* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON ITEMS NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE USE THE RA RAISE HAND FEATURE. IF DIALING IN, PLEASE PRESS STAR NINE. NOW. FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT IS LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF 10 SPEAKERS, COMBINING BOTH IN PERSON AND ZOOM PARTICIPANTS. [00:14:34] IF [00:14:34] THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR, ITEMS ON THE AGENDA OR SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE USE A RAISE HAND FEATURE. IF DIALING IN, PLEASE PRESS STAR NINE NOW. [00:15:08] [00:20:42] [00:28:16] ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL THE [CALL TO ORDER] MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER ROLL CALL PLEASE. [ROLL CALL] COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS PRESENT, COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN. COUNCILMAN ALLEN, PRESENT? COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. HERE. COUNCILMAN SUPER. NOW HERE, COUNCILWOMAN KERR. PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT VICE MAYOR URANGA. PRESENT. COUNCILWOMAN THRESH OOK. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SODI. HERE. MAYOR RICHARDSON. I AM HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA GO TO COUNCIL [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] MEMBER DUGGAN FOR THE, UH, MOMENT OF SILENCE OF THE PLEDGE AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE NOW IN REMEMBRANCE OF SOMEONE YOU HAVE LOST OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'RE NOW GOING TO HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE RISE. IF YOU ARE ABLE, PUT YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WELL, WELCOME BACK FOLKS. WE ARE, UH, IN OUR MID-SUMMER SEASON, SO I HOPE YOU'RE OFF TO A GOOD AND A FUN AND A SAFE SEASON. WE'VE GOT BASEBALL THIS SEASON. THEY'VE BEEN PLAYING FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK. THE LONG BEACH COAST HAS BEEN DOING PRETTY GOOD. WE JUST WRAPPED UP THE WORLD CUP. I SAW MANY OF YOU OUT THERE FOR OUR FAN EXPERIENCES. THE [00:30:01] CONCERTS IN THE PARK ARE GOING, THE MOVIES IN THE PARK ARE GOING, IT IS FULL SWING OF SUMMER, BUT IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL. UH, TONIGHT, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE TESTING OUT A SLIGHT CHANGE IN HOW WE RUN OUR MEETINGS TO TRANSITION TO ALIGN WITH SB 7 0 7. UH, THESE ARE NEW STATE GUIDELINES TO ALLOW REMOTE PARTICIPATION. SO I'M GONNA PASS IT TO OUR CITY CLERK, MONIQUE DE LA GARZA, TO WALK US THROUGH WHAT TO EXPECT THIS EVENING. SO, GOOD EVENING MAYOR. MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE SB 7 0 7 REQUIREMENT THAT ENHANCES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS. TONIGHT IS THE FIRST MEETING OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL WHERE WE ARE IMPLEMENTING ZOOM BASED PUBLIC COMMENT. IN ADDITION TO IN PERSON, I WILL READ NAMES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO'VE REQUESTED TO SPEAK. PLEASE FORGIVE ME IN ADVANCE IF I MISPRONOUNCE YOUR NAME TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM. YOU MAY SUBMIT A PHYSICAL SIGNUP SLIP IN PERSON OR OF JOINING BY ZOOM. USE THE RAISE HAND FUNCTION. IF YOU'RE DIALING IN, PLEASE DIAL STAR NINE. WHEN YOU USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE. A CITY CLERK STAFF MEMBER WILL TEMPORARILY MOVE YOU INTO A BREAKOUT ROOM TO PROVIDE FURTHER INSTRUCTION FOR THOSE SPEAKING IN PERSON. WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED, PLEASE PROCEED TO THE CENTER AISLE AND LINE UP AT THE LECTERN TO DELIVER YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. FOR REMOTE OR ZOOM CALLERS, WE WILL ANNOUNCE YOUR NAME WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN TO SPEAK. YOU'LL BE HEARD LIVE THROUGH OUR CHAMBER AUDIO SYSTEM. FOR A FULL LIST OF GUIDELINES AND INSTRUCTIONS, PLEASE VISIT CITY CLERK WEBSITE@LONGBEACH.GOV SLASH CITY CLERK. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. MONIQUE. WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING. UH, BOTH WILL BE FIVE MINUTES. UH, FIRST IS PARK [ Parks Make Life Better Month] PARKS MAKE LIFE BETTER MONTH. WE'LL PASS IT TO OUR CITY MANAGER TO KICK IT OFF. ALL RIGHT, I WILL INTRODUCE STEVE SCOTT, OUR DIRECTOR OF PARKS, RECREATION, AND MARINE. OKAY, GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, THIS EVENING. UH, AS WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE PARKS MAKE LIFE BETTER MONTH. UH, EACH JULY, WE PARTICIPATE IN A STATEWIDE RECOGNITION THAT SHOWCASES HOW AGENCIES LIKE YOUR PARKS, RECREATION, AND MARINE DEPARTMENT CREATE COMMUNITY THROUGH PEOPLE, PLACES, AND PROGRAMS. PRESENTATIONS LED BY THE CALIFORNIA PARKS AND RECREATION SOCIETY OR CPRS. THIS MONTH LONG RECOGNITION RAISES AWARENESS OF THE BENEFITS OF THE OVER 500 PARKS AND RECREATION ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE STATE. AND THEIR ROLE IN PROVIDING VITAL COMMUNITY SERVICES GUIDED BY OUR OWN PARKS MAKE LONG BEACH STRATEGIC PLAN. OUR WORK IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN ADVANCING EQUITY AND INCLUSION TO ENSURE OUR SPACES AND PROGRAMS ARE ACCESSIBLE. WE TAKE PRIDE IN ENSURING OUR PARKS, BEACHES, AND FACILITIES REMAIN SAFE, CLEAN, AND WELCOMING FOR ALL AS WE ACTIVATE THEM WITH FUN AND ENGAGING PROGRAMMING FIT FOR ALL AGES, INTERESTS AND ABILITIES. WE OFFER PLACES WHERE FAMILIES GATHER. WE OFFER PLACES WHERE CHILDREN AND TEENS CAN COME TOGETHER AND SOCIALIZE AND LEARN AND EXPLORE. WE OFFER PLACES WHERE OUR SENIORS CAN COME AND ENGAGE WITH EACH OTHER AND REMAIN ACTIVE. WE FOSTER NOT JUST RECREATION THOUGH, BUT HEALTH AND WELLNESS, PERSONAL ENRICHMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION. THIS VITAL WORK IS ONLY MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR DEDICATED AND HARDWORKING STAFF. I AM SO PROUD OF THE INCREDIBLE WORK OUR TEAM DOES EVERY SINGLE DAY IN ALL CORNERS OF THIS CITY AND THE IMPACT THAT OUR DEPARTMENT HAS ON OUR COMMUNITY. I WANNA TAKE THIS MOMENT RIGHT NOW TO THANK OUR DEPARTMENT TEAM FOR THEIR EFFORTS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE, UH, ATTENDING WITH US, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE STILL OUT IN OUR PARKS EITHER WRAPPING UP THE DAILY PROGRAMS OR GETTING READY FOR SOME OF OUR EVENING PROGRAMS LIKE BE SAFE OR MUNICIPAL BAND. AND SO IF I COULD JUST GET OUR TEAM TO STAND UP THOSE THAT ARE IN ATTENDANCE, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE RECOGNIZE THEM FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND LEADERSHIP. VERY WELL DESERVED. UH, THEY DO GREAT WORK. I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE WE HAVE TWO COMMISSIONERS, UH, PARKS AND REC COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE TODAY. UH, COMMISSIONERS ALLEN AND REDFIELD. I WANNA THANK THEM FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP, UM, FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. [00:35:01] SO IN CONCLUSION, UH, PARKS ABSOLUTELY MAKE LIFE BETTER AND PARKS ABSOLUTELY MAKE LONG BEACH BETTER. AND SO, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND ONGOING LEADERSHIP. UH, WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT WE DO TOGETHER TO PROVIDE THE VERY BEST IN PARK AND RECREATION SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY. SO THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS. UH, BUT WE DO HAVE A VERY BRIEF, UH, VIDEO THAT I'D LIKE TO SHOW, UH, TO WRAP UP OUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. BETTER. ONCE LONG BEACH PARKS RECREATION AND MARINE CONNECTS OUR COMMUNITY TO PEOPLE, PLACES, AND POSSIBILITIES ACROSS OUR CITY. WITH 166 PARKS, 81 PLAYGROUNDS, SPORTS FIELDS, SKATE PARKS, GOLF COURSES, AND NATURE CENTERS, THERE'S A SPACE FOR EVERYONE. OUR PROGRAMS SUPPORT EVERY AGE FROM YOUTH CAMPS, SPORTS LEAGUES TO OLDER ADULT ACTIVITIES, HELPING OUR RESIDENTS STAY ACTIVE AND HEALTHY YEAR ROUND. WE CARE FOR OVER SIX MILES OF BEACHES AND OUR MARINA SYSTEM SO VISITORS CAN ENJOY THE COASTLINE. OUR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES HELPS BUILD A MORE COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITY WITH SERVICES FOR BOTH PEOPLE AND PETS. EVERY PARK PROGRAM AND PARTNERSHIP HELPS CREATE A LONG BEACH WHERE EVERYONE FEELS AT HOME AND MEMORIES THAT LAST A LIFETIME. EXPLORE ALL WE OFFER AND DISCOVER HOW LONG BEACH PARKS MAKE LIFE BETTER. ALL RIGHT, WELL, WELL, THANK YOU. I THINK WE HAVE A CERTIFICATE FOR YOU. UH, WE'LL TAKE A COME DOWN AND TAKE A QUICK PHOTO. CAN WE GET OUR TEAM COME AND, AND COMMISSIONERS TOO. AND COMMISSIONERS SHOULD GO. . ALL RIGHT. SO WE THANK PARKS, RECREATION, UH, AND MARINE PARKS MAKE LIFE BETTER. PARKS MAKE LONG BEACH PARKS MAKE LB AND THAT WAS VERY CLEAR AT BIXBY PARK. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE COUNCILWOMEN, UM, DISTRICT TWO, DISTRICT ONE ON BEACH STREETS THIS PAST SUNDAY. INCREDIBLE. AND THE FINAL AT BIXBY PARK. SO GREAT WORK TO THE PARKS AND REC TEAM AND SPECIAL EVENTS. YOU DID A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. LET'S HERE FOR OUR PARKS TEAM ONE MORE TIME. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, [ Harvey Milk Plaza Inductees] HARVEY MILK PLAZA. INDUCTEES, UH, WE WANT TO PASS IT NOW TO COUNCILWOMAN AND DEJAS. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR. OUR CITY IS KNOWN FOR BEING A SAFE, INCLUSIVE, AND WELCOMING PLACE FOR ALL. WE TAKE PRIDE IN BEING HOME TO A STRONG, RICH, LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY, AND WE REMAIN AND WILL REMAIN PROUD AND LOUD ALWAYS AND FOREVER. THAT [00:40:01] IS WHY IT IS ONE OF MY GREATEST HONORS TO REPRESENT THE DISTRICT THAT HOUSES OUR BELOVED HARVEY MILK POMADE PARK, THE FIRST PUBLIC PARK TO CARRY HIS NAME'S SAKE. FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I HAVE GLADLY AND STRONGLY SUPPORTED THIS ANNUAL HARVEY MILK EQUALITY PLAZA PLAQUE RECOGNITION. IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE CONTINUE TO HONOR LEADERS AND ACTIVISTS WHO CONTRIBUTE IMMENSELY TO PROTECTING THE RIGHTS AND LIVES OF OUR L-G-B-T-Q-I PLUS COMMUNITY. AND I AM IN FULL SUPPORT OF INSTALLING THE NAMES OF THESE INCREDIBLE LONG BEACH LEADERS ONTO OUR HARVEY MILK WALL OF EQUALITY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME THE COMMITTEE AND PASS IT OVER TO COREY ALLEN. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCILWOMAN, UH, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, COREY ALLEN. I GET THE GREAT PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS ONE OF THE CO-CHAIRS, UM, FOR THIS ORGANIZATION. AND WE'RE VERY PROUD TO ALSO, AS YOU MAY SEE ON THE FLYER, THAT WE HAVE REFORMED AND REORGANIZED, UH, WITH OUR FRIENDS AT PARTNERS OF PARKS TO BECOME THE FRIENDS OF HARVEY MILK PROMENADE PARK. AS MUCH AS WE LOVED OUR LONG NAME BEFORE, WE THOUGHT THIS WAS MUCH MORE, UM, APPROPRIATE OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY, UH, CONTINUE TO HONOR LGBT LEADERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT TO ALSO FUNDRAISE AND SUPPORT THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING, UM, AT THIS, LIKE THIS ART LGBT ESTABLISHED PARK, UM, IN RECOGNITION OF THEM. SO YOU'LL HEAR FROM US. UH, WE'RE GONNA READ SOME BIOS TO YOU ABOUT THE AMAZING HONOREES. I WANT TO SAY THAT WE GET DOZENS OF, UM, NOMINATIONS EVERY SINGLE YEAR, UM, AND WE ARE LIMITED TO TO HONOR FOUR PEOPLE. AND SO THESE FOUR TAKE A TWO THIRDS MAJORITY OF OUR VOLUNTEER GROUP OF 15 PEOPLE, UM, TO, TO GET THE RECOGNITION EACH YEAR. AND SO, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH THOSE, THOSE RECOGNITIONS THAT, UH, KNOW THAT THESE ARE, UM, REALLY, REALLY STANDOUTS AND WE HAVE SOME INCREDIBLE FOLKS THAT CONTINUE TO GET NOMINATED AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO RECOGNIZE FOLKS EACH YEAR. UM, SO THE TWO THAT I HAVE, UH, THE PRIVILEGE OF, OF SHARING SOME INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, IS HONEY HATCH, WHO COULDN'T BE WITH US TODAY, UM, BUT IS KNOWN AS DJ HONEY TO MANY AND IS A SECOND GENERATION CAMBODIAN AMERICAN, BORN IN SAN DIEGO AND RAISED HERE IN LONG BEACH. SHE'S A DJ, ENTREPRENEUR, AND CERTIFIED PHLEBOTOMIST, UM, WHO HAS SPUN MUSIC FROM HOLLYWOOD TO CAMBODIA, ALL WHILE RUNNING A FAMILY RESTAURANT HERE IN LONG BEACH. SHE HAS POURED HER WORK INTO HER GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY, UH, AND THINGS LIKE THE CAMBODIAN TOWN FILM FESTIVAL, THE CAMBODIAN YOUTH INSTITUTE, UNITED CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY, AND CREATING KAMAI.ORG WITH A Q TO CELEBRATE AND HONOR THE WORK OF BTQ CAMBODIANS IN OUR COMMUNITY. UH, AND SHE WILL NOW BE THE VERY FIRST CAMBODIAN WOMAN TO EVER BE RECOGNIZED AND PLACED ON OUR WALL, UM, AT HARVEY MILK PARK. THE SECOND PERSON WHO YOU'LL HEAR FROM IN JUST A SECOND. PAUL. LOVELY. UH, FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS, PAUL HAS TURNED HIS PERSONAL JOURNEY AS A GAY MAN LIVING WITH HIV AND IN RECOVERY, INTO A LIFELONG COMMITMENT OF HELPING OTHERS FROM HIS EARLY VOLUNTEER WORK. AS A DIRECTOR OF THE LONG BEACH L-G-B-T-Q CENTER TO HIS LEADERSHIP, UH, AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE CARE CENTER AT ST. MARY'S MEDICAL CENTER, HE HAS HELPED CREATE AFFIRMING STIGMA FREE HEALTH CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. PAUL PIONEERED HIV PEER SUPPORT AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS ADVANCED LGBTQ PLUS HEALTH EQUITY, AND LED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW $2.3 MILLION CARE MEDICAL CENTER. PAUL TRULY EMBODIES HARVEY MILK'S BELIEF THAT LIVING AUTHENTICALLY AND SERVING OTHERS CAN CREATE HOPE AND CHANGE. AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BRING UP SOME OF OUR OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO HEAR FROM THE OTHER HONOREES AS WELL. UH, GOOD EVENING. I GET TO REPRESENT HEIDI HOFFMAN, WHO I KNEW PERSONALLY FROM THE DAY FROM THE HOOD. UM, SHE IS A PIONEER FOR THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMITTEE BACK IN THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES. SHE WAS ONE OF THE OWNERS OF THE, UH, PARADISE BAR. ONCE UPON A TIME WITH HER LOVEY CHERYL LABATTE, SHE WAS, UH, VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN STARTING THE LONG BEACH TEAMS PROJECT, WHICH PATROLLED BROADWAY BACK IN THE DAY WHEN THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF HATE CRIMES. SHE WAS ALSO A PI, SHE ALSO WAS PART OF THE, UH, LAMBDA DEMOCRATIC CLUB. AND THE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT SHE DID WAS SHE HELPED, UM, BIRD DOG AND TO PASS THE CITY'S SAME SEX DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP ORDINANCE. WE WOULD BELIEVE THAT IT WAS KIND OF TORPEDOED WHEN ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, DID A 17 MINUTE TIRADE ABOUT HOW GAY AND LESBIAN PEOPLE WERE, UH, LINKED TO, UH, BIZARRE SEX ACTS AND IMMORAL BEHAVIORS. AND AS OF SEPTEMBER 1ST, IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS DEAD IN THE WATER. AND WITH, UH, ACTUALLY AT THE TIME, MY PARTNERS PASSING BY, KILLED BY A DRUNK DRIVER ON SEPTEMBER 13, IT CAME BACK AND GOT PASSED IN 1996. SO IT WAS KIND OF ONE, ONE OF THOSE BIG DEAL THINGS. AND HEIDI HOFFMAN WAS VERY, UM, INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THOSE THINGS DONE. SHE WAS A [00:45:01] LARGER THAN LIFE PERSON. SHE WAS A BIG REDHEADED TOMATO, AND, AND YOU DIDN'T MESS WITH HER. SO SHE WAS PRESIDENT OF THE, UH, UH, WELL, AT THE TIME IT WAS THE LONG BEACH, UM, UH, SORRY CHAMBER. UH, IT'S THE COMMUNITY BUSINESS NETWORK. SHE STARTED THAT. NOW IT'S THE LONG BEACH GAY CHAMBER. SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN STARTING THAT, AND SHE WAS ALSO PRESIDENT OF THAT. SO SHE WELL DESERVES THIS HONOR. AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR RECOGNIZING HER. GOOD EVENING. UH, IT IS MY PLEASURE TONIGHT TO RECOGNIZE A LONG BEACH ARTIST, UM, WHO IS A MULTIMEDIA ARTIST, UM, WITH VARIOUS, UH, ILLUSTRATIONS. AND, UH, THESE ILLUSTRATIONS GIVE VOICE TO QUEER AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. UM, HE IS PROUD TO STATE THROUGH HIS ARTWORK AND THROUGH HIS WORK THAT HE IS QUEER AND FORMERLY UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT HIMSELF. UM, HE HAS DEVELOPED HIS CRAFT LOCALLY HERE IN LONG BEACH THROUGH JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL, ALL THE WAY TO LONG BEACH STATE. MM-HMM . UM, AND THROUGH HIS UNDOCU UN UNDOCUQUEER SERIES AND ALI TIMES COMIC STRIPPED, GOOD IMMIGRANT, BAD IMMIGRANT, HE HAS EARNED NATIONAL RECOGNITION FROM SAN FRANCISCO MOMA TO A SHORT DOCUMENTARY DOCUMENTING HIS JOURNEY TO THE SMITHSONIAN IN WASHINGTON DC AND HONORS FROM PRINCETON, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY. HIS MURALS, GRACE, OUR CITY NOW, AND HIS POSTERS ARE AT VARIOUS BUSINESSES, UM, SUPPORTING IMMIGRANT RIGHTS IN LONG BEACH. AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE JULIO SALGADO. YAY, JULIO. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JULIO SALGADO, AND I'M AN ARTIST WHO CALLS LONG BEACH HOME. I'M STANDING HERE TODAY AS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY, A CITY THAT ADOPTED ME AND MY IMMIGRANT FAMILY WHEN WE FIRST MOVED HERE BACK IN 1996. LONG BEACH HAS SEEN ME GROW INTO THE PROUD QUEER IMMIGRANT MEN THAT YOU SEE STANDING BEFORE YOU. I WANT TO THANK THE FRIENDS OF HARVEY MILK PROMENADE PARK COMMITTEE FOR HOOTING ME AS ONE OF THIS YEAR'S HONOREES. THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS HAVE BEEN TOUGH FOR THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, OF WHICH MANY LGBTQI PLUS INDIVIDUALS LIKE MYSELF ARE PART OF. IN RECENT DAYS, WE'VE SEEN HOW THE POWERS THAT BE HAVE BEEN ATTACKING PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME JUST FOR HAVING BEEN BORN IN A DIFFERENT PLACE. TODAY, I WANNA DEDICATE THIS HONOR TO THE QUEER AND STRAIGHT IMMIGRANTS THAT CONTINUE TO FEED, BUILD, AND CONTRIBUTE TO THIS CITY AND THIS COUNTRY, DESPITE NOT ALWAYS BEING TREATED WITH RESPECT. MAY WE ONE DAY LIVE WITHOUT THE FEAR OF LOSING OUR LOVED ONES AT THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT US. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR RICHARDSON AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS PAUL LOVELY, AND I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH YOU TONIGHT. AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND THANK YOU, UM, UH, THANK YOU TO THE, THE COUNCIL, THE COMMITTEE THAT SELECTED US. AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND MEANINGFUL TO ME TO BE PART OF THIS AMAZING GROUP. UM, AND I THINK THE HONOR IS ESPECIALLY AMAZING TO ME BECAUSE OF REALLY HOW FAR WE'VE COME IN THE LGBT COMMUNITY IN, IN, UH, IN MY LIFE. UH, I GREW UP IN ORANGE COUNTY IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GAY AND TO BE SEEN HAS CHANGED ENORMOUSLY SINCE THEN. LONG BEACH HAS BEEN A HUGE PART OF THAT CHANGE FOR ME. AND I LOVE THIS CITY. THE FACT THAT LONG BEACH HAS A HARVEY MILK PARK IS JUST ONE OF THE REASONS I, I LOVE IT SO MUCH. UH, I DON'T THINK OF MYSELF AS EXCEPTIONAL. I'M, I'M NOT AN ACTIVIST WHO MADE ONE BIG DEFINING MARK. MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT OVER ALMOST 30 YEARS WORKING AT THE CARE CENTER AT ST. MARY'S, UH, IS THAT I, I SHOW UP EVERY DAY. UH, I ALWAYS, AND I, THAT WHEN I SHOW UP EVERY DAY, I CAN ALWAYS DO AT LEAST ONE THING TO BRING A LITTLE HEALING TO A PERSON'S LIFE. AND I THINK IT'S THOSE SMALL THINGS THAT ADD UP OVER TIME TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND I FEEL SO LUCKY THAT I AM A PART OF A COMMUNITY WHERE I'M ABLE TO DO THAT. SO, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN. THIS REALLY IS A, A SPECIAL HONOR. THANK YOU. UH, WE HOPE YOU WILL ALL JOIN US ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 1ST AT 10:00 AM UH, AND THEN GO TO THE JAZZ FESTIVAL. WE DID IT EARLY JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS, BUT , PLEASE JOIN US AT 10:00 AM AT HARVEY MILK PARK ON THE FIRST. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, LET'S HEAR IT FOR OUR HARVEY MILK PROMENADE PARK, FRIENDS OF HARVEY MILK PROMENADE PARK. UH, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING THIS TRADITION AND CREATING A SPACE FOR PREVIOUS LEADERS AND EMERGING LEADERS TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS [00:50:01] TO OUR CITY. CONGRATULATIONS. AND WE HAVE A CERTIFICATE FOR YOU AND THE COMMITTEE AND THE HONOREES. AND LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE HONOREES. ONE MORE TIME. YES. WOO. YES. LET'S COME DOWN. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COME DOWN? COME ON. THANKS TO YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATIONS. UH, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON. LET'S HAVE OUR REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION, PLEASE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE HAVE NO REPORT FROM CLOSED SESSION. BEST KIND OF REPORT. NEXT, UH, CONSENT [CONSENT CALENDAR (1. – 29.)] CALENDAR, PLEASE. IS IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT? OH, I'M GONNA HAND IT TO OUR CLERK. NOW TO FACILITATE PUBLIC COMMENT, THERE ARE TWO SPEAKERS FOR CONSENT, FOR SPEAKER NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY. AND AFTER THAT IS X, YOU WERE IN THE BUILDING. NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY? GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, NEED FOR CONSENT RIGHT HERE. NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY? UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT A COUPLE ITEMS, A FEW ITEMS THAT WE HAVE. NUMBER 14. SO 26 DASH 5 55 92. UM, EVERYTHING'S LUMPED INTO ONE GIANT PARAGRAPH. UH, I THINK WE NEED MORE TRANSPARENCY BEFORE SOMEBODY WANTS TO REQUEST $4.5 MILLION. UH, THAT'S THE FIRST ONE. SECOND ONE IS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF THEM HERE. UH, THE SECOND ONE IS TOWARDS THE END. ITEM NUMBER 25. KIND OF DITTO AS WELL. WE NEED A LITTLE MORE TRANSPARENCY ON WHY WE'RE HAVING COLLECTING, UM, UH, USING THESE TECHNOLOGIES DATA TO ELECTRONIC CITATION, DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM. UM, ALSO WE NEED TRANSPARENCY FOR THAT. UM, ALL I CAN SAY IS BEFORE ITEMS ARE PRESENTED HERE, THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE MORE BREAKDOWN OF WHERE THESE FUNDS AND THESE MONIES, THESE DOLLARS ARE GOING TO AND WHY, AND HOW ARE THEY BENEFITING THE CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. DITO, WHAT THE PREVIOUS, UH, SPEAKER SAID. I WASN'T REALLY PLANNING ON SPEAKING TODAY, BUT I JUST QUICKLY GLANCED AT THE AGENDA AND LOOKED AT SOME OF THE STUFF IN THERE. AND IT'S, UH, ALMOST EVERY TIME I COME HERE, I SEE MONEY FOR COPS, MONEY FOR COPS, MONEY FOR COPS. HOW MANY, LIKE FOUR OR FIVE ITEMS AT THIS, UH, PARTICULAR MEETING THAT, THAT IS, UH, LOOKING TO BE APPROVED. UM, AND THEN WHEN I WAS OUT THERE, I WAS TALKING TO, UH, A, UH, REPRESENTATIVE OF, UM, PARKS, RECREATION, AND MARINE. AND I WAS ASKING WHY IS IT THAT, UH, WHAT, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE CITY'S BUDGET GOES TO PARKS AND RECREATION? WELL, IT'S BEEN CUT. WELL, IT'S BEEN CUT, BUT WHY IS THERE SO SUCH A DISPROPORTIONATE, UH, NUMBER OF FUNDS GOING [00:55:01] TO THE EAST SIDE PARKS? MM-HMM . UM, AND SO WE HAVE OUR, OUR, OUR POLICE BUDGET KEEPS INCREASING. I THINK WE'RE LIKE, WHAT 60%? DOES SOMEBODY KNOW? UM, AND OUR PARKS BUDGET GETS REDUCED AND OUR LIBRARY'S BUDGET GETS REDUCED. EVERYTHING GETS REDUCED EXCEPT THE COPS AND THE COPS DON'T PROVIDE SAFETY. UM, TIME AND AGAIN, UH, COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE GREATER RESOURCES ARE SAFER THAN COMMUNITIES WITH MORE COPS, RIGHT? I MEAN, LOOK AT THE STATISTICS, GUYS. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WHAT INFORMS YOUR DECISIONS. AND NOW THERE'S MONEY FOR ADDITIONAL SURVEILLANCE THAT WAS, UH, GETTING PUSHED BY, UM, YOUR FORMER COLLEAGUE, UH, STATE SENATOR LENA GONZALEZ. SURVEILLANCE JESUS CHRIST. I MEAN, WE'RE LOSING OUR FREEDOMS. AND FOR WHAT YOU KNOW, WELL, FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, WELL, UM, THERE ARE A MILLION WAYS TO REDUCE TRAFFIC FATALITIES THAT DO NOT INVOLVE ADDITIONAL SURVEILLANCE. AGAIN, LOOK IT UP, GUYS. YOU KNOW, YOU MAKE DECISIONS IN A VACUUM. NONE OF YOU, UH, ARE APPARENTLY, UH, EXPERTS AT ANYTHING, BUT YOU CAN GOOGLE IT OR YOU CAN ASK YOUR STAFF TO LOOK IT UP. SO, UH, I KNOW IT DOESN'T MATTER. YOU GUYS ARE STILL GONNA SPEND MONEY ON COPS, AND YOU'RE GONNA SPEND A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF, UH, THE CITY'S BUDGET ON THE EAST SIDE, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO PARKS AND RECREATION. AND THOSE OF US WHO LIVE ON THE WEST SIDE OF LONG BEACH AND ON THE NORTH SIDE OF LONG BEACH, NOTHING. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. ALRIGHT. AND YOU, YOU DID VIRTUAL. ALL GOOD. ALRIGHT. OKAY, LET'S KEEP GOING. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBER ONE, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE FACILITATE PUBLIC COMMENT. OH, MAYOR, YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY VOTE ON THE CONSENT. WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE CONSENT. OH, YEAH. WE NEED TO VOTE. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE GETTING USED TO THIS NEW SYSTEM HERE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE [ PUBLIC COMMENT: Obtain speaker card from the City Clerk Opportunity to address the City Council (on non-agenda items) is available to the first 10 individuals, combined across in-person and remote participation, who submit a request to speak beginning 15 minutes before the meeting starts. Each speaker is allowed up to three minutes to provide comments. ] FACILITATE. THERE ARE SEVEN SPEAKERS FOR A NON AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT. MARIA RIOS GRAY, CAROLYN ESSEX, FREE PALESTINE, ANTHONY, BRYSON, AND TONY. CAN I GET THOSE IN PERSON SPEAKERS TO LINE UP AT THE LECTERN? MARIA RIOS AND THEN GRAY, AND THEN CAROLYN ESSEX, WHO FIRST MARIA RIOS. YES. PRESENT, PLEASE COME TO THE LECTERN. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. REX RICHARDSON. UH, MAYOR REX RICHARDSON, I ADMIRE YOU BECAUSE YOU DRESSED SO QUICKLY. I SAW YOU WITH A WHITE JACKET, AND THEN I SAW YOU AND I SAID, HOW DID HE DO THAT? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED? I DIDN'T KNOW. I AM SITTING IN FRONT AND I DIDN'T NOTICE THAT. OKAY. TO A SERIOUS NOTE. UM, I AM HERE BECAUSE I HAPPEN TO WITNESS FIRSTHAND ONE OF THE SO-CALLED STREET RACING WHERE KIDS GO AND THEY, UH, LET EACH OTHER KNOW VIA INSTAGRAM OR WHATEVER PLATFORM. AND I HAPPENED TO BE THERE, AND I SAW IT FIRSTHAND, AND IT WAS VERY, VERY SCARY BECAUSE THERE WAS A CAR BURNING AND THERE WERE LIKE THREE, FOUR CARS IN FRONT OF ME, ME. AND IT WAS, IT WAS TERRIBLE. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A, UM, NATION TRAGIC OR SOMETHING BECAUSE CHEVRON GAS STATION IS LIKE 50 YARDS OR SOMETHING. THEN THERE IS UNION 76, ANOTHER 50 YARDS. AND I'M LIKE, WHERE'S THE, WHERE ARE THE COPS? WHAT'S GOING ON? THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS. DON'T THEY HAVE SURVEILLANCE? HAVEN'T THEY STUDY ALL OF THIS? ISN'T THERE SOME RECORD ALREADY? SO I CALLED THE POLICE AND THEY SAID, WHERE ARE YOU, MA'AM? AND I SAID, I'M ON, UH, DEL LAMO AND SANTA FE. AND THEY SAID, NO, YOU'RE NOT. THERE YOU ARE AT DEL LAMO AND WA SANTA FE AND WATERLOW. AND I SAID, I'M SO SCARY. I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM. AND, BUT I'M GLAD YOU KNOW WHERE I AM. SO YES, THERE'S A CAR, THERE'S THREE CARS [01:00:01] IN FRONT OF ME, AND THEN THE ONE RIGHT, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET RACING, SOMEONE PUT IT ON FIRE AND I COULD SEE THE FLAMES. IT WAS VERY PAN, IT WAS TERRIBLE. SO I WENT TO THE POLICE THE OTHER DAY AND THEY SAID, THE BEST THING FOR YOU TO DO IS GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL, TELL THEM WHO DO I GO TO? FIND OUT THE STATUS, WHO WHO'S DOING THE, THE RESEARCH, THE STUDY, THE, WHAT'S THE FOLLOW UP ON THIS? BECAUSE IT'S VERY SERIOUS. THERE'S BEEN TEENAGERS THAT HAVE BEEN KILLED. AND SO I JUST WANNA KNOW, WHO DO I CONTACT WITH IN LONG BEACH? WHO KNOWS HOW THEY'RE CONDUCTING THE SURVEILLANCE AND WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON? CAN THE POLICE ANSWER THAT QUESTION? AND IF NOT RIGHT NOW, MAYBE LATER IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO. AND I HAVE NO CLUE. BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING VERY SERIOUS. VERY SERIOUS. AND IT'S HAPPENING NOT ONLY IN LONG BEACH HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES HERE, BUT I ALSO DID SOME RESEARCH AND IT STARTED HAPPENING BACK EAST NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY. AND THERE'S, SO IT'S NOT JUST HERE, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HAPPENING IN THE COUNTRY. SO I WANNA KNOW WHAT IS LONG BEACH DOING ABOUT IT? AND I BELIEVE WHAT LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE THE ONES WHO ARE SURVEILLING, UH, LEARNING ABOUT IT AND TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW TO STOP THIS TRAGIC THINGS HAPPENING. PLEASE, CAN YOU TELL ME? THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. MONIQUE, YOU GONNA CALL THE NEXT PERSON? IS THIS GRAY? YES, PLEASE PROCEED. UH, FIRST THINGS FIRST, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR US SAY, FREE PALESTINE UNTIL PALESTINE IS FREE. AND ALSO, F**K ICE. GET ICE THE F**K OUT OF OUR CITY. IT'S QUIETER NOW, BUT WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE STILL TAKING OUR F*****G IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS. SO CAN YOU PLEASE F*****G STOP THAT S**T? UH, LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, CANCEL, TRIED TO IMPINGE ON OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT BY CRITICALLY LIMITING PUBLIC COMMENT. AFTER SEVERE PUBLIC BACKLASH, THE COUNCIL LARGELY VOTED AGAINST THAT AGENDA. I'M VERY PROUD OF THE PUBLIC FOR HOLDING THE LINE AND KEEPING THE COUNCIL FROM MAKING A HORRIBLE MISTAKE. THAT BEING SAID, SOME MEMBERS STILL VOTED YES ON INFRINGING OUR FIRST AMENDMENT, INCLUDING THE ONLY TWO BLACK WOMEN ON OUR CITY COUNCIL. VERY DISAPPOINTING LADIES. I'D SAY IT'S IRONIC, BUT YOU GUYS ARE DEMOCRATS, RIGHT? SO SADLY, THAT S**T IS JUST ON BRAND. UH, YOU, YOU'RE HAPPY TO USE YOUR TOKENISM, BUT YOU'RE ALSO HAPPY TO UPHOLD AND PERPETUATE WHITE SUPREMACY. MOVING ON. F**K ANDREW INDUSTRIES. F**K DIVERGENT, F**K FLOCK, F**K. GENERAL DYNAMICS IT F**K LEXUS NEXUS AND F**K CHEVRON. HAVE YOU NOTICED THE PATTERN? AND NO, I DON'T MEAN MY FABULOUS STRINGS OF F-BOMBS JUST NOW. THE PATTERN IS WAR AND WEAPONS MANUFACTURING. THE PATTERN IS MASS SURVEILLANCE STRAIGHT OUT OF THE MOST DISTURBING, DYSTOPIAN FANTASY THAT YOU EVER WATCHED OR READ. AND WHY SHOULD THESE COMPANIES CARE ABOUT MARRYING, MARRYING DARK FANTASY? THEY'RE DOING THIS S**T ON PURPOSE AND WILL, ARE YOU F*****G KIDDING ME? I F*****G HATE PALANTIR AND PETER THEO. BUT AT LEAST THAT S**T IS ACCURATELY NAMED AFTER AN OBJECT OF EVIL. BUT ANDREW INDUSTRIES, PALMER LUCKY, TREY STEVENS, MATT GRAHAM, JOE CHEN, AND BRIAN SCHIFF CAN F**K OFF AND DIE FOR NAMING THEIR DEATH CULT COMPANY AFTER AOR SWORD. ANDREW WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SWORD REFORGED AFTER BEING BROKEN DURING THE BATTLE AGAINST SOUR ON THE DARK LORD, WHO RULES OVER MORDOR AND ATTEMPTS TO CONQUER ALL OF MIDDLE EARTH CIO, WHICH IS THE BROKEN SWORD. AND ANDREW WAS FORGED FROM, BECAME A SYMBOL OF KINSHIP AND WAS PASSED DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS. IT WAS REFORGED BY ELVIN SMITH IN DALE SO THAT ARAGORN COULD USE THIS SWORD TO PROTECT THE ENTIRE REALM. ARAGORN WAS OF THE MORTAL REALM, BUT HE WAS ALSO, UH, AN ANCESTOR OF A HALF ELF, MAKING HIM A MIXED RACE. AND DID HE USE THAT SWORD JUST TO FIGHT FOR THE MORTALS OR THE ELVES? NO, HE PROTECTED EVERYBODY, THE HOBBITS, THE DS, AND THE ELVES AND THE ANTS, WHICH WERE THE TREE PEOPLE AND THE GREAT EAGLES. SO I REALLY TAKE UMBRAGE AS A NERD THAT THESE F*****G PEOPLE HAVE NAMED THIS COMPANY AFTER ERROR GOING SWORD. AND HONESTLY, F**K YOU, REX RICHARDSON FOR BEING THE F*****G CHEERLEADER OF THIS COMPANY. WE KNOW THEY'RE BREAKING GROUND RIGHT NOW. WE DO NOT WANT THAT F*****G COMPANY IN THIS F*****G CITY. WE DON'T WANT THEM F*****G ANYWHERE, BUT AT THE VERY LEAST, WE DON'T WANT THAT F*****G BUILDING BY THE LONG BEACH AIRPORT. SO PLEASE STOP F*****G CHAMPIONING THEM AND PLEASE GET THEM THE F**K OUTTA HERE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY AND THUNDER? AUTONOMOUS HYBRID EV TRY ROTOR AGAIN. ANOTHER F*****G HORRIBLE DEMONIC WEAPON. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO THIS F*****G CITY. SO AGAIN, F**K ICE, F**K ISRAEL FREE PALESTINE AND GET ANDREW INDUSTRIES THE F**K OUT OF THIS CITY. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. CAROLYN ESSEX. AND THEN FREE PALESTINE AND ANTHONY BRYSON, ALL [01:05:02] WOO SAW. UM, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. WELCOME BACK EVERYONE. UH, CAROLYN HASS SIX HERE TONIGHT. I'M STANDING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE ASKED FOR GREATER ATTENTION TO UNSAFE STREETS, UM, SPEEDING AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY THROUGHOUT LONG BEACH. UM, I AM PRETTY MUCH A PUBLIC FIGURE NOW AFTER GETTING OVER 26,000 VOTES IN THE PRIMARY FOR STATE ASSEMBLY. SO IN NORTH PINE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I, I, UM, EXPERIENCE THESE CONCERNS. I'M ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR SENIORS AND OTHER VULNERABLE RESIDENTS WHO MUST NAVIGATE THESE STREETS EVERY DAY. BUT THERE IS ONE, UM, ONE ISSUE I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN TONIGHT, AND THAT'S THE, THE DATA, UM, ASKING CITY STAFF TO PROVIDE RESIDENTS WITH THE MOST CURRENT PEDESTRIAN FATALITY AND SERIOUS INJURY DATA BROKEN DOWN BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, NEIGHBORHOOD CORRIDOR AND INTERSECTION. WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE BEING UNLOVED AND SERIOUSLY INJURED. FOR OUR OWN SAFETY, WE NEED TO KNOW WHICH COMMUNITIES ARE EXPERIENCING THE GREATEST CONCENTRATION OF HARM, WHICH STREETS AND INTERSECTION INTERSECTIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED AS HIGH RISK, UH, AND, AND WHAT SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED. AND WHETHER THOSE IMPROVEMENTS ARE CURRENTLY FUNDED. I AM ASKING EVERY MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO PLEASE TAKE THE DISTRIBUTION OF THIS INFORMATION SERIOUSLY, PLEASE GET THIS INFORMATION DIRECTLY INTO THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THESE IDENTIFIED, UH, CORRIDORS AND NEIGHBORHOODS. RESIDENTS SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE POLICY ANALYSTS OR SEARCH THROUGH MULTIPLE CITY REPORTS AND DATABASES TO DISCOVER THE STREET THEY WALK ACROSS EVERY DAY HAS ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED AS DANGEROUS. GIVE PEOPLE INFORMATION, GIVE THEM A PATHWAY TO, TO PARTICIPATE AND GIVE THE RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG THESE CORRIDORS OF CONCERN, MORE PEACE OF MIND BY LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT IS BEING DONE TO KEEP THEM SAFE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW WHERE RESIDENTS CAN FOLLOW THIS WORK PUBLICLY. OKAY. WHAT COMMISSIONS COMMITTEE HEARING OR COMMUNITY PROCESS? SO PLEASE, I'M ASKING, UM, THAT, UH, I BE DIRECTED TOWARDS A STAFF MEMBER TODAY SO THAT I CAN, UM, ANSWER PEOPLE THAT ARE ASKING ME ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. I'VE ASKED PEOPLE TO COME DOWN HERE, THEY'RE AT WORK, AND I SAID, WELL, I'M HERE PRETTY MUCH EVERY WEEK, SO I WILL ASK FOR YOU BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT AS WELL. SO IF SOMEONE COULD PLEASE POINT ME TO THE STAFF PERSON THAT CAN HELP ME GET THE INFORMATION FOR THE CONSTITUENTS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I WOULD BE MORE THAN GLAD TO DO THAT. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS FREE PALESTINE, AND THEN ANTHONY BRYSON. I F*****G LOVE MY FIRST AMENDMENT. GOOD EVENING, WHITE SUPREMACISTS. SINCE OUR LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING, ICE HAS KILLED THREE MORE INDIVIDUALS. ISRAEL IS BUILDING A CONCENTRATION CAMP IN GAZA. WHILE THE GENOCIDE OF PALESTINIANS CONTINUES, A ROCKET MOTOR EXPLODED DURING A TEST FIRING AT THE ANDEL FACILITY IN MCHENRY, MISSISSIPPI TO THE GOOD PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH. DO YOU SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING? AMERICA HAS ALREADY BECOME A FASCIST COUNTRY. TAKE A LOOK AROUND YOU. ICE IS MURDERING CITIZENS AND IMMIGRANTS. THE POLICE IS MURDERING OUR LOVED ONES AND NEIGHBORS HERE IN LONG BEACH AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. HOMELESSNESS IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH AND NO ONE CAN AFFORD TO PAY THEIR RENT, GROCERIES, GAS, AND THE LIST CONTINUES. SOME MIGHT ARGUE THAT AMERICA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FASCIST COUNTRY, BY THE WAY. IT HAS TREATED ITS BLACK PEOPLE BY ENSLAVING, RAPING, SEGREGATING, MURDERING, AND INCARCERATING THEM. I TEND TO AGREE WITH THIS ARGUMENT. GEORGE WASHINGTON AND THOMAS JEFFERSON WOULD BE CONSIDERED FASCIST BY TODAY'S STANDARDS TO NAME A FEW OF OUR MOST BELOVED FOREFATHERS. OF COURSE, NONE OF THESE WHITE SUPREMACISTS ARE LOOKING AT ME. THE CONSTITUENT, OUR DISHONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY MANAGER, TOM MOCA, CONTINUE TO EXTEND CONTRACTS TO COMPANIES THAT HOLD CONTRACTS WITH DHS AND ICE. I WILL REPEAT SOME OF THE NAMES OF THESE COMPANIES FOR YOU ALL. LEXISNEXIS, GENERAL DYNAMICS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CDW, GOVERNMENT AND GOV, INC. CONNECTION. WHY DOES THE CITY OF LONG BEACH INSIST ON EXTENDING CONTRACTS WITH BAD FAITH ACTORS THAT ASSIST DHS AND ICE IN THE KILLINGS AND KIDNAPPINGS OF OUR CITIZENS AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY? WHY IS THE CITY OF LONG BEACH ALLOWING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION COMPANIES SUCH AS ANDEL TO BE BUILT IN OUR BACKYARD BY THE AIRPORT? [01:10:01] SPECIFICALLY? LOOK AT, LOOK WHAT HAPPENED IN GARDEN GROVE A FEW MONTHS AGO. 50,000 PEOPLE WERE EVACUATED DUE TO THE CHEMICAL SPILL AND STILL HAVE YET TO RECOVER FROM THE LOSS WHILE SURVEILLANCE COMPANIES KEEP TABS ON US ICE CONNECT CONCENTRATION CAMPS CONTINUE BEING BUILT WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTIONS LITERALLY IN OUR BACKYARD AND COUNTRY. IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT LONG BEACH MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE CITY MANAGER TOM MOCA ARE AIDING IN THE FASCIST STATE THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY IN, IN THIS COUNTRY. OUR EARTH IS HEATING UP, OUR FOOD AND WATER SUPPLY ARE BEING POISONED. COST OF LIVING AND HEALTHCARE AS UNAFFORDABLE EDUCATION DEFUNDED WAKE UP PEOPLE. THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL US WITH OUR OWN TAX DOLLARS. GAZA IS THE BLUEPRINT. ACT ACCORDINGLY. FREE PALESTINE, SUDAN, CONGO, LEBANON, SYRIA, IRAN, YEMEN, AND ALL WHO ARE OPPRESSED BY OUR WHITE HANDLERS PROTECT BLACK WORKERS. F**K ICE, F**K ISRAEL, F**K ALL OF YOU, AND ESPECIALLY YOU REX AND TOM MOCA FREE PALESTINE. GO F**K YOURSELVES. OH YEAH. NEXT SPEAKER IS ANTHONY BRYSON. AND THEN WE HAVE TONY AND ELLIE ROSE. UH, GOOD EVENING, COUNCILMEN AND WOMEN. UH, I AM GONNA COME BACK UP FOR ITEM NUMBER 32 TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE MY, UH, CONCESSION SPEECH. BUT I DO WANT TO THANK ALL THOSE, UH, COUNCILMEN AND WOMEN WHO DID A PHENOMENAL JOB IN THEIR ELECTION, WON IN THE LANDSLIDE. OF COURSE, MARY, YOU, YOU DID WIN, BUT YOU DIDN'T WIN IN THE LANDSLIDE. AND I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT TODAY. UM, THREE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED BY ICE IN OUR CITY IN THE LAST WEEK. ONE OF THEM WAS IN OUR DISTRICT, DISTRICT ONE. WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THAT? ALSO, WE'VE EXPERIENCED A SHOOTING ON CEDAR AND ANAHEIM DID THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD I LIVE IN, AND I HA I HAVE YET TO HEAR YOU REASSURE US RESIDENTS THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON SAFETY PLANS, YOU'RE WORKING ON INITIATIVES TO KEEP US SAFE IN THIS CITY. AS I CONTINUE TO BE A RESIDENT IN THIS CITY, I'M NOT GONNA BE IN OPPOSITION AGAINST JUST MARY'S AND DEHA, BUT I'M GONNA BE A OPPOSITION AGAINST ANY LACK OF LIBERATION FOR ANY RESIDENT IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. RENTS WILL CONTINUE TO RISE EIGHT BY 8% EACH YEAR UNTIL YOU ACT AS A BODY TO DO SOMETHING. I BROUGHT PROGRESSIVE PLATFORMS THAT I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR AS AN ACTIVIST IN THIS CITY BECAUSE THE CITY DESERVES IT. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM THE CITY AND TO LEARN FROM EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. THE CITY SHOWED US. I CAME IN LAST CANDIDATE VERY LAST AND STILL, YOU KNOW, ALMOST FORCED YOU TO RUN OFF BY 22 VOTES. THERE'S ABOUT 22 PEOPLE IN HERE RIGHT NOW, SO THAT'S NOT MUCH. SO AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, I WOULD'VE LOVED TO SEE YOU SAY, THIS IS WHY DEMOCRACY MATTERS. YOU SEE, THIS IS WHY EVERY VOTE MATTERS. THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE NEED IN OUR CITY IS LEADERSHIP THAT THEY CAN LOOK TOWARDS TO ENCOURAGE THEM FOR CHANGE LEADERSHIP THAT'S ABOUT THE CHANGE AND THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THEIR COMMUNITY, THEIR RESIDENTS, NOT ABOUT THEIR CLOUT, THEIR PATHWAY TO ANY OTHER SEAT, BUT THE SEAT THAT THEY'RE ON. I'M TELLING YOU NOW, YOUR POLITICAL CAREER IS OVER. YOU'VE TAKEN MONEY FROM LOS ANGELES SHERIFFS AND FROM LBPD, THESE ARE THE SAME ENTITIES WORKING TO KIDNAP PEOPLE WITH ICE. AND YOU ARE NOT DOING A SERVICE TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH OR TO THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, WHICH YOU REPRESENT. SHAME ON YOU MARRIES ZENDEJAS. DEJAS. THANK YOU. AND I'LL BE BACK. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS TONY AND ZOOM. WE HAVE TONY ON ZOOM. YOU ARE NOW UNMUTED YOUR TIME STARTS NOW. ALL HI. THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. I APPRECIATE HAVING THIS OPTION OF ZOOM. NOW, UH, SIMILARLY LIKE LA COUNTY DOES FOR THEIR COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, UH, I'M A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT SEVEN. UH, TWO ITEMS I WANT TO UH, KIND OF DISCUSS. UH, ONE IS ABOUT, UH, THE MONEY THAT WE'RE PUTTING FOR POLICE PATROLS. UM, WE SPEND ALL THIS MONEY FOR THE POLICE. HOWEVER, UH, WE'RE HAVING, UH, CATALYTIC CONVERTERS HAVING AN UPTICK IN, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE STEALING THEM. UH, I WOULD APPRECIATE IF WE HAD POLICE ENFORCEMENT ON THE ACTUAL NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, UH, DURING THEIR OVERNIGHT HOURS TO PREVENT THAT. UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, I'M IN THE, THE WRIGLEY AREA BETWEEN HOURS OF TWO TO SEVEN IN THE MORNING AS WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF CATALYTIC CONVERTERS STOLE. UH, THE SECOND ITEM THAT I WANTED TO TOUCH UPON, UH, AND I'M GLAD CAROLYN KIND OF BROUGHT UP, IS, UH, [01:15:01] THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. UH, IT'S KIND OF DISAPPOINTED. I SENT MULTIPLE EMAILS AND CALLS, UH, REGARDING DIFFERENT ELEMENTS AS I MYSELF, UH, AM A SENIOR CIVIL ENGINEERING ASSISTANT, UH, FOR TRAFFIC, UH, ENGINEERING FOR THE COUNTY. AND THERE'S NO WAY TO GET FOLLOW UP ON ITEMS WHEN WE DO SUBMIT, UH, FOR DIFFERENT ISSUES. UM, I'M STILL WAITING ON RESPONSES FROM STUFF THAT I'VE CALLED AND EMAILED PRIOR AND STILL NO FOLLOW UP MONTHS LATER. UH, SOPHIE CAN PLEASE WORK ON THAT. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT, UH, BETWEEN SOME OF THE SIGNAGE ISSUES I'M SEEING ON OUR ROADWAY SIGNAL ISSUES, AND THEN, UH, FOR A DRIVEWAY APPLICATION TO PREVENT PEOPLE PARKING AND BLOCKING DRIVEWAYS. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT EVENING. THANK YOU. OUR LAST SPEAKER IS ELLIE ROSE. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. UM, IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK. I'M NOT GONNA BE SAYING ANYTHING THAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD BEFORE, BUT WE'VE, UH, COME BACK FROM A RECESS. WE'RE IN A, A NEW YEAR AND WE'RE STILL SEEING, UM, ISSUES WITH, UH, WITH OUR COMMUNITY. SO JUST GOTTA KEEP BRINGING THEM UP. UM, FIRST OF ALL, UM, LOVE TO SEE THE ETHICAL INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY PASSED, UH, THAT THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION RECOMMENDED OVER NINE MONTHS AGO. NOW, UH, THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW THAT OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE NOT BEING INVESTED IN COMPANIES WHICH ARE COMPLICIT IN WAR CRIMES ABROAD, ESPECIALLY WITH AMERICAN COMPANIES CONTINUING TO SUPPLY ARMS TO THE ISRAELI MILITARY WHILE THEY COMMIT GENOCIDE AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, AS I SAID, MADE THIS RECOMMENDATION, UH, NEARLY NINE MONTHS AGO. UH, THE CREATION OF THIS COMMISSION WAS MORE OR LESS THE ONLY TANGIBLE CHANGE MADE BY THE CITY IN THE WAKE OF GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER IN 2020 AND THE PROTEST THAT FOLLOWED. UM, WE CERTAINLY DIDN'T REDUCE THE BUDGET FOR THE LBPD AND IT'S DISHEARTENING TO SEE THAT THE COUNCIL SEEMS TO NOT TAKE INTEREST IN FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE OF THIS COMMISSION WHOSE GOAL IS TO COMMIT TO HUMAN RIGHTS FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. UH, SPEAKING OF COMPANIES THAT ARE COMPLICIT IN WAR CRIMES, UH, ANDEL IS STILL PLANNING ON OPENING A FACILITY IN LONG BEACH. AS MY COMRADES HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED. UH, THIS COMPANY CREATES AUTONOMOUS WEAPONS SYSTEMS THAT RAISE SERIOUS ETHICAL CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY AS WE SEE THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH US MILITARY EQUIPMENT IS BEING SOLD BACK TO LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE LBPD AND USED AGAINST OUR OWN PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IMMIGRANTS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN COLLABORATION WITH ICE. UH, WE SAW THE CONSEQUENCES, UH, RECENTLY IN GARDEN GROVE OF WELCOMING DEFENSE CONTRACTORS INTO OUR CITIES. UM, THERE'S CURRENTLY NO PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THIS PROJECT ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, AND THERE'S BEEN NO PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT ON WHETHER OR NOT THIS PROJECT IS SOMETHING WE WANT. THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH OVERWHELMINGLY DON'T WANT THIS FACILITY TO BE BUILT. WE DEMAND TRANSPARENCY, A THOROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, AND A PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD SPECIFICALLY ON THIS PROJECT. UH, LASTLY, WE'D LOVE TO SEE THE CITY CLOSE THE SUBSTANTIAL REMODEL LOOPHOLE FOR EVICTIONS. UM, AS HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR CLOSE TO TWO YEARS NOW, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS A DUTY TO PROTECT THE RENTERS THAT MAKE UP OVER 60% OF THE CITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU, MONIQUE. UH, ITEM 30, PLEASE [30. 26-55608 Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, and adopt resolution amending the Master Fee and Charges Schedule to add a rental fee for the newly acquired mobile screen to be utilized for citywide activations. (Citywide)       Office or Department: City Manager         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] REPORT FROM CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION INTO THE RECORD. CON CONCLUDED THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE MASTER FEE AND CHARGES SCHEDULE TO ADD A RENTAL FEE FOR THE NEWLY ACQUIRED MOBILE SCREEN TO BE UTILIZED FOR CITYWIDE ACTIVITIES AND ACTIVATIONS CITYWIDE. ALL RIGHT, THERE'S NO OATH REQUIRED. WE'LL GO RIGHT INTO THE HEARING. UH, CITY STAFF, YES, I WILL HANDLE THIS ONE ON BEHALF OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. SO, BRIEF OVERVIEW. ON JANUARY 13TH, 26, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF A MOBILE TRAILER, LED SCREEN. THE SCREEN WAS ACQUIRED TO ENHANCE EMERGENCY RESPONSE CITYWIDE ACTIVATIONS, COMMUNITY GATHERINGS, AND REGIONAL EVENTS. MOST RECENTLY, YOU SAW THE CITY DEPLOY THE MOBILE TRAILER LED SCREEN ACROSS THE CITY TO SUPPORT SOCCER AND THE LBC. SINCE ACQUISITIONS STAFF HAVE RECEIVED INQUIRIES FROM OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES REGARDING THE FEASIBILITY OF RENTING THIS ASSET. UH, THIS ITEM HERE TONIGHT ESTABLISHES [01:20:01] A FEE STRUCTURE TO ALLOW FOR FUTURE RENTAL OPPORTUNITIES AND REVENUE GENERATION. THE PROPOSED FEE WILL RECOVER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSPORT, TECHNICAL SETUP, OPERATIONAL STAFFING, AND LONG-TERM ASSET MAINTENANCE, ENSURING THE SCREEN REMAINS SELF-SUSTAINING WHILE REMAINING AVAILABLE FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND COMMUNITY COMMUNITY UTILIZATION HERE IN LONG BEACH. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THERE IS NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. ALRIGHT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FROM THE COUNCIL? OKAY, IF NOT MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE MARY. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, AND THAT SCREEN WAS A HIT FOR THE WORLD CUP FINAL. WE GOTTA GIVE THIS OUT INTO THE MOVIES IN THE PARK. NOT SAYING THAT WE DON'T LIKE THE BLOW UP, WE APPRECIATE THE BLOW UP, BUT IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE WITH THE SCREEN. SO AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE KIDS, WE NEED THE SCREEN IN THE MOVIES IN THE PARK. THANKS A LOT. ITEM 31, PLEASE. [31. 26-55653 Recommendation to request City Manager, in coordination with the City Attorney, Health and Human Services Department, Public Works Department, and any other appropriate City department, within 30 days, to: Draft a letter expressing the City of Long Beach’s support for the City of Los Angeles’ request for the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board to issue a Cleanup and Abatement Order related to toxic runoff from the Lineage Warehouse fire in Boyle Heights; Formally request that any Cleanup and Abatement Order, remediation plan, environmental monitoring program, or related regulatory action include downstream impacts to Long Beach, including the Los Angeles River Estuary, Long Beach coastal waters, and the Dominguez Gap Wetlands; Request City Manager, within 30 days, to send a letter to California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Environmental Protection Agency, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles, and any other appropriate agencies requesting improved and standardized notification and coordination protocols for fire runoff, industrial runoff, hazardous materials releases, chemical spills, and any other incidents where pollutants or potentially hazardous materials enter storm drains, channels, rivers, wetlands, estuaries, bays, or coastal waters; and Request City Manager to provide an update to the City Council within 90 days on agency responses and any available after-action reports, findings, or related information.       Office or Department: Kristina Duggan, Councilmember, Third District; Cindy Allen, Councilwoman, Second District; Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, Councilwoman, Eighth District         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN, COUNCILMAN THRESH ENUK RECOMMENDATION TO WITHIN 30 DAYS DRAFT A LETTER EXPRESSING THE CITY OF LONG BEACH'S SUPPORT FOR THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. REQUEST FOR THE LOS ANGELES REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD TO ISSUE A CLEANUP AND ABATEMENT ORDER RELATED TO TOXIC RUNOFF FROM THE LINEAGE WAREHOUSE, FIRE AND BOYLE HEIGHTS. ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, WELL THIS, I I WANNA START BY RECOGNIZING THE IMPACTS THAT THIS BOYLE HEIGHTS, UM, LINEAGE WAREHOUSE FIRE HAS HAD ON THE BOYLE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY. WE RECOGNIZE THE SCALE OF THE EMERGENCY AND THE DIFFICULT WORK PERFORMED BY FIREFIGHTERS, EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, AND PUBLIC AGENCIES. AT THE SAME TIME, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE IMPACTS OF THIS FIRE DO NOT STOP AT THE LOS ANGELES CITY BOUNDARY. MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF FIREFIGHTING RUNOFF ENTERED STORM DRAIN CHANNELS AND THE LOS ANGELES RIVER SYSTEM, WHICH ULTIMATELY FLOWS INTO LONG BEACH. I'M BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD BECAUSE PROTECTING LONG BEACH'S WATER QUALITY AND THE WATER QUALITY OF THE ENTIRE REGION REQUIRES STRONGER REGIONAL COORDINATION, MORE TIMELY INFORMATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY WHEN A MAJOR INCIDENT SENDS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS RUNOFF INTO OUR SHARED WATERWAYS. ON JUNE 17, THE LINEAGE WAREHOUSE FIRE STARTED JUNE 20. THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES DECLARED A LOCAL EMERGENCY STATING THAT THIS WAS NOT A TYPICAL FIRE BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF SOLAR PANELS, REFRIGERATION, INSULATION, HAZARDOUS MATERIAL, AND APPROXIMATELY 85 MILLION POUNDS OF DECAYING FOOD, THE DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGED THAT TRADITIONAL FIREFIGHTING METHODS WOULD NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO ADDRESS THIS INCIDENT. ON JUNE 22, DEAD FISH WERE REPORTED IN THE LOS ANGELES RIVER AND THE DOMINGUEZ GAP WETLANDS AND THE FIREFIGHTING RUNOFF WAS SUSPECTED TO BE THE CAUSE. ON JUNE 24, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH DE DETECTED ELEVATED BACTERIA LEVELS LIKELY ASSOCIATED WITH RUNOFF FROM THE DECAYING FOOD AND ISSUED A WATER QUALITY ADVISORY. THEN ON JUNE 25TH, EIGHT DAYS AFTER THE FIRE STARTED, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH RECEIVED ITS FIRST NOTIFICATION THAT THE FIRE RELATED RUNOFF MAY AFFECT OUR WATER QUALITY. DURING THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS AFTER THE FIRE STARTED, PEOPLE WERE FISHING, BOATING, AND JET SKIING. AND THE LONG LOS ANGELES RIVER ESTUARY FAMILIES WERE ALSO SWIMMING IN OUR COASTAL WATERS. WITHOUT KNOWING THAT RUNOFF FROM A MAJOR INDUSTRIAL FIRE MAY HAVE AFFECTED WATER QUALITY, THAT JUST ISN'T ACCEPTABLE. IT'S NOW BEEN MORE THAN A MONTH SINCE THE FIRE STARTED AND OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT JUST TODAY RECEIVED TESTING RESULTS BACK FROM THE COUNTY. NOW, THIS ISN'T ABOUT ASSIGNING BLAME OR CRITICIZING ANY AGENCY. FROM EVERYTHING I'VE LEARNED, THE RESPONDING AGENCIES ACTUALLY FOLLOWED THE EXISTING REGULATIONS. I UNDERSTAND THAT FIREFIGHTING RUNOFF IS EX, IT'S GENERALLY EXEMPT FROM MUNICIPAL STORMWATER PERMIT REQUIREMENTS. FIREFIGHTERS MUST BE ABLE TO ACT QUICKLY TO PRO PROTECT LIVES, AND PROPERTY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAN'T BE DELAYED BY PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS. HOWEVER, THIS INCIDENT HIGHLIGHTS AN IMPORTANT GAP. UNLIKE SEWAGE SPILLS, OIL SPILLS, OR EVEN RAINWATER EVENTS, THERE'S NO CLEAR PROTOCOL REQUIRING DOWNSTREAM COMMUNITIES TO BE NOTIFIED WHEN FIREFIGHTING RUNOFF FROM A MAJOR INDUSTRIAL INCIDENT MAY AFFECT OUR PUBLIC WATERWAYS. I'VE ALSO HEARD THAT INCIDENTS LIKE [01:25:01] THIS ARE RARE, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL OF THESE SIGNIFICANT TYPE OF EVENTS ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA OVER THE PAST YEAR. SO WHETHER THESE EVENTS INCIDENTS ARE COMMON OR RARE, IT'S NOT REALLY THE POINT WHEN ANY SIGNIFICANT, ANY EVENT THAT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTS OUR WATER QUALITY AND PUTS THE PUBLIC AT RISK, IT SHOULD TRIGGER NOTIFICATION, PROTOCOL MONITORING AND COORDINATION. LONG BEACH NEEDS TIMELY NOTIFICATION. WHENEVER THERE IS REASONABLE, THERE'S A REASONABLE POSSIBILITY THAT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS OR SIGNIFICANCE POLLUTION MAY ENTER WATERWAYS FLOWING TOWARDS OUR CITY. THIS ITEM ASKS THE CITY TO SEND A LETTER TO THE APPROPRIATE AGENCY'S REQUESTING IMPROVED EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION AND COORDINATION PROTOCOLS TO PROTECT OUR DOWNSTREAM COMMUNITIES. THIS ITEM ALSO REQUESTS THAT THE CITY SUPPORT MAYOR KAREN BASS'S REQUEST FOR THE LOS ANGELES REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD TO ISSUE A CLEANUP AND ABATEMENT ORDER RELATED TO THE LINEAGE FIRE. IF A CLEANUP AND ABATEMENT ORDER IS ISSUED, IT MUST INCLUDE LONG BEACH. ANY REMEDIATION PLAN, ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM, OR REGULATORY ACTION SHOULD EVALUATE THE ENTIRE DOWNSTREAM SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE LOS ANGELES RIVER ESTUARY, THE DOMINGUEZ GAP WETLANDS, AND THE LONG AND LONG BEACH'S COASTAL WATERS. POLLUTION DOESN'T STOP AT JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES AND NEITHER SHOULD THE REGULATORY RESPONSE LONG BEACH SERVES AS SOUTHEAST LOS ANGELES'S BEACHFRONT FAMILIES FROM FROM THROUGHOUT THE REGION RELY ON OUR BEACHES, BAYS, WETLANDS, AND THE ESTUARY FOR RECREATION AND ACCESS TO THE COAST. WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THAT ACCESS AND TO MAKE CERTAIN OUR PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS HAVE THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ROWLAND. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO COUNCILMAN DUGGAN FOR ASKING ME TO SIGN ON TO THIS IMPORTANT ITEM AND FOR BRINGING THE ATTENTION TO THE DOWNSTREAM IMPACTS OF THE LINEAGE WAREHOUSE FIRE. WHAT HAPPENS UPSTREAM PLAYS A HUGE PART IN THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR BEACHES, WETLANDS, AND COASTAL WATERS RIGHT HERE IN LONG BEACH. AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT LONG BEACH IS INCLUDED IN EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION OF ABOUT TESTING, CLEANUP, REMEDIATION, AND ACCOUNTABILITY WITH, UH, POLLUTION THAT ENTERS INTO THE LOS ANGELES RIVER SYSTEM. WE NEED OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS AND NEIGHBORS AGENCIES TO PROVIDE TIMELY NOTIFICATION AND COORDINATE WITH US SO THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE INFORMED AND OUR PUBLIC HEALTH TEAMS CAN ACT QUICKLY. IS ALSO PART OF A LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT REGIONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENSURING THAT LONG BEACH IS NOT LEFT TO BEAR THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND FINANCIAL IMPACTS OF POLLUTION ORIGINATING OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY. BECAUSE PROTECTING OUR COASTLINE CANNOT FALL ON LONG BEACH ALONE. THIS IS A SHARED REGIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FROM THE SOURCE OF THE POLLUTION ALL THE WAY TO ULTIMATELY WHERE IT ENDS UP. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. MEMBERS PLEASE CASH YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALL RIGHT. 32. [32. 26-55647 Recommendation to adopt resolution declaring the official results of the City of Long Beach Primary Nominating Election held on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.       Office or Department: City Clerk         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] PLEASE REPORT FROM CITY CLERK RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH PRIMARY NOMINATING ELECTION HELD ON TUESDAY, JUNE 2ND, 2026. ALRIGHT, MADAM CLERK, THERE'S NO OFFICIAL STAFF REPORT. JUST CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE CANDIDATES WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PRIMARY NOMINATING ELECTION. 26 CANDIDATES RAN FOR LONG BEACH OFFICES AND FIVE FOR L-B-U-S-D. RUNNING FOR OFFICE IS NO EASY FEAT. I WANNA EXTEND MY CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED. END OF REPORT. ALRIGHT, SO I, I'LL, UH, CONCUR WITH THAT. CONGRATULATIONS TO AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE CIVIC PROCESS, UH, THIS ELECTION CYCLE. UH, THERE WILL BE NO GENERAL ELECTION WHICH PRODUCES SOME SAVINGS. WE DON'T HAVE TO FACILITATE AN ELECTION THIS NOVEMBER. UH, AND THAT GIVES US SOME OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS UPCOMING BUDGET. SO, UH, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU. AND, UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. OH, ACTUALLY I HAVE, IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR, ANYTHING, COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW, ANYTHING? YEAH, I TOO WANNA ADD MY CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ELECTED AND REELECTED. I ALSO WANNA ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE TO RUN, UH, WHETHER YOU'RE A NEW [01:30:01] CANDIDATE, UH, YOU KNOW, RUNNING FOR REELECTION, IT TAKES A LOT OF, UH, ENERGY AS WELL AS, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, RESOURCE AS WELL. SO WANNA COMMEND ALL THE VOTERS FOR MAKING SURE TO EXERCISE THERE. UH, CIVIC DUTY. UH, I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT MORE THAN EVER THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO SO. SO THANK YOU. THANKS FOR THOSE COMMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN? YES, I JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO MAYOR RICKS RICHARDSON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS IN DEJAS AND MEGAN KERR AND JONI RICKS OTI ON, UM, WINNING YOUR ELECTION. THAT'S AN INTERRUPTION TO THE COUNCIL MEETING. CONGRATULATIONS. AND, UM, I KNOW THAT EACH OF YOU, UM, HAVE SHOWN A STRONG COMMITMENT TO LONG BEACH AND TO THE RESIDENTS, AND I HAVE TO SAY IT'S ABSOLUTELY AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO WORK BESIDE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. AND SO CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. AND I ALSO WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THOSE THAT THAT RAN, UM, AND THOSE, UM, THAT, UH, SHOWED UP TO VOTE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING AND CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE. THANK YOU. UH, WE'LL NOW GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THERE'S THREE SPEAKERS, ANTHONY, BRYSON, FREE PALESTINE AND X. IF YOU CAN LINE UP AT THE LECTERN, ANTHONY BRYSON, FREE PALESTINE, AND THEN X. HELLO AGAIN, COUNSEL. UM, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. SORROW. IT DOES TAKE COURAGE TO RUN FOR OFFICE, ESPECIALLY AGAINST THE ESTABLISHMENT LIKE I DID. I TOOK THE FIGHT FOR WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY MATTER IN DISTRICT ONE, ONE OF THE MOST COVENANT DISTRICTS IN OUR CITY. AND THE CITY SHOWED US THAT THEY WEREN'T READY FOR AN ACTIVIST. IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE'RE CELEBRATING A GENERAL ELECTION BEING CANCELED WHEN THIS MEANS SO MANY RESIDENTS WILL NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN CIVIL ENGAGEMENT. WHAT A RUNOFF WOULD'VE DONE WAS, WOULD HAVE FORCED THE FIRST GENERAL ELECTION IN DISTRICT ONE IN 12 YEARS. THIS MEANS MORE RESIDENTS WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN CIVIL ENGAGEMENT AND BETTERING THE CITY. WE SHOULD NOT BE HAPPY WHEN WE'RE SAVING FUNDS BY MINIMIZING THE VOICES OF RESIDENTS IN THIS CITY. I AM SO GLAD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, AND I DO CONCEDE I LOST THE RACE, BUT I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT UNTIL LIBERATION IS WON IN THIS CITY. THERE IS SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU SIT ON A PANEL WITH WONDERFUL RESUMES, INCLUDING PEOPLE LIKE YOU, CINDY ALLEN, WHO SHOT AN UNARMED BLACK MAN WHILE YOU WERE A POLICE OFFICER. I SEE THAT THE TRUENESS OF THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS DURING THIS ELECTION CYCLE AND WHAT THEY HAVE TO OFFER. IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT STATUS QUO IS THE DIRECTION AS THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO GO IN. I WANT TO SEE GROWTH. I WANT TO SEE DEVELOPMENT FROM OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I WANT TO KNOW THAT CONSTITUENTS ARE BEING HEARD, NOT COUNCIL MEMBERS LOOKING AT THEIR DEVICES. WHEN RESIDENTS ARE UP HERE TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT MAY SEEM MUNDANE TO YOU BUT ARE MONUMENTAL FOR THE RESIDENT. YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WANTED THIS JOB, NOBODY GAVE IT TO YOU. WHEN I WAS OUT THERE DOOR KNOCKING AND KNOCKING, UH, AND MEETING RESIDENTS, THAT'S WHAT I WAS HEARING IS THAT LEVEL OF DISCONNECT BETWEEN COUNCIL AND RESIDENTS. WE SAW IN DISTRICT THREE, IN DISTRICT FIVE, IN DISTRICT SEVEN, IN DISTRICT NINE, WE SAW VOTER TURNOUT WAS PHENOMENAL BECAUSE THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ENGAGING WITH THEIR RESIDENTS. WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DISTRICT ONE? NO ONE SEES YOU. NO ONE HEARS YOU. WE NEED OUR VOICE TO BE AMPLIFIED. WE NEED YOU TO REPRESENT US SINCE YOU'RE THE ONE IN THE JOB AND F**K WHAT A TERRIBLE CONCESSION SPEECH. BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW, I'M STILL GONNA BE OUT HERE FIGHTING. I LOVE LONG BEACH, AND LONG BEACH DESERVES SO MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT WE'VE GIVEN IN IT. WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR VOTING SYSTEM, MAYBE RANK CHOICE VOTING OR SOMETHING THAT GUARANTEES AN OPTION SO THAT WE DO HAVE A GENERAL ELECTION AND SO THAT RESIDENTS VOICES ARE BEING HEARD. THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT F*****G NIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER, FREE PALESTINE. HELLO AGAIN. WHITE SUPREMACISTS. AND I JUST WANNA EXPRESS THE FACT THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE WHITE TO BE A WHITE SUPREMACIST. I WANNA THANK ANTHONY BRYSON FOR RUNNING IN DISTRICT ONE, A COMMUNITY LEADER, AN ACTIVIST AND HUMANITARIAN, AND HAS DONE A LOT FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WHICH I CANNOT SAY YOU ALL HAVE DONE. YOU'RE DESPICABLE, YOU DISCUSS THIS ALL, AND YOU'RE NOT DOING YOUR JOB. I'M ACTUALLY PRETTY DISAPPOINTED IN THE OUTCOME OF THIS ELECTION. UM, UNFORTUNATELY, MARY ZENDEJAS, [01:35:01] WHO HAS TAKEN MONEY FROM THE LAPD AND LBPD, SHAME ON YOU, MARY. YEAH, YOU'RE SMILING AND I WANNA SAY WHOEVER'S TAKING THE, UM, THE VIDEO OF CITY COUNCIL LIVE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT MY FACE ON THERE. PEOPLE CAN HEAR ME. I SAW WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING. I DON'T CARE FOR IT. PEOPLE CAN HEAR MY VOICE. PEOPLE CAN HEAR OUR VOICE, OKAY? SO, UH, WE JUST WANT OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DO RIGHT BY US. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE OUTCOME. UH, REX IS NOT EVEN LOOKING. HE, NONE OF YOU. LOOK AT THE RESIDENTS THAT COME AND MAYBE PERHAPS GIVE YOU IDEAS OF HOW TO BE BETTER, UH, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL OR A MAYOR OR TOM MALIKA, WHO YOU KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING AS A WHITE SUPREMACIST. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT YOU DO. UM, THIS IS JUST AS THE REALITY HERE IN LONG BEACH, UNFORTUNATELY. AND WE'RE NOT AFRAID OF YOU. WE'RE NOT AFRAID OF YOU BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS ON OUR SIDE. THE TRUTH IS ON OUR SIDE. ANTHONY BRYSON IS STILL HERE AND HE'S GOING TO FIGHT FOR US. AND HOPEFULLY, MARY ZENDEJAS, WHEN YOU DO RETIRE, YOU CAN REFLECT ON YOUR HORRIBLE CAREER AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. GO F**K YOURSELF. WOO. AMEN. LAST SPEAKER IS X UM, DEMOCRACY. WHAT A, WHAT A CONCEPT, RIGHT? I MEAN, UM, THE RULE OF THE PEOPLE. I I LOVE THE OLD CITY HALL BECAUSE WE GOT TO SIT ABOVE YOU GUYS AS OPPOSED TO YOU SITTING ABOVE US BECAUSE THAT REFLECTED THE ACTUAL MEANING OF THE WORD DEMOCRACY. UM, WE DON'T HAVE THAT ANYMORE. YOU KNOW, WE USED TO BE IN A CITY HALL CHAMBERS WHERE IF THE DRAPES WERE OPEN, PEOPLE IN THE PLAZA COULD LOOK DOWN ON THE PUBLIC SERVANTS AS OPPOSED TO THE PUBLIC SERVANTS LOOKING DOWN ON US. IT WAS REAL EASY BACK THEN FOR ME TO SIT THERE ON THE STANDS AND VIDEOTAPE YOU GUYS, UH, YOU KNOW, CHATTING AWAY ON YOUR PHONES LIKE THIS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, DOING OTHER STUFF AND CHIT-CHATTING AND, AND LAUGHING AND SMIRKING AT THE REST OF IT. SO IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT NOW, AND I COULD SEE WHY, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS, UM, OR MANY OF YOU, UH, WENT AHEAD AND CHANGED, UM, YOU KNOW, CREATED THIS, THIS CITY HALL THAT WE DON'T OWN. UM, THE PRIVATE COMPANY OWNS IT ANYWAY, CONGRATULATING MARY'S AND THEY IS LIKE, THAT'S GOT GOTTA BE THE FUNNIEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD. I MEAN, AS, AS IF MARY HAD WON THE ELECTION. I MEAN, MARY, I, I, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO KNOW YOU AND YOU'RE A NICE WOMAN AND WHATEVER, BUT THIS ISN'T ABOUT, THIS ISN'T A POPULARITY CONTEST. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING A JOB, BUT YOU'RE DOING A JOB FOR THE PEOPLE WHO OWN YOU. AND THAT GOES TO ALL OF YOU. YOU'RE, YOU'RE OWNED BY THE COPS OR YOU'RE OWNED BY THE DEVELOPERS, OR YOU'RE OWNED BY, UM, THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. YEP. UH, AND IN THIS CASE, I MEAN, MY GOD, THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THE LOWEST RANKED POLICE DEPARTMENT IN ALL OF CALIFORNIA, THE FOURTH LOWEST RANKED POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES. THE, THE FORMER POLICE CHIEF ROBERT LUNA, WHO WAS CONVICTED OF CONDUCT ON BECOMING AN OFFICER, AND THE, AND THE CITY MANAGER, OOPS. HE LET IT SLIDE. AND THEN HE WAS ABLE TO BE ELECTED AS A POLICE CHIEF OF THE WORST RANKED SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IN ALL OF CALIFORNIA . SO, AND BOTH OF THESE END UP, YOU KNOW, ELECTING YOU, I MEAN, $34 A VOTE FOR YOU VERSUS, WHAT IS IT, $2 AND 38 CENTS FOR ANTHONY. I MEAN, JESUS, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. ALL RIGHT. UH, THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR YOUR COMMENTS AS WELL. YOU KNOW, I'LL ALSO SAY, I REMEMBER WHEN LONG BEACH HAD APRIL PRIMARIES AND OUR PARTICIPATION WAS INCREDIBLY LOW, UH, IN APRIL. AND WE HAD OUR GENERALS IN JUNE, AND IT WAS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO HAVE REPRESENTATION IN OUR CITY BACK THEN. [01:40:01] WE NEVER HAD A, UM, WE NEVER HAD A CITYWIDE ELECTED OFFICIAL ANYWHERE FROM ANYWHERE OUTSIDE OF LIKE ONE OR TWO NEIGHBORHOODS. AND THEN A FEW YEARS AGO, I THINK 2020 WAS WHEN WE FINALLY CHANGED THAT AND WE SAW PARTICIPATION IN OUR CITY QUADRUPLE IN PRIMARIES. WE ELECTED OUR FIRST CITYWIDE ELECTED OFFICIALS OUT OF THOSE VERY FEW NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, AND YOU ENDED UP WITH A MORE REFLECTIVE COUNCIL, UH, THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS COUNCIL HERE. UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY IT'S HARDER TO CLOSE OUT A RACE IN A HIGHER TURNOUT SCENARIO. UH, THERE WAS COMMONLY NO RUNOFF BACK WHEN ELECTIONS WERE IN APRIL, BUT WHEN IT MOVED TO JUNE, WHERE PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION, MORE PEOPLE RUN AND IT'S MORE DIFFICULT. AND IN FACT, UM, YOU KNOW, NATIONWIDE, THIS WAS A VERY DIFFICULT ELECTORATE. A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA SEE, SEE CHANGE AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT. THEY WANNA SEE MORE OUT OF THEIR GOVERNMENT, MORE OUTTA THEIR, THEIR PUBLIC OFFICIALS. AND THERE'S A LACK OF TRUST REALLY STEMMING FROM THE VERY TOP. AND THAT PERMEATED TO EVERY RACE ON THE BALLOT FROM SCHOOL BOARD RACES WHERE NATIONAL POLITICS WERE BEING DISCUSSED IN SCHOOL BOARD RACES, ALL THE WAY THROUGH ALL THE CITY COUNCIL RACES. I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY IN A SURVEY OF THE CITIES WITH A TOP 100 POPULATION NATIONALLY, ONLY ONE CITY STOOD OUT WITHOUT HAVING A RUNOFF. MEANING THERE WAS ENOUGH CONSENSUS, MORE THAN 50% IN EVERY DISTRICT. AND IN THE MAYOR'S RACE DID NOT TRIGGER A RUNOFF. THE ONLY CITY OF THE TOP 100 IN AMERICA WAS LONG BEACH. AND THAT SHOULD SAY A LOT ABOUT THE WAY WE ARE NAVIGATING OUR CHALLENGES AND BUILDING CONSENSUS WITH OUR COMMUNITIES. THE OTHER THING THAT I'LL SAY IS THAT THERE'S HEALING TO DO, THERE'S CERTAINLY HEALING TO DO IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THE ELECTION BROUGHT OUT A LOT. SURE, A LOT OF ANXIETY, A LOT OF FEELINGS, A LOT OF EMOTION. ALSO A LOT OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, UH, SENTIMENT OF DON'T TRUST DATA OR DON'T TRUST THE FACTS. I DON'T, I DON'T EVER REMEMBER AN ELECTION WHERE PEOPLE SAID, I DON'T TRUST THAT THERE ARE THAT FEW HOMICIDES IN OUR CITY OR THAT FEW SHOOTINGS IN OUR CITY. THERE'S MORE WE HAVE TO DO TO BUILD THAT TRUST. 'CAUSE PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TRUST THE LOCAL DATA. AND OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, WE SHOULD DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO BUILD MORE TRUST AND HEAL IN OUR COMMUNITIES AFTER A VERY DIVISIVE BUT VERY SUCCESSFUL ELECTION SEASON. SO, OFFER CONGRATULATIONS TO LONG BEACH AND TO EVERYONE WHO'S REELECTED FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT MORE WORK TO DO. UH, THE ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS ELEVATING. THERE'S MORE PEOPLE EXPECT FROM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. THEY DID NOT USE TO ASK THIS MUCH OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT USED TO STEP UP ON HOMELESSNESS, WORKFORCE, ALL THOSE ELEMENTS. AND WE WERE SIMPLY A FRONT DOOR ON THOSE SERVICES. BUT NOW ALL THE INV, ALL THE INNOVATION, ALL THE SORT OF SOLVING SOCIETAL ISSUES ARE NOW BEING PLACED ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, BUT THE RESOURCES ARE NOT GIVEN TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO ACTUALLY DO THAT WORK. AND SO THERE IS MORE WORK FOR US TO DO, BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE ALL, ALL OF YOU AND TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. WE'RE STILL COMMITTED. WE'RE VERY MUCH SO COMMITTED TO OVERCOMING THOSE CHALLENGES AND CONTINUE TO BRING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER. UH, MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. ALRIGHT, NOW WE WILL GO TO ITEM 33. [33. 26-55609 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation on the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2025. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Financial Management         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] PLEASE REPORT FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION ON THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025 CITYWIDE. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A, A STAFF PRESENTATION. YES, WE DO. UH, SO THIS WAS AN ITEM THAT CAME TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, UH, ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO. AND, UH, THERE WAS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR ASKING US TO, UH, COME BACK, UH, WITH A FAIRLY DETAILED PRESENTATION OF THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT REPORT. UH, SO WE'LL BE, UH, TURNING TO OUR CITY CONTROLLER, UH, RUBY CARRILLO TO GO THROUGH, UH, THOSE NUMBERS. AND THEN, UH, WE'LL ALSO HAVE, UM, SOME ABILITY TO HEAR FROM POLICE, FIRE AND, UH, PUBLIC WORKS. UH, 'CAUSE THERE WAS SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME OF THE PERFORMANCE METRICS, UH, IN THE AC FEE, UM, OR IN THE ACT FOR THAT. UM, UH, THAT WAS, UH, THE, THE REASON THAT THIS WAS ASKED FOR. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO OUR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR, KEVIN RIPER. GOOD EVENING MAYOR. MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. I'M RUBY RIO QUINCY CITY CONTROLLER, AND I'M HERE WITH KEVIN RIPER, DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. WE WILL BE PRESENTING THE FINANCIAL RESULTS, RESULTS AS REPORTED IN THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025. THIS IS NOT IT. HERE WE GO. IN PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW OF THE CITY'S FINANCIAL POSITION, WE WILL COVER THE GOVERNMENT WIDE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, THEN PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES, EXPENDITURES, AND FUND BALANCE, AND CONCLUDE WITH PERFORMANCE MEASURES OF THE POLICE, FIRE, AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE REPORT. THE GOVERNMENT-WIDE STATEMENTS REPORT CITY'S FINANCIAL [01:45:01] RESULTS AT A CONSOLIDATED LEVEL BY REPORTING ACTIVITIES AS GOVERNMENTAL AND BUSINESS TYPE FOR GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES. WE INCLUDE GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS SUCH AS THE GENERAL FUND CAPITAL PROJECTS FUNDS, AND WE ALSO INCLUDE INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS LIKE FLEET SERVICES AND WORKERS' COMPENSATION FOR BUSINESS TYPE ACTIVITIES. WE INCLUDE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, WHICH ARE FUNDS THAT OPERATE LIKE A BUSINESS. AND EXAMPLES OF THOSE ARE THAILANDS OPERATING AIRPORT AND HARBOR. THE STATEMENT OF NET POSITION REPORTS THE CITY'S ASSETS, LIABILITIES, AND NET POSITION. THE LARGEST ASSET IS CAPITAL ASSETS TOTALING 6.6 BILLION IN THIS CATEGORY. ACCOUNTS FOR INVESTMENTS IN EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES, BUILDING AND LAND AND INFRASTRUCTURE. THESE ASSETS NORMALLY REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT OF CITY RESOURCES AND ARE USED TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY LIKE RECREATION FACILITIES, FIRE ENGINES, THE CONVENTION CENTER, THESE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, THE AMOUNT REPORTED AS CAPITAL ASSETS DOES NOT REPRESENT AVAILABLE FINANCIAL RESOURCES, MEANING THESE ARE NOT LIQUID ASSETS AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE USED TO FUND CURRENT SERVICES OR PROGRAMS. THE SECOND HIGHEST ASSET REPORTED IS CASH AND INVESTMENTS AT $2.6 BILLION. A WAY TO MEASURE IF THE CITY HAS ADEQUATE LEVELS OF CASH TO PAY ITS BILLS IS TO LOOK AT THE LIQUIDITY RATIO. THIS RATIO, IF WE SEE A RESULT OF LESS THAN 100%, WOULD INDICATE THAT THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT CASH TO MEET ITS SHORT TERM OR CURRENT OBLIGATIONS BASED ON FINANCIAL RESULTS. AT SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025, THE CITY'S RATIO FOR GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES WAS 193%. AND FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE, IT WAS 366%. INDICATING THE CITY HAS CASH AND INVESTMENTS IN AN AMOUNT THAT EXCEEDS ITS SHORT-TERM OBLIGATIONS, WHICH IS A GOOD FINANCIAL POSITION TO BE IN WHEN COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR 24, THE RATIO OF FISCAL YEAR 25 DECREASE FOR BOTH GOVERNMENTAL AND BUSINESS TYPE. THE DECREASE IN THE RATIO IS MOSTLY DUE TO A DECREASE IN CASH IN GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES, SPECIFICALLY IN THE GENERAL FUND. AND THIS IS VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH FINANCIAL RESULTS PREVIOUSLY PRESENTED. UH, IN THE FISCAL YEAR 25 YEAREND PERFORMANCE REPORT WHERE WE COMMUNICATED THE CITY DID USE, UH, CASH RESERVES IN THE GENERAL FUND TO FUND OPERATIONS DUE TO UNDERPERFORMING REVENUES AND HIGHER OPERATING EXPENSES. NOW WE WILL SHIFT TO LIABILITIES WITH A FOCUS ON LONG-TERM DEBT, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO KEVIN REAPER. THANK YOU, MS. CARILLO. QUINCY, UM, SLIDE FIVE THAT RUBY SHOWED IS THE, IS A GOOD SHORT TERM MEASURE OF CITY FINANCIAL HEALTH AND LIQUIDITY. AND THE NEXT THREE SLIDES THAT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT LOOK AT A MUCH LONGER PICTURE, UH, A MUCH FURTHER OUT IN THE FUTURE PICTURE OF CITY LIABILITIES. SO THE, UM, SLIDE SIX, THE TOP ROW SHOWS, UH, $1.6 BILLION OF BONDS PAYABLE AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2025, AND THEN ANOTHER $900,000 OF LONG-TERM DEBT. $900 MILLION OF LONG-TERM DEBT OBLIGATION. LONG BEACH HAS AN AIRPORT AND A PORT AND A WATER UTILITY, AND A GAS UTILITY, AND A SEWER UTILITY. SO LONG BEACH HAS A LOT OF CAPITAL INTENSIVE OPERATIONS. AND SO IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT WE HAVE A BILLION AND A, UH, THAT WE HAVE 1,000,000,006 OF OUTSTANDING BONDS BECAUSE, AS YOU'VE BEEN HEARING ME, UH, ADVOCATE FOR FIVE YEARS, IT IS APPROPRIATE TO FINANCE LONG-TERM CAPITAL ASSETS WITH LONG-TERM DEBT SO THAT THE PAYMENT FOR THOSE ASSETS MATCHES THE LIFE OF THOSE ASSETS. UM, AND YET IF YOU'VE, IF YOU, UH, FLIP YOUR EYESIGHT DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GRAPH OF, OF, UM, SLIDE SIX, UM, OUR PER CAPITA DEBT FOR ALL KINDS OF DEBT. IN OTHER WORDS, THE TOTAL OF $2.4 BILLION OF LONG-TERM DEBT OBLIGATIONS ON A PER CAPITA BASIS FOR ALL CITY RESIDENTS IS ONLY FIVE AND A QUARTER THOUSAND DOLLARS. THAT'S IN THE FISCAL, IN THE 2025 COLUMN. UH, THAT, UM, THERE'S A BAR DRAWN AROUND FIVE $5,267,000 PER CAPITA. AND IT HASN'T MOVED MUCH IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. UM, A SURVEY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY SHOWED THE AVERAGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS TWICE THAT DEBT, UH, PER CAPITA, WHICH IS TOTAL DEBT DIVIDED BY OUR NUMBER OF RESIDENTS. SO THAT LEADS TO THE A POINT I WANNA MAKE ABOUT THE MIDDLE LINE, THE MIDDLE ROW IN THIS SLIDE, WHICH IS, UM, DEBT SERVICE, THAT'S ANNUAL PRINCIPLE AND INTEREST PAYMENTS AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL SPENDING ON, ON IN OUR GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS. AND RUBY DESCRIBED THOSE, THAT'S MOSTLY THE GENERAL FUND, BUT IT'S ALSO THE HEALTH FUND AND THE INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS AND OUR GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS. DEBT SERVICE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 WAS ONLY 2.1%. WELL, THE BOND RATING [01:50:01] AGENCIES, RIGHT? YOU'VE HEARD OF MOODY'S AND YOU'VE HEARD OF FITCH AND S AND P GLOBAL. THE BOND RATING AGENCIES ONLY GET NERVOUS ABOUT A CITY'S, UH, GOVERNMENTAL DEBT WHEN THAT RATIO APPROACHES 10%. SO WE HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF REMAINING DEBT CAPACITY WITH RESPECT TO AN ABILITY TO ISSUE BONDS AND HAVE INVESTORS BUY THEM. BUT THE CAUTION TO THAT IS, WELL, GREAT ISSUING DEBT IS WONDERFUL, BUT YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH A REVENUE SOURCE TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL AND THE INTEREST EACH YEAR. SO, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID WITH OUR 2023, UM, LEASE REVENUE BONDS. AND WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING, WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS FOR ANOTHER ISSUE OF LEASE REVENUE BONDS WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF, UH, REVENUE SOURCES IDENTIFIED TO PAY FOR THE ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE ON THOSE BONDS. BUT THE POINT OF THAT MIDDLE SLIDE, THAT MIDDLE ROW OF SLIDE, UH, SIX, IS WE HAVE DEBT CAPACITY. UH, TURNING TO SLIDE SEVEN, UH, THIS IS THE LONG TERM LIABILITY OF THE CITY FOR WHAT'S CALLED IN ACCOUNTING SPEAK, OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, AND THAT'S MOSTLY, UH, RETIREE HEALTHCARE. AND THE NUMBERS HERE FOR LONG BEACH ARE QUITE STRIKING BECAUSE WE HAVE A, BECAUSE LONG BEACH FOR SOME DECADES HAS HAD A RELATIVELY MODEST RETIREE HEALTHCARE PROGRAM. UM, IN THE LOWER RIGHT IN THE BAR ON THE FAR RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THAT AT THE END OF LAST YEAR LONG BEACH'S OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS WERE CAPITA WERE ONLY A, WAS ONLY $102. COMPARE THAT WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE ROW ABOVE $739 AND THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE, LIKE 20 TIMES OUR NUMBER AT $2,284. SO FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, LONG BEACH IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE FOR THE SHORT TERM, THE MEDIUM TERM, AND THE LONG TERM BECAUSE OF THIS RELATIVELY SMALL LIABILITY. NOW LET'S GET TO THE BIG LIABILITY, AND THAT, OF COURSE IS PENSIONS. SO SLIDE EIGHT SHOWS THE REMAINING NET PENSION LIABILITY. THIS IS WHAT WE OWE IN THE LONG TERM TO CALPERS OF $1.3 BILLION SPLIT ABOUT EQUALLY BETWEEN, UH, THE PUBLIC SAFETY PENSION PROGRAM WITH CALPERS, WHICH IS FOR SWORN POLICE AND FIRE EMPLOYEES. AND THEN THE MISCELLANEOUS CALPERS PENSION PLAN, WHICH IS FOR EVERYBODY ELSE, ALL OTHER EMPLOYEES IN THE CITY. UH, AND YOU SAY, OH MY GOD, $1.3 BILLION. HOW ARE WE EVER GONNA PAY THAT OFF? WELL, UH, PER CALPERS REGULATIONS AND STATE LAW, WE ARE PAYING THAT OFF STARTING THIS MONTH, FOR EXAMPLE. UM, THE CITY FROM, FROM ALL FUNDS PUT TOGETHER WILL BE PAYING $160 MILLION THIS COMING 12 MONTH PERIOD TO CALPERS TO EAT INTO THAT $1.3 BILLION AMOUNT. AND WE HAVE ABOUT 15 MORE YEARS BEFORE THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE PAID OFF IF ALL THE ACTUARIAL ASSUMPTIONS COME TRUE. SO YES, IT'S A BIG NUMBER, BUT THERE'S A LONG TIME IN WHICH THE CITY HAS TO PAY IT OFF AND THERE'S A PLAN TO PAY IT OFF AND WE SHOULD BE FINE. AND A MEASURE OF THAT IS IN THE BOTTOM HALF OF SLIDE EIGHT. UM, THESE FIVE CITIES ARE THE FIVE LARGEST CITIES BY POPULATION IN CALPERS. WE'RE THE SECOND MOST POPULOUS CITY IN THE CALPERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM. ONLY SACRAMENTO, UH, IN CALPERS HAS MORE RESIDENTS THAN WE DO. AND LOOK AT THOSE FUNDING RATIOS, ESPECIALLY FOR SAFETY. THE CITY OF LONG BEACH SAFETY PLAN IS 76% FUNDED. AND IN MY CAREER, FOR ALL THE ACTUARIES I'VE WORKED WITH, UH, 80% FUNDING RATIO IS A PRETTY GOOD TARGET. IDEALLY, YOU WANT TO GET TO 90 OR EVEN A HUNDRED, BUT 80% IS A, IS A VERY HEALTHY PLACE TO BE. AND IN OUR SAFETY PROGRAM OR SAFETY, UH, CALPERS PENSION PLAN, WE'RE WITHIN FOUR PERCENTAGE POINTS OF REACHING THE 80% FUNDED LEVEL. THAT ALSO BODES WELL. AND YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH HIGHER OUR PERCENTAGE IS IN LONG BEACH COMPARED WITH THE OTHER FOUR CITIES CLOSEST TO US IN POPULATION. UH, ON THE MISCELLANEOUS SIDE, YEAH, WE'RE STILL THE HIGHEST ALMO ALMOST 75%, BUT ONLY A COUPLE PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER THAN THE OTHER FOUR CITIES THAT ARE CLOSE TO US IN POPULATION. SO THAT'S ALL THAT'S REPORTED IN THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT. THAT'S WHAT INVESTORS LOOK AT WHEN THEY CONSIDER BUYING OUR BONDS. HOW HEALTHY IS THE CITY GOING FORWARD ON A LONG-TERM BASIS? AND NOW I'LL TURN IT BACK TO MS. CREO QUINCY. OKAY. SO AFTER COVERING ASSETS AND LIABILITIES, WE'RE GONNA SHIFT TO THE STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES THAT SUMMARIZES REVENUES AND EXPENSES. I WILL NOT SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THE STATEMENTS SINCE WE NORMALLY ANALYZE REVENUES AND EXPENSES AT A MUCH MORE DETAILED LEVEL LIKE FUND, GROUP OR DEPARTMENT. BUT A KEY POINT HERE IS THAT THE LARGEST REVENUE SOURCES FOR GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES WERE TAXES AND OPERATING GRANTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS. THESE TWO SOURCES ACCOUNTED FOR OVER 68% OF REVENUE [01:55:01] IN TERMS OF EXPENSES FOR GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES. THE LARGEST CATEGORY WAS PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTING, 42.2%, FOLLOWED BY COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL REPORTING AT 21.4%. AND THIS CATEGORY INCLUDES LIBRARY AND PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE SERVICES. IN SUMMARIZING THE NET CHANGE IN REVENUE AND EXPENSE ACTIVITY FOR GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITIES, WE CAN SEE A DECREASE IN THAT POSITION OF 71.8 MILLION AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THAT TABLE WITH A DECREASE MOSTLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE GENERAL FUND. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, FOR BUSINESS TYPE ACTIVITIES, THE CITY REPORTED AN INCREASE OF 301 MILLION RESULTING FROM REVENUE EXCEEDING EXPENSES IN VARIOUS FUNDS, INCLUDING WATER, UTILITY AND THAILANDS. BUT THE MAJORITY WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE HARBOR FUND. THE NEXT FEW SLIDES REPORT THE FINANCIAL RESULTS OF THE GENERAL FUND. WE BEGAN WITH, UH, GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND OTHER FINANCING SOURCES WITH THE LARGEST REVENUE CATEGORY BEING TAXES, AND THAT INCLUDES PROPERTY SALES AND USE TAX UTILITY USERS, TOT AND BUSINESS LICENSE TAXES. COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR 24, THIS CATEGORY INCREASED 11 MILLION OR A MODEST 2.3%. PROPERTY TAX REVENUE INCREASED 8.2 MILLION DUE TO CITYWIDE VALUATION INCREASES FROM NEW DEVELOPMENT. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS A SLIGHT INCREASE FROM THE PRIOR YEAR, THE CITY DID ANTICIPATE A HIGHER INCREASE IN THESE REVENUES THAT DID NOT MATERIAL MATERIAL MATERIALIZE DUE TO DEFERRED PROPERTY TAX AMENDMENTS BY LA COUNTY. UM, THIS WAS DUE TO FIRE EVENTS AND ALSO HIGHER DELINQUENCY RATES THAN PRIOR YEARS. A MODEST INCREASE WAS ALSO REPORTED IN SALES TAXES OF 3.4 MILLION ATTRIBUTED TO GROWTH IN RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS ALONG WITH STEADY PERFORMANCE AND REVENUE GENERATED FROM ONE TIME USE TAX FROM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. HOWEVER, DECLINES WERE ALSO NOTED IN CONSUMER GOODS AND AUTOS AND TRANSPORTATION DUE TO SHIFTS IN CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR. THE CITY'S SALES TAX PERFORMANCE MIRRORED A BROADER LOWER GROWTH GROWTH TREND OBSERVED ACROSS THE REGION. USE OF MONEY AND PROPERTY DECREASED BY 16.7 MILLION. AND THERE WERE TWO MAIN REASONS FOR THAT. THE GENERAL FUND EARNED 5.4 MILLION LESS IN INTEREST INCOME, AND THIS WAS DUE TO LOWER CASH BALANCES RESULTING FROM THE USE OF RESERVES TO FUND OPERATIONS. UM, IT ALSO SAW A DECLINE IN INTEREST INCOME DUE TO A CHANGE IN THE WAY WE ALLOCATE INTEREST TO THE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT AND FLEET SERVICES FUNDS. THE SECOND REASON WAS A LOWER FAIR MARKET VALUE OF INVESTMENTS OF 10.7 MILLION, WHICH IS AN UNREALIZED LOSS. THE CITY IS REQUIRED TO REPORT AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT LIKELY TO MATERIALIZE SINCE THE NORMALLY, NORMALLY THE CITY HOLDS INVESTMENTS UNTIL MATURITY FOR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES AND OTHER FINANCING USES. THERE WAS AN INCREASE OF 34 MILLION WHEN COMPARED TO THE PRIOR YEAR. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE NOTED IN THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT CATEGORY REPORTING AN INCREASE OF 8.3 MILLION. THIS WAS DUE TO A LOWER RATE DERIVED FROM THE CITY'S COST ALLOCATION PLAN. THE GENERAL FUND RECOUPED 11.3 MILLION LESS FROM INDIRECT CHARGES TO CAPITAL PROJECTS, WHICH IS A REIMBURSEMENT FOR SUPPORT PROVIDED BY CENTRAL DEPARTMENTS. THE LARGEST INCREASE OF 39.2 MILLION WAS REPORTED IN PUBLIC SAFETY AND WAS DUE TO INCREASED WAGES AND BENEFIT COSTS, INCLUDING HIGHER PENSION COSTS FROM AN INCREASE IN THE CALPERS UNFUNDED LIABILITY PAYMENT THAT KEVIN JUST SPOKE ABOUT. IT WAS ALSO DUE TO HIGHER OPERATIONAL COSTS FOR INVESTMENTS IN COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY AND RELATED SUPPORT AND FOR DIGITAL EVIDENCE STORAGE ALSO NOTED AS A DECREASE OF 16.7 MILLION IN OTHER FINANCING USES. THIS WAS DUE TO LOWER TRANSFERS OF $20 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE GENERAL CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND, WHICH IS PARTIALLY OFFSET BY AN INCREASE IN TRANSFERS TO THE HEALTH FUND, RISING PERSONNEL COSTS, EXPANDING TECHNOLOGY NEEDS AND GREATER OVERHEAD COSTS LED TO AN OPERATING OPERATING DEFICIT IN THE HEALTH FUND, REQUIRING THE GENERAL FUND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES. IN SUMMARY, THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES TOTAL 722,703,000 AND EXPENSES TOTAL 793,686,000 RESULTING IN A NET DEFICIT OF JUST UNDER 71 MILLION OF THIS DEFICIT. 31 MILLION WAS FUNDED FROM PLANNED FISCAL YEAR, 24 YEAR END LEASES OF RESERVES AND FISCAL YEAR 25 MIDYEAR ACTIONS. THE REMAINING 40 MILLION THAT WAS NOT ANTICIPATED WAS FUNDED WITH THE USE OF RESERVES ESTABLISHED IN PREVIOUS YEARS THAT INCLUDED REMAINING LONG BEACH RECOVERY ACT FUNDS OF 15.9 MILLION CARES ACT FUNDING OF 5.4 MILLION AND OPERATING RESERVES OF 7.8 MILLION. NOW WE WILL LOOK AT ENDING FUND BALANCE AND HOW THAT 185 MILLION BREAKS DOWN FUND BALANCE IS AN INDICATOR OF THE FINANCIAL STRENGTH OF A FUND AND IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ASSETS AND THE LIABILITIES OF THE FUND. IT IS NOT THE SAME AS BUDGETARY FUNDS AVAILABLE, WHICH IS USED TO DETERMINE ACTUAL AVAILABLE RESOURCES THAT CAN BE APPROPRIATED OR PROGRAM FOR SERVICES AND PROJECTS. THIS TABLE REPORTS GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE BY VARIOUS CATEGORIES WITH THREE YEARS OF DATA FOR COMPARISON [02:00:01] PURPOSES. IN LOOKING AT TOTAL FUND BALANCE, WE CAN SEE DECLINING BALANCES OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS FROM FISCAL YEAR 24 TO FISCAL YEAR 23. MUCH OF THE DECLINE WAS DUE TO THE USE OF FUNDING TO CARRY OUT PROGRAMS UNDER THE LONG BEACH RECOVERY ACT FOR THE DECLINE THAT OCCURRED IN FISCAL YEAR 25 WHEN COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR 24. WE ALREADY SUMMARIZED THE GENERAL FUNDS NET CHANGE AND FUND BALANCE OF NEGATIVE 71 MILLION, WHICH WAS LARGELY DRIVEN BY CONTINUED UNDERPERFORMANCE OF KEY TAX AND FEE REVENUES, INCREASED COST PRESSURES ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, AND THE NEED TO CONTINUE FOR CONTINUING TRANSFERS TO THE HEALTH FUND TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS. TO FURTHER EVALUATE THE GENERAL FUND'S FINANCIAL POSITION, WE CAN LOOK AT WHETHER THE CITY HAS SUFFICIENT RESERVES TO MAINTAIN LEVELS OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY DURING REVENUE SHORTFALLS OR UNANTICIPATED EXPENDITURE INCREASES. AND AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, THE GENERAL FUND REPORTED SUFFICIENT RESERVES TO FUND EXPENDITURES FOR ONE AND A HALF MONTHS. THE CITY COUNCIL'S FINANCIAL POLICY IS TO MAINTAIN NO LESS THAN TWO MONTHS OF EMERGENCY AND OPERATING RESERVES IN THE GENERAL FUND. AND AS OF LAST SEPTEMBER, THE CITY IS REPORTING ON AN ACCOUNTING BASIS LESS THAN THE RECOMMENDATION. ONE LAST POINT ON GENERAL FUND RESERVES, EMERGENCY RESERVES WERE NOT IMPACTED IN FISCAL YEAR 25 AND REMAINED AT 50.1 MILLION. AND OPERATING RE RESERVES WERE JUST UNDER 8 MILLION. NOW WE'RE GONNA SHIFT TO PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING, WE BEGAN WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE MEASURE OF PRIORITY ONE RESPONSE TIME. THIS MEASURE ACCOUNTS FOR CALLS THAT ARE POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCIES SUCH AS SHOOTING, SHOOTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALLS OR A ROBBERY AND PROGRESS. THESE HIGH PRIORITY CALLS RECEIVED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S FASTEST RESPONSE TIME IN 2016. THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME WAS 4.6 MINUTES PER CALL. DESPITE, DESPITE A TROUBLING VACANCY RATE IN STAFFING LEVELS, WHICH HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SHORTAGES IN DECADES, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WORKED MANDATORY OVERTIME IN PATROL AND OTHER CRITICAL ASSIGNMENTS TO ENSURE PRIORITY ONE RESPONSE TIMES REMAIN WITHIN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF FIVE TO SIX MINUTES FOR MAJOR CITY POLICE DEPARTMENTS. AND CURRENTLY THAT RESPONSE TIME IS AVERAGING 5.6 MINUTES FOR LONG BEACH ON THE MEASURE OF VIOLENT CRIMES PER 1000 RESIDENTS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT NOTED THE NUMBERS REPORTED IN THE FINANCIAL REPORT WERE USING THE NATIONAL INCIDENT BASED REPORTING SYSTEM STANDARD FOR 2025, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT REPORTING METHOD THAN WAS USED IN 2016 AND OFTEN INCLUDES HIGHER NUMBERS IN SOME CRIME CATEGORIES. HOWEVER, FOR A MORE COMPREHENSIVE VIEW, WE CAN LOOK AT THE CHART ON THE SLIDE SHOWING VIOLENT CRIME TRENDS IN THE PAST 20 YEARS, WHICH IS A MORE COMPREHENSIVE SUMMARY OF TOTAL VIOLENT CRIMES AND REPORTS A DECREASE OF 18% SINCE 2005. CENTRAL POLICE SERVICES REQUIRE AN INCREASED INVESTMENT TO MATCH RISING COSTS OF OPERATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DEMANDS. AS CAN BE SEEN IN THE FULLY LOADED COST PER OFFICER. SINCE 2016, PUBLIC SAFETY COSTS HAVE GROWN AND REFLECT BROADER INFLATIONARY AND FISCAL CHALLENGES WHICH HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO BROADER FISCAL PRESSURES. ON THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE PERFORMANCE MEASURE OF ON-SCENE ARRIVAL FOR EMERGENCY CALLS WITHIN SIX MINUTES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT NOTED THAT INCREASING CALL DEMAND, WHICH WE CAN SEE INCREASED BY 16.6% FROM FISCAL YEAR 16 TO FISCAL YEAR 25 IN RE RESOURCE COMMITMENT LEVELS, HAVE REDUCED OPERATIONAL FLEXIBILITY AND INCREASE THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH INCIDENTS ARE HANDLED BY UNITS RESPONDING FROM OUTSIDE THEIR PRIMARY SERVICE AREAS. THIS HAS RESULTED IN LONGER TRAVELING DISTANCES THAT HAS LED TO AN INCREASE IN RESPONSE TIMES WITH THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME IN FISCAL YEAR 25 BEING SIX MINUTES AND 45 SECONDS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT NOTED THAT ABSENT ADDITIONAL SYSTEM CAPACITY OR REDUCTIONS IN DEMAND, THESE FACTORS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE PLACING UPWARD PRESSURE ON RESPONSE TIMES. THIS NEXT SLIDE REPORTS PUBLIC WORKS MEASURES. THE FIRST PERFORMANCE MEASURE IS NUMBER OF TREES TRIMMED AND WE SEE A DECREASE OF 23% WHEN COMPARING FISCAL YEAR 16 TO FISCAL YEAR 25. EVEN THOUGH FEWER TREES WERE TRIMMED IN FISCAL YEAR 25 EXPENSES INCREASED BY 61% OVER THE 10 YEAR PERIOD. ON THE PERSONNEL SIDE, WE ONLY SEE A 5% INCREASE IN COSTS. THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF PUBLIC WORKS EXPERIENCE IN PER EXPERIENCING PERSISTENT VACANCIES. THAT HAS LED TO THE LOSS OF LOSS OF EXPERIENCED PERSONNEL CONTRIBUTING TO LOWER PRODUCTION LEVELS FOR CONTRACT COSTS. HOWEVER, WE REPORTED AN INCREASE OF 159% OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, AVERAGING AN INCREASE OF 5.5% PER YEAR. ALTHOUGH THE CITY INCREASED FUNDING FOR TREE TRIMMING SERVICES OVER TIME, FEWER TREES WERE TRIMMED DUE TO CONTRACT RATES INCREASING SUBSTANTIALLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE AVERAGE COST PER TREE TRIM INCREASING FROM $142 TO $298 PER TREE. [02:05:01] ON THE MEASURE OF SIDEWALK REPAIRS IN SQUARE FEET, THE FISCAL YEAR 25 AMOUNT WAS LESS THAN THE 10 YEAR AVERAGE DUE TO VARIOUS FACTORS INCLUDING HIGHER THAN AVERAGE INFLATION, SIMILAR TO TREE TRIMMING. DUE TO INCREASED CONTRACT RATES, THE CITY IS SEEING FEWER SIDEWALK REPAIRS COMPLETED WITHIN EXISTING FUNDING LEVELS. ADDITIONALLY, CONTRACTORS RECENTLY EXPERIENCED WORKFORCE WORKFORCE ISSUES AND THE CITY TOO HAS SEEN STAFF TURNOVER WITHIN THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM IMPACTING PRODUCTIVITY. THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION ON THE FISCAL YEAR 25 ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT AND WE ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION. WE'LL TAKE IT BACK BEHIND THE RAIL. LET'S SEE. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN, UH, YES. UH, JUST THANK YOU. I WANNA THANK FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR, UH, FOR THOSE REPORTS, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT OUR, OUR LIQUIDITY RATIO AND UM, OUR SHORT TERM AND CURRENT OBLIGATIONS AT 360 6. UM, THAT LOOKS REALLY GOOD. I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, UM, WITH REGARDS TO, UH, CALPERS AND UM, SO I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, ASSUMPTIONS. IS THERE, IS THERE, UM, IS THERE ANY, UH, DO WE HAVE A PLAN TO GET TO 80 OR 90% WITH THAT? IS THAT POSSIBLE? UH, YES, IT'S POSSIBLE. UH, IF THE, UM, ACTUARIAL ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE ECONOMY AND ABOUT WAGE RATE INCREASES AND HIRING LEVELS, UM, COME TRUE, YOU KNOW, WITH, AND IT'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF ASSUMPTIONS. SO ONE CAN NEVER BE SURE THEY'RE GOING TO COME, THEY'RE THE ACTUARIES WILL BE CORRECT IN THEIR PROJECTIONS. UH, WE SHOULD GET TO 80% AND I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AS TO WHEN. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. AND THEN WITH OUR RESERVES, UM, WITH TWO MONTHS IN THE GENERAL FUND IS, CAN YOU, UM, SPEAK LIKE IN COMPARISON TO OTHER BIG CITIES? ARE WE KIND OF IN THIS, ARE THEY IN THE SAME BALLPARK? UH, IN MY EXPERIENCE, MOST CITIES HAVE THE SAME, UM, RESERVE POLICY THAT LONG BEACH HAS, WHICH IS AIMED FOR TWO MONTHS OF RESERVES IN THEIR GENERAL FUND. UM, AND CERTAINLY HERE IN CALIFORNIA, UH, A LOT OF CITIES ARE NOT MEETING THAT GOAL RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE, UH, SHORTFALL IN REVENUE AND THE PRESSURE ON COSTS THAT RUBY DESCRIBED. SO YEAH, UH, A TWO MONTH GOAL THAT CITY COUNCIL ESTABLISHED SOME YEARS BACK. THAT'S QUITE REASONABLE. WELL, THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS. THAT'S IT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS, UM, OVERVIEW OF THE CITY'S ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT. THIS IS TYPICALLY AN ITEM THAT PASSES WITHOUT MUCH DISCUSSION AND THAT WAS A VERY BIG, THAT WAS AN EXTENSIVE REPORT, SO I APPRECIATE THAT WE TOOK THE TIME TODAY TO REVIEW IT IN GREATER DETAIL. I WANNA FOCUS ON WHAT THIS REPORT TELLS US ABOUT THE DELIVERY OF BASIC CITY SERVICES. AM CONCERNED THAT WE'RE NOT INVESTING ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN THE SERVICES OUR COMMUNITY RELIES ON EVERY SINGLE DAY. WE CAN LAUNCH NEW PROJECTS PROGRAMS, BUT THEY AREN'T GOING TO MATTER IF WE DON'T KEEP PEOPLE SAFE, COLLECT THEIR TRASH AND MAINTAIN BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS OUR STREETS, SIDEWALKS, MEDIANS, AND TREES. SO I WANNA START WITH EMERGENCY RESPONSE. SLIDE 14 STATES THAT LBPD PRIORITY ONE RESPONSE TIME IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 WAS 5.6 MINUTES. HOWEVER, THE OFFICIAL, UH, ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT THAT WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL LISTED THE RESPONSE TIME AS SIX MINUTES. AND THE PRESENTATION ALSO STATES THAT VIOLENT CRIME WAS 7.4 INCIDENTS PER THOUSAND RESIDENTS WHILE THE REPORT APPROVED BY COUNCIL LISTED AT 7.9. UM, CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN WHY THE NUMBERS DIFFER? YES, GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA DEFER TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. THAT'S A SYSTEMS ISSUE, UM, IN, IN HOW THEIR SYSTEMS RECORD AND ROUND UP ON CERTAIN, UM, RESPONSE TIMES OR NUMBERS. AND SO MAYBE THEY COULD PROVIDE A MORE INTELLIGENT RESPONSE TO THAT. THE INFORMATION WAS COMPILED WHEN THE REPORT WAS PREPARED, UM, ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO. SO WHEN WE RECEIVED, UM, THE MOST NEWEST RECENT INFORMATION FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY DID INDICATE THAT, UM, THE REPORTING HAD BEEN REVISED. AND SO THAT IS A DIFFERENCE. UM, AND AGAIN, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUST THE REPORTING STANDARDS FROM FISCAL YEAR 25 TO FISCAL YEAR [02:10:01] 16 BECAUSE IT WAS A DIFFERENT METHODOLOGY WITH THAT WAS USED BACK IN FISCAL YEAR 16. SO WE APPROVED A REPORT THAT WAS INACCURATE. I THINK THAT DATA IS REALLY IMPORTANT, OUR RESPONSE TIMES, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD HOPE THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND GET ACCURATE AS OUR CITY COUNCIL APPROVING THAT 'CAUSE THAT'S, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION. OKAY. UM, I KNOW THAT WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS WITH HIRING MORE OFFICERS, UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE CURRENT ACADEMY CLASSES AND HIRING EFFORTS, ARE THEY SUFFICIENT TO BRINGING RESPONSE TIMES BACK DOWN OR ARE WE LOOKING AT AN ERROR HERE? NO, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN ERROR. UM, WHEN YOU HAVE MORE POLICE OFFICERS THAT CAN IMPACT RESPONSE TIMES, UH, THE HIRING EFFORTS HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT AND SUCCESSFUL. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE OUR LARGEST CLASS EVER OUT ON THE STREET BEING TRAINED. THOSE 85 OFFICERS WON'T BE DEPLOYABLE FOR 18 TO 24 MONTHS FROM DATE OF HIRE. BUT WHEN THEY ARE, THAT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTS RESPONSE TIME. IF YOU'RE GOING BACK TO 2016, THERE'S A VARIETY OF OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, UM, INCLUDING, UH, THE FACT THAT WE HAD MORE OFFICERS. AND WHEN YOU HAVE MORE OFFICERS, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE AN INCREASED BUFFER OVER YOUR BASE STAFFING, WHICH MEANS MORE OFFICERS IN CERTAIN AREAS CAN PICK UP CALLS QUICKER. UM, THE OTHER THING OF NOTE IS THAT IN 2022 WHEN WE RECOGNIZED THAT WE HAD A STAFFING ISSUE AND A STAFFING CRISIS, WE INVESTED HEAVILY AS A CITY. ALL OF YOU WERE INVOLVED IN THIS, IN HIRING AND RECRUITING AND RETAINING. AND SO, UM, SINCE 2022, I'VE CONSISTENTLY HAD OFFICERS OUT IN THE FIELD WHETHER THEY WERE NEW POLICE OFFICERS OR LATERAL OFFICERS BEING TRAINED. AND THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO TAKING MORE TIME ON EACH CALL AS WELL. IN ADDITION, UM, THERE'S BEEN CHANGES IN, IN LEGISLATION, THE TYPES OF CALLS WE GO TO AND EMPHASIS ON COMMUNITY POLICING AND SPENDING TIME EXPLAINING, UM, CERTAIN CALLS, UH, UH, WHEN YOU CAN. UM, AND IT'S, IT, THERE ARE SO MANY FACTORS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING TO WHETHER RESPONSE TIME HAS GONE UP OR GONE DOWN. UH, WHAT I WILL SAY IS I'M, I'M PROUD THAT OUR RESPONSE TIME REMAINS BETWEEN THE FIVE TO SIX MINUTE NATIONAL AVERAGE. UM, AND WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR OVER THREE DECADES AIDS AND I DO RECOGNIZE THAT AND THAT OFFICERS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB WITH, UH, WITH RESPONDING AND I'M VERY HAPPY ABOUT OUR ACADEMY GRADUATING 85 MORE OFFICERS. MY SECOND QUESTION RELATES TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. UH, 10 YEARS AGO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AT EMERGENCY CALLS WITHIN SIX MINUTES, 43% OF THE TIME. UH, IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AT EMERGENCY CALLS WITHIN SIX MINUTES, JUST 25.6% OF THE TIME. I UNDERSTAND THAT CALL VOLUME AND OPERATING COSTS HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. THANK YOU CHIEF FOR COMING UP. UM, BUT RESPONDING TO A FIRE OR A MEDICAL CALL, UH, IS ONE OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL SERVICES THAT THE CITY PROVIDES. WHAT IS THE CITY DOING TO REVERSE THAT TREND OF LONGER FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSE TIMES AND WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WOULD BE NEEDED TO MAKE THAT MEASURABLE PROGRESS? THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN. FURTHER QUESTION BEFORE I ANSWER IT. WE, WE UTILIZE THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION STANDARD. THAT'S A 1710 STANDARD THAT THAT SETS UH, THE STANDARDS FOR RESPONSE TIMES. AND OUR GOAL IS ALWAYS TO HAVE A, A FIRE UNIT ON SCENE AT A STRUCTURE FIRE WITHIN FOUR MINUTES OR LESS. UM, AND THEN ON EMS CALLS, THEY DON'T HAVE EXACT TIME ON THE EMS CALLS, BUT I ALWAYS LOOK AT IT IN REGARDS TO IF A COMMUNITY MEMBER IS IN CARDIAC ARREST, UH, AND BIOLOGICAL DEATH STARTS OCCURRING WITHIN FOUR TO SIX MINUTES AFTER THAT HEART STOPS. SO WE WANT TO HAVE PARAMEDICS ON SCENE. UM, IT IS OUR GOAL TO REDUCE THAT RESPONSE TIME SINCE 2016. UH, JUST RECENTLY WE ADDED PARAMEDIC RESCUE 13, WHICH IS A PEAK LOW UNIT AND WE ALSO ADDED, UH, RESCUE TWO THIS YEAR. AND THAT HAS REALLY REDUCED OUR RESPONSE TIME. SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO, ADDRESS THEIR EMS CALLS ON FIRES. UM, YEAH, OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A FULL FIRST ALARM ASSIGNMENT WITHIN EIGHT MINUTES, THE TIME OF DISPATCH. UM, AND THAT IS OUR GOAL, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CONTAIN THAT FIRE TO THE ROOM OF ORIGIN ON A WEEKLY BASIS. YOU DO GET A, A NOTIFICATION THAT MOST OF OUR FIRES WERE ABLE TO CONTAIN TO THAT ROOM OF ORIGIN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT IS TIME ALL I GONNA MOVE THE NEXT COUNCILPERSON ALL OTI. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I WANNA THANK STAFF. UH, THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION. UM, I, UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, YOU ANSWERED ALMOST ALL OF MY QUESTIONS THAT [02:15:01] I HAD WHEN I LOOKED AT THE PRESENTATION. SO, NICE JOB. UM, I ALSO REALLY APPRECIATED THE PRESENTATION 'CAUSE I KNOW AS WE TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET YEAR TO YEAR, UM, IT'S DIFFERENT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF A CITY OVER TIME, RIGHT? AND IT MACRO. AND SO OFTENTIMES I THINK EVEN IN A, A BUDGET CONSTRAINTS LIKE WE'RE IN THIS YEAR, RIGHT? IT'S KIND OF, YOU KIND OF GET A LITTLE MYOPIC AND THINK ABOUT, OKAY, WELL WHAT ARE WE DOING RIGHT NOW? YOU KNOW, ARE WE BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE? YOU HEAR ALL THE THINGS KIND OF CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE. AND SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO ALSO TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AT THE OVERALL FINANCIAL HEALTH OF THE CITY, UM, AS IT PERTAINS TO ALL OF OUR LIABILITIES, ALL OF OUR EXPENSES AND OUR REVENUES, AND THINK ABOUT THOSE THINGS, UM, YEAR TO YEAR. AND ALSO REALLY APPRECIATED THE COMPARISONS, RIGHT? TO ALLOW US TO KIND OF BENCHMARK OURSELVES FOR THOSE OF US WHO AREN'T, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOLKS, RIGHT? I'M NOT AN ACCOUNTANT. SO THIS ALLOWS US TO THINK ABOUT, OKAY, OVERALL WHAT IS THE HEALTH OF OUR CITY? AND SO THAT HELPED ME A LOT TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT OUR BUDGET MORE BROADLY. UH, AND SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT. UH, AND SO I JUST ACTUALLY HAD, UH, TWO QUESTIONS. 'CAUSE I'LL ADMIT, WHEN I ORIGINALLY READ THE, THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING THAT IT INCLUDED THESE PERFORMANCE MEASURES. UM, AND SO THE TWO QUESTIONS I HAD WAS, WHY DO WE INCLUDE PERFORMANCE MEASURES SPECIFICALLY? ARE THOSE REQUIRED AS PART OF THIS ANNUAL REPORT? UM, AND THEN SECOND, WHO CHOOSES WHAT PERFORMANCE MEASURES ARE INCLUDED IN THE ANNUAL REPORT. SO WE APPLY FOR AN AWARD EVERY YEAR TO THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION THAT, UM, THAT IS AWARDED TO CITIES THAT ARE FULLY TRANSPARENT, PROVIDE A LOT OF FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES, PERFORMANCE MEASURES, AND THEY ALSO PROVIDE GUIDELINES OF WHAT THAT MEANS. AND SO THESE, UM, DISCLOSURES, THESE PERFORMANCE MEASURES ARE THOSE THAT ARE SUGGESTED BY THIS AWARD PROGRAM. AND WE DO RECEIVE THE AWARD EVERY YEAR. WE LIKE TO KEEP IT. AND SO WE, WE DO TRY TO COMPILE THAT INFORMATION AND INCLUDE IT IN THE, IN THE ACT FOR EVERY YEAR. UNDERSTOOD. SO THIS IS A, WE APPLIED FOR THIS GRANT FROM THIS AGENCY AND THEN BASICALLY THEY KIND OF SET OUT AS IT PERTAINS TO THE TRANSPARENCY RELATED TO REPORTS, A SET OF KIND OF, I DON'T WANNA SAY EXPECTATIONS, BUT SUGGESTIONS AROUND WHAT A CITY THAT IS BEING, TRYING TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THEIR FINANCES WOULD PRESENT. AND THEN WE ADHERE TO THAT SO THAT WE'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THE AWARD EVERY SINGLE YEAR. YES. OKAY. THAT'S FANTASTIC. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN HEAR IT PUBLIC COMMENT A LOT ABOUT JUST THE NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY. AND SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UPLIFT AS A CITY THE FACT THAT WE ACTUALLY, WE, WE ARE NOT ONLY ATTEMPTING TO DO IT, WE ARE ACTUALLY BEING, UM, TRANSPARENT ABOUT OUR FINANCES, THE FISCAL HEALTH, UM, IN THE CURRENT AND ALSO A LONG TERM. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU AGAIN STAFF FOR THIS, UH, GREAT PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. ALRIGHT, THE LAST ITEM I JUST WANNA POINT OUT, UH, IT, I WANNA ADDRESS TREE TRIMMING AND UM, I DO CONSIDER TREE TRIMMING BASIC CORE SERVICES. IT PROTECTS PUBLIC SAFETY, PRESERVES OUR URBAN FOREST, AND REDUCES HAZARDS AND CLAIMS THAT WE SEE AGAINST OUR CITY. SO THE RE THE REPORT SHOWS THAT THE COST OF TREE TRIMMING HAS INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY WHILE THE NUMBER OF TREES BEING TRIMMED HAS DECLINED DRASTICALLY. IF THE COST OF PROVIDING THIS ESSENTIAL SERVICE INCREASES, THEN THE BUDGET SUPPORTING IT SHOULD ALSO KEEP PACE. UM, RESIDENTS ARE LESS LIKELY TO SUPPORT REPLACING OR PLANTING STREET TREES IF THEY DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEM, WHICH MEANS LESS TREE COVER FOR OUR CITY. UM, I, THE CITY NEEDS TO PROTECT OUR BASIC SERVICES AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A MAJOR FOCUS OF MINE AS WE BEGIN THE BUDGET PROCESS. SO DURING THE UPCOMING BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, UNLIKE OUR DEPARTMENTS TO CLEARLY PRESENT THE FUNDING AND SERVICE LEVELS FOR CORE SERVICES SUCH AS STREET AND SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE, TREE TRIMMING, MEDIAN AND PARK MAINTENANCE AND OTHER BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THIS, THIS DISCUSSION NOW SO WE CAN REACH A POINT WHERE RESIDENTS, UM, WE DON'T WANT RESIDENTS TO NO LONGER RELY ON THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT THE CITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. SUPER. UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO GO BACK TO, UH, SOME OF THE RESPONSE TIME STATISTICS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. IF THE CHIEF CAN, UM, UH, PROVIDE JUST A LITTLE MORE BACKGROUND ON THIS. UM, ARE, CAN YOU GIVE US A FEW OF THE VARIABLES BETWEEN 2016 AND TODAY? WHY THAT RESPONSE TIME MIGHT BE A LITTLE LONGER? I DON'T THINK WE REALLY HAVE APPLES TO APPLES HERE IN IN IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME. ARE THERE A [02:20:01] FEW VARIABLES THAT YOU'D LIKE TO POINT OUT? UH, THE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE YEARS? YES. UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. COUNCIL MEMBER SUPERAL. YEAH, SOME OF THE VARIABLES, THE BIGGEST ONE IS EVERY YEAR WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE AROUND APPROXIMATELY A THOUSAND EMERGENCY INCIDENTS. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT 2016 TO 2025, YOU'RE SEEING APPROXIMATELY AROUND 9,000 MORE INCIDENTS. AND WHAT OCCURS IS, UH, WHEN A UNIT IS ON A INCIDENT, FOR EXAMPLE, HERE WE'RE IN DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH, NEXT DOOR WE HAVE OUR ENGINE ONE AND TRUCK ONE AND RESCUE ONE. IF THEY'RE ON AN INCIDENT AND ANOTHER INCIDENT COMES IN DOWNTOWN, YOU HAVE A UNIT THAT'S RESPONDING FROM A DISTANCE. AND SO NOW YOU HAVE A LONGER TRIAL OF TIME, WHICH IS INCREASES OF RESPONSE TIMES AND THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GONNA SEE AN INCREASE IN, IN THE RESPONSE TIMES CITYWIDE. OKAY, THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THE EXPLANATION. ALRIGHT, WELL, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT AND THE 20 MINUTE PRESENTATION. OH, OH, I JUST SAW YOU. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER KERR. NO WORRIES. JUST, UM, JUST ONE QUICK COMMENT ON ALL OF IT. I WANNA THANK THE, UH, THE TEAM FOR A REALLY DETAILED AND EXTENSIVE REPORT. UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT, I'M GONNA PICK ON THIS ONE THING BECAUSE I THINK IT ILLUSTRATES A LARGER POINT. YOU TALKED ABOUT TREE TRIMMING AND THAT THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT COST INCREASE TO THE CONTRACTORS, SO THE COST PER TREE HAS INCREASED, BUT YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT THOSE CONTRACTORS ARE EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT STAFFING SHORTAGES. AND I JUST WANNA BRING ATTENTION TO THE LARGER CONTEXT OF ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. THAT THERE ARE FORCES THAT ARE IMPACTING ALL OF THE THINGS IN OUR BUDGET THAT ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL. THEY VERY WELL MAY BE EXPERIENCING STAFFING SHORTAGES BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT LANDSCAPING COMPANIES OFTEN WORK WITH IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. WE KNOW THAT THEIR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY HAS BEEN UNDER ATTACK FROM THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION. PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO WORK. UM, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE MINUTIAE FOR ME, WE GET IN THE WEEDS AND WE GET IN OUR LONG BEACH BUBBLE. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT, I THINK AS WE ENTER BUDGET SEASON TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE REALLY BIG FORCES HAPPENING THAT IMPACT US IN, IN SIGNIFICANT WAYS THAT MIGHT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN LONG BEACH OR THE WAY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THE WORK IN LONG BEACH. UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT BECAUSE THAT WAS REALLY CAUGHT ME IN A DIFFERENT WAY TONIGHT. SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT. THAT'S JUST MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, GREAT PERSPECTIVE, GREAT CONTEXT. AND I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION. NOW, I KNOW THAT NORMALLY WE WOULDN'T GO IN DEEP ON THIS ANNUAL REPORT AND IT'S MY HOPE THAT WE DON'T DO THIS ANNUALLY. MY HOPE IS THAT I KNOW WE HAVE A STUDY SESSION EARLY IN THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. AND I THINK FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM MOST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEY WANT TO HEAR AND THEY WANT IT STATED PUBLICLY. SOME OF THE STATEMENTS AROUND, ARE WE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS ABOUT OUR PENSIONS? ARE WE MAKE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS ABOUT OUR FISCAL POLICIES AND OUR RESERVES? WHERE DO WE COMPARE TO OTHER CALIFORNIA CITIES AS IT RELATES TO PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE? HOW'S OUR CREDIT AND HOW ARE WE EVALUATED COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES OF OUR JURISDICTION? AND I THINK IF WE MAKE SURE THAT IN OUR EARLY COUNCIL PRESENTATION THAT WE DO IN LIKE JANUARY, FEBRUARY, WHENEVER WE DO THAT, WE TOUCH ON THOSE THINGS JUST SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF ASSURANCE PUBLICLY THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN POINT TO, TO SAY, YEAH, WE MAY HAVE, UH, SHORT TERM FISCAL CHALLENGES WITH THIS UPCOMING BUDGET, BUT WE'RE MAINTAINING OUR COMMITMENT OF FIDELITY. SO OUR LONG-TERM FINANCIAL FISCAL PRACTICES, HERE'S WHERE YOU RANK AND COMPARE TO OTHER CITIES. I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A, AN EFFICIENT WAY TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION IN CONTEXT. AND WE CAN PREPARE FOR IT EVERY YEAR TO SHOW ARE WE CHANGING COURSE? ARE WE STILL ON COURSE? AND THEN MAYBE EVERY FEW YEARS WE TAKE A DEEPER DIVE. THE OTHER PART, UH, THAT I WOULD MENTION IS I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. I KNOW IT'S VERY EASY AND WE HEAR IT IN THE COMMUNITY ALL THE TIME TO SAY WE'RE NOT AS SAFE AS WE WERE 20 YEARS AGO OR 40 YEARS AGO, OR WE ARE NOT, WE DON'T HAVE THE SERVICES. I REMEMBER THE GOOD OLD DAYS, THINGS HAVE CHANGED. NUMBER ONE, THE WAY WE CALCULATE OUR DATA CHANGES ALL THE TIME AND WE DON'T CALCULATE OUR DATA THE SAME WAY AS WE DID YEARS AGO. AND THEN THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS AND PROVIDING SERVICES HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY AND DRAMATICALLY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND THAT. AND WE'RE SEEING THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF PROPOSITION 13 IN CALIFORNIA WHERE OTHER STATES HAVE THE ABILITY TO THEIR PROPERTY TAXES GROW AND OURS DO NOT. NOT AT THE SAME RATE ON, UM, RESIDENTIAL, UH, BUSINESSES AND PROPERTIES, WHICH MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUE COMES FROM PROPERTY TAXES. AND WE WE'RE NOT APPLES TO APPLES. I HEAR IT ALL THE TIME. HEY MAYOR AMI BALANCES BUDGET PASSED, TAXES ON THE RICH AND DIDN'T PASS THE POOR. [02:25:01] WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THAT BILL IN CALIFORNIA TO JUST LEVY ATTACKS BY CITY COUNCIL. ACTION. EVERYTHING GOES TO THE VOTERS. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO PUT IN CONTEXT, UM, AND IN PERSPECTIVE THAT YEAH, IT'S DIFFERENT NOW. POLICIES THAT WERE PASSED 20 YEARS AGO RESTRICTED OUR HANDS AND YOU CANNOT GROW YOUR SERVICES TO KEEP PACE WITH YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR 20 YEARS AGO, WHICH FORCES US TO HAVE LONG-TERM REVENUE GROWTH PLANS AND STRATEGIES OF EMBRACING NEW INDUSTRIES AND FINDING NEW WAYS TO MAXIMIZE REVENUE. SO I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY THIS WAS A GOOD PRESENTATION. THESE QUESTIONS ARE NOT GONNA STOP. I THINK WE SHOULD PLAN FOR IT. AND THIS IS LESS TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 'CAUSE YOU DON'T SET THE AGENDA FOR THE CITY COUNCIL. THIS IS ME LOOKING AT YOU, BUT REALLY TALKING TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THIS IN CONTEXT, NOT WHEN WE SEE SOME STATISTICS STAND OUT IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE WE'RE NO, THE MEDIA ISN'T GONNA TELL THE STORY FOR US AND WE GOTTA BE REALLY RESPONSIBLE AND HOW WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION RESPONSIBLY, THOUGHTFULLY, AND WITHIN CONTEXT SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE SMART DECISIONS AS A BODY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING GLOBALLY AND HOW IT IMPACTS OUR, OUR REVENUE. SO THOSE ARE MY PERSPECTIVES ON THIS AS COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR THE DISCUSSION. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. YOU KNOW, NO DISRESPECT TO MY FELLOW MAYOR AMI, BUT, YOU KNOW, LONG BEACH AND NEW YORK ARE NOT THE SAME. ALRIGHT, NOW WE'RE GONNA GO TO 34. PLEASE [34. 26-55610 Recommendation to receive and file the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY 26) Mid-Year Budget Performance Report providing an update on the City of Long Beach’s FY 26 financial status and projections. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Financial Management         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] REPORT FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE FY 26 MIDYEAR BUDGET PERFORMANCE REPORT, PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON THE CITY OF LONG BEACH'S FY 26 FINANCIAL STATUS AND PROJECTIONS CITYWIDE. ALL RIGHT, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT WASN'T GONE FOR LONG. THEY ARE BACK. UH, OKAY, SO I, I JUST WANNA REMIND THE COUNCIL LIKE THIS IS REALLY, UH, UH, UPDATE ON THE, ON HOW WE CLOSED OUT FY 26, BUT THIS ISN'T THE FY 27. UM, AND REALLY REMIND THE PUBLIC THIS IS NOT THE FY 27 BUDGET DISCUSSION. WE'RE GETTING TO THAT IN THE NEXT, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST SHY OF TWO WEEKS, WE'LL BE INTRODUCING THE UPCOMING BUDGET AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE'LL HAVE A FULL CONVERSATION THERE. THIS IS, UH, UH, THE WAY WE CLOSE OUT FY 26 AND A PREVIEW OF SOME OF THE IMPACTS THAT WILL IMPACT OUR UPCOMING BUDGET. TOM. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. UH, YEAH. SO, UH, EXACTLY RIGHT. SO THIS IS ABOUT, UM, KIND OF AN INDICATION OF HOW THE CURRENT YEAR IS GOING. UH, WE'VE HAD, UH, SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS, UH, UH, ABOUT THE BUDGET OVER THE LAST YEAR. UH, AND SO THIS IS KIND OF AS WE GET CLOSE TO THE END OF FY 26, WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING. UH, AND, UH, I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KER SAID IT WELL. THERE'S A LOT OF EXTERNAL, UH, THINGS THAT HAPPEN ELSEWHERE THAT HAS PRESSURE ON OUR BUDGET. IT AFFECTS OUR RESIDENTS. WHEN IT AFFECTS OUR RESIDENT, IT AFFECTS THE CITY. AND SO WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS, UH, TONIGHT. UH, FIRST OF ALL, WHERE DOES THE REVENUE COME FROM? UM, SO WE ALWAYS LIKE TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF GROUNDING. UH, SO WE DO HAVE, AS YOU SEE THAT, THAT PIE, LOTS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF REVENUE. WE'RE A PRETTY DIVERSIFIED, UH, CITY. IF YOU WERE AN EAST COAST CITY, THAT, UM, BAR, UH, CHART WOULD LOOK LIKE 90% PROPERTY TAX. UH, AND, UH, AND SO IN CALIFORNIA, BECAUSE OF A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED WITH PROP 13 AND ALL THESE OTHER, UH, UH, RESTRICTED RESTRICTIONS ON REVENUE THAT, UH, CITIES HAVE HAD TO ADAPT AND LOOK AT ALL DIFFERENT WAYS TO FUND GOVERNMENT SERVICES. UH, BUT, UH, OUR TOP THREE ARE PROPERTY TAX, SALES TAX AND UTILITY USERS AND FRANCHISE FEES. UH, SO YOU CAN SEE THE PERCENTAGE THERE. AND THEN TAXES IN GENERAL MAKE UP ABOUT 72% OF OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE. SO WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN FY 26? UM, WE HAVE SEEN, UH, PRETTY DRAMATIC DROP IN KEY REVENUES. UH, WE EXPERIENCED THAT FOR THE FY 25 BUDGET JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO. AND, UH, UH, IT'S NOT A SECRET THAT THERE'S SOME VERY TURBULENT FINANCIAL TIMES OUT THERE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE FEELING AND, UH, AND OUR EMPLOYEES ARE FEELING. AND ALSO, UH, OUR, OUR BUDGET FEELS. SO, UH, WE'VE HAD A 14, ALMOST $15 MILLION DROP IN UTILITY USERS TAX. UH, WE'VE HAD ABOUT A $10 MILLION DROP IN INTEREST EARNINGS, UH, WHICH IS RELATED TO, UH, NATIONAL POLICY AS WELL AS US. UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING LESS CASH TO INVEST, UH, UH, PROPERTY TAX HAS NOT COME IN, UH, AS STRONGLY AS AS WE HAD HOPED. UH, AND THE SAME THING WITH SALES TAX HAS BEEN, UH, NON MESURE NOT COMING IN QUITE AS STRONGLY AS WE HAD HOPED. UH, WHERE DO THE FUNDS GO? UM, UH, 65% OF OUR FUNDS GO TO PUBLIC SAFETY. SO, AND, UH, SOMETHING LIKE 80% OF OUR FUNDS GO TO PEOPLE. SO, UH, THE THE DOLLARS ARE REALLY THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE SERVICES, UH, AND HELP OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO 65% IS PUBLIC SAFETY, AND YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER SECTIONS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, PUBLIC WORKS AND LEGISLATIVE AND, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT. AND SO WHAT'S BEEN DRIVING, UH, ON THE EXPENSE SIDE, UM, IT IS REALLY THE INCREASED COST OF THE EXISTING SERVICES. SO IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVE BEEN SPENDING NEW PROGRAMS AND ADDING NEW STAFF AND, AND GOING INTO NEW AREAS THAT WE HAVEN'T BEFORE. IT IS, UH, THE DISCUSSION THAT WE JUST HAD, WHICH IS HOW DO WE [02:30:01] KEEP PACE WITH ALL THOSE INCREASED COSTS WITH, UM, WITH PROVIDING THOSE EXISTING SERVICES. SO THINK OF IT THIS WAY, IF YOU'RE PROVIDING A SERVICE AND THE COST WENT UP 10%, YOU EITHER NEED TO REDUCE THE SERVICE BY 10%, OR YOU NEED TO GO FIND 10% OF ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO KEEP THE SAME AMOUNT OF SERVICE. SO EVEN THOUGH THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IN THAT PROGRAM HAS GONE UP, YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY MORE SERVICE. YOU'RE BASICALLY PAYING FOR THAT COST OF, OF THE EXISTING SERVICE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING. ONE OF THE BIG AREAS THAT IS DRIVING COST IS, IS ACTUALLY A VERY GOOD AREA, WHICH IS WE'VE BEEN INVESTING, UH, IN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, IN BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL, UH, GRADUATES INTO OUR ACADEMY. IT'S BEEN ABOUT 235 PEOPLE WHO HAVE GRADUATED FROM OUR ACADEMY, UH, OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, UH, ON THE POLICE SIDE. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS THERE. UM, IT'S, UH, CLOSE TO, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO A HUNDRED ON THE FIRE SIDE. AND SO THAT'S BEEN VERY DELIBERATE. UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL HEARD FROM OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE NEED, UH, TO REDUCE OUR VACANCIES AND POLICE AND FIRE. AND SO, UH, WE HAVE, UH, UH, MADE A LOT OF EFFORTS AT THAT AND IT'S WORKED. UM, WE ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH. OUR POLICE, UH, SWORN VACANCY RATE LAST YEAR WAS 26% HAPPY TO REPORT NOW IT IS 13%, UH, WITHIN THOSE, I'M SORRY, CAN YOU SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME, TOM? I, WE CUT IT IN HALF LIKE I'VE HEARD YOU. OKAY. YES. ALRIGHT, WE CUT POLICE, UH, UH, UH, POLICE VACANCY RATE IN HALF. ALRIGHT, JUST CHECKING. UH, THE CHIEF MENTIONED THIS TOO. THE, UH, PART OF THOSE ARE OUR 85 BRAND NEW OFFICERS, UM, WHO WE'VE, WE'VE GRADUATED THE LARGEST ACADEMY CLASS IN OUR GENERATION. UH, AND THEY'RE STILL IN TRAINING EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE COMPLETED THE ACADEMY, THEY'RE STILL PARTNERED UP. THEY'RE NOT A FULLY FLEDGED, UM, UH, DEPLOYABLE POLICE OFFICER, BUT THEY'RE OUT THERE, THEY'RE DOING THE WORK, UH, AND GETTING TRAINED, UH, ON THE FIRE SIDE. THAT PERCENT IS NOW 3.2%. UH, IT'S ONE OF THE LOWEST IN THE CITY FOR A VACANCY RATE. UH, AS WE'VE BEEN STAFFING UP IN OUR, IN OUR FIREHOUSES, THERE'S A COST TO THAT. UM, AND SO, UM, WE RECENTLY DID SOME, UH, AGREEMENTS WITH OUR, OUR TWO, UH, ASSOCIATIONS. AND, UH, WE HEARD VERY CLEARLY FROM THE MEMBERS THAT THEY NEEDED EXTRA ABILITY TO BRING IN PEOPLE AND TO RETAIN THE OFFICERS WE HAD. SO WE HAD TO SLOW THE, UH, UH, OFFICERS LEAVING, AND WE NEEDED TO ALSO HAVE, UH, THE RESOURCES TO BRING ON ADDITIONAL OFFICERS. SO THAT HAS BEEN A KEY AREA OF FOCUS. AND THE THIRD IS IN THE, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT REVENUE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT POLICE AND FIRE HIRING AND HIRING THROUGHOUT THE CITY. UH, AND THE THIRD IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. UH, IT'S ALSO NOT A SECRET THAT WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF LOST REVENUE COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND STATE AND COUNTY INTO OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO VERY LITTLE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE GENERAL COST IT TAKES TO RUN HEALTH PROGRAMS. AND SO, UH, THOSE COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE. IT IS ABOUT AN $11 MILLION NOW, SUBSIDY FROM THE GENERAL FUND, WHAT USED TO BE ABOUT ZERO OR $1 MILLION, THEN GREW TO TWO TO THREE, THEN YOU KNOW, FIVE TO SIX AND IS NOW 11. UH, AND AGAIN, THOSE AREN'T BECAUSE NEW SERVICES WERE PROVIDED, IT'S THE COST OF THE EXISTING SERVICES, UH, NOW REQUIRES THAT LEVEL OF GENERAL FUND SUPPORT. SO WHAT WAS OUR STRATEGY? WHAT HAVE WE DONE ABOUT DID ABOUT THIS? UH, WE STARTED EARLY LAST YEAR. UH, WE STARTED, AS WE STARTED TO SEE THIS, UH, REAL CHANGE IN THE ECONOMY, UH, AND THESE OUTSIDE PRESSURES, WE STARTED A GENERAL FUND SAVINGS TARGET. SO THAT STARTED AT 1% AND IT WAS, UH, BUMPED UP TO 3%. AND THAT MEANS WE'RE ACTIVELY MANAGING OUR VACANT POSITIONS. WE'RE LIMITING FILLS, UM, UH, FILLING TO ESSENTIAL OPERATIONS. UH, IN SOME AREAS WE'RE, UH, REDUCING OVERTIME AND OTHER AREAS WE'RE RELYING MORE ON OVERTIME AS WE'RE NOT FILLING POSITIONS. SO EACH DEPARTMENT HAD THE ABILITY TO, UM, MEET THAT 3% SAVINGS TARGET. UM, THE, THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTIONS DURING, UH, DURING THIS TIME. UH, IT, UH, IT IS BASICALLY A WAY TO SLOW DOWN SPENDING. AND SO THESE WEREN'T BUDGET CUTS, BUT IT WAS A WAY TO MANAGE THOSE COSTS. UH, BUT WE KNEW IT WAS NOT GOING TO FULLY COVER THE FY 20 CENT SIX, UH, DEFICIT THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT. I'M PROUD TO REPORT THAT WHEN WE CALLED ON EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT TO TRY TO HIT THAT 3% SAVINGS, UH, WE MET OUR GOAL. SO, UH, WE EITHER MET OR EXCEEDED IN JUST ABOUT EVERY DEPARTMENT. UH, AGAIN, THIS WAS ACTIVE MANAGEMENT. THERE WERE SOME DEPARTMENTS THAT IF WE HAD DONE THAT, WE WOULD'VE SEEN, UH, THE FULL 3%. WE WOULD'VE SEEN A HUGE IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY. AND SO SOME OF THOSE ARE 2.7% OR 2.5. SOME WERE EVEN MORE. SOME WENT ALL THE WAY UP TO SIX AND 7%. UH, I AM VERY GRATEFUL ALSO TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL WHO HIT THEIR 3% SAVINGS TARGET AS WELL. SO, UH, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU TOOK PART IN THAT. AND SO, UH, THAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED. AND SO AGAIN, WE WERE ABLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT ANY MAJOR PROGRAM CUTS. BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN IT WASN'T STRESS ON THE ORGANIZATION. IT WASN'T, UH, THERE WERE THINGS THAT CAME IN WHERE COMMUNITY WOULD ASK, WELL, CAN'T YOU DO THIS AND SPEND SOME OVERTIME? OR, YOU KNOW, CAN'T YOU ADD TO THE BUDGET ON THIS? AND THE ANSWER THIS YEAR WAS, NO, WE NEED TO MANAGE TO THAT 3%. AND SO THERE WAS LESS ABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY, ESPECIALLY FOR UNBUDGETED REQUESTS. AND WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, UH, USE, UH, LESS OUTSIDE CONTRACT SUPPORT, WHICH [02:35:01] WE SOMETIMES USE TO SUPPLEMENT SERVICES. SO THERE'S SOME BALANCING SOLUTIONS, UH, THAT WE NEED TO CLOSE FY 26. UM, AND SO EVEN WITH THAT, UH, WE, UH, ARE TRANSITIONING AND, UH, FROM IN OUR FLEET WE ARE FUNDED, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF CASH SET ASIDE IN OUR FLEET. UH, WE SET ASIDE MONEY EVERY SINGLE YEAR TO FUND, UH, OUR FLEET REPLACEMENT, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY EVERY FIVE YEARS WE'RE FUNDING, UH, OUR FLEET. AND SO THIS YEAR WE'RE LOOKING AT ACTUALLY USING A LEASE FINANCING APPROACH, UH, WHICH WILL FREE UP ABOUT $15 MILLION. UH, YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THIS, AND WE'LL GET INTO THIS IN THE NEXT YEAR BUDGET, UH, ABOUT WHAT THIS COULD LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE. UM, AND SO, UH, KEVIN RYER CAN ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS ON THAT. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS WON'T HAVE ANY IMPACT ON OUR FLEET. OUR VEHICLES, UH, WILL STILL BE MAINTAINED. THEY'LL STILL BE, UH, REPLACED. UM, UH, BUT IT DOES, UH, HELP WITH SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, CASH TO HELP IN THIS YEAR. UH, SAME THING WITH, UH, INTEREST EARNINGS AND THE INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS, AND ALSO, UH, UH, NOT SETTING ASIDE ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF OIL ABANDONMENT. SO EVEN WITH THAT, UH, WE, WITH OUR 3% SAVINGS, UH, AND, AND DEPARTMENTS ALL SAVING MONEY, UH, AND THOSE, THOSE SOLUTIONS, WE STILL HAD ABOUT A $27 MILLION USE OF RESERVES, UH, THAT WERE PROJECTED TO NEED BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR. THAT'S WHAT RESERVES ARE FOR. UH, YOU SET ASIDE DOLLARS TO, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE THESE UNEXPECTED ISSUES COME UP THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, YOU CAN RELY ON YOUR RESERVES, BUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT YOU ALSO CREATE A PLAN TO REPLACE THEM. UH, AND SO I'LL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND, BUT, UH, WE'RE USING OUR OPERATING RESERVE, UH, 4.6 MILLION. WE HAVE A RAINY DAY FUND, UM, MEASURE B, THAT'S 3.5 MILLION. WE HAVE AN UNFUNDED LIABILITY RESERVE OF 2.8 MILLION. AND THEN ULTIMATELY THIS YEAR, WE DO NEED TO, UH, RELY ON THE EMERGENCY RESERVE, ABOUT 16.5 MILLION OF THE $50 MILLION. AND SO, AGAIN, UM, USE OF RESERVES IS NOT NECESSARILY A BAD THING, UH, BUT IT CAN'T BE DONE YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR. AND SO, UH, THEY'RE REALLY THERE FOR TEMPORARY SUPPORT WHEN REVENUE SOFTENED OR EXPENDITURES, UH, INCREASE. AND SO, UM, IT IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED THAT WE, UH, CREATE A PLAN THROUGH THE FY 27 BUDGET TO RESTORE THOSE LEVELS. AND SO I WILL BE PRESENTING A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET TO YOU TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES AND A PLAN TO REPLENISH THE RESERVES. SO THERE ARE SOME OTHER KEY HIGHLIGHTS OUT THERE. UM, IN MEASURE A, UM, UH, WE DO HAVE A $66.7 MILLION, UM, ADOPTED BUDGET TARGET. AND THAT ACTUALLY CAME IN, UM, A LITTLE BIT OVER. SO IT'S $67 MILLION. AND SO WE'VE GOT A CONTINGENCY RESERVE SET ASIDE, A MEASURE A, THERE WERE NO IMPACTS TO MEASURE A FUNDED PROJECTS. UM, THOSE WERE ALL INFRASTRUCTURE OR PUBLIC SAFETY. AND THAT CONTINUES IN TIDELANDS. WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN A LITTLE BIT BETTER FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE THAN WE HAD EXPECTED. UH, THE HARBOR TRANSFER HAS ACTUALLY GROWN, UM, AND IS EXPECTED TO GROW MORE IN THE, IN THE COMING YEAR. UH, WE CONTINUE TO SEE SOME TRANSFER FROM OIL REVENUE, AND WE'LL HAVE SOME, UH, TIDELANDS DOLLARS THAT WE'RE EXPECTING TO THIS YEAR, END THE YEAR. WITH THAT, WE CAN PROPOSE IN THE FY 27 BUDGET, BUT WE'RE STILL SEEING IMPACTS, UM, ON, ON OIL PRODUCTION FROM SENATE BILL 1137. UH, AND, UH, CONTINUE TO SEE SOME, UH, SOME COST PRESSURES AT OUR CONVENTION CENTER IN THE SPECIAL ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS FUND. THIS IS, UH, THE SPECIAL FUND THAT CAN ONLY FUND THINGS RELATED TO, UH, PROMOTIONS OF THE CITY. UH, AND SO THAT WAS VOTED ON BY VOTERS DECADES AGO. UH, TRANSIT OCCUPANCY TAX, UH, OUR HOTEL BED TAX IS STILL DOING VERY WELL. UH, WE'RE ONE OF THE LEADING CITIES IN CALIFORNIA IN THE AREA OF TOURISM. SO WE ARE LEADING, UH, SAN DIEGO AND ANAHEIM AND PHOENIX AND SAN AND, UH, LOS ANGELES AND SAN FRANCISCO. AND SO, UH, WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEE THOSE REVENUES WHERE OTHERS ARE, ARE SEEING, UH, LOWER REVENUES. UH, IN OUR MARINA FUND, WE'RE PROJECTING A SURPLUS THIS YEAR OF ABOUT 2.8 MILLION. AND IN THE QUEEN MARY FUND, UH, THE QUEEN MARY CONTINUES TO, TO, UH, MEET ITS, UH, ITS, UH, GOALS. AND SO THERE IS A, UH, $1.25 MILLION SURPLUS AND A $200,000 POSITIVE BALANCE. UH, EVEN WITH, UH, THE NEW ADDITION OF THE AMPHITHEATER AND THE SHIP OPERATIONS ARE COVERING THEIR COST RIGHT NOW, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT NEW WAYS TO, UH, CONTINUE TO INCREASE REVENUE. SO THIS PRESENTATION'S ALMOST DONE, BUT I DO WANNA DO A LITTLE BIT OF MYTHBUSTERS JUST TO HELP US ALL REMIND OURSELVES OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE HEAR OUT THERE. UM, UH, GOVERNMENTS, UH, FINANCE IS COMPLEX. UH, WE DON'T JUST HAVE ONE FUND CALLED THE GENERAL FUND THAT EVERYTHING GOES INTO. MOST OF OUR FUNDS ARE ACTUALLY IN SPECIAL FUNDS. THEY'RE IN FUNDS THAT ARE RESTRICTED BY STATE LAW. CALIFORNIA IS UNIQUE. AND THEN WE HAVE A LOT OF VOTER REFERENDUMS THAT SAYS EXACTLY CERTAIN FUNDS CAN ONLY BE SPENT FOR CERTAIN ITEMS. AND SO I DO WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE MYTHBUSTERS THAT WE HEAR OUT THERE. I HEAR FROM TIME TO TIME, HOW CAN WE BUILD BIKE LANES WHEN WE HAVE A DEFICIT? UH, I DON'T LIKE BIKE LANES. YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE NEEDED. BIKE LANES ARE ALMOST ALL COMPLETELY GRANT FUNDED. THEY COME FROM STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND YOU CANNOT USE BIKE LANE FUNDING TO FUND POLICE OR FIRE OR POTHOLES OR THOSE OTHER THINGS. SO, UM, THAT GOES FOR [02:40:01] A LOT OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. WE STILL BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE EVEN WHEN WE HAVE THESE SHORTFALLS, THOSE ARE RESTRICTED FUNDS. WE HEAR THIS ONE A LOT TOO. WHY IS THE CITY SPENDING MONEY ON AN AMPHITHEATER WHEN WE HAVE A DEFICIT? UH, VERY SIMILARLY, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES CANNOT BE USED IN THE GENERAL FUND. SO THE MONEY THAT WAS USED TO BUILD THE AMPHITHEATER, UH, IT IS $27 MILLION. AND WE SEE THAT PEOPLE SAY, YOU HAVE A $27 MILLION, UH, SHORTFALL AND YOU SPENT 27 ON THE AMPHITHEATER. THAT'S BASIC MATH. IT ACTUALLY ISN'T. UH, THAT IS, THOSE ARE NOT COMPARABLE. AND SO THE AMPHITHEATER IS ACTUALLY A WAY TO GROW REVENUES IN THE GENERAL FUND. SO WE FUND IT OUT OF A SPECIAL FUND THAT CAN ONLY BE USED BY THE BEACH, AND THEREFORE IT CAN ALSO HELP CREATE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN OUR CITY. WE HEAR THIS TOO, ABOUT OUR EITHER REFUSE OR THE PORT OR THE AIRPORT. UM, WHY DO WE NOT TAX THOSE THINGS OR BRING THAT MONEY INTO THE GENERAL FUND? AGAIN, WE ARE LEGALLY PROHIBITED AND RESTRICTED FROM DOING THAT. THAT IS NOT ALLOWED IN CALIFORNIA. WE HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DEFICITS DUE TO OVERSPENDING, THAT THE COUNCIL HAS AUTHORIZED ALL THESE NEW POSITIONS AND PROGRAMS AND THINGS THAT ARE NOT PRIORITIES. THAT IS NOT TRUE. UH, WE HAVE STAYED, UH, UH, PRETTY, UM, FOCUSED ON WHAT THOSE CORE SERVICES ARE, BUT THE COST OF THE CORE SERVICES ARE MORE EXPENSIVE. SO IT IS, UH, AN INCREASE IN THE COST OF PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES, NOT AN INCREASE IN OVERSPENDING. WE ALSO HEAR, ISN'T THE CURRENT DEFICIT THE WORST IT'S EVER BEEN? UH, NO. UH, DEFINITELY NOT. DURING THE GREAT RECESSION. UH, WE HAD YEAR AFTER YEAR OF MAJOR REDUCTIONS, AND EVEN BEFORE THAT, UH, BACK IN THE, UH, AFTER SEPTEMBER 11TH AS A PERCENTAGE, WE WERE LOOKING AT ABOUT 30 TO 40% OF THE GENERAL FUND HAD TO BE, UH, REDUCED BACK THEN, WHICH IS, UH, MUCH, MUCH DIFFERENT THAN WHERE WE ARE TODAY. AND THEN FINALLY, UM, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO GROW REVENUE? WHY AREN'T THERE MORE THINGS TO DO TO GROW REVENUE? WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UNDERWAY. WE HAVE PROGRAMS LIKE SPACE BEACH AND GROW LONG BEACH, UH, TO REALLY GROW OUR ECONOMY INTO NEW, UH, AREAS AND TO BRING ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUE INTO THE CITY. SO, UH, JUST IN SUMMARY, LOOKING FORWARD, UH, WE DO HAVE TO USE RESERVES THIS YEAR, UM, AND INCLUDING THE RESERVING, UH, THE EMERGENCY RESERVE, WHICH IS A CONCERN, BUT WE MUST ADDRESS IT GOING FORWARD. SO, UH, RESERVES ARE THERE, AGAIN, TO TEMPORARILY ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. AND, UH, WE WILL BE PRESENTING A PROPOSED STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET TO YOU TO ADDRESS THESE. UH, IT'LL BE DIFFICULT, BUT IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND, UH, I HAVE EVERY FAITH THAT THE COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER THAT AND DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO TO MAKE, UH, MODIFICATIONS AND PASS A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET. UH, AND THEN TO CREATE A PLAN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS TO CONTINUE TO REPLACE OUR RESERVES AND GROW OUR RESERVES. 'CAUSE THERE WILL BE TIMES IN THE FUTURE WHERE WE'RE GONNA NEED TO, TO RELY ON RESERVES AGAIN. SO WITH THAT, UM, THE TEAM IS HERE AS WELL TO HELP ME ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. UH, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THE CHANCE TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU TONIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT, UH, PRESENTATION WE'RE GONNA TAKE. WE'RE PUBLIC COMMENT. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL QUESTIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER RICK OTI. ALSO, NOBODY, NOBODY IN THE PUBLIC CARES ABOUT THE BUDGET AS MUCH AS WE DO. THAT'S TOO BAD. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. WE LOVE IT. UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT. IT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION. UM, AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S JUST A SOBERING REMINDER OF WHERE WE'RE AT, RIGHT? BUT ALSO WHERE WE'RE GOING. UM, AND I THINK YOU ALL ARE PUTTING FORWARD AND I'M, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE BUDGET AND THE PLAN MOVING FORWARD AROUND, UH, REPLACING, YOU KNOW, OUR EMERGENCY REVENUES, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THE BALANCED BUDGET, UM, AND HOW WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO, UH, DELIVER SERVICES, UM, BUT ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE ABOUT OUR CURRENT FI UM, FINANCIAL POSITION AS A CITY. UH, JUST A COUPLE OF JUST CLARIFYING QUESTIONS. UM, I OFTEN GET A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ASK, WHEN I LOOK AT, SAY, SLIDE THREE, WHERE I SAY KEY REVENUE SHORTFALLS, AND THEY'RE JUST LIKE, WELL, WHY, YOU KNOW, WHY WAS THE CITY, YOU KNOW, WHY WERE WE, UH, SO OFF, UH, ON OUR UTILITY USERS TAX OR, YOU KNOW, OUR ESTIMATES AROUND PROPERTY TAX. UM, CAN YOU JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JUST THE, THE GENERAL KIND OF MACRO ECONOMY, UM, AND WHY WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THESE DECREASES IN REVENUE? JUST TO REMIND THE PUBLIC. SURE. LET ME GO BY, UM, SIZE OF REVENUE ON THE, AND, UH, HIGHEST TO LOWEST. SO PROPERTY TAX, UH, IT'S, IT'S 1,000,001 SHORT ON A $200 MILLION BASE. SO THAT'S HALF A PERCENT. INTERESTINGLY. UM, FY 26 PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FOR US AND EVERY OTHER TAXING JURISDICTION IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, UM, IS EXPERIENCING SLIGHTLY LOWER PROPERTY TAX BECAUSE OF, UH, THE JANUARY, 2025, UH, WILDFIRES, UM, THAT AFFECTED PROPERTY TAX PAYMENTS IN ALTADENA AND UM, UM, PACIFIC PALISADES. YEAH, PACIFIC PALISADES, I ALMOST SAID PACIFIC HEIGHTS 'CAUSE I'M FROM SAN FRANCISCO. UM, THAT SHORTFALL IN PROPERTY TAX PAYMENTS GETS SPREAD AMONGST ALL TAXING JURISDICTIONS [02:45:01] IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY. WE'LL EVENTUALLY MAKE IT UP. UM, BUT FOR NOW, THERE'S A SLIGHT DECLINE IN PROPERTY TAX. UH, SECOND LARGEST IS SALES TAX. UM, THAT'S ON A BASE OF ABOUT 90 MILLION. SO IT'S ONLY HALF A PERCENT OFF, LESS THAN HALF A, ABOUT A HALF A PERCENT OFF. BUT I'VE MADE MUCH BIGGER FORECAST ERRORS THAN THAT, UH, EVEN, EVEN HERE IN MY TIME IN LONG BEACH. AND THAT'S BECAUSE FORECASTING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR ON TAXABLE GOODS IS VERY DIFFICULT. UM, IF, IF I MIGHT BE INDULGED FOR A MOMENT OF HUMOR, UM, IN, UH, THE 1930 NOBEL PRIZE WINNER FOR PHYSICS WAS A DANISH PHYSICIST BY THE NAME OF NEILS BOHR, BOHR. AND HE'S FAMOUS FOR SAYING PREDICTION IS VERY DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S ABOUT THE FUTURE. AND THAT'S THE DIFFICULTY WITH SALES TAX FORECASTING. IT'S REALLY HARD TO KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH CONSUMER BEHAVIOR. UM, SO WE'RE NOT THAT FAR OFF. UH, INTEREST EARNINGS, THE CITY MANAGER EXPLAINED, UM, THAT WE HAVE LESS CASH TO INVEST ON BEHALF OF THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE WE'RE USING RESERVES. BUT THE BIG MISS IS THEN THE UTILITY USER TAX. THAT'S THE BIG MISS THAT I MADE. MM-HMM . AND THAT'S, UH, LARGELY DOWN TO MEASURE LB NOT COMING IN ANYWHERE NEAR WHERE I AND SOUTHERN CAL EDISON THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. AND WE HAVE THE CITY AUDITOR DOING A FORMAL AUDIT OF SOCAL GAS AND THE UNDERLYING UTILITY GAS, UM, UTILITY USERS, TAX, GAS PAYING ACCOUNTS TO FIGURE OUT WHY, BECAUSE I COULDN'T GET ANYWHERE WITH SOCAL GAS BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE AUDIT POWER. SO UNDERSTOOD. THAT'S A BIG MISS. UNDERSTOOD. OKAY. AND THAT'S HELPFUL FOR ME 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, HAVING THE CITY AUDIT TO DO THAT INVESTIGATION, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT IS STILL UNDERWAY FOR US TO DETERMINE THE UNDERLYING FACTORS RELATED TO THAT. YEAH. CONFIRM TODAY, UH, SHE AND I SPOKE AND THEY'RE WORKING VERY HARD ON THIS, SO, UH, BUT IT DOES TAKE A LOT TO GO AND GET ALL THE RECORDS WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. UNDERSTOOD. UH, AND THEN TWO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. SO ONE WAS, UH, LOOKING AT SLIDE 10 AROUND THE YEAR END SAVINGS AVERAGES, OBVIOUSLY, UH, YOU UM, YOU ALL DID A UH, AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE ONGOING ISSUES WITH OUR, UM, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UNFORTUNATELY. UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY? 'CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE THEY HAD, UM, OVERAGES AND I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHY. YEAH, SO, UM, THAT HAS BEEN, UH, CHRONIC THAT IT HAPPENS, UH, UM, UH, OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AND IT'S REALLY BECAUSE OF WHERE WE RECORD THE EXPENSES. SO THEY HAVE A PRETTY SMALL GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR THEIR, UM, FOR THEIR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY, UM, WORK. BUT THEY ALSO ARE THE REPOSITORY FOR ANY TIME THAT WE BUY A BUILDING. UM, THEN IF WE BUY A BUILDING MIDYEAR, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY THEY HAVE TO FUND THE OPERATING AND THE SECURITY AND THE UTILITIES, NONE OF WHICH THEY HAVE BUDGET FOR. AND SO, UH, THEY ESSENTIALLY ABSORB THOSE EXPENSES AND DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO MANAGE WITHIN THAT. AND THEN, UH, WE GIVE A BUDGET CORRECTION AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO, UH, THIS WAS ALL TELEGRAPHED, THIS WASN'T A SURPRISE. UM, UH, THESE ARE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY GET, YOU KNOW, GIVEN DURING THE YEAR THAT THEN THEY HAVE TO, UH, ADDRESS AND SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL CARRY FOR TWO OR THREE OR FOUR YEARS WHILE WE WORK ON THE, UM, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT TO FORMALLY TURN IT OVER, UH, TO THE OPERATING DEPARTMENT. UNDERSTOOD. UM, MAYOR, CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? UM, AND THE LAST QUESTION IS FOR SLIDE 12, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE ONE-TIME BALANCING SOLUTIONS, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT FLEET FINANCING AND IT TALKS ABOUT TRANSITIONING FROM A CASH FUNDED FLEET REPLACEMENT MODEL TO A LEASE FINANCING APPROACH FOR, UH, FOR YOUR ALL GENERAL FUND VEHICLES. I'M ASSUMING THIS HAS TO DO WITH OUR ONGOING CONVERSATION, UH, KEVIN, ABOUT LONG KIND OF LONGER, THESE LONGER TERM ASSETS AND THEN SPREADING THAT KIND OF REV, THAT KIND OF EXPENSE AND COST OVER TIME. I'M ASSUMING THAT'S RELATED TO THIS? YES, IT IS RELATED TO THAT. THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IN YOUR OWN, UH, PERSONAL LIFE, MOST PEOPLE, UH, GET A SHORT TERM CAR LOAN TO PAY PAY FOR A CAR. SO EVEN IF YOU HAD 50, $60,000, YOU KNOW, TO SET, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BUY A NEW CAR, UM, YOU MIGHT NOT, YOU KNOW, CHOOSE TO USE ALL YOUR CASH AT ONCE. AND SO YOU WOULD THEN SPREAD THAT OUT OVER FIVE YEARS. THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT THIS IS, IS WE WOULD THEN, WE'RE CURRENTLY SETTING ASIDE THIS MONEY IN CASH EVERY YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS, AND THEN WE COLLECT THE CASH AND PAY FOR IT. UH, THIS ALLOWS US TO BASICALLY USE SOME, UH, VERY LOW, UM, FINANCING 'CAUSE WE ARE A GOVERNMENT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, UH, USE THIS CASH FOR OTHER PURPOSES WHILE WE CONTINUE TO FUND OUR FLEET. UNDERSTOOD. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. YES. UH, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, UH, FOR PROVIDING THIS, UH, MID-YEAR UPDATE AND FOR BEING SO, UH, TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE AHEAD OF US. UM, I ALSO APPRECIATE TOM, UM, YOU EXPLAINING HOW WE'RE FUNDED [02:50:01] BECAUSE WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO TALK TO THE PUBLIC AND HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR THE SAME THING, I'M SURE ALL OF OUR OFFICES DO. LIKE, WHY ARE YOU SPENDING MONEY HERE? WE SHOULD BE DOING THIS. AND SO I THINK US CONTINUING TO EDUCATE, UH, THE PUBLIC, UM, IT WAS REALLY GREAT AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU DID A GREAT JOB AT EXPLAINING THAT. UM, I THINK THIS, UH, REPORT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THE CITY IS FACING BOTH, UM, LOWER THAN EXPECTED REVENUES AND, UM, HIGHER COSTS FOR, UH, MAINTAINING, UH, THOSE SERVICES. UM, I DO APPRECIATE THAT RESERVES AND OTHER ONE-TIME SOLUTIONS ARE HELPING US AVOID IMMEDIATE SERVICE REDUCTIONS, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THOSE ARE, UH, JUST, UH, TEMPORARY, UH, SOLUTIONS, UM, AS WE BEGIN FY 2027 BUDGET PROCESS. UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING, UH, WITH THE CHAIR ON THE BOC. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, THAT WE RECEIVE CLEAR INFORMATION, UM, AND ABOUT THE PROPOSED, UH, REDUCTIONS, WHICH I KNOW WE WILL. AND THEN HOW THE SERVICES EMPLOYEES ARE BEING AFFECTED AND HOW, UM, THE CITY PLANS TO, UH, TO BUILD THOSE RESERVES. AND OUR GOAL MUST BE TO PROTECT ESSENTIAL SERVICES WHILE DEVELOPING A RESPONSIBLE, SUSTAINABLE PLAN THAT REFLECTS THE REVENUE THE CITY CAN REALIST, REALISTICALLY EXPECT AND DEPEND ON. SO, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, FOR, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. YES. TO ADD TO MY COLLEAGUES' COMMENTS, I APPRECIATE THIS PRESENTATION. IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE DIGESTIBLE IN GENERAL TO HAVE VISUALS AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHOWS IS MYTHBUSTERS. I LOVE THAT SHOW, AND I THINK IT'S, UH, ONE OF MY REQUESTS WAS HOW DO WE MAKE IT DIGESTIBLE TO THE PUBLIC WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND, UM, THE, THE WAYS THAT BUDGET WORKS FOR A PUBLIC ENTITY VERSUS A SMALL BUSINESS OR, UH, EVEN INDIVIDUAL BUDGETS, HOME BUDGETS. I THINK IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU GET OTHER SOURCE OF REVENUE THAT'S RESTRICTED. I THINK NONPROFITS UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE RESTRICTED GRANTS TO SPEND IT FOR SPECIFIC THINGS. BUT I THINK THAT ONE OF THE AREAS, BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO BE HERE ON AUGUST 4TH AND WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A DUE TO WORK, MY OTHER JOBS, UH, TRAVEL , UH, I WOULD LIKE TO BE HERE FOR IT, BUT, UM, I KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE PRESENTATION, BUT ONE OF THE AREAS I THINK WOULD REQUIRE A LOT OF MYTH BUSTING IS AROUND HOW WE'RE SPENDING OUR HOMELESS SERVICES DOLLARS. I THINK THAT THERE'S A, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH, UH, AN IMPORTANT ISSUE TO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE LIFTING OUT, UM, UH, FACTS ABOUT WH WHY CERTAIN DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT A CERTAIN WAY. UM, BECAUSE AS WE HAVE OUR, UH, HOMELESS TIME COUNT COME OUT, IT'S IMPORTANT WE SHARE WELL WHAT, WHERE THOSE DOLLARS CAME FROM AND HOW THEY'RE SPENT IN A MYTH BUSTING WAY. IT ALSO MAKES IT MORE ENTERTAINING, RIGHT? IT'S LIKE, OH, THAT'S A MYTH. WHAT, I GOTTA CHECK THIS OUT, RIGHT? SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE FROM THE TEAM ON, UM, HOW WE'RE GONNA CLOSE THE DEFICIT, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE WE'RE RESPONSIBLY, UH, PREPARING FOR OUR FUTURE, UH, BUDGET AND, UM, AND OUR EXPENSES AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND, UH, JUST, UH, TO HELP SHARE, WE HAVE BEEN STARTING TO DO ACTUAL MYTH BUSTERS. WE'VE BEEN CARRYING THAT IN OUR PRESENTATIONS AND WE HAVE A, A, I THINK IT'S ONE PAGE, YOU KNOW, BOTH SIDES. UM, MYTH BUSTERS VERY SIMPLY BROKEN DOWN. CAN YOU DO THIS? NO, YOU CAN'T. CAN YOU KNOW, DID THIS THIS HAPPEN? NO, IT DIDN'T. UM, THOSE ARE MORE ABOUT GENERAL BUDGET THINGS THAT AT LONG BEACH.GOV/BUDGET, UM, BUT WE CAN START LOOKING AT THAT FOR SOME OTHER THINGS AS WELL. AND I HOPE WE DON'T GET COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT FOR MYTHBUSTERS. SO, WELL, AS A, JUST QUICK, IF THERE'S A WAY TO MAKE SURE THE SCIENCE RESEARCHER IN ME ASK IF WE CAN REFERENCE WHERE THAT INFORMATION COMES FROM SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE'RE DRAWING FROM FACTS AND NOT CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, CITY, UH, EXPERTISE, KNOWLEDGE, , UH, I THINK IT MIGHT BE WORTH PAYING FOR THE LICENSE. JUST GET AHEAD OF IT. IT'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE MYTH BUSTING. LONG BEACH MYTH BUSTER. AND WE DON'T NEED TO GET A LINE MYTH, MYTH, FIGURE OUT IF WE CAN DO A LB IN THERE SOMEHOW. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. UM, ALRIGHT. YES, THE MYTH BUSTERS ARE GREAT. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE TRUTH AND WHAT PERCEPTION IS. SO, BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UH, COUNCIL CLEARLY UNDERSTANDS WHAT [02:55:01] SERVICES ARE BEING REDUCED OR DEPRIORITIZED IN ORDER FOR DEPARTMENTS TO HIT THEIR 3% GOAL. SO MY OFFICE HAS HEARD, EX HEARD THIS OVER AND OVER, AND WE HEAR FROM RESIDENTS. WE, BY HAPPENSTANCE, I HAVE THREE EXAMPLES. UH, WE HEARD FROM EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT WERE CUT AS PART OF THE 3% REDUCTION OR SAVINGS. FIRST OF ALL, WE HEARD THAT FROM A COMMUNITY MEMBER THAT THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS NO LONGER SUPPORTING COUNTY LED CLEANUPS ALONG OUR WATERWAY. WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE WERE STRUGGLING WITH IT. THAT CAN BECOME A PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN, BUT IT WAS PART OF THAT 3% SAVINGS. UM, WE ALSO HEARD THAT THE CITY ISN'T REMOVING TREE STUMPS TO SAVE MONEY AND, UM, BECAUSE FUNDING HAS BEEN EXHAUSTED, BUT WHEN A TREE STUMP ISN'T REMOVED, PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO REPLACE THE TREE. IT DOESN'T LOOK VERY GOOD WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET. THE THIRD EXAMPLE IS, UH, WE WERE TOLD THAT TREE TRIMMING THAT WOULD BE A, A, A SAFETY MEASURE TO, UM, WIDEN, UH, VISIBILITY AROUND CROSSWALKS, TRAFFIC SIGNS THAT MAY NOT BE A PRIORITY. AND TREE TRIMMING IS IMPORTANT IN THESE SITUATIONS, UH, AND POTENTIAL REDUCTION IN THESE SERVICES THAT MY OFFICE ISN'T LEARNING ABOUT. WE'RE LEARNING, AGAIN BY HAPPENSTANCE THROUGH RESIDENTS, UM, THAT MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR US TO BE BLINDSIDED WHEN RESIDENTS ARE HEARING IT BEFORE US. SO CAN STAFF PROVIDE MORE DETAILS ON WHICH SERVICES HAVE BEEN REDUCED, PAUSED, DELAYED DEPRIORITIZED, UM, AS PART OF THIS 3% TARGET SAVINGS? AND IF IT, IT'S A LOT. SO IF WE CAN HAVE A TFF ON THAT, UNLESS YOU CAN GO THROUGH MORE OF THOSE THREE PERCENTS, THE TFF WOULD BE GREAT. SO WE HAVE IT IN WRITING AND WE CAN SHARE WITH OUR RESIDENTS. YES. UM, SO THOSE HAVE BEEN IN SOME OF OUR FINANCIAL REPORTS, UH, SO WE CAN PULL THAT PART OUT AND GIVE YOU SOME OF THAT INFORMATION. SO YEAH, A 3% SAVINGS AND SAVING $20 MILLION OUT OF THE BUDGET DOESN'T COME WITHOUT ANY SORT OF IMPACT. SO WE WERE PRETTY CLEAR EARLY ON WHEN WE DID THESE SAVINGS THAT THERE WILL BE IMPACTS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECT ON THE PUBLIC AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. SO FIRST WE LOOKED INTERNALLY, UH, AND SAID, WHAT CAN WE DO IF WE'RE NOT GONNA FILL CERTAIN ADMIN POSITIONS AND OTHERS? UM, THERE'S NOT A LIST WHERE WE SAY CUT THESE THINGS. THIS WAS REALLY BUDGET MANAGEMENT THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT, UH, NEEDED TO COME UP WITH. AND SO FOR THOSE THREE EXAMPLES, I CAN GIVE GOOD EXAMPLES ON THOSE. WE'VE HEARD SOME OF THAT TOO. UH, QUALITY OF LIFE, UM, WAS NOT CUT IN THE BUDGET. UH, WE STILL HAVE THE EXACT SAME AMOUNT OF QUALITY OF LIFE OFFICERS. WHAT WE DON'T HAVE IS THEIR EXTRA OVERTIME THAT THEY WERE DOING. SO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO SAVE, I BELIEVE THEIR, IT WAS IN THE, YOU KNOW, $10 MILLION RANGE NEEDED TO BASICALLY SAY, I CAN OWN, I'M GONNA PRIORITIZE OUR OVERTIME FOR OUR PATROLS CALL FOR SPON OR CALL FOR SERVICE. SO, UH, THAT'S WHERE THEIR OVERTIME WENT. UH, WE HAD SET ASIDE OVER SEVERAL YEARS MONEY TO DO ADDITIONAL WORK IN THE, UM, RIVERBEDS THAT THE COUNTY'S NOT DOING. UM, AND SO THAT WAS FUNDING, UH, OUR ABILITY OF QUALITY OF LIFE TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND WHEN THAT ACCOUNT IS EXHAUSTED AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL OVERTIME TO DRAW ON. THEY HAD TO BASICALLY DO IT WITHIN THEIR EXISTING SERVICES. SO, UH, THAT JUST MEANT WE COULDN'T GO ABOVE AND BEYOND AND DO MORE. UH, SAME THING WITH TREE TRUMPS OR TREE STUMPS. UH, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A VERY LARGE BUDGET FOR TREE STUMPS. AND SO, UH, IN THE PAST, UH, PUBLIC SERVICE WOULD JUST TRY TO GET IT DONE. IF MORE REQUESTS CAME IN THAN FUNDED, THEY'D TRY TO SAVE SOMEWHERE ELSE. BUT WHEN WE TAKE THEIR ABILITY TO, UM, TO SAVE SOMEWHERE ELSE BY TAKING THAT 3%, THEY HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO PUT THOSE EXPENSES. AND SO THEY WOULD ESSENTIALLY GET TO THEIR BUDGET AND THEN SAY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WE GET MORE BUDGET. AND SO AGAIN, WE DIDN'T CUT THE PROGRAM TREE TRIMMING AND TREE STUMPS ARE STILL THERE, BUT WE RAN OUT OF CAPACITY TO DO EXTRA. UM, AND THEN ON THE TREE TRIMMING AS WELL, SO WE HAVE OUR GRID TREE TRIMMING AND THAT CONTINUED. UH, BUT THEN, UM, SAME THING. A LOT OF ABOUT THOSE EXTRA LIMBS AND THINGS ARE DONE ON OVERTIME AND SO, UH, THEY STILL GO OUT AND DO THOSE AND WE CAN STILL PRIORITIZE SAFETY. UH, BUT UH, WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY RESOURCES TO DO THOSE, ESPECIALLY THE, THE ALTERNATIVE ONES. UH, SO THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY EVERY DEPARTMENT HAD TO MAKE THOSE KIND OF FUNDING DECISIONS. SOME CHOSE TO REDUCE OVERTIME, SOME CHOSE TO NOT FILL POSITIONS AND INCREASE OVERTIME. AND SO I GIVE EACH DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR THAT FLEXIBILITY TO MANAGE THAT 3%. I JUST THINK WHEN SAFETY CONCERNS ARE A PART OF THESE BUDGET SAVINGS, WE [03:00:01] REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT OUR BASIC SERVICES RELATED TO SAFETY. YEAH. AND SO THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE, THE BUDGET MANAGEMENT AND THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, REDUCTIONS THIS YEAR AND TRYING TO REDUCE THE 3%. IT'S REALLY NOT A GOOD STRATEGY LONG TERM TO DO THIS BY PERCENTAGES. SO, UM, IT'S SOMETIMES TEMPTING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTS WILL SAY, WELL JUST REDUCE EVERYONE'S BUDGET BY TWO, FIVE, 7% AND YOU'RE DONE. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IN THE BUDGET PROCESS TO OUTLINE WHAT THOSE SPECIFIC IMPACTS ARE GONNA BE AND HAVE A PUBLIC POLICY DEBATE AND HAVE YOUR YOUR COUNCIL BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. SO THAT IS WHAT YOU GET TO DO IN, IN AUGUST. UM, IT WON'T BE AN EASY TASK. IT'LL BE SOME, SOME DIFFICULT CHOICES, BUT THAT THOSE ARE ACTUAL BUDGET REDUCTIONS AS OPPOSED TO BUDGET MANAGEMENT. WE WILL SPELL OUT THIS IS WHAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO REDUCE AND THEN THERE'LL BE, THERE'LL BE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, UM, UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THOSE SERVICE IMPACTS WILL BE AND THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO VOTE ON AND EITHER ACCEPT OR REJECT OR GIVE AN ALTERNATIVE AND FIGURE OUT SOMETHING ELSE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CARR. YEAH, I WANNA THANK THE TEAM FOR A PRESENTATION. UM, AND THE REC ONLY QUESTION I HAD, UH, DR. RICKS ODI ASKED, WHICH WAS, UM, HOW DO WE MAKE THE PROJECTIONS FOR THE BUDGET ON TAXES? AND I APPRECIATE YOU GIVING US A REALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD, HONEST ANSWER THAT IS SHAREABLE. UM, THE PIECE ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAXES, I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE IS KIND OF A SHARING OF THE PAIN ON THAT. UM, AND ALSO THAT YOU HAVE ENGAGED THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE TO SEE HOW, UM, THAT PROJECTION WAS SO OFF AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING, UM, IS HAPPENING THE WAY THAT IT SHOULD BE. SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THE STRAIGHTFORWARD RESPONSES. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WELL, UH, GOOD BUDGET MANAGEMENT. WE WISH THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE DIFFERENT. I THINK, UH, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE OUR FOCUS ON REVENUE GROWTH AND DIVERSIFICATION, AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH MEASURE LB. WE PROJECTED $15 MILLION IN GENERAL FUND REVENUE FROM THAT MEASURE. UH, I THINK THE NUMBER WAS LIKE 90 MILLION BETWEEN NOW AND 23RD. SOME CRAZY NUMBER LIKE THAT. IT'S CRAZY. SEEMS CRAZY NOW, BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, VOTERS VOTED FOR THAT AT 80%, RIGHT? SO I THINK THERE'S AN EXPECTATION. SO WE'LL BE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE ASKING THE AUDITOR TO MAKE THEIR HER NUMBER ONE FOCUS, UM, ON ENSURING THAT WE ARE GETTING, UH, OUR FAIR SHARE AND THAT, UH, OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, EVERY RESIDENT IN LONG BEACH PAYS THE UTILITY USERS TAX AND SHOW SHOULD THE POWER PLANTS, WE PUT IT ON THE BALLOT, PEOPLE VOTED FOR IT, THAT'S $15 MILLION IN RESTORATIONS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE THERE. UH, SO THAT NEEDS TO BE OUR FOCUS MORE TO COME, UH, IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET PRESENTATION. UH, THAT SAID, DID WE ALREADY DO PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? OKAY. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. 35 [35. 26-55611 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Landscape Structures, Inc., of Delano, MN, for providing outdoor fitness equipment, playground equipment, water play equipment, installation, surfacing, site furnishing, and related products, accessories and services on an as-needed basis, on the same terms and conditions afforded to Sourcewell (Contract No. 101625-LSI), in total contract amount not to exceed $5,000,000, until the Sourcewell contract expires on December 17, 2029, with the option to renew for as long as the Sourcewell contract is in effect, at the discretion of the City Manager. (Citywide)       Office or Department: Public Works         Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] REPORT FROM PUBLIC WORKS RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT AND ANY NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING ANY NECESSARY SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS WITH LANDSCAPE STRUCTURES FOR PROVIDING OUTDOOR FITNESS EQUIPMENT, PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, WATER PLAY EQUIPMENT, INSTALLATION, SERVICING, SITE FURNISHING AND RELATED PRODUCTS, ACCESSORIES AND SERVICES ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS IN A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED $5 MILLION CITYWIDE. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, THERE IS ONE PUBLIC COMMENT, SPEAKER NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY. IF YOU'RE STILL IN THE AUDIENCE, PLEASE COME FORWARD. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. MEMBERS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. MOTION IS CARRIED. THANK YOU. NOW WE'LL GO TO OUR FINAL PUBLIC [ PUBLIC COMMENT: Immediately prior to adjournment Opportunity is given to those members of the public who have not addressed the City Council on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes unless extended by the City Council. ] COMMENT. THERE ARE SIX SPEAKERS SIGNED UP. NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY, LONG BEACH, GRAY PANTHERS, AND ZOOM, RUSSELL C. WATERS, FRED VETO, AND JACKSON MARTIN, IF I CAN HAVE NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY, WHO IS NO, NO LONGER IN THE AUDIENCE. NEXT, IF YOU HEARD YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME FORWARD. NEXT SPEAKER IS LONG BEACH, GRAY PANTHERS AND ZOOM. WE HAVE LONG BEACH GRAY PANTHERS ON ZOOM. YOU ARE NOW UNMUTED. YOUR TIME STARTS NOW. LONG BEACH GRAY PANTHERS, YOUR TIME STARTS. WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PUBLIC SPEAKER, RUSSELL C. WATER. HI, HOW ARE YOU? UH, [03:05:01] YOU MAY REMEMBER ME A A FEW YEARS AGO I WAS IN THERE CRYING WITH MY CHILD WHO HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM D BY DCFS AT THE BEHEST OF YOUR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY. TODAY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE CROWN ACT. AND SPECIFICALLY I WANT TALK ABOUT THE OCCUPATIONAL PROVISIONS OF THE CROWN ACT. NOW, THE CROWN ACT PASSED IN 2019, IN JUNE, I THINK IT WAS IN JULY. IT WENT INTO EFFECT IN JANUARY OF 2020. WE HAD A PANDEMIC. NOBODY REALIZED WHAT WAS GOING ON. WE CAME OUT IN 21, 20 21, AND WE WENT AND WE BEGAN TO CONDUCT OURSELVES FREELY BASED ON THE CROWN ACT. AND IMMEDIATELY WE WERE ATTACKED BY THE CITY, BUT NOT JUST ANY ATTACK. IT WAS A MULTI-AGENCY TASK FORCE TO TAKE US DOWN. IT WAS SO BAD THAT SERGEANT SONO HAD TO STOP THE ILLEGAL RAID THAT LETS YOU KNOW THAT IT WAS A FEDERAL CRIME. DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE LAST TIME IT'S BEEN SINCE LAW ENFORCEMENT HAD TO STOP THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FROM ATTACKING BLACK PEOPLE FOR THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS? IT WAS RECONSTRUCTION THE FIRST TIME THAT IT'S HAPPENED IN OUR HISTORY SINCE RECONSTRUCTION. NOW THE TICKET CAME IN, WE WENT TO COURT, I WON. YOU'VE NEVER FOUND OUT ABOUT IT. YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE OCCUPATIONAL PROVISIONS OF THE CROWN ACT WERE THE LAW OF LONG BEACH. YOU KNOW WHY? WE KNOW YOU DIDN'T KNOW? BECAUSE YOU NEVER MADE ANY CHANGES TO THE PROTOCOLS. YOU NEVER MADE ANY CHANGES TO THE LICENSING. YOU NEVER MADE ANY CHANGES TO THE ENFORCEMENT. THE POLICE WERE STILL OUT THERE GIVING PEOPLE TICKETS AND YOU PASSED LAWS TO UN TO UNDERMINE, TO NULLIFY THE LAW. YOU ARE IN WHAT THEY CALL MONELL TERRITORY LIKE FERGUSON. THAT'S WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO ADJUST. YOU DIDN'T, IT WENT TO COURT, YOU LOST, YOU DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE IT. AND THEN YOU WENT ON TO PASS ALL KINDS OF ORDINANCES THAT UNDERMINED IT. AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, YOU GOTTA ADD THE CORRUPTION. SO NOW LET ME TELL YOU WHERE WE ARE. YOU HAVE 30 DAYS TO MEET OUR DEMANDS. IF YOU DO NOT MEET OUR DEMANDS, WE ARE FILING ANY A MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT. ONE PHONE CALL. IT'S OVER. AS SOON AS SERGEANT SOLORZANO ADMITS THAT HE HAD TO CALL OFF THE ENTIRE OPERATION LED BY YOUR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY, IT'S OVER. I'M LETTING YOU KNOW HERE. THE AFFIDAVIT IS RIGHT HERE. EACH OF YOU WILL HAVE A COPY. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. FRED, IS THERE FRED IN THE AUDIENCE? YES. ? YES. OKAY. HELLO. UH, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO, TO ASK YOU WHY THE CITY OF LONG BEACH OKAYED A HAULING CONTRACT WITH REPUBLIC SERVICES. WE CALLED YOU BECAUSE WE HAD SOME TRASH IN OUR YARD, BUILDING TRASH THAT NEEDED TO BE DISPOSED. WE WERE TOLD WE NEEDED TO USE A PRIVATE HOLDER HAULER. WE WERE GIVEN THE NAME OF REPUBLIC SERVICES AND IT'S BEEN A NIGHTMARISH EXPERIENCE. THE BILL HAS BEEN $1,800 INSTEAD OF $1,800. AND WE'VE HAD ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS WITH COMMUNICATION, FAILURE TO ACT LIES, OVERCHARGING, ET CETERA. NOW ANYBODY WHO, WHO DID THEIR DUE DILIGENCE WOULD KNOW THAT THIS IS A HORRIBLE COMPANY. IF YOU GO ONLINE LIKE I DID WITHIN AN HOUR, I FOUND OUT THAT ALL OF THE MAJOR SERVICES THAT EVALUATE THE, UH, COMPETENCY OF A COMPANY GIVE THIS COMPANY 1.1 OUT OF A LOWEST SCORE OF ONE. 90% OF PEOPLE WHO DEAL WITH THIS COMPANY GIVE IT THE WORST POSSIBLE RATING. AND YET, YOUR CITY HAS SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH THIS ORGANIZATION. THIS ORGANIZATION IS THE SECOND BIGGEST HAULER IN THE UNITED STATES. IT'S 35% OWNED BY BILL GATES, AND THEY HAVE, UH, ALL SORTS. THEY HAVE $177 MILLION IN, IN, IN, UH, JUDGMENTS AGAINST THEM. THEY'VE HAD A GARBAGE STRIKE IN OUR NEIGHBORING SEAL BEACH. THEY'VE HAD TWO HUGE LAWSUITS IN HUNTINGTON BEACH. AND IT GOES ON AND ON AND [03:10:01] ON. AND I'M CONFUSED HOW A COMPETENT, UH, CITY COULD HAVE SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH THIS, THIS PREDATORY COMPANY. THIS COMPANY GOES AFTER PEOPLE AND TRIES TO TAKE THEIR HOMES IN, IN WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY, UH, UH, PROTEST THE, UH, FALSE CHARGES THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, PUT INTO THEIR BILLS. UH, AND I HOPE THERE'S A NEWSPAPER REPORTER AROUND BECAUSE THERE'S A, THERE'S AN INTERESTING STORY. UH, WE NEED TO FIND OUT HOW THE CITY OF LONG BEACH SIGNED THIS COMPANY. WHO EVALUATED THE CONTRACT, WHO DID THEIR DUE DILIGENCE, UH, WHO SIGNED OFF ON IT, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, CITY MANAGERS, MAYORS, ET CETERA. WHAT ABOUT THE CITY LAWYERS WHO EVALUATED THIS CONTRACT? UH, THERE'S SOMETHING ROTTEN, UH, WITH THIS, THIS PROCESS. UH, THE CITY, WHEN WE CALLED THE CITY, THEY GAVE US THIS, THEY GAVE US THREE NAMES, BUT THIS WAS THE NAME ON THE TOP OF THE LIST. UH, AND WE FOLLOWED THE ADVICE AND GOT STUNG BADLY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER IS V TWO AND THEN JACKSON. HI, MY NAME IS VITU. I AM A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH. I LIVE IN THE THIRD DISTRICT. I AM A RISING SENIOR AT WILSON HIGH SCHOOL. I COME HERE TODAY BECAUSE I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT. I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT, UH, TREES AND EXPANDING ACCESS TO OUR GREEN SPACES AND PRESERVING THOSE GREEN SPACES HERE IN LONG BEACH. I BELIEVE TREES ARE ESSENTIAL. THEY'RE ESSENTIAL TO OUR WELLBEING. THEY'RE ESSENTIAL TO OUR HEALTH. THEY'RE ESSENTIAL TO MAKING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS LOOK, UM, LIKE PLACES THAT YOU WANT TO LIVE IN. THEY ARE, THEY'RE PROVEN TO HELP, UM, COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE, REDUCE, UH, UM, THE PREVALENCE OF HEAT ISLANDS AND ALSO, STRANGELY ENOUGH, REDUCE SPEEDING IN OUR, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THE FOREST SERVICE RECOMMENDS THAT 30% OF CITIES SHOULD BE COVERED IN TREE CANOPY. UH, IN LONG BEACH. ONLY 15% ON AVERAGE IS COVERED BY TREES IN SOME AREAS AS LOW AS 5% IN SOME AREAS AS LOW AS 9%. OF COURSE, I KNOW. UM, I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE IN, UH, THE UPCOMING BUDGET IN PAST BUDGETS TO ADDRESS THIS DEMAND, UH, FOR TREES. BUT I BELIEVE, UM, ONE SECTION OF OUR, OF LONG BEACH THAT SHOULD BE, UH, LOOKED INTO FOR, UM, PLANTING TREES IS THE STRETCH FROM, UM, ANAHEIM TO PCH ON EXAMINE THAT CORRIDOR COULD REALLY USE SOME TREES. UM, I PERSONALLY GO DOWN, UM, THAT STREET, UH, GOING TO SCHOOL. UM, AND I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF CITY COUNCIL COULD LOOK INTO MAYBE, UM, IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET, UH, WAYS TO, UM, EXPAND THAT. UM, TREE CANOPY. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYONE. HAVE A GREAT EVENING. ALL RIGHT. V TWO, HANG ON. IT'S A GOOD ISSUE. UH, GOOD TO SEE YOU. YOU'RE STILL, SO YOU'RE INTERNING IN CD THREE NOW? YES. GOOD. SO V TWO, HIS FIRST INTERNSHIP WITH THE CITY WAS IN MY OFFICE LAST YEAR AS MAYOR. AND THE GOOD NEWS IS, IT IS BUDGET SEASON. I HOPE YOU'RE TALKING WITH YOUR, YOUR BOSS, YOUR NEW BOSS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN ABOUT TREES. UM, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE UM, CONTINUING UH, YOUR SERVICE WITH THE CITY. AND WHAT ARE YOU SENIOR NOW? I'M GONNA BE A SENIOR. GONNA BE A SENIOR. CONGRATULATIONS. THANKS FOR COMING DOWN. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER IS JACKSON. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JACKSON AND UM, I ALSO LIVE IN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE AND LIKE V TWO. I'M ALSO AN UPCOMING SENIOR AT WILSON HIGH SCHOOL. UM, I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN RECENTLY BEEN NOTICING A LOT MORE FLOODING NEAR THE MARINA WHERE I LIVE. UM, AND ON HIGH TIDES, THE WATER IS GETTING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO, OR IF NOT LIKE, JUST CLOSE TO OUTRIGHT FLOODING THE AREAS NEAR THE MARINA. UM, THE REASON I'VE DECIDED TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS THOUGH IS BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH I'VE NOTICED THIS MY ENTIRE LIFE, IT'S BEEN GETTING A LOT WORSE RECENTLY. UM, FOR EXAMPLE, NEAR THE UM, LIKE MARINE STADIUM LAUNCH RAMP, THERE'S A PARKING LOT AND USUALLY ON HIGH TIDES THE WATER CAN COME KIND OF CLOSE, LIKE MAYBE A FOOT UNDERNEATH LIKE THE SURFACE OF LIKE WHERE THE STREET IS OR IN LIKE THE BEACH COMING UP TO IT. UM, RECENTLY IT'S BEEN OUTRIGHT FLOODING THE PARKING LOT, LIKE WATER WHEN IT'S BEEN HIGH TIDES. I'VE BEEN NOTICING THIS A LOT RECENTLY. HIGH TIDES ARE JUST COMPLETELY LIKE OVER LIKE FLOODING THE PARKING LOT AND MAKING IT SO WATER IS INTERSECTING THE AREA. [03:15:01] UM, I WORRY ABOUT THE TRAJECTORY OF THE THIS PROBLEM AND I WORRY THAT EVENTUALLY IT'S GONNA BECOME SUCH AN ISSUE THAT EVEN IF WE PUT A LOT OF RESOURCES TO IT, IT'S GONNA BE REALLY HARD TO SOLVE. SO I ADVOCATE FOR A REALLOCATION, SOME, SOME REALLOCATION OF THE CITY'S BUDGET IN ORDER TO TRY TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS NEAR THE WATERFRONT AREAS IN MARINE STADIUM, NAPLES AND THE BEACH AREAS IN LONG BEACH. THANK YOU CITY COUNCIL AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR YOUR TIME. I APPRECIATE IT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ANOTHER BUDGET REQUEST. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, UH, I'M TEMPTED TO MAKE A JOKE ABOUT THIS. I'M NOT GONNA DO IT RIGHT NOW. TIME COUNCIL MEMBER, WE WAIT UNTIL WE, WE GET IN THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BREAK OUT THE BUTTON. , I'VE HEARD IT. ALL RIGHT. UH, OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE GETTING INTO [ANNOUNCEMENTS] CLOSING COMMENTS AND ADJOURNMENT. QUEUE UP NOW. ALRIGHT, I THINK PEOPLE READY TO GO HOME. OH, HERE WE GO. COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. YES. UM, THERE'S SEVERAL GREAT EVENTS HAPPENING UH, THIS WEEKEND. UH, I WANTED TO INVITE, UH, EVERYONE OR UM, TO THE EVERYONE'S COAST ZONE IN UPDATE AND MOBILITY PLAN MEETING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE POTENTIAL TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL MAKE IT EASIER, SAFER, AND MORE COMFORTABLE TO TRAVEL TO THE COAST. AND THIS IS GONNA BE SATURDAY, UH, JULY 25TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 1:00 PM AT MACARTHUR PARK. AND THEN ALSO THE SAME DAY THERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP PROGRAM RISE THROUGH LEARNING. UM, IT'S AN EDUCATION RESOURCE FAIR HAPPENING AT MACARTHUR PARK, SO YOU CAN DO TWO EVENTS IN ONE PLACE. THE OTHER UH, IS THAT WE HAVE A MOVIES IN THE PARK THIS FRIDAY, JULY 24TH AT SIX 30 SHOWING HOPPERS AT MLK, UH, UH, JUNIOR PARK. AND ON MONDAY, JULY 27TH AT 6:30 PM THERE'S GONNA BE A SHOWING OF SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE AT MCBRIDE PARK. SO WE'LL SEE YOU AT ONE OF THOSE EVENTS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CARR. YES. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. THIS WEEKEND IN HONOR OF NATIONAL ADOPTION WEEK, I INVITE RESIDENTS TO CONSIDER ADOPTING A KITTEN IN NEED OF A FOREVER HOME. OUR LOCAL NONPROFIT, THE LITTLE LION FOUNDATION, IS HOSTING A SUMMER IS COOLER WITH KITTEN'S ADOPTION EVENT THIS SATURDAY, JULY 25TH FROM 11:00 AM TO 3:00 PM AT SIGNAL HILL PETSMART AT 2 5 5 OH CHERRY THIS SATURDAY, JULY 25TH. YOU CAN ALSO BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY TO THE HANGAR AT LBX. NO, NO I, SORRY, I ASKED HIM. YOU ASKED HIM TO PUSH THE BUTTON. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO TALK ABOUT LILO AND STITCH. COME ON. SO AT THE HANGAR AT LONG BEACH EXCHANGE, YOU CAN GO TO A LILO AND STITCH THEMED TO MARKET FROM NOON TO FIVE FOLLOWING THE MARKET STICK AROUND THE HANGAR FOR A FREE SHOWING OF THE LILO AND STITCH MOVIE ON THE HANGAR LAWN, STARTING AT SIX 30 THAT SAME EVENING. YOU CAN STOP BY AMBITIOUS AILS FOR THEIR NEXT AMBITIOUS RECORDS FAIR FROM FOUR TO 9:00 PM WHERE YOU CAN SHOP AND SWAP RECORDS WHILE SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES. AND FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO INVITE ALL OF YOU TO MY OFFICE'S NEXT CD FIVE COMMUNITY MEETING ON THURSDAY, JULY 30TH FROM SIX TO 7:00 PM AT WARDLOW PARK COMMUNITY CENTER. WE WILL HAVE THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE THERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ONGOING PREPARATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING OLYMPIC GAMES. SO GET THE LATEST AND GREATEST ON HOW THAT'S GOING. AND OUR CITY CLERK WILL JOIN US TO TALK ABOUT THE NEW HYBRID CITY COUNCIL MEETING FORMAT AND ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. UH, SO JOIN US FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO LEARN MORE. THANKS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN. YES. THIS SATURDAY, JULY 25TH AT ZACHARIA HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WILL HOST ITS MONTHLY COMMUNITY CLEANUP FROM 8:00 AM TO NOON AT OR ZBA PARK. AND THAT'S AT 1435 OR ZABA AVENUE ON SUNDAY, JULY 26TH. UM, I HOPE THAT YOU COME AND JOIN THE CARROLL PARK ASSOCIATION FOR ITS NEXT SUMMER CONCERT FEATURING DISTRACTED BY DOGS PERFORMING CLASSIC ROCK. THE FREE CONCERT WILL TAKE PLACE FROM FIVE TO 6:00 PM IN THE SOUTH PARKLET. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS ZENDEJAS. THANK YOU. UM, EXCITING TIMES IN THE WASHINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD. THE WASHINGTON BANNER UNVEILING CELEBRATION WILL TAKE PLACE SATURDAY, AUGUST 1ST AT 14TH STREET PARK AT 10:30 AM TO 12:30 PM AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE HEADED UP TO UPTOWN FOR THE JAZZ FESTIVAL AND HOPE TO SEE EVERYBODY THERE. UM, THE CRAFTSMAN'S VILLAGE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT WILL BE ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 4TH FROM 5:00 PM TO 8:00 PM THANK YOU TO THE CRAFTSMAN'S VILLAGE, UM, COMMUNITY FOR ALWAYS HOSTING A NATIONAL NIGHT OUT. IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT TIME. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE AND LIKE ALWAYS [03:20:01] PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU RECEIVE ALL THE UPDATES AND EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON HERE IN THE FIRST DISTRICT AS WELL. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED IN BEACH STREETS THIS WEEKEND. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE ALL HAD A GREAT TIME IN THE SECOND DISTRICT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR DOING SO. AND ALSO I WANT, UM, I WANT TO SAY THAT DISTRICT ONE PROUDLY HOSTED THE WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS IN OUR DISTRICT. UM, SPAIN WAS HOUSED IN, UM, THE WEST END HERE IN LONG BEACH. SO BIG, BIG PROPS TO US, UM, THE WORLD. UM, THE WORLD HAS SEEN LONG BEACH AND WE'LL CONTINUE SEEING LONG BEACH, SO THANK YOU EVERYONE. THAT'S RIGHT. I THINK BECAUSE OF THAT, UH, HIGH QUALITY REST THAT THEY GOT AT THE WEST END, THEY WERE PREPARED TO GO THE ALL THE WAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BRITE, CLEARLY, CLEARLY THAT IS TRUE, MAYOR. THANK YOU. WE SHOULD ACTUALLY PUT THAT ON LIKE A T-SHIRT OR A BANNER OR SOMETHING. . UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS ZENDEJAS FOR THE SHOUT OUT. UH, YES. I'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE OUT TO THE 15TH ANNUAL UPTOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL NEXT SATURDAY, AUGUST 1ST FROM 2:00 PM TO 7:00 PM AT HOUGHTON PARK IN NORTH LONG BEACH. UH, THIS IS A FREE FAMILY EVENT FEATURING HEADLINER MORRIS DAY IN THE TIME. SO IF YOU ARE A PRINCE FAN, WE ARE GONNA HAVE A GREAT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GREAT TIME. SO MORE FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE AT DISTRICT9@LONGBEACH.GOV. UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO OUR THIRD ANNUAL FIRE AND ICE CREAM EVENT WITH THE LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT LAST WEEKEND. WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME, UH, TURNOUT WITH ICE CREAM FROM LA KATRINA, MISS YANA. WE HAD HOT DOGS SERVED UP BY OUR LONG BEACH FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION, GREAT FAMILY EVENT. UH, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN, I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME NEXT YEAR. WE DO IT EVERY YEAR. UM, AND LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYBODY OUT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS YEAR'S, UH, FISCAL YEAR 26 27 BUDGET CYCLE, BEGINNING TUESDAY, UH, JULY 28TH. YOU CAN COME AND HANG OUT WITH ME, UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, VICE MAYOR ARANGA AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN AT OUR BOC MEETING. IT'S TONS OF FUN. UH, THAT WILL BE ON TUESDAY. UM, AND FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MEETING DETAILS AND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR BUDGET, YOU CAN GO TO LONG BEACH.GOV/FY 27. ALL RIGHT, WELL, GOOD JOB EVERYONE. UH, AND WELCOME BACK FROM, UH, YOUR RETREAT. I HOPE YOU GOT TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH YOUR, OR YOUR RECESS RATHER. GOT, HOPE YOU GOT SOME TIME. GOT TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH YOUR LOVED ONES AND YOUR FAMILY AND GOT A BREAK. UH, OUR NEXT MEETING, WE ARE DIVING INTO THE BUDGET, SO BE READY. UH, AND I HOPE OUR STAFF WAS ABLE TO, ALL OF OUR CITY STAFF WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY CHECK OUT A LITTLE BIT TOO. UH, 'CAUSE WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. THANKS [ADJOURNMENT] EVERYONE. THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.