#GoLongBeach City Newsletter

#GOLONGBEACH

Welcome to our City Newsletter!

Greetings!

The end of the summer is only a day away, but the fun is not over! There are still tons of events to look forward to, as well as important updates to share with you from last month.

To begin with the Long Beach Fire Department deployed a 15-member Swiftwater Rescue Task Force to Houston, Texas to help with humanitarian efforts after the city was hit by the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Harvey.

You also probably already heard all the buzz on the exciting news of Los Angeles officially awarded to host the Olympics in 2028, which will include several special events in Long Beach. Yay #LA2028!

Additionally, the City also, adopted the Fiscal Year 2018 Proposed Budget that will provide essential funding to public safety, parks, infrastructure projects, arts and culture, economic development, homelessness and more; released the Long Beach Animal Care Services mid-year report revealing another record year with fewer cats and dogs impounded at the animal shelter; celebrated the Start of Steel of the new Main Long Beach Public Library expected to open in 2019 as part of the Civic Center development project.

Scroll down for more exciting news!

Long Beach Fire Department Joins Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts in Texas

On Thursday, August 31, the Long Beach Fire Department deployed a 15-member Swiftwater Rescue Task Force to assist those impacted by the severe weather and flooding associated with Hurricane Harvey. The task force recently returned home after 10 days of humanitarian work in Houston. This is a nice reminder of how our firefighters are trained to do much more than fight fires. Members of this Task Force are specifically trained in technical search operations, water based rescue techniques, and other skills that are in critical demand during this incident of national significance like Harvey.

Watch a news story about their Hurricane Harvey relief efforts by clicking below.

Watch Here

Long Beach Lights Up in Honor of 2028 Olympics Officially Coming to Los Angeles

On Wednesday, September 13, the International Olympic Committee unanimously voted to award L.A. as the official host of the 2028 Olympics. In honor of the exciting news Long Beach lit up several city landmarks to celebrate #LA2028 coming to Los Angeles, with some special events in Long Beach.

City of Long Beach Celebrates the Beginning of Construction of the New Main Library

Today, the City of Long Beach in collaboration with Plenary-Edgemoor Civic Partners hosted a start of steel celebration for the new Main Library where approximately 150 attendees gathered at the construction site to celebrate the project. The new Main Library, expected to open in 2019, will be a state-of-the-art 92,500-square-foot facility and will feature community spaces, collaborative workrooms, an enhanced children’s library and much more. Read more

City of Long Beach Adopts

Fiscal Year 2018 Proposed Budget

Long Beach’s City Council passed a $2.65 billion budget last week. Long Beach residents’ tax contributions help fund part of the budget, called the general fund, which pays for essential city services such as policing, firefighting, parks, and libraries.

An additional revenue source includes Measure A funding, a Long Beach ballot initiative approved by voters as a 10 year sales tax to fund public infrastructure and public safety services. Click here to stay informed about the budget and the vital role it plays in maintaining and developing vital resources that make Long Beach great.

Long Beach Animal Care Services Mid-Year Report Reveals Another Record Year

Statistics from the mid-year report show great progress being made at the animal shelter. These are the best numbers ever reported with fewer cats and dogs impounded at the shelter, euthanasia also declined with over 290 fewer dogs and cats euthanized, a reduction of 64% for dogs and 34% for cats. Compared to 2015, euthanasia is down 79% for dogs and 57% for cats, representing 725 fewer dogs and cats euthanized in all. Learn more

Improving the City's Open Spaces

Red Car Greenway Breaks Ground Creating Another Green Space

The historic Red Car Greenway that for several years has been an empty lot will be turned into a beautiful open space that connects Greenbelt Heights Park, which opened last September, to the Colorado Lagoon and Marine Stadium. The Red Car Greenway, a 3.66-acre project, will consist of a ten-foot wide decorative concrete pedestrian walking trail and drought-tolerant native landscaping on the former Pacific Electric (PE) Right-of-Way (ROW) between Park Avenue and Ximeno Avenue. The Project will feature a trailhead at the entrance on Fourth Street at Park Avenue, and will be crossed by a bike path at Sixth Street, which connects to the City’s bike route network.

New Peninsula Beach Rebuilding Project Will Fortify the Beach Along the East Peninsula

Approved by the City Council and recommended by the Army Corps of Engineers, the City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation & Marine launched the Annual Peninsula Beach Rebuilding Project designed to fortify the beach along the East Peninsula. This project will consists of staff utilizing bulldozers, articulated dump trucks and loaders to fill and haul sand from west of 54th place to rebuild section of the beach (63 – 67 Place and at the 72 Place Jetty) were the currents have a greater impact, requiring replenishment. Equipment will transport sand from source to delivery site, where bulldozers will spread sand seaward to widen the beach and prepare the berm for this time of season. Read more

New Affordable Development for

Seniors and Veterans Reaches Milestone

The City of Long Beach, in partnership with the Long Beach Community Investment Company (LBCIC) and Century Housing Corporation, celebrated the groundbreaking of The Beacon, a new two-building, 160-unit supportive housing development. The development includes two new buildings; the seven-story Beacon Pointe will include 120 units reserved for low-income seniors, and the five-story Beacon Place that will provide 38 units for lower-income veterans with special needs and veterans or at risk of experiencing homelessness. The Beacon is expected to be complete late 2019.

Sky-High Updates from Long Beach Airport

Long Beach Airport Commercial Flight Activity Statistics

In early August the Long Beach Airport (LGB) revealed its June 2017 commercial flight activity statistics. The report showed airline passenger traffic at LGB increasing 25 percent in June 2017 compared with the same period in 2016. Total passenger traffic includes the number of airline passengers both enplaned and deplaned.

Long Beach Airport Awarded $15.3 Million Grant to Upgrade and Rename Runways

The United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded Long Beach Airport (LGB) a $15.3 million grant as part of the Airport Improvement Program. The funds will go toward infrastructure improvements to LGB’s busiest Runway, 7R-25L. Read more

Long Beach Airport Announces 31 Acres of Land Available for Development

The City of Long Beach released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of 31 acres of land for aeronautical purposes at Long Beach Airport (LGB). The availability of such a large amount of land is a unique opportunity, which has not occurred at the airport since the developments of the Long Beach Airport Business Park and Kilroy Airport Center in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Long Beach Airport Initiates Process to Reduce Curfew Violations

Long Beach Airport began a public process to consider amendments to the City’s noise regulations. The recommendation is based on an initial analysis by Airport staff and reviewed by the City Attorney’s Office, outside legal counsel, and preliminary discussions with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to encourage compliance and reduce curfew violations. Read more

The City of Long Beach Continues Its Investment in Clean Air and Green Energy

The City of Long Beach installed new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling stations last month in partnership with TruStar Energy, one of the nation’s leading developers of CNG fueling stations, as the contractor to build and maintain the City's CNG fueling station. The station will provide a local source of clean fuel for the City’s new fleet of CNG-powered refuse trucks and street sweepers.

Long Beach Advises Community to #FightTheBite

City Health Officer Announces First Death in Long Beach from West Nile Virus in 2017

Dr. Anissa Davis, Health Officer for the City of Long Beach, announced the first death this year in Long Beach due to complications associated with West Nile virus (WNV). As of September 1, 2017, three human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in the City of Long Beach. The same number of cases were reported in 2016, with no reported deaths. In California, 87 human cases have been reported to date from 34 counties, a decrease from 123 human cases reported at the same time last year. Click here to learn about important precautions to take to reduce the risk of exposure to West Nile virus.

New Pilot Program Will Help Low-level Offenders with Social Services in an Effort to Reduce Crime

Low-level offenders in North Long Beach and nearby communities may soon qualify to get help instead of prosecution through the new pilot program, Los Angeles County Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program (LEAD), designed to divert some offenders to social services like rehabilitation, counseling and stable housing in an effort to reduce crime. The program is funded by a $5.9 million state grant, of which Long Beach has received nearly $700,000.

City Auditor’s Report Shows $33 Million

Spent for Public Safety

City Auditor, Laura Doud, released the Proposition H Impact Report revealing that since its inception in 2007, Proposition H (Prop H), which passed with 70% of voters in favor, has raised an average of $3.3 million dollars of revenue every year for the Long Beach Police and Fire Departments. Over the last ten years, Prop H has resulted in $33 million for public safety services, supporting the staffing of first responders, and a variety of related costs, including purchasing emergency equipment, construction of facilities, and training for public safety staff.

Announcements

Looking for things to do this month? We got you covered! Check out this list of upcoming events. Click here for more information.

Sign up for the City emergency notifications! In the event of an emergency, severe weather, or any incident that impacts city operations, a text message and/or voice message will be sent directly to you. #PlanAhead Click here to sign up.

This 🌞summer more than 2,400 kids participated in the annual All City Beach Day hosted by our Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Marine team. Check out this video of the all day event filled with fun activities for the family that included LA Kings 🏒!

The City in partnership with Pedal Movement and Long Beach Partners of Parks surprised 10 kids from inner-city communities with free bikes at the end of Bixby Bike Camp! Not only did these kids ride away with new bikes, but they also left with tips and tricks on how to ride their bikes safely throughout Long Beach. 🚲 Watch video below.

In August, Long Beach City Hall transformed into "Kitty Hall" adoption center in partnership with Long Beach Animal Care Services where 20 cats 😺 found their "fur-ever" home!

There are now two Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Events each month! The next one is Saturday, 9/23, at the Environmental Collection Center in Signal Hill from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Click here for more info.

Music Tastes Good is two days of amazing music and food, featuring Ween, Sleater-Kinney and so much more + incredible chefs from Long Beach! Click here for tickets and more information.

Beach Streets is back with a spooktacular event this Halloween weekend! The car-free event returns to its roots in Uptown Saturday, October 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.