District 5 Office

CD5 Community Meeting | August 21



Join us at the next CD5 Community Meeting, being held at the Wardlow Park Community Center on Thursday, August 21 at 6pm.

This time, we will be joined by team members from Long Beach Utilities, to talk about the services, programs, and resources offered by LBU and to answer community questions. We hope to see you there!

If you plan to join us, we encourage you to optionally RSVP to help us prepare the space. 

Thanks for a Great Queen Mary Night!

Thank you to all who joined us for the annual District 5 Community Day on the Queen Mary! I am extremely grateful to the Queen Mary staff for inviting us aboard and facilitating this great opportunity to explore and enjoy all the ship has to offer on a beautiful summer evening among neighbors and friends. We are already looking forward to next year!  

In case you missed it, I encourage you to keep an eye on the Queen Mary’s comprehensive calendar of events – from karaoke to live performances, Sunday brunch to speakeasy nights, and much more, there’s something for everyone! Check out queenmary.com/whatsondeck to learn more.  

Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Cycle

FY26 Budget Cycle - Schedule of Hearings/Meetings

At Council this week, Mayor Richardson and City Manager Modica presented the proposed FY26 budget along with the Capital Improvement Plan. Over the last six months, City Staff have worked diligently to identify ways, to tighten the city budget, while maintaining core services and focus on the priorities of this council be that public safety and infrastructure. The Budget Oversight Committee meetings and Budget Hearings will continue throughout the month of August until the Budget Adoption Hearing on Sept. 9, 2025, at 5pm.

I encourage the community to engage in the budget process by attending a community meeting this August, to learn what is included in the Proposed FY26 Budget, how input from community meetings in January and February was used to inform the Budget, and how the public can continue to participate in the budget process. The full schedule and details can be found at longbeach.gov/FY26, but note that the following meeting will be located in CD5

• Saturday, August 16 | Wardlow Park Community Center (3457 Stanbridge Ave) | 10am – 11:30am

Additionally, Digital Comment Cards can be submitted online, as another opportunity for community feedback on the proposed budget. All responses are anonymous and will be tabulated and provided to the City Council as a part of the FY 26 Budget process in August. This survey will close at the end of the day on Thurs., August 21. 

Public Works Department

Organics Collection - Reminders & Tips

The City of Long Beach is continuing the phased rollout of its Residential Organics (Green Cart) Collection Program this month. If not already, City-serviced households will receive a new green cart up to 2.5 weeks before service begins. 

While your cart may have arrived early, collection will not begin until either Tuesday/Wednesday service August 12th/13th and Thursday & Friday service: Starts October 9–10, 2025. While residents cannot “opt out” of this State-mandated service, the City is offering carts in 3 sizes (95-gallon, 65-gallon, or 35-gallon) to help residents find the right size for their household, which can help reduce spills, contaminations, and costs. For more details on how to request a different bin size, guidelines on what goes into the cart, as well as tips on how to keep it clean, visit longbeach.gov/LBOrganics or call 562-570-2876 with any further questions.

As this was an unfunded state mandate, Senate Bill (SB) 1383 (Chapter 395, Statues of 2016), Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy, the State has mandated that all municipalities provide organics collection services to all single-family and multifamily residences that generate organic material in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote waste reduction. To comply with this unfunded State mandate, the City must implement an organics collection program and implement rates that cover the cost of the service. All state mandates are amended at the state level and your state legislators are the only ones who can make changes to this law. If you wish to share feedback or concerns regarding this unfunded mandate, we encourage you to reach out to your State Senator or State Assemblymember. 

Long Beach Area Veterans Collaborative

LBAVC Volunteer Portal & New Digital Directory

The Long Beach Area Veterans Collaborative (LBAVC) is broadening their toolkit in pursuit of their mission to support organizations that serve veterans by streamlining access, expanding reach, and building stronger community connections. 

The LBAVC’s new Digital Resource Directory offers a centralized, accessible platform for finding veteran-serving programs and services—ranging from housing and employment to healthcare and legal aid. Designed with ease of use in mind, the online directory works on any device and can be shared directly. 

The LBAVC’s Volunteer Portal helps organizations and agencies alleviate administrative strain by promoting volunteer opportunities in a centralized system. Volunteers can connect directly with the LBAVC’s managed volunteer database and veteran-serving organizations can post volunteer roles. Learn more and find volunteer opportunities at lbavcoll.org! 

Parks and Recreation

New Camphor Tree at Somerset Park

This morning, we planted a brand-new camphor tree in the empty tree well near the Somerset Park playground. Two years ago, the mature tree over the playground needed to be removed as it was diseased and at its end of life. It has been a priority for me and my office to work with our Parks, Recreation & Marine (PRM) team to secure reliable irrigation and an appropriate tree for the space.

Although the camphor tree is 5.5 feet tall and 3 feet wide today, thanks to the new irrigation system installed by our PRM Grounds Team, we’re hopeful it will grow big and strong to provide shade for future generations, just like the previous tree did when I played at this park as a kid.

A big thank-you to the PRM Grounds Team for planting, and to the Somerset Park summer campers who got their hands dirty helping us welcome their new tree to the neighborhood!