THE AGE OF 18 IS REQUIRED ON ALL THREE CLASSIFICATIONS. NO PASSENGERS ARE ALLOWED ON AN E-BIKE UNLESS THAT E-BIKE IS SPECIFICALLY BUILT FOR A PASSENGER. WE ALSO HAVE A PROHIBITING, AS WILLIE MENTIONED, PROHIBITING TAMPERING WITH THE SPEED GOVERNORS ON ANY OF 'EM FOR MOTOR POWER TO INCREASE THE SPEEDS. THAT IS A MISDEMEANOR SECTION THAT IS CITABLE IF WE CAN DETERMINE THAT THAT HAS OCCURRED. UM, IT ALSO, UH, WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, LAWS IN PLACE THAT PREVENTS RIDING WHILE IMPAIRED. NOW, WHILE WE DON'T EXPECT OUR MINORS AND JUVENILES TO BE IMPAIRED, E-BIKES ARE USED BY ADULTS AND THE SAME RULES APPLY TO THEM FOR IMPAIRMENT AS IT DOES FOR IMPAIRMENT ON A BICYCLE. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE PROHIBITS WEARING HEADPHONES AND EARBUDS IN BOTH EARS. AND THAT IS THE SAME ON A, ON A REGULAR BICYCLE. YOU CANNOT HEAR APPROACHING TRAFFIC HORNS, EMERGENCY SIRENS AND THOSE THINGS IF YOU HAVE YOUR, UM, HEADPHONES IN BOTH YEARS. SO THERE'S ALSO LONG BEACH APPLICABLE MUNICIPAL CODES THAT PAUL WILL ADDRESS A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THOSE, UM, SUCH AS RIDING ON A SIDEWALK IN A BUSINESS DISTRICT AS PROHIBITED AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN DO AND WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING, UM, WE CAN CITE RIDER FOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS AND UNSAFE BEHAVIORS WHEN THEY'RE OBSERVED. WE CAN ARREST RIDERS WHEN LEGALLY JUSTIFIED. SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT LEGALLY JUSTIFIED, WE WOULD TALK ABOUT RECKLESS DRIVING INCIDENCES WHERE THEY'RE RUNNING THROUGH RED LIGHTS AND, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AND CAUSING A DANGER TO PUBLIC SAFETY. WE COULD POTENTIALLY MAKE AN ARREST ON THOSE, UM, IF JUSTIFIED. WE CAN ALSO SEIZE OR IMPOUND DEVICES WHEN THEY DO NOT QUALIFY AS AN E-BIKE. SO THOSE WOULD BE THOSE THAT ARE ILLEGALLY MODIFIED OR AS CLASSIFIED AS E MOTORCYCLES OR EMOS IF THEY'VE BEEN POWERED BY AN ELECTRIC MOTOR THAT IS CAPABLE OF EXCEEDING OVER 20 MILES AN HOUR ON A HIGHWAY, OR THEY'RE OPERATED BY AN UNLICENSED OPERATOR IN THE EVENT OF A, OF AN E MOTORCYCLE, OR IF IT'S A CLASS THREE E-BIKE THAT IS OPERATED BY SOMEBODY UNDER THE AGE OF 16, THOSE WOULD BE WHEN WE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO SEIZE AND IMPOUND THOSE VEHICLES. UM, THESE ALSO APPLY EXISTING CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE HELMETS IMPAIRMENT AND THE PROHIBITED EQUIPMENT ON ALL OF THESE THINGS. AND WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, IF NEED BE, SEIZE OR SITE FOR THOSE THINGS. WHAT WE CANNOT DO IS WE CANNOT SIMPLY CONFISCATE AN E-BIKE. THEY ARE PERSONAL PROPERTY. THEY'RE NOT CLASSIFIED AS MOTOR VEHICLES. WITH THE EXCEPTION WE [02:10:01] CAN TAKE A CLASS THREE E-BIKE IF IT'S OPERATED BY SOMEBODY UNDER THE AGE OF 16, AND WE CANNOT FIND A PARENT TO COME PICK IT UP OR SOMEBODY OVER THE AGE OF 16 THAT THE OWNER GIVES, UH, PERMISSION TO RIDE AWAY ON. UH, WE CANNOT IMPOUND, UM, DEVICES ON SUSPICION OF LOAN THAT A MODIFICATION HAS OCCURRED. THE OFFICER AT THE TIME HAS TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THERE IS SUCH A MODIFICATION WE CAN CONDUCT. WE CANNOT, SORRY, CONDUCT E-BIKE ONLY CHECKPOINTS. IT'S NOT AUTHORIZED UNDER STATE LAW. AND WE CANNOT CONDUCT OVERALL BROAD CHECKPOINTS FOR ALL VEHICLES SOLELY TO INSPECT AN E-BIKE. UM, THAT'S LEGALLY QUESTIONABLE AS WELL AS OPERATIONALLY IMPRACTICAL FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO DO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EXTREME CASES. SOME OF THE OTHER ENFORCEMENT STRATEGIES THAT WE CAN TAKE AS A CHILD ENDANGERMENT. SO IF ANYBODY'S BEEN FOLLOWING THE NEWS OR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT ORANGE COUNTY HAS BEEN COMING AFTER, UM, PARENTS AND HOLDING PARENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BEHAVIORS OF THEIR CHILDREN. AND ONE OF THE SECTIONS THAT THEY'RE USING IS THE CALIFORNIA PENAL CODE OF CHILD ENDANGERMENT. AND THAT'S 2 73 AA SECTION. SO THAT APPLIES WHEN A MINOR IS PLACED IN CONDITIONS THAT ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE GREAT BODILY HARM. AND WE HAVE SEEN OVER AND OVER, AND IF YOU TALK TO MEMBERS OF THE HOSPITAL STAFF TRAUMA EMERGENCY ROOMS LIKE CHALK, LONG BEACH MEMORIAL AND OTHERS, THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THESE, UH, INJURIES FROM BICYCLE ACCIDENTS, THERE'S E-BIKE ACCIDENTS, IS TEND TO, UM, CAUSE GREAT BODILY INJURY AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES IN SOME INSTANCES. SO WE CAN APPLY THE, THE NEGLECT WHEN A MINOR'S PLACED IN A CONDITION THAT'S LIKELY TO CREATE GREAT BODILY HARM SIMPLY FROM RIDING THE BIKE. UM, USED IN CASES WHERE PARENTS ASSIST MINORS IN REMOVING THE SPEED LIMITERS OR MODIFYING THE DEVICE TO EXCEED WHAT IS CLASSIFIED AS A, UH, EBI OR IN, UH, SUCH AS I MENTIONED IN HUNTINGTON BEACH OR LINDA, UM, NOW DOWN IN EL TORO, BUENA PARK. ALL OF THESE, UM, WHEN THESE DEVICES ARE STARTING TO REACH IN SPEEDS OF OVER 60 MILES AN HOUR, THE PARENTS CAN BE HELD FOR THAT. UM, WE CAN ALSO ISSUE CALIFORNIA, UM, OFF THE CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE. WE CAN ALSO ISSUE CITATIONS TO THE PARENTS. IF THE PARENTS ARE LOANING A MOTOR VEHICLE, IN THIS CASE, AN EMOTO TO AN UNLICENSED DRIVER, THE PARENT CAN BE CITED FOR THAT. UH, THE LAW SIMPLY STATES THAT KNOWINGLY PERMITTING A MINOR CHILD TO OPERATE A VEHICLE ON A HIGHWAY WITHOUT A LICENSE. AND AGAIN, IT ONLY APPLIES TO THE E MOTORCYCLES, NOT THE E-BIKES THEMSELVES. AND, UH, WE COULD ALSO RECEIVE, UH, INPUT FROM OTHER PLACES SUCH AS SERIOUS INJURY INCIDENCES THAT MAY BE REFERRED THROUGH HOSPITALS OR OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES. AND CHILD WELFARE PROTOCOLS MAY TRIGGER A REVIEW OF THE DEVICE LEGALITY AND RIDING CONDITIONS. SO WHAT ELSE CAN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DO? ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS, UH, BEEN LOOKING AT AND OTHER AGENCIES IN THE AREA HAVE DONE IS POTENTIALLY START A JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAM. LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT COULD ISSUE THE DIVERSION OF NOTICES TO YOUTH VIOLATORS THAT RECEIVE CITATIONS FOR E-BIKE VIOLATIONS. AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WOULD ASSIST BY PROVIDING THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT. UM, THIS WOULD OBVIOUS OBVIOUSLY REQUIRE NEW FUNDING, STAFFING AND INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AND AGAIN, AS I STATED, IT IS NOT CURRENTLY IN PLACE, BUT IT IS A POSSIBLE FUTURE STRATEGY. SO CURRENTLY THE ONLY DIVERSION PROGRAM THAT WE WOULD HAVE, UM, AS AN OPTION RIGHT NOW WOULD BE THE ONLINE E-BIKE SAFETY COURSE THAT IS OFFERED THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL. THAT IS AN ONLINE, UH, AN ONLINE COURSE THAT THEY CAN TAKE AT ANY TIME AND THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR, FOR THE PARENT TO BE PART OF THAT DIVERSION PROGRAM. UM, CONTINUING ON WITH ENFORCEMENT STRATEGIES, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT JUST A LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, SITUATION, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO COORDINATE WITH LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT THEY UPDATE, UH, THEIR PERSONAL TRANSPORT VEHICLE GUIDELINES TO ALIGN WITH THE CURRENT CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE SECTIONS AND CLASSIFICATIONS. UM, THEY COULD POTENTIALLY, IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CHOSE TO DO SO, COULD, THEY COULD REQUIRE THE CHP ONLINE SAFETY COURSE OF ANY STUDENT WANTING TO BRING AN EBI ICON TO CAMPUS. THEY WOULD HAVE TO SHOW PROOF OF A PROPERLY FITTING HELMET AS REQUIRED FOR ANYBODY UNDER THE AGE OF 18 AND A DEVICE REGISTRATION FOR CAMPUS PARKING PERMITS. THIS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN SOME OF THE ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AREAS, UM, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING WITH LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TO SEE IF THEY COULD IMPLEMENT AS WELL. WE HAVE BEEN ALLOWED ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S WALK AND ROLL TEAM AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DO WHAT WE CALL LUNCHTIME EXPOS. AND THESE ARE CITY AND SCHOOL COORDINATED EVENTS WHERE PUBLIC WORKS PROVIDES THE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE ON THE DEVICE CLASSIFICATIONS TO THE STUDENTS AND SUPPORTS ADMINISTRATORS AT THE SCHOOL. AND DISTINGUISHING LEGAL E-BIKES FROM PROHIBITED DEVICES AND COMPLIMENTS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SCHOOL-BASED EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, WHICH INCLUDES THE LUNCHTIME, OUTREACHES ASSEMBLIES, AND THE WALK AND ROLL PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE SAFETY TEAM, AS WELL AS LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT COMING OUT AND SPEAKING TO THE CHILDREN AND [02:15:01] LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT EXPERTISE. WHERE WE COME FROM, IT IS WE ARE ALREADY, UM, ENHANCING OUR KNOWLEDGE OF E-BIKES AND VIOLATIONS OF E-BIKES. WE HAVE SENT FOUR OFFICERS, UH, TO E-BIKE INSTRUCTOR COURSE, AND THAT IS NOT FOR THEM TO TEACH US HOW TO RIDE E-BIKES, BUT THAT IS FOR US TO TEACH THE PUBLIC HOW TO SAFETY OPERATE AN E-BIKE. UM, WE HAVE ALSO HOSTED SEVERAL, UH, E-BIKE SAFETY COURSES, UM, LOCALLY FOR, UM, SOME CUB SCOUTS, BOY SCOUTS, AND TALKING TO THE PARENTS AND KIDS ABOUT E-BIKES BEFORE PURCHASING. AND WE'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDING THOSE COMMUNITY E-BIKE SAFETY COURSES THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER IN SOME OF OUR PARKS, UH, ACTIVATION PROGRAMS. AND WE'RE ALSO POTENTIALLY GOING TO START A, UH, COMMUNITY E-BIKE SAFETY TRAINING COURSE FOR LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, SO THAT BOE KNOWS HOW TO IDENTIFY THESE ON AN ONGOING BASIS. AND THEN WE ALSO SUPPORT CONSISTENT EDUCATION AND POTENTIAL FUTURE DIVERSION PROGRAM WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ITSELF. AND I WILL HAND IT OVER TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT NOW. GOOD EVENING MAYOR. UH, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS RICHARD NUNEZ AND I'M THE CHRONIC DISEASE AND INJURY PREVENTION OFFICER WITH THE LONG BEACH HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND I'LL BE PRESENTING ON THE CITY'S PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH EFFORTS. WHILE ENFORCEMENT REMAINS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THIS INITIATIVE, MANY OF THE ONGOING CONCERNS INVOLVE RIDER BEHAVIOR, DEVICE MISUSE, AND CONFUSION REGARDING WHAT IS LEGALLY PERMITTED FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH AND INJURY PREVENTION PERSPECTIVE. LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS IN E-BIKE SAFETY WILL ALSO REQUIRE EDUCATION, AWARENESS AND BEHAVIOR CHANGE STRATEGIES. IN RESPONSE, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT PUBLIC WORKS AND LONG BEACH PD HAVE COORDINATED ON A CITYWIDE PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN FOCUSED ON E-BIKE CLASSIFICATIONS, SAFE RIDING PRACTICES, HELMUT USE AND RULES OF THE ROAD OUTREACH EFFORTS ARE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON YOUTH PARENTS SCHOOLS HIGH IN HIGH RIDERSHIP AREAS WHERE BOTH USAGE AND SAFETY CONCERNS ARE MOST CONCENTRATED SHOWN. HERE ARE EXAMPLES OF SCHOOL-BASED OUTREACH CONDUCTED AT LONG BEACH UNIFIED MIDDLE SCHOOLS THROUGH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S WALK AND ROLL LONG BEACH PROGRAM. THE CITY'S BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PROGRAM WALK AND ROLL IS SUPPORTED THROUGH GRANT FUNDING FROM THE CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY AND THE CALTRANS ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM, AND HAS ALLOWED THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO EXPAND EXISTING TRAFFIC SAFETY EDUCATION TO INCLUDE E-BIKE SAFETY. AND THIS IS CONDUCTED ACROSS LONG BEACH UNIFIED CAMPUSES. FOLLOWING THE INITIAL COUNCIL REQUEST IN OCTOBER, THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL E-BIKE TEAM IDENTIFIED A NEED FOR INCREASED SCHOOL-BASED EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. IN RESPONSE STAFF EXPANDED ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS AT CAMPUSES WHERE SCHOOLS AND PARENT GROUPS HAD EXPRESSED CONCERNS RELATED TO E-BIKE SAFETY. THE CITY'S PARTNERSHIP WITH LONG BEACH UNIFIED IS A KEY COMPONENT TO THIS EFFORT. THROUGH THE ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS SCHOOL CAMPUSES, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S WALK AND ROLL LONG BEACH PROGRAM HAS UPDATED AND INTEGRATED E-BIKE SAFETY EDUCATION INTO EXISTING BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMMING. THIS INCLUDES STUDENT ENGAGEMENT THROUGH ASSEMBLIES, CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION, AND CAMPAIGNS SUCH AS SAFE STREETS FOR YOUTH WEEK, WHICH INCORPORATES BOTH STUDENT AND PARENT OUTREACH ON TRAFFIC SAFETY TOPICS. IN ADDITION, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS COORDINATING WITH LONG BEACH PD TO PROVIDE CAMPUS SECURITY TRAININGS, CAMPUS SECURITY FOR TRAININGS ON E-BIKE CLASSIFICATIONS AND CAMPUS AND SAFETY MESSAGING. THIS WILL HELP CAMPUS STAFF DISTINGUISH LEGALLY BETWEEN LEGALLY DEFINED E-BIKES AND HIGHER POWER DEVICES, WHILE REINFORCING CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION ACROSS SCHOOL SITES. CITY STAFF ARE ALSO MONITORING ONGOING STATE LEGISLATION AND WILL CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH LONG BEACH UNIFIED TO SUPPORT ANY FUTURE POLICY OR PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL. THESE IMAGES FURTHER REFLECT SOME ADDITIONAL STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED AT LONG BEACH MIDDLE SCHOOLS FOCUSED ON UNDERSTANDING STUDENTS' WRITING BEHAVIORS, THEIR DEVICE USE AND THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY. THROUGH THESE CONVERSATIONS, THE STAFF WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY GAPS IN STUDENT KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING RULES OF THE ROAD, AS WELL AS, UM, THEIR SAFE RIDING PRACTICES. THESE ENGAGEMENTS ALLOWED STAFF TO PROVIDE DIRECT EDUCATION TO THE STUDENTS AND HELP INFORM FUTURE E-BIKE SAFETY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH STRATEGIES. IN ADDITION TO SCHOOL-BASED OUTREACH, CITY IS IMPLEMENTING A COORDINATED PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN ACROSS DEPARTMENTS. PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS ARE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TO ENSURE CONSISTENT MESSAGING AND SHARED EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ACROSS COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS. THE CAMPAIGN FOCUSES ON SEVERAL KEY AREAS, INCLUDING CLARIFYING THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN EBA E-BIKES, EDUCATING PUBLIC ON THE RISKS AND LEGAL CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH MODIFYING E-BIKES, PROMOTING SAFE CHARGING PRACTICES, REINFORCING WHERE E-BIKES CAN BE LEGALLY OPERATED, AND EMPHASIZING HELMET USE AND SAFE RIDING BEHAVIORS, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING THE SAFE USE OF INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGNED FOR OUR ROAD RATE USERS. AND IN SUPPORT OF DATA INFORMED APPROACH, LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT IN COORDINATION WITH LONG BEACH MEMORIAL HAS UPDATED INJURY TRACKING SYSTEMS TO BETTER CAPTURE E E-BIKE RELATED INCIDENTS. THIS ENHANCEMENT WILL IMPROVE THE CITY'S ABILITY TO ANALYZE [02:20:01] 9 1 1 RESPONSE DATA AND INFORM MORE FOCUSED EDUCATION AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES MOVING FORWARD. THE CITY IS ALSO EXPANDING COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMMING AND MEDIA EFFORTS TO SUPPORT BROADER PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INJURY PREVENTION EFFORTS RELATED TO E-BIKE SAFETY AS PART OF NATIONAL BIKE MONTH. THIS MAY, THE CITY IS ENGAGING RESIDENTS THROUGH RIDES, COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING THAT NOW INCORPORATES E-BIKE SAFETY. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDE THE UPCOMING E-BIKE DEMO DAY WHERE RESIDENTS CAN RECEIVE HELMET FITTINGS, LEARN THE RULES OF THE ROAD, AND PARTICIPATE IN GUIDED TEST RIDES. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S WALK AND ROLL LONG BEACH PROGRAM WILL ALSO CONTINUES TO EXPAND EXISTING BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY CURRICULUM TO INCLUDE E-BIKE SAFETY EDUCATION WITH ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING PROPOSED THROUGH PENDING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES. IN ADDITION, THE CITY IS WORKING WITH LONG BEACH TV TO EXPAND ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION CONTENT BY DEVELOPING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FOCUSED ON E-BIKE MAINTENANCE, SAFE OPERATION, AND PROPER CHARGING AND STORING PRACTICES. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROMOTING THE UPCOMING E-BIKE DEMO DAY, WHICH TAKES PLACE ON MAY 30TH FROM 10:00 AM TO 1:00 PM AT THE LAVERNE PARKING LOT ALONG OCEAN BOULEVARD. THE EVENT IS DESIGNED AS A HANDS-ON EXTENSION OF THE CITY'S BROADER EDUCATION AND INJURY PREVENTION EFFORTS, PROVIDING RESIDENTS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAFELY EXPERIENCE E-BIKE OPERATIONS WHILE REINFORCING KEY SAFETY MESSAGES. ATTENDEES WILL HAVE THE A, HAVE ACCESS TO A GUIDED TEST COURSE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND E-BIKE SPEED AND HANDLING, ALONG WITH EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOCUSED ON SAFE RIDING PRACTICES AND RULES OF THE ROAD. THE EVENT WILL ALSO INCLUDE FREE HELMET, FITTINGS AND PARTNERSHIP WITH MEMORIAL CARE BIKE RACK LOADING DEMONSTRATIONS WITH LONG BEACH TRANSIT AND SAFETY CHECKS TO ENCOURAGE PROPER HELMET USE. THESE TYPES OF COMMUNITY BASED EVENTS WILL REFLECT THE CITY'S BROADER APPROACH TO EXPANDING PRACTICAL, PRACTICAL, ACCESSIBLE AND PREVENTION FOCUSED E-BIKE SAFETY EDUCATION THROUGHOUT LONG BEACH. WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO PUBLIC WORKS TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION ON ADDITIONAL SAFETY STRATEGIES. THANK YOU. PAUL VAN D**E, CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEER, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. HOW ARE YOU? UM, SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT ENFORCEMENT AND EDUCATION. UH, MY PART OF THE SLIDESHOW ALSO INCLUDES A REPORT CARD, SO HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THOSE THINGS? WE'LL, WE'LL FIND OUT. STAY TUNED. SO, UM, ON THIS SLIDE, UH, AS AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE SIGNAGE THAT WE'VE BEEN, UM, RELYING ON DURING THE, THE PILOT THAT'S BEEN GOING ON, ON THE BEACH PATH WHERE WE'VE BEEN PAYING A LOT OF ATTENTION TO VARIOUS ELECTRONIC VEHICLES, UH, SCOOTERS AND E-BIKES, UM, ARE AUTHORIZED TO USE THAT PATH. UM, WE POSTED SIGNS THAT REFLECT EXISTING STATE CODES AROUND, UH, OPERATING BEHAVIOR. SO E-BIKES, UH, ARE TYPICALLY GOVERNED AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. WE'LL, WE'LL GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AGAIN. UM, AND THEN E SCOOTERS ALSO, UM, HAVE A CAP AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. UM, SO THOSE SIGNS HAVE BEEN UP FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW. UH, AND ON THE PATH WE HAVE, UH, A HEALTHY MIX OF BOTH PRIVATELY OWNED E-BIKES, UM, AND, UH, AS WELL AS SCOOTERS THAT ARE OWNED BY OUR VARIOUS VENDORS, UH, THAT HAVE GOVERNORS ON THEM, UM, THAT HAVE, UH, BASICALLY LIKE A, A PILOT CAR TYPE CI CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE WE'VE GOT A VEHICLE SETTING THE PACE, UM, FOR THE, THE VEHICLES BEHIND THEM. UM, AND SO WHAT THAT HAS ACTUALLY LED TO ARE PROFILES LIKE THESE. SO, UM, YEAH, UH, GOT SOME LINE CHARTS HERE FOR THOSE WHO TOOK A LOT OF MATH CLASSES. THIS WILL LOOK FAMILIAR FOR OTHERS. UM, I'LL, I'LL EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON. UM, BASICALLY THESE ARE THE SPEED PROFILES OF SCOTERS ON THE LEFT, UH, BICYCLES ON THE RIGHT. UM, YOU'LL NOTICE BASED ON THESE CHARTS THAT THERE ARE QUITE A BIT MORE BICYCLES ON THE PATH THAN THERE ARE SCOOTERS. UH, BUT THE THING THAT WE SEE IN COMMON HERE IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE USERS, UM, ARE ABIDING BY THE VARIOUS SPEED LIMITS. SO E SCOOTERS, UH, ON THE LEFT, UH, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM ARE AT 15 MILES AN HOUR OR LOWER. AND THEN FOR BICYCLES ON THE RIGHT, UM, WITH VERY SMALL EXCEPTIONS, UH, FOLKS ARE TRAVELING AT 20 MILES AN HOUR OR LESS. SO, UM, ON OUR PATH THAT SEES THE HIGHEST SAMPLE SIZE IN TERMS OF USE FOR BOTH SCOOTERS AND BIKES, WE ARE SEEING, UH, REALLY POSITIVE TRENDS IN TERMS OF COMPLIANCE, UM, WITH SPEED LIMITS AND, AND BEHAVIORAL, UH, CONCERNS, UH, OVER THE USE OF THESE VEHICLES. UM, SO, UM, SEEING THAT A LOT OF OUR SIGNS HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE, OR AT LEAST OUR PRACTICES FOR MANAGING VEHICLE SPEEDS, UM, HAVE BEEN LARGELY EFFECTIVE. I'LL MOVE ON TO LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY. SO, UM, WHAT WE HAVE HERE ON THIS SLIDE ARE, UH, VARIOUS STATE ACTIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY TAKEN EFFECT. UM, SO ESTABLISHING THE, THE THREE CLASS SYSTEM THAT, THAT WILLIE WAS TALKING ABOUT. ALSO GENERAL REGULATIONS AROUND, UH, HOW TO OPERATE AN E-BIKE, UM, THE PROVISION OF SAFETY COURSES, UH, DEFINING WHAT SAFETY EVEN MEANS, UM, AND THEN ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROHIBITING, UH, ALTERATIONS TO THESE DEVICES THAT ALLOW THEM TO OPERATE IN AN ILLEGAL MANNER. UH, YOU CAN SEE, UM, THAT THIS IS A TOPIC THAT IS OF SIGNIFICANT [02:25:01] INTEREST CURRENTLY. UH, SPEAKING FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS THE TOPIC DU JOUR AT MANY OF OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS. UM, ALSO, THIS IS THE TOPIC DU JOUR IN SACRAMENTO. SO, UH, PLENTY OF BILLS UNDER CONSIDERATION. UM, A LOT OF THEM ARE ORIENTED MORE TOWARD NARROW PILOTS. UM, YOU'LL SEE SPECIFIC JURISDICTIONS REFERENCED IN HERE, UM, THE ONE THAT SEEMS REALLY INTERESTING DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, EXPANDING LOCAL AUTHORITY TO REGULATE E-BIKES AND SPEED LIMITS AND AGE REQUIREMENTS. UH, THAT ONE'S BEEN UPDATED TO FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON ORANGE COUNTY, UM, AND APPLYING, UM, BASICALLY LICENSE PLATES TO E-BIKES. UH, SO A LOT OF THESE ARE BEING REALLY FOCUSED DOWN, UH, TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE'RE PILOTING, UM, DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES WITHOUT ESTABLISHING STATEWIDE MANDATES, UM, FOR A LOT OF THESE ITEMS. SO, UM, A LOT OF THINGS ARE BEING TESTED OUT RIGHT NOW, UH, BUT WE DO HAVE, UM, QUITE A BIT OF REGULATION AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT THE CITY'S, UM, LARGELY COMPLIANT WITH OR HAS EXISTING FRAMEWORKS ALREADY ESTABLISHED AROUND, UH, ON THE NEXT SLIDE HERE, MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENTS. SO GIVEN WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO US IN TERMS OF AUTHORIZATION FROM SACRAMENTO, UM, THE STATE VEHICLE CODE, UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, SOME CONTEXT HERE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. UM, AS YOU SAW EARLIER ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THERE'S A LOT IN THE HOPPER. UM, IN TERMS OF OUR STATE LEGISLATION. THERE'S A LOT OF NEW, UM, BILLS BEING PROPOSED. UM, BUT ULTIMATELY, UM, CITIES DO HAVE LIMITED AUTHORITY. UH, WE CAN'T CHANGE THE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM, UM, OR FURTHER REGULATE HOW MUCH POWER THESE THESE VEHICLES HAVE OR, OR CHANGE THE LICENSING RULES. UM, BUT WE DO HAVE AUTHORITY TO REGULATE, UM, SOME OF THE USE, UH, LIKE WHERE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO RIDE THESE BIKES, SPECIFICALLY AROUND SIDEWALKS AND PATHS. UM, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME RULES THAT EXIST, UH, FOR US TO MANAGE THINGS LIKE TOWING, UM, TOWING ILLEGAL VEHICLES. AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, REALLY WE'RE FOCUSING ON ISSUES THAT STEM FROM RIDER BEHAVIOR. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY BREAKING ESTABLISHED RULES, BUT BEING CAREFUL NOT TO OVERREGULATE BECAUSE AS WE SAW WITH SOME OF THE SPEED PROFILES AND SOME OF THE NORMATIVE BEHAVIOR, THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ALSO, UM, USING THESE VEHICLES RESPONSIBLY. SO I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE A DELICATE EXERCISE HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, PROVIDING THE CONDITIONS FOR FOLKS TO BEHAVE IN A PROPER MANNER, UM, BUT MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS ARE STILL HELD ACCOUNTABLE. UH, SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE HERE, UM, STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GONNA INCLUDE A NUMBER OF UPDATES, UM, TO THE MUNICIPAL CODE. THE FIRST IS TO REALLY LEAN INTO THE CLARIFICATION, UM, THAT DEFINES WHAT THESE VEHICLES ARE IN OUR LOCAL ORDINANCES. SO RIGHT NOW OUR CODE READS, UM, AS BICYCLES AND THE, THE RULES APPLY TO BICYCLES. NOW, UH, THOSE OF US WHO ARE OUR BIG, UM, MUNICIPAL CODE NERDS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT E-BIKES ARE BICYCLES. WHOEVER I SEE BICYCLE, THAT COUNTS AS AN E-BIKE. UM, BUT JUST TO PROVIDE EXTRA CLARITY, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT, UM, WE ADD E-BIKE TO THE BICYCLE DEFINITION. SO THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THESE RULES COVER THOSE VEHICLES AS WELL. UH, AND SO THAT'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CLARITY ON THINGS LIKE, UH, E-BIKES ARE SUBJECT TO ALL OF OF THE RULES THAT NORMAL BICYCLES ARE, OR, UH, ACOUSTIC BICYCLES ARE. AND ALSO RULES AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MAKING SURE THAT FLOCKING ISN'T A PREVALENT BEHAVIOR THAT'S ALREADY RESTRICTED IN OUR MUNI MUNICIPAL CODE, UM, EVEN ON CONVENTIONAL BICYCLES. UM, NEXT SLIDE HERE. UH, SO THIS IS WHERE WE COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW THE LEAD OF SACRAMENTO, BUT, UM, TAKE A MORE, UH, HEAVY HANDED APPROACH WOULD BE TO START PROHIBITING, UM, CLASS THREE E-BIKES IN CERTAIN CONTEXTS. UH, SO WE ALREADY RESTRICT, UH, BICYCLES ON SIDEWALKS AND BUSINESS DISTRICTS AND OTHER SPECIFIC AREAS, BUT WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO POTENTIALLY LIMIT CLASS THREE E-BIKES ON PATHS. UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS ALLOWABLE, UM, THAT CARRIES OTHER CONCERNS THERE. IT IS POSSIBLE TO LEGALLY OPERATE A CLASS THREE BIKE ON ONE OF THESE PATHS. YOU CAN STILL RIDE THESE BIKES AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. THEY'RE CAPABLE OF DOING 28. UM, SO IF WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY STAKING AT THAT MAXIMAL POSITION, WE COULD, UM, PROHIBIT CLASS THREE E-BIKES, UH, MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY, UH, IS CAPABLE OF GOING 28 MILES AN HOUR WHEN THE SPEED LIMIT'S 20. BUT, UM, YEAH, THAT, THAT'S OPEN FOR DISCUSSION. UM, WE ALSO RECOMMEND DELETING ANY OUTDATED PROVISIONS GOVERNING BICYCLES. SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE LOOKED THROUGH THE WHOLE CODE ABOUT ALL OF OUR BICYCLING RULES THAT WE DID FIND SOME OUTDATED ORDINANCES AROUND THE OLD CIVIC CENTER. UH, WE RECOMMEND THAT THOSE BE REPEALED WHILE WE'RE DOING THIS CLEANUP. UM, SO, UM, REALLY THE, THE LARGER RECOMMENDATIONS BEYOND JUST THE MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENTS, UM, INCLUDE SUPPORTING, UM, [02:30:01] LONG BEACH PD AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, AS MANY OPTIONS AS POSSIBLE, UM, FOR TARGETED ENFORCEMENT. UH, ALSO CONTINUE TO EXPLORE, UM, THE POTENTIAL FOR TOWING FEES AND PROCESSES. UM, IN THE CASE THAT WE HAVE MINORS OPERATING ILLEGAL VEHICLES OR, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO'S 15 RIDING AN E-BIKE WHEN THEY NEED TO BE 16, WHAT HAPPENS THERE, RIGHT? THE BICYCLE NEEDS TO BE COLLECTED. WE CAN'T SEND A MINOR HOME WITH AN ILLEGAL VEHICLE. UM, ALSO, UM, WHAT STAFF RECOMMEND TO CONTINUE PURSUING ARE THINGS LIKE CENTRALIZING AN E-BIKE SAFETY WEBSITE SO FOLKS KNOW WHERE TO GO, UM, TO GET ALL THIS INFORMATION, UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RULES OF THE ROAD OR THE PATH OR THE SIDEWALK ARE, UM, AND THEN CONTINUE TO DOUBLE DOWN ON THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. SO, CONTINUE TO POST MORE SPEED LIMIT SIGNS, UH, ON MORE OF OUR PATHS. THEY APPEAR TO BE DOING A GREAT JOB ON THE BEACH PATH IN TERMS OF MODERATING BEHAVIOR, UH, MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS ARE COMPLIANT WITH EXISTING RULES. UM, STAFF PLAN ON CONTINUING TO EXPAND EDUCATION AND OUTREACH IN THE MANNER DESCRIBED HERE ON THE SLIDE. UM, AS WELL AS CONVENING, UM, A SAFETY COLLABORATIVE, UH, SO THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS IN THE AREA, UM, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, HEALTH INSTITUTIONS, UH, TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR ALL THE LEGISLATION THAT IS CONTINUING TO, TO POP UP, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE UNDERSTANDING, UM, OUR FRAMEWORKS THAT WE CAN OPERATE UNDER, UH, BUT MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE ON THE RIGHT FOOT, UM, AND WE'RE USING ALL THE TOOLS AT OUR DISPOSAL TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, CYCLING IS FUN, CYCLING IS SAFE, UM, AND CYCLING IS AVAILABLE, UH, TO EVERYBODY. SO, UH, WITH THAT, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS, UM, AND, UM, RESPOND TO, UM, ANY CONCERNS WE HAVE OVER THE RECOMMENDATIONS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. THAT WAS A COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATION, CERTAINLY APPRECIATED. UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, SUM IT UP. WE HAVE, UH, E-BIKES THAT ARE, THAT ARE NEW AND MORE PREVALENT IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE DON'T HAVE THE FULL POWER TO OUTRIGHT BAN E-BIKES, BUT WE CAN UPDATE OUR CODES OR REGULATIONS. WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHERE THEY CAN BE USED. WE CAN LEAN INTO EDUCATION. THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES WITH DIVERSION THAT WE CAN DO. WE CAN KEEP A BETTER EYE ON IT. WE ALSO WANNA KEEP IN MIND THAT WE CAN'T ASK, WE CAN'T PLACE AN UNFUNDED MANDATE ON BOTH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, GIVEN WE KNOW THE CHALLENGES THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS ALREADY FACING WITH, UH, REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING AND FEDERAL CUTS. SO WE DO DO UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT, BUT I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP UPDATE OUR CODES BEGIN TO PUT, WRAP OUR MINDS AROUND E-BIKES AND BEGIN TO DO THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION ABOUT WHERE, WHERE IS IT LEGAL, WHERE IS NOT LEGAL, WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO OPERATE THEM IN OUR CITY? AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT STEP. WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE COUNCIL. UM, ACTUALLY WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST. SO I HAVE, LOOKS LIKE THREE PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. ROGELIO AETNA TRANSITON AND SIDNEY DELGADO CURF ONCE AGAIN, UH, MAYORAL CANDIDATE, ROGELIO MARTINEZ. UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE THREE PEOPLE THAT PRESENTED, UM, IN MY SHORT TIME ATTENDING THESE SINCE NOVEMBER. THAT WAS PROBABLY THE BEST PRESENTATION. UM, AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME, ENERGY, AND EFFORT THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER TO, TO DO THAT. UM, UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE WAS THAT MANY CURRENT, UM, LAWS AND PENDING LAWS IN THE QUEUE. AND THIS IS VERY, VERY, VERY, THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS CURRENTLY AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE LITERALLY BROKEN A TERRIBLE RECORD. IT'S A RECORD THAT YOU DO NOT WANNA BREAK. AND THAT'S, WE'VE HAD AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF DEATH RELATED TO TRAFFIC. SO ANYTHING THAT WILL KEEP THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR TOURISTS VISITING LONG BEACH IS FINE BY ME. SO, AND I DIDN'T BELIEVE, I DID NOT KNOW THAT I WOULD ACTUALLY BE SPEAKING THESE WORDS, BUT I HAVE TO SAY IT WHEN IT'S TRUE. UM, REX, I ACTUALLY AGREED WITH WHAT YOU JUST SAID, WHICH IS WEIRD. UM, BUT WHAT HE JUST SAID, I COMPLETELY SUPPORT. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A VERY, UH, INTELLIGENT APPROACH TO HOW WE ADDRESS THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT CONCERN, BECAUSE IT DOES, UM, NOT AFFECT, BUT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE, ESPECIALLY THE LIVES OF OUR CHILDREN THAT LIVE IN THE CITY. UM, [02:35:02] SO, AND, AND WHAT I REALLY AGREE WITH HIM UPON IS THAT WE'RE ALREADY SHORT IN POLICE STAFF, UM, IN FUNDING TO THE POLICE. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS GOING TO TAX, UM, THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN AND UPHOLD THE STATE LAWS FROM A MUNICIPALITY PERSPECTIVE. SO THAT'S GONNA BE PROBABLY THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE, BUT I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT IT STARTS WITH EDUCATION AND AWARENESS. AND SO, UM, I KNOW THIS IS NOT A BACK AND FORTH, BUT IF YOU CAN JUST REALLY STRESS WHEN THAT DATE IS, I THINK IT'S LIKE MAY 17TH OF WHEN THERE'S, THERE'S LIKE AN EDUCATION PERIOD THAT WOULD BE REALLY NICE. UM, AND THEN ALSO BLESS YOU. WOW. I DIDN'T THINK I'D BE BLESSING, DON. BUT, UM, ONE THING THAT I DIDN'T SEE THAT I THINK WE SHOULD INCORPORATE IS GEOFENCING, WHERE THE, WHERE THESE THINGS CAN BE PARKED AND WHERE THEY CAN BE RIDDEN. I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN THAT. UM, AND GEOFENCING CAN ENFORCE PARKING, RIDING, AND SPEED. I LIKE THAT YOU INCORPORATED BEST PRACTICES WITH OCTA. AND LASTLY, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT, POSSIBLY INCORPORATING THESE IN RECESS. RECESS IS A GOOD TIME. YOUR TIME'S CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS EDNA. GOOD MORNING, OR GOOD EVENING, I SHOULD SAY. . IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY. LONG DAY. IT FEELS LIKE IT FEELS LIKE A WHOLE LONG DAY. UH, SO GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UH, MEMBERS. MY NAME IS EDNA CRANSON. I'M A NURSE. I'M THE TRAUMA PROGRAM MANAGER AT MEMORIAL CARE MEDICAL, LONG BEACH MEDICAL CENTER. AND MILLER'S CHILDREN'S AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL, I WANNA SAY E-BIKES. THEY'RE FASTER, THEY'RE HEAVIER, THEY CAUSE MORE SERIOUS INJURIES. WE'VE SEEN MORE CHILDREN, WE'VE SEEN MORE TEENS, MORE ADULTS AT OUR HOSPITAL WITH THESE SERIOUS INJURIES. THEY'RE NOT LIKE REGULAR BIKES, THEY'RE NOT SCRAPES, THEY'RE NOT BUMPS, THEY'RE NOT BRUISES, THEY'RE NOT EVEN JUST A REGULAR FRACTURE. THEY'RE MORE SERIOUS. THEY'RE MORE SERIOUS FRACTURES THERE. YOU'VE SEEN ON THE NEWS, YOU'VE SEEN LOTS OF LEGS, LOSS OF LIVES. UM, WE SUPPORT STRICTER REGULATIONS, UH, EDUCATION. ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS, OUR COMMUNITY, UM, MAY IS NATIONAL TRAUMA AWARENESS MONTH AS WELL. AND SO WE DO A LOT FOR INJURY PREVENTION, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THROUGH THIS, THIS COMPREHENSIVE WORK THAT YOU'VE ALL DONE, WE CAN MAKE IT AN IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANKS, EDNA. NEXT IS SYDNEY. HELLO, SYDNEY DELGADO KIRTH. I'M A REGISTERED NURSE AND I ALSO WORK AT, UM, MEMORIAL CARE LONG BEACH IN THE TRAUMA DEPARTMENT. I'M THE INJURY PREVENTION COORDINATOR AND FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, I'VE BEEN PROVIDING, UM, INJURY PREVENTION EDUCATION TO THE COMMUNITY OF LONG BEACH AND, UM, MORE SPECIFICALLY TRANSPORTATION, SAFETY EDUCATION. SO, UM, BEEN TRYING TO WORK WITH WALK AND ROLL, AND THEN WE MET COMMANDER BENSON, AND THEN EVERYTHING JUST KIND OF OPENED UP. SO WE'RE HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT, UM, LONG BEACH PD AND HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, UM, WITH THEIR WORK ON THIS AMENDMENT. UM, WE HAVE THE DATA, WE PROVIDED THEM WITH THE DATA. UM, SINCE 2023 TO 2025, WE'VE HAD JUST AT OUR HOSPITAL, 168 E-BIKE INJURIES. UM, I'M NOT AWARE OF EXACTLY HOW MANY ARE MORTALITIES OR SERIOUS INJURIES THAT WENT TO SURGERY, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT A LOT OF THEM DO GO TO SURGERY AND HAVE VERY LONG, UM, RECOVERY PERIODS. WE DID HAVE A, UH, PEDIATRIC ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON SPEAK AT, UM, AN EVENT THAT WE HOSTED ON FRIDAY LAST WEEK. AND SHE TALKED ABOUT FOR 30 MINUTES OF HOW, UM, KIDS USUALLY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE SURGERIES FOR THE INJURIES THAT THEY RECEIVE ON A, ON A REGULAR BIKE. AND NOW KIDS HAVE TO HAVE SURGERIES AND A SECOND SURGERY TO REMOVE THE HARDWARE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO KEEP GROWING AND YOU CAN'T KEEP THE HARDWARE IN THERE . SO NOW THEY'RE HAVING LONGER HOSPITALIZATION, UM, TWO SURGERIES, YOU KNOW, MORE TIME OUT OF SCHOOL, ALL OF THAT STUFF. SO THAT BEING SAID, UM, IT'S A REALLY BIG ISSUE. WE SEE IT ALL THE TIME IN THE TRAUMA BAY. UM, AND IT'S NOT JUST THE INJURIES, IT'S ALSO THE DEATHS, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, TALK TO THE FAMILIES ABOUT. SO, UM, WE DEFINITELY SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT AND, UM, WE'LL BE GIVING EDUCATION WITH LONG BEACH PD AND HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU, UH, FOR THAT PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, VERY [02:40:01] THOUGHTFUL. WE'LL NOW TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL. WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SONO. UH, THANK YOU. AND I'D LIKE TO THANK THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IN PARTICULAR FOR PARTNERING, PARTNERING, UH, WITH OUR OFFICE ON THIS ITEM. AND TO THAT, I'D LIKE TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO, WE HAVE TO SAY FORMER DEPUTY MAYOR PAUL MJI. UH, HE DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THIS AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME AND I'VE NEVER HEARD OF BETTER PRESENTATION, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. IT'S COMPREHENSIVE, THOROUGH, UH, EVERYTHING. AND I'M NOT JUST SAYING THAT 'CAUSE I ASKED FOR IT, UM, BUT IT WAS, UH, REALLY GREAT. AND, UM, COMMANDER BENSON HAS BEEN SO DEDICATED TO THIS FOR SO LONG, THANK GOODNESS SHE HAS WORKED IN THE EAST DIVISION, SO I GOT TO TALK TO HER A LOT, BUT SHE REALLY SPEARHEADED THIS FOR ME AT LEAST. SO THANK YOU FOR COMMANDER FOR THAT. UM, AND, UH, GRACE YON MENTIONED IN THE INTRODUCTION THAT THIS WAS BROUGHT FORWARD IN OCTOBER, BUT I ASKED FOR, SHE, GRACE MENTIONED THERE'S AN INTERIM REPORT AND I HAD ASKED FOR THAT BECAUSE I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE THE HOLIDAY GIFT BUYING STARTED. AND THAT WORKED WELL. UM, COMMANDER, UH, GAVE US SOME MATERIALS FOR THAT, WE PUBLISHED THAT. BUT I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA JUST ISSUED A, UM, CONSUMER ALERT ABOUT PURCHASING E-BIKES. SO, UM, I'M, I'M GLAD HE TOOK MY LEAD ON THAT. UM, BUT THE GREAT OUTCOME OF THAT IS THAT AMAZON ALREADY HAS BANNED, UH, ILLEGAL E-BIKE SALES IN CALIFORNIA. SO, UH, I I THINK WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS. I'LL TELL YOU THE ONE, WHEN I BROUGHT THIS FORWARD IN OCTOBER, I HAD SEEN ENOUGH AT THAT POINT I WANTED TO MAKE SOMETHING AND I DIDN'T REALIZE IT COULD DE DEVOLVE TO WHERE IT IS NOW THAT WE, IT CERTAINLY DIDN'T GET BETTER ON ITS OWN. AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT I THINK YOU, YOU GUYS HAVE, HAVE, UH, BUILT A GREAT FOUNDATION THERE AND TO OUR TRAUMA NURSES, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT AND SITTING THROUGH THE MEETING AND, AND SPEAKING WELCOME ANYTIME AT AT MY COMMUNITY MEETINGS. THEY'RE THE LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AT LOS ALTOS LIBRARY. BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EDUCATION YOU'RE DOING. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, UH, COUNCILMAN SUBINA. THIS WAS A GREAT ITEM TO BRING FORWARD WITH THE MAYOR. AND I WAS GONNA SAY THE SAME, UH, CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEER, PAUL VAN D**E, UH, COMMANDER BENSON, EVERYONE WHO DID THIS PRESENTATION, THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT OUR RESIDENTS NEED AND HAVING TRAUMA NURSES COME OUT TO SUPPORT THIS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT, UM, AS PART OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE HEARING. SO I DO THINK WE WANT TO HAVE A BALANCE. WE DON'T WANNA DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM RIDING E-BIKES, BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE USING E-BIKE SAFELY. SO I APPRECIATE THAT THE EDUCATIONAL EFFORT IS BEING MADE WITH L-B-U-S-D, UH, WITH KIDS COMMANDER. YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS SO MUCH OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS SINCE I'VE KNOWN YOU. UM, HAVING KIDS UNDERSTAND THE RULES AND HAVING PRINCIPALS UNDERSTAND THE RULES OF WHAT KIND OF BIKES CAN BE ON THEIR CAMPUS IS REALLY, UM, PART OF THE PROCESS TO GETTING KIDS TO KNOW THE RULES. BUT I REALLY WANNA FOCUS ON THE, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE KNOWINGLY VIOLATING THE LAW AND WHAT ENFORCEMENT MEASURES WE HAVE NOW, UH, IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS. IN DISTRICT THREE, WE HAVE SITUATIONS WHERE GROUPS OF RIDERS TAKE OVER AN INTERSECTION ON THE EMOTO'S, KIND OF LIKE A, A STREET TAKEOVER. AND WE'VE HEARD ABOUT SITUATIONS WHERE GROUPS OF BIKE RIDERS TERRORIZE AND ASSAULT SOMEONE AND THEN TAKE OFF. UH, IT ISN'T NECESSARILY THE E-BIKE, BUT THE MOBILITY OF A 14-YEAR-OLD WHO HAS ON A BIKE THAT CAN GO UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR. THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT WHEN WE HAVE GROUPS WHO ARE MAKING DECISIONS, UM, LIKE THIS. SO, AND I UNDERSTAND MANY OF THE LAWS ARE ALREADY ON THE BOOKS AND WE HAVE A HARD TIME ENFORCING THEM. UH, COMMANDER, CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH LBD, LBP D'S PURSUIT POLICY IF SOMEONE DOESN'T STOP ON ANY BIKE? SO GENERALLY OUR PURSUIT POLICY PROHIBITS US FROM, FROM, UH, PURSUING JUST TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS. SO FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU RUN A STOP SIGN AND WE TRY TO PULL YOU OVER, THAT'S CONSIDERED A FAILURE TO YIELD THAT IS NOT PURSUABLE UNDER OUR CURRENT POLICY. SO SAME THING WITH AN E-BIKE OR AN EMOTO. IF THAT E-BIKE OR EMOTO AN [02:45:01] OFFICER, WITNESSES RUN A STOP SIGN STOPLIGHT, UM, NOT USING THE BIKE LANE LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AND WE ATTEMPT TO PULL 'EM OVER AND THEY TAKE OFF FROM US, THAT IS NOT A FORESEEABLE OFFENSE. WHAT WOULD BE FORESEEABLE IS IF IT CROSSING INTO A MAJOR PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AND A POTENTIAL FELONY CRIME MAY HAVE BEEN COMMITTED. SO LET'S SAY THERE, THERE'S A HIT AND RUN WHERE AN EMOTO GOES THROUGH A A CROSSWALK AND HITS A PEDESTRIAN AND CAUSES SIGNIFICANT INJURY AND WE BELIEVE THAT'S A FELONY CRIME, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE OFFICER COULD CONSIDER AT THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO PURSUE UNDER OUR CURRENT POLICY. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UM, WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS TO COMMANDER THAT SOME CITIES ARE USING DRONES TO PURSUE PEOPLE ON E-BIKES. CAN YOU GO THROUGH WHAT OUR CITY IS DOING AND WHAT'S BEEN EXPLORED? SO WE DO CURRENTLY HAVE WHAT WE CALL A DRONES FOR PATROL PROGRAM OPERATING, UM, ON A PILOT BASIS IN THE DEPARTMENT. AND WE DO HAVE DRONE CERTIFIED OFFICERS IN THE FIELD THAT WOULD REQUIRE, UM, THE OFFICER, SO A SERGEANT OR AN OFFICER WHO'S REQUEST A DRONE THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE OFFICER THAT IS AN OPERATOR OF THE DRONE TO RESPOND TO THE AREA TO BE ABLE TO, TO LAUNCH THEIR DRONE IN THE AREA. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE, UM, IF WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A, A, UH, WHAT WE'LL JUST REFER TO AS THE REST OF THE DAY, AS A FLOCKING GROUP COMING INTO THE CITY, THAT RESCUE REQUEST COULD BE MADE BY THE PATROL SERGEANT TO GET A DRONE UP INTO THE AIR TO FOLLOW THE CROWD, WATCH ITS MANEUVERS, UM, SEE WHERE THEY'RE GOING. ARE THEY GOING TO AN IMPACTED AREA SUCH AS SECOND STREET, PINE AVENUE DOWN ON THE BEACH? AND CAN WE MITIGATE THAT BY GETTING, BY GETTING OFFICERS TO THAT LOCATION TO BASICALLY DIVERT THEIR PATH SO THEY DON'T GO THERE. THAT IS AN OPTION THAT WE CAN DO WITH THE DRONES. THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO, UM, IF WE HAVE ENOUGH LI UH, BATTERY LIFE, 'CAUSE SOMETIMES THESE GO THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY, IF WE HAVE ENOUGH BATTERY LIFE AVAILABLE, THE OFFICERS WOULD BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THOSE WITH THE MOST EGREGIOUS BEHAVIORS AND MAYBE FOLLOW THEM TO A LOCATION WHERE THEY EXIT THE BIKE AND RESPOND. THEN OTHER PATROL OFFICERS COULD RESPOND AND THEN ISSUE CITATIONS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE AND OR SEIZE. IF IT'S AN ILLEGAL EMOTO, WE COULD SEIZE THE ILLEGAL MOTO AT THE TIME. AND WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT RESIDENTS WHO SEE FLOCKING OR GROUPS OF BIKES OR, UM, WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THEY CALL 9 1 1? WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR THAT? UM, ABSOLUTELY GIVE, GIVE THE, THE COMMUNICATION CENTER A PHONE CALL, WHETHER THAT'S OUR NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER, THE 5 6 2 4 3 5 6 7 1 1. OR IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WHERE THERE'S SURROUNDING VEHICLES OR SURROUNDING A PERSON AND, UM, SOMEBODY'S LIFE IS AN IMMEDIATE THREAT, THEN YES, CALL 9 1 1, ADVISE DISPATCH, UM, AS MUCH INFORMATION AS YOU CAN. UM, ARE THEY, YOU KNOW, DO THEY APPEAR TO BE TEENAGERS? DO THEY APPEAR TO BE ADULTS? ARE THEY ON, YOU KNOW, UM, AND IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE TO, IT'S EVEN HARD FOR OFFICERS TO DETERMINE WHAT IS AN EBI VERSUS AN EMOTO WHEN IT'S MOVING. UM, BUT TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY, LET US KNOW WHAT, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT SO THAT WE CAN DEPLOY THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE, WHETHER THAT IS PATROL OFFICERS, OUR DRONES, OUR AIR SUPPORT UNIT, OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE AT THE TIME. THE MORE INFORMATION THAT CITIZENS CAN PROVIDE TO US, THE BETTER. GREAT. AND, UM, I REALLY LIKE THE EDUCATIONAL APPROACH, BUT I REALLY THINK IT ALSO NEEDS TO BE PAIRED WITH ENFORCEMENT. SO I'M GLAD THE DIRECTION THAT OUR CITY IS GOING. AND I WANNA, UM, THANK YOU COMMANDER AS WELL AS OFFICER GONZALEZ WHO SPOKE ABOUT E-BIKES EMOTO'S AT MY TOWN HALL LAST WEEK. REALLY GOOD INFORMATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN? YES. UH, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN SUPERMAN, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR SPEARHEADING THIS. UM, THIS IS JUST, UH, JUST, IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND, UM, AND ALSO, SO THIS IS A NATIONAL NATIONAL BIKE MONTH, SO WHAT AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO HAVE THIS PRESENTATION. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS PLANNED, BUT, UM, BUT IT REALLY IS APPROPRIATE. UM, SO I HAVE, UH, SOME, SOME QUESTIONS, UM, THAT, UM, THAT I HAVE. I WANNA SAY COMMANDER BENSON. THANK YOU. UH, WHAT A GREAT JOB. AND I, I JUST, THIS, THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY A, A GREAT PRESENTATION. UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. UM, WHEN, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LONG BEACH MEMORIAL FOR BEING HERE. I KNOW I MET WITH, UM, WITH YOUR TEAM A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND WE HAD A LONG CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS AND I KNOW ALL THE WORK THAT YOUR DOCTORS ARE DOING WITH REGARDS TO THIS. UM, YOU DID TALK ABOUT COMMANDER, UM, ABOUT, UM, UH, THEIR WAYS THAT CHILD ENDANGERMENT AND, AND, AND I, I WAS READING ABOUT THAT, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST SOMETHING LEGISLATORS WERE TALKING ABOUT. BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, IT SHOULD SOMEONE FROM THE TRAUMA CENTER, UH, I WOULD IMAGINE YOU WOULD CONTACT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IF THERE'S A SEVERE INJURY. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS, BUT I'M JUST GONNA ASSUME. [02:50:01] AND THEN HAS THERE BEEN A SITUATION IN LONG BEACH WHERE YOU'VE HELD ANY PARENT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY TRAUMATIC INJURY THAT, UH, A PERSON THAT A CHILD HAS HAD? UM, WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT YET HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE SEEN IT IN OUR, OUR SISTER CITIES IN ORANGE COUNTY, UM, WITH A RECENT TRAGEDY. UM, AND A AND A PARENT IS BEING HELD RIGHT NOW, AS A MATTER OF FACT, THAT PARENT IS BEING HELD ON VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER, UM, FOR THE HER CHILD'S ACTIONS. SO ON AN EMOTO. SO IT IS POSSIBLE IN THE STATE, IT DOES ALIGN WITH OUR CURRENT, UH, PENAL CODES, UH, CAUSING GREAT GOD BODILY INJURY OR A PARENT KNOWINGLY ALLOWING A CHILD TO, TO RIDE OR DRIVE A MOTOR VEHICLE WITHOUT A LICENSE. THOSE THINGS ARE AVAILABLE TO US AS A, AS A TOOL, BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD TO DO IT YET HERE IN THE CITY. UM, IS THERE A MECHANISM IN PLACE THEN FOR SOMEONE FROM ANY OF OUR EMERGENCY, UH, HOSPITALS THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT OR A POLICY IN PLACE THAT THERE WAS A SERIOUS INJURY ON ONE OF THESE EMODAL BIKES THAT THEY WOULD, UH, THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO CONTACT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT? SO THERE, IT DOESN'T FALL UNDER CURRENTLY UNDER THE MANDATED REPORTING, BUT WE DO HAVE REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH, WITH MEMORIAL AND ST. MARY'S, AND THEY CAN CALL IN TO OUR TRAFFIC COLLISION INVESTIGATION DETAIL AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE WAS A COLLISION OR AN INJURY INVOLVED IN AN E BICY. AND OUR COLLISION INVESTIGATION DETAIL CAN, CAN LOOK AT IT AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S AN ASPECT THAT WE NEED TO, TO FOLLOW AS OPPOSED TO JUST DOING AS A TRAFFIC COLLISION. OKAY. YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF MANDATORY REPORTING POLICY IF THERE'S SERIOUS INJURIES TO, TO A CHILD. UM, AND ALSO I LOVED, UH, OUR SCHOOL-BASED, UH, EDUCATION. UM, I THINK THAT WAS, THAT'S REALLY, UH, THAT'S REALLY AMAZING. UM, I JUST WANNA ASK A QUESTION. I KNOW MY NEPHEWS GO, UH, TO SCHOOL HERE IN, UH, IN LONG BEACH UNIFIED, AND I KNOW ONCE THOSE KIDS GET THERE, AND I'VE SEEN IT, THESE BIKES ARE LOCKED INTO THESE CAGES AND THEY LOCK 'EM IN WHILE THEY'RE AT SCHOOL AND THEN THEY LET 'EM OUT. MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THESE KIDS THAT ARE RIDING SOME OF THESE BIKES THAT AREN'T PERMITTED. UM, AND EVEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE, UH, LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT ALLOWING EVEN THE KID, THE KIDS TO, TO BRING THESE, THESE, UH, BIKES TO SCHOOL. BUT I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THESE BIKES AS THEY'RE COMING OUT OF, I HAVE, AS THEY'RE COMING OUT OF THESE LOCKED, UH, UH, ROOMS, I, IT'S OUTDOORS, UM, THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF EDUCATION THAT COULD TAKE PLACE RIGHT THERE. UM, 'CAUSE I GUARANTEE YOU A LOT OF PARENTS DON'T EVEN REALIZE, UM, THAT, UH, HOW DANGEROUS THIS IS. SO ANYWAY, JUST, JUST A THOUGHT. UM, I LOVE, UH, THAT DARYL ALREADY TALKED ABOUT AMAZON. I JUST READ THAT THIS WEEK. THEY'RE RESTRICTING THAT. UM, SO KUDOS TO OUR LEGISLATURES THAT REALLY PUT PRESSURE ON AMAZON, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT SELLING THESE BIKES THAT GO OVER THE STATE SPEED LIMIT. UM, CAN I JUST CLARIFY SOMETHING? UM, I'M READING ALL MY CHICKEN SCRATCH HERE. SO CLASS THREE BIKES ARE NOT ALLOWED OR, OR ALLOWED ON THE, LIKE, SAY, UH, THE, THE BEACH PATH AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT GOING OVER THE 20 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT. CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY THAT FOR ME, COMMANDER OR ANYBODY? ? UH, YEAH. THE, THE WAY THAT THESE, UH, VEHICLES ARE DEFINED, THEY ARE ALLOWED TO RIDE, UM, ON THOSE FACILITIES, UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE CAPABLE OF BEING RIDDEN IN AN APPROPRIATE MANNER. SO, UM, WHILE THEY CAN REACH 28 MILES AN HOUR, THEIR, THEIR DEFAULT SETTING ISN'T INSTANTLY THERE. SO, UM, THEY'RE NOT RESTRICTED BECAUSE THEY CAN BE RESPONSIBLY DRIVEN THERE. JUST LIKE, UH, I CAN RESPONSIBLY DRIVE MY PICKUP, UM, DOWN BELLFLOWER BOULEVARD, UH, EVEN THOUGH IT, THIS PEDOMETER HAS A REALLY BIG NUMBER ON IT, I USUALLY DON'T REACH THAT, RIGHT? SO, UM, REGULATING VEHICLES, UM, TYPICALLY, UM, YEAH, WE, WE DON'T OVERLY REGULATE JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING CAN TRAVEL FAST, BUT, UM, THAT CERTAINLY AN OPTION FOR US HERE. SO, SO IS THERE, SO CLASS ONE, TWO AND THREE ARE ALLOWED BASICALLY AT ANYWHERE ON LONG BEACH STREETS, BIKE PATHS ARE, UM, ARE BEACH PASS ANYWHERE IN THE CITY THEY'RE CURRENTLY ALLOWED AS LONG AS THEY STAY WITHIN THE SPEED LIMIT. THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. OKAY. ALRIGHT. OKAY. UM, AND THEN, UM, YOU, UM, COMMANDER BENSON, YOU DID SAY ON ONE OF YOUR SLIDES THAT THE CITY MAY ADOPT ADDITIONAL RULES THAT SUPER, THAT, UH, GO ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THE STATE REQUIRES. IS, IS THAT, DID I READ THAT CORRECTLY? SO WE CAN'T CHANGE WHAT THE STATE LAW SAYS, SO WE CANNOT, SORRY. WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY BY THE LEGISLATURE TO, TO CHANGE THE AGE REQUIREMENTS OR TO IMPOSE AGE REQUIREMENTS ON THE CLASS ONE OR CLASS TWO. UM, WE CAN'T CHANGE THE, UM, REQUIREMENTS OF THE HELMETS ON CLASS ONE OR CLASS TWO FOR ADULTS. THOSE THINGS WE CAN'T CHANGE. WHAT WE ARE ALLOWED TO CHANGE WOULD BE, UM, FOR [02:55:01] INSTANCE, THE, THE RECOMMENDATION OF NO CLASS THREES ON SIDEWALKS, AND WHILE THE CLASS THREES ON SIDEWALKS COULD DO 20 MILES AN HOUR, THE POTENTIAL OF THEM BEING ABLE TO DO 28 MILES AN HOUR EXISTS BECAUSE THEY CAN GO THAT FAST. SO WE ARE ALLOWED TO IMPOSE THOSE AS A LOCAL, AS A LOCAL JURISDICTION. OKAY. AND I JUST, I THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT FIRST STEP AND WE'RE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, BUT I THINK AS THESE BIKES GET FASTER AND HEAVIER, UM, AND WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE HEARD FROM THE TRAUMA NURSES HOW DANGEROUS THEY ARE THAT, YOU KNOW, AS A COUNCIL OR A FUTURE COUNCIL, UH, COULD LOOK AT ADDING, UM, WORKING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY AND LOOKING, OR IS IT NECESSARY FOR US TO HAVE ADDITIONAL ROLES, UM, TO, UH, ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY OUR YOUTH THAT ARE RIDING THESE BIKES. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL, ALL THREE OF YOU. THANK YOU FOR ONE OF THE BEST PRESENTATIONS. I AGREE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE. UM, AND, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANSWERING ALL MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR? YES. UH, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR AND THANK YOU TO THE TEAM, UH, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID A LOT, SO I JUST HAD A COUPLE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS I WANT TO CHECK IN. UM, I FEEL LIKE THE STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOLS IS REALLY, UM, KEY TO MOVING FORWARD. I KNOW THAT I AM PERSONALLY COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH THEM. I'M REACH OUT TO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS THAT REPRESENT MY AREA TOMORROW TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE THEY DOING AT THE POLICY LEVEL, UM, NOT JUST AT INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS SO THAT IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH ON THEIR PART. I'M CERTAINLY WILLING TO HELP AND PARTNER AND SUPPORT THEM IN WHATEVER WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, UM, UM, AND LETTING THEM KIND OF SET THAT GENERAL POLICY. WE KNOW THAT SOMETIMES SCHOOLS HAVE, UH, MAKE UP RULES FOR THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES BECAUSE OUR SCHOOLS ARE ALSO DIFFERENT, BUT HAVING AN OVERARCHING POLICY BE, WILL BE REALLY CRITICAL INTO, UM, FOR HAVING CONSISTENT IMPLEMENTATION ACROSS OUR SCHOOL SITES. SO I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH MY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ON THAT. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT IS, ARE THERE, I THINK ANECDOTALLY WE ALL HAVE IN OUR MIND WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IN OUR OWN PARTS OF THE CITY, BUT ARE THERE PARTS OF THE CITY THAT ARE MORE IMPACTED BY THE USE OF E-BIKES THAN OTHERS? AND THE REASON I ASK THAT IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND WE TALK ABOUT GRANT FUNDED EDUCATION, WE KNOW THAT OFTENTIMES GRANT FUNDING COMES WITH VERY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ABOUT COMMUNITIES THAT YOU ARE SERVING. AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE IS, UM, A DISCONNECT POTENTIALLY FROM OUR BIKE SAFETY EDUCATION FUNDING AND WHERE IT'S DIRECTED PER GRANT REQUIREMENTS AND WHERE WE'RE SEEING KIND OF THE BIGGEST IMPACT OF, OF E-BIKE. SO IT'S MOSTLY A QUESTION OF DO WE SEE PARTS OF TOWN WHERE WE'RE EXPERIENCING IT MORE AND IS THERE A DISCREPANCY IN WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO FUND EDUCATION THROUGH GRANT FUNDING THAT MAY NOT ACTUALLY, UH, QUALIFY FOR THE PARTS WE'RE SEEING AN IMPACT ON. COULD SOMEONE SPEAK TO THAT? SURE, I CAN, I CAN KIND OF ADDRESS PART OF THAT. UM, CURRENTLY WE, WE JUST HAVE SOME PRE PRELIMINARY DATA AND WHAT THAT'S TELLING US RIGHT NOW IS, IS PRIMARILY IT'S IMPACTING YOUTH. AND SO THE, THE DATA THAT WE HAVE FROM, FROM MEMORIAL IS SHOWING US THAT, IF I'M LOOKING AT THE DATA, UM, 30% OF THE REPORTED INJURIES, UM, ARE FROM THE AGES OF 10 TO 17. SO ALL OF THE E-BIKE INJURIES, WE DON'T HAVE LOCATION SPECIFIC DATA QUITE YET. UM, BUT IT LOOKS TO BE MIRRORING VERY SIMILAR TO OUR, OUR TYPICAL BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN INJURIES, WHICH ARE IN HIGH INJURY CORRIDORS. UM, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT THE REQUESTS THAT WE'RE RECEIVING AND THEY ARE TYPICALLY COMING FROM MIDDLE SCHOOLS. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ADDRESSING, UM, THOSE SAFETY ISSUES AT OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW. SO WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT WHERE, WHAT THOSE LOCATIONS ARE AND, AND OUR, OUR GRANT FUNDING WILL, WILL SORT OF MIRROR THAT. OKAY. AND I, I THINK I WOULD HOPE THAT IF GRANT FUNDINGS DON'T, GRANT FUNDING DOESN'T APPLY FOR THAT PARTICULAR PART OF TOWN, UH, THAT WE KNOW THAT, SO THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY LOOK FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS OR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUNDING, UH, TO FUND THOSE PARTS OF TOWN OR THOSE SCHOOLS THAT MAY HAVE A HIGHER NUMBER OF E-BIKES PRESENT ON CAMPUS IF THEY DON'T QUALIFY FOR GRANT FUNDING. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT INFORMATION. AND THEN AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU GOOGLE CLASS THREE COMMUTER BIKES, THE FIRST THINGS THAT COME UP ARE, ARE BIKES THAT I HAVE SEEN THAT PEOPLE USE, UM, FOR PROFESSIONAL COMMUTING. I WAS ACTUALLY AT A CONFERENCE AND ONE OF THOSE BOOTHS WAS GIVING AWAY. THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS THE PRIZE IF YOU DROPPED A BUSINESS CARD, WAS THE EXACT NUMBER ONE GOOGLE SEARCH FOR A CLASS THREE COMMUTER BIKE. IT ALSO INCLUDES CARGO BIKES. SO FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE USING IT AS THEIR PRIMARY TRANSPORTATION AND MAYBE HAVING GROCERIES OR BACKPACKS, UM, OR OTHER HEAVIER ITEMS HAVE THAT CLASS THREE. I ALSO KNOW A FEW FOLKS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHO HAVE THE BIGGER ONES, UH, THAT HAVE THE BUCKETS IN THE FRONT SO THEY CAN TAKE THEIR KIDS AROUND TOWN AS WELL. OR ALSO CLASS THREE. SO I THINK I HAVE SOME HESITATIONS ABOUT SAYING THAT THOSE CAN'T BE ON PLACES LIKE THE BEACH PATH OR THE BIKE PATH, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE DATA IS SAYING THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE BEHAVING APPROPRIATELY ON [03:00:01] THE BIKE PATH. YES, WE HAVE OUTLIERS ON EITHER SIDE, UM, BECAUSE I THINK IN SOME RESPECTS THOSE ARE THE SAFEST PLACES FOR THOSE PEOPLE TO BE COMMUTING, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE CHILDREN OR CARGO. AND SO THIS BECOMES THAT, THAT CHICKEN AND EGG SCENARIO THAT WE TALK ABOUT, WHICH IS WE WANT INFRASTRUCTURE, WE WANT BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT BIKE SAFETY. WE UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF OUR MAJOR CORRIDORS ARE HAVING MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE ALLOWING FOR BICYCLES TO BE, UM, IN PROTECTED PATHWAYS AND MORE PROTECTED AREAS BECAUSE EVERYTHING WE HEAR IS THAT WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE ON E-BIKES ON SIDEWALKS, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE NEED A SAFE PLACE FOR THEM TO BE. AND IT OFTEN ISN'T IN TRAFFIC AS SOME OF OUR CORRIDORS HAVE SHOWN US. UM, I DO NOT REPRESENT THE BIKE PATH, BUT I WILL SAY AS SOMEONE WHO, UM, RIDES A BIKE, I WOULD NEVER RIDE DOWN OCEAN BOULEVARD ON MY BIKE. I WOULD WANT TO BE ON THE BIKE PATH BECAUSE THAT IS THE SAFEST WAY FOR ME TO GET FROM DOWNTOWN TO ALAMEDO BEACH OR WHEREVER IT IS THAT I'M GOING. AND SO AS WE TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS THE CITY AND PROTECTED BIKE LANES, PART OF THE REASON THAT WE WANT TO BULK UP OUR BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE IS FOR THIS VERY, UM, FUTURE ORIENTED LOOK AT COMMUTING. AND SO IT'S A BOTH. AND WHILE SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT SEE LOTS OF FOLKS IN A BIKE PATH NOW IF THERE'S A PROTECTED PATH FOR THEM TO GO, WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT THEM ON THE SIDEWALK AND WE CAN PUT THEM IN THAT SPACE. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE GRANT FUNDING, THE EDUCATION, UM, AS WELL AS WHERE WE CAN ADJUSTING INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAKE SURE, UM, THIS FUTURE OF COMMUTING THAT A LOT OF FOLKS, UM, ARE USING AT EVERY AGE. I TALKED TO, TALKED TO SOME SENIOR RESIDENTS YESTERDAY WHO BOTH HAVE E-BIKES WHO WHEN THEY GO ON THEIR LONGER RIDES, THEY NEED THAT EXTRA PEDAL ASSIST. SO GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT KEEPS THEM SAFE AS WELL. SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND PD, UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO US TO CONTINUING TO TRY TO BALANCE, UM, HOW WE KEEP FOLKS SAFE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GREAT POINTS. IF WE HAD MORE BIKE LANES, MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T BE ON THE SIDEWALKS, RIGHT? THAT'S TRUE. ALRIGHT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH AND TOOK YEAH, VERY GOOD IN CONVERSATION. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE MAYOR AND TO COUNCILMAN SUBINA, UH, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. UH, I'M GONNA FOCUS MY COMMENTS ON WHERE WE MIGHT, UH, EXPAND OUR ABILITY TO STRETCH OUR DOLLARS AND CREATE THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION THAT'S NEEDED WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. I'D LIKE TO THANK, UM, THE TEAM FROM MEMORIAL THAT CAME OUT AND FOR REMINDING US THAT MAY, UM, IS A TRAUMA AWARENESS MONTH. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NOTED ON THAT SITE, UM, THIS YEAR IS THE THEME IS STAY FOCUSED, STAY SAFE, AND YOU ALSO HAVE A TOOLKIT THERE. WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO FROM A CITY STANDPOINT IN TERMS OF THE LEVEL OF RESOURCE THAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE AVAILABLE OR JUST HAVE AVAILABLE FOR NOW, I THINK IT WILL BE CRITICAL FOR US TO THINK ABOUT A TRAIN THE TRAINER MODEL. WE SHOULD CONSIDER OUR OWN TOOLKIT, UM, THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE THAT THE PUBLIC AND PARENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE CAN SEE REGARDING, YOU KNOW, HOW TO KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE, UH, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE AN E-BIKE. UM, AND ENSURING THAT THERE AREN'T THOSE MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE ILLEGAL AS WAS OUTLINED AS PART OF THAT TRAIN THE TRAINER, UH, TOOLKIT THAT I'D LOVE TO SEE US HAVE. UM, I'D LOVE TO, IN ADDITION TO THE SCHOOLS FOR US TO CONSIDER THAT YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR CITY ARE ENGAGED IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES. SO LOOKING AT PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR SCOUTS, OUR GIRL SCOUTS, OUR YMCA, OUR BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, UM, SUMMERS COMING UP. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF CAMPS ACROSS LONG BEACH, ALL OF WHICH COULD RECEIVE THIS TOOLKIT THAT THEY COULD MAKE AVAILABLE, UH, TO THEIR CAMPERS. UH, YOU'VE SHARED THAT OUR PARKS WILL BE, UM, CONDUCTING SOME WORK OVER THE SUMMER AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE PARKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, EVEN IF THIS COULD BE AVAILABLE AT MOVIES, UM, IN THE PARK AT NIGHT AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THERE THAT PROMOTES AND SHARES WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WANNA DO IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. WE ALSO HOST OUR ANNUAL YOUTH SUMMIT AND HAVE MANY, MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE THERE WHO WORK WITH YOUTH, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. AND SO I'D LOVE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WERE AWARE OF OUR TOOLKIT AND COULD DISSEMINATE THAT INFORMATION ACCORDINGLY, UM, AT THEIR, UM, RESPECTIVE CAMPS AND PROGRAMS. UM, SO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE REGARDING GETTING THE EDUCATION OUT THERE WITH LIMITED DOLLARS. MAYBE WE ARE NOT ABLE TO GET TO ALL OF THOSE SPACES, BUT CERTAINLY THERE ARE ADULTS WHO CAN DO THAT. AND THEN AT SOME POINT I WAS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHERE ELSE CAN YOU BUY THESE? IF AMAZON HAS SAID YOU CAN'T BUY THEM THERE, UH, THERE'S PROBABLY PLACES WITHIN OUR CITY, UM, WHERE YOU CAN PURCHASE, UH, AN E-BIKE. UM, AND WE MIGHT CONSIDER, UH, REQUIRING [03:05:01] THAT SOME SAFETY INFORMATION GOES ALONG WITH THAT PURCHASE, UM, TO ENSURE THAT FAMILIES CAN RESPONSIBLY, UM, TAKE ON THIS PARTICULAR PURCHASE AND UTILIZE IT, UM, CORRECTLY WITHIN OUR CITY AND SAFELY OVERALL. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF MY RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING HOW WE MIGHT DISSEMINATE THIS INFORMATION AND I HOPE THEY'LL BE CONSIDERED, UM, AS THE STAFF, UH, COMPLETES ITS WORK. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ROWLING? YES. UM, I JUST WANT TO ALSO, UH, JUST, UH, UH, REITERATE THAT HOW MUCH THAT I DO THINK THAT BIKES SHOULD BE ON BIKE PATHS AND, AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UM, ANYTHING MICRO TRANSPORTATION, UM, AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE ALWAYS KEEP IT SAFE. BUT, UM, I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, IF THERE ARE RULES THAT WE CAN CREATE DOWN THE ROAD THAT PROTECT PEOPLE, UM, WHILE THEY'RE SAFELY TRAVELING, IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DO. WHO KNOWS WHAT? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE AND HOW THESE THINGS EVOLVE, BUT WE WANNA, WE HAVE TO DO BOTH. WE WANNA CONTINUE TO, TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE COMMUTING ON THESE BIKE PATHS AND THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY WHICH I SUPPORT, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE SAFE AND THE FACT THAT WE DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, UH, TO, UH, IF, IF, IF, UH, THIS COUNCIL OR FUTURE COUNCIL SHOULD DECIDE, UM, TO MAKE ADDITIONAL ROLES. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. WAIT, YOU GOT ANOTHER, SORRY. ASK A QUESTION. ALRIGHT, GO FOR IT. SO CAN I ASK A QUESTION THEN, BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THE ITEM AND ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, AM I READING IT CORRECTLY? IT SAYS, UM, CLARIFY THAT ELECTRIC BICYCLES ARE INCLUDED IN THE DEFINITION BICYCLE PROHIBIT CLASS THREE ELECTRIC BICYCLES ON SIDEWALKS MULTI-USE PATH AND REMOVE OUTDATED PROVISIONAL. I GET THE OUTDATED PROVISIONS AND I GET THE CLASSIFICATION PIECE. BUT IF, ARE WE SAYING WE ARE GONNA, WE ARE ASKING THE CITY ATTORNEY TO PROHIBIT CLASS THREE ON MULTI YOUTH YOUTH PATHS, PATHS LIKE THE BIKE PATH, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS, THAT'S THE, THAT IS THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATION. OKAY. UM, CAN I ASK THE MAKER OF THE MOTION IF THEY WOULD ACCEPT A FRIENDLY TO POSTPONE THAT PARTICULAR PORTION UNTIL MORE RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE AND CONTINUE WITH THE OTHER TWO? WELL, I, I GUESS I'D LIKE TO HAVE STAFF WEIGH IN ON THIS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO AGREE TO A FRIENDLY THAT CAUSES MORE INJURIES AND WHATNOT. SO, UM, I I I DIDN'T KNOW IF I'M SPLITTING HAIRS HERE, BUT IF STAFF COULD COME BACK TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS SOMETHING, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT, WELL I JUST THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD ASK THE EXPERTS AND GET DATA ON, UM, BEFORE WE ELIMINATE THAT. SO THAT, THAT'S MY QUESTION. IF STAFF THINKS THAT THEY CAN COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION, WELL, I THEY NEED PROCESS STANDPOINT. THIS IS, THIS IS WHEN YOU GIVE THE DIRECTION ON THE ORDINANCE. SO IF YOU'RE NOT READY TO GIVE DIRECTION ON THE ORDINANCE OR YOU WANT TO DISCUSS IT FURTHER, THEN WE WOULDN'T BE MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION. BUT I THINK IT'S FAIR TO ASK STAFF IF YOU EXCLUDE MULTI-USE PA USE PATHS. WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY? YEAH, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MULTI-USE PATHS IN THE CITY, RIGHT, UH, SOME OF THE HIGHER PROFILE ONES INCLUDE THE BEACH PATH, OBVIOUSLY, UM, BOTH OF OUR RIVER TRAILS, UM, PATHWAYS THAT EXIST THROUGH PARKS, UM, WHETHER IT'S ALONG THE FORMER PACIFIC ELECTRIC RIDE OF WAY, UM, OR IN HARTWELL PARK, UM, THOSE WOULD BE CONSIDERED, UM, SHARED USE. SO, UM, TO ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS POINTS, UH, IF SOMEONE WERE TRYING TO, UM, USE A CLASS THREE E-BIKE, UH, THAT'S USED TO FERRY THEIR CHILDREN TO AND FROM AN ICE CREAM SHOP, UM, LIKE, LIKE CERTAIN OF US DO, UM, THAT WOULD BE PROHIBITED, UM, UNDER, UNDER THAT PROVISION. SO TO, TO THE CHAIR, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I NEED TO FIND OUT BECAUSE, UM, I I I DON'T WANNA THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER HERE, SO IF, IF THE MO YOU'RE NOT GONNA MAKE A MOTION SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO THE BACK BIKE PATH ON THE BEACH THAT'S NOT IN MY DISTRICT. SO IF WE CAN GET CONSENSUS THERE, I'M, I'M FINE WITH THAT. OKAY. OKAY. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU MAY BE ABLE TO CRAFT SOME A, A MOTION HERE THAT GETS YOU WHAT YOU NEED, BUT I KIND OF PERSONALLY FEEL THAT LIKE THE RIVER PATH AND SOME OF THESE PATHS PEOPLE DO USE THEM TO COMMUTE AND I WILL BE OKAY WITH IT, BUT YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO REPRESENT THOSE AREAS NEED TO, NEED TO HAVE AN OPINION ON. YEAH, THAT IS EXACTLY MY POINT. AND WE GET HUGE NUMBERS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT VEHICLE. UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SPECIFICALLY TYPE THREE OR WHATEVER, BUT WE JUST GET SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT PEOPLE SPEEDING ON THE, ON THE, UM, UH, BIKE PASS AND, AND WALKING PASS, UH, ALONG BOTH THE SAN GABRIEL RIVER, LOS SERITA CHANNEL, YOU NAME IT. WE HAVE A LOT OF 'EM IN OUR DISTRICT. SO FOR THE SAKE OF PROCESS, YOU STILL HAVE A FLOOR COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, UH, FOR THE SAKE OF THE CONVERSATION TO BE MORE [03:10:01] SPECIFIC ON WHICH AREAS YOU THINK THEY SHOULD STILL BE ALLOWED, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE A WAY TO CRAFT IT HERE. UM, THANK YOU. AND SO WAS THAT LIST EXHAUSTIVE OF MULTI-USE YOUTH USE PATHS? SO THE BIKE PATH PROBABLY HARTWELL, EL DORADO RIVERBED PATHS. UM, AND DOES THAT MEAN ANYTHING THAT IS CREATED, UH, THROUGH CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AS WELL? CORRECT. YEAH, THE, THE WAY THAT IT'S CURRENTLY DRAFTED, ANYTHING THAT'S A MIXED USE PATH WOULD THEN, UM, HAVE THAT CLASS THREE RESTRICTION. SO, UH, IF WE BUILT IT NEXT MONTH, NEXT DECADE, UM, SO LONG AS THIS IS STILL ON THE BOOKS, IT WOULD APPLY, UH, BROADLY TO THOSE MIXED USE PATHS. YEAH. OKAY. SO I, I GUESS COUNCIL MEMBER SUPERMAN, I'M LOOKING TO SEE IF YOU'RE WILLING TO LEAVE THAT PART OUT OF THIS PARTICULAR, UH, ORDINANCE DRAFTING WITH THE AVAILABILITY TO ADD IT AT A LATER DATE IF YOU WOULD ACCEPT THAT FRIENDLY. UM, YEAH, I THINK I, I CAN ACCEPT THAT FRIENDLY UNLESS WE WANT ANY INPUT FROM THE FOLKS WHO, UH, THEIR JURISDICTION IS, IS A BIKE PASS. SO I I, I'D LIKE TO DEFER TO THEM RIGHT NOW OR ASK FOR THEIR INPUT. OKAY. OKAY. SO WE'RE GONNA GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN NEXT. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND, UH, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN FOR THAT QUESTION. UM, CAN I ASK YOU, UM, WHY DID YOU MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION IN THE STAFF REPORT? SO YEAH, IN THE STAFF REPORT WE WERE LAYING OUT, UM, KIND OF THE MAXIMUM OPPORTUNITY FOR REGULATION. UH, AND SO, UH, WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THAT, THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY. UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO EXPECTING TO HAVE SOME, THIS EXACT DISCUSSION ON WHAT, WHAT THE PRIORITY IS, UM, WHAT TYPES OF BEHAVIOR WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, ENFORCE, UH, AND YEAH, WHAT IS PALATABLE IN TERMS OF LAYING OUT THIS TYPE OF REGULATION. SO. OKAY. UM, I, I JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO, TO TO KNOW, THERE'S JUST, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY RIGHT NOW AT THIS POINT, LIKE ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, IF I'M FOR THAT OR AGAINST THAT. UM, SO, UM, I WAS HOPING THAT MAYBE THERE WAS SOME DATA THAT YOU HAD FOR US THAT THAT, THAT WHILE YOU MADE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF UH, IF, UH, COUNCILMAN ZENDEJAS OR UM, UH, COUNCILWOMAN DUGGAN, IF YOU GUYS WANNA ADD ANYTHING JUST UH, BEFORE YOU GO. I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT COUNCILMAN KERR IS ASKING FOR. DON'T INCLUDE THOSE BIKE TRAILS UNTIL YOU HAVE SOME DATA SO YOU CAN MOVE THE ORDINANCE, THIS IS WHAT I UNDERSTAND, MOVE THE ORDINANCE FORWARD, INCLUDE, RIGHT. INCLUDE THE SIDEWALKS, ALL OF THAT DON'T INCLUDE BEACH PATH, RIVER PATH UNTIL YOU HAVE THAT DATA. YEP. THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THE RECOMMENDATION 'CAUSE YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD THE BAN LATER. CORRECT. BUT YOU DON'T WANNA BAN IT AND THEN UNBAN IT, RIGHT. YEAH. AND THAT MAKES SENSE. SO COUNCILMAN SUPER NOW I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. FRIENDLY. OKAY. UM, NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS. JUST WANTED TO CHIME IN. UM, THAT I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. I THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO GO TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION BEFORE WE VOTE ON THAT PART. OKAY, GREAT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. FRIENDLY AS THE SECONDER GREAT. COUNCIL MEMBER. SUPER. OKAY. SO I, I'LL JUST REITERATE THAT WE, UH, WE HAVE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE VEHICLES ON THE SAN GABRIEL RIVER BANK PATH THAT IT JUST WOULDN'T BE FAIR TO MY CONSTITUENTS TO AGREE TO THIS AT THIS POINT. SO THAT, THAT'S MY ONLY OBJECTION. SO IF WE CAN, UH, WHATEVER THE MOTION IS, IF IT CAN BE ADDED AT A LATER POINT, I'M, I'M GOOD WITH THAT. SO YOU'RE ACCEPTING THE FRIENDLY TO DO MORE DATA ON THAT, UM, MULTI ON THE MULTI-USE PATHS AND WE'LL CONSIDER THAT PORTION LATER. AGREED. OKAY. WE CLEAR ON THAT? YES. ALRIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YEAH, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SUBINA. I THINK IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I HESITATE TO GO TO THE MOST RESTRICTIVE IN THIS MOMENT WHEN WE CAN STEP UP TO MORE RESTRICTIVE AS WE GET MORE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. I SHARE THE SAN GABRIEL RIVER PATH, BUT I ALSO HAVE HARTWELL PARK, WHICH WE KNOW I SEE PARENTS WITH THEIR KIDS IN THEIR BUCKET CLASS, THREE BIKES THAT ARE USING THAT SAFELY. AND SO I WOULD HATE TO LIMIT, UM, A SAFE FORM OF TRAVEL FOR FOLKS WITH A BLANKET THAT WE'RE NOT SO SURE ABOUT. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ACCEPTING THE FRIENDLY JUST TO TAKE OUT, I, I AGREE WITH THE SIDEWALKS POTENTIALLY, BUT THE MULTI YOUTH PATH IS, IS THE ONE I'D LIKE US TO SEE DO MORE ON, SO THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, GREAT. AND I, I, I SUPPORT THIS AS WELL. IT'S CLEAR, I THINK ONCE YOU START SAYING THIS BIKE [03:15:01] PATH AND NOT THAT BIKE PATH, IT BECOMES HARD TO REGULATE AND HELP, HARD TO DO EDUCATION AROUND. I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT APPROACH. WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK AGAIN AND REVISIT IF WE HEAR BEACH PATHS GOING WELL, BUT RIVER PATHS ARE NOT RIGHT. THEN THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE AN EDUCATION SIGNAGE AND ALL OF THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WORKS. THE OTHER PART THAT JUST REALLY RESONATED IN THIS CONVERSATION IS IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PATH FOR THEM TO TAKE A BIKE PATH, AND THIS IS SOMETHING TO SAY TO THE, TO THE PUBLIC, YOU CAN'T OPPOSE BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME COMPLAINING ABOUT TRAFFIC CHALLENGES AND E-BIKES. THERE'S, THERE, THERE HAS TO BE A, A REALISTIC CONVERSATION AROUND BEHAVIOR AND, AND WHERE YOU WANT TO GUIDE AND STEER THAT BEHAVIOR. ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE? ONE LAST THING. IF, IF WE COULD HAVE A APPROXIMATE DATE WHEN WE COULD COME BACK WITH IT, THAT MIGHT BE KIND OF IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE SOME PARANOIA WE CREATE WITH THIS. SO IS SIX MONTHS, UH, A GOOD TIME FOR YOU? WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? REVIEW IT SIX MONTHS SINCE SIX MONTHS FROM IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ORDINANCE. YEAH. SIX MONTHS WORKS FOR US. UH, THAT GIVES US PLENTY OF TIME TO COVER MULTIPLE PATHS AND COME BACK WITH INFORMATION LIKE WE HAD FOR THE BEACH PATH. SO YEAH, WE CAN DO THAT. OKAY, GREAT. CITY ATTORNEY'S GOT ALL THAT. WE'RE GOOD. I THINK WE GOT IT. GOOD WORK EVERYONE. MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. ALL MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, ITEM 27, PLEASE. UH, WE JUST DID ITEM 27. ITEM 28. YES. ITEM 28, REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER. RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE AN UPDATE ON PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CITY COUNCIL ORDER OF BUSINESS DUE TO SENATE BILL 7 0 7 AND REQUEST CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE BASED ON THE PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS CITYWIDE. THANK YOU. WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM STAFF. UH, THIS IS RELATED TO SB 7 0 7. UH, THE INTENT OF THIS LEGISLATION, UH, IS TO MAKE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS MORE ACCESSIBLE. UH, THERE WERE A, THERE WAS A LOT OF, OF, UM, CONCERNS AND OPPOSITION FROM CITIES ON HOW TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THIS. UM, UH, WE CERTAINLY SUPPORT MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE, NO MATTER THE LOCATION. I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS GOT USED TO EUB COMMENT AND VIRTUAL PUBLIC COMMENT DURING COVID. UH, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALSO AT THE SAME TIME CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL CHALLENGES THIS WILL BRING. AND UN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND THE VULNERABILITIES RELATED TO AI, PUBLIC COMMENT, NON-HUMAN PUBLIC COMMENT, REMOTE PARTICIPATION TOOLS. UH, THERE COULD BE SOME CHALLENGES. SO I APPRECIATE THE STAFF'S CONDUCTED THOROUGH REVIEW AND PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE SHOULD, UH, NAVIGATE THIS NEW STATE LAW STAFF. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. YES, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY HERE TO DO THAT. UH, WE ALSO HAD THE, UH, COMMITTEE, UH, COMING FROM, UM, GOE COMMITTEE HAD SOME SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY ASKED US TO LOOK AT. AND THEN THE FULL COUNCIL ASKED US TO LOOK THROUGH AT ALL OF THAT THROUGH THE LENS OF SB 7 0 7. SO WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING A LITTLE BIT AT SOME [28. 26-55056 Recommendation to receive and file an update on proposed changes to the City Council order of business due to Senate Bill 707; and Request City Attorney to prepare ordinance to amend the Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC), Title 2, Chapter 2.03 based on the proposed modifications outlined in this City Council letter and the May 1, 2026 staff memorandum regarding those proposed modifications, including but not limited to, adjusting the City Council meeting start time, public comment process, and supplemental agenda timeline. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Manager         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] OF THE COMMITTEE'S WORK, SOME OF WHICH WE RECOMMEND, SOME WE DON'T RECOMMEND. UH, AND THEN, UM, BUT ALSO, UH, WHAT WAS NEW SINCE THE COMMITTEE HAD DONE ITS WORK WAS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF 7 0 7. AND SO HOW DO WE MERGE ALL THAT TOGETHER? UH, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO TYLER, WHO'S REALLY BEEN DOING THE, THE LEAD, UH, RESEARCH HERE, UH, WITH OUR ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND WITH OUR CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, UH, TO GO THROUGH WHAT WE'VE, UH, COME UP WITH AND WE'LL END WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS. GREAT. THANK YOU TOM. THANKS MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UM, A LITTLE HARD TO FOLLOW UP THE BEST PRESENTATION EVER TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENT AND, UH, ORDER OF BUSINESS, BUT WE'LL DO OUR BEST. UM, SO AS TOM MENTIONED, THIS WAS ORIGINALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT BY THE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND EFFICIENCY COMMITTEE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO NOT ONLY STREAMLINE COUNCIL MEETINGS, BUT ALSO TO ENCOURAGE ADDITIONAL PARTICIPATION. UM, AND THEY HAD PROPOSED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CHANGES TO THE ORDER OF BUSINESS AS A STARTING POINT FOR THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO, AGAIN, ENCOURAGE MORE, UH, PARTICIPATION IN CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. AND THAT WAS IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR. AND THEN THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS CAME TO CITY COUNCIL IN NOVEMBER. AND THE DISCUSSION WITH CITY COUNCIL, UH, WAS TO REPORT BACK AND DO ADDITIONAL STAFF ANALYSIS ON ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE PLUS, UM, ADD IN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF SENATE BILL 7 0 7 ON THE ORDER OF BUSINESS, AS WELL AS RECIRCULATING A COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT THE COMMITTEE HAD PUT OUT AND GET INPUT FROM THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES. AND WE DID, UM, RECIRCULATE THE SURVEY, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND. AND WE PRESENTED TO K COD AS WELL, UM, IN APRIL. [03:20:01] AND THEN WE PROVIDED ALL OF THAT FEEDBACK AND INPUT IN A MEMO, UM, THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THIS ITEM THAT OUTLINES ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE UPDATES ON SP 7 0 7. SO FOR THIS SURVEY, UM, AS MENTIONED, THE COMMITTEE ORIGINALLY DID A SURVEY TRYING TO GET INPUT ON HOW DO WE GET MORE PARTICIPATION IN CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MAIN BARRIERS THAT IMPACT, UM, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM PARTICIPATING. UM, AND THEY RECEIVED 74 RESPONSES THAT INFORMED THE CI UH, THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSION ABOUT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. AND THEN AS AFTER THE COUNCIL DIRECTION IN NOVEMBER, WE, UH, RECIRCULATED THE SURVEY AFTER TRANSLATING IT. UH, WE DID A PUBLIC NOTICE IN FEBRUARY TO PUT THE, UM, SURVEY OUT AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE. WE PROVIDED PRINTED COPIES AT LIBRARIES AND IN PERSON HERE AT CITY HALL. UM, WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE COUNCIL OFFICES TO INCLUDE THAT SURVEY IN NEWSLETTERS TO TRY TO GET WIDE DISTRIBUTION. AND THE CLERK'S OFFICE, UH, WORKED WITH DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS TO GET IT OUT THERE AS WELL. AND WE GOT ABOUT, OR ALMOST 500 RESPONSES THROUGH THE RECIRCULATED SURVEY WITH ALL THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMITTEE HAD ORIGINALLY ASKED. UM, AND YOU CAN SAY, YOU CAN SEE HERE JUST THE, UH, GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF THE SURVEY INPUT. AND WHAT WE MENTIONED IN THE, UH, MEMO IS THAT THE SURVEY IS HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE 497 OR SO, UH, RESPONDENTS WHAT THEIR, UH, INTERACTIONS ARE WITH CITY COUNCIL, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BARRIERS, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A, A STATISTICALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE ENTIRE CITY. IT'S REALLY JUST TO HELP WITH THE DISCUSSION. SO, UM, IN THE MEMO WE DO TALK ABOUT IN EACH OF THE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE ORDER OF BUSINESS WHERE THE SURVEY INPUT KIND OF FALLS ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL AS THE COMMISSION, UH, OR CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES. SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH, UM, EACH OF THOSE PROPO PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ORDER OF BUSINESS AND THEN I'LL PASS IT OVER TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF SB 7 0 7. UM, THE FIRST GROUPING OF DIFFERENT PROPOSED CHANGES WERE REALLY RELATED TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS, SO LOOKING AT WAYS TO EXPAND EARLY PUBLIC COMMENT, ADDING ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS IN THE FIRST ROUND OF PUBLIC COMMENT OR ADDING ANOTHER ROUND OF PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEETING THAT CAME UP DURING THE CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION, AS WELL AS ADJUSTING THE TIMES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS. UM, AS THE MENTIONED, UH, THE MEMO OUTLINES AND THEN WE WILL TALK ABOUT MORE LATER ON IN THIS PRESENTATION. WE DO HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO PUBLIC COMMENT THAT REALLY ALIGNS WITH THE IMPACTS OF SB 7 0 7. AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, UM, SB 7 0 7 IS REALLY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND IT WILL CHANGE THE WAY THAT PUBLIC, UH, THE PUBLIC CAN PARTICIPATE IN CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. UM, AND SO FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, A LOT OF THE IMPACT INPUT WE GOT FROM THE SURVEY AND FROM K COT AS WELL WAS THERE WAS A LOT OF FRUSTRATION. WHEN PEOPLE PREPARE TO COME TO A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THEY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THE ITEM IS COMING UP TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT. THEY DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TIME THEY'RE GONNA GET TO SPEAK. UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF IT'S A LARGER ITEM, THEY MAY NOT HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS WHAT THEY HAD PREPARED FOR. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF, UH, INPUTS FROM THE COMMITTEE AND THE SURVEY THAT EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION AROUND THE EXISTING PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS. AND SB 7 0 7 REALLY CHANGES THAT, UM, ALLOWS FOR MORE OPPORTUNITY TO GET MORE INVOLVEMENT AND AS WE'LL TALK ABOUT LATER, UH, TO MOVE PUBLIC COMMENT INTO A SPECIFIC DESIGNATED TIME IN THE MEETING SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WHEN IT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE AND HOW MUCH TIME, UH, FOLKS WILL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK. SO WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THE SPECIFIC PROPOSAL, BUT AGAIN, THAT I THINK WILL ADDRESS A NUMBER OF THE DIFFERENT PROPOSED CHANGES IN THAT SECTION. NUMBER ONE, UH, ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION WAS TO ESTABLISH ESTIMATED TIMES FOR HIGH INTEREST ITEMS. WE DO HAVE THAT, UM, ABILITY RIGHT NOW THROUGH TIMES CERTAIN, UM, WE DON'T NECESSARILY UTILIZE THAT VERY OFTEN BECAUSE IT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING WHEN THE ITEM WILL, UH, COME UP. BUT SOMETIMES IF THERE'S A REALLY HIGH PRIORITY ITEM, WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING, UH, WE CAN DO A TIME CERTAIN TO SAY AT OR AFTER A SPECIFIC TIME IN THE AGENDA, WE WILL GO TO THAT, UM, AGENDA ITEM NEXT. SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A, A RECOMMENDATION TO CHANGE THAT CURRENT PROCESS. UM, WE, I THINK IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO UTILIZE THAT, UM, WHEN NEEDED FOR THOSE HIGH INTEREST ITEMS. IN TERMS OF SETTING EARLIER CITY COUNCIL START TIMES, THIS IS ALSO IMPACTED BY SB 7 0 7. SO ONE OF THE CHALLENGES, UM, OFTENTIMES FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS IS A WORK SCHEDULE. IT MAY BE HARD TO GET DOWN HERE EVEN AT 5:00 PM IF YOU HAVE TO DRIVE [03:25:01] DOWN TO CITY HALL, BUT IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CALL IN OR TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY, THAT CAN CHANGE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES. UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER PIECE OF THE DISCUSSION WITH THE COMMITTEE WAS FINDING WAYS TO STREAMLINE MEETINGS TO MAYBE DO, UH, MORE CEREMONIAL KIND OF ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS EARLIER ON IN THE AGENDA. WE DO EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE HAVE, UM, SPECIAL MEETINGS WHERE WE START THE COUNCIL A LITTLE EARLY IF WE KNOW WE HAVE LARGER ITEMS TO DISCUSS, LIKE WHEN WE COME BACK FROM THE SUMMER RECESS LAST YEAR, WE DID THAT, AS WELL AS LARGER BUDGET DISCUSSIONS. WE CAN START THE MEETINGS EARLY. UM, AND WE DO RECOMMEND THAT WE CONSIDER LOOKING AT A NORMAL, UM, AGENDA START TIME AT 4:00 PM KNOWING THAT WE HAVE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES UNDER SP 7 0 7. ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMITTEE WAS TO LOOK AT ALTERNATE ALTERNATE LOCATIONS FOR COMMITTEE AND CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. UM, THIS ALSO CHANGES UNDER SB 7 0 7. SO I THINK ONE OF THE INITIAL INTENTS OF THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS TO GET MORE PARTICIPATION, FOLKS THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET DOWN TO CITY HALL BUT COULD GO TO ANOTHER AREA OF THE CITY MORE EASILY. UM, BUT AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY, THAT CHANGES THE EQUATION WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PARTICIPATION. UM, THE IMPACTS OF S SB 7 0 7 ALSO, UH, MAKE DOING ALTERNATE LOCATIONS MORE DIFFICULT FROM A TECHNOLOGY STANDPOINT. SO, UM, EVEN WITHOUT SP 7 0 7, A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHEN WE WENT TO LVCC FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS DURING CONSTRUCTION IN THE, THE CHAMBERS, THAT THAT IS A PRETTY DIFFICULT LOGISTICAL AND STAFFING BURDEN ON EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS TO ANOTHER LOCATION. UM, AND IT'S COSTLY. AND THEN UNDER SB 7 0 7, THERE'S A CONCERN IF, IF THERE IS A TECHNOLOGICAL, UM, FAILURE ISSUE THAT COMES UP, THAT BECOMES MUCH MORE CHALLENGING WHEN WE'RE AT AN ALTERNATE LOCATION THAN WHAT WE'RE USED TO HERE AT THE CHAMBER. SO WE DON'T RECOMMEND CHANGING THE LOCATION FOR, UM, COMMITTEE AND CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS DUE TO SOME OF THOSE CHANGES. UM, UNDER SP 7 0 7, ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION WAS TO UPHOLD THE CURRENT TIME LIMITS ON CEREMONIALS AND PRESENTATIONS. SO RIGHT NOW IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE, UM, WE'RE ALLOWED NO MORE THAN THREE CEREMONIAL OR PRESENTATIONS PER MEETING AT THE BEGINNING, AND EACH LASTING NO LONGER THAN FIVE MINUTES. OFTENTIMES IN PRACTICE, WE SEE FLEXIBILITY, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE PRESENTATIONS, AND I THINK FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE, WE APPRECIATE THE FLEXIBILITY. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TIMES WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LARGER CULTURAL, UH, CEREMONIES OR PRESENTATIONS THAT REQUIRE LONGER THAN FIVE MINUTES, SO HAVING SOME FLEXIBILITY IS HELPFUL. UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THESE CEREMONIALS, I WILL SAY THE COD, UM, DISAGREED AND THEY, UM, LIKE HAVING A STRICT SPECIFIC TIME LIMIT FOR EVERYBODY TO FOLLOW. UM, SO WE DON'T FROM STAFF SIDE, UM, RECOMMEND ANY SPECIFIC CHANGES TO THE CURRENT PROCESS. ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION WAS TO AMEND THE DIVIDE BY NINE SPONSORSHIP APPROVAL PROCESS TO ALLOW, UH, SPONSORSHIP SPONSORSHIPS UNDER $5,000 TO BE APPROVED AT THE STAFF LEVEL. UM, THIS ULTIMATELY WON'T REALLY CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF TIME DURING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, CONSIDERING THAT ALL OF THE DIVIDE BY NINE, UH, ARE NOW ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR. IN THE PAST WHEN THEY WEREN'T ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR, OBVIOUSLY THAT TOOK LONGER TO GET THROUGH EACH OF THE ITEMS, BUT MOVING THEM TO THE CONSENT ALLOWS FOR PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY, THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE ITEMS, UM, ACCORDING TO THE CITY CHARTER. UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF TIME DURING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, SO WE DON'T RECOMMEND, UM, MAKING A CHANGE TO THAT PROCESS. DEFINING URGENCY FOR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEMS ALSO CAME UP FROM THE COMMITTEE. UM, STAFF DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE A RECOMMENDATION ON THIS ITEM EITHER. WE, UM, FROM STAFF SIDE TRY NOT TO USE SUPPLEMENTAL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE UNLESS IT IS TRULY URGENT. UM, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THERE, THERE MIGHT NEED TO BE SOME FLEXIBILITY IF THERE ARE IMPORTANT ITEMS THAT COME UP, THEY'RE TIMELY, BUT MAYBE WOULDN'T MEET A DEFINITION OF URGENCY THAT'S DEFINED IN AN ORDINANCE. UM, WE THINK IT'S BETTER TO HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO THAT DEFINITION. ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION WAS TO MOVE SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA TO, UM, THE SUBMISSION OF THE ITEMS TO THURSDAY. THIS IS SOMETHING STAFF, UH, DEFINITELY RECOMMENDS. I THINK ONE, IT HELPS WITH TRANSPARENCY. IT GIVES THE PUBLIC MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW WHAT'S COMING, UH, THE FOLLOWING WEEK INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL FRIDAY EVENING OR AFTERNOON TO SEE THE SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEMS COME OUT. THEY WOULD HAVE AN ADDITIONAL DAY BEFORE THE WEEKEND. UM, BUT IT ALSO HELPS FROM A STAFFING STANDPOINT AS WELL. SO THE CLERK'S OFFICE ISN'T WAITING, [03:30:01] UH, UNTIL FRIDAY AFTERNOON TO BE ABLE TO PULL TOGETHER THE FULL SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEM TO, OR, UH, SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA TO GET IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC. SO MOVING THIS CAN REALLY HELP ADD TRANSPARENCY AND HELP WITH THE STAFF BURDEN AS WELL. SCHEDULING STANDALONE STUDY SESSIONS FOR MAJOR TOPICS WAS ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMITTEE. UM, WE DO CURRENTLY HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO USE STUDY STUDY SESSIONS FOR THOSE HIGH INTEREST, HIGH IMPACT ITEMS, AND WE DEFINITELY WOULD RECOMMEND CONTINUING TO DO THAT PROCESS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW THERE MIGHT BE A LOT OF PUBLIC INTEREST IN CERTAIN ITEMS. WE CAN UTILIZE, UH, STUDY SESSIONS, ESSENTIALLY SPECIAL MEETINGS BEFORE THE MAIN COUNCIL, UH, MEETING TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THOSE HIGH IMPACT ITEMS. SO AGAIN, WE DON'T NECESSARILY RECOMMEND ANY CHANGE TO THE CURRENT PROCESS, BUT BEING ABLE TO UTILIZE THE EXISTING OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDY SESSIONS. AND THEN THE LAST TWO, UM, THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING WERE TO CREATE A TENTATIVE PUBLIC SCHEDULE OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, THIS ONE WOULD BE VERY CHALLENGING FROM A STAFFING STANDPOINT BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF MOVEMENT. UM, ITEMS MAY BE PLANNED FOR A CERTAIN DATE, BUT A NUMBER OF THINGS COULD HAPPEN IN THE MEANTIME THAT MIGHT, UM, CAUSE AN ITEM TO GO TO A DIFFERENT MEETING, UH, DATE. AND IT COULD CAUSE A LOT OF CONFUSION. THIS IS SOMETHING WE HEARD FROM CAPE COD. IF WE WERE TO PUT OUT TENTATIVE PUBLIC SCHEDULES OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, I THINK THE CONCERN WAS REALLY THAT WE WOULDN'T KNOW OR BE ABLE TO VERY CLEARLY COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC IF THINGS CHANGE. AND SO THE EXPECTATION MIGHT BE FOLKS WOULD COME TO THE COUNCIL MEETING THINKING AN ITEM IS ON THE AGENDA, BUT IT MAY HAVE CHANGED. UH, SO WE DON'T RECOMMEND MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT, UM, DRAFTING OF TENTATIVE PUBLIC SCHEDULES, UM, JUST TO AVOID THAT CONFUSION AS WELL. AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS TO, UM, RECOMMEND EXPANDED AND OR PRERECORDED STAFF REPORTS. UM, SO RIGHT NOW WHAT WE DO TYPICALLY IS, UM, WHEN WE GET A RECOMMENDATION FROM, UM, COUNCIL TO DO A REPORT BACK, WE'LL OFTEN DO A MEMO, UH, JUST LIKE THIS REPORT BACK, WE DID A, A LONGER MEMO AND OUTLINES ALL OF STAFF'S RESEARCH AND INPUT. AND WE POST THAT ONLINE AND THEN WE COME BACK TO COUNCIL AND WE PROVIDE THE MORE IN-DEPTH, UM, PRESENTATION. SO THE RECOMMENDATION HERE WAS TO LOOK AT WAYS TO PRERECORD THOSE PRESENTATIONS IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME DURING THE COUNCIL MEETINGS THEMSELVES. UM, THAT CAN BE REALLY BURDENSOME ACTUALLY ON STAFF TO BE ABLE TO RECORD AHEAD OF TIME, POTENTIALLY TRANSLATE THE RECORDINGS, AS WELL AS, UM, YOU KNOW, IF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC DON'T KNOW OR, OR WEREN'T ABLE TO VIEW THE RECORDING AHEAD OF TIME, THEY MAY MISS OUT ON CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE REPORT AND THE PRESENTATION. SO AT THIS TIME, WE ALSO DON'T RECOMMEND MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS ITEM IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE PRESENTATIONS AND, AND GET THE DETAILS THAT MAYOR COUNCIL DO AS WELL. SO WITH THAT, I'LL PASS IT OVER TO THE CITY CLERK, UM, AND SHE'LL WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE CHANGES RELATED TO SENATE BILL 7 0 7, AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH DIFFERENT PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. THANK YOU, TYLER. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THIS IS A BRIEF, BRIEF BACKGROUND OF SENATE BILL 7 0 7 THAT WAS PASSED ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2025. SOME OF THE PROVISIONS WERE IMPLEMENTED ON JANUARY 1ST OF THIS YEAR, AND MANY OF THE PROVISIONS TAKE EFFECT ON JULY 1ST, 2026. THE BILL MADE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE BROWN ACT TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES AT CERTAIN LOCAL LEGISLATIVE BODY MEETINGS AND MODERNIZE RULES. TO REFLECT ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY. THE KEY REQUIREMENTS ARE MANDATORY REMOTE PUBLIC ATTENDANCE OPTION, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO JOIN MEETINGS ONLINE OR BY PHONE, WHICH WE DID SEE DURING COVID PROVIDING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR IN-PERSON AND ONLINE PUBLIC COMMENTS, PROVIDE A CALL-IN OPTION AND ENABLE CAPTIONING IF USING AN AUDIO VISUAL PLATFORM. ADOPT A POLICY REGARDING PROCEDURES FOR DISRUPTION OF TELEPHONIC OR INTERNET SERVICE. ESTABLISH RULES REGARDING DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR FOR PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING REMOTELY. UPDATE ONLINE ACCESS MAKING MEETING INFORMATION EASY TO FIND ON THE AGENCY'S HOMEPAGE. MAKE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE GROUPS THAT DON'T TRADITIONALLY PARTICIPATE IN MEETINGS TO PARTICIPATE. PROVIDE TRANSLATION FOR ALL MEETING AGENDAS INTO APPLICABLE LANGUAGES. PROVIDE PUBLIC POSTING BOARD FOR TRANSLATED AGENDAS AND ASSIST MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WISH TO RECEIVE INTERPRETATION SERVICES. AND SOME OTHER KEY PROVISIONS THAT WERE ENACTED ON JANUARY 1ST, WERE VERBAL REPORTS ON EXECUTIVE AND DEPARTMENT HEAD COMPENSATION REQUIRE DISTRIBUTION OF BROWN ACT TO ALL ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS CURRENTLY SERVING ON LEGISLATIVE BODIES. [03:35:02] ALLOW LEGISLATIVE BODY MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY AS REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR A DISABILITY AND EXPAND JUST CAUSE CRITERIA FOR REMOTE PARTICIPATION. THAT CONCLUDES THE HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF THE REVISED BROWN ACT PROVISIONS UNDER SB 7 0 7, AND I TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER TO CONTINUE THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, SO JUST LAST PIECE. WE WANTED TO, UM, TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE ORDER OF BUSINESS BASED ON THE COMMITTEE'S INPUT AND THE STAFF ANALYSIS, AS WELL AS THE, UM, CHANGES THAT ARE COMING DUE TO SB 7 0 7. SO ONE OF THE MAIN ONES THAT WE MENTIONED IS LOOKING AT STARTING THE MEETINGS EARLIER AT A REGULAR MEETING TIME OF FOUR INSTEAD OF EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE DOING SPECIAL MEETINGS EARLIER. AND WE THINK STARTING THE MEETINGS AT FOUR WOULD ALLOW FOR SOME OF THE MORE ADMINISTRATIVE CEREMONIAL THINGS TO TAKE PLACE. UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEN ALSO WITH SB 7 0 7 STILL ALLOW FOR A LOT OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, UM, MORE THAN WE ARE, UM, SEEING CURRENTLY. SECOND WOULD BE IN TERMS OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA, MOVING THAT TO THE PUBLICATION OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA TO THURSDAY. AGAIN, ADDING TRANSPARENCY AND ADDRESSING SOME OF THE STAFFING LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES WITH GETTING THE SUPPLEMENTAL OUT ON FRIDAY. AND THEN IN TERMS OF PUBLIC COMMENT, THIS IS THE ONE THAT'S MOST, UM, IMPACTED BY THE CHANGES TO SB 7 0 7. AGAIN, IF WE HAVE HYBRID MEETINGS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD DURING COVID, UM, THERE'S A BALANCE THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL PARTICIPATION AS WELL AS MANAGING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE IN PERSON AS WELL AS ONLINE OR HYBRID, UM, HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT AND INPUT. SO WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING, AGAIN, BASED ON SOME OF THE INPUT FROM CAPE COD, FROM THE SURVEYS WHERE THERE WAS FRUSTRATION AND CONFUSION AROUND DIFFERENT PUBLIC COMMENT TIME PERIODS, DIFFERENT CHANGES TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE TO PRESENT, IS TO ESTABLISH A VERY CLEAR, UM, TIMELINE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT AND AMOUNT OF TIME FOR SPEAKERS, UH, FOR EACH MEETING SO EVERYBODY KNOWS AHEAD OF TIME AND THEY KNOW THE PROCESS. UH, AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY CHANGE FROM MEETING TO MEETING. SO IN THIS CASE, WE WOULD RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING A SINGLE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COUNCIL MEETINGS AFTER THE CEREMONIALS. SO AFTER WE DO CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL THE PLEDGE AND THE CEREMONIAL PRESENTATIONS, WE WOULD GO INTO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. WE WOULD LIMIT, UM, A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES TOTAL PER SPEAKER, AND THIS WOULD BE UP TO ONE MINUTE FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS AND UP TO TWO MINUTES FOR AGENDA ITEMS. AND THEN, UH, IN ORDER TO MANAGE THAT PROCESS, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SPEAKERS OF COURSE, SIGN UP BEFORE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD STARTS. SO WE WOULD CLOSE THE SIGNUPS AT THE START OF PUBLIC COMMENT, AND SPEAKERS WOULD HAVE TO IDENTIFY WHAT ITEMS THEY'RE SPEAKING TO, IF THEY'RE SPEAKING TO NON-AG AGENDA ITEMS OR IF THEY HAVE SPECIFIC ITEM, UM, ON THE AGENDA THAT THEY'RE SPEAKING TO, THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO UNDERSTAND HOW LONG OF A TIME PERIOD THEY WOULD HAVE UP TO THREE MINUTES. AND THEN WE WOULD CAP THE TOTAL PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AT 90 MINUTES. AND ALSO REITERATE THE OPTION OF COURSE, TO SUBMIT, UH, WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS IN LIEU OF EITHER COMING IN PERSON OR REMOTE PARTICIPATION. WE WOULD ALSO WANT TO REALLY CLEARLY IDENTIFY WHAT THE, UM, TIMING AND SIGNUP PROCEDURES ARE AND PARTICIPATION RULES BOTH FOR IN-PERSON AND ONLINE. AGAIN, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME OPPORTUNITY UNDER SP 7 0 7, AND THEN ALLOWING THE MAYOR AS THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND THE CHAIR OF THE MEETING, SOME DISCRETION TO EITHER EXTEND THE TIME LIMITS, REOPEN PUBLIC COMMENT. IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A, A LARGE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC COMMENT FOR A CERTAIN ITEM, EITHER WE COULD CONSIDER DOING A STUDY SESSION SEPARATELY OR DURING THE MEETING, UM, FINDING A DIFFERENT APPROACH. UM, BUT AGAIN, TRYING TO STANDARDIZE THIS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, UH, THROUGH THIS SINGLE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF AGENCIES THAT DO SOMETHING SIMILAR. UH, SO LONG BEACH UNIFIED CITY OF LA, EVEN LA CASA, THE LA COUNTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS AGENCY. LOOK AT WAYS TO, UH, FRONT LOAD THE PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON AGENDA ITEMS AND AGENDA ITEMS TOWARDS THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. AND THEN ALLOWING FOR THE, UM, THE REGULAR ORDER OF BUSINESS IN THE COUNCIL, UM, OR AGENCY DISCUSSION. AND ALSO, AS MENTIONED, SIMILAR TO SP 7 0 7, WE DID SEE DURING PANDEMIC A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES HAVE A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN WE HAD HYBRID MEETING RULES WHERE ALLOWING FOR ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENT TOWARDS THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETINGS AND THEN GETTING TO THE, THE LARGER, UM, AGENCY DISCUSSIONS. SO IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS, WHAT WOULD THIS LOOK LIKE TONIGHT? OF COURSE, WE'RE JUST RECEIVING, UM, INPUT AND DIRECTION FROM COUNSEL ON WHAT, ON THE STAFF PROPOSAL AND HOW, UH, YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD. AND THEN, UM, IF THERE'S AN INTEREST IN [03:40:01] MOVING FORWARD WITH CHANGES TO THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. IN ORDER TO HAVE THIS IN EFFECT BEFORE SB 7 0 7 GOES INTO EFFECT, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO A FIRST READING OF THIS DRAFT ORDINANCE NEXT WEEK, UM, ON MAY 19TH. AND THEN WE WOULD DO A SECOND READING ON JUNE 9TH. AND THEN AFTER 30 DAYS, UH, FOLLOWING THE SECOND READING, THE ORDINANCE WOULD GO INTO EFFECT AND WE WOULD ACTUALLY BE IN THE JULY RECESS AT THAT TIME. UH, SO THE FIRST MEETING BACK WOULD BE JULY 21ST, WHEN WE WOULD HAVE THAT NEW ORDER OF BUSINESS, UH, AFTER THE SUMMER RECESS. AND IF APPROVED, OF COURSE, UM, ONE OF THE KEY AREAS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO REGARDLESS OF ANY CHANGES TO THE ORDER OF BUSINESS, EVEN UNDER SB 7 0 7, THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGES IN TERMS OF HOW PUBLIC PART, THE PUBLIC CAN PARTICIPATE. SO WE NEED TO DO A, A LARGE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, MAKING SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE, IN THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, UH, INCLUDING A PRESS RELEASE, SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES TO THE CITY WEBSITE, PUBLIC NOTICING, UH, WORKING WITH DIFFERENT FOLKS ON SUING NEWSLETTERS, COUNCIL NEWSLETTERS, OTHER WAYS TO GET INFORMATION OUT ABOUT ANY OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ORDER BUSINESS, AS WELL AS, UH, NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE THROUGH SB 7 0 7. AND SO WITH THAT, UM, WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A MAJOR, THIS IS A MAJOR CHANGE. HAVING GONE TO VIRTUALLY EVERY COUNCIL MEETING SINCE 2010. UH, THIS IS, THIS IS CERTAINLY A CHANGE, BUT WE KNOW THAT COVID AND DURING THE PANDEMIC DIFFERENT STANDARDS WERE ESTABLISHED AND AGENCIES ARE GOING THROUGH THIS TRANSITION RIGHT NOW. I, UH, A LOT HAS CHANGED FROM 2010. IN FACT, WE DO A WHOLE LOT MORE AGENDA ITEMS TODAY THAN WE DID IN 2010. WE DIDN'T USED TO HAVE MORE THAN A THOUSAND AGENDA ITEMS EVERY SINGLE YEAR. AND YET COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE STILL PART-TIME AND WE HAVEN'T ADDED ANY ADDITIONAL TIME. SO EITHER COUNCIL MEETINGS ARE GONNA GO LATER OR YOU HAVE TO START THEM EARLIER. THERE'S NO OTHER TWO WAYS ABOUT IT. THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH TIME AND YOU DON'T MAKE GOOD DECISIONS LATE. IN FACT, WE GET A LITTLE LOOPY THE LATER WE GO. SO IT'S GOTTA GIVE, EITHER YOU GO TO A FULL-TIME COUNCIL LIKE, UH, LA COUNTY, LIKE LARGER JURISDICTIONS AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS OF OUR SIZE, OR YOU ADD ADDITIONAL TIME BY BUMPING THE TIME UP THAT JUST, THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. BUT COVID AND SB UH, THIS NEW SENATE BILL HAS PROMPTED THIS, UM, THIS CHANGE. SO I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH MOVING IT UP. AND THEN WHEN WE START MEETINGS, WE'RE DOING AT LEAST A HALF AN HOUR ON PRESENTATIONS ANYWAY. AND THAT'S IF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS STICK TO THE 10 MINUTE LIMITS, WHICH SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS REALLY DON'T STICK TO THE LIMITS. SO, YOU KNOW, SO I WILL SAY WE PROBABLY USE 30 TO 45 MINUTES ON PRESENTATIONS ANYWAY. I WOULD ALSO SAY A NUMBER OF JURISDICTIONS AND AGENCIES, AND I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED LA CASA. I'M CHAIR. I'VE BEEN CHAIR THE LAST TWO YEARS. THIS AGENCY STARTED OFF WITH A DIFFERENT PUBLIC COMMENT SYSTEM AND MOVE TO THE SYSTEM AND IT'S BEEN WAY MORE EFFICIENT. A PRIORITIZED RESIDENT PUBLIC COMMENT LETS EVERYBODY COME IN AND SPEAK. WE GET DOZENS AND DOZENS OF PEOPLE WHO COME OUT AND SPEAK TO THE WHOLE AGENCY. AND WE GO THROUGH AND WE'RE ABLE TO HEAR IT AND DOCUMENT IT, PRIORITIZE THEM. SOME OF THEM STAY, SOME OF 'EM GO ON WITH THEIR DAY. AND THEN WE HANDLE A LOT OF THE ITEMS THAT THEY WERE NOT THERE TO HEAR. I UNDERSTAND SOME PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR EVERY ITEM, BUT SOME WANT TO SPEAK ON THEIR VERY THING AND THEY DON'T HAVE ALL DAY TO WAIT UNTIL THAT ITEM. SO I'VE SEEN HOW THIS HAS WORKED. I'LL ALSO SAY, UM, UM, THE ONE YOU KNOW, THERE, I APPRECIATE THE COMMITTEE AND STAFF GOING THROUGH LINE ITEM BY ITEM AND RECOMMENDATION BY RECOMMENDATION. I AGREE WITH MANY OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. I WOULD, I WOULD BE FLEXIBLE ON THE CAP. UM, I LIKE HAVING FLEXIBILITY ON THE CAP, BUT I DO KNOW, UM, I WOULD SAY ON BIG THINGS LIKE HEARINGS, WE STILL HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT SEPARATELY ON HEARINGS, CORRECT, MADAM CITY ATTORNEY. SO HEARINGS, INCLUDING THE BUDGET HEARINGS WOULD HAVE THEIR OWN PUBLIC COMMENT DISTINCT FROM THIS, THIS ONE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO NOTE. UM, AND IN CERTAIN CASES, IF WE NEED TO ADD TIME OR ADD A STUDY SESSION, WE HAVE THAT ABILITY. SO I LIKE THAT THAT FLEXIBILITY IS IN HERE. WE'RE GONNA DO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE COUNCIL FOR MOTIONS AND DELI DELIBERATION. I SEE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. SO FIRST IS X, THEN FRED ZELMER, THEN DAVE SHUKLA, BRIAN COCHRAN, AND ROGELIO. HI CITY COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS AMY. I'M A DISTRICT OF RESIDENT, OR I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO. AND HONESTLY, I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO PREPARE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY THERE WASN'T A [03:45:01] CAMPAIGN PUT OUT TO LET THE, UM, PUBLIC KNOW THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE VOTED ON TONIGHT. LIKE THERE'S GONNA BE A CAMPAIGN ABOUT INFORMING THE PUBLIC OF THE CHANGES. SO IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THERE WASN'T A CAMPAIGN TO LET PEOPLE KNOW TO COME HAVE A SAY ON THIS. UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, THIS ITEM STEMS FROM A PROPOSAL TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT IT'S DOING. THE PROPOSAL THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO APPROVE TODAY HAS HOURS THAT ARE DIFFICULT FOR WORKING PEOPLE, UM, WHO WORK A NORMAL WORKING DAY, WHICH IS NINE TO FIVE. IT'S ALREADY DIFFICULT FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE TO WORK AND THEN SCRAMBLE TO GET HERE BY 5:00 PM OR 4 45 IF YOU WANNA MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT. 'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP BEFORE THE MEETING STARTS, AND NOW YOU'RE MAKING THE MEETING START EARLIER, WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY WORKING PERSON TO MAKE. IN ADDITION TO THAT, ACCESSING IS ALREADY DIFFICULT FOR ELDERLY AND DISABLED FOLKS. THEY HAVE TO FIND A PARKING SPACE AND THE STRUCTURE, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO WALK THE LONG DISTANCE FROM THE PARKING STRUCTURE. AND NOT TO MENTION IF YOU'RE IN A WALKER OR A WHEELCHAIR, I MEAN, WHILE CITY CARS ARE ILLEGALLY PARKED RIGHT NEXT TO THE PLAZA. SO IF YOU GUYS WANNA MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE, I WOULD DEFINITELY PUT THAT IN YOUR PLANS BECAUSE MAKING IT AN OPTION TO ATTEND THE PUBLIC, UM, OR THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS ONLINE ALSO ISN'T REALLY BENEFICIAL TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE INTERNET ACCESS, WHO AREN'T COMFORTABLE ACCESSING, UM, REMOTELY, WHICH IS A LOT OF ELDERLY, UH, CONSTITUENTS. SO THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY HELPFUL. AND THE TIME LIMIT, THE TIME LIMIT IS CRAZY. YEARS AGO, THE TIME LIMIT WAS FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK ON EACH ITEM, THEN IT GOT CUT DOWN TO THREE MINUTES. NOW IT'S GETTING DOWN TO 90 SECONDS AND 60 SECONDS. UM, THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION TO ALLOW UP TO 15 PUBLIC COMMENTS IN THE FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT AT 90 SECONDS EACH. SO THAT'S ABOUT 22 AND A HALF MINUTES. IF YOU DO 10 COMMENTS AT THREE MINUTES, THAT'S 30 MINUTES. SO YOU'RE ALREADY TAKING AWAY EIGHT MINUTES OF PUBLIC COMMENT TIME. SO THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY INCREASING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. UM, IT'S REALLY JUST SHORTENING YOUR DAY OR ALLOWING A LONGER PRESENTATION PROCESS, WHICH ALREADY TAKES A LOT LONGER THAN 30 TO 40 MINUTES. THAT'S, THAT'S BEING GENEROUS. UM, SO WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS NOT STRENGTHENING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. YOU'RE LIMITING IT, AND YOU'RE DEFINITELY TAILING OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND DAMAGING THE BROWN ACT. SO WE'RE GONNA REMEMBER EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT VOTES ON THIS TONIGHT BECAUSE THIS IS TRULY HARMFUL. AND YOU'RE NOT HERE TO LISTEN TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS. I HONESTLY, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY 'CAUSE THIS IS CRAZY. AND ANYBODY WHO THINKS THAT THIS IS HELPFUL TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS LYING TO THEMSELVES OR JUST AN IDIOT. FRED ZELMER IS FRED ZELMER HERE. ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS DAVE SHUKLA. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, THE FIRST THING THAT SHOULD BE SAID IS THAT SB 7 0 7 WAS, UH, THE LEGISLATIVE INTENT OF IT IS TO INCREASE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A PROPHYLACTIC FOR LIMITING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. AND THE PRESENTATION MADE CLEAR THAT THE DECISION TO USE IT IN THAT WAY WAS MADE IN OCTOBER, WELL BEFORE THE DISCUSSION, PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT BILL CAME UP. UM, AND I'LL BE HONEST, I WAS, I'M A BIT AMBIVALENT TO SPEAK ON IT BECAUSE ON THE ONE HAND IT'S SUCH OBVIOUS BAD POLICY, IT'S SO OBVIOUSLY DESIGNED TO LIMIT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. SHAME, PLEASE, UH, LET ME SPEAK, UM, THAT IT'S SUCH A SELF OWN. MAYBE I SHOULD JUST LET YOU GUYS DO IT. MARY, YOUR SEAT. DISTRICT ONE. CHRISTINA, YOUR SEAT DISTRICT THREE. MEGAN, YOUR SEAT DISTRICT FIVE REX MAYOR'S SEAT. ROBERTO, YOUR FORMER SEAT DISTRICT SEVEN, JONI, YOUR SEAT. DISTRICT NINE. IF YOU VOTE FOR THIS TONIGHT, YOU ARE TELLING THE PEOPLE RUNNING AGAINST YOU EXACTLY WHAT TO DO. YOU ARE TELLING THEM, HEY, I'M LIMITING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. THEY'RE GONNA GO RUN TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND TELL THEM, VOTE FOR ME. THESE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO LIMIT YOUR VOICE. I WILL RESTORE YOUR VOICE. IT'S SUCH AN OBVIOUS SELF OWN. MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST DO IT AND THEN WE'LL DEAL WITH A DIFFERENT COUNCIL TO UNDO IT IN SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS. I MEAN, POLITICALLY, IT'S, IT'S SO UNSTRATEGIC. IF I WAS ON YOUR STAFF, I WOULD'VE RECOMMENDED THAT. I MEAN, HONESTLY, TYLER, ARE YOU TRYING TO F**K TOM ABOUT? ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE HIM LOOK BAD? THE COUNCIL GIVES THE STAFF DIRECTION ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT 7 0 7. AND THE ONLY RECOMMENDATIONS THE STAFF CREATES ARE ONES THAT MAKE THEIR LIVES EASIER AT THE EXPENSE OF THE PUBLIX . AS SOMEONE WHO DOES POLICY FOR A LIVING, DOESN'T CUT IT, THEN JUST DOESN'T CUT IT. HOWEVER, [03:50:01] SINCE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT LIMITING MY RIGHTS, YOU ARE OPENING THE CITY UP TO A LAWSUIT. IT SHOULD BE SAID ON THE RECORD THAT A 4:00 PM START TIME DOES DISCRIMINATE AGAINST WORKING PEOPLE. YEP. SAYING WE HAVE A TELECONFERENCE OPTION. DOESN'T HELP IF YOU'RE AT WORK OR YOU HAVE TO DRIVE HERE, WHATCHA SUPPOSED TO DO BE ON THE PHONE? YEP. UM, MORE THAN THAT. WHERE DID I, WHERE DID MY NOTES GO? OH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WRITTEN NEXT TO THE ITEM. UM, WHAT ELSE IS THERE? THE TIME LIMITS ON SPEAKERS. UH, THAT'S A NON-STARTER, UNLESS OF COURSE IT'S GONNA APPLY TO HOW OFTEN Y'ALL TALK. YEP. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE STRICT TIME LIMITS. I REMEMBER COUNCILMAN SUPER NOW YOU ONCE HAD THE, THE IDEA OF A SHOT CLOCK. WE COULD USE THAT SHOT CLOCK FOR, FOR, FOR EVERYTHING. WE HAVE TO HEAR YOU GUYS GO ON AND ON AND ON IN CIRCLES ABOUT, UM, BUT, BUT MORE THAN THAT, UM, CLOSING SPEAKER SIGN UP. I MEAN, THE, THE, THE WHOLE PROPOSAL IS, ISN'T THOUGHT THROUGH IN TERMS OF WHAT POLITICALLY IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO DO TO HELP THIS CITY BE MORE ENGAGED. IT SOUNDS MORE LIKE WE DON'T LIKE, WE LIKE THE LAURELS, WE LIKE THE POWER THAT COMES WITH OUR SEATS, BUT WE DON'T LIKE ANY OF THE CRAP THAT COMES WITH OUR SEATS. AND WE JUST WANNA LIMIT THAT PART. THAT'S NOT THE JOB. LADIES, YOUR TIME AND GENTLEMEN INCLUDED. YOU WANTED THE LAURELS, YOU WANT THE POWER OF THOSE SEATS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. BRIAN IS NEXT. AND THEN LIO. BRIAN, DID YOU HEAR ME? BRIAN? GOOD EVENING. OUR ROME AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, IT'S INTERESTING THAT THE LANGUAGE OF SB 7 0 7 SPECIFICALLY STATES THE DESIRE FOR ENGAGEMENT AND ACCESSIBILITY. BUT THE PROPOSAL THAT COMES BACK FROM CITY OF LONG BEACH IS ONE THAT'S CENTERED ON EFFICIENCY. THAT'S A ENTIRELY DIFFERENT MESSAGE. AND YOU HAVE TO WANT ENGAGEMENT FROM YOUR CITIZENS IN ORDER TO DO, TO DO SOMETHING. THIS SENDS A MESSAGE THAT ENGAGEMENT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN. YOU WANNA MOVE IT AROUND. SO IT'S HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO YOU AND CON CONVEY THINGS. IT'S ALREADY HARD TO DO. SO TOM MOCA CREATES A SYSTEM WHERE HE TALKS TO THE BAR OWNERS ABOUT BAR ISSUES ON SECOND STREET. HASN'T TALKED TO THE COMMUNITY GROUPS AT ONCE. THE SURVEY THAT WAS DONE HERE, IT DIDN'T REACH MY COMMUNITY GROUP OR ANY OF THE COMMUNITY GROUPS I KNEW TO COMMUNICATE IT FURTHER AND REACH OUT TO OTHER PEOPLE. I SPENT HOURS PREPARING FOR LAST WEEK'S SESSION ABOUT THE CSI COMMENTS. I WAS PROBABLY BETTER INFORMED STAFF AND YOU AS WELL. AND YET IT RESULTED IN THE UNANIMOUS VOTE THAT JUST DISMISSED IT AND SPENT ANOTHER HUNDRED $75,000 WASTED. THE PARKING COMMISSION, WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A DIRECT CONDUIT FROM OUR COMMUNITY TO YOU. IT HAS NOT MET IN FOUR MONTHS. NOW, WHEN I WAS LAST HERE, IT WAS THREE MONTHS. IT'S NOW NOT MEETING FOR FOUR MONTHS. IT DOES NOT HAVE A RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE ON IT. PAGE 36 OF THE 96 PAGE MEMO THAT WAS PUT OUT. THERE'S A SURVEY ITEM THAT REFERENCES WHY PEOPLE DON'T ENGAGE. MOSTLY IT'S ABOUT TIME. THE SECOND CLOSEST ONE THOUGH WAS FEEL VOICE IS IGNORED. ANYWAY, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART FOR EVERYONE HERE TONIGHT. AND WHAT AN ONGOING PART OF ALL THE COMMUNITY. WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN'T BE HEARD. WE'RE ALREADY BEING CURTAILED. THE MESSAGING HERE SAYS, TAKE THE THREE MINUTES YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD REDUCE IT TO TWO MINUTES AND MAYBE YOU'LL GET THAT ON A GIVEN DAY. BEST OF WHEN YOU SIT HERE, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE FIVE O'CLOCK TO SPEAK ON THIS ONE ITEM AND ONE POSSIBLE PUBLIC COMMENT ITEM. THAT'S THREE AND A HALF HOURS OF MY TIME TO DO THIS ONE THING. AND I STILL FEEL LIKE I'M GONNA BE IGNORED AND UNENGAGED ON THIS ONE. SO, STAFF RECOMMENDATION LOOKS, THERE'S REMEDIES HERE. YOU WANNA MOVE TO THINGS WHERE THE TIME BECOMES MORE EFFICIENT FOR YOU, NOT FOR THE COMMUNITY. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S A FRUSTRATION. YOU WANNA MOVE THINGS UP. THERE'S A PART WHERE IT SAYS IT'S, IT HAS A VAGUE RECOMMENDATION ABOUT PLANNING TIME SO PEOPLE KNOW WHEN TO COME HERE. THAT WOULD BE GREAT AND EFFICIENT, BUT IT'S NOT FOR, NOT DOES IT WORK FOR US? IF YOU DON'T DO IT, YOU HAVE TO PUT IT ON THE SCHEDULE. YOU HAVE TO NOTIFY PEOPLE. DID YOU KNOW THAT WHEN A CITY AGENDA GOES OUT AND GETS UPDATED IN EMAIL TO PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THESE THINGS, YOU GET A NOTIFICATION. IT DOES NOT LINK TO THE ACTUAL AGENDA, IT LINKS TO EVERYTHING. BUT THAT AND DATES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU MAKE IT EXTRA HARD EVERY STEP FOR US TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO. YOU HAVE TO WANT ENGAGEMENT. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS THIS WAY. PLEASE OPEN UP TO COMMUNITY GROUPS AND PLEASE DO THIS IN A BETTER WAY GOING FORWARD. ALRIGHT, LIO, I'M JUST GONNA KEEP IT VERY SHORT AND SWEET, EVERYTHING THAT THEY SAID. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. OKAY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'RE GONNA START THE DELIBERATION NOW. ALRIGHT, UH, THANKS EVERYBODY FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. [03:55:01] UM, WE HEAR YOU. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE, OF THE DELIBERATION. UH, I'M GONNA GO TO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. BUT FIRST, TWO, TWO THINGS. UM, TOM, WALK US THROUGH THE TIMING CONSIDERATIONS ON WHY THIS IS BROUGHT FORWARD NOW. YES. SO SP 7 0 7 GOES INTO EFFECT ON JULY ONE. UM, SO, UH, IF THE COUNCIL IS CONTEMPLATING ANY TYPE OF CHANGES IN ORDER TO PUT THAT INTO PLACE, UH, WE DO RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO THAT BEFORE YOUR FIRST MEETING IN JULY. AND SO THEIR FIRST MEETING IN JULY, BECAUSE OF THE RECESS IS, UH, JULY 21ST. AND SO WHAT WE'VE, UH, BUILT OUT AS A TIMELINE FOR THIS TO BE A MULTI-STEP PROCESS, YOU'RE NOT MAKING ANY FINAL DECISIONS TONIGHT. YOU WILL DIRECT US TONIGHT ON WHETHER YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, SOMETHING LIKE THIS AFTER DEBATE. THEN WE WILL COME BACK AND WE'LL READ THE ITEM FIRST, UM, ONE TIME. UH, AND AT THAT POINT YOU CAN MAKE CHANGES. IF YOU THINK SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE MODIFIED, YOU'LL HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT. THEN YOU COULD READ IT A, UH, ANOTHER FIRST TIME. EVERY TIME YOU MAKE A CHANGE, IT'S GOTTA BE A, A NEW FIRST READING AND A SECOND READING. SO THE GOAL IS BY JUNE 16TH, YOU WOULD HAVE READ EVERYTHING SECOND TIME. SO IT'S ABOUT A MONTH FROM NOW. THEN IT GOES INTO EFFECT, UH, UH, TWO MONTHS AFTER OR A MONTH OR 30 DAYS AFTER THAT IN TIME FOR OUR MEETING TO MEET SB 7 0 7. UH, AND, UH, THE LAWS TO CHANGE THE MUNICIPAL CODE. AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE DEADLINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION ON SB 7 0 7 IS WHAT DATE? JULY 1ST. JULY ONE. SO THIS GIVES US THE TIME TO BEGIN THIS DISCUSSION. WE CAN MAKE CHANGES. UH, THEY HAVE TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF THE ORDINANCE. IF WE WANNA MAKE REFINEMENTS, WE CAN DO SO AT AN ADDITIONAL MEETING. UH, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE TIME TO HAVE TWO, UH, TWO ORDINANCE READINGS, A FIRST READING AND A SECOND READING WITH NO CHANGES BEFORE THEY GO INTO IMPLEMENT 30 DAYS BEFORE IT'S IMPLEMENTED. SO THIS IS BROUGHT FORWARD TODAY. THIS HAS TO BE DONE PER STATE LAW. UM, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME OPTIONS HERE, UH, BUT THIS ALLOWS US TO, UH, UH, HAVE THE TIME TO KIND OF WORK THROUGH THIS. THE OTHER PART PART I JUST WANNA CLARIFY BEFORE THE COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, UH, STARTS IS IT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVING SHOT CLOCKS ON THEIR SPEAKING. TECHNICALLY WE HAVE FIVE MINUTE SHOT CLOCKS ON THE COUNCILMAN SPEAKING, UNLESS IT'S A PROPOSAL AND THEY'RE MAKING A PROPOSAL THAT'S 10 MINUTES. SO THERE ARE LIMITS ON COUNCIL MEMBER DELIBERATION. WE'RE GONNA START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, AS THE MAKER OF THE MOTION, I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THIS MOTION TO REMOVE THE 90 MINUTE COMMENT PERIOD LIMIT AND TO ALLOW SIGNUPS TO HAPPEN AFTER THE COMMENT PERIOD STARTS. BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME DISCUSSION ON THE COMMENT PERIOD STARTING. I WOULD RECOMMEND 15 MINUTES. UH, THIS IS PART OF MY DISCUSSION BECAUSE IF WE ARE, AS, UH, TYLER STATED, WE DON'T WANT TO LIMIT PEOPLE NINE TO FIVE, UH, FROM BEING ABLE TO SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. SO MY AMENDMENT, I'LL REPEAT IT, AMEND THIS MOTION TO REMOVE THE 90 MINUTE COMMENT PERIOD LIMIT AND TO ALLOW SIGNUPS TO HAPPEN AFTER THE COMMENT PERIOD STARTS. SO I'M GONNA START WITH A FEW, UM, COMMENTS. PRIOR TO MOVING FOR MY REASONING FOR AMENDING THE MOTION. AS THE CHAIR OF THE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND EFFICIENCIES COMMITTEE, WE REALLY WORKED TO SEE HOW WE COULD MAKE COUNCIL MEETINGS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. THIS INCLUDED SENDING OUT THE SURVEY ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE, AND THE NUMBER ONE RESPONSE WE HEARD WAS TO ALLOW FOR VIRTUAL PUBLIC COMMENT WITH SENATE BILL 7 0 7 PASSING, THE CITY HAD TO SET UP A SYSTEM WHERE PEOPLE CAN CALL IN THEIR COMMENTS, WHICH IS GREAT FOR ACCESSIBILITY. I THINK MOVING THE SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA DEADLINE TO THURSDAY IS A VERY GOOD CHANGE. UM, THE SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA SHOULD ONLY BE USED FOR TRULY URGENT ITEMS BECAUSE IT LIMITS THE NOTICE. OUR COMMUNITIES GET TO DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE. UH, FOR CEREMONIAL ITEMS, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THESE STAY WITHIN FIVE MINUTES, THAT'S ALLOCATED IN OUR MUNICIPAL CODE. BUT THERE ARE SOME CULTURAL EVENTS. THERE ARE THINGS WE WANNA CELEBRATE OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS, BUT A LOT OF THE CEREMONIES COULD BE SCHEDULED BEFORE MEETINGS START, WHICH COULD CUT OFF MAYBE AN HOUR OF OUR MEETINGS BY FOLLOWING THE TIME LIMITS ALREADY IN PLACE. UH, FINALLY THOUGH, I WANNA SHARE MY CONCERNS AND SHARE WHY I AMENDED THE MOTION. I THINK MOVING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD TO THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING IS, THAT'S OKAY, [04:00:01] BUT LIMIT LIMITING IT TO 90 MINUTES AND CUTTING OFF SIGNUPS AT THE START OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. IT DOESN'T EXPAND ACCESSIBILITY. I THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME AGENDAS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE THAN 30 OR 40 POINTS OF VIEW THAT SHOULD BE SHARED. AND I ALSO THINK THAT CUTTING OFF SIGNUPS WHEN PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD STARTS GIVES PEOPLE WHO HAVE THAT NINE TO FIVE JOB A DISADVANTAGE, UH, AS WAS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. I, I THINK SOME OF THAT DOES NEED DISCUSSION, BUT IS THAT, IS THAT YOUR SECOND COUNCILMAN ROWLING? UH, YES. I, I'M, I'M OKAY WITH THAT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. NEXT IS COUNCILMAN ROWLING. UH, YES. UM, I DO THINK, UM, THAT THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW MORE, UH, PUBLIC, UH, PARTICIPATION AND THAT THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT THAT I HEAR IS, IS FOLKS, AND SOMEONE SAID THAT IN THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT ARE WAITING HERE, 2, 3, 4 HOURS TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK, UM, ON AN ITEM. AND, AND IT'S FRUSTRATING AND, AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE OTHER THINGS GOING ON THEIR JOBS AND CHILDCARE, THIS, THIS CAN BE DIFFICULT. SO I DO LIKE THAT IT GIVES A CERTAIN TIME THAT PEOPLE CAN COME AND, UH, CAN, UH, VOICE, UH, THEIR CONCERNS OR OPINIONS, UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING WHEN THEY KNOW, UM, THERE'S A TIME CERTAIN, UM, WHEN THEY'RE GONNA BE BE HEARD. SO I LIKE THAT. UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE CEREMONIALS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE EVERYBODY ADHERE TO THAT. I FEEL LIKE IT'S GOTTEN A LITTLE LOOSEY GOOSEY AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, THAT EVERYONE ADHERE TO THOSE FIVE MINUTE RULES AND, AND, UH, AND GET, AND GET UH, UH, OUR, OUR THINGS DONE, UM, WITHIN THOSE TIMEFRAMES. UM, BUT, UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, UM, WITH, UH, REGARDS TO PEOPLE CALLING IN. IS IT LIMITED TO, UH, TO RESIDENTS OR ANYONE FROM THE ENTIRE WORLD CAN CALL IN THE PUBLIC? IS THE PUBLIC ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD? YEAH, I KNOW. I'M JUST, I I'M JUST, UH, WANNA VERIFY THAT THAT COULD BE ANYONE. YES, THAT'S CORRECT. ANYONE IN THE WORLD WITH ACCESS TO OUR, UH, MEETINGS COULD CALL IN. OKAY. UM, AND UH, SO PEOPLE COULD STILL COME HERE AND IN PERSON AND THEN PEOPLE ALSO CAN CALL IN. YES, CORRECT. OKAY. BUT IT'S EITHER OR IT'S BOTH ACTUALLY. YEAH. SO YOU WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MANAGE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE IN THE ROOM WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, AND ALSO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLING IN AND CREATE ONE TIME PERIOD, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ALL OF THAT BEING HEARD. AND THEN WILL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE IN PERSON HAVE PRIORITY FOR SPEAKING OVER THOSE CALLING IN? NO, THEY WILL NOT HAVE PRIORITY. IT IS EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH REMOTE CALLERS AND PEOPLE IN PERSON. OKAY. SO WE HAVE TO BE EQUITABLE. WHAT WE DO AT LA CASA, WE TAKE THE IN PERSON FIRST AND THEN WE DO THE VIRTUAL. SO WE DO HAVE THAT OPTION. OKAY. THANK YOU MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UH, NEXT IS, LET'S SEE, COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FIRST OF ALL, I, UM, I'M GLAD THAT 7 0 2 IS HAPPENING, BEING A DISABLED WOMAN, UM, KNOWING THAT, UM, WITHIN THE DISABLED COMMUNITY AND THE SENIORS SOMETIMES IS DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO COME IN PERSON AND THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO BE, UM, ACTIVE AND, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENT. SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE, UM, STARTING AND THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ASKING FOR FOR SEVERAL, UM, YEARS NOW AFTER COVID. I THINK WE DID GET A TASTE OF THAT IT CAN HAPPEN. AND SO NOW IT'S HAPPENING, WHICH IS GOOD. UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO SHARE IS THAT I WAS, UM, INTRODUCED TO CITY COUNCIL BY BE COMING TO PUBLIC COMMENT PROBABLY LIKE 20 YEARS AGO. AND THAT REALLY GAVE, EMPOWERED ME TO KEEP COMING BACK AND KEEP COMING BACK TO, UM, VOICE MY CONCERNS OR MY, MY CONSENT OF THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING IN THE CITY. AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR COMMUNITY, BE ABLE TO HEAR THEM OUT AND BE ABLE TO SEE. BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT, UM, CREATING POLICY IS WHEN WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, MEANING CITY STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY. AND I'VE SEEN [04:05:01] THAT VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE WORK FOR US AS A CITY. THAT'S WHY I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, UM, HOW LITTLE TIME WAS GIVEN TO OUR COMMUNITY, UM, WHEN PRESENTING THESE, UM, ITEMS. SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY WHEN EVEN THE COUNCIL JUST HAD A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. SO MAYBE YOU CAN, UM, SHARE WITH US A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH, TOM, WHAT THE URGENCY IS AGAIN, UM, ON PASSING, UH, FIRST OF ALL, UM, 7 0 2 IS COMING IN JULY 1ST. CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO US THE URGENCY OF OUR VOTE TODAY? YES. SO WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO, UM, PUT 7 0 7 IN PLACE BY JULY 1ST. UM, AND SO, UH, IT ACTUALLY, IT'S BEFORE YOUR FIRST MEETING. SO YOUR FIRST MEETING IS JULY 21ST. SO WE ACTUALLY DO GET A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO BE ABLE TO, TO PUT THAT IN. UM, THE, SOME OF THE MEETING CHANGES THOUGH ARE IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE AND ARE SEPARATE FROM 7 0 7. SO YOU DO HAVE THAT DISCRETION TO DECIDE WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT YOU DO YOUR BUSINESS. WE AS STAFF HIGHLY RECOMMEND THOUGH, THAT YOU, YOU CREATE A SYSTEM AND WHEN WE DO THIS AND WE ADD IN NEW PUBLIC COMMENT COMING FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM, UM, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD OR IN LONG BEACH, THAT YOU SET CLEAR RULES AND THAT WE PRACTICE THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. SO THAT'S WHY WE'D LIKE TO DO THIS DURING MAY AND JUNE. UH, YOU CAN, UH, DEBATE, YOU CAN GIVE US DIFFERENT DIRECTION, BUT THEN WE REALLY RECOMMEND SETTING EVERYTHING UP AT ONCE SO THAT IT'S VERY CLEAR TO COMMUNICATE TO THE NEW, TO THE PUBLIC. WE'LL GO THROUGH A, A CAMPAIGN AND WE'LL MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT THE NEW RULES ARE, UH, RATHER THAN STARTING SB 7 0 7 AND THEN LATER DECIDING YOU'RE GONNA TRY TO CHANGE, UH, HOW WE'RE GONNA ORGANIZE THE BUSINESS. UM, UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, I THINK THAT, THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO HEAR THAT AS WELL AS US. UM, I DO THINK THOUGH THAT IT'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. UM, THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT THE COMMUNITY AND HOW THEY SHOW UP AT CITY COUNCIL. SO I FEEL LIKE WE HAVEN'T GIVEN THE COMMUNITY ENOUGH TIME TO BE ABLE TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS. MAYBE EVEN THEY HAVE EVEN BETTER IDEAS THAT WE ARE NOT EVEN THINKING OF. UM, THAT MIGHT WORK FOR, FOR ALL OF US. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US, UM, TO DO THAT. UM, THEREFORE I WAS GOING ASK THE MAKER OF THE MOTION IF MAYBE, UM, YOU MIGHT ACCEPT A FRIENDLY TO GO FORWARD WITH THE 7 0 2, BUT, UM, DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND COME BACK. UM, I KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT, UM, WHAT CITY STAFF IS RECOMMENDING AND YOU KNOW, JUST HEARING YOU TO, UM, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, BUT I FEEL THAT FOR SOMETHING THIS BIG AND THIS HUGE OF A CHANGE IN OUR CITY AND THE WAY OUR CITY COUNCIL IS RUN, WE REALLY NEED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. UH, RESPECTFULLY, I DECLINED THAT FRIENDLY BECAUSE WE DID COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN OUR COMMITTEE WITH GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND EFFICIENCIES. WE WENT THROUGH THIS, WE WERE CLEAR ABOUT THE SURVEY THAT WAS SENT OUT. MM-HMM . WE TALKED ABOUT WAYS TO ENGAGE. SO NO, UM, THANK YOU. AND, AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, AND AS BEING PART OF THE GOE COMMITTEE MYSELF, I KNOW THAT WE WENT THROUGH, UM, EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SURVEY, BUT I THINK THAT WAS DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, WHAT WE WERE PRESENTED HERE TODAY. SO, UM, I MOVE, YOU KNOW, IF AS THIS MOTION IS MOVING FORWARD, I WON'T BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS, BUT THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT OVER THE NEXT THREE, FOUR WEEKS THAT THAT WOULD BE THE TIME. SO IF EVERYONE WANTS TO INVITE THEIR COMMUNITY, THEY CAN COME NEXT TUESDAY AND DEBATE IT. WE CAN DO THAT AGAIN. UH, THAT'S THE 19TH. WE CAN DO IT AGAIN ON THE NINTH AND WE CAN DO IT AGAIN ON THE 16TH. UH, THAT WOULD PROVIDE THREE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, RIGHT? FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND GIVE INPUT AND FROM THE 16TH UNTIL IT GOES INTO EFFECT THE FIRST MEETING IN JULY, THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION ON WHAT THE RULES ARE ONCE THEY'RE SET. SO YOU HAVE DELIBERATION A MONTH AND A ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AND THEN YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL THREE WEEKS OF LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THE NEW SYSTEM BEFORE THE DEADLINE APPROACHES. JUST WANNA BE CLEAR ON THAT TIMETABLE. ALRIGHT, NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER THRASH INTU. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. MAYOR AND THANK YOU FOR MY COLLEAGUES AND ALL THE DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD SO FAR. UM, SO I ACTUALLY FOUND THE STAFF PRESENTATION TO BE QUITE INSIGHTFUL AND VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW WE BALANCE, UH, THE REQUIREMENTS OF SB 7 0 7 AS WELL AS WITH THE PRACTICALITY OF BEING ABLE TO ENGAGE AS MUCH PUBLIC AS POSSIBLE. UM, I RECALL THAT AT THE LAST MEETING [04:10:01] OR THE MEETING WHERE WE UM, BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT THIS AND WE RECEIVED THE REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE. I SPECIFICALLY SAID, LET'S GO BACK, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S MORE PUBLIC INPUT, UH, ON THE SURVEY. AND SO I'M REALLY PLEASED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE NEARLY GOT 500 RESPONSES AND THAT IT'S QUITE REPRESENTATIVE CERTAINLY I FEEL LIKE IN MY COMMUNITY AND ACROSS, UM, THE CITY OF HAVING SOME PARTICIPATION AMONG THE PUBLIC. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M LANDING, UH, WHERE THE CURRENT, UH, MOTION STANDS, UM, I WOULD SAY JUST FOR THE STAFF TO PROVIDE INPUT, UH, I THINK AN EARLIER TIME AT THREE O'CLOCK, PROBABLY JUST TOO EARLY. SO I APPRECIATE US COMING DOWN TO FOUR O'CLOCK, UM, AS A POTENTIAL START TIME. UM, I ACTUALLY THINK THAT PART OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO BALANCE HERE IS TO GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE, AT THE TOP OF THE MEETING WHEN WE OPEN IT UP. UM, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, AS WE HAVE TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AT SOME POINT, UM, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHEN AND WHERE AND HOW THAT HAPPENS. AND FOR ME, I AM, I'M LOOKING AT THAT 90 MINUTES TO START IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS AS A WAY TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER 90 MINUTES IS A GOOD START. UM, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE MAY FEEL LIKE THAT IS EITHER NOT ENOUGH TIME OR PUBLIC COMMENT STARTED AND THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT AND THEY DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO GET THEIR COMMENT IN. MAYBE THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL CLOSING COMMENT AND WE FIND SOME WAY TO CREATE A SPACE FOR THAT. FOR ME THAT ACHIEVES THE ABILITY TO START THE BUSINESS AT A TIME CERTAIN, BUT IT ALSO GIVES PEOPLE WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE A PUBLIC COMMENT 'CAUSE THEY DID NOT MAKE IT BEFORE THE FIRST COMMENTER BEGAN. THEY CAN PROVIDE THAT PUBLIC COMMENT LATER IN THE MEETING OR AT THE END OF THE MEETING. THEN MY, UM, MY FINAL COMMENT IS RELATED TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA. UM, THE SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA I BELIEVE IS A LEGISLATIVE TOOL. UM, AND IT'S THERE FOR A PARTICULAR REASON AND AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE UH, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY WE DECIDE AND IF WE CAN GET, UH, A PARTNER TO STAND WITH US TO BE ABLE TO MOVE SOMETHING FORWARD, UM, IT'S THERE FOR THAT. I CAN ACCEPT THURSDAY, BUT I WOULD ACCEPT AS LATE AS POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY. SO FIVE O'CLOCK AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, WOULD BE, UH, THE TIME THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND FOR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEMS TO CLOSE. SO WITH THAT COLLEAGUES, I, I'M SHARING THAT UM, IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO PUT IN THAT CAP, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS MOTION AND I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER AN ALTERNATIVE, WHICH COULD BE AN ADDITIONAL NO COMMENT PERIOD GIVING PEOPLE WHO MISSED THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA KEEP GOING AND I'M GONNA ADDRESS SOME OF THE TO TOPICS ON THE CAP AND SOME OF THE ISSUES I'M HEARING THE COUNCIL MEMBERS RAISE AT THE END. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RICK OTI. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY. SO I THINK THE WAY WE'RE SAYING OR THE WAY IT'S BEING PRESENTED, UH, FROM STAFF IS THAT WE WOULD START THE MEETING AT FOUR O'CLOCK, WE WOULD DO ALL THE CEREMONIALS, ET CETERA. SO I'M ASSUMING WE'RE KIND OF THINKING THAT THE MEETING WOULD START, THE FORMAL PORTION OF THE MEETING WOULD START AROUND FOUR 30. IF WE'RE HAVING A 90 MINUTE CAP, THEN WE'RE THINKING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FOUR 30 AND SIX WOULD THEN BE OUR, OUR PUBLIC COMMENT. SO MY QUESTION, UM, MY QUESTION RE UH, RELATED TO THAT IS I THINK WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM SOME OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT IS THAT THAT FEELS UNNECESSARILY RESTRICTIVE. AND I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD, I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD THINK THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH ME ON BOC, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WE DID A PUBLIC COMMENT ONLY MEETING RIGHT LATER IN THE EVENING UNDERSTANDING THAT PEOPLE NEEDED, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WORK MM-HMM . I WORK, RIGHT. IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO GET HERE. UM, NOW GRANTED RIGHT, WE SHOULD BE FAIR AND SAY THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION WOULD BE FOUR 30 TO SIX. SO WE'RE STILL ALLOWING AN HOUR OF FIVE TO SIX FOR PEOPLE TO DO THE THE PUBLIC COMMENT. BUT CAN WE KIND OF PUT, CAN WE KIND OF TAKE A STEP BACK HERE AND PUT THINGS INTO CONTEXT? 'CAUSE I THINK WE'RE MAKING YOU, THE STAFF MADE RECOMMENDATIONS, RIGHT? AND I THINK THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS MAYBE DON'T SEEM LIKE THEY'RE LANDING IN THE SCOPE OF LIKE WHAT'S POSSIBLE OR WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING. SO IS THERE A WAY, UM, WHEN STAFF WAS MAKING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, DID WE LOOK AT OTHER KIND OF COMPARATOR CITIES, UM, AROUND WHAT THEY WERE DOING IS WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING? BECAUSE I THINK FROM WHAT I'M HEARING FROM RESIDENTS, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE FEEL KIND OF LIKE OUT, OUT IN THE, UH, THE THIS KIND OF EXTRA SPHERE HERE AND WE SEEM OUT OF RANGE AS TO WHAT IS EXPECTED FROM A CITY. SO MAYBE WE CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IS WHAT WE'RE SE WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE RANGE OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS CITIES OR IMPLEMENTING SB 7 0 7. UM, KIND OF ARE WE AN OUTLIER? DO WE HAVE THAT KIND OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT OTHER CITIES SIMILAR TO OURS ARE DOING? YEAH, SO THERE ARE A FEW AGENCIES THAT DID PUBLIC [04:15:01] COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING. UH, LIKE THE MAYOR MENTIONED LA CASA, UM, CITY OF LA ALSO DOES SOMETHING SIMILAR. THE SCHOOL BOARD AT LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD DOES THAT AS WELL, WHERE THEY DO ABOUT, I BELIEVE 30 MINUTES FOR NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT, AND 30 MINUTES FOR AGENDA. AND THEN THEY GET TO THE MAIN MEETING, UH, DISCUSSION WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS. UM, BUT I WILL SAY, I MEAN, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW ALL OF THE OTHER CITIES ARE GONNA, UM, ADJUST TO SB 7 0 7. UM, THE, THE BEST INDICATOR I THINK RIGHT NOW IS WHAT WE SAW DURING THE PANDEMIC, AGAIN, WHICH IS PRETTY SIMILAR HYBRID MEETING RULES. UM, I MEAN I AT THE TIME WAS DOING GOV AFFAIRS. WE WOULD CALL IN TO THE COUNTY BOARD TO LA UH, METRO. THEY, UH, TOOK PUBLIC COMMENT ALL AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING ON AGENDA AND NON AGENDA ITEMS, DO ONE SPECIFIC PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, DURING THAT HYBRID UM, OR ONLINE UM, TYPE OF APPROACH. SO YEAH, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW ALL OF THE, THE SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS ARE GONNA, UM, ADDRESS THEIR ORDER OF BUSINESS RELATED TO SB 7 0 7. BUT THERE ARE EXAMPLES OUT THERE WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY MOVING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD INTO ONE PERIOD AT THE BEGINNING, UM, WHERE A NUMBER OF AGENCIES HAVE DONE THAT. AND THEN ESPECIALLY DURING THE HYBRID MEETING RULES DURING THE PANDEMIC, SEEING THAT AS MORE OF AN EXAMPLE. UM, BUT YEAH, I MEAN I, I THINK THERE'S, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS. I THINK IF THE CONCERN IS AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, STARTING THE MEETING EARLY AND CLOSING THE, UM, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS WHERE THERE'S OPTIONS IN TERMS OF MAYBE THE STARTING POINT FOR THE MEETING OR, UM, ALLOWING SIGNUPS LATER ON INTO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. THIS WAS JUST AN INITIAL STARTING POINT FOR THE DISCUSSION AS WELL. OKAY. BUT IT DOES SOUND, IT DOES SOUND, UM, FROM WHAT YOU SAID, TYLER, THAT UM, THE IDEA OF HAVING PUBLIC COMMENT RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF A MEETING IS NOT WITHOUT PRECEDENT. UM, SO THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE SEEN THAT BEFORE, CORRECT. YEP. OKAY. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN QUESTION, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, YOUR MOTION AROUND HAVING THE UNLIMITED PUBLIC COMMENT, DOES THAT STILL ALLOW THE CHAIR THE DISCRETION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT? 'CAUSE MY MY CONCERN IS THAT IF WE END UP WITH, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, THEN WE END UP WITH A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD THAT MIGHT GO THREE OR FOUR HOURS. UM, AND THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S A, THAT ENDS UP BEING A CONCERN FOR EVERYONE WHO MIGHT ACTUALLY WANT TO DO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEY END UP DOING IT REALLY LATE OR THEY DON'T GET TO HEAR AN ITEM THEY WANTED TO HEAR. UM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ASK THE CITY CLERK TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING WE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY THAT OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS YOU DID SOME RESEARCH TO LOOK AT, UM, DIFFERENT ITEMS. AND BEFORE YOU SPEAK TO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, IF A HUNDRED PEOPLE WANT TO COMMENT, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE DONE THAT FOR A SPECIFIC ITEM ANYWAY, SO THEY WOULD BE A PART OF THAT. SO LIMITING A HUNDRED PEOPLE, I, I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT WE, THE POINT IS TO NOT LIMIT THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE TO COMMENT. AND YES, WE MIGHT HAVE TO GO THROUGH MULTIPLE HOURS OF PUBLIC COMMENT AND I THINK MY ARGUMENT WOULD BE THAT MAY ALSO END UP AT SOME POINT DISENFRANCHISING PEOPLE BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, AGAIN, THE MEETING GOES SO LATE THAT ITEMS THAT THEY WANTED TO BE NOW PRESENT FOR THEY CAN NO LONGER BE PRESENT FOR. RIGHT? SO I THINK WE'RE ALL TRYING TO BALANCE THE IDEA OF MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT SB 7 0 7, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA GET MORE PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO ACCESS US VIRTUALLY, RIGHT? AND WE'VE SEEN THAT BEFORE. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S SOME LEVEL OF DISCRETION, UM, BECAUSE I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT HOW LATE, UM, THE MEETINGS WILL GO AND THEN HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR ABILITY TO DO BUSINESS, WHICH IS WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION. I WILL, I WILL JUST JUMP IN 'CAUSE WE STILL GOT TIME TO WORK SOME OF THESE DETAILS OUT. BUT I WOULD SAY THE IDEA HERE IS, LET'S JUST KEEP IN MIND THERE'S A NEW SEGMENT OF FOLKS WHO DON'T CURRENTLY PARTICIPATE WHO WILL NOW PARTICIPATE. SO WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND WE, WE CAN'T COMPARE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST. THIS IS, THIS IS DIFFERENT. THERE WILL NOW BE WE CLOSE IN PERSON PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE OPEN UP VIRTUAL PUBLIC COMMENT AND THAT CAN, SOME MEETINGS, FOLKS ARE GONNA CALL IN FROM EVERYWHERE AND JUST A HIGH PROFILE ITEM. WHAT WE OUGHT TO DO, WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE IS THE ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, UH, HAVE THE JUDGMENT TO SAY, OKAY, THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE AND WE WANT TO TAKE AN ADDITIONAL HOUR TO GET THIS COMMENT WHERE WE DON'T WANNA BE AS TOO RIGID WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY. IT'S ONE THING TO SAY, THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE. LIKE, WE'RE GONNA GO ALL THE WAY TO OUR FULL 90 MINUTES, OR WE NEED 30 EXTRA MINUTES TO DO, DO. SO IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT SITUATION TO BE, UM, COMMENT BOMBED WHEN [04:20:01] YOU COULD GET AS MANY AS A THOUSAND PUBLIC COMMENTS. AND THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED DURING COVID. SO IN THOSE CASES, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE ABILITY, THE FLEXIBILITY TO SAY, OKAY, AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO BE, BEGIN THE DISCUSSION. SO THE GOOD NEWS IS LIKE, THIS IS AN ORDINANCE. WE HAVE TO HAVE IT IN PLACE BY JULY 1ST, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN IT HAS TO CHANGE. IT CAN'T CHANGE. SO IF WE SEE THERE ARE NO PUBLIC COMMENT BOMBS, AND THIS HASN'T REALLY MATERIALIZED, WE CAN CHANGE IT IN SIX MONTHS. SO WE CAN ADJUST THIS PROCESS, BUT WE DO NEED TO HAVE IT DONE IN TIME. THERE'S STILL MORE DISCUSSION HERE. LET'S SEE WHERE IT GOES. AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE CITY CLERK ON MY QUESTION. OKAY. ALRIGHT, MADAM CLERK. SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE TALKED ABOUT WAS THE 90 MINUTES AND HOW DID WE COME UP WITH 90 MINUTES? UM, SOME OF IT IS WHAT LA CASA WAS DOING, WHAT LA CITY IS DOING. WE ALSO LOOKED AT DATA OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS OF OUR OWN CITY COUNCIL. THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS WE HAVE, THE NUMBER OF ITEMS, THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS. UM, AND ON AVERAGE IN 2023, WE SPENT MAYBE AN HOUR AND 45 MINUTES ON PUBLIC COMMENT ON 24, ABOUT AN HOUR AND 20 MINUTES. AND IN 2025, AN HOUR AND A HALF ON PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE ENTIRE MEETING. SO WHEN WE PROPOSE 90 MINUTES, THAT IS ON AVERAGE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE ANTICIPATE THAT INCREASING, OBVIOUSLY WITH REMOTE PARTICIPATION. SO IF WE'RE CURRENTLY SPENDING 90 MINUTES ON PUBLIC COMMENT COMPREHENSIVELY WITH ALL THE ITEMS, WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP IT SOMEWHAT IN LINE WITH WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING. WITH THE INCREASE IN REMOTE PARTICIPATION, THOUGH WE CAN STILL GET CITY BUSINESS DONE WHILE HEARING WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY. NOW HOW WE GET THAT DONE, THERE IS FLEXIBILITY AND THAT IS UP TO THE COUNCIL ON HOW THEY WANNA MAKE THAT HAPPEN WITHIN THAT 90 MINUTES. AND IF YOU WANT TO EXTEND THAT 90 MINUTES, THAT IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO TOO. UM, NOT EVERY MEETING WILL HAVE FULL PARTICIPATION WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO 90 MINUTES. THERE ARE MEETINGS WHERE WE HAVE LESS PARTICIPATION AND THERE WILL BE MEETINGS WHERE WE HAVE MORE PARTICIPATION. THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR FLEXIBILITY. THERE'S ALSO, AS DISCUSSED OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDY SESSIONS FOR HIGH IMPACT ITEMS TO TAKE THOSE COMMENTS AND MOVE 'EM TO A STUDY SESSION TO ALLOW FOR REGULAR BUSINESS TO HAPPEN WITHIN A RE A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA KEEP GOING. VICE MAYOR YANGA. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, WHEN THIS ADAM FIRST CAME UP AND UH, I SAW A SURVEY, I HAD CONCERNS, VERY SMALL SAMPLE OF THE VOTING PUBLIC TO ADDRESS ON ISSUE. SO FOREIGN LENGTH AS THIS. SO MY, MY COMMENT AT THE TIME, AND IT WAS TO JUST TO SEE MANAGER, UH, GAN, WAS WE CAN'T RELY REPHRASE THAT. WE CAN'T MACE OUR POLICIES BASED ON A VERY SMALL SAMPLE OF PEOPLE WHO REALLY ARE INVOLVED AND, AND, UH, AND AND MOIST THEIR CONCERNS. AND THEY SHARED IT WITH US TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GOING OUT AND DOING IT. AGAIN. I, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T, I DON'T, UM, I DON'T BLAME YOU FOR NOT WANTING TO DO THAT BECAUSE YOU DID IT ALREADY. YOU DID IT TWICE AND THE, AND THE OUTCOME WAS THE SAME. NOT VERY HIGH, VERY LOW TURNOUT. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REALLY ONE THING TIME. AT THAT TIME, WE DON'T HAVE, BECAUSE WE, WE, WE MEET ONE DAY AUTUMN A WEEK. TUESDAYS, WE'RE A PART-TIME COUNCIL. SO WE'RE NOT ABLE TO CATEGORIZE OUR MEETINGS LIKE MAYBE MONDAYS PRESENTATIONS, TUESDAYS STUDY SESSIONS, WEDNESDAYS FOR FREE, WHENEVER, YOU KNOW. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT UNTIL WE GET OUR FULL TIME CITY COUNCIL, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS PROBLEM OF PEOPLE WANTING TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL BY NOT BEING ABLE TO, UH, SCHEDULE ON TUESDAY TO COME OUT AND MEET ALL DAY AND MEET HERE ALL DAY. WELL, CHRISTIANS I HAD WHEN I WAS A CIVILIAN BEFORE GETTING INTO POLITICS WAS THAT I, I LOOKED AT THAT. THE DAYS, THIS DAYS IS A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IT WAS 30 YEARS AGO. 30 YEARS AGO, ALMOST, ALMOST EVERYONE ON THE CITY COUNCIL WAS EITHER AN INDEPENDENT BUSINESSMAN OR RETIRED. RETIRED, EXACTLY. THAT WAS IT. BECAUSE THEY HAD THE TIME. WE, THE CITY COUNCIL HERE NOW, WE'RE ALL WORKING STEPS. WE ALL WORKING, WORK, WORK, WORK [04:25:01] FOR A LIVING. AND OUR, AND OUR, OUR, UH, SERVICE ON THE CITY COUNCIL IS IN ADDITION TO. SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE, UH, WE'RE HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE, WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE MM-HMM . AND THAT NOT THAT MAKES A BIG, A BIG DIFFERENCE AS TO HOW WE APPROACH THINGS HERE. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT, AND I KNOW IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE, BUT WE REALLY HAVE TO STUDY MAKING THIS A FULL-TIME COUNCIL. THAT'LL RESOLVE A LOT, A LOT OF ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WITH THIS, WITH THIS, UH, 7 0 7. WE'RE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME, UH, HAVING OUR DELIBERATION. I'M GONNA ASK YOU NOT TO INTERRUPT THE COUNCIL MEETING. PLEASE JUST KEEP THE DISCUSSION DOWN AND, UM, AND SO, UH, YOU'VE INTERRUPTED AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO CONTINUE. UH, SO, SO SORRY VICE MAYOR AND WE PLEASE SPEAK INTO THE MIC AS BEST WE CAN. IT'S ONE THING I LEARNED ABOUT, ABOUT BEING UP HERE IS THAT YOU JUST TO TURN SOME THINGS OFF AND YOU CONTINUE WITH YOUR POINT. IF PEOPLE HEAR YOU, THEY HEAR, THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION ANYWAY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, NOT WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS THAT WE'RE LIMITED OUR TIME. SO WE NEED MORE TIME. AND HOW DO WE DO THAT? BEING A WOULD WALK FOR MORE TIME TO THE PEOPLE TO COME IN AND SPEAK TO US. UH, WE HAVE CHIEF OF STAFF YES. WHERE PEOPLE CAN CALL IN, TALK TO MY CHIEF OF STAFF. 'CAUSE I DON'T WORK HERE. I I I'M ONLY WORK. MY, MY OFFICIAL, UH, HOURS ARE ONE DAY TUESDAY I CAN GET PAID. I'M A PART TIME CUSTOMER. I CAN GET PAID FOR, FOR BEING HERE ONE DAY. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, HOW EFFECTIVE IS. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THAT? I DO MAKE TIME OBVIOUSLY DURING THE DAY TO MEET WITH THE CITY MANAGER, MEET, MEET WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS. I DO WHAT I HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO BE INFORMED. BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC WANTING TO MAKE, EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS A LOT MORE, IT'S JUST NOT THERE. I'M NOT HERE. AND WE ALWAYS GET CRITICIZED FOR ME, INACCESSIBLE OR UNACCESSIBLE. IT'S NOT MY FAULT. I, UH, I HAVE A FAMILY. I HAVE MY PERSONAL TIME AND FOR SO MUCH HERE, YOU WORK, YOU WORK, YOU DON'T HAVE TIME DURING THE DAY. YOU COME ON. JUST, JUST CONTINUE. MM-HMM . FINISH IT. UH, NIGHT IS, WE CAN GO TO, ALRIGHT, SO THIS IS A, A SECOND WARNING. UM, MADAM CLERK. SO PLEASE INFORM THE, THE AUDIENCE TO RESTORE THE ROOM TO THE STATE OF WATER, PLEASE. THIS IS THE SECOND WARNING FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. IF YOU CAN PLEASE REMAIN QUIET WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO OPERATE AND CONDUCT BUSINESS. IF WE HAVE TO ISSUE A THIRD WARNING, YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS. THANK YOU. SO WE, PUBLIC COMMENT IS THE TIME FOR SPEAKING AND THIS IS THE DELIBERATION TIME AND IT CAN'T, WE, WE, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN'T GET INTERRUPTED A CLAP EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE WE GET REACTIONS, WE UNDERSTAND, BUT WHEN IT GETS TO A CERTAIN POINT, IT INTERRUPTS IT. CONSTITUTIONAL, THE DISRUPTION OF THE MEETING. SO JUST, LET'S JUST TRY TO GET THROUGH THE CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. UM, UH, VICE MAYOR, WERE YOU FINISHED? UH, JUST ABOUT, JUST I'M VERY CLOSE. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY IS NOT, WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY DECISIONS TODAY. CORRECT. THIS IS RECEIVE A FILE. WE'RE STARTING, YOU'RE STARTING. SO TODAY YOU'RE NOT PASSING AN ORDINANCE, BUT YOU ARE GIVING INITIAL DIRECTION FOR US TO BRING BACK SOMETHING IN WRITING WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE VERY SPECIFICS OF AN ORDINANCE, WHICH WILL COME BACK NEXT TUESDAY. OKAY. THOSE DATES YOU INDICATED ARE FOLLOW UPS TO THIS MEETING SO THAT WE CAN BY JULY HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE THAT'LL COMPLY WITH FB 7 0 7, CORRECT? YES. YOU WILL HAVE THE 19TH OF MAY TO CONSIDER A FIRST READING. IF YOU'RE DONE WITH THAT FIRST READING, IT CAN GO TO A SECOND READING ON JUNE 9TH. IF YOU'RE NOT READY FOR THAT, THEN THE FIRST READING WOULD BE ON JUNE 9TH, AND THE SECOND READING WOULD BE ON JUNE 16TH. THEN, UM, THAT WOULD BE YOUR LAST DAY TO DO A SECOND READING. THEN IT WOULD TAKE [04:30:01] 30 DAYS FOR TO GO INTO EFFECT AND THEN IT'D BE EFFECT, UH, WHEN WE COME BACK JULY 21ST. OKAY. SO WHEN, WHEN, WHEN WE'RE WAITING FOR TWO DAYS, NOT ANYTHING DAYS, NOT A A FAILED COMPLAIN. IT IS BASICALLY PROVIDE YOU GUYS FOR MY SNAP WITH DIRECTION ON ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US. CORRECT? CORRECT. THIS IS THE START. OKAY. A CONCERN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I HEARD ONE OR TWO COUNCIL PEOPLE SAYING THEY CAN'T SUPPORT THIS. SO MY, MY CONCERN WOULD BE THAT BECAUSE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS MIGHT FEEL SAYING THAT IF THIS DOES NOT PASS TONIGHT, WE, WE SHOOT OURSELVES IN THE FOOT, WE'LL GET ANOTHER MOTION. IS THAT CORRECT? NO, IT'S A, IT'S, WE HAVE, WE HAVE SOME TIME. WE NEED TO LAND ON A MOTION TONIGHT. EVEN IF YOU DON'T LOVE IT, IT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT HAS SOME SENSE OF CONSENSUS. NEXT WEEK WE NEED TO FINE TUNE, BUT BY THAT THIRD MEETING WE NEED TO LAND ON WHAT WE'RE GONNA START WITH ON JUNE ONE. THAT'S, THAT'S OUR TIMETABLE. WE REALLY HAVE THREE BITES AT THE APPLE CLARIFICATION. I WANT BECAUSE THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I CAN'T MOVE FOR THIS. IT'S NOT GONNA BE PERFECT. YOU'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT VOTING FOR ANYTHING. WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST PROVIDING DIRECTION TO OUR STAFF TO LOOK AT THESE OTHER ISSUES. AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE, MAYBE IT'S TIME LOOK AT MORE SERIOUSLY HAVING A FULL-TIME COUNCIL AND WE CAN HAVE STAFF, BUT WE ARE BUDGET MORE NOW. WE'RE ING WE'RE BONDING CHALLENGE IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS, MAN, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS OUR TIME HAS COME WHERE WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT MORE SERIOUSLY IN TERMS OF HOW WE FUNCTION HELP HERE. ONE DAY OUT OF THE WEEK, IT'S NOT ENOUGH. APPARENTLY WE NEED MORE TIME, MORE TIME ME ACCESSIBLE AND FOR US TO LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC AND FOR THE PUBLIC TO SHARE WITH US. AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THAT RIGHT NOW, IT APPEARS TO ME IS THAT WE NEED MORE TIME. WE NEED TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE BY MEETING IN OUR OFFICES. UH, LIKE, LIKE A, LIKE A PROFESSOR. OFFICE HOURS. I HAVE OFFICE HOURS, I WILL COME THERE AND WHATEVER. ANYWAY, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES. THANK YOU. UM, SO I'M LOOKING AT, I DON'T THINK KNOW IF THE SLIDES HAVE NUMBERS ON THEM. THEY DO 11, UH, THE KEY REQUIREMENTS, UM, I'M GONNA SKIP THE FIRST ONE FOR NOW. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR REMOTE PUBLIC COMMENT USING AN AV PLATFORM, APPROVING A POLICY ABOUT TECHNICAL DISRUPTIONS, UPDATING DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR LANGUAGE ACCESSIBLE WEBPAGE, CREATE OUTREACH, AND THEN TRANSLATION ARE THE KEY COMPONENTS OF 7 0 7 THAT WE NEED TO, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING. I THINK THE PART THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT AND THAT WE'RE GRAPPLING WITH IS THAT REMOTE PART PARTICIPATION, NOT NECESSARILY THE PLATFORM, BUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN, UM, REAL LIVED OUT WAYS. I CAME FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD WHERE WE DID HAVE TWO SEPARATED PUBLIC COMMENTS, 30 MINUTES, UM, FOR, UH, NON AGENDIZED ITEMS, 30 MINUTES FOR AGENDIZED ITEMS WITH THE CHAIR, HAVING THE DISCRETION TO INCREASE TIME FOR AGENDIZED ITEMS AS THOSE SEEM TO BE THE MOST PERTINENT. THAT IS A SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE THERE FOR A LONG TIME. UM, AND IT MADE SENSE IN SOME MEETINGS. WE HAD THREE NON-AG AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND WE HAD 35 OR 40 OR 50 PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO SPEAK ON AGENDIZED ITEMS. AND THE CHAIR OFTENTIMES WOULD EXTEND THAT TIME. AND SO I THINK FOR ME, THE QUESTIONS THAT I, THE THING THAT I GRAPPLE WITH WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TIME IS TIME VERSUS PEOPLE. SO IF WE'RE GONNA TAKE A SET AMOUNT OF TIME AND DIVIDED BY HOW MUCH TIME EACH PERSON GETS, WE MAY END UP WITH FEWER PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO SPEAK. IF WE EXTEND THAT TIME, UM, WE'LL GET MORE PEOPLE TO SPEAK. OR IF WE GIVE PEOPLE MORE TIME, THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITY. AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE BALANCE AND THE THING THAT I STRUGGLE WITH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS IS THE PLACE PEOPLE COME TO BE HEARD. WE KNOW THAT FOLKS DO NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS AT THE STATE LEVEL. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. AND OFTENTIMES THIS IS THE PLACE WE ARE THE MOST LOCAL PLACE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT. UM, AND WHETHER THE THING THEY'RE SPEAKING ON IS IN OUR JURISDICTION OR NOT, THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE ON THE PUBLIC RECORD. AND I REALLY THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT AND RESPECT THAT. SO, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR MEETING IS THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY DONE IN PUBLIC WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT ON THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY. IT IS A BUSINESS MEETING WHERE WE ARE REQUIRED TO GET THROUGH THINGS. AND SO HAVING UNLIMITED AMOUNTS OF TIME FOR PEOPLE TO SPEAK AND UNLIMITED NUMBERS OF PEOPLE SPEAKING IS NOT, [04:35:01] IT'S NOT REALISTIC IN GETTING THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY DONE. AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE RUB IS FOR ME. AND SO CAN WE LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS OF, DO WE PUT TOGETHER A TIME THAT IS 30 MINUTES OF NON AGENDIZED SORT OF PUBLIC COMMENT LIKE WE DO? AND THEN POTENTIALLY 60 OR 90 MINUTES, MAYBE IT'S 90 MINUTES MORE WITH THE SPEAKER'S OR WITH THE CHAIR'S DISCRETION TO SAY THESE ARE THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. THE REALITY IS IF ANYONE CAN CALL IN, IF ANY OF OUR CONSTITUENTS CAN CALL IN FROM WHERE THEY ARE, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE'RE HEARING OFTENTIMES MOST OFTEN FROM LOCAL PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO THE POLICIES THAT WE'RE MAKING ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTING THEIR LIVES. WHILE WE KNOW IT MAY BE A BIG ITEM AND STATE PEOPLE MAY HAVE CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT IT, WE ARE DOING THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY THAT MOST IMPACTS OUR RESIDENTS. UM, SO THAT'S THIS. AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT, IT'S MORE PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO HEAR FROM OR THE PEOPLE WHO WE'RE HEARING FROM NEEDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK LONGER. AND I THINK THAT'S THE PART THAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT RESPECTFULLY WORKING TOGETHER IN COLLABORATION FOR, FOR WHAT IS GONNA BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF GETTING THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY DONE. BECAUSE BEING HERE UNTIL MIDNIGHT, ONE, TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TO HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE ISN'T CONDUCIVE TO THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, IN MY OPINION. AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO GRAPPLE WITH. ALSO, UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS ISN'T THE ONLY PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT OR ENGAGEMENT. THAT YOU CAN GIVE COMMENT ONLINE. YOU CAN ADDRESS IT TO THE CITY CLERK, YOU CAN ENGAGE WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER IN DIFFERENT SPACES. I KNOW MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE PUBLIC MEETINGS WHERE WE CAN ENGAGE ON OTHER ISSUES. AND WE TALK ABOUT ENGAGEMENT VERSUS COMMENT. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, AT THE NUANCE THERE. UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN EASY ANSWER HERE. I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN ANSWER THAT'S GONNA PLEASE EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT OR A WEEK FROM NOW OR TWO WEEKS FROM NOW. BECAUSE EVERYBODY, IT'S VERY PERSONAL. SO I THINK IT IS UNREALISTIC THAT WE DO NOT HAVE SOME SET AMOUNT OF TIME. WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, THAT IS REAL. UM, I, YOU KNOW, WE GIVE THE, SO THEN I ACTUALLY HAVE A PRACTICAL QUESTION. SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT OF IT'S BOTH IN PERSON AND ONLINE AND SOME AGENCIES PRIORITIZE WHO'S IN FRONT. MY CONCERN IS WE OPEN THIS UP AND ALL OF A SUDDEN 90 MINUTES WORTH OF PUBLIC COMMENT FILL UP BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE ONLINE READY TO GO, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR ME. AND THEN WE HAVE THOSE PEOPLE WHO THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THEY WANNA SHOW UP TO COUNCIL WHEN THEY COME TO CHAMBERS AND THE TIME IS ALREADY FULL. WHAT DO WE DO WITH THAT? LIKE THAT'S THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE THING FOR SOMEONE TO COME HERE. UM, AND THAT'S THE BALANCE. SO WE KNOW THAT FOLKS LIKE TO COME SOMETIMES SPEAK ON WHAT ITEMS OR 202 ITEMS. SOMETIMES PEOPLE SPEAK ON EVERY ITEM WHICH ADDS 30, 40, 50 MINUTES OF PUBLIC COMMENT. IT'S UNREALISTIC TO THINK THAT WE WON'T BE LIMITING PUBLIC COMMENT IN SOME WAY. BUT HOW ARE WE DOING IT IN A WAY THAT IT'S INVITES AS MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE LOCALLY IMPACTED BY THE WORK WE'RE DOING, UM, IN A WAY THAT IS REALISTIC FOR THE WORK GETTING DONE AND ALLOWS PEOPLE TO FEEL HEARD. THERE IS NO EASY ANSWER HERE. AND I THINK THE REASON THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ARE DOING IS BECAUSE THEY'RE GRAPPLING WITH THAT SAME VERY QUESTION. UM, SO I APPRECIATE THAT THE TEAM HAS PUT TOGETHER SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR US TO WORK THROUGH. AND I THINK WE NEED TO THINK REALLY SERIOUSLY ABOUT, YES, WE NEED TO HAVE A TIME LIMIT ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. POSSIBLY IT'S CLOSING COMMENTS OF 30 MINUTES AT THE END OF THE MEETING TO CATCH FOLKS WHO DIDN'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. UM, BUT I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING SURE, UM, THAT THERE'S SOME KIND OF BALANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO CALL IN TO SIGN UP FOR A SPOT AND PEOPLE WHO WALK IN THE DOOR TO DO THE SAME THING. IF THEY'RE RUSHING FROM WORK, THEY PICKED UP THEIR KIDS, WHATEVER IT IS, AND THEY SHOW UP HERE AND THERE'S NO TIMES LEFT. UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT WE CAN'T SIT HERE UNTIL, UNTIL O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND EFFECTIVELY DO THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY. SO I THINK THERE'S BIGGER QUESTIONS AS, UH, VICE MAYOR TALKED ABOUT IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME WE HAVE. WE KNOW THAT SOME BODIES START THEIR MEETINGS AT NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND WE KNOW THAT'S NOT CONDUCIVE TO WORKING PEOPLE, BUT THAT I, I THINK IT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE ASK TO SAY, WE ARE GONNA BE FULLY AVAILABLE FOR WORKING FOLKS AND WE'RE GONNA BE FULLY AVAILABLE TO HEAR EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO SPEAK. WE RUN OUT OF TIME AND WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. AND IT ISN'T FOR ME A PERSONAL FAILING. IT IS WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME AND IT'S A BUREAUCRACY AND WE HAVE TO FIGURE THIS OUT TO THE INTENT OF 7 0 7 AND IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR RESIDENTS. SO THAT'S A LOT OF TALK FOR NOT HAVING A LOT OF ANSWERS OR INPUT OTHER THAN SAYING, POSSIBLY LOOKING AT CLOSING PUBLIC COMMENT, POSSIBLY LOOKING AT, UM, TAKING AGENDIZED NON [04:40:01] AGENDIZED ITEM COMMENT OUT OF THERE AND LETTING US FILL A 90 MINUTE SLOT WITH AGENDIZED SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE DOING THE BUSINESS ON THAT DAY. UM, KNOWING THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, FOLKS AREN'T GONNA BE HAPPY ABOUT IT. SO I THINK THERE'S ROOM, UM, TO INVITE MORE PEOPLE INTO THE CONVERSATION, BUT I THINK IT'S UNREALISTIC TO SAY WE ARE GONNA MEET THE NEEDS OF EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO WANTS TO COMMENT ON OUR AGENDA EVERY SINGLE TIME. IT'S JUST NOT GONNA HAPPEN. I I WISH IT WERE DIFFERENT, BUT IN THE WAY THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY SET UP AND THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS. SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO GRAPPLE WITH THIS WITH Y'ALL OVER THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS. ALL RIGHT, WELL WE STILL GOTTA GRAPPLE TONIGHT 'CAUSE WE GONNA NEED A MOTION , BUT UH, AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP GOING TO THE SECOND ROUND OF COMMENTS, BUT JUST SOME THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD MANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY THAT I THINK SHOULD BE A PART OF WHATEVER WE LAND ON. ONE. UM, THE MEETINGS, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME. SO THE MEETINGS HAVE TO START EARLIER UNLESS WE'RE GONNA DO MEETINGS ON OTHER DAYS, THE MEETINGS HAVE TO START EARLIER. I'M LOOKING EVERY, I'M SEEING HEADS NOD SO THAT THE MEETINGS DO HAVE TO START EARLIER TOO. UM, IT'S UNFAIR TO CUT OFF, UH, SIGN UP BEFORE FIVE O'CLOCK FOR IN PERSON. I HEARD EVERYBODY SAY THAT BECAUSE IF PEOPLE RUSHING HERE TO GET OFF WORK, THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO SIGN UP. SO THAT NEEDS TO BE A PART OF IT. THE THIRD THING, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO SAY NO CAP, BUT REALISTICALLY THE WAY WE MANAGE IT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A CAP, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE FLEXIBILITY WHEN WE NEED TO READ THE ROOM. WE NEED TO ADD 30 MINUTES AND WE NEED A WAY TO DO THAT. SO WE NEED TO HAVE A CAP BUT RESPECT THAT THAT CAP IS LIKE, IF THERE'S REALLY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO SAY, HEY, WE REALLY WANT TO HEAR MORE AND PEOPLE ARE HERE, THEN WE NEED TO DO THAT. THOSE NEED TO BE A PART OF WHATEVER COMES OUT. I LIKE WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER KERRS SAID ABOUT POTENTIALLY DIVIDING THE, UH, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT THAT ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO THE ISSUES. 'CAUSE THAT COULD BE ANYBODY FROM ANYWHERE USING THIS PLATFORM TO TALK ABOUT ANY ISSUE IN THE WORLD. SO THERE MAY BE A WAY TO SAY FROM FOUR TO FIVE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE YOUR PRESENTATIONS, WHICH TAKES ABOUT 30 MINUTES. WE NEED THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO RESPECT THAT 30 MINUTES AS BEST AS WE CAN. IF THEY WRAP UP SOONER, WE CAN START THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT SOONER. BUT WE PUT A CAP ON THAT AND THAT'S NO MA NO MORE THAN 30 MINUTES. AND WE CAN DETERMINE IS THAT, 'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO DO VIRTUAL AND REMOTE. MAYBE YOU TAKE THAT DOWN TO 90 SECONDS AND DO BOTH. YOU DO, YOU COULD DO 10 OF UM, UH, IN PERSON AND 10 YOU DO 10 IN PERSON AND OR 15 IN PERSON AND 15 ONLINE AND THEN IT'S DONE. AND THEN GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT COULD START FROM SIX, FROM FIVE TO SIX AND YOU CUT OFF THE, THE SIGN UP TO FIVE 30 AND YOU GO FROM FIVE TO SIX. YOU CAN'T STOP PUBLIC COM. YOU CAN'T START THE COUNCIL MEETING UNTIL FIVE 30 THOUGH. BECAUSE IF WE START THE COUNCIL MEETING, LET'S SAY ONLY PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET HERE AT FIVE, YOU KNOW, FIVE 30, BUT WE FINISHED PUBLIC COMMENT ALREADY AND WE START THE COUNCIL MEETING. SO WE HAVE TO STILL RESPECT ANYBODY WHO MET THAT DEADLINE OF GOT IN BY FIVE 30. WE HAVE TO LET THEM COMMENT THOSE PEOPLE SO THAT WE RESPECT THAT SIX O'CLOCK, FIVE TO SIX WINDOW. SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO START THE COUNCIL MEETING SOONER IF FEWER PEOPLE COME. BUT WE RESPECT THAT FIVE 30. I THINK HAVING A SYSTEM LIKE THAT ADDRESSES AT LEAST WHAT I'VE HEARD MOST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ADDRESS HERE. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO START AND REFINE NEXT WEEK. SO THIS IS NOT A MOTION, BUT I'M, I'M JUST LOOKING TO EVERYONE ABOUT, THAT'S WHERE I HEAR SOME CONSENSUS ON RIGHT NOW, LIKE THAT. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, I WILL OFFER THAT TO YOU IF THAT'S WHERE YOU WANT TO, WHERE YOU WANNA START AS A CONSENSUS MOTION. LET ME MAKE SOME COMMENTS AND THEN I LIKE WHAT YOU BUILT. OKAY. THAT WAS, THAT WAS GOOD. UM, I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR BROUGHT UP PEOPLE SIGNING UP VIRTUALLY AND BLOCKING OUT, UM, IN PERSON. SO I LIKE THAT WE COULD DO PUBLIC COMMENT 50 50. I THINK WE COULD DO THAT FOR AGENDA ITEMS ALSO, UM, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE PRESENT IN CHAMBERS ALSO GET THE OPPORTUNITY. SO LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S A 50 50 FOR IN-PERSON VERSUS VIRTUAL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UM, I I DO THINK WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT PEOPLE COULD CALL FROM ANYWHERE AND WE COULD SEE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE CALLING IN, UM, I THINK WE CAN INTRODUCE THE CHAIR'S DISCRETION AS WELL AS [04:45:01] IF WE HAVE A, UM, WE HAVE AN AVERAGE OF WHAT, 35 CITY CLERK APPROXIMATELY OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS PER MEETING. 35 COMMENTS. CORRECT. 35 COMMENTERS. CORRECT. ON AVERAGE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS. SO KNOWING THAT KNOWING IT WILL PROBABLY INCREASE WITH VIRTUAL, UM, WHAT IF WE DO CHAIRS DISCRETION, BUT IT BLEEDS INTO 30 MINUTES AFTER, AT THE END OF THE MEETING, AFTER WE DO AGENDA ITEMS. BECAUSE PUTTING A CAP AT ONE HOUR AND 30 MINUTES, OF COURSE NOW WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION PUBLIC COMMENT BEFOREHAND. UM, THERE SHOULD BE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE EVEN AFTERWARD AFTER OUR MEETING. 'CAUSE OUR MEETING WILL BE MORE CONCISE. I SAW THAT. ARE YOU ASKING ME MY OPINION ON IT? I AM. OH NO. I THINK AND I WANNA HEAR OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHAT, WHAT THEY THINK. YEAH, I MEAN THE CAP, THE WAY I WOULD ADMINISTER IT, THE CAP PREVENTS PEOPLE FROM SPEAKING. YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW. SO WHAT I, THE WAY I WOULD LOOK AT IT, I WOULD SAY I LIKE THIS IDEA OF LIKE THE 30 MINUTES BEFORE FIVE O'CLOCK YOU PRIORITIZE NON AGENDA. THAT'S ANYBODY TALKING ABOUT ANY ISSUE AFTER FIVE O'CLOCK? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES ON THE, THE BUSINESS OF THE MEETING. AND I THINK WE CAN LOOK AT IT 30 MINUTES AT A TIME IF WE WANT TO EXTEND. I DON'T THINK, I THINK WE'D LOOK AT 30 MINUTE EXTENSIONS. IF, IF, AND THAT'S THE DISCRETION WE LOOK AT, HEY, LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA NEED TO ADD 30 MINUTES OR WE NEED TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL 30 MINUTES. BUT THERE HAS TO BE A CUTOFF ON SIGNUP. YOU, IF YOU DON'T DO THAT, THERE COULD BE A PERPETUAL PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD BECAUSE OF THE ONLINE DYNAMIC. IT COULD BE, HEY, THIS IS GREAT, I HEAR SOMETHING'S GOING ON IN THE COUNCIL MEETING, EVERYBODY JUST JUMPING UP ON LET'S ALL CALL IN. AND IT COULD BE A ROLLING SITUATION, UH, ROLLING SCENARIO. SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT CUTOFF. SO THAT IS NECESSARY OR ELSE IT'S NOT EASY. YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO MANAGE IT OR UNDERSTAND HOW LONG IT'S GONNA BE. SO BASED ON WHAT THE CLERK HAS SAID ABOUT WHAT THE AVERAGE HAS BEEN AT 90 MINUTES, I THINK 90 MINUTES IS A START. IT'S HARD TO SAY HOW MUCH VIRTUAL IS GONNA ACTUALLY COME IN. I THINK HAVING 30 MINUTE INCREMENTS OF DISCRETION ALLOWS US TO ADJUST. AND THEN IN SIX MONTHS AFTER WE SEE HOW IT'S GOING. ARE WE GETTING VIRTUAL BOMBED? ARE WE NOT, ARE PEOPLE USING THE VIRTUAL FEATURE THE WAY IT'S DESIGNED AND SUPPOSED TO BE USED, WHICH IS ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC COMMENT. IF IT DOES WORK, IDEALLY YOU DO GET MORE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE CAN SAY, OKAY. 'CAUSE PERSONALLY I WOULD BE OKAY WITH GOING FROM 90 MINUTES TO TWO HOURS, UH, A COUNCIL MEETING HAVING TWO HOURS OF PUBLIC COMMENT. I MEAN THOSE WERE THE OLD SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETINGS THAT EVERYBODY DID BACK WHEN I WAS WORKING FOR THE CITY. AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT GROUP OF COUNCIL MEMBERS BUT AT THE SAME TIME, BACK THEN, WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MUCH BUSINESS AS WE HAVE TODAY. WE HAVE MORE THAN A THOUSAND ITEMS EVERY YEAR. IT WAS LIKE SEVEN, 800 BACK THEN. SO THE AMOUNT OF ITEMS WE HAVE HAS GROWN AND WE DON'T HAVE A FULL-TIME COUNCIL. AND THE COUNCIL DID NOT WANT TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL COUNCIL MEETING DAY. RIGHT. WITHOUT CHANGING THAT STRUCTURE. SO I, SO I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY I THINK WE'RE, I THINK WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE AS A START. I THINK THIS GIVES US A WEEK FOR EVERYBODY TO CHEW ON IT, HAVE STAFF START DRAFTING IT NEXT WEEK. LET'S LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE WHEN IT COMES OUT. UM, BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE I THINK I SEE SOME CONSENSUS HERE. AND THEN NEXT WEEK WE REALLY SHARPEN THE PENCIL ON WHAT THOSE DETAILS LOOK LIKE. SO YOU'RE TALKING 30 MINUTE INCREMENTS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR, RIGHT. POST 90 MINUTES. RIGHT. AND I WOULD BREAK THE 90, UP 30 FOR A GENERAL, AN HOUR FOR AGENDA WITH 30 MINUTE INCREMENTS TO ADD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. BUT WE HAVE THAT CUTOFF AT FIVE 30. SO WE WOULD DO, AND WE COULD DO, I THINK, I THINK YOU DO 90 SECONDS ON GENERAL, ON GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, I'M FLEXIBLE ON THE OTHER ONE. I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU NEED, I THINK WE CAN LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF SIGNUPS AND ASSIGN IT ON, ON ITEM PUBLIC COMMENT BETWEEN 90 AND 30. IF IT'S NOT A LOT SIGNED UP, WE CAN STICK WITH THE THREE MINUTES. IF IT'S A LOT, THEN WE PRIORITIZE GETTING AS MANY POINTS OF VIEW AS POSSIBLE WITHIN THAT TIME. IF WE WANT TO ADD ADDITIONAL, WE CAN ADD ADDITIONAL. BUT I THINK ON THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, I THINK WE DO 90 SECONDS BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE TO ADD VIRTUAL. SO THAT ADDS MORE PEOPLE. BUT, BUT LESS TIME BECAUSE IDEALLY PEOPLE ARE GONNA USE THE VIRTUAL, UM, UH, OPTION. SO IF YOU'RE, IF, IF YOU OR SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE THAT MOTION, I THINK THAT'S WHERE CONSENSUS IS TODAY. AND WE CAN START THERE AND KEEP, THERE'S A FEW MORE PEOPLE QUEUED UP SO WE CAN SEE IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION. BUT I THINK WE NEED A BASE MOTION. [04:50:01] SO YOU YOU WANNA MAKE THAT AS THE BASE MOTION? YES. I WANNA YOU BLOCKED IT OUT. READ IT BACK AGAIN SO I CAN, ALRIGHT, HERE'S WHERE WE ARE. MADAM CITY ATTORNEY COUNCIL MEETING. START AT FOUR. YOU'RE GONNA DO 30 MINUTES. YOU'RE GONNA DO YOUR PRESENTATIONS. YOU'RE GONNA DO 30 MINUTES OF GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT ONLINE AND IN PERSON. FIF 90 SECONDS EACH FIVE O'CLOCK TO SIX O'CLOCK. IS YOUR GENERAL PUBLIC IS YOUR AGENDA ITEM, PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD. SIGN UP TO SPEAK IN PERSON. CUTS OFF AT FIVE 30. I THINK VIRTUAL. I DON'T THINK YOU NEED THAT FOR THE VIRTUAL 'CAUSE VIRTUAL CAN COME IN AT ANY POINT. SO VIRTUAL IS AT FIVE O'CLOCK. BUT IN PERSON AT FIVE 30 BE YOU MAYOR, YOU HAVE TO BE EQUITABLE. YOU CAN'T CUT VIRTUAL OFF. OKAY, WELL THAT'S THE LAW. SO FIVE 30 IS THE CUTOFF. ONE HOUR. IF WE WANT TO EXTEND IT, WE CAN CONSIDER 30 MINUTES AT A TIME. SO THAT IS, AND KEEP IN MIND IF YOU'RE EXTENDING THE SIGNUPS TO FIVE 30 AND PUBLIC COMMENTS STARTS AT FIVE, YOU WON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE. 'CAUSE YOU CAN HAVE THAT HALF HOUR PERIOD WHERE CALLERS ARE COMING IN, PEOPLE ARE COMING INTO THE CHAMBER. SO WE MIGHT START OFF THINKING WE HAVE A LOT OF TIME, THERE'S ONLY FIVE PEOPLE AND WE COULD END UP WITH 50 AT FIVE 30. THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND IF WE'RE GONNA SPEND THAT'S A GOOD POINT. YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO SOLVE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS ARE GONNA LOOK TO LONG BEACH 'CAUSE WE'RE TYPICALLY THE ONES, WE'VE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION AHEAD OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS. SO I'M SURE THIS WILL GET SOME FEEDBACK AND BE ADJUSTED. BUT DO YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION HOW TO HANDLE THAT AT THIS TIME? I DON'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO HANDLE THAT, BUT WE CAN COME BACK NEXT WEEK OKAY. WITH SOME IDEAS. SO LET'S THINK THROUGH THAT FOR NEXT WEEK, FOR NEXT WEEK'S DISCUSSION. YEAH. OKAY. THAT'S THE MOTION. JUST FOR CLARITY, IT WAS 90 SECONDS FOR THE, UH, THE NON-PUBLIC COMMENT OR NON, UM, AGENDA ITEM. WHAT WAS IT FOR? THE, THE, FROM FIVE TO SIX, IT ALSO 90 SECONDS. WE DIDN'T SET IT A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES, BUT WE CAN RATCHET IT DOWN BASED ON HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT WE'RE SEEING FROM FIVE TO SIX. OKAY. YEAH. AND, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT WE DO HAVE LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS SO SOMEBODY CAN COME IN, RIGHT? WE WON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GONNA NEED ASSISTANCE THAT DOUBLES THEIR TIME. PEOPLE MIGHT ALSO HAVE ASSISTANCE LISTENING DEVICES OR NEED HELP WITH THOSE DEVICES AND GET DOUBLE THE TIME AS WELL. SO WE MIGHT BE DOING THE MATH THINKING WE'VE GOT IT SET, BUT THERE COULD BE ADDITIONAL TIME ADDED ON IF WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO REQUIRE THOSE SERVICES. MM-HMM SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND THEN I WOULD RATHER ERR ON THE SAFE SIDE AND ERR ON MORE PEOPLE THAN MORE TIME KEEP THE FIVE 30 BUT DO 92ND CONSISTENT. THAT WAY IF YOU START AT THREE MINUTES, THEN YOU HAVE TO GO DOWN IN 90 SECONDS. NOBODY FEELS LIKE THEY GOT, THEY GOT LESS TIME. ALRIGHT. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, YOU YOU GOOD WITH THAT MOTION THEN? I JUST RESTATE IT. I'M GOOD WITH THE MOTION. OKAY. AS STATED, WE'LL KEEP BUILDING ON THIS. ALRIGHT. WITH ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT WHEN PEOPLE COME IN, CERTAINLY TO SPEAK. ABSOLUTELY. I KNOW THIS ISN'T LIKE THE, THE IDEAL WAY TO DO THIS, BUT WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AHEAD OF MOST JURISDICTIONS AND THIS GIVES US TIME TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS SO WE'RE STARTING IT SOONER. WE APPRECIATE WHAT THE COMMITTEE HAS DONE. UM, AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP THE DISCUSSION GOING. COUNCIL MEMBERS, ZENDEJAS, YOU JUST WANNA UM, BE CLEAR THAT I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT, UM, SB 7 0 7. UM, I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, UM, WOULD LIKE TO ASK CITY STAFF. DO YOU REMEMBER HOW, OR DO YOU KNOW, UM, HOW MANY SURVEYS WE COLLECTED IN REGARDS TO FOUR? YEAH, IT WAS, UM, WELL ORIGINALLY 74 WITH THE COMMITTEE SURVEY AND THEN WHEN WE REDISTRIBUTED IT 497 TOTAL, INCLUDING ONLINE AND IN PERSON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE. UM, UM, BEING ON THE GOE COMMITTEE, I THINK THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO REDISTRIBUTE THE SURVEY SO THAT WE COULD GET MORE COMMUNITY INPUT. UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S STILL ENOUGH. UH, I'M GLAD THAT WE HAD THOSE, THAT MANY RESPONSE. UM, BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE, UM, ALMOST HALF A MILLION PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UM, CONTINUE ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY. UH, I KNOW THAT, UM, US AS A CITY WE'RE VERY GOOD AT ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY IN ROUND TABLES AND, UM, TRYING TO REACH THE COMMUNITY IN DIFFERENT WAYS. UH, THAT'S WHY I REALLY DID APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER KERR'S, UM, COMMENT ABOUT TRYING TO FIND SOME KIND OF BALANCE AND SOME KIND OF, UM, UNIFORMITY TO BE ABLE [04:55:01] TO ADDRESS NOT ONLY THE, UM, CHALLENGES THAT WE MIGHT FACE, BUT ALSO BEING ABLE PRIMARILY TO BE ABLE TO GIVE OUR RESIDENTS, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, DO PUBLIC COMMENT WHEN THEY FEEL THAT THEY NEED TO. SO I THINK THAT THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE CLARIFICATIONS. I UNDERSTAND THAT TODAY'S MOTION IS JUST THE BEGINNING PART OF IT AND THAT, UM, THAT WE WILL DO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. UM, ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD IS IT, I KNOW THAT 7 0 7 IS URGENT AND WE MUST VOTE ON IT SO THAT WE COULD START IT ON JULY OF FIRST OR AFTER. UM, I WAS WONDERING DO YOU SEE AN OPPORTUNITY OR THE FEASIBILITY OF US HAVING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND, AND WITH MAYBE COMING UP WITH WHAT OUR ORDINANCE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, BUT MAYBE IMPLEMENTING IT LATER THAN THAT SO THAT WE CAN INFORM THE COMMUNITY OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE GONNA BE MADE, THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING, UM, HAVE A CAMPAIGN THERE OR DO WE HAVE TO, UM, START AT THE RIGHT? UM, WHEN 7 0 2 TAKES PLACE, 7 0 7, WE DO RECOMMEND THAT YOU GET THIS ALL IN TOGETHER. I MEAN, LOOK HOW MUCH DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD TONIGHT. DO ALL THIS TOGETHER AT ONCE, UM, IN, IN TIME FOR 7 0 7 TO BE IMPLEMENTED JULY 1ST. SO, UM, YOU COULD USE YOUR NEWSLETTERS AND INVITE PEOPLE NEXT TUESDAY TO COME DOWN HERE AND JOIN US. THEN WE'LL HAVE THE MEETING ON, UH, THE NINTH TO JOIN US AND ALSO THE MEETING ON JUNE 16TH. SO, UM, I DON'T THINK WE AS STAFF WOULD BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND TRY TO ENGAGE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY IN THAT TIME AND STILL MAKE, UH, BE ABLE TO MEET, HAVE YOU MEET THE DEADLINES TO, TO CHANGE THE ORDINANCE? UM, IS THAT, UM, BUT CAN WE APPROVE THE 7 0 2 AND THEN, AND THEN, SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO APPROVE THE 7 0 2 AND WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO START THE ENGAGEMENT OR SO LEGALLY THE PROTOCOLS YOU CAN, WE COULD PUT IN 7 0 7 IN PLACE, BUT WITHOUT ANY OF THE MEETING CHANGES THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT. SO THE MEETING CHANGES HOW WE DO BUSINESS ALL HAS TO BE DONE IN MUNICIPAL CODE. SO, UM, 7 0 7 IS JUST REALLY SAYING YOU COULD JUST TURN ON A VIRTUAL MEETING OPTION. UH, WE ALSO, WE REALLY RECOMMEND BEING ABLE TO CONSOLIDATE IT TOO BECAUSE THERE ARE PARTS OF 7 0 7 THAT SAYS IF FOR SOME REASON YOU CAN'T ACCESS THAT ONLINE VERSION, YOU HAVE TO STOP ALL BUSINESS. UM, SO, UH, WE REALLY DO NEED TO HAVE A CONSOLIDATED TIME WHERE PEOPLE CAN GIVE THEIR COMMENTS, UH, AND BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING SO THAT IT DOESN'T, UH, UH, POTENTIALLY MAKE US HAVE TO CANCEL THE MEETING IF WE HAVE A TECHNOLOGY ISSUE. SO IF I COULD JUST, JUST ADD IT. 'CAUSE WE DO THIS AT, AT LA CASA WHERE I CHAIR. SO BEFORE WE HAD TO DO PUBLIC COMMENT ON EACH ITEM AND THEN SWITCH TO VIRTUAL PUBLIC COMMENT ON EACH ITEM. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF TECHNICAL ISSUES WHEN YOU GET THROUGH THAT. AND WE HAD TO DO THAT ON EVERY SINGLE ITEM BEFORE WE CONSOLIDATED ALL TO ONE TIME. WE WERE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH EVERYBODY IN PERSON, THEN WE WENT THROUGH THE VIRTUAL AND WORKED THROUGH ALL THE TECHNICAL ISSUES UNTIL IT WAS DONE. SO THAT IS ONE THING TO CONSIDER. IF WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT THIS COMPREHENSIVELY AND WE JUST SAY WE'RE TURNING ON VIRTUAL WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT COMPREHENSIVELY, IT COULD BE A VERY, A VERY CHALLENGING MEETING TO ADMINISTER. I HAVE A QUESTION. I HAVE A QUESTION MADAM CLERK. IT'S JUST A IDEA. IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, IT'S OKAY 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA MESS UP THE MOMENTUM WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. BUT WHAT IF, IF THE ISSUE IS PEOPLE ARE RUSHING TO GET HERE BY A CERTAIN TIME TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK, COULD THEY SIGN UP REMOTELY? JUST, HEY, I'M COMING DOWN TO CITY COUNCIL, ADD ME TO THE LIST. THE OPPORTUNITY IS THERE. THE RISK WITH THAT IS PEOPLE COULD SIGN UP REMOTELY AND NOT SHOW UP AND NOT SHOW UP. AH, AND IF WE'RE GAUGING THE TIME ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP IT, IT COULD THROW THAT OFF. IT'S POSSIBLE. BUT AGAIN, THERE IS A RISK. OKAY. SO WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SIGN UP IN ADVANCE, HERE'S A WINDOW TO SIGN UP, BUT YOU NEED TO BE IN THE, WE WILL ADD YOU, WE WILL CONFIRM YOU WHEN YOU WALK IN THE DOOR BEFORE FIVE 30 OR WHATEVER. YES. OKAY. SEEMS CONFUSING BUT I, YOU KNOW, I JUST FIGURED I WOULD ASK THIS. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DISCUSSION, SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK THROUGH. ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBERS, ZENDEJAS, ANYTHING ELSE? UM, SO WOULD WE EVEN CONSIDER HAVING AN ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THOSE THAT DON'T [05:00:01] MAKE IT DURING THAT? OR IF THAT'S JUST TO LIMIT THIS, UM, TO THAT HOUR AND 30 MINUTES? WELL, WHAT, WHAT WE LANDED ON RIGHT NOW WAS WE WOULD CONSIDER EXTENDING 30 MINUTES AT A TIME, IS WE'RE HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT CURRENTLY. YES. IN THIS EXISTING MOTION. YEAH. AND I WOULD REALLY SUGGEST THAT YOU TRY TO GET ALL THAT PUBLIC COMMENT UPFRONT BECAUSE THAT IS GONNA INFORM YOUR DECISION. IF WE OPEN THAT UP AT THE END OF THE MEETING, THEN THEY'LL BE COMMENTING ON SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY PASSED. BECAUSE WE WOULD TAKE ALL PUBLIC COMMENT, THEN WE WOULD DO THE AGENDA ITEMS AND THEN THAT SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD WOULD, UM, REALLY BE INPUT TO YOU THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ACT UPON. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN? UH, YES. UM, JUST A THANK YOU. UH, GOSH, MY, THE COLLEAGUE, MY COLLEAGUES ARE SO SMART AND I, I JUST, UM, I REALLY, UM, A LOT OF THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT, UM, WHEN COUNCILMAN, UH, JONI, RICK OTI SAID, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE DISENFRANCHISING UM, FOLKS, UM, IF WE WAIT TOO LONG, I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THAT. 'CAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TO HEAR, UH, THAT COME HERE TO HEAR CERTAIN ITEMS. AND I THINK WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT TOO. UH, THIS GOING ON TOO LONG. SO, UM, I DO LIKE, UM, THAT AT SOME POINT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, UH, CAPPING THAT I THINK EVERYTHING HAS TO BE UPFRONT, UM, BECAUSE THEN IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE'RE BEING, YOU KNOW, GENUINE IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE VOTING ON STUFF AND THEN, UM, PEOPLE HAVEN'T BEEN HEARD YET. UM, AND THEN ALSO WITH THE PUBLIC OUTREACH, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY, UM, CITY MANAGER, I MEAN WE CAN REACH, UH, OUR CONSTITUENTS AND OUR OWN SILOS. BUT I THINK THERE, HOPEFULLY THERE'S MORE THAT WE CAN DO, UM, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS TO HEAR MORE FROM THE COMMUNITY. UM, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WITH YOUR OWN SOCIAL MEDIAS WITH THE CITY AND NEWSLETTERS OR PR OUTREACH OR SOMETHING JUST TO MAYBE REACH PEOPLE THAT ARE EVEN OUTSIDE OF OUR, OUR SILOS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS COME OVER THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS. UM, AND WE CAN HEAR FROM THEM BECAUSE THIS, WE ARE UNDER A TIMELINE TO GET, UH, 7 0 7, UH, IMPLEMENTED. AND, UM, THEN, UH, LAST ONE NOT LEAST, BUT I DO AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN YANKA. I MEAN, I THINK THERE IS, THERE IS A NEED FOR A FULL-TIME COUNCIL. UM, PEOPLE ARE WANTING MORE AND MORE OF, OF FOLKS TIME, UM, UH, AND, UH, FOLKS ARE, UM, EXPECTING MORE OF US AND, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T EVEN REALIZE THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE A PART-TIME COUNSEL. SO, UM, WITH THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S MY COMMENTS. BUT I DO APPRECIATE, UM, UH, THESE CONVERSATIONS. THANK YOU. UH, I'LL JUST NOTE THAT REQU, YOU KNOW, THAT'S IN OUR, THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS, BUT, UM, AS A CHARTER REFORM, BUT IF CHARTER REFORM IS CONSIDERED, THAT WOULD BE THE 2028 BALLOT. SO AFTER THIS PROCESS, WE COULD HAVE STAFF BEGIN TO LOOK AT OPTIONS IF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO PUT SOMETHING FORWARD, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN AN UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION FOR CURRENT COUNCIL PEOPLE TO SAY, HEY, MAKE ME FULL TIME. I THINK YOU CITE, YOU GET AROUND THAT BY SETTING A DATE CERTAIN A, YOU KNOW, AFTER A, A CERTAIN POINT OR YOU HAVE A COALITION OF FORMER COUNCIL MEMBERS ENGAGE THEM TO HELP DESIGN IT SO THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S NOT SEEN AS A SELF-SERVING ISSUE, BUT I CERTAINLY THINK GIVEN THE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS BY THE STATE, THE ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT WE TAKE ON THE WORKLOAD HAS CHANGED. IT IS NOT THE SAME AS IT WAS 15 YEARS AGO. UM, AND I THINK IT'S A WORTHWHILE CONVERSATION TO REALLY EXPLORE WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IF COUNCIL WERE TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE MEETING A WEEK LIKE LA CITY COUNCIL DOES OR DAYTIME MEETINGS AND EVENING AND HAVE OTHER OPTIONS LIKE THE COUNTY HAS. SO THAT IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. SO I THINK WE WILL TAKE THAT UP BEFORE THE 2028, UM, ELECTION CYCLE. ALRIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YEAH, JUST A CLARIFY, JUST A QUESTION. SO 7 0 7 IS NOT JUST COUNCIL MEETINGS, DOES THIS APPLY TO ALL COMMITTEES AS WELL AS COMMISSIONS? SO WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AT THIS MEETING REGARDING SPECIFIC TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, IS THIS WHAT WILL APPLY TO ALL OF OUR PEOPLE THAT MEET? NO. SO SB 7 0 7 APPLIES TO ELIGIBLE LEGISLATIVE BODIES IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH THAT IS THE CITY COUNCIL. GREAT. THERE ARE OTHER THINGS IN SB 7 0 7 THAT DO APPLY TO COMMISSIONS, A MULTI, MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL BODIES, ET CETERA. BUT FOR THIS COUNCIL AND FOR RIGHT NOW, IT'S JUST WHAT APPLIES TO COUNCIL NOT TO COMMISSIONS. GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. UM, AND CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WRITTEN COMICS? I THINK THAT THAT CONTINUES TO GET LOST. WE GET WRITTEN COMMENT, UM, TO OUR OFFICES, BUT I KNOW PEOPLE SEND IT TO THE CITY CLERK AND I THINK AT ABOUT FIVE 10 ON COUNCIL DAYS WE GET AN EMAIL FROM YOU THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THE BUNDLED COMMENTS FROM ALL OF THE THINGS. COULD YOU REITERATE [05:05:01] HOW THAT WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK OR WORKS? YEAH, SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE, UM, EMAILS THAT COME INTO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE. AFTER WE PUBLISH THE AGENDA ON TUESDAY, WE COLLECT THOSE EMAILS AND WE DO SEND A FIRST BATCH OUT TO THE COUNCIL AND POST ONLINE ON FRIDAYS IF WE RECEIVED ANY EMAILS ABOUT COUNCIL ITEMS, WE THEN CONTINUE TO COLLECT EMAILS AND WE WILL DISTRIBUTE THOSE ON TUESDAY OF COUNCIL SO THAT THE COUNCIL HAS THEM. AND, AND IT IS ABOUT FIVE 10 WE, WE STOP RECEIVING OR COLLECTING THOSE ABOUT FOUR O'CLOCK SO THAT WE HAVE TIME TO COMPILE THEM AND SEND THEM. WE ALSO GET E-COMMERCE THROUGH ONE MEETING AND WE COMPILE THOSE AND SEND THEM AS WELL. SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO PROVIDE WRITTEN COMMENT TWO WAYS, EMAIL THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE OR THEY CAN USE OUR ONLINE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTAL THROUGH ONE MEETING. AND THOSE ARE PROVIDED TO US IN THE MOMENT FOR CONSIDERATION. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC. THAT CORRECT. WE DIDN'T GET THAT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT TO BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM FOLKS WHO DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET HERE IN PERSON. YES. AND SO IF SOMEBODY FROM THE PUBLIC EMAILS US EARLY ENOUGH BEFORE FRIDAY, THOSE DO GET DISTRIBUTED ON FRIDAY. SO THE COUNCIL HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THEM WELL IN ADVANCE. IF WE RECEIVE LATER COMMENTS, THEN THEY GET DISTRIBUTED ON TUESDAY. SO THE COUNCIL STILL HAS AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING TO SEE THEM AND CONSIDER THOSE OPINIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. SUPER. UM, THANK YOU. I JUST NEEDED, UM, LEGAL CLARIFICATION ON A POINT WHEN THE MAYOR WAS TALKING. I JUST THOUGHT OF SOMETHING AND I, I REALLY DON'T WANNA GET IN THE WEEDS, BUT THIS GOES BACK 20 YEARS WHEN I FIRST STARTED ON A, ON A COMMISSION, UM, THE FOUR O'CLOCK TIME, THAT'S THE START OF THE MEETING AS I SEE IT. IF YOU HAVE A QUORUM, I THINK THE RULE IS YOU HAVE TO START YOUR MEETING WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF YOUR QUORUM. YOU CAN'T WAIT FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO SHOW UP. NOW, LET'S SAY ON A NIGHT WHERE WE DON'T HAVE PRESENTATIONS AND WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENT, IT ONLY TAKES UP 45 MINUTES. YOU ROLL INTO THE MEETING AT THAT POINT, YOU DON'T HAVE A TIME CERTAIN FOR WHEN YOUR MEETING STARTS. THAT'S THE WAY I'M SEEING IT. IF I'M WAY OFF ON THAT, LET ME KNOW. BUT, OR MAYBE WE CAN COME BACK WITH CLARIFICATION ON THAT. UM, BECAUSE THERE, THERE, THERE'S ANOTHER UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE HERE. PEOPLE MAY THINK THE MEETING IS GONNA START AT FIVE 30. WELL NO, IT COULD START AT ANY, ANY TIME PRIOR TO THAT BECAUSE THE MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER AT FOUR. RIGHT. SO YOU, WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOU WANTED TO, IF YOU WANNA HAVE THESE SET PERIODS OF TIME, SO PUBLIC COMMENT WILL GO UNTIL FIVE, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT WILL GO UNTIL FIVE. THERE'S ONE PERSON HERE FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT AND NO ONE VIRTUALLY. AND THAT PERIOD IS SET THEN BASICALLY YOU HAVE 30 MINUTES OR 25 MINUTES TO DO NOTHING UNTIL YOU GO ON TO THE NEXT ITEM. SO THE MEETING IS STILL GOING, BUT YOU CAN'T MOVE ON. SO THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH HAVING DEFINITIVE PERIODS OF TIME THAT YOU CAN'T ADJUST. UH, YEAH, I I GUESS THAT'S MY QUESTION. I, I THOUGHT WE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO CONTINUE THE MEETING ONCE IT'S CALLED, ONCE THE MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER AT FOUR, WE WERE REQUIRED TO, UH, GO ON WITH BUSINESS. WE, WE CAN'T HAVE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS SET UP. THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. BUT I'M, I'M WILLING TO LISTEN TO REASON. I MEAN, I DON'T THINK IT'S REASON VERSUS NOT REASON. I THINK IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW YOU STRUCTURE THE MEETINGS. IT DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE FOR YOUR INTERACTION WITH THE PUBLIC TO SAY WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS HALF HOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. ONLY ONE PERSON'S THERE SPEAKING AND THEN YOU'RE SITTING THERE LOOKING AT THE FOLKS WHO ARE WAITING FOR THE NEXT SECTION. BUT IF OTHER PEOPLE ARE COUNTING ON THE TIMEFRAME AND THEY DON'T SHOW UP UNTIL THAT TIMEFRAME, THEN YOU'VE GOT SOME DEAD SPACE WHERE NOTHING'S HAPPENING. SO THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH SETTING DEFINITIVE TIME PERIODS RATHER THAN MAXIMUM TIME PERIODS. IF IT'S A MAXIMUM TIME PERIOD, THEN YOU CAN SAY, OKAY, IF IT ENDS BEFORE THEN, THEN WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM. OKAY. THAT, THAT'S VERY WELL PUT. AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA ADOPT. SO I AGREE. OKAY, SO YOU WHAT? BUT WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE TO KEEP IT OPEN TILL FIVE 30 THOUGH. IF WE SEE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT DIDN'T HAVE VERY MANY PEOPLE, WE CAN START 'EM IF PEOPLE ARE WAITING ON PUBLIC COMMENT, WE DON'T WANNA WAIT UNTIL FIVE O'CLOCK FOR THEM TO START. IF THEY'RE HERE TO SPEAK, LET 'EM START SPEAKING. BUT WE WILL REMAIN, KEEP IT OPEN UNTIL FIVE 30. SO IF AT FIVE, IF BY FIVE 30 NO ONE ELSE IS SIGNED UP, THEN WE'RE GOOD TO START REGULAR BUSINESS OF THE MEETING. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? NO, SHE'S MAKING GO AHEAD MADAM ATTORNEY. SHE'S MAKING A FACE. UM, I, I THINK IT AS YOU PUT TONIGHT AS A STARTING POINT. SO I THINK IT MAKES SENSE AS A STARTING POINT, RIGHT? I THINK THE TEAM HERE WILL GO BACK AND, AND REALLY GIVE SOME DEEP THINKING TO HOW IT WOULD PLAY OUT IN REAL TIME MM-HMM . AND COME BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING AND SAY, OKAY, HERE'S WHAT YOU PROPOSED, HERE'S HOW WE THINK IT COULD REALLY HAVE SOME PROBLEMS IN PRACTICE AND HERE'S HOW WE SUGGEST. PERFECT. A [05:10:01] WAY OR A COUPLE WAYS OF DEALING WITH PERFECT SOMETHING MAXIMUMS. MINIMUMS OF MAXIMUMS. SOUND GOOD THOUGH? ALRIGHT. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER THRA, I JUST WANNA THANK COUNCILWOMAN DUGGAN FOR, UH, FOCUSING IN ON THE CONSENSUS WE HAD TONIGHT. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT MODIFICATION. UM, AS WELL AS THE SECOND BY, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN. I'D LIKE TO CALL THE QUESTION NO NEED TO CALL THE QUESTION BECAUSE THERE'S NO MORE DEBATE. ALL RIGHT. UNLESS YOU WANNA VOTE ON THE QUESTION AND THEN WE VOTE. OKAY. ALRIGHT, WELL, LET'S MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED ALL. THANK YOU. WHERE ARE WE? SHEESH. ITEM 30. YEAH, THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT. REPORT FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT SPECIFICATIONS AND AWARD CONTRACTS TO VARIOUS CONTRACT CONTRACTORS FOR PROVIDING OPERATIONS AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT ADULTS, YOUTH AND FAMILIES WITH MINOR CHILDREN EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN A TOTAL ANNUAL AGGREGATE AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED $9,613,093 AND AUTHORIZE TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING ANY NECESSARY AMENDMENTS CITYWIDE. ALL RIGHT. UH, AS ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE, UH, LIO. [30. 26-55017 Recommendation to adopt Specifications No. RFP HSB-2026-002 and award contracts to 1736 Family Crisis Center, of Los Angeles, CA; Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc.; Goodwill, Southern Los Angeles County, of Long Beach, CA; Harbor Interfaith Services, Inc., of San Pedro, CA; Interval House, of Long Beach, CA; Lutheran Social Services of Southern California, of Orange, CA; Mental Health America of Los Angeles, of Long Beach, CA; PATH, of Los Angeles, CA; The Children’s Clinic ‘Serving Children and Their Families’, of Long Beach, CA; and United States Veterans Initiative, of Los Angeles, CA for providing operations and supportive services for the Continuum of Care funded programs that support adults, youth, and families with minor children experiencing homelessness in the City of Long Beach in a total annual aggregate amount not to exceed $9,613,093, for a period of one year, with the option to renew for an additional, one-year period at the discretion of the City Manager; and  Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary documents to enter into the contracts, including any necessary amendments. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Health and Human Services         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] SO WHEN I STARTED MY CAMPAIGN, BECAUSE I'M NOT A CAREER POLITICIAN, I LIVED HOMELESS IN LONG BEACH FOR 98 DAYS TO IDENTIFY WHAT WAS BROKEN. AND ONE OF THE COMMON THINGS THAT KEPT COMING UP IS OUR STAFF AT THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER ARE UNAPPRECIATED, OVERWORKED, AND UNDERPAID. AND I WOULD ASK CONTINUOUSLY, LIKE, BUT ISN'T THERE LIKE MILLIONS? AND THEY'D SAY, WELL, IF THERE IS, WE DON'T KNOW. 'CAUSE I MEAN, LOOK AT US, WE'RE SHORT STAFFED. SO I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE THEY DON'T GET ANY APPRECIATION. UM, THE PEOPLE AT THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB. THEY'RE THE RIGHT PEOPLE. THEY REALLY DO CARE. THEY TAKE PRIDE IN THE COUNTLESS PEOPLE THAT THEY, THAT THEY HOUSE THERE. UM, TO SEE THEM TURN THE MSC INTO A EMERGENCY SHELTER DURING, UH, INCLEMENT WEATHER WHEN IT WAS RAINING AND BRINGING IN ALL THE COTS AND MAINTAINING THE MALES ON ONE SIDE AND THE FEMALES ON THE OTHER SIDE, IT WAS ACTUALLY VERY IMPRESSIVE TO SEE THE FACT THAT IT WASN'T CHEAP FOOD THAT WAS PROVIDED. IT WAS ACTUALLY GOOD QUALITY MEALS WAS, WAS REALLY GOOD. BUT I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY THAT, LOOK, THE $10 MILLION I ALREADY KNOW IS NOT GONNA BE SPENT ACCORDINGLY. IT'S REALLY NOT GONNA HELP ANYONE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WHAT'S BEEN DONE FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS HAS HELPED NO ONE, IT REALLY HASN'T. YOU KNOW, SO I YOU OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE GONNA DO THE ROUND TABLE, YAY. BUT THE REALITY IS THIS $10 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY AND IT'S GONNA BE POORLY MISMANAGED ONCE AGAIN. AND IT'S NOT GONNA GO TO THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED THE HELP. AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT NEED HELP AND YEAH, IT'S JUST, IT'S REALLY SAD. WE JUST KEEP JUST THROWING MONEY. LITERALLY THAT'S THE ACTION. WE JUST, WE'RE ABOUT TO SIGN OFF ANOTHER 10 MILLION AND IN THE FINE PRINT IT'S PROBABLY TO EXTEND FOR ANOTHER, ANOTHER 10 MILLION. BUT ANYWAYS, YEAH. SO I DON'T APPROVE THIS, BUT THEY'RE GONNA APPROVE IT. THEY'RE JUST GONNA WASTE, THEY'RE JUST GONNA CONTINUE TO WASTE MORE MONEY. AND TOM YEAH, CONTINUE TO LAUGH TOM. HE TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN KNOWING, IN SAYING THAT INSTEAD OF AN $80 MILLION DEFICIT, WE'RE ONLY GONNA BE AT A $61.3 MILLION DEFICIT. THAT'S TERRIBLE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. 31. REPORT FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RECOMMEND RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, [05:15:01] INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BIO WATCH TO ACCEPT AND EXPEND FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT AWARDED TO MAINTAIN BIO BIOWATCH FIELD OPERATIONS FOR BIO THREAT DETECTION CITYWIDE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU TOM. GIVEN ALL THE SENSITIVE SENSITIVITIES AROUND DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN, UH, HOMELAND SECURITY, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE, UH, DO A LITTLE BIT OF A PRESENTATION [31. 26-55057 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute an agreement and all necessary documents, including any amendments to the allocation amount, with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, BioWatch, to accept and expend funding in the amount awarded to maintain BioWatch Field Operations for biothreat detection, for a three-month period, from May 1, 2026, through July 31, 2026, at the discretion of the City Manager. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Health and Human Services         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] HERE AND EXPLAIN WHAT EXACTLY THIS IS. SURE SANDY WEDGWORTH CAN DO THAT THIS IS, UH, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS THAT WE DO, UH, FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AND ALSO FOR, UH, TO MAKING SURE WE'RE HEALTHY HERE AT HOME. SO, UH, SANDY, THANK YOU. UM, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS SANDY WEDGWORTH AND I'M THE COMMUNICABLE DISEASE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE MANAGER AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND I WILL, I WILL BE BRIEF 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S LATE. UM, SO BIOWATCH IS A BIO THREAT EARLY DETECTION PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN OPERATIONAL IN OUR REGION SINCE 2003. AND THIS IS A RESULT OF THE AMERIT AMERITADE'S, UH, ATTACKS THAT HAPPENED IN 2001. IF YOU ALL RECALL, THE PROGRAM ENTAILS COLLECTING DAILY AIR SAMPLES AND HAVING THEM TESTED IN A LABORATORY TO ENSURE THAT SELECT BIOLOGICAL AGENTS ARE NOT PRESENT IN THE ENVIRONMENT. AND THIS OCCURS 365 DAYS A YEAR, INCLUDING HOLIDAYS. THE PROGRAM IS FUNDED AND OVERSEEN BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. HOWEVER, IT IS MANAGED BY LOCAL AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. PREVIOUSLY, UH, SOUTH COAST AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, WERE THE ONES OPERATING THIS PROGRAM FOR US HERE REGIONALLY. THIS CONTRACT THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING TODAY IS LIMITED TO THREE MONTHS. HOWEVER, WE ANTICIPATE BEING BACK BEFORE THIS COUNCIL LATER THIS SUMMER WHEN THE FULL YEARLY CONTRACT IS AWARDED. THIS, UH, PORTION OF THE THREE MONTHS IS JUST TAKING OVER, UH, OR COMPLETING THE REMAINDER OF WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY A QMD. THANK YOU. AND I AM OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. NO, I THINK IT'S FINE. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU NAME THAT THIS IS SPECIFICALLY LIMITED IN SCOPE TO AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT. CORRECT. ALRIGHT. UH, PUBLIC COMMENT. ROGELIO ROGELIO. OKAY. PASS ON THIS ONE. MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT. 32 REPORT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT IN ANY NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING ANY NECESSARY SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS WITH PRO FINISH PAINTING FOR THE INSTALLATION OF ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE LONG BEACH AMPHITHEATER IN A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $747,060. DISTRICT ONE. ALL RIGHT. ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC ROGELIO. [32. 26-55130 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Pro Finish Painting, Inc., of El Cajon, CA, for the installation of electrical infrastructure for the Long Beach Amphitheater, in a total contract amount not to exceed $747,060, for a period of one year, at the discretion of the City Manager. (District 1)       Office or Department: Economic Development and Opportunity         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] SO I'VE SPOKEN NUMEROUS TIMES ON THE FACT THAT I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT WE ARE PAYING $21.3 MILLION FOR A TEMPORARY AMPHITHEATER THAT HAS HIGH SCHOOL BLEACHERS. UM, AND NOW WE'RE ABOUT TO THROW JUST, UH, $750,000. BUT LET ME JUST READ WHAT WAS REALLY JUST CONCERNING TO ME. SO PRO FINISH PAINTING INCORPORATED OF A CAHO EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA. SO PAINTING EL CAJON, NOT LONG BEACH, BUT I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT THERE'S PLENTY OF PAINTING COMPANIES IN LONG BEACH. AND WHAT WE'RE PAYING THEM FOR IS THE INSTALLATION OF ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. THINK ABOUT THAT. SO PAINTING OR PAINTING, BUT FOR ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, IT'S LIKE, WHAT THE F? AND AGAIN, IT FALLS DOWN TO TOM, ONCE AGAIN, SPENDING OUR MONEY OUTSIDE OF THE CITY TO PAY FOR A TEMPORARY AMPHITHEATER. THAT AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS, DISMANTLE IT. DEMOLISH IT TO THEN REBUILD THE PERMANENT AMPHITHEATER. WHO, BY THE WAY, THE OPERATOR CHOOSES TO SELL TICKETS THROUGH A MONOPOLY KNOWN AS LIVE NATION TICKETMASTER. SO YEAH, THIS IS ANOTHER ONE WHERE [05:20:01] I DON'T SUPPORT THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY SEEM TO THINK THAT THIS AMPHITHEATER IS GONNA BE GOOD TO THE CITY AND IT WILL BRING REVENUE AND HE WILL CREATE JOBS. BUT AGAIN, AT A COST OF $21.3 MILLION AND GROWING TERRIBLE MISMANAGEMENT BY THIS COUNCIL, HEADED BY THIS MAYOR. AND AGAIN, THE FIRST PERSON THAT WILL BE LET GO ON DECEMBER 15TH WILL BE TOM. THANK YOU MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE COUNCILWOMAN OW. MOTION IS CARRIED. ITEM. UH, OKAY, NOW WE'RE GOING TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT TO CLOSE OUT THE MEETING. I HAVE NINE MEMBERS, 10 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. BRIAN COCHRAN. IS BRIAN STILL HERE? OKAY. OSCAR FB, LOURDES DIXON. I KNOW I CAN'T, LET'S I, I NEED TO READ THE REST OF THESE. LOURDES DIXON, GRAY LIO, GERALD HIGGIN, BUFFUM, CJ G AND AMY. BRIAN, YOU'RE UP. [ PUBLIC COMMENT: Immediately prior to adjournment Opportunity is given to those members of the public who have not addressed the City Council on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes unless extended by the City Council. ] THANK YOU. AND GOOD EVENING AGAIN, I'M OF TWO MINDS HERE BECAUSE I PROMISED ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO THAT I WOULD KEEP UPDATING THIS BODY REGARDING THE CITY'S NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. WE'RE AT, UH, SIX WEEKS IN, WHICH MEANS WE'RE HALFWAY THROUGH THE PROGRAM. OUR 26 PARTICIPANTS HAVE ENGAGED DEEPLY ON GRANT WRITING. NOW THEY'RE WORKING ON THEIR FIRST GRANTS TO DO COMMUNITY WORK, WHICH ARE SKILLS THAT WE'LL BUILD OUT AND CONTINUE ON WELL PAST THEIR GRADUATION IN AUGUST. BUT I'M OF TWO MINDS BECAUSE THIS POINT'S TO WHY THIS ISSUE ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT'S IMPORTANT AS WELL IN THAT I'M HERE TRYING TO GET YOUR EMPATHY AND SYMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING FOR SOMETHING THAT I CARE ABOUT. BUT THE MECHANISMS THAT THIS DOES MEAN THAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE ALTERNATELY ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED ABOUT YOUR DECISIONS AND IDEAS ON OTHER THINGS. BUT I'M COMING HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR A COMMUNITY PROGRAM THAT MATTERS A GREAT DEAL. AND I THANK THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE REACHED OUT BEFORE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE DETAILS ARE. BUT RIGHT NOW THE CLOCK IS TICKING BECAUSE AUGUST IS THE BUDGET RANGE FOR THIS. AND RIGHT NOW THE STAFF MEMBERS OF THE CI OF THE CITY THAT WORK ON THIS 30 YEAR PROGRAM WITH A HUGE RETURN ON INVESTMENT TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES, THEY'RE IN DANGER OF BEING PUT OUT OF THEIR JOBS. THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN TOLD THEY WON'T HAVE A JOB IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. SO WE NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS NOW THAT SAY, PROTECT THE PROGRAM AS IT IS. DON'T KEEP THE NAME THE WAY SOME PEOPLE WOULD HAVE IT. JUST BE A NAME ONLY AND NOT BE WHAT IT IS FUNDAMENTALLY TO THIS COMMUNITY. AND THE, THE CITY AS A WHOLE. IT NEEDS TO KEEP BUILDING ON WHAT ALREADY IS THERE. AND THE CONTINUITY COMES FROM PEOPLE IN THE CITY WHO WORKED ON THE PROGRAM AND ARE GRADUATES OF IT. THAT'S WHY IT WORKS FOR ALL OF US AS VOLUNTEERS TO COME BACK AND KEEP DOING THIS AND TO BE, KEEP BUILDING THAT LEGACY. TO DO 6% CUTS BECAUSE IT MEETS TOM'S NUMBERS. AND TO HAVE BUREAUCRATS IN THE CITY DEPARTMENTS MAKE THESE DECISIONS WITHOUT SENSE OF COMMUNITY INPUT AND MEANINGFUL GUIDANCE FROM YOU IS REALLY PAINFUL. I HOPE THAT YOU'LL CONTINUE ASKING THESE QUESTIONS. I LOVE THE QUESTIONS THAT WE GOT BACK AFTER THE FIRST ROUND WITH THIS. I WILL KEEP COMING BACK SO THAT WE CAN DO THIS MORE. BUT PLEASE FIND A WAY TO PUT THE BRAKES ON THIS SO THE PROGRAM REMAINS INTACT. LET IT BE ADDITIVE TO WHAT'S ALREADY THERE NOW TO BE BECOME MORE AND BUILD SOMETHING EVEN BETTER BEYOND THAT, THERE ARE RANGES TO DO THAT, BUT THIS CAN'T BE OUTSOURCED. IT CAN'T BE DOWNSIZED TO SOME JUST NAME ONLY KIND OF EFFECT. IT HAS TO BE THE VITAL THING. IT IS WITH THE PEOPLE WHO'VE DONE IT BEFORE WHO WORK IN THE CITY. YOU LOST MARGARET MADDEN BECAUSE SHE JUST TOOK THE OUT TO SAVE OTHERS TO DO THIS. DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN TO THE REMAINING STAFF THAT ARE THERE. THEY NEED TO KEEP DOING THIS. IT'S A RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAT'S HUGE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. AND EVERYONE HERE BENEFITS FROM THIS EVERY DAY. OUR 26 GRADUATES WILL BE SEEING YOU IN JULY AND AUGUST BACK HERE TO TALK ABOUT THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS AND THAT PAYS HUGE DIVIDENDS ALL ACROSS PERPETUALLY. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU. OSCAR. AFTER OSCAR'S, FB, OSCAR, HELLO ONCE AGAIN. A LONG TIME. NO. SEE, I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF WITH A SINCERE APOLOGY TO ROBERTO ABOUT LAST TIME GETTING MESSY. I FELT THAT I HAD TO GET MESSY IN ORDER TO GET THE ATTENTION OF YOU GUYS AND TO GET THE PROPER REACTION. I'M NOT PROUD OF THAT FACT, BUT IT DID WORK TO SOME EXTENT. SO I JUST WANNA EXTEND MY APOLOGY PERSONALLY TO ROBERTO. AND FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, WHENEVER I DO PLAY GUITAR, I DO THINK OF YOUR SON AND PLAY TO, YOU KNOW, THE SPIRIT OF HIM AS WELL. THAT BEING SAID, UM, I LOVE THE CITY SO MUCH. I WAS BORN HERE, I'M 30 YEARS OLD, 1986. STARTED [05:25:01] OFF IN A SMALL LITTLE HOME. TWO OTHER SIBLINGS. NO, NOT ENOUGH SPACE. PARENTS TRY TO, THEY'RE IMMIGRANTS, THEY TRY TO MAKE IT THROUGH. I SLEPT IN THE CLOSET UNTIL WE COULD MOVE OUT, WHICH WAS UNTIL I WAS LIKE ABOUT EIGHT YEARS OLD. THAT BEING SAID, I ALSO, LIKE, I WAS BORN IN MISH MEMORIAL AND WENT TO GARFIELD ELEMENTARY DISTRICT SEVEN. I WENT TO STEVENS MIDDLE SCHOOL, DISTRICT SEVEN. I WENT TO RIO HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT SEVEN. I DID MY TWO YEARS AT LBCC AFTER NOT HAVING ENOUGH FUNDS TO GO TO MY FIRST CHOICE, WHICH WAS DREXEL UNIVERSITY IN PHILADELPHIA. THEN I DID MY, THE REST OF THE YEARS AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH. AND LAST YEAR I FINALLY GOT MY DEGREE IN MA IN MA IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. THAT BEING SAID, UM, AGAIN, I DO LOVE THIS CITY AND I CHERISH IT SO MUCH. SO TO SEE A DISCONNECT BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND THE COMMUNITY HURTS ME SO BAD. ESPECIALLY WHEN AN AMPHITHEATER IS PRIORITIZED AND TURN OF SOMETHING AS TRASH CANS. SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS TRASH CANS. I WALK EVERY DAY IN THE CITY. THERE'S NO TRASH CAN TO BE SEEN, BARELY ANY, THEN WE, WE LIKE WONDER WHY THERE'S SO MANY LITTER EVERYWHERE. THERE'S SOME NICE TRASH CANS IN THE COURT IN THE YARD. IF YOU COULD JUST PUT THOSE, MAYBE EVERY TWO BLOCKS, LITTER WOULD BE SOLVED. LESS, LESS WORK FOR ALL OUR TRASH PEOPLE TO DO. UM, I JUST ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT CAROLINE BUELLER WAS HERE, A CANDIDATE, A GOVERNOR. AND I LOVE HER POLICIES BECAUSE SHE DOES SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE AND SHE DOES TAKE THE TIME TO COME HERE AND TO TO KNOW US. YOU KNOW, 20 SECONDS LEFT. SO THE LAST THING I WANNA SAY IS IN TERMS OF THE CHANGES YOU GUYS ARE ALL PLANNING FOR CITY COUNCIL. UM, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD START EARLIER. I THINK WE SHOULD START AT FIVE 30 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 'CAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE CHANGING TOO MUCH, TOO DRASTICALLY AT THE SAME TIME. AND THAT AFFECTS EVERYONE'S ABILITY TO COME. I ALSO THINK THAT WE SHOULD STILL KEEP THE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE END. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, NEXT IS FB AND THEN LOURDES IS WHO IS FB ARE, ARE YOU FB? YES. YOU HAVE ALL SOLD US OUT AND THEREFORE YOU DON'T DESERVE MY RESPECT. I WILL RESPECT YOU WHEN YOU STOP. WEAPONIZING OUR TAX DOLLARS. CRIMINAL CRIMINALIZING OUR HOMELESS COMMUNITY, HOLDING CONTRACTS WITH EVIL COMPANIES THAT TERRORIZE AND MURDER OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND LET'S NOT FORGET PRICING US OUT OF OUR HOMES AND COMMUNITIES SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE YOUR WEALTHY AND MODERATE INCOME TENANTS FEEL WELCOME AND COMFORTABLE IN THEIR NEW HOMES. I ALSO WANNA STATE THAT YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF, REX, FOR NOT ALLOWING ANTHONY HOLMES OF THE COALITION OF ANTI-BLACKNESS, UH, COALITION AGAINST ANTI-BLACKNESS SPEAK LAST WEEK. ESPECIALLY WHEN BLACK VOICES HAVE BEEN SILENCED FOR CENTURIES AND CONTINUE TO BE SILENCED BY BOUGHT AND SOLD BAD ACTORS SUCH AS YOURSELF. REX, YOU DISHON DISHONOR US ALL FOR THAT. I SAY F**K YOU. LEXISNEXIS HOLDS CONTRACTS WITH ICE. THEIR INTENTION MASS SURVEILLANCE GENERAL DYNAMICS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HOLDS A CONTRACT WITH DHS AND HOLDS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONTRACTS WITH ICE. IT IS ALSO THE WORLD'S SIXTH LARGEST WEAPON MANUFACTURER AND A MAJOR SUPPLIER OF WEAPONS USED IN THE GENOCIDE OF PALESTINIANS. ANDREW, ANOTHER MANUFACTURER THAT YOUR IDIOT MAYOR WANTS US TO BUILD IN OUR BEAUTIFUL COMPANY COMMUNITY. I GUESS IT'S FITY AND SLIP 'CAUSE YOU DO LOOK AT OUR COMMUNITY AS A COMPANY. UH, J-D-C-D-W GOVERNMENT ALSO HOLDS CONTRACTS WITH DHS GOV. CONNECTION ALSO HOLDS CO CONTRACTS WITH DHS. YOU SOLD THE TRUST THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE FOR ITS MAYOR TO CONTRACTS WITH WEAPONS MANUFACTURERS, SURVEILLANCE COMPANIES AND DEVELOPERS CATERING TO THE WEALTHY FEW. IT'S THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH THAT MAKE IT BEAUTIFUL AND NOT YOU. PLEASE DON'T FORGET THAT WHEN YOU GO BACK, WHEN YOU GO BACK THERE TO DO THE JOB THAT WE PAID DUE TO DO THAT YOU CHOSE TO TAKE ON, PLEASE ADOPT THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS SCREENING POLICY. PASADENA CITY [05:30:01] COUNCIL JUST PASSED THEIR ETHICAL SCREENING POLICY YESTERDAY. DO BETTER REX AND AS ALWAYS, F**K ICE AND FREE PALESTINE. AND F**K YOU ALL FOR WASTING OUR TIME TONIGHT WITH YOUR F*****G, UH, FILIBUSTERING. F**K YOU. WE'RE COMING FOR YOU. FREE PALESTINE LOSERS. ALRIGHT, LOURDES, AFTER LOURDES IS GRAY, THERE'S NO CHASE RN DRIVE. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR RICHARDSON AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL A PLEASURE TO GREET YOU. THE ISSUE IS IN REFERENCE TO SOME OF THE FOOD TRUCK VENDORS. MR. MARIO HERNANDEZ AND HIS WIFE CONTINUED TAKING OVER SOME OF THE RESTRICTED AREAS. FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE NON-PAR RED OR WHITE ZONE AREA, DESIGNATED TO DROP OR PICK UP PASSENGERS. NO STOPPING AT ANY TIME. THIS TAKES PLACE IN THE AQUARIUM WAY AND SHORELINE DRIVE AREA. ROJO. THIS VENDOR, WHICH I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, HAS MORE THAN A YEAR DISOBEYING, UH, REGULATIONS AND AUTHORITIES. THE POLICE AND TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE ASKED HIM TO MOVE FROM THAT AREA, WHICH IS NOT AN AREA TO DO BUSINESS, MUCH LESS IN A RED ZONE THAT PEOPLE LAND NANDO IN THE PIER PORT LANDING PARKING LOT. THEY STILL CONTINUE PARKING IN THE RED ZONE AND ON THE CURB. WHEN WILL THE, WHEN WILL THE REGULATIONS BE ENFORCED UPON THESE VENDORS AND EDUCATE THEM SO THAT THEY CAN RESPECT AUTHORITIES AND OTHER VENDORS? AS FAR AS THE ISSUE WITH THE PUBLIC BATHROOMS LOCATED IN THE AQUARIUM AREA IN FRONT OF THE BUBBLEGUM RESTAURANT, HOMELESS PEOPLE CONTINUE OCCUPYING THREE OF THE BATHROOMS. AND AT TIMES THERE ARE ONLY TWO OR THREE UNOCCUPIED AND AVAILABLE BATHROOMS. SO I SUGGEST THAT YOU PLACE RAILING CAMERAS SINCE THEY HAVE FOUND A DEAD BODY INSIDE THE RESTROOMS. I'VE HEARD A COMMENT THAT THE OTHER RESTROOMS ARE NOT KEPT OPEN DUE TO THEM NEEDING A NEW LOCKING SYSTEM, UH, SO THAT THE DOOR IS SHUT. UH, IT INDICATES BUSY OR VACANT IF THIS IS THE CASE UNTIL WHEN WILL THE ISSUE BE RESOLVED. IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE WE'VE REPORTED THIS IN THE PAST MEETING. I'VE MENTIONED TO YOU THAT, UH, SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS ARE NEEDED FOR BOTH SIDES OF THE RESTROOMS IN FRONT AND IN THE BACK, AND ESPECIALLY IN THE AQUARIUM WAY SINCE IT'S A HIGHLY BUSY TRANSITED AVENUE, BOTH PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICLE WISE. AND AT NIGHT, SEVERAL GROUPS OF YOUNG ADULTS GATHER AROUND RIDING MINI MOTORCYCLES AND MOTOR [05:35:01] VEHICLE, UH, BICYCLES, DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS AND AGGRESSIVELY LIGHTHOUSE. I KNOW THAT I HAVE SOME TIME REMAINING LEFT FOR ME TO SPEAK. UH, BUT A LOT OF THESE, UH, YOUNG ADULTS ARE GOING UP THE RAMP ON THE AQUARIUM WAY AND VERY YOUNG ADULTS TOO. VERY YOUNG KIDS. IT'S A HIGHLY TRANSLATED AREA WHERE A LOT OF ADULTS AND KIDS, UH, PASS BY, UH, THE THERE'S AND SHORELINE AS LIGHTHOUSE, ALL THE SHIP AREAS, UH, IN ALONG THAT AREA AND ALONG THE I HOUSE. YEAH, THEY DRIVE VERY CLOSELY TO THE, TO, TO PASSING VEHICLES AND RIGHT UP, UH, THE BIKES, UH, SHOWING OFF. I'VE TRIED TO TALK TO THEM, UH, BUT THEY ALSO ALWAYS USE PROFANITY LANGUAGE. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING. I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO MY PETITION. THANK YOU. NEXT IS GRAY, THEN ROGELIO. UH, 4:00 PM START TIME FOR MEETING IS B******T. SOME OF US ARE GETTING HERE AS FAST AS WE CAN FROM WORK. AND NOW YOU WANNA LIMIT US MORE. UH, RICK'S MADE FUN OF A RESIDENT FOR FALLING ASLEEP. THESE MEETINGS CAN RUN LATE. HE SAID. YEAH, THEY CAN. BUT, UH, STARTING AN HOUR EARLIER ONLY BENEFITS THE COUNCIL, NOT THE RESIDENTS. SO ALL DUE RESPECT, F**K THAT THIS COUNCIL THINKS. UH, HAVING TO SIT AND LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC IS LIKE THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD. BUT SORRY. I THINK THAT LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE A BIG PART OF YOUR JOB. MAYBE IF THE CITY, IF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS LIMITED THE TIME ON THEIR SPEECHES, THERE'D BE MORE TIME TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. THE PUBLIC IS HERE FOR MEETINGS ON OUR FREE TIME AFTER WORK. WE ARE NOT GETTING COMPENSATED FOR THIS. ERGO OUR TIME SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED. AND I DID NOTICE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING THAT THAT CLOCK STAYED AT ZERO FOR A LONG TIME WITHOUT THE MIC BEING CUT OFF WHEN SOMEONE WAS, UH, SINGING THE COUNCIL'S PRAISES ANYWAY. SO OUR COUNTRY IS STILL AT WAR. THIS NOT ONLY AFFECTS LONG BEACH RESIDENTS BECAUSE OF HIGH GAS PRICES, BUT BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE CHILDREN IN THE ARMY, THE NAVY AND OTHER MILITARY SERVICES, PEOPLE ARE WORRIED THAT THEY'RE BEING DEPLOYED AND PUT IN HARM'S WAY FOR SOMETHING SO NEEDLESS TRUMP'S EGO AND TO PROVIDE NETANYAHU COVER WHILE HE ADVANCES ISRAEL'S AGENDA OF EXPANDING THEIR BORDERS FURTHER INTO PALESTINE AND LEBANON. AT THE NO KINGS PROTESTS, SOME LOCAL MOTHERS GATHERED TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE WAR BECAUSE THEIR SONS WERE DEPLOYED. OUR MAYOR STOPPED BY TO SPEAK WITH THEM, KIND OF, IT WAS MORE OF A PHOTO OP. BUT THE MOTHERS DID TRY TO SPEAK TO HIM AND THEY PLEADED FOR HIS SYMPATHY. AND HE SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF, I'M LOCAL, I JUST DO DOG PARKS AND STREET SIGNS, YADA YADA. SO I TRIED TO JUMP IN AND SAY, WELL, THE CITY HAS PASSED CONTRACTS WITH COMPANIES THAT WORK WITH DHS, LIKE LEXINEXIS AND GENERAL DYNAMICS. AND HIS RESPONSE WAS, I DON'T GET A VOTE. WHICH IS TRUE, I'M NOT GONNA DEBATE A FACT. BUT HE DIDN'T TAKE A STAND AND HE DID THROW THE COUNCIL UNDER THE BUS. IT'S NOT HIS FAULT. THESE MOTHERS ARE DISAPPOINTED. IT'S YOURS BECAUSE THIS LOCAL LOVE FOR GOVERNMENT ISN'T DOING ONE OF THE FEW THINGS IT CAN DO TO DEFY THIS NEEDLESS WAR, WHICH IS TO STOP USING TAXPAYER MONEY ON CORPORATIONS THAT DO BUSINESS WITH THE DHS. UH, WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH LEXINEXIS, WHICH IS, ITS PAIRING COMPANY WAS AWARDED $172 MILLION IN DHS CONTRACTS IN THE LAST 20 YEARS. WE HAVE TWO CONTRACTS WITH GENERAL DYNAMICS IT, WHICH IS A AWARDED A $3,386.4 MILLION CONTRACT WITH THE DHS. WE HAVE ANDRO, A WEAPONS MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLANNING TO SET UP A BUILDING BY THE LONG BEACH AIRPORT. OUR CITY DOESN'T SEEM TO BE DOING ANYTHING TO STAND AGAINST THE WAR. IT SEEMS TO BE ENCOURAGING IT. SO AT LEAST BE HONEST WITH THE MOMS NEXT TIME, TELL THEM THE COUNCIL CHOOSES NOT TO DO THE LITTLE IT CAN DO TO STAND AGAINST THE WAR. LET'S SKIP SOME OF THESE THINGS HERE. SO, UH, ISRAEL IS GETTING $3.3 BILLION IN AMERICAN TAX MONEY. AND THAT ALONE IS HORRENDOUS. BUT NO DOUBT SOME OF THIS MONEY, SO THE IDF CAN TRAIN ICE SOLDIERS. SO THIS IS A DOUBLE WHAMMY. BIG GOVERNMENT IS USING OUR MONEY TO FUND OUR OPPRESSION AND THE MON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THANK YOU, LIO. [05:40:02] AFTER LIO IS GERALD HIGGIN BAUM. UM, I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO UM, HIGHLIGHT, UH, JOSHUA RODRIGUEZ, LEE GOLDEN, OSCAR CIO, TERRY RIVERS, CHRIS SWEENEY, AND APRIL RONNIE. SO WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? AND I'M SORRY IF I MISPRONOUNCE HER NAME, BUT WHO ARE THESE SIX INDIVIDUALS? THESE ARE SIX INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE FED UP. THEY LITERALLY WERE LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M GONNA RUN FOR MAYOR. THESE ARE SIX INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE NEVER HELD PUBLIC OFFICE OF ANY TYPE. AND YOU KNOW, THEY ARE MY RUNNING MATES, THEY'RE REX RUNNING MATES, BUT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THEM. AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE I'M EMBARRASSED OF THE QUALITY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE GOVERNOR POOL. I MEAN, IT'S TERRIBLE. AND ALI IS NO BETTER. BUT AT LEAST LONG BEACH. LONG BEACH, THE SEVENTH LARGEST CITY IN CALIFORNIA AT LEAST LONG BEACH IS THE SHINING LIGHT. BECAUSE IF YOU EVER SEEN ALL OF US RUNNING MATES AT A MEET AND GREET, WE DON'T DEBATE EACH OTHER. WE DON'T POINT FINGERS. WE DON'T BICKER AT ONE ANOTHER. AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE WITHOUT EVEN STATING IT, WE HAVE A COMMON GOAL, A COMMON PURPOSE. AND THAT'S TO TAKE THESE PEOPLE OUT. 'CAUSE THIS IS THE MACHINE. THE MACHINE THAT'S BEEN BROKEN FOR YEARS, EVEN BEFORE THIS COUNCIL WAS PUT ON. SO MAY 19TH IS THE LAST AND FINAL DAY. IF ANYBODY DOES NOT LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR, WHAT YOU SEE IN YOUR CITY, SIGN IN TO BE A WRITING CANDIDATE. YOU TOO CAN BE A WRITING CANDIDATE. YOUR NAME WON'T BE ON A BALLOT, BUT ENOUGH PEOPLE, IF THEY VOTE FOR YOU, THEN YOU CAN GO TO NOVEMBER. UM, WITH THAT TO EVERYONE ELSE THAT'S RUNNING, DON'T GET ATTACHED TO THE OUTCOME. LIFE IS NOT ABOUT OUTCOMES. LIFE'S ABOUT THE JOURNEY. LIFE'S ABOUT THE DESTINATION. THERE'S ONLY GONNA BE ONE WINNER FOR EACH OF THESE POSITIONS. JUST BE PROUD. JUST BE PROUD OF YOURSELF THAT YOU PUT IN YOUR NAME IN THE HAT BECAUSE WE LIVE IN HISTORIC TIMES RIGHT NOW. THIS IS THE TIME OF CHANGE. AND YEAH, ANYWAYS, I'M JUST PROUD OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE RUNNING MATES THAT IS RUNNING FOR MAYOR. 'CAUSE WE NEED TO GET THIS MACHINE OUT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. ALL RIGHT, GERALD AND CJ. UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. I'M DR. GERALD HIGGINBOTHAM. I'M WITH UNITY FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY AND THE CAPTAIN'S MILLIONAIRE. UH, FOR YEARS WE HAVE WORKED DIRECTLY WITH RESIDENTS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING, A MENTAL RESILIENT, AND COMMUNITY STABILIZATION. WHAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE IS THIS, MANY OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACE ARE NOT ISOLATED PROBLEMS. THEY'RE CONNECTED. VIOLENCE, HOMELESSNESS, HOPELESSNESS, MENTAL STRESS, AND COMMUNITY DISCONNECTION ARE OFTEN ROOTED IN ECONOMIC INSTABILITY, LACK OF STRUCTURE AND LACK OF OPPORTUNITY. PEOPLE DO NOT SIMPLY NEED PROGRAMS, THEY NEED PATHWAYS. MM-HMM . THIS IS WHY WE ARE BUILDING A COMMUNITY-BASED STABILIZATION MODEL IN NORTH LONG BEACH. FOCUS ON HELPING RESIDENTS MOVE FROM SURVIVAL MODE INTO STRUCTURAL GROWTH, LEADERSHIP, AND PRODUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT. OUR GOAL IS SIMPLE, HELP PEOPLE STABILIZE MENTALLY, ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND SPIRITUALLY SO THEY CAN BECOME CONTRIBUTORS TO THE COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF REMAINING TRAPPED IN CYCLE OF CRISIS. WE WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT LONG-TERM SOLUTION AND MEASURABLE IMPACT. I WANT TO THANK EACH ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY. THANK YOU. THANKS GERALD. YOU WANNA SAY HOW PEOPLE CAN FIND YOU? YOUR ORGANIZATION? UH, YOU CAN FIND ME ONLINE AT, UH, YOU FOR ABC.ORG. THAT STANDS FOR UNITY FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY. OR YOU CAN GO OUT TO THE CAPTAINS MILLIONAIRE, CAPTAINS PLUS ONLINE. AND MY PHONE NUMBER LOCALLY HERE IS THREE. OH, YOU DON'T NEED TO GIVE YOU A PHONE NUMBER. BUT [05:45:01] ANYWAY, THE WEBSITES ARE OUT THERE. IF YOU GO OUT THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION. IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE AND HONOR TALKING TO YOU. UNITE THIS, THE CAPTAIN SPEAKING. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. ALRIGHT, CJ THEN G THEN AMY. HI COUNCIL. HI MAYOR. HI EVERYONE WHO'S BEHIND ME. I LOVE ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE. I FEEL LIKE IT'S AWESOME THAT PEOPLE ARE AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. THAT IS LITERALLY WHY I TRY TO COME EVERY WEEK. I TRY TO BRING MORE PEOPLE HERE BECAUSE I WANT THE DIALOGUE THAT I THINK IS SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING HERE, BUT I DON'T FEEL LIKE IS LIKE, I FEEL LIKE FROM BOTH SIDES WE COULD PROBABLY AGREE THIS IS NOT A CONVERSATION THAT'S HAPPENING. IT'S JUST A LOT OF YELLING. AND THAT HONESTLY, LIKE FROM OVER HERE REALLY SUCKS. I ASSUME IT SUCKS FOR YOU BECAUSE NOBODY CAN ENJOY THAT. I MEAN, UNLESS MAYBE THAT'S YOUR THING. SORRY, NOT TRYING TO ASSUME YOU DON'T HAVE THINGS BUT HAVE YOUR THING. BUT MAYBE THAT'S GETTING YELLED AT. SOUNDS LIKE S**T QUITE FRANKLY. UM, , UH, I WORK IN, UH, THE EAST VILLAGE AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE AS A RENTER. UM, I WORK IN A RETAIL SPACE WHERE I AM SEEING PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER LONG BEACH AND LOTS OF TOURISTS ALL THE TIME. UM, AND HONESTLY, EVERYONE'S REALLY F*****G CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AND LIKE, YOU'RE NOT MAKING IT ANY EASIER BECAUSE YOU'RE MAKING ALL OF US MORE CONFUSED BY NOT DOING THINGS THAT ARE IN THE INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE. AND I RECOGNIZE THAT. LIKE YOU, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE THAT'S HAPPENING MAYBE SOMETIMES, BUT LIKE THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M HEARING FROM WHERE I'M SITTING BEHIND A COUNTER WHERE PEOPLE COME IN AND TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW THEY CAN'T PAY THEIR RENT, THEY CAN'T GET FOOD, THEY CAN'T F*****G LIKE GET HOUSING. I HAVE A GUY WHO COMES THROUGH EVERY COUPLE DAYS. HIS NAME'S EUREKA. HE'S UNHOUSED AND ALL I CAN F*****G DO BEHIND THE COUNTER IS GIVE HIM WATER AND SOME SNACKS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IN THE POSITION THAT I'M IN. BUT LIKE, THERE ARE SO MANY MORE THINGS THAT COULD BE HAPPENING. THERE ARE SO MANY MORE THINGS THAT I THINK ARE HAPPENING, BUT LIKE, WHO F*****G KNOWS ABOUT HIM? WHERE, WHERE, WHERE IS THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH LIKE THAT? YOU'VE HEARD THAT IT'S BEEN HIT ON. LIKE IF I HAD A HAMMER MULTIPLE TIMES TONIGHT, WHERE IS THE COLLABORATION WITH US? LIKE I, I GET THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE ARE HERE, WE'RE HERE, WE'RE DOING THE THING, RIGHT? BUT LIKE, ARE YOU INCENTIVIZING MORE OF THAT? CAN YOU LIKE, I'M TRYING TO BRING PEOPLE IN WHO ARE ALREADY INTERESTED, BUT LIKE, CAN YOU ALSO SWEETEN THE POT TOO? CAN WE ALL TRY TO SWEETEN IT SO THAT WE ALL ACTUALLY CAN CREATE SOMETHING AMAZING IN THE CITY THAT IT FEELS LIKE EVERYONE WHO'S IN THIS ROOM GIVES A MAJOR F**K ABOUT? AND I LOVE THAT THAT IS THE PEOPLE I WANT TO WORK WITH, BUT IT REALLY DOESN'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE AND I REALLY NEED SOME F*****G CLARITY. SO PLEASE, LIKE MAYBE HAVE A MEETING WITH Y'ALL OUTSIDE OF THIS THAT'S NOT WITH US. SO YOU CAN GET ON THE SAME PAGE AND THEN WE CAN GET ON THE SAME PAGE AFTER MORE MEETINGS. LIKE, I HATE THAT, I F*****G HATE MORE MEETINGS, BUT LIKE THERE'S NOT EVEN A GROUP CHAT WHERE WE CAN DUKE THIS OUT AND LIKE DISLIKE EACH OTHER'S COMMENTS. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT AND I HONESTLY KIND OF WISH WE DID BECAUSE THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING, RIGHT? I GET LOOK, I, I ROOMS ARE ROOMS, CHAT ROOMS, ROOMS, WHATEVER. YOU ALL, YOU ALL ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU WANTED THIS AND WE ARE HERE 'CAUSE WE WANT IT. CAN WE, CAN WE FIND A F*****G SOMETHING, A MIDDLE GROUND, ANYTHING? YEAH. FREE F*****G PALESTINE. THANKS CJ. ANYTIME YOU WANNA CHECK IN, CONNECT WITH MONTSERRAT. I'M HAPPY TO TALK. MAYBE NOT THE GROUP CHAT THING, BUT I'M HAPPY TO GET COFFEE AND TALK. UM, ALRIGHT, NEXT IS G AND THEN AMY, I'M SORRY. HELLO. UM, I WANTED TO ADDRESS THE ASKING TO BE A FULL-TIME COUNSEL. SOUNDS LIKE IT'S ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL PAY AND THIS COUNCIL HAS NOT PROVEN ITS EFFICIENCY. IT'S OFTEN VERY REDUNDANT AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WARRANTS ADDITIONAL FUNDING. CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS ASKING FOR MORE TIME. BUT I TRULY THINK YOU NEED MORE HOMEWORK. YOU NEED TO GAIN UNDERSTANDINGS OF DETAILS ON OF TOPICS BEFORE COMING TO THE MEETING. TO SHORTEN TIMES. IF YOU WANT SHORTER TIMES, YOU NEED TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK AT HOME INSTEAD OF TALKING IN CIRCLES WHILE WE'RE ALL HERE NOT GETTING PAID, Y'ALL ARE HERE ALL GETTING PAID AND TALKING IN CIRCLES AND WASTING EVERYONE'S TIME. UM, GET A DIFFERENT JOB. IF YOU DON'T WANNA BE A PUBLIC SERVANT. IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT LONG NIGHTS OF HEARING CONSTITUENTS, YOU'RE IN THE WRONG F*****G BUSINESS. A FEW, A FEW TIMES THROUGHOUT THE MEETING I HEARD COUNCIL MEMBERS HEAR A TOPIC THAT WAS ABOUT SAFETY AND THEIR COMMENT PIVOTS, UH, US TO SURVEILLING CONSTITUENTS, SURVEILLING COMMUNITY MEMBERS. RATHER THAN TALKING MORE ABOUT SAFETY. UM, IT REALLY SHOWS WHERE EVERYONE HEARS MIND IS AT. AND SHAME ON YOU ALL. UM, YOU ADDRESS YOUR CONSTITUENTS AS A NUISANCE WHEN THEY'RE THE VERY PEOPLE YOU ARE MEANT TO BE SERVICING WITH. THE ACTIONS YOU TAKE DURING THESE MEETINGS, YOU HAVE FALLEN SO FAR FROM THE PURPOSES OF BEING PUBLIC SERVANTS. YOU VOTE IN YOUR OWN [05:50:01] INTEREST, YOU THROW MONEY AT TOURISTS AND OUTSOURCE OUR SOLUTIONS THAT COULD BE SOLVED IN CITY. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY WERE SAYING YOU'RE SENDING MONEY TO EL KAJO. THERE'S NO ONE HERE WHO CAN DO ELECTRICAL PAINTING. REALLY, THERE'S NO ONE HERE WHO CAN DO ELECTRICAL PAINTING REALLY? SO WE HAVE TO GO TO EL KAJ AND OUTSOURCE OUR SERVICES THERE. INSTEAD OF IT GOING TO SOME THAT MONEY GOING TO SOMEONE IN THE CITY THAT WAS HALF A MILLION DOLLARS MOCA HALF A MILLION. I DON'T WANNA SEE THAT S**T IN MY CITY. UM, SO IF YOU DON'T LIKE BEING A PUBLIC SERVANT, YOU'RE IN THE WRONG BUSINESS. GET OUTTA HERE. UM, ALL ALL OF THIS RATHER THAN DOING THINGS THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE LOCAL PEOPLE IN THE CITY, IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING. IT'S VERY TIME CONSUMING. IT'S VERY ENERGY CONSUMING. IT'S VERY DRAINING FOR ALL OF US. AND ALSO, NOT TO MENTION REX HERE GETS TO EAT WHILE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO EAT. SOME OF US HAS HAVE MEDICAL, MEDICAL CONCERNS AND SHOULD BE EATING AT THIS TIME. SHAME ON YOU. I WANT TO SEE THE TIMER GO TOWN WHILE CONSTITUENTS TALK. I WANNA SEE THEM GET INTO THE YELLOW AND THE RED. WE ALL GET INTO THE YELLOW AND THE RED WHEN WE GET TO TALK. I WANNA SEE THE FIVE MINUTE TIMER COUNTING DOWN SO THEY CAN HAVE THIS FEELING RIGHT HERE. IT'S SO FRUSTRATING. YOU GUYS ARE WILLING TO DO THIS TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT YOU DON'T FACE THAT EVER AND YOU NEVER HAVE TO FACE THAT. AND WHEN YOU GO FOR EIGHT MINUTES, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANY OF THAT. DOESN'T MATTER. REDUCING THE TIME FOR INDIVIDUALS TO SPEAK WILL BE REGRETTABLE. UM, IF PUBLIC COMMENT GOES ON FOR TOO LONG FOR YOUR TASTE, THAT'S YOUR, THAT'S YOU PROBLEM. BE STRICT OVER WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL, WHICH IS PRESENTATION TIMES AND YOUR TIMES FOR SPEAKING. DO NOT CUT PUBLIC COMMENT. IT'S S**T. ALL RIGHT, OUR LAST SPEAKER IS AMY. IS AMY HERE? ALRIGHT, SEEING NO AMY, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'LL NOW GO TO CLOSING ANNOUNCEMENTS IN ADJOURNMENT. OKAY, I SAID YOUR NAME LIKE THREE TIMES. ALL RIGHT, YOU'RE UP. OKAY. UM, SO I'M JUST GONNA CONTINUE ON MY COMMENT ABOUT, UM, THE PROPOSALS THAT ARE BEING SUGGESTED ON LIMITING, UM, CONSTITUENT PARTICIPATION. I DEFINITELY WANNA ECHO THE SENTIMENT THAT YOU GUYS NEED TO BE TIMED BECAUSE YOU GUYS SPEND SO MUCH F*****G TIME JUST YAPPING AWAY IN CIRCLES THAT WE'RE GONNA START TIMING YOU GUYS AND SEE HOW MUCH TIME IS ACTUALLY YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT NOTHING. ALSO, SB 7 0 7 ONLY REQUIRES YOU GUYS TO MAKE IT TELEPHONICALLY AND AUDIO WHATEVER AVAILABLE TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS. ALL THIS OTHER FLUFF IS NOT REQUIRED. YOU GUYS DON'T NEED TO GO IN CIRCLES OVER THINGS THAT ARE NOT BEING REQUIRED OR MANDATED. THAT'S JUST FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. IT'S LIKE, OH, IF YOU WANT US TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA MAKE IT MORE CONVENIENT FOR US AND MAKE IT SEEM LIKE IT'S EASIER FOR YOU. BUT IT'S NOT. SO THAT'S JUST F*****G ANNOYING THAT WE GET LIMITED. BUT YET YOU GUYS GET TO TALK ABOUT NOTHING FOR HOURS. IT'S HOURS, HOURS. IT'S CRAZY. LIKE 11. IT'S LITERALLY 10 49 RIGHT NOW. AND OBVIOUSLY WE'RE STILL HERE BECAUSE WE CARE. AND THE REASON THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HERE IS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T MAKE IT BEFORE 5:00 PM SO IT'S NOT THAT PEOPLE DON'T CARE 'CAUSE PEOPLE ARE GONNA FIND OUT, REGARDLESS OF YOU GUYS NOT PUTTING THIS OUT FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO BE AWARE OF, WE'RE LETTING THE COMMUNITY BE KNOWN. AND JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T SHOW UP HERE DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY, THEY'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION, THEY'RE NOT CARING, THEY'RE TUNING IN ONLINE, THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW YOU'RE VOTING. AND WE'RE ALSO CAMPAIGNING FOR YOUR SEATS THAT ARE COMING UP IN JUNE. LIKE I DON'T THINK IT'S A COINCIDENCE THAT THIS IS BEING BROUGHT UP AT THIS TIME WHEN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FOCUSING ON WHO WE'RE GONNA REPLACE YOU GUYS WITH. AND ALSO NOW TRYING TO STILL HAVE OUR VOICES HEARD BECAUSE MAJORITY OF US AREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE IT HERE BEFORE FIVE 30. I DIDN'T GET HERE TODAY UNTIL SEVEN. I'M A REMOTE WORKER AND I WORK RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. I MEAN, I LIVE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. SO TELL, TELL ME HOW SOMEBODY WHO COMMUTES A MINIMUM OF 30 MINUTES, BECAUSE IF YOU LIVE IN LONG BEACH, YOU ARE EITHER A REMOTE WORKER OR A COMMUTER. SO TELL ME HOW SOMEBODY WHO COMMUTES AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER WORK IS GONNA MAKE IT HERE IF THEY GET OFF AT FIVE MM-HMM AND NOT ONLY THAT, YOUR YOUR SUGGESTION OF LIKE, WELL SIGNING UP ONLINE, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO BE HERE BY FIVE 30. LIKE ALL OF THE SUGGESTIONS TODAY, WERE JUST COMPLETE B******T. IT DOESN'T BENEFIT US IN ANY WAY. IT BENEFITS YOU GUYS AND WE'RE GONNA LET THE PUBLIC KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING BECAUSE THIS DOESN'T BENEFIT ANYBODY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, YOU GUYS HONESTLY ARE A DISAPPOINTMENT FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL. SHAME, SHAME. AND JUNE 2ND IS QUICKLY APPROACHING AND WE MAY NOT GET YOUR SEATS THIS YEAR, BUT WE'RE GONNA GET YOUR SEATS. [05:55:01] MM-HMM . ALRIGHT. UH, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'LL NOW GO TO CLOSING COMMENTS. WHAT'S UP WITH THE SCREEN? IS IT NOT WORKING? ALL RIGHT, JUST [ANNOUNCEMENTS] SHOW OF HANDS IF YOU HAVE A CLOSING COMMENT FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS. YEAH, YEAH, GO FOR IT. COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, JUST, UH, WANNA SAY HAPPY PRIDE LONG BEACH AND INVITE EVERYBODY TO, TO THE 43RD ANNUAL LONG BEACH PRIDE PARADE, WHICH IS ON SUNDAY, MAY 17TH FROM 10:00 AM IT STARTS AT OCEAN BOULEVARD AT LADERO AVENUE AND GOES ALL THE WAY TO, UM, ALAMEDAS AVENUE. AND, UH, THE FESTIVAL IS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AT THE MARINA PARK, UH, GREEN PARK, MARINA GREEN PARK, UM, ON FROM 12 TO 10 AT NIGHT. SO HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE, UM, AT THE FESTIVITIES. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. YES, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO SCIENCE NIGHT AT LBCC HAPPENING THIS FRIDAY, MAY 15TH FROM FOUR TO 8:00 PM UH, ENJOYING ENGAGING IN A VARIETY OF STEM EXPERIENCES. UH, THIS FREE EVENT WILL BE TAKING PLACE AT THE LIBERAL ARTS CAMPUS AT, ON CARSON AND CLARK IN THE C AND D BUILDINGS, ALONG IN THE QUAD AREA AS WELL. UH, NEXT PLAYMAKERS IS HOSTING THIS YEAR'S LONG BEACH ADAPTIVE ADAPTIVE SPORTS FAIR ON SATURDAY MAY 16TH, ALSO AT THE LBCC SPORTS COMPLEX. FROM 10:00 AM TO 3:00 PM JOIN PLAYMAKERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY FOR A FUN-FILLED DAY OF INCLUSIVE ACTIVITIES THAT INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUALS OF ALL ABILITIES CAN ATTEND. YOU CAN GAIN HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH A VARIETY OF ADAPTED SPORTS, INCLUDING BASKETBALL, BASEBALL, UH, BOCCE BALL, DANCE, AND MORE WITH EX EXPERT COACHES AND VOLUNTEERS ON SATURDAY MAY 16TH. CONSIDER STOPPING BY CUBO LONG BEACH FOR A FREE KAWA EVENT FROM 10:00 AM TO 3:00 PM IT FEATURES WELLNESS THEMES, MERCADO CURATED PROGRAMS FEATURING MEDITATION, SOUND, BATH, AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS. THIS EVENT IS FREE AT 39 76 ATLANTIC. UH, AND LASTLY, STOP BY BIXBY KNOWLES FOR THE CRITICAL MASS 14TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 17TH. IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PRIDE, CELEBRATE 14 YEARS OF RIDING WITH PIXIE TOYS AND PEDAL MOVEMENT FEATURING LIVE MUSIC. UH, THE RIDE LEAVES FROM THE BACK PARKING LOT, 11:00 AM BEHIND PIXIE TOYS. THANKS. SEE YOU PRIDE. ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? IF NOT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. MEETING ADJOURNED. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. * 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.