Happy Hanukkah & This Week's Updates | |
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Happy Hanukkah, District 5! The Festival of Lights began last evening at sundown and will continue through sundown on December 15th. To all who celebrate, I wish you and your family safety, joy, peace, and light throughout this holiday season.
More of the City’s services are returning back online after being taken down due to the recent network security incident. As of Tuesday evening, December 5th, utility billing and payment collection for water, natural gas, sewer and refuse services is fully restored. Some utilities customers may still experience delays in receiving the November bill, and some may see the November charges carried over to their next bill, the balance of which can be broken up across the December and January bills if needed. Utility customers will not be charged late fees or be subject to shutoff of utility services due to this billing delay. Click here to learn more, call (562) 570 5700 with any questions or concerns, or find more information on the City’s utility services site.
Next week, the Council will receive a presentation on the details of the October 31st memorandum on general aviation operations at the Long Beach Airport. This presentation will be Agenda Item 26 at the December 12, 2023 meeting. This will provide an opportunity for the Councilmembers to discuss and clarify the details of the report with the relevant departments, in order to facilitate further conversations about what the City can do to mitigate concerns around general aviation at LGB. Should you wish to make a public comment on this matter, you may do so by attending the meeting in person at 5pm or by submitting an e-comment.
On Saturday, December 9th, remember to shop small this holiday season at Parkview Village’s Second Saturdays Holiday Fest, or enjoy a cross-cultural celebration at the Long Beach International Tamale Festival at LBCC. Then, on Sunday, December 10th, you can dress up and enjoy the local beer scene with Bixby Knoll’s Santa Con, or celebrate the Festival of Light with more members of the community at Shul By The Shore’s Chanukah Celebration at 2nd & PCH.
As for next week, I encourage all to attend Jordan High School's "LBC to Carnegie" Benefit Concert. Ticket sales support getting Jordan High's musicians to New York, where they've been invited to play at Carnegie Hall! The benefit concert, sponsored by Mayor Richardson and the Mayor's Fund for Long Beach, will take place at the Beverly O'Neill Theater on Thursday, December 14th. Then, on December 16th, stop by LBCC from 12pm - 3pm for the 11th Annual Love in the Mirror Toy Giveaway. This free event will have resources, music, activities, and more for the whole family to enjoy. Find more information about all of these events and more in the flyers below.
In this season's spirit of giving, I encourage all who are able to donate to Cal Heights Music's Toy Drive to benefit Miller's Children's Hospital. Bring a new, unwrapped toy or gift item to the donation bin at 1240 E Wardlow Rd, and you’ll be rewarded with a Cal Heights Music holiday sticker. They are currently accepting donations, today through December 22nd! You can also participate in the City's “Season of Giving” to help support the City’s ongoing efforts in providing critical, everyday essentials for people experiencing homelessness. You can drop off donations at the Health Department's drive-thru donation event on December 16th from 9am - 1pm at 2525 Grand Ave.
Finally, I’d like to remind you that the next Council Meeting will be held on Tuesday December 12, 2023 at 5pm. A list of items of interest can be found at the bottom of this newsletter; I encourage you to attend or watch online.
As always, I am grateful for your continued engagement with me and my office, and I look forward to seeing you out in the community.
Let's get to work,
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Megan Kerr, Councilwoman
Long Beach, District 5
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Upcoming Events &
Community Meetings
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CD5 Field Office Update
The repairs at our CD5 Field Office are complete! Our Field Office will once again be open for drop-ins Mon/Wed/Fri from 1pm - 5pm at Wardlow Park. Please reach out to us at (562) 570 5555 or district5@longbeach.gov with any questions.
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Long Beach Chamber of Commerce News & Events
Shop Long Beach This Holiday Season!
The Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce reminds us to shop local this holiday season. 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.
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Long Beach Airport News
Limited Use of Runway 8R-26L
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has notified LGB of limited use of Runway 26L due to a review of an operational safety concern. This decision is solely at the discretion of the FAA and entails limitations on Runway 26L. Although general aviation operations will continue on Runway 26L, touch-and-go operations on Runway 26L will be limited at certain times.
As a note: LGB has three runways. Runway 12-30 is the primary runway, utilized for commercial air traffic. Runway 8R-26L, the secondary runway, is the shortest of the runways, and is used for general aviation and for commercial air traffic when 12-30 is closed.
Click here for regularly updated information on Noise Abatement and Current Noise Advisories at LGB, or sign up for LinkLB and turn on "airport notifications" to receive update notifications. To issue noise complaints, call the Noise Hotline at (562) 570 2665 or email lgbnoise@longbeach.gov.
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Parks, Recreation & Marine
News & Events
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.
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Long Beach Public Works
News & Events
Improvement on E 36th St (Long Beach Blvd to Atlantic Ave)
All over Long Beach, the Public Works team is working hard to improve our city's critical infrastructure. Utilizing designated funding per Measure A, improvements to streets and sidewalks, including ADA improvements, are in the works across the whole city.
In CD5, road improvements on E 36th St have begun! 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:
- Concrete Work – December 4 – 11
- Restoration – December 11 - 15
- Post No Parking Signs – December 14 (Southside of the street / East bound)
- Saw cutting / Potholing / Root Pruning – December 18 – 21
- Holiday – No Work – December 23 - 25
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Homelessness Emergency Declaration
Long Beach Launches ‘Season of Giving’ Donation Series to Support People Experiencing Homelessness During the Fall and Winter Seasons
Long Beach is launching its “Season of Giving” donation series to encourage the local community to make someone’s holiday season bright by volunteering their time or contributing physical or monetary donations to support people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. Donations received during “Season of Giving” will help support the City’s ongoing efforts in providing critical, everyday essentials for people experiencing homelessness. Items will be distributed throughout the holiday and winter seasons.
This holiday season and beyond, community members are invited to participate in a variety of volunteer opportunities taking place throughout Long Beach. Those interested in contributing physical donations are encouraged to participate in one of the upcoming donation drive thru events, where people can drop off a variety of essential items that will be distributed to people experiencing homelessness.
The next drive thru will take place on Saturday, Dec. 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) Main Facilities Center, located at 2525 Grand Ave.
The City kindly requests donations of cold weather items like men’s and women’s sweatshirts, pants, coats, socks, blankets, umbrellas and shoes. Read here for more information.
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. Click here to register!
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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. This is the first time in 10 years that the program has opened 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.
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.
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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.
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Long Beach Pledge Guaranteed Income Pilot Program to Expand with Second Cohort
This January, the City will open applications to expand its guaranteed income pilot program, known as the Long Beach Pledge, to include a second cohort of 200 additionally funded households. This expansion will be available to households with children living under the federal poverty level in five Long Beach zip codes. Those selected for the Long Beach Pledge will receive $500 a month for 12 months.
The online application for the second cohort will be available in early January at longbeachpledge.org/apply and will be available in English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog. Applicants without computer or smartphone access may visit a public computer lab at any open Long Beach Public Library location
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City Announces Fifth Annual Celebration of the Young Child
Long Beach’s Celebration of the Young Child will return to the Billie Jean King Main Library on Saturday, April 29, 2024. The event, a collaboration between the City's Health Department, the Long Beach Public Library, and the Mayor’s Fund for Long Beach, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and include entertainment and activities in addition to a resource fair. Parents, families and caregivers who care for children 8 years old or younger are encouraged to attend.
In preparation for the 2024 event, the Health Department’s Early Childhood Strategic Initiatives Program is collecting feedback and ideas that will be used to gather insight into how the Celebration can best support child development for babies and children up to 8 years old. A community feedback survey is available online now through March 1, 2024.
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City Health Department Awarded Grant to Expand Drug-impaired Driving Prevention Program
The City's Health Department has been awarded a $285,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to educate the community about responsible cannabis use and reduce drug-impaired driving related collisions.
The Health Department’s GreenlightLB Program will use grant funds to support activities focused on educating community members about the dangers of driving while impaired by drugs and promote safer choices, including safe driving behaviors. Funds received will support several activities between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024
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Long Beach to Offer Free Winter Fun Days Program for Youth During Winter School Break
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM) will offer free extended supervised recreation programs for youth over the winter school break from Dec. 26 through 29, 2023, and Jan. 2 through 5, 2024. Youth may come and go at their own discretion and PRM staff will be on-site to lead a variety of recreational activities from noon to 5 p.m. at parks throughout Long Beach.
The Winter Fun Days Program will offer youth ages 5 through 12 opportunities to enjoy free games, crafts, sports tournaments, field trips and holiday celebrations. Onsite registration when youth show up to participate is required. More info about the program, including phone numbers of participating locations, is available on the Winter Fun Days webpage.
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City to Host Virtual Community Meeting on the Colorado Lagoon Open Channel Project
The City of Long Beach is hosting a virtual community meeting to provide recent updates on the Colorado Lagoon Open Channel Project. The meeting will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, at 5:30 p.m.
Notable project updates will be provided including a current construction schedule, shoring installation, bridge construction and demolition work. There will be an opportunity for community members to ask questions and share feedback at the end of the presentation. Meeting registration is required: https://bit.ly/clbcolorado. Requests for interpretation services must be submitted by Dec. 8, 2023, and can be submitted to contactlbpw@longbeach.gov.
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City to Host Community Meeting for Shoemaker Bridge Replacement Project
Long Beach is hosting an in-person community meeting to provide a comprehensive overview of the Shoemaker Bridge Replacement Project. The meeting will be held on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Jenny Oropeza Community Center at Cesar Chavez Park (401 Golden Ave.).
The Shoemaker Bridge Replacement Project aims to improve existing traffic safety and operations, increase multi-modal connectivity within the project limits and surrounding area, enhance safety elements by providing bicycle, pedestrian and streetscape improvements on major thoroughfares, and address non-standard features and bridge design to enhance structural integrity.
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City Health Department Awarded Grant to Expand Distracted Driving Prevention Program
The City's Health Department has been awarded a $215,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to reduce distracted driving related collisions.
The Health Department’s GreenlightLB Program will use grant funds to support educational activities and behavioral changing strategies to reduce distracted driving in Long Beach. Funds received will support activities conducted between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024
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Council Ratifies City’s Labor Agreement with Long Beach AEE Bargaining Unit
During the Dec. 5, 2023, meeting, the Long Beach City Council approved with a 7 to 0 vote to ratify the tentative three-year labor agreement between the City of Long Beach and the Long Beach Association of Engineering Employees (AEE).
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Upcoming
City Council Meeting
Tues. December 12, 2023, 5:00pm
411 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802
FULL AGENDA
Item 1 Recommendation to suspend Council rule contained in Municipal Code Section 2.03.020 (B) relating to the meeting schedule of the City Council in order to cancel the City Council meeting on January 2nd. (Item Details)
Item 11 Recommendation to adopt resolution approving the Annual Report for October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024, for the Bixby Knolls Parking and Business Improvement Area, declaring its intention to levy the annual assessment, and setting the date of hearing for January 16, 2024. (Item Details)
Item 14 Recommendation to receive and file the application of EA Seafood Restaurant, Incorporated, dba EA Seafood Restaurant, for an original application of an Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) License, at 1607 East Wardlow Road, submit a Public Notice of Protest to ABC; and, direct City Manager to withdraw the protest if a Conditional Use Permit Exemption (CUPEX) is granted. (Item Details)
Item 23 Recommendation to continue the local emergency caused by conditions or threatened conditions of homelessness within the City of Long Beach, which if not corrected, constitutes an imminent and proximate threat to the safety of persons and property within the City; Extend City Council review period for continuing the local emergency caused by conditions or threatened conditions of homelessness within the City of Long Beach from thirty (30) days to sixty (60) days pursuant to Section 2.69.060 of the Long Beach Municipal code; Receive and file an update on the emergency proclamation and associated activities and provide any additional direction to City staff regarding the emergency; Adopt resolution to accept and expend grant funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD); Authorize City Manager to execute all necessary documents with HCD relating to the grant application and award of grant funds, for construction of modular non-congregate shelter units for interim housing, for persons experiencing homelessness; Authorize City Manager to execute an agreement with the State of California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency’s (BCSH) California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) to accept and expend funding for encampment resolution funding to support the wellness and safety of people experiencing homelessness in encampments. (Item Details)
Item 26 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation on the Operations of General Aviation at the Long Beach Airport. (Item Details)
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