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(562) 570 5555 | district5@longbeach.gov | |
Weekly Updates | Feb. 7, 2025 | |
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Happy Friday, District 5! We’re a week into February which means we are a week into Black History Month, the annual observance to recognize, honor, and celebrate the ongoing legacies and contributions to society and culture made by Black men and women throughout our nation’s history. Below are ways you can celebrate this month, in addition to this week’s updates from city departments including Public Works, Parks, Health, and Citywide Commission vacancies.
In District 5 we are lucky to be home to the African American Cultural Center of Long Beach, located at the Expo Arts Center. Stop by to celebrate Black History Month this weekend, starting with their new exhibit opening during the BKBIA’s First Fridays tonight, Feb. 7th, from 6:30 – 9:30pm. Then on Saturday, Feb. 8th, head back over from noon to 3pm for a complete kick-off celebration with all-ages activities including free family portraits, a fashion show, a spades tournament, and more!
Other activities this weekend include Parkview Village’s Second Saturdays Block Party on Feb. 8th, featuring food, shopping, and family-friendly activities; as well as this week’s Cupid-themed pop-up market at LBX. For those feeling handy, you spend some time on Saturday at a Long Beach Fixit Clinic, where volunteer coaches will help you learn to repair broken household items. See the flyers below to learn more about these and other upcoming events.
At Council this past week, my colleagues and I heard Item 26, a presentation on the current status of Long Beach’s Strategic Roadmap relating to our role as Venue City in the upcoming 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games. As we prepare for the exciting events to come, the city’s plan will focus around equity, inclusion, public safety, and leaving a lasting legacy. On Tuesday we also heard Item 30, the first reading of updates to Long Beach’s ordinance on Short-Term Rentals (STRs). Included are regulation clarifications and efforts to strengthen the city’s tools for enforcing violations. As the STR landscape in Long Beach continues to evolve, we will continue to assess the effectiveness of this ordinance and work towards finding a functional balance for affected neighbors and property owners alike. To learn more, review the items and their attachments, or watch the meeting video for the Council’s full discussions.
Looking ahead, keep in mind that next Thursday, Feb. 13th, Public Works is hosting a Town Hall meeting regarding the Orange Ave Backbone Bikeway project at 6pm at the Expo Arts Center. Additionally, Monday, Feb. 17th is Presidents’ Day, a city-observed holiday during which a number of city services and facilities will be closed, including our CD5 office.
Finally, I’d like to remind you that the next City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at 5pm in the City Hall Chambers. 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.
Working together,
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Megan Kerr, Councilwoman
Long Beach, District 5
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CD5 Community Meetings
Save the Date! Feb. 27th at Wardlow Park
Beginning at the end of this month, Councilwoman Kerr plans to host a series of bi-monthly Community Meetings throughout 2025 to provide an opportunity for neighbors to gather and learn about a variety of topics pertaining to CD5 and our city as whole. Each meeting will feature a guest speaker who will be able to provide information and insight into the subject at hand. Keep an eye out in next week’s newsletter for more information about our February meeting, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 27th at the Wardlow Park Community Center!
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Public Works
Bixby/Weston Roundabout
The Public Works Department is working to retrofit two of the city’s traffic circles (at Bixby Rd/Weston Pl and Daisy Ave/25th St) to adjust their shape from an elongated ellipse to a truer circle. This work began on Jan. 31st, and will continue for the next couple of weeks, weather permitting. Note that this week's rain has caused some delay. Signage is posted onsite.
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We will continue to keep you informed on the work and its timeline via these newsletters as updates become available. | | | |
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Public Works
Feb 13 | Orange Ave Community Meeting
Join the Public Works Team at a community Town Hall for updates and information on the Orange Ave Backbone Bikeway project on Thursday, February 13th, from 6 -7pm at the Expo Arts Center. Have your questions answered and comments heard to help inform decision making around the project’s final design.
Visit longbeach.gov/orangeaveproject to learn more.
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CD5 Community Tree Survey
Want to Plant Trees in Your Neighborhood? Let Us Know!
Do you wish there were more trees on your block or in your neighborhood? Does the parkway in front of your home have an open space you’d like to see filled with a public tree? Would you enjoy the hands-on experience of helping plant trees and supporting the growth of our city’s urban forest, but don’t know how to get involved? If you answered yes to any of these questions, please let our office know by completing this community survey!
This year, our office hopes to partner with the Office of Sustainability and their Tree Planting Program to bring tree-planting events to District 5—but we need your help to tell us where they’re needed! By participating in the Tree Planting Program, if you or a neighbor accepts responsibility for the tree’s maintenance and survival, you can choose from a list of approved trees to have one planted in the parkway adjacent to your property for free. Keep in mind that wait times for trees typically take at least 2 months, and the planting season excludes summer as the heat makes it difficult for young trees to flourish.
Public trees offer a number of health benefits to the surrounding community such as improving air quality, urban cooling, reducing stormwater runoff, increasing property values, and more. The Tree Planting Program has resulted in 394 trees planted across Long Beach since last September alone, and we are hopeful to continue the momentum with more trees in District 5!
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Health & Human Services Dept.
Rain Advisory Due to Recent Showers
On Feb. 6th, City Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis issued a rain advisory for recreational beaches and bays in Long Beach following the rain experienced in the 24 hours prior. After any significant rainfall, unhealthy conditions may result from increased runoff from storm drain outlets and rivers, which eventually reach the City’s beaches. Recreational swimming areas should be avoided for three days following the end of a rainstorm. This advisory will be extended if the rain continues.
For more info, call the Health Department’s Water Quality Information Line at 562.570.4199 or visit longbeach.gov/beachwaterquality.
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Parks, Recreation, & Marine
Somerset Park Pickleball Courts
Our office has been informed that the re-opening of Somerset Park’s pickleball courts will be delayed until Feb. 11th. Due to this week’s rain, maintenance teams were unable to seal the cracks and paint. The posted signage onsite will be updated to reflect the extended closure.
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Harvey Milk Park Equality Plaza
Nominate a Local LGBTQ+ Leader for Harvey Milk Park Equality Plaza!
Do you know an LGBTQ+ individual or couple who has made a lasting impact on Long Beach? Nominations are now open for the 2025 Harvey Milk Park Equality Plaza Recognition! Each year, community leaders are honored on the Equality Plaza dedication wall for their advocacy, leadership, and contributions to LGBTQ+ rights in Long Beach.
If you have a nomination, be sure to submit before the deadline on March 6, 2025, at 11:59 PM. This is your chance to recognize someone who has helped shape our community, and help us honor our local LGBTQ+ trailblazers!
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Long Beach Symphony
An Unforgettable Evening with Arturo Sandoval
Long Beach Symphony is thrilled to welcome legendary trumpeter, pianist, composer, and storyteller Arturo Sandoval for a spectacular concert on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at 7:30 PM at the Long Beach Terrace Theater. This highly anticipated event promises an electrifying night of world-class music and captivating performances.
Learn more about the event and find tickets (starting at $34) at longbeachsymphony.org.
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City of Long Beach
Long Beach Seeking 'Best & Brightest' for City Commissions
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson and City Council leaders are putting out the call for the ‘Best and Brightest’ from across the city to apply to serve on a City Commission. The Mayor will be doing another round of appointments this Spring and Summer and we are looking for residents with a passion to get involved and make a difference for their communities. The Mayor has made more nearly 100 Commission appointments since taking office and is working to make sure that residents from all parts of Long Beach are considered in order that the Commissions best reflect the communities they serve.
Some of the Commissioner vacancies have a specific Council District requirement, but most of the positions are ‘At Large’ and can be filled by a resident from any part of the city. Residents are encouraged to connect with their Council Offices to learn more and share their interest. Contact our office for more information on the appointment process or you can contact the Mayor’s office at: readytoserve@longbeach.gov
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Below is a list of current vacancies:
• Advisory Commission on Aging
• Board of Examiners, Appeals and Condemnation
• Board of Health & Human Services
o Environmental Health Professional
o Physician or Surgeon
o State Licensed Pharmacist
o State Licensed Dentist
o State Licensed Veterinarian
• Climate Resilient and Sustainable City Commission
• Commission on Youth & Families
o Member of LBUSD
o Commissioner under 19 yrs old
• Economic Development Commission
o Education
• Equity & Human Relations Commission
• Ethics Commission
• Homeless Services Advisory Commission
• Housing Authority
o Tenant
• Long Beach Transit Board of Directors
• Technology & Innovation Commission
• Transactions & Use Tax Citizens’ Advisory Committee
• Veterans Affairs Commission
Please find the application on the Mayor’s page at: Commissions Boards Committees
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Super Bowl Poll
Super Bowl This Sunday Feb. 9
Are you watching the Super Bowl this weekend? This Sunday, Feb. 9th, the Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles starting at 3:30pm. Let us know which team you want to see win this year's big game!
Many businesses across CD5 (Dilly's Sandwiches, Dempsey's Sports Bar & Grill, Tracy's Bar & Grill, and the many restaurants in Bixby Knolls) may have deals and specials this weekend. See the flyers at the very bottom of this newsletter to learn more!
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For those attending watch parties, be sure to celebrate safely and responsibly! | | | |
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CD5 Community Shout Out
Lucas M. Throws Opening Pitch for Village Baseball!
One of Village Little League's own is fighting cancer. Please keep 5-year-old Lucas M. in your thoughts as he battles Stage 4 brain cancer. To support Lucas and his family during Lucas' treatment, at Opening Day last weekend, Village Baseball made bracelets that were sold for $5 a piece, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Lucas' family. Lucas also had the honor of throwing the Opening Day First Pitch! Village Baseball Little League President, Matt Lauwers, has provided us with the GoFundMe if any neighbors would like to contribute to help support Lucas' health and his family!
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Upcoming Meetings & Events | |
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City to Host Community Meeting for Colorado Lagoon Open Channel Project | | |
Health Department Promotes 2025 Brush, Book, Bed Campaign with New Sing-Along Song and Video | | |
Long Beach Launches New Data Hub Featuring Local Racial and Health Equity Data | | |
Long Beach Opens Applications for Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover and Grant Program | | |
Memos to the Mayor & Council
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Upcoming
City Council Meeting
Tues. February 11, 2025, 5:00pm
411 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802
Item 3. Recommendation to execute an agreement with the Los Angeles County RegistrarRecorder/County Clerk, for the use of 19 Vote Center Facility Drop Boxes at various City facilities for a period of five years. (Item Details)
Item 21. Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, review and determine that the proposed Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) amendments and Local Coastal Program Amendment (LCPA) exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 21166, 15162, 15163 and 15061 (b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines; Declare ordinance adopting Zoning Code Amendment (ZCA24-003) and the proposed findings related thereto, to amend Chapter 21.67 of the Zoning Regulations to expand the existing Inclusionary Housing Ordinance applicability beyond the Downtown Plan (PD-30) and Mid-Town Specific Plan (SP-1) submarkets and apply the ordinance citywide, including sites within the coastal zone; change the affordability requirements for Inclusionary Housing units; and implement other changes to the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading; and Adopt resolution directing City Manager, or designee, to submit the Local Coastal Program Amendment (LCPA24-003) and associated materials and findings related to changes to Title 21 of the Long Beach Municipal Code to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) for its review and certification in compliance with the Certified Local Coastal Program. (Item Details)
Item 26. Recommendation to receive and file a presentation on Long Beach’s compliance with State Housing Element Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) requirements by honoring allowable development under applicable General Plan designations without requiring rezoning of the site, pursuant to the California Housing Crisis Act of 2019. (Item Details)
Item 27. Recommendation to execute an agreement with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, to accept and expend Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) grant funding.(Item Details)
Item 30. Recommendation to declare ordinance amending and restating Chapter 5.77 of the Long Beach Municipal Code relating to short-term rentals, read and adopted as read. (Item Details)
Tuesday, February 18, 2025 – Hearing for the Bixby Knolls Parking and Business Improvement Area, declaring its intention to levy the annual assessment. (Districts 5, 8)
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