This week, the October 14 State Lands Commission agenda was published and it includes two items related to Long Beach oil production: Item 30 and 31. Thank you to everyone who wrote in your comments already.

We are asking residents to contact the State Lands Commission and urge that revenue generated during the phase-out of oil production in Long Beach be reinvested locally.

Under the current structure, the City receives only 8.5 percent of the revenue, which is restricted to coastal maintenance, while the State receives 42.5 percent to spend freely. That formula dates back to a 1964 law that deemed it “unnecessary and unwise” to spend oil revenue locally.

As oil production winds down under the State-led phase-out, we believe the remaining funds should be used to restore Long Beach’s shoreline, not sent to the State’s General Fund. Since 2004, nearly six billion dollars in oil revenue from Long Beach has gone to the State’s General Fund. Today, State budget challenges are cited as the reason that current and future oil revenue produced in Long Beach cannot fund mitigation, restoration, or transition efforts locally. That stance reflects the mindset of a profit-driven oil company, not a responsible steward of our coast.

We are asking the State to fund the restoration of our coast now, rather than leaving the environmental and financial burdens of oil production to future generations of Long Beach families.

Please email State Lands Commission here. Don't know what to say? Click here.

Find the call in information and other ways to participate in the next State Lands Commission meeting here.

Yesterday, we heard from LA28 Sports Managers for Rowing and Canoe Sprints at our monthly Alamitos Bay Stakeholder Meeting. Matt and Hoichan shared exciting updates on the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games, including the launch of the volunteer program and the first phase of ticketing coming in 2026. We look forward to having them back in 2026.

Thank you to staff from the City Manager's Office and the Marine Bureau for their support in coordinating and helping bring the LA28 team to the meeting.

As Chair of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority, join me and Vice Chair Kalmick today, Saturday, October 11, at 9:00 am for a morning walk through the Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands. Learn more about the vision for restoration before the work begins! 

I had the privilege of sharing with the Long Beach Commercial Real Estate Council about two important projects happening at the Los Cerritos Wetlands. First, the 154 acre land swap with Synergy, the largest increase in open space our city has seen in decades. What was once a former oil field is being transformed into a vibrant coastal habitat, bringing environmental, recreational, and community benefits.

You can hear about and take a walk this morning at the second project located in Seal Beach but accessible for Long Beach residents to enjoy - the 100 acres at the Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands. This project restoration will start in November. I am proud that we are leading the way in environmental restoration and climate resilience through strong partnerships and a shared vision for the future.

After months of work, the clean-up and beautification of Bixby Village Drive & Loynes Drive is complete!

Thank you to the residents who joined us last weekend (not everyone is pictured) and to the Office of Sustainability for lending tools, this was a true community effort. Email my office at District3@longbeach.gov and let us know where we should work on next!

This week, I joined the BHCA community meeting to share updates on traffic safety, homelessness, crime reporting, and how you can get involved to help keep Long Beach oil revenue local. Thank you, BHCA, for all of your community support and organization! You do a great job of bringing your neighbors together.

I was happy to join the Citizens’ Advisory Commission on Disabilities this week in Council Chambers to recognize two special groups receiving the Advocate of the Year Award: The Family Enrichment Center and Southern California Special Olympics. Thank you for the programs and services you provide to the community.

MPSF will be holding the Third Annual Open Water Swim Championship next weekend in Marine Stadium. Come down on Saturday, October 18, at 9:00 am for collegiate and masters swimming 1,000 and 5,000 meter races.

MPSF TO HOLD THIRD OPEN WATER SWIM CHAMPIONSHIP

LIVE STREAM PROVIDED BY GOLS

For the third consecutive year, the MPSF will contest a one-day open water swimming championship on

Saturday, October 18, 2025 at Marine Stadium in Long Beach, California. This year’s field will be the largest

in the three years of the event, featuring nearly 200 collegiate swimmers across 20 universities, which include

Biola, Boston College, BYU, Cal Baptist, Chapman, Fresno State, Grand Canyon, Idaho, New Mexico State,

Northern Colorado, Occidental, Pepperdine, Quincy, Rice, San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, Utah Tech,

Washington State, Westmont, and Whittier. The CBU men and Grand Canyon women are the defending

champions. The MPSF held the nation’s first open water intercollegiate conference championship in 2023.

“The third MPSF Open Water Swimming Championship features the top three swimmers in both the men's

and women's 2024 championship as well as many newcomers,” says MPSF Associate Commissioner for

Championships Kaia Hedlund. “The city of Long Beach and its aquatics community is going all out to put on

an outstanding event for swimmers and spectators while it also serves as a prelude to the Open Water events

at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships and the 2028 Olympic Games.”

The collegiate championship meet will consist of four events, beginning at 9:00 am with the Men’s 5-Kilometer

race. The Women’s 5K will follow at 10:30 am. The collegiate events resume in the afternoon with the men’s

and women’s 2,000-meter relay events at 1:45 pm and 2:15 pm, respectively. The relays will consist of four

competitors per team, each swimming 500 meters.

Team scoring in the collegiate events will be made up of results achieved in both the 5K and relay events. The

top-three individuals and top relay team from each institution will contribute to their team score. Additionally,

the top-three collegiate swimmers in the men’s and women’s 5K races will automatically qualify for the 5K

USA Swimming Open Water National Championship as well as the CSCAA Nationals in December.

In between the collegiate 5K and relay events, an Open 5K and 1K race for swimmers 11 and over in age will

take place at 12:00 pm and 12:05 pm, respectively. Interested swimmers for the Open events are asked to

sign up through the following link: Open 5K and 1K.

Open Water Swimming has been in the Olympics since 2008. Alumni from institutions invited to the MPSF

Championship have participated in every one of these Olympic Games and have medaled in both the men’s

and women’s events. Marine Stadium will serve as the host for rowing and canoeing at the 2028 Olympic

Games, while the city of Long Beach will also host open water swimming, sprint canoe, water polo, and sailing

events in the 34th Olympiad.

Game On Live Studio (GOLS) will provide live video stream coverage of the full day’s event

(https://gols.co/2025-mpsf-open-water-champs/). Fans can access the MPSF Championships through a pay-

per-view option found on the GOLS’ MPSF Championship event page. More Information about GOLS Live

Streaming can be found on its website https://gols.co and on social media @gameonls.

Speedo, Malmsten, Core Values California merchandise (MPSF – Core Values California), and District 3 Long

Beach Council member Kristina Duggan will once again sponsor the MPSF Open Water Championship.

Malmsten, which also provides the equipment and lane lines for the Olympics in swimming and water polo, will

provide the MPSF Championship buoys and course setup.

MPSF Open Water Swimming Championship information, including Marine Stadium details, registration links,

and live stream and live results coverage, are housed on the conference website’s championship central page.

This week we celebrated the grand re-opening of Daily Perks with owner Rathnita Kang. Located at E 7th Street and Ximeno, it is great to see them back and thriving in District 3!

On Wednesday, the Coastal Commission approved the amended plan for the Belmont Plaza Pool. This was the next step needed to completing the project. A funding plan will be presented to City Council before the end of the year.

The rollout of the City’s organics collection program has faced real challenges. Delays in new truck deliveries have forced the City to rent temporary vehicles until November, and missed pickups have risen slightly with new routes and staffing shortages. More refuse operators are being hired, and with new trucks arriving in November, service reliability is expected to improve.

The call center has also been overwhelmed. Calls jumped from 5,500 a month to over 17,000 in September, mostly about missed pickups, cart swaps, and special requests. Many of these calls went unanswered. To address this, staffing will be doubled by the end of October, and residents are encouraged to use online forms for the most common issues.

Most households received 65-gallon green carts, but smaller and larger sizes (35, 65, or 95 gallons) are available. Some cart exchange requests are delayed until new shipments arrive in November, with exchanges scheduled to resume the week of November 3.

The Environmental Services Bureau is merging with the Energy Resources Department to create a new Energy & Environmental Services Department, which will streamline operations and prepare for future organics processing. Since October 2024, the program has diverted more than 7,600 tons of organic waste from landfills, and that number will continue to grow as the final rollout phase begins this month.

On Thursday, October 16 at 10:16 a.m., millions of people across California will take part in the Great ShakeOut, the world’s largest earthquake drill. This annual event is a reminder to practice how to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” so we are all better prepared when the next big earthquake strikes. Participating is a simple but important way to build resilience and keep our community safe.

This month, Council honored Filipino American History Month alongside community leaders, highlighting Long Beach’s rich Filipino heritage and contributions. The celebration also underscored calls for greater cultural recognition, including a potential Filipino cultural district.

MemorialCare joined Council to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, emphasizing early detection and community support. Doctors highlighted local resources that save lives and guide patients through care and recovery.

The first Adaptive Sports & Wellness Fair is coming to Long Beach on Saturday, November 8 at Marine Stadium with the Adaptive Freedom Foundation (AFF).

AFF is working to break barriers and expand access to movement, wellness, and community connection for all abilities.

This event will bring together adaptive sports groups, local leaders, wellness resources, and more. There are plenty of ways to participate: volunteer, sponsor, be a vendor, or simply stop by to enjoy the fair.