City Council dreaming

I'm no psychologist, but as I understand it, dreams are often a reflection of what you experience in your daily life.

For a Long Beach City Hall reporter, that means I often eat and breathe Long Beach politics.

Now, I'm dreaming them.

For the first time since I started spending every Tuesday night in that enormous, brutish-looking building on Ocean Boulevard that is the center of our municipal government about 10 months ago, I had a dream recently about a City Council meeting.

I can't remember all of the details, and I don't think the meeting was actually at City Hall in my dream, but I recognized a few council members' faces (I know there was at least one Lowenthal there).

Now, out of my head and into yours, here's a run-down of a few things the council will be discussing Tuesday (and perhaps of which I will be dreaming Wednesday):

• Sparked by Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal's effort for a one-year moratorium on new check-cashing businesses in the downtown area, the council will consider a citywide ban on more of the businesses. During that time, the Planning Commission is expected to consider what changes, if any, should be made to city laws to address an increasing number of check-cashing services around Long Beach.
• Members of several city boards, commissions and committees will be appointed.
• The council will set a hearing date to review a Parks and Recreation Commission decision to approve the creation of a cricket ground (you know, that odd British sport) in El Dorado Regional Park. Long Beach activist Ann Cantrell opposes the commission's decision because of issues such as that gophers will have to be poisoned and public park open space will be lost with the creation of the field. Blimey!

Want to know more? Check out the council agenda.