July 2010 Archives

For those who haven't read my column about how some City Council members' vacations coincide with some key meetings, check it out and then cast your vote in the poll below.

Bloomberg interviewed Long Beach Director of Financial Management Lori Ann Farrell this month about the city's proposed marijuana tax ballot measure. A public hearing and council vote on whether to put the tax on the November ballot for voters to decide is expected Aug. 3.

When you watch the video, notice the marijuana leaf background and the puffs of smoke as the screen switches from Farrell to the reporter.

After a week of political maneuvering, the City Council unsurprisingly deadlocked on its vote to elect a new vice mayor. Val Lerch, who left office as the 9th District councilman Monday, had held the post for two years.

The position is a mostly ceremonial role for a council member to preside over meetings and attend events in the mayor's stead. Both 4th District Councilman Patrick O'Donnell and 2nd District Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal want the title, which can add clout for future runs for office. Those on O'Donnell's side say the most senior member of the council -- which would be O'Donnell or 8th District Councilwoman Rae Gabelich -- should be vice mayor, while Lowenthal says it should be based on qualifications.

With Councilman Gary DeLong absent, the council voted 4-4 first to postpone the decision, then again to appoint 4th District Councilman Patrick O'Donnell as vice mayor. Second District Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal also wants the position. Lowenthal, Garcia, Johnson and Councilman Dee Andrews voted against O'Donnell, while he was supported by Schipske, Neal and Gabelich. DeLong is also a Lowenthal supporter and was going to vote by teleconference from the Bahamas, but he canceled that plan.

The vice mayor vote will continue to be placed on the agenda at every upcoming meeting until a vice mayor is chosen, because the City Charter requires that the post be filled after new members are sworn in.

This was just released from the city, but no specific time is mentioned:

On July 20, 2010, noise testing will be conducted on two aircraft, a B727 and a 747.  During the early afternoon, each of the aircraft will conduct four (4) consecutive approaches and departures from LGB.

After supporting a proposal by City Councilman Gary DeLong last week to reduce the number of council meetings to two per month, Councilman Robert Garcia is now reversing his stance. DeLong pulled the proposal off of the agenda last week. On Garcia's Facebook page, as well as in a letter that is running in Tuesday's Press Telegram and should be online soon (see the letters page), he says he was wrong. From his Facebook page:

I've been thinking these last few days about the proposal that I was supporting to reduce City Council meetings to twice a month to save money. After much discussion and listening to friends and neighbors, I realized that I was wrong on that issue. I'm glad we never voted on it and the item was pulled.

I asked Garcia by e-mail to explain what exactly changed his mind. Here's his response:

My initial thought was that it could result in some budget savings, however my neighbors and friends made some great arguments mostly about access and transparency.  I consider myself a strong supporter of open government, so I would never want to support amything that would limit government transparency.

TERMINAL ISLAND - Those helicopters whirling around above the port Wednesday morning were involved in an anti-terrorism training exercise involving the Coast Guard and LA County Sheriff's Department.

To check out a video of the event, courtesy of Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Adam Eggers, click here.

Pictures are available here.

Striking office workers at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are set to resume negotiations with shipping companies Wednesday as the parties inch closer to an agreement covering about 900 workers.

The union representing office workers dropped picket lines late Sunday in favor of renewed talks after an 11-day walkout. About 130 members walked off the job July 1 in a rotating strike targeting five marine terminals.

Office workers are represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, who also represent thousands of dockworkers bound by a separate contract.

Their efforts were twice undermined by labor arbitrator rulings that found the strike was "illegitimate" because the union had failed to bargain in good faith - preventing longshoremen from honoring picket lines.

The shipping company coalition - the Harbor Employers Association - issued a statement Tuesday saying talks to reach a "fair and equitable contract" will resume Wednesday.

When Anthony Batts left his position as Long Beach's police chief last year, there was much speculation as to why. Batts said it was because he wanted a new challenge in Oakland. Many people noted that Long Beach budget cuts were going to slash the department back to the same level as when he became chief in 2002.

Now, Batts is facing a greater challenge at his new department, which is expected to lay off 10 percent of its force -- that's 80 police officers. The Press-Telegram's sister newspaper, the San Jose Mercury News, has just reported that a deadline to reach a deal with the police union just passed at 5 p.m. this afternoon. It looks like the layoffs are going to happen.

What that means for Oakland, according to statements Batts made about two weeks ago, is that police won't be responding to all crimes. From that article:

OAKLAND -- Shootings, robberies and other crimes of violence in progress still will get a quick police response if 80 officers are laid off July 13.

But police Chief Anthony Batts said Friday that dozens of other crimes -- including burglaries, stalkings, thefts, extortions and vandalism -- will have to be reported online if the job cuts happen.

And some incidents, such as noninjury traffic accidents, will not get any officer response.

I guess that if Batts went to Oakland for a new challenge, he got one.

The City Council on Tuesday approved Mayor Bob Foster's appointments to the Blue Ribbon Commission on Funding Arts and Culture, which will be looking for new and innovative ways to fund arts in Long Beach. Here is the list of commissioners:

• Larry Black, owner and operator of the Varden Hotel
• Blair Cohn, executive director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association
• Carina Cristiano Leoni, project director of the Connected Corridor
• Julie Heggeness, attorney and director of Trusts and Estates for Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children's Hospital
• Antonio Ruiz, founder of the Creativity Network
• Jan van Dijs, principle of J.R. van Dijs, Inc., who is involved in historical restoration
• Michele Wilson, an attorney involved with local arts groups
  

Read more about the commission members and the report that led to the commission's creation in the mayor's report below.

When Doug Haubert takes over Long Beach's city prosecutor office July 20, he will take over the important role of prosecuting the city's misdemeanor crimes. Haubert defeated Assistant City Prosecutor Tim O'Reilly in April's election, and current City Prosecutor Tom Reeves is leaving office because he ran for city attorney.

Haubert released the names of his transition team today. From his media release:

• Long Beach Deputy City Attorney Randall Fudge.  Mr. Fudge has over 15 years experience as a criminal prosecutor and civil litigator for the City of Long Beach, and is an expert on enforcement of public nuisance laws.
• Former Long Beach Assistant City Prosecutor Sharon Panian. Ms. Panian, a career prosecutor, headed up the City Prosecutor's Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit until her retirement in 2009.
• Long Beach City Auditor Laura Doud. City Auditor Doud, a Certified Fraud Examiner and CPA, is an expert on the city budget process.  She has served as the elected fiscal watchdog for the city since assuming office in 2006.
• Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Andrea Davalos. Prosecutor Davalos has 11 years criminal prosecuting experience, previously as a Deputy City Prosecutor for Long Beach, and now has a Deputy DA handling felonies and gang cases.
• Long Beach Attorney Douglas Otto. Mr. Otto, one of Long Beach's most respected attorneys, has practiced law in Long Beach for over 30 years, and has served on the city's Ethics Task Force (along with City Prosecutor-Elect Haubert), Planning Commission, and 2010 Strategic Planning Committee.

While the council looks at ways to save money, make money or spend money, Long Beach officials are still trying to get back some money that it lost when Lehman Brothers went under.

In September 2008, the city invested $19.9 million in short-term, 27-day commercial paper -- a common type of low-risk loan -- issued by Lehman Brothers. Twelve days later, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy.

The city is trying to recoup the money through bankruptcy proceedings, and on Tuesday the council approved spending an additional $100,000 for legal counsel, bringing the total to $199,000. The council heard an update on the bankruptcy case in closed session as well Tuesday, but City Attorney Bob Shannon said it hasn't been resolved yet. When that does happen, Long Beach probably won't get all of its money back, he said.

"There's no expectation that we're going to get a hundred cents on the dollar," Shannon said.

The city continues to use another avenue to recoup some of its money -- a fraud lawsuit that the council approved in December 2008 against Lehman Brothers officers and holding companies. In that case, two law firms are representing the city and won't get paid unless Long Beach wins or settles.

A familiar face to many around downtown, the Long Beach Police Department's former South Division commander, Jay Johnson, took the reigns Wednesday of the Newport Police Department. From the Daily Pilot:

Twenty-five years ago, Jay Johnson applied to be an officer at three police departments: Long Beach, Irvine and Newport Beach.

By the time Newport called him back for an interview, he already had a job offer from Long Beach. He took it. He stayed there and climbed the ranks.

On Wednesday Johnson, 45, returned to Newport Beach -- this time to be sworn in as chief of police.

Read the rest of the story here.