As a lifelong fan of the Olympics, I am traveling to the Winter Olympics in Milan on a personal trip, where I am building connections that can help Long Beach maximize the benefit of LA28’s Olympic and Paralympic games. I am also participating in workshops and tours led by the team that planned the Milano Cortina Winter Games to better understand how cities can prepare and leverage the opportunity.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with Priscilla Cheng, Chief External Affairs Officer for LA28, and Joey Freeman, Vice President of State and Local Affairs for LA28. I also met with Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchanges Stefanie Williams and Rob Placek, Senior Advisor for Sports Diplomacy. Our conversations focused on the role of sports diplomacy and how Long Beach can welcome and engage countries through the Olympic Games.

It was great to attend the USA vs. Italy Women’s Ice Hockey event with Kara Lynn Joyce, USA four-time Olympic silver medalist - 2004, 2008, and 2012. Kara Lynn and her husband CG are Long Beach residents excited to enjoy LA28 - Go USA!

On July 22, 2025, City Council unanimously approved Councilmember Duggan's item titled Response Strategy for Individuals Displaying Threatening or Unsafe Behavior, which asked Staff to detail who residents should call, the roles and responsibilities of responding teams, current services and gaps, and updated guidance for implementing Prop 36. On Tuesday, February 10, Staff presented on their response memo released on December 22, 2025. View the memo here.

During the discussion, Councilmember Duggan asked staff to clarify who residents should call so that available City resources can be activated. Staff confirmed that residents should call 911 in situations involving immediate danger, and the City’s non emergency line at (562) 435-6711 when there is no immediate threat. All City response resources, including specialized teams, are dispatched through these numbers.

Councilmember Duggan also asked when calls for service shift from voluntary engagement to mandatory intervention. She noted that currently response teams disengage when the individual refuses services and there isn't immediate danger. She stated that if a situation is considered too unsafe for trained professionals to engage, it is also unsafe for other members of the public.

She further asked how the City is implementing new tools that allow for mandatory intervention, such as CARE Court, Senate Bill 43, which expanded the definition of gravely disabled to include substance use disorder, and Proposition 36 to connect people to the help they need while protecting the broader community. Additional clarification on this implementation is still needed, and Councilmember Duggan committed to continuing policy work in this area.

Join us for the first District 3 Townhall of 2026! Public Works staff will be joining us to share important updates on major projects happening in our district.

Please note: This will be an in-person meeting only. Due to election laws, we are unable to livestream or record the meeting. City staff presentations will be shared in our newsletter following the event.

District 3 residents are invited to join Councilmember Kristina Duggan at this year’s Community Day at the Queen Mary! We encourage everyone to register at https://qrco.de/bg9AiT.

Parking will be discounted with validation. We look forward to seeing you all soon!

Last weekend I joined the NIA for the Board and Awards Presentation as they installed the 2026 Board and celebrated their members, volunteers, chairpersons, sponsors, and partners. Congratulations to Ben Fisher as the new president, Tony Digiovanni as the outgoing president, and Trish Schooley on her well-deserved recognition. Thank you to the NIA for all you do for our district and community.

The City of Long Beach will be observing Presidents' Day on Monday, February 16, which will result in temporary changes to City services and schedules. There will be no street sweeping or street sweeping enforcement, and refuse and recycling will be collected as scheduled.

Residents are encouraged to submit comments on late-night public safety in the Belmont Shore commercial corridor. Your feedback will be shared to help guide next steps. Also, click the link below to view City Staff's response to questions raised during the community meeting.

To comply with Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383), Long Beach will transition all City‑serviced households from purple to blue recycling carts beginning in February 2026. SB 1383 requires cities to stop purchasing non‑compliant cart colors and reach full compliance by 2036. The City is moving forward now because its current contract with WM includes support for the exchange, avoiding higher future costs as cart prices continue to rise.

Most cities are making the change citywide to reduce confusion caused by having two cart colors for the same service. Long Beach has already experienced this, as damaged or missing purple carts have been replaced with blue carts in recent years.

Blue recycling carts will be delivered on your regular collection day to replace purple recycling carts. Some households already have a blue recycling cart. Those will not be replaced unless damaged or missing, and a request is submitted. Purple recycling carts collected will be recycled into new carts. Delivery and pickup may happen at different times on the same day, so please leave your purple recycling cart out. 

The citywide exchange will take six to eight months. You can check your estimated exchange date using the linked mapping tool on the City’s website.

How to Prepare:

• Set out your purple recycling cart by 6 a.m., even if it isn’t full.
• Leave it out and accessible until the end of the day.
• If you forget, set it out later that day or on your next collection day, no need to call the City.
• Recovery crews will recheck each area twice within 24 hours and again the following week.
• There is no change to service level or cost associated with this exchange.

For cart-related requests, use the linked Cart Requests online form. Blue recycling cart size exchanges and requests for additional carts are currently being queued and will be processed after the exchange period ends, except for requests involving damaged or missing carts.

To speak with someone, contact the City’s call center at (562) 570-2876.

The Committee of 300 (C300), the official volunteer organization for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, is recruiting volunteers for race weekend on Saturday, April 18 and/or Sunday, April 19.

Volunteers, known as the “Red Coats,” help welcome guests, assist attendees, and represent the spirit of Long Beach at this world-class event. This is a great opportunity to give back, earn community service hours, gain event experience, and enjoy race weekend. Lunch, training, and support are provided, and volunteers can experience all six races plus Saturday’s concert.

Interested individuals can sign up at https://forms.gle/6XbD4hpnbsayK9Tp8. Signups close on March 31, 2026.

LAERRP helps eligible tenants and landlords cover past-due rent and related housing costs due to financial hardship. Both tenants and landlords must complete their portions of the application. Free, in-language assistance is available by phone through approved partners.

Apply now through March 11, 2026 at lacountyrentrelief.com.

In the coming weeks, Algalita's Clean Bay Collective will host a series of engaging community experiences, including Alamitos Bay Cleanups, a guided Bay Health Walk, and a Kayak Tour & Training Day. These events offer meaningful opportunities to explore the coastline, learn about local biodiversity, and take action to protect our urban ocean.

Residents are encouraged to participate, connect with neighbors, and be part of the effort to keep Alamitos Bay clean and thriving.

Learn more and RSVP at cleanbaycollective.org/events.

Please click the link below for this week’s update from Public Works regarding the Open Channel Project.

The City recently hosted a virtual community meeting to share information on the replacement of the concrete deck on the John H. Davies Bridge. The project will extend the life of the bridge, improve safety for all users, and add features like protected bike lanes, improved lighting, and pedestrian safety barriers. Construction is expected to last approximately 18–24 months, with efforts made to keep lanes open in both directions throughout the project.

A Message from Councilmember Duggan:

Thank you to everyone who provided input and brought up concerns regarding emergency access, project timing, and additional congestion caused by removing lanes. I share those concerns. I am having extensive conversations with our City team regarding these issues, and I will provide an update on next steps soon. I want to be clear that I do not support moving forward while these issues remain outstanding. I am asking that this project be delayed until after LA28 with design changes, as the bridge cannot be under construction during the Olympic Games.