Year Two Update

Highlights From Year Two

Dear Neighbors,

In my second year in office our hardworking team learned even more from our residents, especially about our new neighborhoods and their priorities, stayed on top of hot spots and ongoing issues, and learned about new opportunities to improve quality of life in the district. As in my first year in office, we based our activities on a foundation of good constituent service, and in our policy and research we focused on Economic Development, Infrastructure Upgrades, Public Safety and Homelessness, Climate Action, and both Equity and Equality in City policies and operations.

I am so proud of what we accomplished in our first year, and here is a link to our Year 1 Update for those who may not have seen it.

In Year 2 we made progress on, and closed out, many of our Year 1 initiatives and priorities.

The Queen Mary, which the City regained ownership of in 2021, has been getting safety and other updates to prepare for reopening this Spring 2023.

The Port of Long Beach has worked through the shipping backlog from 2021 and is leading the country on zero emission implementation (chargers, hydrogen projects, rail).

On future-oriented action on environmental resilience and cleaning up our air, Long Beach (City and Port) led the region and state in signing on to the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) as a result of a motion I introduced, and there is great news coming out of the Port about wind development and further clean energy transition work on the horizon!

We hosted a press conference in Long Beach to announce the partnership and were joined by leaders from the State Building and Construction Trades, Los Angeles Federation of Labor, California Independent System Operator, Governor’s Office of Business Development, State Senate, University of California Office of the President, and both the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles, alongside private industry executives and other stakeholders.

The Convention Center is back open and re-booking events faster than our competitors, and I am proud of the work these important partners are doing in our City. Here are some impressive numbers we received in a presentation from the Convention and Visitors Bureau in November 2022.

65% increase in bookings vs 2021

180% increase in leads vs 2021

Booked an 8-10% increase in hotel revenue in 2023 vs 2022

23% increase in group bookings in 2024

134% in group bookings in 2025

And Long Beach was recognized by two leading meetings industry publications as winning their top-tiered “Platinum” award for being the “Best CVB” and “Best Convention Center” in the West. This is the 7th consecutive Best in the West award for our CVB.

I have strongly supported the County of Los Angeles’s extensions throughout 2022 of their eviction moratorium based on reasons linked to COVID-19. This was important for ensuring stable housing for so many as we recover from the pandemic.

I have also had my staff closely engaged in the CityCore Zoning Implementation Project, which covers our Zaferia neighborhood in District 2, among other City neighborhoods, and I am encouraged by the resident and nonprofit stakeholder engagement throughout the process. Please keep an eye on my newsletter for more information on what this rezoning implementation will look like going forward, and for more rezoning processes to implement the 2019 Land Use Element in the year and years to come!

I also want to thank the developers and the workers who are building wonderful new elements of our community, including:

Silversands Hotel and Condominium project, which broke ground in early 2023.

7th and Dawson Townhomes project, which is completing its underground utility wiring and preparing for framing.

2022 also saw the further rollout and implementation of Recovery Act programs that got dollars to local organizations and businesses. These include:

$1.85 Million for the Non-Profit Relief Grants

$3.54 Million for Personal Services and Fitness Grants

$3.54 Million for Restaurant/Brewery and Bar Grants

$1.43 Million for Small Business Recovery Grants

The above distribution of grant dollars was driven by over 40 hours of economic development forums featuring the brightest and most experienced minds in every sector of our economy, from finance and international trade to laborers and hospitality workers, from childcare and senior care nonprofits to business improvement district leaders, and everything in between.

And my office was proud to support a variety of community events and projects, with many more in the works for Year 3! These sponsorships came out of Divide By Nine funds, which is annual funding set aside equally to each district for community projects, events, and services. In Year 2 my office support totalled $27,555 in community development and event support for the following:

Long Beach Senior Center Programming $1,000
Bluff Heights Neighborhood Tree Planting $150
LGBT Center Black and White Ball $5,000
Absolute Best of Long Beach Awards $1,000
Long Beach Pride Parade and Festival $2,500
Camerata Singers for Front Porch Concert Series $250
Juneteenth 2022 $1,000
City HEART Heart of the City $1,000
Mayor's Fund for Education $1,000
Long Beach Museum of Art $1,500
Long Beach Proud Bike Ride and Big Gay Beach Takeover $1,570
Uptown Jazz Fest $5,000
Casa Guerrero Back to School Giveaway $520
Zaferia Happy Sundays Music Festival $500
Dave Van Patten for Mural Restoration $200
Friends of Long Beach Library for Librarian Appreciation $200
Long Beach Public Library Foundation $1500
Alamitos Beach Neighborhood Association Halloween $150
International Imperial Court Halloween at the LGBT Center $2500
Belmont Shore Business Association 2022 Christmas Parade $450
Pueblita and Urban Reset for Holiday Food and Toy Giveaway $565

The Biden Administration and Congress followed up the American Recovery Plan, which funded the Long Beach Recovery Act, with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. These important pieces of federal legislation are creating new investments in modern infrastructure and will quickly clean up our air by funding local programs and hugely incentivizing the private sector to move boldly forward with clean energy and transportation technologies. I look forward to our City and Port bringing millions of dollars in grants for safe streets, road repairs, clean energy fueling and charging infrastructure, and so much more in Year 3.

I also had the great experience of representing the City of Long Beach at the National League of Cities City Summit in Kansas City in November, 2022. I also had the great honor to accept the 2022 Digital Cities Survey First Prize award on behalf of the City of Long Beach. Thank you to our amazing Technology and Innovation team for all their hard work advancing access and engagement tools for our residents. The conference as a whole was a tremendously rewarding experience, as not only did I get to connect with Council Members and Mayors from across our country, but I got to attend some amazing panel discussions and learned a lot. Here are a few of the topics I learned more about:

Early childhood education

Transformative infrastructure finance

Micromobility and uses of the public right of way

Public safety communications

Micro housing to serve the homeless population

Retaining talent in your city

And I heard from so many other cities about how they look to Long Beach for guidance on sustainability and good government practices.

And closing out the year, I was so honored on December 20, 2022 to be the only Council Member nominated, and then selected unanimously, as Vice Mayor. The Vice Mayor of the City Council is selected every two years to serve as the Chair of City Council meetings in cases where the Mayor is not present, represent the City in events where the Mayor is unavailable, and support the efforts of fellow City Council members. This is an important role on the City Council, and I look forward to working with my colleagues and Mayor Richardson to advance the interests of our entire community. (Link to Video of the Nomination and Vote)

This was a year of challenges and progress, and my team and I worked with constituents, advocacy groups on multiple sides of many issues, and stakeholders in neighborhoods, downtown, and the port to craft the best policies we could. In the sections to follow are descriptions of some of our accomplishments this year, and some policies I supported that were championed by my colleagues.

Economic Development

On Economic Development, I was proud to finish out my second year as Vice Chair of the Economic Development and Finance Committee of the City Council. We prioritized economic empowerment zones, industry clusters, and small business support, including work on a significant expansion of local preference in City contracting and purchasing. I look forward to prioritizing supporting our local businesses, workers, and economic activity in the coming year.

We also dedicated significant time to creating a better business environment for our legitimate local cannabis operators by examining the tax structures they face. To ease the burden on our local operators, we capped cannabis revenues at $12 million in this year’s budget, and will rebate anything received in excess of this amount back to our businesses. We also slashed our local cultivation tax rate, and advocated as a City for State bills that aimed to create a more equitable tax climate for cannabis businesses and help make the legal cannabis market more competitive with the illicit market.

I also introduced in March 2022 an amendment to our municipal code to increase local preference for businesses applying for City contracts. This policy had not been updated in over a decade, and as a former small business owner, this is something that I have been very passionate about. Local businesses are the heart of our city and we need to make sure that we give them preference. They have invested in our city, they hire in our city, they support other local businesses and restaurants. Local businesses who operate in this city should know that if they decide to open up shop here in our city, we will support them as a city by providing better opportunities for their success. On February 7, 2023 we approved a significant item that increases the local hire preference cap to $50,000 from $10,000 and broadens the preference program to include RFPs for the first time. I am so proud of our City Council for passing this program to keep more of our dollars local and support local businesses.

On keeping and expanding homegrown businesses, at the end of 2021 our City Council passed a resolution of formal City support that I had introduced to coincide with Mayor Garcia, our County Supervisor Janice Hahn, and our State Senator Lena Gonzalez supporting Molina Healthcare’s bid. In 2022 I am happy to report that Molina Healthcare won the contract and will be expanding their team and hiring many additional workers in the county, including more for their headquarters and healthcare facilities in Long Beach.

One nexus of economic development and cultural inclusion that I was proud to partner with Congressman Garcia on while he was Mayor is the LGBTQ Cultural District on Broadway. Project stakeholders have convened to create a community vision for the creation of an LGBTQ+ cultural district recognizing and supporting the LGBTQ+ community located along the Broadway Corridor. This area on Broadway running between Alamitos and Junipero Avenues has long been home to a strong and active LGBTQ+ community. Many of Long Beach’s gay bars and LGBTQ+ businesses are located along the corridor, and the area has been a longstanding and important place for the LGBTQ+ community to gather and organize.

By designating the area as a Cultural District, we hope to design ways to educate visitors about the cultural and historical significance of the LGBTQ+ community in the neighborhood, support the LGBTQ+ businesses and institutions in the district, and invest in public improvements to ensure the LGBTQ+ community continues to thrive.

On the Recovery Act, while I briefly mentioned some highlights earlier, which I will restate, there is so much more to cover.

Here is a link to the Recovery Act Data Dashboard for those more interested in the data- https://app.powerbigov.us/view?r=eyJrIjoiODcxMzhhMTctYmQ0OS00NWY3LThlMTctNTE2ODAwZmYwZWIwIiwidCI6IjMxM2YxMWMzLTQyNjgtNGY2YS04ZDNiLWM3ZTY1MDE4M2U3OCJ9

My favorite Highlights:

$1.85 Million for the Non-Profit Relief Grants

$3.54 Million for Personal Services and Fitness Grants

$3.54 Million for Restaurant/Brewery and Bar Grants

$1.43 Million for Small Business Recovery Grants

And our Bizcare team processed 1,396 requests for information through their assistance call center and 77 additional requests by email

-Hosted 167 pop-ups to help businesses access programs

Circuit Free Shuttles between Retro Row and Downtown Long Beach

While I regularly hear frustration from small business owners in our City about all sorts of aspects of running a business (and I know that small business ownership is not for the faint of heart), these grant implementations were a very different time. I heard from folks I have known for years, and new businesses in the 2nd District for whom these grants were a lifeline. And I know how much the Bizcare outreach and engagement was appreciated. I know we will be conducting more outreach and making City processes better and easier for our small businesses going forward, we must do so if we are to support innovative and beloved local entrepreneurs and fixtures of our community.

Infrastructure Upgrades

On infrastructure, this past year we saw some progress in our neighborhoods, and most exciting we have a great 5-year plan that I will share below.

In Rose Park, Carroll Park, Zaferia and Alamitos Beach, we were happy to facilitate and see significant improvements take place. Some of the work we were able to complete includes:

Lowered speed limits on more than 100 street segments throughout the City - including the following in District 2:
7th Street, from Alamitos to Junipero, will be reduced to 30 miles per hour
10th Street, from Alamitos to Temple, will be reduced to 25 miles per hour
Alamitos, from Ocean to 7th Street, will be reduced to 25 miles per hour
Obispo, from PCH to 10th Street, and from 10th to Broadway, will be reduced to 20 miles per hour
Temple, from PCH to 7th Street, and from 7th Street to Ocean, will be reduced to 20 miles per hour
Walnut, from 7th Street to 3rd Street, will be reduced to 20 miles per hour
1st Street, from Alamitos to Cherry, and from Cherry to Redondo, will be reduced to 20 miles per hour
3rd Street, from Alamitos to Junipero, will be reduced to 25 miles per hour
4th Street, from Alamitos to Rose Place, will be reduced to 25 miles per hour
4th Street, from Rose Place to Junipero, will be reduced to 20 miles per hour
4th Street, from Junipero to Temple, will be reduced to 25 miles per hour
Broadway, from Alamitos to Redondo, will be reduced to 25 miles per hour
Florida Street, from Orange to Hermosa, will be reduced to 15 miles per hour
Replaced damaged curbs on 1st street in Bluff Park
Trimmed trees near streetlights and where branches were reported in front of stop signs and at head-height on sidewalks, as well as many palm frond trimmings where allowed by regulations
Repairing the curb and loading zone in front of a condo in Bluff Park
Secured planters and access for Friends of Miracle on 4th Street Park to beautify their neighborhood park and provide a monarch waystation
Supported beautification of 4th Street by Leadership Long Beach and Salon Benders on MLK Day of Service

And we also secured additional funding for pedestrian safety, accessibility, and community recreation amenities including:

A new Rapid Flashing Beach at Ocean and Falcon to provide a safer crossing of Ocean Blvd

ADA Access Mats including at Alamitos Beach

The Wibit water playground at Alamitos Beach

The free micro-transit shuttle, LB Circuit, connecting Alamitos Beach to Downtown

And in exciting news the Saltwater Deck concession stand is open, and remains open during current construction on the beach around the Junipero beach lot. At my request we had them cater a City Council meeting, and other City departments are trying to help boost support during this disruption as well.

We spent much of the year designing our upcoming tree plantings across the district and identifying priority locations. That being said, I am open to suggestions! Keep an eye out for a kickoff soon and send us your empty tree well locations!

Coming up in Year 3 we have more exciting projects, including but not limited to:

Junipero Sport Courts

A Pride Tower hub for community activation along the beach path

And on the upcoming Bixby Park Improvements project, my office held a community update and feedback meeting at Bixby Park on 12/7/22 to review the results of the community survey sent out in late 2022.

Downtown (and Alamitos Beach, Retro Row, Bluff Park, and Bluff Heights) Beach Streets special event that will run through much of 2nd District

Refreshing the Rose Park gazebo and mosaic tiles

Bluff planting and sculpture improvements on the bluff beneath the Long Beach Museum of Art

Last Fall during the budget process, I worked to ensure that $300,000 in funding was included in the Budget as part of the 5-year infrastructure plan to support the Bluff Park Historic Lamppost project. During our final adoption hearings, I advocated for and successfully secured an additional $400,000 in one-time Measure A funds, bringing the total to the $700,000 needed to complete the project. Last month, City Council approved our end of the year budget report, ensuring that the full funding amount will be available to complete the project.

Finally, my office has been in constant communication with Public Works about street safety improvements on 3rd St including for crosswalks around Horace Mann Elementary, and I look forward to making significant progress on this project in the coming year. Thank you to the residents who have consistently advocated and organized for this neighborhood priority, which has kept it at the top of my list!

And we are currently working with the Carroll Park neighborhood to ensure that any planned infrastructure improvements support the character of the neighborhood and are aligned with feedback from residents.

And here is the 5-year Measure A investment map for CD2 for FY23 to FY27. Please contact my office with any questions about this plan.

https://www.longbeach.gov/citymanager/measure-a/

Public Safety & Homelessness

I know how important it is to feel safe in our community, and I have received concerns from many in our district about those feelings of safety in the past year. Many residents in the past year have also called and emailed myself and my office to voice concerns about residential and commercial burglaries. At the same time, we have seen what seems to be a significant rise in homeless populations throughout our community. I have worked with my colleagues, with Mayor Garcia, and with City staff to help tackle these two challenges, and I look forward to working with Mayor Richardson in the upcoming year to continue our progress.

On January 10 our City Council declared a state of emergency on homelessness, pivoting more of our resources and focus than ever before to our homelessness response so we can save lives, and I look forward to sharing that progress with you in the upcoming year.

My office also hosted a year-end Community Safety meeting on December 12 at Bixby Park (which filled most seats in the room) with our Health Department Director Kelly Colopy and Police Chief Wally Hebeish on hand to address resident questions and concerns.

We have a long way to go, and I encourage residents with constructive ideas on how to improve safety in our community to reach out to my office. Additionally, for folks who are interested in joining the City’s augmented response to homelessness whether as a volunteer or by donating supplies or food, please reach out to my office and we will get you connected.

Navigating the City’s Response to Homelessness

What should I do if someone is asking for help?

If a person is asking for help and it is a health or safety emergency, let them know that you can call 9-1-1 on their behalf. If possible, remain with the person and provide comfort until response arrives.

If it is not an emergency, engage the person in conversation. If the person tells you they are experiencing homelessness, encourage them to reach out for assistance by visiting the Multi-Service Center (MSC), located at 1301 W. 12th St., or by calling 562.570.4500 or emailing [email protected]. You can also request outreach staff on the person’s behalf at 562.570.4672 (4MSC).

What should I do if someone appears to need medical or mental health support?

If you see someone who is unresponsive or appears to be having a medical or mental health crisis and needs immediate help, call 9-1-1. Observe the situation and provide 9-1-1 dispatch with relevant information.

If the person is not in an immediate crisis or emergency, request the City’s specialized Restorative Engagement to Achieve Collective Health (REACH) teams at 562.570.4MSC. REACH teams consist of a mental health clinician, public health nurse and outreach worker who can come and provide assessments and linkages to care. REACH teams operate weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with expected expansion into weekends when additional staffing is secured.

What do I do if someone is on my property?

If any person is trespassing on your property, call the City’s non-emergency phone tree at 562.435.6711 or 9-1-1 for emergencies.

What should I do if someone is blocking the entrance to my business or causing a disruption?

If a person is blocking your ability to open or enter the business, inform them that you are trying to enter and ask them to vacate the space. If they refuse, you can call the City’s non-emergency phone tree at 562.435.6711. If the person has been sleeping in front of your business for multiple nights, request outreach services through [email protected] or by calling 562.570.4MSC.

If a person is in mental distress or causing a disruption, ask the person if they need emergency services. If they do not respond, ask them to leave. If they refuse, inform them you are calling the Police Department and call 9-1-1.

If I see an encampment, should I contact someone about it?

If you see a new encampment, report it through [email protected] or by calling 562.570.4MSC. This will allow outreach staff to come out and engage people for services. If the encampment has been there for a while, it is likely that outreach staff are already aware, but you can you still report it to ensure outreach is being conducted.

If you are worried about excess trash or waste in encampments, use the Go Long Beach app to report illegal dumping.

What should I do if I witness a crime by or against someone who appears to be experiencing homelessness?

If you witness any person committing a criminal act, report any suspicious activity by calling the City’s non-emergency phone tree at 562.435.6711 or 9-1-1 for emergencies.

Homelessness does not define someone and is not a crime. Community members experiencing homelessness are also brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, friends and even coworkers. With the support and expertise of trained professionals, community-based organizations and community members, we can help people achieve permanent housing with the tools and resources needed to continue in housing for years to come.

Outreach is a vital part of the City’s homelessness response efforts, allowing staff to meet people where they are, build relationships and inform people of resources available. In the past year, the Health Department’s Homeless Services Bureau outreach teams responded to 2,050 requests for outreach and engaged with more than 2,858 people. Of those, 69 people with significant mental health and physical health care needs were enrolled in ongoing services through REACH.

For more information on the City’s efforts to reduce homelessness in Long Beach, people may visit longbeach.gov/homelessness and follow @lbhealthdept and @longbeachcity on social media and follow the hashtag #EveryoneHomeLB.

Below are some additional items I have worked on in Year Two, and there is so much more to come!

In July 2022 I joined then-Vice Mayor Richardson and Councilwoman Saro to request additional community oriented policing to build trust throughout our community

In our FY23 budget we added 16 community bike officers to begin to augment this focus

I supported an addition of $270,480 in the budget for the Community Crisis Response Program that will pilot non-police crisis response teams focused on responding to non-violent, noncriminal, and non-medical calls for service related to mental health crises

I also introduced an item to purchase Drink Safety Kits and distribute them to bars and restaurants to increase safety for residents and visitors as they enjoy our city’s nightlife establishments. Keep an eye out for this program to begin this year!

I also pushed for an update on PD real-time communications following recent public safety incidents, that memo is out and I have asked for a robust presentation to the City Council of its contents.

I prioritized food safety and well-publicized kitchen and food facility inspection processes that treat all operators fairly. Link to item.

I also pushed for a faster public outreach process and drafting of new regulations for mobile food facilities and food trucks following recently enacted state laws that changed local regulatory authority.

And on housing I cosponsored an item in November 2022 to look into incentivizing the adaptive reuse of vacant buildings in our downtown alongside Councilwoman Zendejas and then-Vice Mayor Richardson.

Climate Action & Environmental Committee Chair

Term 2021-2022

In the last two years I have learned so much about what our City and region are doing to address climate change. I have had the privilege to serve as the Chair of the City’s Climate Action and Environmental Committee and I also serve on the Energy and Environment Committee for the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). We have accomplished so much in these two years and there are a number of ongoing projects that I will be keeping my eye on.

This past year, I led my colleagues in approving our final City Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. I am also proud to have supported electrifying our growing Refuse fleet, speeding up electrification of trucks and yard equipment in the Port of Long Beach, and sharing more public information about electric vehicle charging opportunities in the City of Long Beach and hydrogen fueling stations.

I introduced several important items to the City Council that I am proud of. The largest was a resolution to join the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES), which I mentioned in the introduction to this letter. Another important item in the short-term and long-term was one to streamline our solar and battery charging permitting process for local residents and businesses. This is a huge step as streamlining our solar and battery permitting increases local clean energy generation, reduces costs for customers, increases electrification potential for both home appliances and electric vehicle adoption, and helps local solar companies grow bringing business to Long Beach.

At the Climate Action and Environmental Committee, this past 2-year term I requested a number of informative reports and assessments to drive policy action and our Committee forwarded several recommendations to the City Council. The climate affects every aspect of our lives, and it is affected by so many of our policies as well. It’s a broad list, but an important one.

A presentation on battery charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations throughout Long Beach.

Requested a future presentation on potential development of anaerobic digestion at SERRF and future plans for the site.

A presentation on potential impacts of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act on the goals of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.

A presentation on the drought that worsened throughout much of 2022.

Requested a future presentation on California’s E-Bike Grant Program administered by CARB and what residents may expect.

Requested a future presentation on California’s E-Bike Grant Program administered by CARB and what residents may expect.

Requested a future presentation on various efforts aimed at removing trucks from the I-710, including Pier B on-dock rail, future electrification efforts, and any other relevant efforts or proposed projects identified by staff.

One such project that I brought to the Committee and then to the City Council involves investigating a proposal from the Infrastructure Funding Alliance aimed at creating an electrified freight guideway for containers to move out of the Port of Long Beach without the use of trucks. Item Link

Agendized a presentation titled "Reducing Reliance on City Revenue from Oil Production" Memo and succeeded in getting a feasibility study design funded for ending oil drilling in the City of Long Beach. This study will be underway in 2023 and will inform our next steps to phase out oil drilling locally.

Recommended to the City Council that the City Manager work with the Harbor Department to explore discussions with another major international port city with the intentions of creating a green shipping corridor similar to the one in development between the Ports of Los Angeles and Shanghai, including exploring joining the Los Angeles/Shanghai clean shipping corridor as a partner. (The City Council approved this recommendation and the Port joined the LA/Shanghai clean shipping corridor in 2022).

Worked with City staff and the Sustainable City Commission to develop the City’s Youth Climate Corps program to align jobs for young people with the emerging clean energy sectors that will power the future of our region and address climate change.

Began the discussion with City staff and local advocates to discuss how we get to the electrification of new buildings and the replacement of fossil fuel appliances.

Looking forward to hearing back about progress to reduce the use of leaded aviation fuel by small aircraft at our Airport.

Looking forward to a progress update on the staffing of our newly-budgeted Office of Climate Action, which I supported strongly in the FY23 Budget.

Also, at SCAG we are working on a Greenprint to change the way we design development and future housing and community expansions with more of a focus on the environment.

Equity & Equality

The year 2022 continued with more strong work uplifting community needs for representative spaces and supporting safe, free expression.

We are moving ahead with project planning for a Pride lifeguard tower community activation node with $50,000 budgeted to begin design work. I look forward to sharing more information as we move ahead with design!

Also this year I had the great honor to serve as the Morris Kight Grand Marshal for the Long Beach Pride Parade. Long Beach Pride does incredible work ensuring that residents can safely celebrate all our beautiful selves and come together.

LGBTQ Cultural District community outreach meeting in October 2022

Agenda Item Link establishing the Cultural District process

Progress Pride Crosswalks

During the budget process last Fall, I made a motion to increase structural funding for additional library staffing and opening hours and provide additional funding for books and materials. My motion was unanimously passed by my Council colleagues and today we are seeing an additional $800,000 in funding for library materials while efforts to increase staffing continue. I am strongly supportive of our library system and the support and resources it provides for our residents. When I was growing up and going to Poly High School, our libraries were some of the only places I could go to that were safe and welcoming environments for me to learn, read, and do my homework in a quiet place. I am committed to making sure our libraries stay open and have the resources to support the next generation of youth in Long Beach.

And I am proud to have supported the prioritization of additional funding for a number of important priorities during our Budget Adoption for when any one-time surplus funding became available at Fiscal Year-end. These include:

$800,000 for the Library Department for additional materials

$200,000 for our Language Access Program

$150,000 for our Health Department to support increased access to reproductive health in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade

$300,000 for additional support for the Justice Fund

$450,000 for our Guaranteed Income Pilot program to support single income households

And I was proud to co-sponsor an item brought by Councilwoman Suely Saro regarding the feasibility of creating a Cultural Vision Plan for the City of Long Beach. Item here.

With regards to the status of women in Long Beach and across our country, we have done so much this year, and we have more to come in 2023!

In 2021, I led my colleagues in establishing a Commission on Women and Girls. This year we funded the Commission and conducted a wide-ranging survey on what residents of Long Beach hope to see from this new Commission. I am excited to share that we will formally vote on the ordinance enacting the Commission in 2023 and will empanel its members shortly thereafter!

In June 2022 it was my privilege to come together with scared, hurt women in our community after the bigoted and wrong Dobbs v Jackson decision.

I was also proud to join then-Mayor Robert Garcia on an item in February 2022 to protect those who come here seeking reproductive health care, to support the State of California’s Constitutional Amendment to protect the right to an abortion as well. Here’s a link to that item. And I still adamantly support the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.

The creation of a Long Beach Commission on Women & Girls will provide a space for specific education, outreach, and advocacy in our communities for the advancement of women and girls that is long overdue. This commission will create leadership roles for cis, trans, and all who identify as female, and will discuss women-specific issues like the wage gap and disproportionate domestic violence, among others.

With regards to economic equity, here are several items I was proud to introduce that promote equity:

Support for the Healthcare Worker Minimum Wage item, which will be coming to the March 2024 ballot after a petition drive paused implementation of the Council-approved ordinance

Support for free and fair elections for the unionization drives at Starbucks, with the City’s first unionized location in the 2nd District at 7th and Redondo. The right to organize is a fundamental worker’s right.

Budgetary support for the Guaranteed Income Pilot program targeting single parents in 90813, the city’s poorest zip code

And finally, on the topic of accessibility to our wonderful waterfront amenities for all Long Beach residents, we have installed three Access Mats on our beaches. One at Alamitos Beach, one at Granada Beach, and one at Mother’s Beach. I am pushing for permanent access to the water at the Pride Tower and additional Access Mat locations in the future. Thank you to all the members of our Citizen’s Advisory Commission on Disability for your leadership.

Conclusion

Looking ahead:

And I am proud to announce that this year our City will be nominating and confirming our first ever Commission on Women and Girls for our community. This effort has been underway for over 40 years, and I am beyond excited to watch the process of selecting and seating the inaugural members of this Commission play out this year. Please contact my office if you are interested in more details or in applying, and we will keep you updated throughout.

And we just declared a public health and safety emergency on homelessness, after 101 people died on our streets last year. This declaration by the City Council on January 10, 2023 has already begun prioritizing City resources and efforts more than ever before and will get people housed and save lives.

And finally, with Mayor Richardson, Congressmember Garcia, Assemblymember Lowenthal, and Councilwomen Dr. Joni Ricks-Oddie, Megan Kerr, and Kristina Duggan assuming office (marking the largest-ever female majority on our Council), we are poised to not only continue the progress of the past two years, but to expand upon it tremendously.

The diverse and wonderful neighborhoods of the 2nd District have also been great to engage with over the past year.

Rose Park

In Rose Park we have new restaurants, beautiful art in newly-paved alleyways and construction is nearing completion for a blighted corner to become modern townhomes, and we worked with neighborhood leaders and our Traffic Engineer to reduce speed limits on some narrow neighborhood streets. Additionally, in our last City budget, I was able to secure funding for restoring the gazebo and mosaic in Rose Park. My team is currently in the process of working with Public Works and neighborhood leaders to gain ideas for the restoration and move this project forward.

Bluff Park

We had a wonderful year in Bluff Park. Bluff Park Neighborhood Association and Historic District celebrated their 40th anniversary of being a Historic District and 50th as a neighborhood association in 2022. Neighbors came together quarterly for neighborhood clean ups and neighborhood association meetings. Rahul in my office especially enjoyed getting to meet so many neighbors at the movie screening and block party in October. Thank you to the clean team for coming out each time to help us pick up those big items in the alley ways!

Last Fall during the budget process, I worked to ensure that $300,000 in funding was included in the Budget as part of the 5-year infrastructure plan to support the Bluff Park Historic Lamppost project. During our final adoption hearings, I advocated for and successfully secured an additional $400,000 in one-time Measure A funds, bringing the total to the $700,000 needed to complete the project. Last month, City Council approved our end of the year budget report, ensuring that the full funding amount will be available to complete the project.

Bluff Heights

This year my team spent time meeting with the Bluff Heights Neighborhood Association, Former Principal Tracey Fiala, PTA Members, Public Works, and PD to improve traffic safety around Horace Mann Elementary. Bluff Heights Neighborhood Association are fierce advocates for walkability.

In Bluff Heights neighbors came together to celebrate the centenary of the Immanuel Senior Housing building. This historic building was first built in 1922 and served the community as a church for more than 80 years, even surviving the 1933 earthquake. In 2012, the church closed its doors and the building was converted into 25-units of senior housing. Across the Historic District nearly 40 homes turned 100 years old in 2022, and thanks to the efforts of the Bluff Heights Neighborhood Association my office was able to award each of these property owner’s with a certificate to celebrate the milestone!

Thank you to President Donna Sievers for highlighting the history in our neighborhood.

Zaferia

My team attends nearly every monthly cleanup they host (on the 4th Saturday every month except for December)

And we are getting to know the difficult parking situation in this neighborhood as well so we’re planning a community meeting to discuss possible solutions in Year 3.

It’s also been wonderful to work with the Zaferia Business Association this year. They are a great partner and I am proud to support their events and activations.

Alamitos Beach

After speaking with residents of the Alamitos Beach Neighborhood Association and attending their meetings last year, I made it a priority to echo their need for increased safety measures for pedestrians. I advocated for lower speed limits in our district and now we will soon see 12 streets in Alamitos Beach with lowered speed limits.

My team and I also met with our City Traffic Engineer to focus on impacted parking in the Alamitos Beach area and are currently working with city staff to bring these ideas to fruition.

Lastly, I am proud to have supported the beginning of a new era for Miracle on 4th Street Park. Neighbors of the park led the establishment of Friends of Miracle on 4th St Park with a mission to beautify the park and create a more family friendly environment.

The Fourth Street Retro Row area is a major attraction in the Second District. The small business corridor features inventive restaurants and bars and eclectic businesses. My team and I regularly work with the 4th St. BID on their priorities and contribute to infrastructural and public safety needs, and events such as 4th Fridays and the annual Holiday Market.

Carroll Park

Carroll Park is one of the most unique and special neighborhoods in the City. My office supports the Carroll Park Neighborhood Association and Carroll Park residents by hosting in-person and virtual meetings to discuss neighborhood priorities. We are currently working with the Neighborhood Association to ensure that any planned infrastructure improvements support the character of the neighborhood and are aligned with feedback from residents.

Friends of Bixby Park

And I am grateful for the heart and soul shown by the Friends of Bixby Park to care about the park, share their thoughts through our Bixby Park Improvements survey, and to show up in numbers to our community meetings there. My team regularly attends their monthly cleanups and sponsors park events hosted by the group. They are a strong voice for Bixby Park and I appreciate their input and feedback on how we can improve the park and its surrounding areas.

Thank you for reading all the way through this lengthy update. I wanted you to know what we have been up to in the district, on behalf of the whole city, and some of the things we have been working on that haven’t yet come to fruition. After our first year I shared that one year seems like a long time in one sense, but in another sense it’s nowhere near enough time to make the progress that this district deserves. I feel the same way about year two. We’ve made a lot of progress but there is still so much work to be done!

Welcome to Year 3 everyone, please keep reaching out to me and my team with your ideas and vision, and we’ll keep working hard on your behalf.

In Service,