Results tagged “City Council” from Press Corps

As the council prepared to go into a closed session, which now isn't going to happen, about the Los Cerritos Wetlands deal, Mayor Bob Foster announced that he plans to move up a scheduled presentation by the Environmental Protection Agency to early in the meeting. Foster said the presentation, which will address contaminants that have been found in the soil on the property that the city hopes to acquire and restore as wetlands, will happen after the public hearings at the beginning of the meeting. The item was listed on the agenda as No. 29, which would have happened late in the meeting, probably after 8 p.m. If moved up, the coucil will probably hear the EPA report by 6 p.m.

Watch the meeting online at www.longbeach.gov.

More than two years ago, 2nd District City Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal, impressed by the streetcars she saw during a trip to Portland, asked the council to have city staff conduct a study on implementing a street car system in Long Beach. Today, that report is coming back to the council for a special study session to hear about streetcar options and discuss where to go from here. The study session begins at 3:30 p.m. in City Hall, 333 W. Ocean Blvd.

Just as the Long Beach City Council is considering rules to regulate medical marijuana collectives, Los Angeles's own attempts to control the facilities are under threat of legal action by marijuana advocates, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Times writes:

Two medical marijuana groups are threatening to sue the city of Los Angeles if the City Council passes an ordinance that bans the sale of medical marijuana.

Read the full story here.

The City Council's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meets today to hear updates on several issues: the status of the Long Beach Breakwater study (which could lead to taking down parts of it), the use of Measure R transportation funds (approved by voters last year, it created a countywide half-cent sales tax), towing operations efficiencies, the permitting process for construction on wetlands and open space, and sports team field fees (which were increased this year).

In some cases, the three-member committee may forward recommendations to the full council, but nothing binding will be approved today. Still, these are some interesting items on the agenda today. See the agenda here.

The committee meets at 4:30 p.m. in City Hall, 333 W. Ocean Blvd.

Not since Snoop Dogg has a single man put Long Beach on the map the way West Coast Choppers owner Jesse James has. Now, the motorcycle builder is getting a bit of local recognition.

The Long Beach City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to rename a small section of Oregon Avenue between Anaheim and 12th streets as West Coast Choppers Place to honor the business, which is featured with James on the new show, "Jesse James is a Dead Man." Check out the video clip below about the show, in case you've never tuned in.

Let's be clear: Medical marijuana alleviates the pain from many serious illnesses. For those who use it, getting access to the drug is serious business.

But somehow, as the Long Beach City Council has discussed how to regulate medical marijuana collectives over the past few weeks, the puns just haven't stopped. At the Economic Development and Finance Committee meetings on the issue, members even promised the public they would stop with the pot jokes, although they didn't quite succeed.

Here are a few of the pot puns that have come up in meetings, interviews and articles:

The city wants to weed out the illegally operating medical marijuana dispensaries.

Officials are trying to hash out marijuana laws.

In my Sunday article about medical marijuana, I gave in to my punniness and described the city's efforts "to nip the issue in the bud."

As The District Weekly's Dave Wielenga reported last month, the inevitable question came up during a forum about medical marijuana: "What are you smoking?"

The marijuana puns may even be pervading my subconscious. A couple of weeks ago, as I wrote an article on another subject after covering a medical marijuana meeting, I put a dateline of "BONG BEACH" on my story. Luckily, I caught that before I sent the story on to my editor.

The only thing I haven't heard yet is a council member tell another: "Dude, stop bogarting the microphone."

 

City Attorney Bob Shannon has submitted his draft ordinance to regulate the growing number of medical marijuana collectives in Long Beach. Next Tuesday at 5 p.m., the council will discuss the ordinance, likely tweak it, and probably cast an initial vote toward making it law.

Among key points in Shannon's ordinance are requirements that collectives provide the names, addresses and phone numbers of all members; that collectives can operate only in commercial and industrial zoned areas, not residential zones or mixed use zones that contain residences; and that they can't be within 1,000 feet of a school, public park, public library, licensed child care facility, playground, youth center or another medical marijuana collective.

Here is Shannon's proposed ordinance: Marijuana draft ordinance.pdf.

And his lengthy legal analysis that he had previously submittted to the council: Legal anaylsis on regulating medical marijuana.pdf

Finally, City Prosecutor Tom Reeves' perspective on regulating medical marijuana: City Prosecutor on Medical Marijuana.pdf

Melody Ross, the 16-year-old girl who was fatally shot Friday night after the Wilson High-Poly High footballl game, wasn't on the agenda at Tuesday's council meeting. But she was on the minds of council members and the public alike.

Several council members and Mayor Bob Foster remarked on the teen's tragic death. A few members of the public demanded that the city create more park and recreation programs to keep youths out of trouble and more police to keep the streets safe.

Despite cuts implemented this year to every city department -- parks funding was drastically reduced and the number of police officers in Long Beach were slashed back to almost 2002 levels -- Councilman Gary DeLong noted that the council had voted at the end of the budget discussions to restore $500,000 to parks and rec programs.

Still, with more budget deficits expected through 2012, one has to wonder just how city officials will keep public safety programs -- both prevention and law enforcement -- at the levels that Long Beach needs. There's no way to know if Melody would have been saved if there had been just one more cop on the street or if the shooter had gotten a little more positive attention as a child. But having more of those resources couldn't hurt.

Because I've received a couple of calls from people wondering about the status of the medical marijuana dispensary regulation issue, here's the latest: Tuesday's City Council meeting agenda contains only an update of the Economic Development and Finance Committee deliberations. The committee's chairwoman, Councilwoman Rae Gabelich, had placed the update on the agenda at the beginning of last week, but then said later in the week following a contentious committee meeting that she was going to ask the council to have the city attorney draft a law regulating dispensaries.

That apparently never happened -- the meeting's supplemental agenda includes no change to the simple update that was originally agendized. The council could use the opportunity to ask for something more concrete and immediate, such as the creation of an ordinance. However, it isn't expected to do so because City Attorney Bob Shannon plans to give a full report on how the city could regulate medical marijuana at the Nov. 10 council meeting.

Medical marijuana has become a contentious -- actually, downright nasty -- issue around City Hall, last week causing this conflict during the committee's meeting.

The next City Council election isn't until April, but it's never too early to start getting to know the candidates. 7th District council candidate Jill Hill, president of the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance, is having a meet and greet event Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Bonanza Restaurant, 1810 W. Willow St.

The public is invited to the free event, and there will be appetizers and refreshments.

Running against Hill are Assistant City Auditor James Johnson and Jack Smith, a Hollywood line producer and local homeless and housing advocate. A third candidate, Long Beach City College Trustee Roberto Uranga, had been in the running, but he dropped out last week. However, his wife, 7th District Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga, whose seat is supposed to open up next year, has said she may run for a third term as a write-in candidate.

First District Councilman Robert Garcia will lead a community effort Saturday to improve parking on the west side of the city.

Garcia and his staff will lead 1st District community groups and resident volunteers to survey all red curb areas that may be unnecessary and to identify potential locations for new bicycle racks.

"This is an opportunity to create more parking, support greater use of bicycles, and to improve the air quality and the quality of life in our community," Garcia said. "More parking spaces means less time driving, and more bike racks encourage more biking."

Participants will meet Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Birdcage Coffeehouse on 4th Street, just west of Pacific Avenue. A free lunch will be served.

For the second time in two weeks, the City Council chose to delay a vote on furloughing members of Long Beach's largest employee association following an unusual decision to enter closed session for discussion. The council came back out into the open meeting and voted 8-1, with Councilman Gary DeLong dissenting, to postpone the vote until Nov. 3. Following are some more details from my previous blog entry. Read more in-depth coverage of the meeting later tonight at www.presstelegram.com.

After several public disagreements over whether to give City Manager Pat West the power to implement furloughs for members of the largest city workers union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the council just entered a closed session to talk more in-depth about the ongoing contract negotiations.

It's a strange move, and I don't recall the council ever entering closed session mid-meeting, at least in the two years and change that I've been at the Press-Telegram. Council members Tonia Reyes Uranga and Dee Andrews were the only council members to vote against entering closed session. They both said they wanted to delay a furlough vote until Nov. 3 to allow city and union officials more time for discussion.

If the union doesn't agree to a pay freeze, West says its members will have to take 15 days of unpaid furloughs over the next year.

The City Council may end up delaying a vote on employee furloughs for a second time in two weeks.

After several public disagreements over whether to give City Manager Pat West the power to implement furloughs for members of the largest city workers union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the council just entered a closed session to talk more in-depth about the ongoing contract negotiations.

It's a strange move, and I don't recall the council ever entering closed session mid-meeting, at least in the two years and change that I've been at the Press-Telegram. Council members Tonia Reyes Uranga and Dee Andrews were the only council members to vote against entering closed session. They both said they wanted to delay a furlough vote until Nov. 3 to allow city and union officials more time for discussion.

If the union doesn't agree to a pay freeze, West says its members will have to take 15 days of unpaid furloughs over the next year.

SEE! The Long Beach City Council vote tonight on furloughing employees.

HEAR! An angry property owner who doesn't want to sell a sliver of land at PCH and 2nd Street to create a turn lane.

FEEL! The excitement of democracy in action as the council talks about other issues as well, from higher refuse hauler fees to creating more transparency in union contract negotiations to controlling cat populations.

See the full meeting agenda here, plus the supplemental agenda with a few additions here. See my story about the main issues at tonight's meeting here.

If you can't make it down to City Hall for the 5 p.m. meeting, you can always watch it live online at www.longbeach.gov.

A lack of oversight and controls in Long Beach's Towing Operations creates "a high risk of fraud," according to an audit by City Auditor Laura Doud.

The audit will go to the City Council next week for discussion and was provided to the Press-Telegram on Monday.

"We don't have any hard factual evidence to prove that there was fraud," Doud said Monday.

But she said the opportunity was there for employees to "pocket cash" and erase records of the transaction with no oversight.

Read the rest of the story tonight at www.presstelegram.com. The full audit:  Towing Operations Audit.pdf.

City of Long Beach negotiators and representatives of the city's largest employee union didn't reach a contract deal Thursday that is a necessary step to finish eliminating a projected deficit for the fiscal year that already has begun, according to union spokeswoman Christa Indriolo. As an alternative, the City Council is scheduled Tuesday to vote on enacting 15 days of unpaid furloughs over the next year for the 3,800 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

However, Indriolo said today that while no agreement has been reached, the union is willing to postpone raises that were scheduled for Oct. 1 until Nov. 1. No IAM membership vote is needed for this delay, she said, but if negotiations break down, then the pay raise would be enacted retroactively to Oct. 1.

That may not matter if the council approves the furloughs, which would do away with the 4 percent raise that workers are scheduled to get this year. The sticking point also happens to be the union's fear of furloughs -- the IAM wants a guarantee of no furloughs in the 2010 fiscal year in exchange for delaying the promised pay raises.

Indriolo said the two negotiating teams will meet again next week to continue their talks. For now, they have a three-week reprieve to try to hammer out a deal, but time is quickly running out.

I've gotten several responses since last week's column offering to answer the public's questions for city officials or about Long Beach government. But I wanted to use this blog to remind our faithful readers about this opportunity. If there's anything you've always wondered about in Long Beach, or maybe there's a specific issue or project you're interested in, then e-mail me at paul.eakins@presstelegram.com and I will get your questions answered. At least, I will include answers to as many questions as I can in this monthly feature for my column, 333: Inside City Hall.

Really, your question can be anything, serious or quirky. Heck, if you want to ask fashionable 2nd District City Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal where she buys her clothes or ask 1st District Councilman Robert Garcia about why he is such a Superman fan, feel free.

 

 

If you live near the airport, then you're probably interested in the QuieterHomes Program that the City Council gave a final go-ahead to Tuesday night. I've been getting a lot of calls and e-mails, so below is information about how to find out whether your home may qualify for the program. Remember, only 27 homes at the southeastern end of the airport are being included in the program, which has upset residents at the northern end. See my stories about that issue here and here.

Residents can learn more about the program, see maps of the noise contour and find out if their home is included by going to www.lgb.org, then finding "Quieter Home Program" under the "Community Relations" bar in the directory on the left side of the screen. Residents can also call a toll-free number, 888-739-4090, or the airport's public affairs office at 562-570-2678.

A public informational meeting about the program is scheduled for Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m. in The Grand Long Beach Event Center, 4101 Willow Ave., airport spokeswoman Sharon Diggs-Jackson said Wednesday. She also said that she will send out letters Wednesday to the 27 residences that can join the QuieterHomes Program.

It looks like contract negotiations with the city of Long Beach's largest employee union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, aren't going well.

City Manager Pat West is asking the City Council at next Tuesday's meeting to approve 15 days of unpaid furloughs over the next year for the 3,800 workers represented by IAM. The furloughs are necessary to cut $10.1 million from all city budgets, including $3.5 million from the general fund, according to a staff report. What that will mean for residents is unclear, since IAM workers make up the bulk of city employees and handle most of the day-to-day services. For the last five months, City Hall and most city offices were closed one Friday per month as every city employee other than public safety workers was forced to take furloughs.

Negotiations seem to be going better with the other employee associations. The police association has already inked a money-saving deal with the city. Tuesday's meeting agenda includes new memorandums of understanding with unions representing firefighters, prosecutors, attorneys, management, lifeguards and confidential workers that will avoid pay raises in this fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, to keep the city's budget in the black.

The only employee association not mentioned in the agenda is the engineers union, with which city officials have said they are continuing to negotiate.

Police Chief Anthony Batts is officially out of Long Beach and on his way to his new gig running the Oakland Police Department. Well, not officially. His last day at work was on Friday, City Manager Pat West told me after Tuesday night's council meeting, but he is on vacation until his official last day on Oct. 19.

"Chief Batts has left the building," West said as he packed up to leave after a long day -- about 7 1/2 hours -- of City Council meetings.

 West said the city's three deputy police chiefs will rotate the chief's duties until Oct. 19, after which the rotation system may continue, or an interim chief may be named. West said he doesn't have a plan yet for beginning the search for Long Beach's next top officer.

In case you missed it, Batts is getting a hefty raise and some nice benefits in Oakland. Read my story about that here.