Welcome Spring! 

There has been a great deal of activity in the Third District this month.  The (first) pedestrian scramble in Long Beach was installed at 2nd Street, Livingston Drive, and Quincy Avenue as part of a project to enhance traffic flow and intersection safety on Ocean Boulevard from this intersection to Alamitos Avenue. Thus far, residents have sent us very positive feedback regarding the scramble. Have you tried it yet? 

One of the topics that I shared with you as an important upcoming City wide issue was the proposed medical marijuana ordinance that was drafted by the planning commission. In February, City staff was asked to research a few issues associated with the implementation of a medical marijuana ordinance.  Last week, staff presented the following memorandum for the City Council's review. As you can see by reading the document, City staff won't have accurate information regarding fiscal risks, consequences and realities of this proposed venture until June. I will be advocating that we wait until June before we take any action.  Further, as you can read from the memo, staff is recommending a one year preparation period before any ordinance is actually implemented.  I think this step is a prudent one, should the City Council decide to adopt a medical marijuana ordinance. As always, feel free to email me your thoughts on this issue. Link to the memo  

The Belmont Pool building design process will be entering into the public input phase in the very near future.  Please pay special attention to our website, www.suzieAprice.com, Facebook page, and any emails we send you over the next month. It is important that the public weigh in on the building design as this is your pool and it's going to be situated in the middle of our community.  Architecture and design are certainly subjective but I firmly believe that public input from the residents and users is the best place to start the process.  So please join us and continue to be involved as the pool project enters the next exciting phase! 

I want to take a moment to thank Rachael Tanner and Eric Lopez from our City Manager's Office for their excellent work overseeing the first phase of the Naples Seawall rebuild project. The project appears (knock on wood) to be coming along very nicely! I met with Sorrento Drive residents last week and we will be able to collaborate on a plan that will meet all the needs of our stakeholders.  We are deep into the public outreach phase of Sorrento Trail/Path project and invited residents to a meeting that was held on Tuesday, March 31st for their input. Please contact Rachael Tanner at [email protected] if you would like to meet with her or the consultants individually to discuss your concerns or ideas. We cannot proceed with phase two of the seawall rebuild project until we agree on a plan for the Sorrento Trail/Path. 

I wish you all a fantastic April. This is the time of the year where we discuss rebirth and renewal and I hope that you take some personal time to reflect on what is important in your life and spread the message of hope and optimism.