2026-10-06 - City Council

01:02What the hell?

03:39today.

05:53All right. Well, thanks for joining us,

05:55folks. We're going to go ahead and call

05:56to order uh the meeting of the Long

05:58Beach City Council. Roll call, please.

06:01Councilwoman Zendas,

06:02>> present.

06:03>> Councilwoman Allen,

06:04>> present.

06:04>> Council member Dugen,

06:06>> here.

06:07>> Councilman Supernova,

06:08>> here.

06:09>> Councilwoman Kerr,

06:10>> present.

06:10>> Councilwoman Sorrow,

06:12>> present.

06:13>> Vice Mayor Oranga,

06:14>> presented.

06:15>> Councilwoman Thrash Entuk,

06:16>> here.

06:17>> Council member Rick Zod,

06:19>> here.

06:20>> Mayor Richardson,

06:21>> I'm here.

06:22>> We have a quorum.

06:23>> Thank you. We're going to go to Council

06:24Member Dougen for the moment of silence

06:26and the pledge of allegiance.

06:29Let's please take a moment of silence to

06:32remember those in our community who need

06:34our support. Whether they're grieving or

06:37struggling, let's take a moment to

06:38remember them.

06:46Thank you. Please stand if you are able

06:48for the pledge of allegiance.

07:10All right. Thank you. Okay. So, we have

07:13one presentation that's being withdrawn

07:16this evening. So, no presentations this

07:18evening. Let's start with a report out

07:19from close session, please.

07:21>> Thank you, mayor. Um,

07:24city council has settled the matter of

07:28Filippo Rafino versus City of Long Beach

07:31in the amount of $400,000 and the vote

07:34was approved 70.

07:37>> All right. Thank you. Okay. Now, we'll

07:39take consent calendar, please.

07:48>> If I can get a verbal motion and second.

07:51Motion and second on consent, please.

07:54>> Move five, second, eight.

07:57>> All right, it's public comment on

07:58consent.

07:59>> There is one speaker on consent, Sam

08:02Wise Gamji in Zoom. If you can unmute

08:04yourself,

08:12>> Sam Wise,

08:14please unmute yourself. Thank you. Can

08:16>> everyone hear me?

08:18>> Yes, we can hear you.

08:21All right,

08:23I don't have that much to say. Um, one

08:26through four just all look like

08:29recommendation for income

08:31appropriations.

08:34As usual, consent calendar just seems

08:36like an excuse to pass as many things as

08:38possible without a lot of scrutiny. I

08:41don't have too much to say on this. Just

08:42we have to use our precious public

08:45comments while they still exist.

08:48So hopefully uh not too much of our

08:50money is going to anything nefarious.

08:54And uh if any of the uh council members

08:56need extra money for their district, I

08:58just want to remind them that Tom Modica

09:00makes almost $400,000 a year.

09:04So yeah, uh don't take away our public

09:07comment and I'll yield the rest of my

09:09time.

09:14>> That concludes public comment for

09:16consent.

09:17All right. Thank you. Uh we'll have a

09:19voice vote on consent, please.

09:21>> District one.

09:24>> I.

09:25>> District two,

09:26>> I.

09:26>> District three,

09:27>> I.

09:28>> District four,

09:28>> I.

09:29>> District five,

09:30>> I.

09:30>> District six,

09:31>> I.

09:32>> District 7,

09:33>> I.

09:33>> District eight,

09:34>> I.

09:35>> District nine,

09:37>> I.

09:38>> Mayor, before we proceed, we do need to

09:39hear an announcement from council

09:42district 9 on their just cause.

09:44>> Okay. Council,

09:47>> you want to do it now,

09:49>> please?

09:52>> Are we ready?

09:52>> Yes.

09:53>> Yeah, we're ready.

09:54>> Uh, pursuant to government code section

09:5654953.83C1,

10:01I have just caused circumstances

10:02authorizing my remote participation in

10:04this public meeting. I have a caregiving

10:06need and no one 18 years of age or older

10:08is in the room with me.

10:11>> All right. Well, thank you for

10:13participating uh as a as a fellow

10:15parent. Understood. Thank you for your

10:17service. All right. Uh so the eyes have

10:19it. Consent.

10:21>> Consent. Motion carries. Yes.

10:22>> Great. Thank you. All right. So, we're

10:24going to get into the agenda. I know a

10:26number of folks have signed up for

10:27public comment on item 29. So, we're

10:28going to move that up first. So, let's

10:30take item 29, please.

10:32>> If I can get a motion and second.

10:36>> Motion by four.

10:37>> Second.

10:38>> Second by two. Thank you.

10:39>> So, four and nine. All right. Um, let's

10:42uh hear the item, please.

10:46>> Report from city attorney.

10:47Recommendation to declare ordinance

10:48amending and restating Long Beach

10:50municipal code related to city council

10:52article one rules of council read the

10:55first time and laid over to the next

10:56regular meeting of the city council for

10:58final reading citywide.

11:00>> All right. Thank you. So, normally on an

11:02ordinance on a first reading or second

11:04reading, there isn't a presentation. I

11:06know there's a lot of interest here, so

11:08I'm going to ask just uh just some

11:10context and then we're going to go right

11:11into public comment. Uh so, first uh if

11:14city manager could just walk us through

11:16the timetable of what brought us here in

11:19terms of um council discussion and

11:21public engagement.

11:23>> Sure. Uh there's been a lot of

11:24discussion on this over the last year.

11:26So, I will turn it to Tyler to talk

11:27about where this started in the GOE

11:29committee and uh then the council

11:31actions uh leading up to where we are

11:32today. So, Tyler, deputy city manager.

11:35>> Yep. Thank you. Um, so yeah, this

11:38originated in the government operations

11:40and efficiency committee about a year

11:42and a half ago in April of 2025. The

11:45committee was initially interested in

11:46looking at ways to not only encourage

11:49additional public participation in

11:51council meetings, but also um to find

11:54ways to streamline council meetings. So

11:56this combo approach the DOE committee

11:59was interested in um they did a survey

12:03um and then they developed uh

12:05recommendations that in the fall of 2025

12:09last year um they presented and then

12:11forwarded those recommendations on

12:13potential changes to the order of

12:15business to the city council. Um, and

12:18then in November of 2025, we had a

12:22council item that considered not only

12:25the government operations and efficiency

12:27committee recommendations, but also u

12:31ways to address and prepare for any

12:34changes for uh Senate Bill 707.

12:38Um, and then the council also requested

12:41that we do additional community outreach

12:43with the survey that the committee had

12:46um initially conducted.

12:48So after that um in February of this

12:50year we recirculated the community

12:53survey that the committee had initially

12:55done. We translated that um did a lot

12:59more public outreach um with our comm's

13:02team um and then were able to get about

13:05um 500 survey responses compared to

13:08about 75 from the committee and then we

13:11presented those along with the committee

13:13recommendations to the commission uh

13:16citizens advisory commission on

13:17disabilities and then ended up bringing

13:20those uh recommendations plus um staff

13:23recommendations to council in May of

13:25this here to start um the initial

13:28discussion around these order of

13:30business changes.

13:32>> All right. Thank you. And then uh Mr.

13:34City Attorney, I want you to explain

13:37because this is an ordinance that's

13:38different than the ordinances brought

13:39forward. Explain to me the red lines,

13:42the differences.

13:43>> Yes, Deputy City Attorney Meliss Nuro

13:45will address that issue.

13:46>> Uh good evening, council. Um on

13:48September 1st, city council pro provided

13:50direction to the city attorney's office

13:52to draft this ordinance. And before I go

13:54into the details of that ordinance, I

13:56just want to again highlight um the

13:58differences between the prior or

14:00ordinance and the current ordinance

14:01before you to uh provide clarity to the

14:04public. Um this ordinance um does not

14:07include the start uh council time of

14:104:30. Uh this ordinance still um

14:13includes a 5:00 pm start time for for

14:16council meetings. It also um does not

14:19include the early supplemental agenda

14:20item that was in the prior ordinance.

14:22And it also does not include the 902

14:2660-cond automatic um trigger speaker

14:28limit that um applies depending on the

14:31number of speakers. Um so again, I'll

14:34just go through the main provisions of

14:36the ordinance uh quickly.

14:39Uh so following ceremonials and

14:41presentations, uh the city clerk will

14:44report on written public comment that

14:46was provided um by that was uh upon

14:49council's direction.

14:51Um after such report the public is

14:54public comment on agenda items and

14:55non-aggenda items. For this comment

14:59period it is to be 90 minutes. Um the

15:02mayor or presiding officer in their

15:04discretion may extend this time by 30

15:06minute increments if there are members

15:08of the public signed up to speak who

15:10have not spoken already.

15:13Uh all speakers in this public comment

15:16period have three minutes to address the

15:18council. uh the mayor or presiding

15:20officer has discretion to reduce the

15:23speaking times based on the total number

15:24of speakers. Um but again the the

15:27presumption is a a three minute 3

15:30minutes per speaker. [snorts]

15:32Um

15:33again the prior ordinance was a bit more

15:35prescriptive in terms of uh reducing the

15:38the speaking time to 90 seconds and 60

15:40seconds respectively.

15:43>> All right. Thank you. And then uh lastly

15:46uh city clerk just outlined uh again a

15:49lot of questions about the 90 minutes.

15:51Where did the 90 minutes come from? Um

15:54where help me understand that.

15:56>> So the 90 minutes was based on the last

15:59three years um 2023 24 and 25. The

16:03number of meetings we had and the

16:05average amount of time that we spent

16:08taking public comment on each of those

16:10meetings. For 23 it was about an hour

16:12and 40 minutes. For 2024 it was an hour

16:15and 11 minutes and for 2025 it was an

16:17hour and 30 minutes. So based on the

16:20past three years we took an average of

16:22about an hour and a half of public

16:24comment and that is where the 90 minutes

16:26came from.

16:27>> Okay. And uh and and last question we're

16:30going to public comment. Uh the concept

16:32of doing public comment taking the

16:3490minut average and doing at the

16:36beginning of the meeting. What other

16:38what what what are the benchmark

16:40agencies that do that? So other city

16:43government agencies that use this method

16:45are the city of Santa Ana, Anaheim City,

16:48um Monterey Park and we have some LBUSD

16:52also takes uh their public comment at

16:55the beginning of the meeting and I

16:58believe uh community college also does

17:00theirs at the beginning of the meeting.

17:02So we did have examples from other

17:04jurisdictions both in education and in

17:06city government that use this method.

17:09>> All right. Normally there's in a

17:10presentational ordinance we go straight

17:12to straight to a vote and public comment

17:14but because a number of people are here.

17:16We thought it was at least a benchmark

17:18to as a baseline we should explain uh

17:21that level of information. So we're

17:23going to go to public comment. I think

17:24we have more than 40 people signed up to

17:26speak. Uh Mrs. Clerk go ahead and um

17:29[cheering and applause] I don't know if

17:30that number is correct uh but let's go

17:32ahead and begin the process of of public

17:34comment. Thank you. So, I'm going to

17:37call the public speakers. When you hear

17:38your name, please line up at the

17:41lectern. I'm going to call in groups of

17:4310 and please be ready to come forward.

17:45If you are on Zoom, please be prepared

17:47to unmute yourself. The first 10

17:49speakers are Stuart Galloway, Ray

17:52Gablich, Lee Charlie, Laura Zelmer,

17:58Andrea, Anthony Holmes, Carmen Valdez,

18:02Sophia Kim, Azora,

18:05Sang Ha Khan, Carolyn Essex, and Meg. If

18:09you can please line up at the lect turn.

18:12First speaker, Stuart Galloway.

18:21>> [clears throat]

18:21>> Section 54954.3A

18:24of the Brown Act states, and I quote,

18:27"The public is guaranteed the right to

18:29provide testimony at any regular or

18:32special meeting on any subject which

18:34will be considered by the legislative

18:36body before and during its consideration

18:39of the item." End of quote. I'm neither

18:42a politician, a city attorney, nor a

18:44city manager, and I am not versed in

18:47slippery legal ease. I speak plain

18:51common sense English. And this section

18:53very clearly states before or during

18:56consideration of the item. It does not

19:00say before a whole gender full of items.

19:04It says of the item. It cannot get any

19:07clearer than that. I'm astounded by the

19:10sheer unmitigated arrogance shown by

19:13members of this council and city

19:15administration.

19:17This proposed action [cheering]

19:18clearly demonstrates that the council

19:20would prefer that the residents are

19:22prevented from any reasonable dialogue

19:24and discussion on any agenda item. We

19:28see this all the time when you show your

19:30boredom, inattention, and looking at

19:32cell phones and papers while members of

19:34the public are speaking. You do not

19:37[applause] represent yourselves nor your

19:39moneyed backers, be they unions or

19:42businesses. You were elected to

19:44represent us, the residents and

19:46taxpayers of this city. Donald Trump and

19:49Steven Miller would be proud of you.

19:57[applause]

19:59>> Next speaker, please. Ray Gavalich,

20:02District 5 and former city council

20:04woman. In October 2025, the state of

20:08California passed 7 SB77 to allow

20:11greater participation in our local

20:14government. This required local bodies

20:16to provide ZoomType access to be

20:18available to all. There were nine months

20:20to figure out how to best staff these

20:23new regulations. We are all clear that

20:25this is not about a budget savings,

20:27rather about a time savings to avoid

20:29late night council meetings. Now, your

20:32focus to convince us and each other that

20:34this is for the greater good seems to be

20:36on allowing families, young students,

20:39nonprofits who have to gather supporters

20:41for their measures and folks who don't

20:44feel able to stay all the way through

20:46until your vote. But the majority of us

20:49want to be a part of your discussion and

20:52hear the outcome in real time, not have

20:55to explore the city site to learn of

20:58your decisions and how you got there the

21:00next day. I'd like to suggest the

21:02following substitute motion. To

21:05accommodate families and nonprofit

21:07organizations who would appreciate being

21:09able to speak earlier in the evening, we

21:11will allow the city clerk to issue

21:13speaker cards to them under the meeting

21:15agenda and speak immediately or after

21:18public comment on non-aggenda items.

21:21Other speakers who wish to continue to

21:23address agenda items will be able to do

21:25so as in the past. I sat where you are

21:29today for eight years. Yes, it was

21:31different, but the agendas took us past

21:33midnight.

21:43Thank you.

21:44>> Next speaker. [applause]

21:46>> All right. Next speaker, please.

21:49>> Next speaker is Lee Charlie. Please

21:50unmute yourself. Lee Charlie.

21:56>> Can you hear me?

21:57>> Yes.

21:59>> Hey, Lee Charlie. Alamo Beach

22:01Neighborhood District 2. I want to first

22:04say thank you city clerk. Y'all are

22:06awesome, very helpful. If you ever run

22:08for city council, they're always there

22:10to take the call and reply to emails.

22:13But I also want to respond that it's

22:14hogwash claiming it's a budget um budget

22:19issue. Number one, I have 10 years of

22:21emails, receipts, and phone calls. When

22:23I have called the city clerk, they're

22:24like, "Mr. Charlie, um unfortunately the

22:27staff working at city council comes in

22:29at two o'clock on Tuesday. So therefore,

22:33we will and I have all the receipts. So

22:35saying that saving um coming in at 8 and

22:38then working city council to to cut our

22:40public comment um to save overtime is

22:43horsecraft. Next thing, it's not the

22:46city clerk that voted 900 for four years

22:49that got us in a 58 million deficit. And

22:53now the city clerk is trying to fix an

22:55issue. It's the nine elected officials

22:58all voting 900 that caused this. Let's

23:01not forget that we've got to get change

23:03in our city or we're gonna go down a

23:06dangerous slippery slope. Vote them all

23:08out. Let's get change. Thank you.

23:13>> Next speaker is Laura Selmer.

23:20>> Good evening, council. My name is Laura

23:22Selmer and um I have handed out this

23:26yellow card for your review later. Um,

23:30thank you for your service to Long

23:32Beach. I urge you to vote no on agenda

23:3529. Do not accept an ordinance that

23:37separates public comment to a different

23:39time than the agenda item. Separating

23:41our voice from the topic will disjoint

23:44and diminish us. By corelling every

23:47public comment on every subject to the

23:50same time slot, our voices are more like

23:53a mosh pit unconnected to the business

23:56at hand. disengagement by you the

23:59listener is certain this talks about

24:02when topics change and change listeners

24:05the brain doesn't track it

24:08I would like to ask you about the three

24:11participants and agenda items you are

24:13electeds our city staff and the public

24:17there's three of us three voices so

24:20let's say we wanted to be efficient and

24:22we said city staff you do all your

24:25presentations before the meeting before

24:27the agenda item. You do them all at one

24:30time, all together, all the

24:32presentations for all the agenda items.

24:35You guys would think I was crazy.

24:38You wouldn't remove a key participant

24:41from an agenda item. And we do not want

24:44you to take the public comment away from

24:47the agenda item because we the public

24:49are key participants in these topics.

24:52Thank you and thank you again for your

24:54service.

24:55>> [applause]

24:56>> Next speaker is Andrea.

24:59Andrea in Zoom, please unmute yourself.

25:09>> Andrea and Zoom, please unmute yourself.

25:11Your public comment starts now.

25:20>> We'll come back to Andrea. Next speaker

25:21in person, Anthony Holmes. Please come

25:23forward. Right, Anthony.

25:30>> A few months ago, I watched the mayor

25:32say that our democracy is under attack.

25:35But let me tell you something today.

25:37Democracy is not only threatened by what

25:39happens in Washington or from some

25:41distant place. Democracy is threatened

25:44right here when the people are being

25:46told to speak before we have even heard

25:48the agenda item we are asked to speak

25:50on. Democracy is threatened when public

25:52comment is limited so much that the

25:55public can barely be heard. You cannot

25:57call it public participation if you

25:59control how and how much the public is

26:02allowed to participate. We are not here

26:05we are not here to disrupt disrupt

26:07democracy. We are here because democracy

26:09is supposed to include us. And to every

26:12member of this council and the mayor,

26:14remember who made it possible for you to

26:16be in them seats. Generations of black

26:18people and other residents stood up,

26:20organized, marched, voted sacrifice, and

26:23demanded a voice when it's easier to to

26:27silence them. Their struggle helped

26:29create civic rights and opportunity that

26:31allows people to stand at this

26:33microphone today. So when so when we

26:35speak, understand that this voice did

26:38not begin with us. It comes from our

26:41ancestors, from people who refuse to be

26:43silenced. Don't ask us to be quiet now.

26:46Listen to us. Protect protect public

26:48comments. Let the people hear the issues

26:50before you demand our response. Because

26:52a government that truly represents its

26:54people doesn't fear the people voice. It

26:57makes room for it.

26:58>> That's right.

27:00[cheering and applause]

27:02>> Next speaker,

27:05[applause]

27:06>> Carmen Valdez. And then Sophie

27:07[cheering] Kim. Carmen Valdez, please

27:09come forward.

27:12Thank you for letting me speak today.

27:14Because of the nature of my employment,

27:16I cannot leave early. I had to take a

27:19day entire day off. In doing so, I lose

27:22an entire day's wage. I did so today,

27:25which is a hardship given that Long

27:26Beach now has an 11% sales tax

27:30>> because this is such an important issue

27:32to me. In reading the item 29 in today's

27:35agenda, I have no idea what it covers. I

27:38rely on the information during the

27:39council's meeting to gather knowledge on

27:41the issue. To have public comment at the

27:44beginning of the meeting robs me of the

27:45opportunity to address the council

27:47knowledgeably physically unless I take

27:50the day off. You sought reelection

27:52knowing what it entailed and the time it

27:55takes. You are here to represent your

27:58constituents, us. If it is interferes

28:02with your personal time, I respectfully

28:04ask you to step down. [cheering]

28:07>> Vote no.

28:09Vote no on this item. And I thank you

28:12Megan Kerr for changing your mind.

28:15[applause and cheering]

28:18>> Next speaker Azora and Sophie Kim.

28:28>> You know this item was on the agenda

28:31months ago and we packed the house and

28:34guess what? WE DID IT AGAIN.

28:37[cheering and applause]

28:39WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO learn your [ __ ]

28:42lesson?

28:43>> We don't want this and we never will

28:46want this. The people's voice needs to

28:48needs to be heard.

28:50>> As well, a few weeks ago, y'all approved

28:52a budget that raised parking tickets and

28:55talked about egregious, you know,

28:57parking and parking violations. Um,

29:01well, you want to violate our First

29:03Amendment. That's more egregious than

29:06parking in the red in a city that is so

29:09heavily parking dense and y'all refuse

29:12to do anything about it other than just

29:14punish us further.

29:21>> Rex, you claim to be a progressive

29:24mayor, but you wouldn't have to fly

29:27across the country to meet with Zoron

29:30Mandani if you were so progressive.

29:35Exactly.

29:36>> And he ain't progressive either.

29:39>> Um, so as the other speaker said, if you

29:43can't handle it and you can't listen to

29:45the people when the people are speaking,

29:47resign and allow people that will listen

29:51to the people and represent the people

29:55and not just use Long Beach as a

29:58stepping stone to further your POLITICAL

30:00CAREER. [cheering]

30:03>> [applause]

30:04>> NEXT SPEAKER, please

30:07>> Sophia and then Sang Hawk Khan and

30:10Carolyn Essex, please come to the

30:12lecture.

30:14>> Hello, I'm Meg. I'm in District 5. Under

30:17the current process, uh constituents who

30:20take the time to prepare for and speak

30:22at these meetings on issues that are

30:24sometimes deeply personal, like fear of

30:26their parents being kidnapped by ICE.

30:29These constituents already feel unheard

30:32and patently dismissed. You already look

30:35like a council that's unresponsive to

30:37local concerns, too eager to do the

30:40bidding of developers, the war and

30:42surveillance industries, and our

30:44outrageously corrupt and evil federal

30:47government. Sadly, this ordinance only

30:50validates all that. And if you think

30:52that the new comment process will become

30:54normalized and that people who come here

30:56for the first time to speak won't know

30:58any better and just accept it, I don't

31:01think so. They'll see right away the

31:03clumsy, chaotic, and oppressive process

31:06for what it is. You take our voice, we

31:09take your seat. [cheering]

31:12[applause]

31:15>> Next speaker is in [cheering] Zoom.

31:17Sophia Kim in Zoom. Please unmute

31:20yourself.

31:22Good evening honorable mayor and council

31:24member. My name is Si Jim and I am a

31:26resident of district 6. I am here today

31:29to provide public comment in support of

31:31item 29 regarding the city council rule

31:34for public comment. As a full-time

31:36working mother of three children, it is

31:38not always easy for me to participate

31:40regularly in city council meeting. After

31:43work, I have important responsibility at

31:45home, including preparing dinner,

31:47helping my children with their homework,

31:49helping them to attend the evening

31:51language classes and other activity. For

31:54a working parent like me, waiting

31:56through an entire city council meeting

31:58for the opportunity to speak can be very

32:00difficult. I want to participate in our

32:03local government and make my voice

32:05heard. But the current process can

32:07create barrier for resident who have

32:10work, family and other responsibility. I

32:13believe the proposed chain can help make

32:15public participation more accessible and

32:18inclusive for more resident. It can give

32:21working family, parent and other

32:23community member a greater opportunity

32:25to engage with their local government.

32:28For this reason, I respectfully urge the

32:30city council to support item 29 and to

32:33continue exploring way to make civic

32:35participation more accessible to the

32:37people who live, work and raise family

32:40in Long Beach. Thank you for the

32:41opportunity to speak and thank you for

32:43your service to our community.

32:47Thank you. Andrea and Zoom. Andrea and

32:50Zoom.

32:56>> Hi, my name is Andrea. I am a student at

32:58Cal State Long Beach and I'm here to

33:00provide public comment against item 29

33:02regarding the city council's rules for

33:04public comment. I oppose this item

33:06because public participation should be

33:08made a priority for Long Beach

33:09residents. Although an earlier

33:11consolidation of public comments would

33:13make participation participation

33:15accessible for some residents, it is not

33:17the case for all. Many residents work 9

33:20toive jobs or have classes that run late

33:22into the evening. So for this reason,

33:24many residents cannot make an earlier

33:26time. The focus instead should be on

33:28fixing the deficit that is putting Long

33:31Beach in, you know, debt of billions of

33:34dollars. So, my suggestion would be

33:37don't hold ceremonials during council

33:38meetings. Do that on the weekends when

33:40there's time. Maybe start the meetings

33:42at 6 p.m. or consider having multiple um

33:46chalks for public comment. That way, we

33:49can evenly distribute it instead of just

33:51putting it up into the front um and

33:54making it hard for everyone. um to sign

33:56up for public comment and then maybe

33:59move those hot topics to the front of

34:00the uh of the meeting like you did today

34:03and that would make it a lot easier for

34:06people who want to provide public

34:07comment. Um so I would again like to

34:10urge the council to oppose the ordinance

34:12in item 29. Thank you so much.

34:15>> Thank you. Is Sang Hawk Khan in the

34:18audience? Sang Ha Khan.

34:24Next speaker then is Carolyn Essex and

34:25then Jim Hanigan.

34:36Well, I am not here simply um to tell

34:39you what I oppose. I do oppose this

34:41item. Um I'm asking you to consider a

34:44better operating model. Uh you said

34:47other cities operate this way. That is

34:49offensive offensive to us the residents.

34:52Give res residents 90 minutes in the

34:55beginning of the meeting. Then preserve

34:57the three minutes of public comment on

34:59individual agenda items. Leave it the

35:02same. If the problem is that council

35:05meetings are becoming too long, then we

35:07also need to look at what is driving the

35:09length of these meetings. Stop cramming

35:13so many consequential decisions onto a

35:16single agenda. Prioritize the work

35:20residents depend on like infrastructure,

35:23housing, public safety, essential

35:26services, and responsible stewardship of

35:28public dollars.

35:30>> And if the city's business cannot

35:32reasonably be conducted within the

35:35existing schedule, consider adding

35:37another council meeting with

35:39intentionally limited agenda. That is an

35:42optional solution. Is it operational?

35:45Reducing the public's opportunity to

35:47participate is not the only solution

35:50available. And I will say this as my

35:53time is weighing down. If overtime is

35:56the problem, fix the overtime. If

35:58overloaded agent agendas are the

36:00problem, fix the agendas. But please

36:03don't solve an operational problem by

36:05making

36:08>> This is very offensive.

36:13>> [applause and cheering]

36:15>> If I can get Sangha Khan in Zoom to

36:18unmute. If you can Sang Ha Khan in Zoom,

36:22please unmute.

36:29Are you available for public comment?

36:35We'll come back to Sang Ha Khan. Can I

36:38get Jim Hanigan at the lect turn? And

36:41the next round of speakers is Setha and

36:43Zoom, April Renee, Karen Reside, Tasha

36:47Gibbons,

36:49Savine Deina

36:52Seven, Robert Carlton,

36:56Dumbrossski, and Sam Wise.

37:02>> Please proceed.

37:04>> Jim Hanigan, District 5. I excerpt once

37:08I say quote from the California Court of

37:11Appeals Chaffy versus San Francisco

37:14Library Commission. Quote, "The Brown

37:17Act statement of intent provides in

37:19enacting this chapter, the legislature

37:21finds and declares that the public

37:23commission's boards and councils and the

37:25other public agencies in this state

37:27exist to aid in the conduct of the

37:30people's business.

37:32The people of this state do not yield

37:34their sovereignty to the agencies who

37:36serve them.

37:37>> The people in delegating authority do

37:40not give their public servants the right

37:42to decide what is good for the people to

37:43know and what is not good for them to

37:45know.

37:46>> The Brown Act is intended to ensure the

37:48public's right to attend public agency

37:50meetings to facilitate public

37:51participation in all phases of local

37:55government decision-making and to curb

37:57misuse of the democratic process. When

37:59the Brown Act is read in its entirety,

38:01this is I'm quoting the court. We

38:04conclude that the lawmaking bodies

38:06clearly contemplated circumstances in

38:09which continuences and multiple sessions

38:11of meetings to consider a published

38:13agenda would be required. And thus they

38:16mandated that a single general public

38:19comment period be provided per agenda in

38:22addition to public comment on each

38:25agenda item as it is taken up by the

38:28body. Vote no.

38:32[applause]

38:37>> Get off your phones.

38:40>> Good evening uh mayor and council

38:42members. Um, I'm here in support of item

38:4429 and I'm also here for children who

38:48cannot be here for themselves. I'm

38:50representing hundreds of Long Beach

38:52families who whose children are living

38:54with pans and pandas. Children who are

38:57often too sick to attend school,

38:59participate in normal activities, or

39:02even stand in this room and speak for

39:04themselves. I know this fight

39:06personally. I wrote Aiden's law,

39:08AB20105, California's Pan Pandanda's

39:11Healthcare Act for my son. California

39:13has also recognized Pan Pandanda's

39:15awareness through ACR259 in 2018. That

39:19is why I support keeping item 29 because

39:23sometimes families do everything they

39:25are told to do. We use the proper

39:28channels. We contact the appropriate

39:30offices. We follow up and still nothing

39:34happens. For the past two years, Long

39:36Beach has authorized lighting city hall,

39:39the bridge, and Lion's Lighthouse on

39:41October 9 for Pan Panda's Global

39:44Awareness Day. And for two years, those

39:47children have waited and the lights have

39:49been out. For two years, that commitment

39:51has not been fulfilled. So tonight I'm

39:54asking you not for myself but for these

39:56children. Will you please make sure that

39:58this October 9, Long Beach Light, City

40:01Hall, the Bridge, Lion Lighthouse for

40:04Pans Panda's Global Awareness Day

40:07because these children deserve to know

40:09that their city sees them. They may not

40:11be able

40:14and I will. Thank you.

40:16>> Thank you for your comments. If I can

40:18get Cathia in Zoom. Catha in Zoom.

40:23Can you please unmute yourself?

40:25>> Yes.

40:26>> Good evening, mayor and members of the

40:29city council. My name is Satia Assan and

40:32I am the chair of Cambodia Town located

40:35in this uh district 6. I am speaking to

40:39express my strong support for item

40:42number 29

40:44with proposed change to improve and

40:47expand public participation in city

40:49council meeting.

40:51Public input is at the heart of local

40:55democracy.

40:56Resident should have meaningful and

40:59access uh accessible opportunity to

41:02share their concerns, ideas, and

41:05perspectives with the city council.

41:10I specially support making participation

41:13more accessible by allowing resident to

41:16speak in person, online or by phone

41:20while continuing to accept written and

41:23online comment.

41:25This is especially important for senior

41:28people with disabilities, working

41:31family, caregivers, and resident who

41:34cannot easily attend the city hall.

41:38I also support uh combining uh regular

41:41agenda and non-aggenda comment in one

41:45speaking turn, making the process more

41:48predictable and respectful of resident

41:51time. Thank you uh for allowing me to

41:55speak tonight.

41:57Next speaker Karen Reside and then Tasha

42:00Gibbons

42:05and I'm a resident of the first district

42:07and recently retired ex-president of the

42:10Long Beach Grey Panthers and I thinking

42:13about measure 29 and I've been going to

42:17city council meetings for about 35 years

42:20and putting the comments at the

42:23beginning of the meeting I get started

42:26thinking about all that time that I

42:28wasted with uh Larry Goodyu and Thomas

42:33and I would like some of that time back.

42:36So, um I don't think I'll make it, but

42:40um I want to everybody look around the

42:43room.

42:45You're all here because this city

42:47council has been a major force in making

42:50changes to be more transparent and more

42:53enlightened. Tom Modica is worth every

42:55dollar that he gets paid. Uh there are

42:59no crooks in our city government, not

43:01like LA. I'm also on the commission uh

43:05for LA, but uh I want us to respect part

43:11of this process is to listen to each

43:14other. And I'm not hearing listening. Uh

43:19this is important to have this dialogue

43:22and you're all here because the process

43:24is open. I think we have a fine city

43:27council. I think we have fine city

43:30staff. I've watched many of them come up

43:32through the system when they were young

43:34people.

43:40>> Next.

43:41>> Uh hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey.

43:44Respect public comment. Everyone gets

43:46their turn. uh respect their time. Thank

43:49you.

43:51>> If I can get given,

43:57>> council members, uh good evening, mayor

43:59and council members. I attend CSU

44:01Domingus Hills and I believe equity

44:03requires action and commitment. Uh an

44:05invitation to speak means little if the

44:07process is made difficult to stay long

44:09and to be heard. Long Beach's diversity

44:11should be reflected in who can

44:13participate in these meetings and

44:17so sorry who can participate in these

44:19meetings and oh my god I'm so sorry.

44:23Long Beach diversity should be reflected

44:25on who can participate in these

44:27meetings. National attacks on DEI do not

44:29make those responsibilities disappear.

44:31Thank you for taking them seriously.

44:33Please support public earlier public

44:36comment and show that access to local

44:38government belongs to the whole

44:40community.

44:43>> Thank you. Next speaker is seven.

44:45[applause]

44:51Good evening mayor and council members.

44:54I am a student at California State

44:56Dominguez Hills and inclusion is not a

44:59bad word to me. It means people like me

45:02have a real opportunity to participate.

45:04Having something important to say should

45:07be more than just hours available to

45:08wait.

45:10I appreciate Long Beach taking steps to

45:12put it into practice. Please support

45:16earlier public comments. Our voices

45:18should matter even if we have homework,

45:20jobs, and buses to catch. Thank you.

45:24[applause]

45:27Next speaker, Robert Carlton.

45:32Robert

45:35>> Cressel Dumbrossski

45:39>> Sam Wise Gam Oh, I'm sorry. Continue.

45:41>> Sorry. This is Robert Carlton.

45:44My name is Robert Carlton. I'm a

45:46resident of District 6. I believe having

45:48this more efficient mode of sharing

45:50public comments earlier would be more

45:51beneficial to both the city and its

45:53residents. I personally have three small

45:56children and work with several city

45:57nonprofits, but would like to attend

45:59more council meetings. Unfortunately,

46:01due to the unpredictability of the

46:03public com comment window, my family

46:05cannot typically attend. I think would

46:08be a great service to move the city

46:10council meeting later and to have public

46:12comment earlier. Our time is really

46:14valuable and our participation is

46:17necessary in civic discourse. Thank you

46:20all for your time.

46:22Thank you. Cressel Dumbrossski.

46:28>> Hello. I'm a resident of District 1, uh

46:3250-year resident of Long Beach, 51

46:35years. Uh yes, we need public comment.

46:38We have descended into full-on fascism,

46:42and people need to speak out. We need to

46:45be heard. And um they the

46:51they need to it needs to be each you

46:54need to be able to speak on each agenda

46:56item that's presented because they were

46:59right. It's like a mash. You know you

47:02and most of the time what you need to do

47:05is email first like multiple times have

47:09everybody email because half the time we

47:11don't get listened to when we do public

47:13speak. But I've seen it sway. I've seen

47:16it sway people.

47:19>> And that's important. And you know,

47:22we're the ones that put everyone here on

47:25office. I wasn't able to speak for a

47:27while because I was a full-time student

47:29at Long Beach City College, and I wasn't

47:33getting uh done with my homework or out

47:36uh out of the library till 9:00 at

47:38night. So, um, but thank you for

47:42listening and we need to speak

47:45because our voices matter.

47:51[applause]

47:52>> Next speaker is Sam Wise Gamji calling

47:54in. I'm going to call the next 10

47:56speakers after Sam Weise. Lesie Goldman,

47:59Matt Goldman,

48:02Dika Mlan, OD OVCE,

48:07Val Stefins, Angela Russell, Dante,

48:11Derek Stanfield, Jenny Gonzalez

48:16if you can line up. And Tara Riggs if

48:18you can line up at the lectern. And the

48:20next speaker is Sam Wise calling in on

48:23Zoom. Please hit star 9 to unmute

48:26yourself.

48:29Uh, can everyone hear me?

48:31>> Yes. Thank you.

48:34>> All right. Another flaw in the changes

48:36is that it relies on your discretion

48:38about people signing up late, but we

48:40already have seen that there is a bias.

48:43But like for instance, if there's a

48:44bunch of people in CIA waiting to sign

48:47up late, are they going to be allowed to

48:49sign up for comments? And what in the

48:52hell is up with this technical jargon

48:53[ __ ] If you're trying to not seem

48:56like B-level James Bond villains, then

48:58you failed. I guess I'm going to give

48:59props to Cindy Allen. At least she

49:01bothered to put out a PSA to clarify

49:03this linguistic labyrinth that is agenda

49:06item 29. The public comment is one of

49:09the few ways we directly engage with the

49:10council about specific decisions you are

49:12making. It does not do us any good for

49:14you to reduce that time or move it

49:16earlier while we're still at work.

49:17Reminder, you are elected officials.

49:19Your entire [ __ ] job is to listen to

49:21our concerns. So, how in the hell is it

49:22always your first move, whether it be to

49:24conserve time or conserve money, to

49:26limit our time to speak? Why can't you

49:28all figure out how to use your speaking

49:29time more concisely and efficiently? I

49:32get that some or maybe all of you are

49:33uncomfortable by the energy or rhetoric

49:35some of us brings to these comments. And

49:37all I have to say to that is get the

49:38[ __ ] over it. These are uncomfortable

49:40times. Do we sound upset and angry? It's

49:42because we are. Our neighbors are

49:44homeless. Our immigrant neighbors are

49:45being picked off by mass dogs driving

49:47with no license plates. These are very

49:49upsetting times and I am [ __ ] upset

49:51and my tone and verbiage need to

49:53adequately convey how [ __ ] upset I am

49:55and I have a first amendment right to do

49:57do so. So please vote no on agenda item

50:0029.

50:04>> Next speaker

50:06Lesie Goldman.

50:08>> Yeah. Can you hear me with my mask on?

50:11People are being personal, so I'm going

50:13to throw my hat in and say I don't

50:15really want to be here. I have a husband

50:17with blood cancer. I don't want to be in

50:20a public space and I'm here because this

50:22is an important issue and you need to

50:24listen to us, please. I am Lesie

50:28Goldman. I'm here to present the

50:30petition

50:32stop Long Beach City Council from

50:35suppressing public comments.

50:38I submitted the text, the full text of

50:41the petition along with the documented

50:43signatures um to all of you and to the

50:47city clerk for public record.

50:50As of right now, there are 732

50:55signatures as of tonight.

50:58[cheering and applause]

51:01>> So, I'm not just standing here for

51:03myself. I'm standing here with 732

51:08other people

51:10who've been saying the same thing. We've

51:12been saying the same thing for months.

51:15Do not undermine

51:17our right to participate

51:20during the discussion and decisionmaking

51:23portion of council meetings.

51:28I prepared for 60 seconds.

51:32So, I have a little Well, I'll just say

51:35vote no on 29 for 732 people that I

51:39represent.

51:42[applause]

51:42>> Next speaker, please. Matt Goldman.

51:45[cheering]

51:48>> Matt Goldman. [applause]

51:55>> If you'd like to bring the papers over

51:56here. Matt Goldman. Next speaker,

51:58please.

52:00[clears throat]

52:00>> Good evening. I'm the husband

52:06[cheering]

52:07[applause]

52:09>> and I I would prefer not to mask up and

52:12expose myself, but this is a pretty

52:14important issue.

52:16I'm in district 4. I've been watching

52:18the last few council meetings when this

52:21item has come up and the first time I

52:23heard it I was scratching my head

52:25thinking what what what's council trying

52:28to accomplish and then each time you

52:31talk about it the the reason changes and

52:33it even got more confusing

52:37and the only conclusion I could come to

52:39is that you just don't care about your

52:41your residents and the people that voted

52:43you in. So, as a resident district 4, I

52:47urge you to vote no on this measure.

52:50[applause]

52:53[cheering]

52:56[applause]

52:57>> Next speaker, please.

52:59>> Excuse me. My name is Jenny Gonzalez.

53:02I'm from the ninth district. I'm a CPA

53:04and a realtor. Uh my office in is in

53:08Belfflower. Uh and I'm all over the

53:10place. It's a major accomplishment to

53:12get here. I think it's so insulting that

53:14you want to limit time. I think for

53:17every percentage of tax increase, we

53:20should get an extra minute. [cheering]

53:23>> We [applause] need to get something for

53:25our money.

53:27Anyhow, so I ran for uh city council and

53:31I ran for city auditor and I can't I

53:34can't wait to run again. [cheering]

53:36[applause]

53:39>> Next speaker, Da Mlan.

53:45MLAN DA MLAN in Zoom, please unmute

53:48yourself.

53:56>> Yes, I'm here. Okay, here we go.

54:00>> Good evening. Good evening, mayor and

54:02members of the city council. My name is

54:04Dick Mlan,

54:06>> former K Cod chair. I am a District 4

54:10res. I've called Long Beach home since

54:132001 and I'm a proud voice and a servant

54:16for people with disabilities. Tonight, I

54:19am not here just to make a statement. I

54:22am here to make impact, make a

54:24difference, and hopefully offer a

54:26perspective worth considering. When I

54:28first looked at item 29, I surprised

54:31myself because I can see both sides. For

54:34someone who depends on transportation,

54:37parat transit, a caregiver, or simply

54:40cannot remain at city hall for hours,

54:43having the opportunity to comment early

54:45could be a win for accessibility.

54:48But I also want to want us to think

54:50about time. When fewer than 10 people

54:53sign up to speak, they may receive three

54:56minutes, but when more people show up,

54:58that time can be reduced to 90 seconds.

55:01So I respectively ask, should greater

55:03community participation result in less

55:06opportunity for each person to be heard?

55:09And there is another concern. If I use

55:12my 90 90 seconds before hearing the

55:15presentation, what happens when

55:17important new information comes out

55:19afterwards? Have I truly had an

55:22opportunity for meaningful

55:24participation?

55:26Perhaps this doesn't have to be either

55:29or.

55:31Thank you for your comments. Next

55:33speaker, [applause and cheering]

55:36Odo VCE,

55:42Val Stevens Stefins, and then Angela

55:45Russell.

55:47>> Hello, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council

55:50members. Nice to see you all again. Um,

55:53I just want to echo what I think was one

55:55of the most pertinent comments that we

55:56heard so far. Um, another commenter said

56:00something about, you know, we don't ask

56:02the city manager's office or city staff

56:04to give the presentations at the

56:06beginning of the the meeting. And I

56:08think that, you know, the comments being

56:10next to the line item allows the

56:12pertinance of those to remain present.

56:16Um, yeah, I thought that made a lot of

56:18sense. So, uh, just adding my voice to

56:20that. And then also losing comment time

56:23just feels patently undemocratic. Um,

56:27and I don't support that. Uh, please

56:28vote no on item 29.

56:32[applause]

56:34>> Next speaker is Angela Russell calling

56:37in. Please hit star 9 to unmute. Angela

56:40Russell.

56:42>> Hi, my name is Angela Russell. I'm a

56:45member of district 6. Um I support item

56:48agenda 29 um because of I uh I take care

56:53of my mom and other things and in the

56:55evening uh the time is really really

56:57limited and the meetings go a little too

56:59long. So uh I agree and I support 29.

57:06>> Thank you. Next speaker is Dante and

57:09then Derek.

57:16Hello. Uh, Dantis Katana, CD2, uh, Mayor

57:19Richard, Councilwoman Allen, and the

57:21rest of the city council. I find it

57:23offensive to see anyone try and limit

57:24public discussion. You have voluntarily

57:26randomly public representatives. You've

57:27chosen this job. I expect you to work

57:29the hours you signed up for, just like

57:31our hardworking city employees do. I'd

57:33like to add, this isn't written, but the

57:34fact that we're queuing off the rat [ __ ]

57:36Orange County cities. No, I yield my

57:39time. [applause]

57:42>> [cheering]

57:43>> Next speaker.

57:49>> Good evening. My name is Derek

57:50Stansfield. Um, I'm saddened to see that

57:52the dissatisfaction

57:54is what drives so much civic engagement.

57:57>> I just want to say first and foremost, I

57:59appreciate all the work that the city

58:01council does. You wouldn't be sitting up

58:03there if at the beginning of your

58:04careers, you didn't believe in civic

58:06civil engagement and civic action. Um

58:10I've been a industrial engineer for 31

58:12years with UPS and one of the big things

58:14on the wall in our thing is lessons

58:17learned and the main driving one of

58:19those that I've learned in my career is

58:21that the customers define

58:24quality

58:26in this last election. A lot of your

58:29constituents

58:30said that they weren't being heard and

58:33now to see this come up saddens me

58:37because we're limit we're attempting to

58:39limit that. Putting comments before we

58:42actually hear what the agenda items are

58:44is inefficient.

58:46Please find something that's more

58:48efficient and come up with something

58:50that reduces the dissatisfaction of your

58:52constituents. I yield my time.

58:56[applause]

58:59I'm going to call the next 10 speakers.

59:02Evan James, Joseph Bass, Sam Lemon, Joe

59:07Megan O' Conor, Mike, Ian Patton, I am

59:11Shop Stewart, Claudia Ambreze, Victoria

59:15V and Salvador S. If you heard your

59:17name, please line up with the lect turn.

59:19Tara Riggy, your time begins.

59:22>> Thank you. My name is Tara Riggy. I'm a

59:24resident of the fifth district and I'm

59:26speaking in opposition of item 29. My

59:29entire campaign for city council was

59:31centered around more transparency, more

59:34accountability, and more public

59:36participation, not less. I meant it then

59:39and I mean it now. Long Beach prides

59:42itself on being a progressive city, and

59:45part of that means making government

59:47more accessible to the people it serves.

59:50My parents came to this country from

59:52Iran in search of freedoms they did not

59:54have. And their story is not unique to

59:56Long Beach. We are a city of immigrants

59:58and families who came here because

1:00:00having a voice, being able to speak

1:00:02freely, and participating in your

1:00:04government actually means something. If

1:00:07we're going to call ourselves a uh if

1:00:09we're going to call call ourselves

1:00:11progressive, then we should practice

1:00:12those values here in this chamber. We

1:00:15should be expanding meaningful

1:00:17participation, not making it harder. And

1:00:20I find it really interesting that those

1:00:21that are supporting this ordinance are

1:00:23all on Zoom and can participate in Zoom

1:00:26if they cannot come down here for hours

1:00:28on a city council night. I agree council

1:00:31meetings need to be more efficient. But

1:00:33there are better solutions. Move

1:00:35ceremonials to another day. Streamline

1:00:38presentations. Find efficiencies

1:00:40elsewhere. I talked to thousands of door

1:00:44to people while I ran for this for city

1:00:46council and one thing I heard again and

1:00:48again and again was that residents want

1:00:51more involvement not less. Thank you.

1:00:54[cheering]

1:00:56[applause]

1:00:58>> Next speaker

1:01:00Evan James.

1:01:02Next speaker is Evan James.

1:01:05>> Ev ma'am, are you Evan James?

1:01:08>> Oh, sorry. N

1:01:09>> that's okay.

1:01:14I'm Evan James. Don't worry, guys. Um,

1:01:18good evening, mayor and council members.

1:01:20My name is Evan James and I'm a student

1:01:22at Long Beach State University. Um, as a

1:01:25college student and a member of this

1:01:26community, I believe students should be

1:01:28have a have a chance to have meaningful

1:01:30um opportunity and participate in

1:01:32decisions that directly affect us.

1:01:35I've I support the movement um of moving

1:01:38public comment earlier in the meeting so

1:01:39that um civic engagement doesn't have to

1:01:42just come at the expense of my

1:01:43education. Like many students, my

1:01:46evenings are filled with studying

1:01:47assignments and other responsibilities.

1:01:49When public comment is pushed later into

1:01:51the night, it can create a choice

1:01:53between being an active member in my

1:01:54community and keeping up with my

1:01:56academic responsibilities. And students

1:01:58shouldn't have to choose that.

1:02:01Moving moving public comment earlier

1:02:04would make our would make our meetings

1:02:06more accessible, inclusive, and

1:02:07representative of the people who

1:02:09actually live, work, and study in Long

1:02:10Beach. Thank you for making a space for

1:02:14community voices [snorts] and

1:02:15recognizing that students deserve a seat

1:02:16at the table, too.

1:02:20[applause]

1:02:20>> Thank you. Next speaker is Joseph Bass.

1:02:28>> Good evening, mayor and council members.

1:02:29My name is Joseph Bass. I attend

1:02:31California State University, Long Beach.

1:02:33Like many college students, I balance

1:02:35classes, homework, work, and other

1:02:37responsibilities, and finding time to

1:02:39attend council meetings already requires

1:02:41planning and having to wait several

1:02:43hours before being able to speak, which

1:02:45can make getting my opinions out already

1:02:47more difficult. Moving public comment

1:02:49earlier would help us participate while

1:02:51keeping up with our responsibilities.

1:02:52And in a time where civic participation

1:02:54seems frowned upon, I appreciate that

1:02:56you're considering the needs of working

1:02:58students, and I ask you to support this

1:02:59proposal.

1:03:02Thank you. [cheering] Next speaker is

1:03:04Sam Leone on Zoom. Sam, please unmute

1:03:07yourself.

1:03:08>> Just a moment. You don't get to choose.

1:03:11Some you like, some you don't. Don't

1:03:13interrupt their comments.

1:03:15>> No. I'm sorry.

1:03:17>> No.

1:03:19When someone is on the mic,

1:03:22>> when someone's on the microphone, they

1:03:24that's their time.

1:03:26>> So, we're not going to tolerate

1:03:27disruptions to the meeting. disruptions

1:03:30will not be tolerated in the meeting.

1:03:32They get their time on the microphone,

1:03:34you get your time. So, that's the way

1:03:36this is going to go. And if we see folks

1:03:39in uh interrupting the meeting, we're

1:03:40going to warn you and we're going to

1:03:42have to uh take action to restore order

1:03:44to the meeting. Thank you. You have the

1:03:46floor. Please take please take the

1:03:48floor.

1:03:49>> Sam Leone,

1:03:51[screaming]

1:03:53>> Sam Leone,

1:03:55>> please unmute yourself.

1:03:58Good evening, mayor and members of the

1:04:00city council. My name is Sam Leone and I

1:04:02am a resident of the fifth district. I'm

1:04:05here to express my support for agenda

1:04:07item 29. With respect to all commons, I

1:04:10know personally how difficult it is um

1:04:13it can be for working resident to

1:04:15participate in city council meetings.

1:04:18When I was working in Los Angeles, I

1:04:20often had to take several hours off work

1:04:22just to make it back to Long Beach to

1:04:24attend a council meeting. Sometime I

1:04:26simply could not attend because taking

1:04:28that much time off from work was too

1:04:31difficult and traffic was too bad around

1:04:33this time. Public participation should

1:04:36be accessible in person, virtual or on

1:04:38the phone. Many of our residents are

1:04:41balancing work, school, child care or

1:04:44caring for an older elder adult or

1:04:46family member with special needs. They

1:04:49may want to participate but they cannot

1:04:50remain available for several hours

1:04:53waiting for opportunity to speak. We

1:04:55should make it easier, not harder, for

1:04:57resident to participate and their local

1:04:59government. People should not have to

1:05:02choose between their work or family

1:05:04responsibility to share their voices.

1:05:07Agenda item 29 helps remove that

1:05:09barriers. I support the agenda 29 and

1:05:12thank you for the opportunity to express

1:05:14my voice.

1:05:17>> Thank you. Next speaker, Joe Veinstein.

1:05:20Joe

1:05:24Well, well, you've heard the case for

1:05:26early comment and you've also heard the

1:05:30case for comments during the agenda. You

1:05:33have to do both.

1:05:35Welltime public comment is essential for

1:05:38your reason decisions.

1:05:40In December of 2024,

1:05:43you failed, you your predecessors,

1:05:46failed to hear the correct warning,

1:05:48which came only from a public speaker

1:05:52that the council could not legally

1:05:54change the measure a sales tax schedule.

1:05:58The result of failing to heed that

1:06:02well-considered public comment was that

1:06:05the city got involved in and lost two

1:06:09lawsuits.

1:06:11>> Council is overstressed. We agree the

1:06:14solution is not to scapegoat and quash a

1:06:17necessary element of comment, but to

1:06:20design and use an upgraded process that

1:06:23fits the scale of our decisionmaking.

1:06:26We're a big city. more populous than the

1:06:28states of Nevada and Wyoming were when I

1:06:31was a kid. Those states have

1:06:33legislatures big enough to have active

1:06:36committees that can address specific

1:06:38challenging matters each in multiple

1:06:40meetings with public hearings. So to

1:06:43really solve the problem and get better

1:06:45decisions and less council stress, we

1:06:49council and community must consider how

1:06:51to expand decision making. Thank you.

1:06:55>> [applause]

1:06:56>> Thank you. Next speaker is Megan Okconor

1:06:59and then Mike Megan Okconor.

1:07:16Megan Okconor, 8th District.

1:07:19Are you truly listening to us? Because

1:07:21it feels a lot like being managed.

1:07:24The proposed revisions treat civic part

1:07:27participation like a scheduling problem.

1:07:32The city's own survey referenced earlier

1:07:34by Mr. Modai found that cutting speaking

1:07:37time creates frustration and discourages

1:07:40meaningful participation. And yet the

1:07:43council decided to move ahead anyway. It

1:07:46also puts all public comment into one

1:07:49block before any presentation or

1:07:51discussion with no other chance to

1:07:53speak.

1:07:55We the public would always be by

1:07:57definition speaking uninformed.

1:08:00Long meetings, disagreement, and public

1:08:02input are part of the democratic

1:08:04process. This room today is democracy in

1:08:08action. Civic participation is not a

1:08:11process that requires maximum efficiency

1:08:14nor a problem to optimize away.

1:08:17Councilwoman Thrash Entuk, as a member

1:08:19of your district, I am counting on you

1:08:21personally to vote I no on item 29. And

1:08:25to everyone here who showed up to

1:08:27support each other today. I am so proud

1:08:29to share a city with you all.

1:08:32[applause and cheering]

1:08:37>> If I can get Mike and then Ian Patton

1:08:39and after Ian, I am shop stewart.

1:08:42My name is Mike Laquatra, resident of

1:08:45CD7,

1:08:46and I'm opposed to

1:08:49uh item 29 for a lot of the reasons that

1:08:52have already been articulated.

1:08:54Um I agree with the people that said

1:08:57that the reasoning seems to change

1:08:59constantly. There is no perfect time for

1:09:02these things. However, I think we need

1:09:05to balance the difference. The

1:09:06accessibility issue is addressed by the

1:09:09fact that people don't have to get here.

1:09:11They can zoom in

1:09:13the budgetary issue.

1:09:16This is not even a rounding error in our

1:09:19deficit.

1:09:23>> And as everybody says, how are we

1:09:25supposed to fully speak on something

1:09:27that we haven't heard yet? So to me,

1:09:30this just seems like another way to

1:09:31stifle public comment at a time when

1:09:36participation in democracy in the US,

1:09:38our voting percentages are horrendous

1:09:41compared to say Europe. And this is just

1:09:44another way to discourage people

1:09:46including especially young people from

1:09:47getting involved. I think we need to

1:09:50continue with the current

1:09:52uh process and we need to listen to our

1:09:56residents and spend less time on vanity

1:09:58large vanity projects and more on our

1:10:01neighborhoods.

1:10:03>> I have since I have a few seconds. I

1:10:06have one other uh item my wife asked me

1:10:09to uh about. We never hear now how many

1:10:13uh submitted com

1:10:18Thank you for your comments. Next

1:10:20speaker, Ian Patton. [applause]

1:10:27Ian Patton, uh, director of Long Beach

1:10:29Reform Coalition. Um, first of all, over

1:10:33700 signatures on this petition. I was

1:10:36just told by Miss Goldman that actually

1:10:38more from District 4 than any other. I

1:10:40went and I looked at the written comment

1:10:42attached to this item earlier today. It

1:10:44looked like about a hundred comments.

1:10:45Yet again, 100% opposition. How many

1:10:49times has this come before you? 100%

1:10:52opposition.

1:10:55Now, the idea that you're going to save,

1:10:57we all know 150,000 is a pretext. This

1:11:00is going to go right into litigation.

1:11:02So, that's out the window with legal

1:11:03fees and you know, a sprinkling of other

1:11:07jurisdictions that do this versus the

1:11:08thousands that actually follow the Brown

1:11:10Act. And by the way, LBCC, which I think

1:11:13is in violation of the Brown Act, they

1:11:14give you three minutes on any every

1:11:17single topic you want to speak on, and

1:11:19there is no limit to the period of time,

1:11:20but it's still a violation. The other

1:11:22thing I want to draw your attention to

1:11:24is the fact that this takes out the

1:11:26protection on at least getting 90

1:11:29seconds. It is literally up to the

1:11:32mayor, the presiding officer speaking

1:11:34times based on the total number of

1:11:36speaker speakers. That is the new

1:11:39language. So, it will be 100% in this or

1:11:42some future mayor's discretion to

1:11:44determine at his whim, at his comprise

1:11:47what amount of time people get.

1:11:49Literally, it could be 10 seconds.

1:11:51That's the language of this ordinance.

1:11:56[applause]

1:11:57[cheering]

1:11:59>> Next speaker is AM Shop Stewart,

1:12:02>> then Claudia M. Breeze, Victoria V, and

1:12:05Salvatore S.

1:12:09Good. Uh, good evening. I am a proud I

1:12:11am shop steward and a union member.

1:12:14First, I want to thank the couple that

1:12:15came out and put their own health risk

1:12:18to be here. Thank you for [applause]

1:12:19what you did. We appreciate you. Another

1:12:22thing I want to acknowledge today that

1:12:24Ian Patton and I are on the same agenda

1:12:26and agree on the same item. It's a world

1:12:28gone mad. I know your I know your stance

1:12:30on labor, Ian, when you ran for office,

1:12:32but I digress. So anyways, wow, you guys

1:12:37really took a playbook from the Trump

1:12:39administration, didn't you? You pitted

1:12:41you're pitting the citizens of Long

1:12:43Beach against each other for their needs

1:12:45when it doesn't have to happen, but it

1:12:47makes it easier for you to get what you

1:12:49want, right?

1:12:50>> So, how about not having 30 agenda items

1:12:53on one night? How about not blowing

1:12:55smoke up each other's asses for hours

1:12:57while they're talking comments or asking

1:13:00the same questions over and over again

1:13:03that have been asked and answered. You

1:13:05know, we talk about 90 minutes for

1:13:07public comment. How many hours have I

1:13:09lost sitting here listening to you guys?

1:13:11It's ridiculous. Do better, act better.

1:13:14The people have spoken. Read the room.

1:13:16Daddy came back from June and you guys

1:13:17voted against it and he got mad because

1:13:19the kids had a voice while he was away.

1:13:21And now you guys are being sick of fans

1:13:24again. Daryl, I thought you were better

1:13:26than that. So all of you in the uh in

1:13:28the even districts, you're up for

1:13:29election next. We have long memories. I

1:13:32have a long memory. [cheering]

1:13:41>> Next speaker,

1:13:43>> Claudia and Breeze.

1:13:45>> Claudia, please come forward. And then

1:13:46Victoria and Salvador. [laughter]

1:13:50>> My name is Claudia. I am a resident of

1:13:51resident of district 3. I'm here today

1:13:53to share my outrage over item 29.

1:13:56Changing the way the public comment work

1:13:57at city council meeting and limiting us

1:13:59to speak is a slap in the face of Long

1:14:01Beach residents. With this proposal, you

1:14:03are telling us that we don't matter. We

1:14:05elected you to represent us, to

1:14:07represent our voice. It is your job to

1:14:10listen to us. People are already limited

1:14:12to speak because these meetings start at

1:14:145 when are still working or leaving

1:14:17their jobs. Stop pretending that this is

1:14:19a way to save money for the city. Why

1:14:21are you actively trying to hurt our

1:14:23community? Closing down the firehouse,

1:14:24holding library funds hostage, bringing

1:14:26in these ridiculous surveillance

1:14:28cameras, destroying a local business to

1:14:30bring an SF company to run bike share,

1:14:32and not protecting our every community.

1:14:35[cheering and applause]

1:14:37>> You are trying to silence us and we will

1:14:39not be silenced. Do better. [cheering]

1:14:43[applause]

1:14:47Next speaker, Victoria.

1:14:53Uh, this I'm Victoria. Hello. My name is

1:14:56Victoria. I'm a student at Cal State

1:14:58Long Beach. I'll just like to preface. I

1:15:01do not want to be used as a scapegoat

1:15:03for this uh proposition. I'm against

1:15:06Proposition 29. It's anybody can see

1:15:10that this is clearly trying to pit

1:15:12people against each other as they try to

1:15:14mash their way through, you know,

1:15:16however long you decide to give us. I

1:15:19[snorts] don't even know how long this

1:15:20is going to last. So,

1:15:24as you know, even I as a student, I'm

1:15:26not even from here. I'm registered here.

1:15:28I'm a student here. I live here. And you

1:15:30know, this is my first city council

1:15:32meeting here. took me one read

1:15:34[applause] to see what this is clearly

1:15:37trying to do. You're clearly trying to

1:15:39put class interests against each other.

1:15:42It didn't work. You got clearly two

1:15:44people from your city who clearly have

1:15:47animosity against each other to come

1:15:49together against this. [cheering]

1:15:53>> So you know what we may not agree on all

1:15:55the time, it is clear we do not want our

1:15:58rights, you know, taken away from us.

1:16:01This is our time. This is your job.

1:16:05I work at a dining hall. I don't get to

1:16:07tell my manager, I don't want to work

1:16:09today.

1:16:10>> I have to serve hundreds of students.

1:16:14You have to sit there.

1:16:16>> Thank you. [applause]

1:16:19[cheering]

1:16:24>> If I can get the [applause] next

1:16:25speaker, Salvador S. And then I'm going

1:16:28to call the next 10. Claire S. Melissa

1:16:31Christina, Nikki, Claire, Ellie, Amy,

1:16:36Corus, Lee, Anne, Cantrell, Dave,

1:16:39Shukla,

1:16:41Fee, and LA. If you can please line up

1:16:44at the lectern. Next speaker,

1:16:46Salvador S.

1:16:57Sabador, are you in the audience? After

1:17:03Salvador is Claire S.

1:17:08Please come forward. Claire S.

1:17:12Melissa.

1:17:22My name is Melissa, District 7.

1:17:26First of all, trying to pass this at the

1:17:27tail end of a really hard final budget

1:17:29meeting was already really slimy. And

1:17:32adding on these revisions that are very

1:17:34clearly ego-driven and trying to control

1:17:36not only how long we can talk and what

1:17:38items, but additionally who is deemed

1:17:41appropriate enough to make public

1:17:42comment is crazy.

1:17:44It's a farce that this is trying to

1:17:47respect residents time when it's the

1:17:50people behind me that are the ones that

1:17:52this would actually affect and they're

1:17:53the ones actually showing up and telling

1:17:55you they don't want this.

1:17:59I hope that there are still some of you

1:18:00that are undecided up there that like

1:18:03Megan Kerr are willing to listen to

1:18:05their constituents.

1:18:07>> Councilman Uranga, I'm in your district.

1:18:10I want to ask you directly not to take

1:18:12away the voice of the people in your

1:18:14district which are already overlooked.

1:18:16We already have to demand that the city

1:18:18even cares about us and the response to

1:18:20public participation cannot be

1:18:22undercutting the way that we

1:18:23participate.

1:18:26>> I very much doubt that each of you took

1:18:29these council seats with the goal of

1:18:30permanently damaging the city of Long

1:18:32Beach and the and losing the respect of

1:18:36and support of your constituents. But

1:18:38that's what is at risk here.

1:18:41Vote against item 29.

1:18:43[cheering]

1:18:45[applause]

1:18:48Christina N and then Nikki Claire.

1:18:56Christina Negrelli, District 5. I oppose

1:18:59item 29. I'm here tonight because I'm

1:19:02damn tired of decisions being made for

1:19:06us instead of with us.

1:19:09Why survey constituents if you don't

1:19:11intend to listen and incorporate the

1:19:14results? I reviewed the results of the

1:19:17survey related to this item. The written

1:19:19feedback predominantly critical,

1:19:22especially about whether council

1:19:24listens. I reiterate prior comments

1:19:27regarding council being disengaged and

1:19:30otherwise occupied during public

1:19:32comment. Look up. Make eye contact.

1:19:37Please engage with us as your

1:19:39constituents.

1:19:41Acknowledge that we're here giving you

1:19:44our feedback, letting you know what we

1:19:47want.

1:19:48Some comments describe decisions as

1:19:51already made. I feel the exact same way.

1:19:54Some comments say that council members

1:19:56need to actually care about residents. I

1:19:59feel that way. This is our opportunity

1:20:02and nearly the only opportunity to share

1:20:04our perspectives and let you hear

1:20:06directly from us to inform your

1:20:09decisions. Stop making decisions for us

1:20:14without us.

1:20:17Do not use the budget deficit as an

1:20:20excuse to shorten meetings. I can't

1:20:23afford today's gas prices and I cannot

1:20:26afford what it costs me to feed my

1:20:28family.

1:20:33>> [cheering]

1:20:35[applause]

1:20:37>> Can I get Nikki, Claire, Ellie, Amy,

1:20:44Sen, City Council, I would like to weigh

1:20:47in in on item 29 and respectfully ask

1:20:49that you vote no on this item. One of

1:20:52the most important parts of our city

1:20:53council meetings is the opportunity for

1:20:55public comment. When important issues

1:20:57regarding our community are being

1:20:58discussed, especially issues specific to

1:21:01your district, wouldn't you want to hear

1:21:03directly from the residents and business

1:21:05owners who are affected? And as a

1:21:07council member representing that

1:21:09district, wouldn't you want the

1:21:10opportunity to hear your community's

1:21:12concerns and support while that specific

1:21:14issue is being discussed? As council

1:21:17members, you already have so much on

1:21:19your plates. If public comment is

1:21:21separated from the agenda items being

1:21:23discussed, how can we expect comments

1:21:25made hours earlier to have the same

1:21:27impact or context when that item finally

1:21:30comes before you? [applause] As both a

1:21:33Long Beach business owner and resident,

1:21:35I attend many of these meetings and have

1:21:37spoken during public comment. That

1:21:40opportunity gives residents and business

1:21:41owners a voice, a right to be heard, and

1:21:44hope that our participation can actually

1:21:46make a difference. People will lose

1:21:48interest in participating if they feel

1:21:50they are not being heard. And one of the

1:21:52things that makes Long Beach so special

1:21:54is our strong sense of community and how

1:21:56involved our residents and businesses

1:21:58are in what happens in our city. Please

1:22:01reconsider this decision and the impact

1:22:03it could have on public participation in

1:22:05Long Beach. Our community's voice should

1:22:07remain an important part of this

1:22:09discussion when decisions affecting us

1:22:11are being made. Thank you. [applause]

1:22:20My name is Ellie. I'm a renter in

1:22:22district 2. I think it's important to

1:22:24remember that council members work for

1:22:25us, not the other way around. You do

1:22:27have a boss. It's us, and we will vote

1:22:30you out. For me personally, you've

1:22:32already lost my vote. I made a personal

1:22:34decision to not vote for anyone who

1:22:36supports genocidal and apartheid states

1:22:37such as Israel. [applause]

1:22:40>> So, none of you meet that criteria, but

1:22:42I'm still going to give you my thoughts.

1:22:44Um, the solution is pretty obvious. I I

1:22:47it's it's pretty obvious. We need to

1:22:49have options. Make things accessible.

1:22:52Let people share at the beginning of the

1:22:53meeting and during the agenda item.

1:22:56>> We are the boss here. We deserve to

1:22:58speak at both times. Um, I also would

1:23:00like to say if you'd like to donate any

1:23:02water or ice packs, please let me know.

1:23:04A lot of people here and out there are

1:23:06using their own money to buy stuff for

1:23:07people living outside. This item is

1:23:09going to be irrelevant if the citizens

1:23:11of this city are dead because your

1:23:13negligence to provide housing,

1:23:14healthcare, and freedom from police

1:23:15violence.

1:23:17[cheering and applause]

1:23:26>> Hi, my name is Amy. I am a resident of

1:23:29district 2. And my comment is going to

1:23:31be all over the place just because I

1:23:33have so many thoughts and so little

1:23:34time. Um, so

1:23:38I feel like a lot of the people that are

1:23:40in support of this agenda item are

1:23:42confused, just like the people that

1:23:43filled out the survey were confused

1:23:45because the way that you guys word

1:23:46things are it's very confusing to

1:23:48regular people, which is why we come and

1:23:51we pay attention to the presentation.

1:23:54Um, but there's a lot of issues with

1:23:56this. I think that there needs to be

1:23:58both. Like people do need to be heard

1:24:00sooner, but limiting our time is not the

1:24:03solution. Um, and I'm quite frankly

1:24:05surprised that 10 brains can't come up

1:24:07with a better plan than this. And that's

1:24:10not even counting the additional brains

1:24:11that you guys have on your staff because

1:24:13you guys have a whole team. Um, if you

1:24:15move agenda items up to the beginning of

1:24:17the meeting, it should be after

1:24:19everyone's in line. Everyone in line has

1:24:21had a chance to sign up because there

1:24:22were people that were in line before 44

1:24:244:45 and they didn't get to sign up for

1:24:27item 29 because you guys read it right

1:24:29at the beginning. Um, if you guys are so

1:24:31concerned about how long these meetings

1:24:33are, why not cut people off that are

1:24:35wasting time? 90 seconds of some lady

1:24:37coming up here to kiss your ass. I know

1:24:38you guys have cut off comments before,

1:24:40so why didn't you guys cut her off?

1:24:43[applause]

1:24:44Um, you guys are just repeating the same

1:24:47[ __ ] talking points that you guys

1:24:48had back in June when this failed. Um,

1:24:51you guys reiterated that you had a

1:24:53survey of 500 people when somebody in

1:24:55the audience did over 700. So, like

1:24:57people like, come on, do better.

1:25:03>> [applause and cheering]

1:25:05>> Next speaker,

1:25:08Corus Lee. And then Anne Canrell,

1:25:12Dave Shukla, Fee and LA. Corus,

1:25:16>> Corus Lee, District 5. I write the East

1:25:18Side Voice newsletter. I'm here to urge

1:25:21you to vote no on this agenda item. And

1:25:24I do want to point out that SB707

1:25:27when they were going to allow Zoom at

1:25:29city council meetings, I really doubt

1:25:32that they expected that you would not

1:25:34put the photos up of the people

1:25:36speaking, that they had to actually say

1:25:38that in the law.

1:25:40>> I think that's disrespectful to the

1:25:42people that are taking the time to

1:25:44participate.

1:25:46Going back to this particular agenda

1:25:49item, the most egregious aspect is

1:25:51splitting up the comments and the actual

1:25:53agenda item, it is highly unlikely

1:25:56council members will be able to parse

1:25:58comments and connect them back to the up

1:26:01to 60 agenda items that sometimes make

1:26:03it on there. This makes public comment

1:26:07useless.

1:26:09This same feature was included in the

1:26:11June agenda items on this topic. And I

1:26:14went back and looked at those. There

1:26:16were over 73 pages of written comments

1:26:20against that those features against the

1:26:23same sort of thing that we're seeing

1:26:25here today. 100% of the comments were

1:26:28opposed and it was subsequently voted

1:26:30down. Thank you. But then what happened?

1:26:34Why are we here again? You are

1:26:36threatening to take our first amendment

1:26:38rights. What changed your minds?

1:26:42>> What were you promised for switching

1:26:44sides? And I've been told by my friends

1:26:46I'm not allowed to speculate because I

1:26:48don't have

1:26:51>> Thank you. Your time's concluded. An

1:26:54Canantrell.

1:26:58[applause]

1:27:00After an Cantrell is Dave Shukla Fee and

1:27:02then LA.

1:27:04>> Good evening. An Cantrell. I'm a 93 year

1:27:08old resident of Long Beach and I'm

1:27:12ashamed of my hometown.

1:27:15I've been coming to city council

1:27:17meetings for at least 35 years

1:27:21>> and

1:27:23I've watched public comment go from five

1:27:28minutes per speaker uh public speaker

1:27:32and we were even allowed to put agenda

1:27:35items on the agenda back in those days.

1:27:40And now you want to cut us down to maybe

1:27:4460 seconds

1:27:46and have us discuss every agenda item

1:27:50before it even comes before you. Uh I

1:27:54think Robert rules of orders say that

1:28:00there has to be a motion and a second

1:28:03before discussion can take place. So, I

1:28:07would uh urge you to vote this down

1:28:12>> and um also

1:28:16although Long Beach is following the

1:28:19letter of the law by providing Zoom

1:28:21access, there is discrimination because

1:28:25there's no camera to show the speaker. I

1:28:27was glad to see that you could you do

1:28:30have a camera. Your council person was

1:28:33on it tonight.

1:28:35>> [laughter]

1:28:36>> and most other governor.

1:28:40>> Miss Cantra, your time's concluded.

1:28:42>> Thank you.

1:28:45>> Dave Shukla. [applause]

1:28:53[applause]

1:28:53>> Thank you for being here.

1:28:55>> DAVE SHUKLA [cheering]

1:28:58[applause]

1:29:01>> after Dave Shukla's feet and then LA

1:29:08Good evening. Uh in addition to my uh

1:29:09comments back in June, uh the solution

1:29:12to long meetings is to have more

1:29:13frequent meetings. Stop taking the

1:29:15fourth Tuesday off. Um the solution to

1:29:18accessibility is to schedule uh items

1:29:21earlier uh just like you've done with

1:29:23this item. Uh stop acting like you're

1:29:25powerless and this isn't in your

1:29:27control. Stop pitting people against

1:29:29each other. Um Mrs. Dougen, as your

1:29:33constituent, um, I urge you to vote

1:29:37against this item.

1:29:39Now, to the rest of the people in the

1:29:41room, if these nine people follow the

1:29:43mayor in voting for item 29, there are

1:29:47ways to make your voices heard. You can

1:29:49take them to court for violating the

1:29:51Brown Act.

1:29:53>> More importantly, you can raise the

1:29:55social costs. You can make the next two

1:29:58years of their lives hell and their

1:30:00names radioactive [applause] before the

1:30:02Olympics.

1:30:04>> AND WHEN THE OLYMPICS COME, INSTEAD OF

1:30:07THE WINDFALL that they're hoping for,

1:30:09you can make them so radioactive that

1:30:12businesses won't want to deal with any

1:30:13of them for the rest of their careers.

1:30:15[cheering]

1:30:16[applause]

1:30:18>> If the only thing that THEY RESPOND TO

1:30:20IS MONEY, target that.

1:30:22[cheering and applause]

1:30:33just dropped the

1:30:36>> Please vote now. [cheering]

1:30:39[applause]

1:30:44[cheering]

1:30:46>> As you can see, this is wildly

1:30:47unpopular. Um, I used to be a production

1:30:50coordinator for television and I enjoyed

1:30:52spreadsheets, researching, finding

1:30:54creative ways to make a film set

1:30:56successful. Each location has its own

1:30:58permitting, obstacles, requirements.

1:31:01It's wild to watch y'all work.

1:31:04>> I find it laughable that we are just shy

1:31:06of a half a million population in Long

1:31:08Beach. Each of you represent 50,000

1:31:13people. It's insane that you would cut

1:31:15public comment down to not even

1:31:18discussing items individually. These

1:31:21meetings are overshadowed each session

1:31:23with you spending copious times thanking

1:31:26each other and administrating

1:31:27celebration ceremonies and photo ops.

1:31:30You can do all of that on your own time.

1:31:33>> Hearing from your community should be

1:31:35your top priority.

1:31:37>> If you aren't here to listen and

1:31:38actively address these problems, you

1:31:41don't represent us.

1:31:43>> [cheering]

1:31:44>> The more people that are here to speak,

1:31:46the less time we have to address these

1:31:48items. You are representatives and this

1:31:50is valuable [clears throat] time for us.

1:31:52We are not getting paid to get here. So,

1:31:54the least you could do is listen. Thank

1:31:57you. [cheering]

1:32:03[cheering]

1:32:04>> Next speaker is LA. I'm going to call

1:32:06the next 10 speakers. FB, Shan Cut, Ray

1:32:10Lawson, Sharon Weissman, Seymour

1:32:13Comments, Kyle Patterson, Alyssa G, and

1:32:16Joe Soapo. If you can line up at the

1:32:18lect turn. Next commenter,

1:32:21LA.

1:32:23All right. So, I'm going to take the

1:32:24time right now and say, "Fuck I, free

1:32:29Palestine, free [cheering] Sudan,

1:32:32>> [ __ ] this regime, and [ __ ] you guys."

1:32:35Especially you, Tanua. I I watch you. We

1:32:38all watch you here with your snide face.

1:32:40You know what? It's absolutely

1:32:41disgusting. And you, Rex, we voted on

1:32:45this months ago. And I saw a Facebook

1:32:49post when this little [ __ ] baby and

1:32:52also your your other minion, Dr. Joanie,

1:32:55was like, "Oh, it didn't pass." You're

1:32:57like, "Okay, we'll get him next time."

1:32:59[ __ ] We're getting you next time.

1:33:01OKAY. I [cheering] AM so [ __ ] sick of

1:33:04coming here. And I love the fact that so

1:33:08many people are here. This is a

1:33:09beautiful thing. Look at this

1:33:11>> community. [cheering]

1:33:13>> This this is what we need. And you know,

1:33:15when I started coming to city council,

1:33:19my tagline was vote these [ __ ] all

1:33:22out. And you know what? People are

1:33:24coming for your jobs. Mary, Cindy,

1:33:27Christina,

1:33:29>> Daryl, Megan's the only one that has

1:33:31sense right now. [ __ ] Rex Rex. [ __ ] Dr.

1:33:34Sulie and Roberto, you know what? I'm

1:33:36sorry you're sick, but this is the

1:33:39[ __ ] problem that we have in the

1:33:40United States with people like you

1:33:42taking up space for people like us that

1:33:44we can go and actually do something for

1:33:46the people that are asking for it.

1:33:48Tenua, you're just a [ __ ] [ __ ] [ __ ]

1:33:50you guys. Do the right thing today.

1:33:52Okay, listen to your constituents.

1:33:54[ __ ] these [ __ ] [cheering]

1:33:58>> Next speaker,

1:34:00>> FB after FB is Sean Cut and then Ray

1:34:03Lawson. Good job.

1:34:08>> I haven't started speaking yet. As you

1:34:10all see, they've already taken seconds

1:34:12out of my speech. My first fre first

1:34:15amendment right. You fascist [ __ ] No

1:34:20one here likes you. We've been coming

1:34:23over and over and over again.

1:34:27>> I would like to uh quote brother Malcolm

1:34:31X. You don't get freedom peacefully.

1:34:35Freedom is never safeguarded peacefully.

1:34:38Anyone who's depriving you of freedom

1:34:42isn't deserving of a peaceful approach

1:34:45by the ones who are being deprived of

1:34:47their freedom. You fascist [ __ ]

1:34:52Fascist [ __ ] That's what you are.

1:34:54That's right. Go. You can't hear it. The

1:34:57white woman in the room can't hear it.

1:35:00And no one said anything ABOUT TOM

1:35:01MONICA. THE [ __ ] WHITE SUPREMACIST

1:35:03PIECE OF [ __ ] [ __ ] DOING ALL THIS

1:35:05[ __ ] to the community. [ __ ] you, piece

1:35:07of [ __ ] That's the vibe. The vibe is

1:35:10[ __ ] you, Rex. [ __ ] you, Megan. [ __ ]

1:35:13you, Daryl. [ __ ] you, Christina. [ __ ]

1:35:16you, Cindy Allen. [ __ ] you, Mary. [ __ ]

1:35:19you, Tanua. Dr. Joanie, [ __ ] you, too.

1:35:22Wherever the [ __ ] you are. And then Sly,

1:35:25you [ __ ] dumb [ __ ] [ __ ] you. And

1:35:28Robert, you too. Go [ __ ] yourselves.

1:35:30Free Palestine. [ __ ] Israel. AND [ __ ]

1:35:33YOU FASCIST pieces of [ __ ] [ __ ] [ __ ]

1:35:36you. [cheering]

1:35:40>> Next speaker is Sean Cut. And then Ray

1:35:43Lawson.

1:35:45>> It's so hard to follow y'all. That was

1:35:46awesome. Um, my name is Sean Cut from

1:35:49District 1. Uh, regarding item 29, the

1:35:51entire point of democracy is to make

1:35:52sure that people feel heard. Have you

1:35:54been listening to us? It's abundantly

1:35:55clear what the public opinion is. We do

1:35:57not want this change. literally shoving

1:35:59shoving all of our comments at the

1:36:01start. Reminds me of when I was a kid

1:36:02and I would eat all my vegetables at the

1:36:03start of dinner because I hated them the

1:36:05most. It's very clear you guys don't

1:36:07like us. Um so if you know shoving us

1:36:10one corner discussion, it's just makes

1:36:12it easier for you to tune us out. It's

1:36:14very obvious. Um worst of all, when you

1:36:15want to make time away from us, um

1:36:17couldn't be more obvious that you were

1:36:19just trying to kneecap our voices with

1:36:20this move. Uh separating our time from

1:36:22the pertinent items is an obvious

1:36:24attempt to further offiscate the

1:36:26discussion. It decontextualizes

1:36:29everything that has to be obvious to

1:36:31you. You must see that. Don't shove us

1:36:33under the rug. Don't claim that this is

1:36:35for austerity as it is. It's not really

1:36:37an attractive argument for this crowd. I

1:36:38can tell you it's a conservative

1:36:40posturing for a fascist policy. Vote

1:36:41DSA. Everybody, thank you so much.

1:36:44[applause and cheering]

1:36:49>> Next speaker, Ray Lawson, and then

1:36:51Sharon Weissman. And see more comments.

1:36:56Uh good evening, mayor, uh may members

1:36:58of the city council. My name is Ray

1:37:00Lawson. I represent the hardworking men

1:37:02and women of the carpenters union. We

1:37:03built this building and everything in

1:37:06here. Uh as a tonight, we are here to

1:37:09support you to vote yes on item 29. Our

1:37:13members don't just sit in front of

1:37:15computer screens all day. They don't

1:37:16have the flexible 9 to5 schedules.

1:37:19Tomorrow morning, they'll be up at 4:30,

1:37:215:30 in the morning. Our carpenters will

1:37:23be rolling out of bed, packing their

1:37:24pale lunch pales, and getting to job

1:37:27sites across Long Beach to pour

1:37:29concrete, frame buildings, and build

1:37:31this city's future. They work hard all

1:37:33day with their hands, and they have

1:37:34families to take care of when they get

1:37:36home. Under the current system, our

1:37:38members are working and and working

1:37:40families uh want to come down to city

1:37:42hall to advocate for more work for their

1:37:45communities, for their schools, um job

1:37:48standards, and they are forced to sit

1:37:49here sometimes to 10, 11:00 at night,

1:37:52midnight just to get on the mic. Uh

1:37:54that's not a public hearing. That's an

1:37:56endurance test. We s on we sat at a June

1:37:599th meeting of community safety

1:38:01initiatives were pushed to the middle of

1:38:02the night locking out working parents

1:38:04and youth. When the city hall operates

1:38:06that way, we'll send a clear message.

1:38:08Unless you have a luxury to sit around

1:38:10all night, your voice doesn't get heard.

1:38:13Local government shouldn't belong to

1:38:14lobbyists and the people with infinite

1:38:17free time. It belongs to working men and

1:38:19women who build and sustain this city.

1:38:21Item 29 establishes that and dedicates a

1:38:23predictable and beginning and end to the

1:38:26meeting. So every all the

1:38:29>> thank you for your comments. [cheering]

1:38:32>> Next speaker Sharon Weissman.

1:38:36>> Thank you. I want to start off by saying

1:38:38that I deserve to be treated with

1:38:40respect and so do you. When I first

1:38:42heard about this proposal, I was

1:38:44opposed. I thought it was a terrible

1:38:46idea. But then I did some research and I

1:38:49actually looked at the current proposal

1:38:51and I talked to other people about this

1:38:52item. I looked at what other cities are

1:38:55doing. Many of them as well as local

1:38:58educational boards have gone to the

1:39:00method that is proposed in item 29. I

1:39:03have sat in this chamber and waited

1:39:04hours to speak on an item. I have worked

1:39:07with community members who wanted to

1:39:09come and support an item, but then I

1:39:11tell them we don't know what time the

1:39:12item will come up or how late the

1:39:14meeting will go and they say no because

1:39:17it's a school night or it's a work night

1:39:19or they have children at home or they

1:39:21have to work. I know change is hard, but

1:39:24other large ities and small some small

1:39:27have gone to this method with success.

1:39:29Their constituents have found it more

1:39:32convenient to know when they're going to

1:39:34speak.

1:39:35I know this proposal does not eliminate

1:39:37public comment. It makes it more

1:39:39convenient. I know this proposal is more

1:39:42likely that if many people are here to

1:39:44speak, they'll still have three minutes

1:39:46rather than 60 seconds. And I thank you

1:39:49for your consider your serious

1:39:50consideration of this item, whatever it

1:39:53is you decide.

1:39:55Can I get Seymour comments? Seymour

1:39:58comments. Kyle Patterson, Alyssa G, and

1:40:02Joe Soo.

1:40:06>> Hey, good evening everyone. Uh, I just

1:40:08want to take a quick second you all to

1:40:10just pause real quick. My name is Kyle

1:40:12Patterson. Tonight, what I've seen in

1:40:15the room is a lot of folks um, you know,

1:40:18not giving the respect.

1:40:20>> And I think and I think that it's my

1:40:22turn right now. And I think that

1:40:24everybody needs to understand that.

1:40:26Think about Long Beach, second largest

1:40:28in the in the county,

1:40:30>> setting real good examples here.

1:40:32Leadership, opportunity, respect. That's

1:40:35what I see when I come to Long Beach.

1:40:37>> I'm a construction worker just like Ray

1:40:39and the rest of

1:40:40>> Let's not disturb your comment. This

1:40:42>> Hold on. Sorry. Sorry, sir.

1:40:45>> Let him finish his public comment. Don't

1:40:48disturb. This is a warning. Please do

1:40:50not disturb.

1:40:53So, time out. Time out. Don't start

1:40:55again. Don't start again. Madam clerk,

1:40:57please restore the room to the state of

1:40:59order and issue a warning.

1:41:02>> This is

1:41:02>> specifically this lady here.

1:41:04>> This is the second warning you are

1:41:06receiving. Your behavior is disrupting

1:41:08the meeting. If it goes to a third

1:41:10warning, we will be asking you to leave

1:41:12the chamber. Thank you.

1:41:13>> Thank you. Please reset his time so he

1:41:15can start over and deliver his comment.

1:41:18topic.

1:41:19>> I believe that this is a topic for me

1:41:21personally, everybody. I'm an American

1:41:23citizen. I pay my taxes. I come to these

1:41:26meetings. I've been to more meetings

1:41:27this year in different city councils

1:41:30than a lot of folks can say right now.

1:41:32The longest I've been this year so far,

1:41:35Gardina 100 p.m. in the morning speaking

1:41:38and advocating for workers that wasn't

1:41:40that that stayed. They came with good

1:41:42intentions and then had to tap out and

1:41:44say, "Hey, brother, I'll see you

1:41:45tomorrow." because we were actually out

1:41:47there for the purpose of creating work

1:41:49opportunities. Change is hard. A lot of

1:41:52people done talked about that. I think

1:41:53that this right here is something that

1:41:55is going to be beneficial for the the

1:41:57city. But someone who represents

1:42:00construction workers, I can tell you

1:42:01that I'm up at 4 in the morning on job

1:42:03sites and to be here to come to uh a

1:42:06public comment. Just think about it.

1:42:08We're here talking about moving the

1:42:10meeting. Um uh that right now isn't a

1:42:13good time. We already are here long.

1:42:17Just think if this was later on tonight,

1:42:19we'll be with with a a minute and 30

1:42:21seconds times 100 people. We'll be here

1:42:24for for late at night. So, I'm just

1:42:26saying I'm just saying like this. Um,

1:42:31>> all right. Let's issue a warning to the

1:42:33gentleman.

1:42:35>> Uh, I I didn't Let's issue another

1:42:38warning uh to that area. I think it's

1:42:39the gentleman with his hand up. He's

1:42:40acknowledging.

1:42:42>> Thank you. Yeah.

1:42:43>> All right. This is your second warning.

1:42:44Your behavior is disrupting a meeting.

1:42:46If it goes to a third, we will be asking

1:42:47you to leave the chamber.

1:42:50>> All we have to do is let the people

1:42:51speak when they're at the microphone.

1:42:53It's really simple. Let the people speak

1:42:55when they're at the microphone. That's

1:42:57all.

1:42:58>> All right. Thank you.

1:43:01>> Yeah. Please continue.

1:43:02>> Um, hey. Well, well, uh, I just want to

1:43:04say that, hey, man, everybody in the

1:43:07room, just take a look at your neighbor,

1:43:08man. I I I hope that I'm one of your

1:43:10neighbors right there, too. And it's not

1:43:12uh ill will just because I wanted to

1:43:14speak in on my u what I believe is good

1:43:16for me and my family and my members. I

1:43:19would like to be able to come and speak

1:43:20early.

1:43:23>> Thank you for your comments.

1:43:24>> All right. Thank you for your comment.

1:43:30>> Hello. Um for the council, vote no. If

1:43:35this passes, I'm really looking forward

1:43:37to the litigation that's going to follow

1:43:38this. uh to all the community members

1:43:40who showed up in support of this agenda

1:43:42item. Uh the council moved this item to

1:43:45the front of the meeting. So clearly

1:43:47they have the power to reduce the

1:43:49inconvenience for us when we got to stay

1:43:52late. When we got to stay till 11 p.m.

1:43:54That's a deliberate choice on their part

1:43:56cuz they don't want to hear us speak. Uh

1:43:59to the rest of y'all, uh what's up? Uh

1:44:02I'm I'm Ellie. It's It's so great to see

1:44:04these chambers so packed. It's so great

1:44:07to see so many familiar faces here. It's

1:44:09great to see people I've never seen

1:44:10before. It's great to see people here

1:44:12for the first time. It's great to see

1:44:14people that I don't always agree with,

1:44:15but today we're on the same page. Uh and

1:44:18I just want to say to y'all like

1:44:19whatever happens with this agenda item

1:44:21tonight, like we got to keep doing this.

1:44:24We got to keep showing up cuz it's just

1:44:26not public comment. They're trying to

1:44:27take all type of stuff away. They're

1:44:29trying to raise our taxes. They're

1:44:31trying to take away our libraries and we

1:44:32showed up for that and we stopped it.

1:44:34And like whatever they do, if we keep

1:44:38showing up, we can make a better city

1:44:40for us. And I know that there is someone

1:44:42out here from district 2. And there's

1:44:44someone in this room from district 4 and

1:44:47someone from district 6 and someone from

1:44:50district 8. And I am so so looking

1:44:53forward to seeing the four of y'all up

1:44:55there in two years.

1:44:57>> Thank you very much.

1:44:58[applause and cheering]

1:45:00>> Next speaker is Alyssa G. And then Joe

1:45:03Soo.

1:45:05>> Good evening, mayor and city council

1:45:07members. My name is Lissa Guutiera,

1:45:09second district resident. Three days a

1:45:11month, that's how many times the public

1:45:14has an opportunity to interface with

1:45:16you.

1:45:17I'm here tonight because adequate and

1:45:19meaningful public participation is not a

1:45:22procedural courtesy. It's the bedrock of

1:45:24our democracy. There's something sacred

1:45:26about the current process where we, the

1:45:29public, have the opportunity to hear the

1:45:31staff reports, see the presentations,

1:45:33understand the item that is actually

1:45:35before you, and then respond to what we

1:45:37just heard. And then you, as our elected

1:45:39representatives, have those comments

1:45:41fresh in your minds as you begin your

1:45:42deliberation and make your decision.

1:45:45Moving all the public comment to the

1:45:46beginning of the meeting asks residents

1:45:48to speak before we've heard the

1:45:50information you're going to use to make

1:45:51your decisions. and it's disconnected.

1:45:54When the public comment is disconnected

1:45:56from the item being presented and

1:45:58deliberated, it sends a very troubling

1:46:00message that our comments are something

1:46:02to get through rather than information

1:46:05that you should that should inform your

1:46:07decisions. Under this proposal,

1:46:09residents may have as little as 60

1:46:11seconds and that is not meaningful

1:46:13public participation. It's a box to

1:46:15check. I know this process from the

1:46:17other side of the dis as commissioner

1:46:19when I was commissioner and chair of the

1:46:21human relations commission it was one of

1:46:23my personal goals to increase public

1:46:25participation and that's what we did

1:46:27public partition wasn't a inconvenience

1:46:29it was part of the work if we when you

1:46:32li uh public's ability to participate

1:46:34you don't just shorten the meeting you

1:46:36weaken democracy THANK ALL

1:46:39>> [cheering and applause]

1:46:45>> RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. JOE SOO, FIFTH

1:46:48DISTRICT. And did it

1:46:50>> did any of you smart people up there uh

1:46:52realize that you were giving us the

1:46:54public a message and the message is how

1:46:57we've accepted. You don't like to hear

1:47:00from us. [snorts] You don't uh want our

1:47:03input.

1:47:04There are too many uh you're too busy to

1:47:06hear from us.

1:47:08>> Uh you did not read your uh the uh job

1:47:12description when you

1:47:14>> went to work.

1:47:16>> And and you are better than us. That's

1:47:18what we're getting. That's it.

1:47:19>> Sure am.

1:47:21>> So, uh

1:47:23I heard that this proposal was brought

1:47:25forward to save taxpayers money. So,

1:47:28let's go forward with that and let's

1:47:30save some taxpayers money. All

1:47:32right, council members and mayor can

1:47:34only speak at the designated time you

1:47:37have for the public to speak. Imagine

1:47:40the savings on that.

1:47:44If if you vote yes on this,

1:47:48whoever votes yes on this should have

1:47:49the courage when they vote to say why.

1:47:54We all want to hear it. We want to know

1:47:56how you vote, what you think.

1:47:58>> So have the courage to do that. I dare

1:48:01you.

1:48:03>> [applause]

1:48:07>> This is the last call for public speaker

1:48:09Salvador S and Claire S. If you were in

1:48:12the audience,

1:48:15>> that concludes public comment for this

1:48:17item.

1:48:18>> All right. Well, uh, thank you for

1:48:20participating in public comment. Uh, a

1:48:23few things and we'll go to, uh, whatever

1:48:25comments the council has. Uh, first, you

1:48:28know, I was receiving a lot of messages.

1:48:30I get this question every time. When

1:48:32someone approaches the dis and says

1:48:35profanity and curse words and shouts,

1:48:40they have a first amendment right to use

1:48:42profanity and to be as loud as they need

1:48:44to be. Now, they can't disrupt the

1:48:47meeting. There's a distinct difference

1:48:48between what happens when they are

1:48:50recognized on the microphone and when we

1:48:53are conducting the business of the

1:48:54meeting or when someone is speaking. I

1:48:57would like the city the city attorney to

1:48:59outline

1:49:01where the lines are as it relates to

1:49:03disruptions and specifically what people

1:49:07can do when is their time on the

1:49:08microphone.

1:49:09>> I think you captured it very well,

1:49:11mayor. Um you're right. People have a

1:49:13right to voice their opinions, to use

1:49:14profanity, but when it comes to the

1:49:17point of disrupting a meeting where you

1:49:18cannot conduct business as a group,

1:49:20that's when we have the right to warn

1:49:22them. Um if it continues, you win them a

1:49:25second time, the third time, you can

1:49:27have them excused.

1:49:29>> All right. Thank you. So, public comment

1:49:34should be on topic of um of the subject

1:49:37matter. Uh a number of folks raised some

1:49:39very good issues and I know it's a

1:49:41difficult is a difficult uh uh choice

1:49:44that the city council has uh dealt with.

1:49:47This is an this is a disruption. This is

1:49:50a disruption. So I'm acknowledging again

1:49:54this is a disruption. So so uh but and

1:50:00ultimately city council makes the choice

1:50:01but it's important that they make a

1:50:02choice on the same set of facts. So I

1:50:05city attorney had one additional thing

1:50:07to add about what was wasn't disclosed

1:50:10in the uh in the uh line item.

1:50:14>> Yes. Uh just for to clarify as as um

1:50:18members of the public believe 60 seconds

1:50:20is um prescribed in the ordinance. There

1:50:23is a separate public comment process for

1:50:27hearings. Um at times council acts in a

1:50:30quasi judicial fashion and it of course

1:50:33has budget hearings. There's a separate

1:50:34public comment process for that. For

1:50:37that process there each speaker gets

1:50:39three minutes if it's less than 10

1:50:41speakers signed up. Um if there's 11 to

1:50:4420 speakers signed up they get 60

1:50:46seconds I'm excuse me 90 seconds and if

1:50:48there's 21 or more speakers they get 60

1:50:51seconds.

1:50:52>> All right so that is so to be clear uh

1:50:54what the attorney is outlining is

1:50:56there's two separate public comments.

1:50:59There's general public comment and then

1:51:01what are current practices on hearings?

1:51:03Hearings would be like budget hearings

1:51:05or land use hearings. those are required

1:51:09to have their own separate distinct

1:51:10public comment under the current rules.

1:51:13That is what's distinct here. Uh one

1:51:15consolidated public comment period at

1:51:18the beginning with 90 minutes, the

1:51:20ability to extend. Um and here's what I

1:51:23would say. Uh you know, the council,

1:51:27the reality is I've been a council

1:51:28member and I I know the challenges they

1:51:30deal with with uh having constituents

1:51:33from all over town. you have an issue,

1:51:35you want your constituents to be able to

1:51:37come down and speak. And a lot of work

1:51:40goes into making that happen. And the

1:51:42further you are representing North Long

1:51:44Beach, sometimes it's very difficult.

1:51:45You're proud when you see your con

1:51:47constituents come down. It's not easy.

1:51:50Um, so I can certainly see the benefit

1:51:52of saying, you know what time to come.

1:51:55If you come between 5 and 6:30, that's

1:51:58your time to speak. It may be extended.

1:52:00I can't guarantee guarantee how many

1:52:02times it will be extended. However,

1:52:05that's different than saying come down

1:52:07to speak on this important issue, your

1:52:10fire station, your fire engine, but I

1:52:12can't tell you what time it's going to

1:52:13happen. Sometimes there's three or four

1:52:16items of public interest. And sometimes

1:52:19it competes. Some council members will

1:52:20say, "Mayor, can you pull my item up?"

1:52:23You know, some, you know, some groups

1:52:24who might have a, you know, a really

1:52:26organized group may start texting

1:52:28campaigns to the council. move our item

1:52:30up. I get it. It makes by having one

1:52:33pro, you know, one period at the

1:52:35beginning, it democratizes that. There's

1:52:38no more paying favorites and moving one

1:52:40among amongst the other. It's one clear.

1:52:43Let me just explain. One clear system

1:52:46for everyone. I also understand the the

1:52:49trade-off. Folks may say if you separate

1:52:52public comment from the actual

1:52:54presentation then that puts that lowers

1:52:57my impact of my pres my comment. I

1:52:59understand that trade-off too. So I

1:53:01understand what both are saying. Really

1:53:04what I see here is an ongoing

1:53:06conversation the city council's had for

1:53:08many years about the amount of items

1:53:10that the city council deals with every

1:53:13single year grows. When I started in

1:53:152010 as a chief of staff or a council

1:53:18member, they had less than a thousand

1:53:20items that they would take on a year.

1:53:23800 or so items a year. Today, about 40

1:53:2730 to 40% more items, but you haven't

1:53:30added an additional night. You haven't

1:53:32added a LA, you know, bring back the

1:53:34meeting on the LA dark Tuesday, add a

1:53:36second meeting of the of the week, two

1:53:38meetings a week. The city council has

1:53:41considered some of Hold on. Let me

1:53:43finish explain. So without adding

1:53:46additional time, if you're working with

1:53:48the same, let's say 5 hours, right?

1:53:50Between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00, you have

1:53:53the same three meetings a month, five

1:53:56hours each, and you haven't added

1:53:58additional time, but then you add more

1:54:00work every year into that time. The only

1:54:03natural thing that can happen is the

1:54:04meetings go later. The later a meeting

1:54:07goes, it disenfranchises people on

1:54:09public transit or maybe who can't stay

1:54:11out late. I get that point. So,

1:54:13something's got to give. In reality, you

1:54:15either need to add additional time. You

1:54:18need to start the meetings earlier,

1:54:19which was a consideration. Council

1:54:21decided not to do that, or you can

1:54:24change the dynamic of the city council.

1:54:27And city councils, I was a council

1:54:29member. I worked full-time. It's

1:54:30part-time. They make a quarter of what

1:54:32the mayor makes. Have that conversation.

1:54:35City Council could put forward a measure

1:54:37to change the structure of city council.

1:54:39Go halftime, go full-time, meet on a

1:54:42more regular basis, more than once a

1:54:44once a month, once a week. All of those

1:54:46things are possible. So, so the point

1:54:49here is that you have really a conflict,

1:54:52a natural tension that at some point

1:54:54something needs to happen. So, I'm

1:54:55agnostic on how it how it plays out, but

1:54:58ultimately the council on all sides has

1:55:01been grappling with this for some time.

1:55:02And so, thank you. So, now we're going

1:55:05to go to city council. Uh, I think the

1:55:08first person teed up to speak is council

1:55:09member Dougen.

1:55:22All right. Thank you.

1:55:24When this proposal came to us several

1:55:27months ago, we heard loud and clear from

1:55:30you, the residents, that you did not

1:55:33support reducing your opportunities to

1:55:35speak on individual items. And we heard

1:55:39that here tonight very clearly

1:55:45that you want your public comment

1:55:47protected.

1:55:49um the opportunity to speak on an item

1:55:51when that item is actually before us

1:55:54after they have heard the staff

1:55:56presentation and before council makes a

1:55:58decision. I don't think asking someone

1:56:01to make one comment at the beginning of

1:56:03the meeting hours before we discuss the

1:56:05issue they came here for is the same

1:56:08level of public participation.

1:56:13I understand our meetings run long.

1:56:18Part of our meetings is deliberation and

1:56:21discussion.

1:56:23I understand public comment can

1:56:25sometimes be difficult.

1:56:28I don't accept it being disrespectful,

1:56:31but sitting here and listening to the

1:56:34public is one of the most basic

1:56:36responsibilities we have as council

1:56:38members.

1:56:40I'm going to be registering my

1:56:42opposition tonight as I have on previous

1:56:45votes.

1:56:46I do think we need to make our meetings

1:56:48more efficient and I think we can start

1:56:51by looking at our processes that we do

1:56:54not follow. Our order of business limit

1:56:58ceremonial items at the beginning of

1:57:00meetings to five minutes per item, three

1:57:02items per meeting. Over the nearly four

1:57:05years I've been on council, I don't know

1:57:08if we ever had a ceremony less than five

1:57:10minutes. Before we reduce the time or

1:57:13opportunities available to residents,

1:57:15let's start by holding ourselves

1:57:17accountable to the existing order of

1:57:19business.

1:57:20I do think there are good cleanup items

1:57:24within this item that we need to move

1:57:26forward with. Clarifying some of the

1:57:29language from chairman to chair seems

1:57:32like a good change. And requiring all

1:57:34public documents and media used for

1:57:36discussion submitted by Friday so people

1:57:39have time to review and prepare is also

1:57:43a good change. I'd like to restart the

1:57:46discussion to move the supplemental

1:57:48agenda to deadline to Thursday, not

1:57:50Friday. This would allow the city clerk

1:57:53team to move to a 980 schedule, which

1:57:56will save the city overtime costs during

1:57:58meetings and give the city attorney's

1:58:00team Friday to review supplemental items

1:58:03instead of working over the weekend.

1:58:06I think we need to continue the

1:58:08discussion on how we can make our

1:58:10meetings more efficient, but I continue

1:58:13to disagree with the proposal before us

1:58:15tonight because I think it's going in

1:58:16the wrong direction. For that reason, I

1:58:19am voting no.

1:58:21>> [cheering and applause]

1:58:29>> All right. Forgive me if I don't if I'm

1:58:30not seeing any additional. Council

1:58:32member Allen, did you have comments?

1:58:33>> Yeah. Um, there was a motion and a

1:58:35second. Um, so I don't know if you want

1:58:38me to go typically defer.

1:58:41>> Okay. Great. Okay. Thank you for it.

1:58:43>> All right. Well, first of all, I just

1:58:44want to thank uh everyone for your time

1:58:47and uh for everyone that came out today.

1:58:50Um the petition that circulated with 700

1:58:53signatures in opposition um is is

1:58:56significant. Um I also personally have

1:59:00read the numerous letters and emails

1:59:02that I've received over the months in

1:59:04opposition. I've been at numerous

1:59:06community meetings and um and this is

1:59:09just not a popular I do appreciate all

1:59:12the efforts to streamline our public

1:59:14comment process, but where we're at

1:59:17today is just not democratic.

1:59:20and the world that we live in, we need

1:59:23voices to be heard more than ever. So,

1:59:26um I do absolutely support making public

1:59:29participation easier. I want uh uh but

1:59:33this process and poly discussion

1:59:36um has been extremely fraught uh from

1:59:40the beginning. Um

1:59:43if these changes are made, we can't go

1:59:46back. So, we just have to get this

1:59:48right.

1:59:49the uh the proposals that we are

1:59:52considering are all very uh similar but

1:59:56none make it easy for the public to

1:59:59participate. I think all it does is

2:00:01consolidate comments. As I said before,

2:00:05and I think everyone knows where I

2:00:06stand, I do not support consolidating

2:00:09public comment into one time period

2:00:11before council me and eliminating the

2:00:14ability to comment on every agenda item.

2:00:18In my opinion, [applause]

2:00:20this change represents a major setback

2:00:22in public participation and it's just

2:00:25very unpopular. So, I just continue to

2:00:27ask myself, what are we doing this for?

2:00:30>> And it's been interesting to see how the

2:00:33reasons and justifications

2:00:35um that keep shifting. First, it was uh

2:00:37SP77 compliance. Then, it was saving

2:00:40money on staff time, and it was quality

2:00:42of life officers. Um, you know, I've

2:00:45been on council now for for six years,

2:00:48and this is by far the most convoluted,

2:00:51undemocratic, ambiguous backroom policy

2:00:54decisionmaking that I have ever seen.

2:00:57[cheering]

2:00:59[applause]

2:01:01I I still I still um I still am

2:01:04concerned about the uncertainty in the

2:01:05speaking time. During our September 1st

2:01:08council meeting, we were told that the

2:01:09exi the existing practice would carry

2:01:11over three minutes for up to 10

2:01:13speakers, 90 seconds for 11 to 20, and

2:01:1660 seconds for 21 or more. Um, but now

2:01:19the ordinance before us provides three

2:01:21minutes to all speakers in a 90-minute

2:01:23window and allows a presiding officer to

2:01:26reduce the time based on the total

2:01:28speakers without clarifying the

2:01:30thresholds. And to my understanding,

2:01:32this was not even directed by council.

2:01:34But but nevertheless, that's where we're

2:01:36at today. Um I I do believe that I work

2:01:40up here with some smart people on the

2:01:41dis. I think there are smart people in

2:01:43the city and I just can't see why we

2:01:45can't come up with a policy that meets

2:01:47everyone's needs. We don't have to pin

2:01:48people against each other. I think we

2:01:50can figure this out. Um we could allow

2:01:52exemptions um for folks. Um, but I still

2:01:55think if people do choose to stay and

2:01:57want to speak on every uh agenda item,

2:02:00then we should make that happen for

2:02:01them. Um, I know that uh we received I

2:02:04know that all my colleagues received um

2:02:06and I want to uplift this a letter from

2:02:08the disability rights council and in

2:02:10that letter they clearly ask for public

2:02:13comment when a specific when a specific

2:02:16item is called. The disability community

2:02:19understands the importance and need of

2:02:20being inclusive and accommodating more

2:02:22than ever than any of our other

2:02:24consistency groups and um and they are

2:02:27in opposition of what we have today and

2:02:30we need to take note and give that point

2:02:33um the recognition that it deserves. Um

2:02:35I support finding efficiencies

2:02:38and our meeting but those efficiencies

2:02:40should not come at limiting public

2:02:42participation. It should not come at the

2:02:45expense of convenience.

2:02:47And it should not come at the expense of

2:02:49making our jobs easier. I know this is

2:02:51an a very unpopular policy since the day

2:02:54it was published on the website. People

2:02:57do not like consolidating all their

2:02:59comments at the beginning of the

2:03:00meeting. People want choices,

2:03:02accommodations,

2:03:04transparencies and not restrictions. If

2:03:07people want to talk at the beginning,

2:03:09the middle or the end of the meeting,

2:03:10then so be it. That is their choice and

2:03:13it should be their right to do so and

2:03:15our responsibility to listen and honor

2:03:17their preferences. We accepted the

2:03:19responsibility of serving residents. We

2:03:22accepted the responsibility under the

2:03:24charter to come to three council

2:03:26meetings a month. That's our job. And if

2:03:28that means we stay late, we listen to

2:03:30comments even when we don't disagree

2:03:32with them. That is our job. So, I cannot

2:03:34in good faith support this proposal,

2:03:36consolidating all comments at the

2:03:38beginning of a council meeting and

2:03:39eliminating public comment on any agenda

2:03:41items. Thank you.

2:03:47>> Thank you, Council Member Kerr.

2:03:50>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

2:03:53>> I want to thank everyone who's here

2:03:54tonight. I want to thank all of you who

2:03:56have reached out to my and my colleagues

2:03:58offices, who have attended meetings,

2:04:00shared public comment, whether it's

2:04:02tonight or in previous litigations on

2:04:05this conversation. I have always kept

2:04:08the diversity of concerns and opinions

2:04:10at the forefront of my mind when making

2:04:12decisions that impact so many. And while

2:04:14public engagement doesn't always happen

2:04:16at coun isn't the only place that we

2:04:19have while public engagement happens at

2:04:21council meetings and it isn't the only

2:04:23place being public being around and

2:04:25present in the public is also public

2:04:27engagement. This is on the record. This

2:04:30is the public record. This is the public

2:04:32comment that counts. It gets recorded.

2:04:35It gets put online for everyone to see.

2:04:39I've been concerned about the impacts of

2:04:40limiting public comment since this

2:04:42conversation began. first with the GOE

2:04:44committee when it first came to council

2:04:45last November. The original intentions

2:04:48of the survey were to make council

2:04:49meetings more welcoming and accessible.

2:04:52By the time it came to council, the

2:04:54order of business changes seemed solely

2:04:55focused on meeting efficiency in terms

2:04:57of reducing the overall length of

2:04:59council meetings or the chance of

2:05:01meetings running late into the night.

2:05:03While I understand the need to conduct

2:05:05the business of the city, we have a duty

2:05:06and an obligation to keep the public

2:05:09involved throughout the process. As I

2:05:11have shared during previous meetings,

2:05:14this is the place people come to be

2:05:16heard. We know that we do not have the

2:05:18opportunity to do so at the federal

2:05:20level, very rarely at the state level.

2:05:22And oftentimes, this is the place where

2:05:25the most and the most local place where

2:05:27people come to have their feelings heard

2:05:30on the record about what's happening in

2:05:32our city, our state, and our nation, and

2:05:35the world. It's important, and we need

2:05:37to respect that. I want to be respectful

2:05:39that the public has come to have their

2:05:41moment to have a conversation especially

2:05:42when it's on non-aggendaized items

2:05:44because it's a time people come to say

2:05:46something that's very very important to

2:05:48them. It's clear that these changes as

2:05:51proposed tonight do not make our

2:05:52residents feel welcomed or that they've

2:05:54increased access to process. I

2:05:57understand also that the tenor and

2:05:59vitriol of some public comment also

2:06:01contributes to some residents not

2:06:03feeling welcome or comfortable to attend

2:06:05or watch our public meetings. I made

2:06:08amendments last week to try to increase

2:06:10the ability to participate in if in case

2:06:13this item moves forward. Those changes

2:06:16fall far short in doing so and I will

2:06:19not be supporting this item tonight. And

2:06:21I want it noted as my colleague said

2:06:24that members of the disability community

2:06:25have brought to light real challenges

2:06:27and obstacles to participation in our

2:06:30meetings and we have an obligation to

2:06:32address and consider those. I will be

2:06:35voting no, but I look forward to working

2:06:36with my colleagues, one or two of my

2:06:39colleagues to bring some ADA

2:06:41accessibilities consideration to

2:06:43consideration by the end of the year.

2:06:45Thank you.

2:06:47>> Thank you. Uh, Vice Mayor, I mean, Vice

2:06:49Mayor Yuranga,

2:06:52>> thank you. You know, earlier today, this

2:06:56evening, you all heard it. Somebody came

2:06:58up and said,

2:07:01"I'm sorry you're sick, but you're

2:07:03taking up space."

2:07:05I had not taking up space. I think my

2:07:09time, my choice to be here.

2:07:13When I got sick four years ago, I

2:07:14brought that up in our last meeting. I

2:07:17had a choice.

2:07:19I could have resigned.

2:07:21I could have just

2:07:24walked away and take care of my health.

2:07:28But I just got elected by the people of

2:07:33the seventh district. I was a newly

2:07:35elected council person. Do I walk away

2:07:38from them or do I continue my service?

2:07:42I chose to continue my service because I

2:07:45was elected by my people to serve their

2:07:48communities.

2:07:50Now, I may be incapacitated

2:07:53physically, but I'm not incapacitated

2:07:55here or here.

2:07:59I have a right I have as much a right to

2:08:03be here as you do.

2:08:07And why? Because you elected me. Now,

2:08:11there there might be some some changes.

2:08:14I know there's people here who did not,

2:08:16but that's okay. That's what democracy

2:08:19is all about. Democracy is you who you

2:08:22elect to be your representative and then

2:08:25what we do. We're here because we

2:08:27represent

2:08:29our constituents.

2:08:31So what I'm doing here today,

2:08:35don't interrupt me. Don't interrupt me.

2:08:40I have a choice. I have a floor. I can

2:08:43have a right to speak.

2:08:46And the bottom line is that when it

2:08:49comes to whatever decisions I make, I

2:08:52make them because I feel whatever is the

2:08:54best for my community, whatever is the

2:08:56best for my city council, whatever is

2:08:58the best that makes this city council

2:09:00work more efficiently and more cost

2:09:03effectively. That's why I'm here. I'm

2:09:06here to help the city work more

2:09:10efficiently for its constituents, for

2:09:12its people.

2:09:14No.

2:09:16How you said that?

2:09:18There's a

2:09:32>> Benjamin really once said,

2:09:36"Change is inevitable.

2:09:40In a progressive society, change is

2:09:43constant.

2:09:44What we have here tonight and what we're

2:09:47considering is change.

2:09:49And we as a city council have to decide,

2:09:53are we going to be a progressive city or

2:09:55a regressive city?

2:09:58I choose progressiveness or

2:10:00regressiveness. Thank you.

2:10:03>> Thank you. Next is

2:10:05>> All right. No inter disruptions to the

2:10:08meeting.

2:10:09>> Trying to get to a

2:10:11Thank you. All right. Council member

2:10:13Sorrow,

2:10:14>> we know you.

2:10:15>> So, I've I've sat and listened to

2:10:17everyone and obviously what I'm going to

2:10:19say is not going to be popular, but I

2:10:22want to be able to speak and you know

2:10:24what? I've been consistently voting for

2:10:27this because I have been listening to my

2:10:29resident. I've had diverse community

2:10:31resident who've called in because

2:10:33they've have various circumstances and

2:10:35not only in why they couldn't attend the

2:10:37meeting, but why they also have

2:10:39challenges calling in. I had Dr. Lisa

2:10:42Nicholas who couldn't call in even

2:10:44because she has a special need child

2:10:46she's taking care of. So I'm just saying

2:10:49that there are many voices that are also

2:10:52not heard and many have said earlier oh

2:10:55well who am I speaking for? I'm speaking

2:10:58for my resident who have called in and

2:11:00share that they are in support of this.

2:11:03So, I'm going to make sure to uplift

2:11:06parents who have spoken and their

2:11:08barriers as well where they're providing

2:11:10child care. So, I also respect that you

2:11:14would like to make sure you have your

2:11:15comments, but it's changing the way

2:11:17we're doing commenting, not taking it

2:11:20away. It is changing it. Thank you.

2:11:24>> Thank you, Council Member Thrashin.

2:11:26>> Thank you so much, Mayor. So, one of the

2:11:28things

2:11:29>> just a moment, council.

2:11:30>> Sorry. Okay.

2:11:32I'm waiting. I'm waiting.

2:11:35>> Thank you.

2:11:37>> Thank you so much. So, one of the things

2:11:40that I did want to share tonight, I have

2:11:42shared several occasions regarding this

2:11:44particular matter and why it's so

2:11:46important for the constituents that I

2:11:48represent.

2:11:50The reason why I believe that we are at

2:11:52a moment where we need to look at

2:11:55changing how we engage is related to my

2:11:58constituents that I'll talk a little bit

2:12:00about the fact that we have done some

2:12:02analysis and finally we will talk about

2:12:05the fact or I will share that I believe

2:12:07that there is more that can be done.

2:12:10However, we've got to be able to move

2:12:12forward and have the resources to govern

2:12:15right now. So, first of all, thank you

2:12:17all for coming out because this has been

2:12:19very helpful to get a lot of input. But

2:12:21I spent sever the last several weeks

2:12:24talking with my constituents who don't

2:12:26just work one job, two jobs, some work

2:12:28three jobs and don't have the

2:12:30opportunity to come to a council meeting

2:12:33and the leisure to sit here this entire

2:12:36time. Uh, April,

2:12:38>> April,

2:12:39>> with that, please restore um the meeting

2:12:42to state of order and please issue a a

2:12:45warning here. And I think that's the

2:12:47third warning of this gentleman,

2:12:48>> sir.

2:12:49>> Yeah, just a moment. Please issue the

2:12:52final

2:12:52>> This is your final warning, sir.

2:12:54>> This gentleman is disrupting the

2:12:56meeting.

2:13:00[cheering]

2:13:01>> [applause]

2:13:07>> And please issue warning to to April in

2:13:10the front row.

2:13:11>> Thank you.

2:13:13>> Hopefully he can get some rest because I

2:13:14know how hard it is out there.

2:13:16>> This is the second warning. Your

2:13:18behavior is disrupting the meeting.

2:13:20>> If you continue to disrupt the meeting,

2:13:22a third warning will be issued and

2:13:23you'll be asked to leave the chamber.

2:13:25Thank you.

2:13:26>> Again, there's a time for public

2:13:28comment. There's a time for business.

2:13:30It's now time for the council to

2:13:32deliberate and make the choice that

2:13:34you're waiting that you're waiting on.

2:13:36Thank you.

2:13:38>> We also have I've heard from a number of

2:13:40constituents that they no longer feel

2:13:42comfortable coming to the chambers given

2:13:44the way that things are handled right

2:13:46now and the way that the public has

2:13:48behaved. I have constituents who've made

2:13:52clear that they are not comfortable and

2:13:55are afraid to be in the chambers because

2:13:58of the way people are expressing

2:14:00themselves here.

2:14:02>> Then I would like to say the analysis

2:14:04that has been done

2:14:06>> just just a moment.

2:14:07>> Gentleman in the chair issue your final

2:14:09warning. I think that's his third wave.

2:14:11Thank you, sir.

2:14:12>> Take care. [cheering]

2:14:13[applause]

2:14:18>> All right.

2:14:25Vote

2:14:28them

2:14:30out.

2:14:33>> All right. Thank you.

2:14:37>> All right. Thank you. Please proceed.

2:14:39>> Thank you. And then uh we we won't even

2:14:42go into the detail of the analysis. We

2:14:45have that here regarding not only what

2:14:47the top 10 cities are doing but also

2:14:49what some of the other cities in our

2:14:51region are doing in order to respond to

2:14:53SB77

2:14:55and we do want to make sure that we are

2:14:57able to ensure that people who are on

2:14:59Zoom have a chance to participate uh in

2:15:02our meetings. Further this is not the

2:15:05only format in which we can engage with

2:15:08one another. We have offered many

2:15:10different ways and like I said, I've

2:15:12been speaking with my constituents about

2:15:14what is needed and there are many issues

2:15:17beyond the ones that we're talking about

2:15:19here today and I wish some of you would

2:15:21come out for some of our meetings on

2:15:23human trafficking, making sure that we

2:15:25eradicate that within our city as

2:15:27something that we get focused on.

2:15:36I'm not quite sure what that has to do

2:15:38with this, but that's a disruption to

2:15:40the meeting. Uh, please issue a warning

2:15:42to um restore order to the meeting.

2:15:44>> In order to restore to quorum, I will

2:15:46ask officers present to please clear out

2:15:48the meeting. If you cannot conduct

2:15:50yourselves in a professional manner,

2:15:52this is the last warning to this group.

2:15:54Your third and final warning. Thank you.

2:15:56To be clear, we're talking about the

2:15:58gentleman in the tie-dye that continues

2:16:00to disrupt the meeting. Let's just get

2:16:02through the the order of business. Thank

2:16:04you. Please proceed.

2:16:05>> Uh, finally, I just want to talk about

2:16:07the fact that we have a government

2:16:08operations and efficiencies committee.

2:16:11This committee has had time over the

2:16:13last year to consider what the strategy

2:16:15might be in order to respond to 707. I

2:16:18chair other committees and sit on other

2:16:20committees and I have been waiting for

2:16:22my colleagues here to present ideas as

2:16:25to how we can come to another conclusion

2:16:28regarding this particular uh policy. We

2:16:31are where we are today in terms of a

2:16:33policy that does require that we that

2:16:35will require some change. I'm

2:16:37comfortable with where we are today.

2:16:39That doesn't mean we cannot have a

2:16:41conversation further along regarding how

2:16:44else this policy can be as responsive as

2:16:46possible to people who are looking for

2:16:48other ways to engage in public comment.

2:16:51So I ask my colleagues who have had uh

2:16:53direct oversight and uh with that

2:16:56particular committee to please share any

2:16:58ideas you might have regarding how this

2:17:00policy could be uh looked at and

2:17:03assessed in the future. Uh but where we

2:17:05are today is that I have a number of

2:17:06constituents who are ready to ensure

2:17:09that they can participate in the public

2:17:11process by knowing when and about what

2:17:14time they will be able to pro provide

2:17:16public comment at the beginning of the

2:17:18meeting. It was noted by one of the

2:17:20speakers earlier that we uh held from

2:17:22our office a presentation on community

2:17:25violence and prevention. We had nearly

2:17:27100 youth here and they were unable to

2:17:30speak because we did not have a time

2:17:32certain at which they could do so. We

2:17:34want to make sure that families

2:17:40agenda

2:17:40>> so we want to make sure that families uh

2:17:43who don't have infinite flexible

2:17:45schedules are able to participate in the

2:17:47public process by knowing when our

2:17:50public comment will take place and when

2:17:52they can expect to be heard. Thank you.

2:17:55>> Thank you.

2:17:56All right. Next is Councilwoman Zindas.

2:17:59>> Thank you.

2:18:01>> Thank you.

2:18:02>> Just a moment. Council members and

2:18:04dehas.

2:18:05>> I am. I Thank you.

2:18:06>> Um Michael, uh let's issue a final

2:18:10warning to Michael on disrupting the

2:18:12meeting.

2:18:13>> This is your third and final warning.

2:18:16Your behavior is disrupting.

2:18:18>> No, we warmed your group twice. You were

2:18:20in that group. I'm sorry. Please

2:18:22continue.

2:18:23>> This is your third and final warning.

2:18:27Your behavior is disrupting the meeting.

2:18:29We will be asking you to leave the

2:18:30chamber if we have further disruptions.

2:18:32Thank you.

2:18:33>> Thank you. All right. Councilwoman Z and

2:18:35Dehas, please proceed.

2:18:36>> Thank you. Um, people with disabilities

2:18:39continue to be an afterthought. That's

2:18:43one of the things that I have advocated

2:18:45for so long, for my entire life, to make

2:18:49sure that people with disabilities have

2:18:52access to uh participate in the

2:18:55community. um as people with

2:18:57disabilities and me a representative

2:19:00from that community. I feel that um

2:19:03there are too many decisions that are me

2:19:06made about people with disabilities

2:19:08without having the experience uh of what

2:19:12we experience in a daily life. I have

2:19:14seen many many people with disabilities

2:19:18come to city council wanting to make a

2:19:22public comment and having to leave

2:19:24before they are heard. And I also heard

2:19:27a comment earlier today. Well, that's

2:19:29why we have Zoom now. Yes. So, you're um

2:19:34saying that or what I'm hearing is that

2:19:37people with disability should not come

2:19:39to city council to voice their opinion.

2:19:42Um so,

2:19:44because we have Zoom now.

2:19:46>> All right. All right. Let's let's finish

2:19:48>> because

2:19:49>> just a moment, council woman. That's

2:19:50what I heard.

2:19:51>> Just a moment, council. Just a moment.

2:19:52Just a moment. Let Okay, let's let her

2:19:54finish. Please continue.

2:19:56>> That's what I heard. And I know that

2:19:57that's what the disability community

2:19:59heard when they say we have Zoom now.

2:20:02Yes, Zoom makes it wonderful for

2:20:04everybody to be able to participate, but

2:20:08have you ever been the person that has

2:20:10to make your ride 24 hours in advance?

2:20:14Um, and that is and that and that you

2:20:17cannot change your ride. See, people

2:20:20don't understand that. And I know that

2:20:22people with disabilities struggle

2:20:25struggle with having to make

2:20:28transportation plans and the and people

2:20:32have to come and want to have their

2:20:34voice heard, but they can't because the

2:20:36agenda items get pushed. This is why

2:20:39it's important to have a set time for

2:20:42people who have disabilities, who cannot

2:20:46change their rights um and who want to

2:20:48participate in person. And um and I

2:20:52think that there's so much more that we

2:20:54can do together as a council moving

2:20:57forward, but um but that's important to

2:21:00me and it will continue to be important

2:21:02to me.

2:21:04>> Thank you. Uh

2:21:07thank you. Next is Council Member Rick

2:21:08Sod.

2:21:11>> Uh thank you, Mayor.

2:21:13Uh good evening, mayor, council members,

2:21:15and residents. Uh for years, residents

2:21:17who wanted to participate in local

2:21:18government faced unpredictable schedules

2:21:20and late night public comic periods.

2:21:22Before I was a council member, I was one

2:21:24of those residents. At this very moment,

2:21:26I'm balancing family needs and the work

2:21:28of being a council member. My children

2:21:29are are trying to get into the living

2:21:31room right now. By cons by consolidating

2:21:34public comment into a single

2:21:35comprehensive 90-minute window early in

2:21:37the evening. This ordinance prioritizes

2:21:39community members times and recognizes

2:21:41the difficulty with long agendas and

2:21:43late night public comment. This allows

2:21:45people to provide all their public

2:21:47comments for every item by a predictable

2:21:49time whether you are online or in

2:21:50person. For community members with

2:21:53children like mine, that means making it

2:21:55home for dinner, picking up kids from

2:21:57practice, helping with homework, and

2:21:59being home for bedtime. Beyond smarter

2:22:01scheduling, this update um embeds real

2:22:04equity into our municipal code.

2:22:06Moreover, this ordinance includes the

2:22:08city clerk reading written public

2:22:10comment totals for each agenda item,

2:22:12allowing council members to know real

2:22:13time which items receive a lot of

2:22:15communication. Preserves three minutes

2:22:17per public speaker. Still allows a

2:22:19separate public comment for public

2:22:21hearings, including budget hearings.

2:22:23Allows whoever is chairing the meeting

2:22:24to add more time if we have a lot of

2:22:26public comment. and ensures that reports

2:22:29and presentations are attached to posted

2:22:30agenda items no later than Friday before

2:22:32a council meeting allowing time comm

2:22:34time timely community review. Good local

2:22:37governance should be accessible,

2:22:38transparent, and respectful of working

2:22:40families and the demands of life. I'll

2:22:42be voting in support of this. Thank you.

2:22:45>> Thank you, Council Member Dougen.

2:22:54>> All right. Uh let's let's let's get back

2:22:58to it. Council member Dougen.

2:23:00>> Thank you, Mayor. Um as the chair of the

2:23:04government operations and efficiencies

2:23:06committee a year and a half ago, I

2:23:08brought an item forward with uh the

2:23:13support of my colleagues to help. We

2:23:16brought ideas forward such as time

2:23:19certain items.

2:23:21These are things that I brought to

2:23:23council and council voted to wait until

2:23:27after 707 was implemented.

2:23:31There have been many iterations of this.

2:23:34Now, um

2:23:38I think that we need to

2:23:42um

2:23:44city attorney. Um I want to I move that

2:23:49we return with an ordinance

2:23:52that includes the proposed changes but

2:23:55keeps the current order of business and

2:23:58current public comment procedures

2:24:01unchanged.

2:24:02The goal of the Did you get that?

2:24:06>> Did Yes. Go ahead.

2:24:08>> The goal of the government operations

2:24:10and efficiencies

2:24:13um item that we brought to council was

2:24:16to help

2:24:18with transparency

2:24:20to drive people to the meetings to speak

2:24:23at public comment. I think a time

2:24:27certain option is very good for people

2:24:31items that relate to kids. We could move

2:24:34them forward in the meeting people.

2:24:39[applause]

2:24:42So I'm I'm asking for that to be looked

2:24:45at uh and brought back as part of the

2:24:48ordinance.

2:24:54>> Council member Allen.

2:24:57Yes. And then um part of the or

2:24:58ordinance um with regards to a

2:25:00disability, I'd like you to look at just

2:25:02time certain that anyone with a

2:25:04disability is guaranteed to speak at the

2:25:05beginning of the meeting. um that

2:25:07there's an exe exemption if uh if

2:25:10there's over a certain amount of

2:25:11speakers, if they're uh from the

2:25:13disability community that they

2:25:14automatically get to speak and um and I

2:25:17agree with uh my uh colleague keeping uh

2:25:20the the the meeting the way it is so

2:25:22people anyone with disability can speak

2:25:24on an any agenda item at the beginning

2:25:26of a meeting so they're time certain

2:25:28because I do I do agree with my

2:25:31colleagues and dehas transportation um

2:25:34and and and uh my stepdad being in a

2:25:36wheelchair is really difficult and what

2:25:37she was saying is so true. It's hard but

2:25:39if we can try to figure this out and say

2:25:41let's just do time start in the

2:25:42beginning of every meeting that anyone

2:25:44with a disability can can talk on any

2:25:46agenda item can we need to look at that

2:25:51>> Mr. Mayor Mr. Mayor

2:25:53>> council members and deas

2:25:54>> Mr. Mayor, just to be clear, are we are

2:25:56these friendly amendments that are being

2:25:57made by

2:25:58>> No, the the that motion was a substitute

2:26:01motion by council member Dugen, not a

2:26:03friendly amendment. And I and I didn't

2:26:06hear a second, but I think that was a

2:26:07second from Council Member Allen.

2:26:09>> Yes, sir.

2:26:09>> Okay. All right. Next is Council Member

2:26:12Zindas. I just want to say I appreciate

2:26:14your thoughts, Councilwoman Allen. But

2:26:17um also there's a lot of people that

2:26:19have disabilities that don't want to

2:26:21disclose their disabilities. So that

2:26:23would be jeopardizing that. So that

2:26:25wouldn't work. But and there are

2:26:28>> Please let the discussion take place.

2:26:30This is the process. Public comment has

2:26:33ended. This is the decision-making

2:26:35deliberation process. They have to like

2:26:39discuss one another. You all get your t

2:26:42chance and then we have our chance to

2:26:43deliberate. That's this that's this

2:26:45opportunity. So please allow the

2:26:47deliberation to take place. That's a

2:26:49distur disruption of the meeting.

2:26:53>> All right. Let's issue final warning to

2:26:56uh this individual in the front who's

2:26:57standing and continues to interrupt the

2:26:59meeting.

2:27:01>> You've continued to willfully interrupt

2:27:03the meeting. This is your third and

2:27:04final warning. If we have to stop the

2:27:08meeting again for disruptions, we will

2:27:09be asking you to leave the chamber.

2:27:11Thank you.

2:27:12>> Thank you.

2:27:13>> All right. Please proceed. Council

2:27:14member

2:27:21council members and de house. Were you

2:27:22were you were you finished with your

2:27:24statement? Okay. All right. So, we have

2:27:26now we move to the vote. So, we first

2:27:29have the substitute motion by council

2:27:32member uh Dugen, which would uh not move

2:27:35this the ordinance that's on the agenda

2:27:38forward and start the creation of a

2:27:40second motion with other considerations

2:27:42as she mentioned. And then after that

2:27:45motion, the main motion would be what's

2:27:47on on the floor in front of us. So, that

2:27:49said, roll call vote.

2:27:50>> Um, mayor and then I have a friendly for

2:27:52>> inclusive of the friendly. Would you

2:27:54like to restate the motion?

2:27:56>> Which is the the friendly is the time

2:27:57certain for those with disabilities.

2:27:59Correct.

2:27:59>> That's the that's the friendly. All

2:28:01right. So, let's do roll.

2:28:03>> Can you please repeat the entire I want

2:28:05to know what the first vote is

2:28:08specifically?

2:28:08>> First vote is yours. Let's re What is

2:28:10what are we voting on today?

2:28:12>> Right now.

2:28:13>> So, the first vote if if I understood

2:28:15correctly.

2:28:18Yeah,

2:28:19>> I understood council member Dugen that

2:28:22you made a substitute motion to move

2:28:24forward with the ordinance as written

2:28:26except for the order of business

2:28:29section. So the public comment period

2:28:31would be taken uh we would take public

2:28:34comment as each agenda item is that

2:28:36correct?

2:28:37>> Correct. Public comment would be

2:28:40unchanged

2:28:44unchanged as it stands right now. It's

2:28:48not part of the new ordinance.

2:28:52Does that make sense?

2:28:54>> Yes. Thank you.

2:28:56>> So that would be they would bring back

2:28:59this ordinance with that reverted to the

2:29:01current status quo system plus the

2:29:03friendly amendment from council member

2:29:05Allen. That's what's in front of us.

2:29:08Everyone clear? All right. So, uh uh on

2:29:13let's cast our roll call vote on the

2:29:15substitute motion.

2:29:18>> District one.

2:29:20>> Nay.

2:29:21>> District two.

2:29:22>> I.

2:29:22>> District three.

2:29:24>> I.

2:29:24>> District four.

2:29:25>> Nay.

2:29:27>> District five.

2:29:29>> I.

2:29:30>> District six.

2:29:31>> Nay.

2:29:32>> District seven.

2:29:33>> Nay.

2:29:34>> District eight.

2:29:35>> Nay.

2:29:35>> District nine.

2:29:37Nay.

2:29:39>> Now, let's vote.

2:29:41>> Thank you. Now, let's have roll call

2:29:43vote on the main motion, please.

2:29:46>> So, the first uh substitute motion has

2:29:49failed on the floor. The second roll

2:29:51call vote. District one,

2:29:52>> I.

2:29:53>> District two,

2:29:54>> nay.

2:29:55>> District three,

2:29:56>> nay.

2:29:56>> District four,

2:29:57>> I.

2:29:58>> District five,

2:30:00>> no.

2:30:00>> District six,

2:30:02>> I.

2:30:02>> District seven,

2:30:04>> I.

2:30:04>> District eight,

2:30:05>> I. District nine.

2:30:07>> Yes.

2:30:09>> Motion on the floor carries.

2:30:11>> All right.

2:30:12[cheering] The eyes have it. Thank you.

2:30:17>> All right. So,

2:30:19I'm going to state the next order. We're

2:30:21going to take a fivem minute recess and

2:30:24then we're going to uh come back with

2:30:26the pedal movement mobility item. Thank

2:30:29you.

2:30:32on you. On [cheering]

2:30:36you on

2:30:45[cheering]

2:30:56[cheering]

2:30:58>> their faces.

2:31:10THIS is going to happen.

2:31:23Vote them out.

2:31:40What are you going to

2:47:13All

2:47:27right, we're going to go ahead and

2:47:28reconvene the city council. Roll call,

2:47:30please.

2:47:37>> Councilwoman Zenaas,

2:47:38>> present.

2:47:39>> Councilwoman Allen,

2:47:40>> present. Council member Dugen

2:47:43>> here.

2:47:43>> Councilman Supernna

2:47:44>> here.

2:47:45>> Councilwoman Kerr

2:47:46>> present.

2:47:47>> Councilwoman Sorrow

2:47:48>> present.

2:47:48>> Vice Mayor Yuranga

2:47:50>> present.

2:47:51>> Councilwoman Thrash Entuk

2:47:53>> here.

2:47:54>> Council member Rick Zod

2:47:56>> here.

2:47:57>> Mayor Richardson.

2:47:59>> I am here.

2:48:00>> We have a quorum.

2:48:01>> Thank you. All right. We're going to go

2:48:02ahead and con reconvene uh the city

2:48:04council. We're going to start with item

2:48:0720. Let's read item 20, please.

2:48:15Report from public works recommendation

2:48:17to adopt and award a contract to Drop

2:48:19Mobility California for operation,

2:48:21maintenance, and modernization of the

2:48:23city of Long Beach's bike share program

2:48:25for a total contract amount not to

2:48:27exceed 25,681,170

2:48:32and execute all documents necessary to

2:48:34enter into the contract, including any

2:48:36necessary subsequent amendments

2:48:38citywide.

2:48:39>> All right. Thank you. We have a a brief

2:48:41staff presentation, then we're going to

2:48:42go to public comment. Tom,

2:48:44>> thank you, uh, Mr. Mayor, members of the

2:48:46council. This was a item that we, uh,

2:48:48heard a pretty extensive, um,

2:48:49presentation and public comment, uh, at

2:48:51the last council meeting, uh, and you

2:48:53asked us to do some additional work and

2:48:55come back with the answers to those

2:48:56questions. So, uh, we published all that

2:48:58on Friday and that got uploaded with the

2:49:00agenda as well as a presentation, uh,

2:49:02that we'll go through tonight to answer

2:49:03those questions and then, uh, hear

2:49:05public comment and take questions from

2:49:06the council. Uh, turn to our team.

2:49:10All right. Good evening, mayor and

2:49:12members of the city council. As Mr.

2:49:14Modica noted, we do have two items that

2:49:16are returning continued from September

2:49:1822nd. We did issue a memo on October 2nd

2:49:23that outlines

2:49:24>> just a moment. There's a there's an

2:49:25interaction happening here. Just to be

2:49:27clear, the flag is over the TV that's on

2:49:31the other side. So, if it blocks the TV,

2:49:34we can't see what's on that screen. So

2:49:35the clerk is just doing her job by

2:49:38making sure that screen's accessible. So

2:49:40let's not mistreat the clerk if she's

2:49:42just attempting to do her job.

2:49:44>> Then then let's not have the property

2:49:46where it's not supposed to be and we we

2:49:49can proceed. Please begin the

2:49:51presentation.

2:49:52>> Yes, sir.

2:49:54>> Before we get into the presentation, if

2:49:55I can get a motion, a second on the

2:49:56item, please.

2:49:58>> Motion.

2:49:59>> Thank you. Seconded by council district

2:50:023. Thank you.

2:50:02>> All right. Thank you.

2:50:04Please proceed.

2:50:07>> Okay. Um, so as mentioned, we are

2:50:09returning tonight with uh two different

2:50:11items that were continued from September

2:50:1322nd. We did issue a memo on October 2nd

2:50:16that helped address and outline a number

2:50:19of the different questions that we

2:50:20received from city council on the 22nd.

2:50:23We're going to start off hearing from

2:50:24our procurement services team. They're

2:50:26going to outline and walk through the

2:50:28selection process, specifics of how this

2:50:30recommendation came before you, how it

2:50:33was developed, and answer some of the

2:50:34questions. So, from here, I'll turn it

2:50:36over to Tara Mortonson, and then we'll

2:50:38come back at the end and give you some

2:50:39more public works information.

2:50:43>> Good evening, mayor and members of city

2:50:45council. Thank you for this additional

2:50:47opportunity to provide more information

2:50:49about how the city goes about selecting

2:50:51vendors. The process we use that has

2:50:53been reviewed and awarded many industry

2:50:55recognitions and awards as it has been

2:50:58evaluated as a best practice in the

2:51:00nation. My name is Tara Mortonson and I

2:51:02am the business services bureau manager

2:51:04and also the acting city purchasing

2:51:06agent as the procurement services

2:51:08division is within my bureau. I'm the

2:51:10acting because Michelle Mason here with

2:51:12me tonight is now the city's business

2:51:14operations bureau manager in parks,

2:51:16recreation, and marine, but was the

2:51:18city's purchasing agent for much of this

2:51:20specific competitive procurement. She'll

2:51:22help me walk through how the process

2:51:23usually works, specific items associated

2:51:26with this RFP, and how the protest was

2:51:28determined. Let's start with the

2:51:30foundation for a selection, a request

2:51:32for proposal or RFP, and why we use the

2:51:34procurement method. An RFP re an RFP

2:51:38helps the city find the best value for

2:51:40goods and services in an open, fair,

2:51:42transparent, competitive, and equitable

2:51:44way. It is by far the industry standard

2:51:47and norm to provide a level playing

2:51:49field for all proposers when there are

2:51:50more things to consider than the lowest

2:51:52price. The rules are disclosed publicly

2:51:54upfront so that everyone that wants an

2:51:56opportunity to be considered can be and

2:51:59has access to the same information and

2:52:01same opportunity and the city can find

2:52:03the best value for its organization and

2:52:06ultimately the taxpayers. The city

2:52:10has the procurement services division to

2:52:11provide for an independent and separate

2:52:13facilitator of procurement processes and

2:52:15overall oversight of how the city spends

2:52:17its considerable resources on goods and

2:52:19services. This provides for oversight of

2:52:22the process and for separation between

2:52:24the operations and the process and that

2:52:26we have documentation and transparency

2:52:29on how government contracts are

2:52:30ultimately awarded that will utilize the

2:52:32public's resources. This is very similar

2:52:35to the very universally accepted model

2:52:37of having a human resources department

2:52:39to have oversight on hiring practices.

2:52:41The process to hire is established and

2:52:44consistently apply applied across the

2:52:46city. So are the procurement practices.

2:52:48And just like HR, evaluating is

2:52:50inherently subjective and decisions are

2:52:53made in our the city's best interests.

2:52:56Separation of duties is a cornerstone in

2:52:58all government finance operations and

2:53:00the city's financial management

2:53:02department.

2:53:04As you can see from our performance

2:53:06metrics,

2:53:08thank you for advancing. Um this is a

2:53:10big responsibility and we have

2:53:12established appropriate processes

2:53:14utilized across the 22 of the city

2:53:16managers um the city manager

2:53:18departments. In FY25 we administered 255

2:53:22formal solicitations which included bids

2:53:24and RFPs resulting in millions in

2:53:27contract spend. All formal solicitations

2:53:30are posted on Long Beach buys and the

2:53:32city's procurement platform.

2:53:34Our procurement values are grounded in

2:53:36how we serve the Long Beach community.

2:53:39Every purchase should deliver meaningful

2:53:40value to residents, departments, and

2:53:42taxpayers. The core values you see here

2:53:44on the slide guide our procurement

2:53:46process. First, we aim to be results

2:53:49driven. Second, we want to make sure we

2:53:51are getting the best value and that

2:53:54price and quality and responsible

2:53:56decisions are being made. We strive to

2:53:59be competitive and equitable, efficient,

2:54:02and then our decisions should be

2:54:04unbiased without preferential treatment.

2:54:06and our processes and information should

2:54:08be clear and accessible. A key takeaway

2:54:11here is these values all work together.

2:54:13We want procurement that is competitive

2:54:15and fair, efficient and transparent, and

2:54:17ultimately delivers the best outcome for

2:54:19Long Beach. Competition is a good thing

2:54:22for the city. It is in our best interest

2:54:25to have a competitive process. Awarding

2:54:28contracts is a big responsibility that

2:54:30can lead to difficult decisions, but

2:54:32change is not rare. Transitioning from

2:54:34one vendor to another is a constant

2:54:36occurrence across all government bodies

2:54:38in our region, the state, and the

2:54:39nation. National best practice is to

2:54:42conduct a new procurement every 3 to 5

2:54:44years. Pedal movement has had

2:54:46exclusivity for 10 years.

2:54:49Receiving a healthy pool of proposals is

2:54:51evidence that the process is working. It

2:54:54is very much accepted that fair

2:54:56competition will bring the best value to

2:54:57the city and help us spend taxpayer

2:55:00dollars appropriately and responsibly.

2:55:05Good evening, mayor and council.

2:55:07Procurement has a huge impact on the

2:55:09economy and procurement services in Long

2:55:11Beach has been proud to work with and

2:55:13support our local economy in a variety

2:55:16of ways, including our comprehensive

2:55:18local preference program, which was

2:55:20developed and implemented per council uh

2:55:23direction in 2022.

2:55:26Under the local preference program, Long

2:55:28Beachbased businesses receive an extra 5

2:55:30or 10% to their scores after evaluation.

2:55:34Residential-based local businesses

2:55:36receive an additional 5% to their scores

2:55:38after evaluation. And non-residential

2:55:41brick-andmortar location businesses

2:55:42receive 10. Local preference was applied

2:55:46to this RFP and pedal movement received

2:55:49the full 10% extra credit. An important

2:55:52distinction is that local preference is

2:55:54not a specific evaluation criteria and a

2:55:57business's location cannot be an

2:55:59evaluable criteria. Instead, local

2:56:02preference effectively works like extra

2:56:04credit. It is added to a proposer score

2:56:07after the evaluation is complete. It is

2:56:10added to allow for local businesses to

2:56:12be able to better compete with

2:56:14businesses that could be out of the area

2:56:16and have a lower cost of living. It

2:56:18levels the playing field. In addition,

2:56:21Pedal Movement's address that qualified

2:56:23them as a local business is a city-owned

2:56:25building. In a similar way, drop will

2:56:27become a local business with their w

2:56:30with their own local operation as

2:56:32required by the RFP.

2:56:37The city's procurement services division

2:56:39is seen as a lead leader in local

2:56:41government procurement. Through our

2:56:43extreme procurement makeover, the

2:56:44procurement services division has taken

2:56:47great strides to transform operations to

2:56:50deliver impactful, innovative, and

2:56:52meaningful results to the city that are

2:56:54rooted in openness, fairness,

2:56:56transparency, competition, and equity.

2:57:00These principles, as well as procurement

2:57:02best practices, inform the RFP document

2:57:06and competitive process as a whole.

2:57:08Procurement Services has partnered and

2:57:10continued to collaborate with the

2:57:12Harvard Kennedy School Government

2:57:14Performance Lab, Procurement Excellent

2:57:16Network, Partners for Public Good,

2:57:18Bloomberg Philanthropies, the California

2:57:21Association of Public Procurement

2:57:23Officials, and the National Institute of

2:57:25Government Purchasing. These are leading

2:57:28organizations that drive procurement and

2:57:30establish the best practices for the

2:57:32industry. Their expertise has been

2:57:34critical in ensuring the city's

2:57:35procurement process meets or exceeds the

2:57:38national standards.

2:57:40Procurement services hosts events and

2:57:42speaks at state and national conferences

2:57:44regularly. Just last month, procurement

2:57:47services attended the procurement

2:57:49innovation exchange in Los Angeles where

2:57:51a cohort of eight of the top cities in

2:57:53the nation were hand selected to come

2:57:55together to solve procurement challenges

2:57:57with the support of their mayors. The

2:57:59procurement services division has been

2:58:01nationally recognized with the national

2:58:04procurement institute

2:58:06achievement of excellence in procurement

2:58:08award for six out of the last seven

2:58:09years putting us in the top 1% in the

2:58:13country. The division and its staff have

2:58:15also been recipients of the government

2:58:17finance officer association award for

2:58:19excellence, national cooperative

2:58:21procurement partners above and beyond

2:58:23award and gfoa recognition for

2:58:27outstanding public service. This is all

2:58:30to say that our processes have been

2:58:31reviewed by all of these evaluation

2:58:34committees, outside educational support

2:58:36institution and industryleading

2:58:38organizations and have been found to be

2:58:40the best in the nation.

2:58:43Now, let's dive into the details of this

2:58:46specific RFP. It was publicly posted on

2:58:49December 16th, 2025.

2:58:52116 potential proposers were notified of

2:58:55the opportunity, of which nine were

2:58:57local. Additionally, 44 local, small,

2:59:01minority owned, and womenowned

2:59:02businesses were also notified.

2:59:05There was an optional info session on

2:59:07January 6 to provide equal access to key

2:59:10information, make clarifications, and

2:59:12set expectations. Any information shared

2:59:15during this meeting was shared with all

2:59:17potential proposers. Proposers had the

2:59:19opportunity to submit questions, and

2:59:21everyone was given access to all of the

2:59:23questions and answers. No questions

2:59:25about minimum qualifications, evaluation

2:59:28criteria, or local preference were

2:59:30submitted.

2:59:32All are all all four proposals received

2:59:35received were deemed responsive. This is

2:59:38a routine review and check by

2:59:40procurement services staff to ensure

2:59:42that all proposals start on a level

2:59:44playing field and are eligible to

2:59:46proceed ensuring an equitable start to

2:59:48the selection process consist consistent

2:59:51with fairness principles.

2:59:53After establishing responsiveness, the

2:59:55proposals were sent to the evaluation

2:59:57committee. On May 11th, 2026, the notice

3:00:01of intent to award was posted publicly

3:00:03announcing Drop Mobility as the winner.

3:00:06They were found to have the best

3:00:07proposed operating model that would

3:00:09benefit the users, residents, and

3:00:11visitors to the area. The posting of the

3:00:14NOI also started the protest period,

3:00:17which followed the rules established in

3:00:18the RFP and are the same that we usually

3:00:21follow. The protest period was extended

3:00:23to allow more time to review all

3:00:25requested documents. A timely protest

3:00:28was submitted by Pedal Movement and

3:00:30after a thorough thorough review of all

3:00:33protest documents and claims, I as the

3:00:35city's purchasing agent at that time

3:00:37determined there was no basis to support

3:00:39or substantiate the post the protest.

3:00:44The evaluation committee was made up of

3:00:46three subject matter experts from the

3:00:47Department of Public Works and one

3:00:49expert from technology and innovation.

3:00:51Prior to the evaluations, the evaluators

3:00:54did attest that no conflicts of interest

3:00:56existed. The evaluation considered

3:00:59organizational capacity and experience,

3:01:01method of approach, communication, and

3:01:04reporting, and reasonleness of costs.

3:01:06Each criteria had specific details and

3:01:09is further defined in the RFP. The model

3:01:11and tool the city uses to evaluate

3:01:13proposals was developed with Harvard's

3:01:15assistance during the extreme

3:01:17procurement makeover. This evaluation

3:01:19tool has been published as a best

3:01:21practice and has been rolled out

3:01:22nationally and internationally.

3:01:25Drop mobility received an overall score

3:01:27of 91%.

3:01:29Pedal movement received an overall score

3:01:31of 79%.

3:01:33After factoring in local preference,

3:01:36pedal movement score was increased to

3:01:3889%. With the highest overall score, the

3:01:41staff recommended an award to drop

3:01:42mobility following our values of

3:01:45fairness, transparency, and best value.

3:01:49City council members, it is also

3:01:50important to note the city rarely

3:01:52receives protests, which is a testament

3:01:54that the procurement process is open,

3:01:57fair, transparent, competitive,

3:01:59consistent, and equitable. This wasn't

3:02:02always the case in the city. I am proud

3:02:05we have moved the needle in this

3:02:06direction and proud of this result. That

3:02:10being said, I also welcome protest

3:02:12because the act to hold us as local

3:02:14governments accountable is important.

3:02:16Protests ask tough questions just like

3:02:19audits from the city auditor's office.

3:02:21So it is important that the city fully

3:02:23investigate protests in an unbiased and

3:02:25neutral manner and that is what I did

3:02:27here. I was not part of the operation

3:02:29and was able to independently look at

3:02:32the details. I took this responsibility

3:02:34of my duty seriously. The city received

3:02:37a protest from Pedal Movement within our

3:02:39timing requirements and I began to

3:02:42conduct my investigation. I reviewed all

3:02:44of the claims and found no evidence to

3:02:46substantiate or support the protest. I

3:02:49found that the process worked. We had

3:02:50sufficient pool of responses. We

3:02:53evaluated them them consistently and

3:02:55uniformally and we had an appropriate

3:02:58number of experts conduct the

3:02:59evaluation.

3:03:02Specifically addressing the protest

3:03:04claims, the city confirmed that all four

3:03:06proposers met the minimum qualification

3:03:09specified in the RFP. Under minimum

3:03:12qualifications, the RFP states that

3:03:14proposers must have a proven track

3:03:16record managing fleets of at least 1,000

3:03:20vehicles in urban environments

3:03:21comparable to Long Beach. All four

3:03:24proposers met this requirement. The city

3:03:27was always interested in finding

3:03:29businesses that had the appropriate

3:03:31experience to operate here. No one was

3:03:34excluded or prevented from being

3:03:36considered. It is in the city's best

3:03:38interest to ensure the largest pool is

3:03:41considered.

3:03:43Even if we really got the fleet language

3:03:46wrong, which to be clear, we do not

3:03:48believe we did, we would had we would

3:03:52have had the right to adjust it based on

3:03:55section 5.2 of the RFP, where we can

3:03:58alter, amend, or modify any provisions

3:04:00within the RFP. We still had the right

3:04:03to adjust the language to make it so

3:04:05that more of the submitted proposals

3:04:07were available to be evaluated if that

3:04:09was in the best interest of the city.

3:04:12There are two other things I want you to

3:04:14consider. One, it is clear Drop Mobility

3:04:17is a larger operator is a large

3:04:19operator. They operate in 60 locations

3:04:22across 17 states with a total of 10,000

3:04:25bikes. They have considerable

3:04:28experience. Pedal Movement operates here

3:04:30in Long Beach with less than 10% of that

3:04:33overall fleet and has only has

3:04:36experience here. We found a company that

3:04:38knows how to do this. That's what the

3:04:41qualification criteria was all about and

3:04:43we did it as intended.

3:04:46Two,

3:04:48if even if we did this all over again

3:04:51with a different qualification, we would

3:04:53have had the same result. We evaluate

3:04:55all of the proposals that we received.

3:04:58If the protest had been that we didn't

3:05:00evaluate pedal movement and they needed

3:05:02the protest to be considered, then doing

3:05:04this again could have had a different

3:05:06result. The fleet size doesn't change

3:05:08the result that Drop is a large,

3:05:11experienced operator and provided the

3:05:14best proposal for the operations moving

3:05:16forward for Long Beach. Drop Mobility

3:05:19was founded in 2017 and has eight years

3:05:21of experience with bike share programs

3:05:24including New Orleans since 2021 and

3:05:27Albany since 2023. They have

3:05:29transitioned a legacy system, delivered

3:05:32over a thousand ebikes, worked through

3:05:34major special events, modernized fleets,

3:05:37created membership and operational

3:05:39processes, designed an inclusive equity

3:05:41program, prepared for surge wrership,

3:05:44coordinated logistics with event

3:05:46organizers and public safety agencies,

3:05:49and implemented accessibility focused

3:05:51programs amongst many other

3:05:53deliverables. I will now turn it back to

3:05:55Josh um and public works to discuss more

3:05:58about the specific operations.

3:06:06All right. So on the 22nd we received a

3:06:10number of questions related specifically

3:06:12to drop mobility. So shown on this slide

3:06:15here are some responses to those

3:06:18specific questions. We do have drop

3:06:20available here this evening and they can

3:06:22elaborate and they are prepared to help

3:06:24answer any questions uh should the

3:06:26council be so interested. Um just to

3:06:29quickly go over some of the items on the

3:06:31slide we have the headquarters for drop

3:06:34mobility is in California as part of the

3:06:37RFP process. multiple references were

3:06:40checked and then rather than require a

3:06:43specific staffing model which was asked

3:06:45about um on the 22nd, the RFP sets a

3:06:49requirement to maintain 80% of the bike

3:06:52fleet available and in service. It's up

3:06:54to the vendor and the proposer to figure

3:06:57out how they are going to staff and how

3:06:59they are going to do that. and there are

3:07:01provisions within the RFP to take the

3:07:03appropriate action should that not be

3:07:05the case.

3:07:08Specific to local business and hiring

3:07:10requirements, the RFP does require a

3:07:13local workforce. It does require a

3:07:16facility within Long Beach. It does

3:07:18require a community outreach plan and it

3:07:20does require bike share support at major

3:07:23events. The RFP does not require hiring

3:07:27the incumbent's operators or employees.

3:07:29It does not require sponsorships and it

3:07:32does not require volunteers.

3:07:38Specific to some of the numbers, Pedal

3:07:41Movement does report that they support

3:07:4319 positions here in Long Beach. Uh

3:07:45Drop's proposal does include a local

3:07:49full-time 16 positions, uh five of which

3:07:52are already here in Long Beach as we

3:07:55speak. Uh, DROP is committed to

3:07:58community rides, bilingual bike

3:08:00education, and a small business

3:08:02spotlight series that that they'll roll

3:08:05out as they start implementing the new

3:08:07program.

3:08:11In addition to the specific requirements

3:08:13in the RFP, uh, DROP did submit a letter

3:08:16confirming in writing that they are

3:08:18committed to moving their Southern

3:08:20California headquarters from La Marada

3:08:22to Long Beach. Uh that's a win for the

3:08:25city and it adds product development and

3:08:27hardware positions in addition to the

3:08:30operations uh as outlined within the

3:08:32RFP. They're also committed to

3:08:34interviewing every pedal movement

3:08:36employee and if they're not able to fill

3:08:39all the positions there, they'd look at

3:08:41a second round of interviews

3:08:43specifically focused on Long Beach

3:08:45residents. And if there were still open

3:08:47openings uh within the operation, they

3:08:50would be looking at hiring other

3:08:51candidates from within the area. Uh

3:08:54they're also dedicated to free bike

3:08:56valet for community events as well as

3:08:58repair clinics that the community is

3:09:00used to.

3:09:04So a little more specifics on the hybrid

3:09:06model. Um hybrid parking is a mix

3:09:08between docked and dockless systems. The

3:09:10dock system uses uh users are required

3:09:14to bring vehicles back to a designated

3:09:16parking hub. The dock list system users

3:09:19can leave vehicles in any legal space

3:09:21where a bike could be parked. That could

3:09:23be a bike rack that could be uh locked

3:09:25up to some other infrastructure within

3:09:27the right of way. A hybrid system allows

3:09:30for both of these and typically

3:09:32incentivizes users to park in a mark

3:09:34dock, but it's not necessarily required.

3:09:36This allows the city to retain the

3:09:38existing infrastructure and allows us to

3:09:41uh continue doing what we do now with

3:09:43our current hybrid model. Also within

3:09:47the new contract structure

3:09:49uh it does allow for fee transparency

3:09:52meaning that our expense reimburseed at

3:09:55actual costs. It means that there's a

3:09:58tiered fee according to the number of

3:10:00fleet vehicles deployed and that it

3:10:03compares to the current fixed contract

3:10:06where it's kind of regardless of the

3:10:08bikes deployed or the number of hours

3:10:10necessary to run the program.

3:10:14So, a little bit more specifics on the

3:10:15docks versus hybrid system. So section

3:10:18two of the RFP specifically notes that

3:10:22as per the parking model requirements

3:10:24provide a hybrid parking model plan that

3:10:27includes already established bike share

3:10:30parking zones throughout the city

3:10:31tactics for incentivizing users to park

3:10:34in designated hubs and proposals for

3:10:36having some parking drop zones be

3:10:38electrified. Uh further in that same

3:10:42section two, uh it's the RFP stipulates

3:10:46that the contractor shall maintain

3:10:47public safety and ADA compliance by

3:10:50ensuring proper parking for a hybrid

3:10:52model of dock stations and dockless

3:10:54options.

3:10:56So while the RFP is clear and the hybrid

3:10:59model is more favorable, the team took

3:11:01the more liberal interpretation allowing

3:11:03pedal movement and others that submitted

3:11:06dock only systems to continue in the

3:11:08process, i.e. not be disqualified as

3:11:11part of the original submitt. This

3:11:13allowed for review and demonstration to

3:11:16see and hear more about what they offer

3:11:18and if they meet the needs of the city.

3:11:29So, diving into the numbers a little

3:11:30bit, uh the hybrid parking allows

3:11:33savings to be reinvested into the bikes

3:11:35rather than parking and docking type

3:11:38systems. So in a in a hypothetical

3:11:40world, the city would be forced to

3:11:42deploy 70% less bicycles within the

3:11:46overall program under the pedal movement

3:11:48proposal uh given the capital uh

3:11:51investment or the of $1.9 million. Pedal

3:11:55movements proposal would fund about 255

3:11:58bikes instead of approximately 850 as

3:12:01shown on this slide. It is important to

3:12:03note that um I I unfortunately didn't

3:12:06catch a typo here on this slide. The

3:12:10one-time retrofit costs should reflect

3:12:1325,000 as shown within the unit price

3:12:15column versus the 75,000 shown in the

3:12:19total column. I would like to to note

3:12:21that the 1.99 total is still accurate.

3:12:25Um but I just wanted to disclose that

3:12:27for the record. Um the dock system does

3:12:30require additional docks every time the

3:12:32fleet grows. So that gap continues to

3:12:35widen as the program scales uh in and

3:12:39also it it increases the ongoing

3:12:42maintenance as well as clutter within

3:12:44the right ofway. So we do know it's more

3:12:46expensive. We know that having the

3:12:48docking stations are more expensive to

3:12:51operate and maintain and that's why we

3:12:53specifically asked for a hybrid option

3:12:55within the RFP. Couple

3:13:00more questions that had come up. The

3:13:02bikes are geo fenced to the service area

3:13:05and they are retrieved if they leave and

3:13:08the bike share system for all will

3:13:11continue. The city sets the price and

3:13:13the RFP does require that equitable

3:13:16pricing be built into the program and

3:13:18continue as the program evolves and

3:13:20adapts.

3:13:25So what are the next steps? Should staff

3:13:27recommendations get approved, Drop will

3:13:29begin recruitment. They will order the

3:13:31fleet. We'll transition to the new

3:13:33platform in early 2027. We'll deploy new

3:13:36bikes and then scale as funding is

3:13:38available through 2027 and into 2028.

3:13:44So based on all the criteria, based on

3:13:46everything that you've heard this

3:13:47evening, uh based on the fair and

3:13:49competitive RFP process, the savings uh

3:13:52that were outlined, the number of bikes

3:13:54that were able to deploy, the reuse of

3:13:56our existing infrastructure, the reuse

3:13:59of our existing bike fleet, the

3:14:01demonstrated performance, and the

3:14:03response from the drop to the questions.

3:14:05We do continue to strongly recommend

3:14:08drop for this contract award.

3:14:11That concludes staff report and I'm

3:14:13available with my colleagues to answer

3:14:14any questions.

3:14:15>> All right. Well, thank you for the

3:14:17presentation. Uh we have quite a bit of

3:14:19public comment this evening, so we're

3:14:21going to go right into it. So, uh madame

3:14:24clerk, please uh facilitate public

3:14:25comment.

3:14:27>> We have 40 speakers in uh total. Well,

3:14:31the first 10 please unap the podium. The

3:14:34first speaker is Joel. Then Azura,

3:14:37Gabriel Mendes,

3:14:40Jackie Mendes,

3:14:42Chris Buckley, Shelby Buckley, Josh C,

3:14:47Sarah H, Justin Harris, and Matt

3:14:51Goldman.

3:14:53>> All right, let's uh correct the time per

3:14:55the current current council rules.

3:15:01All right,

3:15:04>> your time begins now.

3:15:06>> All right. Uh, my name is Joel Newton. I

3:15:10live in District 4, uh, where Snooze and

3:15:12Supernaw runs. So, I'm I'm I'm glad he's

3:15:16taken the time to listen to me after

3:15:18I've waited for him while you guys

3:15:20walked out. So, greetings cowards,

3:15:24fascists,

3:15:26time wasters. There. Oh, there you are.

3:15:29Ricks, uh, bootlickers, the regretfully

3:15:33voted for, and the corporate sponsored.

3:15:36I'm here in defense of Pedal Movement's

3:15:38contract with our city bikes. Uh, Pedal

3:15:41Movement employs 19 people. 17 of those,

3:15:44I'm told, reside inside Long Beach uh,

3:15:47limits. So, uh, my question is, why

3:15:50would you like to take those 17 jobs

3:15:52away? Sure, they say they'd like to keep

3:15:55them, but, you know, we all know they're

3:15:57not going to. Um, I'm already short

3:16:00here, so I'm just gonna end with if you

3:16:02take these jobs, we'll take and we can

3:16:05take your jobs. Rex, I voted for you and

3:16:08I put a sign in front of my house

3:16:10because you ran.

3:16:12>> Thank you. We've seen nothing.

3:16:32[cheering]

3:16:35You know, we wouldn't have to come up

3:16:36here and cuss your asses out if you

3:16:38would actually keep our [ __ ] tax

3:16:40dollars in the city. the way that we've

3:16:43been screaming at you to do so.

3:16:46$20,000 to a company in Maine, a million

3:16:50to a company in Norwok, $2 million to a

3:16:52company in Ontario, $300,000 to a

3:16:55company in Texas for some police [ __ ]

3:16:58Um, $25 million to this [ __ ] company

3:17:01out of San Francisco.

3:17:03Um, I feel like we need to keep Long

3:17:06Beach jobs here in Long Beach and maybe

3:17:10$25 million, you know, you were talking

3:17:12about the expansion that this company

3:17:14wants to do or whatever. Um, maybe with

3:17:17$25 million, Pedal Movement can do that

3:17:20expansion, but yet you didn't consider

3:17:22them. Um,

3:17:26yeah, do your [ __ ] job. listen to

3:17:29your constituents and build our better

3:17:33uh quality of life here in Long Beach.

3:17:37[cheering]

3:17:38[applause]

3:17:41>> Don't have your overpaying jobs.

3:17:44>> My name is Jackie Menddees and I'm a

3:17:46resident of District 3. I went to

3:17:48nursing school at Cal State Long Beach

3:17:50and I've worked as a NICU nurse in Long

3:17:52Beach for over 12 years. To me, it's an

3:17:54honor to serve the people of my city. My

3:17:56husband is an employee of Pedal

3:17:58Movement. We are Long Beach locals

3:18:00through and through. So, no, just

3:18:02because Drop Mobility can work in a Long

3:18:03Beach City building doesn't make them

3:18:05one of us. Pedal Movement is a company

3:18:07made up of our own community members

3:18:09that serves the community we live in.

3:18:12They respect, they value their workers,

3:18:14and they pay them a livable wage. We

3:18:16know that's rare these days. These

3:18:18[applause] are good, hardworking, local

3:18:20people whose jobs are in jeopardy. And

3:18:22an interview proposed by Drop Mobility

3:18:24is not a job. How is this good for our

3:18:27local economy? You are in those seats to

3:18:29protect and fight your lo for your local

3:18:31constituents. They are people who you

3:18:33were voted into office to take care of.

3:18:35To choose an outside company from San

3:18:37Francisco to take over the contract is

3:18:39insulting. Do the right thing. Keep Long

3:18:42Beach local. Show the people you serve

3:18:44that you actually care about them.

3:18:56>> [applause]

3:19:05>> Good evening, mayor and council members.

3:19:08I'm the husband of the nurse that just

3:19:10spoke. My name is Gabriel Mendes. I'm a

3:19:12resident of district 3 and I work as a

3:19:14bike technician for federal movement. I

3:19:16am one of the faces that um whose life

3:19:20livelihood is directly impacted by the

3:19:22decision being made tonight about this

3:19:24program. Um for me this isn't just a

3:19:27conversation about bites, contracts or

3:19:29numbers on a budget. This is my job and

3:19:33I want to emphasize that

3:19:35just in case it hasn't really hit yet.

3:19:39This is my job. This is our job.

3:19:42I work alongside people who depend on

3:19:44these jobs to pay their rent, their

3:19:46mortgages, support their families, and

3:19:48build a future for themselves. Every day

3:19:50from 6:30 in the morning until 11:30 at

3:19:52night, we're out there in the city

3:19:53making this program work. We inspect the

3:19:55bikes, we repair them, we move them from

3:19:57where they're needed, respond to

3:19:58problems in the field, and make sure

3:19:59that when someone needs a bike, a safe

3:20:01and reliable one is available. But most

3:20:03importantly, we're out there connecting

3:20:05with our community.

3:20:06>> Time's concluded. [clears throat] Thank

3:20:06you.

3:20:07>> Please vote now.

3:20:10>> [applause]

3:20:15>> Uh, thank you council members for the

3:20:16opportunity to speak tonight. My name is

3:20:18Chris Buckley. I'm the vice president of

3:20:20operations with Pedal Movement and I

3:20:22live in the west side in district 7. I

3:20:24moved to Long Beach 7 years ago and

3:20:26quickly found a home with Pedal

3:20:27Movement. I met my wife here. I bought a

3:20:30house here. I plan to start a family

3:20:32here. Pedal Movement gave me the

3:20:34opportunity to learn, to grow, to

3:20:36develop myself professionally. This is

3:20:39the ethos I choose to lead with and

3:20:41encourage all of my local staff to

3:20:43embrace. We're here to talk about local

3:20:45jobs, but also living wages and what it

3:20:48means for our staff as Long Beach

3:20:49residents. Reggie is the primary

3:20:51caretaker for his elderly mother. Brian,

3:20:54Tim, Gabs, Nate, and Feliki are all

3:20:57pursuing degrees in higher education.

3:20:59Patrick is able to volunteer at animal

3:21:01shelters. We employ mothers and fathers

3:21:04raising the next generation of Long

3:21:06Beach residents. We're not just jobs,

3:21:08but real people. Real residents of Long

3:21:10Beach. Real residents who want fair,

3:21:13honest, and transparent procurement

3:21:14process and accountability for

3:21:17>> city. Thank you.

3:21:19>> Please vote no.

3:21:22[applause]

3:21:28>> Hello everyone. I appreciate your

3:21:30attention on this very important item.

3:21:32My name is Shelby Buckley. I'm a Long

3:21:34Beach native, neonatal ICU nurse here in

3:21:36Long Beach, and a District 7 homeowner

3:21:38alongside my husband, who's the VP of

3:21:40operations at Pedal Movement. Through

3:21:42him, I've become immersed in the bike

3:21:43share world, and I'm asking to vote no

3:21:45on item 20. This ebike fleet ebike fleet

3:21:48upgrade should be so exciting for our

3:21:50city, but instead, I'm left worried and

3:21:51disappoint disappointed by the

3:21:53mismanagement of the selection process.

3:21:55There is justified concern about what is

3:21:57best for our community when it comes to

3:21:58the operating this program at the same

3:22:00high standard we've grown to expect from

3:22:02pedal movement. I was under the

3:22:04impression, as was everyone else who can

3:22:05read, that whoever was chosen to operate

3:22:08this program would have, and I quote, a

3:22:10proven track record managing fleets

3:22:12comparable to Long Beach. Yet, that is

3:22:14not what our community will be getting,

3:22:15and we deserve better. Our city should

3:22:18not be a pre-Olympic guinea pig for an

3:22:19outside company's single largest

3:22:21operation to date. [applause]

3:22:24This public hearing process exists for

3:22:26the rare exception when staff's

3:22:27recommendations not fair and not the

3:22:29best deal for your time's concluded.

3:22:31Thank you.

3:22:31>> Please,

3:22:34[applause]

3:22:36[cheering]

3:22:43Mr. Mayor, uh, city council. Um, my name

3:22:47is Josh. I live in district 1. Mary,

3:22:52I run the day-to-day operations for the

3:22:54Spike Share. All the staff here, they're

3:22:56my staff. The good paying jobs I offer,

3:22:59they get they start at $34.25

3:23:02an hour. We'll drop be able to offer

3:23:04that. We offer a 4-day work week. And as

3:23:07Chris just illustrated, it's let our

3:23:10It's let our employees do immense things

3:23:13with their time.

3:23:15[sighs]

3:23:16Let me go back to my speech.

3:23:18I'm here to oppose item 20. Giving a $26

3:23:21million bike share contract to an out

3:23:23ofstate out of town company like Drop

3:23:25doesn't make sense for Long Beach.

3:23:28Pedal Movements Local has been for the

3:23:30whole time and it directly supports 19

3:23:32local jobs. You all campaign on

3:23:34supporting local jobs. Support them now.

3:23:38Vote no.

3:23:40[applause and cheering]

3:23:48Hi, my name is Sarah. I'm Long Beach

3:23:50born and raised. I live in District 1.

3:23:52Um,

3:23:54Long Beach has always been about

3:23:56supporting small business, supporting

3:23:57local people, supporting local

3:23:59community. Pedal Movement's been doing

3:24:01that this whole time, and it feels like

3:24:03a massive spit in the face to go and

3:24:05outsource all of these local Long Beach

3:24:08jobs to a company that has no experience

3:24:11with a fleet this size. Most of their

3:24:13experience, you forgot to mention, is as

3:24:15a supplier and not as an actual

3:24:17operator. We saw the results of what

3:24:19they were doing in New Orleans. There's

3:24:22an article written about how badly they

3:24:25failed when they took over as the

3:24:27supplier of New Orleans. And if you let

3:24:29them have it, not only will we lose a

3:24:31ton of Long Beach jobs, we will probably

3:24:34lose our bike share because they can't

3:24:36handle it. Vote no.

3:24:39[cheering and applause]

3:24:44>> One second. I would like to call the

3:24:46next 10 speakers. Please line up at the

3:24:48podium. Uh we have Graham Ben, Nicholas

3:24:51Galpier, Andrew Dara Hunan, Evan Kelly,

3:24:56Aaron Hoops, Jacquellyn Mount Council,

3:25:00Nick Russo, Christian Nunes, Dante

3:25:04Scatenia, and Graham

3:25:17P of culture and engage. There we go. VP

3:25:19of culture and engagement for pedal

3:25:21movement. I'm here today to ask the

3:25:23mayor and the council to vote no on um

3:25:26item 20. Uh the main reason is because

3:25:30we've been here, we've been doing this

3:25:32for so long. And for people to say that,

3:25:36well, they've had exclusivity. I would

3:25:39say that that's a commitment. I would

3:25:40say that you wouldn't say that in a

3:25:42marriage. You wouldn't say that in

3:25:44anything else where you've actually

3:25:45built a foundation. A foundation that

3:25:47we've given our hearts and our sweat to

3:25:50through different community events. We

3:25:53show up for the city when the city can't

3:25:55show up for itself.

3:25:57>> We put our staff we put our staff out

3:25:59there and we pay them the way that they

3:26:01need to be paid. I don't want to see

3:26:03Starbucks come in for a small coffee

3:26:06shop. I don't want to see a McDonald's

3:26:07come in. And if it's just about money,

3:26:10then that's going to speak a lot more to

3:26:11the character of the city. And I don't

3:26:13want that to be the character of the

3:26:15city because what you guys say is

3:26:17beautiful. And what we do needs to be

3:26:19matching that same.

3:26:21[cheering]

3:26:22[applause]

3:26:31>> Good evening, mayor and council members.

3:26:34Uh my name is Graham Ben, District 5. I

3:26:37founded PedalMal Movement in 2009

3:26:40as a grassroots community organization

3:26:42from introducing Long Beach's first bike

3:26:44co-op to parking bikes at basically

3:26:47every city event. Uh Pedal Movement was

3:26:49born here, grew here, and helped Long

3:26:51Beach grow alongside us. Over the last

3:26:5417 years, I've worked alongside every

3:26:56local bicycle advocate since the late

3:26:58Mark Bixby. And I hope to help see his

3:27:01vision truly come to pass. I don't know

3:27:03if you guys know him or knew him. I'm

3:27:06speaking tonight because the public

3:27:07works presentation at the last meeting

3:27:08was fundamentally flawed and

3:27:10non-objective. The city evaluated Drop's

3:27:13new proposal against our current aging

3:27:15equipment,

3:27:16completely ignoring that PedalMovement's

3:27:18proposal includes a brand new fleet,

3:27:20too. Furthermore, Pedal Movement's more

3:27:22sophisticated proposed bikes share the

3:27:24exact same system as LA Metro bike

3:27:26share. This allows visitors to travel

3:27:28seamlessly between LA and Long Beach

3:27:30during the upcoming Olympics.

3:27:32>> Vote no. This is nonobjective.

3:27:34concluded. Thank you.

3:27:36[cheering and applause]

3:27:44>> Good evening. My name is Andrew Deruin.

3:27:47I am a representative for an affordable

3:27:49housing organization called Everybody's

3:27:51Long Beach and a district member of

3:27:54number three. Right now, Pedal Movement

3:27:56provides 19 full-time jobs. 17 of those

3:27:59employees live right here in Long Beach.

3:28:01They are our neighbors and have been

3:28:03loyally supporting and doing the best

3:28:05for their city. Handling this program

3:28:08off to another out oftown company would

3:28:11eliminate local jobs, disrupt currently

3:28:13maintained services, and push out a

3:28:15local business that's in touch with the

3:28:17needs of its community. We constantly

3:28:19hear about supporting local businesses

3:28:21and keeping the Long Beach economy

3:28:23strong. Today is a chance to prove

3:28:25that's really the case. Please vote no

3:28:28on item 20.

3:28:31>> [applause]

3:28:37>> Hi. Uh, my name is Nico Pin. I'm the

3:28:40chair of Bike Long Beach, uh, which

3:28:42promotes bicycle as a means of

3:28:44transportation and recreation in Long

3:28:45Beach. We are a nonprofit organization

3:28:47as a chapter of Bike LA. Yes, that's

3:28:49Bike LA. Uh we work closely with PEL

3:28:52movement with this and we know they

3:28:54share a goal to make Long Beach a more

3:28:55bike friendly city while employing

3:28:58locally paying livable wages and offer

3:29:00viable career pathways. They don't do

3:29:02this because they're bound by a

3:29:04contract. They live in the city. They

3:29:06care deeply about it. I see them at the

3:29:08store. I see them at four Fridays. I run

3:29:10into them. They come to our bike rides.

3:29:12That should count for way more than 10%

3:29:15of the score.

3:29:17Um,

3:29:19on behalf of the board of Long Beach, I

3:29:21urge you bono and 20. Thank you.

3:29:25[cheering and applause]

3:29:30>> Tatana, CD2. Uh, Mayor Richardson,

3:29:34Councilwoman Allen, and the members of

3:29:35this council, Long Beach has

3:29:37historically voted to keep things local.

3:29:40Uh, if you remember, we passed Measure

3:29:41LB, which is focused on keeping jobs in

3:29:43in the city for city residents. We

3:29:46should continue to do the same thing

3:29:47with our with our contracted community

3:29:48services. Pedal movement is already

3:29:50here. There's no startup, no warm-up

3:29:52period where services suffer, just a

3:29:53continuous uninterrupted community

3:29:55service. Pedal Movement is made up of a

3:29:57local owner and local employees. There

3:29:59is no guarantee the Drop Mobility will

3:30:01even have those employees. It's a San

3:30:03Francisco tech company that will likely

3:30:05use exploited contractor laborers to cut

3:30:07their costs. This isn't what Long Beach

3:30:08needs. We are a community service run by

3:30:10community members, not a piggy bank to

3:30:12be privileged by out of town tech

3:30:13executives. Thank you. [cheering]

3:30:17[applause]

3:30:18>> Hello, my name is Evan Kelly. I'm one of

3:30:21the founders of Pedal Movement along

3:30:23with uh Graham. We started this company

3:30:2517 years ago. I've been in town for 19

3:30:28years doing business with the city of

3:30:30Long Beach. I helped support and produce

3:30:32most of the events that you've been to.

3:30:34Um

3:30:36Oh no, where are we? Okay. It should

3:30:39raise concern that the operations cost

3:30:40that Drop Mobility uh proposed was so

3:30:43low. They obviously don't understand the

3:30:45operations. Every single item requested

3:30:47in the RFP is already offered by pedal

3:30:50movement plus more. Drops proposal is an

3:30:53equipment deal that sacrifices

3:30:54operations and is clearly just a um

3:30:57media play for uh uh Olympics. Uh

3:31:02staffing for the number of bikes means

3:31:05constant hiring and firing. We've worked

3:31:08with the city for nine years trying to

3:31:11figure out what they want and how to

3:31:12work with their contract. For the last

3:31:14three years, we've been under an

3:31:16extended contract with no changes, no

3:31:19input, nothing. We have and through the

3:31:22largest inflation in what?

3:31:29>> The next speaker we have is in Zoom,

3:31:31Aaron Hoops. You've been unmuted. Your

3:31:34time starts now.

3:31:37Thank you. My name is Aaron Hoops. I'm

3:31:39in district 2. I'm also speaking on

3:31:42behalf of Carlite Long Beach. At the

3:31:44mission of Carlite Long Beach is to

3:31:45advocate for safer streets and

3:31:46alternative modes of transportation and

3:31:48the desire to modernize the fleet of

3:31:50bike share vehicles for our city is one

3:31:52that we wholeheartedly support. However,

3:31:54we find the selection of Drop Mobility

3:31:55as a vendor to be concerning due to

3:31:57clear price discrepancies between the

3:31:59known two responsive biders, pedal

3:32:01movement and drop. Put simply, we do not

3:32:03have confidence that Draw Mobility knows

3:32:05what they're getting themselves into.

3:32:07They don't operate bike share program in

3:32:09New Orleans and they quote a

3:32:10concerningly lower price than the

3:32:12competition in terms of installation,

3:32:14docking infrastructure and operations.

3:32:16Uh their product also has a bad history

3:32:18of theft. We live in Long Beach where

3:32:20operations and maintenance are costly,

3:32:22infrastructure installation is costly,

3:32:23and bike theft is famously common. They

3:32:27also don't run the program in New

3:32:28Orleans. A nonprofit does. It doesn't

3:32:30make sense that the city is just is

3:32:32deciding that just because Drop supplied

3:32:35the bikes that counts for them managing

3:32:36the fleet. They don't. Last, this is a

3:32:38general lament, but we're not convinced

3:32:40that a dockless system with cable locks

3:32:42is going to result in anything.

3:32:44Thank you for your comments.

3:32:46[cheering]

3:32:48[applause]

3:32:49>> Our next speaker is Jacqueline in Zoom.

3:32:52Please unmute yourself. Your time begins

3:32:54now.

3:32:57>> Hi. Yes, I'm Jacqueline. Um, please vote

3:33:00no. Pedal Movement is clearly such an

3:33:03important part of our community. Uh,

3:33:05it's not just about about bike share.

3:33:07They promote safe and accessible

3:33:10mobility for all residents of Long

3:33:12Beach. It would be such a huge

3:33:14disservice to our community if we

3:33:15outsourced um this dedication and love

3:33:18and awesome work that they do to a

3:33:21company outside of Long Beach. Please

3:33:23vote now. Thank you.

3:33:31You can begin at the podium.

3:33:36>> Pedal Movement isn't just another

3:33:38contract on a piece of paper. These are

3:33:40people who work here, know the streets,

3:33:42knows the neighborhoods, and understands

3:33:44the needs of this community. They have

3:33:46years of hands-on experience keeping

3:33:47Bike Share operating for Long Beach

3:33:49residents and visitors. What happened to

3:33:51the local jobs? What happened to the

3:33:52experience and knowledge that has been

3:33:54built over years? And what are the

3:33:57message that we're saying to small and

3:33:58local businesses in Long Beach if they

3:34:00can spend years helping a built a city

3:34:03program only to be eventually be

3:34:04replaced by a company from outside the

3:34:06community? I understand bike share needs

3:34:09to grow and motorized. I'm not against

3:34:11improving the system. If [clears throat]

3:34:12new nectology bikes and better service

3:34:14is needed, let's make those

3:34:16improvements. But pedal movement has

3:34:18been here since years and years and has

3:34:21created a safe haven for most of us here

3:34:23in Long Beach and let's say many out out

3:34:26of Long Beach as well. So I approve to

3:34:28vote no on item 20. Thank you.

3:34:32[cheering]

3:34:34[applause]

3:34:34>> Before the next speaker, I'd like to

3:34:36call

3:34:38the next few. Uh we have Val Stefins,

3:34:41Skyler Harris, Jane Doe,

3:34:45Joe Doe, Melissa,

3:34:49Crimine Wang,

3:34:51Jeff Coats,

3:34:53Leila

3:34:55Be, and Michael Jude.

3:35:00You can begin.

3:35:02>> Good evening, mayor and council members.

3:35:04I'm Nick Russo, CEO of Pedal Movement.

3:35:06Um, I'm not going to tell you how many

3:35:08years we've been here because you've

3:35:09already heard that. But I am asking you

3:35:11to vote no on item 20. Two weeks ago,

3:35:13this council asked, "If the city regrets

3:35:15its ambiguous language in the RFP, why

3:35:18push ahead instead of redoing the RFP?

3:35:21You still don't have a straight answer

3:35:22from the city? Staff says every bidder

3:35:25qualified under the city's reading. That

3:35:26reading depends on the word cumulative,

3:35:28which staff now promises to add into

3:35:31future RFPs. But the problem is it

3:35:33wasn't in this RFP and the city never

3:35:36told a single bidder that that's what it

3:35:38meant until afterwards. The 10,000 bikes

3:35:40staff cites in their October 2 memo.

3:35:43Drop's own letter written after your

3:35:45last meeting says that every bike it has

3:35:47that's every bike it's delivered since

3:35:492017, including systems that other

3:35:51organizations operate. Qualifications

3:35:53are judged on the proposal, not on

3:35:55letters sent afterwards. A thousand

3:35:58people sent you letters opposing this.

3:36:00and I really would like you to listen to

3:36:03them.

3:36:05[applause]

3:36:05[cheering]

3:36:09>> Val Stevens.

3:36:12>> Hello again. Um, first I'd like to note

3:36:15that we're not in the like early comment

3:36:17section that was described in the motion

3:36:19that was passed earlier. And yet somehow

3:36:21our comment time has been reduced. I

3:36:22don't know how that makes sense. Um,

3:36:26we love our jobs. We love this town. Um,

3:36:30when I moved here, Pedal Movement was

3:36:32Long Beach to me. Um, you're losing so

3:36:35much more than a contract operator with

3:36:37Pedal Movement. Um,

3:36:40I'm just going to take my time. Uh, I'm

3:36:43up here fighting for my job, you know.

3:36:45Um,

3:36:48we we educate people. Like, I take so

3:36:50much time and patience to like teach

3:36:53people how to air up their tires. People

3:36:54don't know how to air up their tires.

3:36:56like is Drop gonna do that? You know

3:36:58that we are. You know that we're doing

3:37:00that stuff, but you don't know what Drop

3:37:02is really gonna offer. There's numbers

3:37:03in a report. You know, there's scores

3:37:05from this RFP, which we don't feel was

3:37:08fair, regardless of what the city

3:37:09manager's office has to say. Um, I

3:37:12should have 30 more seconds. Vote no.

3:37:15[applause and cheering]

3:37:18>> Skyler Harris.

3:37:21If I wasn't already pretty disgusted by

3:37:24this presentation, having to sit through

3:37:26that presentation again when it was

3:37:29clear two weeks ago that this site

3:37:30already knows who they want and the fact

3:37:32that you're saying you've got drop here

3:37:34ready to answer questions while pedal

3:37:36movement's out here with the people

3:37:38fighting for their jobs when they're the

3:37:40ones that put you where you are. Um, so

3:37:44first of all, to be clear, this is how

3:37:47monopolies happen. big companies move

3:37:49into communities, drive their

3:37:50competition out of business by

3:37:52intermitting contracts. From the sound

3:37:54of it, doesn't seem like they'll be able

3:37:56to compete, keep their promises. Um,

3:37:59pedal movement offers their employees

3:38:00fair compensation, work life balance

3:38:02that we've heard about. Um, I'm going to

3:38:05skip ahead. At the last meeting,

3:38:06somebody said that their council has a

3:38:08responsibility to get the best deal for

3:38:10the people. Best deal isn't always the

3:38:12lowest price. It's a matter of values,

3:38:15not dollars, [cheering] morals, and

3:38:16principles. Oh, no.

3:38:20[applause]

3:38:23>> The next speaker I have is Jane Doe.

3:38:26>> I'm Skyler Harris.

3:38:28>> So,

3:38:29>> go ahead.

3:38:31>> Skyler Harris in District 3. I organize

3:38:34a local bike ride here in Long Beach,

3:38:37uh, LB Bicycle Rides. Uh, Pedal Movement

3:38:40has worked with multiple bike groups and

3:38:42events, uh, here in Long Beach for years

3:38:46now. Um, does this city council hate uh

3:38:50local homegrown small businesses?

3:38:53>> Yeah,

3:38:54>> because that's what they are.

3:38:55Unfortunately, you're pushing them out.

3:38:58Three less Long Beach jobs just because

3:39:01a two three point percentage doesn't

3:39:05make sense. Uh, local homegrown is

3:39:07definitely what we want here. Uh, those

3:39:09individuals work here. They ride bikes.

3:39:13They've joined my bike rides. They've

3:39:16joined plenty of other bike rides as

3:39:17well. Um, I would like you to vote no on

3:39:2120 and I will take the extra 10 seconds

3:39:24I have to stand here. I appreciate it.

3:39:31[applause]

3:39:33[cheering]

3:39:38>> Hello, my name is Liz and I live in

3:39:40District 2. Tell me that you hate local

3:39:42small businesses without saying you hate

3:39:44local small businesses. That is item 20.

3:39:47It shows where your priorities are when

3:39:49you outsource a service that is so loved

3:39:50and ingrained in the community with a

3:39:52private company that isn't from here. Do

3:39:54not diminish the community to numbers

3:39:56and listen to what we want. It feels

3:39:58like you're trying to fix a problem that

3:39:59doesn't exist. Please keep my tax

3:40:01dollars in Long Beach, not some company

3:40:03in San Francisco. Long Beach

3:40:04constituents are more than capable of

3:40:06taking care of the city. Please support

3:40:09local businesses. I urge you to VOTE NO.

3:40:12>> [applause]

3:40:17>> HELLO. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. UH, MY

3:40:19NAME IS OLIVER. I live in Alamos Beach,

3:40:21District 2. Uh, people joke that you're

3:40:23not officially a Long Beach resident

3:40:24until your bike gets stolen. Personally,

3:40:26I'd rather get a welcome basket. But it

3:40:28doesn't have to be that way, and that's

3:40:29why a pedal movement matters. They

3:40:31prepared my bikes and provided a safe

3:40:32place to park them during events here in

3:40:34Long Beach. When I can't find a parking

3:40:35spot or the parking garage and tickets

3:40:37suddenly cost more than my plans for the

3:40:38evening, they make it possible for me to

3:40:40show up and enjoy our city. What sets

3:40:42Pedal Movement apart from outside

3:40:43agencies is their investment in this

3:40:44community. The money we spend with them

3:40:46stays local and supports the kids and

3:40:48families who want to enjoy the bikes and

3:40:50small businesses um and all of that we

3:40:52advertise ourselves to be. If we're

3:40:54going to call Long Beach a bike and

3:40:55small business friendly city, we need to

3:40:57support the local orgs and make that

3:40:59make it practical, accessible, and safe.

3:41:01Pedal Movement has done that for me and

3:41:02so many others here and I want them to

3:41:04stay. A 2% difference for the final

3:41:06score uh one not including any local

3:41:09weight or input is negligible. If you

3:41:10couldn't pick up this uh on the vibes in

3:41:12the room tonight, Long Beach wants to

3:41:14support its community. This decision

3:41:16again will provide y'all with an

3:41:17opportunity to show your stance on small

3:41:18businesses. It is the next time

3:41:20concluded at minimum. [applause]

3:41:23>> Thank you.

3:41:25[cheering]

3:41:31My name is Melissa, District 7. Thank

3:41:34you for supporting small businesses. Oh,

3:41:37wait. That's not what you're doing. Um,

3:41:39thank you for supporting the people of

3:41:42Long Beach. No, that's not it either.

3:41:44Um, I don't have a complicated message.

3:41:48Vote no on item 20. I care about Long

3:41:51Beach. Pedal Movement cares about Long

3:41:53Beach.

3:41:55Everything about Long Beach is about

3:41:56keeping things local and taking care of

3:41:59each other and this is an organization

3:42:01that is helping to do that and you want

3:42:04to rip it away.

3:42:06I don't support that. I support pedal

3:42:09movement. Thank you. [cheering]

3:42:12[applause]

3:42:17>> Pedal movement has been the heart of our

3:42:19bicycling community for a long while. We

3:42:22should be keeping Long Beach dollars in

3:42:24Long Beach. I understand that LA has

3:42:26signed a contract with Drop Mobility and

3:42:28for the Olympics, and I assume you want

3:42:30to match their mobility program because

3:42:32of their technology, but let's face it,

3:42:34Olympics is only three weeks of the year

3:42:36in 2028. Let's work together and keep it

3:42:39in house. I am disappointed that you're

3:42:42selling out our community to streamline

3:42:44the hype of Olympics when you have

3:42:46skilled citizens that repair and

3:42:48refurbish inhouse.

3:42:50Your choice to [ __ ] a thriving

3:42:51commercial business is in the city is

3:42:53noted. Let's invest in our community.

3:42:56Thank you.

3:42:59[applause and cheering]

3:43:06>> Mr. Mayor, Council, thanks for having

3:43:09me. Uh, my name is Michael. I currently

3:43:11live in District 1. I've been in Long

3:43:12Beach for 20 years, and I love riding my

3:43:16freaking bike. I go everywhere and

3:43:20everywhere I go, who's there to help?

3:43:22It's pedal movement over when when

3:43:25[cheering] I was new to town and I

3:43:26didn't have any friends. Bikes is what

3:43:29brought me community. And through that,

3:43:31I just keep meeting these amazing

3:43:33neighbors who are now my friends in my

3:43:37community. And for forget about I mean

3:43:40don't forget about the employment of our

3:43:4319 locals but it's not just that they

3:43:45have jobs that they do a damn good job

3:43:48at it. [cheering] Pedal movement is so

3:43:51good at what they do and it's [applause]

3:43:54the bikes it fixing the bikes keeping

3:43:57them running and keeping people

3:43:59together. They're bringing us together.

3:44:02Please please vote no on this.

3:44:05>> [cheering and applause]

3:44:12>> GOOD EVENING. My name is Jeff Coats and

3:44:14I'm the director of special projects and

3:44:16launches for Drop Mobility. Uh over the

3:44:18past 10 months, we've been actively

3:44:20participating with the city in this RFP

3:44:22process which culminated in the award of

3:44:24the contract to run Long Beach's uh bike

3:44:27share. At every level, we are committed

3:44:30to the communities that we serve. We

3:44:32work in partnership with cities,

3:44:33communities, council members everywhere

3:44:36to deliver transportation ecosystems

3:44:38that serve the needs of the local

3:44:39community. As we prepare to scale the

3:44:42fleet and deploy the new ebikes that are

3:44:44alongside the city's existing pedal bike

3:44:46fleet, we have committed in writing to

3:44:48the city uh to prioritize the

3:44:50interviewing hiring of members of the

3:44:52existing team who are interested in

3:44:54being part of the operations. Local

3:44:56knowledge and experience are key parts

3:44:59of what DROP does in every operation.

3:45:02Our community engagement proposal

3:45:03includes multifaceted approach including

3:45:05outreach to underserved communities,

3:45:07equity events, community rides,

3:45:08participation at community events, and

3:45:11more.

3:45:12>> Standing,

3:45:14>> your time has concluded

3:45:15>> here today.

3:45:16>> Thank you.

3:45:19>> Before I before the next speaker

3:45:21>> All right. All right. Please no

3:45:24disruptions to the meeting. Let's

3:45:26continue public comment. Thank you.

3:45:28>> I'm going to call the remaining

3:45:29speakers. We have Matt Goldman, Leila,

3:45:32Sochi, Dylan Ambrose, Sean Cut, Stu S.

3:45:38Keith, Keith Mason, Skyler, Isaac

3:45:42Martinez,

3:45:44Alex Escobar, and Serena Dangelo. Please

3:45:47line up at the pony.

3:45:51and Dave Shukla.

3:45:53Your time begins now.

3:45:56>> Council members, Mr. Mayor, my name is

3:45:58Kimming. I'm the founder and CEO of

3:46:00Draft Mobility. We started draft nine

3:46:03years ago with a firm belief that

3:46:05building great bike share requires great

3:46:08technology, but also a

3:46:10partnership-driven approach.

3:46:12We look forward to the opportunity to

3:46:14deliver on our proposal and the next

3:46:17generation of the Long Beach Bike Share

3:46:20in Alb, New York, where they have a

3:46:22system of bikes from the same dissolved

3:46:25manufacturer as the current Long Beach

3:46:27Blue Pedal bikes. We were able to add

3:46:29400 ebikes and triple their trips to

3:46:32over 200,000 per year, more than double

3:46:34of Long Beach today. In New Orleans, we

3:46:37have just renewed our contract for five

3:46:40more years to deliver 25,500 additional

3:46:42ebikes and charging stations for next

3:46:44spring.

3:46:46We This suit doesn't suit me. I wore

3:46:49this to appear in front of you, but

3:46:53we look forward to the engagement with

3:46:56both the community.

3:46:57>> Your time's concluded. Thank you.

3:47:00>> Thank you.

3:47:01>> All right. Okay. We're not going to

3:47:03bully the speakers when they walk up.

3:47:06Please cut it out. Don't bully the

3:47:09speakers either side of it. Don't

3:47:11disrupt public comment. Everyone stand

3:47:14at this podium deserves their time to

3:47:16speak no matter the topic. So the next

3:47:19speaker, please come forward and and

3:47:22speak and give them the respect of of

3:47:25public comment. Thank you.

3:47:27>> Evening. My name is Soji CD2 and I'm

3:47:30here to ask you to vote no on item 20.

3:47:32Outsourcing local Long Beach jobs that

3:47:34already held by Long Beach residents

3:47:36doesn't feel very vibe city Rex. These

3:47:38folks are here showing up to talk to you

3:47:40for our community, our neighbors, our

3:47:42friends, our family. That is the vibe

3:47:44city that we are showing up for these

3:47:46people who will be impacted by no longer

3:47:48having Pedal Movement and its employees

3:47:50procure the Long Beach Bike Share

3:47:52program. This is the vibe city that you

3:47:55can't market with ads, but you can help

3:47:57fund it. And it will be an investment of

3:47:59city funds spent in Long Beach and stay

3:48:02in Long Beach to power Long Beach's

3:48:04economy. I participated in several

3:48:07community bike rides that occur every

3:48:08month. Hundreds of us show up, ride our

3:48:10bikes, and even rent city bikes that

3:48:12pedal movement overseas for distribution

3:48:15and repair. We ride through our Long

3:48:17Beach community with our Long Beach

3:48:19community. You know who's there in the

3:48:21community? Pedal Movement. You know who

3:48:23was here today when the bike valet

3:48:24service for those of us who cannot find

3:48:26parking downtown with with this 1hour

3:48:28cut and had your time pedal.

3:48:33[applause and cheering]

3:48:34>> The next speaker we have is Ila in Zoom.

3:48:37You've been unmuted. Your time begins

3:48:39now.

3:48:41>> Good evening council members. My name is

3:48:43Leila. Um I live in District 3. I plan

3:48:46bike rides every Tuesday and I also uh

3:48:49teach bike safety. Uh, and I have been

3:48:51supported since I moved here from day

3:48:53one by Pedal Movement. Um, I'm here to

3:48:57ask that Long Beach keep its bike share

3:48:59contract with Pedal Movement. I mean,

3:49:01you you just heard it from drop right

3:49:03now that it sounds like they they have

3:49:05contracts, all the contracts that they

3:49:07need in New Orleans. I think what we

3:49:10need is a business that can focus on the

3:49:12people here in Long Beach. Uh, and Pedal

3:49:15Movement has built a strong presence in

3:49:17this community. They show up at events

3:49:19throughout the city from Long Beach

3:49:21Coast baseball games to Pride Run and

3:49:24provide programs like bike safety

3:49:26education and free bike repair that

3:49:28directly benefit Long Beach residents.

3:49:31They're even providing bike valet at

3:49:33this city council meeting which was just

3:49:34mentioned. Uh something I don't see

3:49:37anyone else thinking about or providing

3:49:39in our community as a bike.

3:49:41>> Your time has concluded. Thank you.

3:49:45>> [applause]

3:49:48>> Dylan Ambrose.

3:49:53>> Hi, my name is Dylan Ambrose. I've been

3:49:55employed with Pedal Movement since 2019,

3:49:58and I am the manager of the downtown

3:49:59facility. This contract is so much more

3:50:02than just bikes on the street. This is

3:50:04going to affect a career for many of us

3:50:06that is community-faced and very stable.

3:50:09People like me who have a brand new

3:50:11child and a family that depends on this

3:50:13shop. Beyond that, there's tons of city

3:50:16residents and visitors that have relied

3:50:17on our team and the amazing work we've

3:50:19done over these past nine years to help

3:50:21the city to figure out how to even

3:50:22operate a bike share program. And not to

3:50:25mention, we took it from somebody who is

3:50:27very similar to the one in question of

3:50:28being awarded, managed a downtown

3:50:30facility that's gone through tons of

3:50:32hardships and we continue to be a staple

3:50:34for that community as well as tons of

3:50:37events. So basically, we've been here

3:50:38for the city since 2017 and we hope we

3:50:41still can be. So, please don't take it

3:50:43away from us cuz this is who you're

3:50:44hurting. Vote for no on prop 20 on this

3:50:47item number 20. Thank you.

3:50:50[applause]

3:50:51[cheering]

3:50:54>> Next speaker,

3:50:56Sean.

3:51:02Hello, Sean Cut from CD1 again. Um, I'm

3:51:05a cycling and urban planning nerd and I

3:51:06really wish I were here to talk about

3:51:08something fun and exciting like more

3:51:09protected bike infrastructure. Uh, but

3:51:11I'm here talking about this instead.

3:51:13Pedal Movement was a big reason as to

3:51:14why I moved here. Uh, moved back here.

3:51:16It's because of how good their staff is.

3:51:18Um, from what you just told me, pedal

3:51:21movement somehow lost by just two points

3:51:22on this arbitrary score you made. Is

3:51:24that score immutable, infallible, more

3:51:27important than the impassion responses

3:51:29from my neighbor in this community?

3:51:31You're choosing to be stubborn if you

3:51:32don't actually just change the score

3:51:35just by a few points after all of this.

3:51:37Maybe if you could just try running our

3:51:38city as a community instead of some

3:51:39soulless machine dictated by a power

3:51:41presentation. I'd very much appreciate

3:51:43it. This evaluation you've invented and

3:51:45made your decision kind of reminds me of

3:51:46that meme where Obama's just giving

3:51:47himself a medal. Pedal movement helped

3:51:49me pump my tire when it was flat.

3:51:51They've helped me materially, but it

3:51:53sure sounds like helping materially is

3:51:54not the priority here right now. So,

3:51:56please vote no 20 to make that not the

3:51:58case. Thank you.

3:52:00[applause]

3:52:05>> Uh, good evening. My name is Ice

3:52:06Martinez, District 9. Uh, sorry, Dr.

3:52:09Joan, you couldn't be here. Uh,

3:52:10condolences. Um, I was at um a Hen Park

3:52:15public works uh meeting not too long ago

3:52:17um to talk about the improvements and uh

3:52:19Miss Eileen came over from parks and

3:52:21wreck. She's like, "Hey, uh couple years

3:52:23ago uh there was like the bike camp and

3:52:25like all the kids loved it. It was a

3:52:26whole week full of um you know, just

3:52:28bike instruction, uh bike rides, how to

3:52:31be uh safe in public with bikes." And uh

3:52:34it turns out it was uh pedal movement

3:52:36that had you know uh administered that

3:52:39weekl long bike camp with the parks

3:52:41program and also Justin also Justin

3:52:43Harris he happened to be here or he

3:52:45happened to be at that meeting as well

3:52:46and right away we connected. He's like

3:52:48oh yeah I remember you. Wow that was

3:52:49like 10 years ago. So that's the type of

3:52:52uh I guess company that pedal movement

3:52:54is like they they're in the community.

3:52:56They also help with busfest which uh Rex

3:52:58and Tinoa you were at. Uh they also

3:53:00provided uh inkind uh bike valet. So,

3:53:03please vote no on this. Uh, drop's not

3:53:05worth it.

3:53:07[cheering]

3:53:10[applause]

3:53:15>> Hello, council. My name is Dr. Stuart

3:53:18Stevens and I'm a constituent of the

3:53:20city's fifth district and a former

3:53:22employee who was able to pursue his

3:53:24doctorate at pedal movement.

3:53:26[cheering]

3:53:29>> This right now is a moral choice. This

3:53:32moral choice stands before you as a

3:53:34test, a challenge, yes, but also an

3:53:37opportunity. I ask that you each look

3:53:40within yourselves and into the eyes of

3:53:43the city you serve. I ask that you

3:53:45protect and uplift your own and that you

3:53:48find the moral courage to stand by those

3:53:51who ride or die for Long Beach. I ask

3:53:54you to make the moral choice to keep

3:53:56Long Beach Bike Share, the welloiled

3:53:59machine it has been for nearly a decade.

3:54:01and to keep the hands that grease it.

3:54:05No one 20. [cheering]

3:54:07[applause]

3:54:14>> Hello, my name is Serena. I live in

3:54:16district 2 and I ride a bike because of

3:54:18the education and support that pedal

3:54:20movement has provided to me. You are

3:54:22hoping that drop will have the same

3:54:24knowledge of Long Beach as Pedal

3:54:26Movement. You're hoping that they will

3:54:28save you money at the expense of

3:54:30providing workers a living wage. You're

3:54:32hoping that these underpaid workers

3:54:34won't quit or be unreliable. You're

3:54:36hoping that drop will rehire pedal

3:54:39movement workers at this much lower rate

3:54:41wage. And you're hoping that they will

3:54:42settle in and figure all their stuff out

3:54:44before the Olympics. Hope is a beautiful

3:54:47concept, but hope is not a strategy.

3:54:50Pedal Movement has proven themselves to

3:54:52be a real solution. They have provided

3:54:54so many extras to this city's benefit,

3:54:57much more than the contracted four a

3:54:59year because they care about this

3:55:01community. You're hoping that an

3:55:03outsourced company will have the same

3:55:05care and drive that pedal movement does.

3:55:07How far are you willing to take that

3:55:09hope? Hope is not a strategy, but pedal

3:55:12movement is. Thank you.

3:55:16[cheering]

3:55:16[applause]

3:55:21Uh Keith Mason, third district. Um it's

3:55:25interesting. I I actually have changed

3:55:28my opinion a little bit. Um which is

3:55:30just reflects the earlier motion. Um I

3:55:35hear a lot of passion for this group. Um

3:55:38I I also hear that they deliver a lot

3:55:41more than what was asked for in the RFP,

3:55:43or at least that's the impression I got.

3:55:46Um, but I'll tell you what really

3:55:49strikes me is $475 million is more than

3:55:54enough money to have kept a fire station

3:55:55open in my district.

3:55:58$279,000

3:56:00per employee is what they're asking the

3:56:02city council to spend. That's a lot of

3:56:05money for 19 employees. $279,000

3:56:09per employee. And I just think we need

3:56:11to be fiscally responsible. I think it

3:56:14would have been good to for the city to

3:56:16maybe take a look at their comments

3:56:17relative to living wage. Maybe that

3:56:19should have been incorporated into the

3:56:20RFP and also the results of what was on

3:56:22went on time concluded.

3:56:24>> Thank you.

3:56:33>> Good evening. Uh I oppose this item. Uh

3:56:36I believe this uh process and contract

3:56:38are flawed and directed to a

3:56:40predetermined outcome.

3:56:43Uh, Mr. Modica, this is a very easy

3:56:47contract to track in concrete terms.

3:56:50If it's awarded and drop mobility does

3:56:54not provide equal or better service

3:56:59than pedal movement

3:57:02that is something I think should be the

3:57:03responsibility of every city staff who

3:57:07worked on the RFP who evaluated it who

3:57:11pushed forward what I think to be a

3:57:13flawed process and they should not be

3:57:16allowed to fail upwards

3:57:18nor should those who vote for

3:57:22At what point are you going to actually

3:57:23listen to your city?

3:57:27[applause]

3:57:29>> The next speaker we have is Alex Escobar

3:57:32in Zoom. Alex, you've been unmuted. Your

3:57:35time begins now.

3:57:37>> There is nothing like having to rewrite

3:57:39your 90minute public comment in real

3:57:41time to accommodate a new one minute

3:57:43rule. Talk about a real slap in the

3:57:45face, Rex Richardson. I'm asking the

3:57:48council to vote no on item 20 and

3:57:50request that public works come back with

3:57:53a structure that modernizes Long Beach

3:57:56Bike Share while keeping operations

3:57:58local to Pedal Movement. Mary, you can

3:58:01make that motion as my council woman. As

3:58:04we heard tonight, Pedal Movement has

3:58:06operated in Long Beach for a decade, and

3:58:08everyone speaking here is a testament to

3:58:10that. But a quick story that I think

3:58:12should inform the way you vote. Before

3:58:14moving to Long Beach, I spent five years

3:58:16working and living in DC, where I saw

3:58:18Lyft take over Capital Bike Share, their

3:58:21local operator. As a writer, the

3:58:24experience of converting that to a Bay

3:58:26Area company never improved my rider

3:58:28experience, and I don't want to see that

3:58:30happen now. So, make the hard vote

3:58:33tonight. Vote no. Modernize the system

3:58:36we have while preserving the local jobs

3:58:38and expertise. That's

3:58:39>> your time's concluded.

3:58:41[cheering and applause] Our

3:58:42last speaker is Melissa.

3:58:46>> I want to uplift the value of homegrown

3:58:49businesses and the capacity we build

3:58:51here in Long Beach. And when we're

3:58:52investing millions of public dollars, I

3:58:54think we should be asking how we

3:58:56preserve and grow that value. Aside from

3:58:58all the great points already stated

3:58:59here, I actually want to draw attention

3:59:01to how we're structuring large complex

3:59:03RFPs.

3:59:05As someone who has designed and overseen

3:59:06RFP processes at a large public entity,

3:59:09there are more equitable ways to design

3:59:10these RFPs. Do we always need to create

3:59:13a procurement where one large vendor has

3:59:15to provide the technology, the

3:59:16equipment, operations, everything else?

3:59:18Or could we instead create opportunities

3:59:20for partnership, larger technologically

3:59:22sophisticated companies to partner and

3:59:24leverage local expertise of businesses

3:59:27like Pedal Movement that could give Long

3:59:28Beach the best of both worlds. modern

3:59:30technology and infrastructure while

3:59:32retaining local jobs, relationships,

3:59:34expertise, and economic investment. I'm

3:59:36asking you to think more creatively

3:59:38about what an equitable procurement

3:59:40actually looks like from design to

3:59:42evaluation to implementation. If we say

3:59:45we want to build a strong local economy,

3:59:47our largest public contract should be

3:59:48one of the concluded. Thank you.

3:59:56>> That concludes public comment.

3:59:57>> All right. Well, thank you for your

3:59:59testimony. Uh before we go to council,

4:00:01just um I want to make sure that uh so

4:00:05whenever there's a contract award and

4:00:07there's a public RFP process, uh the

4:00:09council has a few options in front of

4:00:11them on what they can do whenever it's a

4:00:14contract award. If this if there's a

4:00:16public process, a part of your

4:00:18decision-m you sort of uh give up to

4:00:21say, "Hey, let's have a public process."

4:00:23And when it comes back, you have to make

4:00:24a decision on the process itself. So, I

4:00:27want the attorney to walk through what

4:00:28the options are for the city council

4:00:30tonight.

4:00:31>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And that's

4:00:32correct. This is an RFP, a public

4:00:35procurement process that transpired.

4:00:37Tara explained the importance of a fair,

4:00:40open, and competitive process. It's a

4:00:42requirement under the law. And that

4:00:44process doesn't just end the notice of

4:00:47intent to award. It continues on through

4:00:49the award process. So this evening, a

4:00:52yes vote on this item would be the award

4:00:54of the contract under the RFP that was

4:00:56facilitated by city staff. The other

4:00:59option that's available to council would

4:01:01be to vote no and to direct the staff to

4:01:04conduct to rerun that competitive

4:01:06process on the basis that it was in some

4:01:09way deficient or flawed. Um and then

4:01:13that flaw resulted in an outcome that

4:01:15would not be the same if we won.

4:01:19>> Okay. So

4:01:20redirecting from one contractor to

4:01:23another is not an option in front of the

4:01:25city council tonight.

4:01:28>> The process needs to be fair, open, and

4:01:31transparent. And so you would need to be

4:01:33able to identify something inside of

4:01:34that process that was not fair, open,

4:01:36transparent, or competitive and asked

4:01:38for the rerunning of the process. I want

4:01:40to I want to um first of all I want to

4:01:43acknowledge um you know both groups who

4:01:46have uh and all the groups that have

4:01:48have uh signed up and to do business

4:01:50with our city and we certainly we

4:01:52certainly welcome that. And I'll tell

4:01:54you and I don't know um uh the one who's

4:01:57proposed to be awarded I I don't know

4:01:59Drop Mobility. I do know Pedal Movement.

4:02:02I've worked with them for many years on

4:02:04an RFP. The question that the council

4:02:07has to focus in on here is the process.

4:02:12If you step outside of process, that is

4:02:15when we wade into legal area. So the

4:02:18question in front of us is the process.

4:02:20So the council can can certainly

4:02:22acknowledge local impacts. The questions

4:02:25would be how did how was that addressed

4:02:27within the context of the process? You

4:02:29can talk about value. You can talk about

4:02:32everything that was brought up today.

4:02:33wages, local, all of that, but within

4:02:36the context of the process that has to

4:02:38inform whatever decision is made by the

4:02:41council tonight because this is one step

4:02:44of that process that is not yet

4:02:46concluded. So, I want to thank everybody

4:02:47for speaking. We're going to go to the

4:02:48council uh the let's see maker of the

4:02:52motion. Well, let's start with uh

4:02:54actually who council district was

4:02:55council members and deas.

4:02:58>> Thank you. um providing opportunities

4:03:00for local hire um continues to be a

4:03:03priority for me. One of the things that

4:03:05I see that in the uh contract it says

4:03:09that um job mobility is to hire a local

4:03:13workforce and procure a local facility.

4:03:17Uh my question is um if this is

4:03:20stipulated in written and written into

4:03:24the contract and what will be the remedy

4:03:27if this is not fulfilled?

4:03:33>> Yeah, great question. So we do have

4:03:35provisions within the contract to

4:03:36address any any of the vendors that

4:03:40aren't complying with the contract at

4:03:42large. So we would be working with them

4:03:45uh immediately to figure out where are

4:03:47they going to have their local

4:03:50establishment, how are we going to start

4:03:52procuring vehicles in the B bike fleet

4:03:55and then how are we going to uh where

4:03:57are they going to be housed and so on

4:03:59and so forth. So there are options

4:04:01within the RFP to not only make sure

4:04:04that they comply with all the provisions

4:04:05within it but also some of the items we

4:04:07talked about earlier related to

4:04:09maintaining uh availability of the fleet

4:04:13itself throughout the year.

4:04:17>> Thank you. Um

4:04:20one more question. Um,

4:04:28so that's what it says in the con

4:04:31contract, but is it written in the

4:04:34contract?

4:04:36>> Council member, to be specific, what

4:04:39happens is that when we have an RFP, the

4:04:42RFP document itself becomes an

4:04:44attachment to the contract. So, it's

4:04:46literally attached. The proposal that

4:04:48they provide is also a part of that. And

4:04:52then there's negotiated terms that

4:04:53happen, which are things that we've

4:04:55talked about beyond what came from the

4:04:58RFP. There's negotiations that happen

4:05:00after that. And those terms and

4:05:01conditions will be added into a paper

4:05:03contract that the city attorney's office

4:05:05is going to draft. Now, every city

4:05:08procurement contract that we have is

4:05:09going to have terms and conditions for

4:05:11us to be able to administer the

4:05:13contract. If there is any contract for

4:05:16any service where they are not meeting

4:05:18each of the terms and conditions

4:05:20specified, there's always a remedy. And

4:05:22so, we're going to meet with the vendor.

4:05:24We're going to find out what's going on.

4:05:26We're going to discuss the problem with

4:05:27them and give them an opportunity to

4:05:29cure. There is definitely situations

4:05:31where vendors do not meet those

4:05:33standards and do not cure and then we

4:05:36have to figure out something else that

4:05:37happens. We've absolutely brought those

4:05:39conditions to city council and you've re

4:05:42reawwarded

4:05:44the contract. We've taken different

4:05:46steps. We've done everything else. But

4:05:48at this point with the evaluation

4:05:50criteria that was provided and the

4:05:51proposals that were provided, staff does

4:05:54think that the evaluation is for the

4:05:56best value for the city from the

4:05:58contract that we're um requesting that

4:06:00you recommend you um award this evening.

4:06:04>> Thank you.

4:06:06>> Thank you. Uh, Council Member Dougen,

4:06:14>> uh, it's never a good sign when

4:06:17lobbyists are reaching out to elected

4:06:19officials to influence results of the

4:06:21competitive bidding process. Public

4:06:24contracting rules exist to protect the

4:06:27city, taxpayers, vendors, and elected

4:06:31officials. When we start reopening a

4:06:34competitive bid process to lobbying,

4:06:37that is where good governance starts

4:06:39breaking down. I feel the employees I

4:06:42feel for the employees of Pedal

4:06:45Movement. You are real people with real

4:06:48jobs living here in Long Beach for many

4:06:51of you and you've worked on this program

4:06:53for years. But our responsibility

4:06:58is to the public first. This city

4:07:01council just approved a budget with

4:07:02layoffs and we were looking at 17 city

4:07:06employees employees losing their jobs on

4:07:09October 1 before the city manager worked

4:07:12to help get most of them placed.

4:07:1617 employees is the same number of pedal

4:07:19movement employees who live in Long

4:07:21Beach. What message are we sending to

4:07:23our city employees if after making

4:07:26painful budget reductions, we override a

4:07:29bidding process to select a vendor that

4:07:32costs nearly $5 million more without

4:07:37identifying a material flaws in the

4:07:39competitive bidding process.

4:07:42This is the first time the operation of

4:07:44this program has gone through a

4:07:46competitive procurement process since

4:07:482019.

4:07:50And since then, we've been issuing no

4:07:52bid contract extensions.

4:07:55Now, the city has finally gone back out

4:07:57to market and asked companies to

4:07:59compete. Four companies submitted

4:08:02proposals. Drop received the highest

4:08:05evaluation score. Despite pedal movement

4:08:08receiving that 10% bump for being a

4:08:10local business, the city's professional

4:08:13staff continues to recommend awarding

4:08:16the contract to drop. There are

4:08:19substantive reasons behind that

4:08:21recommendation.

4:08:24The current system has 250

4:08:27bikes unavailable for use. Under the new

4:08:32contract requirements, the management

4:08:34fee would already be reduced based on

4:08:37the number of bikes currently

4:08:39unavailable.

4:08:41Looking at the proposals, I like the

4:08:44idea of bringing the entire program

4:08:47under one contract instead of having two

4:08:50contracts for one service. I like the

4:08:53concept of a parking system with 350

4:08:58charging stations compared to the 80

4:09:01offered by the proposal by pedal

4:09:04movement.

4:09:06I do not like the idea of installing

4:09:09more than 1300

4:09:12new dedicated bike share docks

4:09:15throughout the city.

4:09:18I believe there was a picture of the

4:09:20docking system and they're very large.

4:09:23Drop's proposal can use our existing

4:09:27public bike racks. I don't like the

4:09:30pedal movement submitted a bid for

4:09:32fulltime benefited employees to only

4:09:36work 32 hours a week. That's four days a

4:09:41week. No city employee or any other city

4:09:45contractor would be allowed to work 32

4:09:48hours and still be considered full-time

4:09:51with benefits.

4:09:53Importantly, I like that Drop Mobility

4:09:56is nearly $5 million less than the other

4:10:00bid in year one.

4:10:03I understand concerns have been raised.

4:10:06The language around whether biders had

4:10:08managed fleets of a thousand bikes is

4:10:10unfortunate, but if you read it

4:10:12literally, our two top biders would both

4:10:15be disqualified.

4:10:17Restarting the entire process would

4:10:20primarily benefit the current contract

4:10:23holder and not the public. Council

4:10:28absolutely has an oversight role, but

4:10:30this is also not the first time council

4:10:33has been asked to change course on the

4:10:35bike share contract after organized

4:10:38advocacy on behalf of the incumbent.

4:10:41Public bidding is designed specifically

4:10:43to separate procurement decisions from

4:10:46political influence.

4:10:49I have not read or heard enough to

4:10:51conclude that city staff got this

4:10:54competitive procurement process wrong.

4:10:57I'll be supporting the staff's

4:10:59recommendation for drop mobility.

4:11:02>> All right, next speaker is uh let's see,

4:11:05Council Member Thrashin.

4:11:07>> Thank you, Mayor. Um and thank you to my

4:11:09colleagues for um that discussion. So,

4:11:12anytime we start talking about

4:11:14transitioning away from a homegrown

4:11:16local partner like Pedal Movement, the

4:11:19conversation is difficult. Um, and I

4:11:21want to acknowledge the real impact to

4:11:23community that we've heard here this

4:11:25evening and why it was so important that

4:11:27we take some more time to do some

4:11:29additional analysis to better understand

4:11:31what happened here and how did we get to

4:11:33that point.

4:11:35So, um, I've got a a series of questions

4:11:38that I think will, um, help me better

4:11:40understand, uh, where we are right now.

4:11:44When I think about, um, this contract, I

4:11:47hear from Pedal Movement no sense that

4:11:50there was going to be this kind of

4:11:52drastic change. Had we done any

4:11:54consumerfacing

4:11:55analysis to understand how the public is

4:11:58currently interacting with our uh bike

4:12:01share system and what their perspective

4:12:02is about where it should be going.

4:12:13>> Thank you. I wouldn't say that we've

4:12:15conducted like surveys with it. we can

4:12:17look at our writership versus what the

4:12:21expected wrership is of a system our

4:12:23size.

4:12:24>> Okay.

4:12:24>> And it's underperforming.

4:12:25>> So, one of the things that I think would

4:12:27be helpful or in as we um we considered

4:12:31crafting that RFP would have signaled to

4:12:35the market that there was some interest

4:12:36in really understanding what's happening

4:12:38with our current bike system, get some

4:12:41feedback from our consumers. So that way

4:12:43we could also have included that

4:12:45consumer perspective within the RFP

4:12:47going forward. I do want to thank the

4:12:49staff for taking the time to really go

4:12:52through um and help us understand the

4:12:55integrity of the process that was used.

4:12:57Um thank you. You know how important

4:12:59small business and procurement is to me

4:13:01uh for going through that and connecting

4:13:03that to all of the various uh best

4:13:06practices across the country that you've

4:13:08been utilizing. You state that we rarely

4:13:10receive protests. any ideas regarding

4:13:13any percentages associated with that?

4:13:18>> Um, I think I would say in the last year

4:13:20we've pro probably received four to five

4:13:23and we've had 255 formal solicitations.

4:13:26So, one personish.

4:13:29>> Okay. Very good. All right. Thank you

4:13:30for sharing that. One of the things that

4:13:33um is so unique I think about Long Beach

4:13:35is the fact that we do have a local

4:13:37preference. Um could you um opine on

4:13:41whether our local preference because

4:13:43typically I see 5% but we have 10%. How

4:13:47common is that among cities of our size?

4:13:53>> Uh I don't think it's very common at all

4:13:55actually. I know 5% is kind of um what

4:13:58we've seen with jurisdictions our size

4:14:01but I haven't seen another one that is

4:14:0310%. So quite quite generous in terms of

4:14:06local preference and the commitment to

4:14:08um local small business.

4:14:10>> It is generous council member and it's

4:14:12important to note that the reason for

4:14:14the local preference being able to be

4:14:16that it's not just because we want it to

4:14:18be and we want to provide that

4:14:20preference. We have to have a nexus as

4:14:21to why. We have to have that ability to

4:14:24be able to back into why 10%. So just

4:14:28you know if you wanted it to be 25% we

4:14:30wouldn't be able to make that nexus.

4:14:33There's 10% is generous and it is as

4:14:36high as everyone believes that we could

4:14:38get it

4:14:38>> right. I I think you we made we made the

4:14:40original point which is that five is

4:14:42pretty typical and 10% is already quite

4:14:44generous. So change is quite difficult

4:14:48and you know thank you. You you've put

4:14:49out into the public the categories so we

4:14:52have an idea of what um the categories

4:14:55were that they were um evaluated

4:14:57against. Um I I too think that if there

4:15:00was a way to marry the best of both

4:15:02worlds with the technology, with the

4:15:04experience, with the local culture of

4:15:06pedal movement, that would have been an

4:15:08you know an ideal um situation and and

4:15:11just sorry that that was not what

4:15:13happened going forward. Um I want to

4:15:16thank you in the RFP. Um I love the

4:15:19facility within the city limits as a

4:15:21requirement. All of those requirements

4:15:23there. One of the things that the RFP

4:15:26did not require is uh sponsorship or uh

4:15:29volunteer commitments. I do want to say

4:15:32that I want to make sure that um the

4:15:35community hears this. Um, the ethos of a

4:15:38pedal movement didn't require that we

4:15:40had that in any written document, but my

4:15:43expectation is that any company that

4:15:46would have this kind of contract um

4:15:48would understand that that would be an

4:15:50expectation to show up as a corporate

4:15:54citizen and partner within our community

4:15:56and would have a strategy accordingly uh

4:15:58to invest in that way.

4:16:01So then, oh, I'm almost out of time,

4:16:03mayor, and I have a couple more

4:16:04questions. Should I quue back up?

4:16:06>> Uh, sure. Go ahead and queue back up.

4:16:07>> Okay. Thank you so much.

4:16:09>> All right. Thank you. Next is Council

4:16:11Member Sorrow.

4:16:12>> Thank you, [clears throat] Mayor. Um, I

4:16:14also agree with my colleague,

4:16:16Councilwoman Thrashuk, that this is

4:16:19difficult when we talk about a local

4:16:20homegrown business and with workers who

4:16:23live in our community. And that is why I

4:16:26asked for additional time for us to make

4:16:29sure that we're reviewing all of the

4:16:31materials that comes before us, that

4:16:33we're hearing all of the information as

4:16:37shared. Uh protest doesn't happen often,

4:16:40but we also are not involved with the

4:16:42bidding process, the public process for

4:16:45the, you know, for for a reason. And so

4:16:48I I do want to clarify, you know, I

4:16:52appreciate clarification on what's

4:16:53decision before us, but I need a little

4:16:55more clarification because the there is

4:16:58a timeline with this grant, right? So So

4:17:03earlier we heard that if we voted no on

4:17:06this item, it means that it would have

4:17:09to go to rebid. It doesn't automatically

4:17:12go to one. It's a public bidding

4:17:14process. Is that correct? It's a public

4:17:17procurement process through an RFP

4:17:19procurement.

4:17:20>> So it would have to be rerun

4:17:22>> and so how long would that take and

4:17:24would we still have to would we have to

4:17:26spend these dollars in a specific amount

4:17:27of time? Would we basically would we

4:17:29have time to go through a procurement

4:17:31process again?

4:17:34>> So the procurement process as outlined

4:17:37in the most recent memo I think the

4:17:39average is right around seven months or

4:17:40so. uh would take us a little bit of

4:17:43time to draft the new process, the new

4:17:45RFP that would get out on the street.

4:17:48There is a a a period of time that it

4:17:51takes to correct whatever it is. As the

4:17:53city attorney had had noted, we need to

4:17:55figure out what those corrections are,

4:17:57work those corrections into the RFP, get

4:17:59it out on the street, take about seven

4:18:01months or so, and then to bring an item

4:18:03back to city council. We're looking at

4:18:05close to a year. um that would give us

4:18:08not a lot of time between the

4:18:10culmination of that process and then

4:18:12trying to deploy a new fleet before the

4:18:152028 games.

4:18:16>> So it would set up anyone who gets this

4:18:19contract through the rebidding the re

4:18:22the the new process little time and

4:18:25almost setting them up for failure that

4:18:27they couldn't even set up their system

4:18:29in time. If we went through a new

4:18:31process,

4:18:34>> it would certainly make it more

4:18:36difficult. There's also a grant that we

4:18:38currently have submitted for that would

4:18:41help us augment the capital dollars that

4:18:45we have to be able to reinvest into the

4:18:47program. Uh that grant would also

4:18:49potentially be in jeopardy if we if we

4:18:51prolong this

4:18:52>> potentially. How much is that grant?

4:18:54>> Uh we submitted for five million. 5

4:18:57million.

4:19:00>> Um, all right. That that's those are the

4:19:02questions that I have for consideration.

4:19:04Thank you.

4:19:06>> Thank you, Council Member Kerr.

4:19:08>> Yes. Uh, thank you and thank you to the

4:19:10city team for your thorough presentation

4:19:12tonight. Um, I think I'll just reiterate

4:19:15my comments from last week or last

4:19:17meeting. I continue to be disappointed

4:19:18at the way this contract has come to

4:19:21pass. I am a strong supporter of bike

4:19:23share and our bikable city goals. For

4:19:26more than a decade, we have been

4:19:27intentional in our work to promote

4:19:29ridership, safety, bike programming

4:19:30across the city from beach streets and

4:19:33kitical mass, moonlight bike rides,

4:19:34presence in downtown um events in all of

4:19:38these small spaces and paddle movement

4:19:40and the biking community have been a

4:19:41huge partner with us in this city um to

4:19:44help achieve these goals. This is such

4:19:47an important and exciting program and as

4:19:49one of the commenters said, I wish I

4:19:51could be jumping up and down because I

4:19:52have been waiting for the expansion of

4:19:54our program uh for years.

4:19:58And Miss Mortonson, I appreciate you

4:20:01talking about the professionalism and

4:20:03the work that procurement has done over

4:20:04the last several years, the awards that

4:20:07we've gotten, um the ways in which we

4:20:09have changed procurement um to have such

4:20:12a stellar record. and I think we got

4:20:15this one wrong. Both of those two things

4:20:18can be true. We can have a stellar

4:20:19department and you all are doing amazing

4:20:21work and we can still get some things

4:20:23wrong. Um, so it's disappointing. I will

4:20:26not be supporting this item tonight.

4:20:28Thank you.

4:20:33>> All right. Thank you. Uh, back to

4:20:35Council Member Thrashin.

4:20:36>> Uh, thank you, Mayor. Um so I wanted to

4:20:40just acknowledge that it seems over the

4:20:42last couple of weeks um we have Drop

4:20:45Mobility has shared some additional

4:20:48commitments that I want to just dig into

4:20:50a little bit. So um we we note that in

4:20:54the RFP there is a need to move the

4:20:56headquarters to or not the headquarters

4:20:57but move the facility a facility to Long

4:21:00Beach. Um they're currently in Lam

4:21:02Marada and I was wondering um if Drop

4:21:05Mobility has any contracts right now

4:21:07with um La Marada.

4:21:12>> I think that would probably be a better

4:21:14question answered by DROP, but I would

4:21:17just uh acknowledge that as part of the

4:21:19RFP, the drop mobility is required to

4:21:23have a local presence here.

4:21:25>> Yes, I caught that. in addition to

4:21:27moving the headquarters, the local

4:21:29headquarters to Long Beach. So, there's

4:21:30kind of two things going on, but maybe

4:21:32somebody from from DROP could help

4:21:34answer that.

4:21:35>> I see a hand there. The gentleman has

4:21:37stated no that there is there is not a

4:21:40contract with Lam Marada. Okay. So part

4:21:43of what I'm trying to make sure of and

4:21:45again just making a public statement is

4:21:48that I would not want pedal move I would

4:21:50not want drop mobility to um get a

4:21:54contract somewhere else and decide to

4:21:56move headquarters or spaces somewhere

4:21:59else within uh the region. So just

4:22:01wanted to get a sense of that. Then um I

4:22:04really appreciate the emphasis on

4:22:06hiring. Uh we talk a lot about local

4:22:08jobs. Um I don't want to get into the

4:22:10detail of the the salary levels. Um I

4:22:14know that was mentioned in public

4:22:15comment, but I think it's very clear

4:22:17that there are some expectations around

4:22:20quality job opportunities that um those

4:22:24here in Long Beach who have worked in

4:22:26this movement so long would expect uh

4:22:28from another company. And then um there

4:22:32I noticed in the written report there is

4:22:35uh definitely

4:22:37wanting to make sure that we have uh

4:22:39consumer protection and equity into the

4:22:41program. So as I understand it, we will

4:22:44continue to have the um bike share for

4:22:46all program uh implementation

4:22:49implemented. We will continue to have

4:22:51cash payment options for people and um

4:22:54we will continue to have multilingual

4:22:56support uh for communities that need

4:22:59assistance with accessing the system.

4:23:01All of that is correct.

4:23:03>> That is correct. And then um there isn't

4:23:07I don't think a specific percentage but

4:23:10um we'd want to make sure that the bikes

4:23:13are distributed as equitably as possible

4:23:15throughout the city so that the north or

4:23:19parts of the west places that maybe

4:23:21typically haven't had as much bike share

4:23:23experience um and hubs would be able to

4:23:26have access to that. Do we have any um

4:23:29commitments on that? So far,

4:23:31>> that is a big part of why we wanted to

4:23:34bring this item forward and why we

4:23:35recommended the expansion of the

4:23:37program. As the program currently

4:23:39operates today, uh, as you've heard over

4:23:41the last couple weeks, it is declining.

4:23:43So, the number of vehicles we have

4:23:45available has declined year-over-year.

4:23:47This will allow us to expand into some

4:23:49of those areas where we haven't had as

4:23:51many bike fleets.

4:23:52>> Okay. We certainly need some more in the

4:23:54north. And then um how will um the drop

4:23:58mobility uh bikes connect in with metro

4:24:01in the LA County region?

4:24:04>> We can certainly look at opportunities

4:24:06to integrate the systems. I know they

4:24:08have uh their own procurement processes

4:24:11and their own um systems and that

4:24:14they're looking at rolling out into the

4:24:16future. Uh we could certainly pair up

4:24:18with them and and look at how we could

4:24:20expand that network.

4:24:22>> Okay. I think that will be critical. And

4:24:24then um we I noticed that this is a

4:24:27hybrid system now and so bikes can be

4:24:30left at hubs or other places and other

4:24:32infrastructure as you described. Um how

4:24:34do we ensure that bikes that are not

4:24:36part of a dock system um get connected

4:24:39to the right infrastructure and that

4:24:42there's some level of retrieval of those

4:24:44bikes so that we don't have them in

4:24:46places that is not appropriate.

4:24:50There's specific staff levels that are

4:24:53this there's specific staffing that

4:24:54that's their entire job is rebalancing

4:24:56the vehicles. So they they have a

4:24:57handheld that tells them where the bikes

4:24:59are located. They go and rebalance them.

4:25:01>> Okay. Thank you.

4:25:02>> We can we can set service levels too. So

4:25:03if it's similar to the scooters, we have

4:25:05a like a 72-hour rule or 20 48 hour rule

4:25:08or we can even integrate it into the Go

4:25:10Long Beach app and have citizens report

4:25:12them on there too.

4:25:13>> Oh, I like how that sounds. Um, so I

4:25:15think that that would be critical

4:25:16because that would be a a a new way of

4:25:18handling um our bike services that we

4:25:21have available within the city. Um,

4:25:24Director Hickman, I want to thank you

4:25:25for acknowledging the note on uh slide

4:25:2719. I appreciate that. Um, and with

4:25:30that, I think I have shared uh all of my

4:25:33comments and questions regarding this

4:25:34matter. Thank you.

4:25:36>> All right. Thank you. Uh, Councilwoman

4:25:38Sar, I see your hand. You're good.

4:25:41>> Okay. All right. Well, uh, just, you

4:25:44know, I know we need to stay within the

4:25:46lens of the process. Just a question on

4:25:49workforce.

4:25:50So, show me a little add a little more

4:25:53color to if the council makes the

4:25:55decision toward the contract drop. What

4:25:57does that process actually look like for

4:25:59people who want to uh the existing

4:26:02workforce who wants to continue to work

4:26:04within our bike share system?

4:26:07What will that look like?

4:26:11So, first up, uh, if the item is

4:26:13approved tonight, we would work with our

4:26:15colleagues to get the contract in place,

4:26:17get the contract executed by, uh, both

4:26:19the the vendor as well as the city

4:26:21manager so we could start to, uh, put it

4:26:23into effect. That would then allow DROP

4:26:26to interview as that first phase that

4:26:28was noted on one of the slides. They'd

4:26:31be able to interview uh, the individuals

4:26:33from Pedal Movement that are so

4:26:35interested in coming on board to drop.

4:26:38um that that process I imagine would

4:26:40take place over the next few months.

4:26:42That way come the beginning of the year,

4:26:45we would be able to uh and drop would be

4:26:47able to really transition into full

4:26:49ownership over the program uh starting

4:26:52in early 2027 and we then start to

4:26:55deploy out the new the new uh fleet from

4:26:57there.

4:26:58>> And there's a subsequent item tonight,

4:27:00the next item. What is the relationship

4:27:01between that item and this one?

4:27:04>> Yeah, great question. So the subsequent

4:27:06item was also carried forward from

4:27:08September 22nd and that is an extension

4:27:11to the existing pedal movement contract

4:27:13that expired at the end of September.

4:27:15That will give us the the runway between

4:27:18now and the end of the calendar year to

4:27:21make sure that our existing fleet our

4:27:23existing program can continue through

4:27:25the next few months and through that

4:27:28transition process that I had just

4:27:30described.

4:27:31So ideally you have uh a contract being

4:27:35extended while that interview and ramp

4:27:38up process would take place

4:27:39concurrently. So when will we hear back

4:27:41on the success of that local hire local

4:27:44retention program?

4:27:46>> Uhuh. Nope. Nope. Nope. That's enough.

4:27:49This is not your time. Let's continue.

4:27:51Please don't interrupt.

4:27:53>> Please continue. Go ahead. So, we'd be

4:27:56able to report back on the program, the

4:27:58contract execution, the hiring process,

4:28:00the procurement of the fleet, and

4:28:02everything associated with what we've

4:28:04talked about over the last couple

4:28:05meetings. Um, in early 2027, we'd be

4:28:08able to report back on that.

4:28:09>> Okay. And then finally, which was

4:28:11actually my next question, how do the

4:28:13salaries compare between the two?

4:28:17So to from a big picture um high level

4:28:20standpoint, we we kind of ran some some

4:28:23numbers here and and overall when you

4:28:25average out the submittals for both um

4:28:29drop and pedal movement, the existing

4:28:32average hourly rate for drop mobility is

4:28:37$32 an hour based on a 40hour work week.

4:28:42The average for pedal movement is $39 an

4:28:45hour. That's over a 32h hour work week.

4:28:49So when you extrapolate that out and do

4:28:51the math, they're they're quite

4:28:52comparable as far as uh salaries are

4:28:55concerned. And again, that's an average

4:28:57based on

4:28:57>> Well, the takehome is the same. The

4:28:58structure is different.

4:29:00>> That's correct.

4:29:00>> Understood. Okay. Thank you for uh

4:29:03clarifying that. Councilman Sorrow, are

4:29:04you cued?

4:29:06>> Okay.

4:29:06>> Yes. I wanted to ask a follow-up

4:29:09question to the questions that you've

4:29:12been asking is uh it's really important

4:29:16as I think we've all heard how important

4:29:18local hire is and while it's not a

4:29:21requirement in this um I I would like to

4:29:25make sure that we have a report back um

4:29:29should the contract be awarded on their

4:29:33hiring process it being locally hired

4:29:37um within I don't know if six 3 to 6

4:29:41months is reasonable. Uh is is that a

4:29:44possibility?

4:29:46>> We should be able to get a report back

4:29:48in early 2027 within that 3 to six month

4:29:51window that that you suggested request.

4:29:54>> Okay. All right. Thank you.

4:29:56>> And I'll just say if Drop moves forward

4:29:58as a new operator, they better get this

4:30:00right.

4:30:02This is

4:30:05I understand the the certainly the Hey,

4:30:08hey, hey, that's enough. I certainly

4:30:11appreciate

4:30:12I certainly uh appreciate

4:30:16um the effort and the the turnout and

4:30:18all of that that's happened. But at the

4:30:20end of the day, residents, they're not

4:30:23you can't explain to them an RFP

4:30:25process. You can't say,

4:30:28>> you know, hey, hey, hey,

4:30:31Hey, it's not your it's not your turn.

4:30:35Like when at the end of the day, people

4:30:37want to know that they're going to get

4:30:38the level of service that they've

4:30:40expected for a long time. If they don't

4:30:42get that service, you can't go back and

4:30:44say, well, the RFP produced this

4:30:46formula. And at the end of the day, it's

4:30:48the outcome. It's the service. And

4:30:51whoever the operator is, you know,

4:30:53whether it's uh pedal movement or drop

4:30:55mobility, there's a certain level of

4:30:58service that needs to be maintained

4:31:00moving forward is the point. So my

4:31:02message to whoever it is, whether it's

4:31:05drop mobility or pedal movement, is that

4:31:08you got to get this program right. Bike

4:31:10share is incredibly important to the

4:31:11city. I've been there since the very

4:31:14beginning. It wasn't perfect in the

4:31:16beginning. Uh you know, we had a lot of

4:31:18concerns. We were just fighting to get

4:31:19some bikes in North Long Beach. Then we

4:31:22had to figure out how to do the docking.

4:31:23I mean, it hasn't been perfect, but it's

4:31:26incredibly important to a city like

4:31:28ours. So, the expectation is that we

4:31:31have a lot of community engagement. We

4:31:33have a lot of transparency. We have high

4:31:35quality service and the level of

4:31:38engagement of a community that leans

4:31:39into biking. That's the expectation. It

4:31:43may not have translated exactly through

4:31:45a formula. Everything can't come out

4:31:47through a proc a procurement formula.

4:31:49And I do believe we have great staff

4:31:51leading our procurement processes. But

4:31:54at the end of the day, they got to get

4:31:55it right. Long Beach needs to have a top

4:31:57tier bike share program that our

4:31:59residents can use that people might like

4:32:02folks who use bike share can use and we

4:32:04want that feedback moving forward. So

4:32:06that said, we're going to move to a roll

4:32:08call vote.

4:32:09>> Mayor, I'm queued up.

4:32:13>> Okay. I didn't see anyone. Council

4:32:14member All right. Um I I just think it's

4:32:18presumptuous to think that the folks

4:32:20that are working right now for Pedal

4:32:22Movement actually want to want a new

4:32:24employer. Um

4:32:30[applause]

4:32:31um then I also wonder

4:32:35um you know I'm always and this is not

4:32:38the first time that anyone's ever heard

4:32:39this you know I always want to invest in

4:32:40Long Beach businesses that have invested

4:32:42in our city. Um and

4:32:47a lot of reason that I even ran for

4:32:49council was over how screwed up the RFP

4:32:51process was way back when. So, I know

4:32:54we've done a we've done a lot and we've

4:32:56come a long way and I commend the city

4:32:58for their work, but it's never perfect.

4:33:01Um, and so, um, and I'm not saying there

4:33:04was anything wrong with this process at

4:33:05all. I just know that it's just not it

4:33:07just you we never can get it perfect.

4:33:09And it's unfortunate that Long Beach,

4:33:11um, that we don't make it a priority to

4:33:13work with Long Beach businesses. I'll

4:33:14keep on advocating for that no matter

4:33:16what happens here. We need to invest in

4:33:18people that invest in our city and

4:33:20employ in our city. Um, I'll be a no

4:33:22vote.

4:33:26All right.

4:33:28For some reason, it's not showing me any

4:33:30other speakers. So, final call. Any

4:33:32other speakers before we go to a vote?

4:33:34All right. Thank you. Uh, roll call

4:33:36vote, please.

4:33:37>> District one,

4:33:39>> nay.

4:33:40>> District two,

4:33:40>> no.

4:33:41>> District three,

4:33:44>> I.

4:33:45>> District five,

4:33:47>> no.

4:33:48>> District six,

4:33:49>> I.

4:33:50>> District seven,

4:33:51>> I. District eight

4:33:53>> I.

4:33:53>> District nine

4:33:55>> I

4:33:57>> motion is carried.

4:34:01>> All right, let's go to the next item,

4:34:03please.

4:34:05>> Item 21, report from public works.

4:34:08Recommendation to execute all documents

4:34:10necessary to amend a contract with pedal

4:34:12movement for operating and maintaining

4:34:13the city of Long Beach's bike share

4:34:15program for a revised contract amount

4:34:17not to exceed 8,261,369

4:34:21citywide.

4:34:22>> Thank you. We have two members of the

4:34:24public signed up to speak. Please

4:34:25facilitate public comment.

4:34:28>> If we can get a motion in a second.

4:34:37There are two speakers for this item.

4:34:39Evan Kelly and Amy. If you can make your

4:34:41way to the lect turn. Evan Kelly and

4:34:43Amy.

4:34:46>> Oh, now we get three minutes.

4:34:49>> So, um, yeah. Uh, thanks for voting us

4:34:54out. Um, I just also want to say that

4:34:57maybe it's a little flawed that, uh, the

4:34:59timing frame of this whole situation

4:35:02>> set us up to fail. The

4:35:06whole program that uh we've been

4:35:08fighting with and through and for has

4:35:12been an uphill battle. We've been on the

4:35:14edge of bankruptcy several times. We've

4:35:18uh taken out loans to keep people

4:35:20employed because you have to hold on to

4:35:23staff that are in the contract. A number

4:35:26that's contractually

4:35:28uh obligated and not uh due to the

4:35:31number of bikes that's in the contract

4:35:34that's in our contract now. It's in the

4:35:36contract that hasn't changed for three

4:35:37years uh despite uh increases,

4:35:41inflation, etc.

4:35:44So, this is nice that we get an

4:35:45extension

4:35:47uh for the next three months to

4:35:49basically wind down our company and fire

4:35:51everybody. I'm curious to I'm I mean, do

4:35:55you know that we also have another

4:35:56facility in Long Beach where all the

4:35:58bikes and the bike stuff is done? Um the

4:36:02facility that was mentioned here is the

4:36:04bike station, which is a city facility

4:36:06that we ran before Bike Share existed

4:36:08and that's why it's listed as our uh

4:36:11business. Um, but yeah, I'm I'm also

4:36:16just upset that there wasn't really much

4:36:18questioning or clarification to pedal

4:36:21movement specifically. There was a lot

4:36:22of questions to city staff. We know what

4:36:25side they're on. And uh I'm pretty sure

4:36:28that the recommendation, a no vote would

4:36:31just go to say no to the city

4:36:34recommendation and go towards another

4:36:36RFP process or a new negotiation.

4:36:39There's no reason why Pedal Movement,

4:36:41like we've mentioned already, can't do

4:36:43the operations and purchase all of Drops

4:36:46equipment. There's a hybrid of a hybrid.

4:36:50There's so many other options here.

4:36:52There were so many other options here,

4:36:55but now there's no more options for us.

4:36:56And when Drop fails, not that we want

4:36:59that to happen, but we've been doing

4:37:01this for nine years. We know exactly

4:37:03what it takes. And Drop will go, you

4:37:06know, put a bunch of money towards

4:37:08making it work. I guarantee because they

4:37:10need that media play for Olympics. But

4:37:14we'll be gone by then. All of these

4:37:16people will be gone,

4:37:19you know. So that's all I have to say.

4:37:22Thank you.

4:37:26[applause]

4:37:28>> Next speaker is Amy.

4:37:30[applause]

4:37:32>> Is Amy in the audience?

4:37:37That concludes public comment.

4:37:39>> All right. Thank you. We'll go to roll

4:37:42call vote, please.

4:37:44>> District one.

4:37:45>> I.

4:37:46>> District two.

4:37:50>> District two.

4:37:51>> I

4:37:53>> District three. This is I.

4:37:54>> District five.

4:37:57>> I district six.

4:38:01>> I district seven.

4:38:02>> Hi.

4:38:03>> District eight. I

4:38:06>> District nine.

4:38:10>> Motion is carried.

4:38:12>> All right. Thank you. All right. Now,

4:38:14we're going to go to general public

4:38:15comment number one. Please facilitate.

4:38:32Will the following speakers please line

4:38:34up at the lectern? Ted Zelmer, Ray

4:38:37Gabich,

4:38:39Mary Carmen Marcato, Azora, Carolyn

4:38:43Essex, Sam Weise FB, Steven Solo,

4:38:48Bianca, and Dr. Subra Marani. If you can

4:38:53line up at the lectern

4:38:55if your name was called.

4:38:58The first speaker is Ted Zelmer. Is Ted

4:39:00in the audience?

4:39:03Next speaker is Ray Gavich. Is Ray

4:39:04Gavlich in the audience?

4:39:09Maria Marcado.

4:39:13Azora.

4:39:17Carolyn Essex.

4:39:28>> [snorts]

4:39:44>> Carolyn,

4:39:45>> I won't be long. I'm sorry. Um

4:39:49I just it just hurts my heart right now

4:39:51what what just happened. Um but um

4:39:55tonight I just um wanted to say uh

4:40:01I'm talking about has a city or Moffett

4:40:04and Nicole evaluated

4:40:07track trap bag or a comparable

4:40:11engineered rapid deployment flood and

4:40:13wave barrier system as an interim

4:40:17protection system for the peninsula?

4:40:21If so, what did the engineering analysis

4:40:24conclude regarding wave loading, over

4:40:27topping, anchoring, deployment time,

4:40:29cost, and and the coastal commission

4:40:31requirements? If not, why hasn't that

4:40:35alternative been evaluated? And can

4:40:38public works have a coastal engineer

4:40:42complete the evaluation before the next

4:40:44significant southern swell event? So, I

4:40:48just mentioned that because we're in

4:40:50that interim period between when's the

4:40:52next event and and and doing the

4:40:57dredging project. So, I mentioned

4:40:59trapbag um um.com as a product that is

4:41:04used by other coastal cities um uh that

4:41:08are are under you know um weather alerts

4:41:14right now. Okay. So I just wanted to

4:41:16mention that. The other thing I wanted

4:41:18to mention is I have a constituent

4:41:21concern involving a family member, an

4:41:24adopted family member who is completely

4:41:26blind.

4:41:28He believed public transportation was

4:41:30free for blind residents.

4:41:33Um and we've now learned that the fair

4:41:36rules may be more complicated than that.

4:41:40But my larger concern is accessibility

4:41:43and dignity.

4:41:45And so he reported to me um of being

4:41:49treated poorly by some operators. He

4:41:52said most most of the drivers treat him

4:41:56with dignity. Um

4:41:58uh um but some operators,

4:42:03one operator suggested he was faking

4:42:05that he was blind. Um and so I've been

4:42:08talking to him for several days about

4:42:10this. It's very um heartbreaking to me

4:42:13that he has to go through that. I'm very

4:42:14proud of my uncle. I'm very proud of him

4:42:18able to navigate um being 100% blind and

4:42:23for him to be treated like that. I don't

4:42:26know. I need someone to talk to about

4:42:29that and to help him navigate that. uh

4:42:33because that is very depressing and

4:42:35you're out here um trying to live and

4:42:40people are calling you fake and they're

4:42:43city employees. This is Long Beach

4:42:47Transit. Um so I I

4:42:51your time's concluded. Thank you for

4:42:53your comments. Next speaker is Sam Wise.

4:42:56If you're in Zoom, please unmute.

4:43:04Are you able to hear me?

4:43:05>> Yes.

4:43:08>> Uh, Sully Soro, you're full of [ __ ]

4:43:11I've been coming to these meetings all

4:43:13damn year. No one is scared to come

4:43:15here. If anything, there's more people

4:43:17showing up now than when I first started

4:43:19coming. Mary and Deos, don't [ __ ]

4:43:22talk to me about inconvenient

4:43:24accessibility. [ __ ] why do you think

4:43:26I'm doing my comments through Zoom? Even

4:43:28if I get here as fast as I can, as soon

4:43:30as I clock out from work, I cannot get

4:43:32here to sign up for in-person comment.

4:43:35But here we [ __ ] are. And everyone

4:43:37who voted yes on 29, congrats on voting

4:43:40against the rights of your citizens.

4:43:42Free Palestine, [ __ ] Israel, [ __ ] ICE.

4:43:45As we arrive at the anniversary of

4:43:47October 7th, did you know that the

4:43:49rubble in Gaza is roughly equivalent to

4:43:5120 times the amount of rubble generated

4:43:53by all wars in the world over the past

4:43:5618 years? And is this city council

4:43:58pro-war with Iran? Because if it's not,

4:44:00then why do we have contracts with

4:44:02companies like General Dynamics who are

4:44:03contracted with the DHS? Is this city

4:44:06council pro fascism? Because if it's

4:44:07not, then why invest all this money in

4:44:09putting up flock cameras all over the

4:44:11city, which only increases the already

4:44:13wide net of mass surveillance and

4:44:15closing in on us? A flock camera wrongly

4:44:17tied a 23-year-old woman to a deadly

4:44:19crash. She was locked in solitary for 86

4:44:22hours and held for nearly two weeks

4:44:23before the mistake was discovered and

4:44:25charges were dropped. Is that the kind

4:44:26of hell you're trying to bring here?

4:44:28Flock has expanded to AI powered drone

4:44:31cameras. We already know that Long Beach

4:44:33is offering up speed camera information

4:44:35to ICE. So, how long before the drones

4:44:38arrive? And speaking of evil AI powered

4:44:42drones, Palmer Lucky, founder of Andrew

4:44:45Industries, which is currently building

4:44:47next to the Long Beach airport, when

4:44:49asked if he would draw the line at

4:44:51building something like nuclear weapons,

4:44:53said, "I would definitely build nuclear

4:44:55weapons. I would build fision weapons. I

4:44:57would build fusion weapons. Is this why

4:45:00there's discussion of a nuclear power

4:45:02plant in the port in 2028 to allow more

4:45:05death machines to be manufactured in the

4:45:07city? Or is this for a data center that

4:45:10will be announced sometime in the

4:45:11pending future?

4:45:13What is your plan for this town? Because

4:45:16us, the residents, we live here. We love

4:45:20Long Beach. We take our personal time to

4:45:22come down here and fight to preserve

4:45:25anything good that's left in this city.

4:45:27Long Beach isn't a job that we're doing

4:45:30on our way to some other higher elected

4:45:33office. And it isn't a way for us to

4:45:36make connections and network.

4:45:38This place is our home. We love our

4:45:41LGBTQIA plus community and we love our

4:45:44im immigrant community and we do not

4:45:46want our city to profit from war and

4:45:49death. And if you don't want to help us

4:45:51with that, then [ __ ] shame on you. I

4:45:54guess cash your [ __ ] checks, invest

4:45:56in your stocks and go to hell.

4:45:59Free free Palestine.

4:46:04Next speaker is Azora and then FB and

4:46:07Steven Solo.

4:46:12I had some stuff prepared, but I mean

4:46:15this whole disgrace of a council

4:46:17tonight. Two votes

4:46:22very in opposition on both votes and

4:46:25y'all still win against the public. So

4:46:28we we know who you serve

4:46:32when there's money involved.

4:46:35Every single one of you needs to lose

4:46:37your jobs because you are not serving

4:46:41the people of this city and you never

4:46:44have and you never will. Rex, I also

4:46:47love that you uh campaigned and

4:46:52ran for a position that you don't ever

4:46:54actually intend on finishing your term.

4:46:58So again, we see where your uh

4:47:01priorities lie.

4:47:03[ __ ] you all. Free Palestine.

4:47:07>> Next speaker is FB and then [applause]

4:47:08Steven Solo. Bianca.

4:47:18Good evening to the public that stayed

4:47:19here till almost 10 p.m. Um, [ __ ] you.

4:47:23You white supremacist piece of [ __ ]

4:47:25City council mayor and Tamotica

4:47:29conveniently is not here.

4:47:32Genocide

4:47:34is a deliberate and s systematic

4:47:36destruction of a racial and political or

4:47:40c cultural group. Tomorrow marks 1,097

4:47:45days of watching a live genocide on our

4:47:48digital devices. The last time this

4:47:51dumbass city council acknowledged what

4:47:54was happening in Palestine, Gaza was due

4:47:57to once again the efforts of the Long

4:47:59Beach community, which then resulted in

4:48:02this dishonorable city council to

4:48:04begrudgently approve the permanent

4:48:06ceasefire proclamation on December 19,

4:48:092023.

4:48:11It's October 6, 2026, almost three years

4:48:14of a genocide. The only thing that this

4:48:17body of blood sucking mosquitoes did

4:48:20after 2023

4:48:22is extending contracts with companies

4:48:26that have uh connections to the

4:48:29genocidal monstrosity that is Israel,

4:48:33DHS and ICE. These companies again are

4:48:36Lexus Nexus, General Dynamics

4:48:39Information Technologies, CDW

4:48:42Government, Gov Inc. connection.

4:48:45Andreil, a weapons manufacturer being

4:48:48built by our airport. Flock, more

4:48:52surveillance that no one [ __ ] in Long

4:48:54Beach asked for. Piece of [ __ ] mayor.

4:48:58Uh, that infringes on our Fourth

4:49:00Amendment right and privacy.

4:49:04We are not here to ask you to make sure.

4:49:09All we're asking is that you [ __ ] do

4:49:11your jobs. That's all we're here. We

4:49:13come here every Tuesday to make sure

4:49:15you're doing your [ __ ] jobs. Clearly,

4:49:17you're not. That's why we keep coming

4:49:19back. You pieces of [ __ ] And that's why

4:49:22you want to take our First Amendment

4:49:23right from us because we're calling your

4:49:25asses out. Your failures

4:49:29are destroying the lives of Long Beach.

4:49:33If you're listening to to uh our public

4:49:36comment, please make sure you start

4:49:38boycotting if you haven't already. Use

4:49:41tools like Boycat. No thanks. And

4:49:44bds.mmovement.net.

4:49:47The whole city hates you. You fascist

4:49:50pieces of [ __ ] [ __ ] ICE. [ __ ] Israel.

4:49:54[ __ ] you, Tomodica. You [ __ ]

4:49:56constipated white piece of [ __ ] [ __ ]

4:49:59you, Rex. You piece of [ __ ] You [ __ ]

4:50:01sellout [ __ ]

4:50:04Free Palestine. Protect black workers,

4:50:07which you never do, Rex. you actually

4:50:08limit black workers uh time when they're

4:50:12up here. Free Palestine, protect black

4:50:15workers, white supremacy and Zionism

4:50:19equals.

4:50:22>> Thank you for your comments. Next

4:50:24speaker is Steven Solo,

4:50:26>> Bianca,

4:50:28>> Dr. Subaranian.

4:50:38>> Next speaker, Steven Solo and then

4:50:42Bianca.

4:50:48>> Three minutes. I guess I should consider

4:50:50myself lucky. I'm here with Flock Out

4:50:52Long Beach. Uh, it's hard to speak on a

4:50:55speech you've had to rewrite several

4:50:56times for time purposes. And it's even

4:50:58harder to follow up that heart ripping

4:51:00show that you guys just had earlier. I

4:51:02don't know if you saw people weeping

4:51:03over there. Good job, you guys. Um, but

4:51:06because you can't read a room, I'm here

4:51:08to explain to you that nobody wants

4:51:10flock. Nobody wants any of these

4:51:11surveillance cameras. This is not what

4:51:12Long Beach wants. You know, after the

4:51:14police murdered George Floyd, Long Beach

4:51:16adopted the racial equity and

4:51:18reconciliation initiative. And through

4:51:20its community outreach, your own records

4:51:22found that the most people recommended

4:51:24defunding the police, increasing

4:51:26oversight and transparency of both

4:51:28government and police, commenting how te

4:51:30tactics like ticketing

4:51:31disproportionately affected minorities

4:51:33and the poor. No one asked for more

4:51:35tickets, ugly fences, or creepy cameras.

4:51:38>> But because of you, we live in a horror

4:51:40movie where private companies own

4:51:42cameras that follow us around. And they

4:51:45sell that information to cops so they

4:51:46can easily stalk their exes.

4:51:49More than ever, we're watched online and

4:51:51on the streets while government

4:51:52officials, wealthy CEOs, they get

4:51:54protection for all their little privacy

4:51:56so precious for them, right? And you

4:51:59protect ICE as they assault and kidnap

4:52:01our people, spreading fear in the

4:52:02streets. And now you want to let them

4:52:04buy our daily routines.

4:52:06You sell our land to merchants of death

4:52:08like Anderil, who make jets and

4:52:10missiles, weapons that are going to bear

4:52:12your bloody names as they go to destroy

4:52:14homes and dismember children. Listen,

4:52:17>> you make a maze of the justice system

4:52:19for hardworking families while you hold

4:52:21the door open to the rich.

4:52:23>> And you look at you're look at how much

4:52:25Long Beach is for sale with you guys.

4:52:26You just sold it out to another company

4:52:28getting rid of this local company. We're

4:52:30just for sale, right? That's what Vibe

4:52:31City is, right? Death and surveillance

4:52:33for the poor. Money and land for the

4:52:35rich. That's Vibe City right there.

4:52:37>> Now, rather than speak for the people,

4:52:39you shield the rich and shrug off all

4:52:41accountability and responsibility. You

4:52:43pass it along to someone else while you

4:52:44collect a check. Your betrayal shows

4:52:46that we need a new system where the

4:52:48people are not just heard but are given

4:52:50the power to decide. A system where

4:52:52decisions that shape our lives are not

4:52:53for sale while our council members are

4:52:55not for sale. Other cities have already

4:52:58made the decision to reflect flock and

4:53:00all the kinds just like them

4:53:03>> because the people demanded it because

4:53:06somehow their council people decided to

4:53:08listen. Somehow they decided to care.

4:53:09But it's because of the people because

4:53:11they spoke up for it. You know what?

4:53:12Long Beach demands it. Demands flock out

4:53:14of Long Beach. Now, we're going to

4:53:15continue to gather people and inform

4:53:17them of your betrayal until you do what

4:53:19we pay you to do. Get flock out of Long

4:53:21Beach. And at the same time, tomorrow is

4:53:24October 7th. And you want to complain

4:53:25about time, tomorrow, I'm going to be at

4:53:27the bridge 6:00 a.m. saying, "Fuck

4:53:28Israel, free Palestine, [ __ ] ICE, and

4:53:31[ __ ] all of y'all that don't want to see

4:53:32us free people and don't want to speak

4:53:34for us, don't want to work for your

4:53:35paychecks." Cuz you know what? If I walk

4:53:36out on my job, I get fired. I decide

4:53:39when I break, I get fired. I do food

4:53:40service. People tell me that food is

4:53:42cold, I get fired. All right? You know

4:53:44what? You're supposed to serve me

4:53:45justice. That plate is cold. Okay,

4:53:50[applause]

4:53:51>> next speaker, Bianca. Is Bianca in the

4:53:54audience?

4:53:56Dr. Submaranian.

4:54:03Seeing no further speakers, public

4:54:04comment is concluded.

4:54:08>> All right. Thank you. So, now we'll go

4:54:10to item 22, please.

4:54:16report from community development

4:54:18recommendation to receive and file a

4:54:19presentation on development impact fees,

4:54:21the status of the Long Beach development

4:54:23impact fee nexus study and next steps

4:54:26citywide.

4:54:27>> All right. Thank you. We have a

4:54:28presentation on this item.

4:54:31>> We do. This is an important item. Uh we

4:54:33have uh sent you some memos on it. I

4:54:35think we had a a brief presentation last

4:54:37year and um we've talked a little bit

4:54:39about this in committee, but uh we are

4:54:41looking at um a longerterm study to

4:54:43raise our impact fees, but there's a lot

4:54:45of different components of that.

4:54:47>> We want to do give a um overview. This

4:54:50is not a

4:54:51>> city.

4:55:07>> Just a moment,

4:55:07>> Tom.

4:55:14>> Okay. Um, so tonight is not a a final

4:55:17vote. Guess it got a little late for uh

4:55:19council meeting left. All right. Could

4:55:21please continue.

4:55:22>> Yes. So, tonight is not a final vote on

4:55:24impact fees, but we do want to give you

4:55:26um an overview of what we've been

4:55:27looking at and then get some feedback

4:55:29from council so that when we come back

4:55:30the next time uh we are ready to uh take

4:55:33some action. So, I will turn it over uh

4:55:35to uh Christopher Kun and his team.

4:55:39>> All right. So, as Tom mentioned, uh this

4:55:41has to do with fees that are on most

4:55:44building projects and help pay for

4:55:46important city infrastructure such as

4:55:48fire stations, police stations, our

4:55:51roadways, our parks. Um, and April

4:55:54Apadaka, our administrative and

4:55:56financial services bureau manager, is

4:55:58going to give the full presentation.

4:56:02>> Good evening, council me um members of

4:56:05the mayor and members of the city

4:56:07council. Uh I'm here, as Christopher and

4:56:10Tom both mentioned, to to give an

4:56:11overview of development impact fees.

4:56:13They're kind of a complicated uh topic

4:56:15and we're going to be releasing a draft

4:56:17nexus study for review and coming back

4:56:19to you in a month. And I wanted to do uh

4:56:21some some setting of framework and make

4:56:23sure we could use some kind of simpler

4:56:25language to make it make sense so that

4:56:27by the time you're all reading the

4:56:28report and we're talking to you next

4:56:30time that we've discussed it in plain

4:56:32language. And so I want to start with an

4:56:34overview of what development impact fees

4:56:36are, which those are fees that are

4:56:39charged against development projects to

4:56:40help offset the infrastructure costs

4:56:42that we need to continue dealing with

4:56:44the additional growth that comes as a

4:56:46result of those development projects.

4:56:49They are not fees that we can set very

4:56:51easily without a lot of work and

4:56:53research behind the scenes. Um, we have

4:56:55rules that that dictate how those are

4:56:57set and what has to go into those

4:56:59calculations that come from the

4:57:00California Mitigation Fee Act, which was

4:57:02amended by AB 602, and rules in our own

4:57:06uh municipal code. As a city, we collect

4:57:08impact fees for our fire facilities,

4:57:11parks and recreation, police,

4:57:13transportation improvements, sensitive

4:57:15coastal resources, and utility sewer

4:57:17capacity. and we collect the LBUSD

4:57:20school fees which are set by the school

4:57:22district itself but collected on uh by

4:57:24us on their behalf.

4:57:27One of the things that's really

4:57:28important to know about development

4:57:30impact fees is there are specific ways

4:57:32about how they can be used. Their

4:57:34eligible uses are meant to to fund new

4:57:36capital improvement projects, remodel

4:57:39and improvement projects that expand

4:57:40capacity and facilities and equipment

4:57:43that provide expanded public services.

4:57:45So keywords in all of that are about

4:57:47expanded and new and about um adding

4:57:50things that help address the growth

4:57:51that's going to come into the city. What

4:57:53we can't fund with it are things like

4:57:55staffing or projects that are fixing a

4:57:58current deficiency in our level of

4:57:59service to existing residents or the

4:58:02routine operations and maintenance costs

4:58:03even for the new things that we add. The

4:58:06good news is that most of the most

4:58:08residents and property owners are not

4:58:09directly affected by these fees because

4:58:11the only projects that are expected to

4:58:13add new workers or residents are subject

4:58:15to development impact fee calculations.

4:58:20Before I go on to talking about the

4:58:22Nexus study, I want to give a little bit

4:58:23of context about how uh development

4:58:26impact fees are part of a larger part of

4:58:28the development um puzzle. They're meant

4:58:31to supplement other existing funding.

4:58:33They are not meant to be a

4:58:34one-sizefits-all to all infrastructure

4:58:36needs. Uh we have to make sure that

4:58:38they're calculated in a way that's

4:58:40proportional to the growth related need.

4:58:42And so you're going to see that come up

4:58:43as a theme a lot. We have to be able to

4:58:45show the nexus or the proportion the

4:58:47rate of need and how that applies to

4:58:49what we should be charging to a project.

4:58:52Fees that influence the uh cost and

4:58:55attractiveness of development in Long

4:58:57Beach. And so when we're talking about

4:58:59the fees that eventually come out of the

4:59:01prop uh nexus and that will be

4:59:03considered by this council, it's

4:59:05important to make sure that what we're

4:59:07doing is we're balancing development

4:59:08cost with our other development goals as

4:59:10well. So we want to make sure we don't

4:59:12set them in a way that stifles our

4:59:13housing production or economic

4:59:15development. We want to make sure we

4:59:16keep fees appropriate and competitive

4:59:18and help achieve balance. Our developer

4:59:22and development community also pay

4:59:23permit and entitlement fees which have

4:59:25risen in recent years. And so we want to

4:59:27make sure that we're um looking at these

4:59:28things holistically and making sure

4:59:30we're not stifling that development. We

4:59:32also want to make sure that we're

4:59:33complying with state law which requires

4:59:35that ADUs and certain types of projects

4:59:37for remodel and change of use are exempt

4:59:39from some or all of the fees.

4:59:43So what's a nexus study? Right. The

4:59:45nexus study that we're doing here is um

4:59:48it focuses on four of our primary major

4:59:50feats. Our fire facilities, parks,

4:59:53recreation and marine new which uh

4:59:56provides for new parks and resources

4:59:57like playgrounds, recreational equipment

4:59:59and sports fields. Our police facilities

5:00:02uh which and our transportation

5:00:04improvements which are managed by our

5:00:06public works team.

5:00:10The nexus study itself is a detailed

5:00:13analysis that looks at the estimated

5:00:14growth of residents and employ uh

5:00:17residents and workers who will be coming

5:00:19into the city as a result of a

5:00:20development. It looks at calculations to

5:00:23estimate what will be needed to serve

5:00:25that growth. And so when we do that,

5:00:28what you'll see is the nexus study is

5:00:29evaluating all four of these major fees

5:00:32using more consistent and contemporary

5:00:33data. It's using data that we have from

5:00:35our land use, urban design and housing

5:00:38elements of the general plan and it will

5:00:40also show compliance with new

5:00:42requirements that came out of AB 602.

5:00:45So, I'm not going to read all the words

5:00:46on this slide, but basically what the

5:00:48Nexus study will do is it contains a

5:00:50series of tables and charts and analysis

5:00:52that explains how we are able to justify

5:00:55the purpose of a fee, how it will be

5:00:56used, and how it relates to uh how we're

5:01:00able to relate the growth in develop

5:01:03that is caused by new development and

5:01:05allocate its fair share to helping

5:01:07offset our costs for the infrastructure

5:01:09that needs that that creates. Uh the AB

5:01:12602 requirements that are new also

5:01:15include that we will have a specific

5:01:17capital improvement plan that is part of

5:01:19the development impact fee. That we have

5:01:21explanations for how the level of

5:01:23service was determined for each of the

5:01:24fees and it changes our calculations so

5:01:28that fees are able to be charged per

5:01:29square foot so that we can ensure they

5:01:31are proportional.

5:01:36The Nexus study shows that we anticipate

5:01:38growth will place significant demand on

5:01:39city infrastructure and amenities

5:01:41throughout 2040.

5:01:43Based on the Nexus study and the mater

5:01:45uh the information and the calculations

5:01:47contained in it, what you see on the

5:01:49screen before you is the maximum

5:01:51allowable fees that we could justify to

5:01:53be charged for our impact fees. So,

5:01:55you'll see that uh for residential

5:01:57dwelling units, we could go up to as

5:01:59high as 17, a little over $17 a square

5:02:02foot, whereas commercial uses could go

5:02:04uh non-residential uses could go from $4

5:02:07a square foot to $21 a square foot or

5:02:09even 4,000 over $4,000 a hotel room.

5:02:15But before I get into a recommendations

5:02:18for fees, I want to talk about that it's

5:02:21important to consider the difference

5:02:22between maximum allowable rates and what

5:02:25should be considered in terms of the

5:02:26policy decisions because development

5:02:28impact fees should just be considered

5:02:30one piece of a larger puzzle. We can

5:02:32provide the legally defensible maximum

5:02:34with the nexus study, but um as as many

5:02:37in the team and I have discussed before,

5:02:39the maximum time zero development is

5:02:41still $0. So, we want to be careful

5:02:43about where we're setting our fees and

5:02:45evaluate how they're fitting into a

5:02:46broader structure

5:02:49because any fee increase is going to

5:02:51impact project feasibility. We know that

5:02:53our fee increases will be uh increase

5:02:56costs for developers which could

5:02:58influence their decisions. Some of the

5:03:00cities near us charge hard higher fees,

5:03:02but some also charge lower fees or even

5:03:04none including Lakewood, Compton,

5:03:06Downey, Norwok, and Santa Fe Springs.

5:03:09Setting the fees around the mid-range

5:03:11between our current fees and the maximum

5:03:13allowable fees helps keep fees

5:03:15comparable with our surrounding cities.

5:03:18We'd also recommend that fees are

5:03:20increased over a phased in time period

5:03:23whether uh over a 5 to 10 year period

5:03:26and that not all fee changes start right

5:03:28at the midpoint. And I'll get into a

5:03:30little bit more detail about that in a

5:03:31moment.

5:03:34The proposed fee that we could uh that

5:03:37you could adopt and that we would

5:03:38recommend is that you look at this

5:03:40midpoint, which is what you see on the

5:03:42screen before you now, which has a total

5:03:44development impact fees for residential

5:03:46units at just over $1448

5:03:49a square foot. It provides for

5:03:52non-residential uses in ranges between

5:03:54$323 a square foot or $1424

5:03:58a square foot depending on the use and

5:04:00keeps hotel rooms at $750 a room. That's

5:04:04to make sure that we are uh also not

5:04:07hindering our economic vitality here in

5:04:09the city. We want to make sure that

5:04:10we're attractive to hotel development,

5:04:12that we're attractive to encouraging

5:04:14housing development and housing

5:04:15production. And so we think that this

5:04:18midpoint makes us competitive with other

5:04:20cities in the region, and would also

5:04:22still provide additional funding to help

5:04:24support our infrastructure needs.

5:04:27We would also recommend that we do this

5:04:29after a phasein process, and here's why.

5:04:33When you look at the screen in front of

5:04:34you now, what you'll see is a comparison

5:04:37of what happens to some typical uh types

5:04:40of development in the city, whether it's

5:04:42a 2500 foot single family home or an 875

5:04:46foot multif family development, you'll

5:04:48see that the con jump from the current

5:04:50rate to maximum allowable would be

5:04:52pretty considerable.

5:04:54uh what we would even if we did make the

5:04:56jump from the the current to the

5:04:59proposed phase in top amount which is

5:05:01what you see in the far column there on

5:05:03the right we're still looking at pretty

5:05:05big jumps and so to reduce the shock and

5:05:07the impact of that what we're

5:05:08recommending is a phased in schedule

5:05:10that gets there gradually so that in

5:05:12year one those types of developments see

5:05:15a modest increase and developers can

5:05:16plan for the increased rates over time.

5:05:22We've run some projections to to uh look

5:05:24at what might happen to our revenue over

5:05:26the years using a phased in model. And

5:05:29what you'll see is what you see uh here

5:05:31is that we do show that based on

5:05:33proposed fee changes, we can expect that

5:05:35revenue will increase slowly and

5:05:37steadily over the years, ultimately

5:05:39getting up to 7.79 million per year by

5:05:42FY33 versus a comparison of 2.82

5:05:47projected for the current fiscal year.

5:05:49There are some considerations and some

5:05:51caveats that you need to consider when

5:05:52you look at this, which is that impact

5:05:54fees are paid when permits are issued

5:05:56and they're paid at the end of the

5:05:57project, which means they take time to

5:05:59be realized and come into our coffers.

5:06:01We do expect those revenue increases

5:06:03will increase over time, but projected

5:06:06revenue is definitely influenced by

5:06:08market conditions, which is something

5:06:09you can see if you look at the past uh

5:06:11actuals on the screen from FY21 through

5:06:14FY25, you'll see that those numbers have

5:06:17fluctuated over time. And there's really

5:06:19hard to predict and hard to show

5:06:21consistency in because even when they've

5:06:23been set at the same rate over time,

5:06:24they have fluctuated with the

5:06:26development cycle.

5:06:30So when we come back to you in November

5:06:32and ask for your your recommendations

5:06:34and uh your approval of a

5:06:36recommendation, you'll see that fees are

5:06:38going to be recommended at a level that

5:06:40we think represents that balance that

5:06:42we've been talking about. It's a way to

5:06:44make sure we're recovering an

5:06:45appropriate share that helps cover

5:06:47infrastructure needs while not killing

5:06:49development. You'll see that not all

5:06:51fees will be proposed to rise by the

5:06:53same amount, that the phase in will be

5:06:55part of the proposal, and that the rate

5:06:58of the phasin will be based on

5:06:59development need. And finally that we

5:07:01will include a proposal that future

5:07:03increases should be based automatically

5:07:05each year uh based on the California

5:07:08construction cost index which is a

5:07:10factor that um is calculated by the the

5:07:13construction industry to help us

5:07:15understand the generalized increased

5:07:18cost of construction that's happening

5:07:20year-over-year.

5:07:24The reason for the phasing and for the

5:07:27uh different rates of the different

5:07:28types of fees is because each fee is

5:07:30different. Uh we have very for example

5:07:33we're re going to recommend that fire

5:07:34fees be set at their midpoint right away

5:07:37because they have fewer resources and

5:07:40other ways to offset their development

5:07:42needs. Whereas parks and transportation

5:07:44has the ability to communi to compete

5:07:46for grant funds and layer more funding

5:07:48that can help support those projects.

5:07:52The proposal also recommends that the

5:07:54phase in be uh done differently based on

5:07:57area and development need within the

5:07:59city. Areas where there is a high

5:08:01concentration of development will have a

5:08:02more accelerated phase in plan of 5

5:08:04years. Whereas the remaining areas which

5:08:07are shaded in blue on the map in front

5:08:08of you will recommend that their phase

5:08:10in be done more slowly and over a

5:08:1210-year period.

5:08:16And then uh one thing some more

5:08:19information to consider is that uh

5:08:21development impact fees are not

5:08:22recurring revenue. They do come in over

5:08:25time, but they're not consistent and

5:08:27they are more uh one-time sources that

5:08:29bring in a payment one-time when that

5:08:32project is first proposed to be built

5:08:33and it's uh issued its certificate of

5:08:35occupancy. Whereas once the project is

5:08:38done then uh it will generate more tax

5:08:41revenue which will come in

5:08:42year-over-year and be a more consistent

5:08:45and ongoing source of revenue.

5:08:48And then finally we also want to make

5:08:50sure that we're mindful and that I am

5:08:53talking about the legal limits. Impact

5:08:55fees cannot pay for a lot of things that

5:08:57we desperately need. It can't pay for

5:08:58salaries for maintenance. Can't pay for

5:09:01new firefighters or lifeguards or park

5:09:03staff. And everything we build is also

5:09:06going to come with operating and

5:09:07maintenance costs that we're going to

5:09:08have to figure out how to pay for in the

5:09:10ongoing years.

5:09:13So what we would recommend is that

5:09:15because this is an unpredictable revenue

5:09:17source and that is something that is

5:09:18under a lot of scrutiny where we need to

5:09:20make sure we're doing things in a very

5:09:21legally defensible way that we should

5:09:24set the fees appropriately, use them on

5:09:26our allowed expenditures, but make sure

5:09:28that we're mindful that uh market

5:09:30conditions can change these uh can

5:09:32impact them and that we should budget

5:09:35the money as it comes in and make sure

5:09:37that we're doing so conservatively.

5:09:39So, that was a lot of words for a lot of

5:09:42information that's coming out. Um, next

5:09:44steps, we will be posting our draft

5:09:46nexus study and the policy

5:09:48recommendations online tomorrow. It's

5:09:51also going to be notified in the uh

5:09:53press telegram and be sent out to

5:09:55interested parties who have interest in

5:09:56our fee changes. And uh we have set up a

5:09:59dedicated email address to solicit

5:10:01questions and feedback because the goal

5:10:03is that when we come back to see you in

5:10:05November, we are uh able to uh make sure

5:10:08that we have taken any of your feedback

5:10:09into account and demystify what is a

5:10:12very complicated and and uh tricky

5:10:16process.

5:10:18That's all I've got and thank you.

5:10:22>> All right. Thank you. you the mass this

5:10:24uh impact fees are an incredible part

5:10:27and an important part of how we maintain

5:10:29our infrastructure, how we build out the

5:10:32necessary infrastructure for a growing

5:10:34city, how we make sure we have what we

5:10:36need to build fire stations and police

5:10:38stations and you know utilities and

5:10:41sewers and all of those things

5:10:42incredibly important. There is a

5:10:44balance. If you are too aggressive on

5:10:48impact fees, it stifles growth, stifles

5:10:51investment, but also if you're not

5:10:53capturing what you need to capture, you

5:10:55have to call, you know, that

5:10:56infrastructure has to be paid for

5:10:57somehow. And that is a burden on

5:11:01taxpayers who see less investment going

5:11:04where it needs to be when we need to

5:11:06build housing and we need to to grow.

5:11:08So, I appreciate I certainly appreciate

5:11:09getting in front of us with this

5:11:10presentation. Um, we're going to go to

5:11:12council, see if they have any questions.

5:11:15Um, council member Thrashinuk.

5:11:17>> Uh, thank you, Mayor. Um, I want to

5:11:19thank the community development

5:11:20department. I love that you started out

5:11:22with wanting to make sure it was clear

5:11:23and comprehensive. Um, and I really

5:11:26appreciate you sharing all of this

5:11:27information now so that we have more

5:11:29time to digest it as we get closer to

5:11:32reviewing the Nexus study and providing

5:11:34feedback later on this year. Um and then

5:11:37uh it was great to see the um

5:11:39demonstrated compliance with AB 602 and

5:11:42how that now is incorporated into

5:11:44creating a legally defensible baseline

5:11:47um while we try and balance our um

5:11:49broader fiscal health. So um as the

5:11:52mayor stated, I was going to use that

5:11:53same word balance. We got to find the

5:11:55right equilibrium. um how do we make

5:11:57sure that the develop new developments

5:11:59pay their fair share but also um making

5:12:02sure we don't create any cost burdens um

5:12:05on communities as we try to do that. So

5:12:07thank you for starting that

5:12:09conversation.

5:12:10One of the things that um would be good

5:12:12for I think the public to get a sense of

5:12:15is um why school sewer and sensitive

5:12:18coastal uses were excluded from the

5:12:21nexus study um and how those fees are

5:12:24evaluated and maintained. Sure. So,

5:12:27taking those uh Thank you so much for

5:12:29the questions, uh, council member.

5:12:31Taking those sort of one by one. Um,

5:12:33school fees are set by the elected

5:12:36school board. So, in this case, Long

5:12:38Beach Unified sets their school fees.

5:12:40They transmit those to the city in a way

5:12:43um that's prescribed by state law and

5:12:45then we implement that for the

5:12:47development that occurs here in the

5:12:49city. So, uh we are responsible for

5:12:52making sure those fees are paid, but we

5:12:54don't set those fees. They're they're

5:12:56done by the school board. Um the coastal

5:12:58resource fee is specific to a couple

5:13:01locations in council district 3 that are

5:13:04adjacent to wetlands and it pays for um

5:13:08monitoring of the urban wildlife

5:13:11interface. And that nexus study was done

5:13:14just a couple years ago so it doesn't

5:13:16have to be updated again at this time.

5:13:19And then um sewer fees are set by um the

5:13:24commission that is over utilities and

5:13:27they go through a different process that

5:13:30um meets the state law and and their

5:13:32regulators up at the PUC.

5:13:35>> Thank you. I also noted that ADUs under

5:13:37750 um square feet were also excluded.

5:13:41Is that also trying to create that

5:13:42balance? We want people to build those

5:13:45but want to manage the financial burden.

5:13:48Well, I would argue that's good policy,

5:13:49but actually it's driven by state law.

5:13:52So, state law prohibits us from

5:13:54collecting any fees on ADUs that are

5:13:57under 750 ft. Um, the legislature took

5:14:01up a bunch of bills um that the governor

5:14:04is finishing the signing process, which

5:14:07is going to further restrict our ability

5:14:08to collect fees even when it's over 750

5:14:12ft. So whatever the state um says we

5:14:16follow the law which really limits our

5:14:18our ability to collect on

5:14:19>> ad use.

5:14:21>> And then um is COSM partners assisting

5:14:24with this particular matter? Cosmott is

5:14:28not our consultant on this, but we used

5:14:30Cosmot previously to really understand

5:14:32some of the fiscal impacts of

5:14:34development and not only um you know

5:14:38what is development cost in terms of

5:14:40providing medical service, police, fire,

5:14:43but what does it bring in in terms of

5:14:44property tax, sales tax, and um I think

5:14:49some different conclusions than maybe

5:14:51we're used to in the past um showing

5:14:54that there is long-term value to to the

5:14:57city and as taxpayers from the recurring

5:14:59revenue that comes from development like

5:15:01property tax.

5:15:02>> Yes, I want to talk about that. But in

5:15:04terms of um my question why I asked

5:15:06about COSMOT a as we look at the nexus

5:15:09study I'd be very interested in any um

5:15:14uh regional benchmarking that might be

5:15:16done just to help us get a sense as to

5:15:19dependent on where we are and if other

5:15:21nearby cities are within that similar

5:15:23range how they've done in terms of

5:15:25attracting development um and making

5:15:28sure that the pricing that they've

5:15:29placed their impact fees are are not

5:15:32deterring develop- velment in those

5:15:34areas. So, just wanted to make sure we

5:15:36take that into account. Um,

5:15:40then getting to revenue, one of the

5:15:41things that I was wondering on slide 10,

5:15:44um, we, uh, focus on what the impact

5:15:47fees will bring us. Um, but wondering if

5:15:51there's, uh, other analysis. So for

5:15:53example with the hotels if we add you

5:15:55know those hotels and we might get that

5:15:57750 in um impact fees but what about

5:16:01toot as a separate study as a different

5:16:04analysis that goes along with the

5:16:06development impact analysis.

5:16:08>> Yeah so we have a couple different

5:16:10things to think about. We do have a

5:16:11different study which is why uh I

5:16:14thought you were bringing up COST.

5:16:15Cosmmont did do a study for us about the

5:16:18financial impacts of residential because

5:16:20there's sometimes an assumption that

5:16:22housing doesn't pay but actually the

5:16:24city does break even or actually acrue

5:16:26revenue on new housing construction. Um

5:16:30and while most fees are rising the one

5:16:33exception is we are not proposing any

5:16:35increase in hotel fees. That's for a

5:16:38couple reasons. hotel fees. Uh the

5:16:41impact fee is much less valuable than

5:16:43having the hotel. When we have

5:16:45additional hotel rooms in the city, that

5:16:47drives not only toot, but we hope people

5:16:49come here and they have a great time.

5:16:51They eat food, they buy merchandise,

5:16:54they go to a concert and pay fees at the

5:16:56concert. Um that they're investing u

5:16:58money here in our community. And that is

5:17:01that recurring revenue is much more

5:17:03valuable than a higher impact fee that

5:17:05might deter someone from building a

5:17:07hotel. Thank you. My time is up. I'll

5:17:09queue back up. Thank you.

5:17:11>> Thank you, Council Member Duggan.

5:17:13>> Uh, thank you, Mayor and Council Member,

5:17:16for your comments and questions. I

5:17:18appreciate I got quite a good briefing

5:17:22on this and I appreciate the balance

5:17:24that's taken um because we want

5:17:27developers to pay impact fees, but we

5:17:30don't want to drive them away. We

5:17:32certainly need to make sure that we have

5:17:34the funding uh outside of the general

5:17:37fund for these impacts. So, thank you

5:17:41very much.

5:17:43>> Thank you, Council Member Sorrow.

5:17:45>> Yes. Thank you for the presentation. I

5:17:48wanted to know um since COSMA was

5:17:50brought up is how the Nexus study is

5:17:54going to help inform the in enhanced

5:17:57infrastructure finance district process.

5:18:00uh it's a good timing as far as making

5:18:03sure we have the study. So I'm wondering

5:18:05if it's going to help contribute to to

5:18:08to its creation and better informing it.

5:18:13>> Yeah. So they they are talking to each

5:18:16other and Cosmont is our consultant on

5:18:18the EIFD. Um we have an update I think

5:18:21study session for council later this

5:18:23month I believe on the 20th um on EFD.

5:18:27So those teams are um you know

5:18:29communicating with and one of the things

5:18:31that EIFD can pay for is infrastructure.

5:18:35So if I'm a developer, I'm still going

5:18:38to have to pay development impact fees,

5:18:40but if the city has already fixed the

5:18:43sidewalk, if the street is in good

5:18:44condition, that's going to do two

5:18:46things. That's going to make the site

5:18:48more um attractive for development, and

5:18:50it's going to lower my off-site

5:18:52improvement cost of doing the

5:18:54development itself. So the two are

5:18:57complimementaryary in terms of the EIFD

5:18:59driving investment um and then uh

5:19:03realizing a portion of that investment

5:19:05through the impact fees. The other thing

5:19:08um April showed a slide where there were

5:19:10different parts of the city have

5:19:11different phase in. So your district

5:19:14that we've talked about is an area that

5:19:16we really want to work on um getting

5:19:18more investment and hasn't necessarily

5:19:21seen the investment um that it needs and

5:19:23deserves. So it will have the slower um

5:19:28phase in of these fees and also we'll

5:19:30have the opportunity um for us to be

5:19:32spending those EIFD revenues as they

5:19:34start coming in. So the two are meant to

5:19:36work uh complimentary.

5:19:38>> Thank you. I wanted to just make sure

5:19:41and the other question I have is as it

5:19:43was shared earlier while the impact fee

5:19:45will not allow us to hire more

5:19:49firefighters can you make sure to

5:19:51clarify what exactly it does because

5:19:53obviously with more development there's

5:19:56going to be more um need for services.

5:20:00So how does that not translate into more

5:20:03firefighters or a station? Right?

5:20:06because that's happened in other places

5:20:07where when a whole community gets

5:20:09developed, they build a station.

5:20:15>> Yes. So the development impact fee can

5:20:17help fund facilities. It can help fund

5:20:19additional um equipment. Uh you need to

5:20:22show that it is basically helping new

5:20:24development. And so um we have been able

5:20:26to use um fire facilities for that um

5:20:29purpose. Uh but it doesn't fund the

5:20:30actual engine and the in and the people

5:20:32that are there. that uh technically

5:20:34would come from the new tax revenue that

5:20:36then comes from that development. And so

5:20:38um as as you heard um from Christopher

5:20:40in the past um residents uh residential

5:20:43uses didn't normally produce enough to

5:20:46cover all of the cost. And so we are

5:20:48seeing that beginning to change and so

5:20:50um we you know they definitely bring in

5:20:51tax revenue but then you also look at

5:20:53your commercial businesses you look at

5:20:54your industrial business and tax base

5:20:56and all of that is what then helps

5:20:58provide for additional services.

5:21:00>> Great. Thank you so much.

5:21:03>> Thank you, Council Member Thrashinuk.

5:21:05>> Yes, thank you. Um, so going back to

5:21:07slide number 12, um, we have here the

5:21:10development impact fee revenue

5:21:12projection. Um, and it's, you know,

5:21:14quite positive and continues to move up.

5:21:17um you note in the uh presentation that

5:21:20cost of capital, cost of materials and

5:21:22we might and please clarify if I'm not

5:21:25correct um have a slowdown in

5:21:28construction around the time of the

5:21:30Olympics. So all of those things I worry

5:21:33how has that been stress tested against

5:21:37um these numbers that are here? Not that

5:21:39we have to answer it now, but I just

5:21:40think as you, you know, conduct that

5:21:42analysis and the consultant takes a look

5:21:44at this, I'd love to make sure that

5:21:46they're stress tested with that in mind.

5:21:48>> Yeah. Thanks for thanks for the

5:21:50direction and um we welcome people's

5:21:53investment and while there will be an

5:21:55interruption to construction in some

5:21:56areas during the specific weeks that um

5:22:00the games are operating, people can

5:22:02still start projects before then. They

5:22:04can continue them um right after the

5:22:06games conclude. So we are still

5:22:08encouraged people to bring projects. Um

5:22:12activity has been uh resilient here in

5:22:14the city but the the national economy is

5:22:18not conducive to um development at this

5:22:22time. Uh development's usually inverse

5:22:24to interest rates. So um we are taking

5:22:27that into account. Um and and that's um

5:22:32why we're kind of choosing a midpoint

5:22:34and cautioning that these are

5:22:35projections, but they may be wrong. Um

5:22:37but we'll provide some additional um

5:22:40information on that stress test when we

5:22:42come back in a few weeks.

5:22:43>> That sounds good. On slide 13, um I

5:22:46noted the use of an acronym that I

5:22:49wanted to make sure I understood. CCCI.

5:22:53>> Yeah. So CCCI is the California

5:22:55Construction Cost index. Okay. So a lot

5:22:59of times fees might get adjusted um by

5:23:04uh consumer um price index which is CPI

5:23:09but what we've experienced over the last

5:23:11six years since CO is uh our cost in

5:23:15public works to construct projects to

5:23:17build a fire station to build a new

5:23:18roadway have gone up much faster than

5:23:21the underlying rate of inflation um what

5:23:24you and I might pay at the grocery

5:23:26store. Um, and then we in California

5:23:28have experienced that more than folks in

5:23:30other states like Texas. So what we're

5:23:33trying to do is choose an index that

5:23:35relates to our cost of building these

5:23:38facilities. So a California specific

5:23:40index of what construction cost.

5:23:42>> Thank you. Tom, did you want to add?

5:23:44>> No, just that they they functions very

5:23:47similar to CPI but looks at very

5:23:49specific construction type um cost. And

5:23:51so CPI really looks at goods and and

5:23:54food and the thing it it does to to

5:23:56normal residents that they pay. Normal

5:23:58residents aren't buying things like, you

5:24:00know, like sheet metal and and those

5:24:01types of costs. So CCI is much more uh

5:24:04for the construction industry.

5:24:06>> Thank you for sharing that with the

5:24:07public. Now u moving on to slide 15. Um

5:24:11when I look at these sub areas, my

5:24:13immediate uh feedback is that um it

5:24:16simply doesn't cover enough of the

5:24:18communities that do need investment.

5:24:21um and would love to have a conversation

5:24:23about uh how we have determined that

5:24:27these are the the sub areas. Well, that

5:24:30will have a slower phase in when I can

5:24:32see that there are swaths of my

5:24:34community that really need um and to

5:24:36attract a level of investment.

5:24:38>> Yeah, I hear you. I want to really

5:24:40stress that this phase in map is really

5:24:43about where we

5:24:45charge and collect which may not match

5:24:48where we spend. So we spend our capital

5:24:51dollars in areas of need. Um so while

5:24:56your council district has great need, it

5:24:59also has great need for investment and a

5:25:02faster phase in would result in higher

5:25:05fees in the short run to developers and

5:25:08less investment as a result. So, we're

5:25:11trying to balance push and pull in both

5:25:15directions, but the city maintains um

5:25:18the ability to spend its capital dollars

5:25:21in places other than directly where it

5:25:24was um originated. Um so, for example,

5:25:29uh to the norththeast of your district

5:25:32is a higher fee area where we've had a

5:25:34lot of um industrial investment. Um, but

5:25:37the fees generated out of that area

5:25:40would be spent in the greater North Long

5:25:43Beach area. So that would include your

5:25:44district as well as uh District 9.

5:25:47>> Thank you so much.

5:25:50>> All right. Well, thank you very much.

5:25:51Uh, one member of the public signed up

5:25:53to speak. Sage, are you ready?

5:26:19Hello, Mr. Mayor. Hello, council. I am

5:26:21here before you to comment on agenda

5:26:24item 22, reassessing development impact

5:26:27fees. Uh, ordinary, unremarkable, not

5:26:29very interesting. Probably why I'm the

5:26:31only person in line to leave comment

5:26:32about it. Um, but as a member of the

5:26:35public, one of the uh, you know,

5:26:37brainless slack jaw yokals that the

5:26:39mayor believes is incapable of

5:26:40understanding an RFP, I'd like to share

5:26:42with you that members of the public are

5:26:44capable of critical thinking and are

5:26:46capable of looking at the things on the

5:26:48agenda item and bringing forth

5:26:49interesting valid points. I happen to be

5:26:52capable in this particular area because

5:26:54I have a degree from Cornell in urban

5:26:56and regional planning. So I would like

5:26:58to share with you something you all may

5:27:00find interesting that would be difficult

5:27:01to ascertain from understanding justice

5:27:03presentation alone which is that

5:27:05development impact fees again totally

5:27:07normal totally within the the the normal

5:27:10range of what a city does. Pegging it to

5:27:13an inflation index makes a lot of sense

5:27:15but consider which inflation index we're

5:27:17choosing. By choosing the construction

5:27:19inflation index you are pegging it to

5:27:22specifically the costs that are going up

5:27:24in construction. What are the costs that

5:27:26are going up in construction? things

5:27:27affected by import tariffs, import

5:27:29tariffs that are specifically all over

5:27:31the place because of the president of

5:27:32the United States. So, I would like you

5:27:34to consider with your doctorate degrees,

5:27:36with your critical minds that I believe

5:27:38you are fully capable of using because

5:27:40you use so much creativity when asking

5:27:42questions about things you're going to

5:27:45vote against. It's fascinating to watch

5:27:48you all work. You are clearly capable of

5:27:51much more creative thinking than you

5:27:53bring here. And I don't know if that's a

5:27:55function of this being part-time that

5:27:56you think it requires only one lobe, but

5:27:59consider specifically what this

5:28:01incentivizes and disincentivizes for how

5:28:03much you choose to raise this

5:28:04development impact fee. I have no skin

5:28:07in this game. I do not own a

5:28:08construction company. I am not sending

5:28:10out any bids to build any construction

5:28:11in this town. But when you assess it to

5:28:14be extremely high, consider who is able

5:28:17to pay that. Because the entrenched

5:28:19owning uh the the entrenched property

5:28:22owners who are making only modifications

5:28:24to an existing building, correct me if

5:28:26I'm wrong, pay a lower assessment, lower

5:28:28impact assessment fee than you would for

5:28:30brand new construction, breaking ground.

5:28:32We need more housing in town, don't we?

5:28:34I think we all agree on that. You all

5:28:36certainly campaigned on needing more

5:28:37affordable housing. If the assessment

5:28:39fees are put at the legally maximum, it

5:28:42will look like a sweet projected source

5:28:44of revenue in the future, much like

5:28:46those parking fees that you just raised.

5:28:48But will those fees be paid? If no one

5:28:50breaks ground and the housing that is

5:28:53built is tremendously expensive per

5:28:56unit, have you really worked to solve

5:28:59this problem? Just something to think

5:29:02about.

5:29:03I would like to luxuriate in my

5:29:05remaining 15 seconds of line item agenda

5:29:09public comment time.

5:29:20>> Oh, thank you so much.

5:29:22>> That concludes public comment for this

5:29:23item.

5:29:24>> All right. All right. Uh, roll call.

5:29:27Actually, we don't have virtual anymore,

5:29:29so we can do All right. Members, please

5:29:31cast your vote.

5:29:43Councilman Zaro, you're an I.

5:29:46>> Thank you. Motion is carried.

5:29:50>> You got to reload.

5:29:56>> Motion is carried.

5:29:57>> Thank you. 23, please.

5:30:00Report from disaster preparedness and

5:30:02emergency communications. Recommendation

5:30:04to continue the local emergency

5:30:06proclaimed in response to impacts from

5:30:08Hurricane Marie and the imminent and

5:30:10proximate threat to the safety of

5:30:12persons and property within the city of

5:30:14Long Beach associated with the

5:30:16developing 2026 2027 El Nino event and

5:30:19winter storm season citywide.

5:30:22>> All right. So, per the law, we have to

5:30:24every two weeks continue the local

5:30:27proclamation of emergency. Again, this

5:30:29allows us the flexibility to move

5:30:32quickly uh shorten normal bureaucratic

5:30:35timets to prepare for any potential

5:30:38impacts of um uh El Nino. I want to

5:30:42thank and recognize staff uh for your

5:30:44efforts. I've been out there to see the

5:30:46preparation. Still more to come during

5:30:48this season. Um and we're going to go to

5:30:51public comment. I have three members of

5:30:53the public signed up to speak. Dave

5:30:54Shukla, uh PHE, and Sage

5:31:01wanted to do public comment after seeing

5:31:03the presentation.

5:31:04>> There isn't a pro. This is continuing

5:31:07the local proclamation.

5:31:10>> Well, um from what is in the staff

5:31:12report, uh I it should be said that I

5:31:16not only support uh this item and

5:31:18support continuing the proclamation, but

5:31:20from what is in the staff report, um I

5:31:22see a lot of short-term solutions for

5:31:24problems that aren't named. um namely

5:31:28continuing uh climate change, [sighs]

5:31:32extreme heat, uh the fact that this

5:31:35attributable weather event is uh greater

5:31:38[snorts] in magnitude, intensity, and uh

5:31:41potential damage uh than previous

5:31:43iterations of the El Nino phenomenon. Um

5:31:46I don't see anything in the staff report

5:31:50uh about nature-based solutions. Um

5:31:53there are kelp beds, but by the time you

5:31:55set those up, how much wave action will

5:31:58that really mitigate compared to a

5:31:59mangrove uh grove?

5:32:03Uh I see a lot of engineering and

5:32:06construction stuff that would sound good

5:32:08to certain entrenched interests that we

5:32:10just heard about on the previous item.

5:32:12Um

5:32:14but I don't see any honesty. uh during a

5:32:19pretty historic heat wave. I don't

5:32:20remember the last time it was 100

5:32:21degrees for multiple days and uh there

5:32:25was no nighttime cooling in October in

5:32:28the city of Long Beach. Um fun fact,

5:32:32after heat and humidity get above 85

5:32:34degrees and 85% at night, you don't have

5:32:37any nighttime cooling. That's when

5:32:39morbidity and mortality spike. That's

5:32:41when a lot of your residents and

5:32:43constituents are going to have real

5:32:45problems. I see nothing in here. Even

5:32:47though it's just about the peninsula and

5:32:48this one flash event, the whole point of

5:32:50the state emergency uh state uh

5:32:53proclamation of emergency as well as the

5:32:55local one is to be proactive. I hear

5:32:57nothing nothing about working with the

5:32:59public health department or notifying uh

5:33:02your residents and constituents that uh

5:33:07things are only going to keep getting

5:33:08worse. We're are now starting to see

5:33:10what the hockey curve in global

5:33:12temperatures is going to look like in

5:33:14real time.

5:33:15And it must be said that

5:33:18that increase in uh global temperatures

5:33:23uh with 20 to 30 years of atmospheric

5:33:25lag before we really feel the effects of

5:33:27what we're burning today. Um that's only

5:33:29going to continue unless we have a

5:33:32dramatic reversal in our current uh

5:33:34fossil fuel centered mode of development

5:33:37and procurement and construction and all

5:33:40the rest. Um at some point the bill will

5:33:43come due and the the hash measures like

5:33:48the Naples seaw wall being the only

5:33:49climate adaptation for the city. Um at

5:33:52certain at a certain point the the

5:33:54people who aren't being served by these

5:33:56things including people in Naples uh are

5:33:59going to ask what could have been done

5:34:00sooner and why didn't you do it and

5:34:02they're going to want to look for

5:34:03someone to blame.

5:34:06Thank you.

5:34:09>> All right. Thank you. Next speaker,

5:34:11please.

5:34:15>> So Rex, you said uh mother nature is

5:34:18doing its thing and this is the reality

5:34:20of climate change. So the Army Corps of

5:34:22Engineers have projected this for a long

5:34:25while in Long Beach. Um the peninsula

5:34:28and most of the coast sits only 40 feet

5:34:31above sea level. And I just want to

5:34:33remind you, we are building a $60

5:34:36million pool on the beach at 40 feet

5:34:41above sea level as well. There's a

5:34:43little bit more sand, but it's a little

5:34:46bit I don't know, little odd. Um, we're

5:34:51spending 9.27 million uh dredging the

5:34:54channel, which yes, needs to happen for

5:34:56the boats, but plus a million annually

5:35:00to move sand. Now, I have to admit it's

5:35:03been entertaining to watch you guys try

5:35:06to build a sandbreaker or I don't know

5:35:08what y'all are doing with the the

5:35:11construction, but it's pretty

5:35:13entertaining.

5:35:15But let's be serious. Whatever

5:35:16successfully needs to be done will most

5:35:19likely obstruct or hinder that

5:35:21million-dollar view on the peninsula.

5:35:24And I hope that you spend more time

5:35:25protecting the inland flooding area um

5:35:29where more people live like Belmont

5:35:31Shore. Um I do know when I paddle board

5:35:34it's actually already getting a little

5:35:36tough to get under those like small

5:35:38bridges and so I just assume it's just

5:35:41going to keep getting worse. And I like

5:35:44our um he was just saying about

5:35:47uh yeah public health. Uh last time we

5:35:49had a heat wave, uh there were several

5:35:52dead birds like just lined across that

5:35:55that shoreline. I mean,

5:35:58I just You guys don't have any long-term

5:36:00solutions for this and I would assume

5:36:04that since you've known about this for a

5:36:06bit that it would we'd solve it. So very

5:36:12disappointed in you guys. um public

5:36:15comment. I would love to be able to, you

5:36:17know, speak on these items specifically,

5:36:21but you guys are taking that away from

5:36:23us. Um 20 people were stolen from long

5:36:28or from uh yesterday from uh ICE. And uh

5:36:33I don't know where you guys are headed

5:36:35with all of this, but I'm just beyond

5:36:37disappointed. And we we deserve better.

5:36:41Thank you.

5:36:43All right, next speaker, please.

5:36:58My comments regarding item 23 um are

5:37:01about the basic concept of what an

5:37:03emergency is. This was not an

5:37:06earthquake. Earthquakes you cannot

5:37:07predict. El Nino happen on the order of

5:37:10every four to seven years and we get

5:37:12several months head up from the

5:37:14meteorological survey and from from uh

5:37:17the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

5:37:19Administration. It should not take

5:37:21anyone by surprise when there is an El

5:37:23Nino because it is not a sudden and

5:37:25unexpected event. you know well early

5:37:28into summer whether or not the coming

5:37:30winter water season will be one of

5:37:33turbulent high tides and likely to have

5:37:35warm water storms which is what we are

5:37:37currently experiencing. I have gone out

5:37:39to the peninsula several times this this

5:37:41p for the past four weeks, the past

5:37:43month to take a look for myself at all

5:37:45of the the the burm buildup, all the

5:37:48sand that we are trucking from other

5:37:49parts of the beach to build up this tiny

5:37:52part of the peninsula. And I understand

5:37:54the urge to be frustrated that there is

5:37:56city money being spent on what appears

5:37:58to be just five homes. But what I find

5:38:00more upsetting is that the city is not

5:38:03communicating clearly the reason why it

5:38:06is so critically necessary to protect

5:38:07what appears to be just four to five

5:38:09waterfront homes. It's because they're

5:38:12holding the water back from the rest of

5:38:15the peninsula flooding. That narrow

5:38:17point that we are constantly

5:38:18replenishing that we've done in decades

5:38:20past and continue to do now is because

5:38:22those berms are not planted. There's no

5:38:24reinforcement. They are literally houses

5:38:26built on a foundation of sand. If I had

5:38:28the money to buy a beachfront house,

5:38:30yes, I would. It is not the fault of

5:38:32anyone who indulges in that because what

5:38:33great fortune you have to do that. It is

5:38:35a fault of the city for build for permit

5:38:38for permitting construction in areas

5:38:40that frankly are not feasible looking

5:38:43forward. We know that we live on

5:38:46reclaimed marsh land. Half of this city

5:38:49is infilled development.

5:38:51But given the way that this council

5:38:53behaves, when you can't even bring

5:38:55yourselves to vote in favor of something

5:38:57all but unanimously encouraged by the

5:39:00public, where will your guts be when it

5:39:03comes time to use eminent domain? Where

5:39:06will your courage be when it comes to

5:39:08actually genuinely diff difficult

5:39:11decisions that are impending because of

5:39:13the simple nature of the way weather and

5:39:16climate are changing? There's no

5:39:18surprise here. To spend so much money on

5:39:22band-aid on top of band-aid on top of

5:39:24band-aid when you have a festering wound

5:39:26under there is embarrassing.

5:39:29I will once again luxuriate in my

5:39:31remaining time.

5:39:34>> That's actually not a thing. We allowed

5:39:36that last time because it was a few

5:39:38seconds left.

5:39:38>> Okay, I'll keep talking then.

5:39:40>> Yeah.

5:39:41>> All right. Mary had a little lamb whose

5:39:43fleece was white as snow. I hope this

5:39:44pleases you, Mr. Mayor. too.

5:39:47>> I'm sorry. Which piece of

5:39:49>> Yeah.

5:39:49>> given this back and forth like the

5:39:51person who was interrupted previously,

5:39:53do I get time back?

5:39:57>> Oh, I don't. That is very curious.

5:40:01>> The process.

5:40:02>> It is curious the way that you

5:40:04selectively enforce discipline, Mr.

5:40:06Mayor.

5:40:09>> Just letting you know the rules. Thanks

5:40:10a lot.

5:40:12>> That concludes public comment on this

5:40:13item.

5:40:14>> All right. Thank you. Uh just to be just

5:40:16to be clear, the local emergency allows

5:40:19us to prepare citywide uh not just in

5:40:22one area. Uh so Tom, just uh clarify the

5:40:25types of activities that happen citywide

5:40:28and what impacts we typically see when

5:40:29we see storm events across the city.

5:40:32>> Yes. So this is an emergency that's

5:40:34going to help us uh citywide for the

5:40:36entire um uh for the entire emergency.

5:40:38Uh we're obviously seeing coastal

5:40:39impacts right now. We haven't really

5:40:41seen the rain yet, but we know that's

5:40:42coming. This will help us clean our

5:40:44storm drains. This will help us when

5:40:46trees are coming down when there's

5:40:47flooding in in neighborhoods. Uh storm

5:40:49drains are designed for a certain amount

5:40:51of water and we're expecting it to be

5:40:53higher than what they're designed for.

5:40:54And so, uh this will help us mobilize

5:40:56crews um respond where we need to really

5:40:59protect life and safety first. Um and

5:41:01then property damage comes after life

5:41:03and safety.

5:41:04>> Right. The impacts in the peninsula are

5:41:06probably the most public. That's where

5:41:07the cameras are. But we know anytime

5:41:09that it rains in the region where we

5:41:12are, you know, end of two rivers and

5:41:15multiple watersheds that flows to our

5:41:17city. We see impacts across the whole

5:41:19city. And at times they're expensive and

5:41:21they require us to flex up our

5:41:24operations to be able to respond

5:41:25citywide. And that's that's why it's

5:41:27important to uh have the local emergency

5:41:29in place and be able to do larger

5:41:31purchasing and and and um and

5:41:34potentially have reimbursement

5:41:36opportunities.

5:41:37>> That's correct. Uh, but thank you so

5:41:38much. Uh, members, please cast your

5:41:39vote.

5:41:44Okay, real quick. The the you're on the

5:41:46you're in the making of the motion.

5:41:48Okay, great. Thank you. Go for it.

5:41:52>> Um, all right. Well, thank you, mayor,

5:41:54for uh for that. I I want to start out

5:41:56by thanking Tom for his foresight in

5:41:59declaring this emergency. We have been

5:42:01talking about this for

5:42:05longer than before Hurricane Marie, we

5:42:08had been talking about what we were

5:42:10going to see um as the winter came

5:42:14along.

5:42:16I appreciate how seriously city

5:42:19leadership has taken what we could be

5:42:22facing this winter and paying attention

5:42:24to it. And this emergency is far bigger

5:42:28than the peninsula or low-lying areas.

5:42:31But I do want to address one item about

5:42:34the peninsula before getting to the rest

5:42:36of the um emergency. I have heard

5:42:40comments from people asking why the city

5:42:42should be paying to replenish sand in

5:42:44front of the peninsula. I've heard

5:42:46people arguing that peninsula residents

5:42:49should pay for it themselves. I just

5:42:52want to provide some information. Uh,

5:42:54I've spent a lot of time on this and I

5:42:58think people need somewhat of more

5:43:01information to understand it. Um,

5:43:03immediately south of us in Southern

5:43:06California, the federal government has a

5:43:08beach nourishment program extending 17

5:43:10miles from the mouth of the San Gabriel

5:43:13River and Seal Beach to Newport Bay.

5:43:16That program was authorized by Congress

5:43:18in 1962 and the Army Corps describes it

5:43:21as a mitigation project for beach

5:43:23erosion caused largely by the Los

5:43:25Angeles and Long Beach breakwater

5:43:27system, the Anaheim Bay jetties, the

5:43:29channelization of the LA and San Gabriel

5:43:32Rivers. These are the same projects

5:43:35identified as changing sand movement in

5:43:37Long Beach. That federal program in

5:43:40Orange County is now on stage 13.

5:43:43During the most re recent project

5:43:46beginning in late 2023, 1.1 million

5:43:50cubic yards of sand were placed at

5:43:52Surfside.

5:43:54This was a $23 million project with the

5:43:56federal government taking $15 million of

5:44:00the cost share. Now, there's another

5:44:02federal project in the Port of Long

5:44:04Beach scheduled for 2029 called the Deep

5:44:07Draft Navigation Project, which is a

5:44:09dredging in Long Beach's tidelands and

5:44:13taking the sand to Orange County.

5:44:17I have been leading the efforts to

5:44:19update the environmental documents so

5:44:21Long Beach can keep a portion of our own

5:44:24sand in our tidelines for our beach

5:44:26nourishment needs after Orange County

5:44:28gets its share first. So before we say

5:44:31that Long Beach residents along the

5:44:33peninsula should pay for this

5:44:34themselves, we need to understand the

5:44:36larger picture. Other coastal

5:44:38communities have federal partnerships

5:44:40because government infrastructure

5:44:42changed the natural movement of sand.

5:44:45Long Beach has experienced many of those

5:44:47same changes, but we have historically

5:44:49paid for these projects ourselves. When

5:44:52these agreements were made in the 60s,

5:44:54Long Beach Tidlands were in a far

5:44:57different financial position than they

5:44:58we are right now. We were making

5:45:01hundreds of millions of dollars from oil

5:45:03revenue in today's dollars back then.

5:45:05This [snorts] is the whole reason why I

5:45:07started saying we need more of a local

5:45:09share of oil revenue because our local

5:45:12responsibilities are more than other

5:45:14coastal cities. This is just one of the

5:45:16many agreements in place that shortch

5:45:19change Long Beach. This is an open

5:45:21invitation to anyone wanting to sit down

5:45:25with my office and talk about the

5:45:27tidelands and the inequitable deals in

5:45:30place because we need all the help we

5:45:32can get here in Long Beach. You want me

5:45:36to queue up because I have a little more

5:45:37to say.

5:45:38>> I think you're the only one on this. Go

5:45:39for it.

5:45:40>> All right.

5:45:41Last week, my office organized a call

5:45:45with Noah, the National Oceanic and

5:45:48Atmospheric Administration,

5:45:51along with leadership from fire

5:45:53lifeguards, the Marine Bureau, and

5:45:56public works. We heard directly from

5:45:58them on what was concerning. My takeaway

5:46:01was that the risks will change as we

5:46:05move through the season. We're in the

5:46:08Pacific hurricane season now, which is

5:46:10exposing the peninsula to direct

5:46:12southern swells that are not protected

5:46:14by the breakwater. As we move deeper

5:46:17into the winter storm season, our risk

5:46:19will turn to extreme tides and

5:46:21significant rain events. As uh Mr.

5:46:24Modica said, we are already seeing the

5:46:27effects with our tides. Last Tuesday, a

5:46:30week ago, tide charts showed a 6.2 two

5:46:34tide, but the observed tide was closer

5:46:37to 7.4.

5:46:40That's a big difference that we are

5:46:42already experiencing on our tides. That

5:46:46meant Marine Stadium, a 6'2 uh tide was

5:46:50spilling over in Marine Stadium,

5:46:53over a foot higher than predicted. The

5:46:55major concern is around Thanksgiving and

5:46:57Christmas when projected tides are

5:47:00already around 7 feet and what could

5:47:02happen if we see more than a foot to a

5:47:06foot and a half on top of that. We need

5:47:07to be working now like it's an emergency

5:47:09to see where public infrastructure is at

5:47:12risk and let private property owners

5:47:14know they need to take appropriate

5:47:16measures as soon as possible. The other

5:47:19issue I do not want us to lose sight of

5:47:22is the rain. More than half of Long

5:47:25Beach is built on wetlands and flood

5:47:27planes as was stated earlier. So parts

5:47:29of our city floods when we have heavy

5:47:32rains. I can name a few spots in

5:47:35District 3 that deal with flooding

5:47:36during normal storms. So we need to have

5:47:39that citywide discussion to make sure

5:47:41residents are prepared across the city.

5:47:44Public works and fire department cannot

5:47:46be everywhere at once during a major

5:47:49storm. So people need to be prepared.

5:47:52None of us knows exactly what the winter

5:47:54will bring. And I hope that we can look

5:47:57back and say that we overhyped

5:48:00what could have happened. I just know

5:48:03I'd rather be prepared. I think all of

5:48:05us want to be prepared for the worst and

5:48:07have nothing happen than not be prepared

5:48:09enough. So, thank you again to Tom and

5:48:12our city teams um who've been working on

5:48:15this. And I of course support the local

5:48:18emergency. Thank you.

5:48:20>> All right. Okay. Thank you. Uh members,

5:48:23please cast your vote.

5:48:23>> Uh uh mayor, I'm second on this.

5:48:26>> Okay. Go ahead.

5:48:27>> All right. Um I know that we have a lot

5:48:30of work ahead of us on on many fronts.

5:48:33Um I do worry about us having the

5:48:35resources to combat uh all the issues

5:48:38throughout the entire city. Um we have

5:48:41to work like my uh colleague said on

5:48:43education and preparedness uh across the

5:48:46city because our resources are very

5:48:49limited. Um Tom, when when we um I know

5:48:52I talked to you about this and if you

5:48:54don't remember uh that's okay, but

5:48:56Silver Sands, which was the big project

5:48:58at the beach at uh at Ocean and Cherry

5:49:02and we took all that sand and we watched

5:49:05the we watched the trucks go one after

5:49:09another leaving with our sand to go to

5:49:10to go to Riverside. Can you just remind

5:49:12me like what was the reasoning why we

5:49:14couldn't keep all that sand right here

5:49:16in the city and why we had to ship that

5:49:17all the way to Riverside?

5:49:20>> Yeah, so um the coastal commission has

5:49:22very specific requirements about what

5:49:24sand can go on what beach. Uh you have

5:49:26to look at grain size, you have to look

5:49:27at comp, um composition, you have to get

5:49:29a permit. Um and so all of those things

5:49:31need to be looked at in order to put it

5:49:33there. So with additional time and

5:49:35planning that some of that might have

5:49:36been able to go there. By the time they

5:49:38had decided what they were doing with

5:49:40it, they were already trucking that

5:49:41away. So that would be a very small

5:49:43amount compared to what would what would

5:49:45be needed um uh in this area. But when

5:49:47we look at these projects, we have to go

5:49:48and see is it appropriate to put it on

5:49:50the beach? Can you put it next to the

5:49:52beach? Do you have to dispose it

5:49:53somewhere else? Or is it the wrong grain

5:49:54size?

5:49:55>> So is that some type of policy we could

5:49:57look at? like anytime we're having uh

5:49:59any construction along our beachfront

5:50:01that that's just part of the the deal

5:50:03that we have to be a we can keep our

5:50:05sand right here in the city as opposed

5:50:06to it going someplace else.

5:50:08>> Yeah, sure. We can look at that through

5:50:09development services. We really like

5:50:11that was the one project I think I've

5:50:12ever run across that actually had what

5:50:14looked like beach quality sand that that

5:50:16could go there. But um on any project

5:50:18else along that coastline, we would

5:50:19certainly look at that in the future.

5:50:21>> Okay. Thank you. That's my comments.

5:50:23>> All right. And you know and thank you.

5:50:25That's actually a great idea. Um, when

5:50:28we get past this uh, El Nino, I think

5:50:31it's important that, you know, no matter

5:50:34the impact, no matter what happens, we

5:50:36have an ongoing public education

5:50:38conversation about what real structural

5:50:42long-term infrastructure ch change needs

5:50:44to happen, what the real cost of that

5:50:47is, and what what financial strategies

5:50:49need to look like. This isn't a

5:50:51conversation that needs to be limited to

5:50:54just say the peninsula. This is a issue

5:50:57of city-wide concern. We know there are

5:50:59things that can be done. We know that

5:51:01they come significant price tags. It's a

5:51:04challenge, but we've we've handled big

5:51:07challenges before. Mitigation credits,

5:51:09innovative ways of financing. I know the

5:51:13likelihood of federal participation

5:51:14under this administration is not likely,

5:51:17but you know, other administrations come

5:51:19in and this is a long-term project. We

5:51:20have to prepare for what it looks like

5:51:22if we do have federal and state uh

5:51:25participation. I also know that, you

5:51:27know, there was a climate bond. Let's

5:51:29explore statewide if this categor if if

5:51:32this qualifies as a potential project

5:51:36category for climate resilience. Um so

5:51:38these are things, you know, as we come

5:51:40out of uh this short-term emergency that

5:51:43we have to talk about a little bit more

5:51:45publicly. All right, members, please

5:51:46cast your vote.

5:51:53Motion is carried.

5:51:54>> Thank you.

5:51:57Now we are on to item 25.

5:52:02>> 24.

5:52:03>> No, 24. Yeah, that's the one. Re report

5:52:06from human resources recommendation to

5:52:08approve the 2027 calendar year benefits

5:52:10package rates, employee contribution

5:52:12amounts and plan updates for active

5:52:14employees and retirees with various

5:52:17health insurance plan operators

5:52:18citywide.

5:52:20>> All right. Any public comment on this

5:52:21item? Oh, is I see one Sage.

5:52:30Council,

5:52:36Mr. Mayor, I hope you have picked up on

5:52:38the pattern recognition. I have signed

5:52:40up for every remaining item.

5:52:44I don't know why we're talking to each

5:52:46other. I don't know why you treat me

5:52:47differently than anyone else who comes

5:52:48to speak in the public. For some reason,

5:52:50you like to have a back and forth with

5:52:52me in particular, which is a very

5:52:53strange what's called disperate impact.

5:52:55Would the city attorney like to explain

5:52:56what disperate impact is to the council?

5:52:58because it does seem to be confused. I

5:53:00don't know what it is about me that gets

5:53:02under your skin, but I am a person who

5:53:05is permitted to speak on any agenda

5:53:07item, including this one. A benefits

5:53:09package. Fantastic. Fabulous. I love

5:53:11that city employees get a great benefits

5:53:12package. It's great that they cover

5:53:13health insurance. Health insurance that

5:53:15I get through the marketplace and that I

5:53:17recently uh in addition have social

5:53:19security disability because I am a

5:53:21physically disabled person. a physically

5:53:23disabled person who is here tonight like

5:53:26so many other physically disabled people

5:53:28much like you represented in Deus you

5:53:30are here tonight we're both disabled and

5:53:32somehow we're here it really is a

5:53:34miracle what health insurance can do so

5:53:36I'm quite happy for the city employees

5:53:38to get their their um health insurance

5:53:40reupt um I continue to be confused by

5:53:43what it is about me in particular that

5:53:45makes the mayor want to speak back and

5:53:47forth with me during this which he does

5:53:48not do with anyone else I have been here

5:53:50for the entire time and no one was

5:53:51admonished for being off topic, but me.

5:53:54I find that curious. So, I'd like to

5:53:57know if you're going to do it again. If

5:53:58I'm going to be admonished once again

5:54:00with the 90 seconds left for being off

5:54:02topic of the agenda item, something you

5:54:04have done to me singularly with an

5:54:07opinion opposed to yours a disperate

5:54:09impact on anyone else.

5:54:13>> If you stay on topic, we're good.

5:54:16Thank you.

5:54:17Previously, when I have been here, when

5:54:19I asked about various items, when I

5:54:22wanted a when I wanted simple eye

5:54:24contact or acknowledgement, never did I

5:54:26get back and forth. Never did I get so

5:54:28much as eye contact. I don't know what

5:54:30it is about me that bothers you so much,

5:54:32but there's something that seems to be

5:54:34getting under your skin.

5:54:39I would like to enjoy the rest of my

5:54:40time standing here reading the contents

5:54:43of number 24. as is my aotted time. I'm

5:54:46going to enjoy it all.

5:54:52>> So, to be clear, that's actually

5:54:54>> loud is not what I I don't understand

5:54:57what this back and forth is.

5:55:00>> You don't do this with anyone else.

5:55:02>> It's my job to run the meeting. You're

5:55:04clearly unclear on the rules. You can't

5:55:06stand

5:55:07>> I'm perfectly clear

5:55:09to whisper.

5:55:10>> Standing there silent is not what you

5:55:12can do. You can speak on topic.

5:55:14>> I will speak slowly

5:55:21so the mayor won't talk

5:55:28over

5:55:31me.

5:55:32What wonderful use of our time this is.

5:55:35I'm so pleased.

5:55:38>> All right. Thank you. Members, please

5:55:40cast your vote.

5:55:50Motion is carried.

5:55:51>> All right. Uh item 25, please.

5:55:54>> Report from human resources

5:55:55recommendation to adopt a resolution

5:55:57approving the 2026 through 2029

5:55:59memorandum of understanding with the

5:56:01International Brotherhood of Electrical

5:56:03Workers Citywide.

5:56:05>> All right. Thank you. I want to take a

5:56:06moment just to recognize um IBW local 47

5:56:11for u continuing to provide quality

5:56:13public services in our city. Um they

5:56:16represent uh workers in our utilities

5:56:18department. Um and uh they've ratified

5:56:22they've come to an agreement and

5:56:23ratified their upcoming contract between

5:56:252026 and 2029. We want to thank them for

5:56:28their service, for their partnership,

5:56:30and working with our city uh to find uh

5:56:33to negotiate fairly a a fair contract uh

5:56:37that certainly recognizes the dignity of

5:56:39those workers. So, thank you so much.

5:56:40Did you uh have a presentation on this

5:56:42Tom?

5:56:45>> If you'd like one, HR can go through it,

5:56:46but I think it's pretty

5:56:47self-explanatory. The council's full up

5:56:49to speed and we published the whole

5:56:50report. Um this is a great agreement

5:56:52with uh the uh the first of our labor

5:56:55unions that we're negotiating with right

5:56:56now. Um, and it's all within our

5:56:58structural budget capacity, so we're not

5:57:00adding to the structural deficit, and

5:57:02it's going to help us hire and retain

5:57:03our employees.

5:57:04>> Incredibly important bargain a contract

5:57:07uh that stayed within authority and did

5:57:10not uh expand or make an impact on the

5:57:13deficit. So, that's great. Council

5:57:15member Kerr, anything?

5:57:17>> No, grateful for their partnership.

5:57:18>> Great. Council member Thrashinuk uh

5:57:20>> Ditto.

5:57:21>> All right. Thank you, Sage. Public

5:57:23comment.

5:57:32I would like to enjoy one of my few

5:57:34remaining agenda item public comments um

5:57:37by stating that uh it is a obviously

5:57:42um a work of a work of great cooperation

5:57:46for for the union to have a deal with

5:57:48the city. Um, I deeply appreciate

5:57:51meeting so many union workers and union

5:57:53representatives during the previous

5:57:56budget season in which so many people

5:57:58came out to share their opinions on how

5:58:00important union labor is, how it

5:58:02functions, and what a great asset it is

5:58:04to the city and that each of them were

5:58:06able to be heard on their agenda item

5:58:08topic that they were each able to share

5:58:11per the item what is being discussed,

5:58:14what is being decided on that they all

5:58:16got that opportunity as I think is

5:58:18Right.

5:58:21I

5:58:24will

5:58:26run

5:58:28down

5:58:30the

5:58:32remainder

5:58:34of

5:58:35the

5:58:37time.

5:58:40Because for reasons again I do not

5:58:41understand. When we decided to pass

5:58:43agenda item 29

5:58:46in the text of this new of this new

5:58:48version of the civil code is that the

5:58:50mayor at their sole discretion or

5:58:51whoever is presiding over city council

5:58:54at their sole discretion may decide what

5:58:57is disruptive conduct. And I wonder if

5:59:00I'm being disruptive right now simply

5:59:03leaving a public comment that is slow

5:59:05and annoying. Does this does this count

5:59:08as disruptive conduct? How many times do

5:59:10I need to say agenda item 25 for it to

5:59:12not be disruptive conduct? How many

5:59:14times do I need to say the contents of

5:59:16agenda item 25, the International

5:59:18Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, for

5:59:19it to not be disruptive conduct? I am

5:59:21asking in this case to the mayor in

5:59:23particular, no, I'm not interested in

5:59:24your response because that, you know,

5:59:26the rules, you're so interested in the

5:59:27rules and the process. That's not how it

5:59:28works. You're not supposed to take up

5:59:30commenters time with your own speech

5:59:32talking over them when they don't get

5:59:33that time given back. something I've

5:59:35only ever seen when it is something that

5:59:37you are in favor that the person is

5:59:38speaking of that they get their time

5:59:40back but not people who are speaking

5:59:41about something that you disagree with.

5:59:42Again, it is a curious pattern. I wonder

5:59:45if this counts as disruptive conduct.

5:59:50I continue to wonder.

5:59:53I will wonder for 40 more seconds.

6:00:04For 30 seconds, I have to think to

6:00:06myself in the handful of agenda item

6:00:09comments I have left as a citizen of

6:00:12Long Beach, what will count as

6:00:14disruptive conduct in the future at once

6:00:17again the sole discretion of the

6:00:19presiding officer, in this case, the

6:00:21mayor?

6:00:22A dissenting opinion. Is that

6:00:24disruptive? It's certainly disruptive to

6:00:26the to the quick flow of a vote.

6:00:29I wonder.

6:00:36>> All right, members, please cast your

6:00:37vote.

6:00:41>> Um, there is one more public comment

6:00:43speaker, Carolyn Essex in Zoom.

6:00:47Can you please unmute yourself?

6:00:50>> Yes, I can you hear me?

6:00:53>> Yes, we can hear you.

6:00:54>> Okay, thank you. Um U um I just want to

6:00:58I Approval of the IBW

6:01:02um memorandum of understanding. Our

6:01:05skilled city workforce is part of our

6:01:07foundational infrastructure.

6:01:10These are the workers and inspectors who

6:01:12help maintain the systems and public

6:01:14assets residents depend on every day. I

6:01:19support item 25. And I want to

6:01:21acknowledge what the word brotherhood

6:01:23represents. IBEDW traces history to 1891

6:01:27when electrical workers organized around

6:01:30safety, fair compensation, and dignity

6:01:33in a dangerous profession. More than 130

6:01:37years later, collective bargaining

6:01:39continues that work. And so the skilled

6:01:42employees represented here help,

6:01:45inspect, maintain, and protect the

6:01:47infrastructure our residents depend

6:01:49upon.

6:01:51um investing in the people who maintain

6:01:53our infrastructure is part of investing

6:01:55in the infrastructure itself. And so I

6:01:59do support item 25

6:02:01uh competitive compensation worker

6:02:04retention and I respect um the skilled

6:02:07labor and the investments in reliable

6:02:10city services. So I support theou. Thank

6:02:13you.

6:02:16>> Thank you. That concludes public comment

6:02:17for this.

6:02:17>> All right. Members, please cast your

6:02:19vote.

6:02:22Motion is carried.

6:02:24>> All right. Thank you. Now we're on to

6:02:26item 26, please.

6:02:30>> Report from public works. recommendation

6:02:32to adopt plans and specifications and

6:02:34award a contract to Sully Miller

6:02:35Contracting Company for the Shoreline

6:02:38Drive realignment project for a total

6:02:40contract amount not to exceed 50,722,791

6:02:46and execute all documents necessary to

6:02:48enter into the contract including any

6:02:50necessary subsequent amendments and

6:02:52adopt specifications and award contract

6:02:55to PMCS Group for construction

6:02:58management and inspection services for

6:03:00the shoreline drive realignment. ment

6:03:01project for a total contract amount not

6:03:03to exceed 3,735,659

6:03:08and execute all documents necessary to

6:03:10enter into the contract including any

6:03:12necessary subsequent amendments.

6:03:13District 1.

6:03:15>> All right. Well, this is a a landmark

6:03:17project. It's going to completely

6:03:19transform how people enter our downtown.

6:03:22It's, you know, it's no no question that

6:03:24when you enter downtown, it's a little

6:03:26funky, a little congested. Um, and you

6:03:29see that large swath of open space. No

6:03:33one's ever there because it's not

6:03:34accessible, usable. Uh, this project

6:03:38transforms that. It finally allows us

6:03:40the opportunity to to have a more uh

6:03:44unified entry and exit from the downtown

6:03:46and reunify those six acres of open

6:03:49space, five or six acres into

6:03:51programmable open space in an area that

6:03:53certainly uh needs it. Uh it's not lost

6:03:56on me that this was this project was in

6:03:58in jeopardy. In fact, it was a number

6:04:00one priority when I joined the Metro

6:04:01board was to figure out how to unlock

6:04:04those dollars. These were federal

6:04:06dollars. There's a timetable on it and

6:04:08we are not uh interested in sending back

6:04:12perfectly good federal money that can be

6:04:14used to impact have a positive impact on

6:04:16our communities. So, and that was the

6:04:19the case. We want to recognize and thank

6:04:21uh the federal government, particularly

6:04:23the Biden Harris administration, who uh

6:04:25provided us this reconnecting

6:04:27communities grant. It was the second

6:04:29largest at the time at $30 million, but

6:04:32it required a significant match about 40

6:04:35some odd million dollars for us to come

6:04:37up with locally. We want to thank and

6:04:39recognize Metro for supporting the Metro

6:04:42Board, supporting my motion uh to bring

6:04:45forward these dollars local early uh to

6:04:47make this project happen. Uh and

6:04:49congratulations to everyone,

6:04:51Councilwoman Zindas, uh the community

6:04:53around Cesar Chavez community, uh the

6:04:56downtown community on what will be an

6:04:59incredibly transformational project. And

6:05:01I just want to thank staff uh for making

6:05:03sure we are organized and and able to go

6:05:06after and seek that funding and deliver

6:05:08it in time to make this project happen,

6:05:10this first phase in advance of the 2028

6:05:13games. So, we have a brief staff

6:05:14presentation.

6:05:17>> Yes, sir. Yeah. Uh, good evening again,

6:05:19mayor and council members. We are

6:05:21excited to be here tonight for this

6:05:22major milestone for a large

6:05:24transformative project in downtown. I do

6:05:27have a brief presentation, but I know

6:05:29it's late, so I'll I'll try to breeze

6:05:31through this uh relatively quickly.

6:05:35So, the the project is part of and the

6:05:38catalyst to realize the downtown vision

6:05:40plan, including usable park space um and

6:05:43parking and just better use of the

6:05:46overall space that you can see on the

6:05:48screen here, the Drake Chavez connection

6:05:51project, the LB Musk, the Caesar Chavez

6:05:53Park, and so on and so forth.

6:05:58So over two acres of roadway will be

6:06:01removed, but functionally that the

6:06:04realignment creates opportunity for a

6:06:06total of 22 acres to all be conjoined

6:06:08that today are largely unusable due to

6:06:11the fact that the northbound shoreline

6:06:13drive will be shifting to the west

6:06:15closer to the LA River as shown in the

6:06:18image on the slide here.

6:06:23So overall, in addition to shifting

6:06:25Shoreline Drive north, we're also

6:06:27removing the existing Broadway bridge.

6:06:30We are adding and um rehabbing streets

6:06:34across the area, including Third,

6:06:36Broadway, Golden, and uh Shoreline

6:06:39Drive. We are adding bike and pedestrian

6:06:43shared use pass. We are adding traffic

6:06:45signal improvements, utilities,

6:06:47drainage, and landscape and irrigation.

6:06:52So the first phase, as the mayor had

6:06:54noted, the intention is to deliver that

6:06:57before the 2028 games as an early action

6:07:00type project that consists of the work

6:07:02south of Ocean Boulevard as shown in

6:07:05this image, including new pavement,

6:07:07landscaping, striping, traffic signal

6:07:09modu modifications.

6:07:13Phase two will happen after the 2028

6:07:16games in the fall of 2028 and beyond. uh

6:07:19mainly because that includes more

6:07:22significant projects including traffic

6:07:24signals at the intersections noted on

6:07:26this slide as well as a 72 in storm

6:07:30drain line that needs to be modified as

6:07:32part of this project.

6:07:36So this slide's oriented a little bit

6:07:38different than the others. North is

6:07:39actually facing to the right, but gives

6:07:41you a general overview as to all of the

6:07:44work that will be taking place within

6:07:46the area, including south of Ocean as

6:07:48part of phase one and then the

6:07:50realignment of Shoreline Drive North uh

6:07:52to the west.

6:07:57So, there is a lot of coordination with

6:07:59a number of different stakeholders. Some

6:08:01of this has already happened. Uh some of

6:08:02it will continue to happen and some of

6:08:05it will will start here shortly. Uh most

6:08:08recently we did obtain the California

6:08:10Coastal Commission CDP permit. So we

6:08:13have that in hand and we're ready to go.

6:08:15As the mayor noted, we've been

6:08:16coordinating pretty pretty heavily with

6:08:18Metro to secure the additional funds

6:08:20necessary to deliver the project.

6:08:28Overall, this slide here represents the

6:08:30funding stack. It is a $73 million

6:08:32project. As as noted previously, we do

6:08:36have a $30 million grant from the

6:08:38federal government. Now, with the

6:08:40additional funds that are being

6:08:42allocated from Metro that are be before

6:08:44you tonight, we'll be able to complete

6:08:46the funding stack necessary to deliver

6:08:49the project.

6:08:53It is important to note that this does

6:08:55require repayment of a third of the 35

6:08:58million that we're receiving from Metro

6:09:00or 11.5 million. Our proposal is to

6:09:05repay that loan over a 10-year period

6:09:08starting in FY 2033. Uh that would

6:09:12impact our future ability to make street

6:09:15improvement projects. Uh what we're

6:09:18trying to show you here on the screen is

6:09:20that today if the measure R and Measure

6:09:23M dollars remain flat, we currently

6:09:25receive approximately $16 million

6:09:28annually. That gets reinvested into our

6:09:30street improvement projects. Um in the

6:09:32future, 2033 and beyond, that would be

6:09:36reduced to 14.85 million.

6:09:44If the item before you is approved

6:09:45tonight, we'll kick off the first phase,

6:09:48start that in early 2027, wrap up the

6:09:51first phase, which again is south of

6:09:53Ocean in early 2028. We take a a small

6:09:56break, and then we'd come back in the

6:09:58fall of 2028, and start construction on

6:10:01the north of Ocean phase, including the

6:10:03realignment of Shoreline Drive

6:10:05northbound.

6:10:07The future efforts, including the park

6:10:10master plan buildout, would then happen

6:10:12after that project is complete and after

6:10:14Shoreline Drive is realigned, opening up

6:10:17that contiguous park space.

6:10:20That concludes staff report and we're

6:10:21available for any questions.

6:10:28>> All right, great. I don't have my screen

6:10:30up. I'm just going to go to council

6:10:32member um actually we're going to go to

6:10:34public comment. Um, uh, I see Ryan Wolf

6:10:38on Zoom and Sage.

6:10:43>> I don't believe Mr. Wolf is in the Zoom

6:10:45any longer.

6:10:46>> I'm I'm here.

6:10:47>> Oh. Oh, you are? I'm so sorry.

6:10:48>> Yes. Yeah. No, no problem at all. Um, so

6:10:51Ryan Wolf, uh, resident of District 1

6:10:54and the president of the Wilmore City

6:10:56Community Association, and we are a

6:10:57nonprofit dedicated to, uh, improving

6:11:00and protecting the physical environment

6:11:02and the quality of life of the

6:11:03neighborhood. and just wanted to express

6:11:06sincere and you know very intense thanks

6:11:09to city staff and to the mayor and

6:11:12council member Zend house and everyone

6:11:13else involved in this. Um this is kind

6:11:16of unbelievable for us. This is moving

6:11:18forward. You know, this is a need that's

6:11:20been expressed by the community for I

6:11:22mean, I I'm not exaggerating decades.

6:11:25And this is an opportunity to really

6:11:28invest um from a mobility perspective

6:11:30and a resilience perspective in a

6:11:32community which has been, you know, had

6:11:34major environmental justice issues based

6:11:37on infrastructure decisions that were

6:11:38made, you know, generations ago. Uh we

6:11:42see this as an opportunity to really

6:11:43reconnect our community to provide green

6:11:45space. Um to really reinvision part of

6:11:49downtown which has you know really

6:11:52failed to get the attention it deserves

6:11:53over the years and uh you know we just

6:11:56really really appreciate all the work

6:11:58that's been done to go after the

6:11:59reconnecting communities grant um and to

6:12:02really think very innovative in

6:12:03innovatively and go after this funding

6:12:05with in with Metro as well. Um, so we're

6:12:09we're looking forward to continuing to

6:12:10support this project going forward and,

6:12:13you know, fingers crossed we can also

6:12:14get that money for the Shoemaker Bridge

6:12:16and continuing to just really kind of

6:12:18reimagine our downtown uh, mobility

6:12:21mobility network and our just make it a

6:12:24more livable um, better place for

6:12:25everyone. So, thank you very much.

6:12:29>> Thank you, Sage.

6:12:42My comment regarding item 27 um is that

6:12:45uh highway realignment is a particularly

6:12:47exciting opportunity for as as mentioned

6:12:51by the the previous commenter

6:12:53specifically environmental justice. So,

6:12:54I used to live quite close to this park

6:12:57and the particulate debris in

6:12:58particular, so tailpipe emissions that

6:13:00we usually think of as like airborne,

6:13:02you know, gases in the air, is really a

6:13:04small part of why living so close to a

6:13:06high-speed road is so terrible for your

6:13:08health. In particular, young children,

6:13:10not only are their organs smaller and

6:13:13more delicate, they are literally lower

6:13:15to the ground, they are closer to the

6:13:17height of a tailpipe. So moving this is

6:13:20a particularly exciting opportunity to

6:13:22to do right by the people who live in

6:13:24the neighborhood next to the park. The

6:13:26park itself is very difficult to utilize

6:13:28because it is so close to Shoreline

6:13:30Drive where people drive at high speeds.

6:13:32So this is a very exciting opportunity.

6:13:34I would simply urge the council as this

6:13:36moves on, as it gets to the planting

6:13:38phase in what is that five, six, five,

6:13:40six years, when it gets to landscaping

6:13:43to please consider more than aesthetics,

6:13:46more than the the beauty of the of the

6:13:48iconic LA palm tree to consider

6:13:50specifically planting schemes that limit

6:13:52the amount of particulate debris that

6:13:54gets into the neighborhoods. Like

6:13:56specifically just like very bushy shrubs

6:14:00can prevent an extraordinary amount of

6:14:02pollution. You've seen the map of

6:14:04particulate pollution. It's very bad for

6:14:06everyone who lives near the 710. That is

6:14:08terribly unfair. That is my entire

6:14:11comment.

6:14:15>> All right. Thank you. Uh council members

6:14:18in house.

6:14:19>> Thank you. I'm super excited to finally

6:14:22see this on the agenda. Um I want to

6:14:25thank the public commenters for their

6:14:27words tonight. Um, Shoreline Drive was

6:14:31constructed through workingclass

6:14:34neighborhoods, displacing homes and

6:14:36businesses and creating a physical

6:14:39barrier between residents, parks,

6:14:42downtown, and the waterfront.

6:14:45The project is an opportunity to bring

6:14:49to begin correcting the effects of the

6:14:52past transportation decision for

6:14:56district one. This project is not only

6:15:00simply a roadway improvement. It will

6:15:03restore access to approximately 2.2

6:15:07acres of open space, support a potential

6:15:11contingent of 22 acre park system, and

6:15:16create safer pedestrian and bicycle

6:15:20connections to Caesar Chavez Park and

6:15:23the nearby destinations.

6:15:26The project also advances environmental

6:15:29and mobility goals by converting

6:15:31approximately 5.5 acres of roadway into

6:15:36landscape areas and adding more than 1.5

6:15:40miles of pedestrian and bicycle paths

6:15:43within the project area. This project is

6:15:47not only important to district 1, but

6:15:50the citywide,

6:15:52especially as we prepare to welcome the

6:15:54world for LA28.

6:15:57Uh, and behalf of my residents, um,

6:16:00thank you, Mayor Richardson, for your

6:16:02support as a board member on Metro for

6:16:06securing these these fundings that were

6:16:09so so desperately needed. I want to

6:16:12thank the entire board of Metro um for

6:16:16believing in this project and for their

6:16:18support as well. But most importantly, I

6:16:22want to thank my residents um the

6:16:26community members who have been working

6:16:28alongside me and my office to ensure

6:16:32that this project remains a priority for

6:16:35this city. More green space improves

6:16:38lives of all residents. I ask my

6:16:42colleagues to support this item.

6:16:46>> All right. Thank you, Council Member

6:16:48Kerr.

6:16:49>> Yeah, I just want to thank the city team

6:16:51for their tenacity and continuous

6:16:53advocacy about this project. I remember

6:16:54we did an intergovernmental affairs trip

6:16:56to Washington maybe three years ago um

6:16:58and had the opportunity to advocate

6:17:00directly in the White House to the Biden

6:17:01Harris administration for the

6:17:03Reconnecting Communities Grant. Um, and

6:17:05so to the mayor for your advocacy at

6:17:07Metro and making that move a little

6:17:09faster shows that um, when we still

6:17:11stick all together, we can get some of

6:17:13these things done. So, thank you to the

6:17:14teams.

6:17:16>> All right. Well done. Uh, so this

6:17:18project breaks ground wind

6:17:22>> as soon as we can get the contract

6:17:23signed.

6:17:24>> All right.

6:17:24>> Started in early 2027.

6:17:26>> Early 2027. Fantastic. All right.

6:17:28Members, please cast your vote.

6:17:38Motion is carried.

6:17:39>> Thank you. 27

6:17:42report from public works and parks,

6:17:44recreation, and marine. recommendation

6:17:46to accept, appropriate, and expend grant

6:17:48funding awarded to the Los Angeles

6:17:50County Regional Park and Open Space

6:17:52District Competitive Grant Program to

6:17:55projects including 10th Street Green

6:17:57Belt, Washington Neighborhood Community

6:17:59Center, and Willow Springs Trail Head in

6:18:01an amount not to exceed 5,786,460

6:18:06districts 1, three, and five.

6:18:09>> All right. Well, this is our final

6:18:11presentation of the night and and it's a

6:18:13really good thing to be able to deploy

6:18:15resources in areas that certainly need

6:18:17more parks and open space. So, we're

6:18:19going to go to staff presentation and

6:18:20we'll go to public comment.

6:18:24>> Great. Stephen Scott, our director of

6:18:26parks and marine.

6:18:27>> Great. Thank you, city manager. Uh

6:18:29honorable mayor, members of the city

6:18:30council, uh the item before you tonight

6:18:33is to accept uh appropriate and expend

6:18:37uh close to $5.8 8 million in grant

6:18:40funds from the Los Angeles County

6:18:42Regional Park and Open Space uh

6:18:45district. Um,

6:18:49so just looking backwards before getting

6:18:51into uh the specific uh grants, um, back

6:18:55in 2016, LA County voters approved the

6:18:58safe, clean neighborhood parks and

6:19:00beaches measure uh that provided

6:19:02dedicated funding for park recreation

6:19:06and open space development. And earlier

6:19:09this year, uh, this body, uh,

6:19:12appropriated or or allocated close to

6:19:14$17 million in annual allocation funds

6:19:18to park projects across the city. This

6:19:22is a competitive uh, grant program that

6:19:26the uh, county just uh, opened up last

6:19:28year in 2025, and we were successful for

6:19:32three competitive grant awards. The

6:19:36first is uh close to $290,000

6:19:41for the Washington neighborhood

6:19:43community center. Uh the project

6:19:44includes site feasibility for where that

6:19:47uh community center could go along 14th

6:19:50Street Park or Seaside Park. Uh looking

6:19:53at SQA analysis and community engagement

6:19:56uh related to the design of a new

6:19:59community center in that Washington

6:20:01neighborhood. Uh secondly, uh close to $

6:20:031.5 million for the 10th Street green

6:20:07belt. Uh this would uh provide funding

6:20:10to help improve close to 2.3 acres of

6:20:14what uh was formerly the Pacific

6:20:15Electric Right ofway and will feature

6:20:18drought tolerant landscaping and uh

6:20:21expand the urban tree canopy by uh close

6:20:24to 40 trees. And then lastly, uh $4

6:20:27million for the Willow Springs te uh

6:20:29trail head project, uh which will bring

6:20:32a an educational center, trail head, and

6:20:35demonstration site for sustainability

6:20:38education, including a shaded plaza, uh

6:20:41to serve as a gathering area. This was

6:20:44uh the site of the former uh train depot

6:20:47that unfortunately burned down uh a few

6:20:50years ago, but uh looking to continue

6:20:52with that trail head project. Uh the

6:20:55next couple of slides really just covers

6:20:57uh what I just discussed. Uh so just

6:21:00some additional takeaways for each of

6:21:02these. The Washington Neighborhood

6:21:04Community Center, we've been doing

6:21:06community engagement uh throughout 2026

6:21:10uh and are working on a conceptual

6:21:12design

6:21:14uh for uh the locations um that have

6:21:17been identified uh by the community. We

6:21:20look to go back out to the community uh

6:21:22later this winter uh with uh some of

6:21:25that uh information. Uh 10th Street

6:21:28Green Belt uh that is ongoing. That is

6:21:30in the design phase. And then lastly,

6:21:33Willow Springs uh trail head project is

6:21:36also in the design uh phase and

6:21:38something that uh public works who is

6:21:40the lead on this project uh in addition

6:21:43to parks and wreck and uh the office of

6:21:46uh climate action and sustainability

6:21:49will be going back out uh to the

6:21:51community uh for uh community in uh

6:21:55additional community engagement uh with

6:21:58uh some of the initial designs for that

6:22:00project. And that'll be happening uh in

6:22:02the coming months. And that concludes

6:22:04our brief staff report.

6:22:07>> All right. Fantastic. We're going to go

6:22:08to public comment. Uh go ahead and

6:22:11facilitate public comment, please.

6:22:13>> I have Mona Iikner in Zoom. If you're

6:22:17available, please unmute yourself.

6:22:21>> Hello. Um, I'm Mana Iikner and I am uh

6:22:25the co one of the co-leaders of Friends

6:22:27of Willow Springs Park and we are uh the

6:22:31whole group is really excited about the

6:22:34opportunity that this grant presents.

6:22:36We've been waiting for at least 10 years

6:22:38for the um train depot to be re realized

6:22:43and we want to thank everybody involved.

6:22:47Um the parks and recck director uh

6:22:50Stephen Scott and the director of public

6:22:53works Josh Hinckman and Councilwoman

6:22:57Megan Kerr, Mayor, everybody. We we are

6:22:59really excited and we are looking

6:23:01forward to the design process and being

6:23:03involved as any way we can to help this

6:23:06get realized. It's a great um it's a

6:23:08great thing and we're very excited.

6:23:10Thank you.

6:23:13>> Thank you for your comments. Next

6:23:14speaker is Andrew. Please unmute

6:23:16yourself.

6:23:20>> Hello everybody. Andrew Manduano,

6:23:22project director with Books and Buckets.

6:23:24I want to send uh my appreciations to

6:23:26city staff and our council allies in uh

6:23:28CD1 for continuously um advocating u for

6:23:32this community center um and identifying

6:23:34uh new funding sources. Um so just you

6:23:37know uh thank you all. Um one little

6:23:39area of concern I do feel like we've

6:23:40spent a lot of time in this uh planning

6:23:42phase. Um I believe we um you know in

6:23:45FY23 allocated $750,000

6:23:48for the planning phase um which was

6:23:50supposed to have like preliminary design

6:23:52I think as a part of one of the

6:23:53deliverables. Um I think FY25

6:23:56uh Congressman um Robert Garcia

6:23:59allocated $250,000.

6:24:01Um so that's already you know like a

6:24:03million dollars uh towards that planning

6:24:04phase. So I'm hoping with this

6:24:06additional funding uh we can really have

6:24:08some concrete milestones uh to

6:24:10celebrate. um look forward to those um

6:24:13um community engagement meetings um in

6:24:15the winter. Uh just please, you know,

6:24:18give us a heads up so we can mobilize um

6:24:19some of the community members to

6:24:21participate. So again, thank you all so

6:24:23much. Look forward to to seeing stuff in

6:24:25the future.

6:24:27>> Thank you. And our final speaker is

6:24:29Sage.

6:24:40regarding item 27. Um,

6:24:43fabulous grant money for parks. I, as a

6:24:47former resident, um, of Washington

6:24:49neighborhood, it absolutely feels like

6:24:50one of the neighborhoods that gets

6:24:51forgotten by this city. So, it is more

6:24:53than overdue and it is a wonderful thing

6:24:55to have investment. I cannot help but

6:24:57wonder who will staff that community

6:24:59center given this past budget season and

6:25:02the projected budget seasons upcoming,

6:25:05but I suppose that is off topic.

6:25:08I am particularly impressed by the way

6:25:10that the city fought hard to get this

6:25:12grant. A competitive grant is a lot of

6:25:14work to put together and I admire that

6:25:17we got money for public space for public

6:25:19green space in particular. We are in

6:25:22dire need of more public green space and

6:25:23things like the realignment plan and and

6:25:26expanding the trail head are great ways

6:25:27to expand access to public green space

6:25:29in a city that needs it. I do wonder

6:25:32though where that incredible ingenuity,

6:25:36hard work, and effort was when it came

6:25:38to again staffing the parks department

6:25:41during budget season. There are plenty

6:25:44of capable minds and I wonder why they

6:25:47are not being put towards

6:25:50keeping things running. The sort of

6:25:53small people who help small people. I

6:25:56understand why you see so many of us as

6:26:00just an irritant, just an annoyance. Oh,

6:26:02that's all right, Mr. Mayor. I'll talk

6:26:03to you on Instagram since that is where

6:26:04you are right now. Hi, Mr. Mayor. Um,

6:26:06I'm talking specifically about how I'm

6:26:08concerned that even though we have done

6:26:10this wonderful thing of spending grant

6:26:12money to build and expand our parks,

6:26:13which is fantastic. I wonder who will

6:26:16staff the programming there or that if

6:26:18there will be any at all. Uh, hope you

6:26:20saw that on the internet. I looked at

6:26:21the screen for you. That is the entirety

6:26:23of my comment. Thank you.

6:26:25>> All right. Thank you. Uh, we'll go to

6:26:28Council Member Kr. Yeah, I want to thank

6:26:30the parks department for working so hard

6:26:33um and being ready to apply for grants

6:26:36and having a vision uh knowing that at

6:26:38some point they would open up dollars

6:26:39for us and being um almost shovel ready

6:26:42on some of these projects. Appreciate

6:26:43the hard work.

6:26:44>> Thank you, Council Member Thrashin.

6:26:46>> Congratulations to the department and um

6:26:49I support.

6:26:50>> Thank you. And council members in deas.

6:26:54>> Thank you. Um first of all, this is

6:26:58great. Um, great, especially after the

6:27:02opening of a ribbon cutting of Drake

6:27:05Park that we had this past weekend,

6:27:08which was such a wonderful asset and a

6:27:12renovation for our Wilmore uh, city

6:27:16residents and um, and I can't wait to do

6:27:19a ribbon cutting for the Washington

6:27:22neighborhood community center. Um I

6:27:25strongly support this item um because it

6:27:28is uh advances the city the community

6:27:32center will advance the planning for ne

6:27:36much needed recreation and social spaces

6:27:40in district 1. um this site um that

6:27:44we're studying. Um this visibility study

6:27:48will uh review the environmental

6:27:52uh and the community engagement will

6:27:55allow Washington residents to help shape

6:27:58a center that is focused on accessible

6:28:01health and wellness program. Um, the

6:28:06broader 5.78

6:28:09million grant awarded also supports

6:28:13improvements in to the 10th Street Green

6:28:16Belt, Willow Springs Trail Head. And

6:28:20together, these projects expand parks,

6:28:24gathering spaces, and outdoor recreation

6:28:27across the districts 1, three, and five.

6:28:30This is a great investment for the

6:28:33future of our city and I am in absolute

6:28:37full support of this.

6:28:40>> All right. Thank you. Members, please

6:28:42cast your vote.

6:28:47>> Motion is carried.

6:28:48>> Thank you. 28, please. Report from

6:28:51technology and innovation recommendation

6:28:53to execute all documents necessary to

6:28:55amend a contract with utility solutions

6:28:57partners for managed services for

6:29:00providing maintenance and integration

6:29:02support for the city of Long Beach's

6:29:03utilities information systems for a

6:29:06revised annual contract amount not to

6:29:08exceed 4,8,84

6:29:12citywide.

6:29:13>> Thank you. I see two members of the

6:29:15public public signed up to speak. Let's

6:29:18facilitate public comment, please.

6:29:21>> Our two speakers are Dave Shukla and

6:29:24Sage. If you can make your way to the

6:29:25lect turn. Dave Shukla and Sage.

6:29:39>> Thank you. Good evening. Um, I first

6:29:41have to apologize for uh not uh

6:29:45providing this public comment two weeks

6:29:47ago. Uh, when having the opportunity, I

6:29:50had low blood sugar and I just wanted to

6:29:52leave. Um, and given that it was being

6:29:56rolled over to this week, it seemed

6:29:58funny uh that the staff report, which

6:30:01for the record has remained unchanged,

6:30:04um, issued a list of dire warnings of

6:30:06what would happen if we didn't renew

6:30:08this contract.

6:30:10um which apparently were thrown out the

6:30:12window uh because despite it needing to

6:30:15be done by the 30th um of September, uh

6:30:19we could wait a week and during this

6:30:22heatwave uh apparently none of those

6:30:25things have come to pass. I would really

6:30:27like to know if they have. But what I'd

6:30:31really like to know, to be perfectly

6:30:33honest with you, is the continued

6:30:35pattern continued pattern of where this

6:30:40city's climate priorities are. I mean,

6:30:43the previous item compared to this one,

6:30:46it's it's a joke.

6:30:48I mean, it's a joke. a couple of bobbles

6:30:52when the main thing the main thing that

6:30:55this city could be doing which is

6:30:56undoing how this city was made dependent

6:30:59once

6:31:01by well the past three administrations

6:31:04now I mean I running [sighs]

6:31:09not just in 22 but Mr. Mayor, this year

6:31:12I've had the conviction that we don't

6:31:14need a third foster administration.

6:31:17It's not what the city needs. It needs

6:31:19to to undo some of that damage. And yet,

6:31:23here we are. I I don't feel my failures,

6:31:27ladies and gentlemen, any more strongly

6:31:30when items like this come up because I

6:31:33could have built a better system for a

6:31:36Long Beach utility that included

6:31:38electricity than this. But every couple

6:31:41of years, you see the bloat, you see

6:31:44more buckets of ours, you see the same

6:31:48cockamamey scheme to keep this stuff

6:31:50going. And we're going to issue climate

6:31:52bonds.

6:31:54you're going to go to the bond market

6:31:56instead of, you know, making polluters

6:31:57pay for the damage that it caused. I

6:31:59mean, there's only so many ways to skin

6:32:00the cat with funding. You're going to

6:32:02have to make hard choices at some point.

6:32:03The society is going to have to make

6:32:05hard choices at some point. The time to

6:32:07have gotten ahead of it, unfortunately.

6:32:09And I again, I I can't but apologize so

6:32:11much.

6:32:13That time has passed and I failed. I

6:32:15failed this city. I failed each and

6:32:17every one of you each and every person

6:32:18listening to this now or in the future

6:32:19because I could have done better. And I

6:32:21don't know what else to say.

6:32:27Next speaker.

6:32:28>> Next speaker, please.

6:32:40This is such an exciting evening. I get

6:32:41to tell you all my whole resume. I used

6:32:43to work for a utility department before

6:32:45I lived on the West Coast. I went to

6:32:46college on the East Coast. I worked for

6:32:48the Philadelphia Water Department.

6:32:49Utility billing is a notoriously clumsy,

6:32:52clunky, and annoying thing, but it is

6:32:55also a thing that you can do on a

6:32:57shoestring budget. I know I've seen the

6:33:00Phil City of Philadelphia do it

6:33:01specifically for the water and electric

6:33:03department. City of Philadelphia, if

6:33:05you're unfamiliar with the history of

6:33:06it, in once during the sort of rust belt

6:33:09years, the start of when the the the

6:33:12types of jobs that typically, you know,

6:33:14brought in additional income to cities

6:33:16like Philadelphia, when the when the the

6:33:18the steel and manufacturing jobs were

6:33:20leaving Pennsylvania, then began the

6:33:22years in which Philadelphia was

6:33:23hollowing out fewer and fewer residents,

6:33:25and yet there were the same number of

6:33:27miles of utility pipe, the same amount

6:33:30of electrical network that needed to be

6:33:31maintained, but a smaller tax base.

6:33:33That's a pretty difficult problem to

6:33:35have. It is not the problem that we

6:33:36have. We are quite fortunate. We have a

6:33:38growing city and a growing tax base. So

6:33:41with that growing city, growing tax

6:33:43base, growing opportunity to spend money

6:33:47wisely

6:33:48for a council so deeply concerned for

6:33:51for this administration so deeply

6:33:52concerned with the budget, using private

6:33:55contractors has its upsides. You hand it

6:33:58off to them and then they do and then

6:33:59that's it. You don't have to worry about

6:34:00it anymore. the people who are working

6:34:02doing billing are not on city payroll

6:34:04and therefore they don't get city

6:34:05benefits which of course are more

6:34:06expensive than what the private sector

6:34:08generally offers. But if you get trapped

6:34:10in this, if you bundle more and more

6:34:13things this way, if you continue to

6:34:14spend so many things on outside

6:34:16contractors, I wonder how truly

6:34:18concerned you are about the budget

6:34:21rather than what I would never accuse of

6:34:24being sweetheart deals, but what are

6:34:26conspicuously the sort of deals that are

6:34:29made with outside contractors that have

6:34:31a stake in squeezing squeezing you all

6:34:35because now you're stuck. Now you're

6:34:37using their system. Now you're locked

6:34:39into it. It's like how Google gets you

6:34:41with Gmail and then they and then then

6:34:42you add on to storage and then you add

6:34:44on to docs and you add on to everything

6:34:46else.

6:34:48That is my comment.

6:34:51All right. Thank you. U members, please

6:34:53cast your vote.

6:35:01>> Motion is carried.

6:35:02>> Thank you. Item 30

6:35:03>> report from city attorney recommendation

6:35:05to declare ordinance amending the Long

6:35:07Beach municipal code to effectuate the

6:35:09disillusion of the board of examiners

6:35:11appeals and condemnation and assign the

6:35:14duties of the BAK to the planning

6:35:16commission read and adopted as read.

6:35:18>> All right. So this is a part of uh

6:35:20governance reform. Uh we thank the BAT

6:35:23for their service and um this is an

6:35:26important consolidation. Um is there any

6:35:29public comment? There's no public

6:35:31comment on this item.

6:35:32>> Members, please cast your vote.

6:35:36>> Motion is carried.

6:35:40>> All right. So, now we'll go to uh our

6:35:43general public comment number two.

6:35:48>> Let's go ahead and facilitate that.

6:35:54If your name is red, please line up at

6:35:56the lect turn.

6:35:59If you are in Zoom, please be prepared

6:36:01to unmute yourself.

6:36:06Eric

6:36:07Ugarte,

6:36:09Cressel Dumbrossski,

6:36:12Ruby Arington, Ellie David,

6:36:17Karice Mendoza,

6:36:19Sage Victoria

6:36:23Marquez, Amy Fee, Francis, Emily Harris,

6:36:29Dave Shukla, Brent B, Pete Marsh, Joe

6:36:33Soap,

6:36:34Shaunlu, Salvador S., Claire S., Steven

6:36:38James, and Erica Garcia. If you heard

6:36:41your name called, please line up with

6:36:42the lect turn.

6:36:45Please come forward.

6:36:48>> If you had heard your name called.

6:36:56>> Hello, my name is Kirsty Mendoza,

6:36:59proud member of district 5. Mr. Mayor,

6:37:03one of the things you say you want to

6:37:04make Long Beach is space beach, but it

6:37:07is clear that the city council and city

6:37:09manager don't want to leave any space

6:37:12for Long Beach residents or Long Beach

6:37:14small businesses. Rex mentioned while

6:37:16trying to mansplain what he wants us to

6:37:19believe the public common ordinance was

6:37:22is that city council is part-time and it

6:37:25wouldn't be fair to them to have long

6:37:26meetings. I want to remind him that

6:37:29while they are part-time, the decisions

6:37:31they make affect us residents

6:37:34are full-time. I'd also like to mention

6:37:38that council member Dugan had some

6:37:40problems with 32 hours of work with

6:37:43benefits. Even though as a part-time

6:37:46employee, as Mayor Rex Richardson

6:37:49pointed out, she's eligible for full

6:37:52health, dental, and pension, among other

6:37:56things. I think that means Rex, you have

6:37:58a solution to your public comment issue.

6:38:01Just make your jobs full-time. One final

6:38:07thought, Council Member Tenua Thrash

6:38:10Untuck, Dr. Rex OD, and Swellis,

6:38:13you stated that we here today had the

6:38:17leisure of showing up today. that we

6:38:21didn't have. You insinuated that we

6:38:25didn't have working jobs that made it

6:38:28difficult for us to get down here. I

6:38:31worked 8 and 1/2 hours today

6:38:35and still tonight have to drive 20

6:38:39minutes home before I work another eight

6:38:42and a half hour shift. My friends were

6:38:45literally waiting in a long line, still

6:38:49trying to get in 15 minutes after the

6:38:53meeting had started. That's not

6:38:55leisurely.

6:38:57That's doing the work because you refuse

6:39:00to hear us and to treat us right. You

6:39:03talk about accessibility. You talk about

6:39:06wanting to make sure everyone has a

6:39:09voice, but yet you consistently deny the

6:39:14people who come out here and do the work

6:39:18even at 11:30 at night.

6:39:22I want and hope that all of you reflect

6:39:26on why you do these jobs and I know that

6:39:31you won't go more than surface deep. But

6:39:35just know we all know what you do this

6:39:37for and this will be your last stop on

6:39:40the ladder for power. And finally, much

6:39:43like most things in Long Beach, last

6:39:46minute.

6:39:48Doing things last minute and farming

6:39:51them out will only make us a weaker

6:39:53city.

6:39:57Next speaker, please

6:40:11for my final time speaking on agenda

6:40:13items. For my final time speaking this

6:40:15evening, now it is not on an agenda

6:40:17item. I look forward to seeing the mayor

6:40:20post his celebratory Instagram video

6:40:23which says that he reformed the way that

6:40:26that public comment works, that it's so

6:40:28much better now. I look forward to

6:40:29watching that video you post, Mr. Mayor.

6:40:31I'm looking at you through the camera

6:40:32since you're not here looking at us now.

6:40:34I realize that we're not worth your

6:40:36time. Of course, I look forward to you

6:40:38explaining to everyone how you saved the

6:40:40city, how you made public comments

6:40:41smoother and better for everyone, more

6:40:42accessible, but I don't look forward to

6:40:45the way that you will in bad faith

6:40:47answer everyone who asks you, "What do

6:40:49you mean?" When people come back and

6:40:51say, "But that but now I don't get to do

6:40:53an individual agenda item comments, but

6:40:55what does this mean for me in my

6:40:57situation, but starting at five is now

6:40:59inaccessible to me?" when each of those

6:41:01people respond to the video you will

6:41:03inevitably post that you've probably

6:41:04already edited. Maybe it's live now in

6:41:06which you celebrate this vote passing

6:41:08that that now that the way the city

6:41:09council comments have changed. I don't

6:41:11look forward to the way that you will

6:41:13talk down to the people of this city. I

6:41:17don't know why it's your hobby. I don't

6:41:19understand why you do it in comment

6:41:21sections in while interfacing with the

6:41:23public while walking by and in this

6:41:25chamber. You talk down to us

6:41:27consistently. It is bizarre. It is

6:41:29unnecessary and it is not productive.

6:41:33So now in my final comment of this

6:41:35evening, the last day that I get to

6:41:37enjoy the old schema of what I perceive

6:41:40to be a fair public comment period, I'd

6:41:43like to ask, Mr. Mayor, did I embarrass

6:41:45you when I said that the vibe of Vibe

6:41:48City is illiteracy? Did that hurt your

6:41:51feelings? Is that why this is here? Is

6:41:53that why this zombie resolution was was

6:41:56resurrected? Did everyone fighting for

6:41:58the library make you all too

6:42:00uncomfortable to hear people saying bad

6:42:02words? Oh, goodness gracious. I didn't

6:42:04know you were the FCC. Of course, it's

6:42:07uncomfortable.

6:42:09But we live in a country that has broad

6:42:11speech rights. Hearing people say

6:42:13uncomfortable things, your constituents

6:42:15is part of the gig. You have you do not

6:42:19have a right to be comfortable while

6:42:21sitting up there. We did not elect you

6:42:23to only hear nice words directed to each

6:42:25of you individually. Of course, it's

6:42:27unpleasant. But unpleasantry is allowed.

6:42:31That's part of the democratic process.

6:42:34What you have curtailed today is

6:42:36curtailing listening to anyone. You have

6:42:40decided beforehand who it is that you

6:42:42like, who you'd like to listen to. And

6:42:44it is not the people who participate,

6:42:47not the people who show up according to

6:42:49the current rules, not those of us who

6:42:51are going to keep showing up under the

6:42:52new rules. You don't like the irritating

6:42:55personalities of people who stand at

6:42:58this podium. And you think that that

6:43:00means that you are justified in voting

6:43:02against their interests because you find

6:43:04their personalities unpleasant.

6:43:07That's not democracy.

6:43:10I'm not sorry that we evidently

6:43:12embarrassed you into running.

6:43:19>> Thank you. Next speaker, please.

6:43:29>> Good evening, council, city council, and

6:43:32honorable mayor. I wanted to continue

6:43:36from last week. I from two weeks ago, I

6:43:40had mentioned that Mike Ortega, a

6:43:43homeless man, uh was in our neighborhood

6:43:46on September 9th and I I was actually

6:43:48walking with homicide earlier and then I

6:43:51turn around and then I see this homeless

6:43:54man and I I ended up helping him, but in

6:43:5713 days he's no longer homeless. And I

6:44:00will tell you, he's reunited with his

6:44:02son. But I have another lady and I

6:44:05didn't I've got her number and

6:44:08everything but her name is Courtney

6:44:11Bridges.

6:44:13And homelessness can come from having

6:44:17hope that the system is going to help

6:44:19you.

6:44:21And the system

6:44:24is failing. And I and I'm and I want to

6:44:26say this in the sense that Courtney does

6:44:29not speak Spanish. I'm going to get to

6:44:31the point. and she left her abusive

6:44:34husband and she has footage of going to

6:44:37shelters and being the first in line

6:44:41doing everything they're telling her and

6:44:44then

6:44:46she is shued away and still living in

6:44:50her car. She's been in her car for three

6:44:53years. She has two children. and she's a

6:44:54supervisor at and at Disney of all

6:44:58places and wonderful woman and she broke

6:45:03down and cried and said that I'll give

6:45:05you all of my information but everyone's

6:45:08trying to help me for optics but they

6:45:10are not helping me and I'm so ashamed

6:45:13because my children are being um

6:45:17ridiculed for being homeless. If you met

6:45:20her and you spoke with her, you would

6:45:22never know she's homeless. And she's

6:45:24trying so hard to get out of

6:45:26homelessness. But because she was an

6:45:28abusive wife and she left hoping the

6:45:31system would help her, she would have

6:45:33stayed with her abusive husband instead

6:45:36of been instead of becoming homeless.

6:45:41in my neighborhood. Uh we had the

6:45:45incident

6:45:46uh we were having incidents and a lot of

6:45:49the homelessness, a lot of the unhoused

6:45:53murders are domestic violence and it

6:45:56seems that there's a pattern of women

6:45:58trying to leave and it could be men, but

6:46:02it's mainly women that I that I'm

6:46:04noting. They're leaving and they're

6:46:07getting gunned down or stabbed to death.

6:46:10And so I'm just saying that is there

6:46:17are there courses that may help her

6:46:19because it seems like her her her step

6:46:22is she has covered. She she is not a

6:46:26substance abuser. She doesn't have the

6:46:28mental health challenges. She's not

6:46:30unemployed.

6:46:34>> Your time's concluded.

6:46:36>> Thank you for your testimony.

6:46:38All right. Next speaker, please.

6:46:49>> Um, good evening. My name is Steven

6:46:51James. I'm both a resident of district 2

6:46:53and a city employee. Specifically, I

6:46:55work in administration within the health

6:46:57department and I'm a member of the IM

6:46:59union. I'm here because I feel a

6:47:00disservice is being done to myself and

6:47:02my fellow IM members in the form of the

6:47:04city's proposed winter closure policy

6:47:06and I'm here to voice my opposition.

6:47:08Firstly, city employees deserve the

6:47:09right to use their vacation leave as

6:47:11they wish. Myself and my fellow

6:47:13employees put a lot of effort and care

6:47:14into our roles. At the health

6:47:16department, we work with residents

6:47:17across a host of programs doing

6:47:19everything from vaccines to lead

6:47:21abatement to community crisis response.

6:47:23I see the work that gets put in every

6:47:24day and I sincerely believe all of my

6:47:26co-workers deserve to make our own

6:47:28decisions as to when we want to take

6:47:30off. If that is around the holiday

6:47:32season, so be it. But if somebody wants

6:47:34to use their earned time in the spring

6:47:35or summer or fall, that should be their

6:47:37right. And I do understand that the

6:47:39proposed policy has the option to take

6:47:40an unpaid leave, but it is functionally

6:47:42not a valid option given expenses such

6:47:44as rent are not any lower in December.

6:47:46Secondly, I think this is a negative

6:47:48idea from a recruitment perspective. The

6:47:50city is already getting lapped in terms

6:47:52of paid time off by various private

6:47:53entities. IM members begin with 12

6:47:56vacation days per year until they are

6:47:58with the city for 4.5 years, at which

6:48:00point that increases to 15. My brother

6:48:02works for a small manufacturing company

6:48:03and started with 20 vacation days and

6:48:05still gets all major holidays. I have

6:48:07other friends on salary who get the week

6:48:09between Christmas and New Year off with

6:48:10no loss in pay or forced use of vacation

6:48:12days. If this policy is enacted, 33% of

6:48:15new employees vacation time would be

6:48:17allocated to late December every year.

6:48:19Eventually, this would drop to 20%,

6:48:21which I still regard as unfair. Uh there

6:48:24are certainly sorry there are certainly

6:48:26private entities that offer inferior

6:48:28paid time off to the city but I do not

6:48:30see it as a good business practice for

6:48:32the benefits offered by the city to be

6:48:34significantly worsened from their

6:48:35current state. Lastly, the policy goes

6:48:37against the city's many emails and memos

6:48:39promoting employee well-being. Part of

6:48:41what got me hired to my position was my

6:48:43master's degree in business

6:48:44administration. And I always tell people

6:48:46that the biggest lesson I learned is

6:48:47that

6:48:49an organization will run better if it

6:48:51listens to employees and treats them

6:48:53well. I do not think there is any way to

6:48:55frame the winter closure proposal as

6:48:57kind when it takes away employee

6:49:00flexibility. I sincerely believe that

6:49:02leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of

6:49:03employees every holiday season when they

6:49:05must face a choice between spending

6:49:07their limited vacation days or going

6:49:08without pay is immoral. In conclusion,

6:49:11the proposed winter closure policy

6:49:13should be dropped immediately. Employees

6:49:15deserve the freedom to use our earned

6:49:16vacation time as we wish. It is bad

6:49:18business to introduce a policy that

6:49:19harms new employees most, and it goes

6:49:21against employee well-being to put a

6:49:23negative burden upon employees every

6:49:25holiday season. Thank you for your time

6:49:27and consideration as both a resident and

6:49:29a city employee. Have a lovely evening.

6:49:32>> Thank you.

6:49:35>> All right, next speaker, please.

6:49:41>> Perhaps I shouldn't waited to be last. I

6:49:44mean, it's kind of hard to top a

6:49:45argument for self-management.

6:49:48Um,

6:49:51it was my goal, uh, coming into the

6:49:53meeting, as sometimes I do, to talk

6:49:55about a non-aggenda item. Um, and

6:49:59something entirely different from what's

6:50:00transpired here today. Uh, I've been

6:50:03every

6:50:05election cycle, uh, practically every

6:50:07year for the past five years, uh, I've

6:50:09been conditioned to think, what's going

6:50:10to be the October surprise this time? uh

6:50:13in 2023 uh October 7th was quite a gut

6:50:17punch for a lot of people.

6:50:19Um and each year, you know, it seems

6:50:21like there's some new development that

6:50:24throws things sideways. Uh as we all

6:50:26know, the midterm elections, uh every

6:50:29election is the most important one. Uh

6:50:32but these elections are important and in

6:50:34addition to bribes that does it count a

6:50:36bri count as a f does $5,000 promised to

6:50:39you count as a bribe if you're not going

6:50:40to actually get it? Um, in addition to

6:50:43things like that, uh, one of the things

6:50:44that's been really concerning is quite

6:50:46obvious signs that, uh, as a last ditch

6:50:49attempt, uh, instead of waiting till

6:50:532029, uh, in January 2027, the

6:50:57Republican party, led by Donald Trump,

6:50:59will try and descertify election results

6:51:01at certain state levels, uh, claiming

6:51:05voter fraud and, uh, you know,

6:51:08malfeasants. um on somebody else's side,

6:51:12not on their side. Uh that's what I

6:51:14wanted to talk about and it raised the

6:51:15alarm about that and I think it's

6:51:16important to be able to talk about

6:51:18things like that on the record. Uh but

6:51:20now my all night my brain has been

6:51:22swimming like how am I supposed to make

6:51:25a coherent comment about things as

6:51:27desperate as that and

6:51:31uh you know the utility information

6:51:34systems contracts and item 28 or uh you

6:51:38know uh what's going on with uh

6:51:42the emergency proclamation item 23 you

6:51:45know uh how how does one actually do all

6:51:47that and then on top of that there's the

6:51:49very clear [snorts]

6:51:52sense, Mr. Mayor, that this was a fat

6:51:54comple to quote uh someone who I I

6:51:57should never be in agreement with. I

6:51:58should not be in agreement with Ian

6:51:59Patton on things. Yet here I am because

6:52:03I think you got it wrong. And I think

6:52:04within the next week, you're gonna have

6:52:06to really search yourself because what I

6:52:08can do, not just in the next week, but

6:52:10over the next six months, the next year

6:52:12and a half, the next time you're running

6:52:13for office, is prove with data that it's

6:52:16a [ __ ] system and it's worse than what

6:52:18we have now. And that will reflect on

6:52:21what your prospects are in the future

6:52:23because you're the one who pushed this

6:52:24through more than anybody else. No one,

6:52:27no informed observer would be watching

6:52:29what transpired here tonight, both in

6:52:31item 20 and item uh 29, and say, "You

6:52:35know what? This would have happened

6:52:38without Rex." No one would say that.

6:52:41You're going to have to own this. And if

6:52:42you're wrong, I hope you have the grave.

6:52:52>> Thank you. Your time's concluded.

6:53:02I get it. Thank you. I appreciate you.

6:53:05Is there any additional public comment?

6:53:07>> That concludes public comment.

6:53:09>> All right. Thank you. All right. So, now

6:53:11we'll go to our closing comments and

6:53:13adjournment. I want to take a moment to

6:53:15adjourn tonight's meeting uh in memory

6:53:18of Naveiv Rodriguez, a valued member of

6:53:20our Long Beach city management team, a

6:53:22cherished partner part of our greater

6:53:24Long Beach community. Naveiv was a

6:53:27dedicated public servant, a trusted

6:53:29colleague, a dear friend to many across

6:53:31the organization. Her passion for

6:53:33serving Long Beach and her commitment to

6:53:35our community left an indelible mark on

6:53:37all who had the privilege of working

6:53:39alongside her. Her tra tragic passing is

6:53:42a found a profound loss for our entire

6:53:45Long Beach family. Our thoughts and

6:53:47prayers are with her love loved ones,

6:53:49her family and colleagues during this

6:53:52difficult time.

6:53:59All right. Well,

6:54:02oh, here we are. Is anyone cued? Okay, I

6:54:06think they got it. Okay, there it is.

6:54:08Council member Carr.

6:54:10>> Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, I want to

6:54:12take the time to congratulate the crews

6:54:14uh at Fire Station 9 who pushed in their

6:54:17engine yesterday afternoon and are back

6:54:20operating uh in the heart of Bixby

6:54:22Nolles to serve uh our greater North

6:54:24Long Beach community and Bixby Nolles.

6:54:26Um we're just glad to have him back. So,

6:54:29congratulations to them. Uh this

6:54:31Saturday, October 10th, is second

6:54:33Saturday, which the in the fifth

6:54:35district means you can spend your

6:54:36morning volunteering with a local clean

6:54:38team beginning at 8:30 from 455 Orange

6:54:41455

6:54:43Orange Avenue or 1240 East Carson

6:54:45Street. You can also spend the afternoon

6:54:47supporting uh Parkview Village second

6:54:49Saturday block party as well as second

6:54:52Saturday events

6:54:54uh in Bixby Nolles. I also encourage you

6:54:57to visit the hanger at LBX in the fifth

6:54:58district for one or both pop-up markets.

6:55:00Friday, October 9th is their Friday

6:55:02night market from 5 to 9 and Saturday,

6:55:04October 10th is the notso spooky day

6:55:07market from 12:00 to 5:00. You'll find

6:55:09local vendors, seasonal finds, and

6:55:10familyfriendly activities. You can also

6:55:13get into the spirit of the season by

6:55:14attending the Long Beach Shakespeare

6:55:15Company's double feature of the Telltale

6:55:17Heart by Ed Edgar Allan Poe and Zero

6:55:20Hour by Ray Bradbury. Showtimes are

6:55:23Friday, October 9th, Saturday, October

6:55:2510th, and Sunday, October 11th. You can

6:55:27find information at

6:55:28lbshakespeare.orgvents.

6:55:31And this Sunday, you can celebrate

6:55:32October as Arts Month by joining the

6:55:34next Willow Springs Park Experience,

6:55:36painting in the park at 300 PM. I look

6:55:39forward to seeing you out in the

6:55:40community.

6:55:42>> Thank you, Council Member Thrashinto.

6:55:44>> Thank you, and good evening. Before we

6:55:46close, I would like to acknowledge that

6:55:48October is both breast cancer awareness

6:55:50month and domestic violence awareness

6:55:52month. Uh both of these issues touch

6:55:55families way more than we often realize

6:55:57in our community. And to those who are

6:55:59fighting and to those who are surviving

6:56:01and to those we have lost, we see you.

6:56:03We stand with you and you are not alone.

6:56:07I encourage everyone to get their

6:56:09screenings regarding breast cancer

6:56:11awareness month. Check on your loved

6:56:13ones and know that help and resources

6:56:15are available. I want to thank everyone

6:56:17who came out this past Saturday to

6:56:19beautify Long Beach Boulevard. We had a

6:56:22great turnout stationed at Long Beach

6:56:24Designers, a local District 8 business.

6:56:27Volunteers showed up and worked

6:56:28alongside our city's clean team. I want

6:56:31to thank you for your efforts. This was

6:56:33a new area that we focused on and I

6:56:35believe that it's the pride of our

6:56:36residents and our small businesses that

6:56:39make the difference in our community.

6:56:41So, a couple events coming up as you

6:56:43look to Monday, October 12th. First, the

6:56:478th district and community will be

6:56:49celebrating the milestone in the

6:56:51completion of the 51st Street Green

6:56:53belt. This is going to be a new parklet

6:56:55providing in North Long Beach, and it's

6:56:58going to have some great amenities

6:56:59including a playground, pedestrian ch

6:57:01trails, and beautiful greenery. The

6:57:04ribbon cutting ceremony will start at

6:57:069:30 a.m. and will be located at 167

6:57:10DeForest Avenue. And then finally, feel

6:57:12free to come out to District 8's

6:57:14aquarium night on Monday, October the

6:57:1712th. Um, space is limited, so make sure

6:57:20you RSVP by giving our office a call at

6:57:22562-570-6685

6:57:26or uh through our social media posts. I

6:57:29look forward to seeing you there. Good

6:57:30night.

6:57:32>> Thank you, Council Member Allen.

6:57:34Um, there are two events I'd like to

6:57:36invite you to this weekend. On Saturday

6:57:39from 1 to 6 PM, join us at the Wanap

6:57:41Pero Beach parking lot for a public

6:57:44celebration for the 50th anniversary of

6:57:46the Coastal Act. Um, the weather's going

6:57:49to be better. It's going to be 79

6:57:51degrees, so it says. So, uh, come out,

6:57:53uh, and, uh, join us. Also from 2 to 6,

6:57:57uh, please join the Buff Bluff Park

6:57:59Neighborhood Association for their

6:58:01annual fall harvest block party on

6:58:04Molino between First and Ocean. Hope to

6:58:06see you there.

6:58:08>> Thank you, council members and Dallas.

6:58:10>> Thank you. I'd love to invite everyone

6:58:12to the 43rd annual Long Beach Leadership

6:58:16Prayer Breakfast on Friday, October 9th

6:58:19from 700 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the Weston

6:58:22Long Beach here in downtown. Also, it is

6:58:26National Coffee with a Cop Day. Um,

6:58:29tomorrow's October 7th at all locations

6:58:32throughout Long Beach. For more

6:58:34information on that, please contact my

6:58:37office. On Friday, October 9th will be

6:58:41the 4th annual Noce Latina at

6:58:45Renaissance High School for the Arts.

6:58:48For more information, again, call my my

6:58:51office. Um, also want to invite you this

6:58:54Saturday to skate shop at Lincoln Park.

6:58:57Um, and thank you for for all you do

6:59:02district 1 and citywide residents and

6:59:05we'll see you out in the community.

6:59:08>> All right. Well, that concludes uh

6:59:10council member comment. Um, we

6:59:13appreciate you for participating. It is

6:59:1611:59. We beat midnight. Have a good

6:59:18night. Meeting adjourned. Thank you.