City of Long Beach

Join the Budget Conversation

The City is kicking off the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY 26) Budget development process, which prepares for the fiscal year starting October 2025 through September 2026.

Members of the community are invited to participate in the City’s fiscal year 2026 budget development process by sharing their service priorities at one of the upcoming community budget meetings or by completing the Long Beach Budget Priority Survey.

For more information, visit the FY 26 Budget website: longbeach.gov/FY26.

Long Beach Police Department

North Division Commander's Forum | Feb. 5

On Wednesday, February 5th, join the LBPD North Division Commander’s Forum starting at 6pm at the North Division Substation (4891 Atlantic Ave).

As the first Commander’s Forum of the year, this is a great opportunity to meet North Division’s new leadership, Commander Hughes, and ask questions, voice concerns, and get to know your local officers. 

For any questions, please email LBPDNorth@longbeach.gov or call (562) 570 9827. 

Long Beach Community Development Department

1131 Wardlow/3401 Cerritos Community Meeting | Feb. 26

Yesterday evening, our office became aware of the confirmed date for the Community Development Department’s community meeting to discuss the proposed affordable housing community at Wardlow & Cerritos. The information below has been provided by the Community Development team:

As discussed at the March and October 2024 meetings regarding this project, the Community Development team will be hosting a project design review meeting as a next step in the process. 

This meeting will provide both an interactive, open house style format for community members to learn more about the project proposal and provide feedback on project design, specific project components and alternatives. The event will also provide opportunity for all members of the public to share verbal comments as part of a town hall style format meeting:

February 26, 2025

Open House: begins at 6:00 pm

Town Hall Discussion: begins at 7:00 pm

Expo Arts Center: 4321 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach CA 90807

If you plan to attend, they ask that you please RSVP.

In the meantime, please feel free to review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and other project and review process information, such as the Initial Study and scoping comments, all found on the Community Development Department’s Environmental Reports page.

Rivers & Mountains Conservancy

Recent Items Related to CD5

Earlier this week, the Governing Board of San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers & Mountains Conservancy (RMC) passed three agenda items related to potential projects in and near District 5.

The RMC is one of the state’s 10 conservancies in the California Resources Agency, and their mission is to preserve open space and habitat in order to provide for low-impact recreation and educational uses, wildlife habitat restoration and protection, and watershed improvements. The RMC works with many cross-jurisdictional, intergovernmental, and public-private partnerships to support their work towards increased public enjoyment and enhancement of recreational and educational experiences on public lands while remaining committed to the protection of land and resources.

At their meeting on Jan. 22, 2025, the RMC’s Governing Board unanimously passed Items 12, 13, and 15, all of which are early steps towards advancing potential projects along the San Gabriel and Lower LA Rivers in CD5. I encourage you to review the items in full should you wish to learn more.

• Item 12 & Item 13 work together to award grant funding to the Watershed Conservation Authority (WCA) for the acquisition of a site and the onset of planning for the Wrigley Heights River Park near the Los Angeles River.

• Item 15 awards grant funding to the City of Long Beach for the planning and construction of the West San Gabriel River Trail Enhancement Project.

I am grateful to the dedicated staff and leadership at the RMC for their diligent work in advancing these resolutions to utilize funding towards the proposed enhancements along both the San Gabriel and lower Los Angeles rivers. I fully support the RMC’s work towards furthering these projects, and upon approval and through further community engagement, I am eager to see the positive environmental and public health benefits they can bring to Long Beach and the greater region.

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.

Long Beach Transit

UCLA/Westwood Commuter Express - Ride LBT to West LA

UCLA students, faculty and staff members and others can take the away stress of traveling on the 405 freeway with LBT’s UCLA/Westwood Commuter Express (route 405) service from Long Beach to West Los Angeles. Free parking is available at the Long Beach Airport and Willow Station for trips departing from Long Beach. Multiple fare options are available including one way ($4), round trip ($7), or monthly passes, as well as discounted rates ($2, $3.50) for residents 62+ and those with Medicare.

To view the current schedule and other information, click here.

Route 405 does not operate on Saturdays, Sundays, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

For UCLA Pass information, click here.

More information on Routes and Services can be found at https://ridelbt.com/routes-and-services/#ucla.

CD5 Community Shout Out

Happy Birthday, Mrs. Brandt!

Today, January 24, 2025, our CD5 neighbor, Lynn Brandt, turned 103 years old! Mrs. Brandt is an original homeowner in the South of Conant neighborhood and will have lived there for 77 years this April. She has seen many changes throughout her life here in Long Beach, since moving here with her husband, who later served in WWII. In addition to raising her family here, Ms. Brandt has been an active community member, involved in the Long Beach Yacht Club, as part of a singing group at the Long Beach Senior Center, and as a docent at Rancho Los Cerritos. Join me in thanking Ms. Brandt for all she has done as a Long Beach neighbor, and we wish her a very Happy 103rd Birthday!

Public Works

Storm Season - Street Sweeping Reminders

Street sweeping is conducted weekly by the Department of Public Works to improve the cleanliness, health and safety of the city.

Street sweepers remove debris from our streets and prevent it from entering our storm drains and ocean. This is especially crucial during stormy and windy weather seasons! To learn more, visit lbcity.info/StreetSweeping. In addition, keep in mind the following friendly reminders to ensure street sweepers can do their job as effectively as possible:

• Avoid raking or blowing leaves into the street or gutter: Leaves and lawn clippings are too large for street sweepers to collect. Instead, sweep them up and place them in your refuse bin or consider composting them for a sustainable option.

• Keep gutters and streets clear: By preventing leaves and debris from entering the storm drain system, we can protect our waterways from pollution. Remember, placing leaves or debris in the street, alley or gutter is a violation of federal law.

• Dispose of litter properly: Litter in gutters and alleys contributes to blockages and pollution.

• Keep streets dry on street sweeping days: Wet streets reduce the effectiveness of street sweepers, so try to keep the area in front of your home dry.

• Never pour oil, antifreeze or any other hazardous materials in the street, gutter, alley or on the ground. Residents may call 562.570.2890 for information on proper disposal of these materials.

Arts Council for Long Beach

Youth Art Contest | Submit By Feb. 28

Attention young artists: There is still time to submit your entries for the city’s Youth Art Contest! Entries close on February 28, 2025.

This contest is a unique opportunity for young artists across the city to showcase their creativity and artistic talents in designing an art piece that captures our city’s beauty and essence through 2D visual art of photography.

If you know a young artist in Grades 1-8, encourage them to participate! Each City Council District will have two winners: one for grades 1-5 and one for grades 6-8.

Winners will be awarded with a monetary stipend and will have a high-resolution printed image of their work displayed in the City of Long Beach Legislative offices and honored before City Council. Visit the contest page on artslb.org to submit and for more details regarding requirements, rubrics, and FAQs. 

Little Lion Foundation

Community Cat Project

The Little Lion Foundation is proud to announce their new Community Cat Project, where you can bring stray/community cats to a free spay and neuter clinic. This is part of the Foundation’s trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) Kitten Prevention Program to aid in the mission of eliminating euthanasia of healthy, at risk and/or treatable cats and kittens in public shelters by addressing the source of the problem — the overpopulation of cats and kittens on the streets. Learn more about how you can be part of the solution at littlelionfoundation.org/tnvr.

Animal Care Services

Coexisting with Coyotes - Reminders & Tips

Seeing a coyote walking down a busy street is not as uncommon as most would think. Contrary to popular belief, coyotes do not require open space to survive, and have successfully adapted to living in close proximity to humans.

Coyotes can be seen anytime but are most active at dusk, nighttime, and dawn. Residents are reminded to follow safeguards to protect pets and property against coyotes.

An Animal Control Officer will respond to coyote calls if the coyote is sick or injured or if there is an attack or threatening behavior toward a person or pet.

Learn more at ACS’s Living with Coyotes page, where you will also find the city’s Coyote Management Plan, and report coyote sightings. If a coyote is posing an imminent threat to life, call 9-1-1.