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Happy New Year, District 5! It’s hard to believe the end of 2023 is finally here. I hope you all enjoyed the winter holiday season and are looking forward to one more long weekend before kicking off the new year in full swing. I have learned so much in this first year in office. See below for a brief recap of some of CD5’s highlights over the last year. I thank you all for your continued engagement and support throughout 2023. I look forward to seeing and hearing from you in 2024!
As a reminder, a number of City facilities and services will be closed for the holiday observance on Monday, January 1st, including our CD5 Office. Refuse and recycling will not be picked up on Monday, January 1st, therefore, expect a delay in your refuse/recycling collection; also note that street sweepers will not run on Monday, January 1st. Parking meters will be enforced unless they say “exempt from holidays;” be sure to read the meters! Click here for a complete list of affected City facilities and services.
Still need New Year’s Eve plans? Join the free citywide celebration, “Fireworks on the Waterfront,” hosted by the Downtown Long Beach Alliance on Sunday, December 31st! There will be two fireworks displays, at 9pm and at midnight, to illuminate the downtown Long Beach skyline in a celebration of the new year! To help you get around town and celebrate safely, Long Beach Transit is offering complimentary service on all bus routes from 5:00pm on December 31st to about 1:00am on January 1st. Eight routes to and from the Downtown area will be running on extended schedules as well; click here for a complete list of extended routes and departure times.
If you haven’t already, there’s still plenty of time to recycle your Christmas tree at one of the City’s 12 Treecycling Drop-Off locations! Through January 12th, the drop-off sites are open Monday – Friday from 9am – 5pm and Saturday – Sunday from 9am – 3pm. Click here or see the flyer below to find the drop-off location nearest you. If you can't make a drop-off, City refuse/recycling customers can put their trees in their regular recycling pick-up spot by 7am for free tree pick-up on January 13th. Remember to remove all decorations and stands!
If you are looking to engage with the community in the coming weeks, you can finish the year off strong and join the Bixby Strollers for their last stroll of 2023, a 3.8-mile tour around the neighborhood, starting at Coffee Bean (4105 Atlantic Ave) at 7:15am. Then, if you want to kick off 2024 with a new workout habit, you can start on Wednesday, January 3rd at LBCC’s free lunchtime Yoga sessions every Wednesday from 12pm – 1pm at the Carson Street Front Lawn of the Liberal Arts Campus. The next week, on Tuesday, January 9th, bring your Little Aviator to the LBX Hangar Lawn from 10:30am – 11:30am for a morning of Winter Fun! Register here by 8am the day before to ensure there will be enough supplies.
Finally, I’d like to remind you that Mayor Rex Richardson will be delivering the State of the City address on Tuesday, January 9th at 5:30pm in the Terrace Theatre (300 E Ocean Blvd). He’ll be speaking on the City’s key accomplishments from throughout 2023, and highlighting priority focus areas for the year ahead. The address is free and open to the public, but RSVP is required! Alternatively, you can tune in to watch the livestream on the City’s social pages or LBTV. The next regularly scheduled City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 9th at 3pm for consent items only. A list of items of interest will be provided in a future newsletter.
As always, I am grateful for your continued engagement with me and my office, and I look forward to seeing you out in the community.
Happy New Year,
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Megan Kerr, Councilwoman
Long Beach, District 5
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Upcoming Events &
Community Meetings
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Long Beach Recycles
News & Reminders
Free Holiday Treecycling
Long Beach Recycles reminds us after the holidays to keep the memories, but recycle the tree! From December 26th through January 12th, recycle your tree at one of the 12 Treecycling Drop-Off locations throughout the city! The location within CD5 is at Wardlow Park (Monlaco Rd at Rutgers Ave). Click here or see the flyer for the full list of drop-off locations.
If you are unable to drop your tree off, free holiday tree pickup will be available for City refuse and recycling customers on Saturday, January 13th. Please place the tree where your recycling is normally collected by 7:00am. Remember:
- All decorations and stands must be removed
- Trees over 12' should be cut in half
- Flocked trees will be accepted
Have questions or need more information? Visit longbeach.gov/lbrecycles or call (562) 570 2689.
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CD5's Year in Review
We have been through so much together in 2023. There have been triumphs and challenges, and I have learned so much in this first year in office. While we still have much to work on in the coming year, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on some of this year’s highlights.
|  | Over the summer, we enjoyed our neighborhood’s wonderful Concert in the Park series, which has been a favorite family activity of mine for years. We also kicked off a new event, as we hosted the first “Discover LBCC Summer Concert” at Long Beach City College. It was such a great way to bring the community together, and I can’t wait to do it again next year! | Many of our parks saw some improvements this fall, as the PRM department worked hard to plant some new trees. The FY23-24 budget allotted for even more park trees to come, as well as for more improvements to our district. General infrastructure improvements have begun, and improvements to Heartwell Park and the construction of the new Fire Station 9 in the coming years. More specific information to come in 2024. |  | This year we also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Long Beach Airport! We celebrated with new improvements such as the opening of the new baggage claim, together with the annual Festival of Flight, and most recently, with the unveiling of the new mural, representing 100 years of history, growth, and innovation. While there have been and remain to be challenges around the relationship between general aviation operations and our community, we have started making important strides this year as well. Recently we've been able to facilitate conversations around resolving some of these concerns, and we will share more updates as they come to light in the near future. | These are just a few of this year’s many highlights. Once again, I’d like to thank you all for everything you do to make this district and our City such a wonderful place to live, work, and represent. I look forward to the new adventures, challenges, and triumphs to come in 2024! - Megan | | | |
South Coast Air Quality
Management District (AQMD)
Check Before You Burn: A Message from South Coast AQMD
November marked the start of the South Coast AQMD’s annual Check Before You Burn season. From November through the end of February, residents are asked to check whether a No-Burn Day has been declared before burning wood fireplaces to limit emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
A No-Burn Day is a 24-hour ban on wood-burning in residential fireplaces, stoves, or outdoor fire pits in the South Coast Air Basin. South Coast AQMD forecasters call for residential No-Burn Days when PM2.5 is expected to reach Unhealthy levels due to air emissions and stagnant weather conditions.
Click here to learn more and to access public resources for daily forecast information.
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Long Beach Parking Services
News & Reminders
Preferential Parking Permit Renewals
To those of you who are holders of preferential parking permits, it may be time to renew! The purple-colored permits expire on 12/31/23. You may have already received your permit renewal notice in the mail. If you have not, or if you would like to renew your permit online, visit the Parking Permits webpage and click "Parking Permits Portal" to access your account. You will need your username and password for this online portal. If you do not remember your username and/or password, please call (562) 570 6822 or email FM-Parkingcitation@longbeach.gov for assistance.
As a reminder, Preferential Parking Permits are issued to residents of designated Long Beach parking impacted areas. Each household is allowed up to three residential and one guest preferential permit per year. The annual fee for each residential preferential or guest permit is $34. Click here to learn more.
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Homelessness Emergency Declaration
Long Beach Inclement Weather Shelter Program
The City of Long Beach will utilize its Multi-Service Center (MSC) to serve as an overnight Inclement Weather Shelter for people experiencing homelessness during the winter months. The City will activate the emergency shelter site during extreme weather conditions to provide temporary, low-barrier, safe, and supportive emergency shelter to protect individuals experiencing homelessness from severe cold and wet weather conditions.
Community members interested in supporting the Inclement Weather Shelter can donate items for hygiene kits and/or cold-weather items like blankets, coats, socks, sweaters, beanies, gloves, and handwarmers.
The facility will be activated as needed now through March 2024. Read these FAQs or visit longbeach.gov/homelessness for more information.
Long Beach Winter Shelter Program
The Long Beach Winter Shelter is open! Beds were made available as of Tuesday, November 14th. Open now through March 31st, we are able to support over 120 beds this winter at our permanent location, 702 E Anaheim. Inclement weather dictating, the shelter may remain open later into spring as well.
City Increases Homeless Service Outreach with Mobile Access Centers
The MAC significantly lowers barriers to providing case management services and other resources for people experiencing homelessness. The schedule below reflects the current schedule, inclusive of both MAC vehicles.
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I-405 Improvement Project
News & Updates
The 405 Express Lanes Now Open
OCTA in cooperation with Caltrans is improving 16 miles of the San Diego Freeway (I-405) between State Route 73 (SR-73) and Interstate 605 (I-605). It also will construct the 405 Express Lanes from SR-73 to I-605. The new express lanes are now open, two lanes in each direction.
The new 405 Express Lanes will require a FasTrak transponder. Existing transponders will be accepted, or you can purchase a new one here.
For more information about this project, please contact the 405 Community Outreach Team at 405project@octa.net or 888-400-8994, or visit octa.net/405improvement.
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Parks, Recreation and Marine to Offer a Variety of Free Group Recreation Activities at Downtown Long Beach’s Lincoln Park
The City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM) will offer free group recreation activities in the Downtown area at Lincoln Park (101 Pacific Ave.) beginning Jan. 2, 2024, and until further notice.
Activities are available on a first-come, first-served basis. People can call 562.570.3551 with questions.
LEARN MORE...
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City Invites Public to Share Their Priorities for the 2025 City Budget at Upcoming Community Meetings
The City of Long Beach is inviting members of the public to participate in the City’s fiscal year 2025 budget development process by sharing their service priorities at one of the upcoming community budget meetings or by completing the Long Beach Budget Priority Survey, available Jan. 2, 2024.
The community budget meetings will be held in person at multiple locations throughout Long Beach, and one in a virtual format.
LEARN MORE...
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Official Statement Regarding Potential Unlawful Entry in Residential and Commercial Building
The City of Long Beach is aware of reports of potential unlawful entry in a residential and commercial building located in the 100 block of W. 4th Street. The Long Beach Police Department is actively investigating the incident
The City is in communication with local business groups and residents to provide resources and information as needed, and will continue to connect with them throughout the course of the investigation.
LEARN MORE...
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City of Long Beach to Offer Annual Treecycling Program
The City's Public Works Department will once again offer its Holiday Tree Recycling Program, also known as “Treecycling.” This annual program provides Long Beach residents with 12 convenient drop-off locations for disposal of live holiday trees free of charge from Dec. 26, 2023, through Jan. 12, 2024.
Proper disposal of holiday trees through the Treecycling program prevents fire hazards and reduces illegally dumped trees in alleys and the public right-of-way.
Residents are encouraged to drop off their holiday trees from Dec. 26, 2023, through Jan. 12, 2024, at any of the locations linked below. All locations will operate weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. A map of the drop off locations, available in multiple languages, is available here.
LEARN MORE...
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Upcoming
City Council Meeting
Tues. January 9, 2023, 3:00pm
411 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802
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