[00:00:16]
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 RAISE HAND FEATURE.
IF DIALING IN, PLEASE PRESS STAR NINE.
FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT IS LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF 10 SPEAKERS, COMBINING BOTH IN PERSON AND ZOOM PARTICIPANTS.
[00:13:59]
IF[00:13:59]
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 THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.IF DIALING IN, PLEASE, PLEASE PRESS STAR NINE NOW.
[00:20:37]
[00:22:57]
ALL RIGHT.I'M GONNA CALL TO ORDER THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
[CALL TO ORDER]
COUNCILWOMAN[ROLL CALL]
COUNCILWOMAN KERR.VICE MAYOR ORANGA COUNCILWOMAN THRASH.
AND HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SODI.
WE'RE GONNA ASK COUNCIL MEMBER SUPER NA TO LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
THANK YOU.PLEASE, UH, JOIN US AS WE OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
UH, PLEASE RISE IF YOU'RE ABLE AS WE DO THE PLEDGE OF ALL ALLEGIANCE.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN, AND WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE AUGUST 4TH MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, WE HAVE A REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION.
WE HAVE NO REPORT FROM CLOSED SESSION.
AND WE HAVE NO PRESENTATIONS, SO WE GET TO JUMP RIGHT INTO THE MEETING.
WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH OUR BUDGET HEARING.
[18. 26-55709 Recommendation to conduct a Budget Hearing to receive and discuss an overview of the City Manager Proposed FY 27 Budget and Human Resources Department. (Citywide) Office or Department: Financial Management Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATION TO CONDUCT A BUDGET HEARING TO RECEIVE AND DISCUSS AN OVERVIEW OF THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSED FY 27 BUDGET AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT CITYWIDE.[00:25:01]
YOU.UH, THANKS EVERYONE FOR JOINING US FOR THE BUDGET HEARING TODAY.
UH, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA JUMP RIGHT INTO THE PRESENTATION.
THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE COUNCIL DELIBERATION.
UH, SO I'LL, I'LL JUST OPEN IT UP WITH SOME REMARKS.
UM, WE PRODUCED, WE INTRODUCED A BUDGET LAST WEEK HERE IN THE CIVIC CHAMBERS, AND THIS IS THE BOB FOSTER CIVIC CHAMBERS.
UH, AND IT'S, UH, IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT BECAUSE WHEN MAYOR FOSTER WAS HERE, WE WENT THROUGH SOME SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DEFICITS IN THOSE YEARS.
AND, UH, IT, IT FORCED OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT TRADE-OFFS.
UM, THE DEFICITS WERE CONSECUTIVE.
I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS A THREE YEAR PLAN TO SOLVE THE DEFICIT THAT TURNED INTO A FOUR YEAR AND A FIVE YEAR PLAN TO SOLVE THE DEFICIT.
AND IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME, BUT WE MADE IT THROUGH, UH, AND WE FOCUSED ON FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND IT MEANT MAKING SOME HARD CHOICES.
BUT ALSO OUR CIRCUMSTANCES IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN, UM, THE GREAT RECESSION.
SURE, WE'RE FACING SOME FINANCIAL, SOME DIFFICULT FINANCIAL HEADWINDS AND SAW OUR EVERY MAJOR P PUBLIC AGENCY IN CALIFORNIA OF THE TOP 10 BY POPULATION.
EIGHT OF THE TOP 10 CITIES IN CALIFORNIA BY POPULATION, ARE FACING THE SAME HEADWINDS FACING UNCERTAINTY, UH, UNCERTAIN FEDERAL LA LANDSCAPE, UH, FUNDING LANDSCAPE THAT'S IMPACTING CITIES LIKE LONG BEACH.
THAT'S VERY UNIQUE IN THAT WE HAVE A HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ONE OF ONLY THREE CITIES IN THE WHOLE, UH, STATE.
UH, BUT WE ARE IN A POSITION ALSO TO ADDRESS, UH, NOT THROUGH A THREE YEAR PLAN OR A FIVE YEAR PLAN TO ADDRESS OUR DEFICIT IN ABOUT A ONE, ONE TO TWO YEAR SPAN, TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THE KIND OF FISCAL STABILITY THAT OUR WORKERS DESERVE, THAT OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE, THAT IS CONSISTENT.
AND IF WE, UH, FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE PLAN AS OUTLINED, WE'LL DELIVER THE FIRST SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL SURPLUS, MEANING SUSTAIN, LIKE, OVER MULTIPLE YEARS SURPLUS THAT WE'LL HAVE THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN IN MORE THAN A DECADE HERE IN OUR CITY.
SO, UH, WE WANNA REMIND OURSELVES JUST A LITTLE BIT OF THAT HISTORY, BUT ALSO WE KNOW THAT A BUDGET IS A STATEMENT OF VALUES AND WHAT WE CHOOSE TO SAVE AND WHAT WE CHOOSE TO CUT, UH, ALL REFLECT, UH, THE VALUES OF, UH, THE CURRENT MOMENT.
AND SO, UH, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THAT REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET PROPOSAL, THE MAYOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS, AND, UH, THE ONGOING DELIBERATION AS WE BEGIN THIS PROCESS.
SO THAT SAID, UM, OUR CHALLENGE WE HAVE TO SOLVE, WE HAVE TO SOLVE, I THINK IT'S, UM, $58 MILLION STRUCTURAL SURPLUS IN THIS BUDGET IS WHAT WE NEED TO SOLVE.
UM, EXCUSE ME, DEFICIT WISH IT WAS A SURPLUS.
UM, STRUCTURAL DEFICIT IS WHAT NEEDS TO BE SOLVED.
UH, THE MAJORITY OF THE REST OF OUR, OUR FUNDS ARE ACTUALLY IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
TITLES, UH, THIS YEAR IS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE, UM, PORT, UM, OUR OTHER, UH, ENTERPRISES ARE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
IT'S REALLY A GENERAL FUND WHERE 80% OF OUR WORKFORCE, UH, IS FUNDED, AND THAT'S WHY YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE WORKFORCE IN THIS BUDGET.
SO THAT SAID, UH, WHEN I WANNA THANK OUR CITY MANAGER AND OUR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TEAM FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE TO HELP GET US HERE AND EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED.
AND LET'S, UH, GO AHEAD AND KICK OFF OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, FOR THAT.
SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH A PRESENTATION.
THIS IS DESIGNED TO BE A SUMMARY OF KIND OF HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING THE BUDGET.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA TALK A LOT ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE LAST, YOU KNOW, YEAR OR TWO YEARS.
UH, WE'RE ALSO GONNA GO THROUGH A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE HEAR OUT THERE THAT ARE ACTUALLY NOT CORRECT AND TRY TO PROVIDE SOME FACTS.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH KIND OF OUR APPROACH TO ADDRESSING THIS STRUCTURAL DEFICIT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE SOME DIFFICULT TIMES, BUT WE DO HAVE A PLAN AND WE ARE GOING TO RECOMMEND, UH, FULLY, UH, SOLVING THAT DEFICIT THIS YEAR.
UM, AND ALSO REBUILDING OUR RESERVES AT THE SAME TIME.
SO, FIRST, UM, UH, BUDGET'S ABOUT RESULTS.
UH, SO WHEN WE, WE PASS THE FINANCIAL DOCUMENT, YOU'RE LAYING OUT RESOURCES FOR YOUR CITY TEAM TO ACCOMPLISH THINGS ON YOUR BEHALF.
AND SO WE WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LAST YEAR'S RESULTS AS A, AS A REMINDER ONE, UM, IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND THESE ARE GONNA BE THE FOUR CATEGORIES THAT THE COUNCIL HAS PUT AT THE VERY TOP OF THEIR LIST.
PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, IS ONE OF THOSE.
WE HAVE A 34% REDUCTION IN MURDERS YEAR OVER YEAR, AND A 35% REDUCTION IN SHOOTINGS.
UH, OUR OVERALL CRIME RATE REDUCTION LAST YEAR WAS 17.4% REDUCTION, ONE OF THE LARGEST THAT WE'VE SEEN.
WE MAINTAIN POLICE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIMES AT OR NEAR THE, UH, AT OR FASTER THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
WE ALSO LAUNCHED NEW TOOLS FOR RESIDENTS TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, IN ALMOST REALTIME, UH, UH, REALTIME ACCESS.
INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR QUARTERLY OR MONTHLY OR, OR EVEN YEARLY, UH, CRIME DATA.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE ENHANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES LAST YEAR, UH, RESULTING IN AMBULANCE AVAILABILITY, UH, BEING INCREASED AND ALSO IMPROVED RESPONSE TIMES IN SOME AREAS BY AS MUCH AS 30 SECONDS.
IN THE NEXT CATEGORY OF HOMELESSNESS, HOUSING, AND NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMS, UH, WE CONTINUE TO OPEN MORE SHELTER BEDS.
WE'VE BEEN OPENING SHELTER BEDS BASICALLY YEAR AFTER YEAR.
OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, UH, IT WAS A 12% INCREASE IN SHELTER BEDS LAST YEAR WITH 78 NEW HOUSING UNITS.
WE SECURED $11 MILLION, THE LARGEST SO FAR
[00:30:01]
FROM THE STATE TO, UH, ADDRESS HOUSING ALONG THE LA RIVER.WE LAUNCHED OUR YOUTH FUNCTIONAL ZERO STRATEGIC PLAN.
OUR CLEAN TEAM HAS RESPONDED TO OVER 160,000 LEGALLY DUMPED ITEMS, AND COLLECTED 1100 TONS OF LITTER.
WE AWARDED 25 GRANTS THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MINI GRANT PROGRAM, AND WE ADVANCED THE WEST SIDE PROMISE IN THE AREA OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE'VE ELEVATED THE CITY'S PROFILE BY LAUNCHING THE VIBE CITY BRAND.
UH, THE F AND M BANK AMPHITHEATER OPENED, AND, UH, OUR LONG BEACH COAST PRO BASEBALL OR BASEBALL TEAM, UH, ARRIVED IN LONG BEACH.
TOURISM CONTINUES TO BE A STRONG SECTOR FOR US.
WE'RE OUTPACING, UH, MOST OF OUR REGIONAL NEIGHBORS, SAN DIEGO, UH, PHOENIX, ANAHEIM, UH, UH, LA AND SAN FRANCISCO, UH, WITH OVER $2 BILLION IN IMPACT.
AND, UH, WE, UH, SPACE BEACH IS RAGING.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, JOBS, THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF JOBS WE'RE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE THAT ARE COMING INTO, UH, LONG BEACH.
UH, AND THAT'S 6,500 NEW JOBS IN SPACE AND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING.
AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AS WELL, AND GROW THEM, AND ALSO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.
SO WE ADDED 91 NEW LOCAL VENDORS IN LONG BEACH BUYS AND 35 NEW CONTRACTS WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES.
AND IN THE FOURTH AREA OF INFRASTRUCTURE WE HAVE COMPLETED NOW THE FOURTH YEAR OF OUR FIVE YEAR ELEVATE 28 PLAN.
WE ANNOUNCED THE LARGEST JUMP IN OUR PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX, UH, THE STATUS OF OUR ROADS IN OUR HISTORY.
IT WAS A 9% JUMP, UH, FROM AN AVERAGE OF 56 TO 61, AND OUR GOAL WAS 60, AND WE SURPASSED THAT.
WE BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF THE STUDEBAKER ROAD TRANSFORMATION PROJECT, OUR LARGEST CORRIDOR PROJECT TO DATE, AND COMPLETED ARTESIA GREAT BOULEVARD, AND BROKE GROUND ON THE BELMONT POOL IN MAY OF 2026.
SO LET'S DO A LITTLE BIT OF BUDGET GROUNDING, UH, ABOUT WHERE THE DOLLARS, UH, COME FROM AND, AND, UH, AND, UH, KIND OF THE COMPLEXITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
WE HAVE A $4 BILLION BUDGET OF ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND, AND UNITS.
BUT THE FUND THAT MOST PEOPLE THINK OF AS, AS GOVERNMENT SERVICES FALL IN THE GENERAL FUND, AND THAT'S ONLY 18% OF THAT 4 BILLION.
WHERE DO THE REVENUES COME FROM? UH, IN CALIFORNIA AND ESPECIALLY IN LONG BEACH, THEY'RE VERY DIVERSIFIED.
YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT, UH, PIE HAS MANY DIFFERENT SLICES.
UH, IF YOU WERE, UH, IN EAST COAST CITY, FOR EXAMPLE, 90% OF THAT PIE WOULD BE PROPERTY TAX.
UM, THAT'S REALLY HOW IT'S FUNDED ON THE EAST COAST, ON THE WEST COAST.
WE HAVE TO DIVERSIFY AND WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING FROM HOTEL TAXES TO SALES TAXES, TO UTILITY TAXES, AND PROPERTY TAX.
OUR LARGEST, UH, UM, SOURCES ARE, UH, PROPERTY TAX, SALES TAX, AND UTILITY TAX, ALL THREE OF WHICH ARE BEING IMPACTED IN THE VERY UNCERTAIN ECONOMY THAT WE ARE IN TODAY.
AND SO, WHERE DO THE DOLLARS GO? OUR BIGGEST EXPENSE ARE PEOPLE.
UH, SO WE PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY WITH OUR PEOPLE, UH, WITH OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND SO 79% OF OUR EXPENDITURES ARE, UH, IN THE GENERAL FUND ARE PERSONNEL.
AND WHAT'S THE BREAKDOWN OF, OF WHERE WE SPEND? UH, THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR RESOURCES, PUBLIC SAFETY IS, UH, BY FAR THE, THE GREATEST INVESTMENT AT 66%.
UH, PUBLIC WORKS IS, UH, AND COMMUNITY SERVICES AND LEGISLATIVE AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT ARE ALL KIND OF EQUAL SLICES AFTER THAT.
SORRY, THIS IS NOT MOVING AHEAD.
SO WHAT IS A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT? UH, UH, STRICT, UH, BASICALLY SPEAKING, IT'S WHEN YOUR ONGOING REVENUES, UH, AND YOUR ONGOING EXPENSES, UH, ARE NOT MATCHING, THAT THERE'S AN IMBALANCE.
AND SO YOU MUST EITHER INCREASE YOUR REVENUES, WHICH IS, UH, PRETTY DIFFICULT TO DO IN CALIFORNIA, OR YOU REDUCE YOUR EXPENDITURES, OR YOU DO BOTH.
SO, WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING? WHAT ARE THE DEFICIT DRIVERS? WELL, ONE IS THE INCREASED COST OF EXISTING SERVICES.
AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU SOME EXAMPLES OF THAT.
THIS ISN'T THAT A WHOLE BUNCH OF NEW SERVICES WERE ADDED, BUT THAT THE SERVICES THAT WE RELY ON AS A COMMUNITY HAVE, ARE COSTING MORE EVERY YEAR, UM, ESPECIALLY AS WE BRING ON ADDITIONAL POLICE AND BRING ON ADDITIONAL FIRE AND FILL THOSE, THOSE VACANT POSITIONS AND DO THAT HIRING, UH, THAT COST OF THAT SERVICE HAS GONE UP.
WE'RE ALSO EXPERIENCING A PRETTY LARGE REVENUE LOSS FROM, UH, THE, UH, THE VERY TURBULENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED, THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND SPILLS DOWN TO THE STATE, STATE AND SPILLS DOWN, UH, TO, UH, THE LOCAL LEVEL.
AND THEN THINGS LIKE OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHICH USED TO BE PRETTY SELF-SUSTAINING, HAS LOST A LOT OF RESOURCES, UH, OR HAS NOT GROWN AT THE RATE THAT WE NEEDED TO GROW TO PAY FOR THE SERVICES, UH, THAT WE RELY ON.
AND SO THERE IS, UH, SUPPORT THAT NEEDS TO COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND, UH, TO SUPPORT THAT.
SO LET'S LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES OF SERVICES OF RISING COSTS.
UH, WE CONTINUE TO DO GREAT GRAFFITI ABATEMENT.
WE BASICALLY GET OVER 90% IN 24 HOURS OR LESS.
UH, FOUR YEARS AGO, THAT WAS A MILLION DOLLARS.
1.2 MILLION GROUNDS MAINTENANCE WAS ABOUT 3.9 MILLION.
WE DIDN'T ADD ANY NEW SERVICES, BUT THAT SAME AMOUNT OF SERVICE NOW COSTS 5 MILLION.
AND OUR STREETLIGHTS, WE DIDN'T ADD NEW STRAIGHT LIGHTS.
UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE A, A MASSIVE NEW PROGRAM TO PUT NEW STREET LIGHTS IN, BUT THE COST OF THE EXISTING PROGRAM WENT FROM ABOUT 1,000,001 TO $2 MILLION TO PROVIDE THAT SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE.
SAME THING IN OUR AREA OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, SO FOR THE FULLY LOADED COST OF A POLICE OFFICER
[00:35:01]
FOR ALL THE THINGS IT TAKES TO, UH, TO BRING THAT POLICE OFFICER ON, UM, THAT WAS A, UM, IN 2022, ABOUT, UH, 211,000.UH, SAME THING ON OUR FIREFIGHTERS FROM 2 0 2 TO 2 69.
UH, A LOT OF CITIES HAVE THE SAME TYPES OF REVENUE.
UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF 'EM ARE SIMILAR, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN ALL CITIES GENERATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE FROM THOSE SOURCES.
UH, TAX BASE CAN BE VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.
AND SO LONG BEACH IS NOT A WEALTHY CITY.
UH, WE'RE A CITY OF MANY DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, WEALTHIER NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF POVERTY, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF RENTERS.
AND SO OUR MIX OF HOW WE GENERATE REVENUE IS DIFFERENT.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, UM, AT THIS, UH, SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE CITIES LIKE SAN DIEGO, LONG BEACH AND TORRANCE IN SAN JOSE ARE, UH, GENERATING PER CAPITA SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN A SANTA MONICA, NEWPORT BEACH, SIGNAL HILL, PASADENA.
AND AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES FACING THIS.
ABOUT EIGHT OF THE 10 LARGEST CITIES IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, UH, HAVE EXPERIENCED A DEFICIT, INCLUDING LA, SAN DIEGO, SAN JOSE, SAN FRANCISCO, FRESNO, FRESNO, SACRAMENTO, AND OAKLAND.
WE GET ASKED OFTENTIMES, WHAT ABOUT MERE? WASN'T THAT SUPPOSED TO SOLVE ALL FINANCIAL, UH, UH, UH, DIFFICULTIES? WHAT DID MEASURE A DO, DID EXACTLY WHAT WE PROMISED VOTERS IT WOULD DO.
THE FIRST THING THAT MERE WAS GONNA DO WAS STOP PUBLIC SAFETY CUTS.
UH, BACK IN 28 14, WE WERE LOOKING AT MAJOR, MAJOR PUBLIC SAFETY CUTS.
MEASURE A HAS SAVED 155 SWORN POSITIONS.
THEN AFTER WE STOPPED, UH, THOSE CUTS, WE WERE ABLE TO INVEST.
AND SO, UH, THERE WERE ABOUT 48 NEW POSITIONS THAT WERE ADDED OVER THE YEARS FOR SWORN AND FIVE NON-SWORN.
AND THEN IT CREATED A DEDICATED INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING SOURCE, 404 MILLION, THE LARGEST, UH, IN OUR GENERATION.
AND SO, MEASURE A, UM, HAS, UH, THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT THE AUDITOR HELPED PUBLISH FOR US.
IT'S, UH, BASICALLY SHOWS WHERE ALL OF THAT GOES.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME LOOK AT THAT.
MEASURE A, UM, IS SPEND ABOUT 60% ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND ABOUT 40% ON PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO, BEFORE WE GET TO THE REDUCTIONS, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE MYTHBUSTERS THAT WE HEAR IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE OFTEN HEAR, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IF YOU HAVE A DEFICIT? AGAIN, WE HAVE ALL THESE VARIED FUNDING SOURCES, UH, MANY OF WHICH ARE RESTRICTED AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ONGOING EXPENSES.
AN INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROJECT YOU BUILD ONCE, UH, PAYING FOR SOMEBODY'S SALARY, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND SO THOSE ARE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES.
I HEAR THIS SOMETIMES, WHY DO WE BUILD BIKE LANES INSTEAD OF GIVING THAT MONEY TO POLICE AND FIRE? AGAIN, THOSE ARE RESTRICTED, UM, FUNDS THAT CAN ONLY BE SPENT ON TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY.
IF YOU DON'T USE IT FOR THAT, YOU CANNOT USE IT FOR ANYTHING ELSE.
WE GET ASKED, WHY CAN'T WE USE REFUSE MONEY OR THE MONEY AT THE PORT OR THE MONEY AT THE AIRPORT? UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, THOSE GENERAL FUND SERVICES, UH, SAME THING.
ALL THREE OF THOSE ARE RESTRICTED SOURCES, CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THOSE PURPOSES, NOT FOR GENERAL FUND SERVICES.
WE OFTEN GET ASKED, WHAT, WHY DID YOU BUILD AN AMPHITHEATER IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS? UM, IF WE HAD A DEFICIT, UH, IT'S BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT IS FUNDING THAT CAN ONLY BE USED ON THE BEACH.
AND IT'S ALSO PART OF A, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY WHERE IF WE CAN, UH, BRING PEOPLE DOWN TO THE BEACH WITH MONEY THAT CAN ONLY BE USED AT THE BEACH, IT CAN GENERATE, UM, SALES IN OUR RESTAURANTS, IN OUR BUSINESSES, IN OUR HOTELS, AND THOSE ACTUALLY CAN BE USED, UH, TO SUPPORT GENERAL FUND SERVICES.
WE GET ASKED A LOT, WHY DID WE SWITCH OUT THE GREEN CART AND, UH, SWITCH OUT OUR PURPLE CARTS? AND DIDN'T THAT SAVE COST YOU A LOT OF MONEY? THAT WAS ALL A STATE MANDATE, AND AGAIN, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THAT DIDN'T IMPACT POLICE OR FIRE, OR SIDEWALK OR STREET REPAIRS, UH, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WERE REQUIRED TO DO.
THE DEFICIT IS NOT DUE TO OVERSPENDING.
UH, THIS NOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF NEW PROGRAMS WE'RE ADDED IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
THIS WAS ABOUT A SHARP DOWNTURN IN REVENUE AND THE INCREASED COSTS OF PROVIDING THOSE CORE SERVICES.
UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE SURPLUSES THAT GOT SPENT ON OTHER THINGS.
AGAIN, THOSE WERE SOME ONE-TIME DOLLARS THAT CAME PRIMARILY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, AS WE WERE COMING OUTTA COVID.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DID NOT USE ADDITIONAL SURPLUS.
WE GET ASKED, ISN'T THIS THE WORST DEFICIT IT'S EVER BEEN? ACTUALLY, NO.
UH, THE GREAT RECESSION HAD YEAR AFTER YEAR OF MAJOR REDUCTIONS, AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE PROJECTING ABOUT ONE TO TWO YEARS OF DEFICITS.
AND WE HEAR THIS ALL THE TIME.
DOESN'T LONG BEACH HAVE THE HIGHEST SALES TAX IN THE NATION? UH, AND SHOULDN'T THAT, UH, HAVE COVERED EVERYTHING? IN FACT, ONLY 34 OF THE 88 CITIES IN CALIFORNIA HAVE A LOWER SALES TAX THAN LONG BEACH.
UH, AND THERE ARE A NUMBER THAT ARE ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN US, INCLUDING LANCASTER, PALMDALE, AZUA, GLENDORA IRWINDALE, AND SOUTH EL MONTE.
AND THEN FINALLY, WHY AREN'T THERE OTHER REVENUES OR EFFORTS TO GROW REVENUE? THERE ARE, THERE'S A NUMBER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES UNDERWAY.
WE'VE GOT GROW LONG BEACH, SPACE BEACH, ALL DESIGNED TO, UH, IN THE LONG TERM, BRING IN MORE REVENUE.
SO IF WE LOOK BACK IN HISTORY, UM, UH, A LOT OF THESE THINGS COME IN CYCLES.
UH, THE ECONOMY GOES UP AND DOWN.
AND SO, UM, BUT GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2004, WE WERE SEEING SOME MAJOR REDUCTIONS THAT LED INTO THE GREAT RECESSION.
THEN DURING 2014 TO 2018, THAT'S WHERE MEASURE A KICKED IN.
[00:40:01]
AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MAJOR REDUCTIONS THERE.THEN COVID HIT, AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE.
AND THEN, UM, FOR THE LAST FOUR TO FIVE YEARS, WE'VE BASICALLY HAD NO REDUCTION SCENARIOS, THE LONGEST IN OUR HISTORY.
AND NOW WITH THE DOWNTURN IN THE ECONOMY, WE ARE, WE ARE SEEING, UH, UH, THOSE REDUCTIONS.
SO LET'S START TO GET INTO SOME NUMBERS.
SO, UH, THE DEFICIT HAS IMPROVED A LITTLE BIT.
IF YOU REMEMBER, EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE SAID IT WAS IN THE 60 TO $80 MILLION RANGE.
THEN WE, UH, REFINE THAT DOWN TO ABOUT 61.3 MILLION.
AND NOW A COUPLE MONTHS LATER, IT'S 58.2 MILLION.
AGAIN, ONE OF THOSE DRIVERS, THE REVENUE IMPACTS, WE TALKED ABOUT THE RISING COSTS, UH, FEDERAL FUNDING LOSS.
WE'VE LOST ABOUT $300 MILLION IN GRANTS OR SUPPORT OR OTHER THINGS, UH, THAT HAVE HAPPENED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
WE'VE GONE FIVE YEARS WITHOUT ANY REDUCTIONS.
UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW IT'S DROPPED TO 58.2 MILLION, AND THEN WE DO NEED TO, UH, TAKE AN ACTION TO BRING IT BACK INTO BALANCE.
ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE'VE, UH, BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN GROWING, UM, HAS BEEN IN HIRING, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE'VE CONTINUED TO DO ACADEMIES, AND WE HAVE, UM, UH, HAD GRADUATES, UH, 235 GRADUATES OF OUR ACADEMIES OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS FOR POLICE AND FIRE, INCLUDING OUR LARGEST IN OUR HISTORY LAST YEAR AT 85, I'M SORRY, IN POLICE.
AND THEN IN FIRE, IT'S 87 OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
AND SO WE'VE INVESTED IN TRYING TO BRING IN, UH, MORE, UH, UH, MORE EMPLOYEES IN THAT AREA.
UH, POLICE HAS MOVED FROM A 26% VACANCY RATE DOWN TO A 13% VACANCY RATE CUT IN HALF.
UH, NOT ALL OF THOSE ARE DEPLOYABLE.
SOME OF THOSE JUST CAME OUTTA THE ACADEMY.
AND IN THE AREA OF FIRE, IT'S A 3.2% VACANCY RATE.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO ADD SOME RESOURCES, UH, TO HELP, UH, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF, OF PARAMEDIC RESPONSE.
BUT THOSE ALSO, UH, OUR, OUR COSTS, THOSE ARE COSTS THAT, UM, THAT COME OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
THAT'S ABOUT A $38 MILLION, THREE YEAR AGREEMENT, UM, THAT IS GENERATING SOME OF THOSE COSTS.
AND THAT FEDERAL FUNDING LOSS, WE'VE LOST ABOUT 300 MILLION, AS I MENTIONED.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE AREAS, DISASTER PREP, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AIRPORT, AND A LOT OF IT IN OUR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS.
AND SO, AS WE LOOK AT OUR PRIORITIES, WE'VE GOTTA LEVERAGE THE STRENGTH OF ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES TO CONTINUE TO DO THE THINGS THAT RESIDENTS WANT, WHILE ALSO BALANCING THE BUDGET.
WE'VE GOTTA NAVIGATE THOSE CHALLENGES, AND WE'VE GOTTA SHAPE A BUDGET THAT REFLECTS OUR VALUES.
SO OUR APPROACH IS MULTI-FOLD.
IT'S TO, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT, UH, REDUCTIONS ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING WHAT WE CALL RELATED FUNDS, THINGS THAT HELP SUPPORT THE GENERAL FUND.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT ALL DEPARTMENTS PARTICIPATE IN THIS STRATEGY, THAT WE FOCUS ON PRIORITY BASED APPROACH TO, UM, TO, UH, PROTECT THOSE CORE SERVICES THAT WE LOOK AT, ALTERNATIVE SERVICE MODELS, EVALUATE SUBSIDIES, AND ALSO TO BOTH PROTECT AND ALSO, UH, INCREASE OUR RESERVES.
AND SO, UH, ESSENTIALLY, UH, THE BUDGET I'M PROPOSING IS BALANCED.
UM, IT HAS ABOUT $56 MILLION WORTH OF BUDGET BALANCING SOLUTIONS, UH, AND, UH, ENDS, UM, IN BALANCE, UM, UH, UH, COMPLETELY BALANCED.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE GOING FORWARD? UM, IF WE BALANCE THIS YEAR, THEN WE HAVE ONE MORE YEAR THAT'S DIFFICULT.
AND FY 28, THAT'S A $27 MILLION.
BUT THEN YOU CAN SEE WE'RE ACTUALLY BACK INTO, UH, INTO THE BLACK.
UH, AND SO THIS, YOU KNOW, HAS SOME ASSUMPTIONS IN IT, AND IT'S HARDER TO PREDICT AS YOU GO OUT, BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST WHERE IT'S THREE, FOUR, OR FIVE YEARS OF DEFICITS.
BUT DURING NEXT YEAR, UH, 28, WE ACTUALLY GET SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
SO MEASURE A WILL BE COMING IN.
VOTERS HAVE ALREADY APPROVED THAT, AND SO THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE SOME DECISIONS TO MAKE, WHETHER WE INVEST THAT IN PUBLIC SAFETY OR INFRASTRUCTURE.
THOSE ARE THE TWO AREAS WE CAN DO THAT.
IF YOU WERE USING THAT MONEY TO AVOID ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY IMPACTS, FOR EXAMPLE, THEN THE NEXT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS ARE ESSENTIALLY BALANCED.
SO JUST, UH, SOMETHING TO LOOK AT FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND, AND WE TAKE COMMUNITY INPUT.
WE DID A LOT OF COMMUNITY INPUT IN JANUARY.
AND SO THE TOP THREE THEMES THAT WE HEARD, UH, WERE PUBLIC SAFETY, HOUSING, AND HOMELESSNESS AND EDUCATION IN THE JANUARY AND FEBRUARY MEETINGS.
SO NOW LET'S GET TO HOW ARE WE GOING TO SOLVE THIS? UM, SO THERE'S AN EIGHT POINT STRATEGY, UH, TO, UH, TO ADDRESS THE, THE DEFICIT.
NUMBER ONE IS FIRST LOOK AT REDUCTION OF MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION.
WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT SHIFTING COSTS TO OTHER FUNDING SOURCES.
WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT INTERNAL RE UH, REDUCTIONS IN LOSS OF ADMIN CAPACITY.
THEN WE LOOK AT ENHANCING CERTAIN AREAS.
WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT INVESTMENTS IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, FACILITIES, TECHNOLOGY AND ADMINISTRATION, AND SOME CONTRACTING OUT OPPORTUNITIES.
AND AFTER ALL THOSE FIRST SIX GET DONE, UM, THEN THE, THERE'S STILL ABOUT HALFWAY TO GO, AND THAT'S WHERE THEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME TARGETED SERVICES REDUCTIONS, AND THEN A PLAN TO REPLENISH OUR RESERVES.
SO I WANNA GO BRIEFLY THROUGH THESE CATEGORIES.
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF ITEMS THAT MAKE UP THESE CATEGORIES.
AND SO, UH, WHAT I'M GONNA BE MENTIONING ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE STRATEGY.
AND THEN OVER THE NEXT, UH, TWO, UM, YOU KNOW, TWO MONTHS OR SO, OR MONTH AND A HALF, WE'RE GONNA BE GOING DEEPER INTO OUR BUDGET HEARINGS.
[00:45:01]
MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION.UH, THAT'S, THIS SAVES ABOUT $7 MILLION AND REDUCES 17, UH, FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS OR FTES.
FOR EXAMPLE, PUBLIC WORKS HAD TO CONSOLIDATE FUNCTIONS IN ITS BUSINESS OPERATIONS BUREAU, ELIMINATING THE PEOPLE AND CULTURE, UM, BUREAU OR DIVISION INTO A PERSONNEL DIVISION.
AND PARKS WE'RE ELIMINATING A MANAGEMENT POSITION AND RECREATION.
SUPERINTENDENT HEALTH IS MERGING TWO BUREAUS, UH, AND ALIGNING 'EM INTO A COMMUNITY HEALTH BUREAU.
TECH AND INNOVATION HAS MERGED TWO BUREAUS, AND POLICE AND FIRE HAVE ELIMINATED CAPTAIN BATTALION CHIEF AND LIEUTENANT LEVEL POSITIONS, ALL HIGH LEVEL SUPERVISORS.
THEN WE LOOK TO SHIFTING COST TO OTHER FUNDING SOURCES.
SO, UH, THIS SAVES UP TO $14 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND ABOUT, UH, 16, 17 POSITIONS GET SHIFTED OUT.
UH, THE PROMISE WAS THAT WHEN THE FEDERAL GRANTS RUN OUT FOR ENGINE 17, WE'VE BEEN PLANNING TO MOVE THAT TO MEASURE A.
AND SO THAT'S HAPPENING THIS YEAR.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME EMERGENCY DISPATCHERS AND JAIL TRANSPORT POSITIONS THAT WOULD'VE BEEN LOST HAD WE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TRANSFER THOSE TO MEASURE A.
AND WE ARE GONNA BE PROPOSING FUNDING THE NEW POLICE RECRUIT ACADEMY.
THAT'S A $7 MILLION INVESTMENT THAT MEASURE A WILL HELP WITH, AS WELL AS JUST FUNDING SOME REAL-TIME CRIME ANALYSTS.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME ABILITY TO SHIFT SOME OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WORK TO OUR CIP PLAN, UH, AND INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDS.
UH, THE PORT IS REALLY HELPING OUT BY GETTING US THE FULL COST RECOVERY.
UH, AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT AS, AS THEY OFFSET THE FULL COST OF WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN FIRE SERVICES OVER IN THE PORT, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FEES TO INCREASE TO SUPPORT OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR FULL COST RECOVERY, AS WELL AS SOME, UH, SHIFTING SOME COSTS TO PARK MAINTENANCE MONEY.
AND WE'RE GETTING A NEW CREW THAT CAN HELP, UH, REPLACE TRAFFIC SIGN REPLACEMENTS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
IT'S ABOUT A SEVEN $8 MILLION INVESTMENT.
UH, AND THAT COMES FROM CALTRANS.
THE NEXT CATEGORY WE LOOKED AT BEFORE WE GET TO SERVICE REDUCTIONS IS, IS CUTTING OUR OWN INTERNAL, UM, UH, SUPPORT AND LOSS OF ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY.
DOESN'T MEAN THESE AREN'T VERY IMPORTANT SERVICES.
THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ANSWER A LOT OF THE PHONES.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT DO A LOT OF THE PLANNING AND OVERSIGHT AND AND ANALYSIS.
UH, BUT THAT IS AN AREA THAT WE LOOK AT BEFORE WE START LOOKING AT SERVICE REDUCTIONS.
AND SO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD TO CUT BACK A NUMBER OF THEIR OVERTIME.
UH, CITYWIDE SAVINGS ARE, UH, REALIZED BY REDUCTIONS IN FLEET AND, AND OUR COST TO RUN OUR OWN TECHNOLOGY.
UH, WE HAVE THE CANNABIS TAX CREDIT PROGRAM THAT, UH, THE COUNCIL PUT FORWARD AS A WAY TO HELP WITH CANNABIS TAX, UH, REBATES.
BUT, UH, WE'VE ONLY HAD ONE PERSON ACTUALLY QUALIFY FOR THAT ONE BUSINESS.
AND SO THEY WOULD BE GRANDFATHERED IN AND WE WOULD RECOMMEND SUNSETTING THE PROGRAM.
AND THEN EVERY DEPARTMENT TOOK, UM, REDUCTIONS FROM THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL AND THEIR OFFICES TO CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO AUDITOR AND PROSECUTOR AND, AND CITY ATTORNEY, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS YOU SEE HERE ARE ALL CUTTING ADMIN POSITIONS THAT TOGETHER SAVE ABOUT $22 MILLION AND 74 OR 73 FTE.
THEN WE DO LOOK AT SOME AREAS THAT ARE IN NEED OF SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
UM, OUR MEDIAN PROGRAM IS WOEFULLY UNDERFUNDED, AND THE COST KEEP INCREASING THERE.
AND SO PUBLIC WORKS TOOK SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INTERNAL ADMIN REDUCTIONS IN ORDER TO SHIFT SOME MONEY INTO THE MEDIAN PROGRAM, AS WELL AS SOME SUPPLEMENTED REVENUES COMING FROM NEW PARKING METERS.
SO, UH, BOTH INCREASING THE RATE OF PARKING METERS TO $3, AND ALSO ADDING PARKING METERS, UH, IN SOME AREAS WHERE THEY DON'T EXIST.
THOSE FUNDS WILL ALSO HELP US WITH OUR STREETLIGHT PROGRAM.
UH, THIS COUNCILS MADE THAT A BIG PRIORITY WHERE STREETLIGHTS, UH, WE NEED NEW CREWS TO HELP, UH, KEEP THE STREETLIGHTS, UH, MAINTAINED.
UH, WE ARE ALSO FUNDING OUR POOR PARK HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT CLEANUP SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED WITH ONE TIMES.
HAD WE NOT DONE THIS, WE WOULD'VE LOST ABOUT 600 CLEANUPS A YEAR IN OUR PARKS.
WE WILL HAVE A NEW TRAFFIC SAFETY DIVISION COMING FROM THE AUTOMATED SPEED, UM, ENFORCEMENT CAMERAS, UH, MONEY, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.
AND WE'RE ALSO, UM, UM, UM, SHIFTING OUR, UH, NOISE ORDINANCE FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OVER INTO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
YOU'LL SEE IN A LITTLE BIT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SOME REDUCTIONS IN, IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT IF WE'RE MAKING THOSE REDUCTIONS, UM, FOR CRIME, THAT WE CONTINUE TO, TO INVEST IN THINGS LIKE THEIR FACILITIES, THEIR TECHNOLOGY, AND CONTINUING OUR HIRING IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO, THE NEW NEXT POLICE ACADEMY WILL MOVE FORWARD.
UH, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO REPLACE, UH, THEIR HELICOPTER, WHICH IS 23 YEARS OLD, UM, WITH GRANT FUNDING.
THE REALTIME CRIME CENTER AND THE DEPARTMENT'S DIGITAL FORENSICS CAPABILITIES ARE BEING, UM, EXPANDED.
UH, THE HIGH CRIME FOCUS TEAM, WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY IMPACTFUL IN REDUCING, UH, OUR VIOLENT CRIME RATE IN PARTICULAR, UH, WILL BECOME PERMANENT, UH, AS THEY SHIFT OFFICERS INTO THAT.
AND, UH, THESE ARE ALL PRIMARILY FUNDED THROUGH EITHER MEASURE A GRANT OR OTHER SOURCES RATHER THAN GENERAL FUND.
NOW, WE'RE AT THE SECTION ABOUT CONTRACTING OUT TO SEE IN A COUPLE AREAS, UH, CAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR DO, UH, THE, THE, UH, A SERVICE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING AT A LOWER COST.
AND SO THERE'S THREE THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING.
UH, ONE IS PARKING SERVICES AND COLLECTION AND BILLING.
UH, WE WOULD ACTUALLY MOVE OUR TEAM THAT DOES THAT CURRENTLY OVER TO HELP WITH, UM, OUR AUTOMATED,
[00:50:01]
UH, TRAFFIC CAMERA.UM, SO THEY WOULDN'T LOSE THEIR JOB, BUT THEY WOULD DO A DIFFERENT FUNCTION AND HAVE THE CONTRACTOR VENDOR, UH, DATA TICKET TAKE OVER.
UM, BOTH THE ISSUANCE OF TICKETS AND THE COLLECTION AND BILLING.
UH, WE WOULD, UH, UH, UH, LOOK TO CONTRACT OUR REPROGRAPHICS OFFICE.
WE HAVE AN IN-HOUSE PRINTING SHOP, UH, WHERE ABOUT 40% OF THAT WORK IS CURRENTLY CONTRACTED OUT, AND 60% IS IN-HOUSE.
AND THEN CROSSING GUARD SERVICES.
UM, WE, UH, DO THAT IN-HOUSE, BUT WE HAVE A LOT, IT'S A VERY HARD PART FOR US TO, UH, HIRE AND TO MAINTAIN PEOPLE, UH, IN OUR SERVICE DOING THAT.
UH, AND THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO, TO HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY AND, UH, DRAW FROM A VERY LARGE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SERVICES THAT PROVIDE THESE TO SIMILAR CITIES.
AND EACH ONE OF THESE NEEDS TO GO THROUGH A PROPEL ANALYSIS AND A MEET AND CONFER.
SO AFTER ALL THOSE ACTIONS THAT WE TOOK NOW, UM, WE STILL HAVE ABOUT $33 MILLION TO GO, UM, IN, IN THE AREA OF SERVICE REDUCTIONS.
AND SO I, I WILL SUMMARIZE SOME OF THE BIGGER ONES.
THIS IS A AREA WHERE WE WOULD SAVE 33 MILLION, AND IT WOULD AFFECT ABOUT, UH, 200 FTE, UM, FIRE STATION.
UH, 14 IS PROPOSED, UH, FOR ELIMINATION WHILE THE STATION WOULD REMAIN OPEN.
AND SO, UH, IT IS A STATION THAT CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 2000 CALLS A YEAR, WHERE SOME OF OUR OTHER STATIONS IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY SERVE ABOUT 6,000 CALLS A YEAR.
UM, 87% OF THEIR CALLS ARE MEDICAL.
AND SO THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT THE ENGINE WOULD, UH, NO LONGER BE THERE, BUT WE WOULD PUT BOTH A RESCUE AND A BLS AMBULANCE IN THAT AREA, AND THE FIRE UNITS WOULD COME FROM THE SURROUNDINGS, UH, RESOURCES.
AND, UH, UH, MY PROPOSAL, WE WOULD HAVE TO CLOSE ANOTHER ENGINE ON A ROTATING BASIS.
UH, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ABOUT THAT.
IT'S GONNA BE ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE MAYOR IS FINDING SOME RESOURCES TO RESTORE.
UH, WE WOULD CONVERT ONE ENGINE FROM PERMANENT STAFFING TO OVERTIME THAT WOULD HAVE NO IMPACT, UM, ON, ON SERVICE LEVELS, BUT IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, HAVE EMPLOYEES DOING THAT ON OVERTIME RATHER THAN AS THEIR, AS THEIR REGULAR JOB.
WE'D HAVE TO ELIMINATE VACANT PATROL OFFICER POSITIONS.
UH, WE WOULD NOT ELIMINATE THE BEATS, BUT WE WOULD HAVE ABOUT 17 POSITIONS THAT WOULD BE ELIMINATED, AND SOME OF THIS WOULD BE RESTORED IN THE MAYOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE'D BE SCALING BACK OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND MOTOR DETAIL OFFICERS, UH, YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT THAT A LITTLE LATER TOO.
UH, WE WOULD NEED TO CONSOLIDATE SOME OF OUR FINANCIAL CRIME INVESTIGATIONS, UH, AND REDUCE ABOUT 18 FTES AND INVESTIGATIONS, UH, AND ELIMINATE THOSE VACANT POSITIONS, AND ALSO REDUCE OUR STRUCTURAL POLICE OVERTIME FUNDING BY 2.7 MILLION IN THE AREA OF LIBRARIES.
UH, WE HAD AN ENHANCEMENT OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS IN LIBRARIES WHERE WE WENT FOR FIVE LIBRARIES UP TO SIX DAYS OF SERVICE.
NOW WE WOULD GO BACK, UH, INSTEAD OF CLOSING ANY REGIONAL LIBRARIES, WE WOULD ALL, ALL NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES WOULD BE AT, AT, UM, AT, UH, FIVE DAYS OF SERVICE SAVING 1.3 MILLION PARKS AND REC, UH, HAD TO MAKE SOME VERY DIFFICULT CHOICES BETWEEN ANIMAL CARE MAINTENANCE IN THEIR PARKS, UM, OR RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMING.
AND SO, UM, THEY'RE REDUCING IN BOTH MAINTENANCE A LITTLE BIT, BUT ALSO, UM, IN THE RECREATION SIDE, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN MAINTAIN REALLY GOOD CLEAN, SAFE PARKS.
BUT WITH, UH, SOME, UH, LESS PROGRAMMING BE SAFE SITES, UH, WOULD GO FROM THREE HOURS TO TWO HOURS, UM, AND SAVE ABOUT ONE POINT OR 191,000.
AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT FROM THE MAYOR.
CHAVEZ PARK, UH, IS PROPOSED FOR ELIMINATION THAT ALSO YOU HEAR ABOUT THAT.
UM, HOMELAND CULTURAL CENTER, SAME THING.
NATURE CENTER WOULD CLOSE ON TUESDAYS, SUMMER SWIM, UM, WOULD BE REDUCED.
AND THEN THE WRAP PROGRAM, UH, WOULD BE CONTINUED BY OTHER PROVIDERS.
THIS WOULD'VE NO IMPACT ON, ON THE KIDS.
UM, BUT, UH, WE WOULD NOT PROVIDE THAT SERVICE ANYMORE.
AND THEN SOME REDUCED MAINTENANCE AT RANCHO LOS ALAMITOS AND LOS CERRITOS IN THE AREA OF NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.
WE'D LOSE SOME NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE SPECIALIST POSITIONS, AND WE WOULD REDUCE TO CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT ELIMINATES THREE FTE IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
WE WOULD ELIMINATE A POSITION THAT DOES OFF IN THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, UH, THAT, UH, INCLUDES STRUCTURAL SUPPORT FOR THE JUSTICE FUND, THE EQUITY COMMISSION, AND LANGUAGE ACCESS IN THE HEALTH FUND.
WE WOULD ELIMINATE, UM, A NUMBER OF VACANT POSITIONS, ABOUT 4.2 MILLION AND 47 FTE.
WE'D REDUCE CAPACITY IN THE OFFICE OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
WE WOULD REDUCE CAPACITY FOR A HOME, UH, HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, AS WELL AS MATERNAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT YOUTH, UM, SUPPORT AND CHILDHOOD LED POISONING PREVENTION PROGRAMS. AND THEN FINALLY, AS A PART OF THIS PLAN, UM, I AM RECOMMENDING THAT WE CREATE A PLAN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, STARTING WITH THIS YEAR TO REPLENISH OUR RESERVES.
WE'VE HAD TO HIT SOME OF OUR RESERVES.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE THERE FOR.
AND IT IS PART OF OUR FISCAL POLICY TO BE ABLE TO USE THOSE RESERVES.
BUT THEN YOU NEED TO HAVE A PLAN TO REPLACE IT.
SO I HAVE PUT FORWARD A PLAN OF $9.8 MILLION TO PUT BACK INDOOR CITY RESERVES.
AND SO, UM, THIS IS GETTING CLOSE TO THE END OF, OF SUMMING ALL THIS UP.
BUT, UM, UH, WE DO HAVE SOME LOSS OF GRANT FUNDING AS WELL.
UM, IN THE AREA OF HOMELESSNESS, UH, WE'VE LOST A LOT IN THE COUNTY, MERE ABOUT A 32% DROP, UM, WITH ANOTHER 43% COMING IN THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE STATE, UM, FUNDING
[00:55:01]
IS, UH, HAS BEEN NOT VERY CLEAR.IT, IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GONNA BE CUT, THEN IT WAS RESTORED, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME MAJOR CUTS ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING ROUGHLY FROM ALL THOSE SOURCES TOGETHER, PROBABLY LOSING ABOUT $11 MILLION OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
AND HAD WE NOT TAKEN ACTION, THAT WOULD'VE MEANT HUNDREDS OF BEDS WOULD'VE HAD TO CLOSE.
AND SO, UH, WE CREATED A PLAN SO THAT THOSE BEDS ARE NOT CLOSING, BUT IT IS GONNA IMPACT SOME OF OUR, OUR STAFFING.
SO OUR OUTREACH WILL GO FROM TWO SHUTTLE, UM, SERVICES, TWO VEHICLES TO ONE.
UH, MOST OUT, UH, WEEKEND OUTREACH WOULD BE ELIMINATED.
MOBILE ACCESS CENTERS WOULD GO FROM TWO TO ONE.
UH, WE WOULD LOSE SOME OF OUR PREVENTION PROGRAM DOLLARS AND OUR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKFORCE FUNDING.
OUR MOTEL VOUCHERS WOULD BE CUT FROM 40 TO 15.
WE'D HAVE FEWER RAPID REHOUSING ASSISTANCE.
UH, AND ALL IN ALL, WE'D LOSE ABOUT EIGHT POSITIONS OUTTA HOMELESS SERVICES.
THERE IS SOME GOOD NEWS IN OUR, UH, IN SOME AREAS OF THE BUDGET.
AGAIN, THERE ARE RESTRICTED FUNDS THAT CANNOT, UM, UH, HELP THE GENERAL FUND, BUT THEY'RE STILL NONETHELESS IMPORTANT.
UH, WE DO HAVE A PLAN, UH, FOR TIDELANDS FOR ABOUT A $12 MILLION INVESTMENT.
AND SO, UH, THAT WOULD BE IN THE AREA OF TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY, PUBLIC SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL ENHANCEMENTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND ADDITIONALLY, UH, OF THOSE POLICE OFFICERS WE'RE LOSING, WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE FIVE OFFICERS TO TIDELANDS TO HAVE A DEDICATED, UM, PATROL CALLS FOR RESPONSE IN OUR BEACH AREAS, WHICH IS GONNA HELP THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO IF WE HAVE OFFICERS RESPONDING THERE, WE, UM, OTHER OFFICERS CAN BE RESPONDING TO OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY.
UH, WE'RE ALSO IN, UH, WITH, UH, NEW REVENUE COMING IN THAT'S DEDICATED FOR TRAFFIC.
GONNA BE EXPANDING OUR TRAFFIC OPERATIONS BY SEVEN POSITIONS INC.
AND THEN FIVE ADDITIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE, UH, SUPPORT ROLES, UH, AND REALLY RESPOND TO THE ABILITY TO GET, UH, QUICKER NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC, CALMING, QUICK BUILD IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, YOU'LL HEAR LATER IN, IN OUR PRESENTATION, UH, IN A COUPLE WEEKS, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN IS ABOUT $1.24 BILLION, NOW, 180 PROJECTS AGAINST THESE EIGHT FUNDING CATEGORIES.
AND WE'VE RELEASED NEW MAPS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS FOR OUR STREETS.
UH, THOSE JUST CAME OUT AND, UH, YOU CAN SEE THEM ON OUR, ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND, UH, IT'S ABOUT A $250 MILLION IMP UH, INVESTMENT IN STREETS.
UH, THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR THE NEXT, UH, FIVE YEARS.
AND WHEN YOU OVERLAY IT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THESE ARE ALL THE STREETS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE.
UH, AND, UH, YOU CAN GO AND CHECK OUT THIS MAP AND DRILL DOWN TO EACH INDIVIDUAL LEVEL.
SO, AS I WRAP UP, UH, AND TURN TO THE MAYOR, I DO WANT US TO ALL BE COGNIZANT OF THE HUMAN IMPACT OF ALL THESE REDUCTIONS.
UH, WE TALK ABOUT FTES AND POSITIONS, BUT ULTIMATELY THESE ARE PEOPLE.
UH, WE PROVIDE HUMAN, UH, WE PROVIDE SUPPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY WITH OUR EMPLOYEES.
UH, THEY ARE, BY DEFINITION OUR GREATEST ASSET.
AND IT'S BEEN A VERY TOUGH DAY.
IT WAS A, A VERY TOUGH WEEK LAST WEEK AS WE COMMUNICATED THIS TO OUR WORKFORCE.
UH, ULTIMATELY I'M RECOMMENDING 483 POSITIONS BE, UH, ELIMINATED.
AND, UH, 263 OF THOSE ARE FILLED.
UH, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE MAYOR.
HE HAS CERTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WOULD RESTORE ABOUT 70 OF THOSE POSITIONS.
AND SO THE NET TOTAL WOULD BE ABOUT 413, AND ABOUT 237 OF THOSE ARE FILLED.
AND SO I WANT US TO ALL BEAR IN MIND THE, THE HUMAN IMPACT THAT, YOU KNOW, BUDGET REDUCTIONS TAKE.
THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT RELY ON THEIR, ON THEIR EMPLOYMENT TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP SUPPORT THEM AND, AND, AND MOVE THEM TO VACANT POSITIONS WHEREVER WE CAN, UH, AS ALLOWED BY THE CIVIL SERVICE RULES.
UM, WE DO, UH, YOU KNOW, NEED TO STAY THE FINANCIAL COURSE.
THIS IS A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET, EVEN THOUGH IT IS, UH, IN, IN CERTAIN AREAS VERY DIFFICULT.
WE ARE GONNA TAKE THIS OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, DO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE CITY WHERE WE TAKE INPUT AND ANSWER QUESTIONS AND ASK PEOPLE TO FILL OUT SOME INFORMATION TO GET TO THE COUNCIL BY A FRIDAY, OCTOBER, AUGUST 14TH.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HOLD VERY IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL OVER THE NEXT SIX WEEKS.
AND SO, UH, THESE ARE ALL THE AREAS YOU CAN GET INVOLVED.
UM, WE HAVE ALL THIS ON OUR WEBSITE, LONG BEACH.GOV/BUDGET FOR YOU TO GET INVOLVED.
AND WE HAVE DIGITAL COMMENT CARDS THAT EVERYONE CAN FILL OUT, AND ALL OF THOSE WILL GO STRAIGHT TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND, AND MANAGEMENT AS WELL TO, TO READ.
THERE'S LOTS OF DOCUMENTS WHERE YOU CAN SEARCH AND FIND THE PROGRAM THAT YOU KNOW YOU ARE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT UNDER LONG BEACH TCA SLASH BUDGET.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, THE MAYOR TO GO THROUGH HIS RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO BEFORE I OUTLINE THESE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, A FEW THINGS.
SO, ONE, UM, THIS IS THE PROCESS.
THE, THE MANAGER PUTS FORWARD A, UH, A BUDGET THAT IS BALANCED AS REQUIRED BY THE CHARTER.
IT HAS TO EITHER REBALANCED BY CUTS, OR IF YOU HAVE RESERVES YOU CAN DRAW FROM.
YOU CAN DO THAT, BUT YOU HAVE TO ADOPT A BALANCED BUDGET PER CHARTER EVERY YEAR.
THE MAYOR, THE, THE CITY MANAGER, GOES THROUGH THAT BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS FROM JANUARY THROUGH MAY, AND THEN,
[01:00:01]
UH, THAT PROPOSAL IS SUBMITTED TO THE MAYOR TO REVIEW, TO TALK THROUGH.AND SOMETIMES THERE ARE NEW RESOURCES THAT BECOME AVAILABLE THAT WE'RE NOT AVAILABLE IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY WHEN THE BUDGET WAS BEING DEVELOPED, THAT SO CAN SOMETIMES CAN BE USED ON RESTORATIONS.
SO IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY IN A CHARTER TO GO THROUGH AND GIVE MY PASS AND GIVE MY RECOMMENDATIONS.
BOTH ARE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
THEY GO THROUGH THEIR BUDGET PROCESS, WHICH IS LARGELY DRIVEN BY THESE HEARINGS AND THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SOLVE EVERYTHING.
IN THIS BUDGET MEETING TONIGHT, EACH OF THESE MAJOR DEPARTMENTS WILL HAVE A NIGHT WHERE WE CAN TAKE A DEEPER DIVE INTO IMPACTS AND ALL OF THAT THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
ALSO, THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WILL COME WITH A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS AS THEY DO EVERY SINGLE YEAR, WHICH ALSO ARE ADOPTED BY THE FULL COUNCIL.
SO LET'S GET INTO MY RECOMMENDATIONS.
I WANNA START BY EXPLAINING HOW I'M PAYING FOR THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE A NUMBER OF RESTORATIONS AND ENHANCEMENTS.
EVERY ONE OF THESE, UH, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS IS STRUCTURALLY FUNDED AND SUSTAINABLE WITHOUT EXPANDING OUR DEFICIT.
IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THEY'RE FUNDED BY REDIRECTING ONE-TIME SAVINGS, IMPROVING COST RECOVERY, OR MAXIMIZING OUTSIDE FUNDING SO WE CAN PROTECT SERVICES WITHOUT PLACING ADDITIONAL STRUCTURAL PRESSURE.
SO HERE ARE FOUR OF THE MAIN CATEGORIES.
FIRST, BECAUSE, UH, THE CITYWIDE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND, UH, THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL CLOSED OUT THEIR ELECTION IN JUNE, THERE IS NO ELECTION FOR CITY CLERK, UH, TO ADMINISTER.
WE NORMALLY, UH, SET ASIDE ABOUT ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO RUN AN ELECTION.
THERE'S NO ELECTION THIS NOVEMBER.
SO I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE TAKE THOSE DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN SET ASIDE FOR A POSSIBLE ELECTION AND REDIRECT THOSE TO, TO ONETIME SAVINGS, UH, ON IMPORTANT ONETIME COMMUNITY PRIORITIES, AND IT'S ONETIME SERVICE RESTORATIONS.
SECONDLY, THIS WAS ALLUDED TO IN THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSAL, UH, THAT THE LONG BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES SIGNIFICANT PROTECTION SERVICES THAT, THAT SUPPORT PORT OPERATIONS.
THEY'VE BEEN SUBSIDIZED FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, SO THE GENERAL FUND HAS SUPPORTED THOSE SERVICES, UH, THAT MOU HAD NOT BEEN UPDATED IN MANY YEARS.
SO WE'VE GONE TO THE HARBOR COMMISSION AND THE PORT DEPARTMENT TO UPDATE THEIR MOU FOR FULL COST RECOVERY.
THAT HAS GENERATED ABOUT 5.9 MILLION IN ONGOING GENERAL FRONT STRUCTURAL SUPPORT THAT CAN BE USED TO RESTORE ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
SO I WANNA THANK THE BOARD OF HARBOR COMMISSIONERS AND, UH, PORT CEO, UH, NOEL HABA HASA GABA FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP ON THIS TIMELY, UH, UPDATE.
NEXT, WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED REGIONALLY AND NATIONALLY AND STATEWIDE, UH, BECAUSE WE KNEW THIS MOMENT WAS COMING.
WE PROJECT OUT FIVE YEARS OUT.
WE'VE SEEN THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CUTS TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND OTHER THINGS REGIONALLY.
SO WE GOT INVOLVED REGIONALLY TO IDENTIFY NEW FUNDING SOURCES TO SUPPORT US IN THIS MOMENT.
SO THE FIRST IS THROUGH ADVOCACY WITH THE CALIFORNIA BIG CITY MAYOR'S COALITION.
THE STATE RESTORED A PORTION SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE HOMELESS HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND PREVENTION PROGRAM CALLED HAP.
IT WAS CUT STATEWIDE FROM A BILLION TO 500 MILLION RECENTLY IN A STATE BUDGET.
THANKS TO THE ADVOCACY, IT WAS RESTORED UP TO 900 MILLION, SO ALMOST FULLY RESTORED.
THAT HELPS US, UH, WITH, UH, SOME OF THE IMPACTS TO OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH AND OUR ENGAGEMENT HERE IN THE CITY.
THE SECOND PIECE, THROUGH OUR BUDGET CONVERSATIONS.
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, TYPICALLY COMMUNITY REQUESTS HAVE BEEN MORE FOCUSED ON HOW DO WE SUPPORT RENTERS AND TENANTS, AND THAT PLACED ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ON THE GENERAL FUND.
OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THROUGH OUR WORK AND OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH LA COUNTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS AGENCY, LA CASA, WE NOW HAVE DEDICATED FUNDS FOR THINGS LIKE TENANT ASSISTANCE, RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
THEY DON'T PUT PRESSURE ON THE GENERAL FUND ANYMORE.
SO WE RECEIVE ABOUT 10.7 MILLION, UH, IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR TO SUPPORT THOSE SERVICES.
SO IT DOES NOT PLACE ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ONE TIME OR STRUCTURAL ON OUR GENERAL FUND.
AND SO THAT WILL HELP US PRESERVE RENTAL SUBSIDIES, HOUSING NAVIGATION, AND HOUSING LOCATION SERVICES.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, PROBABLY THE BIGGEST, UH, UH, IMPACT THAT, UH, BIGGEST ADDITION THAT WE DID NOT HAVE BEFORE WAS LA COUNTY MEASURE.
I WANNA THANK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR SUPPORTING ME MEASURE ER, OUR LABOR PARTNERS FOR SUPPORTING MEASURE ER AND THE VOTERS FOR ULTIMATELY ADOPTING MEASURE ER ON THE BALLOT COUNTYWIDE.
THIS IS A TEMPORARY MEASURE THAT SUPPORTS, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH AND OUR CLINICS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS DUE TO THE UNCERTAIN FEDERAL LANDSCAPE AND THE CUTS COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT ARE IMPACTING STATE, COUNTY, AND LOCAL.
AND SO, AS A RESULT OF THAT, 1% OF THAT MEASURE COUNTYWIDE IS GOING TO SUPPORT THE TWO JURISDICTIONS THAT HAVE PUBLIC SUR PUBLIC, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS THAT IS LONG BEACH AND PASADENA.
SO WE HAVE NEW, NEW DOLLARS, ABOUT SEVEN TO 8 MILLION IN STRUCTURAL DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO GO DIRECTLY INTO OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT'S HOW WE'RE PAYING FOR THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY'RE ORGANIZED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES.
[01:05:01]
FIRST IS PROTECTING JOBS AND ESSENTIAL PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES.THE SECOND IS, UH, PRESERVING PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE FACE OF FEDERAL CUTS.
AFTER THAT, IT'S ADVANCING MOBILITY AND SAFETY, UH, FOR ALL ROAD USERS, AND THEN CONTINUING TO INVEST IN OUR THRIVING NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, TO START WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, THIS BUDGET ALREADY CONTINUES OUR FOCUS ON HIRING.
WE KNOW THAT WE'VE DONE CONSECUTIVE ACADEMIES, WE'VE CUT OUR VACANCY RATE IN HALF IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT COMING OUT OF COVID.
WE SAW VACANCIES ACROSS ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS.
ONE TOUGH BUDGET YEAR SHOULD STOP, NOT STOP OUR PROGRESS TOWARD THAT STRATEGIC GOAL OF HIRING.
WE WILL HAVE ACADEMY CLASS 1 0 1 THAT IS THERE.
UH, WE ALSO KNOW THAT, UH, HIGH CRIME FOCUS TEAM HAS PLAYED A BIG ROLE.
WE'VE SEEN, UH, SIGNI FIVE YEARS CONSECUTIVE REDUCTIONS IN SHOOTINGS AND VIOLENT CRIME AND HOMICIDES IN OUR CITY.
SO THAT IS NOW STRUCTURALLY FUNDED.
BUT THERE ARE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO RESTORE SOME OF THE CUTS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED, UH, IN THIS BUDGET.
FIRST, UH, THERE WAS ORIGINALLY A PLAN TO ELIMINATE, UM, ENGINE 14 AND A ROTATING ENGINE CLOSURE.
SO EVERY TWO WEEKS, A DIFFERENT FIRE STATION WOULD HAVE TO TAKE AN ENGINE OUTTA SERVICE.
IT'S AN INCREDIBLY IMPACTFUL, UH, AND DISRUPTIVE, UH, CUT.
AND SO WE ARE LEVERAGING, UH, THE PORT DOLLARS TO ELIMINATE THE LI THE ROTATING ENGINE CLOSURE BY RESTORING 12 FTES IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, ENSURING E EMERGENCY MEDICAL AND FIRE SUPPRESSION CAPACITY REMAINS STRONG.
THE OTHER PART, THIS BUDGET, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE PLACED AN EMPHASIS ON SHIFTING, UH, TO MEET THE EVOLVING NEEDS.
WE KNOW THAT MEDICAL CALLS ARE THE EMERGING AND MAJORITY OF CALLS, SO WE'VE ADDED ADDITIONAL RESCUES IN PREVIOUS BUDGETS.
NONE OF THE PARAMEDIC RESCUES ARE BEING CUT.
THEY'RE BEING MAINTAINED IN THIS BUDGET.
THAT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE THAT FOCUS BECAUSE THE MOST RECENT REPORT SHOWED THAT WE ARE MEETING EMERGENCIES.
UH, THE RESPONSE TIME IS DECLINING, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SEE THE RESPONSE TIME CONTINUE TO DECLINE IN TERMS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, THERE, THERE ARE, UH, I'M RECOMMENDING FOR, UH, FTES BE RESTORED ACROSS EAST, NORTH, SOUTH, AND WEST PATROL DIVISIONS.
SO FOUR ADDITIONAL, UH, PATROL RESTORATIONS.
I'M RECOMMENDING TWO ADDITIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE OFFICERS TO BRING THE TOTAL OF QUALITY OF LIFE TO FOUR ONE IN EACH, UH, IN EACH, UH, DIVISION.
WE'RE RECOMMENDING FUNDING TO PROVIDE OVERTIME TO SUPPORT WEEKLY CLEAN UP CLEANUP OPERATIONS IN OUR RIVERS.
UH, WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING OVERTIME FUNDING FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S HIGH CRIME TASK FORCE, AND INCREASE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT AS A PART OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT TO DRAFT ADDRESS SOME OF THE, UH, CHALLENGES WITH, UH, PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICLE, UM, UH, INCIDENTS IN OUR CITY.
NEXT, COMMUNITY SAFETY CAN'T BE DECIDE DE DEFINED ONLY BY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE CALLS 9 1 1.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE OUR FOCUS ON UPSTREAM AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE, UM, UH, KNOW AND UNDERSTAND AND BELIEVE AND TRUST, UH, UM, THAT WE CAN PREVENT CRIME, UH, AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL OUR COMMUNITIES FEEL SAFE.
WE KNOW THAT OUR, OVER THE PAST, UH, YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS, WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS TO OUR, UH, UNDOCUMENTED COMMUNITY IN LONG BEACH.
AND, UH, IT'S FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE A LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND.
THERE IS SOME STRUCTURAL FUNDING FOR THE JUSTICE FUND, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO GET THROUGH.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGE SPEND OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS NEXT YEAR.
OUR HOPE IS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION STOPS THIS ATTACK, BUT IT IS UNLIKELY.
WE RESTORE THE ONE FTE IN THE OFFICE OF EQUITY TO ENSURE, UH, STRUCTURAL FUNDING IS DEDICATED TO THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND.
I'M RECOMMENDING WE RESTORE THAT.
FURTHERMORE, RECOMMENDING ADDING STRUCTURAL ONE-TIME GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, UH, TO MATCH THE CURRENT BUDGET ALLOCATION, TO BRING THE TOTAL FOR THE JUSTICE FUND IN THIS YEAR TO $1 MILLION.
THAT IS THE AVERAGE BETWEEN LAST YEAR'S SPEND AND THIS YEAR'S SPEND TO ENSURE COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO THOSE PROTECTIONS OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT YEAR.
SUMMER PROGRAM WAS PROPOSED TO BE CUT, UH, TO REDUCE FROM THREE HOURS TO TWO HOURS IN THE SUMMER.
THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT PROGRAM.
SO I'M, I'M RECOMMENDING WE RESTORE 5.72 FTES AND PARKS AND RECREATION MARINE TO PRESERVE PROGRAMMING AT THE THREE HOUR LEVEL.
NEXT, WE'RE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN YOUTH OPPORTUNITY AND SUPPORTIVE, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES.
WE KNOW THAT WE'RE STILL CONTINUING WITH OUR, JUST WITH OUR, UH, YOUTH FUND AND THE OFFICE OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.
A LOT OF THAT WORK, UH, BUT WE'RE GONNA RESTORE SOME, UH, SOME CUTS HERE.
SO, THE OFFICE OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE COMMISSION.
SO RESTORING A HALFTIME FTE AND THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR, FOR A PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONAL.
THREE IN OFFICE OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
THE COMMISSION WAS RUN AT HALFTIME FOR MANY YEARS, THEN IT WENT UP TO FULL-TIME.
IT'S GONNA SCALE BACK TO THE WAY IT OPERATED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UH, HOMELAND CULTURAL CENTER PROGRAMMING WAS
[01:10:01]
SCHEDULED TO BE CUT.WE'RE RESTORING THAT WITH 25,000 SENT.
UH, CHAVEZ PARK TEAM PROGRAMMING.
WE'RE RESTORING 1.554 FTES AND PARKS, RECREATION MARINE, UH, 14 PROGRAMMING AT CHAVEZ PARKS AND IN COURT AND TEEN CENTER.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE RESOURCES ARE THERE.
UH, NEXT, LET'S FOCUS ON NOW THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE ONE OF THE FEW CITIES WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND THERE'S FACING IMPACTS ON ALL SIDES.
IT'S BEEN A FOCUS OF OURS TO SHIFT TO MORE STRUCTURAL FUNDING FOR OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN THE PAST, AND TO INVEST IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE WORK THAT IT REQUIRES IN ORDER TO KEEP UP WITH GRANTS AND GO AFTER MORE GRANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, RIGHT NOW IT'S BEING IMPACTED, BUT THANKS TO MEASURE ER, WE DO HAVE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME, TO FOCUS ON THREE PRIORITIES.
ONE, RESTORING, UH, A SET NUMBER OF PROPOSED REDUCTIONS.
SO 1.7 MILLION TO RESTORE 12 FTES.
THIS IS FOUNDATIONAL HEALTH AND, UH, HUMAN SERVICES POSITIONS.
THEY HELP SUPPORT EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS.
SECONDLY, SUSTAINED EXISTING SERVICES THAT EXPECT TO LOSE FUNDING.
AS MENTIONED, THERE'S ABOUT $300 MILLION ACROSS THE CITY THAT'S POTENTIALLY AT RISK FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
WE WANNA SUSTAIN EXISTING SERVICES THAT WE, WHEN WE EXPECT TO LOSE FUNDING, AND THERE ARE CUTS FROM THE COUNTY AS WELL.
SO THAT'S 3.2 MILLION IN 14 FT FTES TO PROTECT SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS THAT ARE LOSING TEMPORARY STATE OR FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING.
AND THEN THREE NEW POSITIONS AND PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS, ABOUT 2 MILLION.
AND THAT'S 12 FTES TO EXPAND OUR CAPACITY AND COMMUNICABLE DISEASE PREVENTION LAB WORK, AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
SO IN TOTAL, IN TOTAL, THIS RESTORES 12 POSITIONS, ADDS ABOUT 26 POSITIONS TO ENSURE THAT OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT CAN CONTINUE TO MEET ITS MISSION AND BE RESPONSIBLE ABOUT THE LIMITED REVENUES THAT WE DO HAVE.
NEXT, ADVANCED MOBILITY AND TRAFFIC SAFETY FOR ALL ROAD USERS.
UH, WE KNOW THAT TRAFFIC SAFETY AND OUR ABILITY TO MOVE AROUND OUR CITY, TAKE PEOPLE TO SCHOOL, GO TO A PARK, DROP YOUR KIDS OFF, ALL OF THAT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT POST COVID, WE'VE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT RISE IN INCIDENTS OF, UH, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, UM, ACCIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, AND WE KNOW THAT OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, THIS ISN'T, WE NEED TO PLACE A BIG FOCUS ON THAT, NOT FOR THE TWO, YOU KNOW, THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO WILL COME HERE FOR THE OLYMPICS, BUT TO LEAVE A BETTER SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR OUR RESIDENTS WHO WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE HERE.
SO WE, SO WE SUPPORT, UH, THE, THE CREATION OF THE NEW TRAFFIC SAFETY DIVISION IN PUBLIC WORKS.
WE SUPPORT THAT WITH THE 12 NEW POSITIONS AND FOCUS ON VISION ZERO IMPLEMENTATION, SAFER STREET DESIGN.
FOLLOWING UP ON THE, YOU KNOW, THE STOP SIGN STUDIES AND ALL THE DIFFERENT STUDIES THAT I HAVE A BACKLOG AND FOCUS ON COLLISION REDUCTIONS.
BUT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO FURTHER IN THE MAYOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, I WAS RECENTLY ELECTED TO THE METRO BOARD, SO I'M LEAVING MY FOCUS ON LA CASA AS BROUGHT A LOT OF REAL DOLLARS, 10 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR HOUSING.
NOW WE'RE GONNA SHIFT TO PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND MOBILITY.
ONE, UH, METRO IS NOW SUPPORTING A POSITION IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO FOCUS ON, UH, STRONGER TRANSIT INVESTMENTS, SAFER STREETS, MEANINGFUL INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADE UPGRADES.
AND SO WE WILL HAVE A NEW ROLE, UH, DEDICATED THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO GO AFTER OUTSIDE TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS, LEVERAGE WHAT WE HAVE TO CREATE A BIGGER, BIGGER IMPACT AND ADVOCATE FOR OUR REGIONAL, OUR LOCAL PRIORITIES.
AND THEN SECONDLY, LONG BEACH HAS NOT BEEN A PART OF A BROADER CONVERSATION AROUND, UH, METROLINK AND HIGH SPEED RAIL IN THIS UPCOMING YEAR.
UH, THIS TEAM WILL ALSO FOCUS ON, UH, BEGINNING TO FORMALLY EVALUATE A METROLINK COLLECTION IN LONG BEACH.
NOT LIGHT RAIL A LINE, BUT BE ABLE TO BUY A TICKET IN LONG BEACH AND GET ON A REAL TRAIN WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH LUGGAGE AND END UP IN SACRAMENTO THROUGH HIGH SPEED RAIL OR, OR LAS VEGAS.
IT DOESN'T CONNECT TO LONG BEACH.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BEGIN THIS DISCUSSION OVER THE NEXT DECADE IF WE'RE GONNA BE TAPPED INTO THIS BROADER REGIONAL ECONOMY NEXT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THE CITY MANAGER PUT FORWARD FROM.
IM IMPROVING OUR MAIN, OUR MEDIANS AND, UH, ADDRESSING STREETLIGHT CHALLENGES DESPITE THE BUDGET CIRCUMSTANCE.
BUT THERE ARE IMPACTS IN THE BUDGET THAT WE DO NEED TO ADDRESS.
SO IN TALKING WITH LIBRARIES, UH, WE WENT TO A SIX DAY SCHEDULE, UH, BACK IN 2022.
THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL FUNDING FOR IT IN THE PAST THAT HAD TO BE FIXED.
WELL, NOW WE'RE IN A MOMENT WHERE, UH, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT THAT WAS NOT RESTORED IN A WAY THAT IT, IT HAD THE STRUCTURAL FUNDING WE'RE REVERTING BACK TO FIVE DAYS.
BUT IN TALKING WITH, UH, SOME OF THE LEADERSHIP AND LIBRARY SERVICES.
WHAT THEY'VE ASKED FOR IS MORE FLEXIBLE DOLLARS FOR PROGRAMMING.
SO MAKE SURE WE, THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO WITH THE, WITH OUR YOUTH AND OUR COMMUNITY WHILE WE'RE THERE.
SO WE'RE, UH, ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMMING LIBRARIES.
SECONDLY, THERE'S A PROPOSED CUT TO FUNDING FOR BOTH, UH, RANCHOS, UH, BOTH OF OUR RANCHOS AND EL DORADO NATURE CENTER.
I'M, I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE PR WE, UH, PRESERVE FUNDING IN BOTH OF THOSE, UH, IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT IMPACT OUR GENERAL FUND.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA BE PARTNERING WITH PARTNERS OF PARKS ON EL DORADO NATURE CENTER.
WE'RE GONNA BE LEVERAGING, UH, MEASURE B, UH, WHICH IS FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, UH, NATURE.
LET'S SEE, UH, WEST SIDE PROMISE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO
[01:15:01]
RECOMMEND FUNDING TO CONTINUE WEST SIDE PROMISE.FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THE WEST SIDE, UH, IT, UH, THIS IS A DEDICATED STRATEGY TO DELIVER INFRASTRUCTURE, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS OVER A LONG TERM.
SO A SHORT BUDGET, A DIFFICULT BUDGET YEAR SHOULD NOT CHANGE YOUR LONG-TERM FOCUS.
YOUR 10, 10 YEAR FOCUS ON IMPROVING THE WEST SIDE.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING WE'LL WE'LL NOTE HERE IS THAT, UH, IN TERMS OF SMALL BUSINESS AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS AND BUSINESS CORRIDORS, WE FUNDED THIS LAST YEAR.
SO THE $8.7 MILLION BACK TO BUSINESS PLAN WAS A TWO YEAR PLAN, BECAUSE WE ANTICIPATED THAT THIS WILL BE A DIFFICULT YEAR.
SO THE SUPPORT FOR THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, THE SUPPORT TO DO RAPID RESPONSE, AND A LOT OF THAT ACTIVITY IN OUR BUSINESS CORRIDOR HAS BEEN HELPFUL.
SO WE WANNA REMIND FOLKS THOSE RESOURCES, UH, ARE AVAILABLE FOR THIS YEAR.
SO NOW LOOKING AHEAD, UH, THIS BUDGET, UH, IS, UM, ADDRESSING A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT.
AND WE LOOK AND WE PROJECT OUT AND DO FIVE YEAR FORECASTS.
WE SEE THAT OUR DEFICIT NARROWS IF WE FOLLOW THIS PLAN OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS WITH NEXT YEAR.
THERE'S NEW RESOURCES, UH, LOCAL MEASURE A DOLLARS COMING IN, UH, IF THE COUNCIL CHOOSES, THAT COULD COVER COVER SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, THE MO MOST, IF NOT ALL OF THE, OF THE DEFICIT FOR NEXT YEAR.
WHICH MEANS THIS YEAR, UH, IS REALLY THE YEAR TO THINK ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT.
AND IF WE SOLVE THIS THIS YEAR, WE WILL LEAVE BALANCE, UH, THE BALANCE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES DESERVE, UH, THE STABILITY THAT OUR EMPLOYEES DESERVE, AND THE STABILITY THAT OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE PRE COVID, UH, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN UNCERTAIN SINCE THE COVID ERA.
SO I'M RECOMMENDING A NUMBER OF THINGS, UH, THAT WE DO TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON OUR LONG-TERM STABILITY AND ADDRESS CRITICAL PRIORITIES.
SO ONE, RESERVE REPLENISHMENT, REPLENISHMENT.
I'M RECOMMENDING $200,000 IN ADDITION TO THE CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATIONS TO BRING RESERVE REPLENISHMENT TO $10 MILLION IN THIS BUDGET.
AND ADDITIONALLY, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO WHERE EACH YEAR WE HAVE A YEAR END PERFORMANCE THAT PRODUCES A GENERAL FUND SURPLUS, CONTINUE TO ADD TO THE RESERVES.
THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT STABILITY MOVING FORWARD.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, PASSED ON TO THE COUNCIL, 300, 3001 TIME DOLLARS FOR, UH, UTILIZATION OF THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND THE CITY COUNCIL TO EXPLORE FURTHER COMMUNITY PRIORITIES, UH, ON A ONE-TIME BASIS.
UH, SO THAT IS ALSO A MAYOR'S RECOMMENDATION.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE OUR FOCUS ON GROWTH AND ACCELERATE OUR GROWTH IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS SO WE CAN HAVE A MORE STABLE BUDGET IN THE FUTURE.
ONE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DELIVERED BY 2028, AND IT'S GONNA REQUIRE A LOT OF FOCUS FROM OUR CITY MANAGER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
WE'RE ASKING OUR CITY MANAGER TO LAUNCH AN ACCELERATE 2018 AND ACCELERATE, UM, THE PLANNING FOR THOSE PROJECTS TO MAKE SURE WE CAN LEVERAGE THE 2020 OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE AS MUCH ECONOMIC VALUE, LONG TIME, LONG-TERM ECONOMIC VALUE AS POSSIBLE, UH, AND TO ALSO ACCELERATE THE TIMING FOR A PUBLIC SOLICITATION FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF PEER H SHORELINE DRIVE.
MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THAT FIGURED OUT IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
THE LAST THING I'LL MENTION, UH, HERE IS I'M RECOMMENDING ADDING $150,000 STRUCTURALLY TO THE GENERAL FUND GROUP TO SUPPORT CITY CLERK DEPARTMENT TO FURTHER SUPPORT SB 7 0 7 IMPLEMENTATION.
THIS WAS NOT ORIGINALLY IN THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET BECAUSE THE COUNCIL WAS GOING THROUGH A PROCESS TO MAKE THE COUNCIL MEETINGS RUN MORE EFFICIENTLY.
THE CITY COUNCIL MADE A DECISION TO GO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACHIEVE THAT, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR, UH, ADDITIONAL STAFF TO STAY THROUGH THE END OF COUNCIL MEETINGS, WHICH IS FINE, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE PAY FOR IT.
THAT CAN BE FREED UP FOR ADDITIONAL JOB RESTORATIONS OR SERVICE RESTORATIONS.
IF THE CITY COUNCIL FIGURES OUT A COMPROMISE OR FIGURES OUT HOW TO ADDRESS SB 7 0 7 IN A WAY THAT IS LESS COSTLY, UH, AND, UH, LESS COSTLY AND CAN PRIORITIZE SERVICE, SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS OR SERVICE RESTORATIONS INSTEAD.
SO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IN TOTAL, THEY RESTORE ABOUT 70 CRITICAL POSITIONS AND ADD 38 ROLES WITHIN OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO THIS IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE PLAN, IS THE WORKFORCE IMPACTS THIS ELIMINATES OF THE FIELD POSITIONS ABOUT 180 TO 200 FILL POSITIONS.
THE NUMBER IS STILL BEING SORTED OUT, BUT THERE ARE IMPACTS IN THIS BUDGET.
AND WE KNOW, UH, THAT THESE ARE COLLEAGUES, THESE ARE NEIGHBORS.
UH, WE, WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS.
THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE DEDICATED THEIR CAREERS TO SERVING THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
SO WE DO NOT TAKE THIS LIGHTLY, BUT THAT IS EVEN MORE REASON WHY WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE LONG-TERM STRUCTURAL STABILITY OF OUR BUDGET FOR THE 6,000 EMPLOYEES WHO ARE HERE, WE DON'T WANT THEM TO LOOK OVER THEIR SHOULDERS.
EVERY SINGLE BUDGET TO FIND OUT IF WE ARE BEING CUT OR NOT.
TAKING CUTS IS VERY SIGNIFICANT.
WE HAVEN'T HAD TO DO THIS SINCE PANDEMIC ERA.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO DO, WHICH IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE STAY THE COURSE.
IF WE MAKE US MAKE A RESTORATION, IT NEEDS TO BE SUPPORTED THROUGH STRUCTURAL FUNDING.
IF IT'S A ONE-TIME ENHANCEMENT, PAY FOR IT WITH ONE-TIME FUNDING.
THIS IS MORE THAN A BUDGETING PHILOSOPHY.
THIS IS HOW WE PROVIDE THAT LONG-TERM STABILITY IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS NOT STABLE AND THE ECONOMY IS NOT STABLE.
[01:20:01]
STRATEGY, WE CAN DELIVER THAT LONG-TERM STABILITY THAT IS NEEDED.SO THAT SAID, WE SUBMIT THIS NOW BACK TO, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE FOR, UH, DELIBERATION.
UH, AGAIN, EVERY MEETING WE'LL HAVE A DEEPER DIVE IN EACH DEPARTMENT, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET EVERYTHING OUT NOW.
UH, BUT THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THAT DISCUSSION.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA, NOW THAT IS THE BUDGET PRESENTATION.
WE'RE NOW GONNA GO TO THE PUBLIC AND BEGIN OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS.
AND AGAIN, UNDER SB 7 0 7 RULES, THE CLERK WILL ADMINISTER PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE'LL HAVE IN PERSON AND WE'LL HAVE ONLINE.
AND BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE THAN 10, THIS IS 90 SECONDS ON EACH SPEAKER.
SO CLERK, PLEASE FACILITATE PUBLIC COMMENT.
THERE ARE 12 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
THE SPEAKING TIME WILL BE 90 SECONDS WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED.
PLEASE COME FORWARD AND LINE UP AT THE PODIUM.
ASHLEY KO NA SCHUSTER, BRANDON NOTTINGHAM, NATE KIM, KAT K KEN OSBORNE, EMILY QUEST, GUS OROZCO, ELIZABETH, DENISE TAPIA, KAT MAY, DIEGO MAYEN.
HELLO, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M THE INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND CHIEF NEGOTIATOR FOR THE I AM UNION.
WE REPRESENT ABOUT 3,500 MEMBERS HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UH, AND ABOUT 45% OF OUR MEMBERS ACTUALLY LIVE HERE IN THIS, IN THIS GREAT CITY AS WELL.
THE IRM REPRESENTS WORKERS IN MANY INDUSTRIES, BUT TONIGHT I WANNA SHARE SOME WISDOM FROM A CARPENTER.
A CARPENTER KNOWS THAT ONCE YOU MAKE THE CUT, YOU DON'T GET THAT PIECE OF WOOD BACK.
AND WHEN YOU'RE DECIDING WHAT TO CUT, THE QUESTION ISN'T JUST WHAT YOU CAN REMOVE, IT'S WHAT YOU'RE DESTROYING IN THE PROCESS.
OUR MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THE CITY IS FACING DIFFICULT FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT THESE AREN'T JUST POSITIONS ON A SPREADSHEET.
THEY'RE PEOPLE, THEY'RE FAMILIES, THEY'RE NEIGHBORS, AND THEY'RE THE PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE THE SERVICES TO YOUR RESIDENTS.
AND THE RESIDENTS DEPEND ON CUT ONE CITY EMPLOYEE.
AND YOU MAY CUT AN ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD'S INCOME IN HALF, CUT BOTH EMPLOYEES IN A HOUSEHOLD, AND YOU MAY TAKE AWAY THAT FAMILY'S ABILITY TO STAY IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY SERVE.
YOU CAN MOVE THE PIECES OF A PUZZLE AROUND, BUT EVENTUALLY YOU HAVE TO ASK, ARE YOU STILL CREATING A PICTURE? ARE YOU CREATING A MESS WITH THE PIECES THAT YOU CAN NEVER PUT BACK? A FENCE CAN'T ANSWER A RESIDENT WHO NEEDS HELP.
A NEW VEHICLE CAN'T REPLACE THE EMPLOYEE WHO KNOWS THAT RESIDENT BY NAME.
SO BEFORE YOU MAKE THESE CUTS MEASURED TWICE, CUT ONCE.
BECAUSE ONCE THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR EXPERIENCE ARE GONE, YOU MAY FIND THAT WHAT YOU CUT WAS FAR MORE VALUABLE THAN WHAT YOU SAY YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED.
MY NAME IS NAISH SCHUSTER, AND I WORK AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND I'M A PROUD I AM MEMBER AND SHOP STEWARD.
EVERY BUDGET IS A STATEMENT OF CITIES.
VALLEYS IS HOW THE MAYOR DESCRIBED THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
IN A RECENT F UM, FACEBOOK POST, HE SAID, IT REFLECTS YEARS OF PREPARATION AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
FOR YEARS, THE CITY HAS DEPENDED ON FEDERAL GROUNDS TO FUND OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT GRANTS THAT ARE NEVER GUARANTEED.
YET, THE CITY FAILED TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE PLAN YEAR AFTER YEAR.
LONG BEACH IS ONE OF ONLY THREE CALIFORNIA CITIES WITH ITS OWN HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
DURING THE PANDEMIC, IT BECAME A NATIONAL MODEL FOR TESTING AND VA VACCINATIONS.
TODAY, THE SAME DEPARTMENT'S BEING DISMANTLED ONE PROGRAM AT A TIME.
THIS IS NOT THE RESULT OF PREPARATION, IT'S THE RESULT OF YEARS OF UNDER INVESTMENT.
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, CITY LEADERS, UM, SPENT MILLIONS ON A TEMPORARY AMPHITHEATER, NOT A PERMANENT ONE.
YES, THAILAND FUNDS WERE USED AS OPPOSED TO GENERAL FUNDS, BUT IT'S STILL TAXPAYER MONEY BEING MISMANAGED.
HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU MANAGERS REMAIN EMPLOYED DESPITE DOCUMENT DOCUMENTED MISMANAGEMENT BY OUR CITY MANAGER, WHILE FRONTLINE STAFF AND PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES HAVE BEEN LAID OFF.
THE CITY MANAGER CONTINUES TO RECEIVE COMPENSATION, EXCEEDS 400,000 DURING A BUDGET CRISIS, AS WELL AS RECEIVING A PAY RATE THIS YEAR.
BUT HE DONATED HIS RAISE, SO I GUESS THAT'S COOL.
SO THOSE AREN'T JUST DIFFICULT CHOICES.
THEY'RE CHOICES ABOUT PRIORITIES, CITY EMPLOYEES, AND THE RESIDENTS OF LONG BEACH DESERVE.
AND THE MAN, THANK YOUR TIME INCLUDED.
MY NAME IS BRANDON NOTTINGHAM, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF CONFIDENTIAL EMPLOYEES, OR ACE FOR SHORT.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
AS YOU CONSIDER THE UPCOMING ORDER LAYOFF, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE ESSENTIAL WORK PERFORMED BY THE MEMBERS OF ACE BARGAINING UNIT AND THE VERY REAL CONSEQUENCES THAT THE CITY WILL FACE IF THESE POSITIONS ARE LOST.
ACE IS OFTEN VIEWED AS A HUMAN RESOURCE CENTRIC GROUP, BUT WE ARE, OUR MEMBERS SUPPORT AND STABILIZE OPERATIONS ACROSS E ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, POLICE, PUBLIC
[01:25:01]
WORKS, AND TID, WHERE THE PROFESSIONALS THAT ADMINISTER BENEFITS PROGRAMS FOR MORE THAN 6,000 EMPLOYEES CONDUCT SENSITIVE WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS, CARRY OUT THE RECRUITMENT OUTREACH, AND LABOR RELATIONS, AND ALSO MAINTAIN COUNTLESS FUNCTIONS THAT KEEP THE ORGANIZATION FUNCTIONING SAFELY, LEGALLY AND EFFICIENTLY.NOW, DESPITE THIS BREADTH OF RESPONSIBILITY, ACE REMAINS SMALL AND IN MANY AREAS SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED.
CONSIDER A FEW OF THE EXAMPLES OF OUR REALITY.
WE HAVE THREE PROFESSIONALS THAT MANAGE ALL THE COMPLAINTS FROM EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
THREE ANALYSTS MAINTAINING THE CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION SYSTEM THAT SPANS OVER 300 CLASSIFIED TITLES.
AND OVER 800 TITLES CITYWIDE TWO PROFESSIONALS IN THE, IN THE RETURN TO WORK PROGRAM THAT COVER NON-OCCUPATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL LEAVES, A DA ACCOMMODATIONS AND MUCH MORE.
THESE FUNCTIONS CANNOT BE AUTOMATED, OUTSOURCED, OR SILOED.
THEY REQUIRE COLLABORATION, UH, SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE AND DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF COMPLEX CITY SYSTEMS. AND WHEN ANY OF THESE POSITIONS ARE VACANT OR ELIMINATED, THE IMPACT REVERBERATES ACROSS EVERY DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE AND EVERY CITY RESIDENT WHO DEPENDS ON TIMELY, LAWFUL, AND EFFICIENT CITY SERVICES, WE SUPPORT.
I'M A DISTRICT SIX RESIDENT AND NURSE WITH THE CITY'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
I'M ALSO AN I AM STEWARD AND A MEMBER OF OUR CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS TEAM.
I'M FORTUNATE THE GRANT THAT FUNDS MY POSITION HAS BEEN RENEWED, BUT MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE NOT BEEN AS FORTUNATE.
MANY HAVE BEEN LAID OFF ALREADY.
NOW WE ARE FACED WITH A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT SEEKS TO ELIMINATE EVEN MORE OF MY COLLEAGUES, NOT ONLY IN HEALTH, BUT CITYWIDE.
WE AS A CITY STAND TO LOSE MANY VITAL POSITIONS, INCLUDING NURSES IN OUR IMMUNIZATION CLINIC.
IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE MILLIONS OF INVESTMENTS THE CITY PLANS AND HAS ALREADY SPENT IN BUSINESS EXPENDITURES.
I RECOGNIZE DIFFERENT FUNDING HAS DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS, BUT I'D BE REMISS NOT TO RECOGNIZE THE CITY LACKS THE SAME WILLINGNESS TO INVEST IN ITS GREATEST ASSET, ITS EMPLOYEES.
LAST CONTRACT I AM WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE ONE OF THE MOST ECONOMICALLY ROBUST CONTRACTS FOR ITS MEMBERS.
THE NUANCE TO THIS IS DECADES OF LOW WAGES, LOW VACANCIES, I MEAN HIGH VACANCIES, AND HIGH TURNOVERS.
IN REALITY, THESE WERE CHANGES THAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN FOR LONG BEACH TO FINALLY BE A COMPETITIVE EMPLOYER.
NOW WE ARE NEGOTIATING OUR CONTRACT AGAIN, AND WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN WARNED THAT THE BUDGET WILL HAVE AN NEGA A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR DEMANDS.
STILL, THE CITY INSISTS THERE WILL BE PROSPERITY SOON.
THE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK MAY IMPROVE IN AS LITTLE AS SIX MONTHS, YET THE CITY WANTS TO CUT JOBS.
NOW, 45% OF I AM CITY, UH, EMPLOYEES ARE CITY RESIDENTS THAT COULD MEAN HUNDREDS OF CITY RESIDENTS WITH NO LIVELIHOOD.
WE WANT A CITY THAT WANTS TO INVEST IN ITS EMPLOYEES AND PROTECT ALL ITS ASSETS.
WE WANT A FAIR CONTRACT PROTECT I AM JOBS.
HELLO, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS KAT KOULIS AND I WORK IN, IN DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AS A PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHER FOR FIRE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, I URGE YOU TO REJECT THESE PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS AND LAYOFFS.
A BUDGET REFLECTS PRIORITIES, AND THIS PROPOSAL TELLS THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH THAT THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND THE EMPLOYEES WHO PROVIDE THEM ARE NOT A PRIORITY.
CUTTING VITAL PUBLIC SAFETY RESOURCES SUCH AS POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES, WILL NOT ONLY IMPACT THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF OUR RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO PLACE A GREATER BURDEN ON THE EMPLOYEES WHO REMAIN.
IT ALSO MEANS 9 1 1 DISPATCHERS WILL SPEND MORE TIME ON EMERGENCY CALLS WHILE WAITING FOR POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS TO RESPOND, SORRY, FROM FARTHER AWAY, DELAYING OUR ABILITY TO ANSWER THE NEXT PERSON CALLING FOR HELP.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE'VE SEEN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS SPENT ON UNNECESSARY UH, ITEMS, AND THE CITY IS CONTINUING TO FUND THOSE ITEMS. AND WHILE ESSENTIAL SERVICES ARE ASKED TO BE CUT, LONG BEACH DESERVES LEADERSHIP THAT PUTS PUBLIC SAFETY, ESSENTIAL CITY SERVICES AND THE EMPLOYEES WHO PROVIDE THEM.
FIRST, I ASK YOU TO RECONSIDER THIS BUDGET, PROVIDE FRONTLINE SERVICES, PROTECT FRONTLINE SERVICES, AND INVEST IN WHAT MATTERS THE MOST, THE SAFETY OF RESIDENTS.
I'M A VETERANS COMMISSIONER, BUT I AM HERE AS A, A POP-UP PRIVATE CITIZEN TODAY.
UM, TODAY I'M ADVOCATING FOR THE FULL RESTORATION OF THE OFFICE OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
LAST YEAR WE SUPPORTED THE MEMORIAL DAY EVENT WITH THE FRANKIE EVANS ORGANIZATION.
MANAGED THE VETERANS BANNER PROGRAM, INCLUDING RECRUITING APPLICANTS, CHOOSING ARIES BANNER DESIGN AND INSTALLATION.
WE ALSO MANAGED THE PROGRAMMING OF THE VETERANS DAY EVENT.
NONE OF THIS WAS LISTED BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
WE ARE MORE ACTIVE THAN WE WERE IN EARLY YEARS, SO ONLY HAVING A PART-TIME PERSON DOESN'T ALLOW US TO DO THIS AND DO MORE.
[01:30:01]
THE FIRST BUDGET COMMISSION, WE WERE THE FIRST, WE WERE THE ONLY COMMISSION THAT I SAW IN THE BUDGET.PAGE 70 TO BE CUT IN THE ORIGINAL BUDGET, IT SAID SUNSET.
SO THAT'S WHERE I WAS, THAT HIT ME PRETTY HARD.
AND I APPRECIATE THE MAYORS BRINGING US BACK AS A PART-TIME POSITION, BUT I THINK WE DO NEED THE FULL-TIME POSITION TO SUPPORT ALL THAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE DOING A LOT MORE THAN WE USED TO, AND WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE THAN WE COULD BE DOING IN COORDINATING WITH THE VA.
INSTEAD OF US DOING EVENTS ON OURSELVES, MAYBE WE WORK MORE WITH THE VA PARTNER.
ALSO, THE BANNERS PROGRAM, IF YOU LOOK AROUND OTHER STUDIES, THEY HAVE THAT SAME PROGRAM THAT'S DONE BY SPONSORSHIP.
MAYBE WE COULD LOOK AT DOING IT AS SPONSORSHIP RATHER THAN JUST ELIMINATING IT.
SO MY ASK IS THAT WE RESTORE THAT POSITION TO FULL-TIME SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO GO DO GOOD WORK FOR OUR VETERANS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
I WORK AT, I I GO TO THE STUDIO AT, IN THE LIBRARY, AND I'M JUST ASKING YOU, PLEASE DON'T CUT OUR HOURS AND DON'T CUT OUR EMPLOYEES.
MY FRIEND IS GAY AND AUTISTIC AND HE WAS BEATEN ON THE METRO AND HE CAME IN AND HE WAS ABLE TO SIT WITH US IN OUR SEWING GROUP.
AND HE DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO TALK TO.
AND I CALL, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN.
I KNOW YOU'RE, I KNOW IT HAS TO HAPPEN.
I'M CALLING ON THE L-G-B-T-Q CENTER OF LONG BEACH, THE ARTS COUNCIL OF LONG BEACH.
STAND UP FOR US, STAND UP FOR OUR SAFE SPACES.
UH, I'VE DONATED SO MUCH ART TO THE CITY FOR FREE, NOT ASKING ANYTHING.
I I WORK ON THIS PAPER THAT THEY GIVE ME AND I'M MAKING A QUILT PLAN AND I DRAW THE DRAWINGS OUT AND I USE DONATED FABRIC THAT THEY GIVE US THIS 30, 40 YEARS OLD FROM PEOPLE THAT DIE.
PLEASE LEAVE THAT SPACE FOR ME TO BE THE GRANDMA FOR THE COMMUNITY.
MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER STAFF.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
MY NAME IS GUS, AND I AM HERE AS A PROUD RESIDENCE OF COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE AND AN ARMY COMBAT VETERAN.
GRATEFUL TO CALL THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
MY HOME, OUR COMMUNITY HAS LONG DEMONSTRATED ITS COMMITMENT TO THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED OUR NATION.
VETERANS LIKE ME HAVE RETURNED TO LONG BEACH WITH VALUABLE EXPERIENCE, COMMITMENT TO DUTY, AND A DESIRE TO CONTINUE SERVING.
MANY ALSO FACE CHALLENGES, NAVIGATING BENEFITS, ACCESSING RESOURCES, AND TRANSITIONING TO CIVILIAN LIFE.
THE OFFICE OF VETERAN SERVICES WAS ESTABLISHED SEVERAL YEARS AGO, A FEW YEARS AGO, TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN CONNECTING VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO THE ASSISTANCE THAT THEY DESERVE.
LIKEWISE, THE CITY'S VETERANS COMMISSION PROVIDES AN IMPORTANT FORUM FOR COMMUNITY, FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN VETERANS, OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
IT HAS HELPED ENSURE THAT OUR PERSPECTIVES ARE HEARD.
IT ENCOURAGES CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND ITS SUPPORTS, EVENTS AND INITIATIVES THAT HONOR MILITARY SERVICE AND, UH, OUR VETERANS.
THE CITY OF LONG BEACH CONTINUES TO HONOR VETERANS AND SERVICE MEMBERS THROUGH AMAZING, UH, EVENTS AND SPACES LIKE THE LONG BEACH VETERANS DAY, UH, CELEBRATION, WHICH IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE, BUT ALSO THE LONG BEACH MEMORIAL DAY SUNSET CEREMONY IN COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE.
THE, UH, VETERANS APPEAR IN COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE AND VETERANS PARK IN COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN.
AS OUR CITY LOOKS TO THE FUTURE, I ENCOURAGE OUR CONTINU A CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN PROGRAMS THAT STRENGTHENED SUPPORT IN VETERANS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, ELIZABETH.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS ELIZABETH SILIO AND I HAVE PROUDLY SERVED THE CITY OF LONG BEACH FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS AS A LIBRARIAN.
AND I'M A PROUD IAM SHOP STEWARD.
I HAVE DEDICATED MY CAREER TO PUBLIC SERVICE BECAUSE I BELIEVE OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE STRONG, ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC SERVICES TODAY.
THIS BUDGET IS DEEPLY PERSONAL.
MY PARTNER AND I BOTH LIVE AND WORK FOR THE CITY.
AND UNDER THE PROPOSED BUDGETS, OUR JOBS ARE AT STAKE.
WE AREN'T THE ONLY ONES FACING THIS UNCERTAINTY.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET LOOKS TO CUT OVER 200 UNION JOBS BEHIND EVERY ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS AS A PERSON, A FAMILY, AND YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SERVING THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH.
BUT THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT CITY EMPLOYEES, IT'S ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO MY OWN EXPERIENCES, BUT EVERY DAY I SEE CHILDREN, TEENS,
[01:35:01]
SENIORS, JOB SEEKERS, AND FAMILIES WHO DEPEND ON OUR LIBRARIES.LIBRARIES PROVIDE SAFE SPACES, AS WE JUST HEARD, INTERNET ACCESS LITERACY PROGRAMS, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND CONNECTIONS TO CRITICAL RESOURCES.
WHEN YOU ELIMINATE LIBRARY POSITIONS, REDUCE HOURS OR CUT SERVICES, THOSE RESIDENTS LOSE ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES THEY CANNOT ALWAYS FIND ELSEWHERE.
WE STILL HAVE NEVER BEEN FULLY RESTORED FROM THE 2012 LAYOFFS.
REMOVING ONE DAY A WEEK REMOVES MORE THAN JUST THOSE OPEN HOURS.
IT REMOVES POSITIONS THAT HELP KEEP STAFF AND THE PUBLIC SAFE.
PART OF THEIR PROPOSAL IS A REMOVAL, THE REMOVAL OF OUR ONLY TEEN MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE IN THE CITY.
AND WE KNOW THAT AT LINCOLN PARK IN DOWNTOWN HAS SEEN A CONTINUED RISE IN VIOLENCE, TRAFFICKING AND DRUG USE AMONGST TEENS.
TAKING THAT POSITION AWAY ONLY DEMONSTRATES THAT STAFF.
I AM COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH
UM, I COME HERE TODAY TO ADVOCATE FOR THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND.
I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR FOR INCLUDING THE JUSTICE FUND AND YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AND YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO RESTORE THE LBJF POSITION, UM, IN THE EQUITY DEPARTMENT.
UM, EVEN SO, I STILL WANNA SHARE WHAT WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR, WHICH IS $3 MILLION FOR THE JUSTICE FUND.
UM, THIS IS NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE FISCAL HARDSHIPS THAT THE CITY'S GOING THROUGH, BUT I WANNA SHARE THIS NUMBER BECAUSE DESPITE WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, OUR COMMUNITY IS STILL FACING THREAT FROM ICE.
AND WE'RE ALSO FACING A 64, UH, BILLION BUDGET GOING TO DHS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PREPPING FOR OR IS PREPPING FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, PREPPING FOR.
UM, SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT I SHARE THAT 3 MILLION.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN GET AS CLOSE TO IT AS WE CAN.
UM, BECAUSE THIS IS A FUND THAT IS REALLY ESSENTIAL FOR FOLKS.
UM, IT'S REALLY HELPED PEOPLE, UM, BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE THIS SYSTEM.
UM, I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE HEARD ABOUT, UM, OUR, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO SPENT SIX MONTHS IN THE LENTO CENTER, UM, AND WAS ABLE TO COME HOME THROUGH THE JUSTICE FUND.
UM, SO THESE ARE REAL LIVES, REAL IMPACT.
WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE DYING IN THESE DETENTION CENTERS.
UM, SO THIS IS TRULY, UH, LIFE OR DEATH.
UM, AND SO I, I REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO, UM, CONTINUE ADVOCATING FOR FUNDS TO GO TO THIS JUSTICE FUND.
'CAUSE IT, IT TRULY IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UH, I'M GONNA TELL YOU A COUPLE OF THINGS.
THE FIRST I, I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF, NOBODY WORKS FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH BECAUSE WE PLAN ON BEING RICH.
WE WORK FOR THE CITY BECAUSE WE LOVE IT.
I'M ALSO GONNA TELL YOU WHAT I TOLD MR. HICKMAN ON SEPTEMBER 25TH.
THE LONG BEACH CITY HAS HAD A LONG REPUTATION FOR AT LEAST A DECADE NOW, OF BEING THE KIND OF CITY WHERE IT'S EASY TO GET HIRED AND IT'S EASY TO GET TRAINED FROM THE GROUND UP, WHICH IS AMAZING, BUT IT WILL OVERWORK YOU AND UNDERPAY YOU.
AND SO WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE EIGHT YEARS AGO, I WAS TOLD, GET YOUR TRAINING, GO THROUGH THE STEP INCREASES, AND THEN GO TO ANY OTHER CITY THAT WILL PAY YOU AT LEAST 15% MORE FOR 20% LESS WORK.
AND, UH, I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, OUR MEMBERS, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE GROUND DOING 80% OF THE WORK THAT ACTUALLY GOES ON IN THE CITY, THEY ARE UNDER WOR, EXCUSE ME, THEY ARE OVERWORKED AND OVERWHELMED.
UNDERPAID UNDERSUPPORTED, UNDERFUNDED, UNDER EQUIPPED UNDERSUPPLIED.
AND DID I EMPHASIZE OVERWHELMED? LIKE I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW FRUSTRATING IT IS.
I WORK FOR THE TRAFFIC OPERATIONS DIVISION.
WE HAVE ONE TECH FOR STREETLIGHTS FOR EVERY 20,000 STREETLIGHTS.
LOS ANGELES HAS ONE FOR EVERY 2000.
THEY'RE ASKED ON A DAILY BASIS TO DO THE WORK OF 10 PEOPLE.
SO I JUST WANNA POINT OUT TO YOU THAT WE'RE HERE BECAUSE WE LOVE THE CITY, NOT BECAUSE WE PLAN ON BEING RICH.
AND TO HAVE OUR LOVE AND DEVOTION POSSIBLY REWARDED WITH BEING LAID OFF IS A HUGE SLAP IN THE FACE.
I'M THE RAPID RESPONSE ORGANIZER WITH
UM, WANNA START OFF BY THANKING, UH, THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS WITH THE BUDGET.
UM, BUT AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM TODAY, THERE'S STILL SOME THINGS THAT NEED TO BE IMPROVED.
UM, ONE OF THEM BEING THE LONG BEACH JUSTICE FUND.
UM, LIKE I MENTIONED AND MY PARTNER, UM, AND COWORKER HAD MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, UM, COMING UP HERE, WE WANTED TO ASK FOR AN INCREASE TO UP TO $3 MILLION OR AS CLOSE TO WE CAN, UM, TO GET TO THAT NUMBER.
JUST 'CAUSE LIKE, UH, YOU MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, WE ARE STILL SEARING A BIG ATTACK AND LIKE ONSLAUGHT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ONTO NOT ONLY LONG BEACH COMMUNITIES, BUT ALSO SURROUNDING, UM, LA COMMUNITIES.
AND IN TERMS OF THE JUSTICE FUND, UM, FOR THE, UM, ORGANIZATION THAT I WORK WITH, I'M THE ONE THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THE REFERRALS TO THE JUSTICE FUND.
SO FOR SOME CONTACTS, UM, WE REFERRED OVER TO 130 PEOPLE TO THE JUSTICE FUND.
[01:40:01]
RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOME CONNECTION TO LONG BEACH, UM, WHO HAVE EITHER BEEN DETAINED BY ICE, UM, ARE SCARED OF BEING TARGETED BY ICE, UM, HAVE HAD SOME SORT OF RUN IN WITH THE LEGAL AND IMMIGRATION SYSTEM AND THE LONG BEACH.JUSTICE FINESSER IS SUCH AN GREAT, AMAZING TOOL, UM, FOR RESIDENTS OF LONG BEACH TO BE ABLE TO GET AT LEAST A STARTING POINT, UM, AND ALSO GET VETTED, UM, LEGAL HELP.
'CAUSE AS RIGHT NOW I'VE HEARD A LOT OF FAMILIES HAVE BEEN GETTING SCAMMED, UM, UPWARDS BETWEEN LIKE 10,000 TO 30,000 JUST FOR SOME LEGAL FEES OR JUST FOR A LAWYER TO EVEN LOOK AT THEIR CASE.
UM, AND A LOT OF THE TIMES THESE PEOPLE END UP NOT EVEN BEING LAWYERS.
SO THE JUSTICE FUND ALSO HELPS AS A RESOURCE FOR THAT, UM, TO HELP PEOPLE NOT, UM, GET YOUR TIME HAS CONCLUDED.
WELL, WE WANNA, UH, THANKS EV THANK EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS, UH, FIRST HEARING.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS, NOT THE END.
THERE WILL BE A NUMBER OF TIMES TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE, INCLUDING OUR COMMUNITY, UH, BUDGET, UH, PROCESS.
UH, WE NOW WILL, UH, TAKE IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
AGAIN, THIS IS, THIS IS JUST THE OPENING VOLLEY.
WE'LL HAVE TIME FOR DEEPER QUESTIONS WHERE WE'LL HAVE THE DEPARTMENTS THERE TO ANSWER MORE SPECIFICS.
UH, BUT WE JUST HAVE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TH TOOK ANYTHING.
I JUST WANNA TAKE THE TIME TO THANK THE CITY STAFF, THE CITY MANAGER, YOU MAYOR, AS WELL AS OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
REBECCA WAS THERE WITH YOU LAST WEEK AS WE PRESENTED, UM, THIS PROPOSAL TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, THIS, UH, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN WHAT A DIFFICULT, UH, TIME WE'RE HAVING EVEN THIS MONTH.
UM, LOOKING AT THE IMPACTS ON SO MANY OF OUR WORKERS AND PUBLIC SERVANTS, UH, AS WE TRY TO ATTEMPT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A LEVEL OF SERVICE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS AROUND WHAT THE PLANS HAVE BEEN SO FAR, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SOLVING OUR DEFICIT, UH, REPLENISHING OUR RESERVES, UM, AND CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ATTRACT TOP TALENT.
UH, AS FAR AS, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, I'M CONCERNED, I APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAD A CHANCE TO HEAR FROM YOU, BUT UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP.
WE HAVE A SERIES OF BUDGET HEARINGS AS WELL AS AT LEAST SIX OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SHARE PERSPECTIVES.
AND I KNOW I'LL BE, UM, AT THOSE EVENTS TO BE ABLE TO HEAR, UH, HOW WE MIGHT, UH, ADDRESS THIS BUDGET ACCORDINGLY.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I, YOU KNOW, AM PLEASED TO HAVE SO MUCH, UH, SO MANY PEOPLE OUT TODAY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC AND LOOK FORWARD TO FUTURE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE PRESENTATION AND, UH, I APPRECIATE THE LOOK BACK OVER THE FISCAL YEARS BECAUSE I THINK IT CLEARLY HIGHLIGHTS, UM, HOW WE REACHED OUR CURRENT FINANCIAL POSITION AND JUST THE, UH, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE AHEAD.
UM, YEAH, THIS WAS A REALLY TOUGH WEEK AND, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF EMPLOYEES HAD TO BE REASSIGNED OR LOST THEIR JOB, AND THAT'S HEAVY.
UM, 237 PEOPLE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE.
SO OUR WORKFORCE IMPACTS WERE HUGE.
AND, UM, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, UH, NONE OF US TAKE THAT LIGHTLY.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALSO PROTECT OUR RESERVES.
UM, AND AS YOU DISCUSSED, THE MULTI-YEAR REPLENISHMENT PLAN TO RESTORE THE EMERGENCY AND OPERATING RESERVES ARE HUGE.
UM, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT NONE OF OUR RESCUES, UH, MAYOR AND YOUR, AND YOUR, UH, WERE WERE TAKEN OUT.
I MEAN, THE COMMUNITY WAS VERY LOUD AND CLEAR AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT WAS.
UM, ALSO USING YOUR ONE TIME AND OUTSIDE FUNDS LIKE MEASURE A AND MEASURE ER AND ACCOUNTING AND STATE GRANTS, UM, COULD HELP RESTORE, UM, SOME OF THOSE SERVICES WITHOUT PUTTING, UM, THAT STRUCTURAL PRESSURE, UM, ON OUR GENERAL FUND.
UM, JUST WANNA NOTE, I KNOW THAT THE LBP D'S FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR IN REVIEW AND ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT SHARED THAT THE OFFICERS RESPONDED TO MORE THAN 187,000 CALLS FOR SERVICE WITH AN AVERAGE PRIORITY, ONE RESPONSE OF 5.5 UH, MINUTES.
SO I THINK WE'VE MADE REALLY GOOD PROGRESS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
UH, 235 NEW POLICE GRADUATES AND OUR POLICE VACANCY DID FALL.
UM, NOW IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, WILL IT, WILL ANY, UM, WELL ANY PATROL OFFICERS, UH, BE REDUCED CITY MANAGER? YES.
SO ONE OF THE, UH, PROPOSALS, AND YOU'RE GONNA HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS FROM THE POLICE CHIEF NEXT WEEK WHEN WE DO PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, BUT, UH, 17 OF THE VACANT PATROL OFFICERS WILL BE REDUCED.
UH, WE'RE NOT REDUCING THE BEATS.
WE'RE NOT CHANGING HOW WE'RE STRUCTURED IN RESPONSE, BUT WE WILL HAVE FEWER POSITIONS THAT WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME OF THAT COVERAGE.
UH, AND HE'LL BE ABLE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT, UH, NEXT WEEK.
AND I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND I'M GONNA MAKE THIS QUICK 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE GONNA DIVE INTO THIS AND I'M ALSO ON BUDGET.
SO, UM, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION, UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE VACANCY
[01:45:01]
FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET, WILL THAT AFFECT ANY OF OUR PLANNING OR PREPARATION FOR THE OLYMPICS WITH ANY OF THOSE, ELIMINATING ANY OF THOSE VACANCY POSITIONS? WELL, ANYTIME YOU REDUCE A POSITION, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT AVAILABLE TO HIRE.UM, BUT YOU'LL HEAR FROM THE CHIEF NEXT WEEK.
UM, SO OUR PLAN IS, UH, WHILE WE HAVE TO REDUCE SOME OF THOSE VACANCIES, THOSE VACANCIES HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND SO WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO KEEP THEM FILLED EVEN THOUGH WE'VE BEEN HIRING.
UH, WE WILL AT THE SAME TIME REDUCE SOME OF THOSE VACANCIES, BUT WE'RE ALSO GONNA IMMEDIATELY BE BRINGING ON ANOTHER ACADEMY, UH, THAT'LL BRING ON 70 ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS.
THAT'S WHAT'S ESTIMATED RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, WITH THE COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO, BY THE TIME WE REACH THE OLYMPICS, WE SHOULD BE FULLY STAFFED, UH, WHICH WE HAVEN'T BEEN, UH, FOR, UH, SEVERAL YEARS.
ALRIGHT, JUST A COUPLE MORE COMMENTS.
I ALSO WANNA SAY, UM, I'M, I'M EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THE TRA THE TRAFFIC SAFETY DIVISION.
UH, WE'VE HEARD, UH, I, THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIGGEST, UH, ISSUES THOUGH I CONTINUE TO HEAR IS, UM, TRAFFIC SAFETY AND OUR, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN MEET OUR VISION ZERO GOALS.
AND THEN ALSO I WANNA CONGRATULATE, UM, THE MAYOR ON HIS, UH, REPRESENTATION ON THE METRO BOARD, UM, AND THE ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTATION OPPORTUNITIES THAT THIS CAN CREATE FOR LONG BEACH.
SO CONGRATULATIONS, UM, MAYOR.
AND, UM, AND ALSO JUST EVERYONE CHECK OUT THOSE MAPS THAT WERE, THAT YOU SH THAT WERE SHOWN IN YOUR PRESENTATION, I THINK, SO THAT EVERYONE CAN SEE, UM, WHAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CITY.
AND THEN ALSO DON'T FORGET TO PARTICIPATE IN, UM, THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, WE HAVE BUDGET HEARINGS BEFORE COUNCIL MEETINGS ON, UM, ON TUESDAYS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS THAT YOU CAN LEAVE, UH, YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS ON SURVEYS.
SO JUST MAKE SURE YOU PARTICIPATE IN THESE PROCESSES SO WE CAN HEAR WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU.
UH, RESPECTFULLY, THIS IS NOT PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE'RE NOT GONNA TOLERATE DISRUPTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC IN THIS HEARING.
WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH THIS BUDGET HEARING IN A TIMELY AND ORDERLY FASHION.
YOU WILL HAVE YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO DO PUBLIC COMMENT EVERY SINGLE MEETING.
NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE WORK THAT WENT INTO DEVELOPING THIS BUDGET.
HAVING RUN BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT MY LIFE UNDERSTAND THAT EVERY POSITION ELIMINATED, REPRESENTS A PERSON WHOSE LIFE IS BEING CHANGED.
THESE REDUCTIONS AFFECT THE EMPLOYEES, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE.
SO I FEEL FOR THE HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES WHO ARE BEING, THEIR LIVES ARE BEING IMPACTED.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CAREFULLY AND EFFECTIVELY MANAGING THE PUBLIC'S MONEY.
AND MY GREATEST CONCERN IS THE PROPOSED, PROPOSED REDUCTION IN PUBLIC SERVICES AT A TIME WHEN MANY OF THOSE SERVICES ARE ALREADY DECLINING.
POLICE RESPONSE TO EMERGENCY CALLS IS MORE THAN A MINUTE, SLOWER THAN IT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO.
FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSE TIMES HAVE ALSO INCREASED WITH OUR FIREFIGHTERS GETTING TO EMERGENCIES WITHIN SIX MINUTES, JUST 25% OF THE TIME, TREES ARE BEING TRIMMED LESS FREQUENTLY.
RESIDENTS ARE WAITING LONGER FOR REPAIRS TO THEIR SIDEWALKS, CURBS STREETS, AND THE POTHOLES IN OUR STREETS.
THESE ARE THE CORE RESPONSIBILITIES OF OUR CITY, AND THEY WERE CONSISTENTLY IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITIES THROUGH THE CITY'S COMMUNITY BUDGET PROCESS.
I DO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO CLOSE A $58.2 MILLION STRUCTURAL DEFICIT.
AND THAT DIFFICULT DECISION, DIFFICULT DECISIONS HAVE TO BE MADE.
HOWEVER, I'M ALSO CONCERNED THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO REDUCE INVESTMENT IN THE BASIC SERVICES RESIDENTS RELY ON EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SO I WANNA BEGIN AT A HIGH LEVEL AND THEN I'LL MOVE TO SEVERAL SPECIFIC AREAS.
CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH HOW THE CITY DETERMINED THE REDUCTIONS ASSIGNED TO EACH DEPARTMENT? WAS EVERY DEPARTMENT EXPECTED TO MEET THE SAME PERCENTAGE REDUCTIONS, OR WERE THE REDUCTIONS BASED ON THE CITY'S PRIORITIES AND THE CONSEQUENCES FOR SERVICE DELIVERY? UH, YES.
SO, UH, WE TOOK A MULTI-STEP APPROACH.
SO, UH, WE HAD A LARGE DEFICIT TO, UH, TO REDUCE.
AND SO WE ASK EVERYONE TO GENERATE IDEAS.
SO THOSE IDEAS GET GENERATED AND WE ASK ALL DEPARTMENTS TO CONTRIBUTE.
AND THEN EVERY SINGLE ONE GOES THROUGH A REVIEW PROCESS ABOUT WHAT IS THE IMPACT WE LISTEN TO.
UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THE INPUT THAT WE GET BACK IN JANUARY FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, WE LOOK AT THE RESPONSE PROFILE.
AND SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, DEPARTMENTS DON'T ALL HAVE ACROSS THE BOARD CUTS.
SOME ARE GONNA BE HIGHER, SOME ARE GONNA BE LOWER.
SOME WERE ABLE TO SHIFT TO DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, SOME ARE MAYBE ABLE TO BE ELIGIBLE LIKE POLICE AND FIRE TO GO TO, UM, TO GO TO MEASURE A WHILE, OTHERS ARE NOT.
AND SO IT IS A DELIBERATE APPROACH THAT WE LOOK AT.
[01:50:01]
UM, WE WERE NOT ABLE, UM, GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE DEFICIT TO JUST SAY POLICE AND FIRE SHOULDN'T BE ON THE TABLE.IF WE HAD DONE THAT, THEN THE CUTS TO EVERYBODY ELSE, UH, WOULD'VE TRIPLED.
UM, AND SO WE ARE AT THAT LEVEL, UH, WHERE WE NEEDED TO LOOK, UH, AT EVERYTHING.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAY THAT WE LAID IT OUT, UM, OF THE $58 MILLION, ABOUT HALF WERE TAKEN MORE IN OTHER NON-SERVICE REDUCTION, UM, UH, UH, UH, REDUCTIONS.
AND THEN ABOUT HALF OF 'EM, ABOUT $33 MILLION OF THE 58 MILLION, UH, ARE SERVICE LEVEL REDUCTIONS.
WHAT'S MY TIME? UH, I'LL KEEP GOING HERE.
UM, AS CHAIR OF THE GOE, THE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND EFFICIENCIES COMMITTEE, I SEE HOW MUCH THE CITY PAYS EACH YEAR FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE AND INJURIES CAUSED BY MAINTENANCE ISSUES, INCLUDING FALLEN TREES AND BRANCHES.
INVESTING IN PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE CAN REDUCE THE CITY'S LIABILITY COSTS ON THE BACK END.
AND THAT SAME PRINCIPLE APPLIES TO POTHOLES, SIDEWALKS, AND CURBS.
THE APPROXIMATE $17 MILLION, THE CITY PAID IN ONE POTHOLE RELATED CASE COULD HAVE FUNDED AN ADDITIONAL POTHOLING CREW FOR A DECADE AND REPAIRED 120,000 POTHOLES.
REDUCING MAINTENANCE MAY CREATE SAVINGS IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET WHEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM, BUT IT CAN ALSO CREATE MUCH LONGER TERM COSTS IN FUTURE YEARS.
SO I WOULD LIKE STAFF TO PROVIDE THROUGH THE WRITTEN BUDGET RESPONSE PROCESS THE PAST FIVE YEARS OF BUDGETED FUNDING FOR STREET TREE AND PARK TREE TRIMMING, STUMP REMOVAL, PARK MAINTENANCE AND LANDSCAPING MAINTENANCE WITHIN PARKS, RECREATION, AND MARINE, AS WELL AS PUBLIC WORKS.
AND PLEASE ALSO INCLUDE THE FUNDING FOR CURB AND SIDEWALK REPAIRS, EXCLUDING THE EXPENDITURES FOR THE A DA SETTLEMENT, THE OCHOA SETTLEMENT, UH, ALONG WITH ANY OTHER MAJOR MAINTENANCE RELATED BUDGET CATEGORIES.
WITH THAT, I'VE HIT MY FIVE MINUTES.
SHALL I QUEUE UP AGAIN? UH, NO.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER KIRK.
UH, I WANNA THANK THE TEAM AND, AND THE DEPARTMENTS FOR BEING SO THOUGHTFUL IN THIS PROCESS AND A HARD PROCESS AND A PAINFUL PROCESS, UH, FOR ALL OF US AND, AND SOME ESPECIALLY MORE THAN OTHERS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR FOR LOOKING AT WAYS TO PROVIDE RESTORATIONS THAT ALSO DON'T INCREASE THE DEFICIT, UM, AND PULL ON OTHER FUNDING THAT WE CAN FIND FROM OTHER SOURCES.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I HAVE SPECIFIC, I, I MADE MY NOTES ABOUT SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS AND THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP THAT I WILL BRING DURING THE SPECIFIC HEARINGS OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, BUT I JUST WANT US TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LIBRARY CUTS OR PARK PROGRAMMING CUTS OR HOMELESS SERVICES OR MENTAL HEALTH CUTS, UM, THAT MANY JOBS OVERLAP MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES.
AND SO A PARK, SOMEONE WHO WORKS IN A PARK, UM, ESPECIALLY OUR LIBRARY STAFF, ARE PROVIDING ELEMENTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND MENTAL HEALTH AND HOMELESS SERVICES.
AND THAT AS WE LOOK AT THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF THE REDUCTIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE, THAT WE KEEP IN MIND THE UNINTENDED, UNINTENDED POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM ONE POSITION, POSSIBLY MORE THAN OTHERS BECAUSE OF THE MULTIPLE ROLES THEY MAY PLAY, UM, IN ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF OUR, OF OUR RESIDENTS.
SO AGAIN, I WILL, UM, I HAVE A, A ROLLING LIST OF QUESTIONS TO TALK TO OUR DEPARTMENTS ABOUT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
I WANT TO THANK THE PUBLIC FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED OUR OFFICE TO SHARE, UM, ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO BE PART OF THE FORMAL BUDGET PROCESS, BUT ALSO, UM, SHARING THOSE WITH OUR OFFICE AS WELL.
UH, SO WE CAN ASK THOSE QUESTIONS THAT ARE MOST PRESSING FOR ALL OF YOU OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS AND POSE THEM TO THE BUDGET OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, IF THAT IS THE APPROPRIATE PLACE.
I'LL BE WAY INTO THE WEEDS HERE INSTEAD OF GENERAL STATEMENTS OR INTO THE WATER AS THE CASE MAY BE.
SO THE MAYOR REFERENCED THE LOS ANGELES RIVER AND ALL THE CHALLENGES THERE.
I JUST WANTED TO PUT ON THE RECORD THAT THE FOURTH COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT HAS FOUR, UM, WATERWAYS THAT ARE UNDER COUNTY JURISDICTION.
SAN GABRIEL RIVER, UM, COYOTE CREEK, THE LOS, UH, CERRITOS CHANNEL AND BOUT CREEK.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE WE ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE, UM, AND THAT THEY, THEY NEED SOME LOVE TOO.
IF I COULD JUST RESPOND TO THAT QUICKLY WHEN I SAID THE LOS ANGELES RIVERS, I MEANT THE RIVERS UNDER THE CONTROL OF LA COUNTY.
JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, NOT JUST THE LA RIVER, MR. MAYOR, WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
[01:55:01]
ALRIGHT.BEFORE WE GO BACK, UM, UH, OKAY.
SO, UH, BEFORE WE GO BACK, UH, TO COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, I'M, I WANT YOU, TOM, TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS, THERE WERE SOME CLAIMS OUT THERE.
I, I THINK YOU NEED THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS, UM, THE CLAIM.
THE ONE THAT STOOD OUT TO ME WAS ABOUT LIKE, UM, LAWSUITS PREVENTING OUR ABILITY TO, OR THE EQUIVALENT TO HOW MANY POTHOLES WE COULD HAVE FILLED.
I PERSONALLY KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT HOW OUR FUND FOR SETTLEMENTS WORKS, BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO ADDRESS THAT BEFORE IT BECOMES A NARRATIVE.
UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AS A LARGE ORGANIZATION, WE GET HIT WITH LOTS OF LAWSUITS, UH, ALL THE TIME.
THERE ARE A LOT THAT ARE DISMISSED.
THERE ARE SOME THAT WE CHOOSE TO SETTLE, AND THERE ARE SOME THAT WE END UP BEING LIABLE FOR THROUGH, UM, THROUGH, UH, COURT CASES.
AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY CAN SPEAK TO THAT WORK.
UM, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO SETTLE EVEN IF WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, NOT HAD AN ISSUE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A BUSINESS DECISION ABOUT DO YOU CONTINUE TO PAY MONEY FOR LAWYERS OR DO YOU CONTINUE TO, TO ELIMINATE THAT LIABILITY IN THE IDEA? AND WE WOULD ALL LOVE TO HAVE LESS OF THOSE LAWSUITS.
WE'D LOVE TO HAVE LESS OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, UH, WITH CLAIMS AGAINST POTHOLES.
IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE DID NOT CUT A POTHOLE CREW.
THOSE WERE SOME OF THE EARLY, UH, SUGGESTIONS EARLY ON WHEN PUBLIC WORKS HAD TO LOOK AT THIS, WE SAID, NO, WE, WE CAN'T REALLY CUT BACK ON POTHOLES.
UH, WE, YOU KNOW, THEY INSTEAD TOOK SOME PRETTY DEEP PRODUCTIONS ON THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT STAFF.
'CAUSE THOSE FUNDING NEED TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE REAL, UH, ISSUE IS NOT REALLY FILLING THE POTHOLES, IT'S FIXING ALL OF THE STREETS AND ALL OF THE SIDEWALKS.
SO, UH, THE AMOUNT THAT WE PAY IN CLAIMS, UH, IS, YOU KNOW, A FAIR AMOUNT.
UH, BUT IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY, UH, REPAIR THE PMP, UH, OR REPAIR ALL THE STREETS, UM, IT'S ABOUT $115 MILLION A YEAR JUST TO STAY EVEN.
UH, AND THEN IF WE ARE LOOKING TO GET ALL OF OUR STREETS DONE TO WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THOSE ISSUES, IT'S ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS.
AND SO THESE AREN'T SMALL AMOUNTS.
UH, YOU CAN'T REALLY EQUATE IT TO JUST TAKING 2 MILLION OF THIS LAWSUIT AND 3 MILLION OF THAT LAWSUIT.
UH, THE ISSUE IS FUNDING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHOLLY OVER THE NEXT 5, 10, 15 YEARS.
THAT IS WHAT WOULD HELP REDUCE, UM, SOME OF OUR LIABILITIES.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN.
I APPRECIATE YOUR EXPLANATION, TOM.
I DO SEE ALL OF THE CASES THAT COME THROUGH AND BASIC SERVICES ARE WHAT OUR RESIDENTS EXPECT US TO PROVIDE.
THAT IS WHY I'M BRINGING THINGS UP LIKE THIS THAT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR BUDGET.
I DO APPRECIATE SEVERAL IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, INCLUDING FUNDING FOR THE POLICE ACADEMY.
SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITY, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT COMMUNITIES WILL FEEL THE EFFECTS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY CUTS.
UH, VACANT PATROL POSITIONS ARE CURRENTLY BEING FILLED THROUGH OVERTIME.
IF THOSE POSITIONS ARE ELIMINATED AND OVERTIME CAPACITY IS REDUCED, FEWER OFFICERS WILL BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCY CALLS.
I WOULD LIKE AN ANALYSIS OF HOW THE PROPOSED REDUCTIONS TO PATROL AND INVESTIGATIONS PATROL AND INVESTIGATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT PRIORITY ONE, PRIORITY TWO AND PRIORITY THREE RESPONSE TIMES, AS WELL AS HOW IT IS GOING TO AFFECT THE DEPARTMENT'S CAPACITY TO INVESTIGATE CRIMES.
THAT ANALYSIS, AGAIN, CAN BE PART, UH, PROVIDED AS PART OF THE WRITTEN BUDGET RESPONSE.
AND FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE THE AB 6 91 C LEVEL RISE ASSESSMENT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET AS AN UNFUNDED LIABILITY.
THE CITY SUBMITTED A REPORT IN 2019 TO THE STATE SHOWING THAT WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF CITY INFRASTRUCTURE AT RISK OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS, BUT IT ISN'T REFLECTED IN ANY OF THE CITY'S BUDGETING DOCUMENTS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO START RECOGNIZING THESE TYPES OF LIABILITIES.
NOW, TURNING TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE HAS SLOWED OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS AND ELIMINATING ENGINE 14 WOULD REDUCE THE RESPONSE CAPACITY CITYWIDE, CITYWIDE, NOT JUST ON THE EAST SIDE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPACITY IN SOUTHEAST LONG BEACH IS STILL GROWING.
A ES IS EXPANDING THEIR BATTERY STORAGE FACILITY NEXT TO ITS NATURAL GAS POWERED PLANT.
1200 UNITS, THE EQUIVALENT OF MAYBE 5,000 PEOPLE ARE THESE UNITS ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND EXPECTED TO BEGIN OPENING BY THE END OF 2027.
AND AN ADDITIONAL INDUSTRIAL FACILITY IS ALSO MOVING THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS IN DISTRICT THREE,
[02:00:01]
NEAR STATION 14.AND THE ELIMINATION OF ENGINE 14 IS GOING TO AFFECT THIS AGAIN, CITYWIDE.
IT'S GOING TO AFFECT OUR RESPONSE TIMES.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, BUT THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITIES MUST COME FIRST.
FIRE RESPONSE HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN THE TOP PRIORITY IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE CITY'S COMMUNITY BUDGET ENGAGEMENT.
SINCE I TOOK OFFICE, WHEN SOMEONE CALLS 9 1 1, THE CITY NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND IN A TIMELY MANNER.
THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL SERVICES RESIDENTS PAY THE CITY TO PROVIDE.
I WOULD ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO RETURN WITH AN ALTERNATIVE FUNDING STRATEGY THAT WOULD KEEP ENGINE 14 OPERATING.
I THINK OUR COMMUNITIES DESERVE TO WEIGH THE CUTS AND OFFSETS BEFORE WE REDUCE OUR CITYWIDE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING INCIDENTS.
FINALLY, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCREASINGLY CREATIVE WAYS WE ARE PROPOSING TO USE THE RESTRICTED TIDELANDS FUND.
WE SHOULD BE CLEAR THAT THESE PROPOSALS CARRY RISK.
OUR BUDGET PROPOSES USING TIDELANDS FUNDING TO REPAVE OCEAN BOULEVARD, WHILE ALSO INSTALLING PARKING METERS WHOSE REVENUE WILL GO TO THE GENERAL FUND WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
THE PROPOSAL SHIFTS FUNDING AWAY FROM A POSITION DEDICATED TO TIDELANDS WORK AND SPREADS THE TIDELANDS ALLOCATION ACROSS SEVERAL ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS, INCLUDING PORTIONS OF THE DIRECTOR, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, AND SUPPORT STAFF.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THE METHODOLOGY USED TO DETERMINE WHAT PORTION OF EACH OF THESE EMPLOYEES SALARIES AND BENEFITS CAN APPROPRIATELY BE CHARGED TO THE TIDELANDS FUND.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE UNDERSTAND THE RISK WE ARE TAKING ON WHAT, WHEN WE'RE USING RESTRICTED FUNDS IN THESE WAYS.
I'D ALSO LIKE ADDITIONAL DETAIL ON HOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT INTENDS TO IMPLEMENT THE PROPOSED TIDELANDS PATROL FOR OFFICERS.
ONE SERGEANT I PARTICIPATED IN RIDE-ALONGS AND MEMBERS OF MY TEAM HAVE ALSO JOINED OFFICERS IN THE FIELD.
IN RIDE-ALONGS, AN OFFICER MAY BE ASSIGNED TO BLUFF PARK AND SPEND A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THEIR TIME RESPONDING TO CALLS NEAR THE PYRAMID.
NOWHERE NEAR BLUFF PARK, THEY'RE DOING THAT AS BACKUP.
SO IF A POSITION IS STRUCTURALLY FUNDED BY THE TIDELANDS FUND, BUT THE OFFICER'S ACTUAL WORK IS NOT TRACKED AND RECONCILED, WE RISK BLURRING THE LINE BETWEEN RESTRICTED TIDELANDS EXPENDITURES AND GENERAL FUND RESPONSIBILITIES.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THIS COUNCIL, ALL OF US TO UNDERSTAND THE RISK WE ARE TAKING WITH THESE PROPOSALS BEFORE WE APPROVE A BUDGET THAT INCLUDES THOSE UM, OPTIONS.
SO TO SUMMARIZE, I'M REQUESTING THAT STAFF RETURN THROUGH THE RI WRITTEN BUDGET RESPONSE PROCESS WITH THE FOLLOWING FIVE YEARS OF BUDGETED FUNDING FOR STREET TREE AND PARK TREE TRIMMING, STUMP REMOVAL, PARK MAINTENANCE AND LANDSCAPING MAINTENANCE WITHIN PARKS, RECREATION AND MARINE AND PUBLIC WORKS.
FIVE WORKS OF FUNDING FOR CURB AND SIDEWALK REPAIRS, EXCLUDING THE EXPENDITURES REQUIRED UNDER THE A DA OCHO OCHOA SETTLEMENT ALONG WITH OTHER RIGHT OF WAY MAINTENANCE RELATED BUDGET CATEGORIES.
AN ANALYSIS OF HOW THE PROPOSED REDUCTIONS TO POLICE, PATROL AND INVESTIGATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT PRIORITY ONE, PRIORITY TWO AND PRIORITY THREE RESPONSE TIMES.
AND THE DEPARTMENT'S ABILITY TO INVESTIGATE CRIMES, A FUNDING STRATEGY TO KEEP ENGINE 14 OPERATING SO THE COUNCIL CAN EVALUATE AN ALTERNATIVE TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATING THAT ENGINE THAT WOULD INCREASE CITYWIDE RESPONSE TIMES.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THE METHODOLOGY USED TO DETERMINE WHAT PORTIONS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POSITIONS MAY APPROPRIATELY BE CHARGED TO THE TIDELANDS FUND AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THE PROPOSED TIDELANDS PATROL TO MAKE SURE WE AREN'T BLURRING LINES OF MUNICIPAL WORK AND TIDELANDS WORK.
ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES, UH, CITY COUNCIL COMMENT AND PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, WE'LL CONTINUE THIS HEARING.
UM, MEMBERS PLEASE AND, AND MAYOR, IF I MAY, UH, YEAH, SURE.
WE DID HAVE, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR TODAY, BUT IT IS GETTING KIND OF CLOSE TO THE FIVE O'CLOCK.
UM, IF WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT, UH, MAYBE TWO WEEKS, WE SHOULD MOVE THAT.
[02:05:01]
WE'RE REALLY GONNA FOCUS ON POLICE AND FIRE AND DISPATCH.AND THEN WE WOULD RECOMMEND DOING HR AT THE SAME TIME, UH, WITH, UH, I THINK, UM, WHICH ONE ARE, WAS IT POLICE, FIRE DISPATCH, TWO WEEKS? UM, HEALTH AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
SO WHAT'LL HEALTH, HR AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN TWO WEEKS? GREAT.
MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
ALRIGHT, NOW WE'LL TAKE THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
DO, LET'S DO PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT.
CAROLYN ESSEX, IF YOU COULD APPROACH THE PO PODIUM YOUR, YOUR TIME STARTS NOW.
IS THIS THE, UM, I HAD A QUESTION.
SO IS THIS ALL OF THE ONES THAT I LISTED? OKAY.
SO I'M BASICALLY GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, NUMBER 10, UM, AND NOT NUMBER NINE.
SO THE LANDFILL GAS AND METHANE, UM, IS PRIMARILY IN THE EXPLOSION FIRE AND OXYGEN DISPLACEMENT HAZARD WHEN IT ACCUMULATES IN ENCLOSED SPACES, THAT'S THE DEFINITION THAT I GOT.
THEN THE LANDFILL GAS CAN ALSO CONTAIN SMALLER QUANTITIES OF, UH, VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AND HYDROGEN SU UH, SULFIDE, WHICH MAY CONTRIBUTE, CONTRIBUTE TO ODORS, HEADACHES, NAUSEA, EYE OR THROAT IRRITATION AND RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS DEPENDING ON CONCENTRATION AND DURATION OF EXPOSURE.
AND SO THE REASON WHY I BRING THIS UP IS BECAUSE MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS AND, UM, AND, UH, AROUND LONG BEACH, UH, WE'RE SUFFERING FROM RESPIRATORY ISSUES THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THESE ARE COMING FROM.
UM, MYSELF WITHIN THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE SUFFERED FROM, UH, UH, RESPIRATORY ISSUES, PNEUMONIA THAT WON'T GO AWAY.
UM, PROBABLY WALKING AROUND WITH A, A LITTLE BIT OF IT RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, THE SENSITIVE POPULATIONS ARE CHILDREN, SENIORS, PEOPLE WITH ASTHMA AND PEOPLE WITH EXISTING HEART OR LUNG DISEASE CAN BE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO AIR POLLUTION.
UM, RELATED RESPIRATORY DISTRESS.
THE SOUTH COAST A-Q-M-E-D IDENTIFIES PER, UM, UH, PARTICULAR MATTER AND NITROGEN DIOXIDE AS POLLUTANTS.
SO I, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE COMMUNITY HAS INFORMATION ON THE HEALTH RISKS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET THAT INFORMATION FROM.
UM, IT'S JUST REALLY DIFFICULT, UM, FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO FIND UH, THESE THINGS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I COME UP HERE 'CAUSE I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HELP OTHERS UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT IS BEING DONE BY THE CITY TO KEEP US SAFE AND UM, AND NOT HAVE A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE THAT IS SWEPT UNDER THE RUG.
WE HAVE PEOPLE, UM, UH, AUTOMATICALLY GETTING COPD, UH, UH, AND WONDERING WHERE THAT COMES FROM.
UH, ADULT ASTHMA, WONDERING WHERE THAT COMES FROM.
UM, PNEUMONIA THAT WON'T GO AWAY.
AND THAT'S ALL I REALLY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT.
ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES, UH, CONSENT CALENDAR MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
[CONSENT CALENDAR (1. – 17.)]
COUNCILWOMAN DUGGAN.NEXT IS, WE WILL GO TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
PLEASE ADMINISTER PUBLIC COMMENT PLEASE.
WE HAVE FOUR SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UH, FOR
[ 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. ]
FIRST NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT.KENNETH WILLIAMS. DEREK EDDIE A HOLMES, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM.
[02:10:03]
KENNETH WILLIAMS. YEP.SEIU 7 21 MEMBER AND THE FAMOUS WORDS OF ARETHA FRANKLIN.
ARETHA FRANKLIN, ALL WE NEED IS A LITTLE RESPECT.
RESPECT ISN'T JUST SOMETHING YOU SAY RESPECTS MEANS RECOGNIZING THE ESSENTIAL WORK WE PERFORM EVERY DAY.
RESPECT MEANS LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE DOING THE JOB.
RESPECTS MEAN, PROVIDING SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS, COMPETITIVE PAY, AND THE, UH, RESOURCES WE NEED TO SERVE THE CITY.
WE'RE PROUD TO WEAR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH LOGO.
WE SIMPLY WANT THE CITY TO SHOW THAT THEY VALUE THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE LOGO.
MY NAME IS DEREK BEVINS AND I'M A REFUSE OPERATOR FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
MOST PEOPLE THINK ABOUT TRASH COLLECTION ON PICKUP DAY.
FOR MOST OF US, IT'S EVERY DAY WE HELP PREVENT DISEASE, KEEP NEIGHBORHOODS CLEAN, PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, AND PROVIDE ONE OF THE MOST ESSENTIAL PUBLIC SERVICE THIS CITY OFFERS.
WHEN DISASTERS HAPPEN, ILLEGAL DUMPING INCREASES.
WE SIMPLY WANT TO CONTRACT THAT, RECOGNIZE OUR VALUE, RESPECT US, PROTECT US.
WE WORK AROUND HAZARDOUS WASTE, BIOHAZARDS OVERFLOWING TRASH, HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS AND MATERIALS THAT EX CAN EXPOSE US TO SERIOUS ILLNESS.
MANY PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE WHAT GETS THROWN AWAY AND THE TRASH DOESN'T DISAPPEAR.
IT BECOMES OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
WE WILLINGLY DO THIS WORK BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY DEPENDS ON US, BUT THOSE RISKS DESERVES TO BE RECOGNIZED THROUGH STRONGER SAFETY PROTECTIONS AND CONTRACTS THAT REFLECTS THE REALITY OF OUR JOB.
LONG BEACH HAS A TALENTED REFUGE OPERATOR THAT RANGES FROM YOUNG TO SENIOR AGES WITH POOL OF MULTIPLE SKILLS.
SOME SKILLS ARE FORMED OVER TIME AND SOME THAT BORN NATURALLY IN THERE.
BUT WHEN NEARBY CITIES OFFER BETTER WAGES AND BENEFITS EXPERIENCE, EMPLOYEES LEAVE.
EVERY TIME THAT HAPPENED, THE CITY LOST VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE ADDED TO THAT THE CITY LOST VALUABLE INVESTMENT POURED INTO EMPLOYEES.
RECRUITING AND RETAINING SKILLED WORKERS SHOULD BE A PRIORITY BECAUSE A STABLE WORKFORCE MEANS BETTER SERVICE FOR LONG BEACH RESIDENTS.
INVESTMENT IN EMPLOYEES IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY.
A HOMES WE'VE BEEN NEGOTIATING FOR FIVE MONTHS.
THE NEGOTIATION'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
EVERY ONE OF US CHOSE THIS PROFESSION BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
WE DON'T EXPECT OUR JOBS TO BE EASY, BUT WE DO EXPECT TO BE TREATED FAIRLY TONIGHT WE'RE ASKING OUR MANAGEMENT IN THE CITY LEADERSHIP TO STAND WITH US.
THE WORKERS WHO KEEP LONG BEACH CLEAN, PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH AND SERVE THIS COMMUNITY EVERY DAY.
OUR MESSAGE, OUR MESSAGE IS SIMPLE AND CLEAR.
RESPECT US, PROTECT US, AND PAY US.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANKS FOR COMING DOWN AND SHARING AND UM, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY AT THE TABLE AND WE FIGURE WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT.
UH, OKAY SO THAT CONCLUDES, UH, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE'RE NOW GONNA GO TO ITEM 19 IN ORDINANCES REPORT FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATION TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO AMEND MUNI CONTRACTS WITH VARIOUS CONTRACTORS FOR PROVIDING AS NEEDED LIGHT AND MEDIUM DUTY VEHICLE TOWING SERVICES FOR A REVISED TOTAL ANNUAL AGGREGATED CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $350,000 AND DECLARE PROPOSITION OUT ORDINANCE READ THE FIRST TIME AND LAID OVER TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL READING
[19. 26-55682 Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Munis Contract No. 32600741 with A & A Towing, Inc., of Long Beach, CA, Munis Contract No. 32600815 with Cylinder Enterprises, Inc. dba Finish Line Towing, of Long Beach, CA, Munis Contract No. 32600739 with Supreme Towing Service Inc. dba City Tow Service, of Long Beach, CA, and Munis Contract No. 32600743 with Seventh Street Garage, Inc., of Wilmington, CA, for providing as-needed light- and medium-duty vehicle towing services, to increase the annual aggregate contract amount by $150,000, for a revised total annual aggregate contract amount not to exceed $350,000; and Declare Proposition "L" Ordinance read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading, which pursuant to Section 1806 of the City Charter makes findings and determinations regarding contracting for light- and medium-towing services. (Citywide) Office or Department: Financial Management Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
CITYWIDE.[02:15:01]
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT HERE? THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT.MEMBERS PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE.
COMMUNICATION FROM COUNCILWOMAN SORROW RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE APPROPRIATIONS IN THE GENERAL FUND GROUP IN THE CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT
[20. 26-55792 Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $1,550, offset by the Sixth Council District One-Time District Priority Funds, transferred from the Citywide Activities Department, to provide contributions of: $300 to Public Corporation for the Arts for the City of Long Beach, in support of Arts Council for Long Beach State of the Arts 50th Anniversary Gala; $500 to Peer Education Community Center to support Sunny Central’s National Night Out; $250 to One in Long Beach Inc, in support of the LGBTQ Center Long Beach’s 33rd Annual QFilm Festival; $500 to ORALE in support of their 5k Liberation Walk; and Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $1,550, to offset transfers to the City Manager Department. Office or Department: Suely Saro, Councilwoman, Sixth District Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
BY 1,550.OFFSET BY THE SIX COUNCIL DISTRICT, ONETIME DISTRICT PRIORITY FUNDS TRANSFERRED FROM THE CITYWIDE ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE CONTRIBUTIONS OF $300 TO PUBLIC CORPORATION FOR THE ARTS.
IN SUPPORT OF ARTS COUNCIL FOR LONG BEACH STATE OF THE ARTS 50TH ANNIVERSARY GALA, $500 TO PEER EDUCATION COMMUNITY CENTER TO SUPPORT SUNNY CENTRAL'S NATIONAL NIGHT OUT $250 TO ONE IN LONG BEACH, INCORPORATED IN SUPPORT OF THE L-G-B-T-Q CENTER FOR LONG BEACH'S 33RD ANNUAL Q FILM FESTIVAL AND $500 TO OR IN SUPPORT OF THEIR 5K LIBERATION WALK.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC, NO PUBLIC MEMBERS.
WE'LL NOW MOVE TO OUR CLOSING PUBLIC COMMENT PLEASE.
WE HAVE SIX SPEAKERS, TONY ON ZOOM.
DAVE MALE, TAMARA, CORNELIUS, FB, AND LYLE T PETERSON.
SO TONY, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
HI, I AM, UH, HERE TO, UM, ADDRESS AN ISSUE THAT I'M SEEING.
UH, I APPRECIATE THAT WITH THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE, UM, PUTTING MORE FUNDING FOR THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
HOWEVER, UH, LOOKING AT, UM, ISSUES NEARBY, UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE HAVING THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, UM, LOOKING AT THE TRAFFIC CONTROL PLANS OF DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION AGENCIES AS THEY'RE, UH, DOING PROJECTS HERE IN LONG BEACH.
AS DURING THE CLOSURE OF SHORELINE FOR THE VANS EVENT, UM, THERE WAS TWO ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION CLOSURES NEARBY CAUSING CHAOS WITH PEOPLE GETTING CONFUSED OF WHERE TO GO.
'CAUSE SIGNS WERE DIRECTING THEM TO CONFLICTING, UH, DETOUR ROUTES.
UH, SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE THAT WE, UM, FILL THOSE NEW TRAFFIC ENGINEERING ROLES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY NEED SOME BETTER COORDINATION SO WE CAN, UH, SAFELY TRAVERSE OUR COMMUNITY.
DAVE SHUKLA, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
UH, AND THANK YOU, UH, MR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL.
I SUPPOSE THE FIRST THING I SHOULD SAY IS TO ALSO THANK YOU FOR, UH, IMPLEMENTING SB 7 0 7, UH, SO THAT I COULD SPEAK TO YOU TODAY VIA THE ONLINE ZOOM, UH, INTERFACE.
UH, I AM VERY, VERY SICK AND, UH, COULDN'T POSSIBLY MAKE IT TO THE MEETING IN PERSON, UH, LET ALONE SIT THROUGH IT WITH THE MASK ON.
UM, THANK YOU ALSO, MR. MAYOR FOR, UH, INCLUDING, UH, ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO, TO STAFF, UH, THE CHANGES, UH, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH SB 7 0 7 AND THIS, UH, ONLINE AND TELEPHONIC INTERFACES.
UM, IT WASN'T MY INTENTION TO, TO TO SPEAK ON ANYTHING BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, BUDGET SEASON BEING WHAT IT IS, UH, I WAS STRUCK BY HOW MANY PEOPLE AND HOW MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, DIFFERENT DIVISIONS, DIFFERENT JOB TITLES, UH, WERE COMING UP AND SAYING, PLEASE DON'T CUT OUR JOBS.
UM, IT'S A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TASK, UH, THAT THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR HAD BEFORE THEM.
AND, AND YOU CERTAINLY HAVE, UH, MY SYMPATHY.
[ 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. ]
UM, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK VERY BRIEFLY ON, UH, PART OF THE REASON WHY WE'RE IN THIS SITUATION.I DON'T THINK, UH, I MEAN, YOU CAN QUIBBLE ABOUT SOME OF THE BUSINESS DECISIONS AND THE INDUSTRIAL POLICY, BUT I, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE CITY WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE TREMENDOUS PRESSURES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT ON IT UNFAIRLY, UH, BY, UH, CHANGES, UH, MADE BY THE CURRENT FEDERAL REGIME.
UM, I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND, UH, IT'S NOT LIKE READING, UH, IT WON'T MAKE YOU HAPPY, BUT, UH, I THINK IT'S NECESSARY.
I, I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND, UH, AN
[02:20:01]
ARTICLE THAT CAME OUT YESTERDAY IN THE NEW YORKER, UH, THE FUTURE MADE IN, UH, CHINA BY, UH, EVAN OSNOS.UM, THAT KIND OF DETAILS HOW THIS COUNTRY HAS, UH, OVER TIME, UH, BETRAYED ITS POPULATION AND BETRAYED, UH, WORKING PEOPLE BY SEEDING, UH, A LOT OF THE NEW INDUSTRIES, UH, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE AND MY GENERATION IN SPECIFIC COULD HAVE, UH, BEEN BUILDING, UH, FOR OUR COLLECTIVE BENEFIT, UM, SUCH AS BATTERIES, ELECTRIC VEHICLES, SOLAR PANELS, CLEAN ENERGY GENERALLY.
BUT ALSO BECAUSE, UH, THIS ARTICLE, UH, MENTIONS HOW, UH, IN BEIJING, A THINK TANK AT, UH, RENIN UNIVERSITY, UH, RECENTLY PUBLISHED AN ASSESSMENT TITLED THANK TRUMP, WHICH, UH, RILEY HALES HIS EFFORTS TO HASTEN THE TWILIGHT OF AN EMPIRE.
BY AND I QUOTE, UNDERMINING AMERICA'S ALLIANCES, CIVIL SERVICE, SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS, AND DEMOCRATIC CREDIBILITY.
IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE INTERNATIONAL APPROVAL RATING OF THE US HAS DROPPED NEARLY 40 POINTS ACCORDING TO WORLDWIDE SURVEY.
UM, YOU CAN APPROACH THE PODIUM.
THIS IS, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T REALIZE I COULD HAVE DONE THIS ONLINE, BUT, UM, SO BE IT, UH, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
I WANTED TO START BY CONGRATULATING YOU ON THE BEACH STREETS EVENT.
IT WAS WELL MANAGED, WELL ORGANIZED, AN AWFUL LOT OF FUN, AND IT ALSO ENCOURAGED ME IN WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY BECAUSE IT SHOWED ME THAT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH IS IN FACT CAPABLE OF COMPLEX MANAGEMENT AND EVENTS.
WHAT I HERE AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT IS ACTUALLY MUCH, MUCH SIMPLER.
UM, IT'S NOT ONLY SIMPLER, IT'S EASY TO IMPLEMENT AND IT PROVIDES A REVENUE SOURCE.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE SORT OF THING WE CAN ALL LOOK FORWARD TO.
UH, UNSURPRISINGLY, AS A RESIDENT OF RY DISTRICT, I LIVE IN ALAMITOS BEACH.
I LIVE NEAR THE CORNER OF FLORIDA STREET AND HERMOSA STREET IN WHAT IS KNOWN AS A PARKING IMPACT DISTRICT.
AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT PARKING, SO I'LL TRY TO MAKE IT AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE.
UH, ESSENTIALLY WE HAVE A PROBLEM THAT ALL OF MY NEIGHBORS NOT, I AM RETIRED, BUT I GET TO WATCH THIS HAPPEN EVERY EVENING AT ABOUT FIVE, CANNOT FIND PLACES TO PARK.
UM, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE OVERCOME.
VARIOUS POLITIES SUCH AS SANTA MONICA AND SAN FRANCISCO, WHICH ARE NOT KNOWN GENERALLY AS BASTIONS OF CORPORATE TO SUBSERVIENCE, HAVE MANAGED QUITE EASILY TO SOLVE THIS.
I THINK YOU ALL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT STREET PARKING, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PERMIT PARKING, AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PAID PERMIT PARKING.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS, YOU'LL KNOW THIS IS KNOWN AS THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S KNOWN AS THE TRAGEDY OF ELITE AUTO REPAIR BECAUSE THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR PARKING.
VARIOUS COMPANIES SUCH AS ELITE, WILL PUT ANYWHERE FROM 12 TO 20 CARS ON THE STREET CONSTANTLY.
THEY HAVE AN ENTIRE TEAM OF PEOPLE WHO GO OUT AND MOVE THOSE CARS ON MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS FOR STREET CLEANING.
THE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T FIND PARKING DON'T THINK THAT'S RIGHT.
AND IF ELITE AUTO REPAIR KNEW THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY PROBABLY $20,000 A YEAR FOR THAT, I SUSPECT THEY WOULD FIND PARKING ELSEWHERE.
I KNOW THAT IF I WERE IN THEIR POSITION, I WOULD, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT COMPLICATED.
PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE GET A RIGHT TO BUY A PERMIT, THEY PAY FOR PERMIT PARKING, AND THEY MAKE THEIR ACCOMMODATIONS ACCORDINGLY.
SO I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SOMETHING EITHER PUBLISHED HERE OR AT ONE OF THESE MEETINGS IN WHICH WE DISCUSS WHY IS IT OTHER PLACES, INCLUDING LAKEWOOD, RIGHT UP THE STREET, CAN DO THIS, AND SAN AND LONG BEACH CANNOT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM ALL OF YOU.
UM, MY NAME IS TAMARA CORNELIUS.
I AM WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH PARKING CONTROL, UH, STREET SWEEPING SIDE, BUT I REPRESENT, UH, PARKING ENFORCEMENT,
[02:25:01]
UH, AS WELL.UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON YOUR BEHALF OF PARKING CONTROL.
WE'RE HERE TO SAY THAT SOME OF WE ARE THE LOWEST PAID, AND LAST YEAR WE BROUGHT IN 10 MILLION ALONE, UH, AND SHORT STAFFED.
THE CITY HAS GOTTEN MORE DANGEROUS AND WE FEEL DEEPLY UNDERVALUED.
WE ARE THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND RISKING OUR LIVES.
AND FAST FOOD WORKERS MAKE MORE MONEY THAN US.
IT, IT'S EVERY DAY WE GO OUT THERE AND THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY THREATEN US.
WE HAVE COWORKERS THAT ARE OFF BECAUSE EITHER THEY'RE INJURED OR THEY GOTTEN THREATENED, HIT STUFF, UH, SLAPPED PUNCHED IT.
AND WE DESERVE TO GET A RAISE, A RAISE THAT WILL LET US LIVE, SURVIVE.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD WHAT THEY NEED TO BASIC ITEMS THAT WE NEED.
AND IF WE DON'T GET THIS RAISE, IT'S, IT'S JUST YOU, YOU'RE SLAPPING US IN THE FACE.
WE'RE HERE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE MADE $10 MILLION SHORT STAFFED AND WE'RE STILL SHORT STAFFED AND WE DESERVE THAT RAISE.
PLEASE KEEP US IN YOUR IN CONSIDERATION FOR THAT.
HELLO? UH, CONTACT THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU IS IMPOSSIBLE.
THERE IS MORE THAN ONE MANAGER THAT IS ADDING ON THE TAX FOR THE TIP.
UM, CHRISTINE OR CINDY ALLEN IS MY REPRESENTATIVE.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMEONE COME OUT HERE AND, UH, REMEDY THIS PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS MORE THAN ONE MANAGER THAT IS ADDING ON THE TAX FOR THE TIP.
SO COULD, UH, I GET A REPRESENTATIVE OUT HERE? UH, YES.
SO YOU'RE IN DISTRICT TWO AND I'LL HAVE SOMEONE COME OUT AND TALK TO YOU.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
ALL RIGHT, WELL THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU, UH, BOTH ONLINE AND IN PERSON WHO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, WE ARE NOW, UH, THIS IS IT, IT'S NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.
I KNOW THAT NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS
[ANNOUNCEMENTS]
ARE OUT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S OUT AND THEY'RE DOING COMMUNITY BUILDING, UH, THIS SUMMER.IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM, THE COUNCIL MEETING IN IT EARLY ENOUGH FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT AND, AND, UH, MEET AND GREET WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES.
AND WHAT A GREAT SUMMER IT HAS BEEN SO FAR WITH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE CONCERTS IN THE PARK AND THE MOVIES IN THE PARK AND WORLD CUP SOCCER IN THE PARK, AND MOVIES ON THE BEACH AND BASEBALL AT BLAIR FIELD AND ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UH, SO WE WISH YOU, UM, UH, A HAPPY AND A SAFE, UH, SUMMER NIGHT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IN A GREAT SUMMER.
ARE THERE ANY CLOSING COMMENTS FROM THE COUNCIL? OKAY, COUNCIL MEMBER KERR.
UM, THIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 7TH IS FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH, MEANING YOU CAN JOIN THE B-K-B-I-A FOR THEIR MONTHLY ART WALK THIS TIME WITH SUMMER BLOCK PARTY THEME FROM SIX 30 TO NINE 30.
FIND ART, MUSIC AND COMMUNITY AT THE SHOPS AND BUSINESSES UP AND DOWN ATLANTIC.
WHILE YOU'RE THERE, I INVITE YOU TO STOP BY THE EXPO ART CENTER AT 4 3 2 1 ATLANTIC FOR THE OPENING NIGHT OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER OF LONG BEACH'S NEWEST EXHIBIT BLACK COWBOYS, MORE THAN A MYTH, WHICH WILL RUN FROM AUGUST 7TH TO AUGUST 24TH.
THEN THIS SATURDAY IS SECOND SATURDAY OF THE MONTH, THE FIFTH IN THE FIFTH DISTRICT.
SO THAT MEANS YOU CAN VOLUNTEER WITH A LOCAL CLEAN STREETS TEAM FROM EIGHT 30 TO NINE 30 AT TWO LOCATIONS AT 4 5 5 5 ORANGE, OR 1240 EAST CARSON STREET.
YOU CAN ALSO SPEND THE AFTERNOON IN PARKVIEW VILLAGE FOR THEIR SUMMER FEST THEMED MONTHLY BLOCK PARTY FROM 11 TO THREE.
I ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU, UM, ANY PERFORMING ARTS FANS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AT LBC BY ATTENDING THEIR SHOW OF SHAKESPEARE'S 12TH NIGHT RUNNING NOW THROUGH SUNDAY, AUGUST 9TH.
YOU CAN VISIT LCC.COM/CALENDAR TO FIND SHOWTIMES AND TICKETS.
AND LASTLY, IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD ENOUGH MUSIC IN THE PARK ON THE BEACH AND ALL OF THOSE PLACES, I INVITE YOU TO ATTEND THE BK B'S FINAL CONCERT IN THE PARKING LOT ON, UH, MONDAY, AUGUST 10TH AT 6:30 PM IN THE HOWARD CDM PARKING LOT, WHICH IS LOCATED ACROSS FROM STEEL CRAFT ON LONG BEACH BOULEVARD AND BIXBY, THIS TIME FEATURING THE WESTERN STANDARD TIME SCOTT ORCHESTRA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND WE'LL SEE YOU OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
WELL, THIS PAST WEEKEND I HAD A GREAT TIME AND I THINK SEVERAL OF YOU DID TOO, AT THE UPTOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL.
I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO CONGRATULATE
[02:30:01]
COUNCILWOMAN JONI RICKS OTI FOR YET ANOTHER AMAZING EVENT.I WAS ALSO THRILLED TODAY TO JOIN THE NATIONAL CAPACITY.
THIS IS THE, UH, NATIONAL ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION AS THEY HELD THEIR CONVENTION HERE IN LONG BEACH.
IT'S A COALITION EMPOWERING ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS THROUGHOUT THE NATION.
FOLLOWING THE OPENING BY COUNCILWOMAN SULI SORROW YESTERDAY, I HAD A CHANCE TO WELCOME THE ATTENDEES TODAY TOO.
AND SO HAPPY THAT LOCAL PARTNERS LIKE THE UNITED CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY AND FILIPINO MIGRANT CENTER WERE ON HAND TO MAKE SURE THAT LONG BEACH WAS WELL REPRESENTED THERE.
WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS UNDERWAY, I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE PUBLIC TO COME OUT TO ONE OF THE COMMUNITY BUDGETING MEETINGS.
THE NEXT ONE THAT'LL BE HELD AT LEAST IN THE NORTH, WILL BE AUGUST 6TH FROM SIX TO 7:30 PM AT LINDBERGH MIDDLE SCHOOL.
YOUR VOICE IS ESSENTIAL AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING HOW WE CAN BUILD A SUSTAINABLE FINANCIAL FUTURE TOGETHER.
AND THIS SATURDAY, EIGHT BY EIGHT.
THIS SATURDAY IS AUGUST 8TH, AND MY OFFICE WILL BE HOSTING A DISTRICTWIDE CLEANUP ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 8TH AT 8:00 AM.
UM, THIS WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS TO COME TOGETHER AND ELEVATE HERE ON THE EIGHTH DISTRICT.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT OUR BACKPACK GIVEAWAY.
THAT'LL BE SATURDAY, AUGUST 15TH.
THAT'LL BE HAROLD FROM 10:00 AM TO 1:00 PM AT SHEAR PARK.
WE HOPE YOU'LL COME OUT AT 4,600 LONG BEACH BOULEVARD, MAKING SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE PREPARED AS THEY GO BACK TO SCHOOL FOR THE FALL IN 2026.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THOSE COUNCIL DISTRICTS WHERE THERE IS NO IN-PERSON MEETING.
UH, TOMORROW NIGHT WE HAVE A VIRTUAL BUDGET MEETING AT, UH, 6:00 PM TO 7:30 PM CITY MANAGER CAN VERIFY THIS.
WILL THAT GET YOU TO THE SITE? BEST IS JUST GO TO LONG BEACH.GOV/BUDGET MADE IT SIMPLE.
YES, GO THERE TO FOLLOW THE BUDGET.