The 3rd District news & updates
December | 2020
Upcoming Events
City Council Discussion on City's New In-Person Dining Restrictions
December 8th, 2020

Community Meeting on Parklets
December 10th, 2020
6:00PM

Grant Program to Help Restaurants
Impacted by COVID-19 Restrictions
December 3rd - December 6th, 2020

Winter Programs for Youth
December 21st - December 31st

Project Homekey
December 9th, 2020
5:30PM-7:00PM
Councilwoman Suzie Price
Greetings!

I hope that your December is off to a good start. As we approach the end of 2020, it appears that we are still living in very uncertain times due to the COVID pandemic and we just received further restrictions that may be implemented if our region falls below 15% capacity for ICU beds (more information on the order is included in the newsletter below). The COVID positivity and hospitalization rates continue to be a major area of concern for our state health officials, and we are still operating under a state and national state of emergency.

I know the topic of COVID restrictions have generated a lot of engagement with my council office. Residents, business owners, and workers throughout every sector have reached out and expressed concerns, on both sides, of the issue. Many people believe we need to take precautions to mitigate the upward trend we are seeing, but also believe it’s important that the data and science support the activists and business sectors that are being restricted. I agree with this opinion. This is why I asked the City Manager last week to put a study session on the council agenda so that we can question our health officials about the current data they are relying on, why they are relying on that specific data, what evidence there is to support specific sector/activity prohibitions, and how we can have more collaborative discussions about closures, the need for them and the impact of them, prior to issuing health orders. I believe this has been missing in the past and absent data to support the restrictions on a given business sector, we should not be targeting any specific sector.
As a business owner whose business was closed for 8 months, I know first hand that there has been little rhyme or reason to some of the sector closings. While I realize there is no perfect method to determine what should close or stay open, the decisions should be based on data regarding the proximity and duration of the activity. The decision should not be made based on arbitrary or speculative opinions. We need to be safe and take all precautions.

We also need to figure out what the data says about certain activities and how we might be able to mitigate the risk associated with the activities that are deemed risky. It’s going to be a while before we are out of this situation. We need to mitigate the impacts to the health and welfare of our residents, our business owners, our workers, and our city as a whole when we have an opportunity to make our own decisions on restrictions.

Over the course of the next few days, my team and I will be sending out resources for business owners to apply for grants and low-interest loans to help keep their workers employed during the next few months. This is critical for our small businesses and it is my top priority leading into the holiday season and beyond.

I know it’s not a traditional holiday season given the restrictions of gathering with the COVID pandemic. I hope that despite this you will take time to celebrate the season, spend time with your families, and enjoy a holiday season that will hopefully involve a lot less hustle and bustle due to the restrictions on gatherings and events.
Thank you all for staying engaged with our office. For those of you who have emailed words of encouragement to our office, or offered us the opportunity to participate in productive conversations with you about the current state of affairs and your ideas on possible approaches to the realities we face, we thank you. My team and I are committed to doing our best to inform our residents of the updates in the COVID health orders and our on-going city policies while at the same time supporting our community and bringing us together through virtual meetings and events.

We will get through this together.
Sincerely,
Suzie Price
3rd District Councilwoman
3rd District Community News And Events
Update on Yesterday's Stay at Home Order from the State
As the unprecedented increase in COVID-19 cases continues to threaten hospitalization capacity, Governor Gavin Newsom announced today that the state is being divided into five regions for monitoring Intensive Care Unit (ICU) hospital capacity moving forward. When a region’s ICU capacity falls below 15%, the State’s Regional Stay at Home Order will be implemented for a period of at least three weeks. The State’s Regional Stay at Home Order would go into effect 24 hours after reaching the metric, at which point the City of Long Beach would issue a revised Health Order with specifics on implementation.
 
Click here for more details on the State’s new ordershttps://conta.cc/36Emi41
 
The City recognizes that this is an extremely challenging time for many. The Governor’s office announced new assistance for people in need of financial support online at covid19.ca.gov/get-financial-help/. Additional resources and information for businesses are available at business.ca.gov/ and Long Beach-based businesses can seek help by calling 562-570-4BIZ. 
 
The State announced that limited numbers of COVID-19 vaccine will be available for Californians within the next two weeks, a promising hope as cases continue to rise at an alarming rate. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from the virus. Per the City of Long Beach’s Safer at Home Order, residents are required to wear face coverings, refrain from gathering with people outside of their household, practice physical distancing and wash hands frequently. Residents also are strongly encouraged to get flu shots to help maintain the health and safety of the community. We must work together to meet this moment.


-Suzie Price
3rd District Councilwoman
City Council Discussion Next Tuesday on County's New In-Person Dining Restrictions
Community Meeting on Parklets
December 10, 2020 at 6:00 PM
December 10, 2020 at 6:00 PM I will be hosting a community meeting to hear from residents about the recently implemented parklet programs for outdoor dining, and the potential for this to be adapted into a permeant program.
 
I will have City Staff from numerous departments present to answer questions and provide information on the program as I hope to gather input from residents.

If you are interested in this topic and have constructive input please join this community meeting via zoom at:

Meeting ID: 838 8009 1624

You can also call in to the meeting and participate by phone by calling:
1 (669) 900 6833
 
I look forward to a productive conversation as we look toward the future of this program.

-Suzie Price
3rd District Councilwoman
COVID-19 and the Holidays
As we enter the holiday season, we know this season will look different for everyone. The following are some CDC guidelines to ensure you have a happy and healthy Holiday season!
 
Coping with Holiday Stress:
 
“This Holiday season, the CDC encourages you to do what’s best for you and your loved ones. Being away from friends and family can be difficult, but hard choices to be apart this year may mean that you can spend many more years with your loved ones. When you talk with your friends and family about plans, it’s okay if you decide to stay home and remain apart from others. Do what is best for your health and the health of your loved ones. This year, spend time with those in your own household. Doing what’s best for you includes eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep. Make time to take care of your body and stay active to lessen fatigue, anxiety, and sadness.”
Gatherings for the Holidays:
 
Given the new Los Angeles County Health Order, all public and private gatherings with individuals outside of a person's household are prohibited, with exceptions for faith-based services and protests, until December 20th. While it is still to be determined when gatherings will be permitted once again, the CDC reminds you of the following if you are to host a gathering during this season

  • Remind guests to stay home if they are sick
  • Encourage social distancing
  • Wear masks
  • Clean hands often
  • Limit the number of people handling or serving food
  • Limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items
 
For more information regarding the holidays from the CDC, visit the following LINK.
 
The Council District 3 team wishes you the happiest and healthiest holiday season, and is available for more guidance to Health Orders pertaining to Los Angeles County.  

-Mollie Wilson
3rd District, Scheduler/
Legislative Assistant
Community Poinsettia Planting
Given this year has brought a lot of uncertainty and gloom, I always find that at the end of the year our community finds ways to give thanks and spread holiday cheer. The poinsettia planting has become a tradition of Councilwoman Price’s that she holds near and dear to her heart because these flowers add pops of color that help welcome our neighbors and visitors.

With this year’s planting, I’m appreciative of those who volunteered selflessly to wake up early and plant poinsettias. It’s these moments we hold onto to remind ourselves that we can be good neighbors to one another and hold our opinions to the side to just be kind to one another. Hopefully this year’s poinsettias in the roundabout remind us to hold onto the holiday spirit and cheer to last as long as this year has felt.

-Gabriela Yates
3rd District Field Deputy
Palm Date Cleanup Best Practices
  • Palm dates can become a tripping hazard as they start to fall and collect on the ground, which will also create an unsightly mess on our City’s sidewalks.
  • Fallen palm dates can attract unwanted insects.
  • Residents and property owners are responsible for maintaining and keeping their yard and adjacent sidewalk cleared of fallen tree debris.
  • To avoid heavy cleanup jobs, we suggest sweeping in front of your home daily.
  • Swept up palm dates must be disposed of in trash bins, by the resident or the person responsible for keeping the property’s adjacent sidewalk clean.
  • Palm dates are NOT to be swept into our City’s streets as street sweepers are not designed to collect larger debris. Dates swept into the streets would pose a greater risk by entering our storm drains, leading to increased water pollution.
  • For assistance with large lawn debris (i.e. fallen tree branches and palm fronds) please pile fallen branches, if able to, along the curb out of the City streets and call the Department of Public Works (562) 570-2700 to schedule a pickup.

8.60.260 - Maintenance of clean sidewalks and alleys.
The occupant or tenant, or in the absence of an occupant or tenant, the property owner, lessee, or proprietor of any real property in this City which is adjacent to a paved public sidewalk or a paved alley shall cause the sidewalk or alley to be swept or otherwise cleaned each day, Sundays and legal holidays excepted, if necessary to keep and maintain the public sidewalk or alley free of dirt, paper, litter or rubbish of any kind. The sweepings and debris from the sidewalk or alley shall be caused to be disposed of by the person responsible for the cleanliness of the sidewalk or alley, but such sweepings and debris shall not be swept or otherwise caused or allowed to be disposed of in the street or gutter. If the property owner or occupant fails to maintain the public sidewalk or alley free of waste of any kind, the Director of Public Works may, for public health and safety reasons, cause the sidewalk or alley adjacent to real property to be cleaned and assess a fee to the property owner pursuant to Sections 8.60.190 and 8.60.200 of the Municipal Code.
-Gabriela Yates
3rd District, Field Deputy
Business Spotlight
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AND ALWAYS!
Small businesses account for over 99% of total businesses in the United States and created 1.8 million new jobs, according to a 2019 report by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Long Beach has many local restaurants, shops, and more that help shape the character of our distinct neighborhoods. You can help support these small businesses this holiday season and all year round. Here’s how.

  • Buy local instead of ordering! Search for your gifts at local stores before you order from an online retailer, this also helps reduce waste from packaging and GHG emissions from delivery. Many local businesses offer online ordering and curbside pickup.
  • Buy gift cards from local businesses to fill your stockings this Christmas and give your loved ones the opportunity to pick out exactly what they want! You can give the gift of shopping local and help your friends and family discover your favorite local businesses.

  • Do curbside pick-up! Avoid long lines and crowded stores while still supporting some of your favorite local shops and eateries. 
  • Order takeout from a local restaurant! Restaurants have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and can use your support.
  • If you want to be extra eco-friendly, check out Long Beach’s Green Businesses and Certified Blue Restaurants which are officially City certified environmentally friendly local shops and eateries. 
Council District 3 is home to many amazing small businesses. Visiting Business Improvement Districts such as Belmont Shore, and Zaferia (E. Anaheim St), or other business corridors in Naples, at the Belmont Pier Promenade, or on Broadway, Redondo Ave, 4th Street, 7th Street and PCH help keep small business an important and essential part of Long Beach. Other malls include 2nd & PCH, Alamitos Bay Landing, Bixby Village Plaza, Marina Pacifica Shopping Center, Marketplace LB, Marina Plaza, and Marina Shores.
You can find business directories and virtual shopping options through the Business Improvement District websites
.

For more information, please visit insideLB

For small business owners, here is a link to some City of Long Beach small business and non-profit grant programs: LINK

-Lisa West
3rd District Director of Business
Relations, Programming and Outreach
Did You Catch Suzie In November?
Long Beach City Council Meeting
Discussion about Simms Pond
Naple's Improvement Association Meeting
Annual Community Poinsettia Planting
Friends of Belmont Shore Community Meeting
Able ARTS Works
Naples Island Garden
Club Meeting
Monthly Community Meeting
Belmont Shore Resident Association Meeting
3rd District Neighborhood And Association Meetings
Alamitos Heights Improvement Association - AHIA
Meetings calendared Quarterly. Please visit their website for more information.

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

Bluff Park Community Meeting
Please check their website for meeting details

Friends of Belmont Shore
First Thursday of each month, 6:00 - 8:00 PM via Zoom
Visit their web site for the zoom link

Friends of Bixby Park
Please check their website
Greenbelt Heights Neighborhood Association
All neighbors welcome
Regular meeting: 3rd Tuesday at 8pm-9pm
917 Bennett Ave., LB
2nd Sunday neighborhood clean-up at 9am

NW Belmont Park Community Watch
Approximately every 3 months as determined
Third District Field Office
Email Carleton Carlson for meeting confirmation at CarletonCarlson@aol.com 
 
Peninsula Neighborhood Association
Alamitos Bay Yacht Club

Stoneybrook Villas Association Meeting
3rd Wednesday of each month
7:00 PM - 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: District3@longbeach.gov  
Other Events In Long Beach
Los Angeles County to Launch Grant Program to Help Restaurants Impacted by COVID-19 Restrictions
In an effort to assist restaurants affected by the COVID-19 restrictions, Los Angeles County will launch the Keep LA County Dining Grant Program on Thursday, December 3, 2020, at 12:00 a.m.
 
The Keep LA County Dining Grant will provide $30,000 to use as working capital for employee payroll expenses, capital to continue operations, payment of outstanding business expenses, and adaptive business practices needed to remain open. Preference will be given to restaurants that provided outdoor dining as of November 24, 2020.
The Program, approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on November 24, 2020, and operated by the Los Angeles County Development Authority, will be available to small businesses located in the County of Los Angeles, not including the Cities of Los Angeles and Pasadena, that can demonstrate that their business was impacted by COVID-19 through a hardship due to closure and a reduction in revenue. Businesses that have already received assistance from other Los Angeles County Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act programs are not eligible for this Program.
The application period will begin Thursday, December 3, 2020, at 12:00 a.m., and be available through Sunday, December 6, 2020, at 11:59 p.m., or until 2,500 applications are received, whichever comes first.
Click the link for more information on this grant opportunity.
Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine to Offer Winter Programs for Youth
Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM) will offer programs to safely engage youth during the upcoming Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) winter break. The programs will adhere to lower staff-to-camper ratios and other enhanced safety protocols.

Winter Camps
Winter Camps for children ages 5-12 will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays from Dec. 21 through Dec. 31 (closed Dec. 25, Christmas Day).

The camps will take place at the following parks:
  • Admiral Kidd Park, 2125 Santa Fe Ave.
  • Bixby Park, 130 Cherry Ave.
  • Cesar E. Chavez Park, 401 Golden Ave.
  • College Estates Park, 808 Stevely Ave.
  • Coolidge Park, 352 E. Neece St.
  • Drake Park, 951 Maine Ave.
  • El Dorado Park West, 2800 N. Studebaker Rd.
  • Houghton Park, 6301 Myrtle Ave.
  • MacArthur Park, 1321 E. Anaheim St.
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 1950 Lemon Ave.
  • McBride Park, 1550 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.
  • Orizaba Park, 1435 Orizaba Ave.
  • Pan American Park, 5157 E. Centralia St.
  • Ramona Park, 3301 E. 65th St.
  • Scherer Park, 4600 Long Beach Blvd.
  • Seaside Park, 14th Street at Chestnut Avenue
  • Silverado Park, 1545 W. 31st St.
  • Somerset Park, 1500 E. Carson St.
  • Stearns Champions Park 4520 E. 23rd St.
  • Veterans Park, 101 E. 28th St.
  • Wardlow Park, 3457 Stanbridge Ave.
  • Whaley Park, 5620 E. Atherton St.

People may register online. 

Registration fees are $30 per week; financial assistance is available on a first-come, first served basis. For more information, call 562.570.3150.
Teen Programs
Teens can participate in free winter break activities from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays from Dec. 21 through Dec. 31 (closed Dec. 25, Christmas Day).
 
Activities will be offered at: 
  • Admiral Kidd Park, 2125 Santa Fe Ave., 562.570.1600
  • Cesar E. Chavez Park, 401 Golden Ave., 562.570.3100
  • Freeman Community Center, 1205 Freeman Ave., 562.570.8688
  • Houghton Park, 6301 Myrtle Ave., 562.570.1640
  • McBride Park, 1550 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., 562.570.1605
  • Silverado Park, 1545 W. 31st St., 562.570.1675
 
To participate, teens must have parents sign waiver forms at the site on their first visit. Pre-registration is not required. Call the park for more information. 
 
El Dorado Nature Center Winter Break Workshops
Children ages five to eight can participate in nature-themed workshops during winter break at El Dorado Nature Center (7550 E. Spring St.). The sessions will take place from 10 a.m. to noon, Dec. 22 through Dec. 24, and Dec. 29 through Dec. 31.

Each session costs $20, and pre-registration is required. Children must have kindergarten experience. Those interested can register online at the El Dorado Nature Center Museum (7550 E. Spring St.). The schedule of workshops includes: 
  • December 22, Batty For Bats | 44048
  • December 23, May I Burrow Your Den | 44049
  • December 24, Winter Wonders | 44050
  • December 29, Wildlife Workbench | 44051
  • December 30, By the Light of the Moon | 44052
  • December 31, Tasty Tree-ts! | 44053
 
For additional information about the Winter Break programs and other activities for youth, people may visit longbeach.gov/parks or call 562.570.3150. 
Project Homekey
Join us for a Virtual Conversation about Project Homekey site at Motel 6 (5665 E. Seventh Street)

December 9th, 2020
5:30PM to 7:00PM

Join Zoom Meeting Information located on flyer.