I hope that you are enjoying the beauty of Spring! 
 
On Sunday, April 24th I will again host the annual Spring into Summer Concert at 4:30 PM at Marina Vista Park featuring the band The Dustbowl Revival. The band is an American roots orchestra with eight members that play it all, mashing the sounds of traditional American music into a genre-hopping, time-bending dance party. Last year's concert drew over a thousand community members who enjoyed good food, drinks, and the company of their neighbors in our beautiful park situated along our coastline. This annual concert is a great way to celebrate the season, which signals that longer, warmer days are on the horizon. So pack your picnic baskets and join us for an evening of neighborly spirit and fun! 

This spring and summer three projects of major significance to the Third District are gearing up with numerous community meetings and opportunities for public input. The three projects include the rebuild of the Belmont Pool, the updating of the Southeast Area Development Improvement Plan (SEADIP), and the East San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study, commonly known as the Breakwater Study. A public meeting was held on Saturday, April 9th to unveil the design for the new Belmont Aquatic Center. Discussion at the April 9 meeting focused on the project design and the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that was released the week of April 16th, starting the formal comment period. There are three study sessions that will take comments on the EIR, May 5th at the Planning Commission meeting, May 12th at the Marine Advisory Commission meeting, and June 14th at the City Council meeting.

In 2013 the City embarked on a three year, $1.3 million dollar update to the Southeast Area Development Improvement Plan (SEADIP). After an intensive two-year process, consisting of extensive public outreach, 26 community meetings, analysis, and planning, a conceptual draft of the Southeast Area Specific Plan (SEASP) document has been made available for public viewing at SEASP update. Once the public process has concluded, and City Council has taken action, SEASP would replace SEADIP. This significant undertaking offers a unique opportunity to creatively balance responsible growth with resource preservation, and establish a thoughtful framework to guide strategic changes to this important gateway into our City. As we near the end of this three year update, below is a timeline for the remainder of the project: 

* Mid-March - Release of the Draft Specific Plan (which will include an opportunity for public input)
* End of March - Community Open House (which will include an opportunity for public input)
* Mid-April - Release of the Environmental Impact Report (which will require additional options to the proposed plan be proposed)
* May - Planning Commission Study Session (with an opportunity for public comments) 
* June - Third District Community Meeting Regarding SEASP (with an opportunity for public question and answers)
* July - Planning Commission Vote (with an opportunity for public comment)
* Fall - City Council Vote (with an opportunity for public comment)
 
To close, the City has worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers to advance a feasibility study to restore the East San Pedro Bay. This study will look for opportunities to restore aquatic habitat and improve water circulation while ensuring that homes and other infrastructure are protected. The first public meeting, which will also be the Army Corps' official Public Scoping meeting in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, will be held twice on April 7th from 2 PM to 4 PM and from 6 PM to 8 PM at the Bixby Park Community Center (130 Cherry Avenue). Please note the same information will be presented at each meeting. Participants only need to come once. It is my priority to be fully engaged in the study to ensure transparency, objectivity, and plenty of opportunities for public input. I am committed to studying this issue with the highest emphasis on protecting private and public property situated along our coastline.  
 
I hope to see you at these very important community meetings listed above. These projects will shape the landscape of our community for years to come, please make your voice heard.
 
Looking forward to a great month!   
 


Suzie Price 
3RD DISTRICT COMMUNITY EVENTS
3rd District Community Meeting - April 26
 
Please join Councilwoman Price for the Third District Community meeting scheduled on Tuesday, April 26th at 5:30 PM. The meeting will be held at Fire Station 14 (5200 Eliot Street) and will feature Mayor Garcia as the guest speaker. The Mayor will provide a general overview of topical issues facing the City of Long Beach. 
 
In addition to our guest speaker the meeting will also feature brief reports from our Police and Fire Chiefs. We hope you will be available to join us for this important community dialogue.

--- by Jack Cunningham
 3rd District, District Office Director
SPRING into SUMMER Concert 2016


Mark your calendars! Our 2nd Annual Spring into Summer Concert Event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 24th at Marine Stadium Park. This free, family-friendly event will be a great way to welcome summer, while enjoying this beautiful location, and the tunes of The Dustbowl Revival (Americana Blue grass). Food trucks, a bounce house and balloon characters will round out the afternoon. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets for this fun community event!

Food Trucks 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Concert 5 PM - 7 PM
Bounce House for the kids!

 

 






--- by Lisa West 
3rd District, Business Relations Liaison 
 
FIX Long Beach - April 23

Fix Long Beach is a low cost Spay/Neuter program to assist with the overpopulation of dogs in our shelters.  This year Councilwoman Price is partnering with the 2nd District in bringing the program to Bixby Park on Saturday, April 23rd 8:00 am-5:00 pm.  Please review the below requirements for this event and go to their website for more information on signing-up.
  • This clinic is for dogs only.
  • To make an appointment - go to Fix Long Beach website at Fixlongbeach.com, click the red "Make Appointment" button, and fill out the form. Prospective client must be a Long Beach resident and make less than $30,000 a year. If they cannot fit a client in for the April 23rd clinic, they will keep your name on the list for future clinics.  There is also a "standby" line in case a client doesn't make their scheduled appointment.  The dog must not have anything to eat or drink prior to midnight, the night before. 
Vouchers are also available for free appointments at two veterinary hospitals, for Long Beach residents only. Proof of residence and income are required for all services.
 
They also are offering free microchips to dogs and cats residing in the cities covered by Long Beach Animal Care Services and low-cost shots and nail trimming for all pets. 
Free tags will be available from the nonprofit volunteer group   Captain Care for dog and cat collars.   All dogs must be on leashes and all cats in carriers.

Fix Long Beach was founded by Long Beach resident Claudia Hoffmann. She wishes to thank Fix Long Beach's mentor, Hope for Paws and its founder Eldad Hagar, for making this successful effort possible.
 
---Antonella Schaub 
3rd District,  Communications  Director 
Long Beach Touch-A-Truck 2016 

Councilwoman Price will be hosting the 2nd Annual Long Beach Touch-A-Truck event in partnership with Justin Rudd's Community Action Team on Sunday, May 1, 2016 at Granada Avenue (Beach) Parking Lot. The Long Beach Touch-A-Truck is a car show for kids that is free for all. This popular event allows kids to have fun kicking the tires, seeing vehicles up close, and even climbing into the driver's seat of their favorite trucks and construction vehicles. We will have city vehicles, classic and exotic cars, construction vehicles, emergency vehicles, various services, racing & off-road vehicles, transportation vehicles, and even food and beverages trucks. 


Admission is free for all ages, and a waiver and release must be signed upon arrival. We look forward to having you join us at this fun, family-friendly event.

The Long Beach Firefighters Association will be grilling hot dogs too!   
 

For information, call (562) 570-6300 or email lisa.west@longbeach.gov
To pre-register for the event:   http://www.justinrudd.com/truck.html

Sunday, May 1, 2016
Granada Avenue Parking Lot
(Corner of Granada Ave. & E. Ocean Blvd.)
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

--- by Lisa West 
3rd District, Business Relations Liaison 
Important Community Meeting regarding The 3rd District

April 7 - East San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study 2PM-4PM and 6PM-8PM -Bixby Park Community Center - 130 Cherry Ave.

April 9 - Belmont Pool Community Meeting - 9AM-11AM - Golden Sails Hotel - Crystal Room - 6285 Pacific Coast Highway

April 14 - Belmont Shore Traffic Study Meeting - 6PM-7PM - Bay Shore Library - 195 Bay Shore Ave.

April 18 - East San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study 3:30PM - 3:30PM - Sea Port Marina Hotel - 6500 E. Pacific Coast Highway

April 20 - Federal Inspection Service (FIS) Feasibility Study for the Long Beach Airport - 6PM -8PM - Location to be determined

April 21 - Belmont Shore Parking Study Meeting 6PM-7PM - Bay Shore Community Church - 5100 E. El Toledo

3rd District Neighborhood and Association Meetings

Belmont Heights Community Association
2nd Wednesday of each month
7:00 - 8:30 PM
Belmont Heights United Methodist Church

Belmont Shore Resident Association
2nd Thursday of each month
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Bay Shore Library

Friends of Belmont Shore
Last Thursday of each month (except for November & December)
Thursday, April 28th
6:00 - 7:30 PM 
St. Bartholomew Meeting Hall

NW Belmont Park Community Watch
Approximately every 3 months as determined
Third District Field Office
Email Stu Farber for meeting confirmation at slfarber@charter.net 
 
Peninsula Beach Preservation Group
April 14th - 7PM-8PM
Alamitos Bay Yacht  Club
Meeting to discuss traffic calming plans for Ocean Blvd on the Peninsula
    
Do you have a community or  neighborhood meeting that you  would like to add to the 3rd  District calendar? Email:   jack.cunningham@longbeach.gov  
FEATURED ARTICLES
Councilwoman Price receives a Public Service Award

On Monday, April 4th Councilwoman Price will be honored at the Lifesavers' Conference Awards Luncheon. Lifesavers is the premier U.S. highway safety meeting dedicated to reducing the tragic toll of deaths and injuries on our nation's roadways. At the luncheon the Councilwoman will receive the Public Service Award for her work as a District Attorney.
Suzie Price currently serves as a Senior Deputy District Attorney for the Orange County District Attorney's Office. In 2008, Suzie was selected to lead the Vehicular Homicide Division where she successfully prosecuted a multitude of DUI fatalities as second degree murder cases.  Her most famous case she successfully prosecuted was against Andrew Gallo, the drunk driver who sped through a red light in 2010 and murdered three innocent people, including 22-year-old Angel's pitcher, Nick Adenhart, and seriously injured another.  Suzie's passion to reduce DUI- and DUID-related collisions lead to a collaborative grant-funded program in 2012 between the District Attorney's Office, the Orange County Crime Lab, and the Fullerton Police Department to address the ever-increasing issue of drug-impaired driving. Additionally, Suzie was able to gain the commitment of every Police Chief in Orange County, as well as the Sheriff, to have more officers trained as Drug Recognition Experts.  Through this grant, the City of Fullerton trained and certified more than 100 officers as Drug Recognition Experts and trained more than 50 officers in Advance Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, the Orange County Crime Lab was able to purchase state-of-the-art drug testing equipment, and the Orange County District Attorney was able to hire two full time prosecutors dedicated to drug-impaired driving prosecutions.  Since then, the Orange County District Attorney's Office has continued to receive Office of Traffic Safety grant funding and has increased the number of grant-funded prosecutors in Orange County dedicated solely to DUID cases, and hundreds of Orange County officers have received Drug Recognition Expert and Advance Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement training.
--- by Julie Maleki
3rd District, Chief of Staff
Sorrento Trail Planning Process Continues

ADA Peer Review
Following a recommendation from the community, the City of Long Beach is conducting a peer review of the accessibility requirements for the project. A panel of three certified access specialists have been selected to conduct the review. As part of this project, you may see them on site in the public right of way. They will be there to gain an understanding of the conditions.

Why the Review is Being Conducted Last year, as part of the development of the conceptual design for the walkway, we engaged the services of a certified access specialist who has frequently provided services to the City, particularly on Public Works and Tidelands Projects. The specialist answered the question posed to the City by the California Coastal Commission: "The City shall consider whether ADA access along all or part of the existing or new improved walkway is appropriate or may be required by law." (Letter I of special condition 14 on Coastal Development Permit 05-11-085.

The access specialist concluded that the walkway did need to be constructed to ADA standards (federal law) and accessibility standards described in the California Building Code (state law).

There was some surprise at this assessment and some felt another look was necessary. The Tidelands CIP Division agreed to take a second look at the assessment and has convened a panel of three certified access specialists to review the project, site, plans, and to answer the access question.

The peer review process has been successfully used by the City before to ensure we have the best analysis to inform our decisions. Though this adds time to the planning process, the City feels that moving forward requires a shared understanding of the project constraints and broadly shared confidence in that understanding. Through this process, we can achieve that.

Panelists We selected three panelists. For the panelists we focused on Certified Access Specialists. The Certified Access Specialist (CASp) program was created by Senate Bill 262 (Chapter 872, 2003) and is designed to meet the public's need for experienced, trained, and tested individuals who can inspect buildings and sites for compliance with applicable state and federal construction-related accessibility standards. Of the three panelists, one was recommended by the Sorrento Drive Community. After reviewing this person's great credentials, he was selected to participate in the panel.

Our team of specialists includes:
* Janis Kent, FAIA, CASp, Architect, of Stepping Thru Accessibility
* Paul Joelson, AIA, NCARB, CASp, Architect, General Contractor, of Joelson Vail Associates LLC
* Glenn Dea, AIA, CASp, ICC Accessibility Inspector/Plans Examiner, of Creative Design Associates

Next Steps
Once the assessment concludes, we can share the assessment with the community. MLA, the landscape architect for the project, can incorporate the assessment into the design. They will also incorporate the public feedback provided via the online questionnaire.

Community Input
If you haven't had a chance to review the questionnaire and respond, please take a moment to do so soon: questionnaire

More About the Project
You can read more about the project here
--- by Rachael A. Tanner
 City of Long Beach, Program Specialist
BUSINESS
Business License Taxes in Comparable Cities

The City Manager's office recently performed a comparison of our fees to those of other area cities in response to comments that indicate there is a perception that Long Beach's business license taxes are higher than other comparable cities. Presented below is a summary of the fees in four major categories: Retail Store, Manufacturing, Restaurant, and Commercial Building. As you'll see, Long Beach is either the lowest or second lowest in each category. One of Councilwoman Price's goals is to continue the need for transparency and to empower business owners by creating a positive, business-friendly customer service culture at City Hall. "We want to create this type of environment to not only benefit the business community, but the long-term health of the City," said Councilwoman Price. "In addition to cutting red tape and streamlining City services, I want to provide immediate and complete access to City programs and services for small businesses." We hope to remain competitive in these areas in order to support businesses in Long Beach while enhancing services to the business community.



--- by Lisa West 
3rd District, Business Relations Liaison 
TOPICS COMING TO COUNCIL
City Council Meetings
 
City Council Meetings are held every Tuesday evening, with the exception of the last Tuesday of the month when council is "dark."  Meetings are held in City Hall - Council Chambers (333 W. Ocean Blvd.) at approximately 5pm.  Times do change, so please check with our office or website for exact times. City Council meetings are open to the public and we encourage your attendance, especially if there is an important topic up for discussion.
 
Charter (channel 3) and FIOS Verizon (channel 21) subscribers can view the City Council Meetings on their televisions or you can live stream the video through LBTV.com,  View City Council Meeting.  
 
Agenda items change on a weekly basis so please check the city website for the most current agenda.  The City Clerk is required to post the City Council Agenda the Monday, a week prior, to the Tuesday of City Council Meeting.   View agenda items  
 
Important agenda items coming this month are as follows...
 
April 5 - 
April 12 - NO CITY COUNCIL MEETING DUE TO ELECTIONS
April 19 - 
April 20 - special meeting to certify election results
April 26 - No CITY COUNCIL MEETING
--- by Antonella Schaub
3rd District, Communications Director
D ID YOU KNOW.....
Griselda Suárez - New Executive Director for The Arts Council for Long Beach

The Arts Council for Long Beach, an organization that promotes, advocates for and helps fund the arts in Long Beach, recently appointed Griselda Suárez as it's new executive director. A creative writer who also practices culinary arts, Suárez is a lecturer of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies at California State University, Long Beach, where she teaches literature, art history, cultural studies and writing.

Suárez is heavily involved in the Long Beach community, including with Latinos in Action, LB Fresh, Teatro Jornalero, Three Sisters Garden of Orizaba Park, Project Plateful, IDEAFEST LB and Leadership Long Beach. Most recently, she lectured at the Museum of Latin American Art and in spring, she will participate in Sister Spit LB and the Long Beach Zine Fest. As a business owner, she counts Peppered Up Foods and Sliced and Diced Eatery among her ventures.

Suárez is looking forward to using her background as an artist, advocate, activist, teacher and leader to continue to move the Arts Council towards its future vision in which arts and culture play a vital role throughout our dynamic and innovative city.
As an educator, Suárez understands the importance of educating our youth in Long Beach. Through the Arts Council's Arts Education Enrichment Grant, the Arts Council will serve 3,533 students in all nine council districts this year. Two Third District elementary schools - Fremont and Kettering - received the grant this year for arts programming.

The Arts Council just released its annual grants applications and guidelines. These grants support arts and cultural organizations and professional artists. The Arts Council has funded many wonderful organizations and projects in the Third District through these grants, including the Carpenter Center, the Hmong Association of Long Beach, Musical Theatre West and the University Art Museum. Applications are due June 1 and can be found at artslb.org/grants.

The Arts Council also awards monthly micro-grants for community projects and professional development opportunities. Most recently, the Arts Council funded a free Arts for Life symphonic jazz concert at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center and part of an artist residency for Third District artist Bruna Massadas at the prestigious Vermont Studio Center. Micro-grant applications are available at artslb.org/grants.

The Arts Council's website also features an event calendar with upcoming exhibits and performances, a map of Long Beach arts and cultural organizations and an artist registry where local artists can showcase their work and collectors can find local art and talent. Plan your next cultural outing or register as an artist by visiting artslb.org.

Be sure to sign up for the Arts Council's newsletter to stay up-to-date on opportunities and local art news at artslb.org/about.


-- by Griselda Suárez
Arts Council for Long Beach, Executive Director
What did "Make a Difference Day" accomplish...

On Saturday, March 6th, approximately 300 volunteers from the Temple Israel, Belmont Methodist, Belmont Heights Neighborhood Association and many others from the surrounding area, got together to make a difference in their community. Councilwoman Price partnered with MADD to accomplished these wonderful services in a matter of a few hours.
* 1800+ Peanut butter& jelly sandwiches for the needy families in the area.
* Planted 9 new trees along Redondo Ave to beautify the area and help clean our air.
* Made 178 emergency hygiene kits that went to Mental Health America and the Drop-in-Center for homeless.
* Made 14 soft, cuddly fleece blankets for those in need (sick or foster kids, wheelchair bound, etc.)
* Collected 1 ½ carloads of groceries from local stores and gave them to a local food bank and the Aids Food Store (who also got almost 50 loaves of great bread!)
* Served 300+ meals to the homeless.
* Built and installed three lovely 8' wooden planter boxes at Mann Elementary Playground
* Patched and painted the office and some other spaces at Lutheran Social Services
* Began building the new Children's Garden at LB Organic Gardens. Planted around the pond and other areas. Local schools take classrooms there to learn about ecology, our environment, our food, and the organic process.
* Purchased and stuffed 165 backpacks for School on Wheels, who goes out into the community and tutors homeless kids so that they can stay in school.
* Planted a variety of plants in the outdoor garden on the 2nd floor of the Veterans Spinal Cord Injury department. (the pots and plants we did 2 years ago now adorn the tables, and are huge!) The Vets that are there long-term love tending to them. We also donated a truck full of plants to the outside Patient Garden.
* Made and decorated more than 800 cookies and took them to all the 3rd District local fire stations and the new police station, along with thank you cards and banners from the kids. The firefighters are always so touched, and the kids got great tours of the stations, looked inside all the fire truck compartments and tried on the emergency backpacks. Great fun!
* Made more than 120 tray trinkets to cheer up shut-ins who use the Meals on Wheels service. 
* Pulled more than 200 lbs of weeds from the wetlands and planted 30 new plants. 
* Donated 40 pints of blood to the Red Cross.
* Read to the animals at the SPCA as a socialization process, painted kennels and make kitty toys out of pipe cleaners. (Don't know how many families went home with a new pet!)
* Crocheted and knitted squares and caps for cancer patients and to make blankets for orphans.
--- by Andrea Friedenthal
MADD Program Coordinator

DON'T FORGET... 

The Long Beach Grand Pix is April 16 - 17

-- by Antonella Schaub 
3rd District, Communications Director
Events in Long Beach 

 

RoboTech 2016

April 9 10:00 AM- 3PM
BSA Sea Base
5875 Appian Way




5th Annual Roar
in the Shore

April 13 5:00-8:00PM

Corona & Covina Avenues & 2nd Street

More information

 
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