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Happy February!
Hope your 2018 is off to an excellent start. There are many exciting infrastructure projects going on all around the 3rd District and I appreciate your patience with the traffic and construction impacted areas. I know it can be frustrating to wait in traffic or take alternative routes but the trade-off will be safer bridges, repaved roads and enhanced public spaces. Please contact my office if you have questions regarding the timeline or phasing for any of the projects taking place around you or the 3rd District.
You may have heard about the potential closure of the emergency (acute care) services department at Community Hospital Long Beach (CHLB). Every year, roughly 20,000 patients visit the Emergency Room at CHLB and its closure will have a major impact on east side residents.
 In November 2017, the City Council held a study session that included a presentation from CHLB representatives and City staff on recent seismic studies. There is little doubt that CHLB is in a seismically active area and unless a plan for seismic retrofit is provided by June 30, 2019, state law will no longer allow acute care services at the site. While the CHLB operator has committed to adding beds at Long Beach Medical Center (i.e., Memorial Hospital), the demand for acute service here is high and the existing facilities cannot fill the need without dramatic improvements. The city will continue exploring options, including, finding a private partner (i.e., physician groups or large hospital operators) interested and financially capable of continuing to operate an acute care facility. The city will also complete a structural analysis of the facilities, conduct a formal appraisal of the property value, and continue community outreach to determine what the needs and possibilities are to spare this closure. My goal is to explore every option to preserve this site as a full acute care hospital. Although other services may be offered at the location, acute services at CHLB and in East Long Beach are critical for our overall community welfare. Please contact me at
[email protected] if you have any thoughts on this topic. This is definitely a major issue facing our community and I look forward to hearing from you.
Hope you have a fantastic February and give a little extra hug to those loved ones in your life.
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3RD DISTRICT COMMUNITY EVENTS
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3RD DISTRICT COMMUNITY MEETING
 Thank you to everyone who attended our first community meeting of the New Year, last month. We started off 2018 with a full house! A lot of information was given with presentations from the Neighborhood Impact Prosecutor and the Tidelands Capital Improvement Division. Attendees learned about some exciting projects happening around Bay Shore and received some great department updates!
Our January meeting was toward the end of the month so in order to not burn everyone out, we will wait until March for our next community meeting.
3rd District, District Office Director
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TOUCH-A-TRUCK - March 4
After overwhelming popular demand, Councilwoman Suzie Price will once again host the 4th Annual Long Beach Touch-A-Truck event in partnership with Justin Rudd's Community Action Team on Sunday, March 4, 2018 at Granada Avenue (Beach) Parking Lot. The Long Beach Touch-A-Truck is a car show for kids and adults that is free for all. This popular event allows kids to have fun kicking tires, seeing vehicles up close, and even climbing into the driver's seat of their favorite trucks and construction vehicles. We'll 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. The Long Beach Firefighters Association will provide food, too!
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.
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Granada Avenue Parking Lot
(Corner of Granada Ave. & E. Ocean Blvd.)
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
3rd District, Director of Business Relations, Programming & Outreach
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MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY (MADD) - March 18
The fourth annual Belmont Heights Make a Difference Day (BHMADD) will be held on
Sunday, March 18, 2018. Temple Israel, Belmont Heights United Methodist Church, Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Belmont Heights Community Association, and the Third District Council Office will co-sponsor the event, and continue to build on the success of the last three years of community service.
Please mark your calendar now. Plan to participate in the kick-off festivities at Temple Israel, and continue on to your selected project that afternoon. Many of last year's projects will return, included preparing meals for the homeless, wetland clean-up, planting trees in select community areas, assembling hygiene kits for students and adults, as well as supporting our firefighters and veterans. Essentially, if you can swing a hammer, paint, cook, sew, sing, drive, BHMADD can use your help for a few hours.
And we still need project leaders - if you are interested, please contact Andrea Friedenthal at 562-822-7882, or
[email protected]. A leadership training and orientation will be conducted at Temple Israel, Wednesday, January 17th, as well as on Tuesday, January 23rd.
BHMADD will kick-off in the morning of
Sunday, March 18, 2018, at Temple Israel, at 11 AM with celebration, connection with project leaders, key thoughts from our local community leaders, morning nourishment, and music from Second Wind.
The official BHMADD website has been updated and enhanced, and will serve as the resource for event sign-ups, project information and event details. Highlights from last year's event are represented in a short video. Please visit the site at
www.bhmadd.org.
Plan to join us (and bring the whole family!) for our annual day of service to our community. There are many exciting projects this year including garden replacement, repair work, a flash food drive, reading to homeless animals at the shelter, and many others. These projects benefit many sectors of our local community including college students, LGBT, seniors, schools, homeless kids, battered women's shelters, veterans, etc.
There's something for everyone!
Whatever your skills, we have a need!
For more information
, please contact
Andrea Friedenthal at
[email protected]
or call her at (562) 822-7882
By: Marc N. Davidson
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BELMONT SHORE GARAGE CLEAN-UP: A SUCCESS!
The Third District is home to many parking impacted areas. Back in 2016, in an effort to identify the scope of the parking impact problem in Belmont Shore, the Parking Commission hired Walker Consulting to conduct the Belmont Shore Parking Study. As a result of the Parking Study, the Walker Group came back with recommendations to mitigate the parking impact problem in the Shore. The Public Works Department chose to move forward with 4 of the proposed recommendations: Garage Clean-Ups; Dynamic Pricing; Shuttle Services; and Ride Shares.
On Saturday, November 4
th, 2017, the Public Works Department executed one of the
four recommendations: a Belmont Shore garage clean-up. I am pleased to write about the success of this first effort and provide some metrics to support this outcome.
 During the Belmont Shore Garage Clean-Up, we collected:
- 12.44 Tons of collected items dumped
- 19 Vehicles came through drop off site on parking lot.
- 21 Mattresses collected
- 54 e-waste items collected
- 16 White goods collected
With the completion of this first step, the Public Works Department is now evaluating the next item for implementation. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Belmont Shore Garage Clean-Up and we look forward to seeing the next steps that will be taken to help relieve parking impaction in our neighborhoods.
3rd District, District Office Director
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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 Residents Association
2nd Thursday of each month
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Bay Shore Library
Friends of Belmont Shore
First Thursday of each month at 6:00 pm
St. Bartholomew Meeting Hall - 5100 E. Broadway at Granada Ave.
Friends of Bixby Park
Please check their website
NW Belmont Park Community Watch
Approximately every 3 months as determined
Third District Field Office
Peninsula Beach Preservation Group
Bluff Park Community Meeting
Our Savior's Lutheran Church
370 Junipero Ave.
Please check their website
for meeting details
Stoneybrook Villas Association Meeting
3rd Wednesday of each month
7pm - Clubhouse at 500 Bellflower Blvd
Do you have a community or
neighborhood meeting that you
would like to add to the 3rd
District calendar? Email:
[email protected]
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WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE 3RD?
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BELLFLOWER BLVD. REPAVE AND RECONFIGURATIONS
We continue to make investments in infrastructure throughout our community. With the early completion of road repairs on 7
th
street/the 22, we are gearing up to hit the ground running on improvements to Bellflower Blvd.
Beginning this month, Bellflower Blvd from PCH to Loynes will be repaved and reconfigured! This project includes new protected bike lanes along the
northbound and the southbound directions of Bellflower Blvd. This
bike infrastructure will provide a safer north-south connection for cyclists and recreational bike riders. In addition to the protected bike lanes, the project includes traffic calming and pedestrian safety improvements such as continental crosswalk markings and ADA upgrades along the corridor. There will be minimal impacts to the number of existing on-street parking spots but parking will be reconfigured to be situated between the protected bike lane and traffic lanes.
A parking protected bike lane is situated between on-street parked cars and the sidewalk. These new bike lanes will provide for greater connectivity for riders throughout the city. These lanes will connect with the parking protected bike lanes currently under construction on Bellflower Blvd. from PCH to Atherton St. as well as the 6th Street Bike Boulevard project which extends from Bellflower Blvd. to Junipero Ave. Protected bike lanes provide enhanced safety for people on bikes, including children commuting to and from school.
The project will cost $646,234 and is funded through revenues from the gas tax with an expected completion date of April 2018.
- By Nina Moussavi
3rd District, District Office Director
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NAPLES TENNIS COURTS RESURFACING PROJECT STATUS
I am pleased to highlight the re-surfacing and re-painting of the Naples Tennis Courts. These public courts are utilized by community members of all ages and
skill levels. Our office was excited to partner with the Parks, Recreation, and Marine Department to refurbish this dilapidated tennis court and increase access to high-quality free recreation facilities in our communities!
-By Nina Moussavi
3rd District, District Office Director
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LEEWAY SAILING CENTER DOCK REBUILD
This month, we are taking you behind
the construction fences at the Leeway Sailing Center to see the progress that has been made on the dock rebuild! The Leeway Sailing Center is another facility that is widely enjoyed by community members and it has been such a treat to see this project move forward. This project is on-track to be completed by May 2018, just in time for the summer season!
-By Nina Moussavi
3rd District, District Office Director
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STILL IN PROGRESS...
We are putting the finishing touches on a few highly anticipated facilities! The Marine Stadium Judging Stand has been receiving a much needed rehabilitation and crews are wrapping up with the final items. Just up the street at the Colorado Lagoon, we have completely renovated the restrooms, just another effort taken to highlight and rehabilitate one of the treasures of our community. The Colorado Lagoon is used all week by people from near and far and we were excited to partner with the Public Works Department to ensure that visitors of the Lagoon have safe and clean facilities to use! And finally, Public Works is putting the finishing touches on the Marina Vista Park restrooms which feature individual restroom stalls for increased safety, baby changing stations, and a fresh new design! The existing restroom facility will soon be demolished and the new facility will be open to everyone who comes to enjoy the park!
-By Nina Moussavi
3rd District, District Office Director
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CSULB HELPING
BUSINESSES
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Wade Martin. Wade is a Professor of Economics and Director of the Office of Economic Research as well as the Director of the Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at California State University, Long Beach. He is a very busy man! Please read the below article that discussed the programs and strategies that they have created to help businesses while helping our local Long Beach economy.
California State University Long Beach has established the Institute for
Innovation
& Entrepreneurship. The mission of the Institute is to support members of the
CSULB com
munity and the entrepreneurial energy of the greater
Long Beach area. The Institute provides and supports many programs and activities. These efforts are designed to help the economy of Long Beach and support the efforts of the private sector, both for-profit and not-
for-profit organizations. Examples of
pro
grams that the Institute offers include the following:
- Entrepreneurship Boot Camp - 6-week boot camp offered to anyone
wanting to learn how to start a business. It includes putting together a business plan and pitching their idea at the end of the 6 weeks.
- The Innovation Challenge, which is in its 8th year, provides support to anyone wanting to start a business and compete for a total of $50,000 both in cash and in-kind services. All teams must have at least one student on the team to be eligible to compete for the $50,000.
- The CBA Incubator, started by MBA alumni, which meets every Tuesday on campus to support innovators and entrepreneurs. The incubator brings in speakers, does workshops on topics such how to write a marketing plan, how to develop your financial projections for your prospective business, writing a business plan, how to determine a strategy to protect your intellectual property, and much more.
- Climathon - competition to integrate innovation and entrepreneurship to solve a climate change challenge. This is an international competition that happens every October and is sponsored through Climate KIC - an NGO in Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Molina Speaker Series - brought together entrepreneurs to share their experiences and lessons learned with those creating their own businesses.
- Lunch and Learn - we are creating a speaker series that will bring speakers to the CSULB campus to discuss potential pitfalls and identify winning strategies for success. This series will be introduced later this semester.
Mentoring services are also offered by the Institute to anyone that is looking for help to either start their business, pivot in their business to a new strategy, or just to sit down and listen to their ideas and plans.
We work with the CSULB MBA program to bring teams of MBA students and a faculty advisor to work with businesses as well. The Institute also supports a Legal Clinic on campus to support entrepreneurs. The Institute will connect businesses with the support they need through our extensive network of mentors and community partners. To find out more about the Institute and all our programs and support efforts please visit our
web site, join our
e-newsletter, connect with us on
Facebook, visit our
YouTube channel or send us an email to
[email protected]. Reach out and engage with us, it is great for the Long Beach economy!
Wade Martin, PhD
Director, Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
We encourage you to take advantage of these great programs, and do not hesitate to contact the department or me for more information.
3rd District, Director of Business Relations, Programming & Outreach
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CITY COUNCIL UPDATES
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
- By Antonella Schaub
3rd District, Communications Director
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BIKE CHOP SHOP ITEM COMING TO COUNCIL
The Councilwoman will be bringing an agenda item to the City Council on February 13th that would better confront the issues we see throughout the city with bike thefts and bike chop shops. This new ordinance would disallow people from dismantling, reassembling, selling, or storing multiple bikes and bike parts in public spaces. This means the parks, beaches, and sidewalks where people are often dismantling bikes would become something that our police department can address. It is already illegal for someone to take apart their car in the street or parking lot, the same should apply for bikes. Better addressing this issue will hopefully have a carry on effect in fighting against bike thefts and the concerning issue of drug addiction. Bikes have become the currency of those seeking to buy heroin and other drugs, so giving our police department another tool to fight against theft, and drug addiction while improving our public spaces is an important step for our community quality of life.
- by Jack Cunningham
3rd District, Chief of Staff
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WHO WOULD YOU CALL?
Some Important City and Non-City Phone Numbers
Broken/ Inoperable Traffic Light and Signs: (562) 570-3264
Broken Street Light: (562) 983-2000
Shoes hanging on power or utility lines: (562) 570-2700 - Ext. 8
Graffiti on Buildings: (562) 570-2773
Gas Emergency: (562) 570-2140
Damaged Banner: (562) 570-5333
Leaking Fire Hydrant: (562) 570-2390
Broken Curb: (562) 570-2770
Pot Hole: (562) 570-3259
Abandoned Shopping Cart: (800) 252-4613
Noise Abatement: (562) 570-4126
Trash in Street: (562) 570-2876
Water Department: (562) 570-2390
Damaged Trees: (562) 570-2700 - Ext. 4
Overflowing Sidewalk Trash Can: (562) 570-2876
Damaged or Missing Tree Gate: (562) 570-2770
Damaged Sewer: (562) 570-2440
Storm Drains: (562) 570-2700 Ext. 3
-By Parastoo Toosi
3rd District, Legislative Assistant
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Visit the link to see all the upcoming events in Long Beach...
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Other Events in Long Beach
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Spring into Summer 2018
Sunday, March 25
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Save the date! Friends of the Los Angeles River(FOLAR) is preparing for this years Great LA River Clean Up/La Gran Limpieza. We are looking forward to our 29th annual river clean up, and wanted to share these upcoming dates and locations.
April 14: Upper River Clean Up
April 21: Middle River Clean Up
April 28: Lower River Clean Up
Sign Up Information can be found on our site starting Febuary 1st.
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