District 5 Aquarium Day

Free Entry to Aquarium of the Pacific at District 5 Aquarium Day!

District 5’s Aquarium Day is coming up! The Aquarium of the Pacific is allowing free entry for District 5 residents on Wednesday, November 29th from 6:30pm – 8:30pm. Please Save the date and email us if you are interested. Tickets are limited to 6 per household. Stay tuned for next week where we will share the link to sign up!

Long Beach Chamber of Commerce News & Events

Shop Long Beach on Small Business Saturday!

November 25th is Small Business Saturday! The Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce reminds us to shop local the weekend after Thanksgiving and participate in Small Business Saturday, a nationwide initiative to inspire a surge in holiday shopping at local businesses. But don’t stop there; there is an ongoing need to support small enterprises throughout the year. The Chamber of Commerce invites you to join in championing their cause and promoting the culture of shopping small and investing in our local Long Beach communities. Use hashtags #ShopSmallEveryDay and #ShopLongBeach to show your support!

To further encourage year-round small business shopping, the City of Long Beach is launching the Shop Long Beach program, an initiative funded by the Long Beach Recovery Act focused on supporting small businesses and rewarding customers for shopping in Long Beach. ShopLB will allow customers to earn valuable rewards as they support their favorite small businesses and provide incentives to discover new places with an accumulation of reward points to be spent like cash at a wide range of establishments throughout the City. To participate, small businesses and shoppers can sign up at shoplb.org.

City Council Updates

November 14th Meeting Items of Note

If you’re interested in sifting through all 76 items covered at the most recent Council Meeting, feel free to view the video online, but here are a few items of note. 

I am proud to announce we passed Item 51, joining the world in recognizing yesterday, November 16, 2023, as World Pancreatic Cancer Day. This devastating disease is among the deadliest cancers, and most who are diagnosed pass away within the first 5 years. Recognizing this day in Long Beach allows us to stand in support of those who have been affected by this cancer and provide opportunity for education on the facts, symptoms, and risk factors that could save lives. 

The Council also passed Item 50, which I brought forth along with my co-signers Vice Mayor Allen and Councilman Uranga. This Item requests that the City Manager direct staff to compose a letter urging our Congressional Leaders, the FAA, and the EPA to move expeditiously in the process to phase out leaded fuel from general aviation fleets all over the country. While they intend to do so by 2030, we on the Council feel, as I know many of you do, that this is not soon enough. Recent EPA findings confirm the pollution and risks associated with the use of leaded fuel in these small aircraft. With this letter, we aim to ignite a sense of urgency on behalf of our residents, to encourage swift action from our Federal Partners to enact and enforce regulations on leaded fuel in the name of public health and safety.

As we await such regulations, my colleagues and I are determined to continue to do what we can in the meantime to mitigate the effects of lead pollution in our City. Thus, we also passed Item 60, authorizing the City Manager to implement a reimbursement incentive to those pilots and aircraft owners registered in Long Beach who are willing to make the transition now. In order to safely utilize the unleaded fuel available at the Long Beach Airport, each plane needs to acquire a “Supplemental Type Certificate,” the cost of which the individual would incur. This reimbursement program aims to reduce the barrier of entry for this transition by offsetting the cost for individuals to meet this requirement, and to reward our local aviators for their willingness to act for the good of public health.

Another topic with an in-depth discussion was Item 47, a hearing of the Sidewalk Vendor Ordinance. After much discussion around education, outreach, and maintaining equitable opportunities for vendors, while continuing to address the health and safety concerns of residents, the Council agreed upon staff recommendations per the ordinance including required business licenses and liability insurance for Sidewalk Vendors, and an additional health permit for those vending food. For the first year, grant assistance will be made available through Long Beach Recovery Act funds to help vendors in obtaining these permits with a cap of up to $1,500. Further, the relevant departments will come back before Council after 6 months of implementation to discuss successes and areas of continued concern. This item will come before Council again in the coming weeks, for further discussion before adoption of the ordinance. We will keep you informed as details are confirmed should you wish to attend or make public comment. 

Long Beach Police Department

News & Events

Apply To Serve on the Long Beach Police Oversight Commission

Long Beach is leading the way with the creation of a new Police Oversight Commission, and the Mayor is calling for the best and brightest from all across Long Beach to serve! In 2022, voters adopted Measure E to create this body as a replacement for the former Citizen’s Police Complaint Commission. This commission has broader oversight powers and will work closely with the Director of Police Oversight, the City Manager, the Long Beach Police Department Chief, the Mayor, and the City Council.

Applications for this 7-person Commission are now open until December 6th. The application is open to all Long Beach residents who can meet the responsibilities of the Commission. Further details on the requirements and application process can be found online here.

Questions? Please contact readytoserve@longbeach.gov or call (562) 570-6801. 

Coffee with a Commander: North Division Recap

On Monday evening, we gathered with community members at SteelCraft Long Beach to get to know LBPD North Division Commander Paul Gallo. He was joined by Patrol Resource Officer James Raff and Neighborhood Service Specialist Erika Moreno, both of whom are vital to helping the North Division run smoothly.

Thank you to you all who joined us in making this a successful and informative event. In case you missed it, here are a few points of note discussed:

• While the LBPD continues to be hiring, they are proud to welcome the 29 Officers who recently graduated from the Academy and look forward to graduating 20 more in December!
• Please keep in mind that response times from the PD may vary depending on the severity of the call, the systematic priorities the calls are assigned, and unpredictable factors such as significant events that may pull resources to a specific area. If you are unsatisfied with the service, don’t hesitate to call again! You are always welcome to ask for a supervisor to find out what is going on that may be affecting available resources. The LBPD is a committed service to the community, and they want to know if you feel they didn’t meet your expectations.
• For nonemergency calls and reports, call (562) 435 6711 to connect with dispatch. This will be the same dispatcher that answers the 911 calls, but using this number helps them prioritize emergency calls if necessary.
• If you want to know more about the details of day-to-day operations within LBPD, be on the lookout for upcoming Community Police Training Events or email LBPDNorth@longbeach.gov to arrange a ride-along! They are happy to engage with the public on a more personal level and provide that unique insight. 
• Stay connected!
• Follow LBPD on Instagram, Facebook, and X for updates and alerts
• Check longbeach.gov/police/ for crime updates from The Blotter or for tips on crime prevention
• Sign up for other District Newsletters to learn what's going on all over the City (found on each district's respective longbeach.gov pages)

Upcoming Job & Career Fairs!

Parks, Recreation & Marine Job Fairs to Showcase Recreation Leader Employment Opportunities

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM) has planned a series of job fairs to share information on current and upcoming job openings for part-time, non-career positions. Job seekers interested in learning more about these employment opportunities are encouraged to attend.

PRM Community Recreation Services Bureau staff will provide information on a wide range of recreation programs that are currently hiring or will start hiring in the near future. Folks are encouraged to come by and meet supervisors and current staff and learn what a day in the life of a Long Beach Recreation Leader is like. Participants are encouraged to view more information about the current open positions and are welcome to apply on the Job Opportunities webpage at LBParks.org. For additional information about the PRM Job Fair visit LBParks.org, or call 562.570.3150.

• A job fair will be held on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, at the Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.) where, in addition to the informational component, attendees can apply to currently open positions and may have the opportunity to participate in interviews onsite. The job fair will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with interviews beginning at 10 a.m.

Long Beach Public Works

News & Events

Street Work on E 36th St (Long Beach Blvd to Atlantic Ave)

Road work on E 36th St is set to begin! The work will include the removal of damaged concrete curb and gutter, sidewalks, driveways, alley entrance and access ramps, and their new constructions, as well as cold milling existing asphalt pavement roadway and installing new asphalt pavement, restriping, and traffic calming measures. Keep an eye out for posted notices and no parking signs, and keep in mind the following dates:

• Layout / Saw cutting / Potholing / Root Pruning – November 17 – 22
• No work over Thanksgiving Holiday – November 23 – 26
• Starting Removals and Grading – November 27 – December 8
• Concrete Work – December 4 – 11 

Fall Is Here - Friendly Reminder

It’s leaf season! Trees shed falling leaves which pile up along the curb, impacting street sweeping services. Please avoid sweeping leaves into the gutter as the street sweeper won’t be able to efficiently sweep. Contrary to common belief, these sweepers are not made to pick up large loads of debris! Leaves that are swept into the gutter will result in the sweeper having to make multiple passes or risk not completing the route. Please help out by disposing of large piles in the trash or adding it to your compost! Or, for large piles of debris you can always contact Public Works’ Street sweeping team at (562) 570-2890 or submit a request via GoLongBeach. 

Homelessness Emergency Declaration

Long Beach Winter Shelter Program Update

The Long Beach Winter Shelter is open early this year! Beds were made available as of Tuesday, November 14th, just in time to shelter from this week’s rain. This is the first time in 10 years that the program is opening this early in November. We have been a host city for LAHSA’s Winter Shelter program for years, and every year we have had challenges finding a suitable location that could support 50-120 Winter Shelter beds. Now that we have acquired a permanent location, 702 E Anaheim, our Winter Shelter crisis is over. Open now through March 31st, we are able to support over 120 beds this winter. Inclement weather dictating, the shelter may remain open later into spring as well. 

Long Beach Tiny Home Shelter Program Update

In 2022, the City of Long Beach was awarded a grant towards the purchase, construction, and operation of 33 modular shelter units at the Long Beach Multi-Service Center, to support the City’s goals of ending our homelessness crisis. However, due to unforeseen challenges over the course of development, it was determined that the Multi-Service Center was not a viable location for this project. Since then, City Staff have been working tirelessly to identify a suitable replacement location. As of the City Manager’s update yesterday, the City Team has identified the vacant commercial lot on the southeast corner of E Spring St and California Ave as the final proposed location for the Long Beach Tiny Homes.

This location has been identified as the best available location for several reasons, including its current underutilized state, its proximity to public transportation and other affordable resources, and its minimal impact on the existing surrounding community.

Long Beach Seeks Volunteers for 2024 Homeless Point in Time Count

The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services is seeking 300 community volunteers to help conduct the 2024 Point in Time Count, its street count of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach, which will take place on Jan. 25, 2024.

We invite you to join us for a hands-on opportunity to hear directly from people experiencing homelessness and partner in improving the services and solutions we offer. Volunteer registration is now available and will remain open until the available volunteer slots are filled.

City Increases Homeless Service Outreach with Mobile Access Centers 

The MAC significantly lowers barriers to providing case management services and other resources for people experiencing homelessness. The schedule below reflects the current schedule, inclusive of both MAC vehicles.

South Coast Air Quality

Management District (AQMD)

Check Before You Burn: A Message from South Coast AQMD

November marks the start of the South Coast AQMD’s annual Check Before You Burn season. From November through the end of February, residents are asked to check whether a No-Burn Day has been declared before burning wood fireplaces to limit emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5).

A No-Burn Day is a 24-hour ban on wood-burning in residential fireplaces, stoves, or outdoor fire pits in the South Coast Air Basin. South Coast AQMD forecasters call for residential No-Burn Days when PM2.5 is expected to reach Unhealthy levels due to air emissions and stagnant weather conditions.

Click here to learn more and to access public resources for daily forecast information.