Dear Neighbor,

This week at the City Council meeting, I continue to advocate for the needs of our residents and our business corridors, especially as many of you have voiced concerns about safety, accountability, and equitable support. I pushed for our corridors to be fully included in Item 21, which requests that the City Manager, Police Department, Economic Development and Opportunity, Health and Human Services, and Financial Management explore strategies to support businesses and residential areas that are affected by crime and quality of life issues. The report due back in ninety days will include an update on mental health response efforts and CARE Court coordination, a plan for publicly available metrics that show progress in each corridor, an update on City actions following the Grants Pass ruling, and a feasibility study on increasing the presence of LBPD and Quality of Life officers.  Thank you to Councilwoman Cindy Allen for authoring and Councilwoman Mary Zendejas and Megan Kerr for co-sponsoring.

I also raised questions and concerns about the experiences of our Black residents during the discussion of Item 24, the presentation on the Pulse of Long Beach Black Health Assessment. Our Black community continues to be inequitably represented among our unhoused population despite making up only twelve percent of the overall population. I made it clear that we must dig deeper into why many Black residents do not feel they have equal access to resources and what steps we as a Council must take to change that. I remain committed to elevating your concerns, demanding accountability, and fighting for equitable support for every community in our district.

You may view the presentation here.

December 10th is Human Rights Day, a reminder of our shared responsibility to uphold dignity, fairness, and equality for every person. We honor the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the values that guide our work in Long Beach.

At the same time, we cannot ignore that these values are being challenged. Recent ICE raids have created fear and real harm for our community. Moments like these show clearly that human rights are not abstract ideals. Human rights must be defended, especially when they are threatened by ignorance and oppression.

I stand with our residents, our families, and our immigrant communities. We will continue to speak out, organize, and advocate for policies that protect every person's right to safety, respect, and opportunity.

The 2026 MLK Advisory Committee presents the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Poetry Contest. The application is now open for this wonderful opportunity for Long Beach students to express their creativity and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr by lifting up unity, equality, and justice in our community.

Students in grades K through 12 who attend a Long Beach school or are home-schooled in Long Beach are eligible to participate. Poetry should be inspired by this year's theme, “Rise Up, Stand Up for His Dream,” and entries must be 200 words or less.

Judges will review submissions for creativity, originality, and how well each poem reflects the theme. Winners will receive special recognition and will also have the chance to perform their poem at the 38th Annual MLK Celebration on January 17, 2026.

Entries are due by Monday, December 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm.

Encourage a young writer in your life to apply today. Submit your entry by scanning the flyer or click this link.: https://tinyurl.com/2hy37j4y

Continue reading to learn more about upcoming events and City Council Meetings!

Thank you to all of our residents that reached out about council items, requests and concerns, and vision for our district. My office is ready to listen and help. You can reach us by emailing district6@longbeach.gov or calling (562) 570-6816. 

Together, we will Forward the Sixth!

Dr. Suely Saro

Councilwoman, Sixth District

The next City Council meeting will be on December 9th.

Click here for the full agenda.

Regular Agenda The City of Long Beach has resumed in-person City Council meetings at the Bob Foster Civic Chambers, located at 411 W. Ocean Blvd. City Council meetings occur every Tuesday except for the last Tuesday of the month.



City Council meetings are streamed online on Long Beach Television’s (LBTV’s) website, cable channels, and YouTube Channel.

For more information about Long Beach legislative meetings, visit www.longbeach.gov/cityclerk. Media inquiries may be directed to the Office of the City Clerk at cityclerk@longbeach.gov.

For all public meeting live-streams and video archives: https://longbeach.primegov.com/public/portal

For public access on LBTV

Live: www.LBTV3.com or LBTV YouTube channel

The District 6 office is also here to help! If you have any questions regarding anything you want to see in your neighborhood make sure to reach out via email at District6@LongBeach.gov or by phone at (562) 570-6816.

The Long Beach Values Act is a local ordinance that protects the rights and privacy of all residents, regardless of immigration status. It limits how city departments collect and share personal information, restricts cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, and supports immigrant communities through funding for legal defense and public education.

The City of Long Beach and Office of Sixth District Councilwoman Dr. Suely Saro proudly present the 38th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and Celebration, a family-friendly event honoring the life, legacy and values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event will take place Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Central Long Beach.

The 2026 festivities will begin with the parade kickoff at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Anaheim Street, followed by the park celebration from noon to 5 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Park (1950 Lemon Ave.). The park celebration will include a main stage with live entertainment, a kid zone, food and merchandise vendors, and more.

The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and Celebration is a longstanding tradition that celebrates the diverse community of Central Long Beach. This festival serves to honor and keep alive the ideals of Dr. King through arts, remembrance and meaningful perspectives.

Local businesses, nonprofit organizations and community groups interested in participating in the parade may submit a parade application now through Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. Participants are encouraged to incorporate appropriate elements that honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, such as quotes, photos, banners or flags.

The City is also seeking friendly, eager and enthusiastic volunteers to support the parade and park celebration. Volunteers must be ages 18 years or older, and responsibilities will include standing at barricades to ensure the safety and enjoyment of parade participants and spectators, staffing the information booth, trash collection and general assistance with event set up and break down. Residents, local businesses, nonprofit organizations and community groups interested in volunteering at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and Celebration can find more information and sign up for volunteer shifts via the online registration link.

Additionally, community members are invited to nominate grand marshals for this year’s parade and celebration. The City is seeking people whose work embodies the legacy of Dr. King and those who have made a lasting impact in areas such as civic engagement and service; social justice advocacy; philanthropy; youth recognition; arts, sports and culture; and community achievement.

More information about the parade and celebration will be available at a later date at longbeach.gov/mlkparade/.

The 38th Annual Dr.Martin Luther King Jr Parade & Celebration will be on January 17th, 2026

MLK Park, 1950 Lemon Ave, Long Beach, CA

Parade Application

tinyurl.com/2026MLKParade 

Celebration Application

tinyurl.com/2026MLKCelebration 

Celebration Food Vendor Application

tinyurl.com/2026MLKFoodVendor 

Volunteer Form

tinyurl.com/2026MLKVolunteer 

Grand Marshall Nomination Form

tinyurl.com/5fdsefz6 

The City of Long Beach is rolling out residential organics collection for City-serviced accounts as part of the State of California’s mandatory Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy (SB 1383) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote waste reduction. SB 1383 aims to keep organic material out of landfills by diverting yard trimmings and food scraps into dedicated green carts.

Organics Collection Rollout Schedule

The City is rolling out the program in phases based on regular collection service days. For addresses with multiple service days, the schedule may be adjusted based on service needs.

Residents will receive a mailer with a start date and a new green cart before service is set to begin.

Service is set to begin in October 2025 for District 6!

Cart) Collection Program this month. City-serviced households will receive a new green cart up to 2.5 weeks before service begins.

While your cart may arrive early, collection will not begin until the service start dates listed below. Additional details, including collection tips and accepted materials, will be mailed directly to households ahead of their start date.

· Monday service: Started June 2025

· Tuesday & Wednesday service: Starts August 12–13, 2025

· Thursday & Friday service: Starts October 9–10, 2025

• Animal Care Services: (562) 570-7387
• Broken/Inoperable Traffic Light and Signs: (562) 570-3264
• Burnett Library: (562) 570-1041
• Code Enforcement: (562) 570-2633
• Damaged Trees: (562) 570-2700-Ext. 4
• Graffiti Abatement: (562) 570-2773
• Gas Emergency: (562) 570-2140
• To request special collection, call the hotline at (562) 570-2876
• Illegal Dumping: (562) 570-3867
• Mark Twain Library: (562) 570-1046

• Noise Abatement: (562) 570-4126
• Neighborhood Services Bureau: (562) 570-6866
• Overflowing Sidewalk Trash Can: (562) 570-2876
• Parking Enforcement: (562) 570-2866
• Police, Non-Emergency: (562) 435-6711
• Pothole: (562) 570-3259
• Public Works: (562) 570-5000
• Shoes hanging on Power/Utility Lines: (562) 570-2700-Ext. 8
• Trash in Street: (562) 570-2876
• Long Beach Utilities: (562) 570-2390

Long Beach Sidewalk to Success

Drop-In Office Hours

Calling all sidewalk vendors and mobile food operators!

The Long Beach Health Department is offering one-on-one open office hours to help you with:

• Food permitting
• Plan check requirements
• Food safety and more!

Meet us in person at:

Long Beach Health Department (2525 Grand Ave.)

Every Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Whether you're new to sidewalk vending or a seasoned pro, our team is here to help you navigate local and state regulations and keep your business on track.

Get support with one-on-one guidance and get your questions answered!

Procurement (Jon'nae) Flyer

Long Beach Economic Development & Opportunity Department

Exciting News, Long Beach Utilities customers! You can now pay your bill, schedule services, and view your bill usage all in one place! Utilities customers can register on longbeach.gov/myutilityportal  



Key features of MyUtilityPortal include: 

• 24/7 account access to view water, sewer, gas, and refuse billing and usage 
• Projected bill estimates based on real-time usage patterns 
• Online service scheduling, reducing the need to call for appointments 
• Customizable alerts and notifications to stay on top of account activity and service updates 

The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services is calling on 350 community members to volunteer for the 2026 Point in Time Count, an annual street and shelter count of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach, taking place on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.

The Point in Time Count is more than a data collection effort—it is a community wide initiative inviting residents and businesses to connect with neighbors experiencing homelessness, learn about available resources and actively support the City’s response to homelessness. Information gathered during the Count plays a critical role in understanding the scope of homelessness in Long Beach, shaping services and identifying gaps in resources.

Volunteer registration is now open and will remain available until all slots are filled. If more than 350 people register, additional participants will be placed on a waitlist.

Street Count Volunteer Information

To volunteer for the street count, people must:

• Be 18 years or older.
• Attend a two-hour orientation and training prior to the Count. Orientations will be offered both virtually and in person in January.
• Commit to a four-hour canvassing shift on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. Volunteers must report by 4:30 a.m. and will be dispatched to the field by 5 a.m.

Long Beach Police Department (LBPD)

Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

Long Beach Public Works

City of Long Beach

 Digital Inclusion Initiative

Long Beach Office of Climate Action and Sustainability

Community Development

Don’t Miss Out – Go Solar in 2025!

The City of Long Beach Development Permit Center makes the transition to solar simple and accessible. By installing solar panels, you can save on monthly energy costs, increase the value of your home, and take advantage of federal tax incentives before they expire on December 31, 2025. 

The easy online permit process and expert staff are here to guide you every step of the way. Apply early to lock in your savings and join your neighbors in building a cleaner, greener Long Beach. For assistance, please contact us at 562.570.7648 or email Michael.Carrera@longbeach.gov.

Start your solar journey today! For more information, visit longbeach.gov/solarpermit.

Save Time and Money on Your ADU Project with the City’s Pre-Approved ADU Program!

The City’s Pre-Approved Accessory Dwelling Unit Program (PAADU) helps property owners streamline their ADU projects with beautiful, pre-approved designs that simplify planning, reduce costs and speed up construction.

Please note: The City's current roster of PAADU designs expires Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. Submit your application before the end of the year to take advantage of this program!

Get started by contacting PlanCheck.Counter@longbeach.gov or visiting longbeach.gov/paadu.

Upcoming Increases to Utility Rates

The Long Beach Board of Utilities Commissioners has approved rate adjustments as part of the upcoming $397.4 million budget for Fiscal Year 2026. Starting October 1, residents will see a 12 percent increase in water and sewer rates. For a typical single-family home, this means an average monthly increase of $8.26 for water and $1.47 for sewer.

In addition, gas rates will rise 15 percent in August, with another 12 percent increase set for April 2026. This results in an estimated monthly increase of $4.67 for the average household.



For more information, visit lbutilities.org.

Long Beach Utilities: Water, Gas, and Sewer Service Programs

Long Beach Utilities (LBUD) offers a range of programs and resources to help residents and businesses conserve water and natural gas while improving sustainability across our city. Learn more at lbutilities.org or call 5625702140.

WaterSmart Portal

Track your daily water use and gain insights into your consumption with the WaterSmart Portal. Staying informed helps you conserve and save.

Direct Install Appliance Program

LBUD offers a no-cost direct installation program for qualified residents, providing water and gas-efficient appliances to help lower utility bills and conserve resources.

Certified Blue Program

This program highlights and supports Long Beach businesses that go above and beyond by installing efficient fixtures and adopting sustainable practices. Businesses that qualify receive official recognition from LB Utilities.

Lawn-to-Garden Program

Get paid to replace your lawn with a climate-appropriate landscape. LBUD offers not only financial incentives but also funding for professional landscape design assistance.

Native Plant Parkway Program

Transform your parkway with native, drought-tolerant plants. LBUD provides the materials and guidance needed to make the switch at no cost.

Conservation Toolkit

LB Utilities also offers a conservation toolkit, courtesy of Joy Contreras, with helpful resources and tips to support residents in saving water and energy every day.

The Long Beach Independent Redistricting Commission unanimously approved a new Council District Map and it went into effect on December 18th, 2021. This map is the new Council District 6 boundaries for the next ten years. For more information go to:https://www.longbeach.gov/redistricting/