Thank you to Care Closet LBC for their hard work clearing pine needles and debris at East 7th Street and Santiago Avenue! This non-profit organization is dedicated to supporting Long Beach's homeless community by providing support, compassion, and practical solutions through daily City cleanups, essential services, and programs that foster self-reliance and dignity.

Over the past year, I met with District 3 Neighborhood Association and HOA leaders, inviting speakers from City departments such as Long Beach Police Department, the City Prosecutor's Office, City Traffic Engineer, and Financial Management. These meetings, consisting of one representative from each association, are designed as working sessions to discuss neighborhood concerns and provide valuable insights.

We ended the year with a holiday gathering to celebrate and plan topics for 2025. Thank you to Anchor’s Away Boat Rental, a beautiful place to gather and rent a Duffy boat to take out on Alamitos Bay.

District 3 staff joined the Boys & Girls Club of Long Beach for the Valero Room Dedication and annual Thanksgiving Dinner. As their longtime partner, Valero has contributed nearly $1 million over 25 years to support programs, providing school supplies, holiday gifts, and vital resources for Westside families. Their dedication to community well-being continues to leave a lasting impact.

Volunteers are needed for the January 2025 Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) Academy, starting January 16. TIP volunteers offer 24/7 emotional and practical support to individuals affected by trauma, working alongside first responders.

We are looking to brighten your drive in the neighborhood this season by planting poinsettias at roundabouts along Vista Street, 6th Street, and 15th Street. Our office provided poinsettias, shovels and gloves for volunteers, who helped beautify these key locations in our community. Thank you to the Los Cerritos Wetland Stewards and our District 3 volunteers for making this planting possible!

Get approved before Black Friday for the Lights, Camera, No Action Pilot Program to take advantage of holiday discounts and secure your home at a lower cost. Join over 40 residents who have taken steps to make their street safer. Apply today and take the first step toward a safer neighborhood!

Health and Human Services is seeking 350 community volunteers to help conduct the 2025 Point in Time Count, a street count of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. The count will take place on Thursday, January 23. To learn more about the Homeless Count, visit the Annual Homeless Count website.

I was excited to join parents and staff to cheer on the Naples Elementary students at their annual Jog-A-Thon! The participants did an outstanding job representing their classroom’s “Country” with an Olympics & Paralympics theme. Thank you to the Naples Bayside Academy PTA for organizing such a fun event for our Long Beach youth to help raise money for educational programs.

It was great to see so many people using the new Eliot Street pedestrian path! I have walked it several more times since it opened and am pleased with the positive responses from people on the path. Of course, everyone is anxious to have the road open to vehicles. We are still expecting an early 2025 opening, although if we experience extensive rain, it could potentially delay construction.

We have received questions from residents regarding the design of the Eliot Street Bridge at the Open Channel Project and that it seems to be shortened to one lane. We want to reassure the community that the bridge accommodates two vehicle travel lanes - one in each direction. The narrowing is a traffic calming measure designed to slow down vehicle speeds for safety, especially in this area where pedestrian and bicycle traffic will increase. This will create a safer and more balanced environment for everyone using the bridge.

The Naples Seawalls report was released earlier this month and can be reviewed here. My office, along with Public Works, will be scheduling a meeting before the end of the year to review the report with residents and answer questions. Please read the attached memo and report for further details on the Naples Seawalls update.

In 2023, the City contracted Tetra Tech Engineers, Inc. to conduct a supplemental assessment, resulting in the 2024 Naples Island Seawalls Inspection Report, which compares current conditions to the 2009 assessment and evaluates potential modifications to repair strategies, such as tie-back installation and seawall cap maintenance.

Construction at Fire Station 14 is 91% complete and continues to progress, with an estimated completion date of the 1st quarter of 2025. Renovations include the gym building, shower pan installation, exterior wall painting, and bathroom tile installation.