District 5 Office

Save the Date! CD5 Community Meeting | Jan. 29

Join Councilwoman Kerr and the CD5 team for the first District 5 Community Meeting of 2026! The meeting will be held on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at 6pm at the Wardlow Park Community Center (3457 Stanbridge Ave.) featuring LBPD Chief, Wally Hebeish.

While not required, we ask that you please RSVP to help us prepare adequate seating. We hope to see you there! 

LBFD Conducting Aircraft Training at Long Beach Airport

The Long Beach Fire Department will be conducting a scheduled Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) live-fire training exercise at Long Beach Airport on:

• Monday January 12, 2026
• Tuesday, January 13, 2026
• Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Training will take place between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day near the 36th Street Gate at the Long Beach Airport Burn Pit.

What to Expect

• LBFD Firefighters will train using active, controlled fire to practice the extinguishment of aircraft-related fires.
• All fire activity will be fully contained within the burn pit area and conducted under strict safety protocols.
• The training prop is being on Friday, January 9, 2026, and will be tested at various times throughout the day in preparation for the exercise.
• The fuel used during the training is propane, which burns clean and produces minimal smoke.

This training is being hosted by 139Fire, a private contractor specializing in ARFF instruction. These exercises are conducted annually at airports throughout the county to maintain compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 139 regulations, which establish national requirements for aircraft rescue and firefighting readiness at commercial airports.


Community Impact

• There will be no impact to aircraft operations during the three days of training.
• Minimizing impacts to surrounding neighborhoods, residents, and businesses is a top priority for all activities at the Long Beach Airport.
• Open communication and transparency remain essential to maintaining strong community relationships.

This marks the first live-fire ARFF training of this scale at the Long Beach Airport in many years, reflecting an important investment in firefighter readiness and aviation safety.

Questions or Additional Information

Those with questions about the training are encouraged to contact:

• Jake Heflin, Battalion Chief, Airport Program Manager, Long Beach Fire Department
• 562-570-3003 | Jacob.Heflin@longbeach.gov

Additional information about ARFF requirements can be found on the FAA Part 139 website or through 139Fire. The Long Beach Fire Department and City of Long Beach appreciates the community’s understanding and support as they conduct this essential safety training.

Public Works Department

Holiday Treecycling | FINAL DAY TODAY, Jan. 9

The City of Long Beach is once again offering free Holiday Treecycling, providing an accessible and responsible way to recycle live trees for residents. Today, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, is the last day that residents can drop off their used trees at 13 locations throughout Long Beach, at no charge. Drop-offs close at 5pm.

Christmas trees are NOT accepted in organics carts as they are too heavy and bulky. To ensure the trees are diverted from landfills, residents are encouraged to drop off their trees at any of the 13 locations listed on the flyer. Locations in and near CD5 include:

• Wardlow Park – Monlaco Rd. at Rutgers Ave., 90808
• Scherer Park – 49th St. at Del Amo Blvd., 90807
• El Dorado Park – 2760 N Studebaker Rd. (at South parking lot, behind admin building), 90815
  

Residents are asked to remove all decorations and stands, and cut any trees over 12’ tall in half.

SPECIAL COLLECTION TOMORROW , Jan. 10

For those who aren’t able to drop trees off, a one-time special collection will occur on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. Residents with refuse, recycling, and organics collection service must place trees at their regular collection location by 7am on Jan 10 to have their live tree collected. Learn more in recent press release.

The Office of Mayor Rex Richardson

2026 State of the City | Jan. 13

On Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson will deliver the 2026 State of the City Address at 5:30pm in the Terrace Theater. This year’s theme, “A Future Built by All of Us,” will celebrate and honor the people, culture, and creativity that define Long Beach. During the address, Mayor Richardson will highlight progress on ongoing and upcoming priorities, accomplishments, and projects throughout the city. Learn more in the recent press release or longbeach.gov/stateofthecity.

The State of the City is free and open to the public. Community members are invited to attend in person (RSVP required) or watch the livestream on the following City social pages:

• City of Long Beach Facebook and X pages @LongBeachCity
• City of Long Beach Youtube @LongBeachCityCA
• The Office of Mayor Richardson Facebook page @LongBeachMayor
• Long Beach Television at LBTV3.com

Office of Equity

Disability Data & Community Survey Kick-Off Celebration | Jan. 15

Join in celebrating the launch of the Disability Data & Community Survey! People with disabilities possess unique skills in adaptation, innovation, and advocacy, all of which contribute to our city's progress. The Office of Equity and the Citizens' Advisory Commission on Disabilities invite you to share your insights through this important survey. Your voice matters! Learn more and RSVP at bit.ly/DDCSJan15, or visit the event Facebook page.

City of Long Beach

Upcoming Budget Meetings | Share Your FY27 Priorities

The City of Long Beach is inviting members of the public to participate in the City’s Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) 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.

The community budget meetings will be held in person at multiple locations throughout the city, and one in a virtual format; check the attached flyer for details on dates, times, and locations. While none of these meetings are physically in CD5, the city aims to hold the meetings at varying throughout the city during each Fiscal Year development process, and we encourage everyone interested to attend the virtual meeting or an in-person meeting at one of the provided locations if able.


In addition to the meetings, community members may also submit their budget service priorities by completing the Long Beach Budget Priority Survey, available online at longbeach.gov/FY27 now through Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog. Those with limited access to a computer or smart phone may visit a public computer lab available at any open Long Beach Public Library location to access the survey. Learn more at about the FY27 budget development process at longbeach.gov/FY27.

Mobility, Ports, & Infrastructure Committee

Neighborhood Management Traffic Program & Economic Empowerment Zone Presentations at Upcoming Meeting | Jan. 20

Just before the year end, the City Manager published a memo to the Mayor & Council to provide a Neighborhood Traffic Management Program Update. The Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP) uses data, community feedback, and proven quick-build treatments to direct limited resources towards streets with the greatest demonstrated need, while coordinating more intensive efforts into the planning process of the five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The report provides a comprehensive update of the program’s progress over the last two years, and outlines the intended use of the available $1.25 million in funding to procure materials and implement traffic safety measures at 17 priority calming locations, reduce speed limits at 77 locations, install 14 new crosswalks, and install rectangular rapid flashing beacons at 25 locations in Spring 2026. 

Earlier in December, the Economic Development & Opportunity (EDO) Dept. posted a memo providing an Update to the Economic Empowerment Zones (EEZs) Program,

which includes discussion of the potential creation of Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts (EIFDs), to be used as a tool to fund public infrastructure, economic development, and community revitalization projects. The report provides an overview on how EIFDs aid other cities and counties, potential proposed boundaries for EIFDs in Long Beach, the types of projects they can fund, and more.

The details and findings outlined in both of these recent memos will be presented to the Mobility, Ports, & Infrastructure (MPI) Committee at the upcoming meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at 2:30pm in the City Hall Chambers. Learn more by reviewing the reports linked above or the MPI Agenda (supporting documents will be shared closer to the meeting date). Interested parties are encouraged to attend or watch online to learn directly from the Public Works team, and to utilize the opportunity to provide feedback via in-person or virtual public comment. 

Long Beach Recycles

Door-to-Door Education & Outreach

As residents continue to get used to the recent implementation of the organics collection service, the City has teamed up with the Conservation Corps of Long Beach (CCLB) on a door-to-door education and outreach campaign. Keep an eye out for CCLB members in your neighborhood as they share tips to help residents learn what goes in trash, recycling, and organics carts, check carts (from 6am-9am) to see how households are sorting, and leave tags as educational reminders of what to improve or give kudos for getting it right!

Long Beach Public Library

Join the 2026 50 Book Challenge

Do you think you can read 50 books in a year? Join the LBPL’s 2026 50 Book Challenge! Read what you like—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, graphic novels, audiobooks—all genres and formats count! Track your progress and earn prixes for every 10 books you read. Keep an eye on the LBPL’s social media pages for a sneak peak at what you can win. In the meantime, visit the LBPL’s Beanstack page to sign up and start reading today!