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

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.

We haven't heard much from Schipske's only opponent so far -- Mike Hedges, president and CEO of Pacific Striping in Signal Hill. RSVP to www.schipske4council.com.

The group plans to deliver a letter (Letter_to_POLB_Commission_re_ATA_Settlement.pdf) to city councilmembers, who were not involved or apparently informed in advance of the settlement (though Mayor Bob Foster was).

The deal has been widely criticized as a "sellout" to the powerful trucking industry, though port authorities defend it by saying it saves L.B. taxpayers potentially millions in legal fees without compromising the clean-air goals of the program, which bans pre-2007 model year rigs by Jan. 1, 2012. This contention has been hotly debated by many former allies in the fight to clean up harbor industry blamed for thousands of premature deaths via cancer, heart disease and lung ailments annually in communities surrounding the ports.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, which had joined L.A. and Long Beach in their lawsuit, blasted the Long Beach settlement, which was reached during a closed-door hearing Oct. 26.

"The Port of Long Beach violated the public trust and sold out the citizens of Long Beach by approving a worthless settlement agreement with the American Trucking Association in their lawsuit against the Los Angeles ports' clean trucks programs," said David Pettit, a senior attorney with the NRDC. 

Long Beach's deal leaves Los Angeles alone against the trucking industry in a lawsuit scheduled to begin in federal court this December. The main split between the port comes from the fact that Los Angeles wants trucking companies doing business on its waterfront to own and maintain the thousands of rigs they dispatch in and around the port daily. The Long Beach allows contract drivers to continue operating.

Opponents of the Long Beach plan note that contract drivers, who are paid by the load and responsible for their own fuel, insurance, lease payments, vehicle maintenance and general upkeep, are hardly in a position to support the expensive new rigs required under the clean-truck plan. A basic 2007 model truck can cost up to $100,000, while cleaner alt-fuel vehicles can fetch $200,000 or more. Meanwhile, studies show drivers earn about $10-$12 per hour after expenses.

This reality has forced Long Beach to offer deep subsidies to ensure drivers are able to purchase or lease new rigs - a business model opponents claim will ensure taxpayers and port authorities will be subsidizing drivers for years to come. 

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.

To attend Johnson's campaign kickoff, RSVP to Mike by e-mailing RSVP@johnsonforcitycouncil.com or by calling 562-522-9096.

 The C-130 had been dispatched from Northern California to search for a missing boater attempting to row a 12-foot skiff between Los Angeles and Catalina Island. One of four Marine helicopters conducting training exercises off Camp Pendleton's coastline hit the C-130 sometime around 7 p.m. Thursday.

A search continues for the seven missing Coast Guardsmen and the two Marines in the helicopter.

Just days ago, the Coast Guard had proudly displayed one of their C-130s during an air show at Los Alamitos Naval Base - an event that drew hundreds of people for an up-close look at the frequently used search-and-rescue planes.

It doesn't appear any of the missing were based out of Terminal Island, where the force has a long-established base, but it's unclear if they had served there in the past. Coast Guard members frequently move locations.

The Coast Guard Los Angeles-Long Beach sector issued a statement and update on the search on their blog.

IAM spokeswoman Janet Schabow was tight-lipped in a brief conversation today, only divulging that the agreement had been reached Wednesday. However, she said IAM members still must approve the amended contract, which would then go to the City Council for approval. Schabow said the council will hear the details of the contract in closed session next Tuesday.

Time is running out for a deal to be reached. The IAM has postponed pay raises twice since the new fiscal year began Oct. 1 to give negotiations more time. Without pay concessions by the IAM, City Manager Pat West has said the IAM members will have to take 15 days of furloughs over the next year. The union represents 3,800 city workers.

I'm still digging on this story and I'll hopefully have more about it online by the end of the day and in Friday's Press-Telegram.

Uranga kicked off her write-in campaign for a third term with a major endorsement this morning. The campaign kick-off and press conference was held at District Lodge 947 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents 3,800 of the city's rank-and-file workers. IAM spokeswoman Janet Schabow said the union is giving the incumbent its endorsement because of her commitment to support working families and city employees. Uranga is arguably the strongest labor proponent on the council.

"You have to recognize when someone has been your champion, and we do," Schabow said. "She's been our champion."

Uranga entered the race after her husband, Long Beach City College Trustee Roberto Uranga, dropped out two weeks earlier. Reyes Uranga was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006 to the council's 7th District, which includes parts of Wrigley, California Heights and the Westside. After two full terms, council members' names can't appear on the ballot, but they may run for a third term as a write-in.

However, having to run a write-in campaign may further weaken the strength of Uranga's incumbency, which may already be diminished because of the budget cuts the council was forced to make this year. The only Long Beach politician to get elected to a third term as a write-in candidate was the immensely popular Mayor Beverly O'Neill in 2002.

Uranga faces three opponents so far: Assistant City Auditor James Johnson, who has already raised a sizeable campaign war chest; Jill Hill, president of the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance; and Jack Smith, who works as a Hollywood line producer and is a local homeless and housing advocate. More challengers may yet surface as the April 13 election draws near. The candidate nomination period begins Dec. 21 and ends Jan. 15.

Here's a video clip of her speech, courtesy of C-SPAN and the Congresswoman's office.

"By helping Tesla stay and expand in California, this agreement will create valuable jobs for our battered economy," Lockyer said in an e-mailed statement. "And it will bring the added bonus of benefiting our environment. (Zero emission vehicles) are efficient and clean, and a critical weapon in our fight against climate change."

There is still no word yet on whether Tesla will choose Long Beach or Downey as the site for a new assembly plant. Tesla spokesman Ricardo Reyes said the tax credit agreement helps accelerate production, but he said site selection is a separate issue and that no decision has been made.

Existing law exempts the authority from paying the sales tax on equipment used to manufacturer advanced transportation products. Under a policy adopted in June of 2008, it can pass through that tax break to qualifying zero emission vehicle manufacturers.

Under the terms of the agreement, the authority will assume title of $320 million worth of manufacturing equipment purchased by Tesla directly from vendors. The authority won't pay the sales tax on the transaction and will transfer title of the equipment to Tesla, saving the company the sales tax costs.

New York, Newark, Oakland and Port Everglades in Florida have indicated they plan to emulate Los Angeles' plan, which differs significantly from the Long Beach plan on several fronts, including the need for concessions and requirements that companies doing business on their waterfront own and maintain the vehicles they dispatch to the city's marine terminals.

Both cities banned pre 1989 model year rigs from entering terminals on Oct. 1, 2008, and the ban continues through 2012, when only 2007 model-year trucks will be granted access. New models are up to 90 percent cleaner than older trucks, and the plan is expected to cut diesel pollution from rigs 80 percent by 2012. Trucks account for about 20 percent of the pollution emitted by port industry, which is California's largest single fixed source of pollution. Ships, trains and other dockside equipment emit the rest.

Sierra Club Exec. Dir. Carl Pope wrote, in part, that "litigation by the trucking industry relies on obscure federal law that wasn't designed to restrict the right of local governments to protect their residents' health. That's why Congress should act now to clarify the right of states and municipalities to protect their citizens from the lethal byproduct of cargo transport."

The full article can be read here.

The Verna Josephine, based out of San Pedro, sent out a distress signal late Tuesday, prompting Coast Guard Cutter Edito, which had been patrolling nearby, to respond. Nobody It's unclear what went wrong with the ship's engines, and after Edito towed the vessel into port early today, Coast Guardsmen will conduct a thorough search and evaluation of the boat to determine what went wrong.