[00:03:13]
UH, ARE THE STAFF READY TO BEGIN? I KNOW, UH, WE'RE WAITING ON VICE MAYOR OR RANGA, BUT, UM, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
JUST TO BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYONE'S TIME.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE TO WAIT TO HAVE A QUORUM IN THE CHAMBER TO START THE MEETING.
[00:12:09]
OKAY,[00:12:09]
CHAIR, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE READY TO GO.UM, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING TO ORDER FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 4TH, 2026.
CLERK, CAN I PLEASE CALL THE ROLE COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN PRESENT VICE CHAIR URANGA PRESENTE CHAIR RICK SODI.
UM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, TO MAKE A STATEMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING THAT SAYS, PURSUANT
[CALL TO ORDER]
TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 4 9 5 3 8 3 C ONE, UH, I HAVE JUST CAUSED CIRCUMSTANCES[ROLL CALL]
AUTHORIZING MY REMOTE PARTICIPATION IN THIS PUBLIC MEETING.I HAVE A CAREGIVING NEED AND NO ONE, UM, 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER IS IN THE ROOM WITH ME.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE READ THE FIRST ITEM? ITEM ONE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING OF TUESDAY, JULY 28TH, 2026.
UM, ANY, UH, COMMENTS FROM MY, UH, COMMITTEE COLLEAGUES AND I BELIEVE, UM, COUNT OR YES.
UM, AND THEN COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN MOTIONED AND VICE CHAIR ORRAN.
[1. 26-55718 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Budget Oversight Committee meeting of Tuesday, July 28, 2026. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
EXCELLENT.UH, COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN OR VICE MAYOR ORRAN VICE.
UH, ANY COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, UH, WE CAN GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
AT THIS TIME, IF THERE'S ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE LINE UP IN FRONT OF THE PODIUM OR USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE IN ZOOM OR HIT STAR NINE IF CALLING IN.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ONE IN PERSON, AND THIS IS FOR THE MINUTES ITEM.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS ITEM CHAIR.
UM, THEN WE CAN GO TO A ROLL CALL VOTE.
ITEM TWO IS THE RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION ON THE PROPOSED CIVIL, CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN ALLEN SECOND AND A SECOND BY VICE CHAIR HIRAN.
UM, I BELIEVE STAFF HAS A PRESENTATION,
[00:15:01]
UH, YES.FOR THE STAFF PRESENTATION WE HAVE KEVIN RIPER, DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, AND AMANDA HALL, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TO PROVIDE THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
UM, MY PRESENTATION TODAY ON THE PROPOSED CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY HAS JUST FIVE SUBSTANTIVE SLIDES, BUT IT'S A COMPLEX AND DENSE PROJECT, UH, EXCUSE ME, TOPIC, AND THE
[2. 26-55719 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation on the Proposed Civil and Human Rights Investment Screening Policy. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
THEREFORE THE SLIDES, THEY'RE NOT VERY DRAMATIC WITH A BUNCH OF COOL GRAPHICS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.SO IT'S GONNA TAKE ME A LITTLE WHILE TO GO THROUGH THE TEXT.
AND THEN, UH, MS. HALL AND I ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS.
UM, SO WHAT IS THE PROPOSED CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY? LAST OCTOBER AT THEIR MEETING, THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION REVIEWED THE PROPOSED EQUITY, UH, EXCUSE ME, CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY.
AND, UH, UH, FORMALLY VOTED TO RECOMMEND THAT THE FULL CITY COUNCIL ADOPT THE PROPOSED POLICY.
WHAT'S IN THE POLICY? WELL, THE MAIN THING THAT THE PROPOSED SCREENING POLICY WOULD DO IS MUCH MORE TIGHTLY LINK INTEGRATE, UM, THE CITY'S INVESTMENT, UM, TENANTS AND GUIDING VALUES, ALONG WITH THE CITY'S LARGER VALUES THAT ARE EMBODIED IN LONG BEACH VALUES ACT.
UH, THE PROPOSED POLICY HAS A WHOLE BUNCH OF WHEREASES THAT DO A VERY, A VERY NICE JOB OF PUTTING THOSE TWO, UM, SETS OF CONCEPTS TOGETHER.
SO MY FIRST BULLET SHOWS STRONGER STATEMENTS OF INTENT WOULD RESULT FROM THIS POLICY.
UH, THE POLICY WOULD ALSO IMPOSES A CONSTRAINT ON THE CITY TREASURER.
THE POLICY WOULD PERMIT THE CITY TREASURER TO INVEST ONLY IN US TREASURY SECURITIES.
UH, RIGHT NOW THE CITY'S INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO CONSISTS 28% OF US TREASURY SECURITIES AND 72% OF OTHER THINGS, INCLUDING OTHER US GOVERNMENT SECURITIES, UH, THAT ARE NOT PURE US TREASURY SECURITIES.
THAT'S ABOUT HALF THE PORTFOLIO.
AND THEN ANOTHER, UH, QUARTER IS ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES AND CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT AND, UH, CORPORATE, SHORT-TERM CORPORATE NOTES, AND A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF.
ONLY US TREASURY SECURITIES WOULD BE PERMITTED, UM, FOR THE CITY TREASURER TO BUY UNDER THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY AS RECOMMENDED BY THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION IN OCTOBER.
AND FINALLY, AN ANOTHER SUBSTANTIVE PART OF THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY IS SOME PROHIBITIONS.
IT WOULD PROHIBIT THE CITY TREASURE EXPLICITLY FROM INVESTING IN ORGANIZATIONS, UH, WHO ENGAGE IN ANY OF SIX SPECIFIC BEHAVIORS.
AND THIS NEXT SLIDE GOES INTO THOSE SPECIFIC BEHAVIORS.
UM, THE CITY TREASURE WOULD BE PROHIBITED FROM INVESTING IN ENTITIES THAT ARE COMPLICIT IN THESE SIX AREAS, GENOCIDE, APARTHEID, OCCUPATION DISPLACEMENT, AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, SECOND, LABOR RIGHTS VIOLATIONS.
THIRD, UH, CORPORATE AND INSTITUTIONS WHO ARE COMPLICIT IN STATE VIOLENCE.
SO INVESTMENTS WOULD BE PROHIBITED IN ENTITIES THAT ARE, UM, COMPLICIT IN ENVIRONMENTAL HARM.
UH, FIFTH, THOSE WITH INADEQUATE SUPPLY CHAIN DUE DILIGENCE.
AND SIXTH AND FINALLY, THOSE WITH INADEQUATE CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STANDARDS.
SO THOSE ARE THE CONSTRAINTS THAT HELP TO TIE THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY TO THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, WHICH IS SUFFUSED WITH MANY OF THESE SAME TOPICS.
ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS SLIDE IS A KEY FEATURE, A KEY CONSTRAINT OF THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY AS ADOPTED BY THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION.
AND WHAT THE POLICY DOES IS IT REQUIRES THE CITY TREASURER TO PROVE THAT A POTENTIAL INVE, THAT AN ENTITY THAT HE WISHES TO POTENTIALLY INVEST IN DOESN'T ENGAGE IN ANY OF THE SIX, UH, BEHAVIORS DESCRIBED ON THE LEFT.
SO IT'S KIND OF A, WELL, IT'S NOT KIND OF, IT'S A GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT APPROACH TO POTENTIAL INVESTMENTS THAT'S IN THE POLICY AS IT WAS PASSED BY THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION IN OCTOBER.
NOW I'M GOING TO GO ON TO THE CURRENT FRAMEWORK FOR DETERMINING WHICH ENTITIES THE CITY TREASURER MAY INVEST IN.
UH, THE COMMITTEE WAS INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT PROCESS.
SO ON THIS SLIDE, UH, THE LEFT HAND SIDE SHOWS THE KEY DOCUMENT THAT, UH, CONTROLS CITY TREASURER INVESTMENTS FOR LONG BEACH AND FOR THAT MATTER, FOR EVERY OTHER CITY, EVERY OTHER MUNICIPALITY IN CALIFORNIA.
AND THAT IS THE FORMALLY ADOPTED INVESTMENT POLICY
[00:20:01]
BY THE CITY COUNCIL, WHICH INCLUDES ALL OF THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE RESTRICTIONS ON INVESTMENTS.AND THOSE RESTRICTIONS IN THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE THAT APPLY TO EVERYBODY.
EVERY PUBLIC ENTITY IN CALIFORNIA ARE THINGS LIKE, YOU CAN'T INVEST IN A SECURITY THAT HAS MORE THAN A FIVE YEAR MATURITY.
YOU CAN'T INVEST IN THE SECURITY OF A FOREIGN COUNTRY.
YOU CAN'T INVEST IN THE SECURITY OF A COMPANY THAT IS BASED IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY.
ONLY US BASED COMPANIES ARE ALLOWED TO BE INVESTED IN.
AND THERE'S SOME OTHER OBVIOUS CONSTRAINTS TOO.
SO THAT'S THE FRAMEWORK THAT DRIVES CITY TREASURE INVESTMENTS.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE, I'VE, I'VE ADDED HOW THE CITY GOES ABOUT INVESTMENT OVERSIGHT AND MONITORING OF THOSE CITY TREASURE INVESTMENTS.
UH, INTERNALLY, THE CITY HAS LONG HAD, WAY BEFORE MY TIME AND, AND PROBABLY BEFORE MY PREDECESSOR'S TIME, AN INVESTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH CONSISTS OF NINE, UH, CITY MANAGERS, CITY EMPLOYEES FROM FIVE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, UH, THOSE WHO HAVE THE BIGGEST FINANCIAL STAKE, UH, IN THE CITY INVESTMENT POOL, AND THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERTISE ON OVERALL INVESTMENTS.
AND THAT INVESTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE REVIEWS EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY TREASURER DOES WITH RESPECT TO INVESTMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, WELL, THAT'S THE THIRD AND THE FOURTH BULLET.
UH, THE SECOND BULLET, THE CITY T ANOTHER LEVEL OF OVERSIGHT IS THE CITY TREASURER REPORTS DIRECTLY TO THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR.
AND THAT PERSON USUALLY HAS SUBSTANTIAL EXPERIENCE IN INVESTMENTS AS WELL.
AND THEN THERE ARE, THERE ARE QUARTERLY REPORTS THAT THE CITY TREASURER PREPARES, AND THOSE ARE QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORTS.
AND THOSE GO BOTH TO THE INVESTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND TO YOU AND THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL EVERY QUARTER.
SO THOSE ARE IN WRITING, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALMOST ALWAYS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND THEY'VE GOT ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO, WHAT'S IN THE PORTFOLIO BY INDIVIDUAL SECURITY, THE MATURITY, THE EARNINGS, ALL THAT STUFF.
UH, AND FINALLY, THE LAST BULLET ON THIS SLIDE, THE CITY AUDITOR ALSO PREPARES A QUARTERLY AUDIT, UH, OF THE INVESTMENT POLICY RESULTS AND THE CASH RESULTS AND ADHERENCE TO THE INVESTMENT POLICY.
AND SHE SUBMITS HER QUARTERLY REPORTS TO THE CITY COUNCIL EVERY QUARTER AS WELL.
AND THEY'RE USUALLY ON CONSENT TOO.
NOW, DOWN TO THE SPECIFICS OF HOW DOES THE CITY TREASURER VET DIFFERENT ENTITIES, UH, AND WHO HELPS THE CITY TREASURER, UH, VET DIFFERENT ENTITIES FOR POSSIBLE INVESTMENT.
WELL, UH, HEARKENING BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL INVESTMENT POLICY.
AND AS I MENTIONED, THAT INCLUDES ALL THE REQUIRED ASPECTS OF THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE.
THAT'S THE FIRST THING THE CITY TREASURER LOOKS TO FOR MAKING INVESTMENTS.
HE CANNOT GO OUTSIDE THE BOUNDS OF THE CITY COUNCIL INVESTMENT POLICY.
THAT WORK IS DONE IN THE SECOND BULLET BY THE CITY TREASURER AND THE ASSISTANT CITY TREASURER TREASURY INVESTMENT OFFICER.
AND THEY USE THEIR COLLECTIVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE.
AND IN OUR CURRENT CITY TREASURER AND OUR CURRENT ASSISTANT CITY TREASURER AND TREASURY INVESTMENT OFFICER HAVE EXPERIENCE IN MULTIPLE CITIES AND COUNTIES.
AND FOR THAT MATTER, SO DOES YOUR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR.
UH, SECOND, THERE IS ONGOING SURVEILLANCE OF INVESTMENTS.
UH, AND WE HAVE A BLOOMBERG TERMINAL.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO AND OTHER PRIMARY SOURCES THAT THE TREASURY BUREAU USES TO EXAMINE POTENTIAL INVESTMENTS AND VET THEM FOR, UM, SUITABILITY TO THE PORTFOLIO.
REMEMBER, OUR CITY INVESTMENT POLICY HAS THREE, UM, DESCENDING ORDERS OF PRIORITY.
THE FIRST PRIORITY FOR CITY INVESTMENTS IS SAFETY.
THE SECOND PRIORITY FOR CITY INVESTMENTS IS LIQUIDITY.
AND THE THIRD AND FINAL PRIORITY IS YIELD.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S TRUE OF EVERY LOCAL UNIT OF GOVERNMENT THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AND FOR THAT MATTER, THROUGHOUT THE NATION, EVERYBODY GOES BY SAFETY, LIQUIDITY, AND YIELD.
SO, UM, CITY TREASURER, HANK KIM AND HIS STAFF USE, UH, LIKE I SAY, USE BLOOMBERG AND OTHER PRIMARY SOURCES TO EXAMINE POTENTIAL INVESTMENTS FROM THAT EXAMINATION OVER A LONG TERM.
WE HAVE AN APPROVED LIST OF ISSUERS FROM WHOM WE SOLICIT, UH, PROPOSED BIDS, PROPOSED OFFERS OF SECURITIES AND RATES, UH, AND WE ALSO ENGAGE AN EXTERNAL INVESTMENT ADVISORY FIRM.
THIS WAS A CONTRACT THAT, UM, UH, WAS SET UP A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AFTER WE JETTISONED OUR MORE EXPENSIVE PORTFOLIO, INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO MANAGER.
THE INVESTMENT ADVISORY FIRM IS METER INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, AND THEY ARE PROFESSIONALS IN HELPING ADVISING, PROVIDING PERSPECTIVE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ON THEIR INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS.
AND FINALLY, THE, UH, WE, WE MAKE OUR INVESTMENTS THROUGH ONLY THROUGH APPROVED BROKER DEALERS.
[00:25:01]
BOUND.THEY ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO ADHERE TO THE CITY COUNCIL INVESTMENT POLICY.
SO IF BY SOME CHANCE, UH, UH, TREASURY MAKES A MISTAKE ON FOLLOWING THE INVESTMENT POLICY, THE APPROVED BROKERS AND DEALERS WHO SELL US THOSE INVESTMENTS SHOULD CATCH THAT MISTAKE AND CORRECT IT BEFORE WE MAKE AN INAPPROPRIATE INVESTMENT.
SO THAT'S HOW THE, THAT'S HOW WE CHOOSE ENTITIES, WHETHER IT'S US TREASURY SECURITIES OR FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION SECURITIES, OR, UM, GOVERNMENT NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION, OR FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK AS A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT OTHERS ON PRIVATE COMPANIES FOR, UM, UH, SHORT-TERM CORPORATE NOTES.
THAT'S HOW THOSE ENTITIES ARE VETTED FOR POSSIBLE INVESTMENT BY THE CITY.
WHICH LEADS TO MY LAST SUBSTANTIVE SLIDE, WHICH IS HOW MIGHT THOSE PROCESSES BE CHANGED? AND, UM, AND I COULD DO A GAZILLION EXAMPLES, BUT LET'S TAKE THE ONE THAT'S CURRENTLY ON THE TABLE.
FIRST, INVESTMENT PROCESSES CAN BE CHANGED SIMPLY BY DIRECTION FROM THE CITY MANAGER TO ME AND THE CITY TREASURER.
SO LET'S TAKE THE CURRENT EXAMPLE.
IF THE CITY COUNCIL WERE TO ADOPT THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY AS RECOMMENDED BY THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, HERE'S WHAT WE WOULD DO TO CHANGE THOSE PROCESSES.
FIRST BLUE BOX ON THE RIGHT, UM, WE'D HAVE TO HAVE SOME PROCEDURAL CHANGES, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE CONSTRAINTS WOULD BE GREATER AND THE REQ AND THE, UM, TIE IN THE MATCH, THE INTEGRATION BETWEEN THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AND THE CITY'S INVESTMENT POLICY WOULD BE TIGHTER.
SO THE CITY MANAGER WOULD ASK FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, WELL, WHAT ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES DO YOU NEED TO CHANGE? AND I WOULD THEN RECOMMEND THESE THREE.
FIRST I WOULD SAY, WELL, WE NEED TO IMMEDIATELY DIVEST.
THAT MEANS SELL OFF, RIGHT? WE WOULD FIRST IMMEDIATELY NEED TO DIVEST ALL OF OUR NON-US TREASURY SECURITIES.
AND LIKE I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, THAT'S ABOUT 78% OF THE PORTFOLIO.
UM, AND WE WOULD HAVE TO DIVEST OF THOSE SECURITIES BECAUSE WE ARE UNABLE TO PROVE THAT THOSE 78%, THOSE SECURITIES THAT REPRESENT 78% OF THE PORTFOLIO, ARE NOT ENGAGING IN THOSE SIX EXPLICITLY PROHIBITED BEHAVIORS SHOWN ON THE LEFT HAND.
UH, PART OF SLIDE THREE, MY, MY SHORTHAND FOR THIS IN SLIDE FIVE IS YOU CAN'T PROVE A NEGATIVE.
SO SINCE WE CAN'T PROVE A NEGATIVE, SINCE WE CAN'T PROVE THAT COMPANY X OR UM, UH, US GOVERNMENT AGENCY Y IS NOT ENGAGING IN ANY OF THOSE SIX PROHIBITED BEHAVIORS, WE CAN'T HOLD THEM.
SO THAT'S WHY OUR FIRST RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE DIVEST EVERYTHING EXCEPT US TREASURIES.
THEN WE DON'T WANT THAT MONEY JUST SITTING IN THE BANK EARNING NOTHING.
SO OUR NEXT RECOMMENDATION, UH, IN CHANGING OUR PROCEDURES IS, WELL, WE'RE GONNA REINVEST ALL THOSE SECURITIES, PROBABLY A BILLION AND A HALF INTO US TREASURY SECURITIES, WHICH THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY DOES ALLOW.
SO AT LEAST WE EARN SOMETHING.
AND THEN THE FINAL THING, BECAUSE ALL THOSE OTHER SECURITIES, AS WE PURSUE YIELD AFTER MEETING OUR INVESTMENT POLICY GOALS OF SAFETY AND LIQUIDITY, BECAUSE ALL THOSE OTHER SECURITIES EARN MORE INTEREST, THEN PLAIN US TREASURIES, WE WOULD BE FOREGOING THAT ADDITIONAL INTEREST, RIGHT? US TREASURIES ARE THE SAFEST SECURITY IN THE WORLD.
EVERYBODY ELSE WHO BORROWS, UH, WHETHER FROM US OR FROM ANYONE ELSE, HAS TO PAY OUR HIGHER INTEREST RATE BECAUSE ALL THOSE OTHER SECURITIES ARE NOT AS 100% SOLID GOLD SAFE AS US TREASURIES, WE WOULD BE GIVING UP A HIGHER YIELD FOR THAT 78% OF, UH, 72% OF THE PORTFOLIO THAT NO LONGER QUALIFIES.
SO I'D HAVE TO TELL THE CITY MANAGER, GREAT, WE CAN DO ALL THIS, BUT YOU HAVE TO ADJUST THE BUDGET DOWNWARD BY ABOUT EIGHT OR $9 MILLION BECAUSE WE'LL BE FOREGOING THAT MUCH INTEREST.
SO, UM, THAT'S HOW THE PROCESSES COULD BE CHANGED AND WHAT WE WOULD DO FOR THIS PARTICULAR ONE.
AND, UH, MS. HALL AND I ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, DO YOU OBJECT TO, UH, OR HAVE ANY ISSUE WITH TAKING PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST? NO, I DO NOT.
UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE LINE UP IN FRONT OF THE PODIUM OR USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE OR HIT STAR NINE IF CALLING IN.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE, SO WE'LL CLOSE THE SPEAKERS LIST NOW.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE FOUR IN PERSON AND ONE ON ZOOM, AND THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH THE IN PERSON.
I'M NA TUSHNET AND I LIVE NOW IN DISTRICT TWO.
UM, I'M HERE ACTUALLY REPRESENTING THE LONG BEACH AREA PEACE NETWORK
[00:30:02]
TO SUPPORT THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS SCREENING POLICY.WE WORKED WITH THE EQUITY AND HUMAN, UH, RELATIONS COMMISSION TO HAVE IT PASSED.
UH, AND WE SUPPORT THE POLICY SINCE, AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR WORK ON IT.
UM, WE'VE ALSO MET SINCE THEN WITH CITY STAFF AND WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND HAVE AGREED TO A FEW BASIC MODIFICATIONS IN IT.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE CAN'T PROVE THE NEGATIVE.
WE THINK IT IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.
UM, AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PLACES THAT HAVE DONE THIS KIND OF SCREENING THAT WE KNOW, UM, THAT IT WORKS AND IS NOT REQUIRING YOU TO DUMP EVERYTHING, UM, EXCEPT, UM, EXCEPT US TREASURY NOTES.
UH, SO YOU CAN INVEST IN OTHER COMPANIES.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, THAT WE, WE HAD ALSO PUT IN THERE ORIGINALLY A SEPARATE REPORT.
WE THINK THAT IT CAN BE FOLDED INTO THE QUARTERLY REPORTS VERY EASILY, UM, IN THE REGULAR REPORTING CYCLE.
UM, WE'VE ALSO CLARIFIED, 'CAUSE THIS QUESTION COMES UP A LOT, THAT IT'S ONLY INVESTMENTS, NOT CONTRACTS.
THERE ARE OTHER LAWS AROUND CONTRACTS.
UM, WE'RE NOT READY TO SPEAK TO THAT THOSE LAWS YET.
WE HAVE FOUND THIS WORK BOTH IN THE COMMUNITY AND WITH STAFF TO BE VERY POSITIVE.
AND WE THINK WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE CHANGES.
AND WE ACTUALLY SUBMITTED A FORMAL NOTE, UH, COMMENT ABOUT THESE CHANGES.
BUT OVERALL, THE POLICY IS IMPORTANT.
I SPEAK NOT ONLY FOR LABIN, BUT I ALSO SPEAK PERSONALLY AS A JEW WHO LEARNED ABOUT, LEARNED FROM MY PARENTS, THAT WHEN WE SAID NEVER AGAIN ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST, WE MEANT NEVER AGAIN FOR ANYONE.
MY FATHER ACTUALLY WROTE THREE BOOKS AND NUMEROUS ARTICLES ON THE HOLOCAUST, AND HE DREW FROM THAT, NOT ONLY HIS ACTIVISM IN JEWISH RELATED ORGANIZATIONS, BUT IN THE BROADER CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, SOMETIMES WHEN IT WAS HARD TO BE IN THAT MOVEMENT.
IF WE ALL THINK ABOUT THE FIFTIES, THAT'S MY DAD.
UM, I ALSO SPEAK AS A RETIRED PERSON WHO HAS CAREFULLY INVESTED MY OWN MONEY SO THAT I AM NOT COMPLICIT IN VIOLATIONS OF CIVIL, CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS.
I DON'T WANT THE CITY TO BE COMPLICIT EITHER.
SO ENSURING THAT OUR MONEY DOESN'T SUPPORT APARTHEID, GENOCIDE, ENVIRONMENTAL DE DEVASTATION, LABOR VIOLATIONS AND HARM TO OUR MIGRANT COMMUNITY MEMBERS IS IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND BY THE WAY, JUST OUTTA MY OWN MONEY ISSUE DURING THE LAST SERIES DOWN.
YOUR TIME HAS EL WHEN OH, OKAY.
WHERE'D YOU INVEST? HI, GOOD AFTERNOON.
AND, UM, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ACTUALLY PRESENTING WITH NA A TO THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION ON THIS, UM, POLICY.
AND, UM, A COUPLE THINGS, I JUST WANNA ECHO WHAT NATA SAID, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE CONTINUED TO CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND CONTINUE TO CONNECT WITH PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND, UH, WE'VE HEARD POSITIVE FEEDBACK AND WE KNOW THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE INCREASINGLY INTERESTED IN THE WAYS IN WHICH OUR MONEY IS BEING UTILIZED.
UM, IN FACT, I MYSELF SOUGHT INTEREST IN THE WAYS IN WHICH THE CITY INVESTS AND, UH, USES OUR FUNDS BY ATTENDING THE ANNUAL OR BIANNUAL.
I THINK YOU NOW HAVE, UH, BUDGET MEETINGS, AND I KEEP SEEING AN INCREASE IN NUMBER OF PEOPLE SHOWING UP TO THOSE MEETINGS AS WELL.
AND SO TO US, THAT DEMONSTRATED THAT PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN THE WAYS IN WHICH OUR FUNDS ARE BEING USED.
UH, NATE AND I ACTUALLY ALSO TABLED AT A COMMUNITY EVENT WHERE PEOPLE WERE GENUINELY INTERESTED ABOUT THIS POLICY BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZED THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS NOT REALLY OFTEN TALKED ABOUT ON A PUBLIC SCALE.
UM, AND SO THE THING ABOUT THIS POLICY IS, IS THAT IT IS ALSO CENTERED AROUND TRANSPARENCY, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE APPRECIATE ABOUT THIS POLICY.
AND THAT IS, UM, AT THE CENTER OF THIS POLICY, UM, AND ALSO ALIGNS WITH THE CITY'S VALUES AND COMMITMENTS.
UM, THE CITY OF LONG BEACH DOES DECLARE ITS COMMITMENT TO ETHICAL GOVERNANCE AND ITS VALUE STATEMENT THAT ENLIGHTENS KEY CHARACTERISTICS LIKE ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, INTEGRITY, AND EQUITY, WHICH WE FEEL THIS POLICY DEFINITELY ALIGNS WITH.
UM, WE ALSO RECOGNIZED AS WE WERE COMMUNICATING WITH, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT THIS ALSO ALIGNS WITH LONG BEACH VALUES STATEMENTS GROW, LONG BEACH ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT, THE RACIAL EQUITY AND RECONCILIATION INITIATIVE, AND THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT, WHICH A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS APPRECIATED.
[00:35:01]
COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALSO MENTIONED IS THEY WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE THE ADDITION OF CONSTRAINTS AROUND THE USE OF, UM, ANY TYPE OF INVESTMENTS AROUND, UM, BORDER SURVEILLANCE AND IMMIGRATION DETENTION FACILITIES.THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HEARD SINCE OCTOBER WHEN WE FIRST PRESENTED TO THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HEARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO WE ALSO ASK THAT MAYBE THIS CAN EXTEND TO THAT AS WELL.
UM, BUT WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE CITY'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAT IS MUCH NEEDED.
AND JUST BRINGING THAT TRANSPARENCY, BRINGING THAT OPENNESS TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND JUST REALLY ENSURING THAT WE CONTINUE TO HOLD TRUE TO OUR VALUES.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, CITY STAFF.
I WASN'T PLANNING ON TALKING, BUT JUST WANTED TO GET UP, SAY A FEW THINGS.
SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, THE, THE LAWS AND KIND OF THE PRINCIPLES THAT'S WITHIN THE CIVIC AND HUMAN, UH, RIGHT.
SCREENING POLICY, THEY'RE NOT YOUR TYPICAL LAWS, RIGHT? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE MOST EGREGIOUS, THE MOST, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, FOR THE LAST 60, 70 YEARS, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED A WHOLE BUNCH OF LAWS TO STAY AWAY FROM SUCH ACTIVITIES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL HARM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IS A BROAD, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL HARM, WE TALK ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL HARM BY BLOCKING PUBLIC RESOURCES OR BOMBING LIKE CERTAIN, UH, AGRICULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WOULD BRING AG UH, ENVIRONMENTAL HARM THROUGH DISPLACEMENT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF A STEP ABOVE JUST, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTAL HARM IN, IN THE SENSE.
SO A LOT OF THE PRINCIPLES ARE GROUNDED IN SOME, IN REALLY THE, THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION, WHICH A LOT OF THESE THINGS KIND OF MOVES US AWAY FROM SLAVERY AND THESE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, WE CELEBRATE WHERE WE ARE, UM, TODAY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THOSE PRINCIPLES AND LAWS THAT WHEN YOU LOOK DEEP INTO THEM, THEY'RE REALLY THE MOST EGREGIOUS, YOU KNOW, VIOLENT ACTIVITIES THAT COULD HAPPEN.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS CITY IMPLEMENTATION.
UH, I THINK WE AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF LEARNING, THIS IS KIND OF A COMPLEX BRINGING A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS TOGETHER, WHETHER IT'S FINANCIALS, VALUES, UH, AND, AND A LOT OF OTHER CONSIDERATIONS.
BUT I THINK THE IMPLEMENTATION TO, UH, MR. RIPPER'S, UH, COMMENTS IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WANNA, LIKE, LEAD WITH THE CITY TO SEE WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST PART.
I DON'T THINK THERE SHOULD BE OTHER PROCESSES OUTSIDE OF THE CURRENT CITY PROCESSES THAT COULD PROBABLY JUST KIND OF OVERLAY AND MAKE THESE THINGS EASIER.
I THINK REDUNDANCIES AND EFFICIENCY IS ALSO PART OF THE POLICY, WHETHER IT'S A VALUE OR, OR YOU KNOW, HOW THE, THE MONEY IS SPENT IMPLEMENTING THIS.
SO, AND, AND I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE EASY, EASY, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO FIND BENEFICIAL INVESTMENTS.
THERE IS PLENTY OF 'EM IF WE DON'T DO THE NEGATIVE AND WE AGREE YOU SHOULD BE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY, BUT IF YOU DON'T DO IT THAT WAY, I THINK IT CHANGES THE WHOLE EQUATION.
AND I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIND A LOT OF DIFFERENT INVESTMENTS WHERE YOU CAN PUT, WHERE YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN A GOOD PLACE AND IT SPEAKS FOR OUR PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS.
AND THEN LASTLY, I WOULD SAY THAT IT'S NOT REALLY A LEFT THING OR A RIGHT THING, IT'S A PEOPLE'S THING.
I THINK AS LONG BEACH, WE'RE FORWARD AND, AND WE LEAD ON A LOT OF THIS, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, A MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS CAN SUPPORT SUCH A THING.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD DO IT IN A SMART WAY.
WE DON'T WANT TO PUT IT IN A, IN A SHOTGUN SITUATION WITH THE CITY.
BUT I, I THINK THERE'S A WAY TO, TO DO THAT.
AND THE, THE CITY AND STAFF ARE, ARE MORE THAN, YOU KNOW, CAPABLE AND, AND YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT OF GOOD RESOURCES.
SO I, I APPRECIATE YOU JUST GOING THROUGH THIS.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS, DIRECTOR OF I PER CITY STAFF.
UH, MY NAME IS JOSH DE LEON, I'M THE NEW CHAIR FOR THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION.
AND JUST WANTED TO COME HERE VERY BRIEFLY AND SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PROCESS AS WE CAME TO, UH, SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION THAT COMMUNITY BROUGHT TO OUR COMMISSION.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT PER BROWN ACT AND PER OUR BYLAWS, I CAN'T COMMENT ON THE, UH, UPDATED VERSIONS THAT COMMUNITY HAS SHARED, BUT I DO KNOW THAT, UH, THEY HAVE ITERATED QUITE A BIT, UM, ON THE VERSIONS THAT THEY, UH, RECOMMEND BEING PASSED THROUGH THE CITY AND HAVE SENT THOSE, I BELIEVE, TO, TO THIS BODY AS WELL AS TO STAFF.
AND SO I DO RECOMMEND LOOKING AT THAT AND SEEING WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE THEY SPOKE TO US IN OCTOBER OF LAST OR NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
UH, FOR US AT THE EQUITY HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, WE, UM, WERE STRUCK ONE BY I THINK THE CLARITY OF THE VISION THAT THIS GROUP WAS BRINGING, UH, LONG BEACH CHAIR OF PEACE NETWORK AND ITS COMMUNITY, UH, TO, UH, TRYING TO ADVANCE THIS POLICY, REALLY TRYING TO APPLY LONG BEACH CITY VALUES TO OUR INVESTMENTS.
UH, AND IT MADE SENSE TO US AS A COMMISSION, AND WE VOTED, UH, IN FAVOR OF IT.
UH, IN PART BECAUSE, UH, THERE IS ACTUALLY A LOT OF PRECEDENT, RIGHT? WE HAVE CITIES LIKE OAKLAND AND BOSTON, UH, AND MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE, UH, POLICIES THAT HAVE SIMILARITIES, UH, APPLYING A HIGHER LEVEL OF RIGOR, UM, BEYOND SIMPLY, UH, RATE OF RETURN, UH, TO WHAT A CITY MIGHT INVEST IN OR PUT MONEY INTO.
UH, AND SO FOR US, WE SAW THIS AS WHEN THE LINES OF PRECEDENT AS A CITY BODY, UM, AS WELL AS WITHIN THE VALUES OF
[00:40:01]
THE CITY, UH, AS A WHOLE.UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US WAS THE, UH, PRESENCE OF A LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY, UH, INTEREST, UH, IN THIS TOPIC.
WE HAD ONE OF THE LARGEST ATTENDANCES WE'VE HAD, UH, AS A COMMISSION IN THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN A COMMISSIONER OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, UH, ON THIS TOPIC.
AND SO WE SAW SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC INTEREST.
THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE HERE ON A A TUESDAY AFTERNOON, I THINK ALSO SPEAKS TO THAT.
UM, AND THEN THIRD, UH, FOR US, AS WE KIND OF READ THROUGH THE POLICY, UH, WE FELT LIKE IT MET, UH, MET A MOMENT WHERE THERE WAS, UH, IMMENSE, UH, POLITICAL DISTRUST AND, AND, AND CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND IN OUR, IN OUR, OUR PURVIEW AS A BODY THAT FOCUSES ON HUMAN RELATIONS, ON EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE CITY.
UM, POLICIES LIKE THESE ARE A WAY FOR US AS A BODY TO, TO BUILD THAT PUBLIC TRUST, RIGHT? AND TO CREATE SPACE FOR COMMUNITY TO FEEL LIKE THERE ARE TAX DOLLARS HERE IN THE CITY ARE BEING SPENT AND ALLOCATED, UH, RESPONSIBLY.
UM, AND SO FOR US AS A BODY, WE ENDED UP VOTING, UM, STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF THE VERSION THAT WAS IN FRONT OF US.
UM, BUT WE WERE ALSO NOT OPPOSED TO FURTHER ITERATIONS ON THIS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE SHARED, UM, SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY WANT TO MAKE TO THE POLICY TO MAKE IT WORK WITH THE CITY AND IN COLLABORATION.
SO, UH, I'M REALLY EXCITED BY THAT SPIRIT OF PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION THAT I'M SEEING THROUGH THE ORIGINAL AUTHORS OF THE RECOMMENDATION.
UH, C HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION IS AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR DISCUSSION ON THIS IF NEEDED.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE ZOOM SPEAKERS.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS ALYSSA GUTIERREZ.
ALYSSA GUTIERREZ, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF AND BEGIN.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UM, COMMISSIONERS.
I AM A SECOND DISTRICT RENTER AND MAMA FOUR.
RICKS ODI FOR IZING THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC.
AFTER THE EHRC PASSED THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IN NOVEMBER, NEARLY 1000 LONG BEACH RESIDENTS HAVE SIGNED A PETITION SUPPORTING A HUMAN RIGHTS SCREENING ON CITY INVESTMENTS.
THE MESSAGE WAS CLEAR WHERE THE CITY INVEST ITS MONEY MATTERS, LONG BEACH RESIDENTS DO WANT, DO NOT WANT THEIR TAX DOLLARS CONTRIBUTING TO GENOCIDE, APARTHEID, OCCUPATION, WAR CRIMES, CHILD ENSLAVED LABOR, EXTREME AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION.
AND SIMILAR TO NAIDA, AS A JEWISH LITTLE GIRL, I GREW UP IMMERSED IN THE STORIES OF THE HOLOCAUST OF MY PEOPLE.
FROM A YOUNG AGE, I WAS TAUGHT THAT NEVER AGAIN, WAS NOT MEANT TO BE SELECTIVE.
IT WAS MEANT TO BE A MORAL COMMITMENT TO HUMANITY THAT NO COMMUNITY SHOULD EVER FACE MASS KILLING, STARVATION, FORCED LABOR AGAIN.
AND THAT IF THEY DID, THE WORLD WOULD DO EVERYTHING IN ITS POWER TO STOP IT.
I'VE SPENT THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, UNFORTUNATELY, GRIEVING THAT ILLUSION.
AND WHILE THE ACTIONS OF LONG BEACH ALONE CAN'T CHANGE THE WORLD, WE CAN DO OUR SMALL BUT MEANINGFUL PART TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT COMPLICIT IN SUCH ATROCITIES.
HISTORY SHOWS US THAT HOW WE USE OUR MONEY IS ONE OF OUR STRONGEST LEVERS FOR JUSTICE.
AND WE'VE SEEN THIS IN OTHER INSTANCES OF APARTHEID, GENOCIDE, OCCUPATION, LONG BEACH HAS A CHANCE TO BE PART OF THAT SAME LEGACY OF MORAL LEADERSHIP, SHOWING THAT WHERE WE PLACE OUR DOLLARS CAN EITHER UPHOLD OPPRESSION OR HELP DISMANTLE IT.
AND WITH ALL THAT SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO UPLIFT THREE AMENDMENTS TO THE CURRENT EHRC POLICY, UH, WHICH SOME HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAID, BUT WANNA JUST PUT MY VOICE OUT THERE.
ONE, UM, I RECOMMEND REPLACING THE PRESUMPTION OF NON-COMPLIANCE WITH AN EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLIANCE STANDARDS.
AND THERE ARE, UH, MANY CREDIBLE, INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIABLE SOURCES THAT DO THIS AND CAN PARTNER WITH THE CITY TO DO THIS.
I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO ALIGN OUR EXISTING CITY INVESTMENTS, UH, REPORTING PROCESSES TO ALLEVIATE ANY, UM, REDUNDANT OR EXCESSIVE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN.
AND FINALLY, UM, AS ONE OF THE OTHER SPEAKERS SAID, UM, IN MORE CONVERSATION WITH COMMUNITY, THERE IS AN INTEREST TO EXPAND THE POLICY TO ADDRESS INVESTMENTS CONNECTED TO IMMIGRATION DETENTION AND BORDER SURVEILLANCE.
SO I HAVE SENT AN EMAIL, UM, OUTLINING THIS INFORMATION AND ALSO INCLUDED A GLOSSARY OF DEFINED TERMS AND THAT, THAT INCLUDE, UM, WHERE THOSE DEFINITIONS ARE ROOTED.
SO, UM, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS ITEM.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS ITEM AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, DURING THE DISCUSSION.
PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF AND BEGIN.
UM, I'M REALLY FORTUNATE TO BE ON THIS CALL TODAY.
UM, UH, THE CITY AND COMMUNITY CANNOT LOSE WITH A POLICY SUCH AS THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, MORE TRANSPARENCY, MONITORING, AND PUBLIC REPORTING ON ANY AND ALL INVESTMENTS.
[00:45:01]
UM, ENTERING THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL TO HUMANS LIVING IN LONG BEACH AND ELSEWHERE.UM, I FEEL SAFER KNOWING THAT OUR LONG BEACH CITY INVESTMENTS ARE NOT ENTANGLED WITH BLOOD MONEY FROM BAD FAITH INVESTMENTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE EXTINCTION OF HUMANITY AND MOTHER EARTH GENOCIDE, APARTHEID HUMAN AND CHILD TRAFFICKING.
UM, LABOR VIOLATIONS, UH, LABOR RIGHTS VIOLATIONS SHOULD BE EXAMINED AND ELIMINATED, UM, FROM ENTERING OUR BEAUTIFUL LONG BEACH, UH, COMMUNITY.
I ALSO AM IN A DESCENDANT OF A, OF GENOCIDE.
UM, I'M NOT ARMENIAN AND AYN, MY COUNTRY IS BEING BOMBARDED WITH, UM, UH, GENOCIDE, UH, HUMAN DISPLACEMENT.
UM, EVERYTHING YOU CAN, EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF.
UM, I I WAKE UP, UM, SHOOK, UH, KNOWING THAT AS LONG AS I HAVE A VOICE AND I STILL HAVE A VOICE, I WOULD LIKE TO USE IT.
PLEASE REC, PLEASE APPROVE THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY IS EXTREMELY CRUCIAL, UM, TO ADDRESS A LOT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY HAPPENING IN LONG BEACH AND AROUND THE WORLD.
UM, PLEASE SUPPORT BLACK WORKERS FREE PALESTINE, AND PLEASE END THE WAR ON ALL OF HUMANITY AND OUR BELOVED MOTHER EARTH.
PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF AND BEGIN.
HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, PLEASE BEGIN.
I'M A RESIDENT AT DISTRICT TWO.
UH, I'M AN ENGINEER AND, UH, WORKING IN A TECH FIELD.
AND, UH, I LIVED IN LONG BEACH SINCE 2019, AND I CHOOSE THIS CITY PARTLY FOR MY JOB AND PARTLY ALSO FOR, UM, MY LOVE FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
UH, HONESTLY, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M PARTICIPATING IN CITY REPUBLIC FORUM OR SUCH THING BECAUSE, UM, HOW MUCH THIS CAUSE MATTERS TO ME.
UM, SO I LOVE LONG BEACH PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF ITS VALUES, AND, UH, THAT REALLY REFLECTS IN OUR, IN MY DAY-TO-DAY INTERACTIONS.
AND, UH, IN TODAY'S CLIMATE, IT'S, I FEEL LIKE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, THESE BASIC ETHIC INVESTMENT MEASURES.
I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT, UM, SIMPLE AND, UH, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS THAT IT MIGHT HAVE.
BUT, UH, AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE LIKE ME, UM, CARE ABOUT, UH, THIS, AND I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO CONSIDER IT.
UM, AND, UM, THAT'S MAINLY ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE SECOND CHAIR.
UH, SO I'M BRINGING THAT BACK, UH, TO THE, UH, COMMITTEE.
UM, DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES, UM, HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP OR QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? UM, THANK YOU CHAIR, UH, COUNCILMAN ALLEN, CANNOT, MAY I GO? OKAY.
WELL, I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I THANK YOU TO THE EQUITY, UH, AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, UM, FOR THIS AND FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND ALL THE SPEAKERS.
AND, UH, KEVIN, I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB ON YOUR PRESENTATION.
YOU DIDN'T NEED A BUNCH OF PICTURES.
WE, WE GOT THE GIST OF EVERYTHING WE HAVE GOING ON HERE.
UM, I THINK THAT, UH, THEORETICALLY ALL THIS SOUNDS REALLY GOOD.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO, UM, WE, WE WANNA DO BUSINESS WITH GOOD PEOPLE.
I DO WORRY ABOUT THE DIVESTING OF 72% AND WHAT THAT REALLY LOOKS LIKE, UM, AND HOW THAT AFFECTS US.
SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I PERSONALLY, I DON'T WANNA TELL THE FIRE CHIEF HOW YOU KNOW, WHAT EQUIPMENT HE NEEDS.
I DON'T WANNA TELL THE POLICE CHIEF, UM, WHAT KIND OF OVERTIME HE NEEDS.
AND I DON'T WANNA TELL A TREASURER LIKE, WHAT, WHAT TO INVEST IN.
IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT IS MY, UM, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S WITHIN MY COMFORT LEVEL.
SO I WOULD, I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN ANY CHANGES, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THE CITY MANAGER, THE TREASURER, THE AUDITOR, THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND ALL THOSE, AND JUST SEE HOW THIS, UM, AFFECTS OUR, OUR BOTTOM LINE.
BUT I, UM, I THINK IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING, UH, CONCEPT.
AND, UM, AND I KNOW I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT, UM, THAT WORKED ON THIS.
AND I THINK THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ALL WANNA BE A BETTER CITY AND WE WANNA DO BUSINESS WITH GOOD PEOPLE.
[00:50:01]
I DON'T HAVE A ZOOM HAND TO RAISE, SO, BUT I WILL, UH, I GUESS DO THE BEST I CAN WITH WHAT I GOT.I MEAN, THIS TOPIC FOR ME IS TWOFOLD.
WE INVEST AND PEOPLE INVEST IN US.
UH, AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT US INVESTING IN OTHER BUSINESSES.
AND EVEN THE PARAMETERS THAT WE HAVE HERE, THE SIX, UH, I GUESS, UH, LIMITS THAT WE HAVE, HUMAN RIGHTS, LABOR RELATIONS, SO ON AND SO FORTH, ARE IMPORTANT.
AND I'M GLAD THAT GENERALLY WE HAVE, UH, PEOPLE SAY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
ON THE FLIP SIDE, PEOPLE INVEST IN LONG BEACH, INVEST IN US, AND WE CONDUCT BUSINESS WITH THEM IN THE SENSE THAT WE ALLOW THEM TO DO BUSINESS IN LONG BEACH FOR LONG BEACH IN, YOU KNOW, IN A ROUND THEM OUT AWAY, THEY'RE INVEST IN US.
SO THE CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS, THAT'S COME UP LATELY, OBVIOUSLY, IS THAT THERE'S A BUSINESSES OUT THERE THAT ARE DOING BUSINESS WITH LONG BEACH THAT HAVE NEBULOUS WHEN THE PARENTS, UH, UH, CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER ENTITIES THAT ARE RELATED TO GENOCIDE, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, LABOR RELATIONS, AND SO ON.
BUT I, THESE ARE THE MINOR MEASUREMENTS THAT WE MAKE WITH THEM.
SO I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THAT.
THAT'S PROBABLY ANOTHER, THAT'S PROBABLY DISCUSSION FOR ANOTHER TIME WITH OTHER, WITH ANOTHER FOCUS.
BUT I JUST WANNA BRING THAT UP AS AN ATTENTION THAT I AM CONCERNED WHEN PEOPLE ARGUE THAT WE ARE ALLOWING MINISTERS TO COME INTO LONG BEACH THAT HAVE AFAR BACKGROUND, AND WE HAVEN'T, OR HAVEN'T SEEN ANYWAY, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY MECHANISM TO VET THOSE COMPANIES TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE FOLLOWING THE RIGHT TRACK OF NOT BEING, UH, COMPANIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE GONNA BE ANTI-SIM RIGHTS, ANTI HUMAN RIGHTS, UH, ANTI-IMMIGRATION IMMIGRANTS, BECAUSE WE ARE INVESTED IN, IN PEOPLE.
UM, WHEN WE HAVE COMPANIES INVEST IN US, THEY ALSO ARE INVESTING IN PEOPLE.
IT'S ANTIBIOTIC, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A, NEVERMIND.
AND IF WE ARE INVESTING IN COMPANIES, OR WE'RE ALLOWING COMPANIES TO INVEST IN US THAT ARE
SO I WOULD LIKE SCIENCE THAT FUTURE TIME, PERHAPS, THAT WE COULD LOOK AT COMPANIES THAT WANT TO INVEST IN LONG BEACH TO ENSURE THAT THESE COMPANIES ARE UP AND UP, THAT THEY'RE NOT DOING SOME NEFARIOUS ACTIVITIES AT A, AT A, AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL THAT WE CAN'T SEE.
BECAUSE AGAIN, SERVICE TO OUR POPULATION, TO OUR ELECTORATE, TO OUR RESIDENTS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
SO THIS, UH, GIVES MORE OF A COMMENT THAN THAT IS AN OBSERVATION.
BUT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALSO LOOK AT THAT ON THE FLIP SIDE OF HIS ADVANCEMENTS AND PEOPLE MENTIONING US, BUT ALSO US MENTIONING THAT MAN AND THIS, UH, ISSUE THAT HE REPORTS FOR NOW IS A, IS A GOOD ONE.
I THINK IT'S, UH, IT'S IN THE RIGHT TRACK AND WE NEED TO PURSUE THAT.
BUT I'M ALSO CONCERNED ON THE FLIP SIDE, THANK YOU.
UH, THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR RANGA.
UM, SO, UM, I REALLY, UH, I WAS, I WAS HAPPY TO, UM, INCLUDE THIS.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENTS AT, UH, CITY COUNCIL, AND THIS CAME OUT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE EQUITY, HUMAN RELATIONS, COMMIS, UM, UH, COMMISSION.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SO I SEE IT, THE POLICY SEEKS TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC FUNDS ARE NEVER USED TO SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, ENVIRONMENTAL HARM, OR SYSTEMIC INJUSTICE.
[00:55:01]
I THINK MOST OF US WHO ARE REASONABLE PEOPLE SUPPORT THAT IDEA, RIGHT? IT REASSURE, IT REASSURES OUR RESIDENTS THAT LONG BEACH VEST WITH INTEGRITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.UM, BUT I DO THINK WE HAVE TO BE CLEAR-EYED ABOUT THE OPERATIONAL AND FISCAL REALITIES INVOLVED.
UM, YOU KNOW, RESTRICTING OUR INVESTMENT OPTIONS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY TO THE US AT LEAST FROM WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY, UM, PUT FORWARD, UH, CARRIES A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OUR, OUR INTEREST EARNINGS, RIGHT? AND SO IN A YEAR WHERE WE ARE FACING TOUGH BUDGET CHOICES, I IMAGINE A LOT OF CONCERNS FROM MY COUNCIL, COLLEAGUES FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT MAKING THE BUDGET GAP LARGER.
UM, AND SO AS WE REVIEW THIS PRESENTATION, OUR GOAL, I THINK SHOULD REALLY BE TO FIND A PRACTICAL PATH FORWARD.
ONE THAT HONORS THE ETHICAL INTENT OF THE LONG BEACH VALUES ACT AND THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN THE CITY TO REALLY UPLIFT THAT.
AND I'M BALANCING NAVIGATING A CHALLENGE OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS, UH, ON OUR BUDGET.
UH, AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, AND I THINK THE FIRST ONE I THINK IS PROBABLY OBVIOUS TO THOSE OF US WHO ARE SITTING IN THE CHAMBERS OR VIRTUALLY LIKE MYSELF.
UM, BUT JUST FOR, JUST FOR, FOR THE RECORD KEEPING, UM, COULD CITY STAFF TOUCH ON WHY THIS ITEM WAS REFERRED AND ENDED UP BEING, UH, PART OF OUR, UM, OUR AGENDA FOR THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE? UH, AS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR, I WAS REQUESTED TO PREPARE A PRESENTATION FOR THE COMMITTEE, AND I DID, WELL, I GUESS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR IS THAT I THINK, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU KIND OF KNOW THE HISTORY HERE, UM, THIS WAS A, A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSION.
WE HAD MANY PEOPLE COMING TO, UH, TO DO PUBLIC COMMENT AT OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAD A DISCUSSION OR THE, THE, THE, THE MAYOR SPOKE A LOT ABOUT THIS AT A, A MEETING.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING POTENTIALLY THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, UM, COULD TAKE UP BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET IMPLICATIONS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE, UM, THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE TODAY.
UM, AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION WAS, UM, FOR THE PROHIBITIONS, KEVIN RIPER THAT YOU DISCUSSED, UM, HOW WOULD THE CITY DETERMINE OR PROVE IF AN ENTITY IS COMPLICIT IN THOSE PROHIBITIVE BEHAVIORS? SO, UH, CHAIR, YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE, UH, INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY AS IT WAS APPROVED BY THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION AND PASSED ALONG TO THE CITY COUNCIL WITH THE CURRENT QUOTE, GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT.
IS, IS, IS THAT YOUR QUESTION OR ARE YOU AT, I GUESS I WAS JUST SAYING, I GUESS I WAS SAYING, UM, THE IDEA BEING IS THAT THERE WAS THOSE, YOU SAID IT WAS GUILTY BECAUSE YOU PROVEN INNOCENT.
RIGHT? SO EVEN IF WE DIVESTED FROM ALL OF THE KIND OF EXTERNAL NON-US ONES, AND WE ONLY STUCK TO THE US ONES, IS THERE SOME HAS STAFF THOUGHT ABOUT, THERE'S SOME PROCESSES WAY WE'D EVEN, EVEN IF WE WERE GOING TO DO THAT, THAT WE WOULD VET THE ONES THAT EVEN WERE INTERNAL TO THE US RIGHT.
THAT WE SAID WOULD WE BE ABLE TO, TO PROVE OR DISPROVE THAT NEGATIVE? YEAH.
IT, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVE A NEGATIVE ABOUT ANY LARGE ORGANIZATION.
SO GOING FORWARD, WE WOULD REMAIN UNDER THE CURRENT CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS SECURITY POLICY AS RECOMMENDED, AND BY THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, WE WOULD REMAIN INVESTED IN US TREASURIES ONLY GOING FORWARD FOREVER.
THERE, THERE IS NO WAY THAT THE CITY TREASURER OR I CAN STAND UP IN FRONT OF ANYONE AND SAY, WE HAVE PROVEN THAT COMPANY X DOESN'T ENGAGE IN ANY OF THE, UM, SIX PROHIBITED CATEGORIES.
THAT'S, IT'S LOGICALLY IMPOSSIBLE, NOT JUST PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
UM, NOW THE FLIP SIDE IS WE'VE HEARD, UM, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PUBLIC COMMENTERS AROUND, UM, AN AMENDMENT TO CHANGE, UH, THAT ORIGINAL REQUEST, UH, TO NO LONGER REQUIRE US TO, TO, TO PROVE THE NEGATIVE, BUT BASICALLY SAY, HEY, UM, WE JUST WOULDN'T WANT TO INVEST IN ANY ENTITY THAT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE EVIDENCE OF, UM, ENGAGING IN THESE PROHIBITIVE BEHAVIORS.
UH, AND SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE HOW MIGHT THE CITY GO ABOUT BUILDING LIKE E UH, EVIDENCE? I THINK ONE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTERS TALKED ABOUT THERE BEING SOME INDEPENDENT READING AGENCIES.
I KNOW THAT THERE IS LIKE THE ESG SCORE, RIGHT? THE ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE SCORES.
UM, HAS THE, HAS CITY STAFF GIVEN SOME THOUGHT TO HOW, IF, IF, IF CITY COUNCIL OF THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WERE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT CITY COUNCIL WERE TO PASS SOMETHING LIKE THIS, HOW WE MIGHT INDEPENDENTLY ASSESS WHETHER OR NOT AN ORGANIZATION OR ENTITY WAS COMPLICIT IN SOME OF THESE PROHIBITED BEHAVIORS? UH, WE'VE GIVEN ONLY THE, UM, MILDEST PASSING THOUGHTS ON HOW WE WOULD VET IF THE CRITERION FLIPS THE OTHER WAY.
BASICALLY, WE'VE SAID WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FINANCE NERDS.
WE ARE NOT
SO WE WOULD LOOK TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD AND DO SOME RESEARCH.
BUT YEAH, WE HAVEN'T SPENT MUCH TIME ON THAT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN SPENDING ALL OUR TIME ON THIS POLICY AS IT'S CURRENTLY CRAFTED.
UM, WELL, KEVIN, I THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE AN EXPERT IN EVERYTHING, SO I JUST
[01:00:01]
FIGURED THAT YOU WOULD HAVE IN YOUR BACK POCKET SOME OPTIONS, BUT THAT'S I COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE.UM, SO THEN I GUESS ONE OF MY REQUESTS, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN, UH, LATER ON IN AUGUST, UM, I KNOW I, I THINK IN THE LETTER THAT WAS SENT, THERE WERE SOME POTENTIAL SUGGESTIONS.
UM, BUT MY REQUEST IS THE CHAIR WOULD BE, UH, FOR CITY STAFF TO LOOK AT WHAT MIGHT BE SOME POTENTIAL OPTIONS FOR INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENTS.
UM, IF AND WHEN WE DECIDE TO, UH, UH, TO MOVE SOMETHING FORWARD TO, TO CITY COUNCIL, THAT WOULD BE GREAT CHAIR.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW I GOT ABOUT SIX WORDS TO DESCRIBE WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO PRESENT IN AUGUST, AND YOU'VE JUST GIVEN ME A, UH, A TEMPLATE AND AN AGENDA, AND WE'LL, WE'LL COME BACK IN AUGUST WITH, UM, A FRAMEWORK FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN THIS WAS JUST A CURIOSITY FROM MINE, UH, WHO GOVERNS THE MAKEUP OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE? SO, HI, DOES, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAD A SET OF FOLKS THAT WERE KIND OF INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN THE INVESTMENTS, BUT LIKE, WHAT WOULD, IS THAT A, IS THAT PART OF OUR CITY CHARTER? WHAT IS, WHAT, UM, WHAT GOVERNS THAT, THAT LIST OF ENTITIES THAT ARE PART OF THE, UH, IAC UH, INFORMAL INSTITUTIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICE GOING BACK, LIKE I SAY, ALMOST, ALMOST CERTAINLY TO BEFORE MY PREDECESSOR, IT'S NOT IN THE CITY CHARTER.
IT'S NOT IN ANY CITY ORDINANCE THAT I'M AWARE OF, BUT IT'S PRETTY COMMON IN, UM, IN THE OTHER SEVEN CITIES WHERE I, WHERE I'VE EITHER BEEN THE CITY TREASURER OR SUPERVISED THE CITY TREASURER.
WE HAD SOMETHING SIMILAR, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS INFORMAL.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS MANDATED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S KIND OF A BEST PRACTICE ADMINISTRATIVELY.
UM, AND THIS IS NOT BECAUSE I HAVE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR IN MIND, BUT IN THAT, UH, REPORT BACK THAT WE DO FOR THE, FOR THE NEXT PRESENTATION LATER IN AUGUST, UM, FOR THIS, FOR SOME OF THE CITIES, UH, FOR, FOR MAYBE SOME KIND OF COMPARATOR CITIES, UM, THAT, UH, HAVE THESE INTERNAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES, UM, COULD YOU ALL COME BACK WITH JUST LIKE A KIND OF A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEIR MAKEUP AND THEN WHETHER OR NOT ANY OF THEM DIFFER IN THEIR MAKEUP THAN FROM WHAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, UH, PUTS FORWARD? SURE, WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, YOU CAN SAVE ME SOME WORK.
QUICK QUESTION, CHAIR, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN CITIES OF SIMILAR SIZE AROUND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, OR ARE YOU INTERESTED IN NEIGHBORING CITIES THAT ABUT OR ARE CLOSE TO LONG BEACH? UH, CAN I SAY A BOTH AND DARN
CHER, NOW THAT YOU GAVE ME THE OPTION, SEE, I'M A STATISTICIAN.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST IS, AND I THINK YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT, BUT JUST TO MAKE IT REALLY CONCRETE, UM, CAN, CAN YOU GO OVER AGAIN SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE KIND OF PROCEDURAL CHANGES THAT THE CITY MANAGER WOULD NEED TO AUTHORIZE IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THIS POLICY? UH, YEAH, THE ONE ON THE LAST SLIDE.
THE ONE'S ON THE LAST SLIDE? YEAH.
COULD YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC CHAIR? UH, SO I THINK IN THE, 'CAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT THE, I DIDN'T LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL PRESENTATION, BUT IN THE, I THINK, UM, IN LIKE THE, ONE OF THE ORIGINAL REPORTS IT TALKED ABOUT, YEAH, SO IT SAID ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURAL CHANGES THAT WERE NEEDED TO BE MADE.
SO I WAS JUST SAYING CAN YOU JUST GO OVER THOSE ONE MORE TIME? THOSE THREE OH, OH, YOU WANT ME TO RECAP SLIDE FIVE OR YES.
UM, THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE, UH, AGAIN, IF THE CITY COUNCIL WERE TO ADOPT THE CURRENTLY EXISTING CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY, THE THREE TOM, THE CITY MANAGER, WOULD ASK US FOR ADVICE.
ONE IMMEDIATELY SELL OFF ALL NON-US TREASURY SECURITIES THAT WE HOLD NOW IN THE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO.
UM, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, BECAUSE WE CAN'T PROVE THE NEGATIVE AND THEREFORE THEY IMMEDIATELY BECOME INELIGIBLE TO BE PART OF THE PORTFOLIO UNDER THE POLICY AS IT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN, UM, THE DAY THE POLICY BECOMES EFFECTIVE.
SO WE'D HAVE TO DIVEST ALL THOSE NON-US TREASURY SECURITIES.
AND THEN, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THEM SITTING AROUND EARNING NOTHING IN THE BANK, WE WOULD REINVEST THEM AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE INTO PURE US TREASURY SECURITIES.
AND THEN THE THIRD THING WAS BY, IN, BY SELLING OFF THE SECURITIES THAT HAVE A HIGHER YIELD THAN US TREASURIES, BUT ARE STILL SAFE AND RELATIVELY LIQUID, WE WOULD LOSE YIELD AND WE WOULD LOSE EIGHT OR $9 MILLION OF INTEREST EARNINGS PER YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHY MY THIRD RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE, HEY, CITY MANAGER, YOU GOTTA ADJUST THE CITY BUDGET DOWNWARD BY EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
'CAUSE WE WON'T BE HAVING THOSE INTEREST EARNINGS ANYMORE.
REVENUE WILL BE DOWN EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
SO THE PROCEDURAL CHANGE FOR THE THIRD ONE IS REALLY SAYING THIS IS THE IMPACT, BUT THE PROCEDURAL CHANGE ITSELF WOULD BE, YOU WOULD NEED TO THEN HAVE MODIFICATIONS TO THE, TO THE CITY BUDGET IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE WHAT WE NOW KNOW WILL BE COMING.
[01:05:01]
IT'S MUCH MORE THAN AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURAL CHANGE.AND THEN THERE BECOMES A POLICY DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO CUT THE BUDGET ACROSS ALL FUNDS BY EIGHT OR 9 MILLION.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO, THAT'S, THAT'S THE PART I WANTED TO GET AT.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD, UM, THAT IMPACT.
SO, UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU TO MY, THE THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS FROM MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH, UH, TO ALL THE, TO PUBLIC COMMENTERS, AND ALSO FOR YOU ALL PRESENTING, UM, MODIFICATIONS IN WAYS THAT YOU FEEL LIKE, UH, THERE'S SOME COMMON GROUND HERE, UH, BETWEEN WHAT COMMUNITY IS CLEARLY ASKING FOR AND WHAT THE CONSTRAINTS ARE FOR, UM, FOR THE CITY.
UH, SO THAT BEING SAID, UH, WE CAN MOVE TO, UM, A ROLL CALL VOTE COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN.
UH, NEXT ITEM, ITEM THREE IS THE RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE INFORMATION UPDATES ON TOPICS REQUESTED BY THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
SO I THINK, UH, STEPH HAS A PRESENTATION, OR ARE THEY JUST GONNA GO THROUGH THE, UH, THE MEMO? OH, AND CHAIR, CAN WE GET A MOTION AND SECOND, OH, I'M SORRY, SECOND.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY VICE CHAIR URANGA AND A SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN.
[3. 26-55720 Recommendation to receive and file information updates on topics requested by the Budget Oversight Committee. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
UH, YES, CHAIR.UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE IS A, UH, INFORMATIONAL UPDATE ON TOPICS REQUESTED BY THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
SO AS OUR FRIENDLY REMINDER FROM LAST WEEK WHEN WE WERE PUTTING TOGETHER THE SCHEDULE FOR THE BOC, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FIT ALL OF THE TOPICS REQUESTED.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO PUT SOME OF THEM IN A TFF IN AN INFORMATIONAL UPDATE.
SO THIS IS THAT RECEIVE AND FILE, UH, WITH THE INFORMATION.
WE HAVE VARIOUS STAFF HERE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS AND WE CAN HELP ANSWER ANY OF THOSE IF NECESSARY.
UM, ACTUALLY, COULD STAFF DO ONE THING FOR ME, JUST SO, UM, EVERYONE'S AWARE IN CASE THEY DIDN'T, THE PUBLIC OR THE FOLKS SITTING IN THE CHAMBER HAVEN'T GOTTEN A CHANCE.
CAN YOU JUST BRIEFLY GO OVER WHAT ARE, WHAT THOSE REPORTS BACKS WERE, WHAT THE TOPICS WERE? YES, OF COURSE.
UH, IT WAS A FEDERAL FUNDING UPDATE FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
IT WAS A RIGHT TO COUNCIL TENANT ASSISTANT PRO PROGRAM UPDATE AND PROGRESS ON ADDRESSING THE OIL, MONEY, SUN SETTING.
UM, WERE THERE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UM, BASED ON THAT MEMO FROM MY COMMITTEE? UH, MY COMMITTEE COLLEAGUES? UH, YES.
UM, I AM, UH, THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THE UPDATE AND, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FEDERAL FUNDING RECEIVED, UH, BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UM, AS WELL AS THE FUNDING THAT REMAINS, UH, PENDING AND THE LOSSES THE DEPARTMENT IS ALREADY MANAGING.
WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THAT LAST WEEK AT OUR BUDGET OVERSIGHT MEETING.
UM, I'M HOPEFUL THAT, UM, THE CITY DOES RECEIVE THAT PENDING FUNDING, UM, FOR SOME OF OUR MAJOR PUBLIC, UH, WORK PROJECTS BECAUSE THESE GRANTS HELP US TO OFFSET, UM, THE, UH, HIGH COST AND ALLOW THE CITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT PLACING, UH, ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ON OUR LOCAL, UH, REVENUES.
UM, THE REPORT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT OIL PRODUCTION IS EXPECTED TO DECLINE BY APPROXIMATELY NINE TO 10% ANNUALLY, AND THAT THE OIL REVENUE IS PLANNED TO BE PHASED OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND STRUCTURAL BUDGET BY FY 30.
AND, UM, IS THERE ANY, UM, WITH, WITH NEW, UH, LEADERSHIP COMING INTO NEW GOVERNORS COMING IN, IS THERE ANY CHANCE THAT ANY OF THAT COULD CHANGE SPECIFICALLY TO OIL? YES.
IS THAT THE QUESTION SPECIFICALLY TO OIL? YEAH.
I'M GONNA PHONE MY FRIEND KEVIN.
UH, SPEAKING FROM THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE AND NOT FROM THE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES PERSPECTIVE.
BOB DOLL'S, UH, THE EES DIRECTOR BOB DOLL'S, A REAL EXPERT ON THIS.
UH, WE PERSONALLY IN FINANCIAL, WE IN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DON'T SEE THE FISCAL PICTURE CHANGING, ABSENT A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STATE LEGISLATION, UH, AND IN STATE REGULATION.
UM, SB 1 37 FROM, UH, UH, THREE YEARS AGO THIS MONTH, UM, ACTUALLY FOUR YEARS AGO THIS MONTH, UH, WAS ONE DRIVER OF REDUCED OIL REVENUE.
[01:10:01]
UH, CAL GM REGULATIONS ARE THE OTHER.AND YEAH, UNLESS THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR CHANGE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION COURSE DRAMATICALLY THE REVENUE CLIENT, THE PROJECTED OIL RELATED REVENUE DECLINE IS SURE TO HAPPEN.
AND THEN THE MOST IMPACTED FUND WOULD BE THE TIDELANDS FUND, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THEN, UM, ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU, UH, SO KEEP YOU IN THE HOT SEAT FOR ONE MORE SECOND.
UM, BESIDES, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT MEASURE A AND TOURISM, UM, WHAT OTHER, UH, REVENUE STREAMS, UM, IS THE CITY ACTIVELY EXPLORING WHAT THE LOSS OF THAT OIL REVENUE? WELL, THE BIG ONE IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH, UH, SPACE BEACH AND THE MANY OTHER INITIATIVES THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY DEPARTMENT AND THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL ARE PURSUING, WHICH BROADENS THE TAX BASE AND ALSO DIVERSIFIES IT.
UM, SO THAT'S THE MAIN, THAT'S THE MAIN ADDITIONAL REVENUE SOURCE THAT'S BEING, UM, ACTIVELY PURSUED.
AND THEN WE CAN HOPE THAT, UM, FUTURE, UM, PUBLIC EVENTS LIKE THE 2028 GAMES AND OTHER, UH, TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS ALONG THE WATERFRONT THROUGHOUT THE CITY COULD ALSO GENERATE MORE VISITORS AND THEREFORE MORE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.
BUT, UM, SPACE BEACH AND THE FIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CATEGORIES THAT THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL OUTLINED A COUPLE YEARS AGO, THOSE, THOSE ARE THE BIG FIVE.
THANK YOU KINDLY FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS.
COUNCILMAN ALLEN, UH, VICE MAYOR RANGA, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD? I HAVE NO QUESTIONS.
UM, I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS.
SO, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, I REALLY, I REALLY APPRECIATE STAFF FOR, UM, UH, PUTTING TOGETHER, PUT TOGETHER THIS MEMO.
UM, I THINK IT REALLY LAYS BARE THE BROADER KIND OF FINANCIAL HEADWINDS THAT WE'RE NAVIGATING AS A CITY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT REALITIES WE'RE FACING ON EXPIRING FEDERAL GRANTS, INCLUDING THE LOSS OF THE $15 MILLION IN HEALTH FUNDING, UM, HAS LED TO SERVICE REDUCTIONS AND CRITICAL PROGRAMS LIKE WIC, SNAP, HIV CARE, AS WELL AS UNFORTUNATELY THE ELIMINATION OF SOME PHYSICIANS.
UM, SO AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK WE'RE ACTIVELY MANAGING THE MULTI-YEAR PHASE OUT OF, YOU KNOW, OIL REVENUE.
UM, AS WE'RE WATCHING THAT, UH, THAT THOSE DOLLARS DECLINE AS COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN, UH, A DEPUTY BROUGHT UP AND REQUIRING US TO BE REALLY IN INCRE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, HE'S REQUIRING US TO BE STRATEGIC WITH THE TOOLS LIKE MEASURE EIGHT AND MAINTAIN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, AND SO I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS AS WE KIND OF THINK MORE BROADLY ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN THINKING ABOUT ALIGNING OUR CITY'S INVESTMENTS WITH HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS.
LIKE THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S JUST A LOT GOING ON, UH, ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, IN THAT REPORT THAT WAS MENTIONED WAS TALKING ABOUT, UM, A LOT OF OUR, UM, OUR INVESTMENT, OUR INVESTMENT PROJECTS, OUR CIP PROJECTS, UH, AS BEING POTENTIALLY AT RISK BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE FEDERAL FUNDING DECISIONS.
UM, IF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS HAPPEN, UM, WHAT DOES THE, WHAT'S THE CONTINGENCY PLAN? SO IF WE LEASE, WE LEASE FUNDING FOR SOME OF OUR CIP PROJECTS, WHAT DO WE THEN DO? OR WHAT, WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS? I'M GONNA CALL UP MY FRIEND JONATHAN FOR THAT ONE.
GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR OR CHAIR? UH, RICK SODI.
SO JUST TO BE CLEAR OF THE $220 MILLION.
THE CITY CURRENTLY HAS IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, WE HAVE LOST $0 TO DATE.
UM, THE, THE POTENTIAL IS THERE BECAUSE IT IS FEDERAL FUNDING.
UM, IF THAT DID OCCUR WHERE WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PROJECT AND FEDERAL FUNDING WAS LOST, WHICH IS NOT LIKELY, BUT, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO COVER WITH EXISTING, UH, FUNDING, WHICH WOULD THEN IMPEDE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE KIND OF IN THE PIPELINE, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, AND THEN ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION IS, UH, SO REGARDING RIGHT TO COUNCIL, UM, DO WE HAVE SPECIFIC METRICS THAT WE'LL USE TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NEW VENTURE EIGHT MODEL COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAD WITH LA COUNTY? YES, WE HAVE MY THIRD FRIEND, ALLISON, COMING UP TO SUPPORT THIS QUESTION, AND I AM GOING TO FILIBUSTER FOR HER.
IF YOU COULD REPEAT THE QUESTION WHILE SHE'S WALKING UP.
FILIBUSTER
UM, WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH THE RENTER AID PROGRAM.
UM, WE KNOW THAT IT IS NOT MEETING THE SIGNIFICANT
[01:15:01]
NEED OF OUR COMMUNITY.WE ARE LOOKING FOR OTHER RESOURCES TO SUPPORT, UH, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS.
I WAS HERE DISCUSSING THAT WITH LIBRE A LITTLE WHILE AGO, BUT THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK INTO.
UM, THERESA CHANDLER IS NOT HERE AND I DON'T SEE KIMBERLY MARSHALL AS IN REGARD TO, UM, UH, THE, UM, RIGHT TO COUNSEL SO WE CAN GET AN ANSWER FOR YOU AND GET THAT BACK TO YOU.
UM, THAT WAS ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.
UM, I THINK WE CAN MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE LINE UP IN FRONT OF THE PODIUM OR USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE IN THE ZOOM MEETING OR HIT STAR NINE.
IF YOU'RE CALLING IN, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ONE PERSON IN PERSON, GO AHEAD AND APPROACH THE PODIUM AND BE BEGIN.
MY NAME IS CYNTHIA TORRES AND I'M HERE WITH LONG BEACH RESIDENTS.
EMPOWERED LIBRE WORKED ON MEASURE A AND CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE AT LA CASA LEVEL TO ENSURE RIGHT TO COUNCIL IS A REALITY FOR LONG BEACH.
LET'S REMEMBER THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY IN A BUDGET DEFICIT AND RIGHT TO COUNSEL IS THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY OF PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE RIGHT TO COUNSEL KEEPS PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES BEFORE HOMELESSNESS IS EVEN AN ISSUE.
IF SOMEONE WHO IS ALREADY GOING THROUGH A STRESSFUL SITUATION IS TASK WITH DEALING WITH THE COURT SYSTEM ON THEIR OWN, IT'S VERY EASY TO GET OVER OVERWHELMED OR MAKE MISTAKES THAT CAN SERIOUSLY AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF THEIR HOUSING.
HOWEVER, HAVING SOMEONE THERE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE PROCESS MAKES SURE PEOPLE ARE HEARD AND TREATED FAIRLY.
FOR YEARS, LIBRE HAS BEEN SUPPORTING PEOPLE AND THANKS FOR RIGHT TO COUNSEL.
EVICTION RATES IN LONG BEACH HAVE DECREASED TODAY.
NOT ONLY ARE WE ASKING FOR A STRONG INVESTMENT OF 2.2 FOR MILLION FOR THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL, BUT WE ARE ASKING THAT THIS AMOUNT CONTINUES TO INCREASE AND THAT RIGHT TO COUNCIL GETS CODIFIED WITHIN THE CITY AT THE END OF THE DAY, JUST SHOULDN'T DEPEND ON HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE OR, OR WHETHER YOU CAN AFFORD A LAWYER BECAUSE EVERYONE DE EVERYONE DESERVES A FAIR CHANCE AT SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
OH, CHAIR, WE HAVE ONE MORE SPEAKER IF YOU'D ALLOWED HER TO SPEAK.
UH, YES, UH, PLEASE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, I AM A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH
UM, IT IS A PROGRAM THAT A LOT OF OUR BASE MEMBERS OF ORLE HAVE BENEFITED FROM, UM, AND FIGHT FOR.
AND, UM, IT REALLY IS AN, A ESSENTIAL PROGRAM FOR THE CITY.
UM, PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO BE HOUSED IS A, A BASIC NEED AND SOMETHING THAT IMPACTS THE, THE REST OF THEIR LIFE AND A LOT OF OTHER ASPECTS OF THEIR LIFE.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT.
AND, UM, EZ IS ALSO REALLY IN SUPPORT OF THIS, OF THIS PROGRAM AND WE HOPE TO SEE IT, UM, THROUGH THANK YOU.
AND THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT CHAIR.
UM, THEN WE CAN MOVE TO A ROLL CALL.
ITEM FOUR IS THE RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE
[4. 26-55721 Recommendation to receive and file Council District correspondence. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
AND FILE COUNCIL DISTRICT CORRESPONDENCE.SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN AND A SECOND BY VICE CHAIR, YOUR
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE WERE NO ATTACHMENTS, UH, FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, I MEAN, I'LL ASK MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES IF THERE'S ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO BRING UP.
I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE ANYTHING TO DISCUSS FOR THIS ONE TODAY.
WE CAN MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE, UM, LINE UP IN FRONT OF THE PODIUM OR USE A RAISE HAND FEATURE IN THE ZOOM MEETING OR HIT STAR NINE IF YOU ARE CALLING IN.
CHAIR, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, NEXT ITEM, ITEM FIVE IS THE RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A LIST OF FOLLOW-UP ITEMS FROM THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING.
[01:20:03]
SECOND.SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY VICE CHAIR URANGA AND A SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ALLEN.
UH, I KNOW THERE WERE NO ATTACHMENTS TO THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, BUT, UM, UH, BASED ON TODAY'S DISCUSSION OR PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS, DO MY COMMITTEE, UH, COLLEAGUES HAVE ANYTHING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO, UM, WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE FOLLOW UP ON, UM, FROM CITY STAFF THAT THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY, UH, SHARED? I HAVE NONE.
[5. 26-55722 Recommendation to receive and file a list of follow-up items from the Budget Oversight Committee meeting. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
UH, I THEN I JUST HAVE ONE.UM, AND I'M GONNA MAKE, I'M GONNA GIVE KEVIN, JUST KEVIN RIPER, JUST SO MANY MORE FUN THINGS TO DO.
'CAUSE I KNOW HE'S REALLY BORED AND, UH, AND, AND, AND NEEDS AND NEEDS MORE WORK.
SO
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CITY STAFF COULD DO? YES, WE CAN DO THAT CHAIR BY THE, BY PART TWO OF THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTMENT SCREENING POLICY.
SO I HOPE I HAVE NOW GIVEN YOU A ROBUST, UH, AGENDA, UH, FOR THAT, FOR THAT ITEM.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, UH, WE CAN GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE LINE UP IN FRONT OF THE PODIUM AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE NO LONGER HAVE ANY ATTENDEES IN THE ZOOM.
UM, WELL, UH, THEN WE WILL GO TO, OH, SORRY.
UH, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE LIGHTEN UP IN FRONT OF THE PODIUM AND THERE ARE NO ATTENDEES IN THE ZOOM MEETING.
IF YOU COULD LIGHTEN UP, WE WOULD, WE NEED TO GET ACCOUNT FOR THE, THE SPEAKER'S LIST.
SO WE, SO WE HAVE FIVE SPEAKERS.
I HAVE A, A FLYER HERE IF YOU GUYS ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT.
YES, YOU CAN HAND IT TO THE ONE MORE.
UM, MEMBERS OF THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS ELMER DAVID GONZALEZ AND I AM A SPECIAL SERVICE OFFICER WORKING HERE, UH, WITH THE LONG BEACH AT THE LONG BEACH JAIL.
I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF MY FELLOW.
I AM UNION MEMBERS AND SISTERS WHO REPORT TO WORK EVERY DAY IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE EXPOSURE TO BIOHAZARDS, IT'S NOT AN EXCEPTION, IT'S PART OF OUR JOB.
IN 2025 ALONE, OUR STAFF RESPONDED TO MORE TO MORE THAN 100 DOCUMENTED INCIDENTS INVOLVING FECES, URINE, HUNDREDS OF SAFETY CELL PLACEMENTS INVOLVING VIOLENT, INTOXICATED AND SUICIDAL INMATES.
AND NEARLY 80 DOCUMENTED BIOHAZARD CLEANUPS, UH, BY OCEAN BLUE.
EVERY DAY WE ARE EXPOSED TO BLOOD VOMIT, SALIVA, URINE FECES, AND, UH, COMMUNICABLE DISEASES WHILE CONDUCTING SEARCHES, RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES AND CARING FOR INMATES.
THESE WORKING CONDITIONS DO NOT CHANGE BECAUSE OF BUDGET CHALLENGES.
THE RISK REMAIN THE SAME EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AS OUR UNION CONTINUES CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, WE ARE SIMPLY ASKING FOR WAGES THAT ACCURATELY REFLECT THE HAZARDS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF OUR PROFESSIONS.
[01:25:01]
ABOUT RECOGNIZING THE WORK PERFORMED BY MEN AND WOMEN OF, OF THE LONG BEACH JAIL AND ENSURING THAT THE COMPENSATIONS REFLECT THE REALITY OF OUR JOB.HELLO, MY NAME IS DENISE, UH, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH
UM, I CAME HERE TO, UM, SHARE OUR NEED FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND.
UM, THIS IS A FUND THAT, UM, YOU'RE ALL VERY FAMILIAR WITH, SO I WON'T GO INTO DETAILS, BUT I DID WANT TO REALLY STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF IT IN THIS TIME.
UM, I THINK WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS ATTACKING OUR COMMUNITIES AND ALSO ATTACKING THE BUDGETS THAT OUR CITY HAS ACCESS TO, UM, IS IT'S NOT THE TIME TO DEFUND FROM THESE PROGRAMS, EVEN IF THERE IS THESE FISCAL, UM, DEFICIENCIES WITH THE, WITH THE BUDGET.
BUT THIS IS WHEN PEOPLE NEED THESE PROGRAMS. THE MOST, UM, DHS, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IS GETTING A MASSIVE BUDGET THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE ACCESS TO.
AND SO OUR COMMUNITIES ARE DEFINITELY GONNA SEE THE IMPACT OF THAT, UM, JUST AS THE CITY IS SEEING IMPACT ON THE BUDGET.
UM, AND SO, UM, THIS FUND IS ESSENTIAL FOR PEOPLE.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN DYING OF DETENTION AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIGHT FOR THEIR CASES, UM, AND DON'T HAVE THAT LEGAL REPRESENTATION.
UM, SO I'LL BE COMING TO THESE MEETINGS AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL HEAR FROM OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL, UM, AND SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS FUND.
AND I HOPE, UM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, FUND, UH, THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND.
I'M THE RAPID RESPONSE ORGANIZER WITH
UM, THROUGH MY WORK, I GET TO WORK WITH A LOT OF IMPACTED IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, UM, FROM THE CITY OF LONG
[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Budget Oversight Committee on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]
BEACH AND I WAS ALSO HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE JUSTICE FUND.UM, IT'S A FUND THAT GIVES PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH ACCESS TO FREE, UM, LEGAL SERVICES AND LEGAL REPRESENTATIONS.
AND LIKE MY COLLEAGUE BEFORE ME EXPLAINED, I THINK RIGHT NOW IS A VERY CRITICAL MOMENT, UM, FOR THESE FUNDS AND FOR THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO REALLY, UM, CONSIDER THE CONTINUATION OF THE FUNDING FOR THE JUSTICE FUND.
UM, BECAUSE AS WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, UM, RIGHT NOW THERE'S A LOT OF INSECURITIES, UM, WITH EVEN JUST LIKE FOLKS WANTING TO LEAVE THEIR HOME.
UM, THROUGH MY WORK I GET TO TALK TO LIKE BUSINESS OWNERS, PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST LIKE RESIDENTS OF LONG BEACH, PEOPLE WHO ARE MAYBE COMING TO VISIT LONG BEACH.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, FEAR ABOUT JUST LIKE BEING OUT IN THE STREET IN LONG BEACH BECAUSE OF IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
AND THAT'S LIKELY TO DO WITH SOME OF THE BUDGET DEFICIT, UM, THAT WE SEE.
IF PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO, LIKE THE CITY'S RESIDENTS ARE SCARED TO EVEN GO OUT AND PARTICIPATE LIKE IN THE ECONOMY OR GO OUT, UM, TO MAYBE LIKE, UH, RENEW THEIR BUSINESS LICENSE FOR A BUSINESS THEY HAVE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UM, HAVING SOMETHING LIKE THE JUSTICE FUND IS KIND OF LIKE, UM, A SAFETY BLANKET FOR PEOPLE TO LEAN ON IN THESE, UH, TIMES ARE GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT JUST 'CAUSE AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS GETTING A BIG INCREASE TO THE BUDGET, UM, AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHAT THAT ENFORCEMENT IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF ENFORCEMENT BE DONE AT LIKE COURTHOUSES AIRPORTS AND THEN EVEN IN PEOPLE'S NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL, UM, WITH A LOT OF VERY TARGETED ARRESTS.
SO, UM, THE JUSTICE FUND IS JUST GOING TO BE A VERY CRITICAL RESOURCE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF LONG BEACH AS, UM, THE SUMMER CONTINUES AS AS WE GO INTO THE FALL.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT IM, UH, IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH SUCH A MASSIVE INCREASE IN THEIR ACTIVE BUDGET AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO REITERATE, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF FUNDING THE JUSTICE FUND AS WELL AS TRYING TO INCREASE THE FUNDS AS WELL.
UM, BECAUSE AS OF RIGHT NOW, UM, ALI HAS REFERRED, I BELIEVE OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE TO THE JUSTICE FUND.
SO THAT'S A HUNDRED PEOPLE WHO HAVE EITHER BEEN DETAINED IN THE CITY, LOOKING FOR SOME SORT OF LEGAL REPRESENTATION, UM, WANNA HELP WITH THEIR LEGAL CASE, UM, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT NUMBER WILL CONTINUE TO GROW, UM, BECAUSE WE CAN'T REACH EVERYONE.
NOT EVERYONE HAS HEARD OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS BEFORE, SO THERE'S LIKELY A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE, UM, WITHOUT HELP.
SO IT'LL JUST BE REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, FOR THIS FUND TO CONTINUE TO EXIST AND FOR IT TO CONTINUE TO SERVE THE RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH.
MY NAME IS NATH SCHUSTER AND I'M A PROUD I AM MEMBER AND SHOP STEWARD AND I WORK FOR THE LONG BEACH HOUSING AUTHORITY AS A FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY SPECIALIST.
EVERY BUDGET IS A STATEMENT OF A CITY'S VALUES.
THAT'S HOW THE MAYOR DESCRIBED THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
IN A RECENT FACEBOOK POST, HE SAID IT REFLECTS YEARS OF, UH, PREPARATION AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
FOR YEARS CITY, THE CITY HAS DEPENDED ON FEDERAL GRANTS FOR A HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
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GUARANTEED.YET THE CITY FAILED TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE PLAN.
LONG BEACH, UM, IS ONE OF THREE CALIFORNIA CITIES WITH ITS OWN HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
DURING THE PANDEMIC, IT BECAME A NATIONAL MODEL FOR TESTING AND VACCINATIONS.
TODAY THAT DEPARTMENT IS BEING DISMANTLED ONE PROGRAM AT A TIME.
THAT'S NOT THE RESULT OF PREPARATION.
IT'S THE RESULT OF YEARS OF UNDERINVESTMENT IT.
THIS BUDGET REFLECTS OUR VALUES.
IN JUNE, $800,000 WAS APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL FOR WORLD CUP WATCH PARTIES.
WHILE EMPLOYEES FACE LAYOFFS AND PROGRAMS UTILIZED BY THE PUBLIC WERE CUT.
CITY LEADERS SPENT MILLIONS ON A TEMPORARY AMPHITHEATER.
YES, THAILAND FUNDS WERE UTILIZED AS OPPOSED TO GENERAL FUNDS, BUT IT STILL TAXPAYER MONEY THAT WAS MISMANAGED.
HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU MANAGERS REMAIN EMPLOYED DESPITE DOCUMENTED GRANT MISMANAGEMENT BY OUR CITY AUDITOR.
WHILE FRONT FRONTLINE STAFF AND PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES HAVE BEEN LAID OFF, THE CITY MANAGER CONTINUES TO RECEIVE A COMPENSATION EX EXCEEDING, EXCEEDING $400,000 DURING A BUDGET CRISIS, AS WELL AS SAVING A PAY RAISE THIS YEAR.
BUT HE WAS KIND US TO REMIND US THAT HE DONATED THAT MONEY, THAT RAISE VERY ALTRUISTIC OF HIM.
THOSE AREN'T JUST DIFFICULT CHOICES.
THEY'RE CHOICES ABOUT PRIORITIES.
CITY EMPLOYEES AND THE RESIDENTS OF LONG BEACH SHOULD NOT BEAR THE CONSEQUENCES OF POOR PLANNING WEEK OVERSIGHT AND LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
IF THIS BUDGET TRULY REFLECTS OUR VALUES, THEN IT'S TIME TO ASK WHETHER THOSE VALUES ALIGN WITH THE PUBLIC.
WE SERVE THE PUBLIC AND CITY EMPLOYEES.
WE SERVE BETTER AND DEMAND BETTER FROM CITY OFFICIALS AND CITY LEADERS.
WITH THAT SAID, THE COUNCIL SHOULD KEEP IN MIND THAT THE I AM MEMBERS, A LOT OF US ARE CITY RESIDENTS.
AND WE PLAN ON VOTING AND WE PLAN ON SHOWING OUT BECAUSE WE ARE NO LONGER GONNA BEAR THE BURDEN OF YOUR MISMANAGEMENT AND YOUR MIS LEADERSHIP.
THE TIME IS NOW TO START DOING THE RIGHT THING, NOT JUST BY THE PUBLIC, BUT BY THE PEOPLE THAT SERVE THIS COMMUNITY ON A DAILY BASIS.
SHOW UP TO WORK, SHOWED UP TO WORK DURING A PANDEMIC, AND KEEP SHOWING UP DESPITE BUDGET CUTS, DESPITE TAKING ON MORE WORK AND POSITIONS NOT BEING FILLED.
AND THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT CHAIR.
UH, THANK YOU CITY STAFF, THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES.
UM, AND THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO CAME, UH, AND DID PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, I WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING.