[00:08:19]
[00:08:19]
YEAH.[CALL TO ORDER]
WE ARE NOW OFFICIALLY AT QUORUM.ALRIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER FOR JULY 1ST, 2026.
[ROLL CALL]
ROLL CALL, PLEASE.COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER SAMME WEILL, VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ PRESENT AND CHAIR DE LEON PRESENT.
UH, AND FOR THE RECORD, COMMISSIONERS BUTLER AND SAM, WE ARE EXCUSED FROM THE MEETING TODAY.
UH, ANY OBJECTIONS ON THE ROLL? CALL FROM COMMISSIONER.
AND I BELIEVE WE'LL HAVE ONE MORE COMMISSIONER JOINING US MOMENTARILY.
[CHAIR REMARKS]
I'M GOING TO READ OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, UH, AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE TO ROTATE THIS ROLE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COMMISSION.UH, FOR THE DURATION OF OUR TIME, UH, THIS EVENING, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE LIVE, WORK, AND GATHER ON THE TRADITIONAL, SACRED AND UNCEDED LANDS OF THE TONGVA KI ACHMAN, CHUMASH, AND OTHER INDIGENOUS GROUPS WHO CALL THESE GROUNDS HOME.
WE HONOR AND EXTEND GRATITUDE TO THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE FOR THEIR STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE AND PROTECTING THIS LAND.
AND WE ASPIRE TO UPHOLD OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ACCORDING TO THEIR EXAMPLE.
AND BEFORE WE BEGIN, UH, I WANNA, UH, BRIEFLY DO SOME CHAIR REMARKS.
UH, THIS IS MY FIRST MEETING AS
[00:10:01]
THE CHAIR FOR EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION.UM, BUT I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR, UH, CHAIR COVINGTON, WHO WAS IN THIS ROLE FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, UH, AND WHO, UM, PLAYED SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN SHAPING THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, UH, AND WAS IN THIS COMMISSION, UH, BEFORE I WAS.
UM, AND I GOTTA SEE HIS LEADERSHIP, UM, THROUGHOUT THAT PERIOD.
I'M ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE HAVE A NEW COMMISSIONER TODAY, COMMISSIONER MATT ESTES, WHO, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, PROBABLY THE FASTEST ONBOARDING I'VE EVER SEEN.
CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING IT DONE WITHIN FOUR WEEKS.
AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO YOUR, UH, THE SELF-STARTER MENTALITY THAT YOU'RE BRINGING, THE URGENCY THAT YOU FEEL, UH, TO MAKE IT ON THIS COMMISSION AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
SOME COMMISSIONERS DON'T GET ON HERE FOR TWO MONTHS, EVEN THREE, AND YOU GOT ON BY THE NEXT MEETING AS SOON AS YOU WERE APPOINTED.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD, AND WE CAN TRY AND TAKE A GROUP PICTURE AT THE END SO THAT YOU HAVE YOUR FIRST DAY CAPTURED.
UM, AND, UH, ONE MORE THING THAT I'LL DO BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK, UH, TWO YEARS, UH, IN THIS ROLE.
I THINK I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THE WORK WE GET TO DO TOGETHER.
UH, LATER TODAY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME TIME WHERE PEOPLE CAN SHARE, UH, SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT THEY REALLY WANT TO TAKE ON, AS WELL AS THINGS WE'VE LOOKED AT IN THE PAST WE WANNA RETURN TO.
AND SO I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THAT.
UM, LAST THING IS WE DO HAVE AT LEAST ONE, MAYBE MORE THAN ONE NEW, UH, ATTENDEES TO A COMMISSION.
UM, PART OF MY COMMITMENT OVER THE NEXT, UM, COUPLE YEARS IS TO MAKE THIS AS ACCESSIBLE A SPACE AS POSSIBLE.
AND THAT'S NOT JUST ACCESSIBILITY IN TERMS OF KNOWING WHEN IT IS AND WHERE IT IS, BUT ALSO HOW DOES THIS SPACE ACTUALLY WORK.
UM, AND SO I'VE GOT SOME BRIEF PREPARED REMARKS THAT I'LL USE WHENEVER WE HAVE NEW GUESTS IN THE SPACE SO THEY UNDERSTAND HOW COMMISSIONS WORK.
BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME I WALKED INTO A COMMISSION MEETING, I'LL BE HONEST, I HAD NO IDEA HOW THIS WORKED.
WHEN I GOT A TALK, WHAT THE COMMISSIONERS WERE DOING, IT WAS VERY DISORIENTING.
AND SO I'LL READ THESE REMARKS.
I WON'T DO THESE IF WE HAVE NO GUESTS, BUT WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE NEW GUEST TODAY.
UH, AND SO, UH, COMMUNITY, WELCOME TO THE EQUITY HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING, UH, FOR ANY FIRST TIME ATTENDEES, I WANNA WALK THROUGH A VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT TO EXPECT TODAY.
NUMBER ONE, UH, YOU'LL SEE ON THE AGENDA WAS, UM, IN THE DOOR AS YOU WALKED IN.
UM, THE AGENDA WALKS THROUGH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE DOCKET TODAY.
UM, THE BIGGEST ITEMS HERE ARE THE JUSTICE FOR BLACK WORKERS, UH, LETTER THAT WE'LL BE REVIEWING TODAY, IF WE APPROVE THAT, THAT WILL GO TO CITY COUNCIL.
UM, THERE'S ALSO GONNA BE A DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION FROM OUR EDUCATIONAL ACCESS AND QUALITY LISTENING SESSION FRAMEWORK AD HOC, UM, WHICH IS GONNA BE PREPARING OUR LISTENING SESSION COMING UP.
AND THAT'LL BE A CHANCE FOR US TO TALK THROUGH THE BEST PROCESS TO GET THAT INPUT FROM COMMUNITY.
UH, AND SO FOR THOSE ITEMS AND FOR ANY OF THE OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ON THAT, UM, THE CLERK WILL CALL THAT AGENDA ITEM AT THAT MOMENT.
YOU CAN THEN LINE UP AT THE PODIUM, OR IF YOU'RE ONLINE, YOU CAN RAISE YOUR HAND AND THAT'LL BE A CHANCE FOR YOU TO QUEUE UP AND SPEAK.
YOU HAVE TO SPEAK ONLY ON THE ITEM LISTED IN THAT MOMENT, AND THAT'S YOUR CHANCE TO ENGAGE ON THAT TOPIC.
UH, SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO JOIN TO SHARE TOPICS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA, THAT IS OKAY AND ENCOURAGED.
UM, BUT IF YOU ARE TO DO SO, THERE'S TIME AT THE END FOR WHAT'S CALLED NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND SO AT THAT TIME, UH, THE END OF THE MEETING, USUALLY THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN SHARE ANYTHING THAT IS UNDER THE, UM, THE MANTLE OF EQUITY IN HUMAN RELATIONS.
UH, THAT'S YOUR CHANCE TO SHARE ON THAT.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE OTHER THINGS YOU WANNA RAISE, THAT'S A GOOD TIME FOR IT.
BUT IF IT'S CONNECTED TO THE AGENDA ITEM, UM, PLEASE SHARE IT DURING THE AGENDA ITEM.
UH, THE NEXT PIECE IS THE BROWN ACT.
UH, MANY PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS, BUT US, WE HEAR ABOUT IT EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT WE'RE ON THIS COMMISSION.
UH, AND IT'S A, UH, LAW THAT BASICALLY GOVERNS ALL COMMISSIONS AND CITY COUNCILS, UH, AND OTHER, UH, BODIES LIKE THESE IN CALIFORNIA.
UM, WHAT IT MEANS IS IT ACTUALLY DICTATES THE STRUCTURE OF HOW THIS WORKS SO LEGALLY, WE ACTUALLY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION WITH PUBLIC COMMENT DURING THE MEETING.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE'RE INTERESTED IN IT, NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE COMMENT, WE CAN ENGAGE IN A BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATION PER THE BROWN ACT.
HOWEVER, WE CAN AND SHOULD TAKE YOUR PUBLIC TESTIMONY SERIOUSLY WHEN WE TAKE THE AGENDA ITEM BEHIND THE DAIS FOR OUR COMMISSIONER DISCUSSION, RIGHT? YOUR PRESENCE, YOUR PUBLIC INPUT, THAT IS ESSENTIAL TO THIS COMMISSION TO LOCAL GOVERNANCE.
IT DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY WITHOUT YOU.
UM, BUT THAT IF YOU SEE HOW WE INTERACT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON FOR IT.
A COUPLE OTHER HOUSEKEEPING PIECES, UH, LANGUAGE JUSTICE.
ANYONE WHO NEEDS SPANISH KUAI OR TAGAL INTERPRETATION CAN GET ONE IF REQUESTED.
UM, AND, UH, YOU CAN TALK TO TONY AFTERWARDS IF YOU WANNA LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT PROCESS.
UM, AND YOU CAN ALSO PLAN AHEAD, UH, IF YOU GO TO LONG BEACH.PRIME GOV.COM/PUBLIC/PORTAL.
UH, AND I CAN GIVE THAT TO YOU IF YOU NEED IT.
UM, THAT'S WHERE ALL CURRENT AND FUTURE CITY COUNCIL, UH, AGENDAS AND COMMISSION AGENDAS ARE LISTED ALONG WITH ATTACHMENTS.
SO YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG NOW IF YOU WANNA ACCESS THINGS DIGITALLY AND YOU LOOK AT THINGS IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.
UM, ONE MORE, VERY IMPORTANT POINT BEFORE I WRAP.
FREE PARKING IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR THESE MEETINGS.
THERE'S VALIDATION IN THE BACK.
UH, PLEASE DO NOT PAY FOR PARKING.
UH, THAT'S FOR THE CIVIC CENTER GARAGE ON BROADWAY.
UH, SO WE'LL USE THIS WHENEVER WE HAVE NEW GUESTS.
UM, IF WE ARE EMPTY OR WE HAVE A LOT OF RETURN CUSTOMERS, THEN WE WILL SKIP THAT.
UM, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THIS IS ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYBODY.
[00:15:01]
IT'S INTIMIDATING, BUT IT'S BETTER THAT YOU'RE HERE.UH, WITH THAT, UH, MADAM CLERK, UH, PLEASE READ THE FIRST ITEM.
[1. 26-55532 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Equity and Human Relations Commission meeting of Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
ONE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3RD, 2026.IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COMMISSIONER LARA AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COLE COMMISSIONERS.
ANY QUESTIONS OR CORRECTIONS FOR THESE MINUTES? IF NOT, UH, WE CAN TAKE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE MINUTES IN PERSON, UH, PLEASE LINE UP IN FRONT OF THE MICROPHONE TO SPEAK.
I BELIEVE WE CAN CALL FOR A VOTE.
MADAM CLERK, I'M GOING TO CALL FOR A PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE ZOOM.
IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE IN THE ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE NOW OR DIAL STAR NINE.
IF CALLING IN SEEING NONE IN THE ZOOM AS WELL, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE VOTE.
ALRIGHT, UH, LET'S READ THE NEXT ITEM.
[2. 26-55533 Recommendation to review, discuss, and, if appropriate, approve the transmittal of a letter from the Justice for Black Workers Ad Hoc Committee to City Council, outlining recommendations to bring justice for black workers in Long Beach. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
IS A RECOMMENDATION TO REVIEW, DISCUSS, AND IF APPROPRIATE, APPROVE THE TRANSMITTAL OF A LETTER FROM THE JUSTICE FOR BLACK WORKERS AD HOC COMMITTEE TO CITY COUNCIL OUTLINING RECOMMENDATIONS TO BRING JUSTICE FOR BLACK WORKERS IN LONG BEACH.ALRIGHT, WE'LL REQUEST A MOTION OR A SECOND.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COMMISSIONER LARA AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COLE.
UH, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MOMENT TO, UH, ENGAGE IN ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE ON THE LETTER.
UM, AND THEN AFTER WE ENGAGE WITH THOSE QUESTIONS, WE'LL MOVE TOWARDS PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, FOLLOWING THAT, WE'LL MOVE TO DISCUSSION.
UH, AND THEN THAT WILL, UM, FINALLY CATALYZE OUR VOTE.
UM, SO THAT'S A PROCESS FOR THE NEXT, UH, FEW MOMENTS HERE.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ALL OF YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER IN THE PACKET.
UH, AND WE'VE HAD THIS, UH, I BELIEVE THE INTENTION ORIGINALLY WAS TO HAVE IT ACTUALLY AT A PREVIOUS MEETING.
UM, WE'RE ENGAGING WITH IT NOW.
UH, SO WE WANT TO, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS AT THIS TIME.
UH, AND THEN AFTER THAT WE'LL OPEN A PUBLIC COMMENT AND ENGAGE IN FULL DISCUSSION.
SO, ANY QUESTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS THAT COMMISSIONERS HAVE ON THE LETTER AS PROVIDED.
WE HAVE A FEW SECONDS FOR FOLKS TO CHECK, BUT WE WILL HAVE MORE TIME TO DISCUSS SHORTLY.
I FEEL COMFORTABLE MOVING TOWARDS PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME.
AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK, BRING IT TO THE DIOCESE FOR DISCUSSION.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO IN PERSON, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE NOW, OR DIAL STAR NINE OF CALLING IN, SEEING ONE IN PERSON AND NONE IN THE ZOOM.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH IN PERSON.
I'M SORRY, WE DO HAVE ONE IN THE ZOOM AS WELL.
WE'LL START WITH IN PERSON THOUGH.
IT'S A COUPLE OF, UH, SPEAKING IN PERSON.
UM, I DIDN'T WRITE NOTHING DOWN, HONESTLY.
UM, ALL WE ASKING YOU GUYS TO DO, YOU KNOW, IS REALLY LOOK OUT FOR BLACK WORKERS.
AS Y'ALL KNOW, MY NAME IS ANTHONY HOLMES.
I WORK FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, THE REFUGE DEPARTMENT.
I'VE BEEN COMING DOWN TO THESE COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AND I DONE ASKED THE MAYOR, UM, ONLY DO A WALKTHROUGH TO ME WITH ME TO GO TO EVERY DEPARTMENT AND TALK TO EVERY BLACK WORKER.
HONESTLY, WE HAVE A MILLION BLACK WORKERS IN THIS AUDIENCE TONIGHT, BUT A LOT OF 'EM SCARED TO COME, YOU KNOW, EVEN JUST TO SIT IN A CROWD BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'LL BE RETALIATED AGAINST OF WHAT YOU KNOW, SO ON.
YOU KNOW, I GET CALLS ALL THE TIME ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, WHETHER IT'S A, WHETHER IT'S A DEPARTMENT HEAD OR A SUPERINTENDENT, A SUPERVISOR HARASSING THEM, BULLYING THEM, HR DEPARTMENT, BULLYING THEM, HARASSING THEM PEOPLE, BLACK PEOPLE GETTING FIRED FOR NO REASON.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I GET THINGS TOLD TO ME LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA
[00:20:01]
TAKE CARE OF ICE FIRST, WE GONNA PUT Y'ALL ON A BACK BURNER.WE'VE BEEN ON A BACK BURNER SINCE I WAS BORN, BEFORE I WAS BORN.
LIKE, DON'T PUSH US TO THE BACK UNTIL Y'ALL TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM.
WELL, Y'ALL AIN'T NEVER TACKLE A BLACK ISSUE A DAY IN YOUR LIFE, YOU KNOW? SO ME COMING UP, WHEN I'M COMING UP HERE, I STAND WITH MY HEAD HIGH.
I DON'T FEAR NO MAN, BUT GOD, UM, I GET CALLS LIKE, WELL, ANTHONY, THEY'RE GONNA FIRE YOU.
THEY WOULD'VE ALREADY DONE IT.
NOW, IF I MESS UP, YEAH, FIRE ME.
BUT I'M, I'M ACTUALLY A BLACK PERSON, A BLACK MAN THAT COME TO WORK AND DO HIS JOB.
AND I GET RETALIATED AGAINST BY DOING MY JOB, FOLLOWING THE MOU.
IF I'M NOT FOLLOWING MOU, IT'S LIKE I'M DOING GOOD.
LIKE, IF YOU COME, ANY OF YOU, YOU GUYS COME TO OUR DEPARTMENT AND YOU GUYS SAY YOU WORKED YOUR WAY UP.
ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS TREAT BLACK PEOPLE LIKE S**T.
YOU'LL BE THE MAYOR OF THE CITY.
AND FOR US TO HAVE A BLACK MAYOR AND WE BRING THIS TO US, IT'S A TENSION.
HE SIT ON THE BENCH FOR FOUR YEARS AND JUST IGNORE THIS ISSUE.
ME AND HIM WILL NEVER BE COOL EVER IN LIFE.
UM, BUT I SPEAK FOR EVERY BLACK WORKER, NOT JUST FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UM, I SPEAK FOR BLACK WORKERS ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, YOU CAN'T PUT US ON A BLACK BACK BURNER FOR NOBODY.
YOU GUYS WILL ALWAYS HEAR MY VOICE.
AND HONESTLY, I WISH WE CAN TRADE Y'ALL FOR THE COUNCIL.
LET THEM BE THE COMMISSIONERS.
AT LEAST Y'ALL GOT A SENSE OF HUMOR AND Y'ALL ACTUALLY PAY ATTENTION TO US WHEN WE TALK, YOU KNOW? SO THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY.
PROTECT BLACK WORKERS AND BLACK PEOPLE STAND UP BECAUSE THEY THINK OUR RACE IS SOFT, BUT I'M NOT.
UH, HELLO? UH, DO I NEED TO STATE ANYTHING? UH, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE, YOU CAN SHARE YOUR NAME AND WHAT DISTRICT YOU'RE IN IF YOU WANT.
UM, AND YOU CAN DIVE INTO REMARKS.
AND ASIDE FROM THE CURRENT CLIMATE THE GOVERNMENT IS IN, WHY SHOULD SOME ISSUE LIKE THIS EVEN BE NECESSARY FOR DISCUSSION? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
WHY IS THIS STILL HAPPENING? THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
I AM NOT A BLACK WORKER HERE IN LONG BEACH.
UM, BUT I'M A BLACK EMPLOYER HERE IN LONG BEACH, AND OBVIOUSLY I'M A BLACK WOMAN AND I'VE WORKED BEFORE.
SO I DO UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS AND THE CONCERNS OF THE BLACK WORKERS.
I'M HERE IN SOLIDARITY TO SPEAK UP FOR THE BLACK WORKERS WHO, BECAUSE I'M NOT A BLACK WORKER IN LONG BEACH, I CAN COME UP HERE, I CAN SAY WHAT I HAVE TO SAY, AND I DON'T HAVE ANY FEAR OF RETALIATION, BUT I'M HERE, NOT BECAUSE I'M A BLACK WORKER, BUT BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE.
LIKE ANTHONY SAID, THESE SEATS WOULD BE FILLED WITH BLACK WORKERS WITH COMPLAINTS IF THEY DIDN'T THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE REP REPERCUSSIONS.
THERE'S ALREADY REPERCUSSIONS WHEN YOU DO WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
SO IMAGINE WHAT IT'S LIKE IF YOU TRY TO SPEAK UP FOR YOURSELF FOR SOME REASON.
EVERYBODY ELSE HAS THE RIGHT TO SPEAK UP FOR THEMSELVES.
EVERYBODY ELSE HAS THE RIGHT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES.
EVERYBODY ELSE GETS THE RIGHT TO SHOW UP WHO THEY ARE AUTHENTICALLY.
THEIR HAIR CAN BE WHATEVER WAY IT WAS WHEN GOD MADE THEM.
THEIR, THEIR SMILE, THEIR SPEAK, THEIR WALK.
EVERYTHING CAN BE NATURAL FOR EVERYBODY EXCEPT BLACK PEOPLE.
YOU ALL ARE IN A POSITION TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT, AS OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CITY MAY NOT BE IN A POSITION, THEY MIGHT BE A BLACK WORKER AND STILL IN A SUPERVIS POSITION CANNOT SPEAK UP.
IT'S NOT EASY TO WEAR THIS SKIN.
MOST OF US WEAR IT PROUDLY, BUT IT'S NOT EASY.
SO WE WANT YOU TO CONSIDER FOR A MINUTE, WHAT CAN YOU DO? A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE COME BEFORE COUNCILS AND CHAMBERS AND THIS PERSON, THAT PERSON, WHATEVER, THEY'RE ALWAYS TELLING US WHAT THEY CANNOT DO.
MY QUESTION IS, WHAT CAN YOU DO? WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING UNREASONABLE.
WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY, ANY STIPULATION THAT A NORMAL PERSON SHOWING UP FOR WORK EVERY DAY EXPECTING TO GET PAID, DO THEIR JOB, MIND THEIR BUSINESS, AND BE TREATED WITH RESPECT.
DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A LOT TO ASK THIS, SHOULDN'T I? I AGREE WITH MY BROTHER OVER HERE.
WE SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE HERE.
AND WITH THE CASCADE OF AFFAIRS GOING ON IN THE REST OF THIS COUNTRY, THE LEAST WE CAN DO AS A CITY IN LONG BEACH IS PROTECT ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.
CAN I, CAN I COME UP MYSELF? DOES ANYBODY CALL? HELLO EVERYBODY.
[00:25:01]
VERY PROUD TO BE HERE WITH THESE AMAZING PEOPLE WHO SHOULDN'T BE HERE, SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE HERE.I'M IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
I FEEL SAFER WHEN THE BLACK COMMUNITY IS SAFE.
UM, I I, I'M ALSO SURPRISED TO KNOW TO, TO, TO SEE THAT WE HA THE COMMUNITY HAS TO GO THIS FAR TO GET, UM, SOMETHING LIKE THIS ADDRESSED.
AND, UM, REALLY THERE WE'RE OUT OF TIME.
WE'RE AS A HUMANITY, WE'RE OUT OF TIME.
AND BLACK PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BEG AND HAVE TO, UM, CATER TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, UM, TO GET THESE TYPES OF RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES AS ALL HUMANS SHOULD.
UM, AND I SUPPORT, UH, THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND PLEASE PROTECT BLACK PEOPLE.
UM, LIKE I SAID, AS A SYRIAN ARMENIAN CITIZEN, I FEEL SAFER WHEN THE BLACK COMMUNITY IS SAFE, WHEN I KNOW THEY'RE SAFE.
WELL, GOOD EVENING, CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.
I RESIDE IN COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR ME BECAUSE OF MY LIVED EXPERIENCES.
I AM A POLICY ANALYST, AND SO MY FOCUS IS ON INTENT AND SCOPE OF ANY POLICY, UM, THAT COMES OUT OF, UH, THIS BODY AND OUT OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
AND SO ON BEHALF OF THE COALITION AGAINST ANTI-BLACKNESS, BLACK WORKERS, AND AMERICAN FREEMEN, I WANT TO SINCERELY THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AND FOR YOUR DECISION TO ESTABLISH AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO BEGIN THIS IMPORTANT WORK.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN, ENGAGE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BLACK WORKERS CONTINUE TO FACE BARRIERS AND HARMS THAT DESERVE MEANINGFUL ATTENTION.
YOUR RESPONSE DEMONSTRATES THAT THESE CONCERNS ARE BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY, AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THAT AS THIS PROCESS MOVES FORWARD.
UM, WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT IMPLEMENTATION IS ESSENTIAL.
RECOMMENDATIONS ALONE DO NOT CHANGE LIVES.
WE WANT TO CHANGE ATMOSPHERES, WE WANNA CHANGE OUTCOMES.
AND SO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND POLICIES MUST BE TRANSLATED INTO MEASURABLE ACTIONS, TRANSPARENT REPORTING AND VISIBLE OUTCOMES THAT IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF BLACK WORKERS THROUGHOUT LONG BEACH.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE COMMISSION CITY STAFF, EMPLOYERS, UH, LABOR ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO ENSURE THAT THIS EFFORT RESULTS IN LASTING INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE.
WE ALSO WANNA BE CLEAR THAT THIS PROCESS MUST BE CONDUCTED WITH PROFESSIONALISM, DIGNITY, AND MUTUAL RESPECT.
THE COALITION WILL NOT TOLERATE RACIST, DISCRIMINATORY, RETALIATORY, OR BULLYING BEHAVIOR FROM ANY PARTICIPANT OR STAKEHOLDER INVOLVED IN THIS WORK.
EVERY PERSON WHO COMES TO THE TABLE DESERVES TO BE HEARD AND TREATED WITH RESPECT.
WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO BEING CONSTRUCTIVE PARTNERS IN THIS PROCESS AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING MORE MEASURABLE PROGRESS IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS ACCOUNTABILITY.
THANK YOU FOR SEEING US AGAIN.
IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU ALL THIS EVENING.
I LEAD THE LONG BEACH BLACK WORKER CENTER, AND I STAND ON BEHALF OF THE, UH, COALITION AGAINST ANTI-BLACKNESS.
WE'RE STANDING IN GRATITUDE FOR YOU TAKING ON THIS AD HOC COMMITTEE ON THE BEHALF OF THE ALMOST 5,006,000 BLACK CITIZENS OF LONG BEACH.
WE ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE TONIGHT THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE HEARD THESE CONVERSATIONS, WHETHER IT'S YOU AS THE COMMISSION OR THE FORMER COMMISSIONERS, AS WELL AS I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE
[00:30:01]
THE LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE BLACK COMMUNITY WHO HAVE TAKEN PART IN THE COMMISSION TO PAVE THE WAY TO FETTER THE SOIL, AND TO GIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS LIKE THIS.AS ANTHONY SPOKE, MANY PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK.
IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN ACQUAINTED WITH THE STEELY RESOLVE OF THE BLACK RACE, HERE WE ARE.
WE DON'T TIRE EASY, WE'RE NOT GIVING UP, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA SIT DOWN.
I HAVE A LOT OF POWERFUL ADVISEMENT AROUND ME AROUND HOW TO GET THESE OBJECTIVES DONE, THAT WE'VE COME TOGETHER AS A BLACK WORKER CENTER AND FACING THE RACIAL RECONCILIATION FRAMEWORK.
AND THE CHARGE THAT I'VE BEEN GIVEN IS TO BE BRAVE, HAVE COURAGE, STAND COURAGEOUSLY AND NOT TO BOW.
THAT'S NOT A COMMAND THAT'S ALWAYS EASIEST.
SURE, AS I STAND ENCOURAGED AND BRAVE, IT TAKES SOMETHING TO STAND FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS WHO, WHO FEEL VOICELESS, AND TO, TO RAISE A COLLECTIVE VOICE ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO'VE BEEN BEAT DOWN, WHO ARE FACING BURNOUT, WHO IMMERSED OR SHOWING UP, EMOTIONALLY SCARRED, AND SOMETIMES INAPPROPRIATE.
BUT WE STAND FOR OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
WE WILL ALWAYS STAND FOR THOSE WHO WILL STAND TO FIGHT NO MATTER HOW IT LOOKS.
AND I THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO US.
AND I JUST WANNA ADD THAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION SO THAT WE CAN REPORT BACK TO THE CITIZENS.
THE CITIZENS WANNA KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN BESIDES HAVING MORE CONVERSATIONS.
SO MY REQUEST AS I TAKE MY SEAT IS THAT THAT COMMUNICATION PIPELINE BE OPENED UP BY YOU.
I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR THIS WORK.
AND THAT YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT I'M STANDING FOR MANY, NOT JUST THIS COALITION OR THE EIGHT THAT ARE HERE THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER IN PERSON, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ZOOM MEMBERS.
WE HAVE TWO WITH THEIR HANDS RAISED.
MELISSA MORGAN, YOU'VE BEEN UNMUTED.
OF COURSE, MY DOG JUST STARTED BARKING.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIR COMMISSIONERS.
I LOVE HEARING YOUR VOICES AND SEEING YOU THERE.
I'M A BLACK WORKER WHO ONCE SERVED AS THE STAFF FOR YOUR COMMISSION.
ACTUALLY, MANY MOONS AGO, I ONCE WAS EMPLOYED IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND HAD THE WORKING WHILE BLACK EXPERIENCE OF BEING, HAVING MY WORK IN THE POSITION BE DOWNGRADED AND MOVED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS BY A WHITE CITY MANAGER.
THEN, UM, I ONCE WORKED WITH TOM MOCA, WE WERE COLLEAGUES.
SO MY BLACK WORKER EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN QUITE INTERESTING WHEN IT COMES TO EQUITY.
AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME TO BE PART OF THIS AD HOC COMMITTEE AND HEARING OUT THE COALITION AGAINST ANTI-BLACKNESS IS DEMANDS FOR THE COMMUNITY LISTENING.
THOSE DEMANDS ARE AT LB BWC.ORG/DIGNITY.
TONIGHT, I WANNA SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF A COUPLE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT MUST BE SHARED YOU ALL WITH CITY COUNCIL.
I REALLY THINK THIS CAN HELP OUR CITY MOVE BEYOND STATEMENTS ABOUT EQUITY.
YOU KNOW, WE BOAST ABOUT THEM, BUT TOWARD REALLY MEANINGFUL CHANGE, ACTION AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE.
THE FIRST IS DEMAND NUMBER THREE, FROM OUR FULL LIST OF DEMANDS TO ADOPT A COMPREHENSIVE WORKPLACE EQUITY POLICY.
LONG BEACH, YOU KNOW, HAS MADE IMPORTANT COMMITMENTS TO RACIAL EQUITY, BUT EMPLOYEES ALSO NEED CLEAR WORKPLACE STANDARDS.
I'M VERY CLEAR THAT YOUR COMMISSION'S PURVIEW, AS YOU'VE BEEN ADVISED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY, IS NOT ABOUT CITY HR BUSINESS.
I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT FLAWED THINKING.
UH, THE FACT IS THAT MANY BLACK WORKERS WHO WORKED WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH ARE, UH, RESIDENTS IN THE CITY.
AND THAT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PURVIEW.
ANY TIME WHEN I WORKED WITH THE CITY OR AS A COMMUNITY RESIDENT TODAY, I CAME TO ASK CITY OFFICIALS TO MOVE ON BLACK ISSUES IN A WAY THAT WEREN'T ANTI-BLACK.
I THINK THAT'S AN EXCUSE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY, WHICH MAKES IT IMPERATIVE FOR YOU TO SEND THIS LETTER TO THE CITY MANAGER.
A WORKFORCE WORKFORCE EQUITY POLICY SHOULD BE CLEAR, IT SHOULD DEFINE ANTI-BLACKNESS DISCRIMINATION, UH, ESTABLISH ACCOUNTABILITY, REQUIRE TRAINING, ET CETERA.
AND THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES HAS AN EXAMPLE I CAN SHARE WITH YOU ABOUT A POLICY.
THESE POLICIES MATTER BECAUSE THEY CREATE ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND THIS IS THE WORK THAT WE'RE EXPRESSING IS MORE THAN JUST PATHWAYS.
THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL TALK ABOUT GREAT PATHWAYS FOR BLACK WORKERS TO GET INTO THE CITY.
BUT AS I'VE HEARD ANTHONY SHARE ON BEHALF OF OTHERS, HIRING IS SUPER IMPORTANT.
BUT SO IS THE PROMOTION, THE RETENTION IN A HEALTHY WORKPLACE.
[00:35:01]
DEMAND NUMBER FOUR IS TO CREATE AN INDEPENDENT TRUTH, RECONCILIATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMISSION.MANY BLACK WORKERS DON'T TRUST INTERNAL SYSTEMS. I HEARD, I THINK CAROLYN AND DANA SPEAK ABOUT THIS.
THOSE SYSTEMS OFTEN INVESTIGATE THEMSELVES, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT SYSTEM THAT WILL HEAR OUT TESTIMONY I'VE HEARD FROM BLACK WORKERS THAT THEY ARE RETALIATED AGAINST FOR SPEAKING UP.
AND I KNOW THIS FROM DOING WORK WITH BLACK WORKERS CENTERS ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, A MODEL TO LOOK AT IS THE CITY'S RACIAL RECONCILIATION INITIATIVE BY MAYOR RICHARDSON.
DEMAND SEVEN, STRENGTHEN ANTI-RETALIATION PROTECTIONS.
EIGHT, ADOPT A TRAUMA-INFORMED WORKPLACE PRACTICES.
NINE, INVEST IN BLACK WORKER ADVANCEMENTS SO THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT MOVED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS LIKE I WAS.
LASTLY, PLEASE FULLY FUND THE EQUITY INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S EQUITY WORK.
WE KNOW THEY HAVE TO, UH, RAISE GRANT FUNDING.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THAT DEMAND IS INCLUDED SO THAT INTERNALLY THIS WORK CAN BE DONE.
PLEASE WRAP UP YOUR COMMENT, WORKERS.
NEXT UP WE HAVE LA HOLLY, YOU'VE BEEN UNMUTED.
INVEST IN BLACK WORKER ADVANCEMENTS SO THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT MOVED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS LIKE I WAS LAST CONCLUSIVE.
LASTLY, PLEASE FULLY FUND THE EQUITY INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT EQUITY WORK.
WE KNOW THEY HAVE TO, UH, RAISE GRANT FUNDING.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT DEMAND IS INCLUDED SO THAT INTERNALLY THIS WORK IS DONE.
UM, EXCEPT WE HAVE LA HOLLY? YES.
UM, A SPEAKER, THERE IS SOME BACKGROUND NOISE.
I THINK WE MAY BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORDING.
UM, CAN YOU, UH, MUTE ANY BACKGROUND NOISE BEFORE YOU, UH, BE YOUR COMMENT? THANK YOU.
SO INTERNALLY IT WORKING OKAY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE IS ON THE BACKGROUND NOISE.
HOW WAS THAT? IS THAT BETTER? HELLO? UM, WE'RE THERE'S OVERLAPPING AUDIO.
ARE YOU LISTENING TO THE MEETING ON ANOTHER DEVICE? IF YOU CAN PLEASE MUTE, MUTE THAT JUST YES, I DID.
BECAUSE I, I WAS HAVING A LITTLE STRUGGLE IN, IN DOING THE ZOOM PART.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND OH, WONDERFUL.
AND I HAVE, UH, SOME COMMENTS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IN SUPPORT OF, UH, THIS AGENDA ITEM, UH, JUSTICE FOR BLACK WORKERS.
I DO WANNA BRING, UH, FOCUS, I THINK, TO THE HISTORICAL PIECE OF IT, BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT WE'RE PART OF A LARGER CONTINUUM WHERE THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING, UH, ANGST, UH, WITHIN THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH THE BLACK LONG BEACH COMMUNITY FOR SOME TIME.
UH, BLACK, UH, LONG BEACH HAS ONE, UH, HAS ONE UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS.
NO OTHER COMMUNITY IN THIS CITY FACES ALONE.
AND IT HAS LARGELY BEEN IGNORED SINCE 2013.
CHRONIC BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG ABLE-BODIED BLACK WORKERS IN LONG BEACH IS UNPRECEDENTED.
NO OTHER RACE OR ETHNIC GROUP EXPERIENCES THIS IN ISOLATION.
BLACK LONG BEACH STANDS ALONE WHEN THE STATE OF BLACK LONG BEACH, UH, CALL FOR ACTION REPORTED AN 18% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE.
UNTIL RECENTLY, NO DISCUSSIONS OR POLICIES FOLLOWED TO REMEDY THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF THAT UNEMPLOYMENT ON THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
THE CITY FOUND THE, UH, THE ENERGY TO DEFEND IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS AGAINST FEDERAL OVERREACH AND RIGHTFULLY SO.
TODAY, I'M ASKING FOR THAT SAME ENERGY.
BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT, PARTICULARLY AMONG MEN, HAS, HAS BEEN NORMALIZED.
THIS TRAJECTORY MUST BE RE, UH, DIRECTED TOWARD, TOWARD FAIRNESS AND EQUITY FOR BLACK WORKERS.
THE ROOTS OF THIS CRISIS TRACED TO EMANCIPATION WHEN FORMERLY ENSLAVED AFRICANS WERE FREED AFTER 246 YEARS OF CHATTEL SLAVERY AND LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES, THE BLACK CODES PASSED BY FORMER CONFEDERATE STATES WERE DESIGNED TO PRESERVE WHITE CONTROL OVER BLACK LIVES.
AND IN THE WORDS OF HISTORY.COM QUOTE, TO ENSURE THEIR ABILITY, UH, AS CHEAP LABOR.
JIM CROW FROM 1877 TO 18, UH, EXCUSE ME, 1965,
[00:40:01]
AMERICA'S VERSION OF APARTHEID CODIFIED THAT CONTROL ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE.AND LONG BEACH WAS NO EXCEPTION.
THE KERNER COMMISSION CONVENED BY PRESIDENT JOHNSON IN 68, ATTRIBUTED URBAN REBELLIONS OF THE SIXTIES DIRECTLY TO WHITE RACISM.
THAT RACISM HAS OPERATED AS THIS COUNTRY'S OPERATING SYSTEM RUNNING THROUGH ITS INSTITUTIONS.
ITS, UH, LAWS ENFORCEMENT, MEDICINE, EDUCATION, FINANCE, HOUSING, MEDIA, LONG BEACH, ACKNOWLEDGED AS MUCH WHEN IT PASSED THE 2020 RACIAL EQUITY AND RACIAL E UH, UH, RECONCILIATION INITIATIVE.
THESE 10 RECOMMENDATIONS COME DIRECTLY FROM THAT DOCUMENT, BUT IT ALSO DEMONSTRATES THAT, UH, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE WORTHY OF IMPLEMENTATION.
THE FOUNDATION OF BLACK, UH, AMERICANS, FOUNDATIONAL BLACK AMERICANS.
IT'S FERTILIZED THE SOIL OF AMERICA SINCE 1619.
AND IT IS TIME THAT THE REMEDIES BE, UM, ATTRIBUTED TO MAKING A
YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED FOR BLACK, FOR BLACK LONG BEACH.
SEEING NO FURTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE ZOOM WITH THEIR HANDS RAISED.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO.
THANK YOU MADAM CLERK, AND THANK YOU TO THE PUBLIC IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM FOR JOINING US.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS OUR TIME TO TAKE IT BEHIND THE DAS, UH, TO DISCUSS WHATEVER WE NEED TO CAULK THROUGH.
UM, TO DECIDE ON AN ACTION FOR THIS LETTER, WHICH YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, UH, AT THE CONCLUSION OF OUR DISCUSSION, UM, THE VOTE ON THE FLOOR IS GOING TO BE TO, UH, BASICALLY DECIDE IF WE WANNA MOVE THIS TO COUNCIL.
UM, AND SO JUST HAVE THAT IN YOUR MIND AS YOU MAKE COMMENTS, UH, THAT IF YOU MAKE CHANGES THAT WILL BE CHANGES YOU WANNA MAKE AS, UH, EDITS TO THE DOCUMENT ITSELF.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE ON YOUR VOTE, UH, THIS IS THE TIME TO DO SO.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA GO TO MY QUEUE.
UM, PLEASE QUEUE UP DIGITALLY, OR RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
I AM SEEING PEOPLE CLICKING, BUT I AM NOT SEEING THEM ON MY SIDE ON THE RIGHT AGENDA.
SO, WHY DON'T WE DO A QUICK HAND RAISE.
UM, WHO HAS, WHO HAS, UM, REQUESTED TO SPEAK SO FAR? I SEE COMMISSIONER LARA, I THINK YOU DID GATHERING MY THOUGHTS HERE.
UM, I JUST WANNA SHARE APPRECIATION FOR, FOR, UM, COLLECTIVELY AND INDIVIDUALLY, UH, BRINGING THIS FORTH AND GIVING VOICE TO THIS.
UM, AS MENTIONED BY SOME SPEAKERS, THAT IS OFTEN VERY DIFFICULT, WHICH MAY HELP EXPLAIN WHY SOME FOLKS MAY NOT BE HERE WHO PROBABLY INTENDED OR WOULD WANT TO BE HERE.
SO I DO WANNA BRING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
I THINK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IS IMPORTANT AND TO HEAR IT FROM THE DAIS, AND THAT IS WHY I WANNA ARTICULATE IT.
AND THE APPRECIATION IS ALSO IN, IN, IN LARGE PART, UH, TO, UM, THE APPRECIATION IS BECAUSE AS I THINK OF WHERE WE'RE AT IN THIS COUNTRY AND WHAT, WHERE WE WERE SIX YEARS AGO, I WAS IN THIS ROOM, I WAS OUT IN THE STREETS MARCHING.
THERE WAS A PALPABLE ENERGY, RIGHT? REGARDING TOPICS LIKE THIS.
AND TO SEE THIS COUNTRY MOVE IN THE DIRECTION WE'RE AT NOW, UM, WHEN THERE IS STILL SUCH A PALPABLE ENERGY FOR CREATING TRUE SYSTEMIC CHANGE, THAT IS WHY THAT APPRECIATION THERE.
AND FOR FOLKS WHO KNOW ME, NORMALLY I CAN JUST ARTICULATE STRAIGHT TO THE T.
BUT I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO TOPICS LIKE THIS, THE EMOTION, UH, RIGHTFULLY SO, IS THERE.
SO THAT'S WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT FOLKS HEAR IT, KNOW IT, UM, AND THAT IT COMES FROM, UH, VOICES UP ON THE DIOCESE.
COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY? YES, THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SPOKE TONIGHT.
UM, I JUST THINK IT'S VERY FITTING THAT AMERICA'S 250TH BIRTHDAY IS COMING UP THIS WEEKEND.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE VOTING ON THIS, UM, COMMISSION ITEM.
IN MY OPINION, AMERICA WAS BUILT ON THE BACKS OF SLAVES.
SO THIS IS JUST ONE WAY THAT OUR CITY CAN CONTINUE TO ADVANCE THINGS FORWARD FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BUILT UP THIS COUNTRY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
I WILL BE VOTING YES ON THIS ITEM TONIGHT, AND I HOPE MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS DO AS WELL.
[00:45:02]
OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? I HAVE NONE IN THE QUEUE.UH, FIRST OFF, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, CAN'T SPEAK TO ANYBODY DIRECTLY, UH, BUT, UH, UM, BLACK WORKERS' RIGHTS, IT'S, IT'S ALL AN EDUCATION FOR ME, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, UH, UH, UH, SPEAKING AND HEARING YOUR STORIES.
I THINK THE THING THAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST IS, UH, WHEN YOU SAY A LOT MORE PEOPLE WILL BE HERE, UH, BUT THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT LOSING THEIR, THEIR JOBS, UH, OR INTIMIDATION.
AND I JUST, UH, UH, I WORK FOR MYSELF, SO, I MEAN, I THREATEN MYSELF ALL THE TIME, BUT
I, I'M, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF ANYBODY BOTHERS YOU AND, AND, AND, AND TELL ANYBODY YOU THINK IS INVOLVED, THAT THIS IS A SAFE SPACE FOR THEM TO COME AND SPEAK.
AND, UH, UH, I, I WISH IT WAS MORE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT I COULD DO.
UM, UH, I'LL CERTAINLY VOTE YES ON THIS AND, AND KNOW THAT, UH, IT'S, YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME HERE AND, UH, AND IT'S SAFE HERE FOR YOU.
AND, UM, AND I STAND WITH YOU.
I'LL MAKE A COUPLE BRIEF COMMENTS, AND THEN I'LL MAKE SURE TO CREATE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO JUMP IN AT ALL, UM, YOU WILL HAVE SPACE FOR IT.
UM, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU VICE SCHULTZ FOR ALWAYS CARING ABOUT HOW PEOPLE CAN ACCESS THE SPACE.
I THINK THAT'S SUCH A VALUABLE THING.
UM, AND SOMETHING WE ALWAYS HAVE TO REMIND OURSELVES.
THESE SPACES ARE NOT ALWAYS ACCESSIBLE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
UM, AND SOME OF THOSE ACCESSIBILITY QUESTIONS ARE THINGS THAT, UH, WE DON'T KNOW UNLESS WE'RE ASKED OR ARE TOLD.
UM, AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, UH, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO A VOTE VERY SHORTLY.
UM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WHAT, BECAUSE HE'S NOT HERE, UM, THAT WE ARE CREATING TIME FOR, UH, JUST APPRECIATING, UH, UH, FORMER CHAIR COVINGTON, UM, WHO PLAYED, UM, THE BIGGEST ROLE IN TERMS OF THE WRITING ON THE COMMISSION SIDE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.
UH, I THINK HE DID A VERY, UH, UH, GOOD JOB OF SYNTHESIZING, UH, SO MUCH OF THE INPUT THAT WAS RECEIVED FROM COMMUNITY.
HE'S NOT HERE BECAUSE HE IS NOW, UM, A COMMISSIONER ON THE, UH, HEALTH, UH, COMMISSION, UM, WHICH IS A VERY EXCITING THING.
UM, AND I THINK THIS IS PART OF HIS LEGACY, UM, TO LEAVE, UH, WITH SOMETHING THAT HE WORKED SO HARD ON THAT WE CAN WORK ON TOGETHER TODAY.
SO MUCH APPRECIATION TO COMMISSIONER COVINGTON, UH, FORMER CHAIR COVINGTON, WHO'S NOT HERE WITH US, UH, PHYSICALLY, BUT CERTAINLY HERE IN SPIRIT.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANT TO NOTE IS THERE WERE SOME, UH, PIECES HERE THAT TALKED ABOUT FUNDING.
AND I THINK JUST AS A PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, THE, UH, BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE GOING TO BE STARTING THIS SUMMER, STARTING IN JULY.
UH, AND SO THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UH, THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DIRECTLY, UM, HELP, UH, BEYOND A RECOMMENDATION.
BUT THE PEOPLE ON THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, THAT'S THE SPACE THAT REALLY DETERMINES WHAT BUDGET GOES IN FRONT OF COUNCIL.
UM, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WHO ARE INVESTED IN BUDGETARY ALLOTMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027, UH, BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
UM, IT'S ON THE LONG BEACH WEBSITE.
THEY'RE ALL PUBLIC AND YOU CAN GIVE COMMENT THERE AS WELL.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST A REMINDER FOR WHAT THESE LETTERS ARE, THESE ARE ADVISORY, UM, WHAT YOU DO WITH THESE AS A POLITICAL TOOL, UM, OR ADVOCACY TOOL IS, UH, REALLY, UH, IT'S UP TO YOU.
BUT I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO SEE THE US AS A PART OF THE ESCALATION OF WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
UM, BUT SHOULD NEVER STOP HERE.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO CREATE SPACE.
IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE WHO HAD FINAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION, I KNOW THAT EVERYONE READ THIS VERY CLOSELY.
WE'VE SAT WITH THIS FOR THE LAST, UM, MONTH.
UH, AND THIS IS ALSO AVAILABLE PUBLICLY IF ANYONE NEEDS IT.
BUT ANY FINAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UH, FROM THE COMMISSION? ALRIGHT.
SEEING NONE, UH, WHEN I, WHEN I USED TO TEACH, WE USED TO DO A SEVEN SECOND RULE.
WAIT SEVEN SECONDS BEFORE YOU MOVE ON.
AND SO I THINK, I THINK WE, I'VE GIVEN A FEW SEVEN SECONDS ALREADY.
UH, MAD CLERK, LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.
DID YOU CLEAR THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER ALTA HAS HIS HAND RAISED AGAIN? I'M NOT, OH, THAT'S A NEW ONE.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AGAIN.
SORRY, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WAS A NEW ONE.
I KNOW, I KNOW TECH, I KNOW EXACTLY, UH, THE DIFFICULTIES WITH TECH HERE.
UM, I ACTUALLY APPRECIATE, UH, CHAIR A DE LEON FOR THE RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE I, I HAD A RECOMMENDATION FOR, FOR COMMUNITY.
AND MY HUNCH IS I KNOW COMMUNITY, IT'S PROBABLY ALREADY HAPPENING, BUT
[00:50:01]
BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL.RIGHT? I THINK THAT, UH, BASED ON OUR LAST MEETING, THERE WAS A LOT OF SUGGESTIONS AROUND EFFECTIVELY CONDENSING AND COMMUNICATING THINGS WELL.
AND SO THAT'S A GOOD CALL TO ACTION FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, MADAM CLERK, LET'S CALL THE VOTE.
AND WITH THAT, UM, FOR NEXT STEPS, THE UH, UH, COMMISSION STAFF IS GOING TO BE PUTTING TOGETHER THIS IN A PACKAGE THAT WILL THEN BE SENT OVER TO THE, UH, UH, INTENDED AUDIENCE.
UM, AND SO THAT WILL BE, UH, PUBLISHED HOPEFULLY VERY SOON.
SO WITH THAT, UM, APPRECIATION TO ALL COMMUNITY WHO CAME OUT TODAY, YOU'RE WELCOME TO CONTINUE TO STAY IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE OTHER ITEMS. UM, BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UH, WITH THAT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND READ THE NEXT ITEM.
[3. 26-55534 Recommendation to review and approve the Educational Access and Quality Listening Session Framework, developed by the Educational Access and Quality Ad Hoc Committee. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
A RECOMMENDATION TO REVIEW AND APPROVE THE EDUCATIONAL ACCESS AND QUALITY LISTENING SESSION FRAMEWORK DEVELOPED BY THE EDUCATIONAL ACCESS AND QUALITY AD HOC COMMITTEE.IT'S BEEN MOVED BY VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ AND COMMISSIONER ESTES.
ALRIGHT, I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THIS.
LET'S PASS IT OVER TO THE AD HOC TEAM.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND, AND, AND SHARE, UH, WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO AS AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, AND I HOPE I CAN DELIVER ON THAT EXCITEMENT.
SO AS, UH, FOLKS CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, UH, WE, UH, ARE PART OF AN AD HOC, KNOWN AS THE EDUCATION ACCESS AND QUALITY LISTENING SESSION, UH, FRAMEWORK FOR THAT SPECIFIC AREA.
UM, I WANT TO, BEFORE I START, I DO WANT TO THANK, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, COLE, AND COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ, WHO I SHOULD SAY VICE CHAIR, UH, SCHULTZ FOR PART OF THE AD HOC AND ALSO TONY, UH, AS THE STAFF PERSON TO REALLY HELPING ORCHESTRATE.
THERE'S BEEN TWO MEETINGS AS OF LATE, UH, ONE THAT'S, I WANNA SAY TWO WEEKS AGO.
UH, I AND, UH, VICE-CHAIR SCHULTZ WERE, WERE PRESENT.
AND THEN LAST WEEK, UM, I MISSED THAT MEETING, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, COLE AND COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ FOR THAT.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE US TO THE NEXT SCREEN.
REALLY WHAT'S GONNA HELP US GROUND THIS PRESENTATION IS WHAT IS THE PURPOSE? IN OTHER WORDS, THE OBJECTIVE FOR THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN THIS AD HOC IS TO REALLY, TO HIGHLIGHT THE EXPERIENCES AND SYSTEMIC BARRIERS FORCED BY, UH, FACED BY HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES REGARDING EDUCATION, ACCESS, AND QUALITY IN LONG BEACH.
DIRECTLY INFORMING EVENTUALLY WILL BE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL, WHICH IS A LARGE, UH, UNDERTAKING, BUT COMPLETELY IN LINE WITH THE SCOPE, UH, OF THE WORK WE DO FOR THIS PARTICULAR BODY.
UH, SPECIFICALLY AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE EDUCATION PIECE.
THESE WERE FOUR TOPICS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED A WHILE BACK.
UM, AND, AND, UM, SO I WILL BE MAKING AN ASK, NOT JUST FOR THE COMMISSION, BUT FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, UH, THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS TOPIC, UH, IT'S SUCH A WIDE SCOPE.
THESE ARE SOME GUIDING, UH, TOPICS.
AND EVEN WITHIN EACH TOPIC, UM, THERE'S EVEN SUBTOPICS THAT CAN GO.
SO WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE EVENTUALLY HAVE THE LISTENING SESSION, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY BE IN SEPTEMBER, THAT WE CAN'T DO EVERY SUBTOPIC.
SO WE'RE ASKING FOR GRACE, MAKING SURE THAT WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO TRY TO, UM, DO AS MANY TOPICS AS WE CAN TO HELP INFORM THE COMMISSION.
SO THEN WE EVENTUALLY MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
ONE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE THAT I CAN OFFER, UH, FOR THIS, UH, SO WHAT COMES TO MIND WITH FORMAL EDUCATION IS OUR THREE MAJOR INSTITUTIONS, L-B-U-S-D, UH, CAL STATE LONG BEACH, AND LBCC, THOSE ARE THREE LARGE INSTITUTIONS CHARGED FOR EDU FOR EDUCATION.
FOR THOSE THREE DISTINCT POPULATIONS OR COMMUNITIES, AS I PREFER TO SAY, EVEN WITHIN THAT SCOPE, EVEN, EVEN FOR ALL THOSE THREE, WHAT ANGLE DO WE ASK THEM TO DO, RIGHT? UH, BECAUSE, UM, IT'S, IT'S A LARGE UNDERTAKING.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO PUT ON EVERYONE'S RADAR.
AND TOWARDS THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION, WE'LL BE ASKING ASSISTANCE FROM THIS BODY FOR, UH, FOR INSIGHTS AND WHERE WE WE GO.
THESE ARE SOME QUESTIONS, UM, THAT WE ARE ASKING OF THE PRESENTERS AND SOMETHING THAT I AM PERSONALLY REALLY EXCITED.
UM, AND SO IS THE AD HOC COMMITTEE, IS WE'RE TOWING AROUND THE IDEA OF A TEMPLATE
[00:55:01]
FOR, TO HAVE OUR PRESENTERS USE A TEMPLATE SO WE CAN KEEP THINGS CONFINED TO THE TIME PARAMETERS AND TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WE WANT ADDRESSED AND FOR CONSISTENCY PURPOSES.SO THAT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT SOMETHING THAT THAT AD HOC COMMITTEE IS REALLY EXCITED TO, UH, ENGAGE IN.
SO, FOR THESE QUESTIONS, AND I'M GONNA WORDSMITH, UH, SOME IN, IN, AS YOU SEE ME VERBALLY, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, YOU'LL SEE WHY ONCE I WORDSMITH THIS.
SO, THE FIRST QUESTION, WHAT ARE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS TO EDUCATION, ACCESS, AND QUALITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY? AND HOW DOES INTERSECTIONALITY COMPOUND THESE OBSTACLES? THE REASON INTERSECTIONALITY IS TWOFOLD.
UH, ONE, UM, IT ALIGNS WITH A FRAMEWORK THAT THIS COMMISSION IDENTIFIED SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT HELPS GUIDE OUR WORK.
TWO, UM, ALTHOUGH RACE, LANGUAGE AND ABILITY ARE INDEED IMPORTANT, THERE ARE OTHER COMPONENTS OF DISCRIMINATION AS SYSTEMS THAT WE DON'T WANNA LEAVE OUT.
AND INTERSECTIONALITY REALLY HELPS GROUND THAT.
AND THIRD, INTERSECTIONALITY AS A FRAMEWORK WAS ORIGINALLY FOUNDED TO UNDERSCORE THE IMPORTANCE OF BLACK WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT INTERSECTIONALITY HAS MOVED AS A BODY OF SCHOLARSHIP TO REALLY ENCOMPASS SO MANY OTHER VARIABLES IN COMMUNITIES, WHICH ARE ALSO IMPORTANT.
BUT THAT HISTORY OF INTERSECTIONALITY AS COINED BY, UH, DR.
KIMBERLY CRENSHAW, PROFESSOR KIMBERLY CRENSHAW FROM, UH, UCLA IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT HISTORY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE IT COMES FROM.
SO THAT'S WHY I SAY THREEFOLD.
TWO, WHERE IS LONG BEACH SUCCEEDING OR FALLING SHORT IN SUPPORTING LEARNERS OF ALL AGES? AND WHAT SPECIFIC TYPES OF PROGRAMS OR RESOURCES ARE HELPING STUDENTS TRULY THRIVE? UH, THREE, HOW CAN LONG BEACH YOUTH FAMILIES AND HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED GROUP BETTER PARTICIPATE IN SCHOOL AND CIVIC POLICY DECISIONS SO THAT YOUR VOICES ARE GENUINELY INCLUDED? AND WHAT CRITICAL EDUCATION ISSUES OR QUESTIONS ARE WE COMPLETELY MISSING TODAY? AND WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU WANT THE COMMISSION TO KNOW? AND THAT'S A SHOUT OUT TO VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ WHO IDENTIFIED THAT QUESTION IN ONE OF OUR MEETINGS.
YEAH, WE SHOULD ASK, WHAT ARE WE NOT ASKING? 'CAUSE OFTENTIMES, PRESENTERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN DEFINITELY COME UP WITH THEIR OWN QUESTIONS TO DELIVER INSIGHT THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE ON OUR RADAR, BUT BY GIVING THEM THE, THE POWER OR THE AGENCY REALLY TO COME UP WITH THOSE QUESTIONS AND THEN DELIVER THEIR ANSWERS, UH, THEY CAN HELP US EVENTUALLY INFORM POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH IS THE DIRECT PURPOSE OF THE BROADER LISTENING SESSIONS.
UH, I KNOW I SAID THAT I WAS GONNA, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, OPEN THIS UP, UH, TO THE OTHER AD HOC COMMITTEES, BUT I THINK SINCE I'VE TALKED A LOT ALREADY, I'M GONNA JUST PAUSE TO SEE IF COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ, UH, OR, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, COLE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEES UP TO THIS POINT THAT THEY MAY WANT TO ADD.
AND THEN I'LL JUST MOVE FORWARD.
NOW I WANNA PREFACE, UH, THIS NEXT SLIDE.
THESE ARE SUGGESTED PRESENTERS.
WE HAVE NOT FULLY COMMITTED TO PRESENTERS YET.
UH, BUT I DO WANNA OFFER CONTEXT FOR SOME OF THESE IDEAS.
UH, WE WANT, OF COURSE, L-B-U-S-D, UH, UH, PRESENTED CAPACITY PERMIT PERMITTING, RIGHT? AND SCHEDULED PERMITTING.
UM, AND, UH, ONE, UM, UH, PERSON THAT WE HAVE MENTIONED IN THE CONTEXT OF THESE MEETINGS IS DR. TIFFANY BROWN.
UM, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ON L-B-U-S-D, UH, CAL STATE LONG BEACH AND, UM, AND, UH, LBCC.
AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THEY ARE THREE LARGE INSTITUTIONS.
WHAT ANGLE CAN WE PROPOSE IN TERMS OF HOW THEY CAN BE COVERED? AND SO WHAT I SHARED IS COLLEGE, UH, THE COLLEGE PROMISE, RIGHT? THAT IS A GEM OF LONG BEACH.
AND THAT, UM, AND THAT IS ONE WAY THAT WE CAN COMBINE THOSE THREE INSTITUTIONS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, BECAUSE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS ALSO A NATURAL PARTNER, ALTHOUGH WE ARE IN OUR CHARGE AS AN INSTITUTION WITH DIRECTLY, UM, WITH DIRECTLY PROVIDING EDUCATION SERVICES.
THOSE ARE THE THREE OTHER FORMAL EDUCATIONS.
UM, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AS A PARTNER, AND THE LARGEST OF THESE INSTITUTIONS, ALTHOUGH KNOWN DIRECTLY AN EDUCATION ENTITY, DEFINITELY HAS EDUCATION, UM, ALIKE PROGRAMS. SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE, SO THAT THAT'S A POTENTIAL, UH, PRESENTER.
AND THEN I MENTIONED, UM, MY SCOPE OF WORK.
I THINK MANY OF YOU IN, IN, IN, IN ON THIS COMMISSION KNOW THIS.
UH, BUT JUST AS A REMINDER AND PERHAPS FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UHM A LIFELONG, YOU KNOW, EDUCATOR, UH, MY SCOPE OF WORK, UM, HAS REALLY KIND OF RUN THE GAMUT.
UM, ALTHOUGH I'M A TEACHER BY TRAINING, I'VE HAVE HAD SO MANY DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION.
[01:00:01]
OF THE MOST IMPORTANT INSIGHTS THAT I'VE LEARNED IN MY CAREER IS THAT THERE'S FORMAL EDUCATION AND THEN THERE'S ALSO INFORMAL EDUCATION.AND THAT INFORMAL EDUCATION, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS PEDAGOGIES OF THE HOME, RIGHT, IS WHAT'S OFTEN LOST IN DISCUSSIONS WHEN LEARNING ABOUT EDUCATION.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO FORGET ABOUT COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
AND GIVEN THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, IMMIGRATION CONTINUES TO BE SUCH A, I CAN GO ON AND ON AND THAT, BUT IMMIGRATION CONTINUES TO BE, UH, UH, UH, A CHALLENGE, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT IS PUTTING MILDLY, I MEAN, I COULD USE MORE FORCEFUL LANGUAGE HERE, BUT I WON'T FOR NOW.
UM, UM, I RECOMMEND
THEY ARE A GEM, IN MY OPINION, OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEY DO OFFER SOME, SOME EDUCATION RELATED SERVICES.
SO THAT'S WHY I HAD MENTIONED THEM, THE CENTER, RIGHT? UM, AS, AS A, AS, UH, ANOTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
UM, THEY DO HAVE SOME EDUCATION SERVICES AND, UM, EVEN IF THEY DID NOT HAVE EDUCATION SERVICE, I WOULD STILL RECOMMEND THE CENTER AND OTHER PERHAPS L-G-B-T-Q ORIENTED ORGANIZATIONS, UH, TO SHARE WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE LEARNINGS WITHIN THOSE SPACES, SPECIFICALLY THE L-G-B-T-Q-I-A TWO S COMMUNITY.
UM, AND OF COURSE, CITY OF LONG BEACH PARKS AND RECREATIONS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF YOUTH PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT IT'S SUMMER, UM, THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY, UM, LEARN INSIGHTS FROM THEM.
AND THEN I THOUGHT OF THE, THE AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC.
UM, WHEN I'M DONE PRESENTING AND WE GO IN THE DISCUSSION COMPONENT OF THIS, I DEFINITELY WANT TO PICK EVERYONE'S BRAINS ABOUT WHAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS CAN BE THERE.
WE CAN TAKE A LIST DOWN, BUT ALSO OFFER THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.
'CAUSE WE CANNOT, WE CANNOT WITHIN THE, THE PARAMETERS OF THE LISTENING SESSION.
THERE'S ONLY SO MANY FOLKS THAT WE GET.
BUT WE DO WANNA GET SUGGESTIONS AND THEN WE CAN COME THROUGH THEM IN THE AD HOC COMMITTEE AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO NARROW THIS DOWN.
ALL RIGHT, UM, LOGISTICS, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BEEN A HUNDRED PERCENT CONFIRMED.
MAYBE THAT'S A QUESTION FOR THE CHAIR, BUT WE WERE GIVEN SEPTEMBER 2ND, UH, SIX O'CLOCK HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
UM, INTERPRETATION SERVICES IS TO BE DETERMINED, AND WE NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR OUR APPROXIMATE SETUP AT FIVE 30.
UM, HERE'S A TENTATIVE FLYER THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
TONY, DID YOU BRING TONY? SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TONY, AND ALSO THANK YOU.
SHOUT OUT TO TONY FOR SYNTHESIZING OUR NOTES.
AND ACTUALLY, I WANNA GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR YOU THINK I DID THIS, UH, V SLIDE.
I APPRECIATE, UH, HIM, UH, TAKING CARE OF THAT.
OUR NEXT STEPS, AS I MENTIONED, WE WANNA HEAR FROM THIS BODY AND ALSO, UH, IF THERE'S MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC COME UP TO SHARE, SHARE IDEAS.
UM, ALTHOUGH WE CAN'T IN REAL TIME RESPOND TO THE IDEAS, TRUST ME, I AM LISTENING TO THE IDEAS AND ON MY PHONE, I'M READY TO TAKE NOTES.
UM, AND, AND WE'LL HAVE MORE MEETINGS AND OH, HAVE THIS ALL READY TO GO BY SEPTEMBER.
SO DID I MISS ANYTHING? I'M GONNA GO BACK TO AD HOC COMMITTEES MEMBERS.
SO I'LL DEFER BACK TO THE CHAIR.
ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE A BRIEF MOMENT FOR ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS TO ASK OF THE AD HOC, AND THEN WE'LL TURN TO PUBLIC COMMENT IF THERE IS ANY.
SO ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS? AGAIN, THE VOTE WILL HAPPEN AFTER, UH, THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY FOR OUR GREAT AD HOC HERE? NOW EVERYONE'S KIND OF SEVEN BECAUSE THEY KNOW MY RULE.
UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER THREE, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM, UH, THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER THREE, PLEASE USE THE RAISE, RAISE HAND FEATURE NOW, OR DIAL STAR NINE OF CALLING IN.
UM, I WOULD LIKE ONE MOMENT PLEASE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UH, I, UM, WOULD LIKE TO, UM, APPROVE OF THIS RECOMMENDATION.
ANYTHING THAT IS GOING TO, UH, CREATE AND, AND IMPROVE, UM, EDUCATIONAL ACCESS AND QUALITY, I DEFINITELY, UM, STAND 10 TOES DOWN FOR THAT.
AND THAT'S ALL I WANNA SAY ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND SO I'M GLAD THAT IT'S ON THE AGENDA AND THAT IT IS, UM, UP FOR APPROVAL.
SEEING NO FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT IN PERSON AND SEEING NO RAISED HANDS IN THE ZOOM THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER THREE.
UM, SO NOW'S OUR OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO DISCUSS, GIVE FEEDBACK.
I THINK THIS IS REALLY THE MOST FRUITFUL
[01:05:01]
TIME, UM, FOR US TO HELP THE AD HOC.AND THEN AFTER THAT WE'LL MOVE TO A VOTE.
UM, AND I WILL SAY SEPTEMBER TWO IS GOOD BY ME.
I NEED TO GET QUICKER ON TOGGLING HERE.
YEAH, I JUST HAD A, A EDUCATION AND ACCESS TO EDUCATION HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT I HAVE REALLY, UM, COMING FROM A FAMILY OF EDUCATORS.
UM, IS THE AD HOC COMMITTEE OR WILL YOU ADDRESS WHAT I WOULD CALL THE INEQUITY OF WHO IS IN THE CLASSROOM PAY WAY FOR PAY VERSUS THE ADMINISTRATION AND, AND, UM, WHERE ARE THOSE DOLLARS GOING? BECAUSE I MEAN, IN, IN MY OPINION, I THINK OUR TEACHERS ARE NOT PAID ENOUGH AND THOSE ARE THE FRONTLINE PEOPLE.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS WILL, WILL ADDRESS IN THIS? THAT'S A REALLY, REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
UM, AND SO WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD TALKS, ESPECIALLY AT OUR FIRST MEETING IN TERMS OF, UM, WHAT IS WITHIN THE LOCUS OF A CONTROL OF THIS BODY, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND BECAUSE OUR COMMISSION IS NESTED WITHIN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WE ARE VERY MINDFUL, UH, THAT WITH AS AN INSTITUTION IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, THAT, UM, THAT IS, THAT PROBABLY, WELL, I KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT WITHIN OUR LOCAL CENTRAL CONTROL BECAUSE WE ARE NOT, WE DON'T HIRE TEACHERS, WE DON'T, UH, WHICH IS WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE THINK CREATIVELY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES.
BUT, UM, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE CAN CONSIDER AS AN FOI, BUT I'M ALSO THINKING AS A LONG TERM, IT STILL WOULDN'T COME WITHIN OUR LOCUS OF CONTROL.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE ELEVATING THAT, UH, ESPECIALLY, UM, AS A LIFELONG TEACHER AND KNOWING THAT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, COMMISSIONER, UM, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS DO NEED TO BE PAID MORE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S NOT WITHIN OUR, OUR LOCUS OF CONTROL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR RESPONSE.
BUT, BUT DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR, WE HAVE THE, YOUR AD HOC COMMITTEE HAS A LITTLE BIT OF WIGGLE ROOM TO SAY THIS IS ALSO WHAT CAUSES, UM, ACCESS TO EDUCATION BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BECOME TEACHERS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN GO BECOME IN, IN OTHER ENVIRONMENTS, UM, OR IN OTHER PROFESSIONS.
SO, SO I KNOW, I KNOW YOU CAN'T SET THE POLICY WITH THE LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OR WHATNOT, BUT CAN WE AS A COMMISSION SAY, HEY, LOOK AT THIS IN, IN AND THE INEQUITY OF, OF WHAT IS THE PEOPLE WE WANT TO TEACH OUR KIDS AND, AND THE EDUCATION THAT WE EXPECT OUR KIDS TO GET? UM, COMMISSIONER DOCKERY, YOU ARE SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE.
MY, MY, MY BACKGROUND IS, I, MY CURRENT BACKGROUND, UM, IS, UM, DESIGNING TEACHER PREPARATION.
AND PART OF OUR DISCUSSIONS IN TEACHER PREPARATION IS OBVIOUSLY PAY EQUITY.
I THINK WHERE I, UM, AS I'M HEARING THIS IN REAL TIME IS WHERE I AM, UM, THINKING
AND I THINK THERE'S TWO MORE AFTER THAT.
AND SO AT A FUTURE TIME, SEVERAL MONTHS FROM NOW, AFTER HAVING ALL THESE LISTENING SESSIONS, WE EVENTUALLY WILL BE COMING UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS, RIGHT? AND SO AS I KIND OF FAST FORWARD IN TIME AND THINK ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SUBTOPIC, I'M TRYING TO IMAGINE, IT'S HARD TO SAY HOW THIS COMMISSION WOULD ENGAGE IN A WRITTEN DOCUMENT TO CITY COUNCIL THEN IF, IF THIS IS TAKEN AND THEN, AND THEN KNOWING THAT AS AN INSTITUTION, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A DIRECT
[01:10:01]
LINE FOR, FOR THAT BECAUSE WE ARE NOT, WE DON'T EMPLOY CLASSROOM TEACHERS.AND IT'S A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, AND IT'S ACTUALLY SUPER CLOSE TO MY HEART.
THAT'S WHAT I SAID IS SHE'S SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO KIND OF SEE THE LONG PIECE OF WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND THIS IS ALL HYPOTHETICAL 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT WHO OUR SPEAKERS ARE YET.
UM, BUT, UH, WHAT WE CAN DO IS IN THE EVENT, IT'S HARD TO SAY THAT ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS RIGHT, BRINGS THIS UP AS, AS PART OF THE PRESENTATION, RIGHT? AND THEN US, AFTER LISTENING TO THIS DOWN THE LINE SOMEONE MAKES A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE EVENTUAL, YOU KNOW, I'D IMAGINE TO BE A LETTER, RIGHT? RECOMMENDATION.
IT COULD BE BROUGHT UP IN SOME WAY WITH TIME TO THINK OF A THROUGH LINE, BUT I'M ALSO VERY MINDFUL OF WHICH ENTITIES HAVE THE DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY IN CHARGE UNDER THOSE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IF SOMEONE WERE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH THAT IS NOT WITHIN THE LOCALS OF CONTROL OF WHATEVER, THE, IT JUST GETS A LITTLE BIT TRICKY THERE.
AND, UM, AND I'M, I'LL INVITE ALSO MY AD HOC COMMITTEES TO, TO, TO SHARE IF THEY'D LIKE.
IN OUR FIRST MEETING, WE ACTUALLY SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, AND I BROUGHT THIS UP, IS WHAT IS A CITY OF LONG BEACH EDUCATION ISSUES THAT WE CAN ENGAGE IN VERSUS WHAT IS WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF LONG BEACH UNIFIED, L-B-C-C-C AND CAL STATE UNIVERSALLY LONG BEACH.
WE ARE ALL PARTNERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WE HAVE VERY SPECIFIC CHARGES AND WHAT WE CAN DO WITH IT'S UNDER OUR PURVIEW VERSUS NOT.
AND THEN STEPPING ON EACH OTHER'S PURVIEWS GETS A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIT TRICKY.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS VERY MINDFUL OF IN, IN THE FIRST MEETING.
SO I, I TREAD VERY CAREFULLY WITH THAT, KNOWING THAT THOSE ARE SEPARATE ENTITIES AND WE ARE PARTNERS, BUT WE HAVE VERY SPECIFIC CHARGES.
UH, BUT I INVITE ANY AD HOC MEETINGS.
I KNOW WE DID SPEND, I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ, WE WERE NOT, NOT THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD, BUT IF YOU DO, I INVITE YOU.
I I JUST HAVE SOMETHING, IF I COULD COMMENT, UM, UH, ON THIS AD HOC AND THE MEETINGS I'VE HAD AND, AND MY INTERPRETATION OF THE AD HOC, IT WAS MORE ABOUT THE EDUCATED RATHER THAN THE EDUCATORS.
UH, UH, BUT, UH, AS, AS YOU KNOW, MY BIG SUGGESTION FOR THE AD HOC WAS QUESTION NUMBER FOUR.
UH, IS THERE A QUESTION, UH, UH, THAT, UH, THAT WE DIDN'T ASK THAT, UH, THAT YOU WANT US TO, TO CONSIDER? UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT OPENS A DOOR TO A, A, A COMMISSIONER OR A A, A SPEAKER OR A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, UH, TO, TO FILL IN TO, TO, TO FILL IN THAT SPACE.
UM, SO, UH, HAVE PEOPLE WHO YOU THINK ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT WE SHOULD HEAR BE HERE THAT NIGHT.
UH, HAVE YOUR VOICES HEARD THAT NIGHT? UM, BECAUSE THE, UM, THE FIRST THREE QUESTIONS WERE, WERE, WERE WRITTEN, AND THEN WE ADDED THAT FOURTH TO OPEN IT UP TO ANYTHING ELSE.
AND WE'LL BE BASING OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, UM, FOR THE CITY, FOR THE DISTRICTS, FOR ANYBODY THAT WILL WE'LL READ OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, BASED ON THOSE LISTENING SESSIONS.
SO, UH, UM, YOU BRING UP A, A, A, A GREAT POINT.
AND IF IT WAS A HUNDRED TEACHERS OUT THERE SPEAKING TO THAT, THAT'S THEIR ISSUE WITH THAT EQUITY.
WELL, WE'D HAVE TO LISTEN TO THAT.
AND, AND, AND I WOULD IMAGINE INCLUDE THAT IN OUR RECOMMENDATIONS IN OUR, OUR FINAL LETTER BEFORE WE, WE DE, UM, DISBAND THE, I THINK THE WAY THAT I TREAD ON THIS ISSUE IS ONCE AGAIN, LIKE TO TAKE YOUR HYPOTHETICAL, IF THERE WERE TEACHERS RIGHT, COMING IN RIGHT.
AND BRINGING THAT SPECIFIC ISSUE, LIKE THAT SPECIFIC ISSUE IS UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE DISTRICT AS OPPOSED TO THE CITY.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST HAVE TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF, OF THE EXACT, WHAT WE CAN DO THOUGH, IS I THINK THE WAY IN WHICH WE APPROACH THIS, AND IT JUST, IT, I THINK THIS MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
HOW CAN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AS AN INSTITUTION CONTINUE? 'CAUSE WE ALREADY DO THIS WORK, RIGHT? CONTINUE TO BE A STRATEGIC CREATIVE PARTNER IN EDUCATION ENDEAVORS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ULTIMATELY CHARGED DIRECTLY WITH EDUCATION SERVICES.
BUT INDEED, IF YOU RECALL THE COMMENT I MADE MAYBE ABOUT 20 MINUTES AGO, UH, THAT EDUCATION DOES NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE FORMAL.
SO I THINK A PARKS AND RECREATIONS, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT, A LOT OF EVENTS WITH THE AQUARIUM.
THERE'S A LOT OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES THERE.
NONPROFITS OFTENTIMES BRING ISSUES TO THE TABLE FOR US.
[01:15:01]
AND SO THERE'S EDUCATION THAT APPS HERE RIGHT NOW IN REAL TIME.WE ARE, WE ARE ENGAGING IN EDUCATION RIGHT NOW AS WE'RE INFORMING EACH OTHER.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE WAY THAT I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY MAKE THE A, A, A CONNECTION, RIGHT? IS HOW CAN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH CONTINUE TO BE A STRATEGIC AND CREATIVE PARTNER IN EDUCATION PRACTICES, RIGHT? UM, WITHOUT OBVIOUSLY, UM, UH, MAKING INROADS INTO, UH, WHAT IS THE LOCUS OF CONTROL OF OTHER FORMAL EDUCATION PARTNERS.
WE ARE PARTNERS OF EACH OTHER.
UM, I DO WANT TO NOTE, JUST BY SERVING ON THIS COMMISSION AND KNOWING PEOPLE ON THE CITY COUNCIL, THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE LBCC, THEY LISTEN TO OUR MEETINGS BECAUSE I GET QUESTIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS OUT IN THE PUBLIC THAT ARE ON THOSE BOARDS.
SO THEY'RE LISTENING TO OUR, NOT THAT WE REALLY HAVE, LIKE, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OR INPUT TO THE LONG BEACH UNIFIED OR THE LL OR, OR THE CITY, UM, LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE I GET ASKED QUESTIONS ON THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING HERE OUT IN THE PUBLIC.
SO, UM, I, I THINK THAT WE, WE NEED TO, UH, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, THE WAY YOU HAVE DESCRIBED IT.
HOW FAST CAN WE GET IT APPROVED SO THAT WE CAN, UM, SEND IT OUT? BECAUSE THE LAST LISTENING SESSION, UM, DR.
JONI, MY COUNCIL PERSON SAID, IF YOU GET ME THE FLYER, I WILL PUT IT ON MY NEWS PA ON MY NEWSLETTER.
ALL OF THE COUNCIL PEOPLE HAVE NEWSLETTERS, AND I'M SURE THAT I AM, I ADVOCATE FOR NINE AND EIGHT, THE OUTSIDE AREAS, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THEM TO COME HERE PERSONALLY.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY WOULD ZOOM, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE A FLYER.
THEY HAVE TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
IT NEVER CAME IN A TIMELY MANNER.
I EVEN CALLED JEFF WILLIAMS AND SAID, HEY, WHERE'S THE FLYER? AND OH, IT'S AN APPROVAL.
SO WE NEED, THIS IS IN SEPTEMBER.
WE HAVE TO ADVERTISE THIS IF YOU WANT THIS TO BE MEANINGFUL TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE DISTRICTS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO AFFECT.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS FOR THE FLYER, WE HAVE THE CONFIRMATION THAT IS THE SEPTEMBER 2ND CORRECT CHAIR.
THE SECOND PIECE, I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK, BUT SOMEONE PLEASE CORRECT ME IF, IF THERE'S A DIFFERENT FRAME OF THOUGHT HERE.
I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK WE HAVE TO CONFIRM OUR SPEAKERS BEFORE STARTING TO ADVERTISE.
I THINK WE HAVE TIME BETWEEN NOW AND THEN TO CONFIRM THE SPEAKERS SO WE CAN START CIRCULATING.
I THINK THE NEXT PIECE IS, AND THIS IS A QUESTION FOR THE OFFICES, WHAT OTHER STEPS NEED TO TAKE PLACE, IF ANY, TO APPROVE THE FLYER SO THAT WE CAN START DISSEMINATE AGAIN? CORRECT.
SO, BECAUSE WE ARE DISCUSSING A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, THE FLYER IS AN ATTACHMENT TO THAT AGENDA.
SO THE FLYER WILL NOT BE, UM, DISTRIBUTED UNTIL THE AGENDA IS MADE PUBLIC.
AND THIS IS THEN CONTINGENT ON, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
SO THIS IS THEN CONTINGENT ON FILING, FINALIZING THAT AGENDA.
AND IF MEMORY SERVES CORRECT, THERE MIGHT BE DISCUSSION WHETHER WE'RE MEETING IN AUGUST OR NOT.
SO JUST TRYING TO QUICKLY GET THIS FIRED AS WHEN CAN WE, I GUESS IT'S A QUESTION FOR THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR.
WHEN CAN WE FINALIZE THE AGENDA FOR SEPTEMBER? YEAH, I THINK TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE IS, COULD WE DO, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
UM, COULD WE DO, UM, AS PART OF APPROVING THIS ITEM, COULD WE ADD ON BASICALLY AND APPROVING THE FLYER? UM, IT HAS TO BE ALL AT ONCE, CORRECT? SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN APPROVE THE FLYER AS IT REACHED TODAY TO BE ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA.
AND THEN ALL OF THE PROMOTION GOES OUT TOGETHER, THE AGENDA TOGETHER WITH A FLYER, WHICH THEN YOU CAN DISTRIBUTE, UM, RIGHT AS AN INVITATION TO THE MEETING, LIKE YOU WOULD A REGULAR AGENDA.
UM, I, BECAUSE WE FOLLOW, UH, ROBERTS RULES AND BROWN ACT, OUR AGENDAS HAVE TO BE PUBLISHED AT LEAST 72 HOURS BEFORE EVERY MEETING, WHICH IS WHAT WE DO FOR, FOR ALL OF THE CURRENT AGENDAS.
WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO WITH THIS PROCESS IS PUBLISH THE AGENDA A FEW WEEKS, THREE TO FOUR WEEKS PRIOR TO THE MEETING, UM, OR AS, AS CLOSE TO THAT AS POSSIBLE SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO PROMOTE.
JUST A REMINDER THAT WE STILL HAVE TO ABIDE BY PROPER SCHOOLS AND, AND BROWN ACT, UM, DURING ALL THE SITTING SESSIONS.
SO ONE THING THAT WE, UM, WE ARE THINKING OF GOING, UH, USUALLY JULY IS THE MEETING THAT GETS TAKEN OFF INSTEAD OF, WE'RE GONNA DO THE FIRST MEETING IN AUGUST, UM, WITH THE TIME OFF.
I THINK THAT GIVES US A LOT OF RUNWAY TO QUICKLY WORKING,
[01:20:01]
LIKE MY COMMITMENT TO TRY AND WORK ON THE AGENDA, UM, THIS MONTH.UM, AND SO I THINK WE CAN WORK ON IT.
I'LL WORK WITH TONY AND STAFF AND VICE SCHULTZ, UH, TO TRY AND CRAFT IT.
BUT I IMAGINE THAT BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF TIME NEEDED, AND PLEASE SHARE WHAT YOU ALL THINK YOU NEED FOR THIS, THERE MAY NOT BE THAT MUCH TIME FOR OTHER ITEMS ANYWAY, WHICH MEANS WE MAY BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY, UM, HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THAT AGENDA LOOKS LIKE COMING OUT OF TODAY.
IF THE ENTIRETY OF IT IS, YOU KNOW, LIKE ROLL CALL, TEAR REMARKS, MINUTES LISTENING SESSION FOR THE BULK OF IT.
UM, AND THEN LIKE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EQUITY REPORT, IF THAT'S THE CONTENT OF THE AGENDA, WE BASICALLY KNOW IT TODAY.
UM, AND SO WE COULD FUNCTIONALLY WORK WITH THE STAFF TO GET THAT DONE PRETTY QUICKLY.
SO, UM, ALL TO SAY, I THINK WE CAN GET THIS DONE WITH WEEKS, IF NOT A MONTH IN ADVANCE.
UM, IF, UH, IF THE BIG LIMITATION IS JUST US APPROVING THE, THE AGENDA IN TIME, THE QUESTION I THINK WOULD BE, UH, ARE THE, DO THE SPEAKERS NEED TO BE CONFIRMED FOR US TO PUBLISH THAT? MY UNDERSTANDING IS NO, BUT I DO WANNA DEFER TO THE EXPERT HERE.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO CONFIRM SPEAKERS FOR, FOR THE, FOR THE FLYER TO JUST GO OUT.
'CAUSE THE FLYER DOESN'T HAVE THE SPEAKERS.
SO, UM, THE FLYER DOESN'T HAVE THE SPEAKERS.
BUT WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST IS WE HAVE INCLUDED THE SPEAKERS IN THE AGENDA ITEM.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE LISTENING SESSION, WE TALK ABOUT WE WILL BE RECEIVING PRESENTATIONS FROM X AMOUNT OF PRESENT OF, OF ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, SO WE, WE HAVE DONE THAT IN THE PAST.
UM, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS MEET AND SEE IF WE CAN RE IF WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THE POTENTIAL OF REWARDING THE AGENDA ITEM.
UH, I LIKE YOUR SUGGESTION, BUT DEFINITELY CHECK BROWN ACT, DEFINITELY CHECK, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER POLICIES THAT WE NEED.
IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO AGENDIZE THIS IN A WAY SO THAT WE CAN GET THE FLYER OUT SOONER WITHOUT CONFIRMING THE SPEAKERS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE QUICKER.
RIGHT? UM, IF THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE, IT IS WHAT IT IS.
UM, AND THEN WE, WE NEED TO IDENTIFY THE, THE, THE FINAL LIST OF SPEAKERS, BACKUP SPEAKERS, REACH OUT TO THEM, SEE IF AVAIL IT'S A PROCESS, AND SEE IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
AND THEN THAT, THAT'LL PROBABLY, I'M GONNA GUESS WITH MY AD HOC COMMITTEE MEMBERS HERE, PROBABLY, AND THIS IS REALLY JUST A GUESS, THREE WEEKS, RIGHT? UM, AND TONY, THREE WEEKS MAYBE.
BUT WE'RE NOT HAVING A MEETING IN A, WE'RE NOT HAVING A MEETING IN AUGUST.
THIS IS JULY 1ST, AND THEN YOUR NEXT MEETING IS THE LISTENING SESSION.
SO WHERE'S THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT NEED TO SEE IT AND NEED TO COME AND BE PART OF THIS? YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT GIVING 'EM ENOUGH TIME TO PLAN TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
WELL, YOU JUST HEARD COMMISSIONER THE LOGISTICS PIECE THAT'S NOT WITHIN, THERE'S NO WAY AROUND THAT.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I JUST SHARED.
THAT'S JUST, LET'S PASS TO COMMISSIONER DOCKER REAL QUICK, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE, GO.
COULD WE HAVE, UH, JUST A SPECIAL BD, COULD WE HAVE SPECIAL BETWEEN NOW IN, IN AUGUST, THE 1ST OF AUGUST, COULD, NO, THEN WE WERE RUNNING INTO EVEN MORE DIFFICULT ISSUE BECAUSE WE TRY TO PLAN THIS IN AUGUST.
WE HAVE EVEN A SMALLER NARROW TIME TO PLAN IT.
SO I THINK WHAT, WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT, UH, AND I COMPLETELY AGREE, COMMISSIONER DE BROWN, THAT WE WANT TO MOVE AS FAST AS CAN AS WE CAN TO GET COMMUNITY HERE, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T WORK WITHOUT COMMUNITY.
UM, WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT WE NEED TO, UM, THERE'S KIND OF, KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT DOORS IN FRONT OF US MM-HMM
ONE IS THAT WE FOLLOW THE, KIND OF THE TIMELINE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN MIND.
SEPTEMBER 2ND WOULD BE THE SESSION.
AND THE WAY THAT WE GET THAT DONE QUICKLY IS, UM, WITH THE AD HOC, WE JUST MOVE REALLY FAST AND LIKE WE WORK TOGETHER, LOCK IN IT AND INDEPENDENTLY, UH, AND, UM, WORK WITH STAFF TO BASICALLY JUST GET THIS STUFF DONE IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO, UM, SO THAT IT CAN GO THROUGH THE PROCESS ON THE CITY SIDE FOR APPROVAL.
OPTION TWO IS TO BE MORE, IS TO FIND SOME CREATIVE WAY TO, UM, WORK THROUGH IT.
UH, AND, UM, I THINK ON MY END, I THINK IT, SO WE'RE GETTING TO LIKE LOGISTICS, LIKE THE CHOREOGRAPHY OF THIS RIGHT NOW.
UM, UH, LET'S SPEND A CO LITTLE BIT MORE TIME ON THIS TO KIND OF NAVIGATE IT.
AND THEN I DO WANT TO COVER A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO MAKE SURE YOU ALSO GET THE FEEDBACK YOU NEED ON THE CONTENT OF THE SESSION.
UM, BECAUSE YOU ALSO NEED THAT INPUT TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY DELIVER IT.
UM, A COUPLE PROCEDURAL QUESTIONS.
UM, ONE IS, COULD WE PASS LIKE A SAVE THE DATE KIND OF, UH, UH, IF IT'S, INSTEAD OF LIKE, HERE'S LIKE THE AGENDA, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW THE LEGAL TERM FOR SAVE THE DATE, BUT IS THERE LIKE A WAY TO DO LIKE A, A SKELETON COMMUNICATE THAT SAYS LIKE, COMMISSION'S GONNA BE HAPPENING ON THIS DATE AND COMMUNITY INPUT WILL BE SOLICITED ON.
SO AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ANYTHING PERTAINING TO AN AGENDA ITEM THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED IN THE FUTURE NEEDS
[01:25:01]
TO BE MADE PUBLIC WITH THE AGENDA.SO HERE'S A QUESTION THEN FOR, FOR LOGISTIC PURPOSES THERE.
THERE'S CLEARLY A LOT OF MOVING PARTS HERE.
UM, WHAT DID THE, PRIOR TO LISTENING SESSIONS, WHAT WAS THEIR WINDOW LIKE? LISTENING SESSION NUMBER ONE HAD ABOUT A TWO WEEK WINDOW.
AND THEN LISTENING, SESSION NUMBER TWO HAD ABOUT A THREE WEEK WINDOW TO PROMOTE.
UM, I WILL FLAG THAT, UM, AS, UH, CHAIR, I DO HAVE, UH, PREROGATIVE TO CALL SPECIAL MEETINGS IF WE NEED TO.
UM, AND SO, UM, THAT IS A TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX IF WE NEED IT.
UM, MY INSTINCT IS, IS NOT TO, IF WE COULD FIND A WAY NOT TO THOUGH, UM, JUST TO, JUST TO BE TRANSPARENT.
UM, BUT IT IS AN OPTION IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED.
UM, SO LET'S TAKE A QUICK STEP BACK AND LIKE TALK THROUGH WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
UM, WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT, AND STAFF, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT IF WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD SEPTEMBER 2ND, UM, THAT, UH, IN EFFECT WE NEED TO ALIGN ON AS MANY DETAILS AS WE CAN IN THIS TIME BLOCK.
AND THEN, UM, IF WE HAVE IT ALL ALIGNED ON, UM, THE AD HOC CAN TAKE WHAT'S LEFT TO KIND OF FINISH, UM, PLANNING OUT THE DETAIL, THE LOGISTICAL DETAILS.
BUT THE ACTUAL AGENDA SUBSTANCE, WE BASICALLY NEED TO LIKE, LOCK AND GET TO YOU, UM, THE STAFF, IDEALLY BY THE END OF THIS, IN THE NEXT LIKE TWO WEEKS, IF WE WANNA REASONABLY GET APPROVAL AND TIME FOR IT TO GET RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC WITH MORE THAN A FEW DAYS DESPAIR.
IS THAT A FAIR, UM, CAPTURE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW? ANYTHING I'M MISSING? UH, MAYBE WHAT WE CAN DO THEN IS, UH, MAYBE LET'S MEET WITH, UH, AS LIKE CHAIR AND VICE IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE AT, I GUESS YOU'RE ALSO IN THE AD HOC WITH THE AD HOC AS SOON AS MAYBE THIS WEEK OR EARLY NEXT, GET ALL THE DETAILS DONE TOGETHER.
AND THEN I CAN BASICALLY PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, UM, FOR SEPTEMBER.
IS THAT, IS THAT OKAY? AND JUST TO OFFER SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT, THE OTHER TWO LISTENING SESSIONS ONLY HAD ONE MONTH.
SO YOU, YOU ALL MET AND APPROVED THE SAME FRAMEWORK YOU'RE APPROVING TODAY A MONTH PRIOR TO THE LAST LISTENING SESSION, WHICH IS WHY THEY HAD SUCH, YOU KNOW, TWO TO THREE WEEKS TIME, YOU, YOU'RE GETTING AN ADDITIONAL MONTH THIS TIME AROUND.
SO YOU HAVE EIGHT WEEKS INSTEAD OF FOUR.
UM, IT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION TONIGHT.
IF EVERYTHING GETS APPROVED TONIGHT, THEN, THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, SECURING, UH, PRESENTERS AND THEN, UH, GETTING THE AGENDA PUBLISHED.
SO MOVING FORWARD, THERE'S TWO MORE LISTENING SESSIONS COMING UP, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, AFTER THIS ONE.
SO BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO MONTHS RUNWAY, THE OTHER FUTURE, I'M JUST THINKING AHEAD.
SO FOR THOSE TWO OTHER COMMISSIONERS, I MEAN TWO OTHER LISTENING SESSIONS, WHATEVER INSIGHTS WE LEARN ABOUT THIS PLANNING PROCESS HERE, HOPEFULLY CAN ROLL OVER TO THOSE OTHER TWO.
SO WE CAN ALSO OFFER AS MUCH, THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET TWO MONTHS, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE THEY JUST HAPPEN TO WORK OUT THIS WAY.
BUT, UM, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, RIGHT.
FOR, UM, FOR ADVERTISING THE EVENT, RIGHT.
UM, SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER STEPS NEEDED FOR US TO, UH, I GUESS COMING OUT OF TODAY? AND THE QUESTION FOR STAFF COMING OUT OF TODAY, UM, ARE THERE ANY STEPS WE'RE MISSING TO ACTUALLY GET THIS, UM, ON THE AGENDA FOR SEPTEMBER? UM, IF WE CAN COMMIT TO THE AD HOC COMMITTEE WITH THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, UM, DRAFTING THE, UH, OR THE AD HOC COMMITTEE COMPLETING THEIR PLANS IN THE NEXT WEEK AND A HALF, AND THEN THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR PUTTING, FINALIZING THE AGENDA WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER STEPS THAT WE'RE MISSING TO BE ABLE TO, UH, LEGALLY INCREDIBLY PUT ON THIS, THIS, UH, THIS EVENT? NO, NO.
I WILL SAY TWO WEEKS IS AMBITIOUS TO, TO REALLY ENGAGE, MAKE, GET CONFIRMATIONS, BUT WE CAN ALL TRY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UH, SO THE, THE, THE SLOWDOWN WOULD BE ON, NOT PROCEDURAL, BUT JUST US ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK, BASICALLY.
WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO PROCEDURAL HICCUPS.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE STUFF THAT WILL REALLY GET US YEAH, NO, NO CHAIR.
THERE'S NO PROCEDURAL HICCUPS.
IT'S, IT'S LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S JUST GONNA BE INTERNALLY JUST WHAT YOU GUYS CAN DO AS A COMMISSION WITHIN THAT TIMEFRAME.
DOES THAT GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED? AND I THINK IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE HOMEWORK FROM COMMISSIONER BROWN TO, TO DO THIS QUICKLY, BUT DOES THAT MEET THE NEEDS? COMMISSIONER KOOL, COMMISSIONER LARA? YEAH, IT DOES.
I WOULD SAY THE TWO TO THREE WEEKS IS MORE REALISTIC.
HAVING PLANNED THINGS LIKE THIS BEFORE AND KNOWING, ESPECIALLY LISTENING, ALL OF THE MOVING PARTS, RIGHT? 'CAUSE IT WOULD REQUIRE IDENTIFYING THE FINALIST, REACHING OUT, AND WE'VE DONE SOME SOFT INVITES, RIGHT? UM,
[01:30:01]
HOPING THAT THEY CONFIRM RIGHT.AND THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE AND THEN GOING TO OUR BACKUP, RIGHT? SO THAT TAKES TIME, RIGHT? SO I DO WANNA GIVE US THAT RUNWAY OF TWO TO THREE WEEKS, UH, KNOWING THAT PLANNING IS A PROCESS.
UM, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE YOU ALL GET TIME FOR INPUT ON THE OTHER PIECES.
I THINK WE'VE CHOREOGRAPHED THE PROCEDURAL PIECE, AND THIS IS THE GLAMOROUS WORK OF COMMISSIONS, IS ALSO NAVIGATING BROWN ACT EFFECTIVELY TO, TO MOVE THIS WORK FORWARD.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, FEEDBACK FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS ON THE SPEAKERS SUGGESTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE? THIS IS THE TIME.
IF YOU'RE NOT ON THE AD HOC, THIS IS THE CHANCE TO, UM, RAISE THOSE SUGGESTIONS.
SO ANY SPEAKERS FEEDBACK THAT PEOPLE HAVE FOR THE LIST THEY HAVE HERE, OR ANY QUESTIONS FEEDBACK PEOPLE HAVE FOR WHAT THEY HAVE HERE.
UM, THIS IS THE TIME, UH, WE CAN DO THAT
UM, THERE'S, I THINK YOU SHOULD RAISE TIMING,
I'M USUALLY NOT A WRENCH THROWER, BUT, UH, UH, UM, I'M AN L-B-U-S-D DAD, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, RETIRED, UH, KIND OF STILL BE WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER, OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
BUT, UH, I JUST, UH, MY SON JUST GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, UH, YAY, JT UM, SEPTEMBER 2ND.
I JUST LOOKED AT THE CALENDAR AND, UH, I HAD TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH.
UM, L-B-U-S-D GOES BACK TO SCHOOL ON AUGUST 25TH FOR SOME REASON BEFORE LABOR DAY.
UH, UH, AND SO WE'RE HAVING THIS LISTENING SESSION, UH, THE, THE SECOND WEEK OF SCHOOL, ASKING PARENTS ABOUT BARRIERS THAT THEY HAVEN'T EVEN FIGURED OUT YET IN A, IN, IN, WHAT I CAN GUARANTEE YOU IS, UH, UH, THE MOST HECTIC WEEK.
'CAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT YOU GET GRACE THE FIRST WEEK AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER YOU'RE KINDERGARTEN OR YOU'RE 12TH GRADE, WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO COME AND TALK ABOUT THEIR, THEIR, UH, UH, ISSUES WITH EDUCATION THE WEEK THAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH, THEIR ISSUES WITH EDUCATION, UH, UH, UH, IN REAL TIME.
UM, AGAIN, I DON'T LIKE TO THROW A A A WRENCH INTO THINGS, UH, UH, BUT, UM, NOW I HAVE CONCERNS, UH, ABOUT THE TIMING OF, UM, AN EDUCATIONAL LISTENING SESSION BEING HELD DAYS AFTER, UH, SCHOOLS BACK IN SESSION.
IT'S NOT AS BAD AS IT BEING ON SUMMER VACATION.
BUT, UH, UM, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA LEARN THE BARRIERS, UH, UH, IN THAT FIRST WEEK, THOSE SECOND WEEK, THAT, THAT FIRST MONTH, UH, UH, UM, THAT WE WILL, WE WILL, WE WOULD WANT SHARE THAT WE WOULD WANT TO HEAR ABOUT, UM, AGAIN, UH, UH, REALTIME WRENCH THROWN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF WE COULD MOVE IT BACK A MONTH.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT OTHER LISTENING SESSIONS SCHEDULED.
I'M NOT EVEN GONNA CONSIDER FLIPPING THE LISTENING SESSIONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT CAN IT, CAN IT BE PUSHED BACK? AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE, THERE'S ALSO SOME WORK.
I'M, I'M GLAD THAT WE'VE OPENED THIS UP TO, TO EVERYBODY.
UH, UH, UH, MAYBE THAT COULD BE A, A SECOND EXCUSE, BUT I, I JUST, I, I'M, I'M LOOKING AT IT FROM A PARENT, UH, PARENT'S POINT OF VIEW, UH, UH, UH, UH, AN EDUCATED POINT OF VIEW.
UH, UH, I BARELY HAVE TIME TO MAKE SEPTEMBER MEETINGS, UH, UH, WHEN, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS A DAD, UH, TO SIT UP HERE, LET ALONE, UH, GATHER MY THOUGHTS AND, AND SPEAK AT THE DAIS AS A, UM, LISTENING SESSION PARTICIPANT.
SO I RECALL WHEN THIS COMMISSION IDENTIFIED SEPTEMBER.
YEAH, IT WAS, IT WAS INTENTIONAL BECAUSE IT WAS BACK TO SCHOOL.
SO THAT WAS WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THE, THE BODY DECIDED.
[01:35:02]
THE, I'M TRYING TO THINK.I DON'T HAVE, THIS IS MORE OF A QUESTION FOR THE CHAIR, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IN REAL, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT IN REAL TIME, BUT, UH, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT COMES TO MIND? I DON'T HAVE THE, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE IZING AUTHORITY THAT FALLS TO THE CHAIR, RIGHT? UM, IT'S REALLY A QUESTION FOR THE CHAIR AND IN CONCERT WITH THE STAFF, UM, AND REALLY US AS A BODY CHIMING IN IF IT MAKES SENSE TO, TO SCHEDULE.
BUT IT DOES, IT IS MOVING PARTS WE ALREADY HEARD IN THE CONTEXT OF JUST THE SEPTEMBER MEETING.
THERE'S SO MANY MOVING PARTS IN THE EVENT THAT WE DECIDED TO MOVE IT, WE'RE THEN NOW SHUFFLING.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE GOING OCTOBER, AND THEN IT, THOSE, THOSE OTHER, UH, UH, UH, UH, UH, MEETINGS.
SO, SO I APPRECIATE IDENTIFYING THAT PARTICULAR POTENTIAL ISSUE.
I THINK, UH, TO, TO SOLVE IT RIGHT NOW ON THE DIOCESE IS GONNA BE A, A TALL ORDER, BUT WE CAN TRY, WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT.
I, UM, ANY ADVICE, UH, CHAIR? YEAH, I THINK I MIGHT HAVE A QUESTION BACK.
FOR IN PARTICULAR, THE AD HOC, UM, IN TERMS OF, I GUESS A TWO PART QUESTION.
ONE, UH, WHAT IS LIKE THE CORE AUDIENCE FROM COMMUNITY THAT WE WERE TRYING TO DRAW IN? LIKE, WHAT'S THE ACTUAL PROFILE OF WHO WE WANT IN THE ROOM? UH, AND THEN WITH THAT IN MIND, UM, IS THE DATE ON THE TABLE AN IMPEDIMENT OR AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT? SO I THINK IF YOU CAN ANSWER THOSE TWO THINGS, THAT'LL ALLOW US TO THEN IDENTIFY IF WE SHOULD STAY IN SEPTEMBER, REMOVE IT.
UH, TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, RIGHT? AS, AS A EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, TECHNICALLY, IT'S, IT'S EVERYBODY AND ANYBODY, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE ARE ULTIMATELY CHARGED AND WE WANT AS MANY PEOPLE AS HERE AS POSSIBLE AND, AND DIVERSE, RIGHT? HAVING SAID THAT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT, GIVEN THE TOPIC OF EDUCATION.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY CLOSE, PERHAPS EVEN PERSONAL FOR A LOT OF FOLKS.
SO THAT'S, THAT CAN GO ACROSS ANY MULTIPLE CONSTITUENCIES.
UM, SINCE COMMISSIONER OR VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ HIGHLIGHTED PAR, I MEAN, PARENTS, RIGHT? THAT'S VERY, VERY, VERY CLEAR AS ONE MARK OF IDENTITY, UH, STUDENTS, UM, AND ANYONE WHO HAS A, A STAKE IN EDUCATION, WHICH, UH, FROM MY BACKGROUND, THAT'S, THAT'S SOCIETY AT LARGE.
SO I THINK THAT'S, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO REALLY PINPOINT, YOU KNOW, UH, WHO, HOWEVER, TO YOUR SECOND POINT, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE QUESTION, AN OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT? YES.
IT IS A WEEK, TWO WEEKS INTO, INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND THAT'S L-B-U-S-D.
WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN THEIR CALENDARS, BUT IT IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY WITH PARENTS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS WHO GO TO BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT, RIGHT? FOR THEIR RESPECT, AMENITIES.
AND SO SCHOOL IS KIND OF AT THE TOP OF MIND FOR A LOT OF FOLKS RIGHT AROUND THE TIME, YOU KNOW, LATE AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, THAT PERIOD.
SO IT COULD ALSO BE AN OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE IT'S TOP OF MIND FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, ENGAGE IN THAT.
IT'S, IT'S HARD TO PREDICT THE FUTURE, IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
UM, UM, BUT I DO WANT TO ELEVATE WHAT WE ALL JUST HEARD ABOUT THE MOVING PARTS IN THE CONTEXT OF HAVING SEPTEMBER 2ND TO RESCHEDULE.
NOT THAT I'M NOT OPEN TO THE IDEA INTRODUCES A LOT MORE MOVING PARTS NOW, RIGHT? ARE WE, AS A BODY OPEN TO THAT? IS IT THE QUESTION? AND I THINK WE HAVE A COMIC COMMISSIONER COLE, UH, AND THEN VICE SCHULTZ.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DO THINK THE DATE IS AN IMPEDIMENT.
I THINK THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO WE WANT TO COME SPEAK TO US AND THE PARENTS, EDUCATION'S ALWAYS TOP OF MIND FOR THEM.
BUT THIS WEEK IS PARTICULARLY HECTIC, ESPECIALLY FOR THE OTHER NONPROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO WANT TO COME IN TO, TO SHARE WHAT THEY'RE SEEING WITH US.
AND BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY TOO, WITH 4TH OF JULY, IT HAS BEEN CHALLENGING TO GET A RESPONSE FROM PEOPLE, UNDERSTANDABLY SO, BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY TIME OF YEAR THEY GET TO TAKE OFF
I KNOW IT'S MORE MOVING PIECES, BUT I, I, I, IF IT'S POSSIBLE, I KNOW IT'S A VERY BIG DEAL TO RESCHEDULE.
I THINK IT WOULD SERVE US WELL.
I, I, I, UM, I, I'M WILLING TO, I WAS GONNA SAY, I'M WILLING TO REMOVE MY WRENCH
UH, ONE PARENT ARE AT THEIR MOST FRUSTRATED, UH, UH, FRENZIED, UH, UH, UH, BACK TO SCHOOL MODE.
UM, UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, COME OCTOBER, OCTOBER IS, YOU KNOW, BACK TO SCHOOL,
[01:40:01]
UH, UH, NIGHTS, UH, EVENTS, UH, ON CAMPUSES.UM, I DUNNO, I JUST FELT STRONGLY ENOUGH TO QUEUE UP AND, AND, UH, UH, TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I, WHEN I, WHEN I, I, I PUT IT TOGETHER THAT, OH, WOW, THAT'S LIKE THE, THE, THE FIRST WEEK.
UH, BUT I, I'M WILLING TO REMOVE MY OBJECTION AND, YOU KNOW, JUST PROMOTE THE HECK OUT OF THIS WHATEVER DATE, WHATEVER THE, THE, THE, THE, THE FULL, UM, BODY HERE WOULD, WOULD LIKE TO DO.
UH, I, I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM MORE VOICES, UM, AND THEIR THOUGHTS ON THIS DATE.
UH, BUT I COULD, I COULD GO EITHER WAY.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS IS THAT COMMISSIONER FLORES, THANK YOU YOU FOR ALL THIS WORK.
IT'S SO AMAZING WHAT YOU'VE PUT TOGETHER.
AND, UM, I, WHEN I WAS THINKING ABOUT EDUCATION, I WAS THINKING IN GENERAL EDUCATION AS IT'S NOT NECESSARILY HAPPENING IN THIS SCHOOL YEAR, RIGHT? BUT AS IT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST AND MOVING FORWARD, WHAT THE CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS ARE, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO, UM, AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT, IT DIDN'T, IT WASN'T ABOUT THIS SCHOOL YEAR, IT WAS ABOUT EDUCATION IN GENERAL AND OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? UH, ALSO VERY OPEN TO CONCRETE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, IF FOLKS WANT TO THROW THEIR WEIGHT BEHIND ONE IDEA OR THE OTHER.
ANYBODY ELSE? ALRIGHT, UM, LET'S, LET ME TURN IT BACK TO, UM, THE AD HOC AND JUST ASK IF THERE'S ANY OTHER, UH, COMMENTS THAT YOU WANT TO TALK THROUGH OR SUGGESTIONS AND HOUR ROUND THE SCHEDULING.
AND THEN I'LL WEIGH IN VERY BRIEFLY.
AND THEN I WANT TO GIVE A COUPLE MOMENTS FOR CONTENT BASED INPUT.
UM, SO ANY RESPONSES, UM, I KNOW THAT TWO OUT OF THREE HAVE WEIGHED IN, UM, ON THIS MOST RECENT SUGGESTION OF MOVING IT.
UM, ANY THOUGHTS FROM YOU, COMMISSIONER LARA? AND THEN WE WILL KIND OF TRY TO MOVE TO, TO THE NEXT THING? UM, NO, I, I MEAN, I, I, IT'S REALLY, AGAIN, JUST, IT'S REALLY UP TO US WHETHER WHO WE WANNA MOVE IT OR NOT, AND WORKING THROUGH THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR ON THAT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I WOULD SAY.
I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT, IF WE ARE WEIGHING THIS IS THE IMPLICATIONS OF IT.
SO I'LL TURN TO, UH, I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION PROBABLY IF IT'S, WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF MOVING THIS? 'CAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S STILL ON THE TABLE, NOT KIND OF TRYING TO FOLLOW THE CONVERSATION HERE, UM, OF MOVING THIS MEETING, THE, THE LISTENING SESSION TO OCTOBER MM-HMM
YOU, YOU GOT TO DECIDE WHAT, WHAT, HOW YOU DRAFT THE AGENDAS AND DESIGN THEM FOR EACH MEETING.
SO I THINK ON MY END, UM, A LOT OF THIS IS KIND OF INTERNAL COORDINATION.
UM, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE, UH, AND THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION STAFF.
THAT SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO REALLY NAVIGATE IS, UH, CAN WE INTERNALLY ORGANIZE FAST ENOUGH TO DO WHETHER IT'S SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER? THAT'S THE TIMELINE WE HAVE.
UM, WHAT I'M PREPARED TO DO IS, UM, ON MY END, I'M HAPPY WITH EITHER, BASED ON, MY IDEAL IS THAT WE FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE AD HOC AND SELECT A DATE THAT MATCHES, UM, YOUR ALL'S PROPOSAL.
UM, IF THERE IS NO CONSENSUS AMONG THE AD HOC, UM, THEN, UM, I'M PREPARED TO, UM, EITHER MOVE IT AND I CAN, I HAVE TIME TO CONSTRUCT AN AGENDA EITHER WAY.
SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME IN TERMS OF WILL WE BE ABLE TO MAKE MEANINGFUL USE OF THE TIME.
UM, I HAVE A LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT WE CAN ENGAGE WITH AND POTENTIAL SPEAKERS, UH, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY, UM, BE PRODUCTIVE WITH THE TIME THAT WE HAVE.
UM, BUT, UH, IF THERE IS A STRONG LEANING FROM THE COMMISSION IN TOTALITY OR FROM THE AD HOC, UM, THEN WE'LL MAKE THAT CALL NOW.
IF NOT, THEN WHAT I, I'D SUGGEST IS THAT, UM, WE ACTUALLY DO A LITTLE BIT OF WORK TO TRY AND SECURE, UM, SPEAKERS AND MAYBE GET THEIR INPUT FOR WHEN THEY'RE AVAILABLE AND MAKE THE CALL, UM, SEPARATELY.
UH, AND THEN I CAN BASICALLY CODIFY THE AGENDA, UM, OUTSIDE OF THIS SETTING, UM, AND MOVE IT FORWARD THAT WAY.
UM, BUT, SO YEAH, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S NO CONSENSUS ON THE COMMISSION FOR WHEN THIS IS BEST.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT, UM, OFFLINE THEN, UH, AND, UM, DECIDE, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL PUT ONTO THE AGENDA.
I'LL BE REPAIRED TO EITHER HAVE IT, UH, BUILT AFTER SEPTEMBER OR MOVE TO OCTOBER.
UM, BUT WE'LL BE ABLE TO BUILD IT OUT REGARDLESS.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU GET SOME INPUT ON THE SPEAKER LIST AND QUESTIONS, IF THERE ARE ANY.
UM, BECAUSE IN ALL THE RUSH TO GET THE LOGISTICS DONE, WE, WE DO NEED A PRODUCT, UM, TO PRESENT TO COMMUNITY.
SO ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMISSION ON THE SUBSTANCE OF THE SESSION ITSELF? ALL RIGHT.
UM, JUST TO SUMMARIZE, UH OH, YES, YOU, YOU ASKING? CORRECT.
CAN YOU PLEASE TURN ON THE MIC? THANK YOU.
UM, I, I WOULD RECOMMEND, AND I
[01:45:01]
DON'T KNOW, BUT JUST THE, THE PAST PRESIDENT OF CAL STATE LONG BEACH, UM, COOLEY.AND THEN, UM, MAYBE LOOK AT THE LBCC, UM, TRUSTEE BOARD.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO COME TO THE TABLE, UM, ON, ON THAT BOARD.
SO THAT'S JUST MY, MY THOUGHT.
OTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR SPEAKERS, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AM I MIGHT ALSO ADD, UM, IF WE ARE INTERESTED IN TEACHER PERSPECTIVES, TEACHER ASSOCIATION OF LONG BEACH, UH, TEACHER'S UNION COULD HAVE SOME, UH, PEOPLE WHO COULD SPEAK TO TEACHER'S ISSUES.
UM, AND THEN YOUTH LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE IS A YOUTH EDUCATION ORGANIZATION THAT DOES A LOT OF WORK IN SUPPLEMENTING CLASSROOM EDUCATION AS A NON-PROFIT.
UM, THAT COULD ALSO BE A GOOD ONE IF YOU WANT TO ENGAGE, UH, NONPROFITS THAT ARE ENGAGED IN THE EDUCATION SPACE.
AND I HAVE CONTEXT FOR, FOR BOTH OF THOSE.
WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THAT? THE ONE YOU JUST IDENTIFIED? UH, YLI, YOUTH LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE.
AND YOU CAN PROBABLY HAVE A TIERS LIST.
SO MAYBE THIS INITIAL SUGGESTED LIST IS TIER ONE.
IF THERE'S NON-RESPONSE OR, UH, DECLINES, WE COULD MOVE INTO KIND OF THE SECOND TIER THAT, UM, WE'VE KIND OF CONSTRUCTED FOUR, UM, OPTIONS BETWEEN MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER DOCKERY.
SO I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD BACKLOG HERE.
UH, IF ANY OF THESE SEVEN DON'T RESPOND.
UM, SO MY COMMITMENT TO YOU ALL IS, UH, THAT, UM, OFFLINE WE WILL ALIGN ON AND QUICKLY SHARE WITH YOU ALL, UM, UH, THE RESCHEDULED DATE.
BUT I WANT TO JUST LIKE, TAKE A BEAT TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS ALL OF THIS AND THEN WORK WITH THE AD HOC TO, UM, ALIGN ON AN EXACT DAY.
BUT THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT.
UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO A VOTE.
COMMISSIONER DOCKERY, I CAN TAKE A VERBAL IF NEEDED.
[4. 26-55535 Recommendation to discuss Commissioners' interests, expertise, and priorities related to matters within the Equity and Human Relations Commission's jurisdiction to help inform future Commission priorities, identify areas of focus, and determine where the Commission can be most engaged and effective. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
FOUR IS A RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS COMMISSIONER'S INTERESTS, EXPERTISE, AND PRIORITIES RELATED TO MATTERS WITHIN THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION'S JURISDICTION TO HELP INFORM FUTURE COMMISSION PRIORITIES, IDENTIFY AREAS OF FOCUS, AND DETERMINE WHERE THE COMMISSION CAN BE MOST ENGAGED AND EFFECTIVE.IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COMMISSIONER COLE AND COMMISSIONER ESTES.
AND THEN, UM, JUST FOR, I'LL GIVE CONTEXT ON THIS, WE'LL PASS TO QUESTIONS, UM, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO OUR DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT JUST SOME QUICK CONTEXT.
UM, AS FOLKS KNOW WITH BROWN ACT, UM, I UNFORTUNATELY CANNOT SIT DOWN WITH EVERY SINGLE PERSON AND PLAN OUT THE AGENDA IN THE FUTURE.
UM, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ARE FOLLOWING THOSE RULES AND NOT HAVING QUORUM OUTSIDE OF A PUBLIC SETTING.
UM, AND SO BRAINSTORMED WITH STAFFED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT'S A WAY THAT WE CAN STILL CREATE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO SHARE TOPICS THAT THEY WANT TO ENGAGE WITH, UM, TOPICS THEY WANNA RETURN TO, UH, REALLY WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE, UH, ISSUE AREAS THAT YOU'RE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT CAN HELP INFORM OUR PRIORITIES FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
NOW, OF COURSE, THE LISTENING SESSIONS ARE A PART OF THIS AS WELL.
UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF, THAT'S GONNA REALLY HELP INFORM OUR, OUR LONG-TERM PLANNING.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I DON'T WANNA LOSE ALL THE ISSUES THAT MATTER TO EACH OF US HERE.
UM, AND SO, UM, WITH THE, UH, A REALLY APPRECIATED ADVICE FROM, FROM STAFF AND FOR CITY ATTORNEY, UM, WE FIGURED OUT THAT THIS WAS A GOOD, UM, OPTION WAS TO ACTUALLY AGENDIZE, UM, A PORTION OF TIME TO SOLICIT THAT INPUT FROM ALL OF YOU.
UM, AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS TIME IS MEANT TO BE, UH, IS A CHANCE FOR PEOPLE TO BASICALLY SHARE WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ENGAGED WITH ALREADY THAT YOU WANT US TO, UH, LOOK BACK ON AND, AND SEE PROGRESS, OR WHAT ARE THE ISSUES WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED ON YET THAT YOU WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S ON MY RADAR AS CHAIR TO, UH, TO PUT ONTO THIS EVER COMPLEX PUZZLE OF A CALENDAR THAT WE HAVE LOOKING AHEAD.
SO THAT'S THE INTENT OF THIS TIME.
UM, I ALSO, UH, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, AS WE PROCEED THIS DISCUSSION, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, BE, I'M GONNA FACILITATE IT SO THAT WE DON'T GO SUPER LONG.
UM, AND SO, UM, WHEN WE GO INTO THE DISCUSSION IN A MOMENT, THE ASK IS NOT THAT, UM, EVERYONE, UH, FEELS PRESSURE TO SPEAK EXTENSIVELY, BUT RATHER THAT, UM, YOU SHARE, UH, UH, WHAT ARE THE KIND OF CORE PRIORITIES YOU HAVE IN MIND AS A STARTING POINT HERE TO SEED THE DISCUSSIONS FOR LATER.
UM, AND SO DON'T FEEL ANY PRESSURE TO GIVE US A TREATISE ON WHY AN ISSUE IS ESSENTIAL.
UM, SHARE WHAT THE ISSUE IS BRIEFLY, WHY IT MATTERS,
[01:50:01]
UM, AND, AND WHEN YOU THINK WE NEED TO TAKE IT ON.AND THAT'LL BE ENOUGH TO REALLY HELP ME, UH, BUILD OUT FUTURE AGENDAS.
THAT'S THE INTENT OF THIS SPACE.
UM, WHAT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO IS PASS ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS OR COMMISSIONERS, GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TIME FOR EVERYBODY TO SHARE IF THEY WOULD LIKE ON FUTURE TOPICS THEY WANNA ENGAGE WITH.
SO, ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS ON THE INTENT OF THIS SECTION OR THE PROCESS THEREIN.
SEEING NONE, LET'S MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT, IF ANY, IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR IN PERSON, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM FOUR, PLEASE USE THE RAISE THE HAND FEATURE.
NOW, SEEING NONE IN PERSON, WE HAVE ONE IN THE ZOOM.
MELISSA MORGAN, YOU'VE BEEN UNMUTED.
UM, JUST ONE COMMENT I HAVE, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN WAYS I SHOW UP IN COMMUNITY IS, IS BEING IN SPACES AROUND DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, I USED TO STAFF THIS POSITION AND WORKED ON EQUITY AND INCLUSION WORK, UM, WITH THE CITY'S HUMAN DIGNITY PROGRAM, WHICH WAS THE PRECURSOR REALLY TO THE CURRENT EQUITY OFFICE.
UM, ONE THING I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SHARE IS, HOWEVER YOU ALL CAN DO THIS, WHETHER YOU IDENTIFY AS BEING A MEMBER OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND CULTURE, UM, OR NOT, IS TO FIND WAYS TO CALL IN BLACK COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE.
I FIND OFTEN IN THIS CITY, WHICH, YOU KNOW, KNOWN AS THE MOST DIVERSE CITY, ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE CITIES IN THE COUNTRY, UM, WE OFTEN CONTINUE TO FALL VICTIM OF ANTI-BLACKNESS AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO TALK ABOUT BLACK IDENTITY, BLACK EXPERIENCE MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE BLACK FRIENDS.
UM, AND THAT IS A, A REAL CHALLENGE BECAUSE THE EXPERIENCE OF BLACK PEOPLE AND HOW PERVASIVE ANTI-BLACKNESS IS, IS JUST REALLY THE EPITOME OF HOW RACISM AND, UM, WHITE SUPREMACY OPERATE IN OUR SOCIETY, EVEN IN A, A CITY AS BEAUTIFULLY DIVERSE AS THIS.
SO MY REQUEST WOULD BE THAT WHEN YOU ALL LOOK AT ISSUES OF RACE, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT, THAT YOU DO FIND A WAY TO BE CURIOUS, INCLUSIVE, UM, THOUGHTFUL, UH, AROUND ISSUES OF PARTICULARLY ANTI-BLACKNESS.
AND THEN, THEN, AS I THINK I HEARD, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LARA SHARE EARLIER, LOOKING AT ALSO THOSE INTERSECTIONS WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY OR WOMEN OR YOUTH, ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT HAPPENS IN THAT INTERSECTION WHEN A PERSON IS PART OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR, BOTH IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM.
UM, MY HOPE IS THAT WE'LL SPEND ABOUT 20 MINUTES OR SO CREATING OPEN SPACE FOR FOLKS TO SHARE.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU DID
AND SO, UM, GO AHEAD AND QUEUE UP IF YOU WANT TO CHIME IN.
UM, INTEREST, EXPERTISE OR PRIORITIES YOU WANT US TO, UH, CONSIDER LOOKING AT AS A COMMISSION IN THE COMING YEAR.
UH, COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, ARE WE GONNA HAVE A RETREAT? I THINK LAST TIME? OKAY.
THAT WAS, I THINK FOR CONTEXT, I THINK, UM, WHAT MY THINKING IS THAT THE, UM, RETREAT MAY COME AT SOME POINT AFTER WE CONCLUDE THE LISTENING SESSIONS, SO THAT THE LISTENING SESSIONS CAN INFORM THAT NEXT RETREAT.
UM, COMMISSIONER LARA, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS AGENDA TO, UM, TO TONIGHT'S MEETING.
'CAUSE IT DOES ACTUALLY GIVE ME TIME TO, TO THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ON MY MIND.
SO, UH, THROUGHOUT MY TIME ON THIS COMMISSION, AND RIGHTFULLY SO, WE HAVE FOCUSED ON A LOT OF, UH, PROBABLY THE BEST WAY FOR NOW TO FRAME A LOT OF BIG, BIG IMPORTANT ITEMS, RIGHT? UM, THAT HAVE, UH, SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS AND WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
UM, WHAT I'VE BEEN REFLECTING ON AS OF LATE IS ALSO WHAT IS OFTEN REGARDED AS QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES, RIGHT? THAT, UH, WE COULD PROB I WOULD RECOMMEND PROBABLY GET, UH, PRESENTATIONS ON TO INFORM POLICY.
SO I'LL GIVE YOU A VERY, VERY SPECIFIC EXAMPLE.
UM, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, DAY DOES NOT GO BY, UH, THAT THERE'S ACCUMULATED, UH, THIS IS THE TAIL OF LONG BEACH, RIGHT? MATTRESSES,
[01:55:01]
AND, UH, I WILL GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.I USE THAT APP, GO LONG BEACH, AND, UH, I DON'T NOTICE HOW LONG IT TAKES.
I'M NOT THAT PER THAT PERSON, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO, IT'S USUALLY GONE.
SO I GIVE CREDIT WITH CREDITORS TOO, HOWEVER IT DAWNED ON ME, RIGHT? A A WHILE AGO, RIGHT? AND SO THIS IS A PERFECT AGENDA ITEM TO KIND OF ARTICULATE WHAT, UM, WHAT EQUITY ISSUES COME ABOUT WITH QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES.
LIKE WHERE, WHERE IS THE STUFF THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WHERE IS IT CONCENTRATED AT? HOW QUICKLY IS IT PICKED UP IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY? WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE ENGINES OF THE CITY AND THE WORKERS OF THE CITY IN TERMS OF, OF, OF, UH, THE CAPACITY TO DO THIS PARTICULAR WORK? BECAUSE THAT DOES IMPACT THE AESTHETICS OF A NEIGHBORHOOD AND QUALITY OF LIFE, RIGHT? SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE.
THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE THE SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, PRESENTATION, ALTHOUGH IT CAN BE, 'CAUSE I'M ACTUALLY VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THIS.
BUT, UM, ANYTHING UNDER THAT LARGER UMBRELLA CAN, IT'S A LOCALIZED ISSUE IN ADDITION TO THE LARGER ITEMS THAT THIS COMMISSION, UH, SHOULD CONTINUE TO, TO ADDRESS.
UM, OTHER IDEAS, COMMENTS FROM OTHERS NEW OR LONG TIME
UM, I, I THINK THAT IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT WE HAVE, WE STILL HAVE TO CONTINUE ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
THAT IS DIRECTLY UNDER OUR PREVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING ON THIS COMMISSION.
AND THE HOMELESS PROBLEM IS, OR UNHOUSED PEOPLE.
UM, WE HAVE THE OLYMPICS COMING AND, UM, THERE'S TRASH ON THE FREEWAYS.
I MEAN, THERE'S ENCAMPMENTS STILL EVERYWHERE.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY THAT I WOULD LIKE THE WORLD THAT'S COMING TO LONG BEACH, UM, TO SEE OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY.
SO WE NEED TO KEEP ADDRESSING THAT.
THAT'S A PREVAILING ISSUE, I THINK GONNA BE FOREVER AND EVER AS LONG AS THIS COMMISSION EXISTS.
LET ME PASS A QUICK CLARIFYING QUESTION TO STAFF AND CITY ATTORNEY BEFORE I GO TO COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.
I KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE, THERE'S, UM, A HOMELESSNESS SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND SO CAN YOU HELP ME, US UNDERSTAND WHERE OUR PEER REVIEW MIGHT BEGIN AND WHERE THEIRS MIGHT BEGIN? UM, AND THAT MIGHT HELP US THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT WHAT'S THE MOST USEFUL WAY TO, TO CARVE OUT AGENDA ITEMS ON THIS TOPIC? NO, THAT'S A A REALLY GOOD QUESTION, CHAIR.
I'M NOT WHOLLY FAMILIAR WITH THE, THE JURISDICTION OF, OF THAT OTHER COMMISSION.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING I DEFINITELY COULD FIND OUT, UH, AND REPORT BACK THROUGH THROUGH TONY THE, LIKE WHAT THAT OTHER COMMISSION, LIKE THE, THE SPECIFIC JURISDICTION THAT THEY KIND OF OPERATE IN, SORT OF THE, THE, THE PROGRAMMING THAT THEY, UH, UNDERGO WITH THEIR COMMISSION MEETINGS.
AND THEN KIND OF, UH, I THINK THAT ONCE TONY REPORTS BACK TO, TO THIS COMMISSION, I THINK THAT WOULD GIVE YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A SENSE OF WHAT YOU CAN AND, AND CANNOT DO WITHOUT ANY OVERLAP.
IS THAT MY UNDERSTANDING CHAIR? CORRECT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, 'CAUSE I THINK TO TO, TO COMMISSIONER BROWN'S POINT, I, UM, A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE THAT, UH, WHILE WE DON'T HAVE THE TERM LIKE UNHOUSED OR HOMELESSNESS IN THE TITLE OF OUR COMMISSION, THAT THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS WHICH THAT INTERSECTS.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, EVEN SOME OF THE PRESENTATIONS WE HAD DURING THE ECONOMIC STABILITY LISTENING SESSION INTERSECTED WITH HOUSING JUSTICE BROADLY, INCLUDING HOMELESSNESS, UH, SPECIFICALLY.
AND SO, YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE USEFUL, UM, ACTION ITEM FROM STAFF TO BRING TO US, AND THEN THAT CAN HELP INFORM THEN HOW DO WE BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND USEFUL.
UM, AND THE OTHER PIECE I THINK I HAVE IN MIND IS WE'RE ALWAYS STRONG AS A COMMISSION WHEN THERE'S COMMUNITY VOICES HERE, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT CARRY OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND ADD WEIGHT TO IT.
UM, AND SO I THINK ANOTHER PIECE THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT IS, UM, WHAT ORGANIZATIONS, WHAT COMMUNITY ADVOCACY GROUPS CAN HELP ADD, UM, FIRE TO THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE BRING.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS MAYBE MORE ON OUR SENIOR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW WE USED TO HAVE KAREN RESIDE AND THE GRAY PANTHERS SPEAK TO US A LOT, AND THEY USUALLY ARE REALLY GOOD ABOUT COMING TO US, BUT I THINK IT'S JUST A COMMUNITY WE CAN ENGAGE MORE, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INTERSECTIONALITIES, ARE SENIORS OF COLOR, JUST ISSUES THAT THEY MAY BE HAVING THAT WE CAN HELP WITH.
AND CHAIR, CHAIR, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, KIND OF THE, THE FOLLOWING, THE SAME, SAME NOTE.
'CAUSE I KNOW THERE IS ANOTHER COMMISSION THAT, THAT DEALS WITH.
I, AND I CAN'T RECALL THE, THE PROPER NAME, BUT IT DEALS WITH, UM, ELDERLY OR AGE.
SO I CAN, I CAN ALSO, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THE HOMELESS COMMISSION TO KIND OF FIND OUT THEIR PARAMETERS, I COULD ALSO LOOK INTO THAT ONE TOO.
SO BOTH THIS COMMISSION KNOWS KIND OF LIKE WITH BOTH COMMISSIONS, WHAT, WHERE THE OVERLAP WOULD BE.
THAT WOULD BE INCREDIBLY HELPFUL.
I THINK IT'S ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AGING.
YEAH, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS,
[02:00:01]
I THINK WE ARE THE COMMISSION THAT, UH, CAN TOUCH ALMOST EVERY SINGLE ISSUE AREA, UM, IN A WAY THAT'S MORE EXPANSIVE THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER COMMISSION ON THIS REALLY EXPANSIVE LIST OF COMMISSIONS.AND SO I THINK THAT'S OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR CHARGE OF ONCE WE HAVE THE INFORMATION IS, IS TO FIND THE WAYS THAT WE COULD BE MOST ADDITIVE.
UM, AND I REMEMBER, UM, SOME YEARS AGO THERE WAS A, UM, EVEN QUESTIONS FROM, LIKE, THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION REFERRED SOME QUESTIONS TO THIS COMMISSION TO ADD AN EQUITY LENS.
I KNOW THAT'S PART OF THE HISTORY OF THIS COMMISSION.
SO I THINK THAT THERE'S DEFINITELY PRECEDENT FOR US, UM, BEING ADDITIVE TO A DISCUSSION ON ISSUE AREAS THAT NURSE SEC WITH OTHER COMMISSION TOPICS.
SO THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT, NOT UNPRECEDENTED.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE COMMENTS? I SEE COMMISSIONER LARAS ON THE QUEUE DIGITALLY, AND IF ANYONE'S NOT ABLE TO GET ON DIGITALLY, RAISE YOUR HAND.
BUT LET'S GO COMMISSIONER LARA AND THEN COMMISSIONER ES, UH, ONCE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY TOY CHECKS ON THE PARAMETERS OF IT, THE COMMISSIONER.
UM, I, I HAVE A SUGGESTION IF IT FITS WITHIN OUR PARAMETERS AND I THINK IT, IT, IT PROBABLY DOES, BUT I'LL LET THE EXPERT CITY ATTORNEY, UH, HELP US DECIDE THIS.
BUT, UM, IN ELEVATING BLACK EXPERIENCES, RIGHT? WHICH, UH, IS WITHIN OUR PURVIEW, UM, WHEN WE THINK OF THE TOPIC OF THE UNHOUSED, WE KNOW UNFORTUNATELY THAT, UH, UH, BLACK COMMUNITY IS WAY OVERREPRESENTED IN THE UNHOUSED ALONG WITH L-G-B-T-Q YOUTH.
SO ONE THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME BEST PRACTICES THAT HELP AND ASSIST RIGHT IN, UH, THAT ARE CULTURALLY RELEVANT, RIGHT? THAT'S IMPORTANT AND RESPONSIVE, UM, IN, IN HELPING OUR BLACK COMMUNITY THAT ARE, ARE ON THE FRONT LINES, UNFORTUNATELY, OF THE HOUSING CRISIS RIGHT? ALONG WITH L-G-B-T-Q AND ITS INTERSECTIONS.
UM, SO, SO THAT I THINK IS PERHAPS A STRATEGIC AND CREATIVE WAY TO, UH, HAVE THAT ISSUE COME UNDER, UNDER OUR PURVIEW, RIGHT? AND THEN YOU CAN DEFINITELY USE THAT INTERSECTION FRAMEWORK FOR ANY OF THESE OTHER ISSUES.
UH, COMMISSIONER ESTES, UH, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ.
UM, THIS IS JUST ME SPIT BALLING AND, UM, THINKING, BUT, UH, I WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO INVITE SOME PEOPLE, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE TONGVA ORGANIZATION AND SEE LIKE WHAT THEY NEED FROM US AND HOW CAN THEY BE A BETTER PART.
HOW CAN WE BE BETTER, BETTER PARTNER, AND HOW WE CAN CELEBRATE THEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, UH, WE READ ATLANTIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT EVERY SINGLE MEETING.
UM, I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT ON US TO DO MORE THAN JUST READ IT, BUT TO ACTUALLY TRY AND LIVE IT.
AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR THAT SUGGESTION.
I THINK IT'S A FTIC ONE, UH, VICE SCHULTZ.
YEAH, I WOULD, UH, I I'D LOVE TO, WHAT, WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER LAURA BROUGHT UP, QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, UM, 'CAUSE THAT ENCOMPASSES A, A LOT, UH, UM, UH, IN OUR CITY, A LOT OF INEQUITY, UH, IN OUR CITY.
UM, YOU, YOU USUALLY HEAR QUALITY OF LIFE WHEN IT COMES TO HOMELESSNESS.
THEY ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE A QUALITY OF LIFE TEAM, UH, UH, THAT DOES, UM, DOES REALLY WELL, UH, WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR SPECIFIC TASKS.
UM, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD UPLIFT BOTH, UH, DR.
LAURA AND, UH, COMMISSIONER LAURA AND, UM, COMMISSIONER BROWN'S, UM, HAVING US, UH, TAKE A SECOND LOOK AT, UH, AT HOMELESS, UH, HAVING A HOMELESS, UM, AD HOC, UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, I CHAIRED THE LAST ONE AND IT, IT, UH, I DON'T THINK I'D FOUND MY VOICE, NOT THAT IT'S ABOUT ME, BUT I KNOW THAT WE HAD A, A, A SWARM OF NEW COMMISSIONERS COME ON.
AND AS WE WERE TRYING TO CLOSE, UM, THE AD HOC
BUT I THINK THAT'D BE SOMETHING WORTH LOOKING AT AGAIN.
UM, UH, I I, I'M OF THE ILK THAT BELIEVE THAT, THAT WE DO, I'M OPTIMISTIC WHEN IT COMES TO OUR WORK WITH THE HOMELESS.
UH, UM, I KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT TO DO, BUT I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD THINGS HAPPENING TOO.
UM, UH, AND, UH, I'D WANT TO HEAR BOTH SIDES AND, UH, LEARN HOW WE CAN, UH, WE CAN KEEP DOING GOOD THINGS AND LEARN HOW WE CAN DO BETTER.
UM, SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S MY SUGGESTION.
[02:05:01]
UH, COMMISSIONER COLE, I'M WONDERING THAT I HAVE A, IT'S A LONGER TERM IDEA POTENTIALLY, BUT IT HAS COME UP BEFORE.BUT HOW CAN THIS COMMISSION FOCUS ON EXPANDING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS COME UP IS THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT MANY PEOPLE SHOW UP, AND NOT MANY PEOPLE EVEN KNOW ABOUT US.
SO LET DO THROUGH OUR CONTACTS AND OUR OWN INTERESTS.
BUT IS THERE A WAY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO TO A CONFERENCE AND THERE'S A CALL FOR SPEAKERS, CAN WE, IS THERE A WAY SOCIAL MEDIA OR SOME WAY WITHOUT AN EXPENSE TO PUT OUT A CALL FOR PERSPECTIVES? LIKE, IF WE WANNA INTRODUCE YOU TO THIS COMMISSION, IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT US YET OUR DOORS ARE OPEN, PLEASE COME AND SHARE WHAT YOU'D LIKE US TO WORK ON.
YEAH, I THINK I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN LIKE HOW, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WAYS THAT WE MAKE COMMISSIONS GENUINELY ACCESSIBLE AND EXCITING TO PEOPLE? UM, AND SO I'LL, I'LL BRING THAT SUGGESTION WHEN I, UM, HAVE FOLLOWUP CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE PARAMETERS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WHAT TOOLS DO WE HAVE? UM, I THINK, UM, CERTAINLY WE KNOW THERE'S SOME LIMITATIONS AROUND, UH, LIKE WE CAN'T HAVE CERTAIN THINGS ON ABOUT AN AGENDA ITEM COMING UP UNTIL THAT'S OUT THERE.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT PRECLUDES OTHER IDEAS.
SO I THINK THIS IS A GOOD CHARGE AND REMINDER.
UM, WE HAD GREAT TURNOUT TODAY BECAUSE OF A GOOD AGENDA ITEM.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, WE WANT THIS TO BE THE NORM.
UM, I KNOW MOST FOLKS HAVE SPOKE NOT EVERY, I THINK EVERYONE ACTUALLY HAS CHIMED IN AT LEAST ONCE.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS? THIS IS NOT YOUR ONLY TIME, UM, BUT IT IS, UH, UH, A GOOD OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO HAVE IT IN FRONT OF THE FULL COMMISSION AND HAVE IT ALL BE LOGGED.
UM, COMMISSIONER DOCKERY, UH, AND THAT, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE OUR LAST ONE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR, FOR US AS COMMISSIONERS IS TO ENGAGE WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND I KNOW WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT OUR BUDGET LAST YEAR, I WAS AT THE DOOR OF EVERY COUNCILMAN PERSON AND THE MAYOR, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE DID NOT GET THE FUNDING WE WERE ASKING FOR, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S PART OF OUR JOB AS COMMISSIONERS TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN SEND THESE LETTERS, UM, PEOPLE SEND LETTERS TO CITY COUNCIL ALL THE TIME.
I WORKED, WORKED FOR A CITY COUNCIL PERSON.
THEY JUST GET LETTERS AND READ THEM.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE THERE AND YOU ASK FOR A MEETING OR YOU'RE AT AN EVENT, I WAS AT AN EVENT ON SATURDAY AND I GOT TO TALK TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE JUST ABOUT THINGS I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IN THIS COMMUNITY, NOT REPRESENTING THIS COMMISSION.
BUT I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO TAKE TIME OUT OUTSIDE OF WHEN WE'RE SITTING HERE ON THE DAAS AND, AND ENGAGE WITH THE PEOPLE, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND, AND THE MAYOR AND AND THE PEOPLE, AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT WE'RE REALLY LISTENING TO AND WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE.
AND WHEN WE SEND LETTERS, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, MAKE SURE THEY FOLLOW UP, US FOLLOWING UP WITH THEM AND SAY, DID YOU GET THIS LETTER? BECAUSE THEY GET THOUSANDS OF LETTERS A WEEK.
UH, I WANT OUR LETTERS, I WANT OUR STUFF TO BE HEARD BY THEM DIRECTLY.
AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF, I I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE US DO A, NOT THAT WE'RE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE US, YOU KNOW, DO MORE OF THAT.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY POWERFUL NOTE TO END ON FOR THIS PORTION OF THE CONVERSATION, BECAUSE IT IS A REMINDER THAT WE'VE RELEASED A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS, AND I THINK OUR BATTING AVERAGE FOR UPTAKE IS, UH, IT'S NOT ALL STAR LEVEL YET, BUT I THINK WE CAN GET THERE.
UM, AND MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE BYLAWS IS THAT ONCE WE HAVE PASSED SOMETHING OUT OF THIS COMMISSION, WE CAN TALK TO ELECTED OFFICIALS ABOUT IT AS LONG AS WE STAY WITHIN THE CONFINES OF WHAT WE VOTED ON AND WROTE TOGETHER.
SO AS LONG AS WE FOLLOW THAT, UM, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF SOMEONE WAS A DISTRICT, I'LL USE DISTRICT TWO AS AN EXAMPLE BECAUSE THAT'S CURRENTLY VACANT.
IF WE HAVE A DISTRICT TWO COMMISSIONER AND THEY WANTED TO MEET WITH, UH, THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER AS PART OF THEM BEING A COMMISSIONER AND, YOU KNOW, ENGAGING WITH THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT THEY CAN SAY, HEY, AND HERE'S THE LETTERS THAT WE'VE WRITTEN AND, YOU KNOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT THEM.
UH, HERE'S WHAT WE RECOMMENDED.
I THINK THAT THAT'S WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE DO.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS A GOOD CHARGE THAT OVER THE NEXT YEAR, UM, OUR WORK HERE ON THE DICE IS THE DELIBERATIVE MOMENT, IT'S THE DELIBERATIVE BODY THAT WE CAN THEN MOVE THINGS FORWARD.
UM, BUT, UH, THE WORK OF THEN ENSURING THAT IT GETS TAKEN UP, THAT'S, UH,
[02:10:01]
THAT'S AN EXTENSION IN MY MIND OF, OF A WORK.EVEN IF IT'S NOT THE BARE MINIMUM, I THINK IT IS THE POTENTIAL, RIGHT? SO I'M VERY EXCITED FOR, FOR THIS.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT CHARGE TO END ON.
UM, THERE'S A DESIRE FOR US TO ENGAGE, NOT JUST WITH LIKE THE BIG POLITICAL ISSUES, BUT ALSO, UM, GRAPPLING WITH THE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED, UM, IN PARTICULAR QUESTIONS AROUND HOMELESSNESS.
UM, AND, UH, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE EQUITY QUESTIONS WITHIN THAT.
UM, WE'RE GONNA ENGAGE, UM, UH, CITY STAFF IS GONNA BE VERY HELPFUL IN HELPING US, UH, FIGURE OUT THE LANE LINES BETWEEN US AND THE OTHER COMMISSION COMMITTEES.
HOMELESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AGING.
UM, WE'LL ALSO, UM, ENGAGE WITH OUR TONGVA REPRESENTATIVES, UH, POTENTIALLY LOOKING AHEAD, INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY REPRESENTATION.
UM, AND THEN AS A KIND OF NOTE OF ORDER OF HOW WE WANNA MOVE THIS FORWARD, EXPANDING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
REALLY BEING INTENTIONAL AND CREATIVE WITHIN, WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF OUR STATUTE TO GET MORE COMMUNITY TO BE EXCITED TO BE HERE.
UM, AND IF WE HAVE SOME COMMUNITY WHO'S STILL HERE, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME ROOM TO GROW, UM, AND TO ENGAGE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO ACTUALLY GET WHAT WE DO DONE, UM, BEYOND JUST THIS DIOCESE.
AND SO WITH THAT, UH, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL FOR ME.
I HOPE IT'S USEFUL, UM, FOR YOU ALL AS WELL.
UH, AND THIS IS NOT THE LAST TIME THAT YOU CAN RAISE THINGS.
UM, ENGAGE WITH ME ON ANYTHING, UH, THAT YOU WANT TO RAISE OR FEEDBACK YOU HAVE.
UH, MADAM CLERK, LET'S MOVE TO VOTE.
SO LET'S GO TO OUR VERY LAST ITEM, ITEM NUMBER FIVE, I'M SORRY.
[5. 26-55536 Recommendation to receive and file a report from current Ad Hoc Committees; discuss anticipated Ad Hoc Committees for upcoming projects; and, if appropriate, take action to dissolve or create Ad Hoc Committees. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A REPORT FROM CURRENT AD HOC COMMITTEES.DISCUSS ANTICIPATED AD HOC COMMITTEES FOR UPCOMING PROJECTS, AND IF APPROPRIATE, TAKE ACTION TO DISSOLVE OR CREATE AD HOC COMMITTEES.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY.
OKAY, LET'S CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST AND THEN REPORTS.
SO WE, WE WOULD NORMALLY DO THE REPORTS FROM CURRENT AD HOC COMMITTEES, AND THEN WE CAN DO PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE DISCUSSION.
I WAS SO CLOSE TO GETTING THROUGH ALL THESE CORRECTLY AND I MISSED IT ON THE LAST ONE.
ON THE LAST PAGE OF YOUR PACKETS IS A LIST OF AD HOCS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
UM, I MIGHT ALSO SUGGEST WHEN WE GET TO JUSTICE FOR BLACK WORKERS, UM, THIS COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISSOLVE.
UM, SO I'LL KICK THIS OFF WITH ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
UM, WE'RE SCHEDULING OUR MEETING WITH, UH, JAY KALIN WITH DISASTER RESILIENCE, AND THEN A DEBRIEF MEETING TO DISCUSS, UM, THE AGENDA ITEM WE'D WANNA SUGGEST AT THAT POINT.
WE'RE GOING TO BE INVITING, WE'RE PLANNING TO, UM, INVITE A COUPLE CO SPEAKERS THAT, THAT WORK WITH.
I GUESS I'M ON THE AD HOC, I'M ALSO CHAIR, SO WE'LL WORK WITH MYSELF TO, UM, AGENDIZE A TOPIC, IDEALLY IN THE FALL.
UM, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
I'M HOPING TO GET THESE THINGS.
ALL THE MEETINGS FINISHED, UM, JULY, UH, SO WE HAVE A CONCRETE DATE, UM, FOR THAT LATER.
UM, LET'S MOVE TO THE JUSTICE FOR BLACK WORKERS.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, THE EDUCATION AND ACCESS, UM, AD HOC.
UH, SO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO GIVE ANY ADDITIONAL REPORTS, UM, WE'LL PASS IT TO COMMISSIONER.
COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY, YOU'RE THE ONLY, NO.
COMMISSIONER, UH, BUTLER, WHO'S NOT HERE.
COMMISSIONER SEMI WILD, WHO'S ALSO EXCUSED.
AND COMMISSIONER COVINGTON WHO, UM, HAS ROLLED OFF.
UH, IN A MOMENT WE'LL MOVE TO DISSOLVE THIS, BUT LET'S GO TO THE EDUCATION, UM, AD HOC.
I KNOW WE HAD YOUR PRESENTATION.
ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANNA ADD OR REPORT OUT? I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO ADD, BUT I INVITE MY FELLOW AD A COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN CASE THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THEY WANT TO ADD.
I WOULD JUST SAY TO CORRECT CHAIR COVINGTON COVINGTON'S OUT.
UM, ALL RIGHT, AB, ARE THERE ANY AD HOCS THAT WE ARE MISSING? I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
UM, AND SO NOW WE CAN, UH, MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM FIVE, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE NOW.
UM, I'M SORRY, YOU CAN START AGAIN.
THE MIC WAS ON, YOUR MIC IS NOW ON.
[02:15:01]
YOU KNOW, THESE ITEMS, THEY'RE SO CONDENSED AND BECAUSE I DIDN'T DO HOMEWORK BEFORE I GOT HERE.UM, I DON'T QUITE KNOW WHAT THE CONVERSATION IS ABOUT.
SO I'M LISTENING TO THE CONVERSATION, AND THEN I HAVE COMMENTS TO SAY.
BUT IF WE GIVE 'EM BEFORE, UM, THE COMMENTS OF, FROM THE DI DAES, THIS, IT JUST SEEMS A LITTLE BACKWARDS.
SO, UM, SO I DO WANNA BE ON SUBJECT OF, OF THIS, THIS ITEM HERE, ITEM NUMBER FIVE, AND RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A REPORT FROM CURRENT AD HOC COMMITTEE.
SO I GUESS THIS IS JUST, UM, THE ADMINISTRATIVE PART OF PULLING ALL THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TOGETHER AND THEN MOVING THEM FORWARD.
AND, UM, IN, IN THAT VEIN, I JUST WANNA, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THANK THE, THE COMMISSION FOR MOVING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD, LIKE I DID BEFORE.
UM, AND I, I DID WANNA SAY THAT I HOPE THE COMMISSION CAN PUT THINGS, UM, IN PLACE.
UM, UH, BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS OF LONG BEACH, THEY DE, THEY DESERVE A LOT MORE THAN WHAT, WHAT THEY ARE GETTING.
OUR, OUR LIVED EXPERIENCES ON THE STREET AND LIVING IN LONG BEACH ARE A STARK DIFFERENCE THAN WHAT THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL ARE, ARE LIVING.
THEY ANSWER TO INVESTORS, THEY ANSWER TO REVENUES, THEY ANSWER TO MONIES COMING INTO THE CITY AND TO MAKE THE CITY THRIVE OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT, UM, I JUST SEE THAT, UH, UH, THE EQUITY AND, UM, WITH, UH, AND I, I APPRECIATE YOUR REMARKS ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY, THE BLACK COMMUNITY BEING OVERREPRESENTED IN IT, HOMELESSNESS.
UM, I THINK THAT THESE THINGS LIKE THAT NEED TO BE BROUGHT UP OFTEN.
UM, THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE EQUITY, THERE NEEDS TO BE INCLUSION, COMPLETE INCLUSION, AND NOT EXCLUDE A WHOLE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UM, UH, UH, BECAUSE IT'S THE NORM OR SOMETHING, UM, STRANGE, LIKE THAT KIND OF THOUGHT.
UM, UH, SO, UM, THAT'S ALL I REALLY WANTED TO, TO, TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
AND, AND ALSO ABOUT CONNECTING AND GETTING MORE PEOPLE TO COME TO, UM, THE COMMISSIONS.
WE JUST HAVE TO CONNECT WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING ON THESE ISSUES AND IN, AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE INVITED.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
I'M RUNNING FOR STATE ASSEMBLY AND I AM ALWAYS WITH THESE, UM, UH, ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR VOICES ARE GETTING HEARD.
UM, AND SO I WOULD BE HAPPY TO BE MORE ATTENTIVE AND TO THESE MEETINGS AND TO GET PEOPLE TO COME TO THE COMMISSION.
SEEING NO HANDS RAISED IN THE ZOOM.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM FIVE, BOTH IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM.
UH, ALRIGHT, ANY CLOSING THINGS? MOTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION BEFORE WE MOVE TO A VOTE? YES.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO DISSOLVE THE AD HOC FOR THE JUSTICE FOR BLACK WORKERS, SEEING AS HE PASSED A MOTION TO TRANSMIT A LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL TODAY.
IS THAT FRIENDLY? APPROVED BY THE MOVER VICE CHAIR SCHULTZ? IT IS.
UM, LET'S MOVE TO A VOTE WITH THE, UH, AMENDED MOTION.
[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Equity and Human Relations Commission on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]
LET'S GO TO, UM, THE LAST PIECE HERE, WHICH IS, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON AGENDA ITEMS. IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME.AND IF THERE ARE ANY IN THE ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE NON-AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE USE THE RAISED HAND FEATURE NOW, OR DIAL STAR NINE.
IF CALLING IN, WE HAVE BOTH IN PERSON AND IN THE ZOOM, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH IN PERSON FIRST.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO
[02:20:01]
TURNING RECOMMENDATIONS INTO ACTION.I RESPECTFULLY ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO INCLUDE EDUCATION, UM, AND GUIDANCE.
UH, REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SB 515, WHICH WAS SIGNED INTO LAW LAST YEAR, THE CITY, UM, SHOULD UNDERSTAND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THIS LEGISLATION.
UM, THIS LEGISLATION, SB 515, IS NOW RECOGNIZING BLACK AMERICAN LINEAGE AND EMPLOYEE DATA.
SB 515 ENSURES THAT CALIFORNIA CITIES, COUNTIES, AND LOCAL AGENCIES COLLECT MORE DETAILED DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ON EMPLOYEES WHO IDENTIFIES AS BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN.
DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN DESCENDANTS OF PERSONS ENSLAVED IN THE UNITED STATES, UH, FREEDMEN AMERICANS FROM AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS AND AFRO-CARIBBEAN POPULATIONS AND OTHER RELEVANT SUBGROUPS WITHIN THE BROADER BLACK COMMUNITY.
THIS PRECISION WILL ENABLE MORE, UM, EQUITABLE POLICY DECISIONS, TARGETED FUNDING AND VITAL REPARATIVE ACTION AT THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVELS.
FOR NON-IMMIGRANT BLACK AMERICANS WHO ARE HAVING A RATHER UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT LIVED EXPERIENCE THAN BLACK IMMIGRANTS.
ALL CITIES AND COUNTIES MUST UPDATE THEIR SYSTEMS AND COMPLETE THIS IMPLEMENTATION BY JANUARY 1ST, UM, 2027.
UM, AND SO THEREFORE, THIS KIND OF DATA IS GOING TO BE USED, UM, UM, TO HELP US ADDRESS THE DISPARITIES IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE INEQUITIES THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO RAISE ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I BELIEVE DESERVE THIS COMMISSION'S ATTENTION.
THE CULTURE OF BULLYING THAT CONTINUES TO AFFECT STUDENTS IN OUR K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS.
UM, BULLYING IS NOT SIMPLY A SCHOOL DISCIPLINE ISSUE.
IT IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE AND A COMMUNITY SAFETY ISSUE.
ARE TOO MANY CHILDREN EXPERIENCE REPEATED HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE THAT LEAVES LASTING PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL, UM, UH, CONSEQUENCES.
AND SO I ALSO ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO ENGAGE WITH THE LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE COMMISSION CONSIDER ESTABLISHING A STUDY SESSION OR WORKING GROUP TO EXAMINE SCHOOL BULLYING AND DISCRIMINATION, AND DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE LONG BEACH, UH, UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OTHER, UM, EDUCATIONAL PAR PARTNERS.
SO EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO ATTEND SCHOOL WITHOUT FEAR.
EVERY STUDENT DESERVES TO FEEL SAFE, VALUED, RESPECTED, AND SUPPORTED.
WHEN WE, UH, CHANGE SCHOOL CULTURE, WE STRENGTHEN FAMILIES, IMPROVE EDUCATION OUTCOMES, AND WE BUILD A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY FOR EVERYONE.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
UM, AS A MEMBER OF THE SECOND DISTRICT, I'D JUST LIKE TO COMMENT ON PARKING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND AS WE SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE, IT REALLY, REALLY IRRITATES ME THAT THERE ARE SPECIAL PEOPLE LIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WHO THINK THEY CAN PARK IN CROSSWALKS IN THE BIKE PATH BY GLENS AT THE VERY CORNER WHERE THE CURVE'S BEEN MARKED IN RED.
THAT IRRITATES ME BECAUSE I'M NOT THAT SPECIAL.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE DONE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE IS PARKED LEGALLY WHEN EVER I PARK IT LEGALLY.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON IS I'M SEEING A LOT OF HOUSING BEING BUILT IN LONG BEACH NOW, AND TAKING VERY MUCH NOTICE OF THAT.
MY QUESTION TO THE CITY, NOT THIS COMMISSION, MY QUESTION TO THE CITY IS, IS THIS HOUSING BEING BUILT TO HOUSE SOME OF THOSE HOMELESS PEOPLE? THAT'S MY QUESTION, AND YOU CAN TAKE THAT BACK TO THE CITY.
[02:25:01]
NOW MOVE FORWARD WITH ZOOM PARTICIPANTS.CHRISTOPHER COVINGTON, YOU'VE BEEN UNMUTED.
UH, CAN FOLKS HEAR ME? YES, YOUR TIME.
UH, MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER COVINGTON.
UH, FORMER MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, I JUST WANT TO, TO ACKNOWLEDGE, AND I'M SORRY YOU WERE DISCONNECTED.
YOU CAN CONTINUE YOUR, YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO SEND CONGRATULATIONS TO, UH, THE NEW CHAIR'S FIRST MEETING, UH, CHAIRING THE MEETING AS WELL AS, UH, DEEP APPRECIATIONS TO THE FULL COMMISSION FOR PASSING, UH, THE LETTER FOR THE JUSTICE FOR BLACK WORKERS UP TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF HARD WORK THAT WENT INTO THE LETTER, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COALITION MEMBERS.
AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY TAKING THE TIME, UH, REFLECTING AND, UM, PARTICIPATING IN, IN THE PROCESS AS WELL AS, UH, VOTING AND APPROVING IT.
UM, ONE THING THAT I WOULD SHARE IN TERMS OF FOLKS THINKING ABOUT, UM, PROJECTS THE COMMISSION CAN TAKE ON OR CONSIDER, UM, IF YOU HAVE CURIOSITIES OF LIKE, HEY, WHERE'S THE CITY ON THIS ISSUE, UM, YOU CAN DEFINITELY REQUEST, UM, THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR TO CONSIDER MAKING AN ASK TO THAT DEPARTMENT TO COME OUT AND PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON WHERE THAT PROJECT IS AT.
SO, IF FOLKS ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THE OLYMPICS, IF FOLKS ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THE STATE OF HOMELESSNESS, IF FOLKS ARE CURIOUS ABOUT SPACE SPEECH, UH, AND HOW ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IS, UH, IMPLICATIONS, UM, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT YOU CAN EMAIL OR CALL YOUR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR AND SEE IF THEY CAN REQUEST A PRESENTATION FROM THAT DEPARTMENT.
UM, PLEASE DO GIVE THEM THREE TO FOUR MONTHS, UH, FOR, TO SCHEDULE THAT BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENTS ARE BUSY.
BUT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT YOU ALL, UH, CAN'T DO AS A COMMISSION AS WELL.
UM, AND I APOLOGIZE I WASN'T ABLE TO JOIN EARLIER TODAY, UH, BUT SENDING MUCH LOVE TO EVERY COMMISSIONER, UH, AND STAFF, UH, AND OUR IT FOLKS WHO ARE STAYING ON LATER THAN THEY WOULD LIKE.
UM, AND SO WISHING EVERYBODY THE BEST OF OF LUCK AS Y'ALL MOVE FORWARD.
AND I'M LOOKING TO BE IN SUPPORT AND, UH, COMMUNITY WITH YOU ALL, UH, AS, AS THINGS MOVE ON.
UM, ANY REMAINING PUBLIC COMMENT? THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT, SEEING NONE, NO FURTHER IN THE ZOOM AND IN PERSON.
[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
THAT OUR VERY, VERY LAST PIECE IS ASK IF THERE'S ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE GROUP.HEARING NONE, UH, WE REWRITE OUR BYLAWS.
OUR GOAL IS TO END AT EIGHT 30 AND LOOK WHAT TIME IT IS.
[ADJOURNMENT]
LIKE TO MOVE US TO ADJOURNMENT.