Celebrate Earth Month in Long Beach | |
The City Long Beach has a series of activities for Earth Month, including participation in the City Nature Challenge, an international effort for people to find and document plants and wildlife in cities across the globe. The Fifth District is proud to be home to two participating sites: | |
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Willow Springs Park
The public is invited to join this international event on Saturday, April 29th, where park patrons observe the unique plant and animal life around them and share those observations with other cities across the globe via the iNaturalist app. Various fun activities will take place along the trails, including workshops and a community paint-by-number mural!
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Rancho Los Cerritos
City Nature Challenge tours will take place Friday, April 28, Sunday, April 30, and Monday, May 1. Participants will document wildlife on their tours around the Rancho and share their findings on the app, iNaturalist. Cities will compete for who can document the most observations, find the most species, and get the most participants involved.
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Other Earth Month activities and events include the Eco Fair on Tuesday, April 18, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. This event is hosted by the new Office of Climate Action & Sustainability and will feature City Departments and community partners, food trucks, activities, and more, to promote the City's green programs and services. You can also head out to the beautiful Earl B. Miller Japanese Garden on Thursday, April 20, to view the CSULB Sustainability Project Showcase, a presentation of student and faculty research, and creative and technical projects that explore a wide variety of sustainability topics and solutions.
I also encourage you to participate in the LBRecycles #EarthMonthChallenge! Share a photo of how you reduce, reuse, recycle right, or compost to get a chance to receive a free set of reusables. Share your photo on social media (Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram) and tag @LBRecycles and #EarthMonthChallenge in your post, or email your photo to lbrecycles@longbeach.gov for a chance to win.
Looking for information on what you can Recycle? Check out the Recycling Guidelines. If you have some time this month, it's an excellent time to brush up on the Long Beach Climate Action Plan to see how we are working to make Long Beach a safer, healthier, and more sustainable place to live, work, and play.
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I am grateful for your continued engagement with me and my office, and I look forward to seeing you out in the community soon.
Let's get to work,
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Councilwoman Megan Kerr
Long Beach District 5
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Restoration Fridays at Willow Springs Park | |
Looking to extend your earth-friendly activities year-round? Join Restoration Fridays with the Office of Sustainability staff to connect with and tend to the land. Meet every second Friday each month and learn more about the restoration of Willow Springs Park.
Meet every second Friday from 3-4pm at Longview Point in Willow Springs Park to help with various tasks like watering and tending to native plants, pulling invasive plants, picking up litter, mulching, trail maintenance, and stewarding the park.
Email sustainability@longbeach.gov for questions or more information.
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LB Fresh Urban Agriculture Contest at First Fridays | |
Sponsored by the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association in partnership with LB Fresh, I was proud to act as a judge at the Blue Ribbon Urban Agriculture and Local Food Contest during the Long Beach County Fair themed First Fridays event.
Local folks submitted in multiple categories including fruits, leafy greens, vegetables, root vegetables, flower bouquets, and food art. Congratulations to all who participated!
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Upcoming Events & Community Meetings | | |
F/A-18 Operations April 13-17 | |
Four F/A-18 aircraft will conduct operations at Long Beach Airport from Thursday, April 13, through Monday, April 17. We anticipate that the aircraft will arrive in the afternoon on Thursday and depart in the afternoon on Monday, but all times are tentative and subject to change.
Military aircraft are exempt from noise regulations. However, the military has consistently demonstrated a desire to assist LGB in being a good neighbor and will follow standard noise abatement arrival and departure procedures, including modified arrival and departure flight profiles and minimum use of afterburners.
| Grand Opening of New Baggage Claim | |
The $25 million investment consolidates the Airport’s bag claim operations into one area and is designed as an 11,500-square-foot open-air, pavilion-style building to complement the Airport’s other indoor-outdoor architectural design elements.
The project is part of a major Phase II – Terminal Area Improvement Program to make strategic pre-security enhancements to the airport.
For more information, view the Press Release.
| Critical Runway Lighting Upgrades Key to Electrical Improvements Planned at Long Beach Airport | |
Major electrical upgrades designed to improve the safety of the primary runway at Long Beach Airport are being installed from late March through July, necessitating some temporary runway closures. During Runway 12-30 closures, operations will occur on Runway 8L-26R.
Due to the safety setback requirements of the construction work, there will be temporary runway closures between March 29 and mid-July:
- Runway 12-30 will be CLOSED NIGHTLY, Sundays through Thursdays, from March 29 to mid-July.
- Runway 12-30 will be CLOSED DAILY, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from April 18 to May 24.
More than 500 new LED lights will be installed as part of the electrical project. In addition to the safety benefits of brighter lighting, the LED bulbs use between 75 percent and 90 percent less energy and have a longer life expectancy than incandescent or quartz lights.
More information on the project can be found on the public notice.
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National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
The week-long celebration takes place every year during the second week of April and pays tribute to telecommunications professionals for their contributions to the daily mission of protecting lives, property, and the environment.
Thank you to the dedicated professionals in our Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications Department for connecting residents with Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services and the Dispatchers at the Long Beach Airport who work every day to keep our airport, travelers, and employees safe.
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Homelessness Emergency Declaration
The City is working diligently to set up another emergency shelter to continue supporting people experiencing homelessness. Meanwhile, the sanitation and water filling site for those living in recreational vehicles opened on April 10th and the Mobile Access Center continues to offer outreach throughout April.
Information detailing the city's homelessness response efforts is now available on the Homelessness Digital Dashboard.
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2023 Spring Performing Arts Season
Don't miss out on exceptional Cultural Arts, Theatre, and Music performances in the heart of the Fifth District! Show your support of the Long Beach City College Performing Arts Department by attending one of the many events during their spring season. Go Vikings!
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Now Accepting Applications!
The City of Long Beach First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program is designed to assist low- and moderate-income families traditionally underrepresented in homeownership with purchasing their first home and building multi-generational wealth. Approximately 100 households will receive up to $20,000 to be used towards the following costs:
- Down payment
- Non-recurring closing costs, such as loan, title, and escrow fees
- Loan points or fees to buy down mortgage interest rates
Applicants must complete a pre-application self-screening form to see if you are eligible to apply for the Program. You can view the guidelines here. Visit the website to view the recording of a Virtual Orientation Session and for more information on the application and grant award process.
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Traffic Impacts for Acura Grand Prix
In preparation for the 2023 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach taking place Friday, April 14 through Sunday, April 16, 2023, there will be several street closures impacting the Downtown Long Beach area beginning Wednesday, April 12 and lasting until 5 p.m. on Monday, April 17.
LEARN MORE...
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April is National Library Month
Support the Long beach Public Library’s dynamic literacy programs, STEM workshops, and one-on-one homework help. Libraries are needed now more than ever to help kids succeed and thrive.
Explore the Long Beach Leaders are Readers program today!
LEARN MORE...
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Library Locations Closed April 21
All 12 Long Beach Public Library locations will be closed to the public on Friday, April 21, 2023, for a full day of staff training and development. All library locations will reopen on Saturday, April 22.
During the one-day closure, Library patrons are encouraged to utilize the Library’s vast collection of digital resources, including the Library catalog, downloads, and databases, available 24/7.
LEARN MORE...
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Port's Free Summer Harbor Tours Return
Beginning in May, the Port of Long Beach will once again host free harbor tours, offering the public a chance to visit the sights and sounds of the nation’s largest seaport complex.
Register online anytime from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 17, for the opportunity to receive a free harbor tour at the Port of Long Beach in May.
LEARN MORE...
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Pet Adoption Event Series in April
In effort to increase adoptions for long-term-stay animals, Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) will host a series of free adoption events on weekends throughout April and invites community members of all ages to attend.
LEARN MORE...
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Virtual Author Talks this April
Long Beach Public Library invites you to join their ongoing virtual author talk series, which highlights acclaimed bestselling authors on a monthly basis.
All talks include a moderated interview and live Q&A.
LEARN MORE...
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Upcoming
City Council Agenda
Tues. April 18th, 2023, 5:00pm
411 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802
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Items of Interest
Item 1 Recommendation to provide a contribution to St. Mary Medical Center Foundation to support the 26th Annual Easter Walk. (Item Details) (eComment)
Item 8 Recommendation to adopt resolution calling on top maritime importers to Long Beach to adopt existing emissions-reducing technologies and take steps to make port calls to the San Pedro Port Complex on zero-carbon ships by 2030. (Item Details)(eComment)
Item 18 Recommendation to execute a Cooperative Agreement with the Helen Sanders Cat Protection and Welfare Society to provide for the shared use of a spay/neuter trailer. (Item Details) (eComment)
Item 19 Recommendation to accept grant funding for the improvement of landscaping around Admiral Kid Park. (Item Details) (eComment)
Item 28 Recommendation to draft a resolution proclaiming the City of Long Beach’s support for the rights of the women and people of Iran to free expression. (Item Details) (eComment)
Item 29 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation in recognition of Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Day. (Item Details) (eComment)
Item 30 Recommendation to develop a tax relief plan to help stimulate the growth of local cannabis retail establishments with structured incentives that promote community benefits, local hiring, livable wages, and fair labor standards, and return to the City Council as part of the FY24 budget process. (Item Details) (eComment)
Item 31 Recommendation to amend the Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) to reduce the adult-use and medical cannabis cultivation and retail taxes for equity businesses by half the rate set in Section 3.80.261 of the LBMC. (Item Details) (eComment)
Item 34 Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending Sections 10.12.010, 10.12.020, and 10.12.030, all relating to city street speed limits, read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading. (Item Details) (eComment)
Members of the public have the option to use eComment to provide comments on agenda items. Written Comments may also be submitted by email to CityClerk@longbeach.gov.
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