City of Long Beach

Willow Springs Park: Dedicated as Park in Perpetuity

On Tuesday, August 13, 2024, City Council passed Item 31 to dedicate the site known as Willow Springs Park as park space in perpetuity. This means that the City has officially decided that any future work or development on this site will align with the goal and advancement of using all 48 acres of city-owned land for public, recreational use.

Historically, the site was home to a natural spring used by the Tongva People who originally inhabited this land. The discovery of oil led to the development of the site for drilling, and some pumps still exist there today. As we move away from the oil industry as a revenue source, it’s a critical time to reclaim Willow Springs Park and continue the work to restore the natural environment. 

This dedication has been a longtime in the works, and I am grateful for the efforts of former Councilmembers who have represented and advocated for the site, including James Johnson, Roberto and Tonia Uranga, and Stacy Mungo, without whom we would not have found this week’s success.

I am also grateful for the significant hard work done by City staff and volunteers in the Sustainability and PRM departments, non-profits like the Conservation Corps, and other groups and organizations such as the Friends of Willow Springs Park, Long Beach Beekeepers, Long Beach Community Compost, and Farm Lot 59.

Long Beach Transit

Service Changes Effective August 25th

Back in March, McBride High School students attended a City Council meeting to voice their concerns around the nearby Long Beach Transit (LBT) routes, and now some of their requests have been answered!

LBT has adjusted route timing, moved bus stop locations, and ensured an additional “school tripper” will run on Route 101 to increase capacity, improve safety, and shorten walk times for McBride High School students.

Long Beach Police Department

Back to School Events in August

The Long Beach Police Department will be hosting a free Back to School events at various parks in Long Beach during the month of August!

Community members can join the LBPD in welcoming students and families back to school. Attendees can stop by to enjoy ice cream, face painting and bounce houses, as well as getting to know the officers in their neighborhood!

Note the CD5 location on Sunday, August 25 - 10am - 2pm at Wardlow Park (3457 Stanbridge Ave.).

Public Works

Studebaker Corridor Complete Streets Project

We’ve heard a number of requests from residents for a status update regarding the Studebaker Road Complete Streets project. We are anticipating more updates on the project that spans three Council Districts (3, 4, and 5) in the near future. The latest that our office has heard is that the project is currently underway in the bidding process and construction work is anticipated to begin in late 2024. We will provide any further updates regarding this project as we receive them. For more information, refer to the project’s dedicated pages on lbelevate28.com or longbeach.gov. 

City of Long Beach

Fiscal Year '25 (FY25) Budget

At Council on Tuesday, August 13th, we continued with the Fiscal Year ‘25 (FY25) Budget Hearing process with presentations from each of the Police, Fire, Public Works, and Parks, Recreation, and Marine (PRM) departments. Each department outlined their priorities for the upcoming budget adoption: 

Police (LBPD)

LBPD’s plans for the FY25 Budget focuses on optimizing their core services of emergency response, protecting critical infrastructure and key resource, criminal investigations and victim support, and safeguarding everyone in the city of Long Beach. Their proposal includes such strategies as internal reorganization with new specialized positions and enhanced supervision; bringing essential crime-solving technology like DNA Analysis in-house; enhancing transparency and quality of police videos and communication strategies; and utilizing contracted positions to reflect increasing request for service at specific locations. To learn more, watch LBPD Chief Wally Hebeish’s full presentation.

Fire (LBFD)

LBFD’s budget proposal focuses on building upon already successful initiatives funded by past budget investments and finding ways to better manage increased workloads, enhance cost-recovery, and optimize operational efficiencies. They aim to structurally align their budget to accurately reflect Ambulance Transport Revenue for Advanced Life Support Services; to modernize and re-align the LBFD’s organizational structure; to strategically fund positions to better align with the 2023 Strategic Vision; and to continue to invest in frontline fire, medical, and rescue services. To learn more, watch LBFD Chief Dennis Buchanan’s full presentation.

Public Works (PW)

PW’s presentation noted the department’s intent to focus on optimizing operational efficiencies, improving communications, continuing to improve their network of internal support to reduce vacancies. Their proposal includes a reorganization of PW Management to reduce redundancies and provide succession planning; the enhancement of project delivery teams to deliver capital investments in a timely and cost-effective manner; the alignment of the budget to suit PW’s operational needs to streamline operations and allow effective and efficient execution of duties; as well as the continued commitment to implement the State-mandated Organics Collection. To learn more, watch PW Director Eric Lopez’s full presentation.

Parks, Recreation, & Marine (PRM)

PRM’s budget priorities stay aligned with the department’s overarching goal of providing safe and accessible quality public spaces. Highlights from their proposal include maintaining existing park programs and services; supporting the Animal Care Services (ACS) division with enhancement of animal food at the Animal Care Shelter, and with reclassifying positions for better alignment to animal care duties, improving recruitment and retention; and supporting the Beaches and Marinas with dedicated Maintenance Assistant positions, additional beach cleaning vehicles and operators, and enhancements like restroom door replacements to reduce impacts of vandalism and increase sanitation. To learn more, watch PRM Director Brent Dennis’ full presentation.

Stay involved in the budget conversation! Learn more at longbeach.gov/FY25, where you can fill out a digital comment card or RSVP to the remaining community budget meeting, on Monday, August 19th from 6 – 7pm at the Billie Jean King Main Library – Teen Space (200 W Broadway).

Health Department Awarded $1 Million from California Department of Public Health for Hepatitis B Screening, Vaccination and Linkage to Care