Let Freedom Read | 20 Is Plenty | |
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With a slight chill in the morning air, it seems autumn is officially here! As temperatures cool down and days get shorter, we still have plenty to look forward to in 2023. I am pleased to report that the efforts to replant trees in our neighborhood parks have continued! New planting began at Wardlow Park on Thursday. See below for some photos. I will continue to be in contact with the City Manager and the Parks/Recreation/Marine Department regarding our plan to replace the remainder of the removed trees. Thank you to Parks/Recreation/Marine and the Long Beach Conservation Corps for planting trees for our future generations!
“Let Freedom Read.” This upcoming week, Oct 1 – 7, 2023 is the 41st annual Banned Books Week. Launched in 1982 as a response to an increase in challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools, this annual event highlights the importance of free and open access to information. During this week, the entire book community comes together in shared support of the freedom to seek and express ideas, and to encourage open dialogue, even when those ideas are controversial and challenging. Our city is home to the Friends of the Long Beach Public Library, an all-volunteer nonprofit whose mission is to preserve the public library as a place of intellectual freedom and to guard against censorship. To show support of these important freedoms and of the efforts of the Friends of the Long Beach Public Library, I, along with Vice Mayor Allen and Councilwoman Zendejas submitted Item 25 for Tuesday’s Council Meeting to request a resolution recognizing October 1 – 7, 2023 as National Banned Books Week in the City of Long Beach. By participating in this national observance, we will be helping foster an inclusive and intellectually stimulating environment that a city as culturally vibrant and diverse as ours can be proud of.
“20 Is Plenty!” All over Long Beach, our streets are slowing down! Around the world, reducing vehicle speeds has proven to be the single most effective tool for reducing roadway fatalities and injuries. In the 2020 Vision Zero Action Plan, Safe Streets Long Beach, the City identified lowering vehicle speeds as one of the highest priority actions for achieving our goal of zero roadway deaths. Throughout the city, reduced speed limits will be in effect on 111 street segments, 19 of which are located here in District 5. See our list below to keep an eye out for which streets to be mindful of, as we all contribute to the effort to make our city a safer place to live! Many of the reduced limits will be as low as 20mph or less, to which we say, “20 Is Plenty!” Lowering vehicle speeds from 40mph to 20mph significantly decreases the likelihood that an accident will result in serious injury or death. Encourage slower speeds on your street by posting a Safe Streets or “20 Is Plenty” yard sign. For a detailed map of the affected street segments and answers to FAQs click here. Slow down to stay safe!
Finally, I'd like to remind everyone that our next Council Meeting will be Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at 5pm; 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. Be sure to follow my social media @CWMeganKerr and stay connected!
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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Long Beach Police Department
News & Events
Etch & Catch - A Catalytic Converter Theft Prevention Event
LBPD's next "Etch and Catch - A Catalytic Converter Theft Prevention Event" - which is free & open to any Long Beach Residents - will be held on Saturday, September 30, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Long Beach Health Department's Parking Lot.
To attend, participants must:
- Be a Long Beach resident & registered owner of vehicle.
- Bring a Driver's License & a copy of vehicle's registration.
- Fill out and sign the Participant Waiver Form.
- Bring Event Confirmation with you to the event.*
- Arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment.
*Any vehicle without confirmation may not be allowed entry.
Click HERE for more information.
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Calling all faith-based churches and religious organizations
LBPD is calling all faith-based churches and organization tp participate in the National Faith & Blue (Weekend) hosted on October 6-9, 2023. For more information click here. For questions email LBPDCommunityEngagement@longbeach.gov
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Long Beach Public Works
News & Events
Reduced Speed Limits in District 5
Below are the 19 street segments in District 5 affected by reduced speed limits. Click here for an interactive map.
Lakewood Village:
- Carson St (City Limit/Brizendine Ave to Clark Ave)
- Clark Ave (City Limit/Del Amo Blvd to Carson St)
- Harvey Way (Lakewood Blvd to Bellflower Blvd)
- Arbor Rd (Lakewood Blvd to Bellflower Blvd)
- Norse Way (Lakewood Blvd to Carson St)
- Viking Way (Carson St to Bellflower Blvd)
- Lew Davis St (Faculty Ave to Clark Ave)
South of Conant / Carson Park:
- Conant St (Lakewood Blvd to Los Coyotes Diagonal)
- Monlaco Rd (Clark Ave to Palo Verde)
Cal Heights / Bixby Knolls / West Bixby Knolls
- Cherry Ave (Carson St to Wardlow Rd)
- 36th St (Atlantic Ave to Cherry Ave)
- Orange Ave (Bixby Rd to Wardlow Rd)
- California Ave (Wardlow Rd to San Antonio Dr)
- Roosevelt Rd (Long Beach Blvd to Cerritos Ave)
- Atlantic Ave (Carson St to Bixby Rd)
- Carson St (Long Beach Blvd to Atlantic Ave)
Los Cerritos
- Long Beach Blvd (San Antonio Dr/Carson St to Bixby Rd)
- Pacific Ave (San Antonio Dr to Wardlow Rd)
- Country Club Dr (San Antonio Dr to Pacific Ave)
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Homelessness Emergency Declaration
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.
MAC vehicles will be stationed at the following locations from 9 am to noon:
- Mondays
- MacArthur Park (1321 E. Anaheim St.) near the basketball courts
- Orizaba Park (1435 Orizaba Ave.) parking spots located along Orizaba Avenue
- Tuesdays
- Christian Outreach in Action (515 E. 3rd St.), parked on Linden Avenue
- Scherer Park (4600 Long Beach Blvd.), parked on the east side of the park in the parking lot off Atlantic Avenue near the Long Beach Police Department North Division Station
- Wednesdays
- In the area of Billie Jean King Main Library (200 W. Broadway) and Lincoln Park, parked on Ocean Boulevard
- In the area of the South Street and Cherry Avenue intersection, parked near the northeast corner of the intersection off South Street
- Thursdays
- Drake/Chavez Soccer Fields (903-999 Fairbanks Ave.); the van will be parked facing Los Angeles River near the parking lot located on De Forest Avenue just south of the soccer fields
- Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.), Atlantic Avenue side of the park
- Fridays
- Alamitos Beach Parking Lot near the south end of the parking lot, at Shoreline Drive and Beach Access Road
- Bixby Park (130 Cherry Ave.), parked near the corner of Cherry Avenue and East 1st Street
Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1:30 to 4 pm:
- Mondays
- Traffic Circle, in the area of Ximeno Avenue and East Atherton Street. Van will be parked on Ximeno Avenue
- In the area of Billie Jean King Main Library (200 W. Broadway) and Lincoln Park, parked on Ocean Boulevard
- Tuesdays
- Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.), Atlantic Avenue side of the park
- Granada Beach Parking Lot (5100 E. Ocean Blvd.), parked near Roycroft Avenue and Ocean Boulevard
- Wednesdays
- 6th Street and Long Beach Boulevard, on 6th Street between Long Beach Boulevard and Elm Avenue
- Heartwell Park (5801 Parkcrest St.), parked in the parking lot of East Carson Street between Woodruff Avenue and North Bellflower Boulevard
Details of the City's homelessness response efforts are available on the Homelessness Digital Dashboard.
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Health Department Now Administering COVID-19 Vaccine to Uninsured and Underinsured Only
Effective immediately, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services will begin administering the COVID-19 vaccine only to people who are un- or underinsured. The City is adjusting its vaccine operations to align with the CDC's Bridge Access Program.
The Health Department will administer this vaccine free of charge to individuals ages 12 and older, effective immediately. Vaccines for children 6 months and older will be available beginning Wednesday, Sept. 27.
LEARN MORE...
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Long Beach Seeks Volunteers for the 16th Annual Bike and Pedestrian Count
The City is looking for volunteers to assist with the 16th Annual Bike and Pedestrian Count. Every October, volunteers and City employees work together to manually count the number of bicyclists, pedestrians and electric scooter riders across dozens of key intersections in Long Beach – and the more volunteers who sign up, the more locations the city can observe during the count.
Those interested in volunteering can sign up online now through Oct. 18, 2023.
LEARN MORE...
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City Launches Innovative Business Insights Tool to Support Long Beach Small Businesses
Long Beach continues to expand its business resources with the launch of its Business Insights Tool, a new, free online resource for local small businesses. The City invites local small business owners, entrepreneurs and community members to participate in the Business Insights Tool workshop, taking place Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, from noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom.
The Business Insights tool, now available for entrepreneurs and businesses can be found at longbeach.gov/businessinsights.
LEARN MORE...
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Long Beach to Host Environmental Awareness Events
In celebration of the Office of Climate Action and Sustainability (Office) and adoption of the Long Beach Climate Action Plan (LB CAP), the City will recognize a day of environmental awareness and unified action. The City is inviting the community to participate in California Clean Air Day on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
On Wed., Oct. 4, the City is partnering with the Conservation Corps of LB to plant trees along Harbor Avenue to improve air quality along the I-710 corridor. Residents are encouraged to apply & schedule a tree planting in their neighborhoods by visiting: https://www.longbeach.gov/sustainability/programs/tree-planting/.
LEARN MORE...
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Long Beach-Based Nonprofit Selected to Establish Community Land Trust
At its Sept. 12, 2023, meeting, the Long Beach City Council awarded a contract to Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, a fiscal sponsor for Long Beach Residents Empowered (LiBRE), to establish and operate a Community Land Trust (CLT). A CLT is a nonprofit, community-based organization that raises funds, acquires and develops real estate with the goal of providing permanently affordable housing opportunities for residents.
LEARN MORE...
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Earn $25 by Helping to Improve the City of Long Beach's Digital Services!
The City of Long Beach Technology & Innovation Department is recruiting participants to provide feedback on upcoming digital projects. By seeking community members' input on early-stage technology projects, the City can ensure that our services are accessible to all. We will be contacting prospective participants for multiple opportunities to contribute over the next few months. Sign up today!
For more information or any questions related to the opportunity, please contact smartcity@longbeach.gov.
*Only selected participants will receive the $25 gift card.
LEARN MORE...
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Support Local Food Insecurity Program
Bixby Knolls residents who have given $150,000 to the Bixby Knolls Community Foundation for “local support” seek additional support from individuals, businesses, and organizations to fund the food pantries at Long Beach City College and Cal State Long Beach and continue the aid for college students facing food insecurity and homelessness.
Every Wednesday for the past year, 80 hot and healthful meals were delivered to needy and deserving students at Long Beach City College and Cal State Long Beach.
So many students have already benefitted from the generosity of these anonymous donors, but they can't do it alone! Donate today!
LEARN MORE...
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Upcoming
City Council Agenda
Tues. October 3, 2023, 5:00pm
411 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802
Item 15 Recommendation to execute an agreement with the United States Small Business Administration, to accept and expend grant funds for the Long Beach Accelerator for the period of August 1, 2023 through March 31, 2026. (Item Details)
Item 18 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract with Los Angeles Truck Centers, LLC, dba Velocity Truck Centers, for the purchase of two battery electric vehicle (BEV) Crane Carrier LET2-40 trucks, with Beau-Roc dump bodies, on the same terms and conditions afforded to Sourcewell. (Item Details)
Item 19 Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Beam Global, of San Diego, CA, for the purchase of two portable Beam solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) Autonomous Renewal Chargers (ARC), on the same terms and conditions afforded to the State of California, Department of General Services (DGS), in a total amount not to exceed $188,738, inclusive of taxes and fees. (Item Details)
Item 23 Recommendation to execute all documents necessary to amend Fixed Base Operation Lease No. 21569 between the City of Long Beach and Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, for City-owned property at 4150 Donald Douglas Drive and 3521 East Spring Street at the Long Beach Airport by bifurcating the leased premises into two separate leases and extending the current extension option deadline under the existing lease. (Item Details)
Item 24 Recommendation to execute an agreement with the Long Beach Community College District, to provide law enforcement and security services beginning October 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024. (Item Details)
Item 25 Recommendation to request City Attorney to draft resolution recognizing October 1 - 7, 2023 as National Banned Books Week in the City of Long Beach. (Item Details)
Item 26 Recommendation to request City Attorney to draft resolution officially recognizing every 7th of October as Ageism Awareness Day in the City of Long Beach. (Item Details)
Item 27 Recommendation to request City Attorney to prepare ordinances to designate the properties located at 3305 East 1st Street, 645 West 11th Street, 622-628 East Anaheim Street, 953 Chestnut Avenue, 4004 Country Club Drive, 338 Junipero Avenue, 1400 Hellman Street, 830 Santiago Avenue, 151 St. Joseph Avenue and 822 Willow Street as Long Beach Historic Landmarks; and Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute Mills Act historic property contracts with property owners of 26 historic properties. (Item Details)
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