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We're gonna go ahead and call this council meeting to order.
If I can please just have the clerk do the local.
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And then when you renew your animal license annually,
you have the opportunity to donate.
I think there are a lot of people who when they do their refuse cleanup,
if some kind of solicitation could be provided
to their next water bill.
I think there's a lot of people who would be willing to pay
and donate to the clean team.
I don't know if we can set up a nonprofit account,
similar to what animal control has,
but I appreciate the 12 free pickups.
I don't think that people always expect it to be free.
And so I'd love to get to a point in our city,
where we talk about the true cost of collection is,
and then those people that make an income of less than $60,000 a year,
it's free and then like a graduated pay structure for those that can afford it.
Because I think that we continue to have this,
where we're subventing costs for people who are asking to be subvented.
And I think that those dollars could go much further.
And in the meantime,
if we could just give them the opportunity to donate you back to a program,
because if they wanted to have a pickup done,
you're talking to an in $50.
People are happy to do it.
Thank you.
That's where super now.
Thank you.
Great presentation.
My favorite slide was 19 the heat map.
And since we were talking about neighborhood cleanups,
I have to give a shout out to Weska,
that's the West East side neighborhood association.
I think that might be the longest running monthly clean up in the city.
Currently organized by Casey Carver.
And that it cleans up illegally dumped items,
bordered by PCH,
10th,
Redondo,
and Cherry.
So it's a huge area.
And I noticed they're not on the heat map,
or they're just beside the heat map.
And I'm wondering,
if they didn't pick up that 6 to 7 tons
of dumped items a month, they might be in that heat map.
So that's a very interesting graphic.
But on that topic,
this is a monthly cleanup.
It's the fourth Saturday of every month.
Been going on for a guess decades now.
80am to noon.
And they could really use volunteers.
And especially volunteers with pickup trucks.
And I noticed that these kind of third party contractors
were mentioned in your presentation.
Conservation Corps.
It should be nice if we could recruit them.
I've never been able to do that.
But it's a very consistent day of the month and time.
So we could really use some help there.
Also on the court,
or kind of cleanups,
or quarterly quarter cleanups,
it would be nice if we could give you some very specific areas.
And I'll just mention the Anaheim Court,
or in the fourth district.
We have a no-man slam between business and
improvement districts.
So where Zafria ends,
there's a couple of blocks stretch before the Midtown Bend
starts.
And so that's an area we could really target.
And if there's a vacant business or whatnot,
we have really no way to addressing that.
So I'd like to give you a more focused area.
And then more than a quarterly cleanup in that area.
That's all I have. Thank you.
Thank you.
Councilmember Granger.
Thank you.
One of the things that I found in the industry in that chart right there,
11,
is that one of the reasons why I brought forward the illegal dumping ordinance
was to lower illegal dumping.
And instead,
we've had a steady increase of really good dumping
as a year's go by.
And that's an interesting phenomenon to look at right now.
When you're looking at the fact that you have more,
you have an increase in a request,
or pickups, special pickups,
but yet illegal dumping hasn't gone down at all.
It's gone up,
which is interesting to note.
Has there been an effort to
iron these people to find them to
cite them for illegal dumping?
I know it's hard,
because you're doing illegal dumping at two or three
or in the morning.
And nobody's around.
But I think that we need to start looking at how we can
cite these people for all the illegal dumping.
And you've talked about there's hotspots
that you know where it takes place,
but maybe we could have some kind of
camera or some kind of a troll or
filming team out there in those wee hours of the morning
when illegal dumping is taking place to catch these people.
And that's where our city dirty is illegal dumping.
And it doesn't matter where I drive.
I could drive it.
My district see an illegal dumping
a mattress or lunch of waste.
And I could go to the next district,
whether it's eight or six or right down
on PCH to district four.
And see some items out there that I just
stream in the middle of the street or in front of a yard.
Are there any ideas that you have?
How we can lower that blue bar right there
to down to near like 20, what's that?
2016?
We have tried a few different things in the past.
We did have a camera program while back.
But we found oftentimes was once people
figure out there's a camera there,
then they moved the hotspot a block over or something like that.
So it kind of shifted people around.
We did have one prosecution that occurred
with that several services many years ago with that program.
But what we do is we're again,
we're trying to encourage people to schedule the bulky items.
And it is an odd phenomenon.
I wonder about this often.
Council member is.
Why does illegal dumping continue to increase
when people are obviously learning that they have
legal options to remove their waste.
But sometimes I think maybe it's easy.
So I think that we still have a certain percentage of people
that take advantage of that misuse the go long reach
happen rather than call and schedule a cleanup.
They just take a picture of it and send it in.
We do go out and if we can identify the location
from where the dumping occurred,
then we will.
We don't have citation authority on this,
but we can charge them for the service.
And so I recall.
I'm not going to.
It wasn't this lap.
I think it was a past year.
We had gone from about $14,500 a year in added charges
to over $65,000 a year in added charges.
So our field investigators and supervisors really started
becoming more active in trying to identify
where the dumping occurred from.
So we do try and charge back.
And I think some of your offices will know.
And when you get a report,
we're going to try and find out who did this
and charge them for the service.
And everyone's been very supportive of that.
Any of that?
Oh, I had guns, members.
You really need to look at behavior change.
So that is part of what we looked at with our Harvard students.
We can continue to pick up the trash,
which we should do.
And we're doing more every single year.
But that's where education that's we're starting with youth.
And getting people to really look at why
is dumping occurring and how do we provide other options.
That this doesn't happen.
If we continue to double like this,
that's going to be in a tremendous impact on our operations
of resources.
So we are still looking long-term about how to just get
to be a society that doesn't dump as much.
I think communication is very important.
Obviously, the education program that we have in place
for keeping our city clean is very important.
And obviously, I think we need a stronger emphasis on
really good dumping.
That really good dumping is your level.
Plus, the fact that it, the teacher, city, dirty and unwelcoming.
And I think we need to push that.
That's part of the behavioral change that you're talking about.
When the freeway on ramps and on ramps,
the cleanups that we're working with cow trans.
And I'm thinking also with the county of LA.
How is that negotiation going?
I mean, we still have a bit of an issue.
But I see a lot of material dumped right down
on the on ramps and off ramps.
Sometimes it takes weeks to clean those up.
Well, how are we doing with that negotiation?
And what's going to, how are we going to be able to get
up a faster response when we have items dumped by
right there on the freeways and the freeway on ramps?
We are further along in negotiations with
the county of L.A.L. Trans and we are with LA county.
I think one of the challenges we're going to,
we're trying to overcome is how is it going to get paid for?
So to make it more expeditious,
the city staff will be responding rather than
waiting for a count transfer respond.
But we're trying to develop a model that will
allow for their support to do those cleanups.
So the dollars that were presented tonight will allow us to
start doing that.
So we were doing the final negotiations.
We believe we're having the only type of agreement
like this in the state, where we're doing both
maintaining some areas, but also working on
people experiencing homelessness.
So we would obviously like some of the
state dollars that are coming down.
We're not waiting for though this though.
Once we get through the MOU, we're going to go ahead
and start doing more of that work.
But we do think if there's new state resources
that they should help compensate us for those costs.
That's what I have there, thank you.
Thank you.
Compton Mungo.
Thank you.
My theory on the illegal dumping is that the cost
that you charge to come pick up an illegal dumping is worth it.
And I think that part of that is because people don't
recognize you talk about the train change and don't plan ahead
for I'm going to clean out my garage this weekend.
So I need to call in a request now for next week.
And the individuals would rather pay the illegal dumping fee
and fine and get it picked up right now.
Because that cost is still two parts.
One less than it would cost them to hire someone off of
yelper, rabbit, whatever people used to
task people to do things.
It's still cheaper than those two options.
I mean, a same day pick up minimum.
I can't think that it's going to be under
$225 and that would be for a small amount of stuff.
And I think our fines are less than that.
I saw one in my district that we worked on together that was 115.
And so if the fee structure is incentivizing them to be an illegal
dumping, it is worth that cost to them for a same day pick up.
So my call to action to you would be to find a way to come up with a fee
for a same day pick up.
That was closer to market rate.
Because we are the legitimate option.
And senior citizens are more comfortable calling us
and knowing that we're going to reliably be there.
There are a lot of these individuals who when you call them and you
schedule them, they come out.
They start the pick up and then they raise their fees on the individuals.
And so those are the kinds of situations that I've encountered that I
think are contributing to the number of illegal pickups.
We talked about Long Beach Volunteer Day.
I know I've done a lot of those.
I would love to see us expand to Long Beach Volunteer Month.
I just a friendly reminder.
We have a citywide calendar and all of these things should be on there.
I think that every cleanup should be on the citywide calendar.
Even when the clean team is coming, I think it's something for people to look forward to.
Obviously, we don't want to incentivize a legal dumping in the corridor that's getting clean.
But I think that it's important transparency for us.
I also just want to kind of give a shout out to our city manager.
We talked a lot about the Go Long Beach app when you became the city manager.
And whether or not even every department head had the Go Long Beach app.
And whether or not they were ambassadors for the city in the way that we felt that it was important.
I don't know what that progress is.
I'd be interested to know who the city staff member is that does the most reporting.
Same with the council offices.
I imagine some of us do more than others.
And I think that that's a fun incentive based activity.
And when you go into yelp, you can become the mayor of a restaurant because you're the one that goes there the most.
We need to find ways to make the Go Long Beach app fun.
When kids are standing at El Dorado Park playing some Pokemon game on their phone,
I'd rather than be playing some Go Long Beach app, right?
You did.
You played the Pokemon game.
And then lastly, we talk about on slide 23, the sidewalk issues and things that you're addressing.
But even some of the streets in the city that are in very good condition have poorly graded streets.
So we're still having the collection of debris and water and trash that the street sweepers can't get to.
So I don't know what our long term solution to that is because those streets instead of being fully reconstructed were slurry sealed.
So now theoretically we're not going to touch them for 10 years.
We need to have a plan to address those grading issues that are causing debris collection,
especially on our corners adjacent to our parks and things like that.
So thank you very much.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mayor.
I just want to give a huge thank you to both the Go and Eric and the whole team for all the incredible job that you've been doing this past year and a half.
It's just been a very trying year, but you guys have managed.
So thank you.
Thank you very much.
And thank you for all your support for our cleanup in the first district.
This past Saturday, it was such a successful event.
We collected so much so much trash, which makes me happy that we collected it.
But sad that it was there to be collected, but the community really enjoyed being able to participate.
So I look forward to many of those moving forward.
I know that the Go Long Beach app has been an incredible tool for my constituents and for
And I know that you guys in this plan had a portion for education, are we planning on doing maybe like.
It workshops for go long Beach app to for our residents to get more familiar with them.
I know I had a presentation then for my check-ins for my residents and they really enjoyed it, but maybe we can create.
And I know we have like a short video that that we have.
If you guys could correct me in that, I think we do have a short video.
But are we planning on doing more outreach on education around the Go Long Beach app.
I'm getting a nod of yes from Leah Axon, our director of technology and innovation.
So I'll address that.
So with any new system, we kind of did a software all out.
We, you know, this was a massive system. It's not just an app, but it is a customer resource management system that interacts with all of our work order systems.
And so there were some bugs to figure out.
We had one of the premier firm Salesforce to do this for us.
But in the kind of months after the launch, we were still working things out.
So we've never really done the big full promotion of its ready, it's here.
So that's still coming. We're going to be more and more of that and more of explaining to people how to use it.
So we've gone to a number of community meetings and just when we talk about it for five minutes,
people just really get excited that there's these new tools that they have available to them.
So yes, what do you want?
Thank you. Thank you very much.
Also was wondering, I know part of the strategy strategy is to, you know, clean our streets and be able to have a cleaner environment.
Right? One of the things that I wanted to ask is what is the feasibility of maybe adding like a tree watering program to this?
I know that as we all know here, that our trees have really, really been dying.
And I know that something like that would be really, really important.
Is there any plans for something like that through this program?
Or maybe if you can recommend something else another program?
Not currently, but we can certainly investigate that and see what options are available.
Thank you. I appreciate that a lot.
Also, I know that it's been touched on before, but I really like the idea of coming together and having like a clean kit to clean, you know, the neighborhoods.
And it also would be really neat to be able to collaborate with our schools and our students.
I think that that would be very essential.
Is there anything in mind in the strategy to cooperate and collaborate, I should say, with our local schools?
Yes, absolutely. We're, like I said, we've distributed 50 clean up in a box opportunities to the schools.
And as they as students return to in person learning, we will continue to expand that.
We've had other programs in the past that we're looking at potentially re-invigorating or seeing if there are new opportunities for a litter awareness and education.
As you know, because my office and is always in constant contact with your office and regards to this, but one of the most frequent calls that we get is about street sweepers and how maybe we don't have enough.
Maybe you can say a little bit about that and what the plan is.
Certainly, I think we have enough street sweepers. The challenge is that we currently are short staffed in street sweeping.
Like I said earlier, civil service has established certified list for us to hire from and we started interviews internally today and tomorrow.
So we hope to be getting some super operators on board.
Again, one of the challenges we face this year in particular is that.
In our in our zeal to assist people that were experiencing COVID hardships, we were dismissing a lot of street sweeping citations.
And as I said, there were about 25,000 citations dismissed.
And each one of those was an obstacle along the path of the street sweeper to provide a quality sweep.
Now, that's not to say that that's the only reason we are going out pretty much every day with at least one route or times on open and what we try and do is move those around.
So we don't miss anyone particular route two weeks in a row.
But recently, for example, we did experience that where a sweeper actually broke down on a route that had been skipped the week before.
So once we get these people on board, we will have full staffing and we will be sweeping every route every week.
Amazing. Thank you for that.
Thank you, Councilman Allen.
Thank you, Mayor. And just great job. Really just good work.
I love these cleanups. This has been really important supporting our economic recovery, supporting our residents, supporting our businesses and tourism.
I'm just, I'm so proud of CD2. I'm a big shout out to a lot of my HOAs that are constantly doing cleanups.
I keep all the equipment in the back of my car because I know there's going to be one happening every week. So I'm really proud of all the work that's being done in the community.
I had a question for you with regards to the trash bins. I know we've had some cleanups. Are those available through this project?
If we have neighborhood cleanups and we're going to need that?
I believe development services neighborhood services bureau can provide you bins.
If you just want to bend to be there at the location for cleanup.
And then also, I love the go-lombie chat. It's incredible.
I do. I have met with all of the scooter companies. I'll at least all of them but one.
And no scooters being left, especially in the downtown area is problematic.
Is there any way that we can incorporate a function in the go-lombie chat that would work with the vendors of the scooter so that those are picked up?
Because I know it's really problematic, especially like I said in downtown.
I'm getting a positive head nod from TI. So yeah, that's something that is now on their radar.
That is awesome. That is going to make my constituents so happy.
And then also, I did not realize that there was a training video. I know when I'm out talking to a lot of my neighborhood associations.
There's a lot of folks that are interested in using the go-lombie chat.
I'm always excited to tell people about it. So if there is a video, I'm not aware of that.
So I would definitely want to get that information and then I'm able to share that.
So thank you very much and great job everyone.
Thank you. Councilman Sorrow.
Yeah, so I wanted to ask a question.
I was wondering if you could pull up that map with the hot spot.
Because you mentioned earlier that it's generally where it has the most trashes where there's families living.
And I would take that maybe or multi units.
Yeah, I don't think that's the map with the hot spot.
I forgot what slide number is in 19.
Is it stuck on this?
Unfortunately, our remote control is no longer functioning.
Okay. All right. Oh, that's good to know. I just wanted to.
My question is really, what are because, you know, I live, okay, great.
So I live, you know, nearby a multi unit.
And I always know when somebody's moving out because all of their furniture is on the sidewalk.
So I'm just wondering, what are some ideas and approaches has come up to address this?
Does it range from, you know, charging these apartment owners, the fee for removing them?
Because I'm always using the app.
Every week, we're really, it seems like there's furnitures out.
So I'm just curious what are some approaches we can take because that's really kind of been the
Reoccurrence that's happening on a cycle with these large bulky items.
We can often tell the difference between a move out and just a dumped item based on the composition of the material that's out there.
And frankly, we, you know, I'm a very firm believer in charging property owners back for that service.
Because it is a business that they're running when they're, when they have rental units.
And clearing out your tenants spaces is a cost of doing business.
And it shouldn't be a cost of the right payers.
It should be a cost to the person who's running the business.
So we do make every effort to, if we can identify how and when and where that debris came from, that we charge them back.
At this point, we don't have the ability to cite what we do as we charge for the cost of the service to collect those items.
There's no way to do that on the Gole Long Beach app, right?
As far as, you know, that you see something illegally dumped by a site kind of like what we have.
I think when we're doing those fireworks, right?
We have this app that you can download where the pictures of it.
People are literally moving things from the building into the sidewalk.
And then reporting that, is there a function that does that?
You can add a picture in the Gole Long Beach app.
You know, and we, you know, so many options out there now.
People have called circuit cameras.
They have the ring app and they have all these different apps.
And people send us videos of all sorts of stuff anymore.
It more and more and more.
And I have to remind our team is like, you got to work as if you're on camera all the time because that does happen.
So people do provide that with regard to the Gole Long Beach app.
You can, and you're encouraged to add photos in your report.
And you can add comments.
So if someone is aware that, and we do get this sometimes.
This came out of my neighbor's place.
It's the address is this.
But oftentimes people are also a little, um,
a reticent to, um, kind of put their name out there and say they're reporting their neighbor.
Because they don't want to create to the neighborhood problems either.
All right. Thank you.
Thank
Thank you.
Councilman's in Dallas.
Thank you, Mayor.
Another quick question.
Um, as we see that illegal dumping continues to rise.
I'm curious to know if you think, um,
it's because it's in locations where perhaps there's a lot of renters.
And my question is, um,
can renters call in for illegal.
I'm sorry for specialized.
A pickup.
So yes, there is a correlation between multi-family units,
a population density and an illegal dumping.
Um, so for the first question that yes,
there's a, there's a nexus there.
Uh, secondly, it really is a, it's a,
it's a challenging situation in Long Beach because we have certain accounts that are master-metered,
which means there's one meter for a multi-unit building.
And there could be, say, let's just say 10 units of that building.
But we know that there's one meter, so it's one account.
Whereas other buildings may be multi-metered.
So you have 10 units each unit has its own meter.
And so there's 10 accounts.
So it's challenging for us to say that every renter has the opportunity for 12.
Every renter does have the opportunity.
But it's hard.
We, we don't have the ability at this point to kind of track when it's a master-meter,
account to say, how many did this unit get versus that unit get versus that unit get?
Thank you.
Thank you.
That makes sense.
And that's something I think that teams have been working on for a couple years,
because that's absolutely been, been an issue.
So, uh, Councilman Mungo, and then we're going to go ahead and receive it for the report.
Thank you.
Since we have so much data,
do we see that illegal dumping is most popular on certain days of the week,
and dates, like the 15th and the 30th of the month when people might be moving out,
or getting a payday, and then going and buying a new couch.
And, or are we thinking that it's related to move out to move ends?
In many cases, it's related to move out to move ends.
And anecdotally, we've, we've noticed at the very beginning or end of the month,
this seems to be a little bit of an uptick.
So do we schedule additional crews at that time, or do we have the ability to?
No, we might, we might allocate our crews accordingly, but we don't have additional crews available to schedule.
I'd be interested in, I mean, I'll touch back with Councilman's in-day house and Councilman Sorrow,
who have also talked a little bit about the move-in move-out date.
I mean, I'd really strongly recommend that we provide a 30th of the month available for purchase,
$200 pickup, because again, that's below what it could be cost.
The landlord should, could very well burden the price.
The landlords, the one who wants those items out of there for the new tenant to move in.
And then, I really think, and I talked about this last week, we need to do a better job
informing the landlords of these opportunities.
The landlords don't want tenant A to move out and leave all their stuff on the curb,
and then tenant B and C B upset.
We aren't really informing those landlords.
A lot of them are senior citizens.
We really need to do a better job.
We need to follow the site as addresses of the properties from the assessor's office,
and then we need to do a notification based on landlord of what programs are available,
how we can support them better supporting their tenants and the penalties if they don't.
So, I would love to see us work something out if anyone will work on agenda item together,
as you can tell by my number of cues, trash is really important to me and keeping the city clean.
I really appreciate Mayor Garcia and all the work through the years.
One of the biggest things we've done through the budget process is these clean teams,
and I cannot tell you enough when I used to drive from the east side of town all the way down to city hall meetings,
it was brutal and now it's just so rewarding to see how clean it is and the streets are clean.
I know we could get a little bit better coverage on the weeds in the winter, right after that first rain,
we just have a huge pop-up of weeds and all of the sidewalks and gutters across
our big corridors, but other than that, excellent job.
I drive all over LA County for my county job and you guys are just doing such an excellent job.
I just want to thank you so much.
I'm excited for the improvements that you're still striving for and I want to keep you striving,
but you're doing excellent work. Thank you.
Thank you. Back concludes council comments.
I don't believe there's public comment in this study session, correct?
Okay. Thank you guys for the report.
I know it's been a long two hours,
but I think an important one, so I just want to thank you guys for the study session on this item.
So with that, members, please go ahead and cash your votes to receive and file.
Motion carries.
Thank you.
Just as a reminder, we have three hearings before the regular agenda starts still.
So those are going to go next.
I think I have one member of the public who had a public comment that's on an on agenda item, is that right?
Okay. Why don't we go ahead and...
Mr. Snike, can I please come to podium?
Quite a riveting report there.
Thank you. Public works and everyone involved.
Hoping that the Pacific corridor can get included in there,
because that's my no man's land.
And, you know, with 30 plus empty store fronts, it's a lot of trash.
That being said, public comment would regards to today,
as a resident in the sixth district in the central Long Beach.
I'm inquiring any status report in this investigation on the desecration of the statue of Dr. Mark Luthke,
and hoping to get some compelling details on where that's going.
Thank you.
Thank you. And there is an item related to the statue,
I think later in the agenda as well.
Thank you for that.
Let's go ahead and now come on. We're on the hearings.
We're going to have item hearing at him 17 first.
Report from development services.
Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record.
Include the public hearing and adopt and impose the mitigation monitoring and reporting program
where the southeast area specific plan to clear ordinance
and mending the land use district map to reflect the establishment of the southeast area specific plan.
Read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the city council final reading.
Adopt five resolutions and mending the local coastal program implementation plan, land use map.
A men that post certification coastal zone map.
A mending the local coastal program and element of the city's general plan.
A mending and restating the southeast area specific plan.
An authorizing director of development services to submit the ordinance.
A amendments together with the resolutions to the California Coastal Commission.
District three.
Thank you. And then we're going to introduce the city manager to get the presentation first.
Good afternoon, Mayor.
Members of the council, I'd like to introduce Christopher Coons, the deputy director for
Development Services. He will start this presentation.
Good evening council members and Mayor for this item, which relates to the southeast area specific plan.
And item 18, which relates to the pool.
We do have presentations available to give you or if you don't want the presentations.
Let's go up now and let us know.
These are both routine matters after when actions take place in the coastal zone.
They go to the coastal commission.
They make changes to those items and then they come back to this body for you to
conform those changes.
That procedural matter that's in front of you this evening.
And I have Patricia Deepfender for our planning bureau manager to answer any questions and
provide the presentation if you wish to see it.
Mr. Vice Mayor.
Good night.
Sir, council member.
Unless there's any objection by my colleagues.
I don't think we need a presentation on this particular item.
I do want to make just a few comments on it.
Though these are some procedural steps that we have to take in order for this plan to move forward.
I will share.
I know I have some new council colleagues who perhaps haven't been as plugged
history of this item.
But the southeast area specific plan.
C-SIP was in its first formation in 1977 created as a specific plan for the southeast portion of
Long Beach.
And over the past eight years that I've been in office.
This is a project that I've been intimately involved with.
My commitment to the residents throughout this process has been to work closely with city staff.
And I want to just acknowledge our assistant city manager, Linda Tatum, who's very involved in this project before she
assumed her current position and was invaluable in getting this project moved to this place.
And of course our entire city team led by Christopher Cuntz.
This plan will allow the preservation of the wetlands for the decades to come.
As the plan was prior to this plan being passed.
The reportions of the wetlands that actually had development on them like an in and out burger that probably
should never have gone on top of the wetlands.
And so the passage of this specific plan will ensure that we have the wetlands to be able to restore.
Working with my colleague on the councilman Ranga on the low street os wetlands authority.
We do have a plan for the restoration of the wetlands and this plan will make that possible in a reality.
It will also place a burden on developers who wish to develop in this area to meet certain standards.
Regarding environmental standards involving public access standards, open corridor standards.
And these conversations have been had and some of them have been a long time to develop to get to the place that we're at now.
I do want to point out one aspect about this grant this plan that I think we sometimes forget when we're talking about the city's requirements in terms of housing.
You know that there's often a misconception that the south east side of Long Beach is not contributing to the housing requirement of the city.
And so I would just want to turn over to the staff you know this particular specific plan alone.
How many units does this create for the city of Long Beach?
Good evening council members.
This is Patricia Defender for Planning Bureau Manager.
This plan does create capacity for approximately additional 2,500 dwelling units.
And I'm sure as most can appreciate that that is not welcome news to folks who who want to try to limit density.
But I think some of the ways that we've gone about designing the specific plan and the requirements for developers is going to create over the next 40 years.
A development and a community that will be filled with open space and mobility options and wetlands restoration and wetlands tourism environmental tourism in a way that we've never seen.
So I urge my colleagues to please support this item.
It's certainly something that the council district team has worked very hard on not just this team but the teams that came before me.
And I'm really really grateful to be at this place.
So thank you.
All right, thank you and I'll just offer my support.
I would say these long range planning efforts are really really good.
Thank you councilwoman Price for your hard work and for highlighting the housing discussion.
You're absolutely right. It is difficult to have a discussion about housing but I think our land use element is 26,000 units and that's almost 10% of it.
So that is important to note and thank you for your leadership on that.
So is there any public comment?
We have three public comments.
Anna Christianson and Ken Trell and Marlene Alvarado.
A lot of trash talk tonight.
I'm here representing the Los Serritos wetlands land.
I'm sorry. Task force from Sierra Club and I also live in the third and I got pretty much the same description that you just got of this.
I'm going to take this off of this rezoning.
It talks about it in one way but I think of it in a very different way.
I think of the zoning that was is here in place now.
I see it which limits the height of housing to three stories of all buildings really and how from the very beginning and that was a community generated zoning.
From the very beginning it was attacked by business after business developer after developer who didn't really respect the community members who designed that
for their desire to protect the Los Serritos wetlands.
And I don't want this to come off the wrong way but you know when I went to the first seaship meeting.
I sat next to Guy who was all in favor but he said I wonder about low income housing.
I said go ahead and ask and someone from development services who answered that questions has long reached doesn't do that.
And I think it's very important when we talk about our need for more density under state mandates and all the units we need supposedly to provide for future residents that we understand that we're really involving a lot of developers who really want to make a lot of money doing this.
And just like wetlands restoration this is business to leave something alone to leave the land alone to leave the wetlands alone.
Rather than to add more visitor centers and more bike trails giant berms to protect industry that's already there and will come to call the in and out as this seaship does a recreational area.
To zone the in and out recreational is pretty stunning and you know we need housing for the poor.
We need housing for people who have very little income.
We do not need seven story high rises in a liquid faction zone in a tsunami zone.
You know next to our wetlands.
And so I'm afraid this will perhaps solve some problems.
I realize today you know when the as the sea rise goes all the people who are living in Belmont shore and on the peninsula can just move into the high rises.
Because they they are you know about ground that's a plus that's a plus for those guys who down on the peninsula.
Yes, but as for the majority of residents in Long Beach and those of us who fought for a long time to protect what's already in the mountains.
This isn't this is no benefit. Sorry.
Next speaker, please.
Good evening and can trail.
Speaking for the Sierra Cablose Rita's wetlands task force and I attended all the meetings on seaship back before.
Councilwoman Price was on this council when Frank Colona held similar meetings on this.
And sea dip which preceded which is now our zoning.
Had some problems to it in a loud housing development on the wetlands.
And it allowed oil development on the wetlands.
So sea sip still allows oil development on the wetlands.
And it is creating a 2,500 new dwelling units surrounding the wetlands.
Sea dip only allowed three story buildings.
Sea sip will allow seven story buildings surrounding the wetlands.
And the oil.
Reduction is addressed briefly in sea sip as saying.
Modification nine will modify sea chapped sea sip.
Sea sip chapter five to incorporate the oil production standards recently certified by the coastal commission for sea dip among other revisions.
The coastal commission staff said and I quote.
Oil released into the wetlands area will contaminate soils and vegetation and result in a range of effects for wildlife from habitat exclusion to death.
Required cleanup measures would likely result in the complete loss of affected wetland areas.
Wetland channels could also provide a direct pathway to marine waters.
If an oil spill reaches the sand Gabriel River, alametus bay or the specific ocean impacts to marine habitat and species, coastal recreation and other coastal resources could be devastating.
Therefore, because the ability to effectively contain and clean up an oil spill does not exist at this time, staff finds that the proposed project is inconsistent with the second requirement of the coastal act.
This was when bomb wanted was getting their permits for oil production in the wetlands.
Sea sip has not solved anything.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I'm early in Alvarado from the first district and I have been actively involved in the wetlands for many years.
And I see this whole thing part of a capital system that exploits the land.
And it's exploiting the environment, especially with the oil.
My god.
We're having catastrophic temperatures right now.
And we're still producing oil out of a wetlands.
The last sea water wetlands here in Long Beach.
It's tragic.
And as was noted, you're going to build high rises of seven stories when the law had previously said they could only do three.
There's another item here that I want to talk about and has a lot to do with renters.
And the problem is you can't make money off of poor people.
And so we're going to have expensive.
Seven story buildings in a dangerous zone.
And you guys are going to go along with it.
But you're all deal.
Nailed their rules.
Who really believe that capitalism is going to be the answer when it's really going to be our destruction.
Because we can no longer exist in the system.
Exploding wetlands, exploiting poor people.
It's, you know, our city is a sellout to developers and real estate.
And there's what I want to say.
[Applause]
Thank you.
All right.
I think that concludes public comment.
Members, please cast your vote.
[Applause]
Motion carries.
Thank you.
I think we need to have a hearing number 19 next.
18.
18 is next.
Great.
Report from development services.
Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record.
[Applause]
Including the public hearing and find the project.
Exempt from secret.
Declare ordinance and many.
And we're stating the Belmont here plan development district.
And ordinance
The implementation plan land use map and authorizing director.
Services to submit the LCP amendment to the California Coastal Commission.
District free.
Thank you.
Is there a brief staff report on this?
Yes.
I'd like to again introduce deputy development services director Christopher Coots to introduce
to present this item.
Thank you.
Vice Mayor and Council Member Price similar to the previous item.
We have a.
The Jersey Defender for our planning bureau manager is available for any questions.
We can provide information.
Much like the previous item.
This is a matter that has been worked on for many years and concluded it's a local process.
It went to the Coastal Commission, the Coastal Commission made changes.
And Council tonight is asked to conform those changes.
What this matter does relate to the Belmont pool.
It's important to understand the item in front of you tonight.
Has to do with the zoning for the pool and not the design of the pool itself.
Or financing of the pool or any of the other matters.
Related to the pool.
So with that, we're glad to answer any questions or provide.
A PowerPoint if necessary to you.
That's a member of the price.
Well, I think on this one, if you could go through the PowerPoint.
It doesn't I know there's a lot of procedural changes.
So it may not be the most exciting one, but there's a lot of public interest in itself.
Absolutely.
So if we could get that up in the back.
No offense, but your area of expertise is not of mass levels of interest.
So by everyone, by everyone.
So the technical, well, well aware.
It's very technical.
Good evening.
Mayor Vice Mayor Council members Patricia Defender for Planning Bureau Manager.
As was already described, briefly this item is essentially a local coastal program
amendment to amend the land use and tax changes associated with the Belmont
Pier Plan Development District, which is PD2.
And we'll complete the final legislative actions needed for the local coastal program
amendment.
These amendments are the enabling legislation that are needed to facilitate the Belmont
Beach and Aquatic Center Project.
I think some trouble with the.
Excellent, please.
Okay.
The recent actions on the project have included the planning commission's approval
of the changes to the PD2 ordinance.
The Council's original adoption of those changes which occurred on January 21st of 2020.
The adopted changes to the PD2 required in amendments.
The local coastal program, which is a part which PD2 is a part of the local coastal program
and the local implementation program.
The local coastal commission took action on the LCP amendments February of this year.
Approving the LCP amendments with suggested modifications as was recommended to them by the
coastal commission staff.
At that time, the coastal commission also approved the coastal development permits for the pool.
Adoption of the LCP amendments with suggested modifications must be completed before August of this year.
That is the deadline to return the conformed changes to the coastal commission.
The coastal commission provided nine suggested modifications to the local coastal program by amendments to the PD2.
The staff has incorporated all of those coastal commission suggested modifications to bring PD2.
The PD2 ordinance to conformance with the local coastal program amendments as modified by the coastal commission.
We are largely our modifications to clarify PD2 and LCP policies and to establish PD2 development standards and clean up the ordinance the zoning associated with a sub-area within the PD2 area.
None of these amendments would adversely affect the pool project or existing land uses businesses or residences.
Specifically, the suggested modifications included changes to the zoning map, which is shown here as well as text changes.
This slide summarizes the zoning map changes, which is a change that will refer one area of PD2 to its previous zoning of R4R.
A previous zone change to PD2 was not certified by the coastal commission, so this just restores the zoning that has been in existence there for some time.
With the deletion of the previous sub-area for the remaining sub-area is remembered.
So sub-area 5 becomes sub-area 4 and that is those are the changes to the map.
The changes to the text bring the ordinance into consistency with the coastal commission policy and language that was previously certified by the coastal commission that
Civil clarifications to the public and recreation access purpose for example in the standard of review for projects where among those changes.
Just to summarize the five local actions listed here are needed by the city council tonight to complete the local coastal program amendment, which was previously approved by the city council.
They include PD2 zoning ordinance and text map changes, general plan amendments to the local coastal program to implement the coastal commission suggested modifications and a resolution to direct staff to resubmit these changes to the coastal commission.
For final certification.
These actions are exempt from sequo as our all actions related to the preparation or adoption of local coastal programs.
This project also had a project EIR and EIR done to that it tiered off of.
And those also are in effect and analyzed the environmental impacts of the project activities, including these final legislative actions.
These legislative actions do not create any new significant environmental impacts that were not already analyzed in that EIR.
And so no further sequo documentation is required noticing was done in accordance with requirements of the zoning code of the city and the coastal commission regulations.
So previous commenters were notified all comments received on this matter tonight were forwarded to the city council prior to this hearing.
So just to sum up this slide just shows the actions that are before the council again.
Approving as zoning code amendment to the PD2 ordinance and text approving zone change to the PD2 zoning map.
Approving general plan amendments to implement text changes and map changes to the local coastal program and adopting a resolution to authorize the director to resubmit these changes to the coastal commission.
That concludes the presentation and again we're happy to answer any questions you might have.
Thank you.
Thank you Mr. Mayor and thank you so much for that presentation I take it back it was totally very exciting and I really appreciate you fitting it for it.
This is a much more technical presentation on this project than we've had but I really do appreciate you going through it.
I want to thank all the Long Beach residents who've been involved in this project for years and in the appellants even though the appeal.
Was not successful at the coastal commission it did provide an opportunity for us to have meaningful discussion regarding the issues raised in the appeal and to work.
On those issues to obtain a project that is is a lot more more mitigated than I think what was initially presented.
Special acknowledgement to my predecessor councilman Delong.
My former colleagues councilwoman's low-enthall and councilman O'Donnell who's now in the assembly who really fought very hard for this project before I ever took office and we're supportive of this project and.
Setting aside some of the initial funding.
I want to especially thank councilman Uronga for his work on this item with the coastal commission.
I have the opportunity to attend that coastal commission hearing and I have a new level of respect for him because of the amount of work that is required to weed through some of these very technical issues.
This one not excluded among those topics and really appreciate his thoughtfulness and listening and meeting with everyone on all sides of this issue.
I want to thank the coastal commission because they have worked with the city staff who are the heroes of this project.
The city staff worked with the coastal commission all during 2022.
I mean 2022 really address all the concerns and come up with the project that is is smaller and scope than initially contemplated but certainly something that everyone can live with and feels very comfortable with.
Moving forward and especially I want to thank them for some of their programmatic opportunities and outreach efforts to provide this as an access opportunity for everyone throughout the city and through the region.
This facility is going to be an incredible asset for both competitive swimmers as well as residents throughout the city who are of all ages.
It's a place where high school and collegiate athletes will be able to learn and master their craft a place where seniors can take classes to stay active a place where children can come for simple recreation and the splash pools and kids of all ages can enjoy our beautiful city at a very low cost.
This has been a long time coming and I'm so glad to see that this project has has finally made it to this point where we've been successful at working with coastal commission on developing a project that's realistic and feasible.
Given its location and the funding so I want to thank everyone who has involved especially our city staff especially our city manager who's been a champion for this project and I want to.
And our mayor our mayor has been a wonderful wonderful advocate I can't I can't talk about this project without talking about his support for a a prudent and mitigated project that would be acceptable to all those who are interested as stakeholders in this in this project.
So I want to urge my colleagues to support this item and thank you for the time.
If you count to one we do have a motion in a second do we have public comment.
I'm calling for public comment. Thank you so much.
We have ten speakers at Lucy Johnson.
We just need to please refrain from all that the folks come up and speak at when it's intended.
We'll call the first by speakers up go ahead.
Lucy Johnson to a wine scene that be McCormick Jessica Payne and a Christian son. Please line up.
Good evening Mayor Garcia and council members. I'm Lucy Johnson resident of the fifth district and I've been a proponent of this pool for since 1968.
Here we are again it's been eight years and five months almost to the day since the city closed the original Belmont pool Belmont Plaza Olympic pool eight years and five months.
So just so very thankful that we finally got to this point that the project is approved by the coastal commission and that this is just a cleanup item.
So we appreciate that.
Hopefully this is the next to the last time we'll be back in front of you with the last time being hopefully when you approve the contract for the construction.
Thank you very much for all your efforts on Tom Bota because city staff, Chris Kunz, Eric Lopez, Josh Hickman, Susie Price, all the council members that have been supportive of this and council member, you're on good for the efforts on the coast of commission itself. Thank you.
Well, I'm Joe Weinstein.
Like my colleagues in carp, we support the idea more swimming and other robotics.
The problem with this project is not the goal is to specifics in particular the utterly irresponsible choice of the project site.
The choice of this site for the former pool was okay in the 60s because no one saw threats from Quakes, McAfaction, tsunamis, sea level rise.
But now knowing what we do, this is an idiotic site choice.
The site choice makes long BHA leader in climate denial.
Just see Malinda cotton, Malinda cotton submission to you.
The site as a result imposes huge extra costs of operation and construction.
So that instead of a typical cost for such a facility like 15 million which they did in torrents, this is supposed to cost 60 million more and give us a site that will be less functional.
Less life, less everything.
And it's all due apparently to a concept that tidalence funds are to be used and need be used only for luxuries and extras and nostalgia.
And never mind the people who are now going to depend on those funds to be spent for defense against sea level rise.
Not for the fans about swimming pool which will be in the midst of a flooded neighborhood, but for the defensive those neighborhoods themselves.
Can I go? Okay. Hi. It's nice to see some of you again, some of you I have met, some of you I have not.
I also have been coming here for eight years and five months.
I'm very passionate about this project.
So I want to thank Mayor Garcia Council, you know, Susie Price and all the rest of you.
My name is Debbie McCarmick and I'm the owner and head coach of the McCarmick diving team in Long Beach.
I'm also on the board of the aquatic capital of America Foundation and a member of the Long Beach Century Club.
In 2019 you honored our team in these chambers for celebrating 51 years of excellence now it's 53.
Okay, we are beyond anxious for you to start digging that hole. I realize there have been many delays due to frivolous lawsuits.
Personally, I feel that those losing lawsuits should pay all those costs since every delay costs the city thousands of dollars more.
Once this pool is built it will bring a lot of excitement for the public and all water sport enthusiasts, especially with the citywide access and multiple pools for all of the aquatic activities.
While the majority of time this facility will serve the community, the few times that it is used for major events will attract millions of dollars in tourism.
Every delay in starting this project is more time that Long Beach clubs like mine has to spend traveling to different cities to rent their facilities.
With the Olympics coming up, there will be a lot of kids dreaming of becoming an Olympian one day.
One of my former students started at the old building pool and just won the Olympic trials.
So I want you to chair for Brandon Losciavo. I just know that there's a lot of kids that might want to be an Olympian one day.
Okay, okay, well, chair for Brandon.
Thank you so much.
Just to hand and a person's in and can trail and corly sleep, please line up.
Hi. Thank you, Mayor Garcia. Thank you councilmember price. Thank you for the whole council for actually getting through this project.
My children were deeply involved with the Belmont pool for the last 12 and 1/2 years of his existence.
They went to major colleges because of their experiences swimming and diving there and it was invaluable.
For five years, we actually lived in Sydney, Australia and used that Olympic pool, but the community use of that pool was what I want to bring up to you.
It was amazing with the swim, the diving, the water polo, but also all of the community features that we are adding to this pool that brought people there.
And yes, it was closed, maybe three times a year, mostly for TV and film use, not for competitive use.
They could keep it open for the community and run major competitions.
It was an amazing thing and every time I went there, I thought about why couldn't our long beach pool beam were like this.
Now it's going to be, and I thank you.
So I'm very sad though that the next, it'll be at least 12 1/2 years since it closed before we have another pool.
Thank you for keeping to work on this.
Thank you very much.
And cheer for Brandon.
Thank you, next speaker.
Anna Kristenson from the Long Beach Area Peace Network.
We still maintain that this is a, let's see, what did we call it?
Well, white privilege.
It's a castle to white privilege.
It's in the whitest, wealthiest corner of town, Black Lives Matter.
Apparently didn't really sink in.
I guess the coastal commission is going to expect you to buy a bus and throw a few dollars for some free
That's about it.
But it's not, it's not going to do what the other thing we ask you to do as long as I'm sorry.
Peace Network is bill pools.
Bill pools in everybody's council district costs about 2 million bucks a pop.
It's not a lot.
Excuse that, oh, we don't have any money.
Okay, well, let me just say this.
You just spent two and a half million dollars to maintain the Queen Mary for six months.
Twenty three, two million three hundred dollars for artificial turf and El Dorado part.
And, and one million seven hundred dollars to rehabilitate a duck pond.
You know, 200 million for the cops and 94 million for the fire department.
We can find two million dollars.
It's getting hot.
It's getting hot in the night.
It's hot in the first.
Don't believe that every elder is going to make it down to the Belmont pool.
This is delusional.
And my final remark is, be delusional on your own dime.
We got a face reality here.
[ Applause ]
And can trails speaking for carp and the Sierra Club Loserita wetlands land trust.
You're being asked to approve the finding that the project is exempt from sequa.
Even if the LCP exemption applies, it is not apply to the zoning code changes or the general plan amendment that are necessary for the project.
As portions of this project are not exempt from sequa, the entire project is not exempt from sequa.
In fact, a new EIR is needed to study the effects of removing the roof.
And the effects of removing the roof will have on noise, light and energy use.
We'll blowing sand clog the filtering system and the movable floor.
We'll be disabled and elderly, be able to use an outside pool.
There's been no traffic study since Ocean Boulevard was calmed.
There is no plan for special event parking.
Alternative locations have changed because the Jehovah witnesses and the Queen Maryland are no longer being under lease.
Lastly, by moving the pool north and taking a public park and public ride of way, there is not only loss of parking nesting trees and disabled sidewalks.
There is a violation of the city ordinance 905, which states parks will not be alienated unless replaced with a two to one ratio.
Thank you so much.
(Applause)
Coralously, Merlin Albrotto, Hank Wies, Sam Simmons, please line up.
Okay, Coralously here.
The first point I'd like to make is a judge pointed out to us not long ago that imprudent spending is not illegal.
The second point is that there is no objection from carp on building an exotic swimming facility that will allow the competitive swimmers and divers to train.
The objection is to the location.
Looking at what the coastal commission put together where they had nine items and 24 pages of what needs to be accomplished before they can approve the CDP,
you see words that you would not see in building a normal pool on more stable ground.
You see words like plant.
That's a C-wall.
You see a 10-foot walkway.
Foundations to account for high ground water levels.
Accommodate elevated liquefaction potential associated with high water levels.
Beachville programs.
Plans for how each foundation element will be removed.
So before we've even built it, we have to have a plan to remove it because it's in the path of sea level rise.
The title and funds will be gobbled up by this asset.
There was a list of hundreds of competing priorities for those funds, and that list seems to have been discontinued.
But reconstruction on the Belmont Pier is surely on that list.
Every day, replacement of live guard stations needs to be paid for.
Improving.
That's up.
All right.
Next speaker, please.
Marlene Elbrano.
I'm actually with Jerry Peason at Work and Democratic Socialist of America.
This pool is really not a very wise thing to do.
It is going to be affected by sea level rise.
You know, we humans think we cannot beat nature, but I mean, look at Florida.
Ten story building.
How many stories fell down?
Because of the liquefaction.
I think this is not wise at all, and another thing too is, I don't think too many kids
have infected yNeare for more than 20 years.
I don't think that's because I was in a huge country.
Although, possibly with being a child, the building would give you the right story.
And a councilman reached Rick's Richardson's
[ Pause ]
Good evening council. My name is Hank Wise.
It's nice to be in front of you again.
I was here a little while ago when I accepted an award
from you guys for my Catalina swim efforts, which have done seven of them.
And thank you for that award.
I'd like to just, I'm basically here to celebrate.
When the pool passed because of commission,
with all your hard work, especially Mr. Irangas,
I was just like, I was over the moon,
and I still am over the moon.
This pool will be used by the whole city.
It'll be used by every age group.
It'll be used in so many capacities.
And I'm a head coach of youth,
a swim team, a lot of development, and all that.
And then the adults, I have an adult team as well.
But beyond of that, the seniors,
the aquatic aerobics, like the water aerobics people,
the free swim, the late afternoon people that come on in
from all over town, parking their cars,
and just coming on in and getting wet.
It just feels good to everybody.
So this pool is going to be used widely, widely,
by everybody in the city.
It's going to be a hub.
It was a hub before it would be a hub again.
Thank you so much for passing this pool.
I love it.
And I know so many people that love it, too.
Thank you.
Thank you.
[ Applause ]
>> Hi, everybody.
My name is Sam Simmons.
I'm in district four.
I'm here to talk about the
and about the restoration and rejuvenation of the peer
in this area.
I'm a swimmer.
I'm also an avid ocean swimmer.
More importantly, I'm an ESL teacher at a community college,
and I'd like to talk about how the peer helps them.
So it's not only my life's work ESL,
but also in helping students understand
the importance of our oceans and the animals in it.
My students come from all over the world from all kinds
socioeconomic backgrounds and languages.
Many have no knowledge of the ocean.
Many have never seen the ocean.
They may fear it.
We have an assignment where they read a book about a gray whale
and an ocean swimmer.
And in that assignment, they have to go to the peer.
And they have to look out at the peer,
right with a C, identify the animals of the peer.
Many of them, when they come back, say it's a remarkable experience
to experience the ocean from a peer.
Many are too afraid to swim, so the peer may be the only way
that they're able to experience it at all.
The comments that I have gotten back from them
have been all amazing in that that is how they are able
to experience the ocean.
It is my belief that the peer can help individuals do this.
It gives people a stake in helping to improve our oceans.
We can't heal what we fear or we don't know.
Thank you.
Thank you.
That concludes probably coming for this item.
Thank you.
I want to say a couple of comments.
And I'm sure it's over to Councilman Price to wrap us up.
Let me just also just add that.
I want to thank the just the staff again.
I think you guys have we've been talking about this project
for a very long time.
And it's one I've supported from the beginning.
I've been building a historical landmark
a place that's so, so much of our community has been involved
with and say we're many of them kids and the Olympians
that have come out of this facility.
And just the I think joy that so many Long Beach families have had
as being a part of this community has been really important for us
to be committed to this project.
I also and I appreciate.
Obviously, I understand there's been a lot of appeals
and there have been a lot of court cases.
A lot of this has gone to trial.
And on each of those occasions,
the city has been able to move for the project forward.
And I think that's important to note that what's happened
not just in the courts, but also at the Coastal Commission.
I have had a reinforced why this project
not only matters to our community,
but meets the rigorous requirements that especially
the Coastal Commission puts on projects of this magnitude.
And I will share and I think most of you know,
the Coastal Commission staff and the Commission having
been a former Coastal Commission on myself put these projects
through an incredibly rigorous process.
And so I feel confident that the Coastal Commission has
blessed this project.
They have an incredible team of climate scientists
and environmental attorneys and staff that are committed
to this work and to the Coastal Commission itself
is a body that has also done great work.
And so I appreciate all of the Coastal Commission's work
in getting us to this point.
I think we all would have loved for this have gone
by a lot faster.
But grateful that we're here at this moment.
And obviously to Lucy and a Debbie and Hank
and everyone that's just been involved in the process
I just want to thank you for guiding the process as well
because it has been a labor of love for all of you.
And it matters to Long Beach.
And I think we made a commitment.
I certainly did.
Councilman and Price certainly did and her predecessor
before her to get this project completed.
And that's what we're going to do.
I also want to just note that I have met personally
kids from across the city that are excited to see the pool
reopen and kids that are now no longer kids
that use the pool and are off doing other great things
in college or beyond.
And their experience and connection to that facility
is really powerful and I know it means a lot to so many people.
So I am glad that we're finally here.
I look forward to seeing shovels in the ground
and getting this project started.
And I'm grateful to the Courts, the Coastal Commission,
and the City staff for every step of the way
doing the right thing and moving this project forward.
In addition to that, I also want to just add
that one thing that I think is also important
is that you're working also on an equity plan
and that equity plan and I understand that this is something
that is worked on with the Coastal Commission
and I believe go to the Coastal Commission at some point.
And so I think that that's something that I think is absolutely important.
And I'm really grateful and glad that we're moving forward
on that plan as well to ensure that the pool is a pool that's accessible
to everyone.
Because I can tell you right now that the advocates
and those that have been meeting with me
or talking to me about the pool,
they want the pool to be accessible to everybody.
That is I know our goal behind the Dias
and it's certainly the goal of debbies
and Lucy's and everyone else in the community
is for it to be something for the entire city.
So I strongly support this project
and I just want to personally again thank Councilman Price
and such a great steward of and leader of getting us to this point as well
and we'll continue to get it across the finish line.
Councilman Price.
>> To add to that, Mr. Mayor, thank you.
So we do have some permanent pools in the city of Long Beach.
They're not in the third district.
Maybe city staff can tell us where are the permanent pools
in the city of Long Beach.
So we have two other pools.
We have three pools total.
We have the Belmont pool.
We have Martin Luther King pool, which is in the sixth district
and we have Silverado pool, which is in the seventh district.
We also have access to some of the community pools.
I'm sorry, the school district pools
and we do some joint partnerships with them at Cabrio
as another one.
In fact, almost every pool I can think of that we have access
where we've done is in an area that is an equity area.
That is an area that is related to communities
that need access to facilities.
So the Belmont pool is the largest.
It's a regional pool and it serves the entire region
and it's been located there ever since the voters approved it back in the sixties.
>> So thank you, Mr. Marotica.
And I'm super excited about the equity piece.
We just started the equity rowing program
and the third district last weekend was our first weekend
without going, I don't want to violate any of the privacy of the kids.
But these are kids who would never have access to a program
like rowing because it's so expensive and cost prohibitive
and they're participating in this program.
And we had a difficult time recruiting
because some of the kids don't know how to swim
and they needed to have some basic swim lessons
to sign up for this equity program.
And so we want to make sure that that access is there
for everyone and I think the coastal commission wanted that as well.
And I'm super excited about that piece.
I will say I was moved by the comments of the coastal commission.
I think the title is president or maybe chair.
I don't know his exact title.
And I don't have his words written down.
But they hear from all communities all over the state of California.
And at the end of the Belmont pool comment,
he made an observation that I thought was pretty profound.
And I got to give it to Anna Christianson's been really the only one
that's talked about this equity issue from day one.
But in the beginning, the conversation was,
let's not build this pool, blocks the views, the building is too high.
It should be in other parts of the city.
And the coastal commission president made a comment about
it's interesting when you have residents from the community
that is the proposed project site saying
we don't want those people here.
That the whole idea of equity and integration
is bringing people together in different communities.
And that's a way of exclusion to say,
let's keep everyone separated so that we're not integrating.
He said it a lot more articulately than I did.
But I thought it was a very...
Hey, guys, please, please, please.
Actually, we're not going to have the outbursts right now.
So thank you very much.
Councilman Price, continue.
I thought that that was a very profound statement
that he made because the idea of bringing people
from throughout the region to different neighborhoods.
Actually, no, that's not, that's not.
Yeah, Ms. Christianson.
There's time to talk.
Ms. Christianson, there's time for you to do your comment.
Now, Councilman Price has a floor, Councilman Price.
Thank you.
Okay.
Ms. Christianson, thank you very much.
Yep.
Thank you very much, ma'am.
You cannot continue to do that.
We've got to continue the meeting.
Councilman Price.
So thank you.
So one of the things that I appreciated was the comment
of if you build facilities throughout the city,
you get people from throughout the city,
going throughout the city.
Right now, we have people going to Korea or MLK
or Silverado to use our free wreck classes.
And that will be the case in Belmont Pool as well.
And as Councilman Aranga said,
at the Coastal Commission, if you build it, they will come.
And I thought that was a really great statement.
That that's a way for us to get people to get on the ocean
and to access the ocean.
And I thought that was a profound statement that someone else made
that it was important to highlight.
So thank you.
Thank you, Councilman.
Councilman Aranga.
Thank you, Mayor.
And since there's quite a considerable
considerable discussion about the Coastal Commission
and boarded that I sit on.
I just want to give you a little bit of a historical perspective
that when this item first came to the city council
to review it, to develop the plan and send it out.
I didn't vote for it because I didn't see a equity component to it.
And it was past, obviously.
And it went to the Coastal Commission.
And I really tried to emphasize to staff
that we needed an equity element to ensure
that kids from all over the city and the region
for that matter had access to the pool.
After all, the Coastal Commission is about access.
And that's what we want to encourage and want to pursue.
So when it got to the Coastal Commission,
they heard out loud, what it was supposed to address
and it did.
And when it came to the Coastal Commission
and I had my effect several Coastal Commissioners
make that very same point that we needed to make sure
that the Coastal Commission permit in order for the city to get it.
And it would include an element of equity
to ensure that kids and people from all over the region
regardless of their background had access to the pool.
And the statement that I made was,
you know, if because people were also talking about
why are you building it here in the third district
and one of the most highest rent districts in the city,
why don't you build it somewhere else
where more people can't more access.
Like, well, that's segregation.
We need what's a matter with integrating the third district.
That's where we need to do.
We need to integrate the third district by having people
come to where no others can.
Please can we all--
You might find that funny.
You might find it hilarious.
You might think it's a non-secretor,
but you don't think about it.
Think about having people come to the beach
where they haven't been able to come before
because they're excluded because don't come to me
to our area because we have a pool here.
Build your own pools over there and you stay there.
That's not what this is about.
This is about equity.
This is about fairness.
This is about everybody having access to a pool in law beach.
Now, if you're-- and if you disagree with it,
then you know what?
You have an issue with equity, with equity.
So anyway, just to finish this out.
Thanks, actually.
Hold on one second.
Councilman, your anger.
You have the floor.
If you want to finish up.
Just to close this out,
the Epastical Commission unanimously,
will actually attend one.
And it was a good project.
They thought it was.
Everything that what that the Commission has
recommended to be included is here and out.
And it's going forward.
And it's going to be reviewed again
by the Coastal Commission, this opportunity to speak.
Thank you, Councilmember.
And then Vice Mayor Richardson, and then we'll go to a vote.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
I just want to chime in and--so a couple things.
So one, we have certain assets in the city
that are citywide assets.
Our Convention Center, our Civic Center,
airport, our port, the Belmont pool,
is designed to be a citywide asset.
Now, that does not mean that we cannot also
invest in community pools.
I tend to agree.
I think there's value both ways.
I think the conversations on integration
set a great--my mother integrated schools
50 years ago when she was in the second grade.
Those are powerful, powerful statements.
I don't want to oversell it.
But I think there is something to be said about
there's a pool at King.
There's a pool at Belmont.
There's a pool.
Let me just finish my statement.
There's a pool at King.
There's a pool on the west side.
There needs to be a pool in North Long Beach.
We have access, limited access to a pool at Jordan.
Limited access, but there is no city municipal pool
in 905, which has more children than any other zip code
in the city.
So I would say yes on Belmont pool, yes on investing
pools in North and Central and West Long Beach.
There are pools in Central and West.
There needs to be a pool in North.
And the facilities in Central West need to be improved.
So I will hope that--and this obviously keeps on coming up.
So I hope that staff is listening.
You don't have to--you heard enough.
We need to be making these investments.
Next time, there's a big surplus in the state.
Let's see some proposals about expanding pools
into these other areas of town.
So those are some of my thoughts here.
Thank you.
Thank you.
With that, members please go ahead and cast your votes.
Thank you.
Vice-marin Richardson.
Motion carries.
unanimously.
Thank you.
Next item is item number 19.
Report from Development Services.
This is the last hearing also.
Recommendation to determine that the project is categorically exempt
from Sequo, declare ordinance,
amending title 21 of the Long Beach Municipal Code
to amend maintenance of low income housing in the coastal zone.
Read the first time and later for the next regular meeting of city council
for final reading.
An adopted resolution authorizing director of development services
to submit amendments to the California Coastal Commission.
Citywide.
Mr. Marica.
Last hearing for our development services tonight.
Christopher Cuntz will make this presentation.
Good evening.
Mr. Mayor and members of the council.
In January of this year we were in front of the city council regarding what's called
the mellow act, which is how we deal with affordable housing that is proposed
for demolition and the coastal zone.
We presented ordinance to the council at that time and council at a number of
comments and requested changes.
There were all positive changes.
We spent the months since that time working with staff working with city attorney
and working with outside advocates to refine the ordinance.
And we think we have it correct now per your instructions back in January.
So Patricia Defenderfer is going to walk us through those changes
and what's now in front of the council.
Good evening.
Again, Mayor Vice Mayor, council members.
Patricia Defenderfer.
As deputy director Christopher Cuntz said this item was before you on
January 19th of this year.
At that time, based on comments from the public council instructed staff
to make revisions to the ordinance.
And that is the ordinance that is before you this evening.
It incorporates those revisions.
And I will describe them later in the presentation.
Just to provide some background again.
State law adopted in 1981 known as the mellow act.
Requires replacement of affordable housing that is demolished in the coastal zone.
It allows payment of in Lou fees as an alternative to providing onsite
replacement of units.
In 1988, the city adopted its mellow act ordinance to implement the state law
and establish the in Lou fee.
The city's adopted 2014, 2021 housing element, the current housing element.
Identified updating the mellow act as a program to pursue and to update the in
Lou fees.
While the city is not collected any mellow in Lou fees in the area,
because no projects have triggered it, the fee is being updated at this time.
As previously noted, the draft ordinance has been revised per council
instruction to better align the proposed mellow act amendments with adopted
inclusionary housing and known at loss.
Ordnances proposed fee schedule is based on the market study of current
development in addition to updating the fees.
The zoning code amendment removes exemptions for single family houses due
plexus and accessory dwelling units, which are commonly among the things
that are demolished in the coastal zone planning commission did approve
recommendations and recommended that council approve this
these amendments October of last year.
This slide shows the revised in Lou fee schedule, which varies based on the number of
bedrooms and the affordability level of the unit.
These fees will be tied to the construction cost index to ensure that fees
escalate when the index increases to keep up with the cost of the increases
cost of construction.
The changes that were made since the January ordinance that was before you
are described on the slide here both rent and tenant income will be considered
in establishing replacement unit affordability level.
This ordinance will pilot that approach.
The revision eliminates alternative ways to comply with the affordable unit
placement requirement such as rehabilitation or conversion of existing units
to affordable or off site units.
Those will not be permitted to count toward replacement requirements units
to count towards replacement requirements will have to be constructed on site
or applicants will have to pay the in Lou fee.
Replacement units have to be at the same or greater levels of affordability.
The revisions further ensure that the in Lou fee maintains pace with construction costs
and the affordability covenant remain for the life of the project.
Public outreach was conducted on this project and noticing in accordance with
code requirements.
The proposed zoning code amendment is exempt from sequa.
The actions before Council this evening are to determine that the project is categorically
exempt from sequa to adopt an ordinance amending the chapter 2161 to limit
exceptions to the requirements to replace affordable units and to modify
the in Lou fees and the coastal zone of the city and to adopt a resolution
authorizing the director of development services to submit the amendments
to the California Coastal Commission for its review approval and certification.
That does conclude the presentation and staff is available to answer questions.
You have a motion in a second.
I think we have two members of the public.
Yes.
Abraham's of all and tonight can pay please come to the podium.
Good evening city council.
I just had to answer a call for my babysitter.
I'm a little distraught.
Let me gather myself.
It's been a long night.
What a urge city council to adopt this current ordinance.
The mellow ordinance as one critical tool to address the city's desire or the
dire affordable housing needs that we have.
Specifically we support the following provisions of the ordinance that was recognized
from February 2021.
First point.
The alignment with inclusionary housing.
No net loss ordinances.
The requirement that affordable replacement units be provided at the same or
depot affordability level.
The requirement that affordable units be provided as net new units so that rehabilitation
or subsidy of existing units is not permitted.
The prohibition of upside compliance for construction of affordable units so that all affordable
units must be built on site or developers can pay the in Luffy.
We also agree with the extension of affordability
covenants for new affordable units to 55 years or for the life of the project which
ever is longer.
And lastly we also agree with the inclusion of a pilot program to monitor the implementation
of affordability requirements that are defined by looking at both the rent and income
levels of tenants.
So once again we strongly urge you and maybe I introduce myself because I was so
frazzled in with the babysitter call.
My name is Abraham Zavalo and I'm with Long Beach residents empowered.
A group that's part of housing just coalition and we as a coalition support these
amendments and hope you adopt them.
Thank you.
So I can pay 60th Street.
I just want to say, you know, I respect all the seniors there again, you know,
a little irritated there but we'll respect to the King's pool.
There was a shadow coming from Belmont shore during the COVID,
bringing people to swim at King's pool that never swam there before.
And my 30 plus years of swallowing at Savorado Fairfield,
YMCA King's pool.
The YMCA that was used to be on 7th Street never swam at Belmont shore.
So let's just get back to reality.
The reality of today as Ms. Patricia,
Ma'am, I don't know how I say you last name trying to be respectful.
I did read about 80 pages of the 861 page report that you guys have a bail
on your, on your, your site.
We respected this.
I think that, you know, we had a very spirited land use element to bait for quite some time.
And the years have come up and we're going to have some state mandates coming
with regards to affordable housing.
And as you said, it's 2,500 units expected to come with this development.
I personally, you know, I don't really try to speak regards to districts I don't live in.
But regards to overall the city and the housing mandates that are going to come from state down.
You know, I do have to speak to the fact that it seems the lot of the development for affordable housing is
connected towards the blue line and the transit hub court corridors.
And so it's important that when moments like this come about that we support the establishment
of affordable housing units and other districts besides six eight and nine.
So I'm all in favor of this ordinance.
I just want to be mindful that we have a realistic relationship with the development
of affordable housing units in the area.
So if there's 2,500, maybe they're, you know, we can get like, I don't know, like 15%.
I don't know what mandate that the locally you guys are allowed to do, but it would be nice
because I don't want a title wave of pressure to be put on proper small property owners
in the third district, which would then propelled them to move further west,
maybe into the fourth district, which would then propeller another housing crisis
and some sorts that would then get picked up by the other districts in company.
So thank you.
Thank you, I have Councilman Allen.
Yes, thank you, Mayor.
The mellow was long overdue for an upgrade and I agree with you, Abraham.
This is a critical hole.
I want to thank the staff for their work on this and for further revising the ordinance
to incorporate additional changes.
I strongly support this ordinance and was pleased to see that it mirrors our
inclusionary housing and no net loss policies or closely.
It ensures that we continue to have affordable housing options and that our coastal zones
remain accessible to everyone.
So thank you very much.
And Vice Mayor, thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Just want to say first, congratulations to the community advocates who spoke up very clearly.
Over the course of the past year, but more specifically at the beginning of this year.
And talked about the needs to improve our mellow act and make sure it aligns like
Councilman Allen said with our inclusionary housing policy.
Like knowledge city staff, I think they got the scalpel out, scalpel out.
They said we're going to listen to you, we're going to make this work and what's
presented from us received a very strong letter support from the community.
And I think that's a testament to the good work that our development services team does.
And so overall, this is a great ordinance and I look forward to voting for tonight.
Thank you.
Councilman's in the house.
Mayor.
I also would like to congratulate all the community advocates that have pushed this through.
I think that it's it's very well done.
Thank you staff for all the hard work that you've been doing, working with the community.
I also would like to thank the previous council that did a lot of work on this even before I
gone on board, but I'm really excited to support this item tonight.
Thank you.
Thank you.
We have a do we have any public comment on this?
We just did it.
Correct.
So we have a motion in the second, please cast your votes.
Motion carries.
Thank you.
We're now completed with the three hearings.
We're going to the regular agenda.
I want to note that we do have a good group of folks here for the substantial
remodel items.
I do want to hear that item.
I know it's towards the end of the agenda.
We should hear that early.
However, if we don't mind, there are some folks here for the ADA item.
So I'm going to just move item 24 right now.
And some of those folks, when we able to speak.
And then after 24, we're going right into item 30.
Item 24, communication from Councilwoman Price, Councilwoman's in
Deha's, Councilwoman Allen, recommendation to request city manager to work with the
Parks Recreation Marine Department to report back in 30 days on the feasibility of a pilot
ADA beach access mat at Granada Beach ramp.
Councilman Price.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Thank you to the committee members who've worked with my staff on this topic in particular
Kim Long and Deca McLean.
This item is one that I'm super excited about for us to have here in Long Beach.
Despite significant efforts by the city to ensure that all Long Beach residents feel
welcome and have access to all city facilities and resources.
One area is not yet accessible to everyone.
Our wonderful beaches are not accessible to residents with mobility limitations.
Our sandy beaches present a difficult access hurdle for residents using wheelchairs,
walkers, or other mobility related support.
With the goal of allowing all residents to have access to our coastline, the city
should evaluate the feasibility of developing a pilot ADA beach access mat at Granada Beach
Launt ramp, or other location that the city staff might recommend.
To better understand the opportunities, impacts, maintenance, and products available with
a goal of developing an ADA beach and park access program throughout the city.
The recommendation for Granada Beach comes from the makeup of Granada Beach,
and that it's already a launch and has a lot of paved area already,
which would allow for wheelchairs and walkers and other devices that can't traverse the sand
to have a further distance to go on the concrete before the mat would be rolled out to go to the water.
So I want to ask my council colleagues for their support of this item.
It is long overdue.
Frankly, I'm ashamed that we didn't bring this item earlier.
To me, this is a no-brainer that we should have thought about earlier,
and I'm so grateful that we are now in the place where we can bring it.
Thank you.
Councilman's in the house.
Thank you, Mayor.
But a big and special thank you to Councilmember Price for agendizing this item.
We live in such a diverse and beautiful city that continues to grow,
and continues to be a leader in so many areas such as ensuring accessibility in city facilities and resources
to on, yet for years we as a city,
shamefully, have discarded the fact that people with mobility, limitations and other disabilities
have not been able to enjoy the main feature of our city, which is the beach.
So I am extremely supportive of this pilot program that will begin to change that,
and we'll ensure that everyone, not just someone, or some of our residents,
but everyone will be able to live, work, and play in their own city.
I had the personal experience of having access to the beach all the way in Malibu
because of a wheelchair accessible map that was there.
And I just want to thank the advocates, my fellow disability advocates for reaching out
and making this need known to us the council and really stressing how important it is for us to be able to include everyone
and for everyone to be able to enjoy our beaches here in Long Beach.
Thank you, Councilwoman.
Thank you, Mayor.
I also want to thank Council Member Price for bringing this item forward.
And Council Members and Day has an island for signing on.
I really want to thank our advocates, Kim, as well as Dicas and many other who have been advocating for accessibility in our city.
And I agree that it's just long overdue and so glad that we're able to,
that this item's brought forward for us to do a feasibility studies,
to ensure that we increase accessibility in our city.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councilwoman.
Yes, I also want to thank Councilwoman Price for bringing this item forward.
I think having access is so important and I wanted to see expanded access to our beaches for a long time.
Especially that goes all the way to the water, not just to like where the lifeguard towers are.
I have spoken to city staff and with members of our citizens advisory commission on disabilities about the need for this.
And I announced that I would be supporting such expanded access back in June starting with the Pride Tower.
So I just look forward to greater access at we're not a beach and to our beaches.
And just thank you so much, Councilwoman Price and then Day has and also silly for bringing this forward.
Thank you.
And then just before we start public comment, I just want to also surely thank everyone that's bringing this forward.
But especially I want to thank all the advocates, I know that I see just Kim and Dica and so many others that you've been advocating.
Whether it's been through the commission or just as advocates, not just for this project but also for so many other projects as it relates to accessibility and making sure that we are accessible for everyone whether it's playgrounds, whether it's beach access, whether it's fixing infrastructure.
So I just want to personally thank you all again for all that work would not be happening with all of you.
And then let's go ahead and call public comment.
Thank you McKinney, you'll be at Forest, Gretchen Swanson and Kim Bon, please line up.
I want to make sure before I speak, I think you've missed pronounce my name, so you were trying to call Dica McKinney, correct?
Yes, sorry about that.
Thank you.
I feel like my name has been mentioned quite a bit, so I don't know if I need to come up here.
Good evening.
My name is Dica McKinney.
I'm a former citizen advisory commission of disability share person.
I've served for eight years on K.C. and I'm very very happy to see the council finally taking action on making beaches more accessible.
This was an issue that had been discussed and recommendations were written about it years ago, but I want to make emphasis.
This discussion started in 2017 and it was discussed in at least three or four meetings of K.C. and one of those meetings are honorable Mayor Garcia was there.
Thank you, thank you Mayor, City Council for supporting beach accessibility and the installation of a lobby mat at the district, three-bit beach.
Last week you passed the cities for all global initiatives, so let's not just talk the talk, but walk the walk.
Let this be a beginning for a more accessible and inclusive brown beach that includes not only beaches at the waterfront, but also our parks and public spaces.
All means all.
This is an necessity.
I see the mobile mat as the first of many steps, not the only step.
It is no longer enough to just do the minimum to just be ADA compliant.
We need to expand the conversation and action to make our city more inclusive and accessible.
We need actionable items like these.
I end by saying this.
James Baldwin said it best.
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
And today council and honorable Mayor today is the day.
We are facing you today with this issue.
We invite you to face the issue with us.
And always remember, as it is said in our disability community, nothing about us without us.
Thank you.
[Applause]
I think Kim is going to go next.
Okay.
[Applause]
And I live in the second district.
I also am a member of the citizens advisory commission on disabilities for the city.
A couple of months ago, I saw a post on the new beach playground.
I was the person who brought the need for more accessible equipment at the playground and an access
beach to enable the people with disabilities and to be able to get to the water safely and comfortably.
My own experience illustrates this problem.
I am an adult with cerebral palsy and I use a weird walker for mobility.
I have lived on the beach and long beach for 11 years and during that time.
I have never been able to get to the water on my own because I can no use my walker in the sand.
There are numerous beaches in Los Angeles County that provide access meds.
This spring, the county unveiled its latest mat at Venice Beach.
In Orange County, Huntington Beach recently began providing an access mat for beach guards.
The cost of the mat would depend on the distance but judging from the company websites.
It probably is a cost only a few thousand dollars.
Maths can be ruled up and stored when the beach is not open and they asre many factored using durable materials that would provide many years of use.
According to the US census, 7% of the city population under age 65 has a disabilities and 11% of the population is age 65 or older.
Since many of these residents have mobility issues, providing a beach access mat would be an investment that would benefit potentially thousands of residents and visitors to the city as well.
In addition to benefiting people with disabilities, the parents with young children would benefit as well.
A beach mat can provide additional safety for a parent holding their young children as the sand is difficult to walk in.
It also would enable them to use strollers and other real equipment more easily.
I feel that an access mat can be a benefit to everyone that wants to enjoy the beach.
I hope you will support installing to access beach mats in Long Beach.
People with disabilities don't hear live in Belmont and they may not be able to get to that beach using public transportation, which many of them rely upon.
I would like to also request an access beach mat in the enemy's beach area.
Thank you.
Thank you, Kim.
Let me take off my security blanket.
Good evening Mayor city council members, my name is Nubia Flores and I'm a proud district nine resident and I'm chairperson of the Citizens Advisory Commission on Disabilities.
I'm here to ask, I'm here to speak in support of agenda item number 24.
As the item reads now that in 30 days you will receive a report back on the feasibility of implementing accessible beach pathways to the water for residents that require mobility support like wheelchairs and walkers.
I would implore you to please also lay out actionable and swift steps to have mobility mats that are beaches as soon as possible.
These are long overdue and already in use in our neighboring cities.
I would also ask that you install these beach mats in at least three of our beaches.
At least one in each of the water fronts that cover districts one two and three.
We cannot just take into consideration and prove accessibility at the beach.
We must also consider public transportation and our most accessible walkways to these water fronts.
Take into consideration the travel time and accessibility for a resident of North Long Beach to Belmont shores.
Let's not just keep being about the minimum.
Let's offer options give residents choices.
We know we are a cake on commission that we have approximately 47,000 residents that identify as having as a disability.
From children to seniors.
Last week you adopted the cities for all global initiative, a pledge that.
Interactive to make public spaces accessible and inclusive.
The pandemic has showed us the importance of outdoor spaces like our parks and our beaches.
As we continue to make our way back to community.
Let's take action and make spaces like our beaches as accessible as possible and do it with urgency.
Thank you for taking this first step and thank you council member price for leading this initiative.
Thank you to the council members who have taken a time to meet with us commissioners and listen to the recommendations from our commission.
We're in this together.
Let's get this done for our residents of Long Beach.
Thank you so much. Thank you to the commission again for all the great work.
There is a motion in a second on the item.
I'm sorry.
How many more public comments do we have?
That concludes public comment.
Would you call another name?
She's not here.
Okay.
Let's go ahead and take a vote please.
Can't vote in Mungle?
Vice Mayor Richardson?
Motion carries?
Thank you.
We're going to hear item 30 please.
Which is the substantial remodel.
Report from city attorney.
Recommendation to declare ordinance.
Mending the Long Beach Municipal Code.
We're leading to termination of tendencies due to substantial remodel.
And declaring the urgency thereof.
The red the first time and laid over the next regular meeting of the city council for final reading.
Citywide.
I need a motion please.
I need a second.
Thank you.
We're going to do public comment first please.
Catherine Dioma.
Abraham Zavala.
Tamara Romero.
Karen Okinayan.
Can you please line up with the podium?
My name is Kate Dioma.
I appreciate all the hard work you've done on this ordinance.
But it does not protect those of us most immediately at risk.
I have communicated to you all.
My arguments countering the vested rights issue upon which any liability concerns are based.
I am convinced by current law and precedent that the council has the right to revoke permits already issued to remodel occupied units.
But I'm not asking you to revoke the permits.
I do request that you strike through the words, quote,
on or after July 6 2021 and quote on page 3 line 19 of the proposed ordinance and allow all tenants at current risk of eviction for substantial remodel to be protected through December 31.
Removing the restriction and extending protections to all tenants is no more of a liability risk than the current temporary moratoriums in effect.
This ordinance does not include the permanent prohibition proposed to replace it after a renovation administration program can be created.
So the date restriction only affects the temporary moratorium.
Removing it would give council staff and stakeholders five months to research and negotiate what terms may or may not be legally applied to existing permit holders under a new renovation administration.
You have the ability to make that edit and proceed with passing the remaining ordinance today without creating an irrevocable situation that will put long beach families in the streets on December 1 right in time for the holidays.
Thank you.
Good evening council members.
So for my time, I'm going to read Jesse Alcala, a tenant that is with Libida who's in district six.
I want to read his statement, he had to leave to feed his daughters also had an issue with the babysitter.
But already nonetheless so says good evening. My name is Jesse Alcala. I am a tenant in district six. I'm a single parent raising daughters.
I work in the food service industry. I've been on the front line during the pandemic to the present tonight. I want to urge council members to adopt item 30 tenants like myself. Thank you for voting on this item last week.
However, council must think about their decision to exclude tenants with existing summary model notices. Many families will be evicted if you do not take action in some way.
I implore you to make the choice tonight to protect all tenants, especially ones with existing notices. Thank you.
Hi, Long Beach City Council and Long Beach City Attorney. My name is Tamara Romero and I am a district two resident and organizer with Long Beach tenant union.
I'm here today to demand that a retroactive eviction moratorium for tenants to receive evictions or unlawful detainers through the substantial remodel loophole be amended to be included in the emergency ordinance.
That will be voted on today within amendment to create the establishment of a renovation administration program. Thank you.
[Applause]
Can a canyenne miles hastily or the last go or rail yet or take up?
I'm Karen O'Knellan. I'm a 40 year resident of Long Beach. I've lived in nine different neighborhoods. I've been a renter for these 40 years.
I'm so happy that Mr. Mayor and esteemed council members that you are considering passing this ordinance.
But the only question that I have, the only concern that I have, is line.
Let me find my notes is page three, line nine, regarding the beginning of, well, let me refer to Kate. She said that she's she's concerned about July 6 through the December 20, December 31, I'm sorry I'm very nervous.
That would that would really put people who have already been given eviction notices in a very bad situation.
You've done a lot to continue to maintain and hold forth low income housing. I know five other residents, all of which are targeted for eviction as well and they're all disabled.
I think that you really need to pull that line from the ordinance, but the ordinance is fabulous. It's really terrific. It's going to help a lot of people.
But I think you need to give temporary protection to people who are presently under eviction for this kind of sub this kind of remodel. Thank you for your time.
Hello, I'm here to read for Arrelio Ortega, who just left to care for her children.
Hello, my name is Arrelio Ortega of district six with the orange resistance. I am a mother of four and I'm here to ask you all to support a retroactive moratorium for substantial remodel evictions.
We know that the city attorney's legal opinion has all the power to really protect us and we hope that you all go against that legal opinion that you were told at the last council meeting and go with the legal opinions that many of your council offices have heard through other attorneys who really emphasize their work in protecting tenants.
My son, my son's birthday was today and we are here fighting to give him adequate housing and to show him to fight for his rights so that he lives a dignified life with respect. Thank you for supporting this item.
Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Laura Velasco. I am the resistance of the orange.
Good evening, my name is Laura Velasco and I am from the orange resistance.
I am here to ask you all to help us. I am here to ask you all to help us. I am here to ask you please.
To help us, to stop these evictions, do choose this remodeling situation that is happening right now and regarding the moratorium.
In the city of the city, it has all the power to protect us, but we need you to help us with your decisions.
The city attorney has a lot of power all the whole power to protect us, but we need you, we need your faith in order to protect us from your offices.
And then you have to have faith in the attorneys that are united working for us because their opinions, their legal opinions are the ones that are protecting us from the attorneys from the city.
This is what we are doing for our right and for our children.
This is what we are doing for our right and for our right and for our right
That is what we are doing for our right and for our right and for our right and for our right and for our right and for my right and for our right, we need to protect
The emergency ordinance comes from the Office of Charles Parking, who in their one opposed run for office in 2014 received thousands of dollars from developers in real estate management companies.
Due to this, I perceive that we need to question the city attorney's capacity to provide an impartial recommendation regarding a retroactive moratorium.
The Marshall City resources to protect hundreds of families from eviction, so motion to amend the ordinance to include a retroactive moratorium.
Thank you.
[Applause]
Good evening. My name is Alia Shake and I'm a community organizer with LA voice.
We are a multi-racial multi-faith organization spanning dozens of congregations throughout Los Angeles County including several here in Long Beach.
People of faith in our community are calling on you to close the substantial remodel loophole that landlords have exploited to begin eviction proceedings.
We need a retroactive moratorium so that no families are pushed out of their homes.
We hope that you all make the right decision and stand on the side of renters.
Thank you.
[Applause]
I'll call it Marlene Alvarado and Karen Harper.
My name is Marlene Alvarado and I'm with Democratic Socialists of America and Long Beach Area Peace Network.
I used to be an ESL teacher and I remember once I thought we were studying.
We used to teach it's called survival English and we were coming up on renters.
I told them they had a certain amount of rights, legal rights.
This one woman said, "Well, my house is infested with cockroaches and these are lottery pairs."
I said, "Well, you have the legal right to do this."
She went and she told her landlord that she had the right to do this.
Well, he fixed it all up and increased her rent and she couldn't afford it.
Granted, this is not exactly what is happening with the new law.
They can't take people out.
But it's still the same kind of human tragedy that's happening with this restriction.
I really highly recommend that you extend the more authoritarian and look at the human beings that are suffering
who are hardworking people because I have taught them.
Thank you.
My name is Karen Harper, greetings to the mayor and the council people.
I'm with the Long Beach Area Peace Network, a coalition of groups working on social economic environmental justice.
And we also are advocating for figuring out a way to prevent evictions of those folks that had the remodel permits.
But the work has not begun.
Please figure out a way to protect them to.
Thank you so much for your work.
We're really impressed with this ordinance and what it will do to protect people.
That concludes public comment.
Thank you.
There's a motion in a second.
Councilman Allen comments.
Yes, just real quickly.
I just want to say thank you to all the folks and for all your comments and your support with this item.
I also want to thank the staff in the city attorney for their work on this and for everyone's engagement throughout this process.
I know we have we're concerned about the process about the residents who have received eviction notices under previously issued permits.
And last week I know that we all ask in the motion for the city staff to report back on what the city can do to support these residents.
So Mr. Motok, I do have a question for you.
Do you know when we can expect to have that report back.
Hi.
Good evening council member Allen members council.
So that initial report back will be within 30 days of your first hearing which was a week ago.
And then I just want you and the members of the public to know.
We we're sending out several million dollars of.
Brittle assistance so that is one program but we also participate in the counties stay housed L.A. program which provides eviction defense services to tenants.
And that program is available to anyone who received an eviction notice and there is a website stay housed L.A.
And which is where you sign up for that program. So we'll be putting that in some other information in the report back.
But that is a service that's available immediately to those that may have received a notice.
Additionally, if it's other landlord tenant issues repairs not being made harassment other issues.
And we have a contract with the Long Beach for Housing Foundation.
And those services are available today and always to any tenants that may be in those situations.
And we'll be putting that in more in that report back which will be in the next 20 days or so.
Thank you very much. I do appreciate all the efforts.
I know that that's really important.
I really quickly want to recognize Councilman Sorrow for her partnership.
And for all the co-signors and colleagues that supported this last week.
The ordinance we see today is the first step in addressing the systematic issue.
And I'm really proud of the you know, I'm a support that is received on this item.
And I look forward to the results.
A stakeholder meetings and to seeing the recommendation. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Councilman Sorrow.
Yeah, I just want to add on to the things.
To the organizers advocates and tenants for sharing your stories.
And I think working so hard to ensure that tenant rights are protected.
And also the city attorney as well as development services for all your help.
And especially so Council member Allen's leadership,
steadfast leadership and hard work on the item as well as the co-signors for supporting.
Thank you.
There is a motion or second please cast your votes.
This item requires two votes.
Yes, this is the first one.
The first vote will be on the urgency and the second vote will be on the ordinance.
Thank you.
Councilman Mungo.
Mungo can carry Zeta.
Thank you.
And the second motion or second please also for the second vote.
Okay, I have a motion.
The second for that vote and please cast your votes on that one.
Motion carries Zeta.
Okay.
Great.
Thank you very much.
That concludes item 30.
We're now going to go back to the regular agenda.
And we will do item 35 next.
Item 35.
Communication from council and sorrow.
Recommendation to approve the expenditure of 5,000 in the general fund group as a reward for information.
Leading to the identification and conviction of the individuals responsible for the
Decification of Martin Luther King Jr. statute on July 2nd 2021.
Councilman Tsar.
Thank you Mayor.
First I want to thank the anti-deformation league for offering 3,000 in addition to our 5,000 for
finding out and catching the person or people who have committed this just awful,
hateful act.
And I just want to share this is one of the steps we're taking to take the
Demonstrate the seriousness of this act.
In addition to ensuring that we're getting up to date cameras and stall at the park,
as well as making sure that we continue to honor the statute by looking into how we can better polish
and better take care of the statute.
The other thing I want to mention that is also thinking LBPD for their assistance in continuing to
communicate and work with our community on the ground as well.
And I just want to share that this is not only urgent that we address this hateful act,
but that we recognize there are many equity issues that we need to address in the park in this
surrounding area.
But most importantly, how we continue to build unity through ensuring that we create events that
brings people together, right?
It's been a challenging year due to COVID that we've not been able to come together.
But I look forward and working with our community members to bring our various black community to our
Latinos, African-American as well as our Caucasian community together so that we're able to ensure that we're promoting
unity as well as just getting to know each other.
To ensure that we just decrease the division that has occurred through various, you know, through the pandemic and
others.
So I just want to make sure that we constantly speak about how great LBPD diversity is, but I want to
make sure that we also work towards celebrating and ensuring we do education and of each other's culture and heritage and so forth.
So I look forward and doing that.
As a new council member of the area to bridging any divide that we continue to have.
Thank you.
Also, when I think council member Rex Richardson, advice mayor Richardson as well as council member
Austin for supporting the item as well.
Thank you, vice mayor Richardson.
Thank you, just briefly.
There aren't a whole lot of things that city councils, a whole lot of tools that we have outside of offer and
support.
Occasionally, we step forward and we do that.
We have done some had some success with that.
So I want to thank councilwoman Sorrow for offering up this reward in addition to the anti-deformation league.
We've seen success in the past and this is an appropriate step if you want to help support and
investigation.
In addition to the efforts that our city manager is leading and that our police chief is leading.
And so I think this is an appropriate step and I'm happy to support it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I'm going to have before I turn over to councilman today, I just want to add.
I want to obviously, just again, just condemn this.
What was a absolutely both a racist, horrible, disgusting act on our Martin Luther King statue in King Park.
And again, just note that this is especially offensive and hurtful to the black community and all those
that respect and love Dr. King's message.
And that resonates not just in our community but across the country and the world.
I also just want to thank, I think, I want to thank the Longest Police Department for.
I know that they're actively investigating this.
It is, obviously, it was a hated incident and a hate crime.
It was being investigated as such.
And I want to thank the councilman Sorrow and the members of the council for supporting,
moving forward with this reward.
And the ADL for stepping up also to add to the reward as well.
So it is going to be important that we continue to work to catch whoever or the person or person that committed these crimes.
Let me also just add.
I think it's also important, Mr. Motica.
As I'm talking to some folks, I know that we are.
We have already obviously made some adjustments to the cameras.
Just to put some fixes in place and we're looking at some lighting.
I think what I'd like to see in maybe something you can put together.
And I think you're already working on is some kind of definitive timeline so that we can actually share with the community.
This is when the camera system will be complete.
And this is when the lighting will be complete.
So if there is a firm target date that we can actually share with the community.
I know that councilman Sorrow also wants a firm timeline.
So I want to make sure we publicly ask for that.
And if you can let us know whether we have a date now or maybe you can get us a date just some time in the next week or so that you think we can get these things finished.
Yes, I certainly share a timeline for the whole project.
The rewiring in the camera that is focused on the statue is already complete.
So that was done immediately and rewired and the created a system there.
The rest of the closed circuit system needs to be replaced and that's being prioritized and we can provide a general timeline.
Great.
And then I guess you'll do that to us in like a memo format that we can get that information out.
Sure.
Great, thank you.
And then with that, councilman's in the house.
Thank you.
This was an act of utter disrespect and hatred.
None of which represents the city of Long Beach as a home.
We are a city of unity, inclusion, and love.
We do not stand for anything.
Insighted by or affiliated by hatred.
And I want to applaud councilmember Sorrow for her immediate response to this crime.
And everyone in the community who came together to reject this message of hatred and uplift the message of strengths and unity.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was not only a champion for social justice and unity during his time, but continues to be a leader for many of us today.
In the sense that his actions, his words and his legacy live on in our hearts today.
Thank you so much councilmember Sorrow for this and for the reward.
I encourage everyone to participate in this reward to participate in this investigation if you know anything.
It is it is very important that we put a stop to these hatred hatred messages.
Thank you, councilman Allen.
Thank you, Mayor.
I also want to say thank you to councilman Sorrow for bringing this item forward.
This was just absolutely the right thing to do.
And we need to show our community that this hateful act, this hateful crime is completely unacceptable.
And we have to do everything in our power to catch those responsible.
Mr. Motica, I do have a question so the cameras were down when this when this crime happened and their new cameras are going up.
Do are there systems in place that we know if this camera is tampered with or destroyed or not working in the future?
I don't know for that specific system, not the technical expert on that.
We do monitor our cameras regularly.
We had mentioned some information to you before.
A couple years ago our cameras were only at about 60 to 70 percent operational.
Council put a lot of investment into that and as of last week we had 94 percent operational.
So this happened to be one that was down.
There were other cameras in the park that were working but they weren't actually focused on the statues.
But I can ask the question about do we have automatic triggers that let us know if they go down.
When they do go down it requires investigation and ordering parts.
Sometimes it does take some time to replace them.
Or even if cameras are you know dandelized for any reason.
I'm not operating properly.
I'd be a good thing to know.
Thank you.
Thank you. Councilman Price.
Mayor and thank you Councilman Sara for bringing this forward.
I wonder and I think this is an incredible act to try to identify the perpetrator of this.
We just did this in my day job with the freeway shooter.
A shooting that resulted in the death of a six year old boy on the freeway and I know that the reward kept growing.
Because the county board of supervisors put some money in and then a lot of other people did.
So I'm just wondering I think the higher the reward goes the more likelihood that someone will turn in the perpetrator.
And I'm wondering if there's any way we could talk to the board of supervisors or other entities to see if they could add on to this reward to try to.
Get the likelihood of someone being someone turning in.
I don't know what kind of leads we have a probably not appropriate for the police department to talk about that at this point.
I do know that as the reward number went up the tips that came to our office went up as well.
And so to the extent that the city can help facilitate that and see who other interested parties may be to help add on to this reward.
I think the likelihood of identifying the perpetrator will increase.
So I think it's a great item and and I really do hope that the perpetrator is caught and held to the held accountable to the full extent of the law which really isn't enough.
And under these circumstances, I think we would all want the full extent to the law to be implemented. So thank you.
If you can count to woman is there any public comment on this item.
There's one public comments and I can't say.
I want to say thank you to the office of our councilwoman Dr. Suleesaro for leading that initiative with respect to offering a reward.
As councilwoman prices stated, I think when a financial incentive is involved.
Usually someone is turned in.
As a member of MASHI al Sharif, which is just a block away from this park.
I pray that I'm not much police department finds you because we are looking for you.
That being said, thank you everyone for taking this as series of nature as it is.
And we appreciate the timeliness of this all.
And we'll be looking for that member.
Mr. Monica, thank you.
Thank you, and that concludes our comment. Okay, so we have a motion any second, please cast your vote.
Councilman Price.
Motion carries 80.
Next item is going to be item 21, please.
Communication from Councilwoman Price.
Councilwoman's in-day house. Councilman Superna Council Member Iranga.
Recommendation to request city manager to work with the city clerk to report back on the feasibility of allowing for telephonic public comment to be available at city council meetings.
Thank you. I want to just highlight that some of the residents who were here earlier advocating for the accessibility on the beach item were also here for this item.
And I shared with them that I would let the public know that they were here, but they couldn't wait as long as it took for this item to come forth.
And I did commit to them that in the future when we have ADA items will try to move them to the top if we could.
And that I would say that publicly as they asked me to say that.
I'm very glad to be bringing this item before the city council as we look at ways of making participation in council meetings accessible for everyone.
Throughout the COVID-19 emergency, there have been creative solutions to follow state restrictions around public gatherings and social distancing.
We've seen the availability of remote public comment provided by telephone become an incredibly useful way of offering greater access.
And accommodations for everyone to have a voice and participate in the important discussions facing our city.
As we move back to holding in person city council meetings, it's important that we ensure our public comment process is available to everyone.
This should include individuals with disabilities for whom attending council meetings and providing public comment in person can be difficult, as well as residents who are simply unable to attend the meetings in person.
The work or school schedules transportation needs child care, the time needed waiting for their item to be called or other reason that may constrain someone from attending a meeting in person or present some other substantial hardship.
It's important that we fully evaluate the feasibility of continuing the use of telephonic remote access to city council meetings.
City council discussions in the policies of our city are improved when everyone has the ability to participate in our meetings and provide their public comment.
Whether they can be present physically in the city council chambers or if they prefer to participate remotely by telephone due to physical or other limitations that make in person presence difficult.
So I ask my colleagues to support this item and I'm hopeful that the city manager can come back to us with a recommendation that feasibly works with the limited budget that we do have to allow for access even though that access may not be as robust and as detailed as it was during the COVID-19.
And when no other option to attend meetings was present, some type of telephonic access can hopefully be accomplished through a method that is within our budget.
So thank you.
Thank you, Councilwoman's in the house.
Thank you, Vice Mayor. Thank you. Councilwoman Price for bringing this item forward. I think it's very important.
I also want to give a huge thank you to our city clerk office who moved very swiftly during the pandemic to make sure that we had public comment access for our community for residents during the pandemic while we were holding our meetings online.
So I know that you did a lot of research and a lot of hard work and I for that I thank you very much.
And we were able to give everyone all the residents the opportunity to be able to participate in our city council meetings that were being held online.
As we all know, public comment is the opportunity for our residents to participate in the decision making of their city.
Thus it is crucial that we look for ways to make it easier and more accessible for everyone to provide their thoughts, concerns and ideas at our city council meetings.
We know that there are many challenges to attending in person meetings, especially for people with young children, people who work late or who perhaps do not have transportation means to be able to come to city hall.
Or who may just feel uncomfortable doing so for either health reasons or any other reason.
I also know that there are a lot of challenges including cost, but I am confident that we can find tools that will be able to provide access to our residents to be able to do public comments during our city council meetings via telephone while being cost effective.
I know my residents will definitely benefit from it immensely.
Therefore, I am very supportive of this item and I look forward to receiving this report.
Thank you. Councilmember Yuranga.
Thank you very very happy to sign on to the side of I think it adds to the transparency of the city and being accessible to us in making their comments.
We got child care. Child care is an important issue as well for people to participate here and might have an issue with that.
So I'm glad to send it to the side of them and know that the resourcefulness of our city manager and our staff will find a way to make it happen in a cost effective way.
Thank you.
All right. Thank you. Is there any public comment on the side of them?
There is Nubia Flores, Kim Vong, and Cornestly.
I know that they needed to leave a bit earlier.
Okay. All right. Seeing no further public comment.
Sure. Come on down.
Welcome to the late show with Vice Mayor Rex Richardson, the mayor had to leave or make it night.
Whatever you want to call the show, come on up.
I care and reside proud residents of the first district and with a long beach grape hampers.
Missed you all very much. It's great to see you all in person.
And I'm one of those that was reduced to calling in for comments.
And I gave up.
I mean, I sat for 45 minutes.
One meeting because the queue was long.
And when it was nearly end, I was just cut off.
So there's a number of issues with the telephonic system.
It is important for those that are disabled.
And but it is a valuable service.
As long as there are some kind of fairly fairly equitable distributed system.
I know I signed up.
Many more times than I got an opportunity to speak because it was limited to the first 10 people that
happened to be available at the time when you can call in and get in the queue.
So I wasn't able to get into the queue many times.
So I've just resorted to sending in emails.
But now it's busy legislative season.
So it's hard for me to sometimes get emails and comments in before the deadline for a clock during the day.
I also want to mention that it's been a year since people have been in chambers.
And I was having a terrible time.
I had to speak to two groups tonight because they were having side conversations.
And I'm hard of hearing.
And when people have side conversations, it doesn't allow me to hear the speakers.
Particularly like the development services person who has a very soft voice.
So I think we need to go back to reminding people to use their inside manners.
And to let them know that there shouldn't be any side conversations and also the applauding.
Makes it very hard to hear.
And I was ready to get up and smack Anna Christianson.
I'm sorry.
That's just not tolerable behavior in a public meeting.
So thank you for letting me voice my feelings.
And it's good to see everybody looking forward to seeing you every weekend.
Good to see you too.
Thank you so much.
That concludes public comment.
Members, please cast your vote.
Motion carries.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I think we're at number 26 next.
Is that right?
Correct.
Item 26 report from development services.
Recommendation to approve the fiscal year 2022 action plan and substantial amendments.
An authorized city manager to execute all necessary documents with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Citywide.
Thank you.
I know there's a presentation here.
But it is late.
Maybe you could summarize what the amendments the plan are.
Certainly.
We don't need a full presentation on this.
Sure.
Good evening Vice Mayor and we will keep it quick.
I'm going to ask Patrick you're just to go through what's changing this here.
This is an annual report on our federal funds that are used for poverty alleviation and helping communities throughout our city.
It is just an implementation of our five year comprehensive plan and a maternity over to Patrick to give you the high points.
Thank you, Christopher.
So all of the ongoing programs that have been going on throughout the con plan for this cycle will continue.
There are a couple of programs where not all of the money was spent and so we're proposing that those funds be reallocated.
It's about $1.5 million.
And set aside to be used for an acquisition of a housing site.
And so with this, if you all approve this tonight, we would make those funds available to developers to acquire a site that would become an affordable housing site.
That's the only thank you.
All right. Well, thank you. Was any public comment on I am 26.
There is one public comment.
Tonight can pay.
Is he still in the audience?
I think so.
There is no public comment.
Okay. Councilwoman Mungo. Anything.
We love the development services team. Great work.
Chris and Patrick.
Councilmember Iranga.
Okay.
My only comments are I look forward to the next five year update and some significant changes.
We'll be talking about that in the future.
And Christopher Coants, a big give. Great work.
Thank you.
Members, please cast your vote.
Motion carries, 80.
Thank you.
Thank you.
That comment also goes for Patricia in case that was the first.
Next we'll have item 27.
Report from Human Resources.
Recommendation to adopt water salary resolution.
Approving the compensation fixed by the Board of Water Commissioners.
And adopt the resolution.
Amending the city salary resolution.
Citywide.
Thank you.
Move by Councilwoman Mungo.
Anything.
Councilmember Iranga.
Okay. Any public comment?
A comment.

Members, please cast your vote.
Motion carries, 80.
Thank you.
Next we have item number 28.
And I'll make the motion on that one.
Report from Parks Recreation and Marine.
Recommendation to adopt a resolution.
Authorizing city manager to submit.
A grant application to the Ocean Protection Council.
For the 51st Street.
Green Belt Development Project and an amount not to exceed.
Three million district eight.
Thank you.
We know Councilman Austin couldn't be here to make the motion.
I'm making that on his behalf.
It's a great project from North Long Beach.
Any public comment?
There is one public comment.
Amy Valenzuela.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I have prepared comments because I'm kind of verbose and it's late.
So my name is Amy Valenzuela.
And I am the President of the River Park Coalition.
And also Tongva.
And I want to express our support for the Green Belt Project.
River Park Coalition has many of you know because you met with us or not met with us over the past months.
As we have formed is the first advocacy organization that's focused on the lower river as a community organization.
And the acquisition and development of land around the river in order to transform it and the watershed into an asset for habitat and climate resiliency and open space for our citizens.
Especially in areas where people have been impacted by park inequity.
So we have about 2,000 members now and we're working with our first project which is four acres just south of the Demingus gap.
So this will be a great, contiguous kind of experience for people who need the river and walk along the river or recreate along the river.
The Green Belt will be a great addition to what people are already able to experience.
But it also represents the type of project that not only provides a benefit to the community but also creates climate resiliency and water reclamation practices along the river.
It's also a small step but an important one to creating more park availability to an area that has historically not had a lot of access to park space.
So we are very happy to be working with the city now in this way to acquire additional potential park space along the LA River.
But I do want to take this opportunity to just really push all of you.
The river is the river, right? It doesn't exist in one district. It really impacts all of us and it can be transformed into an amazing asset for us for climate resiliency.
And the decisions we make now because there will be flood events, there are going to be impacts to our city and there are going to be pressures upstream that will impact the way we experience our river that may not be the best for us here in Long Beach.
So now you have us at River Park and we just want to make sure that there is funding and attention and leadership from all of you. Please.
To really address what the potential is for the river now and what that can mean for people who don't have a lot of access to park space and for our air quality and for our ability to manage the climate crisis that we're facing now.
So that's what we're about at River Park. We're very very happy to partner with council member Austin and all of you as it relates to your projects along the river and really everything that's happening south of Southgate to the ocean at this point.
So thank you for your time and we're very happy to support this project.
Thank you members please guess your vote.
Motion carries eight zero.
Thank you. I think our final item is number 29 report from city manager recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach municipal code relating to shared use cannabis manufacturing in the city of Long Beach red and adopted red citywide.
Thank you. I see a motion is there a second.
All right. It's been moved in second in public comment on the public comment on the site.
Members please guess your vote.
Council member Miranda.
Motion carries eight zero.
All right. That satisfies the agenda. Is that right? There's no more items.
Okay. Our final closing public comment any member of the public would like to address to the council now be the time.
Yes. I would like to.
Sorry.
Okay.
Now that's done. We will now go to our closing remarks on the start with council member Suvi Sauh.
Item 32 has been withdrawn from the agenda.
May I begin?
I want to thank SUNY LAY CHANG as well as her daughter, Siri CHANG for joining us tonight as we adjourn.
In her father's memory, Mr. Creelay.
Mr. Creelay, he laid the ground for many of those in the Cambodian community in Long Beach.
Mr. LAY was born on December 10, 1941 in Udon Cambodia.
For Dane as a Buddhist monk and served for 12 years, he was a theology student at the Buddhist University in
Pnambuiden Cambodia's capital.
And he wrote three books, noble wealth, power and unity, religion and state.
He then studied in India where he attended university during which Cambodia fell to the Khmer Rouge in 1975.
The takeover of the Buddha regime forced Mr. Lay to seek political asylum in the United States and
settled in Long Beach in 1975 with his wife, Pat Sunna, whom he raised three daughters, Suni,
Munika and Sudhir. Mr. Lay was a founding member and the longest serving chairman of the Cambodian
Association of America where he served for 35 years.
He helped keep the Cambodian culture live in the US by writing pamphlet in English
come by on the history of Cambodia, Cambodian arts and culture and the ecology of Southeast Asia.
He also helped so many countless Cambodians assimilate or settled into America and American culture and custom.
And he was also the co-founder of the Southeast Asian Learners project, which is seal for Long Beach Unified School District.
He will always be known in Long Beach for his wisdom compassion for those he helped and his influence in the
Cambodian community continues to be felt to this day because he's paved the way for so many
Cambodians as well as the future generations such as myself.
We honor his life and his service and his contribution to Long Beach.
He is a true and sung hero.
Thank you to Mr. Craig Creeley.
Thank you. I'll also offer my condolences to Mr. Lay in the lay family.
I see note there's no more closing comments.
Our city council meeting is adjourned. Thank you. Have a great night.
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