On Tuesday, the City Council will consider Item #29, which would move all public comment into one 90-minute period at the start of the meeting. Residents could speak only once during the meeting, even if they want to comment on multiple items, and would have to do so before hearing staff presentations on those items.

I opposed this change because I believe it will reduce meaningful public participation.

It is our job as Councilmembers to listen to the public. I believe we can make meetings more efficient without cutting people out of the process.

Please email the City Clerk at cityclerk@longbeach.gov and say no on Item #29.

Last meeting, Councilmember Duggan opposed delaying the City’s competitive procurement process for its Bike Share Program, but the Council continued the item to this upcoming Tuesday for additional review. The current vendor, local company Pedal Movement, is challenging the process and argues the selected company, Drop Mobility, should be disqualified for not meeting RFP requirements. City staff disagrees and says Pedal Movement could also have been disqualified under a stricter interpretation.

A City staff panel selected Drop Mobility with a final score of 91%. Pedal Movement received a 79% base score, plus a 10% local-business preference, for a final score of 89%. Drop Mobility’s Year One proposal was $4.74 million less than Pedal Movement’s. It includes 350 charging docks, compared with 80 in Pedal Movement’s proposal. Drop would also use existing City bike racks, while Pedal Movement proposed installing 1,400 new docks that can only be used by their bikes.

The new contract would also require at least 700 bikes to be available and the City could reduce payments if too many bikes are out of service. Today, the system has about 480 working bikes and 250 out of service, but the City still pays the full fixed contract amount regardless of how many bikes are available.

Drop Mobility proposes 16 local full-time positions, including 3 managers, compared with 27 total employees currently at Pedal Movement, including 6 managers. Drop would provide 27,040 service hours in Year One, compared with 26,624 for Pedal Movement. Pedal Movement uses a 32-hour workweek for full-time employees.

Councilmember Duggan supports using local businesses whenever possible and has never met with Drop. She also believes the City has a responsibility to get the best value and service for the public through a fair competitive process.

The City is taking precautions along the coast as Hurricane Rachel is expected to bring high tides, surf, and swell activity through Friday, October 9. The highest risk of coastal flooding is expected Tuesday and Wednesday, particularly along the Peninsula and Belmont Shore.

Residents are encouraged to avoid impacted coastal areas when possible, stay off sand berms, and use caution around heavy equipment. Sand and sandbags are available at the Claremont Parking Lot, 5400 E. Ocean Blvd., with City crews available from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm beginning Sunday, October 4, and continuing through the weather event. Sand and sandbags will not be available at the 72nd Place Lifeguard Station due to storm operations.

Last Monday, Councilmember Duggan hosted a meeting on the Peninsula with our City team and more than 200 neighbors. We discussed the City’s response to Hurricane Marie, preparations for El Niño, upcoming sand replenishment and boardwalk repairs, and both short- and long-term options to better protect the Peninsula and our coastline.

Did you know the federal government helps fund beach nourishment from Seal Beach to Newport Bay? Congress first authorized the project in 1962 after major public projects altered the natural movement and supply of sand along the coast, leading to periodic beach nourishment projects ever since. Stage 13, which started in 2023, placed about 1.1 million cubic yards of sand at Surfside Beach at a total project cost of $23.13 million, including $15.5 million in federal funding.

The reason for federal support was that flood-control projects on the Los Angeles, San Gabriel, and Santa Ana rivers, along with the Los Angeles/Long Beach breakwater system and Anaheim Bay jetties, contributed to changes in the natural movement and replenishment of sand along the coast.

Long Beach has historically been treated differently and has funded its own beach maintenance and nourishment through Tidelands funds. These are the kinds of decades-old arrangements I have been working to revisit.

History and Purpose from Stage 13 of the Surfside-Sunset Beach Nourishment project.

USACE and the Port of Long Beach are now moving forward with the Deep Draft Navigation Project, which is expected to dredge approximately 7.4 million cubic yards of material from the Port beginning in 2029. The project’s original environmental plan included nearshore placement of suitable sand near Surfside-Sunset, but did not include the Long Beach Peninsula.

Since 2023, I have been working with the Port of Long Beach and USACE to update the environmental documents so suitable sand from this project can also be considered for placement on the Peninsula. A special thank you to Noel Hacegaba at the Port for working with us on this effort. While Surfside-Sunset would still receive sand first, this change would give Long Beach the opportunity to receive suitable material as well.

Sand suitable for beach nourishment is a valuable resource. Some have said Peninsula residents should be responsible for paying for beach nourishment. I believe we should instead be working together as a city to revisit outdated arrangements that leave Long Beach shortchanged.

The fiscal year closed on Wednesday, which means it was Engine 14’s final week of service. Matt Peterson from Legends and I sat down with the Engine 14 crew to thank them for their service and talk about what this transition means for the station and the community.

Councilmember Duggan joined residents and the Long Beach Public Works Department for a community meeting about the Anaheim Street Corridor Improvement Project. The project will improve approximately four miles of Anaheim Street from the Los Angeles River to Pacific Coast Highway, including pavement rehabilitation, traffic signal upgrades, new and improved crosswalks, ADA improvements, transit upgrades, medians, and landscaping. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027.

The City celebrated small businesses that completed the Level Up LB program, including District 3 businesses Ambiance Skin Care, American Vintage Barbershop, and The Bicycle Stand. The program provides grants, technical assistance, and other support to help local businesses strengthen and grow.

Councilmember Duggan joined the Waves of Ability: Thrive in Motion Adaptive Sports & Wellness Fair at Marine Stadium, a free community event celebrating inclusion, wellness, and adaptive recreation. She also helped present a Wave Maker Award recognizing leadership and impact in the disability community.

Councilmember Duggan joined the Long Beach Public Library Foundation for its 23rd Annual Grape Expectations Gala, celebrating the Foundation’s 30th anniversary and three decades of supporting literacy, education, and programming across Long Beach public libraries.

The 2026 Honoree receiving the Durnin Family Award was Sharon Weissman. Congratulations Sharon and thank you for your continued support of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation.

Colorado Street is now open. Public Works and I were out on Wednesday making sure the road reopened. Concrete and demobilization work is still underway before Eliot Street can reopen, and planting work will continue as the project moves forward.

Former Mayor Beverly O’Neill’s decades of service to Long Beach were celebrated with the dedication of Beverly O’Neill Way at Long Beach City College. Councilmember Duggan attended the event, which also raised funds for the Beverly O’Neill Scholarship through the LBCC Foundation to support future students.

Precious Lamb Preschool celebrated another year of supporting children and families experiencing homelessness through early childhood education, family support, and resources that help families build greater stability. Councilmember Duggan joined the celebration and helped recognize the organization’s continued impact in the community.

Check out our traffic & parking advisory in CD3 neighborhoods. Residents should plan ahead as several upcoming events may impact parking availability and traffic flow in our neighborhoods.

We encourage residents to allow extra travel time, anticipate parking impacts, and use alternate routes when possible.